Fist of the North Star Side Story: The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend is an isekai spinoff starring a minor villain from the popular shounen franchise, and it concluded earlier this year after nine volumes. This manga been one of my favorite series in recent years, so I wanted to just give my final thoughts on this ridiculous work.
For context, here are my previous two posts about the series:
The “hero” of this series is Amiba, the cruel Toki impersonator who met a grisly (and hilarious) end from being forced to walk backwards off a ledge before exploding into a gory mess—a fate courtesy of franchise protagonist Kenshiro. Now reincarnated in a fantasy world, he has to fight monsters using his own bastardized version of the pressure points martial arts Hokuto Shinken, all while learning about the magic that governs his new environment. As he gains unlikely allies (because it’s really hard to make friends when you’re a self-centered asshole), Amiba ends up on a collision course with the army of the Demon Lord, including the Four Demon Generals. And all along, no matter his successes or numerous failures, the man still declares himself to be an unparalleled genius.
There are three main recurring gags in this manga:
First, nearly everyone Amiba encounters oddly resembles people from his original world, though not necessarily sharing personalities. He travels with Lilin (Rin) and Pat (Bat), and fights foes like Southern (Souther) and Maou Kenshi Rou (Jagi).
Second, many of his allies are alternate versions of other bad guys. My favorite is a gigantic old lady who was originally a muscly thug in a poor disguise but in this world is actually a titanic grandma.
Third, Amiba remains a mostly delusional dickhead throughout, but people also don’t put up with his bullshit.
If you’re not a fan of Fist of the North Star, a lot of the in-jokes will likely go over your head, but I am squarely in its target demographic and highly entertained. Fortunately for other readers, The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend also features a contemptible antihero who actually grows and learns to a degree, avoiding running its premise into the ground.
In the original story, Amiba is presented as irredeemable, but here in a different world and context, we find that he has the power to do good even if he is anything but noble. He might not be healing people out of the goodness of his heart, but the results are the same. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but what if bad intentions create benevolent results? It makes one wonder if society (or lack thereof) is what made Amiba into the absolute monster he was, instead of the somewhat less obnoxious person he is after death.
Amiba goes from one-off character to fascinating psychological study as a result. He vastly overestimates his martial arts skills, but that’s only in comparison to the impossible standard set by the warriors of the post-apocalypse he came from. His magic starts off poor at best (a nominal bump in his mana is his only isekai power-up), but his unreasonably high confidence allows Amiba to break through those limitations and create a hybrid magical kung fu. And as reluctant as he is to admit it, Amiba learns an important lesson: Other people are capable in their own right, and they can work together with him to achieve greater things. They’re just not as capable as himself, of course.
The story reaches its climax in Volume 9. After defeating the Four Generals, it’s revealed that the legendary heroic armor and weapons Amiba obtained actually house the divided soul of the Demon Lord. That demon’s name: Maoh (as opposed to Raoh). Yes, he’s Maoh the Maoh (Japanese for Demon Lord).
His last surviving general channels the Demon Lord to take over Amiba’s body as a new physical vessel. Yet, despite being nearly overwhelmed, Amiba is able to resist the takeover through sheer ego. Maoh then answers this stubbornness by plumbing the depths of Amiba’s soul and manifesting his greatest fear: Kenshiro. Suddenly, Amiba finds himself with his back to that ledge again.
On the verge of giving up, Amiba sees images of his allies in the new world giving their support. Naturally, in his inner world, they have nothing but effusive praise for his endless brilliance. With both feet back on the ground (and a body decidedly not exploded), Amiba starts fighting back, using all that he’s learned since being isekai’d. He battles Kenshiro’s Hokuto Shinken using his own magic-infused martial arts, but can only reach a stalemate at best. Then, something incredible happens: The Kenshiro in his mind compliments Amiba for getting stronger, refers to him as another powerful rival, and fades away. It’s not clear if this is simply Amiba imagining Kenshiro accepting him, or if Kenshiro is such a great hero that even a psychic apparition of him exhibits a high standard of honor, but the result is the same. Amiba wins.
The series epilogue jumps a few years into the future, mirroring the second part of the original Fist of the North Star. Lilin and Pat, both adults now, discover that Amiba has created his own peaceful kingdom populated entirely by minor bad guys. He’s said to have later tried to take over the world, inadvertently uniting the humans and demons against him, but the veracity of this (and everything else that has happened in the story) is up to the reader to decide.
I choose to believe that everything we’ve seen is super duper canon, and if they ever make another fighting game, I hope they put this version of Amiba in there.
The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend is a lot of things: Spin-off, parody, silly take on a popular genre. But it also scratches an itch to see a fundamentally flawed and morally void protagonist somehow manage to improve his world, at least for a little while. All the terrible qualities possessed by Amiba are channeled into doing good, all thanks to the people around him. It’s perhaps an even more far-fetched dream than all the harem and power fantasies in the world, but I simply can’t resist a wacky redemption tale that gives a new perspective on one of manga’s jerkiest villains. Isekai is ultimately about second chances, and Amiba uses his to the fullest.
Adapting the Fantastic Four to film has long been a tricky proposition. The characters are neither the biggest nor the most iconic, yet they are meant to stand tall as titans of superhero history because they are the faces that essentially launched Marvel Comics as we know it. Indeed there have been films in the past, but for one reason or another, they don’t have the most stellar reputations.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest attempt, and on top of the inherent challenges described above, it’s also had to contend with Marvel Cinematic Universe fatigue that has built up in its audience ever since Avengers: Endgame—a fatigue I have keenly felt myself. I think what ultimately brought me to watch this is 1) I really wanted to see what a Fantastic Four movie looks like in an era when superheroes have actually become mainstream instead of trying to cater to skeptics, and 2) the 1960s retro setting seemed interesting. In the end, I came out of the theater feeling that this was definitely a step in the right direction for Marvel, but that it still suffers from some of the issues that have plagued its releases for the past five years.
The film takes place in a 1960s New York City in a universe different from the main timeline, where the Fantastic Four are a beloved superhero team. Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, is a phenomenally brilliant scientist and can stretch himself like rubber. His wife, Sue Storm, is the Invisible Woman, able to cloak herself and others, as well as create invisible force fields. Johnny Storm, Sue’s younger brother, is known as the Human Torch. Ben Grimm is the Thing, a physical powerhouse with rock-like skin. They’re treated as celebrities for their contributions to science and their protection of NYC from villains of all stripes. However, when a threat from beyond in the form of the world-devouring Galactus tries to make them choose between family and the rest of the world, the four have their bonds tested both with one another and the very people they protect.
One of the things that made the Fantastic Four such a milestone in superhero history was the complexity of their relationships. While they were very close, there was also a good deal of interpersonal tension. I find that this movie does a really solid job of portraying this kind of dysfunction in a way that doesn’t feel quaint or two-dimensional. Reed, for example, comes across as someone whose immense genius can be alienating at times for those he loves, and his behavior makes him seem like he might be somewhere on the autism spectrum. Sue has to still give it her all as a member of this elite team despite the challenges that come with pregnancy, highlighting all the extra work women have to do. Johnny is something of a jock, but the unintended dismissal of him as a thinking human being clearly bothers him. Grimm takes his appearance in relative stride, but the guilt Reed feels about failing to properly shield his loved ones from those transformative cosmic rays colors their interactions.
Speaking of Reed and Sue’s child, First Steps is definitely a play on his inclusion. It’s also surprising that they decided to take two big storylines from two very different periods in Fantastic Four history and combine them together, but it works pretty well. However, it also feels like they’re trying to speedrun the Fantastic Four’s story to get them ready for the next big crossover. That pace is also part of what I consider to be the ongoing flaws of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—namely the need to try to cram and fit everything together for the Next Event—alongside some really awkward acting and action that seems to be the result of too many green-screen shenanigans.
I normally don’t care about the box office (and I still don’t), but it’s been news that Supermankind of ate The Fantastic Four’s lunch. While I do think Superman is the better film and carries the more powerful and relevant message overall, the two works also have a great deal of synergy. They emphasize loving family as well as treating humanity as family, and pushing back against those who want to force us into false dichotomies meant to divide us and make us suffer under bizarre and dehumanizing ultimatums. While it might seem a bit redundant, I think we need all the voices we can right now to fight the increasing levels of hate and fascism that we’re seeing.
Last month, All for One took place on August 23 and 24 at the iconic Radio City Music Hall. The third hololive concert also included 15 VTubers in the Big Apple, but all was not the same. The past 12 months have seen the departure of four talents and the introduction of a new generation. Because of all that has transpired, the concert atmosphere conveyed an energy that was about, if not passing the torch, at least sharing the flame so that all may shine.
Overview
In terms of fame and seating capacity, Radio City Music Hall was a major step up from the King’s Theater in Brooklyn. That’s not a knock against last year’s venue, which was overall great, but if hololive EN wanted to send a message, this was certainly the way to do it. One other upside was the efficiency and courtesy of their staff. It was very clear that they were more than accustomed to dealing with large crowds, and none of the delays or long snaking lines that occurred last time were an issue.
One thing that was notably different compared to every previous hololive concert I’ve seen, English or otherwise, was that the setlists consisted entirely of songs from hololive. This was apparently a deliberate decision to highlight all the music that has been created under their banner over the years, and in that respect, they certainly succeeded. Whether it was people singing their own songs or earworms that have turned into Holocure BGM, there was a real sense of history for a company that is both still young and the grizzled veteran organization of this industry.
That said, I have to admit that I missed the anime covers and what-not a little. While I do write more and more about VTubers these days, I’m still primarily an anime fan at the end of the day, and I get a kick out of hearing virtual people bust out an opening or two.
All for One was also the first time an EN concert had all its performers in idol outfits—before, this was usually reserved for the annual big holo fes. Similar to the music, it does give a sense of unity, but I also enjoy seeing the regular outfits due to how unique they are. Maybe if they modeled the idol outfits to better match the bodies of the default models, I might feel differently. Another aspect of the visual presentation was the inclusion of lasers. They didn’t show up for every song, but when they did, it felt like Ideon launching all its missiles at once.
Lack of anime themes aside, in terms of song choices, I don’t exaggerate when I say that they managed to hit virtually every number I was hoping for. Baelz Hakos performing “Countach”? Hell yeah she did, alongside Gigi Murin and Indonesia guest Kureiji Ollie. “Start Again,” a song that features the top singers of every generation? It literally kicked off the second day. I know the setlist has at least some input from the talents, but however they decided to finalize it, I felt treated to one amazing moment after the next. The way they also mixed things up in terms of song order compared to the previous concerts was also refreshing.
Start Again
The Talents
While last year I wrote about each VTuber and their presence individually, I think All for One is better served by focusing on their generations and narrowing down.
Justice
The four ladies of Justice are the newest additions to hololive EN, and they debuted the 3D models that allow them a full range of motion only recently. All for One was their very first live concert, with all the pressure that entails. But one way or another, each of them showed a real spirit of performance.
Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame is one of the best singers to ever grace VTubing, and the strength and playfulness of her voice commanded attention, whether in her solo cover of “Stellar Stellar” or in group songs such as “Above Below.” Raora Panthera’s boundless energy was infectious, and she would do things like get in a little wiggle while disappearing off stage. During the big group numbers like the titular “All for One,” I even saw her do the monkey once, and also spin around while hopping. Cecilia Immergreen’s “Wind Up” has quickly become one of my favorite hololive songs, which she accompanied with a graceful dance, and a group cover of Aki Rosenthal’s “Shallys” saw her manifest her violin for a brief solo. Gigi Murin’s combination of brashness and silliness served her well, as her songs ranged from cool to comedic. While the latter three don’t have Liz’s vocal skills, they all work well with their limitations.
I also need to give attention to the MC part featuring CC and GG, as I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so entertained by one of those breaks. You could tell that they started from an absurd spot (GG carrying CC while on all fours) and then through improvisation naturally escalated it into anti-humor about stand-up comedy cliches and the inherent absurdity of their fan-favorite pairing name, AutoFister. Even thinking about it now, it still makes me snort in laughter.
Advent
Returning for a second year, Advent is considered one of the newer generations of hololive, but they’re also no longer inexperienced rookies. Their mutual closeness has been one of their biggest strengths: They have released the most group covers out of anyone, and are currently in the middle of releasing a whole series of lore-centric songs.
The first of those works, “Genesis,” came out a couple weeks before the concert, so I didn’t have my hopes up about getting to hear it live. Fortunately, I was wrong. This performance became one of the highlights of my weekend, and I especially love the way the song plays on each of their official back stories without sounding disparate or forced. Best of all, it’s in the free section of the VOD, so anyone can revisit it anytime.
Genesis
Like Justice, Advent has one particularly strong singer in Nerissa Ravencroft, who is versatile but especially good at sounding sultry. One of her lines in “Genesis”—“Watch me be your diva/I’m gonna raise your fever”—leaves me actually feeling flustered, with her wide-swinging hips adding to her appeal. The twins, Fuwawa and Mococo Abyssgard, once again showcased their harmonization skills with each other and their thorough embracing of their personas. Diminutive Koseki Bijou appeared dedicated to showing that she has more than a cute side, with a surprising solo choice in Houshou Marine’s “Dead Ma’am’s Chest” and a group performance of another Marine song, “I’m Your Treasure Box.” As for their leader, Shiori, she continued a trend that started last year with her singing in a lower register that might seem uncharacteristic of her but sounds noticeably better, as well as conveying an almost nonchalant charisma that’s both graceful and charmingly awkward.
Promise
The girls of Promise have faced many challenges over the years. They had the unenviable position of following a powerhouse first generation, and if you count their past as Council, they also have lost three members over time—the most of any hololive generation. But their year has also seen some huge positive changes for them as IRyS, Ouro Kronii, and Hakos Baelz have worked to hone their crafts while seemingly less beholden to outside expectations.
IRyS went with “Diamond Girlfriend,” a song that is a culmination of a long and incredible journey that took her from wishing she could have her own Eurobeat song to collaborating with Motsu of Initial D fame. She also came full circle a different way by pefrorming “Gravity” alongside Towa and Kronii. While this was not the first time IRyS had sung it on stage (see Connect the World), this different context brought “Gravity” from a symbol of her “Project Hope” era to a defining work for hololive EN as a whole. With Kronii, meanwhile, the difference between All for One and Breaking Dimensions (or even 6th fes earlier this year) was like night and day. Neither singing nor dancing were her strong suits, but they’re increasingly a part of her repertoire, especially when you take into account the fact that Kronii lives outside of Japan, and thus away from the main hololive studio and its resources.
Then there was Baelz Hakos. She’s my favorite current hololive EN member, and this concert had me trying my damn hardest to not blink and miss any moment with her. The amount of training she has undergone to improve her physical fitness, her singing, and her already top-tier dancing is hard to overstate.
The result was one unforgettable number after the next. There was the aggressive aura of “RxRxR” with Calliope Mori, her stylish dance moves in “Countach” (a song originally from her fellow elite hololive dancer Hajime), and Bae’s mind-boggling combination of nuance and dynamism for her solo “La Roja.” She even got to be the center for the encore performance of “All for One” to end the whole thing! I am eager to see more people learn about her.
For their group number, Promise covered “feelingradation” from ReGLOSS. This was another favorite of mine from this concert, not simply because I really love the original version, but because the three just felt very cohesive as a unit. It’s also not lost on me that Bae sang not one but two Hajime songs; the Vroom Boom Duo is truly one of the hottest things to ever hit hololive.
Myth
As the generation that started hololive English, Myth are rightfully seen as pioneers. They celebrate their 5th anniversary this month, and a lot of All for One could be seen as giving props to them for laying the groundwork that has allowed later arrivals to thrive. At the same time, they’re in a position similar to Promise’s in that they’ve been down two members after Gawr Gura and Amelia Watson left. The complexion of their generation does feel different as a result, and adjusting to this “new” Myth has taken some time.
Temari
Whatever the situation, it’s pretty astounding how far they’ve come. Ninomae Ina’nis was the first solo performance of Day 1 with her original song “Temari,” and her voice over the years has gone from cute and sweet to being capable of this wonderfully haunting quality. Calliope Mori was originally all about defying expectations of what a VTuber should sound and act like, but has now become a mentor and even a standard of measure. Her music, her singing style, and even her dancing (which includes a surprisingly well-done can-can) have all transformed over time—and her songs at All for One cover that history well. The third Myth member, Takanashi Kiara, may have gotten the most love of all. Not only did she perform a short medley for her solo number, sing her original song “Mirage” with IRyS, and showcase her enticing dance moves, but Kronii also covered “Do U,” the kpop-influenced song that became Kiara’s first breakout hit.
Chimera
And as if to add to the fond reminiscence, their group performance of “Seishun Archive,” was a choice deliberately requested by Kiara because practicing for it was when she first really bonded with Gura.
Towards the end of Day 2, all three did an MC together, and it became a time to reflect on where they came from and where they’ve gone. While a part of me braces for impact when you see this much reminiscing, I think all of them have shown that they’ve come out of the last five years better than ever.
Guests
Although none of them got their own solos, it’s worth discussing how much the guests—Oozora Subaru and Tokoyami Towa from hololive JP, as well as Ayunda Risu and Kureiji Ollie from hololive ID—put on wonderful performances.
Oozora Subaru’s “Hot Duck” and its lighthearted silliness contrasted with a breathtaking performance of Ayunda Risu’s “Alice&U.” The latter has long been considered a tremendously difficult song that was arguably too difficult for others to cover, but Nerissa and Elizabeth showed that they had the technical skill to knock it out of the park. Towa and Calli’s “Queen of the Night” is the best song from the MythMash series in my opinion, and getting to hear it live was a joy. There wasn’t an Ollie-centric song during the event (which is very characteristic of her humility), but the zombie idol brought a welcome energy of excitement. A minor hiccup during Ollie and Shiori’s MC left us all literally in the dark for a few minutes, but this seemed to be more of a random mishap than anything else.
Miscellaneous
There was a whole bunch of ticket shenanigans that happened earlier this year when a bunch of fans tried to outmaneuver the scalpers but ended up making it harder for other fans to buy tickets. Over the weekend of Anime NYC, I saw people online and even at the convention center trying to sell off tickets for heavily discounted prices. While this was done with good intentions, I think one of the major failings was assuming that all fans of hololive are active on Discord or even use it at all.
Moving on from that, each night ended with a credits roll, as is typical. However, one funny thing for me personally is that I recognized the font used: Marker Felt Thin. So if you want to ever replicate the All for One credits, here’s your starting point.
My last unorganized thought is: Houshou Marine sure is popular. Even though she wasn’t involved with the concert directly, she probably got more songs of hers into All for One than anyone else, barring Kiara.
Overall
To say I was happy with how All for One turned out is a gargantuan understatement. I came out of it with my feet aching but my heart full. Despite all that they’ve gone through, this was a really strong showing for the ladies of hololive English.
I benefited immensely from All for One being in New York at Radio City Music Hall, but I really wouldn’t mind it being somewhere else—even on a different continent. I want more people to have this experience, and I’m willing to settle for streaming tickets to give it to them.
Summer is winding down, and the first Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie will be in theaters soon. I already have my ticket, and I’m eager to see how this series begins to conclude. I feel they made this into a trilogy in order to make more money, but I don’t begrudge them about that. If there’s a reason to make it a big event and draw fans to theaters, so be it.
Later in the month are some big hololive milestones, namely Myth’s 5th anniversary and the first online concert for Holostars EN. I’ve decided I’ll celebrate Myth with some Raising Cane’s, but I haven’t figured out what would be fitting for the EN boys.
I’m also fresh off of Anime NYC and hololive EN’s third concert, All for one. I intend to get my thoughts about both before the end of the month.
Amid the erosion of human rights and the destruction of the United States’ scientific expertise, the weird obsession with tariffs feels like kicking someone while they’re down. I desperately hope, for the sake of everyone regardless of political beliefs, that things are made right. We should not be beholden to the most ass-backwards ghouls who seem to want to burn the world down so they can grift just a little more.
Kio caught COVID at the beginning of the month. He went to the hospital (which is a very normal thing in Japan), got some medicine, and his fever broke around the 5th. He also thanks all the fans who wished him well.
I occasionally enjoy watching martial arts Youtubers. They run the gamut from professional fighters to dedicated practitioners to, well, scam artists, so they can easily devolve into a whole lot of nonsense. I’m the furthest thing from a competent fighter, though, and my interest goes more towards those who exhibit a desire to actually spread knowledge and understanding while avoiding macho posturing.
One person I watch is Adam Chan, and while I don’t agree with some of his beliefs about how the world works, he comes across as someone who tries to check his ego at the door. He tries to communicate that a martial art is not “a way of fighting” in itself but rather a recipe or set of tools that should be adjusted for the situation or goal you desire. Self-defense is not sport fighting, and neither are combatives: The first is about escaping harm, the second is about a mutually agreed contest, and the last is about prioritizing maximum force and even concealing your weapons (both metaphorically and literally).
The categories can be easily conflated, and they commonly are. In the past, I wrote about out how the series Mashlehighlights these distinctions. However, there’s actually another example that demonstrates these differences even better, and it can be found in the anime The Daily Lives of High School Boys, of all things.
The Daily Lives of High School Boys is a comedy about dumb teenagers, and it occasionally has a spinoff at the end of episodes called High School Girls Are Funky. These shorts feature a trio of girls: two loud and mean-spirited girls named Yanagin and Ikushima along with Habara, the meeker one. But it’s revealed that Habara used to be an absolute terror who had to be subdued by an alliance of the strongest kids in school. In one short, Yanagin and Ikushima decide to see who’s stronger in a fight. Habara tries to get them to stop, only to have her plea ignored.
However, when they try to establish the parameters for their bout, the “normal” Habara earnestly asks them why they would need rules in the first place for a fight. In this moment, the two realize what a mistake they’ve made: While they’re trying to compare skill in a fair contest, Habara doesn’t comprehend the very notion of limiting one’s violence. The other girls back down, anxiously claim it was all a joke, and avoid disaster in the end. Right as the third girl breathes a sigh of relief, though, the other two notice her tossing aside a large rock.
In this scene, you have the two girls approaching the situation with a sporting mindset, trying to agree upon the rules of engagement. You have the third girl thinking purely in terms of combatives and looking for ways to inflict maximum violence without compromise, including hiding a crude but effective weapon. And when the two de-escalate the situation, you have self-defense of a less flashy kind.
Even the best martial arts anime and manga tend to assume that all fighting and conflict is essentially the same, so it’s funny to see a gag series represent such subtle yet profound distinctions.
The moment has come in Kio Shimoku’s Spotted Flower: In the most recent chapter first published in June, the Wife (aka Not-Saki) confronts the Husband (Not-Madarame) about his adulterous actions with Asaka-sensei (Not-Hato). With a rather sparse publication schedule consisting of printer chapters and digital-only supplementals, getting to this point has taken many years. Now that we’re here, though, the confrontation really emphasizes the essence of this thinly disguised Genshiken alternate universe.
The Story Thus Far
A lot has happened since I last posted about Spotted Flower, so I think some brief catchup is in order. Note that I might not remember all details correctly because of how convoluted things have become:
Spotted Flower is about an otaku husband and his normie wife, both of whom were members of the same otaku club in college. At first, the story is about their very different tastes and behaviors, as well as the challenge of having a sex life while she’s pregnant and he suffers from low blood pressure that makes even morning wood difficult to come by. They occasionally meet with and talk with old friends, who are all suspiciously similar to other characters from Genshiken (though they’re not the same).
The Wife eventually gives birth to their daughter, Saki, and one consequence is that the Husband feels inadequate as a partner. Seeing his beautiful wife chatting with her Ex-Boyfriend (Not-Kohsaka), he panics and secretly solicits Asaka-sensei, their old college club junior who once regarded themselves as a crossdressing mane but has since gotten some feminization surgery and whose gender is less clear-cut. The Husband tries to start something, but can’t get it up. No problem, Asaka-sensei declares, and puts their penis up Not-Madarame’s butt.
The Husband is plagued with guilt and shame for cheating on his wife, and Asaka-sensei tries to keep the tryst a secret from everyone they’re close to, including their own partner and manga assistant (aka Not-Yajima). While the two have an open relationship, it’s still big news that Asaka-sensei banged their old senpai. But the truth slowly leaks out little by little, with different people learning at different points from different people. Eventually, the rumor reaches Not-Kohsaka, who decides to look into it on his own.
Of course, the Wife is a sharp and perceptive person, and had naturally suspected that something weird was going on. Eventually, in a moment of weakness, the Wife propositions her ex-boyfriend, but he refuses, despite the fact that he’s actually a serial philanderer. It’s not clear at this point what he’s planning, but we also learn a few things about him as well—namely, that he seems to have hidden feelings for Not-Sasahara, and at one point even kisses Not-Sasahara when he thinks the latter is asleep (He isn’t).
Speaking of Not-Sasahara, his relationship with Ogino-sensei (Not-Ogiue) takes an unexpected turn as she proposes a polygamous marriage between the two of them and her manga assistant (Not-Sue), with whom she already sleeps with. However, this is unlikely to turn into a threesome situation because Not-Sue hates Not-Sasahara for not letting her monopolize Ogino-sensei.
Most recently, the old club members have gathered together for a group getaway. And then, two chapters ago, as the guys and girls are hanging out in gendered groups, Not-Kohsaka casually tells all the boys about what happened between the Husband and Asaka-sensei. Not-Kuchiki, shocked by the news, rushes over to the Wife and blurts it out, asking if it’s true. Here, the Wife herself gets a weighty grin on her face and says, “So it’s finally public knowledge, huh?”
And Now…
That’s where things stand before this latest chapter, which starts with everyone in the same room. The Wife asks if being with her was really that awful, the Husband tries to explain that it’s been great, but that he thinks she’s a goddess residing in a realm on high, and he lives crawling in the mud in the world below. She doesn’t understand what this means, so the Ex-Boyfriend explains that this is an otaku self-consciousness thing. The Ex also explains that he couldn’t possibly be with the Wife because she actually hates his guts—a fact that Not-Saki herself didn’t even remember herself.
The Wife grills the Husband about the whole situation with everyone else (especially the fujoshi) listening intently. As the Wife explains, the guy tends to hide his feelings, so she wants him to be honest. From this, they learn that he couldn’t get hard, but that it actually felt kind of good to be on the receiving end (to the thrill of the fujoshi crew). Not-Saki then goes on about what a weird little otaku club they are: Otaku are supposed to be these innocent and naive people who don’t really know what sex is like, but the people here have sex while cosplaying, engage in threesomes (which Sue adamantly denies), and her own husband got it from behind by a crossdresser. They’ve all had the wrong idea about otaku.
The chapter ends with an ultimatum from the Wife to the Husband: He must get an erection for her, or their marriage is over.
What Does This Mean?
We won’t know what happens with the two of them for another few months, but regardless of how it pans out, there’s a lot to ruminate on already.
I think the biggest revelation from this is the fact that the Wife actually hates her Ex. What has previously come across as a fairly cordial “let’s just be friends” might have been something more serious and dramatic. We know that Not-Kohsaka sleeps around more than everyone else in Spotted Flower, but that a part of him feels empty inside. I had wondered if this was him still taking the break-up poorly, but maybe this behavior from the Ex was already a problem. Or perhaps his unrequited feelings for the Editor were there all along, and he wasn’t honest with himself. Whatever the case may be, I really think it changes the assumed dynamics of the characters, and by extension the story as a whole
I know Spotted Flower is controversial, and that some English-speaking fans of Genshiken have viewed it with derision. While I approach it as a kind of strange alternate universe, the fact that this is the only “new” material is understandably confusing and maybe even frustrating. But the way this latest chapter has played out, I have to wonder if there actually is light at the end of this tunnel for the readers who wanted something a little more wholesome. Granted, the tunnel is still of twists and jagged rocks, and a rock slide might close off the exit, but we’ll just have to see what awaits us.
Since 2021, I’ve had superhero movie fatigue. I was tired of Disney’s constant attempt to force us to watch nothing but Marvel, and the way DC films trafficked in the edgy. There were definitely some gems during this time, but I could find myself losing interest. Even long after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I hadn’t seen a superhero movie in the theaters in a long time.
That changed with James Gunn’s Superman. As a fan of Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies, I had a degree of faith that he would make something at least entertaining. But much like another recent box office and critical success, Sinners, I started seeing comments online from happy viewers. The buzz (both positive and negative) convinced me to watch it right away rather than wait for streaming.
From jump, the 2025 Superman stands out for not being an origin story despite acting as a franchise reboot. A quick and basic text exposition catches the audience up to an established Superman in the middle of his latest peril, and the story assumes that even if you don’t already know who the Last Son of Krypton is, you’ll soon understand what he’s all about: a man of godlike power who nevertheless pushes his own limits out of compassion for his fellow living beings.
Gunn’s Superman stands in pleasant contrast to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, and I say that as someone who thought well of the latter. While I understand the complaints about Clark killing or allowing innocent people to be harmed when that goes against his whole ethos, I think both Gunn and Snyder emphasize a similar point: Despite what people assume, it’s actually not easy to be Superman. The difference is that Snyder’s version experiences more tragedy, has less experience, and fights by himself against a superior opponent. Gunn’s iteration benefits from having a community, and I think there’s a powerful message there about how even Superman can’t go it alone when it comes to making the world a better place for all.
This Superman also bucks the trends of trying to make superhero films more palatable to a presumed audience skeptical of comics. Instead, it embraces the more absurd elements that have emerged over many decades, whether it’s Silver Age shenanigans or the irony of the 1980s and 1990s. Along with the message about how doing good doesn’t necessarily come easily but you do it anyway, everything and it communicates the idea that superheroes (and human beings) have room to be both silly and earnest.
At the same time, this film does anything but play it safe. One of the major antagonistic forces in the story is a country supported by the US government that aims to take over a neighboring country through military force and conspiracy, and the parallels to that Palestine situation (and to a degree Ukraine) are hard to avoid. Superman’s simple refrain when told to stay out of it is simple yet profound: “People are dying!!” Whatever complexities undergird this situation, the reality of starving and shooting at defenseless civilians, especially children, is hard to ignore.
The 2025 Superman dares to be a ray of hope in a bleak world, breathing new life into one of the US’s most well known fictional characters. It shows that a movie doesn’t have to be all serious business to have a serious message, and that valuing life and humanity is anything but corny.
Another famous Japanese singer from anime and tokusatsu passed away recently: Yamada Nobuo, aka NoB, aka lead singer of the band MAKE-UP. He was 61, and had recently been dealing with kidney cancer.
I don’t have quite the childhood connection to NoB that so many others do, but I still wanted to say a few words because I do feel that his music touched my life at different points.
I didn’t grow up with the anime or anything, and I only read the manga a few years ago. However, I was very familiar with most famous song: “Pegasus Fantasy,” the first Saint Seiya anime theme. That opening has long been one of my go-to examples of a near-perfect intro thanks to the energizing and soulful music combined with the action-packed animation. Sometimes, I will just randomly type it into YouTube to watch again. Years later, I would also enjoy his return to the franchise with Saint Seiya Omega, where MAKE-UP sang “Pegasus Fantasy” alongside Shokotan.
Because I didn’t follow his career closely, I also didn’t realize that he was also involved with another show for which I have fond memories. When I was living in Japan in 2005, I enjoyed just being able to catch what was airing on TV, and that included the Super Sentai show Mahou Sentai Magiranger. Watching it became a weekend tradition, though I hadn’t realized that he was responsible for the theme of the character Dark Magic Knight Wolzard.
This has been a sad loss for NoB’s fans, and my condolences go out to them. For me personally, it’s a reminder of the passage of time. But music is immortal in unique ways, and I don’t think I’ll stop playing his songs, whether over my headphones or just in my head.
The revolving sushi restaurant chain Kura Sushi has been doing a collaboration with hololive, and I decided to check it out. By the time I got there, the available merch was done, but that was okay. My real goal was to taste the hololive-themed sushi.
Ouro Kronii’s “Tuna with Avocado Cream Cheese, which pairs soy-marinated tuna with avocado and cream cheese over Kura’s specialty sushi rice.”
The spokespeople for the collab were Ouro Kronii, Ninomae Ina’nis, and Gigi Murin. I don’t think there was any particular rhyme or reason to these three being the reps, but the official art was cute and I rolled with it all.
Gigi’s “Salmon & Tamago Spicy Roll, made with spicy salmon and tamago atop a shrimp mayo roll finished with panko crunchy flakes.”
One strange thing is that when I first sat down, only Kronii’s and Gigi’s were available. About 40 minutes in, though, Kronii’s ran out and Ina’s became available. Of the three, I liked Gigi’s best because it was the most esoteric and involved the blending of many flavors.
Ninomae Ina’nis’s “Spicy Crunchy Squid, featuring squid tempura topped with spicy mayo, eel sauce, and bonito flakes over Kura’s specialty sushi rice.”
Aside from the collab sushi, all items on the conveyor belt were the same price. This made certain items seem very much not worthwhile, and almost like pity options for those who might not be all that into sushi.
I ended up getting a $5 coupon, but it ended up being a pretty expensive dinner, so I don’t know if I’d go back just to use the discount before it expires. Despite that, I think this one trip was a fun outing, and I appreciate being able to try some nifty nigiri.
OGIUE MANIAX 