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Today’s Short Manga Review
The day is ending and my ACTs are all done. I actually didn’t read that much manga when I finished, but it’s fine.
I don’t know why I suddenly wanted to come back to the forums, I posted on tumblr for a bit in my time gone to try and makes gifs for anime I felt was under-appreciated and have a space to discuss anime, but got burnt out fast since I was doin it daily and the reach is poor.
I picked up art again though. Gonna start postin on twitter when i have enough courage.
As for the manga review, I finished volume 1 of Dance in the Vampire Bund, got further into Kuroyuri apt, and started Saekano.
Oh, where do I even begin with Vampire Bund. I’m in love with Nozomu’s style, it’s so sick and gothic and cool. The portion of the first volume where Akira walks through the streets with all the partying vampires, it fascinated me to see a lot of the crowd were designed with piercings and a lot of western rave, emo, and punk style of the time in mind (2005 to be exact). It makes sense, I think most of the vampires are sposed to be from europe and the americas.
Mina is an adorable heroine, but beyond her cuteness and elegance is a highly intelligent and calculating character. As I read on, I realized that nowadays this series would be considered lame, it’s very of its time. It kind of envokes the feeling I get feom Shadow the Hedgehog, and ir did not surprise me that there were plenty of AMVs to stereotypically emo music of the 2010s and lady gaga.
I was born a little late to that stuff, but I desire a return of AMVs. I made one almost two years ago for CubexCursedxCurious. I couldn’t watch any of the Vamp Bund ones since I didn’t want to be spoiled on the anime.
All that aside, it’s so far a 8/10 at least. I’m waiting to get more volumes before I make more judgement on the story.
As for Kuroyuri Apartment, well.
It’s nice, very cute and clean style. I could tell immediately it was released around the same time as Himouto Umaru (2016-2018 was definitely a good time for slice of life)
However, outside of being cute with an interesting enough premise— it’s kind of bad. I was expecting a cute daddy-daughter dynamic story, but kind of got an almost-harem-somehow-not-ecchi comedy.
It’s fine, but not good by any means. Yuzuki Gao seems to make a lot of mediocre work, but has a nice art style.
Last, Saekano. Which, I’m actually only a couple of pages into. I was really interested in Eriri which is why I grabbed it when I saw it at the bookstore. She reminds me a lot of Kanzaki H. Aria? Twintailed tsundere, half english and half japanese.
All I could gather in the little I read was a bit generic, but I’m sure once I get further I might like it. The girls are very cute, Utaha is gorgeous and Megumi looks quite cute. I’m excited to see if the whole game plot is realized.
For today, that’s all I have. Tomorrow will be an anime day because I’m watchin a lot right now, so perhaps a review of whatever I watch. Goodnight folks -w-
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I've been re-thinking my plans (again)
Since graduating high school, I've mostly been working fast food, studying japanese, and drawing repeat repeat repeat... That was until I took the JLPT n4 test in december. I failed it. But ya, I did. I learned a lot about how the test works and how to study for it. I'm still studying as much as I can, but now I have a new goal! I'm drawing a manga for Silent Manga Audition! I'm still studying japanese for N3.... which is the next hardest test. the thing is I almost passed the test, and I just don't want to take it again! I have a lot of goals now, and I'm making progress in them so its ok!
On top of that, I'm starting a phelubotomy course starting in April so I don't have to keep working in fast food. My job is chill, but sometimes its brain numbing. yknow? So now I have so many things on my plate, the manga contest (may 10th is the deadline), JLPT n3 (next december), and work. Its kind a lot but it keeps me busy! In January I was feeling pretty down bc I was just waiting for my test results, but now I have things to do which is nice! I've only completed one page of my manga, so I kinda need to lock in and work on that. I'm gonna do that right now, but just to give u guys an idea of what its about, the title is "I had a Dream where I Learned how to Skateboard, so I turned it into a Reality!"
But ya, lots of things going on. But I'm locked in!!!!!!!!! RAHHHHHHHHH☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
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Upcoming blogs
I'm going to continue doing some fish blogs for awhile since I'm having some fun writing them and people seem to be interested in them. So my question is, what fish or marine animal would you like me to write about in upcoming blogs? I'll eventually get around to all suggestions, and it can be any type of fish, shark, or marine life animal.
So far I have a list of upcoming ones for:
- Oarfish
- Anglerfish
Any other suggestions anyone has?
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A update on my future Blog content
Hello everyone, Ulas here with a new update. I told you in my first Blog post that i'll do music album reviews here, but the plans changed and i decided today that i'll do Song Reviews instead. The reason is I'm not motivated to do a full album review, since i have other hobbies as well in my free time, and i just don't have the time nor the motivation to do a full album review. I have the feel that it could get too stressful and i want to avoid that, because writing about a hobby should be fun.
That's why i'll stick to write about one song only because that might take time as well, but it definitely wouldn't get stressful like writing about a whole album. I will see when i do the first song review, because i still have to think about what song i'll pick first to start my new future song review journey on this Blog here. But to be immediately clear here, i won't review every song! Only songs which i personally want to review and write my opinion about them. Thank you for understanding guys, and i wish you a great day, or a great night, whenever you read this post from me. Until then, see you next time with my first song review.
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The Secret Beauty in Weirdness
"Embrace the oddness."
We humans often don't like the change, the irregularities happening around us. It makes us feel tense, even scared. If a built system works just right enough, we don't try to change it. We only improve it when necessary. We call them laws, traditions, cultures, beliefs and so on. Stability is the most crucial part of a healthy society. That's why making a radical change is one of the most craziest things a society could do. They can actively create a disturbance. And no one knows what will be the consequences of such actions. You are following me so far, right? Good.
Even though we don't like it, we get attracted to the oddness. Like a moth to a flame. It feels intriguing to experience such rare things. A ghost tale you've heard is probably someone else's imagination, but what if it's not? That possibility creates a disturbance in your mind. You don't know what could be the consequences if said ghosts were real. Are you going to see one too? Will it haunt you? What if they can talk?
Now, let's change the things a little bit. What if we mix this oddness with art? How can we do that? How can we portray that weird feeling?
"Feel the weirdness."
One way to create that feeling is through paintings. I'm going to show you someone that does it perfectly.
Suguru Tanaka, an artist with an amazing skill to draw something so unusual yet familiar.
These are just examples to show you how paintings can make you feel... different. But what about other forms? Without giving you a wall of text let's jump onto the next one, games.
"Play the dreams."
Okay, this one is somewhat already known. Have you ever heard of a little game called "Yume Nikki"? It's a great, dream-like game with no story. I won't spoil much but expect some surprises here and there. You explore these unique worlds while trying to go to the next one:
Yume Nikki is an amazing experience, really. Though I admit, it can feel boring if you are not interested in slow paced games. But the feeling of exploration is still unmatched and only succeeded by its own fan made sequel. This game has an amazing soundtrack too, I still listen to it after all these years. And you heard it right, this game has a fan made sequel called "Yume 2kki"!
Now, Yume 2kki is literally a trophy. It's a fan game that is clearly made with love. It's actually still being developed almost monthly! There are thousands of maps, yes, thousands of them for you to explore at your own pace. Got stuck? Head over to the extensive wiki that basically covers all the maps. Here are some of the maps to show you how creative the fans can be:
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Chasing dreams.
Watching anime from young taught me that dreaming is the most important thing you can do, and to chase your dreams you must be all in. The real world will give you many reasons to not chase your dreams. I want to before I die have my impact on this world. I want to make the world a better place. I chose this major because I was pressured by family. This major is slowly losing my interest, I want to do something tangible. I want to be a teacher/professor. Make learning fun again. I want to explore the world. Learn more. Knowledge is power after all. What sucks most is Having so many things that feel like they are on my shoulders. I am seeing the world deteriorate just like everyone. Revolution and Change will no longer be a thing. Because the system makes sure our lives aren't in danger but still drain us of our rights and free will. I feel like a conspiracy theorist. But this inability to chase my dreams is making life unlivable. Have to worry about so many things. I just want to learn forever. I want to teach the next generation the importance of taking in the beauty of people and this world. This world is supposed to be a blessing. One piece was such an important part of my growing up. So was Superman. I wish I could embody Luffy's freedom and Superman's ethics. Spread Love and Joy. Because Life is too short for everything to be doom and gloom.
It feels as if I am a Prisoner of proverty and to make money I must work for an unethical entity, The fortune 500 are the fortunate evil in this world. When I see foreign lands properly tax their people by using taxes for the benefit of their people, it brings hope to my heart, but deep down I know that the imperialist nation is most likely exploiting another nation. If we could just trade honestly and uplift each other the world will benefit. and an era for positive scientific discovery will flourish.
Karl Marx said, "The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signalised the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production. These idyllic proceedings are the chief momenta of primitive accumulation." (Das Kapital, Chapter 31) Marx described the beginning of the most proudly capitalist nation as built on the backs of slavery death and destruction of a people. Turning continents into "warrens" (dehumanizing africans) and using the people of said warrens as slaves. He mocked the idea that capitalism was built off of people who saved and moved their money smart. In capitalism someone is a loser and someone is a winner. The winner tending to be the one who exploits the loser. If a country is built off of this and then becomes the economic center of the world, the only way for the world to become a better place is to be rid of evil and restart. But in reality, the capitalist machine has a millennia of backup generators, even after its death it will come back like a zombie.So how can we as people be comfortable with the exploitation of others, and this earth? We should all be able to chase our dreams and love the world as the hippies intended, even though the hippies were really just people who used exoticism to fetishize the cultures their nations broke down to gain their power. It is almost as if they were spitting in the face of these nations when "embracing" the cultures of the lands they walked through.
I am not a Marxist, I am not a Capitalist. I am a human, A human who loves this world and it's people.
(DISCLAIMER: I used wiki quotes to find the quote and then read the chapter, I haven't read all of the capital nor do I own a copy)
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Latest Entry
new year + post comiket talk
new years are always super intimidating to me... i'm not sure why entirely but they always make me spend ages inside doing nothing and fuck up my sleep schedule;; i keep waking up at 7pm!!! i have some resolutions though which are:
- drink less when i'm alone (save money and my liver)- tidy my room more often
- take the N2 exam!
at least comiket was fun though, even if it made me really anxious with how crowded it was :< i bought some umamusume doujin and then went to see the unicorn gundam after
but that's pretty much all i've been doing other than playing games and doing schoolwork ehe- Read more...
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YULTIDE IN THE PHILIPPINES
IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE YULTIDE SPIRIT ENTERS AS THE BER MONTHS BEGINS (STARTING SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER) THE HOLIDAY SPIRITS OF MOST FILIPINOS ARE ON HIGH, SOME FAMILIES PULL-OUT THEIR CHRISTMASTREES,AND SOME MALLS EVEN PLAY CHRISTMAS SONGS ALREADY, YOU CAN SAY THAT THE FILIPINOS ARE MOST EXCITED ON HAVING THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.
FOR ME, I SPENT MY CHRISTMAS WITH MY RELATIVES (MOM'S SIDE) IN THE SOUTH, IN A PLACE CALLED CAVITE. FROM METRO MANILA I COULD GUESS ITS A 45MINS-1HOUR DRIVE, STILL IT DEPENDS ON THE VOLUME OF CARS AND TRAFFIC. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME PHOTOS FROM THE HOLIDAYS HERE.
WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE YULTIDE SEASONS, MOST PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO THE FOODS FROM PARTIES LEFT AND RIGHT
FISH FILLET WITH TARTAR SAUCE
AMAZING PEOPLE FROM OUR CONDO LAST CHRISTMAS PARTY 2025. HAD ALLOT OF FUN AND LAUGHTER ALL AROUND
HERE ARE ME AND MY FRIENDS FROM MY CARE GIVING CLASS.
ME AND MY MOM HAVING OUR FIRST LUNCH OF THE NEW YEAR IN A TAPAS RESTO IN MANILA
MY KIND 0F YOGURT.. ALL TIME FAVE
BLK 513 AND THE SAUCE TO MATCH IS CHOKI CHOKO FOR FRUITS ITS GONNA BE DRAGON FRUIT.
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hai hai minasama! I'm not gone for good sort of?
so heyo anime fans and otakus its me Otaku. i have not posted for a while because I've been... actually there is no excuse I've been exploreing diffrent places on the net and I've found a community. This community i will not share the name of due to it being similar to 4chan and i don't want to get banned for that.
Anyways i will still post on here but not as much or maybe not at all (sorry about the contradictory sentences)
This website has a great community and I'm glad you all welcomed me. I dunno maybe i will continue to use both now this has been unbanned from my assigned laptop.
I know i said i was back in February and well i lied ima be honest i dunno if ill stay for that long i cant predict future me, but i have gotten better I've been going to therapy and have been on something that makes me feel better about myself so i am struggling still but with different issues. like i cant seem to socially interact with my peers or i cant seem to leave the house unless one of my friends drag me out to "hang out" so i have to appear normal.
but skools been fine i started this year the academics is easy im attempting to transfer to higher level classes at the moment, i hate my classmates.
Summer was fun i went to metrocon and attended pannel rooms and got some kool merch.
dunno what else to say but ill try to be more active
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new visual novels blog #5
i finally got back on here after so long!!!!!!!! I've been super busy with my relationship and just life lol. BUT i wanted to tell you guys like maybe a week ago my boyfriend spent $100!!!!!!!! on me and bought me some visual novels!!! I got all of higurashi when they cry as well as higurashi when they cry rei. (i was gonna get hou+ but it was a bit over the budget.) i also got little busters, rewrite+, clannad, and steins gate!!
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Chapter 2: Fifteen Years Later
Audio version here:
The assembled mourners sat frozen, their faces masks of disbelief and confusion.
Minutes crawled by before anyone dared to move.
Finally, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a relative approached Ayame with cautious steps. His face bore the strained expression of someone trying to manage an impossible situation.
He leaned close to her ear, his voice barely audible as he whispered what seemed to be words of comfort and control.
Ayame’s response was immediate and defiant. She pulled back from him, her grip tightening on the microphone that had become her weapon of truth.
“I’m fine. I’m not tired at all. I don’t need more sleep,” she declared, her voice crackling through the speakers as the microphone caught every word of her protest.
A woman, presumably another relative, hurried forward to join the intervention.
She moved with practiced efficiency, placing her hand over the microphone to muffle any further outbursts before whispering urgently into Ayame’s other ear.
Her movements suggested this wasn’t the first time she’d had to manage a family crisis.
The male relative reached for the microphone, his fingers closing around it as he attempted to wrestle it from Ayame’s determined grasp. She fought back with surprising strength. The struggle was brief but intense.
The female relative joined the effort, and together they managed to pry the microphone from Ayame’s hands.
Victory came at a cost. Ayame remained visibly agitated, her eyes blazing with rage and frustration as the male relative placed a firm but gentle hand on her arm, guiding her away.
The female relative quickly assumed control of the situation, bringing the microphone to her lips with the ease of someone accustomed to public speaking.
“I’m sorry for that,” she began, her tone measured and diplomatic.
She paused, choosing her next words with visible care.
“Ayame hasn’t been sleeping well lately. Which is understandable. It’s still a shock what Makoto did.”
She continued her damage control, weaving a narrative that would allow everyone to return to their comfortable assumptions.
Ayame was simply a grieving mother, overwhelmed by loss and unable to accept the harsh reality of her son’s suicide. Her outburst was nothing more than the desperate denial of a broken heart.
The crowd began to settle, their collective tension easing as they embraced the explanation offered to them. Heads nodded in understanding, and whispered conversations resumed. The normal rhythms of a wake gradually reasserted themselves.
But not everyone was so easily convinced.
Five pairs of eyes met in a moment of silent communication. Misao, Kiyoshi, Nara, Junichi, and Makiko exchanged glances that spoke volumes without uttering a single word.
The quiet café that Misao had mentioned earlier provided a blunt contrast to the chaos they had just left behind.
The wake had finally concluded, and the five friends now found themselves in the establishment’s warm embrace.
The café enveloped them with its cozy atmosphere. Soft lighting cast golden pools across wooden tables and chairs that had been crafted by artisans. The ambiance was almost hypnotic in its tranquility, designed to lull visitors into a state of peaceful meditation.
Through the large glass windows, trees and plants pressed closed to the glass, creating the illusion that the café existed in a magical ancient forest.
“Are you kidding me? A thousand yen for a cup of coffee?!” Junichi exclaimed, his loud laugh boomed through the quiet café, and caused a few heads to turn.
“I could buy a whole meal for my parents with that!” He slumped into his chair.
Nara, seated across from him, gave a direct glance, her expression unamused. “It’s called inflation, Junichi. And quality. This is a premium café.”
Misao, seated to Junichi’s right, merely observed them. She took a slow sip of her Gyokuro tea.
She hadn’t seen or spoken to Nara in years. And though they used to be best friends, the tension also lingered between them from their senior high school days.
Misao saw Junichi still as a big brother and appreciated his efforts.
Makiko, sitting next to Misao on the same side of the table, gave a gentle giggle, covering her mouth with her hand.
She always ran to Junichi when she was scared or nervous in high school. Knowing he was kind.
But now, she seemed a little nervous around Kiyoshi, who was engrossed in his phone, and barely acknowledged their presence.
Kiyoshi remained largely silent, slouched in his chair across Misao, fiddled with his phone, and avoided eye contact.
“It’s good to see everyone, even under these circumstances,” Misao finally said, her words carefully chosen. “It’s been too long.”
Junichi, still scanning the menu, sighed dramatically. “So long that coffee prices shot through the roof, it seems.” He looked up at Misao, a faint admiration in his eyes.
“So, what are we going to do? Just catch up?”
The question stirred something in Misao’s memory. She paused, her gaze drifted past the polished glass walls of the café, lost for a moment in the echo of a younger voice.
“Misao, what are we going to do?”
The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the Hiroo Senior High School’s Detective club room. Casting long shadows across the overflowing bookshelves and cluttered table.
It was their first meeting of the year, a new beginning after spring break. As was their tradition, Misao, club president, stood by the board.
“Misao, what are we going to do?” Asked Junichi, already sprawled in his chair, half-eaten snack in hand.
Misao gives him a gentle smile, “Welcome back, everyone. First meeting of the year! You know the drill,” she announced, her voice soft but clear.
“Let’s go around. Tell us about your spring break. Anything interesting happen? Any exciting plans for the school year?”
Junichi was the first to practically burst forward. “Oh, me, me! I went to watch the Spring Koshien baseball tournament! Man, the energy was insane! I almost cried during the final match, but don’t tell anyone,” he said, letting out a loud, full-body laugh that vibrated through the room causing the dust motes in the sunlight to dance.
“For this year, I’m gonna hit the weights even harder! Gotta keep this body in shape!” He flexed an arm, grinning widely.
Next was Nara, already organized, her notes laid out on the table like a battle plan. Her expression was precise. “My break was efficiently utilized. I completed a deep dive into the latest advancements in quantum computing ethics. As for the school year, my goal is to maintain academic perfection and prepare for university entrance exams, specifically focusing on advanced logic and AI modules.”
She offered no further anecdotes, her words as clipped and direct as ever.
Makiko, looked up, a faint blush on her cheeks. Her movements were light and quick.
“Oh, um, I mostly stayed home. I re-read some of my favorite poetry collections, and tried out some new herb tea blends,” she said, her voice soft and polite, a slight nervous tremor making her speak a little faster.
“I… I also visited a few new cafes. For the school year, I just hope to… to understand people better. And maybe not cry so much,” she added, giving a gentle giggle, as she covered her mouth with her hand.
Kiyoshi, perpetually hunched over his handheld console, barely looked up. “Spring break… upgraded the firmware of my PSP. Optimized my home network,” he mumbled, his voice monotone. He paused, then added, almost as an afterthought, “Planning to… make more software this year”.
Misao listened to each of them, a warmth spreading through her chest. This was her favorite part.
The clatter of a coffee cup brought Misao back to the present. The café hummed around them. She looked at Junichi, his earlier liveliness now softened by a rare, quiet moment.
“What are we going to do?”
A faint, quiet laugh escaped Misao, almost under her breath.
“You know,” she said, her voice deliberate, cutting through the lingering tension. “We used to do this at our first club meeting every year.” She looked around at each of them, a knowing glint in her eye.
“Let’s go around. Update everyone. What have you all been doing these past fifteen years?”
Junichi exhaled loudly, a playful grimace on his face.
“You’re still pulling that trick, Misao?” He then reached for a croissant on the table, tearing into it with gusto, crumbs scattering onto his shirt.
“Alright, alright. Fair enough. Since you asked… I’m a private body guard now. Travel a bit for work, mostly in the port cities. Still sending most of my earnings home to the folks, you know?”
He ran a hand through his hair, the faint scent of cheap body spray wafting across the table.
“Still trying to make ends meet, but hey, at least I get to, uh, protect people. Like the big brother I always was,” he winked, in the direction of Misao and Nara.
Nara, adjusted her smart watch, her gaze direct as she spoke. “I am a logic university professor at Hanakaze University. My work primarily involves advanced AI and computational ethics. It’s intellectually stimulating.”
She took a measured sip from her matcha milkshake and offered no further details.
Makiko, gave another gentle giggle. “Oh, um, I’m a freelancer interpreter and translator. Japanese, English, Korean. It’s… it’s a lot of work, and sometimes I get a little anxious about money,” she admitted, her voice polite.
She brought a small cup of Sencha tea to her lips, inhaling the aroma before taking a slow, mindful sip. “But I also get to read a lot, and try new herb teas! I even found a new café recently that has the most wonderful jasmine blend.”
Her eyes sparkled a little.
Kiyoshi, still hunched over his phone, finally mumbled, almost under his breath, “Freelance cybersecurity consultant. White hat hacking. Pays the bills. Keeps me… indoors.” He gave a rare, nasal chuckle.
Embarrassed by the sound, he retreated back into his phone, shying away from eye contact.
Misao smiled, a quiet, brief curve of her lips. “And me? I’m an NGO investigator, specializing in corruption in Asia.”
She took another slow sip of her Gyokuro tea, observing her friends. “It involves a lot of travel, but it’s fulfilling. Chasing the truth, you know?”
As they continued to talk, the initial awkwardness began to melt away. Junichi recounted a comical incident from a bodyguard assignment, eliciting a rare, amused glance from Nara, and Makiko’s gentle giggles turned into a full, heartfelt laughter, her hand still covering her mouth.
Even Kiyoshi offered a dry, almost witty comment about the inefficiencies of corporate networks, earning a surprised, almost approving nod from Nara.
Misao felt a warmth spread through her chest. A familiar yet forgotten feeling. Something she never knew she missed, until now, fifteen years later.
The air lightened considerably, filled with chatter and laughter.
Junichi, looked around the table, his earlier laughter fading. “So, what was that about, anyway?” he asked, his voice now serious.
“Makoto’s mom… saying he was murdered? The police said it was suicide, right? No foul play involved?”
He leaned forward, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Nara, set down her shake with a soft clink. “That’s correct, Junichi. According to all public news reports and the official police investigation, Makoto Kure’s death was ruled a suicide. There was no foul play determined.” Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion, simply relaying facts.
Makiko, with a somber frown, leaned slightly forward, clutching her steaming cup of tea as if for comfort.
“Yes, that’s what the news said. I… I remember reading about it. It was last August 5th, a concerned citizen called the police after seeing what looked like a corpse hanging from a tree in Momozono Park here in Kanezawa.”
Her voice grew softer, a nervous tremor returning. “It turned out to be Makoto. They also found a suicide note. And… the autopsy confirmed he died from hanging.”
She took a hurried, almost breathless sip of her tea, her eyes wide with the remembered details.
Kiyoshi, who had been absently sipping his espresso and scrolling through his phone, finally looked up, his gaze darting between his friends before settling on the table.
“Yeah, it’s all over social media right now. People are pretty divided,” he mumbled, his voice a low drone. “Some are just, like, factual. Thinking Makoto’s mom was just emotional, you know, couldn’t accept it. But then there are the conspiracy theorists. They started questioning everything. Saying it had to be murder.”
He shrugged, taking another swig of his espresso.
Nara scoffed. “Nowadays, conspiracy theories are abundant because of the world we live in. Flat earth and all that. That kind of stuff,” she stated, her tone dismissive. “So it’s not a surprise that people want to turn this into something else. Something more exciting. Human beings crave drama, even in tragedy.”
Misao, however, remained quiet for a moment, her gaze distant, as if sifting through invisible threads of thought.
“I… I think Makoto’s mom, was being sincere when she made that outrageous claim,” she finally said. “She really believes it. Whether it’s true or not, her conviction was absolute.”
Makiko’s eyes, still reflecting a deep unease, locked onto Misao’s. Her politeness, seemed to crack slightly.
“But… why? Why would Makoto do it? I just… I can’t stop thinking about it. What was he like, before all this? Before… before he died? What was he like back in senior high?” she asked, her voice gaining a desperate edge.
“And what about now? He was a self-help influencer, right? Talking about overcoming trauma? It just doesn’t make sense.” She wrung her hands slightly, her anxiety evident.
Junichi frowned, trying to remember. He finished a roll cake and reached for another, but stopped himself, his appetite momentarily forgotten.
“Makoto… he was always a bit of a delinquent in senior high,” he mused, a thoughtful look on his face. “Friendly enough on the surface. But there was always something… beneath it. He was tight with Takehiro Takeshita, remember? They hung around a lot. I heard he became a big shot, talking about mental health stuff, but… it’s ironic, isn’t it?”
His brow furrowed deeper, a rare moment of genuine introspection.
Nara tapped on her smartwatch, a flicker of something almost like impatience crossing her precise features.
“He had a public persona, Makiko. People construct narratives. His social media presence, as a self-help influencer, was designed to present a particular image of overcoming adversity. It’s not necessarily indicative of his true psychological state or private struggles.”
She then turned her direct gaze to Makiko.
“You are allowing emotion to cloud your judgment. This is not logical. We are discussing facts.”
Makiko flinched slightly at Nara’s bluntness, her polite demeanor struggling.
“But… it’s not just facts, Nara. People don’t just disappear without reasons!” She insisted, her voice rising slightly, a burst of faster talking as her nervousness took over.
“There’s always a reason for someone to give up. To… to commit suicide. I just want to understand why he would choose that. What led him there? I want to understand what Makoto was like inside.”
Her quiet tears, threatened to surface.
She was right, Misao thought to herself, a quiet throbbing beneath her ribs. People don’t just disappear without reasons. Especially not Makoto, with a past like his, and a mother so fiercely convinced of foul play. There was something here, something being hidden.
The familiar urge, the pull towards truth and justice, began to stir within her.
But then, a subtle stab in her chest, a faint wave of fatigue, reminded her.
The debate raged internally, a silent conflict between her drive and the fragile reality.
The other debate between Nara and Makiko continued, Nara trying to pull Makiko back to logic, Makiko insisting on empathy and understanding the human element.
Kiyoshi, meanwhile, had retreated back to his phone. Junichi was now just listening, his usual energy subdued by the gravity of the discussion.
Misao’s eyes, however, sharpened. The external debate, the internal one, all coalesced into a singular, undeniable conviction. She set her teacup down with a faint, decisive sound, interrupting the rising tension. Her voice, though still soft, cut through the air with an unexpected clarity, capturing everyone’s attention.
“I feel Makoto’s mom is not lying,” Misao stated, her gaze sweeping across each of her friends, holding their eyes.
“And investigating a little wouldn’t hurt.”
A smile touched her lips, a spark igniting in her usually reserved demeanor.
“Hiroo Detective Club… the game is afoot.”
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Bodium Castle
Bodium Castle is an impressive fortress, built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II. The castle has no keep and all the rooms and chambers are built around the outer defensive wall. This was characteristic of castle architecture in the 14th century. Sadly, while the exterior of the castle has survived largely intact the interior has not, although enough of the walls and foundations survive to allow some reasonably educated guesses about the interior layout.
The castle has a round tower at each corner and a square tower in the centre of each wall, two of these towers contain the entrances. The castle is surrounded by a huge moat that gives the impression that the castle is standing in the centre of a lake rather than surrounded by a moat.
Access to the main gatehouse was via a small octagonal island in the middle of the moat connected by bridges, one of which may have been a drawbridge. The gatehouse itself comprises two imposing towers and had three portcullises. Today the castle is accessed by a bridge going strait to the central island but the original access route was via a bridge set at 90 degrees to the castle entrance making it hard for an enemy force to charge the main gatehouse. The access to the postern gate was a much simpler affair with little defensive capability. However the postern was very low and narrow and the gatehouse featured murder holes in its ceiling.
Viewed from the edge of the moat the castle has all the appearance of an impressive and powerful fortress but it is questionable if it was really intended to be a fortress. The outer wall has some quite large windows in it which are certainly weak points in its defensive capabilities. Indeed it has been questioned if this was really a fortified manor house designed to impress visitors rather than a castle because despite it's three portcullises and murder holes in the ceiling of the gatehouse the arrow slits in the upper levels are unsuitable for this purpose and some military historians have raised questions about the design of the the crenelations and suggest that they may have been purely decorative.
However, the castle was involved in two conflicts. In 1483 during the wars of the Roses it was placed under siege by Richard III's forces and surrendered. During the English Civil War the castle was attacked by the Parliamentary forces and following its capture the castle was slighted, meaning that it was deliberately damaged so it could not be used as a fortress this involved destroying the interior buildings and bridges.It has also been said that the moat could be drained fairly quickly by any attacking forces. The castle's 28 garderobes (toilets) discharged into the moat, so the castle was effectively surrounded by an open sewer so even if the attackers drained the moat it would not have been a pleasant area to cross.
But whatever your opinion of its defensive capabilities, when viewed from a distance it presents the perfect image of a powerful fortress set in the middle of a lake and the very essence of what a mediaeval castle should look like. Which is why it appears on the covers of so many books about castles.
Today the castle is owned by the National Trust and is a protected Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument.
The main gatehouse and a classic image of an English castle surrounded by a moat.
The postern gate, more a sort of tradesman's entrance. It was too narrow for a cart to pass though and too low for a horse and rider to pass through. It has been suggested that in the 14th century it was intended as the servants and tradesmen’s entrance.
Another view of the heavily fortified main gatehouse and all that's left of the building on the central island.
A view of the main gatehouse and one of the side walls.
One of the side walls of the castle, the large windows were a weak point in its defences.
The interior of the castle was destroyed after it fell to the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War.
The various doorway openings in the wall give an hint of the upper floors of the castle.
Another interior view showing the locations of doors and fireplaces in the upper floors.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and found it interesting.
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I want more friends.
As the title states I would like some more friends, currently I only really talk to my mum, dad, brother and university class. I would enjoy having some additional people to talk to.
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Latest Entry
Blog entry #1
Hello, hello AF. I have never made a blog in my entire life but I have decided to put one together focusing on something I love: Gaming.
I'll review games I've played here or games that I am playing at the current time. For my Runescape friends on this site I will also be reviewing new releases in OSRS related to bosses or new content.
You can look for guides here in games I play regularly and have a lot of familiarity with coming too.I will be putting together my first official guide and entry on the next post and look forward to posting some gaming guides that which will help anyone out who is also a gamer like myself.
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Favorite Anime Opening #43
Fire Force season 3 opening
Tsuyobi by Queen Bee
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Home Free! (At Least for Now)
Oh, boy--is there a lot to share with you guys. I'll keep it short, though; I passed 2nd semester! I really had to lock in and focus on improving my test-taking strategies, and I think it finally paid off. I end the course with an 82%, which is all that I need to progress. And now, I look to an entire summer to relax, recuperate and prepare for the next school year. Until then, I'll just hang back and enjoy my newfound free time.
This was an incredibly trying time for, not just me but, everybody. I think it brought the worst out of all my classmates, but we all pulled through. I hope to see everyone's faces at the end of it all.
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A Story About: Music Taste - #04
QUICK BLOG ENTRY!
MY MUSIC TASTE...!
it goes back and forth between English, Japanese, and Korean
as well as, my Spotify wrapped SUCKS because when it comes time to share, no one knows what I'm talking about - so I go into a corner and basically cry about it LOL
sure, you listen to the music you like, but I am such a mixed bag with the songs I like
I like "Feel It" by d4vd (alt indie), I like "Symbol II: Air" by Ave Mujica (heavy metal j-rock, vkei, etc), "Ruler of my Heart" by BL8M and Rubeye (idek, but very different from the others)...
at this point, I'm blabbing about nothing - and it seems like I'm an entitled girl, but this is MY blog !!!!! LOL
I love all the artists I am listening to though, hugs to all of em - just wish I was more like a straight line with the stuff I like haha!!!!
silly blog post yayayay!!!!
could anyone relate? hope its not just me
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Latest Entry
Part 2
Hi and thanks for following up to part 2! Props to @Otaku for inspiration for my blog! Enjoy my suffering!
I guess this is when I should've connected the dots about me being lactose intolerant because I guess I ate dairy ice cream-or something because I had bad bowel movements. (simplified: I had some bad poops)
I loved the cabin we stayed in, but sadly it was more than an hour away from a store or gas station, meaning... THIN TOILET PAPER!!!!!
I later got a bad rash (oof), and no good toilet paper to sooth or a least stop the horrible pain. My dad got me some medical cream for this type or rash, and we watched A Whisker Away.
We then changed cabins to a more industrial one about 30 mins away from the other cabin we stayed at and about less than an hour from shops and such. There was a TV there and I ruined it's YouTube by watching a bunch of SPY X FAMILY videos, I even left a note saying sorry for it!
(also started Deathnote)
Here's where it went down.
We then took a tour bus to a glacier, it took some stops for breaks and snacks, we ate sushi! (it was fine, I guess)
Fast forward and we were at the glacier, we got special shoes and a helmet. This is when my head started to hurt, I don't how or why, but it did. Someone is touring through the massive glacier. All is good when I needed to use the restroom.
"because I had bad bowel movements..."
Luckily someone had a little of toilet paper in his backpack so didn't need to use a sock. *Very unpleasant moment later* And my headache came back, maybe due to altitude.
And my dad and I had to wait for someone who worked there to take us back. My dad later cut the underwear off of me, and my 2 sisters and my mother came back with glacier water (lucky). So they got a great memory and a souvinier* and I got an "at least it's over now..." memory and one less pair of underpants.
Twas the time to head back for Washington state. While we were leaving I forgot to eat breakfast and felt motion sick in the car trip to the airport. I still felt bad in the airport and my mom got me a Kids motion sickness tablet thingy and a PB and J. I took the tablet which made me feel worse which made me vomit which made me feel better.
After that we headed home and that ends my great (yet horrible) trip to Alaska!
What did you think? Was it good or bad?
(Were moving in from a rental to an actual house if you want something on that, Bu-Bye now!)
*spelled that wrong I know
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InuYasha Themed Sigs - Sara Asano
Sara Asano (阿佐野娑蘿（さらひめ）, "Princess Sal Tree")
Sara's necklace (娑蘿の首飾り, "Sara no kubikazari")
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Please note that the plugin I list doesn't prevent thumbnail ads on the front page, and that video ads are just skipped really fast after popping up on screen. This can be jarring depending on your own personal preferences.
In recent news, YouTube has decided that all adblock plugins are no longer kosher. The bastards have gone out of their way to block their video player for any users detected using them. In my testing, it also prevents usage of tracker blockers such as Privacy Badger. This marks yet another degradation of legacy sites most of the world uses on a more than regular basis.
YouTube is known for implementing horrible decisions for years, this being the latest in a long line of them. Being a website made in the heyday of mid aughts tech boom, and created in a much less corporatized internet ecosystem, this just marks another die off of legacy users to the site. It also marks a recent trend in legacy web 2.0 sites, which make zero profit from decades of being run under the idea that, one day, hosting thousands of terabytes of data will eventually be profitable. YouTube as a company never made money, from its beginning days to its entire history under Google ownership. These sites thrived through angel investors keeping the doors open under the idea that, because they have such a large userbase of so many people, the site would (eventually) be profitable. A slowdown in receiving investor money in recent years (due to a loss in faith in big tech as a whole) has caused these sites to go into full panic mode and do anything to make as much money as possible in order to bring the investors back. Twitter charging a dollar a year, and Reddit pay walling their API access are further examples of corporate sites ruining user experience for the sake of squeezing a few more dollars out of their user base.
Those inclined enough have made work arounds which (at the time of writing) work to prevent further ad bombardment. I, personally, have taken to using RemoveAdblockThing, a plugin for tamper monkey. I also use a plugin which reimplements the dislikes counter. Like I said at the start, however, it only quickly skips through any ads video that pop up, and does not remove thumbnail ads.
https://www.tampermonkey.net/
https://github.com/TheRealJoelmatic/RemoveAdblockThing
https://www.returnyoutubedislike.com/installThis method is the one that works best with me for now. I tested several other methods around and found this one to be the simplest to implement, and results in the most consistent blocking experience. I highly recommend doing research on the topic and finding a method that works best for you, personally. The early implementation of this has left a lot of room for bypassing this, and it will only become more difficult to do so over time.
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Kiss, Kiss, Looking Dolly
There is a much memed anime clip going around. You may recognize it below.
Toho Studio. WIT Studio. (2023). 【荒木哲郎×SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]：Hata Motohiro】『COLORs』／TOHO animation ミュージックフィルムズ. Youtube.
If you’ve looked beyond the memes, you might know that this is actually not from an anime series, but a music video for the song COLORs by Sawano Hiroyuki and Hato Motohiro. The anime stylings from the video are recognizable as the work of Toho Studios (Your Name, Jujutsu Kaisen) and WIT Studio (Attack on Titan, Spy x Family).
If you have not seen the original music video, it is worth a watch and a listen. What I do understand from three and a half minute animation is the dark haired protagonist’s fascination with the iconic pink-haired individual, and some sort of military situation that seems like a mix of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Extinction (2018). I don’t know enough to comment about the exploration of gender that occurs in the music video, but it is another prominent point, and element that many of the memes using the clip focus on. The translated lyrics do not do much more to elucidate the plot of the video, speaking only appreciating a unreachable and transient sense of beauty in another person.
If you have your own theories on the meaning of the animation and song, I’d love to hear them and I’m sure folks around these parts would too.
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i'll go first
Show Name: Desert Punk
Character Name: Desert Punk / Kanta Mizuno
Reason why I Relate So Much Because i am A Total Pervert ☠
, My Sex Drive Levels Is Insane
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Summer School
WELL!
Summer school has been...a journey, I started my first day today..which means, dread.
Although, I see some of my friends in here, so all is well.
But I will say, I have no idea what Im doing...
Math is what Im recovering for my credit recovery, and its no fun...anyways... - 14
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Who Was Max Headroom?
The character portrayed by Matt Frewer on British television whose consciousness was transferred into an AI program following his fatal accident is possibly the most anime non-anime character ever.
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