Alright guys! Time to give this Fantasy Rugby thing another go! Sadly, last years one could never be finalised so fingers crossed we'll get a full run at it this time.
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I'm assuming everyone knows how these work, but the ELI5 version of it is you pick your best rugby team by choosing players out of the 6 playing (Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy), let them loose to play for ya and reap the glory of the points they bring you in.
I'm thinking I'll only do a free league, perhaps with reddit gold awards at the end of it, because I don't really want a repeat of last year. But in saying that, if there is enough interest, I've no problem holding a side paid league also. Just, ya know, if it gets cancelled again, we'll have another mess on our hands!
The website I'll be using is this one as the Irish Times one doesn't appear to be up and running this year. So set up an account there and use this link to join . They have an auto fill option too, for those that can't really be arsed with choosing a team but wanna participate!
If you could use your username from here as your team name, that'd be handy, but if you already have an account with a different name, if you just email your username and the team name to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), then I can have it for the posted league tables.
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All fixtures for the 6 nations are here and the first game is Italy v France at 2.15 on the 6th Feb. I'll be posting live chat threads for each match as they're on too, so ye can goad each other to your hearts content.
So thats 10 days to get signed up, pick your team and make sure you're in with the jocks for about 8 weeks. Get er done lads!

Hello folks, welcome! (yes, Sherlock! I know, it's a very long ad)
I don't know exactly how to start this message, but let's try. I'm a normal guy, maybe with an above average curiosity. I live in a city called Belo Horizonte, it's the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. I love classic art and cities that preserve the traditional architecture of their people. Today there's a term for that, "Dark Academia". I sympathize a lot with this "movement", but I don't follow it to the letter. I'm too eclectic to fit a specific group.
I have already studied some French, Italian, German and Norwegian. Don't be surprised, it was just the basics. I have also studied the Hebrew, Russian and Korean alphabet. I didn't keep them for lack of practice, but they are easy alphabets, I want to return to studying these languages ​​(and many others) in the future. At the moment, the languages ​​I speak are Portuguese, English and Spanish. A secret: sometimes I think about the possibility of creating a conlang.
I still don't know which way to go academically and professionally, despite having many options in my mind. I have a hard time making decisions, depending on the subject. It's bad to feel paralyzed, but it's something that happens sometimes. And the worst part of it is that time doesn't stop, it's a little distressing.
I'm a communicative guy, I like to talk about a lot of subjects because I have several interests, from philosophy to cooking. From sports to video games. I consider myself both an introvert and an extrovert, and I know this can seem like something strange. It varies according to how comfortable I feel. When I’m in an environment where I don’t know anyone, I act very discreetly. But, next to friends, I’m a very charismatic person. If you send me a message, I’ll be talkative with you, after all, we will both be in the mutual interest of getting to know each other and consequently building a friendship, right? There’s no reason to hide in this situation. Besides, I’m also a great listener, I’d love to hear about your day, hear interesting stories that you have lived, hear your dilemmas and etc.
Believing that "tomorrow" will be a better day is not always an easy task, on the contrary. But honestly? I'm an optimistic person most of the time, I try to learn from difficult situations. Overcoming anxiety is a long journey, but I'm taking my steps in the right direction.
If there's one thing that I think is incredible, it's the possibility of meeting people over the internet. Thanks to sites like this, I can meet people that, if it weren't for the internet, I would never know them. Think, I live in Brazil, you live in another country (or in another state/city), what are the chances that we would meet if we had been born in the 19th century? Now, reflect a little: Many great people have lived in previous centuries and built incredible things. How would these people use the internet? Perhaps, if there was internet in the Renaissance period, an even greater number of artists would appear. Or maybe the big names like Da Vinci were even more inspired. I'm just saying that the fact that you are reading me right now, being so far away from me, that is impressive. We have the privilege that many ancestors would like to experience.
I wanna meet you in a genuine way. Share with me your culture and your hobbies, lend me your eyes, let me explore the world with them. We can have deep dialogues and also banal conversations. We can learn from each other on various topics. We can be good friends.
I'm obsessed with music, I spend my days listening to music from different genres (Classic Rock, Jazz, Blues, New Wave, POP, Soul Music, Hip-Hop, Metal, etc.). I wanna take singing lessons again, just like I wanna learn to play keyboard/piano and music production. If you like to share music and playlists, welcome to the club. Consequently, I'm also interested in dance, a duo that I've been enjoying watching on YouTube is: Kaycee Rice and Sean Lew, they are great. It's also worth mentioning that, in my opinion, the Classic Ballet is (soooo) beautiful, if you are a ballerina, congratulations, I'm already your fan! Like most people, I also enjoy watching movies and TV shows, although I haven't done that often lately. I'm eclectic and I like different genres (drama, fantasy, comedy, animation, documentary, horror, etc.)
I will mention some information that may be interesting.
If you are Turkish (🇹🇷), know that: Turkey is a fascinating country, filled with beautiful cities, cities that in turn are filled with great stories! How many stories does ancient Constantinople keep? I already talked to some Turks, they were all very friendly with me. To be honest, they were some of the most understandable people I've ever spoken to. I definitely wanna visit this nation someday. And the city I would most like to visit is Izmir. A fun and totally random fact: I like the name Zeynep, it sounds incredibly good and beautiful. I've been watching two Turkish series, Hakan: Muhafız and Börü. There's a Turkish show that was broadcast in Brazil a few years ago, and my mother loved it, I watched episodes at random, but I confess that it was cool, in fact, it's a guilty pleasure, the name is: "Fatmagül'ün Suçu Ne?"... Anyway, I also like some Turkish artists, among them: maNga, Mor ve Ötesi, Duman, Yonca Lodi, Toygar Işıklı, Yuksek Sadakat.
If you are Japanese (🇯🇵), know that: I have a huge admiration for Japanese culture, and it's precisely for this reason that I would like to build friendships with Japanese citizens. I know that friendships are not built overnight, but, I'm in no hurry. In my view, Japan is almost a parallel world, due to the cultural contrast, but don't take it as a critic, it's precisely the difference that makes it special. I hope to travel to Japan someday, there are countless dishes that I would like to try, there are idioms that I would like to learn and several places that I would like to visit, maybe Kyoto will become my favorite city, maybe Osaka or even Tokyo, Time will tell. Some people may not know it, but the largest Japanese community outside Japan is in Brazil. In 2017 and 2018 Kawasaki Frontale won the J-League title, a fun fact is that this club has Grêmio (BRA) as inspiration, and Grêmio is my team here in Brazil. I'm passionate about traditional Japanese architecture, but this is even obvious. Another obvious thing is that kimonos are really cool, maybe I should start my collection. Another fun fact is that I loved spending my time watching Terrace House. In addition to all this, I like some Japanese anime, like: Kakegurui, Kuroshitsuji, Saint Seiya, Kimi no Na wa, Death Note, Devilman Chorão, Nanatsu no Taizai, etc. Finally, I like to listen some Japanese bands like: Urbangarde, Kinoko Teikoku, Polkadot Stingray, Mirei Touyama, Kavka Shishido, MACO.
If you are a South Korean (🇰🇷), know that: At the moment, South Korea is in the spotlight, there are many foreigners becoming more and more interested in Korean culture. There are a lot of bad things that have happened throughout South Korean history, but at the end of the day, Koreans learned to deal with it, and it certainly wasn't the easiest way. This overcoming is what most catches my attention, it’s admirable and should serve as an example. Well, I would like to build friendships with Koreans, it would be a great experience, what's more, I wanna visit South Korea someday, Seoul seems to be extremely vibrant, and Busan so vivid and attractive. Maybe there are even other cities that surprise me. If you wanna help me learn more about the culture of Korea, the common things in everyday life related to food, gestures, clothing, the behavior of people in general, I would be extremely grateful, as this would be special. Anyway, South Korea is like that cool teenager that everyone wants to hang out with during their break. I've been watching some South Korean series, like: Record of Youth (second best), Start-Up, My First First Love, My Holo Love, Live, The King: Eternal Monarch (the best), “Hello, My Twenties”. There are also others that I plan to start soon. Finally, I like some Korean artists that I believe are not part of the "mainstream K-POP", for example: So Soo Bin, Bolbbalgan4, CIKI, 20 years old, Sam Kim, Kim Na-young, Kwon Jin-ah... And to be fair, I also like G-Dragon and CL.
If you are a Russian (🇷🇺), know that: Russia is an elegant country with a lot of tradition. There are many things about Russian history that I would like to know better, especially about the monarchic period. I have the impression that Russian cities breathe culture, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, so I think they need to be enjoyed on a long-term, unhurried trip. By the way, I need to visit the Bolshoi theater at some point. The Cyrillic alphabet is intimidating at first, but then it becomes absurdly easy. The Russian language is beautiful and listening to it can be addictive, besides, the written form is also addictive, and I don’t need to mention the incredible authors who make up Russian literature, I think it’s obvious to all of us, but reading the great works in the original must be incredible. Despite stereotypes, I feel that Russians are warm in their relationships, which reminds me us, Latinos. A Russian show that I watched and found very well produced was Лучше, чем люди, I really liked this one. And of course, I can’t help mentioning Russian artists and bands that I like: Noize MC, t.A.T.u, Oxxxymiron, Земфира, Мы, InWhite, Vitas, Zemfira, Nochnye Snaipery, Okean Elzy, Zveri.
If you are Italian (🇮🇹), know that: Italy makes me speechless. Have you ever watched Eat Pray Love? I believe that a trip to Italy can change a person's life. Through this film I got to know the expression "dolce far niente", and it was already something I felt, I just didn't have a definition for me. And it was a satisfying moment. Another satisfying moment was when I watched La Vita È Bella, one of the best films I've seen, since then I recommend it to everyone. There are some Italian series on Netflix that I would like to watch soon: Baby and Suburra. Perhaps my favorite Italian city is Venice. But honestly, it is so difficult to choose just one. The Italian islands? They are breathtaking. I have a club in Italy, Juventus! And no, it's not thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo... It's more thanks to Nedved! Not that it means anything very relevant, but I eat pasta every day and I'm passionate about pizza. But let's be serious now... Rome was the birthplace of Western civilization, Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance. As a mere admirer of tradition and classical art, I take my hat off to Italy. Italy is a strong candidate for the most beautiful country in the world. The truth is that I can't talk about Italy without talking about beauty, one seems to define the other. And when it comes to Italy, beauty is literally in everything, in the language, in the streets, in natural landscapes, even in the neighborhood countries. And the Italian songs? They are indescribable. Come on, Italian artists and bands I like: Gianluca Grignani, Fabrizio De André, Gianna Nannini, Måneskin, Lorenzo Fragola, Il Volo, Tiziano Ferro, Litfiba, Marlene Kuntz, Zero Assoluto, Velvet, Ministri, Linea 77, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, Gigliola Cinquetti, Ultimo, Ornella Vanoni, etc.
If you are French (🇫🇷), know that: You have the best accent, regardless of the language. And this is almost like a superpower, okay? So it's time to celebrate... Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit now, but the compliment is still valid. Few know how much France influenced Brazil, since the period when Brazil was only a Portuguese colony. Napoleon's expansion into Europe triggered many things, such as the arrival and permanence of the Royal Family in Brazil, but that is a subject for another time. I need to study French in the future, in addition to being a language close to Portuguese, it was in the past, the lingua franca among royalty. And we all want a little more glamor, right? It’s hard to say something about France that's no longer obvious, so just know that for me, it would be really cool to make French friends. Like millions of people around the world, I also wanna visit France someday, especially the following cities: Strasbourg, Montpellier, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon... Do you have any suggestions? Fun fact: My favorite football player is Frenchman Zinedine Zidane. I know, life is full of contradictions. Anyway, there are some French artists and bands that I really like: Carla Bruni, Coralie Clément, Kyo, Jérémy Kapone, BB Brunes, Noir Désir, EIFFEL, Matmatah, Damien Saez, Vanessa Paradis, Les Innocents, Mademoiselle K, etc.
If you are a native German speaker (🇩🇪),(🇨🇭),(🇱🇺),(🇱🇮) know that: Liechtenstein and Luxembourg are small countries even by European standards, but I believe that is part of the charm. I already met a girl from Luxembourg, it would be nice to meet more people from both countries. Liechtenstein's population is so small that it's almost a "VIP group", I'm laughing. But certainly, being part of a nation like this is something quite different from what I'm used to, I mean, my city has a larger population than Luxembourg. However, I imagine that smaller countries are also much easier to manage. By the way, if there is something that I really appreciate about Switzerland, it is its form of government and the autonomy that each of its cantons has. I believe it is the most efficient model and I would like Brazil to replicate it. Anyway, I want to visit Switzerland someday, and make the most of its ski resorts, my favorite Swiss city is Zermatt, is there a correlation? Maybe yes maybe no. I find it fascinating that Switzerland has four official languages, varying by region. Romansh is losing its space over time, from what I hear, but I really hope that the future is more positive, it would be a pity if the Romansh fell into total disuse. I love Audrey Hepburn, she passed away and was buried in Switzerland, I am not in the habit of visiting tombs, in fact, I never did that, but maybe this will become my first time. I love chocolates, Switzerland produces the best chocolates, so I love Switzerland. In turn, Austria seems to me to be such a romantic country. As a good music lover, Vienna becomes an unmissable destination. Beside Vienna, there are other equally wonderful places that seem to have been drawn by hand, such as Innsbruck, Hallstatt, and especially Bad Gastein. There is another fact that makes me sympathize with Austria, it is the motherland of Empress Leopoldina, married to the Brazilian Emperor D. Pedro I. She was born in Vienna and was undoubtedly one of the most important women in the history of my country. Anyway, the history of Germany is also very interesting and I think it does not need new presentations. Many German immigrants came to Brazil and founded very beautiful cities here that still maintain Germanic traditions. At first, Berlin is not a city that attracts my attention, unlike Munich, Nuremberg, Freiburg and even Frankfurt. German literature is composed by very interesting authors, my favorite is Goethe, will I ever be able to read one of his books in the original? Speaking of the language, there are countless German dialects, I heard that some may have a greater difference between themselves than Portuguese language and the Spanish language, honestly, this is so cool. Moving on, here are some German artists that I like: Juli, Spider Murphy Gang, Revolverheld, Silbermond, Wir Sind Helden, Lotte, Namika, K.I.Z, Bengio, Clueso, Mark Forster, Scorpions, Rammstein, CRO, Xavier Naidoo.
If you are Israeli (🇮🇱) or Jewish (✡️) (regardless of nationality), know that: You are welcome here! I love the Jewish people and the Jewish culture as a whole. To be honest, I not only appreciate the Jewish faith, but I follow it, I am a noahide. That said, regardless of the group you belong to (liberal, conservative, hasid, dati leumi, Sephardic, etc.) we can talk about Judaism, that would be lovely. If you are not a Jew, but an Israeli, you are also welcome here! There are several Israeli cities that I want to visit, such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Haifa, Netanya, Acre, among others. Your country is my favorite, it's where I would be right now, if I could. I wonder how magical it feels to be in Israel during the Purim party, or during Yom Kippur, it seems surreal. Israel's history is also sensational, and speaks for itself, if we consider only the modern state of Israel, all the human, economic and technological progress that this country has achieved in so few decades is extraordinary. I would love to have Jewish and / or Israeli friends and talk about all these issues because it makes me happy. If you believe that we can be friends, that would be wonderful! I need to dedicate myself to studying the Hebrew language, at least the alphabet is much easier compared to Arabic. Israeli TV shows that I like: Bnei Aruba and Shtisel. There are movies and documentaries about Israel that I also really like, for example: The Red Sea Diving Resort, The Angel, Operation Finale, Inside The Mossad, etc. There are two Israeli shows that I would like to watch in the future: When Heroes Fly and Fauda. Israeli bands and artists that I like: Hadag Nahash, Ravid Plotnik, Tuna, Asaf Avidan, Izabo, Rita, Hatikva 6, Tamar Eisenman, Nissim Black, Gad Elbaz, Raviv Kaner, Idan Rafael Haviv, Eden Ben Zaken, Matisyahu, Omer Adam, Jasmin Moallem, Alex Clare, Amir Ve Ben, Jane Bordeaux, Hanan Ben Ari, Marina Maximilian.
If you are Chinese (🇨🇳) or Taiwanese (🇹🇼), know that: If you are Chinese, know that: I follow channels of some Brazilian youtubers who live or have lived in China, the experiences they share are often hilarious, which makes me think that China is a very propitious place for fun and memorable tours. The Chinese seem to be quite hospitable and helpful, and also quite interested in interacting with foreigners, especially in smaller cities. As you might be guessing, I'd like to visit the Chinese regions where traditional architecture prevails, I think there's a specific name for that, "hutongs", right? I think it's in these places where the most fascinating things are hidden. However, I don't deny that I would also love to visit the major urban centers like Shanghai, Macau, Guangzhou, the modern part of Beijing, among others. I've been interested in martial arts since childhood and by my father's influence I have always liked films that revolved around martial arts. It may be a stereotype, but perhaps China is the ideal place to get to know Kung Fu in a profound way. It's also worth mentioning that I find the Chinese characters are very beautiful. If you're from Taiwan, maybe you support Taiwan's independence, maybe not, but regardless of your political views on this subject, I'd love to talk to you and listen to your thoughts, not just about these political issues, but about all aspects of everyday life in Taiwan, it seems like a very fun place that I would also like to visit. I tell you the same if you are from Hong Kong, it's undoubtedly a place much above average, sometimes I watch some virtual tours and it's impressive. It would be great if I could have information from people who are really inserted within that context, and not just opining on the other side of the world, from the comfort of their couches, if you know what I mean. Here are some Chinese artists I like: Li Ronghao, Da Zhuang, Joker Xue, Nick Chou, Lu Han, Gin Lee, Rocket Girls 101.
If you are Polish (🇵🇱), know that: I strongly believe in Poland's potential to become one of the most developed countries on the continent within the next few decades. I may be mistaken, but I feel that Warsaw is the heart of Eastern Europe, I have seen the city attract many Brazilians to work in the IT field. What's more, Poles are known to be hard workers, which is great. Over the years, I have had contact with several Poles, there’s no specific reason for this, but we have always maintained good relations. I feel that culturally speaking, the franchise The Witcher has brought quite notoriety to Poland. I would like this to continue with Cyberpunk 2077, but CD Projekt Red couldn't deliver everything it promised. Anyway, I wish the company success and that they can represent Poland well in the game industry in the future. Many people report on the internet their difficulties in the process of learning the Polish language, claim that it's a rather difficult language, and I believe in these comments, but I think that makes the journey more attractive, I mean, challenges are cool, nobody feels gratification for finishing a game at level easy. I liked the movie Jak zostac gwiazda, despite several negative reviews on the internet, I would watch it again. Some Polish artists I like: Dawid Podsiadło, Natalia Szroeder, Mrozu, Baranovski.
If you are Czech (🇨🇿), know that: Since childhood I have had a special affection for your country. Maybe it's the sound of the name? Maybe it's the beauty of your flag? Anyway, I liked to choose the Czech team in the video game. I admired players like Petr Cech and also Nedved. I did some Czech language lessons at Duolingo and it seems to be a fun language. Answer me: Why does "Dobrý večer!" sounds so beautiful? Sounds like the beginning of a poem. I will dedicate myself to learning Czech someday, because the history of the country is also attractive, from the Kingdom of Bohemia to the former Czechoslovakia, which in turn was dissolved without any armed conflict. I imagine Prague to be culturally vibrant, and at the same time compact, compared to other European capitals. I think it's a country that should be looked at more closely by tourists. It's also worth mentioning that one of the best film colleges in the world is located in Prague, FAMU. I confess that I would also love to visit Český Krumlov. "Once" is one of my favorite films, the leading actress is the Czech Markéta Irglová, I admire her musical work a lot. Also, here are some other Czech artists I like: Sto zvířat, Divokej Bill, Chinaski, Kryštof, UDG, Hana Zagorová, Lenka Filipová, ATMO music.
If you are Romanian (🇷🇴), know that: there’s a Brazilian song that in its release was a real phenomenon, a hit! The fun fact is that actually this song is a version of a Romanian pop song, I will not mention the name here, in case you are curious, I can show you both. It's hard for me to think about Bucharest and not remember the iconic Michael Jackson show, I wish I had witnessed that moment. We all know that Romanian is a Latin language, but the influence it has received from other languages in the region has made it unique, quite different from Portuguese, and that's very cool, let's be honest. I must to say that it is strange (in a good way) to open a website written entirely in Romanian and be able to make good deductions, rather than feeling myself totally lost. I wanna study Romanian someday and visit this country, I'm sure we share more things in common than just the origin of our language. But answer me a question: how do you feel being Dracula's countryman? Just kidding. Here are some Romanian artists I like: Lidia Buble, Liviu Teodorescu, Florian Rus, Smiley, Andrei Ropcea.
If you are Hungarian (🇭🇺), know that: my curiosity to know Hungary began a few years ago, when I was researching the lifestyle of digital nomads. In general, everyone made very good comments about Hungary, not only them but also tourists passing through the country, I think Hungarians learned the art of treating their visitors well. Incredible architecture, good food, hot springs, challenging language (the way we like it), affordable prices, hospitable people, I think my bags are ready. George Ezra's song is already playing with repeat enabled. The question is: Buda side or Pest side? Which one's the best? Kidding aside, here are some Hungarian artists I like: Follow The Flow, Punnany Massif, Halott Pénz, V-Tech, Emberek, EDDA Művek, Blahalouisiana.
If you are Slovenian (🇸🇮), know that: I don't know a lot about the history of your country, I need to confess that. But I'm interested in meeting you. I know it's a small country with beautiful cities, as much as I may seem repetitive saying that, it's reality. Slovenia is a country with so many green areas, that is an admirable fact. I also know that there are many caves in Slovenia, I have visited some in Brazil and enjoyed the experience, I imagine it's as cool as. I wanna know more about the history of the Slovenian people, what is behind the beauty of their streets? Well, here are some Slovenian artists I like: Joker Out, Gaja Prestor, Nipke, Zlatko, Emkej, Big Foot Mama, Mi2.
If you are a Norwegian (🇳🇴), know that: I enjoyed the experience of studying Norwegian, however briefly. I know that most Norwegians, especially young people, can communicate without problems in English, yet I believe that going back to norwegian study would be a nice thing. I can imagine myself lying on the couch, reading Sofies Verden in its original version. After all, every translation is a betrayal, right?! There are many things about Norway that catch my attention, among them is Svalbard, this island seems to me to be sensational, bears, dog sleds, northern lights, months in the sunlight, months in the moonlight, Santa Claus, entertainment industry on the rise. What I can say is that at the moment Norway is my favorite Scandinavian country. In the past that answer would be different. Some Norwegian artists I like: A-ha, dePresno, Amanda Tenfjord, Kings of Convenience, End of Proof, Thomas Dybdahl, Jonas Alaska, Jarle Skavhellen, Sigrid, Anna of the North.
If you are Finnish (🇫🇮), know that: there are Brazilians who are completely enchanted by Finland, and after living with some of them, I can say that it's something contagious. It seems that there's a kind of magical atmosphere hovering over this country, as if Finland were some sort of "Disney", I can't explain, it's difficult to put into words hahaha. Today Finland is a very stable nation and its people are known to be happy, which is something wonderful, at least that is what some studies point to. But tell me, what are the best things available in Finland when summer comes and all the ice goes away? Helsinki seems to have excellent infrastructure, but what about smaller cities, what is life like in these regions? In general, what do Finns think about the winter war? Why are Finns so passionate about metal? I'm getting carried away with the questions, I'm sorry. I like the way Finns preserve their language, (very beautiful and original language, by the way), I would like the same to happen with the Portuguese language, but anyway, that's another topic. A totally unusual thing is that although I've already had opportunities to get into a sauna, I've never done that. Translating: A Finnish sauna may still be my first sauna. Just kidding. Here are some Finnish artists I like: Anssi Kela, BEHM, Juha Tapio, Laura Voutilainen, Ressu Redford, Arttu Wiskari, Von Hertzen Brothers, Ari Koivunen.
If you are British (🇬🇧), know that: I know that there are cultural differences between each of the countries belonging to the United Kingdom, and I think that is great, I like that there are differences, I like to see the contrast. Calm your hearts, Scots, I know you are not English, even though you are British! hahaha. Edinburgh is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my view, its architecture is inspiring, I would say even more than London, but to be fair, I need to visit both and prove this theory with my own eyes. I'm passionate about castles, so Wales is almost a paradise for a person like me. The Welsh course at Duolingo has a lot of lessons, much more than I anticipated, which is always great, right? These initiatives are always positive, I hope that Welsh will not become a dead language in the coming decades. I know that Rugby is very popular in Wales, but I don't even know how that sport works, unfortunately. I'm not so knowledgeable about Northern Ireland, nothing that goes far beyond the Irish conflict. Belfast seems to me to be a more introverted city when compared to Dublin. But anyway, if you are from Northern Ireland, please share your experiences with me, teach me about your nation's history, I'm ready to listen to you! Many people say that London is, alongside New York, the capital of the world, and perhaps it's true. For people working in the entertainment industry, London looks wonderful, the right place to build your name. On a possible visit to England, I would like to visit the smaller cities, the precious places that foreigners don't usually value so much. Going against the grain of what I just said, I like the English royal family and would it be wonderful to be able to witness some public event, maybe the next great wedding? I'm being optimistic, I guess. Do we all agree that Oasis is better than The Beatles, huh? Okay, I don't want to cause controversy. By the way, there's only one English club I don't like: Manchester City. Finally, I have a question, if I visit Notting Hill, what are the chances of me meeting a super famous actress? Okay, I think the film industry is eluding me again.
If you are Irish (🇮🇪), know that: I almost did an exchange in Ireland, I was in love with this country, so I know a few things. I loved watching videos where people were celebrating St. Patrick's Day, to this day it seems like a very fun event. I don't like beer, I don't drink alcohol, but I'd try Guinness for once! Gaelic football is something so... I have no words to describe it, but it's an attractive sport, I sympathize with the Dublin GAA team, perhaps by the colors, I love blue. (I still hate you, Manchester City). The truth is that Dublin seems to me to be a very fun city, and that in addition, offers good academic and professional opportunities. I don't know much about life in Corck or Galway, but I know that these are good cities for students looking for something quieter. Brazilians living in Dublin seem to love bicycles, the convenience must be amazing. It's a shame I can't ride a bike. I mean, I know how to ride a bike, but not totally. Irish people seem to be open and fun people, they love parties as much as Brazilians do, besides being good musicians and also smart in business, and I'm not making fun of it, it's that Brazilians really love Ireland and that's not by chance, the Brazilian community in Dublin is really huge. So how about we're friends?
If you are American (🇺🇸) or Canadian (🇨🇦), know that: I admire the Founding Fathers of the United States and the values that America represents to the Western world. Looking at history, Massachusetts is for me one of the most interesting states in the country. But honestly, I don't have a favorite "state" or "city." I am as interested in knowing about Miami as I am in Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans or Hartford. American culture is already immensely widespread around the world, so I don't even know what I could say here to "get away from the obvious." I watch many American films, I read many American authors, I listen to a lot of American music, I follow American festivals, I have a notion of how American universities work, etc... I imagine that most people living outside the United States also follow the American daily life, at least in Western countries, so I don't know what I should say. Just know that I like the entrepreneurial vision that Americans have (or used to have). I love sports and I'm starting to follow the American leagues, I'm still not a fan of any specific team. As for Canada, Toronto seems like a good place to start a music career. The first time I watched the Winter Olympics was in 2010, Olympics that took place in Vancouver, this event was etched in my memory. My "favorite" Canadian city is Ottawa, perhaps because of the mix of cultures and languages, perhaps because it reminds me of the Hallmark Channel shows. Canada is one of the most sought after destinations for Brazilians seeking to immigrate, whether to work or to study. In general, they are very pleased with this decision. They also make sweet comments about the Canadian people. I used to follow a Brazilian polyglot who lived in Canada, he records videos on the streets talking in several languages with numerous foreigners he met at random, but today he's living in France. Anyway, it would be really cool to talk to Canadians, from Quebec or not. Finally, I was happy when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA.
If you are Australian (🇦🇺) or Kiwi (🇳🇿), know that: They are two very attractive countries in many ways. New Zealand has breathtaking landscapes, it's no accident that several big-budget films are shot there. It's a small country but offers many options for those who wanna have fun and have a memorable vacation. I can't help but mention the Haka, it's an interesting dance, I was surprised the first time I saw it, but I suppose in person it's an unprecedented experience. Australians, like kiwis, are also reputed to be good hosts. They say Australians walk barefoot through the streets of the city, and I confess it's funny to imagine this scene. I don't have a "favorite city" in Australia, but I'd love the experience of crossing that country in a motorhome. Wanted and Dance Academy are two Australian TV shows that I enjoyed quite a lot to watch. The truth is that I see similarities between Brazil and Australia, historically and culturally speaking. Australia has beaches that make me wanna learn to surf right now. When I think of Australia, I imagine a good day, a cloudless sky, cheerful people smiling. For these and other reasons not mentioned, I have a lot of affection for Australia. When I think of New Zealand, I imagine a group of friends who love venturing into nature, whether practicing hiking, climbing, or parachuting. Maybe I'm just dreaming too much. In any case, Oceania doesn't seem to me the best place for those who don't wanna live intensely.
Si sos español (🇪🇸), debés saber que: tengo un gran interés en la geopolítica de España. Me llama la atención todo el tema separatista en el que se insertan algunas regiones. Si sos de Galicia, Cataluña o el País Vasco y apoyas la independencia, sería un placer hablar con vos. Me gustaría escuchar todo lo que tengas que decir al respecto de eso. Si está en contra de la independencia, está bien, sos igualmente bienvenido. No tengo ningún bando en este conflicto. Solo quiero escuchar de vos y ampliar mi conocimiento de lo que está sucediendo. Política aparte, las ciudades españolas parecen destinos increíbles y me gustaría visitar cada una de ellas, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Granada, Bilbao, Pamplona, Almería, Sevilla, etc. Sería bueno si pudiera practicar mi español contigo. ¿O quizás aprender un poco de catalán o gallego? ¡Es una opción! Algunos artistas españoles que me gusta escuchar: Duncan Dhu, Héroes del Silencio, Radio Futura, Mecano, Sidecars, Abraham Mateo, Los Rodriguez, Pereza, Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, etc.
Si vos sos de Hispanoamérica (🇦🇷), (🇨🇱), (🇺🇾), (🇲🇽), (🇨🇴),... etc, debés saber que: Estoy muy interesado en conocer gente de esa región. Me encantaría empezar nuevas amistades con argentinos, chilenos, uruguayos, paraguayos, mexicanos, colombianos, panameños, etc. Dicho esto, está claro que quiero visitar varias ciudades hispanas en el futuro. Sería genial practicar mi español contigo y, como beneficio adicional, aprender sobre la historia y la cultura de tu país desde tu punto de vista. Buenos Aires y Montevideo son mis ciudades favoritas, en parte por la arquitectura. Por otro lado, Santiago también es extraordinario. ¡Recordando que Soda Stereo es mi banda de rock favorita! De todos modos, me encantaría conocer mexicanos, ya hablé con algunos y siempre fueron muy amables. Pero, todos son bienvenidos, peruanos, ecuatorianos, bolivianos, venezolanos, etc. Hay tantos países y no puedo nombrarlos a todos, pero eso es todo. Sean bienvenidos. Algunos artistas hispanos que me gusta escuchar: Gustavo Cerati, Serú Girán, El Cuarteto de Nos, No Te Va Gustar, Virus, Los Autenticos Decandentes, Lucybell, Los Tres, Los Prisioneros, La Vida Boheme, Hello Seahorse!, Charly García, Mon Laferte, Pedro Aznar, Miranda!, Juanes, Fito Paez, León Larregui, Sebastián Yatra, Natalia Lafourcade, Jorge Drexler, etc.
Se tu és português(a) (🇵🇹), saiba que: Os sotaques de Portugal são os meus favoritos. No começo eu confesso que achava bastante estranho, mas com o tempo eu fui me adaptando e hoje eu os amo. Eu não tenho nenhum rancor em relação à Portugal sobre o período da colonização no Brasil e etc, muito pelo contrário, eu vejo Portugal com muitos bons olhos. A minha cidade portuguesa favorita é Porto, muito devido à sua arquitetura, me parece ser um lugar especial. Talvez o fato de os Ornatos Violeta terem surgido ali, tenha um pouco de influência sobre a minha opinião. É engraçado pois sempre que escrevo para o público português, eu me pego a falar em voz alta o que estou a escrever, simulando o sotaque europeu, é impressionante. Enfim, loucuras à parte, o meu time português favorito é o Porto, embora eu simpatize bastante com o Sporting, a única certeza que temos é: Benfica há de perder, amém! hahaha. Brincadeiras à parte, eu gosto de vocês, tugas! Eu gosto do Podcast Maluco Beleza, eu prefiro o The Voice Portugal ao The Voice Brasil. Eu sou apaixonado pela Marisa Liz, se você a conhecer, por favor, nos apresente! Brincadeira... Mas a falar sério, não tenho nada contra caso tu sejas de Lisboa e benfiquista, ou de Coimbra, ou de São Miguel, etc. Saiba que a história do seu país é LINDA, Portugal é um lugar muito fixe! Tenhas orgulho disso! Estás a entender? Pois bem, então sejas bem-vindo(a)! Esses são alguns dos artistas portugueses que eu costumo ouvir: Ornatos Violeta, Linda Martini, Amor Electro, Pedro Abrunhosa, Toranja, Diogo Piçarra, António Zambujo, Carolina Deslandes, Agir, Ana Bacalhau, Foge Foge Bandido, Pluto, The Gift, Valas, Piruka, Bispo, Cálculo, Slow J, Átoa, ProfJam, D.A.M.A, etc.
If you are from one of the following countries: Serbia (🇷🇸), Armenia (🇦🇲), Moldova (🇲🇩), Ukraine (🇺🇦), Albania (🇦🇱), Greece (🇬🇷), Iceland (🇮🇸), South Africa (🇿🇦), know that: I didn't make a special paragraph because I don't have enough knowledge for it. However, I would love to talk to you, I would like to know the culture and history of your country, after all, these mentioned countries catch my attention and make me curious. But I don't just wanna know the history of your country, I wanna know your story as an individual, I'd like to build a fun friendship with you. Let's smile more instead of taking life so seriously. Our time is precious and it's running out, so let's put a smile on our face, okay?! If you accept, I would love to talk to you, share stories and so on.
If your country or region hasn't been mentioned (🌎) know that: It's all right, don't worry. It’s normal, as the list of existing countries is huge. But hey, we can talk and be friends, you can surprise me, I can surprise you, so don't let some flags stop us from building a healthy friendship. Welcome and let's get to know each other!
If you liked what you read, write me a message. Don’t spare words, the more talkative the better.
OBS: At first, send me a private message, not Reddit chat. So we can exchange emails.
Greetings,
Me, Myself & I.

Hello folks, welcome! (yes, Sherlock! I know, it's a very long ad)
I don't know exactly how to start this message, but let's try. I'm a normal guy, maybe with an above average curiosity. I live in a city called Belo Horizonte, it's the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. I love classic art and cities that preserve the traditional architecture of their people. Today there's a term for that, "Dark Academia". I sympathize a lot with this "movement", but I don't follow it to the letter. I'm too eclectic to fit a specific group.
I have already studied some French, Italian, German and Norwegian. Don't be surprised, it was just the basics. I have also studied the Hebrew, Russian and Korean alphabet. I didn't keep them for lack of practice, but they are easy alphabets, I want to return to studying these languages ​​(and many others) in the future. At the moment, the languages ​​I speak are Portuguese, English and Spanish. A secret: sometimes I think about the possibility of creating a conlang.
I still don't know which way to go academically and professionally, despite having many options in my mind. I have a hard time making decisions, depending on the subject. It's bad to feel paralyzed, but it's something that happens sometimes. And the worst part of it is that time doesn't stop, it's a little distressing.
I'm a communicative guy, I like to talk about a lot of subjects because I have several interests, from philosophy to cooking. From sports to video games. I consider myself both an introvert and an extrovert, and I know this can seem like something strange. It varies according to how comfortable I feel. When I’m in an environment where I don’t know anyone, I act very discreetly. But, next to friends, I’m a very charismatic person. If you send me a message, I’ll be talkative with you, after all, we will both be in the mutual interest of getting to know each other and consequently building a friendship, right? There’s no reason to hide in this situation. Besides, I’m also a great listener, I’d love to hear about your day, hear interesting stories that you have lived, hear your dilemmas and etc.
Believing that "tomorrow" will be a better day is not always an easy task, on the contrary. But honestly? I'm an optimistic person most of the time, I try to learn from difficult situations. Overcoming anxiety is a long journey, but I'm taking my steps in the right direction.
If there's one thing that I think is incredible, it's the possibility of meeting people over the internet. Thanks to sites like this, I can meet people that, if it weren't for the internet, I would never know them. Think, I live in Brazil, you live in another country (or in another state/city), what are the chances that we would meet if we had been born in the 19th century? Now, reflect a little: Many great people have lived in previous centuries and built incredible things. How would these people use the internet? Perhaps, if there was internet in the Renaissance period, an even greater number of artists would appear. Or maybe the big names like Da Vinci were even more inspired. I'm just saying that the fact that you are reading me right now, being so far away from me, that is impressive. We have the privilege that many ancestors would like to experience.
I wanna meet you in a genuine way. Share with me your culture and your hobbies, lend me your eyes, let me explore the world with them. We can have deep dialogues and also banal conversations. We can learn from each other on various topics. We can be good friends.
I'm obsessed with music, I spend my days listening to music from different genres (Classic Rock, Jazz, Blues, New Wave, POP, Soul Music, Hip-Hop, Metal, etc.). I wanna take singing lessons again, just like I wanna learn to play keyboard/piano and music production. If you like to share music and playlists, welcome to the club. Consequently, I'm also interested in dance, a duo that I've been enjoying watching on YouTube is: Kaycee Rice and Sean Lew, they are great. It's also worth mentioning that, in my opinion, the Classic Ballet is (soooo) beautiful, if you are a ballerina, congratulations, I'm already your fan! Like most people, I also enjoy watching movies and TV shows, although I haven't done that often lately. I'm eclectic and I like different genres (drama, fantasy, comedy, animation, documentary, horror, etc.)
I will mention some information that may be interesting.
If you are Turkish (🇹🇷), know that: Turkey is a fascinating country, filled with beautiful cities, cities that in turn are filled with great stories! How many stories does ancient Constantinople keep? I already talked to some Turks, they were all very friendly with me. To be honest, they were some of the most understandable people I've ever spoken to. I definitely wanna visit this nation someday. And the city I would most like to visit is Izmir. A fun and totally random fact: I like the name Zeynep, it sounds incredibly good and beautiful. I've been watching two Turkish series, Hakan: Muhafız and Börü. There's a Turkish show that was broadcast in Brazil a few years ago, and my mother loved it, I watched episodes at random, but I confess that it was cool, in fact, it's a guilty pleasure, the name is: "Fatmagül'ün Suçu Ne?"... Anyway, I also like some Turkish artists, among them: maNga, Mor ve Ötesi, Duman, Yonca Lodi, Toygar Işıklı, Yuksek Sadakat.
If you are Japanese (🇯🇵), know that: I have a huge admiration for Japanese culture, and it's precisely for this reason that I would like to build friendships with Japanese citizens. I know that friendships are not built overnight, but, I'm in no hurry. In my view, Japan is almost a parallel world, due to the cultural contrast, but don't take it as a critic, it's precisely the difference that makes it special. I hope to travel to Japan someday, there are countless dishes that I would like to try, there are idioms that I would like to learn and several places that I would like to visit, maybe Kyoto will become my favorite city, maybe Osaka or even Tokyo, Time will tell. Some people may not know it, but the largest Japanese community outside Japan is in Brazil. In 2017 and 2018 Kawasaki Frontale won the J-League title, a fun fact is that this club has Grêmio (BRA) as inspiration, and Grêmio is my team here in Brazil. I'm passionate about traditional Japanese architecture, but this is even obvious. Another obvious thing is that kimonos are really cool, maybe I should start my collection. Another fun fact is that I loved spending my time watching Terrace House. In addition to all this, I like some Japanese anime, like: Kakegurui, Kuroshitsuji, Saint Seiya, Kimi no Na wa, Death Note, Devilman Chorão, Nanatsu no Taizai, etc. Finally, I like to listen some Japanese bands like: Urbangarde, Kinoko Teikoku, Polkadot Stingray, Mirei Touyama, Kavka Shishido, MACO.
If you are a South Korean (🇰🇷), know that: At the moment, South Korea is in the spotlight, there are many foreigners becoming more and more interested in Korean culture. There are a lot of bad things that have happened throughout South Korean history, but at the end of the day, Koreans learned to deal with it, and it certainly wasn't the easiest way. This overcoming is what most catches my attention, it’s admirable and should serve as an example. Well, I would like to build friendships with Koreans, it would be a great experience, what's more, I wanna visit South Korea someday, Seoul seems to be extremely vibrant, and Busan so vivid and attractive. Maybe there are even other cities that surprise me. If you wanna help me learn more about the culture of Korea, the common things in everyday life related to food, gestures, clothing, the behavior of people in general, I would be extremely grateful, as this would be special. Anyway, South Korea is like that cool teenager that everyone wants to hang out with during their break. I've been watching some South Korean series, like: Record of Youth (second best), Start-Up, My First First Love, My Holo Love, Live, The King: Eternal Monarch (the best), “Hello, My Twenties”. There are also others that I plan to start soon. Finally, I like some Korean artists that I believe are not part of the "mainstream K-POP", for example: So Soo Bin, Bolbbalgan4, CIKI, 20 years old, Sam Kim, Kim Na-young, Kwon Jin-ah... And to be fair, I also like G-Dragon and CL.
If you are a Russian (🇷🇺), know that: Russia is an elegant country with a lot of tradition. There are many things about Russian history that I would like to know better, especially about the monarchic period. I have the impression that Russian cities breathe culture, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, so I think they need to be enjoyed on a long-term, unhurried trip. By the way, I need to visit the Bolshoi theater at some point. The Cyrillic alphabet is intimidating at first, but then it becomes absurdly easy. The Russian language is beautiful and listening to it can be addictive, besides, the written form is also addictive, and I don’t need to mention the incredible authors who make up Russian literature, I think it’s obvious to all of us, but reading the great works in the original must be incredible. Despite stereotypes, I feel that Russians are warm in their relationships, which reminds me us, Latinos. A Russian show that I watched and found very well produced was Лучше, чем люди, I really liked this one. And of course, I can’t help mentioning Russian artists and bands that I like: Noize MC, t.A.T.u, Oxxxymiron, Земфира, Мы, InWhite, Vitas, Zemfira, Nochnye Snaipery, Okean Elzy, Zveri.
If you are Italian (🇮🇹), know that: Italy makes me speechless. Have you ever watched Eat Pray Love? I believe that a trip to Italy can change a person's life. Through this film I got to know the expression "dolce far niente", and it was already something I felt, I just didn't have a definition for me. And it was a satisfying moment. Another satisfying moment was when I watched La Vita È Bella, one of the best films I've seen, since then I recommend it to everyone. There are some Italian series on Netflix that I would like to watch soon: Baby and Suburra. Perhaps my favorite Italian city is Venice. But honestly, it is so difficult to choose just one. The Italian islands? They are breathtaking. I have a club in Italy, Juventus! And no, it's not thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo... It's more thanks to Nedved! Not that it means anything very relevant, but I eat pasta every day and I'm passionate about pizza. But let's be serious now... Rome was the birthplace of Western civilization, Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance. As a mere admirer of tradition and classical art, I take my hat off to Italy. Italy is a strong candidate for the most beautiful country in the world. The truth is that I can't talk about Italy without talking about beauty, one seems to define the other. And when it comes to Italy, beauty is literally in everything, in the language, in the streets, in natural landscapes, even in the neighborhood countries. And the Italian songs? They are indescribable. Come on, Italian artists and bands I like: Gianluca Grignani, Fabrizio De André, Gianna Nannini, Måneskin, Lorenzo Fragola, Il Volo, Tiziano Ferro, Litfiba, Marlene Kuntz, Zero Assoluto, Velvet, Ministri, Linea 77, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, Gigliola Cinquetti, Ultimo, Ornella Vanoni, etc.
If you are French (🇫🇷), know that: You have the best accent, regardless of the language. And this is almost like a superpower, okay? So it's time to celebrate... Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit now, but the compliment is still valid. Few know how much France influenced Brazil, since the period when Brazil was only a Portuguese colony. Napoleon's expansion into Europe triggered many things, such as the arrival and permanence of the Royal Family in Brazil, but that is a subject for another time. I need to study French in the future, in addition to being a language close to Portuguese, it was in the past, the lingua franca among royalty. And we all want a little more glamor, right? It’s hard to say something about France that's no longer obvious, so just know that for me, it would be really cool to make French friends. Like millions of people around the world, I also wanna visit France someday, especially the following cities: Strasbourg, Montpellier, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon... Do you have any suggestions? Fun fact: My favorite football player is Frenchman Zinedine Zidane. I know, life is full of contradictions. Anyway, there are some French artists and bands that I really like: Carla Bruni, Coralie Clément, Kyo, Jérémy Kapone, BB Brunes, Noir Désir, EIFFEL, Matmatah, Damien Saez, Vanessa Paradis, Les Innocents, Mademoiselle K, etc.
If you are a native German speaker (🇩🇪),(🇨🇭),(🇱🇺),(🇱🇮) know that: Liechtenstein and Luxembourg are small countries even by European standards, but I believe that is part of the charm. I already met a girl from Luxembourg, it would be nice to meet more people from both countries. Liechtenstein's population is so small that it's almost a "VIP group", I'm laughing. But certainly, being part of a nation like this is something quite different from what I'm used to, I mean, my city has a larger population than Luxembourg. However, I imagine that smaller countries are also much easier to manage. By the way, if there is something that I really appreciate about Switzerland, it is its form of government and the autonomy that each of its cantons has. I believe it is the most efficient model and I would like Brazil to replicate it. Anyway, I want to visit Switzerland someday, and make the most of its ski resorts, my favorite Swiss city is Zermatt, is there a correlation? Maybe yes maybe no. I find it fascinating that Switzerland has four official languages, varying by region. Romansh is losing its space over time, from what I hear, but I really hope that the future is more positive, it would be a pity if the Romansh fell into total disuse. I love Audrey Hepburn, she passed away and was buried in Switzerland, I am not in the habit of visiting tombs, in fact, I never did that, but maybe this will become my first time. I love chocolates, Switzerland produces the best chocolates, so I love Switzerland. In turn, Austria seems to me to be such a romantic country. As a good music lover, Vienna becomes an unmissable destination. Beside Vienna, there are other equally wonderful places that seem to have been drawn by hand, such as Innsbruck, Hallstatt, and especially Bad Gastein. There is another fact that makes me sympathize with Austria, it is the motherland of Empress Leopoldina, married to the Brazilian Emperor D. Pedro I. She was born in Vienna and was undoubtedly one of the most important women in the history of my country. Anyway, the history of Germany is also very interesting and I think it does not need new presentations. Many German immigrants came to Brazil and founded very beautiful cities here that still maintain Germanic traditions. At first, Berlin is not a city that attracts my attention, unlike Munich, Nuremberg, Freiburg and even Frankfurt. German literature is composed by very interesting authors, my favorite is Goethe, will I ever be able to read one of his books in the original? Speaking of the language, there are countless German dialects, I heard that some may have a greater difference between themselves than Portuguese language and the Spanish language, honestly, this is so cool. Moving on, here are some German artists that I like: Juli, Spider Murphy Gang, Revolverheld, Silbermond, Wir Sind Helden, Lotte, Namika, K.I.Z, Bengio, Clueso, Mark Forster, Scorpions, Rammstein, CRO, Xavier Naidoo.
If you are Israeli (🇮🇱) or Jewish (✡️) (regardless of nationality), know that: You are welcome here! I love the Jewish people and the Jewish culture as a whole. To be honest, I not only appreciate the Jewish faith, but I follow it, I am a noahide. That said, regardless of the group you belong to (liberal, conservative, hasid, dati leumi, Sephardic, etc.) we can talk about Judaism, that would be lovely. If you are not a Jew, but an Israeli, you are also welcome here! There are several Israeli cities that I want to visit, such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Haifa, Netanya, Acre, among others. Your country is my favorite, it's where I would be right now, if I could. I wonder how magical it feels to be in Israel during the Purim party, or during Yom Kippur, it seems surreal. Israel's history is also sensational, and speaks for itself, if we consider only the modern state of Israel, all the human, economic and technological progress that this country has achieved in so few decades is extraordinary. I would love to have Jewish and / or Israeli friends and talk about all these issues because it makes me happy. If you believe that we can be friends, that would be wonderful! I need to dedicate myself to studying the Hebrew language, at least the alphabet is much easier compared to Arabic. Israeli TV shows that I like: Bnei Aruba and Shtisel. There are movies and documentaries about Israel that I also really like, for example: The Red Sea Diving Resort, The Angel, Operation Finale, Inside The Mossad, etc. There are two Israeli shows that I would like to watch in the future: When Heroes Fly and Fauda. Israeli bands and artists that I like: Hadag Nahash, Ravid Plotnik, Tuna, Asaf Avidan, Izabo, Rita, Hatikva 6, Tamar Eisenman, Nissim Black, Gad Elbaz, Raviv Kaner, Idan Rafael Haviv, Eden Ben Zaken, Matisyahu, Omer Adam, Jasmin Moallem, Alex Clare, Amir Ve Ben, Jane Bordeaux, Hanan Ben Ari, Marina Maximilian.
If you are Chinese (🇨🇳) or Taiwanese (🇹🇼), know that: If you are Chinese, know that: I follow channels of some Brazilian youtubers who live or have lived in China, the experiences they share are often hilarious, which makes me think that China is a very propitious place for fun and memorable tours. The Chinese seem to be quite hospitable and helpful, and also quite interested in interacting with foreigners, especially in smaller cities. As you might be guessing, I'd like to visit the Chinese regions where traditional architecture prevails, I think there's a specific name for that, "hutongs", right? I think it's in these places where the most fascinating things are hidden. However, I don't deny that I would also love to visit the major urban centers like Shanghai, Macau, Guangzhou, the modern part of Beijing, among others. I've been interested in martial arts since childhood and by my father's influence I have always liked films that revolved around martial arts. It may be a stereotype, but perhaps China is the ideal place to get to know Kung Fu in a profound way. It's also worth mentioning that I find the Chinese characters are very beautiful. If you're from Taiwan, maybe you support Taiwan's independence, maybe not, but regardless of your political views on this subject, I'd love to talk to you and listen to your thoughts, not just about these political issues, but about all aspects of everyday life in Taiwan, it seems like a very fun place that I would also like to visit. I tell you the same if you are from Hong Kong, it's undoubtedly a place much above average, sometimes I watch some virtual tours and it's impressive. It would be great if I could have information from people who are really inserted within that context, and not just opining on the other side of the world, from the comfort of their couches, if you know what I mean. Here are some Chinese artists I like: Li Ronghao, Da Zhuang, Joker Xue, Nick Chou, Lu Han, Gin Lee, Rocket Girls 101.
If you are Polish (🇵🇱), know that: I strongly believe in Poland's potential to become one of the most developed countries on the continent within the next few decades. I may be mistaken, but I feel that Warsaw is the heart of Eastern Europe, I have seen the city attract many Brazilians to work in the IT field. What's more, Poles are known to be hard workers, which is great. Over the years, I have had contact with several Poles, there’s no specific reason for this, but we have always maintained good relations. I feel that culturally speaking, the franchise The Witcher has brought quite notoriety to Poland. I would like this to continue with Cyberpunk 2077, but CD Projekt Red couldn't deliver everything it promised. Anyway, I wish the company success and that they can represent Poland well in the game industry in the future. Many people report on the internet their difficulties in the process of learning the Polish language, claim that it's a rather difficult language, and I believe in these comments, but I think that makes the journey more attractive, I mean, challenges are cool, nobody feels gratification for finishing a game at level easy. I liked the movie Jak zostac gwiazda, despite several negative reviews on the internet, I would watch it again. Some Polish artists I like: Dawid Podsiadło, Natalia Szroeder, Mrozu, Baranovski.
If you are Czech (🇨🇿), know that: Since childhood I have had a special affection for your country. Maybe it's the sound of the name? Maybe it's the beauty of your flag? Anyway, I liked to choose the Czech team in the video game. I admired players like Petr Cech and also Nedved. I did some Czech language lessons at Duolingo and it seems to be a fun language. Answer me: Why does "Dobrý večer!" sounds so beautiful? Sounds like the beginning of a poem. I will dedicate myself to learning Czech someday, because the history of the country is also attractive, from the Kingdom of Bohemia to the former Czechoslovakia, which in turn was dissolved without any armed conflict. I imagine Prague to be culturally vibrant, and at the same time compact, compared to other European capitals. I think it's a country that should be looked at more closely by tourists. It's also worth mentioning that one of the best film colleges in the world is located in Prague, FAMU. I confess that I would also love to visit Český Krumlov. "Once" is one of my favorite films, the leading actress is the Czech Markéta Irglová, I admire her musical work a lot. Also, here are some other Czech artists I like: Sto zvířat, Divokej Bill, Chinaski, Kryštof, UDG, Hana Zagorová, Lenka Filipová, ATMO music.
If you are Romanian (🇷🇴), know that: there’s a Brazilian song that in its release was a real phenomenon, a hit! The fun fact is that actually this song is a version of a Romanian pop song, I will not mention the name here, in case you are curious, I can show you both. It's hard for me to think about Bucharest and not remember the iconic Michael Jackson show, I wish I had witnessed that moment. We all know that Romanian is a Latin language, but the influence it has received from other languages in the region has made it unique, quite different from Portuguese, and that's very cool, let's be honest. I must to say that it is strange (in a good way) to open a website written entirely in Romanian and be able to make good deductions, rather than feeling myself totally lost. I wanna study Romanian someday and visit this country, I'm sure we share more things in common than just the origin of our language. But answer me a question: how do you feel being Dracula's countryman? Just kidding. Here are some Romanian artists I like: Lidia Buble, Liviu Teodorescu, Florian Rus, Smiley, Andrei Ropcea.
If you are Hungarian (🇭🇺), know that: my curiosity to know Hungary began a few years ago, when I was researching the lifestyle of digital nomads. In general, everyone made very good comments about Hungary, not only them but also tourists passing through the country, I think Hungarians learned the art of treating their visitors well. Incredible architecture, good food, hot springs, challenging language (the way we like it), affordable prices, hospitable people, I think my bags are ready. George Ezra's song is already playing with repeat enabled. The question is: Buda side or Pest side? Which one's the best? Kidding aside, here are some Hungarian artists I like: Follow The Flow, Punnany Massif, Halott Pénz, V-Tech, Emberek, EDDA Művek, Blahalouisiana.
If you are Slovenian (🇸🇮), know that: I don't know a lot about the history of your country, I need to confess that. But I'm interested in meeting you. I know it's a small country with beautiful cities, as much as I may seem repetitive saying that, it's reality. Slovenia is a country with so many green areas, that is an admirable fact. I also know that there are many caves in Slovenia, I have visited some in Brazil and enjoyed the experience, I imagine it's as cool as. I wanna know more about the history of the Slovenian people, what is behind the beauty of their streets? Well, here are some Slovenian artists I like: Joker Out, Gaja Prestor, Nipke, Zlatko, Emkej, Big Foot Mama, Mi2.
If you are a Norwegian (🇳🇴), know that: I enjoyed the experience of studying Norwegian, however briefly. I know that most Norwegians, especially young people, can communicate without problems in English, yet I believe that going back to norwegian study would be a nice thing. I can imagine myself lying on the couch, reading Sofies Verden in its original version. After all, every translation is a betrayal, right?! There are many things about Norway that catch my attention, among them is Svalbard, this island seems to me to be sensational, bears, dog sleds, northern lights, months in the sunlight, months in the moonlight, Santa Claus, entertainment industry on the rise. What I can say is that at the moment Norway is my favorite Scandinavian country. In the past that answer would be different. Some Norwegian artists I like: A-ha, dePresno, Amanda Tenfjord, Kings of Convenience, End of Proof, Thomas Dybdahl, Jonas Alaska, Jarle Skavhellen, Sigrid, Anna of the North.
If you are Finnish (🇫🇮), know that: there are Brazilians who are completely enchanted by Finland, and after living with some of them, I can say that it's something contagious. It seems that there's a kind of magical atmosphere hovering over this country, as if Finland were some sort of "Disney", I can't explain, it's difficult to put into words hahaha. Today Finland is a very stable nation and its people are known to be happy, which is something wonderful, at least that is what some studies point to. But tell me, what are the best things available in Finland when summer comes and all the ice goes away? Helsinki seems to have excellent infrastructure, but what about smaller cities, what is life like in these regions? In general, what do Finns think about the winter war? Why are Finns so passionate about metal? I'm getting carried away with the questions, I'm sorry. I like the way Finns preserve their language, (very beautiful and original language, by the way), I would like the same to happen with the Portuguese language, but anyway, that's another topic. A totally unusual thing is that although I've already had opportunities to get into a sauna, I've never done that. Translating: A Finnish sauna may still be my first sauna. Just kidding. Here are some Finnish artists I like: Anssi Kela, BEHM, Juha Tapio, Laura Voutilainen, Ressu Redford, Arttu Wiskari, Von Hertzen Brothers, Ari Koivunen.
If you are British (🇬🇧), know that: I know that there are cultural differences between each of the countries belonging to the United Kingdom, and I think that is great, I like that there are differences, I like to see the contrast. Calm your hearts, Scots, I know you are not English, even though you are British! hahaha. Edinburgh is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my view, its architecture is inspiring, I would say even more than London, but to be fair, I need to visit both and prove this theory with my own eyes. I'm passionate about castles, so Wales is almost a paradise for a person like me. The Welsh course at Duolingo has a lot of lessons, much more than I anticipated, which is always great, right? These initiatives are always positive, I hope that Welsh will not become a dead language in the coming decades. I know that Rugby is very popular in Wales, but I don't even know how that sport works, unfortunately. I'm not so knowledgeable about Northern Ireland, nothing that goes far beyond the Irish conflict. Belfast seems to me to be a more introverted city when compared to Dublin. But anyway, if you are from Northern Ireland, please share your experiences with me, teach me about your nation's history, I'm ready to listen to you! Many people say that London is, alongside New York, the capital of the world, and perhaps it's true. For people working in the entertainment industry, London looks wonderful, the right place to build your name. On a possible visit to England, I would like to visit the smaller cities, the precious places that foreigners don't usually value so much. Going against the grain of what I just said, I like the English royal family and would it be wonderful to be able to witness some public event, maybe the next great wedding? I'm being optimistic, I guess. Do we all agree that Oasis is better than The Beatles, huh? Okay, I don't want to cause controversy. By the way, there's only one English club I don't like: Manchester City. Finally, I have a question, if I visit Notting Hill, what are the chances of me meeting a super famous actress? Okay, I think the film industry is eluding me again.
If you are Irish (🇮🇪), know that: I almost did an exchange in Ireland, I was in love with this country, so I know a few things. I loved watching videos where people were celebrating St. Patrick's Day, to this day it seems like a very fun event. I don't like beer, I don't drink alcohol, but I'd try Guinness for once! Gaelic football is something so... I have no words to describe it, but it's an attractive sport, I sympathize with the Dublin GAA team, perhaps by the colors, I love blue. (I still hate you, Manchester City). The truth is that Dublin seems to me to be a very fun city, and that in addition, offers good academic and professional opportunities. I don't know much about life in Corck or Galway, but I know that these are good cities for students looking for something quieter. Brazilians living in Dublin seem to love bicycles, the convenience must be amazing. It's a shame I can't ride a bike. I mean, I know how to ride a bike, but not totally. Irish people seem to be open and fun people, they love parties as much as Brazilians do, besides being good musicians and also smart in business, and I'm not making fun of it, it's that Brazilians really love Ireland and that's not by chance, the Brazilian community in Dublin is really huge. So how about we're friends?
If you are American (🇺🇸) or Canadian (🇨🇦), know that: I admire the Founding Fathers of the United States and the values that America represents to the Western world. Looking at history, Massachusetts is for me one of the most interesting states in the country. But honestly, I don't have a favorite "state" or "city." I am as interested in knowing about Miami as I am in Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans or Hartford. American culture is already immensely widespread around the world, so I don't even know what I could say here to "get away from the obvious." I watch many American films, I read many American authors, I listen to a lot of American music, I follow American festivals, I have a notion of how American universities work, etc... I imagine that most people living outside the United States also follow the American daily life, at least in Western countries, so I don't know what I should say. Just know that I like the entrepreneurial vision that Americans have (or used to have). I love sports and I'm starting to follow the American leagues, I'm still not a fan of any specific team. As for Canada, Toronto seems like a good place to start a music career. The first time I watched the Winter Olympics was in 2010, Olympics that took place in Vancouver, this event was etched in my memory. My "favorite" Canadian city is Ottawa, perhaps because of the mix of cultures and languages, perhaps because it reminds me of the Hallmark Channel shows. Canada is one of the most sought after destinations for Brazilians seeking to immigrate, whether to work or to study. In general, they are very pleased with this decision. They also make sweet comments about the Canadian people. I used to follow a Brazilian polyglot who lived in Canada, he records videos on the streets talking in several languages with numerous foreigners he met at random, but today he's living in France. Anyway, it would be really cool to talk to Canadians, from Quebec or not. Finally, I was happy when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA.
If you are Australian (🇦🇺) or Kiwi (🇳🇿), know that: They are two very attractive countries in many ways. New Zealand has breathtaking landscapes, it's no accident that several big-budget films are shot there. It's a small country but offers many options for those who wanna have fun and have a memorable vacation. I can't help but mention the Haka, it's an interesting dance, I was surprised the first time I saw it, but I suppose in person it's an unprecedented experience. Australians, like kiwis, are also reputed to be good hosts. They say Australians walk barefoot through the streets of the city, and I confess it's funny to imagine this scene. I don't have a "favorite city" in Australia, but I'd love the experience of crossing that country in a motorhome. Wanted and Dance Academy are two Australian TV shows that I enjoyed quite a lot to watch. The truth is that I see similarities between Brazil and Australia, historically and culturally speaking. Australia has beaches that make me wanna learn to surf right now. When I think of Australia, I imagine a good day, a cloudless sky, cheerful people smiling. For these and other reasons not mentioned, I have a lot of affection for Australia. When I think of New Zealand, I imagine a group of friends who love venturing into nature, whether practicing hiking, climbing, or parachuting. Maybe I'm just dreaming too much. In any case, Oceania doesn't seem to me the best place for those who don't wanna live intensely.
Si sos español (🇪🇸), debés saber que: tengo un gran interés en la geopolítica de España. Me llama la atención todo el tema separatista en el que se insertan algunas regiones. Si sos de Galicia, Cataluña o el País Vasco y apoyas la independencia, sería un placer hablar con vos. Me gustaría escuchar todo lo que tengas que decir al respecto de eso. Si está en contra de la independencia, está bien, sos igualmente bienvenido. No tengo ningún bando en este conflicto. Solo quiero escuchar de vos y ampliar mi conocimiento de lo que está sucediendo. Política aparte, las ciudades españolas parecen destinos increíbles y me gustaría visitar cada una de ellas, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Granada, Bilbao, Pamplona, Almería, Sevilla, etc. Sería bueno si pudiera practicar mi español contigo. ¿O quizás aprender un poco de catalán o gallego? ¡Es una opción! Algunos artistas españoles que me gusta escuchar: Duncan Dhu, Héroes del Silencio, Radio Futura, Mecano, Sidecars, Abraham Mateo, Los Rodriguez, Pereza, Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, etc.
Si vos sos de Hispanoamérica (🇦🇷), (🇨🇱), (🇺🇾), (🇲🇽), (🇨🇴),... etc, debés saber que: Estoy muy interesado en conocer gente de esa región. Me encantaría empezar nuevas amistades con argentinos, chilenos, uruguayos, paraguayos, mexicanos, colombianos, panameños, etc. Dicho esto, está claro que quiero visitar varias ciudades hispanas en el futuro. Sería genial practicar mi español contigo y, como beneficio adicional, aprender sobre la historia y la cultura de tu país desde tu punto de vista. Buenos Aires y Montevideo son mis ciudades favoritas, en parte por la arquitectura. Por otro lado, Santiago también es extraordinario. ¡Recordando que Soda Stereo es mi banda de rock favorita! De todos modos, me encantaría conocer mexicanos, ya hablé con algunos y siempre fueron muy amables. Pero, todos son bienvenidos, peruanos, ecuatorianos, bolivianos, venezolanos, etc. Hay tantos países y no puedo nombrarlos a todos, pero eso es todo. Sean bienvenidos. Algunos artistas hispanos que me gusta escuchar: Gustavo Cerati, Serú Girán, El Cuarteto de Nos, No Te Va Gustar, Virus, Los Autenticos Decandentes, Lucybell, Los Tres, Los Prisioneros, La Vida Boheme, Hello Seahorse!, Charly García, Mon Laferte, Pedro Aznar, Miranda!, Juanes, Fito Paez, León Larregui, Sebastián Yatra, Natalia Lafourcade, Jorge Drexler, etc.
Se tu és português(a) (🇵🇹), saiba que: Os sotaques de Portugal são os meus favoritos. No começo eu confesso que achava bastante estranho, mas com o tempo eu fui me adaptando e hoje eu os amo. Eu não tenho nenhum rancor em relação à Portugal sobre o período da colonização no Brasil e etc, muito pelo contrário, eu vejo Portugal com muitos bons olhos. A minha cidade portuguesa favorita é Porto, muito devido à sua arquitetura, me parece ser um lugar especial. Talvez o fato de os Ornatos Violeta terem surgido ali, tenha um pouco de influência sobre a minha opinião. É engraçado pois sempre que escrevo para o público português, eu me pego a falar em voz alta o que estou a escrever, simulando o sotaque europeu, é impressionante. Enfim, loucuras à parte, o meu time português favorito é o Porto, embora eu simpatize bastante com o Sporting, a única certeza que temos é: Benfica há de perder, amém! hahaha. Brincadeiras à parte, eu gosto de vocês, tugas! Eu gosto do Podcast Maluco Beleza, eu prefiro o The Voice Portugal ao The Voice Brasil. Eu sou apaixonado pela Marisa Liz, se você a conhecer, por favor, nos apresente! Brincadeira... Mas a falar sério, não tenho nada contra caso tu sejas de Lisboa e benfiquista, ou de Coimbra, ou de São Miguel, etc. Saiba que a história do seu país é LINDA, Portugal é um lugar muito fixe! Tenhas orgulho disso! Estás a entender? Pois bem, então sejas bem-vindo(a)! Esses são alguns dos artistas portugueses que eu costumo ouvir: Ornatos Violeta, Linda Martini, Amor Electro, Pedro Abrunhosa, Toranja, Diogo Piçarra, António Zambujo, Carolina Deslandes, Agir, Ana Bacalhau, Foge Foge Bandido, Pluto, The Gift, Valas, Piruka, Bispo, Cálculo, Slow J, Átoa, ProfJam, D.A.M.A, etc.
If you are from one of the following countries: Serbia (🇷🇸), Armenia (🇦🇲), Moldova (🇲🇩), Ukraine (🇺🇦), Albania (🇦🇱), Greece (🇬🇷), Iceland (🇮🇸), South Africa (🇿🇦), know that: I didn't make a special paragraph because I don't have enough knowledge for it. However, I would love to talk to you, I would like to know the culture and history of your country, after all, these mentioned countries catch my attention and make me curious. But I don't just wanna know the history of your country, I wanna know your story as an individual, I'd like to build a fun friendship with you. Let's smile more instead of taking life so seriously. Our time is precious and it's running out, so let's put a smile on our face, okay?! If you accept, I would love to talk to you, share stories and so on.
If your country or region hasn't been mentioned (🌎) know that: It's all right, don't worry. It’s normal, as the list of existing countries is huge. But hey, we can talk and be friends, you can surprise me, I can surprise you, so don't let some flags stop us from building a healthy friendship. Welcome and let's get to know each other!
If you liked what you read, write me a message. Don’t spare words, the more talkative the better.
OBS: At first, send me a private message, not Reddit chat. So we can exchange emails.
Greetings,
Me, Myself & I.

What this is:

This is a weekly, curated listing of Kickstarter board game projects that are either:

• newly posted in the past 7 days, or
• ending in the next 7 days (starting Oct 12) and have at least a fighting chance of being funded.

All board game projects meeting those criteria will automatically be included, no need to ask. (The occasional non-board game project may also sneak in!)
Expect new lists each Sunday sometime between midnight and noon PST.

Ending Soon

Project Info	Players	Backers	Min / Avg Pledge	Ends	Comments
Broadside Empires of Steel A fully printable tabletop miniatures game set in the era of the Dreadnought Battleship. // Has raised A$11,322 of A$3,000 so far. (~377%) ☑	2	206	$22 / A$55	Oct 11	kicktraq bgg
PERTHRO A Norse mythology-inspired dice game for two players. // Has raised CHF13,392 of CHF3,500 so far. (~383%) ☑	2	484	$20 / CHF28	Oct 12	kicktraq
Random Fun Generator, Dice Games from Steve Jackson Games A collection of over twenty dice games from Steve Jackson Games! Use any existing six-sided dice, or play using our many custom dice!!! // Has raised $79,119 of $500 so far. (~15824%) ☑	varies	3166	$15 / $25	Oct 12	kicktraq
Sharks Feeding Frenzy Life getting you down? Wouldn't you rather be a shark? Eat new and exciting people! // Has raised $11,309 of $10,000 so far. (~113%) ☑	2 - 6	169	$29 / $67	Oct 13	kicktraq
Kingdom (2nd Edition) Build your community together. Fight for what you believe in… or watch it burn. A game about communities by the author of Microscope // Has raised $35,010 of $2,500 so far. (~1400%) ☑	2 - 5	1214	$10 / $29	Oct 13	kicktraq #rpg #newedition
The Thing - The Boardgame The official board game inspired by the 1982 movie The Thing. // Has raised €318,357 of €42,000 so far. (~758%) ☑	1 - 8	3995	$93 / €80	Oct 14	kicktraq bgg
Apogee: A New Space Tale A card management game from 1 to 5 players to discover the New Space // Has raised €110,467 of €20,000 so far. (~552%) ☑	1 - 5	2014	$43 / €55	Oct 14	kicktraq bgg
Soulgivers Absorb the Souls of the fallen heroes and capture the Fragment to survive the Decay in this competitive strategy game for 2 players. // Has raised €64,148 of €40,000 so far. (~160%) ☑	2	863	$82 / €74	Oct 14	kicktraq bgg
Fruit Salad: The Multiple Games in One Game We will be creating a board game called Fruit Salad. This game comes with 8 different games perfect for all kind of players. // Has raised $4,301 of $7,064 so far. (~61%)	1 - 10	30	$25 / $143	Oct 14	kicktraq
Bots Up Build a bot, send it to battle and compete to be the last bot standing!Find out more at botsupgame.com // Has raised £15,831 of £3,500 so far. (~452%) ☑	2 - 5	546	$20 / £29	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg
Hogs Of War The Miniatures Game A 1-4 Player Tabletop Miniatures Game with Tech-Tree, Hidden Movement and Base-Building mechanics. Solo and Co-op Modes included! // Has raised £101,206 of £18,000 so far. (~562%) ☑	1 - 4	1091	$88 / £93	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg
Office Buzz The Drinking Game To Become The CEO // Has raised $6,553 of $5,000 so far. (~131%) ☑	3+	231	$18 / $28	Oct 15	kicktraq
Machina Arcana ~ To Eternity A dark and immersive experience awaits you and your group of explorers. Travel the unknown, face cosmic horrors and fight for survival! // Has raised $447,554 of $30,000 so far. (~1492%) ☑	1 - 4	5682	$25 / $79	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg #expansion
Best Left Buried: Deeper A new version of the rules light fantasy horror roleplaying game, Best Left Buried. // Has raised £23,277 of £10,000 so far. (~233%) ☑	?	447	$13 / £52	Oct 15	kicktraq #rpg
Night Parade of a Hundred Yokai Raise an army of supernatural beings to haunt the islands of Japan in this asymmetrical engine building game! // Has raised $51,323 of $10,000 so far. (~513%) ☑	1 - 4	904	$50 / $57	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg
10+ Game A Card Game for Players & Inventors // Has raised HK$104,132 of HK$46,500 so far. (~224%) ☑	2 - 6	284	$24 / HK$367	Oct 15	kicktraq
Forgotten Depths A quick-playing but substantial experience of exploration and combat // Has raised $29,423 of $26,000 so far. (~113%) ☑	1 - 3	994	$30 / $30	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg #take2
Mythalix: Chapter 1: Greek Mythology Gods and Titans clash in a new world.Battle opponents, control areas & build your deck in this light strategy board game. // Has raised £14,588 of £10,000 so far. (~146%) ☑	2 - 4	316	$32 / £46	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg
THE 7th CITADEL After The 7th Continent, explore the world of the Collapsing Lands! // Has raised €2,238,010 of €300,000 so far. (~746%) ☑	1 - 4	27409	$81 / €82	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg
Brick Logic: The Game A kid designed logic game that uses LEGO bricks. Great for pandemic fun. // Has raised $2,227 of $204 so far. (~1092%) ☑	1+	130	$12 / $17	Oct 15	kicktraq
Castaway Curse (Second Printing) The shipwreck adventure game, now available with international shipping! 2-6 players, 20 min/player. Ages 13+ // Has raised $1,748 of $1,000 so far. (~175%) ☑	2 - 6	22	$100 / $79	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg #newedition
RUMSKI (Second Edition) A quick-thinking, rummy style, strategy card game // Has raised $2,904 of $3,500 so far. (~83%)	2 - 6	81	$13 / $36	Oct 15	kicktraq #take2
Set 🔥 Watch: Swords of the Coin ⚔️ The highly anticipated stand alone expansion to our acclaimed 1-4 player cooperative game, Set a Watch // Has raised $167,927 of $20,000 so far. (~840%) ☑	1 - 4	3554	$28 / $47	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg #expansion
Ultimate Bestiary Miniatures A horde of miniatures for your tabletop adventures! Based on the best selling monster book; Revenge of the Horde! // Has raised $85,513 of $75,000 so far. (~114%) ☑	-	1229	$10 / $70	Oct 15	kicktraq #minis
What's The Point? - The Cactus Card Game What's The Point? is an exciting, family-friendly, and cacti-loaded card game! // Has raised $7,925 of $3,000 so far. (~264%) ☑	2 - 6	156	$25 / $51	Oct 15	kicktraq
Lucky Luau Flower matching and lei making fun from beautiful Hawaii! // Has raised $5,204 of $4,000 so far. (~130%) ☑	2 - 6	180	$15 / $29	Oct 15	kicktraq bgg
Choo Choo Game. The Choo Choo card game is a train building game for everyone. // Has raised A$761 of A$750 so far. (~101%) ☑	2 - 12	19	$20 / A$40	Oct 15	kicktraq
Pets Gone Shady - Card Game A card game that lets you throw octopuses, deal with naked turtles and avoid hangry hamsters! // Has raised $25,190 of $12,500 so far. (~202%) ☑	2 - 5	520	$20 / $48	Oct 16	kicktraq #newedition
Good vs Gooder Fun debates for funny people—a family-friendly party game celebrating the gooder things in life // Has raised $17,758 of $18,500 so far. (~96%)	3+	209	$29 / $85	Oct 16	kicktraq
Dinosaur World and Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write Dinosaur World and Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write are two stand-alone games set in the Dinosaur Island Universe! // Has raised $642,373 of $25,000 so far. (~2569%) ☑	2 - 4	7422	$30 / $87	Oct 16	kicktraq bgg
Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants A castlepunk Forged in the Dark roleplaying game. Mask up. Spill Blood. Drink the Rich. Join the discord! https://discord.gg/R72Endm // Has raised $48,598 of $10,000 so far. (~486%) ☑	?	1644	$10 / $30	Oct 16	kicktraq #rpg
DOPPELT ODER NICHTS Ein Kartenspiel, bei dem niemand sicher ist. Du hast die Wahl, aber wenn du dich überschätzt, trifft es dich doppelt -ENGLISH AVAILABLE // Has raised €5,803 of €7,000 so far. (~83%)	4 - ?	115	$20 / €50	Oct 17	kicktraq
Escape Deathrace 2182 A pocket-sized table-top dungeon crawler that pits you against your friends (and aliens!) in a cosmic street race to save the galaxy! // Has raised $4,044 of $8,200 so far. (~49%)	1 - 4	45	$25 / $90	Oct 17	kicktraq bgg
Arms & Influence A political strategy card game, where you compete with neighboring nations to achieve world dominance. // Has raised $10,916 of $7,500 so far. (~146%) ☑	3 - 4	215	$19 / $51	Oct 17	kicktraq bgg

New This Week

Project Info	Players	Backers	Min / Avg Pledge	Ends	Comments
"Really Karen?" Party Board Game Live the life of a 'Karen' as you argue and complain around town with your friends in this hilarious party board game. // Has raised $2,715 of $10,000 so far. (~27%)	2 - 6	43	$30 / $63	Nov 06
13 Monsters: Armed to the Teeth - Battle expansion pack Supercharge your battles with 13 Monsters: Armed to the Teeth, the brand-new expansion pack for 13 Monsters: The game. // Has raised €1,558 of €6,500 so far. (~24%)	2 - 8	37	$30 / €42	Nov 05	bgg #expansion #reprint
Additive Drinking: The Card Game For Drinkers A fast paced and competitive drinking game. Influence your opponents drinking tasks to impossible levels using cards like +1, +4, x2. // Has raised $451 of $500 so far. (~90%)	2 teams	16	$12 / $28	Nov 02
Ambush Epic A semi-cooperative Dungeon game. Lead your hero to the creepy and darkest nook of the dungeon. // Has raised €14,570 of €25,000 so far. (~58%)	1 - 4	309	$42 / €47	Oct 29	bgg #take2
Animal Family A card game for the whole family. It matches animals in different family dynamics, which has rules for both ages 3 - 6 and 6 - 10. // Has raised $1 of $5,000 so far. (~0%)	?	1	$12 / $1	Dec 06
ANiMOZ - The trading card game of Australian animals The game changing conservation. Come be a Ranger! // Has raised A$12,836 of A$5,900 so far. (~218%) ☑	1 - 4+	198	$11 / A$65	Oct 31
Blood & Plunder: Raise the Black Golden age pirates join the world of Blood & Plunder as we move into the 18th century! // Has raised $220,954 of $120,000 so far. (~184%) ☑	2	1133	$50 / $195	Nov 04	bgg #expansion #reprint
Bluffy pirates An extremely fun, highly competitive, strategic party game, suited for groups from 4 to 6 people. // Has raised €862 of €5,000 so far. (~17%)	4 - 6	25	$19 / €34	Oct 26
Card Bard A highly thematic card game where players take up the mantle of the bard! // Has raised $4,182 of $12,000 so far. (~35%)	2 - 4	70	$38 / $60	Nov 05	bgg
Cartographers Heroes + 3 Map Pack Expansions The stand-alone follow up to the critically acclaimed map-drawing game - Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale. // Has raised $218,516 of $20,000 so far. (~1093%) ☑	1 - 100	4073	$22 / $54	Oct 23	bgg
Cooking Customers - Play Cards, Roll Dice & Don't Get Fired! Cooking Customers is a "stick it to your competition" card and dice game where you play cards, roll dice and try not to get fired! // Has raised $22 of $100 so far. (~22%)	2 - 10	3	$15 / $7	Oct 24	bgg #take2
Dice Command A semi-abstract tactical wargame for 2-4 players with dice action selection and engine building! // Has raised C$10169 of C$7000 so far. (~145%) ☑	2 - 4	183	$35 / C$56	Nov 05
DICTATOR-Y LITTLE BITCH: A Cooperative Card/Board Game Team up with intelligent life forms from all over the Universe to resist the DICTATOR-Y LITTLE B!†₵Ħ before he totally Fµ₵кs the WORLD. // Has raised $1,357 of $13,000 so far. (~10%)	2 - 6	22	$34 / $62	Nov 02
Disciples - The Immoral Game of Cults and Consequences Start a cult! Perform ridiculous rituals, collect disciples and forget your morals in this fun global strategy tabletop game. // Has raised $2,653 of $3,333 so far. (~80%)	2 - 4	35	$38 / $76	Oct 30	bgg
Do You Realize How Much? An engaging, fun and surprising card game about our human footprint // Has raised €5,721 of €6,000 so far. (~95%)	?	145	$18 / €39	Nov 11
Dungeon Decorators A new tile-drafting light strategy game from the makers of The Red Dragon Inn! // Has raised $26,777 of $40,000 so far. (~67%)	2 - 4	476	$39 / $56	Oct 29	bgg
Dungeon Drop: Dropped Too Deep and Tavern Tales Prepare to drop deeper with an epic expansion to the premier "drop-style" tabletop game. Then complete your story with Tavern Tales! // Has raised $143,731 of $14,500 so far. (~991%) ☑	varies	2357	$16 / $61	Oct 29	bgg #expansion
Eternal Eight A Miniature War game with True 3D Castles and Villages! // Has raised $1,855 of $100,000 so far. (~2%)	1 - 4	19	$89 / $98	Nov 09
EvenQuads A new card deck, and five new games, featuring the biographies of women mathematicians through history. // Has raised $6,043 of $3,000 so far. (~201%) ☑	1 - ?	146	$18 / $41	Nov 19
Fearsome Wilderness: the board game & miniatures collection a tabletop gaming experience crafted for gamers, hobbyists, and horror fans alike. // Has raised $17,390 of $10,000 so far. (~174%) ☑	1 - 4	289	$49 / $60	Nov 05	bgg
Filibust! Party Card Game A party card game full of laughter; just don't let it out! You and your friends must keep a straight face saying your whacky lines. // Has raised $587 of $10,000 so far. (~6%)	3 - 8	10	$25 / $59	Dec 08
Frostpunk: The Board Game A city-survival game where heat means life and every decision comes at a cost. From the designers of Nemesis and This War of Mine: TBG. // Has raised €1,093,059 of €200,000 so far. (~547%) ☑	1 - 4	9962	$89 / €110	Oct 28	bgg
Gun and Gun A fast-paced competitive card game featuring action-packed 1v1 duels and a two-deck draft system, brought to you straight from Japan. // Has raised $27,313 of $10,000 so far. (~273%) ☑	2	438	$30 / $62	Oct 22	bgg
Herbaceous - Pocket Edition A new, compact version of Herbaceous that's just as relaxing and beautiful as the original // Has raised $18,466 of $4,500 so far. (~410%) ☑	1 - 4	925	$15 / $20	Oct 19	bgg #newedition
Hey Doc, A adult party game for health care workers, students and anyone who finds bodily functions humerus! // Has raised $12,005 of $11,000 so far. (~109%) ☑	3+	269	$35 / $45	Nov 01	#take2 #lolwut
Hidden Society of the Gnomes: Great Invasion Gnomes are taking over the world! The invasion is inevitable! Will they succeed, or will the human race prevail? The choice is yours! // Has raised €222 of €60,000 so far. (~0%)	2	4	$47 / €56	Dec 08	#hmm
High Rise: The UltraPlastic Edition The tabletop board game about construction and corruption, now with gorgeous plastic buildings // Has raised $49,273 of $50,000 so far. (~99%)	1 - 4	706	$5 / $70	Oct 29	bgg #newedition #expansion
Jack Rabbit JAM: Battle Roulette A casino-style 1v1 game of strategy and luck, inspired by classic arcade fighters. // Has raised £83 of £777 so far. (~11%)	2	13	$10 / £6	Oct 28
Journey to Ecrya: A roleplay-driven board game Play as 1 of 8 unique heroes and embark on a dangerous journey through a rich fantasy landscape in this 2 to 4 players game. // Has raised €2,180 of €13,000 so far. (~17%)	2 - 4	53	$30 / €41	Nov 10	bgg
King of the West A quick Weird West area-control card game that fits in your pocket. Only $9! // Has raised $2,169 of $3,500 so far. (~62%)	2 - 9	86	$9 / $25	Nov 03	bgg
Mighty Armies: Invasion The dead have risen! The living must form armies as they combat the forces of foul necromancers. Welcome to Invasion. // Has raised $1,441 of $500 so far. (~288%) ☑	2?	22	$10 / $66	Oct 18
MUD: A Political Card Game The dirty game of American elections. // Has raised $19,427 of $12,000 so far. (~162%) ☑	2 - 6	394	$25 / $49	Nov 02	bgg
NOONGK - the future is already here! Harness the power of technologies and leverage them as a tool to achieve the sustainable development agenda. // Has raised €182 of €30,000 so far. (~1%)	?	5	$35 / €36	Nov 11	#hmm
Pocket Paragons 3-minute Asymmetrical Duel // Has raised $11,591 of $8,000 so far. (~145%) ☑	2	214	$20 / $54	Nov 05	bgg
Prosperitea A simple and elegant card game about blending, selling, and trading loose leaf tea. From the studio that brought you Cantankerous Cats! // Has raised $3,714 of $20,000 so far. (~19%)	3 - 6	95	$29 / $39	Nov 02	bgg
Rainbow Unicorn Rescue Rainbow Unicorn Rescue is a true family board game; created by two young sisters and brought to life with a little help from dad. // Has raised $4,046 of $5,000 so far. (~81%)	2 - 4	56	$30 / $72	Nov 01
Random Fun Generator, Dice Games from Steve Jackson Games A collection of over twenty dice games from Steve Jackson Games! Use any existing six-sided dice, or play using our many custom dice!!! // Has raised $79,119 of $500 so far. (~15824%) ☑	varies	3166	$15 / $25	Oct 12
Rathskellers Modular Table : For Dining, Gaming & RPG's Rathskellers' 1st kickstarter project ! Presenting Sunnygeeks: A truly epic & modular table for Dining, Gaming & RPGs. // Has raised €269,740 of €100,000 so far. (~270%) ☑	-	231	$1182 / €1,168	Nov 12	#bling
Reputation: The Game of Fame A scandalous card game about your journey to superstardom. // Has raised A$1,155 of A$1,500 so far. (~77%)	?	25	$18 / A$46	Nov 02
ROTTEN MINIATURES MMXX Resin miniatures in dark fantasy style for players, collectors, and painters. // Has raised €4,486 of €2,500 so far. (~179%) ☑	-	79	$10 / €57	Nov 07	#minis
RPG Battles: The Card Game The easiest roleplaying, cards, and strategy game ever! Based on the mechanics of the Pathfinder RPG, without the complication. #TTRPG // Has raised $961 of $1,000 so far. (~96%)	2 - 6	31	$15 / $31	Nov 06	bgg
Sig: City of Blades Cosmopolitan Planar Fantasy, Forged in the Dark // Has raised C$15246 of C$10000 so far. (~152%) ☑	?	354	$19 / C$43	Oct 30	#rpg
Solid Oak Dice Tower Evolution Dice tower / tray / storage combo // Has raised £1,605 of £400 so far. (~401%) ☑	-	26	$39 / £62	Oct 29	#bling
Spindlewheel A tarot-like interpretive storytelling game where you weave a story from card to card. // Has raised $19,970 of $5,000 so far. (~399%) ☑	?	321	$35 / $62	Nov 07	#rpg
Studies in Sorcery Studies in Sorcery is an engine building and drafting game for 1-4 players about getting your master's degree in the dark arts. // Has raised $16,327 of $5,900 so far. (~277%) ☑	1 - 4	545	$19 / $30	Oct 29	bgg
Takkure, a cyberpunk rugby game In a violent cyberpunk universe, the players take on the role of coaches to lead teams of 4 players. // Has raised €19,734 of €13,000 so far. (~152%) ☑	2	282	$77 / €70	Oct 25	bgg
The Conquistadors A game simulating the Spanish conquest of the Americas from 1518-1548 // Has raised $6,373 of $2,500 so far. (~255%) ☑	1 - 5	80	$64 / $80	Oct 27	bgg
The Sleepover A lightly horror themed family friendly co-op board game. Where you have to restore power to the house before the Boogeyman gets you. // Has raised $2,569 of $27,000 so far. (~10%)	2 - 6	32	$45 / $80	Nov 06
Time Vault Soccer - The football card game A 2 player starter pack and expansion for the original Time Vault Soccer "Debut" set - with added World Cup-ness. // Has raised £613 of £1,000 so far. (~61%)	2 - 6	14	$27 / £44	Nov 05	bgg #expansion #newedition
To The Moon And Back A fun and highly tactical board game where in up to six players compete against eachother as intergalactic parcel couriers. // Has raised €3,724 of €20,000 so far. (~19%)	2 - 6	68	$48 / €55	Nov 05
TorKings: The World's Greatest Strategic Alignment Game UNTAMED and UNLEASHED - The genre's EXTREME UPGRADE of gameplay and hardware is here. // Has raised A$38,686 of A$5,000 so far. (~774%) ☑	2 - 6	406	$39 / A$95	Oct 27	bgg
Truth or lie, do you know your friends? The boardgame where you will have to discover if your friends are lying or telling the truth, with the most intimate questions // Has raised €322 of €2,200 so far. (~15%)	?	8	$24 / €40	Nov 03
Unforgiven: The Lincoln Assassination Trial Relive one of the most famous trials in US history--a tense, tabletop duel where you sway a jury & a nation for swift justice. // Has raised $22,177 of $7,999 so far. (~277%) ☑	2	373	$29 / $59	Oct 31	bgg
WOKE UP! “There is no such thing as a single issue struggle"Audre Lorde (Black, Lesbian, Mother, Warrior) // Has raised £1 of £4,600 so far. (~0%)	2 - 6	1	$20 / £1	Nov 04
Yonder: A Fantasy Tabletop Roleplaying Game Refugees from a cataclysm venture into a magical land where they are transformed as they reveal their inner nature. // Has raised C$8192 of C$6000 so far. (~137%) ☑	?	176	$19 / C$47	Nov 01	#rpg
You Don't Know Me: The Friendship Party Game Testing friendships since 2020. // Has raised C$2957 of C$8000 so far. (~37%)	3 - 6+	36	$19 / C$82	Nov 05

Need moar Kickstarter goodness?

Check out...

• My Calendar of Announced Kickstarters (Also available in iCal flavor)
• My interactive AirTable view of all active board game kickstarter campaigns.
• BoardGameGeek's variety of Kickstarter-oriented Geeklists
• Kicktraq's data-driven views

Footnotes

• #hmm means that something about the project seems a little off. Buyer beware kinda thing.
• #lolwut is reserved for projects that seem like copycat games or campaigns put together with little thought. Check 'em out for amusement.
• #take tags are for projects that have been restarted for some reason, with the number indicating what iteration we're currently on.
• Did I miss something? Particularly something new in the last 7 days or ending in the next 7 days? Let me know in the comments and I'll add it in.

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50 Years Ago is an irregular column that discusses notable anime from 50 years in the past, roughly aligned with the current month. With this series, I hope to expose classic old anime to younger viewers and give some light education about the early age of anime. For previous 50YA articles, try this search criteria.

50 Years Ago This Month

Martial arts and anime are inseparable. Stoic martial arts masters that need no weapon except their fists, children inheriting their family's secret killer technique, recurring martial arts duels with your lifelong archrival from another school, tournaments to determine the world's best fighter... all of these are common tropes in anime. Of course, these tropes are also staples of martial arts-themed media in a wide variety of other formats, but manga and anime seem to have a higher propensity for adding these elements into works that otherwise wouldn't have anything to do with martial arts whatsoever, regardless of whether doing so will mesh with the rest of the setting, the characters, or even the genre. Only in anime will you see something like a regular unarmed guy character tagging along with gun-wielding cyborgs, dodging bullets, deflecting rockets, summoning laser dragons, etc, and the only explanation needed is "he's a martial artist".
One thing I find fascinating about anime's relationship with martial arts is that despite how omnipresent martial arts themes and inspirations are, there are remarkably few anime that focus on the martial arts themselves in a realistic, or even semi-realistic, fashion. Pick any sport or hobby that is relatively popular in Japan and you can probably find at least one anime whose entire concept is just to depict that sport/hobby being performed, exposit to the audience a bit about what it is or how it works, and tell the story of one or more characters who are very dedicated to doing it. For the more popular sports, school clubs, and other activities, there can be dozens of anime that realistically depict characters doing that activity. But when it comes to martial arts, most anime that feature them are only using them as a thematic element and not focusing on the martial art/sport itself - e.g. Ranma½ and Fist of the North Star's characters are accomplished martial artists who ostensibly fight using martial artist techniques, but the techniques are all made up and there's no narrative elements or exposition that would teach the viewer anything about how martial arts training or sports happen in real life.
Not that there's anything wrong with an anime that is only themed around martial arts in a fictional way. Sci-fi racing anime like Rideback and vehicle-themed characters like Courier from Akudama Drive have no problems coexisting with more realistic racing sports anime such as Initial D, F, or Machine Hayabusa. Dramas and comedies themed around music or which have playing music as a narrative element, such as K-On, Aggretsuko, or Your Lie in April can all coexist with series that dedicate more focus to the art and process of creating the music, such as Nodame Cantabile or Carole & Tuesday.
All told, there's less than a dozen realistic or pseudo-realistic anime that focus on martial arts. That seems like a pretty low number to me, considering how frequently their themes show up in other works. The closest stylistic comparison to a martial arts "sport anime" would be to combat sports that aren't traditional Japanese martial arts - namely boxing and wrestling - and these greatly outnumber any particular martial art. There are more anime about boxing alone than there are about all the traditional Japanese martial arts put together. Some of the Japanese martial arts have never been featured in any anime, ever.
If boxing sports anime are so popular, and if there can be a sports anime about high schoolers learning competitive ballroom dancing and karuta, then surely it would be viable to make a sports anime about karate or aikido.
So, why aren't there more martial arts sports anime being made? And why did it take so long to even get the first one?
There's no one singular answer to this question, of course, but here's an answer: Ikki Kajiwara.
Yup, today I'm going to talk a bunch about famous manga author Ikki Kajiwara, exploring two ways he had an enormous influence on the first period of sports anime, and what that meant for real martial arts in anime.
 

A Quick Intro to Ikki Kajiwara

Kajiwara was a prolific manga author in the 1960s and '70s, partnering with numerous different now-famous artists (Tetsuya Chiba, Noboru Kawasaki, Tatsuo Yoshida, etc), writing as many as five different simultaneous manga at his peak. If one magazine couldn't publish all the works he was writing, he'd write some of them under a pen name and publish those with that magazine's competitor instead!
Most of Kajiwara's manga are themed around a sport, but Kajiwara's main inspiration as an author came from his own youth as a self-professed violent delinquent, especially interested in hand-to-hand fighting and rebellious characters with lots of "guts" or "fighting spirit". Virtually all of Kajiwara's protagonists start out as young, aggressive, delinquent boys, usually poor, orphaned, or otherwise down-on-their-luck.
His first breakthrough success was the seminal baseball manga Star of the Giants (Kyojin no Hoshi), which doesn't feature a lot of hand-to-hand fighting but still revolves chiefly around the main character, Hyuma, and his rivals overcoming their baseball-related challenges via lots of "guts" and sheer perseverance, and a lot less actual baseball tactics than modern audiences would probably expect. For example, in episode 84 (one of the most loved episodes of the series), rival Mitsuru Hanagata discards the strategies and compromises his team had come up with to counter Hyuma's (fictional) "Death Ball" pitch technique, and opts instead to face it head on. He manages to hit the Death Ball into a home run and hides the fact that doing so broke several bones in his body while he jogs, then limps, then crawls his way around the baseball diamond back to home plate so he can score the point before being carried off the field.
I'm not sure whether Kajiwara was always interested in writing lots of manga about (or themed around) sports, or perhaps it was the success of Star of the Giants that spurred him to do so, but after Giants' success he turned to other sports and wrote many more sports-themed rags-to-riches stories, with his next targets being wrestling and boxing. Let's take a more in-depth look into both these works before we circle back around to Kajiwara.
 

Tiger Mask

In 1969's Tiger Mask, the titular main character Tiger Mask is a professional wrestler (the theatrical entertainment sort of wrestling, not the competitive sport sort).
Whether you want to call this a "sports anime" or not is up to you. Obviously the first potential issue with that is: Can an anime about an entertainment-based theatrical imitation of a sport still even be considered a "sports anime"? Personally, I think if fictional, utterly impractical sports can still be the subject of sports anime like Keijo!!!!! and Girls und Panzer then sure, theatrical wrestling can be the subject of a sports anime, too. But in order to be a "sports anime", it will have to depict the story of the athletes and how they do their performances, not just be a fantastical story with a vague wrestling theme. And Tiger Mask is definitely a fantastical story with a vague wrestling theme. At first glance, things look fairly realistic with a storyline and setting that seem like a sensible depiction of actual professional wrestling: Tiger Mask got famous in the United States but has now returned to Japan to compete there, all of his fights are contextualized as official wrestling matches taking place in a proper wrestling ring and in front of big crowds, he and his opponents all wear wrestling attire similar to how real-life wrestlers would dress, and there's even some characters within the series like Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba that are the counterparts of real-life wrestlers. Tiger Mask starts out as a heel (a villainous character within the ring) but after a few episodes is motivated to change his ways and become a good-natured wrestler so that the children who look up to him will have a good role model - a realistic human motivation that a real-life wrestler could plausibly have.
But then you get into the first few episodes and Tiger Mask is quickly confronted by some opposing wrestlers who state they are going to kill him when they face him in the ring. Once Tiger Mask gets to his matches, all rules and decorum are tossed aside as his opponents genuinely try to kill him in the ring, over and over again, often using illegal weapons. The depiction is frequently much bloodier, violent, and dangerous than you would ever see in a real-life wrestling match, and aside from the crowd surrounding the match the series maintains barely any pretense that this has anything to do with actual wrestling. Tying this all together, the story adds an over-arching conspiracy where a nefarious organization (lead by this dapper gentleman) called Tiger's Den secretly trains evil wrestlers that are trying to assassinate Tiger Mask because he was once one of them and betrayed the organization.
Hence, Tiger Mask is not about the sport or athletic aspects of wrestling. It isn't depicting the life of a wrestling athlete or showcasing how wrestling is performed, it is depicting a fiction-within-fiction. Even though Tiger Mask has a real name (Naoto Date) and identity beneath the mask, the life of Naoto within the series is entirely subsumed by the Tiger Mask identity and story. The narrative of Tiger Mask and what it chooses to focus on is the script a real-life professional wrestler's character would shout into a microphone during a show, not what that athlete would actually live.
Manga readers and anime viewers didn't mind - fans loved Tiger Mask's outlandish attitude mixed with his noble redemption arc and his brave attitude that overcame the many dangers he faced week after week. Both the manga and anime ended in 1971, but Tiger Mask's popularity lived on for years and an anime sequel was created in 1981 starring a successor to the original Tiger Mask taking over the mask.
Here's the part where I would normally say "and it's been a major influence on all the wrestling manga/anime franchises that followed" or some such... and yes, that's probably true (though Kinnikuman might be the bigger influence overall), but Tiger Mask's even bigger legacy is in the ring itself.
In 1971 (slightly before the sequel anime TV series aired, but it's not quite clear what the relationship between those was, if any), the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization debuted a real-life version of Tiger Mask, portrayed by Satoru Sayama. He was an active wrestler doing matches around the world until 1983, after which Mitsuharu Misawa took over the mantle, and there has been a continuous line of Tiger Mask characters as well as variants like his evil twin Black Tiger, female versions (on and off-screen), an evil doppelganger, a "true" successor, and a ton of other related characters. All told, the Tiger Mask gimmick has been continuously running in one form or another for almost 40 years and spans dozens of characters, making it one of the longest-lived and most successful gimmicks in wrestling history. There's even been imitators of the anime-to-real conversion, most notably the wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger based off of the Jushin Liger anime series. (The Jushin Liger anime had nothing to do with wrestling before then. It's about a 12-year old who fights off alien invasions using a building-sized bio-armour that fights with swords and lasers. A curious choice for a new wrestling character, to say the least.)
Ironically, Tiger Mask may not have depicted the life of a real wrestler... but real wrestlers ended up depicting Tiger Mask, instead.
Today, Tiger Mask is still fondly remembered by manga/anime fans and there was even a bizarre live-action film made in 2013 where Tiger Mask has superhero power armour plus a new sequel anime series, Tiger Mask W, made in 2016 with tie-ins to wrestling events and debuts.
As for our quest for martial arts sports anime, though, Tiger Mask sets a rough precedent, embracing fantasy and having little to no interest in examining the life of a real athlete - the opposite of what we're hoping to find for our martial arts sports anime.
 

Tomorrow's Joe

1970's Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow's Joe) stars the titular Joe Yabuki, a young, cocksure drifter who frequently gets into street fights and trouble with the police, but a retired boxer Danpei sees him winning a street fight and eventually convinces him to become a professional boxer.
Similar to Tiger Mask, the contextualization of the matches in Tomorrow's Joe is very good - professional matches take place in a boxing ring with the crowds and context of a real sporting event, the clothing is correct, there's reporters covering the events, etc. Improving over Tiger Mask, there is some actual dialogue and exposition about different techniques within the sport, the athletes actually get chastised for breaking the rules, and there's no shadowy villain organization or secret ninjas added in. The tactics and techniques are exaggerated, it's overly bloody, and the amount of colossal hits to the face the athletes take is inflated, but for the most part it's grounded enough to feel real.
So, Tomorrow's Joe does have all the hallmarks of what we'd typically consider a true, realistic sports anime... after 28 episodes.
See, Joe Yabuki spends the first handful of episodes just getting into street fights, tricking people out of their money, and adamantly refusing to listen to the weird guy who occasionally pops up to try and talk to him about boxing. Then Joe goes too far, gets arrested, and is sent off to juvenile detention where he spends the next several episodes brawling with other inmates, doing hard labour, and getting intro trouble with the guards. This is all in service to building up Joe's character and capabilities, with the ultimate goal of him being a successful boxer, but the episodes put it into only the barest of a pseudo-sports training context.
The first moment of actual boxing comes in episode 14 where he agrees to have a boxing match against a fellow inmate who is a boxer, but that match has no athletic or sporting context and they quickly ignore the rules and techniques of actual boxing. A few episodes after that the prison sets up a boxing club for the inmates and we get a couple more bouts, but these are still far outside the usual context of boxing, and these are the matches with the least focus on the sport and least realistic techniques of the series.
It's not until episode 29 that Joe, now released from prison, starts treating boxing like an actual sport and the series gains the greater context surrounding the sport of boxing like gyms, reporters, promotion, weight classes, getting officially licensed, etc. Up until that point, the show is more of a violent slice-of-life drama than a sports anime.
After that, though, the series does shift into what you would expect of a sports anime - the narrative focuses on Joe's efforts to progress as a boxer, the series explores for the audience various facets of the sport, and the plot beats mostly revolve around Joe's success or failure in his matches as well as the relationships he forms with other characters within the sport. Joe is still rude and arrogant, but he now applies his rebellious drive (and a good deal of wanting a revenge match or two) into being a professional boxer. Modern audiences accustomed to sports anime like Haikyū or Hajime no Ippo will probably still find that the details of the sport aren't given as much focus as they expect, but the series as a whole still feels like a relatively honest depiction of boxing.
Tomorrow's Joe is arguably the most influential anime of all time and there's no shortage of articles and media discussing how and why in exhaustive detail, so I'm not going to delve into that here.
But let's cut back to that issue where it took months of airing before the series actually became a boxing anime. Why did Ikki Kajiwara do that? Why make the character of Joe be initially so against boxing and so anti-authority that he gets arrested? Why not just have Joe start out as rude and rebellious, but also already motivated to enter into the sport? Wasn't Kajiwara worried that people would stop reading his boxing manga after the first two dozen issues didn't have any boxing in them?
 

True Grit

So here's the thing, Ikki Kajiwara doesn't care that much about sports. His depiction is more realistic in some works than others, but faithfulness to the sport is always a lesser priority than having cool fights and lots of character drama that makes the rags-to-riches story even more fraught and compelling. Rules, sportsmanship, tactics, technique... these are all optional components to be discarded whenever necessary for the sake of more fighting spirit. Above all else, Kajiwara's protagonists need to be physically, mentally, or ideally both, beaten to the point of total exhaustion and then rise up again only through sheer willpower and perseverance. The most iconic lines from Tomorrow's Joe are not anything specific to boxing - lines like coach Danpei repeatedly shouting at Joe "Get up! Get up Joe! Get back up!" which symbolize the simple stubborness and fighting spirit of the character, but frankly could be used in any Kajiwara work regardless of its particular sports theme.
If Ikki Kawajira were writing a manga about gentle old ladies playing croquet, it would not reflect the relaxed tone and pursuit of calm concentration that is reflective of croquet (I assume... I don't really know anything about croquet). Kajiwara would find a way to have his gentle old lady protagonist also be a rebellious orphan from the slums who breaks her spine midway through an important croquet game but finishes the game through her tenacity and stubborness.
That's why it takes so long for Joe to get in the ring, because for Kajiwara this isn't a boxing manga/anime, at least not primarily. He's perfectly happy writing a manga about street fighting and prison brawls. Not that there's anything wrong with that, in fact it adds a lot of weight to Joe's character in the long-term. But if you were going into Tomorrow's Joe looking for a sports manga/anime, or a boxing manga/anime, you'll just have to be patient and wait for it because Ikki Kajiwara doesn't care. And even then, the protrayal of boxing is never going to go especially deep or detailed.
So that's some famous wrestling and boxing anime, but what does this have to do with our quest for a martial arts sports anime?
Well, Kajiwara's next work after the debut of Tomorrow's Joe was Kick no Oni (Kick Demon) about a karate master who gets defeated by a Muay Thai kickboxer, gives up karate and becomes a professional kickboxer himself (a pseudo-biographical depiction of Tadashi Sawamura). It is a bit less grounded in its depiction of kickboxing as Tomorrow's Joe is of boxing... by which I mean the protagonist Sawamura frequently jumps 4 meters into the air for his dropkick attack, can take a hard swing of a wooden beam to the chest without even flinching, and suddenly screaming at the top of your lungs mid-match to confuse your opponent is considered a practical strategy that professional athletes actually use. While it follows a similar narrative mold to Tomorrow's Joe, the depiction of kickboxing is, overall, much less fleshed out than it was for boxing, akin more to the generalized ring fighting of Tiger Mask just without the knives and killing intent. Sawamura doesn't learn the sport by getting a tutor, he just imitates what he saw the fighters that beat him do and tests them on street thugs. When Sawamura is losing a match, he doesn't discuss particular moves or tactics he could try with his coach between rounds, it's always some variation of "I'll take as many hits from him as I need to until he leaves an opening and then I'll unload my fury on him!". Sub-plots between matches don't teach the viewer more about the martial art or showcase the difficulties of balancing an athlete's dedication to the sport with the rest of their life, they're about Sawamura having a melodramatic mental breakdown because the kickboxing association is threatening to ban him... and not even for something that happened in the ring, but he criticized his opponent's motivation in an interview.
Oh and if you miss the cross-counters from Tomorrow's Joe, don't worry we've got those here, too.
Don't get me wrong, Kick Demon is still very much a sports anime and a martial arts anime - it's full of kickboxing matches that look somewhat close to real ones, plus those wonderful sports anime staples like arch-rivals becoming friends through the power of the sport. But it's a fairly tenuous debut for martial arts sports anime and sets an uneasy precedent if we're hoping to get an actual realistic depiction in a later work.
Kajiwara's next major work after Kick Demon was Akakichi no Eleven (Red-Blooded Eleven), about a class of unruly high school delinquents corraled into becoming a soccer team by a tough teachecoach.
Next after that was Karate Baka Ichidai (literally "Karate-Crazy Life" but usually titled as Karate Master in English), a biographical depiction of famous karate master Mas Oyama (renamed Ken Asuka in the manga/anime). Again our protagonist starts out as a rebellious hooligan. Like Kick Demon, despite being a biographical work, the protagonist's martial arts let him leap 5 meters into the air and knock out stampeding bulls with a single punch. Again there is little consideration for describing actual techniques or delving into the philosophy of karate, despite how one would expect a famous karate master to have some deep thoughts about the art. Again the narrative is more on a macho underdog rising up through fighting and perseverance, and less about showcasing the life of an actual karate practitioner.
As a story, it's fine, but as a depiction of a real karate lifestyle it leaves a lot to be desired. The karate itself is once again just a vehicle for the character drama and an excuse to have fights, but you could probably exchange karate for a number of other martial arts or even for a sport like tennis without it changing the narrative or themes of the work by much.
At least it's still a lot more grounded than one of Kajiwara's later karate-themed works, New Karate Hell, about a karate master on a worldwide revenge quest to defeat neo-Nazis.
Personally, I think that the more realistic depiction of boxing in Tomorrow's Joe, compared to his other works, was a significant part of why Tomorrow's Joe is his most celebrated work. Consider the build up to a match in Tomorrow's Joe where Joe's next opponent has a reputation for striking the head extremely hard and his previous opponent is now suffering a traumatic brain injury. The audience knows that brain damage is a real issue in boxing and Joe's fear about facing this opponent are the same fears that a real boxer would have in the face of possible brain trauma. It connects with the audience in a stronger way than Tiger Mask facing yet another evil assassin wrestler who breaks the rules, or Sawamura exclaiming about the wonders of a sport he never actually trained for, and especially not for Ken being demotivated after his 6-meter jumpkick got beaten by some other martial artist's 7-meter jumpkick. Realism increases the audience's empathy and suspense, but this was not a lesson Kajiwara or the producers choosing what anime to adapt learned, so Kick Demon and Karate Master are the closest thing we got to a realistic martial arts anime out of him.
 

(Aside)

Actually, there is a 3rd Kajiwara martial arts manga about judo called Judo Sanka (In Praise of Judo), but I couldn't find any way to watch any of it and information on it is sparse. It got an anime adaptation in 1974 but was prematurely cancelled due to low ratings. From what little I can glean, I have no reason to think this series was significantly different from other Kajiwara fare.
 

Chain Punching

Fortunately for Kajiwara, but unfortunately for our hopes of a better martial arts anime, audiences absolutely adored Hyūma Hoshi, Tiger Mask, and especially Joe Yabuki. They're compelling characters in their own right, and many audiences furthermore felt that these characters' struggles were emblematic of their own struggles, or even that they were representative of the current national character of Japan as a whole, rising out of its postwar depression into a rapidly-growing economy and burgeoning middle class through the fighting spirit and perseverance of the collective people. Joe and his compatriot's rebellious attitudes and sarcastic opposition to the state and/or to the wealthy also found admiration with social protestors and the proponents of various reform movements.
Since audiences loved Kajiwara's works so much, the networks/studios unsurprisingly kept on adapting more of his works, plus almost every sports-related non-Kajiwara anime (especially Attack No. 1, Aim for the Ace, and Dokaben) followed a similar style of arrogant protagonists, tough-love coaches that push their athletes to their breaking point, challenges that are won above all through guts and perseverence, and an especially physical depiction of the sport. These works dominated the airwaves, and aside from a few racing anime there was no room for another kind of sports anime... especially not a realistic martial arts anime.
Kajiwara had been so prolific and his popular manga had gone on for so long that when the adaptations of his later work weren't as popular and the well of new Kajiwara works to adapt was drying up, they simply went back and adapted more of his popular works - Tiger Mask 2, New Star of the Giants, New Star of the Giants 2, and Ashita no Joe 2.
Hence, from the dawn of commercial anime all the way until the mid-1980s the sports anime market was saturated with Ikki Kajiwara adaptations and a few other works that leaned heavily into the same style he was known for. Even if there was a missing niche for a sports anime faithfully showcasing, say, the world of competitive kendo or the ordeals of real wrestlers, networks already had their timeslots full and audiences were perfectly happy with what they had.
 

A New Hope

It had to end eventually. Finally, in the 1980s, they ran out of successful Kajiwara source material to adapt. Finally, networks, studios, and audiences were all looking for something new. They didn't just want imitators of the same successful formula - those had already been tried (e.g. Attack on Tomorrow! copying Attack No. 1, or Ganbare Genki imitating Tomorrow's Joe). It was time for something actually different.
Stylistically, that "different" usually fell initially into one of two categories:
The first category, which I'll call "Fantasy Sports Anime", is where they dialed up the fantastical elements further than ever before, abandoning any pretense of realism, possibly to the extent where you can scarcely even recognize the sport. These series were usually aimed primarily at kids and tended towards a comedy tone over drama or suspense. The most extreme example of the former category is Kinnikuman, the comedic wrestling series where a clumsy alien superhero wrestles against supervillains. Or, for a more grounded example there was Pro Golfer Saru where a Sun Wukong-inspired protagonist saves the world from evil by golfing against assassin-golfers, kung-fu masters, robots, and the incarnation of Death.
The second category, which I'll call "Soapy Sports Anime", is where they turned up the character drama dial, instead. These series kept things grounded and realistic but decreased the amount of actual sport being played while increasing the amount of outside-the-sport relationships and character drama. Doing an in-depth exposition of a sport's techniques, rules, and training regimes probably still felt too similar to the cold, physically-aggressive tone of the sports anime of Kajiwara's era, so for older audiences that had loved the journey of the characters in the sports anime of the '60s and '70s they amplified the character journey element instead. These series wove complex soap opera-like narratives, often featuring dramatic love polygons, character deaths, and family conflicts - all tied back into the motivation of the athlete protagonist to succeed in their sport. Baseball in particular was the notorious sport of choice for these works, with a whole string of soapy baseball-themed series (Slow Step, Major, Touch, and many more).
Beyond stylistic novelty, the search for new and different sports stories was also an opportunity to showcase new sports that hadn't been animated before. Golf was featured in the aforementioned fantasy sport anime Pro Golfer Saru as well as the soapy sports anime Ashita Tenki ni Naare! (Weather Permitting). Hikari no Densetsu (Tale of Hikari) was a soapy sports anime about gymnastics. Most importantly of all, Tsurikichi Sanpei brought us 109 soapy episodes of competitive fishing.
And finally, finally we get some martial arts sports anime! Musashi no Ken (Sword of Musashi) is a soapy sports anime about kendo and Yawara! is a soapy sports anime about fashion judo. Soon thereafter in the early '90s, we also got two sumo wrestling anime - the more serious Notari Matsutaro OAV and the soapier but also a little bit fantastical Oh! Harimanada TV series. There weren't really any outright fantasy sports anime about martial arts during this period, probably because if you're going to go full fantasy why not just give up the sports anime structure altogether and make Idiot Ninja or Dragon Ball, instead.
Taking a quick look at Yawara!, virtually every element of its portrayal of judo is noticeably more realistic than the adaptations of Kajiwara's martial arts manga (except for the exaggerated character designs). The athletic feats are not exaggerated beyond actual human ability. Everyone follows the actual rules of the sport closely. The athletes are part of realistic sports organizations where they train rigourously in the sport and progress is believably slow. Succeeding via pure endurance is the exception rather than the rule, and the athlete's tactics are focused much more closely around specific real techniques, especially when Yawara is coaching the high school boys' team.
Being a 1980s soapy sports anime, Yawara! doesn't even have that much actual judo in it, being much more focused on its character relationships and dramatic life events. Even so, by watching it you can learn a lot about the art and sport of judo, the organizations surrounding it, and some of the experiences that a real judo athlete would have - not something you can say about Kick Demon or Karate Master.
(Yawara! is also the most anti-sports anime sports anime that ever sports anime'd, but we'll save that aspect for a column of its own some other day.)
The soapy sports anime trend ultimately only lasted about a decade, and sci-fi or fantasy settings continue to be a tough fit for a sports anime themed around a real martial art (contrast against how seamlessly a series like Dragon League can anachronistically insert a simpler, more universal sport like soccer into its setting). As the wake from the Kajiwara era settled further, the sports anime genre spread out stylistically even further, with the beginner-introduced-to-the-sport-through-high-school-team/club-format becoming especially popular in the current era.
Unlike the past era, this modern market heavily rewards novelty, adapting an unparalleled variety of sports and sport-like hobbies rather than the perpetual dozen simultaneous baseball series of days gone by. This means the martial arts have even more sports to compete with for screentime than ever before - everything from surfing to figure skating to rugby to cheerleading to centaur racing. But the martial arts have risen to the challenge, ultimately benefitting from the current "something for everyone" trends to gain the diverse exposure they've always lacked (and perhaps also benefitting from how many of them are semi-popular high school clubs), with realistic, in-depth portrayals of sumo, kendo, and the first kyudo anime all making it onto the screen in recent years. With karate about to have its Olympic debut later this year, an influx of interest in the sport could result in us finally getting a proper karate sports anime, and hopefully that elusive first aikido anime won't be too far behind, or maybe even a Naginata anime.
Martial arts will probably always have an uphill battle for honest depiction in anime - the allure of adding unreal versions of them into other genres isn't going to disappear, and as sports they will never rival the popularity of baseball, tennis, and the like. But the era of being relegated to hollow themes for repetitive gritty, macho hero tales is long over and the latest batch of martial arts sports anime are the most faithful and involved depictions we've had yet. Who knows what the future will hold, but it is looking bright.