#kyoto samurai boys

[augustameretrix]

i was on the fence about blue eye samurai until battle without honor or humanity started playing

[laecrowa]

Ripples Of Revelation

guys i made this in the span of like the first episode of the show cause i needed to get some info this is actually trash

english is not my first language please be nice 😔🙏

Living in Kyoto is a different experience, especially when you’re a women, and a women who doesn’t come from a wealth like a princess who is lucky enough to marry a man she wants or to be married off to a wealthier family. Or if your a lady who isn’t wealthy and isn’t married you find yourself working in a brothel, luckily i haven’t come across that point since my father is my chaperone for the city and I’m still young.

Kyoto is very big and is home to the Shindo Dojo, the place where men who want to become samurai can train. So they can brag to the villagers and act like they are better than most even tho most cannot hold the blade correctly. They sit atop their horses and look down on the others acting as if they are worth.

Most times i’m grateful they ignore me and sometimes I have the utmost displeasure of hearing them say such nonsense to me in hopes of courting me. My father will not let them as he believes that I should find a strong and comfortable living man that will help me settle down comfortable and in hopes that I won’t end in a brothel. As the Shindo Dojo is here theres also the Shindo house the “whore house” as my mother used to call it when i was younger.

As me and my father walk by the Shindo house i see a man being grabbed on by the ladies. He looked as if he wasn’t expecting to be met in that manor and they looked as if they have been insulted then they look impressed. I turn my attention to the small puppet show that sits next to the brothel, which was interrupted by a big man bursted thru and breaking the stand. he looks to the man with the large hat and then back at me causing the man in the large hat to look at me. Tilting my head slightly before moving on next to my father who also saw the scene he smiles before looking forward.

“what? what’s with that look?” I look at my father as he laughs slightly. “that boy, he seems different hmm i saw that look in your eye. You should try and find him later huh?” i stop in my steps and soon after he does as well and smiles while turning to look at me. “I have no clue or reason on why you think that. We had only locked eyes for a second there is no reason for me to think that in any way he is different and I will not be finding him later you are crazy.” he looks at me trying to find any flaw in my face or voice as i speak on the subject. He laughs and tells me to move on and to continue walking to sell.

After a while of selling my father pushes me along to find something near the Shindo Dojo, as i walk along closer to the gates i see the man in the large hat. I move myself along in hopes for him to not see me and follow him. Slowly creepy from behind him a good 20 paces behind and out of his sight he leave Kyoto. I think to myself whether i should follow or go back but i think back to what my father says, and what he didn’t say. He usually says something along the lines of how “that boy is trouble” or “dont get yourself wrapped up with men like those” but no he says that he’s different and i cannot help but agree sometimes is definitely different about this young man.

Was is the glasses? maybe the large hat or maybe it was the fact that you feel more attracted to him then any other man had made you feel to them in the whole village that you’ve been in for so long. Had that man with the large hat make you feel like every other man is stupid, surly not he hadn’t even say a word to you let alone look at you for more then 5 seconds. It’s completely silly but i find myself still walking out of the gates hoping that he won’t turn around and find me following him like a stalker. Would he kill me for even looking at him for to long?

As I continued to follow him I find myself going deeper into the woods I loose him for a moment. I curse at myself for looking away for a moment and not knowing what turn he had made, it’s dark and already hard to see with the trees in the way. I look around frantically and I hear water from a small lake.

I slowly walk to the river, he would have probably went by the river to clean himself off. I was correct i see his head sticking out the water and *snap* fuck, i walk out all the way and put my hands up in the air to show i mean no problems. He steps out the water completely naked with his sword out and my eyes wander around his body and…

Am i attracted to women?

[professor-doctor-doctor]

Since everyone is posting about their headcanons and OCs, here’s…the closest I have to an OC?

The Shindo brothers, in childhood. Matsuzo, at the top, is the name I gave to Heiji’s nameless older brother in the first episode. Takeshi is technically an OC—both Heiji and Matsuzo appear in the final show, but Takeshi does not. This is intentional. Takeshi did not live into adulthood—and yes, it was Heiji’s fault.

Some quick headcanons regarding the brother’s, Heiji’s childhood, and their relationships with one another:

Matsuzo is primarily focused on his studies, both academic and refining his Shindo-Ryō. He’s the reserved older brother, and his father’s apprentice, meaning most of the time he’s away from his younger siblings, being trained personally. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t spend time with them—Matsuzo helps train Takeshi, who is also training to be a swordsman. While Heiji is the only of the sons to not be learning Shindo-Ryō, Matsuzo still makes some time to spend with him, such as joining him for tea ceremonies, or doing calligraphy together. Out of everyone in the family, Heiji’s closest relationship was with Matsuzo.

Heiji began youth as the quiet, overlooked child, and after his younger brother’s death, became something of a trouble child—making associates with drug peddlers and flesh traders within the city (such as Hachiman), even building his own miniature gang, which later results in his father banishing him from the family and Kyoto as a city. But before all of this, he was the studious of the three, and yet pretty much ignored by his father due to his lack of interest in fighting. His mother died when he was around nine years old, and it was she who taught him how to brew tea—but other than that, he hadn’t much a relationship with either of his parents. He was closest with Matsuzo, but despised his younger brother Takeshi, who often took joy in poking fun at how useless Heiji was when it came to the samurai arts—quite literally what their entire clan is known for. He beat him on several sparring occasions, and was overall just as annoying as a younger sibling may be. It was a great source of embarrassment for Heiji, and culminated overtime into a festering hatred for his own kin.

Takeshi, for all his nuisance, was essentially acting in the way any other little boy would. He was rambunctious, loud, and prideful, all of which clashed with Heiji’s personality. He was well liked by his father and eldest brother, however, who saw that he had the makings of a very promising warrior. It was seen that where Matsuzo would inherit the dojo and ruler ship of the clan, Takeshi would likely go on to be a great warrior, and add a new branch of lineage to the Shindo family tree. Heiji was overlooked, due to the fact his only ambition seemed to be that of an artisan.

However, Takeshi met a tragic end at the age of ten in the summer of 1613, when he fell gravely ill of a mysterious illness, and passed away. He was buried in the family grave, and the loss hit both Matsuzo and the Shindo Patriarch hard—not so much Heiji. Soon after, Heiji began to take advantage of his silver tongue and skills in trade, further dampening his relationship with his father. His sly and snake like attitude lead his father to both see and suspect the worst in him, and when Heiji turned 19, he was banished from the family, on the grounds he had disrespected their values in every way possible. The Shindo Patriarch Even accused Heiji in having a hand in his brother’s death, which is…just ridiculous, right?

By the time the show begins, Matsuzo and Heiji have somewhat reconnected. After their father passed away and Matsuzo became leader of the Shindo clan, Heiji eventually reached out—after, of course, getting a comfy spot working for the Shogun to facilitate the trade of foreign guns into Japan. He was deeply apologetic and implored his brother to see past his father’s foolishness—he had loved his brother, after all. He’d have done nothing to hurt him. Matsuzo, Kind at Heart, welcomed him back in—a grave mistake. For with Heiji came his empire of drugs and trafficking Matsuzo had no clue of.

Despite being the eldest, and the leader of the clan, Heiji became richer and of higher status through his success as a criminal overlord. It wasn’t long before it was Matsuzo bowing to Heiji.

This is just a quick overview of how I interpret Heiji Shindo’s family—I actually have a fic of Matsuzo eating dinner with him, Fowler, and Hachiman, supposedly after the scene where they agree to set the four fangs after Mizu. If you want me to post it, or rant more about my elaborate backstory for the unforgivable rat that is Shindo, please let me know! Comics and the likes will also be coming soon :3

[morverenmaybewrites]

Hello. im trying to forced myself forgot abt my dead ex(john soap mactavish) so..do you have any recommend for an otome game?

That's rough, buddy. I recommend the following otomes to help get over him: - Our Life: Beginning and Always: THE definitive cozy vibes otome. The base game is free, with multiple DLCs if you want more content. - Blooming Panic: Discord-based otome. Short and sweet. Turned me into a simp for a discord mod in what is possibly my worst moment yet. Also free. - Aloners: contains only one LI that reacts to your choices as a main character. The setting is bleak and at times a little hopeless, but the writing and story is top notch. There's a free version of it, but there's also a redux version if you've got cash to burn. - A Cinderella Story: One of the original Western indie otomes, I believe. I remember this for the excellent character development for the main character and excellent fairy tale-inspired plot. - Nightshade: One of the most gorgeous otomes I've ever laid eyes on. One of the saddest, too. Tragic story. Play this only if you want to replace your dead ex with another dead ex. Possibly die yourself in multiple horrible ways. You're welcome. - Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds: The granddaddy of otomes. I assure you, you will have forgotten all about John Soap McTavish by the time you finish this game and its sequel because that's probably a decade from now. Slow burn, plot-heavy. Came for the hot samurai men, stayed for the history lesson. - Mystic Messenger: only play this if you are willing to let it consume your life. These fictional boys are DEMANDING. Found in the app store of your choosing. - ITYH: A Horror Otome: Absolutely unhinged. This otome contains cannibalism, kidnapping, and sexual trauma. Beautiful in the way literature of gothic tragedies is beautiful. Definitely not for everyone. Definitely one of my favorites. Please exercise caution if you wish to play this game and enjoy the ride if you do.

[malaysianpeanut]

Telling stories through clothes, with this character from Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin) called Misao Makimachi. A ninja girl who is in love with her guardian, Aoshi, who took care of her when she was young. In the story I imagined, after the event of the anime/manga, she went away for a supposed "dance" training and came back to her home. That's where the story would start in my mind.

Outfit 1: Returning home and reuniting with everyone at her home, but especially her love, Aoshi.

Outfit 2: Stage outfit, where she plays a girl pretending to be boy in a cross dressing outfit.

Outfit 3: The next stage outfit, where the boy transforms into her true self, a beautiful young woman who fell in love.

Outfit 4: The final stage outfit, where the woman was betrayed and became a demon.

Outfit 5: Wedding dress, where Misao married her love after he proposed to her. 

Outfit 6: Her regular clothing when she's at home after she was married, still maintaining her upbeat and almost carefree personality.

Outfit 7: This is where things start to get darker for her. Funeral outfit, after another beloved guardian of hers, Okina, passed away due to illness.

Outfit 8: Farewell, after Aoshi was assigned to a mission that will make him separate from Misao for a long time, even though she was at a time where she needed him the most.

Outfit 9: Savior. Misao follows her husband and saves him from dying after he got hurt trying to apprehend a suspect. Finally see the result of her "training".

Outfit 10: Together. Reuniting with her husband but under a bitter feeling, he apologizes and she accepts reluctantly, and they finally spent the night together as a couple after so long being married.

Outfit 11: Training, where Misao requests to spar with Aoshi in her training session and she shows off the result of her training, both through her body physique and her fighting skills.

Outfit 12: Her mission outfit, where she teams up with Aoshi to finish his mission in Tokyo. Combined with her old ninja outfit from the past.

Outfit 13: Recovery. Misao got hurt and had to spend time to recover but she managed to heal up which made Aoshi glad.

Outfit 14: Going home, back to Kyoto with her husband, Aoshi, to live the rest of their lives together in peace and happiness. 

Hope you like the designs. :)

[shinsengumi-archives]

Okita's height

Okita Souji's appearance is still a mystery.

Many people have studied his face, so let's leave that for now, but what about his height?

Many sources give his height as "5 shaku 5 sun" (5'5" or approximately 167 cm).

This seems to be based on an article titled "Another Look at Okita Souji" (沖田総司別見), which appeared in the April 1972 issue of the "Historical Research" (歴史研究) magazine.

According to that article, a man named Sanbongi Mitsuo (三本木密雄), a samurai of the Nihonmatsu domain, once met Okita Souji, and "when they were standing side by side, they turned their heads to the side and talked," and since Sanbongi Mitsuo was "5' 5" tall, it is estimated that Okita was also about 5' 5" tall.

This text was written by Endo Koukei (遠藤幸威). He said that his mother told him what his great-grandfather had heard from Sanbongi Mitsuo.

Considering that Endo was the last of the Omi Mikami clan lords, such a story must have been told among the family members.

(Incidentally, the book "沖田総司おもかげ抄" written by Mori Makiko, which is in my possession, mentions "Endo Kouzo" (遠藤幸蔵), but it seems to be a misprint.)

However, we do not know where this Sanbongi Mitsuo met Okita, in Kyoto or in Edo. The Nihonmatsu clan was also in charge of guarding Kyoto, so it's possible that he met Okita in Kyoto.

Okita was between 22 and 26 years old when he was in Kyoto, so he had already finished growing. If Sanbongi met him in Kyoto, we can almost say for certain that he was about 5'5".

However, if they met in Edo, things would be a little different.

Sanbongi Mitsuo also says that Okita disliked taking baths [T/N: the original text used "風呂", which could mean he disliked going to "bath houses" instead]. However, in "沖田総司おもかげ抄", an old woman in Kyoto who had feelings for Okita at the time said that "Okita was very clean and neat," and the author, Mori Makiko speculates that "As a boy in the Shieikan, he might have disliked taking a bath, but since he became a member of the Shinsengumi in his youth, he might have started to pay more attention to his personal appearance and cleanliness."

Indeed, considering that he accompanied Kondo Isami to Nijo Castle and other places after joining the Shinsengumi, he must have been careful about his appearance, and it's unlikely that Kondo Isami would have tolerated a filthy appearance.

If so, it's highly likely that Sanbongi Mitsuo met Okita in Edo.

It depends on when they met in Edo, but if they met when Okita was a boy, it is possible that he grew taller after that.

Yagi Tamesaburo, the second son of Yagi Gennojo's family, who lived in Mibu, Kyoto, describes Okita as "a tall, dark-skinned man with broad shoulders".

These are the 3 people Tamesaburo described as "tall":

Serizawa Kamo

Noguchi Kenji

Okita Souji

What he said about Hijikata Toshizo:

"he had a toned face with large eyes"

"he was sullen and didn't chat much"

"he was said to be the son of an apothecary, but didn't appear like one at all."

Among the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo is the only one whose height is known. A specific number is given in "両雄士伝���遺", "he is 5 shaku 5 sun (5'5")".

The 5 shaku 5 sun is the same as Okita's, but why did Tamesaburo not refer to Hijikata as a "tall man" as well?

The average height at that time was said to be around 5'1" (155-157 cm).

Hijikata, who was more than 10 cm taller than the average height, must have been "tall" as well.

Kondo Isami was shorter than Hijikata by the amount of a topknot (162 to 163 cm), and Saito Hajime was estimated to be around 175 cm.

Shimada Kai is said to be about 6 feet tall (180 cm), and Yamazaki Susumu is also said to be tall.

At the time Okita was staying at the Yagi residence, Tamesaburo was between 13 and 16 years old, a very impressionable age, but from the perspective of the Shinsengumi as a whole, his impression of Hijikata was not that he was "tall" but that he was "moody" and "didn't look like an apothecary's son" mentioned above.

If so, Serizawa, Noguchi, and Okita would have given him the strongest impression of being "tall" among the Shinsengumi.

Some say that Okita was 5'7" (172 cm), so he may have been at least that tall. At the very least, Okita was probably taller than Hijikata.

References

新選組始末記　子母澤寛全集一　子母澤寛

沖田総司おもかげ抄　森満喜子

歴史研究　1972年4月号　新人物往来社

沖田総司伝私記　菊池明

聞き書き徳川慶喜残照　遠藤幸威

両雄士傳　補遺　橋本清淵編輯　多摩デジタル新選組資料館

Wikipedia

[pancake-breakfast]

Started watching Blue Eye Samurai. Thoughts while going through the first episode:

This character is definitely a girl masquerading as a boy. Or at least a female-bodied person. I think I remember that being in the promo art or something, but I don't think I needed the promo art to figure that out.

Ooh, already dropping the F-bombs.

She's not technically a samurai, though, unless she serves a lord. She'd just be a ronin.

"But I hate home!" Can't imagine why, fella.

Pretty sure that's supposed to be Kyoto.

Yep, Kyoto.

Oh, these guys are no good. None at all.

Geez, they're making damn sure they get that M rating, aren't they?

A friend told me the first time modern, recognizable music suddenly shows up in the soundtrack is a bit jarring. Friend was correct.

What's with that look? Is our titular samurai gonna get herself a WIFE???

NM, princess is gonna become princess bride.

Wait, to the "best swordsman around"? IS OUR TITULAR SAMURAI GIRL GONNA WIN HERSELF A WIFE???

A friend told me the that when modern, recognizable music shows up in the series, it's a bit jarring. Friend is correct.

"But you'll die." Her delivery here is perfect. It's not condescending or proud. It's just like, "Wait, what? You're asking me to do what now? I just need to be sure."

They're really trying to get their mileage out of that 3D-rendered tooth.

The funny thing is stupid ass Taigan can't reveal her secret because if he does, it's greater dishonor to both him and his dojo since they were defeated by a woman, of all things.

George Takei, is that you?

Oop, now she's got herself a proper rival.

Aaand he's getting kicked out of the dojo, so now she can kill him without shame. Would have been inappropriate to do before unless she wanted to piss off the whole dojo (more), but she still successfully disgraced the hell out of him, which is actually kind of worse.

I like this shamisen outro.

[transgenderer]

Seven-Five-Three Festival

For the entire month of November the shrine becomes a vehicle to ensure safe passage through periods of physical and social transition in the lives of children. Although there is no formal ritual in the upper shrine in honor of children, November 3 is listed as the day for beginning shichi-go-san mairi. So as not to interfere with a busy wedding season in the upper shrine,19 the lower sanctuary (Gokitoden) is the site for wave after wave of families who wish for some kind of ritual acknowledgment for periods of development in their children’s lives. The phenomenon of shichi-go-san mairi (a shrine visitation in years when girls are aged three or seven and boys are aged five) grew out of customs associated with samurai families during the middle Edo period that acknowledged certain intervals of social development (Nakamaki 1990:152). At age three, for example, girls adopted a more refined way of wearing their hair (kami-oki), and, at age seven, they could wear an obi for the first time in a style more akin to that worn by women. Boys likewise distinguished themselves socially at age five by wearing loose-fitting hakama pantaloons over a formal kimono (a fashion innovation begun in imperial China over two thousand years ago and still a part of the attire worn by Shinto priests). It was not until the Taisho¯ period that the shichi-go-san began to gain popularity, in part owing to the construction of Meiji Shrine in 1920 as a kind of ujigami-sha for all of Japan. However, Nakamaki notes that a book published in 1958 mentions the holiday as gaining in popularity in the Kyoto-Osaka region, so it appears that this holiday is quite new

Since fashion has always been an important part of the shichi-go-san, the contemporary observance of this month-long November holiday finds children brought to shrines in their very best clothes and photographed extensively against the backdrop of the institution; many participate in a short ceremony of purification and blessing as well. Shrines view this holiday as a prime opportunity for bringing children into the sphere of the kami (it is also financially rewarding) and so compete for public attention, placing advertisements in local newspapers or contracting printing companies to post colored advertisements on telephone poles and public notice boards. Kamigamo takes a typically low-key approach, posting generic advertisements here and there in north Kyoto showing a young boy and girl dressed in shichi-go-san finery, with the name of the shrine written in by hand at the bottom.

In the outer courtyard visitors find a sign directing them to purchase three tickets for five thousand yen (U.S. $42): the first will permit them to enter the Gokitoden sanctuary ( just inside the Tower Gate courtyard) and be purified and blessed by two priests in a ten-minute ritual. They will then receive a bag containing candy, coloring and comic books, a small amulet, and the shrine’s autumn newsletter. The next ticket allows them to be photographed by one of the priests; the photo will later be printed on a calendar for the coming year. The final ticket gives the child his or her choice of toys (arranged by gender-specific areas). While five thousand yen may at first seem somewhat expensive for these services, most other shrines charge four thousand yen for a quick wave of the wand of purification and a bag containing candy, a small toy, and a comic or coloring book. Of the twenty-five people I interviewed, no one complained about the price; in fact, most thought the innovations at Kamigamo were creative and well worth the expense

-Enduring Identities, Nelson

charmingly tacky and mercantile. every culture across the world dedicated to dressing their child up in fancy outfits and paying too much to get them photographed

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 30 Years Old in 2024

Aggressors of Dark Kombat (what if Mortal Kombat was made by the KoF devs?)

Alone in the Dark 2

Art of Fighting 2

Beneath a Steel Sky (a highly influential point and click adventure game from the same team that would go on to make Broken Sword)

Blackthorne (a 2D platformer made by Blizzard)

Breath of Fire (the 1st one)

Bubsy 2

Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales

Bust-a-Move (known as "Puzzle Bobble" in Japan)

Castlevania: Bloodlines

Contra: Hard Corps (the first game in the series to have multiple endings)

Cosmology of Kyoto

The Death and Return of Superman (a side scrolling beat 'em up made by Blizzard)

Demon's Crest

Donkey Kong (the Game boy version of the arcade original)

Donkey Kong Country

Doom II: Hell on Earth

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls (as opposed to a beat ‘em up like the other four games were, this one was a fighting game)

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom

Dynamite Headdy

Earthworm Jim (with music from Tommy Tallarico. His mother is very proud.)

Ecco: The Tides of Time

The Elder Scrolls Arena (the very 1st one)

Final Fantasy VI

Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (the 3rd one)

Ghoul Patrol (the sequel to "Zombies Ate My Neighbors")

Heretic

The Horde (a hybrid action/strategy game made by Toys for Bob, who are known nowadays for making Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time)

Illusion of Gaia

Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures

Killer Instinct

The King of Fighters '94

King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride

Live a Live (the original version, which went unreleased in North America. We wouldn’t get this game until the HD-2D remake 28 years later)

Majin Tensei (a strategy spin-off of the greater Shin Megami Tensei franchise)

Marathon (one of the earliest games made by Bungie)

Mega Man 6

Mega Man Soccer

Mega Man V (on the Game Boy)

Mega Man X

Mortal Kombat II

The Need for Speed (the very 1st one)

Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (as an empath, seeing Pac-Man in pain makes me feel sick)

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure

Pocky & Rocky 2

Policenauts (a visual novel and one of the earlier works from Hideo Kojima)

Rise of the Robots (often considered one of the worst fighting games ever made)

Robotrek

Samurai Shodown II

Shadowrun (the Sega Genesis version)

Shaq Fu (also often considered one of the worst fighting games ever made)

Shin Megami Tensei II (which, to this day, has never been officially released outside of Japan)

Shin Megami Tensei If... (also never officially released outside of Japan)

Shining Force II

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (just in time for the third movie)

Sparkster

Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage

Star Wars: TIE Fighter

Streets of Rage 3

Super Adventure Island II

Super Metroid

Super Punch-Out!!

Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (this release saw the first playable appearances of T. Hawk, Fei Long, Dee Jay, and Cammy)

Super Street Fighter II Turbo (saw the series’ first secret character, Akuma)

System Shock (a remake came out very recently. It's quite good!)

Ultima VIII: Pagan

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (the very 1st one)

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

X-COM: UFO Defense (the 1st game in the series)

Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (one of the last first-party releases for the NES)

Zool 2

[eleiyaumei]

My thoughts when I played Hakuōki for the first time

It’s been 2 years since I first played Hakuōki Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms so I thought I could share the notes I took back then. It’s mostly rankings with explanations.

Short Backstory: I only play otome I find on Steam and one day I found Hakuouki on there. I saw the time period, was reminded of the movie “Last Samurai” with Tom Cruise and immediately was like: “Oh, no, I don’t wanna play this misery fest.” But I was still interested (since there’s so few otome on Steam) and thus watched the first movie on Amazon. I don’t remember exactly what I thought of it but I must have been frustrated by how they handled Chizuru... One day, it’s the pandemic, I was stuck in my apartment and I bought KW & EB. And the rest is history…

Note: This is no debate, just my opinion, so don’t expect well-written, logical arguments for anything I wrote here. My opinions aren’t meant to offend anyone but if you don’t like Hakuōki or your favorite character(s) being critically/negatively discussed, please don’t read this or proceed with caution.

Feel free to share your first impressions of KW/EB or Hakuōki in general!

My thoughts after playing Kyoto Winds:

Love Interest Ranking:

1.      Saito – perfect Kuudere! Always rational and logically-thinking.

2.      Okita – child and adult at once, stubborn, teasing; I find myself in him. (I wasn’t in love with him back then and had to warm myself up toward him.)

3.      Iba – perfect, but maybe TOO perfect… (I thought he would turn out to be a Yandere.)

4.      Toudou – such a cute little baby!

5.      Kazama – human-hater for good reasons, sadist with a soft side to him.

6.      Nagakura – my broooo; his energy is contagious!

7.      Hijikata – strict and soft at once.

8.      Ryouma – hot, but TOO hot, too pushy, seems fake sometimes.

9.      Yamazaki – powerless and seeking-to-be-useful like MC.

10.  Harada – friendly sexist. (Did you know there’s a thing called “benevolent sexism”? That’s what he embodies. Yes, that’s still my opinion about him.)

11.  Sannan – craycray for understandable reasons.

12.  Souma – fanboy with ideals instead of a real personality.

 Routes

1.      Saito

2.      Okita

3.      Toudou

4.      Iba - I didn’t like the ending. I also didn’t like that he let Takeda drift away in the river and MC didn’t question his behavior. No matter if he was an enemy, that still was dishonorable of Iba.

5.      Hijikata

6.      Ryouma

7.      Kazama – too few moments

8.      Nagakura

9.      Harada

10.  Sannan – too few/weak moments

11.  Yamazaki – too few/weak moments

12.  Souma – more a love story between him and the Shinsengumi

 MC (‘s personality)

1.      Kazama

2.      Heisuke

3.      Okita

4.      Saitou

5.      Hijikata – she apologizes too often

6.      Nagakura

7.      Harada

8.      Ryouma

9.      Iba

10.  Sannan

11.  Yamazaki

12.  Souma

 Love Stories

1.      Heisuke – puppy love: Heisuke is such a lovable cinnamon role.

2.      Okita – slow-burn

3.      Kazama – MC learns that he isn’t a complete jerk.

4.      Saito

5.      Iba – cute with problems

6.      Nagakura – more like a bromance

7.      Hijikata – slow approach but nothing romantic yet

8.      Harada – he admires her strength but doesn’t want her to fight: imbalanced.

9.      Ryouma – more sexual than romantic

10.  Yamazaki – in the end too much too fast

11.  Sannan – barely any chemistry, few moments

12.  Souma – no chemistry between MC and him

 My thoughts after playing Edo Blossoms:

Love Interests:

1.      Okita – joker with so much passion and so much warmth… (Can you tell I had fallen in love?)

2.      Sakamoto – full of life and passion, his heart in the right place, jokester, intelligent

3.      Heisuke – puppy that grows up

4.      Nagakura – energy, empathy/compassion for enemies, sense of responsibility for his comrades, love for freedom/independence

5.      Hijikata – strict, honorable, soft, can also tease/joke

6.      Iba – such a good guy

7.      Souma – a boy that grows into a man, cute like a kitten, courageous and proud like a lion

8.      Saito – rational and shy, strong will

9.      Harada – kind and hot but believing in traditional gender roles

10.  Kazama – JERK with kind side, CAN be respectful

11.  Sannan – I can’t warm up to this Kuudere; he tends towards madness because he doesn’t want to be (seen as) useless.

12.  Yamazaki – irrational, crazy, power-hungry many times due to his low self-esteem, walking red flag. Why should I believe that he sees MC as more than a token and blood bag? He shyly asks for his first kiss but then he immediately doesn’t care if MC wants to kiss him or if the kiss is hurting her. Furthermore, he doesn’t show much interest in MC.

 Routes:

1.      Okita – all these feelings… This isn’t just Sōji’s route but Yukimura’s as well.

2.      Sakamoto – kinda had everything (humor, drama, emotion) and nothing that bothered me too much.

3.      Hijikata – Drama, baby! Many ups and downs, moments to laugh and to cry. The moment Kazama recognizes Toshi as a demon has gravitas and his death is honorable. The Sannan-subplot makes sense, Kodo’s death is cheap and easy. I love that Okita gets another scene BUT after that he is never mentioned again!

4.      Heisuke – heartbreaking how a ray of sunshine turns into a depressive pessimist… Sannan as a crazy villain is an absolute no-go! This makes him weaker in Toshi’s and his own route because his downfall doesn’t really fit his character.

5.      Nagakura – because of the depressive phases and MC’s will to fight. I find it immensely astonishing that Nagakura didn’t need nor used his Fury powers.

6.      Iba – because MC took over control several times and Iba respected her decisions.

7.      Saito – it’s only about him… (His route frustrated me the most since I was so hyped up at the end of his route in KW...)

8.      Sannan – tragic how many distrusted him and he still kept on fighting. …Wait! How come that Kaoru was useless if Kodo only wanted pureblood blood?? …More scientific stuff would have benefitted the route.

9.      Harada – MC is an anxious nerve wreck. (This influenced my whole perception of the route.)

10.  Souma – still too much focus on the Shinsengumi but Souma has a good character development – from boy into a man.

11.  Kazama – boring, nothing happens, threats are taken care of too soon; basically Yukimura’s route just with Kazama.

12.  Yamazaki – Kazama takes the final blow from MC! Plot hole/Error: Furies don’t attack MC until Yamazaki defeats Kodo.

 MC (‘s personality)

Baseline: She always feels guilty for everything and is just glad to serve as a blood bag…

1.      Okita – She does not feel guilty for once and isn’t the only one that cares and makes sacrifices. Plus, she fights physically two times (against Kazama and imperial soldiers, she kills one) and verbally with Kaoru and Kodo in the end.

2.      Iba – She has helpful ideas several times and Iba trusts and listens to her. But she thinks Iba is too good for her… BIG NO GO: MC would have let Iba r*pe her because she was sure that this was the demon arm’s doing. This situation traumatizes her for a little while.

3.      Sakamoto – intelligent, passionate and strong-willed. She is not let down by insecurity, guilt etc., isn’t  wailing the whole time and she is seething with anger towards her father due to his experiments (instead of wailing and not wanting to accept the truth).

4.      Nagakura – she exercises fighting and enjoys Shinpachi’s blood-sucking. However, she accepts his proposal when they kiss for the first time and she never fights…

5.      Toudou – she has a rather strong will and motivates Heisuke with her optimism but she doesn’t fight or does something else…

6.      Hijikata – she cries easily but can talk big, has a strong will. But she is nothing more than a housewife…

7.      Saito – she is nothing more than a caring, loyal housewife and a slow-witted blood bag (doesn’t understand what he feels for her until it is spoken out loud). But hey: At least she initiates her first time – on top of him.

8.      Sannan – strong-willed but even she is doubting Sannan towards the end…

9.      Kazama – she isn’t afraid to speak her mind in front of him, she regulates her objectives. She doesn’t want to re-open the Yukimura clinic even though she likes to take care of others, she is not a fan of marriage, would only marry Kazama.. But in the end, she gives up everything to be with Kazama.

10.  Souma – she doesn’t do anything, does not confess to Souma but at least she asks him to spend the last night together with her. She only follows Souma and waits for him – as she is his senpai, I would have expected more of her. Since the north star represents Souma’s purpose of life for him and he is MC’s north star, MC’s purpose of life is Souma…

11.  Harada – zero self-confidence, zero self-worth, 1000 anxieties… Harada’s love gives her strength, she only wants a peaceful life as wife, housewife and mother. (The first part reminds me too much of my hurting and depressed teenage self, the last part is something I cannot relate to.)

12.  Yamazaki – completely dependent on him, weak, low self-worth, likes to be used.

 Love Stories:

1.      Okita – so mutual, equal and not toxic. At the beginning, MC takes care of Soji, later he takes care of her. For the first time in his life, he wants to live for ‘selfish’ reasons and wants to spend the rest of his life with MC. Both support each other until the very end.

2.      Iba – cute.

3.      Sakamoto – he jokes a lot but develops feelings for MC, takes care of her and respects her wishes.

4.      Heisuke – it’s more about fighting Heisuke’s problems than their relationship..

5.      Saito – slow burn but only MC sacrifices herself for him, not the other way round.

6.      Hijikata – takes a long time but is rather cute. He gets softer and can tease MC.

7.      Souma – kitten love but development isn’t really visible. Others have to bring them together…

8.      Harada – MC depends on his reassurance. It feels bad that Harada is leaving his friends behind for her even though that’s a ~romantic~ gesture.

9.      Kazama – he respects her wishes and learns something new. But in the end, he is as ignorant and arrogant as in the beginning… (I HATE THIS still.)

10.  Sannan – seemingly pure love: all-trusting, all-forgiving… (You should not trust someone when they don’t trust you back. You should not forgive if you never get anything back in return.)

11.  Nagakura – romantic development rather sudden or primarily in the blood-sucking scenes.

12.  Yamazaki – rather one-sided and toxic.

 Couples I can support:

OkiChi, IbaChi, SakaChi.

Couples I can accept:

HijiChi, SaiChi, HeiChi (Somewhere along the line Heisuke got lost in his own feelings and stopped empathizing with MC. Granted, that’s how depression works, but it does not make for a good relationship. At least in his epilogue, we see him apologizing to MC for not helping reach her goal of finding her father. A glimpse of Kyoto Winds’ Heisuke.), NagaChi, SomaChi

Couples I can barely tolerate:

HaraChi (MC depends too much on Harada’s support; Harada projects his own dreams too much on her without really considering her feelings (though it seems like he cares at first sight).)

SanChi (There’s not much common ground between the two. Sannan does not seem to have much of a romantic interest in MC. He seems more like a happy single. Pairing him with MC is like rewarding her loyalty, kindness and patience with a relationship despite a lack of reciprocated feelings.)

KazaChi (JUST because of that darn ending!)

Couple I find repulsive and can only warn others about:

YamaChi

[noonesgaylikegatson]

November 18, 2023

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese actor-director Takeshi Kitano says he wanted his new film “Kubi” to show the world of samurai in ways that mainstream movies have rarely done before, by portraying the homosexual, love-hate relationship of warlords in one of Japan’s best known historical episodes.

“What is never shown is relationships between men at that time, including their homosexual relationships,” Kitano told a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on Wednesday ahead of the Nov. 23 opening of his film in Japan.

The story of “Kubi,” or “neck,” shows the 1582 ambush of Oda Nobunaga, one of Japan’s best-known warlords, at the Honnoji temple in Kyoto by an aide, Akechi Mitsuhide.

Past dramas from that period have only shown “very cool actors and pretty aspects,” Kitano said.

“This is a period when especially men were keeping up with their lives for other men within these relationships, including sexual relationships,” he said. ”So I wanted to delve into showing these more murky relationships.”

He wrote a script for the idea 30 years ago, then released the novel “Kubi” in 2019, leading to his production of the film. He also plays Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who takes over after Nobunaga, in the film.

Kitano, 76, began his career as stand-up comedian Beat Takeshi before becoming a TV star.

Kitano said he has seen the dark side of the Japanese entertainment industry, which recently has been shaken by a scandal involving the decades-long sexual abuse of hundreds of boys by the late founder of a powerful talent agency. Recently, the suicide of a member of a hugely popular female-only theater company Takarazuka prompted criticism over its alleged overwork and widespread bullying.

“In old days, in the Japanese entertainment industry, I wouldn’t go as far as calling it slavery, but people used to be treated a commodities, from which money is made while showing them off. This is something that’s still left in the culture of Japanese entertainment,” Kitano said.

In his early days as a comedian, there were times when he was paid not even one-tenth of the worth of his work, he said. “There have been improvements in recent years, but I’ve always thought severe circumstances have existed.”

Kitano, who debuted as a film director in 1989 with “Violent Cop” and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for “Hana-bi” in 1997, is known for violent depictions in his gangster movies like “Outrage.”

“Kubi,” which refers to traditional beheadings, has ample violence. Violence and comedy are an inseparable part of daily lives, he said.

“Laughter is a devil,” he said. “When people are very serious, such as at weddings or funerals, we always have a comedy or a devil coming in and making people laugh.”

Same for violent films, he said. “Even when we are filming very serious scenes, there are comedic elements that come in on the set, as the devil comes in and makes people laugh,” though those scenes are not in the final version of films.

“Actually, my next film is about comedy within violent films,” Kitano said. It will be a two-part film, with his own violent story followed by its parody version. “I think I can make it work somehow.”

[vulgar-mary-p-ppins]

Let’s talk about Inu-Oh:

For those who don’t know, Inu-Oh is an anime film by Masaaki Yuasa, director of The Night is Short; Walk on Girl, Ride Your Wave, and Lu Over the Wall. It is having a limited US theatrical release through Fathom Events, who are known for testing the waters of bringing foreign and classic films to theatres for limited runs.

Set in feudal Japan (medieval times, vaguly the early 1000’s), a child is born in Kyoto to an affluent Noh family who is horribly disfigured. He is given no name and treated like little more than a stray dog. In another part of Japan, in the historical city of Dan-no-Ura where the final battle of the Heike took place (I think), another child named Tomona is blinded by a relic of the great battle. The two meet as young boys and become fast friends, even as Tomona pursues life as a biwa priest and the then nameless Inu-Oh pursues becoming a Noh legend. However, his grotesque looks and bombastic style lead his father to disown him. The two meet again as adults and discover that Inu-Oh is in fact cursed by the spirits of the dead Heike samurai that wish their forgotten stories to be told. Going against the priestdom that took him in, Tomona, now called Tomoichi, develops his own style to advertise the performances of his lifelong friend who’s curse is lifted bit by bit as each story is told. As Inu-oh gains popularity among the masses, the shogunate calls for their execution, as the stories they are telling are not part of the codified Tale of Heike and are delegitimizing his rule.

Y’all.

Usual of Yuasa’s work, the animation is subversive of the traditional anime “style” that the west is familiar with. However, rather than the stretchy Fleischer style that he adopted in Lu Over the Wall or The Night is Short; Walk on Girl, this animation looks much more naturalistic. Although it is a stunning film, the character designs are almost hard to look at: Tomona has crooked and broken teeth, Inu-Oh’s grotesque appearance is jagged, boney, and horrific, and background characters are drawn with crooked noses, moles, scars, and all manner of naturalistic and brutally honest features. Sometimes, the movie is almost disgusting. But the captivating music, Inu-oh’s haunting voice, and the outright bizzare yet beautiful visuals draw you in and will not let you go.

I do wish that there was a bit more development of Inu-oh and Tomana’s relationship between the last performance and the finale. Their friendship is close and charming and once the final performance is done, the two are not seen together on screen again. Culturally, relationsips between men at that time were more intimate, allowing for behavior that many westerners may read as bordering on homosexuality. That being said, many historical texts also point out that homosexuality was less frowned upon before Western contact and intercourse between same sex partners was common. Further, Japan before contact recognized a third gender, the wakashu, which Tomona could very conceivably fall under. He is refered to many times throughout the movie as smelling or dressing like a prostitute and shown on screen wearing traditional make up. The ambiguity of their relationship, as well as Tomona’s gender expression, to me as a Westerner, leaves me thirsting for more clarity. Without giving away the ending, I feel that more clarity may have also given the ending more emotion. However, it is VERY possible that a lot of cultural reference is lost on me and since the Japanese are a people who prefer ambiguity, I cannot denounce the movie for failing to appease an audience it was not created for. This is a VERY cultural movie. It expects the viewer to know a LOT about feudal Japan, the Heike, and, as expressed above, social and gender culture of medieval Japan. I know there is a lot I missed, even as an informed viewer. However, I think the movie is so worth seeing.Either way, I have a new obsession and need the soundtrack. And that’s my professional opinion as an amateur.

[the-insanity-of-mojiru]

what is buchigire anyways?

Oh boy, well please let me first apologize that I've been posting so much of it that this question needed to be brought up.

The short answer is: It's an original anime by Hirakawa Tetsuo that aired in Summer 2022. It's set in an alternative 1863 Kyoto, where the Shinsengumi are all killed and they are replaced by the main cast of characters. Their goal is to stop the Masked Demons, who's plans seem to be killing people for the sake of the country.

I'll put the longer answer in the undercut, though, if you're curious, since I have a lot to say about this anime. I'll go through the character introductions, so if that feels like a spoiler, just don't read below the line.

The more detailed story is about a man named Ichibanboshi, who grew up in poverty with his dad, mom, and younger brother. One day, his family is attacked by the Masked Demon, and Ichibanboshi only survives thanks to his mom pushing him in a river for him to escape. Having grown up with no power, Ichibanboshi feels that there's no justice in the world, and that the powerful class will always bully the impoverish. He spends the rest of his life seeking revenge against the Masked Demons, becoming known as the Samurai Killer. He is eventually captured for his crimes and sentenced to death row.

However, instead of being killed, he is taken to the Shinsengumi HQ, where he is introduced to Todo Heisuke, the only surviving member of the Shinsengumi. He is told that he, along with 6 other death row prisoners, are to pretend to be the captains of the Shinsengumi. While at first Ichibanboshi is against it, he later accepts when he learns that the Shinsengumi are also here to take down the Masked Demons, and their goals align. The story then follows his growth as he becomes the replacement for Commander Kondo Isami.

Ichibanboshi's rival in the cast is Sakuya, an assassin who counts the number of people he's killed and is a perfect teacher's pet (lovingly). Where Ichibanboshi is impulsive, loud, and has one braincell, Sakuya is more calculated, reserved, and by the books. The two have trouble getting along because their personalities always clash. Sakuya is Hijikata Toshizo's substitute.

The team's ace as well as swordsmanship trainer is Akira, a woman disguising herself as a man who sees the world in very black and white terms. She is poised and well mannered, and for her, things must either be stated clearly, or not stated at all. I like her arc a lot, personally, and I think in another setting, she would make a great main character. (Also, there's an isekai manga which stars someone isekai-ing and becoming Akira, so very ironic.) She is Okita Souji's substitute.

Next is Gyatarou, the self proclaimed "collector of crimes" and a man who has the tattoos to show for it. Gyatarou is one of the few characters who doesn't learn how to use a sword, instead opting for the "superior" firearm. He's everyone's big brother in the slums, and has a lot of connections with people from the lower class. This is my personal ramblings, but I really love the between the lines you can infer on Gyatarou. He feels like a very good character who was forced to commit crimes due to his situation, which is reflected in conversations he has with the children in the slums. He is Nagakura Shinpachi's substitute.

After that is Bou, known as the "hungry giant" who is great with a paintbrush. He is the only one who uses a spear, but his best asset is how strong he is. They never really clarify why he is a death row prisoner, although my assumption has always been that because he eats so much, he got in a lot of trouble for not always having the money for food. He's very sweet, and honestly feels like the youngest in the cast to me. He is Harada Sanosuke's substitute. Both he and Gyatarou defend Ichibanboshi and look up to him.

So now onto my personal biases for favorites. First there's Suzuran, a "depraved" monk who flirts with women has a very laid back personality. I won't reveal the reason he was arrested because I feel like it's pretty plot important. He uses an electrical staff instead of a sword, on the basis that monks don't kill (well, we never said his friends couldn't kill though). He has a lot of pretty good advice buried under his nonchalant attitude, and conversations with him and Sougen are my favorites in the show. He's actually pretty level headed when it comes to problem solving. He is Saito Hajime's substitute.

Second is Sougen, a practically genius level doctor who is good at medicine, anatomy, and also machinery. Suzuran's staff is actually made by him. Sougen has a personal lab in the Shinsengumi HQ where he keeps a junk of crazy things, like medical books, cadavers, weird chemicals, and sometimes he does his operations there too. He's a bit grotesque when it comes to his hobbies, but it's all to benefit research. That's, as you can expect, why he was arrested in the first place. He is Yamanami (Sannan) Keisuke's substitute. Absolutely this is my own bias but I love him the most. The man looks so sleep and nutrition deprived that I'm baffled he lived this long on curiosity alone. Someone please give him a nourishing face mask and, like, a decent meal.

Finally in our main cast is Todo Heisuke, as mentioned earlier, the sole survivor of the original Shinsengumi. During the attack from the Masked Demon, he was barely able to survive and lost an arm and a leg in exchange for injuring the leader of the Masked Demons. The substitutes call him the "chibi oni commander" because he might be the shortest, but he's also the harshest. At first, he distances himself from the substitutes, since they're just tools and figureheads, but he slowly begins to rely on them more as the series goes on.

There's other historical characters too, like Katsura Kogoro, Matsudaira Katamori, and Akizuki Teijirou who make an appearance throughout the show and either hinder or support the new Shinsengumi (the Shin-Shinsengumi?). Their main villain is the commander of the Masked Demons, a man with purple hair who always keeps his face covered, and his right hand man Rashomaru, both original villains to the anime with no real historical counterparts.

The story starts a bit before August 1963, when historically the Mibu Roshigumi become the Shinsengumi, and covers events around the Shinsengumi through 1864 with the black ships stationed in Osaka. As you can expect from pretty much every Shinsengumi anime, it also covers the Ikedaya Incident. It's got it's on personal spin on history, though, which is why I like to say it's set in an alt-history Japan.

A bit of a personal rambling here, but a lot about this anime was done very well to me. With the limited amount of time they got to tell a story, I felt that I understood the characters and their motivations, and their relationships with one another. I feel like they were able to keep with historical events well while still doing their own thing. Having re-watched it several times now, they hid a lot of easter eggs throughout the series that I'm honestly impressed by for people watching the first time not to pick up. It's got it's funny moments, it's emotional moments, and enough action to keep me satisfied. I'm also a big fan of the art style and the way they show flashbacks. Just to kind of add to the plus.

Is the anime rushed? It certainly is, with the information they have to squeeze into 12 episodes. Is it understandable? Yes, it still is! Even if you don't know the history of the Shinsengumi, it's still understandable because they do a great job explaining historical events in an easy way. Is it for children? Honestly, yes, I think I fell in love with an anime for preteens and teens. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

[ukaiknowsbest]

in my effort to follow news of matsuo shion, toin's main catcher in 2021-2022, i have learned the followng

there are websites that are dedicated to gushing about how cute and handsome they are

there are magazines that talk about them like idols

there are websites dedicated to tracking the history of japanese star players from birth, elementary and middle school school teams (esp if they are part of junior leagues), highschool teams

media hypes up batteries thru different articles, and they often get interviewed.

Batteries that have played with each other since Junior League are the most celebrated.

It's not uncommon to hear "Greatest Battery" epithet from the media or the commentators when referring to certain pairs.

players with big online following can have fancams dedicated to them or their batteries

stuff i learned about shion after summer koshien:

toin members have nicknames/epithets for each other. He was called pauwlonia samurai (coz he was like cool and stable, i think)

people adore his battery with kouhai pitcher Yugo Maeda (who's now the new captain and is was THE super rookie with flaming fastballs)

People were excited when Maeda revealed how Shion told him "Let's have fun till the end of highschool. I'll entertain you."

what an ikemen

personally im gonna miss Osaka Toin's 3rd year battery the most: Kawahara-Shion Battery

and I'm looking forward to Yugo Maeda's captaincy.

.......

Matsuo Shion has been drafted into DeNA baystars as No.1 draft pick in the first round.

Kyoto International’s Ace Morishita is also in the same team. (4th round)

Tomakomai pitcher Saito was also drafted in the first round.

Takamatsu High’s slugger, Shogo Asano is in Yomiuri Giants (1st round).

Seiko’s catcher Yamaasa is in Chunichi Dragons (4th round)

Ohmi’s Yamada Hotaru is in Seibu Lions (5th round)

Shimonoseki Ace Koga is in the Rakuten Development team.

.......

Highlights

Toin

Hoshiko Tenma’s “Minna Daisuki!”

Maruyama doing little jigs when he’s at bat.

Itou posturing and cheekiness.

Kawahara being the most chill.

Osaka getting out on triple play lmao

Seiko

Mirai Sayama strength and resiliency

Junpei’s awesome fielding in CF

Shimonoseki

The catcher being an ikemen and making smart af plays. The outs at third base that only he can do!!!

SA Nakai Shin being clutch pitcher and getting a spot in U-18 japan team

Aiko Dai Meiden

Yamada Kuuki’s eephus pitch, funny faces and overall fun and playful vibe.

......

I’m gonna miss these boys. XD

[hefelllaughing]

Love and War

Previously

||•One •||

⊱Past⊰

Kyoto, Japan

1864

》 Third Person's Point of View 《

They moved. The Hugo couple leaved their provincial life to live in Kyoto, to live without the talks behind their backs about their unlucky life. They moved for the sake of Homare , the girl from the lake, and took her in as their own child. They have a small tea and herb shop.

Hugo Homare, or formerly Giselle Delaney, didn't tell then the truth because she wasn't even sure of the truth. Her blonde locks is now black, her brown almond eyes are now a deep shade of brownish red, doe red eyes. She couldn't understand on how she's now in a smaller and a very different body but her existence, her clothes that she wore when she was found or with her bag.

“Neechan!” A group of kids jumped all around her as she held the basket of snacks up so their grabby hands couldn't take them and finished them all with a snap.

“Now, now what did I told you?” Homare clicked her tongue.

“To wait.” The smallest amongst the kids, Arana was a girl not older than 6 years, pouted.

“Yes, not everyone is here yet.” Homare smiled. They were in an old shop that wasn't even being used, the old shop became a home to these kids, homeless orphans. There are seven of them, and so far there are only three of them when she got there.

“Adan-niichan works now.” Dale, an eight year old boy who was half blind, said.

“And the others?” Homare asked, worried. She tries, she keeps on trying to help them have a better life but the oldest amongs them is 14 years old and is the one they trusted more.

“Ame-neechan... she left.” Amie, Ame's younger sister, said. Both have brown hair and soft umber colored eyes. Ame is 13 whilst Amie is the same age as Dale.

“What do you mean by left?” Homare placed the basket on the shabby planky table that they have and looked at them.

“She took Azuna-san's offer and Adan-niichan got angry. She also took Chuna and Chiyo.” Tears began to fall in their eyes as Sal, a ten year old boy with wavy black hair and walnut brown eyes.

“Don't cry, don't cry.” Homare bit her lips as she wiped their tears with the sleeves of her kimono. As much as she wanted to take them in, she can't for now as Kida-san was bedridden. They even had to close the small shop and that's why she managed to visit them.

“Aaa-Ame-neechan, left this.” Amie trudged to a small  chest, opened it and took out a small box filled with jewelry and money that could last until they're able to find a stable job.

“Azuna-san said there will be another on next year.” Homare didn't flinch when a strong voice almost snarled. As she comforted the three kids, Adan, a boy with dirty brown locks and violet eyes, angry eyes, walked in the old shop. He was tall for someone his age, bulky as well as he grew up too fast for his family's sake. Family not bound by blood. She handed the snacks to three kids who were left behind, they were quick to change their moods but there was still a hint of sadness. 

“She really took his marriage proposal.” She didn't asked, she said it, they moved a little bit away from the three to have a more private talk. Ame is a kind girl but too naive, she was willing to become a child bride just to get out of poverty but who can blame her? “I'm sorry.” Homare knows about Adan's feelings about Ame and now it was clouded by anger and disappointment.

“Homare-san, can you help us?” He asked. He rarely said her name so it shocked her a bit.

“Of course, Adan, what can I help you with?”  Homare asked, tossing the small box at him.

“A new home... preferably near yours.” He said. Embarrassment was very clear on his face.

“Of course, Adan. But I think we can't find one now, so I suggest an inn.” She looked at the three kids who began to play with the sticks that they found, playing Ronin vs Samurai. “But only in one condition.”

“What is it?”

“You should find a more fitting job.” Homare said. “You're burning youself out, keep that up, you won't even have the strength to get up in the morning.” She said, waving her index in front of his face like a mother would do while scolding her child.

“Thank you.” Adan's lips curled into a smile, a small one but seeing as he's rarely smiling, it was more than enough.

| • ❤ • |

What happened next was a disaster. There was no  available rooms in inns, well actually they didn't want a band of children in their establishments. It was already night when the last straw of Adan's patience.

“We should just head back to the shop.” Homare was carrying a sleeping Ame while Adan carries Arana, Dale walks in front of them, sleepily leading the way. “Wait.” She stops and told Dale to go back to them.

“What's wrong?” Adan asked.

“Let's head to my house.” They were already near the old shop but that was until she noticed the small droplets of blood.

“Go.” And with that, four kids were squeezed into her small room.

| • ❤ • |

The blood that leads to the old shop became a pool of blood. A corpse with white hair and red eyes laid in the middle of the store.

“Take their blues.” A man with black hair and purple eyes ordered. Anger and disappointment evident in his eyes as the failures were becoming more uncontrolled.

“Huh.” A brown haired and green eyed man noticed something in the hands of the failure. A black ribbon, drenched in blood.

“Was there someone here?” A purple haired man with dark blue eyes asked.

“It must have been left here, no one has been using this shop for years.” The brown haired said.

“Look again.” The black haired man noticed some sort of beds and some makeshift toys.

“Stray kids probably.” The brown haired man shrugged and took the ribbon and noticed something embroidered on it. “Hijikata-san, can you recognize this?”

“It's definitely Western, English by the looks of it.” The black haired man, Hijikata Toshizo, Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, couldn't read what was embroidered but he knew someone else who can. “Souji, let Sannan-san translate it.” Hijikata ordered the brown haired man.

“Why do think he came here for, Vice Commander?” The purple haired man asked but Hijikata only looked at the failure, a former comrade who succumbed to the bloodlust.

[pizzakaiju-and-friends]

Days 1

Deadman wonderland 3

Food wars 16 serie 3

Frieren 16 (pausa 5 gennaio)

Gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun 9😀😀

Goblin slayer 2 s2��

Hajime no ippo 18 s2😃

Ken shiro 12

Kiseiju 1😀

Kiyo in kyoto 6😀

Migi e Dali 10😀

Mushishi 3

My little monster 3

My roommate is a cat 1😀

Natsume 10 s6😀

Overtake 1😀

Paranoia agent 4😀

Restaurant to another world 8s2😀😀

Space brothers 4

The apothecary diaries 12

To your eternity 1😀

Usagi drop 3😀

Ushio e tora 5

Violet evergarden 2😀😀

Vita da Slime ova2 s1

Yowamushi pedal 26

Yuru camp 9😀

Zankyou no terror 8

Zom 100 10😀

29 totali

Serie A

Hajime no ippo😀

Kiyo in kyoto😀

Natsume😀

Goblin slayer😀

Paranoia Agent😀

Migi e Dali😀

Restaurant to another world😀😀

Finiti:

Blue lock 24⛔

Boku no hero ova, serie 6⛔

Buddie daddy 12⛔

Campfire cooking 12⛔

Chainsaw man 12⛔

Conan 26⛔

Cyberpunk edgerunner 10

Dorohedoro ova s1⛔

Demon slayer 11 s3

Farming life in another world 12⛔

Galaxy Express

Haikyu 25 serie 4⛔

Heavenly delusion 13⛔

Hell's paradise 13⛔

How to keep your mummy 12⛔

Insomniacs after school 13

Itou junji 12⛔

Kotaro ⛔

Junji ito: maniac 12⛔

Mashle 12⛔

Mob 12 serie 3⛔

My Love Story with Yamada-kun 13⛔

Nana ⛔

Nier automata

Noragami s2 1 ova

One punch man ova 6, serie2⛔

Oshi no ko 11

Ping pong ⛔

Pokemon: mezase Pokemon Master 11

Samurai Champloo 26⛔

Sk8

Skip and loafer 12⛔

Serial Experiments lain

Spriggan ⛔

The tatami galaxy ⛔

Trigun 12⛔

The tatami machine blues ⛔

Urusei yatsura 23⛔

Yuri on ice 12⛔

Tomo-chan is a girl (serie 1)

Reborn as a vending machine (serie 1)

My unique skill makes me OP (serie 1).

My happy marriage 12 s1

Horimiya serie The missing pieces

Link click serie 2

The masterful cat is depressed serie 1

Dororo 3

Heidi

Play it cool guys serie 1

Beastars serie 2

Children of the wales serie 1

Run with the wind serie 1

N°6 1

Made in abyss serie 3

Erased serie 1

The yuzuki family serie 1

Pluto Serie 1

My new boss is gufy Serie 1

Wonder egg serie 1, special

Tokyo revengers 13 s3

Spy x family 12 s2

Troncati:

Baki

Bleach

Naruto

Summertime rendering

Street fighter

Inuyasha

Akiba maid war

Kill la kill

Kobayashi-san chi no maid dragon

Ace attorney

Claymore

Trigun anni 90

Mix

Berserk

Tokyo ghoul

Gundam

Caro Fratello

Cowboy bebop

Hello spank

Bungou stray dog

Nanà supergirl

One piece

Love rice

FLCL

Shaman king

Ranma

Orange road

Aot

Sailor moon crystal

Full metal alchemist

Sakura

Golden kamui

Gundam unicorn

Pokemon serie 2017

Gundam: the witch from mercury

Devilman

Banana fish

Michiko to Hatchin

Kuroko no basket🤔

Kenshin vecchio

Sasaki to miyano

Elfen lied

Jujutsu kaisen

Tokyo mew mew

Sweet reincarnation🤔

Cat's eye

Gundam: TUTTI.

Creamy mami

Yu hakusho

My dress-up darling

Love live

Jojo

The ancient magus bride

Ultraman

Cowboy bebop

Hunter x hunter

Maison ikkoku

Why raeliana enden up

Ai yori aoshi

The girl I like forgot her glasses

Denpa Kyoushi

Sabage-bu

Dragonball

Saint seya 2

Ryu 2

Black lagoon

Kyoukai no kanata

Neroi no one piece

The kingdom of ruin

Rurouni Kenshin

Tsurune special 1

Given 8

The yakuza's guide of babysitting 2

Anna dai capelli rossi 1

Undead unluck 2

Visual prison 1

Free 9

Undead murder face 2

Cagaster of an insect cave

Trapped in a dating sim

Monster 11

City hunter

Hanatora

Hyouka

Ron kamonohadhi's forbidden deductions

Vinland saga 12

A boy and her guard boy 6

Bastard 20

Gakuen babysitter 2

Attack number 1 20

Eyeshield 21 5

Ace of Diamond 12

Ao ashi 5

Pokemon horizons 1

Gintama 3

Bocchi the rock 4

Shirokuma cafè

A galaxy next door 5

Kuma miko 1

Cinderella chef 3

Non non biyori

Scott pilgrim 2

Noein

Atom the beginning

Ge ge ge kitaro 3

Monogatari 3

Dr stone 10

Fate/series 0

Outlaw star 1

Salaryman's club 4

Ai tenchi muyo 1

Ransie la strega 2

Digimon adventure 1

Violet evergarden 2