#seaside godzilla

[seaside-godzilla]

Titanosaurus sketch

[intertexts]

hit my FAVORITE places in kc got SO much stuff peace & love on planet earth!!!

[the-forest-library]

Your 10 (ish) Most Read Authors (According to Goodreads or Whatever System You Use)

I was tagged by @bookcub - thanks!

What are your ten most Most Read Authors? And how many books have you read by them? Also tag someone who you would like to do this! (Original Instructions (this option wasn't available for me): Scroll to the bottom of your shelves and most read authors is listed underneath. What I did: Exported my Goodreads library and did some Excel magic.)

Note: I only started tracking my reads in Goodreads in 2020 - these stats reflect that.

Terry Pratchett - 15 (Looks like I've read a lot of Discworld in the last few years.)

2. Martha Wells - 10 (Hello, Murderbot!)

3. Chloe Liese - 9 (This is mostly the Bergman Brothers series, which I highly recommend. Lots of neurodiversity rep.)

4. Megan Whalen Turner - 8 (Attolia, my beloved.)

4. Cat Sebastian - 8 (Lots of historical romance.)

4. K.J. Charles - 8 (More historical romance - I love that Charles and Sebastian are tied. I discovered them around the same time, and I frequently confuse them.)

5. Rainbow Rowell - 7 (Novels and She Hulk graphic novels.)

5. Gail Carriger - 7 (I discovered her books a few years ago and ran through a bunch of them, but haven't read another one in a hot minute.)

6. Sarah Andersen - 6 (Relatable comics. Also, read Fangs if you haven't yet.)

6. Olivia Atwater - 6 (Regency/Victorian faerie tales which I adore.)

6. Alisha Rai - 6 (Including one of my favorite romances: Girl Gone Viral.)

6. T. Kingfisher - 6 (Another new-to-me author I began exploring.)

6. Brigid Kemmerer - 6 (The full Cursebreakers series and a few books from other series.)

6. Holly Jackson - 6 (These are not great books, but they are addictive and twisty.)

6. Jenny Colgan - 6 (Easy, seaside, small town reads. Some of the first audiobooks I tried.)

There are 11 (!) authors tied for fifth place, so I'm not going there, but I do want to shout out Talia Hibbert and Maria V. Snyder from that list because I love them.

Tagging (no pressure, just fun!): @godzilla-reads, @brightbeautifulthings, @emspooky, @dkafterdark, @dauen, @bibliophilecats, and anyone else that would like to give this a go!

[caixinliang]

Practice 1

assignment 4, concept art - light and shadow

. Blog post 01

For this Light and Shadow assignment, my aim was to illustrate how the identical elements of a scene can evoke diverse atmospheric changes based on the lighting:

Initially, variations in light prompt shifts in the color of objects within the scene. Additionally, alterations in color can exert a substantial influence on the audience's mood (e.g., vivid daylight, serene night, somber foggy day). These differences in the way light interacts with the scene contribute to the overall visual impact and emotional resonance.

The basic elements in this painting scene include:

Seaside; lighthouse; bench; hiker; dog; streetlamp; grass; stones; shrubs; pathway; distant mountains;clouds; ocean waves; seagulls.

Picture foreground and background relationships:

Black and white composition design - depicts the spatial relationships of objects in the scene through changes in layers and tonal gradation.

The following image illustrates the fundamental black-and-white relationships, as well as the foreground-background layering and depth of field that I have depicted.

This is all for now~

Reference:

Godzilla 8/5 (2014) Directed by Gareth Edwards [Monster movie]. American : Warner Bros. Pictures.

[moorheadthanyoucanhandle]

BANANA REPUBLIC

Now in theaters:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes--Generations after the death of Caesar, the chimpanzee who founded ape civilization, apes live in clans along the California coast, around the grown-over ruins of human civilization. Our young hero Noa (Owen Teague) is part of the Eagle Clan, a sort of peaceable low-tech utopia that practices fishing by falconry.

Trouble arrives in the form of a raiding party which abducts the Eagle Clan while Noa is away. He follows, along the way picking up a scholarly orangutan, Raka (Peter Macon), and a waiflike human, Mae (Freya Allan). Noa eventually finds his clan enslaved on a beach, under the rule of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a swaggering monarch complete with crown and throne, demanding in blustery rhetoric that his throng of subjects pay him obeisance outside his palace, a rusted shipwreck.

Proximus claims authority in the name of Caesar the Lawgiver, but Raka has already taught Noa that his tyranny is an outrage to the true Caesar's egalitarian traditions. What Proximus really wants, it turns out, is to open the massive door to an underground seaside vault full of old human technology and all the potential power that any potentate could want.

This fourth of the latter-day Apes movies is, one might say, the ape-iest of them, the one most immersed in an established ape culture and with the most meager human presence. Directed by Maze Runner veteran Wes Ball from a script by Josh Friedman, it's also the most modest, in blockbuster terms; the cast is made up largely of journeyman TV actors mostly unfamiliar to me. The only name player I recognized was the always reliable William H. Macy, as a human bookworm who's teaching Proximus the follies of human history, often to the King's uproarious laughter.

It's a moody, evenly paced adventure that borrows not only from the original Apes series, especially 1970's satirically seething Beneath the Planet of the Apes, but from other mythic sources including Star Wars and The Lion King. And it's admirably unsentimental, with characters seemingly ripe for redemption that aren't redeemed and alliances that don't warm into friendships. The atmosphere is bitter but bracing, and the film has a heart of hard but noble honor.

It's difficult, these days, for many of us to see any movie about autocratic rule, or the undermining of democratic values, or the allure of "strongman" leadership, as anything but a political allegory for our times. The mangy, orange-furred ape tyrant "Skar King" in the recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, for instance, seemed like little more than a heavy-handed, though entertaining, political cartoon. But if Proximus was intended as a stand-in for our current would-be sovereign, I have to say, his high-flown language and historical curiosity make for an overgenerous caricature.

[thebrikbox]

Mothra vs. Godzilla, 1964

Mothra, Mothra, Mothra! Ishiro Honda once again delivers a monster masterpiece, Mothra vs. Godzilla. The American version is Godzilla vs. the Thing

We were first introduced to the island god in 1961’s box office hit, Mothra. The giant moth is the peaceful protector of Infant Island and the earth if danger arises. We also met the twin fairies and the natives who guard their protector passionately. The Mothra song sung by the fairies is one of the most recognized tunes in the world (you can download it on iTunes).

Honda intended to show the kind of destruction nuclear testing can do, Infant Island in the movie, however, an undertone of industry greed surfaced as the main message that money and fame could corrupt men.

The Story

A typhoon, strikes Karuta Beach. A reporter, Ichiro Saki, and his photographer, Junko Nakanishi, go to Shizunoura to get photos of what damages was caused by the typhoon. Junko discovers an object floating in the water and wants to photograph it, then they receive word about a giant egg that washed ashore. They leave their location to investigate it and take the strange object with them.

Saki and Junko meet Professor Miura who is there examining the egg. A shady businessman named Kumayama stops Miura from working claiming the egg belongs to him. When asked how that is possible, the seaside village leader claims the egg washed onto their shore and it’s rightfully theirs, so he sold it to Kumayama for a large sum of money. Completely taken aback by the situation, Miura reluctantly leaves.

Saki, Junko, and Muira to a nearby hotel to discuss the egg situation. They see Kumayama sneak to a room; suspicious, Saki follows him to find out what’s going on. In the room, Kumayama meets with a financial investor, Jiro Torahata, about the egg. Pleased to know the egg now belonged to him, Torahata says he will construct a giant glass incubator to encase the egg and charge people fees to view it. The men are interrupted by twin fairies from Infant Island, or Mothra Island in the American version, who say the egg is rightfully theirs and they want it back. Torahata and Kumayama try to capture the twins, but they escape. Saki enters the room upon hearing the ruckus and recognizes Torahata.

Saki regroups with Junko and Miura and tells them about Torahata’s background about being a wealthy investor who owns Product Enterprises. The fairies come forward and introduce themselves. They explain that they pleaded with Torahata and Kumayama to return Mothra’s egg, The Thing in the American version. The fairies take the three to see Mothra and they agree to help by persuading the bad men to return the egg.

The following day, Saki, Junko, and Muira visit Kumayama and Torahata and explain to them the egg doesn’t belong to them and it rightfully belongs to Mothra. The bad men sarcastically tell Saki to get a power of attorney from Mothra to convince them the egg is The Thing’s property. Junko opens a decorative box to reveal the fairies inside. They ask the bad men to return the egg to them, but the response they get is an offer to buy them from Saki for a large sum of money. Saki and his friends leave feeling defeated. They regroup in a bar to come up with another plan to get the egg back. Realizing probability is hopeless, the fairies return home on Mothra’s back.

The village fishermen visit Kumayama with demands for money owed them for the egg and land rent. Kumayama turns them away telling them he’ll pay them later. He calls Torahata to tell him to pay what he owes, but said he won’t because he needs the money, instead, he convinces Kumayama to accept a loan he can repay from his share in the company stock.

The following day, Saki and Junko visit Muira at his lab. Before they’re allowed in, they’re “washed” down because they were contaminated with radioactivity from the object Junko found in the water at the beach. Muira returns to examine the egg with Saki and Junko to check for radioactivity, but he’s stopped. Saki looks for Junko and finds looking at a beach some distance away. He calls her to leave but she refuses and tells him she sees the ground “bubbling.” Suddenly, Godzilla emerges and everyone runs to safety.

Saki and his friends fly to Mothra Island to ask for help; the natives refuse to because they wouldn’t return the egg. However, Mothra calls out to the twin fairies and they ask it fight Godzilla. Mothra agrees to and Saki and the team return home.

Meanwhile, the defense force devises a defense strategy to defeat Godzilla hoping Mothra comes to their aid. Godzilla made it to the egg and begins destroying the incubator with its tail. He starts on the egg, and then Mothra arrives and a battle ensues.

The fight is intense, Mothra uses all its energy and flies away to die atop the egg. The fairies take Saki, Junko, and Muira to the egg for it to hatch. When they arrive, Mothra has died and the twins begin chanting a song to encourage the larva to hatch. Surprisingly, twin larvae emerge and they fight Godzilla with their webbing. After the battle, the caterpillars swim back to Mothra Island.

The Reception

Mothra vs. Godzilla was released in Japan April 29, 1964. In May of the same year, Henry Saperstein acquired rights to the movie August 26, 1964 as Godzilla vs. the Thing.

Reviews for the Japanese version was great, except for the military scenes. Critics said the military appeared meek compared to previous movies. American critics gave decent reviews. The problem for them was that foreign actors wouldn’t appeal to a target audience that didn’t recognize them.

Dang. Harsh.

Final Word

This particular Godzilla film was one of the best Honda made. Two babies crawling on their bellies defeated the king and it was exciting to watch it happen. I love Godzilla, but the first thing that I thought of was: “ teamwork makes the dream work.”

Cast and Crew

Starring Akira Takarada, Yoriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yu Fujiki, Kenji Sahara

Directed by Ishiro Honda

Special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya

Movie Grade: 0.0 to 4.0

Score: 3.6

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

I saw you're post about Godzilla and Steven Universe, as a Godzilla fan I just had this fun little idea. A human tribe that worships Godzilla, a tribe that PD/Rose and Pearl stumble upon during a celebration and the Tribe inviting them to join in the celebration. The Celebration being that the Mountain of the Sea is visiting their humble village, and PD/Rose and Pearl join thinking nothing of it. Until the Mountain of the Sea actually visits and its Godzilla doing some patrolling of his territory.

It had been Pink's idea, of course. It always was. Donning her disguise of a Rose Quartz, she had dragged Pearl along with her to a seaside village she had recently discovered, wanting to pay visit to the colony natives.

Humans. Pink Diamond's latest obsession. Pearl frankly couldn't see the appeal. They looked a bit like gems except they were fully organic, much weaker and lived pitifully short lives. But for some reason, Pink were entranced.

This was, however, the first time that she had decided to interact with the humans.

Pearl had been... apprehensive, to say the least. Not that she thought that the humans could pose any harm to them but it just felt inappropriate for someone of Pink Diamond's rank to mingle with organics.

Well, whatever made her happy, Pearl supposed. It wasn't her role to understand, anyway, just serve.

The humans, though initially surprised by their sudden appearance, had quickly accepted them with open arms, welcoming them and asking if they were perhaps there to partake in the celebration of the Mountain.

This had immediately caught Pink's attention.

"A celebration? For what? There aren't any mountains nearby."

The village chief had laughed (laughed at a Diamond! The nerve!) and kindly explained the occasion.

"Not that kind of mountain, my friend," he said as he combed through his facial hair with his fingers. "The Mountain of the Sea is our guardian, a friend and protector of our people, and every year he rises from the sea to pay us a visit. To show him our thanks, we prepare a feast to celebrate him."

Delighted with the tale, Pink had decided to humor the human and participate in the event. Pearl, of course, had simply followed her wishes. Despite this, however, she couldn't help but feel some doubt about the whole thing.

"My Rose, I am not sure this is... appropriate," Pearl said as she finally spoke up, finally alone now that the native humans were busy preparing for their 'ritual'.

Rose waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry Pearl. I mean, what's the harm?" She smiled as she toyed with the flower crown that one of the younger humans had given her. "Unless you're afraid of this 'Mountain of the Sea', of course?"

At this, Pearl couldn't help but click her tongue, something that was very unbecoming of someone of her rank. "No offense, my Rose, but I highly doubt there'll be anything worth seeing. I mean, a mountain, rising from the sea? The previous surveys of the planet revealed nothing of the sort. It's most likely just primitive superstition."

Simply humming in response, Rose gazed at the altar where the humans were now placing their offerings. It was an impressive piece of art, even when considering the human's lack of advanced tools. Reaching her height if she were her Diamond self, it depicted a hulking figure with reptilian features. It vaguely reminded her of a creature she had once spotted on one of Yellow's colonies, except with a less pointy snout.

"You're probably right," Rose finally admitted, "but it's still exciting, no? There are no celebrations like this on Homeworld. I've never seen anything like it before."

Pearl pursed her lips, not entirely pleased. "Well, it's certainly... different. At least the view is nice."

She was right. The altar where the ritual was held was placed at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, a short walking distance away from the village. The water was crystal blue and the slowly setting sun painted the sky in a myriad of shades of pink, orange, yellow, purple and red.

Looking at it like this, Pearl supposed she could see why Pink Diamond adored the planet so. It certainly was beautiful.

"What's that?"

Pearls eyes followed the line of Rose's pointing finger and frowned. There, in the horizon, an isle.

"That's odd, I don't remember there being an island there befo-" Pearl cut herself off, her eyes going wide as she realized that whatever she had assumed to be an isle, not only was getting bigger, but also closer.

The village chief raised his arms and smiled. "My friends! The Mountain of the Sea is here! Let's welcome him together!"

In unison, the humans started waving and shouting hello as the shape got closer and closer and closer...

Pearl grasped Rose's arm and started tugging on it. When Rose didn't move, she put her whole weight behind it. Normally, she would have never done something so disrespectful but this was not a normal situation. Yet despite putting all her strength in it, she still couldn't move Rose, who instead stood firmly rooted in place.

"My Diamond-! Rose! We, we need to leave!" Pearl pleaded as she stared in horror as the shape got close enough that she could see that it was part of something even bigger. "Please, let's le-" Finally looking away from the shape, Pearl gazed upon the face of her Diamond, and instead of seeing her own fear mirrored in her expression, she saw delight. Like this was all a big spectacle for her amusement.

"The Mountain of the Sea," Rose whispered in awe.

The world turned dark, as the sun was blot out by the biggest creature Pearl had ever seen.

Pearl used to think that as someone that served a Diamond, she was used to feeling small. But this, this thing was totally different from what she had grown used to. To call it massive would be an understatement. This thing was gigantic. Gargantuan. Colossal. It towered over the cliff, peered down on them like they were pebbles.

The still coherent part of her mind thought that the name 'Mountain of the Sea' was pretty accurate after all.

[labmem002]

how my day went: I woke up at 8 am, watched Undrafted (I don't even like baseball), washed my hair, had a coffee, saw my dog sleeping on the bed and decided to join him, had a dream in which I was a cis guy on a date with a girl all while Godzilla is terrorizing our seaside town, woke up hungry at 4:00 pm

[seaside-godzilla]

More Character sheets for the Kaijus that will appear in the story!

Mothra.

The Shobijin.

Rodan.

Anguirus.

And Jet Jaguar!

[yessadirichards]

KondZilla, the entrepreneur of Brazilian favela funk

RIO DE JANEIRO

They say everything he touches turns to gold: KondZilla, the man behind the most popular YouTube channel in Latin America, has revolutionized Brazilian funk music, taking favela beats to a massive online audience.

The 34-year-old entrepreneur, who grew up in the slums himself, launched his "KondZilla Channel" in 2012. At the time, the music industry had barely taken notice of Brazilian funk, a Rio de Janeiro-born hip-hop style known as the fuel for all-night-and-into-the-next-day parties in the favelas.

Today, KondZilla -- whose real name is Konrad Dantas -- has more than 66.5 million subscribers on YouTube, and favela funk is mainstream music in Brazil.

"The big multinational record labels were ignoring that segment of the market," Dantas told AFP in an interview.

"The only way to get this content out there was YouTube," he said after giving a talk this week at the Rio edition of Web Summit, the world's biggest annual technology conference.

Dantas grew up in a favela in Guaruja, a seaside city in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo.

He got his start directing music videos for "ostentation funk" artists, a sex-and-bling-heavy subgenre that emerged in Sao Paulo in the 2000s.

"I like telling stories and connecting with young people from the hood," he says.

His audience soon exploded.

His 2015 video "Baile de Favela," for funk artist MC Joao, racked up more than 100 million views.

It hit the height of mainstream success when Olympic medallist Rebeca Andrade, Brazil's most famous gymnast, used it in the soundtrack for her floor routine at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Forbes Brasil named KondZilla to its list of the country's most influential people under 30 in 2017.

Today, he runs a business empire that includes a record label, TV and film production company, music news site, and an institute to train talented young artists.

His TV series "Sintonia" is the most widely watched Brazilian show on Netflix, and his most-watched music videos each have more than a billion views.

Despite his stage name -- a reference to movie monster Godzilla -- Dantas is a small, laid-back man with a gleaming smile.

At the Web Summit conference, he patiently signed autographs, posed for pictures and took time to speak with fans seeking his advice.

He says one of the keys to his success has been the democratization of technology, which has allowed people in Brazil's impoverished favelas to consume and produce whatever content they want on their cell phones.

"When we have the chance to choose what we consume, we don't pick the story of the firefighter in New York. We pick stories that look like ours, that we can identify with," he said.

Dantas is known for his savvy at reading the market, and adapting as it changes.

"One minute, you're on top. The next, you fall. Everything changes fast, and you have to adapt," he said.

One of his key transitions was launching "light" versions of songs, replacing the "indecent" language that permeates the genre with safe-for-work lyrics, he said.

He credits that with expanding his subscriber numbers from six million in 2016 to 22 million in 2017.

Dantas says he was always interested in music and visual media.

He got his professional start at 18, after his mother died. He received some money from her pension and life-insurance policy, which he thought about using to buy an apartment and get out of the favela, he said.

Instead, he took a risk: he used the money to pay for production equipment and professional training.

He turned out to have a flair for directing irresistible, visually seductive music videos -- and discovering new talent.

To help promote the next generation of "KondZillas," Dantas launched a "Creators School" last year to train video and music artists from his hometown favelas.

But in business terms, he sees people over 50 as his next growth market, he said -- an unusual statement at a tech conference, especially from someone in an industry obsessed with youth, TikTok and trends.

"They say the first generation that will live past 100 has already been born," Dantas said in his talk. "I'm aiming at them."

[seaside-sushi]

hey look i can art

[tunedside]

Ambition. Goals. Results. The road to power is long and hard, but worthy. @aimgain_international • We're always looking for the best stories out there, so tag @tunedside and use #tunedside to become part of our ever-growing car culture portal. For automotive media collaborations, please send us an email at contact@tunedside.com • #tuning #tuned #modified #nissan #gtr #nissangtr #magenta #beach #sunshine #jdm #godzilla #passion #racing #supercar #seaside #drive #fun #aimgain #feature #photography #scenery #waves #love #sunday #weekend #car #colorful #japan https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfF17_pK-l/?igshid=6kpmpgvxpds6

[outer-andromeda]

"Lawrence"

Masterpost

"After a grave error in Beetlejuice’s evil plan turns him and his two ghostly friends into humans, he must learn to live for the very first time. Which proves difficult…. Very difficult.

Now instead of battling literal demons, he’s battling metaphorical ones. Which, as he discovers, is in many ways worse."

Written by @maddcelestial , illustratred by @outer-andromeda (me).

NEXT UPDATE : ...

—————

CHAPTER 1 : New Arrivals

Archive Of Our Own, Wattpad

CHAPTER 2 : Highway

Archive Of Our Own, Wattpad

CHAPTER 3 : Sol (AO3)

CHAPTER 4 : "Concrete Jungle Where" (AO3)

CHAPTER 5 : Choke (AO3)

CHAPTER 6 : Alleyway (AO3)

CHAPTER 7 : Body (AO3)

CHAPTER 8 : Cash Grab (AO3)

CHAPTER 9 : Stripes (AO3)

CHAPTER 10 : Dancing (AO3)

CHAPTER 11 : "Cloud of Smoke" (AO3)

CHAPTER 12 : Solution (AO3)

CHAPTER 13 : Burnout (AO3)

CHAPTER 14 : Lust (AO3)

CHAPTER 15 : "Is, Isn't, Was, Have, Hasn't, Has" (AO3)

CHAPTER 16 : Marley (AO3)

CHAPTER 17 : Through The Fog (AO3)

CHAPTER 18 : Merry Christmas (AO3)

CHAPTER 19 : "Hand Me My Shovel"/"When Somebody Needs You" (AO3)

CHAPTER 20 : Lawrence (AO3)

CHAPTER 21 : Julien (AO3)

CHAPTER 22 : Garbage Man (AO3)

CHAPTER 23 : Godzilla (AO3)

CHAPTER 24 : Tests (AO3)

CHAPTER 25 : Positive (AO3)

CHAPTER 26 : Call Me. (AO3)

CHAPTER 27 : Listen (AO3)

CHAPTER 28 : Shut-In (AO3)

CHAPTER 29 : Out (AO3)

CHAPTER 30 : Fucking Something... (AO3)

CHAPTER 31 : Meeting (AO3)

CHAPTER 32 : Fresh Meat (AO3)

CHAPTER 33 : Matinee (AO3)

CHAPTER 34 : An Excerpt From A Local Theatre Article (AO3)

CHAPTER 35 : Seaside Rendezvous (AO3)

CHAPTER 36 : Angeline (AO3)

CHAPTER 37 : Date (AO3)

CHAPTER 38 : ... Date (AO3)

CHAPTER 39 : I'm Sorry (AO3)

CHAPTER 40 : Soon...

——————

——————

Please check it out, leave kudos and comments, and share if you enjoyed the story. Any support is greatly appreciated as writing this takes a lot of time and work (on behalf of Mads) and it encourages us to keep going so you guys can enjoy this silly story we've been cooking up and loving for the past few years. 💚🖤💚🖤💚

EDIT : If you've got any questions you'd like to ask regarding the story, feel free to send it to @lawrencethestorything ! Most things Lawrence-related will now be posted and reblogged over there!

(Credit to my partner @maddcelestial herself for the artwork on this post heheheh)

[cherry-valentine]

Spring 2021 Anime Season

Mars Red is one of two series this season set in one of my favorite periods, the Meiji era. It’s a vampire series that deals a lot with the politics of war as the Japanese military is attempting to establish a vampire unit, supposedly to compete with the British vampire unit (because of course that’s a thing). It focuses on a human military officer named Maeda who is charged with recruiting and managing vampires. Maeda is the type of character I really enjoy. Handsome, a little older than most anime protagonists, chain-smoking, overly serious, and voiced by Junichi Suwabe (who has to have the sexiest voice in all of anime). The series has a classic, romantic feel to it. Its take on vampires is somewhat traditional (they evaporate in the sun, drink blood, sleep in coffins, have super strength and speed, etc.). If it brings anything new to the table, it’s the concept of vampires having different ranks, from S-class down, and how lower ranks naturally fear higher ranks. Still yet, the classic vibe works in the show’s favor. Combined with the historical setting, it gives the show a certain charm. The art is lovely, from the backgrounds to the character designs, and the music is a high point. It easily has the best ending theme of the season.

Fumetsu no Anata e (To Your Eternity) is a unique series. I’ve seen a lot of people comparing it to Mushishi, but with an overarching plot, and that assessment is pretty accurate. The show follows an entity that comes to be known as Fushi. It begins as an orb, and as it makes contact with other objects and creatures, it learns from them and can possibly take their forms. Among the forms it most often takes are a white wolf and a young man. Originally, it’s a somewhat empty shell, incapable of communicating, but as it meets different creatures and learns, it develops a personality and begins to speak. The series is, overall, about Fushi’s journey through this world and all the experiences it gains, both wonderful and tragic. There’s a subtle beauty to the series, with an early focus on nature, but it also has scenes of trauma and violence. The animation is fluid and the facial expressions are amazing. There’s an overall natural feel to it that, like others have pointed out, reminds me of Mushishi (though it’s definitely faster paced than Mushishi). The show also likes to make you cry, so keep that in mind.

Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood is the other series set in the Meiji era this season, albeit an alternate version of it that has a strange form of technology. To be honest, I’m a little fuzzy on some of the details, but it seems to be about a group called the Nue who work for the government to fight against a growing rebellion. The main character is Sawa, a member of Nue who has some sort of special powers involving her blood, which allow her to transform and battle monsters, or whatever else stands in her way. Her goal is to get revenge for the death of her entire clan (implied to be wiped out because of their power). Sawa is a decent heroine, a woman who craves vengeance and is determined to get it through any means, but is, at her core, a compassionate person who would rather live in peace. It’s this internal conflict that makes Sawa compelling (even if it’s not entirely original). The other characters are interesting, particularly Tsuki, whom I won’t talk much about because it would involve spoilers. The plot and details can get a little convoluted, but the action and animation are solid. When Sawa transforms, the art style changes, and it’s a really cool visual effect. The music is also nice.

Shaman King received a remake this season. I was a huge fan of the original, and so far I’m enjoying the remake, but to be honest, I’m having trouble seeing the point. The art is almost the same (just a lot shinier), the voice actors are the same, the plot is the same. Maybe it’s just that it’s been so long since I saw the original, I’m unable to remember the details and so I can’t tell what’s different. But to me it feels like I’m just rewatching the show. Which is fine, because I loved it to begin with. Maybe it gets different later on. Maybe it more closely follows the manga. I’ll keep watching to find out. For anyone new to the series, it looks like the remake is a solid place to start if you want to get into it. I won’t go into plot details for a story this old, so I’ll just say it’s a top tier shounen fighting series with a unique art style and some very memorable characters. If you like that sort of thing, and missed the original (or you just want a refresher), definitely check it out!

Godzilla Singular Point is a true delight. I’m a huge Godzilla (and kaiju in general) fan. I’ve watched every single Godzilla movie, as well as all the related movies (the Mothra films, Rodan, etc.), but I never watched the previous Godzilla anime that was on Netflix a few years ago. It just didn’t sound like something I’d like. Singular Point, however, is right up my alley. Set mainly in a small seaside town that’s suddenly attacked by bird-like monsters known as Rodans, we have two geeky protagonists using their intelligence to figure out what’s going on while more and more monsters appear. Mei and Yun are excellent heroes. They rely on their wits rather than physical strength, which is a refreshing approach. It’s also interesting that they have little to no face-to-face interaction. Instead, they chat with each other via text as they work separately. They often challenge each other with science questions. It’s adorable. The show’s overall feel is fairly upbeat and energetic. The colorful art and peppy character designs by Kazue Kato (who did Blue Exorcist) help with this feel. It should be noted that Godzilla himself doesn’t fully appear until halfway through the series. It says a lot about the quality of the show that I don’t actually mind that at all. Some of the science stuff does go over my head, but the general plot is easy enough to follow and the action is very well done. It also has fantastic music, with my favorite opening theme of the season. Even if Godzilla isn’t your thing, consider giving this series a shot if you like nerdy science types as heroes.

Burning Kabaddi is a sports anime about an unsual sport. I’d never heard of it before now, and if people in the comments were not talking about the very real sport, I would have assumed it was made up for the anime. The show is aware that the sport is obscure, so it takes great pains to explain the rules and details so that we can all follow the action. The story centers on Yoigoshi, a soccer prodigy who decides to drop all sports once he gets to high school due to all the drama and angst that surrounded him (mostly due to his teammates being jealous of his talent), and pursue a career as a streamer. All the various sports clubs at the school want to recruit him (especially the soccer club, of course) because they’ve heard of his skill and he has an athletic build. He rejects them all, but the Kabaddi club is strangely relentless. He ends up being manipulated into joining (the vice captain of the team straight up blackmails him by threatening to show his online streaming account to the whole school). Despite this rocky beginning, Yoigoshi actually starts to enjoy playing Kabaddi, and more importantly, begins to bond with his new teammates. It’s pretty fun stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The art is serviceable for a sports anime and the music is fine. The series isn’t going to blow your mind, but it’s a fun way to spend twenty minutes every week. Worth a watch if you have a weakness for hot blooded sports anime.

The World Ends With You finally got its anime adaptation and I was so excited. The game is one of my all-time favorites. So far the anime is pretty good. The art is a near perfect replication of the bold, thick-lined art of the game. The battles are exciting and cool. Best of all, the anime often uses music from the game. This is important because the game has one of the best soundtracks, ever. Every time I recognize a song from the game, I almost squeal. If I had a complaint, it’s that the pacing feels a little off at times. It feels like the anime is rushing through the story, but that’s understandable. In the game, it took longer for everything to happen because you were walking from place to place, fighting battles along the way, stopping to scan NPC’s, shopping at stores, spending time in menus, etc. The anime has to cut most of that out, so naturally things are going to move faster. The result is that you don’t get to spend as much time with these characters, and so you feel less attached to them. Anyone watching the anime who didn’t play the game might feel like the emotional beats are lacking. I feel like this anime is definitely meant to be enjoyed by fans of the game, rather than newcomers to the story. But if you are a fan of the game? You should be watching this every week. It’s an excellent refresher on the story, just in time for the second game to come out this summer. Super high on my watch list.

Boku no Hero Academia has a new season. To be honest I don’t remember what number we’re on. This season, so far, focuses on a tournament-style competition between the two main hero classes. I would much prefer the plot to move on to something more exciting involving the villains, but I suppose they have to throw arcs like this in every so often just to remind everyone of which characters have which quirks. The plus point is that instead of being an individual competition, it’s team-based. What this ultimately means is that characters that are viewed as weaker or having more obscure quirks actually get a chance to shine. These are characters who definitely aren’t going to win one-on-one battles. In an individual tournament, it’s pretty much a given that characters like Deku, Bakugou, and Todoroki are going to win most of the matches. But in a team, everyone has to work together. The end result is that the lady characters, all of whom have fairly weak or situational quirks, finally FINALLY get to actually do stuff! Even better, in several of the match-ups, the girls have taken the lead in planning and strategizing. It’s been pretty nice to watch. The girls from the other class have been very proactive as well. I really wish the girls could do more in “real” battles with villains, since it’s clear that they can step up when they need to. Who knows? Maybe this is a sign of good things to come.

86 is a new mecha/sci-fi anime based on a series of light novels. The setup is fairly cool: In a country where everyone has silver hair and eyes, the people live in what looks like a utopia. There is a war going on outside their protected land but all combat is performed by automated robots, so there are no human casualties... or so the government would have the people believe. In reality, there is a district that exists on the outskirts of the country called 86, where people who don’t have silver hair and eyes are sent to pilot the robots and fight to protect the country that shunned them. Most of the pilots are children or teenagers. The mortality rate is high. Only a few people in the government know of their existence, mostly military types that include “handlers”. These handlers each take on an 86 unit and communicate with them through a system called “para-raid”. Using this, they monitor the battlefield from their safe positions and issue commands. Naturally, most handlers view their units as nothing more than tools in the war, and most 86-ers view their handlers as privileged snobs who know nothing of actual battle. The real plot kicks in when Lena, a young Major, becomes the new handler for a particular 86 unit. Lena is sympathetic to the people of 86, but it’s going to be hard getting her notoriously rough unit to accept her. The plot is a bit complicated and the show deals with some weighty themes (racism, privilege, war, child soldiers, death). Lena is a likable enough heroine and the members of 86 are all interesting and fairly well written. The music is fine. The art... well, it’s pretty to look at, but it feels a bit generic to me. A bit too shiny. The mecha designs are great, but I’m not crazy about the character designs, which feel like they could be from any other modern anime. I also find it sad but hilarious at the same time that the women’s military uniforms are clearly designed for fanservice (they include mini skirts, thigh-highs with garters, and a short jacket that opens up just above the chest to show the tight shirt underneath) while the men’s uniforms are just totally normal military wear. To be honest it’s just too stupid to actually be offensive, so it comes across as comical. Thankfully, the interesting setup and plot carry the show, making it good enough to overlook the generic visuals.

Moriarty the Patriot has a new season... maybe? I think it’s technically still season one, but with a split cour. Regardless, it feels like a new season so I’m treating it as such. The series focuses on famous Sherlock antagonist Moriarty, here represented as a trio of handsome brothers (though one of them is clearly the protagonist and the leader of the group) who work as “crime consultants” and basically help the lower classes wage class warfare against the nobility. This season shifts the focus away from the individual crimes Moriarty concocts and instead focuses on larger-scale conflicts that involve government conspiracies, corrupt cops, etc. We’re also treated to a lady James Bond (finally!), fixing one of the very few complaints I had about the first cour (that it lacked strong lady characters). The show remains very compelling, with beautiful art and excellent new opening and ending themes.

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Godzilla Singular Point

Best Opening Theme: Godzilla Singular Point

Best Ending Theme: Mars Red

Best New Male Character: Maeda (Mars Red)

Best New Female Character: Sawa (Joran)

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Yamata-No-Orochi: (Part 4) Erii

ITT: The Mic Drop Heard Round the World.

The sun woke you. Bright light shone through the windows, forming a halo around the curtains and projecting the shape of raindrops from the window onto the carpet. Mingfei had left shortly before you fell asleep of exhaustion and grief. 

You’d fought hard and rebelled against the world, but this last rebellion had taken you too far. Z raised, saved, and safeguarded you. But you refused to play his love game, and that was all it took to discard you. Caesar had been at your side, encouraging you to live all this time. But now that the clouds had gathered, and the darkness of the world surrounded you, he realized that, like Chance, life was not in the cards for you. And Chu Zihang? Well, he always was a sword at your throat.

Once again the world was laughing, mocking you with its silent game of keep away. Love? Syke! Happiness? Syke! Companionship? Syke!

You hated this world. Mingfei went to Erii’s room with the Desert Eagle. What was stopping you from planting your mind in the ground and tilting Tokyo into a rift in the Earth, like it was the undersea Takamagahara? To watch its towers topple, and its buildings burn would be a fitting end to a Godzilla movie.

The hotel phone rang, insanely loud. You reached over and picked it up. “Pizza Hut,” you mumble.

Lu Mingfei stammered for a moment. Then he laughed. “Hey. You, me, Erii road trip. Right now. I left some clothes for you.”

His voice over the phone, it sounded like Z’s. You are silent, mind completely inert, spirit aching. “Sure whatever.” You hang up.

You shower and pull a comb through your hair three times, leaving it to fall over your shoulders. You don't bother with jewelry or make up. He left you a pair of skin tight jeans and a shirt that said Wild Thing across the front. White ankle socks and blue low rise canvas sneakers go over your feet.

The phone rings again. Mingfei sounded breathless. “Come now! We have to go!”

You hang up the phone and dash outside. Mingfei is waiting for you in a cherry red porsche. Erii waves with bright enthusiasm from the passenger side as he gets out and folds the seat down so you can get in the back. “Erii this is my friend, MC, She’s sick like you.”

You startle. Mingfei just went out and said it. You hold out your hand and she takes it, examining your fingers with her dark red eyes. You were lighter skinned, but this girl was near transparent. She scribbled on a notepad. “Nice to meet you. You are very pretty.”

“Guys buckle up!”

Your seatbelt had just clicked when Mingfei down shifted and floored it. The engine let out a mighty growl and the car took off like a rocket down the street. But Mingfei was relaxed, with an impish, ‘catch me if you can’ sort of look. Something in your chest stirred awake.

Erii held up her notebook. “Sakura is the best, right?”

Her smile was so sly, not something you expected to see. “Oh yeah, he's awesome!”

Her nod was sassy, like, Damn Straight.

You look at him again. He was smiling like he was angry. He was acting recklessly. The buildings were a blur outside the windows. The car rumbled like a beast underneath you as the accelerator didn't let up. You weave through traffic like lightning and soon the police are tailing you with flashing lights.

If you thought you were going fast before you were mistaken. The car dug deeper, and it felt like you floated over the road. The police car faded into the distance, unable to keep up.

He pulls into a service station and pays the attendant way too much cash. “Where are we going?” You ask.

“It's a surprise!”

“Does MC like gum?” Erii held out a piece and you helped yourself. 

You lean forward. Erii was covered head to toe in clothing, despite the good weather. 

“MC said that Erii is not stupid, that Erii is smart. MC was right, you knew a lot about yourself. But MC was sad so I wanted to take her too.” Lu Mingfei was saying. “Because she cares for Erii and understands her.”

Erii looks at you for a moment. Then she wrote in her notepad, “Cheer up. Sakura is very lucky. Thank you for caring about me.”

Her expression was so earnest and happy. Did she really understand herself? You hold out your hands for the notebook and pen. You write, “I'm too sick so my friends are scared of me.”

She takes one look at the notepad and her eyes widen. She snatches it back and writes, “Erii is not scared, Erii will be your friend.”

“Please be my friend.” You say softly.

Erii reaches out and seizes your arm. Her face is serious and she nods. When you stop at the supermarket, she drags you along, purchasing snacks and a gigantic stuffed teddy bear. Erii was not interested in herself. She wanted to cheer you up! She understood beyond words the lifelong loneliness, the constant rejection, and growing up in a world that feared you. She forcefully shoves the teddy bear into your hands. And pulls you along. It's so big you can't see around it.

Her image blurs with that of Renata. If Renata had a chance to grow up, she would be this bold.

The bear is so tall it folds against the low ceiling of the porsche. You squeeze in next to it.

“MC is from Siberia. Where she is from, the sun doesn't set in Summer. And in Winter, it doesn't rise and lights dance in the sky.” Mingfei says as you take off again.

Erii swivels in a full body, “What?!” expression and you laugh. “It is true. It's exactly like that.”

“That is AWESOME!” She turns the notepad to you and then writes, “I want to visit your home!”

You recall your promise to Caesar to go dog sledding and feel a pang of regret. But your mind has already replaced Caesar on the dogsled and put Erii there. “Let’s go dogsledding!”

She looks confused.

“Here give me your notebook.” You draw a sketch of a dog sled pulled by a team of panting dogs.

If Erii’s eyes got any bigger they would fill her face. She wrote, “IS THERE SANTA IS HE THERE”

“I… no Santas not there, but we can pretend to be Santa.”

“MC is awesome!”

Before dusk, Lu Mingfei and you two ladies arrived in the town at the southwest end of Shikoku, which is more than four hundred kilometers from Tokyo. The Porsche sports car ran for a full four hours. The whole time Erii peppered you with questions about life in Siberia while Mingfei drove. She had the impression of a magical frostland full of sky and sea. Her sparkling impression was free of brutal reality. For four hours you spoke only of the beauty and wonder of the north. Erii’s notebook is filled with sketches of white quail, snow geese, cute arctic foxes, bears, seals, and whales.

    The open-air parking lot was empty. Lu Mingfei found a parking space to park the car, and opened the door to hear the tide. You could not see the sea. A large hill stood between you and the ocean. The waves sounded like reverberating between the sky and the earth.

    "The sea?" Erii wrote to Lu Mingfei, with excitement in her eyes.

Lu Mingfei nodded his head as an answer. 

Ah the ocean… maybe four hours ago you might have been upset to meet up with the water. Now you just laugh.

Erii looks at you curiously.

“Did you know I got to ride dolphins?”

Erii practically staggers. 

“If you're lost in the ocean, sometimes dolphins will rescue you.” You hook her arm in yours. “They're big and strong and won't let you drown.”

“MC knows so much.”

“Erii knows a lot about Erii’s world. I know a lot about mine.”

Erii nods and smiles.

Lu Mingfei pulled out the compass, opened the long-prepared map, and took you to the town not far away. The sign in front of the town reads Umezuji-cho. At this time of the year, the streets of Tokyo must be bustling with people, but in this small seaside town, there are no people on the streets, only a group of elementary school students in school uniforms passing by.

Mingfei seemed to be in a rush, but Erii dallied with you, asking questions and marveling at the tofu shop, or the batik store. More than once, Mingfei had to come back and usher you forward. He clearly had some sort of plan in mind.

You find out that he hurried was so you could catch the last mountain tram, which was built next to the town's shrine and had a 45-degree angle track that made a staccato sound as you climbed.

    On both sides of the track there are dense trees. These trees cover the track like thick clouds, and it is as if you are walking through a tunnel of ever-changing colors, a tunnel made purely of foliage and flowers.

Both you and Erii are stunned with wonder. You did not have such dense forests like this growing up. The air is full of birdsong and frogs and early season cicadas. You feel someone take your hand. Erii points to your face. A bright tear shone there like a pearl. You didn't know you had shed it.

  "Sakura is not Japanese, right? How do you know such a beautiful place?" Erii wrote in her little notebook.

    "I saw a drama made in Japan. This is a very famous scene from that drama. I saw that drama a long time ago."

    "What was the name of that TV series?"

    "Tokyo Love Story." Lu Mingfei wrote one stroke at a time.

 "I liked that Japanese drama so much that I searched the Internet for all kinds of information about Ehime Prefecture, and finally learned that the ending scene was filmed in Umezuji Town, and that the school and the separate stations in the drama were real. I had always dreamed of traveling to Umetsuji-cho and had done a lot of homework.”

You and Mingfei did not really know each other. You did not think he was this level of a romantic so you didn’t understand why Caesar would want to pair you two. Now it made a lot more sense.

Lu Mingfei took out a handkerchief and blindfolded Erii: "You will see a beautiful view when you untie the handkerchief later."

When he handed one to you, your jaw drops. “I can’t believe you.”

He doesn’t say anything, just ties your eyes. You feel his hand close around yours. You can’t see Erii’s expression. “Erii, I’m so excited. This is fantastic!”

You’re smiling, you can’t stop. The memories of the events of the days before roared like angry hordes of monsters in your mind, but Mingfei and Erii have shut the gates on them. His warm hand in yours, the rhythm of the sun's rays between the trees, the crunch of your footfalls on the trail, the constant sound of birds. It was all so soothing.

 You walk the decades old mountain mining path, a road with uneven stone patchwork. At the end of the road is a long closed mine. In order to commemorate the mine that raised the town, the residents of Umezuji Town donated money to build a wooden temple-style building over the entrance and exit of the mine. Each rafter is hung with carp flags for prayers, and various porcelain dolls are placed under the eaves. This is a local custom. If the town's family gave birth to a boy, they would come here to hang a carp flag, and if it is a girl will put a porcelain doll.

 “It's exactly the same as the Internet says." Lu Mingfei said.

The tracks of the mine car had long been rusted, and weeds grew among the sleepers. You followed the track to the edge of the cliff, and Lu Mingfei helped you to climb a rock that protruded from the cliff.

He pressed his hands on you and Erii’s shoulders and said, "Now you can take off the blindfold."

You untied your handkerchief. 

The sunset blooms full in your vision. The huge sun disc had touched the sea. Ten of millions of tons of seawater slowly swirled beneath your feet. The tide broke into white splashes under the black cliffs. The wind blew endless hectares of forest. The evening woods also look like the sea from a distance, a pale red sea, with thousands of treetops swaying with the wind, forming cascading waves. 

Small towns are distributed along the winding coastline, Lu Mingfei names of them one by one -- below the cliff is the town of Umezuji, a little farther away is the town of Yamamae, Tsukishita Castle Town and Matsuron Town, and further is beyond his knowledge.

    The town's small school was already empty, and the silent playground was empty.

    The Ferris wheel spins slowly but does not carry passengers. The Ferris wheel in Umezuji Town is only a miniature version, but it is magnified in the sunset, its huge shadow cast on the undulating sea of trees.

    On the track facing the sea, the yellow slow train rumbled through the small unoccupied station, which was enclosed by white railings with the signs "Umetsuji X" and "Tokyo X”. You wonder how long it had to wait for a nostalgic and romantic fan like Lu Mingfei. Music starts playing and you can't help but laugh in disbelief.

    Lu Mingfei had pressed play on the theme song of Tokyo Love Story. His phone was the latest and the speaker was good. You couldn't believe it. This nerdy little parrot boy and scared raccoon had somehow managed to comfort you completely. Outside the shadows of Caesar and Chu Zihang, he shined bright. Maybe being on a boat with him would be fun.

Erii held up her notebook. “The world is gentle.”

You look at her, expressionless. She was right. The world in its natural state was quiet and peaceful. You’d fallen asleep in violence and awakened in violence and pain. You didn't get to experience the romantic world like this very much. In your mind, you imagine Renata in her patchwork coat, sitting next to you. In your ears, she whispers. 

You open your mouth, “Make a wish!”

Mingfei turns to you in surprise but Erii follows along, pressing her palms together. You pray.

Renata. I am coming soon. Sorry it took so long.

You sat under the roof of the mine. Erii kept writing questions. Lu Mingfei answered one by one. This girl seems to have saved up a belly of questions, and now they all came out. Mostly they referenced Anime and Manga you have never heard of. That was Erii’s world, a world of cartoon fantasy. He confirmed or denied that reality, shaping and creating the world anew as you watched her listen intently. Lu Mingfei had taken to heart your words and was upfront and simple, not lying or trying to say things she wanted to hear. You nod in approval, your eyes serious. 

The sun gradually sank below the surface of the sea, the last afterglow scattered on the water. Half of the sun and its reflection form a complete circle.

   "So this is what the outside world looks like." Erii wrote to Lu Mingfei to see.

    "Yeah, that's what it's like, no Britannia Kingdom and no Celestial Organization… disappointed?" Lu Mingfei asked.

    "No, not disappointed, like this kind of world, this kind of world is very gentle." Erii used the word gentle once again. You repeated the word in your mind. Gentle. It echoes there. As if without the constant threat of death and adrenaline, there was just empty space.

   "I really like this world." As the sun is about to disappear, Erii wrote to Lu Mingfei. "But the world doesn't like me." Erii went on to write.

You stand up and move to the other side of her. You scoot as close as you can and rest your head on her shoulder. She hugged the huge bear and lowered her eyes like a cat that had done something wrong.

 "I'll be a problem for everyone and I've been a problem for Sakura." Erii wrote again.

  "I was too willful. So I ran away from home."

  "I should have gone back a long time ago but it's still a pleasure."

   "It's beautiful here, I should have known I should have come here on the first day. Thank you Sakura, MC, thank you.”

You lower your hand over hers as she’s writing.

"No."

Erii froze for a moment.

 "No." Lu Mingfei repeated.

Lu Mingfei cocked his head to look at her with a rare serious look: "Don't think you can know what the world is like by coming out to see it. I'm still confused after living in this world for more than twenty years. You've only run out for a few days and you think you understand?"

His eyes look at you too and you’re just as shaken as Erii. But he is right! You never set foot outside the Port of Black Swan and that was 20 years ago. You saw the whole world through that tiny lens and haughtily walked around like you owned the place. You judged others through that same view as well.

  "How big the world is depends on how many people you know, and for every person you know, the world gets a little bigger for you. There are many cities in this world. There are Tokyo, Paris, Cairo, London, Istanbul... but many of them are just names to you, you haven't been there and there are no people there you want to visit, so they don't really belong to your world. There are many, many more people in this world, but you don't know them, and they don't belong in your world. There are also lots of good food and fun and nice things in this world, but the world that really belongs to you is actually very small, just the places you've been and eaten and seen the sunset and the friends who will care if you live or die."

 "Whether the world likes you or not only depends on whether your friends like you or not. Everyone has a few really good friends. They like you, therefore, the world likes you."

The world… was not Tokyo, or Cassell or Hydra… The world was Renata, Caesar, Chu Zihang, Lu Mingfei, and now Erii. You turn your head back to Tokyo, unseen in the distance. How could you leave…?

“What is a good friend?" Erii wrote in her little notebook.

    "It's the kind of friend that's so crazy about that he'll believe in you no matter what, and he'll be with you no matter what.” Lu Mingfei growled low. "If the world really doesn't like you, then the world is my enemy."

    The moment these cold and arrogant words came out of his mouth, you seemed to hear a familiar cold laugh coming from behind you. The demon of the sad world sneering with all its mockery.

Together, you and Mingfei both jerked back, but behind you were only cherry blossoms mixed with fallen leaves swirling in a breeze, and there was no sign of Z. Lu Mingfei stared at you with wide eyes and you stared right back. His mouth opened. “MC. You… heard…?”

    "Wanted: a good friend." 

He turned back to Erii waiting for him with a small book up. 

    "I am your good friend, and you will have more good friends in the future." You say.

    "But as long as we are your good friends, how can we not like you?" He said softly.

She slowly crawled towards Lu Mingfei like a kitten, vigilantly figuring out his look. Lu Mingfei looks petrified and you cover your mouth with one hand while silently cheering, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

What did he expect? Even your heart was moving and you don’t even like him! Lu Mingfei is sitting here putting Kazama level moves on this girl and now that her arms are around him and her head is on his chest, he looks two seconds away from shitting himself. You ball your fist against your lips and swallow your laughter.

Clouds gathered in the distance and the sun had set, It was time to go. You would have to get up bright and early tomorrow to get on the boat to China. Your heart was relaxed again about Caesar’s decision. After all, he was just doing his best. If you died, you would go to rest. Caesar would be tormented for the rest of his days. He wasn't sending you on the boat to die. He wanted you to live. You still believed the omniscient Z. Leaving Tokyo was a death sentence. But you also believed Caesar had his own parallel script.

It was raining by the time the train came. You stand shoulder to shoulder on the platform. “Call me to wake me up tomorrow.” You say.

 Mingfei lowers his head and laughs.

“Oh you’re planning to oversleep? Once again I have to be the mature one.” You roll your eyes. 

The train splashes up to the platform and you make sure Erii has her ticket. She sits next to the window and stares outside. Much to your surprise, Mingfei sits you next to her. He gives you a fond smile and passes you a note.

  "Dear passengers, this train terminates in Matsuyama City. We are now about to leave Umezuji-cho station. The train is about to close......" A sweet female voice echoed in the carriage. 

The doors of the train close.

You open the note in your hand. The words make you squint.

You have to live.

You and Erii gasp at the same time. Mingfei is not on the train. The doors have closed. And he is not on the train!

You leap from your seat and pound on the glass door in front of the smiling Mingfei. “Where am I supposed to go?” You will miss the boat. You won’t go to China.

Your hands slowly slide from the glass. Erii is pressing her notebook urgently against it.

Lu Mingfei tapped on the window, "Someone will pick Erii up when you get to Matsuyama City. MC, find Ruri Kazama.”

    "Won't Sakura take me back to Tokyo?" Eriki took the small book and showed it to Lu Mingfei.

    "Your family won't like me." Lu Mingfei said.

    Erii hugged the furry teddy bear and lowered her head, her long hair like a colored cloak that enveloped both her and the bear.

    "Sayonara"  said Lu Mingfei.

    Erii nodded, finally realizing that this was their parting. The train ride to Tokyo will take several hours, but Lu Mingfei will not accompany her.

    Lu Mingfei's face was stern and he didn't say anything more. There was nothing more to say. This was the parting, his carefully designed parting. He NEVER agreed to the boat. He NEVER agreed to kill you. He had carefully pulled the wool over Caesar’s eyes and convinced you that he was going to dump you on the boat. You grinned and shook your head. But the train began to move before you could even think of a comeback.