I'm 28F, only taking antidepressants and iron supplements for anemia.
So I received my blood test results and have my pre-scheduled follow up appointment tomorrow but I wanted to see if I could get some insight here?
white blood cell count is low (3.3), as is neutrophils (1228), hemoglobin, hematocrit, mch, and mchc. There's also trace leukocyte esterase in urine.
I am a bit freaked out because my cousin was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and is going through chemotherapy now, so of course my mind is going 0-100 in what the results could be indicating. Iron levels were normal, which was a surprise cuz I've been easily fatigued that I thought would be related to the anemia.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Could this be kidney stones?
Female, 40s - In pain while waiting to hear next steps from PCP. I received test results last night (see end of post), but PCP has not actually viewed them yet. Feel like I should be doing something but no idea what.
Summary of pain: Friday night felt achey gnawing pain under left ribs that radiated to left shoulder and down left arm. Assumed it was trapped gas after very heavy meal.
The pain was unchanged in the morning so took Gas-X. Eventually maxed out the recommend daily dose. Did lots of burping, but never experienced any relief of pain.
By Saturday afternoon pain was more focused under left rib cage, with flank pain and some tenderness to left of belly button. Periods of INTENSE spasms in upper left abdomen began. Felt like a squeezing and releasing in intestine but no idea what was actually happening. Painful spasms overwhelmed me with every attempt to get a good breath. The pain was SEVERE, the worst I’ve ever felt. I was screaming and begging for help during these episodes, which lasted about 5 minutes each.
This happened three times over a few hours, and each time I seriously considered calling an ambulance but didn’t because of fear of cost and that it would be determined to be “just gas.”
The underlying pain through all of this was constant. By Sunday morning I could no longer take a deep breath due to the severity of constant pain under left ribs, but the spasms didn’t return.
No appetite since Friday, but tried eating a bland meal Sunday evening. Drinking water after meal produced sudden intense pain and feeling of food moving in upper left abdomen. Thought maybe there was a blockage that was clearing. Wondering now if something was just inflamed. Pain only lasted a few seconds and was enough to make me gasp.
Bowel movements small and poorly formed throughout all this. Frequent urgent watery diarrhea started 3am Monday. I went to the doctor on Monday.
It’s now Tuesday, and I am still in terrible pain under my left ribs and into my left side. Cramping sensation with every shallow breath. Sneezing feels like something is tearing. I can’t even complete the sneeze without shouting from the pain. I can’t get a deep breath or cough without triggering sharp pain.
Experiencing occasional involuntary gasps, much like when you take shaky breaths while crying.
Blood oxygen is normal.
Possibly relevant: Two days before this began, I felt intense pulling and cramping in bladder. This came and went along with frequent urination (which exacerbated pain) for a few hours and then it was gone.
No fever. No vomiting. No history of health anxiety or emetephobia, but if I were to need to vomit at this point, I don’t know how I could with current pain level and the way it intensifies with deep breath or exertion. I am frightened.
Summary of doctor’s visit and tests:
Saw primary care doctor yesterday for physical exam. They ordered a urine test, upper left abdominal x-ray, and left lung x-ray.
Results:
ABDOMEN RADIOGRAPHY CLINICAL HISTORY: Acute onset LUQ pain 5/10, still persistant with loose stools, but no fever or vomiting. TECHNIQUE: 1 view. FINDINGS: Bowel Gas Pattern: Within normal limits. No dilated loops.
CHEST RADIOGRAPHY CLINICAL HISTORY: LUQ pain and decreased breath sounds at L lung base Left upper quadrant pain Other abnormalities of breathing. TECHNIQUE: 2 views. FINDINGS: Lungs/Pleura: Minimal left basilar parenchymal opacity. No pneumothorax or significant effusion. Mediastinum: Heart and mediastinal contours are unremarkable.
Urine (Urine, Clean Catch)
Color value: orange Clarity value: turbid pH: 5.5 Specific gravity: 1.019 Protein value: trace Blood value: 2+ Red blood cells value: 3-5 Bacteria value: few Mucus value: 2+ Amorphous crystals value: 2

Hello, My recent bloodwork came back with these flags. I have been exhausted lately. The levels are only slightly below the minimum…are they low enough to cause symptoms? Will I need to treat with supplements or just through diet? Waiting for my doctor to call me back…but they aren’t super attentive there…maybe I need a new provider who looks deeper into things?
Can’t seem to post photo… Red Blood Cell Count is 3.76 L Hemoglobin is 11.5 L Hemocrit is 34.4 L

I’m currently 5 weeks and 3 days pregnant and we found out last week. Over the weekend I had very faint spotting which everyone assured me was normal, since it’s light light pink and only sometimes when I wiped. I may have been obsessive in watching because it’s our first pregnancy and we’ve tried for 12 years for this. Yesterday I had bright red blood with some clots. They weren’t huge, the blood was only when I wiped and my urine was tinted red with blood. I had no cramping, I wasn’t bleeding out into my underwear. And it was only for like 20 minutes. My doctor had me go in for an HCG level and I go back for another tomorrow to get an answer. I know it’s not horribly long to wait but I can’t stop thinking of what if the baby is gone and over analyzing everything. So many things say different “facts” like once a miscarriage happens you won’t feel pregnancy symptoms anymore and another article says you will. So still be slightly nauseous as I was before and my boobs still hurting idk if is good or not, i don’t if the articles should be used to give me hope, but I just don’t know how not to feel devastated before even getting the results of the blood work.

Mutagen blood hunter has a mutagen to increase dex by 3 (even above 20) at level 3. I want to be the most accurate sharpshooter possible. I am aware there are other builds that would be more efficient but I don't care I am doing it for science.
Obviously archery fighting style.
I am thinking alchemist artificer for the bless potion and the continued drug user theme
What else you got

I recently found a new doctor's office in my small town (NH). They are a family care office that is attached and affiliated with the local hospital. I have a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). As part of the onboarding process as a new patient, they required me to have a establishing care visit where I provided information about medical history medical concerns, etc. I have already paid the ~$150 office visit fee for this appointment as I understand it doesn't count as preventative care.
During the visit, the nurse practitioner said she wanted to do blood work for the annual physical that she had scheduled (less than two months away). The blood work she ordered seemed routine like a lipid pane, testosterone level check, STD testing, and vitamin D levels. I went to laboratory services within the hospital that same day to have blood drawn.
A little over a month after that initial establishing care visit, I received a bill in the mail for the amount of >$1700 with a contracted insurance discount of ~$500. Resulting in a balance of over $1200. I called my insurance company to see why the claim was denied and $0 was paid as I was told this was bloodwork that would be reviewed at my upcoming physical. My insurance company told me that the claim was submitted with the primary billing code of 'illness' and that if any routine blood work was submitted with the routine charge code, that it would be 100% covered with my insurance as it's considered 'preventative care'.
I have spent almost two months going back and forth with the hospital billing, medical records, and family care office. Getting the runaround about codes being submitted and other possible delays between the family office and medical records, billing not having any updates for me, etc.
As of yesterday I finally heard back from the family care practice manager. She told me that all of the codes were submitted properly and that going back and changing the codes to then submit a Correct Claim to my insurance company would be considered fraud. She told me that she had spoken to the billing department and they had said they were unwilling to write off any of the charges as they were not going to be covered by insurance even if they had been charged differently. I told her I spoke with my insurance and that information was not correct. I told her that the only test I had requested that day was the STD testing and the other tests were the primary care nurse practioner's 'standard' testing for annual physicals. The Practice Manager said she would talk with billing again and get back to me.
This afternoon, I received a "Past Due" notice for the bill and it says that if I do not pay within 7 days, it will be sent for a credit review. I work as a contractor for a company that services the federal government and hold an active security clearance. I cannot be seen to be a financial risk with something like collections on my credit history. I have the funds available to pay the ~$1200 bill in my HSA, but I can't help but feel this is wrong and incorrectly billed.
What (if any) recourse do I have for this? Should I just eat the $1200 and not have any blood work performed unless it's at an annual physical in the future (even in my primary care NP wants it done before the physical so we can review the results then)? Am I misunderstanding the HDHP 'preventative care' coverage?
Lastly, if I'm not misunderstanding all of this, is there some government agency to report this to? I have been calling, leaving voicemails, and getting the runaround between different departments for months with 0 progress.

28 [M] - Southern New Hampshire - Near Zip Code 03063
I recently found a new doctor's office in my small town (NH). They are a family care office that is attached and affiliated with the local hospital. I have a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). As part of the onboarding process as a new patient, they required me to have a establishing care visit where I provided information about medical history medical concerns, etc. I have already paid the ~$150 office visit fee for this appointment as I understand it doesn't count as preventative care.
During the visit, the nurse practitioner said she wanted to do blood work for the annual physical that she had scheduled (less than two months away). The blood work she ordered seemed routine like a lipid pane, testosterone level check, STD testing, and vitamin D levels. I went to laboratory services within the hospital that same day to have blood drawn.
A little over a month after that initial establishing care visit, I received a bill in the mail for the amount of >$1700 with a contracted insurance discount of ~$500. Resulting in a balance of over $1200. I called my insurance company to see why the claim was denied and $0 was paid as I was told this was bloodwork that would be reviewed at my upcoming physical. My insurance company told me that the claim was submitted with the primary billing code of 'illness' and that if any routine blood work was submitted with the routine charge code, that it would be 100% covered with my insurance as it's considered 'preventative care'.
I have spent almost two months going back and forth with the hospital billing, medical records, and family care office. Getting the runaround about codes being submitted and other possible delays between the family office and medical records, billing not having any updates for me, etc.
As of yesterday I finally heard back from the family care practice manager. She told me that all of the codes were submitted properly and that going back and changing the codes to then submit a Correct Claim to my insurance company would be considered fraud. She told me that she had spoken to the billing department and they had said they were unwilling to write off any of the charges as they were not going to be covered by insurance even if they had been charged differently. I told her I spoke with my insurance and that information was not correct. I told her that the only test I had requested that day was the STD testing and the other tests were the primary care nurse practioner's 'standard' testing for annual physicals. The Practice Manager said she would talk with billing again and get back to me.
This afternoon, I received a "Past Due" notice for the bill and it says that if I do not pay within 7 days, it will be sent for a credit review. I work as a contractor for a company that services the federal government and hold an active security clearance. I cannot be seen to be a financial risk with something like collections on my credit history. I have the funds available to pay the ~$1200 bill in my HSA, but I can't help but feel this is wrong and incorrectly billed.
What (if any) recourse do I have for this? Should I just eat the $1200 and not have any blood work performed unless it's at an annual physical in the future (even in my primary care NP wants it done before the physical so we can review the results then)? Am I misunderstanding the HDHP 'preventative care' coverage?
Lastly, if I'm not misunderstanding all of this, is there some government agency to report this to? I have been calling, leaving voicemails, and getting the runaround between different departments for months with 0 progress.

Hi all,
I just searched the history of this sub and I see there are a lot of Metformin-related posts, but I didn't see any recent posts about being prescribed it if your fasting glucose/ A1C has always been in the normal range.
I do have NAFLD and I am morbidly obese, but my thyroid, blood sugar, A1C, lipid levels have all been normal always. Am I just pre-diabetic and don't know it? Has anyone else been in the same boat and what was your experience?
I'm about to follow up with my doctor in a few weeks and Metformin was mentioned if I was positive for PCOS. (Pelvic ultrasound showed "several small follicles" and DHEA sulfate was high)

I’ve suspected for years that something was wrong with me internally, but wrote off a lot of my own symptoms in denial and mistrust in most doctors. More strange symptoms have started to appear recently, and my research pointed to endo. Brought concerns to my new OB who seems highly competent and validated the expertise I have on my body as well as what I’ve learned from research. She agreed that it’s all consistent with endo, prescribed me the minipill after running thru all the options, because that’s what I wanted to try first for my symptoms, and we scheduled the ultrasound for today.
I’m nervous for a few reasons. #1, I feel like my symptoms aren’t as “bad” compared to what most women with endo describe. Maybe I just have a “mild” level of the condition, if I have it? So that’s making me doubt, but I have had heavy bleeding the entire time I’ve had a period. I’m talking twice the “normal” range of blood loss, and basically every 3 weeks. Those 2 factors are already exhausting, combined with pain, frequent nausea and difficulty eating otherwise, recurring yeast infections, and irregular bleeding. Lately my depression has also been getting worse, I can’t keep weight on, and my moods are all over the place.
I’m also reading now that a lot of people miss their diagnosis with an ultrasound (often depending on whether or not the tech specializes in vaginal ultrasound readings) but get it confirmed once they go back for a lap. So reason #2 I'm nervous is that they might not find anything today, at least not on my ovaries, and we're gonna have to draw out this process even more to figure out what's wrong with me. I'm already missing a bunch of work just for these appointments, thank god we have great insurance and my bosses have been very understanding.
I'm just rambling at this point. I just want a confirmed yes or no diagnosis already-- I know something is wrong with my body and it's not a new intuition. I might still ask for the lap if they don't find anything today, just to be sure. Either way, I'll be trying the minipill for a while. Best case scenario here is that I just have chronically imbalanced progesterone and estrogen, and the consequences of that mimic endo. And the good thing is that these concerns have kind of spooked me awake into taking more intentional and prompt care of my health.

There's been so much emphasis on whether or not Karen said "I hit him" but I noticed in a statement from Jen McCabe that after performing CPR on John, a blood-covered Karen (hands, hair, neck, face) turned to Jen and said, "I think I started my period." Jen had to inform Karen that she'd just performed CPR and the blood was John's.
This continues to stick with me because it demonstrates the level of shock and trauma Karen was experiencing in that moment.
John O'Keefe seems like a pretty straight arrow. Some might even say "uptight" (I'm uptight, too. I get it.) It's difficult to visualize someone who is so particular about the lawn and what the kids eat for breakfast being okay with entering a vehicle with a drunk driver. He must have perceived her as being less intoxicated than he was and also under the legal limit. We haven't seen proof of what Karen consumed at CF McCarthy's, only what she had at Waterfall.
Karen herself believed she was soooo drunk because she didn't remember things, but we can't say for certain what the impact of panic and anxiety was already having on her when John didn't return home and she initially thought she'd left him at Waterfall. Besides, some of the things she couldn't remember (such as backing into John) may not have happened. We don't remember things that didn't happen.
For all we know, someone could have roofied her (or both of them) without her or John realizing. I mean, we're already considering the possibility of an extensive murder cover-up, so being roofied doesn't seem far fetched or impossible. In fact, it might make a lot of sense.
A woman is covered in blood on her face, her neck, her hair, and her hands, and she concludes that she's started her period.
We're missing a puzzle piece.

I have only recently (4 weeks ago) developed very severe dry eyes - like completely out of nowhere. I have only ever had type 1/flushing but I can only imagine this is the beginning of my ocular rosacea journey. I was a daily contact lens wearer but have not been able to wear them at all for a month.
I don't have any eye discharge or even a ton of gritty/foreign body feeling....yet. Just so incredibly dry and red dilated blood vessels that make me look insane. What is everyone's lineup for dry, red eyes?
So far I have tried:

• Hycosan Extra drops - 2% Hyaluronic acid
  
• Hycosan Intense drops - 2% Hyaluronic acid and Ection (this is supposed to be the best but I honestly feel more relief at the level down with Extra)
  
• Hycosan Night/Hydro Night ointment - vitamin A ointment (woke up with redder eyes than the night before)
  
• Olopatadine prescription drops - to rule out allergy
  
• Optase Tea Tree oil eyelid wipes - morning and night
  

⚠️ WARNING: Maasverse Spoilers—Proceed with Caution ⚠️

-----------------
Part 1: Characters and Courts - YOU ARE HERE
Part 2: World Map, Items, Terms & Other
-----------------

Well, here we go. A master list of all things ACOTAR + the "real" world.

Now, do I believe every single name and location on this list was chosen by SJM with a specific real-world allusion in mind? Of course not. But when you look at the similarities, you'd be hard pressed to deny some of their very probable relations.
As far as this list goes, I've provided what was within my ability to find—coupling each with that which made the most sense relationally—though several definitions would appear to have zero connection to the story at large.
I can't promise perfection. Heck, I can't even promise 100% accuracy (though I did cross-reference the more obscure sources). And I will gladly welcome any missing pieces and/or additional insight you may have.
\Note: If a character or place/item is minor enough, I've included a reminder of their book roles.*

So come on, friends. Let's dive on in.

​
https://preview.redd.it/6wts6t7iwd0d1.png?width=832&format=png&auto=webp&s=9f0abc281511431ad28cd76819c77b1907b49432

UK + IRELAND

PRYTHIAN

A combination of Prydain, the old Welsh name for Britain, and Brython, which translates to “Ancient Britons” from Welsh.

HYBERN

A riff of Hibernia, the Classical Latin name for Ireland.

​
Artist of Prythian map: P-dulcis on redbubble

*A continuing list of world map related locations is provided in Part 2 of this post (see link above)

​
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MAIN CHARACTERS

RHYSAND

Rhys (also Rhŷs) is Welsh in origin and means "ardent, enthusiasm." It has deep roots in Welsh culture and is the name of several famous Welsh kings and noblemen, including Rhys ap Thomas, a solider who rose to prominence during the Wars of the Roses.

FEYRE ARCHERON

Feyre is a variant of Feyre and is Old English in origin. It means "fair, beautiful." A similar name in Old Norse is Freyja (also spelled Freya), meaning "Lady," denotes a woman of nobility. In Norse mythology, Freyja is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, and war.
In Greek mythology, the Archeron is one of the five rivers of the Underworld and is often the principal river through which the ferryman Charon transports the dead. It said to be the River of Woe or the River of Misery.

CASSIAN

Cassian is Latin in origin, means "son of Cassius," and denotes one of the oldest families in Rome. Arguably the most well known Cassius was one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination plot.

AZRIEL

Azriel is Hebrew in origin meaning "God is my help." In some religions, Azrael is the benevolent angel of death who carries souls of the deceased to the afterlife.

MORRIGAN

The Morrígan is a Celtic goddess associated with war and fate and is seen as a guardian of the earth and its people. Her name means "great queen" or "phantom queen."

AMREN

Amram is of Hebrew origin and means "exalted people." It is the Biblical name of Moses' father.
Note: This tracks with Amren being able to interpret The Book of Breathings which is a play on the very real The Books of Breathing, a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts.

NESTA

Nesta is the Welsh version of Agnes meaning "pure, holy." May also have potential connections to Nestor, a legendary Greek king who was known as a great warrior and for the sage advice he offered younger soldiers.

ELAIN

Elain is Welsh in origin and means "fawn." Elaine is associated with the Greek name Helen meaning "light, bright one."
Fun fact: Elain is an anagram of Aelin.

NYX

Nyx is the Greek mythological goddess and personification of the Night. She is the mother of Day (Hemera) and Darkness (Erebus). She often appears alongside other celestial deities such as Selene, Helios, and Eos.

ILLYRIANS

EMERIE

Emerie has Old German origins and means "home strength, brave, powerful."

ENALIUS

In Greek mythology Enyalius is a son of Ares but is also a byname for the god of war. He is often seen as the god of soldiers and warriors from the Ares cult.

DEVLON

Devlon is Gaelic in origin and related to the name Devlin meaning "fierce courage."

BALTHAZAR

Balthazar is Akkadian in origin meaning "God protects the King." It is a name commonly attributed to the wise man who gifted myrrh to the Christ child (the myrrh symbolizing the future death of a king). It is an alternate form of King Belshazzar who played a pivotal role in a coup d'état that overthrew a Neo-Babylonian king.
ACOTAR role: Balthazar helped Nesta during the Blood Rite.

PROTEUS

Proteus is a prophetic sea god in Greek mythology and means "versatile, mutable, capable of assuming many forms."
ACOTAR role: Proteus is Emerie's father and was killed in the war with Hybern.

BELLIUS

May refer to Belus, the Babylonian god of war.
ACOTAR role: Bellius is Emerie's cousin and was slain by Cassian during the Blood Rite.

KALLON

No clear references found, but kalon in Ancient Greek translates to "ideal perfect beauty."
ACOTAR role: Kallon incited the Illyrians against the Night Court leaders and was ultimately slain during the Blood Rite.

HEWN CITY

KEIR

Keir is Gaelic, meaning "dark," and is related to the Irish name Ciarán. In Greek mythology, the Keres (singular being Ker) were female death spirits who personified violent death. There is a suggested connection between the Keres and the Valkyries of Norse mythology, each representing opposite ideals; the Valkyries being benevolent deities in death, versus the Keres representing feasting destruction.

THANATOS

In Greek mythology, Thanatos is the personification of death. He is a minor figure, often referred to but rarely appearing in person (I see what you did there, SJM).
ACOTAR role: Thanatos is mentioned briefly by Keir during the alliance meeting with Eris.

THE LIBRARY

CLOTHO

In ancient Greek mythology, Clotho is the youngest goddess of the Three Fates and spins the thread of human life. Her name means "spinner."

MERRILL

Merrill is of British origin meaning "sparkling sea, sea-bright."

GWYNETH BERDARA

Gwyneth is Welsh in origin and means "blessed, happiness." In Irish mythology, the Lady Gwyn is a headless woman (cough, Catrin, cough) who chases wanderers at night. In Arthurian mythology, Guinevere has an evil half-sister—"False" Guinevere—who bewitches Arthur.

ANANKE

Ananke means "necessity, fate personified." In Greek mythology she is one of the primordial deities and is the personification of necessity and inevitability.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

DEIRDRE

Deirdre is Gaelic in origin and means "broken-hearted, wanderer." The name is associated with a tragic heroine in Irish mythology.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

ILANA

Illana is Hebrew in origin nd means "tree, bright light." It stems from the name Elena and is potentially related to the name Ileana, a beautiful young female fairy in various myths.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

LORELEI

Lorelei in German in origin and means "alluring, temptress." In German folklore, she is a siren-like seductress.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

ROSLIN

Roslin is Scottish in origin and means "rose, red-haired."
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

RIVEN

Riven derives from Old Norse meaning "to split, tear asunder."
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who avoids contact with strangers and whose background is unknown.

SIDE CHARACTERS

MADJA

Madja is Slavic in origin and may mean "splendid, noble one." In Arabic it means "the women with glory." It is related to the name Madeleine meaning "from Magdala."

NUALA

Nuala is Irish in origin and means "fair shouldered one." In modern Irish storytelling it means "born of the sea." It is considered a diminutive form of the name Fionnuala, a mythological figure who was the daughter of a sea god.

CERRIDWEN

Cerridwen is an enchantress in Welsh mythology. She is said to possess the cauldron of poetic inspiration and is regarded by many as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration.

RITA

Rita stems from the name Margarita and comes from the Greek word meaning "pearl." The Greeks promoted pearls as a symbol of honesty and integrity.
ACOTAR role: Rita owns the "how does the IC not know the clientele is gay" bar.

SEVENDA

No clear connection found, though venda in Latin means "sell" while sev means "strew, spread" and enda means "end." Could also potentially be related to the number seven.
ACOTAR role: Owns a restaurant the IC frequents.

NEVE

Neve is of Latin origin and means "snow."
ACOTAR role: The jeweler from whom Rhys buys jewelry for Amren in ACOFAS.

POLINA

Polina has Latin origins and derives from Apollo, though it could also be seen as a variant of Paulina/Paul meaning "little, the younger."
ACOTAR role: The faerie who owned Feyre's art studio before her untimely death.

RESSINA

Resina means "resin of the pine." Plants secret resin as a protective response, guarding them from insects and pathogens.
ACOTAR role: Ressina opens the art studio with Feyre. She has green skin and stood outside her shop in response to Hybern's attack on Velaris, protecting the terrified faeries inside.

ARANEA

Aranea is Greek in origin and denotes a genus of orb-weaving spiders.
ACOTAR role: Aranea is the weaver who created the Void cloth.

​
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MAIN CHARACTERS

TAMLIN

From the "Ballad of Tam Lin," a legendary ballad from the borderlands of Scotland. Reminiscent of the fairytale Beauty & the Beast where a mortal woman plucks a rose and encounters a man in the forest, later learning he is captive to faeries. She must hold onto him as he is transformed into various beasts and upon his rescue, the faerie Queen muses that she should have taken out his eyes (Lucien, anyone?) or capture his heart (Tamlin's stone heart) to prevent his escape.

LUCIEN

Lucien is French in origin and means "light." Lucian was also the name of a Hellenized Syrian satirist who was known for his tongue-in-cheek style is said to be the inventor of comic dialogue.

ALIS

Alis is a variant of Alice and translates to "noble, exalted."

SIDE CHARACTERS

IANTHE

Ianthe is Greek in origin and means "she who delights." In Greek mythology she is a water-nymph daughter of Oceanus and a companion to Persephone when she was abducted by Hades.

ANDRAS

Andras has Welsh origins and means "manly, brave."

BRON

Bron is Old English and means "brown."

HART

Hart has Irish origins and means "hero, brave, firm." A hart is also the term for a male deer and in Celtic mythology, the white hart is said to appear when one is transgressing a taboo (Tamlin's whipping of his other sentry comes to mind).

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MAIN CHARACTERS

BERON VANSERRA

Beron is French in origin and is a pet form of the name Bero meaning "bear."
Vanserra is a combination of the prefix van meaning "from, of" and serra meaning "saw, view from a high place" or "mountain range." Vanserra can be said to mean "of the mountains."

ERIS

In ancient Greek mythology, Eris is the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Her Roman equivalent, Discord, is the goddess of chaos. She is associated with the war goddess Enyo who is frequently associated with the war god Ares.

SIDE CHARACTERS

JESMINDA

Jesminder is Indian in origin meaning "flower queen."

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MAIN CHARACTERS

TARQUIN

Tarquin is of Latin origin and means "ruler, strong soldier." Two of the seven kings of Rome bore the name.

VARIAN

Varian is of Latin origin and means "variable."

CRESSEIDA

Cressida derives from Chryseis and means "golden." She is a character associated with the Trojan War and is the archetype of a faithless lover.

SIDE CHARACTERS

NOSTRUS

Nostrum comes from the Latin noster meaning "our, ours." Nostos is an Ancient Greek literary theme concerning an epic hero returning home, often by sea. It is deemed a high level of heroism or greatness and focuses on the hero retaining or elevating their identity while often resisting temptation.
ACOTAR role: The High Lord prior to Tarquin who was slain by Amarantha after participating in a rebellion Under the Mountain.

BRUTIUS

May refer to the Latin name Brutus meaning "heavy, dull."
ACOTAR role: Mercifully slain by Rhys Under the Mountain after his attempted escape.

​
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MAIN CHARACTERS

HELION

Helios is the Ancient Greek god personifying the sun. He is often depicted with a solar crown and drives a horse-drawn chariot through the sky. He played a significant role in ancient magic and spells and is the son of the Titan Theia and brother to Selene.

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MAIN CHARACTERS

KALLIAS

Callias is Greek in origin and means "beauty, beautiful voice." He is a diplomatic and wealthy figure in Ancient Greece.

VIVIANNE

From the Latin word vivianus meaning "alive." Commonly associated with the Irish name Bébinn meaning "beautiful, fair one" and is the name of an underworld goddess in both Irish and Welsh mythology.

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THESAN

Thesan is the Etruscan goddess of the dawn. Greeks identified her with Eos, the goddess and personification of the dawn. She is sometimes depicted with wings.

NUAN

Nuan is Mandarin and means "warm, genial."

THE PEREGRYN

The peregrine is a falcon renowned for its speed.
Fun fact: The peregrine is the fastest member of the animal kingdom and can reach speeds of over 200mph.

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AMARANTHA

Amaranths is Greek in origin and means "unfading." The amaranthus flower, often deep red in color, is said to symbolize immortality as it blooms for so long.

BRANNAGH

Brannagh is of Irish origin and denotes a "beautiful female with hair dark as a raven."

DAGDAN

In Irish mythology, the Dagda is considered the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. His name means "the good god, the great god."

CLYTHIA

In Greek mythology, Clytia is a water nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Helios left her for another woman after coming under the influence of Aphrodite. Clytia exposed the affair to the other woman's father, but eventually lost herself in mourning for Helios's love. Her name means "glorious, renowned."
ACOTAR role: Amarantha's sister.

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HISTORICAL FIGURES

THEIA

Theia is a Titan and is the Ancient Greek goddess of sight and vision. She is the parent of Helios, Selene, and Eos. She is most known not for her own role, but for that of her childrens'. Her name means "goddess, godly."

SILENE

Selene is the Ancient Greek goddess and personification of the moon. She is the daughter of Hyperion and Theia and sister to Helios and Eos.

HELENA

Comes from the Green name Helen meaning "shining light." There are various Helens in Greek mythology: Helen of Troy, Helen a friend to Aphrodite, and Helene the Amazonian who fought Achilles.

FIONN

Fionn is of Irish origin and means "fair-haired." In Irish folklore, Fionn Mac Cumhaill was a leader of a band of young hunter-warriors.

PELIAS

Pelias is Greek in origin and means "rock pigeon." Pelias was the king of Ioclus while Peleus was the king of Phthia. Peleus was husband to Thetis, father to Achilles, and left several (men and women) dead in his wake, both through means of accident and betrayal, fleeing more than once to escape punishment.

OLEANNA

Oleanna derives from the Greek name Helene meaning "sun ray, shining light."
ACOTAR role: The High Priestess who dipped Gwydion in the Cauldron.

REPORTED DECEASED

CATRIN BERDARA

Catrin is Greek in origin and means "clear, pure." It's commonly used in Wales and is connected with the ancient goddess Hecate, who is the goddess of witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy.

MINOR CHARACTERS

TANWYN

Tanwan is of Welsh origin and means "white fire."
ACOTAR role: Tanwyn was a Valkyrie and Cassian's former lover.

OSIAN

Osian is Welsh meaning "young deer" and derives from the Irish legendary poet and warrior Oisín, who was regarded as the greatest poet of Ireland and a warrior of the Fianna (small warrior-hunter bands). He was a demigod son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and Sadhbh.
ACOTAR role: The author of A Brief History of the Great Sieges

RABATH

Rabath is an anagram of Bharat, one of the names of India. Derived from the Sanskrit word bharata, meaning "to bear, be maintained" it can also mean "one who is engaged in search of knowledge."
ACOTAR role: Lord of the Western Wind and ancestor to Merrill.

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JURIAN

Jurian is Greek in origin and means "farmer, earthworker."

GRAYSEN

Graysen is of English origin and translates to "son of the steward/gray-haired man."

NOLAN

Nolan is Irish in origin and denotes a "child of nobility, champion."
ACOTAR role: Nolan is Graysen's father.

ISAAC HALE

Isaac is Hebrew in origin and means "one who laughs or rejoices." Hale is Old English in origin and means "nook, recess" and denoted someone who lived in a nook or hollow.

TOMAS MANDRAY

Thomas is Hebrew in origin and means "twin." No clear reference to Mandray, though Mandrew is Greek and means "man, warrior."
ACOTAR role: Tomas was Nesta's former betrothed.

CLARE BEDDOR

Clare is French in origin and means "bright, clear." No reference found for Beddor.

AUNT RIPLEIGH

Ripleigh is Old English and means "shouting man's meadow." It is connected to the name Ripley meaning "strip of clearing in the woods."
ACOTAR role: Aunt Ripleigh is the feigned aunt Feyre takes care of.

Ms. Laurent

Laurent is French in origin and means "from Laurentum" and "bay laurel."
ACOTAR role: Ms. Laurent is the mortal caretaker of the Archeron estate.

BRIAR

Briar is of British origin and means "thorny bush of wild roses, brambles."
ACOTAR role: Briar is the mortal woman rescued by Feyre and Azriel.

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HUMAN QUEENS

VASSA

Vasilissa is Greek in origin and means "queen, empress." It is also the name of a Christian child martyr who was left unharmed during her capture, but after her release was slain in a field as she prayed.

BRIALLYN

Briallen is a Welsh name meaning "primrose." Primrose comes from the Latin word meaning "first" and the primrose flower often represents youth and renewal (SJM, you dog—this may be my favorite tongue-in-cheek naming thing you did).
ACOTAR role: Briallyn is the first queen who enters the Cauldron and is rewarded with immortality as a withered old hag.

DEMETRA

Demeter was the mother of Persephone, an Ancient Greek goddess of the harvest and an emblem of growth.
ACOTAR role: Demetra was the golden queen who provided the mortal half of The Book of Breathings to the Night Court and was subsequently slain by the Attor.

ANDROMACHE

Andromache means "fighter of men." In Greek mythology, she was representative of the suffering of Trojan women during the war and was famous for her virtue and fidelity. Andromache was also the name of a famous Greek Amazonian who fell at Troy.
ACOTAR role: Andromache was the former mortal lover of Mor.

FAE CHARACTERS

DRAKON

Drakon is of Greek origin and means "dragon."

NEPHELLE

In Greek mythology Nephele, meaning "cloud," is a cloud nymph who is considered the goddess of loyalty, generosity, peace, and shyness.

THE SERAPHIM

A seraph is a celestial being regarded as belonging to the highest order of angels in Christian angelology.

HUMAN CHARACTERS

MIRYAM

Miriam of of Hebrew origin and means "sea of sorrow." She is the Biblical daughter of Amram and Jochebed and sister to Aaron and Moses.

URSTIN

No plausible connections found. Potentially an anagram for Rustin, an English name meaning "Rust's estate" or Surtin, a Middle English name meaning "reliable, trustworthy."
ACOTAR role: Urstin is a cousin of the Archerons via their mother.

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MAIN CHARACTERS

THE SURIEL

Suriel is a Hebrew name meaning "God's prince, divine authority." May also reference Sariel, an angel from Judais tradition, one of the seven holy angels. He is considered to be a primordial power invoked for his protective powers.

ATTOR

Possibly an altered form of the German tatter meaning "goblin, puppet." Likely inspired by the Ahool, a bat or primate-like winged cryptid said to live in the jungles of Indonesia.

DEATH GODS

THE BONE CARVER

Self-explanatory.

STRYGA AKA THE WEAVER

Stryzga is a female demon in Slavic mythology similar to a vampire. Stryzga stems from the mythological Strix of Ancient Greece, referring to birds of ill omen (and also witches) who fed on human flesh and blood.

KOSCHEI

Koschei is a common villain in East Slavic tales. He is often given the epithet of "the Immortal, the Deathless" and is said to hide his death inside nested objects for protection. He often takes the role of a malevolent rival figure who competes or entraps a male hero's love interest.
Fun note: The love interest trapping tidbit has interesting connotations for both Lucien (regarding Vassa) and Azriel (regarding Eris). For a breakdown of the Azriel x Koschei scene in ACOSF, see HERE.

PRISON INMATES

BRYAXIS

Bryaxis was a famous Ancient Greek sculptor. His name may mean "delight, lust."

LANTHYS

No information or connections found (and it is KILLING me).

LUBIA

In Albanian mythology, the lubia is a multi-headed, serpentine-like, female watestorm demon-dragon. Her irresistible taste of flesh leans toward that of young girls.
ACOTAR role: Also called Seven-Headed Lubia, imprisoned for preying on girls on the western coast of Prythian.

ANNIS

The Black Annis is a bogeyman in English folklore, depicted as a blue-faced witch with iron claws who has a taste for human flesh, especially that of children.
ACOTAR role: Also called Blue Annis, imprisoned for her craving of female flesh.

VESPERUS

In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star. Her Roman equivalent is named Vesper.
ACOTAR role: Vesperus is the Asteri found beneath the Prison.

MINOR CHARACTERS

MIDDENGARD WYRM

Midgard is the realm of human beings in Norse mythology, ie Earth. Wrym is an Old Norse word and refers to a wingless and limbless dragon.

THE BOGGE

Bogge is a Middle English word meaning "frightening specter" from which the term bogeyman originated. Bogeyman have no specific appearance and conceptions vary drastically by culture.
Fun fact: A boggart is a supernatural being from English folklore and also derives from the term bogge (Harry Potter facts, yo).

NAGA

Throughout various Asian religious traditions, Angus are a divine or semi-divine race of half-human, half-serpent beings residing in the netherworld.
Fun fact: A female naga is called a Nagi or a Nagini (more HP facts, yo).

MARTAX

A manticore is a Persian mythological creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. The martax describe in ACOTAR has a head like a lion's and three rows of teeth. A manticore has the body of a lion and eats its victims whole with its three rows of teeth. The term manticore stems from Latin and Ancient Greek.

PUCA

Púca is Irish for "spirit, ghost" while puca is Old English for "goblin." They were said to be shape-changers.

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MEALLAN

Meallán is Irish in origin meaning "small pleasant one."
ACOTAR role: Helion's pegasus.

ELLIA

Ellia is of various origins and can translate to "beautiful fairy maiden" with hints to the "Otherworld."
ACOTAR role: Mor's horse.

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For Part 2: World Map, Items, Terms & Other, click HERE

Introduction

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Zepp Tokyo for \"Quarter-Century Tour\"

^(\This article is an updated version of my "Sound Like" article from 2021. I have reposted this article due to difficulties editing the original version*, and have included additional information and recommendations based on the increased popularity of amp simulator pedals*)*

Hello fellow musicians and Ajikan fans!
I have been a fan of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION for roughly 16 years and as a guitarist was greatly inspired by the band's alt rock sound.
After a few years of research I have written a series of "sound like" articles for ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. The purpose of these articles is to provide context on how the band create their signature sound, and to support beginning musicians or tribute acts who may wish to replicate it.
At the end of each article I have drafted a Budget Rig, which you could use for both at home and in a live environment. I have also provided some general amp settings to tweak and try, which are based on the band's live sound and be can used to help replicate their tones.
This is a 3-part series and if you enjoy this article I would recommend checking out the other articles:
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Sound Like Part 2: Kita : AsianKungFuGeneration (reddit.com)
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Sound Like Part 3: Yamada : AsianKungFuGeneration (reddit.com)

^{Please note that the article focuses on the band's live sound, which will be different to the albums and can vary depending on the venue. Also (and is a cliché} every musician and instrument will vary slightly due to small differences in play style and build, so also be mindful of that.)

To help you recognise the individual guitar tones, Gotch's guitar parts are normally panned to the left earphone and Kita's are panned to the right earphone on the band's albums. (On 2016's Sol-Fa, Hometown and some of the Planet Folks singles the panning was swapped, with Gotch instead in the right ear and Kita on the left)

Masafumi Gotoh

Gotch live at the 02 Islington, London, 2013
Let's start off with lead singer and rhythm guitarist Masafumi Gotoh, or "Gotch" for short. Gotch's was massively influenced by the 90's alternative rock, Power Pop and the Britpop scene, and has previously highlighted Oasis, Weezer and Number Girl as key inspirations.
As Ajikan's main songwriter, Gotch follows the principle of "less is more" - keeping the arrangements simple for listeners, but combining pop hooks & traditional Asian melodies with the band's punk rock and indie influences.
Gotch's playing style follows this principle, as he primarily uses chord shapes, bar chords or repeated phrases to anchor the band. (The simple approach also makes it easier for Gotch to sing while performing)
Occasionally, Gotch will use "octave chords" (more on octave chords below) or play riffs with open strings notes, to add further depth. A good example of this is the opening riffs to Easter, where he plays an open D string while also playing the 3rd and 5th fret of the A string.

^{Octave Chords: Octave chords is famously used in punk rock and alt rock riffs, and is when you play the same note in two different octaves. Try play a bar chord on the 4th fret of the A string, and lifting your ring finger off the D string. You should get a "C# octave chord" and will recognise it from the intro of Haruka Kanata. Octave chords are used in many Ajikan songs and by many bands, so they are good to practice!}

In more recent albums, Gotch has also experimented with moving chord shapes across the fretboard. For good examples, check out the opening of Caterpillar or the bridge section of Kouya Wo Aruke.
Gotch's guitar tends to be lower in the overall mix, with Kita acting as the band's lead guitarist and Gotch as the anchor for each song. However, Gotch tends to improvise with ambient sounds during live performances and occasionally will take on the lead role in songs like Hold Me Tight.

GUITARS:

When it comes to guitars Gotch almost exclusively plays Gibson Les Paul Jr's with P-90 pickups, and has been his preferred guitar since 2004. The P-90 pickups have a bright midrange sound in comparison to the muddier humbucker sound, which makes them better suited for Gotch's focus on chords.
Gotch main guitar is the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special
The Les Paul Jr is also lighter and have less sustain and power compared to a normal Les Paul, which leaves space for the other instruments to stand out in the mix.
Gotch's main guitar is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special, which he plays in E Standard tuning and uses for both recording and live performances. Gotch also uses a 1961 Gibson Les Paul Jr (with the pickguard missing) or a 2000 Gibson Les Paul DC (with a gloss yellow finish) for songs in Eb/D# tuning, such as After Dark or Soredewa, Mata Ashita.
Gotch's is also famous for using a 1975 Gibson Marauder during the band's early years. Gotch has mostly retired the guitar (due to the "lack of volume" for larger venues), but it regularly appears in MV's, band merchandise and occasionally during special events, such as the 10th anniversary shows in Yokohama.
Gotch's Gibson Marauder
Gotch occasionally uses a few rarer guitars live, such as the Gibson Custom Les Paul Junior John Lennon model (Gotch has number 54 of 300 such guitars made), and is normally played with a capo for songs such as Maigo Inu To Ame No Beat.
Gotch has also used a Gibson Hummingbird for acoustic numbers, and can be seen used in Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol.6 for the band's performance of Kaigan Doori. Gotch likes to use Tortex Flex .88mm & Tortex Flex Triangle .88mm guitar picks, which he swaps between depending on the song.
If you are looking to sound like Gotch, the best place to start would be a Les Paul Jr guitar with P-90 pickups.

AMPLIFIERS:

After originally touring with a Roland JC-22, Gotch has almost exclusively played Fender amplifiers since 2004. Gotch uses two amps when playing live, one for his "clean" sound and the other for his "heavy" sound.
The band's often implement a "quiet/loud" dynamic into their song writing, so Gotch will often switch between his amps during live performances, using a custom made footswitch on his pedalboard. (A good example of this is Mustang or Solanin)
For his clean tone, Gotch uses a Fender 65' Twin Custom Twin 15. It can be heard on Korogaru Iwa, Kimi ni Asa Ga Furu, Solanin and Wonder Future. Occasionally, Gotch will combine the Twin Reverb with a boost pedal or overdrive pedal for more clarity, with Wonder Future a good examples of this.
(1) Fender '65 Twin Custom 15 (clean tone), (2) Fender Vibro-King Custom, (3) Fender Super-Sonic 60 Head (which uses the Vibro-King as a speaker), (4) Fender '63 Spring Reverb (which runs in between the pedal board and the Super-Sonic 60, and is toggled on or off by a switch)
For his heavier tone, Gotch primarily uses a Fender Vibro-King Custom for recording and appears in most of the band's MV's. The Vibro-King/Twin Reverb was Gotch's main setup during the 2000's and can be seen together on Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol. 6.
In 2009 Gotch started to use a Fender Super-Sonic 60 Amp Head and still uses it now. Until 2022, Gotch would use Vibro-King as a "cabinet", acting as the speaker unit for the Super-Sonic. Gotch now uses a Shinos & L Rocket Head for live shows, but has kept the Vibro-king for recording sessions and MVs.
Since 2022 Gotch has used Shinos & L Rocket amp & cabinet instead of the Fender Vibro-King
Gotch "heavy" amps for songs such as Re:Re:, Haruka Kanata and Rewrite. It is important to note that Gotch prefers to use his amps to create his distorted tone, but will occasionally add an overdrive pedal for heavier tracks such as Blood Circulator & Easter.
Alongside the Twin Reverb and Super-Sonic, Gotch is known to use a Fender 63' Spring Reverb Unit. This unit only runs into the Super-Sonic and is used for additional reverb to "thicken the sound". Gotch can control the 63' Reverb with a on/off switch on his pedal board.
Other notable amps that Gotch has used are the Matchless C30 & Bad Cat 30R Head. Both have been used exclusively for recording, most notably on Wonder Future. Gotch is also known to use VOX AC15 amps for recording.
Gotch's '63 Spring Reverb Unit, along with a selection of Vortex Flex .88m picks

In terms of mics, Gotch seems to use a Shure SM57 for his Fender Twin Reverb and a Shure SM58 on his Vibro-King or Shinos Rocket. When you are trying to emulate his sound with modelling or profiling amps, it is worth experimenting with mic positioning and different mics.

If you want to replicate Gotch's amp sound then you should look to replicate his Fender amps. However the Vibro-King is a key component and are unfortunately rare, notoriously loud and expensive. For that reason, I have put together some alternatives that should get you close.

PEDALS & EFFECTS:

During Ajikan's early years, Gotch combined a Roland JC-22 with a ProCo RAT to create the "quiet/loud" dynamic of the band's early records. After buying the Fender Vibro-King in 2004, Gotch no longer required the RAT, but kept a simplified pedalboard to achieve certain tones for live performances.
Gotch's 2004 pedalboard, which includes the ProCo RAT and Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
We will cover two different pedalboards that Gotch has used during the band's career. Regardless of which pedal board you look at, Gotch's has always included an overdrive or boost pedal, a phase pedal and a delay pedal.
The boost/overdrive is used to "lift" his clean sound during ballads (Solanin, Wonder Future) or to thicken his sound for heavier tracks. (Senseless, Dororo) Gotch will normally set the drive or gain low and the volume high.
The phaser is a more sparingly used pedal to add texture and colour, but can be heard on Shinkokyū, Blue Train and Rewrite. I will include more detail on Gotch's use of delay in the sections below.
Gotch's "Classic" Pedalboard
Gotch \"classic\" pedalboard, used between 2006-2013, with Gotch's custom made footswitch on the bottom left to control the amps
Gotch started to use this "classic" board during the Fanclub tour and continued to do so until the 10th Anniversary shows in 2013. This would be the easier and more affordable board to replicate for newcomers.
Gotch's setup started with a BOSS TU-3 tuner, which he also used as a "mute" pedal in between songs. From there, his chain would run into the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, the BOSS PH-2 Super Phaser and the BOSS DD-20 Giga Delay. During the Magic Disk tour, Gotch also added a Custom Audio Tremolo.

^{The BOSS DD-20 has been Gotch's main delay pedal for twenty years and is set to "warp". On the warp setting, Gotch can keep his foot on the pedal to create swells of delays. Gotch's standard setting is 173-179bpm (beats per minute} on 1/4 (quarter) notes and then he has four presets. These are 137bpm on 1/4 (for the intro of Blackout), 154bpm on 1/4 (for Kakato de Ai o Uchinarase), 177bpm on 1/2 (for Solanin and the intro of Siren) and finally 177 on 1/4. (For the second half of Siren))

Gotch also included two footswitches for his board; The first one was a handmade footswitch, which he used to swap between the Twin Reverb and the Vibro-King/Super-Sonic. The other footswitch was a BOSS FS-5L, which he used to control the '63 Spring Reverb Unit.
Gotch's "Modern" Pedalboard
Gotch's \"modern\" pedal board.【Pedal List】(1) api/TranZformer GT (compressoequalizer) (2) BOSS/TU-3 (tuner) (3) Spaceman Effects/Atlas III (preamp) (4) BOSS/DD-6 (delay) (5) Spaceman Effects/Voyager I (tremolo) (6) EarthQuaker Devices/Avalanche Run (delay/reverb) (7) Mu-Tron/Mu-FX Phasor 2X (phaser) (8) Caroline Guitar Company/KILOBYTE (9) BOSS/DD-20 (delay) (10) Handmade/Line Selector (11) FAT/514.D (booster)(12) strymon/Zuma R300 (power supply) (13)BOSS/EV-30 (Expression Pedal) (14) BOSS/FS-5L (foot switch)
During the recording of Wonder Future and his first solo album (Can't Be Forever Young), Gotch began to experiment more with boutique pedals, and has resulted in a more complex board since 2014, allowing more ambient experiments on the band's records and during live performances.
Gotch has added a API Tranzformer GT to the start of his chain, only using the E.Q. section and tweaking the settings for each venue.
Gotch's "Modern" board now includes a variety of delay and reverb pedals, such as the Earthquaker Device Avalanche Run and the Caroline Kilobyte Lo-Fi Delay. These are combined with his DD-20 to create the ambient sounds heard on Empathy & the outro of Demachiyanagi Parallel Universe.
The BOSS DD-6 Digital Delay is set to the "reverse" mode and is used during the intro of Re:Re: and the bridge of Rewrite. Gotch has removed the Tube-Screamer from his board and has experimented with multiple alternative pedals, which includes the Xotic Effects AC Plus and JHS Superbolt.
He currently uses the Atlas III Preamp Booster and the FAT 514.D for his overdrive sounds. The 514.D only runs to the Super-Sonic to help "thicken" the distorted tone of the Super-Sonic.
Gotch has also replaced the Super Phaser with the MU-FX Phasor 2x and is using a Voyager I Spaceman for his tremolo. (UCLA & No Name are good references for the tremolo) Finally, Gotch has added an BOSS EV-30 expression pedal, which he uses to control the delay of the Avalanche Run.
If you are looking to replicate Gotch's pedalboard, the best place to start would be a phaser, delay and a boost/overdrive pedal, which would cover most of Ajikan's Discography.

Sound Like Gotch...On a Budget

Now that you are up to speed on what Gotch uses for his guitar rig, we can start to look at replicating his sound. The idea of this section is to offer affordable suggestions to replicate Gotch's tone that can be used for home use and for small live venues.
I would like to highlight that I am just writing as a fan and the equipment I recommend are purely my own recommendations. I do not have any sponsors (I wish I did sometimes) and if you find alternatives that work for you, go for it!
Gotch performing in 2022, during the Quarter Century shows in Yokohama
To buy Gotch's current pedal board alone would cost roughly £2,500 and would be unrealistic for most readers to purchase, however there are options that can get us close to Gotch's tone without breaking the bank.
The key elements to this rig are:

• A Gibson style guitar with P-90 pickups
• A Fender amp with decent distortion
• A Tube-Screamer style overdrive
• A flexible Delay pedal

Let's start with the guitar, which is both important for the P-90 tone. You should always feel comfortable when playing the guitar you pick, so I recommend trying out the guitar when possible before buying.
GUITARS
As an affordable guitar, I would suggest looking at the Epiphone Les Paul Jr. It is the entry level price for Gibson guitars (Epiphone would be the equivalent to "Squier" for Fender) and includes P-90 pickups as the standard setup. You can buy one for around £380 and should also be fairly easy to modify & similar to Gotch's sound.
Epiphone Les Paul Junior
If you do have a higher budget to work with, I would recommend the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute DC. These were released in 2019 and you can normally find a 2nd hand version for roughly £650 - £800. (It is also the guitar I currently use!) Failing that, you can also look at the Gibson Les Paul Special for around £800.
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute DC
AMPLIFIERS
We are looking to replicate Gotch's Fender amps, so the affordable option to start with would be the Fender Mustang GTX. The newer Mustang amps are an improvement on the original and have simulations of the Twin Reverb, the Vibro-King and the Super-Sonic.
The GTX 50 (which has a smaller speaker) is roughly £390 and the GTX 100 (which includes a footswitch) is about £510, but you should be able to find both versions for a reduced cost second hand.
Fender Mustang GTX 100
If you do have a higher budget or prefer to use a tube amp, I would recommend going for the Fender Super-Sonic Combo or the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for a solid distorted Fender tone.
Alternatively, you could consider the Fender Blues Junior, Fender Tone Master Twin-Reverb or Roland JC, and combine them with a ProCo RAT to replicate the tones from Houkai Amplifier and Kimi Tsunagi Five M.
PEDALS
To keep the list of suggestions short and simple, we will use Gotch's "classic" board as a reference and will cover most of the band's discography.
For a budget rig, I would recommend the Ibanez Tube-Screamer Mini, which is a miniature version of the standard Ibanez Tube-Screamer and sound great for the price. You could pair this up with a Boss Phase Shifter and a BOSS DD-6 Delay for around £309 brand new to get a very similar Gotch board. (You could buy them for as low as £110 combined on the 2nd hand market)
The Tube Screamer Mini is a cheap, effective overdrive pedal based on the classic TS808
For a more expensive pedalboard, the JHS Superbolt V2 was used by Gotch extensively between 2015-2019 and was once described by Gotch as "the Ajikan sound" on his blog. You could also buy the TS808 Tube Screamer that Gotch actually used for many years or the JHS Bonsai 9 which emulates multiple tube screamers.
For modulation sounds (phase, tremolo) the AmpliTube X-Vibe is one of many great multi-effect pedal on the market. If you have the money for it, you could buy a BOSS DD-20 second hand or the BOSS DD-200 to emulate Gotch's delay sound.
If you decided to go with the Mustang GTX, you would also have a selection of effects built into the amp.
THE TONE MASTER PRO? (and amp simulators)
As a final recommendation, Fender have recently released the Tone Master Pro (TMP), which is a multi effects and amp simulator.
It can be used as a device for home recording, but also as multi effects pedal in front of a standard amp or as your main amplifier when played through a IR cabinet. (I'll go into more detail in a bit!) The TMP are not cheap at £1400, so I would only advise buying one if you plan to use it as your main amp and effects board.
If you have the budget and was starting your rig from scratch I would consider checking it out, as it includes great simulations of the Twin Reverb and Vibro-King. They are also easy to transport & the Fender IR cabinets only weigh 12.5kg. (For comparison, my VOX AC15 weighs 30kg and is a nightmare to transport for shows)
The TMP is Fender's first amp simulator pedal and from what I understand the Quad Cortex DSP, the Line 6 Helix series and the Headrush Pedalboard are more popular choices. However, for the purpose of "sounding like Gotch", I would start with the TMP for its Fender selection and simplicity
The Fender Tone Master Pro can be used to simulate multiple amps & as a pedalboard for live performances

^{If you decide to buy a Amp Simulator Pedal, there are 3 common ways to use it for band practices & live settings. (Outside of just using headphones or running straight to front of house at a venue})
^{Option 1: Only use the effects on the Amp Simulator and run it into a standard amp. (Make sure to not use the cabinets settings within the pedal when doing this} You could still use the amps, however it will not always sound great with a normal amp)
^{Option 2: Use the Amp Simulator as your main amp and combining with a standard guitar cabinet. In order to do this, you will need to buy a separate power amp pedal to run in between the amp simulator and the guitar cabinet. (Otherwise you will not have any volume or oomph when you play through the cabinet})
^{Option 3: Buy a IR Cabinet. The difference between this and Option 2 is that you would not need to buy a separate power amp pedal to run into the speaker. The Fender FR-10/12 & Line 6 Powercab are good examples.}

Recommended Amp Settings

The following amp settings are based on photos gathered from live performances or from photos of Gotch's social media. Every amp will slightly differ based on your guitar or playing style, so you may need to tweak with your settings to find the right blend.
My personal advice is to not put the gain too high and to start with getting the treble and bass settings where you feel comfortable, before tweaking the mids. The P-90s have a strong midrange attack, so bear that in mind as well.
Gotch's Vibro-King and Super-Sonic
Fender '65 Twin Custom 15:
(Plugged into Vibrato 1) Vol: 3, Treble: 3.5-4, Mid: 6.5, Bass: 3.5
Fender Super-Sonic 60 Head:
Channel 1: Vol: 3.5, Treble: 4-4.5, Bass: 5
Channel 2: Vintage setting ON, Gain 1: 4, Gain 2: 0, Treble: 5-5.5, Bass: 4.5-5, Mid: 5.5, Vol: 5.5-6
Fender Vibro-King Custom (as cabinet):
Plug into the speaker input at the back of the amp, with FAT switch on.
Fender Vibro-King Custom (as amplifier):
(FAT ON) Vol: 3, Treble: 4.5, Bass: 4, Mid: 5.5 (Based on Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol.6 settings)
OR
(FAT ON) Vol: 4.5 Treble: 4 Bass: 5 Mid: 4.5
Shinos & L Rocket Head:
Gain: 7, Treble: 8, Bass: 3, Reverb: 0, Master: 7

Conclusion

I hope this has been helpful for you guys, as it has been on my bucket list for some time! Please provide some feedback as it is always appreciated and if you would like more details about the effect settings let me know.
[Update] I have now written a post on Kita's rig and Yamada's rig, which you can read below:
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Sound Like Part 2: Kita : AsianKungFuGeneration (reddit.com)
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Sound Like Part 3: Yamada : AsianKungFuGeneration (reddit.com)

May 20-22, a pop-up clinic at Minneapolis' Greater Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church (Sumner-Glenwood neighborhood) is offering free blood tests as part of a national study about heart disease. This study is run by Care Access. They test your Lp(a)* levels, an indicator for heart disease risk, and call you later with your test results.
You get a $45 Visa prepaid card at the end of your appointment. The appointment takes 15 minutes.
You can use this link to schedule your appointment: http://friends.careaccess.com/6DlJ3Q
* Lp(a) tests are not part of routine cholesterol screenings and are not covered by most insurance, so this is a great chance to get a free screening and get rewarded too.

Tl;dr I've seen some Reddit threads and online about insulin and low potassium levels. I get 3 hypo's a day. Does that mean my electrolytes are not in balans especially potassium and that's the reason I feel weak?
I always thought that I'm deficient in something cause even if I don't have hypo's I feel muscle weakness everyday. The tiredness and muscle weakness is affecting my whole life. I don't want to do anything and it affect everything in my life. From cleaning my house and spending time with friends. I've done many blood panels and everything is always good.
I'm type 1 diabetes for 20 years and always struggle with hypo's and muscle weakness. My diet consist of potatoes, meat and fruit. And I also take b complex, multi vitamin, potassium, magnesium, zink, iron, selenium, chlorella, spirulina, fish oil.

16F, white, 5”3 and 130lbs. Suffer from chronic migraines and cluster headaches. Taking regular omeprazol, pizotifen and cocalciferol.
On friday night i was admitted into a surgical high dependency ward with extreme pain in my URQ underneath my ribs, a rapid heart rate of 167bpm, low blood sugar and low blood pressure. i was sent for an ultrasound after having my bloods taken (which showed slight increase in inflammation markers) where a polyp was found on my gallbladder. After the polyp was found I was discharged with little to no explanation on what a polyp actually is. would this have caused my symptoms? can anyone explain to me what a polyp is? is a polyp a tumour or a type of tumour? does this make me more susceptible to gallbladder cancer or removal? my cholesterol levels are fine so i know for a fact it’s not cholesterol deposits on my gallbladder. just looking for some information as google can be a scary place and only post worst case scenarios. TIA

I have migraines with aura, and I also get tension headaches. I also suffer from CVS AKA cyclic vomiting syndrome. Sometimes, a wonderful ( Obviously sarcasm) combination of both , called a mixed tension migraine with aura.
I do take rizatriptan if it's only a Migraine with aura . I also have promethazine oral and suppositories if I'm also having nausea and vomiting, or if I'm in a cycle of my CVS. But I also have fiorcet with codeine and 5 mg Valium that I take if I'm having a tension Migraine or a delightful ( Once again, sarcasm.) Mixed tension Migraine with aura. As well as numerous other health issues to the point I'm almost always in pain.
I am blessed to have an absolutely amazing primary care dr who also suffers from mixed tension migraines, so he knows exactly what I'm going through. So, I'm able to get my desperately needed medications from him instead of pain management or a neurologist.
But , in all honesty, I am blessed because I have amazing, i.e., very expensive, private family insurance. I pay a ton for it every month , so I'm sure this helps ! It is an absolute necessity for my child and I to have very good health insurance due to my health history.
I have a history of ovarian and cervical cancer. DVT blood clots, ( which I currently have 3 in my left arm, diagnosed after extensive imaging less than 11 days ago . Which they're guessing this time , that they're from a combo of laparoscopic surgery, plus my blood clotting disorder) last time I had 2 DVT blood clots , 1 in my arm , 1 in my leg from they're guessing , a combo of my blood clotting disorder plus IVF medications .
This led to pulmonary embolism twice in 2021, ( while undergoing IVF, thankfully, before my FET ) 1x before being in the hospital and then again while in the hospital.
I also unfortunately have 47 different severe allergies , some to food , medications, and different environmental factors , think animal dander, pollen, bee stings etc ( most of which are anaphylactic reactions), a rare blood clotting disorder which led to 11 miscarriages and 3 late term losses. As well as adenomyosis, endometriosis, severe stomach bleeding, uterine fibroids, Nonneoplastic polyps in my colon, diverticulitis, obviously migraines with aura and mixed tension migraines, tension headaches, CVS AKA cyclic vomiting syndrome, severe insomnia , anxiety. ( which , duh, look at my health history)
I was also in a devastating car wreck when I was 7, which left me in a coma for 13 months . I've had surgery on both shoulders twice, 4 times on my right ankle, and numerous other surgeries.
I also , after having an emergency c section due to a placental abruption at 31 weeks with my son . I then ended up having severe postpartum hemorrhage and sepsis 7 days later due to the on call dr leaving a piece of my placenta inside me ! ( I had to be admitted to the hospital , thank goodness it was the same hospital that my son had been transferred to because they had a level 4 NICU . The hemorrhage also resulted in me having to have blood and iron infusions numerous times . I also have the BRCA Gene 1 & 2 , an immediate family history of colon cancer and breast cancer, as well as AML AKA acute myeloid leukemia. Heart disease and numerous others.
I once semi jokingly said to my PCP ( primary care provideDr), do you ever get the feeling that God is trying to take you out ? Because it feels like that to me, lol . Being the absolutely amazing Dr that he is , he said , he's not trying to take you out , he's just showing/proving (to) you how strong and resilient you are. He has amazing things for you in the future ❤️ Sorry this was so long ! I didn't realize how long it was going to be !

I got my lipid profiles results from a blood test and am really concerned - I've looked at the wiki page which is very helpful but I still don't understand my results.
Background info: Age 30, female, cycle daily for 30 minutes and work as a nursery teacher so fairly active, eat a relatively good diet (whole foods - oats, nuts, don't drink caffeine, some fruits/vegetables). Suffer from severe anxiety so wondering if there's a correlation with cortisol/adrenaline levels but unsure. Not on any medication. History of family having high cholesterol (both mum and dad - dad from 50s, mum from 60s). Started taking vitamin B complex tablets daily around 4 years ago.
I didn't get the blood results to check cholesterol, was actually to figure out what might be causing epilepsy-like symptoms/loss of consciousness so was a shock to see these results.
Lipid profile results:
Cholesterol: 7.2mmol/l (ref range 2.5-5.0) Cholesterol:HDL ratio: 2.7 HDL Cholesterol: 2.7mmol/l (ref range 1.2-1.7) LDL Cholesterol: 4.0mmol/l (ref range 0-3.5) Non-HDL Cholesterol: 4.5mmol/l Triglyceride: 1.2mmol/l (ref range 0.4-2.3)
Other results from blood tests that were flagged was my MCHC (g/L) and that is 318 g/l (ref range 320-360) so is low but red cell count is within normal range from other results received.
If anyone could help me that would be great. Just wondering if anyone can see a pattern here or looking for general advice please. Thanks so much! :)

Advice!
He's a 1 year old pit mix. For the past couple months he's been getting scaly flakey patches almost all over his body. Some of them feel like scabs. He is super itchy 24/7 and also gets just red patches. His hair has been falling out increasingly as well. The vet has said they don't know what it is. I've had his blood taken to check all his levels including his thyroid. He tried a food trial with the hydrolyzed protein but it seemed to make it worse. He has also been on apoquel but the itching did not stop. He gets 2 zyertec currently. I stopped the apoquel, and food trial. Any advice ?!

I made this burner account, I don't know how this site really works so hopefully I'm using it right
I'm a 20 year old male and I want to kill myself I'm lost, and don't see the point in trying to push on living anymore. I've come from an abusive household, thrown into another bad housing situation I currently live in a walk in closet, and unfortunately I'm too physically and mentally disabled to work functionally enough to do a 'normal job' I have been diagnosed with multiple things thought my life, schizoaffective, and DID run my entire life. I can't remember much of my childhood, and retaining memory for day to day living is taxing. My emotions are overwhelming, I feel every emotion but cranked up 10x. I have lots of issues with my legs, I'm unable to walk for long periods of time because of my disability. I want to kill myself because I don't think there's one person that can truly get down to my level. I want to kill myself because I would rather do that then feel like I'm a lab rat. I am an artist, but seeing the state of the animation industry and the state of ai has me terrified. Ever since I was a little kid I had a dream to share my stories and make comics but I just don't know if I have that strength anymore I want to kill myself because I am the definition of wasted potential. My mother and father are dead, and I have no connection with anyone in my family. I have lived without any connection from family for 3 years. I ran away from home at 17
My mom had an ulcer, she bled out. Puked up blood until she died I hadn't seen her for 3 years because I cut contact. She was abusive, physically, mentally, maybe even sexually. My dad died (maybe) of cardiac arrest. He was an alcoholic, and also physically and verbally abusive. The last time I contacted him was through Facebook Messenger, he told me he was in the hospital then suddenly stopped texting me entirely I was still a kid
I feel so incredibly lonely all the time, how long would it take for my roommates to find my body? I sit in my room and starve in hopes maybe I'll lose enough weight to be pretty I sit in my room high, just like my stoner mother I want to kill myself because I have no hope that things will get better, and that I'll eventually end up in the same hole my mom did My roommates will sit and watch me rot away, just as I watched my mom rot away I have no friends, in a sense of I don't have anyone that has truly connected to me. Sure I have people I talk to but do those people willingly come out and talk to me or try to learn about me? No. Do these people have a deep connection with me? No, and they aren't willing to. They purposely isolate me I can't reach out to my therapist, if I tell him how I really feel I'll be thrown in a hospital somewhere Tried to call a hotline and they hung up on me, ironic, so I've learned to just stay quiet about things and sit in the bathroom cutting my wrists instead. I'm always the glue in friendships, they will dwindle away eventually, no matter how much I try to bend and mold myself to fit their needs They make fun of me for it, saying I can't go 15 minutes without being perceived Maybe I'm selfish
I want to feel pretty, and loved, I so badly want to have purpose. But I cannot bear the agony that is loneliness, and I want to die. I want to be someone's son, a boyfriend, a husband or maybe even father, but I'm worried that's just wishful thinking.

Context: I’m a 26F with fine, 2A hair that has a lot of frizz / volume near the ends, and used to get really flat / thin / greasy, quickly, near the roots. I’ve also had some thinning near my hairline since January 2023 (combination of a short period of intense stress, weight loss, and using too many products). I tried supplements, I also did blood tests to make sure there wasn’t an underlying problem. I was hyper-fixating whenever I would brush my hair and see shedding. Overall, I was in a bad mental state over my hair. Over the year, I’ve made some changes that have really helped me with my hair thickness journey, and gotten me to a place of feeling good about my hair again. I wanted to share to see if it helps anyone else here.
Disclaimer - there isn't a miracle cure, I definitely needed a lot of patience and lifestyle changes, but the below are things I did for my hair specifically that has helped me with my hair health.
1. Figuring out what your hair type actually is
I have type 2A hair but I didn’t know that until March 2023, which is super late in hindsight. I always used to see people on tiktok who were selling certain products and hair oils, and showing their beautiful, thick hair. But in reality, it really is not a one size fits all, and most of the time, these products are either not for your hair type, OR you’re not using them the right way. Which leads me to…
2. Figuring out what the right products are for your hair, especially shampoo and hair oil
I did A LOT of research into this, and I got it wrong more often than not. There is just so much information out there, and every product promises hair growth / thicker hair. I tried so many different hair oils, including oiling my hair / scalp after washing. BIG mistake, I was a greasy mess and had to rub my scalp vigorously in order to get the oil off., which probably made my hair shedding worse. Basically - the way you oil your hair and WHEN you oil your hair seriously depends on your hair type. I used this tool to figure out my hair type and the right shampoos / oils as well as the right way to apply them. I realized that I only really need to oil 30 minutes before showering, and a few drops are enough. I found oils that weren’t too heavy for my hair type, and didn’t need vigorous scrubbing in the shower to wash off. I started shedding way less and seeing much more growth around my hairline.
3. Hair washing frequency / technique
Some people need to wash their hair more than others. I’m one of them. BUT I was washing my hair every other day, and had just resigned myself to having naturally greasy hair. Actually, I figured out my hair washing technique was wrong. I started using a scalp brush twice a week, and using my fingertips instead of nails to wash my hair. What I found helpful was “think about washing your scalp, not your hair”. It sounds basic, but I was doing it wrong all these years. Now, I can wash my hair 2-3 times a week and it lasts so much longer between washes.
4. Not tying my hair back
Yes to claw clips, no to hair ties. Definitely no to tight ponytails. This really makes a difference especially the front of the hairline.
5. Consistency
Once I figured out what products I liked (I did a lot of experiments), I’m now sticking to those. I think my hair is like my skin, it likes consistency and a level of minimalism. If you want specific product recommendations for fine, 2A hair then let me know :)
Tldr; After finding the right routine for my hair type, my hairline looks noticeably thicker, and I finally feel good about my hair. I’m no longer counting strands in my hairbrush and hyper fixating over my hairline. I hope this helps anyone in the same boat I was looking for ways to help find a good routine for their fine fair.