Podcasts about Ichi

Ichi the Witch Review + Amazon AI Dub Scandal, Kagurabachi & Kingdom Hearts Jump into another magical review as the boys examine Shonen Jump's newest hit: Ichi the Witch! Also: Amazon's AI Dub is taking over (and it's bad), Cole plays Kingdom Hearts for the first time, Jay finally understands the hype behind Kagurabachi, and more!Topics & Timestamps:00:00 - Intro & Welcome03:01 - The Great Kagurabachi Debate10:45 - Cole Plays Kingdom Hearts for the First Time20:45 - Kingdom Hearts 4 & The Future of the Series24:56 - Anime News: Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 231:53 - The AI Dubbing Controversy (Amazon/Banana Fish)46:35 - Review: Ichi the Witch (Manga)47:10 - The Creators: Act-Age Artist & Iruma-kun Writer49:32 - Plot Summary: Hunting the "Majiks"57:01 - Character Analysis: Ichi & Descaras01:06:23 - Subverting Shonen Tropes01:17:03 - World Building: The Magic System01:26:17 - Art Style & Visual Direction01:31:16 - Anime Adaptation Predictions (KyoAni vs CloverWorks)01:35:23 - Final Verdict: Is it a Certified Banger?01:43:53 - Outro & Next Week: Elfen LiedVote for Our Listeners' Choice Review (Mecha Edition)!https://forms.gle/nsq3Qh4Nd3r9cfA67Support AniPro:Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/AniProPodMailbag – https://anipropod.com/mailbagTokyoTreat ($5 off) – Use code "ANIPRO" for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com/AniProFollow & Subscribe:X (Twitter) – https://twitter.com/AniProPodInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/anipropodDiscord – https://discord.gg/dV5tMCWvM7Next Reviews:Anime – Elfen Lied → Now and Then, Here and ThereManga – Ichi the Witch → Black Torch Music & Credits:Opening Theme – “Shibuya” Bumper Track – "Retired Betamax" by "Pandicio Del Toro"Music licensed via – slip.streamEnjoying the show? If so, please rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it only takes a moment and helps new listeners find us!

How can artificial intelligence reduce administrative burden, simplify compliance, and help architects reclaim time for the design work they love? This week, we are joined by Brandon Levey, the founder and CEO of Ichi, a promising young company building AI tools for the built environment.Brandon brings a unique blend of two decades in technology leadership and a lifelong connection to construction through his family's business. He shares how these experiences shaped his belief that the spaces we occupy profoundly impact our lives, and that the current processes for building them are ripe for improvement. We discuss Ichi's mission to tackle the "compliance, administrative, and design" challenges that often bog down projects, from navigating complex building codes to automating quality assurance reviews. Brandon is clear: this isn't about replacing architects, but about augmenting their capabilities."I think directly within their profession, the biggest silver lining is that they're going to get back to being able to do more of what they love, and spend less of their time doing those things that don't bring them joy. Giving those people more time and space to be able to invest in that is just going to yield better impacts for society." - Brandon LeveyThis episode concludes with a forward-looking conversation about the role of AI in bridging the industry's talent gap and the potential societal benefits of more efficient construction. Brandon addresses common fears around data privacy and AI adoption, explaining Ichi's "walled garden" approach and advocating for a future where technology empowers architects to focus on what matters most: creating better buildings, better cities, and a better world for everyone.Guest:Brandon Levey is the founder and CEO of Ichi, a technology company developing AI-powered tools for code compliance, quality review, and knowledge management in the AEC industry. With a background that includes founding Stitch Labs and leading R&D platform teams at Square, as well as hands-on experience in construction, Brandon is passionate about using technology to improve how we design and build our world.Is This Episode for You?This episode is for you if:✅ You are an architect curious about practical AI applications beyond image generation. ✅ You want to understand how AI can help with code compliance, QA/QC, and knowledge management. ✅ You have concerns about data privacy and security when using AI tools. ✅ You are interested in the intersection of technology and the future of architectural practice. ✅ You believe in the potential of technology to create more joy and efficiency in your work.

recorded this before Thanksgiving and forgot to post it.

Hello everyone, a big thanks to all of you who joined the patreon and voted for this to be the next episode, you all are awesome. This is a part 2 about Hirohito's responsibility during the wars of 1931-1945, so if you have not heard part 1, perhaps go do so, or maybe you just don't care about 1931-1940 and just want to hear about the 1941-1945 period, hell by all means enjoy.   So last time we kind of left it on a bit of a dramatic cliff hanger. I spoke about Emperor Hirohito's involvement in what was called at the time the “China Incident”. It was not an official declared war until December of 1941. We left off in 1940, Hirohito was struggling with a situation of juggling two things: 1) how the hell to finally end the China War 2) how to do it without receiving horrible ramifications from the international world. On July 22nd of 1940, Konoe was back and formed a second cabinet. Notably General Hideki Tojo went from vice to army Minister during this time. If you guys ever want a podcast on Hideki Tojo, let me know, he is one rather bizarre figure that's for sure. Konoe tackled his job by holding an imperial HQ government liaison conference. For 90 minutes everyone worked on a new national policy designed to exploit the international situation, IE: Germany bulldozing europe.  The result was a document on national policy dated July 27th. It shifted focus to the “southern area” IE: southeast asia and the Pacific if the China war did not end quickly. Its basis was to exploit the foreign nations that had their hands full in europe, France, Britain and the Netherlands. It called for an invasion of French Indochina to establish bases to launch assaults against the Dutch East Indies for natural resources if diplomatic means failed. It acknowledged if the Dutch East Indies were seized through military means, Japan would also seek to fight Britain, but not the US, instead Japan would prepare for a possible war with the Americans. To all of this Hirohito approved. The army also kept pressuring its desire to ally with Germany. Throughout 1939-1940 Hirohito rejected this idea, not because of any ideological differences, it was because of Germans anti aggression pact with the USSR. If Japan were to ally to Germany, Hirohito wanted it to be mutually to fight the USSR. The Navy likewise opposed allying to Germany because they believed it would force Britain and the US to increase their aid to Chiang Kai-shek.   However the Blitzkrieg changed everything. Everyone was shocked at how well Germany was doing. Prince Chichibu repeatedly argued with Hirohito to change his mind over the alliance idea. Then suddenly the Navy changed their mind and began favoring an alliance. This changed came about in June of 1940 when the France fell. The Navy changed their mind based on a few factors, a major component was the belief if Germany and the USSR were allied, than at least Japan would not have to worry about the USSR and could focus on the pacific. Both the IJA and the IJN believed Hitler would soon take Britain and thus there was a huge desire to join the new international order on the winning side. A third factor was a new clause in negotiations with Germany and Japan, that if they allied Japan would not automatically be drawn into a war with Britain against her will. Some in the navy also believed perhaps Germany could help their diplomatic situation with the Americans. So the army and navy were now both demanding an alliance with Germany, it was all up to hirohito.    At an imperial briefing on June 19th of 1940, Hirohito asked chief of staff Prince Kan'in and the Army Minister Hata “At a time when peace will soon come in the European situation, will there be a deployment of troops to the Netherlands Indies and French Indochina?” Such as question revealed Hirohito's perception at the time that Germany was on the verge of victory and that he was gradually considering the deployment of troops in French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies as neither parent nation were in a position to defend their holdings. In regards to the China war, the Japanese sought to end leaks of materials getting into China from places like Hong Kong. Hirohito received reports indicated Britain would not accept closing the movement of materials into China via Hong Kong. The military acknowledged it would probably be required to invade Hong Kong and thus declare war on Britain. Upon hearing of this Hirohito remarked “Should that happen, I am sure America will use the method of an embargo, don't you agree?” To this his lord of the privy seal, Kido reassured him stating “the nation must be fully resolved to resist to proceed cautiously and not to be dragged into events precipitated by the overseas agencies”. Konoe's second cabinet resolved to end the China war, construct a new order in greater east asia and to complete war preparations as a national defense state. On July 27th at a liaison conference a document was adopted, affirming a course of advancing to the south and to ally with Germany. Japan would incorporate the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya and other resource rich areas of Southeast Asia into its new order while simultaneously bolstering its relationship with the Axis states. After hearing and reading everything, Hirohito sanctioned it all. Thus Hirohito had sanctioned the preliminary actions that would set Japan into a collision course with the US.   In September Japan began sending troops into northern French Indochina after concluding its Tripartite alliance with Germany and Italy. Now Hirohito was briefed beforehand by Army Minister Tojo and other chiefs of staff about securing bases in northern French indochina. Hirohito agreed to this under the belief acquiring such bases would stop more leaked materials going into China and thus contribute to the fall of Chongqing. But Hirohito also sanctioned it under the full knowledge it was preparing the Nanshin-ron advance and that carried a risk of going to war with Britain and by proxy the US. Naturally he wanted to thwart any war breaking out with the US by it seems his officials had convinced him they could manage most of their plans without aggravating the US.   On July 29th with the German offensive aimed at finishing off Britain, Hirohito summoned his chiefs and vice chiefs of staff to the imperial HQ. He began to question the prospects of war with the US. Prince Fushimi replied “[u]nless we complete our domestic preparations, particularly the preparation of our material resources, I do not think we should lightly start war even if there is a good opportunity to do so.” Hirohito then asked if  “the Army were planning to occupy points in India, Australia, and New Zealand.” But overall Hirohito seemed to be the most concerned about the US, Germany and the USSR. “Could Japan, obtain a victory in a naval battle with the United States as we once did in the Battle of the Japan Sea? . . . I heard that the United States will ban exports of oil and scrap iron [to Japan]. We can probably obtain oil from other sources, but don't you think we will have a problem with scrap iron?” In regards to the USSR “If a Japan-Soviet nonaggression treaty is made and we advance to the south, the navy will become the main actor. Has the army given thought to reducing the size of its forces in that case? . . . How do you assess the future national power of Germany? . . . Both Germany and the Soviet Union are untrustworthy countries. Don't you think there will be a problem if one of them betrays us and takes advantage of our exhaustion fighting the United States?I]t seems as though you people are thinking of implementing this plan by force because there is a good opportunity at this moment for resolving the southern problem even though some dangers are involved. . . . What does a good opportunity mean? [To this question Sawada replied: “For example, if a German landing in England commences.”] In that case wouldn't the United States move to aid Britain? . . . Well, I've heard enough. I take it, in short, that you people are trying to resolve the southern problem by availing yourselves of today's good opportunities.”   You can tell Hirohito understood the very real threat of an Anglo-American alliance and was very cautious. It seemed to Hirohito, that his officials were trying to take the limelight off the abysmal situation in China but emphasizing a southern advance. Well Americans response to the Japanese movement into northern French indochina was to see it as a direct threat. Something I have not paid much attention to was Hirohito's decision making being the direct result of trying to mediate between competing entities, ie: the IJA and IJN. At this point in time the IJA and IJN top officials had the power to simply stop governmental functions from occurring altogether whenever they were displeased with a decision. As you can imagine the IJA and IJN were also competing for resources and political power. Thus Hirohito spent a lot of time and effort trying to formulate decisions that at a minimum kept the governance going.    In the end Hirohito sanctioned Imperial HQ army order number 458, ordering the area army to begin the entry into French Indochina. Thus once again Hirohito sanctioned aggression aboard. America began what it called a “moral embargo” on aircraft parts, scrap iron and aviation gasoline. This was one of many gradual steps America took to incrementally sanction Japan, while aiding China to keep it bogged down. Japan's direct response was joining the Axis with a clause “to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if attacked by a power at present not involved in the European War or in the Sino-Japanese conflict”. This clause was designed specifically to check Britain and the US. Hirohito knew this was a turning point carrying the possibility of war with the US. Later he would blame some officials and even his brothers Chichibu and Takamatsu, but not his own actions sanctioning the Axis pact.    Speaking of his brothers, at this time Chichibu got severely ill with tuberculosis and as a result retired from active public life, now Prince Takamatsu stood as next regent. Thus Takamatsu would begin reading reports and advise Hirohito. Takamatsu like Chichibu approved the Tripartite Pact and found his brother Hirohito's performance lacking. Meanwhile Britain responded to the Tripartite pact by opening up the Burma road and America made a loan to Chiang Kai-shek.   The Soviets came to Japan for a neutrality pact and sweetened the deal by offering Soviet coal and oil concessions in North Sakhalin. Hirohito ratified the treaty on April 25th of 1941. 5 weeks later on June 5th, the Japanese ambassador to Berlin, General Oshima Hiroshi reported to Hirohito and the high command that Hitler was about to invade the Soviets. The Army high command sprang into action drafting plans to open a war with the Soviets while simultaneously advancing south into French Indochina. But many in the military also sought to wait until the time was ripe, and a rift emerged. Operation barbarossa commenced and on June 23rd the IJN high command gave their opinion that Japan should seize all military bases and airfields in southern French Indochina even at the risk of war with Britain and America. Can you say boy that escalated quickly?   There was obvious temptation to invade Siberia towards Lake Baikal, but at the same time the western powers were tightening sanctions on Japan, she needed resources. At this point Japan had been stuck in China for 4 years and 5 months, the army had expanded from 17 divisions totalling 250,000 men in july of 1937 to 51 divisions at 2.1 million men in December 8th of 1941. On July 2nd, 10 tens into Operation barbarossa, Konoe summoned an imperial conference to debate actions going forward. The consensus was that southern French Indochina needed to be taken and that it probably would not provoke the US going to war with Japan. Hirohito sanctioned it and on July 30th made a major operational intervention by advising General Sugiyama to build up forces in Manchukuo to prevent the Soviet Far Eastern Army.   Japan negotiated with Vichy France to allow Japanese troops to occupy southern parts of French Indochina. What was to be originally just 40,000 IJA forces turned into 185,000 and in response America increased sanctions and began preparing the Philippines for war. Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the US on July 26th and by August the 1st a total embargo of oil and gasoline exports to Japan. Konoe's cabinet, the military high command, pretty much everyone was shocked by how harsh the economic sanctions were. Emperor Hirohito told Sugiyama to halt mobilizing forces in Manchukuo and the army basically dropped all plans of attacking the USSR. A month after the US oil embargo suddenly the army had changed its mind to go all in on the southern advance. Britain likewise began sanctions against Japan and both Britain and the US managed to convince the Dutch to follow suit by refusing to sell oil to Japan. The Dutch even took it a step further and followed Americans lead in freezing Japanese assets.    Konoe was in full panic mode, be believed his ambassador to washington was a moron and sought to go in person to speak to Roosevelt. At 11:40am on August 4th Konoe spoke to Hirohito about the plan, but Washington kept making up excuses prolonging any meeting from taking place. Meanwhile Washington was building up its navy, and the IJN were stressing, in the words of Admiral Takagai “As time passes and this situation continues, our empire will either be totally defeated or forced to fight a hopeless war. Therefore we should pursue war and diplomacy together. If there is no prospect of securing our final line of national survival by diplomatic negotiations, we must be resolved to fight.” Hirohito understood the predicament full well, that each day Japan was wasting its oil reserves, if they were to strike it had to be quickly.    On september 3rd at a liaison conference it was decided Japan was to prepare for a war against the US, UK and Netherlands while simultaneously pursuing diplomacy. If diplomacy failed by early October the decision for war would be made. Konoe presented everything to Hirohito on September 5th and requested an imperial conference on the matter. The most important decision of his life was about to be made.    Now take a second to feel the moment. Germany's invasion of the USSR was in its 6th week and not producing a decisive victory; Britain was still in the fight and the Japanese ambassador to London reported back Britain would allow Japan to maintain its great power status and exert influence in asia if they stayed out of the European War and “re-examined their current policy”. An olive branch. Hirohito had options is what I am arguing. He could stale things, he could mobilize units into Manchukuo to simply threaten the Soviet border, he could simply stay out of new wars, even it the China war would get worse, but try to profit from the situation in Europe. He could stop the southern advance, lose the chance to seize the resource in southeast asia, but perhaps the US, UK and Netherlands would lift some sanctions.   After speaking back and forth with Konoe while scolding Sugiyama here is a bit of their conversation:    Emperor: In the event we must finally open hostilities, will our operations have a probability of victory?  Sugiyama: Yes, they will.  Emperor: At the time of the China Incident, the army told me that we could achieve peace immediately after dealing them one blow with three divisions. Sugiyama, you were army minister at that time. . . .  Sugiyama: China is a vast area with many ways in and many ways out, and we met unexpectedly big difficulties. . . . [ellipses in original]  Emperor: Didn't I caution you each time about those matters? Sugiyama, are you lying to me? Nagano: If Your Majesty will grant me permission, I would like to make a statement.  Emperor: Go ahead.  Nagano: There is no 100 percent probability of victory for the troops stationed there. . . . Sun Tzu says that in war between states of similar strength, it is very difficult to calculate victory. Assume, however, there is a sick person and we leave him alone; he will definitely die. But if the doctor's diagnosis offers a seventy percent chance of survival, provided the patient is operated on, then don't you think one must try surgery? And if, after the surgery, the patient dies, one must say that was meant to be. This indeed is the situation we face today. . . . If we waste time, let the days pass, and are forced to fight after it it is too late to fight, then we won't be able to do a thing about it.  Emperor: All right, I understand. [He answered in a better mood.]  Konoe: Shall I make changes in tomorrow's agenda? How would you like me to go about it? Emperor: There is no need to change anything.   There is no need to change anything. Konoe grabbed Hirohito for a private audience afterwards and tried to get Hirohito to revise the outline, but Hirohito ignored this. Hirohito at that point could have stopped or at least slowed down the countdown to all out war. Hirohito instead did not want to displease the pro-war factions in his military, perhaps he saw them as a threat to his authority. Hirohito was not at all pleased with the policy plan. When he was shown in on september 5th, he looked extremely irritated and blew up on Sugiyama and the army high command as a whole. 20 minutes before the Imperial conference on September 6th, Hirohito spoke with his lord of the privy Kido and told him he was going to raise some questions at the meeting. Kido told him that it would be best to leave the questions at the very end, basically he was advising to allow for things to go through. Thus Hirohito sat through the meeting and sanction the preparations for war. Here is a conversation between Hirohito and the Chiefs of the general staff:   Emperor: You may go ahead and mobilize. But if the Konoe-Roosevelt talks go well, you'll stop, won't you?  Chief of the General Staff: Indeed, your majesty, we will.  Emperor: I will ask you one more time: Is there any possibility that the north [that is, the Soviet Union] may move against us while we are engaged in the south [emphasis added]?  Chief of the General Staff: I cannot say that will absolutely not occur. However, because of the season it is inconceivable that large forces will be able to attack us   Meanwhile Konoe's deadline to reach a diplomatic resolution with the US was fast approaching. On October 13th Hirohito told Kido “In the present situation there seems to be little hope for the Japan–U.S. negotiations. If hostilities erupt this time, I think I may have to issue a declaration of war.” The next day Konoe held his last cabinet meeting and Army minister Tojo took the lionshare of talking:   For the past six months, ever since April, the foreign minister has made painstaking efforts to adjust relations [with the United States.] Although I respect him for that, we remain deadlocked. . . . Our decision was “to start the war . . . if by early October we cannot thoroughly achieve our demands through negotiations.” Today is the fourteenth. . . . We are mobilizing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Others are being moved from China and Manchuria, and we have requisitioned two million tons of ships, causing difficulties for many people. As I speak ships are en route to their destinations. I would not mind stopping them, and indeed would have to stop them, if there was a way for a diplomatic breakthrough. . . . The heart of the matter is the [imposition on us of] withdrawal [from Indochina and China]. ...If we yield to America's demands, it will destroy the fruits of the China Incident. Manchukuo will be endangered and our control of Korea undermined   And so Konoe resigned two days later, but before he did his last official action was to recommend Prince Higashikuni to succeed him, in fact he got Tojo to do the same. Prince Higashikuni was deemed capable of controlling both the Army and Navy. And what did Hirohito say to this? He said no, and appointed Hideki Tojo. Why? As going back to the beginning of this series, to protect the Kokutai. He did not want a member of the royal family to hold the seat as Prime Minister during a time when war might be declared, a war that Japan might lose, which would toss the responsibility onto the imperial house. It was a threat to the Kokutai. Hirohito chose Tojo because Tojo was 100% loyal subject to the emperor. Tojo was the perfect fall guy if one ever existed.    Between November 8-15th, Hirohito received a full rundown of the Pearl Harbor surprise attack plan and sanctioned it. The deadline to reach a diplomatic solution with the US was set for midnight December 1st.    Hirohito ever since the Mukden Incident had expressed fear that not taking warlike actions, not pumping up the kokutai or not suppressing dissent would jeopardize the imperial system of government and damage the imperial institution itself. For Hirohito domestic conflicts were more dangerous than external ones, because they carried the risk of eroding the monarchy. As the time approached for his finally decision on declaring war, Hirohito requested a last round of discussion. The carriers enroute to Pearl harbor departed on november 27th, while on December 1st, 19 leaders, the entire Tojo cabinet and Emperor met. Tojo pulled a rather cheeky maneuver, he reported the response from America, the famous Hull note by stating “the United States . . . has demanded that we withdraw troops from all of China [emphasis added],” but in fact, Hull had used only the word “China.” Hara asked “I would like to know,whether Manchukuo is included in the term ‘China'? Did our two ambassadors confirm this point?” Togo's reply to this was “However . . . the American proposal [early in the negotiations on] April 16 stated that they would recognize the state of Manchukuo, so Manchukuo would not be part of China. . . . On the other hand . . . there has been a change in their position . . . they look upon Chungking as the one and only legitimate regime, and . . . they want to destroy the Nanking regime, [so] they may retract what they have said previously” A nonsensical gibberish answer, intentionally done to make everyone think America did in fact include Manchukuo, thus forcing everyone to see the demands as impossible to comply with. Togo finished the meeting : “Once His Majesty decides to commence hostilities, we will all strive to meet our obligations to him, bring the government and the military ever closer together, resolve that the nation united will go on to victory, make an all-out effort to achieve our war aims, and set his majesty's mind at ease. I now adjourn the meeting.” Hirohito simply nodded. Sugiyama remarked that the emperor did not show the slightest sign of anxiety, in fact he looked like he was in a good mood.   Hirohito's naval aid Jo Eiichiro wrote minutes on the first day of the pacific war, recording the emperors actions. 4 A.M. (Japan time): Japan issued a final ultimatum to the United States. 3:30 A.M.: the Hawaiian surprise attack was successful. 5:30 A.M.: Singapore bombed. Great results. Air attacks on Davao, Guam, Wake. 7:10 A.M.: All the above was reported to the emperor. The American gunboat Wake was captured on the Shanghai front. The British gunboat Petrel was sunk. From 7:15 to 7:30 the chief of the Navy General Staff reported on the war situation. At 7:30 the prime minister informally reported to the emperor on the imperial rescript declaring war. (Cabinet meeting from 7 A.M.). At 7:35 the chief of the Army General Staff reported on the war situation. At 10:45 the emperor attended an emergency meeting of the privy council. At 11:00 A.M. the imperial rescript declaring war was promulgated. 11:40 A.M. Hirohito conferred with Kido for about twenty minutes.] At 2:00 P.M. the emperor summoned the army and navy ministers and bestowed an imperial rescript on them. The army minister, representing both services, replied to the emperor. [At 3:05 P.M. the emperor had a second meeting with Kido, lasting for about twenty minutes.] At 4:30 P.M. the chiefs of staff formally reported on the draft of the Tripartite (Germany-Italy-Japan) Military Pact. At 8:30 P.M. the chief of the Navy General Staff reported on the achievements of the Hawaii air attack. . . . Throughout the day the emperor wore his naval uniform and seemed to be in a splendid mood.   Hirohito believed Germany would win, thus if with their help he believed Japan could thwart off the US until a negotiated peace. Having made his choice, Hirohito devoted himself to presiding over and guiding the war to victory at all costs. He was a extremely cautious person, every single campaign he looked for what could go wrong, made worse case scenario predictions and was very suspicious of reports from his high officials. He was notably very harsh and critical on said high commanders. Although he did not visit the war theaters as did other commanders in chief, he exercised and controlled influence on theater operations, both in the planning and execution whenever he chose to do so. As was the same case with the China war before it, he issued the highest military orders of the Imperial HQ, performed audited conferences and led to decisions transmitted in his name. He received generals and admirals to the imperial palace who gave full reports of the battlefront. He visited bases, battleships, various army and naval headquarters. He inspected military schools, you know the full shebang.    After 26 months of war, the naval air force had lost 26,006 aircraft, nearly a third of its total power, thousands of veteran pilots were dead. Hundreds of thousands of tons of warship was sunk, the merchant and transport fleet was crippled. Late 1943 saw the Americans turning the initiative of the war, Japan was on the defensive. Guadalcanal had been the major turning point. During the staled battle for the philippines, Hirohito pressed upon Army chief of staff Sugiyama to increase troop strength to knock out Bataan. The problem persisted, on February 9th and 26th Hirohito pressed Sugiyama again about getting more troops to take Bataan.   Hirohito was confronted with the prisoner of war issue after the doolittle raid. When the pilots were caught, Togo initially opposed executions, but many in the IJA sought all 8 men executed. Hirohito chose to intervene and commuted the execution of 5 out of the 8. Why just 5, no one knows to this day, but its theorized it was to demonstrate his benevolence while simultaneously giving a bit of what the army wanted.    The CBI theater took the lionshare of his attention in 1942, he continuously pressed up Sugiyama when a final blow would be delivered against Chongqing. When the Midway disaster occurred, Hirohito was given a full report of what happened, but he chose to hid the extent of the loss from the IJA. In fact in response to the Guadalcanal campaign he was heard once asking “I wonder if this is not the start of the AmericanBritish counteroffensive?” He urged his commanders to increase offensive activities and to toss all weapons possible at the enemy, because Japan needed more time to secure its reserves of vital oil, rubber and iron. When he heard the first report of the Ichiki detachment being wiped out, he simply stated “I am sure it [Guadalcanal] can be held.” With numerous reports pouring in about the men dying from tropical disease and starvation, Hirohito kept demanding greater efforts from them. Hirohito continuously applied pressure on his naval and land commanders to recapture the island. On September 15th, November 5th and November 11th he called for more IJA troops and aircraft to be allocated to it. Sugiyama was nervous about sending more IJA pilots as they were inexperienced in transoceanic combat and he sought to reinforce the north china army to hit Chongqing. Hirohito demanded it a second time and Sugiyama replied the IJA had deployed its air power instead to New Guinea and Rabaul. Hirohito continuously hammered the issue despite the high level commanders disagreeing with it. By late november it was clear guadalcanal was a lost cause.    At an imperial HQ conference on December 31st of 1942, the chiefs of staff reported they would cancel the attempts to recapture guadalcanal. Hirohito sanctioned it but stated “It is unacceptable to just give up on capturing Guadalcanal. We must launch an offensive elsewhere.” Hirohito forced the issue and it was decided the new strategic points would be in the solomons north of New Georgia and the Stanley range on New Guinea. Hirohito in fact threatened not to authorize the withdrawal of men from Guadalcanal until such a plan was made. Hirohito would go on to oppose the withdrawal from the Munda airfield on New Georgia since it contradicted the new defensive line. As the defensive perimeter in the central and northern solomons was crumbling, Hirohito continued to demand the navy fight decisive battles to regain the initiative so ships could begin transports supplies to the countless soldiers trapped on islands without them. When Hirohito heard of the navy's failure to reinforce Lae on March 3rd he stated  “Then why didn't you change plans immediately and land at Madan? This is a failure, but it can teach us a good lesson and become a source of future success. Do this for me so I can have peace of mind for awhile.” “Do this for me” would become his signature message.    In August of 1943 as the fall of the solomons progressed, Hirohito lambasted “Isn't there someplace where we can strike the United States? . . . When and where on earth are you [people] ever going to put up a good fight? And when are you ever going to fight a decisive battle?Well, this time, after suffering all these defeats, why don't you study how not to let the Americans keep saying ‘We won! We won!'[emphasis added]”” Hirohito berated his chiefs of staff and in the face of mounting defeats he remained undismayed, rigidly self disciplined and aggressive as ever. When he received a report on September 21st of 1943 that the allies were heading for Finschhafen he replied “Being ready to defend isn't enough. We have to do the attacking.”   When the Americans destroyed the main naval anchorage at Truk forcing the navy to evacuate it, leaving behind numerous tanks, the dream of fighting one great decisive naval battle in the central pacific was over.    On February 21st of 1944, Hirohito took the unprecedented action to force Sugiyama to resign so Tojo could assume his position, alongside that of army minister and prime minister. He did this to end dissent. Hirohito and Tojo oversaw the haymaker attempts in 1944, like operation Ichi-go and the Imphal campaign fall into ruins. It looked like the Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa, the Bonin islands and eventually the home islands would be invaded. When Saipan fell, the home islands had at last come into range of the dreaded B-29 Super flying fortresses. Hirohito had warned Tojo “If we ever lose Saipan, repeated air attacks on Tokyo will follow. No matter what it takes, we have to hold there.” For two days his chiefs of staff explained the dire situation on Saipan was hopeless, but Hirohito ignored their advice and ordered Admiral Shimada to recapture it, the first department of the navy general staff immediately poured themselves into the problem. Day and night they worked, until a draft plan was created on June 21st, 3 days later the combined fleet gave opposition. Tojo and Shimada formally reported to Hirohito the recapture plan needed to be canceled. Hirohito refused to accept the loss of Saipan and ordered his chief aide General Hasunuma to convene in his presence the board of field marshals and fleet admirals. They all met on the 25th, upon which they all unanimously stated the reports indicating Saipan was a lost cause were valid, Hirohito simply told them to put it in writing and he left the room.    Hirohito finally decided to withdraw his support of Tojo, allowing Tojo's numerous enemies to take down his cabinet on July 18th 1944. But Hirohito was undaunted in determination to steal victory from the allies. Imperial HQ on October 18th ordered a decisive naval battle and the battle of Leyte Gulf was it. After the war Hirohito would go on the record stating “Contrary to the views of the Army and Navy General Staffs, I agreed to the showdown battle of Leyte thinking that if we attacked at Leyte and America flinched, then we would probably be able to find room to negotiate.” This statement shows the facts as they were, Hirohito and his chiefs of staff forced the field commander, General Tomoyuki Yamashita to engage the American invasion force in a place Yamashita did not want to fight nor prepared adequate defenses. It was a horrible loss.   The Kamikaze attacks increased as Japan's desperation wore on. On new years day of 1945 Hirohito inspected the special last meal rations given to departing kamikaze units. Iwo Jima fell. Okinawa remained, and Hirohito lashed out “Is it because we failed to sink enemy transports that we've let the enemy get ashore? Isn't there any way to defend Okinawa from the landing enemy forces?”  On the second day of Okinawa's invasion Hirohito ordered a counter landing by the 32nd army and urged the navy to counterattack in every way possible. It was a horrible failure, it cost the lives of up to 120,000 Japanese combatants, 170,000 noncombatants. The Americans lost 12,500 killed and 33,000 wounded. An absolute bloodbath.    Konoe re-entered the stage writing to Hirohito pleading with him to order a surrender because from his perspective “The Soviet Union is Japan's biggest threat. Defeat was inevitable, but more to be feared than defeat was the destruction of the Kokutai. Sue quickly for peace, before a Communist revolution occurred that would make preservation of the kokutai impossible”. Hirohito was taken aback by this, as he shared his military's hope that the Soviets would help Japan reach a peace settlement. So he rejected the advice of Konoe. Hirohito remarked “If we hold out long enough in this war, we may be able to win, but what worries me is whether the nation will be able to endure it until then.” Then Japan's intelligence units reported the Soviets were going to break the neutrality pact and join the war once the Germans were done. Meanwhile Tokyo was turned to rubble on March 9th 1945 by 334 B-29's dropping firebombs, 40% of the capital was destroyed, up to 100,000 were dead. Hirohito remained undaunted. 60 Japanese cities were leveled by firebomb campaigns. Europe's war finished. Then the battle for Okinawa was lost, suddenly Hirohito began looking for ways to end the war.   On June 22nd Hirohito personally informed the supreme war leadership council his desire to see diplomatic maneuvers to end the war. A special envoy was sent to Moscow, while Hirohito publicly issued an imperial rescript ordering the nation “to smash the inordinate ambitions of the enemy nations and achieve the goals of the war”. B-29's began dropping leaflets with joint declarations issued by the US, UK and China requesting the citizens of Japan demand their government surrender. Prefectural governors, police chiefs and officers began submitting home ministry reports on the rapid deterioration of the nations spirit.   Germany signed the unconditional surrender documents on May 7th and 8th of 1945, Japan was alone. Newly installed President Truman declared on May 8th, Japan's surrender would not mean the extermination or enslavement of the Japanese people, but the unconditional surrender principles remained unaltered. The Japanese meanwhile were awaiting word from the Soviets. The Americans unleashed their first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th of 1945 killing up to 140,000 people. Then on August 8th the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and began an invasion of Manchuria. On August 9th the second atomic bomb hit Nagasaki killing around 40,000 people.   Thus began the surrender clock as I like to say. After the first atomic bomb, Hirohito said and did nothing about the surrender terms. Hirohito then authorized Togo to notify the world on August 10th that Japan would accept the allied terms of surrender with one condition “that the said declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign Ruler.” The next day, Secretary of State Byrnes replied by alluding to the subordination of the emperors authority to the supreme commander of the allied powers. It was ambiguous as hell. The Japanese leaders erupted into arguments, and on August 14th, Hirohito went before a microphone and recorded his capitulation announcement which aired on August 15th to all in Japan, they surrendered. Why did it take so long?   The peace talks between the Japanese and Soviets went on through June, July and early August. Japan offered the Soviets limited territorial concessions and they refused to accept the envoy on July 22nd because the Japanese were being too ambiguous in their terms. There was continuous back and forth between the intelligence of Moscow and Japan trying to figure out the stance of the other, but then Stalin heard about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, he was shocked and ordered an invasion of Manchuria in response. In the meantime the Japanese were tossing all sorts of concessions at Moscow, they stated they would allow Japanese to be used as forced laborers in Siberia, a form of reparation as it were, that they would demobilize the military and so on. The response was the invasion of Manchuria.    Hirohito knew prior to the bombing of Hiroshima that the cabinet was divided on accepting the Potsdam terms. Hirohito also knew he and he alone could unify governmental affairs and military command. Why then did he wait until the evening of August 9th to surrender?   The reality of the matter is its complicated, numerous variables at play, but let me try to pick at it. The people of japan under the firebomb campaigns were becoming hostile towards the military, the government and many began to criticize the emperor. Hirohito was given reports from the Home Ministry from governors and police chiefs all over Japan revealing people were speaking of the emperor as an incompetent leader who was responsible for worsening the war situation. Does that sound like a threat to the Kokutai? People were starving en masse, the atomic bomb is flashy, but what really was killing the Japanese, it was starvation. The home islands were blockaded and the sea approaches mined as pertaining to the optimally named “operation starvation”. Hirohito knew full well how bad his people were suffering but he did not surrender for so long.   After Hiroshima was bombed, Hirohito delayed for 2 days before telling Kido at 10am on August 9th “quickly control the situation, the Soviet Union has declared war and today began hostilities against us”. Now here is a piece of Hirohito's surrender proclamation to the citizens of Japan    “Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers... The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all of you, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictates of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable ”.   Hirohito wanted to obfuscate the issue of accountability, to prevent expressions of strife and anger and to strengthen domestic unity around himself, to protect and raise the kokutai. Did you know there was a rescript of this proclamation that was made to the entire IJA and IJN? Yes Emperor Hirohito gave out two different proclamations for surrender, here is what the armed forces heard.   “ Now that the Soviet Union has entered the war against us, to continue . . . under the present conditions at home and abroad would only recklessly incur even more damage to ourselves and result in endangering the very foundation of the empire's existence. Therefore, even though enormous fighting spirit still exists in the Imperial Navy and Army, I am going to make peace with the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, as well as with Chungking, in order to maintain our glorious national polity”.   The proclamation does not speak of the atomic weapons, but emphasizes the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Hirohito was presented as a benevolent sage and an apolitical ruler that had ended the war. Hirohito sought to justify the surrender upon the bombs to the public, but did he believe so, did his armed forces believe so? People debate to this day why the surrender occurred, I love the fact there are two message offered because both are true. Hirohito's decision to surrender was based on numerous variables, the atomic bombs, the invasion of Manchuria by the soviets, but above all else, what really was important to the man, the emperor, the god? The kokutai. The Soviets were more of a threat to the kokutai, thus Hirohito jumped into the arms of the Americans. The language between the Americans and Japanese in the communications for unconditional surrender were ambiguous, but Hirohito and the high commanders knew there was zero chance of the kokutai surviving if the Soviets invaded Japan, perhaps the Americans would allow it to continue, which is just what they ended up doing. The entire purpose of this series would to emphasize how Hirohito definitely had a active role in the war of 1931-1945, he had numerous occasions where he could put the hammer down to stop the situation from escalating. But in the end when his back was against the wall, he did what he did to cling on to the Kokutai.   I shall leave you with this. On August 12th, as Hirohito came to inform the imperial family of his decision to surrender, Prince Asaka asked him whether the war would continue if the Kokutai could not be preserved, what do you think he said? “Of Course”. 

Taiki has to battle Kyo (kyooo), Otr puts some heroic spirit on it, and Ping-Pong Peril goes into space for its final battle!   5:49 - Ichi the Witch 54 14:27 - Blue Box 215 25:41 - Chainsaw Man 217 31:47 - Dandadan 213 39:32 - Spy x Family 123.3 40:15 - Hima-Ten! 62 52:16 - Otr of the Flame 22 59:42 - Ping-Pong Peril 14 1:10:44 / 70:44 - Someone Hertz 5 1:24:29 / 84:29 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 64 1:33:49 / 93:49 - Nue's Exorcist 118 1:46:02 / 106:02 - Akane-banashi 178 1:53:05 / 113:05 - One Piece 1162 2:05:00 / 125:00 - Favorite Series and MVP

Rob Lucci joins to talk about elves, the new Jumpstarts, and the intergalactic developments of Ping-Pong Peril's final chapter!   7:43 - Ichi the Witch 57 13:52 - Chainsaw Man 219 21:04 - Dandadan 216 31:21 - Gonron Egg 2 41:33 - Hima-Ten! 65 56:20 - The Mage Next Door 1 (NEW) 1:07:42 / 67:42 - Otr of the Flame 25 1:18:21 / 78:21 - Ping-Pong Peril 17 (END) 1:31:27 / 91:27 - Someone Hertz 8 1:40:11 / 100:11 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 67 1:44:48 / 104:48 - Marriagetoxin 145 1:48:08 / 108:08 - Nue's Exorcist 121 1:52:53 / 112:53 - Akane-banashi 181 1:58:02 / 118:02 - One Piece 1164 2:06:43 / 126:43 - Favorite Series and MVP

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Powerleegirl hosts, the mother daughter team of Miko Lee, Jalena & Ayame Keane-Lee speak with artists about their craft and the works that you can catch in the Bay Area. Featured are filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer, playwright Jessica Huang and photographer Joyce Xi.   More info about their work here: Diamond Diplomacy Yuriko Gamo Romer Jessica Huang's Mother of Exiles at Berkeley Rep Joyce Xi's Our Language Our Story at Galeria de la Raza     Show Transcript Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.    Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:00:46] Thank you for joining us on Apex Express Tonight. Join the PowerLeeGirls as we talk with some powerful Asian American women artists. My mom and sister speak with filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer, playwright Jessica Huang, and photographer Joyce Xi. Each of these artists have works that you can enjoy right now in the Bay Area. First up, let's listen in to my mom Miko Lee chat with Yuriko Gamo Romer about her film Diamond Diplomacy.    Miko Lee: [00:01:19] Welcome, Yuriko Gamo Romer to Apex Express, amazing filmmaker, award-winning director and producer. Welcome to Apex Express.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:01:29] Thank you for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:01:31] It's so great to see your work after this many years. We were just chatting that we knew each other maybe 30 years ago and have not reconnected. So it's lovely to see your work. I'm gonna start with asking you a question. I ask all of my Apex guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:01:49] Oh, who are my people? That's a hard one. I guess I'm Japanese American. I'm Asian American, but I'm also Japanese. I still have a lot of people in Japan. That's not everything. Creative people, artists, filmmakers, all the people that I work with, which I love. And I don't know, I can't pare it down to one narrow sentence or phrase. And I don't know what my legacy is. My legacy is that I was born in Japan, but I have grown up in the United States and so I carry with me all that is, technically I'm an immigrant, so I have little bits and pieces of that and, but I'm also very much grew up in the United States and from that perspective, I'm an American. So too many words.    Miko Lee: [00:02:44] Thank you so much for sharing. Your latest film was called Diamond Diplomacy. Can you tell us what inspired this film?   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:02:52] I have a friend named Dave Dempsey and his father, Con Dempsey, was a pitcher for the San Francisco Seals. And the Seals were the minor league team that was in the West Coast was called the Pacific Coast League They were here before the Major League teams came to the West Coast. So the seals were San Francisco's team, and Con Dempsey was their pitcher. And it so happened that he was part of the 1949 tour when General MacArthur sent the San Francisco Seals to Allied occupied Japan after World War II. And. It was a story that I had never heard. There was a museum exhibit south of Market in San Francisco, and I was completely wowed and awed because here's this lovely story about baseball playing a role in diplomacy and in reuniting a friendship between two countries. And I had never heard of it before and I'm pretty sure most people don't know the story. Con Dempsey had a movie camera with him when he went to Japan I saw the home movies playing on a little TV set in the corner at the museum, and I thought, oh, this has to be a film. I was in the middle of finishing Mrs. Judo, so I, it was something I had to tuck into the back of my mind Several years later, I dug it up again and I made Dave go into his mother's garage and dig out the actual films. And that was the beginning. But then I started opening history books and doing research, and suddenly it was a much bigger, much deeper, much longer story.   Miko Lee: [00:04:32] So you fell in, it was like synchronicity that you have this friend that had this footage, and then you just fell into the research. What stood out to you?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:04:41] It was completely amazing to me that baseball had been in Japan since 1872. I had no idea. And most people,   Miko Lee: [00:04:49] Yeah, I learned that too, from your film. That was so fascinating.    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:04:53] So that was the first kind of. Wow. And then I started to pick up little bits and pieces like in 1934, there was an American All Star team that went to Japan. And Babe Ruth was the headliner on that team. And he was a big star. People just loved him in Japan. And then I started to read the history and understanding that. Not that a baseball team or even Babe Ruth can go to Japan and prevent the war from happening. But there was a warming moment when the people of Japan were so enamored of this baseball team coming and so excited about it that maybe there was a moment where it felt like. Things had thawed out a little bit. So there were other points in history where I started to see this trend where baseball had a moment or had an influence in something, and I just thought, wow, this is really a fascinating history that goes back a long way and is surprising. And then of course today we have all these Japanese faces in Major League baseball.   Miko Lee: [00:06:01] So have you always been a baseball fan?   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:06:04] I think I really became a fan of Major League Baseball when I was living in New York. Before that, I knew what it was. I played softball, I had a small connection to it, but I really became a fan when I was living in New York and then my son started to play baseball and he would come home from the games and he would start to give us the play by play and I started to learn more about it. And it is a fascinating game 'cause it's much more complex than I think some people don't like it 'cause it's complex.    Miko Lee: [00:06:33] I must confess, I have not been a big baseball fan. I'm also thinking, oh, a film about baseball. But I actually found it so fascinating with especially in the world that we live in right now, where there's so much strife that there was this way to speak a different language. And many times we do that through art or music and I thought it was so great how your film really showcased how baseball was used as a tool for political repair and change. I'm wondering how you think this film applies to the time that we live in now where there's such an incredible division, and not necessarily with Japan, but just with everything in the world.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:07:13] I think when it comes down to it, if we actually get to know people. We learn that we're all human beings and that we probably have more in common than we give ourselves credit for. And if we can find a space that is common ground, whether it's a baseball field or the kitchen, or an art studio, or a music studio, I think it gives us a different place where we can exist and acknowledge That we're human beings and that we maybe have more in common than we're willing to give ourselves credit for. So I like to see things where people can have a moment where you step outside of yourself and go, oh wait, I do have something in common with that person over there. And maybe it doesn't solve the problem. But once you have that awakening, I think there's something. that happens, it opens you up. And I think sports is one of those things that has a little bit of that magical power. And every time I watch the Olympics, I'm just completely in awe.    Miko Lee: [00:08:18] Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. And speaking of that kind of repair and that aspect that sports can have, you ended up making a short film called Baseball Behind Barbed Wire, about the incarcerated Japanese Americans and baseball. And I wondered where in the filmmaking process did you decide, oh, I gotta pull this out of the bigger film and make it its own thing?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:08:41] I had been working with Carrie Yonakegawa. From Fresno and he's really the keeper of the history of Japanese American baseball and especially of the story of the World War II Japanese American incarceration through the baseball stories. And he was one of my scholars and consultants on the longer film. And I have been working on diamond diplomacy for 11 years. So I got to know a lot of my experts quite well. I knew. All along that there was more to that part of the story that sort of deserved its own story, and I was very fortunate to get a grant from the National Parks Foundation, and I got that grant right when the pandemic started. It was a good thing. I had a chunk of money and I was able to do historical research, which can be done on a computer. Nobody was doing any production at that beginning of the COVID time. And then it's a short film, so it was a little more contained and I was able to release that one in 2023.   Miko Lee: [00:09:45] Oh, so you actually made the short before Diamond Diplomacy.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:09:49] Yeah. The funny thing is that I finished it before diamond diplomacy, it's always been intrinsically part of the longer film and you'll see the longer film and you'll understand that part of baseball behind Barbed Wire becomes a part of telling that part of the story in Diamond Diplomacy.   Miko Lee: [00:10:08] Yeah, I appreciate it. So you almost use it like research, background research for the longer film, is that right?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:10:15] I had been doing the research about the World War II, Japanese American incarceration because it was part of the story of the 150 years between Japan and the United States and Japanese people in the United States and American people that went to Japan. So it was always a part of that longer story, and I think it just evolved that there was a much bigger story that needed to be told separately and especially 'cause I had access to the interview footage of the two guys that had been there, and I knew Carrie so well. So that was part of it, was that I learned so much about that history from him.   Miko Lee: [00:10:58] Thanks. I appreciated actually watching both films to be able to see more in depth about what happened during the incarceration, so that was really powerful. I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about the style of actually both films, which combine vintage Japanese postcards, animation and archival footage, and how you decided to blend the films in this way.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:11:19] Anytime you're making a film about history, there's that challenge of. How am I going to show this story? How am I gonna get the audience to understand and feel what was happening then? And of course you can't suddenly go out and go, okay, I'm gonna go film Babe Ruth over there. 'cause he's not around anymore. So you know, you start digging up photographs. If we're in the era of you have photographs, you have home movies, you have 16 millimeter, you have all kinds of film, then great. You can find that stuff if you can find it and use it. But if you go back further, when before people had cameras and before motion picture, then you have to do something else. I've always been very much enamored of Japanese woodblock prints. I think they're beautiful and they're very documentary in that they tell stories about the people and the times and what was going on, and so I was able to find some that sort of helped evoke the stories of that period of time. And then in doing that, I became interested in the style and maybe can I co-opt that style? Can we take some of the images that we have that are photographs? And I had a couple of young artists work on this stuff and it started to work and I was very excited. So then we were doing things like, okay, now we can create a transition between the print style illustration and the actual footage that we're moving into, or the photograph that we're dissolving into. And the same thing with baseball behind barbed wire. It became a challenge to show what was actually happening in the camps. In the beginning, people were not allowed to have cameras at all, and even later on it wasn't like it was common thing for people to have cameras, especially movie cameras. Latter part of the war, there was a little bit more in terms of photos and movies, but in terms of getting the more personal stories. I found an exhibit of illustrations and it really was drawings and paintings that were visual diaries. People kept these visual diaries, they drew and they painted, and I think part of it was. Something to do, but I think the other part of it was a way to show and express what was going on. So one of the most dramatic moments in there is a drawing of a little boy sitting on a toilet with his hands covering his face, and no one would ever have a photograph. Of a little boy sitting on a toilet being embarrassed because there are no partitions around the toilet. But this was a very dramatic and telling moment that was drawn. And there were some other things like that. There was one illustration in baseball behind barbed wire that shows a family huddled up and there's this incredible wind blowing, and it's not. Home movie footage, but you feel the wind and what they had to live through. I appreciate art in general, so it was very fun for me to be able to use various different kinds of art and find ways to make it work and make it edit together with the other, with the photographs and the footage.    Miko Lee: [00:14:56] It's really beautiful and it tells the story really well. I'm wondering about a response to the film from folks that were in it because you got many elders to share their stories about what it was like being either folks that were incarcerated or folks that were playing in such an unusual time. Have you screened the film for folks that were in it? And if so what has their response been?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:15:20] Both the men that were in baseball behind barbed wire are not living anymore, so they have not seen it. With diamond diplomacy, some of the historians have been asked to review cuts of the film along the way. But the two baseball players that play the biggest role in the film, I've given them links to look at stuff, but I don't think they've seen it. So Moi's gonna see it for the first time, I'm pretty sure, on Friday night, and it'll be interesting to see what his reaction to it is. And of course. His main language is not English. So I think some of it's gonna be a little tough for him to understand. But I am very curious 'cause I've known him for a long time and I know his stories and I feel like when we were putting the film together, it was really important for me to be able to tell the stories in the way that I felt like. He lived them and he tells them, I feel like I've heard these stories over and over again. I've gotten to know him and I understand some of his feelings of joy and of regret and all these other things that happen, so I will be very interested to see what his reaction is to it.   Miko Lee: [00:16:40] Can you share for our audience who you're talking about.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:16:43] Well, Sanhi is a nickname, his name is Masa Nouri. Murakami. He picked up that nickname because none of the ball players could pronounce his name.   Miko Lee: [00:16:53] I did think that was horrifically funny when they said they started calling him macaroni 'cause they could not pronounce his name. So many of us have had those experiences.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:17:02] Yeah, especially if your name is Masanori Murakami. That's a long, complicated one. So he, Masanori Murakami is the first Japanese player that came and played for the major leagues. And it was an inadvertent playing because he was a kid, he was 19 years old. He was playing on a professional team in Japan and they had some, they had a time period where it made sense to send a couple of these kids over to the United States. They had a relationship with Kapi Harada, who was a Japanese American who had been in the Army and he was in Japan during. The occupation and somehow he had, he'd also been a big baseball person, so I think he developed all these relationships and he arranged for these three kids to come to the United States and to, as Mahi says, to study baseball. And they were sent to the lowest level minor league, the single A camps, and they played baseball. They learned the American ways to play baseball, and they got to play with low level professional baseball players. Marcy was a very talented left handed pitcher. And so when September 1st comes around and the postseason starts, they expand the roster and they add more players to the team. And the scouts had been watching him and the Giants needed a left-handed pitcher, so they decided to take a chance on him, and they brought him up and he was suddenly going to Shea Stadium when. The Giants were playing the Mets and he was suddenly pitching in a giant stadium of 40,000 people.    Miko Lee: [00:18:58] Can you share a little bit about his experience when he first came to America? I just think it shows such a difference in time to now.    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:19:07] Yeah, no kidding. Because today they're the players that come from Japan are coddled and they have interpreters wherever they go and they travel and chartered planes and special limousines and whatever else they get. So Marcie. He's, I think he was 20 by the time he was brought up so young. Mahi at 20 years old, the manager comes in and says, Hey, you're going to New York tomorrow and hands him plane tickets and he has to negotiate his way. Get on this plane, get on that plane, figure out how to. Get from the airport to the hotel, and he's barely speaking English at this point. He jokes that he used to carry around an English Japanese dictionary in one pocket and a Japanese English dictionary in the other pocket. So that's how he ended up getting to Shea Stadium was in this like very precarious, like they didn't even send an escort.   Miko Lee: [00:20:12] He had to ask the pilot how to get to the hotel. Yeah, I think that's wild. So I love this like history and what's happened and then I'm thinking now as I said at the beginning, I'm not a big baseball sports fan, but I love love watching Shohei Ohtani. I just think he's amazing. And I'm just wondering, when you look at that trajectory of where Mahi was back then and now, Shohei Ohtani now, how do you reflect on that historically? And I'm wondering if you've connected with any of the kind of modern Japanese players, if they've seen this film.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:20:48] I have never met Shohei Ohtani. I have tried to get some interviews, but I haven't gotten any. I have met Ichi. I did meet Nori Aoki when he was playing for the Giants, and I met Kenta Maya when he was first pitching for the Dodgers. They're all, I think they're all really, they seem to be really excited to be here and play. I don't know what it's like to be Ohtani. I saw something the other day in social media that was comparing him to Taylor Swift because the two of them are this like other level of famous and it must just be crazy. Probably can't walk down the street anymore. But it is funny 'cause I've been editing all this footage of mahi when he was 19, 20 years old and they have a very similar face. And it just makes me laugh that, once upon a time this young Japanese kid was here and. He was worried about how to make ends meet at the end of the month, and then you got the other one who's like a multi multimillionaire.    Miko Lee: [00:21:56] But you're right, I thought that too. They look similar, like the tall, the face, they're like the vibe that they put out there. Have they met each other?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:22:05] They have actually met, I don't think they know each other well, but they've definitely met.   Miko Lee: [00:22:09] Mm, It was really a delight. I am wondering what you would like audiences to walk away with after seeing your film.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:22:17] Hopefully they will have a little bit of appreciation for baseball and international baseball, but more than anything else. I wonder if they can pick up on that sense of when you find common ground, it's a very special space and it's an ability to have this people to people diplomacy. You get to experience people, you get to know them a little bit. Even if you've never met Ohtani, you now know a little bit about him and his life and. Probably what he eats and all that kind of stuff. So it gives you a chance to see into another culture. And I think that makes for a different kind of understanding. And certainly for the players. They sit on the bench together and they practice together and they sweat together and they, everything that they do together, these guys know each other. They learn about each other's languages and each other's food and each other's culture. And I think Mahi went back to Japan with almost as much Spanish as they did English. So I think there's some magical thing about people to people diplomacy, and I hope that people can get a sense of that.    Miko Lee: [00:23:42] Thank you so much for sharing. Can you tell our audience how they could find out more about your film Diamond diplomacy and also about you as an artist?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:23:50] the website is diamonddiplomacy.com. We're on Instagram @diamonddiplomacy. We're also on Facebook Diamond Diplomacy. So those are all the places that you can find stuff, those places will give you a sense of who I am as a filmmaker and an artist too.    Miko Lee: [00:24:14] Thank you so much for joining us today, Yuriko. Gamo. Romo. So great to speak with you and I hope the film does really well.    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:24:22] Thank you, Miko. This was a lovely opportunity to chat with you.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:24:26] Next up, my sister Jalena Keane-Lee speaks with playwright Jessica Huang, whose new play Mother of Exiles just had its world premiere at Berkeley Rep is open until December 21st.    Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:24:39] All right. Jessica Huang, thank you so much for being here with us on Apex Express and you are the writer of the new play Mother of Exiles, which is playing at Berkeley Rep from November 14th to December 21st. Thank you so much for being here.   Jessica Huang: [00:24:55] Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It's such a pleasure.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:24:59] I'm so curious about this project. The synopsis was so interesting. I was wondering if you could just tell us a little bit about it and how you came to this work.   Jessica Huang: [00:25:08] When people ask me what mother of Exiles is, I always say it's an American family story that spans 160 plus years, and is told in three acts. In 90 minutes. So just to get the sort of sense of the propulsion of the show and the form, the formal experiment of it. The first part takes place in 1898, when the sort of matriarch of the family is being deported from Angel Island. The second part takes place in 1999, so a hundred years later where her great grandson is. Now working for the Miami, marine interdiction unit. So he's a border cop. The third movement takes place in 2063 out on the ocean after Miami has sunk beneath the water. And their descendants are figuring out what they're gonna do to survive. It was a strange sort of conception for the show because I had been wanting to write a play. I'd been wanting to write a triptych about America and the way that interracial love has shaped. This country and it shaped my family in particular. I also wanted to tell a story that had to do with this, the land itself in some way. I had been sort of carrying an idea for the play around for a while, knowing that it had to do with cross-cultural border crossing immigration themes. This sort of epic love story that each, in each chapter there's a different love story. It wasn't until I went on a trip to Singapore and to China and got to meet some family members that I hadn't met before that the rest of it sort of fell into place. The rest of it being that there's a, the presence of, ancestors and the way that the living sort of interacts with those who have come before throughout the play.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:27:13] I noticed that ancestors, and ghosts and spirits are a theme throughout your work. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your own ancestry and how that informs your writing and creative practice.   Jessica Huang: [00:27:25] Yeah, I mean, I'm in a fourth generation interracial marriage. So, I come from a long line of people who have loved people who were different from them, who spoke different languages, who came from different countries. That's my story. My brother his partner is German. He lives in Berlin. We have a history in our family of traveling and of loving people who are different from us. To me that's like the story of this country and is also the stuff I like to write about. The thing that I feel like I have to share with the world are, is just stories from that experience.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:28:03] That's really awesome. I guess I haven't really thought about it that way, but I'm third generation of like interracial as well. 'cause I'm Chinese, Japanese, and Irish. And then at a certain point when you're mixed, it's like, okay, well. The odds of me being with someone that's my exact same ethnic breakdown feel pretty low. So it's probably gonna be an interracial relationship in one way or the other.   Jessica Huang: [00:28:26] Totally. Yeah. And, and, and I don't, you know, it sounds, and it sounds like in your family and in mine too, like we just. Kept sort of adding culture to our family. So my grandfather's from Shanghai, my grandmother, you know, is, it was a very, like upper crust white family on the east coast. Then they had my dad. My dad married my mom whose people are from the Ukraine. And then my husband's Puerto Rican. We just keep like broadening the definition of family and the definition of community and I think that's again, like I said, like the story of this country.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:29:00] That's so beautiful. I'm curious about the role of place in this project in particular, mother of exiles, angel Island, obviously being in the Bay Area, and then the rest of it taking place, in Miami or in the future. The last act is also like Miami or Miami adjacent. What was the inspiration behind the place and how did place and location and setting inform the writing.   Jessica Huang: [00:29:22] It's a good question. Angel Island is a place that has loomed large in my work. Just being sort of known as the Ellis Island of the West, but actually being a place with a much more difficult history. I've always been really inspired by the stories that come out of Angel Island, the poetry that's come out of Angel Island and, just the history of Asian immigration. It felt like it made sense to set the first part of the play here, in the Bay. Especially because Eddie, our protagonist, spent some time working on a farm. So there's also like this great history of agriculture and migrant workers here too. It just felt like a natural place to set it. And then why did we move to Miami? There are so many moments in American history where immigration has been a real, center point of the sort of conversation, the national conversation. And moving forward to the nineties, the wet foot, dry foot Cuban immigration story felt like really potent and a great place to tell the next piece of this tale. Then looking toward the future Miami is definitely, or you know, according to the science that I have read one of the cities that is really in danger of flooding as sea levels rise.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:30:50] Okay. The Cuban immigration. That totally makes sense. That leads perfectly into my next question, which was gonna be about how did you choose the time the moments in time? I think that one you said was in the nineties and curious about the choice to have it be in the nineties and not present day. And then how did you choose how far in the future you wanted to have the last part?   Jessica Huang: [00:31:09] Some of it was really just based on the needs of the characters. So the how far into the future I wanted us to be following a character that we met as a baby in the previous act. So it just, you know, made sense. I couldn't push it too far into the future. It made sense to set it in the 2060s. In terms of the nineties and, why not present day? Immigration in the nineties , was so different in it was still, like I said, it was still, it's always been a important national conversation, but it wasn't. There was a, it felt like a little bit more, I don't know if gentle is the word, but there just was more nuance to the conversation. And still there was a broad effort to prevent Cuban and refugees from coming ashore. I think I was fascinated by how complicated, I mean, what foot, dry foot, the idea of it is that , if a refugee is caught on water, they're sent back to Cuba. But if they're caught on land, then they can stay in the us And just the idea of that is so. The way that, people's lives are affected by just where they are caught , in their crossing. I just found that to be a bit ridiculous and in terms of a national policy. It made sense then to set the second part, which moves into a bit of a farce at a time when immigration also kind of felt like a farce.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:32:46] That totally makes sense. It feels very dire right now, obviously. But it's interesting to be able to kind of go back in time and see when things were handled so differently and also how I think throughout history and also touching many different racial groups. We've talked a lot on this show about the Chinese Exclusion Act and different immigration policies towards Chinese and other Asian Americans. But they've always been pretty arbitrary and kind of farcical as you put it. Yeah.   Jessica Huang: [00:33:17] Yeah. And that's not to make light of like the ways that people's lives were really impacted by all of this policy . But I think the arbitrariness of it, like you said, is just really something that bears examining. I also think it's really helpful to look at where we are now through the lens of the past or the future. Mm-hmm. Just gives just a little bit of distance and a little bit of perspective. Maybe just a little bit of context to how we got to where we got to.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:33:50] That totally makes sense. What has your experience been like of seeing the play be put up? It's my understanding, this is the first this is like the premier of the play at Berkeley Rep.   Jessica Huang: [00:34:00] Yes. Yeah. It's the world premier. It's it incredible. Jackie Bradley is our director and she's phenomenal. It's just sort of mesmerizing what is happening with this play? It's so beautiful and like I've alluded to, it shifts tone between the first movement being sort of a historical drama on Angel Island to, it moves into a bit of a farce in part two, and then it, by the third movement, we're living in sort of a dystopic, almost sci-fi future. The way that Jackie's just deftly moved an audience through each of those experiences while holding onto the important threads of this family and, the themes that we're unpacking and this like incredible design team, all of these beautiful visuals sounds, it's just really so magical to see it come to life in this way. And our cast is incredible. I believe there are 18 named roles in the play, and there are a few surprises and all of them are played by six actors. who are just. Unbelievable. Like all of them have the ability to play against type. They just transform and transform again and can navigate like, the deepest tragedies and the like, highest moments of comedy and just hold on to this beautiful humanity. Each and every one of them is just really spectacular. So I'm just, you know. I don't know. I just feel so lucky to be honest with you. This production is going to be so incredible. It's gonna be, it feels like what I imagine in my mind, but, you know, plus,    Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:35:45] well, I really can't wait to see it. What are you hoping that audiences walk away with after seeing the show?   Jessica Huang: [00:35:54] That's a great question. I want audiences to feel connected to their ancestors and feel part of this community of this country and, and grateful and acknowledge the sacrifices that somebody along the line made so that they could be here with, with each other watching the show. I hope, people feel like they enjoyed themselves and got to experience something that they haven't experienced before. I think that there are definitely, nuances to the political conversation that we're having right now, about who has the right to immigrate into this country and who has the right to be a refugee, who has the right to claim asylum. I hope to add something to that conversation with this play, however small.   Jalena Keane-Lee:[00:36:43]  Do you know where the play is going next?   Jessica Huang: [00:36:45] No. No. I dunno where it's going next. Um, exciting. Yeah, but we'll, time will   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:36:51] and previews start just in a few days, right?   Jessica Huang: [00:36:54] Yeah. Yeah. We have our first preview, we have our first audience on Friday. So yeah, very looking forward to seeing how all of this work that we've been doing lands on folks.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:37:03] Wow, that's so exciting. Do you have any other projects that you're working on? Or any upcoming projects that you'd like to share about?   Jessica Huang: [00:37:10] Yeah, yeah, I do. I'm part of the writing team for the 10 Things I Hate About You Musical, which is in development with an Eye Toward Broadway. I'm working with Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen and Ethan Ska to make that musical. I also have a fun project in Chicago that will soon be announced.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:37:31] And what is keeping you inspired and keeping your, you know, creative energies flowing in these times?   Jessica Huang: [00:37:37] Well first of all, I think, you know, my collaborators on this show are incredibly inspiring. The nice thing about theater is that you just get to go and be inspired by people all the time. 'cause it's this big collaboration, you don't have to do it all by yourself. So that would be the first thing I would say. I haven't seen a lot of theater since I've been out here in the bay, but right before I left New York, I saw MEUs . Which is by Brian Keda, Nigel Robinson. And it's this sort of two-hander musical, but they do live looping and they sort of create the music live. Wow. And it's another, it's another show about an untold history and about solidarity and about folks coming together from different backgrounds and about ancestors, so there's a lot of themes that really resonate. And also the show is just so great. It's just really incredible. So , that was the last thing I saw that I loved. I'm always so inspired by theater that I get to see.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:36] That sounds wonderful. Is there anything else that you'd like to share?   Jessica Huang: [00:38:40] No, I don't think so. I just thanks so much for having me and come check out the show. I think you'll enjoy it. There's something for everyone.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:48] Yeah. I'm so excited to see the show. Is there like a Chinese Cuban love story with the Miami portion? Oh, that's so awesome. This is an aside, but I'm a filmmaker and I've been working on a documentary about, Chinese people in Cuba and there's like this whole history of Chinese Cubans in Cuba too.   Jessica Huang: [00:39:07] Oh, that's wonderful. In this story, it's a person who's a descendant of, a love story between a Chinese person and a Mexican man, a Chinese woman and a Mexican man, and oh, their descendant. Then also, there's a love story between him and a Cuban woman.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:39:25] That's awesome. Wow. I'm very excited to see it in all the different intergenerational layers and tonal shifts. I can't wait to see how it all comes together.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:39:34] Next up we are back with Miko Lee, who is now speaking with photographer Joyce Xi about her latest exhibition entitled Our Language, our Story Running Through January in San Francisco at Galleria de Raza.    Miko Lee: [00:39:48] Welcome, Joyce Xi to Apex Express.    Joyce Xi: [00:39:52] Thanks for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:39:53] Yes. I'm, I wanna start by asking you a question I ask most of my guests, and this is based on the great poet Shaka Hodges. It's an adaptation of her question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?   Joyce Xi: [00:40:09] My people are artists, free spirits, people who wanna see a more free and just, and beautiful world. I'm Chinese American. A lot of my work has been in the Asian American community with all kinds of different people who dreaming of something better and trying to make the world a better place and doing so with creativity and with positive and good energy.   Miko Lee: [00:40:39] I love it. And what legacy do you carry with you?   Joyce Xi: [00:40:43] I am a fighter. I feel like just people who have been fighting for a better world. Photography wise, like definitely thinking about Corky Lee who is an Asian American photographer and activist. There's been people who have done it before me. There will be people who do it after me, but I wanna do my version of it here.   Miko Lee: [00:41:03] Thank you so much and for lifting up the great Corky Lee who has been such a big influence on all of us. I'm wondering in that vein, can you talk a little bit about how you use photography as a tool for social change?   Joyce Xi: [00:41:17] Yeah. Photography I feel is a very powerful tool for social change. Photography is one of those mediums where it's emotional, it's raw, it's real. It's a way to see and show and feel like important moments, important stories, important emotions. I try to use it as a way to share. Truths and stories about issues that are important, things that people experience, whether it's, advocating for environmental justice or language justice or just like some of them, just to highlight some of the struggles and challenges people experience as well as the joys and the celebrations and just the nuance of people's lives. I feel like photography is a really powerful medium to show that. And I love photography in particular because it's really like a frozen moment. I think what's so great about photography is that. It's that moment, it's that one feeling, that one expression, and it's kind of like frozen in time. So you can really, sit there and ponder about what's in this person's eyes or what's this person trying to say? Or. What does this person's struggle like? You can just see it through their expressions and their emotions and also it's a great way to document. There's so many things that we all do as advocates, as activists, whether it's protesting or whether it's just supporting people who are dealing with something. You have that moment recorded. Can really help us remember those fights and those moments. You can show people what happened. Photography is endlessly powerful. I really believe in it as a tool and a medium for influencing the world in positive ways.   Miko Lee: [00:43:08] I'd love us to shift and talk about your latest work, Our language, Our story.” Can you tell us a little bit about where this came from?   Joyce Xi: [00:43:15] Sure. I was in conversation with Nikita Kumar, who was at the Asian Law Caucus at the time. We were just chatting about art and activism and how photography could be a powerful medium to use to advocate or tell stories about different things. Nikita was talking to me about how a lot of language access work that's being done by organizations that work in immigrant communities can often be a topic that is very jargon filled or very kind of like niche or wonky policy, legal and maybe at times isn't the thing that people really get in the streets about or get really emotionally energized around. It's one of those issues that's so important to everything. Especially since in many immigrant communities, people do not speak English and every single day, every single issue. All these issues that these organizations advocate around. Like housing rights, workers' rights, voting rights, immigration, et cetera, without language, those rights and resources are very hard to understand and even hard to access at all. So, Nik and I were talking about language is so important, it's one of those issues too remind people about the core importance of it. What does it feel like when you don't have access to your language? What does it feel like and look like when you do, when you can celebrate with your community and communicate freely and live your life just as who you are versus when you can't even figure out how to say what you wanna say because there's a language barrier.    Miko Lee: [00:44:55] Joyce can you just for our audience, break down what language access means? What does it mean to you and why is it important for everybody?   Joyce Xi: [00:45:05] Language access is about being able to navigate the world in your language, in the way that you understand and communicate in your life. In advocacy spaces, what it can look like is, we need to have resources and we need to have interpretation in different languages so that people can understand what's being talked about or understand what resources are available or understand what's on the ballot. So they can really experience their life to the fullest. Each of us has our languages that we're comfortable with and it's really our way of expressing everything that's important to us and understanding everything that's important to us. When that language is not available, it's very hard to navigate the world. On the policy front, there's so many ways just having resources in different languages, having interpretation in different spaces, making sure that everybody who is involved in this society can do what they need to do and can understand the decisions that are being made. That affects them and also that they can affect the decisions that affect them.   Miko Lee: [00:46:19] I think a lot of immigrant kids just grow up being like the de facto translator for their parents. Which can be things like medical terminology and legal terms, which they might not be familiar with. And so language asks about providing opportunities for everybody to have equal understanding of what's going on. And so can you talk a little bit about your gallery show? So you and Nikita dreamed up this vision for making language access more accessible and more story based, and then what happened?   Joyce Xi: [00:46:50] We decided to express this through a series of photo stories. Focusing on individual stories from a variety of different language backgrounds and immigration backgrounds and just different communities all across the Bay Area. And really just have people share from the heart, what does language mean to them? What does it affect in their lives? Both when one has access to the language, like for example, in their own community, when they can speak freely and understand and just share everything that's on their heart. And what does it look like when that's not available? When maybe you're out in the streets and you're trying to like talk to the bus driver and you can't even communicate with each other. How does that feel? What does that look like? So we collected all these stories from many different community members across different languages and asked them a series of questions and took photos of them in their day-to-day lives, in family gatherings, at community meetings, at rallies, at home, in the streets, all over the place, wherever people were like Halloween or Ramadan or graduations, or just day-to-day life. Through the quotes that we got from the interviews, as well as the photos that I took to illustrate their stories, we put them together as photo stories for each person. Those are now on display at Galleria Deza in San Francisco. We have over 20 different stories in over 10 different languages. The people in the project spoke like over 15 different languages. Some people used multiple languages and some spoke English, many did not. We had folks who had immigrated recently, folks who had immigrated a while ago. We had children of immigrants talking about their experiences being that bridge as you talked about, navigating translating for their parents and being in this tough spot of growing up really quickly, we just have this kind of tapestry of different stories and, definitely encourage folks to check out the photos but also to read through each person's stories. Everybody has a story that's very special and that is from the heart   Miko Lee: [00:49:00] sounds fun. I can't wait to see it in person. Can you share a little bit about how you selected the participants?    Joyce Xi: [00:49:07] Yeah, selecting the participants was an organic process. I'm a photographer who's trying to honor relationships and not like parachute in. We wanted to build relationships and work with people who felt comfortable sharing their stories, who really wanted to be a part of it, and who are connected in some kind of a way where it didn't feel like completely out of context. So what that meant was that myself and also the Asian Law Caucus we have connections in the community to different organizations who work in different immigrant communities. So we reached out to people that we knew who were doing good work and just say Hey, do you have any community members who would be interested in participating in this project who could share their stories. Then through following these threads we were able to connect with many different organizations who brought either members or community folks who they're connected with to the project. Some of them came through like friends. Another one was like, oh, I've worked with these people before, maybe you can talk to them. One of them I met through a World Refugee Day event. It came through a lot of different relationships and reaching out. We really wanted folks who wanted to share a piece of their life. A lot of folks who really felt like language access and language barriers were a big challenge in their life, and they wanted to talk about it. We were able to gather a really great group together.    Miko Lee: [00:50:33] Can you share how opening night went? How did you navigate showcasing and highlighting the diversity of the languages in one space?    Joyce Xi: [00:50:43] The opening of the exhibit was a really special event. We invited everybody who was part of the project as well as their communities, and we also invited like friends, community and different organizations to come. We really wanted to create a space where we could feel and see what language access and some of the challenges of language access can be all in one space. We had about 10 different languages at least going on at the same time. Some of them we had interpretation through headsets. Some of them we just, it was like fewer people. So people huddled together and just interpreted for the community members. A lot of these organizations that we partnered with, they brought their folks out. So their members, their community members, their friends and then. It was really special because a lot of the people whose photos are on the walls were there, so they invited their friends and family. It was really fun for them to see their photos on the wall. And also I think for all of our different communities, like we can end up really siloed or just like with who we're comfortable with most of the time, especially if we can't communicate very well with each other with language barriers. For everybody to be in the same space and to hear so many languages being used in the same space and for people to be around people maybe that they're not used to being around every day. And yet through everybody's stories, they share a lot of common experiences. Like so many of the stories were related to each other. People talked about being parents, people talked about going to the doctor or taking the bus, like having challenges at the workplace or just what it's like to celebrate your own culture and heritage and language and what the importance of preserving languages. There are so many common threads and. Maybe a lot of people are not used to seeing each other or communicating with each other on a daily basis. So just to have everyone in one space was so special. We had performances, we had food, we had elders, children. There was a huge different range of people and it was just like, it was just cool to see everyone in the same space. It was special.    Miko Lee: [00:52:51] And finally, for folks that get to go to Galleria de la Raza in San Francisco and see the exhibit, what do you want them to walk away with?   Joyce Xi: [00:53:00] I would love for people to walk away just like in a reflective state. You know how to really think about how. Language is so important to everything that we do and through all these stories to really see how so many different immigrant and refugee community members are making it work. And also deal with different barriers and how it affects them, how it affects just really simple human things in life that maybe some of us take for granted, on a daily basis. And just to have more compassion, more understanding. Ultimately, we wanna see our city, our bay area, our country really respecting people and their language and their dignity through language access and through just supporting and uplifting our immigrant communities in general. It's a such a tough time right now. There's so many attacks on our immigrant communities and people are scared and there's a lot of dehumanizing actions and narratives out there. This is, hopefully something completely different than that. Something that uplifts celebrates, honors and really sees our immigrant communities and hopefully people can just feel that feeling of like, oh, okay, we can do better. Everybody has a story. Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and all the people in these stories are really amazing human beings. It was just an honor for me to even be a part of their story. I hope people can feel some piece of that.    Miko Lee: [00:54:50] Thank you so much, Joyce, for sharing your vision with us, and I hope everybody gets a chance to go out and see your work.    Joyce Xi: [00:54:57] Thank you.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:55:00] Thanks so much for tuning in to Apex Express. Please check out our website at kpfa.org/program/apexexpress to find out more about the guests tonight and find out how you can take direct action.   Apex Express is a proud member of Asian Americans for civil rights and equality. Find out more at aacre.org. That's AACRE.org.   We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important.    Apex Express is produced by  Miko Lee, Jalena Keene-Lee, Ayame Keene-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaida, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Nina Phillips & Swati Rayasam. Thank you so much to the team at KPFA for their support and have a good night.       The post APEX Express – 11.20.25 – Artist to Artist appeared first on KPFA.

Eita Ichiyoshi is a young man being driven slowly mad by the mundanity of his job at a confectionary factory. That is until while walking home alone on Christmas Eve, he catches a mysterious bouncy ball that he decides to take home. After throwing it to relieve his frustrations, he can't believe his luck when it turns into a beautiful, naked woman with perfect lips!But all it took was a kiss for Ichi to regret his actions! The girl suddenly begins to shoot more balls into the room that transform into more women! These monstrously strong women initially scare Ichi, before he vows to try and look after them… But as this book clearly sets out to be as horrific as it is a harem, Will he live to tell the tale?This week, Mat is joined once again by Georgie (aka mainly.manga) to talk Super Ball Girls by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akira Hiramoto! What will these two distinguished gentlemen think of this shrink wrapped, ecchi, harem horror manga? Did it leave them jumping for joy? Or trying to bounce their copies into the nearest recycling bin? Listen in to find out!---Show Notes----Manga:JagaaaaaanBlue LockPrison SchoolRaw HeroGreat Teacher Onizuka---Films:The SubstanceJeepers CreepersSocietyTroma EntertainmentFull Moon FeaturesThanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!Find us on:X: Manga Tak PodBluesky: Manga Tak PodInstagram: Manga Tak Pod

A blind musician is summoned to perform in the darkness. But who is listening? And what terrible price awaits a moment's oversight? Today I read to you one of Lafcadio Hearn's most famous Japanese ghost stories: "Mimi-nashi Hōichi" or "The Earless Hōichi." Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you. Follow Uncanny Japan: Patreon Uncanny Japan Website Thersa Matsuura Website Books on Amazon YouTube Facebook Instagram Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution) Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Credits: Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura About SpectreVision Radio: SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions. spectrevisionradio.comlinktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The other Core Casters are unavailable, so Blaze, Decker, and Jackson from the CastFans join Ichi this week as we discuss unpacking Nem's not-dad's family issues, Kinjiro meeting his also-youthified rival, and how a red ranger getting isekai'd to a fantasy world lands the bit.  Casters Present:  Blue and Discord Friends!  Show Notes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/142008522 Required Viewing: Kamen Rider Zeztz 7,  No.1 Sentai Gozyuger 35,  The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World 1  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFrkhkwLNXw   Hungry? Get CA$15 off your first 3 UberEats orders of CA$20 or more! https://ubereats.com/feed?promoCode=eats-christopherm5931ue Get $5 off your first order with SkipTheDishes! https://www.skipthedishes.com/r/6YaJc65HKg

The Prophecy Majik runs her mouth, Akane's rakugo shows us the power of "sight", and Quinn is crashing out over DanDaDan!   6:34 - Ichi the Witch 53 19:54 - Blue Box 214 31:41 - Dandadan 212 42:45 - Hima-Ten! 61 50:35 - Otr of the Flame 21 57:51 - Ping-Pong Peril 13 1:07:09 / 67:09 - Someone Hertz 4 1:20:54 / 80:54 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 63 1:32:54 / 92:54 - Marriagetoxin 142 1:41:48 / 101:48 - Nue's Exorcist 117 1:54:16 / 114:16 - Akane-banashi 177 2:00:52 / 120:52 - Favorite Series and MVP

If you ever needed more Fairy Tail (besides the other three spin-offs), well then here ya go...   1:24 - Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest 31:39 - Ichi the Witch 52 40:11 - Blue Box 213 49:52 - Chainsaw Man 216 53:24 - Dandadan 211 1:02:54 / 62:54 - Spy x Family 123.2 1:09:15 / 69:15 - World Trigger 258 1:21:51 / 81:51 - Hima-Ten! 60 1:30:57 / 90:57 - Otr of the Flame 20 1:37:37 / 97:37 - Ping-Pong Peril 12 1:45:30 / 105:30 - Someone Hertz 3 1:56:00 / 116:00 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 62 2:02:43 / 122:43 - Marriagetoxin 141 2:08:34 / 128:34 - Nue's Exorcist 116 2:18:53 / 138:53 - Akane-banashi 176 2:25:17 / 145:17 - One Piece 1161 2:32:19 / 152:19 - Favorite Series and MVP 2:35:51 / 155:51 - Next Recommendation

Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of IT CAME FROM SCREAMBOX!This week, the boys discuss Ichi the Killer.Be sure to check out our Sponsor's FINAL BOSS & DOC LONGY!If you enjoyed the episode, please consider following us, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and rating us on Spotify!If you're looking for a place to be yourself and make new friends, why not join the Spawn Camp Discord?Art by Noah of NMDesignPlease consider supporting all our talented friends!Links Below!FINAL BOSS https://www.finalbosscult.co.uk/ https://twitter.com/finalbosscultSCREAMBOXhttps://www.screambox.com/offers/sb38NOAH | NMDESIGN https://linktr.ee/official_nmdesignDISCORDhttps://discord.gg/tSsXeXvrWASD & BEYOND Podcasthttps://linktr.ee/WasdbeyondDOC LONGY https://www.instagram.com/doc.longy/ https://www.locdongy.com/

It's Episode Faiz and we're celebrating by talking about the weird musical Hyper Battle Video that Ichi watched before watching its show. But first, lots of news, then we discuss Zeztz and Gozyuger both dealing with marriages gone wrong and the debut of the new Calamity enemy faction.  Casters Present:  Blue Gray Yellow  Show Notes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/140408301 Required Viewing: Kamen Rider Zeztz 4,  No.1 Sentai Gozyuger 32,  Kamen Rider 555: Hyper Battle Video  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv-LuAgRhbg   Hungry? Get CA$15 off your first 3 UberEats orders of CA$20 or more! https://ubereats.com/feed?promoCode=eats-christopherm5931ue Get $5 off your first order with SkipTheDishes! https://www.skipthedishes.com/r/6YaJc65HKg

It has been a busy last month. Life gave us some sickly surprises, so its time to catch up. Hospital visits, Silksong, The Long Walk and lots more to discuss today.Timestamps(00:00) Intro and Life TalkGame Talk(15:00) Nintendo Direct(21:55) PlayStation State of Play(30:00) Hollow Knight Silksong(44:33) Palfarm and AnantaMovies and Anime(46:30) The Long Walk(53:22) Peacemaker S2(55:52) Dr Stone S4 part 2(01:00:08) Gachiakuta(01:02:35) Clevatess(01:03:33) The Water MagicianManga Talk(01:05:03) One Piece and Ichi the Witch(01:05:45) The Greatest State Developer(01:08:40) Fungus and Iron(01:09:50) wrap up and outro______________________________Follow meMy website: https://dadneedstotalk.com/Blue Sky: dadneedstotalk2.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/DadNeedsToTalkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadneedstotalkpodcast/

It's surf's up in Ichi the Witch, things are getting exciting again in Chainsaw Man, and things get dire in MarriageToxin!   5:13 - Ichi the Witch 51 15:45 - Blue Box 212 27:54 - Boruto: Two Blue Vortex 26 52:17 - Chainsaw Man 215 57:26 - Dandadan 210 1:04:53 / 64:53 - Hima-Ten! 59 1:15:32 / 75:32 - Otr of the Flame 19 1:21:48 / 81:48 - Ping-Pong Peril 11 1:34:07 / 94:07 - Someone Hertz 2 1:44:38 / 104:38 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 61 1:52:12 / 112:12 - Marriagetoxin 140 2:01:22 / 121:22 - Nue's Exorcist 115 2:13:09 / 133:09 - Akane-banashi 175 2:18:57 / 138:57 - Favorite Series and MVP

Ichi and Lane hold the show down together as we wrap up Zeztz's high-stakes first two-parter, Ryugi's return to the Gozyugers, and KitaQman and El Brave's Day Out. Casters Present:  Blue Gray  Show Notes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/139838649 Required Viewing: Kamen Rider Zeztz 3,  No.1 Sentai Gozyuger 31,  Dogengers Nice Buddy 4-5  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jts7wAcvHQ   Hungry? Get CA$15 off your first 3 UberEats orders of CA$20 or more! https://ubereats.com/feed?promoCode=eats-christopherm5931ue Get $5 off your first order with SkipTheDishes! https://www.skipthedishes.com/r/6YaJc65HKg

Sosuke saves Kiyoshi, a new manga about comedy writing debuts, and Ping-Pong Peril is excellent.   7:32 - Ichi the Witch 50 16:56 - Blue Box 211 29:00 - Chainsaw Man 214 33:43 - Dandadan 209 40:28 - Spy x Family 123.1 47:26 - Hima-Ten! 58 59:27 - Otr of the Flame 18 1:08:15 / 68:15 - Ping-Pong Peril 10 1:16:39 / 76:39 - Someone Hertz 1 1:40:28 / 100:28 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 60 1:50:02 / 110:02 - Marriagetoxin ex 1:51:26 / 111:26 - Nue's Exorcist 114 2:07:38 / 127:38 - Akane-banashi 174 2:14:19 / 134:19 - One Piece 1160 2:21:51 / 141:51 - Favorite Series and MVP

The British author and journalist Oliver Burkeman has spent decades pondering what it means to live a meaningful life, both in his former Guardian column “This Column WIll Change Your Life” and across several books—most recently, Meditations for Mortals, out in paperback this October. That's why he brings a healthy dose of skepticism to so-called “time management” systems and productivity hacks as a means toward true fulfillment. Burkeman's compelled by the notion that, rather than being separate from time, human beings are time. If people faced the reality of their limited time on the planet head on, he believes there's a real chance to experience greater, more engaged feelings of aliveness.On the episode—our Season 12 kick-off—Burkeman discusses why he's eschewing  perfectionism and finding unexpected liberation in the premise that, to some extent, the worst has already happened, and the best may still be ahead.Special thanks to our Season 11 presenting sponsor, Van Cleef & Arpels.Show notes:Oliver Burkeman[4:26] “Meditations for Mortals” (2024)[6:48] Donald Winnicott[7:46] Martin Heidegger[7:46] "Technics and Civilization" (2010)[7:46] “Being and Time” (1927)[7:46] “Time Warrior” (2011)[7:46] “Time Surfing” (2017)[7:46] “Anti-Time Management” (2022)[10:14] Medieval peasants[10:14] “The 4-Hour Workweek”[13:18] Alicja Kwade[19:23] “Ichi-go, ichi-e” (“one time, one meeting”)[22:00] Eckhart Tolle[22:36] Agnes Martin[23:28] “The Road Not Taken”[40:03] “This Column Will Change Your Life”[51:00] Nicholas Carr[51:00] Clay Shirky[53:40] Jennifer Roberts[59:04] Pomodoro Technique [59:13] Kanban[1:01:33] James Hollis[1:02:40] Alfred Adler[1:02:40] “The Courage to Be Disliked” (2024)[1:06:24] Stoicism

Join King and Jones as they give their thoughts and opinions on Ichi the Witch Vol.1-2.Support the showTwitchYoutubeDiscordX

Take a trip down memory lane as we look back at our best stuff from this week - including Sumo Wrestlers Hiroki and Ichi, a tribute to departing Dangerous Dave, a welcome to Rabs, Matt Shirvington, the Hump Day Quiz, Hawthorn legend John Kennedy, the Idiot File, and Billy's least worst joke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Puhumme vanhuuden ja ikääntymisen kuvaamisesta mangassa sekä siitä, millaisissa rooleissa vanhemmat hahmot tarinoissa ovat. Ajankohtaisina aiheina puhumme kohusta, joka syntyi Vizin julkaistua tekoälyfirma Orangen käännöksen sarjasta Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze, amerikkalaisten sarjakuvapalkintogaalojen mangaedustuksesta tänä vuonna sekä The New Yorkerin artikkelista siitä, miten Shonen Jump -lehdestä on tullut mangan hittitehdas. Lukujonossa kokeilemme tuoretta fantasiasarjaa Ichi the Witch sekä luemme loppuun Delicious in Dungeonin. --- Kommentoi | Bluesky | Mastodon | X | Threads | Instagram --- (01:24) – KUULUMISET: TULEVAT JAKSOT - Young Magazine USA (08:04) – VANHUUS: ESITTELY – Jakso 61, jossa puhuimme siitä, miksi mangasarjat ovat niin pitkiä (10:53) – VANHUUS: IÄN MERKITYS JAPANILAISESSA YHTEISKUNNASSA – Mainittuja sarjoja, joissa pienelläkin ikäerolla on väliä: – Space Brothers – Onimai – Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro – You Got Me, Sempai!, josta puhuimme jaksossa 115 – Takopi's Original Sin – Ouran High School Host Club – Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues – Toradora (20:53) – VANHUUS: KESKI-IKÄISET – ReLIFE-sarjassa 27-vuotias salaryman saa tilaisuuden elää lukioikänsä uudestaan, mutta nuorennetun kehon suorituskyky jää kuitenkin ennalleen, ja päähenkilö satuttaa selkänsä palloa heittäessään, koska ei ole urheillut työelämään astumisen jälkeen – Kaiju No. 8:n päähenkilö on 32-vuotias – Jakso 85, jossa Maaret listasi kuulijakommenttiosiossa viisi suosikkiaan seksikkäistä setämiehistä – Psycho-Passin vanhempi toimeenpanija Masaoka (kuva) – Jakso 104, jossa puhuimme Japanin koulujärjestelmästä Tarinoita, jotka kertovat lukioikäisen vanhemmasta (molemmat toki myös seinenmangan toimintasankareita): – My Home Hero – Inuyashiki Opettajia: – Blue Periodin Masako Saeki – Puhuimme sarjasta jaksossa 57 – Great Teacher Onizukan vararehtori Uchiyamada ja rehtori/puheenjohtaja/tms Sakurai (tittelit ja positiot ovat vähän hankalia) – Puhuimme sarjasta jaksossa 104 – Spy x Familyn Henry Henderson – Puhuimme sarjasta jaksossa 53 Seinensankareita: – Golgo 13 – Tonegawa kertoo, miten kädet pestään oikein (YouTube) – Minami no teiou – Sakamoto Days Romansseja ja romanttisia ihmissuhdetarinoita: – After the Rain, josta puhuimme jaksossa 52 – 10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40 – Old-Fashioned Cupcake, josta puhuimme jaksossa 79 – Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, josta puhuimme jaksossa 83 Seksikkäitä setämiessarjoja: – A Man and His Cat – Hotel Metsäpeura e youkoso (49:47) – VANHUUS: REALISTISET VANHUKSET Sarjoja, joissa lukioikäinen asuu isovanhemman kanssa: –Orange, josta puhuimme jaksossa 116 – My Dress-up Darling – Full Moon wo Sagashite – Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest, josta puhuimme jaksossa 26 – Tarpeettoman seksikäs isoisä (kuva) – Fullmetal Alchemist, josta puhuimme jaksossa 84 Sarjoja, joista löytyy turvallisia mekaanikkotätejä ja -setiä: – Heavy Object – Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Naisnäkökulmaa vanhenemiseen: – BL Metamorphosis – Credits Roll into the Sea – Hanamonogatari – Ristorante Paradiso ja Gente – GDILF = Grandad I'd Like to Fuck Mies ja lapsi -sarjoja: – Candy & Cigarettes – Alice & Zoroku – Länkkärivastine: Up – kohti korkeuksia Mainittuja mies ja lapsi -sarjoja, joissa se mies on nuorempi: – Aishiteruze Baby – Barakamon – Hinamatsuri (01:04:01) – VANHUUS: TAISTELUVAARIT Shounenmättösarjoja, joista löytyy kovia taisteluvaareja: – Dragon Ball – Dr. Stone, josta puhuimme jaksossa 41 – One-Punch Man (seinensarja, mutta täynnä Jump-energiaa) – Hunter × Hunter – Bleach – Jujutsu Kaisen – My Hero Academian Gran Torino on saanut inspiraationsa Yodasta, kuten puhuimme jaksossa 94 – Yoda taas on saanut inspiraationsa Akira Kurosawan leffasta Seitsemän samuraita – Länkkärivastine: Kung Fu Panda – One Piece – Monkey D. Garpin galaksinyrkki (YouTube) – Silvers Rayleigh on One Piecen seksikkäin setämies (kuva) – Vain miehet vanhenevat seksikkäästi; naiset vanhenevat rumasti tai ei ollenkaan (kuva) – Puhuimme sarjan seksistisistä asenteista jaksossa 103 Taistelumummoja näkyy vähemmän: – Ranman Cologne – Dandadanin Turbomummo ja Momon isoäiti Taisteluhovimestareita: – Kuroshitsujin Tanaka – …on kenties oikeasti Hijikata Toshizoo, tai sitten ei! – Hellsingin Walter – Re:Zeron Wilhelm ei oikeastaan ole hovimestari, pukeutuu vain kuin sellainen – Death Noten Watari – Overlordin Sebas Tian Vanhempia pahiksia: – One Piecen yhteydessä mainitut Kaidoo ja Big Mom – All For One – Lordgenome (01:16:45) – VANHUUS: HAHMOT JOITA SEURATAAN VANHUUTEEN – JoJo's Bizarre Adventuren Joseph Joestar – Ôokun Gyokuei (kuva) – Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu – Fate-tuoteperheen Waver Velvetiä ei ole ihan vanhana nähty, mutta teininä ja aikuisena kylläkin (01:21:59) – VANHUUS: HAHMOT JOTKA EIVÄT IKÄÄNNY FYYSISESTI Tuhatvuotiset vampyyrilolit: – Fate-tuoteperheen Shuten-douji ja Louhi – Länkkärivastine: Veren vankien Claudia – Dance in the Vampire Bundin Mina Tepes – Animen OP – Call of the Nightin Nazuna ei ole varsinaisesti loli, eikä myöskään tuhatvuotinen – Vanitaksen kirjan Chloé – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End – Lampan ohjelma Desucon Frostbitessä 2025: Ajan rakenne on muuttumaton - Sousou no Frieren ja hetkessä eläminen (YouTube) – Pandora Heartsin Xerxes Break – Gandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again – Sanda (01:33:50) – VANHUUS: PERVOPAPAT – Ranma 1/2:n Happosai – Dragon Ballin Kamesennin – Ao-chan Can't Study! (01:36:46) – VANHUUS: YHTEENVETO (01:38:32) – VIZIN KONEKÄÄNNÖSKOHU – Jakso 115, jossa puhuimme Crunchyrollin julkaisemasta tekoälykäännöksestä – Dealing with the Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze – Manga Alerts huomasi, että käännös ja ladonta ovat samat kuin Orangella – Ihan sellaisenaan Viz ei Orangen käännöstä kuitenkaan julkaissut – The Beat: Dear manga publishers, we don't want your AI translations – Reaktioita artikkeliin – Jakso 35, jossa puhuimme Kaiju No. 8:n käännöksen korvaamista Vizin lisenssin jälkeen – Vizin ja Shueishan kääntämien versioiden vertaaminen keskenään oli välillä varsin mielenkiintoista (kuva) (01:53:10) – USA:N MANGAPALKINNOT 2025 – The Anime and Manga International Awards tulossa 2026 – Jakso 106, jossa puhuimme vuoden 2024 The American Manga Awards -palkinnoista sekä Eisner- ja Harvey-gaalojen mangaedustuksesta – Studio Proteus – Jakso 83, jossa puhuimme MyAnimeList-sivuston You Should Read This Manga -suosittelulistauksesta – The American Manga Awards -ehdokkaat – …ja voittajat – Jakso 91, jossa puhuimme sarjasta The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All – Jakso 115, jossa puhuimme Tamaki & Amanesta – Ashita no Joen loppu on muuntautunut yleisesti tunnetuksi meemikuvaksi – The Otaku Love Connectionin jenkkilaitoksen kustannustoimittaja juhlisti käännöspalkintoa Blueskyssa (02:31:24) – THE NEW YORKERIN SHONEN JUMP -ARTIKKELI – Weekly Shonen Jump – The New Yorker: How Weekly Shōnen Jump Became the World's Most Popular Manga Factory – Matt Alt – Matt Altin vuoden 2021 artikkeli Demon Slayer -elokuva Mugen Trainin suosiosta – Nykyään suurin osa reaktioista artikkeliin on kadonnut, mutta muutama vielä löytyy – Jakso 87, jossa puhuimme Shonen Sunday -mangalehden päätoimittajan haastattelusta, jossa hän kertoi lehden uudistamiseksi tekemästään työstä – Uusin Demon Slayer -elokuva on Suomessakin saanut älyttömästi katsojia (kuva) – Nippon.comin artikkeli siitä, miten manga oli vielä 50-60-luvuilla vanhempien paheksumaa viihdettä, mutta ei enää sen jälkeen – The Beat: The Story that Should Terrify the American Comics Industry – Jaksossa 115 luimme Geekkicastin Jarmon kommentin siitä, miten jenkkisarjakuva-ala on siirtänyt oikeuksia tekijöiltä firmoille – Jos artikkelin lukeminen ei muuten onnistu, tässä on PDF (02:59:18) – HAMPAANKOLOSSA: KODUKA VS KOZUKA – Jakso 116, jossa puhuimme sarjasta I Can't Believe I Slept with You – Seven Seas on kirjoittanut nimen 小塚 länsimaisilla kirjaimilla “Koduka”, koska sen ääntämisohje kuuluu “こづか” eikä “こずか” (kuva) – Zu/Du-tavun poikkeussääntö: zu-tavu kirjoitetaan づ (du) silloin, kun se on peräisin kanjista jossa on tsu-tavu (つ) eikä su-tavu (す) – mutta se kuitenkin LAUSUTAAN "zu" – Rent-a-Girlfriendin Chizurun nimi kirjoitetaan teknisesti ottaen myös “Chiduru”, koska nimen “zuru” tulee kanjista kanjista 鶴 (“tsuru”, kurki), jossa on tsu-tavu eikä su-tavu – Tsuredure Children kuuluu lausua “Tsurezure Children” – WaniKani-kanjinopiskelupalvelu – Maaret taisi muistella arkisista kanjeista ainakin sanaa 気付く(kizuku, huomata), joka pitää näppäimistöllä kirjoittaa “kiduku”, koska sellaisenaan 付く lausutaan “tsuku” (03:06:26) – KUULIJAKOMMENTTI: DINOSAUR SANCTUARY – Dinosaur Sanctuary – Tekijä vieraili Anime Expossa – Tekijä postasi melkein luvullisen sarjaa X:ään – Crunchyrollin haastattelu – Behind the Mangan haastattelu – Mobile Police Patlabor – The Aquatope on White Sand kertoo akvaarion työntekijöistä (03:10:26) – LUKUJONOSSA: ICHI THE WITCH – Ichi the Witch – Ichi the Witch Manga Plus -palvelussa – Piirtäjä Shiro Usazakin aiempi sarja Act-age lopetettiin lyhyeen, kun sen käsikirjoittaja syyllistyi seksuaalirikoksiin – Käsikirjoittaja Osamu Nishi tunnetaan parhaiten sarjastaan Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun – Ichi the Witchin maailmanrakennusta (kuva) – Liikkuvan linnan Calcifer – Gokuraku, sarjan lancer-poika (kuva) – …on tämän sarjan vastine Seitsemän kuolemansynnin Banille – Ichi lähestyy majikien taltuttamista enemmän metsästyksenä, vaikka sekä noidat että majikit ovat perinteisesti nähneet ne enemmänkin dramaattisina ja kunniakkaina kaksintaisteluina, joissa kumpikin esittelee itsensä ensin (kuva) – Desscaras on yhtäältä cool ja toisaalta humoristinen hahmo, jonka pinnan alla on perheen kaipuuta (kuva) – Magi – Sarjan hahmokaarti on logistisista syistä varsin naispainotteinen (kuva) – Sekä sarjan nimestä että dialogista on jouduttu oikomaan pois se yksityiskohta, että Ichi sanoo ettei ole noita, “majo” (魔女), vaan “madan” (魔男) (kuva) (03:32:21) – LUKUJONOSSA: DELICIOUS IN DUNGEON 12-14 – Delicious in Dungeon – Jakso 9, jossa puhuimme sarjasta pääaiheena – Jakso 55 ja jakso 99, joissa puhuimme sarjasta lukujonossa – Petterin alkuesittely sarjasta Anime-lehdessä 6/2015 (kuva) (03:58:51) – LOPETUS

It's Dangerous Dave's last show before Rabs gets back, and Billy kicks us off with the All Sports Report - with some more acts scheduled for AFL Grand Final Day. Topics Brownless goes back to the well with an old classic, and Geelong's Young Player of the Year Shaun Mannagh calls in as the Cats prepare to play Hawthorn in a Prelim Final. As it's Dange's last day, we've got a little tribute with his best moments, and Carlton's Harry McKay calls in - as he has somehow involved himself with the Sumo Wrestlers tour. Hiroki and Ichi are in studio with translator Andrew, talking about life as a sumo wrestler, then Billy sends Dange off with a joke about two men hanging from a window.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desscaras confronts a waiter, Kanna reduces herself to her sex appeal, and MarriageToxin establishes that a harem ending is actually the bad ending for this series!   7:20 - Ichi the Witch 49 20:26 - Blue Box 210 29:23 - Dandadan 208 37:39 - Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo 1 40:37 - Kaiju No. 8: Hoshina's Day Off 43:37 - Hima-Ten! 57 59:35 - Otr of the Flame 17 1:08:24 / 68:24 - Ping-Pong Peril 9 1:18:38 / 78:38 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 59 1:30:44 / 90:44 - Marriagetoxin 139 1:41:08 / 101:08 - Nue's Exorcist 113 1:51:14 / 111:14 - Akane-banashi 173 1:59:33 / 119:33 - One Piece 1159 2:13:32 / 133:32 - Favorite Series and MVP

A year of school concludes in Blue Box, Karashi reveals why he's making a false classic, and we're finally finishing the first part of the Away Mission Exams! For real this time!   5:06 - Ichi the Witch 48 16:18 - Blue Box 209 28:56 - Chainsaw Man 213 36:42 - Spy x Family 122 49:01 - World Trigger 257 1:10:46 / 70:46 - Hima-Ten! 56 1:27:53 / 87:53 - Otr of the Flame 16 1:35:41 / 95:41 - Ping-Pong Peril 8 1:41:57 / 101:57 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 58 1:51:32 / 111:32 - Marriagetoxin ex 1:52:21 / 112:21 - Nue's Exorcist 112 2:04:36 / 124:36 - Akane-banashi 172 2:12:11 / 132:11 - One Piece 1158 2:20:55 / 140:55 - Favorite Series and MVP

This week, now screaming: Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)! Death has a brand-new blueprint, and we're here for it! This week, we dive into Final Destination: Bloodlines—the highly anticipated next entry in the franchise that taught us to fear seatbelts, tanning beds, roller coasters, and literally just being alive. So grab your popcorn, check your surroundings (twice), and join us as we find out if Death's design still slaps in 2025. Tangents include: Poop cruise, decadent books, pickme girls and tryhard boys.

It seems like a mistake to add "insecurity" and "jealousy" to your perfect robot boyfriend, but you do you, Riiko.   2:04 - Absolute Boyfriend 49:07 - Ichi the Witch 47 59:17 - Blue Box 208 1:10:52 / 70:52 - Dandadan 207 1:15:34 / 75:34 - Hima-Ten! 55 1:24:35 / 84:35 - Otr of the Flame 15 1:33:39 / 93:39 - Ping-Pong Peril 7 1:41:58 / 101:58 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 57 1:48:16 / 108:16 - Marriagetoxin 138 1:55:09 / 115:09 - Nue's Exorcist 111 2:06:39 / 126:39 - Akane-banashi 171 2:13:19 / 133:19 - Favorite Series and MVP 2:17:19 / 137:19 - Next Recommendation

With the end of the Jinshin War, Oama, posthumously known as Temmu Tenno, came to the throne.  And though they would need a new Great Council of State, they continued to build up and bolster the Ritsuryo state.  They were imagining a new Yamato based on continental models of what a state should look like, but also influenced by tradition.  This episode we take a look at that reimagining in broad strokes, asking a few questions--what was Oama's relationship with his brother, and touching on the relationship of Nakatomi no Kamatari and his brother, Nakatomi no Kane.  We also take a look at some of the literary propaganda that also helped to codify this new imaginary--the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.  We also touch on other sourcesof information, like the Fudoki and Man'yoshu. For more information, check out our blog:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-133   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 133: Reimagining Yamato As the bells of Houkouji tolled, Ohoama and his wife, Uno, surveyed the construction on going in the Asuka valley.  Hordes of workers had been called up, and now they were working furiously towards the deadline of the new year.  Where once stood the later Wokamoto palace of Takara Hime, aka Ohoama's mother, Saimei Tennou, now the land was being prepared for a palace on a much grander scale.  And just as the palace was being remade, Ohoama's thoughts went beyond the valley, to the entire archipelago.  His brother, Naka no Oe, had started something profound.  Now here he was, helming the Ship of State, and Ohoama had plans of his own, built upon his brother's ideas.  He would build a new state, ensuring that the reforms that started back in 645 would continue for generations. Greetings everyone and welcome back.  As we dive back in, let's recap where we are. The year is now 673, and the fighting from the previous year—the Jinshin war—is over.  Prince Ohoama and his Yoshino forces were victorious and he is now poised to ascend the throne in the recently built Palace of Kiyomihara, in Asuka.  He will be known to future generations by his posthumous name:  Temmu Tennou. Ohoama would go ahead and continue to centralize the government under the continental model.  That said, he also would pay a not insignificant amount of attention to local tradition as well.  His reign would lead to the establishment of the first permanent capital city: Fujiwara-kyo.  He is also credited with initiating the projects collecting various historical records, which culminated in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, the very chronicles on which this podcast is based – and both of which seem to have been designed specifically to promote the authority of the throne, specifically Ohoama and his descendants. Those descendants—the Temmu dynasty—would rule for almost a century, including four of the eight official female sovereigns (those eight become ten if you count the unofficial Himiko and Okinaga Tarashi-hime, aka Jingu Tennou).  This dynasty would reign from the end of the Asuka period up through to the Nara period, and it would see the evolution of the Yamato state into the kingdom of Nihon—which is to say the kingdom of Japan. The politics of this period were also quite something.  It is during this coming period that we see the rise of the famous Fujiwara family, who would come to dominate the political landscape.  We also see the continued contact with the mainland, with numerous trade goods coming over, many of which would be included in the famous Shousouin storehouse of Toudaiji temple, in Nara. Buddhism would also thrive, with Kokubunji, or provincial temples, being set up in a network around the archipelago.  There was also the building of the famous Daibutsu, or Giant Buddha statue, of Toudaiji. Art would also flourish.  The Man'yoshu would be published at this time—a collection of around 4,500 Japanese poems, or waka.  Meanwhile, the court would also focus on continental styles as well.  From this point on, not only do we have more evidence of what was happening through the written record, but the writing itself changed.  Different Sinitic characters were borrowed solely for their sound to help spell out Japanese words.  These would eventually be simplified, and known as “kana”.  The earliest use of these characters is known as “Man'yo-gana” because so many are traced back to the Man'yoshu itself.  They would eventually be standardized and simplified, becoming the hiragana and katakana we know and use today. But in 673, all of this is still on the horizon. So this is a great time to pause for a bit in our journey through the chronicles and set the stage for this next, incredibly transformative period in the archipelago by going over these larger patterns in some depth, so that, as we start to go through this period we get a better idea of just what was happening, and perhaps why.  That's what we'll do this episode. To start with, let's go back to the relationship between Naka no Oe and Ohoama.  As far as we can tell, these brothers were fairly close to one another.  Not only was Ohoama married to one of Naka no Oe's daughters, Princess Uno, he had actually taken as consort at least four of Naka no Oe's other daughters—all of which were Ohoama's nieces.  In turn, one of Ohoama's own daughters, Princess Touchi, had been married off to Ohotomo, aka the ill-fated Koubun Tennou.  On top of that, Naka no Oe and Ohoama both had taken as consorts daughters of Soga no Akaye, and both Ohotomo and Ohoama had consorts from Nakatomi—or Fujiwara—no Kamatari.  This demonstrates just how interrelated everyone was at court, presumably as a means of strengthening the ties between them.  Of course, as we've seen time and again, those ties were more symbolic than anything else, and certainly did not prevent the occasional use of violence, nor did it protect the fathers of those women from political repercussions when they found themselves on the wrong side. On the other hand, beyond the initial mention of their births, we don't see the two brothers together until Naka no Oe came to the throne.  Why?  Well, to be fair, we don't see much of anyone but the sovereign in the Chronicles unless there is a specific thing they are called out for—like an embassy, presenting something to the throne, etc.  Even Naka no Oe often isn't mentioned directly, even when he was the Crown Prince and supposedly helping run the government.  So that could be it. There are two apparent counter arguments to the idea that Naka no Oe and his brother, Ohoama, were tight.  First is a mention in the Toushi Kaden, the Family History of the Fujiwara Family, about Ohoama thrusting a spear into a board, which rattled Naka no Oe enough that he was apparently wondering if he needed to have his own brother taken out.  Then there is Ohoama's resignation at the time of Naka no Oe's death, presumably because he was warned that a plot was afoot, and that if he accepted Naka no Oe's offer to take the reins of the state in his own two hands then something—we aren't told what—would unfold. I can't rule out the idea that neither of those accounts is quite accurate either, however.  It is possible that the Toushi Kaden account is embellished to heighten Fujiwara no Kamatari's own role as peacemaker between the brothers.  I also have to wonder if the warning to Ohoama around Naka no Oe's death wasn't so much about Naka no Oe, but about his ministers.  After all, they seem to have had no problem supporting the much younger—and likely more malleable—Prince Ohotomo.  So it seems to me entirely possible that there were other threats that Ohoama was concerned with. That brings me to one of those ministers:  Nakatomi no Kane.  We talked about him before and during the war.  He first showed up participating in ritual and speaking on kami matters.  He would later rise to be one of the Great Ministers of State, and was one of the six ministers who had pledged themselves to Prince Ohotomo.  At the end of the Jinshin War, he was put to death and his family was banished.  That said, in period leading up to all of that,  we spent a good amount of time with another Nakatomi: Nakatomi no Kamatari. He was the head of the Nakatomi clan and the Naidaijin, the Interior Minister, a special position placing him on par, or even above, the Ministers of the Left and Right, but which did not have a well defined portfolio noted in the literature.  Interestingly, this position also doesn't seem to have survived Kamatari, at least in the short run.  From the time of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, to the time of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, it seems that the office of Naidaijin fell out of favor, possibly due, in part, to Prince Ohotomo being raised to a different post, that of Dajou Daijin, placing him in charge of the Great Council of State. The Naidaijin role wouldn't be revived until 717 for Kamatari's grandson, Fujiwara no Fusasaki (interestingly,  only three years before the completion of the Nihon Shoki). Nakatomi no Kane was, as far as we can tell, the brother to Kamatari.  When Kamatari passed away, Kane seems to have taken on the role as head of the Nakatomi family and he was also made Minister of the Right.  This mirrors, in its way, the relationship between Naka no Oe and Ohoama, and the common system of inheritance that would often go brother to brother.  And yet, while Kamatari was a hero of the Taika era, Nakatomi no Kane was executed for his role in the Jinshin War.  So in the context of the rise of the Fujiwaras to greater prominence later on in Ohoama's reign, it is significant that Kamatari's line would be set apart from the rest of the Nakatomi to the extent of giving it the new Fujiwara name.  Although the Chronicles claim that the “Fujiwara” name was actually granted by Naka no Oe, there is a thought that this was granted posthumously, and may have even been retconned by later members of the family, possibly to distance themselves from Nakatomi no Kane and his role on the losing side of the Jinshin War, and tie themselves clearly to Kamatari and his founding role in Naka no Oe's and Ohoama's new vision, instead.  This all brings me to my next point: the creation of the national histories.  The projects that culminated in what we know today as the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki are said to have been started under Ohoama's reign, though they wouldn't be finished until much later, well into the 8th century.  A lot of what went into them was work under Ohoama's wife Uno, who succeeded him as Jitou Tennou, as well as her successors.  Prince Toneri, one of Ohoama's sons, is said to have overseen the Nihon Shoki's compilation. Prince Toneri was son of Ohoama and princess Niitabe, one of Naka no Oe's daughters, and while he never sat the throne, himself, one of his sons would eventually do so.  As such, we can see a strong royal hand on the project, even though the actual composition was probably by several teams of Chroniclers—we touched on this briefly back in Episode 131. The Kojiki, on the other hand, is said to have been written by Oho no Yasumaro based on the oral history that had been maintained by Hieda no Are.  We don't know much about Hieda no Are—there are some that believe they may have been a woman, since a passage in a later work, the Seikyuuki, suggests that they were a member of the Sarume no Kimi family, descended from Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, who is said to have danced and helped lure Amaterasu out of the rock cave.  And so they were particularly known for their role as shrine maidens—a particularly female role.  That said, Are received the title of “toneri”, which is often assumed to be male, and there is nothing else that explicitly says they were not. Either way, Hieda no Are is said to have been commanded by the sovereign, Ohoama, to memorize the history of the nation, presumably to then perform it as needed, for the court.  Only later was Oho no Yasumaro asked to write it down in what became known as the Kojiki. Both of these chronicles were attempts to organize the history of the nation and to put together all the stories in a way that would establish a foundation for the new state that was evolving out of ancient Yamato.  A large part of that effort was going to be to justify those who were in power at the time—including both the royal family and the various noble houses at the time, including the powerful Fujiwara. Now, when we talk about how these histories were created to bolster the state, I want to be careful.  It may not have necessarily been the case that the chroniclers were actively and consciously promoting a fictional account.  From what we can tell, the chroniclers drew from a collection of stories, some written down in diaries and court records, works like the Baekje annals and continental histories, and some that were likely just memorized tales that were part of the general culture.   There were a couple of existing histories—we are told, for example, that there was a Teiki and a Kyuji floating around, both attributed to the legendary Shotoku Taishi, and both supposedly including the royal lineage at least to Toyomike-kashikiya-hime, aka Suikou Tennou.  However, the copies that were being passed around were apparently suspect, and we are told that there were inconsistencies.  Which probably means that the way they told the story did not conform to the way that Ohoama and the royal family wanted it told, though it could also refer to the fact that different accounts had slight variations on the stories, many of which had probably started as oral traditions that were only later written down.  It is also likely that there was only so much detail in those ancient texts, but we can't know for sure.  The Sendai Kuji Hongi purports to be the text of the original Kyuuji, or Kyuujiki, but that claim is dubious, at best, though it may have used an older, no longer extant history to crib its own notes from. So there were probably some writings, already, but there was also so much more.  There were stories from various familial records, stories told by various shrines about their kami and their histories, and stories passed down as local history that had never been captured, previously.  All of this was good material for the project of creating an official national history that aimed to tell the whole story. To get an idea of what the Chroniclers of that time might have been going through, imagine that you have some 2,000 random facts about the United States, or any country of your choice, in no particular order—stories of heroes, presidents, wars, etc.  On top of that, only a few of them ever give you any kind reference dates, and when they do, those dates are only in relationship to the presidents in office – the third year of the presidency of Roosevelt, for example - or maybe they reference another event.  In addition, some of the facts have been lost, or they come from history books with a slightly different format.  Or they come from diaries with different perspectives and takes on the same event.  And then, without the aid of the Internet or any other reference material, you are asked to put all of that together into a coherent narrative. In all likelihood you would be able to generally construct many of the broad strokes.  You would leverage what you know to be true and do your best to put things in place, but there is no guarantee that everything would be in the right order.  And in places where there wasn't any clear through line, you may have needed to come up with your best, most plausible explanation and write that down. Also, imagine you had, in the interests of completeness, thrown in some of the more, shall we say, apocryphal stories.  George Washington cutting down a cherry tree, for instance, or the story of Johnny Appleseed, or even the more fantastical stories of Davy Crockett.  Without other reference points, would you know where they went, or how true they actually were? Add to all of that the lack of a referential calendar.  The sexagesimal system helps for units of 60 years, but there was nothing comparable to a western calendar in use at the time.  Instead, everything was based on the number of years in a given reign.  So instead of thinking about it as “did this happen in 584 or 524?” it was more like “Did this happen in the years of the sovereign reigning from X palace or Y palace?” Now that said, there do appear to have been individuals whose job was to memorize the stories and the histories and recite them.  We have, for example, the Kataribe, the guild of storytellers.  It may have been out of this tradition that we get the eventual commission of the previously mentioned Hieda no Are, who was to memorize all of the historical events and recite them back, which I can only imagine would have been a kind of performance for the court, helping to reinforce the narrative.  But still, as Are was putting everything together, what were the assumptions and guidelines they were working under? After all, there were no doubt certain truths, whether factual or not, that were pushed by the court.  Things like the idea of an unbroken line of sovereigns going all the way back to the mythical founding, just like in continental stories.  Or, the idea that worship centered from the beginning around the sun goddess, Amaterasu. There is plenty of evidence that while the early Wa people practiced various forms of sun worship, with traces found in their language as well as stories, cultural traditions, etc., it was not necessarily Amaterasu who was the primary deity of worship.  Back in the Age of the Gods we talked about the creator deities, Izanagi and Izanami, and about the High god of Heaven, Takami Musubi, who seems to at one point been the most prominent central deity, but who had since been eclipsed, if you will, by the likes of Amaterasu. We also see evidence that there were other sun deities.  The language around Sarutahiko no Ohokami suggests that he may have once been worshipped as a sun deity as well.  And there is the early primacy of Mt. Miwa as a place of worship, and the spirit of Ohomononushi.  This is to say nothing of Ohokuninushi, and all of his stories, up in Izumo. Furthermore, it seems telling that Amaterasu is not even central to the rituals conducted in the palace itself, which likely went back to an even earlier period.  If Amaterasu were central, and the ancestral kami of the royal family since its inception, one would expect that Amaterasu would also be central to the rites carried out by her descendants in the royal palace.  And yet most of her worship appears to have continued to be set apart from the palace ritual, and conducted out of Ise shrine (albeit after a certain point ceremonially led by a designated female member of the royal line). Even Ise shrine itself isn't the primary shrine in the Ise area—the Ichi-no-miya, or most important shrine, of Ise is actually said to be Tsubaki shrine, worshipping Saruta Hiko no Ohokami and Ame no Uzume. So how did Amaterasu come to be so central in Ohoama's vision? There are stories that say that worship at Ise Shrine—and worship of Amaterasu—was specifically conducted by Ohoama's wife during the Jinshin campaign.  This is to say Ohoama's wife, primary consort, eventual queen and then queen regnant, Uno, later known as Jitou Tennou.  Remember, Uno had fled with Ohoama and had been on the trail with him at first, but had stayed behind in Ise.  Worship towards Ise seems to have later been counted as foundational to Ohoama and Uno's victory, and many suspect that they themselves may subsequently have encouraged greater worship of Amaterasu and placed her in the central position of sacral authority amongst the various kami. If so, that could explain why their histories focus so much on Amaterasu and her Heavenly descendant, from which the royal line claimed direct lineage.  It might also be around this time that the story of Iwarebiko, aka Jimmu Tennou, and the conquest of Yamato from Himuka may have been introduced: telling how Iwarebiko justifiably took away the land from the descendants of Nigi Hayahi, and then connecting Iwarebiko, in an extremely loose fashion, to Mimaki Iiribiko no Mikoto, aka Sujin Tennou. Another influence on all of this was likely the continental concept that time is a circle, and history repeats itself.  Chroniclers seeking to place events in a narrative context would have likely seen reflections of more recent events and used that to help order their compilation.  And of course, if there were events that seemed to run counter to the truth as known by the court, well, those could be smoothed over.  In this way, co-rulers were probably serialized, inconvenient interim rulers may have been excised altogether, and different dynasties, which may have only had tenuous connections, at best, were written down as direct lineal descendants.  It also seems telling that the Chroniclers may have reduced the role of what appears to be matrilineal succession to a more patriarchal and patrilineal determination of legitimacy.  Similarly, connections could be made for families to ancient ancestors through whom they were able to claim a certain proximity to the royal family.  Likewise, rules for legitimacy could be imposed—or perhaps just assumed—for previous reigns, doing their best to bring them into harmony with the social norms and the cultural imaginaries of the late 7th and early 8th centuries. So that's the general context the Chroniclers were working under. But at this point it's illuminating to take a look at the two histories and how they differ, to see what we can understand about where those differences came from. The work of Hieda no Are, eventually recorded and written down as the Kojiki, seems to have dealt with history that was far enough back that it was likely hard to argue with—it isn't like there was anyone alive who could counter with their own facts.  And the Kojiki reads as a fairly straightforward narrative, relatively speaking. The Nihon Shoki, on the other hand, is a different beast.  While the Kojiki may have captured the official narrative, the Nihon Shoki seems to have been designed to include more—including some of the competing accounts.  Thus you'll get a lot of things like “another source says…” with a different take on the same event.  This is much more prevalent in the Age of the Gods, but still pops up occasionally throughout the rest of the text.  Nonetheless, it is still very much focused on the royal line from Amaterasu down to Naka no Oe and Ohoama.  Even their posthumous names, Tenji and Temmu, specifically reference Ten, also pronounced Ama, at the start of their names, in what appears to be a bid to further connect them to the sun goddess of Heavenly Brightness--Amaterasu. Both of these works have their own character, and while the dates they were presented to the throne—713 for the Kojiki and 720 for the Nihon Shoki—suggest that they were published in succession, there are those that argue that the Kojiki is largely a reaction against the Nihon Shoki. In all likelihood the contents of the Nihon Shoki were known to many people before it was presented.  There were groups of Chroniclers involved, after all -- which meant teams of scribes pouring through sources, seeking out myths and legends, and generally trying to bring everything they could to the table.  And there is no indication that this was done in secret.  So it is quite possible that the writers of the Kojiki had seen some of the early drafts and cribbed from those notes. Some of the ways that the the history differ are in their portrayal of certain accounts.  For example, the Kojiki presents Iwarebiko and the pacification of Yamato and archipelago more generally in terms of that mythical sovereign conversing with the spirits.  And so he converses with, for instance, Ohomononushi, the deity of Mt. Miwa, a spirit whose name might be translated as the Great Lord of the Spirits, or “Mono”.  This idea places the sovereign as an intercessor between the mortal and the spirit world.  It hearkens back to earlier systems of sacral kingship, where power and authority came, at least in part, from supposed power of one's sacred sites and protective spirits. The Kojiki is also written in a much more vernacular style, using kanji and what we know of as man'yogana, the kanji used for their sound, rather than meaning, to provide a syllabary with which to write out Japanese words.  This may have been done for similar reasons to why it was also used in the Man'yoshu itself—because the Kojiki was meant to be recited aloud, not just read for meaning. The Nihon Shoki, in contrast, is clearly attempting to emulate the continental style.  It relies much more heavily on not just the characters but the grammar of Chinese, though not without its own idiosyncrasies.  The Nihon Shoki incorporated classical references that mirrored the references found in the histories of the Tang and earlier dynasties.  I suspect, for instance, that this is one of the main reasons that Naka no Oe and Ohoama are given the posthumous names of “Tenji” and “Temmu”.  Tenji means something like the Wisdom of Heaven while Temmu is more like the Martial Virtue of Heaven.  This immediately brings to mind, for me, the continental concepts of Wen and Wu—Culture and Warefare, or Bunbu in Japanese.  This even mirrors the founding Zhou kings, King Wen and King Wu.  Later, in the Han dynasty, you have Emperor Wu of Han, the grandson of Emperor Wen of Han, and Wu was considered to be one of the greatest emperors of the Han dynasty.  And so I can't help but think that there was a similar attempt at mythmaking going on here, connecting these two reigns with the reigns of famous emperors of the continent.  Of course, “Wu” was a popular name amongst the imperial dynasties from that period onward, with emperors of Jin, Chen, Liang, and others all being given the same name. This all accords with the way that the sovereign in the Nihon Shoki is less of a sacral king, interceding and speaking with the kami, and more along the continental model of an absolute ruler who ruled by divine right and heavenly mandate.  The lands outside of Yamato are subdued and, except for the occasional uprising, stay subdued—or at least that is what the narrative would seemingly have us believe. Now, I would argue that these distinctions are not absolute.  The Kojiki contains plenty of concepts of imperial trappings, and the Nihon Shoki contains plenty of examples of the sovereign playing a more traditional role.  But it is something to consider in the broad strokes of what they are saying, and I would argue that it also speaks to the duality of what was going on in this period.  Clearly the Ritsuryo State was built on the continental model, with an absolute ruler who ruled through a Heavenly mandate.  And yet at the same time, we see Ohoama patronizing the traditional spiritual sites and kami worship, like the emphasis on Amaterasu and Ise shrine.  Besides the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, we have one more set of official records that were compiled just as the major histories were beginning to be finished.  These were the Fudoki.  Fudoki were texts about the various provinces, and they include information on the various places, population, soil quality, as well as various local myths and legends attached to such things.  Rather than supporting the royal lineage, the Fudoki were more geared towards supporting the process begun under Karu and Naka no Oe with the Ritsuryo system whereby knowledge of the archipelago was being centralized such that the State could know about its territories.  Still, there are many times that the various Fudoki refer to different sovereigns, often to help situate a given event roughly within the historical narrative. The Fudoki were commissioned in 713.  At least 48 chronicles were said to have been compiled, but only a handful of them remain extant today.  Most are only partial texts, though even those can still contain significant information.  We also have purported text from certain fudoki that were reprinted in later histories.  The Shaku Nihongi seems to have been one such work, expressly commissioned to try and compile various older records that were likely aging and in danger of being lost altogether.  However, there is a concern regarding just how faithful those later transcriptions might have been, meaning that we cannot rely on them, entirely.  Still, they are an invaluable addition to our study of the history of this period. I mention all of this because much of this period seems dedicated to remaking the nation of Yamato into what we know as Japan.  This evolution didn't happen overnight, and it seems clear that it started gradually, but had now come to a head.  There is some consideration, though, that many of the things attributed to earlier reigns—the work done by Shotoku Taishi, for example, or even that of Naka no Oe—may have been embellished in this period.  After all, consider the difference between Ohoama trying to institute something entirely new versus pointing back to a previous sovereign and claiming that he wasn't innovating, he was just following tradition. But there are still unmistakable signs of innovation in the following reigns.  The creation of the first permanent capital city, for one.  There was also the blending of Buddhist and local kami-based traditions.  While Buddhism had been ascendant for a while, now, we see Ohoama seemingly paying equal homage to Amaterasu and the local kami.  Even while instituting new fangled continental ideas, he is also hearkening back to traditions that I can only imagine helped assuage some of the fears of any traditionalists who saw the rapid speed at which the archipelago was adopting at least the trappings of continental imperial culture. Speaking of culture, there was one other work that we should probably mention, and that is the famous Man'yoshu—the collection of 10,000 Leaves.  I mentioned this briefly earlier in the episode, but I do want to discuss it a bit, because as much as we may glean from the official histories, as well as the various fudoki texts, the Man'yoshu provides an invaluable view into the minds of the people of the time, and contains some incredibly useful tidbits of information that, when put together, help give us a better idea of what was happening during this period. The Man'yoshu is a collection of more than 4500 poems attributed to various historical figures, from sovereigns, such as Ohoama and Naka no Oe, to common soldiers.  It is remarkable in that the poems are largely in native Japanese and are not using the Sinitic poetry styles that were popular with scholars of the time. These poems are waka, Japanese verse, which typically follows a pattern of repeating verses of 5-7-5 syllables or morae, ending with two lines of 7-7.  The most simple of these are tanka—one top verse of 5-7-5, and one bottom verse of 7-7.  However, the poems in the collection can vary quite a bit. They are also remarkable in that they are written in what we know as Man'yogana.  That is to say they use Sinitic characters—kanji—but for their sound rather than their meaning in many cases.  This practice allowed for much more nuanced writing, such that the author could be more certain that the correct meaning could be taken away, since Japanese grammar differs greatly from various Chinese languages, and leverages particles and suffixes that are non-existent in Sinitic script.  Often times, when reading something like the Nihon Shoki, one has to infer the Japanese word order, particles, and suffixes from the text as a whole.  This is common with any kanbun—a very Japanese style of Chinese writing that often requires its own study to fully understand. Meanwhile, the Man'yogana allowed someone to more easily sound out the letters in the Man'yoshu.  This must have been important when morae or syllable count was important to the art form.  Furthermore, it gives us tremendous insight into how spoken Japanese may have sounded  back in the 8th century. And of course it is great that we have all of these poems, but almost more important is the other information contained in the collection.  Most poems not only are attributed to a particular author, but they often give a brief introduction to lay out the circumstance in which the poem was composed.  These poems are, in many ways, more straightforward than many later poetic styles, which relied much more heavily on so-called “pillow words”, poetic allusions, or callbacks to previous poems—not that they were completely devoid of such references, especially to other, often continental, works. Some poems are actually paired—a type of call and response.  A man would often be expected to send a poem to a lady with whom he had recently had assignations, and she would often respond.  Through such correspondence, preserved in the poetic record, we can see connections that might not be as clear in the various historical texts. Now, 4500 is a lot of poems and I'll be honest, I'm probably not going to be researching all of them for historical tidbits, but it is nonetheless important to understand.  One should also be careful—while the poems are often attributed to various artists and famous persons, this may sometimes be misleading.  The attribution may have been garbled or forgotten, and recreated. Most of the poems in the Man'yoshu are presented with at least some amount of framing around them.  They are grouped loosely by various themes.  We are then told, for each poem, the composer and the occasion for which it was created.  Sometimes this may be as simple as “when they were out hunting”, but that still gives us some context on which to go by as for why the author was writing the poem in the first place. The poems themselves vary in size.  There are short poems, or tanka, but also longer form chōka poems, with multiple verses.  Some may allude to previous poems, but many of the poems are just about the author's feelings.  Unlike haiku, they were not quite so proscribed in terms of “pillow words” or requisite seasonal descriptions. And yet these poems, just as much as the histories, were important in capturing some part of the cultural zeitgeist from that time.  We can see what was considered popular or important, and it was there for future generations down until today. Ultimately the Kojiki would largely be overshadowed by the more comprehensive and prestigious seeming history in the Nihon Shoki.  The Nihon Shoki would become the official history, inspiring future historical records, such as the Shoku Nihongi, the continuation of the records.  The Man'yoshu, likewise, would be emulated, with future compilations like the Kokinshu. These, in turn, would impact the cultural imaginary of the time.  They would shape people's ideas about the past, about art, and even about the nature of the kami themselves.  During this period it is hard to understate just how much they were setting in place a new system.  It is even difficult to tell how much of that system had actually been instituted by previous sovereigns, even though it's hard to tell how much that actually happened as opposed to simple claims by Ohoama and, later, Uno, to justify what they were doing.  Up to this point, the Ritsuryou State and the various reforms had been an experiment, but under Ohoama we truly see that the new government upgrades would be fully installed.  At the same time, we also see a shake up in the court.  Those who had been loyal to Ohoama during the Jinshin conflict of 672 received various rewards—increased rank and stipend, for one thing.  As famous individuals passed away, they were also granted posthumous rank, which might not seem like much, but it increased the family's prestige and that of the individual's descendants without actually handing out a higher level stipend that would be a drain on the coffers.  All of this also continued to build up the elites' reliance on not just the court, but on the throne itself for their status, wealth, and position.  Thus they had a vested interest in seeing that the project succeeded. And that is the world that we are about to dive into.  Thank you, I know we didn't get into too much of the immediate history, and some of this is spoilers—after all, this took time and in the moment it could have turned out quite differently.  What if Ohoama had gotten sick and died?  What if there had been a rebellion?  What if Silla or Tang had attacked?  While we know what happened from the safety of our vantage point, far in the future, it is important to remember that at the time the people in the court didn't know what would happen next, so please keep that in mind. Next episode, we'll start to get into the actual events of the reign, starting with Ohoama's ascension to the throne at the newly built Kiyomihara palace in Asuka. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

On this episode we dive deep into dark crevasses of twisted human psyche by checking out both the movie and manga of Ichi the Killer! How does Takeshi Miike's cult-classic adaptation compare to Hideo Yamamoto's original shocking series?! We also celebrate the English licensing of Billy Bat, discuss Young Magazine USA, and more!!! Send us emails! mangamachinations@gmail.com  Follow us on Social Media! @mangamacpodcast Check out our website! https://mangamachinations.com Support us on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/mangamac  Check out our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/mangamactv Check out our new gaming channel! https://www.youtube.com/@NakayoshiGaming/  Timestamps: Intro, Billy Bat - 00:00:00 Young Magazine USA - 00:07:49 Meaheim - 00:21:11 Patlabor 2: The Movie - 00:30:28 Next Episode Preview - 00:34:58 (Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Torture) Ichi the Killer - 00:36:04 *SPOILERS* Ichi the Killer Manga - 01:01:51 End of Manga Spoilers - 01:15:39 Outro - 01:27:12 Song Credits: “Hopscotch” by Louis Adrien “Jiggin the Jig” by Bless & the Professionals “Green Light” by Emily Lewis “Tasty Bites” by ZISO

Kumugi is riddled with guilt, Karen becomes the third wheel, and Denji is manipulated with a little skin (again)!   5:28 - Ichi the Witch 46 15:31 - Blue Box 207 24:44 - Black Clover 381-383 38:26 - Boruto: Two Blue Vortex 25 48:22 - Chainsaw Man 211-212 58:18 - Dandadan 206 1:02:12 / 62:12 - Spy x Family 121 1:12:43 / 72:43 - Hima-Ten! 54 1:19:45 / 79:45 - Otr of the Flame 14 1:26:31 / 86:31 - Ping-Pong Peril 6 1:32:49 / 92:49 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 56 1:36:30 / 96:30 - Marriagetoxin 136-137 1:47:52 / 107:52 - Nue's Exorcist 110 1:54:32 / 114:32 - Akane-banashi 170 2:02:45 / 122:45 - One Piece 1157 2:12:51 / 132:51 - Favorite Series and MVP

This episode was released on August 15th, 2025, exactly 80 years after the Empire of Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, we bring you a largely forgotten story. In 1944, Japan launched its biggest land campaign of the war. It was called “Operation Ichi-Go (Operation #1)” – a massive push through China with half a million troops. It shattered Chiang Kai-shek's armies, changed Allied strategy, and helped set the stage for the ROC's retreat to Taiwan.But the spark for this offensive began not on a battlefield in China, but in what's today Hsinchu, Taiwan. This “big picture” episode has surprise U.S. bombing raids, brutal battles, Roosevelt's strategy meetings in Hawaii, the collapse of China's wartime economy, and lots more twists and turns that would lead to Mao Zedong proclaiming the People's Republic of China in 1949 – and the Republic of China retreating to Taiwan.

Ichi gets introduced to the world, Jiji shows off why he's a genius, and in Ping-Pong Peril they use ping-pong to knock their opponents out with high voltage electricity!   5:19 - Ichi the Witch 44 24:45 - Blue Box 206 36:17 - Dandadan 205 44:15 - Spy x Family 120.1 49:21 - Hima-Ten! 53 1:04:06 / 64:06 - Otr of the Flame 13 1:12:39 / 72:39 - Ping-Pong Peril 5 1:19:37 / 79:37 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 55 1:27:07 / 87:07 - Marriagetoxin 135 1:42:26 / 102:26 - Nue's Exorcist 109 2:00:32 / 120:32 - Akane-banashi 169 2:09:47 / 129:47 - One Piece 1156 2:29:18 / 149:18 - Favorite Series and MVP

Nik and Quinn enter the Evangelion fandom on the right note: confused.   5:04 - Neon Genesis Evangelion 1:07:02 / 67:02 - Ichi the Witch 43 1:17:21 / 77:21 - Blue Box 205 1:27:06 / 87:06 - Chainsaw Man 210 1:30:35 / 90:35 - Dandadan 204 1:34:00 / 94:00 - Hima-Ten! 52 1:42:51 / 102:51 - Otr of the Flame 12 1:48:46 / 108:46 - Ping-Pong Peril 4 1:57:00 / 117:00 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 54 2:03:10 / 123:10 - Nue's Exorcist 108 2:15:26 / 135:26 - Akane-banashi 168 2:22:39 / 142:39 - Favorite Series and MVP 2:27:49 / 147:49 - Next Recommendation

This week on Sparkleside Chats, Ayu talks with magical writer Emerson about Miraculous Ladybug (2021)⁠. You can find him on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ or Twitter⁠.News: (1:00)Witch Detective show in productionMadoka Magica Walpurgisnacht Rising coming Feb 2026Magical Girl holoWitches Vol 1 drops August 19thAikatsu x Pripara the movie is coming October 10thI Want to Eat The Mermaid Princess Volume one dropped July 25thLock & Key: A Magical Girl Mystery releases in September on Steam & itchioVolume 4 of Ichi the Witch out on August 4thWinx Club: The Magic Is Back is coming to Netflix on October 2nd.A new visual for the upcoming reboot of Hana no Ko Lunlun!Horror mocukmentary Magical Girl Yamada releases supplementary webcomicCute High Earth Defense Club Love! Love! is coming to the Tokyo stage in OctoberNew comic Magical Girl Gurumeguri has begun serializationWhat I'm Watching: (8:30)WishcatMain Topic: (4:45)Warning for racism and police misconduct, child abuse, and Japanese imperialismSeries Mentioned:Ojamajo DoremiPretearNanohaMadokaSailor MoonPeter PanJurassic ParkPrincess Session OrchestraYou & Idol PreCureMermaid MagicWinx Club The Magic Is BackCatch TeeniepingOriginal podcast music by Hazel, @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠afewbruises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Keep up to date with the Magical Girl Media Google Calendar!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your ideas to the podcast here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Ayu wishlist gifts from Throne!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Commission Ayu for art, drop off a donation, or sign up for bonus episodes on Ko-fi!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the podcast online on the socials @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠magicalgirlayu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on Spotify for Creators at sparkleside, and don't forget to comment online with the hashtag #SparklesideChats! Contact us by email or DMs.

In this episode, Ichi sits down with Max Ellis of Sword & Shield Productions, who made the indie tokusatsu Avalon, Knight of the Round Table, to answer questions from CastFans regarding inspiration, choices made and not made, effective budgeting ideologies, and a few thoughts on what we might see in the upcoming second season.  Check out Avalon on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUfAQVlX7E1N8BUJD7ZqTYP-ZmkmkUpXo Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUVMnyt3NEo   Hungry? Get CA$15 off your first 3 UberEats orders of CA$20 or more! https://ubereats.com/feed?promoCode=eats-christopherm5931ue Get $5 off your first order with SkipTheDishes! https://www.skipthedishes.com/r/6YaJc65HKg

Team Ichi gets new costumes, Seiko gets a beating, and Jura smells his finger a lot!   4:29 - Ichi the Witch 42 17:04 - Blue Box 204 33:07 - Boruto: Two Blue Vortex 24 52:28 - Chainsaw Man 209 58:42 - Dandadan 203 1:05:18 / 65:18 - Kaiju No. 8 129 1:21:25 / 81:25 - Spy x Family 120 1:31:26 / 91:26 - Hima-Ten! 51 1:38:31 / 98:31 - Otr of the Flame 11 1:41:34 / 101:34 - Ping-Pong Peril 3 1:48:52 / 108:52 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 53 1:52:53 / 112:53 - Marriagetoxin 134 1:59:19 / 119:19 - Nue's Exorcist 107 2:05:08 / 125:08 - Akane-banashi 167 2:09:47 / 129:47 - One Piece 1155 2:21:15 / 141:15 - Favorite Series and MVP

One Piece drops drops a huge lore fact for free, a WAP appears in DanDaDan, and can anyone overcome the character powerhouse that is Hara?   9:05 - Ichi the Witch 41 21:23 - Blue Box 203 37:26 - Dandadan 202 45:27 - Ekiden Bros 3 1:03:20 / 63:20 - Hima-Ten! 50 1:13:26 / 73:26 - Otr of the Flame 10 1:21:22 / 81:22 - Ping-Pong Peril 2 1:36:17 / 96:17 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 52 1:41:16 / 101:16 - Marriagetoxin 133 1:51:01 / 111:01 - Nue's Exorcist 106 2:02:16 / 122:16 - Akane-banashi 166 2:09:39 / 129:39 - One Piece 1154 2:21:56 / 141:56 - Favorite Series and MVP

World Trigger finally moves into the second part of the Away Mission Test, Ichi and Gokuraku share a platonic bond, and it's really weird that most of the pages in Akane Banashi were blank this week!   5:06 - Ichi the Witch 40 18:42 - Blue Box 202 33:36 - Chainsaw Man 208 40:58 - Dandadan 201 50:15 - Spy x Family 119 1:07:50 / 67:50 - World Trigger 255-256 1:18:17 / 78:17 - Ekiden Bros 2 1:25:58 / 85:58 - Hima-Ten! 49 1:36:45 / 96:45 - Kaedegami 3 1:43:40 / 103:40 - Otr of the Flame 9 1:49:15 / 109:15 - Ping-Pong Peril 1 1:53:52 / 113:52 - Marriagetoxin ex 1:55:46 / 115:46 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 51 2:00:00 / 120:00 - Nue's Exorcist 105 2:08:42 / 128:42 - Akane-banashi 165 2:16:37 / 136:37 - Favorite Series and MVP

It has been a very strange last 7 days. Recent losses, close calls in other situations have taken its toll on me mentally. I start the show talking through some things. Then I use some recent movies I saw to help shape a conversation about us as a person at our core. I hope you can take something from this episode.Timestamps(00:00) Intro and Life Talk(07:15) Community thanks Omar and Lisa(12:12) I started Death StrandingMain Topic(15:40) The Human Beneath the Mask(26:10) Superman movie(33:02) Ironheart tv series(36:31) F1 Movie(44:50) Summer anime check in(47:40) Ichi the Witch manga 42(49:00) One Piece manga 1154(52:18) Wrap up and outro______________________________Follow meMy website: https://dadneedstotalk.com/Blue Sky: dadneedstotalk2.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/DadNeedsToTalkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadneedstotalkpodcast/

Everyone deserves a teacher as cool as Sasaki-sensei.   2:35 - I Wanna Be Your Girl 20:52 - Ichi the Witch 39 32:43 - Blue Box 201 48:37 - Chainsaw Man 207 52:56 - Dandadan 200 1:01:53 / 61:53 - Ekiden Bros 1 1:07:04 / 67:04 - Harukaze Mound 3 1:16:39 / 76:39 - Hima-Ten! 48 1:27:54 / 87:54 - Kaedegami 2 1:36:39 / 96:39 - Otr of the Flame 8 1:44:50 / 104:50 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 50 1:56:26 / 116:26 - Marriagetoxin 132 2:09:04 / 129:04 - Nue's Exorcist 104 2:22:10 / 142:10 - Akane-banashi 164 2:28:10 / 148:10 - One Piece 1153 2:37:29 / 157:29 - Favorite Series and MVP

Yor reckons with her fake family life, Ichi drops a ruthlessly cold line, and Nue Sexorcist baffles and confounds.   3:24 - Ichi the Witch 39 10:26 - Blue Box 200 16:38 - Boruto: Two Blue Vortex 23 20:55 - Dandadan 199 27:11 - Kaiju No. 8 128 33:20 - Spy x Family 118 41:00 - Embers 20 49:27 - Harukaze Mound 2 53:21 - Hima-Ten! 47 58:59 - Kaedegami 1 1:09:29 / 69:29 - Otr of the Flame 7 1:14:31 / 74:31 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 49 1:20:12 / 80:12 - Marriagetoxin ex 1:21:35 / 81:35 - Nue's Exorcist 103 1:30:46 / 90:46 - Akane-banashi 163 1:36:52 / 96:52 - One Piece 1152 1:47:56 / 107:56 - Favorite Series and MVP

MarriageToxin starts a TCG, Syd Craft ends like a harem series, and if you haven't read this week's Nue Sexorcist then ur-ine for a big surprise!   8:03 - Ichi the Witch 38 18:58 - Blue Box 199 32:25 - Chainsaw Man 206 33:32 - Blue Box tangent 34:50 - Chainsaw Man 206 38:36 - Dandadan 198 46:16 - Embers 19 58:47 - Harukaze Mound 1 1:15:23 / 75:23 - Hima-Ten! 46 1:28:03 / 88:03 - Otr of the Flame 6 1:37:06 / 97:06 - Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery 28 1:47:19 / 107:19 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 48 1:54:20 / 114:20 - Marriagetoxin 131 2:04:15 / 124:15 - Nue's Exorcist 102 2:09:03 / 129:03 - Akane-banashi 162 2:19:47 / 139:47 - Favorite Series and MVP

Send us a textA young man's visit to his grandparents' home leads to the discovery of an old-time radio broadcast that has brought the family happiness for years, a revelation that will lead him to question his life choices, sanity and dietary choices. On Episode 673 of Trick or Treat Radio we discuss the Japanese horror flick, Best Wishes To All from director Yûta Shimotsu! We also talk about the true meaning of happiness, extreme Japanese horror, and movies with creepy old people! So grab your genealogy test results, make sure you're with the right family, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: Netflix, true crime docs, horror streaming, Mindhunter, RIP DeVera Burroughs, birthday gimmicks, holding down the fort, this day in horror history, Crispin “Hellion” Glover, Ben, Food of the Gods, Rats, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre soundtrack, John Larroquette, Waiting for Guffman, Christopher Guest, Michael Hitchcock, Catherine O'Hara, MadTV, Lillian Verner Gameshow, Last Dinosaur, Chas Balun, Battle Royale, House, Ichi the Killer, Uzumaki, Best Wishes to All, Yuta Shimotsu, M. Night Shyamalan, The Visit, extreme Japanese horror, the Mae Young scene, Japanese Culture, geriatric f*ck machines, poorly executed silly CGI, Soul Reaper, Indonesian horror films, and finger sucking good films.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show

Gokuraku and Ichi share a very heterosexual moment together, the DanDaDan crew travels into the eye of the typhoon, and Hemlock reveals that while you were making out and having fun he was studying the blade!   12:22 - Ichi the Witch 37 22:16 - Blue Box 198 36:30 - Chainsaw Man 205 42:37 - Dandadan 197 47:37 - Kaiju No. 8 127 55:11 - Spy x Family 117 1:06:16 / 66:16 - Embers 18 1:13:16 / 73:16 - Hima-Ten! 45 1:23:40 / 83:40 - Otr of the Flame 5 1:34:03 / 94:03 - Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery 27 1:40:00 / 100:00 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 47 1:46:31 / 106:31 - Marriagetoxin 130 1:54:14 / 114:14 - Nue's Exorcist 101 2:02:35 / 122:35 - Akane-banashi 161 2:09:29 / 129:29 - One Piece 1151 2:16:48 / 136:48 - Favorite Series and MVP

Ichi discovers what the “source material” is, and the implications are staggering. Be sure to get caught up with our archives via all the major podcast apps, YouTube, and our website! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart Radio, Amazon Podcasts, Audible, and more! Leave that 5 star rating and review! Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel at Roll The Hard 20! And check out our Patreon! Find us on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roll-the-hard-20-podcast/id1408365472 Subscribe to our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOo3xgvuyt8p_u6HqysDATw/featured?view_as=subscriber Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kJ6KnJsQFsN4z86N6UjZo?si=6s15B9YuQPGksRzwZyVKLA Pandora https://pandora.app.link/WOmEP5Rf1Cb iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-roll-the-hard-20-podcast-31128285/ Amazon Podcasts: https://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B08K585JWV/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1618152633&s=audible&sr=1-1 We're on Audible! https://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B08K55QSGF&source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=podcast_show_detail Also on Podbean https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/vkker-a5316/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/page/6 Just one more venue we can be found! https://www.delta-green.com/topics/debriefing/ Want to be a Hard Slinger and get cool swag? Join us on our Patreon page! https://www.patreon.com/rollthehard20podcast Contact your Trusted D.M. Brian! Visit the website at: https://www.rollthehard20podcast.com/ Email us at: rollthehard20podcast@gmail.com Want to represent the podcast? Check out our awesome shirts! https://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B07HMMRMMN?keywords=roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1537974976&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1 Follow our social media footprints at: https://m.facebook.com/groups/202767550592121 https://instagram.com/rollthehard20?igshid=gjlo7p4lay72 https://twitter.com/rollthehard20?s=11 "Darkling", "Laser Groove" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Surprisingly light and fluffy for a series about high schoolers tackling each other as hard as humanly possible.   7:34 - Rugby Rumble 33:17 - Ichi the Witch 36 43:29 - Dandadan 196 51:01 - World Trigger 253-254 1:04:45 / 64:45 - Embers 17 1:11:21 / 71:21 - Hima-Ten! 44 1:24:11 / 84:11 - Otr of the Flame 4 1:32:03 / 92:03 - Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery 26 1:46:01 / 106:01 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 46 1:55:06 / 115:06 - Marriagetoxin 129 2:05:58 / 125:58 - Nue's Exorcist 100 2:14:11 / 134:11 - Akane-banashi 160 2:21:08 / 141:08 - One Piece 1150 2:26:30 / 146:30 - Favorite Series and MVP 2:28:45 / 148:45 - Next Recommendation

The Fire Devil makes their appearance, Brooke's connection to Gunko gets teased further, and Syd Craft reveals everything!   1:24 - Skipping Last Week's Chapters 5:02 - Ichi the Witch 35 14:31 - Blue Box 197 23:18 - Chainsaw Man 204 30:04 - Spy x Family 116.1 33:19 - more Chainsaw Man 35:19 - Embers 16 44:12 - Hima-Ten! 43 52:48 - Otr of the Flame 3 1:03:53 / 63:53 - Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery 25 1:23:40 / 83:40 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 45 1:31:21 / 91:21 - Marriagetoxin 128 1:39:55 / 99:55 - Nue's Exorcist 99 1:51:09 / 111:09 - Akane-banashi 159 1:56:26 / 116:26 - One Piece 1149 2:06:41 / 126:41 - Favorite Series and MVP

Find out what got this series BANNED!!! ... It's just that boys fall in love. That's it. Anyway, here's the review!   4:35 - Sasaki and Miyano 27:41 - Ichi the Witch 33 35:06 - Blue Box 195 47:48 - Dandadan 194 52:27 - Kaiju No. 8 126 56:00 - Spy x Family 116 1:05:39 / 65:39 - Embers 14 1:18:44 / 78:44 - Hima-Ten! 41 1:26:11 / 86:11 - Nice Prison 3 1:30:29 / 90:29 - Otr of the Flame 1 1:48:01 / 108:01 - Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery 23 1:59:16 / 119:16 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 43 2:06:28 / 126:28 - Marriagetoxin 127 2:16:18 / 136:18 - Nue's Exorcist 97 2:21:37 / 141:37 - Akane-banashi 157 2:28:00 / 148:00 - One Piece 1148 2:33:42 / 153:42 - Favorite Series and MVP 2:38:56 / 158:56 - Next Recommendation

Sommers throws down an ultimatum in Elbaph, DanDaDan takes to the sky, and Master Lucius can use multiple, MULTIPLE types of magic!   2:18 - Ichi the Witch 32 8:34 - Blue Box 194 16:41 - Black Clover 379-380 25:49 - Chainsaw Man 201-202 32:27 - Dandadan 192-193 42:17 - Kaiju No. 8 125 47:29 - Spy x Family 115 53:44 - World Trigger 252 1:01:51 / 61:51 - Embers 13 1:07:12 / 67:12 - Hima-Ten! 40 1:16:20 / 76:20 - Nice Prison 2 1:18:53 / 78:53 - Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery 22 1:25:45 / 85:45 - Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi 42 1:32:19 / 92:19 - Marriagetoxin 125-126 1:43:23 / 103:23 - Nue's Exorcist 96 1:53:16 / 113:16 - Akane-banashi 156 2:00:36 / 120:36 - One Piece 1147 2:09:30 / 129:30 - Favorite Series and MVP

Synopsis This film follows Kakihara, a sadomasochistic yakuza whose boss goes missing. He sets out on a path of kidnapping and torture to find the man who did this, only to find out that the culprit, Ichi, is a complete sadistic psychopath. Chaos and gore ensue. Review This movie is a lot better than I remember, and I remember loving it. The opening sequence hooks you immediately, with sped up camera movements and manga like color grading at times. This reveals to the viewer that what you're about to watch isn't a typical action/horror film. This movie does have its problems, as it has laughably bad CGI at times, but if you can get past those three or four shots you can enjoy this movie. My other issue with the film is the treatment of the women on screen. It's absolutely devastating, depraved, and nausea inducing. To be fair, mostly everyone dies in this movie and whether you're a woman or not in this world, you're gonna get tortured. So I guess it's kinda fair in the end. At first glance it's very much torture porn, but there's a real story there that provokes humanity's most suppressed subconscious emotions. Ichi the Killer exemplifies the unpredictability of human perseverance and the utmost underbelly of society. This movie does not beg you to sympathize or revel in its grotesqueness. It wants you to be uncomfortable, it does not want you to like these characters at all. I love cinema that makes me squirm. I would be remiss not to mention that the costumes are divine, especially our main man Kakihara's fly suits. The iridescent one he wears in his final scene is stunning.  I really do love this movie, it can be extremely tough to watch at some particularly gory times, but it's great if you can stomach it. Just don't try to eat dinner while you watch it.  Score 8/10