In Another Dream: Chikyuu wa Boku ga Mawasu

[Lethe]

I've made a random one page shrine to an obscure one-volume manga that I was very fortunate to stumble upon about a week ago. Reading this short manga and working on this shrine were a form of self-therapy to drag myself out of some issues I've been struggling with. Shrining by mood feels nice; it's very calming and soothing for me to write about characters who are stuck in some way or another. The last few weeks weren't all that pleasant, but I hope that things are looking up for me... I just need to get the courage to make some moves in my life.

I hope that the shrine is an interesting read even if you aren't into manga, as I don't expect anyone to know this particular one! A lot of influences from around the community come together in this (I've word-vomited about it at my network), especially Stefi and Lucas' recent network revamps and various input Aku gave around the forums. Thank you all for the inspiration and support.

[Megan]

FIRST OF ALL THIS IS AMAZING.........
I love the set up of the layout, and the black and white color scheme!!!

I LOVE THE HEADER TITLES OF EACH SECTION YOU TALK ABOUT.
WANDERERS OF THE IN-BETWEEN LOOKS GREAT WITH THE TWO PHOTOS AND THE BLACK BACKGROUND *____*
I LOVE HOW YOU CAN CLICK ON HER OUTFITS AND YOU SHOW US SOME IMAGES OF HER IN THAT COSTUME.
I LOVE HOW YOU CAN CLICK ON DIGIMON AND POKEMON AND OTHER LITTLE CUTE CREATURES TO FIND OUT MORE INFO.
NAMINE SECTION ON THIS SITE??? I WASNT EXPECTING THAT BUT I LOVE THIS TOO.

Sorry everything is in caps basically but I was really amazed by this. This may be one of my favorite sites by you because its so easy to read, and its personal, and it has SO MANY IMAGES (which are my favorite things to see on information pages)!!!!

Also, I would have never been able to guess this was a one-volumed serious... I'm going to read it soon! :D

[Aku]

OKAY I'M GLAD MEGAN COMMENTED IN ALL CAPS FIRST BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA BE THAT PERSON BUT GOOD OL' MEGAN TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM, TEAM CAPSLOCK. ALSO BECAUSE I WANNA STAY TRUE TO MY "LEAVE FEEDBACK ASAP RESOLUTION" I'M GONNA COMMENT ON YOUR VISUALS FIRST 1) because I want to take my time reading this and not rush it for the sake of a comment, and 2) because I think a shrine that so obviously has design thought behind it deserves equally elaborate design feedback, BUT I WILL COME BACK LATER ONCE I'VE READ ALL OF IT!!!! (And damn, I don't wanna be the shallow one here, but pretty much everyone knows I am the shallow one: a design this pretty will make me read an ENTIrE SITE UP AND DOWN.)

I feel like I made this exact comment on Masao's redesign the other day but seriously Lethe: this is such a gorgeous piece of work and you should be so proud of yourself because I can feel the love emanating from this design. A lot of foresight went into designing this. Despite the fact you went in with a preconceived idea of what you were looking to play with (CSS Columns, div styles, etc etc): nothing here feels out of place, or looks awkward or forced, it's executed to perfection. They say "good design is invisible" and I feel like this is the shining example of that. I don't look at this website and think "HMM LETHE REALLY WANTED TO USE CSS COLUMNS HERE", I think, "damn this is a pretty, super legible, beautifully typeset shrine".

The contrast between the stark black and white is so lovely and really emphasizes the divide in your sections (which is always nice in a one pager) and that bit of orange and teal gives a pop of color that's just warm/human enough to keep it from feeling too one note. I know you worry (for whatever silly reason) about being TL;DR, but the shrine doesn't feel that way at all with the way you've broken it up with images and planes of color. I also love that your "header" is non traditional and fully embraces your wordy nature: even though you aren't exhibiting the stereotypical "large image header" it almost still reads as one because of the way you've framed the image (circular) and wrapped the text around that. It's so smart (and so you) to have your typography work as imagery. (Know that probably wasn't your intention or maybe even a cognizant decision, but just thought I'd mention how nicely it suits you + your design!) I also love that you cited manga panels in your 'making of' because I think manga/comics are very relatable to webdesign in the sense that space can create narrative: think about how full page spreads can change the "pace" at which you absorb a moment in the story, and how your design is doing that here too!!

It's all just in the details: clean as hell typography, crisp & well treated images, the way your images open up elegantly in a lightbox and the way your site expands itself for more information when you click on the Pokemon. You treated everything with love and consideration and that's what makes good ("invisible") design so good. We're not seeing the design, just your content, and all of the love you put into it. Words and imagery are married perfectly and it really just feels like this design was "meant to be".

Bravo bravo!! I'm sorry I basically design-orgasmed all over Twitter, but that was literally my knee-jerk reaction LMAO. I can't wait to read this and will be back for more later!!

[Robin]

Lethe, your skill at laying out webpages that look like beautifully printed books continues to amaze me. This is like layout porn right here. Not to mention that every font choice is clear and easily read, and the column divides in the individual sections don't feel like information overload AT ALL, even for my currently-revamp-fogged mind. :)

I also like the touch of interactivity with the character gallery and clickable outfits! Just thought I'd throw that in there because that is SUPER cute <3

I can't read any more tonight because brain is NOPE, but I can't wait to come back to this and enjoy your writing style as much as your designing!! :D :D Congrats on finishing this!!

[Shinju]

I LOVE the design and how everything is presented. I love how it resembles a magazine-ish style (I’m very very partial to those ;n;v) and the alternating backgrounds for the sections. Everything flows very well. Each element incorporated, the introductory parts that are slightly bigger and are highlighted, the screen caps, the quotes - they’re all great! I feel your love in every detail. ;A; We tend to be our own worst critics in things that we do and create. It’s disheartening when things we’ve envisioned don’t turn out the way we wanted it to. *hugs* I’m glad that inspiration came and it encouraged you to persevere and create this wonderful piece. (And that you didn’t go away for a while ;;;;) It’s great to hear that every aspect and process in creating In Another Dream was enjoyable for you!

You had me with your intro. The idea of acknowledging change and eventually letting go of what you once knew in order to face reality was enough to give me the chills. And you ending it with the mangacap of hands letting go. q~q /dead

I adore and appreciate the fact that the next three sections not only provide character information and author insight but also present light-hearted entertainment. *u* It unknowingly supplies the reader a chance to collect themselves and prepare for the inevitable heartache to come. (In a good way!!!) “My dream girl” was super enjoyable to look over. (I saved the last outfit until the end, as you suggested hehe~). “Night terrors begone” was absolutely adorable! It’s great that you’ve found so many creatures that are inspired by the Baku!

If the fashion show and Baku inspired creatures were mini surprises, then the ones featured in “The ones left behind” were big ones! Although I’m only familiar with one of them, it’s amazing how you found all of these series to weave together with the themes in In Another Dream and come together as one in the end: each can be regarded as a form of a dream eater in their own way. ;w; Also the KH poems T~T It hits you right there.

I… I started tearing in “All dreams must end” and ended up crying after “Prayer through the night.” Even thinking about it as I write this is making me cry. /hit The message of In Another Dream and how it unfolds is poignant. It hits very close to home. Lethe, you just killed me in a very painful but good way... ;n;

“Don’t wander through the darkness alone — remember, the dream eater is only a few calls away.” It makes me think of my own dream eaters and how much they mean to me; I just start crying. I’d be so lost without them. T~T

tl;dr I love and thank you so much for creating this gem. When darkness comes and finds me, I feel that In Another Dream could be one of the things I can turn to - to remind myself that I'm not alone and that all I have to do is reach out to my own dream eaters. ;~;v

Sorry this turned out to be so overly mushy. ;x; I couldn’t help it. I was not ready for this and it just devoured me whole.

[Masao]

EVERYTHING LOOKS SO AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND I'M SO GFHDGFJGFDJFF OVER THIS.

Everything from intro paragraph to end reads well and it hits all the right emotional buttons. I like how you highlighted the theme of the manga and how you interpreted it as. The way you wrote about Shuhei's personal struggles, his development through the manga, really paints an emotional topic of coming grips with oneself and one's personal struggles. It feels so coming-of-age and it makes me feel so nostalgic for my youth.

The layout itself is really well-balanced. The horizontal spaces and the columns makes the sections transition really well and easy to read. The fashion gallery and section on other dream character add a really nice touch, and your section on why you made the site really gives a great analysis on inter-personal relationships and how we view them on a personal level.

Everything is just so nice and you did a great job.

[Lethe]

omggggggggggg WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS TOPIC OVER NIGHT I just. omg. I teared up reading these lovely feedbacks omg. ;_________; Thank you so much, everyone. ;________;

can we make forum groups/titles for the tl;dr and capslock squads

@Megan: I LOVE that you always gush about all the random stuff!! Section/page titles are always one of my favourite elements in any shrine, and I love it when I can get creative. I rewrote some of these several times, so I'm so happy you love these!! <3 (I remember your comment on my Kyoko shrine. )

HEHEHE my fellow Kingdom Hearts fan. <33333 (One of my favourite things while working on this was Samantha going wtf & "what's up with Naminé????" at me all the time lmao.)

I'm so happy you've enjoyed this shrine that much, and that you'll be reading the manga!

@Aku: OMG PLZ NO SHAME FOR CAPSLOCKING, EVERYONE CAN TOTALLY BE THAT PERSON. WHAT WILL THE CAPSLOCK QUEEN SAY WHEN SHE GETS TO THIS TOPIC AND SEES THOSE BLASPHEMOUS LINES OF YOURS. Also, I'm amused you obviously went and checked out the "making of" page already. <O><O>

everyone don't read the next few paragraphs IT'S JUST WALL OF CHEESE I AM SORRY

Aku your comment omgggggggggggggg. ;_; I'm so emotional rn. ;_______; (Getting flashbacks of Champion's first survey with roles reversed tbh. SORRY FOR BEING EMBARRASSING.)

It's... so incredible that you left such long and thoughtful feedback on a shrine without having read the shrine. (Thank you so much for taking the time to leave it omg.) I can't... imagine leaving one such comment myself (having so many words on design itself, that is), and yours is one of those instances at Amassment that truly make me appreciate how enriched the community is by having people from so many different backgrounds - especially with the age group we have now, as backgrounds are "more homogenous" when everyone is still attending school.

I always learn so much from the things you post, and get so inspired by the things you say and make - even now, when reading this feedback, I feel like I've learned more. You put things into words that I didn't formally learn or that I might not have been conscious of (even as I implement them), and your design viewpoint is so so so interesting and valuable to me. Thank you so much for sharing it with us, and for taking the time for me. ;_;

I'm amused at what you said about the "header", because that thought did cross my mind: I was wondering whether I should give that div an id or whether to use the HTML5 header tag haha. I went with the former in the end, but... you putting it like that makes me appreciate the "header" all the more. ;_; I don't even know what to say about the remark that it's exactly what you'd associate with me omg. ;________;

I am enamoured with what you said about manga in particular. Manga is my biggest passion, and despite "anime/manga" being regarded as one big passion in most contexts for obvious reasons, manga is really special to me!! I've always known that the placement of panels and the control over every single stroke on the page along with the fact that your gaze can linger on them for as long as you like are what make me love manga so much, but what you've said about SPACE and RHYTHM is so lovely. ;_; And then you apply it to my design.

As a big fan of you and your designs, I'm so happy and touched that you hold this shrine in such high esteem. Thank you so very much for all the things you've given me.

@Robin: Robin, I'm so happy that I always reach you with designs reminiscent of books and other prints - I always get so happy every time you say that! The character gallery is a major reason I made the shrine hehe, I'm a sucker for girls in comfy outfits, so I'm happy so many people love it!!

I hope your brain will recover from racing the revamp deadline soon, then we'll be commenting on all those lovely plugs in the revamp subforum together!! <O><O> Can't wait to check out yours.

@Shinju: Wow I am so flattered to hear that I've mastered the art of killing people in a painful but good way.

Jokes aside, I am deeply touched by your comment - it's very personal and emotional, and I can plainly see how the shrine reached you on a personal level. It's an emotional shrine to me too, so your comment is everything I could have hoped for. Thank you so much for sharing your feelings as you traversed this shrine with me. And a big thank you for your words of encouragement and support. ;_;

I've been hearing the word "magazine" in relation to shrines often lately, especially in private chats! It makes me wonder what other modes of presentation we could get inspired by as we create our shrines (I know that book-style is done every now and then, and there's one or several in the style of game manuals) hehe. I can certainly think of some things.

IKR THE KH POEMS ARE EVERYTHING TO MEEEEEEEEEE. I'm glad you agree with the dream eater comment with regard to "the ones left behind"!! I was honestly not sure how that section would be received, and though I absolutely wanted to talk about it, never would I have anticipated it becoming THAT long.

Hehe I hope and feel like we'd get along well in the future; it seems like we appreciate and are drawn to similar things and aesthetics including super mushy stuff and heartache. (I HOPE I CAN SAY THAT. OMG. IT'S PROBABLY EMBARRASSING.)



Masao: Thank you so much for your comment and everything, Masao!! I'm so fortunate to have you. ;_; Thank you for saving my header for me omg I will repeat this a thousand times. AND FOR THE FONTS.

I am glad that Shuhei's struggles spoke to you through my writing, too. My first impression of him after finishing the manga is pretty much what the mangaka said in their postscript: In some ways, he felt very... boring and unimpressive. I'm glad I decided to shrine this, because it gave me an opportunity to voice my thoughts on the manga's themes - and in doing so, I got to think about Shuhei more. It's when I was mid-way into writing the story section that I understood that Shuhei's story resonates precisely because it is not all that eventful.

Writing interpretations is my favourite thing!!!

Also, WE'RE STILL IN OUR YOUTH!!!!!!!

[nyxmidnight]

I'm just gonna sit here and cry. This way more beauty than I can handle at this early hour.

[Aku]

Because I PWOMISED I would read this shrine (and because I keep coming back to oogle at it anyway hehe ) I'm back with a lil more a lot more feedback! Also bawww... you always make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! I am really thankful to have gotten to meet you through Champion & to continue to interact with you as a friend & here at Amassment! You and everyone else here are always such an inspiration to me.

IN ANY CASE: Just as in everything you write (shrines, your network pages, amassment comments, champion feedback surveys) you've done a beautiful job and have such a way with words. There's an intimacy about your writing and I've always enjoyed that about your work. This shrine in particular is incredibly poignant and I appreciate that considering the story that's being presented (that I'm totally gonna read after reading your shrine... way to do it backwards Aku BUT YOU KNOW). One thing I really enjoy about your shrines is that you're never afraid to stray from the content at hand, go the extra mile to lend your interpretation, or get super personal. (I noticed this with your Haru shrine as well, and I thought you were really brave to include some of the content you did with that site: the more I see it at Amassment, the more I'm looking for it in people's work, including my own.)

You've got all the usual stuff we see on shrines: a rundown on the story, the characters, important plot points, but even those are refreshing. I love the way you present Inoru's character through her clothing line & manga panels, it's such a unique way to give the viewer a sense of who she is without saying a word! But then there are also your own personal thoughts and anecdotes: the section about the Baku, your correlation to this story in other mediums, your own personal experiences. Doing this is scary as a creator, always has the potential to leave the reader in disconnect, but you tie everything together so elegantly and I think that's more of a testament to your writing to anything else. There are times where I find these kinds of correlations jarring or forced, but it really doesn't feel that way here. (With all of your references to outside stories: I thought it was kinda neat that I ended up reading this shrine after watching Black Mirror's, "San Junipero" episode. You might look into that if you haven't seen it! Not 100% dream related but very much parallel worlds/alternate realities related.)

My favorite section is "Dream Journeys", mostly because dreams have always been something that fascinated me as well: both in media and my own personal dreams. (I'm a vivid dreamer with at times crazy nightmares/night terrors. I constantly analyze them and even kept a dream diary at one point... so I can relate to your thoughts here.) I also love that this section was just so personal. It didn't have anything to do specifically with the characters or the story, but with what the manga's overarching themes made you feel and why it pulled you in. As I've been struggling to "write" for much more minor characters than I'm used to, and even question why they evoke so much emotion from me despite that--thinking about your subject from a broader perspective is something I appreciate in your writing a lot, and something I want to be inspired by myself!

BEFORE I WRITE YOU ANOTHER BIBLE I JUST WANNA SAY AMAZING WORK, AGAIN! I almost adore your design even more now that I can see the narrative reasoning behind your decisions: "This layout’s alternating colours are meant to reflect the back-and-forth between sleeping and waking: the realm of dreams." akdfjlavsdf so good. <33 ALSO my heart may or may not have skipped a beat when I finally realized why you wanted to release the shrine on Halloween.

Thank you for sharing this shrine & very personal side of yourself with us Lethe, it was really inspirational for me to read through this! I enjoyed it a lot despite knowing nothing about the manga, and on top of that I'm motivated to read it, which is even cooler! I obviously need to hit you up about some dream-related stories. OuO

[Chibi]

This layout is absolutely gorgeous!! I totally agree with that Robin said, this reads like a book and is very easy on the eyes! I love the amount of content and dedication you put into this shrine, even though the subject is a short manga. Unfortunately I can't read it yet because I would like to read the manga first, but this has definitely made me want to check it out!

Again, amazing job on the layout and on this fansite as a whole!