Greetings, Splendid Seven devotees, martial arts aficionados, fighting video game fans, and admirers of all things Super Sentai and Power Rangers. Antoni here with another written entry focusing on Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran specializing in the martial arts they do. The Power Rangers fan in me always believes that there is select Power Rangers who are appropriate best friends and sparring partners for Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran to fight with, encourage them, and just be the best people they are in their lives as martial artists and as people. Therefore, I have mainly chosen the Saban-Era of Power Rangers from Mighty Morphin to Wild Force to act as The Splendid Seven’s sparring partners, best friends, and encouragers of the martial arts they do. As this has been a passion project of mine for several months, I figure that there are more Power Rangers suitable to be Sesshoumaru’s, Shuran’s, Inuyasha’s, Hakkaku’s, Ginta’s, Ayame’s, and Shunran’s best friends for life aside from their obvious Mighty Morphin counterparts, i.e., Tommy and Jason being Inuyasha’s best brothers for life as well as his main source of inspiration for being the Red Tyrannosaurus Inuranger and leader of his team. Thus, it is time to unleash the power for the rangers to champion every endeavor that The Splendid Seven find themselves in. Without further ado, let’s get started. It’s morphin’ time! Shift into Turbo! Let’s rocket! Go Galactic! Lightspeed Rescue! Time for Time Force! Quantum Power! Wild Access! Sesshoumaru and the Shining Emperors of the Cages (Mixed Martial Arts) Zhane, Merrick Baliton, and Sesshoumaru make a truly formidable trio of mixed martial artists who can strike terror on any paean who dares to challenge them. Unlike the UFC’s predominantly frat-bro, dude-bro mindset, Sesshoumaru and his two best friends who happen to be Silver Power Rangers live in discipline, honor, self-respect, and dignity. There are neither wild parties nor puerile pranks that these gentlemen find themselves doing, for regimented training, physical conditioning, mental meditation, and drinking tea after every sparring match are their rituals. Zhane considers Sesshoumaru to be one of the most valiant warriors to ever dominate the cage and always advises him on how to perform his takedowns more effectively. Merrick is grateful to have Sesshoumaru as his sparring buddy for life because they enjoy delivering deadly attacks, with his signature ground and pounds, sprawl and brawls, armbars, double leg takedowns, ankle locks, knee bars, and Kimuras being weapons of mass destruction. As a disciplined martial artist, Sesshoumaru is happy to have companions such as Zhane and Merrick, for they can find common ground in the things they enjoy most whether in Mixed Martial Arts or simpler moments like drinking tea in their dojo. Shuran and the Brutish Kings of the Rings (Professional Wrestling) Mike Corbett the black-clad Magna Defender and Ryan Mitchell the glowing Titanium Ranger may dwarf in stark comparison to Shuran’s massive size as a pro wrestler, but their coaching styles can motivate him to balance brute strength with tactfulness when making his opponents surrender. Mike and Ryan always encourage Shuran to remain open to every wrestling style, not just the American, British, Mexican, and Japanese styles that they have come to become familiar with, but also with international styles from Mongolia, Turkey, and India to attempt every submission hold, powerslam, bearhug, piledriver, Boston Crab, Full Nelson, and German suplex available. Outside the moves that Shuran practices with Mike and Ryan, they live by the codes of perseverance and being open to every challenge that is dished out to them and avoid any backstage politics usually omnipresent in Professional Wrestling. Mike always sees to it that Shuran does not always act impulsively when launching attacks, while Ryan ensures that Shuran combines technique with brute strength well. Shuran is grateful and happy to have two stout-hearted and valiant fighters like Mike and Ryan as his best friends because they can see beyond his brutishness and see a loyal soul underneath. Inuyasha and the Red Nemean Lions of the Olympic Arenas (Pankration) Inuyasha is one fortunate warrior to have intensely bloody ten-man Pankration sparring sessions with his best brothers forever Eric Myers, Leo Corbett, Tommy Oliver, Jason Lee Scott, Alex Drake, Wes Collins, TJ Johnson, Andros, Carter Grayson and Cole Evans, thus busking in Heracles’s and Theseus’s glory and might. Eric, Leo, Tommy, Jason, Alex, Wes, TJ, Andros, Carter, and Cole constantly champion Inuyasha’s muscular power as a Pankration champion and do everything in their power to encourage him to aim for Olympus. Inuyasha admires Eric’s fortitude, Leo’s strength, Tommy’s fighting prowess, Jason’s toughness, Alex’s military will, Wes’s heroism, TJ’s charisma, Andros’s focus, Carter’s determination, and Cole’s heart. Out of all the ten Red Rangers, Inuyasha is especially close to Eric, Leo, Tommy, Jason, Alex, and Wes because he enjoys his intense workouts with them and the many tracheal grip chokes, rear naked chokes, guillotine chokes, heel hooks, hammer fists, double axe handles, and Superman punches that they can employ on each other. Eric and Leo are just as impressed with Inuyasha’s strength and encourage him to be the strong husband he can be for Ayame, given that Eric and Taylor as well as Leo and Maya are also husband and wife. Hakkaku and the Black and Blue Bruisers of the Palace Grounds (Muay Boran) Black and blue may be the colors of the bruises that Muay Boran fighters receive when dealing with such visceral beatings, but they are also the colors of the attire Hakkaku’s brothers from other mothers wear as Black and Blue Power Rangers. Zack Taylor, Carlos Vallerte, Trey of Triforia, and Danny Delgado as Power Rangers donning black are honored to be as steadfast as a brother to Hakkaku, while Rocky DeSantos, Chad Lee, and Lucas Kendall as Power Rangers donning blue consider their loyalty to Hakkaku as unparalleled as ever. Zack and Rocky revel in Hakkaku’s head, shins, knees, and elbows of steel because of how they can be able to…
Antoni Garcia
(The Silver Hills Hip-Hop Club. A vast building that serves as a venue for several hip-hop musicians, rappers, and R&B singers to perform, especially for a huge and nearly sold-out crowd. A black limousine is parked in front of the entrance, and a throng of people are entering the club in droves. Everybody is finding their seats, with a businessman in a black blazer with black pants, black shoes, and a maroon collared shirt; a gentleman in a silver Time Force uniform, and several Silver Guardian officers seated at the very front seats. The businessman is named Albert Collins, while the Time Force officer is named Captain Logan.) Albert Collins: This is going to be quite a performance tonight. My son is part of this rap band founded by Alex and Eric, who are also two of the finest commanders of Time Force and the Silver Guardians combined. Captain Logan: Indeed, Mr. Collins. It would be an amusing experience seeing what talents Eric, Alex, and Wes have in rapping. I never thought that they would be into this type of urban music. Albert: I’m confident they will perform wonderfully. Captain Logan: So am I, sir. So am I. (The spotlight shines on a blue mechanical owl flying from the left side of the balcony, as the audience cheers loudly. The mechanical owl is named Circuit and has a voice reminiscent of a young child, as he positions himself in the center of the stage.) Circuit: Wow! This is quite the full house tonight. All right, ladies and gentlemen! Without further ado, please give it up for The Red Chrono Crew! (Circuit points his right wing to his right to introduce The Red Chrono Crew consisting of Eric Myers the jet-black-haired Quantum Ranger, Alexander “Alex” Drake the jet-black-haired first Red Time Force Ranger/current Crimson Shadow Ranger, and Wesley “Wes” Collins the blond-haired second/current Red Time Force Ranger. Circuit exits to his left, as the spotlight shines on Eric standing in the center, Alex standing on the left, and Wes standing on the right and the fast-paced hip-hop beats begin. Eric, Alex, and Wes are wearing sleeveless red tank tops, khaki pants, and black and red sneakers. Alex and Wes cross their arms while moving their knees, and Eric is ready to start the rap.) Eric: Yeah! Give it up, give it up! Silver Guardian represent! (Eric signals the audience to cheer) Time Force too! (Audience cheers loudly.) Y’all know what time it is? (Eric points to his watch on his left wrist.) Yeah, y’all! Now, throw your hands up high! Clinch that Quantum Power might! Name’s Eric Myers I’m on fire With my Q-Rex pumped To crush some punks! Yeah, I’m the big mac daddy. Silver Guardians represent. (The Silver Guardians officers cheer loudly for Eric.) Alex: Name’s Alex Drake You cannot break My du-du-duty and authority! (Shows his Time Force badge.) Captain Logan: Word up. Time Force Officers: Boo-yah! Wes: The name’s Wes Collins Don’t need no bling Got my brothers and my sister (Lucas Kendall the Blue Time Force Ranger, Trip Regis the Green Time Force Ranger, and Katie Walker the Yellow Time Force Ranger pose alongside Wes.) And my queen! (Jen the Pink Time Force Ranger smiles, kisses Wes on his right cheek, and leads him on as if he were an obedient pet. After that, Jen breaks him off from being led on, as both she and Wes do some shimmies with smiles on their faces.) Eric: Yeah! Go, homeboy! Go, homegirl! So, y’all get ready to get a clue ‘Cuz it’s time to get busy with the- Eric, Alex, and Wes: Red Chrono Crew! (The back of the stage explodes with red smoke, as Eric, Alex, and Wes do the rock-on sign together. The crowd cheers wildly and loudly.) Albert: I never realized that Wes had it in him to rap so amazingly! Captain Logan: Alex’s rhythm and timing are impeccable! Albert: And Eric, wow, he makes a great frontman. Eric: And, now, the latest add-ons to our Red Chrono Crew. Alex: These guys are legends. Wes: And our soul brothers who need no introduction. Eric: Leo Corbett- Alex: Tommy Oliver- Wes: And Jason Lee Scott. Eric, Alex, and Wes: Give it up for our radical Red Ranger brothers, y’all! (Eric, Alex, and Wes point their fingers to their right to reveal three brown-haired men also in sleeveless red tank tops, khaki pants, and black and red sneakers entering the stage to greet the audience. The audience cheers more loudly than ever.) Jason (to Eric, Alex, and Wes): Thanks, bros! Tommy (to the audience): What’s up, everybody? Leo (to the audience): We got more coming up for you! So, let’s go! Jason: Now, everybody, go AYAH! Audience: AYAH! Tommy: Now, UYAH! Audience: UYAH! Tommy: Now, HIYA SI HIYA! Audience: HIYA SI HIYA! Leo: Now, everybody in the house, go AYAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!! (The audience stands up, claps, and cheers very loudly. Albert, Captain Logan, the Time Force officers, and the Silver Guardians stand up from their seats and cheer for Eric, Alex, and Wes as well as for Leo, Tommy, and Jason. Eric and Leo clasp hands and give each other a hug as do Tommy and Alex as well as Jason and Wes.) Eric: Epic delivery, Leo. Leo: Amazing work you did on those bars, Eric. Alex: I love your work, Tommy. Tommy: Alex, you were totally awesome tonight. Wes: Dude, Jason, thanks for keeping up the ante tonight. Jason: No prob, Wes. By the way, you were just as morphenomenal. (Eric, Alex, and Wes take their bows as do Leo, Tommy, and Jason. The audience continues to happily cheer for all…
It was one thrilling surge of eclectic music selections featuring some classics from Debussy and Penderecki to some premieres all centering on the ocean’s majesty and life’s uncertain fleetingness. Enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.
Graduating from the flirtatiously flitting Fiakermilli to the imperious Queen of the Night was Hye-Young Moon, a young lyric coloratura soprano who embraced the challenge of tackling this demanding yet iconic Mozart villainess. Enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.
Damiano Michieletto’s production of Jenufa transports the action from a bucolic Moravian village to a cold, desolate, icy locale with minimal props. At least Evelyn Herlitzius and Asmik Grigorian carry the evening. Enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.
Happy Fifth-Year DeviantArt Anniversary to me, everybody, it’s your old pal Antoni here feeling elated as ever to have spent five years on DeviantArt. Let the gratitude and the love commence because I am abundant of these for all of you who have kept up with me for the past five years that I have been here on DeviantArt. I know I have been slower this year pumping out more InuAya month content, which the nineteen remaining submissions will be released most likely next week and this coming May. Nevertheless, I want to use my Fifth-Year DeviantArt Anniversary Art Summary as an honorary InuAya month submission, especially since I will turn 31 years old next week, thus having me collect thirty-one art pieces that resonate with me and bearing a common theme which is my Splendid Seven AU headcanon with special focus on Inuyasha x Ayame as my OTP for life. Although I specialize in my Splendid Seven AU Headcanon consisting of not only Inuyasha and Ayame but also Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran whether in terms of them as the Mighty Morphin Inurangers or participants in the world’s most prominent martial arts tournaments, the cornerstone of my AU headcanon has always been the strong romantic relationship between Inuyasha and Ayame who are the definition of an unbreakable power couple. Sesshoumaru’s and Shuran’s formidability as a platonic duo of comrades may be astounding, considering Sesshoumaru’s lethalness as a Mixed Martial Artist and Shuran’s raw power as a Professional Wrestler. Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s brotherhood may be legendary, with Sesshoumaru the Mixed Martial Artist being the Ryu to Inuyasha the Pankratiast’s Ken as a duo of powerful dog Yokai brothers. Shuran’s, Hakkaku’s, and Ginta’s brotherhood may be grand, especially since Shuran’s bravado in Professional Wrestling serves as a compliment to Hakkaku’s durability in Muay Boran and Ginta’s perseverance in Lethwei. Inuyasha’s, Hakkaku’s, and Ginta’s unbreakable friendship as a trio of best buddies for life may be phenomenal, thus bringing Inuyasha’s strength in Pankration, Hakkaku’s stealth in Muay Boran, and Ginta’s stamina in Lethwei. Ayame’s and Shunran’s sisterhood may be outstanding, given Ayame’s power in Kyuk Too Ki and Shunran’s precision in Shaolin Kung Fu propelling their strikes to be lethally painful. Hakkaku and Ginta may have a beautiful romantic relationship with Shunran while jettisoning Hakkaku’s and Ginta’s skills in Muay Boran and Lethwei to work fabulously with Shunran’s skills in Shaolin Kung Fu. However, Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s undeniably formidable and beautifully unparalleled romantic dynamic as a power couple remains the gold-medal standard in my eyes. Overlooking Inuyasha’s mighty muscles in Pankration and Ayame’s furious fists in Kyuk Too Ki, they brim with unconditional love, noble allegiance, and immeasurable respect for each other. Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s might and power as husband and wife are the glue that holds The Splendid Seven together whether in competition against stronger opponents or standing together as a united family. Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s exceptionally romantic dynamics as a husband-and-wife duo transfer nicely to their family dynamics as father and mother to their fourteen children, consisting of seven strong sons and seven fierce daughters. Inuyasha’s muscular virility as a champion Pankratiast with a bodybuilder’s musculature, the Nemean Lion’s ferociousness, Heracles’s strength, and Theseus’s manliness and Ayame’s lethal fierceness as a prizefighter Kyuk Too Ki warrior with a lean musculature, a boxer’s furious fists, a Nak Muay’s devastating limbs, and a Taekwondo practitioner’s unabashed speed are the hallmarks that have solidified Inuyasha and Ayame to be the mighty power couple they have been for twenty-eight years. Those hallmarks are also evident in their children, with their sons being as strong, muscular, and handsome as their father and their daughters being as fierce, determined, and fearless as their mother. With 41-year-old Inuyasha being the strong and muscular Alpha Male king of the family and 38-year-old Ayame being the fearlessly courageous and physically formidable warrior queen of the family, they have certainly raised their children to be the best fighters and individuals they can be. 28-year-olds Masataka, Masaya, and Masaru are the handsome muscle triplet sons specializing in Combat Sambo who display virility, toughness, determination, and valiance in the face of battle while looking dashing in doing so. 27-year-olds Kenta and Keita are the manly muscle twin sons specializing in Kapu Kuialua who love to flaunt their bulging muscles to everybody who fancies them and love to give their enemies a good throttle to the nines. 26-year-olds Kazuhiko and Kaito are the dashing muscle twin sons specializing in Luta Livre Esportiva who combine muscular virility with valiant courage to overcome any obstacle they find themselves in. 25-year-old Kiriko is the tomboyish Amazon warrior daughter specializing in Shoot Boxing who is the paradigm of determination and perseverance in all of her endeavors as a fighter and as a woman. 24-year-olds Momoko, Makoto, and Mikoto are the rowdy prizefighter triplet daughters specializing in Dutch Kickboxing who capture the essence of fighting spirits with all of their bodies, minds, and souls. 23-year-olds Maya and Minako are the rough and tumble fighter twin daughters who represent fearlessness and fierceness in every challenge they encounter. 22-year-old Meika is the tough cookie combatant daughter who despises remaining idle and always works hard on her skills as a fighter and encounters all of her endeavors with openness and high interest. With Inuyasha’s, Ayame’s, and their children’s strengths combined, they define what it is like to be a strong family through thick and thin. As I am about to approach 31 years old, my only resolve is to never give up my love for Inuyasha and Ayame as a mighty power couple as well as their equally mighty family because the passion I have for my number one romantic pairing for life and the family that I created for them can never be stopped. The same can be said about Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran as a septet of powerful Yokai martial artists specializing in different fighting styles. There is never a day that I want…
Freddie de Tommaso, a rock-steady young tenor with so much to give to the opera world, tackles the role of the impassioned painter Mario Cavaradossi. Enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.
Tall, charismatic, and handsome in stage presence but decent at best in voice, how does Erwin Schrott fare in an iconic Puccini villain role that he has been singing for many years? Please find out in my review and let me know your opinions as well.
How did one of Deutsche Oper Berlin’s veteran basses fare as the stern yet kindly Padre Guardiano? Please find out in my review and let me know your opinions as well.
Going from strength to strength in his ever-flourishing career and possessing a brilliant future in more leading man roles is Byung Gil Kim who tackled the role of the imperious high priest Ramfis. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.