Niall Teasdale's Blog, page 7
March 12, 2022
My Dress-Up Darling is Good
So, in case you haven’t heard of this, My Dress-Up Darling is a newly released anime (based on a manga) about a high-school loner who hooks up with a stunning girl. No! Don’t run off! It’s not like that!
Well, it is, but… Wakano Gojo is a lanky boy who likes playing with dolls. Or, to be more precise, he’s training under his grandfather to make hina dolls. Since that’s a bit of weird career goal, he has no friends, keeps himself to himself, etc. So, he’s not a typical otaku nerd type; he’s his own kind of nerd. And then he happens to bump into Marin Kitagawa in the home studies classroom because his old treadle sewing machine finally broke and she doesn’t have a sewing machine of her own. It turns out that Marin wants to be a cosplayer (she is an otaku nerd type), but can’t sew worth a damn. Gojo decides to help her (by making that maid-type outfit in the picture above) and hilarity ensues. Marin falls for Gojo. Gojo gets horribly embarrassed. It’s all good fun and fanservice.
Why am I drivelling on about this? Well, partially because I just watched the latest episode and felt like posting something about this series again. That’s why I’m doing this now. Why I’m doing this at all is episode 4. A couple of weeks ago, the English dub of episode 4 came out I watched it and noticed something which I didn’t really take in watching the subtitled version. The concept behind the episode is that Gojo has everything he needs to make the first costume (Shizuku from Slippery Girls 2; I’m not explaining, watch the anime if you want to know), but he thinks Marin wants to wear it at a cosplay event in two weeks and works himself to near exhaustion getting it ready. Other thinks conspire to create delays. He’s at wit’s end. Then, in his darkest hour, he remembers something his grandfather told him about making hina dolls: it’s hard work, but when someone sees one and they smile, when someone falls in love at first sight with something he’s made, it’s all worth it. Energised, Gojo finishes the outfit, and then discovers, of course, that Marin would have been happy with it being ready whenever it was.
And yesterday and today, I’ve been reminded of why I put myself through all the pain involved in writing these books. (Okay, yes, they make money and feed me, but…) I put out a book, you guys comment that you like it, and I really appreciate that. Just like Gojo and his grandfather, it’s the smiles that keep me going. Now, if I could get a Marin to smile for me when I finish a book, I’d probably be putting them out every other week, but we can’t always have what we want.
So, thanks.
Also, if you’re into anime (or just want something funny to watch), I’d recommend My Dress-Up Darling. If you can put up with adverts, you can watch episodes free on Crunchyroll (link on the image). The dub is really well done, so you’re not missing anything watching it in English. Episode 4 is not the only one that’s resonated with me. It’s an all-round show: meaning, massive boobs, tips on cosplay, and plenty of comedy. This show has it all. Uh, except for battle scenes. So far.
March 11, 2022
The Aquaria Incident
February 14, 2022
Valentine’s Day Pic
Not my favourite day of the year, to be honest, and the weather is miserable. I brightened it up with Nava and Suki. This is a UHD image; feel free to use it as wallpaper if you wish. I am.
Meanwhile… I update the ‘What I’m Working On’ page recently with what I was planning to be my next project. And then I started writing it and, well, it’s boring. I like the concept. I’d like to do something with it. I just need to come up with a way to un-boring it.
Death’s Handmaiden 5 now has a name, The Aquaria Incident. If nothing changes in the next week, it’s going to be followed by DH6 which doesn’t have a name yet. It also may not have enough plot to go forward with; I’m currently working that out.
Updates on progress when I have them.
February 2, 2022
Cyborg with a Machine Gun
Someone asked for Tatsu with a CM1328… and this isn’t exactly that, but it’s something like. The CM1328 should probably be a bit bulkier, but that front grip can be unbolted to let this thing be mounted to a vehicle or tripod. It works.
Also, I hadn’t had a chance to use this environment model yet. It’s from Stonemason, one of my favourite environmental modellers. ‘Streets of Japan,’ it’s called. I feel like I’ve been there since it’s based on a Tokyo neighbourhood. Of course, the only thing almost as ubiquitous as the vending machines is the 24-hour/7-11 shops. Sigh. I wanna go back!
February 1, 2022
Mask of the Demon Art
The art is up for Mask of the Demon. Click the image to go to ArtStation and see. Enjoy, but be aware that it’s not all suitable for work.
January 31, 2022
Mask of the Demon
December 31, 2021
And a Happy New Year
So, according to the BBC, it’s already 2022 in Australia. Hopefully, they’re now having a better year than the rest of us. They had a pretty bad one last year. Of course, so did the western side of America. And pretty much everyone else. Hm.
Some girls in catsuits. Reminded me of that spy thing with the three teenage girls, whatever that was. Which is appropriate. You’ll find out why when the next DH book comes out.
Forward to 2022! May it be… not worse than 2019, 2020, 2021…
December 25, 2021
Happy Christmas from Nava
I’m busy writing the fifth Death’s Handmaiden novel, so here’s Nava wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Honest. She’s really happy for you all. Really.
I was planning to post this a bit earlier, but this has turned out to be a more interesting Christmas than expected, so this is late. Well, those in America will probably see it while it’s still Christmas…
Have a good one (whatever you celebrate) and there’s more of Nava and friends coming in February or March after more Tatsu and friends in January/February.
December 1, 2021
My (apparently not quite so) Weird Relationship with League of Legends
I guess this is a bit late, but… Arcane was really good!
If you have no idea what I’m talking about… Well, you obviously don’t have Netflix because they pushed it pretty hard. If you have seen the adverts and decided that an anime-style, nine-episode series about characters from a video game you don’t play was not for you, I encourage you to give it a go. If you like my stuff, then there’s possibly something for you here, and you do not need to know anything about League of Legends to appreciate it. Which is a bit weird for a video game adaptation, but that’s also pretty much my view of the entire LOL franchise. I have a weird relationship with LOL…
For those who don’t know, League of Legends, or LOL, is a multi-player, team-based, PvP video game, and it’s been around for a while. Every year they host a big esport tournament in Korea ‘LOL Worlds.’ People make money playing this game professionally. I wouldn’t touch it with a fifty-foot pole and a full suit of power armour. I grew up when PvP was about the dirtiest part of gaming, and I still have a general hatred for people who like it. Also, I suck at it, which doesn’t help. And yet, there is an aspect of LOL that I just can’t get over really enjoying: the marketing.
Every year for Worlds, Riot Games commissions a full-production opening show, generally with some form of really kick-ass song in some genre or another. Their cinematics when introducing new characters are pretty damn fantastic. I can watch the videos Riot produce to advertise their game for hours, they just aren’t going to get me to play their game no matter what they do, but they really try. This year, Worlds opened with several songs because, this year, Arcane is out on Netflix. Arcane has songs from Imagine Dragons and Sting! It’s an animated series, so the backdrop videos for the opening ceremony practically came pre-made. (And, actually, I think there have been better opening shows, but whatever.) Big opening. Great marketing. But Arcane is more than that…
Arcane tells the story of how several of the ‘champions’ from the game came to be what they are. It’s a prequel. Importantly, it tells the story of how Jinx got to be what she is (a sort of friendly psychopath with a gatling gun), but there are a bunch of other characters in the mix which I knew less about and now know more. I am happy to know more. I enjoyed finding out how these people grew from kids, basically, into heroes (or villains, or something in the middle), and I can’t wait for the second season to unfold (it’s in production). It still won’t get me to even download the game, however…
I thought my relationship with LOL was weird. I won’t play, but I love it when a new cinematic appears. Weird, right? Apparently not. The YouTuber Gigguk uploaded a video recently about Arcane. He actually plays the game, and hates it, but he thinks everything about the game, aside from the game, is great. He also does a better job than I ever could of selling Arcane, so I’m linking his video here.
So, maybe I’m not as weird as I thought.
No… Pretty sure I am.
November 28, 2021
First Snow of the Year!
It’s snowing here in the outer reaches of the galaxy (aka Manchester, England). Serious snow which is actually settling on some surfaces. I don’t expect to be able to walk on the stuff today; it’s not that cold. And it’s not even December.
Now, I’m not saying this is an indication of climate change. I’m sure things will see an upturn in coming months, and I won’t be forced to wear three layers of clothes inside. We aren’t doomed…
Nope.
Help!
(Wow, the longer I type, the heavier it falls…)
