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hatredmadeofgold · 11 months

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Revenge with a vengeance — The tragedy of Sam and Raiden’s canon relationship dynamic

Alternate title: SamuRaiden is THAT deep, actually.

Although MGR does not have as complex or well researched character lore as the main series, Samuraiden as a relationship is a lot more complex than common fandom tropes and interpretations of their relationship suggest. I don’t mind it when people make funny/meme content about these two, since MGS/R does come with its own flair of humour, it’s very exhausting for me as well as a few others I know who enjoy this ship for it to be reduced to just that — a joke. MGR being perceived as ‘goofy’ is mainly due to how poorly some of the character lines translate from Japanese to English, as well as it being more or less evident that either budget, time or both ran out over the course of development, hence the second half of the game feels rushed and underdeveloped. In fact, the great majority of MGR fans do not understand how serious, dark, hopeless and dystopian its message really is and that is saddening.

The world isn’t black and white, neither is it in MGS/R. Sam isn’t the just the villain (never has been, by the way), Raiden isn’t the just the hero (never has been either, by the way), I’d say it’s rather “depends on who you ask”. They are on opposite sides due to the circumstances of how they meet and not because they wouldn’t get along. Quite the opposite is true, in fact, if they would have met before 2016, they might have become friends based on the fact of how much they can actually relate to each other in many different aspects of their personalities, interests and experiences.

Before we get to fight Armstrong as well as during the Sam DLC (also through very subtle hints during their first fight on the train) we learn that Sam is just like Raiden and that Desperado forced him to become a shadow of who he once was, going against his own morals and values and only Raiden reminding him of who he truly was before Armstrong defeated him 2 years prior, ultimately crushing his spirit — he had no other choice, either die there as a failure or continue to live and become Desperado’s/Armstrong’s puppet [until someone would eventually defeat Armstrong and free Sam from his never ending nightmare — Did I already mention that Sam is a really fucking tragic character?]. Sam joining Armstrong’s laughter at the end of DLC is a reaction of fear, not agreement with him or enjoyment. And if there’s one thing that both MGS and MGR are really good at, it’s the accurate and very realistic portrayal of the human psyche under stressful and traumatic situations.

On the other side we can tell from Raiden’s reaction when holding Murasama after killing Sam that he, for once in the entire damn series, questions if that was the right choice he made. We know that Raiden enjoys inflicting pain and suffering onto others, he enjoys murder — but he did not feel that way when he killed Sam. It’s quite the opposite. It’s very subtle and if you’re not very observant like me, easy to miss. But the way his voice turns a bit softer, how his eyes look listless, almost sad; he regrets it. When Blade Wolf asks Raiden if that outcome was really necessary, he does not answer him, because he knows that Wolf is right, it wasn’t. And Raiden pretty much hates himself for it. To his team he confidently says that Sam isn’t a problem anymore since he killed him, but that’s not the same Raiden that he’s that moment in the badlands (which is another implication to me that Raiden doesn’t fully trust his teammates, although they are friends; he has major trust issues and the only emotions he shares with them is either anger or amusement but nothing outside of that). The way he sheathes Murasama is a way to honour him, and as far as I remember this is a ritual to honour a samurai’s defeat or death.

I believe that there has been a silent understanding between the two swordsmen that they respect each other from the very beginning, but they do not say it out loud. This is a case of “show, don’t tell” but also something I suspect has something to do with the game being written by Japanese authors, and Japanese is a high context language, meaning, very little words are needed to get the meaning across, and I think this may also translate into the words these two exchange with each other compared to how they truly feel about the other. Besides, they probably couldn’t truly speak honestly with each other in the first place because of the unfortunate conditions of how they met and were (more or less) forced to fight each other until one of them would eventually succumb to the other’s blade. Codecs and conversations were most likely recorded by their respective employers, and I highly suspect that in Sam’s case, he was even monitored 24/7 by Desperado since he never was an official member of the Winds of Destruction in the first place, and they didn’t fully trust him either.

At the very end of the game during the fight with Armstrong, Sam’s message plays, and we can hear how Sam also speaks with a different voice to Blade Wolf compared to everyone else (and technically, indirectly to Raiden but I cannot confirm or deny that Sam was aware that Raiden would ever hear this playback), it’s a note softer; Raiden learns the truth, which confirms to him that he was right about Sam after all, that they are alike, that they respect each other, and that there was more to Sam’s story than him being a part of Desperado, he doesn’t know what exactly, but he knows now for sure that Sam was not the person he originally believed he was (and lets his team still believe he thinks that way).

Would Raiden truly say Sam’s catchphrase “Let’s dance” before fighting and ultimately killing Armstrong, if he wouldn’t have been going through a gradual process between originally hating Sam to respecting and liking him but unable to ever express that to him or anyone else?

Would he ever admit to anyone what kind of emotional impact Sam had on him, besides the anger and hatred he openly expressed towards him?

Doubt so. Highly fucking doubt so.

Because sharing his true feelings is a liability to him, and Raiden learnt as a very young child that vulnerable feelings such as sadness or guilt would be used against him, so his psyche is conditioned to discard them immediately. But Sam made him feel those things in their full extent and Raiden is fully aware of that, but he would never share with anybody that he ever felt that way about Sam.

He may or may not take those feelings to his grave.

From Sam’s side, we can only guess how he truly felt about Raiden, but we can only guess by the way he hesitated to finish him off on the train during the prologue, the way he smiled at Blade Wolf before his death (which might be likely another case of a silent understanding between Sam and Wolf that the latter would share with Raiden what he knows about Sam or the playback of their conversation itself, if not both) as well as everything he says with giving Murasama to Raiden. Of course, Sam couldn’t even say out loud to Blade Wolf or Raiden that he planned to give Raiden his sword to take down Armstrong, and he had to be as vague as possible with the information that he shared with the robot dog. Not by choice, no. Most likely because he was being watched 24/7, he knew that Desperado nor Armstrong didn’t fully trust him and if they knew about his plans, they’d make sure to finish him off before Raiden had the chance to do so. Sam knew he would die, and that it would be the only way he would ever be free from Armstrong’s grasp. So he chose suicide through Raiden’s blade, and gave him his sword to finish what he could not back then.

The game’s title is REVENGEANCE — Revenge with a vengeance.

They both translate to the same thing in my native language German, but there’s a subtle yet important difference between these two nouns.

“Revenge means when you get back at your enemy who is responsible for hurting you and vengeance is the punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.”

But it was never Armstrong who hurt or wronged Raiden in the first place, and we know he’s an essentially selfish person who does not really care all that much about politics, religion or anything like that and he only fights for himself (I wrote in my essay about Raiden’s ASPD that his motivation to save these children from becoming cyborg child soldiers is a trauma response first and his rather lose and grey morality second) and the few people he cares about, so Armstrong being the one one who ordered to get N’mani killed is not the reason Raiden went after him or was that passionate about getting revenge or retribution on him either.

It was Sam who hurt him — wounded both his body and soul during the prologue — but when Raiden got his revenge, he realised that revenge is empty, that he didn’t feel better, and that he regrets killing him, then we get to the vengeance part. From the moment Raiden held Sam’s Murasama in the badlands, he felt no more hatred towards him and the emotional impact his death had on him made Sam transition from a person he hated to one of the few people Raiden truly cares about.

Armstrong may be the villain of the story, but the person who wanted revenge on him never had been Raiden. It was Sam. Always had been Sam, because it was Sam who got hurt by Armstrong, it was Sam who wanted to get revenge on Armstrong for defeating him and crushing his spirit, it was Sam who wanted to punish Armstrong for making him into a shadow of who he once was, making Sam speak about ideals he didn’t truly believe in (like, who the FUCK even thinks that Sam truly believed a single fucking word of that, because I for sure as hell can tell he never did, he either gaslit himself into believing that for 2 years until he met Raiden or only parroted whatever the fuck Armstrong wanted him to say so he would not get killed on the spot).

Revenge and vengeance are very deep feelings and actions of hatred, feelings that are too deep and complex to be associated with morality, hence why I highly doubt that the title of the game is directed at Armstrong from Raiden’s side at all. That between Raiden and Armstrong is not nearly as personal as it has been between Sam and Armstrong. Raiden eradicating Desperado and Armstrong had been about justice [for the kids being killed and their organs sold], not revenge.

"I said my sword was a tool of justice. Not used in anger. Not used for vengeance. But now… Now I'm not so sure. And besides, this isn't my sword."

But when he says this, followed by “Let’s dance”, it became deeply personal for Raiden as well. Because he could confirm that his feelings about Sam had been right, and that Sam wanted to get revenge on Armstrong.

Raiden decides to avenge him, because Sam couldn’t get revenge himself.

Although Sam never told him directly, Raiden understood him from his actions alone, those subtle hints, reading between the lines what the other truly felt and wanted the whole time, eventually passing the “torch” — his sword — to Raiden, to finish what he could not. So while Raiden’s own reasons to finish off Armstrong were (mostly) justice for the innocent lives he destroyed and planned to continue to destroy, they also became feelings of hatred and anger — Sam’s feelings towards Armstrong.

In the end — revenge with a vengeance — is what Sam could get on Armstrong only through Raiden, after Raiden enacted his onto Sam.

Now the question is — if Raiden would’ve never killed Sam, by the chance of him recognising earlier than in canon that revenge is empty and that he won’t feel better after killing him, would Sam go by his example and abandon his revenge plans on Armstrong as well? Or would they fight Armstrong together and get justice?

We unfortunately can only speculate (or write stories about it).

What we can tell from canon though, is that Raiden’s (= Sam’s) passionate feelings of hatred towards Armstrong quickly vanish the moment he finished him off, and he looks into the camera with an empty expression, covered in blood and a crushed cybernetic heart in his hand.

And I think that is exactly what he feels — empty.

Because again, he got revenge and avenged Sam, led by what Sam felt, Sam’s feelings became Raiden’s feelings during that fight with Armstrong. But once that was gone, there’s nothing left. In the case of killing Armstrong, he doesn’t feel remorse or guilt. There’s nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Because revenge is empty.

Raiden defeated his enemies — but at what cost?

By killing Sam, he realised what he had actually lost — a potential friend (or more), someone who understood him in a way that no one else did. Perhaps he thought or felt that, if he avenges Sam, making Sam’s feelings towards Armstrong into his own, he might be able to deal with that loss better, but to no avail.

Because, and I can speak from experience as a person with the same mental health issues as Raiden, that emptiness is worse than regret.

MGR’s ending also implies that Raiden abandons his family and friends to fight his own war; essentially taking the same path that Sam once took in his past, ending up in a personal war and revenge act that knows no end, making one bad choice after the next. If Raiden hasn’t already become the villain of his own story by the end of MGR, then it’s just a matter of time until he becomes that.

And the cycle of violence continues, until the story repeats itself, over and over and over and over and over.

Did I mention already that there is a myth around Murasama being a cursed sword, that will drive its user either slowly insane or make them commit suicide if it doesn’t get a regular ‘blood sacrifice’?

—

“I really enjoy murder, but that one, that I will regret for the rest of my life.”

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toastytoaster22 · 4 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @wingsonghalo

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

47!

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

753,979 holy shit

3. What fandoms do you write for?

These days just Mob Psycho 100, but I have written for Digimon Adventure and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle as well.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

A little surprised by number 5 here! its such a teeny fic compared to the others.

Issho 2. Break 3. A Mother Muses 4. Socha 5. Stars on My Ceiling

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try! There was a big gap in 2022 where i had a newborn and zero time and energy, but usually I try to get a thank you out to everyone.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm the "happy ending guaranteed" author so very few of my fics end sad, but I do have a Digimon fic called Hugs Are Like Vitamins that is an exception to the rule. Very sad ending.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

The end of Issho is probably the most satisfying ending, but I am unsure if its the happiest. Honestly, Stars on My Ceiling is cavity inducing. Effervescent is also painfully sweet. Chapter three of Into Bloom. all of these are pure fluff.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Extremely rarely. It has happened, and I don't engage. Deleted! Goodbye!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

You know, I don't consider Leaps and Bounds smut. Its a fic that has a lot of explicit sex in it, but the story is about learning to be comfortable in the bedroom. If the sex is sexy, that's a bonus hahaha

10. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't yet, but I think about them sometimes...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. Here's hoping it stays that way.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Two, I think! Break was translated into Russian by @teawithbread!!! Thanks so much!!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I think I would be a nightmare to work with actually. I have had people ask and I politely decline.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I am not very into romance in general, so I have to say TeruMob. They're basically the only ship I care about. I enjoy the idea of TaKari in Digimon but more as soulmates... could be platonic or romantic. They are inseparable no matter what.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My Never Hopeless sequel, A Dream In The Dark. UGHHHHHHHHH its only on ff.net bc i am so ashamed of dropping a project. I do still have the BINDER i wrote all my notes in though so perhaps when I am 80 I can dig it up and finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Children! Hello! I write realistic children! And connecting readers to memories they forgot they had, apparently. Its a frequent comment topic.

I'm very good at describing hard to describe emotions and I think my pacing is good. I like writing endings that punch you with a final line to tie it all together. I'm a sucker for that shit.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I slow down dialogue with a few too many movement descriptions, I think. I just really like body language aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I am too tired to really think this through. For the most part, seeing as I am writing for shows that are originally in Japanese, I try to keep food names accurate. I try to translate words unless they have no english equivalent like genkan. Foyer or entryway doesn't feel the same? I also tend to keep specific titles in japanese, seeing as they can get awkward or clunky when changed to english equivalents.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

On Ao3 it was Digimon and that's all you're getting out of me.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I love all my children equally (Issho). But no seriously Break is insanely good and when i have Nightjar finished I will feel like its my new favorite child. Usually its whatever the last thing i wrote was.

UUUUUUUUU Tagging @ygodmyy20 @sodasexual @babovens @and-devi-remains @fizzy-champagne

#toasty writes #thanks for the tag wing!#havent done one of these in a while #mp100 #toasty answers but it wasn't an ask shut up

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trashexplorer · 2 months

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BLCD Review: Nikurashii Kare

Title: Nikurashii Kare (憎らしい彼)

Author/Artist: Nagira Yuu

Shop: CD + Manga

Release Date: 2021/07/23

Cast:

Ono Yuuki x Saitou Souma

Morikawa Toshiyuki

Matsumoto Takuya

Matsui Akiha

Maeda Hiroki

Tonozaki Yuusuke

Horie Shun

Sahara Io

Miyama Mari

Kumagai Mirei

Yamane Masashi

Tamano Shouyo

Miki Shinichiro lmaooo so random

Synopsis: Second installment of the series.

Review Proper

My brain too smooth for this. Don't get me wrong—it's good, but I don't have the patience to sit through three CDs of this. 😂 I fell asleep 5 times. A new record!

It would've been better if Hira just stopped talking to me in formal Japanese 'cause it makes my brain crash. He says a lot of deep things when he can't even grasp the shallowest of concepts. I also have a love-hate relationship with Hira's train of thought 'cause how can he jump to all these conclusions but never the right ones? He's still absolutely sad in the head, but idk, I'm here for it lmaooo.

The same goes with Kiyoi. Like boi, you're the only one with half of a functioning brain here, so idk, use it?

Kiyoi: "I don't wanna be with you anymore."

Hira: *leaves

Kiyoi:

Like in the first BLCD, I still can't figure out if I should feel concerned for him or Hira. I mean, if someone I knew had this relationship, I would personally ask both of them to leave each other and see a shrink. 😂 I dare say that their relationship would be the most normal one there is if Kiyoi wasn't such a tsundere and if Hira was just less of a weirdo.

How are we bringing your parents into this already when you have a wack-ass relationship???

But hey, nothing like a good kidnappin' and one mc almost dyin' to solve communication issues, right?

The things you do, Nagira Yuu.

As usual, the voice work is phenomenal. Saitou Souma won as best voice actor for Kiyoi at the chilchil 2023 awards while Ono Yuuki placed 2nd for Hira. There's just something special about Saitou Souma and Ono Yuuki in Utsukushii Kare. Their chemistry is good and so natural! It's like they bring out the best in each other. I especially love hearing Ono Yuuki come undone under Saitou Souma's Kiyoi but immediately get his revenge in disc 3.

I'm already nominating this as Souma's best match up in 2021. Sorry, Makonyan. Let's see if someone else rises to the challenge.

As for the accuracy...

So I've actually tried listening to this back in 2022. Yes, I'm writing this review in 2024, and this is the very CD that caused my burn out lmaooo. From what I read from the trial, it doesn't start the same as the novel, so I was confused. I didn't take the liberty of buying the whole novel, so I'm not sure if they really do have the same content. They do have the same name, though. Idk. Again, Hira speaks in formal/old Japanese, so the struggle made me put this off. 😅 And it just snowballed from there 'cause I'm loyal to my log. I don't keep up with the manga either, but I think the third volume is still at Utsukushii Kare and not Nikurashii Kare.

Long story short, I can't say if it's accurate to the source material, and I won't be able to recommend read-alongs for both Utsukushii Kare and Nikurashii Kare.

The two installments are equally interesting. Both are jam-packed with nicely paced content. I feel more comfortable with Nikurashii Kare, though, 'cause Hira made me uncomfortable in Utsukushii Kare, while it was Shitara who made me uncomfortable in Nikurashii Kare lmaooo. I loved Hira's little character development here, and I wish I could say the same for Kiyoi.😂The comedy and action were also good, and Moririn's presence made it 100 times better. It might not make my 2021 faves, but it's definitely one of the best-produced ones—it won best BLCD at chilchil 2023 for a reason.

Let's pray to god I survive the third installment. 🤞

#blcd reviews #blcd 2021 reviews #nikurashii kare #ginger records #nagira yuu #ono yuuki #saitou souma #morikawa toshiyuki

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wist-eri · 10 months

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rapid analysis of what some of the descriptions/footnotes possibly mean

usually i wouldn’t put this on my main account, but since the other blog i would post it on is a little more in-detail on average, i decided why not (i think you know which blog i’m referring to)

so yep! i read some of the footnotes and added some personal analysis as to what some of them could mean. i’m positive the song used in the new DRDT MV will be “bungaku shoujo insane,” based on the similarity of the thumbnail as well as some specific footnotes, so a lot of my analysis will be based on that song and its lyrics

anyways

[1] In this situation, it is better to use full names over nicknames. Exclude our protagonist—he is not "that person." not sure what this means yet. we’ll have to see.

[2] Other examples include Drosophilia melanogaster and E. coli. don’t know if this is intentional, but drosophila is misspelled. (they wrote it as “drosophilia”) either way, both are often used in school experiments in order to develop a further understanding of genetics and genetic material (and how it’s transferred).

[3] From Title 17 of the United States Code. referring to copyright laws in the United States. the reference may be more apparent in the released MV, similarly to some other footnotes—after all, the original “Bungaku Shoujo Insane” video has some moments where they simply show excerpts from famous texts. this may be one of them that’s featured specifically in the DRDT version of the MV

[4] The practice of avoiding the number four; it is most common in East Asia. This superstition arises from the fact that the number four can be read similar to the word "death" in multiple languages. self-explanatory.

[5] As the translation has been intentionally botched in many parts, it should not be considered accurate. this could be a separate author’s note to one of the texts referenced in the MV—we’ll have to see.

[6] (Prayer) no idea but i don’t feel like searching the bible for this one /hj (i think there might be a prayer written in text in the MV though)

[7] Seven is considered an auspicious number in many Western cultures. Let's just skip it. also self-explanatory.

[8] 'Tut, tut, child!' said the Duchess. 'Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it. excerpt from Alice in Wonderland. don’t know how important that’ll be in the future—could be referenced directly in the MV?

[9] no respect for the classics smh hold on let me see if there’s a lyric mocking classic literature-

[10] The Roman numeral for 10 is X. imagine there’s an X with a footnote and it’s just this

[11] I admit to lying. There is no one named OOOOO OOOOO. I am, and always have been, an only child. a lot of theories about this, but regardless of whether or not this statement is true, it could be a reference to diana chiem, arturo’s sister, david himself even (i’ll explain later), etc. either way, this footnote seems to be more about one of the characters in the DRDT cast than anything

[12] "Majority rule" is known to be the fairest method of making decisions for a group. That's why murderers never complained when we voted for them to die. just a random question, but you know what a majority vote is? /ref this may also be a reference to this lyric:

rough translation + wiki info: to be, or not to be—i have no idea! but let’s decide, with a democratic method!

[13] 正 character that’s often used to represent something that’s “correct,” “right,” or “just,” speaking from experience. additionally, it’s sometimes used as tally marks in a few eastern countries (china, japan, etc)

[14] Hint: word length of 256 Hamlet’s soliloquy, which starts with “to be, or not to be—that is the question,” is exactly 256 words (at least, according to this source). Additionally, this soliloquy is also referenced in one of the lyrics in this song (see [12]—the first line is actually one of the more well-known Japanese translations of “to be or not to be.” additionally, a few lines from the text are actually shown in the MV at that point), so that may be what it’s referring to

[15] “Ignorance is bliss" is an idiom used to say that it is better to remain ignorant about certain harsh truths, in order to avoid causing oneself stress. The expression comes from a 1742 Thomas Gray poem ("Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College": "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." might be a stretch, but possibly a reference to this lyric?

(rough translation: things like the meanings(?) behind art, you’d be happier not knowing) (note: the word used for “art” here encompasses all types of media, which include dance, writing, etc.)

i feel like this is specifically referring to how it’s better to be ignorant of the meanings behind certain actions and words, than to be aware of the dark implications behind them. this is a stretch though. do what you will with it but i think this is referring to one of the characters and their actions + true meanings behind them *cough* david *cough*

[16] While it was originally intended to serve as a military march, today it is most commonly recognized for it's association with circuses and tomfoolery. the exact song that this footnote refers to is Julius Fučík’s “Entrance of the Gladiators.” This is a song that’s featured in Bungaku Shoujo Insane, and it can be heard in the interludes—in fact, this footnote is what pointed me to Bungaku in the first place

[17] Not a real word. Can't be found in any dictionary. this might be an actual translation footnote of the song, since it’s definitely not unheard of to have words in japanese that don’t have an english translation and/or words that don’t actually exist. whether that’s actually in the lyrics i don’t know but i’ll have to look into it

[18] A/N: soz not very good at drawing flowers lol!!! i find it weird how this one specifically has A/N (author’s note)

[19] A dialogue between two individuals that serves as a discussion of moral and philosophical issues. this is known as a socratic dialogue. not sure how this is important yet

[20] It is considered by many to be outdated, providing little-to-no insight on human nature. unfortunately i don’t know what this is referring to, but it will likely be made clear in the mv. my first thought was actually the enlightenment documents, since a lot of those discuss the inherent nature of humanity and how it’s “regulated” by society and government—but i’ve never heard it being called outdated, so that’s kind of a stretch.

someone said it could be an excerpt from one of Sigmund Freud’s works, which honestly, would make total sense-

[21] Deriving from the Latin phrase "Et cetera" : meaning "and other (similar) things", "and so forth", or "and the rest (of such things)" : abbreviated to etc., etc, et cet., &c. or &c

also pretty self explanatory. however, i have no idea how this fits in the MV

[22] The rest is silence.

no idea about this one.

anyways if you have suggestions please feel free to reblog with them 🫠 i have no idea what’s going on and tbh 90% of this is me trying to grasp at straws

#drdt #danganronpa despair time #despair time #i think y’all know who i am #especially now that i’ve posted this #but eh. it’s fine #it was obvious from the beginning anyways because of the way i type ghshghdh

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tobiasdrake · 28 days

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Yuki Spinoff, Episode 2: Joy to the World

Episode 3 is titled "Haruhi Suzumiya!!" so Yuki better enjoy her Christmas Party 'cause her life's about to go dramatically downhill.

Gonna have to make this one two posts 'cause I have a lot to say about this episode.

I noticed this in the first episode but I love the decision to change Yuki from a strict book-reader to also being a gamer. It does demonstrate the change in times, as Melancholy was released in 2006 while Disappearance of Yuki Nagato is from 2015, and gaming has become more proliferated over time.

But, more importantly, it also demonstrates the change in Yuki. Yuki Prime's never gone into detail about why she reads, but it's a fair assumption that she does it for the same reason most of us consume media: A desire to absorb information, experiences, and emotions through characters and situations.

Media exists in conversation with culture. By consuming media, Yuki is participating in culture. You could assume that she's only doing it to gather information, being a robot, but Yuki specifically reads fiction. She's looking for the same things everybody else is.

However, her media of choice is strictly text. She doesn't have a TV or video games or anything. She consumes experiences and emotions through text. Because Yuki herself is text. She can't watch a neutral expression on a screen slowly grow into a smile and immediately relate and understand what that means. She's more comfortable with a narrative structure that explains outright in words what the characters are feeling and going through. That's what Yuki can understand.

But this new Yuki, her ideal escapist form of Yuki with a full three-dimensional range of emotions, isn't limited in the same way. She shares Yuki Prime's love of media, shares her fascination with living vicariously through characters. But she can indulge her interests in ways the original could not, because she knows what it feels like to smile and enjoy things, to get excited by a rare drop, or to grieve a beloved character.

She is Yuki Unchained.

Ryoko has the perfect pre-"I hope you got your affairs in order because CHILD NOBODY IS GOING TO SEE YOU ALIVE AGAIN" Pleasant Mom Smile.

I wonder if Ryoko has parents? Yuki lives alone because Yuki Prime lives alone, because she's a space robot. But Escapist Yuki isn't a space robot, so the fact that she has no parents is simply a consequence of living situation transference she can't comprehend.

By the same logic, Ryoko should be a space robot. But Ryoko did have parents on paper. They weren't real and nobody ever saw them, but they did legally exist. "Her dad" even called the school when she "moved to Canada".

So I wonder what her living situation is here? Does she live alone like Yuki? Did this reality manifest real parents for her? Did it manifest real parents but they're out-of-country? Is she knowingly deceiving people into thinking she has parents?

What is your parental situation, Ryoko?

Ignoring the Skip Intro button from the shady piracy website providing my screenshots, can we all take a moment to acknowledge how great my character looks in this show that's not about her?

Black monochrome is a fantastic look for Haruhi because it's a color-scheme that matches her personality. Haruhi's always exuded Mean Girl Energy, pretty much from the moment we met her. She's a weird Mean Girl but she's a violent, self-absorbed misanthrope.

In a lot of other shows, she would be the protagonist's bully.

In her own show... that's still fairly accurate, yeah. It gets weirdly romanticized but it's still more or less her and Kyon's dynamic. She's like if Hey, Arnold! actually had its title character fall in love with Helga Pataki.

And just like that, I have dated myself to a billion years old. Okay. But it's true! That's what Haruhi and Kyon remind me of.

Haruhi most commonly sports the same outfit that everyone else is wearing due to Japanese school uniformity. But, courtesy of the decision Disappearance made to put her in a different school in Yuki World, this is the first time she's had her own unique aesthetic among the main cast. Well, apart from Itsuki, but he's a devout follower anyway.

This contrast against the uniformity of the rest of the cast makes Haruhi pop. She's eye-catchingly unique among a sea of brown blazers, as befits the center of the universe (in persona, even if no longer in power or character role). And the near-all-black color scheme gives her a wicked edge to her appearance, perfectly conveying her Mean Girl status.

Basically what I'm getting at is that I don't know how Haruhi's going to be used in this show but I wish she looked like this back in the original because holy hell is that the perfect Haruhi aesthetic.

I could watch Yuki and Kyon have a fun snowball fight for twenty straight minutes. That could be all this episode is and I would be satisfied.

Look at her. Look at how happy she is. This is all she wanted when she reshaped the universe. Haruhi twisted time and space to make time travelers and space aliens and espers and sliders, but Yuki did it to make this.

Meanwhile Ryoko remains MVP of this show. This subversion of the typical "surprised character hit in the face by thing as they walk into the room" gag is beautiful and conveys the composed and professional persona of Class President Ryoko Asakura.

I love how coy the show is playing about... like... how Ryoko she is. She vaporized the cotton snowball in her hand and then releases her battle aura. It's a funny gag. But. Also. There is a deep tension inherent to this incredibly likable character, to the point that it's not clear how literally we're meant to take this.

She did not actually blast Yuki and Kyon out the window with a Kamehameha beam of pure disapproval. But maybe she could? I don't know.

And then straight to the turkey! Like that didn't happen. XD

I'm so glad Yuki got her turkey. She wanted a turkey so bad. This is her first Christmas with full emotional range and all of it was invested in getting this turkey. She put her whole psyche into it every single time she exclaimed the English word "TURKEY!" last episode.

I became very invested in Yuki getting a turkey. Now she has one. I am very satisfied right now.

Oh, Yuki. This is Melancholy tone. A little bit of selfishness is what makes the universe go 'round.

Maybe my mind's bent from too much reality-warping but this conversation feels subtextually linked to Yuki's decision to eat Haruhi, remake the universe, and resurrect Ryoko in the first place.

Like. They're literally talking about the fate of Yuki Yuki Literature Club but the vibe feels much grander. That Yuki begins the conversation speaking in her emotionless Space Robot voice gives it this... between-the-worlds tone.

Like. Remember the last episode of PMMM when Madoka, Sayaka, and Mami were eating cake in a heavenly extradimensional Mami's Apartment Reality while they discuss Madoka's wish? That's what this feels like, to me.

Literally, this scene is an actual conversation that occurred between them in Yuki's World. But symbolically, subtextually, they're talking about the decision to manifest their reality in the first place. Saving the Literature Club here is, for the characters, exactly what it sounds like; But for the audience, it stands in for creating this world.

Look at her.

Only a monster wouldn't want her to have this turkey. This is the greatest moment of her... six days of life.

#the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya #the disappearance of nagato yuki-chan #drake watches haruhi suzumiya

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otakween · 9 months

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Digimon Tamers - Episode 2

Lol immediate quality drop (animation-wise), but that's to be expected from this era of anime. There was some recycled animation from episode 1 too (the scientist people). Petty stuff aside, this was more of a build up/setting the scene episode. Kind of feels like nothing happened and a lot happened at the same time.

Notes:

Who the heck designed those awful title screens? ("Graphic design is my passion!") Also, this episode probably shouldn't have been called "Terriermon appears!" because he's in it for half a second.

Guilmon and Terriermon are both baby. Their voices are honestly so cute ;w; (Terriermon has the same VA as Edward from Cowboy Bebop in Japanese, but I watched the dub of Cowboy Bebop so this is a new voice for me lol).

Takato's parents are so well written so far. Mom runs the show for sure. I like the fiery mom, submissive dad dynamic haha (like in Turning Red).

I like how Takato's dad stuck his full head into his son's room yet somehow failed to see a giant dinosaur. He did smell him tho apparently...what does a Guilmon smell like? (For a second I was like...did he poop or something?)

Ruki is so extra for no reason. She puts on sunglasses (at night) only to immediately take them off again 2 seconds later. Are they like, Google glass or are they just regular sunglasses?

Okay so...they wanted to sell the TCG. I see how it is. Makes me think back to Digital Card Battle and what option cards exist. It will be interesting to see how they're utilized. (Also, does Ruki just buy them at the toy store? lol)

Pulling the fire alarm because you see a dinosaur is a hilarious concept. I mean...makes sense?

I noted that the girls in Takato's school are wearing bloomers for gym class. These were everywhere in anime back in the day (and still today for fetish reasons probably). I did a quick google and this style of gym uniform was phased out in the 1990s, but this came out in the early 2000s, so I guess it's still period accurate? (Wonder if this is censored in the dub at all...)

Terriermon just roasts Takato the minute they meet. Savage. Takato's cry face looks more like a fever/drunk face if you ask me. They overdid the flushed-ness.

A new direction for Digimon: tamers who battle for...competition? Fun? Training? I don't really know yet, but we haven't really seen this in the previous anime. In Adventure they only fought in self defense or to save the digital/real world.

Ruki is obviously going through something and being kind of mean to Renamon in the process. Looking forward to seeing how her character develops.

Just googled what "moumontai" means and Urban Dictionary literally cites this show haha https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Moumantai

#digimon tamers #digimon #anime

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

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I was listening to a translated version of "Make A Wish", and one of the translated lines that REALLY caught my eye was:

" I dreamed so vividly of the love I shared with you"

My first thought: if this isn't a love confession from Malleus, then I don't know what is 😳😍

Granted, there could be a translated error (I don't know Japanese very well)

For me, I am a MASSIVE Malleus Draconia simp, so that set my heart afire

Just thought I mention it

Mmm, I think that song's lyrics can easily be generalized to suit a lot of situations. Its theme of finding hope and salvation, and wanting to come together with others… it resonates with many different subject matters.

I don’t personally interpret the song or its lyrics as being romantic in nature (since it is framed in the context of the event as a traditional song referencing the Bell Ringer of legend/Quasimodo and is performed as a thank you gift to Noble Bell College). However, I realize that it’s possible to see it the other ways as well. If you’re someone that finds happiness in seeing the song from a romantic angle, then good for you! I’m glad that you can enjoy the song in your own way.

A lot of creative liberties are usually taken with lyrics (as they tend to be more abstract than spoken word or complete sentences), so it can sometimes be difficult to say for certain if a song translation is “accurate” or not. If you're wondering about the specific line you mentioned, it's pretty close but not entirely there in the literal sense. Malleus definitely talks about seeing a dream in which there is a shared love, though not specifically directed to "you" (the listener); there is no subject in the Japanese. The particular translation being referenced took a creative liberty by adding a proper subject (ie “you”). Some other translations did not, so it really depends on the translator. Even the title for the song varies in translations; I've also seen "Let my Wish Resound" (in reference to the bells of Notre Dame and the sounds they make; this is a more direct translation for the Japanese song title, 願いよ響け).

It should also be noted that the specific term Malleus uses for "love" in the lyrics is a generalized form of love (ai/愛), not the specifically romantic form (koi/恋). Again, this leaves the lyrics pretty open to interpretation.

#Malleus Draconia #Yuu #spoilers #notes from the writing raven

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aquaburst3 · 11 months

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I saw a pretty popular post on my dashboard "correcting" the issue about people using the terms "dorm leader" and "prefect" interchangeably. While I agree with OP that is an issue and they are right about that, even one that I was guilty of for a long time, they still got a lot of things wrong in it as well. So I want to explain things more clearly, since this is super confusing to outsiders who've never grown up with these, especially those of you who are like me and want to make the setting more accurate in fics.

For those of you who don't know, Night Raven is based on British boarding schools. Hence why it's called a "college", despite it being more high school like. (In England and some other commonwealth countries, "colleges" are the equivalent to the last few years of high school and the first year of university in the US.) However, whether by Yana's intention or lack of research, there are a lot of aspects of the school that make little sense, especially in regards to the "student advisory" positions.

For starters, the English version got this right by saying that they would be called "houses", NOT dorms.

As for the positions themselves, while I know this might vary from school to school, but from my own research, it usually works something like this:

Prefect: In charge of discipline, usually in their own house. There can be other types of prefects like library prefects, but the game doesn't have those, so that's moot. They can also carry out multiple duties given to them by the House Captain, Head Pupil or the Headmaster, being a jack of all trades. Depending on the school there can be one of these per house or multiple. Closest equivalent in the game would be ironically the "vices" like Jamil, Jade, etc. (As a side note, Jamil being one of these is very apt and carries a lot of symbolic meaning, especially in the Japanese version.)

Head of House/House Captain: They are in charge of all the prefects in their house and keeping everyone in line, which can include discipline. They also lead in events and house activities like the Magishift Tournament or the tea parties in Heartslabyul. Closet equivalent in the game, obviously, would be all the "dorm leaders".

Head Pupil (or Head Boy/Girl): In charge of the all of the House Heads/Captains and represent the whole student body, acting like role models. They give speeches at events, read daily bullitions, organize the prefect's duties, participate on committees, report any cases of major bullying to the staff, etc. There isn't a parallel to this in the game.

The best example of this in action and more accurately, as much as it pains me to say it, is Harry Potter. In that, there are a bunch of prefects in each house in charge of disciplining people in each house, and there is one leader of all of them. However, there are a head boy and girl chosen out of the whole 7th year class who represent the whole school.

So...yeah, pretty confusing, but makes more sense when you lay out like that. Although, I find Yuu being dubbed head pupil on the spot and being in charge of the leaders of the houses if the game was more accurate really funny for some reason. xD

If you're like me and turning NRC into a university, things get a lot tricker. According to some British people on a huge and popular Discord server I'm a part of, there's no one to one parallel. The American equivalent would be "resident advisors", but those aren't a thing over there thanks to a lack of "student advisory" positions. The closest thing, and this is a huge stretch, is a "Junior Common Room President". But that's not right either, since they are more like head pupils where they are in charge of all of the undergrads and to be completely honest that title sounds stupid to me. The best advice they gave me was to call them "wardens" like in the English version, because that's the closest thing to it, even if it's inaccurate since they are staff members and not students. The "dorms" would be called "student halls" or "halls of residence".

TLDR: If the game was accurate to the fantasy British setting, the "dorm leaders" would be called "house captains" or "head of house" and the "vice leaders" would be just prefects with a bunch of others helping them. There would also be one head pupil of the whole school, which is something the game is sorely lacking. There are no direct equivalent for prefects or house captains at universities, but the best option is to call them "wardens" like in the English version, and their residency would be called "student halls" or "hall of residence".

#twisted wonderland #aqua rambles #twst #twst fanfic #twst yuu

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zecroswe · 1 year

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Long Post: A theory about the Paldea Region; Part 2. Scarlet and Violet DLC

(All gameplay footage isn't my own and have been taken from other peoples playthroughs)

TURTLE! TURTLE! I LOVE IT!

Well it seems parts of my theory had some basis tho other things are up in the air. I was correct about the fact that the Imaginary Pokemon in the Scarlet and Violet book was probably gonna be released. But they look quite different than the books describes them

Still, Its fascinating that these Pokemon even exist, especially Walking Wake. From the lore in the Johto reigon, Suicune was created by the blessings of Ho Oh when it revived a pokemon. So how does a Suicune from the past even exist? How is it a dinosaur looking creature? (By the way, I LOVE WALKING WAKE, IT IS SO FUNKY AND CUTE!) Well we don't have any clear answers, but I think it supports the Imagination theory more than the time travel one. Considering the entries in the book being made from the artists imagination and the fact that Walking wake and Iron leaves exist as they do. It is likely that they are created by the Disk as artificial dream Pokemon, peoples imagination come to life. It could also explain the reason they aren't a one to one recreation form the book. The disc Pokemon clearly gets influence from a lot of sources so It's quite likely it just mashed things it sensed together into these two Paradox Pokemon.

Another thing that could support that is this.

The image from the scarlet book depicting Great Tusk isn't fully accurate to the real thing. It lacks some spikes, Its tails seems longer and It seems to lack certain details. So If the imagination than the Great tusk we see could be partially influenced by how Sada imagined them. I haven't compared to see if the same can be said for Iron Threads and the Violet book depiction, but if its similar there, than It could be the same phenomenon with Turo.

Though this is wild speculation and could easily be because the artist of the scarlet and violet books didn't get a good enough look to make a fully accurate depiction.

But to the main course, The DLC announcement.

I'm honestly unsure on how the Teal Mask fits in the grand scheme of things. Its clearly connected to Area Zero in some way based on the title of the DLC, but I'm unsure how.

From what we have gotten so far, the new Pokemon seems to be based on a old Japanese folktale and the main legendary Pokemon, Ogerpon has crystals in It's design that reminds me of Tera crystals. So It could be possible that these pokemon was only a legend until the Tera crystals brought them into existence, If the dream theory is true. Otherwise It could be that the Tera crystals brought them into the future! We can only wait and see!

Now, It is the Indigo Disk that really caught my attention. Especially this guy!

THE DISK POKEMON IS ADORABLE! *Cough* anyway...

Terapagos is the Pokemon name and It sure is a turtle. Now the real thing I need to know is how big this thing is. Becuase the picture makes it look small to me. But if It's huge in game, like as huge as a island or a entire region perhaps, then my theory has some basis too It. Right now though we can only speculate. Even if that theory isn't true, I still think the turtle shape of the Paldea region itself could be very clever foreshadowing either way.

Though Its design makes me wonder If it's doing all It does on purpose or If It's accidentally causing paradoxes by existing. It looks really Innocent and cute, but maybe It's really menacing on the inside! It also seems my crown speculation form my previous post isn't unintentional on the developers part, considering the hexagon in the middle of the shell that is sticking out!

I also just want to say that I really love how It's crystal shell has the symbols of the 18 types, It's just perfect.

Well that's all I have! I really look forward to the DLC later this fall!

Thanks for reading!

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fireflyhwufanficwriter · 8 months

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My thoughts on Dr. Stone’s S03E02 (“Greed Equals Justice”)

(Safe to read for anime-only folks.)

My thoughts after watching Season Three, Episode Two:

01. Kohaku and Chrome like Senku's incredibly burnt bread, but poor Ryusui really, really wants a professional chef! That face he made looked so sketchy XD

02. This OP seems to be a lot less spoilery compared to past OPs! There's still stuff there that you can see, but not as much as it could have been. I guess they really wanted to keep some of the good stuff as a surprise! :D

03. The title of the second episode... Greed Equals Justice! :)

04. "Journalass" :D And she looked away, which must have showed Gen that Ryusui was onto something! And Minami does have an AWESOME name for a journalist! :D

05. Ah, we got some invention flashbacks! :)

06. "Enough for a tiger cub?" Hahaha! Is that some sort of Japanese idiom? It sounds funny and cool! XD

07. Francois is here! :) I think that when I first read the manga, I thought she would either have red hair or a red outfit. But since they gave Ryusui a red outfit in the anime, it makes sense that they'd give Francois a different color!

08. I like how she just started walking in presumably the right direction, since they didn't tell her she was going the wrong way. It's like she has a mental compass pointing straight to Ryusui XD

09. So Ryusui doesn't remember Francois' real name or gender... but he remembers her fashion style, and her clothing and shoe sizes? That's... some selective memory there :O

10. ...And she walked into the conversation, just like that! XD Poor Gen... this isn't the first time he's had to go through those woods without rest... AND he's barefoot! :O

11. Poor modern-timers... XD Kohaku and Chrome's stick figures looked happy, though! :D

12. Somebody asking Senku for an even MORE accurate figure than he's already provided... I don't blame him for looking perplexed XD

13. Time for stollen! :) Ah, so Kohaku knows how to use that... that... animal-catching thingy! That's good info! She surprised Ukyo with her animal catching, and Francois with her butter making :D

14. And the elderly folks are helping with the stollen, too! Pretty convenient that those berry plants are around their height! :)

15. Pretty cool to see Senku learning something and being on the sidelines while somebody else is doing the teaching! And he and Ryusui got scolded XD

16. Hmm, I'm going to have to figure out when they found the time to build that bread oven... It's too large to just be former iron forge, although they could have used some of the same bricks... but, no, even these new bricks are too large and square... :O

17. Senku helped by injecting water into the oven! :) And Francois totally wants him... to be part of the future Nanami Conglomerate :D

18. Chrome's so happy, Kohaku likes it, and even Ukyo is teary-eyed... :) We can also see random villagers enjoying it! And Francois showed us how to make bread! :)

19. Poor Minami... But everybody is so happy about Francois' bread! XD And there it is again, "tiger cub's worth of revival fluid" XD

20. While the others were talking about what Minami wanted in return, Kohaku was just in the background, quietly gobbling up that loaf of bread :D And aww, Kohaku's very considerate of Kaseki! :)

21. That car, those clothes, that drip... wow, Kaseki! :O ...Although the clothes didn't last for very long... XD

22. Some building, some science, and voila, a mirror! Another invention that Chrome and the elderly folks are enjoying! :)

23. That's what Minami REALLY wanted... a camera! :D And we got bits of backstory about her! It is SO in-character for a journalist to want to photograph the green light of the pertrification! She was the one who made me cry this episode. She made such a beautiful promise to Senku and the rest of them! :)

24. Grr, Senku... XD Well, at least Minami's going to take the first photo... and it's great that Ryusui knew who the subject of the stone world's first ever photograph should rightly be :)

25. Francois has great insight into Ryusui's motivations and desires! :O

26. A suit; an old-timey waistcoat thingy; some kind of rockstar getup that totally makes him look like Byakuya (and that buckle, hahaha! I see you, animators :D); another modern outfit, and... huh?! :O

27. Senku sticking his tongue out - the pose of the modern world's most famous scientist, recreated by the stone world's most famous scientist! :D

28. I wonder if those circle thingies in the ED are elements that somehow relate to the five wise generals? :O

29. Francois has joined the party; we've acquired bread, mirrors, and photography; and Minami took the very first photo in the stone world! :) But, oh, the next episode... "First Contact..." I CANNOT wait! :O I'm going to watch it right after I publish this post! :D

https :// fireflyhwufanficwriter . tumblr . com / MyDrStoneEpisodeMangaThoughts

#dr stone #ishigami senku #kohaku #dr. stone #dr stone kohaku #dr. stone kohaku

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thedawningofthehour · 8 months

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I'm reading a rottmnt fic, y'know, like usual, when at one point Donnie call Draxum father and my mind when directly to Galois.

Now, i can't stop thinking about the amount of PTSD that your fic cause me, That i can't read others fics without thinking of yours.

But then, i remember that i did this to myself.

It actually kind of grinds my gears a bit whenever fics have the turtles call Draxum 'dad' in anything but a satirical manner. I just feel like Draxum is too old-school for that. More like 2012 Splinter vibes, where he is still unquestionably Dad but the turtles still use a more formal honorific because that's just how he raised them. And even then, it's implied that they called him Papa when they were little. Which is actually a thing in Japanese-Papa is a loanword and kids will usually start calling their dads that when they first learn to talk, (which makes sense, 'pa' is one of the first and easiest sounds a baby starts to make, along with 'ma' and 'ba', which is why names for moms and dads are so similar all over the world) and then they graduate to a more formal title once they're older. For the 2012 boys, for some reason that title was just Sensei.

I did put in one hint that Draxum told Gale that he called him Papa as a baby turt. And Gale will use it if he really wants to be manipulative, unaware that it actually has zero effect on Draxy. I actually looked up all the words for Father in Old Norse, thinking if Draxum did raise kids, he'd want them to call him what he called his own father. And the title that I found most likely, based on his place of birth and the time period I imagine he was born in, was, and I kid you not, Far. Norse kids legit called their daddies Far. Which-these were the Vikings, many of their daddies were sailing around the world for years at a time, bringing back new stepmoms and making baby siblings their whole childhoods, so that part's accurate. (I kid, Draxum's old but the Viking Age was over by the time he was born) But I felt like people would see that and be more confused than pointing and going "that's Draxum's word for dad! How cute!"

Another Old Norse word for dad was literally just dad. Which makes sense, English is also a Germanic language and took a lot from that language family. But I think something would have been lost if Splinter was Dad and I called Draxum Dad(Faroese style).

#fai stop answering asks you have a chapter to do the final edit for #doth asks

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red-dyed-sarumane · 3 months

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ok ok but actually i want to know ur thoughts on the en titles like even with my limited understanding of japanese im????? on half these titles and worse i gotta memorize them bc youtube forces u to read them that way. nooo its not testament its kyuuyaku hankagai nooo its not blade its shuuen touhikou....

okay i actually have my yt set to jpn so all i see of the eng titles is actually second hand but from what i know

last i checked aru sekai shoushitsu was left untranslated. i dont know how i feel about that.

problem for me starts with kyuuyaku hankagai. kyuuyaku IS old testament yes thats where the eng testament comes from. hankagai is actually a bit of word play on magus part bc there IS a word hankagai meaning like a business district or busy downtown area but the hanka magu uses in the title is actually for scientific generalizations with the suffix of town at the end. so u end up with something like town of the old testament's generalizations which. right away u can see how much extra context ur getting from that alone. reducing it to JUST testament leaves out a lot of detail & makes it more open to interpretation. if i didnt know the og title id see testament & go "oh its called testament bc its a testament of her will to work so hard and go thru all this horror time after time after time" but thats not it. look im not a religious person at all but it goes beyond word choice here the opening text is reminiscent (at the very least) of dante's inferno, 2 songs later we get more church imagery & a whole angel, this isnt a one time thing its also a part of the story & to leave it as just testament makes it so easy to ignore or overlook that part. and then there's the fact its one of the songs tied directly to a certain world's disappearance. disappearance has its main lines distributed under specific headers of sorts, each being a single 2 syllable kanji. the first of which is kyuu which is literally "past". translating both to reflect this in eng is. difficult esp when it gets to other songs but even if u leave it as old testament the "old" is Still There & its a lot more possible to catch onto the connection (hard maybe but not impossible)

shuuen touhikou makes me need to talk a walk and im not joking. fucking "blade" sounds like ur trying to appeal to edgy middle schoolers. aside from that when i hear blade im thinking its going to be a fighting song - maybe not a physical fight, but theres going to be conflict- and yes! there IS conflict in this song! its not what i would expect from seeing blade tho! she is fighting & yes the lyrics are like. using her sword to try and forge her own path out when the others let her down, but blade makes it seem like idk some noble fight or something. but u read demise escape & u KNOW shit's serious. it IS a fight but its that kind of "god i dont want to die like this" type of primal fight and not some cool miku swordfighting action. this girl's been told to sit tight and it will work out & she knows thats wrong & the only thing left is for her try whatever she can so that maybe MAYBE she can make it out alive. demise escape as a title hits the type of fear & heaviness thats in the series and gets across and entirely different picture than what blade could ever do. and. again. as one of the main songs blade completely lacks anyway to tie back to the og song. the lines in shoushitsu are shuu which becomes the shuu in shuuen. end & demise are harder to accurately translate in both songs so even with the more accurate eng title its not that easy to tie back into shoushitsu but like. at the very least u can add it as a fun fact or something somewhere.

oumen mokushiroku i just have to sit here & accept that it actually works much to my own dissatisfaction. the direct translation is concave revelation BUT mokushiroku is part of the lyrics in shoushitsu & it has an alternate reading of being pronounced "apocalypse" so a series accurate title here is concave apocalypse & concave is for the most part just tying back to the ou/concave lines in shoushitsu. for as much as i think about this song i actually dont have anything deep to say about the concave part of the title beyond that so like. fine. reduce it to just apocalypse fine whatever i hate it but [throws my hands up] u win this time magu

unplanned apoptosis is accurate the only problem is in jpn u can catch the a-a alliteration in the title but thats not a problem with the translation thats a problem with the english language itself. the alliteration thing is in fact series context btw it keeps in with that repeating fractal theme they emphasized in shoushitsu and kyuuyaku. same with marshall maximizer but there u can actually see it. kanons fine.

kugutsu ashura is. hm. im nitpicking here. literally its puppet ashura. this isnt connected to a shoushitsu heading so ur not losing anything in that regard. however. from what ive been told about ashura (thank u my friend emimin) they arent very.... in control of things. per se. so when u compound that with puppet in the title it just really drives home what she's doing is not her own will. she cannot affect anything beyond how shes supposed to (i guess thats an okay way of putting it) which saying this is also why the motif isnt in this song either but thats off topic. ashura by itself doesnt bother me as much as the others but theres just that little extra context u get from knowing the first part is puppet that adds to it from a series standpoint.

laboratory is fine the only thing is in jpn it has the separation (labo-ratory) so its obvious its on of the songs with the alliteration theme going on. more of a fun fact than actually being wrong. its fine.

as far as i know yamete kudasai and kannagi dont have the official eng titles?? even if they did idk what to say about them bc these titles are already weird from a series standpoint anyway. they dont fit into the 5 kanji title songs category they dont fit into the alliteration category theyre just kind of here. if there IS thematic importance to them we're only going to know when more songs get posted. they dont have any keywords or kanji that tie into any other specific song either. theyre just here.

#asks #kuki #aru sekai series #THANK U FOR ENABLING ME #no one gets into the series anyway so im just insane about this for no reason really #there is a fan theory some of the side songs are trying to spell out amakakeru fractal with with syllable is alliterated #but that may or may not be disproven at this point. since both kanon and kannagi would be ka #and the ya from yamete kudasai is just not there at all #or maybe thats JUST STRICTLY for alliteration songs. cant tell at this point #anyway that would be impossible to know for eng only speakers so its not much point to know here

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pricechecktranslations · 11 months

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hi there! I just wanted to ask a question since I've been getting into song translation recently and I respect your translations a lot. take this more as a curiosity than anything :)

I notice how many different translators have their own "style" of translation, so i wanted to ask, what's your opinion in creative liberties in translations? I know obviously when dealing with something like Evillious where the little details matter you'd probably want to be as accurate to the source material as possible, but like, sometimes being literal can make something even less clear even when not dealing with idioms (something I feel like I remember you talking about before) and there are also plenty of songs that aren't as story heavy and are more about meaning. so I was just wondering if you have any thoughts on like, your philosophy with how much translators should stray in the name of keeping the same meaning/intent rather than the literal translation?

like, i was working on a translation where I write the line "また言いたいことを殺す" as "I'm holding my tongue again", because I feel like given the context of the song that conveys the same meaning as "I'm killing what I want to say again" in a more concise way, even though there are probably more direct ways to say "I'm holding my tongue" in Japanese. It does lose some of the nuance (言いたいことを殺す definitely sounds more visceral) but the actual meaning and intent conveyed (the singer has given up on saying something she wants to) is more immediately registered to an English speaker, and I've been wondering to myself how I should weigh those two.

Hazuki no Yume's translation of Iiya/118 is another translation that takes a lot of these types of creative liberties to convey intent I feel like. I honestly really enjoy their translation of that song, it's one of my favorites, but I get that some might prefer a more direct translation that only changes things when completely necessary. Personally I know there is a limit for me because I dislike when people add unnecessary extra words that were never present either in the actual text or through context just to add flavor, but I'm not the best at judging these things.

Obviously I know every translator is different, and I'm the type to make a ton of translator notes anyways so I'll probably include the more literal meaning in there regardless. I was just curious about your own thoughts and I thought it'd make an interesting question :)

My thought on that is…it's really a case by case basis. There's no right answer (though there's certainly a wrong answer, that being "I just made something up because I don't care about the original work"), because ultimately translation is a frankenstein craft that requires as much creative writing skills as it does language knowledge. It varies by work, and it varies by person. So, I can share my opinion, and how I personally do things, but as long as no one is outright misrepresenting another's work, either intentionally or through lack of skill, I try not to quibble too much.

Personally, I trend more towards the literal. There's two different attitudes that I think people go into translations with--to make something as appealing a creative work in English, or to just report what the Japanese means for others to understand. I see myself as doing the second one. I'll take liberties sometimes, especially when translating novels, but these are done mostly to keep the reading experience from being obtrusive or distracting. If I were an official translator, I think I would be more comfortable with doing more "localization" type things (like changing character titles, using more colorful language, for example), but because everything I'm doing is unofficial, without permission, I've thought of my role as a translator to be more like a language patch than someone making an "English version" of the works I translate.

There's also the fact that I often enjoy the way the Japanese text phrases things, so I like to share it with other people. And, my cultural knowledge can be a little lacking at times, so there are instances where I'm not confident I understand the sensibilities behind it enough to make a "localization" without misconstruing the words.

So, to discuss your example, I would not choose to change the wording that way. However, I can't call you wrong for doing so because every translator has their own view of what makes an accurate translation of tone and intent, and what you've done preserves the meaning with that in mind. I'm reminded of a (possibly apocryphal) anecdote about Japanese author Natsume Souseki, who supposedly encouraged an English student to translate "I love you" as the phrase "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?", because he felt a direct translation into Japanese was not in line with Meiji cultural norms (where open declarations of affection are pretty much unheard of). This is not something I would have ever come up with, nor would I do so myself, but he also had a perfectly valid point that the phrase would not at all have the same tone and intention in Japanese that it did in English.

To try and put my stance in brief--cultural translation is definitely a valid approach, but because I am working unofficially, and because I often enjoy the way things are phrased in the original work, I personally prefer not to do it unless I feel it will cause a significant amount of confusion/disruption for the reader otherwise (such as in the case of idioms, metaphors, common phrases that aren't common in English, etc).

There's a song called Slow Motion that has a popular translation by wingarea. I do not like this translation, not because I think it's bad (it's a perfectly fine translation), but because I would have chosen to stick more closely to the original wording choices. Meanwhile, there's a translation of Delusion Girl by damesukekun that I think snips out a lot of the evocative tone of the song in how bluntly it's translated. So--again. Case by case.

#basically my stance is just as long as you're always making an earnest effort to accurately represent another person's work #then it's really just about the skill level and discretion of the translator #i think there are a lot of people who are way too comfortable completely changing the work to put their own spin on it #but some degree of creative input from the translator is necessary when translating a creative piece #there's no way to have a hard and fast rule about how much is acceptable

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jackiewepps · 7 months

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

Oh my! This is a hard one! I have so many works. How can I pick five?I guess I can list a few, and since I can't bring myself to rank them, let's do it in cronological order, the oldest first.

Free Parenting 2015 (AO3 2016)

The story just means a lot to me. I came up with it together with a friend, and it triggered a whole series. It is obvious that this story is eight years old at this point. My understanding of the English language and the Japanese culture has developed a lot since I wrote it, but I'm still proud of what I made, even if reading the mistakes now makes me cringe, it's only because I care. That I came up with that AU and all the conflicts that would come from this setting is still beyond me.

Hotel Room Fantasies 2017

This is still my most successful one-shot ever. Of course, it is BL, so that makes sense. Still, I once again managed to pull off exactly what I wanted. My intentions with the story was that the reader should not be able to tell whether what the boys do is actually happening or if it's just something going on in Serinuma's head, and I think I accomplished that really well. I really want to say I did it to perfection, but I also don't want to praise myself too much, but oh well. The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to this story.

Ace of Chatrooms 2017

My first chat-fic and my most successful one (of two). I remember that I only wrote this story because I wanted to try and write a chat-fic, and before I knew it, I had written half the story and it wasn't about to end anytime soon. I have no understanding of English chat-language and therefore did not use it. As a result, it probably feels less realistic, but everyone can follow it easily. It also has a lot of my humor in it and it is one of the fics I will sit down to read when I feel down and need something to laugh at. I've already read it more times than I can count, and the sequal too. When the Daiya anime continues, I'll probably write the third part of this series, but I definitely need the material to base the chaos off of before I can unfold it again.

Danger Zone 2021 (Title might change)

This story is probably the most complicated one I've ever written, and not because I find the plot too complicated. It's mainly the storylines. We follow quite a few characters throughout the story and their stories are all connected, not just because they know each other, but each minor plotline has an impact on the overall story. I'm proud of how it turned out. I still call it my masterpiece. I mean, it took me two years writing it and only half a year publishing it. That part is bittersweet, but I'm proud of my work and I enjoy going back to read it.

I Will Go With You 2021-2022

So much research went into this story. I did the same when I wrote Figure Swimming, but I still did more research here. I wanted to make the snowboarding seem realistic, and I wanted all facts about Canada to be as accurate as possible. There were a few problems, as it is not known exactly where in Canada Langa is from, except they don't speak French there. But I looked into how long it would take to travel to Canada, how to get in, what kind of food is traditionally Canadian, the school system, and of course everything worth knowing about snowboarding. On top of that, I feel like I managed to flesh out my original characters really well. I still have art of Louis and Lian that I don't think made it unto any website. I also think I managed to make Langa's grandparents into more than just some stick figures, and the same with Erica. I managed to include all the scenes I had in my head and make an interesting story. The only thing I'm sad about is that even in my story Reki can't win a race. Good thing I'm playing with the idea of making a sequel to this story too.

Honorable Mentions:

Imagination (2016) because I like that I managed to come up with it and execute the idea that well.

Figure Swimming (2017) because other people tell me I got the characters' personalities really well (and it was the first work I did a lot of research for).

Dumb Luck (2022) because it marks my "dark age" of realism. I also personally think it makes sense in spite of me not using the names of the main characters of the story.

Knights and Princesses (2022) because the scene on the bridge came out just as I had intended it to.

I know I was not supposed to list this many, but with a total of 88 works on AO3, there is quite a lot to choose from. I also would have liked to mention a few more, but I guess I'll really have to stop myself at this point.

#ask #fanfiction #fanfic #Free! Iwatobi Swim Club #watashi ga motete dousunda #Kiss Him Not Me #Ace of Diamonds #Daiya no Ace #sk8 the infinity #yuri on ice #Assassination Classroom #Ansatsu Kyoushitsu #Don't make me choose stuff!#Too many honorable mentions #anime

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