Podcasts about sakura

Whoops, we accidentally took a summer break. We just have so many kids and so little free time. But we're back and we're excited to talk with actor and marketer Sakura Nakahara about her favorite childhood dish that remains a favorite today, okonomiyaki. Not just a childhood treat, today it serves as her mother's love language, bribe language, apology and so much more. We talk with Sakura about being the black sheep of the family for pursuing a science career, growing up with picture-perfect bento box lunches, and her eventual journey to the stage. Plus her sister's diabolical game night and her possible sixth-sense for grapes. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and let us know if you've got a good spot for Okonomiyaki. As much as we aspire to be Sakura's mom, we're probably just ordering out for this one. But if you do want to give it a go at home, grab her mom's recipe from our website and let us know how it turns out.

This week's episode features Taylan, a young new talent making waves in the house scene with his debut mix for House Finesse as part of our 20th anniversary series.

Herkese merhaba! KLİMİK Podcast yayınlarının yeni bölümüne hoş geldiniz. Bu hafta konuğum, Başakşehir Çam ve Sakura Şehir Hastanesi İnfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Kliniği'nden Uz. Dr. Eda Alp. Kendisiyle birlikte 29 Haziran–4 Temmuz tarihleri arasında İrlanda'nın Dublin şehrinde gerçekleşen ESCMID Summer School 2025 programına katıldık. Bu yayında, yaz okulu süresince edindiğimiz akademik ve sosyal deneyimleri, farklı ülkelerden gelen meslektaşlarımızla olan etkileşimleri ve Avrupa'daki infeksiyon eğitimiyle ülkemizdeki sistem arasındaki farklılıkları konuşacağız. Siz dinleyicilerimize de keyifli ve ilham verici bir yayın diliyoruz.

Bonds and mustaches are tested as we continue the Baby Saga of Dragon Ball GT. Defeated and frozen in carbonite, Goku and his friends are teleported to the heart of Dr. Myuu's sinister operation. Giru saves our heroes (thanks to an off-screen scheme with Trunks), but an even darker secret is slumbering within the lab. Baby, the ultimate machine mutant, awakens and escapes Planet M2. Back on Earth, the Z Fighter's peaceful lives are interrupted when an empowered Baby arrives on the scene. Baby failed to defeat Goku back in space, but he's confident that possessing the other Saiyans will give him the strength he needs to conquer the universe. Make sure you have intergalactic health insurance and a really big ice cream cone for today's extra-metallic episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake! Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/Spotify Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided: “Catch You Catch Me” – GUMI – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 “Sakura's Theme” – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 Nukumori no Kioku (Warm Memories) – Seki Tomokazu – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 2- 1998

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Reviving Sakura: Haruto's Journey of Tradition & Innovation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-07-27-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 夏の京都植物園は美しい。En: The natsu of Kyoto Botanical Garden is beautiful.Ja: 緑がいっぱいで、静かな小道が続く。En: It is full of greenery, and quiet paths stretch out.Ja: 蝉の声が遠くから聞こえる。En: The sound of cicadas can be heard from afar.Ja: 晴れることが少ない、今年の夏は特に雨が多い。En: It has been rare for it to be sunny; especially this year, there has been a lot of rain.Ja: はるとは庭師だ。En: Haruto is a gardener.Ja: 彼は市内の植物園で働いている。En: He works at the city's botanical garden.Ja: 今日もさくらの木を手入れしている。En: Today, he is also tending to the sakura trees.Ja: さくらの木はこの庭園の宝だ。En: The sakura trees are a treasure of this garden.Ja: はるとは昔ながらの方法で、丁寧に枝を剪定する。En: Haruto prunes the branches carefully, using traditional methods.Ja: しかし、今年は雨が多くて、さくらが元気をなくしている。En: However, due to the heavy rain this year, the sakura trees are losing their vigor.Ja: ある日、はるとの上司、ゆきがやって来た。En: One day, Haruto's boss, Yuki, came along.Ja: 彼女は現代的な方法を推奨している。En: She advocates for modern methods.Ja: 「はると、もっと新しい方法を試みてみない？」と彼女は提案した。En: "Why don't you try some newer methods, Haruto?" she suggested.Ja: だが、はるとは悩んだ。En: However, Haruto was troubled.Ja: 古い方法も捨てがたい。En: It was difficult to abandon the old methods.Ja: その頃、えみこが庭園を訪れていた。En: Around that time, Emiko visited the garden.Ja: 彼女は芸術家で、絵を描くためにしばしばここに来る。En: She is an artist and often comes here to paint.Ja: 彼女ははるとの働く姿をいつも眺めている。彼の仕事に対する真摯さに感心している。En: She always observes Haruto at work, and she is impressed by his sincerity towards his job.Ja: ある日、激しい嵐が突然やって来た。En: One day, a violent storm suddenly arrived.Ja: 風が強く、雨が降り続けた。En: The wind was strong, and the rain continued to fall.Ja: はるとは心配になった。En: Haruto became worried.Ja: このままではさくらの木が危ない。En: At this rate, the sakura trees would be in danger.Ja: はるとは決心した。En: Haruto made a decision.Ja: 彼は伝統的な方法と新しい方法を融合することにした。En: He decided to combine traditional methods with new ones.Ja: 少しずつ作業を進めた。枝を慎重に切り、新しい技術で土を改善した。En: He proceeded with the work little by little, carefully cutting the branches and using new techniques to improve the soil.Ja: 天気は不安定だったが、はるとは一生懸命続けた。En: Although the weather was unstable, Haruto continued to work earnestly.Ja: やがて、嵐が去った後、さくらの木は元気を取り戻した。En: Eventually, after the storm passed, the sakura trees regained their vitality.Ja: 木々は美しく、庭園は蘇った。En: The trees were beautiful, and the garden was revived.Ja: はるとの努力は報われた。En: Haruto's efforts paid off.Ja: ゆきは驚いた。「見事だね、はると。あなたの判断は正しかった」と彼女は言った。En: Yuki was surprised. "Magnificent, Haruto. Your judgment was correct," she said.Ja: えみこはこの景色に感動し、絵を描き始めた。En: Emiko was moved by the scenery and began to paint.Ja: 彼女はこの庭を舞台にして、美しい絵を創り上げた。En: She created a beautiful piece with this garden as the stage.Ja: はるとは、大切なことを学んだ。En: Haruto learned an important lesson.Ja: 古い方法も、新しい方法も、どちらも大事だ。En: Both old and new methods are important.Ja: 柔軟に考えることが大事だと知った。En: He realized the importance of thinking flexibly.Ja: そして、自分の直感を信じることができるようになった。En: And he became able to trust his own intuition.Ja: 庭園は以前よりも美しく、調和の取れた空間になった。En: The garden became a more beautiful and harmonious space than before.Ja: はるとは毎日、その美しさを見つめ、自分の成長を喜んだ。En: Haruto looked at its beauty every day and rejoiced in his own growth. Vocabulary Words:greenery: 緑cicadas: 蝉rare: 少ないvigor: 元気advocates: 推奨しているabandon: 捨てがたいartist: 芸術家sincerity: 真摯さviolent: 激しいdecision: 決心combine: 融合するtechniques: 技術earnestly: 一生懸命vitality: 元気magnificent: 見事だjudgment: 判断intuition: 直感harmonious: 調和の取れたrejoiced: 喜んだprunes: 剪定するtreasure: 宝modern: 現代的なadvocate: 提案したobserve: 眺めているstorm: 嵐improve: 改善したunstable: 不安定efforts: 努力surprised: 驚いたflexibly: 柔軟に

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Secrets of Kyoto: Unveiling the Past, Embracing the Future Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-07-23-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 京都の古代遺跡には、時間が止まったかのような静けさが漂っていました。En: In the ancient ruins of Kyoto, a silence as if time had stopped lingered.Ja: 石畳のあいだに苔が生い茂り、彫刻が施された柱は長い歴史を語っていました。En: Moss grew thick between the cobblestones, and the pillars adorned with carvings spoke of a long history.Ja: その日はまるで夏の太陽がすべてを優しく包み込むかのようでした。En: On that day, it seemed as if the summer sun was gently enveloping everything.Ja: 遺跡の中を歩く一人の男、直樹がいました。En: There was a man walking through the ruins, Naoki.Ja: 彼は内気な考古学者でした。En: He was a shy archaeologist.Ja: いつかこの世界に自分の価値を証明したいと心のどこかで思っていました。En: Somewhere in his heart, he wished to prove his worth to the world someday.Ja: その一方で、彼はひとりの女性、桜と出会います。En: Meanwhile, he met a woman named Sakura.Ja: 桜は自由奔放な芸術家で、新しいインスピレーションを求めてこの場所を訪れていました。En: Sakura was a free-spirited artist, visiting the place in search of new inspiration.Ja: 彼女もまた、自分の進むべき道に迷いを感じていました。En: She, too, was feeling lost about the path she should take.Ja: 二人は偶然出会い、初めは互いに警戒し合っていました。En: The two met by chance, and at first, they were cautious of each other.Ja: 直樹は桜が自分の研究を妨げるのではないかと心配し、桜は直樹の意図が理解できずに距離を置こうとしていました。En: Naoki worried that Sakura might disrupt his research, while Sakura couldn't understand Naoki's intentions and tried to keep her distance.Ja: しかし、彼らはある不思議なアーティファクトに共に興味を示しました。En: However, they both showed interest in a mysterious artifact.Ja: それは一見、普通の古代の道具でしたが、どこか二人を引きつける力がありました。En: At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary ancient tool, but it had a certain pull that captivated them.Ja: 互いに探求を続ける中で、直樹はこのアーティファクトの意味が自分一人ではわからないことに気付きます。En: As they continued their exploration together, Naoki realized he couldn't understand the artifact's meaning on his own.Ja: そして桜もまた、直樹の知識が必要であることを認めました。En: And Sakura also acknowledged that she needed Naoki's knowledge.Ja: そこで二人は協力する決断をします。En: So the two decided to collaborate.Ja: 共に遺跡を探索し、ついに隠された部屋を見つけます。En: Together, they explored the ruins and finally discovered a hidden room.Ja: その部屋には過去の秘密が詰まっており、彼らの力を結集して解読しなければなりませんでした。En: That room was filled with secrets of the past, and they needed to pool their strengths to decipher them.Ja: この中で彼らは自分自身の不安や疑念と向き合います。En: In the process, they confronted their own uncertainties and doubts.Ja: 最終的に直樹と桜は、遺跡の秘密を解き明かし、自分たちの長所が互いに補完し合っていることに気付きます。En: Ultimately, Naoki and Sakura unraveled the secrets of the ruins and realized that their strengths complemented each other.Ja: 二人は今後も協力し続けることを決め、そこには新たな絆が芽生え始めます。En: They decided to continue working together, and a new bond began to form.Ja: かすかに恋に発展するかもしれない兆しもありました。En: There was even a faint sign that it could develop into romance.Ja: 直樹は協力の大切さを学び、自信を持てるようになりました。En: Naoki learned the importance of collaboration and gained confidence.Ja: そして桜は芸術家としての進むべき道に明確な方向性を感じ、創造力に満ち溢れました。En: Meanwhile, Sakura felt a clear direction for her path as an artist and was brimming with creativity.Ja: 京都の古い遺跡の中で、二人は新しい未来を見つけたのです。En: In the old ruins of Kyoto, the two found a new future. Vocabulary Words:ancient: 古代ruins: 遺跡silence: 静けさlinger: 漂うmoss: 苔cobblestones: 石畳adorned: 施されたcarvings: 彫刻enveloping: 包み込むarchaeologist: 考古学者prove: 証明worth: 価値free-spirited: 自由奔放なinspiration: インスピレーションpath: 道cautious: 警戒disrupt: 妨げるintentions: 意図artifact: アーティファクトcaptivated: 引きつけるexploration: 探求acknowledged: 認めるcollaborate: 協力decipher: 解読uncertainties: 不安complemented: 補完bond: 絆romance: 恋confidence: 自信direction: 方向性

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Moonlit Revelations: Heartfelt Confessions on Gekko Beach Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-07-22-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 夏の夜、静かな月光ビーチに波の音が響きわたる。En: On a summer night, the sound of waves echoed across the silent Gekko Beach.Ja: 空には星が輝き、月が美しい銀色の光を砂浜に投げかけていた。En: Stars shone in the sky, and the moon cast a beautiful silver light onto the sandy shore.Ja: 桜は心を決めて、これから何を言うべきか考えながら、ビーチを歩いていた。En: Sakura had made up her mind and was walking along the beach, thinking about what she should say next.Ja: 「今夜、絶対に告白するの…」桜は自分にそう言い聞かせた。En: "Tonight, I'll definitely confess..." Sakura told herself firmly.Ja: 彼女はリョウを長い間好きだった。En: She had liked Ryou for a long time.Ja: 彼の笑顔、優しさ、そして何よりも彼の心に惹かれていた。En: She was attracted to his smile, kindness, and most of all, his heart.Ja: しかし、いつもどこか不思議に思うこともあった。En: However, there was always something that seemed a bit mysterious.Ja: それでも桜の決意は揺らぐことはなかった。En: Nevertheless, her resolve never wavered.Ja: リョウは海を見つめて立っていた。En: Ryou was standing gazing at the sea.Ja: 月の光が彼を優しく包み込んでいた。En: The moonlight gently enveloped him.Ja: 桜が近づくと、彼は振り返り、彼女に微笑んだ。En: As Sakura approached, he turned and smiled at her.Ja: 「桜、来てくれてありがとう。」彼の声は波の音に溶けるように静かだった。En: "Sakura, thank you for coming." His voice was quiet, as if melting into the sound of the waves.Ja: 「リョウ、話したいことがあるの…」桜は言葉を選びながら、小さな勇気を振り絞った。En: "Ryou, I have something I want to talk about..." Sakura, choosing her words carefully, mustered a small amount of courage.Ja: しかし、その瞬間、少し離れたところからもう一つの声が聞こえた。En: But at that moment, another voice called out from a short distance away.Ja: 「リョウ、準備できた？」それはカイトの声だった。En: "Ryou, are you ready?" It was Kaito's voice.Ja: 桜は驚いてそちらを振り向いた。En: Surprised, Sakura turned towards it.Ja: カイトが二人に近づいてきたのだ。En: Kaito was approaching them.Ja: 「カイト…？」桜は混乱しながら聞いた。En: "Kaito...?" Sakura asked, bewildered.Ja: カイトはリョウの隣に立ち、どこか安心したように彼を見つめていた。En: Kaito stood beside Ryou, looking at him with a kind of relieved expression.Ja: 桜はその視線に、何か特別なものを感じ取った。En: In that gaze, Sakura sensed something special.Ja: 「桜、ごめん。」リョウの声が再び響いた。En: "Sakura, I'm sorry." Ryou's voice sounded again.Ja: 「僕たち、このことをまだ告げてなかったんだ。」En: "We haven't told you about this yet."Ja: その瞬間、桜の心は痛んだ。En: At that moment, Sakura's heart ached.Ja: リョウとカイトの間にある秘密の関係を悟ったのだ。En: She realized the secret relationship between Ryou and Kaito.Ja: しかし、涙をこらえながら、彼女は強くなろうと決めた。En: But holding back her tears, she decided to be strong.Ja: 「そうなんだね…大丈夫、分かったよ。」桜は微笑もうとしたが、声が震えた。En: "I see... It's okay, I understand." Sakura tried to smile, but her voice trembled.Ja: 「桜、僕たちは君との友情を大切に思ってる。」リョウが言った。En: "Sakura, we truly cherish our friendship with you," Ryou said.Ja: 「ありがとう、リョウ、そして…カイトさん、よろしくね。」桜は微笑みながら言った。En: "Thank you, Ryou, and... nice to meet you, Kaito." Sakura said with a smile.Ja: 月光に照らされたビーチを去る桜の背中に、二人の笑顔が優しく見守っていた。En: As she left the beach illuminated by the moonlight, Ryou and Kaito's smiles gently watched over Sakura's back.Ja: 桜はこの経験を通じて、自分の心を知り、強くなっていた。En: Through this experience, she learned about her own heart and became stronger.Ja: 桜はもう一度振り返り、リョウとカイトに手を振った。En: Sakura turned back once more, waving to Ryou and Kaito.Ja: 彼女は新しい一歩を踏み出した。友達として、そして自分自身を大切にするために。En: She took a new step forward—cherishing her friends and herself.Ja: 夏の夜は静かに続き、波の音だけがいつまでも耳に残った。En: The summer night continued quietly, and only the sound of the waves lingered in her ears forever. Vocabulary Words:echoed: 響きわたるsilent: 静かなcast: 投げかけていたconfess: 告白するfirmly: 言い聞かせたattracted: 惹かれていたmysterious: 不思議resolve: 決意gazing: 見つめて立っていたenveloped: 包み込んでいたmustered: 振り絞ったcourage: 勇気surprised: 驚いてbewildered: 混乱しながらrelieved: 安心したspecial: 特別なached: 痛んだsecret: 秘密holding back: こらえながらtrembled: 震えたcherish: 大切に思ってるwaved: 手を振ったfriendship: 友情step forward: 一歩を踏み出したilluminated: 照らされたlingered: 残ったexperience: 経験sense: 感じ取ったsmile: 微笑もうapproaching: 近づいてきた

On this episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake Jonathan and Dan face a new slew of challenges on their continuing Cardcaptor Sakura journey. First off, we try to open a mysterious locked box, while seeing how the other half lives. Next, watch as the boys scramble, while stuck in a never-ending time loop. Dan will stop and play tug of war with the elephants and Jonathan will take the lead role in the high school production of Cinderella. How fitting? Well, if those scenarios don't hit close enough to home, imagine your humble podcast hosts getting into a fight that could shake the very foundation of their friendship. Not like that happens every week or so... Anyways, get your camcorder ready there is sure to be some embarrassing footage the raccoons can view in the private editing room later.  Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/Spotify Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided: “Catch You Catch Me” – GUMI – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 “Sakura's Theme” – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 Nukumori no Kioku (Warm Memories) – Seki Tomokazu – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 2- 1998

你猜的沒錯，和平討論 KPOP 的日子再度來臨！直男們先從近期的幾首新歌分享會開始今天這集，包括 aespa - Dirty Work, KISS OF LIFE - Lips Hips Kiss 等等，竟然還從女團的新歌聊到男團有多性感？！也因為曾經嘗試耍帥學偶像跳舞的關係 (結果肯定是非常肢障)，直男們更崇拜 SEVENTEEN 的超扯超同步舞姿以及 V 的創世級神顏。KPOP 特集當然少不了自肥的殘酷二選一，你會選擇當 V 的鄰兵兩年還是當 Karina 的經紀人兩年？喝 Sana 幫你做的奶昔還是拿到 Sakura 親手織的毛帽？ 請 aespa 全員上節目還是帶 IU 去逛夜市？ 熱愛追星的你趕緊加入我們和平討論 KPOP 吧！ The boys are back with another PEACEFUL KPOP TALKS episode!! They start with some hot new drops like aespa's Dirty Work and KISS OF LIFE's Lips Hips Kiss, then somehow end up questioning if all boy groups are just… way too sexy?? After trying (and failing) to dance like idols, they obsess over SEVENTEEN's god-tier dance synchronization and V's ridiculously handsome face. Then it's time for the real debate: would you rather serve in the military with V or be Karina's personal manager? Drink Sana's handmade juice or rock a toque knitted by Sakura? Have aespa on the podcast or take IU to the night market? Join the boys from some peaceful discussion on KPOP! WATCH ON YOUTUBE ► https://youtu.be/Fqhm5ROOlrk ADD US ON: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/realfakepod TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@realfakepod ALSO LISTEN ON: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TksE7y9IMfQ260RIphbVZ?si=1c2e29c11998439d APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/realfake/id1696494723 KKBOX: https://podcast.kkbox.com/tw/channel/4kLuUmtJAAS0srSYvP

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Conquering Fujisan: A Quest for Friendship and the Perfect Selfie Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-07-14-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 富士山は夏の空にそびえ立ち、その雪で覆われた頂上が緑の斜面と見事なコントラストを成していました。En: Fujisan stood towering against the summer sky, its snow-covered peak forming a striking contrast with the green slopes.Ja: お盆の休みを満喫する登山者たちが、道に咲く野花を楽しみながら歩いています。En: Hikers enjoying their Obon holiday walked along, delighting in the wildflowers that bloomed along the path.Ja: そんな中、元気あふれるハルト、計画的なユキ、そして陽気なサクラの三人がいました。En: Among them were the energetic Harto, the methodical Yuki, and the cheerful Sakura.Ja: 「ハルト、ここで記念写真撮ろう！En: "Harto, let's take a commemorative photo here!"Ja: 」サクラが提案しました。En: Sakura suggested.Ja: 彼女の目的は完璧な写真を撮って、SNSにアップすることでした。En: Her goal was to take the perfect picture and upload it to social media.Ja: しかし、ハルトはそれでは物足りません。En: However, Harto was not satisfied with that.Ja: 「頂上で自撮りコンテストに勝ちたいんだ」と彼は意気込みました。En: "I want to win the selfie contest at the summit," he declared enthusiastically.Ja: 「でも、安全第一よ」とユキが心配そうに言いました。En: "But safety first," Yuki said anxiously.Ja: 「計画通り進まないと危険よ」ハルトはそんなユキの心配をよそに、険しい道を進んでいきました。En: "It's dangerous if we don't follow the plan."Ja: サクラは少し迷いましたが、面白そうだと感じて彼の後について行きました。En: Disregarding Yuki's worries, Harto proceeded along the steep path.Ja: 「サクラ、気をつけて！En: Sakura, hesitating a little, felt it might be fun and followed after him.Ja: 」とユキが叫びましたが、二人はすでに見えなくなっていました。En: "Be careful, Sakura!"Ja: 突然、霧が辺りを包み込みました。En: Yuki shouted, but the two had already disappeared from view.Ja: 道は見えづらく、足元も不安定です。En: Suddenly, fog enveloped the area.Ja: 狭い崖の上、サクラは少し怖くなりました。En: The path became harder to see, and their footing was unstable.Ja: 「後悔しないでよ、ハルト」と彼女は冗談半分に言いました。En: On a narrow cliff, Sakura felt a bit scared.Ja: その時、ユキが彼らに追いつきました。En: "Don't regret this, Harto," she said, half-jokingly.Ja: 「みんな、元の道に戻ろう！En: At that moment, Yuki caught up with them.Ja: 」ユキは決然とした表情で言いました。En: "Let's go back to the original path, everyone!"Ja: 三人は協力して霧の中を慎重に歩き始めました。En: Yuki said with a resolute expression.Ja: 競争ではなく友情が大事だと気づいた時、彼らの心は一つになりました。En: The three began to walk cautiously through the fog, realizing that friendship was more important than competition, and their hearts became united.Ja: 安全な場所に戻った三人は、ゆったりとした気分で景色を楽しみました。En: Once they returned to a safe place, the three enjoyed the scenery with a relaxed feeling.Ja: 「ここなら安全だし、景色も素晴らしいわね」とユキが言いました。En: "It's safe here, and the view is wonderful," said Yuki.Ja: 「そうだね。En: "Yes, how about we take a group selfie here?"Ja: ここでグループセルフィーでも撮ろうか」とハルトが笑顔で答えました。En: Harto replied with a smile.Ja: カメラのシャッターを押すと、画面には笑顔の彼らが映し出され、夏の冒険が記録されました。En: As they pressed the camera shutter, the screen showed them all smiling, capturing their summer adventure.Ja: 友達との大切な時間が何より素晴らしいものだと、彼らは改めて感じました。En: They once again realized that precious time with friends is the most wonderful thing of all.Ja: 新たな友達の絆を感じた瞬間でした。En: It was a moment when they felt a new bond of friendship. Vocabulary Words:towering: そびえ立つcontrast: コントラストslope: 斜面obon: お盆delighting: 満喫するenergetic: 元気あふれるmethodical: 計画的なcheerful: 陽気なcommemorative: 記念enthusiastically: 意気込みanxiously: 心配そうにdisregarding: よそにsteep: 険しいhesitating: 迷うenveloped: 包み込むfooting: 足元unstable: 不安定cliff: 崖regret: 後悔half-jokingly: 冗談半分にresolute: 決然としたoriginal: 元のcautiously: 慎重にrealizing: 気づくcompetition: 競争bond: 絆relaxed: ゆったりとしたscenery: 景色shutter: シャッターcapturing: 記録する

Anime Was (Not) A Mistake returns once more for some zany space adventures with Dragon Ball GT. After growing as friends Goku, Trunks, and Pan are seemingly betrayed by their robotic ally Giru. On a strange cybernetic planet our party is divided and set to be test subjects in both General Rildo and Doctor Myuu's sick, scientific studies. Pan must infiltrate this base of operations in order to save her crew and reclaim the Dragon Balls. However, with all of their combat on display for the transforming Sigma Force, how can mere mortals hope to fight against the progress of technology? Jonathan and Dan will have to recombine and transform in order to stand a chance in the wake of this raising power.  Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/Spotify Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided: “Catch You Catch Me” – GUMI – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 “Sakura's Theme” – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 Nukumori no Kioku (Warm Memories) – Seki Tomokazu – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 2- 1998

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Journey to Clarity: Finding Balance at Mount Fuji Retreat Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-07-09-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 青々とした木々に囲まれた富士山麓の静かなスピリチュアルリトリート。この美しい場所に、桜と浩二はやってきました。En: In a quiet spiritual retreat at the foot of Mount Fuji, surrounded by lush greenery, Sakura and Koji found themselves.Ja: 二人は人生の分岐点に立ち、心の平穏を求めてこの週末を過ごそうとしています。En: Standing at a turning point in their lives, they aimed to spend the weekend seeking peace of mind.Ja: 桜は大学を卒業したばかりで、これからの道に迷っています。En: Sakura had just graduated from university and was lost about the path ahead.Ja: 彼女はどのようなキャリアを選ぶべきか、ずっと考え続けていました。En: She had been pondering which career path to choose.Ja: 一方、浩二は仕事と個人的な幸せの間で葛藤しています。En: Meanwhile, Koji was torn between his work and personal happiness.Ja: 仕事はやりがいがあるが、ストレスも大きく、本当にこれでいいのかと疑問を感じていました。En: Although his job was fulfilling, it was also very stressful, and he was questioning if this was truly the right path for him.Ja: 夏の日差しが森に差し込む中、二人は禅の指導者のもとで瞑想のレッスンを受け始めました。En: As the summer sunlight streamed through the forest, the two began meditation lessons under the guidance of a Zen instructor.Ja: 深い呼吸をし、心を落ち着けると、時間が止まったかのように感じました。En: Taking deep breaths and calming their minds, it felt as though time had ceased.Ja: 静けさの中で、桜は柔らかく言いました。「私は、自分が本当に望むことを探しています。」En: In the silence, Sakura softly said, "I am searching for what I truly want."Ja: 浩二も心を開き始めます。「僕は、この仕事を続けるべきか悩んでいるんだ。生活は安定しているけど、心が休まらない。」En: Koji also began to open up. "I'm conflicted about whether I should continue with this job. Life is stable, but my mind is not at peace."Ja: その夜、山の向こうに沈む夕日を見ながら、二人はさらに深く話し合いました。En: That evening, as they watched the sunset behind the mountain, the two talked more deeply.Ja: 桜は「ボランティアをしてみたい。自身の価値観に合う仕事を見つける手助けになるかも」と決心しました。En: Sakura resolved, "I want to try volunteering. It might help me find a job that aligns with my values."Ja: クライマックスは、次の日の朝。En: The climax came the following morning.Ja: 二人は再び瞑想に挑みました。En: Once more, the two attempted meditation.Ja: 瞑想中、桜は未来への不安を手放し始め、心が軽くなるのを感じました。En: During the meditation, Sakura began to let go of her anxiety about the future, feeling her heart lighten.Ja: 浩二は、仕事の量を減らすために上司と話す決意をしました。En: Koji decided to speak to his boss about reducing his workload.Ja: リトリートを終えたとき、桜の目は輝いていました。En: When they completed the retreat, Sakura's eyes sparkled.Ja: 「変化を恐れず、前に進んでみるよ」と彼女は言い、未来への一歩を踏み出します。En: "I'm going to move forward without fearing change," she said, taking her first step toward the future.Ja: 浩二は心穏やかに、これからの道を思い描きます。En: Koji, with a calm heart, envisioned his path ahead.Ja: 「仕事と人生のバランスを大切にするんだ」と彼は自分に誓いました。En: "I will prioritize balance between work and life," he vowed to himself.Ja: そして二人は、富士山の景色を背にしながら、より明るい未来に向かって歩き出しました。En: And so, with the scenery of Mount Fuji at their backs, they walked toward a brighter future.Ja: それぞれの決意を胸に、彼らは不確実な未来でも希望を持って進んでいきます。En: With their individual resolutions in their hearts, they moved forward with hope, even in an uncertain future. Vocabulary Words:retreat: リトリートspiritual: スピリチュアルlush: 青々としたgreenery: 木々pondering: 考え続けているtorn: 葛藤meditation: 瞑想instructor: 指導者guidance: 指導ceased: 止まったconflicted: 悩んでいるstable: 安定resolved: 決心しましたvolunteering: ボランティアaligns: 合うanxiety: 不安lighten: 軽くなるworkload: 仕事の量sparkled: 輝いていましたenvisioned: 思い描きますprioritize: 大切にするbalance: バランスresolutions: 決意uncertain: 不確実turning point: 分岐点fulfilling: やりがいがあるcalming: 落ち着けるpeace of mind: 心の平穏sunset: 夕日heart: 心

Anime Was (Not) A Mistake is back again for another summery and abundantly floral episode of Cardcaptor Sakura. With Sakura still adapting to her world-saving title, she must also come to terms with love, loss, and maybe even a rival. From ghostly visages in the woods, to a deadly sword brooch, this batch of episodes crash louder than a peal of thunder. I hope you are all wearing your catsuits in order to infiltrate a museum and participate in a 100-meter dash. I would be worried, but we have both the Senor Sangria and Mayonnaise cards on our sides. We can do anything!  Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/Spotify Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided: “Catch You Catch Me” – GUMI – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 “Sakura's Theme” – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 Nukumori no Kioku (Warm Memories) – Seki Tomokazu – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 2- 1998

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Reuniting Hearts at Tokyo Skytree's Tanabata Festival Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-07-04-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 夏の東京スカイツリーはとても美しい。En: The natsu summer Tokyo Skytree is very beautiful.Ja: 七夕祭りの日、人々であふれている。En: On the day of the Tanabata Festival, it is overflowing with people.Ja: ハルトはその場所に着いた。En: Haruto arrived at the location.Ja: 心の中には少し緊張があった。En: There was a bit of nervousness in his heart.Ja: 彼は日本に帰ってきて、家族と再会するのが久しぶりだ。En: It had been a long time since he returned to Japan and reunited with his family.Ja: スカイツリーの観光デッキは、色とりどりの七夕の短冊で飾られている。En: The observation deck of the Skytree was decorated with colorful Tanabata strips.Ja: ちょうど天の川のように輝いていた。En: It shone just like the Amanogawa Milky Way.Ja: ハルトの隣には姉のユキがいる。En: Next to Haruto was his sister, Yuki.Ja: ユキは毎日忙しい会社員だ。En: Yuki is a busy company employee every day.Ja: 彼女は家族の期待を背負っている。En: She shoulders the family's expectations.Ja: 二人は静かに歩きながら、上を見上げた。En: As the two walked quietly, they looked up.Ja: ユキは少し心配そうで言った。「ハルト、おばあちゃんのさくらが来たよ。」En: Yuki, looking a bit worried, said, "Haruto, grandma Sakura has arrived."Ja: そこに向かうと、さくらおばあちゃんがうれしそうに笑っていた。En: As they went toward her, Sakura grandma smiled happily.Ja: 彼女は伝統的な祭りと家族の集まりが大好きだ。En: She loves traditional festivals and family gatherings.Ja: ハルトを見ると、「元気になったね！」と言った。彼女の目は優しかった。En: When she saw Haruto, she said, "You've grown healthy!" Her eyes were gentle.Ja: ハルトは少し戸惑っていた。En: Haruto was a bit perplexed.Ja: 彼は海外生活で得たものと伝統的な家族の価値観のギャップに悩んでいた。En: He was troubled by the gap between what he had gained from living abroad and the traditional family values.Ja: しかし、心の中で決めていた。En: However, he had decided in his heart.Ja: 彼は家族のために小さな集まりを開くことにした。En: He decided to open a small gathering for his family.Ja: 現代のテクノロジーと伝統的な習慣を融合させようと思ったのだ。En: He wanted to blend modern technology with traditional customs.Ja: 日が沈み、スカイツリーが美しい光で輝きだすと、ハルトは驚きのパフォーマンスを用意した。En: As the sun set and the Skytree began to shine beautifully, Haruto prepared a surprising performance.Ja: 彼はデジタルアルバムを披露した。En: He presented a digital album.Ja: 家族の歴史をひとつひとつ映像にしていた。そこに短冊に書いた願い事を映し出した。En: He turned the family's history into images one by one, displaying the wishes written on the tanzaku strips.Ja: さくらおばあちゃんとユキはその美しい映像に感動した。En: Sakura grandma and Yuki were moved by the beautiful images.Ja: ユキはハルトを抱きしめ、「ありがとう、ハルト。」と優しく言った。En: Yuki hugged Haruto and gently said, "Thank you, Haruto."Ja: さくらおばあちゃんは目を潤ませながら、「あなたの気持ち、ちゃんと伝わったよ。」と言った。En: Sakura grandma, with eyes beginning to water, said, "Your feelings have been clearly conveyed."Ja: 家族は一つになった。En: The family became one.Ja: その瞬間、ハルトは自分の中の変化を感じた。En: In that moment, Haruto felt a change within himself.Ja: 現代と伝統のどちらも尊重し、自分のアイデンティティを築くことができると気付いたのだ。En: He realized that he could respect both modern and traditional aspects and build his own identity.Ja: スカイツリーの上にまたたく星たちは、まるで家族の絆を祝福するように輝いていた。En: The stars twinkling above the Skytree shone as if blessing the family bonds.Ja: ハルトの心の中に、暖かい光が差し込んでいた。En: A warm light shined into Haruto's heart.Ja: これは彼の新しい旅の始まりだった。En: This was the beginning of his new journey. Vocabulary Words:skytree: スカイツリーfestival: 祭りoverflowing: あふれているnervousness: 緊張observation deck: 観光デッキcolorful: 色とりどりdecorated: 飾られているshoulders: 背負っているperplexed: 戸惑っていたtroubled: 悩んでいたgap: ギャップreunited: 再会blend: 融合surprising: 驚きdigital: デジタルalbum: アルバムimages: 映像wishes: 願い事moved: 感動したidentity: アイデンティティrealized: 気付いたrespect: 尊重journey: 旅twinkling: またたくbonds: 絆gentle: 優しいtraditional customs: 伝統的な習慣family gathering: 家族の集まりhearts: 心sunset: 日が沈み

This week on Sparkleside Chats, Ayu talks with magical creator Rink about Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura (2009-2012)⁠. You can find her on ⁠⁠Bluesky or ⁠⁠Tumblr.News (1:00)Upcoming shows: Cute High Earth Defense Club High Collar, New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Kamitsubaki City Under Construction, The Secrets of the Silent Witch, and The Water MagicianSam Witch announced by Disney for 2026The Magical Girl Witch Trials comicalization premieres in July 2025KimiPre movie visuals have been revealedMagical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Volume 1 coming September 9thWhat I've Watched (6:18)Once Upon A Witch's DeathMaebashi WitchesK-Pop Demon HuntersMagical Girl Friendship SquadMai HimeNew Secret Jouju Season ThreeCorrector Yui Season OneMain topic: (13:30)Trigger warnings for mentions of misrepresentation of gender nonconformity, incest, torture of children, attempted murder, teen sexuality Series mentioned:Fullmoon wo SagashitePhantom Thief JeanneMagical Girl DandelionMagical Girl Tsubame PriOrcheSymphogearIdol DreamsFrozen IIYu Yu HakushoNecahualOriginal 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.

Today, we're taking a look at another influential anime classic with 1993's Ninja Scroll. A wandering ninja named Kibagami Jubei must confront his past after running afoul of the Eight Devils of Kimon, a group of monstrously powerful ninjas led by Himuro Gemma. Jubei is joined by Kagero, a kunoichi of the Mochizuki clan, and an elderly Tokugawa spy named Dakuan. Our heroes must face the Eight Devils and their deadly techniques one by one. All the while, Jubei wonders how Gemma has seemingly returned from the dead after their fatal encounter years earlier. Remember to strategize with your bees, watch out for snakes, a toss around a few rice balls for today's legendary episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake! Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/Spotify Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided: “Catch You Catch Me” – GUMI – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 “Sakura's Theme” – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 Nukumori no Kioku (Warm Memories) – Seki Tomokazu – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 2- 1998

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Cherry Blossoms and Hidden Scrolls: Secrets of Sakura Farm Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-06-28-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 夏の日差しが輝く朝、桜農園は花の香りに包まれていました。En: On a morning with the shining summer sun, the Sakura Farm was enveloped in the fragrance of flowers.Ja: そこには、美しい桜の木々が並んでいます。En: There stood beautiful cherry trees in a row.Ja: ここの持ち主は太郎さん、彼はこの土地を何代にもわたって守ってきました。En: The owner of this place is Taro, and he has been protecting this land for generations.Ja: しかし、この夏、農園には特別な出来事がありました。En: However, this summer, there was a special occurrence at the farm.Ja: 若い研究者のアキラは、この農園を訪れていました。En: A young researcher named Akira visited the farm.Ja: 彼は日本の古代史に情熱を持ち、過去の秘密を解き明かすことに興味を持っています。En: He has a passion for ancient Japanese history and is interested in uncovering secrets of the past.Ja: ある日、アキラは桜の木の根元で、古代の謎めいた巻物を発見します。En: One day, Akira discovered an ancient, mysterious scroll at the base of a cherry tree.Ja: 土に埋もれていたその巻物は、興味をそそるものでした。En: The scroll, buried in the soil, was intriguing.Ja: しかし、この巻物を読むのは簡単ではありません。En: However, reading the scroll was not easy.Ja: 文字は古い方言で書かれていました。En: The characters were written in an old dialect.Ja: この方言を理解するのは難しいです。En: Understanding this dialect is difficult.Ja: 更に、太郎さんは桜の木の根を乱されるのを嫌がっています。En: Furthermore, Taro dislikes the roots of the cherry trees being disturbed.Ja: 彼は、木を守ることが何より大切だと思っていました。En: He believed that protecting the trees was of utmost importance.Ja: アキラは考えました。そして、友人で言語学の専門家であるさくらに助けを求めることにしました。En: Akira thought about it and decided to seek help from his friend Sakura, who is a linguistics expert.Ja: 「さくら、君の力が必要なんだ。この巻物を解読してほしい。」En: "Sakura, I need your help. I want you to decipher this scroll."Ja: さくらは快く協力してくれました。En: Sakura gladly agreed to help.Ja: それでも、太郎さんを説得するのは簡単ではありませんでした。En: Even so, persuading Taro was not easy.Ja: 「太郎さん、この木を傷つけることなく、巻物を慎重に取り出します。」En: "Taro-san, we will carefully extract the scroll without harming the tree."Ja: アキラの丁寧な説明に、太郎さんは少しずつ心を開き始めました。En: With Akira's careful explanation, Taro began to open up little by little.Ja: 数週間後の夜、アキラとさくらはついに巻物の暗号を解読しました。En: A few weeks later at night, Akira and Sakura finally deciphered the scroll's code.Ja: そこには、桜の起源に関する秘密が書かれていたのです。En: Written within were secrets concerning the origin of Sakura.Ja: その時、急に夏の嵐がやってきました。En: Just then, a sudden summer storm arrived.Ja: 激しい雨と風の中、二人は巻物を守るために必死になりました。En: Amidst the heavy rain and wind, the two struggled desperately to protect the scroll.Ja: 嵐が去った後、アキラは巻物を大事に保存しました。En: After the storm passed, Akira carefully preserved the scroll.Ja: そして、さくらと一緒に、この発見を多くの人々に伝えることができました。En: Together with Sakura, he was able to share this discovery with many people.Ja: 彼は過去の秘密を解き明かしただけでなく、自然と他の人々の願いを尊重することの大切さを学びました。En: He not only uncovered secrets of the past, but also learned the importance of respecting nature and the wishes of others.Ja: アキラは農園を去る前に太郎さんに感謝の言葉を伝えました。En: Before leaving the farm, Akira expressed his gratitude to Taro.Ja: 「太郎さん、あなたの桜の木は素晴らしいですね。これからも大切にしてください。」En: "Taro-san, your cherry trees are wonderful. Please continue to cherish them."Ja: 太郎さんは微笑みながらうなずきました。En: Taro nodded with a smile.Ja: この夏の日の出来事によって、アキラは自分の情熱と自然、そして人々への尊敬をうまくバランスさせることができるようになりました。En: Through the events of that summer day, Akira learned to balance his passion with respect for nature and other people.Ja: 桜農園には、今でも桜の花が美しく咲き続けています。En: Even now, the cherry blossoms in Sakura Farm continue to bloom beautifully. Vocabulary Words:shining: 輝くenveloped: 包まれてfragrance: 香りgenerations: 何代occurrence: 出来事passion: 情熱uncovering: 解き明かすsecrets: 秘密mysterious: 謎めいたintriguing: 興味をそそるdialect: 方言disturbed: 乱されるutmost: 何よりdecipher: 解読persuading: 説得extract: 取り出しますexplanation: 説明deciphered: 解読しましたorigin: 起源preserved: 保存しましたgratitude: 感謝cherish: 大切にしてくださいbalancing: バランスさせるrespecting: 尊重linguistics: 言語学extract: 慎重に取り出すorigin: 起源preserved: 保存しましたdesperately: 必死にrespects: 尊敬

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Fuji-san Confessions: A Journey of Courage and New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-06-23-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 夏の日差しが大地を照らし、学校の旅は賑やかな始まりを見せた。En: The summer sun shone down on the land, marking a lively beginning to the school trip.Ja: 学生たちはみんな富士山へとやって来た。ハルキ、ユキ、そしてサクラもその中にいる。En: The students all headed to Fuji-san, including Haruki, Yuki, and Sakura.Ja: ハルキは静かな少年だ。En: Haruki is a quiet boy.Ja: 彼は観察し、考える時間が好きだ。En: He enjoys observing and having time to think.Ja: ユキは反対に冒険が好きで明るい性格だ。En: Yuki, on the other hand, loves adventure and has a cheerful personality.Ja: サクラはしっかり者で慎重だ。En: Sakura is dependable and cautious.Ja: ハルキは密かにユキが好きだが、なかなか気持ちを伝えられずにいた。En: Haruki secretly likes Yuki but has been unable to express his feelings.Ja: 旅の初日、みんなは富士山の美しい景色を楽しみながらバスに揺られていた。En: On the first day of the trip, everyone enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Fuji-san as they were rocked by the bus.Ja: スケジュールは忙しく、自由時間は少ない。En: The schedule was busy with little free time.Ja: クラスメートはいつも周りにいて、ユキと二人きりになる時間が見つからない。En: Classmates were always around, and he couldn't find a moment to be alone with Yuki.Ja: 二日目の夜、ハルキは決心した。En: On the night of the second day, Haruki made a decision.Ja: 彼はユキに短いハイキングを提案しようと考えた。En: He thought to suggest a short hike to Yuki.Ja: 次の日、少しの自由時間がある予定だった。En: There was supposed to be a bit of free time planned for the next day.Ja: 翌日、ハルキは思い切ってユキに声をかけた。En: The following day, Haruki mustered up the courage to call out to Yuki.Ja: 「ユキ、時間あるときに一緒に歩きませんか？」En: "Yuki, would you like to take a walk with me when you have some time?"Ja: ユキは微笑んで答えた。「もちろん、行きましょう！」En: Yuki smiled in response, "Of course, let's go!"Ja: 二人は山道を歩き始め、周りの緑と新鮮な空気に心を癒された。En: The two began to walk the mountain path, feeling their spirits lifted by the surrounding greenery and fresh air.Ja: やがて、美しい展望台に着いた。En: Eventually, they arrived at a beautiful lookout point.Ja: ハルキの心はドキドキした。En: Haruki's heart was pounding.Ja: そして、ついにハルキは勇気を出して言った。「ユキ、僕は君が好きです。」En: Finally, Haruki gathered the courage to say, "Yuki, I like you."Ja: ユキは驚いた表情を見せたが、すぐに笑顔になった。En: Yuki showed a surprised expression but quickly broke into a smile.Ja: 「ありがとう、ハルキ。正直に話してくれて嬉しい。これからどうなるか、ゆっくり考えてみましょう。」En: "Thank you, Haruki. I'm glad you spoke honestly. Let's take our time thinking about what comes next."Ja: ハルキの心はすっきりとして、彼は今よりも自分に自信を持てるようになった。En: Haruki's heart felt relieved and he gained more confidence in himself.Ja: 「ありがとう、ユキ。」En: "Thank you, Yuki."Ja: 旅の残りの日々、ハルキとユキはお互いをもっと知ることができた。En: In the remaining days of the trip, Haruki and Yuki were able to learn more about each other.Ja: ハルキは思った。挑戦しなければ得られないものがある。En: Haruki realized that there are things you can't gain without taking a challenge.Ja: 富士山の自然の中、彼らは新しい理解を持って旅を続けた。En: Amidst the nature of Fuji-san, they continued their journey with a new understanding.Ja: ハルキは変わった。En: Haruki had changed.Ja: これからは、もっと自分の思いを伝えることを学んだのだ。En: From then on, he learned to express his feelings more openly. Vocabulary Words:lively: 賑やかなobserving: 観察cheerful: 明るいdependable: しっかり者cautious: 慎重express: 伝えられscenery: 景色rocked: 揺られてschedule: スケジュールalone: 二人きりmustered: 思い切ってcourage: 勇気surrounding: 周りgreenery: 緑fresh: 新鮮lookout: 展望台pounding: ドキドキhonestly: 正直にrelieved: すっきりgained: 得られchallenge: 挑戦journey: 旅understanding: 理解express: 伝えるadventure: 冒険secretly: 密かにdecision: 決心suggest: 提案response: 答えたhealed: 癒された

Anime Was (Not) A Mistake begins a new season by heading back to our innocent Mahoujo Shojo roots. It's time to read closely from the Clow Compendium and gather your cards with Cardcaptor Sakura (1998). Meet Sakura an intrepid fourth grade, suddenly tasked with a world saving responsibility. With the help of her best friend Tomoyo, and new familiar Kero, sealing all 52 of these magical cards will be quite a mystic adventure. Join us today for Plushes running amok, penguins at work, and perhaps a bit of kind optimism that we need. Enjoy friends, as we embark on a quest of all time.  Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/Spotify Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided: “Catch You Catch Me” – GUMI – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 “Sakura's Theme” – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack- 1998 Nukumori no Kioku (Warm Memories) – Seki Tomokazu – CLAMP – Cardcaptor Sakura – Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 2- 1998

Um Boia sentido, cheio de nuances que vão do delírio da vitória do Yago e Bettylou até a nostalgia duma juventude muito bem vivida explorando ondas perfeitas com o amor da sua vida.Celebramos a vida e obra de dois feiticeiros da arte de fazer músicas, Brian Wilson e Sly Stone.A trilha tem Abaco Dream com Life And Death In G & A, Brian Wislon com sua versão de Caroline No, Beach Boys com Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony) e God Only Knows e Sly & the Family Stone com Everyday People.

This is the Spring 2025 Rundown, where we discuss these 3 shows!1) Windbreaker Season 2 2) Lazarus3) One Piece: Egghead Arc To join the Discord, follow us on our socials (we're on Threads / Insta, Twitter (X), Bluesky / Hive and Tumblr): https://Linktree.com/animedegensInterested in watch parties? We're going to start hosting some in our Discord! So join up and join us! The Degen Videos are on YouTube & Spotify now! So, Make sure you follow and like the videos over there at https://Linktree.com/animedegensPlease Rate us on your listening platforms and don't forget to tell your anime friends about us! its the best way to support us and we really do appreciate y'all! Thanks for listening!!If you have any Feedback that you'd like to share or have Topics that you'd like for us to discuss on the Degen Episode, Please reach out to us on any of our Socials, Discord or click here! Interested in being a guest? Reach out to Tyler on Discord or Twitter / Threads!Summer Look Ahead coming on Thursday! (Actually coming this time)Time Stamps:Intro: 00:00Windbreaker Season 2 Episode 11 : 03:00Lazarus Episode 11 : 34:20One Piece Episode 1133: 59:10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda Holmes reads Rachel Wetzsteon's “Sakura Park.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you'll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Sakura Whispers: A Heartfelt Farewell Under Blooming Lanterns Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-06-17-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 夕暮れの公園に、ほんのり明かりが灯るランタン。En: In the evening park, lanterns gently illuminated the surroundings.Ja: さくらの花びらが穏やかな風に揺れ、地面をピンク色に染めていた。En: The sakura petals swayed in the gentle breeze, painting the ground pink.Ja: この日は、郊外の公園で行われているさくら祭りの最終日だった。En: This was the final day of the sakura festival held in the suburban park.Ja: アサヒは、公園の中央にある大きなさくらの木の下で立ち止まった。En: Asahi stopped beneath the big sakura tree at the center of the park.Ja: 彼の胸は鼓動を早め、これから話すべき言葉が頭の中を駆け巡っていた。En: His heart began to beat faster as the words he needed to say raced through his mind.Ja: ハルカが遠くに見えた。En: He saw Haruka in the distance.Ja: 彼女は長い旅に出る前にこの美しい景色を忘れないようにと、熱心に写真を撮っていた。En: She was eagerly taking photos so she wouldn't forget this beautiful scene before she embarked on her long journey.Ja: アサヒは静かにハルカに近づき、「ハルカ、少し話してもいい？」と声をかけた。En: Asahi quietly approached Haruka and called out, "Haruka, can we talk for a moment?"Ja: 彼女は振り向き、「もちろん！」と笑顔で応えた。En: She turned around and responded with a smile, "Of course!"Ja: アサヒはさくらの花びらを見上げてから、勇気を振り絞り、En: Asahi looked up at the sakura petals and mustered his courage.Ja: 「ハルカ、君が海外で仕事をする前に、一つ伝えたいことがあるんだ」と言った。En: "Haruka, before you go overseas for work, there's something I want to tell you," he said.Ja: ハルカはその言葉に少し驚き、「何？」と優しく尋ねた。En: Haruka was a bit surprised by his words and gently asked, "What is it?"Ja: 「君のことが好きだ。ずっと前から…ずっと伝えたかった」とアサヒは告白した。緊張で手が震えるのを感じながら。En: "I like you. I've wanted to tell you for a long time," Asahi confessed, feeling his hands tremble with nerves.Ja: ハルカは少し黙って、アサヒの目を見つめた。En: Haruka paused for a moment and then looked into Asahi's eyes.Ja: 「アサヒ…ありがとう。実は、私も君のことがずっと好きだった。En: "Asahi... thank you. Truthfully, I've liked you for a long time too.Ja: でも、今は夢を追いかけるために行かなきゃならないの」と優しく答えた。En: But now, I have to go chase my dreams," she replied gently.Ja: アサヒは理解した。彼はどんな結果も覚悟していた。En: Asahi understood. He was prepared for any outcome.Ja: 「分かってる。でも、君に伝えたかった。正直になりたかったんだ。En: "I understand. But I wanted to tell you. I wanted to be honest.Ja: これからも連絡を取り合おうよ」と提案した。En: Let's keep in touch," he suggested.Ja: ハルカは静かに頷き、「もちろん。En: Haruka nodded quietly, "Of course.Ja: 未来は分からないけど、いつかまた会えるかもしれない」と微笑んだ。En: We don't know what the future holds, but maybe one day we'll meet again," she smiled.Ja: その後、二人はさくらの花が舞う中でしばらく無言で一緒に立っていた。お互いに新しい未来への旅立ちを感じながら。En: After that, the two stood together in silence for a while amidst the dancing sakura petals, both feeling their departure towards a new future.Ja: アサヒは心に平和を感じた。En: Asahi felt a sense of peace in his heart.Ja: 彼は自分の気持ちを表現したことで、再び心が軽くなったことに気づいた。En: He realized that by expressing his feelings, his heart felt lighter again.Ja: そして、二人がどんな未来に進もうとも、彼の気持ちは変わらないと知っていた。En: And he knew that no matter what future lay ahead, his feelings wouldn't change.Ja: 公園は次第に薄暗くなり、ランタンの柔らかい光が二人のシルエットを浮かび上がらせた。En: The park gradually grew dim, and the soft light of the lanterns highlighted their silhouettes.Ja: いつかまた巡り合う日を信じて、二人はそれぞれの道を歩み始めた。En: Believing in the day they would meet again, the two began to walk their separate paths. Vocabulary Words:lantern: ランタンilluminated: 灯るswayed: 揺れpetals: 花びらsuburban: 郊外eagerly: 熱心にembarked: 旅に出るapproached: 近づきmustered: 振り絞りcourage: 勇気tremble: 震えるpaused: 黙るdepartures: 旅立ちsilhouettes: シルエットgradually: 次第にdim: 薄暗くなるfate: 運命chase: 追いかけるfuture: 未来scene: 景色truthfully: 実はsuggested: 提案したhonest: 正直flutter: 舞うbelieving: 信じてoutcome: 結果whisper: ささやくbreeze: 風realized: 気づいたembraced: 抱きしめた

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Sibling Struggles and Sakura Dreams: A Journey in Kyoto Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-06-16-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 桜の花びらが風に乗って舞い込む京都大学の寮。En: In the dormitory of Kyoto University, cherry blossom petals danced in on the wind.Ja: ここで、そらと妹のみかは一緒に暮らしていました。En: Here, Sora and his younger sister Mika lived together.Ja: 両親は外国で働いていますので、そらはみかの面倒を見る必要があります。En: Since their parents worked abroad, Sora needed to take care of Mika.Ja: そらは真面目な大学生です。En: Sora was a serious college student.Ja: いつもみかのことを心配しています。En: He always worried about Mika.Ja: 「ちゃんと勉強しているかな？」と。En: "Is she studying properly?" he wondered.Ja: みかは、自由な心を持ち、絵を描くことを愛しています。En: Mika, with a free spirit, loved painting.Ja: キャンバスに向かって、彼女は夢の中で生きているようです。En: When she faced her canvas, it was as if she lived in a dream.Ja: ある日の夕方、そらは食事を作りながら考えました。「みかは今日も授業を休んだと聞いた。En: One evening, while preparing a meal, Sora thought, "I heard Mika skipped class again today.Ja: どうしよう？話さないといけないか？」彼は溜息をつきました。En: What should I do? Do I need to talk to her?" He sighed.Ja: 試験の時期が近づいています。それが心配です。En: Exam time was approaching, and he was concerned.Ja: その時、みかが入ってきました。En: Just then, Mika entered the room.Ja: 「そら、お兄ちゃん！ちょっと私の絵、見てくれる？」彼女の目は輝いていました。En: "Hey Sora, big brother! Could you take a look at my painting?" Her eyes were shining.Ja: 彼女が描いたのは、春の京の街並みでした。En: She had painted a scene of Kyoto in spring.Ja: 桜の木と小道の先には、小さな神社が見えました。En: Beyond the cherry trees and path, a small shrine was visible.Ja: 「すごいね...でも、みか。試験はどうするの？」そらは優しく質問しました。En: "That's amazing...but, Mika. What about the exams?" Sora asked gently.Ja: みかは少し黙りました。En: Mika paused for a moment.Ja: 「実は、試験を欠席してまで、この絵を描いていたの。En: "The truth is, I skipped the exams to paint this.Ja: 展覧会に出すんだよ。」みかの声には後悔もありましたが、情熱もありました。En: I'm going to submit it to an exhibition." Her voice carried both regret and passion.Ja: そらは驚きました。En: Sora was surprised.Ja: 「どうして大事な試験を飛ばしたの？君の未来がかかっているんだよ！」En: "Why did you skip such important exams? Your future depends on it!"Ja: みかは涙を浮かべました。En: Mika had tears in her eyes.Ja: 「絵を描くことが私の未来だって、誰かに言ってほしかったの。」En: "I just wanted someone to tell me that painting is my future."Ja: その時、かずきが訪れました。En: At that moment, Kazuki visited.Ja: 彼は共通の友人で、いつも二人をサポートしてくれる人です。En: He was a mutual friend who always supported the two.Ja: 「そら、聞いてみない？みかの絵は本当に素晴らしいよ。」En: "Why don't you listen? Mika's painting is truly amazing."Ja: そらは深く考えました。En: Sora pondered deeply.Ja: そして、みかを見て言いました。「わかった。En: Then, he looked at Mika and said, "Alright.Ja: 展覧会に行こう。そして、お互いの夢について話そう。」En: Let's go to the exhibition and talk about our dreams together."Ja: 展覧会の日、そらとみか、かずきは一緒に絵を観に行きました。En: On the day of the exhibition, Sora, Mika, and Kazuki went to see the paintings.Ja: そらはみかの絵を見て、心から感動しました。En: Sora was truly moved by Mika's work.Ja: 「君がこれを好きなのがわかるよ。En: "I can see why you love this.Ja: 僕も、自分の夢を探してみる。」En: I'll try to find my own dream, too."Ja: みかは照れながら笑いました。En: Mika smiled bashfully.Ja: 「お互い頑張ろう。」En: "Let's work hard together."Ja: 桜の花が咲き誇る季節、そらとみかは新たな夢に向かって歩き始めました。En: In the season when cherry blossoms were in full bloom, Sora and Mika started walking towards new dreams.Ja: 二人の絆は、今まで以上に強くなりました。En: Their bond grew stronger than ever before. Vocabulary Words:petals: 花びらdanced: 舞い込むabroad: 外国serious: 真面目canvas: キャンバスskipped: 欠席exhibition: 展覧会regret: 後悔passion: 情熱surprised: 驚きましたmutual: 共通supported: サポートdream: 夢approaching: 近づいていますmeal: 食事concerned: 心配scene: 街並みvisible: 見えましたbond: 絆younger: 妹exam: 試験shining: 輝いていましたsubmit: 出すponders: 考えましたbashfully: 照れながらfull bloom: 咲き誇るevening: 夕方worried: 心配していますpath: 小道shrine: 神社

Learn more at TheCityLife.org

MP3

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 5 More Chaos. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 14 It was a short drive into the community's center, a sort of tiny mini township surrounded by elaborate estates. Niko had insisted on driving, and it let Andy text both Phil and Eric that he was going to see the place, if they wanted to join him. Eric shot back that he'd be there within the hour, and Phil answered that his and his family were already there, having lunch at the diner. C'mon and join us said the text, just as Niko was pulling the Tesla into a parking spot in front of the 1950s themed diner. "I can't say I'm thrilled with the theme," Niko grumbled as she turned the car off. "But I guess I'll manage." "If they try and make you use a different drinking fountain, Niko, we'll raise hell," Andy said. "Damn straight," added Aisling. "Now let's go say hi to Phil and see how many women he has in tow." "More than he can handle, I'm sure," Andy chuckled. "He was barely okay with just Audrey." As soon as they got into the diner, it was relatively easy to spot Phil. Unlike diners of yore, where booths had typically held four at best, the interior of this particular 50s styled diner was lined with booths designed to fit as many as ten people each, with a few booths looking as though they could hold in upwards of 20. The booth Phil was in wasn't full, but he certainly had more people with him than the last time Andy had seen him. Sure, Audrey was there, snuggled right up against his side, but there were also two other women that Andy didn't recognize, a fit blonde woman with tightly cropped hair in camo and a curvy young black woman with her hair tightly braided. "Hey Phil," Andy said to him as he approached. "Audrey. You already know both Lauren and Aisling, but this is Niko. I know Niko's met Phil before, but I don't believe we've met your other two companions." "I've met one of them," Niko said, as she slid into the booth, offering half a salute to the blonde. "Captain." The blonde nodded in return. "Lieutenant. Hi Andy, I'm Linda, and this is Tamika," she said. "2nd Lieutenant Red Wolf and I are stationed together, although I suppose we're both stationed here now." Tamika seemed mostly interested in her cellphone, not even looking up to say hello. "Yeah, if you don't mind me asking, Captain, what are we going to do?" Niko said, scooting until she was right next to the captain. "They're moving all our work within the walls, so I guess we'll have a tiny base on site before month's end." "Roger that." "How you holding up, Phil?" Andy said, sliding in next to Niko, Aisling sliding in after him, Lauren moving in last. "I know you weren't originally planning on having multiple partners." "Well, the world's not up to what I want any more, Andy," he sighed. "But I'm making it work, even if I am a bit more tired than I used to be." "We had to set up a shift schedule of who gets intimacy time with Phil," Audrey said, giggling a little bit about it while poking Phil. "I'm surprised you haven't had to set something up like that." "Andy's learned that we keep his best interests in mind," Aisling laughed. "And we know about what his limits are, and rarely try and push him past them." "How's the new place?" Phil asked Andy, as Linda and Niko started having a quiet conversation with one another. "Bet it blew your mind when they drove you up there." "I still don't think I really need a mansion, Phil." "You say that now, but believe me, in about two week's time, you'll be thankful for all the room. There's going to be an influx of new partners quickly, as we're struggling to get as many people vaccinated as we can as quickly as we can, which means there isn't as much time as we'd like to let everyone get acclimated." "Mmm," Lauren sniffed. "The newest member of our family showed up just before we got here." "You sound unhappy, Lauren," Audrey said. "Well, she's my ex girlfriend who cheated on me, but we'll work it out, I guess." "Ouch. That sort of thing's not supposed to happen, but I suppose sometimes it slips through the cracks," Phil grumbled. "Everything's gotten so much harder to manage now that we're moving at warp speed. The death rate spiked on the east coast, and everybody freaked, so people who were hoping to get a later version of the vaccine without the, ah, side effects, are now practically storming the facilities, demanding to get injected with it, no matter what it does to them, as long as it protects them from the virus." "Yeah, I saw reports saying that a European company thinks they're close, but nobody's ready yet," Aisling said. "Are we shipping this vaccine anywhere else?" "Hell, Ash," Phil sighed, "we've barely got enough for the west coast right now. They're struggling to get more manufactured for the rest of the US, but we aren't in any state to be able to provide it to other countries right now." "I only ask for my brother back in Dublin. He desperately wants to leave the house, but I keep telling him, stay inside and stay safe." "That's all most people can do right now," Phil nodded. He glanced to the door and smiled. "Hey, look who's here! Slide into the bench, Eric." Eric had been standing in the doorway, with the familiar faces of both Lily and Jenny next to him, as well as a short, mousy Midwestern looking woman dressed in a giant t shirt, with denim shorts poking out from underneath them. "Hey everybody!" The new woman's name was Sarah, and she was Eric's new partner, only having arrived yesterday, so her head was still a little cloudy. When the waitress arrived to take their orders, the three households had been sure to divvy up the checks upfront. For the next couple of hours, everyone was trying to settle into their new normal. Andy, Phil and Eric got to talk in person, while all the women slowly started to figure out who out of each household they liked and wanted to avoid. It was a float of conversations, so many different discussions going at one point, that when Phil said he was going to step outside for a few minutes to vape up, Andy and Eric happily agreed to go with him, just so they could here each other clearly. "You holding up okay, Eric?" Andy asked. "You look a little overwhelmed." "Let's just say I'm a bit in social overload. That and trying to get settled in the new place is doing my head in." Eric leaned his back against the outside of the diner, stretching his arms over his head. "And I'm sore from all the fucking. And I miss the cats." "Why don't you guys come over next Saturday then, and we'll all hang out. Have ourselves a party like we used to. Any of the other members of the old gang getting moved into the complex?" Phil nodded. "Ari and his five women will be moved on site before the end of the week. He had plenty of space before, but when they offered him a free trade up, he didn't say no. Oh, and I don't know if you knew Jenna or not, but she's part of a family now, and they're being moved here next week, so a couple more people and the whole board game group will be back together again. We can play Ascension again, or poker, or both!" Eric nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that." "Cool. We'll consider it a party, then. Oh, hell. We can even make it a costume party for Halloween. I don't imagine we'll get much in the way of trick or treaters here." Phil waggled a finger at him. "You'll get trick or treaters, I'd bet on it. There's nearly a hundred children here in the village, so they'll make a point of hitting every house they possibly can." "All the better then." "So are you really doing okay with Lauren's ex being added to your household?" Phil asked. "I figured you might not have been able to speak your mind in front of her, so I thought I'd ask now that she can't hear." "It came as a bit of a shock, but we're making it work, I guess, or, rather, Lauren is," Andy said with a shrug. "I told Lauren that whatever she came up with, I'd go along with, whether that be sending her back to the Air Force or inviting her into the family. She, that is, Taylor, Lauren's ex, is being punished for what she did to Lauren before, but she'll eventually be allowed into the family, as per Lauren's decision." "Do I even want to ask how Lauren's punishing her?" Eric said with a laugh. Andy joined in the laugh. "You do not." He stopped, scrunched up his face, then smirked. "Well, you might, but let's just say don't fuck with the ladies of the Rook household. Payback is a,” "Hey!" Niko said, having just stuck her head out the door. "Get your asses back in here. They're bringing us desserts!" After a truly decadent sundae, everyone said their goodbyes, many of them excited about the prospect of a Halloween party, although a few of the girls complained that two days wasn't enough time to put together a proper costume. Everyone agreed they'd make it work, though. Phil and his family were heading home, while Eric and his family needed to go grocery shopping. Andy and the girls decided to walk around a little bit before heading home. In addition to the diner, there was a Safeway, a Target, a few restaurants (a Greek restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, and an Ike's Sandwiches), and, to Andy's personal delight, a bookstore, which they had to immediately stop in. It wasn't some chain book store, but clearly a local mom'n'pop establishment, and bore the mark of a highest quality bookstore, there was a cat living in the store. They decided to browse the bookstore for a little bit, and just before they were about to leave, the store clerk snuck up on him and asked for an autograph, which Andy gladly granted. The owner also asked if Andy would be kind enough to do a signing when the newest Druid Gunslinger book finally came out, and Andy was happy to acquiesce. They headed back to the house after that, with plans to come back tomorrow to get groceries. Andy felt exhilarated, being able to walk anywhere without a mask, being able to shake hands and hug friends. Barring the sea of gorgeous women around them, it had been nice to have a touch of normalcy. "Are you fully recovered from your time with the staff this morning, Andy?" Lauren asked him as they all walked from the garage into the house proper. "Yeah, I think I'm good to go. Why? You jonesing for a fix?" he said with a laugh. "We all are. And I want to show to Taylor what she's missing." She leaned down to kiss his cheek. "That okay?" "Sure, let me go check on Katie and Jenny and then I'll meet you ladies in the bedroom, okay?" "Don't take too long," Niko grinned. "We're, voracious today." "I won't, I won't," he laughed, waving his hand, hearing Lauren calling to Taylor like one would a pet as she walked towards the stairs. Andy moved to the pool house and poked his head in, finding Katie and Jenny still entwined together, asleep beneath the blanket he'd left them under several hours ago. He knew the imprinting process took several hours, but he'd never been sure exactly how long it took. He suspected the two might wake up in the middle of the night and head back to their room, but they'd be fine in the pool house if they slept there overnight, which was all Andy wanted to be sure of. He headed back into the house and walked upstairs. The door to the bedroom was closed, but a post it note on the door said "Cum in." He appreciated the pun, and opened the door. Inside, Taylor was on her knees at the foot of the bed, with Lauren's hand on the top of Taylor's head, Aisling and Niko sitting on either side of her. "Now, bitch, you're going to watch what a real man is like. Andy, come over here, would you?" All of the women had already stripped naked, so as Andy walked over, he kicked off his shoes, tugged off his socks and pulled his shirt up and over his head. When Andy neared the edge of the bed, Lauren raised a hand. "Stay there." She slid off the bed and moved to kneel in front of him, reaching her hands up to smooth them along his stomach before she reached over and pulled Taylor's hair to drag her close. "Here, I want you to get a front row seat to all of this, whore, but don't you dare stick out your tongue to sneak a taste, otherwise I'm doubling your time like this, you understand?" Taylor quietly nodded, as Lauren tugged Andy's jeans and boxers down, letting his cock slap her in the face with a girlish giggle. "That never gets old," Lauren said as Taylor let out a quiet little whimper. Lauren wrapped her mouth around the head of Andy's cock and then pushed her face all the way down until he could feel the tip of his cock sliding into her throat, Lauren trying hard to stifle the gag reaction before drawing back, taking a deep gasp of air. "You can smell my man's cock, can't you whore?" Taylor meekly nodded once more. "Don't even think about touching yourself. You're going to sit there and watch this. I want you to fucking drool, you want it so bad." Lauren started to push her face back down onto Andy's cock, and he was expecting a long, slow blowjob, but Lauren clearly had other ideas. She forced her face down until his balls were resting against her chin, then drew back suddenly before pushing her face down once again. It was fast and determined, and Andy almost jumped when he felt a hand cradling his nuts before realizing that Aisling had moved to one side of him, her fingertips holding onto his ballsack. "She was so apprehensive the first time, but look at her now," Ash whispered into his ear. Another hand reached to smooth along his hip, as Niko moved up along the other side of him, nibbling on his earlobe, her tongue lashing against his earlobe. "You're so going to be dead by the time we're done with you tonight, baby," Niko purred, curling her fingers to rake her fingernails against his hip. "You don't have to hold back, babes," Aisling giggled into his ear. "It's not gonna make us go any easier on you." Lauren's deep blue eyes peered up at him, and he glanced over at Taylor, whose eyes were fixated on Lauren's mouth thrusting up and down on his cock. It was an intoxicating sight, and Lauren's lips were clenched so tightly on his cock that he wasn't going to last long. Her cheeks caved in as she sucked hard on him, and before he knew it, his body was tensing up as he spewed a hot load of cum into Lauren's mouth. He was leaning back into the bodies of Aisling and Niko, who were keeping him from falling back, as Lauren finally drew her head back, her mouth full of his spunk, as she turned to show it to Taylor, who whined and whimpered, before Lauren closed her mouth and swallowed it all, licking her lips to make sure none of that treasure remained. He was a little surprised, because typically the girls liked to share a load, to ease all of their needs at least a little, but it seemed like the girls had other plans for today. "C'mon, you need to lay down now, Andy," Aisling said. "We're driving today." Andy let Aisling and Niko guide him over to the bed before he laid down on his back in the middle of the massive bed. Lauren had climbed off her knees, moving to help Taylor get up onto the bed, but immediately making sure she was on her knees off to the side of him, a good two or three feet of distance between them. Lauren then reached and grabbed one of the pillows, pulling it over, sliding it under Andy's head, as Aisling crawled on her hands and knees until she was looming over him. She moved to straddle his waist with a smirk, as she rubbed that fire furred snatch against his cock, sliding back and forth across it. "You're a good man, Andy Rook," Aisling said to him, "tolerating all the shit we're going to put this bitch through to make sure she's learned not to fuck with us." Niko slid along the far side of Andy and moved up along her knees until she was near enough to Aisling to grab the redhead's mane of hair, pulling her lips to press against her own, giving the other girl a ferocious kiss, tongues tangling with one another for a long moment, before breaking, giggling once more. "I can't tell who's more turned on by that, Andy, you or Lauren's fuckpet." Andy was about to answer, but Aisling had lined up his cock and thrust her hips down with a quick snap, stuffing his cock deep inside of her cunt, a sultry groan escaping his throat. "That's my fucking cock," Aisling moaned. "That's what I fucking wanted." Niko grinned, sliding one hand down to rub her thumb against Aisling's clit while the redhead bucked on his cock. "That's it. Show the fuckpet what a good slut looks like." She moved to kiss Aisling again, and this time the kiss was even more sloppy and sticky, tongues exposed as Ash bounced on his cock, thrusting down hard before drawing back up. Niko and Aisling continued making out while Andy, Lauren and Taylor all watched, but after a minute or so, Aisling reached down and grabbed Niko's hips, pulling her over until she was straddling Andy's face, and he knew what was being suggested, so he let his tongue stick out and began to lap at Niko's cunt, her hips grinding down onto his face, almost suffocating him, she was shoving against him so eagerly. "Fuck, Andy, lick my cunt while your first slut's bouncing on your cock, trying to milk your load out of you," Niko whimpered before kissing Aisling again. Aisling's pace was itchy, impatient. Other than the small amount of his spunk that she'd licked out of Nicolette's cunt yesterday, it had been almost five days since she'd gotten her fix. She'd decided to let off on her promise to milk a load from him every day when it turned out she was going to need to share with so many women, but now, Aisling knew it was her turn at bat, and as much as she was enjoying herself, she also wanted her fix, moaning whorishly into Niko's mouth. Lauren smirked a little bit, leaning in a bit closer. "I wouldn't keep your slut of a girlfriend waiting, Andy, otherwise she's likely to break this fucking bed. Look at her go, Taylor. She's already cum once, but I think she's about to do it again. Go on, daddy, give your good little whore her dose of spunk and blow her fucking mind when you blow in her fucking cunt. Do it, Andy! Cum in her!" He couldn't resist as he latched his lips on Niko's clit and buzzed them hard, his hands holding onto her hips as his back arched, pushing his cock towards Aisling's twat as much as he could, that orgasm blasting from him, firing shotgun sprays of hot cum into Aisling's cunt, setting off a third orgasm inside of the freckled Irish girl. When he finally started to come down from his orgasm, he slid his head down a little to see that Niko and Aisling were basically holding each other up in an upside V above him, a dry little chuckle rolling from his lips as Niko slowly moved to lower Aisling to one side, her body still going through aftershocks, trembling a bit in the afterglow of her orgasms. Andy's cock started to soften a little bit, even as Niko moved off of his face. "Oh no," Niko said to him. "You're not done yet." Andy sighed softly, letting out a heavy breath. "The mind is willing, Niko, but I don't know if the flesh is up to it." "Oh it will be," Niko said, a sly grin spreading on her lips. "Because today's the day." She crawled on her knees downward on the bed, reaching to stroke his cock. "This needs to get nice and hard for your little enlisted slut, Daddy. She has a need for it." "I'm telling you, Niko," Andy said. "I just don't know that I've got it in me to pump out a fourth load in a single day." "Sure you do," Niko purred. "Because today's the day I'm gonna take you in the ass." Andy's cock twitched, which made Niko smirk more broadly at him. "You haven't pressured, and I've been thinking about it every time Lauren or Ash does it. I kept wondering what kind of special day would be perfect to let you slide that thick cock of yours up my virginal asshole. Should it be an anniversary, or your birthday? But no, I wanna show off in front of the house pet. I wanna see her face when I take your fat cock up my untouched Asian asshole, wanna see that look of envy on her fucking face when I'm struggling to stretch and take you. Do I have to beg, Andy? Can you get hard so I can shove your cock in my perfect little asshole? So I can give you the last of my holes, so that you own every fucking inch of my body?" Andy's cock had already stiffened back to a full hard on, and Niko was slowly stroking it, a wild smile on her face. "Let me ride it, Daddy, so I can make sure I don't overwhelm myself, okay?" Andy nodded to her, as he saw Niko straddle his waist, but she was in reverse cowgirl, as she reached between her legs to grab his cock. "Fuck, I hope I'm fucking ready for this." "I came so hard my eyes rolled back into my head when I did it," Lauren said, moving to smooth a hand along one of Niko's thighs. "And you, Ash?" Niko said, lining the tip of his cock up against the pucker of her ass. "Oh, I squirted," Aisling giggled. "I'd never done that before, but it was so fucking intense. You're probably gonna cum just sliding it in." Niko's face frowned in amusement at Ash. "I somehow douo wow wow Oh Fuck!" she said, turning into a shout as the head of his cock popped inside of her tan asshole, Niko's whole body starting to spasm as Lauren and Aisling moved quickly to brace her and keep her steady so that she didn't overwhelm herself by dropping down onto his cock suddenly. He could feel Niko's entire body shivering atop of him for a good ten seconds or so before her voice pierced the air again. "Fuck., fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Niko finally panted out. "I think I just touched fucking God," she whimpered, her breathing shallow and ragged. "I don't, I don't, I don't know if,” Aisling smirked. "Silly slut. Never leave a job half done. Lauren?" she said, looking around Niko's body, as the tall blonde nodded, and both women started to push down on Niko's hips, forcing her to slowly take inch after inch of Andy's ruthlessly thick cock into her ass. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, that's such a fucking big cock in my ass, in my tight little virgin ass, oh fuck, oh fuck fuck fuck, I can't stop fucking cumming. Daddy, your little slut can't fucking stop fucking cumming from your big fucking cock up her tight young fucking ass oh fuck!" Just when she finally pushed down far enough for her asscheeks to rest against his hips, her body seized up and a clear jet of liquid squirted from her cunt into the air, splashing all over Taylor, who audibly moaned in excitement. "Please, daddy, please cum in my tight fucking ass., cum in your good little girl's virgin fucking ass, cream me up, baby, fill my virgin ass, I want your fucking cum, cum in my ass. Cum! In! My! Fucking! Ass! Please! Cum!" Andy's body finally yielded, and as soon as he started to cum in Niko's ass, he felt her muscles clamp down hard on him, the rest of her body shaking and vibrating before finally slumping back, Aisling and Lauren making sure to keep her from slamming the back of her head into Andy's face, helping to lay her down on the bed. "Fuck, we need a shower," Niko whimpered. "We all need a fucking shower right fucking now so fucking bad." "In five minutes," Andy grumbled, feeling Niko slide under one of her arms, Aisling under the other as Lauren moved to push a wide eyed Taylor off the bed and back to the floor, although Andy could see that her snatch was glistening something fierce. "But I'm not fucking anybody at all tomorrow. Got it?" Everybody laughed at that. Chapter 15 In the morning, Andy was woken up by the feeling of Niko getting out of bed. She tried to be as subtle and quiet as she could, but Andy still felt her slipping away. She smiled when she saw him with open eyes looking at her naked form as she pulled on her underwear. She brought a fingertip up to her lips, motioning for him to remain quiet, as she moved back over and kissed him on the lips, soft and tender, before she waved. "Go back to sleep," she mouthed at him as she pulled a set of fatigues from the closet. Today was going to be her first day on the base within the enclave, so she wasn't going to be late. Andy knew that and was glad to see she'd found a way to ensure she woke up in time, doubly glad that she'd done it without waking the whole household. Andy practically drifted back to sleep as soon as she started walking into the bathroom. A few hours later, he started to wake again as he felt Lauren starting to slide out of bed. Taylor was curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, but Lauren had draped a blanket over her at some point in the night, so she wasn't cold. Andy found himself wondering if Lauren was already softening a little in terms of her anger towards her former partner, but certainly wasn't going to bring it up first. Aisling was stirring next to him, and he could hear Lauren turning on the shower in the bathroom. "Where is everybody?" Ash asked him, snuggling her face into his shoulder. "Lauren's in the shower, Niko headed off to the base early this morning and Taylor's asleep on the floor, so we have the bed to ourselves," he laughed. "Although we should probably get up anyway." "What about,” "You touch my cock, Ash, and it may very well fall the fuck off." She giggled a little bit mischievously. "I mean, I guess you did satisfy five women yesterday, so I suppose I can let you off the hook for today." "I mean, I'm not even sure if it's working any more. Here I am and no morning wood." "I feel like I'm letting you down, babes," she sighed. "I did tell you that you weren't going to go a day without giving me a load, and here I am, agreeing to let you have an entire day without it." Andy laughed, waving a hand in the air. "No no, I'm good, I promise. No sex today, so my cock can continue to function later." He started to stretch a little bit, seeing Lauren coming out of the bathroom, one towel around her torso, another tying up her hair. "The bathroom's steamed up, but I didn't leave it as a total mess for you two," Lauren said, as she smiled at them. "I gotta get toweled off and head to the training camp the '49ers set up in town, so I'll see you guys for dinner, okay?" Lauren looked over at Taylor, who hadn't woken up yet. "Don't let her off easy. This is a month of punishment, so I want her to feel it. My wrath isn't to be taken lightly, and if you got light on this daffy bitch, she's only going to make us regret it. No clothes, no plates, no utensils, no exceptions, got it?" "Yes ma'am," Andy said, waving in her direction, as she headed into the large walk in closet. "We should go and get showered, Ash." Aisling groaned before she made an over exaggerated noise and then pulled back, sliding to the edge of the bed, reaching over to tug on Andy's ankle, as he moved to follow her. Their time in the shower was relaxing and Andy saw Taylor wake up when Aisling turned on the hairdryer. As Andy tugged on the boxers, he decided he should probably talk a little bit to Taylor, especially since she wasn't going to start any conversations under orders from Lauren. "You must've really pissed Lauren off something fierce, Taylor," he said, as he grabbed a pair of jeans. "She is the most gentle kind soul I've ever met, but you brought out an anger from her I didn't even know she was capable of, and we've been living together for almost two months now. I know you cheated on her, and that's horrible enough to start with, but there's more going on here. So what happened?" Taylor frowned, shifting a little bit beneath the blanket. "I fucked up. Sir." Andy cocked his head to one side before pulling the t shirt down over his head. "That's not an answer. Not good enough. What. Happened." Taylor's bright blue eyes watered up a little, as if she was going to break out into tears. "Lauren and I had been fighting. We'd both been so busy that we hadn't really had time for each other in weeks. My ex boyfriend was in town. We went out drinking, I drank too much and I, I just needed cock." A single tear dropped from one of her eyes before she took a deep sniff in, trying to steel herself up. "It's not an excuse. It was a mistake, a horrible one. I should've talked to Lauren about my needs, told her that I found myself needing a man's touch, but, like I said, I fucked up." "You understand that if you join this family, the only cock you're going to be getting is mine, right?" "I do, sir." "And you're okay with that?" "I am, sir." "What's changed?" She frowned a little, looking at her hands before looking up at him as the blow dryer went off in the bathroom. "I've grown up a bit. It's been half a year, and I've had a lot of time to think about it. That whole time I've missed Lauren crazy mad. And I just really like both men and women, so with your family, sir, I'll get both. Lauren was the best thing that ever happened to me, and if you make her happy, and it sure seems like you do, I know you'll make me happy as well." "Did you like what you saw last night?" "Yes, sir. Very much sir." "And are you horny right now?" Aisling asked as she walked into the room, completely in the buff. "Yes ma'am. Very much so, ma'am." "You're not going to get it today," the redhead said as she tugged on a thong. "You know that, don't you?" "Yes ma'am." "Good girl." Aisling smirked wryly, looking over at Andy. "What do you think of her, love?" "It sounds like she's learning, so that's something." It was a little odd to be talking about Taylor as if she wasn't in the room, but Lauren had made it clear that they were supposed to keep Taylor from being comfortable the whole time, and Andy couldn't think of anything that made people more uncomfortable than being talked about in front of them. "Quite the cracking body on her too, I'd say. Pint sized in height, but Jaysis, I'd kill for tits like hers." She pulled on a sports bra, shifting as she got it adjusted. "The advantage of youth, I'd guess. I'm surprised you're even old enough to go drinking, Taylor. How old are you, slut?" "I'm twenty five, ma'am." Aisling laughed and grabbed her towel, throwing it at Taylor. "Oh fuuuuuuuuuck you!" Aisling was giggling, shaking her head. "I'm only two years older than you." "I'm, sorry, ma'am?" "Oh, hush," Aisling said, shaking her head with a sly smile. Andy walked over and tugged the sheet off Taylor, who didn't blanch at all, staying on her knees, folding her hands behind her back to proudly jut those firm, natural double D tits at him. The pink nipples that capped them were stiff like pencil erasers. Taylor kept her eyes lowered, even as Andy reached a hand down at cupped one of Taylor's tits in his hand, hearing her breath catch when he did. "Lauren didn't say I couldn't touch her, did she Ash?" Aisling shook her head. "She said nothing goes in her cunt for the month, and that she wasn't going to get fucked for about a week, but I think that was the extent of her rules for you in regards to touching her." "I'm not usually the kind of man drawn to overly big tits," Andy said, "but I have to admit, it just sort works on Taylor." "Thank you, sir," Taylor whispered, each word almost strained. Andy couldn't help himself, and pinched one of Taylor's nipples, hearing a high pitched squeak emanate from her before she held very still and then forced a breath out, shivering quite visibly as she did, her skin covered in goosebumps. "Holy shit," Aisling said. "Did you just cum from that?" "Yes ma'am," Taylor whimpered. "Sorry ma'am." "You couldn't control it, so I suppose just good on you." Andy's hand left her nipple and then he scrunched his face up before he crouched down. He pushed Taylor's thighs a bit wider apart and then slid his hand between them, his fingertips just below her cunt, and then waited. A second or so later, he felt her drip onto his hand. "Dripping wet." "Yes sir. Sorry sir." Andy smirked as he brought his hand up to his lips, licking the taste of her snatch from his skin. "I think the only thing you really have to be sorry about is that you're going to be making a mess on the floor for a while now." "May I ask a question, sir?" "You just did, but go ahead." He thought he saw a slight smile from Taylor at that, as if the point was made. "May your worthless bitch clean herself up with toilet paper?" "Go on then," he said, as Aisling tugged on some yoga pants and one of Andy's t shirts. She had plenty of her own clothing, but had to wearing his t shirts as often as she could. "We'll meet you downstairs for breakfast. Yours will be in a bowl." "Yes, ma'am." Taylor headed into the bathroom as Andy and Aisling headed downstairs. After a quick breakfast (even though it was closer to lunch than morning), the two hopped into the Tesla and headed into town to get groceries. Andy was a little surprised it was a Safeway, but suspected that whoever had built this community had decided to go for convenience over rustic. Andy found the whole experience surreal. The people he saw coming and going were a weird mix of high fashion and modern style, and there were a lot more women than men, although he wasn't all that surprised by that. With the number of women that each man was expected to be paired with, he knew their little village was going to have a sizable imbalance, and he saw that reflected in the people walking through the lanes. As expected, there were many hot young women, but he was also pleased to see several older good looking women in their fifties and sixties. A community comprised solely of young fit gorgeous women would've made it all even more awkward than it already was. They were mostly done getting their groceries when Aisling tapped Andy. "Hey, I know her! Lisa! It's Ash!" Walking towards them was an older man in a ridiculously expensive looking suit, and a woman in a tight tube top and hot pants quite younger than the man she was accompanying. The woman, a stunning brunette, offered a slight wave, but didn't say anything in response. The man, however, immediately addressed Andy. "Hello good sir! Arthur Robert Covington the Fourth. You must be new to our little colony." He offered a hand out to Andy, who almost didn't want to shake it, but did so reluctantly. Some things were almost just reflexive. "Andy Rook, and this is my first partner, Aisling." "Nice to meet you," Aisling said, reaching out to shake the man's hand, but he'd lowered his hand to his side, so her hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before she finally took the hint and lowered her own. "I didn't know you were here, Lisa. I haven't seen you in, what, five or six years? Andy, Lisa was in a bunch of classes with me in college." "Oh, Lisa doesn't talk out in public any more," the pompous git said to them. "It's for both of our benefit. I find it's much better if women are just seen and not heard, don't you agree, Andy?" Andy immediately wanted to beat the shit out the pompous prick. "Can't say that I do." Everything about the man screamed old money, and it was taking all of Andy's willpower not to just walk away from them right now. Clearly Ash had some familiarity with the woman, and he wanted to support Aisling any way he could. "I find it's best to treat everyone you meet like an actual person, rather than some sort of fashion accessory." "That is so modern of you, young man," Convington said. "And so en vogue. You don't have to pretend here, though, young man. In this community, though, we don't answer to anyone but each other. You certainly are quite a bit younger than the majority of people who have been brought here, and perhaps you are expecting that you need to blend in to the modern times." The older gentleman smiled at Andy with a condescension that made him want to punch the guy until he was lying on the floor. "But you are among friends now, and we the elite men of the world have always been best supported by our women with their support and their stoic silence." "I couldn't disagree more, old chap," Andy said, trying to make it clear by his tone that he was mocking the man's arrogant tones. "While I understand that it's not very traditional, at least in the western world, for a man to have multiple wives, but I'm never going to ask them to be silent in public. I value their opinions all the time, and I see them as equals, not lesser people." "Well," Covington sniffed. "I imagine you'll come around eventually, but even if you don't, we're all entitled to our own lifestyles. Good luck to you both." Then the man, who had to be at least sixty, walked off with his twenty something woman, who offered a tiny wave to Aisling before walking away. Once they were around the corner, Aisling punched him in the shoulder. "If you think I'm better seen and not heard, you are in for a world of trouble, fella." "You heard me say that I didn't agree with him, Ash. Sexist pig." "Still. Don't want you getting ideas." Andy sighed. "I sort of suspected we were going to find some people like that here, but I can't say I'm thrilled about it. And we can't try and rescue her, because they're already bonded." "Do you believe Phil when he said the bonds are permanent?" "Phil's usually right about these kinds of things, so I don't think he'd lie to us about it." "Then I suppose I'm just happy that I'm not bonded to a total git." Andy and Aisling decided to spend a little bit more time getting additional groceries after the experience, mostly to cool off. They'd gotten a list of things from Jenny, which covered most of what they would be having for meals. Jenny had even told them that she would be happy to do all the grocery shopping, but Andy had insisted they wanted to see the town a bit more anyway before they left, so Jenny had made it clear that this was going to be an exception, and prepared them a list that she was strict they pick up all of. Most of what they picked up at the end were some comfort foods to go along with everything off Jenny's list. Candy, soda, chips, the kinds of things he suspected Jenny wouldn't approve of too much, but he wasn't ready to let go of his sugar addiction quite yet. As they picked up food that clearly wasn't good for them, Andy kept his eyes on the other people he saw coming and the mismatch of young and old he'd seen with Aisling's friend and the stuffed shirt seemed to be the norm. The men could occasionally be found chatting with each other, but for the most part, the women remained silent, although he did spot a couple of women following the same man talking between themselves. Andy was a little used to feeling like an outsider. When he'd gone and done his first sci fi convention, some of the older writers had thrown a lot of shade his way about his books. Many of them felt like urban fantasy was something of a slum compared to either high fantasy or pure sci fi. In fact, more than a couple of people he used to called idols had called his particular strain of fiction "juvenile," even going so far to describe the Druid Gunslinger books as "starter fantasy, for unsophisticated minds." It had almost made him want to not do any more conventions, but after a little bit of searching, he'd found a group of similarly minded writers, people like him who looked at genre boundaries as a roadmap of what rules to break and how. What he loved most of all, though, was that the fans didn't give a shit. Sure, there were detractors to his writing in the crowds, but they'd get booed down by the rest of the people who were there to learn more about where his books were going and what kinds of secrets he'd been leaving off the page. Most of the fans believed he lived in San Francisco proper, but Andy certainly hadn't made enough money off the books to justify that kind of lifestyle. There were other things about his books that had drawn people to his audience,  he wasn't afraid of writing sex scenes in his books, some of the supporting characters were gay or bisexual,  but the main reason they kept coming back was that the books were unpredictable. He'd killed off main characters mid book, he'd changed the city the protagonist's base of operations was in multiple times and one of the villains he'd introduced in one of the first few books had gone through a surprising redemption arc in the most recent book, something that the early readers had raved about how much they hadn't seen it coming. All that had instilled him a sense that he never had to go along with something just because it was what was expected of you, and he certainly didn't plan to change the way he treated people now because a bunch of blue blood uppity vampires thought he should join their little club. "It's so weird," Ash whispered to him. "Seeing all these beautiful women, being forced to walk a few steps behind their men. All of this pretentious bullshit, these assholes thinking their money makes them invincible. It used to be the stranglehold they had over women was figurative, financial. Now it's literal. They're literally dependent on these assholes for their survival. If they don't get their fix, they're going to go out of their minds. I mean, what are we going to do if you leave us? Or if you get taken away from us? Or get sick and die?" "I'm sure they're working on something to stabilize it, Ash, but until then, you're alive, I'm alive, and that's all that matters." Andy sighed. "But I'm still alive, unlike ten million other American men. And the death rates are starting to climb around the world too. So anything that keeps me alive, I'm going to take that as a win. Speaking of which, how is your brother doing?" "He's sheltering in place with the rest of my clan, luv. You don't really know my mother yet, but when you meet her, you'll learn how much of an iron fist she's got on the whole family. They'll do whatever it takes to survive. Your brother?" "He and his wife are doing the same. She ventures out from time to time, but other than that, they don't dare leave the house." Andy waved his phone over the credit card machine, and heard the telltale ding that meant the bill was paid. "Martial law got declared in Kansas City, though, and I know the tanks rolling down the streets have them more than a little spooked." "Whatever it takes to get through it, luv, we're gonna do it." "Well, not if it takes me turning into that asshole." Aisling giggled. "Oh, Andy, you're not built to be a snob." "Suppose you're right." When they got to the car, Andy couldn't help but start laughing a bit as he replayed the earlier conversation in his head. Aisling asked him what he found so funny. "I mean, he's the Fourth in a long line of pompous assholes, Ash. Why don't we understand how important that is?" That set her off laughing too. Andrew Rook continues to protect his family. Chapter 16 The day of the party felt like it came much faster than it should've. While everyone had a few days to prepare, they all felt like they were struggling to get their costumes together. Most hysterically, all the girls had made some sort of tacit agreement not to tell Andy what they were dressing up as for the Halloween party. They were all a little surprised he wasn't dressing up as the Druid Gunslinger himself, but they seemed okay with it. He told them he'd done the gear next year, but he'd literally worn the costume last year, and despite all the changes they'd been through over the past several months, he didn't want to do it two years in a row. While none of the girls may have seen him in it, he knew that both Eric and Phil would've given him an endless amount of shit for it. He loved vintage sci fi costumes, so for this year, he'd decided to be Logan from Logan's Run, the 1976 film he'd adored growing up. It was a relatively simple costume, a black turtleneck with white trim and a large white stripe over the chest, as well as a blinking red palm flower crystal. When he'd done the costume as a teenager, he'd had to use a bike light, which took over so much of his hand, but now he could achieve the same effect with a simple L E D light attached to a battery. It was much more convenient. A few hours before the party was to start, Andy was banned from entering his own bedroom as the girls had set up a sort of base camp there, working on all their costumes away from his prying eyes. The staff had decided to dress up as Clue characters, so Nicolette was back in her Yvette costume, Jenny R. was dressed as the cook (from the movie, not the board game) and Katie was dressed as Mrs. White. They had been a little surprised that they were invited to the party once the food was laid out, but Andy had been adamant that he wanted them to feel like members of the family as much as staff. He was glad to see they accepted that without too much of a fuss, although Jenny was insistent that she and Nicolette would be tending to the food all night, even while they were mingling. Surprising no one, none of the girls who weren't staff were ready by the time the first guests showed up. Andy wasn't shocked that it was Eric who arrived first, along with his whole group. Eric was dressed as Han Solo, with Lily as Princess Leia, Jenny C. as Luke Skywalker, Sarah as Chewbacca, and two other girls who'd recently joined his family “ Lara, a tall, statuesque blonde, and Nikki, a tiny little plump brunette “ were dressed as C3 P0 and R2 D2 accordingly. Phil and his family arrived next. They were all dressed up as characters from the video game Street Fighter, with Phil as Ryu, Audrey as Chun Li, Linda as Cammy, Tamika as Poison and a new girl named Yuko, who was dressed as Sakura. Andy, much like both Phil and Eric, had never been big on large social gatherings, but this felt entirely different. Perhaps they'd been so starved for company, or perhaps they'd been trying to make sense of the new normal for so long, it was nice to have a touch of the old normal, even if it was only a shadow of how it used to be. Dressed all in costume, the boys sat down to play poker. After Phil showed up, Andy's girls descended down the staircase and made a grand entry for themselves. Aisling had dressed up as Amy Adams' portrayal of Lois Lane from the Superman movies, in a white open shirt with a black vest, her hair done up in a smart ponytail, a black lanyard hanging around her neck that said "Daily Planet." Lauren had dressed up as the Black Canary, from the Green Arrow comic books, a leather jacket she'd stolen from his closet, a black leotard and ripped black fishnets that Andy couldn't deny made her pop even more. The biggest surprise, however, was Niko. It took him a few seconds to realize what she was dressed as, and as soon as he did, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She was dressed in a white lab coat, with her hair up in a bun, held in place with chopsticks. Beneath it, she wore a deep purple shirt. It all looked vaguely familiar, but then she turned her head and it all clicked as soon as he saw that coloration done to her hair. While most of her hair was still jet black, on the right side, there was a blue stripe, followed by a violet stripe, and his heart stopped a beat. She was dressed as Doctor Erika Shirow, the coroner who often worked with the Druid Gunslinger in his novels. Around her neck hung a pendant of a celtic cross, exactly as he'd described it in the most recent novel. Shirow had been a regular recurring character, but she was easily what fans would've called "a deep cut." When he'd first introduced her in the second book, he suspected she was a character he would come back to, but hadn't planned her to have much impact on the overarching storyline he had in mind. Now, some nine books into the series, she'd actually appeared in more of them than any other character other than Dale Sexton, the titular Druid Gunslinger. Most of the time, she usually only appeared in a chapter or two, but now, seeing Niko dressed as her, he wondered if he'd been subconsciously building a relationship between Dale and Erika over the course of the novels. He made a mental note to ask Niko about it later. The girls wandered into the room and took their time showing off their costumes for everyone, but as soon as they did, Niko moved over to slide down into Andy's lap, sliding an arm around him. "You like?" she asked him, a mischievous smile on her lips. "No, I absolutely hate it," he laughed, sticking his tongue out at her. "You look stunning. You all look stunning." "Lauren worried she was too tall to pull off the Black Canary, but I told her that in those fishnets, you wouldn't give a fuck." "You would absolutely be right." Niko gestured for him to tip up his hole cards so she could look at them, which he did, and then tipped them back down. "Looks like you're doing well." "Ah, we're mostly playing for fun," Eric said. Niko winked over in his direction. "Sure. That's why your chip stack is so utterly small." "Absolutely," Lily said, moving to stand behind Eric. "And it certainly isn't because my man has no poker face whatsoever." Audrey moved to stand behind Phil. "Phil's usually pretty good at poker, though," she said, kissing his cheek. "Although I heard Andy's always been better." Andy shrugged. "I'm not bad. I mean, I wouldn't drop ten K of my own money to enter the World Series of Poker, but I usually come out at least a little bit ahead at poker nights." "Go easy on them then, I guess, Andy. How high are the stakes?" Niko asked, clearly wiggling her ass in his lap, trying to distract him off his game. "Are we rich yet?" Andy cocked his head to one side, mocking a frown upon his face. "Have you missed the mansion we now live in?" "Sure, but that's not money money," she teased. "What're you playing for?" Eric laughed. "Big, big money." He looked left, looked right, then leaned forward, putting his hand over one side of his mouth, stage whispering to her. "Twenty dollars is the buy in." He widened his eyes and nodded in her direction, like it was his life savings they were talking about. Niko rolled her eyes. "Forget what I said about going easy on them. Take them for everything they're worth." "Oh, and the loser has to buy dinner for the next game night," Phil said. "Or, at least, they used to have to, but that was before we all got our own private staff." "I can't remember the last time Andy bought dinner," Eric grumbled. "I don't know that he ever has," Phil sighed. "I think it's all the rest of us just passing the buck around." The doorbell rang, and Niko slid off his lap. "Who else are we expecting?" Phil rolled his eyes upward in thought. "Ari and his family are coming. Jenna's hooked up with some guy named Gary, so they said they'd stop by. Mel told me he couldn't make it this time, but would try and catch us for the next get together." "I'll go see who it is." Niko headed to the door and Andy could hear from outside the door as soon as she opened it a chorus of children shouting "Trick Or Treat!" They'd just resolved the hand, so all the guys got up and headed to the door to see five children, all dressed up in Minecraft costumes, holding out buckets, into which Niko graciously dropped a couple of candies each. There was a woman standing behind the children, back at the foot of the walkway up to the house, waving at them. It wasn't anyone that any of them recognized, but Andy was glad to see the children weren't out by themselves. For the next hour or so, every ring of the doorbell would bring either another gaggle of children, or another of the group's mutual friends, until the house felt like a booming party. The parade of trick or treating children eventually slowed, and it was almost ten pm when the doorbell rang again. Andy went to answer the door, holding the pot of candies, and as soon as he opened the door, he tensed up a little, even as he heard the shout of "Trick Or Treat!" There were only two children standing there, a girl dressed as Hermione from Harry Potter, and a slightly older boy, dressed as Draco Malfoy. But the children weren't the problem. Behind them stood Arthur Robert Covington the Fourth, dressed as Napoleon. Andy had to mentally tell himself not to curl his hand into a fist. "Ah, Andrew!" Covington said. "So this is where you live. I did wonder which of the open houses they'd assigned you to." Andy dropped candies into the outstretched bags of the two children. They shouldn't be punished for what an ass their father was. "Yes. Well. Here we are." He couldn't wait to get this

Here we are dear denizens. The Uchiha character study is in full swing, and we go on to discuss the companion character to the first, his little brother: Sasuke Uchiha. We touch on his tragic childhood (2:05) and his time in Team 7. Then we get into his rogue arc and gradual decline before he comes back to the light (14:40). And for an added bonus, we poke major jabs at Sakura Haruno. We don't stan Sakura around here!!!

Episode 168 - all notes from the show can be found at www.zippingaroundtheworld.com on the home page.  Scroll to find Episode 168.   Don't forget to subscribe to the show!  Tell your friends and social media. Help the show, at no cost to you! Use my JR Pass and travel credit card links, which are always found on my website show notes. Leave me a comment on my website under the comments tab if you have ever used any of my travel tips or locations.  Also, leave me a rating and kind comment in Itunes or where ever you download this podcast.

HENNROC LEE VS SAKURA: WHO ACTUALLY WINS?! In this episode of The Village Hidden in The Shed, the Shed Boys—Mike Nice & Sid Floyd—go head-to-head debating one of the most divisive matchups in Naruto history:

Imaginée par le collectif CLAMP, cette série revisite le thème de la petite fille détenant des pouvoirs. Elle a été diffusée sur M6 à partir de janvier 2001. Le générique de Sakura chasseuse de cartes ne ressemble absolument pas à ce qu'on avait l'habitude d'entendre à l'époque. Il s'agit d'un morceau de dance music interprété par le groupe Froggy Mix…

Penseira: Trio de Ouro, Sakura e Corujas Express #6Pra matar a saudade durante a semana, toda quarta-feira tem o Penseira , um episódio rapidinho só pra dar aquele gostinho!MANDE SUA CORUJA PARA: mundopottercast@gmail.comRedes: @mpottercast @ithasant e @rodriguesph PIX: mundopottercast@gmail.comEdição: Itamar SantosRoteiro: Itamar SantosApresentado por Itamar Santos e Paulo Rodrigues

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Blossoms and Raindrops: Haruto's Lens on New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-06-03-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の終わりに、はなむら公立高等学校の近くにある公園は、満開の桜で溢れていました。En: At the end of spring, the park near Hanamura Public High School was overflowing with cherry blossoms in full bloom.Ja: ハナビラが風に舞い、穏やかな香りが漂っていました。En: Petals danced in the wind, and a gentle fragrance wafted through the air.Ja: この素晴らしい風景の中で、はるととさくらは校内展示会のための写真を撮っていました。En: Amidst this wonderful scenery, Haruto and Sakura were taking photos for the school exhibition.Ja: はるとは無口ですが、心の中では写真への情熱を抱いていました。En: Haruto was a person of few words, but he harbored a passion for photography in his heart.Ja: 一方、さくらは明るく、はるとをいつも新しいことに挑戦するように励ましていました。En: Sakura, on the other hand, was cheerful and always encouraged Haruto to try new things.Ja: 「はるとくん、この風景は本当に美しいね。もっと写真を撮って！」さくらは元気に言いました。En: "Haruto-kun, this scene is truly beautiful. Take more pictures!" Sakura said energetically.Ja: しかし、はるとは自分の写真の腕前に自信がありませんでした。En: However, Haruto lacked confidence in his photography skills.Ja: 「本当にこれでいいのかな…」と心の中で思いました。En: "Is this really okay...?" he thought to himself.Ja: その時、突然雨が降り出しました。En: Just then, it suddenly started to rain.Ja: はるとはカメラを守ろうと焦ります。En: Anxious to protect his camera, Haruto panicked.Ja: 「どうしよう、このままでは駄目かもしれない。」En: "What should I do? At this rate, it might be ruined."Ja: 彼は一瞬ためらいましたが、雨の中でも撮影を続けることを決意しました。En: He hesitated for a moment but decided to continue shooting even in the rain.Ja: 「諦めずに続けてみよう」と自分に言い聞かせました。En: "Let's keep going without giving up," he told himself.Ja: 雨が止むと、はるとは想像もしていなかった美しい景色と出会いました。En: When the rain stopped, Haruto encountered a breathtaking scene he had never imagined.Ja: 雨粒が花びらにキラリと光り、まるで別の世界のようでした。En: Raindrops glistened on the petals as if it were another world.Ja: 彼はその瞬間を逃さず、シャッターを切りました。En: He didn't miss that moment and pressed the shutter.Ja: 写真はとても特別なものになりました。En: The photo became something very special.Ja: 後日、学校の展示会の日が訪れました。En: Later, the day of the school exhibition arrived.Ja: はるとの写真は注目を集め、たくさんの人がその美しさに感嘆しました。En: Haruto's photo drew attention, and many people were amazed by its beauty.Ja: 「すごいよ、はるとくん！」さくらも大喜びです。En: "That's amazing, Haruto-kun!" Sakura was also overjoyed.Ja: その体験を通じて、はるとは自信を持ち、新しいことに挑戦する楽しさを知りました。En: Through this experience, Haruto gained confidence and discovered the joy of trying new things.Ja: そして、彼は自然の美しさを表現することに成功し、周りの人々からの承認を得ることで、以前よりも積極的に自分を表現できるようになりました。En: He succeeded in expressing the beauty of nature, and by gaining approval from those around him, he became more proactive in expressing himself than before.Ja: はるとの心には、雨上がりのキラキラと光る景色が永遠に残りました。En: In Haruto's heart, the glistening scene after the rain would remain forever. Vocabulary Words:overflowing: 溢れてblossoms: 桜wafted: 漂ってfragrance: 香りamidst: 中でscenery: 風景harbor: 抱いてcheerful: 明るくencouraged: 励ましてenergetically: 元気にconfidence: 自信panicked: 焦りますhesitated: ためらいましたglisten: キラリと光りbreathtaking: 美しいshutter: シャッターproactive: 積極的にapprove: 承認expressing: 表現forever: 永遠にexperience: 体験passion: 情熱imagine: 想像exhibition: 展示会rain: 雨regret: 駄目drew attention: 注目を集めamazed: 感嘆overjoyed: 大喜びmoment: 瞬間

In a distant town nestled between hills and rivers, there lived a man known for his piety and dedication to Allah SWT (God). He was a scholar, not only in knowledge but in his devotion to worship. For years, he would rise before dawn, praying with full sincerity, fast during the long days, and spend his nights immersed in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr). His worship was not just an outward display but an inner surrender to the Divine. He became known among the people for his disciplined lifestyle, and many came to seek his guidance, hoping to emulate his deep connection with Allah SWT.The scholar's devotion did not go unnoticed in the heavens. As he continued in his piety, he felt the sweetness of faith settle deep in his heart. Year after year, decade after decade, he gave his every breath in worship, believing that his long years of unwavering devotion would certainly earn him a place in Jannah Firdaus Paradise. His thoughts often turned to this great reward, and he became convinced that his 500 years of worship had earned him the right to ask for his place in the afterlife.

This is the Spring 2025 Rundown, where we discuss these 3 shows!1) Windbreaker Season 2 2) Lazarus3) One Piece: Egghead Arc To join the Discord, follow us on our socials (we're on Threads / Insta, Twitter (X), Bluesky / Hive and Tumblr): https://Linktree.com/animedegensInterested in watch parties? We're going to start hosting some in our Discord! So join up and join us! The Degen Videos are on YouTube & Spotify now! So, Make sure you follow and like the videos over there at https://Linktree.com/animedegensPlease Rate us on your listening platforms and don't forget to tell your anime friends about us! its the best way to support us and we really do appreciate y'all! Thanks for listening!!If you have any Feedback that you'd like to share or have Topics that you'd like for us to discuss on the Degen Episode, Please reach out to us on any of our Socials, Discord or click here! Interested in being a guest? Reach out to Tyler on Discord or Twitter / Threads!Time Stamps:Intro: 00:00Windbreaker Season 2 Episode 8 : 02:40Lazarus Episode 8 : 19:20One Piece Episode 1130: 35:10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Rain or Shine: A Village Festival's Unexpected Triumph Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-26-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の風が村を包み、桜の花びらが舞い散る中、古の日本の村は賑やかだった。En: The spring breeze enveloped the village, and as sakura petals danced and scattered, the ancient Japanese village was lively.Ja: ゴールデンウィークを迎え、村の子どもたちは学校祭の準備で忙しかった。En: With the arrival of Golden Week, the village children were busy preparing for the school festival.Ja: 晴れていた朝、はるかは学校の庭に立ち、深呼吸をした。En: On a sunny morning, Haruka stood in the school courtyard and took a deep breath.Ja: 彼女は村中の人々を驚かせるような最高のパフォーマンスを作りたいと考えていた。En: She wanted to create the best performance that would amaze everyone in the village.Ja: しかし、彼女の頭には一つの問題があった。En: However, she was struggling with one problem.Ja: 村の伝統を正確に、そして敬意を持って表現する方法がなかなか思いつかないのだ。En: She couldn't quite figure out how to express the village's traditions accurately and respectfully.Ja: 「ゆうと、ちょっといい？」はるかは、静かな青年、ゆうとに声をかけた。彼はいつも学校の図書室で物語を書くのが好きだった。En: "Yuto, do you have a moment?" Haruka called out to Yuto, a quiet young man who always liked to write stories in the school library.Ja: 「あなたの物語を使って、昔の村のことを紹介してみるのはどうかな？」En: "How about introducing the old village using your story?"Ja: ゆうとは少し驚いた様子で頷いた。En: Yuto nodded, looking a bit surprised.Ja: 「面白いと思う。試してみよう。」En: "I think that would be interesting. Let's give it a try."Ja: まいもその場に現れ、はるかを応援するように微笑んだ。En: Mai also appeared on the scene, smiling in support of Haruka.Ja: 「一緒に頑張ろう。みんなで作るなら、きっと素敵になるよ。」En: "Let's work hard together. If we all create it together, I'm sure it'll be wonderful."Ja: 数日間、はるかたちは一心に準備を進めた。En: For several days, Haruka and her friends worked diligently on their preparations.Ja: 村の伝統的な踊り、音楽、そしてゆうとの物語が調和するパフォーマンスが形になり始めた。En: The performance, a harmony of the village's traditional dance, music, and Yuto's story, began to take shape.Ja: しかし、学校祭前日のリハーサル中、突然、黒い雲が空を覆った。En: However, during rehearsal the day before the school festival, black clouds suddenly covered the sky.Ja: 雷が鳴り、激しい雨が降り始めた。En: Thunder roared, and heavy rain began to fall.Ja: 「どうしよう、このままでは外でのパフォーマンスはできない！」はるかは焦った。En: "What should we do? We can't perform outside like this!" Haruka panicked.Ja: しかし、彼女はすぐに思いついた。En: But she quickly came up with an idea.Ja: 「屋内でやろう。教室を使って、もっと近くでみんなに見てもらえばいい。」En: "Let's do it indoors. We can use a classroom and have everyone watch from closer up."Ja: その提案により、チーム全員が一丸となって教室を装飾し直した。En: With that suggestion, the entire team came together to redecorate the classroom.Ja: 最後のリハーサルが終わると、みんなの顔には自信が表れた。En: After the final rehearsal was over, confidence appeared on everyone's face.Ja: 学校祭当日、雨は止まなかったが、それは問題にならなかった。En: On the day of the school festival, the rain didn't stop, but it didn't matter.Ja: 教室の中でのパフォーマンスは成功し、観客はその創造性と情熱に感動した。En: The performance inside the classroom was a success, and the audience was moved by their creativity and passion.Ja: はるかは笑顔で言った。「みんなが力を合わせたおかげで、この成功があるんだね。」En: Haruka smiled as she said, "This success is all thanks to everyone's combined efforts."Ja: その瞬間、はるかは気づいた。個人の功績より、仲間と共に成し遂げることの素晴らしさを。En: At that moment, Haruka realized the greatness of achieving something together with her peers, rather than individual accomplishments.Ja: 彼女の目指した最高のパフォーマンスは、皆の心に残る一瞬となった。En: The best performance she aimed for became a moment that remained in everyone's hearts. Vocabulary Words:enveloped: 包むscattered: 舞い散るlively: 賑やかtraditions: 伝統accurately: 正確にrespectfully: 敬意を持ってquiet: 静かpreparations: 準備harmony: 調和thunder: 雷roared: 鳴りpanicked: 焦ったindoors: 屋内redecorate: 装飾し直すrehearsal: リハーサルconfidence: 自信creativity: 創造性passion: 情熱combined efforts: 力を合わせたgreatness: 素晴らしさaccomplishments: 功績aimed: 目指したremained: 残るsunny: 晴れていたcourtyard: 庭breathe: 深呼吸express: 表現するmoment: 瞬間audience: 観客success: 成功

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Sakura Secrets: The High School Discovery Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-21-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の日差しが桜の花びらを優しく照らす中、高校生の春斗と葵は、学校の遠足で町外れの秘密の研究所を訪れました。En: As the spring sunshine gently illuminated the sakura petals, high school students Haruto and Aoi visited a secret research institute on the outskirts of town during a school excursion.Ja: この研究所は、白い建物に囲まれ、最新の技術と機械が並ぶ場所でした。En: This research institute was surrounded by white buildings and was a place filled with the latest technology and machinery.Ja: 外には桜の木が並び、花びらが風に舞い、春の訪れを知らせていました。En: Outside, sakura trees lined the area, and the petals dancing in the breeze heralded the arrival of spring.Ja: 春斗は、科学と発見に興味深々で、この研究所に心を躍らせていました。En: Haruto was deeply fascinated by science and discovery, and his heart raced with excitement at this research institute.Ja: 彼は自らの科学プロジェクトで何か新しいものを創り出したいと夢見ていました。En: He dreamed of creating something new with his own science project.Ja: 一方、葵は春斗のクラスメートで、冒険心に満ちており、謎を解くのが大好きな少女です。En: Meanwhile, Aoi, his classmate, was a girl full of a spirit of adventure and loved solving mysteries.Ja: 彼女もこの場所に潜む秘密を知りたくてたまりません。En: She too was eager to uncover the secrets hidden in this place.Ja: 二人はグループから少し離れ、研究所の奥へと入っていきました。En: The two of them drifted slightly away from the group and ventured deeper into the research institute.Ja: そこには、誰も立ち入らないような場所があり、金属の扉が重く立ちふさがっていました。En: They found a place that seemed off-limits, with a heavy metal door standing in their path.Ja: 「春斗、これを見て！あそこに何かあるかもしれないよ！」葵の好奇心が二人をさらに奥へと導きます。En: “Haruto, look at this! There might be something over there!” Aoi's curiosity led them further inside.Ja: 中に入ると、機械の音が響きわたり、部屋は白に統一されていました。En: Upon entering, the sound of machinery echoed throughout, and the room was uniformly white.Ja: 春斗は目を輝かせ、いろいろな機器を観察し始めました。En: Haruto's eyes lit up as he began to observe various devices.Ja: 突然、彼らは一つの壁の隙間に気が付きました。En: Suddenly, they noticed a gap in one of the walls.Ja: 「こっちに来て、葵。これが何かの入り口かもしれない。」En: “Come here, Aoi. This might be an entrance to something.”Ja: その隠し扉の中には、青写真が広がっていました。En: Inside the hidden door, blueprints were spread out.Ja: それは新しいエネルギー装置の設計図でした。En: It was the design for a new energy device.Ja: 「これだ！これを使えば僕のプロジェクトは大きく前進する！」春斗は興奮しながら言いました。En: “This is it! If I use this, my project could make great progress!” Haruto exclaimed excitedly.Ja: しかし、この発見をどうするか迷います。En: However, they hesitated about what to do with this discovery.Ja: 先生に伝えるべきか、それとも自分たちだけで使うべきか。En: Should they tell a teacher, or use it by themselves?Ja: 葵は言いました。「この秘密を共有するのは危険だけど、私たちだけで研究してみるのはとても面白いと思う。En: Aoi said, “Sharing this secret is dangerous, but I think researching it on our own would be really interesting.Ja: あなたのプロジェクトに役立てよう！」En: Let's use it for your project!”Ja: 春斗は決意しました。En: Haruto made up his mind.Ja: 「そうしよう、葵。En: “Let's do it, Aoi.Ja: 絶対に成功させよう！」En: We'll definitely succeed!”Ja: 二人はその場で設計図をメモし、細かく記録を取りました。そして静かに研究所を後にしました。En: The two of them noted down the blueprints and meticulously recorded details while quietly leaving the research institute.Ja: これからのプロジェクトがどんな結果をもたらすか、二人の期待は膨らむばかりです。En: Their anticipation for the project's potential results only grew.Ja: 春斗は仲間と共に研究することの大切さを学びました。En: Haruto learned the importance of researching together with friends.Ja: そして、葵も科学探求の面白さを再確認しました。En: And Aoi reaffirmed the excitement of scientific exploration.Ja: 春の桜が美しく舞う中、二人は新しい友情と挑戦心を胸に抱き、次のステップへと進んでいきました。En: As the spring sakura petals beautifully danced in the air, they embraced a new friendship and sense of challenge, moving on to the next step.Ja: 彼らの心には、あの秘密の研究所で経験した冒険の日が鮮明に刻まれているのでした。En: The adventure day they experienced at that secret research institute was vividly etched in their hearts. Vocabulary Words:illuminated: 照らすoutskirts: 町外れheralded: 知らせていましたfascinated: 興味深々venture: 入っていきましたoff-limits: 立ち入らないheavy: 重くechoed: 響きわたりuniformly: 統一されてblueprints: 青写真design: 設計図progress: 前進hesitated: 迷いますdiscovery: 発見meticulously: 細かくanticipation: 期待potential: 可能性etched: 刻まれているadventure: 冒険spirit: 心mysteries: 謎curiosity: 好奇心entrance: 入り口spread out: 広がっていましたsucceeded: 成功embraced: 抱きexcursion: 遠足secret: 秘密researching: 研究solve: 解く

On this episode of Car Torque, Matty, Ed, Scotty, David, Rob and Chad discuss their latest updates with their cars. They also discuss Sakura Picnic which is organised by the Toyota Car Club of Victoria. The boys battle it out in the quiz!Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review!Support us and become a Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cartorquepodcastCheck out our merch here! https://car-torque-store.creator-spring.com/Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCybzrcsj4nhADsyfYKtXPzwhttps://carloop.com.auDavid and Eds Podcast Autoretrohttps://open.spotify.com/show/5aOi9R8WfqOccEfnm2vslQ

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Sakura Secrets: Yuki's Quest for a Lost Heirloom Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-15-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 京都の警察署は人で溢れていた。En: The Kyoto police station was overflowing with people.Ja: ゴールデンウィークの音が遠くから聞こえて、桜の花びらが外の公園で散っていく。En: The sounds of Golden Week could be heard from afar, and the sakura petals were scattering in the park outside.Ja: そんな中、雪は緊張した顔で受付に向かった。En: Amidst all this, Yuki approached the reception desk with a tense expression.Ja: 受付の女性が微笑んで声をかける。「ご用件は何でしょうか？」En: The receptionist smiled and spoke, "What can I help you with today?"Ja: 雪は深呼吸をして話し始めた。「私は雪です。En: Yuki took a deep breath and began to speak. "My name is Yuki.Ja: 盗まれたアイテムがあります。私の家族の大切な遺産です。」En: Something has been stolen from me. It's a valuable family heirloom."Ja: 受付の女性は静かに頷き、用紙を差し出した。En: The receptionist nodded quietly and handed over a form.Ja: 「盗難届けをこちらに記入してください。」En: "Please fill out this theft report."Ja: 雪はペンを取り、少し迷いながら書き始めた。En: Yuki picked up a pen and began writing, hesitating a little.Ja: 遺産は小さな金のブローチで、祖母からもらったものだ。En: The heirloom was a small gold brooch given to her by her grandmother.Ja: 雪にとって、それはただのアクセサリー以上のものだった。En: To Yuki, it was more than just an accessory.Ja: それは家族と繋がる大切な絆だった。En: It was a precious link to her family.Ja: 書き終わった後、周囲を見渡すと、たくさんの人々が相談待ちをしているのがわかる。En: After she finished writing, she looked around and saw many people waiting for consultations.Ja: 警察官たちも忙しそうに走り回っている。En: The police officers also seemed busy, rushing around.Ja: 雪はその様子を見て、少し気持ちが沈んだ。En: Seeing this, Yuki felt a bit discouraged.Ja: 正義を求めて来たのに、こんなにも人手が足りないのではないかと不安になった。En: She came seeking justice, but she worried if there were enough people to help.Ja: 「すみません、何かお手伝いできることがあれば教えてください。」控えめに声をかけた。En: "Excuse me, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help," she said modestly.Ja: その時、背後から声が聞こえた。En: Just then, she heard a voice from behind.Ja: 「雪さんですか？」若い警官が話しかけてきた。En: "Are you Yuki?" A young officer approached her.Ja: 「私は竹下といいます。この件についてお話しをお伺いします。」En: "My name is Takeshita. I'll be discussing this matter with you."Ja: 竹下と一緒に小さな部屋に入ると、雪は落ち着いた。En: Entering a small room with Takeshita, Yuki felt calmer.Ja: 話をしながら、竹下に家族の話やブローチのことを色々と伝えた。En: As they talked, she told Takeshita about her family and the brooch.Ja: 竹下も丁寧に聞き、解決に向けて手助けを約束した。En: Takeshita listened attentively and promised to help solve the case.Ja: が、警察の対応を待っている間に、雪は決意した。En: But while waiting for the police's response, Yuki made a decision.Ja: 自分でも何かできることがないか考えようと。En: She decided to think about what she could do herself.Ja: 地元の人に聞いて町を歩き回った。どこか、何か手掛かりがあるかもしれない。En: She walked around town, asking locals if they had seen anything, hoping for a clue.Ja: 数日後、突然の電話がかかってきた。En: A few days later, she received an unexpected phone call.Ja: 電話の向こうでは「舞」と名乗る女性が言った。「誤ってあなたのブローチを持ち帰ってしまったかもしれません。」En: A woman who introduced herself as Mai said, "I might have accidentally taken your brooch."Ja: その瞬間、雪は胸がジンと熱くなった。En: At that moment, Yuki felt a warm sensation in her chest.Ja: 件の女性と会い、彼女は確かにブローチを持っていた。En: She met the woman, who indeed had the brooch.Ja: 事情を説明し、心から謝罪を受けて、雪はそれを受け取った。En: After explaining the situation and receiving a heartfelt apology, Yuki accepted it back.Ja: 帰り道、桜の花びらがまた舞い散っていた。En: On her way home, the sakura petals were drifting again.Ja: 雪は自分の心が少し軽くなった気がした。En: Yuki felt like her heart was a little lighter.Ja: 人を信じ、待つことの大切さを学んだ。En: She learned the importance of trusting people and being patient.Ja: 事件は落ち着いて解決したが、何より大切なのは自分に対する自信と他人への理解だった。En: The case had been settled calmly, but what mattered most was confidence in herself and understanding others.Ja: そう、雪は思った。これからはもっと自分を信じ、周りの人とも優しく接していこうと。En: Yes, Yuki thought, from now on, she would trust herself more and treat others with kindness.Ja: 警察署の喧騒を背に、雪は晴れた京都の街を、穏やかな心で歩いて行った。En: Leaving the bustle of the police station behind, Yuki walked through the sunny streets of Kyoto with a peaceful heart. Vocabulary Words:overflowing: 溢れていたsakura petals: 桜の花びらscattering: 散ってtense: 緊張したreception desk: 受付valuable: 大切なheirloom: 遺産hesitating: 迷いながらbrooch: ブローチconsultations: 相談discouraged: 気持ちが沈んだjustice: 正義modestly: 控えめにattentively: 丁寧にpromised: 約束したunsettled: 落ち着いてunexpected: 突然accidentally: 誤ってsensation: 熱くheartfelt: 心からapology: 謝罪lighter: 軽くなったconfidence: 自信kindness: 優しくbustle: 喧騒settled: 解決したconsultations: 相談calmly: 穏やかなtrusting: 信じunderstanding: 理解

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Spring Confessions: Love Blossoms at Sakura Park Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-12-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の日差しが公園を優しく包み込む中、桜の花びらが風に吹かれて舞い散っていました。En: As the spring sunlight gently enveloped the park, the sakura petals were blown by the wind, swirling and scattering.Ja: 「桜公園」と呼ばれるその場所は、まるでピンク色の絨毯が広がっているようでした。En: The place known as Sakura Park" was spread out like a pink carpet.Ja: ゴールデンウィークにここを訪れる人々は、家族や友人と一緒に、ピクニックを楽しんでいました。En: People visiting during Golden Week enjoyed picnics with family and friends.Ja: 笑い声が木々のささやきと混ざり合い、何とも穏やかな春の空気を作り出していました。En: Laughter mixed with the whispers of the trees, creating a serene spring atmosphere.Ja: ハルトは、その光景の中に立ち尽くしていました。En: Haruto stood still amidst this scene.Ja: 彼の心は緊張でいっぱいでした。今日こそ、サクラに自分の気持ちを伝えようと決めたからです。En: His heart was full of tension because he had decided to confess his feelings to Sakura today.Ja: しかし、彼には自信がありませんでした。En: However, he lacked confidence.Ja: サクラは遠くの都会で新しい仕事に忙しく、友達と過ごす時間が少なくなるかもしれない、と考えると、心の中の迷いが増してしまいました。En: Thinking that Sakura might be busy with her new job in the distant city and might have less time to spend with friends, doubt grew in his heart.Ja: 彼の横にはユートがいました。En: Next to him was Yuto.Ja: ユートはいつも陽気で、ハルトの気持ちを知っている数少ない友人です。En: Yuto, always cheerful, was one of the few friends who knew about Haruto's feelings.Ja: 「ハルト、今がチャンスだよ」と彼は言いました。En: "Haruto, now's your chance," he said.Ja: 「桜が君たちを祝福してるみたいだ。行け、告白しろ！」En: "The sakura seems to be blessing you both. Go, confess!"Ja: ユートの後押しを受けて、ハルトは少し勇気を出して歩き始めました。En: Encouraged by Yuto, Haruto gathered a little courage and began to walk.Ja: サクラは、桜の木の下で一人で座っていました。En: Sakura was sitting alone under the sakura tree.Ja: 彼女は優しい微笑みを浮かべ、両手を膝の上に置いていました。En: She wore a gentle smile, with her hands resting on her knees.Ja: ハルトが近づくと、彼女は顔を上げました。En: As Haruto approached, she looked up.Ja: 「ハルト、来てくれたのね」と彼女は言いました。En: "Haruto, you came," she said.Ja: 彼女の声は、青空に溶け込んでいくように心地よいものでした。En: Her voice was pleasant, as if dissolving into the blue sky.Ja: ハルトは深呼吸をし、胸の鼓動を静めようとしました。En: Haruto took a deep breath, trying to calm the beating of his heart.Ja: 「サクラ、実は君に伝えたいことがあるんだ」と彼は言い始めました。En: "Sakura, there's something I want to tell you," he began.Ja: しかし、言葉は途中で詰まってしまいました。En: But his words got stuck midway.Ja: その時、追い風に乗ってユートが駆け寄ってきました。En: At that moment, riding the tailwind, Yuto dashed over.Ja: 「ハルト！頑張れよ！」En: "Haruto! Hang in there!"Ja: 彼の声が、ハルトの心に響きました。それが背中を押し、勇気が湧いてきたのです。En: His voice resonated within Haruto's heart, giving him the push he needed and filling him with courage.Ja: 「サクラ、僕は君が好きだ。ずっと前から」とハルトはやっと口に出しました。En: "Sakura, I like you. I've liked you for a long time," Haruto finally managed to say.Ja: サクラはびっくりした様子でしたが、すぐに優しい笑みを浮かべました。En: Sakura seemed surprised, but soon a gentle smile spread across her face.Ja: 「ハルト、私も同じ気持ちだったの。引っ越しても、君のことを考えていた」と彼女は答えました。En: "Haruto, I felt the same way. Even after moving, I've been thinking about you," she replied.Ja: 二人はその場に立ちつくし、桜の花びらが舞い降りる中で静かに笑顔を交わしました。En: The two stood there, exchanging smiles quietly as the sakura petals drifted down.Ja: 彼らは、お互いを想い続けることで、この距離を乗り越えていこうと約束しました。En: They promised to continue thinking of each other and overcome the distance between them.Ja: その日、ハルトは自信を持ちました。En: That day, Haruto gained confidence.Ja: 愛の告白は勇気が必要だと知り、それに向き合ったことで、心に大きな変化を感じました。En: He understood that confessing love requires courage, and facing this brought about a significant change in his heart.Ja: 瞬間を大切にすることがどれほど素晴らしいか、彼にははっきりと分かりました。En: He realized how wonderful it is to cherish the moment.Ja: 桜の香りに包まれた彼と彼女は、春の風と共に新しい一歩を歩み始めました。En: Wrapped in the sakura scent, he and she began to take new steps with the spring breeze.Ja: ユートもその二人を見て満足そうに微笑んでいました。En: Yuto also watched them with a satisfied smile.Ja: そうして、桜公園には新しい優しい物語が一つ、印されました。En: Thus, a new gentle story was marked at Sakura Park. Vocabulary Words:enveloped: 包み込むpetals: 花びらswirling: 舞いscattering: 散るcarpet: 絨毯laughter: 笑い声serene: 穏やかamidst: 中にtension: 緊張confess: 告白confidence: 自信distant: 遠くlacked: 欠けていたdoubt: 迷いencouraged: 後押しpleasant: 心地よいcalm: 静めるresonated: 響くcourage: 勇気surprised: びっくりgentle: 優しいexchange: 交わすcherish: 大切にするscent: 香りovercome: 乗り越えるsignificant: 大きなheart: 心marked: 印されるamid: 中でblessing: 祝福

Learn more at TheCityLife.org

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Under the Sakura: A Journey of Renewal in Kyoto Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-08-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の朝、哲学の道は美しい桜の花で彩られていました。En: On a spring morning, the Tetsugaku-no-michi was adorned with beautiful sakura blossoms.Ja: 花びらが風に舞い、川の水面に静かに降り注ぎます。En: Petals danced in the wind, gently settling on the surface of the river.Ja: ハルトはその景色を見ながら、心の中で何かが変わることを期待していました。En: As Harto gazed at the scenery, he hoped for something to change within his heart.Ja: ハルトは会社でいつも忙しい生活を送っていました。En: Harto led a busy life at work.Ja: だが、今回はユキの勧めで、仕事を忘れて京都へ来ました。En: However, upon Yuki's suggestion, he came to Kyoto to forget about work.Ja: ユキは彼に休息が必要だと感じていました。En: Yuki felt that he needed a break.Ja: 「二人で週末を過ごそう」と彼女は言い、自然の中で肩の荷を降ろせる場所を求めました。En: "Let's spend the weekend together," she said, seeking a place in nature where he could lay down his burdens.Ja: しかし、旅行の計画は少し変わりました。En: However, the travel plan changed slightly.Ja: ハルトの友人、エミが突然に同行することになったのです。En: Harto's friend, Emi, unexpectedly decided to join them.Ja: ユキは少し驚きましたが、エミはいつも優しくて気の利く友達でした。En: Yuki was a little surprised, but Emi was always a kind and considerate friend.Ja: 彼女が一緒でも、楽しい時が過ごせると思いました。En: She thought they could still have a good time together.Ja: 道を歩くうちに、ハルトは体の異変に気が付きます。En: As they walked along the path, Harto noticed something wrong with his body.Ja: 頭が重く、視界がぼんやりし始めました。En: His head felt heavy, and his vision started to blur.Ja: 最初は、それが一時的なものだと思い、彼は黙っていました。En: At first, he thought it was temporary and kept silent.Ja: ユキとエミに心配をかけたくなかったのです。En: He didn't want to worry Yuki and Emi.Ja: でも、時間が経つにつれて、ハルトの調子は悪化していきました。En: But as time passed, Harto's condition worsened.Ja: 最後に彼は、桜の下で力尽き、地面に崩れ落ちました。En: Finally, he collapsed under the cherry blossoms, unable to stand any longer.Ja: 青空の下で、ユキとエミは驚き、すぐに彼を助けました。En: Under the blue sky, Yuki and Emi were shocked and immediately came to his aid.Ja: エミが急いで救急車を呼び、ユキはハルトの手を握りしめて励まします。En: Emi quickly called an ambulance, and Yuki held his hand tightly, offering encouragement.Ja: 救急車が到着し、ハルトはすぐに手当てを受けました。En: The ambulance arrived, and Harto received immediate care.Ja: 彼の病状は深刻ではなかったものの、ストレスと過労が原因だと医者に言われました。En: Although his condition was not severe, the doctor said it was due to stress and overwork.Ja: それを聞いて、ハルトは自分の生活を見直す必要があると強く感じました。En: Hearing this, Harto felt a strong need to reassess his life.Ja: そして、ホテルに戻った後、ハルトはユキに素直な気持ちを打ち明けました。En: Later, back at the hotel, Harto candidly expressed his feelings to Yuki.Ja: 「僕はもっと自分を大事にしなければならないね」と彼は小さな声で言いました。En: "I need to take better care of myself," he said in a small voice.Ja: 「これまで君にも心配をかけて、本当にごめん。」En: "I'm really sorry for making you worry all this time."Ja: ユキは、そんなハルトの変化を嬉しく思いました。En: Yuki was pleased to see this change in Harto.Ja: 「一緒に乗り越えようね。大切なのは、これからだよ。」と優しく微笑みました。En: "Let's overcome this together. The important part is what comes next," she replied with a gentle smile.Ja: ハルトは、ユキとともに京都の静かな夜を過ごしながら、自分のこれからについて静かに考えました。En: As Harto spent a quiet night in Kyoto with Yuki, he contemplated his future.Ja: そして、桜の季節は終わりを迎えますが、彼の心には新たな芽が育ち始めていました。En: The season of sakura may come to an end, but a new bud was beginning to grow in his heart. Vocabulary Words:adorned: 彩られていましたpetals: 花びらgazed: 見ながらscenery: 景色reassess: 見直すcontemplated: 考えましたunexpectedly: 突然にencouragement: 励ましますgentle: 優しくconsiderate: 気の利くburdens: 肩の荷blur: ぼんやりcollapse: 崩れ落ちましたseason: 季節temporary: 一時的なvision: 視界head: 頭surface: 水面air: 風severe: 深刻aid: 助けforced: 力尽きcandidly: 素直な気持ちを打ち明けましたreplied: 優しく微笑みましたbuds: 芽stress: ストレスovercome: 乗り越えようquiet: 静かなadmit: 打ち明けましたrealize: 気が付きます

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: The Mystery of the Vanished Scroll in Arashiyama Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-06-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春のある日、嵐山竹林は静かで神秘的な雰囲気に包まれていました。En: One spring day, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was enveloped in a quiet and mystical atmosphere.Ja: 竹の茎がそよ風にささやき、太陽の光が淡く優しい影絵を描いていました。En: The bamboo stalks whispered to the gentle breeze, and the sunlight painted soft, delicate shadow pictures.Ja: 子供の日が近づくと、多くの家族が観光に訪れていました。En: As Children's Day approached, many families came to visit as tourists.Ja: この中には歴史に興味を持ち、竹林を案内するガイド、遥人がいました。En: Among them was Haruto, a guide interested in history who led tours through the bamboo forest.Ja: 遥人は地域の歴史を大事にし、観光客たちにその魅力を伝えるのが大好きでした。En: Haruto cherished the history of the area and loved sharing its allure with visitors.Ja: しかし、その日のガイドツアー中、一枚の古い巻物が突然消えてしまいました。En: However, during that day's guided tour, an old scroll suddenly vanished.Ja: それは嵐山の貴重な歴史資料であり、見つからなければ遥人の評判に大きな影響を与えるものでした。En: It was a valuable historical document of Arashiyama, and if not found, it would greatly impact Haruto's reputation.Ja: 冷や汗をかく遙人のもとに、東京から友人の雪が到着しました。En: As cold sweat dripped from Haruto's brow, his friend Yuki arrived from Tokyo.Ja: 雪はアマチュア探偵としての腕を持ち、今回の事件解決に協力すると申し出ました。En: Yuki, skilled as an amateur detective, offered to help solve the case.Ja: また、現地の歴史家で慎重な性格の桜も、心配しながら捜索に加わりました。En: Additionally, Sakura, a local historian with a cautious disposition, joined the search with concern.Ja: 「まずは落ち着こう」と雪が提案し、三人は観光客に質問を始めました。En: "Let's stay calm first," Yuki suggested, and the three began questioning the tourists.Ja: 誰も不審な動きはしていないという情報しか得られませんでしたが、雪が言いました。「竹林の奥を調べてみよう。何か手がかりがあるかも。」En: They received no information other than that no one had seen any suspicious activity, but then Yuki said, "Let's investigate deeper into the bamboo forest. There might be a clue."Ja: 桜は竹林の歴史や奇妙な噂について詳しかったため、三人で奥へと進みました。En: Sakura was knowledgeable about the history and strange rumors concerning the bamboo forest, so the three of them ventured further in.Ja: すると、小さな隠れた部屋を発見しました。En: There, they discovered a small hidden room.Ja: そこには、ある観光客が巻物を手に持っていました。En: Inside, a tourist was holding the scroll in their hands.Ja: 「それは嵐山の所有物です」と遙人が静かに言いました。「日本の歴史にとって大切なものです。」En: "That belongs to Arashiyama," Haruto said quietly. "It's important to Japan's history."Ja: 「ただの記念品だと思いました」と観光客は申し訳なさそうに言い、巻物を返しました。En: "I thought it was just a souvenir," the tourist said apologetically and returned the scroll.Ja: 巻物が戻り、遙人の評判は守られました。En: With the scroll safely returned, Haruto's reputation was preserved.Ja: 竹林の奥に響く風が優しく三人を包みました。En: The gentle wind echoed through the depths of the bamboo forest, wrapping gently around the three of them.Ja: 事件を通して、遥人は友人たちの協力に感謝し、歴史への思いがさらに深まりました。En: Through this incident, Haruto felt grateful for the cooperation of his friends, and his appreciation for history deepened even further.Ja: そして、彼自身もまた少し成長しました。仲間と一緒に成し遂げることの大切さを心から感じたのです。En: He also grew a little himself, profoundly feeling the importance of achieving things together with friends.Ja: 若い竹が風に揺れる中、遥人、雪、桜は笑顔で竹林を後にしました。En: As the young bamboo swayed in the breeze, Haruto, Yuki, and Sakura left the bamboo forest with smiles. Vocabulary Words:enveloped: 包まれていましたmystical: 神秘的なwhispered: ささやきdelicate: 淡く優しいcherished: 大事にしallure: 魅力vanished: 消えてしまいましたvaluable: 貴重なcold sweat: 冷や汗brow: 額amateur: アマチュアdetective: 探偵cautious: 慎重なdisposition: 性格suspicious: 不審なventure: 進みましたhidden: 隠れたapologetically: 申し訳なさそうにreputation: 評判profoundly: 心からappreciation: 感謝cooperation: 協力grateful: 感謝しachieving: 成し遂げるsunlight: 太陽の光document: 資料echoed: 響くconcern: 心配strange: 奇妙なrumors: 噂

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: A Colorful Start: Sakura and Hiroki's Inspiring New Chapter Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-05-01-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の風がやさしく窓から吹き込む孤児院は、子供たちの笑い声であふれていました。En: The orphanage, where the gentle spring breeze softly blew in through the window, was filled with the children's laughter.Ja: 色とりどりの絵が壁に貼られ、外には子供の日を祝うカラフルなこいのぼりがはためいています。En: Colorful pictures were pasted on the walls, and outside, colorful koinobori were fluttering in the wind to celebrate Children's Day.Ja: サクラはこの孤児院でボランティアをしています。En: Sakura volunteers at this orphanage.Ja: 彼女は子供たちに何かを与えたいと思っていますが、自分にはそれができないのではないかと不安に思っていました。En: She wanted to give something to the children but was worried that she might not be able to.Ja: ある日、孤児院にヒロキというイラストレーターが訪れました。En: One day, an illustrator named Hiroki visited the orphanage.Ja: 彼は子供たちが大好きで、自分の著書の売り上げの一部を寄付し、絵のワークショップを開くことを決めたのです。En: He loved children and decided to donate a portion of his book sales and hold a drawing workshop.Ja: サクラはヒロキに会うと、彼の優しさとカリスマ性に魅了されました。En: When Sakura met Hiroki, she was captivated by his kindness and charisma.Ja: しかし、彼女は自分が役に立てるかどうか不安で、なかなか手を差し伸べられませんでした。En: However, her insecurities about whether she could be helpful made her hesitant to reach out.Ja: ヒロキも実は心の中に秘めた夢がありました。En: Hiroki also had a secret dream in his heart.Ja: 彼は子供たちのためのアートスタジオを開きたいと思っていましたが、まだ誰にも話していませんでした。En: He wanted to open an art studio for children, but he hadn't shared this with anyone yet.Ja: 今、彼はサクラと出会い、この夢を共有するかどうか迷っていました。En: Now, after meeting Sakura, he was contemplating whether to share this dream with her.Ja: ワークショップが始まりました。En: The workshop began.Ja: ヒロキは子供たちに絵の描き方を優しく教えています。En: Hiroki gently taught the children how to draw.Ja: サクラは少し離れて彼を見ていましたが、自分がこの場で何をすればいいのか考えていました。En: Sakura watched from a distance, wondering what she could do in this place.Ja: その瞬間、小さな女の子、ミサキが紙を持ってサクラの側に来ました。En: At that moment, a little girl named Misaki came over to Sakura with a piece of paper.Ja: 「サクラさん、これどうやったらきれいに塗れるの？」ミサキの素直な質問にサクラは微笑みました。En: "How can I color this nicely, Sakura-san?" Misaki's candid question made Sakura smile.Ja: 彼女はミサキに寄り添い、一緒に色を選び、塗り方を教え始めました。En: She sat next to Misaki, began choosing colors together, and taught her how to color.Ja: そのうち、ミサキの絵が少しずつ形になり、それを見ていた他の子供たちも集まってきました。En: Gradually, Misaki's drawing began to take shape, and other children who were watching gathered around.Ja: 「サクラさん、すごい！」彼らの声に、サクラの心は喜びでいっぱいになりました。En: "Wow, Sakura-san, that's amazing!" Their voices filled Sakura's heart with joy.Ja: その時、ヒロキもサクラを見て微笑んでいました。En: At that moment, Hiroki also smiled at Sakura.Ja: 彼はサクラの元に来て、小声で言いました。「僕には夢があります。En: He came over to her and whispered, "I have a dream.Ja: 子供たちのためのアートスタジオを開きたいのです。En: I want to open an art studio for the children.Ja: 一緒に手伝ってくれませんか？」En: Will you help me?"Ja: サクラは驚きましたが、心の中で何かがぱっと開くのを感じました。En: Sakura was surprised, but she felt something open up in her heart.Ja: 「私で良ければ、喜んでお手伝いします」と彼女は答えました。En: "If I'm good enough, I'd be delighted to help," she replied.Ja: その後、サクラとヒロキはともに力を合わせ、夢のスタジオを開く計画を立て始めました。En: Thereafter, Sakura and Hiroki joined forces and began planning to open the dream studio.Ja: サクラは自分に自信を持ち始め、ヒロキは彼の夢が現実になることを実感しました。En: Sakura started to gain confidence in herself, and Hiroki realized that his dream was becoming a reality.Ja: 孤児院の笑い声はこれからも続き、春の空の下で新たな夢が生まれていきました。En: The laughter in the orphanage continued, and under the spring sky, new dreams were born.Ja: サクラとヒロキは、一緒に未来を描いていくパートナーとなったのです。En: Sakura and Hiroki became partners in painting the future together. Vocabulary Words:orphanage: 孤児院spring: 春breeze: 風fluttering: はためいてvolunteers: ボランティアillustrator: イラストレーターworkshop: ワークショップcaptivated: 魅了されましたcharisma: カリスマ性insecurities: 不安contemplating: 考えていましたhesitant: ためらうcandid: 素直なshape: 形gathered: 集まってきましたpartners: パートナーdelighted: 喜んでconfidence: 自信reality: 現実dream: 夢filled: あふれていましたportion: 一部sales: 売り上げdistance: 少し離れてmoment: 瞬間smiled: 微笑みましたcolorful: 色とりどりのdecided: 決めたshared: 共有するplanning: 計画を立て始めました

Text Dr. Black your questions or comments.Thanks for joining me today on the Eat Your Greens with Dr. Black podcast. In this episode, I'm excited to introduce you to an amazing local restaurant in San Marcos that offers healthy, plant-predominant options. I sit down with Dalton, the general manager of Sakura, to dive into the restaurant's unique offering, including conveyor belt sushi and hot pot dishes. Sakura provides a variety of plant-based options, such as fully customizable vegan sushi rolls and a diverse selection of vegetables and vegan proteins for the hot pot. They also offer traditional Japanese noodle varieties, including my favorite sweet potato noodles. We discuss the importance of incorporating a wide range of plant-based foods like mushrooms, cabbage, lotus root, and more to support gut health and overall well-being. Discover how eating healthy can be fun and flavorful at Sakura, whether it's for lunch, dinner, or a unique date night. For more details, visit their website sakurasmtx.com. Don't miss this episode filled with delicious insights and tips for enjoying plant-based dining.If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate it, leave a review, and most importantly, share it with a friend! Don't forget to visit the show website and subscribe! eatgreenswithdrblack.com For resources related to a plant-based diet or if you struggle to afford healthy food for your family, please go to eatgreenswithdrblack.com/resources.You can contact Dr. Black at dr.black@eatgreenswithdrblack.comI am happy to answer general questions related to the information presented on this podcast. Be advised that I will never offer specific medical advice via this website, even if your child is an established patient in my practice. If you have concerns about your child's health or growth, please contact their doctor.Thanks for listening and don't forget to Eat Your Greens!

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Mystical Map Quest: Sakura Blossoms and Secret Notebooks Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-04-20-22-34-01-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の優しい風が桜の花びらを舞わせていました。En: The gentle spring breeze was causing the sakura petals to dance in the air.Ja: 小さくて居心地の良い小屋は、周囲の景色と調和していました。En: The small and cozy koya blended harmoniously with the surrounding scenery.Ja: この小屋には三人の友達が住んでいました。ハルト、アイコ、ケンタです。En: Three friends lived in this koya: Haruto, Aiko, and Kenta.Ja: ある朝、不思議な出来事が起こりました。En: One morning, something mysterious happened.Ja: ハルトが玄関のドアを開けると、ドアの前に見慣れないノートがありました。En: When Haruto opened the front door, there was an unfamiliar notebook in front of it.Ja: ハルトは好奇心に駆られながらも、慎重にそのノートを拾いました。En: Driven by curiosity but still cautious, Haruto picked up the notebook carefully.Ja: 「これはなんだろう？」ハルトは慎重に言いました。En: "What could this be?" said Haruto, cautiously.Ja: 「ただの古いノートじゃない？」アイコは疑問を持ちながら言いました。En: "Isn't it just an old notebook?" Aiko said, harboring doubts.Ja: 彼女はノートの重要性を疑っていました。En: She was skeptical about the notebook's significance.Ja: しかし、ケンタはニヤリと笑いました。「冒険の匂いがするな」と言いましたが、その笑みにはなにか隠された企みがあるようでした。En: However, Kenta grinned and said, "It smells like adventure," though there seemed to be some hidden scheme behind that smile.Ja: ハルトはノートをみんなに見せました。En: Haruto showed the notebook to everyone.Ja: 「調べてみる価値はあると思う」と決意を述べました。En: "I think it's worth investigating," he declared determinedly.Ja: みんなで一緒に小屋の中に入ると、テーブルにノートを広げました。En: They all went inside the koya and spread the notebook on the table.Ja: 古びた紙には不思議な印がたくさん描かれていました。En: The worn-out pages were covered with mysterious marks.Ja: まるで謎解きの道しるべのようです。En: It was like a guide to solving a puzzle.Ja: 「これは暗号かもしれない」とハルトは言いました。En: "This might be a code," Haruto said.Ja: 「無駄じゃないの？」とアイコは眉をひそめましたが、好奇心は抑えきれません。En: "Isn't it pointless?" Aiko frowned, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity.Ja: ケンタは不自然に口元を隠していました。En: Kenta was unnaturally hiding his mouth.Ja: 彼は何かを知っているような素振りを見せました。En: He seemed to know something.Ja: ノートのページをめくるたびに、三人はますます引き込まれました。En: With each page they turned, the three became more engrossed.Ja: そしてあるページで、驚くべき発見をしました。En: Then, on one page, they made an astonishing discovery.Ja: それは隠された地図でした。地図は小屋の近くの森を指し示していました。En: It was a hidden map pointing to the forest near the koya.Ja: 「これは冒険の始まりだね」とケンタは興奮しながら言いました。En: "This is the beginning of an adventure," Kenta said excitedly.Ja: みんなで森に行って、地図の指示を辿りました。En: They all went into the forest to follow the directions from the map.Ja: 最後に、大きな古い樹の根元で、もう一冊のノートが見つかりました。En: Finally, at the base of a large, old tree, they found another notebook.Ja: 新しいノートには、新しい謎が詰まっていました。En: The new notebook was filled with new mysteries.Ja: ハルトは自分の直感を信じた結果、単なるノートでは終わらない冒険にたどり着きました。En: By trusting his instincts, Haruto embarked on an adventure that was far more than just a simple notebook.Ja: しかし、その謎を解いたとき、彼らはもっと多くの問いに直面しました。En: However, when they solved that mystery, they were faced with even more questions.Ja: それでも、ハルトはチームで協力することの大切さを学びました。En: Nevertheless, Haruto learned the importance of teamwork.Ja: そして、彼らはそれぞれの思いを抱えながら、次の謎を解く新たな冒険を心待ちにしました。En: And so, each of them, carrying their own thoughts, looked forward to solving the next mystery on a new adventure.Ja: この日、彼らの心には桜の花が咲いたようでした。En: That day, it felt as if sakura blossoms bloomed in their hearts. Vocabulary Words:gentle: 優しいbreeze: 風petals: 花びらdance: 舞うcozy: 居心地の良いblended: 調和unfamiliar: 見慣れないcuriosity: 好奇心cautious: 慎重harboring: 持つskeptical: 疑うgrinned: ニヤリと笑うscheme: 企みworn-out: 古びたmysterious: 不思議なastonishing: 驚くべきdiscovery: 発見engrossed: 引き込まれるdirections: 指示instincts: 直感embark: たどり着くteamwork: 協力solve: 解くblooms: 咲くscheme: 企みsuppressed: 抑えるhidden: 隠されたspread: 広げるcode: 暗号worth: 価値

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: A Spring Farewell: Finding Memory and Renewal on Enoshima Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-04-19-22-34-01-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の訪れとともに、江ノ島の桜は満開になりました。En: With the arrival of spring, the Enoshima cherry blossoms have reached full bloom.Ja: 海からは心地よい潮風が吹き、島全体に穏やかな雰囲気が漂っています。En: A pleasant sea breeze blows in from the ocean, and the entire island is enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere.Ja: この時期、毎年多くの人が訪れるのは、江ノ島の灯台のライトアップです。En: During this season, many people visit every year to see the lighthouse illumination on Enoshima.Ja: 灯台は高くそびえ立ち、光と記憶の象徴です。En: The lighthouse stands tall, symbolizing light and memory.Ja: ユキは、そんな江ノ島を訪れました。En: Yuki visited Enoshima for a special reason.Ja: 彼には特別な理由があります。最近、大切な人を失い、心の穴を埋めるためにここに来たのです。En: He recently lost someone dear to him and came here to fill the void in his heart.Ja: 春の風景を見ながら、彼は心の中で問いかけます。「前に進むことは、過去を忘れることなのか？」En: As he gazes at the spring scenery, he asks himself, "Is moving forward the same as forgetting the past?"Ja: ハルトは、そんなユキの支えとして一緒に来ました。En: Haruto, a childhood friend of Yuki, accompanied him for support.Ja: 「江ノ島の桜は本当に美しいね」とハルトが言います。En: "The cherry blossoms on Enoshima are truly beautiful," says Haruto.Ja: 「いつかここで、桜を見ることができるなんて、僕らは素晴らしい友達だよ。」En: "The fact that we can see them here one day means we're amazing friends."Ja: ふたりは、地元のガイドであるサクラに出会います。En: The two meet Sakura, a local guide.Ja: 彼女はいつも陽気で、観光客に島の魅力を伝えています。En: She is always cheerful and shares the island's charm with tourists.Ja: 「ライトアップまで、素敵な場所を案内しますよ」とサクラが言いました。En: "I'll show you some wonderful places before the illumination," Sakura said.Ja: ユキは、昔よく訪れた場所を見て回ります。植物園や灯台を訪れ、一つ一つの思い出に触れます。En: Yuki revisits places he would often go to in the past, visiting the botanical garden and lighthouse, touching upon memories one by one.Ja: 夜になり、灯台のライトアップが始まります。En: As night falls, the illumination of the lighthouse begins.Ja: 桜の花びらが風に乗り、光の中で舞っています。En: Cherry blossom petals ride the wind, dancing in the light.Ja: ユキは、胸がいっぱいになります。忘れられない思い出と今の感情が交錯します。En: Yuki's heart fills with emotion, as unforgettable memories and present feelings intermingle.Ja: ハルトとサクラは、そっとユキのそばに立ち、無言のまま寄り添います。En: Haruto and Sakura stand quietly by Yuki's side, offering silent companionship.Ja: ユキは深呼吸をして、心の中で呟きます。「過去は大切。でも、今もこれからも、もっと大切なんだ。」En: Yuki takes a deep breath and whispers in his heart, "The past is important. But now and the future are even more so."Ja: そして、彼は微笑みながら言いました。「この場所、この瞬間を、忘れない。」En: Then, he smiles and says, "I won't forget this place, this moment."Ja: ユキは、失ったものと得たものを思いながら、新しい一歩を踏み出す準備ができたのです。En: Reflecting on what he has lost and gained, Yuki prepares to take a new step forward.Ja: ライトアップされた灯台は、江ノ島の夜空に光を放ち続けました。En: The illuminated lighthouse continued to cast light into the night sky of Enoshima.Ja: ユキは、その光を心に刻み、新しい希望を見つけたのです。En: Yuki etched that light into his heart, finding new hope.Ja: 新たな始まりに向けて、彼は力強く前に進む決意をするのでした。En: With determination toward a new beginning, he decided to move forward confidently. Vocabulary Words:arrival: 訪れpleasant: 心地よいenveloped: 漂っていますillumination: ライトアップsymbolizing: 象徴void: 穴scenery: 風景childhood: 幼なじみaccompanied: 一緒に来ましたcheerful: 陽気botanical: 植物園petals: 花びらdancing: 舞っていますemotion: 感情unforgettable: 忘れられないintermingle: 交錯しますcompanionship: 寄り添いますreflection: 思いながらdetermination: 決意tranquil: 穏やかなbreeze: 潮風charm: 魅力memories: 思い出etch: 刻みgaze: 見ながらcompanion: 支えvoid: 穴forward: 進むmoment: 瞬間hope: 希望

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Finding Balance: A Tale of Life Under the Sakura Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-04-18-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 東京テック地区には、高層ビルが立ち並び、最新の技術を誇るショップやカフェがある。En: In the Tokyo Tech district, skyscrapers line the streets, and shops and cafes boasting the latest technology abound.Ja: 春の風が心地よく、街路には桜が咲き誇り、花見を楽しむ人々でにぎわっている。En: The spring breeze is pleasant, and the streets are bustling with people enjoying the sakura blossoms.Ja: カズキはこの地区で働く若いソフトウェアエンジニアだ。En: Kazuki is a young software engineer working in this district.Ja: 彼はロボット工学に情熱を持っているが、最近の仕事の忙しさに疲れていた。En: He has a passion for robotics, but he's been worn out by the recent demands of his work.Ja: 突然の病気で体調を崩し、病院に行くことを余儀なくされた。En: Suddenly, he fell ill and was compelled to visit the hospital.Ja: 彼の親友であるアイコは、医学を学んでいる心優しい人物で、カズキの健康を心配していた。En: His best friend, Aiko, a compassionate person studying medicine, was concerned about Kazuki's health.Ja: 「カズキ、最近顔色が悪いよ。休むべきだと思うの」と、ある日アイコは彼に言った。En: "Kazuki, you haven't looked well lately. I think you need to take a break," Aiko told him one day.Ja: しかし、プロジェクトの締め切りが迫る中、カズキは彼女の言葉を聞き流してしまった。En: However, with a project deadline looming, Kazuki brushed off her words.Ja: 彼は自分の限界を知ろうとせず、仕事に没頭していた。En: He didn't recognize his limits and became absorbed in his work.Ja: そんな中、東京の春は美しい花見の季節を迎えた。En: During this time, Tokyo welcomed the beautiful hanami season.Ja: アイコは、カズキを誘って桜の下でのんびりすることを提案した。En: Aiko suggested that Kazuki spend a relaxing day under the sakura.Ja: 「少し休んで、花を見ながらリラックスしようよ」と、彼女は笑顔で言った。En: "Let's take a break and relax while watching the flowers," she said with a smile.Ja: その日、二人は都会の喧騒を離れ、桜並木の下で穏やかな時間を過ごした。En: That day, the two escaped the city noise and spent a peaceful time under the sakura trees.Ja: だが、突然カズキは意識を失い倒れてしまった。En: However, suddenly, Kazuki lost consciousness and collapsed.Ja: アイコはすぐに彼を抱きかかえ、「大変！病院に行こう！」と叫んだ。En: Aiko immediately held him and shouted, "Oh no! Let's get to the hospital!"Ja: 病院での診察の結果は予想以上に深刻だった。En: The diagnosis at the hospital was more serious than expected.Ja: 医師からは、「ストレスが原因です。仕事をしばらく休んでください」と、厳しい言葉が告げられた。En: The doctor sternly advised, "It's stress-related. Please take a break from work for a while."Ja: やっとカズキは、心身を休める必要性を理解した。En: Finally, Kazuki understood the necessity of resting both his body and mind.Ja: アイコの支えのおかげで、カズキは長めの休暇を取ることにした。En: Thanks to Aiko's support, Kazuki decided to take an extended leave.Ja: 仕事から離れ、彼は再び桜を見に外に出た。En: Away from work, he ventured outside once more to see the sakura.Ja: 淡い桜色に染まる風景を見ながら、カズキの心は徐々に癒されていった。En: As he watched the landscape bathed in soft sakura colors, Kazuki's heart gradually began to heal.Ja: 時間がたつにつれ、カズキは仕事と健康のバランスの重要さを学んだ。En: As time passed, Kazuki learned the importance of balancing work and health.Ja: 毎日少しずつでも、外に出て息をすることが大切だと気づいた。En: He realized that taking a breath outside every day, even if just a little, was essential.Ja: 「これからは、無理をせずに、自然を楽しむ時間も大事にしよう」と彼は心に決めた。En: "From now on, I'll make sure to not overdo it and cherish the time to enjoy nature," he resolved.Ja: カズキは、以前の情熱を取り戻し、再び仕事に意欲的に取り組むことができるようになった。En: Kazuki regained his previous passion for work and could once again tackle it with enthusiasm.Ja: 彼の側にはいつもアイコがいて、二人は優しい春の光の中で、新たな希望を見出していた。En: Aiko was always by his side, and together they found new hope in the gentle light of spring.Ja: 桜の季節には、命の大切さと、人生の小さな喜びを楽しむことの意味を思い出させてくれた。En: The sakura season reminded them of the importance of life and the meaning of enjoying life's small pleasures. Vocabulary Words:skyscrapers: 高層ビルabound: 立ち並びbreeze: 風compelled: 余儀なくされたcompassionate: 心優しいlooming: 迫るbrushed off: 聞き流したabsorbed: 没頭hanami: 花見suggested: 提案したconsciousness: 意識collapsed: 倒れてしまったdiagnosis: 診察sternly: 厳しいnecessity: 必要性extended: 長めのventured: 出たgradually: 徐々にbalancing: バランスenthusiasm: 意欲cherish: 大事にするtackle: 取り組むsupport: 支えgentle: 優しいpleasures: 喜びstreets: 街路blossoms: 桜が咲き誇りseason: 季節resolve: 心に決めたlight: 光

The song of this week is 'Sakura' by Myuk, one of the latest J-Pop songs to mark the cherry blossom season in Japan. - 今週の J-Pop Hub では日本の桜の季節に合わせた最新J-Popから、Myuk（ミューク）の「Sakura」を取り上げます。

On today’s episode of HI Now Daily, a Sakura pop up bar, and special deals for locals beginning later this week. Plus, we’re celebrating female leaders in Hawaii with the help of the YWCA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.