#me taking note of this mentality and seeing if kubo ever uses it if he one day reveals yumichika's backstory

[every-yumichika]

[more-stuff-of-pi]

Captain My Own Way

request: Can you do a Sawamura Daichi imagine where he’s dating the captain of the debate team and she’s having a hard time with her vice captain who thinks she only got the captainship because she’s a girl (the team is mostly boys) even though she’s hard working and smart so Daichi confronts the guy and she’s annoyed at him because she can handle it and he doesn’t understand because he’s trying to help and it’s the two of them working it out since they love and admire each other? {from @gloryofroses19​}

a/n: I know nothing about debate team and Google has failed me, so I apologize in advance but I did try my best :’( Thank you for the request (it’s my first one yay \(^ヮ^)/)! I hope it’s up to your liking :’)) We love and stan communication in this house

notes: y/s/n = your surname. requests are open :) find my masterlist here

pairing: sawamura daichi x fem!debate team captain!reader | genre: minor angst (w/lots of fluff) | warnings: swearing | word count: 1,856

“--and that’s why homework as a whole should be banned. For the benefit of students and teachers alike!” Otsuka rushed out his concluding sentence just as your phone’s timer went off.

“And time!” You stand up from where you and your vice captain, Masuda, had set up as a judges panel for the mock-debate. “Great work, Otsuka-kun! You played on logos for the majority of your argument but tying it all up with a call on pathos was a great way to conclude your counterpoint to Nomura’s argument. From the notes that Masuda and I took, I think we both agree that Otsuka-kun’s team won this debate.”

Annoyance rises in you as you struggle to maintain a light and positive composure while giving feedback to your team. The only tell was the slight twitch of your eye. Your vice had reluctantly grunted his agreement, arms crossed as he put in no effort to even pretend that he valued your opinion whatsoever.

“Nomura,” you refocused, “next time, for your conclusion, I think you should follow Otsuka-kun’s example and play more on the feelings of your audience! Empathy and sympathy are incredibly powerful emotions that can very well help decide someone’s position on an issue.” Nomura, the sweetheart that he is, smiles and nods shyly in response. You clap your hands, signaling the end of practice. “Okay! I’ll see you all on Friday for another mock-debate! I’ve managed to get Aoba Johsai to agree to a practice with us, so I expect you all to bring your best so that we can wipe the floor with them,” you grin proudly.

“What!” Kubo gasps. “How’d you do that?!”

You wink at her. “I’ve got my connections.”

“You’re so cool, Y/s/n-san!” Sugiyama whines, sweeping his things messily into his bag.

You grin, though, from the corner of your eye, you see Masuda give an exaggerated eye roll at your kouhais’ praise. He won’t let you have one goddamn thing will he.

As you neatly organize the files on your table, putting them away orderly, you occasionally break concentration to wave goodbye to the rest of the team filtering their way out of the classroom you all have been using as your club meeting space. As Ueno is the last one to leave, scrambling after Kubo and asking her on a date she always rejects, you’re left alone with Masuda. You feel like throwing up. It’s only been one full month since you’ve been the official captain of the Karasuno debate team and your vice has been doing a great job making your position a living hell.

“So, how did you manage to snag a practice debate, captain?” Masuda sneered.

You swallowed your desire to punch him square in the mouth and plastered on what you hoped to be a polite smile. “As I said, Masuda, I have connections in high places. They’re important in life’s work, you know.”

Masuda snorted. “They probably only agreed because you’re a girl and those are rare on debate teams.”

“Would you please stop talking about girls like we’re a rare species? Just because you aren’t well-acquainted with us does not mean that we don’t exist.” You mentally simultaneously kicked yourself for being such a smartass and gave yourself a fist bump for the same reason.

Masuda’s smirk fell to a glare. You only smiled brighter in response. Masuda huffed at you, grabbing his things and brushing past you as he left. “Bye, Masuda-kun! See you Friday!” you called cheerily, happy for the win.

For the past week it had been nothing but underhanded comments from him about how you supposedly got your position of captain due to your being a female. As far as you were concerned, you had worked your ass off for the past three years, jumping at any chance to make connections and help hoist up your ability as a debater and a leader. You were smart as hell and maintained your knowledge by reading up on as many current events as possible, so much so that you knew even the smallest of details that often go overlooked.

You were so frustrated over the blatant lack of respect your vice had for you, something which you constantly vented about to your boyfriend, Daichi. He knew the whole situation back and forth and oftentimes felt himself growing frustrated on your behalf, just like now when you recounted the events of your debate practice the next day at lunch.

“Is he an idiot, or something?” Daichi blurted as you told him about Masuda’s gestures.

You snorted, swallowing down a bit of food. “Must be.”

“I mean, does he not realize how hard you work? You’re incredible, baby girl, I just don’t get why he’s so adamant on tearing down your accomplishments.” Daichi’s eyebrows furrowed as he took a bite of beef.

Your heart warmed as a soft smile danced on your lips. “I love you.”

A blush rose on Daichi’s cheeks as he melted into a smile. “I love you, too.” He held your hand on the table, brushing his thumb across your knuckles. “Which is why I’m so frustrated for you. I wish I could help.”

“You being here and letting me talk to you about it is a big enough help as it is, so thank you.” You brought his hand to your lips as you pressed a gentle kiss to it. He turned his hand so that he held your cheek, his heart swelling with adoration. You lost yourself in his gaze before checking your phone for the time and suddenly yelping. Daichi jumped, pulling his hand away.

“Oh! I almost forgot, I have to call Seijoh to confirm for tomorrow!” You quickly swept up your things, cleaning up your half-eaten lunch. As you walked backwards hurriedly, you asked, “I love you, I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll see you tonight!” Daichi called after you, watching you turn on your heel and almost run to complete your task. There you go, working so hard again for the team you cared deeply for. Daichi knew how hard it was to be a captain and also how diligent you were. And smart. And kind. You did so much for your team and it angered Daichi to no end that anyone (and your vice no less!) would reduce your captainship to something as trivial as your gender. And Daichi knew that his anger had helped put people in line before. Maybe he could use it to help you…

•·················❁·················•

Daichi bounded down the stairs, opening the front door to welcome you inside for your study date. He was admittedly a little worried seeing as your text had read a simple ‘here’ which might not mean much to anyone else but Daichi knew you and knew that you always liked to text ‘here (* ^ ω ^)’ or even a simple ‘here!’.

“Hi, baby,” Daichi greeted, smiling brightly as he opened the door. That smile never failed to make your heart skip a beat, one of the many reasons that you loved him, though in that moment you couldn’t help but be annoyed with your wonderful boyfriend.

“Hi,” you returned, albeit a little coldly. You toed off your shoes and slipped into the slippers that you kept at his place. Thrown off by even the lack of a hello kiss, Daichi watched as you shuffled your way up to his room. Shaking his head, he closed the door and followed you. There was no doubt in his mind now that you were annoyed with him.

He hesitantly joined you at his usual place by your side on his floor during your Thursday evening study dates. You were steadfastly ignoring him, practically burning holes into your textbook rather than looking at him. Seeing as you were intent to keep doing so, Daichi sighed and set to work on his own homework, hoping to give you some time to tell him what had you so irritated.

He didn’t have to wait long. 

“Sawamura Daichi,” you prefaced, closing your textbook with a resounding thud, “I love you--”

“But?” He ventured.

“--and,” you emphasized with a pointed look, “I love that you want to help me, really, I do. But sometimes I’d rather take care of it myself.

“But he’s been bothering you for a whole month, baby, I wanted--” He stopped when you lifted up your hand.

“Please, just… let me finish.” You looked at him, hurt evident in your eyes. Upset that he would ever be the reason for it being there, he nodded and let you carry on. “I know you just wanted to help but if I needed it, I would have asked you for it, babe. I knew something was up when Masuda was late today because, as much as he is a giant jerk, he cares for this team as much as I do, just in his own way. He went off about how my ‘volleyball captain boyfriend’ cornered him and lectured him half to death about how to treat his ‘extraordinary debate team captain’. I know you did it because you thought you were helping, but next time, please just let me handle it.”

“I don’t understand, Y/n,” Daichi began, eyebrows knitted as he looked at you, “I thought I genuinely was helping. Since he clearly doesn’t listen to someone as intelligent and diligent as you, I thought maybe I could -- I don’t know -- that maybe I could intimidate him into being respectful.” You chuckled at that. The sound relieved a bit of the tension between Daichi’s brows, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I just-- It hurts so much seeing you frustrated because someone isn’t recognizing all that you do. I wanted to help and I thought I did. But I only end up upsetting you,” he frowned.

You sighed, picking up his hand and playing absentmindedly with his fingers. “I know, Daichi, I know. But what I’m getting at is that I wanted to handle it in my own way. I admire your ability as a captain and I admire how you lead your team and I admire how you’re able to wrangle them and straighten them out--,” Daichi let out a low chuckle, “--but I want to be able to captain my team in my own way. You and I are different people and that translates into how we lead. Does that make sense?”

“I think so,” he nodded. “You’re upset that I stuck my nose where it didn’t belong?” He squeezed your hand, smiling, assuring you that he truly did understand now and that he was only teasing.

“Essentially,” you laughed, the annoyance from before now fully replaced with the satisfaction of being with the one you loved most. “Thank you for wanting to help but next time ask me if I want it first, okay?”

“Okay.” Heat rose to your cheeks as Daichi lifted your hand, pressing a kiss onto the back of it, mimicking what you had done earlier that day. “I love you, Y/n.”

“And I love you,” you leaned in for a kiss, “Sawamura Daichi.”

•·················❁·················•

Needless to say, you both forgot about studying.

taglist: @samwrights​

[takerfoxx]

She Ra and the Power of Redemption!

A’ight, so, She-Ra’s coming back in a few days for their final season. Obviously I am SUPER excited about it, but before it drops, I need to get something I’m kind of worried about off my chest.

See, I’ve talked before about my big pet peeve in fiction, in which good or at least sympathetic characters do really bad things and don’t suffer appropriate consequences, sometimes because the writer just doesn’t understand the weight of what happened and wanted to rush a redemption arc or maybe get a little dirt on their heroes without really considering the implications or wanted to do something shocking and was clumsy and/or lazy about or even felt that they were justified even when they clearly weren’t. It’s even killed a few onetime favorite series of mine.

And I see the potential for She-Ra to make that same mistake here. And I think anyone who’s seen the show and has interacted with the fandom knows what I’m talking about.

I’m talking of course about Catra and Hordak’s potential redemption arcs.

Catra’s redemption is topic number one with the fans, because everyone wants to see it, but most people want to see it done right. The Catradora thing is the fuel on which the fandom runs, and I know quite a few people that would pop dem bottles if it were to become canon. And I totally get it: Catra is a magnificently written character, one who is super compelling, complex, and sympathetic, and her dynamic with Adora is just dripping with all sorts of tension. It’s the best friends to lovers AND enemies to lovers in the same package. Who wouldn’t want to see it?

Except, there is a problem...

See, one thing I have highly praised this show for is how, despite being a show targeted toward little girls, it paints a very realistic picture of abusive relationships and handles the subject with all the seriousness it deserves, from how they’re formed to how they continue to how the cycle goes from abuser to victim to next victim to so on. Horde Prime abused Hordak, Hordak abused Shadow Weaver, Shadow Weaver abused Catra and Adora, Adora broke free while Catra did not, Catra then abused Scorpia, Entrapta, Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio, you get the picture. And they show it so wonderfully, in all of its forms.

But that leads us to that problem, and that is despite definitely being a victim of abuse, and despite all of her sympathetic qualities, Catra is still a terrible person! She became as much an abuser as Shadow Weaver, with how awfully she treated Scorpia, with backstabbing Entrapta and manipulating Hordak, with bullying her subordinates, to everything she’s done to Adora and all the lives she ruined from her exploits as Hordak’s second in command. She masterminded the destruction of Salineas, sent Entrapta off to die, treated the only person who has given her unconditional love like shit. Her damage and insecurities have driven her to worse and worse behavior, up and to including almost destroying the fucking world just so Adora couldn’t win again! TWICE!

Basically, after handling the abuse themes so well, it would really, really suck for her to just be taken back and forgiven like nothing had happened or only minor consequences after she inevitably switched sides, because that carries the message, however unintentional, that abuse victims should forgive and take back their abusers, that it’s up to them to be the bigger person and invite those who hurt them back into their lives, which history has only shown will just restart the cycle all over again.

However, all of that does not mean I don’t think Catra is beyond hope, or that she shouldn’t be redeemed at all. She is absolutely a victim of all the terrible treatment Shadow Weaver and Hordak put her through since childhood, be it physical, mental, or emotional, and I am NOT about to hold an emotionally traumatized teenager to the same standards I would hold those more fortunate. Plus, we’ve seen how much her actions haunt her, from her nightmares about Entrapta to her psychological breakdowns to everything Double Trouble exposed about her. And I do truly want what’s best for her.

So how should the show go about it? Well, I think my half-joking wishlist from earlier just about covered it: after switching sides and helping the Alliance ward off the Horde, Catra should leave. Whether or not she makes amends with Adora, whether or not she’s forgiven, Catra needs to leave those she’s hurt and go somewhere else to start over, to separate herself from those she has so many insecurities about and work on bettering herself. Because after everything she’s done, she really does need to put in a lot of work in order to properly fix herself before she can even think of reforging relationships with Adora or Scorpia or Entrapta. 

And honestly, I still think the Crimson Waste is perfect for her. She thrived while down there. And it does seem like it’s been set up specifically for her. And then...maybe a few years down the line, after she’s come to grips with herself...well, we’ll see.

Now, as for Hordak...

Look, I like the guy, I honestly do. His relationship with Entrapta gave me life, seeing how he was literally grown in a vat to be Space Hitler Jr., it’s no wonder that he turned out like he did. 

Buuuuut...he’s still a murderous despot with buckets of blood on his hands. I’m sorry, but he can’t have a switch sides, now it’s all good happy ending. He just can’t. 

Fortunately, even though he was far worse, his possible redemption has an easier solution. You know how Horde Prime restored him to factory settings, wiping his mind and sending him off to be processed or whatever?

What if he stays that way? What if he never gets his memories back? What if Hordak, the evil conquering dictator that ruined so many lives, just stays gone? But the newly wiped Hordak, upon encountering Entrapta, is able to recall just enough to know that he cares for her, prompting him to break free from Horde Prime’s control for her sake? Call it the Kubo and the Two Strings solution.

As for Shadow Weaver...no. Just no. She has no redeeming qualities at all. Everything bad that ever happened to her are a direct result of her own actions, she doesn’t have the brainwashed/designed that way excuse that Catra and Hordak have, she’s never done a single decent thing since becoming Shadow Weaver, and even after switching sides has continued to manipulate Glimmer and gaslight Adora. No redemption for her. And since Noelle has said that she hates killing off characters, I don’t see her getting killed either.

So just swap her for Angella. Send her to the other dimension and get our girl back.

And as for Entrapta and Double Trouble...dude, I don’t even know. Like, they also did bad things, but they’re kind of in their own weird moral worlds, and I don’t want to let them off the hook but also can’t fathom how that would even work...

You know what? They’re the weird exceptions that prove the rule, I guess.

(also note that even if they botch this, it probably won’t kill the show for me, as it’s still a kid’s show and it has built up a ton of good will, so my overall feelings will still be very positive, I’d just be bummed that they dropped the ball in this one, albeit very important, area)

[missstormcaller]

BLEACH JET Artbook Talk Vol 1 - Translation (Q1-15)

ABOUT BLEACH

Talk 2>>

This section exhibits new information never before explored in the original work through an assembly of questions which address several characters that appear in "BLEACH" as well as its grand scale world building.

In preparation of conducting this lengthy interview, we invited fans from all over the world to tell us what they "want Tite Kubo sensei to talk about", 51 questions, which were carefully selected from among a pool of over 1000 submissions sent in every language, were divided into 5 categories and discussed.

Q.1: At the end of volume 1, it is stated in his character introduction that "William Shakespeare" is a person Ichigo respects, but is there any particular reason why?

Kubo: Well, as for a particular reason… (laughs). I simply like him that's all. However, if you were to ask me whether I was an avid reader of his works to the point of calling them my favourites, I'd say that isn't really the case, it's more of an appreciation for the dialogue rather than a fondness of the tale itself, there's many pieces of dialogue I like. —— J: Have you ever put them to use within 'BLEACH'? Kubo: I believe I have not used them, but there are many lines that have stuck with me for a long time. —— J: What sort of lines? Kubo: Let's see, I suppose it was lines like the one in "The Merchant of Venice". One of the first lines I remember well is "Beshrew your eyes, they have o'erlooked me and divided me. One half of me is yours, the other half yours", that sort of thing…. —— J: I'm sure there are aspects of 'BLEACH' where the mood of this dialogue may be somewhat applicable. Kubo: The first time around you're made to think “maybe it's like this?” then after it's flipped around with dialogue that has an opposite meaning. The sort of impression that is left on you with the same words repeating itself a second time is one that takes great skill.

—— J: I see. This is information you're revealing for this first time is it not? Kubo: That's right. Though, I think it probably goes without saying.

—— J: But when they hear something like that, I think the audience will also try reading Shakespeare. They may come to think something like “he habitually adopts that sort of dialogue based viewpoint”, details like this is exciting news for readers.

Q.2: In the novel "WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU", there is a description which mentions that Uryū is at medical school and Ichigo is also said to be attending university, but does Ichigo study a general university course?

Kubo: Yes he does. Though I didn't specifically depict it within the story, based on the setup, I feel he would be studying English literature.

—— J: There's speculation among other questions too that perhaps Ichigo had gone on to study medicine.

Kubo: Of course. I felt it's probably expected that he would become a doctor. But I considered "how would it be if Uryū and Ichigo both became doctors?" I said perhaps it's better to let Ichigo take his own path.

—— J: So no one will be taking over the Kurosaki clinic?

Kubo: It won't be changing hands. Their old man is still there! He runs it by himself (laughs).

—— J: Maybe someday Yuzu and Karin will?

Kubo: It's possible that they might inherit the clinic in the future.

—— J: That will rapidly expand the horizons of our imagination!

Q.3: When did Ichigo and Orihime start dating? Or from which point in time did Ichigo start to like Orihime romantically in the first place? I was elated to see that these two got married, so I wish to extend my gratitude for any details around this topic!

Kubo: With regard to these two, they were about to start a dating relationship when Ichigo was a university student, they formally started dating after they both became working adults. However, given that bleach is not a romance manga, the romance is drawn purely as a supplementary component. That's why I won't go into too much detail about other characters too, nevertheless, it makes me happy if I can catch the reader's attention through its portrayal.

—— J: Do you hope that readers will form their own visions through the spatial senses that was portrayed between fellow characters?

Kubo: Yes, exactly. I think making speculations about that aspect is probably the fun part.

Q.4: After "Shiba Isshin" became "Kurosaki Isshin", did he ever reunite with Hitsugaya and Rangiku?

Kubo: Since becoming "Kurosaki Isshin", Hitsugaya and co. happened to catch sight of him when they arrived with the advance party. Then, it was established within the framework of the original story that the pair recognise him in that moment. It's because he had noticed Isshin's presence, that Hitsugaya came to the World of the Living together with other squad members in the final stages of the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc, as well as then uttering the line "I'm glad that guy [Ichigo] was the next substitute shinigami."

—— J: Did both sides harbour a somewhat 'nostalgic' sentiment at the time?

Kubo: I'd say that must have been the case. I mean, they did come to Ichigo's home after all (laughs).

—— J: Is it also possible they caught sight of him while hiding in Ichigo's room?

Kubo: They must have caught sight of him somewhere. They would absolutely notice him.

—— J: Did they intentionally avoid stepping foot into his life?

Kubo: That's right. Because it is the case that Isshin was going about his daily life whilst concealing his true identity, Hitsugaya and Rangiku are the type to think "it's better not to touch upon the matter", and also because Isshin himself was no longer captain, for him to make contact like "it's me, your former captain!", He'd be one to believe that it would do the pair more harm than good.

—— J: I'm going to get a complex array of feelings when rereading the story after learning that they were feigning ignorance with each other.

Kubo: If I remember correctly, there were proposals seeking to bring them into contact one time in an anime side story or something like that, but I hadn't drawn it in the original work, until he reveals his true identity Isshin isn't the type to initiate contact to begin with, so I had a discussion and ultimately told them to abandon the idea.

Q.5: What was Rukia's family name before she was adopted into the Kuchiki clan?

Kubo: During her time in Rukongai, she didn't have a family name!

Q.6: Could you please tell us about Kazui and Ichika's profiles and their theme songs? Would you also be able to tell us if there was anything you paid special attention to, or were particular about when you were still in the process of creating these two?

Abarai Ichika

Birthday: 10/28

Favourite thing: My dad

Dislikes: Monsters

Theme song: → Pia-no-jaC ← "Typhoon"

Kurosaki Kazui

Birthday: 4/29

Favourite thing: Hoodie

Dislikes: None

Theme song: Schroeder-Headz "Newdays"

Kubo: Their Zanpakutōs are a secret. There isn't a particular aspect I paid extra attention to when creating the two, but if I had to choose I'd say it was blending elements of both parents in a balanced manner. —— J:  You mean a balance appearance-wise? Kubo: Both in terms of outward appearance and inner character, I considered things like "which elements out of the two parents would be more interesting to amplify?" I flipped around the personalities and genders for both. —— J: Kazui certainly does seem to take after Orihime, there's that easygoing aura about him. Kubo: At a glance his hair colour is that of Ichigo's, but his facial features come from Orihime. —— J:  And Ichika seems to take after Renji. So then, does that mean the opposite pattern was also a possibility? Kubo: That's correct. If they had a girl, in all likelihood she would have a personality resembling Ichigo with hair that resembles Orihime. —— J:  A boy that takes after Rukia too? I reckon that in itself is something we'd like to catch a little glimpse of. Kubo: The opposite would have been interesting too. However, with regard to Ichika, I had decided upon making her a certain way from the very beginning. In the first animated movie "Memories of Nobody" the female character Senna is introduced, but this girl herself was originally designed with the mental image of Renji and Rukia's child in mind. She is depicted as an ordinary human girl within the story, however, during the design stage, my intention was to design her as the child of Rukia and Renji from a parallel universe. Her colouring is different from Ichika's though. —— J: When you compare the two they certainly do look similar. Kubo: Senna has Rukia's hair colour. Ichika was made with this sort of design as the base. —— J: When Ichika was first introduced, people did note that there was a similar feel to Senna. Kubo: They were originally based on the same concept after all. —— J: Amazing, that's a real inside story.

Q.7: I would like to enquire about the sort of ideas you envisioned around the battle scene between Zaraki and Unohana.

Kubo: It's one of those scenes I've been planning to draw for a long time. That Unohana was the first Kenpachi is something I decided from very early days, I was always thinking “for how long should I keep it a secret?” and “how do I handle its reveal?”

—— J: Did you decide on it from the point of her first appearance?

Kubo: That is so. It was decided from the very onset that the design of Unohana's hairstyle, was also for the purpose of concealing the scar on her chest.

—— J: In the captains' introductions from "KaraBuri+", Unohana was said to have the same combat efficiency as Genryūsai, so at the time I thought "how the hell is this person so strong!" I said to myself "there's definitely something more to this, I wonder what it is?"

Kubo: Just to be on the safe side, when her hair is tied back in my drawings, I never had her facing towards the audience. I would make her turn to show her side profile or have her back turned, and that way the scar remained hidden.

Q.8: How was the idea to deck Kurotsuchi Mayuri out with ultra-distinct makeup and accessories born? Was there something that inspired you to do so?

Kubo: Originally Mayuri's face makeup came to be designed in such a way because I liked Marilyn Manson back in those days.

—— J: Ah~! I see!

Kubo: However, I didn't want to do it exactly the same, so I altered the effect of the makeup. That was all I needed to change the impression by a considerable amount.

—— J: That makes a lot of sense!

Kubo: Since Marylin Manson's makeup is unique, if I had left it untouched, people would end up saying "it's literally Manson!" (Laughs)

—— J: Mayuri had the most variation in costume did he not?

Kubo: That's right. It's fun getting to do that (laughs). I think it was probably around the time of the last chapter, but I couldn't make up my mind about his design, so I got my niece to chose for me. When my niece was still one or two years old, I was making a new series of designs at the family home, I placed them side by side in front my niece and got her to pick one out saying "which one do you like?"

—— J: (Laughs). The other contenders for Mayuri's attire at the time, are now recorded in the booklet [included with JET.]

Kubo: That is probably the only time I was so troubled by his design.

Q.9: I started reading bleach, and when I realised it, I had already become of marriageable age. Come to think of it, what's the marriage situation like for the old-timers among the captains?

Kubo: Now that you mention it, I've never given it any thought.

—— J: That Byakuya was forthright about being married among other things, and for a cool/good-looking character of that sort found in manga to actually be married, it's surprisingly a rare sight.

Kubo: I guess I do get the feeling that they could all be married, but that sort of ambiance doesn't seem to apply to the captains all too much…. Even so, I'd feel sorry if someone like Genryūsai, for instance, wasn't married (laughs).

—— J: Would their children come into contact with Kazui and Ichika?

Kubo: The thought of perhaps a son belonging to Genryūsai sounds like a rather interesting topic to explore. I reckon he'd be quite formidable.

Q.10: Who is the lieutenant of squad 13 which is captained by Rukia ten years later? I wonder if by some chance Renji had transferred from squad 6 to squad 13?

Kubo: Since there's an impression that the appointment of a vice captain is on hold, I suppose you could say it's Sentarō and Kiyone. It's just that I have not yet depicted that scenario, what am I to do… whether one likes it or not, If some other person was to become vice captain out of the blue, it would be a lonely affair, and I think it's best that those two individuals undertake the responsibility for Ukitake's sake as well as Rukia's.

—— J: It seems that by successfully inheriting the final wishes of the deceased Kaien and Ukitake, the pair are fully dedicated to assisting Rukia.

Q.11: I wonder if the Arrancars continue to do battle as unchanged as before, even after ten years?

Kubo: Hollows in Hueco Mundo cannot survive unless they continue eating, that being the case I think they're still locked in a struggle for existence, but… what about a power struggle you ask? Harribel has become leader you know.

—— J: Given that they're being governed for now, do you feel there's not as much brutality as before?

Kubo: They are gradually being made to come under control, I mean perhaps by some chance they are in the process of constructing a system whereby Hollows are able to constantly absorb soul matter.

—— J: In Ryōgo Narita's novels, Harribel and Nelliel have both become leading figures.

Kubo: It's great that those two are leaders! And both of them are voluptuous too (laughs)!

—— J: Hueco Mundo will become awfully peaceful now won't it (laughs).

Q.12: It seems Kubo sensei takes such a liking to Mayuri to the point of even cosplaying him, but if there is anything regarding the Shinigami Research and Development Institute which didn't appear through the setup in the original story, I would like for sensei to reveal it for us. I believe they're fairly involved in events that occur behind the scenes in Soul Society which were brought to light in the novels.

Kubo: They perform a variety of tasks in the background, I wonder if "performing tasks" answers your question (laughs).

—— J: Are they still secretly conducting human experimentation or something?

Kubo: Mayuri doesn't consider human experimentation a bad thing to begin with.

—— J: Some people also are also eager to learn "why Mayuri was imprisoned" when Urahara entered the Nest of Maggots.

Kubo: Now that were on the subject, It seems I didn't get to address that area.

—— J: He was the only individual to be kept behind a sturdy cage. Could this mean for example, that he was arrested on the assumption that he should be locked up in order to prevent the spread of any further harm due to his carrying out one too many danger fueled experiments.

Kubo: I won't go into detail here, but it's something like that. Mayuri isn't the type that goes "I will overthrow Soul Society!" after all.

—— J: It appears to be nothing more than the result of going too far with his intellectual curiosity.

Kubo: There's no criteria as to whether or not Mayuri is "going overboard". He has a sense of values when it comes to 'good and evil', but his standards of 'good and evil' differ dramatically from others anyway….

—— J: I get the impression that if it weren't for Akon, squad 12 would be quite capable of proceeding in a risky direction.

Kubo: You're right about that. Akon has just about become the perfect stopping mechanism.

—— J: That must come with great difficulty right? (Laughs)

Kubo: There's a lovable side to Akon when he's taking on trouble.

Q.13: Are the birthdays belonging to the Arrancars and Shinigami of "BLEACH" also the anniversary of the day they passed away as human beings?

Kubo: I puzzled over this a fair amount. Should it be the moment in time they were born, or the moment they died…? Since pure-blooded Shinigami came to be born as a Shinigami from Shinigami parents to begin with, their case differs from that of humans. Conversely, Rukongai citizens were born as humans and still retain their memories when they go to Rukongai…. And that was how the stage was set for Shibata wasn't it?

—— J: Yes it's like that.

Kubo: Their memories will gradually fade, that's how it seems.

—— J: It would feel rather odd if Shibata's birthday was the anniversary of his death despite the fact that he surely retains his memories.

Kubo: Thus, the birthdays of pure Shinigami or Arrancar indicate the point at which they came into being. As for Rukongai citizens, their birthdays indicate the day they were born as a human being.

Q.14: I'm curious about the economic activities of the Shinigami! I would like to ask if you have any such details regarding the sort of purchases they made after receiving a pay rise and so on. I'd especially like to know how Soifon put her starting salary to use.

Kubo: I think her initial salary was used to purchase something for Yoruichi (laughs).

—— J: After she became a captain, what would her affluence have looked like when speaking in terms of human society.

Kubo: The captains' chambers that are supplied is like a home in the first place, and the salary itself is also a fine amount of income. If we're speaking in terms of the Yen, a captain's initial salary is around ¥2,000,000 per month, from there a raise is issued through each fiscal year and a performance based merit system.

—— J: It was noted that Renji also has something of a hobby collecting high-end goggles.

Kubo: There's a general impression among vice captains that they don't earn very much, but their salaries still start from ¥700,000 per month. Hisagi for instance, undertakes responsibilities such as editor-in-chief of “Seireitei Communication”, so he also earns a salary from that. It seems he uses up a considerable amount of his money.

—— J: On buying things like guitars huh.

Kubo: In any case, when you become a captain, you even get an executive allowance and thus a steep increase in earnings.

—— J: Do ordinary squad members take home enough to support their families?

Kubo: It's tough because a new recruit earns just under ¥200,000, however, once they begin to climb the ranks little by little and earn a seated position, they can afford to do so.

Q.15: What did you consider the most challenging aspect while in the process of constructing the story of "BLEACH"?

Kubo: The most challenging aspect, was the deadlines I had every week! I had no difficulties with the drawing phase however.

Translator’s notes:

Ichika does indeed refer to her dad as “Tōsama” (All those Japanese fan arts became true it seems.)

In case my translation isn’t clear enough, Kubo isn’t saying Sentarō and Kiyone are the vice captains of Squad 13, but rather they handle the vice captain duties. And even with Kiyone as squad 4 vice captain, we know it’s possible to undertake duties from other squads, in WDkALY Nanao was able to handle squad 8 vice captain duties in addition to her own because Okikiba takes a share of squad 1′s vc duties. With Sentarō taking a share, Kiyone should be able to manage the load from squad 13 (she seemed pretty good at paperwork in WDkALY... if she has sugary stuff!)

[theinquisitivej]

A Quartet of Reviews: Missing Link, Pet Semetary, Shazam!, and Hellboy (2019)

Missing Link

As the technical accomplishments and detailed beauty of Laika’s stop-motion films are part of the reason I’ve chosen to study stop-motion animation for my current academic research, you’ll forgive me if I approach their fifth film with some bias. Plus, box office numbers suggest that a lot more people really should be seeing these, so the more voices there are singing Laika’s praises the better, frankly.

         Missing Link is notably ambitious in that it strives to deliver an action adventure in the vein of Around the World in 80 Days or The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser one, not the “DARK UNIVERSE” one- yes, that did happen, and it is hard to remember), with multiple thrilling and complex action sequences, all in stop-motion. Given the labour-intensive nature of stop-motion and the limitations you’d typically expect of a medium that’s executed through real models that have a weight and substance to them that makes them less flexibly fluid than cel or digital animation, stories with an emphasis on dynamic action aren’t what you’d typically expect when it comes to stop-motion. And yet Laika demonstrate their full commitment to making Missing Link an energetic blockbuster through impressive choreography and painstakingly realised action set-pieces. While the charming characters and light-hearted tone help you stay engaged with the narrative, you’ll be constantly taken back by the seamless merging of traditional methods and modern technology in the animation which makes you sit up and take notice as you wonder how they managed to put together each scene. The best use of digital effects are the times where you’re not entirely certain it’s even there, and Laika’s approach to this modern tool definitely fits in that category.

         The film never quite reaches a point of emotional intensity that leaves me completely floored, as some of Laika’s previous films have managed to do. I didn’t walk away from the film remembering a moment where a character’s vulnerabilities are laid bare or a difficult but essential lesson is imparted in the most brutally earnest way. So, when compared against ParaNorman or Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link left less emotional impact on me. Having said that, the film still conveys numerous themes effectively through key story beats and striking visuals, with its central thesis being the importance of learning empathy towards others, and that you shouldn’t seek validation from close-minded proponents of outdated and toxic principles. As such, through a combination of entertaining characters with likable personality, an emphasis on globetrotting action, its refreshingly positive outlook, and tremendous animation on both the large and the small-scale across the board, Missing Link is a delightful adventure that you should make a point of seeing.

Final Ranking: Silver.

Boasting charm, an infectious sense of humour, and perhaps the best action I’ve seen in a stop-motion film, Missing Link absolutely meets the standard of quality that you’d expect from a Laika production.

 Pet Semetary

As many other people discussing this film have noted, Pet Semetary is a Stephen King story that’s notable for being so bleak that even Stephen King felt it was too dark. He hesitated to submit it for publishing for three years, only submitting it when he needed to meet a deadline for a contract. In the subsequent years, King has been critical of the “nothing matters” mentality of the story. With that in mind, as well as the knowledge that several people I follow whose opinions on film I trust were not fond of it, I was prepared for the possibility that I wouldn't enjoy it, but nevertheless open to the film surprising me. After all, Stephen King is a consistently entertaining storyteller, and I’m always interested to see how people adapt his work. For a while, things seemed okay enough. Then it started to drag around the middle, and then it took a hard, fast, ugly turn, descending into the most distasteful experience I’ve had in a cinema this year.

         As that summary indicates, the set-up is intriguing enough. A family move into a new home, and there are little signs that things aren’t quite right around here, as well as the telltale indications of a traumatic past that have left some of the characters with residual hang-ups that they will inevitably be forced to confront, and the tantalising promise of something unnatural on the horizon that will draw our protagonists in as they descend into horror. It’s competent ground laying work, and apart from the horrifying past of one of the character’s being uncomfortably demonising of the sick, and a lack of a distinctive visual style for the film to call its own, I didn’t have many serious issues with the first third or so.

         Once you approach the middle portion of the film, things start to feel protracted. Even if you haven’t seen a trailer or heard the gist of this story and have a decent idea about the trajectory of its narrative, there comes a point where you start to know exactly where things are heading. Discussions of death and what may or may not come afterwards, repeated reminders of how dangerous and unexpected high-speed vehicles on the road outside their house can be, and allusions to some unknowable force that can make impossible things happen which the father of this family absolutely must not approach are all dots that anyone familiar with the phrase “monkey’s paw” can join together with little difficulty. Without an engaging dynamic between characters (a la IT), a self-aware bizarreness that results in humour, or a notable visual style, there’s little to keep you going as you wait for pieces to very, very slowly fall into place.

         And the final act is just awful. It spits course language and nihilistic vitriol with little substance or point to its depictions of pain, misery, and spitefulness other than to wallow in this negativity with nothing else to say. Actors start to abandon any semblance of understated nuance in favour of ham-fisted bluntness, cursing out characters with an intensity that doesn’t feel earned as they clumsily fight against them in a way that lacks any sense of climactic satisfaction, and, because your investment in these characters rapidly drains with each new questionable decision and unlikable action, there’s no tension to these encounters either. There are numerous instances where the actors will do their best to deliver lines of dialogue that try to be shocking or wryly dark, but the material is so poorly thought out that it awkwardly misses the mark in both categories. It’s especially galling as the film spent so much time and effort on getting to this conclusion that it was trying to amp up as this big, horrifying finale that will shake you, when instead it’s just underwhelming and unpleasant without any purpose to itself. I was wishing for it to end, and yet when the credits began to roll, I couldn’t help but ask “wait, is that it?” It’s a limp ending with little meaning that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Final Ranking: Cardboard.

Pet Semetary’s first act offers some potential, but that’s all it is: potential. The middle act spends so long getting to where it needs to be and where the audience knows it’s going that, by the time it gets there, it spends what little time it has left on cruel, structureless nihilism without taking any ownership for the unpleasant material it lays down at your feet.

 Shazam!

The DC movies are in a great place right now. I’ve yet to see James Wan’s Aquaman, but from the abundance of positive things I hear about it, as well as the profound impact Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman had on audiences, James Gunn and a whole lot of appealing casting choices being attached to the next Suicide Squad film, and the great feelings I have about the energy that the Birds of Prey teaser indicated, I’m very optimistic about the future of DC films. Now that Shazam! has released and proved to be a positively uplifting delight, my outlook on this series is cheerier than ever!

         Hm? What about that Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie? Well... my feelings towards that are… complicated. I’ll save my thoughts on it for another time, but suffice to say, I think the film has the potential to be great, but I worry about the way it will be received, and that the worst crowd will embrace it and take the wrong lessons from it.

         Anyway, for the here and now, Shazam is a refreshing blend of joyous levity and unexpected intensity. The film offers endearing comedy with teens and pre-teens acting like excited kids who enjoy doing dopey things but can still come across as insightful and having an emotional heart to them that makes you happy to spend time with them. But it’s never saccharine and, through a fleshed out script and a cast of sharp young actors and actresses, there’s a clear sense of authenticity which makes these adolescent characters seem grounded and well-observed. Something I appreciated is that, whenever the film goes into background details of the history of magic in this world, grandiose prophecies of mystical destinies, or the villain going into his sinister plans, it’s usually being talked about by grown adults who are taking themselves way too seriously. The best exemplar of this is Mark Strong who plays the villain, Dr. Sivana, with an intensity that deliberately comes across as hammy, and the young characters within the film pick up on this and play off him in a way that deflates his bluster and points out how ridiculous he’s being. As a result, the tone of Shazam! feels like it’s poking good-natured fun at prior DC projects and other big budget action blockbusters where stone faced adults spout clichéd speeches without any sense of self-awareness. It’s an approach that points out how some modes of behaviour that are often associated with maturity and being an adult are actually quite childish when you take a step back. As a superhero film that focuses on the experience of being the age where you’re young enough that you still enjoy being a kid, but old enough that you want to call adults out on their bullshit, Shazam! is impressively realised and fun as hell.

         But for as light-hearted as it can be, Shazam! nevertheless surprises you with the occasional brutal sequence that catches you off guard with such rapidity that I found it relatively shocking. It’s not so detailed, gory, or explicit enough that I’d say it goes too far, but it’s worth bearing in mind before you show it to a particularly young and impressionable viewer. The benefit of these sequences is that the unexpected escalation accentuates how in over his head Billy is when he eventually comes across a situation that’s genuinely dangerous, as, despite his newfound powers, he is still a kid, and he really shouldn’t be facing this kind of thing. Indeed, the film demonstrates an impressive grasp of and dedication towards themes of maturity as Billy faces difficult truths about something he thought he wanted and realises he’s been looking in the wrong place for what he actually craves, as well as develops into a more responsible version of himself that opens up to being part of a group built on mutual trust. There’s a cleverly subtle visual indication of the progress Billy has made by the end of the film where he remembers to lower his head as he walks through a door while in his superpowered adult form. One of the first things Billy does when he first transforms is hit his head on a train door to show how unused he is to this new body. The simple act of Billy seeing the doorframe and lowering his head as he steps through without any hesitation near the end of the film signifies the control Billy has developed over himself and his own actions, making his journey of maturation resonate that much more with me. The impact of shocking dark turns and the firm, confident grasp the film has on its cohesive themes of maturation and finding your place in life elevates Shazam! from a fun time to an uplifting and refreshing story that I think people are going to really enjoy for a long while.

Final Ranking: Silver.

Energetic, full of character, and with a strongly executed theme of maturation, Shazam! is highly recommended. It is perhaps a little longer than it needs to be, which results in the latter parts of the middle section feeling a little drawn out. Having said that, the finale sends a jolt of electricity through you that makes you forget any objections you might have and remember all the positive qualities that make this film so likable.

 Hellboy (2019)

Oof… why did I decide to end this collection of reviews on Hellboy (2019) and write this after three other sections? Sigh… okay, let’s get this over with.

It would be insincere of me to say I'm the most impassioned proponent of the Guillermo del Toro Hellboy films. I found them memorable and atmospheric, and you could certainly feel the characteristic flair from the many people that put their artistic touch on those films to create something unique that marked them out from other comicbook movies, which is especially impressive in the mid-2000s, pre Iron Man era. But after going through the slog that is Hellboy (2019), I think I’m more appreciative than ever of what del Toro and his team managed to achieve.

         For a while, it seemed like this new R-rated version of Hellboy was angling for a more faithful adaptation of the original books by Mike Mignola, given the various interviews that were had about it over the years. Sadly, the final result feels like the result of too many outside influences dictating what the film should feature, culminating in a hodgepodge of a film which regurgitates character beats from the del Toro films, and rapidly stitches together a half-hearted attempt at a King Arthur narrative to fill in the requisite new material (this is your regular reminder to check out The Kid Who Would Be King, a much better modern reinterpretation of Arthurian lore). The presentation is dour, unenthusiastic, and lacks any atmosphere or personality, and that is something you could never accuse either the Mignola books or the del Toro films of lacking. In the whole film, there are only two sequences that stand out, namely the fight with the three giants and the rampage of the hell creatures in London. Even so, the former is a relatively meaningless sequence that contributes very little to the narrative and lifts right out of the film, while the latter is so sadistic and mean spirited that it made me genuinely uncomfortable. It falls flat as both an adaptation of a beloved fictional series that’s brimming with atmosphere, and as a piece of technical filmmaking as well.

         On top of that, when the tone and general philosophy of the film does emerge out from under the rest of the film’s mediocrity, it reveals itself to be genuinely unpleasant. The film opens with narration that rushes through the backstory with Nimue and the Arthurian set-up and does so with foul-mouthed irreverence. There is a bit of humour to someone casually tossing in the odd bit of shitty language as they tell you about ancient history that should be discussed with pomp and circumstance but is instead being discussed with ill-fitting coarseness. However, there needs to be some personality to go along with it, otherwise it’s implied that the swearing is the character and all that’s there to it. In the case of this opening narration, Ian McShane emphasises each fucking swearword and it becomes clear that the dialogue is using this as a crutch in an effort to make the film seem like it has an identity as this edgy superhero movie that’s different because it swears. It’s a juvenile approach that is laughable when you consider how effortless Ryan Reynolds’ delivery in each Deadpool movie has been, which demonstrates how swearing can be used to accentuate genuinely funny jokes and characters, rather acting as the joke in and of itself.

         And this isn’t even the most egregious part of the film either, it’s simply a bad first impression. The worst aspect of the film’s outlook is how virtually every character espouses the notion that you should stop complaining, stop letting things get to or affect you, and stop taking time to process things. This is especially saddening when Hellboy’s father, a character that was played with wonderful vulnerability and heart-aching humanity by the late great John Hurt, tells Hellboy to “grow some balls” and get on with things, making the emotional culmination of their time together on screen essentially boil down to ‘quit your bitching’. Characters in Hellboy (2019) show next to no empathy towards one another, and they continually reinforce the story’s outlook which, whether inadvertently or not, nevertheless encourages a state of being where you never have time to be open or vulnerable with the people around you. It’s profoundly disheartening to watch, and gives little to no thematic or visual sustenance to get you through a runtime that feels far too long.

Final Ranking: Manure.

David Harbour does an admirable job in the lead role and I was happy to at least have a protagonist in this film that captures the gruff sadness and down-to-earth affability of the character of Hellboy. But he’s drowning in limiting makeup and an even more stifling movie that has no visual flair and a boring, miserable narrative. The experience of watching this movie is draining and deflating, and I hope to never revisit it.

[khadij-al-kubra]

Useless

Fandom: Thomas Sanders/Sanders Sides

Pairing: Belial/Emile (can be seen as romantic or platonic) 

Characters: Belial, Emile, Virgil, Thomas.

Author’s Note: This fanfic oneshot is based off of the wonderful “Illumination AU” created by @altruistic-skittles. The story itself is my own original idea, but the concept of soulmarks, the characters, and world writhing are her territory. So kindly go read her work as well. Seriously, it’s awesome. Hope you enjoy my story and as always feel free to leave a comment in the messages or reply if you have any notes or constructive critiques. I’m always open to writing advice.

              *    *    *

Belial stifled a yawn as he walked over the the Heart & Soul Cafe. You’d think he’d be used to these 8am Tuesday therapy sessions by now, but it had been a late night performing his tricks and he didn’t sleep so great in general. At least the money he’d made was pretty good. He was really starting to get some popularity for his magic tricks.

No doubt Emile, his therapist and apparent soulmate (another thing he still wasn’t used to), would be chipper as ever. Sometimes he wondered if the man wasn’t actually a cartoon character come to life. Still, Belial supposed he shouldn’t complain. Dr. Emile Picani was good at his job, He could even handle a hopeless case like him. Now Belial had progressed to only sometimes lying compulsively. ‘What a real improvement’ he thought as he walked through the doors of the cafe.

“Oh great,” groaned the familiar voice of his ex from behind the coffee counter.

“Always a pleasure seeing you too Virgil,” he said, venomous sarcasm dripping from his tongue. “Are those new bags under your eyes?”

Virgil responded with a growl and a glare combo. He only eased up when Thomas placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy Virge, he’s not worth it,” said Thomas.

Belial smirked and headed to the corner office at the back. ‘Not worth it.’ Of course he wasn’t . Belial was never worth it to anyone. But he hated to admit how much it stung to see Virgil, someone he once loved, relying on someone other than him. Not to mention Virgil now had three soulmates . Three! Well, at least Belial could say he (by some miracle) had a soulmate of his own, platonic or otherwise. The jury was still out (not that he cared). A fact he still couldn’t wrap his head around. Emile was the complete opposite of him. Good and honest in all the ways he wasn’t. And sure, it was clear from their sessions how the doctor would be someone Belial was destined to rely on or need to some degree...on a professional level of course. Yet he couldn’t fathom how he himself would possibly be someone for Emile to lean on when times got hard. What use was he to someone so put together?

He was at the door to the office now, but to his surprise it was already ajar. No knocking needed. What was even more odd is that there was none of the usual ambient music playing. And Belial could’ve sworn he heard a muffled sob from the other side. Before he could think better of it Belial went inside. He was not prepared for the chaos he was. Couch pillows were torn and knocked to the floor, stuffing spewing from the fabric wounds. The tiny waterfall lay cracked on its side. Papers, pencils and pens were scattered everywhere, and even one of Emile’s favorite cartoon posters was torn half hanging off the pastel blue wall. Worst of all though was the sight of the normally Happy Doc (damn, Emile’s humor was rubbing off on him) sitting on the couch, bent over with a hand covering his face as silent sobs shook his shoulders. Even his hair was messy like it had been tugged at and his signature pink tie askew.

Belial’s own facial soulmark ached at the sight. He didn’t know what to do. So he just awkwardly cleared his throat. Emile jerked up, putting his glasses back on. The soulmark around his eyes glowed green, matching the therapist’s emerald eyes perfectly. But they were so sad. That sadness didn’t belong there.

“Oh, Belial. I didn’t here you come in,” he said with a smile. Belial knew a fake smile when he saw one. 

“Yeah, I’m here for my session.”

“Of course! Right...Now’s not a good uh...I’m sorry. Let me just tidy up a bit, then we can...get started.”

Emile started to pick up papers around him and set them on the table. He moved painfully slow, not even getting up from his seat. Belial signed and sat across form the therapist. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Sooo what happened in here?” he asked.

Emile sighed. “I happened. I guess you could say i sort of went Tasmanian Devil on the place.”

Didn’t see that coming. Frankly, Belial didn’t think the man had a rage filled vein in his body. Well, he supposed even therapists were entitled to a bad day once in a while. Of course it had to be on his session day.

“You? If anything you’re usually more of a Tweety Bird.” Shit. Another one. Worst of all, his slip of the tongue reference didn’t even get a chuckle out of the cartoon enthusiast.  Not a good sign.

“Yes, well, i uh...got some bad new this morning and well,” Emile waved at the mess around him.

“Are you okay?” he asked on instinct. Hopefully Emile didn’t catch the tone of sincere concern in his voice.

“Oh i’m alright. Its...” he taked a long breath, “It was a patient of mine. She’d been coming to see me for some time now. Early this morning I got a call from her father that she...passed away a few days ago.”

Oh shit. “I’m...sorry. How...how did it happen?”

“...She happened.”

“Oh...” Really? Oh? That’s the best he could think to say in this situation? It’s not like he couldn’t sympathize. Belial remembered form his time with Virgil how hard someone could struggle with fighting mental demons like that. Hell, there had been times when he’d even entertained the idea. Those were his darker times when he’d felt the most worthless...Things got better after he could afford to move out of his mother’s house. To actually go through with it though, even with a therapist like Emile trying to help you... A hollow laugh bright Belial back from his thoughts.

“And I thought we were really making progress. I-I thought she was getting better. How did I not see? It’s my job to see! I should’ve--” He took off his glasses again as fresh tears fell from his eyes. “I could’ve done more!”

Belial would never admit how much it killed him inside to watch Emile hunch over wracked with sobs, In the past few months of therapy with him, of time spent in and out of the Heart & Soul Cafe, Belial had begun to feel more than he had in a long time. And his didn’t know what to do with it all.

What could he do now? He didn’t have Logan’s tact of Patton’s sensitivity. All he had up his sleeve was-- 

“Wanna see a trick Emile?” he asked, grabbing a blank scrap of paper and a pencil from the floor.

“I really don’t feel in the mood,” said Emile, pausing in his hiccuped cries for a few seconds.

“Trust me, it’s a good one,” he said as he drew a rough picture of a spoon on the paper.

Actually this was one of the more difficult tricks in his arsenal of illusions. He’s only been able to pull it off twice before among numerous tries. But if it worked now, it was sure to amaze Emile and maybe even cheer him up a little. It would be worth it.

“If you must blink, do it now,” The Kubo reference coax a small smile out of Emile. “Watch closely.”

He swiped a hand over the picture, holding the paper by a corner. Then he began to gradually pinch the handle of the spoon picture. Belial watched the grown man’s face change from sorrow to awe as he saw the spoon bend while the paper itself remained smooth. Seriously, he could almost glimpse what Emile looked like as a child.

“wha-what the heck-that’s so cool! How’d you do that?”

“A magician never reveals his secrets.” Yep. the thrill of amazing people with his magic never got old. “And for my grand finale...”

He crumpled the paper in his hands and then held them both up, fingers spread open to reveal that the paper had disappeared. Lastly he reached behind Emile’s ear and pulled out a soft yellow hankerchief. He felt a sense of pride at hearing Emile laugh and clap.

“Now blow,” he said, offering the hankie.”

Emile thanked him as he took the small cloth, giving it a loud elephant like blow. He wiped his eyes with the palms of his hands and put the glasses back on.

“Look, said Belial, “I get why you took the news so hard. I’m sure you did as much as you could for her, but it’s not your fault that she...ran out of strength to keep fighting. You can’t save everyone, and it’s not your responsibility to.”

Emile looked into his eyes with those emerald ones. “Then what use am I?”

Hearing that broken tone in his voice, that kind of question, coming from such a kind, patient, and selfless person like Emile felt like a punch in Belial’s heart. (Well, if he had a heart) He understood better than anyone what it felt like to be worthless...useless.

He was, but Emile definitely was not!

“I could easily lie and say that you’re the best therapist in the world and can save someone the next time. But I wont, because I don’t know that for sure.” He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “But you are the best I know, and from what Ive seen a lot of others think the same. I mean come on, if you haven’t given up on a broken mess like me yet-don’t talk, just listen-then you probably won’t give up on anyone else either. You put your all into what you do and actually give a damn about people. Make them feel like they’re worth something. That gives them a reason to...hope...and that can mean more than anything. So you Emile Picani are not useless.”

Phew that was a lot! Maya wasn’t nearly this much work. He tried to be as honest as possible (not an easy feat).  Was that the right thing to say? No clue. Could he have phrased it all better? Probably. Emile half shrugged in response for crying out loud. .At the very least he wasn’t calling himself useless anymore, but he was still clearly upset.What else could he do? He thought back to how he’d try to comfort Virgil during anxiety attacks. Belial took a deep breath and placed a hand on Emile’s shoulder, giving it a gently squeeze.

Belial did not expect the man to lean forward. He didn’t expect him to bury his teary face into his shoulder. And he definitely didn't expect his chest to skip a beat the way it did. He caught the glow of his own yellow soulmakr reflected in the doctor’s glasses. Belial was terrified of making a wrong move, but he let instinct take over and hesitantly wrapped his arms over Emile’s back. He made soothing stroked as his soulmate got out the last of his silent sobs.

After who knows how many minutes, Emile Stopped shaking and with a shuddered breath he finally sat back up. Belial was sorry or the loss of contact.

“Thanks Belial.” The smile on his face was finally devoid of melancholy.

“Don’t mention it. I’m so glad to have used up my therapy session time this way,” he said. Emile just laughed.

“I am sorry about that. I’ll be sure to make up for the missed time next session.” Emile looked around at the state of his office with a sigh. Seriously. It was a mess. “I really should clean up in here before my next appointment. It’s not till noon, but still. Elliot is rather punctual.”

Typical Emile. Thinking of others even after having an emotional meltdown. It was far too pitiful for Belial to allow.

“Better Idea: You leave the cleaning for later and I take you to get some ice cream now,” he said.

“You really don’t have to,” said Emile.

“Of course I do. Didn’t you know? Ice cream is the cornerstone of any healthy breakfast.” He was unable to hide the smirk that ghosted his face at hearing Emile’s full laughter for the first time all day.

“I’d like that,” Emile said, holding open the door for both of them.

“But it’s only fair that you buy, given that I lost therapy time.”

“Nice try Mr. Banks. I’m the one who needs chim-chim-chima-cheering up. We can go halvsies.”

“Oh fine.” Belial put his hat back on and followed him out.

As they exited the cafe and walked down the block, he caught the low hum of a Disney song (Mary Poppins maybe?) coming from the therapist. Well what do you know? He’d actually been able to be there for his soulmate in some small way. This time, Belial allowed himself to indulge in a genuine smile.

Maybe neither of them was useless after all.

[toraonice]

Yuri on Ice BD audio commentary translation - Volume 4

I absolutely wanted to post this within today because this evening I want to work on the Pash interview with Sayo Yamamoto... This BD volume has lots of choreography footage so that will take a while to translate, and I’m going to give priority to the interview.

This commentary is different from the others because it’s not just Kubo with another person, there’s 4 of them. Luckily enough they don’t really talk over each other (except for one part, lol), but in the second half I translated most of what they say as dialogue because I felt it was more fitting. In the dialogue parts my notes/comments are in brackets.

The commentary is only for episode 7. Episode 8 has no commentary. It’s not a full translation but I summarized most of what they said, and some parts are almost completely translated. Fans of Phichit, Guang-Hong and Leo should definitely read it as it’s a rare chance to get comments from these voice actors. Also, their reactions to the last scene are hilarious, that’s a must read too.

The commentary is by: -Mitsurou Kubo -Kenshou Ono (Phichit) -Yuutarou Honjou (Guang-Hong) -Shunichi Toki (Leo)

Translation under the cut because it’s long. Enjoy!

-In the beginning they introduce themselves and Kubo says that the other audio commentaries were all done by her with another person and this is the first time it’s done by so many people together. She also says that she never had the chance to talk to them a lot (since she couldn’t go to most recordings). Honjou says that he also never spoke a lot with Ono because in episode 6 Ono recorded his part alone and in episode 7 Guang-Hong skated in the A part and Phichit in the B part. Since so many voice actors were in the episode, he waited outside of the recording room during B part because he had no lines and would have occupied space uselessly. He says he spent the time writing a report, and they comment on the fact that he’s young (he’s 20 so he’s a student). Kubo says that the skaters in the China Cup are all quite young and Chris and Yuuri are the oldest (actually she forgot Georgi, he’s older than Yuuri lol). That also made the atmosphere at the tournament quite merry. Ono says that finally Phichit can prove his worth after a few episodes where he was mostly introduced as someone who spoke on the phone with Yuuri. He also says that he’s glad that YOI got so much response because he himself had fun working on it and it’s nice to know that the viewers felt the same. He then asks Kubo how long ago she got the idea for YOI, and Kubo says that in the beginning it was director Yamamoto who had the idea. She says that she (Yamamoto) had been wanting to make a series about figure skating, but since it’s a difficult topic she initially couldn’t find anyone (production/animation studios) willing to work on such a project. Then after the Sochi Olympics figure skating had a little boom and finally someone got interested in it (you might guess that the reason of the boom is Yuzuru Hanyu earning the first Olympic gold medal ever for Japan). She also says that YOI got an explosive response from overseas, especially after episode 7, and is also very popular in China.

-During Guang-Hong’s FS, Toki comments that Leo stars in the imaginary world of the FS and that “the scary guy” (Georgi) is playing the boss. Kubo says that the song is meant to be from the soundtrack of the fictional movie "Shanghai Blade”, and that the choreography also reflects the story (they talk about this in the choreography commentary too). Toki comments that the setting material they read had detailed information about “Shanghai Blade” and that it sounded so interesting that he actually would like to know the full story of the movie. Kubo says that every character has his own background and that both the choreographies and the fictional movies have a meaning.

-Here she asks Honjou how he felt playing his role, and both Honjou and Ono reply about that. I’m writing directly what they said (it’s a summary, not the exact wording). Honjou: The skating parts were actually difficult. Guang-Hong looks carefree but deep inside he’s doing his best to perform his part, and I wasn’t sure how much I should show that gap. When he says “as long as I have my sword I can do it alone!”, usually he uses ‘boku’ as first person pronoun but in this line he says ‘ore’, and since he says it all excited I ended up making him sound really cute, lol. (”Boku” is softer than “ore”) Ono: It was very hard to maintain the balance. Phichit is very cheerful, so when I played him I really tried to create a bright character that would make the people around him smile, but skating is a fight against yourself, something that challenges your emotional strength and mental status, and when you skate you’re alone… That’s why during the monologue, where you can hear what the character is thinking, I thought that even though he’s cheerful toward others maybe I should show a more stoic side of him when it comes to skating. It’s a fight against yourself, you get a score for your performance, everyone is a rival, you are your rival too. I wondered how much I should show a serious side of him looking into himself, because I wanted to convey the fact that someone like Phichit-kun too is fighting against himself. However, when I did that I was told “maybe you should pay attention to the audience a bit more” and I had to retake the part (lol). Also, “maybe it’s better to make it sound a bit more like he wants to entertain the audience”. It was difficult to keep the balance. Kubo: When athletes skate they think a lot about the impression they leave on the audience and the judges. It is a fight against yourself, but it’s also a matter of representing something for others to see. At the same time it’s also a competition, so I find it amazing how they can think about all of those things together. She also says that it really feels like they put a lot of effort into creating the characters together with sound director Shimizu.

-During Phichit’s program, Kubo says that he is very popular in Thailand and that it’s rare that a Thai character has such a major role in a Japanese anime. She says that people like Phichit’s unaffected personality too. Honjou says that his parents went to Thailand and when they visited a “certain shop that sells anime goods” (I guess Animate Bangkok, lol) the plates they had on display were Yuuri, Victor and Phichit. Toki comments that the story of “The King and the Skater” was also very interesting and that you could probably make a manga out of that alone. Kubo says that when they ordered the songs they wrote as many details as possible, and that she wrote in detail for both Phichit’s SP and FS. The FS is set in the near future (more info about this in the choreography commentary too). She also comments that Phichit is cute and everyone at the Cup of China is cute. Ono says that it cheers him up to watch Phichit and you also feel like cheering on him. He also laughs saying that Phichit’s clothes look a lot like his own (they even both use a black face mask) so he feels very close to him. Kubo explains that Phichit looks up to Japanese reader models and pays a lot of attention to his own clothing style because he wants to become like a Japanese boy with a smart fashion sense. She didn’t do it on purpose because she had no idea what kind of clothes Ono uses, but in the end she agrees that they look similar. (In other words she’s praising his fashion sense, lol) Ono says that the sharp facial features are also something that makes him similar to Phichit. Kubo also mentions that Phichit has many hamsters but they could only show this in the last episode, and that there’s a stamp of him with his hamsters in the YOI LINE stamps too.

-From here they start talking about the LINE stamps. By the way, they do this while the anime is showing the scene of Yuuri and Victor in the parking lot and the gap is hilarious (it’s almost better to listen to the commentary without watching the screen, lol). I’m writing what they say as dialogue because it’s faster, though some parts are shortened/summarized. Kubo: In the vol.2 of LINE stamps some use lines that the characters never said in the series. Toki: This is something I was meaning to ask! Does Leo-kun turn down Hollywood celebrity parties?? Lol. Kubo: I do think in some cases it’s better to use lines that the characters actually said in the series, but for some reason I wanted him to say “it’s ok, I turned down the Hollywood celebrity party”. Toki: So you decided the text (of the stamps)? Kubo: Sorry, I used a “dark force”, lol. (She means “connections”, or well, that she took advantage of her position to decide the text, lol) Honjou: It wasn’t shown in the series, but in the storyboard there was a line saying “don’t you go to Hollywood celebrity parties?”. I remember thinking, “is that something you ask someone the first time you meet them?”, lol. Ono: And I think maybe I actually said that line at the audition… Kubo: Guang-Hong-kun likes American celebrities and has a secret ambition to become friends with celebrities one day. He asks Leo-kun, “don’t you go to parties with celebrities?”, and Leo is like “no I don’t, I’m not invited to things like that”, so he replies “if you ever have a party call me, I’ll be there right away!”. That’s why there was that line. In the end we didn’t use it in the anime and it was used in the LINE stamps (lol). In the audition Ono-san had a line like a YouTuber too. Ono: Yes, a line like a YouTuber who is greeting his fans. After the audition ended the sound director Shimizu-san told me “it had a nice Asian feeling”. I had no idea what he meant but if it had “a nice Asian feeling” I guess it was ok..? lol. Toki: People who are wondering what we are talking about please check out the LINE stamps. Kubo: Can I ask you to say the line from the stamps? Toki: What kind of nuance should I use? Kubo: A person invites you to a drinking party and is wondering whether you have already something else planned, but you answer “it’s ok, I turned down the Hollywood celebrity party!”. It’s like you mean to say that your friend’s party is more important than a Hollywood celebrity party. (Toki asks Honjou to say the question part, and Honjou says it as Guang-Hong) Honjou (Guang-Hong): Leo-kun, I’d like to eat lunch with you, is it ok? Toki (Leo): It’s ok. I turned down the Hollywood celebrity party! (not sure who is saying this, maybe Toki): Man, that’s so hard to use, lmao. When do you use it?? Kubo: I use it a lot. I use it when I’m talking with friends and they ask me “is it ok?”. Actually I’d really like to make LINE stamps with voices too. (LINE stamps with voices exist for some series) Someone: I’m sure it’s possible. Kubo: Then I’ll try to use the “dark force”. I don’t know if it works but I’ll try my best. I don’t really have any power myself. (I’d really love to see YOI stamps with voices, although I almost never use LINE. But as far as I know the YOI stamps are currently only available for purchase within Japan, so first of all I wish they would make them available worldwide so that everyone can enjoy them… By the way, this is my personal interpretation, but I guess Guang-Hong asks Leo about celebrity parties because he automatically thinks America = Hollywood...?)

-Short parenthesis where Toki praises the music too saying he would like real figure skaters to skate to some of the songs, and Kubo replies that actually there are some young skaters who want to, and she hopes one day it will be possible to see people actually skate to the songs.

-The anime shifts to Georgi’s FS and of course the topic shifts to him too. Again I’m writing it as dialogue because it’s faster. Ono: Popovich was so overwhelming, lol. Toki: Everyone in the recording booth was busy trying not to laugh. Kubo: I couldn’t go, but I heard that the recording for episodes 6 and 7 was very exciting. How was it? Toki: Hatano-san (Georgi’s voice actor) did his best during rehearsal, and everyone was already laughing at that point, but then in the actual recording he got even better and it was terrific. Everyone was looking down with a hand on their mouth trying to keep from laughing, lmao. Kubo: It was decided that in the audio commentary we can say spoilers until the end of the series. In which scenes, up to the end, did you have a hard time trying not to laugh? Ono: Miyano-san… JJ was very tiring. In a good way. Like when in episode 10 he says “it’s a joooke”. Toki: In the last episode Miyano-san shows up saying “sorry sorry” (in Japanese he says “mengo mengo” instead of “gomen gomen”, it’s kind of a stupid way to say it). He actually kept on repeating that for practice over and over before recording, lmao. I was next to him and thought “what a guy”, lol. Ono: And the JJ song. The JJ song we sang all together. Kubo: Sounds like a graduation song, lol. Ono: We received the English lyrics and did our best to sing it, it was fun. The JJ style thing you (Kubo) did on Twitter, Yasumoto-san (Chris) and Miyano-san kept on doing that in the recording booth saying “this is JJ style” (in English) to make people laugh, lmao. Kubo: JJ is like curry, he changes the flavor of everything. That’s nice to hear. Ono: The ending was very passionate too.

-From here they talk about the YOI all night screening from February. You can read my detailed report of that here if you’re interested. By the way, in the anime Yuuri is skating his FS (I think they were talking about JJ when he started, once again the gap… lol). Writing it as dialogue again. (Just a little explanation about the screening for you to better understand what they say: It was a talk show followed by the screening of all 12 eps of YOI. The event was held in a cinema in Tokyo and simultaneously streamed in many other cinemas all over Japan. It was ok to cheer and speak during the anime episodes, but not in all cinemas people were loud the whole time, some were actually pretty quiet. The one I went to was average but people mostly clapped to cheer on the skaters and no one really yelled randomly.) Kubo: At the all night screening some time ago, as far as I saw/heard, the part where people got most excited was the scene in episode 10 where Phichit-kun says “congratulations for your wedding!”. There was a thunderous applause in every venue. Even in venues where people were mostly quiet, when he says “Congratulations!! My best friend got married!!” everyone just clapped their hands, everywhere. Ono: When he sees the rings, right? I can see why people would get excited, lol. Kubo: Also, at the end of episode 7 too, I was told that people just naturally clapped their hands. Ono: (looking at Yuuri skating his FS) When I see such beautiful animation I never understand how it works. It’s too beautiful. It’s like, how are they even animating this? It’s so beautiful I can’t understand. In YOI I felt that a lot, I had goosebumps. Honjou: I was also very moved to be able to work in this series. Ono: (in the anime Yuuri has just finished skating) I also like the skaters’ expressions when they finish their program. They have the face of someone who has accomplished something. Kubo: (Victor dashes to the rink’s exit) I like this Victor dash. (And then you know what happens in the anime, and they just start yelling random stuff and I’m not even sure who is saying what, lol) Ono: Ah, here! This! Someone (more than one but I couldn’t distinguish who says what): Here it comes. Here it comes!! Here! Uwah! Oh god! Ah! Ah! No! Stop! Noo ahahah lol. Congratulations!!!! Toki: It’s still episode 7, lmao. Ono: They got married! Kubo: They haven’t gotten married yet here, lol. Toki: It happens later on. Kubo: The wedding is later on, lol. But here also… (And I wanted her to finish this line but she leaves it hanging and everyone just talks over each other, doh) Someone: This is something that could be used in the stamps. Ono: This was… very shocking. (Then the anime shifts to the podium) Phichit, congratulations!

-After this the ending starts playing and they say their final thoughts. Since it doesn’t happen often to hear the opinion of voice actors except the main 3 characters I’m translating most of what they say. Kubo: How did you feel working on YOI? Honjou: Regarding an athlete’s ability to concentrate, I actually never played sports so seriously, I never thought of becoming a professional, so at the beginning I couldn’t picture what it means to concentrate during a competition, but looking at the characters’ performances I gradually started to get an idea of what it means, and with every recording it got more concrete, so in the end I was able to enjoy it a lot. Toki: I myself love figure skating. It’s also because my older sister does classic ballet, but basically I’ve been watching figure skating since I was a child, so I was very happy to receive an audition offer for this series, and when it was confirmed that I would play Leo-kun and I listened to his song I really thought “I like this guy!”. I was determined to play him to the best of my ability, but what worried me the most is that I wasn’t sure I could get close to Kubo-san and Shimizu-san’s image of the character. I was worried that I couldn’t fit into the Yuri on Ice world created by Kubo-san. Kubo: By the way, to say it frankly, it was even better than I expected and I wished I could make Leo-kun more amiable from the start. I wanted to get to know this side of him earlier. Toki: I’m glad to hear that, thank you! Ono: I genuinely thought that I wanted to do more. There are so many interesting characters, and 30 minutes is really too short. I had a lot of fun playing Phichit-kun, it was fun to fight on a skate rink as an athlete, and I really wished there would be a sequel. Therefore, I’m counting on you, sensei!! Kubo: I-I’ll do my best! Thank you! And then they just say the final greetings.

I seriously laughed my ass off when they were screeching on the last scene. It’s been said over and over that it’s left open to the viewers’ interpretation, but one thing I can tell for sure is that all of them definitely do not think it was just a hug, lmao. Also Kubo emphasizing the fact that people at the all night event were clapping their hands like crazy during that scene and the “congratulations!!” scene in ep 10, lol (in the cinema I was at we also actually yelled “congratulations”). Just please take the “the wedding is later on” part with a grain of salt because they’re joking referring to the above-mentioned scene from episode 10, they don’t meant to say that they are really getting married (at least as of now).