#yamashita's gold

[whatisonthemoon]

On Yamashita’s Gold, Singlaub, and the Events Following Marcos’ Departure

Excerpt from The Marcos Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave

From 1984 on, the search for the remainder of Yamashita's Gold was overseen by a Manila company called Nippon Star, virtually the same group of men who had run the Leber Group ten years earlier. Nippon Star was set up originally by ordinary gold seekers who failed to find anything significant. Their company was taken over by the CIA, in keeping with the Agency's practice of turning existing companies into fronts and inserting their own people.

After that, the Manila end of Nippon Star was run by Cesar Lehran of the old Leber Group, a Filipino whose allegiance was owed to Fabian Ver. The company was listed as wholly owned by Phoenix Exploration Services, Ltd., 90 Chancery Lane, London. That company, in turn, was wholly owned by Helmut Trading (apparently a play on words), registered in Liberia under a bearer stock, so its true ownership could never be traced. Associated with Nippon Star, though, was a group calling itself the Phoenix Overseas Project, understood to be one of the fronts of General Singlaub, whose American base was in Phoenix, Arizona. Whatever the case, Singlaub made use of the Nippon Star offices whenever he was in Manila. Another affiliate of Nippon Star was the Delta International Group, headed by Vernon R. Twyman of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a leader of the Praise The Lord Church and its PTL religious broadcasting network. Twyman once told Nippon Star stockholders that they had a "joint venture" arrangement with Sultan Omar DinaIan's Sod Research & Recovery of the Philippines, a friend of President Marcos and one of those involved in excavating for Yamashita's Gold since 1975 or earlier. Thus both Singlaub and Twyman were involved as private citizens with Ferdinand's gold recovery effort at least as early as 1984.

The fact that big guns of the PTL were busy in the same areas as General Singlaub and his military-intelligence associates is hardly surprising. Many American conservative activists were quite naturally also members of PTL and other fundamentalist crusades such as Moral Majority, the Reverend Moon's CAUSA, and so forth. So it is hardly surprising that activists in some of these religious groups were drawn into the search for Yamashita's Gold.

Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, and Pat Robertson were becoming well known to Filipinos, along with the Campus Crusade for Christ, the Church of the Four Square Gospel, and others that evangelized aggressively with the direct encouragement of President Marcos. These individuals turned a blind eye to the brutality of the regime. During the Reagan administration, right-wing religious leaders were sometimes approached directly by Colonel North to participate in CIA covert operations, including funding the Contras. It was perhaps fitting that conservative religious groups were involved in the great Christian crusade for Yamashita's Gold.

pp.395-397 ===== Over the years, the CIA and the National Security Agency had established in the Philippines America's largest telecommunications and technical intelligence base in the Far East, capable of monitoring radio and microwave phone transmissions all over Asia, linked to surveillance satellites that could discern something as small as the numbers on an automobile license plate. Although these were generally directed outward, to cover the Pacific and the Asian mainland, they were also capable of keeping close watch within the Philippines. They could easily monitor all of Fabian Ver's secret communications throughout the archipelago. The Pentagon and the CIA had helped Ver acquire the telecommunications net used by NISA and the Presidential Security Command. In the early 1980s, more than $10 million had been spent to upgrade Ver's telecom system with new computerized electronics from Stromberg-Carlson. Not only could the CIA and NSA monitor the entire system, but they could patch into it at will to interrupt messages, or to substitute false messages. When Ver's transmissions were scrambled, they could be instantly unscrambled.

p.410 =====

Epilogue

PARADISE LOST

THE REGIME LASTED for twenty years only because Filipinos allowed themselves to be convinced that the dictator was in firm control, that his secret police Were everywhere, that his army was overwhelmingly powerful, and that Ferdinand Marcos himself was supernaturally endowed. These things were true up to a point. Beyond that, the impression of power and omniscience was exaggerated by showmanship and grotesque extremes of cruelty. Ordinary people were psyched out. It was the logical outcome of Edward Lansdale's shallow insight into human nature, which failed in Vietnam but worked in the Philippines. Inexperienced at resistance, and unaccustomed to armed struggle, when they finally took to the streets of Manila in exasperation and the Marcoses fled without a struggle, nobody was more astounded than Filipinos themselves, who coined the term "People Power" with refreshing innocence.

After the sudden departure of Ferdinand and Imelda, many Filipinos thought everything was going to change. But in fact little changed. The country had been so thoroughly looted that it had serious problems just feeding itself. Famine continued on Negros and other islands, and in Manila the number of street beggars was up sharply. Washington was more interested in returning the Philippines to status quo than in promoting dramatic reforms. The status quo meant getting back to strongman rule as quickly as possible, while paying elaborate homage to democratic principles. The talk about encouraging a healthy opposition and about correcting the feudal serfdom of the vast majority of Filipinos, was just talk. The norm established in the islands under American suzerainty was the rule of the elite, enforced by death squads, the democracy of the Ku Klux Klan. Cory Aquino, while apparently genuinely committed to land reform and correction of other longstanding abuses, was confronted by so many entrenched enemies of reform that she was forced to defer action indefinitely in order to concentrate on mere survival. So long as there was no genuine reform, whatever money was produced in the islands would continue to flee to safer places. Beautiful as it was, the Philippines was a place to rob, not a place to live.

After a honeymoon with the people, and the ratification of a new constitution, the Aquino government was obliged to purge itself of its reformers and to permit the reintroduction of some of the worst aspects of the Marcos regime. Negotiations with the NPA were broken off and a state of civil war resumed. Vigilante gangs identical to those under Marcos were reinstated and legitimized by Aquino's military staff to fight the "Communist menace."

In March 1987, President Reagan approved a "finding" which cast a pall over all prospects for improvement, providing $10 million for two years of increased CIA involvement in the Philippine government's counterinsurgency campaign. This included technical assistance, help-ing the Philippine military with intelligence gathering, providing com-puters, computer training, and so on. It authorized the Agency to hire Filipinos to spy on each other. CIA agents in the islands would increase by 10 percent, and they would have freedom to deal directly with Filipino soldiers at all ranks, rather than only at the chief-of-staff level.

It was a decision on a par with the meddling of MacArthur, with Truman and Eisenhower giving Lansdale a license to kill Huks and to fake the election of Magsaysay, with Johnson bribing Marcos to become involved in the Vietnam War, and with Nixon and Kissinger endorsing the Marcos seizure of dictatorial power.

The proper atmosphere for this decision was created in the same manner as the Tonkin Gulf Incident, by a rash of dubious reports of secret Soviet arms shipments to the NPA, and the alleged presence of Soviet advisers in NPA training camps. Marcos had done the same thing in his long buildup toward martial law, as Enrile had faked the attack on his car.

The head of one of the largest of the new post-Marcos vigilante groups, "Rising Masses," was Jun Porras Pala, a radio announcer and public crusader in Davao City, who created a right-wing reign of terror in Mindanao. Identifying villages known to be sympathetic to the NPA, Pala issued ultimatums on his radio station telling the villagers to join his group, or they would become targets. Thousands of villagers either joined or fled. When civil officials and religious activists opposed Pala, he broadcast death threats against them. The Aquino government did not put him in jail or in a mental hospital. Instead, Pala's group was encouraged by Davao's military police commander. The new defense minister, West Point graduate Rafael Ileto, and Local Governments Secretary Jaime Ferrer (both old Lansdale men) publicly endorsed the vigilantes. General Fidel Ramos, the hero of the Marcos overthrow, praised vigilantes as "civilian organizations dedicated to the defense of their community."

The vigilante phenomenon in the countryside coincided with the rebirth of anti-Communist anxiety in the cities. Once again the middle class was being told that a Communist takeover was imminent, and once again it was easily convinced. The right wing, failing repeatedly in its efforts to topple Aquino with inept military plots, reverted to terrorist tactics. Leaders of the left and right were brutally slain, including Jaime Ferrer on the right and Leandro Alejandro on the left. Ernie Maceda dusted off the old Marcos bromide and suggested that Alejandro had been killed by his own people to cast suspicion on the right.

Christian fundamentalist sects like joy of the Lord Jesus, the Word of Life International, and Heaven's Magic preached rabid anti-Communist doctrines fomenting fear and hatred in the barrios. Most aggressive of the Christian groups was CAUSA International, the political arm of the Reverend Moon's Unification Church, which had aided U.S. efforts to support the Contras in Nicaragua. The chairman of CAUSA, Bo Hik Pak, acknowledged CIA funding. In August and October 1986, CAUSA held conferences on national security in Manila, bringing together people like General John Singlaub and Ray Cline with top Philippine strongmen such as Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile. In March 1987, CAUSA organized a Philippine national conference of vigilante groups, with the raving right-wing terrorist from Davao, Jun Porras Pala, as the keynote speaker. At the conclusion of the conference, participants agreed to organize nine regional CAUSA chapters throughout the Philippines.

The rise of right-wing death squads and the Philippine operations of John Singlaub were not mere coincidence. Singlaub had direct ties to at least one of the Filipino vigilante groups. Alberto Maguigad, alias 'Jake Madigan," boasted that his Counter-Insurgency Command, based in Cagayan de Oro, was funded by Singlaub. Maguigad bragged that two Green Berets were training his men in counterinsurgency tactics.

A senior Philippine military officer said Singlaub was traveling the country meeting right-wing groups to create the right psychological atmosphere for a new Operation Phoenix. We might well wonder whose names would be on the list for extermination. Singlaub also was said to be bringing Special Forces veterans to the islands to train selected units of the Philippine armed forces-at least thirty-seven American mercenaries being imported by Singlaub for that purpose. Chief-of-Staff Fidel Ramos ridiculed the allegation: "I would like you to know that the new armed forces of the Philippines has nothing to do with General Singlaub, he had nothing to do with us before, he has nothing to do with us now, and he will have nothing to do with us in the future. This is a lot of baloney. We don't want him and we don't need him."

Ramos had been acquainted with Singlaub for many years, from Korea and Vietnam. In July 1986, Singlaub came to see Ramos in Manila. Four months later, in November 1986, Singlaub returned to the Philippines with Ray Cline and Major General Robert Schweitzer, recently retired from Reagan's NSC staff. Singlaub and Cline apparently were the two secret envoys Reagan sent to Manila that November to warn Defense Minister Enrile not to attempt a coup against Mrs. Aquino. But while they were there, they held a few other meetings, including one with Enrile, Fidel Ramos, and Brigadier General Felix Brawner. These meetings were so secret that some of the men who attended entered the Philippines under false names. Cory Aquino's brother, Jose Cojuangco, was present at two of the meetings, which were held at the Aquino sugar plantation in Tarlac Province, although Cojuangco later denied he was there. It was soon after this meeting that Reagan approved his "finding" to expand CIA operations in the islands.

What were Singlaub and his secret team really up to in the Philippines-and why the right-wing feeding frenzy?

Funding secret right-wing "initiatives" had not become any cheaper since the fall of Ferdinand Marcos. There was always the rest of Yamashita's Gold, another $100 billion or so-the real reason why John Singlaub was back in the Philippines.

In September 1985, five months before Marcos fell, Singlaub came to Manila personally to get permission to dig. A senior Philippine government official said that Ambassador Bosworth, acting on White House orders, accompanied Singlaub to a meeting that September with Finance Minister Jaime Ongpin. The source said that Singlaub also asked for security protection, or approval to employ private guards. One of Singlaub's high-level official contacts was retired Brigadier General Luis Villareal, who directed the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and served as president of the Philippine Anti-Communist League.

Shortly after Singlaub's visit, Vernon Twyman's Delta International Group in Tulsa, Oklahoma, got in touch with a Georgia engineer, Al Meyers, who had developed a laser device to find buried gold. A testing laboratory had tested and accepted the device, which reacted when its beam encountered heavy metals of certain densities. The rest was high school trigonometry. Meyers had already been approached by a Houston group, Great Southern & Salvage, which specialized in offshore recovery. They all went to the Philippines to pinpoint Yamashita's Gold at several sites. After having problems with Twyman, Meyers broke off and went to work on his own at a reef in Calatagan Bay, 70 miles south-southwest of Manila. He was helped by Paul Jiga, who told Meyers he had watched a Japanese general's men bury the gold at the reef with the slave labor of Allied POWs, booby-trap it, and cork the hole with a huge slab of concrete, after which they machine-gunned the POWs and left their bodies to be devoured by sharks. Ben Balmores, who had retired more than ten years earlier, was in hiding from the treasure hunters and was reported to be in failing mental health.

Initially, Meyers dealt with Cesar Loran and Alfonso Adeva at Nippon Star, but after Ferdinand and Imelda fled, Meyers was taken to see President Aquino. Among the seven others attending the meeting were Mrs. Aquino's uncle, Congressman Francisco Sumulong, the person she designated to deal with people attempting to recover the gold. The standard arrangement offered Meyers by Sumulong was 75 percent of any treasure to the government of the Philippines, the remainder to the finder.

Meyers said he promised Aquino that his efforts would not cost her government a peso, but he needed coast guard protection in the form of an armed government launch to protect his crew from maraudersFilipinos and Americans connected to other groups that were also searching for the gold at various sites. Meyers told Aquino he expected to recover about 800 tons of gold at the one site. Mrs. Aquino was said to have exclaimed, "My God, it is the second miracle!"

Meanwhile, the PTL-affiliated Tulsans associated with General Singlaub's Phoenix Overseas Project obtained permission to work a different site with Nippon Star. Singlaub's people actually began digging at one site three months before the fall of Ferdinand Marcos, and apparently uncovered some 110-pound gold bars, which renewed their determination. They seem to have had difficulty dealing with Marcos and Ver, so by all accounts Singlaub himself was happy to see Marcos go, and was soon making fresh arrangements with the new government. Cory Aquino's speech writer, Teodoro Locsin, apparently assisted Singlaub in obtaining the necessary new permits. Cory's brother, Jose Cojuangeo, reportedly offered to support Singlaub's recovery effort financially, and to guarantee security by providing Constabulary troops at their prime site in Batangas Province, the Laurel stronghold south of Manila.

Juan Ponce Enrile also assured Singlaub of military support, if necessary with his own private army. But just to be sure, Singlaub brought in his own U.S. Special Forces. It was the arrival of these men, thirtyseven in all, which inspired the rumors that Singlaub was training the Philippine armed forces in counterinsurgency, the rumors denied by Fidel Ramos.

Actually finding the gold was another matter. Locations of some land sites were known, as the reefs were known, but the tricky problem remained to pinpoint the exact position and find the way to reach it without setting off booby traps. This was what had stymied Ferdinand until he brought in Olof Jonsson. While Meyers was working his reef site in Calatagan Bay, for example, he found it impossible to approach the treasure directly, because-aside from the explosives planted in the reef-the access tunnel had been designed to cave in on anyone excavating along the obvious approach. To reach the treasure from any other direction required knowing its exact location and the precise situation of 2,000-pound bombs. The original Japanese detail maps had gone with Robert Curtis, and Curtis had vanished.

In the autumn of 1986, according to well-informed sources in Manila, two men representing Singlaub went to work tracking Curtis down. Before the year was out, they had found him, living in a new town, with a new job and new name. They identified themselves as representatives of Nippon Star. Curtis already knew all about Nippon Star-he had kept a wary eye on developments from a distance. The two men pleaded with him to become involved once again in the search. They desperately needed his maps and his knowledge of the sites. Curtis refused.

A few days later, Curtis was contacted by someone closer to Singlaub. Someone who also had ties to Jay Agnew and his associates at the John Birch Society, who Curtis said had offered to launder up to $20 billion in gold for Ferdinand Marcos. He was extremely anxious to meet Curtis personally, to discuss the Nippon Star project. Curtis again said he did not want anything to do with those people.

The contact man admitted, reluctantly, that General Singlaub was involved, and pleaded with Curtis not to go to the press. Nippon Star had received too much publicity, so it was being shut down and everything would be handled from then on through offshore corporations set up in Panama and Nigeria. He said they needed Curtis badly. In the weeks to follow, he called Curtis again and again, and eventually came to see him.

What John Singlaub was after, he said, was to set up an endowment to fund anti-Communist activities around the world that the U.S. Congress refused to support. They would uncover the gold, give a big cut to the Philippines, and keep the rest for the endowment, which would dispense the funds as needed. They knew generally where to dig, but they needed the detail maps and engineering drawings from Curtis to do the excavating more precisely. Without the maps, it would take much longer and the gold might be missed by inches. They were trying to recruit Olof Jonsson also.

Curtis still refused to become involved.

His phone rang again. This time it was General Robert Schweitzer at the Pentagon. Although he had retired from the army and the National Security Council to work with Singlaub, Schweitzer still had the use of a Pentagon office.

General Schweitzer said he was calling about General John Singlaub's search for Yamashita's Gold. Curtis took the precaution of phoning his caller back on the main Pentagon switchboard, to make sure he was who he said he was.

Schweitzer's message was simple: Curtis must help Singlaub get Yamashita's Gold-to help in the fight against communism in Nicaragua and elsewhere.

"It is your patriotic duty," he told Curtis.

Soon afterward, Curtis was on his way to Hong Kong. He spent three days discussing the proposition with General Singlaub, General Schweitzer, and others. According to reliable sources in Hong Kong and Manila, Singlaub and his group were well prepared for the meeting. They had detailed CIA dossiers on Curtis, knew all about him and his history, and they knew how to play him.

Curtis was offered a seat on the board of Singlaub's new endowment, which would administer the recovery operation and determine the disposition of all the gold found. He would be one of a small group of its directors, among them General Singlaub and six other active or retired U.S. generals. Associated with them would be several leading Filipinos, including Cory's brother Jose Cojuangco and his uncle, Congressman Sumulong. Schweitzer was not among the directors listed, nor were two others whom Schweitzer wanted to bring in on the projectRay Cline and General John Vessey, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Singlaub reportedly was afraid that they would attract unwanted publicity. Although there had been many stories in the Filipino press, up to this point there had been only a few in America because the whole idea of Yamashita's Gold sounded so preposterous. Singlaub was worried that the involvement of Cline and particularly of Vessey would finally alert American journalists to the fact that there was more going on than just, as one foreign correspondent in Manila put it indelicately, "a harebrained treasure hunt by a bunch of wacko rightwing dildos." Billions of dollars were at stake.

No matter what anyone else thought, Singlaub and his circle of American generals were absolutely convinced of the reality of Yamashita's Gold, enough to risk becoming targets of ridicule while they searched for it. Many of them had been in the CIA hierarchy since World War II, involved in shaping the postwar governments of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In doing so they had employed the patrons of the Yakuza, and had become friends and fellow conspirators of the Kuromaku, Sasakawa and Kodama. Nobody was in a better position than these men to know about the loot Kodama had hidden. They had access to top-secret Japanese military archives, CIA archives, Pentagon archives, all of them beyond the reach of ordinary people, and the inside track on papers Ferdinand Marcos had left behind when he fled. For twenty years, they had used CIA assets to keep close track of Ferdinand's secret gold deals. At some point in the early 1970s, the CIA had become involved in those gold deals through Paul Helliwell's black-money conduits and the branches of Nugan-Hand Bank.

If the CIA did fly tons of gold out of Clark for President Marcos, some of these men were well informed and might even have approved the flights. If Marcos bullion was slipped out through Australia with the help of wealthy tycoons there, using Nugan-Hand channels, some of these men might have been among those at the CIA who authorized its movement. If the huge Marcos gold transactions of 1983 and 1984 were real, and were concluded, some of these men were in a position to know about it, and may have been the ones holding his feet to the fire as he got ready for his first kidney transplant. Singlaub had even been in touch with Dovie Beams's old adversary, Potenciano Ilusorio, now (thanks to President Marcos) a major stockholder in Benguet Exploration, a unit of Benguet Consolidated Mines. Singlaub was said to be helping a group of American executives who wanted to acquire Benguet. In New York, business reporters speculated among themselves that the acquisition was of interest to Allen & Company, who had a history of involvement with Benguet.

If none of these reports was true, why were a platoon of America's top generals back in the Philippines digging for Yamashita's Gold?

Curtis decided to throw his lot in with them-but his decision was short-lived. In the Philippines, newspapers soon were full of stories about Singlaub's searches. His men were excavating ten sites simultaneously, with extremely tight security provided by the Philippine military and the U.S. Special Forces. With the assistance of Curtis in pinpointing exact locations, they expected to hit the first major deposit of treasure "at any time." Many of the remaining sites were in areas controlled by the NPA, and contingency plans were in place, in case of a military confrontation. Nobody wanted the gold to fall into the wrong hands.

Despite all their preoccupation with tight security, Curtis became alarmed at the way General Singlaub himself attracted attention, alarmed at the very high profile of what was supposed to be an extremely secret operation. He was also a bit disturbed by some of the disclosures of the Iran-Contra hearings, which revealed a high incidence of bungling, dishonesty, and venality. In addition, he had discovered that his old enemies in the John Birch Society were sitting on the sidelines, waiting to turn Kodama's blood-soaked booty into a new holy war. Alarmed and disgusted, Curtis took his priceless maps and threatened to vanish once again, unless Singlaub and the other brass hats withdrew and left the excavation to the specialists.

Ferdinand Marcos also had not forgotten Yamashita's Gold. Far away in Honolulu, where he continued to plot his eventual return to power, he held long telephone conversations with men in the Virginia suburbs of Washington who claimed to be arms dealers. They taped the conversations and turned them over to Congress and the press. During the phone calls, Ferdinand said he would pay for the tanks and rockets he needed with thousands of tons of gold still hidden in the Philippines. How many tons, asked the phony arms dealer. Ferdinand whispered hoarsely, "Thousands." Why, in one place alone, he added, he had 4,000 tons of bullion stashed, worth over $40 billion.

Nobody knew where his bullion had gone. Before fleeing from Malacanang, Ferdinand had taken the trouble to have a barge haul away the gold he had stashed in the palace, and trucks haul away the bullion in the vaults beneath the warehouse and the bank. Nobody knew where the presidential yacht had taken its cargo-to Hong Kong, or to some intermediate point like Lubang or Fuga. As to the bullion hidden beneath the Bataan beach palace, some people suspected that it had been taken hurriedly across to Corregidor and hidden among the maze of tunnels on the island. just as a precaution, permission was obtained from the government of Cory Aquino to "renovate" the war memorial at Corregidor.

Although Marcos was obliged to live quietly under public scrutiny in Honolulu, there were other brief glimpses of hidden treasure; in mid-1988, frustrated by his exile, he was reported to have offered President Aquino $5 billion in cash to let him come home. As an opening ante it showed promise, but it fell far short of a serious bid.

Curtis got his wish. Singlaub and the other celebrity generals withdrew to let him dig away in secret beneath Fort Santiago. Hiding his real identity as much as possible, keeping to himself and shunning publicity, and working with a team of diggers provided by Cory Aquino, Curtis made gradual progress toward what he thought would be one of the big deposits of bullion hidden under the fort by Admirals Kodama and Iwabuchi. In March 1988, nearing their objective, the diggers hit a Japanese sand trap. Two workmen died. Curtis said the trap was one of those put in place to discourage recovery. The deaths brought the flare-up of publicity that Curtis had been trying to avoid, but after a few days it subsided as most people contented themselves with a snigger.

As Curtis and his excavators returned to work, they were joined by Olof Jonsson, back in the Philippines for the first time since 1975 to help Curtis pinpoint the trove.

In the national assembly, old supporters of Ferdinand Marcos threatened a complete investigation, and grumbled that Curtis was "destroying a national monument" to what, they did not say.

Imelda and Ferdinand were gone, but in paradise lost, you could still hear the serpent slither.

#yamashita's gold #ferdinand marcos #marcos #john singlaub #singlaub #enrile #Juan Ponce Enrile #jun porras pala #WACL #anti-communist #causa #PACL #reagan #gold #bo hi pak

[gochujangst]

An ameture Mashup I call "Oro De Una Dia Mas"!

Someday Itsuka X One More Step X Oro De Ley

#jang rambles #jang musics #tatsuro yamashita #Yoon Sang #Luis Miguel #so... gold of one more day

[mariocki]

Satsujin ken 2 (Return of the Street Fighter, 1974)

"I'll tell you something. The intention of the Mafia was to control the whole Asian martial arts world. But you and Masaoka got in our way. And anything that gets in our way... must die."

#Satsujin ken 2 #return of the street fighter #street fightin' cinema #japanese cinema #1974 #sonny chiba #shigehiro ozawa #hajime takaiwa #kôji takada #shin'ichi chiba #claude gagnon #yôko ichiji #masashi ishibashi #naoki shima #katsuya yamashita #kazuyuki saito #hal gold #hiroshi tanaka #masafumi suzuki #masataka iwao #takuma's back babey‚ splitting skulls and stomping spines. a pleasingly direct sequel to the previous film with multiple returning #characters‚ although Chiba's lead (whilst still resolutely antiheroic) does seem to be wavering in the amorality stakes. in the previous #entry he only wasn't one of the villains bc of a quibble about payment; here he has an actual scruple (just one) and won't turn against #the martial arts master with whom he earnt a mutual respect last movie. cue a mafia grudge match with Chiba on sparkling form #there's a scene in which he reveals his knowledge of a friend's betrayal whilst eating a banana‚ a potentially bizarre performance choice #that Chiba nevertheless nails (i have quite literally never seen someone eat a banana with more tension). there's an increased nod to #aesthetics this time‚ including an unexplained trip into the mountains for a big fight (presumably the reason was: karate in the snow looks #cool as hell). also fanservice for the Chibanauts (i just made that fandom name up) in a scene where he wears shorty shorts to fight a #dozen other men‚ all also wearing only shorty shorts. this is grotesque exploitation cinema meets high camp but it's also just awesome #highly recommended for fans of when one guy runs up another guy and then fucks him up badly

[10969mfs-sinro]

Broken Heart of Gold - Luxury Disease Tour (London 01.07.2023)

All credit goes to tamami_kitty on Instagram!

(7/10)

#broken heart of gold #i first heard this song on my birthday #and now it's one of my favourites #every time i hear it i remember when i had it on repeat on the train to london to celebrate #luxury disease tour 2023 #one ok rock #oor #ryota kohama #tomoya kanki #toru yamashita #taka moriuchi #10969

[southeastasianarchaeology]

Yamashita treasure hunters rescued from Puerto Princesa dig site

via Philippine News Agency, 13 July 2023: Five treasure hunters searching for General Yamashita's treasure nearly suffocated to death, but were revived and rescued by emergency responders in Puerto Princesa City.

via Philippine News Agency, 13 July 2023: Five treasure hunters searching for General Yamashita’s treasure nearly suffocated to death, but were revived and rescued by emergency responders in Puerto Princesa City. Earl Timbancaya, head of the Puerto Princesa City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said Thursday the treasure hunters encountered difficulty breathing and…

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#treasure hunting #Yamashita&039;s Gold

[animehouse-moe]

What do you think are the best anime adaptations from manga (can be series or movies)? Why do you think so?

This is a really good question considering what we've seen in the last year or two!

I think there's quite a few, and they can earn that title through a few different ways. Though personally, I have my biases for what I look for in an adaptation, so there will be a bit of a trend in this list for sure. (also, this will largely stick to series that I've read at least a bit of the manga for)

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

I mean, even if I have my gripes with some of the content in the manga, it's impossible to say that what Saitou and Madhouse are doing here is anything less than a stellar adaptation. Coaxing Shingo Yamashita out and into the episode was an incredible feat, and it's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Frieren has delivered. So some pieces may not be for me, but in terms of quality, yesterday's episode is pretty damn impossible to beat.

Heavenly Delusion

While I just said Frieren was unbeatable, I personally don't believe that as an adaptation in the full sense of the word, it can match up to what Hirotaka and I.G did for Heavenly Delusion. One of the biggest things with an anime is finding how to improve on the source material. Faithfulness is just a single piece of the puzzle, and Hirotaka and co are a great example of that. They add so much to the anime in terms of original scenes. Even more with how they choose to execute on some sequences as they add totally new meaning to them. As a story, Hirotaka's adaptation is the pinnacle of what an adaptation should be. Adding to the original context, re-ordering events for better executing in an animated format, trimming the fat and pieces that don't quite stick. And then adding on top incredible work in terms of art and animation. The value that Heavenly Delusion's anime imparted to the series is entirely incomparable to what others have done.

Bocchi The Rock!

I mean, this one is sorta self-explanatory. Taking the simplicity of a 4-koma manga and using that to explore anime as a medium? Saitou was a madman on this project, and the team behind its adaptation deserves their flowers. Story doesn't matter here near as much as expression does, simply because of the style of the series, and Cloverworks delivered on that in spades. It's pretty crazy how good 4-koma adaptations can be sometimes.

Spy x Family

This is an interesting one because really, nothing can quite stand out at a glance. But I think when you start to dig further into the series, it becomes apparent how much passion and dedication is held for it by the two studios working on it. There's a lot of added moments and details, and they work tirelessly at expanding upon each panel. It's not at the same level as Heavenly Delusion, nor does its expression stretch the limits like Bocchi's does, but I think it puts in commendable work on both ends regardless.

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War

Another sorta self-explanatory one. Aka Akasaka certainly has ability and quality, but if you believe for a moment that the manga is the superior way to experience the series you'd be sorely mistaken. A-1 has elevated Kaguya-sama to stardom through its incredible sense of humor, and sheer dedication to comedy. The rap episode from the most recent season is just a prime example of the depth with which they approach the content. If you're a RomCom series, Kaguya-Sama is the gold standard of an adaptation you'll always be reaching for.

The overall "idea" with this list is adaptations that add something that the source material was unable to. Expression, humor, depth, structuring or symbolism- they all add to the material in ways that only an anime could. Frieren is the odd one out in that sense, as it brings sheer dedication to the manga above all else. You could argue that the flashbacks have more detail, which I would agree with, but it's not tantamount to an improvement in what Frieren aims to do with itself. A great example of my expectations for "improvement" is the Heiter-Fern flashback scene from the second episode where he first meets Fern. A great change to the narrative that places far more focus on Heiter in the present (of that flashback) than it does Himmel in the past.

Anyways, I think these are some of the most standout adaptations in the recent years, with some of them like Bocchi The Rock! and Heavenly Delusion being ones that will be remembered for an incredibly long time due to what they were able to accomplish.

#frieren beyond journey's end #sousou no frieren #frieren #heavenly delusion #tengoku daimakyou #spy x family #spy family #bocchi the rock #bocchi the rock! #kaguya sama: love is war #kaguya sama wa kokurasetai

[ancientorigins]

Yamashita’s Gold (known also as Yamashita’s Treasure) is the name given to the alleged war loot accumulated by the Japanese armed forces in Southeast Asia during the Second World War. This alleged war loot is named after General Yamashita Tomoyuki, who was nicknamed the ‘Tiger of Malaya’. Yamashita’s Gold is often said to be hidden somewhere in the Philippines, and many treasure hunters have attempted to find it. Until today, however, this elusive treasure has yet to be found, and some have even dismissed its very existence.

[angstyaches]

thinking about mitsuko and bastian rn 😈

can you write sick bastian with caretaker mitsuko? we’ve never seen him sick before, right? 🍄

Hahaha OOPS, this got long.

Context: Takes place shortly before they become a couple (I thought that would be better, for the ✨angst✨). Also: a gold star for anyone who knows why Mitsuko growls and pulls away near the end 👀

Word Count: 4,700ish

CW: work stress, sickness, fever, dizziness, confusion, vomit, hiding sickness, food description, pining.

___

Sucking in air through a mask – when most of that air seemed to be made of steam – was proving more and more difficult as time went on. Bastian was starting to see stars at the edges of his vision, and it was getting less and less likely that he could keep powering through the ache that was building in his temples. 

Somehow, every time he felt he was about to lose all feeling in his body and black out on the floor, he kept going. 

He wasn’t sure if that feeling was met with relief, victory, or disappointment. 

“Mendoza!” a raspy voice from across the kitchen barked over all of the other noise – the hissing, the crackling, the whooshing, the bubbling. 

Bastian’s skeleton almost leapt out of his skin. For a heavy smoker with bad lungs, Chef Yamashita could make himself heard when needed. 

“I need that sauce now!” 

“Hai, Chef…” A spike of adrenaline made Bastian’s hands move faster. 

For the next twenty seconds or so, his heartbeat was the loudest sound in the kitchen. He blinked and found himself dishing up food with hands that trembled like he was caught up in an earthquake, not in the average Saturday-evening-dinner-time rush. 

As the bowls were promptly swept away, Bastian found himself wondering – with a queasy feeling in his stomach – whether the presentation had been up to scratch. He’d been focusing so hard on not spilling something over the edge of the bowl, he hadn’t paid much attention to how it had looked in the bowl. Oh, well. If he’d fucked something up, the owner would read about it online and Bastian would get an earful later. 

It was, quite simply, not his problem right now. That was all he had, and he clung to it desperately. 

Realising he had nothing to work on for the next few minutes, Bastian ducked away to the bathroom. As rare and wonderful as a toilet break could be, fresh air would have been much more appreciated; unfortunately, the restaurant was on the seventh floor and the only outdoor space adjacent to the kitchen was on the fire escape, and… well, Bastian could do without a bout of vertigo on top of everything else. 

He gulped nervously just at the thought of it, his legs swaying as he pictured himself suspended on nothing but a sheet of metal. 

As soon as he was alone, Bastian tugged off his face mask and gulped at the air. It wasn’t much cooler in here, but it was marginally less humid than the kitchen. In the mirror, his entire face glistened with sweat, beads of it glistening in the thick strands of his beard. He grimaced as he noticed that the mask in his hand was soaked through, almost transparent. He’d need to grab a fresh one at some point. 

Bastian grimaced as he pulled his hand towel out of his pocket and scrubbed it unceremoniously over his face and neck. He ran cold water over his hands and wrists and splashed his cheeks with it. He felt slightly better, his soul no longer eager to evacuate his body to escape the stifling heat. But now that relative silence settled around him, he could no longer ignore the throbbing on either side of his skull, like a big set of tongs was squeezing him and preparing to flip him over. 

He planted a hand on the edge of the sink, not liking how weak his arm felt under the weight of his body. The black lines of his tattoos started to swirl back and forth as he stared at them, so he shut his eyes. 

And that was so much worse. 

Nausea bubbled in the pit of his stomach, hot and acidic, like Bastian had swallowed something nuclear and it was cooking his insides. He threw that onto the ever-growing list of things he just didn’t have time to deal with. 

Any second now, he’d hear Chef Yamashita roaring for him. 

Five more seconds, he told himself, drawing a deep breath and savouring the tepid ceramic against his palms and the muted murmur of activity on the other side of the walls. None of it was particularly pleasant, but he knew he’d miss it once he was back out there amidst the hustle, bustle, and craziness. Five more seconds, and I’ll get back out there. 

___ 

When he finally broke free of the kitchen and started making his way through the cramped, busy dining space towards the elevator, Bastian was just about ready to drop. He almost seriously considered curling up on the floor and going to sleep under one of the tables, just so he wouldn’t have to make the journey home. 

But he forced himself into the elevator and slumped against the wall as the thing moved. His stomach protested at the disorienting shift, and before the doors opened, Bastian had muffled two thick, acidic burps behind his fist. 

When the lift opened and the street came into view, so did a woman with two long, smooth pigtails tied at the crown of her head. She was wearing a pair of silky black shorts, and a cropped, puckered white blouse decorated with frills and bows. Her platform Mary Jane shoes made her look taller than she really was, but Bastian knew she’d still go up onto her toes when she hugged him. 

He started to move a little faster, no longer caring about the dizziness in his head or the lurching in his stomach. He didn’t care about anything then. 

Just Mitsuko. 

She looked up from her phone – knowing her, she’d probably been playing Mario Kart – and her face lit up when she saw him coming. God, she was an oasis in the desert, a cool waterfall in the middle of a damp jungle, and all he wanted to do was lose himself in her. 

“Hello!” She treated him to a gorgeous little two-handed wave. 

Bastian couldn’t even greet her. He just sort of fell against her, scooping her body close to his own. 

“Aw,” she said softly, rocking up onto her toes, just like he’d known she would. 

For a couple of seconds, Bastian was surrounded by pure bliss. She smelled like honey. Did she know she smelled like honey? Did she intentionally smell like honey? 

Then Mitsuko touched her heels to the ground again and freed one arm from the embrace. She seemed to be trying to do something with her other hand. He was in no way ready to end the hug, but it occurred to Bastian that he was pinning her inconveniently in place. 

Plus, it wasn’t fair to subject her to the ungodly amount of sweat that was pouring out of him. He stepped away from her, but she didn’t seem at all disgusted or concerned. After all, it was Japan in August, and Bastian worked in an enclosed, fast-paced environment. With fire and hot water. 

“Here you are. A present.” She handed him a can of his favourite cold coffee – which he immediately lifted and pressed against the side of his neck, all without breaking contact with her stunningly dark eyes. 

“O-oh... thank you,” he said. There was a slight tremour in his voice. He couldn’t recall ever getting emotional over coffee before, but this coffee, coming from her? It seemed to break and heal something in him all at once. 

Mitsuko’s eyelids dipped, and her smile deepened. 

Bastian followed her out of the building, his smile wavering as the outside air hit him in the face and the throat. The sun had gone down, but the concrete and tarmac remembered the heat of the day, and spewed it back up at the people trudging home or to the izakaya. It was so humid, and Bastian was so thirsty, he was certain there was more water clinging to the outside of his skin than inside his body. 

“So, wh-what are you doing here?” 

“I don’t know. I didn’t miss you.” Mitsuko smirked over her shoulder. “I just wanted to take a walk.” 

Bastian hurried to keep up with her energetic pace. Droplets of sweat clung to the back of his neck and his forehead. “Sure you did, cool girl.” 

“And… to get McDonald’s.” 

He fidgeted with the pull ring on the can of coffee she’d given him, feeling the condensation from the metal mingling – but not mixing – with the sweat on his hands. With how his stomach felt, the last thing he would have done after work was drink a coffee. 

But she had gotten it for him. She had anticipated that he’d appreciate something cold after work. Not only that, she had... gone out of her way to see him? She was wonderful. And right now, the coffee was an extension of her, so it would be wonderful, too. 

He cracked the can open and took a short swig. A sickly fluid started to flow into the gaps under his tongue, accompanied by a sharp tingling in his cheeks. 

“How was work?”  

“Oh, just…” Bastian pressed a finger to his mouth as the sweet, milky liquid seemed to stick in the back of his throat even after swallowing twice. He coughed to clear his throat, eyes widening as it occurred to him that he might just throw up from the contraction. 

Thankfully, one more careful swallow got it down, and kept down everything that was already there. The over-production of saliva seemed to fade, too. 

Mitsuko cocked her head as they walked, the slightest concern tugging at her face. 

“It was just… so busy.” 

“Mmm. You look busy.” Mitsuko shook her head at herself. “Mmm? No… dono yo ni...” 

“I look like I was busy?” 

“Yes. You look bad.” 

Bastian let out a weak chuckle. “Mitch. We don’t say that.” 

She turned her gaze up towards him, curious. 

“’You look bad’ doesn’t really mean ‘you look like you feel bad’, it… It sounds the same as ‘you look ugly’.” 

She shook her head and flicked the back of her hand towards Bastian’s torso. When it brushed against his stomach, Bastian had the strong urge to pin it there, imagining that it would soothe the ache a little. 

“You’re handsome,” she said matter-of-factly. “You know this.” 

Bastian almost choked on a sip of coffee. “Do I?” 

“Yes, you do.” 

He tried to mimic the inquisitive look she’d given him a few months ago, which made her crack another smile as she shrugged. 

“You have so many photos of yourself.” 

“I what?” 

“On your smartphone!” 

“Those – I-I – when did you...? Those are for checking my beard after shaving!” Bastian rubbed self-consciously at the side of his neck, instinctively feeling out how bad the stubble below his jawline was. “There are angles you just can’t get with a mirror.” 

“You can delete them after look, then.” 

“Okay, I also like tracking the progress of its growth…” Bastian poked Mitsuko’s shoulder. All he wanted was to keep hearing her voice. In fact, it was possible that her presence – in addition to the fresh(er) air – was healing him a bit, because he couldn’t stop smiling. “And what are you talking about, cool girl? How many selfies do you have on your phone?” 

“They’re for my Insta!” 

“It’s the same thing.” 

Mitsuko shook her head and caught hold of his elbow. “Crazy boy.”  

Bastian felt himself flush. He’d never had any friends who were big on physical contact, but she seemed to feel it was normal and acceptable. He wasn’t complaining; he just hoped she would assume he was sweaty because of the weather, not for some other reason. 

He enjoyed walking with her, and listening to her talk about her day, so much that he didn’t mind walking with his head spinning and his stomach doing flips. He took tiny, frequent sips of his coffee and found it wasn’t so bad. He was thirstier than he’d realised, and it was helping to cool him down.  

His pace did slow, however, as Mitsuko pointed towards the McDonald’s sign. The yellow ‘M’ had no business glowing so brightly amongst the cluster of signs full of kanji that Bastian couldn’t read. Even katakana was proving tricky for him in this state. 

“You... weren’t joking about wanting McDonald’s?” 

“Nope! Do you want something?” Mitsuko asked. 

He peered up into the restaurant. The tills were close to the door, to prioritise takeaways, which made the ten people waiting to order and collect their food seem like a dense crowd. 

Not to mention the smell of potato fries sizzling in oil hit him like a punch to the gut; after being stuck in the kitchen all day, the last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by the smell of food. 

“No, no.” Bastian was trembling, his stomach rumbling uncomfortably. “I’ll wait for you here. I already had dinner at the restaurant.” 

The flicker of surprise in Mitsuko’s eyes made his stomach flutter. 

“Okay,” she said, but she didn’t let go of his arm. As much as he adored being so close to her, Bastian prayed she let go soon, because he was certain that he was going to need to burp in the next minute or two.  

Luckily, she pulled away, blissfully unaware of the chaotic tossing of his stomach.  

“Just a moment.” 

“Take your time.” It was hard not to sound like he was begging.  

He grimaced as he watched her go inside, and let the fake smile drop away as soon as she was gone.  

He took a few steps down the street and sagged against a wall. Traffic noise swirled in his head and seemed to come from all around, not just the road. He felt sweat droplets coarse down through his leg hairs. He had stomach cramps so intense that it was a miracle he’d been standing and walking upright this entire time. 

“Urp – ugh.” Bastian smacked his lips, wishing he could dispel the sweet flavour of the coffee. The last thing he’d eaten had been a portion of fish and rice mid-morning, and on top of everything else, he was tasting it again now. Right down to the parsley seasoning.  

His stomach rumbled again, and he felt the vibrations all the way up in the back of his throat. 

Not good. He’d have to think of some excuse not to keep hanging out with Mitsuko. He needed to get home. He was headed for a disaster, and he’d rather she were nowhere near him when that happened. 

The way she’d looked at him just now... Was it possible that she was feeling something similar to what he was feeling? Not the nausea, dizziness, and general unpleasantness, but... the other feeling? The one that had prodded at his mind, kept him awake, made his heart skip beats, ever since they’d become friends? 

It sounded too perfect to be true. But if there was a chance, he wasn’t about to mess it up. 

“Hey.” 

Bastian jumped, swallowing a mixture of saliva and acid. He smiled weakly at the sight of Mitsuko stepping out of the restaurant. Crap. He hadn’t even had a chance to get any burps up, or to think of an excuse to go home.  

“Hey. That was... quick.” 

“Uh-huh.” She was propping up a paper bag between her belly and her elbow. “It’s called fast food, Bastian.” 

“Yeah, that’s... true.” 

Although Mitsuko was clearly ready to get going, Bastian couldn’t bring himself to hoist his body away from the support of the wall, but he knew he needed to. Mitsuko hadn’t noticed his unusual posture yet – she was busy rummaging in her paper bag for a couple of fries, which she popped into her mouth – but she would, and she’d worry. 

Oh, but the smell of the food was outside with him now, turning his stomach with its aroma of salt and grease. 

A few more minutes, Bastian told himself. A few more minutes, and he could break down. Once he’d made his excuses, he just needed to get to the station, say goodbye to her, get on the train, and get home. 

He could do this.  

He stood up straight with a smile. 

Mitsuko pulled her hand out of her McDonald's bag. She was holding a chicken nugget between her fingers, but instead of bringing it to her mouth, she was extending it towards Bastian. 

"Would you like one?" 

Bastian took one look at the crispy, gnarled coating of the nugget, and his teeth did him the unnecessary favour of conjuring up how the spongy texture of the chicken would feel as he bit through it. 

And suddenly he was bent double, retching from the very pit of his stomach, as Mitsuko tottered backwards on her chunky shoes. 

"Bastian!" she screamed. 

His first instinct was to beg her not to be so loud, not to draw any more attention to them; but before he could say anything, he was doubling over again, his insides roiling and clenching as he dispelled some more thick, orange vomit onto the sidewalk. It splattered out in tiny droplets, speckling the concrete, and Bastian couldn’t help but wonder how many times this particular path had been the victim of someone’s stomach contents. 

Mitsuko had a hand on his back, and she was fretting away in quickfire Japanese that his brain couldn’t even begin to keep up with. It wasn’t until she switched to English again that he began to feel like she was actually speaking to him. 

“Bastian, how long do you feel sick?” 

“I –” Bastian raised his head, and Mitsuko’s face split into two blurry copies of itself. He sagged against the wall again, clumsily sidestepping the pungent puddle he’d created. “Since I – mmph – ”  

He broke off into a wet belch that felt like it had gurgled up from very low in his stomach, even deeper than his belly button. He gently pressed a hand to his queasy gut; he’d resisted doing this so far, but since being humbled by the reality of puking in front of her, he wasn’t so much bothered anymore. 

“I’m s-sorry, Mitch.” 

Her dark eyes widened as she tilted her head, peering up into his face as though she’d lost something in the thickness of his beard or his eyebrows. “Why are you sorry?” 

“I didn’t want you to...” Bastian paused, eyelids fluttering against a wave of vertigo. He held fast against another bubbling belch that tickled his throat, and managed to swallow this back one down. “To see me like this.” 

“Crazy boy. Dousho ka na...” Mitsuko mumbled, rummaging in her handbag for her phone.  

That’s it, Bastian thought, panic seizing hold of his thumping heart. She was surely about to block him on social media, walk away, and never contact him again. And who could blame her? He was a disgusting mess, and she was stunning, elegant, perfect.  

A burning streak of annoyance spliced the nausea for a moment. How had he let himself consider that she liked him? 

He lowered his gaze, and it was then that he realised her glossy platform shoes had been in the splash zone during that second, powerful heave. His sick was streaking against the toes and buckles, and tiny splatters had made it into the white, frilled cotton of her socks. 

Shit. Bastian didn’t often cry – didn't often feel the need – but a sob pressed on his sore, abused throat just then. Either the fever was truly messing him up, or he was in way deeper than he’d even realised. 

She was the coolest girl he’d ever met, and he was a sweaty, struggling entry-level cook with barely-passable Japanese and what was possibly the most toxic-smelling stomach acid on Earth. He wished he could have at least moved away from the mess before collapsing against the wall. 

While Mitsuko was on her phone, the blurry shape of a passer-by caught Bastian’s hazy attention. The person turned their head to scowl at his vomit on the ground, but instead of eyeing him next, they eyed Mitsuko. She was oblivious, still tapping at something on her phone screen, but it made Bastian’s blood boil and his sickly stomach drop.  

Mitsuko didn’t deserve this kind of negative attention. She deserved to wear her pretty shoes and to eat her chicken nuggets in peace. 

Oh, god, those damn chicken nuggets. Even though Bastian hadn’t put one in his mouth, the memory of the thought of the taste and texture rolled his stomach over yet again. He shut his eyes and pressed his lips together in a pitiful show of defiance, even as his body instinctively leaned to the side. The surface of the wall tugged on the fibres of his shirt and felt abrasive against his shoulder. 

“Oh –” Mitsuko exclaimed softly, and suddenly a gentle yet sturdy hand was propping him up by the waist, so that he didn’t slide down the length of the wall and end up falling hip-first into his own sick. “Kawai so, Bastian. Are you okay?” 

He responded with a thick mouthful of bile, noisily ejected. Mitsuko was out of range this time, but even if she hadn’t been, he wasn’t confident that he could have avoided her shoes. 

“A taxi is coming,” Mitsuko said, with a tone so reassuring that Bastian wanted to wrap it around himself. 

“Wh-what?” he stammered, the weight of his own saliva slurring his speech. 

“We’ll take a taxi to your apartment now,” Mitsuko said. “If you are sick tomorrow, we’ll take a taxi to a clinic.” 

A clinic? Through the hellish fever and nausea, Bastian almost chuckled. In his family, a visit to the doctor – or, God forbid, the hospital – was reserved for when someone was literally in danger of dying, not for chills and some tummy issues.  

He knew Mitsuko was bring serious, though, because a few months ago, she had mentioned that her sister Yumi had visited a doctor when she’d had flu symptoms for more than two days. 

What a different world he lived in now. 

“Ah... I think this is ours.” Mitsuko was peering up the street, straining to see around the traffic that had built up at the nearest pedestrian crossing. The hand supporting Bastian’s waist smoothed a little reassuring circle through his shirt. “Ja. Yatte mi you. Are you ready?” 

“Mm,” Bastian grumbled miserably. He was still processing the fact that she was even still here, let along that she was trying to help him.  

Mitsuko wrapped her arms further around Bastian’s waist, tugging him towards her. Lips trembling and legs like jelly, Bastian turned his gaze towards her in disbelief. Was she... trying to make him lean on her? On her, whose head barely crested his shoulders in platform shoes?  

“M-Mitsuko, I’m..” Bastian swallowed, trying not to focus on the churning in his stomach or the fact that she was holding him so tightly even now that he three times sweatier than before. “Too heavy for you.” 

“I’m strong, Bastian. Believe me.” 

In the moment, he found that he did believe her. Not that he had much of a choice. It was her or the wall, and he didn’t quite fancy camping outside the McDonalds’ all night. 

He wasn’t sure if he blacked out, or if the fever warped his perception for a little while, but everything that happened between the sidewalk and the front door of his apartment was a nonsensical chain of confusion.  

He slumped across the back seats and Mitsuko pulled his head to her shoulder; he was almost certain that was real. He hoped it was, anyway. She rubbed his shoulder – probably oblivious to how her touch set his skin ablaze – and whispered reassuringly as he struggled not to vomit on the floor of the car. He was fairly sure that all happened, too. 

But Mitsuko had... Well, she’d said she was strong, but as far as Bastian could tell, she practically carried him all the way from the taxi, up the stairs, to his apartment. She didn’t scoop him up and hold him bridal-style or anything, but Bastian had the faint sense that, while he was leaning on her, she took about 90% of his weight the entire time. Impossible, of course, and therefore almost certainly a fabrication of his overheating brain. 

“Should’ve tidied,” he heard himself mutter as they walked into his one-room apartment.  

Mitsuko blew a little raspberry as she led Bastian, hobbling, to his unmade futon. “It’s nicer than Kaz’s place.” 

He shivered as he lay, getting listlessly lost in the depressing thought that she put him in the same category as her younger brother. 

But then he felt her gently unbuttoning his shirt. He swallowed thickly and tried to remain as still as he could, seated at the edge of his futon while she crouched in front of him. She had seen his bare chest and stomach before, at the beach, but his head felt like it was boiling from the inside as he became more and more exposed. 

Mitsuko then slipped her hands inside his open shirt, brushing the fabric back towards his shoulders, attempting to get it off of him. 

And then she jolted back from him, and let out a deep, animalistic growl. 

A growl? Surely that wasn’t right. Bastian’s brain must have been muddling things up again. Still, he frowned up at her, reckoning he definitely looked as pathetic as he felt. 

“A-are you okay?” he croaked. 

“Yes...” Mitsuko stared blankly into the air, squeezing the fingers of her own hand as though they hurt. “Sorry.” 

She didn’t make another attempt to remove his shirt, or mention it again; something must have distracted her. Bastian was probably reading too much into it, thanks to the fact that his thoughts felt like scrambled eggs. In the end, he shrugged the shirt off by himself and dropped it on the floor. 

He didn’t remove the thick, silver chain that bore his grandfather’s crucifix. He rarely did, unless he was shirtless outdoors, where it might leave an odd tan line. 

“Okay. Lie down,” Mistuko said. 

Bastian did. His pillow case was crisp against his cheek and smelled faintly of plastic; he still hadn’t washed his bedding since buying it. He was suddenly a little self-conscious about how flimsy his life in Tokyo must have looked. He had been so exhausted after work every night that he hadn’t even unpacked all of his boxes yet.  

Anyone might have thought that he was ready to leave the country at a moment’s notice. 

And the last person he wanted to think that was here, nearly over his futon. 

“Kawai sou,” Mitsuko whispered. She brushed a hand over Bastian’s hair, and he honestly thought he might float away to Heaven. Her hand was... shaking a little, but maybe she was just stressed out by how sick he was. “Did you feel sick at work today?” 

Bastian sighed. “A little.” 

Mitsuko shook her head. “A little?” 

“A... A lot.” 

Now it was her turn to sigh. “You work too hard, Bastian. You have so many new things in your life. It’s too much.” 

Bastian felt his lower lip start to quiver. 

“You have to be... kind to yourself,” Mitsuko whispered, with a wisdom and a sobriety that didn’t exactly match her personality. And yet, it seemed as familiar to him as her bouncy pigtails, her teasing smile. 

He reached up to take her hand in his, hoping she could see past the clamminess and appreciate his appreciation of her. She let out a low sound – it could almost have been described as a wince, but again, Bastian could have sworn it'd been a growl – and pulled her hand free, but immediately gave Bastian her other one. 

Odd. But before he could begin to question it, his ears were being treated to her soft voice again. 

“You shouldn’t be alone when you’re sick. Kazuhito is going to bring his extra futon,” she said. “So I can sleep here and be here when you wake up.” 

Bastian swallowed over the pain in his throat. He couldn’t believe he was spending the night with Mitsuko for the first time ever, and he was about ready to black out already. Not to mention he was probably going to sweat himself silly and spew his guts at least once during the night. 

“Th-thanks, cool girl.” 

“You’re welcome, crazy boy.” 

#StW Bastian #StW Mitsuko #sickfic #emeto #emeto sickfic #emetophilia #stomach ache fic #fever fic #hurt comfort #hurt and comfort #anon #mushroom anon #🍄 anon

[the-art-of-sanshoku]

Manga Recommendations from Things I Read in 2023

I wanted to make an end of the year post highlighting things I read last year and want others to know about! I tried focusing on manga that don't have anime adaptions (although a few of these are getting ones soon) and covering a variety of genres. Anyway, let's get right into it with:

Ikoku Nikki (Tomoko Yamashita)

Status: Complete, 54 Chapters, unlicensed - complete fan translation (Note: When I say something is licensed or not this only refers to having an English release.)

Genre: Josei, SOL, Drama

Synopsis: After the loss of her parents, 15 year old Asa finds herself in the custody of her aunt Makio Koudai. Makio, the introverted novelist, has no experience with children but will do what she can for Asa.

While this isn’t an ordered list I will start with what is probably my favorite manga I read this year. Ikoku Nikki is a very cathartic read for me as there are a lot of adult characters who are just trying to figure things out (although this also applies to the teen characters, but it’s just more relatable with the characters closer to my age). Figuring out how to like yourself even when you don’t fit to society's “norms”, figuring out how to process traumas from growing up that still affect you well into your 20s and 30s and beyond, figuring out how to love others, figuring out who “you” even are.  And it’s written and worded so lovely and deliberately that sometimes it says something and just puts into words a feeling you’ve had for forever but were never able to express and all of a sudden it just makes sense.

The cast is diverse and I think everyone can find someone to relate to. There are neurodiverse characters, and characters that widely spread the LGBTQIA + spectrum. But they don’t feel trope-y or anything, they’re just well fleshed out and well realized people. Ikoku Nikki just has a very “understanding” vibe that is just comforting to read and be seen by media. In a way it was a little of a life changing (life affirming?) read for me and I highly recommend it to anyone, and I pray it gets an official English release in the future so I can add it to my collection and support the author properly.

Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyou Bugeisha Ketteisen (Yousuke Nakamaru & Kyoutarou Azuma)

Status: Releasing, 32 Chapters, unlicensed - ongoing fan translation

Genre: Action, Battle Royale, Seinen

Synopsis: 16 historical figures participate in a grandiose tournament of 1v1 battles to determine Nobunaga’s successor

On the opposite end of the manga spectrum we have Tenkaichi, which is just a very fun read. And sometimes I feel kind of crazy how little I’ve seen this talked about online by anyone, as it’s a super quality battle manga. It feels like a manga written by battle manga lovers for battle manga lovers, and in the author’s notes you can see this to be true. They love unpredictable battles with over the top powers and larger than life characters and they deliver. Tenkaichi lacks a “main character” so every fight feels like either side could win and I have even been surprised by a few outcomes of the battles. And even without a main character, the characters that exist are just super cool and easy to pick one to root for. They also usually become a bit more fleshed out via backstories so they’re not super shallow either. The art, paneling, and character designs are also really good, if you like fighting manga at all check this out.

Medalist (Ikada Tsuruma)

Status: Releasing, 36 Chapters, licensed 

Genre: Sports, Drama, Seinen

Synopsis: A cinnamon roll coach and his cinnamon roll student aim to make her a gold medalist level skater

Medalist is a classic underdog story that is really elevated by its superb main characters and art. Inori and Tsukasa are a very silly and endearing duo, but are also incredibly dedicated and hardworking that make them impossible not to root for. Their relationship and belief in each other really forms the core of the manga. The art can be really funny with silly faces, but also really intense and beautiful to capture the figure skating and emotions of the skaters pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into their work. Each competition feels really thrilling and has you on the edge of your seat, and it does a good job of getting into the specifics of the scoring so you can follow along. It’s inspirational in the way that great sports manga are, it just makes you want to work hard to become someone you can be proud of.

Souboutei Kowasubeshi (Kazuhiro Fujita)

Status: Complete, 250 Chapters, unlicensed - complete fan translation

Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Action, Shounen

Synopsis: A lovecraftian mansion poses a threat to Japan. To handle this, a team of supernatural/paranormal/spiritual experts are sent in along with - a scrungly artist?

Kazuhiro Fujita is a mangaka that I feel is super underrated in the west. Despite getting anime adaptations of 2 of his works in Ushio to Tora and Karakuri Circus (although the Karakuri adaption was not the best unfortunately), I feel that these were overlooked and he doesn’t really get talked about. Which is a shame because I think he’s a really great mangaka. He’s been around since the 90’s, and you can tell through his artstyle and storytelling style. Despite Souboutei coming out in 2016 it still feels very old school shounen, but this isn’t a bad thing at all. Fujita’s manga are full of heart and his artwork really exaggerates faces and body language to communicate the character’s feelings. I like his manga a lot because from the start it will often tell you “the big bad” and the whole manga will build up this antagonist until a satisfying end and climax. It doesn’t introduce new threats, or powerscale indefinitely, or pad its runtime with unnecessary filler, it starts - brings you through an emotional rollercoaster of twists and turns - and then ends.

Souboutei is no different in this regard. It builds and builds on the primary antagonist (in this case the mansion of Souboutei) and its mysteries to make a journey full of intrigue where you want to keep turning the page to find out more. The mansion is also a great setting that becomes a character in its own right, a twisting labyrinth full of malice and various horrors. Fujita also always makes a unique cast of characters with varied motivations, ages, character designs, and abilities that make each memorable and likeable. Fujita also likes to make every little detail count and sometimes add to the main plot where you least expect. Being a shounen there’s also plenty of action, and his battles feel creative and the abilities are inventive to make for some exciting fights. Souboutei has a bonus for the main character being an artist and having large themes on passion and creation and “what is art” that gave me an extra layer of enjoyment. Also it must be said that Sakamaki Deido would totally be a hit as a tumblr sexyman if this manga had any fanbase at all. But whether you read Souboutei or one of his other works, I hope you give Fujita a try.

Rojica to Rakkasei (Kinome)

Status: Complete, 25 Chapters, unlicensed - has complete fan translation

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, SOL, Seinen

Synopsis: The titular characters Rojica and Rakka spend wacky days in their wacky world.

Rojica to Rakkasei is a breath of fresh air with a fantasy world that’s just plain weird and unique. A lot of manga fantasy lately feel like derivative goblins and dragons and slimes type worlds in medieval european-esque settings. Not Rojica though, it kind of feels almost like surreal and absurdist manga, but doesn’t go quite that far so it’s easier to follow as a series of episodic adventures. It’s a short, creative read that I enjoyed from start to finish. 

Witch Hat Atelier (Kamome Shirahama)

Status: Releasing, 74 Chapters, licensed

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, SOL, Seinen

Synopsis: In this world there are people born as witches who can wield magic to help others. Or at least that’s what the world is made to think. After one fateful day, ordinary girl Coco, will learn the truth behind magic and become a witch apprentice.

Speaking of refreshing fantasy worlds, Witch Hat Atelier is a wonderful manga with great worldbuilding and setting. The “magic system” used in the manga is unique and feels very naturally woven into the world and society. This magic is harshly regulated and has many rules of its use, but Witch Hat Atelier lives by the creed “restrictions breed creativity” to create interesting solutions to difficult scenarios. The characters are delightful, focusing more on a younger cast of aspiring and bright girls who aim to become witches proper. Their struggles to make a magic unique to them and find their own voice in society make them a relatable bunch. Kamome Shirahama’s artsyle and paneling is also to die for, I love just looking at this manga. This manga isn’t all just school life and rainbows though, there’s a dark undercurrent to the story in the form of the antagonists the “Brim Hats” that bring some extra excitement and thrill to the story as well.  Just a brilliant manga. Also the only manga with my little meow meow Qifrey

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Uoto)

Status: Complete, 62 Chapters, recently licensed

Genre: Historical, Drama, Seinen

Synopsis: We’re studying heliocentrism! But it’s the 1400s…

A manga that really touched me on its themes of legacy, and passing knowledge down to new generations. This manga focuses on the secret studies of those who look at the stars and dare to challenge the current knowledge of the world. It takes place in Poland, which is a rather unique setting, in the 1400s. The constant threat of the inquisitors is felt at all times and our characters are left to question if this pursuit of knowledge is worth the weight of risk. What is the worth of my life? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be fulfilled? Philosophical, romantic (in a literary sense), and profound, this manga stands out among the crowd.

Futari Ashita mo Sorenari ni (Suzuyuki)

Status: Complete, 87 Chapters, recently licensed

Genre: Romance, Comedy, SOL, Seinen

Synopsis: Long term couple moves in together - fluff ensues

This is likely my favorite romance manga as it is one of the few to depict fluffy domestic life with your partner. Finding manga that deal with established relationships can be hard, but to find one about a healthy romance where the characters just live together and love each other and feel like adults and not the blushy “oooh she h-hh-holding my hand??” teenager mentality is a super fresh and nice thing to read (although I like those kinds of romances too, it’s just a bit oversaturated of a market comparatively). It’s a feel good romcom SOL with pretty much zero drama which some people may not like, but it had me grinning from ear to ear like a madman the whole time. If you like cute domestic fluff it’s a must read. Doesn’t overstay its welcome and has a great ending.

I have some more manga I want to talk about, but this post is pretty long so there will maybe be a part 2 ^.^

#manga #manga recommendation #mangacap #witch hat atelier #tongari boushi no atelier #ikoku nikki #tenkaichi #medalist #souboutei #fujita kazuhiro #rojica to rakkasei #chi chikyuu no undou ni tsuitei #futari ashita mo sorenari ni #my post

[tzaraat]

[Image ID: a pen and gold marker sketch of Asuka (a.k.a Veny) and Rina Yamashita. Asuka, on the left, grimaces in pain while Yamashita bites her face and pulls her hair. Asuka's forehead is bloody. the sketch is contained within a long rectangle, which is split in the lower third as the wrestlers are obscured by the ring-rope. red pen lines underline black ones, and further define contours. in places, areas of solid colour are not hatched, but rather blocked in using a gold marker. /.End ID]

instructions: drink till sated, or bleed her dry.

#asuka #veny #rina yamashita #pen drawing

[md-guel]

well! I finally got that free time I was waiting for so I managed to take a lot of photos of the g witch season 2 volume 2 blu-ray box featuring our very own el presidente guelito jeturk! 🦁🎉 I'll put them all under the read more where I break them down by sections, too!

first section is the outer box, of course, and can I just say. if somebody sold even just the outer box on mercari (like somebody did for shaddiq's cover, I remember reading somewhere), I would be so tempted to buy it. handsome boy notwithstanding, this thing would actually make such a handsome and fun a5 document holder! the red is just so attractive to the eyes and check out that gold stamping! like the whole thing just really looks so executive.

and I really love the choice of foil silhouette, too. this is guel's revival from the penultimate version of the season 2 opener. his choice of dialogue has...far too many...ellipses...for...my tastes...but we know how important it is to his arc so it belongs there. I just wish they got rid of even just one ellipsis cause it doesn't make sense without the drama of the source scene.

here's the rest of the contents of the box! there's the actual disc box, a special booklet in guel's primary colors, then two sets of end cards, one for the anime and another for the audio drama

aside from the handsome boy at the front, the other part that convinced me to buy this blu-ray volume is the stunning spread of the darilbalde by ippei gyoubu as the disc box jacket. now I can finally say that I own one of his artworks!

the close-ups are just to show the gloss and the material used

and here are the actual discs! and a sneak peek of my curtains oops. I haven't had the time to watch/listen to the cds yet but the red one contains episodes 16 to 18, the season 2 digest (I think this is the one narrated by noto mamiko-san?), the 2nd and 3rd versions of the season 2 opener and the jeturk house's audio commentary of episode 17. and by jeturk house, I mean everyone's voice actors, of course: azakami youhei for guel, takeo otsuka for lauda, takada yuuki for felsi, hirose yuuki for petra and yamashita taiki for kamil.

the silver one is for the two audio dramas: sophie and norea before the dawn (of fold) and izakaya prospera (which is a modern au setting where the jeturk's business is a flower shop which vim manages because his boys are too into basketball).

the special booklet talks about the episodes, the characters, the world, and has some special interviews from miyahara youhei who is the technical director and kodera shouta, director of photography. if anyone's interested with these interviews, please let me know and I'll take clear photos!

(by the way, the line at the side of the episode 17 summary is guel's oshi line, "I'm grateful to you. You're important to me." as far as his mentions in the summaries are concerned, episode 17 just says that miorine chose him as suletta's final duel and he won against her, and episode 18 just says that miorine and guel have started working together for the presidential election)

the characters section gives us more information about the, well, characters as of episodes 16 to 18. guel's captions read (edited from the machine translation):

the long text:

After the Plant Queta attack, he was taken prisoner by the Dawn of Fold, but returned from Earth in order to rebuild the Jetark Company, which connects him to his father. After returning to school, he finally wins his third duel with Suletta. He has become CEO in place of his younger brother Lauda, ​​who was serving as acting CEO of Jeturk Company, and is working with and supporting Miorine, who is running for president. He expressed his feelings and gratitude to Suletta, and now he is working for what is important to him.

under profile:

Affiliation: Jeturk Heavy Machinery

just above his full name:

Guel, with his trademark long hair cut short, showed his determination to rebuild the company as CEO.

the world guide mostly talks about the state of politics in episodes 16 to 18. the edited machine translations from top to bottom:

Jeturk Company Following Vim's death, Lauda served as acting CEO in Guel's absence. After Guel returns from Earth and defeats Suletta in a duel, he becomes the new CEO. Currently, he is working hard to rebuild Jeturk Company, and is supporting Miorine, with whom he has teamed up, to become the company's next president.

During his lifetime, Vim Jeturk secretly worked with the Shin Sei Development Corporation, introducing the GUND format into his company's next-generation concept model "Schwarzette'' and proceeding with its development.

CEO: Guel Jeturk

and lastly, here are the end cards! I thought about just taking a photo of the front but the artist credits (and icons in the case of the audio dramas) are at the back and I didn't want to leave them out. the first two photos are the audio drama end cards while the last three are the anime ones. they're fairly thin and they're not glossy! check out the reflection on the episode 17 end card.

if anyone is curious about other parts of the blu-ray volume that I excluded from this post, please let me know!

#g witch #gundam witch #guel jeturk #guel etc #hmmm just realized that mogumo made him too pale here didn't they

[tomboyjessie13]

Stand names I think would fit into JJBA - Part 2:

Do you all remember this post? Link

Well, I made a Part 2 after coming across some more music tracks. You'll have to forgive me for being less Western songs than there is, this sequel is mostly due to me listening to VOCALOID songs again.

Anyways, here are some Stand names that you're more than welcome to use, no credits are necessary (except for the bands and musicians lol), just some ideas I'm throwing out there.

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

Western music

Alice in Chains - Band under the same name

Dead Man's Party - Song and Album by "Oingo Boingo"

WALK THE MOON - Band under the same name

Strobelite - Song by "Gorillaz"

Empire Ants - Song by "Gorillaz"

The Call of Ktulu - Instrumental track by "Metallica"

Da Funk - Instrumental track by "Daft Punk"

Glitter & Gold - Song by Barns Courtney

The Pretender - Song by "Foo Fighters"

Japanese music

One Last Kiss - Song by UTADA

Angel Touch - Song by CINDY

Miracle love - Song by Mariya Takeuchi

Morning Glory - Song by Tatsuro Yamashita

Music Book - Song by Tatsuro Yamashita

RETURNER - Song by GACKT

Perfect Blue - Wagakki Band

VOCALOID songs​​​​​​​

Flower of the Plateau - Song by Mothy/Akuno-P

Clockwork Lullaby - Song by Mothy/Akuno-P

Wordplay - Song by Mothy/Akuno-P

Hold, Release; Rakshasa and Carcasses - Song by Hachi

Panda Hero - Song by Hachi

soundless voice - Song by Hitoshizuku-P

Bad ∞ End ∞ Night - Song by Hitoshizuku-P

Piano x Forte x Scandal - Song by OSTER Project

PIANO*GIRL - Song by OSTER Project

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

*Again, I know there isn’t a lot of Stands named after Japanese songs, human and VOCALOID, but there’s nothing wrong with having fun with it. Besides we have one Stand that’s canonically based on a Japanese song so why not?

#jessie speaks #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo stands #drawing ideas #writing ideas #alice in chains #oingo boingo #walk the moon #gorillaz #metallica #daft punk #barns courtney #foo fighters #utada hikaru #cindy #mariya takeuchi #tatsuro yamashita #gackt #wagakki band #vocaloid #i would've put it in the evillious tag due to three of mothy's songs being on the list #but decided against it due to personal reasons

[lgcmedia]

V&A and Crystallis’ Leaders Announced as Hosts of The 2023 Gold Disc Awards

In the midst of award season, Gold Disc Awards has announced that V&A’s AJ and CRYSTALLIS’ YAMASHITA ICHIKA have been selected as this year's MC for the event; however, this year will not be the first time either has graced GDA’s stage. Last year, during the 37th annual awards, V&A walked away with the Digital Bonsang, and CRYSTALLIS joined their sister group FABULA in receiving the Rookie of the Year Award. On top of their groups' individual accomplishments since then, both AJ and ICHIKA have individually proven themselves to be skilled and engaging hosts on various occasions. Upon hearing the official announcement, fans of both idols have expressed their excitement and desire to see these two artists further captivate the greater general public with their charm and visuals.

[ + / - ] this is going to be worth the watch if aj and ichika are the hosts for the gold disc awards. they've shown their hosting skills previously, so good thing gold disc didn't choose some newcomers for this. [ + / - ] do people really watch these award shows? they're not the same as before so it's sosososo boring watching any of them nowadays even if they get popular or supposedly skilled hosts............

#LGCENT #LGCGIRLS #LGCBOYS #CRYSTALLIS #VNA #VERSUS #AJ #AHNJAESUN #YAMASHITAICHIKA

#lgc:news #lgc:notorietytiers #lgcjaesun #lgcichika

[lgcmanager]

MODELING GIG 002 ( MODEL BRANDS UPDATE )

all of the MODEL BRAND OWNERS ( HAN JISOO, KIM JINYOUNG, KIM JINSEO, LIM SANGHYUN, and OKADA TAIYOU ) were called to a meeting by the staff members in their creative teams. during the meeting, the staff members inform the brand owners information regarding the final details of their upcoming campaign, which are listed below:

AURORA ( BRAND OWNER: HAN JISOO )

MODELS: ahn yein, han jisoo, shin jieun, yamashita ichika

KEYWORDS: mysterious, mystical, aloof, alluring, whimsical

PRODUCT(S) FROM THIS COLLECTION: a necklace with moon and optional star pendant, and an anklet with similar charms. necklace and anklets come with different components -  either a drop format, or a singular long chain for layering. it can be showcased differently depending on preference, for buyer / variation with models.

BABYLON ( BRAND OWNER: KIM JINYOUNG )

MODELS: han noeul, kim jinyoung, zheng amelia

KEYWORDS: comfortable, refreshing, colourful, adventurous, energetic

PRODUCT(S) FROM THIS COLLECTION: 1 bikini with the top doubling as crop top, 1 swimming trunks that can be used as shorts, 1 pair of shorts for females as well, 1 unisex summer shirts (one with one without sleeves), a one piece swim suit, the smiley bucket hat, 1 crop tops, 1 rashguard that can also be worn as normal shirts 

ELYSIUM ( BRAND OWNER: KIM JINSEO )

MODELS: jo sunhwa, kim jinseo, seong byungho, yang aeri

KEYWORDS: mysterious, mythical, elegant, powerful, creative

PRODUCT(S) FROM THIS COLLECTION: 4 unisex fragrances named after the four gods of ancient asian mythology: cheongryong (qinglong in china, seiryū in japan, thanh long in vietnam), jujak (zhūquè in china, suzaku in japan, chu tước in vietnam), baekho (baihu in china, byakko in japan, bạch hổ in vietnam), hyeonmu (xuánwǔ in china, genbu in japan, huyền vũ in vietnam)

SOLA ( BRAND OWNER: OKADA TAIYOU )

MODELS: bae nathan, kim yujin, lee minji, okada taiyou 

KEYWORDS: unique, stylish, cool, elevate, flourish

PRODUCT(S) FROM THIS COLLECTION: LUN.r : dark gray transparent frames with garnet lenses ( x ). SOL.r : gold framed with round lenses. unique ‘retro-futuristic’ details. comes in two lens colors: dawn (brown) and wave (blue) ( x x )

TIMEBOX ( BRAND OWNER: LIM SANGHYUN )

MODELS: ahn jaesun, lim sanghyun, son eunho

FIVE KEYWORDS: nature, reliable, visionary, confidence, exploration

PRODUCT(S) FROM THIS COLLECTION: three items; one evergreen solar powered watch (forest), one light brown survival/paracord watch (terrain), and one pastel yellow carabiner pocket watch (sun)

due to everyone’s busy schedules, filming for the mood videos and photoshoot will be done sometime around late MAY and JUNE. the campaign will be set to launch around JULY-AUGUST and will last until the end of 2023. the staff members will also add that the promotions for this campaign will be included in this year’s LGC FAMILY CONCERT! more of that will be revealed in Q3 along with MODEL MISSION 015.

since all of the pertinent information regarding this campaign has been submitted ( products, moodboard for the video, etc. ) there will be no writing requirements for this and instead all of the muses involved in the campaigns will be rewarded points! for completing the model brands form and being a part of the campaign, all of the MODEL BRAND OWNERS will receive +10 MODELING and +10 NOTORIETY while everyone else chosen for this upcoming collection will receive +5 MODELING and +5 NOTORIETY! to make it easier for everyone, here’s the list of rewards:

AHN JAESUN ( TIMEBOX ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

AHN YEIN ( AURORA ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

BAE NATHAN ( SOLA ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

HAN JISOO ( AURORA ):  +10 MODELING, +10 NOTORIETY

HAN NOEUL ( BABYLON ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

JO SUNHWA ( ELYSIUM ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

KIM JINSEO ( ELYSIUM ): +10 MODELING, +10 NOTORIETY

KIM JINYOUNG ( BABYLON ): +10 MODELING, +10 NOTORIETY

KIM YUJIN ( SOLA ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

LEE MINJI ( SOLA ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

LIM SANGHYUN ( TIMEBOX ): +10 MODELING, +10 NOTORIETY

OKADA TAIYOU ( SOLA ): +10 MODELING, +10 NOTORIETY

SEONG BYUNGHO ( ELYSIUM ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

SHIN JIEUN ( AURORA ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

SON EUNHO ( TIMEBOX ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

YAMASHITA ICHIKA ( AURORA ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

YANG AERI ( ELYSIUM ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

ZHENG AMELIA ( BABYLON ): +5 MODELING, +5 NOTORIETY

you can link this post to your points sheet for reference!

#lgc:event #lgc:q22023 #lgc:mbq223

[itsmarjudgelove]

Most people agree that Yasuhiro Yamashita is the best fighter who has ever lived. Being one of the greatest judo masters, he is currently employed by various organisations as a teacher or advisor. On June 17, 1985, he announced his retirement from competitive games after a remarkable career in which he amassed 203 straight victories (with seven draws in between) and won five gold medals in international competitions.

At age 19, he became the youngest player to win the Olympic title in 1977, thanks to his outstanding performance. On October 9, 1984, he was awarded the Japanese National Prize of Honor.

.

Picture: Yasuhiro Yamashita celebrates after winning the All Japan Championship at Nippon Budokan on April 29, 1985, in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: The Asahi Shimbun

Source: Getty Images

[wigglesforonce]

omg thank u for the tag @vroombeams !!

Imagine you're a racing driver, what would be the top ten songs on your pre-race playlist? Go wild and tag as many people as you want.

this is so hard, i’ve not had a hype playlist in years, so a custom crafted chill to hype playlist coming up

1. Nostalgia of Island (Part 1: Wind Bird, Part 2: Walking on the Beach)(ノスタルジア・オブ・アイランド～パート1:バード・ウィンド/パート2:ウォーキング・オン・ザ・ビーチ) by Tatsuro Yamashita

2. Seabird by Innovations

3. Thing About Things by Daði Freyr

4. ASAHINAGU by MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS

5. Attention, Please! by Enhypen

6. Gold by Spandau Ballet

7. Call Me What You Like by Lovejoy

8. Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine

9. FIREWORK by &TEAM

10. Marsha, Thankk You for the Dialectics, but I Need You to Leave by Will Wood

and hmm i shall tag (no pressure!) @russilton @ininininininstayoutstayout @gayorphandepression @toilethamster @/ame i can’t remember ur new url ;-;

have at ye!

#wiggles overshares #it’s gold by spandau ballet specifically NOT the 2003 version. #spotify things u can replace the og w it. you Cannot. #it’s the ver on my wrapped playlist and it’s a TRAGEDY bc they CHANGED it and i DONT LIKE IT #thank u for the tag keeb this was so fun #i tried to make this go chill to hype whilst also having the chill songs be good to focus to