Ok but like. What the fuck is there to do on the internet anymore?
Idk when I was younger, you could just go and go and find exciting new websites full of whatever cool things you wanted to explore. An overabundance of ways to occupy your time online.
Now, it's just... Social media. That's it. Social media and news sites. And I'm tired of social media and I'm tired of the news.
Am I just like completely inept at finding new things or has the internet just fallen apart that much with the problems of SEO and web 3.0 turning everything into a same-site prison?
You're right that the internet is smaller than it used to be, but there's still some cool stuff left in the corners. I'd recommend checking checking out Neocities if you haven't--it's an independent web hosting platform like Geocities of the old web, and there are hundreds of interesting and active pages discoverable both through their search function and through web buttons (links attached to small pictures with the title of a website) within the websites themselves. Here are three examples of web buttons you may find in link pages:
Most Neocities websites have link pages or button collections with anywhere from tens to hundreds of these. Don't be afraid to explore!
If you're looking for something more like a search engine, I can point you towards Marginalia. It's not a particularly smart engine, but it's perfectly usable if you've ever been taught to use search engines back when they were mostly run through keywords instead of full sentence comprehension. There's also an "about" and "tips" section on the front page with more information. The algorithm of Marginalia can be filtered by the user to allow, disallow, or require JavaScript depending on your needs, plus there are filters designed specifically to prioritize web 1.0 sites or mostly text-based ones. It is possible to search for modern websites with it, but it can return websites from just about any decade (since the invention of the web, obviously) so long as they contain the information you're looking for. For example, here are some random interesting sites I've found using Marginalia:
Native Languages of the Americas: Native American Cultures
BASIC HTML COMPETENCY IS THE NEW PUNK FOLK EXPLOSION!
Earthbound Text Labs by Bill Eager
The possibilities for discovery are truly endless.
Now you might want to know about directories. These make browsing for websites easier, but require you to read through and judge which ones to visit, as there aren't algorithms ranking the sites besides the whim of whoever coded the directory. Some of them have themes, others don't. Here are two that I've used:
Yesterlinks Directory
Ichigo Directory
Directories can be harder to come by just by surfing the net, but they aren't impossible to find. Many personal websites have their own directories of interesting sites hidden within them.
Webrings are similar to directories, but are actually more community-based. You have to register your website to be a part of a webring, usually by sending an email to whoever runs it and meeting some kind of entry criteria. For example, my personal website used to be a part of a webring called Sweet Dreams, which was for websites that heavily utilize color palettes and images of cute things, particularly sweets. Webrings will give you access to a widget upon entry that allow visitors and other members to browse between the registered websites in a massive ring, ergo, where the term gets its name. Webrings can have any theme or criteria for entry. If you can make a website about it, you can find a webring for it.
Now, you might be wondering about social media alternatives. I can't offer much, but I can nudge you towards the idea of forums. Here's one I found that could really use some traffic. I also browse a bit on MelonLand forum, which is actually closed right now--it's currently closed on Mondays--but on any other day of the week, you can find a fun community there dedicated to web revival. You can find it through MelonLand's main page. I'd also recommend checking out SpaceHey, which is a MySpace clone that's customizable and easy to use.
I hope this is of some help to you. The internet may feel less magical than it used to be, but that doesn't mean that the spark has completely died out. These types of indie websites need more attention if we ever hope to reverse the damage done to the internet by centralization and corporate interest. People are trying to make the web a cooler place to be, but we're going to have to do the work of finding and interacting with these projects in order to get them off the ground someday.
ALSO you should consider browsing Virtual Pet List and seeing if there are any pet sites you might be interested in playing. There is a whole genre of browser games right under your nose
Obsessed with how Sun fits so much of himself into such a tiny space.
I mean first of all, literally.
Heās gonna have to surgically detach his rays from that slide.
And then we have his living space, the Superstar daycare. Big at first but when itās the only place you can seem to access while others get free roam of half the building or even get to go outside of it? TINY. The outside world is unfathomably HUGE in comparison. And everyone he comes into contact with has basically seen so much more of it than he has. And that must feel so impressive to him but at the same time so strange and ā¦maybe somewhat limiting? Like no matter how hard he tries to relate or understand from his little corner, others have experienced things firsthand that he probably never has. Things heās read to kids in storybooks and sang songs about but never seen up close.
And we know that in some sense he likes things to be just so. The barrels are aligned. The lights stay on. Thatās the only way he feels safe. So I imagine his own limited perspective when he comes face to face with people from the outside world feels kind of scary to him in a way.
And despite the daycare being his domain, people encroach upon his space without warning, and he plays along. All of a sudden there are people and he must deal with them accordingly and he must act in a certain way no matter how he feels about it and how much stress heās put under (for example, continuing on with playtime despite the whole situation with Moon, perhaps because he has to, or he wants to, or he has nothing else - maybe all of the above).
^ Look at his little room! It makes me sad. I donāt know if Moon ripped up all the bots that are scattered over the floor or if Sun did or if someone else did but the fact is the place looks so depressing compared to most of the Glamrocksā rooms itās painful. Here we have two of the most neglected robots in the pizzaplex and they carry on like that doesnāt matter, but we know Sun knows that something is very wrong so even if this is the norm for him and even if heās used to it, the more broken bits and pieces he encounters the more it must be killing him because every day when heās done entertaining the kids or pretending someoneās going to show up that day (depending on if the daycare is closed or not) he goes back to a permanent reminder of just how messed up things have become.
And he seems SO HAPPY to see a stranger from outside of that little room. No matter how you look at that, itās pretty sad. Is he faking his enthusiasm? What a frustrating and stressful situation that must be to be at the beck and call of someone you donāt genuinely want to be around and act like youāre their new best friend. Is he actually excited? What a stressful situation that must be too, only for any semblance of control you had to be abruptly torn from you as youāre forced to switch when the lights go out, clearly horrified by whatās going to happen all the while because you know it wonāt be good for anyone.
Does it hurt when he switches? Iām fascinated by Sunās relationship with Moon. Itās played in so many interesting ways by the fandom. Are they two separate people? Are they like roommates who share a body? Are they two aspects of the same AI? Theyāre so versatile and I love it. I love all the takes there are on their personalities. Sun? Silly, goofy, playful, ray of sunshine, bundle of nerves, parental, fiery, bossy, strict, the embodiment of anxiety, and so on. Moon? Prankster, gremlin, sleepy, calm, collected, grumpy, silly, catlike, etc. I love it when they get along and I love it when they donāt. I have so many feelings about them both and itās less that I want to know the truth about them (if there is such a thing) and more I just like exploring every avenue because theyāre just really fun and fascinating characters.
And THAT SYMBOLISM. Wow. The sun and moon themes give you so much to play around with. So many metaphors and so many things you can plaster the surfaces of your house or the background of your phone with that make you think of them. The moonās phases. The way the sun sets earlier in the winter. Would Sun get tired more easily in the winter? Does Moon have a blue moon phase that makes him feel down at the drop of a hat? Because same, guys, same.
Not getting over these guys any time soon I guess.
You weren't a technician, you weren't a security guard, you weren't a daycare assistant. You're just an employee. Staff. The ājack-of-all-tradesā employee with mediocre at best skills and specialty in none, tasked with doing miscellaneous jobs that robots couldn't do and human staff couldn't care to. The job is unpredictable, but it pays good and it's relatively easy.
Except for the part where all the animatronics are more sentient than you thought, and you're roped into a mystery surrounding the Daycare Attendants, who are bit too curious about you for your liking.
You don't think this was in your employee contact.
| Words:Ā 225,814Ā | Chapters:Ā 16/?
šLove, Death and RollerskatesĀ byĀ Spadillelicious
Rollerskater!Sun, Janitor!Moon, Metalstar!Eclipse x Staff!Reader
~~ [Designs by: @spadillelicious]
After moving to Crescent City in the 80s, you pick up a job at the local roller rink Party Planet. Ironic, considering roller skating is definitely not one of your talents.
On the bright side, you get to work with the friendly Sun. On the other hand, you also have to interact with the gruff janitor and security guard Moon on a daily basis.
But when staying after hours one day, despite being strictly instructed not to, you find out a terrible secret that changes everything you knew about Sun, Moon and Crescent City forever.
| Words:Ā 98,091 |Ā Chapters:Ā 18/?
āļøCelestial SundownĀ byĀ clutterspace
God!Sun, God!Moon, God!Eclipse x Human!Reader
~~ [Designs by: @pillowspace]
There wasĀ something slumped beneath a tree, and you had no idea what it was. The sunlight shone brighter where it laid, despite the leaves above not differing from any of the other foliage.
It was such a small thing to notice in comparison to everything else, but it brought a small hysterical giggle out past the lump in your throat as it finally clicked in place what you were seeing.
It was aĀ god.
You are a peasant living in the middle of the woods, Sun is the god of day you brought back home with you, and Moon is the god of night tucked away in the Celestial Realm.
| Words:Ā 83,805Ā | Chapters:Ā 7/?
šCelestial OmensĀ byĀ BamSara
Siren!Sun, Siren!Moon x Human!Reader
~~ [Designs by: @bamsara]
When you are ten years old, you find two creatures, bloodied and injured, trapped a net on the beach near your home. You save them, make friends with them, and return them to the sea, leaving you to wonder later if your friends with the Sun colored scales and fins that shone like the full Moon were real or imagined up by a childhood of loneliess.
Time passes. You hear stories of monsters, Sirens in the water, one that is a good omen if spotted, promising your safe voyage as long as you respect the rules of the ocean, and one that sinks ships and eats people for fun. Just folktales meant to scare children.
A decade later, they return the favor, though they don't plan on leaving you so easily this time.
Same body!Sun/Moon, Glitch!Eclipse x Mechanic!Reader
~~ [Sun Design by: @crickyluv, Yn,Moon&Eclipse: Me & @crickyluv]
You finally got the job as the nighttime mechanic at Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex! Unfortunately, you get a double shift. At least you get to spend time fixing the animatronic you knew best: Sun!
This is a slow burn that eventually turns into NSFW. There is a TON to get to before the spice comes.
| Words: 213,892 | Chapters: 47/?
āļøIn Deep Dreams Between the WavesĀ byĀ NaffEclipse (AO3 account required)
Mermaid!Eclipse x Human!Reader
~~ [Designs by: Me & @naffeclipse]
You see a fish, but the fish isnāt really a fish, because he looks up at you with big yellow eyes, wide with fright. Large black pupils dart around frantically. Heās small, less than half your size, which surprises you. You know mers are supposed to be big sea monsters that sink boats or cause storms, but you donāt see a monster. You think of a baby while staring at his chubby round face, creased with fear, and his small tail.
| Words:Ā 55,644Ā | Chapters:Ā 5/5
šSong Fish Amid the StarsĀ byĀ NaffEclipse (AO3 account required)
Mermaid!Sun, Mermaid!Moon x Human!Reader
~~ [Designs by: Me & @naffeclipse]
This is a type of sequel to In Deep Dreams Between the Waves.
A pang hits your heart, going out to the little fish struggling to escape the cruel and entrapping lagoon.
But they look like mers. Sea monsters.
| Words: 69,362 | Chapters: 6/6
āļøSleuth Jesters by NaffEclipse (AO3 account required)
Detective!Sun, Detective!Moon, MafiaBoss!Eclipse x Vigilante!Reader
~~ [Yn,Sun&Moon Designs by: @sunnys-aesthetic, Eclipse: Me & @naffeclipse ]
āIf I may, Detectives, I believe that the score is set at a tie on how many times youāve both let me slip away under your watch.ā You grin at the sun and moon like faces of your opponents in this game of cat and mouse. The narrow slice of Detective Moonās gaze becomes threatening, where Detective Sun curls and uncurls his fingers in anticipation of whatever scheme youāre concocting.
| Words: 174,134 | Chapters: 15/15
šPisces CaelestisĀ byĀ S_V
Mermaid!Sun, Mermaid!Moon x Human!Reader
~~ [Designs by: @sortvaniliekrans]
Underneath the glowing eyes, a great maw opened to hiss at you, baring several rows of needle-like fangs, wicked looking and sharp and also glowing in the blacklight. As the thing hissed, the cries started up again, more frantic this time, and accompanied by- it almost sounded like scratching?
And it was coming from behind you.
The bleeding creature had never been the one wailing.
| Words:Ā 76,588Ā | Chapters:Ā 13/?
šDemon supportĀ byĀ Megafacts
Demon!Sun x Demon!Moon x Human!Reader
~~ [Designs by: @megafactuals & Me]
You decide to try and summon a demon to destroy the world as a big bang to end all of humanity. Then earn the lavish life you wanted when you went to hell.
Instead you get two small demons who say they can satisfy your very desire, except the desire you called them for.
Perhaps this would scare a person, being all alone in the woods in the dark, but not you. Youāre too intertwined with the paranormal and inexplicable. Itās in your blood. That doesnāt mean your heart wonāt pound with terror when you face something with fangs and hungry eyes for flesh, but you donāt run away, and thatās what matters most.
n the Arctic, all is beautiful and cold and lethal. You tread over ice and underneath, a dark, powerful siren stalks you. Though you try to resist, you succumb to the lure of the mer and his decision to have you.
How do you survive an apex predator?
| Words:Ā 125,998Ā | Chapters:Ā 12/12
šLove for the endangeredĀ byĀ Megafacts
Seahorse!Sun x Seahorse!Moon x Researcher!Y/N
~~ [Designs by: @megafactuals & Me]
You worked as a researchers for endangered species at a sanctuary.
One day, two of the newly discovered seahorse merfolk species come into the sanctuary after being caught in a net left in the ocean. Instead of releasing them back to the wild, the upper ranks at the sanctuary decide to use them for a breeding program.
Over the next few months you must decide to help your new friends escape or force them to spend their first mating cycle trapped inside of the sanctuary.
Osomatsu-Kun- A Comedy Manga by Fujio Akatsuka which ran from 1962 to 1969 which followed a group of sextuplet (a multiple birth of six children) brothers. It was later adapted into two anime, one by Studio Zero in 1966 and another by Studio Pierrot in 1988 as well as spin-off by Studio Pierrot in 2015 titled āOsomatsu-Sanā which follows the sextuplets in their 20-somethings as NEETS.
Fourth-Wall Breaks- Osomatsu-San has multiple moments where the characters will break the fourth wall, such as in the first episode where the characters try to be a āproper animeā, or worship Fujio Akatsuka like a god.
Visual Distinguishers- The Matsuno Brothers have multiple visual distinguishers so the audience can more easily tell the brothers apart. Examples include: Signature Color, Hairstyles, and Facial Expressions. The brothers were given different colors supposedly because the character designer couldnāt tell the difference between them.
Parodies + References- The anime makes dozens of parodies and references to other anime/popular media such as Attack on Titan, Saw, Demon Slayer, Naruto, and Sailor Moon. The animeās extreme popularity in Japan also led to other anime to parody and reference Osomatsu-San including The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Love Rice, and JoJoās Bizarre Adventure. Osomatsu-San has too many references to other anime and thereās too many references to Osomatsu-San from other media, so I just included it as one entry.
NEET- A common acronym in Japan which stands for Not in Education, Employment, or Training, but also includes anyone who is not engaged in housework, unemployed, not seeking work, and not in any school or work-related training.
F6- The F6 are the idealized version of the Matsuno brothers that parody pretty-boy anime. The āFā in F6 stands for Fujio, as in Fujio Akatsuka, the creator of the original manga. In the first episode, their first appearance, Ichimatsu transforms into a hybrid stylization of the 2015 anime and the 1966 anime, but in the season finale they are seen alongside the Matsuno brothers, implying they are separate characters.
___Matsu Boys and Girls- The fan term for each of the six brothers, based on Karamatsuās line calling his fans his āKaramatsu girls and boysā.
Banned 1st Episode- The 1st episode of the anime was banned in Japan due to copyright law, as Japan has no clause for parody and has a more strict interpretation of fair use. It was never confirmed which company filed a copyright infringement against Osomatsu-San, but there is a theory that the Attack on Titan parody was the main culprit. The episode has still not been released on physical media and all streaming services do not carry the first episode, instead beginning the series on the second episode.
The Osomatsu-San Movie- Released on March 15th 2019, the movie follows the brothers traveling back in time to meet their high school selves and to resolve one of the brothersā biggest regrets.
Collab Ad Campaigns- Osomatsu-San has collaborated with dozens of other brands on merchandise/advertisement campaigns. Many of these collaborations have created special events and merchandise for Osomatsu-San. Examples include: Ministop, Sweets Paradise, Dohtonbori Okonomiyaki, and Sanrio.
Akatsukaās 80th- Osomatsu-San was created in honor of Fujio Akatsukaās 80th Birthday and death, having died at 72 in 2008.
Todomatsu Face Meme- In the episode āTodomatsu and the 5 Demonsā Todomatsu makes a face at his brothers for talking to the Sutabaa baristas, which has become a meme that has even spread outside the Osomatsu-San fandom.
Tier 2-
Homura-Chan is a Porn Actress- Although nothing is stated outright, it is heavily implied in her first episode appearance that she is a porn actress as Osomatsu finds a porn movie and seems surprised by the cover before going on to have a conversation with Jyushimatsu which Jyushi ultimately avoids.
Karamatsu Wears Contacts- A fun fact that few in the fandom seem to remember is that Karamatsu wears contact lenses. Although he (and all the Matsuno Brothers) have brown eyes, he wears brown contacts, but the presumed reason he wears contacts is because circle contacts (mainly worn by cosplayers and Japanese teen girls) make eyes look bigger and cuter- which is why Osomatsu insults him for wearing them.
Episode 3.5- Also titled āEpisode 3.5: Virgin Heroesā, an episode was created to be put on home media releases to replace the 1st episode due to the ban. It is chronologically after Episode 3 but before Episode 4 and has two segments. The first segment features the F6 in a parody commercial, with the second focusing on Choromatsu seeing a group of college kids having a barbecue and being visited by the Cherry Boys (the other five Matsuno brothers in Power-Ranger parody outfits)
BLMatsu- A fandom term for incest ships involving the Matsuno brothers romantically or sexually. BL stands for Boys Love, which is a popular anime and manga term for gay male pairings typically aimed at women. Common ships include OsoChoro and KaraIchi.
Broken Heart Tongue- A small detail in the series is that whenever Jyushimatsu is depicted smiling, his tongue is in the shape of a heart, but in the episode āJyushimatsuās Girlfriendā when Jyushimatsu is crying at Chibitaās Oden stand, his tongue is a broken heart.
Matsus Unknown Age- The brothersā age has never been specified in the Osomatsu-San anime. They are said to ānot be older than 24 or 25ā and that their parents have been married 24 years and they were born soon after, so they have been assumed to be around 24 but it has never been confirmed.
Girlymatsus not Related- A common misconception in the fandom is that the Girlymatsus are sisters, or the earlier fan theory in Season 1 that they are the Matsuno brothers in drag- but the Girlymatsus were later confirmed just to be friends.
An Anecdote With Horses- An exclusive episode made in collaboration with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) which aired on December 16th, 2016 which featured skits of the Matsuno brothers racing horses.
English Dub Production Issues- After Viz Media acquired the rights to Osomatsu-San, it came out in September 2020 that the English Dub of Osomatsu-San was delayed to be reworked as well as having to replace Christopher Niosi (Choromatsuās original VA) with Sean Chiplock, due to abuse allegations which Christopher later confessed to.
4th ED is the only ED without stop-motion- While the majority of the Osomatsu-San ending themes feature stop-motion using a variety of items such as toys, clothing, and food; the 4th ending (the second ending of the second season) uses slow-motion footage of paint being dumped onto busts of the Matsuno brothers.
Pine Tree- The kanji for āMatsuā translates to Pine Tree, which is why the pine tree symbol is so frequent in the showās iconography, such as in the title and on the brothersā sweaters.
The Hipipo Tribe and The Glistening Fruit- The first of two movies released to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the anime, which features the brothers journeying to find a fruit which grants wishes before encountering the Hipipo Tribe.
Hatabouās Meat- In the episode āTell Us, Hatabouā, Hatabou sells meat out of a variety of vendors, but when the brothers ask what kind of meat it is he refuses to answer. Earlier in the episode his employees try to boot him from the company, which leads to his new business venture, implying that the meat is of his former employees though it is never stated outright within the show.
The Soulās Takoyaki Party and The Legendary Sleepover Party- The second of the two movies released to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the anime, which features the brothers hosting a takoyaki (grilled dough balls with octopus inside with a variety of toppings) party which turns into a sleepover.
Hair Color Change- In the original series Osomatsu-Kun, both the 60s and 80s, the brothers had brown hair but in Osomatsu-San they are depicted with black hair.
Tier 3-
May 24th- The Birthday of the Matsuno Brothers.
Fandubs- Due to the long development time and many delays of the official English Dub, there are multiple fandom dubs of the anime.
Fan Vocaloids- The Osomatsu-San fandom has many popular fan vocaloid covers, some of the most well-known including Matryoshka, Normie Eradication Committee, Rolling Girl, and LOVE 1000%.
Hesokuri Wars/Tabimatsu- Also known as āOsomatsu-San Hesokuri Wars -Battle of the NEETS-ā is tower-defense style strategy mobile game that was released in Japan in 2016 and later being released in English in 2017, before being shut down on October 2nd of 2022 to make way for Tabimatsu. Players would choose a team of 10 characters to fight through stages, with dozens of exclusive events and character variations being released. Many popular AUs in the fandom were inspired by sets released for Hesokuri Wars.
Each Brotherās Name Meaning- Osomatsu translates to lame, or Osoi which means slow- referring to him being the most ābasicā of the brothers and lazy. Kara can mean emptiness, referring to his narcissism and chasing his brothersā approval. Choroi translates to simple, referring to his more average personality. Ichimatsumuyo means checkered pattern (along the lines of a Go board). Jyushimatsu translates to society finch, which are known to be kind like Jyushi. Todomatsu meaning Manchurian fir or āfinallyā, as āfinallyā was his catchphrase in the original 60s anime.
Jyushimatsuās Catchphrase Change- In the first season Jyushimatsuās main catchphrase was āMuscle Muscle, Hustle Hustleā but in season two and onwards, it was changed more to āBooeh.ā There wasnāt any explanation given by the show staff as to why it was changed.
Letterās Contents- The entire letter Choromatsu had written in āLetterā was never revealed, with only one or two lines spoken by Choromatsu at the beginning of the skit describing what heād written before later modifying it, leading fans to speculate exactly what was written.
Brothers are pure evil- At the end of the episode āGodmatsuā, in order to defeat Godmatsu the brothers combine their darkness to create Akamatsu. Once Godmatsu is defeated, they absorb only Akamatsu back into themselves, therefore only being made of their evil self. This possibly explains their more violent nature after this point in the series.
AOP Breakup- AOP is an idol group that formed in 2012 under the agency Nikkei Entertainment. The group created multiple songs for the anime, including the theme songs āZenryoku Batankyu wa Yoiko Dakeā, āHanamaru Pippi wa Yoiko Dakeā, āMaboroshi Winkā, and ānice to NEET You!ā On December 14th, 2020 the band stated they would be ceasing activities before disbanding in 2021.
Sakurai Drama- Takahiro Sakurai is the original VA for Osomatsu who admitted in 2022 to having cheated on his wife for 10 years, planning to eventually marry his affair partner. Due to this scandal, Osomatsu-San content has been delayed for the past two years.
Religionmatsu- A popular AU which depicts the Matsu brothers as gods, devils, angels, and clergymen. One of the few AUs which was created by the fandom and not inspired by a Hesokuri Wars set.
Sickfics- A fanfiction genre in which one character cares for another who is sick. These fanfics are particularly popular in the Osomatsu-San fandom because of the episode āWe Caught a Coldā in which all of the brothers catch a cold and each have a moment to care for the others.
Matsuno Family Dependents- A āwallpaper simulatorā type mobile game where the player collects variants of the Matsu brothers and raises them.
Dekapanman- A Parody of Anpanman in which Dekapan dresses up as a hero that gives items from pants to children which was significantly censored due to the controversy and copyright infringement caused by the parody.
Shueisha Manga- Beginning in 2016, a manga series was released alongside the anime. Published by Shueisha in the magazine You from 2016 to 2018 then Cookie from 2018 to 2020 with 10 volumes of stories not featured in the anime.
Only Child Theory- Theory that states that Osomatsu is an Only child with a personality disorder that causes him to develop different personalities that are āhis brothersā. As the first known sextuplets to have been born and all survive were born in 1974, many years after the original 60s anime aired. The skit āSanematsuā is often used as proof for this theory.
Tier 4-
Stage Shows- āOsomatsu-San on Stage: SIX MENāS SHOW TIMEā is a musical adaptation of the original anime, with three seasons matching the anime and having been released on home media.
Episode 10 Controversy- There are some reports of Episode 10 causing controversy upon release for having characters transition to women for personal gain. (Though I will admit, in my research I could not find any comments/posts accusing the show of being transphobic. The only slight criticism I could find was of the ending being too harsh towards Chibita and Iyamiās actions and the episodeās pacing being too slow. I am not claiming that the controversy does or does not exist, or that the episode is or isnāt offensive, I just could not find any evidence in my research of people taking offense to it.)
More Than 6 Brothers- Theory that there are more than 6 brothers as in some scenes in the anime and some promotional material it appears that thereās more than 6 brothers. Though there are episodes in the anime in which another brother is accepted into the group or created such as Godmatsu or Akamatsu.
Where is Orange Matsu?- The brothers all fit the primary (Red- Osomatsu, Yellow- Jyushimatsu, Blue- Karamatsu) and secondary (Green- Choromatsu, Purple- Ichimatsu) colors with the exception of orange as Todomatsuās main color is pink. This has led some to theorize that there is a secret orange brother. The show creators stated that they made Todomatsuās color pink to make his style more feminine and youthful, as well as to show that heās intentionally trying to not fit in with his brothers by not following the same pattern.
Pazzmatsu- AKA Puzzlematsu is a match-3-tiles puzzle mobile game released in Japan in 2016 which continued until April 2018 when it was rebooted as āNew Pazzmatsuā.
Doramatsu- A series of audio drama CDs that include unique stories that did not appear in the anime.
Matsus Stay Dead After S2- In the finale of Season 2, the brothers die from a plane crash and are sent to hell for their numerous misdeeds. This theory posits that the brothers stayed dead after the end of season two and that season three is their personal hell. This is a joke theory to explain season threeās shift in focus.
Osomatsu-San the Live-Action Movie- A Live-Action movie with a unique story based on Osomatsu-San with members of the J-Pop group Snow Man playing the Matsu brothers.
Brothers canāt be told apart in 1st promo- In the first promotional image released for the anime, the brothersā personalities and visual distinguishers hadnāt been ironed out yet so long-time fans of the series noticed that itās near impossible to distinguish which brother is which in the image. The only brother that is able to be identified is the center brother holding Karamatsuās signature glasses.
Osomatsu-Kun Grows Up- Technically Osomatsu-San is an alternate universe to the original Osomatsu-Kun series canon, as in 1993 a beer ad was published showing what the Matsu brothers became when they reached adulthood. Osomatsu becomes a salaryman, Karamatsu marries a grocerās daughter and helps with the family business, Choromatsu becomes a policeman, Ichimatsu marries and becomes a CEO, Jyushimatsu becomes a doctor, and Todomatsu works in a fish market.
Light Novels- Osomatsu-San has spawned a handful of Light Novels and short stories with plots not included in the anime. Examples include: Osomatsu-San the Beforematsu and Aftermatsu, VS Kochikame, and Shut Up Osomatsu.
April Fools- To celebrate April Fools, Osomatsu-San has released multiple fake announcements and fake Tabimatsu sets. This includes the 2015 announcement that the series would be releasing a new Osomatsu-Kun project, the 2017 announcement that a live-action adaptation starring the Byplayers would replace the anime, and the 2019 Tabimatsu set with a Irasutoya art style.
Yamano to Matsuno- The last name of the family was originally Yamano but was changed to Matsuno last minute as Yamano was considered a more āgenericā last name.
Tier 5-
Date or Work- Also known as āOsomatsu-San the Gameā is an adventure game released in Japan in 2017 for the PSVita. The story has you play as a heroine who gets calls and texts from the brothers asking for advice on their quest to get a job.
Karamatsu is Bisexual- In the first Osomatsu-San movie Karamatsu says āSorry to keep you waiting, Karamatsu girls and boys!ā Also in a drama CD Karamatsu reads off a love poem that he wrote to a male convenience store worker named Kumada Youji. Itās still debated whether the drama CD is canon to the anime and if the line in the movie was just referring to his fans in a non-romantic or sexual sense.
Recycled Scripts- Some of the episodes such as āIyami, Alone in the Windā, āESP Kittyā, and āThe Life of Chibitaās Flowerā were based off of chapters of Osomatsu-Kun modified to fit the series. Some skits from Season 3 were also based off of Doramatsu tracks.
Do Matsuās Smoke?- A topic of debate in the Western fandom, Karamatsu is shown to smoke in multiple episodes and Osomatsu has been shown to be surrounded by cigarette boxes previously but it hasnāt been stated whether the other four brothers smoke.
Brothers had freckles- In the original Akatsuka designs for the brothers, they were designed to have freckles on their cheeks as well as other different facial features. These were changed to make the faces look more cute and easier to draw.
Ichiās Personality given to Todomatsu- Ichimatsuās Personality was going to be more snarky and rude than his current more doom and gloom. His characterization was instead given to Todomatsu by Miyu Irinoās suggestion, thinking that the youngest brother being catty would be funnier.
Life-Sized Statues- For the 2016 Summer Wonder Festival, the company Figurex 3D printed life-size statues of the six brothers, with smaller versions of the figures being sold at the event as well. While some have reappeared at Osomatsu-San events, such as the Ichimatsu figure, some have not been seen since their original showcase; this has led fans to search for the statues current locations. There is a link to buy one of the statues from one of the Japanese websites that first reported the event, but the link is now dead and leads to an error page.
Osomatsu-Kun Video Game- AKA āOsomatsu-Kun: Nonsense Theaterā is a platforming video game released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1988 based on the original Osomatsu-Kun manga to promote the upcoming anime. The game only had a total of three levels with confusing level design and bad controls that caused it to gain an infamous reputation. It has recently gained a cult following as a kusoge (a Japanese video game that is celebrated for its awful quality.)
Cheaper by the Dozen- The manga was originally loosely based on the TV Show āCheaper By the Dozenā (an American film from 1950 about a couple and their 12 children) with there being 12 children, but Akatsuka found it too hard to fit 12 characters in a single panel so he decided to cut the amount in half. Eventually changing it to be identical sextuplet brothers.
Denki Mystery- A popular AU that started as a Hesokuri Wars set. As opposed to other Hesokuri Wars sets, Denki Mystery had an entire storyline based on mystery novels, David Lynch films, and Japanese horror.
Iyami + Dekapan Made By Akatsukaās Assistant- Both the characters Iyami and Dekapan were created by Fujio Akatsukaās Assistant and later added to the manga.
Rice balls are Govt plants/Destroy NEETS Theory- Theory that the Riceballs were created by the government to reform NEETs to be functioning members of society.
Tier 6-
Six Same Faces #3 Song in Japan- On the week of December 28th, 2015 the song SIX SAME FACES ļ½ä»å¤ćÆęé«!!!!!!~ (the first ending song of the first season) reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in Japan, following the albumās release on December 16th, 2015.
Clone Theory- Theory that states that the brothers were cloned from Osomatsu. (I will admit I cannot find my previous evidence of this theory, if anyone does have proof of someone creating this theory or evidence for the theory please let me know.)
Sheeh Was a Real Trend- Iyamiās catchphrase/punchline used to be a cultural meme when Osomatsu-Kun was big in Japan. Famous figures to imitate Iyami include Godzilla and John Lenon from The Beatles.
VR Game- A virtual reality game collab that ran in Anime Plaza Machida and Adoreās Sunshine Store from 2017 to 2018 in which the player would hang out with the Matsu brothers in the bathhouse. It was later released theatrically as āMovies in VR!ā in 2018 with āEvangelion: Another Impactā.
Fesmatsu- To celebrate each seasonās release, a festival was thrown which would feature live action skits performed by the voice cast.
Todo is the hardest to animate- According to some of the animators who worked on the first season of the anime, Todomatsu was the hardest to animate of the six brothers because of his more feminine and youthful mannerisms.
Pachinko Games- Pachinko (an arcade gambling game) Games made in collaboration with Osomatsu-San, typically reusing animation from the anime though some have original animation exclusive to particular pachinko games. Examples include: Pachislot: Osomatsu-San, Pachislot: Osomatsu-San ~The Surprise~, & CR Osomatsu-San THE Drum.
Korean Dub Censorship- Due to South Koreaās strict censorship laws, Osomatsu-San was heavily censored by completely removing shots or scenes that featured characters being nude or wearing swimsuits. Some of the ridiculous censoring goes to the point where if a character is wearing a bikini, the entire screen will be cropped to only show their chin and up. Any scenes including nudity, swearing, violence, and sexual references were cut from airing or censored to hell and back (which to be fair is 99% of Osomatsu-San.)
Browser Games- Games that were available through Yahoo, some which were ported to AU SmartPass in the Osomatsu-San NEET Collection. Some examples include: Quiz Battle, Pleasing Totoko-Chan, & Osomatsu-SANās Black Factory.
Love Letter Board Game- A board game which players play as the brothers trying to woo Totoko-Chan.
*Matsuno Official Sex Toys- In collaboration with Kanojo Toys, a Japanese adult toy manufacturer, two dildos replicating Ichimatsuās and Jyushimatsuās canon lengths were released. The items were meant to be gag gifts but sold better than expected. The official website mocking Jyushimatsuās girth and Ichimatsuās length. āHand massagersā of the other four brothers were also released. I hope yāall like this iceberg because now Iām being aggressively marketed at Japanese sex toys for researching everything on here.
S3E10 Aired on Crunchyroll before Japan- The tenth episode of the third season of the anime was delayed from airing as the channel was broadcasting the TV Tokyo Live 2020 U.S. Womenās Open which had previously been delayed due to rain. Though due to an error, the episode was released on time on streaming platforms early.
Tier 7-
Dmatsu-San- An internet series animated with Flash that aired on NTT DoComo to tie in with season 2 of the anime. The series includes 12 episodes, each at a minuteās length. Each episode features one of the sextuplets interacting with either Totoko or Iyami.
# of Dayons- In the episode āLetās Get a Jobā the brothers work in a factory that is revealed to be creating Dayons or clones of Dayon- as well as in the episode āDayon Tribeā itās shown that thereās an entire society living within Dayonās stomach. This has led fans to question how many Dayons there are in the world of the anime, or if every appearance of Dayon is a different Dayon.
Sheeh-Wave- An internet radio series with the VA for Iyami interviewing other voice actors in character as Iyami. Having two seasons with the first airing from 2015 to 2016 and the second airing from 2017 to 2018 broadcast on Animate.TV.
*PASH Reveals Matsunos fetishes- In a magazine interview with the VAs for the Matsu brothers, each of their VAs had to guess their characterās fetish. Osomatsu- Boobs, Karamatsu- āAs long as thereās loveā, Choromatsu- āI wonāt sayā or humiliation as said in a Drama CD, Ichimatsu- Paw pads, Jyushimatsu- āEh?ā, Todomatsu- legs and bellybutton wrinkles.
2 Withheld Skits- 2 skits that were removed after the Dekapanman apology. Presumably parodies of other Japanese childrenās media, but no information about what they were have been released.
The Red String of Fate Lost Fan Song- A fan vocaloid that was released on YouTube and Niconico Douga that featured a thumbnail with the sextuplets laying in a circle with a red string connecting them together. The red string wraps around Osomatsuās finger and forms a heart in Todomatsuās hands. The song had the brothers sing about their connection together before bursting into tears at the songās climax. The video has been taken down since 2020 and is now lost media.
*Fetishmatsu- The part of the Osomatsu-San community that creates fetish media featuring Osomatsu-San characters. Please take caution when researching further, because Iām not messing up my search history any further.
*Live-Action Matsu Porn- Osomatsu-San being such a popular series, multiple live-action porn videos featuring the Osomatsu-San characters (mainly featuring Karamatsu & Ichimatsu). Examples include: Karamatsu Maturbates for You, IchiKara Hajimeyo!, and Ichimatsu Spanks It.
*Amputee Karamatsu- An infamous piece of fetishmatsu art that depicts Karamatsu with his legs cut off.
Osomatsu-Sanpo- A Pokemon-GO style game where players would find and catch different variations of the sextuplets through AR on their mobile device. It only ran from February to September 2017.
Swimsuit Hesokuri Set- An unreleased Hesokuri set which has the Matsu brothers wearing pretty plain-looking one-piece bathing suits. Possibly used for testing out game mechanics in updates.
What Does Sheeh Mean?- Iyamiās catchphrase which he will scream out when surprised. When asked what the phrase meant, Fujio Akatsuka never answered, leaving the phrase a mystery to this day.
*IchiKara Endurance Battle- An infamous doujinshi piss fic with Ichimatsu and Karamatsu having an āendurance battle.ā Please take caution when researching further.
*Periodmatsu- An image of a Matsu brother drawn in period blood on someoneās thigh posted by the account āPeriodmatsuā. It is debated whether the image was faked or real. Often confused for Period Drama Osomatsu-San, an episode from the second season of the anime.
*Banana Milky Way (Meiboku)- An infamous beastiality doujinshi with Ichimatsu and the tiger from S1E10.
*Assault Machine Gun- An infamous 2016 doujinshi by Tellmin in which the Matsu brothers are sexually assaulted and r*ped for not being able to pay their debts to Chibita.
Rejected Bathhouse Quiz Short- A rejected skit from āChristmas Osomatsu-Sanā. Airing only at the 2017 Spring Nationwide Invitational Screening Festival alongside clips of each Matsu brother depending on which room you entered. Now considered to be lost media.
*Todokaras- An infamous member of the fandom that scammed their fans/followers, groomed minors, promoted beastiality, abused animals, and claimed victimhood. This is just *some* of their behavior. Please take caution when researching further.
Thank you all for all of your support and patience, if you have any questions I will try to answer to the best of my ability!
Not sure how common this knowledge is, but Iād like to add that if you enclose a piece of text in quotation marks, Google will search for only the exact wording of it. So if youāre lucky enough to remember an exact quote, thatās also a powerful tool. I canāt count the number of obscure tumblr posts Iāve tracked down from screenshots with just those two techniques; Iām sure itāll work for fic too.
honest to fuck, after the year-long March 2020, yāall can celebrate Halloween whenever the fuck you want. Time has no meaning. It has always been March. it will be March forever.Ā
now listen to me young man, i am talking directly into your ear now. i need you to do me a favor. you will do this for me. i need you to go to gamestop, and i need you to ask the bastard working the counter if they have bambi on the ps2. if you come back empty handed youll be in big trouble mister. you will never see the light of day.
listen I ended up regretting saying anything about this on my old blog because people will interpret literally any and every statement maliciously on this hellsite but I want to start like. a helpline for people who are likeĀ āhey I pretty much only read YA but Iām like 22 now and donāt relate to teenagers as much, itās such a shame that there are no fun books written for adults :(ā because boy HOWDY are there some fun books for adultsĀ
maybe Iāll start a big google doc or something one day but for now *deep breath*
The Beautiful Ones (Silvia Moreno-Garcia)Ā - absolutely BUCKWILD romance with a dash of telekinesis; nonstop high society drama and misunderstanding from start to finish, happy ending guaranteed. STRONGLY recommend if you, like me, are a basic bitch who enjoys a bit of Pride and Prejudice.Ā
Binti (Nnedi Okorafor) - a math prodigy runs away from Earth to become the first of her people to attend a prestigious university in space, but shit gets real when a crew of hostile jellyfish aliens attack her ship.Ā
Chilling Effect (Valerie Valdes) - a spaceship captain and her crew take on a series of convoluted missions in order to rescue the captainās sister, whoās been frozen and held for ransom.Ā
The City of Brass (S.A. Chakraborty) - an 18th century conwoman and a mysterious djinn team up to go looking for a legendary hidden city.
The City We Became (N.K. Jemisin) - a scrappy bunch of Chosen Ones have to band together to defend New York City (which is very much alive) from a huge ass monster.Ā
The Empress of Forever (Max Gladstone) - a lady supervillain gets blasted into space and meets an even bigger, planet-destroying evil space empress. literally WHAT is not to like?
The Empress of Salt and Fortune (Nghi Vo) - high fantasy royal drama about a woman making her way to power in the wake of a political marriage that left without friends or allies.Ā
Escaping Exodus (Nicky Drayden) - a space-faring clan are creating their latest spaceship from the insides of a giant monster when absolutely everything goes to shit (as things are wont to do in science fiction stories).Ā
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars (Kai Cheng Thom) - a trans girl runs away to the big city, where she uses her martial arts skills to team up with other trans woman and form a vigilante gang to defend their own when police look the other way. a fascinating blend of poetry and prose and magical realism.Ā
Finna (Nino Cipri) - two exes working at an IKEA have to team up to save a customer who disappeared through one of those interdimensional portals that all IKEAs have laying around. you know how it is.
Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir) - come on, youāve heard about this one. itās the one with the lesbian space necromancers? yeah, thatās the one. you got it.
In the Vanishersā Palace (Aliette de Bodard) - a Beauty and the Beast retelling based in science fiction and Vietnamese fantasy, featuring a young woman falling in love with aĀ ābeastā whoās actually a motherly dragon after becoming a tutor to the dragonās two powerful children.Ā
Jade City (Fonda Lee) - urban fantasy gang wars, pitting one magically enhanced family against rivals and a new drug that lets anyone mimic their abilities.Ā
The Library of the Unwritten (A.J. Hackwith) - hellās librarian gets sent on a quest to find a runaway soul.Ā
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers) - aka one of my favorite books ever, essentially slice of life science fiction following an interspecies crew of deep space truckers making the longest and most complicated delivery of their lives. very warm and fuzzy.Ā
Mort (Terry Pratchett) - one of many MANY Discworld books, but a very good one to start with, following the adventures of a boy named Mort after heās taken on as Deathās apprentice. you know, like the Grim Reaper? that Death.Ā
River of Teeth (Sarah Gailey) - historical AU in which the United States imported and domesticated hippos in the Mississippi River; follows a crew of hippo-riding crooks and hooligans as they plan one heck of a caper.Ā
Space Opera (Catherynne Valente) - a washed up rock star and his old bandmate get roped into performing in an intergalactic singing competition that will determine the fate of the entire planet Earth. full of aliens, attempted assassination, art, and emotional turmoil.Ā
This Is How You Lose the Time War (Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone) - time-travelling assassins from rival factions fall in love in a poetic and breathless story that spans centuries and reality.Ā
Under the Pendulum Sun (Jeannette Ng) - fairyland is real, and Victorian England is sending missionaries. a woman and her brother attempt to bring the good word to the fair folk, but start to suspect the queen might just be screwing with their heads. PEAK gothic horror with a creepy fairy twist.Ā
Witchmark (C.L. Polk) - a doctor and former soldier with magical powers of healing is trying to live a quiet life and avoid his controlling, aristocratic familyās plans for him, only to get tangled up in a massive political conspiracy when one of his patients mysterious dies. accompanying him in his investigation is a mysterious and gorgeous faerie man. romance ensues.Ā
The First Sister by Linden A Lewis. Three protagonists and all of them queer, a fun space opera. Itās not out yet, but I can tell you itās really, really good. I highly recommend
Gods of Jade and Shadow another Silvia Moreno-Garcia book. It takes place in 1920s Mexico and has Mayan gods. A fun breezy book.
Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep. If you like YA fantasy but want a little more swearing, violence and sex then this novel is for you.
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen. This one I really enjoyed. If you like the winnerās curse then youāll like this book.
Books I havenāt read but Iāve heard good things about
Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson. This one isnāt out it but I believe itās got a black protagonist.
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri. An Indian inspired fantasy novel. I havenāt read this one but Iāve heard good things about it.
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winters. A black fantasy novel.
The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood. I havenāt read it but I know itās got a lesbian protagonist.
Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope. Just started this book but I believe itās for adults.
Tigerās Daughter by K Arsenault Rivera. Lesbian protagonists and itās still on my tbr.
Thereās such recency bias in fandom. As an author you post something, get a few reactions, and then it goes off into the bin. As a reader you check the tags, see whatās new, and move on. But a lot of old stuff is really good. Itās just sitting there, gathering dust, waiting for someone to take a peek.
Iād argue thereās a bias against likeā¦ middle-aged fics in particular. A lot of people sort by kudos or bookmarks, but thatās going to be strongly biased toward older fics, which have had more time to accumulate them. Then thereās people that sort by date and read the newest. But thereās so much good material in that middle area.
A friend taught me her trick for smaller fandoms, which is to sort by kudos and use the published date filters to go through the fandom in 6-month increments. Within a 6-month time span, youāre not really going to get the kudos-over-time bias. Basically, you end up reading the best fics of each 6-month period until you start hitting fics below your quality threshold, wherever that is. Youāll find so much good material that way that would never have crossed your line of sight otherwise.
Healthy love must be free from codependency/possession/control because your yes means nothing if you canāt say no
The nature of addiction/dependency is you canāt say no to something even if you know itās not good for you
Using a person (for escape, a sense of control, etc.) when you know the dynamic isnāt healthy for either of you is ultimately damaging to both of you
This is one of the generation cycles Iām healing
