#shinichi and his selective memory

[ravenclawwitchc]

Magic and Memory

*another shinran fanfic

*post BO

The pale pink envelope was mixed in with a bunch of gifts, and to get to it, you had to trek over a mountain of wagashi. Yukiko sat beside him, focused on peeling an apple, her knife moving slowly and steadily, as if that apple was the most important thing in the world. No matter how you looked at it, it was just an ordinary Fuji apple...

By the time Shinichi's gaze wandered to that envelope for the fifth time, Yukiko finally burst into a shaky laugh. If he wanted to see it so badly, why was he pretending to be cool just now? She tilted her head, wondering, could it be that Shinichi was shy?

Shinichi was defeated. Saying he wasn't interested was a lie, but he swore he was only a little curious.

When he woke up in the hospital bed, he had a splitting headache and could only mechanically follow the doctor's instructions to feel each of his limbs in turn. After dealing with the doctor, he also had to answer the questions from the police who came to inquire about the incident. It wasn't until Amuro mentioned that Miss Ran was also undergoing treatment—and he responded with an "Uh?"—that anyone noticed something was wrong.

Then another chaotic round of medical checks, and the final conclusion was: he had amnesia, and, unfortunately, it was selectively targeted towards one person.

“Can you repeat who it is that I’ve forgotten?” with a puzzled expression, he asked Hattori. Hattori chuckled, “Your childhood friend, first love girlfriend, and the older sister from the detective agency you clung to after you got turned small.”

Shinichi couldn’t quite believe that the sentimental guy Hattori was talking about was him. Falling in love at first sight in kindergarten sounded too ridiculous. But more importantly, he looked down to confirm that the bandage on his chest was real and that the gunshot wound wasn’t fake: “So why isn’t anyone concerned about my injuries?”

A look of pity that Shinichi couldn’t understand appeared on Heiji’s face again. “Sigh, you don’t get it.”

He neatly folded the Star Prince blanket his girlfriend brought and placed it at the foot of the bed (by the way, Kazuha was currently visiting Ran on another floor of the hospital—she had prepared a Star Princess version for her too).

While tidying up, Hattori recalled the message he just received from Kazuha: “Heiji, after Ran found out Kudo-kun had lost his memory, she just rubbed her forehead and said, ‘Again?’ Do you think she’s angry…?”

He put himself in her shoes, thinking about how he would feel if he had been deceived, and then found out his boyfriend had amnesia. He thought: Alright, this time, it’s my turn to play the relationship expert.

Of course, when Shinichi discovered Heiji secretly taking photos of him looking pale and frail and sending them to an unknown account, he immediately kicked him out, accompanied by Hattori’s defense of, “I’m doing this for your own good!”

But while he could chase away troublemaking friends, he couldn't chase away a mother concerned for her son.

The weather was clear that day. Yukiko arrived and slipped a pale pink letter into the pile of get-well gifts, then casually hung her trench coat on the coat rack. "This is from Ran; she asked me to deliver it to you. Want to take a look?"

Shinichi turned his head away. “Thanks, just leave it there for now.”

Then the unfortunate event described in the first line of this fanfic took place. For Shinichi to admit he cared a little (in fact, he cared a lot) about this girlfriend he thought he had never met, he would rather solve a hundred cases and fall off a cliff like Sherlock Holmes.

However, his mother saw through his worries, and he opened the letter amidst the laughter around him.

To his surprise, the letter contained no accusations, questions, or even comfort and concern. The pale pink letter, with a cherry blossom hue, crossed two floors, coming from a place that was perhaps just ten meters away in a straight line.

The flowing script on the letter told the familiar story of the Issun-bōshi, but compared to the traditional version, she—the girl named Ran—wrote a different ending.

After the Issun-bōshi and Princess encountered and defeated the demon at Kiyomizu Temple, Princess gently tapped the unconscious Issun-bōshi with the magical hammer. The Issun-bōshi successfully grew into a handsome young man, but when he woke up, he had forgotten everything.

The curse from the demon was not unbreakable. The princess asked the dazed Issun-bōshi, “Are you willing to return with me to the source of our memories, to seek the truth that belongs to us?” That hand she extended was firmly grasped, and the magical hammer, by their wishes, rewound their time to the beginning of the story, when the Issun-bōshi, was still a child, referring to Princess as his sister. He would stand on a stool to help the princess wash dishes her colorful garments...

Shinichi stared at the crossed-out word “wash dishes” over and over again.

Some fragmented images flashed by: the two of them busy at the kitchen sink filled with the aroma of happiness, or him draping a coat over the girl sleeping on the sofa. Why didn’t he carry her back to the bedroom? For a moment, he felt a bit resentful, then remembered that this had happened while he was still in Conan’s body.

The girl’s face remained blurry, but that warm scent mirrored the smell of the letter.

No, more than that, the simply marked location, “Kiyomizu Temple,” also gently plucked at the strings of his memory.

Secrets hid between the lines of the story, and the detective’s sharp instincts urged him to grasp the clues handed to him tightly.

But before that, what was this feeling? His chest felt full, tinged with a lemon-like sourness.

He blushed, took a deep breath, and buried his face in the fragrant letter.

What kind of couple's daily life was this? Oh no, even his desire to solve the mystery of his memory temporarily took a backseat… He seemed to really care about this girlfriend he had forgotten.

The letters about daily life drifted for several rounds, and his receiving time gradually settled on the mornings.

At first, the letters came through Yukiko, but soon, the frequent appearances of this celebrity aroused Kogoro's suspicion, so Shinichi sent an urgent signal for help to his friends.

When Hattori walked in again, he found his friend furiously writing under the Star Prince blanket.

Shinichi strained his brain to add details in the letter about how the little one took care of Princess and how he used the magical bow tie to warm their budding romance. He wrote with restraint, yet his ears turned red, and he firmly warned his curious friend not to peek.

As everyone knows, Hattori is a loyal friend, on either side.

So he didn’t open the letter, nor did he tell Shinichi that he hadn’t confessed the truth to Mouri before his amnesia. When he brought back the reply the next day, he also didn’t mention how Ran seemed thoughtful, whispering to herself, “Bow tie…?”

The letter Hattori sent was light blue, and its style was a bit... different.

Instead of confessing to each other in a calm and warm daily life (as Shinichi had imagined), the Issun-bōshi, and Princess embarked on a wonderful adventure.

Along the way, they encountered a powerful Tengu challenging the Issun-bōshi, a shrine maiden following the tengu’s scent, and a dark knight who was betrothed to the Princess. Wait, what kind of nonsense is this? Shinichi quickly tossed the tengu and the shrine maiden out of the main storyline, but hesitated when it came to the dark knight.

You, who have helped me time and time again, who exactly are you? A nameless knight shrouded in black... If you are willing to fulfill the humble wish of this princess, then please, remove that mask as dark as the night and show me your true face...

Who the hell is this guy?

Shinichi flipped through the letter repeatedly, comparing it to the previous ones, confirming that the feelings between Princess and the Issun-bōshi were indeed growing. He restlessly glanced out the window: Tokyo in March, branches adorned with the prelude to spring, greenery beginning to bud.

It was only after reading the first letter that he gradually felt inclined to observe the Tokyo scenery through that window.

Golden sunlight streamed in, falling on the letter, and the handwriting transformed into a brilliant gold.

If you have not forgotten our childhood oath, please write your proof upon my lips…

He fell into deep thought.

The familiar sensation reminded him of a memory buried even deeper.

As the words thawed, a corner of the thick ice covering it was pried loose, and the first feelings summoned were joy and tenderness, followed closely by bone-deep pain.

The images swayed, as if something were trying to blur them, yet he still saw deeply within the scene: a girl with closed eyes and luscious lips.

The bright hue reflected from the crown settled at the visual focal point, and all he wanted to do was…

Shinichi inwardly groaned at how easily he blushed.

This was the first time he looked down at the other person in his memories, and for the first time, that person’s face was so clear.

Though her eyes were still closed, his heartbeat couldn't lie to him.

He solved the mystery: the dark knight was also him.

His mood relaxed, and he naturally spared some mercy, adding the knight into the Princess’s adventure, casually allowing the knight and the princess to share an intimate kiss in front of the Issun-bōshi:

“The curse of the demon has made me forget you, but from the moment I laid eyes on you, I vowed to take on the promises of the past, present, and future. Your Highness, please lift my curse.” With that, the dark-clad knight sealed his vow with a kiss…

Shinichi pondered, regretting whether it had been too abrupt.

But according to his memory, they should have indeed kissed at that time, right…? Based on his impression at the time and his rapidly beating heart, he couldn’t think of any reason to stop the romance.

The reply came quickly. The first line of the pale yellow letter read: “A kiss on the cheek.”

Shinichi fell silent, confused, suppressing the inexplicable déjà vu in his heart.

He grabbed Hattori, who was supposedly there, and asked him for a long time, only to receive information about the murder case.

“Your first kiss is at Kiyomizu Temple; it won’t be easy getting there. Good luck, Kudo,” Hattori said, laughing gleefully. In return, Shinichi kicked this spoiler out and had Kazuha volunteer to be the messenger.

After that, the Princess, the Issun-bōshi, and the occasionally appearing Knight embarked on an adventurous journey across Japan. Within the confines of their small hospital rooms, they traversed Mount Fuji, Kyoto, and Osaka, battling mountain demons, snowmaidens, and mist tengu.

Along the way, Shinichi attempted to confess his feelings several times whenever the knight made his appearance, only to be inexplicably thwarted by mishaps in the letters each time. (How could it be that every attempt ended in failure?)

Fortunately, during one of the princess's attempts to shake off these troublesome fellows, their confessions were finally received, albeit in a rather awkward manner (but that didn’t stop Shinichi from recalling the excitement of the London night for several days).

The colorful letters in the hospital drawer piled up, gradually decorating his pure white room before the cherry blossoms bloomed in April.

Visitors gradually dwindled, and the media shifted their attention to other hot news, while the story on paper reached a turning point—the Issun-bōshi and knight were abducted by demons, and the princess traveled across mountains and waters to rescue them.

Each day in the hospital bed seemed longer than the last, and when Kudo Shinichi awoke from another chaotic dream, he saw the clock's hands ticking past ten. Ten o'clock, morning, and morning meant—

He reached out too far, pulling painfully at his gunshot-wounded left shoulder, but he stubbornly managed to grasp the letter resting on the bedside table. Today's envelope was light gray, folded into the shape of a paper crane, and the flowing handwriting filled the sails of his heart with wind:

Through snow-covered roads and thunderstorms, the princess kept moving forward. She crossed nine tall mountains and nine wide rivers, finally reaching the divine forest. Her heart, filled with longing, curled up uneasily within her chest, and she bowed, following her heart's desire: If possible, I wish to offer my melancholic heart to you... Lord Shinigami!(死羅神)

Trees, the wind, and the girl’s cries. That part of the memory was resilient and firm, wiping away all the droplets on the glass.

But the forest, the forest… should be tied to a more tender emotion, as if it were set against a backdrop of crimson hues.

A scene flickered in Shinichi's vague memory, and he built a bridge across the blurred surface of the water, leading directly to the end, continuing:

The Shinigami descended. With a sweep of His flowing sleeves, a long wind swirled and healed all the princess's wounds. “In exchange,” He said, “like the nameless dark knight, the curse can only be lifted by the princess’s kiss.”

Shinichi thought carefully, and the next part could naturally... naturally... Wait. For some reason, he gritted his teeth and added, “Not on the face.”

If Hattori wasn’t lying to him, then this time, amidst the colorful mountains, they would finally have their first kiss.

Shinichi suppressed the unsettling sense of déjà vu within him.

The letter was handed over to Kazuha, flying away like a bird with wings. The waiting was always long, long enough for the sun to rise and set again. The rays of the setting sun scattered, ephemeral, and elusive, and just within this one day, he sadly recalled: they truly hadn’t had the chance to kiss at Kiyomizu Temple. Not just that day, but even afterward, up to the entire final confrontation—

Uh, did he reveal too many of the lies Conan told in his letter?

The flood of memories this time was so overwhelming that he felt a bit unable to cope. Just before the sun sank below the horizon, he hurriedly wrote a formal letter of apology, pleading with a nurse to deliver it to Miss Mouri, who was staying two floors below.

This time, he didn't write in the tone of folklore but solemnly, from Edogawa Conan to Kudo Shinichi, recounting everything he could remember (though, embarrassingly, years later, when he saw it among his wife's collection, he found it incoherent and nonsensical).

But at this moment, Kudo Shinichi was still a young man who would struggle, wrestle with his emotions, and toss and turn over this. Worse yet, after the first day, the second day, the third day... no more letters arrived, and even Heiji and Kazuha stopped responding to his text messages. Late March was cherry blossom season in Tokyo, and a branch of blossoms slanted through his window, almost fervently and noisily urging him to remember more warm yet bittersweet memories.

He was truly afraid that, in the future, he would only have these memories to hold onto.

What finally awakened him was a gentle kiss falling on his forehead.

When he opened his eyes, he was stunned to see—unexpectedly, without any warning, a storm, a flower in bloom, he could think of countless adjectives, but in this instant, he actually thought of nothing, his mind went completely blank—a girl with black hair cascading down, her (very beautiful, perfectly flawless) eyes gazing at him. Her eyes were purple, it turned out.

"Shinichi," she said.

"Ran?" The only name that came to his mind.

"You remembered," she smiled. "I thought about it and decided it would be better to tell you the end of the story in person. The captured Issun-bōshi refused to let the demon pry into his past, so he locked the Princess in the deepest part of the palace of memories. Now, the princess took out the key and said to the Issun-bōshi, ‘We are safe now, and—I've forgiven you.’"

"You've forgiven me?" he murmured.

He still didn’t fully understand all of it.

A mysterious power, both terrifying and mesmerizing, memories like intermittent streams suddenly converged into a torrent, a flood sweeping through every inch of his body. Fragmented images pieced themselves together in his mind: smiling, defiant, glittering, the colorful neon splashing from the fountain, the princess, the knight, the pitch-black Shinigami, the red school trip, all sorts of vivid colors swirling around in the blank hospital room.

Shinichi felt a wave of dizziness in his head; for the first time, he truly realized what kind of life he would lose if he were to lose these memories.

"Are you okay?" Ran waved a hand in front of his face with concern.

She, along with Heiji and Kazuha, had planned for a long time to sneak out of her parents' supervision to visit his hospital room, but the scene before her eyes was a bit... well, different from what she had imagined.

Sure enough, her childhood sweetheart boyfriend was just staring straight at her face, half-awake and half-asleep.

"Oh, and one more thing, I checked with the doctor, and in two days, we'll be able to go for a walk, so you don’t need to write any more letters for now." She glanced around, then waved at the surveillance camera, "That's all, we'll get in touch later."

Before leaving, her cheeks blushed as she added, "That kiss just now... does it count?" She sneaked a glance at the camera, pretending to be nonchalant. "As for the rest... we'll talk about it once you’re better."

She felt a little embarrassed; being hospitalized had made her look quite weary. But what Shinichi saw was a smile, in 4K clarity, with the blush on her cheeks and the fine fuzz on her skin, radiant.

Ran left with worry, thinking that Shinichi must have been seriously injured this time. She still didn't know how she had triggered such a massive resurgence of Shinichi's memories, with an impact comparable to a tsunami.

However, according to Kazuha, the next day, Ran received a new, colorful letter that seemed to say something like "Your smile makes my heart flutter," and she indeed sighed again, exclaiming, "Again?"

This time, no one could deny her smile.

Fin.

[flydotnet]

Bad Things Happen Bingo! The event where you send me requests according to this marvelous card! (Red cross is the completed prompt, character headshots are prompts I’ve already filled).

He's a child with the brain of an adult, the biggest moron you've ever seen!

I cannot get over the fact I somehow didn't write for Detectice Conan until this week. This franchise was my actual gateway into whump when I was 6 and my ass still didn't write any juicy stuff with it. I got back into DCMK back in 2017, have rewatched select episodes and/or movies of it (mostly the 1st and 2nd ones, which are both part of my formative whump experience lol) every year… but nope!

Actually, this prompt was supposed to be for IDOLiSH7, and I had the idea for it written down for two years; but let's be real, I was never going to write it, especially this late, and instead, I jumped onto the first other opportunity to get rid of this prompt.

That opportunity came in the form of Tekiro who, to my surprise, actually paid attenion to my stupid ramblings about my stupid bingo card for whomst knows what dark purposes, and handed me an idea on a silver platter: DCMK, Shinichi as Conan and Ran, post-falling-into-some-water-during-a-case. I was smitten with the idea and ran with so hard.

I think the final product did diverge from Tekiro's original idea, unfortunately. Ran was meant to play a much more proactive role in this, but instead, I ended up with mostly Shinichi doing what he does best: overthink absolutely everything and also simping for Ran while he's at it. The image of Conan buried in blankets was fun though!

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Blanket Statements

Summary: Shinichi, buried underneath three and a half blankets, ponders upon the orb (his feelings on the situation and also how cool Ran is).

Fandom: Detective Conan Relationships: Shinichi/Ran

Word Count: 1.7K words

AO3 version available here.

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Somewhere through the haze of fever, between two approximate tons of blankets covering from chin to toe, one statement rings through his mind: this is somewhat humiliating.

Well, Shinichi supposes being a genius sixteen-year-old stuck in a six-year-old’s body is embarrassing to begin with since nobody takes you seriously anymore (except, like, two cops, a fugitive from the criminal organisation who got you there in the first place and one jackass from Osaka who somehow guessed you were a genius sixteen-year-old stuck in a six-year-old’s body). Being treated like a child has certainly not stopped irking him, even if with time, the mask has started sticking with a little less discomfort to his face; but this is another humiliation altogether, even compared to what’s sadly become his daily life.

For all of the mishaps he’s had on cases and outside of his favourite activity in the whole world, Shinichi had never pictured himself buried in a pile of blankets, with just his face sticking out from there, in the Mouris’ flat of all places. Maybe Prof Akasa’s lab would’ve felt less shameful, since that man has seen him in states Shinichi can only hope to forget the memory of, but the Mouris’? Where Ran lives? Mortifying.

The way he ended up in this situation is a farce in itself – that much he knows from how Hattori mocked the hell out of him on the phone when he had to explain the context behind one of Ran and Kazuha’s conversations that stupid Osakan had caught word of. He wouldn’t have needed said Osakan’s opinion to think that, of course, but it only serves to corroborate what he already deducted.

It was just a run-of-the-mill criminal case in Beika: suspicious death near a river, three suspects without any alibi and possible motives all around, foul play clearly involved. Truth be told, it was almost insulting how easy it was for Shinichi to untangle the whole thing and straighten it into a single timeline to take everyone along for the side with Uncle’s cigarette-laden voice.

Or, well, it’d have been, if he hadn’t fallen straight into the cold waters below when trying to showcase something to Inspector Megure.

Instead, it very much had the opposite effect: not only did it then take Inspector Sato around fifteen minutes to deduce what he was trying to hint at, it also threw the whole situation for a loop because, for all of his athletic prowess, Shinichi had trouble swimming with the heavy winter gear Ran had dressed him up in and drowning became a possibility much too fast to his liking.

Ran did save him from the waters, at least, but not before he was thoroughly soaked and had to stew in his own juices for a little while. There was no hiding behind the bushes to pretend to be Sleeping Kogoro either, so it was a long, drawn-out time session of whodunnit – one Shinichi was very frustrated not to be participating in and very satisfied to leave.

If it had stopped at an uncomfortable half-hour spent watching not-that-sharp-witted detectives (and Inspector Sato) try putting together a puzzle that wasn’t that complicated because nobody had noticed the clue left by the riverbank, Shinichi wouldn’t be stewing in his frustration and pile of blankets. No, that’d have been too easy, and someone in the skies above has something against him, he’s certain of it.

It’s a cliché. It’s such a cliché and he’s certain hypothermia isn’t supposed to do that to you aside from, well, hypothermia – but Shinichi has fallen ill after a dip in the water and it pisses him off.

Yeah, okay, he’s caught what can honestly be called a nasty cold, but this doesn’t mean Ran isn’t going overkill with it. He loves her, he really does, including when she gets protective over him (even when she doesn’t know it, courtesy of his current form); but this really is too much.

Ran’s always been like that, though. Once she gets into caring mode, there’s nobody that can stop us. Not even a tsunami could, Shinichi is certain: if he, or her father, or Sonoko, or Kazuha was trapped in the midst of a deadly flood, a wall of water heading for all of them, Ran would swim back to them, put them to safety, and only then maybe think of saving herself. It’s nerve-wracking to be around her, sometimes, when you know she’ll absolutely destruct herself if it means saving someone.

Long reasoning short, it’s not surprising that she’d bury him under a bazillion blankets too much for a simple cold; so imagine one where his voice, usually so childish and disgustingly high-pitched for a teen (let alone impossible to take seriously, let’s be real there), has almost gone instinct on him and where he can spike a fever whenever his body feels like it’s not doing enough damage to the virus inside it. Delightful, really.

It’d be more delightful if it didn’t feel like being smothered in a thousand heavy blankets by the strongest arms in the world – but what can Shinichi say? That he doesn’t like the attention? That’d be a lie. He couldn’t even say that without breaking into a terribly tense smirk. That’s ridiculous.

Ridiculous, but also somewhat humiliating. And also, he’s dying from blanket overdose.

Time to do something about it, he supposes.

“Raaaaan,” he takes on his whiny little snotty brat voice (even if it sounds more scratched than Prof Akasa’s dust-covered records that he still uses, for some reason), “do I really need all those blankets?”

She turns around in half a second (Shinichi refuses to think for even a second this fever and the mucus in his brain are slowing his mind, he’s more than above that) and rushes in a swift run, hair flowing behind her and picking all of the daylight in the room.

“You’ll be cold if you take them off!” She replies without a single grain of reluctance. “And you need to be warm!”

“But… I’m way too hot, Raaaaan…”

Instead of getting at least one blanket off him, out of three (a meltingly comfortable plaid, a scratchy blanket Uncle keeps in his office for some reason and Ran’s favourite, he can tell by the fragrance, it’s very pleasing), she kneels in front of the couch with a worried frown that’s both endearing and infuriating.

“Let me see,” she tells him in that voice she always gives the Detective Boys, always gives Conan.

Maybe it’s because having a head cold is making him snappier, but he can’t jive with that tone as well as he usually does. Most days, he can just bypass the infantilization of it all to focus on what matters (Ran paying him her upmost attention and spending all her time with him).

Ran does what she tends to do when confronted with someone with too red of a cheek: she puts her left hand on her forehead, palm against skin, and the back of her right on someone else’s forehead. Strands of his hair, soaked with sweat, are clinging to the base of her fingers, but she doesn’t complain, doesn’t as much as frown in disgust or discomfort, not even slightly.

“Your fever’s gone down a little,” she concludes with a slightly less concerned voice and alleviated features, much to his own relief. “But we need to keep it in check!”

“I know, Ran, I knooooow.”

She gets back up and stares at the pile in front of her, tilting her head left to right and back to left, a pout on her lips.

“On second thought, if you’re feeling better, maybe we could take off a blanket… Do you feel too hot, Conan?”

He vigorously shakes his head to the point of dizzying himself. This would be embarrassing if he wasn’t too busy trying to get himself a little freer, and also, dealing with a stupid head cold that has turned everything about his sharp senses into nothing but meaningless mush.

“I see,” Ran muses, fingers dancing on her chin before she finally goes for the top blanket – the scratchy one Kogoro keeps in his office. “Is it better?”

He nods again and, to his pleasure, it’s both cooler on his overheated skin and bringing a smile to the girl he’s officially dating when not obligated to be in a six-year-old’s literal shoes.

“That’s good, then! Do you need anything else?”

Shinichi hesitates on that one. Ran’s pretty much been hovering him nonstop for two days, and it’s starting to show on her face. Not so deep down, he knows he doesn’t need much: he has water near him, there is no painkillers he can take for a couple more hours, his eyelids are drooping again and he’s, at the end of the day, a teenager used to living alone.

However, being Conan has a couple perks; most importantly, if he wants to be a needy brat who just has to have big sis Ran by his side during a boring Sunday while sick with a killer head cold, then he gets to be that brat all over again. Ran can barely say no to Conan, much more than she’d be with Shinichi, and there just have to be perks about his current situation. Moreover… Faded memories of frankly lonely days spent wasting away in bed or on the couch with barely any attention other than Prof Akasa’s have left him wanting for more, and if usually he can keep it at bay with a passion for crime mysteries, now, it’s a whole other story. A distraction is always welcome.

All in all, with a dashing uniform vote from all of his sides, Shinichi decides being whiny as Conan is the best use of his stupidly boring sick day.

“Can you stay with me?” He asks, sniffling, as miserable as the most cliché Victorian child possible.

As always, to his upmost happiness, Ran’s face softens and she gives him the sweetest smile as she comes to sit next to him.

“Of course I can do that, Conan,” she replies with words like honey. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s good enough.”

He lets his head droop on her shoulder and falls asleep right here and there.

He can think about this being humiliating or not when it doesn’t feel as fuzzy and warm to be bundled in so many blankets.

[nakamuso]

BLUE GIANT EXPLORER, Vol. 6 - Memories of Buck Roll

Why don't they come down from the stage? Volume 6 of "BLUE GIANT EXPLORER" has been released. Who is that on the cover?　It's a strange beginning.

reference：Shogakukan Comics URL：https://shogakukan-comic.jp/book?isbn=9784098613694

I have been reading "BLUE GIANT" since the first part, "BLUE GIANT".　I thought I had, and I did.

'2020 will be a year of leaps and bounds! This is one of the "10 manga that will push you forward".

I wondered how you chose 10 of them, but I think these 10 works are good. I thought I would make a new selection with the same theme at the end of this year.

Now, the previous volume, BLUE GIANT EXPLORER, ended with the beginning of the saxophone recital at the saxophone school where Dai is a teacher, and volume 6 is the continuation of that.

Volume 5 was released a while ago, so I had almost forgotten the contents, but then I remembered that Steve, the teacher of this saxophone class, is a cool guy.

Apparently, Mr. Steve is respected by everyone. But for a while, only his name came up. And when he finally appeared on the stage, I think there was a scene in which Dai was in tears because he realized in an instant that he was a person worthy of respect as he thought he was.

Mr. Shinichi Ishizuka is very good at creating expectations for his characters. He makes you think, "There is definitely something going on with this guy," and then he explodes later on. Good or not so good. As soon as the presentation starts, I find myself mentally tsk-tsking at Dai for not coming off stage, "Is he going to stay on the side the whole time? I thought it was funny when Dr. Steve asked Dai, "Why does he stay on the side all the time? I wonder why he is there.

But that is the nature of a big-production show, and by giving direct guidance and advice, he is supporting the students so that they can perform to the best of their ability and confidence.

It is true that there is a difference in the sense of security between having a teacher by your side and not having a teacher by your side. Naturally, this also affects performance.

Memories of Bakudan Class I remember an interview about eight years ago. I went to a backflip class and tried backflipping in one day!　It was a project for a magazine. At the time, the topic of conversation was the bakusho class. The main purpose of the class was to help adults with no gymnastics experience learn to do backflips.

Usually, it was a regular gymnastics class, with mats and balance tables for children and students to learn on, but the bakutai class was held in a corner of the gym. Students usually learn backflips in several sessions, so there is no inherent "one day to do it" constraint. However, some people can do it in a day once they get the hang of it. This is why I decided to experience it.

For some reason, I went out in a long T-shirt and denim style, even though I was supposed to be practicing bakumotai. I don't know why I didn't bring a change of clothes. Did I think I could borrow them at the site?　Anyway, when I arrived and the teacher asked me, "Are you going to do it dressed like that?" I remember thinking, "Oh no, I'm not going to do it like that. The teacher must have thought, "Is this guy going to do it? I am sure the teacher must have wondered, "Is he going to do it like that?

The practice of backflips started right away.

The practice is divided into several stages: first we practice jumping straight up, and once that is done, the next stage is to jump and sit on the mat behind us, and so on, learning the posture and eye contact during backflips. Then, in no time at all, they enter the stage of trying to go around with assistance. I think it was two teachers assisting me from the left and right as I jumped backwards. I was able to jump. I was on a trampoline, so I had more jumping power, and with assistance, I could manage to do a backflip. Once you get used to it, you can practice to fly by yourself by loosening the assistance. The footing is on a regular mat, and the landing is on a trampoline.

Eventually, the teacher's assistance was removed, and I managed to do backflips by myself. However, even though the teacher no longer assisted me, she was right next to me and in my line of sight, ready to follow me at any time. Now that I had somehow gotten into shape, it was time to take the picture.

I asked the teacher to move away from me until I was out of the picture, but as soon as he did, the shape immediately collapsed and I failed. No matter how many times I tried, I always failed unless the teacher was right next to me. When I asked the teacher to come to the side again and try it again, I could do it. However, if they move away, they cannot do it.

I realized that even if the teacher is not holding out his or her hand, there is a huge difference in the sense of security between having the teacher by your side and not having him or her there. After many attempts, I managed to do a backflip with the teacher away from me, but it was really only one last attempt. Looking back, I don't know why I took on this project, but I think it was because I was young and had the guts to do it. I was in a state of adrenaline. I think the fact that I was in an adrenaline-fueled state of "I must do it!

After the interview was over, as we were leaving, the editor said, "If Mr. Nakamura couldn't do it, I was going to do it myself. He told me that when he was a student, he had learned to do backflips as part of his pole vaulting practice in the track team. He said, "You are saying that now?　I said rather loudly, "I'm glad I could do it by myself. I also wanted to talk about the tremendous power of teacher support.

If only Yumeko Snake Plumeko were here… Back to BLUE GIANT, the big produced presentation ends with a great success.

Oh, by the way, Antonio has been the piano accompanist all along. How did we meet…?　You will have to go back and read volume 5. In the second half of the book, we pop into a Houston jazz bar to look for band members. And then you meet Zod. He is the guy on the cover. He is the drummer.

He is big and bulky to look at. He is blunt and has no respect for the big guy. If he were a bad drummer, he would be a mere contrarian, but he is not. He has a session with Antonio to compete, but he walks away without ever fully demonstrating his abilities.

In the past, after one performance, he would say, "This guy is good," and become a member of the group, but this is a new pattern for him to leave the group while hiding his abilities.

After being rejected by Zod, Dai and Antonio go to a poker house where Zod is staying. And they have a poker match. Volume 6 ends with them wondering if they can win even though they are beginners. The result will be carried over to the next volume. I didn't expect the last pull to be at a casino. I can't help but wish that Yumeko Snake Plumeko was here.

I just hope that Dai doesn't become a poker player.

[starline148]

[Memories] KDFD Ch. 04

Fan Fic Info:

Name: Memories Main couple: Kidou&Fudou Secondary couple: Genda&Sakuma Language: English, but you can ask for a Spanish version!

» First chapter: Memory 01 » Previous chapter: Memory 03 » Next chapter: Memory 05 » Index: Here

Chapter Info

Name: Why are you so noisy? Words: 2976 Warnings: The first part can be boring, because is the nomination. Summary: The new Inazuma Japan Team is going to be chosen, who would be part of the time this year?

[Memory 04] Why are you so noisy?

“I will proceed to name the players who have won a place in the Inazuma Japan team this year to participate in the International Championship. When I name you go down here and line up.” An overwhelming silence was made in the stadium where they were going to announce to the members of the football team that would go to the World Cup, until then it had been noisy because of the voices and laughters of more than one hundred young people from all parts of the country who had already attended, either because they expected to be on the team or because they did not want to miss the moment when a friend was chosen to represent their country.

“In the position of goalkeeper, Endou Mamoru …”

They heard a shout of joy not far from them, Endou had jumped up with his fists up and was running towards the football field, as if it were not obvious that he was to be chosen and it would have really surprised him, being him, surely it was. Endou was the only player, along with Gouenji and Kidou, that Fudou knew had a place, they simply could not include them, they were the three players with more merits. He clenched his hands nervously, he hoped that he had also achieved it that year, after all that had happened... At his side he saw Sakuma and Genda even more expectant and sweaty than him. If he thought about it coldly, his games with the Teikoku team were perfect and had attracted the interest of many people, they were also very good players.

“And Genda Koujirou.”

The boy sitting on the other side of Fudou roared in excitement without being able to restrain himself and hugged the white-haired boy on his right.

“You did! You did it, Genda!”

A faint smile had appeared on Fudou's lips, as he watched sideways at his friend who was hurrying to get to the field, afraid they would change their minds and put another goalkeeper in their place. The previous year Genda wasn’t in the national team. He snorted, sure he was going to be unbearable for a time of the joy of being on the team.

“In the defense position, Kazemaru Ichirouta, Fubuki Shirou, Kogure Yuuya, Kabeyama Heigorou, Handa Shinichi and Kurimatsu Teppei.”

The called boys were going down, some of them had real tears of happiness, in fact all but Fubuki cried from the excitement of being selected, the most Handa since the previous year wasn’t even one of the players to be considered. So far Fudou had not really been surprised with any of the elections, maybe he did not expect so much that Handa managed to stay that year in the nationals but the boy had worked hard together with Raimon Team, and had improved a lot despite continuing not to stand out especially in something; but Fudou thought that was fine, surely Handa was the most complete player of all and his individual game would become stronger and stronger if they knew how to direct it well. He also knew that if Tachimukai was not among the chosen goalkeepers it was because he had been severely injured shortly before the ceremony and could not play, although he was certain that if he recovered in time they would include him in the team, he was not only a very good goalkeeper but he earned everyone's affection quickly. On the other hand, Tsunami, Tobitaka and Hijikata had passed the age allowed to play in that league, but they had remained in the League of the High School. Like Nishikage, Saginuma and Mizukamiya, rivals of the National during the last year and who had remained in the Japanese senior team.

“In the position of midfielder…”

Fudou swallowed, that was his position, he noticed a cold sweat that ran down his neck and a warm hand grabbed his, Kidou had brows more frowned than ever and had automatically grabbed the hand of the brunette, although his sight behind those glasses was immovable in the man who spoke in the middle of the field.

“Kidou Yuuto” Fudou heard a sigh of relief from the boy with cinnamon hair and rolled his eyes, which a fool were all of them “”Kiyama Tatsuya, Midorikawa Ryuuji” a shouted across the stadium broke the silence of the place and they saw the green-haired boy who had hugged all his friends and jumped more than excited,”Inamori Asuto, Nosaka Yuuma, Hiura Kirina and …”

Fudou's eyes closed and that hand tightened even more, a knot had been made his stomach and heart beat with fear.

“Ichihoshi Hikaru.”

The brunette boy opened his mouth without anything coming out and felt it sink into a pit; he wasn’t chosen. The hand that squeezed him grabbed him harder, his owner's mouth had opened in stupefaction. No, it could not be. Fudou let go and hid his head in his hands, quite annoyed and disappointed with himself, he had not succeeded, he had not succeeded. He noticed the eyes of his Teikoku teammates and a buzz of fury grew inside him and he covered his ears, he didn't want to be pitied! He didn't want to be looked at! Why didn't everyone disappear !?

"Kidou, you should go down," Sakuma murmured, he had changed seats when Genda left and looked palely at the brunettet.

"But…"

"Don’t worry, Kidou, do what you should do," Fudou growled without raising his head as he struggled not to cry from frustration, that Kidou stayed there only made things worse.

Kidou left with great discomfort, despite having been chosen he did not feel cheerful, quite the opposite, his heart ached.

“In the position of forward, Gouenji Shuuya, Utsunomiya Toramaru, Someoka Ryuugo, Haizaki Ryouhei, Kira Hiroto, Matsuno Kuusuke and Sakuma Jirou.”

Sakuma opened his only visible eye and winced. Fudou looked at him sideways; yes, he was excited, but the look that Fudou discovered in his eye when he looked at him made him understand that despite that he was not happy. They couldn't be without him after all. Sakuma also left and he was left alone, the rest of the Teikoku team was behind and they were still watching him, some had begun to murmur with indignation.

“They are idiots, why have they not included it?” he heard Narukami say.

"Fudou is one of the best strategists in the country ... The best with Kidou would dare to say," Doumen growled.

“Finally …” the bustle that had begun to be made in the stadium disappeared again, nobody expected any more announcement “at the post of libero …”

Fudou raised his eyebrow with his face still buried in his hands. It was not usual for a team to have a libero, it was a position of great responsibility and creativity in the game and there were not many people who could achieve it successfully, trust and teamwork were indispensable, as was an agile mind with great ability to analyze, the libero carried the hopes of his team on his shoulders, it was a figure of faith.

“Fudou Akio.”

Fudou opened his eyes in amazement, it took him a long time to assimilate, had he heard right? Had he been appointed in the position of libero? A deafening bellow of all his companions upon receiving the news rose from the field, when he looked up and still without believing that, he discovered that Kidou was smiling from ear to ear and raised his fist towards him, he also smiled and stood up to go to meet with his teammates, although before he went through a round of claps, hugs and whistles of the Teikoku team that seemed to be radiant with emotion. 

Had he really really heard correctly? Was he going to be a libero? Was he going to be the libero?

“As captain, Endou Mamoru and sub-captain, Kiyama Tatsuya. The coaches will be Zhao Jinyun and Kudou Michiya.”

Fudou walked slowly to the field, he did not want to appear desperate, but as soon as he set foot on the grass he saw that several companions threw themselves to hug him.

“What scare you had given us, Fudou!” exclaimed Genda with tears hugging him with a tackle that almost knocks him down.

“Congratulations, Fudou! Now you'll have to be a responsible boy” Sakuma laughed, punching him in the chest.

“Let's play football, Fudou!” shouted Endou hugging him so hard that Fudou thought he was going to break his back.

“We'll be back in the field together, buddy!” Someoka ruffled his hair at his mock disgust as he ran his arm around his shoulders.

Kidou said nothing, but stayed there, smiling; but the boy with turquoise eyes didn't need anything else. All the words he didn't say were written on his lips. And that smile was better than anything else, a warm feeling had replaced the dark oppression of moments before.

The boy with cinnamon hair was the one who had shouted loudest of all when they had named his friend, not for nothing he was the one who was most pleased with his nomination. For a terrible moment he feared he should fight without him... and found no emotion in it. At that point, playing without Fudou was unthinkable for him.

Fudou shrugged his shoulders trying not to seem exceptionally excited, otherwise they might believe that he had not hoped to stay on the team and therefore he did not trust his abilities, that would begin his work as a libero very badly.

They were instructed to return to the stadium for the nomination of the Women's League team and then meet with their coaches. That was equally exciting.

Norika, Touko, Rika, Reina and Takanashi were among other girls in the team, but nobody was surprised, there were not so many female players and they were exceptionally good. They would be in command of Hitomiko and to everyone's surprise Megane was going to be one of their managers.

The boys went to meet with the coaches although on the way their friends stopped them to congratulate them. Fubuki could barely let go of his brother Atsuya, who hugged him tightly and shouted at him that next time he would also be on the team. The appearance of Atsuya had been the news of the year, Fubuki's younger brother had managed to survive the car accident years before, but he had lost his memory and it was not until he recovered that he began desperately searching for his older brother until he found him. They had barely fitted themselves with such joy when Fubuki had told them! Although as he had not been playing football for a long time, he did not have the necessary level for the international championship.

In the dressing room the coaches made the team managers Aki, Haruna, Fuyuka, Anna and Tsukushi give the boys the uniform. No one was surprised by Natsumi's absence, she had asked to be the manager of Little Gigant again.

They were also instructed about their training that would begin in two days and where they would stay for it. The same place as the previous year, a residence on the outskirts of the city with large training camps.

“Why are we so many players on the team, coach Kudou, coach Zhao?” asked Nosaka strangely.

“Last year there were several casualties during the championship and substitutions had to be made. Each substitution breaks the pace of the team. In this way there will be no need to bring someone outside to replace and lower the level we expect for the Internationals.”

“How many casualties do you expect?”

“This year there are several teams with very dangerous games.”

"Surely half of you will leave on the way" the coach from China laughed without giving it much importance.

That was received with great tension, how many of them would be able to reach the final? Because everyone pointed to the final. Each of them thought that he would not be one of those who would leave.

The boys went to celebrate the International Team nomination with their friends, Tsunami and Tobitaka congratulated Fudou and Someoka effusively and entrusted their hopes of winning the tournament. 

“You have to win for us, guys! Show what we rebel boys are capable of!”

“Fudou, Someoka, we count on you.”

“Of course, and you put Japan in a good place with the seniors.”

“Why are you so noisy?”

The four boys beat each other with laughter and began talking about their opinions regarding both teams.

Tachimukai approached Genda with his plaster leg and held out his hand, he shook it with great determination.

“I count on you to protect the goal of Inazuma Japan.”

“I’m going to protect it with my life!”

"You don’t need to go so far, Genda" Sakuma sighed in exasperation at his side.

During the small celebration, Fudou did not miss that Kidou kept watching him from time to time, every time he caught him, a mocking smile appeared on the lips of the second strategist. Although perhaps it was not so rare, his eyes also turned to the goggle boy who spoke with Toramaru and Kurimatsu. He couldn't help it.

It started getting late and the boys headed to their homes or hotels. 

"I accompany you home, Fudou," said the boy with cinnamon hair and blue rubber goggles.

Fudou looked at him with a mute question in his eyes and Kidou shrugged. Fudou said nothing more about it, when it was late according to the criteria of the boy always accompanied him to his house, and from there he asked to be picked up by car. Although it sometimes bothered him in the deep it didn't bother him, it was weird.

On the way they didn't talk much; but none of them cared, a trust between them had grown during the last year that allowed them to remain in a silence that connected more than a thousand words. They had learned to read on their faces, their gestures, their silences and their stories.

They had shared a lot together, in their training, in their matches... they had learned to be in sync.

They reached the building where Fudou lived and went inside, waiting until the car would arrive. They barely exchanged some trivial phrases regarding the team members. They were sitting on the stairs that went up to the upper floors, Fudou's hand rested on Kidou's.

The car reached the door and Kidou got up, that was the moment they liked least, when he had to leave. Fudou stayed sat. Seeing him.

“See you the day after tomorrow, Fudou.”

“Yes.”

Kidou took a couple of steps but then he turned, his cheeks were a little red, he seemed troubled by a thought he couldn't express, as if he couldn't find words for what he wanted to say. Fudou watched him in silence, allowing him that time without interrupting, a strange kindness on his part.

“Facing the World without you would not have been worth it.”

Fudou raised an eyebrow.

“Did you doubt that I would be on the team, Kidou-kun?”

“What!? Of course not!”

Fudou got up and reduced the distance between them, his forearm resting on the wall being very close to Kidou, with the bodies almost stucked together. With his other hand he lowered his glasses and looked at those eyes that appealed to him so much, although there was some anger in his turquoise eyes. 

“Tell it again to the face!”

“I had no doubt that you would enter the team.”

“Not even when they said all the positions?”

Kidou's lip trembled a little.

“Tsk ... liar.”

“They couldn't not include you, you are fundamental to the team.”

“None are indispensable, Kidou-kun.”

“You are for me. You are like a breath of fresh air that oxygenates my blood and my brain.”

Fudou looked surprised and laughed. Kidou looked away annoyed that he laughed, felt his pulse fastening and had a hard time stopping himself fromhis desire to jump over the brunette.”

“What a weird things you say, Kidou-kun. I’m gonna think you like me.”

Kidou raised an eyebrow, although his ears had inevitably turned red and his heart began to beat even faster, realizing that he had to force the expression of indifference on his face he knew there was something that did not fit. That time was the first time that Fudou mocked him that way, although over the years there would be many more times.

“Don't give yourself so much credit, Fudou.”

“Whatever.”

Fudou stared into his eyes for a moment, the hand with which he did not lean against the wall rose to Kidou's face and stroked his cheek with an unusual softness, Kidou was left without air, that contact was as tender as unexpected. He wished he didn't take his hand off his face.

“I did believe that I wasn’t chosen. I felt so disappointed ... I thought I would not be able to run after the ball with the team ... that I would not be able to run with you.” His face reflected a very sad expression and Kidou, who watched him silently until that moment hugged him. Fudou buried his head in his neck. It smelled good, although he didn't wear a perfume, but he didn't need a perfume, Kidou's smell was pleasant, he always smelled clean, like a new book and a touch of sweat that Fudou really liked.

They stayed that way until the sound of a car horn made them separate quickly, as if they were afraid someone might find them that way.

“Let's play football, Fudou.”

Kidou had stretched his arm with his fist clenched so that the brunette would bump fist.

“Let's play football, Kidou.” Fudou's fist gave a soft blow to the other boy and he left after hearing another honk.

[iamwhelmed]

The Jisatsu Experiment: Prologue-- Himura University

Summary: Years after Conan leaves with no explanation and Haibara becomes a distant Miyano Shiho, Ayumi graduates and heads off to Himura University-- as far away from Tokyo as she can get. She finds it hard to leave Conan and Haibara behind her despite Mitsuhiko and Genta moving on, but the mystery she's about to take on is going to begin unraveling a past she'd repressed, and it's very possible she's bitten off more than she can chew. Just how deep does this case run? Shinichi may just have to step in, but can he and Shiho stomach the mess Ayumi has gotten herself into, or save her from herself?

Okay so Homesick will be updated when my boyfriend gets around to sending me the beta, but in the meanwhile, he's a story that's been kicking around in my head for, well, YEARS. It's heavily inspired by both Nicole, the Winter Wolves Dating Sim (honestly my favorite of all time, so worth the $5) and Mystic Messenger. However, I left this story open to being a one-shot in case there is no interest! So the mysterious, scary parts can be read as references to Ayumi's past with Conan and Haibara and how it's keeping her tied down. Please enjoy!

Read it on AO3

Read it on Fanfiction.net

Things had changed over the years- not by a lot, not all at once, but little by little.

The Detective Boys never disbanded, nobody moved, nobody died, but Ran got her own place after she graduated. Kogoro's detective agency grew, and he had a few interns here and there that ran their time and carried on like clockwork. Eri had moved back in, though the two weren't sleeping in the same bed again (not that they ever said, no, Ayumi had merely made the guess because there was a warmth that wasn't quite there yet). Shinichi-niisan and Heiji-niisan were still best friends; Sonoko and Kazuha and Ran and Sera, they all hung out, had girl's nights. Haibara (Miyano? Shiho? Ai?) would join them when she wasn't working on something with the professor (who she still lived with, who was still like a father to her). Mitsuhiko found the time to balance the Detective Boys and the Science Club-- he was their president, after all, got Teitan High further than it ever had gone before in the finals despite the lacking company. Genta was still their club's strong arm, though what was once body fat was now muscle and height. He towered over most boys in their school by their first year, scared a few third-years back when. His love for food had been channeled into a love of cooking, his hobby when he wasn't solving a case or manhandling criminals. Conan had disappeared. That was that. She'd come to accept it. It still broke her heart.

Ayumi, she felt alone these days. Genta and Mitsuhiko were still there but…

Genta had a girlfriend now, small and sweet and every bit a cook as him, though her skills strayed in the area of sweet-making. Mitsuhiko would deny it until he was blue (Haibara had hurt him, hurt him so bad, and Ayumi was the only one who understood because she'd felt it too, and that pain held him back, more than he let on, and Ayumi supposed he kept it all in while she only mourned to herself) but there was a cute girl with big glasses and a sincere smile who was always looking at him. (He liked her, Ayumi could tell, but he wasn't taking that plunge and she didn't blame him).

She was the only girl left in the Detective Boys, and the only member left who had no other hobbies-- well, she dabbled in makeup as homage to a memory long past, but it was nothing she spent time on. She sorted through and selected cases, she gathered information, she put clues together as much as she could until she had Mitsuhiko's and Genta's help. The days passed, and though each hour took three to pass, she could tell the years were moving quickly, so quickly that it would almost seem right-on-time if she were to receive a letter from Conan. But she didn't. He'd left them a note and hadn't said goodbye, just that he'd be in touch but he never was. She shouldn't have been surprised, not after the fifth empty year (that's what she told herself when she started crying for no reason after a case, when she'd hide away in the bathroom for a few minutes because only Sato would see her there and know, and nobody else needed to see, nobody needed to worry, she was fine, she was fine).

Shinichi, kind as he was, tried to fill Conan's shoes, they could all tell. He was their self-proclaimed mentor, a friend and a protector (there was a fear in him and a fury she only saw when they were in danger, something she could never quite place). He taught them and molded them for a year before he seemed to back off, and she wondered if that was because he knew he couldn't replace Conan, or because he'd deducted that they all felt he couldn't. Besides, he was probably tied up with Ran-neechan. Last she'd heard, he'd moved into that apartment with her when she'd taken the leap from the agency. Haibara, she seemed to keep her distance. Sometimes Ayumi thought she wanted to reach out, but that outstretched hand would retract, and she would be cold again, and eventually it stopped killing her that she wouldn't (no it didn't, she was just used to it, expected it; Mitsuhiko wasn't there yet).

Ayumi was a social butterfly, but butterflies hardly ever stayed in one place, and she flitted from one group to another without ever truly belonging, just long enough to know names and faces. This was why she and Mitsuhiko were so alike, she'd shut down, too.

Come their third year, Ayumi was closing cases all on her own. Mitsuhiko and Genta came when she called, but she tried not to (she was scared that eventually they wouldn't come). She wondered if Shinichi knew all the trouble she was getting up to (she wondered if he cared-- why? Why did it matter if he cared?) He had to hear about it through the police, or deduce that it was her from the nameless papers drawn up hours after she'd closed her cases. She shrugged off the thought (but there were eyes in her dreams, odd ones, like a memory that she's so curious to touch but terrified to recall).

Regardless of the people and the cases and the criminals and the failures, she could put her cases on her resume, and that meant she'd get into a good university. Somewhere far away, somewhere near a beach, somewhere suburban and away from Tokyo. So she took Himura University's offer and didn't bat an eye at the distance. Her mother and father cried and fueled her packings full of microwavable food (it was enough to make the seven-year-old Genta she once knew salivate), and Mitsuhiko and Genta squeezed the daylights out of her and all three of them stood at the train and wept for an hour straight, right up until the train was making its final call and she had to go.

(Haibara and Shinichi hid a few aisles over, clutching badges they no longer wore as she cried and he pretended not to notice for her sake-- and for his.)

She got set up in the dorm room easy enough. She made her bed, hung some pictures (she debated setting the frame of the Detective Boys, all five of them, on her nightstand, and instead hid it face-down in her drawer). It took a few hours for her roommate to arrive, but she was beautiful and tan and had green eyes that sparkled when she said hello. Her name was Akiko Nishimura. They shook hands and something warm started chipping away at the cold patch where Indigo used to be.

She was scouting out her semester's classrooms and got lost when she ran into Katashi Sasaki-- and she nearly died when she looked into his eyes and saw Conan's. No glasses, just blue, familiar all the same. His hair was styled differently, more of a western cut and as yellow as the sun, but his face and his lips and his ears and his eyes… She dropped her books and he cocked an eyebrow at her and said "I was gonna ask if you needed help with those. Guess that answers my question." She'd gone red in the face, huffed and said:

"Thank you, I'm okay, though."

He tapped her head with her Math textbook and said: "Liar. Where are you headed?"

The rest was history.

She was studying on the second floor of the library, brushing up on her English and failing miserably when a boy sat down across from her. Brown eyes, auburn hair- a foreigner like Katashi, but less American, more European. He cracked a book open, glanced up at her, blinked, then turned his attention back to his textbook with a yawn. They didn't speak, though the uncomfortable air compelled every cell of her body to. She tried to concentrate on English, sound out a difficult word, but she kept stressing the R and couldn't say the L. She grimaced. "I can practically hear your brain imploding. I suggest dropping the class and studying a different language." And that was the first thing Yori Smartass Sata ever said to her. She'd glared and reminded him to be polite to strangers and returned to studying. Five minutes later, he'd proclaimed himself her tutor.

Takumi Ikeda was a frail, cowardly boy who reminded her of Mitsuhiko the first summer after Haibara and Conan had left-- a shut-in gamer who slept in the day and lived for the nightlife his roommate-less dorm-room afforded him. He was as pale as the moon itself, bright enough he nearly blinded her when she first saw him stumbling out of the nearby cafe with layers of bags under his eyes. Despite the lack of sleep, his face was rounded and baby-ish, cute with the round glasses that were falling off his nose. His large baggy sweater dipped over his shoulder as he passed by her with a murmur about "finishing Devil Souls". He'd dropped his wallet, and she'd spent the rest of the day deducing what dorm-room was his, determined to return the small bit of yen and the student ID she'd found inside. It'd taken her until the early evening, but she'd knocked and interrupted his playthrough of the newest Sunshine Valley RPG…. so it was only fair she stay and help him farm with the tricks she'd learned from the previous games.

She hadn't meant to stumble into the football locker rooms, she really hadn't, but the tan Osakan guy with a wide cocky grin and a mouth full of wit she wanted to stuff with his dirty socks- Youta Oshiro- didn't seem to have any intention of letting it go. She had the unfortunate luck of being in his Math class and in his English class and even free during the time she'd set aside in her schedule for lunch. "Caught you sneaking a peek earlier, ya just have to ask, ya know." He'd taken to clinging at her side, like he thought she had a crush on him or something, and it drove her up a wall. The other personalities she'd been used to, but a guy like him was new territory in an already-new situation, and she grew more disgruntled each day. He knew Akiko, apparently. Grew up in the same town, though they didn't speak much. He used it as an excuse to get closer to Ayumi, though. He ate lunch with her and flashed his muscles (which he certainly did have as the star football player, she'd admit), and he asked her questions about class (was actually kinda helpful when she didn't get something, almost symbiotic). She was starting to get attached to him, hardly fought against it when Katashi joined them. They were rivals? Or something. They butted heads, and she wagered it had something to do with Katashi's dad being a cop and Youta's being a shady lawyer with suspicious sources of information. She wasn't sure, but she was starting to feel at home (she could see Genta and Mitsuhiko going back and forth over the picnic table as Agasa Hakase settled them down).

She'd gotten calls from home a few times by the third week. Most were from her parents, who found the time to call despite their work schedules, but the occasional call from Genta or Mitsuhiko would trickle in. They asked how she was, if she'd taken up any cases, if she was making friends (great, not really, and more than she'd thought possible). Mitsuhiko's classes were going well, extremely so, of course, and he was confused by the attention he was getting from complete strangers (all girls, and Ayumi wondered how a boy as smart as Mitsuhiko couldn't see that the ladies were flocking to him, and wondered if maybe he was willingly ignoring it for modesty or something more painful). She'd laughed and told him to spend some time being more social; he declined initially, but she knew he'd fold. Genta was in culinary school and having the time of his life, learning new dishes, learning new tricks with knives (the thought of which made her nervous in the worst way). Neither had taken up any cases, necessarily, but the towns surrounding their schools were quiet, at least not as rambunctious as Tokyo had been. Hearing their voices was like smelling a candle that carried the scent of home, or feeling a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer. It brought tears to her eyes, and she sat on the side of her bed stifling her sobs because she didn't want Mitsuhiko or Genta to hear, didn't want them to worry because she was fine.

Akiko came home to find her leaning over her knees, burying her head in her hands and whimpering with the phone on End Call. She'd sat beside her and rubbed soothing circles into her back. "It'll get easier," (spoiler: actually, as this story unfolds, it only gets harder) she murmured, and "you've got friends here too" (another spoiler: some might not actually be friends). Ayumi leaned into her shoulder, wiping the tears from her eyes and forcing a smile. For the moment, she wasn't alone, maybe wasn't for the first time in a long time. "Hey," Akiko picked up her phone and playfully tossed it in the air for good measure, grinning at Ayumi's red-rimmed eyes. "Why don't I give Youta a call? He knows the best ice cream place and he won't tell me, but maybe he'll tell you if we guilt him with your big sad puppy eyes!"

"Akiko-chan! That's so mean!"

"Don't worry, don't worry! He owes me anyway! I did his essay last week and he still hasn't paid me."

A small bead of sweat dripped down Ayumi's head.

It took Youta only a few short minutes to arrive at their door, a scowling Katashi in toe for some reason. Ayumi didn't mind; she took it as a sign that she was meant to be with these people right now, and that was okay. Youta wrapped an arm over her shoulders and argued with Katashi about the statistics of crime in Japan and other things she had a hard time following, and Akiko clung to her other side and egged either end on like a referee who was biased (depending on who she thought was winning) and dirty. Ayumi stood, surrounded by the chaos feeling oddly serene. Whatever tears had been in her eyes before were gone, for the moment, maybe for longer, and she'd be thankful for the whirlwind she found herself at the center of right now.

She didn't notice the black car parked across the street, or the familiar eyes that haunted her dreams watching her from behind the cracked window.

[hotcocosharing]

Double Troubles - the reunion. Part 11

Recap or familiarize with what happened click here

Picking up a little further ahead than where it was left off; the cast of Glory Days 20 years later have come back together for a college reunion; with life experiences, maturity (we hope) and are all hoping, for the least to have a good time. Let the magic unfold.

OC Eriko Sato & Midori Katayani

Voltage Canons Yukihisa Maki, Shunichiro Tachibana, Toshiakia, Shinichi Kagari & Rikiya

Part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11

OC Eriko Sato & Midori Katayani

Voltage Canons Yukihisa Maki, Shunichiro Tachibana, Toshiakia, Shinichi Kagari & Rikiya

Toshiaki’s POV

The suggestion of meeting up for coffee seems like less than a fun opportunity to catch up with an old friend and more like having teeth pulled out without anaesthetic at the dentist when it takes more effort than I had at first initially expected for Eriko to agree to come out to a coffee house in the west of town that over the last few years has held its reputation as being my favourite. Seated across from the woman that I haven’t physically seen in years yet manage to catch a glimpse of every now and again via skype or even get a look into her life by reading in between the lines of emails she on the rare occasion sends, I smirk. Eriko’s become the complete opposite of what at first I thought she’d be capable of – strong willed, ambitious and victorious in her own right.

Sipping leisurely on the coffee in front of me, it’s a routine gesture of fixing my posture and adjusting my tie which gives me the opportunity to think of what it is I should be saying - a carefully selected string of words that never actually comes out the way I’d intended.

"The wife’s staying in tonight. It’s Tachibana’s retirement party and… if you were available or free; I’d like it if you’d accompany me. Pretty please.”

Okay, there was the easy part…. the proposal of suggestion; it was now that I knew more than just a smile was going to be needed to get Eriko to agree. “Ipromise, I won’t force you to interact with anyone you don’t want to and if a young flirty creep comes up, I’ll do my best to not have them try and make a move on you. So what do you say? It’ll be fun… the workaholic finally free of all corporate responsibilities.”

Ok… now came the cliche part. Showing off the greatest boyish grin I could muster. Fingers crossed she agrees.

Midori’s POV

“What do you mean you’re not coming?”

“Yuki, for the thousandth time in the last hour he doesn’t want me there. He’s just being nice. I showed you the letter. Shunichiro has made his mind up about his life and my life and how they aren’t ever going to converge, and I don’t want to put myself through what I already know is going to happen. So just drop it – please.”

By this stage – one would think that a friend would give up on trying to convince me to attend an event I wasn’t [nee – certainly] wasn’t sure about, but Yukihisa? No. My long-time friend turned unexpectant brother figure has made himself comfortable rummaging through my wardrobe; pulling out things left right and centre as ‘maybes’ and ‘no’s for what I could possibly wear. Rolling my eyes, I fold my arms across my chest and attempt to reason with him.

“I don’t have anyone to take care of Sakura.” “That’s bullshit, I already called your mother and she said she was free tonight.” “You called my mother?” “Yes – one, because she adores me and two, because I knew if you were free – you wouldn’t be able to say no.”

Biting my tongue as to not say anything I regret, I pull the gift out I’d semi-panicked over trying to select and with both hands, hold it out, clearing my throat with a small cough and smiling as to not come across as a threat. “Here… just take this and give it to Shun.”

“…you’re going to give it to him yourself.”

Fuck you’re a jerk Maki.

“…..and wear this.”

Before I’ve got time to quarrel again, Yukihisa’s already made up some excuse about needing to get going because the party is starting in a few hours and how it would be rude as Shunichiro’s longest standing and most loyal friend to not be there. Rolling my eyes; I glance down at the dress laying on the bed and call out loudly, “Sakura! Mommy has some things to do tonight so grand-ma’s coming over to baby sit. Make sure your room is clean please!”

I can’t believe I’m being almost guilt into this. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Eriko Sato’s POV

Unmasked without foundation or concealer to cover my evidential sacrifices under my eyes, I gaze into the mirror, mainly at the man watching by the door frame whom has the fortune to see the most natural side of me for numerous of time. Setting our memories aside, the morning feast has done its wonder and the secret nearly slips through my grin- I miss him. Not sure if I should or what difference it might make but as of this moment, I miss Shinichi Kagari.

Shinichi Kagari’s POV

At this age, going onto mid 40s, one would think my actions should equal to maturity but the string of jealousy and admiration surge through my veins like I’m a hot headed twenty year old. The satisfying smile and praise from Eriko has sent me to cloud nine until she begins getting ready to be out and happilywickedly announces that she’s off to a date.

"With who? The guy who put a ring on you?” As if this would be the perfect morning-after conversation, I bring it up anyway- you never know with Eriko, this could be the last time I see her. “Does he like to share? Because I don’t."

Tone serious and colder than intended, my eyes are narrowed and fixed on her outfits- she looks nothing like a forty-year-old, confidence and youth seem to be in her favor. Lipgloss, lipstick, what are they called? Color on her cherry lips and a ponytail, it couldn’t be any simpler yet I’m still charmed by her stunning perfection.

"Are you jealous?"

Breath stuck in my throat, I couldn’t deny the obvious or the fact that I have absolutely no clue what this is or where we stand. Is there even a we?

"I miss you, Shinichi. Don’t think I should but I do and that’s that.”

Fuck, this is why I don’t need relationship. Unnecessary and overrated complications, unlike the beauty of mathematics- calculable and transparent.

“Lock up when you leave or stay.”

Her signature smirk leaves me hanging, standing alone in her apartment with train of thoughts murdering every single one of my brain cells- dishes, let’s start with dishes. Maybe a bit of chaos would take my eyes off things- why am I doing her housework?! Fuck she messes me up good!

Eriko Sato’s POV

Excitement turns cold at our irregular yearly ritual of exploring cafes around town the moment Toshiaki flashes his best boyish grin that only happens once in a blue moon and in need of something in return. Like the time he begged me to try on fancy dresses so he’d buy the right size for his wife or go hunting for the perfect anniversary gift with him. God, the things I do for this man!

Seated across the homme fatale who has caused me countless heartbreaks as well as a close friend for two decades, never once judge my immaturity or stubbornness. Despite our lack of meeting in person, our occasional emails exchange and Skype calls somehow pull us closer than I have with most people in my life.

The sun streaming across his face brings me slowly back to awareness, taking a moment to clear the fuzzy, warm feeling of seeing that rare but captivating smile from my brain and recognize there must be a reason for the choice of his words

“Does it mean Midori and ass face will be there?” I sigh helplessly, wondering how rude and offended I must have been twelve hours ago. Why do I even bother getting mad at two people who are no longer my concern? “Fine, when have I ever said no to you? Well… Just … that one time.” The words stumble out of my mouth, heavy with hesitation till my eyes meet his and the smiles re-emerge. No what if with this guy, I might have been reckless in my youth but rejecting Toshiaki Kijima is the one decision I don’t regret. He’s forever mine as I’m his, just in a very different kind of way. “There’s few hours left so you better go shopping with me so I’d choose a decent present. Are we absolutely sure that Tachibana is retiring? A leopard can’t change its spots.”

[showbizprofiling]

Top 24 Best Action Anime of All Time to Watch Right Now

Best Action Anime has always been a signature of anime genre from the very starting. Even if it's not ever the primary focus as it once was, in the 1970s and 1980s, most anime displayed scenes or set plays with intense fight scenes. And I would hope that the top action anime world never went too far away. Let's take a look at a couple of action romance anime that ranks the best of all time. Don't miss Thrillist's best action anime list. 'Top Action anime' is an audit quality, so We compiled 24 best action anime, and each anime series had a few notables. Every  anime encourages dramatic change or stands out due to a brilliant plot or character.  You asked for the best anime action of all times, and we brought a list of romance action anime.

The List of Best Action with Romance Anime

24- Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Directed By: Tetsurō Araki Release Date: April 8, 2016 Duration: 12 Episodes Rating: IMDb (7.3/10) The "Kabane" are horrible creatures like zombies that can only be killed by piercing their iron-protected hearts. After "Ikoma's" city overran, he boarded a fortified iron train alongside some new allies searching for a safer place. The Good action anime here is its key selling point, with the continuous panning of camera angles accentuating dynamic and rapid combat. There's a flashback: "Ikoma," a professional investor, had told "Mumei" that he would transform her back into a human. Do we feel some kind of romance action anime tension between the two? They're a fine pair of fights, for sure. In the present, Ikoma" is convening with human leaders to formulate a war plan, but humans don't trust him, possibly because of his "Kabane" blood. It doesn't work for him that he's not quite himself. He sweats like crazy, and he falls to his knees. During the Industrial Age, the action romance anime occurs as the virus infects humans and transforms them into "Kabane". 23- Black Lagoon

Directed By: Sunao Katabuchi Release Date: April 8, 2006 Duration: 24 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.3/10) The squad of the "Black Lagoon" is ragtag of mercenaries in the coin, but their relationships are tied together. When "Rokurou Okajima" (a non-assuming businessman) joins the gang and gives it the name "Rok," he turns away his life, as he flew into a world of crime, corruption, and greed. The Titan assault is terrible, but it's not exactly a horror action anime. You will discover an operation that is heavy on the scheme, creating a character and the environment, if you can stomach the gruesome, inner presence of the titans and the violent intent of how to devote their victims. Since there is possibly more action romance anime than almost any genre, Attack on Titan is indeed the best one since the virtual absence of plot shield means that no one is ever truly safe, and the consequences were genuine. Black Lagoon, the best action anime without our happy trigger Revy, who promises to push the series together, cannot be said about it. 22- Dorohedoro

Directed By: Yuichiro Hayashi Release Date: 1999 Duration: 12 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.5/10) We find powerless people and strong magicians alike in the abandoned and unhospitable district of Hole. Kaiman is a tall, brooding figure with the head of a crocodile. But he wasn't born that way. And he's looking for the guy who took his body, his memories, and, ultimately, his identity. When this top action romance anime begins, "En", a leading mafia magician, hears a Lizardman murdering his people and sends out the indifferent Shin and his partner, the bubbly (and too muscular) Noi, into the Hole to take care of Caiman, triggering a messy conflict between the two worlds. Although the initial premise would otherwise suggest that the moral world of Dorohedoro is far from black and white, sorcerers' society appears to be one with its internal conflicts and oppressive machines. 21- Gintama

Directed By: Shinji Takamatsu Release Date: April 4, 2006 Duration: 367 Episodes Rating:  IMDb (8.6/10) Hundreds of "Gintama" episodes cover many genres. I loved it from the very beginning, but some suggest you must get to the first serious arc to appreciate the value of "Gintama's" setting and characters. "Gintoki" is a samurai who helps people with jobs here and there in Feudal Japan after an alien invasion. Comedy's an anime's hard nut to crack. The funniest series there relies on Japanese phrases that do not translate. "Gintama" is on the thin side, and witches might lose in Western audiences. The Comedy action romance anime is still legally funny, so the award of best comedy anime is taken. Part of this is from jokes that land amid the language barrier. 20- The Tower of God

Directed By: Takashi Sano Release Date: June 30, 2010 Duration: 13 Episodes Rating:  IMDb (7.9/10) The Tower of God recently completed is the first action romance anime webtoon! I'm pleased that I Choose a good one. The anime enhanced over the webtoon in every possible way, with the distinct and raw art style and an epic weight for every conflict. This electronic orchestral soundtrack. 25th Bam was a boy who knew only a dark cavern, a filthy cloth, and an inaccessible light all his life. Then the whole of his life changed when a young girl named Rachel came into him by morning. He learned from her some things about the outside world by being close friends with Rachel. Begins "Bam's" journey, a young boy who wasn't selected from the Tower but had his doors opened. They call its kind of "Irregulars" being that each time they put a foot in, it has shaken the very base of the Tower. 19- Akira

Directed By: Katsuhiro Otomo Release Date: July 16, 1988 Duration: 2h 6m Rating:  IMDb (8/10) Akira is a classic all-time Anime. Gang wars, psychokinetic conspiracies, and a government effort are situated around Neo-scenery, Tokyo's, which could ruin the city and kill most of the inhabitants. The tale is dense, so let us concentrate on the action. Akira is not just a action anime, and not just great animation, although both are great. It's a beautiful film; it stops absolutely. There is a lot of top action romance anime list, and every year more come out. Akira remains a high watermark. It is a great film, a cool story, and a beautiful, action-packed animation with tremendous attention to detail. 18- Parasyte

Directed By: Bong Joon-ho Release Date: May 30, 2019 Duration: 2h 12m Rating:  IMDb (8.5/10) But not his side, now hosting a personality. Oh, his eyes and the mouth. Okay, that's terrible, but you can still change. The horror of the body was never so freely directed into motion. This best action anime will concentrate on Izumi Shinichi, a 17-year-old who lives in Tokyo with his family. One night, an alien Parasyte that looks like a worm enters his body, burrowing on to his arm, which is named Migi. It leads to an unusual connection between the two. 17- Land of the Lustrous

Directed By: Takahiko Kyogoku Release Date: October 7, 2017 Duration: 12 Episodes Rating:  IMDb (8.4/10) It's beautiful to watch, featuring many pleasant and well-defined people who each need a demon in an eternal war with the Lunar people who are mobilizing their bodies to harvest their beauty. Some of the settings will leave your jaw between your knees, waiting for the next episode to be clicked. Crystalline creatures called Gems in the unknown future occupy a planet devastated by six meteors. Each Ornament is assigned a role to combat the Lunar people, a species that attacks them to break down their bases and utilize them as decorations. It's dynamic, brilliant and has some of the most pleasant films in best action romance anime TV history. 16- One Punch Man

Directed By: Shingo Natsume Release Date: December 4, 2015 Duration: 12 episodes and 5 special episodes Rating:  IMDb (8.8/10) The author of the original webcomics hit it with his first idea, uh, punched it out of the park. Get this all right? Just imagine a standard shounen or even super heroic comic.  Although the action anime genre is still spoofing, One Punch Man ventures in a different direction and asks the fundamental question: What if a superhero were so powerful that he could punch all of his enemies? The top action anime series begins with a regular guy called Saitama, who chooses a nonsensical training scheme to become a superhero. He overdoes it, becomes so dominant that his opponents are not in trouble, and as a result, he becomes bored (and bald). This, however, is a cool, funny and good action anime series of bonkers with lots of action - Saitama must take things seriously every once and for a while. 15- Sword of the Stranger

Directed By: Masahiro Andô Release Date: September 29, 2007 Duration: 1h 43m Rating: IMDb (7.8/10) As part of their unprecedented ability and straightforward aim, Sword of the Stranger may very well be the most thoroughly performed entry in the best action anime of all time genre. Young orphan Kotaro and his heroic dog Tobimaru encounter an unnamed swordsman whose adventures need little clarification. It seems to Sword of the Stranger, a great option to start this rundown, precisely because it is the high-octane action with some good action anime choreographed parts that keep you attached to your seat during the film. She would not mislead her narrative characters, incredible sequences of action, stunning art styles, and only the fraternal love between two main characters has a progressing past. If you love the setting of history, that's another justification to give the Stranger's Sword a chance.. 14- Hellsing Ultimate

Directed By: Geneon Release Date: February 10, 2006 Duration: 10 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.6/10) Hellsing Ultimate incorporates anything from the Hellsing original and lifts it to the extreme. A little less than an hour, ten episodes tell you a macabre and witty tale of vampirism and survival. Very legendary, fabulous, unique, and one of the most sensitive artworks. A lot of vampire amines will occur. The varied best action anime output was understandable, as it had been subject to various animation studios. The animations from Gory were adequate to make you feel disgusted and distressed. The source was faithful, but the production of timing and plot was too quick and choppy for non-manga readers, making plot twists and character development trivial and impressionable. 13- Evangelion

Directed By: Geneon Release Date: November 17, 2012 Duration: 26 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.6/10) Gurren Lagann brings things in a genre known for excess to another stage with a good action anime breeze, a node, and a screamed alarm. A mecha with sunglasses could turn off visitors who aren't in the giant robot-anime genre. However, what seems to be an embarrassing mess works much better than it does. Crochet, line, plunger, the high-energy opening sequence, and the first episode lead you through some well-designed scenes that are strange but brilliant and amusing best action romance anime for the same time. When each character is introduced, we learn more about the brain, nerve, and soul organizations and why they have been developed. 12- Katanagatari

Directed By: Hideo Katsumata with Others. Release Date: January 25, 2010 Duration: 12 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.4/10) In his quest for 12 special blades, Katanagatari is the story of strategist and Martial Artist Shichika. It is also the tale of shifting times when the swords' age was forced to end with the rash of firearms in Japan's Edo-era.  The core partnership is just as intense as the realization of its key subjects, which ensures that the bread and butter of this series will keep you in some way amused as you chatter interminably. This isn't to say that this top action romance anime are not entertaining. Still, it is more aimed at fans who might be considering pivoting towards more dialog-heavy anime and, at the same time, retaining a substantial side dish of action. 11- Kill la Kill

Directed By: Hiroyuki Imaishi Release Date: October 3, 2013 Duration: 27 Episodes Rating: IMDb (7.9/10) Revenge is the game story in "Kill la Kill," starting from a basic plot but becoming more complicated and more in-depth, rather than just an anime full of best action anime and beautiful combat scenes than appears in each chapter. Ryuuko Matoi roamed the country in search of his killer after the assassination of her dad. At the renowned Honnouji Academy, she is at high school, unlike any other, with just her lead-the absent half of his innovation, Scissor Blade. The Academy, along with its influential subsidiary elite four, is ruled by the formidable and cold-hearted student council chairman Satsuki Kiryuin. Satsuki offers those in the highest unique clothing called "Goku's Uniforms," which offer the wearer extraordinary superhuman powers in the school's brutally competitive hierarchy. The hits are still entertaining with their characters and the storyline. This is a roller coaster; you will understand when you watch this anime. 10- Devilman: Crybaby

Directed By: Masaaki Yuasa Release Date: January 5, 2018 Duration: 10 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.1/10) This is numbered as the top 10 action anime of the year, and it sounds incredible to modernize a classic anime, and it demonstrates that it can be significant. The 1972 and 1987 originals are little-known but decent classics. I recommend that you watch the sub or read the manga. Although it's all packed, blood, blah blah blah drugs, it's also emotionally full. It's about who the real demons are with a deep and dark psychological subject. Monsters killing people or people killing people. The fight between Fudo and these malformations is incredible. Although it's full of feelings, tears in your eyes sometimes don't like Naruto, One Piece, and Koe no katachi. 9- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Directed By: Naokatsu Tsuda Yasuhiro Kimura Release Date: January 1, 1987 Duration: 42 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.7/10) The events of the Joestars, which now take several decades, families, and even timelines, can practically not be summed up. This romance action anime has already seen several bizarre adventures from slaying vampires to defend a small town – and a lot to come! The charming old-school beginning; the following with maybe the most charismatic protagonist; a curious tour with an even better-known Villain, and even a small one clashes with the most inspired path to date. Every season has its attractions. But as the environments, skills, and tones change, two aspects remain the same the unforgettable positions of Hirohiko Araki and the fact that JoJo's battles quickly turn out to be a strategic game. 8- Mob Psycho 100

Directed By: Yuzuru Tachikawa Release Date: July 12, 2016 Duration: 25 Episodes Rating: IMDb (8.5/10) Read the full article

[aion-rsa]

Best Horror Anime To Watch on Netflix

https://ift.tt/3k6SXDC

Come every October, audiences can be guaranteed that programming will shift over to horror-centric content to fit with Halloween. With the litany of streaming services that now exist, it’s gone from being difficult to fill 31 days of content to it being a serious struggle to fit everything in. There’s horror programming everywhere at the moment and this is also true when it comes to anime. 

Netflix has built up an increasingly impressive library of anime content  that includes some moody horror selections that are perfect for the season (or anytime really). However, with so many titles out there it’s not always easy to know what’s worthwhile, especially when the names of some series don’t do much to help on the matter. Here’s a helpful selection of some of Netflix’s best and most frightening anime titles so you don’t have to dig through the herd.

Parasyte –the maxim–

How Many Episodes: 24

Sub and Dub

There are plenty of anime that feature unassuming humans who are suddenly paired together with a supernatural partner or even become a hybrid of man and beast themselves. Parasyte -the maxim-,however, is the only one that feels like it could be an unofficial sequel to The Thing. Aliens have invaded the planet with the goal to gradually subjugate the entire human race. Shinichi Izumi is a run of the mill highschooler who finds himself bonded with one of these parasitic monsters who takes up residence living inside his hand. Shinichi and his alien parasite try to root out and eliminate the rest of these predatory species and the result is an amazing hybrid of mystery and action with constant body horror thrown in for good measure. There are hundreds of different aliens featured in anime, but the threats in Parasyte will actually make stomachs churn. In addition to the disturbing visuals, Parasyte crafts a surprisingly emotional relationship between Shinichi and the alien living in his hand.

Devilman Crybaby

How Many Episodes: 10

Sub and Dub

The Devilman series has been around for decades in various iterations, but the most recent take on the material, Devilman Crybaby, feels special and like it’s trying to do something different with the property. Devilman Crybaby‘s plot isn’t overly complex. It features a world that’s at risk of being overrun by demons. Akira bonds with a demon in a way that turns him into Devilman, a hybrid between man and demon that’s the key to ending this war. Devilman Crybaby is dripping in carnage and it’s a series that trades in extremes. The legendary Masaaki Yuasa is the director and it’s the fluid ways that he plays with animation and color that makes Devilman Crybaby such a delight. Bloodshed and monsters have never been so visually beautiful.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato

How Many Episodes: 3

Sub and Dub

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is like if Resident Evil and Snowpiercer had a baby. It’s one of the few genuinely creative takes on the zombie genre in years. The Battle of Unato is Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress’ movie that’s set six months after the events of the series and it features the humans’ united front to take back their world from the undead. The animation is on a whole other level and there’s such satisfying world building present in this broken steampunk society. Obviously a knowledge of the original anime is helpful here, but The Battle of Unato can still be appreciated by genre fans who are looking for something like Attack on Titan meets Frankenstein. It’s a smart combination of old-world technology with radical new forms of destruction. Netflix splits up Battle of Unato into three busy episodes, which makes this the perfect watch that won’t take up a lot of time and can help bring more people around to the preceding series.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

How Many Episodes: 26 and 2 Movies

Sub and Dub

Neon Genesis Evangelion may not immediately come across as a horror series, but there’s disturbing imagery that’s present from the first episode that only becomes more intense as the series goes on. Evangelion is a moody deconstruction of not just the mecha genre, but also human nature. The series elegantly meshes together provoking questions with incredible action sequences and gutting character drama. The anime stands out for its unique take on robots, monsters, and how it intertwines religion with it all. It’s an ambitious project, but few anime create the same sense of anxiety and dread as Evangelion. Neon Genesis Evangelion is still considered to be one of the most acclaimed and challenging anime even decades after its debut. There’s truly nothing else like it. 

Ajin: Demi-Human

How Many Episodes: 26

Sub and Dub

Ajin: Demi-Human is a horror anime that riffs on many of the themes that populate the genre. Kei Nagai learns that he’s an Ajin—a hybrid between human and demon—who have advanced regenerative abilities. Ajin can also create powerful ghost-like warriors to combat other Ajin, which is kind of like if Tokyo Ghoul mixed together with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Ajin are hunted by the government and turned into science experiments, which makes Nagai and the rest of his kind determined to take out the corrupt organization and quell the conflict between human and Ajin. Ajin: Demi-Human is more interested in action and atmosphere than some of the heavier psychological issues explored in these other anime, but it’s still addictive and morbid fun.

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Death Note

How Many Episodes: 37 

Sub and Dub

Death Note is one of the bigger anime to come out of the past few decades and it’s because despite the hyperbolized places that the story goes, it still presents a parable that explores the curious nature of man and the dark places that curiosity can go. Death Note is a brilliant exercise in perspective as it shifts between killer and detective with the titular and mysterious Death Note caught in between. There’s something deeply terrifying about the Death Note’s power to kill anyone whose name is written inside of it and how flippantly Light Yagami utilizes this function. Death Note has some provoking thoughts and it’s impressive that it’s able to mesh such exaggerated visuals and extreme elements into this disturbing character study. Part of the joy in Death Note is that Light makes mistakes from the start and only works himself deeper to the point of no return.

Erased

How Many Episodes: 12 

Sub and Dub

Erased is a fantastic mix of genres that wraps together elements of horror with science fiction and psychological thrillers. It tells a very different kind of story about the pursuit of a serial killer and plots a tight story that doesn’t meander within a lean 12 episodes. The anime centers around Satoru, a man who experiences a phenomenon known as “Revivals” that send him back briefly in time to help prevent accidents. Suddenly Satoru’s mother is killed and it looks like the culprit has ties to a series of crimes from nearly two decades ago. Satoru’s next Revival sends him back to his childhood with the opportunity to prevent these crimes and save his mother in the process. Erased isn’t interested in the mechanics behind Satoru’s ability and it instead focuses on powerful character dynamics and a mystery that’s actually suspenseful and frightening. Satoru’s efforts to solve this crime as a 10 year-old boy makes for a fantastic complication.

Dorohedoro

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub and Dub

Horror anime should primarily be scary, but one of the perks of the genre is that anime can animate terrifying visuals on a level that often surpasses standard American animation. There’s still a lot of debate on whether the increased presence of CG in anime is a good thing or not, but Dorohedoro is proof that it can be used effectively and stylistically to amplify the surreal nature of the story at hand. Dorohedoro is set in a wild gig-economy world where magic is rampant and the schism between humans and sorcerers creates crime and disorder. Most humans are subjected to crude magic and find themselves with bizarre heads as a result. Caiman, the main character, wakes up with a reptile head and no memories of who he is, which leaves him even more vulnerable than usual in this chaotic world. Dorohedoro is another excellent example of creative world building that mixes horror together with fantasy and crime in an inspired way. It’s the type of freaky meditation of identity and society that Bright wishes it had been.

Attack on Titan

How Many Episodes: 25 

Sub Only

Attack on Titan has grown into one of the most popular anime series of this decade and it’s incredible to see how the scope of the story has slowly grown over time. The anime takes place within a walled city where humanity has feared the gigantic Titans that roam the land outside their walls. The anime chronicles the population’s efforts to combat these monsters, but it also looks at the war that’s been going on for generations and the sordid history of how Titans originated in the first place. Attack on Titan truly rewards dedicated audiences and the betrayals, revelations, and character development is just as satisfying as the epic fights with hordes of Titans. Netflix only has the first season of Attack on Titan available, but it’s still a convenient way to get introduced to the influential anime before its fourth and final season hits.

The Promised Neverland

How Many Episodes: 12 

Sub and Dub

The Promised Neverland tells such an addicting, enigmatic story that there’s a reason a slew of horror films and even Stephen King have riffed on the idea that’s at its core. The anime is set in a broken version of the future and it looks at a number of young children who are confined to an orphanage. The orphanage’s charity seems to be a blessing in this harsh times, but it turns out that there’s actually something much more sinister going on with the orphanage and the people that run. The Promised Neverland tells a disturbing story that gets more intense with every turn. It’s not afraid to incorporate deadly creatures, but more than anything else it highlights how humans can be more evil than anything else. The second season of The Promised Neverland is on its way, so these excellent debut episodes should be mandatory viewing. A live-action adaptation is in the works at Amazon.

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Other horror-centric or monster-based anime titles to check out on Netflix when you’ve scared yourself stiff from everything else: Black Butler, Blue Exorcist, Castlevania, Gantz: 0, Vampire Knight

The post Best Horror Anime To Watch on Netflix appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[stormyrecords-blog]

march 29th new arrivals

in on thursday restock on these lps - HEXADIC III $24.99ben chasney currated lp of current amazing guitar players on drag city CAVERN OF ANTI-MATTER Hormone Lemonade $28.99still the clear vinyl version!!! JAY DANIEL - Audire Vol 1 Watusi High cassette $9.99beats tape by local dj/electronic magician who has been running with the Wild Oats crowd for years. Debut release from Detroit super-duo 'Audire', comprised of Jay Daniel & Ajamu Yakini. Raw work of art combining World, Jazz, Hip-Hop & everything in between. Limited to only 100 cassettes.Running Time 28 mins. JAY DANIEL - School Dance ep on Watusi $8.99it's wonderful to be in a place where we get to meet young people with the dream of making music. and to watch them work hard and grow and realize their dream of putting out records and performing all over the world. it can also be hard as they age to see them and see they are older, and know that means we are older too. we're proud to be able to play some small part in the lives of musicians like jay, who so truly loves what he does. Following releases on Theo Parrish’s Sound Signature imprint and Kyle Hall’s Wild Oats label, ascending house DJ and producer Jay Daniel has decided to step out on his own, unveiling the first release on his new Watusi High imprint. The two-track School Dance EP collects a pair of muddy, slow-chugging house tracks from the man himself. Funkadelic: Free Your Mind LP $31.99"Funkadelic's second LP, originally released in 1970, is another straight up masterpiece from the stoniest, strangest funk and R&B group of all-time. Opening with the 10 minute title track complete with a shredding keyboard solo from Bernie Worrell and, of course, the six-stringed insanity of Eddie Hazel. One of George Clinton's finest sets of songs and another essential part of the Parliament-Funkadelic catalog reissued on blue starburst vinyl in a deluxe gatefold jacket." Atobe, Shinichi: Butterfly Effect 2LP $29.992018 limited repress. Shinichi Atobe has managed to stay off the grid since he made an appearance on Basic Channel's Chain Reaction imprint back in 2001. He delivered the second-to-last 12" on the label and then disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a solitary record that's been selling for crazy money and a trail of speculation that has led some people to wonder whether the project was in fact the work of someone on the Basic Channel payroll. That killer Chain Reaction 12" has also been a longtime favorite of Demdike Stare, who have been trying to follow the trail and make contact with Atobe for some time, whoever he turned out to be. A lead from the Basic Channel office turned up an address in Japan and -- unbelievably -- an album full of archival and new material. Demdike painstakingly assembled and compiled the material for this debut album. And what a weird and brilliant album it is -- deploying a slow-churn opener that sounds like a syrupy Actress track, before working through a brilliantly sharp and tactile nine-minute piano house roller that sounds like DJ Sprinkles, then diving headlong into a heady, Vainqueur-inspired drone-world. It's a confounding album, full of odd little signatures that give the whole thing a timeless feeling completely detached from the zeitgeist, like a sound bubble from another era. This is only the second album release on Demdike Stare's DDS imprint, following the release of Nate Young's Regression Vol. 3 (Other Days) (DDS 007LP) in 2013. Who knows what they might turn up next? Mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy. Messthetics: S/T LP $18.99cd also available $12.99"The Messthetics are an instrumental trio featuring Brendan Canty (drums), Joe Lally (bass), and Anthony Pirog (guitar). Brendan Canty and Joe Lally were the rhythm section of the band Fugazi from its inception in 1987 to its period of hiatus in 2002. This is the first band they've had together since then. Anthony Pirog is a jazz and experimental guitarist based in Washington, D.C. One half of the duo Janel & Anthony, he has emerged as a primary figure in the city's out-music community. The trio's debut includes nine songs recorded at Canty's practice space throughout 2017, live and mostly without overdubs. It's a snapshot of a band dedicated to the live ideal, where structure begets improvisation." Perry, Jordan: S/T LP $17.99"Much needed reissue of the extremely limited 2017 debut LP by Virginia guitarist, Jordan Perry. We were turned on to it when Chris Guttmacher at Blue Bag Records in Cambridge told Kassie Richardson of Good Cry (who did the initial 100 pressing) to send us a copy. He thought we might be into it, and halfway into one spin we knew he was right. There have been several fat boatloads of acoustic guitar players floating across our turntable the past few years. And to be honest, we've dug the majority of them. Seems like there must be a lot of good stuff in the water, or something. Despite this, a preponderance of the players we've enjoyed have definitely been in the American Primitive mode. Lots of swift modal aktion with a folk/blues base, invaded by various foreign agents. Jordan Perry's approach to his guitar is quite different. Although there are some basic völk sonorities in his playing, Mr. Perry's brunt combines these with more avant garde note selections and compositional gambits, as well as a string attack with classical qualities. While there's a gentleness to the melodies at which he eventually arrives, Perry's journey crosses prickly patches of tone clusters, and has a circular logic that defies pop logic. A few passages recall moments on All Is Ablaze, our recent album with experimental player Julia Reidy (FTR 338LP), while some of the open strumming has a beautifully languid quality verging on mid period William Ackerman. All of which makes this a record very deserving of much personal headspace. Give Jordan Perry some room and you'll be very glad you did. We promise." --Byron Coley, 2018 Edition of 300. Plastic Cloud:S/T LP   $27.992018 repress. "Plastic Cloud recorded, quite simply, one of the greatest psychedelic albums ever made. This is a record with few equals, full of foreboding melodies and lovely hippie harmonies, as well as some of the most superb and trippiest, Eastern sounding fuzz guitar ever recorded. There is no point singling out a specific track, they are all excellent -- one is equally as good as the next. Take for example the album centerpiece, the ten-and-a-half-minute 'You Don't Care,' an insane piece of social commentary that features terrific back-of-the-mix fuzz guitar as an elusive focal point to its extended pounding-drum laden instrumental breaks; with a great chorus and a plaintive melody in the verse, it doesn't overstay its welcome, winding its way to a final freak out. Essential psychedelia!" 180 gram vinyl; Edition of 400/ Comes with lyric insert and replica vintage press release. Phew: Voice Hardcore LP $26.99"Living legend Phew follows up her brilliant Light Sleep album with another masterwork -- Voice Hardcore -- comprised entirely of her iconic, instantly recognizable voice, twisted, folded and layered over six mesmerizing tracks. Recorded at home in summer 2017, this release finds Phew exploring an idea she first hatched while recording her debut single 'Finale' in 1980 -- to, in her words, ' make new reverberations that I have never heard before, using only my body.' 37 years later, Phew proves herself again to be the exception to the rule -- a veteran artist with an estimable catalog spanning decades who, rather than repeating herself or playing it safe, charges headfirst into uncharted territory. Phew's self -- released tour CD of Voice Hardcore was voted # 23 Best Album of 2017 by The Wire Magazine. This Mesh-Key vinyl edition features a silver foil stamped cover and a double-sided, full color insert, and comes with an mp3 download card." Morrow, Charlie: Toot! Too LP $26.99Recital present the first vinyl LP by composer/event-maker Charlie Morrow. Toot! Too culls performance recordings from 1970 to 2014. It focuses on his "Wave Music" series, which are compositions based around swarms of like-instruments; i.e. sixty clarinets, conch choruses, and army of drums and bugle horns, etc. The 1978 piece, "100 Musicians With Lights", was performed at dusk in Central Park. One hundred players (brass, reeds, percussion) congregate and march in spiral formations, playing their instrument with penlights attached to them. The piece dissipates and ends as each player marches through the park to their respective homes. The sound is fascinating; a tape recording made by an audience member swirling and dancing through the performance. Charlie is an organizer: one of instruments, with the pieces that landed on this LP and dozens more; one of events, through decades of public solstice celebrations across the world; one of publications, including New Wilderness Audiographics and EAR Magazine; and, one of friendships as Charlie has kindly introduced me to many fascinating players in this quirky game of ours. He views networking as an art form, always connecting friends with other friends, building a larger web for everyone to dance throughout. Label owner Sean McCann on the release: "In working on this LP over the past years, Charlie Morrow and I have become close. It has been a joy to have him in my life. At the age of 73, he is determined and creative and as positive as ever. Each time we speak, new projects arise -- like a mysterious soup boiling up fresh aromas. One of my favorite memories with Charlie was us staying up 'til the wee small hours of the morning drinking a bottle of sweet potato shochu, me listening to him tell funny and poignant remembrances. I am happy to share these lovely recordings, just a pinky toe in his artistic footprint, but wow, such a gorgeous toe!" Includes 20-page, 8.5x11" color booklet with scores, writings, and photographs; Includes download coupon; Edition of 500. Spacemen 3: Dreamweapon 2LP $39.99"August 1988, Spacemen 3 embark on one of the strangest events in the band's already strange history. Billed as 'An Evening Of Contemporary Sitar Music' (although consciously omitting the sitar), the group would play in the foyer of Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, Middlesex to a largely unsuspecting and unsympathetic audience waiting to take their seats for Wim Wenders' film Wings Of Desire. Spacemen 3's proceeding set, forty-five minutes of repetitive drone-like guitar riffs, could be seen as the 'Sweet Sister Ray' of '80s Britain. Their signature sound is at once recognizable and disorienting -- pointing as much to the hypnotic minimalism of La Monte Young as to a future shoegaze constituency. On this double LP reissue, Dreamweapon is augmented by studio sessions and rehearsal tapes from 1987 that would lead up to the recording of Spacemen 3's classic Playing With Fire album. 'Spacemen Jam,' featuring Sonic Boom and Jason Pierce on dual guitar, is a side-long mediation on delicate textures and psychedelic effects. Includes download card and new insert with liner notes by Will Carruthers."