#and hagumi just being like 'my what now | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

curekibouka-writing · 3 years

Text

There (one-shot HUGtto Precure fanfic)

Summary: Love. Forever and always. Remembering us the way we were. Yours still.

Word count: 1077

To see everything in my collection before this one-shot, please do check out ‘Cure Narrative’ posted on both FF.net and Quotev😉

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please note:

The dates in this chapter are written based on the assumption that Hugtto’s events started in spring 2018 and ended right after New Years in 2019

Japanese school years start in April

I’m aware that me writing a short 1000 words one-shot for the next 20+ years in Hugtto universe is bound to be confusing, especially the third part in this fic because it involves the question of whether there is one or multiple timelines in Hugtto. So if there’s anything you don’t understand, even if it’s just one specific sentence, ask me. Comments or pm, I don’t mind at all. I will be both grateful for your feedback and happy to answer you ^^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11 January 2019

Dear Ruru,

This is dated a week or so after your departure back to the future. How are you doing? These days feel so strange. I guess it can’t be helped, we’ve spent nearly a whole year together after all. Saaya-san noticed how I seem to be dejected all the time and suggested I write a letter to you.

Things over here are peaceful once again. And that’s a good thing, my final exams in elementary school are almost upon me, I definitely would not want to mess up. I’ve been considering enrolling in L'Avenir Academy for a while now, it simply would not do if my grades are not good enough.

I wonder if there’s any way to send this letter to you. Maybe I can make a time capsule to put all my letters in and bury it in my family’s garden, maybe it will magically appear in this location in the future where you may find it. It’s a shame that you can’t write back though.

I think I’m feeling a little better now. I’ll write again. Thanks for being here for me, Ruru. I’ll keep sending letters regularly, alright? ^^

Love,

Emiru

27 April 2020

Dear Ruru,

I bring with me happy news today! With the graduation of the previous vice president, I became the vice prez for our school’s Light Music Club! We have quite a few new members this year. Remember the girl I mentioned in last week’s letter? She joined as well. Now we have three vocals including me!

I truly think my experience in the Light Music Club will help in my path to become an idol. Our president just decided that we should do more performances, so some of us will go busking starting next month. I can hardly wait!

I rearranged Friends with You a little by the way, let me write down the new lyrics:

There’s something I wish to say, I wish you’d hear

Everything that I loved about you

Now our hearts are still connected by a red ribbon

Even now we are forever friends

I recall

(Won’t forget)

Your smile and tears

(Anything)

Tell me what’s this strange feeling inside?

Moving on, ‘cause I know, you’re waiting for me

Though it seems you and I can’t meet again

Scattered in different times, entirely different worlds

Even so, if we try, overlapping our hearts

Don’t you think it’ll all be okay?

Even now you’re

(Never changing)

right by my/your side

‘Cause even now we’re connected by a ribbon

Forever and always,

Emiru

15 June 2023

Dear Ruru,

Today is my 16th birthday. And I’ve been thinking about some things.

I’m not my naive 12-year-old self anymore, Ruru. Where are you?

Is it okay to have faith? Is it okay to still place hope in your promise? What did you mean that day? What did you mean by you would wait for me in the future? Did you only mean that you await the day I become a successful idol? Or did you mean you would watch over another me, a me from your time, who would probably have given up on the guitar without you and the others?

And what of you? How are you faring? How is the future faring? Come to think of it, I never asked you how was the future you returned to? Is it the colourful one we (hopefully) rewritten or the forlorn darkness you once knew? Every day, I am overwhelmed with the fear that it’s the latter, the fear that our Precure power was not strong enough to rewrite your future. The fear that you returned to your original time only to suffer again.

If you didn’t get to live in a brighter future, then what did we fight for four years ago?

I don’t want to think about that, but it just pops up in my mind every now and then. So please… if there’s some kind of spectacular technologies you can make use of in the future to send me a sign, to give me an answer, a little bit of reassurance, I implore you to do so.

Tell me, where are you?

Remembering us the way we were,

Emiru

22 October 2030

Dearest Ruru from my past,

It’s been quite a while since my previous letter, I’ve been very busy with my career recently. I have another concert in three days and my new album will be available for sale soon.

Regardless of my job, let me tell you some joyous news! Hana-san finally gave birth yesterday! Hagumi was brought into this world as a healthy little one, Saaya-san ecstatically reported to us. I wonder when can I free up some time to visit Hugtan, after all these years.

Speaking of children, Ruru, I met you again. She’s not exactly you, of course, you don’t exist in this time. But Dr Traum created her with the same concept in mind, ‘an android that would grow in both body and heart’. She’s a child now, but surely she will grow up just like you. I’m tasked with looking after her (I volunteered), and I’ll make sure to do my best. I’ll shower her with love as if she’s my own daughter. I’ll give her the warmth you never had the luxury to grow up in.

I’m not expecting her to fill the hole in my heart. It wouldn’t be fair, to her or to you. She is not you. She will play a different role in my life than you. I truly thought about everything, and I acknowledge the fact that we are never going to meet again. Being separated by time is a distance farther than anything I could conceive of all those years ago.

But I don’t mind anymore, we both have our own future to pursue, no matter where you are. We both have our own loved ones to tend to. We both have our own music to spread. I’m okay now, I’m all grown up now. Even if your promise back then was a white lie, I understand those were words to motivate me who was about to cease moving forward.

Thank you, for being there for me back then, for being my strength even now. And I wish you the best as well, wherever you are, whatever your situation looks like, I believe you can do anything, you can be anything.

Fure, fure, Ruru.

Yours still,

Emiru

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Yes you can actually sing to Friends with You with those lyrics. It’s nowhere near as good as when I pour all my effort into rewriting English lyrics for my actual song covers on YouTube though. Honestly I’d love to sing it but there is no instrumental track for Friends with You T^T

#hugtto precure #precure #emiru aisaki #Ruru Amour #precure fanfiction #Hugtto Pretty Cure #anime fanfiction #magical girl #pretty cure

12 notes · View notes

mozillavulpix · 3 years

Text

I forgot about how much I wanted to write a Hugtto Precure prequel story about Cure Tomorrow.

The implications of her story are honestly fascinating and maybe it was that kind of thing they weren’t allowed to put in Precure as a main plot. But just think about it. This is kind of my pitch for it.

In the future, a series of horrible things happening to the world have caused what seems to be like a disease making people frozen in time. It’s been spreading over the past few months/years and no one seems to know what to do to stop it.

And then Hagumi is contacted by Mother, the benevolent goddess of the Earth or whatever, who explains this disease has been caused by an abundance of toge-power or whatever the hell it’s called, and it’s up to the Precure to purify this to get time moving again. She becomes Cure Tomorrow, gets allies, and starts trying to bring hope for the future back to the world.

But then things hit a snag when they start to realise some of the problems they have begun to face aren’t created by toge-power, but are man-made.

Hagumi realises the massive corporation owned by her father has been experimenting with toge-power to create the Oshimaida monsters and also maybe the power to time travel.

She’s hesitant to confront her father at first, assuming he still has good intentions, but eventually does and finds out he has a master plan to use the Oshimaida and maybe the power of the Precure to go back in time and stop time before any calamities can occur, leaving everyone frozen in eternal happiness.

Hagumi reveals to George that she’s a Precure, hoping maybe that would make him stop, but after some hesitation, he steels his nerve, says “this is all for the sake of saving your mother” and tries to capture her. And it’s that hesitation over having to fight her father, as well as the Precure just not being prepared for opponents created by human beings instead of evil toge-power that cause her allies to be defeated and her to be imprisoned.

Realising it was now too late to stop their plan to go back in time, after she’s rescued by Harry, Hagumi realises the only possible option is to use her own power to go back in time, too, and hope they can find Precure to stop Criasu’s ambitions in that timeline. She’s warned by Mother that using her power like this could put her at risk, but she knows it’s the best hope they have.

So she travels back in time with Harry (who had collected all the transformation devices used previously by her friends) which works, but turns herself into a baby in the process.

It’s this fun mix of good vs evil fighting to save the future, and ‘humans getting involved with the Bad Magic to try and becoming extremists who want to destroy the world with good intentions’.

And talking hamsters.

I just wonder if Cure Tomorrow’s team ever had official designs. Their sillhouettes were shown in one episode, so maybe they did have designs never revealed, or perhaps they were just made up on the spot.

...maybe if they release an updated Kawamura artbook it’d have that....please?

for the sake of lore for a fun woke girl’s toy commercial?

#precure #hugtto precure #ramblings

8 notes · View notes

getpegged · 4 years

Text

omg so here r some of my fav harohapi cards (doing 2 each 1 idolized one not)

Fav Misaki cards

The Other Me

Ok so first off this card literally makes me teary eyed!! she’s so pretty and she’s so happy and everything is just right in the world with her and her fursuit !! I dont like the idolized version as much but it’s still v cute!!!

Sewing Together

OK THIS ONE I JUST ADORE?? Michelles outfit is literally so cute!! her little scrunchie her shoes!! and the background is cluttered with stuff but it’s got a really nice fun vibe to it yknow !!!? everything on this card is so detailed down to the fabrics and soles of the shoes and i think that’s just so beautiful

Fav Kanon Cards

Ever-Shining Sun

Sleepy stretching Kanon and aya as a whole plus!!! the energy just has this “wow go us...now lets take a nap” energy type deal and i really adore that, the way the sunlight is shining on them in what i assume is a dark library is just so comforting to me? also!! kanon is literally sparkling like omg... <3 the idolized version is adorable to but this card just feels so cute.

One Step Forward

Ok so let me start off with this was my FIRST and i mean FIRST bandori card i ever got from a gacha so im heavily bias here!! the unidolized version is very cute but i’ve always just loved the circus set!! the elephant, cat(?) and lion are all very cute!!! never cared much for the card itself ngl. just holds a very soft place in my heart and I needed an excuse to put it here!! cuz it means a lot 2 me :)

Fav Kaoru Cards

HaroHapi Thief

I have this card!! it was one of my dream cards and let me tell you the rush of happiness this card gave me!!! kanon being held by kaoru is just so cute, like.. kanon really went O////O emote and I just adore everyones phantom thief outfits ^_^

The Star of the Show Appears!

I really do not know what to tell you other than I am just in love with kaoru this card perfectly depicts her in every way it possibly can you can FEEL her horse girl energy, you can feel her saying shake spear to you like, please marry me also the way the background horse and bird are so detailed is so beautiful? not to mention all the glitter on her suit!!! .

Fav Hagumi Cards

I’ll Teach You!

underrated girls sleeping on eachother . this proves they are best friends!! to be honest hagumi was a hard one because unlike the others i quite prefer her idolized versions compared to unidolized!! i dont have anything to add really they’re just cute n hagumi is too!!

Matching with Himari

This was a really hard one bc i love love love hagumis cards that are idolized and this is no exception!! its just the fave of them all i can currently find!! ^__^ i love the little hearts flowers and notes etc. all around chisato and hagu also her little bear shoe.. and hat... “come on this way!!!” like a child first going to a mall . i think thats how id describe this card and i think thats just adorable.

Fav Kokoro Cards

Racing With Mr. Fishy!

This ones probably a suprise!! but omg the little michelle fish and the way her hair is done just makes me feel warm and happy inside!! I don’t have much to say other than she’s just purely adorable. and the fish!!!!!! omg the fish!!!!

Welcome Everyone!

THE BUNNY HAT THE DETAILED BACKGROUND THE OUTFIT EVERYTHGIN I JUST omg... shes so cute shes so adorable!!!! ^__^ very cluttered again but I think thats just a theme in harohapi!!! i dont have much to say other than cute!!! ^_^

anyways thank u for reading if u read all this i probably wont do another post like this for awhile i just wanted to talk abt harohapi to be honest!!

#.txt #bandoriposting #new taggg ^_^#long post #harohapi #misaki #kanon #kaoru #hagumi #kokoro #orange #ask 2 tag with anything else u might need

7 notes · View notes

planet910reporter · 4 years

Text

animate Times interview 03/31/2020

No matter it is joy or sadness, Kudo Haruka’s “strength” will continue to affirm everything—— A interview with seiyuu(voice actress) Kudo Haruka about her debut mini album KDHR

Having a seiyuu career as Hikawa Sayo of Roselia in “Bang Dream!” and Hanamoto Hagumi in “Honey and Clover”, had been an exclusive model for fashion magazine “Seventeen”, Kudo Haruka has a quiet broad experience as an active seiyuu.

On March 25th, her mini solo debut album “KDHR”(Pronounce: kudoharu), which she wrote all lyrics on her own, was released. There were total of 6 songs, including the title song “MY VOICE”. It is a piece of work that you can feel a small scale of Kudo san ‘s new talent.

This time, Kudo san is at animate Times to talk about her feeling about singer debut, the songs from the mini album, and her goal that she is aiming for in the future as an artist.

—— I started play guitar out of the admiration of Kurt Cobain of Nirvana

—— Kudo san has been active in many fields, from being a model to some other face-to-face works to now mainly being a seiyuu, have you ever considered to make debut as an artist (musician), or at least have you ever been longing for it?

Kudo Haruka (hereinafter Kudo): I have a lot of things I wanted to do, one of them is to make solo debut as a singer. So starting solo singing activity was my goal. When the decision was made about solo debut, I was happy, I just frankly felt [Yeah].

—— So you have achieved your long cherished dream. Have you felt uneasy before the debut?

Kudo: I was anxious, but meanwhile my happiness outweighs that. I was also looking forward to have fun. And I am a person that collapses only when I start to think “What’s wrong?” So when I feel a sign hinting that, I tried to cut off the feeling early so I will not be stuck in worries.

—— How did people around you react to your debut?

Kudo: My friends were quiet happy for me. My family just reacted in a dry way “Ah, debut” (laughs)

—— That’s unexpected cold reaction (laughs)

Kudo: But the staffs, who were working with me and taking care of me, were very happy. I think that is a good part.

—— As an audience, what music have you been listening to?

Kudo: When I was a child it was Morning Musume. I have also listened to Hamasaki Ayumi’s song. However, when I went to junior high, I really liked ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION and Bump of Chicken. From there I become interested in band music and gradually into western music till now.

—— What attracted you to western music?

Kudo: It was time for female artists, such as Avril Lavigne and t.A.T.u., to make their debut, because of that , I started to listen to western music.

—— By the way, what are your favorite artists?

Kudo: I was really into Nirvana when I was listening to a lot of western music. I started play guitar because of my admiration to Kurt Cobain. Now I still do (admire).

In addition, now I have the chance to be a band guitarist at work. When performing on stage as a guitarist, I have looked up to LUNASEA and X-JAPAN’s guitarist since I was a child. I really think they are so cool.

—— So when did you first start as vocalist (*doing job relate to voice), including seiyuu?

Kudo: It was a song called “Paper Kikoki” sung by a character named Pasca Kannon from “Tales of the World Radiant Mythology". At that time, I didn't even know what a character was like, so I was very confused.

By the way, “Paper Kikoki” was first sang in public at the "Tales of Orchestra Concert 2019-BRASS BAND EDITION-" held last fall.

—— It was the first time you were able to perform it.

Kudo: After more than 10 years, I was finally able to perform the song on stage that I sang when I was 16 or 17 years old. I felt fantastic when I sang it. I'm very grateful to be able to sing my very first song on stage.

—— How do you see the differences between seiyuu activities of being a character (or in a group) and being a solo artist?

Kudo: After all, for activities as characters or being in a group project, you are basically just playing that character role on stage. But in solo, Kudo Haruka comes out as an individual, so in that aspect, the difference is clear.

—— Do you think your seiyuu work made any contribution to the preparation of your solo debut?

Kudo: Because this time I sang songs with different intensity that requires different expression, I think my seiyuu experience was alive in terms of me being able to control that.

When recording, I can respond immediately when there is a direction such as "be more cool" or "be more cute", my director says “This is amazing” (to my response). For people to say that, I am glad that I am working as a seiyuu.

—— On the other hand, what has influenced your seiyuu career from your solo activities?

Kudo: After finishing this time’s recording, when watching it, I was able to catch a few moments “Ah, here feels a little strange”, I think my way of acting out a character’s emotion becomes smoother.

Also, because now I have a better feeling of small emotional fluctuations, I can say the solo experience is helpful towards performance of complex emotional phrases(lines).

(Finished)

#工藤晴香 #kudo haruka #bang dream #roselia #sayo hikawa #kdhr

7 notes · View notes

master-thief-gray-shadow · 4 years

Text

Shelter

Summary: On a rainy night, Hagumi runs away from home again. And somehow finds her way to Misaki's house.

Notes: Okay I’ve met my purity quota and I am no longer bound by my self-imposed restrictions

The noise of the rain against the window didn’t register for Misaki. As she lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling her ears were already occupied with an Anything Box song, pumped in from headphones connected to a walkman. Maybe it was a little odd for a kid in this day and age to have a walkman, what with phones being capable of storing fifty cassette tapes’ worth of songs and having twice the space to spare, but something about a physical format pleased her. Especially one that was considered obsolete.

This was how her evenings usually went, after dinner had been eaten and homework taken care of. Just quietly listening to music in her room, relaxed and at peace. Peace was hard to come by in her life these days, so she needed to take what she could get. She’d grown to love Hello, Happy World, sure, but she still found herself barely having room to breathe sometimes. Perhaps a little more than just figuratively, considering how that Michelle suit could get terribly stuffy. The thought of asking the suits to have cooling fans installed crossed her mind before drifting off into the distance as all her other thoughts had been doing. She didn’t bother chasing after it. Too much effort. For now she was content to simply exist alone in her own world, her place of sanctuary.

“Misaki?” Her mother’s voice, followed by a knock on her door. “Misaki, are you awake?”

And just like that she was yanked right out. She sighed as she removed her headphones and raised her head slightly. “Yeah, why?”

“Someone is here to see you. She says she’s a friend from your band.”

“What?” Misaki sat bolt upright now. Oh god, did Kokoro want to hang out now? At this time of night? She could have at least let her know ahead of time. Or maybe Kanon had gotten really lost again. “Who?”

“The one with the short hair. That one.”

Oh, so it was Hagumi. Misaki relaxed slightly, relieved by the knowledge that she probably wouldn’t be dragged out of the house because of this. And then immediately tensed up again as she remembered that there was one reason that Hagumi would be all the way over here.

Oh. Oh no, this was bad. With maybe a little too much haste Misaki rolled off of her bed and opened the door.

“Did you let her in?” She asked softly. “It’s raining out, so…”

“Of course,” Her mother said with a nod. “She’s in the living room.” Without another word Misaki slipped past her mother and briskly made her way downstairs. Her heart seemed to be beating just a tiny bit faster as a trace amount of worry settled in her stomach. It wasn’t like Hagumi giving her anxiety was somehow unusual, but normally it was more “please don’t climb that you’re gonna fall and get hurt” and not...this.

“Mi-kun!” A voice chirped from the couch as Misaki entered the living room, surprisingly cheerful and energetic for someone who seemed to be soaking wet. At least her mother had been kind enough to drape a towel over Hagumi, although judging from the way she was shivering it didn’t seem like it was enough. Misaki made her way over and knelt down in front of her.

“Are you okay?” She said as she took one of Hagumi’s hands in her own. Oh gods they were freezing, she needed some warming up immediately.

“Hagumi is fine, but she can’t stay at home tonight,” Hagumi said with a wide smile that seemed very inappropriate given what Misaki imagined were the circumstances. “Eheheh, Mi-kun’s hands are so warm.”

“Yeah, about that,” Misaki said as she looked Hagumi over slowly. Her orange hair had turned a darker color as it sagged downwards, some of it hanging in her face. Water dripped from her soggy locks, some onto the couch, and some running down her skin and under her clothes, which Misaki could imagine were in an equally soaked state. Hagumi reminded her a little of a wet pomeranian, especially with how she was still smiling despite everything. “Come on, follow me.” She let go of Hagumi’s hand and stood up. “You need to change out of those clothes.” As she started heading back toward her room she signalled for Hagumi to follow. Hagumi cheered and did so eagerly.

“So...do you want to talk about what happened?” They were back in the bedroom now, with Misaki sifting through her closet looking for something for Hagumi to wear. Misaki was broad-shouldered and sturdily built, and liked her clothing loose, so she had no idea how anything she owned could possibly fit on Hagumi’s lithe little frame. Still, she had to look for something. It probably wouldn’t be good to have her hanging around in wet clothes.

“Dad just got really mad again, Hagumi doesn’t know why.” She didn’t sound quite as chipper as she had earlier, but the ease with which she spoke was still kind of unsettling. Misaki’s stomach twisted a little. “He was being really scary, so Hagumi left.”

“So you came here?” Misaki said as she turned around and tossed a hoodie and a pair of track pants in Hagumi’s direction. Apparently she’d had these in middle school and outgrown them, so maybe they were about the right size. Maybe.

“Well, at first Hagumi didn’t know where to go,” Hagumi said as she started peeling off her ruined shirt. Misaki respectfully turned around and looked the other way. “But then she remembered that Mi-kun is nice, so she decided to go to her house.”

Misaki sighed. She wouldn’t lie, the fact that Hagumi had shown up with the intent to crash was giving her a mild headache. But to turn her away...that would be unthinkable. Inhumane. Still, something bothered her about this whole thing.

“My place is a little out of the way, though, isn’t it? Don’t you usually stay with someone else in the shopping district?” Misaki glanced over her shoulder to check on Hagumi’s state of dress, and turned around fully upon finding it satisfactory. Although upon closer inspection it seemed ‘satisfactory’ was the best they would get. Even the outgrown hand-me-downs seemed a size too big on Hagumi, the legs of the pants pooling around her ankles and the tips of her fingers just poking out of the sleeves.

“Yeah,” Without warning Hagumi ran up to Misaki and nearly tackled her with a hug, “but Hagumi wanted to see Mi-kun!” She was wearing dry clothes now but Hagumi’s hands were still icy, and feeling them on her back through her shirt made Misaki wince even as she awkwardly returned the hug.

“That’s...very sweet of you,” She said as she felt Hagumi nuzzle into her like a kitten. So she was the first person to come to Hagumi’s mind when she needed to feel safe... Something slightly warm bubbled up in her chest. But it wasn’t warm enough to distract her from the chilly body pressed against her. “A-anyway, you should probably get yourself under a blanket or something. You can have my bed.”

“Heheh, okay!” Hagumi released Misaki from the hug and practically leapt into the bed. She crawled all the way under the covers and wiggled around for a bit before poking her head out, grinning broadly. Oh jeez. Misaki wouldn’t say it out loud, but wow that was adorable. She opted to just smile and let out a small laugh before moving to collect her walkman.

“You comfortable?” She asked. Of course, Hagumi looked like the very definition of comfortable at the moment, but it didn’t hurt to make sure with these things.

“Hagumi’s really comfortable,” Hagumi said, rolling over while still burritoed up in the blanket. Her expression seemed even goofier while she was upside down.

“Good.” Misaki nodded before moving towards the bedroom door. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Hagumi’s face fell in confusion as she sat up, pulling herself out from the blankets in the process. “Where are you going?”

“Just downstairs. I’m gonna sleep on the couch.”

“Why?” Hagumi cocked her head.

“Well,” Misaki rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “You kinda have my bed already, so…”

“Mi-kun can still have her bed,” Hagumi said softly. She looked so sad with those big watery puppy dog eyes she was making. As if she hadn't been tugging at Misaki's heartstrings all evening. "There's still room."

Misaki sighed and looked down at the floor. If the complete idiot trio was here she'd have no trouble at all saying no, but this was just Hagumi, and besides, she probably still needed some warming up.

“Okay,” Misaki breathed, looking up at Hagumi again. “Move over.” Hagumi lit up as she rolled over to one side of the bed, leaving plenty of space for the bed’s regular occupant. As Misaki lay down Hagumi offered her a bit of the blanket. Misaki paused for a moment, taking in Hagumi’s grinning face, before shrugging and accepting. She pulled the blanket over her bottom half as she lay down on her back, and was prepared to relax before she felt arms wrapping around her torso and a face burying itself into her shoulder.

“You’re so warm, Mi-kun,” Hagumi said as she snuggled closer.

“I...I guess.” Misaki was decidedly not used to being cuddled like this, and while it wasn’t unpleasant or anything it was a little odd. Hm. Her walkman was still clutched in her hand. Exhaling softly, she once again put on the headphones and pressed the play button on the device, finally managing to lie back and relax as the music resumed.

“Mi-kun?”

“Hm?”

Hagumi lifted her head. “What are you listening to?”

“Oh, just some music I like,” She said, her eyes once again on the ceiling.

“What kind of music?”

“Old music.” She turned to look at Hagumi. “It’s in English too. You probably haven’t heard of it.”

“English?” Hagumi’s eyes lit up. “Hagumi doesn’t know any English...but can Hagumi listen anyway?”

Misaki laid still for a moment, half assessing the situation and half simply listening to the music playing in her ears, before sitting up slightly. “Here.” She removed her headphones and gently placed them onto Hagumi. “What do you think?”

Hagumi just listened for a bit, taking in the new sound. Misaki watched her face carefully, noting the growing sparkle in her eyes and the gradual upward movement of the corners of her already smiling mouth.

“It’s cool!” She said finally, her face now glowing with joy. “Hagumi doesn’t know what they’re saying, but Mi-kun really does listen to cool music!”

Misaki laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess they’re pretty cool.” She found herself grunting in surprise as Hagumi suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, her face nuzzled against Misaki’s chest.

“You’re so cool, Mi-kun,” She mumbled into Misaki’s shirt. “And you’re a good friend to Hagumi.”

Reflexively Misaki found herself gently stroking Hagumi’s hair, which, in combination with the rain against the window, was actually pretty soothing.

“It’s no problem,” She said as she felt Hagumi snuggle tighter against her. “I’ll always be here for you.”

#misaki okusawa #hagumi kitazawa #bandori #gray writes

15 notes · View notes

muthaz-rapapa · 5 years

Text

Embrace Your Shining Future~

Boy, I hope 10 years from now we’ll be lucky to have a future that’s even a quarter this great as Hugtto’s.

But first, it looks like George returned to his time, no longer a villain (and I guess he wasn’t a ghost, after all) but now an ordinary man again.

And while it doesn’t seem like they really applied the Walking the Earth trope here, his surroundings doesn’t suggest that humanity instantly recovered once time started again either (this all the more supports my theory that it’s a separate timeline from Hugtto’s timeline, where humanity didn’t fall to ruin).

However, maybe it’s just because of his location and they’re all somewhere else.

Whatever the case, the flowers indicate that life will start over once more and perhaps, humanity will reborn, so to speak.

As for him, he doesn’t look as depressed as he was previously which is good because hopefully, he can work his way towards redemption by helping to nurture this newly sprung future instead of setting out to destroy it like he originally did.

Alright, back to you Hugtto, looking quite marvelous and sunny ten years later.

These two became a manzai duo.

Didn’t expect that but hooray, hooray for them.

Shoulda known, since they came from the future, that they would still be kids (or at least around the same age as the Cures in present time) when the girls’ time finally catches up to future.

But nobody could’ve really predicted at what age exactly anyway so it’s no big deal.

Oh, and it’s nice to see that some old classmates still kept in touch long after they graduated middle school.

Nice. Very nice. *nod nod*

It’s especially funny when you don’t find it surprising that Fumito ended up working for….

…this president of what is possibly Japan’s biggest and most prosperous design company (Hana always liked to draw so not surprised about this either).

And what a president she is!

Twirling around in her office just radiating POSITIVITY even though she’s HEAVILY PREGNANT AND SHOULD BE ON MATERNITY LEAVE!

Oyvey…that’s our Hana, alright, lol

Daigan working in the same pediatric ward as Saaya doesn’t surprise me either since we’ve seen him getting along with kids very well.

And wooot~, Saaya with short hair looks so pretty (she’s always pretty but now she’s grown-up and living her dream pretty!).

Then Homare bumped into Papple at the airport (pretty sure Homare recognized her but didn’t have time to chat since she’s in a hurry and all).

We don’t know what Papple’s doing nowadays but it looks like life is treating her well so yay~

Then there’s this.

I suppose Emiru met up with young Traum sometime ago and agreed to fund his research and development (the Aisaki family is loaded, remember, so again, NOT SURPRISED THERE) all for the purpose of seeing her best friend again…

…which resulted in the birth of Lulu, the first robot of her kind to have not only a human heart (which we’ve already seen happen) but also the capability to grow just like a normal human does.

And the reunion is just as you would expect. Tears of joy because hell yea, baby!Lulu may not recognize Emiru since she’s just been born but HELL YEA, they kept their promise to each other!

*sniff*

And of course, the first thing they do together is sing.

Ugh! So beautiful~! <3

By the way, I’m declaring it canon that Traum’s first daughter is alive and she probably did contribute some way into the project to create Lulu and the reason we don’t see her here is likely because she’s at school or something.

The Traum family consists of three members and they’re all alive and well and most of all, happy together.

You can’t convince me otherwise! xP

Homare made it in time and what’s more, SHE BROUGHT A GOLD MEDAL!

What a great auntie/godmother!

Kotori guiding the next generation of cheerleaders.

Appropriate.

Henri made a musical on ice.

He did THAT!

“HENRI ON ICE”

And who was the producer of this theatrical success?

The one and only Aisaki Group, DUH!

I mean, what you’d expect from having in-laws (I dare the fool who tries to tell me Masato and Henri are not married, I DARE YOU!) who are such opera/theater fanatics that they LIVE the stage in their daily lives?

So glad the grandfather finally came around as well. Awesome.

Ranka became the next Best Actress. Congrats.

THE GRANNIES ARE STILL GOING STRONG!!

100 is the new 20! xDD

New grandparents rushing to the hospital and they hardly look a day over the last time we saw them from 10 years ago.

*whispers* The secret must be a healthy, happy marriage.

And this is, without a doubt, Hana’s (wavy, dark-haired) husband (she is wearing her wedding band, go back and check) who’s just heard the news but still made sure to pick up a bouquet along the way to see his wife.

A bouquet of craspedias, the same flower villain!George tried to give to Hana years ago.

Except this person is obviously not the same George.

Again, it’s strongly implied the foremost reason why George spiraled into depression and started doing evil things was because he lost Hana in the future.

But since Hana doesn’t die this time, villain!George never comes into existence and therefore, George is just a normal guy who’s, hopefully, grateful that life has given him such happiness and meaning and is very much anticipating meeting his baby daughter.

Yea, they deliberately did not show his face to continue to cast doubt on who Hugtan’s father is but I’m certain it’s gotta be him.

Knowing the type of person Hana is, there’s no way she wouldn’t be concerned about the man George was before he became President Kurai when she meets (again) in present day. And she likely would’ve stuck by him to make sure he didn’t go down the same disastrous path. As a result, they got close, fell in love, married and are now having a baby together.

It’s still squicky because of the age difference so I hope they got together when Hana was at legal age (and by that, I mean by my standard of 21 years, not Japan’s 13). At least, it’ll make me feel slightly better about them being a couple that way.

Also, it looks like what people have been telling me about genetic traits possibly jumping a generation or two (thanks for further confirming this, btw!) are correct so Hugtan/Hagumi can have blonde hair even if neither of her parents do. The fact that George’s name is written in katakana instead of hiragana (which probably would translate closer to “Jouji”) suggests George himself is partially foreign so perhaps Hugtan got the blonde hair from his side (??).

To be honest, I was aware of this fact already (really, I’m not lying here). I just didn’t believe that the staff behind Hugtto knew about it and because of that, I didn’t think they would apply it here since it’s more common to see animators make almost all girls take after their moms and almost all boys take after their dads. I especially can’t trust Toei after that whole skin color incident with Towa from Go!Pri but it seems like the writers of this season learned from their mistakes and even did some extra research this time.

Who knows?

Anyways, all evidence points to this person as George and I have nothing more to add.

Moving along, d’aww, whaddya know?

Mogumogu and the cat he admired got together and adopted Hariham village!

How sweet~! <33

Finally, they don’t tell how much further off in the future it is when Tomorrow turns up again but can I just say, it’s such a RELIEF that she doesn’t have to suffer through a despairing future like she did in the original timeline.

And that was all thanks to her mom and her friends.

Plus, when the focus turns to her at the precise moment Hagumi is born in Hana’s present time and she softly says “Mama”?

Yea...who else felt that?

*turns into a sobbing mess*

And that’s it.

Congratulations, Hana. Congratulations, Hagumi. May you have many, many blessed and blissful days ahead of you and may you always be together.

Thank you, Hugtto, for giving everybody such a huggy, huggy year! ^^

#i did not cry but I was super MEGA happy throughout #still want that prequel tho #hugtto precure #nono hana #hugtan #yakushiji saaya #kagayaki homare #aisaki emiru #lulu amour #hariham harry #george kurai #wakamiya henri #aisaki masato #dr. traum #cure tomorrow

461 notes · View notes

chisatowo · 2 years

Text

Rotating all of my bandori aus in my head so hard rn I am a storytelling genius actually

#rat rambles #band posting #I know its 1 am but ooooo you wanna ask me abt my aus so bad ooooo #ok but no I do need to sleep but god damn Id kill to get au asks again now I just have to sit in my thoughts and explode djfnshdbd #to be fair I super dont talk abt them enough lol #but I rly should talk abt my band swap au more though since I rly do have like most of it pretty fleshed out and could totally write up #some plot summaries if I tried hard enough #buttttt its still a lot so Id rather not do it all at once dkfndjf #and I do still need to flesh out ras and morfonica a bit more I think. they have like a basic gist but theyre still lacking compared to #like everyone else who I can at least give brief summaries of each character beyond just 'Im still figuring them out lol'#in other news Im so sorry touko and nanami I swear Im trying my best #and also pareo but to be fair shes more tricky to figure stuff out for #anyways shout out to babd swap kasumi and yukina for being on the mind as always #they are simply the only characters idk what to tell you #ok no hhw exist too but only when I shuffle my bandswap playlist and their songs beat me to death #blows a kiss to band swap kokoro and hagumi before shoving band swap kanon down a flight of stairs (affectionate)#and kaoru and misaki exist too ig (I have many thoughts abt them too but I have favorites sorry dmdkrnt)

0 notes

jxllydrummr · 4 years

Text

( airi suzuki, female, she/her, bang dream! girls band party! ) * &. i know it must be scary for you, kanon matsubara, after not surviving the takeover. to turn into someone like ichika nonomiya, a twenty-two year-old clerk at ‘sno problem, right here in castle town. just remember that you are as kind as you are anxious, and to be wary, be safe, be true to who you are : heroic through and through. ( mage / she/they / 21 / est )

(( Yes hello hello again! It is Mage, who decided that she wanted to play her BABEY Girl, her sunshine, her DAUGHTER!!!!!!! I care abt Kanon so much I can only hope I portray her half as good as she truly is. Also YIKES I WRITE A LOT LMAO… but she’s my baby so I have to… tw for food mention! ))

Before The Snap - KANON MATSUBARA

She’s a 16 year old drummer in the band Hello, Happy World!

She’s an anxious, quick to tears girl with a heart of pure gold. When she gets stressed out (so, VERY OFTEN), she says “fuee”.

She was going to give up on drumming, and was about to sell her drum set, when the lead singer of HHW, Kokoro Tsurumaki, convinced her to jam out with her. This event made Kanon realize how much fun she had drumming, and because of this, she sees Kokoro as a real-life hero.

In my personal headcanon, Kanon almost gave up on drums because her little brother made a joking comment about how she never really touched the drum set, and Kanon started to worry that she wasn’t good enough at all for it.

Made friends with a baby penguin.

Her favorite animal is the jellyfish, but she loves all marine life.

The band consists of Kokoro Tsurumaki (vocals, rich as hell and has the energy of a thousand red bulls), Hagumi Kitazawa (bass, sporty tomboy who hates seeing anyone lose and has zero thoughts), Kaoru Seta (guitar, the Best Lesbian, literally has to do a wedding photo shoot with another girl and Kaoru was dressed up as the groom, another character canonically has a crush on her), and Misaki Okusawa (DJ, tired 24/7 and the only one in the band with a functioning brain besides Kanon, unfortunately has to DJ in a fur suit named Michelle, and only Kanon gets that Michelle and Misaki are the same person).

Kokoro taught her the chant “Happiness, Happy, Magical”, which fills Kanon with courage when she chants it, helping her do what she has to. It’s not magic or anything; she just thinks about how Kokoro saved her by (in her eyes) being brave enough to talk to a stranger dragging drums in the street.

Despite her anxiety, she actually works at Copyright Friendly McDonalds.

She has a pretty good memory, able to recall huge orders and can repeat them back without messing up once, or can remember tiny details about what someone’s wearing.

Kanon’s sense of direction is terrible. It’s so bad that she can often get lost while walking in a straight line. Often, Kaoru has to come and lead her in the right direction. Despite this, she can always find her favorite cafes from how they smell. It’s pretty much her anchor point.

Kanon has gone to every cafe she can find and not get horribly lost on the way to it. From tiny hole in the wall places to a special 3D latte art cafe, she loves them all, but her favorite always will be the local Hazawa Coffee.

After The Snap - ICHIKA NONOMIYA

Kanon did not survive the snap, so now… meet Ichika!

Personality wise, extremely similar to Kanon; anxious, but kind. Ichika is a little bit more extroverted than Kanon, enjoying spending time with friends and not having to be dragged to fun activities. She still says ‘fuee’, not nearly as frequently as Kanon, though.

She’s still into drumming, spending some time at The Record Scratch looking at the drum sets, and sometimes, if she’s lucky, playing them.

Now, she works at Sno Problem, which is still as stressful as ever, but nothing she can’t handle.

Her memory is still good, but she has to write something down in order for it to really stick.

Ichika’s life is very… unnoteworthy. She grew up in a lower middle class family, as the little sister to an older, extremely distant brother. She never really got to know him, although all the memories she has with him are positive, but knew of his garage band, trying to make it big without the record labels. Her parents were often working late hours, so Ichika had a lot of free time. She spent it reading any books she could get her hands on, and listening to her brother perform in the garage, although he would often be away “on tour”.

Because of her reading, she became a massive bookworm, going to libraries and running them dry of any book that caught her fancy that day.

Ichika learned drumming from her older brother. It’s one of the few times he’s gone out of his way to spend time with her, and she adores it. Whenever she plays, she feels connected to her brother.

Her family life isn’t terrible, but she does wish she could be as close to her mom as some of the YA heroines seemed to be with their moms.

She adores the sea, and will often just wander around near it, but she has to have a landmark near her, or else she may wander off and never find her way back.

She started going to school for marine biology, but nearly dropped out after the first sememster because of her work load, and it nearly burning her out. Talking to the college, they let her take on a much lighter work load, while making it clear that she would not be graduating on time. That was fine with her, because that meant she could spend a little bit more time really getting to know herself outside of books and drums.

When she’s not at work, school, the beach, or Record Scratch, she’s usually found at any of the eateries around town, nose buried in a book. Her favorite place is Beans Beans Beans, and she always orders the same thing, a small black tea with perhaps an illegal amount of sugar and cream in it.

She is often seen with a scrunchie around her wrist, almost like it’s just a bracelet. She wears one at work to tie her hair back. Lately, though, she’s taken a shine to a particular one that seems very floral…

She has a stuffed dog named Eve. This has nothing to do with anything I just think it’s vital you know she has a stuffed dog named Eve.

Also her name has a subtle reference to who she really is: ichiKA NONomiya

#castletown.intro #castletown.ooc #( how fueeting ; ooc )#( what i call home ; castle town information )#( pitter patter pitter patter ; past life )#( you really gotta be here ; about ichika )#long post #food tw

2 notes · View notes

natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk · 5 years

Text

Underrated Anime Series (Part One)

I can’t say that this will be the only part, but I don’t know when the next part will come! “Underrated” is a little broad.

My definition means that I haven’t met a whole lot of people that have watched it, and I haven’t seen a whole lot of content or it on this website. Of course, you might not agree with this list. If there’s one missing, it’s probably because I haven’t watched it (Mushishi, 3-Gatsu no Lion, etc.).

In order to qualify, I watched 12+ episodes or the complete series (only Honey and Clover remains uncompleted for now).

NO ANIME MOVIES! That’s over here “Underrated Anime Movies (Take One)”

The descriptions, general information, and recommendations are generally provided by MyAnimeList with some editing done.

This list started off small then swelled out of control. It took me a long time. Hopefully, you can find a new anime to like on this list! Prepare for a long post!

Hachimitsu to Clover / Honey and Clover

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Romance, Slice of Life Studios: J.C.Staff Length: 24 episodes (23 min per ep)

Three poor college guys live in a rundown apartment building. Shinobu is a mysterious, quirky person, who does things on a whim. Takumi is passionate both in work and love, and Yuuta is a simple person with simple dreams and desires. They meet a girl named Hagumi who is friends with Ayumi. Hagumi is a petite young-looking girl (basically, what the internet calls a loli). Ayumi is a beautiful and talented young lady. Together, they all try to get through college life and romance.

Similar Anime: - Nodame Cantabile: College students from artistic faculties both overcome personal hardship while finding their own personal romance. - 3-Gatsu no Lion: From the same creator and mangaka, the slice of life way of telling the stories of these dynamic characters and the differences and contrasts between the two stories definitely make them unique in their own right.

This is a great anime with a light palette, a simple yet stunning soundtrack, and a great story that brings realism and charming characters together. With strong performances from the voice actors, you will notice notable names like Tomokazu Sugita and Hiroshi Kamiya. To me, this was one of Sugita’s best roles. It showed me a more dramatic, vulnerable, and emotional side of his acting which was probably shown in Gintama a few hundred episodes in.

My complaints are that the pacing is a little slow sometimes (as expected with a slice-of-life series), and I didn’t like Hagu much because the internet poisons those types of characters (lolis). It makes her romances very shady and uncomfortable for me. You also might be deterred if you don’t like the genre.

Death Parade

Studios: Madhouse Genres: Game, Mystery, Psychological, Drama, Thriller Length: 12 episodes (23 min per ep)

This originally came from a short film called Death Billiards which was part of the Young Animator Training Project's Anime Mirai 2013. This series is basically a young animator’s film being made into a series, and I think that’s awesome. It has the same director as Mob Psycho 100 despite being a dramatic series with no comedy.

After death, you arrive at a bar with no memory of how you died. Without heaven or hell, there stand two options: reincarnation or the void. To decide, you play a game like bowling, darts, or pool. Winner gets reincarnation while the loser is sent into the void. Welcome to death! Don’t be fooled by the opening, this anime is not happy.

Similar Anime: - Jigoku Shoujo: Divine punishment is delivered by emotionless beings. Each episode seems to have its own cast with an overarching storyline even though Jigoku Shoujo is a lot longer. - Psycho-Pass: Even though I haven’t watched this one, both touch on very philosophical subjects that contain the idea of the difference between right and wrong and the lines in between. They are both psychological thrillers.

This anime was one that introduces a new story every episode but has an overarching plot that wraps it together. Its development is done well. The characters may seem blank, but that’s for the sake of the new characters that come with each episode. It can be felt to be very emotional so have your tissues at hand for the finale (I didn’t cry, but I hear it was really sad?)

The art fits the plotline perfectly. The voice acting is strong with a cast that is filled with notable names like Tomoaki Maeno and Asami Seto, but there are many names in the supporting cast as well.

The side plot seems poorly done at times, and there are plot elements that are introduced that indicate another season, but we won’t be having one. There is pretty much no happiness to be found here.

Barakamon

Studios: Kinema Citrus Genres: Slice of life, comedy Length: 12 episodes (23 min per ep)

Handa is a calligraphy prodigy who is sent to the Goto Islands as punishment for punching a veteran judge who called his work “unoriginal”. He must find inspiration and learn the ways of his new life.

Similar Anime: - Poco Udon World/Sweetness and Lightning: I’m not including Usagi Drop because of the manga. SCARRED ME FOR LIFE. These are all about people who fall into a single-parent situation. - Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso: Both are about child prodigies who have to explore life beyond the book, but Shigatsu takes a more romantic drama kind of approach. *Gin no Saji: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

This is one of my favourite anime out there! Its story is relatable to many people who grew up with expectations. It’s about a guy who gets wisped into a life he never asked for and experiences a taste of the childhood he never had. This is one of the first anime I recommend to anyone of any age especially if they’ve never watched anime before. I think this was the first anime I showed to my own mom, and she enjoyed it.

Gakkou Gurashi!

Studios: Lerche Genres: Psychological, Slice of Life, School, Horror, Mystery Length: 12 episodes (24 min per ep)

Yuki loves school so much that she never wants to leave! But it’s not as if she can. She’s part of the School Living Club which consists of the president Yuuri, Kurumi, Miki, Sakura-sensei, and the club dog Taroumaru all live at school. Despite the illusions of Yuki’s imagination, the real purpose of the School Living Club is to escape from the shocking and disturbing truth: the girls are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and have barricaded themselves inside the school as the sole survivors.

Similar Anime: - Madoka Magica/Higurashi: I haven’t watched Madoka and Higurashi, but they both use cute as a facade to hide the darker themes and horrors behind everything. “Moe moe kyun”? More like “moe moe kill”. (I’m going to be kicked in the balls for that) - Girls’ Last Tour: I haven’t watched Girls’ Last Tour, but I know they have post-apocalyptic cute girls doing normal things. They all only have each other and try to enjoy each day peacefully. - Angel Beats: Both shows present normal high school students who live in excruciating circumstances that all hide a deeper meaning. This show has less cutesy moe stuff though.

It delivers on the promised cute elements. I even tried recommending it to a friend who likes Love Live! Let’s just say, there are some differences. The voice actresses do a great job, and I actually found this anime kind of scary (although I get scared too easily).

Gin no Saji / Silver Spoon

Studios: A-1 Pictures Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, School, Shounen Length: 11 episodes (23 min per ep)

Hachiken is a studious and diligent student who found it unbearable to live with the expectations of his parents and society. With his entry into high school, he decides to attend a unique boarding school in the countryside. The new environment isn’t what he expects, and along with meeting his new classmates and surroundings, he tries to adjust while trying to survive his new life.

Similar Anime: - Fullmetal Alchemist: This is an unexpected entry, but they have the same creator! Both are beautifully developed stories with lovable characters that you get attached to. Hiromu Arakawa is a genius in her own right, and this story has her art and her brilliant storytelling. *Barakamon: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

The voice acting here is great too, and the animation does its job well, but the real magic here is in the storytelling and the characters. I love the entire cast so much. Each of them are realistic and hardworking despite having their own quirky attributes. The setting and the meaning of every line of dialogue really sticks with me. The morals in both Barakamon and Gin no Saji are ones that I will never forget. The only reason why I don’t actively recommend this is because it is a farm, and those with weak stomaches might not like the idea of dealing with farm animals that get eaten, but if that’s the case, why eat meat at all? No animals are killed on-screen.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Studios: A-1 Pictures Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Isekai Length: 12 episodes (24 min per ep)

*Isekai = Term used for fictional stories where characters are thrown into a new (usually fantasy RPG-style) world

Thrown into a foreign land with nothing but hazy memories and the knowledge of their name, a group of strangers is given no other choice than fight and eliminate anything that threatens the peace in their new world, Grimgar. This is no game—there are no redos or respawns; it is kill or be killed. It is now up to this ragtag group of unlikely fighters to survive together.

Similar Anime: - Sword Art Online/Goblin Slayer: They are of the same genre, but Grimgar does a better job than both combined (but I dislike SAO and Goblin Slayer). - Tate no Yuusha: Another Isekai anime (like SAO and Goblin) except unlike the two other similar anime, these ones are both done well. Tate no Yuusha already has a following.

The voice acting here is great, and we see Hosoya playing the main role for once! The art and animation are done well. This anime takes a far slower approach comparing to other Isekai anime. They spend more time on the emotional burdens of each of the characters and their slower adjustments. While that’s a turnoff to some, they make you view the lives of these former normal citizens and make you wonder whether you’d be able to survive these circumstances, and if you don’t like that... well... there is the fan-service I guess.

Hinamatsuri

Studios: feel. Genres: Comedy, Seinen, Slice of LIfe, Supernatural Length: 12 episodes (23 min per ep)

Yakuza member Nitta is rudely interrupted when a young female esper barges into his life. He quickly finds himself being a caregiver and parental figure to the girl. The unlikely duo lives life unconventionally as circumstances change and everyday chaos ensues.

Similar Anime: - Mob Psycho 100: The number of similarities often go unnoticed, but they are both about shady adults (a conman and a yakuza) taking in a young esper (Mob and Hina) with hilarious stories. YOU MUST WATCH BOTH. - Gintama: Odd choice, I know. Both are quite similar in terms of humour. Gintama takes the shounen route while Hinamatsuri is a seinen series.

The majority of this voice cast are newbies (meaning people I’ve never heard of before), and honestly, they do such a great job that I genuinely thought that these people were seasoned veterans. Same with the studio. I don’t usually see them take on these kinds of projects (with most of their things being basic Slice of Life). The faces are hilarious. The characters are hilarious (thanks to brilliant writing and voice casts). It was so much fun to watch. I had to conceal my laughter at 2am because I was secretly binge-watching this. I failed multiple times.

Net-juu no Susume

Studios: Signal.MD Genres: Game, Comedy, Romance Length: 10 episodes (23 min per ep)

30-year-old Moriko Morioka is unemployed—and she couldn't be happier. Having quit her job of over 11 years, Moriko quickly turns to online games. With the pesky societal obligations of the real world out of the way, she dives into the realm of an MMO. Life online and in the real world intertwine.

Similar Anime: *Wotakoi: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!] *ReLIFE: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

This oddly relatable and adorable (don’t know what other words to use) romance between two people who meet online is honestly so pure, but let’s not forget that one of the high-ranking staff members of this anime is... uh... less than wholesome.

Kazuyoshi Yaginumi (director) is a Holocaust denier and a supremacist who has radical political views. But hey, if you’ve watched the third season of Natsume’s Book of Friends, Naruto, No. 6, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Hotarubi no Mori e, Black Bullet, Beck, or Akira, I hate to break it to you, but he was a part of all of them. I found this out after I watched the anime. I probably would not have watched this if I knew. But if you dismiss the anime that this man has worked on, you are truly missing out. Let’s not forget that he wasn’t the only person working on these projects, and he isn’t the creator, but let’s pray that he isn’t hired to do anything else!!! I don’t know of any other major work he got after this one (aired in 2017)

Wotakoi

Studios: A-1 Pictures Genres: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life Length: 11 episodes (22 min per ep)

Narumi Momose finds herself running late for her first day of work at a new office. She makes a promise to herself that none of her coworkers will find out about her dark secret: that she is an otaku and a fujoshi. This goes wrong when she runs into Hirotaka Nifuji, a friend from middle school. Luckily for her, the only witnesses to this slip-up are Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura who are otaku as well. But what happens when otaku date each other?

Similar Anime: *Net-juu no Susume: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!] *Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun: I constantly swear on this anime because I like both of these anime a lot.

I liked this one better than Net-juu no Susume, but that isn’t because of the director of the other one. I like this one for its cast of characters, its use of references that go beyond the gaming world (although this anime touches on it too), and the fact that there are different type of otaku out there. I seriously understood more references than I would’ve liked.

No. 6

Studios: Bones Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Drama Length: 11 episodes (23 min per ep)

Many years ago, after the end of a bloody world war, mankind took shelter in six city-states that were peaceful and perfect... at least on the surface. However, Shion—an elite resident of the city-state No. 6—has an encounter with a mysterious boy, Nezumi who lived in the desolate wasteland beyond the walls of the supposed utopia. Despite knowing that the other boy was a fugitive, Shion decided to take him in for the night and protect him, which resulted in drastic consequences. Now, a long time after their life-altering first meeting, Shion and Nezumi are finally brought together once again—the former elite and the boy on the run are about to embark on an adventure that will, in time, reveal the shattering secrets of No. 6.

Similar Anime: - Banana Fish: I haven’t completely watched Banana Fish, but it features the darker sides of society with loads of casualties. *Zankyou no Terror: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

Hosoya and Kaji are both amazing in this anime. This anime meant a lot to both of them. Hosoya wanted to give up voice acting while Kaji was a fan of the original series and was hyped to hear its news for adaptation. This heartwrenching story suffers from the whole “rush this bad adaptation”, but as someone who doesn’t read manga/novels, this anime is a great look into the inside of this intricate universe. Again, most of the shortcomings have to do with poor pacing and toned down storytelling (and toned down violence) which come from being badly adapted from the source material, but even after taking away all that good stuff, we’re still left with a pretty good anime. Just don’t cry... too hard... yeah.

Kimi to Boku

Studios: J.C. Staff Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shounen, Slice of Life Length: 13 episodes (24 min per ep)

Four high school boys, who have known each other since childhood, hang out together in school every day in their mundane lives. There's the handsome twins Yuuki and Yuuta Asaba, the gentle Shun Matsuoka, and the calm class head Kaname Tsukahara. Although they have become used to a lack of excitement in their lives, the addition of a new transfer student, Chizuru Tachibana, may add a little more adventure to their routine.

Similar Anime: *Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!] *Hachimitsu to Clover: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

While I wouldn’t classify this as a complete shounen nor would I call it a shoujo, it achieves a happy medium with enough anime cliches to call it an anime and enough ordinary elements for me to truly feel that it can be relatable. It has a really nice OST that’s sung by Aoi Shouta at times. We have a stacked and entertaining voice cast, and the story is slow but nice. It pulls more at the slice of life side rather than romance.

Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou / Daily Life of High School Boys

Studios: Sunrise Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life Length: 12 episodes (24 min per ep)

Hidenori, Yoshitake, and Tadakuni are just an everyday trio of ordinary guys trying to pass the time, but who said everyday life couldn't be interesting?

Similar Anime: *Nichijou: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!] *Kimi to Boku: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!] *Gintama: The shows do share a number of voice actors, the humour is similar, and the general nonsensical writing will draw audiences from both sides.

Here’s the more comedic and strictly non-romantic side of Kimi to Boku. This one is probably relatable in way that shouldn’t be shared with the general public. Unlike the other Nichijou (with girls and by Kyoto Animation), this one doesn’t rely on the animation. It relies on humour in its writing. There aren’t any really good female characters in this anime. It does focus on three guys and their antics though. And I mean, is anyone in this anime really a winner?

Natsume Yuujinchou / Natsume’s Book of Friends

Studios: Brain's Base Genres: Slice of Life, Supernatural, Drama, Fantasy, Shoujo Length: 12 episodes (24 min per ep)

Takashi Natsume has had a connection with youkai all his life and soon discovers that his deceased grandmother Reiko had passed on to him the Yuujinchou, or "Book of Friends," which contains the names of the spirits whom she brought under her control. This makes him a target of enraged youkai that want their names back. His only companion is a self-proclaimed bodyguard named Madara. Fondly referred to as Nyanko-sensei, Madara is a mysterious, pint-sized feline spirit who has his own reasons for sticking with the boy.

Similar Anime: *Mushishi: I haven’t watched Mushishi (even though it’s on my watch later list). It contains similar ideas and concepts. *Hotarubi no Mori e: Same creator/mangaka! Yuki Midorikawa has taken her masterful storytelling to other stories, and Hotarubi has a wonderful anime movie that manages to get you with the feels in less than an hour.

I know this anime gets a lot of attention already, but I feel like I haven’t met a whole lot of people who’ve watched it. A shoujo without romance? It’s unusual, but this definitely works out. The simple art works in its favour, and its music is beautiful. This anime has a way of making all of its stories resonate, and if you aren’t going to watch it for the youkais’ stories, watch it for Nyanko-sensei. He’s honestly the best.

Sakamichi no Apollon / Kids on the Slope

Studios: Tezuka Productions, MAPPA Genres: Drama, Josei, Music, Romance, School Length: 12 episodes (22 min per ep)

Introverted classical pianist Kaoru Nishimi has just arrived in Kyushu for his first year of high school. Having constantly moved from place to place since his childhood, he abandons all hope of fitting in, preparing himself for another lonely, meaningless year until he encounters the notorious delinquent Sentarou Kawabuchi. Kaoru begins playing the piano at after-school jazz sessions, located in the basement of fellow student Ritsuko Mukae's family-owned record shop.

Similar Anime: - Your Lie in April/Shigatsu no Kimi no Uso: Both anime are about classical musicians breaking out of their shells in beautifully written stories. Sakamichi no Apollon is arguably more serious and take on a bit of a darker and more mature tone since Shigatsu is a shounen anime while Sakamichi is a josei. *Kimi to Boku: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

This anime suffers the same thing that No. 6 does. The story gets watered down and condensed to fit the short-episode format, and so much is left out in terms of pacing. The voice acting in this is phenomenal. Ryohei Kimura and Yoshimasa Hosoya do not disappoint. Yuuka Nanri barely has any other lead roles, but she does an okay job here too. Yoko Kanno on score composition is one of the best decisions to be made for this anime even if jazz isn’t her main genre of choice. She composed everything masterfully. I wouldn’t have thought that she did it if I didn’t see it on the staff list. Those things are the reasons why I liked this anime so much. The OST and voice acting are good enough for me to recommend this anime despite (like No. 6), the adaptation quality not being that great. Even taking that stuff away, we are still left with a great anime.

ReLIFE

Studios: TMS Entertainment Genres: Slice of Life, Romance, School Length: 13 episodes (23 min per ep)

Hopeless 27-year-old loser Arata Kaizaki bounces around from one job to another after quitting his first company. He meets Ryou Yoake who offers Arata the opportunity to change his life for the better with the help of a mysterious pill. Arata takes it and awakens to find that his appearance has reverted to that of a 17-year-old. He takes part in a unique experiment and must attend high school as a transfer student for one year. Arata struggles to adjust to his hectic new lifestyle and avoid repeating his past mistakes, all while slowly discovering more about his fellow classmates and himself.

Similar Anime: - Erased: Both anime are about adults reliving their past and trying to make amends for past mistakes that they’ve made. Erased takes more of the murder mystery route while ReLIFE stays in a simpler slice of life style. *Net-juu no Susume: [ON THIS LIST - Please look at both anime entries to see why!]

This anime suffers the same thing that No. 6 and Sakamichi no Apollon does. The story gets watered down and condensed to fit the short-episode format, and so much is left out in terms of pacing that they had to fit hundreds of chapters into the second season which had FOUR episodes. This one has an awesome casts which mixes experienced voice actors with newer ones. This was one of Yuuma Uchida’s first major roles, and we see new(er) people like Reina Ueda and Himika Akaneya mixed in too. In terms of experienced voice actors, we can look forward to Kensho Ono and Ai Kayano playing the main characters along with Haruka Tomatsu and Ryohei Kimura also playing major characters along with appearances from Noriaki Sugiyama, Daisuke Namikawa, and Miyuki Sawashiro. With a bunch of new EDs with practically every episode and an OST that people seem to love or hate (jazz piano riffs have to be your thing, and I liked it), the music is hit and miss. For me, it was a hit. The jazz soundtrack is out-of-place but unique. It takes a sharp contrast, and it isn’t bad music.

Senyuu

[This anime is on the “Anime with Short Episodes” list]

Studios: Ordet, LIDENFILMS Genres: Action, Comedy, Parody, Fantasy, Shounen Length: 13 episodes (4 min per ep)

In a story we’ve all heard before, the demon lord is sealed until things go amiss! Amateur adventurer Alba Frühling and sadistic talented soldier Ross must go defeat monsters and seal the demons away.

Similar Anime: - Saiki: Both episodes have short run-time and derive their humour from parodying genres. Senyuu takes the RPG adventure genre and flips it on its head while Saiki takes overpowered espers and pulls it like Hinamatsuri and Mob Psycho 100. - Konosuba: I know this is strange coming from someone who actually detests Konosuba. I couldn’t stand the characters that were flawed to the point where I couldn’t like them no matter how hard I tried. Both take the RPG adventure world and parody it to the point where you wonder why these flawed buffoons are trusted with anything.

This anime is one of my favourite short anime out there. With a short run-time of four minutes, it quickly got me invested in the story and the characters. It was so funny that I found myself binge-watching both seasons and the OVAs within the same day. Yuuichi Nakamura and Hiro Shimono provide their perfect performances for this anime. The other cast members contribute a lot as well with other names like Ai Kayano, Yumi Uchiyama, Takahiro Sakurai, Kenichi Suzumura, and others. Hiroshi Kamiya also takes the lead role in the OVAs. Overall, it’s a great watch when you have no patience for 24-minute episodes.

Honobono Log

[This anime is on the “Anime with Short Episodes” list]

Studios: Fanworks Genres: Romance, Slice of life Length: 10 episodes (2 min per ep)

Insights into couples, why they’re better than being single, and why you’re just a sad loner.

This is actually based off a picture book.

Similar Anime: NONE! I truly haven’t seen an anime like this around. While Tsurezure has its similarities in short-run time and romance, this one is vastly different. Dareka no Manazashi is too different to say it’s similar. Both are short (although Dareka no Manazashi is a short film) and about life, but Dareka no Manazashi is different because it focuses on one person doesn’t have romance and relies on more of the “growing up” part whereas Honobono relies on each specific situation.

This anime is another one of my favourite short anime out there. With a short run-time of two minutes, they manage to guilt-trip you for being alone and single. Of course, not all of them are about cute couple stuff, but some are about family and growing up. Miyu Irino and Asami Seto do an amazing job, and the OP is really nice and adds to the heartwarming factor of this anime.

Zankyou no Terror

Studios: MAPPA Genres: Thriller, Psychological, Drama Length: 11 episodes (22 min per ep)

Six months after a mysterious unsolved terror attack, a strange video makes its way onto the internet. In it, two teenage boys who identify themselves only as "Sphinx" challenge the police, threatening to cause destruction and mayhem across Tokyo. The police struggle to act effectively against these terrorists, with Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki caught in the middle of it all. The two boys behind the masked figures of Sphinx are known as Nine and Twelve, and they stand strong in a world of deception and secrets while they make the city fall around them, all in the hopes of burying their own tragic truth.

Similar Anime: - Death Note: I haven’t actually watched Death Note (haha), but they are both similar. I know that much. Both are about the police lagging behind some teenager as they wreak havoc, but while Light Yagami has a god-complex, Sphinx has its own secrets. - Psycho-Pass: I haven’t watched this one either, but both take on philosophical ideas that make you wonder whether society should be run one way or another. They are both centred around law enforcement and the detainment of those who step out of line.

Yoko Kanno provides yet another stunning masterpiece for this anime’s score which really drives the anime further. Along with extremely strong art style from Studio MAPPA, it creates for a very mysterious and eerie tone that fit the anime so well. The voice acting from the two leads and the detective are amazing, but I can’t say they have good female characters in this anime, and without good characters, I can’t say there was good voice acting on their parts, although, Megumi Han did sound pretty good in her given role. Soma Saito and Kaito Ishikawa are both close in real life, and it almost transcends onto the screen in this anime.

The story is riveting even if it’s been done before. It’s not the most unique in that right, but I still found myself finding these characters to be human. It was well-paced too and didn’t feel dragged or rushed for the most part. Shinichiro Watanabe directed and created this, and you might know him for Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, Space Dandy, and more, and he certainly does not disappoint with this anime.

13 notes · View notes

mairimai · 6 years

Text

Midnight Stress

Her girlfriend’s love for dramatics would have been endearing if it weren’t just a tad bit exhausting most of the time, because really, who in their right mind would show up on your front lawn with their whole band to serenade you… at the middle of the night when you have an obviously important appointment tomorrow? (AO3)

With a sigh, she tried hard to suppress the yawn threatening to overtake her though much to her dismay, Kaoru seemed to notice it, her gaze shifting from the cheeseburger on her hands towards the bags under her girlfriend’s eyes. She can already feel the various cheesy lines about being tired going in on the teen’s mind.

Damn, the last thing she needed is her spouting nonsense again. Just when Kaoru opened her mouth, probably already thought up some famous Shakespeare line, Chisato immediately cut her off with a fake smile that she knew her girlfriend won’t likely notice, hopefully, she might add.

A draining day can sometimes affect her acting especially around friends whom she mostly drops her guard down.

“Ah, Kao-chan…” She started as she put the soda on her hand back to the table, ever since they started dating, she began calling her that again in private, if only to see the inevitable blush on Kaoru’s face. And with one long look to the side, Chisato gave a shrug. “It’s nothing really, just that our manager is pressuring us to improve our use of instrument more and—” She returned her gaze back towards her girlfriend as she said the following the words. “It’s nothing I can’t take.”

Which is true, as far as she and everyone around her knew, she wouldn’t last as an actress at such a young age if she wasn’t used to the pressure, being tired and the time constraint. Once again, she hopes that Kaoru would drop it off, she doesn’t really need anyone telling some silly quotes at her right now.

Her head would just ache trying to comprehend the words.

Though much to her dismay, Kaoru gave a dramatic sigh. “Ah, but my dear Chisato,” She said as she took both of her hands resting on the table and proceed to press it against her heart, eyes slightly tearing up as she looked at her tired girlfriend whose eyes seemed to express slight irritation and exasperation, but at what? She silently despaired, probably because of being forced to attend all those practices when she was becoming unwell.

Her poor flower, working too hard just to become tired and unhappy. Oh, what can she do at a time like this? What would the great bard say when faced with this tragedy? Just as she opened her lips to say something, her girlfriend raised a hand in a stop motion.

“Forget about what I said,” Chisato quickly intervened. Just like what she mentally complained before, being bombarded with quotes is not something she would like to experience right now.

With a small practiced yawn, she instead tried to direct the conversation elsewhere. “So, I heard that you would have a sleepover at Kokoro-chan’s from Kanon this evening.” And just like that, Chisato was pleased when her girlfriend had fallen for the bait as she hesitantly started informing her of the activities they would do.

“But you see, Michelle has been missing quite lately and our poor Hagumi had raised the question if we can contact her parents but that’s when I realize, we hadn’t even seen her family once!” Kaoru started before delving more into the matter, telling her all sorts of questions being raised at the mysterious Michelle.

“That’s nice,” Was all she can say, really. It seemed that Hello Happy World’s vocalist was just a tad bit crazy than usual with those ideas and she can confidently say that Kaoru and Hagumi helps fuel fire into it.

If what Misaki and Kanon has been relaying to her is anything to go by. Because seriously, a slumber party dedicated to finding where Michelle stays, what type of foods she eats, what does her parents look like and how does she eat is the farthest thing she wanted to discuss in a sleepover.

Maybe when drunk out of her mind, she considered.

Kaoru beamed at the words she had said, seemingly deeming it a compliment to which she just returned with a small fake smile. “I knew you would think it a brilliant idea, now my courage to learn more about Michelle has grown, just like the great bard once said--”

And just like that, Chisato’s headache returned. So much for changing the subject and avoiding confusing quotes, to her dismay.

She stifled a yawn threatening to come out as Chisato walks up the stairs towards her room, her dog happily padding ahead of her with his tail wagging playfully. Her head still aches but not as much since she took some medicine.

She hoped it won’t last for days since Maya called her to inform about an urgent meeting tomorrow. It probably has something to do with the latest single they would need to record.

As Chisato twist the knob to enter her dimly lit room, her gaze immediately settled to the digital alarm clock beside her bed, she blinked and groaned. It was almost midnight and she hadn’t even slept a wink yet.

As she thought of that, her focus shifted to the phone lying beside the alarm clock, she stared as it vibrated, the screen turning white for a moment.

Probably just Hina sending her some memes. It was already late and she always does that kind of thing in the middle of the night.

With one last glance at her phone, she proceed to lay down on her bed to bury herself with her quilt and soft pillows all the while murmuring Leon who was on his own pet bed a goodnight.

Her dog responded with a bark.

It was all comfy and cozy before a loud blaring sound awoken her from slumber. At first she paid it no mind, shifting on a side lying position as she covered her left ear with some pillow.

It was probably just some cat, her mind sleepily reasoned with.

That was until another music came up, this time however with vocals that distinctly reminded her of her girlfriend’s. But it was probably just her imagination as she shifted once more in her bed.

Because as far as she remembered, Kaoru was having some sleepover. However after a few more seconds had passed, a sudden thud made her jump.

She sleepily turned around to face the closed window, opening her eyes just as another one made a thud sound, it took her a few seconds to register that it was some small rocks doing the sound.

Wait… rocks?

She squinted her eyes some more, hoping that it was just her imagination but the sudden vibration of her phone made her turn her gaze towards the offending device lying on a small end table beside her.

Deciding that it was no use to ignore it, she sat up and took the phone before staring at the notification bar.

An unopened message from Misaki.

Five miss calls from Kanon.

And one miss call from Kaoru.

She stared just as her phone started vibrating again, her girlfriend's name blaring on the screen as realization started dawning on her.

Her mind seemed to explode from stress as she considered the realization. “Don’t tell me…” Chisato murmured, sighing in resignation all the while.

There’s no use, there can only be one person who would drag a band in the middle of the night to perform some kind of song she hasn’t heard from before.

With a sigh, she stood up from her bed and started walking towards the window just as Leon woke up with a small whimper, she momentarily glanced at her dog before making a shushing sound.

She needed to stop this madness before her parents and the neighbors woke up, one of the last thing she wanted is for this action to reach some people’s ears.

Just as she predicted when she opened the lock to her window before pushing it up and sticking her head out, her gaze quickly finding the offending people outside house.

They all were sporting matching grins besides Misaki who seemed like she was ready to give up on life and beside her was Kanon whose face resembles a tomato, probably from embarrassment.

She doesn’t know and right now, sporting the biggest headache she has since she started dating Kaoru, probably didn’t care for the moment.

“Ah, my darling Chisato!” Started Kaoru as she critically turned her gaze towards the culprits, her eyes focusing first on Kokoro who was smiling at her and her bandmate like she just didn’t woke some teen up in the middle of the night to serenade her or whatever and then her focus turned towards Hagumi who suspiciously have some small rocks on her hands but still beaming at her like she just didn’t throw rocks at her window.

And of course, the idiot. Who was gazing at her with a sad, depressed and determined expression all at once plastered on her face, like she was doing something good for her and just as Kaoru opened her lips to probably sing once more, Chisato wisely interrupted it with a terribly faker than fake smile.

These people are going to drive her insane.

“What are you guys doing here in the middle of the night?” She asked politely directing her gaze towards the two who would likely answer her properly, Kanon only let out a small whimper of embarrassment as Misaki put a hand to her own forehead, probably thinking that hell is a paradise compared to babysitting a couple of kids.

But before Misaki can answer, Kaoru let out a huge dramatic sigh, probably not getting the memo that she wasn’t the one she asked. “You see, it has come to our attention that you had become more tired as of late and well, our dear friend Kokoro has thought up a plan to decrease your stress!” As if on cue, Kokoro immediately nodded as she gave Chisato a warm grin to which she returned with a blank stare.

“That’s right! Since Kaoru has not been herself since she went to my house for our Michelle discussion, I asked her what’s wrong and she told me that you’ve been stressed beyond repair lately! So I thought what better way to cure you than sing you a song that makes you feel at peace!” Kokoro beamed as she said those words and before Chisato can come up with any form of reply, Hagumi cut in with matching grins to her friend.

“Yeah! We even planned all night and wrote a song for you!” She said excitedly, her grin and eyes beaming like her band leader’s. They both gave her a look of honest joy that had made her tongue tied in a knot.

Well, what could she exactly say to that without coming off as ungrateful and rude? They even bothered to write her a song even though she hadn’t properly heard it.

She stared as the three bandmates gave her their own set of heartwarming smiles that people surely couldn’t resist though it just made her stomach drop. What can she say to them that wouldn't hurt any of their feelings?

Her gaze them turned towards Kanon who sheepishly gave a small nod. “We, ummm,” Her friend paused before continuing. “Misaki and I tried to stop them or atleast wait until sunrise but they are too… ummm…” Before Kanon can say anything, Misaki motioned for her to take a deep breathe.

“Sorry about that, Shirasagi-senpai.” Misaki apologized at the situation, wanting nothing more than to return back home and sleep but her stupid bandmates had other plans for them.

With sleep finally escaping her, Chisato finally thought up some response to the three teenagers that hopefully wouldn't hurt any of their feelings, the last thing she wanted is drama at midnight.

“That’s thoughtful of you, Kokoro-chan.” She started, trying to say it as sincere as possible because the teen might come up with a conclusion that she is still stressed and come up with more absurd plans. “I greatly appreciate the gesture towards the problem I’m facing but,” This time she directed her gaze towards her girlfriend smiling stupidly at her.

Despite waking her up at the middle of the night to sing her some song they wrote in only six hours or less, for the life of her, she can’t exactly become mad at her, no matter how much she tried.

Maybe she became immune to her stupidity, after all.

She stared hard at Kaoru, who blinked at her curiously before her smile softened to a small sincere one that sent sudden flutters down to her stomach, her eyes speak of nothing but care and comfort.

“Ne, Kao-chan,” Chisato suddenly uttered after breaking off the mesmerizing gaze her girlfriend is giving her, a form planning in her mind as she considered her words properly.

She opened her lips to politely berate her off about waking her up but found it difficult to say anything when Kaoru is still staring at her like that, now with her cheeks dusted with faint blush at the words of her childhood nickname.

Chisato paused before giving off a mental sigh, she couldn’t do it right now, it could be because she’s still sleep deprive or if Kaoru and her bandmates’ stupid plan is making her warm and giggly.

It’s the lack of sleep, she was sure of it.

“Chi--Chisato,” Kaoru suddenly said, blush still staining cheeks. She blinked at her girlfriend's uttered word before her gaze swept pass the other members of Hello, Happy World! who were looking at them in anticipation except for Misaki who is staring off at the side probably planning to walk back home.

She momentarily forgot they were still there and remembered that it was still the middle of the night, they each need their sleep. Well, she guessed, there was only one thing her girlfriend and the bandmates need at a moment like this before she shooed them back to Kokoro’s house.

With a practiced smile she had given every performance in a theater, Chisato gave them a heartwarming smile that had once granted her a lead role, “Thank you for clearing my stress,” She lied through her teeth, still giving them that sweeter than sweet smile. “And for the effort you put through it…” Though this time, she did meant it. She mentally reminded herself to ask Kaoru to sing the song to her one of these days so she can properly appreciate it.

Kokoro and Hagumi once more beamed at her words while Misaki and Kanon stared at her in barely disguised confusion before masking it with an uneasy smile. Kaoru, though, is still giving her that distracting honest smile.

Her stare returned back to Kaoru after a few moments of avoiding it.

Well, there goes her sleep.

“Chisato-san, you’re here! Now we only have to wait for the rest.” Was the first thing she heard Aya said as she entered the dancing studio where they mostly practiced around with movements. She noticed it was only Aya who was here before shooking it off, her friend is always up early and about being excited about the idol world.

She blinked at her friend’s words before suppressing the yawn threatening to overtake her, she woke up so late today it wasn’t even funny. Chisato remembered sleeping through her alarm and had only been woken up by the combined effort of her mother and Leon.

She smiled at Aya before taking a seat on the ground beside her friend, their back against the mirrored wall. “How was your day, Aya-chan?” She asked, politely waiting for a response as her friend hummed in enthusiasm.

“It was great! I managed to buy that cute bunny stuffed toy that we have been eyeing about at the mall.” Aya immediately started talking about her day before finishing it off with a grin, she can see that the teen really had a great day judging by the way she acted. “How about you, Chisato-chan?”

She was not surprised her friend would ask her that question as she considered for a moment about the day she had before merely settling at giving her a small mysterious smile.

“It was… interesting, I guess.”

#kaochisa #chisato shirasagi #kaoru seta #kaoru x chisato #bang dream #bandori #kaochisa fanfiction #bandori fanfiction

31 notes · View notes

banditchika · 6 years

Text

kanon: can i please get some romantic interest. can i please

fandom: bandori

word count: 3498

pairing: misakanon

ao3 link

It takes her weeks to work up the courage. Weeks of eyeing Misaki from behind her drums, ducking behind the cymbals every time Misaki turns to glance at her; weeks of freezing by the cafe outside CiRCLE as the rest of Hello Happy trots to the station with her words trapped in the cage of her throat; weeks of agonizing with Chisato over unsent texts and the pragmatics of the Japanese language.

But finally, finally, Kanon manages it.

It's incoherent. It's embarrassing. It's just a hair shy of a disaster. She's actually pretty sure Misaki doesn't really get it, if the way she tilts her head and points at herself is any indication, but at least she agreed. By the end of a Hello Happy practice, Kanon has a promise from Misaki to meet her after school, in the courtyard, so that they can visit Hazawa Coffee together.

She... never wants to do that again. Sure, she somehow found the courage—and sure, Kanon's of the opinion that, if you manage to succeed, then how you did it doesn't really matter—but just thinking about having to stammer out the words again makes her heart race at what might be unhealthy levels. She'll give it another few weeks before she tries something like this again. Or, if everything turns out well, maybe Misaki will be the one that asks her out next time! If there is a next time. Kanon doesn't want to presume...

Ah, this would be so much easier if she were a little more confident, a little more suave! She wishes she could be more like Kaoru—or, no, not like Kaoru, actually. Maybe Kokoro? Though Kokoro isn't actually sauve, per say...

It all boils down to wishing she were anyone other than herself, really. Someone who could impress Misaki and get her to agree to go out on a date with a response that doesn't sound like mild confusion and condescension. Someone who could be a reliable upperclassman for Misaki to depend on, instead of just… Kanon.

But Misaki said yes. Despite the fact that Kanon stammered through half of her invitation, was inaudible for the other half, and directed most of it towards her shoes—Misaki still said yes. They’re going on a date, together. So maybe Kanon should shelve the self-flagellation for another time and just focus on the good things.

Like Misaki walking beside her, smelling of something sharp, chemical, and clean, her school bag and tennis duffel dangling casually from her shoulder. Kanon swallows and averts her gaze. It's rude to stare too much. She doesn't usually have that problem; she has enough trouble meeting people's eyes—-even Chisato's, her oldest and dearest friend—as it is. But when it comes to Misaki, Kanon just can't help herself. She's just so...

…. Oh, God. What if there are mind readers.

It’s a totally irrational, intrusive thought, but Kanon can’t help the wash of fear that floods through her and ticks her internal temperature up a few degrees. Maybe if she screams internally it’ll keep anyone from listening.

Nope! No inappropriate thoughts here! She was definitely not daydreaming about how Misaki's hair, damp from the shower, catches the late afternoon light. Or how interesting it is that every once in awhile, Misaki will tuck her lower lip into her mouth and chew as if deep in thought. Or the breadth of her shoulders and the strong line of her collar, peeking out abouve the dip of the sailor uniform…

Yeah, no. Kanon? Kanon's not thinking about any of that.

"Kanon-san?"

"A-ah! Yes!" Misaki raises her brows at her sudden shout. So do a few other Hanasakigawa students heading back home from their extracurriculars.

Kanon flushes and hunches her shoulders, doing her best impression of a stressed box turtle until they all look away—including Misaki, who thankfully tends to be as bad as she is at maintaining eye-contact.

“So, why’d you want to go out for coffee all of a sudden?” Misaki runs a hand through her hair, the damp strands falling heavily through her fingers.

Kanon swallows.

“I, um… no reason...” Kanon stares at her feet and does her best to pretend that she can’t smell the scent of Misaki’s body wash and shampoo. She swears she’s not being weird about it! It’s just that the wind is carrying the scent over—and she’s always had a good sense of smell, that’s her special talent, and Misaki just finished tennis practice, so of course she’d want to wash off the sweat-—

—And Misaki’s staring at her strangely again. Kanon gulps and tries for a calming smile. Just like what Chisato would do; always does, in fact, when Kanon’s anxieties run a little too high and she needs a moment so she can get her feet back on the ground.

Channeling Chisato’s energies must work because after a while, the corner of Misaki’s mouth hooks upward in her usual wry, barely-there smile. Kanon beams at her, relieved.

Misaki’s always the odd one out in Hello Happy; ignoring the fact that she’s perpetually hidden behind Michelle’s perpetual grin, she’s also the only one whose every smile seems reluctant, like something that has to be dragged out of her rather than willingly, easily given.

If it were anyone else, Kanon would feel worried or anxious that she’s killing the mood; that she shouldn’t be there, that she doesn’t belong. But because it’s Misaki, her cautious smiles are easy to write off as another one of her quirks, like her fondness for eating at family restaurants and her love of sweats.

“I guess I just wanted to spend some time with you, Misaki-chan,” says Kanon, managing to tear her eyes from her feet. She dares to inch a little closer to Misaki. Their shoulders brush, and a tiny thrill runs through her at the miniscule contact, even when Misaki mumbles an apology and moves away.

“Huh. I see.” Misaki folds her arms across her chest and says nothing more.

Kanon is accustomed to this too. Whether at practice, in-between classes, or after school, Misaki tends to be mild-mannered and even a little standoffish, rarely ever saying more than she has to.

Sometimes Kanon wonders why she’s like that. Misaki isn’t an unhappy person; or at least, Kanon doesn’t think so. Kokoro is right when she says Misaki’s a little negative, a little dour—but Kanon doesn’t think she’s unhappy.

Maybe it’s just another one of Misaki’s quirks. Kanon likes that too, if she’s being honest. Whether somber or smiling, Misaki is still Misaki. And tempering Hello Happy’s unrestrained optimism is important too, and so long as Misaki still hides her grins whenever Kokoro and Hagumi do something funny, and hands the Michelle costume to the Suits while humming their setlist under her breath, Kanon doesn’t think she has any cause to worry.

Eve is working the floor when they arrive. She leads them to a quiet, secluded table near the bar, where the scent of freshly ground coffee and baked sweets permeates.

“Enjoy!” she chirps, flashing Kanon a bright smile—and Kanon hopes that it’s just her nerves and overactive imagination at work, because Eve seems almost knowing as she sets the menu—just one—down on the tabletop. But that can’t be, because there’s no way that Eve, sweet, kind-hearted Eve, knows anything about why the two of them are here today, right?

Right?

(Because Chisato’s come up with some really convoluted plans before. Never involving Kanon’s romantic life, mostly because she’s has never had a romantic life to speak of until recently, but she wouldn’t put it past Chisato to try and pull some strings. Because Chisato likes having things work out in a certain way, and if that means she has to get involved herself, then, well…)

“Kanon-san, are you ready to order?” Misaki reaches for the menu, then blinks. “Ah, wait. Go ahead and look at it first.” She raises her hand. “I’ll ask Wakamiya-san for another.”

“No, it’s okay, we can share!” Kanon thrusts the menu at her in a panic, nearly sending it flying into her face with the force of her throw. “I-I already know what I want, anyways, and… and it’s so busy right now! I don’t really want to bother Eve-chan.”

Misaki turns to glance over her shoulder at Eve, standing by the door with a blank, service-industry smile and her platter clutched to her chest. She’s the epitome of “overloaded with work.”

But Misaki doesn’t point that out.

“Alright,” she says, taking the menu with an indulgent smile. “Thank you. Um… you said the tea and cakes here are really good, right? We talked about this once, I think.”

“Ah…” She remembered? She remembered! Kanon can’t help the grin that stretches across her face as she clasps her hands together, feeling altogether a little too giddy for something so little, but—she remembered. “Yes! I said I’d help you see why cafes are so nice, right? Hazawa Cafe is one of my favorites, and I think you’ll definitely see why!”

Misaki laughs in her usual soft, drawling way and leans back in her seat, lips quirked. Kanon flushes. She gets the impression that Misaki’s good mood is at her expense and hurries to try and save her fleeting—and oh, geez, Kaoru has her saying it now too—image of a mature upperclassman.

“Though—um, you really like family restaurants, don’t you? Maybe we should have gone to one instead…” She likes cafes, but if she’s going to ask Misaki out on a date, shouldn’t she have gone to someplace that Misaki enjoys? That’s how it’s supposed to go, right? And Chisato did say that standard date etiquette entails holding the door open for her date and pulling the seat out for her…

Oh no. They’re already seated. Kanon stares at Misaki’s chair, morose, and mourns her missed opportunity. If only she were quicker! If only she hadn’t been staring so hard at Misaki’s back when she’d bent over to put her duffel down!

“Ahaha… no, it’s okay.” Misaki flips open the menu, tracing a finger along the glossy photographs and entries that Kanon has seen a hundred times. “My family and I are going to a family restaurant after this, so it’s better that we’re at a cafe. And besides—I’ve been wanting to try the kind of things you enjoy for a little while now.”

“Y-you have?”

“Mmm.” Misaki’s smile is a little shy. “I was just thinking that I should be showing you a little more appreciation,” she says, scratching the back of her neck. “Especially for, y’know, always helping me out with Michelle and everything...”

“No, that’s nothing! I mean, I’d feel bad if I didn’t do something for you.” Does that sound too patronizing? Is she belittling Misaki? “That is, I mean—you’re an important part of Hello Happy, and…”

Her voice trails off. “... also… important to… me…”

Misaki reaches up to her brow. When she doesn’t find the brim of her hat waiting for her, she sheepishly hides her face behind her hand instead, her bashful grin peeking out between the gaps of her fingers. Something in Kanon burns warm and bright to see it.

“Well, I can say the same to you, Kanon-san. Why don’t you let me pay for your order today? So I can show my thanks properly.”

“Ah—no, I should be the one doing that. Misaki-chan, please let me pay for you!”

“... Um.” Misaki sets her hand down. She tilts her head, staring at Kanon like she’s a mushroom growing out the side of a tree. “But why?”

“B-because I’m older than you, and,” Kanon’s voice drops to a whisper. She clears her throat and manages to force the words out: “And because I asked you out? So I-I should be the one paying.”

Misaki stares at her—stares down at her—in dead silence, lips pressed together and expression unreadable. Kanon tries to hold her gaze, but every passing second without a word from Misaki shakes her will more and more, until, to her horror—

Oh, oh no. No, please don’t cry, not here, not in front of Misaki…

“Kanon-san…” A gentle hand rests on her own. It’s surprisingly delicate and warm to the touch. “This is a date?” Misaki’s voice is the softest she’s ever heard it; gentle, like she’s coaxing a frightened animal from its hiding place.

Kanon blinks the stinging tears from her eyes, and Misaki’s face comes into focus. Her brows are raised as if she can’t believe what she’s hearing, her chapped lips slightly parted.

“I-it… it is. At least, I was hoping it was.” Kanon squeezes the hand not caught by Misaki’s, digging the fingers into the fabric of her skirt. “I thought it was. Misaki-chan, I… I like you a lot, you know? A lot, a lot.”

The admission sends her heart racing. Sweat beads on her brow, and—and she’d felt so good about this when their date (not date, now) first began. Kanon’s invitation hadn’t been the best, but Misaki had said yes! She’d said yes, just like Chisato had said she would, and for awhile Kanon really believed that things might turn out well. That she and Misaki would have a nice time, and that Kanon could be a good upperclassman who took Misaki on dates and treated her to coffee and held her hand sometimes, romantically—

But no. No. Misaki is the one holding her hand now, and as nice as that is, as nice as Misaki is, romantic is the last word Kanon would use to describe this situation. Being touched out of pity is worse than not having her hand held at all.

Kanon stares at their joined hands and tries to will away the burn in her eyes.

“Kanon-san?” Misaki pulls away. Kanon’s hand balls into a fist, knuckles pressing hard into the counter. The decorations on the wall have never been more interesting. Is that real brass? She should ask Eve later, when Misaki leaves and Kanon buries her feelings in Mrs. Hazawa’s delicious carrot cake and rose hip tea. “Kanon-san, um…”

Misaki’s hand touches her own, the grip firm but not unkind. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that you felt that way.”

Kanon’s lip wobbles, but she can’t bring herself to say anything. Whatever escapes her lips will surely be tight with the effort of keeping her tears at bay—embarrassing at best, incomprehensible to human ears at worse. Misaki, thankfully, doesn’t push her.

In fact, Misaki…

Misaki is…

Is blushing?

“I… um.” Her eyes are glued to the menu, hair falling over her face, but there’s no hiding the color staining her cheeks and coloring the tips of her ears. “T-thank you? Ah, geez. No one’s ever said anything like that to me before—!” Her voice cracks, and she promptly dissolves into a coughing fit, which is really nothing at all like the usual gallant, temperate Misaki.

Kanon still wants to cry, but mostly? Mostly, she’s utterly transfixed by the sight before her as Misaki hems, haws, and does everything in her power to treat the table like it’s an actual person. She’s almost reminded of the cruise ship adventure, where Misaki had knelt, red-faced, stammering, and sweating, at her feet with her cap clutched tightly to her chest.

Is this…

What is this?

“Aaah, if I’d known it was a date, I wouldn’t have come like this,” Misaki groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. “My hair’s still damp and my uniform stinks and everything…”

Her hand is still on Kanon’s. Kanon laces their fingers together hesitantly, and Misaki’s grumbling stops so fast that she almost wonders if she’d choked.

“Um… Kanon-san?”

“Y-yes?”

“... My hand is kind of sweaty.”

Now that she mentions it, Misaki’s palm is really clammy. It feels a little like holding a fish. But Kanon happens to like fish, and also Misaki, so…

“Oh. Do you want me to let go?”

“W-well! If you don’t mind, then… I guess I don’t really mind either.”

“Then is it okay if we stay like this?”

Misaki’s eyes are darting all over, doing anything and everything but meeting Kanon’s. She nods, a sharp jerk of her chin, and Kanon can’t tear her gaze from Misaki’s flushed face. She really, really, really…

“Misaki-chan?”

“Um. Yeah?”

“I wanted to treat you today. I, um, always want to treat you, because you work so hard and do so much, a-and, you deserve to have someone you can rely on and who can take care of you!” Her words are slurring together, and oh God, Kanon hopes she didn’t projectile-launch a glob of spit at Misaki in the middle of her spiel. “I know I’m not the best upperclassman, and you can’t really—shouldn’t really—look up to me, but I want to do my best for you. I want to be someone you can depend on, like Hello Happy depends on you!”

Misaki stares at her, wide-eyed. Her free hand comes up to hide her face, and Kanon thinks that if she were any less well-mannered, she’d be slumping in her seat. “Kanon-san… you don’t have to try that hard. Just you, um, being there for me… a-asking me out on things like this… it’s perfect the way it is, you know?”

“Ah, that’s right. ‘Everything in moderation’...”

“Mmm. Yeah, that’s how I like it.” Misaki shoots up in her seat, back ramrod straight. “I, uh, that is—I mean—”

“Don’t worry, I think I know what you mean, Misaki-chan.”

“... You, uh. You do?”

Kanon nods. “Yes! You want to take things a little slower, right?” To be honest, she’s kind of glad. All kinds of possibilities had been swirling in her mind after Misaki accepted their… date? Not date? Kind of date.

They would hold hands. They would go home together! Kanon could help her out of the Michelle suit, but instead of stacking Michelle onto a cart for the Suits to take, they would…

Kanon glances up at Eve, who catches her eye with a warm smile. Oh, no. The fear is back.

What if Eve could read minds? Logically, no one could, and Eve would be the most unlikely candidate of all even if telepathy wasn’t fictional, but what if Eve is just really good at reading people? Chisato is, and Eve is Pastel*Palette’s keyboardist. Maybe she’s learned something from Chisato, and she can learn everything that Kanon’s thinking with just one look—

Oh. Oh, no. She’s coming over.

“Hi, Kanon-san, Misaki-san! Are you two ready to order?” Eve’s smile is as blindingly bright as her steel platter. Kanon shrinks under its sheer brilliance. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Eve is a celebrity in the making, but like this? Kanon thinks she needs sunglasses just to look at her.

“Ah, yeah, I guess so!” Misaki glances at her. “I’ll have a cold brew coffee, and…”

“I’ll have a slice of whatever Tsugumi-chan recommends and a pot of dark roast Darjeeling, please.”

“Riiiight away!” Eve flashes another smile and—a wink? Is that a wink? Oh, no. Chisato must have said something, she must have! Her touch is all over this. She takes the menu from Misaki and skips off to the kitchen. “Have a lovely time, you two!”

“Ah, thanks?” Misaki’s smile is a little confused, but as good-natured as ever. She shakes her head. “I’m kind of surprised they have cold brew. Most places don’t.”

“Mmm! This cafe does coffee really well. I don’t usually like it much, but whenever I want a cup, I always come here.” They’re still holding hands. Kanon’s palm is starting to get really sweaty, but she doesn’t want to let go. It’s probably fine. She still has the other hand for eating and drinking, after all.

“Hm, that’s good.” Misaki rests her elbow on the table. She’s still flushed, still unable to meet Kanon’s eyes. It’s endearing and very fortunate—Kanon doesn’t think she’d be able to make sustained eye-contact either. “Say, Kanon-san?”

“Y-yes?”

“Um… will you let me pay for us? I made you so anxious for no reason, so I feel like I should foot the bill.” Misaki gnaws on her lower lip. “No, I mean—I want to pay. And maybe the next time, you can treat me? If that’s what you want! You don’t have to.”

She sighs. “Um, maybe we should just split the bill when we do this again?”

“No, I’d like that.” Next time, next time, next time. It rings in her head like a bell tolling hope. “Thank you, Misaki-chan.”

Misaki smiles at her. A real smile, one that turns her eyes into crescents and makes the weariness perpetually darkening her face fall away. It’s lovely. She’s lovely.

And Kanon is so glad to see that for once, it seems as though she doesn’t have to drag an honest smile out of Misaki at all.

authors note: for @misakan0n, who read this fic like 5 times while i was working on it bc i was insecure ab my characterization; this one’s for You Specifically

#bandori #misakanon #okusawa misaki #matsubara kanon #peents writes #back! on! my! bullshit! but i told y'all that i can write Other Things n i delivered!! with a llot of handholding bc i Am #after all. a Grade A fool #thank you sam for giving my fic a good Luq... a tender Tuch

30 notes · View notes