#the movie isn't even based off the anime it's based off the original manga that nobody read

[kazumahashimoto]

how the actual hell did cheer danshi manage to get a novel and two separate manga adaptations with different art styles character designs and plot and an anime and two ovas all of which were dubbed in english and a stage play and a movie without anybody giving a shit about it

[mirai-e-jump]

TV Guide Dan Vol.51, April 2024 Issue ft. Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Cast Members Iuchi Haruhi x Hayama Yuki Interview (translations below)

Publication: April 5, 2024

PARTNER

"Please tell us about the other person's role in Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger."

Iuchi: Ishiro Meita, played by Yuki-kun, may look cool at first glance, but that's just him hiding his true character. Whenever I play the role of Taiya Hando, he's a character that makes me think, "Ishiro trusts Taiya." Going forward, we'll gradually get to see his cute side.

Hayama: It's true that Ishiro has a wide range of emotions (laughs). My impression of Taiya is that he values his intuition. So far, there aren't that many scenes in the show where the two of them talk together, so we don't know what led to their relationship of trusting each other, but I have a vague idea of what part of Taiya made Ishiro fall for him.

"Can you name some similarities between your roles and each other?"

Hayama: This isn't just me, as other cast members and Director Nakazawa Shojiro have also mentioned it, but Haruhi's personality is getting closer to Taiya's day after day. At first I thought I was the only one who thought that way, but when I told everyone, it seems like they think so too. I feel like he was chosen because he was the one meant to be Taiya.

Iuchi: That makes me happy (he's embarrassed). I didn't know you were talking about that.

Hayama: Taiya's a character who works quietly by himself, and Haruhi's the same way on set. During break time or when he's with the cast, he's always in a talkative mood, but before filming, he reads the script quietly by himself.

Iuchi: Now that you mention it, I think I may be like that. I like to spend time with others, but I'm also the type of person who values alone time. Yuki-kun is…

Hayama: (leaning towards him) I'm cool, just like Ishiro, right?

Iuchi: Uh, y-yeah (laughs). But, to tell you the truth, I feel that both Ishiro and Yuki-kun have a gap. They look cool at first glance, but in reality, they're cute…

Hayama: Isn't that just gap moe?! (*being attracted to the gap between one's appearance and personality)

Iuchi: That's right (laughs). In particular, I was amused by the fact that Yuki-kun recently won a figure and tote bag in a lottery for his favorite anime, and he's been carrying the tote bag with him all the time. He even takes it when moving from the waiting room, where you normally don't have to take anything with you. Seeing him do things like that, even though he's older, I think Yuki-kun is so cute that it's unfair.

"How did you become friends?"

Hayama: My hobbies are to go ramen hopping and going to saunas. When I mentioned this, Haruhi said, "I'm interested!" From there, we started going together for awhile.

Iuchi: Right! I was interested in both and wanted to get into them, but I had just moved to Tokyo and didn't know the city at all…Now, I've started to follow Yuki-kun's example, and made a photo folder with just ramen.

"What kind of ramen do you like?"

Hayama: Basically, I like everything, but I especially love Chinese soba with a soy sauce base. What kind of flavor do you like Haruhi?

Iuchi: Originally I was a soy sauce person, and liked thin, hard noodles, but recently, Yuki-kun took me to a restaurant similar to "Jiro" and I became addicted.

Hayama: It might've been a bad thing that I told you about it (laughs). The next time we have a day off from filming, us four guys, including Saito Ryu-kun and Soma Satoru-kun, should go together.

Iuchi: Yeah! It can be like alittle treat for us.

"To begin with, are you two outdoor or indoor people?"

Hayama: I'm a total indoor person. My hobbies are watching anime and reading manga.

Iuchi: We're the same. I also watch anime, movies, dramas, and have recently gotten into reading, I also play the guitar as a hobby.

Hayama: Well, if we were going to spend time together indoors, Haruhi should play the guitar as background music while I read manga. That way we can enjoy each other's hobbies.

Iuchi: Ah~ I see. But, if we were to spend time together, I'd like to go to Akihabara. I don't really go out if I'm alone, so I'd like to look around at the things we share a similar interest in.

Hayama: Alright! Come to think of it, it might be fun since we have so many things we like in common. The other three main cast members of Boonboomger are outdoor people, so it's good to have people like that by our side!

"What's something you'd like to ask each other?"

Iuchi: Ummm…when you were a student, were you smart?

Hayama: So suddenly?! why?

Iuchi: Yuki-kun, you seem like a smart guy. However, when I thought you were cool, you turned out to be surprisingly different.

Hayama: I see (laughs). I think my grade level was above half? It was alittle above the average score, but it wasn't really that high…wait, Haruhi! Are you trying to ruin my image with this interview?!

Iuchi: No, no! I'm not! (laughs).

Hayama: (laughs). This is going to be a serious question, but as I mentioned earlier, I feel that in a very short period of time, Haruhi has become more and more like Taiya, and that everyone views him as such. I read the script and make a certain plan before going to the set, but once I saw the way that Haruhi played Taiya after I got there, I changed my plans. When acting, do you do anything in addition to reading the script?

Iuchi: Hmmm…If I had to say so, I'd say that at random moments during my daily life, I think to myself, "Taiya would make a move like this right now." For example, I've always been the type of person who looks down while walking fast, but I think that Taiya would straighten his posture and walk slowly, so I've been trying to do that.

Hayama: Heh~. So, Taiya's character is taken from daily life?

Iuchi: Yeah. Otherwise, even though I'm playing the role of Taiya, I feel like I'd inadvertently come off as Iuchi Haruhi…As an extension of that, from the moment I read the script, I try to read it while keeping in mind that, "I'm Taiya Hando."

Hayama: Amazing. I'd love to learn from you!

[infriga]

I convinced my mom to try the live action One Piece, because she's the type to like this style of show even though she isn't into animation and would never read manga, but I didn't think I'd be able to convince my dad because he's usually a stickler for more grounded and realistic stories (his favourite genre is war movies, his favourite movie is Saving Private Ryan, for reference). But, when I brought up with him how I figured it probably wouldn't be his thing because it was fantasy, he mentioned to me that he does enjoy some fantastical stuff if it has like an internal universe logic, like Star Wars, and the more I thought about it, the more I remembered that he also enjoys campy fun action adventure stuff that doesn't take itself too seriously like Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Carribean.

And One Piece has both that internal logic for why people can perform crazy feats (even if it isn't explained right away) which I mentioned to him (just that there is a reason why people can do crazy things in this world), as well as the campy fun action adventure thing going for it, especially in the Live Action (the fight against Morgan's base even has a major Indiana Jones vibes ngl). So I explained that to him and asked if he wanted to try it, and he agreed to watching the first episode with me to decide if he'd watch it with my mom and me.

AND HE ACTUALLY SAID IT WAS INTERESTING SO FAR!! Like, he is NOT the kinda guy to enjoy anime or manga or even western cartoons, always refuses to watch anything anime and doesn't show any interest when I talk about it (I've managed to convince him to watch a few movies like Sword of the Stranger but it's obvious that even when he's not bored or doesn't hate it, it still doesn't catch or keep his interest), and he's really picky about anything fantasy or SciFi, if it like sets off his bullshit meter too much he starts nitpicking the logic behind certain abilities, or decisions, or explanations, etc. I once tried to get him to try Gravity Falls and he wanted to stop after the first episode. He's THAT picky.

So the fact that he actually laughed several times while watching the first episode of OPLA with me, commented about Luffy's character positively several times (he seems to think Luffy is really funny which surprised me cause I thought he'd be the most entertained by Zoro but I mean I can't blame him it is Luffy after all), never cringed or criticised or said anything about how ridiculous it was, means a lot coming from him cause he's always really blunt and honest about his opinion on this sort of stuff (which is fine I don't want him to pretend to enjoy stuff when he doesn't). He actually watched the whole first episode without it losing his attention, and seemed to have fun! And he agreed to watch the rest with my mom and me!

This sort of thing is one of the reasons why I dislike when people just dismiss the idea of live action adaptations entirely. I get that people are jaded with past failures, and don't like when live action is treated like a replacement for or improvement from animation when it isn't. But it is a valid medium just as much as animation or comics or writing are, and can be used to produce some amazing things. And the fact is, there are people who have a hard time connecting with other mediums who will otherwise never engage with this media in its original forms. Live Action, when done well and done right, can reach new audiences and welcome them into the fold in ways the original formats never can.

One Piece didn't need the live action to be popular, obviously, and the live action cannot and will not replace the original, nor should it. But I love that we get to have it alongside the manga and anime. It's just more of what we love, it's the cherry on top of an already stellar multi-layered cake. It complements the original rather than taking anything away from it. And for the first time in over a decade I might be able to share One Piece with my parents, who would only ever have a chance of experiencing it and enjoying it in live action. There's just something so awesome about that for me personally. I just wish more live action adaptations would understand what the One Piece live action understood about the adaptation process, and that's how to keep the heart of the story in-tact, so more people from more fandoms could have a chance to share something they love with more people who it would otherwise not reach.

Anyway, thank you Oda and the OPLA cast and crew for doing live action right for once!

[tobiasdrake]

Have you read the Dragon Ball Super manga? You've stated in the past that you're more of a fan of the original manga than the anime adaptation, so I was curious what your thoughts are on the current continuation of Toriyama's original manga, seeing as how the manga had some Toriyama supervision and was based on his notes.

While I do prefer the manga to the anime, I will say that both versions of Dragon Ball Super are hit-or-miss. There are basically three creatives at work with DBS.

Toriyama, up until his passing, would write story notes and some individual plot points down and pass them off to Toei and to Toyotaro. Lotta To- names floating around Dragon Ball.

...he said with no sense of self-awareness at all.

But this is Toriyama twenty or thirty years later, so he's not exactly the same creator that wrote the original manga. His memory of his own work has drifted; For instance, while writing Battle of Gods, he forgot that Super Saiyan 2 even existed and thought SSJ3 was SSJ2.

It had been a long time for him. He only got back into Dragon Ball because Dragon Ball: Evolution pissed him off. Explaining in the 30th Anniversary Super History Book:

"Dragon Ball once became a thing of the past to me, but after that, I got angry about the live action movie, re-wrote an entire movie script, and now I'm complaining about the quality of the new TV anime, so it seems that DB has grown on me much that I can't leave it alone."

The movie script he rewrote was, of course, Battle of Gods.

Famously, after seeing Evolution, Toriyama basically marched into Toei to see what they were making, ripped up the script for Battle of Gods, and rewrote the whole thing. He was just. So. Incensed. By Hollywood's butchering of his work.

So, in a twisted way, we have Dragon Ball: Evolution to thank for the resurrection of the Dragon Ball brand. I know, it's so weird.

This was Toriyama's formal return to the world of Dragon Ball after decades of just writing little story bits here and there or designing a character or two. Though just writing story bits here or there is more or less what he settled back into with Super. Toriyama would write notes about what he wanted to happen and deliver them to Toei and to Toyotaro, and the two would separately interpret those notes into their own vision.

You can tell what's from Toriyama versus what's from Toei or Toyotaro based on what plot points end up being hit by both versions versus what's unique to one interpretation or the other.

So, this:

Gohan facing down the fused Kefla and sacrificing himself in a double KO to take her off the field? That's Toyotaro.

Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken? That's Toei.

Goku has never kissed Chi-Chi in 20+ years of marriage because he's aroace and they're basically playing house for keeps? That's Toriyama.

Android 17 being the key factor in winning the Tournament of Power because his Android energy can't be sensed the way ki can, that's something that came down from Toriyama. 17 pretends to self-destruct using the bomb he doesn't have anymore; The one Krillin once used Shenron to remove from him.

But Toei has 17 emerge for the fight with Jiren, so he can briefly join Goku and Frieza in fending Jiren off - before they tell him to fuck off because he's not supposed to be in this scene.

While Toyotaro has him remain hidden under his cloak of ki-sensing invisibility for a last-second surprise.

But like I said before: Writing Dragon Ball again after twenty years away out of spite towards a bad American production, Toriyama isn't the same creative he was when this was all fresh and new and exciting. He was just as prone to characterization slip-ups and questionable decision-making as Toei and Toyotaro are.

I mean. That was even happening in the original manga. Remember that time when any part of the Android arc honestly? Good times. Nobody's perfect.

So, like I said, with Super, it's really hit or miss on both sides. Sometimes Toriyama's collaborations with Toei give us the heartwarming and beautiful friendship relationship between Broly and his new pals Cheelai and Leemo.

Or this. Especially this.

Nothing in Dragon Ball has ever, EVER been as funny as when Goku and Vegeta made Frieza hold the line against Broly, a nemesis Frieza brought to Earth to kill Goku and Vegeta. Taking advantage of his berserker rage in the most comical and beautifully karmic way possible to buy them time to work out the Fusion Dance.

And sometimes they give us yet another version of the Gotenks failed fusion joke they need to flog like a dead horse every single time a Fusion takes place in any piece of media they have ever produced.

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME DO YOU REMEMBER DO YOU FUCKING REMEMBER THAT TIME IT WAS SO FUNNY DO YOU REMEMBER IT

That is Fusion Reborn, Yo Son Goku and Friends Return, DBS: Broly, and DBS: Super Hero in order.

And for his part, sometimes Toriyama's collaborations with Toyotaro gives us Goku lighting the fuck up like Spirit Korra.

And sometimes it gives us Vegeta learning how to teleport from the Yardratians but then immediately swearing off ever using it again because... I guess the move has Goku's cooties on it or something.

"Vegeta, you can teleport!"

"No, I cannot! I demand divergent character evolution from this manga so I will forever forego ever learning the cool and useful techniques that you use, Kakarot. What do you mean my dialogue sounds like a fourth-wall breaking author screed?"

This is honestly one of my "favorite" things that ever happens in Super. Vegeta refuses to learn Ultra Instinct, the ultimate martial art of the gods taught by Whis, and demands another path to the same kind of power that does not exist.

Then Beerus, a character who has long been established as vastly inferior to Whis, is like "Wanna learn this other thing that's just as good as Whis's thing I swear?" and helps Vegeta learn a new art where he... *checks notes* ...lets his opponent punch him in the face without defending himself until he dies.

This is where you end up when your mission statement is to not do the things that actually work for the intelligent martial artist and instead do the opposite out of spite. You end up with a fighting style that's built around losing fights on purpose.

Toyotaro somehow manages to shill the hell out of Vegeta and downplay Goku while also making Vegeta look like the most useless idiot ever. Ultra Ego is the worst transformation in the history of Dragon Ball and I'm convinced that Beerus helped Vegeta develop this as a prank.

He's up there right now laughing his ass off.

So. Yeah. There's a lot to like but also a lot to not like about both versions of Super. It's very different from what the original manga is, and it has very different pluses and minuses between the two versions. But there are some gems to be found here.

And the biggest gem is this guy.

[normalaboutdntm]

Playbill Presents: Death Note: The Musical Panel at NYCC2023

As described on the NYCC site:

"Following acclaimed productions in Japan and Korea and after two star-studded sold-out concert engagements in London, DEATH NOTE: The Musical is coming to New York Comic Con. Playbill will present a panel about the show featuring stars from the recent London concert (cast to be announced) and will offer a sneak peek into the developing production. "Based on the best-selling Japanese manga series (60 million copies worldwide) of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata / Shueisha, this groundbreaking musical (Winner Best Musical, Korea Musical Awards) has a score by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, 4 years on Broadway, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Bonnie & Clyde) with lyrics by Jack Murphy, book by Ivan Menchell, and orchestrations and arrangements by Jason Howland."

And on Playbill.com:

"October 14's programming kicks off with a Death Note: The Musical panel at 10:30 AM. Set to appear are cast members Adam Pascal, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, and Dean John-Wilson; producers Yuzo Kajiyama and Jamie Chapman Dixon; and book writer Ivan Menchell, with producer Haley Swindal hosting."

For context, this was the earliest panel slot on the third day of a four-day con. Not quite prime territory (especially with the listening party as the last slot of the same day) but they still secured a really good turnout with a lot of cosplayers. Need I remind everyone, the manga is twenty years old, and the anime isn't much younger. So it's really a sign of DN's staying power and the love that people have for this show that congoers showed up in droves to check out this preview.

Unfortunately nothing of consequence was announced at this panel or at the listening party. I was hoping we'd get confirmation of the West End run or even a Broadway concert performance, but no such luck. I was also looking forward to the audience Q&A but tbh all the information we received was so fascinating that I'm glad Haley let the panelists talk instead of trying to keep time for that.

[ID: Adam Pascal, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, Dean John Wilson, Jamie Chapman Dizon, Ivan Menchell, a translator, and Yuzo Kajiyama sitting on stage at NYCC while Haley Swindal stands at a podium.]

After thanking sponsors and bringing everyone on stage, Haley opened by asking each guest a question, starting with Yuzo, the producer of the original Japanese production.

[everything here not in quotation marks is paraphrased]

Haley: Yuzo, what about Death Note inspired you to turn it into a musical, and what were the steps you took to get there?

Yuzo's translator: When he started at Horipro in 2006, at that time all the musicals were imported. He felt the need to produce original musical shows from within Japan. And that was when he had his eyes on Death Note. Horipro already had a relationship with Shueisha, the rightsholders, from the DN movie.

He had two things he felt were important in making this:

The content had to be something that was internationally popular.

Light Yagami’s actor would always get recognized when he went abroad.

It needed to have some kind of extraordinary element to fit with the spontaneous singing.

The concept of the comic, a person who has their name written and dies and the presence of the shinigami, he felt was a perfect fit for the musical.

He also knew that since Shonen Jump, the magazine Death Note originally appeared in, is sold for 2 dollars, the show therefore needs to be a low price.

So that’s when he went to Shueisha. He remembers the first words that they said were “Death Note is gonna be a musical show?" At that time there was only one manga-adaptation musical: The Prince of Tennis. He convinced the people at Shueisha that this would be a first-class show.

Yuzo knew the most important part of the production was the music. At the time Horipro was involved with the Japanese production of Jeykll & Hyde, which also had themes of justice. Yuzo approached Frank Wildhorn about DNtM, but Wildhorn turned it down because "it had to have a love story element, which he felt was the most important aspect" of a musical. Yuzo was impressed by this.

Wildhorn went back to the US and spoke to his son who was a big fan of Death Note, and his son told him he needed to take the job. [Everyone cheered.]

(continuing in reblogs)

[verdantmeadows]

Watched a video where they basically said "marketing towards nostalgia doesn't work in anime/nostalgia pandering isn't a thing for anime" I want you to tell me some of the most popular anime in the past few years and take a shot every single time one of them is a reboot or related to a classic old series.

Trigun Stampede. Fruits Basket. Tokyo Mew Mew. Yashahime. Rurouni Kenshin. Urusei Yatsura. Shaman King. Devilman Crybaby. Dororo. Sailor Moon Crystal. Kino's Journey. THEY'RE EVEN REBOOTING BLACK BUTLER!!!!

That's just off the top of my head. Listing MORE RECENT THINGS. Anime reboots have often always been super popular and done super well. You know. Hunter x Hunter. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Hellsing Ultimate. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Like, anime absolutely does nostalgia marketing and rebooting anime has been more popular than ever. I do think that a large part of this is because reusing old IPs is easier and less risky when it comes to making profits, but also because there are a lot of really good older anime or older manga that had an anime adaptation that wasn't as good as it could have been, or didn't get finished!

Oftentimes, anime is used as an advertisement for the manga, so if manga sales are good enough after a season, they won't always renew it for another. But I think that's been changing in the anime scene for the past few years. Anime is often continued because the audience enjoys the anime, and it isn't just based off of being an advertisement for the manga. Reboots for series like Fruits Basket allows the entirety of the manga be told as a beautiful animation (the original anime didn't cover the whole series) and introduce classic animanga stories to newer audiences.

I absolutely do want more new stories, but I feel like that's still happening in anime, whereas other mainstream media formats in other countries (such as movies in the USA) are primarily reboots or sequels and squashing out the chances for newer original works or series. I think that, as of right now, there has been a really good balance of reboots or related to reboots to original series. And that makes me really happy! I hope that doesn't change, because I don't think reboots are inherently wrong, and are often beautiful and give classics a chance to be revived and reimagined.

Regardless, my point is that nostalgia absolutely is a huge factor in anime, and it's kind of ignorant of the state of anime to say that "nostalgia marketing isn't a thing" for anime/animanga. Because it is. It's an incredibly huge thing for it, actually.

[harocat]

It bothers me so much when people act like YoI wasn't successful and/or it was never going to get a continuation. Even when you point out facts like sales figures and that they said it would continue and be their main priority, they still insist it isn't true based on some random piece of info/their own perception. I think gaslit is a word that gets thrown around to often, but it does weirdly feel like that. Like, I remember what was going on, why are they saying it didn't happen like that?

I don't know. There's concrete numbers and facts. I can give you the amount of dvd/bds YOI sold (an average of 69,520 a volume, the fourth highest of any anime since 2000, the second highest of any original series, only behind freakin' Madoka Magica, and only barely), the amount of money it made off physical media (3,686,669,100 yen*), and you can link to the endless polls and awards it won, many of them decided by fan vote, both inside and outside of Japan.

They do not care. At this point it's just being deliberately obtuse. YOI was a phenomenon, an astronomical hit like no show before it in a similar genre. I've never seen a bag fumbled as badly as MAPPA and Avex did with YOI. They announced a movie, of course, but Kubo and Sayo also directly talked about a continuation (and even had a name for the 'arc'), and they said they wanted to work in the universe as long as they could. It's just ignoring facts to say YOI wasn't meant to get a continuation. Otsuka talked about a continuation as well!

*this is about thirty-two million in 2017 USD. Note that this is JUST for blurays and CDs, in Japan only. The profits from merchandise, ticket sales, and anything else are not included in this. I think we all remember how much YOI merch there was. A random fact about this is that in media sales in 2017, it placed eighth among all franchises. What's huge and notable about this is that media sales cover home video, cds, manga, novels, and a nebulous 'other.' Every other franchise on the list had home video, cds, manga, and novels at least. YOI made the list with only home video and CDs (just the six DVDs/BDs and two soundtrack CDs).

[mooifyourecows]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Sure! (given in no particular order)

1. Daichi from Haikyuu, of course.. I just love everything about him. He's a great captain and he has a big appetite and he's so down to earth and masculine in the best ways, what a man!!! I want a tattoo of him on my body!

2. Pam Poovey from Archer. It's hard to stand out in a show where nearly every character is the single most interesting person in the world but I really do think that Pam takes the cake. She's a real one. She stays true to herself no matter how much everyone else begs her to stop and I RESPECT THAT. Also she's a fat character who isn't limited to being the Fat Character. While her weight does come up, often in insulting jokes or bits, she has so much else to her that it feels like such a small part of her character.

3. Princess Carolyn from Bojack Horseman. Out of all the insanely good character arcs in Bojack Horseman, Princess Carolyn's is my favorite. Usually the hardworking career woman character who wants a baby winds up the most disappointing character for me because she always gives up her career to be a mom but NOT MY GIRL PRINCESS CAROLYN. She said I want to be a badass boss lady AND a mom and I don't need no man to get what I want! And she did that shit. She deserves it.

4. Linda Belcher from Bob's Burgers. I aspire to be like Linda. She's fun, she's extroverted, she is just so excited to live her modest life with a struggling burger business, a husband she actually enjoys spending time with, and 3 kids she adores with every fiber of her being. She sings and dances at any given opportunity and doesnt let embarrassment faze her. What an icon.

5. Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings. Every time I think of him I wanna cry. He's just so.... perfect.... and wonderful.... He is the sweetest, bravest man to ever exist and NOBODY CAN ARGUE. The original Ride or Die. We all need a Samwise Gamgee in our lives. 🖤

6. Usopp from One Piece. That's my boy! He's so funny and relatable. I love characters who are brave while being terrified. Despite his wacky goofy personality, he's complex and insecure but he stands by his guns and isn't afraid to challenge even his best friend/captain to defend what he believes and GOSH what a stand up guy ammiright?

7. Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place. I love a disaster of a woman. She's a selfish bisexual with zero shame, what's more to love? I just can't help it. I'm weak for women who are just The Worst ™️.

8. Manny from Swiss Army Man. I mean... He's dead, he teaches us what it means to be alive, and he's played by Daniel Radcliffe. He's basically the perfect character, right? Listen, Swiss Army Man is my all time favorite movie and I want everyone else to like it too. I can't even talk much on it because it's so much better when you watch it yourself. Especially if you love amazing soundtracks, beautiful visuals, and queer revelations.

9. Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. I'm such a sucker for husbands who are obsessed with their wives and men in touch with their emotions and Hal is the epitome of both those things! I watched this show while growing up and I truly think that Bryan Cranston's portrayal of Hal taught me how men are supposed to act, especially in regards to their romantic partners. And now my own partner is basically a less theatrical version of him so it paid off ya know?

10. Judas Iscariot from Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). This is mainly based on performance. Carl Anderson did such an AMAZING job playing Judas that he literally stole the show, imo. Jesus who? You mean Judas's boyfriend? It's not JUST his performance though, the way the character is written is so well done that I feel like Judas is the real main character. Yeah, this is the story about Jesus but he ain't the star, ya dig? He's a basic bitch in comparison to the complexity and emotional turmoil of Judas. Also they're gay and in love, what a tragedy! This is cinema!

[girl-of-ink]

Did you explain the connection yet? I only know spike and castiel, but I recognize where the others are from. Are they all like double agents??

ok so for reference, this is the post we're talking about

the characters are as follows: maxwell q. klinger from m*a*s*h, spike from buffy: the vampire slayer, seto kaiba from yugioh, and castiel supernatural

the connection is this: none of these characters were supposed to last longer than a few episodes or chapters in their source material, but each of them ended up being main characters who made it all the way to the very end of their respective series & became overall fan favorites

klinger isn't original to the book or movie that m*a*s*h is based on, and he was intended to be one-off transphobic crossdressing joke. instead, he was so well-written and well-acted that he became a main character whose passion for women's fashion was respected and admired by all the other characters. unlike the later examples, the writers of the show voluntarily kept klinger on and really embraced the journey of writing him into a deep and sympathetic character. despite having been written for one single off color joke in one single episode, he starred in all eleven seasons and is one of the most beloved characters in the whole show

Seto Kaiba was originally written as a one-off bad guy of the week, a classmate of yugi's who has a passion for card games but no respect for other players. he was such a hit that takahashi just kept upgrading him to be a Bigger and Badder bad guy (he opens a theme park to murder the protagonists) until he eventually became So Popular that he was (sort of) redeemed and upgraded to antihero protagonist. the anime adaptation took this even farther by highlighting him and frequently shoehorning him into arcs he wasn't really present for in the manga. he is now the most popular character in the whole show, even more than any of the original protagonists

Spike was introduced in Season 2 of Buffy as a short-term bad guy meant to highlight Angel's status as the 'good vampire.' instead, he became wildly popular and was slowly upgraded to main character and endgame love interest. joss whedon, notably, hated the fact that spike was a fan favorite and continuously attempted (and failed) to sabotage spike's popularity with viewers. instead, he remains one of the most iconic figures of the series, even despite the attempted character assassination

castiel is the perfect evolution of each of the previous characters. he was originally signed for a handful of episodes in season 4 of supernatural, but his impact was so great (and his sexual tension w/ dean was so powerful) that he immediately shot to the top of all popularity polls. quite a few supernatural writers, like joss whedon, hated that the gay angel had taken over their show, and he was almost killed and written off the show multiple times, but the fan outcry was so loud that they kept caving and writing him back in. by the end of the show, he remained a main character after 11 seasons, and the writers made the funniest possible choice of 1) caving to fan desires and making him canonically gay and then 2) indulging their own utter hatred by killing him immediately afterward and spending the last episode of the show acting as if he had never existed.

each of these characters was meant to be a one-off character meant to either be a joke or a means to advance the plot. each of them was so unbelievably charismatic and charming that they became main characters due to their extreme popularity with fans. for klinger and kaiba, the creators embraced their wildcard protagonists and allowed them to blossom naturally into nuanced and interesting characters. for spike and castiel, the creators threw countless conniption fits but could not quash the public's fervor for an asshole vampire and a gay angel. i find comparing the four of them really interesting, as it shows the way that fan interaction can shape a narrative, and it gives us an insight into the way characters and stories can take on a life of their own and eventually result in one gay angel ruling the entire internet against the will of the people who created him

[talkingnerd]

Highlights from Aka Akasaka interview with ANN

What inspired the original idea of “reincarnated as your favorite idol's child”?

Aka Akasaka: During my debate with my assistant about ways to create manga, we were discussing ways to create a story based on “strong desire.” At that time, one of the assistants and I talked about wanting to be reincarnated as an idol's child. That is a famous joke in Japan, often tweeted as a set piece when news of an idol's marriage breaks. I wrote the idea down in my book of story ideas. A while later, I started to hear more and more grumbles and complaints about the entertainment industry through the live-action version of Kaguya-sama and new streamer friends of mine. I thought this was the right time to create a story about the entertainment industry, and I realized that I could utilize the idea I had back then.

How much of the story's overall plot did you have in mind when you started drawing the first chapter?

Aka Akasaka: For me, the plots of the first act and the final act were a set. Then I pondered what kind of events I wanted to add in between. I had the impression that Japanese entertainment manga in Japan often used dramas, movies, plays, variety shows, etc. as themes. Today, however, the entertainment industry has changed dramatically. Talents [entertainers who frequently appear on TV in Japan] can no longer ignore the internet, YouTube has become super popular, movies are watched with subtitles, plays are increasingly based on anime and manga, and there has been an instance of a suicide stemming from a reality show. Considering all those facts, I then decided to take a contemporary subject, something that is happening in the real world of Japanese entertainment today. That was the first concept.

To what extent do you (Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari) exchange ideas when developing the manga's plot?

Aka Akasaka: Mengo-sensei has made a hit with Scum's Wish, which isn't based on an existing story or a separate writer's script. She is capable of writing interesting manga without me. When I am stuck on a story, I often consult with Mengo-sensei. I go out to dinner with the editor and Mengo-sensei. We call these “prep meetings,” but we mainly just shoot the breeze. Basically, think of it as me having the flow of the story in my mind, and whenever I get stuck, I consult with someone.

How does working on Oshi no Ko compare to your previous manga?

Aka Akasaka: Fundamentally, I believe myself to be a writer in the vein of Oshi no Ko. The comedy style in Kaguya-sama is just a particular formula that originated from the editorial department's request. So, for me, that series is something made from that particular formula. However, I have also included Kaguya-sama-style comedy in the Oshi no Ko series to make it easier to read.

What is your process for designing new characters? Were there ever any disagreements on how a character should look?

Aka Akasaka: For the main characters, I draw a rough sketch and send it to a lady in charge of storyboards. However, at times Mengo-sensei draws an entire character even without me providing the finer details in writing. Sometimes, the process is more interactive, like I became fond of the character and increase the frequency with which they appear. I like that style of character creation. If there is a problem with the character design, we discuss it and change it. However, it was only once that we actually made a change. That was when I modeled a character off a real person, and the design looked too much like the person in question. Oshi no Ko uses pieces of real-life stories in its plots, but it is not a documentary, and it definitely does not intend to attack real people. I adapt events that could happen with the trends and rules of the current entertainment industry in the storylines. This work is fiction.

What kind of research did you do on the entertainment industries depicted in this manga?

Aka Akasaka: The lines of coverage of research for Oshi no Ko are very extensive. We go around hearing real stories and personal estimations from top talents, underground idols, people who work at TV stations, real producers, managers, editors of gossip magazines, YouTubers, scriptwriters, and many others. What is revealed in this process is a great deal about power balance and logic, and there are quite a few instances of dissatisfaction, like “A is taking B lightly, B is taking C lightly, and C is taking A lightly,” that are chalked up to specific circumstances and rules. Sometimes, I think that if they work with this understanding, the talents and the people around them can work without stress. I have heard that the entertainment industry in the U.S. and Japan are completely different. In the Japanese entertainment industry today, there is no union for talent and writers, there are no guarantees, auditions are disregarded in casting, opportunities are given based on the balance of power between companies, and basically, you can't go against the office manager…those sorts of things. And they continue to happen. If you, American readers, can enjoy reading Oshi no Ko with the knowledge of this unique Japanese situation, you may deepen your understanding of this story.

What inspired you to portray the idol world in such a dark and dramatic way for a fictional work?

Aka Akasaka: There was an instance of a cast member being attacked by a fan who saw a picture of the first news of a movie release. When that happened, the person came across as very tough, but after we became friends, they confessed that they were badly hurt emotionally. When I found that out, I realized that talents hide their true colors for the sake of their works and for their fans who are supporting them. With the spread of the internet, we live in a society where fans' voices are heard directly. I want people to know how young talents are being hurt, exploited, and suffering. I think that this work also asks the question of how people should deal with and treat those talents. I guess it is correct to say that when I wrote about reality, it naturally became darker.

full interview: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2023-05-10/how-accurate-is-oshi-no-ko-about-the-japanese-entertainment-industry-an-interview-with-aka-akasaka/.197795

[kinopioa]

Sonic OVA thoughts (Part 1)

OVA is generally beloved by the fandom as a cool piece of Sonic media in the mid 90s. What gets me is how different it was compared to typical none canon Japan Sonic media at the time

For the follow up we have; -The 1992-94 Shogakukan Nicky manga of a timid kid

-The 1992 Sonic 2 promo manga, done by some of the artists in the previous Shogakukan Manga

-199?-1995 Harmony magazine exclusive art

-The 1994 TMS animated short featuring Eggman impersonating as Sonic out of jealousy

All of these typically depict Sonic (unless drawn by Oshima) as kiddier or cutesy, typically missing his attitude, or in the case of Nicky, is completely off base. This was even noted by Naka in development of Sonic Adventure, hence the need for the 1997 Project Sonic competition to reinvigorate edge and attitude

So OVA NOT being cutsey weirdly stands out for the period*

*While Junio/Toei's work for CD also isn't cutesy, that's core from games, not alt media, despite design difference

How does OVA stand out? Well...the prior context might've been why it didn't get to accomplish its goals

The OVA was initially rental tape only available between Jan 1996-March 1996, not getting a formal home release until May 1996. This is already odd, given rumors of it being intended to be a TV series but scrapped. The OVA was split into 2 parts originally, the first half focusing on going to the Land of the Darkness and fighting Mecha Robotnik, the latter focusing on Metal Sonic and the polar ice caps. The base story is concieved by Mayori Sekijima then scripted by Masashi Kubota, both having done full series by that point. Given 1997 Naka admitted that people in Japan didn't really know Sonic by that point (which was why Jam was made alongside lack of Sonic Saturn rep)...I have a feeling this wasn't that popular, despite ads

Anyway, the movie itself

We start with a dark room with monitors and a motionless floating mech of Metal Sonic. Eggman proclaims that he needs Sonic's DNA (more loosely called lifeforce essence here) to complete Hyper Metal Sonic. Note: Hyper Metal Sonic references the new mold he had for Chaotix in games!

We then cut to aesthetic landscape expanses of the Land of the Sky. It helps give us a picture of their world. Refreshingly, not just checker spam that 2nd game devs randomly did a lot despite Sonic Team doing other types of locales. We also see the Old Man Owl flying a spluttering ship, more on that later...

We end up at Sonic's island, composing of wrecked airplanes, buses-i-is that a Star Wars ship!? Pretty interesting, I wonder if they'll tell us where it came from-

But we get interrupted with Tails showing Sonic his newest invention to try out. Sonic isn't interested, so Tails goes out to try it for himself, splashing Sonic accidentally

Note: Tails does note Sonic can't swim here

We hear Tails calling for help soon after, which Sonic coldly ignores. This is something that gets me for this feature, Sonic has attitude, but is weirdly also dismissive of his friends that already run contradictory to games at the time. Even Tails screaming bloody murder doesn't do much as Sonic loudly tells him to shut up (Eng memes aside), only changing his mind when he see the old Owl Man crash through where Sonic was

Tails checks on the blue blur to see if he's ok, which Sonic is. He notes that they should help the Old Man, but Sonic again tells him he's not interested, flat out out saying "hey, you can fly bitch, you do it!", to which Tails calls him out, then takes it upon himself to save the old man. While at first it goes well thanks to surfing, both soon realize they'll crash into the cliffside, to which he screams. At that point Sonic realizes "oh, they might die", then saves them

Speaking of, they seemingly know of this guy before this event. Who is he? How'd they meet? We'll never know!

Afterwards, Owl Man is in shock, which Sonic gets a Crabmeat (wouldn't that still have a Flicky given this period?) to pinch him, bringing him back to his senses, then rambling about how he was an expert racer in his day that got chicks. Tails reminds him that he had something important to say, and we learn that the President wants Sonic due to an emergency. Sonic and Tails then have the aesthetic plane sequence and head out, leaving the old man to watch over Sonic's...well, wreckage is more apt

We have more aesthetic shots showing the capital city of the Land of the Sky, though there's a weird lack of people here... Inside it's revealed Eggman has taken over, shooting Sonic/Tails, and having the President and his daughter held as hostage. We-

Wait, this landmass is South Island!? What's with none canon Sonic media spamming South Island, when mainline games went to different areas

Seriously, most of the STI and Aspect Ltd 8 bit games do this unlike Sonic Team. Even Fighters by Sega AM2 did. Why? Sonic is noted to exploring other locales, likewise Eggman isn't too stationary if a plan fails one spot. It's just...why?

Also epic sub typo

Anyway, Eggman explains the history of the Land of the Sky and Darkness, and how they are 2 split halves. This bores everyone, so he demands Sonic to help him stop a generator in Eggmanland that's out of control, thanks to an upsurper called Mecha Robotnik (Black Robotnik in Japan). If it isn't stopped, the generator would destroy the Land of the Darkness, which would in turn destroy the Land of the Sky. Everyone again is bored, flat out sleeping, so he stresses that someone needs to bypass his taken traps and stop the generator. Sonic dismisses it, despite Sarah and the President begging, as he believes Eggman to be lying, which takes Tails to convince him to just do it. Sonic overall is pretty unhelpful here honestly. Eggman gives Tails a navigator (which Sonic questions way too late if it's rigged AFTER they fly out), and the plot's moving...

Oh nah, we just have Eggman and Sarah playing fighting games

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a Sonic the Fighters ref. This OVA came out well before that arcade game was out

Ignoring filler, everyone's pretty lax about the kidnapping here. Sarah even threatens to stop being hostage, which...doesn't make sense. She's surrounded by a bunch of robots. We then have a mecha crash in and open its hatch, so we now know Eggman's up to something (which was obvious)

Back to Sonic/Tails

Come to think of it, this all implies Sonic never fought Eggman there before. Which gives interesting implications of Eggman only causing trouble in the Land of the Sky, then retreating after failure to Sonic

Anyway, they crash land due to turbulence, and set out on a path straight to Eggmanland

We have a montage of Sonic going through the various landscapes, with him noting how many robots (no Flickies, huh) and traps there are. Tails assures that it is the quickest path, leading directly to a warp zone (?), and the two wound up in E 44th St. in an ancient city

We don't have much explanation for this area, and Tails confirms this isn't Eggmanland yet. Sonic scours the skyscraper to get a better view on their location, and the two head towards Eggmanland, only to be stopped by...

Mecha Robotnik, who attacks and gives chase

Note, Sonic's unable to hurt him

The two dodge its attacks, hiding behind a bus to figure what to do. Sonic notes that they can't waste time fighting it, and Tails notes the direction they should go....

Only for Sonic to moronically alert Mecha where they are by taunting it. Side note: contrary to rumors, this was never censored in English

This Sonic is stupid, I'm sorry. He lacks tact Game Sonic would have

So anyway, the two are chased through the highway, reaching by a broken edge near the water. Mecha shoots by their feet, causing them to fall, and the two take advantage of the obscurity to try to trick Mecha Robotnik him into thinking they fell fully and drowned. But Mecha isn't stupid, so they get further chased. Mecha Robotnik soon shifts to shooting glue from its ass

Due to a lightning shock, Tails gets scared and freezes, which gets him trapped. Before Sonic can save him, Mecha Robotnik shoots several missiles that home in on the hedgehog, with several causing explosions throughout the city as Sonic runs away. This alerts...

Knuckles? So Angel Island doesn't exist? Just unexplained like Triple Trouble I guess...

I swear these noncanon devs never legit played Sonic outside Sonic 1-

Rant aside

While it seems hopeless for Tails, it turns out that Sonic hitched a ride on one of the missiles, redirecting it to hit Mecha Robotnik

It's a clean shot, but the blast weakens the structural integrity of the area. Worse, Sonic lands on the sticky glue from earlier, and the collapsing ground floods from the lake nearby. Mecha Robotnik wobbles back, about to shoot him, but right at the last second, Knuckles flies in to stop it, then frees Tails

Tails unfortunately can't fly to Sonic as his tails are stuck and unable to spin for approximately 10 seconds before it becomes a literal none issue

While Tails reaches the drowning hedgehog and tries to pull him out, Knux is distracting Mecha Eggman. Unfortunately he gets stuck in glue as well

Mecha, running out of bullets, decides to crush the echidna. Tails finally manages to free Sonic

Who then-

Hey, his right arm wasn't hit hit by the missile! Don't bullshit suddenly being able to cut through it

Now fully disarmed (kicks self), Mecha makes a retreat. Thanks to somehow being able to fly, Knux gets Sonic close enough to hurl him at the flying mech, leading to Mecha getting skewered and split

Sonic and co leave, revealing Eggman and Sarah in the wreckage. The doctor fumes about how Eggmanland hosts something far worse than Mecha, which Sarah calls BS

Cutting to another scene, Sonic thanks Knux, with Tails mentioning this

Yeah you guys really need a TV series to flesh this out, there are too many unexplained points for char introductions given how different this is to games, yet casually act like this is status quo. Also why is Sonic the only one shaded there?

Sonic and co realize the sun is setting, meaning that time is almost up before the generator explodes. So they head out, leaving Knux to do his own thing...for about 5 seconds

Knux joins the two, defying gravity while Sonic constantly has to deal with awkward terrain. Given he's a dick, eh

This isn't even an animation error, even bios for this OVA says he flies and not glides for some dumb reason. He's incorrectly referred directly as a mole in dub bios as well (like cuz Harimogura out of context is directly translated as "spiky mole")

But fans like his hat, so Knux is apparently excused for unexplained adaptation changes

That wraps up part 1 cuz of image limit, my thoughts

-Sonic is too douchey and dumb personality wise. His feats mask that for a lot of fans, but I don't buy it. Tails and Knux are alright though, especially with Tails copying Sonic's poses at bits, astraphobia, and his tech prowess, but Knux is just there. Eggman's good though

-The plot is messy. They needed to flesh out char origins for some, and the city

-This won't be fixed, but despite the expanse landscape, there's no fauna or other people shown. Feels weirdly empty

-I'm watching the Bandai Sub version. Eng dub there aren't major changes to plot though, and the translation error is strictly for DVD bios

-Not a fan of South Island being focus for Capital. It weirdly shrinks the world. Insert rant of how everyone is ignoring Sonic Team themselves changing locales

It's aesthetic and fun, but broken and poorly paced when looking past that. I can't fault the Eng dub

@randomthefox @darklightheart @beevean

[kimbapisnotsushi]

Hi....Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite anime (can be series or movies) or top 10 favorite manga? And why do you love them? Also, what are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite moments from any anime (can be series or movies) or manga that you loved?

Sorry if I ask too much, feel free if you want to answer both of my questions or just pick either one......Thanks....

aaaahh no i'm so honored to be asked something like this!! these are REALLY hard questions tho LMAO like holy shit i STRUGGLED. i ended up choosing the series/moments that left me with the greatest emotional impact or were really formative during my younger years. this turned into a really long and wordy post so uhhh sorry about that, I would have added more pics but they couldn't all be the same size so i gave up LMAO. Anyways let's get into it!!

TOP 10 ANIMANGA SERIES/MOVIES (in no particular order)

I. HAIKYUU!!

I wouldn't be much of a Haikyuu!! fan if this wasn't number one on the list (even though I said they were in no particular order, haha). With how the anime adaptation is coming along, I do absolutely recommend reading the manga. Aside from the fact that the art is just gorgeous, I love how Furudate puts so much care into the characters and story. The symbolism and poetic one-liners that have no business being in a sports manga are fucking fantastic, the development is great, everyone gets a happy and fulfilling ending, and it all wraps up like an emotional sucker punch to the stomach. I also LOVE that there's so much canon material for fans to play around with, and that there's so much left to the imagination. Haikyuu!! really is just a master class in storytelling and a total dream to analyze.

II. THE NIGHT BEYOND THE TRICORNERED WINDOW

Okay, I lied earlier. I just HAD to put this one second. (I swear after this the order doesn't matter!) It has an anime series and live-action movie adaptation, which I haven't watched, but I've heard that they don't really do the manga justice. Now, I wouldn't really recommend this one to kids, which I guess can be pretty broad or specific based on your definition? Strictly speaking there aren't any NSFW explicit scenes - nobody even gets naked at any point nor is it the hated ecchi style with random underwear/breast shots or whatever - but the two main characters are pretty euphemistic in, say, the first quarter or so of the series.

(Hiyakawa borrows power from Mikado and when that happens the feelings mirror the pleasure of intercourse, to put it bluntly, but that's not something that actually ever happens. Mostly we, the audience, just see Mikado get red and flustered, although Hiyakawa says/does shit to go along with it sometimes. It gets milder -> nonexistent as the plot progresses because that's not really the focus of the story.

Also, if you're sensitive to dubious consent then this probably isn't for you, since a big part of Hiyakawa's arc is learning how to be less fucked-up than he is and he often uses Mikado's power while Mikado tells him to wait or slow down - not because he wants to hurt Mikado or make him suffer, but because Hiyakawa just genuinely doesn't know that it's the wrong thing to do due to his upbringing. I won't go into why for spoiler reasons, but it becomes really clear by the end of the story. For those of you who are willing to look, I'm going to show a couple pics of this in action down below - otherwise, please skip over it and just scroll down to the parenthesis.

I wasn't really expecting to to go as in-depth as I did about this, and I do love this series, but I also want to give fair warning since the way the dialogue and Mikado's expressions are depicted give off a very real sense of urgency that I would hate for anyone to be caught off guard/be triggered by. I'd love to talk more about it if anyone wants to ask, but I've already diverged enough from the original question.

I don't want you thinking that they have an imbalanced toxic relationship in which Hiyakawa has all the power and Mikado is subservient to him, though, because that's not what it is either. Mikado has always been his own person, and Hiyakawa never tries to control him in any way besides from his own misunderstanding of consent. They help each other on equal grounds, but apparently the anime does a terrible job of showing that.

END )

So, why do I love this series? Well, it's modern paranormal/supernatural, which I'm a HUGE fan of. Apparently Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen author) named it as one of their own favorites, and once you read it you can really see a LOT of similarities. There's a character just like Okkotsu in that they've done REALLY shitty things and don't know whether they deserve to live or not. There's also a lot of learning how to be brave when you've been running scared your entire life and taking back your own control/power through it. And, other than the heavy stuff, it's actually quite funny. There was one moment I wasn't expecting where I actually laughed out loud.

Also, the characters are really compelling! Aside from everything I said about Hiyakawa earlier, he's one of those nonsensical types who says the most ridiculous things with the utmost sincerity and with a straight face. Mikado acts as his opposite - he easily freaks out and is very expressive. Also, the villain? Like holy SHIT. I could go on about them forever. Like. Holy fucking shit. Top-tier how they handled the boss battle because hoooolyyyyyy shiiiiiiit. But I don't want to spoil, so I'll leave it at that.

Also, the background stories for the characters - once you get to them - will break your heart. Yamashita draws really simply, sure, but they have such a powerful way with storytelling that the emotions just hit you like a brick through the window.

Mostly, though, it is a story about healing, and I'm a sucker when a bunch of people who need to heal in different ways because of the same thing all come together and help each other. I can also guarantee a happy ending, so look forward to that!

III. SNOW WHITE WITH THE RED HAIR

Oh, how I love this series. I know the anime hasn't adapted to its current point, so I def encourage you to read the manga even though it's not complete yet either (and I started in like middle school LMAO). Shirayuki was honestly such a huge role model for me growing up - she was smart and pretty and determined and, even when she wasn't so sure of herself, she always wanted to do the right thing. All the characters in the main squad are so lovely and feel like a real family altogether, and I adore every single one of them. It's sweet and romantic and nails nonmagical fantasy worlds right on the head, and I'd LOVE for more people to get on board with it.

(If you need more convincing, there's pirates and festivals and assassins and a character to love for every single person out there. I know Kiki and Mitsuhide are enough to cause a crisis.)

IV. BOYS RUN THE RIOT

OKAY Y'ALL. LISTEN UP. YOU WANT MORE LOUD AND PROUD QUEER REP IN MANGA?? HERE'S YOUR QUEER REP COME AND GET IT.

It doesn't have an anime adaptation so you can't really watch anything and be done with it, but there's only four volumes so it's easy to collect. it's a story about a transgender teenage boy named Ryo who expresses himself through fashion and GOD I love everything about this series. Jin is the BEST ally. It feels like such a warm hug to see something so proudly represented in manga. ALSO Boys Run the Riot started as a prototype one-shot that the author entered into a contest, and in THAT one of the first characters prototype-Ryo comes out to actually reveals to him that he's Korean!! He kept it hidden and changed his name to protect his identity!! Do you know how fucking REAL Keito Gaku was for that!! Like there is a whoooole conversation to be had about that topic but that is not for now!!

Anyways yes Boys Run the Riot makes you want to cheer and scream when everything comes together in the end because it felt like an uphill battle you were holding your breath through the entire time and I LOVE that they get a hopeful ending. Give it a try, I'm BEGGING.

V. CARDCAPTOR SAKURA

Okay, I'm going to be honest: this is pretty much the only series that has a manga AND an anime in which I've only ever seen the anime. I hear it does a pretty good job of adapting, though, so I'm not too concerned about it. (I do plan on reading the manga to catch up to the Clear Card arc.) I'll also admit upfront that since CCS is a kids' series, there were quite a few problems in it that I didn't realize until I was much older and went back to it.

I like that Sakura feels like a very real protagonist. She was scared and wimpy quite often, and as a kid it was really empowering to watch her develop into someone confident of herself and her abilities. She's got such a great supporting crew behind her, too! I especially loved that CLAMP brought in Syaoran and Meilin from Hong Kong - even nowadays, a lot of non-Japanese foreigner animanga characters fall into the American or European category.

Also, Yuki and Touya. Just do it for them. Seriously. You can watch CCS for them and ignore everything else.

Mostly CCS, for me, was fun and magical and a great escape for a little kid who wanted to get lost in a world not too far from their own. Also, it's got that 90s-drawn aesthetic we all know and love.

VI. PLAY IT COOL, GUYS!

Honestly, I love all of Kokone Nata's works so far. She's one of the more modern authors who got picked up on Pixiv, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where she's going. Play It Cool, Guys! is one of my favorites. It's actually a manga in color, and Kokone Nata utilizes it beautifully. She has so many fun characters and makes normal, everyday life seem so bright and fun. And not to sound like a main character, but I'm also a very clumsy, accident-prone person, so it's really nice to be able to see the crew do everything that I do and do their best to overcome them.

I also love how naturally their relationships develop. Like, seriously - how would a high school kid, two entirely separate and totally opposite college students, a late-20s office employee, and a semi-famous author all fall in together?? Everything is up to fate but Kokone Nata has a way of never making it feel forced. It's not at all unreasonable to bump into each other at the bookstore or in the park - especially when we see that they actually DO interact as strangers first who all happen to hang out/live near each other, and they just drift closer when they finally recognize each other. It's so subtle but so amazing to watch in action.

Also, it's very soothing and fluffy and healing and you absolutely do not have to put the amount of analysis I do into it LMAO, so if you ever need a pick-me-up I absolutely encourage this series or any of Kokone Nata's works!

VII. POKÉMON

Yeah, yeah I know. But I couldn't not include another childhood fave!! It was one of the very first I watched and Ash is honestly such a great protagonist and role model for younger kids. Sure, he can be an annoying brat in the ten-year-old way, but he takes losing like a champ and he always tries to do what's right. He was incredibly selfless, kind, and considerate for a character of that age and growing up alongside that really taught me a lot about what I wanted to put out into the world. Watching any episode just makes me feel comforted and like I'm paying an old friend a visit and it will always be in my favorites list. Plus the dub actually has some HILARIOUS lines LMAO.

Also, the Special Adventures manga series by Hidenori Kusaka is a total gem and was my first introduction to fandom, so if you're a Pokémon fan who hasn't read it then I really encourage you to check it out!

(I would like to make a note that I got stuck after this and was kind of fishing around in my head for the last three LMAO)

VII. HIBI CHOUCHOU

This one is one of my favorite high school romance series - it's sweet and fluffy and might be a little cheesy, but the characters are all so lovely and you can't help but want to cheer them on! The plot is kind of ridiculous when you first start it - "all guys instantly fall in love with the super pretty MC who hates the attention and has been declared 'unattainable' because of her distant attitude towards them and ends up falling for the one guy who didn't act crazy-in-love with her from the start" - but it's really heartwarming to see the growth Suiren and Taichi go through. I also really love Taichi because he feels so different and refreshing from a lot of high school romance manga male lead/love interests that I've seen. (Maybe because of the glasses? I can't name any other male lead/love interest with glasses LMAO.) It's such a gentle series and feels like a warm hug, and watching two quiet people find their way together really did wonders for shy high school me.

IX. FADED FIRST LOVE

Oh gosh, this one is SUCH a gem! You know how sometimes people want representation as a sweet story that's not about an identity crisis but just having fun and in love? That's what Faded First Love feels like. It's genuinely funny and sweet, and while Aoki DOES encounter a couple homophobic problems here and there, it's mostly lighthearted and nothing he can't handle with the help of his friends. He and Iida are both learning and doing their best, and it's one of the series I go back to whenever I want a pick-me-up.

X. JUJUTSU KAISEN

I did say before that I was a huge fan of mixing paranormal phenomena with modern settings, and Jujutsu Kaisen is a great example of that. It's crazy how much thought was put into the technical aspects of that world - every time I think about Gojo explaining to Itadori how to channel cursed energy, it makes my head hurt. The monster designs are so creative and the characters are all such a great bunch. I tear up whenever I remember Miwa listening to Mechamaru's voice recording on the plane. What really nailed it as a Top 10 for me was JJK Volume 0, because hooolyyy shiiiit. Okkotsu's growth was FANTASTIC to watch and I LOVE how confident he is now and how he follows the philosophy of "the people I care about care about you" when it comes to Itadori.

So that's it!! God, that was hard. I hope you enjoyed, and for anyone else reading it I hope this encourages you to pick up one or the other!!

Honorary mentions to: Promare, Kimi ni Todoke, From Up on Poppy Hill, Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, and tbh I'd list more but that would take forever LMAO

This is already a really long post so I'll reblog or make a part two with my fave moments, I'll let you know!

thanks all <333

[waywardstation]

Oi oi OI! Pokemon seems like a light hearted franchise but is it?

In the US at least, a lot of the darker tones of the anime were censored due to the localization team, 4kidzTV. 4kidz is notorious for covering up anything that seems to not flow with their standards. The first Pokemon movie, Mewtwo strikes back had huge chunks of the story missing for this reason. (I'll let everyone look that missing chunk up and not spoil it but it puts a whole new spin on the story in that movie)

The changes in the anime were a bit numerous, but the best example I remember off the top of my head was the episode with a person wielding a gun being taken off the air.

(they also change the most innocuous things. For example in the scene where the twins are met, Emmet has no clue who the hell Cilan is and says so directly to his face.)

The manga is even worse. There's gore, death, and some heavy emotional themes galore. Zombie pokemon reforming around the bare bones of corpses and getting cut in half is the example that comes to mind immediately.

As far the games go, there are heavy themes but they are as you say, a bit lighter in nature. The fact that it was explicitly stated that a person was eaten by an ultra-beast was the darkest i had seen in the games. They sure played up the "YOU CAN DIE!" theme in Arceus.

There are other examples I could poke at (heh) but this ask is already getting long. They pokemon franchise seems to be experimenting with going into heavier themes mainly because their original player base has matured but they have to balance it with keeping the franchise appealing to their target demographic.

As I told others, the manga, the anime, and I could argue each individual game could be it's own dimension and timeline. So on that front, if a game, manga, or anime did take a dark turn, the compartmentalized nature of the work makes it easy to avoid such themes.

Eh as for my two cents on it, I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder complete with depressive episodes and intrusive thoughts. Happy stuff makes it worse. Like it reminds me of how things should be but isn't or that I'm somehow ignoring what's causing my anxiety (even when there's nothing causing it) It took a long time of getting happy crap shoved down my throat to realize that the dark stuff helps more. It purges the negative feeling out faster and gets me back to my normal self.

I'm not saying liking the lighthearted stuff is bad but I do want to put this out there for those that feel a bit self-conscious about loving the dark side, like I felt at one time. Liking the dark isn't bad, but please be respectful of those that don't share the same taste.

That's all, I'll shut up now. Lol.

--Warden Anon

In regards to this ask

Hey Warden Anon! That is true! Pokémon can have pretty dark things. (And zombie Pokémon sounds really cool haha; and my brother and I bought a lot of the manga as kids, I remember all of the violence!) Though the thread of conversation that this is referring to stemmed from an anon discussing a branch of fanon content that they personally struggled with seeing. Fandom content I feel can reach a deeper level than any of pokemon’s darker/censored stuff (as any fandom can, compared to their canon counterparts). It might have been lost since this spanned across several related asks, but I was talking in relation to that ^^

But that’s well put! I sort of hid it in the tags of these posts, but I also want to reiterate too that darker content is great as well, and I engage with it myself when I feel like I can! Certainly not a bad thing at all; people like what they like, and some people may enjoy concepts that other people struggle with - this can go for both lighthearted and darker content. There’s no need to feel bad about whichever side of things you like!

Thanks for sharing Warden Anon!! ^^

[turboacek-blog]

What a Naruto remake/Kai would do/be

So they released some illustrations and a video to celebrate the anime’s 20th anniversary

And it was said more was coming in the celebration

Leaning a good number of to think that they’re going to remaster or at least do a Kai version of the anime

I don't think is going to huh happen but I did want to explore what if?...

So first what would this mean?

Filler would be reduced, so all those filler arcs would be cut including those that can be argued added to the story like Kaguya’s backstory

That would cut the 720 episodes to about

88ish (Naruto) and 192ish (Shippuden) making at least 270 episodes cut (rounded down from 280 from my potential bad math)

So reducing 720 to 450 already improved the pacing and such

But then there’s the actual pacing of the episodes

Like there are episodes called “mixed” canon as in it had a decent amount of filler moments to go with canon/manga stuff

Like side characters' backstories for example and even some fights

And if that gets cuts that could reduce it by about half (exaggerating but you would be surprised how much anime filler was thrown in episodes)

For simplicity, I’ll say 300 episodes with the mixed filler and recaps and such cut

This may seem low but again rough estimate could be closer to 400 depending on what they would do

And to be safe could make it stay at 300 or make it lower when you improve the pacing

Pacing as in that almost all 2000s anime and media, in general, were slower paced compared to today

So if that pacing is sped even just to meet today's standards one episode back then could be half an episode now

For example, the bell test was 2 episodes that could easily be made into 1 episode now

Let alone the more “annoying” aspects that were in the show like the moments they repeat a “punch” or something to sell the epicness or when they pause on something or a shot too long (like when it could be 1 second but it’s 5 seconds)

There’s also the seasonal route where they do it in bunches of 12/24 episode seasons

The beginning to the end of the land of waves was 19 episodes

But that could be cut to be 12/13 having that be a “season”

Chunin exams were from around episode 20 to about 50 for the preliminary and 68 for the transition into Konoha Crush/end of the finals

If that could be reduced to 24 episodes (and if possible 12) that’s another bunch of episodes cut/reduced

Like without checking literally every episode count for arcs

Land of waves 12 episodes

Chunin exams 24 episodes

Konoha crush 12 episodes (including Naruto vs Gaara)

Tsunade arc 12 episodes

Sasuke retrieval 24 episodes

Naruto total: 84 episodes

And for Shippuden

Kazekage 12 episodes

Tenchi Bridge/Sasuke and Sai 6-12 episodes

Hidan and Kakuzu 12 episodes

Itachi (pursuit, Jiraiya, Sasuke vs Itachi) 24 episodes

Pain 12/24 episodes (depends on where you want to cut off the lines between this and Itachi's)

Five Kage 12 episodes

War 24 episodes

Ten tails and Kaguya 24 episodes

Ending 12 episodes

Shippudden Total: 138-156 episodes

So based on this at most 240 episodes

Obviously, this isn't me rewatching every episode and rereading every manga chapter to see the exact percentage of filler canon, etc

But everyone knows the filler in naruto was a problem and that it's just a common thing to skip it now so having a version that reduces it naturally without having the weird attempts the studio did to weave the filler into the canon (like the three tails arc)

As for the animation part, I've seen that they loved the updated look from the video and a whole anime looking like that would be marvelous

I agree, but I don't think original naruto and especially Shippudden are “outdated” yet

Like yes some fights like the infamous Naruto vs Pain an update could be nice but in general, the animation and art are still good

And I do understand people that don't like the updated look, it's like with Dragonball the cell-shaded look was normally for specials and such but now it's the norm

Like now it's the Boruto look but was the movie style previously

I think it's one of those we all just got to get used to it as we're never getting back to the 80s-00s look mostly just because of the workload

So should they make a Kai/remaster?

Yes just having a “definitive” version would be great

Now?

No, doesn't feel like enough time has passed, at most Naruto would get updated and not Shippudden, plus Boruto is still ongoing and would rather that conclude or reach a time skip otherwise we'll be having 2 Naruto's

Also random but I would like if it's called Naruto: Chikara / Naruto: Power to play off the filler arc that most liked

(I know Kai means updated so Kai still works)

[aspxnvii]

me rambling about HBO's TLOU Trailer

I was iffy about Pedro Pascal being cast as Joel, but from seeing him in the trailer, he seems just fine. At least just from the expressions, we're shown.

Right now, I don't claim Bella Ramsey as my daughter, like the original Ellie. I remember falling in love with Ellie immediately when I first watched TLOU all those years ago and I loved her, even more, when I played the game. Of course, I'm not hating on a child actress- not in the slightest. It's just the emotional attachment to these characters. It'll be interesting to see how she portrays Ellie, however, since we don't see much of her in the trailer, her interpretation remains to be seen and experienced.

The trailer absolutely captured the atmosphere of TLOU, and the song too. I heard somewhere that the song in the HBO trailer was used in a previous TLOU game trailer? However, I can't seem to find which trailer they're talking about. Oh well lol

My Dad watches a lot of Netflix & HBO shows and this morning he messaged me about TLOU trailer. He's heard me praise the game countless times throughout the years. Back in like 2014/2015, I had my dad start it. He finished the part where Sarah died and he refused to continue lmaoo. Which really sucks, but he's more into MMORPGs, so it is what it is. So, of course, hearing all the praise and knowing it's a popular story, he's going to watch the show, despite not having played the game. (Obviously, that isn't a requirement, but still). It feels weird, but I'm hoping the show will deliver.

It's just such a whole different experience reading the book or manga, compared to the anime or movie, as well as watching a show based off of a video game, etc. I'm nervous for TLOU show, as a majority of the fandom is. But, the trailer shows promise. However, we've all been let down before, so I will be staying neutral about it as of right now. It's going to be so weird hearing coworkers be like " Oh have you watched TLOU?" -Like yeah, I watched the gameplay back in 2013, and then I beat the game 3 times and the DLC twice. I've also watched Part || twice.

Them:

BTW, the Clicker looked sick as fuck

[asexualzoro]

list of reasons i find Brook ridiculous

for brook’s birthday, ive decided to follow up my other two posts of this genre by dragging yet another idiot swordsman. i have everybrook open on my phone next to me. here we go

- first and foremost his most ridiculous crime is existing. as he’s already so ridiculous as a character, im going to talk only about things hes done

- i want to know, did Brook make a conscious effort to change his laugh to sound like his favorite song? how long did it take? what was the in between period like? what did his crew have to say about this? the rumbar pirates were big on playful teasing, did they let Brook live this down? 

- ALTERNATIVELY: was brook’s laugh already like that? is that why bink’s sake is his favorite song? is that why it was York’s favorite-- oh we only made it two bullet points before i made myself sad

- relatedly i cannot make fun of anything Brook did in his backstory it will make me too sad. hes spared for now

- i DO want to say from a writing standpoint its so fucking ridiculous to me that he mentions twice being a convoy captain in the past and it never comes up again. oda?? why even bother to include something that cool if you weren't even going to do anything with it?? you could have said hes just always been a pirate but no. oda?? oda

- there was that bit where a bunch of people thought Brook was satan and addressed him as such (i think Satan-sama in the original, and the translation i read was like... Lord Satan or Lord Demon or something). not only did Brook never correct them, but he also ran with it and later used this case of mistaken identity as a reason to threaten to eat a man’s heart 

- also both men and women were showing him their underwear in that bit. bi rights

- those satanists let Brook get kidnapped while saying they would try to summon him back. do you think they're still at it

- Brook is older than... basically every old man in the series. Garp, Whitebeard, Rayleigh... all of them. something about that is so weird to me and i cannot place why

- Brook has seen and can prove the existence of an afterlife in One Piece canon and its then never addressed again

- Brook missed so many huge events while being dead. im looking at a timeline rn and these include the obvious, like, roger’s execution and subsequent effect on in-world culture and society and whatever. but also things like the destruction of ohara (which was in his home sea), the founding of the world power known as the revolutionary army (which was about 20yrs ago), and the births of every other member of his crew. wack

- he seems to know about stuff related to the pirate king post time skip, and i wonder if thats because someone told him or he’s just playing along now. maybe he just thinks Luffy made up the term pirate king cuz it sounds cool and he wants to support his captain’s interests

- if he DID ask though, like, who did he ask? his managers? did he pull aside some fan asking for an autograph at a concert like “hey, you look like a knowledgable young lad, mind helping me out?”

- i would love to be there when someone takes the time to explain roger, the pirate king, raffle, the One Piece.... and Brook asks them “what is the One Piece?”.... and someone has to look him in the eye (...or not) and tell him “i don't know” 

- Brook has technically died of fright (his soul left his body), like... at least once? it was luffy’s fault

- Brook was an urban legend on the florian triangle and i doubt he even knows that about himself

- when they're heading to fishmen island Brook gets all scared when they encounter a possible ghost ship and Usopp slaps him

- when captured by big mom he sleeps so godamn soundly and securely that he is harder to wake up than she is and this fact nearly gets a bunch of his crew killed

- Brook is the only character i can think of who has ever broken the fourth wall. he only did it once. maybe seeing the afterlife means he now knows hes in a manga. or maybe being isolated for 50 years just made his head be not screwed on right

- speaking of, there’s a bit in WCI at the wedding where Brook is decapitated. i don't know how it goes in the anime, but in the manga like... no one is shown to have decapitated him. his head just pops off. maybe he was just having fun

- also the bit where he rips the fake face off in wci. when someone calls him gross he cries

- there’s a bit in fishmen island where Brook is trying to ask Nami if he can see her panties (disgusting bastard) and he inadvertently protects her from being dehydrated by some guy they were fighting. except the panel setup reminds me a lot of / mimics ace protecting Luffy from Akainu, and it haunts me

- speaking of bits from fishmen island that haunt me, there's a page where it’s strongly implied Brook fucked a mermaid (maybe two). i will of course include the page here

- yeah. sorry. 

- when Brook first meets the strawhats he invites himself inside because “it’s cold out!” but he later admits in punk hazard that he cant feel cold. he was just lying

- no one introduces himself to Brook except Luffy for the entirety of thriller bark

- half related, Franky cradles Brook in his arms / carries Brook around for like a full scene in thriller bark 

- there's a link two second bit in film gold where the crew is just relaxing while they're planning for how they're going to get Zoro back and they're all shown eating burgers from pirate mcdonalds or whatever. and Brook is eating a burger and hes so messy that hes got burger on his forehead, and Franky is next to him just looking at him

- Brook also wears fake skin in that movie

- Brook has a running gag where he gets upset when things refuse to eat him and i was going to make a joke about it but im wondering if maybe hes just afraid of being left behind........ made myself sad again

- he cries when a dragon won't eat him tho

- Brook admits to reading monster hentai when talking to Sanji and Kin’emon and if i have to be burdened with knowing that so do you

- when hes trying to figure out the weakness of the zombies on thriller bark he overhears one ate a salted fish and lost its shadow and immediately assumes “oh, must have been the fish!” idiot man

- where does his sword cane go when hes not using it. it just appears. where does he store it

- there's a bit where the strawhats all use a combo attack at thriller bark and the first step is firing an electrically charged Brook in a slingshot through oars/oz. he ends up in a wall and no one ever pulls him out. i don't even think the manga shows how he got down

- enemies post time skip regularly assume Brook is dead when they manage to knock the crew out and it makes me wonder how popular of a rock star Brook actually was

- Brook goes on a mini rant to no one while they're descending to fisherman island where he wonders aloud how he sees without eyes and it makes me lose it

- this isn't Brook technically but Nekomamushi is based on a song Brook’s voice actor wrote about his cat.

- Brook literally doesn't have a brain. like i know we all know that but its so fucking funny. we make jokes about other strawhats only having one braincell or whatever but Brook straight up 100% just has a seashell where his brain is supposed to be 

-  why does he have rubber glove looking hands when hes haunting the castle at wano i fucking hate them

- relatedly, there’s a bit where Brook mentions he’s been, at kinemon’s interaction, sitting in a well for like... possibly days? is he okay

- honestly i love everything about Brook’s actions as a ghost in wano bc its so fucking funny but my FAVORITE fact is that Brook is in the wikipedia article about starving skeletons

im leaving you with that. appreciate ur local skeleton today