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recentanimenews · 3 years

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INTERVIEW: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and So I'm a Spider, So What? Lead Voice Actors

In coordination with the current season of So I’m a Spider, So What?, Crunchyroll News was given the opportunity to officially translate interviews with the staff and cast of the series. You can read the original Japanese interview between Aoi Yuki and Miho Okasaki right here.

The interview was conducted by Daisuke Iwakura.

So I'm a Spider, So What? x That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Crossover Interview! "Me" (a.k.a. Kumoko) Aoi Yuki and "Rimuru Tempest" Miho Okasaki.

It's a dream crossover between two anime airing in January: So I'm a Spider, So What? and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime! The interview was held on December 19th, 2020 as part of the Isekai Miracle Crossover broadcast featuring Aoi Yuki, who plays "Me" (a.k.a. Kumoko), and Miho Okasaki, who plays Rimuru Tempest.

These two characters were reincarnated as monsters, and while they have their similarities, they have their differences, too. We spoke to Yuki-san and Okasaki-san about what they have in common, where they're distinct, and what makes each of the shows so interesting.

A shared concern ... being reincarnated means having a lot of dialogue?!

—I've heard this is the first time either of you have encountered each other's projects. For starters, could you give a brief description of the show? Yuki-san, if you could go first.

Yuki: Kumoko is a girl who was unfortunate enough to find herself reincarnated as a spider after her classroom was blown up. And the type of spider she was reincarnated as happens to be the weakest monster in that world. She's initially pretty pessimistic about what's happened, but her naturally positive and free-wheeling personality allow her to tackle the situation with gusto. She's got a lot of strengths like being quick-witted and staying calm under stress, but I think her biggest appeal is that she's very self-centered, in a good way. The way she's able to focus on what she needs to do, and what she needs to pursue to become happy makes a good match for having been turned into a monster, and really ties into her determination to survive.

Okasaki: Before the interview, they showed me the first episode of So I'm a Spider, So What? and while I did think Kumoko's optimism was charming, I was amazed by how many lines Yuki-san had!

Yuki: It's pretty brutal, right?! It gives the impression that being reincarnated means having a lot of dialogue. (Laughs)

Okasaki: I know what you mean! Rimuru is the same way, he has a lot of monologues.

Yuki: Chalk it up to "things that happened when you're reincarnated." I've reincarnated a few times before ... by which I mean my characters have, of course. (Laughs) But the amount of lines Kumoko has is incomparable to all the rest.

Okasaki: The way she talks to herself so amusingly is really entertaining, and it really speaks to Yuki-san's strengths as an actress. I was amazed.

Yuki: Thank you so much!

—Now, Okasaki-san, if you could tell us about Rimuru.

Okasaki: After reincarnating as a slime, Rimuru ran into a character named Shizu-san, and as a result gained an alternate human form. And while I think being able to change shapes is kind of cheating (Laughs), both are really cute, and I really enjoy making each form sound distinct during the recording. In terms of personality, he's got a really big heart. He encounters characters that oppose him, but he considers their circumstances and ends up making them into allies. His humanity really attracts others to him. It's that kind of personality where you can understand how he ended up as a leader.

Yuki: I was shown Episode 25 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Even in that one episode, you could tell how beloved he is in a way that makes you kind of jealous. Kumoko would love to join Tempest (the Jura Tempest Federation)!

Okasaki: We'd be glad to have you! Our country is very accepting of monsters.

Yuki: Meanwhile, I'm stuck in a cave having to kill other monsters! (Laughs) The problem is none of them will listen to reason, so I just have to eat them.

Okasaki: (Laughs)

Yuki: I also like how easy-going Rimuru is. Even when everyone is desperate and fighting, he never loses his cool, which really impresses on you how big of a deal he is. It's the kind of composure that comes from being really strong.

Okasaki: That's true, being able to take a step back and look at things analytically is one of Rimuru's strengths.

—I'd like to discuss the similarities and differences between the two characters. First, since Kumoko and Rimuru have both reincarnated, let's talk about the differences between who they originally were.

Okasaki: Rimuru was originally a 37-year-old office worker.

Yuki: Kumoko was a high schooler, so that's about a 20 year age difference.

Okasaki: Since he's an older guy, Rimuru gets really, really excited whenever cute girls show up.

Yuki: I remember him riding on top of someone's boobs. (Laughs)

Okasaki: That did happen. He often uses his slime form as a means to get to sit in girls' laps. When we were recording that scene, the audio director had to explain the male point of view in that situation. His direction was along the lines of, "You need to sound happier about it." (Laughs)

—Do you try to be conscious about him being a 37-year-old man when portraying Rimuru, Okasaki-san?

Okasaki: I do. I really think his perspective on things tends to be on the mature side. He doesn't feel desperate to survive like Kumoko, and when confronted with an enemy, his reaction is to think, "Well, I'll give it a shot," instead of, "I'm gonna win!" He reincarnated, ended up with a variety of skills, and before long he became a ruler, but he lived 37 years of his life and developed an outlook that keeps him from feeling desperate, and I try to capture that maturity when I perform as him.

Yuki: When you're 37 years old, you're an adult who's dealt with things like taking care of bills and paying into your pension, and you'll have experienced both the sweet and bitter parts of life, letting you see how it all balances out. You're able to approach life in a way where the overarching thought is, "Well, that's just how it is." Compared to that, Kumoko hasn't even started paying taxes yet, and hasn't really developed an outlook to approach life with. As a result, she tackles things with a gusto that makes you wonder if she's going to burn out, which really shows how youthful she is. But I also think the world she's reincarnated into is one where that kind of ferocity is necessary for survival.

—There's also the fact that currently, Rimuru is surrounded by friends, while Kumoko is all by herself.

Yuki: There's a part in Episode 25 where Rimuru's friends are having him dress up in different outfits, almost like a doll, and I thought that was wonderful. Kumoko has been on her own this entire time, in a cave, and is only able to fantasize about getting to wear clothing.

Okasaki: For as much of a social butterfly as he is, Rimuru actually never had a girlfriend in his past life.

Yuki: Maybe he never seemed like boyfriend material? The kind of person who finds the object of their affection asking for romantic advice.

Okasaki: Oh! I kind of feel bad for him, now ... maybe he lacked that extra spice that's necessary.

Yuki: He's nice, and seems smart, and gives really good relationship advice.

Okasaki: And ended up as a bachelor for 37 years as a result ... But when I think about it that way, the world he was reincarnated to might be suited to Rimuru. It's a world where you get judged for the amount of power you have, so by being both powerful and lovable, he and the world have a mutual appreciation for each other. Rimuru's past life didn't end up being very personally productive, so his reincarnation doesn't seem so bad now that he gets to be surrounded by friends and enjoy life.

—Since Kumoko is by herself, it sounds like you end up doing a lot of recording by yourself, too.

Yuki: It's so lonely! The second set of key visuals show four different versions of Kumoko, but they're all played by me.

Okasaki: I didn't know that!

Yuki: I'm still alone, but at least there's a little bit more back-and-forth now. (Laughs)

Okasaki: That seems like it'd be a lot of lines ...

Yuki: It feels like things have gotten even more hectic with the four of her.

—Another interesting point of comparison is how the characters both have encounters with dragons.

Yuki: The Earth Dragon I run into is bad news. Unlike Veldora, it's not interested in talking at all.

Okasaki: I guess communication is off the table. It's also pretty scary looking! (Looking at the art in the teaser visuals.)

Yuki: And it's really strong! And it's definitely going to threaten Kumoko again. The thought of becoming friends didn't occur to me.

Okasaki: I'm not so sure that'd work, even for Rimuru.

Yuki: Rimuru-san's strong too, though, so he'd be able to deal with it.

—In comparison, Veldora is almost like Rimuru's partner.

Okasaki: That's right. He might look so scary that Rimuru fainted when he first saw him, but he's actually pretty charming when you talk to him. And a tsundere!

Yuki: That's great!

Okasaki: When Rimuru approaches him about being friends, Veldora says, "Well, I guess I can consider it!" But in the end, they become friends anyway.

Yuki: That's so nice. This might be a little weird, but I always find the fantasy races in stories like this to be charming. That goes for the humanoid ones of course, but even the monstrous ones can really pull on my heartstrings. When I was talking to a friend who feels the same way, they mentioned that Veldora-san is super cute.

Okasaki: That's interesting! Veldora is definitely a popular character.

Yuki: Everyone who finds dragons cute mentioned him, so I've looked at some character art before. Rimuru was in slime form too, so it was like, "This is some good fantasy race content."

Their circumstances may be different, but these reincarnations would definitely get along!

—We've discussed the things they have in common, and their differences, and now I'd like to ask: Do you think these two characters would get along?

Yuki: I don't think they'd have any trouble in that regard since they'd be able to communicate and understand each other.

Okasaki: The fact that they've both reincarnated is something they'd be able to bond over, and I think Rimuru would be thrilled to encounter another former human who reincarnated as a monster.

Yuki: Kumoko is friendly as long as she's not hungry ... then again, I think she'd realize she's outmatched. And since she doesn't pick fights she can't win, I'm sure they'd get along fine. I apologize if she accidentally eats anyone from Tempest, though!

Okasaki: That would not be okay! (Laughs) Rimuru really cares about his friends, so please try and show some restraint. There's plenty of actual food to eat, instead!

Yuki: As long as there's food.

Okasaki: That's a relief ... but after talking it over, it'd be interesting to see Rimuru and Kumoko actually interact.

Yuki: It'd make a great short anime!

Okasaki: Good idea! They've crossed over before, so I'd love it if they adapted that story! ["Monster x Reincarnation Fair" was an original short story by So I'm a Spider, So What? author Okina Baba-sensei.]

—Since you're both here, do you have any questions for each other?

Okasaki: Hearing Yuki-san's performance, she's doing a great job of establishing Kumoko-san's character, but at the same time, you can imagine a normal human high school student with the same performance. How did you manage that?

Yuki: To be honest, I already knew going to the audition that I'd be talking a lot with this role, and I realized if I went too hard, the performance would fall apart. (Laughs) For example, talking in a really high voice for an extended period of time wouldn't be possible, right? The end result is what comes from eliminating stuff like that. And since she's a character who can go from really low energy to being super excited pretty quickly, I tried to use a neutral voice that would let me do both.

Okasaki: That's really interesting! You knew you would be talking a lot beforehand, right?

Yuki: You should always be careful with any project that has "reincarnation" in the premise, because you'll end up talking a lot.

Okasaki: Hahaha, you're right! I'll have to remember that. (Laughs)

—Do you have any questions, Yuki-san?

Yuki: Rimuru-san has no gender as a slime. Was there anything special that you did considering that?

Okasaki: I thought he would sound gender-neutral, so I tried to craft a voice that would give that impression. That being said, I'm a woman with a feminine voice, so what worked best was leaning into a boyish direction. I would record the voice I came up with and listen to it, searching for a voice that suits the genderless Rimuru. My own voice isn't particularly exuberant either (laughs), and since I've a relatively huskier tone, I was eventually able to nail it pretty easily. That helps make it come out naturally.

—Thank you both so much. Before we go, what do you think is the main appeal of your projects?

Okasaki: In Season 1, Rimuru was reincarnated as a slime, got a humanoid form, made friends, created a nice country, and it ended on a peaceful note. But in Season 2, he's going to be encountering a lot of opposition and forced to make some major decisions. Things have been smooth sailing so far, but now he's going to have to think about what he can do for his friends. I've been portraying a new, more heroic side of him, which I think will be a lot of fun to see.

Yuki: Kumoko's story has an element of "survival of the fittest," and there's a kind of exhilaration you get from seeing that unfold. She faces a strong enemy, grows from the experience, and then encounters something even stronger, continuing to evolve. That cycle is really interesting to watch, and her positivity can make you happy just from seeing it unfold, so it might be a good idea to end a long day with watching So I'm a Spider, So What?

By: Guest Author

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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colour-outside-the-liness · 3 years

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Oh Disneyland Paris sounds fun yeah! Were you and your roommate already close then? I went to Walt Disney's world with my aunt and cousin when I was like 11 but it would've been way more fun if I could've taken my best friend with me for sure. Maybe we can go to the one in Paris now that she lives just 3h away from me! Oh I see, sounds like LA was really fun for you yeah! your roommate didn't mind third wheeling tho? Hahaha

Yeah Canada is beautiful but what I liked about it the most was the massive improvement in quality of life I had compared to where I was living before and just being able to be who I am and people accepting me for it. Not being worried about violence 24/7 felt pretty fucking great too. So yeah I highly recommend living there if you ever get a chance. But I am loving Portugal so far, people are a bit more judgemental here tho but I like that it's easier to travel to a lot of countries I've always wanted to go to. Everywhere you go there are pros and cons tho so sorting out priorities is key. But Toronto is my favourite of all the places I've been, before living there for a year I had already been two times!

Jesus 50 states, sometimes I forget how big the US is. And you can totally do it if you plan it out! After watching Bly Manor tho I really want to go to Vermont especially during autumn season looks really pretty! There's this fic I love (only the sun by prestonarchives) where Dani and Jamie go on a road trip from Vermont to Maine and I did their entire journey on Google maps street view bc I was so obsessed with this one chapter fanfic I had to immerse myself entirety in it hahaha. So now I want to go there irl. Here's the link if you haven't read it before!

https://bit.ly/3BLy4WR

Omg I totally remember reading that on CBML and being a bit confused bc I was like why would she think you can't see the moon from the great wall of China HAHAHA but I thought it was really funny and endearing yeah it's even funnier now that I know you said it irl haha.

Oh so ENFP-T means extraverted, intuitive, feeling and prospecting personality with a bit of turbulence. Which just means you're curious, perceptive, enthusiastic, an excellent communicator, festive and good-natured. On the other hand you can be disorganized, unfucosed, a people pleaser, overcommitted, too optimistic and restless.

I wonder what Jamies and Danis mbti are as well as their zodiac signs 🤔 I think Jamie might be an ISTP-A bc she's definitely an introvert, very practical, stubborn, assertive, layed back and energetic at the same time. And Dani is either an ENFP-T like you or an ESFJ-T with the whole selfless thing going on.

AE already made it canon that Jamie's an aries (and it makes sense) but I can't figure Dani out. I've thought about her being a leo ♌ bc she's generous, passionate, warm-harted and dominant in her own way and THE HAIR haha. But she's got some pisces ♓ vibes going on too...idk. aaand I'm back at it again with the astrology signs haha.

To be fair your recent drunken exp it was dark and at least you didn't think the road sign was a bear or something (don't know what kind of wild animals you've got over there) that you wrestled with and ended up in a ditch and your best friend let you believe that happened for 3 years up until recently haha. 😂 but yeah some things happen for a reason, having life threatening health issues doesn't sound great tho, but I guess it's a good thing it stops you from drinking too much and making dumb decisions. And hey maybe I secretly want that to happen again idk maybe moving countries is not exciting enough, I have to go out and make a complete drunken fool out of myself in a completely foreign place hahaha. I guess that did kinda happen last month when my best friend came to visit me from Spain and we got drunk on wine, I got lost on the way back home and it was way past curfew. 🤔 shit I'm 29 will I ever learn...

Episode 9 is 😢😍🥰😰😭🤬☠️ just the worst roller-coaster I didn't even know I was on. Haha I was more pissed off than heartbroken the first time I watched it ngl.

Well then maybe the way you do accents is friendly and funny so people can't really get mad at you haha. Like Dani! Oh so that's called a Geordie accent! I see, it's really really cool. AE said Jamie is from Lancashire but that's a whole county isn't it? Idk if there's a specific accent to this region. Knowing you speak kinda like Jamie is something else tho, I think if anyone who spoke like her ever talked to me irl I wouldn't be able to pay attention to what they were saying 😂 just the accent haha.

Oh so you already have 4k something words for it nice. I'm kinda starting to feel an obsession with this medieval AU growing in me, I made a Pinterest board just for it ngl hahaha but I'm still resisting creating anything for it, I did a face study yesterday for Dani and Jamie to see if I finally pick up the idea and just do it but my brain was still like "I don't want to do this rn" and was just being a little bitch about it so I'll just let it cook for longer see if we can reach an agreement eventually (if ever) haha.

Glad to hear you had a good weekend! Even if it left you feeling exhausted in the end. And yeah it makes sense for you to say you don't have favourites haha! Have a great week Colour, take care! 👋✨

Yeah me and my roommate have been friends since we were like 14 so when we went to Disney Land we asked if we could be roomed together because we've been best friends for that long now... been best friends since school and now we live together. She's seen me at my best, my worst, has seen me in all my stages in life and has been there for a lot of the rough stuff I've been through and I've been there for all the stuff she's been through!! Nah she didn't mind at all we had some moments where me and my ex would just go and be a couple and have dates but my ex didn't want me travelling that far alone so invited my roommate too because she didn't like the thought of me flying 11hours alone or being in airports alone so my roommate came with me and we had a great time Awwh good I'm glad it was such a nice place and that you didn't worry about violence all the time but I'm so sorry you ever had to worry about that anyway that can't be easy. I would honestly love to live in Canada I really hope I get chance one day... I'm glad you're loving Portugal but sorry people are judgemental there but I am glad it's easy for you to travel around to other places... oh yeah every place has it's pros and cons I mean England has some pros but it sure has a lot of cons too so I know all about that Yeah America is SO big but I do want to get around all 50 states at some point and I am stubborn enough and determined enough to make it happen eventually even if I don't get around them all until I'm like 70 I'll make it happen haha!! No I haven't read that fic but it sounds amazing so I'll definitely check it out thank you for sending me the link Yeah... that really happened to me and it was just a dumb moment where I had this momentary lapse of knowledge in my brain and now I look back at that question and I'm just like... "you idiot" and this is why people are shocked when I get questions in quizzes right because I have said some really dumb stuff but I'm glad people found it funny and endearing... and I'm glad it makes it better to know I really said that haha Oooo I didn't know that, I like that and I think it's definitely fitting for me!! I think from what you've said about what ENFP-T means Dani could easily be that too and I don't know anything about the other one but I will take your word for it matching Dani because you know way more about this stuff than I do. I have no idea for Jamie though. And with zodiac signs I love that Amelia looked at Jamie and thought she was an Aries, as for Dani I have NO idea what her zodiac would be... in CBML she's a Leo but in MoU with what I have planned for her birthday she'd be a virgo but I don't know anything about zodiacs... all I know is all the pieces I've ever met have been the opposite of what Dani is so maybe that has something to do with their whole charts but I know a lot of other people always make her a Pieces and I trust what other people say about zodiacs more than what I know about them because I really know NOTHING about them haha Nah I knew it was a road sign because of how heavy and hard it was- nah we have no bears where I live... I don't think we have many dangerous animals where I live... got a couple of badgers that can be pretty aggressive but that's about it we don't have much that is scary here or at least not in the little part of England I live. Having life threatening health issues has been hard and since having my spleen removed in January (that was the surgery I needed to try and fix the issue I had) things are even harder now because I have to take antibiotics for the rest of my life to stop me getting any infections because if I ever get a chest infection now or a really bad cold it can be really dangerous but I take it all in my stride and not drinking is just a way to make sure the antibiotics actually work properly and to make sure nothing happens to me... and like you said, means I don't do anything dumb too... haha drunken stories are the best I have been lost a few times when I've been drunk... and I don't think you do learn, I have siblings that are

like 40 and still do dumb shit... I know at 27 I am still doing dumb shit too I don't think I'll ever learn haha 😂 Its such an emotional roller coaster and honestly I was just devastated the first time I watched it... no TV show or movie has ever made me cry the way Bly Manor did when I first saw it and it still makes me cry now. I can cry just thinking about that last episode. I definitely mean it in a friendly way so I hope it comes across like that. Yeah the accent in Billy Elliot is a Geordie accent and its my favourite accent there are other accents around the north that are called different things. Yeah Lancashire is a county and again in Lancashire there are loads of different accents I can't really pinpoint Jamie's down to a city I just know it's Northern. I'm from Yorkshire but don't have a strong Yorkshire accent I just have a Northern accent, like people never believe I'm from the place I'm from because I don't sound like I am but you can definitely tell I'm northern... honestly there are so many accents in England... you can drive for two hours in any direction in England and the accent will change like two times at least it's insane... see a lot of people say that but I am not a HUGE fan of the northern accent and I think it's because I grew up there. I much prefer Dani's accent to Jamie's but like I said to me, Jamie just talks normal there is no accent really haha Yeah 4k words for it but it's all jumbled up it's not like a chronological story yet it's just all over the place haha but I hope I can get it all structured properly soon!! Awwh good I'm glad you're already interested in this medieval AU!! That makes sense you're resisting creating for it but I think it's so cool you did a face study for Dani and Jamie even if you didn't wanna finish it I think letting things cook for a while is always a good idea if you're not in the right headspace right away I had such a good weekend but I am so tired and today I had a busy day too celebrating my roommate's boyfriend's birthday so I've had so many days that have been so busy and right now I am just really to sleep haha!! Yeah definitely don't have favourites but I have spent more time with one of my nieces than the others simply because I always look after her if her mum and dad are working and I'm not... like until I start this new job I am looking after her for an hour every day after school while she waits for her mum and dad to finish work but I don't have favourites haha!! Thank you so much I hope you had a great weekend and that you have a great week too!!

#lib3rtin33

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flowerslightning · 4 years

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Wanna be a Game Character?

And now, who's up for a physical torture??

Inspired from Saitama's 100 days challenge, since this will only be for ' 7 ' weeks only, Im gonna name this workout challenge as "TIFA LOCKHART WORKOUT".

I like Lightning Farron more, but she has a God-like power. While Tifa is an ordinary girl who train her body to be in the same level as the hero. So I use her name for this workout. Besides, I want to have what she has - the agility, power and speed.

I.. Have.. No.. Idea.. My weight .. Has .. Increased.. A lot 😂😂😂 no wonder why I feel my body is heavier than usual. I didnt train a muscle during the quarantine and the last time I trained seriously with my coach was in January and then my intern shift interrupted most of my training seasons.

I got scolded by my coach for being weak and unmotivated today 😂😂 and today was be the last time I saw him bfore moving 500km away from my hometown bcause of this intern for 7 weeks. I need to get back to my usual figure before meeting him again.

Disclaimer : I'm not a coach nor someone who has knowledge in nutrition. I once used this method to reduce 8 kg in a very short amount of time for my sparring tournament and it worked (but previously the workout was a lot more intense than this). And my weight maintained for several years, not until my sleeping schedule got crazy from the past 6 months and I have to stay indoors 24hrs and eat midnight snacks almost everyday and 0 hrs of exercise for 3 months straight.

Hah-hah.

★Tifa Lockhart Workout★

Tifa has light build, superb strength, slim but fit figure, high agility and speed. She has abs but not the 6 pack type and her female appeal still maintained. A body where lots of women admire. While genetic does play a huge role in a person's body, but I believe Tifa does not have restricted diet but still train herself intensely. This workout should be light and easy to follow (well at least for me it is easy).

So, overall, the main objective is to regain power and speed. Which I assume I can achieve this by loosing weight and increase muscle endurance through out the 7 weeks self train. I will focus more on full body workout which involves cardio and strength exercises. [Pls note that I hate dumbbells and dislike gym. I like cardio and love pushups and plank]. So, this workout is really simple but effective (for me) and may torture ur mental a bit. It doesnt need equipment (but u need a jump rope)

★ Ready to go? Lets check the schedule first

F - Fasting | INT F - Intermittent Fasting

I will give myself 2 days rest to allow my body to heal. I have extra time doing the weekends, so I will push myself to do more workout. Doing the selected days, I will try to spend at least 2 hrs for weekdays and weekends at least 3 hrs.

★ Move on to the diet

I'm not a foodie person. So I can survive a day without eating heavy meal while still being active. I choose Mon and Thu to fast, and Tue, Wed, Sat for intermittent fasting. Fri and Sun are my super 👻 cheat days. And dont forget to drink ur water 3L/day. I like to add a few slices of lemon in to my plain water for no proper reason. I just like to watch the lemon floating inside my bottle 😂

Rice is our main dish and we often have it during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rice is a form of high carbs, so Im gonna cut it completely from my diet, along with bar chocolates, sweet drinks, candies while still eating breads and cookies, less intake of salty snack and more in protein and fruits. And the rest, Im gonna eat it like usual but in smaller portion- noodle, kuey teow, oden, mee, oatmeal, etc.. Will be away from home for 7 weeks though, I'm a cheapstake to myself so I dont really spend money on food 😂

And i dont take any extra supplement. I hate drugs..

★ And here's what the activity will look like

Dont forget to do warm up! We usually rope jump for half an hour before stretching.

Since my only problem is my weight increased and I feel my muscle endurance reduced, I will immediately start at Level 3, then jump to Level 5 and then to Level 10. Im not an expert though, I just like to push myself to my limit and see how far I can still proceed.

If ure new to any type of exercise, pls try to do this activity level by level. Increase ur level every 2 weeks. Eg - Level 1 rpt 10x push up, 10 mins rope jumping, 1km jogging for the first 2 weeks | Level 2 rpt 20x push up, 20 mins rope jumping, 2km joggin for the next 2 weeks | Level 3 - and so on. Make sure to have 5-3mins rest before doing the next activity.

Agility workout aint fun without a partner, for me, at least. But, yeah, none of my female intern friends like sweat 🙃 so I have to train agility.all.by.my.self. (or probably will skip it and change to strength workout) Hmmm

Friendly reminder : Do it slowly but constantly. If u cant finish the 10x burpees, u can rest 2-3 mins every 5x. No need to push ur self too hard. Unless if ure stubborn like me, then have it ur way. Do this at ur own risk.

As a summary to this challenge ;

Right now, I am 166cm tall and 56kg. Perfect BMI u may say, but I feel heavy, unlike when I was only 54-52kg. Besides, I'm in class B sparring tournament. Cant let my weight be more than 54kg and less than 50

☆ Mission : Reduce weight - From 56kg to 51kg

☆ Objective : Regain strength, speed and muscle endurance

☆ Workout focuses : Full body workout - Cardio + Strength

☆ Time limitation : 7 Weeks

Keep in mind that this is not about trying to be like Tifa Lockhart, but instead, u may have abs and lean muscle like her through this workout (depends on ur genetic, routine and diet). If u want to reduce weight and bcome light like how I want it to be, then this simple exercise is for u.

Alright, that's it. Feel free to join my 7 weeks challenge ! If u participate in this challenge, do tell me ur result and ur experience. I'm eager to listen to ur story 😆😆

I will be in hiatus for 7 weeks straight. Was told the internet line at the village clinic is horrible. So, will come back on 23rd August. See ya guy later ! 🤗

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chaosstar290 · 4 years

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Reasons try out Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore.

Nintendo's been pretty casual with porting Wii U games over to the Switch, and for good reasons. Normally, I'm not all into porting games that I've already played, but my personal favorite games on the system that lack good marketing and advertising are now getting the attention and love they deserve.

Take Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for example, one of my favorite 2D platfomers. The game originally sold 1.72 million copies worldwide on the Wii U. Not very good numbers, huh? However, the Switch port managed to beat those sales numbers with 2.25 million units sold worldwide by the end of March 2019.

So while this could be seen as a way for Big N to earn more $$$, this is also a way for those who never owned a Wii U and missed out on some of the system's best titles to give these games a shot. Now we just need a port of Xenoblade Chronicles X and The Wonderful 101...and Star Fox Zero, I guess.

But that's a topic for another time. This post is specifically for my favorite JRPG on the Wii U only to be tied with Xenoblade Chronicles X....Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.

This'll be a long one, so here's hoping you'll stick with it until the end.

Development

Before I get into the reasons, lemme educate you guys a bit. Back in January 2013, both Atlus and Intelligent Systems made a teaser trailer for a potential Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem crossover for the Wii U.

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The trailer was mostly just a slideshow with various character artwork. Despite this, there was a decent amount of hype surrounding it. But development around the game was pretty silent. That is, until we fast forward to the Nintendo Direct in April 1, 2015. We got a trailer of the ambitious SMT x FE crossover that fans were waiting for...but this was the final product.

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Needless to say...neither SMT nor FE fans were happy about this. The fandoms were incredibly salty and foaming at the mouths, basically calling it a Person 4 Lite with a hint of FE. Heck, they're probably still posts on this site from 5 years ago that'll show that.

Fast forward to the games initial release, and you'll see quite a few positive reviews and thoughts about TMS. Unfortunately, the sale numbers were not all that great for the game. Obvious reasons being that it was a Wii U game, and many fans of both SMT x FE were not happy with how it turned out.

And to be honest, I wasn't feeling the game myself at first. It seemed too lighthearted and upbeat, and the J-Pop, anime-ish aesthetics were very off-putting. However, the more I saw about the game, the more I was drawn into it. Somehow all that disappointment I had about TMS originally just washed away. And considering it was a new IP, I decided to give it a chance. And hoo boy...I was generally pleased.

With that outta the way, let's get into why I'm excited for the Switch port of game, and hoping people will give it a fairer chance.

The Setting

The plot of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is mostly simple. You start out as high schooler Itsuki Aoi, the main character of the game encountering his childhood friend Tsubasa Oribe at an audition event to become a idol. It isn't until moments later in the game that the area gets overruned by shadowy creatures known as Mirages that suck out the creative energy known as Perso-- ah I mean Performa from the other idols and audience.

Poor girl doesn't know what's gonna happen next.

Despite our main characters seeming unharmed by the effect, the Mirages drag Tsubasa into their world known as the Idolsphere. And of course, courageous Itsuki takes action to follow and rescue her.

After trying to make a daring rescue, Itsuki gets bombarded by a Mirage, but somehow manages to awaken it. Taking the form of Fire Emblem Awakening's protagonist Chrom. Itsuki does the same with the Mirage that captured Tsubasa that takes the form of Cedea from Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon. The two awakaned Mirages, however, suffer from a bit of amnesia and can't quite remember who and what they are.

From there on, Itsuki and Tsubasa form a partnership with Chrom and Cedea, encountering various characters trying to reach their way to stardom while trying to draw back the opposing forces from taking over Tokyo and the world. Typical RPG stuff, am I right?

It's a fairly standard and slightly cliche plot with some common anime tropes, but for this game...it works. It's a plot that's incredibly silly, upbeat, and over-the-top, but again...it works for this game. And I love it. It may not be original, deep, or complex, but the story does its best to not take itself too seriously, and it doesn't fail to keep a smile in my face.

Aside from the vanilla cookie-cutter MC Itsuki, the various casts that you meet are incredibly charming, and go through their own personal growth as celebrities. Though you mileage may vary on this.

The Gameplay

The combat is the real star of Tokyo Mirage Sessions. Basically, it's your standard turn-based combat system...but with a few twists. If you've ever played a SMT or Persona game, then don't be surprised that elemental weaknesses make an appearance here. Along with that, the Triangle Weapon system from Fire Emblem also makes an appearance in the game.

But if you're not familiar with either franchise then give you a basic example how this works. Say that you've encountered an armored Mirage wielding an axe. The weaknesses on that enemy are both lightning and swords, and Itsuki just so happens to have both the necessary element and weapon equipped.

In case you're wondering...how the Triangle Weapon mechanic works in FE is that Swords beat Axes, Axes beat Lances, and Lances beat Swords.

The interesting thing about this is that once you exploit an enemy's weakness, other characters will jump in and combo extra attacks. These are called Sessions, and their not only powerful...but also flashy as all hell and it's glorious. Not only that, but there's also Duo Arts where two certain characters will sometimes perform a song that unleashes a powerful attack...which also strings up more Sessions. As broken as this sounds, it actually is pretty strategic for taking down harder enemies, and they can also form Sessions...so be careful.

There's more to the gameplay like roaming Tokyo, exploring dungeons, and upgrading your characters and Mirages by Tiki from Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon as well.

There's mixed opinions on the dungeon aspects of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, but...I personally enjoyed them. Aside from the first one. Once you get past the first dungeon, they get better as the game progresses. From exploring a darker version of Shibuya where you have to avoid giant cameras from sending you back to the entrance of the of the room you currently entered, to venturing through a maze-like TV studio.

There's also side-missions that you can do with your main cast that'll help them grow and develop even further. You'll be rewarded with either a special cutscene or a special attack. Or maybe both.

The Visuals

Go go...Persona Rangers?

If it wasn't obvious from the amount of images I'm posting, Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a very colorful game. Fitting with it's lighthearted theme, the amount of colors the game throws at you makes visuals aesthetically pleasing. Heck, you could make these your personal wallpaper on your phone or something.

Sure, Tokyo Mirage Sessions isn't nearly as strong as Persona 5 graphically or even artistically, but like most Nintendo games...what their games lack in terms of detailed ultra-hyper graphics, they make up for it with giving their games gorgeous artstyles.

Also, this game has some reeeeeally good artwork.

The Music

J-Pop plays a pretty big role in Tokyo Mirage Sessions, so expect a lot of vocal tracks. If you're not into this kind of genre of music, then you might wanna stray away from this game. If you are (or if it doesn't bother you), then you're in for a treat. As someone who really isn't into J-Pop myself, the songs in this game are incredible and catchy followed by some beautiful cutscenes. Reincarnation from Kiria Kurono and Feel from Tsubasa Oribe are some of my personal favorites.

The music from outside the vocal tracks are pretty good too. The normal battle theme and the Illusion Shibuya dungeon theme are just to name a couple.

What's New?

Like I said before, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a port of the Wii U version, but with added content. Any DLC that was added in the original game will part of the base game in the Switch version. But let's talk about the new stuff.

EX Story and Songs

The EX Story is basically a dungeon that you explore in short bursts. Here you'll find new costumes such as a Joker outfit from Persona 5 for Itsuki, or an Annette outfit from Fire Emblem Three Houses for Mamori Minamoto. Or you can have a much easier time grinding for EXP. Also, much like the side-stories, this dungeon will also explore the main casts' issues and help them grow.

New songs will also be added in this port. A duo song called "She is..." sung by Tsubasa and Kiria is one of them.

Sessions

By making Sessions even more powerful and ridiculous, unplayable characters like Tiki, Maiko Shimazaki, and Barry Goodman will also join in Sessions.

In addition, a Quick Session option will be added. Which is a major upgrade in my book. One of the big issues the Wii U version had was while the Sessions were fun to watch, they took forever to get through with the more characters that joined your party. There are also smaller improvements like the Switch version having faster loading times.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this long as hell post will spark some interest into those who'll give the game a shot. I know there's small nitpicks like the lack of English voice acting and censorship, but the latter is a topic I'd rather not delve deep into.

Regardless, these small cons are greatly outweighed by the large pros this charming game has. If you're an Atlus fan, a lover of JRPGs, or wanting to play something that'll ease the wait for Persona 5 Royal, I highly recommend you give Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE encore a shot.

If you're also waiting for Persona 5 to actually come to the Switch like me, this game is next best thing we've got for the time being.

This is one of the most stylish menu screens ever.

#tokyo mirage sessions fe #tokyo mirage sessions fe encore #atlus #intelligent systems #nintendo switch #wii u #persona #persona 5 #fire emblem #shin megami tensei

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mimzy-writing-online · 4 years

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I'm incredibly sorry for this ask , but I'd like the opinion of different writers. I have this story I have finished. It's has been re-read, edited, polished. It's technically done. The story is consistent, the pacing is okay. But what I don't like is how the characters are portrayed. They lack life, and I think it may be because during the years I improved my writing, and now I'm sure I'd be able to do better. What would you do? Would you rewrite the story from scratch? Thanks in advance.

First, no worries about asking for advice. That’s legit what I’m here for. And having been in the same position you are now, (twice) I know how impossible it feels.

Off the bat, advice I would recommend:

Beta Reading: Get some fresh eyes to look at it, ideally someone who 1) reads books in that genre and that age range, and 2) has no obligation to worry about your feelings.

Thoroughly consider why you want to rewrite it: make an actual pros and cons list. It sounds silly, but it helps because you realize what decision you’re arguing for, what your instinct says.

Give yourself a shot at attempting a rewrite. Give yourself a set time limit to try it out. Your current book isn’t going anywhere and publishing takes forever anyway, so what’s another month or another three months?

At the end of this trial run you can ask yourself: Did a rewrite make it better? Do the characters and their world feel more alive? Even if it looks like a mess, given more time to finish and edit, would it look better than the original?

If you find you like the characters better, if you feel like you know them better, then you can consider going through the book and highlighting where they feel out of character compared to your new understanding of the characters

Watch Whispers of the Heart. I mean it! It’s a Studio Ghibli movie, and I swear to god it will inspire you and make this decision a little easier. The whole movie is about developing your creative craft. Its overall analogy is that of a geode. Your craft looks rough and sloppy on the outside, but with time, practice, and love you’ll find the beauty hidden underneath and make it shine. Amazing movie, it will change how you think about writing.

Now, finally, ask yourself: Is this the story I want to debut with? Is this the story I want to begin my writing career with?

This will be when you make your decision.

That’s the most objective advice I can give you. Since you’re asking a lot of writers for their stance, you’ll probably have a few different opinions, but I think running through this troubleshoot method will give you a chance to see for yourself.

My biased opinion?

It comes from my own experience with A Witch’s Memory.

This is about to be a very long story, fair warning, but it’s my entire thought process over 7-8 years of working on and off with the same project. A big part of the reason why I’m going in depth about the experience is because I keep going back to what you said:

“I think it may be because during the years I improved my writing, and now I'm sure I'd be able to do better. What would you do?”

The same thing happened to be. I started the series when I was much younger, but in the 7.5 years since then I’ve changed a lot as both a person (not adult/not teenager) and as a writer (who’s had several projects since then). I’m gonna walk you through 7.5 years of personal development and how it affected the project.

I joke that A Witch’s Memory has three universes, and those universes are all different rewrites. I first started the series I was seventeen. I finished the rough drafts of three books in the series and got down to full on editing the first book after I graduated high school. Within a year I had a finished novel that wasn’t necessarily polished (not by my standards today) but at the time I was ready to move forward and publish. I sent query letters out to lit agents but didn’t get any bites back. I didn’t get to work at it for long due to health issues, my whole body kind of just crashed so for six months I was too sick to do much of anything, let alone stress myself out over query letters. I started community college the next semester and got more involved in school than in writing.

17 when I started, 18 when I started editing, 19 when I queried and got sick, almost turning 20 when I started college.

I put the book on hold for another year and focused on school. During that time I had a lot of personal development as a person. I got more experience being myself, being an adult who can make decisions for themself.

And I realized that at age 19 I’d developed a lot of insecurities about my book.

In my case, it was the world building. I love my characters, and at their heart they’re still the same, albeit a bit more realistic. I re-examined what about the world building I didn’t like.

It felt too much like Twilight to start, with the way vampires and werewolves were supposed to hate each other, and witches and fairies hated each other, because that just made sense to a 17 year old who had never read paranormal before Twilight changed the direction of the genre.

I didn’t like magic being a secret that no human could know about, so I changed that. I didn’t like my character’s backstories too much, so I tweaked that too. For the best.

At age 20/21 (it was right around my birthday) I rewrote the entire first book. After finishing the rough draft I looked at editing it, looked at starting the rough draft of the second book, and I realized I didn’t like this version either.

So I put it on hold for anther two years. I worked on two different projects, experimented with writing style, got to know myself as a person better.

At 23 I reexamined what I didn’t like about “Universe 2″ and I realized-

I wasn’t comfortable with the way the book was written now. Too many main characters meant to many pov changes and too many personal plot lines to plan. I could see from the beginning how much I favored Anna and Ulric and Felix over my other main characters, so I cut my cast of six main characters down to three, focusing on my favorites. I also saw that the setting wasn’t working for me and it would be a lot less stress for me to chance the setting to somewhere I was more familiar with, setting it mostly in America instead of the U.K.

And I decided to stop worrying about what my past beta readers would think if the book didn’t look the same in “Universe 3″ and to just run with my heart.

(For any wondering, the beta reader in question is my mum, who has been the biggest supporter of my writing since I was 14 and believed I would be published even when I was ready to give up writing and work at a different career. She’s very attached to “Universe 1″ but it’s not where I want to go, and I know she’ll love this new direction when she reads it)

I started the rough draft for Universe 3 in January of 2019 (almost a year ago to the day I’m writing this). I did it on a whim. I had a dream of Anna and Ulric flying to safety from a villain on a broomstick and I asked myself why witches never had broomsticks in my old world, and I was like “why not, let’s add it”

And I just messed with world building. I aimed it for a more whimsical feel than my older angsty versions. I’m gonna blame all the Studio Ghibli movies I saw that year. Some of my local theatres have been doing special weekends where they show the movies, and I’ve gone to see four in the last year or so. I saw Kiki’s Delivery Service a few months earlier with my best friend (A) and then a month after starting the new draft I saw Howls Moving Castle and Spirited Away (same week, I think, all in theatre) and then as I was finishing the rough draft I saw Whispers of the Heart for the first time.

(this was the moment I realized that specific movie would help A LOT on this decision making process, so I included it above)

Anyway, I just gave myself permission to go in a completely different direction with my book.

I should note, that at 23 I had been visually impaired/blind for some 3 years, although it wasn’t medically official until I was 22. I’d also fallen in love for the first time and broken my own heart. I’d also spent the last two years struggling with gender and sexual identity and really starting to understand that part of myself.

So in general, the whole experience with those last two years of my life really changed the direction I took the book.

I focused more on internal struggle as well as the outside “main bad guy” I’d always been planning to work with. It

I kept the heart of my characters the same. Anna is still the kindest person you’ll ever meet, as well as sarcastic and brilliant and studious. Ulric is an anxious mess who is crazy loyal to his friends and who wants to gain his own independence. Felix is still a brat, but a loving one with the dryest sarcasm and a penchant for mischief.

Anna’s more cautious than her original incarnation. Ulric wasn’t disabled in previous versions (but at 23 I was disabled and I wanted to write a blind character, but I didn’t want blindness to be their only trait, so I took my most developed character and made him blind). Some of the characters are POC instead of white, I let myself have multiple LGBTQ characters (because 17 year old me thought the token queer was the norm because I only had one queer friend before that and we weren’t that close) and I changed some origin stories. It’s much better for that.

Growing up taught me how to put more life in my books, how to write more realistically less melodramatically, and what it feels like to have friends. Seventeen year old me didn’t have many friends in life, but 24 year old me has some wonderful friends.

Summary in Short?? (can I even do that?)

This advice post is getting long and I’m feeling bad, so okay, here I am: I’m almost 25 (in March). 17 and 23 year old me were very different people with different priorities and different levels of experience. And if I had to choose which book I would go with?

I’d stay with Universe 3 (and Universe 1 will just be a thing my mum and I know and keep to ourselves, mostly)

I’m nearly done with the 1st edit. I still have days of self doubt, but they’re nothing like what I had years ago. I’m closer to publishing than I was before, mostly because I have a solid plan now and I’ll be self-publishing, allowing me to publish on my own.

In my case, rewriting was the best decision I could have made. I’m not everyone else though, nor am I you. You know yourself and your story better than anyone, and I know you are the most qualified person to make that decision. I have confidence in your ability.

#writing community #writeblr #writing advice #writing tips #anon #ask #Mimzy answers an ask #dear god I hope this helped #Anonymous

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actually--olivia · 4 years

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16 January 2020

day six: sad boi

My dearest, Thea,

The storms here, since we arrived, have lasted no more than 15 minutes, but I woke up to a downpour that continued through the morning—four hours at least. The winds are strong enough so only the eastern side of the palms are touched by the rain. The sun rose an hour before I woke up, but even after an hour before leaving my room, I had yet to see her peer out from behind the clouds dense from evaporated waves.

If If a life raft carried someone to the island, would they be relieved to see the 15-foot waves breaking against the coral and serrated rock? How would they get ashore? If they attempted to climb up, how long before Poseidon sent a billow to rip them down? I kept staring at the rock while walking atop it, and even though I believe myself to have a high tolerance for pain (see: stage right rib cage and left ankle), I was lost in the potential of the sea grabbing my arms and dragging me across the rocks, shearing off everything to the bone.

I want to stop imagining that.

It makes me feel as if there’s a corset tightening around my lungs (do they even make them in lung-size?).

Walking barefoot through the cacti forests doesn’t scare me as much as the waves. It would be of my own volition.

I know I’m a Gatsby faux-romantic (ie: I love the novel, but it also frightens me how one can be the antagonist of his/her own story), but I’m really missing my annotated copy right now; I want to read my thoughts when I first read it, untouched by scholarly input. I know what I can discern from the text now, but I want to remember what I initially read from it, rather than what it means to me currently. Yes, Gatsby is the villain of his life, but at one point, I revered his idolization of Daisy, what did I think of Nick before I realized he narrates Daisy as villainous, when she (in terms of family status and comfort) has no options.

I feel stuck on a life raft: no way to climb ashore. Sometimes I feel like Nick’s Gatsby. Today I feel like Tom’s Gatsby.

“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

What if I’m not motivated to enact change in my life and subsequently my surroundings? There are days I wish comfort more than I wish to change the world. There are days I wish to be accepted more than I wish to fight the current sweeping me against the cliff-face. It’s hard to not feel inadequate by every measure.

Today's wisdom from Keely and Ally:

“I don’t want a perfect body because that means I couldn’t eat ice cream— I’m thankful for the one I have because I can still be healthy while keeping a lifestyle I want”

“The perfect body is very toxic, because there’s someone in the world who looks at you and thinks you have the perfect body, everything is perfect somewhere, and thinking you’re not is just wasting your own attention”

Sometimes I forget we’re all fighting alongside each other against a world that wants to see us destroy ourselves.

I’m living with some wonderful people here, but part of my head feels like a fourth grader who protects herself by judging those who she's afraid of. I want to turn it off. Sometimes I can’t see value in myself so I force my brain to ignore the value in others so I don’t feel lesser. Perhaps I’m just an awful person who hasn’t outgrown her tendency to see competition in powerful women.

On a different note (or series of notes: ie, song)

We snorkeled off the coast of the salt pans on the southern tip of the island. The beaches were bright pink from the algae that grows on the salt as it’s being dehydrated. Salt is Bonaire’s #1 export. There were pools of bright pink water from where they were harvesting the sea and drying it out faster.

I saw 6 sea turtles today, a spotted eagle ray (Mr Ray from Finding Nemo), many breeds of angelfish (yellow-tailed, French, and Rainbow) ,and a loooooong ass (2 1/2 ft?) trumpet fish that I saw disappear into its own camouflage.

I’ve seen lots of cool fish on this trip, which I am slowly learning how to identify (the first step towards serving justice is knowing their names, right?)[back to sad boi: I’ve been reading a lot about the marine life and native plants, but regardless of how much I consume, it’s never enough. I can never do everything justice, and I’m slowly coming to terms with whether or not I’ll be able to win a war of attrition against those with endless resources].

Some random lady walked up to me while we were about to get in the water near the salt flats, she asked me a couple questions about if we were all divers or snorkeling, and then complimented my tattoo and we started talking about how RBG is officially cancer free and how much of a badass she is.

A different man came up to us after we got out, we were telling him and his wife to watch out for all the sea urchins and fire coral along the rocks when entering the water, and he told us “we’re in full wetsuits, not bikinis. We’re a little more protected.” The audacity.

Dana and I recited (screamed) Satisfied from Hamilton while waiting for everyone to gather after lunch, and our fellow theater/music geeks slowly joined in as our professors watched and laughed with us.

On our way to snorkel through the Mangroves on the southeastern side of the island, we all practiced our Shrek impressions, screaming “Donkey!” and “Ogres have LAYERS!” I can confidently say I’ve learned too much about Keely’s boyfriend’s nipples. We saw piles and piles of queen conch shells when we arrived. We swam through water so shallow, the fear of being stung across the belly by the anemones hiding amongst the seagrass flowed through my mind. So many flamingos: bright pink. There were many seagulls; Quinn has decided, since they were over a bay, to coin them “bagels.”

Yesterday the snorkel peeps were split based on how many we could pack onto the boat after the divers were separated; Sydney, Spencer, Dana and I were left to our own devices. We almost drowned while huddling to take a selfie on a go-pro; we’re waiting to see how it turned out.

I washed my laundry in the sink today, hanging it to dry on the rope that Dr. Wolf has us cut the first day of class.

There's not much else to my day. I feel ungrateful for needing to focus on the tangible experiences so I don't feel unworthy of this trip. I'm slowly infiltrating the group of geology majors who are frustrated by the presence of an introductory class. Many of them enjoy teaching us, but there's still a few who don't think we should be here with them. It's disheartening to see them monopolize a powerful collection of information.

I still miss you, and I don't think there's a remedy for that in my first-aid kit. Or on the island at all, for that matter.

Hope you're enjoying NOLA, keep me updated with all the amazing things you experience!! This is Ginger, the book keeper.

yours,

olivia

(PS: the warmth of your hands across my sun-kissed skin is a thought that keeps me up and bends my back into the arch that you know too well. I wonder how long it'll take you to count the uneven lines on my hips.)

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emmerdalesweden · 5 years

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Emmerdale star Lisa Riley reveals Mandy Dingle's big return storyline

She's heading back to the village after 17 years.

Emmerdale welcomes back another fan favourite in the New Year as Lisa Riley briefly reprises her role as Mandy Dingle.

When Marlon and his new wife Jessie have their legal wedding at the local church in early January, Mandy surprises everyone by bursting in through the door – 17 years after her last appearance in the Dales.

Mandy's reappearance quickly makes a big impact on Chas Dingle, who's in a vulnerable state and lashes out at her. Mandy's ex-husband Paddy is also sure to be intrigued by the revelation that she has a 16-year-old son…

Here, Lisa Riley shares some early teasers on her big return to Soapland.

You must have been asked back a few times over the years, so what made you want to return for this storyline?

"I'm the type of person that must have an answer – I can't leave anything open-ended. I did a Q&A in June and there were 4000 people there. Usually people ask me, 'When are you going back to Emmerdale?', but I've had that since the day I left.

"It was really weird, but for some reason these people asked 'Why won't you go back to Emmerdale?' and I had no answer. So I thought: 'Well, why not? Will it do me any harm? Have I ticked my own boxes career wise?' I've done so much since, which has been great, and 17 years is such a long time.

"I'm interested to see where Mandy has been and evidently people want her back. The reaction I've had from viewers since it's been announced has been fantastic, so I think, 'Thank God, I did make the right decision!'"

How did your return come about?

"The first initial offer was for a long period, but because of work and my commitments, there was an original storyline which has been flipped. It won't be what people expect, which is even better. It leaves things very much open for the New Year, shall we say.

"I had a secret meeting with the show and I had time to have a think about whether it was the right thing, but it didn't take me a long time once they told me the story."

Does this guest return leave the door open for Mandy to return for longer?

"Yes! I'm not dead! I'm very much alive."

What has happened to Mandy over the past 17 years?

"She's still in Southampton and something has happened to her. She has a child called Vinnie. They are very similar which is really nice and gives a lot of scope. She's been very happy and has a bit of money now, so she's not as downtrodden as she was. She's also a little bit more glamorous than the mismatch she was before."

Who's been cast as Vinnie?

"Brad Johnson. He was in Kay Mellor's The Syndicate and he's brilliant. Vinnie comes to the village with Mandy and the avenues of where the stories can be taken are huge. I'm so excited."

We first see Mandy at the wedding – has she been invited?

"No, she hasn't been invited! I can't tell you why she's back, but it's brilliant."

How does Mandy react when she finds out what Paddy has been through with baby Grace?

"Those are beautiful scenes. Working with Lucy Pargeter (Chas) was just amazing. We've never worked together before, but I love her work on screen. The first day I came back, I wanted to tell her how brilliant she's been in this story.

"Online, everyone's been saying Mandy and Chas are going to hate each other. There's definitely some conflict at first, but we shall see. Sometimes there is girl power and girls sticking together for the right reasons, which I think is a brilliant thing moving forward.

"They're very similar, because they are confident females, but they live with bravado and confidence when inside they're hurting. That's what they always wrote for me when I was here as Mandy.

"I honestly think Mandy and Chas are sisters. It would be wonderful to explore that, because they are so similar yet they've been through so much turmoil themselves."

Do you prefer acting or TV presenting?

"Acting, 100%. It's in my blood, but I like to be able to show the fun side of me too. I grew up on Emmerdale. All my best friends were at uni having fun, while I grew up on TV and went through my teenage years on screen. So with that in mind, wherever I went, people would say: 'Oh look, there's Mandy'.

"But when I did You've Been Framed, I was suddenly Lisa which was great. I liked the fact I'd not exactly put Mandy in a suitcase but you could evolve as a person and people saw me as Lisa Riley."

Does Mandy still have feelings for Paddy?

"I can't say. I don't want to give that away, I think that would ruin it for everybody. That's going to be a nice surprise. Even my dad's asking me: 'What's happening with you and Paddy?' I'm like: 'I'm not telling you a thing, because that's the question that everyone wants to know. So let that evolve, let that happen'. And I think you'll like it."

Emmerdale airs Mandy's return on Monday, January 7 at 7pm on ITV.

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