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1000 results for “harun”
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it is sheon..🦉
The restaurant we frequented is brightly lit.
The light used to flicker as if it was going to turn off.
I clearly remember we laughed so much then.
But it is vague what we wore nor what we discussed.
Perhaps the more ambiguous it is, the brighter the memory.
📍 2023. 03. 28. 6PM KST
[the Billage of perception: chapter three]
#Billlie #TheBillageOfPerception #HARAM #HARUNA #MOONSUA #SIYOON #SHEON #SUHYEON #TSUKI #kpop -
it is sheon..🦉
The restaurant we frequented is brightly lit.
The light used to flicker as if it was going to turn off.
I clearly remember we laughed so much then.
But it is vague what we wore nor what we discussed.
Perhaps the more ambiguous it is, the brighter the memory.
📍 2023. 03. 28. 6PM KST
[the Billage of perception: chapter three]
#Billlie #TheBillageOfPerception #HARAM #HARUNA #MOONSUA #SIYOON #SHEON #SUHYEON #TSUKI #kpop -
here we go.🦉
Someone said things will happen suddenly.
Suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly, impetuously...
These words keep coming to mind.
Because maybe one day you will just appear.
📍 2023. 03. 28. 6PM KST
[the Billage of perception: chapter three]
#Billlie #TheBillageOfPerception #HARAM #HARUNA #MOONSUA #SIYOON #SHEON #SUHYEON #TSUKI #kpop -
here we go.🦉
Someone said things will happen suddenly.
Suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly, impetuously...
These words keep coming to mind.
Because maybe one day you will just appear.
📍 2023. 03. 28. 6PM KST
[the Billage of perception: chapter three]
#Billlie #TheBillageOfPerception #HARAM #HARUNA #MOONSUA #SIYOON #SHEON #SUHYEON #TSUKI #kpop -
here we go.🦉
Someone said things will happen suddenly.
Suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly, impetuously...
These words keep coming to mind.
Because maybe one day you will just appear.
📍 2023. 03. 28. 6PM KST
[the Billage of perception: chapter three]
#Billlie #TheBillageOfPerception #HARAM #HARUNA #MOONSUA #SIYOON #SHEON #SUHYEON #TSUKI #kpop -
Episodio 33 de #KDEexpress grabado bajo la lluvia, pero editado con amor por @raivenra.
La descripción y las notas como siempre en https://kdeexpress.gitlab.io/33
Os dejamos una tormenta de etiquetas sobre los algunos de los temas tratados:
#KDEframeworks #KDEneon #Calligra #Haruna #Dolphin #Filelight #Konsole #Kdenlive #Tokodon #Kate #OkularY si se os hace corto, Jorge y David acaban de publicar también hace nada un episodio de #AccesibilidadConTecnologiasLibres / #ATL
https://mastodon.escepticos.es/@DavidMarzalC/113075823324158978
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Episodio 33 de #KDEexpress grabado bajo la lluvia, pero editado con amor por @raivenra.
La descripción y las notas como siempre en https://kdeexpress.gitlab.io/33
Os dejamos una tormenta de etiquetas sobre los algunos de los temas tratados:
#KDEframeworks #KDEneon #Calligra #Haruna #Dolphin #Filelight #Konsole #Kdenlive #Tokodon #Kate #OkularY si se os hace corto, Jorge y David acaban de publicar también hace nada un episodio de #AccesibilidadConTecnologiasLibres / #ATL
https://mastodon.escepticos.es/@DavidMarzalC/113075823324158978
-
Episodio 33 de #KDEexpress grabado bajo la lluvia, pero editado con amor por @raivenra.
La descripción y las notas como siempre en https://kdeexpress.gitlab.io/33
Os dejamos una tormenta de etiquetas sobre los algunos de los temas tratados:
#KDEframeworks #KDEneon #Calligra #Haruna #Dolphin #Filelight #Konsole #Kdenlive #Tokodon #Kate #OkularY si se os hace corto, Jorge y David acaban de publicar también hace nada un episodio de #AccesibilidadConTecnologiasLibres / #ATL
https://mastodon.escepticos.es/@DavidMarzalC/113075823324158978
-
Episodio 33 de #KDEexpress grabado bajo la lluvia, pero editado con amor por @raivenra.
La descripción y las notas como siempre en https://kdeexpress.gitlab.io/33
Os dejamos una tormenta de etiquetas sobre los algunos de los temas tratados:
#KDEframeworks #KDEneon #Calligra #Haruna #Dolphin #Filelight #Konsole #Kdenlive #Tokodon #Kate #OkularY si se os hace corto, Jorge y David acaban de publicar también hace nada un episodio de #AccesibilidadConTecnologiasLibres / #ATL
https://mastodon.escepticos.es/@DavidMarzalC/113075823324158978
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"FM802 RADIO CRAZY"、"CRAZYMAN CLUB BAND"のゲストにGLIM SPANKY、スガ シカオ、HARUNA（SCANDAL）等6組発表
https://skream.jp/news/2024/12/fm802_radio_crazy_crazyman_club_band_guest.php
#skream_news #GLIM_SPANKY #RADIO_CRAZY #SCANDAL #スガシカオ #グリムスパンキー #グリム_スパンキー #レディオクレイジー #レディクレ #スキャンダル #Suga_Shikao -
“Video kliplerde içerik ve reklam artık anlamlı bir şekilde ayırt edilemiyor; romantik ilişki kavramındaki bir çift gibi ayrılamaz hâle geldiler.” —“Yort Savul” yazı dizisinin yeni metni Harun Farocki’den, video klip estetiğinin politikası üzerine:
https://manifold.press/hakimiyet-muzigindir -
In The Great Khan's Tent Episode XIV is now available on #youtube ! Come in and listen to the #arabiannights and the actions of Harun al-Rasid! https://youtu.be/1Ofb6zTJFxY #podcasts #onethousandandonenights #1001nights #1001arabiannights #audionarration #audiobook #literature #poetry #islamicculture #Islamic_Literature #Islamic_Culture #Muslim #Muslims #ummah #podcastersofcolor #podcastersoftwitter #podcastersofmastodon
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オーエーオー×ハルノブムラタ“ゴールドプレート煌めく”レザースニーカーに新色、オールホワイトで
https://www.fashion-press.net/news/126992?media=line#fashionpress #オーエーオー #OAO #ハルノブムラタ #HARUNOBUMURATA #ファッション #アイテム #コラボレーション #スニーカー #シューズ #オーエーオー_ハウス #OAO_HAUS
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Ziryab
Monumentje voor Ziryab, CórdobaToen ik eens keek naar een documentaire over het Apolloproject viel me op dat de geleerden die ervoor zorgden dat de mensheid de maan bereikte, meest mannen overigens, allemaal witte overhemden droegen. Toen ben ook ik witte overhemden gaan dragen. Wat ik maar zeggen wil: je hebt smaakmakers en smaakvolgers. En dat was vroeger ook zo. Neem Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Nafi (789-857), bijgenaamd Ziryab, wat een zangvogel is.
Ziryab speelde de oud (een luit zonder fretten) aan het hof van de Abbasidische kalief Harun ar-Rashid. Op zeker moment – wellicht nadat het Kalifaat van Bagdad in 806 te maken kreeg met een opstand die overging in een conflict tussen Haruns opvolgers – reisde Ziryab af naar het westen. Via het hof van de Aghlabidische emir van Kairouan (in Tunesië) bereikte hij in 822 Córdoba, waar hij in dienst trad van emir Abd ar-Rahman II (r.822-852). Daar gold hij niet alleen als de grootmeester op de oud, maar ook als arbiter elegantiae: hij zette de toon op velerlei gebied.
Muzikale vernieuwing
Om te beginnen de muziek: hij introduceerde in het westen een nieuw model plectrum én de oud met een extra paar snaren. De vier gangbare paren kregen elk een andere kleur, die de vier lichaamssappen moesten symboliseren, waarbij het vijfde snarenpaar stond voor de ziel. Het was niet voor het eerst en het zou niet voor het laatst zijn dat iemand muziek presenteerde als iets dat groter was dan melodisch en ritmisch geluid.
Maar het ging verder. Ziryab richtte een muziekschool op, een van de eerste in het Emiraat van Córdoba, waar hij zijn leerlingen de laatste (Abbasidische) nieuwigheden bijbracht op het gebied van de muziek. Hij kwam immers uit Bagdad en was via Kairouan gekomen naar Córdoba. Hij nam niet alleen mannelijke, maar ook vrouwelijke leerlingen aan. Daar zat overigens geen feministische agenda achter: vrouwenstemmen waren populair, dus je kon maar het beste zorgen voor goed onderricht.
Cultureel advies
En omdat een musicus er toch een beetje netjes uit moest zien, gaf Ziryab ook advies voor elegante kleding: in de winter anders dan in de zomer, en een onderscheid tussen dagelijks tenue en avondkleding. Hij suggereerde combinaties van heldere kleuren en om er zeker van te zijn dat die de lichaamsgeur niet opnamen, introduceerde hij ook de deodorant. De tandpasta ook, trouwens, en shampoo. Niet langer wasten aristocraten het haar met rozenwater, maar ze benutten zout water vol geurstoffen. Ik begrijp dat dit inderdaad beter is.
Ziryab suggereerde dat de oude kapsels, waarbij de scheiding middenin lag en het haar in twee vlechten over de slapen afhing, werden vervangen door een pony met op het achterhoofd een matje – zoals hij in Bagdad had gezien.
Al deze adviezen hadden overigens een parallel in het culturele programma van de oude Grieken en Romeinen. Wie in het openbaar optrad, moest ervoor zorgen dat hij zich geloofwaardig presenteerde. En dus moest zo iemand er verzorgd uitzien.
Een oud-spelerZiryab wist veel over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de Arabische poëzie, over geschiedenis, over wetenschap. En over haute cuisine. Hij adviseerde om niet alle gerechten in één keer op tafel te plaatsen, maar in gangen, zodat je voor elk gerecht de tijd kon nemen: eerst een lichte soep, dan een hoofdgerecht, tot slot een zoet toetje. Een en ander diende gegeten te worden van aardewerk, niet van zilveren of gouden borden, en kon worden geserveerd op een tafelkleed – nog iets nieuws. Tot de nieuwe gerechten behoorden de asperge, maar ook combinaties van ingrediënten die in West-Europa nog nooit waren beproefd. (Dit was belangrijker dan je zou denken, want men meende dat gezondheid samenhing met de balans tussen de vier lichaamssappen.)
Ik zou haast het schaak- en het polospel nog vergeten: een invloed uit het verre Perzië. Maar eigenlijk draait het niet om die eindeloze lijst culturele veranderingen. Wat feitelijk gebeurde, was de groei van een hofcultuur, die door Ziryabs leerlingen werd verspreid over de Maghreb en de rest van het Iberische Schiereiland. En vanuit Asturië gingen deze innovaties naar de rest van West-Europa.
Kwam het allemaal door één man? Zeker niet. Wat vermoedelijk speelde was dat de bewoners van het Emiraat van Córdoba gebruiken en gewoontes overnamen uit het Abbasidische kalifaat van Bagdad, en Ziryab zal een van de velen zijn geweest die de mensen in het westen vertelden over wat gangbaar was in het oosten.
De ulama
Dát het gebeurde, staat vast. We weten bijvoorbeeld dat aan de aristocratische hoven wijn voortaan werd geschonken in bekers van glas of kristal, die de oude bekers van zilver en goud vervingen: het archeologisch bewijs is duidelijk. Iets minder duidelijk is welke wijn de mensen dronken: de Koran verbiedt druivenwijn, maar zegt niets over dadelwijn, die dus was toegestaan. Later waren er schriftgeleerden die ook dadelwijn niet acceptabel vonden. De interpretatierichting van de tekst is naar grotere strengheid.
En daarmee kom ik op een ander aspect van de invloed die het Abbasiedenkalifaat uitoefende op de westelijke landen: er kwamen ook schriftgeleerden, ulama. De druk op christenen in het Emiraat van Córdoba nam toe, want er kwamen meer en striktere regels voor de “volken van het boek” (dhimmis). Processies en klokgebeier werden aan banden gelegd en er kwamen beperkingen: christenen mochten bepaalde wapens niet meer dragen en konden niet elk rijdier meer benutten – regels die toonden dat ze tweederangsburgers waren. Vervolgens werden de nieuwe regels niet toegepast, maar de sfeer was aan het veranderen: het Emiraat werd in de loop van de negende eeuw hoofser, zelfverzekerder, islamitischer en minder tolerant.
In september organiseer ik een reis Algerije en waarom die de moeite waard is leest u hier. Deze blog kunt u ook volgen via een Whatsapp-kanaal.
Zelfde tijdvak
Het Franse Roelandslied
juli 31, 2015
De sji’ieten van Irak (2)
oktober 30, 2021
Kunst uit Xinjiang
augustus 28, 2023 Deel dit: #Abbasiden #AbdAlRahmanIIVanCórdoba #Aghlabiden #dhimmi #emiraatVanCórdoba #hofcultuur #interpretatierichting #Kairouan #KalifaatVanBagdad #lichaamssappen #muziek #schaken #ulama #wijn #Ziryab -
Early 2026 #FOSS Tools I use:
OS (Desktop, Mobile, and Server)
- #Debian 13 w/Cinnamon DE
- #Proxmox 9.1
- @homeassistant
- @GrapheneOSEmail
- @protonprivacyNotes and Office
- @zettlr
- @libreofficeAndroid Application "Stores"
- ObtainiumBrowsers
- @librewolf
- @torproject
- #UnGoogledChromium
- #IronFoxVPN
- @mullvadnetPassword and TOTP Manager
- @protonprivacy #ProtonPassSocial
- @Mastodon
- @element
- #Stoat
- @clerotriMedia Playback
- #Qmmp
- #MPV
- #HarunaMedia Creation
- @GIMP
- @OBSProject
- @kdenlive
- #AudacityGaming
- @heroiclauncherOther Utilities
- #Alacritty
- #Easy Effects
- #VIA
- #MusicBrainz PicardMaybe I should also post a list of what is on my #homelab
#FOSSStack #OpenSource #Applications #GNULinux #GNU #Linux #Privacy #HomeAssistant #VPN #Mullvad #Proton #Ecosia #MetaGer #Mastodon #Matrix #Element #Discord
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Every weekend I look back at the preceding week in Kpop and pick out a music video or performance that have particularly liked. This week I have chosen Billlie – ZAP.
When I first heard ZAP, I did not really care for it because it has an aespa/Everglow girlcrush sound that does not usually appeal to me that much.
However, after playing the MV a number of times, I’ve found that ZAP has grown on me. Perhaps this change on my part illustrates what psychologists call the repeated exposure effect.
But why was I replaying the MV before the onset of that repeated exposure effect?
The visuals! Although long hair offers all sorts of styling and hairography opportunities and often looks beautiful, I am almost always thrilled to see idols with shorter hair. So I was delighted that the MV features both the auburn Siyoon and the dark haired Moon Sua with short hair.
In addition, the overall look of the MV appealed to me. The black and the red, the outfits, and the overall simplicity of the MV -- perhaps the beneficial consequence of a tight budget enforcing visual discipline – all provided me with visual pleasure.
Nothing Billie has done has ever impressed me as much as RING X RING , and ZAP has no chance of displacing that striking debut in my affections. In fact, it’s not even in the running for my Song Of The Year. Nevertheless, I’m happy I can answer “Yes!” to Haruna’s closing “Can you feel it?”
Billlie – ZAP
https://youtu.be/iqCx5RfI6Tw?si=ScpiwLHtqHnu5zTC#Kpop #KpopOfTheWeek #Billlie #ZAP #Hair
@[email protected] @[email protected] -
Every weekend I look back at the preceding week in Kpop and pick out a music video or performance that have particularly liked. This week I have chosen Billlie – ZAP.
When I first heard ZAP, I did not really care for it because it has an aespa/Everglow girlcrush sound that does not usually appeal to me that much.
However, after playing the MV a number of times, I’ve found that ZAP has grown on me. Perhaps this change on my part illustrates what psychologists call the repeated exposure effect.
But why was I replaying the MV before the onset of that repeated exposure effect?
The visuals! Although long hair offers all sorts of styling and hairography opportunities and often looks beautiful, I am almost always thrilled to see idols with shorter hair. So I was delighted that the MV features both the auburn Siyoon and the dark haired Moon Sua with short hair.
In addition, the overall look of the MV appealed to me. The black and the red, the outfits, and the overall simplicity of the MV -- perhaps the beneficial consequence of a tight budget enforcing visual discipline – all provided me with visual pleasure.
Nothing Billie has done has ever impressed me as much as RING X RING , and ZAP has no chance of displacing that striking debut in my affections. In fact, it’s not even in the running for my Song Of The Year. Nevertheless, I’m happy I can answer “Yes!” to Haruna’s closing “Can you feel it?”
Billlie – ZAP
https://youtu.be/iqCx5RfI6Tw?si=ScpiwLHtqHnu5zTC#Kpop #KpopOfTheWeek #Billlie #ZAP #Hair
@[email protected] @[email protected] -
Every weekend I look back at the preceding week in Kpop and pick out a music video or performance that have particularly liked. This week I have chosen Billlie – ZAP.
When I first heard ZAP, I did not really care for it because it has an aespa/Everglow girlcrush sound that does not usually appeal to me that much.
However, after playing the MV a number of times, I’ve found that ZAP has grown on me. Perhaps this change on my part illustrates what psychologists call the repeated exposure effect.
But why was I replaying the MV before the onset of that repeated exposure effect?
The visuals! Although long hair offers all sorts of styling and hairography opportunities and often looks beautiful, I am almost always thrilled to see idols with shorter hair. So I was delighted that the MV features both the auburn Siyoon and the dark haired Moon Sua with short hair.
In addition, the overall look of the MV appealed to me. The black and the red, the outfits, and the overall simplicity of the MV -- perhaps the beneficial consequence of a tight budget enforcing visual discipline – all provided me with visual pleasure.
Nothing Billie has done has ever impressed me as much as RING X RING , and ZAP has no chance of displacing that striking debut in my affections. In fact, it’s not even in the running for my Song Of The Year. Nevertheless, I’m happy I can answer “Yes!” to Haruna’s closing “Can you feel it?”
Billlie – ZAP
https://youtu.be/iqCx5RfI6Tw?si=ScpiwLHtqHnu5zTC#Kpop #KpopOfTheWeek #Billlie #ZAP #Hair
@[email protected] @[email protected] -
Every weekend I look back at the preceding week in Kpop and pick out a music video or performance that have particularly liked. This week I have chosen Billlie – ZAP.
When I first heard ZAP, I did not really care for it because it has an aespa/Everglow girlcrush sound that does not usually appeal to me that much.
However, after playing the MV a number of times, I’ve found that ZAP has grown on me. Perhaps this change on my part illustrates what psychologists call the repeated exposure effect.
But why was I replaying the MV before the onset of that repeated exposure effect?
The visuals! Although long hair offers all sorts of styling and hairography opportunities and often looks beautiful, I am almost always thrilled to see idols with shorter hair. So I was delighted that the MV features both the auburn Siyoon and the dark haired Moon Sua with short hair.
In addition, the overall look of the MV appealed to me. The black and the red, the outfits, and the overall simplicity of the MV -- perhaps the beneficial consequence of a tight budget enforcing visual discipline – all provided me with visual pleasure.
Nothing Billie has done has ever impressed me as much as RING X RING , and ZAP has no chance of displacing that striking debut in my affections. In fact, it’s not even in the running for my Song Of The Year. Nevertheless, I’m happy I can answer “Yes!” to Haruna’s closing “Can you feel it?”
Billlie – ZAP
https://youtu.be/iqCx5RfI6Tw?si=ScpiwLHtqHnu5zTC#Kpop #KpopOfTheWeek #Billlie #ZAP #Hair
@[email protected] @[email protected] -
Every weekend I look back at the preceding week in Kpop and pick out a music video or performance that have particularly liked. This week I have chosen Billlie – ZAP.
When I first heard ZAP, I did not really care for it because it has an aespa/Everglow girlcrush sound that does not usually appeal to me that much.
However, after playing the MV a number of times, I’ve found that ZAP has grown on me. Perhaps this change on my part illustrates what psychologists call the repeated exposure effect.
But why was I replaying the MV before the onset of that repeated exposure effect?
The visuals! Although long hair offers all sorts of styling and hairography opportunities and often looks beautiful, I am almost always thrilled to see idols with shorter hair. So I was delighted that the MV features both the auburn Siyoon and the dark haired Moon Sua with short hair.
In addition, the overall look of the MV appealed to me. The black and the red, the outfits, and the overall simplicity of the MV -- perhaps the beneficial consequence of a tight budget enforcing visual discipline – all provided me with visual pleasure.
Nothing Billie has done has ever impressed me as much as RING X RING , and ZAP has no chance of displacing that striking debut in my affections. In fact, it’s not even in the running for my Song Of The Year. Nevertheless, I’m happy I can answer “Yes!” to Haruna’s closing “Can you feel it?”
Billlie – ZAP
https://youtu.be/iqCx5RfI6Tw?si=ScpiwLHtqHnu5zTC#Kpop #KpopOfTheWeek #Billlie #ZAP #Hair
@[email protected] @[email protected] -
Recently added titles (January 2025)
Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October, November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.
Animated series recently added to this page
None for this month.
No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):
- Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
- We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
- We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
- We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
- Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
- Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
- Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
- Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.
Anime series recently added to this page
- Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
- Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
- Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]
In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.
Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.
Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.
No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:
Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.
…
[3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.
I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.
Comics recently added to this page
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“
In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.
As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.
Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.
Films recently added to this page
None for this month.
Other entries recently added to this page
- Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
- Rebel Princess Guide
- Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]
As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]
However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.
On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.
Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.
Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:
Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.
© 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.
#AdventureTime #BillyMandy #BlackLibrarians #BlackMen #bullying #DiamondDive #DoYouLikeTomboys #DonTLookAtTheSky #gayLibrarians #HoneyLemonSoda #HugPrettyCure #InMyHeart #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #librarianStereotypes #LibrariansOfColor #lists #LiteraryLink #MedakaKuroiwaIsImperviousToMyCharms #MyLifeAsATeenageRobot #MyMasochisticBoss #OfficeTalk #OurDaysInLumain #PickMe #quiet #RebelPrincessGuide #RecentlyAddedTitles #RegularShow #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #shortBlogs #SolarEclipse #StevenUniverse #students #SusuharaIsADemon #TeasingMasterTakagiSan #TeenTitansGo #Thundercats #WarmSpringRain #WeBareBears #yuri
-
Recently added titles (January 2025)
Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October, November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.
Animated series recently added to this page
None for this month.
No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):
- Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
- We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
- We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
- We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
- Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
- Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
- Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
- Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.
Anime series recently added to this page
- Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
- Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
- Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]
In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.
Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.
Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.
No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:
Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.
…
[3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.
I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.
Comics recently added to this page
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“
In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.
As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.
Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.
Films recently added to this page
None for this month.
Other entries recently added to this page
- Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
- Rebel Princess Guide
- Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]
As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]
However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.
On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.
Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.
Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:
Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.
© 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.
#AdventureTime #BillyMandy #BlackLibrarians #BlackMen #bullying #DiamondDive #DoYouLikeTomboys #DonTLookAtTheSky #gayLibrarians #HoneyLemonSoda #HugPrettyCure #InMyHeart #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #librarianStereotypes #LibrariansOfColor #lists #LiteraryLink #MedakaKuroiwaIsImperviousToMyCharms #MyLifeAsATeenageRobot #MyMasochisticBoss #OfficeTalk #OurDaysInLumain #PickMe #quiet #RebelPrincessGuide #RecentlyAddedTitles #RegularShow #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #shortBlogs #SolarEclipse #StevenUniverse #students #SusuharaIsADemon #TeasingMasterTakagiSan #TeenTitansGo #Thundercats #WarmSpringRain #WeBareBears #yuri
-
Recently added titles (January 2025)
Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October, November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.
Animated series recently added to this page
None for this month.
No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):
- Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
- We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
- We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
- We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
- Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
- Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
- Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
- Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.
Anime series recently added to this page
- Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
- Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
- Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]
In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.
Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.
Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.
No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:
Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.
…
[3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.
I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.
Comics recently added to this page
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“
In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.
As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.
Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.
Films recently added to this page
None for this month.
Other entries recently added to this page
- Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
- Rebel Princess Guide
- Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]
As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]
However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.
On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.
Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.
Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:
Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.
© 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.
#AdventureTime #BillyMandy #BlackLibrarians #BlackMen #bullying #DiamondDive #DoYouLikeTomboys #DonTLookAtTheSky #gayLibrarians #HoneyLemonSoda #HugPrettyCure #InMyHeart #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #librarianStereotypes #LibrariansOfColor #lists #LiteraryLink #MedakaKuroiwaIsImperviousToMyCharms #MyLifeAsATeenageRobot #MyMasochisticBoss #OfficeTalk #OurDaysInLumain #PickMe #quiet #RebelPrincessGuide #RecentlyAddedTitles #RegularShow #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #shortBlogs #SolarEclipse #StevenUniverse #students #SusuharaIsADemon #TeasingMasterTakagiSan #TeenTitansGo #Thundercats #WarmSpringRain #WeBareBears #yuri
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Recently added titles (January 2025)
Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October, November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.
Animated series recently added to this page
None for this month.
No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):
- Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
- We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
- We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
- We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
- Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
- Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
- Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
- Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.
Anime series recently added to this page
- Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
- Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
- Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]
In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.
Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.
Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.
No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:
Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.
…
[3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.
I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.
Comics recently added to this page
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“
In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.
As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.
Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.
Films recently added to this page
None for this month.
Other entries recently added to this page
- Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
- Rebel Princess Guide
- Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]
As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]
However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.
On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.
Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.
Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:
Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.
© 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.
#AdventureTime #BillyMandy #BlackLibrarians #BlackMen #bullying #DiamondDive #DoYouLikeTomboys #DonTLookAtTheSky #gayLibrarians #HoneyLemonSoda #HugPrettyCure #InMyHeart #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #librarianStereotypes #LibrariansOfColor #lists #LiteraryLink #MedakaKuroiwaIsImperviousToMyCharms #MyLifeAsATeenageRobot #MyMasochisticBoss #OfficeTalk #OurDaysInLumain #PickMe #quiet #RebelPrincessGuide #RecentlyAddedTitles #RegularShow #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #shortBlogs #SolarEclipse #StevenUniverse #students #SusuharaIsADemon #TeasingMasterTakagiSan #TeenTitansGo #Thundercats #WarmSpringRain #WeBareBears #yuri
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Recently added titles (January 2025)
Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October, November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.
Animated series recently added to this page
None for this month.
No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):
- Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
- We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
- We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
- We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
- Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
- Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
- Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
- Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.
Anime series recently added to this page
- Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
- Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
- Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]
In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.
Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.
Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.
No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:
Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.
…
[3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.
I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.
Comics recently added to this page
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“
In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.
As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.
Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.
Films recently added to this page
None for this month.
Other entries recently added to this page
- Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
- Rebel Princess Guide
- Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]
As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]
However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.
On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.
Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.
Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:
Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.
© 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.
#AdventureTime #BillyMandy #BlackLibrarians #BlackMen #bullying #DiamondDive #DoYouLikeTomboys #DonTLookAtTheSky #gayLibrarians #HoneyLemonSoda #HugPrettyCure #InMyHeart #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #librarianStereotypes #LibrariansOfColor #lists #LiteraryLink #MedakaKuroiwaIsImperviousToMyCharms #MyLifeAsATeenageRobot #MyMasochisticBoss #OfficeTalk #OurDaysInLumain #PickMe #quiet #RebelPrincessGuide #RecentlyAddedTitles #RegularShow #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #shortBlogs #SolarEclipse #StevenUniverse #students #SusuharaIsADemon #TeasingMasterTakagiSan #TeenTitansGo #Thundercats #WarmSpringRain #WeBareBears #yuri
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Lovebites – Outstanding Power Review By Grin ReaperReturning with their over-the-top, moar is moar philosophy of fun and shred, on Outstanding Power Lovebites cooks up a sugarbomb so explosive it’ll blow your teeth out your earholes. Minted in 2016, Lovebites has been slinging their brand of power metal for a decade, dropping five full-lengths over that time.1 Outstanding Power marks the band’s fifth full-length release and the first since 2023’s Judgement Day, and these women from Tokyo used the intervening three years to cast a platter that shatters any illusion of restraint. With kicks and licks galore, does Lovebites cram in too much of a good thing, or can their latest LP stand the power?
Anyone unfamiliar with Lovebites can approximate their sound as an all-female version of Galneryus,2 although Lovebites is much more than a clone of a great band. Their full-length debut Awakening from Abyss dropped in 2017, with subsequent albums Clockwork Immortality and Electric Pentagram released in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Both follow-ups impressed, but nothing quite reached the heights of their debut until fourth album Judgement Day hit shelves in 2023. Introducing new bassist Fami,3 Judgement Day honed Lovebites’ attack to a lethal edge, and with even more time spent sharpening their craft, Outstanding Power cuts deeper than ever.
Outstanding Power by Lovebites
Lovebites’ stable lineup exudes an electrifying chemistry throughout Outstanding Power. Each component of the band’s auditory milieu complements the others, whether it’s the blazing guitar tandem of Midori and Miyako, Haruna’s meticulously mechanical drumming, or Fami’s low-end purr and incredibly hooky countermelodies. Musically, Lovebites has never been this exacting. From the calculated rhythms in “Silence the Void” to the galloping rolls in “Blazing Halo,” Haruna’s drumming goads songs with an unflappable urgency that’s simultaneously composed and tempestuous. Meanwhile, Fami’s bass flexes mondo swagger that recalls Geddy Lee’s aggressive plucks and twangs (“The Castaway”) as well as Flea-bitten flourishes (the intro to “Blazing Halo”). In fact, the bass’s expanded role on Outstanding Power defines what elevates the album above the rest of Lovebites’ already first-rate output. Besides trading vicious solos and captivating riffs with fellow axe-bearer Midori, Miyako supplies the keys, channeling duel-lead, arpeggiated runs à la Children of Bodom (“The Castaway”) as nimbly as she blankets moods with Sonata Arctica-informed synth and piano (“Eternally,” “One Will Remain”). Atop it all, singer Asami coos, belts, and wails with a voice that some may find an acquired taste with her heavy use of vibrato, but is powerful and unique. Overall, the songwriting on Outstanding Power synchronizes into lock-step bombast, where each track dazzles with its own fully-fleshed identity and laser-honed melodies.
Though not without fault, Outstanding Power unequivocally claims the top spot in Lovebites’ catalog (so far). No small part of this is thanks to Fami and Haruna, who bring the rhythm section to the fore with undeniable performances that match the high-flying axe-work besieging previous releases. The biggest strike against Outstanding Power is the album’s sixty-four-minute runtime, which the sharp songwriting mitigates with infectious melodies and perfectly executed instrumentation. Even Outstanding Power’s weakest cut, seven-minute ballad “Eternally,” contains good moments despite fumbling Lovebites’ momentum down the home stretch. Add in the surprisingly spacious mix4 that gives the band ample space to pop and you’ve got yourself a bona fide power metal classic on your hands.
Power metal presents a challenge to rate, as its natural optimism and oft-cheesy tropes can be at odds with what typically engenders high scores and opinions, and makes Outstanding Power the most difficult score I’ve assessed up to this point. Throughout, Lovebites exemplifies power metal ethos, unleashing high-octane shredded cheese with a flagrant nonchalance that is shamelessly irresistible. With Outstanding Power, Lovebites not only delivers their greatest achievement so far, but the best power metal release I’ve heard in over a year. Relentless riffs, grooves, and fills assail listeners with flamboyant moxie and technical ecstasy, defining an album I haven’t been able to put down since I got my grubby mitts on the damned thing. If fun won’t kill you, give Lovebites’ opus a spin. Or maybe give it a listen anyway, because what’s life without a little Love?
Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 18th, 2026Maddog
Much to her chagrin, Thus Spoke and I share many things in common. Chief among them is our anaphylactic allergy to major scales; being the two resident vegans, we struggle with cheesy music.5 While this has made power metal a difficult subgenre, Lovebites is an exception. Our coverage of this Japanese juggernaut has been scarce, but I gave 2023’s Judgement Day a tempered positive filter review. Outstanding Power has the same foundation as Lovebites’ prior work, but with a beefier rhythm section, more variety, better riffs, hookier hooks, and more cohesive songwriting. It’s a fantastic record.
Outstanding Power is textbook power metal, in the same sense that Rust in Peace is textbook thrash. The centerpiece is Asami’s vocal performance, which is appropriately over-the-top but steps back to let the instruments shine. Lovebites’ most visible weapon is their dual-guitar assault. Across theatrical leads, deathy riffs, and unrestrained solos, guitarists Midori and Miyako display a mastery of melody. Even with such stiff competition, Lovebites’ rhythm section stands out. Fami’s bass plays every part it can, with blistering riffs, playful lines that recall a young Steve Harris, and explosive additions to choruses. Haruna’s drumming is a gem, especially when her lavish fills and opening salvos help stitch the album together. Both the bass and the drums peak when their respective musicians take the songwriting reins; Fami’s collaborative composition “Blazing Halo” features irresistible dueling bass and guitar solos, while Haruna’s “Forbidden Thirst” highlights her grooviest drum work. No member of Lovebites ever fades into obscurity.
Outstanding Power holds me rapt throughout. Across their hyperactive leads, 1980s virtuoso shredfests (“One Will Remain”), and fanciful Mark Knopfler-style (Dire Straits) joyrides (“Wheels on Fire”), guitarists Midori and Miyako don’t miss a beat. Their dominance becomes clearest when they join forces. Lovebites’ harmonies recall Iron Maiden, and the guitarists’ knack for separating and rejoining makes “The Castaway” an early contender for Song o’ the Year. Asami’s vocals aren’t bulletproof, particularly in her higher register. Still, the vocals and the guitars forge an ironclad alliance that raises Outstanding Power to new heights. The guitars’ imitation of the vocal shouts on “[Grin] Reaper’s Lullaby” makes me grin every time, while the orgiastic leads that accompany the final chorus of “Out of Control” remind me of Madonna’s classic “Burning Up.” Even the ballad “Eternally” is a triumph. While its vocal melodies are memorable, “Eternally” takes a cue from Gamma Ray’s “Lake of Tears” in delegating much of the heavy lifting to the weepy guitars. These ingredients make Outstanding Power a wellspring of enormous climaxes. The guitar solos are at once emotive and explosive (“The Eve of Change”), and each song ends with pizzazz (“Silence the Void”). In short, Outstanding Power is a goddamn pleasure.
Outstanding Power is such a spectacle that I can’t even begrudge its excess. I hear Sunburst in the chugging riffs of “Blazing Halo.” I hear Riot in the downright rowdy “Silence the Void.” I hear 1980s electronica interspersed with chest-thumping power metal in “The Eve of Change.” I hear Symphony X in the vocal melodies and the atmosphere of “Forbidden Thirst.” I hear Kryptos’ heavy metal revival in the rockin’ ruffian riffs of “Out of Control.” I hear blackened melodeath in the vicious “Reaper’s Lullaby,” contrasting with the heart-rending ballad “Eternally.” Most importantly, I hear Lovebites in every moment. All five band members sustain the album’s shifts while sticking to their signature styles. With its balance of variety and continuity, Outstanding Power feels half as long as its 64-minute runtime. Due to the album’s wide emotional range, I even grew to love its more upbeat tracks. Criticizing Lovebites for sounding cheerful seems akin to criticizing Monet because you don’t like yellow water lilies; sometimes flowers are yellow, you twit! Outstanding Power tries to do a lot, and it nails every piece.
As I struggle to process this album, I’m reminded of Eldritch Elitist’s review of Imperial Circus Dead Decadence. Yes, Outstanding Power is self-indulgent; what’s your point? Lovebites paints their variegated image of power metal with five brushes and five million colors, and the result is astounding. It isn’t perfect, and the crushed master makes it harder to appreciate the album’s finer features. But Outstanding Power easily won over my shriveled heart. While major scales make me gag, these ones just feel like the crest of a wave. While I tend to balk at hour-long albums, this one goes by in a heartbeat. Power metal isn’t my usual fare, but Lovebites has created a masterwork.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
#2026 #40 #45 #ChildrenOfBodom #DireStraits #Feb26 #Galneryus #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #ImperialCircusDeadDecadence #IronMaiden #JapaneseMetal #Kryptos #Lovebites #NapalmRecords #OutstandingPower #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #Riot #RiotV #SonataArctica #Sunburst #SymphonyX -
No, after #Duterte is in custody of the #ICC, it's not "#Putin next" or "#Netanyahu next".
They are but 2 of currently 30 defendants who are at large, and all "next".
- #AgGhaly, Iyad
- #AlBashir, Omar Hassan Ahmad
- #AlShaqaqi, Abdelbari Ayyad Ramadan
- #AlZinkal, Fathi Faraj Mohamed Salim
- Alekseyevna #LvovaBelova, Maria
- #Banda Abakaer Nourain, Abdallah
- #Barasa, Walter Osapiri
- #Beina, Edmond
- #Bett, Philip Kipkoech
- #Daou (‘Al Lahsa’), Nasser Muhammad Muftah
- #Doumah (‘Douma’), Makhlouf Makhlouf Arhoumah
- #Elmasry Njeem, Osama
- #Elshgagi (‘Al Khani’), Abdurahem Khalefa Abdurahem
- #Gaddafi, Saif Al-Islam
- #Gallant, Yoav
- Georgiyevich #Sanakoev, David
- #Guchmazov, Gamlet
- #Harun, Ahmad Muhammad
- #Hussein, Abdel Raheem Muhammad
- Ivanovich #Kobylash, Sergei
- #Kony, Joseph
- Kuzhugetovich #Shoigu, Sergei
- Mayramovich #Mindzaev, Mikhail
- #Mudacumura, Sylvestre
- #Netanyahu, Benjamin
- Nikolayevich #Sokolov, Viktor
- #Nouradine Adam, Mahamat
- Salmi (‘#Salheen’), Mohamed Mohamed Al Salheen
- Vasilyevich #Gerasimov, Valery
- Vladimirovich #Putin, Vladimir
https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendants?f%5B0%5D=accused_states%3A329
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De Maghreb in de Middeleeuwen
Maquette van Qal’at Bani Hammad (Museum van Sétif)Ik heb weleens de indruk dat oudheidkundigen die zich bezighouden met de Lage Landen in de Romeinse tijd, de seizoensmigratie onderschatten. Voor de Maghreb geldt het omgekeerde: er bestaat een neiging om de mobiliteit van de bevolking te overschatten. Heel veel Berbers waren sedentair – en dat al eeuwenlang. De Griekse onderzoeker Herodotos vermeldt het in de vijfde eeuw v.Chr.noot Herodotos, Historiën 4.187.
Het beeld van een grotendeels nomadische bevolking zal in de hand zijn gewerkt doordat een andere Griekse geschiedschrijver, Polybios, de Numidische koning Massinissa presenteert als De Grote Civilisator. Dat “Numidiërs” bedrieglijk veel lijkt op νομάδες zal ook een rol hebben gespeeld. En tot slot: toen de Fransen zich eenmaal van Algerije meester hadden gemaakt, kan het hun wel goed zijn uitgekomen de nadruk te leggen op nomadisme. Dat gold in Europa als minder beschaafd en dus konden de Fransen denken dat ze de bewoners van de Maghreb voor hun eigen bestwil hadden onderworpen. Ik heb eerlijk gezegd geen idee of het echt zo is gegaan, maar zou het me kunnen voorstellen.
Wat ik wel en niet snap
Wat ik wel weet: de regio die de Arabieren rond 710 in hun macht hadden, kende nomaden, dorpsbewoners en stedelingen, was meertalig en was bewoond door minimaal twee soorten christenen, door joden en door de eerste moslims. De regio zou, zoals ik in een eerder blogje al schreef, vrij snel verder islamiseren. Verder waren de Berbers verdeeld in twee hoofdgroepen, de Baranis en de Butr, waarvan ik nooit heb kunnen achterhalen wat daar nou precies achter schuil gaat. Er waren Arabieren, afkomstig uit diverse gebieden. Rond het midden van de achtste eeuw speelden deze tegenstellingen een rol bij de burgeroorlog op het Iberische Schiereiland waarover ik al eerder blogde. De definitie van Arabier en Berber sla ik gemakshalve over.
Het stoort me een beetje dat ik de complexiteit niet goed doorgrond, want voor mij is de geschiedenis van de middeleeuws Maghreb nu iets dat ik beschrijf vanuit het perspectief van de heersende dynastieën. Daarbij vormen “de” Berbers dan een ongedefinieerd substraat van mensen die nog niet gearabiseerd en geïslamiseerd waren, maar verder geen eigen rol van betekenis speelden. Zo was het natuurlijk niet.
Een blad uit de “blauwe Koran” (Raqqada, Kairouan)Eenheid en versplintering, deel één
Zoals ik het dynastieke deel begrijp, behoorde de Maghreb eerst tot het Umayyadische kalifaat van Damascus en ging het na het jaar 750 over in handen van de Abbasiden, die de residentie verplaatsten naar Bagdad. De situatie in de Maghreb schijnt gedurende een halve eeuw instabiel te zijn geweest, met allerlei lokale machthebbers die redelijk zelfstandig konden zijn zolang het kalifaat zwak stond, maar ook weer in het gareel konden worden gedwongen.
Ifriqiya, zoals Tunesië destijds heette, is rond 800 gepacificeerd door Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab, die als emir werd erkend door kalief Harun ar-Rashid, wat betekende dat Ibrahim zich kon laten opvolgen door zijn afstammelingen, de Aghlabiden waarover ik al eerder blogde. Anders gezegd: een lokale dynastie verving het roulerend gouverneurschap. In het noordwesten van het huidige Algerije was verder een Emiraat van Tlemcen, dat me doet denken aan een voortzetting van het Berber-rijk Altava, maar rond 800 waren die emirs alweer vervangen door de dynastie van de Rostamiden, die ergens nog wat Perzisch bloed hadden. En helemaal in het westen, in het huidige Marokko, heersten de Idrisiden, een sji’itische dynastie met banden met het Emiraat van Córdoba. Deze groepen – en andere – hadden er weinig moeite mee de kalief in Bagdad te erkennen als de heerser der gelovigen, maar gingen in de loop van de negende eeuw steeds meer hun eigen weg.
Muntschat uit Qal’at Bani Hammad (Museum van Sétif)Eenheid en versplintering, deel twee
Dat veranderde in de jaren na 900, toen een nieuwe, sji’itische dynastie de macht in Ifriqiya overnam: de Fatimiden. De heersers claimden het kalifaat en onderwierpen heel noordelijk Afrika. Hun hoofdstad was eerst Raqqada (naast Kairouan) en later het door hen gestichte Caïro. Van de Aghlabiden en de Rostamiden werd niets meer vernomen, de Idrisiden betaalden schatting.
En vervolgens gebeurde hetzelfde als in de negende eeuw: omdat de kalief ver weg was, konden de lokale heersers zich steeds zelfstandiger gaan gedragen. In Ifriqiya namen de Ziriden de macht over en in het huidige Algerije werden de Hammadiden steeds onafhankelijker. Hun hoofdstad was Qal’at Bani Hammad, momenteel werelderfgoed. In Marokko heersten eerst de Maghrawaden en daarna de Almoraviden. Over die laatste dynastie blogde ik al eens, omdat ze El-Andalus onderwierpen: op het Iberische Schiereiland, buiten de wereld van de islam, kon een dynastie laten zien dat ze streed voor de goede zaak.
Elfde-eeuws houtsnijwerk (Raqqada)Eenheid en versplintering, deel drie
De Almoraviden werden rond 1147 in Marokko en Andalusië weer afgelost door de Almohaden, die de gehele Maghreb in handen kregen. En zoals het al eerder was gegaan, ging het opnieuw: het centrale gezag verloor de controle en lokale dynastieën namen de macht over. Meer specifiek: de Hafsiden in Ifriqiya en de Ziyaniden in Algerije, tot de verzwakte Almohaden in Marokko werden afgelost door de Meriniden.
Ibn Khaldun
Uiteindelijk vielen al deze gebieden in handen van weer een nieuwe groep heersers: de Ottomanen. Maar tot die tijd valt een patroon te ontwaren: er is een machtige dynastie die de regio beheerst, die delegeert de macht aan lokale heersers en vervolgens worden die zelfstandig, tot een nieuwe machtige dynastie opstaat. Er zit iets cyclisch in.
Pas toen ik dit blogje schreef, realiseerde ik me: dit is de wereld waarover de geleerde Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) schrijft dat geen dynastie het langer uithoudt dan een paar generaties, omdat de groepssolidariteit (ʿasabiyyah) die hielp om het gezag te vestigen, al snel zou afnemen. Fascinerend.
Deze blog, die u ook via het Whatsapp-kanaal kunt volgen, is niet mijn enige activiteit. Ik bied ook cursussen aan.
Zelfde tijdvak
Jozef
maart 19, 2018
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Lodewijk de Heilige in Karthago
april 8, 2025 Deel dit:#Abbasiden #Aghlabiden #Algerije #Almohaden #Almoraviden #Altava #Baranis #Butr #Cairo #ElAndalus #emiraatVanCórdoba #Fatimiden #Hafsiden #Hammadiden #HarunArRashid #HerodotosVanHalikarnassos #IbnKhaldun #IbrahimIbnAlAghlab #Idrisiden #Ifriqiya #Kairouan #KalifaatVanBagdad #KalifaatVanDamascus #Marokko #Massinissa #Meriniden #nomadisme #Numidië #OttomaanseRijk #Polybios #QalAtBaniHammad #Raqqada #Rostamiden #seizoensmigratie #Tlemcen #Tunesië #Umayyaden #Ziriden #Ziyaniden
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No, after #Duterte is in custody of the #ICC, it's not "#Putin next" or "#Netanyahu next".
They are but 2 of currently 30 defendants who are at large, and all "next".
- #AgGhaly, Iyad
- #AlBashir, Omar Hassan Ahmad
- #AlShaqaqi, Abdelbari Ayyad Ramadan
- #AlZinkal, Fathi Faraj Mohamed Salim
- Alekseyevna #LvovaBelova, Maria
- #Banda Abakaer Nourain, Abdallah
- #Barasa, Walter Osapiri
- #Beina, Edmond
- #Bett, Philip Kipkoech
- #Daou (‘Al Lahsa’), Nasser Muhammad Muftah
- #Doumah (‘Douma’), Makhlouf Makhlouf Arhoumah
- #Elmasry Njeem, Osama
- #Elshgagi (‘Al Khani’), Abdurahem Khalefa Abdurahem
- #Gaddafi, Saif Al-Islam
- #Gallant, Yoav
- Georgiyevich #Sanakoev, David
- #Guchmazov, Gamlet
- #Harun, Ahmad Muhammad
- #Hussein, Abdel Raheem Muhammad
- Ivanovich #Kobylash, Sergei
- #Kony, Joseph
- Kuzhugetovich #Shoigu, Sergei
- Mayramovich #Mindzaev, Mikhail
- #Mudacumura, Sylvestre
- #Netanyahu, Benjamin
- Nikolayevich #Sokolov, Viktor
- #Nouradine Adam, Mahamat
- Salmi (‘#Salheen’), Mohamed Mohamed Al Salheen
- Vasilyevich #Gerasimov, Valery
- Vladimirovich #Putin, Vladimir
https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendants?f%5B0%5D=accused_states%3A329
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a comeback without moonsua and suhyeon is rough. 🥺
i wish them all the best and hope those two will take all the time they need for healing and to find that peace of mind again. 🫶
but i love the fact that they included all 7 names on their stage setup at showchampion. 🥹💕
🎬 https://youtu.be/Zspo7A1u6aM
🎬💃 https://youtu.be/or0dbRJWzeE
Billlie - BYOB (bring your own best friend) l Show Champion | 230927
#Billlie #BYOB #Billlie_BYOB #MoonSua #Suhyeon #Haram #Tsuki #Sheon #Siyoon #Haruna #kpop