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jewwyfeesh · 2 years

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CN 2nd Anniversary Stream Translation

i’ve translated the cn subs of the whole 2nd anni stream, which can be viewed here.

this is meant to be something you can read while watching the stream… an accompaniment of sorts, but it can also be read as a stand-alone. and for the first reason, there is a severe lack of photos lol.

i received lots of help from my friends (the kanataP, the oddballsP and the ibaraP), so i’d like to thank them once again~ T^T

the voice actors in this stream are: →tsuchida reiou and yonai yuki (hosts/emcees) →hiruma shun’ya and takahashi hiroki (guests)

translator’s disclaimer:

-i’m bad with differentiating voices, so some of them are left as “???” because i don’t really know who’s talking

-for quite a few of the lines, i’ve added in some words so as to make the flow of the sentence smoother. it does not change the original meaning of the sentence, and only helps with sentence flow.

-i normally type in lapslock, so most of the text is in lowercase :V

[introduction to stream]

reiou: please allow me to be the knight that protects all of you onee-samas today.

to all the producers from China, 大家好 (hello).

i am tsuchida reiou, the seiyuu for suou tsukasa. it’s a pleasure to meet you all!

thank you for the applause! hehe

yuki: producer(s)! if you run into any troubles, be sure to tell nii~chan

大家好 (hello) to the producers from China~

i’m yonai yuki, the voice of nito nazuna! nice to meet you~

reiou: on the 27th of november, it’ll be the 2nd anniversary of Ensemble Stars 2 (CN server). congratulations~

yuki: congratulations~

reiou: today, yonai-san and i are in charge of delivering the 2nd anniversary special program for all you producers :) we’ll be in your care! (tl/n: i’m sorry for the repetitive yoroshiku onegaishimasu translations…)

yuki: we’ll be in your care…!

(the both of them repeat yoroshiku onegaishimasu yo! like three times in total…)

reiou: the both of us are already quite familiar (tl/n: with the program, and they know each other in va work)

yuki: we really are, huh!

reiou: ganbatte to the both of us :)

yuki: yes~

reiou: (goes on to talk about how the program had kiryu kuro’s seiyuu, kamio-san, and oogami koga’s seiyuu, onoyuki-san as emcees for first anniversary. the guest seiyuus for 1st anniversary were amagi hiiro’s, kajiwara gakuto, and shiina niki’s, yamaguchi niki, no, tomo-san)

(yes reiou accidentally said “yamaguchi niki”)

(yuki-kun laughed at him)

(reiou then talks about how the four of them created a very lively atmosphere during the stream)

who will be our guests for today? how exciting~

yuki: yes~ how exciting~

reiou: this year, during JP’s tsukisuta, the both of us (reiou and yuki) were added as emcees/hosts, and from then on got to know everyone a little better.

(noises of agreement from yuki)

as hosts, the both of us will work hard to deliver a satisfying program, as is the stream that succeeds the previous one. your guidance will be appreciated.

to generate some excitement for the 2nd anniversary, we will now be introducing our much anticipated guests~

the two who will take the stage are—

yuki: (whispering) who is it…?

(and so) more people will thus be able to experience our art! (alternatively: our artisticism shall be known by more people!)

hiroki: 好吃 (delicious)!!! gao qiao kuang shi, SE! (“I am Takahashi Hiroki.”) (tl/n: he’s pronouncing his name 高桥广树, but in cn. except his pronounciation is a little off… and i have no idea why did he shout “SE—!” at the end… i’ve listened to him trying to shout? his name?? at least 5 times now i still dont know what is he trying to say.)

reiou: (we) don’t understand what you’re saying 😂

(reiou and yuki clap for him regardless)

yuki: (laughing) impressive

reiou: well, the next guest will be making an appearance…!

???: it makes me really happy to be able to film a program with nii~chan!

(deep voice) you really…!! (reiou starts laughing while shun’ya walks into view while pointing at hiroki)

reiou: please… turn to the camera—

shun’ya: sorry,, this is too hard on me TT

(everyone claps as shun’ya makes his way to his seat)

reiou: thank you both! they are the ones we’ve invited for today’s stream…!

hiroki: to the (mainland) Chinese producers… 大家好 (hello)

(shun’ya’s quietly losing it next to him)

i am the seiyuu for Valkyrie’s Itsuki Shu, Takahashi Hiroki. Nice to meet you all.

shun’ya: to the (mainland) Chinese producers, 大家好 (hello).

i am ra*bit’s mashiro tomoya’s seiyuu, hiruma shun’ya~ i’ll be in your care!

reiou: yes~ please take care of us~

today we four are gathered here to celebrate the 2nd anniversary with (everyone)~

(more yoroshiku onegaishimasu~)

yuki: first off, we’ll review what happened in the past year~

there has been quite a few ‘original events’ (scouts) and chain reaction events (??) in the past year;

(and) similarly, there were many limited MV outfits released for the foreign servers (CN KR TW).

let’s have a look at the original scouts that took place over this past year~

[previous year scout review]

1) Scout “赠春风” (A Gift To Spring Breeze). January 2022.

-5☆ Tenshouin Eichi; 4☆ Akehoshi Subaru; 3☆ Isara Mao and Shiratori Aira

-original scout/event for Chinese New Year in the year of the Tiger

-based on traditional outfits (传统服装)

general comments about eichi’s bloomed

-“even the tiger has been tamed by eichi…”

-hiroki: tenshouin, tenshouin, tenshouin, tenshouin

-the VAs ask if he’s fallen ill… “yeah i guess he (hiroki?) really fell sick”

-(about eichi’s bloomed) the art is very good, and it has a daring and resolute feel to it

-“the tiger seems to be nothing more than just a cat…”

-“is this really a tiger?!” “it has to be real, right?” “i’m pretty sure it’s a live (tiger) (that tenshouin has his hand on)” “too dangerous…” “well, tenshouin can go join an acrobatic troupe now”

-tenshouin-sama’s really too cool

general comments about subaru’s bloomed

-has a really nice smile

-he’ll get punished for climbing up there (they all realise he’s kind of. on the roof, and yes it is very high up)

-really energetic(?) and his smile is nice

(yuki passes the metaphorical baton to hiroki to introduce the next scout)

2) Scout “光影碎片 · Black篇” (Fragments of Light and Shadow, Side Black). April 2022.

-collab between Link Click and Ensemble Stars~

-5☆ Kagehira Mika; 4☆ Aoba Tsumugi; 3☆ Narukami Arashi

-(yuki?) “this (card) is mika-chin” (tl/n: so cute…)

hiroki: KAGEHIRA! have you been well!! i ate lots of good food while i was in France!!! (???: too healthy!) (???: after all, there’s so much yummy food there)

general comments about mika’s bloomed

-woah, so cool

-where is he falling from? is he okay? he should be fine, right? (one of the VAs say something about how the background is probably CGI (??))

-they also comment about his expression… “the fact that he’s making this sort of expression… he must be looking at a certain someone” “oh?? oh???” “but who is it?” (tl/n: i removed some comments due to mentions of potentially triggering content, even though it was said jokingly, but the VAs did clarify immediately, saying that “we are not that kind of game”)

general comments about tsumugi’s bloomed

-has a really cool/handsome vibe, as well as a hacker-vibe

-has a similar vibe to of “The Matrix Resurrections” (黑客帝国)

-but apparently saying the work’s name directly isnt good (yuki pointed this out) and hiroki(?) apologised for it

3) Scout “光影碎片 · White篇” (Fragments of Light and Shadow, Side White). June 2022

-collab between Link Click and Ensemble Stars~

-5☆ Oogami Koga; 4☆ Kiryuu Kuro; 3☆ Nito Nazuna

general comments about koga’s bloomed

-it’s really not a bad card

-one of the va’s mentioned that during the 1st anni livestream, onoyuki (koga’s va) mentioned how he wanted koga to have a 5☆ lolz and he spoke it into reality

shun’ya: oh, so he (onoyuki) made a request for it and his (request/wish) came true. so, please give tomoya a 5☆ as well! (the other VAs say that he’s cunning for doing this LOL)

hiroki: please give shu a 5☆!

reiou: it only works if the emcees say it!

shun’ya: please give us (guest VAs) a chance too…! (tl/n: rip ShuPs and TomoPs… shun’ya’s fighting really hard for tomoP rights lol TT)

hiroki: well, let’s turn to JP (server). please!! a 5☆ is fine! 6☆ is fine too!! (tl/n: what is this, arknights?!)

general comments about kuro’s bloomed

-jealous cuz he looks really handsome~

-someone offhandedly says something about giving them a 4☆ (probably shun’ya), but it’s probably because he was the emcee the previous round (lol)

-pointed out that LC side white scout was the emcees for the previous anniversary stream~ and how they really spoke it (getting cards) into existence

-and how could we forget nii~chan 3☆ TT

yuki: everyone…! don’t forget nii~chan’s there too!! next time, he could very well be a 5☆!!

shun’ya: oh yeah (that could happen). when it’s time for third anniversary, it’ll be your turn to introduce your group (probably referring to the scout)

4) Scout “梦中的童话” (Fairytale in a Dream). August 2022.

-5☆ Sakuma Ritsu; 4☆ Narukami Arashi; 3☆ Mikejima Madara, Shino Hajime

-tl/n: they’re my everyth– //i get dragged out of the room

-tl/n: reiou introduces the characters with a “–senpai” behind their names, like “Sakuma Ritsu-senpai”, “Narukami Arashi-senpai” and i think that’s just sooooo adorable kasakun qwq… and then reiou says “Ritsu-senpai is playing the role of Snow White… probably because he’s always sleeping” WOW OKAY… “Narukami-senpai, Arashi-chan plays the role of The Queen” (SORRY FOR EXTENDED TL/N i just love them very much…) arashi-chan… reiou called naru arashi-chan… im gna im,,, reiou called arashi jou-sama im gna end up wheezing from laughing too hard

-mama’s the huntsman and hajime represents the dwarves! (or dwarf, in this case)

general comments about ritsu’s bloomed

-really nice

-the angle is really exceptional, and the composition (of the picture) is praise-worthy

-can really be considered a form of “art” (tl/n: yes i agree)

-it’s of his expression when he’s awake, and not when he’s in a stupor/coma; but one of the VAs was like “well that’s because he hasn’t eaten the apple yet and therefore hasn’t fallen asleep (yet)”

-reiou’s like, “but this guy… he’ll fall asleep even without eating the apple” “from the looks of it, he’s about to snzzzz” “yeah”

-they point out how he’s with a glass coffin and an apple, which are key points of snow white’s (story)

general comments about arashi’s bloomed

-reiou vc “narukami-senpai”

-one of the VAs described naru as a “cool beauty”

-also pointed out that ritsu’s in the mirror’s reflection… a nod to the whole “who’s the fairest one of all?” thing the story has going on… (someone did arashi’s ara ara and i’m like. MMH, yes.)

-theyre also really surprised that all of these little details were captured (kudos to the artists!)

5) Scout “Cherished Cutie”

-5☆ Ayase Mayoi; 4☆ Shiina Niki; 3☆ Oukawa Kohaku, Amagi Hiiro

-collab with sanrio~

-all of them think its very cute~

general comments about mayoi’s bloomed

-very fitting of kuromi-chan

-very well matched

-completely immersed in kuromi’s world

general comments about niki’s bloomed

-sofa is cinnamoroll-shaped!

-the vibe is full of cinnamoroll~

-very cute, and niki’s smile is adorable as well~

general comments about midori’s bloomed

-surrounded by cute characters~ but it also means that you’ll never catch a break (lol)

-if there’s a chance to visit japan, there are places where (you) can take similar photos(?)

yuki: (something something many original scouts in CN)

it makes us happy to know that the characters are also well loved by overseas fans…!

reiou: HAPPY!

yuki: (continuing on as if nothing happened) so thank you everyone!

so! we’ve been talking for a very long time (about 13 minutes since the start of the stream). i think it’s about time we start our program proper!

shun’ya and hiroki(?): wait, so what happened earlier on wasn’t the ‘(official) start’ of the program?!

shun’ya: so, what was that just now?!

yuki: (powering through) this program is meant to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the CN server, and (we’ve) prepared lots of exciting news for everyone!

reiou: with that, let’s invite everyone to watch our previous “ES!! Studio” (??) (gekkan… ansanburu studio…)

yuki: CN server’s 2nd anniversary event… Wonderful Journey: Amazing Ensemble…

all VAs: start…!

reiou: now, we’ll start with this tsukisuta (something something im not too sure)

yuki: (sits up suddenly) ES’s…

reiou: (loudly) ES…! (somehow it echoes lmao??)

ah, turns out i can’t match up to the original

(yuki makes some sound of acknowledgement)

Ensemble Square is made up of four agencies… Ensemble Square can be shortened to “ES”. In line with (this theme), this program will also use “ES” — Entry Sheet to introduce the various characters.

yuki: entry sheet application form…

reiou: this link is something this tsukisuta(?) has been trying to work towards(??) (or something?? help)

today, we will have our guest VAs talk about their characters.

a random example would be, CN server “偶像梦幻祭” is also “ES”

yuki: so it is.

reiou: there’s a bit too many “ES”-s out there. sorry, but those written on the script (book) might only serve to confuse everyone (lol)

hiroki: it’s fine.

[vas introduce their characters]

yuki: okay then! now, we’ll have hiroki-san introduce his character, ‘itsuki shu’.

(the camera zooms in on a very cute drawing… it even has a little sign on the right that says “it’s pink” (referring to shu’s hair)

hiroki: kakakakakakakaka…

(the other VAs: lol… im surprised that the laughing sound (kakaka) is written on the top)

hiroki: please look here (points at “Valkyrie Shu” on the left) and here (points at “it’s pink” on the right)

hiroki:(?) in Chinese, “it’s pink” is written like this

the other VAs: waaaaaa… sugoi.

hiroki:(?) you don’t know how to write it, right? (lol)

(???): what about global (server)’s self portrait? lol …

yuki: it’s already been sent to everyone (???)

hiroki: i’ll apologise first, just in case i wrote it wrongly (tl/n: it’s correct, just a little wonky looking)

yuki: yep! so, we’ve invited both of them to draw a self-portrait of their character.

now, we’ll proceed to ask hiroki-san.

hiroki: mm!

yuki: what kind of character is itsuki shu?

hiroki: hm… shu-san… y’all sHOULD DEFINITELY KNOW, RIGHT? (tl/n: he raises his voice and almost just kinda shouts at the camera TT)

the other VAs: (laughing)

yuki: (did you mean) to say everyone’s more familiar with the role than you are?

hiroki: (full of confidence) yes.

everyone understands (shu) better than i do

it’ll be a little too presumptous for me to introduce (the character)

(shun’ya’s losing it next to him)

yuki: no, no, please introduce him still.

hiroki: itsuki shu is the leader of the extremely elegant “Valkyrie”

at the start, there were three members… (looks at yuki) but uh…

yuki: (awkward laughter)

but a certain incident happened (tl/n: i think yuki was the one who said this?)

hiroki: and now there’s only two members left.

shun’ya: wow, that’s some really deep lore

hiroki: yep.

our performances aim to be artistic pursuits (...?)

itsuki shu he… also has the makings/quality of an artist (he’s very artistic)

when compared to idols… he's closer to that of an artist. that’s the kind of character he (shu) is.

(camera pans to yuki nodding)

currently, he’s staying in France

(one of the other VAs… could be shun’ya or yuki: he’s staying in France?)

hiroki/reiou: yes. it’s the city of the arts

(he’s) always improving his artistic skills

(tl/n: they’re talking over each other here)

reiou: i heard he’s always eating all sorts of very delicious food

hiroki: his personality is that of a perfectionist

more or less, he’s kinda elegant.

no, he’s an… excessively meticulous person

yuki: meticulous…

hiroki: if he gets angry, he’ll break/smash the computer or something.

(the other VAs are losing it)

yuki: so that’s what happened?!

hiroki: this (scene) did happen, yes

reiou: a meticulous person, huh…

hiroki: yes, just like that. (he) specialises in lace-making;

and participates in the handicrafts club and what not, but everyone already knows that, right?

yep, that’s itsuki shu’s introduction wrapped up.

yuki: thank you, hiroki-san, for giving us a brief introduction to your character.

i believe that it’s already been completely conveyed to everyone

next up, we’ll dig a little deeper, and have hiroki-san— (tl/n: well the subs said “hiroki-san” but yuki said “yuki-san” so… uh…)

hiroki: how about you ask me (questions)? if you don’t ask, i won’t know what everyone (else) wants to know.

yuki: in that case, let’s ask hiroki-san what his first impression of (shu) was.

hiroki: first impression? “was it really a good idea for me to be the voice of (shu)?”

yuki, shun’ya: oh??

hiroki: yeah. uhhh how do i put it.

saying it like this might be a little weird, but…

i had expected that i’d be voicing a character that’s… more eccentric (than shu) (tl/n: pun very much intended)

reiou: ohhhh

hiroki: because i was under the impression that there’d be characters that’re pretty outlandish… that’s why they got me to try voicing(?) the characters.

(the other VAs start laughing)

yuki(?): i see

hiroki: but then, even though calling them “weird” isn’t very pleasant-sounding,

his conscientiousness…

yuki: he has a very distinctive personality

hiroki: even though shu is rather emotional, he does have this atmosphere around him which makes you want to keep a respectful distance

but (he) is a very orthodox idol

and was previously one of the top-notch idols in yumenosaki academy

and if i were to make an inference, these types of idols are extremely terrified.

that’s my first impression of shu.

yuki: woahhh

hiroki: the result of my neverending hard work–

wait, not ‘result’; (i meant) in the end, that’s how i’ve managed to come this far.

yuki: woah… (sugoi (awesome)). it’s my first time hearing of you talk about this

hiroki: yeah? that’s why i’ll need to rely on you to ask the questions

yuki: kay, let’s ask another one! during the course of the story,

at which part did you experience/feel your character’s growth?

reiou: the time period we’re referring to is “Enstars 1” (! era) to “Enstars 2” (!! era)

after quite some time

how has shu grown?

hiroki: in the end, it’s only after a very big setback

and from that moment, that he managed to pull himself together once more

even though his unit lost a member (lol)

when comparing it to the very first period/stage

an accumulation of various experiences and idol’s experiences (tl/n: i think he could’ve meant “going through things as a person, and as an idol” here), has allowed him to reach new levels

and (thus) widened the road to becoming an artist

how do i put it

he thinks being an idol as art-in-action

and when ‘being an idol’ is made into a classification (??)

we won’t really think too deeply about what it actually means to be an idol

it’s ‘someone who can sing’, ‘someone who can dance’, someone who ‘occassionally goes on television to perform’

but when you ask “what is it, exactly?”

we can’t help but say, “a singer”

but when it comes to itsuki shu,

(who has) a very clear definition of what it means to be an ‘idol’

(the other VAs make noises of understanding, like “oohhhh”)

so when everyone else has a murky understanding of ‘idols’

it will improve… the style/tone of this category(?)

yuki: help visualise these abstract ideas… and give definition to the topic

hiroki: yes, yes. that’s how i think of it

yuki: indeed, shu has always retained the faith he had since the beginning, and took a step further and deeper

hiroki: that’s correct, he had experienced setbacks (before)

because of the things he believed in

he can now give more attention to the things he wants to pursue (tl/n: this part is a bit wonky but i dont really understand the cn subs either TT)

the other VAs: that’s brilliant; so that’s how it is

yuki: well then, moving on… in regards to this kind of itsuki shu

(holding back laughter) what kind of similarities does hiroki-san share with (shu)? if there are any, please tell us about them regardless.

hiroki: (no hesitation) conversing with dolls

the other VAs: (in disbelief) seriously?! are you joking?? (but not in a bad way, more of… surprised)

yuki: (surprised) so there’s such a little-known side!

hiroki: there would always be people who’d tell me that i like to talk to myself… as if i really like talking to myself

thinking about it, shu would also hide under the blanket

muttering and mumbling “tenshouin… tenshouin… tenshouin…”

(he) would also talk to objects

(his discussion) partner could a doll (lol)

or it could be the fridge in the kitchen, i’m not too sure about this (lol)

all in all, he likes talking to himself

yuki: so it’s easy for him to be immersed in his own world

hiroki: that could be the case, yes

if i put it in a more negative way… (he’s) acting without regard for others

i was clearly saying it in a positive way

(shun’ya’s absolutely losing his shit next to hiroki lmao ohboi)

???: that’s pretty good x2

yuki: moving on~ now, we’ll introduce mashiro tomoya, voiced by hiruma-kun!

shun’ya: this is my drawing of tomoya!

yuki: hiruma-kun drew a self-portrait of tomoya!

shun’ya: i… only know how to draw like this (lol)

reiou(?): why does it feel like i’m always seeing this style of drawing (lol)

shun’ya: though uh this is my second time painting/drawing (it)

yuki: seems like the impression it leaves on people is rather deep

let us start~ what kind of character is tomoya-kun?

shun’ya: um tomoya-kun…

it’s written here that for better or for worse

(tomoya) is really just an average type (of person)

and (i guess) people would say that/think of (him) as very ordinary (tl/n: literally “just some guy”)

but, looking at it from my POV, can he really be considered “normal”? (lol)

even though his senpai and the surrounding people are more “peculiar/eccentric” than not,

reiou: (he’s) surrounded by lots of bizarre people

hiroki: sorry

shun’ya: indeed, the role (character) that takahashi-san(?) is in charge of

hiroki: including me (shu), there are approximately five people who are like that

shun’ya: yessu, he’s always being dragged along by these people

in particular, there’s this senpai called “Hibiki Wataru-senpai” amongst them (laughter)

and… having received their influence

but he has also adopted Hokuto-senpai’s earnest personality

as a junior… but at the same time, he has a strong belief/conviction

(this point might be in relation to shu) other than some similarities (tl/n: for this line in particular, the “this point might be in relation to shu” was written in the CN subs.)

there’s a very serious and earnest personality, and embrace a strong conviction when doing things

so even if (his) senpai say this and that about him, he (tomoya) won’t admit defeat

even though the members of his ‘unit’ are kids that have a smaller physique, and look a little cowardly

(and) the image that they give people is that of (a fluffle of) rabbits. but what’s special is that… in the very beginning

even though he’d be dragged into all sorts of situations because of his senpai(s), he’d always

stubbornly and bravely confront the (difficult) situation

this is a charm that he possesses. i think it’s great

yuki: moreso after he’s been made leader (of ra*bits)

shun’ya: yes, yes. especially when we’ve come to Enstars 2 (!! era)

it really gave people the feeling of having inherited the title of ‘leader’

(reiou starts softly laughing in the bg)

after having inherited the position (of leader) from nazuna-san

tomoya-kun is consciously (trying to act) leader-like

and demonstrate a kind of leadership style that tries to pull people together

his inner consciousness(? thought processes?) has also changed

when i’m saying his lines, i do pay (special) attention to this

(i) need to cheer myself up to do it(??)

like, i need to be even more invested in it than i was before

yuki: ohhh so that’s how it is

next up, we’ll ask the same question that we did for hiroki-san

firstly, hiruma-kun, what was your first impression of tomoya like?

shun’ya: i’d already mentioned it earlier on

(but) at the very beginning, i thought of him as a very cute and adorable little child

and that his relationships with others are very good

but then, even though he has his cute parts

at the same time, he has this very head-strong and cool (kakkoi) side to him

occassionally, this handsome side of him would emerge

and it’s fascinating. my impression of him gradually changed

and i’d think like, “woah, so he does have such a side to him!

even though he’s frequently written off as “normal / nothing much” by others, but he does have parts of him that surprise people

this character… has a very promising future

yuki: i see… (understanding noises) i think there’s a bit of overlap below and on top

over the course of the story, where did you think

your character grown the most?

shun’ya: i think i did bring it up earlier on as well…

at the very beginning when (he) debutted, it was just like in the anime

all the “WAAAAHHH~ I’ve been dragged into it, i don't want it, nooooooo”

but gradually, he would face any difficulties head on. and he would also be brave enough to make his own opinions/views known to his senpais.

and the latter resulted in (him) saying “i don’t like you”

yuki: he became brave enough to say it…!

(the VAs laugh)

shun’ya: yes, he dared to say it. i think… this is how he’s grown

yuki: so at the very start, he only knew how to hide in the dark and want to grow

shun’ya: speaking of which, one of Ra*bits’ most prominent themes is “growth”

and tomoya-kun has already embodied this sort of growth

yuki: that’s right…

shun’ya: if (you) follow the story’s progression, you’d be able to feel his growth

yuki: becoming the group’s representative and becoming more reliable

(the VAs all agree)

well, hiruma shun’ya-kun, when compared to tomoya-kun, what similarities do the both of you share?

shun’ya: (in a deep voice) similarities…

(hiroki turns to look at shun’ya and stare at him with really big eyes)

i suppose his confidence to try (new things)

or when he runs into obstacles and feels very dejected

i feel like there’ s some similarities between our profession as seiyuu

everytime a goal has been met, (we’ll) run into a new problem

during this process, (we’ll) continuously grow. this is also the main theme that underpins tomoya-kun’s story

his attitude of constantly breaking through barriers resonates with me

and i admire that a lot

yuki: as it turns out, there is a deep connection with one’s private life

shun’ya: right… though i’m not sure if it’s because i’m in charge of (voicing him) that’s why i think we’re similar

or it’s because we’re similar, that’s why i performed this role

somewhere down the line, the boundaries have blurred

yuki: what an interesting feeling of distance

(shun’ya agrees)

thank you for your introduction~

up next, we’ll start with the “ES Comparison” event(?)

and for this, we’ll have reiou-kun (to host it)!

reiou: Plus! ES! (tl/n: he does some weird contortion thing with his body and arms i give up)

???: what was that lol… not bad though… did (he) just create a new concept?

(tl/n: again i’m so bad with differentiating voices i’m not even going to try, sorry TT)

reiou: yep, i just came up with it on the spot lol

yuki: here, “ES” is from the intentional omission of “Essence”

(yuki got interrupted)

shun’ya(?): not bad for a young man’s momentum

yuki: (repeating himself) “ES” is from the intentional omission of “Essence”

hiroki: (loudly) so that’s how it is…!

quiz segment

yuki: the both of you, kindly treat this segment as a quiz of sorts to help everyone understand you better

hiroki(?): oh? is there an exam as well?

reiou: that’s correct. (we’ll be) adopting a “one-question-one-answer” format,

to better understand new information about the two (guests)

yuki: so, the both of you, please respond~

(ding.sfx)

please tell us some recent takahashi hiroki and hiruma shun’ya news!

hiroki-san will start first!

hiroki: ever since my 48th birthday, i’ll play the rock paper scissors every morning

shun’ya: ?!?// what…?!? (laughing)

hiroki: yeah, on twitter. every day, i’ll join a rock paper scissors activity

(tl/n: he does do this everyday, btw. you can check out his twitter here.)

yuki: we’ll discuss the finer details later…!

reiou: later, later~

yuki(?): we’ll dig deeper later, yes yes~

reiou: now we’ll do some ‘hiruma news’

shun’ya: yea uh ‘hiruma news’… recently, my vision has increased substantially (tl/n: it will be explained later… i know it sounds wrong but that’s what’s written on the subs)

???: (he) cares so much…

yuki: we’ll talk about the finer details later…

hiroki: i see (tl/n: pun unintended i just ran out of ways to tl ‘naruhodo’)

yuki: next question~ do you have any deep/profound memories about China?

hiroki: previously, i held a concert in China

memories of that time is still fresh in my mind

shun’ya: when i was in middle school, (i) had plans to travel to China for a holiday

but didn’t manage to go because i caught enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine)

ah in the end, everything has been said. thank you

yuki: i’ll ask for more details later. what is your favourite food from Chinese cuisine?

hiroki: (no hesitation) ramen!

shun’ya: just yesterday, i had green pepper shredded pork

reiou: sounds good~ alright, next question

what do you think is a “must-do” for the Chinese (referring to those from the mainland) when they come to Japan?

hiroki: (no hesitation) be sure to visit the Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo!

(all the VAs start laughing)

there’s Cinnamoroll and Hello kitty, it’ll be lots of fun!

shun’ya: (while laughing) please be sure to visit the Ensemble Stars (inspired?) cafe,

CAFE CINNAMON

reiou(?): cinnamoroll is the same as (cafe cinnamon), the both of them have ‘cinnamo—’ in their names

ok next question, is there anything you would like to ask our (mainland) Chinese producers?

hiroki: would you like for us to host a Starry Stage in China?

yuki: that’s a good question~ what about hiruma-kun?

shun’ya: i would like to ask those in China, what parts of Japanese culture do you like? for example, manga and anime

or seiyuu…?

(ding.sfx)

yuki: ding ding ding~! time’s up!

thank you both for your answers

let’s pry a little deeper, for the questions everyone’s interested in…

the first recent development – the question about rock paper scissors

shun’ya: so… you’ve started playing rock paper scissors everyday?

hiroki: as long as you’ve paid attention to my twitter, you’d know

yuki: i’ve always paid attention (to your twitter)

hiroki: ah,, is that so. i don’t really know why, but

i’ve realised that everyone’s super quick to update twitter

but for me, i only tweet when i have something to say (ie. relaying news etc)

back then, i had always thought, “twitter should only be used in this (particular) way”

(but) this year, during my birthday

having received everyone’s well wishes…

(i mean) i do receive a fair bit in the previous years, but this year i felt especially touched/emotional

felt that it would be better if i repaid everyone by tweeting more interactive activities

so i thought about what i should do… i’m not very good at writing

even though i did want to write a profound tweet as a way of interacting, i couldn’t do it

in the end, the idea i came up with was to play rock paper scissors on twitter

shun’ya: ehhh~?

yuki: at the start, that tweet only had a few lines

but if you scroll down a little bit, you’ll see what (hiroki) is trying to do

hiroki: so you really did see it!!! (surprised)

yuki: yep, i did. recently, there’s been gradual improvement

you’ve worked hard(?)

hiroki: worked hard

(the VAs start talking over each other again… help)

let everyone have something to look forward to

(because) no one knows what the answer will be

yuki: yep, now it’s become something like “(you) don’t know what will appear”

those who are interested, please feel free to join the rock paper scissors (game) too

reiou: as for hiruma-san, (he) talked about his eyes, and how his eyesight had gotten better

shun’ya: that’s right. my vision got better

reiou: do you know the specific reason for it?

shun’ya: yep, that’s because i went and did myopia surgery

(the VAs make a noise of surprise)

in the past, my vision was extremely bad

(yuki: ahh i see)

i’ve never met someone who’s nearsightedness (myopia) was even worse than mine

it was that bad

this extremely high level of nearsightedness… even if i went to the eye hospital, they’d tell me that my myopia is on the extreme end of bad (the “highest level of bad”…? basically it’s so bad it probably can’t go any further else it’ll break the charts kind of bad)

previously, (i) would always wear contact lenses

but of late, it feels like a major waste of time

in the end, i made the decision to do surgery

yuki: you’ve finally ditched the title of ‘the most powerful’

shun’ya: yep. currently, my eyes have nothing on them (tl/n: he kinda says that his eyes are ‘naked’, but i think it’s meant in the sense that he’s not wearing contact lenses and doesn’t need them to see anymore. yay!)

reiou: what’s your degree like now?

shun’ya: 1.5 on both sides (tl/n: 150 degree)

yuki: woah, they’ve completely recovered!

shun’ya: now, every morning and night i find myself not needing to wear contact lenses anymore

(he’s miming the action of putting contact lenses in)

and it’ll be a little awkward

hiroki: (whispering) what kind of world would that be…

shun’ya: it’s the same as if i had worn contact lenses…! (lol) there’s not much difference

hiroki: so… you can see everything crystal clear now?

shun’ya: (losing his shit) yes, yes i can see clearly

reiou: that’s really good…

yuki: (reiou-kun), is there anything in particular you’d like to point out from their answers?

reiou: hm, let me think…

um, it’s a little abrupt when you ask it in such a straightforward manner…

(senpai), you did mention earlier that you hoped a Starry Stage could be hosted in China…?

(shun’ya and hiroki go “mhm”… and somehow mirror each other by putting their hands on their lap)

i’d like to know a little more about this

hiroki: sorry about that, happy elements

yuki: yeaaa, all the higher ups are watching

hiroki: but these sorts of things must be said out loud before they can happen

as us… if everyone has this ‘want’

we must be able to respond to any request

if (we’re) able to bring more smiles to everyone

then, we’re duty-bound (to do so)

after all, (we) hadn’t noticed this sound until now

so i’ll start by trying to push for it

how’s that x2

(hiroki looks around)

yuki: if all of the producer’s voices

(is loud enough) to reach us over here

who knows, this might actually happen

hiroki: yes, that’s right

(hiroki winks and flashes a thumbs up)

shun’ya(?): please, everyone…!

reiou: lemme think… what other points did i pay more attention to…

there’s one point that i took notice of

not so much of paying extra attention to, but rather… i want to ask yonai-san for his thoughts/answer to this question

what is your favourite dish from Chinese cuisine?

yuki: my favourite?!

my favourite Chinese dish… (sounds a little disbelieving, like he wasn’t expecting to be posed this question)

i like sweet and sour pork :)

hiroki: did you mean the one without pineapple?

yuki: i’m fine with or without pineapple

though it seems like there’s pineapples only in the Japanese version (of the dish)

shun’ya(?): does the authentic (dish) have no pineapple in it?

hiroki/yuki: that’s what i heard… (that it doesn’t)

hiroki: Japan is so big, surely there’d be places where they don’t put pineapple in (the dish)?

shun’ya: i see, i see… (i wonder) at which point did putting pineapple in it become mainstream

hiroki: speaking of pineapples… the pineapple juice, when squeezed onto the meat, will result in softer (more tender?) meat

so, putting whole pineapple pieces in there would have no effect at all

reiou: somewhere down the line, someone learnt the wrong way (of making it) and started putting (whole pieces) in there (and it just continued like that)

hiroki: i think so too

yuki: in the beginning, (they) must’ve thought “since i need to put pineapple juice in (the dish), i might as well just put the whole thing in instead”

shun’ya: there are people who like pineapple in there, too

hiroki: in China, do they put pineapple in their sweet and sour pork?

(the VAs all lose it)

yuki: i really want to know, too

what about you, reiou-kun?

reiou: my favourite dish…

but i can’t really differentiate which types are Chinese food from a Japanese street food stall

shun’ya: yeah it’s hard to differentiate

hiroki: i heard that… if it’s called ‘Chinese (中华) cuisine’, it’s Japanese

and if it’s called ‘Chinese (中国) cuisine’, it’s from (mainland) China… though i’m not sure if it’s correct

reiou: that’s not true… though, my favourite is shrimp in spicy sauce

???: shrimp in spicy sauce isn’t bad :0

reiou: there’s also stir fried pork with scrambled eggs (pronounced “(cn) mu4 xu1 rou4” or “(jp) mu xi rou”, though that’s not mainstream / it’s more niche

yuki(?): muxirou…? is that a steamed dish?

reiou: no no. egg and woodear fungus are fried together

yuki: ahhh! you’re referring to that

reiou: a dish of eggs, woodear fungus, and pork

it’s very delicious, so you need to try it

shun’ya: Chinese cuisine is really amazing…

reiou: suddenly my stomach’s rumbling

(tl/n: yeah same… craving Chinese food qwq)

yuki: actually, we didn’t eat lunch

shun’ya: when you get back, go eat some Chinese food

reiou: and that was the segment, “the ES of ES!!”

next up, we’ll have…

stars’ performance - live dubbing session

yuki (as nazuna): i’ll show you nii~chan’s true abilities!

reiou (as tsukasa): let me show you a grown-up figure, worthy of the title of “King”

hiroki (as shu): let the vulgar people see…

just what it means to be a ‘Perfect Ensemble’!

kakakakakaka

shun’ya (as tomoya): alright…! i’ll be sure to do my best, so please anticipate it!

all: stars’ performance! live dubbing session!

(clap clap clap)

reiou: next up is tsukisuta’s (most) well-known segment, the live dubbing session

yuki: we idols

will guide everyone into the sparkling world of yumenosaki, and engage with a variety of different activities everyday

reiou: let us take a peek at the idols’ Ensemble together!

the contents will be stories created by everyone, with the theme “Ensemble Stars if” (tl/n:「偶像梦幻祭if」, and 偶像梦幻祭 is ‘Ensemble Stars’)

yuki: following the issued topic

everyone will create an if story, with Nazuna, Tsukasa, and the guests starring as the main characters

from there, we’ll pick the (most) outstanding ones to dub live

(hiroki makes a sparkly hands movement)

reiou: the topic this time round is

“Mashiro Tomoya, Nito Nazuna, Suou Tsukasa and Itsuki Shu…

meet at a gift shop”

shun’ya: what kind of question is this…

yuki: now then, we’ll voice the work that’s been granted the most outstanding award

this round, there are two (pieces/works). the first one is…

reiou: let’s prepare a little, drink some water first

yuki: yep, preparation is important

hiroki(?): (clears throat) ah, (my) throat’s a little dry

yuki: let’s all work hard for live dubbing~ is everyone ready?

reiou: does everyone have their script in hand?

hiroki, shun’ya: yep~

reiou: let us start our live dubbing (session), then!

stars’ performance, live dubbing! start!

Nazuna: Tomo-chin, do you think this would be suitable?

Tomoya: Um… I think for this, we should pick one that has a more vibrant color.

Oof… Suou…! Hello… What are you doing over here?

Tsukasa: Oh, it’s Mashiro-kun and Nito-senpai! Hello.

Actually… I’d just finished a very Delicious parfait from the cafe next door.

Are the both of you looking for some presents?

Nazuna: We received a job assignment, and we’re here to pick out some gifts for our fans.

Ah…! Tomo-chin!

Don’t you think Mitsuru-chin and Hajime-chin would be really happy if we gave these to them?

Tomoya: Nii-chan, we’re here to pick out some gifts for our work.

Why are you suddenly choosing gifts for everyone?

Tsukasa: Hehe. The items in this gift shop all have very unique Designs.

Everyone in Knights has been working hard as of late… in that case, I’ll buy some for my seniors too.

Shu: (Ah)…? (soft gasp)………

Nazuna: Un-nyaa…?! Itsuki, why are you here too?!

Shu: It’s Nito… I was looking for some materials that could be used on clothing in this area.

When I walked past this particular gift shop, I saw some items that caught my eye.

Tomoya: Could it be… Itsuki-senpai has also taken a liking to giving gifts when visiting someone?

Like… this rather gorgeous doll perhaps?

Shu: Non! No other doll can compare to my Mademoiselle.

She cannot be replaced. And this goes without saying.

Mademoiselle: Hehe, that’s right, Shu-kun.

Tsukasa: Waaaaah…! Itsuki-senpai, where did this come from?

Nazuna: Maybe the item that Itsuki’s taken a liking to is this bejewelled accessory?

It really does have your style of aesthetics.

Shu: In order to create paramount art, even the most trivial details should be controlled.

Now that is a first-rate artist.

Kakakakaka…

Tomoya: Nii-chan and Itsuki-senpai are really focussed…

I can’t admit defeat now…!

Speaking of which, Suou’s making a really solumn expression when he’s picking some gifts for his seniors…

Eh? These animal keychains that you’ve chosen all look kinda familiar…

Like… this orange dog, this grey hamster, and the black—

Tsukasa: AaAAaaAAAaaA!!!!!! Please don’t say it out loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I intend to wrap them up nicely and gift them to my seniors as a Surprise…!

yuki: alright~ that’s the first piece

(the VAs clap)

what does everyone think…?

(shun’ya and hiroki say thank you(?) i’m not too sure)

reiou: for that line “please dont say it out loud”

(i) said it in a voice that’s louder than everyone else

yuki: after all, (you’re – tsukasa) choosing some gifts that are meant to be surprises

if it’s been talked about a lot, the end result is still like this (??)

shun’ya: (the vibe) was a little too excitable

(reiou laughs)

just what did you (tsukasa) pick, huh? using such a loud voice to close the conversation… and that you (tsukasa) ended up so embarrassed about it…

reiou: it’s a little embarrassing

shun’ya: it feels like everyone is very cute

reiou: yep yep~ everyone picking gifts… it’s not a bad atmosphere

yuki: itsuki shu-senpai’s love for the doll, mademoiselle, is still going strong (??)

hiroki: yeah lol

mademoiselle appeared out of nowhere lol

yuki: sure enough, when madonee (spoke), it was really awesome

(all VAs?) thank you~

shun’ya: being able to see it in person… made it worth it

hiroki: ah? (surprised)

really? was it really worth(?) it? if you let me know, i can (do it for you) at any time.

(shun’ya starts doubling over from laughter)

hiroki (as mademoiselle): tomo-chin, tomo-chin, tomoya-kun…!

(the VAs are laughing in the bg)

shun’ya(?): (tomoya(?)) has never been called that before…

reiou: the service is too attentive lolol

shun’ya: ah, i’m so happy…!

yuki, reiou: thank you~

yuki: alright, moving on to the second piece

reiou: let’s prepare ourselves (get the script etc)

yuki: yep, let’s get ready

reiou: let’s go

everyone, do you need a sip of water…?

(presumably, the VAs say no)

reiou: okay then. the next round of live dubbing starts now…!

stars’ performance, live dubbing! start!

Nazuna: Lemme see… both Hajime-chin and Mitsuru-chin have left for the retail supermarket next door.

So, we’re going to a gift store now.

Tomoya: Nii-chan, is it this one?

Nazuna: Oh, yes! So it was just a stone’s throw away! Ehehe let’s go, Tomo-chin!

Tomoya: Yes, I’m on my way.

Uwaaaah…! It’s so big…!

It’s not just a gift shop – there’s even a dining area over there!

Nazuna: Oh? Speaking of which, that person in the dining area over there looks kinda familiar…

Tsukasa-chin?!?!

Tomoya: Suou?!?!

Tsukasa: (aggressive coughing and choking on water noises)

Huff… huff…

Nito-senpai, Mashiro-kun… the both of you calling… my name so suddenly… gave me a big fright….

I thought Sena-senpai was making his way over…

Shu: What happened here! Why are you all kicking up such a ruckus in this quiet place?

Tsukasa: Um…

Shu: This is extremely inelegant of you all!

Mademoiselle: Oh my, isn’t that Nazuna-chan?

Nazuna: Uwaa… that gave me a fright…

Isn’t that Itsuki?

I can’t believe he came to this gift store too…

Could it be that Itsuki’s fascinated by something in this store?

Shu: U-uh, not really.

It’s just a little useful for dressing Mademoiselle up.

Speaking of which, you are Mashiro and Suou, yes?

Why were the both of you making such a fuss just now?

Tomoya: Ah… sorry, Itsuki-senpai…

I got a little too excited when I saw Suou just now.

Nazuna: Sowwy, Itsuki. I’m also at fault here.

Tsukasa: Please accept my apologies, Itsuki-senpai.

Shu: Hmm?

A closer look reveals that you have quite the variety of sweets by your side, Suou.

Tsukasa: U-uh…

Shu: This gift shop is well known for its gifts and sweet treats…

So, while I can understand your craving for such confectionery, Sena did mention that Knights is to attend some photoshoots recently.

Tsukasa: U-uh— A-a-about that…

Tomoya: No wonder Suou said something like “I’d thought Sena-senpai was on his way over” just now…

Nazuna: Tsukasa-chin… that kid really likes eating sweets, doesn’t he?

Shu: I know that you Knights are very busy these few days, but even then, you shouldn’t be eating so many desserts as a form of stress relief.

Sena should’ve talked to you about it.

Tsukasa: I– I understand, Itsuki-senpai…

I’ll be sure to pay more attention next time, so um… please don’t tell Sena-senpai…!

Shu: Hmph!

In that case, I’ll continue looking for materials that are suitable for Mademoiselle.

Nazuna: Hahaha~

Then, we’re gonna go look for some presents, Tsukasa-chin!

Tomoya: See you later, Suou!

Tsukasa: Sigh… Itsuki-senpai is really scary…

yuki: and that’s a wrap for the live dubbing session~

(the vas all clap)

shun’ya: everyone’s scared of (itsuki) senpai, huh (lol)

hiroki: very scary

reiou: indeed, very scary

yuki: (he) is representative of a very scary senior

shun’ya: the few of us were all taking turns to apologise, saying “sorry, sorry…”

hiroki: i didn’t expect you to end up choking to such an extent!

(reiou laughs)

yuki(?): you were choking really badly

reiou: it was quite the mess

yuki: the surroundings were so quiet…

shun’ya: it’s probably because the food got stuck in a mysterious place (gestures to his throat)

yuki: (he) wasn’t expecting to be discovered lol

???: it can’t be helped

yuki: if he (tsukasa) was discovered (by izumi), (izumi) will become a very scary person

(he – tsukasa) expressed the feeling of “thank g*d it wasn’t him”

(reiou hums in agreement)

hiroki: (interestingly), there’s also these types of stores where you can buy presents and sweets (tl/n: he gives me the “damn i didn’t know this” vibe)

yuki: i think these types of stores do exist

hiroki: i’m not very well-versed in these sorts of trendy places

(shun’ya laughs)

surely there should be (stores) like this in Shanghai… such a great store

yuki: do you want to go see? if we get the chance to visit (mainland) China. be sure to invite (me/us)

hiroki: if we get the chance toooooo… if you invite me, i’ll go immediately…!!

yuki: okaaay. and that was the stars performance!! live dubbing segment.

(the vas clap)

2nd anniversary scout preview

reiou: next up… is a must-see for the producers.

ensemble stars, 2nd anniversary news delivery!

(the vas clap)

the first piece of news… everyone, please view…!

(the PV starts playing)

(the vas clap)

and that was the reveal of the (special) scout illustrations for the 2nd anniversary

in summary, the characters featured in the 2nd Anniversary Scout will include Hibiki Wataru as a 5☆

hasumi keito as a 4☆, while mashiro tomoya and itsuki shu are 3☆

(hiroki makes the face of having eaten something extremely sour)

hiroki: (in a super high pitched voice) three…!

(the vas laugh)

reiou: don’t be discouraged, wait for next time…!

hiroki: there’s still room for improvement

yuki: it’s possible to set a higher target

reiou: the main theme of clothes’ design is

“the style of a medieval aristocrat, combined with elements of musical notes”

???: that’s nice(?)

reiou: so, everyone, please be sure to get your hands on it~

[current campaigns, events and merch]

yuki: alright, let’s look at the following announcement~

first up will be the currently ongoing event… please look~

(tl/n: i’ll provide tldr instead of a full tl because the vas are explaining what the campaigns/events are. it can also be found on @cnstars_en twt)

1. Free Daily Pull, ends on 18/12/2022

2. Log In Bonus (Guarantee 5☆ 10-pull & free 10-pull). Log in everyday until 09/12/2022; tickets can be used until 24/12/2022

3. Obtain an additional 1,500 dia (first and second half)

4. New Producer (Player) Campaign, obtain 1,000 dia and 1x 10-pull ticket and materials

(hiroki says that he’ll start playing, and yuki’s all like “hahaha so all this while you actually have yet to start (playing) the game?!”)

5. Road to Show!! Commemorative Login Reward, until 10/12/2022. Obtain special Yuuki Makoto, Sakuma Rei, and Aoi Hinata 4☆ cards.

6. Previous event BGM will be added to the ES coin shop. Implemented after 1.16 update.

7. Gem drop increased by 3x. Until 28/12/2022. (tl/n: i need that…)

8. Ensemble Tag Team Mission. Obtain 5☆ Aoi Yuuta. First round until 18/12/2022.

9. MV Ensemble Hall. Watch MV(s) with your friends and put stickers etc etc…

10. MV Outfit Try-on(??). Try on MV outfits you don’t have in songs “Brand New Stars”, “Walk With Your Smile” and “Fusionic Stars”. Until 11/12/2022.

11. Paid dia guaranteed 5☆ scout. Once per account. Limited to theme scouts (ie. not inclusive of feature scouts). Until 28/11/2022, 12PM (GMT+8)

12. Theme Scout Rerun. All theme scouts will rerun. Until 28/11/2022, 12PM (GMT+8)

13. Battle p— I mean, daily mission rewards. Complete daily missions to get rewards. Paid tiers give extra rewards including scout tickets and MV outfit. Implemented after 14/11/2022.

14. Bonus Dia rewards reset. (basically the bonus dia that comes with dia… packs? purchases? is reset).

15. Anniversary Dia Packages + Limited Time packages which includes a moving frame and backdrop.

(during no. 15’s announcement, Hiroki kept echoing what Yuki said lol… like… yuki could go “there would be time limited packages…” (hiroki: PACKAGE!))

yuki: so that’s a rundown of the ongoing events and notices

hiroki: ongoing…!

reiou: the answering voice has so much character, lololol

(camera zooms in on hiroki laughing sheepishly)

yuki: there’s lots of information, so we tried to hurry and finish reporting all of it. but, (the program) has yet to end

reiou: ye~ it hasn’t ended!

some people might’ve already noticed this

just now, for the 2nd anniversary’s scout VTR (tl/n: someone on twt notified me that VTR means video recording, usually used for showing a pre-recorded video during a tv program. thank you!)

that one… it really draws people’s attention…!

(wataru’s live2D bloomed is put on the stream)

this one…! this is the original scout to commemorate 2nd anniversary

the game (CN server) is about to start the 2nd anniversary commemorative scout

(tl/n: forgive me, but this part really threw me for a loop, so the next few lines might be slightly inaccurate… for this, i’m really sorry…)

with respects to hibiki wataru’s 5☆ card, the effect “moment of joy” (悦动时刻) will be installed

activate (the card’s) “moment of joy” (悦动时刻)…

it’s equivalent to activating the card’s “joy” mode (悦动模式)

it’s “joy” MV outfit (悦动版MV服装), as well as special and limited voicelines during it’s “joy” mode

at the same time, you can also obtain the “moment of joy” illustration

and set it as your homescreen illustration, and use it as a user profile photo

it’s really cool

yuki: it’s a really pleasant image~

hiroki: (sort of shouting?) well said…! very well said…! wonderful!

yuki: to be honest, it wasn’t said very well… so (you) saying that actually makes me feel embarrassed

(hiroki laughs)

reiou: don’t think it was very well said, lol…(?)

anyways, please look forward to…

yuki: next up, there’s this…!

(tl/n: same as above, i won’t be going too in depth into what these campaigns are. they’re pretty self explanatory anyways)

1. star pro chibi cards, obtainable via log in~ until 12/12.

2. there’s also the 2nd anniversary MV outfits (for all idols) and scout tickets etc. until 12/10.

3. 2nd Anniversary, Amazing Live~ 2nd Anniversary Surprise Theatre event, from 27/11 until 10/12. (basically everyone watches MV together or something)

4. Once per account, paid dia scouts for Feature Scout outfits. Guaranteed 5☆. From 28/11 until 12/12.

5. Feature Scout rerun (and drop rate increase??)! All Feature Scouts will rerun, and stories will be unlocked to read for free. 28/11 until 12/12.

6. SS Arc — all stories will be voiced. Implemented after 1.16 update

7. 7th Dream Live Allied Worlds, from 25/11 to 27/11. CosPro + RhyLink.

8. 6th Anniversary Merch – Character Pin/Badge + Character rings + Mystery

hiroki: we’ll now introduce

the fusionic stars character pin/badge, and rings

it’s of a completely new style and design

(i’ll be using tl/n here so i can make it… more condensed. lol. i’m still tl-ing what theyre saying though.)

tl/n: so the badge kinda shines differently based on lighting… because they used a reflective material/technology to make it.

next up they introduce the ring, which comes as a set.

it contains the team’s motifs, as well as a gemstone with the idol’s personal color. the character’s initials are also put on the ring.

it comes in silver or gold~ so please pick the color that you like the most~

(reiou says something about how they’ll now use a VTR to introduce the set, and a video starts playing)

(the vas are now displaying the rings and their respective character badges)

reiou: with respect to the previously mentioned goods

we’re now holding them! has everyone noticed?

they were sitting on our table this whole time

yuki: (confused as to which camera to look at) please look…!

reiou: the ring feels very nice, i really want to wear it…

(hiroki shows off the shu badge)

there’s a gradation feel to it… makes it look like it’s 3D

hiroki: please hold it in your hands and have a look

reiou: what kind of vow would you make with your oath ring(??)

yuki: what kind of vow lol??

???: of course, it’ll be a Promise.

yuki: every character’s (ring) is different

reiou: the designs are very unique and distinctive

shun’ya: you can even see the romanized initials that were talked about just now

(yuki sounds confused, and hiroki holds his shu badge at a distance to have a better look)

reiou: you need to zoom in

(the camera zooms in on the tomoya ring)

shun’ya: can you see it clearly? can you? can youuuu?

reiou: they’re really very good, so (we) hope that everyone will wear them~

decorate it well, and enjoy yourself

please be sure to get your hands on them!

and that’s a wrap for our announcements this time round

yuki: and that’s it for the announcements segment!

[closing segment and final words]

reiou: and that was the ES!! tsukisuta streamed for you,

“amazing ensemble”

a program meant to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the CN server

(sheepishly) the title is too long

it’s been streamed until now, and it’s time to for it’s ending~

and with that, all of us have a message for all you Producers

let’s start with hiruma-san…!

shun’ya: alright

i’m the seiyuu for mashiro tomoya, hiruma shun’ya.

thank you all for today!

i can feel the love the people in (mainland) China and all over the world have for “Ensemble Stars”.

it makes (me) very happy.

earlier on, takahashi-san brought this up—

(i’m) looking forward to lives and other events being held in that side (of the world).

so please take this opportunity to make these wishes

who knows, maybe they really will come true :”)

when the time comes, your guidance will be appreciated.

i’ll be counting on you, producers, for future activities.

thank you, everyone!!

(the vas all clap)

reiou: next, we’ll have hiroki-san, please

hiroki: i’m very grateful for all those who tuned in today

some weird expressions were made in the middle of the stream

so please forgive me

i’m unsure if these sorts of subtleties can be conveyed to everyone (who’s watching) in mainland China

today, it made me really happy

to the mainland Chinese producers, happy 2nd anniversary!

i hope that we can be together forever and ever

all of us hope to bring smiles to everyone’s faces

so, in the future, if an opportunity presents itself

(i/we) hope that all of us can spend time together and be happy :)

with that, please anticipate our next meeting! byebye!

(the vas clap)

reiou: now, we’ll have yonai-san…!

yuki: thank you everyone for today…!

i’m nito nazuna’s seiyuu, yonai yuki.

the cn server has finally welcomed its second anniversary

from here on out, i’m sure “Ensemble Stars 2” (enstars !!) will continue to thrive

but of course, it couldn’t have been done without each and every one of you

the two of us (yuki and reiou) have been emcees for a short period of time

(the camera pans to reiou looking around like “?? huh?? me???”)

and in the future, we’ll continue to be your hosts for a variety of activities

to participate in programs… we’ll continue working hard

so (we) hope that everyone will continue to assist us

and also, continue to enjoy “Ensemble Stars 2”. thank you everyone!

last (but not least), we’ll have reiou-kun…!

reiou: yep! let me re-introduce myself. i am suou tsukasa’s seiyuu, tsuchida reiou.

um… how do i put this… the cn server is welcoming it’s second anniversary for “Ensemble Stars 2”

it feels like Ensemble has Start(ed) to reverberate all over the world…

(tl/n: in the JP, reiou says “ansanburu… starts”. It’s probably a horrible pun on “Ensemble Stars”… oh g*d it is, isn’t it… reiou why. he looks too smug for making this pun i’m gonna cry /j)

(the vas all laugh)

hiroki(?): can it even be used that way? lolol

yuki: ansanburu stars…

reiou: i think it’s really amazing

once again, i’m really grateful that i could work on this project

and that i had the opportunity to emcee, even though i’m not experienced enough

even though i’m not meeting everyone face to face, but i can see everyone through the (computer) screen

and i’m really thrilled

so… i hope that everyone can continue

enjoying this game in the future

how do i say this… whether it’s Knights or Ensemble Stars 2 (enstars !!),

please continue to support us!!

thank you, everyone!

(the vas all clap)

okay, let’s wrap it up

so that’s all from me, suou tsukasa’s seiyuu, tsuchida reiou;

yuki: nito nazuna’s seiyuu, yonai yuki;

hiroki: itsuki shu’s seiyuu, takahashi hiroki;

shun’ya: mashiro tomoya’s seiyuu, hiruma shun’ya.

all: 再见！(see you later/byebye) 明年见！(see you next year)

#cnstars 2nd anni #cnstars 2nd anni stream #cn exclusive #tsuchida reiou #yonai yuki #hiruma shun'ya #takahashi hiroki #suou tsukasa #nito nazuna #mashiro tomoya

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tflaw · 1 year

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AVAAAA omg i am very sorry i havent been in tumblr for a while bc i was rlly ... on the grind for raiden doing hidden quests n all that :// and i managed to farm a WHOPPING 20 pulls 😀 so yea ... ya girl finally got welkin now too n ngl im scared of losing the 50/50 but fuck it we ball !!

+ aaa since shenhe might unfortunately be jailed in their basement again i wanna pull for yelan :(( as much as i love hutao and xiao .. i cant pull off their playstyles at all 💔 but i dont think ill get too ambitious ADMKA raiden is coming but tbh if i do lose on her banner i'll just save it for yelan n build keqing instead .. yea sounds like a pretty good idea BUT HYV BETTER NOT JINX IT I WANT THEM BOTH

+ windtrace got me reaaally scared as well tbh 😭 i dont like co-op events at all it rlly makes my anxiety spike up for some reason .. i hope youre coping well w it though im pretty sure u were having a hard time w it 💔

+ and omg youre reading bsd :0 i havent read the light novels but the anime was rlly good too though hihi AND U LIKE MY BRO RANPO ??? i love him too he's just like me fr !! the moment i saw that man slacking while eating an ungodly amount of sweets i just went "i am you. and you are me" 💀 but yes omg ranpo's amazing he's soooo interesting AND FYODOR TOO GAWD u have taste ava i love ur taste u get me !! i rlly should read bsd as well bc i was an anime only :(( i miss them fr :((

+ and lastly, happy holidays ava !! i hope u enjoy christmas hihi i dont celebrate it but i still wanna send some good vibes by saying that im so, so grateful for meeting u <33 i love u sm ava i wish u all the best these remaining days of 2022 ♥️

AI MY LOVE MY BELOVED !! i really wish u get raiden :(( hyv should give u raiden !! she’s rly easy to build and so powerful i love love love her !! i’ve managed to grind at least 10 wishes . pulled . got c3 gorou . :))))))) no faruzan cons. i give up on kuni’s banner 😭

+ AYE im having second thoughts abt hu tao, too!! bcos fyodor . and ayato . same VAs im gonna go insane. and ayato can be a good support for ayaka if i build him right. but hu tao <//3 i’ve been wanting her since i first started playing. maybe i’ll get ayato next time. idk im so . sighs. i WANT ayato too 😭 shenhe might have a rerun after hu tao… i’m praying… i need her…

+ OH MY GOD windtrace. i rmb now why i hate this event 😭 the first game we were at the fatui camp near the jadeplume terrorshroom. i disguised as a box and nilou was the hunter. THANKFULLY the hunter didn’t catch any of us my heart was gonna burst 😭 and then the next we were at byako plain . i panic and transformed into the wooden barrel near the water stream. idk what’s happening at first bcos i can see the other rebel from where i’m at— they were using sayu. they were standing there with the npcs and the apparently the hunter just couldn’t see them? and then the childe one transformed to a chair . the hunter chased them every where and to the roof. i was the only remaining rebel after the game. pretty fun!!

+ i read then i decided to just watch !! IM ON SEASON 3 RN and halfway thru!! im so excited to meet the rest of the villains . this anime rly proves if villain why sexy. everyone is attractive . god. pls. I KNEW ID LIKE HIM !! ive seen photos of him before and he seems interesting as well as cool . i love him a lot :,)) he and fyodor . ai when i heard fyodor’s voice PLS i was ready to risk it all. HE HAS THE SAME VA AS AYATO. and u know how i feel abt ayato. i love him a whole lot i wanna give him babies.

+ i love you, too, ai!! happy holidays and i hope u and the rest of ur family are safe <33 m so grateful of meeting u and having to be ur friend :,)) i hope we can meet someday hihi ^^ i love u sm, too !! mwah !! mwah !!

#xoxo: ai.#✉️: hotmail.

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zatyrlucy · 3 years

Text

Helluva VAs stream

No, this is not a prank xD I just couldnt post this sooner xp sorry. Here is the list of information I got from the stream of Voice actors/actress (VAs) from Helluva Boss. There is nothing about the lore of the show, just behind the scenes and also the VAs experience so far working on the project. I hope you enjoy.

1. (Don’t remember the min of this one) In the beginning, Helluva wasn’t going to be a musical, but Viv discovered that every episode could have its own song, so she changed her mind.

2. 36:00 Bryce Pinkham (Stolas VA) is very grateful to be working on Helluva. He said that because of the pandemic, there wasn’t much work in Broadway, so Helluva became his only job for a year, the show also made him feel better after his father died and helped him connect with his newborn daughter.

3. 41:00 When Erica Lindbeck (Loona’s VA) saw Loona’s design and the lines for her, she thought she was auditioning for a furry fighting game (lol)

4. 45:00 Viv is friend of Maxwell Atoms (creator of the Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy), who have worked with Richard Horvitz (VA of Moxxie) for years. So she asked Maxwell for Richard’s agent number and that’s how she got him for the show (plus Richard already knew about Viv’s project because a former student told him).

5. 48:00 Richard always wanted to be in a musical but never got the opportunity, so when he heard that Viv’s project was a musical, he accepted happily.

6. 1:35:00 Richard made the voice of the guy in charge of the shooting game in the LooLoo Land episode.

7. 1:40:00 There will be more Fizz and there will be an emotional direction that all the characters are going to take that (at the moment) looks like nobody is expecting it.

8. 1:45:00 According to Viv, the sooner you have figured out the design for your characters, the better, because otherwise every single part of production can be affected if you decide to change something when the board artist is already working in the old design.

9. 1:51:00 Bryce usually works in projects for kids, so being able to swear feels more natural and refreshing for him.

10. 1:57:00 Both Viv and Brandon like to watch the fandubs of the show

11. 1:58:00 Both Erica and Cristina Vee (Verosika’s VA) agree that cursing is a relief after so much time voicing innocent characters for kids (Ladybug in the case of Cristina and Barbie in the case or Erica).

12. 2:05:00 Brandon and Viv say that there is still a lot to come. Brandon especially, says that his favorite moments of the first season have not happen yet

13. 2:07:00 The “piss” tag on the spray bottle was a last-minute idea

14. 2:08:00 Viv wanted the women’s desguise to have everything big, the earrings, the wig, the dress, the purse…etc. The big wig was inspired in those big ones drag queens usually have.

15. 2:09:00 Bryce had a baby recently, a daughter, and that helped him a lot to connect with Stolas and his relationship with Octavia.

16. Bryce also said that doing the voice for Stolas for the first time was hard because he has never seen a character like him before, so he had to create the voice in his mind without any references.

17. 2:17:40 Jefferson Friedman is the music compositor of the show. He also composed the music for the animated series of Harley Quinn

18. 2:18:00 Each character has a theme song but instead of one theme sounding they get mixed with the other characters’ themes in the scene (for example, if Fizz and Blitzo are in a scene a mix of both themes sounds in the background).

19. 2:22:00 Helluva Boss is not about religion, or hell, or violence, the main theme is the relationships between the characters. From father-daughter relationships (Blitzo with Loona; Stolas with Octavia), romantic relationships (Stolas and Blitzo; Moxxie and Millie), to friends and enemies’ relationships (Blitzo with Verosika and Fizz; The Imps and the cherubs).

20. 2:24:40 Brandon is the one in charge of comedy while Viv is in charge of the angst, tragedy and dramatic moments.

#Helluva Boss

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felassan · 3 years

Text

Jon Renish (Foundation Technical Director @ BioWare, working on DA4) recently did a Twitch stream where he played through some DAO. Although he works on DA, this is his first time playing through DAO. He’s playing through it looking at random details from a dev perspective as he’s currently working on DA4 and therefore wants to know more about the previous games.

On the stream he mentioned some tidbits on the development of DA4. There were also some insights and anecdotes about the development of DAO and similar. It’s a 3 hour stream so I collected them here in case that’s of use to anyone (for example not everyone can watch streams which don’t have subtitles/captions). The stream is a fun/interesting watch though, so if you’re curious or able to watch I recc doing so. 😊 The rest of this post is under a cut for length.

Please note that there’s some paraphrasing on my part, this is not a transcript. There are also some additions from another dev who featured on the stream to give some commentary. The stream also contains more snippets that at times I couldn’t make out (I tried my best!).

(There is a mention of Cullen’s VA in the text below.)

DA4

Jon said he can talk about things about DA4 that aren’t “consumer-facing”, but he can’t say anything about the game that would be consumer-facing but which isn’t already publicly available. There are several reasons for this. One, that’s not his job, there are people whose job this is and they let each other do their respective roles. Two, BW are a publicly-traded company, so if he said something that could affect that that would be insider trading. Three, they’re not done making DA4 yet, so if he said that they have added [x] to the game and people got all excited about that or pre-ordered on that basis, but [x] ended up being cut, people would be like ‘BioWare lied to us’, when it’s just that things changed during the course of development, as is often the case

He’s glad that fans are excited for the game but notes that fan expectations are always double-edged. It can be really tough as some people started ‘playing’ the game in their heads as soon as they heard of it. That’s fine, he loves that, but he hopes that peoples’ expectations don’t turn into requirements. Clearly BW have alluded to certain characters, like Solas, being in the game, but some fans say things like “If [say] Morrigan isn’t in the game, then, rahhh!” Y’know, there’s a lot of talk about how certain characters have to be in the game, and yeah.

On characters which are quantum (i.e. characters which can die or which can have similar end-states as death in previous games): their being quantum makes it really hard for the devs to work with those characters in subsequent games. The devs naturally aren’t going to put as much effort into characters which could have died previously. A character can have had an amazing appearance throughout/role in a previous game, but if there is a risk of something happening to them and of them being removed [effectively] from the plot, it just doesn’t make sense to have them as a major character in a subsequent game. If a character can, say, sacrifice themselves in some glorious ending, the devs have to make sure that if they use them again, in worldstates where the character didn’t do that, the character is kind of ‘muted’, as the devs don’t want to disrespect the players who made a different choice

A comment in chat expressed a wish for Shale in DA4. Jon’s response is that he has no idea on that front

Bugs don’t come out of crunch, they come out of development in general. Crunch does impact on the quality of a game though. In recent years BW are always really trying to reduce crunch, they’re currently working really hard to bring it down. The best way of doing that is by controlling scope. As creatives it’s tough to balance wanting to make great stuff and be industry-leading with the desire to constantly do extra passes over things they’ve created like the audio, art etc. Their biggest enemy is time, other ways of reducing crunch or time spent in general include iterating tools to make often-repeated processes as time-efficient as possible

I think the following was an observation on the industry in general as opposed to a BW-specific/-exclusive comment: he thinks that as a result of this sort of thing [working to reduce crunch], a lot of games are going to have to be smaller and a lot more focused in scope i.e. the devs will have to focus on hitting the key selling points of that particular game/series as hard as they can, and cut down on branching out sideways/wide on a bunch of random other stuff

Jon doesn’t personally engage in character creators in games, but he knows that for some players that expression is worth a lot of time and focus. BW want to be industry-leading in this kind of stuff as it’s something which is interesting/key/integral to their games

In a way BW have made their own nest of problems what with every DA game being so different to the previous one. Still, he notes that each game has a staunch fanbase that says that their particular favorite game is the best one in the series

He doesn’t want people who think that DA4 isn’t what they want to buy it and be upset - there are so many other great games out there! BW are going to make the game they’re going to make - if some people like it, that’s great, and if some people don’t, that’s cool. Sometimes waiting until reviews are out and/or really seeing beforehand if a game is something that you want [has things/features in it that you want] prior to getting it - as opposed to jumping right in or pre-ordering - is a good idea. Fans don’t always know what they want, but they do know what they like - these are 2 different things

He hopes that whatever they ship for DA4, people go “I enjoyed this experience”, and that then, if there’s additional content for it down the road, people can decide, “do I want this further content?”

On hair: BW are using the new hair technology in the latest version of the Frostbite engine, so they’ll see what they can do! This was said in response to a comment about the hair in the latest FIFA games (as EA make FIFA)

A comment in chat asked about a flying mechanic (griffons). Jon’s response is that flying is such a heavy gameplay mechanic that you can’t put it in a game without everything in the game being built about it (see Anthem)

Relating to the above comment, in DA4 mounted combat would be cool but then they’d have to make the game ‘around’ mounted combat and make the mounted combat feature meaningful

On the underwater concept art: it should not be interpreted as a promise of gameplay. BW have amazing artists who sit down for a couple weeks while they’re in early production and just draw loads and loads of all kinds of stuff. Concept art is like a moodboard or Pinterest board. Elsewhere in the stream he advised, take all the concept art together like a mosaic and ask, ‘what is the overall theme[s] here?’, and to zoom out from individual details. [This stuff echoes PW’s word on concept art]

BW don’t generally write things or the choices as bleak as the choices in DAO were anymore. This is a conscious choice on their part, they want their game to be fun [note: this was said when the side quest in Orzammar where the Warden has the option of convincing a dwarven mother to abandon her young baby to die was being played through. It seems to refer to intensively grimdark choices/beats of this kind]

I think this was more of a general comment on games: SSDs (solid state drives) mean that players will see shorter elevator rides (Mass Effect - was this a reference to the remaster?) and fewer switchback corridors (those are actually loading zones). Generally, these are going to change mechanically the time it takes to do stuff in games

The devs have lots of features on their backlog that they’d like to offer players but each will ofc involve implementation and subsequent maintenance, and each one that is chosen to add is being chosen over something else. And sometimes, it’s hard for them to tell if [x] feature or [y] feature would be better to add to the game

They’re about to work on a giant feature (a pure tooling feature, something that isn’t consumer-facing) that is probably going to take ~2 staff years of effort [I think “staff effort” includes multiple staff working concurrently, so 2 years of staff effort doesn’t = 2 years of time chronologically] to get done in the next few months. They’re investing all this effort across the people working on it because they don’t want their artists and designers etc to have to deal with the problem that it’s going to solve anymore. I’m not sure what this feature is but elsewhere in the stream they referred to tooling and automation and gave the example of, the better your tooling is, the fewer times you have to manually set the camera for a human vs elf vs dwarf position, for dynamically-generated [cinematic?] content and for the first pass to be automated (if this is the case, less time is spent/wasted on redoing it and manually touching it up) [see last bullet point in this section]

He doesn’t know how big DA4 is going to be but said “let’s ballpark and say like most games it’ll be somewhere between 70 and 100 GB”

If we kept our Wardens as the PC throughout all 3 games, at the end they would be so powerful that it’d be a bit like “Let’s just do [thing], I’ve killed gods before, whatever”. He thinks it’s good that they have fresh characters each time in DA in order to reset that power level. Some people want more Commander Shepard in the next Mass Effect and he feels like, ‘what else could you possibly want / what else could that character possibly do after 3 games?’

When asked how much freedom he/they have now to focus on next gen, he said that there’s actually almost no difference on that front. The problems never change. They now have better renderers, better ray-tracing, better graphics cards etc, but they have always made DA games for high- and low-spec PCs, so it’s actually about gameplay systems. The freedom isn’t power-based and them getting access to more cores and more RAM generally isn’t going to change how the games are played. The games still have to be made for hard drives on PC. Dev creativity matters more than power here. The challenge of building a BW game is more about/from managing loads of different plotstates, loads of different art pieces, etc

On the title situation (two): names are the last thing they worry about because names have to go through legal before being approved. Every name, including character names, has to be checked in case it’s a famous person, or associated with something bad, or offensive in a different language due to localization etc

They don’t do face scans of people with big beards

There was also a bit about changes/developments to/in the cinematic design process and associated tooling [?] but I found it too hard to follow sorry >< This bit of commentary begins at timestamp ~ 1:52:45 and continues til ~ 2:00:05 [keep listening through the bit where they pause for a cutscene]

General BW

There’s currently ~350 staff in Edmonton, ~200 in Austin and more elsewhere

He notes that DA games sell pretty well, but relative to EA games in general, they’re a drop in the bucket compared to FIFA

DAI

5% of players of DAI never created a character [Q: does this refer to people who just used the default appearances/presets with no editing, or people who only played multiplayer?]

The mounts don’t actually go faster than running, this is an illusion

I think they said it has 55,000 lines of dialogue. [I’m pretty sure I remember devs elsewhere saying it has 80,000 lines of dialogue]

One of the companions had to have their name changed during development because of legal/translation reasons. It sounds like the original name sounded too close to something offensive

DA2

Back when DA2 was internally code-named “Nug Storm”: this was at the beginning when it was pitched to the team on a set of slides. The image on the slide for that pitch had devil horns, a metal hand and no flesh, it was just made out of fire and flames

DAO

The engine DAO is made on is the third engine that they tried for it during development. [David Gaider has gone into the DAO engine stuff some on Summerfall’s series of DAO playthrough streams]

The cracks on the cracked eluvian asset are modelled after the crack on the Tardis in Doctor Who from around that time, as at the time some devs had been talking about Doctor Who a lot. A dev actually added this factoid to DAO’s entry on TV Tropes but someone else (evidently not a DA dev) came by and deleted it saying that it was too much of a stretch x)

Before the game had its name there was an HTML script that randomly generated possible titles for consideration, it adds verbs and nouns together e.g. “Grim Dark”. One of the craziest possibilities that it once generated that the devs always remember is "Bone Wind”

One of the portraits that’s used for decoration around the world in-game (it’s of a bearded human man) is actually of a specific BW staff member

He played through Stone Prisoner, where Wilhelm’s son Matthias gives exposition in the cellar. Matthias is voiced by GE and this had been pointed out to Jon earlier on. Jon: “I don’t think that character’s voice acting was super strong there”

On the in-game area towards the end of Stone Prisoner: Outdoor areas in games are large and one of the things needed for them is streaming, so different chunks can be ‘streamed in’. There’s a tower [?], and technically the top of the tower was made an outdoor level so that sky stuff could be there, though it didn’t really need to be. The person that made it an outdoor level chose the very smallest chunk size for the terrain mesh, which determines how fine of a streaming they do. So when playing, every time you moved like 4 meters, the game would stream out 50-100 chunks behind you and the same in front of you (this is the bubble around the player of what actually exists). Because it was so small, it was constantly thrashing the CPU and disc to do all the loading. The devs were like “this isn’t going to work”, but they barely had any time. The solution: they made a new level that was outdoor and copied all the sunlight and other settings, but with the largest chunk size. They copy-pasted the entire level from one to the other. The problem with that many chunks then is that there was a giant expanse of flat terrain sticking out of the middle of the tower. They didn’t know if the story was going to involve shots of the outside of the tower for this sequence or not, so they took the terrain deformation tool and bundled all the terrain vertices at the bottom of the tower in a giant clump. So to this day there’s a mess of vertices and twisted terrain at the bottom of the final level that probably no-one has ever seen [not sure though if this anecdote is in reference to a place in that DLC or somewhere elsewhere in the game?]

There were also some tidbits on Anthem, however I didn’t note them down (sorry).

If you think I misheard or misunderstood anything from this stream please let me know and I will edit/fix it. :)

(Thankyou to some of my friends who explained a tech detail from this to me.)

[source] <-- current rewatch link

#dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #dragon age #bioware #video games #greg ellis mention #morrigan #queen of my heart #solas #mass effect #anthem #next mass effect #i love these factoids and insights into game dev it's so interesting and fun #i actually started this post yesterday but 2 hours in I was so sleepy (it was mad late) so I called it a night

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witch-hazels-musings · 3 years

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Hello, hello!! It's me again!! Here to interrupt your feed with yet another of my random genshin thought of the day! Recently, on one of Zach's (Aether's VA) streams with Poonam (Klee's VA), one of the viewers mentioned something about Klee driving a mini-car affectionately titled the 'dodocar'. This got the gears in my head turning, and I started thinking about the different modes of transport each character would use. These are some scenarios my brain came up with!! I wanted to send them your way because you always have the loveliest ideas, and wanted to know if you had any more thoughts on the matter! As such, Miss Hazel, today I present to you my offering of Genshin boys as different modes of transport! 💕

- 🔎

Diluc would drive a car. No question about this. I've always imagined him to have a sleek, modern-looking car that's maybe a little bit on the pricier side, but not completely outrageous by any means. The man doesn't really seem like the type who would want to show off his wealth, but he also can't deny that he has an eye for much of the finer things in life.

You watch as Diluc mans the car, watching the rolling hills flash by the window. There's something uniquely intoxicating about sitting in a car with someone else for hours on end. It makes you want to open up to them, makes you want to share stories which you perhaps wouldn't have wanted to share otherwise, much like a drunkard who's had one glass too many and is now blabbering on about their whole life story. Ah, but then again, perhaps this is only so because the two of you were drunk on something else entirely? You didn't know the answer to that question, but as you watched the way his sunset-eyes crinkled with mirth at your terrible, terrible Michael Jackson impression, you think you were okay with never knowing the answer to that question so long as the two of you could stay in this moment forever, just as you were.

Albedo doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would really enjoy driving. Instead, I think his preferred mode of transport would be cycling! He wakes up much earlier every morning because he insists on cycling to work instead of driving. Albedo seems like a very practical sort of fellow. Sure, cycling is more time consuming, but it's efficient, more environmentally friendly, and overall better for his health. That makes it a win in his book.

On the weekends though, especially as the weather starts to get warmer and the air is filled with the welcomed promise of spring, Albedo would often take you out for dates in the park on a special tandem-bike. The two of you would cycle around for a while just watching the flowers bloom and the greenery come back to life, before stopping for a quick picnic lunch underneath a grand magnolia tree. You laugh as you move to wipe the little bit of cream from the cake you two just devoured which is still stuck on his upper lip. It's a sweet, saccharine kind of love, one that reminds you of fresh morning-dew and hopeful new beginnings.

Over the summer, you found out that Childe has somehow managed to get his grubby little hands on a jet ski. Uh-oh. He says he wants you to ride it with him. He's saying please. He's giving you the puppy-dog eyes. You cannot say no to that face. You do not know where he got it from or even when he learned how to use a jet ski, but really don't think this is a good idea. Come on, you cannot look at this man and try to convince me that he is not an absolute speed demon. One moment he's showing off cool tricks on the jet-ski and then the next moment he's- oh JESUS CHRIST CHILDE SLOW THE FUCK DOWN, SOMEONE'S GONNA FALL!!

Thankfully, he's a skilled enough driver that everything went relatively smoothly. This time, at least. As he stops the vehicle to give you that dopey little grin and make sure you're still alive, you take a moment to playfully hit him on the shoulder for making your heart race a million miles an hour. He only laughs. Still, it was exhilirating. And you would never admit it to his face, but he does look kind of cool showing off tricks on the water. Maybe this wasn't such a terrible idea after all.

Kaeya is a proud owner of a motorcycle. Specfically, he owns one of those lovely old-school 1980's Honda motorcycles. The people living in your neighbourhood almost went mad the moment they saw him pull up at your door with, complete with dark sunglasses and a leather jacket. You thought he looked rather stupid. Still, you were glad that he brought his bike with him. It made it easier to traverse the city traffic and get to your destination quicker. Kaeya takes you out on a ride to one of his favourite destinations for a midnight snack: a night market, filled with rows and rows of stalls selling piping hot food. You hop from stall to stall, sharing the food and tasting everything the market has to offer together before heading back with a full heart and a full stomach.

There's a sense of youthful freedom that comes with taking late-night rides with your beau like this. Your arms around his waist, the wind billowing past your face, the moonlight reflecting the stars in his eyes... It makes you feel young again, makes you feel as though you were seventeen once more, discovering the thrills of love for the very first time. You've missed this. You've missed him. Sighing contentedly against his shoulder, you silently watch the blinking city lights fade in and out of view as you drive through the city that never sleeps.

Zhongli... Has no vehicle of his own. He's broke, your honour. Sorry Zhongli, I don't make the rules here. Thankfully, he lives in a city with a great public transport system, so he has no issues getting around if he needs to. The lack of personal vehicles also means he gets to spend more time walking with you, an activity which he has grown to really enjoy, so I suppose there is a silver lining after all. The two of you often work rather late, so the streets were usually barren by the time you leave the office. You and Zhongli would often walk to the train station together after your shifts have ended, basking in the stillness of the night and the almost alien glow of fluorescent lights.

He loves chatting with you during these walks. He would ask you questions about your day, about your work, about plans for the weekend. Sometimes he would point out the different types of plants and rocks he noticed on your walk to the station. In the train, the two of you would sit silently together, content to just enjoy each other's presence. Sometimes, on particularly rough days, you find yourself falling asleep on his shoulder while waiting for your destination. He finds this incredibly endearing, and would always take it as a cue to give you a quick peck on the cheek before tucking you closer to his side.

Sometime later, you two are awoken by the train staff. The both of you had fallen asleep on the train and had missed your stop. Whoops.

i love these!

I really vibe with the Albedo one too - he’s very practical and pretty frugal, waste isn’t something he seems to enjoy creating so everything eco-friendly would be his go to ( we can be eco-friendly together my dear )

lol Zhongli!

plus you made these cute little interactions T.T adorable to the max!!

#hazelmail #🔎 anon #🔎 works #genshin impact #transportation headcanons #hazeldigsthis

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inkabelledesigns · 3 years

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10-31-2021 Alice Angel: Development History you Never Knew!

There are many benefits to being someone that's interested in voice acting, and while I'm not the biggest social media person, I do follow a variety of voice actors whose work I like. It should come as no surprise that as a massive Bendy fan, I love every single VA in this series, they all put on a wonderful performance, and I do follow a majority of them.

Lauren Synger has always been pretty actively involved with us as a fambase, and this year for Halloween, she teamed up with her friend thecanadianbard on Twitch, as he livestreamed himself playing Bendy and the Ink Machine for the first time, blind. I was there for a majority of the stream with like eleven other people in the chat, and it was a great time. I'll link you to the recap (though it may not be there forever), but I wanted to take a moment to share some of the things Lauren revealed, both about BATIM's development process (mostly about Alice and Lonely Angel) and a few small tidbits for BATDR. Warning, these highlights are gonna get long. The stream clocks in at about seven hours and forty-five minutes, and even though I was there for most of it, I did miss two and a half hours due to dinner and passing out candy, so I had to go back and re-watch what I missed to make sure I got everything. X’’D I’m glad I did, Bard and Lauren are hilarious together. Though I will say, take this with a grain of salt.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1192262969

(Quick note, every time I say Alice, I’m referring to Twisted Alice, our primary angel for Chapter 3. Lauren refers to her as just Alice throughout the entire stream, so for the sake of consistency, we’re gonna do the same. Though I do find it interesting that she did it that way. It’s like only the handbook ever calls her Twisted Alice. X’’’D Literally no one else does but me.)

(Second note: part of this stream was used to promote a compilation video from Lauren’s “Dance with the Angel” challenge, where visual artists (illustrators, animators, cosplayers, make-up artists, etc) were encouraged to created some Alice Angel artwork to the tune of the song Lonely Angel. I’m gonna link it here because this is such a cool fan project, everyone did a great job and I want their great work to get acknowledged too!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MqcJ9AR4A8

BATIM:

-Lonely Angel as a song was originally developed as early as Chapter 3, but the scene it belonged to was cut. It sounds like it was a pretty exciting ordeal though, her tone sounded really hyped talking about it.

-The original context of Lonely Angel as a song was a song from Susie to the demonic presence that was slowly taking her over. Lauren described the “angel voice” as being Susie and the “devil voice” as the demonic entity that takes her over by the end of Chapter 3. The song was meant to express how Susie was so glad to not be alone anymore now that this thing was with her.

-Apparently it’s harder to scream in the “angel voice” than it is in the “devil voice,” which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.

-Lauren lost her voice for three days after recording for Alice. It was her idea that the character should have a double-voice, since she’s half angel half devil, and as such she had to record every line as both voices so they could stitch together what made the most sense. She doesn’t regret it because the character sounds like she’s at her best.

-One of the most heart-wrenching things Lauren discussed was that not long before Bendy, she was let go from a part that she had been doing for years because a company had decided to change directions and only work with union actors (something she wasn’t at the time). She was heartbroken over it. When her nephew Liam showed her Build Our Machine, and she started researching the game, she drafted an e-mail to the Meatly to see about joining the project, since it inspired her. She almost didn’t go through with it. Her husband convinced her to send it, saying that she had to give it a chance, and give the Meatly a chance to decide for himself if she was a good fit, rather than sabotaging herself before she even started. Lauren shared her story with the Meatly, and he was both sympathetic and inspired, asking if they could use what happened to her to inform the backstory for Susie’s character. The way she tells this story is amazing and full of character, I’m not doing it justice here.

-Lauren is very big on making sure voice actors get proper credit, and there was a lot of confusion for who voiced Alice and who voiced Susie early on. She wanted Alanna Linayre to get acknowledged for her great work just as much as she wanted to be acknowledged, and that’s pretty admirable to me. Voice actors gotta stick together, ya know?

-Lauren had a pretty big hand in helping bring Alice to life. It wasn’t just reading lines on a page, she helped develop the character through to the end. She recalled several stories of how the Meatly was so giddy but trying to play it cool whenever she had something new to share, one of those things was writing a song for Alice.

-We’ve heard this story before, but we got it in more detail here. When Lauren had written Lonely Angel, she sent an audio recording over to the Meatly and didn’t hear back from him for a couple of weeks (apparently this is very common with him, he gets very deep in his work). When they got on a call, she asked if he had heard it, and he hadn’t. So unexpectedly in that moment, he got on some headphones and listened to it right then and there. Lauren had to mute herself because she was freaking out, but they both came out of it with the feeling that the song was amazing and they needed to include it.

-When Lauren first got interested in Alice, it was because of the poster we all saw in Chapter 2 with her cartoon design. Apparently after she’d booked the role, the Meatly slid over and was like, ‘so, you wanna see what Alice REALLY looks like?’ And BAM, there was her concept art, which happens to be the picture of her in the apron that we see in the Archives chapter. Lauren was shocked to learn this character was one of the villains, but given she has a strong love for playing villain roles, I think it’s safe to say that this worked out.

-Lauren has actually played through BATIM! Listen I know that’s a weird thing to call out, but I know of several people who don’t ever engage with the media they’re featured in, so I find it cool she’s played it. She had several comments about things she liked and didn’t like in regards to gameplay, including that Alice was a total jerk with the weapons she saddled you with (she laughed a lot while talking about this, it was sweet). She had a very strong reaction the first time she played Chapter 3 and didn’t get the Tommy gun. She also coached Bard through the Brute Boris boss fight, and commented that the lip of the stage was difficult to deal with.

-It became a thing for the chat to repeat Wally’s “I’m outta here!” every time his tapes were played. Lauren encouraged this and giggled so much every time it happened. It was sweet!

-The voice for Wally Franks was inspired by real people the Meatly knew, namely people who worked at his high school, a science teacher and a janitor.

-Originally the Meatly voiced all three Butcher Gang members, not just Charley.

-When asked about her favorite characters in the series, she pointed to a lot of the toons as her favorites, with Alice being pretty high up there. When asked who her favorite Butcher Gang member was, she was quick to say Edgar.

-Lauren was very cheeky in referring to Bertrum Piedmont as “Bertie,” like you can hear the glee in her voice as she says it, and that just made me laugh.

-Apparently the ballroom from the Brute Boris boss fight is one of Lauren's favorite rooms. Bard made a comment to that it was very obvious what the reference was, she agreed, and then said "Doesn't that chandelier look like its from Phantom of the Opera?" I'm gonna be real with you, I have yet to actually watch Phantom of the Opera, so I dunno, but I'm assuming that's what the room is referencing (unless you Bioshock players have something similar that I don't know about).

- "Was Alice Angel's death always planned? No, it wasn't. We actually had talked about a major event with her, but the problem was that it was so big that it took away from Bendy. And we have to remember that it's Bendy and the Ink Machine, not Alice Angel and the Ink Machine." ""We had this whole dynamic worked out and we were really excited." She paraphrased that the Meatly said "Lauren I'm gonna have to break your heart here, but I'm gonna give you a gift at the same time." "That gift was Allison." "It was a really tough decision for both of us because we really loved Alice." Additionally, the number of people who hated Alice's fetch quests seemed to influence the decision to kill the character off. Lauren made a comment about it feeling a little "forced" as a result, especially since she "had so much potential". She does agree though, the fetch section was really painful when it first came out, and bless the team for working so hard to fix it.

-"That was one of the harder things, establishing a yelling voice for Allison that was different from Alice Angel." Girl I feel that, I feel that so hard. X'''D Like I'm just a hobbyist and I have a hard time differentiating between characters, I can only imagine how much she's had to work through that. "There's a lot of games where I do a lot of battle cries." It’s true, Lauren’s got an EXTENSIVE number of roles from over the years (hard to believe she’s been at this voice acting thing since I was two years old).

-The clarinet player for Lonely Angel is Joe Carello, and apparently he's super in love with Boris! She got him a Boris plushie and he was so excited for it, how sweet! (This is where I’m gonna apologize, as there is a good chance I’m getting the spelling of these names wrong.)

-Patrick McDougall, Lauren's audio engineer and producer is very experienced in the Hollywood scene, like he's worked with the Blues Brothers and on the Dick Tracy soundtrack, and that's why he was recommended to her. She was terrified to meet him, but he's an absolute gift and a total sweetheart. She referred to him as an "audio wizard," and it's the cutest thing, I love that.

-Lonely Angel was the first time Lauren had written a jazz song and worked with live jazz musicians! Yeah, that’s right, LIVE MUSICIANS.

-Andrew Carroll was the pianist on Lonely Angel. She referred to him as “her rock.”

-Lauren went on for a while about how collaboration is a really great thing, making the point that there’s a balance to be found between holding true to your vision and being open to others’ ideas, and that just really resonated with me. It’s very true, and I think it’s something we should talk about more often.

-Fun fact, Joey Drew has TWO VOICE ACTORS! For Chapter 3, it’s David Eddings, but for Chapters 4 and 5, it’s another gentleman by the name of Dave Rivas. I never would’ve guessed, the two sound so similar and do such a great job bringing the character to life that I thought they were one and the same. So hats off to you gents! (I’d actually like to talk more about him and Lani Minella another time, scrolling through their roles over the years has shown some really interesting stuff.)

-Lauren made a comment about how Allison is a “deep character.” I really hope we get to hear more about this in the future.

-Okay, this is an indulgent note. I made a comment during the Beast Bendy boss fight, “ X'''D Listen, this is an ice rink and Henry doesn't know how to skate, let him hug the wall.” And Lauren responded with something to the effect of ‘is this Bendy on ice?’ Somehow this led to her saying she could not ice skate or dance, and one of the things she told the Meatly early on is that "You don’t want me to dance, but I can sing!”, which I just think is kind of fun. (I can’t ice skate either, and I lived in an area where hockey was a huge deal for years, so I empathize.)

-The stream ends with someone known as Kiwi (a friend of theirs) cuing a sound clip of “Hello darkness my old friend” as Beast Bendy dies, and honestly it was amazing. That will forever live rent free in my head, the timing was PERFECT.

BATDR:

-Lauren Synger is the voice director for this game! She was also the voice director on Showdown Bandit and Boris and the Dark Survival. (Side note, she mentioned there was a lot of voice recording done for Showdown Bandit that we never got to hear, and she’d love to go back to that world at some point, though it doesn’t sound like any plans are set in stone currently.)

-Lani Minella is the casting director! Lani has been in a lot of legendary games. I know her best as Rouge the Bat back in Sonic Adventure 2 and Heroes, but here in the world of Bendy, you'll hear her as Lacie Benton, Emma LaMonte, and in Showdown Bandit as the Bandit himself.

-When asked if Alice would be returning for BATDR, Lauren said she couldn’t say anything in regards to that, but she did say Allison would be returning, and that she was really excited for it. She also noted that the entire team wishes they could reveal more and talk about it because it’s such a fun project, but we’re gonna have to wait. It’s coming soon, and it’s a good time. It was along the lines of ‘it’s killing us just as much as it’s killing you.’

-She pronounced the acronym as “Bat Dr.” which isn’t really news, I just find it cute. When is Gwen getting her doctorate. X’’D

And that’s all that I managed to catch on this stream (though there may be different things you find notable on your own watch-through). I know it’s not much in terms of new news, but like, I didn’t expect it to be. I was there to have a fun time watching someone experience Bendy for the first time, and that’s what I got. I really love hearing about the development history though. I’ve been around since close to the beginning of this series (I came in a month after Chapter 2 released), and there’s stuff that even I didn’t know that came out of this. There were stories I heard before that got more detailed too. Overall, it was a great way to spend Halloween, and I hope you give it a watch. Bard’s a really fun streamer and I think you’ll appreciate his content. A big thank you to both of them for hosting such a fun event! Final thoughts? My god, this was fun, it was so much fun. Getting to hear more about one of my favorite characters, spending time with such a fun group of people? It was bliss. Here’s wishing you all a wonderful day!

#batim #bendy and the ink machine #alice angel #lauren synger #bendy #bendy dev history #bendy history #bendy halloween 2021 #halloween 2021 #thecanadianbard

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army-of-mai-lovers · 3 years

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Jet and Yue’s Deaths: Were They Necessary?

Two of the most common ideas I see for aus in this fandom are the Jet lives au, and the Yue lives au. I’ve written both of these myself, and I’ve seen many others write them. And while yes, fanfiction can be a great way to explore ideas that didn’t necessarily have to be explored in canon (I’m mad at bryke for a lot of things, but not including a Toph and Bumi I friendship is not one of them, even though I wrote a fic about it), it seems to me that people are mad that Yue and Jet are dead, to varying degrees. There’s a lot to talk about regarding their deaths from a sociopolitical perspective (the fact that two of the darker-skinned characters in the show are the ones that died, and all the light-skinned characters lived, is ah... an interesting choice), but I don’t want to look at it that way, at least for right now. I want to look at it as a writer, and discuss whether these deaths were a) necessary for the plot and themes of ATLA in any way whatsoever and b) whether it was necessary for them to unfold in the way that they did, or if they would have been more impactful had they occurred in a different way.

(meta under the cut, this got really, really, really long)

Death in Children’s Media

When I first started thinking about this meta, I had this idea to compare Jet and Yue’s deaths to deaths in an animated children’s show that I found satisfying. And in theory, that was a great idea. Problem is: there aren’t very many permanent deaths in children’s animation, and the ones that do exist aren’t especially well-written. This may be an odd thing to say in what is ostensibly a piece of atla crit, but Yue’s death is probably the best written death in a piece of children’s animation that I can think of. That’s not a compliment. Rather, it’s a condemnation of the way other pieces of children’s animation featuring permanent character death have handled their storylines.

I’ve talked about this before, but my favorite show growing up was Young Justice, and my favorite character on that show was far and away Mr. Wally West. So when he died at the end of season 2, it broke me emotionally. Shortly thereafter, Cartoon Network canceled the show, and I started getting on fan forums to mourn. Everybody on these fan forums was convinced that had Cartoon Network not canceled the show, Wally would have been brought back. And that is a narrative that I internalized for years. Eventually, the show was brought back via DC’s new streaming service, and I tuned in, waiting for Wally to also be brought back, only to discover that that wasn’t in the cards. Wally was dead. Permanently.

So now that I know that, I can talk about why killing him off was fucking stupid. Wally’s death occurs at the end of season 2, after the main s2 conflict, the Reach, has been defeated, save for these pods that they set up all over the world to destroy Earth. Our heroes split up in teams of two to destroy the pods, and they destroy all of them, except for a secret one in Antartica. It can only be neutralized by speedsters, so Wally, Bart, and Barry team up to destroy it. It’s established in canon that Wally is slower than Bart and Barry, and it’s been played for laughs earlier in the season, but for reasons unexplained, the pod is better able to target Wally because he’s slower than Bart and Barry, and it kills him. After the emotional arc of the season has wrapped up, a literal main character dies. There’s some indication at the end of that season that his death is going to cause Artemis to spiral and become a villain, but when season 3 picks up, she’s doing the right thing, with seemingly no qualms about her position in life as a hero. In the comics, something like this happens to Wally, but then he goes into the Speed Force and becomes faster and stronger even than Barry, in which case, yes, this would have advanced the plot, but that’s probably not in the cards either.

In summary, Wally’s death doesn’t work as a story beat, not because it made me mad, but because it doesn’t advance the plot, nor does it develop character. Only including things that advance plot or develop character is one of the golden rules of writing. Like most golden rules of writing, however, it’s not absolute. There is a lot of fun to be had in jokey little one off adventures (in atla, Sokka’s haiku competition) or in fun worldbuilding threads that add depth to your setting but don’t really come up (in atla, the existence of Whaletail Island, which is described in really juicy ways, even though the characters never go there.) But in general, when it comes to things like character death, events should happen to develop the plot or advance character. Avatar, for all of its flaws, is really well structured, and a lot of its story beats advance plot and develop character at the same time. However, the show also bears the burden of being a show directed at children, and thus needing to be appropriate for children. And as we know, Nickelodeon and bryke butted heads over this: the death scene that we see for Jet is a compromise, one that implicitly confirms his death without explicitly showing it. So bryke tasked themselves with creating a show about imperialism and war that would do those themes justice while also being appropriate for American children and palatable to their parents.

The Themes of Avatar vs. Its Audience

So, Avatar is a show about a lone survivor of genocide stopping an imperialist patriarchal society from decimating the rest of the world. It’s also a show about found family and staying true to yourself and doing your best to improve the world. These don’t necessarily conflict with each other, and it is possible for children to understand and enjoy shows about complex themes. And in a lot of cases, bryke doesn’t hold back in showing what the costs of war against an imperialist nation are: losing loved ones, losing yourself, prison, etc. But when it comes to death, the show is incredibly hesitant. None of the main characters that we’ve spent a lot of time getting to know die (not even Iroh, even though he was old and it would have made sense and his VA died before the show was over--but that’s a topic for another day.) This makes sense. I can totally imagine a seven year-old watching Avatar as it was coming out and feeling really sad or scared if a major character died. I was six years older than that when Wally died, and it’s still sad and terrifying to me to this day. However, in a show about war, it would be unrealistic to have no one die. Bryke’s stated reason for killing off Jet is to show the costs of war. I’ve seen a lot of posts about Jet’s death that reiterate some version of this same point--that the great tragedy of his character is that he spent his life fighting the Fire Nation, only to die at the hands of his own country. Similarly, I’ve seen people argue in favor of Yue’s death by saying that it was a great tragedy, but it showed the sacrifices that must be made in a war effort.

Yue

When we first meet Yue, she is a somewhat reserved, kind individual held back by the rigid social structures of the NWT*. She and Sokka have an immediate attraction to one another, but Yue reveals that she is engaged to Hahn. The Fire Nation invasion happens, Zhao kills Tui, and Yue gives up her life to save her people and the world, and to restore balance. Since we didn’t have a lot of time to get to know Yue, this is framed less as Yue’s sacrifice and more as Sokka’s loss. Sokka is the one who cares for Yue, Sokka is the only one of the gaang who really interacts a lot with Yue on screen, and Sokka is the one we’ve spent a whole season getting to know. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call Yue a prop character (i.e. a character who could be replaced by an object with little change to the narrative), she is certainly underdeveloped. She exists to be unambiguously likable and good, so we can root for her and Sokka, and feel Sokka’s pain when she dies. In my opinion, this is probably also why a lot of fic that features Yue depicts her as a Mary Sue--because as she is depicted in the show, she kind of is. We don’t get to see her hidden depths because she is written to die.

In light of what we’ve established earlier in this meta, this makes sense. Killing off a fully-realized character whom the audience has really gotten to know and care about on their own terms, rather than through the eyes of another character, could be really sad and scary for the kids watching, but not killing anyone off would be an unrealistic depiction of war and imperialism. On the face of it, killing off an underdeveloped, unambiguously likable and good character, whom one of our MCs has a deep but short connection with, is the perfect compromise.

But let’s go back to the golden rule for a second. Does Yue’s death a) advance the plot, and/or b) develop character? The answer to the first is yes: Yue’s death prompts Aang to use the Avatar State to fight off the Fire navy, which has implications for his ability to control the Avatar State that form one of the major arcs of book 2. The answer to the second? A little more ambiguous. You would think that Yue’s death would have some lasting impact on Sokka that is explored as part of his character arc in book 2, that he may be more afraid to trust, more scared of losing the people he loves, but outside of a few episodes (really, just one I can think of, “The Swamp”) it doesn’t seem to affect him that much. He even asks about Suki in a way that is clearly romantically motivated in “Avatar Day.” I don’t know about you, but if someone I loved sacrificed herself to become the moon, I don’t think I would be seeking out another romantic entanglement a few weeks after her death. Of course, everybody processes grief differently, and one could argue that Sokka has already lost important people in his life, and thus would be accustomed to moving on from that loss and not letting himself dwell on it. But to that, I’d say that moving on by throwing himself into protecting others has already shown itself to be an unhealthy coping mechanism. Remember, Sokka’s misogyny at the beginning of b1 is in part motivated by the fact that his mother died at the hands of the Fire Nation and his father left shortly thereafter to fight the Fire Nation, and he responds to those things by throwing himself into the role of being the “man” of the village and protecting the people he loves who are still with him. Like with Yue, he doesn’t allow himself to dwell on his mother’s death. This could have been the beginning of a really interesting b2 arc for Sokka, in which he throws himself into being the Avatar’s companion to get away from the grief of losing Yue, but this time, through the events of the show, he’s forced to acknowledge that this is an unhealthy coping mechanism. And maybe this is what bryke was going for with “The Swamp”, but this confines his whole process of grief to one episode, where it could have been a season-long arc that really emphasized the effect Yue’s had on his life.

In the case of Yue, I do lean toward saying that her death was necessary for the story that they wanted to tell (although, I will never turn down a good old-fashioned Yue lives au that really gets into her dynamism as a character, those are awesome.) However, the way they wrote Sokka following Yue’s death reduced her significance. The fact that Yue seemed to have so little impact on Sokka is precisely what makes her death feel unnecessary, even if it isn’t.

Jet

Okay. Here we go.

If you know my blog, you know I love Jet. You know I love Jet lives aus. Perhaps you know that I’m in the process of writing a multichapter Jet fic in which he lives after Lake Laogai. So it’s reasonable to assume that, in a discussion of whether or not Jet’s death was necessary, I’m gonna be mega-biased. And yeah, that’s probably true. But up until recently, I wasn’t really all that mad about Jet dying, at least conceptually. As I said earlier, bryke says that in the case of Jet’s death, they wanted to kill a character off that people knew and would care about, so that they could further show the tragedies of war and imperialism. Okay. That is not, in and of itself, a bad idea.

My issue lies with the execution of said idea. First of all, the framing of Jet’s original episode is so bad. Jet is part of a long line of cartoon villains who resist imperialism and other forms of oppression through violence and are punished for it. This is actually a really common sort of villain for atla/lok, as we see this play out again with Hama, Amon, and the Red Lotus. To paraphrase hbomberguy’s description of this type of villain, basically liberal white creators are saying, “yeah, oppression is bad, but have you tried writing to your Congressman about it?” With Jet, since we have so little information about the village he’s trying to flood, there are a number of different angles that would explain his actions and give them more nuance. My preferred hc is that the citizens of Gaipan are a mix of Earth civilians, Fire citizens, and FN soldiers, and that the Earth citizens refused to feed or house Jet and the other Freedom Fighters because they were orphans and, as we see in the Kyoshi Novels, Earth families stick to their own. Thus, when Jet decides to flood Gaipan, he’s focused on ridding the valley of Fire Nation, but he doesn’t really care about what happens to the Earth citizens of Gaipan because they actively wronged him when he was a kid. That’s just one interpretation, and there have been others: Gaipan was fully Fire Nation, Gaipan was both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation but Jet decided that the benefits of flooding the valley and getting rid of the Fire Nation outweighed the costs of losing the EK families, etc, etc. There are ways to rewrite that scenario so that Jet is not framed as an unambiguously bloodthirsty monster. In the context of Jet’s death, this initial framing reduces the possible impact that his death could have. Where Yue was unambiguously good, Jet is at the very least morally gray when we see him again in the ferry. And where we are connected to Yue through Sokka, the gaang’s active hatred of Jet hinders our ability to connect with him. This isn’t impossible to overcome--the gaang hates Zuko, and yet to an extent the audience roots for him--but Jet’s lack of screentime and nuanced framing (both of which Zuko gets in all three seasons) makes overcoming his initially flawed framing really difficult.

So how much can it really be said, that by the time we get to Jet’s death, he’s a character that we know and care about? So much about him is still unknown (what happened to the Freedom Fighters? what prompted Jet’s offscreen redemption? who knows, fam, who knows.) Moreover, most of what we see of him in Ba Sing Se is him actively opposing Zuko and Iroh. These are both characters that at the very least the show wants us to care about. At this point, we know almost everything there is to know about them, we’ve been following them and to an extent rooting for them for two seasons, and who have had nuanced and often sympathetic framing a number of times. So much of the argument I’ve seen regarding Jet centers around the fact that he was right to expose Zuko and Iroh as Firebenders, but the reason we have to have that argument in the first place is because it’s not framed in Jet’s favor. In terms of who the audience cares about more, who the audience has more of an emotional attachment towards, Zuko and Iroh win every time. Whether Jet’s actually in the right or not is irrelevant, because emotionally speaking, we’re primed to root for Zuko and Iroh. In terms of who the framing is biased towards, Jet may as well be Zhao. So when he’s taken by the Dai Li and brainwashed, the audience isn’t necessarily going to see this as a bad thing, because it means Zuko and Iroh are safe.

The only real bit of sympathetic framing Jet gets are those initial moments on the ferry, and the moments after he and the gaang meet again. So about five, ten minutes of the show, total. And then, he sacrifices himself for the gaang. And just like Yue, his death has little to no impact on the characters in the episodes following. Katara is shown crying for four frames immediately following his death, and they bring him up once in “The Southern Raiders” to call him a monster, and once in “The Ember Island Players”, a joke episode in which his death is a joke.

So, let’s ask again. Does this a) advance the plot, and/or b) develop character? The answer to both is no. It shows that the Dai Li is super evil and cruel, which we already knew and which basically becomes irrelevant in book 3, and that is really the only plot-significant thing I can think of. As far as character, well, it could have been a really interesting moment in Katara’s development in forgiving someone who hurt her in the past, which could have foreshadowed her forgiving Zuko in b3, but considering she calls Jet a monster in TSR, that doesn’t track. There could have been something with Sokka realizing that his snap judgment of Jet in b1 was wrong, but considering that he brings up Jet to criticize Katara in TSR, that also does not track. And honestly, neither of these possible character arcs require Jet to die. What requires Jet to die is the ~themes~.

Let’s look at this theme again, shall we? The cost of war. We already covered it with Yue, but it’s clearly something that bryke wants to return to and shed new light on. The obvious angle they’re going for is that sometimes, you don’t know who your real enemy is. Jet thought that his enemy was the Fire Nation, but in the end, he was taken down by his own countryman. Wow. So deep. Except, while it’s clear that Jet was always fighting against the Fire Nation, I never got the sense that Jet was fighting for the Earth Kingdom. After all, isn’t the whole bad thing about him in the beginning is that he wants to kill civilians, some of whom we assume to be Earth Kingdom? Why would it matter then that he got killed by an EK leader, when he didn’t seem to ever be too hot on those dudes? But okay, maybe the angle is not that he was killed by someone from the Earth Kingdom, but that he wasn’t killed by someone from the Fire Nation. Okay, but we’ve already seen him be diametrically opposed to the only living Air Nomad and people from the Water Tribes. Jet fighting with and losing to people who aren’t Fire Nation is not a new and exciting development for him. Jet has been enemies with non-FN characters for most of the show’s run at this point. There is no thematic level on which the execution of this holds any water.

The reason I got to thinking about this, really analyzing what Jet’s death means (and doesn’t mean) for the show, was this conversation I was having with @the-hot-zone in discord dms. We were talking about book 2 and ways it could have been better, and Zone said that they thought that Jet would have been a stronger character to parallel with Zuko’s redemption than Iroh and that seeing more of the narrative from Jet’s perspective could have strengthened the show’s themes. And when it came to the question of Jet’s death, they said, “And if we are going with Jet dying, then I want it to hurt. I want it to hurt just as much as if a main character like Sokka had died. I want the viewer to see Jet's struggles, his triumphs, the facets of Jet that make him compelling and important to the show.” And all of that just hit me. Because we don’t get that, do we? Jet’s death barely leaves a mark. Jet himself barely leaves a mark. His death isn’t plot-significant, doesn’t inspire character growth in any of our MCs, and doesn’t even accomplish the thematic relevance that it claims to. So what was the point?

Conclusion

Much as I dislike it, Yue’s death actually added something to atla. It could have added much, much more, in the hands of writers who gave more of a shit about their Brown female characters and were less intent on seeing them suffer and knocking them down a peg, but, in my opinion, it did work for what it was trying to do. Jet? Jet? Nah, fam. Jet never got the chance to really develop into a likable character because he was always put at odds with characters we already liked, and the framing skewed their way, not his. The dude never really had a chance.

*multiple people have spoken about how the NWT as depicted in atla is not reminiscent of real life Inuit and Yupik people and culture. I am not the person to go into detail about this, but I encourage you to check out Native-run blogs for more info!

#jet #yue #bold text #italics #death tw #murder tw

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marvelousmarvelimagines · 3 years

Text

Burn

Pairing - Sam Wilson x Reader

Summary - You knew that things were going to change the moment that Captain America walked into you and your boyfriend’s lives. You just hadn’t expected them to change so quickly.

Word Count - 2.5k

Warnings - None except angst! But I promise it’s a happy ending! :)

Could you say that you didn’t see it coming? That you were blindsided? That you had never expected things to end this way? No. From the moment that Captain America had come knocking on the doorway of your apartment, you knew that things were about to change.

You could admit that you hadn’t expected it to end so quickly after that.

“I’ve got to go help him. I feel like . . . I’ve found what I’m supposed to do.” He told you, sitting across from you at your small dining room table.

“I thought working at the VA was your calling?” You asked. It was where the two of you had met. You had been working at the front desk there for years now.

“This is different.” He replied, and you watched as his fingers tapped on the table. It was an anxious habit he had come back with from his two tours. “Captain America needs my help, and I can’t turn him down.”

“Even if it means losing me?” You asked, your voice a whisper in the air passing between the two of you.

There was silence for a long time after that. You knew this couldn’t be easy for him. The two of you had gone through so much together that letting each other go had always seemed an impossible thing to do. How would you survive? Even though Sam was the one sitting here, cutting the tie, you knew he was thinking the same thing.

“Even if it means losing you.” Sam answered.

And just like that, it was over.

____________________

The first time you saw Sam Wilson after your break up was almost a year later. The forces of the Universe must have been against you, because it was while you were on a third date with a guy. It had been going okay, you always tried to give it at least three dates before you gave up, but you had a feeling it wasn’t going to go anywhere.

You had a hard time finding any hope about a relationship these days. Not after you had lost the person you thought might have been your soulmate, but you couldn’t sit around your apartment feeling sorry for yourself. You knew he wasn’t. Every once in a while you would get a letter, a postcard, from somewhere across the country, but you never replied. How were you supposed to be getting over him if you were getting reminders of his presence all the time?

He hadn’t sent a letter this month, so you assumed he had gotten the message, or was too busy saving the world, but then you saw him, sitting at a bar with Steve Rogers, and all the hurt came rushing back like a tidal wave. “Hey, um, can we go somewhere else?” You asked your date, hoping and praying he would say yes.

“Why? I’ve got us a table reserved and everything.” He told you like it was a big deal, and he had pulled a lot of strings to do so.

“It’s just my ex is here -” You started to explain, but he cut you off.

“So?” He asked, giving you an annoyed look.

Yeah, this relationship was definitely not going anywhere, but you didn’t want to be rude, knowing he had already driven to come into town, and shook your head. You took one more glance at Sam, who hadn’t noticed your presence, and you sighed. “Never mind.”

This response seemed to please him. He smiled, and gestured toward a booth in the corner. “Go ahead and have a seat, I’ll get us some drinks.”

It was not your night, that much was for sure. You rubbed your forehead, already feeling a stress headache coming on, and not looking forward to the next at least hour or so. You leaned against the back of the booth, closing your eyes and trying to focus on anything other than the man who you could feel from all the way across the room. You were so lost in thought you didn’t even notice the drink in front of you until your date spoke up.

“I got you some red wine. I’m sure you’ll find it to your satisfaction.” He said, with a grin.

You, on the other hand, wanted to grimace. “Oh, thank you.” You replied, once again, not wanting to be rude, and took a sip, trying to fight back a grimace. He was still standing there, and you knew he was assuming that you would scoot over so he would slide in beside you, but you had always thought that was so weird, so you didn’t move, pretending to focus on your glass until he finally sat down across from you.

In fact, you didn’t even look at him until he cleared his throat, trying to grab your attention. “You look nice tonight.”

Surprised, but pleased by the genuine compliment, you gave him a hesitant smile. “Thank you, you look -”

“I mean, I’m sure your hair would look nicer down, but -”

Wow. It really was going to be one of the worst dates of your life.

“She looks great no matter how she wears her hair actually.” A voice interrupted, and your whole body tensed.

You would recognize that voice anywhere, with the amount of times you had heard it, even though it had been a year since you had heard it in person. You tried to prepare yourself, but there was no way to do so.

Sam Wilson was not a man you could look at without getting flustered. He looked as great as you remembered, cute smirk, strong jaw, soft eyes, but there was a hint of tiredness, along with something else you couldn’t put your finger on as he looked at you. You wondered what it was, but then decided to chalk it up to him seeing you for the first time in so long. You knew that you were definitely feeling shaken up looking at him, so you imagined he was too.

Memories of your times together started to cloud your memory as you two stared at each other, and you had no idea how long you were looking at him until your date spoke up, clearing his throat unnecessarily loudly. “Excuse me, we’re on a date.” He spoke up.

God had his voice always been that irritating, and you had never noticed? “Not a great one from the looks of it.” Sam said, never taking his eyes off of you.

“Excuse me?!”

Sam didn’t even spare him a glance. He lifted his arm, and in his hands was a bottle of your favorite beer. “Want to go for a walk?” He asked you, holding it out as an invitation.

Oh this was a bad idea. A terrible idea. Sam stirred up a lot of emotions inside of you that you struggled to keep in check on a day to day basis. Being alone with him would only bring them to the surface. Not to mention you were on a date, no matter how terrible it was going, and it would be rude to -

“For old time’s sake?” Sam added, as if he could see your wavering thoughts.

Ah well, you knew this wasn’t going anywhere anyway. You took the drink from Sam, ignoring the sputtering man at the table, and followed him upstairs and outside to the balcony.

The two of you sat in silence for several moments, staring out at the city beneath you. Since he had been the one to speak first, you felt like it was your turn, but at the same time, what were you supposed to say? How much you missed him? How sometimes you would wake up in the mornings and forget he was gone? How you had quit your job at the VA because the memories were too much? Sam had been the one to dump you to go on this grand adventure with Captain America. So why was he still sending you postcards and trying to talk to you now?

“Why did you never write me back?” Sam said, breaking the silence.

“Why did you keep writing to me when I didn’t?” You asked, avoiding his question as you took a sip of your beer. God that was so much better than red wine.

“We were together for three years -” He started to say, but you cut him off.

“Exactly, Sam. We were together until you decided to end it. Do you know how it felt getting those letters? It was like I was getting stabbed, over and over, and you were holding the knife.” You told him, anger rising in your chest. All you had wanted to do was try and get over him, yet here he was, trying to pull you back, like he had tried with those letters.

When he replied, you could hear the frustration in his tone. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you! I just . . .” He trailed off, and you found yourself getting even more upset, wanting to know what he was about to say.

“You just what?” You repeated, urging him on. When he didn’t respond again, you couldn’t take it anymore. You put your beer down on the table behind him. “You know what? Keep your beer. When you decide why you wanted to continue to make my life miserable, you can let me know.” You said, tears streaming down your face as you stormed off, doing your best not to look back.

____________________

There were no more letters. Nothing to remind you that Sam Wilson existed at all until his face was plastered all over your television.

Criminal, wanted by the government, treason, all scary words that didn’t fit the man that you knew and loved. You knew something wasn’t right, and you couldn’t help but worry about him no matter how hard you tried to forget him.

Then one night, your phone rang, and when you answered, it was a familiar voice on the other end of the line. “Hey sweet girl.”

The voice was filled with static, and you knew he couldn’t be calling from a good phone, and you had no idea how far away he was either, but there was no mistaking his voice. “Sam,” You sighed in relief, grabbing your pillow and hugging it close to your chest. “What the hell is going on? You’re all over the TV, and they’re calling you -”

Sam chuckled, like he always had when you started rambling. “Yeah, I bet I am. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when I get back.”

Those words sent a shock straight to your heart. “When you get back -”

“I guess if I come back.” He replied, and in seconds, your anxiety multiplied.

“Sam . . .” Your voice was calm even though you were not. “What are you doing?”

“There’s this guy . . . Big, alien guy. We have to take him out, or it’s going to be real bad.” He said, and your fingers tightened their grip on the pillow you were holding. “If something happens, I wanted to answer your question.”

“My question?” What question? You hadn’t talked to him in so long. What could he have to tell you -

“I didn’t send those letters to hurt you.” Sam said, and you didn’t dare interrupt him. “I sent them because about one minute after I walked out of our apartment, I realized how bad I messed up.” There was a pause as he waited to see if you had anything to say, but you couldn’t speak. “It thought if I sent you those letters, I would keep you thinking about me. Now I know how selfish that was. This whole damn thing is selfish, but if something happens to me, I wanted you to know I still-”

“Shut up.” You cut him off before he could say anything else, taking a deep breath and forcing yourself to hold back your tears. “Don’t say another word until you come back here and can say it in person.” You demanded.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments, but when he spoke, you could almost hear the grin in his voice. “Yes, ma’am.” There was a loud rumble of noise from his end, and when he spoke, his tone was serious once more. “I’ve got to go.”

“Sam?” You said, stopping him from hanging up. “Please be careful.”

____________________

Five years had passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. For you, it basically had been. One moment you had been standing in line for some takeout, hoping that at any moment your phone would start vibrating against your hip, and Sam would be calling you to tell you that he was on his way. The next you had popped up in the exact same place, that was now deserted, half the people that had been there with you materializing as well. All of you were equally confused, and it took awhile for everyone to realize what had happened.

In about a week, you were busy moving all of your stuff into a new apartment since your old one was now occupied. Everything had been put down in their various rooms when there was a knock on your door. Letting out a groan, you stood up off the couch, assuming you had forgotten something, and made your way over to the door, not even bothering to see who was on the other side before opening it.

“Hey,” Sam Wilson said, appearing at your doorway as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

All your emotions came rushing back in a tidal wave, and you threw your arms around his neck, clutching him close to you. At once, he wrapped his own arms around you, hugging you even tighter against his chest. “You’re alive.” You murmured against his skin. You hadn’t known, and you didn’t even know who you could call to find out.

“I had a promise to keep, didn’t I?” Sam replied, walking you backwards into your new apartment and shutting the door behind him without letting even an inch of space between the two of you.

“But Sam . . .” You pulled back enough so that you could look into his eyes. “There’s so much going on right now . . . don’t they need you to -”

“They can wait. I’m not wasting any more time away from you.” He said, one of his large hands reaching up to cup your face. “Nothing’s been right since I’ve walked away, and I want to change that right now.”

Tears started filling up your eyes as he spoke, one of your hands reaching up to hold the one that was against your face. “Sam . . .”

“I love you.” He said, “and I’m never going to forget how much again.”

The logical part of your brain said that you needed to make him prove it. See him grovel, all the normal things that a person wishes for after a break up. After all, what assurances did you have that the next time Sam wanted to go on a big adventure, the same thing wouldn’t happen again?

Your heart, on the other hand, knew Sam Wilson like nothing else. Yes, the possibility was there that he would hurt you again, but the sincerity in his eyes was obvious, and besides . . .

Maybe it was worth it. Just to keep loving Sam for a little while longer.

“I love you too,” You replied, leaning up on your tiptoes to kiss him for the first time in a long time.

It was worth every second apart.

#sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #sam wilson x you #sam wilson imagine #marvel imagine

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ticklystuff · 3 years

Text

Kuya and Bunso

summary: modern au where thoma is fluent in tagalog and aether is interested in learning

warnings: this is a tickle fic

word count: ~1.8k

a/n: ok so i found out recently that thoma’s english va is filipino and @danibby and i are both filipino too so we started talking about how thoma would be fluent in tagalog and he’d know a lot about filipino culture and he’d share his knowledge and experience with aether and that’s how the idea for this fic came about. i’m not fluent in tagalog but i can understand it perfectly fine and know a decent amount of words off the top of my head so hopefully this didn’t come out too bad but ya if you’re fluent in tagalog pls feel free to scalp me

“Paa.”

“Paa? Uhhh, paa,” Aether mumbled to himself as he scanned Thoma’s body, looking for the body part that matched what Thoma was saying.

Aether bit his lip in thought as he replayed the word over and over in his head. Learning a new language was a lot more difficult than Aether was expecting and he wasn’t sure how Thoma managed. Granted, Thoma did have to travel abroad for his work in the Philippines and if he wanted to live comfortably in a foreign place, adapting to their language and culture would have been necessary.

Now, though, Thoma was back permanently from his business trip, having only visited home a couple times for one week max during the two years he had to spend there. Every time he flew home for a visit, Thoma would bring back many stories and experiences, as well as souvenirs, or pasalubong, to share amongst his family and friends. Aether loved hearing about the friendly people, the white sands of Boracay, the delicious street food that often gave Thoma food poisoning, and many more and this only helped to spark Aether’s interest in the Philippines. He often found himself spending most of his weekends at Thoma’s place, learning a little bit more about their culture each time.

Since Aether was so interested in the Philippines, Thoma started giving him Tagalog lessons, hoping it’d be enough to prepare Aether if he so chose to make the trip one day, but learning a new language is never easy, so the two had to think of creative ways to get Thoma’s lessons to stick, which led to Thoma coming up with their current game.

“You have ten seconds to figure out what ‘paa’ is,” Thoma told Aether with a smirk as he watched the other start panicking. “Isa..”

Aether’s mind started racing as Thoma started to count to ten in Tagalog, knowing full well what would happen if he failed to guess correctly. At the last moment, Aether jumped for Thoma’s feet at the end of the bed, giving the socked soles a few tickles, hearing Thoma burst into giggles from behind him. He had made a blind guess and hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite him.

“Okay, okahahahay!” Thoma sat up and pulled his leg away from Aether, wrapping his arms around his stomach as he let his giggles subside. “Okay, you were right. ‘Paa’ means feet.”

Aether cheered to himself and was rewarded with a high five from Thoma, while mentally breathing a sigh of relief, happy he had made the right choice. As part of today’s language lesson, Thoma wanted to teach Aether different body parts in Tagalog. Instead of just telling Aether what certain body parts were called in Tagalog, Thoma decided to add a little twist to today’s lesson, claiming it’d help Aether retain the information after today. As part of the “game”, Thoma would give Aether a body part in Tagalog and Aether would have to guess which one Thoma was referring to by tickling the specific area on Thoma’s body to lock in his answer. If Aether guessed right, then they moved on to the next word, but if he was wrong, then Thoma got to tickle him back by targeting the correct spot that he was referring to. It was an exciting game that kept Aether on edge because of how ridiculously sensitive he was everywhere and he knew Thoma chose tickling on purpose due to how many times they’d gotten themselves into tickle fights. At least this specific method would help properly cement some of the words into Aether’s brain.

“Alright, let’s see,” Thoma said to himself as he let his body plop down onto the bed once more, tucking both of his hands under his head. “Let’s do one a little harder.”

“Bring it on, kuya,” Aether told him as he crossed his arms together, his voice laced with the slight bit of confidence.

Thoma couldn’t help but playfully roll his eyes at the smug expression plastered on Aether’s face. “How about ‘kili kili’ this time?”

Aether definitely knew this one. Within seconds, he was on top of Thoma, having pounced straight for his stomach, giving no time for Thoma to prepare for the wiggling fingers digging into the thin grey t-shirt that protected his tummy. Since he was attacked without warning, Thoma let out a half-shriek half-squeal, followed by a steady stream of giggles.

“Wrohohong! You’re wrohohong!” Thoma tried to tell him through his giggling, attempting to slap Aether’s hands away with his own when the other kept up the tickling.

“No, you’re definitely lying!” Aether protested, his fingers digging in slightly more, insisting that he was right again. He knew he wasn’t wrong.

“Nohohoho! AHAHAHAHAHA!” Thoma’s giggles turned into full-blown laughter once Aether had turned things up a notch. He started kicking his legs and continued to cry out that Aether was incorrect, eventually managing to catch Aether’s wrists with his own hands.

“Wait, was I actually wrong?” Aether awkwardly chuckled as he looked down at Thoma’s red face, watching the other catch his breath from the tickling.

“Y-Yeah,” Thoma managed to pant out. After recovering, he sat up on the bed and released Aether’s left arm, but still held onto the right, slowly lifting it up into the air over Aether’s head. “Stomach in Tagalog is tiyán. Kili kili means armpit.”

“Oh,” Aether muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed at his confident mistake. It wasn’t long, though, before he felt a single finger wiggle along the inside of his underarm at the edge of his sleeve, eliciting giggles from Aether.

“You were getting pretty cocky a minute ago. What happened?” Thoma couldn’t help but tease as he watched Aether squirm around, but Thoma continued to hold Aether’s wrist over his head. His finger managed to slip under the hem of the short-sleeved shirt, causing Aether to jerk around even more.

“Hehehehahaha! I’m sohohohorry!” Aether burst into hysterical laughter as he felt Thoma begin to add in more fingers scribbling against the pale skin. He tried his best to pull away, but Thoma kept his grip on his arm tight and his other hand simply chased Aether around wherever he wiggled his body.

After about a minute of tickling, Thoma finally released Aether’s arm, but still attempted to keep up the tickling, laughing playfully as he chased Aether around on the bed. Aether did his best to scoot away, but he simply wasn’t quick enough and soon felt both of Thoma’s hands in his armpits. He tried to protect his sensitive spots by clamping his arms to his body, but that only trapped Thoma’s hands in his underarms and Aether soon fell back into hysterics as he felt Thoma’s poke and pinch the tickly areas.

“Thomahahaha! Stohohohop!” Aether cried out once he felt Thoma’s hands move down to his sides, breaking the rule of the game. He squealed when he felt both of his sides being pinched, causing him to squirm back and forth as Thoma laughed along with how silly Aether looked.

“Alright, alright.” Thoma removed his hands and sat back, laughing as Aether pushed himself away and crossed his arms at him.

“You said you’d go easy,” Aether whined with a pout.

“Hehe, sorry, couldn’t resist,” Thoma told him, laughing when Aether stuck his tongue out at him. “But alright, let’s move onto the next. Hmm, how about ‘bunso’?”

Bunso? Aether’s definitely heard this one before, but he was having trouble picturing it. He bit his lip in thought, watching as Thoma laid down on the bed again. He didn’t want to mess up again like last time, but Thoma started counting out loud again and Aether couldn’t help but begin to panic for a second time.

“W-Wait, I need more time,” Aether said, but Thoma didn’t stop counting and it didn’t help that he seemed to be enjoying how nervous Aether was from the smirk on his face. The three spots that they had gone over already were feet, stomach, and armpits, so maybe bunso meant ribs? Only one way to find out.

“Wrohohohong!” Thoma managed to say through his laughter, brushing Aether’s hands away with his own.

“Ugh, I have no idea,” Aether sighed, pulling away as Thoma sat up once more. “What’s bunso?”

“Well, it’s a special word, I guess,” Thoma told him as he brought his hands to Aether’s sides, but didn’t actually start tickling, allowing his hands to rest where they were.

“So it means sides- Ahahahaha!” Aether squirmed around as Thoma began tickling him once more, but Thoma simply pounced on him, straddling Aether to keep him still.

“Actually, bunso means youngest sibling,” Thoma explained over Aether’s laughter.

“Whahahahat?!”

“In Filipino culture, we often refer to people that we’re close with that are slightly older as ‘kuya’ or ‘ate’, which mean older brother or older sister respectively, so I’m your ‘kuya’ in this case,” Thoma continued, digging even more into Aether’s sides, having to speak up as his laughter crescendoed. “Since you’re younger than me, that means you’re ‘bunso’, or the youngest.”

“Cheheheater!” Aether cried out, slapping the mattress with his hands weakly as Thoma continued to tickle him. Bunso wasn’t even a body part, so how was he even supposed to get that? Was he just supposed to tickle himself??

“Sorry to be deceiving,” Thoma snickered to himself, “but since you’re the bunso, that means I get to tickle you wherever.”

With that, Aether felt Thoma’s hands move over to his tummy, wailing as he felt his fingers dancing along the piece of bare skin that was revealed from his shirt riding upwards. His legs kicked and his arms flailed around as Thoma continued tickling one of his death spots, mentally slapping himself for falling for one of Thoma’s cheap tricks. He knew he would pull something like this at some point when Thoma brought up tickling as a potential learning tool.

“Wow, my bunso is so ticklish,” Thoma teased as Aether’s bright laughter filled the room, his fingers getting dangerously close to Aether’s bellybutton.

“Thohohoma! Plehehehease!”

“Hmm, call me kuya instead.”

“KuhuhuyahAHAHAHA!” Aether shrieked when he felt one of Thoma’s fingers briefly dip into his navel, sending a surge of tickly sensations to his brain.

“Okay, okay, kuya’s sorry,” Thoma laughed as he removed himself from Aether, sitting beside the other boy on the bed as Aether recovered.

“You cheated,” Aether complained through his breathy pants, slapping playfully at Thoma’s arm from where he lay.

“Sorry, it was just too easy,” Thoma giggled to himself. “Tell you what; I’ll let you tickle me for as long as you want.”

Aether sat up excitedly, his eyes filled with vengeance. “Does kuya promise?”

Thoma couldn’t help but chuckle nervously to himself, already feeling a bit of regret. “Heh, yeah, kuya promises.”

#aether #thoma #genshin impact #tickling

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holycow99 · 3 years

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石田お寿司 18/9/21 stream summary Part 3

This is not the full translation of the stream. I only translated the parts I could understand & interpret or parts I found interesting/important. I’m still a beginner in Japanese, so the translations may not be accurate. If you want to repost, please repost at your own risk.

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(t/n: ** = translation may not be accurate, SY= Y****, TS= S******)

83. Ishida bad mouthed the assistant guy from the last stream, not realising that person was in the stream as well. He then asked whether the guy was able to wake up.

84. Someone mentioned Bleach’s author, Kubo sensei, as the one who could draw super fast. He said that being able to draw fast didn’t only include the pace you’re drawing the picture. The panels were also included. Even if you draw fast, if there’s 120 panels, it’d still gonna take time. On the other hand, if there’s only 70 panels, it’d take less time. Then there’s the art style as well. Those who use great amount of Kakeami would take a longer time. He then praised Kubo sensei’s drawing.

(t/n: Kakeami is a method of shading using only parallel lines.)

85. Takahashi Rumiko sensei, the author of Inuyasha was also mentioned as mangaka who drew fast. Ishida mentioned that she’s full of energy. He said young Takahashi Rumiko sensei was cute. She’s still cute now.

86. SY asked what kind of vehicle he wanted to ride. He said he’s scared of trucks. He also didn’t like riding buses. In conclusion, he didn’t wanna ride anything.

87. Ishida said it’s kinda hard to be motivated with digital drawing. He did want to draw on papers, but drawing digitally is infinitely better when he wants to fix or adjust things in his works. He often uses shortcuts as well.

88. He never really felt any sense of accomplishment, so he didn’t understand people who did. He did feel relief (?) when he completed something, but he didn’t understand the feeling of wanting to experience that sense of accomplishment again. He envied those who felt that way since he never felt it.

89. SY read TG manga for the first time the previous day. Ishida was surprised by it and asked him if he thought Ishida was just a streamer. People in the chat were also shocked by it, lol. There were people who only knew about JJ too. Ishida wondered how did SY come across his streams. Sy replied that he just thought Ishida was just someone who drew beautiful illustrations the first time he watched his stream. Ishida was grateful that he’s reading it. It didn’t really matter if he read it or not. When musicians told him that they read TG, he felt like they’re just trying to be considerate, but they probably did read it. It’s okay if they didn’t read it. He always thought that every time he met new people. He wasn’t being humble, it’s just that he preferred if people could just talk to him as usual.

90. Someone said that there were people who got shocked reading TG after they played JJ. He said it’s because JJ was a combination between his sister & him. He also already through with TG, so the vibe was different. However, he once said in an interview that it was hard for him to get rid off TG vibes inside of him when doing JJ in the early stages. He was teased about that by everyone.

91. He went to the bathroom for the 3rd time and someone guessed the correct flower.

92. He wants to invite Mr. Kunimitsu and Ms. Towada again.

93. He said 30,000 is quite a lot for a small fry youtuber like him. He’s amazed he could come this far just by his Animal Rap videos and his game streams.

94. He’s looking at the new illustration that Ms. Towada posted on her twitter. He said the illustration must’ve taken a lot of time. That kind of illustration was tough to draw. He said Ms. Towada seemed healthy when they talked recently.

95. It’s better to just have a conversation with Ms. Towada the next time she’s in the stream since he’d get distracted.

96. Takayuki Kondo, Takashina Sarafumi’s VA was streaming at the time and a fan commented that he was praising Ishida in the stream. Ishida wanted to know what he said about him so he asked the fan to record it.** Ishida was grateful about it.

97. A fan commented that Ms. Towada seemed knowledgeable about geography or local stuffs. Ishida told them it’s because she really liked to travel. She probably had gone to most prefectures in Japan. That’s why she’s very knowledgeable in local history.

98. He jokingly said that he already went to Kumamoto trip with 300 fans. He apologised to those who didn’t get invited.

99. SY commented something and Ishida asked him shouldn’t he be doing something at the moment. He hoped SY did something while listening to his stream. He wanted to think the viewers did that since he only talked about trivial stuffs.

100. A lot of people said they weren’t invited. Ishida said that the trip was only for old men. The trip was for those aged 40 years old and above.

101. He mentioned that he’s just gonna thank the viewers for 30,000 subscribers’ celebration, though he’s really grateful for it. He wanna aim for 40,000 as well.

102. Someone mentioned that Simon’s abilities were really cool to the point they wanted to try those abilities. Ishida also stated he wanted to try them.

103. A fan suggested Ishida going on a trip with 300 gals. He said it seemed tiring, but in actuality, he’d probably enjoy it.

104. A fan asked his opinion on anti-natalism. He wasn’t familiar with the term and searched for it. He wondered if the term was brought by Schopenhauer. He said Schopenhauer was just jealous of Hegel since Hegel was really famous. His books were full of criticism on Hegel.

(t/n: Anti-natalism is a principle that’s against reproduction. Anti-natalists believe that giving birth is wrong. Both Schopenhauer & Hegel were philosophers.)

105. His opinion on the subject was that it’s okay if anti-natalists exist. There are people who agree or disagree with the concept. If you don’t wanna have a baby, you don’t need to. If you want to have a baby, then you should go for it. He said recently, he finally understood why declining birth rate is a bad thing.

106. A fan suggested a stream where viewers could also participate to increase subscribers, so he asked what should they do together. People in the chat suggested games like tetris, bomberman, and Smash Bros. He didn’t wanna play Smash Bros cus he didn’t wanna get beaten again.

107. A fan said that a lot of people would be interested in having children if they had money. He said it’s better to provide support towards people who raise children.

108. Mashima Hiro sensei, Fairy Tail’s author, did an online signing session. He wondered how he did that.

109. A fan suggested playing Mario Kart with viewers, but he scared the same thing would happen to him, just like during Smash Bros.

*Ishida reading game recommendations.

101. A fan asked what kind of game should they play so he wouldn’t get his ass beaten. He said it depended on the players. It’s better to gather weak players, so he could be the strongest.

102. A fan suggested a correction session, where Ishida would look through everyone’s own manga and correct errors. But then, everyone had to draw a manga.

103. He’s still not over his Crazy Jump’s idea. He seriously wanted to publish the magazine, lol.

104. People asking him how many pages should they draw and he said just 2 panels.

105. He bought a lot of books about human history.

106. He drank a lot of proteins.

107. He said Hitman is fun if he plays it by himself. He becomes lazy when he streams it, so it feels boring.

108. He wanted to play Detroit again, but he wanted to finish Heavy Rain first. He wanted to play Heavy Rain but the game’s heavy.

109. He wanted to end the stream, but everyone asked him not to.

110. He’s probably gonna do his work or watch movies while trying to sleep after the stream ends.

111. He wanted to end the stream, but he’s really curious about Mama’s last illustration, so he continued playing Made in Wario for a bit. He fanboyed over Mama, Mona, and Penny. He wanted to get penny’s illustration, but he didn’t have enough money to buy items to increase Penny’s level.

112. He wanted to try go to a cabaret club. He wanted to try spending all his money on a cabaret girl. He wanted to go to a host club as well, but he thought he’d probably wasting the hosts’ time since they’d have to serve him.

113. In the end, he’s gonna take a look at Mama’s final illustration by himself. He fanboyed over her one last time.

Part 1

#ishida sui #tokyo ghoul #jack jeanne #chojin x #choujin x #ishida sushi stream summary

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shiny-procrastinates · 3 years

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(re)Watching Magia Record S1 - part 13

part 12 here

Hello and welcome everyone to the last post in this series. Most people probably would watch this ep right after the other one and there's much to be written, so let's skip the recap and get right to it.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record S1 episode 13

This show in a nutshell.

Really though, poor Iroha. She only came to this town to look for her sister and now she's learnt a cruel secret and is being urged to join a cult. Talk about someone who must have no idea what's going on anymore.

Back in reality, Yachiyo has finally caught up. She tries to stop Mifuyu from showing them the truth, but I'd say it's too late now. Also, Mifuyu's sure being a jerk today. You don't get to blame Yachiyo for letting them come when you're the one who made sure this would happen!

Yachiyo gets upset, and Mifuyu disappears. Iroha wakes up with Yachiyo cleaning her Soul Gem and Yachiyo says this but, nah Yachiyo, they'd have to learn this sooner or later and you don't seem like you'd ever tell them.

Iroha and Yachiyo start making their way out of Memory Museum. Tsuruno and the others were with Iroha when they went down but now they're nowhere to be found. Wait, does that mean we don't get to see their reactions to learning the truth? What a let down.

On this topic, Iroha's also pretty calm despite everything, which is probably part because realization hasn't settled in yet, part because she's occupied worrying about her team... but maybe also in part because Iroha has a wish she can’t regret, so she just doesn't care about the price as much as others. Doesn't she look like this kind of character? "I don't care what price I have to pay if that means I'll save them"-like.

Oh.

Hey Yachiyo 1: that was really outta nowhere; 2: that's not very nice of you, jumping ship just as things have hit rock-bottom. What the hell

Iroha, of course, is as shocked as we are (we are?). Sure Yachiyo had been acting strange since yesterday but this is a bit much. You can't just decide this on your own when 3/5 of the team is MiA

Iroha follows after Yachiyo, pressing her for an explanation, but Yachiyo refuses to give one.

Iroha's understandably upset at Yachiyo's attitude and asserts she refuses to leave Yachiyo's side if she won't give her a convincing reason to. And really, she has all the reasons to lose her cool here: one of her best friends is leading a cult, she's destined to a fate worse than death, half her team is missing and now the last one wants out for absolutely no discernible reason besides because she wants to. Even a saint has their limits.

Also, like, Mikazuki Team is like family to her, Yachiyo can't just decide to destroy her home with no explanation like this

Hearing what Iroha said, maybe Yachiyo realized she wouldn't get Iroha off her tail without saying anything, so she reveals her reason for wanting to disband the team. Yachiyo says that her wish was to survive. However, the way it worked was that she sacrificed others for her own survival. So she thinks Iroha and co. will die if they stay with her.

Even hearing this, Iroha's not convinced. Could such a wish really exist?

So yeah, Yachiyo was having a little crisis there and ended up being eaten by the Rumor(?). Thankfully, Iroha could still see her signal on the Soul Gem GPS, so the girl firms her determination to save her.

While Iroha's doing that, Yachiyo's having a lecture by herself to herself inside the Rumor. Quite the novel way to do introspection, if I do say so myself.

Here, we learn that Yachiyo originally wished to survive in the modelling world (we're never directly told that she's a model but there's lots of visual cues to it throughout the series). She did it because she thought she had to be a strong leader to protect her companions. She didn't want to survive at their expanse; so, uhhh...

She isn't then. Wishes in this series come true in the exact way the Magical Girl wants it to, so Yachiyo's wish can't be killing anyone if that's not what she wanted. She's misunderstanding.

...I wish they'd have put Kanae and Mel's last words in the actual scene they belong to rather than just a still, since they're literally one of the main reasons Yachiyo even reached the conclusion that their deaths were caused by her.

Iroha has learned "hold B to charge".

So, yeah, Iroha must've had a training arc off-screen because even though she's only been shown sucking at battles the whole series, she's now suddenly strong enough to defeat a Rumor on her own. Or maybe she just wanted to save her wife Yachiyo that much.

Iroha defeats the Rumor of Memory Museum (the place's an actual building, if a weird one, so that stays), hugs Yachiyo and is about to literally drag her by the hand to go search for the others, but Yachiyo's still reluctant. Iroha then tells her that Yachiyo and the others are the one who made her this strong, so she'll prove to her that her wish isn't what she thinks it is.

Don't jinx yourself, idiot! Thank god you've got protagonist plot armor.

Now, if only years of survivor's guilt could be cured this easily in real life too.

Yachiyo finally calls Iroha by her first name, accepting Iroha's promise.

The museum starts falling apart, probably thanks to the damage it received when Iroha was fighting the Rumor, so Iroha and Yachiyo have no choice but to leave the place now, even though they haven't found the others yet.

Iroha barely dodges some debris, stumbling, so Yachiyo carries her instead. Iroha's Soul Gem has been drained from fighting the Rumor, so she's having a hard time moving already. Doppels may be a thing, but there's no guarantee that they're safe, so Yachiyo's call of going to the Coordinator's to get a Grief Seed is probably correct.

As Iroha's situation worsens, Yachiyo follows Chibi Kyuubei until almost the entrance. Then, she meets with someone we know very well.

Mami says something about a gospel, and Yachiyo asserts that she and Iroha have no intention of joining the cult.

Which makes Mami snap. This girl is clearly not on her right mind. In fact, one could say she lost her head (ba-dum-tss).

Mami and Yachiyo start fighting, and I guess as expected of a veteran of 7 years, we have to commend Yachiyo here on meeting Mami's blows while carrying Iroha on her back. Yachiyo pleads with Mami to hear them out but Touka, the brat who was just watching the battle, tells Mami she doesn't have to, and Mami just keeps on her offensive.

Of course, there's only so much Yachiyo could do handicapped. But today is not the day Yachiyo's getting a bullet to her head, because

A certain someone who really likes impromptu hydrant smoke bombs is here.

Sayaka! Nice save, shining cape hero of justice! You have no idea who exactly you're calling weak tho

Seeing Sayaka, it looked like Mami had went back to normal for a moment, but nope, she's still borked. Like in all timelines where she learns it, seems like Mami didn't take the truth well here either. The difference is that she can't witch out in Kamihama so something happened instead.

Mami keeps monologuing, with Sayaka of course not understanding a single thing she's saying. Then, Mami starts to doppel out. The girl has seriously lost her mind and is now obsessed with salvation. (and man 10/10 on the VA’s voice acting here)

And here comes the bullet hell! This is so overkill Mami

Sayaka and Yachiyo do their best to deflect the rain of bullets, with Yachiyo turning back and trying to compete in number of spears. Jesus, just how big exactly is the amount of magic a veteran magical girl has? This is insane!

Yachiyo tries to send a stream of spears, who are deflected with one Tiro Finale, with another one headed their way right after

Sayaka blocks the Tiro Finale with her sword. The shot is so powerful one of her arms is torn off AND SHE ATTACHES IT BACK MID-AIR

holy-moly!

Hope this museum has insurance.

Sayaka just barely manages to reflect that bomb, which saves them from being blown to smithereens. Touka was having a nice tea time watching the spectacle, but then realizes she had something else to attend to so she exits, leaving the stage to Mami, who resumes her bullet hell.

Sayaka uses Yachiyo's spears as a platform to get closer and attempts to grab Mami, to no avail. She falls down and tries to take cover, but Mami's bullets are now homing bullets apparently, because they just change direction and start raining in her direction again.

Down below where Yachiyo's hiding, Iroha manages to wake back up, but she looks, like, on the verge of dying or something. Iroha tells Yachiyo they have to help Sayaka and Yachiyo rebukes there's no way they could win, to which Iroha subtly implies she wants to use her doppel, assuring Yachiyo it'll be okay and raising yet another flag.

Mami finally corners Sayaka, but before Sayaka can become blue Swiss cheese, Iroha comes in with her doppel to cover her. Very convenient that she suddenly knows how to control it.

Aaand Yachiyo can do that too, because of course she does, why wouldn't she. (/sarcasm)

But, uhhh, hers is considerably more creepy, what with the extra arms and stuff. Yikes.

Yachiyo says that doppels are dangerous, but one has to wonder when and how did she even learn about them. After all, she did seem surprised when Iroha did not turn into a witch in Seance Shrine.

While that's going on Touka's just out here deciding by herself that Mami would want to die for the sake of salvation. Just, uh, I don't think you can judge that when she's gone nuts, and you're a jerk if you put her in that scenario expecting her to die. Not that anyone had any doubts you're a jerk, mind you.

Also, what does she mean with Mami helping with developing Rumors?

"hey Kyuubei, I don't want to be meguka anymore, can I retire?"

Even using their doppels, Iroha and Yachiyo are not managing to make even a dent in Holy Mami. Iroha ends up getting bashed into a wall, the doppel taking over for real and her becoming a sitting duck for Mami, but Yachiyo yeets Mami before she can shoot. I'm sure this wasn't supposed to be funny but there's just something hilarious to me about Yachiyo just yeeting Holy Mami and her bouncing away.

Yachiyo transforms and shakes Iroha back to reality.

Again, why the heck do you know this, Yachiyo.

Iroha raises yet another flag for herself. What next? Are you going to say you want to marry her when you two go back?

Somewhere else, Touka arrives on her appointment: a speech for the cult. And oh my hell just look at how many magical girls there is! The amount of Black Feathers always blows me away, since the impression I got from og and even the spin offs is that, sure, there are some groups of magical girls around like the Holy Quintet and the Pleiades, but I still though it was more of a rare thing. It's shocking to see THIS many in the same place. (...I suppose the game needed the cannon fodder :x)

HEY what are these two doing here?!

Touka continues her speech over Iroha and Yachiyo's battle.

This cult leader here continues her discourse, preaching about how the power to wish for something is what advanced civilization, so magical girls, who have the power to make a wish reality, are better than normal humans, and so are deserving of being released from their fate.

OH NO, TSURUNO HAS GONE WEIRD TOO

*bonk*

There goes Holy Mami down the collapsing museum.

It's not like Touka's completely wrong (except for saying that magical girls are superior), but if it wasn't clear enough already, their actual actions makes her speech be full of hypocrisy.

Back at the crumbling Memory Museum, Iroha has managed to jinx herself so hard throughout this episode she pierced her own protagonist plot armor. Great job!

Try as she might, Yachiyo just cannot pull her back up, which also makes no sense when you consider how strong magical girls are, but alas.

And to make things worse, Mami is also pulling a literal "you're going down with me", so Iroha, making a split second decision, pulls her hand away from Yachiyo's grasp, lest both of them fall and get buried... breaking the one promise she made probably not even a hour ago.

I think that last thing she said was "sorry", but don't quote me on that.

What a loyal Mokyu. Never mind that if they can turn into water they probably can't die from this.

Yachiyo's about to follow her fate too, but thankfully Sayaka comes in for the save, only giving a brief glance to where Mami disappeared before getting the heck out of there.

Well, people promise lots of things, Yachiyo.

OH I KNOW YOU, what was your name again? It's been so long I forgot.

Back at the The Wings of the Magius' HQ, Touka's done with her speech. The way the anime cuts from Yachiyo falling to the depths of despair to the cult clapping is just *chef's kiss*

Oh no Felicia and Sana also joined the cult :(

EXCUSE ME, WHAT

oh frick we'll have to deal with that too!? Aren't things already effed up enough as is!?

...being meguka is suffering.

Also the song playing over this last sequence, Nigredo, is a real banger. Momentarily filling in that hole Kalafina left in our hearts.

After the end credits there's the teaser for season 2, with lots of overlapping lines and blink-and-you-miss-it frames hinting at the things that'll happen. I'd have to screenshot basically the whole sequence to get everything and season 2 is coming out like, today, so I'm not even gonna bother.

- x -

Aaand that's it folks! Puella Magia Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record Season 1! (still a mouthful)

I cannot express just how hyped I was by the end of this episode back when it aired. Did you get fired up watching it too? I was so into it back then I just couldn't stop theorizing for like, over a month, so eventually the curiosity was just too much and I caved in and watched the game.

On that matter, ironically, despite me loving the game story to bits, this is the ONE episode that makes me wish I didn't go and watch the game. Why? Because I liked this episode well enough before, but now I just can't get over how stupidly better the resolution to Yachiyo's arc was done in the game. I get runtime constraints and all, but it's almost an offense to her character having her believe in Iroha right away just because Iroha said she wouldn't die. Aaaaghh what the heck, I don't know how they could have done this better with the time on the episode but this wasn't it. I'll be eternally salty we got robbed of the full extent of alpha Iroha, too.

So yeah, I do apologize if this post sounded more salty and sarcastic than usual.

One thing I realized re-watching this though is that the reason this episode is so awkward with that character part is exactly because they halfheartedly tried to stick to the game. Yachiyo bringing back her "it's none of your account" and Iroha defeating the Rumor on her own were part of the game, but because they hadn't kept those character traits throughout the anime it falls flat here, because anime Yachiyo didn't use that almost as a catchphrase, and anime Iroha is never shown to be competent enough to take on a Rumor on her own (the opposite, in fact), so those come out of nowhere. Even last episode, Yachiyo 180ing because of what Mifuyu said comes out of the blue in the anime, because we're missing the context that she actually went back to behaving like she used to when she first disbanded her team, and anime Yachiyo didn't have the hold-up with the word "friends", at least not as clearly. On the other hand, Yachiyo being willing to accept Iroha's words right away does fit in with anime Yachiyo, who was always more soft than game version, but here it becomes awkward because they had had her acting like her game counterpart since last episode and then suddenly she snaps back to the anime self again.

What I'm trying to say here is that they should've changed this scene even more to fit the actual characters anime Iroha and Yachiyo are, rather than halfheartedly trying to force it to go the same way as in the game. That's what I think.

Besides that, Tsuruno and co.'s reaction to the truth was cut out, but I'm sure we'll get around to seeing that next season. Holy Mami's fight is cool but... I dunno. Except Sayaka reflecting that Tiro Finale, it felt really uninspired. It could've been shorter if that meant giving more time to the story, imo

Now for things I REALLY like in this episode, there's the whole sequence with Touka's speech. You might've even guessed this considering I said the dream sequence way back in episode 1 is my favorite ever. IT'S JUST SO GOOD. The constrast between Touka delivering this super charismatic discourse about magical girls, the saint of her cause being lunatic and their actions being just the opposite of the noble cause she says they're preaching is marvelous. They even manage to use this time to reveal that KaMoRe and Tsuruno and co. are on the cult. Really, really well done.

This ending tho. Iroha disappearing is the biggest anime original thing to happen besides Kuroe, so that's got me curious to see what they'll do with this. I love the game, so I have complicated feelings about the anime diverging from it, but I can't deny it's exciting to think about what they'll change up. Ultimately, it's more likely that they're just rearranging some stuff to make the progress more straightforward, but it'd be really cool if it went full anime original too. Just I'm not sure on the odds for that.

I'm sure they'll keep us on the suspense until the very last moment possible but I'm sure Iroha's not actually dead. Looking at a meta sense, there's no way they'd kill a main character off-screen. Storywise, it'd be hard to move Ui's mystery forward without the one person who remembers her and they're not just going to drop this plot, and also for Iroha to be dead Holy Mami would also need to be dead and we can't have that because they haven't even went into what's wrong with her yet. So yeah. I'll believe it when I see it. Would it be absolutely crazy if they did? Yeah, but it ain't gonna happen. (please don't make me have to bite my tongue show)

Whew, this post is long af. I didn't plan for this. I don't feel like writing a season impression because all of s1 was mostly set up for what's to come, so I can't say if it was good or bad until the series is over. Originally, I'd planned to put up another post with my theories for s2, but considering that comes out today I'm not sure there's even a point to doing it anymore lol

In any case, I hope I could provide you some fun with these posts! Being honest, the reason I decided to write this was because I've always liked to hear people's opinions on the shows I like, but I don't really have people to watch things with me, so I just read reddit and stuff. Doing that, when I was watching Symphogear s1 some years back, I stumbled across these posts of someone watching it for the first time and had a blast reading those as I watched. So I wanted to provide someone with that experience too. I'll never reach the comedic genius that person had, but I can at least keep you company while you watch :)

...these are also super useful to check back on the order of events too :v

So yeah, writing these was fun, though there were lots of parts where I really went out of ideas of what to say; it forced me to actually sit down and rewatch (or else I'd procrastinate) and made me pick up on a lot of things. That's a plus in my book.

Now that we are done with this, I hope you are as excited for season 2 as I am! I'm not sure if I'll keep writing about it here, so yeah. Whether we ever meet again or not, remember:

Don't ever make a contract with a white weasel.

#Magia Record #magireco #pmmm magia record #puella magi madoka magica side story #this post is super late #it's 7 in the morning #and I haven't slept help

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