With September coming to an end, I felt like posting something, anything, on this blog for the month. This will be my sixth post on anime and manga, and I find it fitting to post this at this time, given the transition to a new anime season.
I won’t say much on the anime I’ve watched and plan to watch, although I have enjoyed both anime I’ve watched this season. For the next season, there is at least one I will watch, and a couple I’m interested in. I’ll look over the list again soon.
I’ve recently got my hands on volume 5 of Machikado Mazoku. The one thing I noticed is that near the end of every volume, Shamiko enters someone’s dream world. They go as follows:
- Shamiko is tasked with entering Momo’s dream one night. However, she ends up in a nightmare, and as a result of cleaning the whole area, she is only able to give Momo a bottle of cola before time runs out.
- Shamiko is goaded by her ancestor into entering Momo’s dream again, to pry her secrets out. Metako, who was guarding Momo’s dream world, mentioned that a magical girl by the name of Sakura Chiyoda was part of Shamiko. Shamiko manages to get past Metako and enter the inner space, only for her to realise that the dream has become lucid (i.e. Momo has become fully conscious).
- Shamiko enters her own dream world. Here we learn that Sakura is the one keeping Shamiko healthy, and this is the main reason for her disappearance ten years ago. Overwhelmed by dream world monsters, Shamiko is backed into a corner trying to find an exit, only for Momo to appear, this time in a darker than usual outfit. Yes, Momo has fallen into darkness.
- Shamiko and Momo enter Mikan’s dream world, to meet the source of Mikan’s curse. Shamiko manages to summon the demon within Mikan, Ugallu, but used up most of her magic in the process, leaving not enough even to materialise a chunk of meat for the demon. The dream becomes lucid, and together Shamiko and the two magical girls resolve to exorcise Ugallu and allow her to live in the town.
- Shamiko enters the dreams of two people. The first dream world she enters is Hongyu’s. Here we learn (after Shamiko got help to get past the guardians) that the animosity against Lico began even before Hongyu became a magical girl. After that, she enters Lico’s dream world, but her first venture is unsuccessful. By allowing Shirosawa to come with her (via a homunculus), she again enters the dream world. Shirosawa manages to make Lico come to her senses, and through her ventures Shamiko manages to eliminate the animosity between Lico and Hongyu.
Although it is a “blink-and-you-miss-it” thing, Lico and Shirosawa appear in the final episode of the anime adaptation. Both work at the Asura café, and eventually get Shamiko to work there as well.
I find it a bit disappointing that the anime only adapted the first two volumes, as the later volumes are, in my opinion, more interesting. In the later volumes, we learn more of Sakura’s actions in the lead up to her disappearance, and see new characters appear. Additionally, Ogura gets more prominent roles.
As of the end of the fifth volume, the newest character is Zhu Hongyu (I’m going by the assumption that her name is in Mandarin). A magical girl from far away, she seems to have some history with Lico, which is what brought her to the town.
Anyway, that will be all for now.
Edit (2019-10-12): Here is what I believe happened around the time of Sakura’s disappearance in Machikado Mazoku:
- Late December, ten years before present: Seiko and Yuko are admitted to hospital.
- December 25: Last confirmed sighting of Sakura, who on this day brought Lico to the Asura café. It is possible that Sakura and Joshua fought at the old Hinatsuki factory on this day (whether they fought each other or a common enemy I do not know), and that Joshua was sealed on the same day.
- December 28: Shirosawa spots a white cat with Sakura’s distinctive red and white striped ribbon around its neck heading to the hospital. Trailing the cat were flower petals. This serves as inspiration for Tama-Sakura-chan’s design. In the present, Ryoko correctly deduces that the cat was Sakura’s core. Also, Seiko mentions that Yuko said that a white cat spoke to her on that day, and that the cat later disappeared.
- January 7, nine years before present: Ryoko is born.
- Mid January: Seiko returns back home with her daughters, only to find her husband sealed within a mandarin box, and a handwritten note left behind by Sakura.
Also, today was supposed to mark the beginning of the Manga Time Kirara Exhibition in Osaka; however, amid the backdrop of Typhoon Hagibis wreaking havoc in Japan (if you’re around the area, please be careful), the start has been suspended until tomorrow. In the mean time, Maiko Uchino (author of Slow Loop) has drawn the main characters of several Kirara series:
- Ryō Machiko of Gourmet Girl Graffiti
- Maika Sakuranomiya of Blend S
- Haruka Takayama of Sakura Trick
- Yui Hirasawa of K-On!
- Yōko Nishikawa of Three Leaves, Three Colors
- Haruka Ōzora of Harukana Receive
- Shinobu Ōmiya of Kiniro Mosaic
- Hana Ichinose of Slow Start
- Chiya of Urara Meirochō
- Yuno of Hidamari Sketch
- Cocoa Hoto of Is the Order a Rabbit?
Edit (2019-10-25): The cast of Dropout Idol Fruit Tart has been announced:
- Hiyori Nitta as Ino Sakura
- Risa Kubota as Roko Sekino
- Haruka Shiraishi as Hayu Nukui
- Reina Kondō as Nina Maehara
- Kyōka Moriya as Hemo Midori
This is Shiraishi’s third major Manga Time Kirara role (having voiced Ruri “Hibari” Hibarigaoka of Anne Happy and Kana Ushiku of Anima Yell!), and this is Kondō’s second major Kirara role (having voiced Hana Ichinose of Slow Start).
Edit (2019-10-28): The main cast of Koisuru Asteroid has been announced:
- Tomoyo Takayanagi as Mira Konohata
- Megumi Yamaguchi as Ao Manaka
- Maria Sashide as Mai Inose
- Nao Tōyama as Mikage Sakurai
- Sumire Uesaka as Mari Morino
This is Takayanagi’s second major Manga Time Kirara role (having voiced Mikan Hinatsuki of Machikado Mazoku), as well as Yamaguchi’s second (having voiced Hifumi Takimoto of New Game!). This is Tōyama’s third major Kirara role (having voiced Karen Kujo of Kiniro Mosaic and Rin Shima of Laid-Back Camp).
While this cast list did leak a few days ago, I opted to wait for official confirmation before posting it here.
Edit (2019-12-06): It has been announced that Reina Ueda (as Moe Suzuya) and Lynn (as Yuki Endō) will be joining the cast of Koisuru Asteroid.
And someone asked if Tsukasa Unohana (Anima Yell! author) is a woman. She responded in the affirmative. If you’re wondering, she is also a mother; in fact, Haji-Otsu went through a temporary hiatus because of her pregnancy.