Ever since I first read X/1999 I was of the Subaru/Kamui persuasion. The two have each suffered a great deal and went out of their way to support one another; every single scene they have is of them doing just that as best they can. And since I have returned to my X/1999 obsession with a vengeance, I figure it’s time to take a look at this ship–and the characters themselves–with everything I got. Technically, this is not a “confirmed” ship. Technically, there are a lot of unconfirmed or implied ships floating around X/1999. I figure that’s on account of CLAMP’s multishipping tendencies. Anyhow…
Before we get into this, I won’t be taking Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles into account for two reasons: 1) It is an AU and therefore is supposed to give us an alternative look at the characters and 2) If I start including the plotlines of Tsubasa we will never finish this review. X/1999 is already plenty long. 8D I might do a separate post about their interactions in Tsubasa once I reread that manga, though.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look. One of the most obvious things people have to say about these two is that they’re reflections of each other. They’ve been through similar experiences and similar traumas. Their reactions to those experiences are quite different, however, and goes a long way towards explaining why they take separate paths later in the series. Let’s start with their first meeting.
You can download from the MediaFire link below or read on MangaDex.
MediaFire DL ‖ MangaDex
Here are some serious eyes to set the mood.
I'd like to give some thoughts on this chapter (especially because it moves the plot along a lot!) but I'm actually literally in the hospital as I type this preparing to give birth so it'll have to wait until after, lol
Yoneda Kou's name appears on the list of authors for the next chapter due out on May 29th, so it looks like this is not the end of the volume after all!
By the way- I just checked many messages/asks I have for the first time in a long time - I'm so sorry for leaving all of you hanging! Thank you for taking the time to write. I may not have time to respond, but know that I really appreciate reading your messages <3
Hello, hello~! I am here with some SERVAMP TLs to share~!
Thank you to @katzkinder for requesting this!
I had a lot of fun, and the quiz really rekindled the hyperfixation for me. 😂
You can check the quiz here, on Strike-sensei's site: Anniversary Party!
The documents serve as both translations as well as a guide for the quiz for those who want to try answering and playing!
I've included the original Japanese text so you can look at them while you play. The gameplay doesn't have a time limit, so don't feel pressured when trying to find the answers ^^
I know the manga is finished, but there are certain things that are very huge spoilers, so please do proceed with caution, especially if you're not caught up yet!
Disclaimers:
I logged questions and character comments as I played, but if I missed any, please tell me so I can update.
The folder includes:
Full Guide -> Translations for the stories, character comments, questions, as well as the answer key in one very looooooong document.
Separated Guides -> One for Stories/Comments, one for Questions only, one for the Answers
Questions and Answers Guide -> Correct answers are highlighted. Recommended for those who missed the game window, or for those who do not have the time to play the game, but want to see what the questions/answers are.
Who Made Me A Princess | Ep13 | Who did you say is taller? I am pretending to be a child to match you. It’d be a problem if you truly considered me a child. But looking at you like this, the exalted princess… is truly puny.
Hello, hello~! Today, I offer you translations for Procella's latest drama CD, "P time"!
When it was first announced, I think most of the fandom was super excited to see how it would unfold. Especially since the cover art and the summary suggested a deep, possibly dark mystery with Yoru as a focus character.
I think the story definitely has a serious and, dare I say, relevant to some modern times issues vibe that will keep the listeners at the edge of their seat! Of course, since it is TsukiUta/Procella, it still has its silly, "Oh, we've jumped worlds again!" moments, but at its core, it's a deep and meaningful story that is bittersweet as it is hopeful.
All right, enough yapping from me! 😂 The CD will speak for itself, I promise~ ^^
If you're able to, you can still buy it here (international cards and shipping accepted) or here (proxy needed) to support the artists.
Notes, disclaimers, links under the cut, enjoy~!
Procellarum Unit Drama CD "P time"
Track 01: "When the Door Opens..."
Track 02: "Whisked Away"
Track 03: "Within Deeply Rooted Traditions"
Track 04: "Escape"
Track 05: "The World Beyond"
M01: "P time"
Procellarum Cast Interview
MASTER FOLDER
※ Please don’t re-post or re-translate these without permission!!!
If you enjoyed this, please consider buying me a ko-fi here or commissioning me if you’re interested! It’ll be a really big help. (o^▽^o) Thank you!!
2025/9/7 No.6 Reunion Asano-sensei Q&A event overview - PART 3/3
This is part three of my digest of the Q&A talk event Asano-sensei did on Shion's birthday last month. Part 1 here. Part 2 here. This is the final part.
This post contains mild spoilers for volumes 1 and 2 of No.6 Reunion.
The next question says that in volume one of No.6 Reunion, after Nezumi and Shion kiss, Shion says that he practiced for that day—what kind of practice did he do? (TN: I was the one who submitted this question and I was agog that it actually got answered!) Asano says that she asked herself that very question after writing that line. Shion is so busy; how would he have time for such a thing? She digresses from the question to talk about the final scene in volume two of Reunion, which takes place in Nezumi’s bunker after Nezumi and Shion have gone there together after a night of drinking with Inukashi. As she wrote that scene, she wanted to ask Shion why he was staying the night with Nezumi when he was perfectly able to go back to Karan’s—did he mean to stay the night the entire time? Returning to the original question, she says she has no idea what kind of practice he did. She says that Shion was surely just making a joke, and with that joke, she wanted to show that Shion’s grown up a bit in the past two years. Please leave it at that! Just where did he practice, hm?
The next question asks that if Asano were to put a label to Nezumi and Shion’s kiss in volume one of Reunion, what would she call it, considering that the previous times they have kissed they have been called a goodbye kiss, a kiss of promise, etc. Asano immediately responds that it’s a reunion kiss—they reunited!
The next question is about names as they are written in Japanese. The person submitting the question has the impression that people from No.6 often have kanji names, whereas people from the West Block often have katakana names, and asks Asano to describe her philosophy behind names in more detail. Asano explains that the setting of No.6 is such that the world as we know it, divided into different countries and cultures, is long gone, and people live in a melting pot. That which feels Asian, or Japanese, or European, for example, is all mixed together. In volume two of Reunion, the members of the Restructural Committee are introduced, and she struggled hard over how to name them. She felt it was important that they did not feel homogeneous. She says that in No.6, while there are many characters with two-kanji names, there are multiple members of the Restructural Committee with katakana names, and this time around she intends to continue that pattern of increasing that diversity.
The next question asks what Asano thought of toi8’s artwork. She replies that she’s always thought it was wonderful ever since he did art for the anime, and she feels that he knocked it out of the park this time, capturing Nezumi and Shion down to the last detail. She was really impressed by the interior artwork; she’s not involved in the art process at all; her editor handles all of it and chooses which scenes to have toi8 illustrate. Her editor says she was a little nervous that the scenes she chose might not be to Asano’s liking, but Asano loved them. To both Asano and her editor, it feels like those were exactly the right scenes to have been illustrated. Asano teasingly says to direct any complaints about the art to her editor.
The next question asks what Nezumi or Shion do to give themselves a breather when they are tired or stuck on a problem, and what Asano herself does in those situations. Asano says that Nezumi sings, and Shion tends to bottle things up. Asano says that as for herself, she has a golden retriever, and she’ll hold its ears up like a rabbit and play with it. It’s cute when it gets miffed at her for doing that. She also will take her dog on a walk through the mountains. It’s good to move her body. She takes her dog on a 45 minute walk every day.
The next question asks why Asano chose September 7th as Shion’s birthday. She says that it’s because she felt it was a likely day for a typhoon. In Okayama where she lives, typhoons often strike in September. Other than that, she didn’t really consider it overmuch.
The next question says that the state of our world and the world of No.6 are both full of seemingly unstoppable war and other horrors, and asks if there’s anything that we can do in our daily lives. Asano says that while it can feel like we’re using all our strength just to maintain our own ways of life, not losing sight of the kind of world you’re living in is valuable. The act of not forgetting—not forgetting what is happening in Gaza, in Japan, in Ukraine, of not averting your eyes, of not pretending something isn’t happening—is meaningful in and of itself. Even being aware of the fact that you feel powerless, of being aware of the terrible things going on in our world, is miles ahead of not doing those things, as is having one-on-one conversations about these topics with people you are close with. Please do not write yourself off as weak and powerless. If you think you are weak and powerless, you won’t act. There is a world of difference between giving up and staying aware, searching for ways you can make an impact.
Asano says that in No.6, while Shion and Nezumi are fighting for change, there is no guarantee that they will win in the end—in fact, she thinks they hardly have any chance at all. Even so, in the process of writing this unwinnable fight, her eyes have been opened in new ways, and she wants to share that with her readers.
The final question asks when volume three of Reunion will be released. While it’s been announced that it is planned to be released in spring, an exact date has yet to be given. Asano and her editor play with the idea of volume three being published in May like volume one was, or at least in the March-April-May range.
The event ends with a cherry cake being brought out, and everyone at the event sings happy birthday to Shion together! Asano gives a short closing remark about how there are times when she struggles with writing, and she draws so much encouragement and strength from the kind messages she receives from fans. She doesn’t know at this point how many years or volumes it will take, but she invites readers to continue to stay at Nezumi and Shion’s sides during this journey together.
As promised, I will be writing up summaries of No.6 Reunion #2. This is a summary of the first half of chapter 1, including interior art. Any errors are my own. Part 2 coming soon. Spoilers in abundance—beware!
Chapter 1: What Takes Root Here
“[My sins,] they’re a-eatin’ on me,” said John.
- The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
Chapter 1 opens right where Volume 1 concluded. As Shion observes three separate fires from where he and Nezumi are running, he gets a call from Torey. Nezumi runs on ahead as Shion and Torey talk.
Torey informs Shion that there were multiple simultaneous explosions within the city of No.6 as well, though they don't have much information otherwise. Shion instructs Torey to convene the emergency response committee, and to put every effort towards suppressing the fires and delivering aid to the people in the affected areas.
The call ends, and Shion follows after Nezumi. He can hardly believe that he's chasing after Nezumi again, his heart filling with joy and excitement. He tries not to get caught up in his personal feelings in such tense circumstances, but he can't help it.
The two of them get closer to the scene of the fire, and to Shion's relief, he sees that Inukashi's hotel is unscathed. They find Inukashi, holding little Shion, standing as they face the flames. They comment that as long as the wind doesn't change direction, that they and the hotel will be safe.
What's burning is a collection of crowded little buildings and rambling alleyways known as the Anthill, home to many artisans and their workplaces.
Shion's narrative voice goes into an aside about how all sorts of diverse people live in the West Block—people of different ethnicity, languages, and religions. Those difference, however, had never sown division between West Block residents because everyone was always focused on the same goal of simple survival. While Shion had seen horrible things during his time there, he had never once felt a sense of social hierarchy based on status or place of origin. People didn't discriminate against others because they had no means or margin to do so. And yet, the West Block had always had a living vitality that No.6 had never had, as No.6 cut itself off from the world, divided its citizens by rank, and suppressed human individuality. Even now, the Anthill still had that old West Block vitality, and so produced beautiful, innovative works of craftsmanship. End aside.
Nezumi asks Shion why the fire department hasn't come yet, and Shion doesn't know. A group of men run past, asking the same kind of questions, and Shion tries to spring into action to organize an evacuation.
Nezumi stops him with a hand on his wrist, telling him it's not his cue yet. The fire department is on the way. Shion realizes that Nezumi is asking him to think critically about what it is he really needs to do in this situation. The answer is that he needs to return to City Hall and lead the emergency response committee. Even so, he can't bring himself to move.
His eyes meet Nezumi's, and Shion realizes he had been looking down. Wordlessly, he returns Nezumi's hair tie, and then he hears the screech of brakes—Rikiga is here in a white four wheel drive vehicle. This is the first time Nezumi and Rikiga have seen each other since Nezumi's return, and Rikiga is agog. He insinuates that maybe it was Nezumi who started the fires, and Inukashi goes along with it, asking Nezumi directly if he's involved. Nezumi ignores the question, and Shion comes to his defense. Shion knows for certain that Nezumi coming back isn't what caused what's going on. He also knows that this is only the beginning.
Shion asks Rikiga to take him to City Hall, but before he goes, he asks Inukashi to look into the situation for him—not the hard numbers and data that the fire department, which is run by the Security Bureau, can find out, but the kind of human investigating that only Inukashi can do. Shion wants to know the needs and wants of the people affected by the fires. Inukashi is extremely hesitant at first due to the potential risk, and doesn't want to spy on people like the old No.6 did, but Shion explains that that's not what he's asking. He just wants to know the truth of what happened. How were the victims reacting to the fire? What were their immediate needs? What were their feelings about the situation?
Inukashi agrees to take on Shion's request, and they and Shion haggle on the fee. Shion then turns to Nezumi and says that he also needs to hear his story. Nezumi agrees, and says that he won't run away, not after having come this far.
In his heart, Shion isn't so sure. In his mind, he compares Nezumi to a fickle breeze, blowing in suddenly one moment and then already far away the next. What a cruel, capricious wind you are, he thinks, tempting with a delicately sweet scent, but then freezing me to my bones. Nezumi, I wonder if you realize just how cruel a being you are.
Inukashi asks Shion to drop off little Shion with Karan, and Rikiga offers to stay at Karan's with him, but Inukashi waves him off, not trusting his ulterior motives. Little Shion refuses to leave Inukashi, feeling safest with his Mama, asking Inukashi to always hold him tight.
Shion's internal narrative goes into another aside about how children in the West Block were so used to being unloved and living in a dog-eat-dog world that they never made demands of affection to their parents. He recalls that Nezumi had once said that adults fought back against their circumstances, but children, not strong enough to survive, simply accepted the fate of death that awaited them. He knows, though, that the West Block of the present is different, having witnessed children playing instead of fighting, and receiving love from their parents. They no longer feared death, and could even dream about the future. Shion had vowed to protect this new reality.
Even so, he feels terror coming from little Shion, and wonders what it is he fears.
In the end, Rikiga and Shion drive back to the city, and Nezumi, Inukashi, and little Shion stay behind in the West Block.
cleaning/typesetting/checking: ONGOING
(contact me if you wanna help out tho!)
Escaflowne Newtype Novels (from the beginning this time)
Novel 1 Prologue: page 20/20 COMPLETE
Novel 1 Chapter 1: page 96/96 COMPLETE
Novel 1 Chapter 2: page 162/162 COMPLETE
Novel 1 Chapter 3: page 216/216 COMPLETE
Novel 1 Chapter 4: page 265/265 COMPLETE
Novel 2: reading COMPLETE
Novel 3: reading COMPLETE
Novel 4: reading COMPLETE
Novel 5: reading ONGOING
Escaflowne Movie Audio Drama
CD1 Earth: COMPLETE
CD2 Gaea: COMPLETE
Escaflowne Movie Novel
Chapter 1 - 10 COMPLETE
I accept Escaflowne-related requests (such as, what exactly does the character say in this or that scene, small doujins, official art notes like those I’ve done before, etc.)! If you’d like to help out, beta readers are always needed here!
I have finished my English subtitles for the No.6 Musical. These subtitles are timed to the performance recorded for the Bluray.
This is NOT a video file! This is ONLY a subtitle file. I will not be making a video file available since the Bluray is still on sale. Please do not hardcode my subs to a video file or ask me for a video file.
Feel free to share the Mediafire link wherever you would like.
