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https://blacknerdproblems.com/trailer-for-witch-hat-atelier-anime/

Witch Hat Atelier has been one of my favorite ongoing manga series in recent years–so much that I even included it in my ‘Manga You Should Be Reading‘ series on the site. Gorgeously illustrated by Kamome Shirahama and published though Kodansha, this series “about a girl who longs for magic in her life and learns that, on the inside, she already is what she wishes she could be” has gone on to captivate audiences globally and sell over 5.5 million copies in print.

The series follows Coco, our brave main character who has always wanted to be a dealer of magic. She’s enthusiastic, ever curious, and fiercely loyal to those she calls family and friends. Following Qifrey to his atelier to become his apprentice, she soon discovers a world bigger than the one she’s ever known. She’s a lovable child who seeks to right a wrong she did in her pursuit of learning magic.

She often surprises those around her with how she solves problems by thinking outside the box. Naturally seen as an outsider, she is an object of everything from fascination to ire by those in the magic world. Even those she’s a step behind in learning the basics that her peers her age learned a while ago, her strong sense of determination is smiled upon and recognized by her teacher who does his best to protect her.

The first new trailer and key visual for the upcoming Witch Hat Atelier anime was released during the series panel this week at Anime Expo 2024, giving fans a sneak peak of what to expect when the adaptation premieres in 2025.

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What Do We Know So Far?

The series is the latest from BUG FILMS who are largely known for their work on the bright and colorful anime adaptation of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead with Ayumu Watanabe (Space Brothers, Summer Time Rendering, Komi Can’t Communicate) directing.

The upcoming series will also feature music from Yuka Kitamura, the composer for Elden Ring and other video games such as Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. As reported by Anime Hunch:

“Fans are beyond excited by this collaboration and took to social media to express it. Many were of the opinion that it was a major achievement for the studio to have Yuka Kitamura working on the project.

They also noted that this was the first time the composer will be creating music for an anime series, and expressed eagerness for Kitamura’s debut in the anime industry.”

The Witch Hat Atelier anime is set to premiere sometime in 2025. Crunchyroll will stream the anime as it airs.

Creator Kamome Shirahama arrived in Los Angeles this week for the Witch Hat Atelier panel with special guests from the anime production staff. Kazuki Kawagoe directed the trailer and was present at AX with Ayumu Watanabe and Hiroaki Kojima, who is a producer as reported by Anime Corner.

Fan Expectation

Witch Hat Atelier is a charming, layered manga series on the cost of magic in our lives and how the joy of discovering and living out your dreams comes with responsibilities and obligations. It is loved by youth and adults alike and continues to be an engaging story championing those who want inclusion and clarity in the institutions that they belong to.

When watching the trailer on YouTube, I came across this comment by user: rissaito4988″: i was there when they first showed the trailer at anime expo and i’ll never forget that moment! everyone was in awe and cheered the whole time, including me. and shirahama-sensei was so happy to watch the crowd’s reaction that she recorded it on her phone!! it was so amazing and i absolutely cannot wait to see shirahama’s gorgeous artwork brought to life in full color and motion“

Some fans are worried that this anime adaptation may miss the mark as this animated trailer does not hold the same level of meticulously and elaborately detailed art-style from mangaka Kamome Shirahama. Others are stoked at the inclusion of Yuka Kitamura to handle the music for the adaptation. Others are worried for a rushed set of episodes as the manga is still ongoing while some fans are confident that BUG FILMS will bring their A-game for this beloved series’ anticipated anime adaptation. I adore Witch Hat Atelier and will stay tuned for more news!

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Original story: Kamome Shirahama

Director: Ayumu Watanabe

Character design: Kairi Unabara

Music: Yuka Kitamura

Production: BUG FILMS

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Follow along with the official website for the anime here! The manga is also available on the K MANGA app.

Love anime? So do we! See what else we have to offer on the site via anime here!

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The post Trailer for ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ Anime Finally Flies on the Scene appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://nerdist.com/article/how-house-of-the-dragon-brought-battle-at-rooks-rest-to-life/

House of the Dragon has finally shown why Westeros remembers the first Targaryen civil war as “The Dance of the Dragons.” Season two’s fourth episode brought to life the infamous moment from Fire & Blood when those creatures first fought one another high above the Realm. The Battle at Rook’s Rest was a brutal, terrifying, impressive sequence that was also a mostly faithful adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s in-world history. But the prequel series did make some meaningful changes, and they will have long term ramifications on House of the Dragon.

The Similarities Between House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood‘s “Battle at Rook’s Rest”

House of the Dragon followed the same general story about the “Battle at Rook’s Rest” as told in Fire & Blood. It began when new Hand of the King Criston Cole left behind both King’s Landing and the letter-writing campaign of his predecessor, Otto Hightower, to be Aegon’s “steel fist.”

Cole began by moving his small force swiftly through the Crownlands, the region surrounding King’s Landing that is also close to Dragonstone. The Lord Commander easily took both the castles Rosby and Stokeworth when their namesake lords swore fealty to King Aegon. Those houses’ forces then joined Cole’s army on the march to Duskendale. There the “Kingmaker” beheaded Lord Darklyn who refused to bend the knee. Those at Duskendale who did also joined the new Hand of the King’s army.

Rather than turn his growing army towards the vital Harrenhal, Cole instead marched towards Rook’s Rest, seat of House Staunton. Lord Staunton, a member of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s small council, tried to stay safe inside his castle’s walls. But the attack on Rook’s Rest was nothing more than a ploy. Cole’s real plan was to draw one of Rhaenyra’s dragons into battle. It worked. Princess Rhaenys and her experienced dragon Meleys came to the rescue. When she arrived she bathed many of Cole’s soldiers in dragonflame.

Rhaenys wasn’t alone in the sky for long. She soon found herself facing two dragons, Aegon’s Sunfyre and Aemond’s Vhagar. The brave Rhaenys refused to flee and led Meleys into a fight for their lives. When the civil war’s first dragon dance ended both Rhaenys and Meleys lay dead, having fallen when Vhagar bit Meleys’ neck.

It was not a total victory for the Greens. Aegon and Sunfyre also lay greatly wounded on the ground, with both rider and dragon burned and battered.

What House of the Dragon Changed from Fire & Blood‘s “Battle at Rook’s Rest”

While not completely inaccurate, Fire & Blood‘s account of the Dance of the Dragon is notoriously unreliable. (Sometimes in ways we can’t even know that are unknowable or obvious.) That gives House of the Dragon the freedom to tell its own version of the story and fill in gaps without technically “changing” anything. But the HBO series still made some choices that are clearly different from the history presented in Fire & Blood.

House of the Dragon‘s Aegon Almost Screws Up the Plan

One of House of the Dragon‘s biggest changes at Rook’s Rest was Aegon’s role in the battle. The King was not part of Cole’s plan like in Fire & Blood. On the show the rash, impetuous King, determined to prove his worth to his family and small council, flew off to the invasion alone atop Sunfyre. On House of the Dragon, he forced Cole to call on Aemond and Vhagar much sooner.

This made Cole’s plan on the show less impressive. Having two dragons in hiding is smarter than only one, especially when the Greens had no way of knowing how many dragons Rhaenyra would send. It also changes what we know about Aegon, making him even more of a fool than his book counterpart. But neither of those mean this change was bad or indefensible. It completely fit with the story House of the Dragon is telling about Aegon. He felt weak and unimportant, as his Hand and brother plotted without him. They also had already refused to let him in on their secret plans, as well, lest he interfere needlessly. This scene showed why they were right.

House of the Dragon‘s Aemond Is Not Loyal To His Family

Fire & Blood presents the stern, humorless Aemond as ambitious, but also fiercely loyal to his family. Book Aemond would seemingly never do anything to harm any member of the Greens, no matter how much he wanted to rule. It’s arguably his best trait and adds immense depth to his character in Fire & Blood.

House of the Dragon‘s “Battle at Rook’s Rest” changed what we thought we knew about Aemond. At best he was completely reckless with his brother’s life and at worse actively tried to kill Aegon. Rather than come to his King’s rescue when Meleys had Sunfyre in her grasp, Aemond had Vhagar shoot fire without worry, endangering Aegon’s life. (The nature of Aegon’s role in this sequence also changed that Fire & Blood says all three dragons fought at once.)

If there was any doubt Aemond wasn’t worried about saving his brother’s life, it looked as though Aemond was about to finish off either Aegon, Sunfyre, or both on the ground before Cole showed up an stopped him.

Aemond hates his brother (with good reason), and that hatred combined with his ambition seemed to push Aemond to a place we didn’t know he could go. He’s still a fascinating, dynamic character, just a different version than Fire & Blood‘s.

Gwayne Hightower Fights at the “Battle at Rook’s Rest”

House of the Dragon has already greatly changed Ser Gwayne Hightower’s story from Fire & Blood. Alicent’s brother was not at Rook’s Rest that faithful day because he was serving as second-in-command of King’s Landings City Watch at the time. His father installed him in that role at the start of the Dance because the Greens feared the City Watch was still loyal to its former Commander, Daemon Targaryen. Gwayne had also already lived at King’s Landing for many years with his family and new Criston Cole for a long time.

A Quick Attack on Rook’s Rest Instead of a Siege

Fire & Blood tells us that Criston Cole surrounded Rook’s Rest and burned its nearby fields. Lord Staunton then sent ravens to Dragonstone begging for help. Nine days later Rhaenys arrived alone.

House of the Dragon changed this by having Cole attack the castle immediately. Rhaenyra instead preemptively sent Rhaenys atop Meleys to help her sworn bannerman after her other allies had already falle. However, Rhaenyra sensed something about Cole’s movement didn’t make sense, as Rook’s Rest had little obvious value. Despite her sixth sense, Rhaenyra fell for Cole’s trap, losing the Black’s most valuable dragon.

Rhaenyra Keeps Jace Behind to Tell Him About Aegon the Conqueror’s Dream

In Fire & Blood Rhaenyra prevented her sons Jace and Joffrey (no longer at Dragonstone on the HBO show) from joining Rhaenys out of fear for their lives. The history stresses that the death of Luke and the recent loss of her unborn child made Rhaenyra scared to send her other children into battle.

On House of the Dragon Rhaenyra kept Jace behind (at least in part) so she could finally tell her heir about Aegon’s prophetic “A Song of Ice and Fire” dream about the inevitable White Walker invasion. She also cited that responsibility as part of her reason for finally unleashing dragons on her enemies, but no one else knows that but her son.

What the “Battle at Rook’s Rest” Means for House of the Dragon

No matter his reason for being there, Aegon is either dead or badly wounded. That calls into question how many people supporting his claim will still back the Greens now. Alicent’s callousness towards her son also contributed to him flying off into battle, another tragedy she will now have to live with. How much guilt and pain can she withstand?

Meanwhile, Aemond might have just tried to steal the crown (and possibly did), showing he’s not the loyal family member history remembers him as. With little Prince Jaehaerys dead (and the show omitting Aegon’s youngest son Maelor entirely) Aemond would likely be named King if Aegon died. What other treachery is Aemond One-Eye capable of? What might he do to rule? Can anyone trust him if he would willingly maim his own brother and king?

Things are even more dire for Rhaenyra. She lost her wisest adviser and biggest advocate. She also lost her best, most experienced fighting dragon and her allies in the crownlands. Rhaenyra also allowed Rhaenys to go off to battle alone while keeping her son and his dragon safely on Dragonstone. How will Lord Corlys and the rest of the (already frustrated) small council react to this disaster? How much will they trust Rhaenyra’s judgement both as a leader and a person? Where do her loyalties lie? To her sons or to her kingdom?

Who Won the “Battle at Rook’s Rest?”

The Blacks lost the “Battle at Rook’s Rest” in more ways than one. But the Greens did not win that day. Each side suffered losses that will shape the future of the Targaryen civil war on House of the Dragon. Unfortunately it seems unlikely either faction will learn the one lesson they should have when dragons met high above the Realm, because the dancing has only just begun.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and the world’s leading Criston Cole hater. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post How HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Brought a Major FIRE & BLOOD Battle to Life appeared first on Nerdist.

https://www.themarysue.com/farzi-season-2-release-window-cast-and-more/

In the last few years, Indian OTT shows have started packing a punch courtesy of loaded casts, with Raj & DK’s Farzi being a fine example.

Starring Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi as a con artist and a cop, respectively, the series emerged as one of the most-watched Indian shows during the year of its release in 2023. In the same year, Kapoor confirmed the show will get a second season, while mentioning that “these things take time.” His comments suggested that post-production of season 2 of the black comedy crime thriller show will take close to two years from that point, which suggests that fans of the series won’t be treated to the sophomore season before early 2025.

The post ‘Farzi’ Season 2 Release Window, Cast, and More appeared first on The Mary Sue.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/raise-amid-inflation-according-to-author-life-coach/

Originally Published Nov. 11, 2022.

The tension in the air these days…is palpable.

Despite what would be considered favorable economic conditions, pricing for consumer goods and services continues to surge, the cost of living is rising sharply, and industries are experiencing unprecedented labor shortages—all while workers are demanding and expecting more from their employers.

As an employee, it can seem overwhelming and unattainable to secure a raise in the midst of it all. Moreover, certain groups are up against the aforementioned challenges and face systemic inequalities when petitioning for increased compensation. A recent study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Black men earned 76% of what white men earned in the first quarter of 2022, and Black women earned 57 cents for every dollar a white man earned. A report by the National Urban League further found that Black women are paid 38% less than white men and 21% less than white women.

While the data shows improvement in equality progression, there is still (surmountable) work to be done in pay equality. Today’s environment has led workers to be more aggressive and vocal about the value they add to an organization. Equally as important is that organizations recognize the value of experienced workers, which has led some organizations to recruit talent from other organizations. This has enhanced workers’ leverage to ask for and, in many cases, demand higher pay. With preparation, research, and understanding, workers can ask for a raise by presenting facts (not emotions).

Consider these steps when preparing to ask for a raise:

Understand what you bring to the table

When you first joined the organization, you had a particular set of skills in line with the needs of your current role. From soft skills, such as collaboration and effective communication, to hard skills, like work experience, academic degrees, and professional certificates, you should look at yourself in earnest. Understand how your work throughout the years has contributed directly to your company’s financial success and supported your team and the organization in achieving its overall mission, vision, and values.

Understanding your skill-set is the starting point for evaluating the appropriate approach to asking for a raise. Start your self-evaluation by assessing annual performance reviews from your supervisors and company leadership. Take note of your direct contributions to the company’s profitability and key contributions you have made throughout your employment.

In your area of responsibility, understand where you rank among your peers. Understand whether you are one of the best performers and if you are viewed as a strong contributor and member of the team. Review your responsibilities against those of your colleagues to understand if your responsibilities are redundant in the organization.

Once you have compiled these details, you will have a more accurate view of how you are valued within the organization and a better understanding of how your strengths and performance are aligned with company objectives.

Understand the current state of the company

Knowing the financial state of the company is critical. It is important to know the company’s financial performance over the fiscal year so that you can better ascertain whether the company is in a financial position to provide you with a raise. If the company is struggling financially, leadership may be looking at two components of the business: how to generate revenue (income/sales) and how to reduce controllable expenses. The number-one controllable expense is often payroll, a common reason for company layoffs.

If the company is thriving and the financial performance over the past fiscal year indicates the company is growing, the leaders are focused on what is driving the financial success and who are the people responsible for this financial success; a great opportunity to reiterate and reinforce the value you provide the organization.

Prioritize facts over emotions

Asking for a raise should be about facts, not emotions. Facts do not have to be proven; facts can be assessed and reviewed. When requesting a raise, especially amid inflation, a key component to keep in mind is to let data drive your decision. Leveraging data eliminates the emotional context.

Leveraging the facts you have assembled, from your performance to that of the company’s in combination with industry research on what workers in your role with similar expertise are being compensated, will help you determine the amount to request.

You will want to request a pay rate that aligns with your position and doesn’t exceed the pay of supervisors and leadership. That would likely inhibit your chances of getting approval for the request and may indicate a lack of institutional and industry knowledge. Be reasonable and logical in your request when asking for a raise.

Consider what else you can get

A raise might not always be feasible. If that were the case, you should be armed with other asks that hold equal value. From a shorter work week, remote options, and relocation, to more paid vacation, personal time, or an increased bonus, there are several alternative ways to be compensated.

Think about what would be most beneficial to you and research alternatives that could impact your day-to-day work. Be prepared to address any skepticism and to address the benefit to you and the company. It’s always good to come with options in hand.

Thoughtfully engage your supervisor and leadership

Get some time on the calendar to speak with your supervisor about a raise. Come prepared to outline your raise request and alternatives, if necessary. Be sure to present the relevant facts on your role, achievements, value, and personal contribution to the bottom line and industry standards. Be prepared to address potential questions and even pushback. Stand in your truth, and know your worth and value. You can decide if and when to bend on your ask. Be prepared for multiple outcomes, including potentially seeking new employment if your appeal is not considered, settling for an alternative means of compensation, or the best outcome, getting the raise you requested, and continuing to grow and thrive at your organization.

Either way, you will never know what could be if you do not ask.

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