#top 5 upcoming anime

[olyshahriar]

5 Best Upcoming Anime 2024

The year 2023 has been a fabulous one for anime fans. So many must-watch anime were released this year that it feels like the second coming of ‘Anime Golden Age’. We have been mesmerized by the action-packed Cour 2 of Bleach TYBW Arc, awe-struck by the visually stunning Demon Slayer Season 3, soothed by the romantically charming My Happy Marriage, surprised by the unconventionally amazing Ooku, and many more. I expect this upward trend to continue in 2024 and that’s why it was really difficult to pick the ‘5 best upcoming anime 2024’.

[deshigeek]

5 Best Upcoming Romance K-Dramas 2024

Since you have already been treated to the feature of 5 best upcoming K-Dramas 2024 now it’s time for the ‘5 Best Upcoming Romance K-Dramas 2024. In 2023, Korean dramas asserted their dominance on OTT platforms, treating audiences to a rollercoaster of emotions with titles like – The Glory, Sweet Home 2 and Gyeongseong Creature. From icy beginnings to heartwarming unions, K-Dramas added their unique touch to the timeless rom-com formula. The Hallyu wave, born in the 1900s, has evolved into a global phenomenon, captivating viewers of all ages.

[sunburnhurts]

Bear lover || Cedric Diggory x fem!Reader

PART ONE PART TWO

Summary: Cedric and Y/n's parents are very close and they decide to go on a camping trip. Y/n and Cedric don't know each other in school, their paths never cross so they don't know they go to the same school. They have only met before on one of their parents get together's, but this get together will be very different. (Pretend cedric has a younger brother lolll).

Words: 2,754

All My Stories

A/n: Hey guys! So I just was on a small vacation, and im about to go on another one, but i wanna post something before I leave bc idk how well tumblr works on my phone, but I also wanted to make a longer story. So there is no promise of me posting all of it, it might have to be 2 parts so im so sorry loll.

Y/n finishes packing everything she needs for her camping trip. Toothbrush, toothpaste, clothes, hairbrush... Y/n thinks as she places the items in her bag, making sure she has everything she needs. A quiet knock on her door almost distracts her, but she finished her train of thought before she answered the door.

"I need help getting my bag." Y/n's little brother, Aaron, looks up at her with glossy eyes which indicated he was frustrated at something.

"Yeah of course Ronnie." Y/n says as she bends down and picks up her 6 year old brother. "Why so sad?"

"Mom said I can't bring more then 2 stuffed animals to the trip." He says with a trembling lip. "But I wanna bring 3." After he said that, tears broke loose from his eyes, making him stuff his head into Y/n's neck.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Y/n gives her brother a squeeze and he looks up at her. "Just put one in my bag, mom and dad don't have to know." She whispers to him and a huge smile is revealed on his red face and he hugs his sister. Y/n hugs and puts him down to get the stuffed animal he wanted.

Aaron runs back with a stuffed bear and places it on Y/n's bed. He then holds Y/n's hand as they walk to his room to get his bag from the top of his closet. Y/n reaches up on her tippy-toes and grabs it.

"Are you excited to see Leo?" Y/n asks as she turns around and places the bag on the toddlers bed. Leo is Cedric's 6 year old brother. Y/n always thought it was funny how her family and Diggory's family had kids at the same time, like it was planned.

"Yes! I can't wait for me, you, Cedric, and Leo to all play together!" Aaron smiles.

Y/n chuckles and says, "Don't get your hopes up, me and Cedric wont be able to play the whole time, 3 weeks is a while you know." Hearing this, Aaron frowns at the girl with begging eyes. "I can't speak for Cedric but I promise to play with you as much as I can!"

"You better!" He pouts, walking over to Y/n and holds her hand again. "Can we have ice cream before we leave?"

Y/n sighs and thinks for a moment. "Pinky promise you wont tell mom and dad?" She holds out her pinky with her unoccupied hand.

"Promise!" He says as he latches his finger with Y/n's.

~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n leans over and takes her thumb and wipes the chocolate ice cream in the corner of Aaron's mouth. She rolls her eyes playfully at her messy little brother, who almost got the 2 caught. The Y/L/N family was all in the car, heading to the camp ground.

Y/n's parents were talking to each other about the plans for what to make for food. Her dad said something about eggs, which made Y/n think of eating breakfast. She then went into deep thought about the upcoming trip.

She then thinks about the last time Y/n has saw Cedric, which was 5 years ago. She saw the Diggory family quite a lot, Leo and Aaron had a playdate the other week, but not Cedric. He was always too busy with other things to come visit the Y/L/N family.

She thinks about how young they both were, 11 and tiny. She thinks about how different she looked from now, and how it will be the same for Cedric.

Back when Y/n was 11, she thought Cedric was too cool for her until he approached and befriended her. They were at Y/n's house and were playing the whole time. They had the time of their life. By the time it was time for the Diggory's to leave, the 2 young kids were begging their parents to let them have a sleep over. When their parents said no, they said goodbye, not knowing they wouldn't see each other for another 5 years.

Y/n wondered if Cedric ever thought about that time. She hoped he did, Y/n always wished she could see Cedric again. In her first year of Hogwarts, her mind would wonder off in the middle of class, thinking about what he was doing. Little did she know they were both in Hogwarts, but they never saw each other and their parents never talked about it to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When the Y/L/N family arrives at the cabin, they notice the Diggory family wasn't there, so they decided to start unpacking the car. Y/n grabs both her and her brothers bags and walks into the cabin. She walks around, counting all the rooms and beds. 2 rooms for the parents, and 2 rooms which both had 2 beds for the kids.

Y/n places the bags on a table, unsure of where else to put them. As she does so, she hears a car turn into the cabin's rocky driveway. "Leo's here!" Aaron shouts, dashing to the front door. Nerves tingle Y/n's body as she waits for her old friend to reveal himself.

As Aaron opens the front door, the Diggory family stands right at the door with bags in their hands. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory's face light up as they see Aaron, who is holding the door open for them. The family walks into the cabin and says their hellos to everyone.

"Y/n! How have you been!" Mrs. Diggory says merrily and holds her arms out for a hug.

"I've been good! And yourself?" Y/n asks, returning her hug.

"I've been better, but I can't wait to spend the next 3 weeks with your family!" She responds, exiting the hug. "Cedric! Come say hi to Y/n! You guys haven't seen each other in forever!" Mrs. Diggory waves the boy over and Y/n gets a good look at him.

He is a lot different looking, his hair was longer, he was much taller, and much handsomer. Y/n wasn't afraid to admit that to herself, but certainly not to other people.

Cedric smiles and nods to the girl, saying, "Hey Y/n."

"Hey Cedric," Y/n returns the smile, "long time no see."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I've been super busy with school." Cedric laughs awkwardly as his mother walks away to say hi to the rest of Y/n's family, leaving the 2 alone.

Cedric looked into Y/n's eyes, taking in how much older she looks. More mature, tanner, and very pretty. Whenever his parents were talking about the Y/L/N family, he would always wonder how Y/n was doing. He felt bad for how much he couldn't see that family and he hoped they didn't think he was avoiding them.

"That's all right, I understand," Y/n gleams at the boy, "we have 3 weeks to catch up." Cedric lets out an airy laugh and nods as Y/n's parents come up to talk to Cedric.

As Cedric and Y/n's parents catch up about Cedric's life, Aaron and Leo run up to everyone. "Mom! Dad! Can me and Leo share a room!" Aaron says, interrupting whatever my Cedric was saying.

"As long as it's okay with Leo's parents." My mom says, fixing a hair on Aaron's head that was sticking up. She then looks to me and Cedric and says, "As long as it's okay with you guys to share a room too." Cedric and Y/n both look at each other and nodded in agreement.

"Yay!" The 2 young boys shout in union, running to one of the bedrooms.

Cedric finishes what he was saying before Aaron interrupted him, and Y/n grabbed Aaron and her bags and brought it to Ronnie's room. She then brings her bag to the other room and sets it on a random bed. She starts unpacking all her clothes, placing them in the empty drawer next to her bed. The 2 beds in the room were on opposite ends, both in corners. Y/n took the left bed, closest to a window.

Y/n finishes up unpacking as she hears the door open wider. She turns her head to the sound and sees Cedric walking into the shared room.

"Damn I wanted that bed." Cedric frowns playfully.

"Shoulda called dibs." Y/n says, shrugging her shoulders. Cedric snickers at the girl and walks over to the other bed. Y/n sits on her bed criss-crossed and watches as the boy starts unpacking his things. Y/n hears the voices of her and Cedric's moms entering the room, so she looks at them.

"Now kids," Mrs. Diggory starts as Cedric turns around and sits on his bed the same way Y/n is, "we know you kids are teenagers, but we are trusting you 2 to not do any-" She stops herself, not knowing a word to say.

"-'stuff'" Y/n's mom finishes. Y/n and Cedric share a look of disgust at their mothers.

"Momm." Y/n says shaking her head and looking away.

"I'm sorry Y/n, but as your mother I need to make sure I don't have a grandchild until I'm much older."

Y/n puts her elbows on her legs and buries her face in her hands. Cedric snorts at the situation, finding it funny how embarrassed Y/n is getting. Y/n hears his laugh and shoots her head at him. "This is not something to be laughing about!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Cedric laughs, putting his hands up in defense. Y/n rolls her eyes jokingly and laughs, looking at the 2 moms still standing at the door.

"They're so cute." Y/n and Cedric hears Cedric's mom whisper to Y/n's mom. After the 2 moms leave, Cedric and Y/n sit in silence for a few seconds. Cedric looks over at Y/n and sees something on her bed. He gets up and walks over to her, making Y/n look at him.

"Need a stuffed bear to sleep?" He asks, grabbing Aaron's bear and holding it up with a smirk. Y/n's face got flushed.

"No," Y/n gets up from her bed and reaches out for the stuffed bear, "it's Ronnies."

"Oh really? Then why was it in your bag?" He says, moving the bear out of reach.

"Because he could only bring 2 stuffed animals, but he wanted 3, so I packed one for him because I'm such a good sister." Y/n says, moving around to get the bear.

"That's a good fake story." Cedric teases. He knew it was true, but he found it funny annoying her about it.

"It's not fake! Ask Ron!" Y/n says defensively. She finally got a hold of the bear and Cedric let go, smirking.

"What ever you say, Bear lover!" Cedric walks away from the girl smiling into the room with the rest of the families. Y/n watches Cedric walk away and shakes her head, tossing the bear back on her bed and then following the boy into the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~

As the first day was ending, the Y/L/N and Diggory family sat around a fire made by Y/n's dad. Aaron and Leo were running around playing games with each other, Y/n and Cedric laughed at the 2 boys tiring themselves out. Y/n and Cedric were sitting next to each other on a bench facing the fire, making small talk about their lives.

"I'm glad we are on this trip, I don't know what I would be doing this summer." Y/n says, thinking about how she would have been in her room all day.

"Me too," Cedric says as he turns his head to look at Y/n, "I would probably hang with the Weasley's and loose my mind."Y/n looks up at him and laughs, thinking about the crazy Weasley twins.

Aaron runs up to the Y/n and begs, "Can we play hide and seek pleeeeaassee?" Y/n and Cedric look at each other and share a "why not" look.

"Yeah sure, Ronnie. I'll start counting, you guys can hide." Y/n says, purposfully leaving Cedric with the 2 younger boys.

Cedric shakes his head at the girl, "How dare you leave me with them."

"Shoulda called dibs!" Y/n says, watching as Cedric gets dragged by the hands of Aaron and Leo. She covers her eyes with her hands and start counting quietly. "1.. 2.. 3...." Once she got to 30, she gets up and walks away from the fire, feeling the coldness of the night air.

Y/n walks around the semi-dark yard, approaching a set of trees. She spots a yellow shirt peeking from behind a tree, just like the shirt Cedric's little brother was wearing. "Hmm, I wonder where Leo is," She says as she peeks behind the tree.

Leo looks up at Y/n and says, "How did you find me!"

"Lucky guess?" Y/n says as she reaches out for his hand. "I don't want you getting lost in the woods." Leo nods and latches his hand in the girls hand. "Do you know where Ronnie is?" Leo smiles, pulling Y/n over to a tall tower of logs.

Before she could peek behind the logs, a tall figure jumps out at the girl saying, "Boo!"

"AH!" Y/n says quickly before covering her mouth. She looks up at the figure, identifying it as Cedric and slaps his arm. "Do not do that!" The boy laughs and places a hand on the girls shoulder.

"Don't be such a scardy cat." He says as the girl smiles and shoves his hand off her shoulder.

"Whatever." She responds. Aaron walks out behind the pile of logs laughing at his older sister, causing his hair to get ruffled by the older girl.

After more rounds of hide and seek, it was time to go inside and get ready for bed. The adults were putting their youngest children to bed, and Cedric and Y/n were getting ready for bed. Y/n was changing into her pajamas in the bathroom, and Cedric was changing in the bedroom.

Once Cedric was done changing, he walks over to Y/n's bed, picking up the stuffed bear. "I see you kept your brothers bear." He says loud enough for Y/n to hear.

"Oh, I guess I forgot to give it to Ronnie." Y/n calls out, rolling her eyes at the boy.

"Mhmm," Cedric says in a sarcastic tone, taking the stuffed bear over to his side of the room. He sits on his bed with the bear in hand and looks down at it. Y/n opens the bathroom door and looks over at Cedric.

"Oh so now you want the bear?" Y/n jokes as she walks over to her bed.

Cedric nods, "Yeah it's actually a pretty cool bear, I don't think I could sleep without it now." Y/n shakes her head and goes under the covers.

"It's so cold in here." Y/n says aloud, not talking to anyone in particular.

"Put on a jumper." Cedric says, looking at the girl.

"I didn't pack one, I didn't think I would need it." Cedric pauses, then gets up and grabs one of his jumpers. He then tosses it to the girl and she gratefully accepts it. Cedric watches from his bed as the girl puts his jumper on and then goes back under the covers.

Y/n's mom and Cedric's mom peek their heads into the room, which catches the attention of Cedric and Y/n. "Goodnight kids." They both say.

"Goodnight mom." Y/n and Cedric say in union. The 2 moms turn the light off and closes the door. Y/n looks up at the ceiling, thinking about the eventful day, still tired from the long drive.

Cedric looks over at Y/n as he recalls a memory from when they were younger. "Remember when we were running around in your basement and you knocked into your mom's vase?"

Y/n turns her head to the boy, smiling at the memory. She was somewhat surprised that he remembered that. "You remember that?"

"Of course I remember, you have a scar on your arm in the exact spot you hit the table." Y/n's face turns red from how observant he was of the girl. "Did you ever get caught?"

Y/n turns her body to face the boy, responding with, "I said the cat knocked it over, but I don't think my mom believed it."

A breathy laugh came from Cedric and he adjusts his body to face Y/n. "Why haven't I ever seen you at Hogwarts?" Y/n asked. "Were you avoiding me?"

"How could I ever avoid THE Y/n Y/l/n?!" He jokes.

"That's what I was wondering!"

"I'm not sure why you haven't seen me, I'm at Quidditch most the time. Have you gone to any Hufflepuff matches?"

"I've gone to a few Gryffindor ones. I think I went to the one where Hufflepuff beat Gryffindor."

"You're welcome for that win." Cedric winks at Y/n.

"Wait," Y/n thinks for a moment, "you were the one that caught the snitch!" Cedric laughs and nods his head. "Wow I never knew I was in the presence of the king of Quidditch!"

"You might need to get my autograph or people wont believe you've met me!" Y/n snickers and turns her body to face the ceiling. "So Ms. Y/n, why have I not seen you at Hogwarts?"

"I'm not sure, I'm usually outside of my room, hanging with my friends."

"Maybe I've seen you, but not recognized you. You look a lot different you know." Cedric said, emphasizing the word "lot".

"In a good way, I hope." Y/n laughs.

"Yes," Cedric pauses for a second, still facing the girl. "in a good way."

Y/n smiles and says, "You look different too, you don't have those big glasses you used to have."

"You did not need to bring that up."

"Too late." Y/n smiles and blinks tiredly. There was a moment of silence before Y/n said, "Goodnight Cedric."

"Goodnight, bear lover." Cedric says, even though he is still holding the stuffed bear in his hand.

END OF PART 1

Not pre-read!

A/n: Hey guys! I'm going to be writing more tonight, but I can't promise to post it until I'm back from vacation, so I hoped you liked this! If it wasn't clear, Y/n and Cedric found out they went to the same school when they were talking at the fire. Thank you for reading and I'll be starting on the next part!

[mellybouboulove]

My guardian angel🤍𓆩♡𓆪☁️

Chapter 1

Hey guys, this is my first fanfic :) I'm already working on the upcoming chapters, it's gonna be pretty long.

This is a Drug Dealer Ellie Williams X OFC fic, it's out of universe and takes place in college, it's set in the 2000s.

Chapter 2 , Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapitre 5, Chapter 6, Chapitre 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

Tags: #wlw #sapphic #drugdealer!ellie #modern!ellie #tlou #slowburn #smut #fluff #tlouau #au #modernau

Here's the first chapter <3

First Chapter

It’s October 31st and I have yet to find my Halloween costume for the upcoming party. I was never too fond of parties but my friends have been begging me to join them. I started feeling guilty for not engaging more with the social part of uni, am l wasting my life ?

9pm: My whole wardrobe was covering the floor of my bedroom. I was contemplating each piece I had to find anything that could work as a costume when I started to question if I should even attend. After a couple minutes, I decided to put on a red top and red thighs topped with a blue dress in a desperate attempt to recreate Wendy Torrance’s look in The Shining. By the time I got ready, Emily and Jonathan were here to pick me up. I was already feeling so tired from all the noise. Maybe wasting my life is not that bad after all.

As we parked I could already hear everyone screaming like raging animals. When we entered the house Victoria, one of Emily’s soccer teammates, greeted us and took Emily and Jonathan apart. I felt out of place and decided to head towards the bar to grab a drink. Everyone around me was dancing and smoking. I struggled to breathe and looked around me, spotting the backdoor to the garden. I paved myself a way in the crowd; as I reached the outdoors. I sat and took a deep breath of fresh air watching the sky thinking about my bed.

I started relaxing when I noticed a presence in the corner of my eye. I turned around and saw a girl smoking a cigarette leaning against the wall. She glanced at me and we stayed in an awkward silence for a couple seconds until she finally started talking. 

- Hey, do you mind if I sit here? - Not at all, go ahead. 

As she sits next to me I take a better look at her, I can’t help but notice her attractiveness. She has a cute button nose and small freckles on her cheeks, light green eyes and strands of hair falling in her face. She’s really pretty. She looked up to me and I quickly looked away in embarrassment. She smiled at my reaction.

- What’s your name ? I don’t think we’ve met before. - My name’s Maya Reeves, you ? I asked. - Ellie Williams. What are you doing here all alone? 

- I just needed some fresh air, I lost my friends and the music is so loud. Her face enlightened, then she confessed to me that she didn’t like these parties either.

- What are you dressed as ? I continued.  - What? - It’s Halloween, are you not wearing a costume? - Ohh no no, I hate this kind of stuff.. Are you wearing a costume ?

I got up and turned around to show off my outfit. 

- Duh?! Do you think this is how I normally dress ?? l said.

She chuckled and looked at me up and down admitting something was off. She continued.

- What are you dressed as ? -Wendy Terrance from The Shining. -Ohh cool.. I didn’t see it but you look good. -What!! you really should see it! -I'll keep it in mind, I'll think about you when I do. 

She smiled at me, put out her cigarette in the ash and got up to leave. On her way back, she greeted Jonathan who was coming out of the house. He looked at me surprised. 

-Did you get drug?  -No why? I asked surprised.  -She only ever talks to her clients. -What are you talking about?  -She’s my plug, she’s at every party just to do business.  -Ohh.

I guess she must’ve only talked to me to try to sell me drugs, I’m kinda disappointed, she seemed sweet. Emily noticed how bored and sad I looked and offered me to drink to get in the mood. After a couple drinks I felt better and managed to enjoy the rest of the night. 

Eventually, it was time to go home. Emily and Jonathan were both way too drunk so I took the driver’s seat. The road was dark and my hands a little shaky, my eyes started to close until l suddenly saw two big lights coming right at us and heard loud noises. l realized we just collided with a car.

------------------- To Be Continued..

[arataka-reigen]

Fall Anime Lineup Review by yours truly 🙋‍♀️🍄🌻

This season, I decided to watch as many anime as I could just for funsies :^) in total, I have started 19 shows, and I will be reviewing most of them here to help you decide whether to give any of them a go or not.

(This review will include exclusively animes that debuted this fall, so no second seasons or continuing shows from the summer season)

I will be classifying these anime in three categories: "definitely worth the watch," "anime i've dropped," and "not a masterpiece, but check it out if you like the premise"

Reminder that this is my personal list, and as such it 100% reflects my personal tastes (like my preference for female main characters and yuri shows)

So I might give 5 stars to shows other people would find bad, and that's okay! I invite others to make their own lists as well <3 (insert lets take ibuprofen together meme here)

(Last thing: i've added cw for only a few shows, and this is by no means an extensive list of all possible triggers for any of these shows, so watch at your own risk and if you want more info you can always ask or dm me)

Without further ado, let's get on to it (under read more because im not a jerk to make you scroll past All That)

Definitely worth the watch / Top 5 Shows of the Season

The Apothecary Diaries

Summary: Drama, Historical, Medical, Mystery. An apothecary gets kidnapped and forced to work in the emperor's palace as a low-level servant. She is determined to quietly work until her years of servitude are over, but when the emperor's infants fall ill, Maomao uses her medical abilities to solve the mystery of their illnesses and accidentally attracts attention to herself, being brought to work in the inner palace instead.

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: This show is incredibly well animated and voice acted. The characters are brilliant and the stories are beautifully touching. It appears to be slightly episodic so far, with Maomao having to solve a new mystery or save someone's life every episode, but there is still a sense of a continuous story being told and I can't wait to see where it goes.

The strongest part of this show is definitely the MC. Maomao is incredibly competent, self-assured, and a no-nonsense person, but she is also completely obsessed with drugs and poisons, going so far as to test them out on her own skin and become completely giddy when she is presented with the opportunity to work with drugs in the inner palace.

Another great quality is the sorority between women, Maomao was raised in the red light district, and the courtesans there taught her a lot about life, which Maomao applies to her everyday life.

If you only have time to watch one anime this season, this is the one I'd tell you to watch.

CW: self-harm, child death, kidnapping, classism.

Edit to add one more cw: pedophilia (it is treated as a bad thing and not endorsed, but it caught me by surprise while i read the manga so i thought to warn this is an upcoming topic that will probably appear on ep 6)

Sousou no Frieren

Summary: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy. What happens when you are a 1000 year old elf who has to live on after your friends' death? For 10 years, Frieren and her companions fought against the demon king, disbanding after he was defeated. The story accompanies Frieren after Himmel, the Hero, dies, and she has to come to terms with the fact that the short 10 years she spent with him have made a big change in her life.

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Much like The Apothecary Diaries, Frieren's tale is not full of battles and fast paced episodes, actually it is slightly episodic, accompanying Frieren as she goes around collecting spells (that's her hobby) and traveling around the land through all the places she went with her party back in the day, seeing their statues and getting to experience new things while trying to figure out what those 10 years of adventuring meant to her.

This is MadHouse we are talking about, so of course, the animation is one of the strongest attributes. Sound design is also very good, you get to feel the quiet moments and appreciate them. The ending song is so good.

Also like Apothecary, Frieren's greatest qualities are the characters, especially the MC and the feelings they have to face.

Tumblr loves characters haunting the narrative right?? You guys are gonna love Himmel, the Hero istg

CW: death, grief, mild violence.

My New Boss is Goofy

Summary: Iyashikei, Workplace, Comedy. Momose used to be harrassed by his last boss so he decided to quit his job and joing a different company. Momose's new boss, Shirosaki, is an airhead and being in his presence is a fun and healing time for Momose

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: SALARYMEN YAOI. This show will heal your soul. The animation is simple but pretty, the cute effects like the ones on the gif above really help set the mood of a cute show. You've heard of cute girls doing cute things on anime, now get ready for cute salarymen doing cute things such as adopting a cat and naming it their shipname, riding the merry go round together, etc.

Also, may I offer you a canon bi/pan male character who is not embarrassed to come out?

Btw this is iyashikei, so nothing really happens, that's the whole premise of this genre. No drama, only healing. Idek if there is anything i could put as content warning. CW: cuteness overload.

I'm in Love with the Villainess

Summary: Isekai, Fantasy, Comedy, Girls Love. Rei wakes up in the body of the hero of her favorite otome game. Her favorite character in that game happened to be the villain, though, so now she is determined to dedicate herself to pursuing the villainess.

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: I debated a lot whether or not to include this on my top 5, but the incredibly deep and honest discussion about sexuality on ep 4 definitely swayed my decision in its favor. The animation is nothing special tbh and at times can feel very static, but the character design is good enough for me.

This anime is like if Maria from Hamefura was the one who got isekaid and then fell in love with OG Katarina, so... yeah, of course I love it.

It seems that this anime will go in some interesting and unexpected directions as well in the future so I consider this is a must watch of the season.

CW: classism, discussions of homophobia, mc can come off as a bit of a stalker,

To complete my top 5:

I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness

Summary: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy. Despite being innocent, Charlotte is accused of evil deeds, has her engagement annulled, and is forced to flee her country. While crossing the forest, running away from royal guards, she collapses near the residence of one man known as "The Demon Lord"

When he hears her story, said Demon Lord decides to let her live with him and teach her all about the naughty things in life (such as splurging on clothes, eating dessert instead of dinner, and playing games all night long).

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: EXTREMELY WHOLESOME. You'll be cheering for these two to get together in no time at all.

It's kinda like My Happy Marriage, but with less drama lol the female lead was raised as a servant in her own home, much like Miyo, and then gets rescued by a male lead who wants her to learn how to assert herself and live for herself, pursuing her dreams and valuing her own life.

Not a single moment with the male lead so far has been anything but incredibly wholesome and funny, Allen is genuinely a good person who wants Charlotte to heal for her own sake. He gets incredibly happy when she hides a secret from him because it means she is becoming her own person.

So far, this anime hasn't had a single problematic trope this type of romance anime usually has, and i don't think it will. What it does have are fun tropes like: "and there was only one bed", side characters hardcore shipping the MCs, male lead who is genuinely a good person but laughs and talks like a villain, etc.

ALSO, this series has not one but TWO catgirls <3

I could genuinely talk about all five of these animes for hours, but I still have lots of others to review. Hit me up if you want to talk abt any of them, though, i'm gonna be super happy.

Honorable Mention:

Spy X Family Season 2

Rating: ★★★★★

Anime I've dropped or will probably drop soon

The Vexations of a Shut-in Vampire Princess

Summary: Comedy, Fantasy, Vampire. Komari is a shut-in vampire who is weaker than most vampires because she refuses to drink blood. One day, she wakes up to the news that she was appointed as commander of a unit of the imperial army and must now do her best to win wars and survive while all the vampires under her command fight for her position

Rating: ★½ (a full star is too much, so I'll give it half a star)

Review: This one is bad, fam. The reason I found why it is so bad can be summarized in a 3 words: the male gaze.

Komari is filled to the brim with yuri bait, with every female character being into the MC, but all of it is 100% targeted to male audiences. This show is NOT classified as shoujo ai, so i wouldn't get my hopes up and ultimately dropped it after only the first episode.

If you need one more reason to Not watch this, I'll let you know that in less than 10 minutes of the first episode the MC almost pisses herself because that's a thing they decided to include for no reason at all.

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-rank Adventurer

Summary: Adventure, Fantasy. After losing his leg as a newbie adventurer, he retires and returns to his hometown, becoming a handyman for the village. One day, while searching the mountains for herbs, he finds a child and raises her.

His grown-up daughter leaves to become an adventurer herself, and after years, she hasn't returned home not even once...

Rating: ★½

Review: Oh, I wanted this one to be good so badly 😭 it was one of the animes I was most looking forward to after reading the premise. Actual dilf character who is in his 40s and not in his 20s? I wanted it to be good. But, alas, it is bad. There is nothing problematic with it at all, the anime is straight up just bad. Bad animation, horrible pacing, terrible exposition, abhorrent setup of the story, not enough moments dedicated to setting up the story and making the characters interesting at all.

I Shall Suvive Using Potions!

Summary: Isekai, Fantasy. The God of Earth accidentally kills Kaoru and, as compensation, offers to lead her to a new life in another world with any power buff she wishes for. She chooses to be able to make potions with any effect of her choice, infinite storage space, and other stuff

Rating: ★

Review: ngl the first half of the first episode was pretty interesting, with Kaoru dying and then bargaining for compensations, but after this it just gets very very very boring. Nothing too bad about this one, it's just not worth anyone's time.

Tearmoon Empire

Summary: Fantasy, Time Travel, Comedy. Following her execution at the guillotine by the hands of the revolutionary army, Mia Luna Tearmoon wakes up to learn she has returned to when she was 12 years old, before the downward spiral and decline of the empire that led to her death. She finds her bloodied future diary, and decides to use it to change events to ensure she doesn't end up at the guillotine once again.

Rating: ★

Review: i honestly still don't know where i stand with this anime. It's got an interesting premise, but the development of the story is not at all interesting. This and the S-rank Daughter anime are under a category of "animes i wish had better writers."

CW: death, torture

The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch

Summary: Fantasy, Comedy, Gag Humor. Alyssa, a witch who lives alone in the forest, picks up an abandoned human baby one day. 16 years later, Viola had not only grown into a daughter who adores Alyssa, but also into a woman of exceptional proportions, and the people around them mistook Viola for Alyssa's mother

Rating: ★★

Review: it pains me to drop this one ngl, as it is a very sweet mother & daughter story and I feel like we don't get enough of those. The story can be very wholesome at times, and i've had more than a few good laughs with it. But it's just not interesting enough to keep you watching, and most of the jokes get old pretty fast. I'd recommend watching just the first episode because it is cute and funny enough by itself

Not a masterpiece, but check it out if you like the premise

Hoshizuku Telepath

Summary: Comedy, Girls Love, Supernatural. Fifteen-year-old Umika Konohoshi, with a love for aliens and space, is having a hard time socializing at school, but she hopes her words will someday reach other people. When self-proclaimed alien Yuu Akeuchi enters her life, Umika will learn more about being open.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: Just cute girls doing cute things + this one is actually classified as Shoujo Ai, so i have high hopes for a bit of romance. So far, it's just been very, very cute, wonderful animation, cute characters, cute interactions, cute everything

None of these characters are neurotypical btw.

I highly recommend this one, it almost made my top 5.

16bit Sensation: Another Layer

Summary: Time Travel, Workplace, Comedy, Otaku Culture. Konoha is an illustrator who loves beautiful girls and bishoujo games. She works at a video game studio and dreams of making bishoujo games. However, in the present, where mobile games are all the rage, Konoha spends her days as a sub-illustrator just coloring the back of background characters.

One day, after some happenings, Konoha got her hand on a masterpiece of a bishoujo game, and upon opening the package, she is suddenly taken back in time to the golden age of bishoujo games (the 90s). She joins a company named "Alcoholsoft" in pursuit of her dream of making games.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: Main character loves infodumping about her special interest so much she manages to get herself a time travel deal after infodumping on a random old lady.

This is another anime that almost made my top 5. It has a slow start and the continuity sometimes makes no sense ngl, but the premise is still very interesting. I was used to stories where characters get isekaid into a completely different time and space, but this girl is just sent back 30 years in time so she can witness the boom of her beloved bishoujo games.

The MC can get kind of annoying sometimes, but it isnt too unbearable, I still highly rec it.

Shy

Summary: Action, Super Powers, Drama. As the planet approached its third World War, individuals with superpowers appeared from around the globe to maintain peace. They became the symbols of their respective nations, striving to limit crime and bring evildoers to justice. Teenage heroine Teru "Shy" Momijiyama is Japan's representative in the world of heroes. When a mysterious threat called Amalareiks emerges, Shy must work together with her fellow heroes to stop them at all costs, all while dealing with her own feelings of inadequacy and shyness.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: a lot better than I expected, the myanimelist score does not do it justice istg. This season is full of shy and reserved main characters, but I feel like they get to be a lot more interesting than your usual shy characters. Both Hoshizuku Telepath and Shy deal with their shy characters in interesting ways and I rec both.

I also absolutely adore Iko, who is one of the first people saved by Shy in the anime, but she ends up badly hurt, which sends Shy into a spiral of doubt and fears.

CW: mild violence, death, grief, self hatred and suicidal thoughts

Migi and Dali

Summary: Comedy, Mystery, Suspense. Osamu and Youko want to adopt a child, due to their increasingly old age, they decide they can only take one kid. They decide to adopt Hitori, a gentle and beautiful boy.

However, Hitori's humble and overly polite exterior is merely a facade. In reality, Hitori is a carefully crafted character played by identical twins Migi and Dali. They did all that to be able to infiltrate their childhood town and uncover the mystery of their mother's death.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: This show is batshit insane and absolutely hilarious. These twins mistrust everyone around them and are constantly on edge to maintain the facade of being only one person, the extents they go to keep this up make for hysterical situations and I just couldn't stop laughing while being absolutely horrified by everything that goes on in this. This is a very disturbing anime, though, and the cw for this is gonna make you question whether or not you can trust my opinion, and you know what? I don't know if you should trust me either. But like,,, it really is that fucking funny. It is also just incredibly disturbing and fucked up as well, so watch at your own risk.

CW (this one is very problematic, don't say i didn't warn you): non sexual forced infantilization, non sexual forced pet play, non sexual groping, forced partial nudity, forced eating, minor incest vibes, implied murder, invasion of privacy, surveillance, classism, fursona, bullying, kidnapping and imprisonment. Most of these things happen to a minor, so.. yeah... not great...

If you would like more info on these cws before starting this anime, feel free to send an ask or dm me.

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions

Summary: Mystery, Detective, Comedy. Totomaru wants to solve murders and help people, but lacks the skills for it. Following the advice of one of his seniors, he ventures out to enlist the aid of the reclusive Ron Kamonohashi. Five years ago, Ron was the most promising detective from the illustrious Detective Training Academy Blue; yet for reasons unknown to the public, he sank into obscurity.

The true reason Ron withdrew from the detective world was not from lack of desire, but rather from something out of his control—and Totomaru might just be the key for his return to his former calling.

Rating: ★★★

Review: This is the classic sherlock ripoff that comes around all the time. Not saying it is bad tho, it is quite fun and the dynamic between Toto and Ron is very good. The animation is pretty decent as well. I have only seen one episode so far, but I already like it.

Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me

Summary: Romance, School. As part of a punishment game, Ryuuto is forced to confess to the girl he likes, Runa Shirakawa, a very popular student.

Runa doesn't have a boyfriend at the moment, so she simply agrees to date him.

They have different friends and ways to have fun, and they are different in almost every way. Nonetheless, they begin to relate with each other.

Rating: ★★★

Review: this romance is quite fun and cute, Runa is very carefree about her relationships and isnt embarrassed by things like sex or whatever, she is quite experienced (as the title says), but she has never experienced real love so she just goes around dating in search for it. Ryuuto is very different and gets embarrassed just thinking about holding her hand. He also wants to make her feel appreciated and figure out what her interests are, so he is one of the first dudes to actually treat her like a human being, which, god, it is so real how men take women for granted and this anime shows that by the juxtaposition of Ryuuto being an actual decent person.

Anyways, it doesn't get a higher recommendation from me because the main source of conflict so far in this anime is another female character, who hates the female lead. And that. Uhh. I don't like stories like this. Im a women loving eomen. Im a yuri enjoyer. Im a girl's girl. So, i'd enjoy it more if the antagonist wasnt a girl who hates the female lead. But it is good enough so far to give me hope that this will change in the future.

The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons

Summary: Slice of Life, School. The Yuzuki family, which consists of four brothers, lost their parents two years ago. Hayato, the eldest son, is a hard worker and the pillar of the family. Mikoto, the second son, is calm and collected, but he has a soft spot for his younger brother Minato, the third son, who is energetic and lovable, but clumsy and awkward. Gakuto, the fourth son, is a studious and mature first-grader who is often referred to as a "wise man." The story follows their daily lives.

Rating: ★★★

Review: this is the only actual shoujo of this list. The rest is either shounen or not classified as either. I have only watched one episode so far, so I can't say a lot about it, the first ep was cute and wholesome, as most slice of life is. I say go for it if you want some wholesome family.

Undead Unluck

Summary: Action, Comedy, Super Powers. For the past 10 years, Fuuko has been afflicted by a condition that brings extreme misfortune to anyone who touches her. This has resulted in the deaths of her parents.

As she stands on a bridge above train tracks, Fuuko is touched by a strange man, causing the footing underneath him to break and dropping him in front of an oncoming train. However, when Fuuko finds the man's corpse, she discovers that his body is regenerating and that he is coming back to life.

The man is immortal and wishes for death. Together, the two will look for the best death possible.

Rating: ★★

Review: god, this one is absolutely insane and so full of blood and death, help. But it is good, I had A Lot of fun with the first ep and I'll give it a chance because I can see myself getting really into the main couple. This is a hardcore shounen tho, so it does include some classically annoying tropes, especially since the dude has to touch her to be hit by her unlucky powers.

This season only had 2 shoujos, and one of them had a classic shoujo problem (problematic age gaps), so i didn't watch it. Here is to hoping next season has more shoujosei.

Thank you for reading until the end (wtf, are you crazy) and happy watching <3

[fma03anniversary]

Happy 20th anniversary FMA. Let's put some forgotten feathers back in your cap.

Melissa was the #1 anime theme song to wrap 2003, and peaked at #2 on the Oricon Singles Chart - Japan's music industry standard for charting CD singles. Melissa became the #34th top selling single for 2003 and was only on sale for two months of the year (Melissa went on sale Sept 26th and Oricon is tracked Dec 1 - Nov 30). Melissa ranked #66 in top Japanese singles for 2004 too. The song would be on the Oricon charts for 38 weeks! Melissa won Animage Magazine's 2004 Anime Grand Prix for Best Anime Song.

Ready Steady Go! was the 18th best selling single of 2004 and peaked at #1 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and would do so charting less than half the time of Melissa, 16 weeks.

FMA sweeps Animage Magazine's 26th Annual Anime Grand Prix held in June 2004 - winning best series, best male character (Ed), best female character (Riza), best voice performance (Romi Park), best song (Melissa @ #1, Kesenai Tsumi @ #2), and best episode (7).

FMA is on the cover of all 3 major Japanese animation magazines for July 2004 - Newtype, Animage, and Animedia.

July 31, 2004 L'arc~en~Ciel make their North American debut at Otakon. Prior to their concert held at the 1st Mariner Place (now CFG Bank Arena) in Baltimore, to a crowd of 12,000 the first episode of the upcoming FMA English dub is premiered.

Rewrite peaks at #4 on the Oricon charts and becomes the 63rd best selling single of 2004. Rewrite won Best Anime Theme Song at the American Anime Awards at New York City Comicon in 2007.

FMA gets the rare honour of going to reruns in Japan.

FMA debuts on Adult Swim and is on the cover of all 3 major North American anime magazines for November 2004 - Newtype USA, Anime Insider, and Animerica.

FMA pulls in a ton of new viewers to Adult Swim for December 2004.

TV Asahi ranks FMA the most popular animated TV series in Japan in fall 2005, a year after it finished airing.

FMA is the best selling anime series on DVD for 2005 in North America. Individual DVD volume sales are so strong they rank alongside anime movies.

Anime News Network crowns FMA the best series of 2005.

Link is the #4 anime song for 2005 and peaks at #2 on the Oricon chart.

Conqueror of Shamballa is the #7 anime movie and #47 movie overall in Japan for 2005.

Anime Expo 2006 celebrates FMA. AX teams up with FUNimation to premiere Conqueror of Shamballa at the convention, hosted by guests of honour: Seiji Mizushima (Series Director), Mike McFarland (EN Director), Masahiko Minami (President of Studio Bones), Romi Park (who unfortunately had to cancel last minute), and Vic Mignogna.

Conqueror of Shamballa set to screen in 40 North American theatres. In !!2006!!

In the first ever event to honour voice acting, direction, production, etc of English anime in North America, the American Anime Awards were held at New York City Comic Con in 2007, handing out awards for the Best Of 2006. Online fan voting selected the finalists and FMA led the nominations with 5. The series would lose Best Feature (CoS) to FFVII Advent Children, but win Best Long Series, Best DVD Packaging, Best Cast, and Best Theme Song (Rewrite). Source (1), (2), (3)

Over five years after its Japanese debut and four years after it's North American start, as Brotherhood begins airing in Japan FMA still ranks #7 for best selling anime series on DVD in North America for spring 2009!

[rate-every-bat]

If you haven't done it already, you should rate the Hoary Bat 💞 They're my favourite and I would love to see your opinion on them

Absolutely, let's do it!

Today's Bat: Hoary Bat

The Hoary Bat has always put me in mind of a little powdered donut. There's an abandoned mining cave that's been turned into a museum and nature preserve in my area, and bat spotters frequently find these frosted babies hanging out there during the summer. I'd really love to spot one in person, but for now, I'll settle for this precious picture:

Environmental Impact: The Hoary Bat has an incredibly wide habitat range across North and Central America, even reaching as far as Hawaii. With such a wide range, it's no surprise that they've split into several subspecies (which is so, so cool). They migrate from north to south in the autumn, or hibernate for short bursts using a "butt blanket" and torpor state to withstand cooler temperatures. Interestingly, they predate several pest species, but have a relatively restricted diet compared to other North American insectivorous bats. These guys also catch rabies fairly frequently, which is another hit to their score here.

🦇🦇🦇/5

Beauty: Oh, these guys are angels. Their wide faces and perfectly round eyes make them look like Precious Moments dolls with wings. Their coats, multi-colored with a delicate white frost, are the peak of winter fashion. I can't think of a single thing that would make these guys more appealing... top marks!

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇/5

Power: Hoary Bats are largely solitary throughout the year. Upon mating in the autumn, the female retains sperm in her reproductive tract. She'll reserve it all winter, and come spring, she will fertilize her eggs and give birth by early summer. Delayed fertilization allows them to choose whether or not conditions are right to rear young, and controls for their generally lonesome nature. I first learned about this ability with bears, and I continue to find it fascinating. I will have to deduct points from the Power score, however, for their decidedly anti-clean-power stance: their leading cause of mortality is striking wind turbines.

🦇🦇🦇/5

Overall: This upcoming summer, hit your local mine. Maybe you'll find a Hoary Bat... or me, with a camera.

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇/5

(Today's sources: Animal Diversity Web, Bat Conservation International)

(PS: I couldn't find a convenient spot to mention this, but the Hawaiian Hoary bat is actually endangered. They're the only remaining native land mammal in Hawaii according to the National Parks Service. BCI lists some conservational efforts, which I'd recommend reading up on and advocating for if you're able. Thank you!)

[tamayokny]

so the kny infinity castle movie trilogy arc was officially confirmed today. tbh i have mixed feelings about it (mostly about release times and fear of content being cut). the hashira training finale episode has assuaged some of my fears and as a result, i'll share a few things that i look forward to from the upcoming trilogy:

zenitsu's fight. this boy is in my top 9 favorite kny characters and i think he has some of the best (dynamic) development from the cast. everyone will love and appreciate him more after we see him fight.

AKAZA BACKSTORY. we are going to see all of that in high quality and that makes me very excited. tbh i think akaza is one of my favorite upper moons (daki & gyuutaro are the others; more so daki though but i always pair them together haha).

my 5 seconds of genmui content but then my heart will be absolutely shattered. the upper moon 1 fight is going to be a LOT.

nobody is ready for shinobu and everyone else involved. she's not my favorite character but her journey is one of my favorites as well.

potentially murata and yushiro content

more tamayo....oh boy for those who are anime-onlys, y'all are gonna lose it towards the end of the infinity castle arc + next arc.

oh, and of course: YORIICHI TSUGIKUNI LET'S GOOOOOO

now if y'all excuse me, it's time to go reread the last arcs!

[whumpsday]

Whumpmas in July #1

(Re)Introduce yourself

hi! i'm mill, and i write oc whump! i also run the WIJ archive blog, @whumpmasinjuly-archive: if you use the official tags or @ that blog, i'll make sure your post gets reblogged to the archive!

my masterlist is here, where you can find all of my writing.

my favorite whump things to write are vampire whump, nonhuman whump in general, role reversal (whumper turned whumpee, etc), immortal whumpees, whumpees and caretakers who are enemies, and begging. i like to go heavy on both the hurt and the comfort, and enjoy both gore that goes beyond the limits of what a normal human could survive and the most tender, caring recovery arcs imaginable.

my main series is Kane & Jim, a whumper-turned-whumpee vampire whump story with 50+ chapters and a whole slew of AUs and crossovers. it's what most of my writing is!

i've recently-ish started a new series called Catharsis, a robot whump story. it's slow-going, but i'm making an effort to... not mostly-abandon this one like i have every other time i've tried to start a series.

i have a bunch of oneshots i've written, and once in a blue moon i will write a fanfiction. i'm by far an oc guy though. i also RP on discord sometimes! mostly using my characters from Kane & Jim.

for WIJ this year, i plan to post 2 Kane & Jim chapters, 1 Catharsis chapter, 1 crossover between K&J and Catharsis, 1 fanfiction, and 5 oneshots. plus one other thing for day 28 depending on what i get inspired by on day 4! (i'm hoping to write something for one of my two series for that day as well.)

WIJ is my favorite seasonal whump event and i'm so excited to participate again this year :)

❤️ Name: mill

💚 Pronouns: he/they (my dad called me his son for the first time yesterday :D)

🤍 Favorite season: autumn <3

❤️ Average amount of sleep: LOL

💚 Dream Job: teaching assistant in a public school!! hoping to start this upcoming september!

🤍 Blog established date: february 2022

❤️ Username/blog meaning: takeoff on the friday's slogan (in here, it's always whumpsday)

💚 Hobbies: writing, watching seasonal anime, the occasional video game, reading, tabletop rpgs (not like d&d and stuff, the boxed kind, awaken realms etc! if anyone wants a used copy of vampire the masquerade: chapters for only the cost of shipping, hmu)

🤍 What you love about whump: EVERYTHING

❤️ Anything else to add: see above cuz i put my paragraphs at the top <3

@whumpmasinjuly

[thepenultimateword]

Royalty Prompts

It was close, but Royalty won the poll, so here you guys go!

1. A human prince finds himself engaged to the Queen of monsters in order to build an alliance between their two kingdoms and ease tensions between their peoples.

2. Royal is a prisoner of war to the barbarians that sieged and nearly succeeded in taking their kingdom. Luckily, their armies have held them off so far, but Royal isn’t sure how long their people can stand without them. Or—the more they live amongst the barbarians—how much they deserve to keep their homeland based on its history.

3. A royal emissary is traveling on a starship to scout out the kingdom and planet of their Monarch's upcoming marriage alliance. Unbeknownst to them, the nice fellow passenger they've been building a friendship with is the Monarch's future spouse who is traveling home after attempting to learn the customs and culture of the Monarch's home planet. However, it seems there's been a misunderstanding about the emissary's identity: the future spouse believes they're the Monarch in disguise.

4. Overthrowing the kingdom was supposed to be the hard part, but now that the commoner-turned-royal is on the throne, they realize that being ruler is much more complicated, especially when half the kingdom wants them dead, and they don't know who they can trust.

5. The Kingdom's ruler is despised by everyone but their poison taster. Because of this, their food is poisoned almost daily, which is why the taster--secretly a creature who lives off consuming deadly poisons--likes them so much. They are living in the lap of luxury with this job, and all they have to do is keep switching out the bad food with something good.

6. A royal runs away from their kingdom and into the dark woods, inadvertently stepping into a faerie circle. The fae that steals them does not know what they’re getting until it’s too late: an incredibly spoiled, over-demanding, oblivious brat with no self-preservation skills.

7. The crown prince/princess has never felt the danger of living on the outskirts of the dark woods. In fact, they often take rides or trips into its depths and have never seen anything so strange as the rumors say. Unbeknownst to the kingdom, and themselves, the forest is biding it’s time with the future ruler’s ignorance, for they are a changeling switched at birth, and when the current monarch dies, it will finally be the otherwordlies’ turn to reign.

8. A magical assassin is sent to kill the current monarch of a kingdom, but when their window comes, they take pity on them and transform them into an animal instead. Now the assassin is masquerading a very bitter ruler as their familiar while lying to their teammates/bosses about their death. They also sort of wish the spell did not include the telepathic link, because they don’t need to hear the monarch calling them names on top of everything.

9. The second sibling of a royal family is kidnapped by a dragon who is very intent on keeping them. Once they get past the mortal terror of possibly being barbecued or eaten alive, it’s quite nice being treasured.

10. A too soft king/Queen is overthrown by conspirators and sacrificed to the mountain dragon by their superstitious people. The dragon takes the monarch away much to the people’s glee, but instead of killing them, they take them back home to the mountain peak. The dragon is horrified that these humans can keep sacrificing their own, especially their own ruler.

11. A royal guard must flee a recently usurped kingdom with their young royal charge. Their only hope is that one day, when the royal is old enough, they might be able to return to take the kingdom back. In the meantime, they must go into hiding. A chance encounter with a morally gray city thief gets them new identities, a place to stay, and more found family than they bargained for.

12. The crown prince/princess has always had a weak constitution, so they see the royal apothecary daily for tinctures and elixirs. Their childhood apothecary retired a couple years ago, replaced by a younger apothecary they once apprenticed. With their constant contact and the apothecary’s complete understanding of medical problems that others find tiresome, the royal can’t help but grow attached.

[undercookied]

who to warp or save for? (；￣Д￣)

under the cut is me yapping about not knowing which upcoming character to pull for, mainly between boothill and sunday. if anyone wants to weigh in i’d love to hear it since i’m a bit stuck !!

as happy as i am that i managed to get robin (but not before getting e1 yanqing first TT) since she’s a must pull in my eyes i am a bit bummed at my lack of funds for boothill now,,, rn i have 60 something warps with basically 0 pity and a 50/50

i really did want boothill prior to penacony even happening,,, i believe the first leaks i saw of him were back during 1.3 and he’d caught my eye since then. and now that we actually know stuff about him story wise it just solidified my want for him (his animations are the cherry on top). though him being physical or the hunt aren’t really what stand out to me.

but i’ve also been thinking about saving for sunday assuming he will be announced for 2.4 (hopefully?),,, while i did see leaks of him at the same time i first saw boothill’s, he didn’t really stick out to me until penacony played out. some of the stuff i’ve seen says he’s gonna be ice erudition, and i honestly really like the sound of that. i can’t wait until we finally get to see something of his gameplay/animations.

now, my main dilemma falls between these possibilities:

get boothill, but then the 50/50 falls on sunday

lose the 50/50 trying to get boothill, then that’s that for now and sunday can be guaranteed

completely skip boothill’s banner and save up to guarantee sunday and hopefully his LC

skip both and consider saving for another support instead

signature LCs are another thing i need to think about, as the only limited 5* i’ve gotten it for so far is aventurine… (and technically kafka’s but that was from an oopsy misclick bc i don’t have her nor do i plan on getting her anytime soon)

and new characters aside, the reruns i sort of have in mind are ruan mei or huohuo (though it may be awhile for those to happen?) since i think i sort of lack support-type characters as opposed to how many dps/sub dps characters i have (￣ヘ￣)

for anyone who wants to weigh in on what i should do, here are the characters i already own for a bit more reference !!

[frostfires-blog]

My Top 6 Favourite Shōjo & Josei Anime Series Released in 2023

It's fair to argue that we're in a shojo renaissance given the recent victories for the shoujosei community. To commemorate this I wanted to make a post highlighting my favourite shojosei series from this year's line-up—in the hopes of persuading others to watch them and cast their votes for them in the upcoming anime awards.

Keep in mind that some entries will date as far back as October 2022 because they officially qualify alongside this year's anime as a part of the roster for next year's anime awards.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

Honourable Mentions:

-> Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi

English Title: The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Workplace, Mythology

This anime follows Himuro, who involuntarily produces snow and ice phenomena—due to being a descendant of a Yuki-onna— when overwhelmed by his emotions, at his new office job. On his first day, he is saved from being late due to his affliction by the cool-headed Fuyutsuki—who turns out to be his new coworker. As they continue to work closely together, Fuyutsuki continues to provide pragmatic solutions to Himuro’s myriad of wintry quandaries—causing him to constantly want to repay her kindness. As Himuro’s feelings for her continue to grow, so does the frequency of his snowstorms—making them nearly impossible to hide. The fun, relaxing atmosphere of this anime gives a wholesome and homely feel—making it worth the watch if you don’t mind the somewhat slow, romantic development.

-> Romantic Killer

Genres: Comedy, Romance, Supernatural, Parody, Reverse Harem

This series is about Anzu Hoshino, a high school girl with no interest in romance and lives solely for video games, chocolates, and her cat. Anzu’s daily life is turned upside down when a wizard forcibly turns her life into a harem, dating game in order to force her to find love. Out of anger and sheer stubbornness, she vows to resist no matter what. While this is technically a shōnen anime, not a shōjo or josei—I wanted to include it anyway since it has a shōjo vibe to it especially because of the lack of fan service and unrealistic beauty standards. It has a similar vibe to other shoujo series like Watashi ga Motete Dousunda (Kiss Him Not Me) and Kaichou wa Maid-sama! While the storyline is seemingly basic, the show’s refreshing take on classic character archetypes and relatable humour make it worth a watch.

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Top 6:

6) Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru

English Title: My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999

Genres: Romance, Comedy

Despite being dumped by her boyfriend, college student Akane Kinoshita continues to play the MMO they once played together and attends an offline game event in hopes of winning him back. There she meets Akito Yamada, an emotionless yet handsome high schooler, who belongs to the same guild as her. After running into her ex—who is accompanied by his new girlfriend—Akane is desperate for support causing her to rope Yamada into helping her and lending her a shoulder to cry on. As they spend more and more time together their feelings for one another continue to grow despite their innumerable differences. This anime gives off a similar atmosphere to Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashi (Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku) with its humour, casual slice-of-life atmosphere, common themes, and equally catchy opening theme song. The character dynamics, voice acting, and music make this show worth the watch.

5) Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

Genres: Fantasy, Drama, Adventure, Romance

Despite living in a kingdom where fairies are enslaved by humans, through the possession of one of their wings, Anne Halford longs to see the day when humans and fairies are treated equally. Despite this, she is forced to purchase a warrior fairy to protect her on the perilous journey to the Royal Candy Fair in order to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a Silver Sugar Master. Anne hires the sharp-tongued obsidian fairy, Challe Fen Challe for this job. Despite Anne promising to return his wing after the journey, Challe remains distrustful and wants nothing to do with humans. However, as the pair travel together, they learn more about each other as well as more about the different dynamics between fairies and humans across the kingdom. While seemingly a typical fantasy-romance shōjo, this anime deals with some heavy themes such as sexism, misogyny, slavery, and historical politics. While these themes could certainly be interpreted as problematic, they aren’t just swept under the rug and are commented on but certainly could’ve been more developed upon. The show ultimately balances its light-hearted, slice-of-life scenes and heart-warming relationship-building moments well with its more dramatic subplots. The art and animation are beautifully done when compared to other releases in the genre, especially its use of colours, lighting, and fluidity. The female lead’s dedication to her craft as a silver sugar artisan is commendable and somewhat reminiscent of Shirayuki’s passion for herbalism in Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair). Another selling point of the show is the subtle tension and slowly fostered development between its two leads. Both characters have their own decently developed mentalities and motivations independent of each other which is always delightful to see given how rare it can be. Another selling point of this anime is that both season 1 and season 2 were released this year thus making the overall episode count 24 giving viewers ample time to grow attached to its lovable cast and charming atmosphere without feeling pressured for instant development.

4) Kanojo ga Koushaku-tei ni Itta Riyuu

English Title: Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Otome Isekai

After Rinko Hanasaki (originally Eunha Park in the original manhwa) is pushed off a building, she is reborn as Raeliana McMillan—the daughter of a nouveau-rich baron in a historical romance novel she once read who is fated to die tragically young. To prevent the fruition of this plotline Raeliana is determined to end her engagement with the man who orchestrated her untimely demise, Lord Francis Brooks. To do this, she is forced to use her knowledge of the plot to blackmail the novel’s male protagonist, Duke Noah Wynknight, into a contract engagement thus rendering her previous one null and void. Little does she know that she has captured Noah’s interest, in place of the female protagonist, with this move buying her a lot trouble than she originally bargained for… While only decently animated, the character dynamics, voice acting, pacing, and soundtrack make this anime stand out from other similar shows. The compelling chemistry between the two leads really elevates this anime from others with a similar premise. Overall while a decent adaptation from the manhwa, there is some room for improvement especially with the animation. Personally, I felt that this anime could’ve greatly benefitted from having 24 episodes (instead of the chosen 12 episodes) since parts covered by anime are mostly set up with the drama, action, and relationship development only taking place in later story arcs. Unfortunately, most of what makes this series praise-worthy and sets it apart from others with a similar premise wasn’t covered yet in the anime. Although reading the source material in advance had given me relatively high expectations that weren't quite met, I would like to clarify that I thoroughly enjoyed this anime.

3) Sasaki to Miyano Movie: Sotsugyou-hen

English title: Sasaki and Miyano Movie: Graduation Arc

Genres: Shounen Ai, BL, Slice of life, High School

Continuing from season 1, this film follows Shūmei Sasaki and Yoshikazu Miyano as they embark on the next important stage of their romantic relationship as it is tested by Sasaki’s impending graduation from high school. The movie is accompanied by an animated short featuring the side character Taiga Hirano and his growing relationship with his roommate Akira Kagiura. Despite being brief, the movie was filled with tons of important character-defining and relationship-building moments for both Miyano and Sasaki as well as their relationships with other characters and each other. The familiar soundtrack and art style were both nostalgic and comforting while the voice acting was top-notch, carefully conveying the immense depth of the characters’ multi-layered emotions throughout the various scenes. Throughout the movie, we saw just how much the main couple had grown since season 1… We see Sasaki becoming more confident in showing affection towards Miyano, as he holds himself back less and less. While Miyano became much more assured of himself and his feelings towards Sasaki. We see Sasaki’s backstory which provides much-needed context behind his insecurities in season 1. During this adaptation, fairly significant cuts were made from the original source material to accommodate the time constraints—which was naturally disappointing. The animated short that accompanied the movie was heart-warming and leaves watchers curious enough that there is room for a full adaptation of Hirano and Kagiura’s story…

2) Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon

English Title: My Happy Marriage

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Historical

My happy marriage is set in an alternative version of the Meiji Restoration era where spirits and supernatural magic exist but in regression. Our protagonist, Miyo Saimori is born giftless despite belonging to a supernaturally talented family because of this she suffers immense abuse and mistreatment at the hands of her stepmother and half-sister while her father gazes on with indifference. Her hopes of building a happy life for herself seem distant after she is ordered by her family to marry Kiyoka Kudo, a man who is rumoured to be so cold-hearted all his previous marriage candidates ran off. Upon arriving at the Kudo estate, Miyo fully resigns herself to either a life of mistreatment or abandonment but is pleasantly surprised when her husband-to-be is anything but the monster she expected. Both of them begin realizing that the other may be their greatest opportunity to find true happiness and love as they slowly begin to each other. open their hearts to each other. While many may write this anime off at face value thinking of it as just another Cinderella remake—they are sorely mistaken. While seemingly simple in its premise and title, the execution of the many technical elements and core themes that make this anime was nearly flawless. The beautifully detailed animation was a pleasant surprise. Historically speaking shōjo adaptations haven’t gotten the best budgets and heavily rely on having great storytelling and characterization to draw in its viewers. My Happy Marriage however not only has impeccably detailed character designs but also seamlessly fluid and well-paced animation sequences. Special attention was given to animating the opening and ending theme song sequences unlike with many other shows where the theme song animation is somewhat of an afterthought.  The soundtrack and voice acting are both exemplary and encapsulate the moods of each respective scene well. The side characters are all well-crafted to suit their roles in the story and aren’t at all redundant with no single archetype being overused. The two leading characters are well-developed and show slow consistent and most importantly realistic growth. The series delves into lasting trauma caused by abuse and the long journey to healing that trauma. Despite only being 12 episodes, the plot and character-building does not get lost amongst the world-building or fantastical elements. This anime delves into the intricacies of human emotions and relationships as well as the main couple’s personal struggles and motivations making us as the audience want to root for them. Ultimately all these elements blend seamlessly to produce a charming and heart-warming show capable of stirring up the emotions of its audience. 

1) Kōkyū no Karasu

English title: Raven of the Inner Palace

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Historical, Mythology, Supernatural

The Raven Consort, Ryuu Jusetsu (originally Liu Shouxue in the original source material) is both venerated and feared amongst those in the royal court. Despite being titled as a consort, she does not have any contact with the emperor, Ka Kōshun (originally Xia Gaojun), and lives isolated from everyone else. Her fabled mystical abilities make her the subject of many rumours as she is said to take on any request from recovering lost belongings to casting curses. One day her quiet solitude is disturbed when the newly crowned emperor barges into her palace with a request. Despite finding his subsequent frequent visits annoying, she cannot bring herself to turn him away. She soon finds herself forging several meaningful connections with others, despite the warnings of her predecessor, ultimately forcing her to confront a past that was best left concealed.  This show’s unique character designs and uncommon setting make it stand out visually despite its humble budget. While seemingly episode in nature, this show has an intricate overarching plot with fantastic character development. The show does a great job at depicting the main protagonist’s motivations, internal struggles, and development while still maintaining the mystery surrounding her—thus leaving plenty of room for further growth and development. Another thing I greatly appreciated in this anime was its subtly. Rather than just blatantly exposing complex motivations, moral stances, internal conflicts, and relationship dynamics of and between its characters through quotidian dialogue—the show instead chooses to shrewdly unveil this through the actions and expressions of its characters alongside the use of meaningful dialogue.  Despite not being presently romantically involved the budding relationship between its two leads is carefully developed and slowly built upon in such a way that doesn’t make the show feel like just another forced or contrived romance elevating the show beyond layperson’s expectations for shōjo and josei anime. Despite somewhat, complex historical injustices being brought up in the anime, it is more focused on its protagonist helping others find peace through self-forgiveness and remembrance than seeking retribution. This has led to criticisms that the pacing of the series is too slow and that the plot lacks satisfying action sequences. However, in my opinion, the show succeeds in its goal of telling tales about the complexity of human emotions and relationships that transcend life and death. Another aspect of this show that really stood out was the soundtrack, especially its ending theme song, which exhibits a uniquely haunting melancholic ambiance that makes me want to listen to it repeatedly. This series is undoubtedly deserving of the title of an underrated gem—given its unique artistic expression, intriguing emotional storytelling, and character development—and has an immense amount of the potential for a follow-up season.

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[P.S. I'm really going to miss watching My Happy Marriage and Sugar Apple Fairy Tale every week—but at least season 2 of the former has been confirmed😭]

[deshigeek]

5 Best Upcoming Romance Anime 2024

It is finally time for the ‘5 Best Upcoming Romance Anime 2024’. Since you’re already on the bandwagon of Deshi Geek’s ‘5 Best’ features, you must have already read the articles on Anime and Isekai Anime. There have also been such features on K-Dramas, Romance K-Dramas, Webtoon, Horror Films, Thriller Films, Web Series, Fantasy Series, and RPGs. Surely more will follow suit. However, it is time for the romance anime one.

[writerscafehub]

𝙸𝙽𝚃𝚁𝙾𝙳𝚄𝙲𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙰 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚈: @the-iceni-bitch

ೀ ㅤ۫ ㅤ۪ㅤ۫ ㅤ ♡ ㅤ . 𝐆𝐄���� 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐄:

From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

Oh god, a 3.5? I will admit that it’s very hard for me not to downplay myself, it’s what I’m best at. I will say that I have gotten much better as a writer since I took it back up.

2. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

I think probably my dialogue. I find myself able to sink into relationship dynamics quite easily and am able to show a character’s personality through their conversation with other characters rather than just describing it.

3. Are there any writers that inspire you?

Well, I have to give credit where credit is due as @stargazingfangirl18 is the whole reason I started writing fanfic. Other fanfic authors I find myself drawing inspired from would be @angrythingstarlight, @boxofbonesfic, @slothspaghettiwrites, @onsunnyside, and @howdoyousleep3. For my non-fanfic writing I draw a lot of inspiration for Ursula LeGuin, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and Tolkien of course.

4. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

Definitely In the Pines. It’s so different from anything else I’ve ever written and I honestly love it. It’s so haunting and I’m very proud of the prose.

5. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write and which do you find most difficult to write?

Easiest is absolutely the quadrouple - my Ransom/reader/Ari/Jake kinda polycule that’s part of my No Love Like Your Love AU. I also find it really easy to write for Natasha and her peach from that same AU. Most difficult? Oof, off the top of my head Mike Weiss, he’s just kinda depressing.

6. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

Again, the quadrouple. They’re my comfort characters for a reason. I also just love writing about people in relationships, about them being in love and working through tough times but coming out better for it. I love when two (or more) people are just completely open and honest with each other and do their best to make each other better.

7. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about!

Fic wise all the upcoming stuff for the NLLYL verse, and there’s a lot. But I am most excited about my novel! It has so many characters that I love so much. It delves into stuff I’ve never written before but that I found surprisingly intriguing. And of course, there’s a ton of bangable characters. Blorbos for everyone.

8. First fandom you ever wrote for?

The Chris Evans fandom. I can’t help it, I want to fuck so many of that man’s characters. 

9. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

Omegaverse for sure. Specifically knotting and scent. I just want a giant, masculine smelling animal of a man to fuck me and then have his cock locked inside me for an hour. And the snuggly vibes of nesting and just having a bunch of soft and comforting things around you that smell like someone you love feeds the marshmallow romantic inside me.

10. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

Look, every time I say I’m never going to write for something I end up writing it. But I can hopefully say that scat will never happen.

11. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

Probably the one where Deadpool is stuck in a self-insert fanfic. It breaks the fourth wall and it’s short but it’s weird as fuck.

12. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

Ari and Jake. They’re so soft and sweet and perfect and I am never going to let anything bad happen to them ever.

13. Do you listen to anything while you write?

With my ADHD I have to. It’s usually just the tv though. I’ll put some sitcom I’ve watched a million times on in the background.

14. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

This is kinda tough! I love creating AUs but I feel like those are more a bunch of one shots that just happen to be for the same couples in the same setting. But I also really love the actual series I’ve done. So I’m going to say multi-chapter.

15. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

Constantly! I mean, if I daydream about it I typically add it to my WIPs which is why I have so many. It’s usually just about my characters being happy and living their best lives in some way.

16. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

Not yet! I will say I’m a little bit intimidated still about writing for a male reader but after my first foray into it I feel much more comfortable.

17. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I can’t think of a specific one but I’ve gotten a few from people who have told me my fics provide a little bright spot for them and I always enjoy hearing that! There was also an ask I got where someone told me they recommend and discuss my writing more than they do real authors and that felt pretty good.

18. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

This goes back to what I mentioned before but definitely writing for a male reader. The reason I wanted to do it was part curiosity to see if I could do it and part desire to write for an audience I hadn’t had a chance to connect with. It turned out really well and aside from some cliche accusations of fetishization I had a lot of positive engagement.

19. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

Fluff, always fluff. If I do the angst I end up living in it for days and I hate it. (I say this while hosting a giant angst ask a thon on my blog)

20. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

For my fics, aside from my reader characters who in spite of being inserts are basically OCs, there’s the second generation of my NLLYL core group. All the kids are so cute and when they grow up there’s a lot of fun to be had, new romances and I could just go on and on about them. For my novel, oh my god you guys. There’s the Viking pirate sealord, the feminist icon, the super hot himbo best friend, the tiny and fiery lady of the lakes, the sexy villain, the spoiled but handsome prince. And that’s not even all of them.

21. If you could enter the universe of any one of your fics, which would it be and why?

Would it surprise anyone if I said the NLLYL verse? Because that’s the one. It’s like my security blanket.

22. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

Just that I have zero control over where my muse goes. If you’re craving the next installment in a series or an AU I am also craving it, but I’m also not going to force my muse to go somewhere and put something out that isn’t up to my standards.

23. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

“The cold wind whipped through your nightgown and tangled it around your limbs as you stared at the sky in rapture, bathed in the silvery light of the moon like some kind of goddess.” - In The Pines

24. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I just love the community I’ve been able to cultivate in the fic writing community. Not just the members of this server but so many readers who leave thoughtful and sweet comments that always make my day. 

[arabian-batboy]

Do you know who from Bruce's kids actually lived at the Wayne manor at the same time? Fanon seems to have this idea that all of them live in the same house at the same and I'm curious if there's any truth to it

I will tell you this from the very start: "All the Batkids live in the same house <3" is 100% fanon and for all of comic history, we really only had one or two Batkids permanently living in the Wayne manor at the same exact time (kinda ironic considering how many rooms it has).

At the beginning it was just Bruce, Dick and Alfred living in it until Dick moved out to college and he has been living on his own or with the Titans ever since. Except for the period he was acting as Batman where he, Damian and Alfred lived in the Wayne Penthouse on top of the Wayne Foundation Building.

And of course when he left the nest, Jason took his place and lived with Bruce and Alfred until his death and obviously he's not going back to that house any time soon considering his circumstances.

Afterward it was just Bruce and Alfred for some years, since Tim was either living with his parents or in an all-boys boarding school for most of his Robin run until he got officially adopted and moved with Bruce at 17, but that didn't last long since he moved out and started living on his own when he became Red Robin, which even includes him living in a boat at one point.

Cassandra's situation is kinda weird. She lived with Barbara when she first came to Gotham and is currently still living with her along Stephanie, even though she has been adopted by Bruce for a while now. Maybe I'm missing an issue, but I personally can't recall any comic that established her as permanently living in the manor, aside from maybe Batgirl (2008), but even then it was such a brief period and Alfred constantly remarks about how she's almost never home, so I don't know if I should count it.

Lastly you have Damian, who like I said above, first lived with Dick and Alfred in a penthouse, but then later on moved to the manor with Bruce and Alfred when the N52 started and unofficially turned it into a zoo with all his animals. Then Duke came to live with them at one point, which would mean that he and Damian were the only Batkids that lived with each other in the manor at the same time (even though we strangely never saw them with each other.)

Now that didn't last long since DC can't help being DC and created a huge mess of Damian's character that basically had him out of Gotham for almost 5 years now while also killing Alfred, not to mention that Duke's mother is back as of this year, so I would assume that he's living with her now at their place?

So for the first time in more than 80 years, the manor is completely empty save for Bruce, but in other positive (?) news. We have an upcoming Batman and Robin book about Damian FINALLY returning to Gotham and working with Bruce again, so I think its safe to say that they would be living with each other when the book begins.

[stardust948]

what is your favorite…

-animated show

-live action show

-animated movie

-live action movie

-book series

💜

(pass it on to other people if you want)

1. ATLA and Transformers Prime

2. Anne with an E. I will never forgive Netflix for canceling it.

3. Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron. Top favorite movie in general.

4. Pacific Rim.

5. The Hunger Games. I reread the whole series at least once a year and I'm so excited for the new upcoming book.