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yatorihell · 4 years

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In The Darkness Chapter 61 - Amortentia

Noragami x Harry Potter AU

Words: 2,101

Summary: Potions class brings some unexpected surprises and a dark revelation.

Also available on Yatorihell AO3

Yato, Hiyori and Yukine made it just in time for welcoming feast, their robes thrown on haphazardly and out of breath by the time they had stumbled into the Great Hall and seated themselves for Professor Tenjin’s speech.

The usual mindless pleasantries drilled through Yato’s head, and he couldn’t help but feel his stomach rumble. The Sorting Ceremony saw a new gaggle of students following behind Professor Tsuyu like ducklings to their mother, each being sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.

The announcements moved to generic warnings and information about the new school year; Professor Takemikazuchi was to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and whilst no one particularly liked him, at least he wasn’t a Deatheater.

Professor Tenjin’s final statement was to wish seventh years good luck on their upcoming exams and to warn them to study hard for the career they wanted.

Yato’s scoff was covered by the sudden rise in noise as the tables became laden with platters of food. Having failed some of his O.W.L.s exams, Yato would only be taking five N.E.W.T.s this year: Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures. He had managed to pass the first year of N.E.W.T.s, he just prayed he would do better this year.

Hiyori and Yukine, on the other hand, had passed all of their O.W.L.s with flying colours and would continue to do their N.E.W.T.s. At the thought, Yato’s eyes wandered across the room to Hiyori, finding her laughing beside Bishamon at Gryffindor’s table.

It was another bitter reminder that, for Yato, it was his last year at Hogwarts.

On Monday morning, Yato decided that he would spend his first period in Potions with Hiyori and Yukine. He didn’t particularly fancy spending class with his own year know that Nora was still around and discovered that her plan to send him back to London had failed, and he didn’t want to give her another opportunity to knock him out with a cauldron.

Besides, Madame Kofuku wouldn’t protest to an extra addition in her class, and she could keep an eye on him.

Yato made his way to the dungeons along with Hiyori and Yukine, their pewter cauldrons in hand and swinging. The walls were slick with warm water from the Great Lake overhead that had reached a tepid temperature over the summer, dripping into small puddles at their feet. He could hear the murmurings of students ahead, signaling that they were close to the classroom as the bell rang out distantly behind them.

They could hear Madame Kofuku instructing students to take jars of ingredients from the shelves followed by the clinking and shuffling of glass on wood.

“… love potion, Amortentia, which causes…”

Yato turned into the classroom, closely followed by Yukine and Hiyori and his eyes raked over the mess of potion spills that had stained the desks and floor. He heard Madame Kofuku’s greeting before he saw the whirl of pink come towards them, eyes bright and smiling. If there was any hint of concern she had for Yato following the prior year’s events, she masked it perfectly in front of onlooking students.

“Good morning,” Yukine and Hiyori returned the greeting, but it went largely unheard as Madame Kofuku turned to Yato with a slight crinkle in her brow. “What are you doing here? You’ll be late for your class.”

It took Yato a second to realise what she meant – a seventh-year in a sixth-year potions class with a few curious faces looking at him. He only realised that he was much taller than everyone in the class – as well as Madame Kofuku – and felt inexplicitly out of place.

“I was hoping I could join you in my free periods,” Yato said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “I didn’t do so well on my Potions N.E.W.T.s last year. I could do with practice.”

“And a certain witch tried to kidnap him,” Yukine said under his breath. He may have substituted ‘witch’ for a similar word, but either way, the expression was clear enough for Madame Kofuku to understand. She was aware of the issues Nora brought with her.

“Of course!” Madame Kofuku exclaimed. “We’re covering Amortentia today, do you remember how to make it?”

The name rang a vague bell in Yato’s head. A love potion, the one they heard her mention as they walked into class. “I think so.”

“Good, you can pair up with Hiyori and Yukine and show them how to make it.” Madame Kofuku nodded towards the edge of the classroom which was bedecked with sagging shelves that held every herb known to man.

Yato dumped his cauldron on a large table closest to the shelves alongside Hiyori’s and Yukine’s before turning his attention to the tower of ingredients. He heard the pages of a book flick open behind him, no doubt Yukine making sure Yato chose the right ingredients that wouldn’t blow up the classroom.

“Ashwinder eggs… rose petals… peppermint….” Yato murmured the ingredients as his eyes scanned the jars, plucking small vials off the shelf and into his hand as he went. Yato frowned, eyes quickly scanning the shelf again as Hiyori sidled up beside him. “Can you see moonstone?”

A second later Hiyori plucked a jar of small white stones off the lower shelf and passed it to Yato, her fingers brushing his as she did so. If Hiyori noticed the flinch Yato made at the unexpected contact, she didn’t show it.

“You forgot pearl dust,” Yukine said behind them.

Yato watched Hiyori’s fingers delicately pluck the missing ingredient from the second shelf and watched as she placed it in his hand, her fingernails just grazing his palm once again.

Hiyori stepped back to the table beside Yukine, and Yato – trying to ignore the lingering feeling of Hiyori’s soft fingers on his rough hand – joined them a moment later. Yato dropped the vials with a clatter over the table, popping the cork of the first one he could reach.

“Amortentia,” Yukine cited, “is the most powerful love potion in the entire world. It causes a powerful infatuation or obsession for the drinker. It has a different aroma for everyone who smells it, based on what the user finds most attractive.”

Yukine whittled off the list of ingredients and began to read out each step of the potion, pausing so they could crush, cut, and stir in each ingredient until their mixture took on an iridescence.

“Once your potion is brewed smell the steam and tell your partner what you can smell,” Madame Kofuku called out to the class. She had taken a seat behind her desk and was watching the class with the faintest smile on her lips.

As if on cue, curly spirals of steam rose from each of their cauldrons. Yukine sniffed his potion once, twice, then wrinkled his nose.

“Earth and parchment,” Yukine announced. “Maybe sunflowers.”

Yato took a big whiff of his own potion and coughed. He looked at his own mix, which had turned to a pinkish sludge, and then at Hiyori’s. He looked between the two varying results and sighed. “I messed up.”

Hiyori peered into Yato’s cauldron and withdrew just as quickly as the strange smell rose up to greet her.

“Did you crush the rose petals?” Yukine asked, sounding surprisingly like Professor Takemikazuchi whenever he was disappointed in Yato during his first-year Potions class. “And stir slowly?”

Yato paused for a beat. “No and no.”

“You’re going to fail.”

Yato huffed and folded his arms. He looked at Hiyori – who was trying to hide her smile – and then at her cauldron. “What do you smell? Broomsticks and homework?”

Hiyori ignored the jibe and leaned forward slightly. She closed her eyes as the spirals encompassed her with heady scents she loved.

“Toothpaste.”

“That’s probably the peppermint,” Yato dismissed.

“Something sweet, like...” Hiyori inhaled deeply and paused, a small crease appearing on her brow.

“Well?” Yato prompted.

Hiyori frowned and drew back from the cauldron's steam, eyes opening and her head listing to the side slightly as she tried to piece together where she knew the scent from.

“I can’t explain it. It smells like Ya-.”

Hiyori cut off quickly and heat found her cheeks within seconds. Yato and Yukine peered at her curiously to the point she wanted to hide her face in her hands. She knew what she could smell, and she would rather die than admit it.

“Ya…?” Yukine asked.

Hiyori stole a glance at Yukine, and she could have sworn that from the teasing question and impish glint in his eye that he knew exactly what she was going to say.

“Yams,” Hiyori whispered the first thing she could think of.

Yato burst out laughing. “Why are yams so embarrassing? At least it’s not mud!”

“At least I can get the spell right,” Yukine shot back.

The bell rang out, signaling the end of class and saving Hiyori from further interrogation as to why yams were so attractive. Yato scooped up the vials and began placing them where he thought they belonged, giving enough time for Hiyori to catch Yukine’s eye.

Yukine’s eyes flicked to Yato and back to her. He winked and pressed a finger to his lips, telling Hiyori that her secret was safe with him.

The motion was gone as quickly as Yato turned around, completely oblivious and telling them they would be late for their next class. The remaining students had trickled out of the class by the time Yato, Hiyori and Yukine had dumping their cauldrons in the sink along the back wall.

They grabbed their bags from the floor and headed towards the door, but Madame Kofuku stood in their way. Softly, she closed the door and drew the bolt into the weathered stone hole, locking them in.

Madame Kofuku turned to them with a faint, apologetic smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I need to tell you something before I go. I would’ve told you sooner but using owls was too risky.”

Yato, Hiyori and Yukine gave Madame Kofuku quizzical looks but did not protest, even as the second bell rang out beyond the door.

“The Order has found something.”

Yato exchanged looks with Hiyori and Yukine. An update on the Sorcerer? They looked back to Madame Kofuku.

“What is it?” Yato asked.

Madame Kofuku walked around the three of them and placed her hand on the desk and sighed. “You’re aware that the Sorcerer was defeated in the First Great Wizarding War, yes?”

They nodded. The Order of the Phoenix had first been formed back then by Professor Tenjin to help the Ministry defeat him. A legacy they were now continuing.

Madame Kofuku continued. “Defeated, not killed like we first thought, but it seems that the Sorcerer has taken extra precautions to ensure that he cannot be killed.”

A chill came over the room despite the warming lake overhead keeping them insulated. Yato felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as Madame Kofuku took another deep, regretful breath.

“In the Dark Arts, there is something so terrible that the Ministry won’t even tell us about it. It’s called a Horcrux; an object that holds a piece of soul that is torn away when the person commits murder.”

Yato, Yukine and Hiyori stayed silent, watching Madame Kofuku sink down into her chair. She looked between the three of them as she continued.

“We think the prophecy showed where the Sorcerer’s Horcruxes were hidden, which is why he needed to stop us from finding where they are.”

Madame Kofuku finished her statement and silence stole into the room for an agonising moment.

Horcrux… The word was as foreign to Yato as it was to Hiyori and Yukine. How could such a thing exist?

“So, you’re saying he’s immortal?” Yukine’s words sounded hollow in the cavernous room, although they rang like a nail in the coffin in Yato’s ears.

The Sorcerer couldn’t be defeated.

“For only as long as the Horcruxes survive,” Madame Kofuku corrected. “We’ve started the search, looking for clues from those who were pardoned Deatheaters under the Imperius Curse. They may know if the Sorcerer was preparing this in the First War.”

“How many are there?” Hiyori asked, and she cleared the dryness from her throat when the words came out hoarse. “How many Horcruxes?”

Yato felt his stomach plummet further at her next words.

“That’s the problem,” Madame Kofuku sighed. “We don’t know.”

#noragami #noragami aragoto #yato #yukine #hiyori #kofuku #iki hiyori #yatori #hp au #harry potter au #in the darkness #my writing

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animeuserboxes · 3 years

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ok fantastic can you do “this user wants to eat pasta with yukine chris” thank you again!

posted!

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dropintomanga · 4 years

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Regarding That CODA Anti-Piracy Campaign

So I found out that this is a thing.

CODA (Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Agency) decided to do a manga campaign featuring 16 manga stories from notable mangaka (list of mangaka can be be found here) about anti-piracy in order to stop readers from reading manga on scanlation and/or unofficial raw sites. The theme of every manga in this campaign is basically read legal manga with lessons featuring each respective mangaka’s series and characters (i.e. Adachitoka and Noragami’s Yato and Yukine).

As of July 3, 2020, all the comics are out. They give off important messages about anti-piracy with humor, anger, and grace. I just don’t know who they are trying to convince at this point.

A big problem is the issue of awareness and education when it comes to topics that no one may care about (yet). I see this in mental health. While we have things like Mental Health Awareness Month, suicide rates continue to rise, people with mental illness continue to be ignored and the mental health system continues to be in shambles. The problem with promoting “awareness” is that it doesn’t point out notable actions one can take after hearing about what they are now aware of. It just doesn’t feel measurable. There are fine people who want to know how to help, but you need to tell them how.

Now there’s one CODA manga story that does tell people to look for legal manga apps/volumes containing an official sign of legitimacy, which is labeled “ABJ - Authorized Books of Japan.” But almost all of these stories don’t really provide useful advice on how to support the Japanese manga industry. They just tell you to do the right thing.

I worry about the hyperbole shouting in some of the manga. One manga has a character going “Do you want manga to be wiped off the face of the earth!?” in an effort to shame someone who read illegal manga on their phone. Another character in another manga said that the industry loses 3.2 billion yen per year (a number I find very hard to believe). There is a big danger to manga in Japan, but piracy is only part of the picture.

There’s also something that bothers me - some mangaka featured in the campaign know that a good number of fans are naive about pirated manga and see the good in people. However, while there are multitudes of legal manga options available in Japan, the same can’t be said for most of the world that’s not America, France, England or any notable first-world country. Region locks are still a thing and Japan is super-notorious for this.

For an organization that’s focused on overseas promotion of content, region-locking shouldn’t be a thing if you do see the good in people who are willing to support manga as best they can.

I wish mangaka didn’t have to resort to drawing stories telling fans to not pirate their works. I know there are fans who wish a service that has everything (Spotify, Crunchyroll, Netflix, etc.) is the perfect solution. I just don’t know if it will make a difference because reading isn’t highly valued as a leisure activity overseas compared to Japan. The number of anime viewers still dwarf over the number of manga readers.

I feel like nothing is going to change. However, I do have one suggestion that probably will never be taken. Train mangaka to be more of a visual online content creator-type a la Twitch streamers. With art streams being more of a thing on Twitch, the timing is perfect. This idea came to me as I listened to a fascinating podcast about the psychology of Twitch donations. Basically, it talked about why do Twitch users donate money and subscribe to streamers.

There was this caveat about research on Twitch donations in that the people who donate/subscribe often make low-to-moderate income. So what compels them to give? Why are they willing to support streamers? While content is still a major reason, another key is an emotional connection that’s experienced via the visual medium that is the stream. There’s some kind of meaningful interaction via Twitch chat as streamers do mention users by name and thanking them for the support.

The researcher in the featured podcast believes the days of “the internet is always free” are becoming a thing of the past. This is true as more industries are figuring out how to make money via the internet that works for them and their consumers. The researcher also argued that having just content isn’t enough to make money on the internet. She said that if you’re not going to make easy all-in-one solutions (i.e. a Netflix-like manga app), then you better deliver added value to the consumer that isn’t just more content and makes them feel appreciative.

Right now, there’s very little-to-no visual emotional connection/community between the manga industry/creators and the fans at all. Everything’s all about content without feeling visual attachment to the manga creator. I see manga publishers promoting special editions with extra goods like OVAs/charms/etc. Those feel more like incentives than rewards as they don’t really change fans’ behavior. There has to be some added value alongside the manga in the form of community (this is one major reason why Crunchyroll has thrived). Maybe overseas fans need to feel that their voices really matter to mangaka or want mangaka on a video platform to acknowledge them in a para-social kind of way in order for them to provide some monetary support.

In Japan, mangaka get letters from fans and they talk about them from time-to-time. Sometimes, those letters do get mentioned online. I would love to see talks of fan letters via video form as a way to reach online audiences.

I do feel that manga publishers outside of Japan are trying their best as they do get mangaka and manga editors to come over to their countries. They are generating community as best they can, but they are still limited in scope since they don’t have control of what the entire Japanese manga industry says. I don’t envy anyone who works in manga because of this.

To be fair, I can’t expect every mangaka to start streaming on platforms like Twitch/Nico due to privacy reasons and general shyness. Sure, there’s Twitter, but how often does social media lead to donations? Rarely. Mangaka also have no time to worry about what overseas readers are into when they have to worry about their own country. Publishers may not also totally understand how streaming works as promotion and the intentions of its users. Look up Atlus Japan and Persona 5 streaming as an example of Japanese companies being unnecessarily wary of streaming. Japanese companies arguably want an absurd amount of control when it comes to promoting their messages to overseas audiences.

I don’t want to bring up Stu Levy, but he once tweeted years ago that the games industry seemed better to work with than the book publishing industry. I hate to admit that there’s a grain of truth in what he said despite whatever you think of him. Seeing Japanese manga publishers continue to struggle with how to handle piracy makes think about Levy’s words.

I think a more reasonable goal at this point is to get fans to pirate less manga over time. You can’t expect every fan to quit pirating 100% right away. It never works that way. There will be relapses and we have to be forgiving of that. Relapse is part of the healing process. Shaming someone who may continue to make mistakes from time-to-time (instead of believing they can still heal via good planning) makes them go more all-in on hiding their “bad” behaviors. I mean, as someone with mental illness, I was afraid of making mistakes as I didn’t want to be yelled at. I was told that failure was awful. It made me feel I would never be loved if I wasn’t perfect despite my best efforts. Is this something we want manga fans to experience?

CODA’s manga website URL has the word “enlightenment” in it. The only enlightening thing right now is that we still haven’t reached a solid middle ground that truly bridges manga fans and the manga industry together and financially rewards both to create a manga ecosystem that’s as good as the anime ecosystem today.

#manga #manga industry #psychology #piracy #anti-piracy

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choqitos · 2 years

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oii amg ! poderia fazer users br pr yukine (noragami) pf?

oiii anjo, fiz aquiii inclusive tinha pesquisado sobre ele e ate assisti o anime (terminei hj) por causa disso skdjsksj virou meu pet <3

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sekkitsu-art · 1 year

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'' EHHHHH! T^T'' Yukine looks way more mature on this for some reason. Technically, Regalias doesn't physically age, but... let's just make an exception, shall we?

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- Reference Used: Couple poses and other random ones by may12324 on deviantart

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“ I Got Your Nose! “ ( November 2014 )

Art by @sekkitsu-art

- My Main Blog on Tumblr > https://sekkitsu.tumblr.com/ - Deviantart > https://www.deviantart.com/light-arya - Wattpad > https://www.wattpad.com/user/Sekkitsu-OW - Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/sekkitsu/?hl=fr-ca - Twitch > https://www.twitch.tv/sekkitsu

#noragami #yukine #persona #persona 4 #naoto #naoto shirogane #yukine x naoto #yukine x naoto shirogane #naoto x yukine #naoto shirogane x yukine #sekki #myart #sekkitsu

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cutepresea · 4 years

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XD0-1 Gjallarhorn Prologue: The Incident

Also known as “Strange Happenings” because for some reason this part has two different names in English.

Sorry for the upcoming spam. This is the prologue of the XD Quest Gjallarhorn in XD Unlimited. Unfortunately, the rest of the story (Chapters 1, 2, and Final) will not be available in the English version of the game and neither will a lot of events leading to it, so this is all we have.

If you want to blacklist these, you can use either the tag #gjallarhorn prologue or #xdu scripts

Reminder that these are copied straight from XD Unlimited itself, so any grammatical weirdness, mistranslations, and/or mischaracterizations are not my doing.

Elfnein: (This is really concerning.)

Elfnein: (I have some time, so I think I'll read over some of the Gjallarhorn report again.)

Elfnein: (I've really managed to flesh it out ever since Ryoko Sakurai left it behind.)

Elfnein: (Let's go over Gjallarhorn first.)

Report: "Gjallarhorn is a complete relic that links parallel worlds together."

Report: "It can also detect crises in parallel worlds, alerting its users and providing a path to the world in need."

Elfnein: (But what could be the original intent behind its creation?)

Elfnein: (Could it be to allow said worlds to deal with crises that they couldn't deal with on their own?)

Elfnein: (But then how could they even know about the existence of parallel worlds, let alone connect them together?)

Elfnein: (Perhaps they were able to observe parallel worlds in the age in which Gjallarhorn was created?)

Elfnein: (Wait. What if there was some event that involved the parallel worlds?)

Elfnein: (If I take a closer look at each parallel world observed thus far, I might find some commonalities.)

Elfnein: (Though I do wish I could go to the worlds myself and investigate...)

Report: "The gates and paths opened by Gjallarhorn stay active, linking the worlds even after the crisis is resolved."

Report: "However, the paths cannot be used without relics, meaning that currently, only wielders can traverse them."

Elfnein: (Hmm... This doesn't sit well with me either.)

Elfnein: (Why is a relic needed to travel to parallel worlds?)

Elfnein: (Is it to protect oneself from obstacles like faults in the space-time continuum or phase contrasts?)

Elfnein: (Or is there some other reason to limit who can traverse the paths?)

Elfnein: (It can be surmised from the report that it could be to select only those capable of resolving said crises.)

Elfnein: (Conversely, is it possible that these requirements were set to arbitrarily gather relics in specific worlds?)

Elfnein: (I'm not sure...)

Report: "A special black variant of Noise have been identified in these worlds. We call them Karma Noise."

Report: "Not only are they far more powerful than typical Noise, they also instantly recover from superficial wounds."

Report: "Among other unique traits, they also spread miasma that triggers negative emotions in surrounding organisms."

Report: "Upon contact, a human will experience increased hostility, and at worst, a total collapse of the ego."

Report: "Although wielders can resist this mental contamination, they become unable to use the Ignite Module."

Elfnein: (Yes. As Dáinsleif's curse overlaps with the Karma Noise's curse, the destructive impulse is amplified--)

Elfnein: (--Eroding a wielder's reasoning, and making them go berserk like HIbiki-san once did in that parallel world.)

Elfnein: (We needed something outside of Ignite that was more powerful than usual Gears to fight those Karma Noise.)

Elfnein: (Specifically, special means like S2CA or the X-Drive.)

Elfnein: (Or several wielders fighting together in a tight formation.)

Report: "The origin of these Karma Noise is presently unknown."

Elfnein: (In certain parallel worlds, there were reports that they could not be controlled by Solomon's Cane.)

Elfnein: (Maybe instead of being an aberrant strain of Noise, they were made by different means like the Alca-Noise?)

Elfnein: (This is something I should probably bear in mind moving forward.)

Elfnein: (Although at any rate, the relationship between Gjallarhorn and the Karma Noise remains elusive...)

Report: "A strong correlation between Karma Noise appearances and the Gjallarhorn alerts has been observed."

Report: "In many cases, the Karma Noise have been observed to appear in the world indicated by the alert."

Report: "Additionally, defeating the Karma Noise that appear has been confirmed to silence the Gjallarhorn alerts."

Elfnein: (Why does Gjallarhorn react to the presence of Karma Noise?)

Elfnein: (Is it that the alert is triggered when it detects and outbreak of Karma Noise?)

Elfnein: (But in some cases, the Karma Noise did not appear until after our wielders arrived in their world.)

Elfnein: (What if Gjallarhorn reaches beyond this dimension and transcends time, predicting outbreaks beforehand?)

Elfnein: (Or is that too far of a leap? No large discrepancies in time between worlds have been observed thus far.)

Elfnein: (And with the cases in question, perhaps the Karma Noise present happened to escape detection?)

Elfnein: (Or is it that Gjallarhorn is reacting not to the Karma Noise, but to something else entirely?)

Elfnein: (It truly is a mystery.)

Elfnein: (I get the feeling that trying to link these surface events together is making me miss something important.)

Elfnein: (In Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn is the horn that heralds the beginning of the end.)

Elfnein: (Is the "end" that it heralds the Karma Noise? Or is it--)

Elfnein: "A Gjallarhorn alert?!"

Elfnein: "Where could it be this time?"

Elfnein: "What?! This is--!"

Hibiki Tachibana: "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Looks like everyone's here."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "What happened?"

Elfnein: "The Gjallarhorn alert has gone off again."

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "Gjallarhorn again?"

Chris Yukine: "What kind of world did it connect to this time?"

Elfnein: "We're narrowing down the coordinates as we speak."

Maria: "Who will be going this time?"

Genjuro Kazanari: "I'll decide as soon as we know the coordinates. Wait just a little longer."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Got it!"

Elfnein: (These Gjallarhorn coordinates... What is this...)

Hibiki Tachibana: "Huh?!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "What is it this time?!"

Sakuya Fujitaka: "We've detected Noise signals in our own world."

Aoi Tomosato: "Wait! These signals are neither regular nor Alca-Noise..."

Sakuya Fujitaka: "My god, it's the Karma Noise!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "What did you say?!"

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "You mean they're in our world?"

Chris Yukine: "Looks like it. We're lucky it happened while we're still all here."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "You got that right."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Master, we'll move into position immediately!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Please do. We'll worry about the parallel world once we've dealt with things here."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Got it!"

Kirika Akatsuki: "Yaah!"

Kirika Akatsuki: "Look at how it regenerates. This is definitely Karma Noise."

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "But they seem a little different from when they appeared in our world before."

Maria: "Yeah. Last time, they appeared as some sort of reflection."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Right. Back then, their form materialized gradually as conditions worsened in the parallel world."

Chris Yukine: "But this time, they've materialized right from the start."

Maria: "Yes. It's as if they've existed in this world all along. Anyway, let's focus on the task at hand."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Okay!"

Maria: "We defeated the Alchemists, so we should be able to hold our own against a Karma Noise if we work together."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yes, we can do this."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Let's get this done!"

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "Together!"

Chris Yukine: "Yeah! I'm going in full blast!"

Maria: "It's working! We're overwhelming its regeneration!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Okay, let's finish it off with some more combo attacks and concentrated firepower!"

Hibiki Tachibana: "You got it!"

Kirika Akatsuki: "Let's do it!"

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "Hyaaah!"

Maria: "Stay on it!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yaahhh!"

Chris Yukine: "Get lost!"

Hibiki Tachibana: "Graaaaah!"

Kirika Akatsuki: "We did it!"

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "We beat a Karma Noise without S2CA or X-Drive!"

Chris Yukine: "Yeah. I guess this is thanks to our improved Gear output."

Maria: "That's not all. Our teamwork and precision are definitely improving, as well."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "There were some close calls here and there, but I'd say we made the grade for today."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Hehehe. We just keep getting stronger and stronger!"

Hibiki Tachibana: "For sure."

Maria: "Not all Karma Noise are born equal, so we need to stay sharp. There could well be stronger ones out there."

Maria: "And in the parallel world, we won't be able to fight all together like we did today."

Kirika Akatsuki: "...That's right."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "But we have discovered that frontal assaults do work. That's a huge step forward."

Chris Yukine: "Yeah. It takes a lot to get S2CA or X-Drive going as it is..."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Oh, it looks like Master is calling."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Great job taking down that Karma Noise."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Hehe, I eat Noise like that for breakfast!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Sure... Anyway, we need you back at S.O.N.G. immediately."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Roger that."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Did any of you notice something weird about the way Master was speaking?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yeah. He seemed a little out of sorts."

Maria: "Let's just hurry up and get back."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Good work out there, girls."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Why are the battle stations still online? Is there another problem to deal with?"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Well, the Gjallarhorn alert is still going off."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Did we not finish off that Karma Noise?"

Genjuro Kazanari: "No, we've already confirmed the elimination of that Karma Noise you engaged earlier."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "So then something else must be setting off the alarm."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Yeah, it looks like there was more than one."

Hibiki Tachibana: "You mean there's another one?!"

Chris Yukine: "Where the hell is it?!"

Elfnein: "Here's the thing. We have some readings that were different from the other times the alert has gone off."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Different readings?"

Maria: "How were they different?"

Elfnein: "As you all know, the Gjallarhorn alert is linked to gates that connect to multiple parallel worlds."

Elfnein: "So when the alert goes off, the spatial coordinates telling us what world to investigate also appear."

Chris Yukine: "Now that you mention it, you were still checking the coordinates before we left, weren't you?"

Elfnein: "Yes. We were trying to determine whether the world was one we visited or a new one entirely..."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "But something was different this time?"

Elfnein: "Yes, the spatial coordinates that came with this alert changed rapidly and were clearly abnormal."

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "The spatial coordinates changed rapidly?"

Kirika Akatsuki: "So then, what does that mean?"

Hibiki Tachibana: "Did it break or something?"

Elfnein: "I considered that possibility, but that cannot be the case."

Elfnein: "Around the time you defeated that Karma Noise, the spatial coordinates came up again, but..."

Maria: "Which parallel world was it?"

Elfnein: "That's the thing. Somehow, there appeared to be multiple signals triggering the alert."

Hibiki Tachibana: "What?!"

Nastassja: "...This signal!"

Serena: "What's going on, Mom?"

Nastassja: "It seems Karma Noise have appeared."

Serena: "Karma Noise... You mean those Black Noise?"

Nastassja: "Yes. I do mean those Noise. But for them to appear in our world again..."

Serena: "It's okay. I'll figure something out."

Nastassja: "No. They are far more powerful than typical Noise, and their regeneration abilities alone... It's too risky."

Serena: "I'm not what I once was before. I'm going to engage them!"

Nastassja: "Serena, wait!"

Nastassja: "Stubborn little girl..."

Nastassja: "Don't put yourself in too much danger, Serena."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Raaaagh!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Damn. So this won't be enough to whittle it down!"

Finé: "Unlike the Symphogears, your RN Tactical Advantage Gear can't get in tune with the Phase Contrast Barrier."[1]

Finé: "Which means brute force is your only option..."

Genjuro Kazanari: "So I have to deal with this pitiful lack of firepower!"

Finé: "That's just how it is."

Finé: "Also, your RN Tactical Advantage Gear can only be used for a limited time. Proceed with caution."

Genjuro Kazanari: "As if I need reminding of that!"

Dr. Ver: "Haahaha!"

Dr. Ver: "Fear not! My omnipotent genius and invincible heroism have come to save the day!"

Finé: "I expect your actions to keep pace with your words. Do mind the miasma while you're there."

Dr. Ver: "That goes without saying. How could a genius such as I possibly make the same mistake twice?"

Dr. Ver: "Hit and run tactics are a fundamental of battle. All we have to do is avoid the miasma while we fight."

Dr. Ver: "More importantly, why don't you find one of its weak points?"

Dr. Ver: "Even with my genius and Nephilim's power, the Karma Noise's regenerative capabilities are cumbersome."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Have the civilians been evacuated?!"

Ver Squad Member A: "Civilian evacuation will take another five minutes!"

Ver Squad Member B: "Please buy us some time until then!"

Dr. Ver: "What's this? Why is my glorious Hero Unit being relegated to such menial tasks?"

Dr. Ver: "As their commander, I would want them to perform more glorious, heroic errands."

Ver Squad Member A: "But we like menial tasks!"

Ver Squad Member B: "Besides, we wouldn't stand a chance against the Karma Noise!"

Dr. Ver: "Dear oh dear, how uninspiring."

Dr. Ver: "But I suppose it only makes sense. Simply calling them Hero Unit does not a unit of heroes make."

Dr. Ver: "Only the chosen few may stand on the stage of history."

Dr. Ver: "Yes. As I do right now!"

Genjuro: "If you have the time to talk, why don't you use some of it to take on the Karma Noise!"

Dr. Ver: "I would appreciate it is you didn't order me around! A hero is one that acts according to his own will!"

Genjuro Kazanari: (He's a handful as usual. Even so, that arm of his is no joke...)

Genjuro Kazanari: (But can we even overcome the Karma Noise's regeneration with our combined attacks...?)

Genjuro Kazanari: (I could really do with some wielders right about now.)

Genjuro Kazanari: (No. A grown man like me can't afford to be complaining.)

Genjuro Kazanari: "Adults just have to make do with what they've got!"

Hibiki Tachibana: "So that means that there are bad things happening in multiple parallel worlds all at once?"

Elfnein: "Correct. And the alert has only been getting stronger with time."

Genjuro Kazanari: "If we don't address the alert, the problems could spill over to our world."

Genjuro Kazanari: "In light of this, we've decided to split you all up, and have you go to the different worlds to provide aid."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Of course."

Chris Yukine: "So, who's going where?"

Elfnein: "We have currently confirmed anomalies in Serena-san's world and the world with Finé-san and Dr. Ver."

Genjuro Kazanari: "I want Maria-kun, Shirabe-kun and Kirika-kun to go to Serena-kun's world."

Maria: "Will do."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Let's go help Serena!"

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "Yeah, let's get going."

Genjuro Kazanari: "As for the other world, I want to send Tsubasa and Chris-kun there."

Chris Yukine: "Sure thing."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Understood. We will deal with the situation in accordance with your orders."

Genjuro Kazanari: "We're counting on you."

Genjuro Kazanari: "However, we don't know what dangers are waiting for you there."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Don't overdo it, and always consider tactical retreat as an option. Come back in one piece."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Okay."

Maria: "All right."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Uh, umm, Master... What about me?"

Genjuro Kazanari: "I want you on standby here, Hibiki-kun."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Standby... so like house-sitting?"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Yeah. With the Karma Noise direct materialization, the Gjallarhorn's abnormal signals, and everything else--"

Genjuro Kazanari: "--We can't rule out the possibility of another emergency here. Our world can't afford to be left unguarded."

Hibiki Tachibana: "...I understand."

Chris Yukine: "Don't be so glum. We'll be done and back here before you know it."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yeah, we're counting on you to guard the home front."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Okay. Tsubasa-san, Chris-chan, be careful out there."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "We will. Let's go, Yukine."

Chris Yukine: "All right, we won't be long."

Maria: "I guess we should get going too."

Shirabe Tsukuyomi: "Yeah."

Kirika Akatsuki: "Let's make this quick!"

Hibiki Tachibana: "...Be careful."

Miku Kohinata: "Is anyone here?"

Hibiki Tachibana: "Huh, Miku? What are you doing here?”

Genjuro Kazanari: "Oh, I called her in."

Hibiki Tachibana: "You did?"

Genjuro Kazanari: "Just in case."

Genjuro Kazanari: "If there's a turn for the worse, you might not be able to go it alone. You can never have too many wielders."

Miku Kohinata: "Yes, I've been briefed. If there is something that I can do, please allow me to help."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Thank you."

Hibiki Tachibana: (Even Miku's fighting now...)

Kanade Amo: "Phew... I think that's enough for today."

Ryoko Sakurai: "Good work. Your compatibility with Brisingamen seems to be stabilizing." [2]

Kanade Amo: "Yeah, I've been able to handle it thanks to you."

Ryoko Sakurai: "That's great to hear."

Kanade Amo: "Okay then. I'm about to make my way home. How about you?"

Ryoko Sakurai: "I still have work to do. There's something I want to look into as well."

Kanade Amo: "Really? Okay, see you tomorrow then."

Ryoko Sakurai: "Yeah, see you."

Ryoko Sakurai: "Phew... My goodness."

Ryoko Sakurai: "I've finally finished analyzing Kanade-chan's simulation data. Now let's get this sorted."

Report: "Karma Noise Analysis Report."

Report: "Karma noise are either an aberrant strain of Noise or Noise that are under the influence of a powerful curse."

Report: "Their appearances seem random, but they seem attracted to crowded areas and regions with high phonic gain."

Report: "They have no capacity for independent thought like typical Noise, and seem to kill humans instinctively."

Report: "Although one specimen that appeared in this world was eliminated, a second one materialized shortly afterwards."

Report: "The second one absorbed a high-energy crystal called the Adam Sphere, evolving into a more powerful variant."

Report: "It was also seen fusing with an Alchemist corrupted by the miasma. Further research and steps are a must." [3]

Ryoko Sakurai: "Kanade-chan is here, and we can call in Tsubasa-chan and the others if we have to, but..."

Ryoko Sakurai: "If something were to happen in multiple parallel worlds simultaneously, we'd have our work cut out for us."

Notes:

[1] There are several references to events that won't be translated in this prologue. There were a few events leading to Finé, Ver, and Genjuro being playable and this part takes place in that world.

[2] Brisingamen is another relic that is used for Kanade's Duo Relic Gear in Sirius of Zwei Wing, which will be in the last event added to the English verison of XDU in July. The other characters get Duo Relic Gears using other relics too but unfortunately, they're all either in events after that or later parts of this story that won't be translated.

[3] The Karma Noise that absorbed the Adam Sphere and fused with Saint-Germain is from the event Alchemic Order that unfortunately also will not be in English

#senki zesshou symphogear xd unlimited #symphogear xd unlimited #senki zesshou symphogear #symphogear #gjallarhorn prologue #xdu scripts

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shoujocentral · 5 years

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Symphogear S1- Now this is MY kind of anime!

Every once and awhile when I'd log onto Twitter, I'd see people saying "watch Symphogear" accompanied by images from the show. From looking at the pictures, I assumed it was just another magical girl show like Precure but with less magic and more... techno. Oh, and apparently they sing while they fight? Sounds kinda dumb...

Buuuut... I have heard that there's some yuri content? Maybe I'll give it a try. I mean, I'm always open to watching new stuff, even if it's just a silly little kid's show 😅

😳

Well........ color me hooked.

I have to say, this show is not at all what I was expecting in the best possible way. It feels a lot more like a Shounen action show along the lines of Fullmetal Alchemist or Neon Genesis Evangelion than a Magical Girl show (if that's even what it's supposed to be). Today, I'm going to be giving my first impressions of Senki Zesshou Symphogear season 1, which will be spoiler free for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Plot:

So what is Senki Zesshou Symphogear about?

In the not too distant future (next Sunday A.D.), Japan is under attack by monsters known as Noises, the likes of which cannot be killed by military weapons. The only thing that can kill them are girls clad in weaponized armor known as Gears, which is activated and powered by singing catchy techno-pop music.

One day, a girl named Hibiki Tachibana is caught in the middle of a battle, and one of the Gear users, Kanade Amou, sacrifices herself to save her. Two years later, Hibiki discovers that a piece of Kanade's Gear was embedded in her chest during the fight, giving her access to the Gear's powers. Hibiki is recruited by the Disaster Relief Squadron, the organization that created the Gears, to help defend Japan from the Noises.

However, Kanade's former girlfriend partner, Tsubasa Kazanari, sees Hibiki as nothing more than an obnoxious, naive girl trying to be Kanade's replacement. Will the two learn to work together, defeat the Noises, and possibly uncover a deeper plot to all the attacks?

Symphogear's plot might not be the most original thing ever; evil monsters attack, teenage girls transform into superpowered warriors to fight them, evil mastermind tries to take over the world, etc. But what makes this story stand out is it's unique approach to the fights. Having the Gears be powered by music, resulting in every fight being accompanied by a song, is either a genius way to amplify the fights, or a genius way for the producers to sell a techno soundtrack.

I was worried that the constant use of insert songs would become repetitive and annoying, but on the contrary, they heightened my enjoyment! The fights in Symphogear are easily my favorite part of the show: fast-paced, badass powers, lots of screaming, and downright brutal at times! Hibiki has officially joined the ranks of my all-time favorite battle cries, right up there with Goku from DBZ and Souma from Kannazuki no Miko.

If there was one thing I had to nitpick, it would be that most of the fights take away the credibility of the Noises. They're supposed to be this terrifying threat to Japan that can't be harmed by the military, but as soon as the Gear wielders show up, they're reduced to nothing more than cannon fodder as Hibiki and her comrades seem to waltz through them without breaking a sweat.

Thankfully, the versus matches between Gear wielders are much more balanced. My favorite has to be Hibiki vs Chris (see above), but then again, any fight with Chris is an absolute win!

Characters:

Hibiki Tachibana

Hibiki is your typical genki girl protagonist: optimistic, hyperactive, naive, and pure. What makes her a more compelling hero, however, is her slow growth into becoming a strong Gear wielder. Unlike most magical girl protagonists, who seem to master their powers after one line of "EH?! What just happened to me?!", Hibiki takes time to learn how to fight. She starts out with the mindset that she has to be Kanade's replacement and thus tries to fight just like her. However, she eventually comes to invent her own battle tactics that work much more in her favor. Mainly, punching the everloving shit out of everything in sight.

Hibiki is, in my opinion, a flat character done right. She doesn't go through any personal growth or development throughout the show (learning to fight doesn't count), but her belief that all humans can get along if they communicate and desire to protect people just because she wants to is the cause for most of the change in the people around her. The world is in a dark place, and Hibiki is the light. She doesn't need to change, because she's exactly what the world needs.

Tsubasa Kazanari

From what I've learned, Tsubasa is a favorite amongst Symphogear fans. Me personally, though, I have a few issues with her character. Now, I have nothing against brooding, damaged characters. In fact, Tsubasa's recovery from Kanade's death and learning to cherish her own life was incredibly engaging... for the most part. Sorry, but I can only take so much edge. Her constant repitition of "I am a sword, I exist only to fight" grew old after the first 10 or so times.

Also, while I love her overall development, I feel that her acceptance of Hibiki was a little rushed. For the first four episodes, she hates Hibiki for carrying Kanade's Gear to the point where she tries to fight her to the death. Then, after another fight sends her into a coma, she has a (extremely gay) hallucination of Kanade telling her to get over herself. Next episode, she's treating Hibiki as if they've been friends the whole time. Did I miss something? Did Hibiki even apologize for saying she wanted to replace Kanade? Did Tsubasa apologize for trying to shishkabob her?!

Development aside, her fighting style is awesome and unique, and leads to the best choreography in the show. Hopefully as I watch more seasons, my opinion of her will improve.

Chris Yukine

Best Girl. No questions. Anyone who disagrees is wrong. Deal with it.

Jokes aside, Chris is my favorite character of the show bar none. Maybe I just have a weakness for evil-turned-good characters, but I adored her "don't take no shit from nobody" attitude and her soft side emerging as the show progressed. And let me tell you, Tsubasa would have no right to brood if she knew what Chris went through as a child. I won't give anything away, but just a few brief images and harsh words were enough get the picture across and tug at my heartstrings.

She also had my favorite Gear and fighting style in the show. If there's one thing that always gets my blood pumping, it's gatling guns and an endless supply of missiles. Seriously, I could watch this girl fight for hours.

Kanade Amou

A moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen.

......

Kanade would be my favorite character if we had gotten more of her. But alas, she has to die in the very first episode. DAMN YOU, PLOT!!!

Even though we get very little of Kanade, she makes it her mission to leave a lasting impression. Her sacrifice at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the show, and her flashback is the best of the bunch. I got hard chills when she transformed for the first time. Let's just say she's psychotic in all the right ways.

Kanade died for our sins. Remember that... 🙏

Finé

Our main villain of the show. That's it. There's really nothing much else to her. She's cruel, manipulative, and powerful beyond belief, as most big bosses of these kinds of shows are. She was honestly my least favorite part of the show.

Fine's motivation is incredibly confusing on first watch. I had to go back to pause and read the subtitles multiple times to understand her backstory, but maybe that's my fault for being a slow reader. On the other hand, the explanation as to who she is and why she's so powerful comes right out of nowhere and doesn't seem to connect to anything the story had been building up to that point. Also, by the time I understood her motivation and actually found it a little intriguing, she dropped the dreaded "I'm going to take over the world" line. Aaaaand.... all my interest just went out the window.

There is a twist involving her connection to a certain other character in the show that I genuinely didn't see coming, but in the end, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for her shortcomings.

Miku Kohinata

God bless this little angel. Miku is a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. Thankfully, Hibiki's got it covered 👍

Words cannot express how much I love this girl. She may be only a supporting role for the time being, but good lord, does she support! It always broke my heart whenever she tried to spend time with Hibiki or talk to her, but the Disaster Relief Squad kept pulling them apart. I know DRS is classified, but Miku deserves better than to have secrets kept from her! Life sucks when your girlfriend best friend is a superhero...

Well, that was a mouthful. There's a lot more characters in this show, but I don't really have much to say about them. However, while we're on the subject of Miku, let's move on to the reason I checked this show out in the first place, and the reason I'm sure most of you read my stuff.

Yuri:

No sooner did I finish this show did I start looking up HibiMiku fanart 😍

I was expecting a fair dosage of yuribait going into Symphogear, but mother of all that is gay, did I get an overdose!

First and foremost, the main ship: HibiMiku. These two are dating. Nothing anyone says will change my mind. They compliment each other perfectly, with Hibiki's energy and Miku's sweetness... HHNNNGGH! IT'S TOO PRECIOUS! I sincerely hope these two get more time together in the next few seasons. Now if only they'd stop with the damn F word...... 😡

Next up, TsubaKana. This one seems more like it was one-sided feelings on Tsubasa's part, judging by how dedicated Kanade was to fighting the Noise. Regardless, you don't just lose all sense of your humanity and self-worth after your "partner" dies. And all that hardcore blushing in the flashbacks and naked cuddling dream sequences... nah, Tsubasa was hella hot for Kanade. Sadly, our lord and savior was taken from Ms. Brooding too soon.

Finally, there's Ryoko Sakurai, the DRS's head scientist. She was initially hinted to be gay, what with her being all too eager to have Hibiki undress and wanting to "pop her cherry" (yes, an adult said that to a 15 year-old). However, after a certain conversation occurred, it seemed more like she was straight or at least bisexual, if all that dirty talk wasn't just teasing.

I've heard future seasons introduce more potential couples, so I'm keeping my eyes open and my yuri goggles on tight 😋

Conclusion:

I enjoyed the first season of Senki Zesshou Symphogear through and through. As someone who enjoyed Akanesasu Shoujo and Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, I have a soft spot for shows about badass girls kicking monster ass and unleashing their inner yuri. Overall though, I think Symphogear might be my favorite of the bunch so far. It has its fair share of flaws, sure, but I think its positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot. If I got this much enjoyment out of the first season, I cannot wait to see what the following seasons have to offer!

Symphogear delivers a fun, action-packed story with colorful characters, kickass fight scenes, head-banging music and plenty of yuri content. Anyone who loves Magical Girls or Shounen battle shows needs to check it out!

Rating: 8/10

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go binge Symphogear G. See you next time, my fellow yuri lovers!

#symphogear #senki zesshou symphogear #yuri #shoujo ai #yuri anime #hibiki tachibana #miku kohinata #tsubasa kazanari #kanade amou #chris yukine #hibiki x miku #hibimiku #tsubasa x kanade #tsubakana

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