#{(their growth together. how precious and absolutely loving and supportive these two are with each other)}
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scngbard · 2 years ago
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anon sent: Wouldnt raine x lilith be kinda weird though..? I mean that is her sisters ex. Isnt that breaking girl code? I dont mean it in a bad way, its a good ship but just, imagine being eda and coming to your sister and your exes wedding.
unprompted asks || always accepting!
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Ah! I see you’re new here, anon! Well, I’ve been meaning to make an updated post about all this, so guess this will be the perfect place to start! xD
I will get to actually answering your question in a moment, but I feel a brief mention of context is needed to do so. For, as mentioned in their blog description and rules, my Raine is semi-canon divergent! Although a portion of that reason has been scrapped due to canon events, the larger part of said divergence is that their blog canon/default main verse is that my Raine is in a relationship with @ravnheks​‘ Lilith.
The reason I bring this all up, though, in order to answer your question is because Zeph and I have extensively discussed and plotted out everything we possibly could thus far. And, when I say extensively, I do mean
extensively LMAO
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Which also includes the point of your ask that’s brought up. owo (Although, I will say rn, I don’t actually know what all is actually included in the ‘girl code’, so I genuinely couldn’t say one way or another, but maybe?) In the briefest of answers; yes, but only initially. As there is a time after Lilith leaves the Emperor’s Coven that Raine does come to find her and ofc has to face Eda along with dealing with the awkward situation that they are in fact dating their ex’s sister. (The two are together for a period of time prior to show events.) It something they both actually have to deal with and work through even at the beginning of their relationship as there is that sort of guilt present there.
But, ultimately, even if things are tense and awkward initially between the couple and Eda because of their collective shared past, it isn’t something that all three of them aren’t able to get past. And, although Raine and Eda still would have that sort of close, special bond with each other that they’ve always had, it isn’t ever something that goes beyond platonic. (Of course, this may vary depending on the interpretation of a mun’s Eda, but this is just our default based on conversations and plotting I’ve had between Zeph and I, and with mutuals of mine that have/do write for Eda.)
tl;dr: Yes, initially it is a bit weird between the three of them as there are things that need to be talked/worked through because, yeah. It is an awkward situation. And, it certainly isn’t without it’s small rough patches here and there. But, at the end of the day, they’re able to overcome that and move forward with the new dynamics they have together now.
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drenched-in-sunlight · 6 months ago
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Ok ok, NOW i'm ready to scream about Book 3. Can I just say that out of all the Curse!Geto variations I absolutely adore yours the most?? I love how you kept the monk motifs and blended it with that of a demon. And the death mask! Chef's kiss. Also the hair. The hair is GORGEOUS.
There's so much I love about the third book, the way we get to look in at their bond through other people's lenses. Especially love that we got Shoko!! Having her words close out the story just felt particularly intimate and insightful. It felt like closure, even though it was so bittersweet. And the way you interspersed all of it with Geto and Gojo touching hands? That was so, so tender.
Speaking of hands! The parallel frames between Yuuta's last hand gesture and Gojo's!! Just genius.
100/10 I love the way you tied up Book 3. Now i'm going to go re-read everything and ugly cry all over again. (Also still living for the butt slap. Lmao Kenjaku really said "worth it")
I just got the JJK fanbooks and I. AM. SOBBING. One, they are so beautiful. Two, the STORIES?? The first one already made me ugly cry and I was in pieces by the third. Thank you for the amazing art and the stories and most of all for all the little alternates of what could have been. It's always so bitter when they don't end up together, or they do so too late, but I think it just draws more attention to how strong their feelings are for each other. It takes a lot of devotion to try again and again, especially when a happy ending is never guaranteed.
Sorry for the ramble. Had to come ugly cry in your inbox. I love the books so so much and you're amazing 😭
Same anon! I need to scream about Book 2 now. I love love LOVE the paneling for High Cost Of Living! The way the words were turning on their sides??! CHEF'S KISS(once i stopped crying).
The assortment of your artwork in between?? So precious. And why is your chibi Geto so cute??!
ALSO THE KENJAKU BUTT SLAP IN THE "WISH YOU WERE THERE TO CHEER ME ON" SCENE. The whiplash from ugly crying to screaming with laughter was so real lmao.
Hi, sorry for getting to this so late but i just really love your massages, so i keep going back to them again and again without knowing how to formulate a proper reply... TT_TT
Limits of the World will forever be special to me cuz it's the first time i did such a big project and it turned out amazing (the reason i got my current studio job is because the book caught the attention of my boss lol), so it's always a joy to hear ppl enjoy it !
High Cost and Alea, on the other hand, mark my growth when it comes to paneling and storytelling because i did them when i've been working in a professional environment for a while, so it brings a smile to my face when those two got compliments for the page and design arrangement ! My curse Geto design will always be one of the best things i could contribute to the JJK fandom, srl i'll visit him again eventually hehe. thank you for your support and kind words !!!
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geekgirles · 7 months ago
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Okay, first of all, thanks for the tag. Now let's see if I remember everything so I can tackle each point accordingly.
First of all, it's our precious Yumalia, of fucking course (pun totally intended). I think it's safe to say it was a shock for all of us to see them so intimate first thing in the webtoon. I was honestly expecting some intimacy, but much more implied, like Echo and Oropo's bed scene. But nope, we got them blushing, groping, changing positions, and gasping for breath.
Am I complaining? No.
Was it a shock? You'd better believe it.
But overall, I think you're pretty spot on with the positions they would prefer. After all, they'd been denied such level intimacy and physical contact the moment Yugo's growth became stunted, these two have a lot of pent-up energy. But at the same time, their relationship had always been more defined by that mutual pinning, that yearning, the utmost devotion and love they have for each other.
In a way, while Yugo still had a kid's body, their relationship was mostly defined by that tenderness. But the moment Yugo grew up and they realised there were no more physical barriers between them, you could just feel the waves of searing passion and adoration in their every interaction.
It's only natural that both aspects of their relationship, tender loving born from a long-lasting friendship and unbridled passion exacerbated by years of longing and holding back, would converge in bed like that now that they're finally together. Hence, we got two very thirsty young adults that are absolutely crazy for each other, but who also cherish each moment they have together by making sweet love rather than fucking like savages.
Much like @onyichii my own Ankama lore can be a bit wonky. I'm constantly trying to learn more, especially now that I'm working on my AU, but there are still aspects that I won't know about until they've been brought up by others.
Our dear Dream Dragon is one of such cases. See, that was the reason why I asked if they had been legitimately going at it or if Yugo was just having a wet dream (you know your hubby's madly in love with you when you're married, have had sex just the night prior and he still dreams only of you #goals) precisely because Amalia told him it was just a dream.
I mean, the way they both ended on the floor with an unmade bed still raises some eyebrows, but it would also be super weird if they had been mid-fuck and Yugo had suddenly fallen asleep. Especially when, while very loving, it seemed like a rather intense session.
I still can't get over the fact that, despite the psychological torture he'd been through over the years and now by this dragon, his main concern and most horrifying experience was still the idea of losing Amalia.
Tristeva who? (Jk, they're great too).
I have also been very worried at the side-glances the Eliatropes and Sadidas were giving each other in those panels. And yes, fighting a war together doesn't always mean you become fast friends with someone, but for the sake of my sanity, my new canon is the Sadida and Eliatrope have become one and are now besties. As for the webtoon, knowing how everything's gonna end, my money is on them accepting each other right before the Great Wave. Best case scenario, that is.
I'm keeping my canon, though.
As for that not-so-good advisor dude, the fact that he called her Lady Amalia is indeed suspicious as fuck. Given both his ominous words, Amalia's peeved reaction to it (which suggests that, whatever it is, it's not the first time he's ever brought it up) and the expression on his face, all make me believe he was one of Armand's supporters and hence he's going to be pushing for Aurora to reclaim the throne.
In other words, he's cancelled.
Once again, I am both dreading and looking forward to Friday.
The Great Wave - Chapter 1 Review
‼️ SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTER ‼️
Warning(s): mature themes, descriptive language, proceed with caution.
Before I start, I'd like to say that I initially added a lot more to this, but since tumblr had to censor it, I had to level it down a little...
I guess I just got carried away with it because of yumalia lol
So yeah...hope tumblr doesn't flag this again....
Alright everyone you know the drill.
LET’S ALL GET IT OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS AND GO CRAZY OVER HOW THESE TWO FUCKED SO MANY TIMES‼️‼️‼️‼️
Good job you two honestly I’m so happy these two got to have fun together like this 🥰🥰
Like no joke the first time I started to read the first chapter, of all the ways I thought it would start, I DIDN’T THINK THEY’D BE FUCKING I legit thought I was interrupting them my god-
I was so SHOCKED wtf??????!!!!
Like yes but what????
Ankama wasn’t kidding when they said they’d go mature mode and INSTANTLY cram in adult themes. The unexpected (but still warned) change was so sudden that that’s how you know Ankama has been keeping themselves tamed in the seasons because they couldn’t pull this shit off so easily like Japan.
Now let’s analyze the first thing that’s in the very first chapter.
The s** 👹👹
Okay I know how laughably this sounds because the FIRST THING in the first volume that we get to see is Yugo and Amalia’s private time.
And I’m not ashamed of loving it. Even now I still can’t believe that this can literally be considered soft corn. I won’t be surprised if more than half of the chapter ended up on that infamous site 💀(if u know, u know)
By the way I love how Amalia’s hair grew cuz I was starting to get sick of seeing her with a short ponytail all the time AND I LOVE HOW WE FINALLY SEE HER UNTYING HER HAIR CUZ MAN ITS BEEN SO LONG SINCE IVE SEEN HER LET HER HAIR OUT
But their private moment(s) really made us understand just how much they care for one another. The way that they are sleeping together NAKED like this so comfortably too confirms that they have done these kinds of activities before.
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The ambiance and the colors truly encapsulate the tranquility and peacefulness they both share in this moment. You can even feel the sunshine’s rays touching your skin.
AND I’M ALL HERE FOR IT. They genuinely look so cute and in love together like that I just wanna tear that blanket away and dhskdkfkksskskkdksksd.
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If anyone is wondering why Yugo still keeps the dofus on him, it’s because the dragon, Rodalström, that Armand defeated is still alive. A necrome can never truly die so Yugo has to essentially keep the dofus on him at all times just in case the dragon would set free someday (i feel so bad for Qilby due to this decision…dude is the only one between his siblings who can hear these two banging���)
While looking through these same pages over and over again (I still haven’t stopped), I began to seriously wonder what kind of positions they would do together.
We’ve seen two particular positions they have used in this chapter and it was the “lotus” position and the “woman on top” position.
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These are very accurate positions for these two mainly because of the level of intimacy it provides. It’s not rough, extravagant, or even too lewd. It’s simply just right.
They are so intimate with one another that they even hug while keeping the pace. And I think it is wonderful to see these two just being happy and satisfied in each other’s arms like this.
It's such a sweet moment for these two that you really can't look away (i'm definitely not saying this to justify why I keep overfixating these panels). You can even see Yugo choosing to keep his eyes open during it all just to look at Amalia enjoying it.
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My guy clearly loves the view please!! 😫😫😫
You don't think seeing her liking it makes him even more excited righ-
Some parts during their intimate moment had their arms, which were groping A LOT of things, somewhat censored by the blankets they still had on each other. So, to have a clearer view of what happened under the sheets, I decided to outline their covered arms to give you an idea of where those hands went.
At the very beginning, Yugo is woken up by Amalia kissing his cheek. But after that, his body looks much more awake when we see a panel of Amalia's hand under the covers reaching for something. This immediately makes Yugo wide awake, to the point where he's already sweating a bit and blushing very hard as he says, "You're...tireless!"
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After some outlining made by yours truly, it was painfully obvious where Amalia was reaching for and- DEBHUHUFUWHYUHFUYHUWUEFHUWHFUEFHUEWH
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GURL STOP OMG SHE'S TOO BOLD I CAN'T WITH HER I LOVE HER OMG SHE KNOWS WHERE TO REACH YES DO IT WAKE HIM UP!!!!
The fact that she instantly knew what to do when she wasn't getting enough attention from him after that cheek kiss alone sends me 😭😭
But it's not like Yugo's the innocent one here for not trying anything. On the contrary, HE'S TOUCHING HER TOO.
THAT GUY KNOWS WHAT'S BEST TO GRAB.
He's a man after all, so what'd you expect lol
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He KNOWS that her ass is THICK, SO WHY WOULD HE NOT TOUCH ONE OF HER BEST ASSETS!?!?!?
You can tell these two obviously do more than just two “sleeping” positions, but since they were messing around in the morning, I can give them a pass for being sweet and tender with each other at this moment, just this once. They must've done A LOT more yesterday night since Yugo did say she was tireless as soon as he woke up. These two are adventurers at heart, so why wouldn't they explore each other more thoroughly-
Given that we’ve only seen the "lotus," the "woman on top," and a simple embrace, I would like to suggest a few more positions that would suit them well. These recommended positions are so accurate to them and reflect their dynamic that I wouldn’t be surprised if they have done these before (or will eventually 👀).
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While nitpicking every single panel of their “morning routine” I learned two things thanks to this start:
1) Yugo’s a bottom but is able to switch.
2) Amalia is insatiable in bed. Girl is hungry HUNGRY. Because judging from how Yugo and her were fully naked and laying in bed in the beginning, that means they had finished screwing with each other a while ago BEFORE AMALIA JUST JUMPS BACK INTO IT. SHE’S LITERALLY TIRING OUT A DEMIGOD ALIEN JUST FROM GROPING AND TAKING HIM-
If a scene like this wasn’t what I thought would happen at the beginning of the first chapter, then Amalia getting choked to death had definitely thrown me off guard. Like many other readers, I already knew that this wasn’t actually real and was only happening in Yugo’s head but it still felt very off-putting to see her struggling to breathe. The way Yugo panicked and tried to help only for him to scream and cry when he realized she was on the verge of dying was powerful.
And that’s when we find the anomaly in this chapter.
The dragon that appeared in Yugo’s head.
I initially expected Toross to be the one tormenting Yugo but I guess it ended up being this dragon.
The dragon figure seems to feel severe hatred for Yugo for all the calamities he let happen in the World of Twelve and how he seems to be living a good life at the moment while having the six primordial eliatrope Dofus and the Eliasphere in his possession.
The theories immediately started flooding in on who this dragon could possibly be and here’s what people came up with:
A) The dragon is one of the six primordial dragons from the World of Twelve named Grougalorasalar.
He’s the guardian of the Eben dofus and used to have been sealed in Joris during the Dofus era. Some have theorized this dragon to be him because of how physically similar they look.
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Although he looks identical, there is no logical reasoning to support his hostility towards Yugo, let alone his ability to infiltrate his mind. Furthermore, the way he acts and thinks around Yugo, assuming it is actually him, is illogical given his involvement in Ogrest's rampage.
B) This dragon is, in actuality, Draconiros, the dragon of dreams.
His job is to govern the dreams and nightmares of the twelvians. People suspect he might have taken the form of Grougalorasalar while talking to Yugo.
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Despite never meeting Yugo, he could have watched over the twelvians through their dreams. This means that he might have seen Oropo's dreams, as well as Yugo's own, giving him insight into Yugo's future actions and indirectly caused consequences. If true, this theory would explain why he holds a grudge against Yugo. It currently stands as the most compelling theory among all others.
C) The Great Dragon. Yugo’s father could be the one able to invade his mind and blame him for all sorts of things.
It's hard to ignore the fact that the Great Dragon appears to have been absent during some of the biggest catastrophes in the Krosmoz. Despite countless calamities happening all around the world, the Great Dragon seemed to have done nothing to prevent them, nor did he even show up to witness them. This is why his presence felt non-existent in the world. If he doesn't care about the world, why would he have any interest in what Yugo has done?
D) Osamodas himself could be the one speaking to Yugo while taking the form of Grougalorasalar.
It's worth considering that Yugo may face blame from the god of beasts. Additionally, it's intriguing to note that the osamodas race will play a significant role later on. This is evident from Aurora and her family's return to the Sadida kingdom.
So far, these are the only theories out there that we have for this dragon. That, and the fact that it might as well be a whole new character that we haven’t seen before.
The thing that truly makes this interaction between Yugo and the unknown dragon feel severe is the fact that the dragon tells him that despite sharing dragon blood, he truly detests him.
Imagine having to know that a millennial dragon hates you despite sharing the same blood.
Of course, the interaction couldn’t have stayed for very long because Amalia immediately interrupted it by screaming Yugo’s name. Yugo looks completely out of it, huddled up and shaking in fear. I understand that he saw what could be a future threat but this whole situation must’ve looked so off-putting from Amalia’s perspective: they were fucking, they started levitating because of the six eliatrope Dofus residing in him, and then they both suddenly fell on the floor and she saw Yugo curled up and crying, freaking the fuck out.
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Amalia doesn’t understand but she still goes to him and immediately tries to calm him down by embracing him. But despite everything he’s seen and the fact that he interacted with a mysterious dangerous beast, the first thing that Yugo says amidst his crying is: “I thought I lost you…”
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Look at the sheer terror in his eyes.
He genuinely looks like he thought he lost everything at this very moment. His body is shaking and is still processing what he just saw and heard.
He even APOLOGIZES to her, thinking that seeing her dying in his arms was somehow his fault.
Her life is such a huge priority for him that that’s immediately the first thing he’s afraid he’ll lose the most.
That’s when Amalia suddenly says the words: “Calm down, it was just a dream.”
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A dream??
You mean to tell me that this whole time, Yugo was sleeping?
So this whole “wrestling” scene never happened?
I believe there’s been some kind of misunderstanding when we first read this chapter.
I feel like we thought Yugo and Amalia had been messing with each other in the morning and that’s when Yugo suddenly received a flash of imagery and words from the unknown dragon before Amalia snapped him out of it and that’s how they needed up on the floor together.
But it turns out that wasn’t technically what happened.
Because if this intimate scene was real, then why would Amalia say he had dreamt?
I believe this is what actually happened:
Yugo and Amalia were peacefully sleeping together after spending the night awake (because what do you think a fully naked couple does in bed). When morning arose, that’s when Yugo started having a wet dream of Amalia and him getting in on again and right when things were starting to get better for Yugo, the dream started to twist itself and change out of its own will, forcing the one good thing about the dream to leave, which was Amalia, by making her choke to death to finally reveal the dragon. The dragon haunts his mind and spills his hateful thoughts to the eliatrope causing him to suffer alone until Amalia snaps him awake and manages to unknowingly free him from the torment. Yugo must’ve fallen on the floor while having the nightmare and Amalia simply got down from the bed to wake him up.
(this still doesn’t change the things I said about the types of positions they have, how Amalia has her own nicknames for Yugo like ‘little princess’, and how Amalia is in bed though because dreams often depict and copy real-life behaviors from the mind of the person dreaming. it’s actually funny that Yugo had a WET DREAM about Amalia and him. despite getting so much action with her, his mind doesn’t leave her alone lol)
When she regards his shaking form that it was only a dream, however, Yugo insists how real it felt. That’s when he decides to stand up and claim he needs some air to think. The fact that he has said the same thing back in Season 4 Episode 1 when he had Oropo in his head, shows how his insistence of wanting to be alone after getting scarred, has become a pattern.
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Amalia understandably (and predictably) gets angry at Yugo for leaving but her behavior also raises a few questions. Does this mean she’s angry that he wants to be alone every time he gets nightmares? Does he receive incessant nightmares on some nights? If that’s the case, then how often does this keep occurring? Or is this the first time he does this? Is she angry because he tends to quickly leave when he thinks he needs to deal with something on his own like how he did in Seasons 2 and 4?
Regardless of what the case may be, Amalia doesn’t waste time and immediately dresses herself up with her vines like a boss ass Queen just look a how refined and elegant she looks while changing✨✨ I love her so much 💕💕
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Also vinillain noticed how these two dumbasses don’t HAVE ANY BEDROOM DOORS. How do they actually get any privacy if their bedroom has a huge ass hole with no door?? It’s so bare that it doesn’t even have a curtain to cover the front of their room!! Like did these two not realize that literally anyone can just get right in their room? I get that they’re royals so they would know that no one would be this dumb enough to simply get in like that but the entrance of the room is so big and wide that anyone can just pass through it and be able to see their bed from where they’re standing!! You can even see the bed frame right there in just that panel for crying out loud!! I get that the sadidas are a pretty open race BUT THEY’RE NOT THAT OPEN TO EACH OTHER-
Besides this stupid choice of not having any doors, I love how the kingdom made a few adjustments to the throne room because they initially only had one seat. Even when Armand was king, there was still one place. Aurora had to sit in a small space next to him lol. Note that Aurora used to sit on the right side like how Yugo has to do now.
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I already talked about this to vinillain but I told them that because of how the throne was arranged when it got split into two, I feel like the ones who sit on the right are the ones who come from other kingdoms aka if they’re from another race. I believe that the reason why the throne had only been one seat in Seasons 1, 2, and the ovas, was because the only ruler at the time was King Oakheart. The ruling seat might have also been divided in two when the queen was still alive. Amalia might as well have simply chosen to sit in Armand’s place because it used to be his which would be cute if that was the case.
I like to think that Yugo deserves sitting in Aurora’s place because he’s submissive-
Speaking of Armand, the mural wall that Amalia made the artist make was such a wonderful decision. She really did love her brother despite the many quarrels they used to have.
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This man entered the legend ❤️
After the interaction between Amalia and the painter, I noticed the royal advisor (or so I think) about to approach Amalia with something to discuss. Despite not having entered the throne room yet to listen to her people's grievances, the advisor seems to have something confidential to share with her, as he didn't choose to wait until she got there. Although we don't know what that "something" could be, Amalia immediately stops him, explaining that she just got out of bed and needs time to process everything.
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I think we'll see what that 'something' could be about in the next chapter, though. Looking at the crowd awaiting Yugo and Amalia in the throne room to discuss their business with them, I have a strong feeling some of those problems would involve the elite eliatropes.
We can even see how the mood in the throne room looked very tense between the sadidas and the eliatropes. Some of the sadidas looked perturbed, and there's a good chance they're acting this way because of the eliatropes. Not only that, but the eliatrope kids looked super uncomfortable because of the tension going on. Even a sadida was eyeing an eliatrope in a pretty judgemental way (you can see it on the right panel).
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They were all waiting for Amalia and Yugo so they could speak about their problems to the two royals so I wouldn't be surprised if some problems would be about the eliatropes staying.
I understand that when we last saw the sadidas, they were pretty much okay fighting alongside the eliatropes during the war against the necromes. But that was because it was a war. They were extremely short-handed, so they were perfectly fine with having them by their side. But now that the war is over, it's possible that many of them feel a bit awkward having to share their lands with eliatropes. Imagine living on these lands since the dawn of time and you suddenly have to live with people who are not even from your planet one day.
In short, Yugo and Amalia should get more intimate moments, the dragon in the dream has a good chance of being Draconiros, Yugo should stop dealing with his problems on his own, Armand is a chad, the two royal seats scream power couple goals, I need that sadida and eliatrope drama, and I’m waiting on what the advisor has to say.
@geekgirles @onyichii
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lasquadrasfuckhouse · 3 years ago
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Hi!
What do you think about la squadra(separately) with s/o that is very childlish? Like, not a little child ofc, they can get serius when it has to be, and they talk ,like, normally (without "owo uwu" shit). They just loooove some cute things, animals etc. They also love watching cartoons, play games, and many other things likke that.
If you don't want to write it that's okay :)))
Bye bye <3
awwww i love it!!!!!
la squadra with a cutesy and playful partner 😚
risotto ✂️
he loves cute things too, he gets it. he adores how excitable and sweet you are and you absolutely count as cute things that he loves
the two of you will fawn over the neighbourhood cats together and every time you run into his office with fun shaped snacks to share cause u both love them (like gummies or cookies or chocolates) his heart goes ❤️❤️❤️❤️💕❤️💕❤️❤️💕💕💕
he appreciates that you're not afraid to get serious when the time calls for it too but seeing you without your normal attitude is so jarring and sad for him, he'll work twice as hard to fix what's wrong to see you smiling again. you're so full of love and wonder despite everything and that's so precious to him, he's protective (he knows and respects that you can handle yourself he just loves u) and would never want you to change for the wrong reasons ya kno
you absolutely balance each other out very well and you're fucking adorable to see because he's so stoic and scary and then ur this energetic sweetheart
he's not really one for cartoons or video games but he'll indulge ur interests!!! if he has the time to watch a cute movie with u (like disney) he will pay attention and give u his honest opinion
prosciutto 🚬
OPPOSITES ATTRACT HUH
honestly when you first joined the team he was an ass about it, thought it was unbecoming of an assassin to behave so childishly (the others already give him a headache) but the fact that you stood your ground actually really impressed him. you're still an adult and you're not unreasonable, you know when to take things seriously, you just have your eccentricities like everyone else in this circus and he came to appreciate your point of view and your seemingly boundless enthusiasm for nice things in life. he later expressed as much to you during his apology for being an ass.
you temper each other. he'll be your grounding force and you'll help him loosen up
he does like how ur sweet and open with your affection. if he grumbles about sharing the bed with plushies that's code for 'cuddle me instead'
he also loves bringing you to cafés that do those fancy or fun shapes in the lattes cause he loves to see your eyes light up and fawn over how 'its almost too pretty to drink!!!' it's really quite adorable how excitable u are and prosciutto is not immune to it
pesci 🎣
he very very much loves and appreciates it, you're a big comfort to him. the instant you chugged milk with him and gave him a silly grin with a milk moustache, he was in love
your sweetness and energy picks him up and when you've dropped your attitude he will take on the WHOLE WORLD to hear you laugh again. he's very protective and he's the first to jump to your defense if the others tease you or otherwise give you a hard time
he could listen to you gush for hours. he will absolutely sit and watch cartoons with u. he's not the greatest at video games but he'll try his best for u
because of his name you'll often lovingly make that cute fishy face at him with the kissy lips and ur eyes crossed and his heart explodes every time
he has somewhat of a sweet tooth, he likes things that have a light sweetness to them rather than anything super sugary. you'll share desserts and it's very cute
formaggio 🧀
he LOVES IT. he's just as fun-loving, there's never a dull moment with you two whether you're playing a dumb game you made up out of boredom, you're dancing and he's twirling you around, or ur in a pillow/tickle fight and play wrestling. you tend to get each other into trouble but you both snicker about it. two peas in a pod.
cats like you more than they like him but he can often get his pets in if the kitty is curled in ur lap and u both get giddy about it
you definitely game together. he's not as into the cartoons but he'll still watch em with you, he thinks they're cute and you're cute, but he may fall asleep during movies
he's a very grounding support when things require you to be serious, you work together hand in hand to solve the issue so u can get back to laughing
and he will do anything to hear u giggle, doesn't matter if he makes a damn fool of himself, he doesn't care. as far as he's concerned your laugh is the best sound in the world
illuso ✨
oh, he will tease you about it. probably in a way that's kind of mean when you first join, but you aren't bothered by him or concerned with his opinion. if you point out that he's the childish one for trying to get a rise out of you when you're just minding your own business, that has EVERYONE appreciating you because it's unbearably fun to see illuso taken down a notch. that has him huffing and retreating for a bit and having a think. when he comes back, he's less of an ass. as you grow closer, he apologizes.
now the only way he teases is gentle and loving and fond, because you really are quite adorable and he wouldn't have it any other way. it honestly kind of freaks him out when you get serious but he doesn't show it, he'll just place a gentle hand on your arm or your waist and work with you to resolve the issue. he's relieved when you smile again
he warms up to your plushies because they're nice cozy additions to his piles of pillows for lounging around on and they make u happy
he may keep up his aloof air when he picks up a controller with u or watches over ur shoulder like he has nothing better to do but he gets REALLY into it and competitive, or intensely supportive and backseat gaming if ur going solo
he honestly loves how sweet u are because that sort of thing doesn't really come easy to him
melone 🍈
he thinks ur absolutely adorable and makes sure u know it. he's playful too in a more relaxed sort of way so he mellows you out while still having fun
he loves to hear you gush and wants to get involved in ur passions. he's pretty good at gaming but he'll get more into admiring/analyzing the design aspect of it and same w/ cartoons, he's concerned for all the babies out there because they deserve good stories that make them think and benefit their growth and he will think out loud about how a show/movie fares in that regard after you've watched it together
he can talk a lot about animals with u too!!!! every time u grin or coo at a cute creature or Stay Very Still so a butterfly will land on u and giggle cause it tickles, his heart is doing backflips and he can't believe someone as wonderful as u exists and loves him as much as he loves you
ADULT COLOURING BOOKS!!!!! he absolutely loves to fill in the pages with u and add onto the designs outside the lines in all sorts of colours
he admires that ur not afraid to get serious when it's called for but still so sweet, he's so drawn to you and you make everyone's day better and just light up the room
ghiaccio ❄️
he also loves cute things. that includes u. but it will take him a while to admit out loud how adorable you are because he's flustered about it
forget normie relationship milestones like moving in together, the moment u both started slowly familiarizing your plushie collections to each other, swapping or gifting ones u saw and HAD to get for them or keeping two of them together because they're friends now Do Not Seperate!!!!, he knew this was Real
one of his favorite pastimes is sharing a big big cozy sweater with u, it doesn't matter if it's a bit tight with two people in it or that ur faces are squished together, he'll wrap his arms around u (if u haven't already put ur hands in the sleeves too) and cuddle u against him like a fluffy, snuggly, grumpy cat. welcome to sweater town, population u and ghiaccio
ur both very into pokemon too. you'll spend hours with ur heads bent together over ur gameboys with each other's companion games for that generation and help each other with trading and version exclusives
he's the first to yell at anyone for teasing you and he honestly gets a little freaked out when you go serious but he won't show it. he'll want to address the problem as quickly as possible tho and discreetly hug u when ur giggling again
sorbet and gelato 🔪🍦
THEY LOVE IT UR ADORABLE. they're both playful in their own ways (sorbet is more chill and dry wit sort of playful, gelato is no impulse control and hyena cackling sort of playful) and they love to have fun with u
it's also like.... the world is fucked up and they're both kinda fucked up (more than kinda), and they know you're not like an innocent baby or at all incompetent (hell, you may be kinda fucked up too, who isn't when ur an assassin) but it's just. nice to see someone else having fun and being sweet and enjoying things about life. so they are very protective of you when things get serious, they never EVER want to see you become embittered and will do absolutely anything to get you laughing again as soon as possible. which, guaranteed, they do
gelato has always had a short attention span so he knows what to do for entertainment and sorbet knows how to entertain, he may be the more patient one but they both like to mix things up and keep the surroundings interesting. they will play all sorts of games with u, video games or card games or stupid shit like beer pong or making a game of how many marshmallows u can each fit in ur mouths. you'll all go for a nice walk in the park and nothing is more relaxing for sorbet than kickin back on a bench while his rowdy babes end up tussling in the dirt. be free
of course, u and gelato also drag him into the dirt and put flowers in his hair and he would want nothing less
they'll both squish ur cheeks and lovingly tease u about how cute u are. blow a raspberry at them and they'll give u a kiss
sorbet will throw u over his shoulder and carry u around (no matter ur body type, he's strong!!!) + gelato will smatter ur face in kisses, just to hear u squeal and giggle
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future-dregs · 3 years ago
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Send Me a Fandom Ask Game
@nitghowl1600
Yu Yu Hakusho, I love that, thank you.
Let's dig in and see what the answers are.
The first character I first fell in love with: Hiei!
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My sister actually read it first, and then we watched the anime together, and from the moment she showed me his first picture I knew I would love him. And I was RIGHT. He's a bastard gremlin (affectionate) and that's just the ones I like, so it was really no surprise that he rocketed right up to the top.
The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Yusuke. Despite being the MC, he was an absolute ASS (which was all part of his character development but I digress), and I really, REALLY didn't like him. Brash, crass, sexist, and irritating, I did not want to spend any more time around him than was strictly necessary. Now, of course, if you've seen any of my posts or tags, you'll see that he's shoved his way into my heart and I love him very dearly. He's amazing, and his growth, maturity, and tenderness are something outstanding.
The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Yoko Kurama. Idk who was a closet furry in that translations room, but giving the giant, muscled fox man a "time for spankings" line was a damn choice and a choice they kept on making. Every time he opened his mouth I braced in horror and despaired of what he would say, cause ALL OF HIS LINES ARE LIKE THAT. (My sister assures me that wasn't in the manga….that...I have yet to completely finish). I do not like Yoko Kurama. But the fandom does. Oh, how they do.
The character I love that everyone else hates: Itsuki. He's not great and his relationship with Sensui is (imo) weird at best and unhealthy at worst (though I wouldn't go so far as to that its abusive). But idk man, he's a compelling, interesting character. He's a demon, who was being hunted by Sensui and was about to be killed by him, but Sensui thought he was funny and hot I guess so he let him live and they started hunting together. After Sensui's horrific (in every absolute sense of the word, holy fucking shit) realization about the humans he had been working to protect, and he was so shattered and disturbed and at loose ends that he had to make multiple personalities to protect himself and process what happened to him, Itsuki stuck with him. They may not have dealt with what happened to them in the healthiest manner, and Itsuki stepped back and let him go when he should have intervened, but what they hell else were they supposed to do, really? He supported and loved Sensui in the best way he knew how, even if that way turned out to be pushing him to the point of self destruction. Their last moments together were very moving, and solidified him as an intriguing character to me. Idk what the fandom feel for him is, but my sister greatly dislikes him, so that's who I'm picking.
The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Lame, but I don't think I have one.
The character I would totally smooch: Yukina. But a nice, cute little forehead kiss. She's precious and want all good things for her, and I'd like to kiss the top of her head like a cat. I don't have any character I'm attracted to though.
The character I’d want to be like: I admire Kuwabara. He's strong as hell and can fight like crazy, but he runs off of love. Like, the power of love is what motivates him. He's kind, loves his friends so much that he was willing to debase and humiliate himself so that no harm would come to them, he loves cats, his sister, PEOPLE in general and he just genuinely wants to make the world around as good as he can. He applies himself to his studies and is determined to make himself into a good man, and if I could be at all like him, I would consider myself to be a success. (The dub frickin' BUTCHERED him and all of his character traits btw)
The character I’d slap: Koenma. He deserves it. He bears a lot of responsibility for the REALLY bad stuff that happened and the unnecessary pain and torment that several characters went through. Aside from that he's also a little whiny and should really treat his second better but hey, what else is new?
A pairing that I love: YuHieiRama. This is not the most *popular* paring in the fandom (30 fics on Ao3, minimal art, there's…there's next to nothing, basically) but I LIKE it.
Kurama treasures Yusuke, he doesn't even attempt in any way to hide that fact. Also Kurama has two hands and he knows it. There's a reason Hiei/Kurama is one of the biggest ships in the fandom, their flirtation, instigated mostly and many times, by Kurama, is too much to be ignored. Hiei had THIS wonderous line "I would kill you before you could touch him (Yusuke)" which is HUGE for him and his character because his whole shtick is that he "doesn't care" about other people (he does sometimes he just doesn't show it) but when he thought Yusuke was in imminent mortal danger, he didn't hesitate even a moment to VERBALLY THREATEN (AND THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE HOW IMPORTANT YUSUKE IS TO HIM) the one posing the danger. And he would have. And he's not a big talker, so this was a BIG MOMENT to him and his character development. Also, though not as open as Kurama, and more bashful about receiving, he reciprocates the flirtation, and seems almost to expect or wait for it at times (and then he tries it out on Yusuke, it's so cute). On Yusuke's end, he admires and respects them both, he likes them both and he just genuinely WANTS to be around them. They are right up there with the top five or so most important people in his life and his devotion is obvious. There's also the common bond between them with Kurama and Hiei being yokai, and Yusuke (SPOILER) also now being one. They have an understanding of each other and a deep care and they make such a wonderful unit, and their interactions, both between any of the two of them, or all three of them together, are just LACED with care and affection and (I think) romantic, flirtatious undertones. *deep breath* I'm so sorry about this.
A pairing that I despise: Yusuke and Keiko. And NO its not because I ship Yusuke with someone(s) else, its because I never believed them as a couple, and they seem supremely unsuited to each other. They kept saying "I love you, I love you, I like you, I miss you, I admire you, I want you" But they never seemed to show it, to prove or display that in any romantic way. They do care for each other, I'll believe that. But IN love? No. They make a horrible romantic couple, and I dislike it greatly.
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qqueenofhades · 4 years ago
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i have been loving your responses to questions about the movie (so much!!!) and was wondering if you had any thoughts on the movie's depictions of faith & religion? i loved what they did with andy and nile, and am wondering where the others fall between the two? idk if i'm making sense, haha--i just find discussions of faith & religion fascinating and found their inclusion in a movie like this one really refreshing :D (ok back to trawling your blog and then onto the fic! whoo!)
...you know this is going to lead to me spiraling over Nile, a character of faith and a precious cinnamon roll, getting adopted by two veterans of the crusades who met in the middle of literal religious wars and fell in love with each other, right? Right? Okay, good.
As you will see when you get to the fic, exploring Joe and Nicky’s religious backgrounds/views on their faith/development and growth with it over time was something that I really worked on doing in DVLA, and which is consequential for their character development and their approaches both to each other and to the overall progression of the crusades. There’s certainly room there for people to headcanon Joe and Nicky’s current views on their religion in different ways; it’s obviously been something both that drove them apart and that drew them together, and I think they both still have an affinity for it in some fashion, though living as an immortal mercenary and running around the world kicking bad guys’ asses means that they have to deal with it in evolving ways. I do love that being a Cynical Jaded Atheist was not a prerequisite for any of the characters; Andy comes closest, but for obvious reasons, and her viewpoint isn’t held to be Better than Nile having faith. In fact, Andy explicitly tells Nile in the conversation in the penthouse, right before they kill Merrick, that NILE was right -- if perhaps not about faith in God, since that’s still something Andy might not feel, then about faith per se, and that there are things and people to believe in and causes to fight for, even now 6,000 years later when Andy has seen absolutely goddamn everything and burned out because of it. That that idealism and that belief that it DOES matter (which is again validated by Copley’s conspiracy wall) tells us that we can do the same.
I think Booker is probably culturally French Catholic, but has had a similar struggle to Andy’s, in terms of losing faith/wondering what it all means/viewing things through the lens of a particularly French nihilism, and it was likely very hard for him after losing his family. So it’s there and it shapes how he sees things, but I think it’s probably a source of pain to him more than anything. I feel like he WISHES that he could believe in it more, and it’s also possible that he’s clinging onto the idea of heaven/an afterlife: if Merrick can figure out how to make their immortality end, he can see his family once he dies. I think he NEEDS that to be true, otherwise this is really all for nothing, and that hurts me.
And as mentioned, catch me Emoting over the fact that Nile lost her dad at an early age (now she has two dads), she is a precious bean who also has the kind of faith that both Joe and Nicky can understand and support in the desire to do the right thing and to be kind, and she is named (at least for my background DVLA story for Joe that has him from Egypt) for the river that runs through Joe’s homeland. She helps Andy have faith in something, and it just seems right that her new dads (shhh it’s canon we all know it’s canon) have been through the worst of what religion can throw at the world, but have chosen to keep believing in something and to keep loving each other as a result. So they will be sympathetic to Nile on that topic, no matter what their personal faith journeys may currently look like, and I love it.
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chazukekani · 5 years ago
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BSD Animate Times Interview
Uemura Yuto (v.a. Nakajima Atsushi) & Miyano Mamoru (v.a. Dazai Osamu)
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Overall, what’s the difference between Season 1 and 3?
Mamo: Comparing to Season 1, my impression towards Atsushi-kun has changed a lot.
Yuto: Since being rescued by Dazai-san and became a member of ADA, I think Atsushi-kun started to recognise the good deeds of his own ability. Meanwhile, he also faced the question of how to use his ability properly, but I think he is getting closer to the answer.
It has been three years since I performed in Bungo Stray Dogs. This project enabled me to host radio programme as a MC, which is a new challenge for me. I think I shared some similar experience with Atsushi as well.
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In terms of acting, what is the difference between Season 1 and 3?
Yuto: Rather than being the same old story that we used to, I think there is various new elements introduced in Season 3. Under this changing circumstances, I always wonder how should I portray Atsushi.
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How about you, Miyano-san?
Mamo: I think Dazai has been well described from various perspectives. In series of Fifteen Years Old, Dazai’s personality has been enriched. His personality has always been stuck in my head, which I can’t easily forget.
Dazai’s changing perception in life and death also enabled me to have a deeper understanding towards him. I feel more related to Dazai since then.
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After performing in Fifteen Years Old, did this make any impact of your state of mind?
Mamo: Although Dazai has been a prodigy since then, I still find Dazai somehow acts like a child. I think Dazai still concern more about himself, rather than showing care to others during that time. I think Dazai’s encounter with Oda Sakunosuke, Akutagawa Ryunosuke and fellow ADA members is when Dazai truly started to grow.
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What do you think of each other after performing in BSD for such a long time?
Mamo: Bungo Stray Dogs is the first anime that we are actually working together with. Audiography director (Wakayabayashi Kazuhiro) once told me, ‘Your junior is now the protagonist, please take good care of him.’ , whilst I answered ‘No way’ (laugh)
Together: (laugh)
Yuto: I heard about that recently!
Mamo: No! I didn’t mean I don’t like you! Since I couldn’t meet Uemura-kun regularly in our agency, I really concern about his thoughts towards the characters. I really value his opinions much. As the first time to perform as a protagonist, I am really glad to see him endeavour in this project.
I once joked that ‘Just act as if you have to do or die!’. Yet Uemura-kun seemed to take it serious, and really tried his best to act. I can really feel his guts while he was Atsushi.
The coherence between Atsushi and Uemura-kun also pushes him forward. I can feel the passion in his vein during recording. This is indeed an treasurable experience for Uemura-kun.
It seems to me that Uemura-kun struggled in first two seasons, and somehow shown his dark side when he was confused (laugh). However, I think such conflicting thoughts also contributed to him as an voice actor. I think this is also a remarkable growth for Uemura-kun.
When we were preparing for Dead Apple, I was not able to record together with him, but after watching the movie, I feel relieved. I think Uemura-kun can also do very well even I wasn’t beside him.
During Season 3, we once managed to have a dinner together. When we talked about topics relating to acting, Uemura-kun became serious again! So the director just joked that Uemura-kun will behave weirdly during any dinner with me. (Inside joke from BSRadio)
When we were having dinner, I told Uemura-kun, ‘ You have found your own way to act, aren’t you?’, and then he just became serious again! I think it is really interesting to know how much Uemura-kun has grown.
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Uemura-san, what is your thoughts on Miyano-san’s advice?
Yuto: Dead Apple has indeed granted me many opportunities to examine my technique. Although Atsushi has been fighting along side with Kyouka and Akutagawa, Atsushi rarely has a time to stay with Dazai, and just fight without his assistance. This is also the first time which Miyano-san wasn’t by my side during recording.
During the recording of the movie, director Igarashi-san told me to that Atsushi is the protagonist in the movie. During the battle scene, I really tried to act as if I were fighting in that circumstances.
I always try to immerse myself into Atsushi’s personality and situation when I was acting. These kinds of thinking particularly emerged when I was recording for ‘Portrait of a Father’ and ‘Addict’.
Season 3 seems to be slightly different from the previous stories, whereas telling the story of battles between Port Mafia and Guild. Season 3 seems to focus more on characters’ own development and description.
I think the acting skills required for this season has been levelled up. I am really glad to meet Miyano-san once again in the recording.
Mamo: Same, it is really nice to see you again!
Yuto: Miyano-san has been taking care for me since Season 1, and it has never changed. However, since the skills required in portraying Atsushi is more demanding, I can feel Miyano-san has a different approach in coaching me too.
Mamo: I always remind Uemura-kun to act in the way which he enjoy himself the most. I think it is good to have your own style. I once asked Uemura-kun, ‘Did you have a great time?’, and he told me he did Sauna recently, but it wasn’t what I means! (lol)
Yuto: Yeh I finally got what you mean afterwards... (laugh) But I really couldn’t stop talking about sauna! It seems that all our conversation is related to sauna recently...
Mamo: We shouldn’t be chatting about sauna okay?? (laugh)
Yuto: Yeh I think we messed it up... (laugh)
Mamo: Yet it seems we have a topic in common!
Yuto: I understand that it is really difficult to convey by words... but I really tried to fulfil Miyano-san’s advice, and acted with enjoyment. With the aid of the script and animation, I was managed to balance the characteristics of Atsushi in various aspects.
Although I received advice from Miyano-san, directors also gave me some instructions. I treasure their advice really much, and it is very important to consider ‘authenticity’ when you are acting.
Mamo: I think there is no absolute answers in terms of acting. That’s why it is difficult to explain it through words. However, our job is nothing without words at the same time, so I think we have to solely put our heart in it.
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At last, what do you want to say to the fans?
Mamo: I am really grateful that our fans have been supporting us till this time. I love the conception of world structures in BSD. It is certainly my honour to be part of this story.
Various perspectives have been adopted in writing this story, and I feel myself definitely in love with Dazai. I really had a great time with all the other voice actors in this project.
It is a precious opportunity for me to work with my junior in the agency, so BSD absolutely holds a special place in my heart. Thank you so much for all the support!
Yuto: When I was informed to be the protagonist in this anime, I couldn’t believe how should I manage it. Bungo Stray Dogs is indeed inseparable in my life.
The director told me that he almost getting confused between me and Atsushi because we are so similar! I actually think I share some points in common with Atsushi as well. As time flies, I feel myself more connected to Atsushi.
I am really glad to be chosen as the voice actor of Atsushi. Thank you very very much for staying with us in such long journey!
Season 3 is a fusion with all the climaxes and emotions. This may be a battle about special ability, but also please pay attention to the character interactions!
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naancypants · 5 years ago
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@nancydrew-onthecase, this is my argument post 4 you because I have waaaayyy too much to cram into a bunch of asks lol! I also took this way too seriously, so sorry for how Extra this is 😂😶
My previous posts have already summed up some of my favorite things about Joe/Nancy as a pairing, so I’d like to take this opportunity to also compare it to the opposing Nancy ships - please, please don’t view this as me bashing Nedcy and Francy to “prop up my ship” or whatever, I think they’re both totally valid ships in their own ways and I can understand their appeal. But in the 10+ years I’ve spent shipping Jancy (omg), I’ve spent a LOT of time analyzing the other two relationships to identify the things that do and don’t work in my personal opinion, and I felt that going over the latter is helpful in highlighting some of the reasons I love Joe x Nancy as much as I do. I’d like to present this as an open, honest discussion, so hopefully I can share my views & opinions without coming off as rude, haha. I’ve taken steps to make sure I’m remaining as self-aware as possible while still stating my thoughts exactly as they are.
Also know that I’m basing this mainly on the games and similar interpretations of these characters, not so much on the OG book series.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO… (under the cut bc of length lolol)
- Ned/Nancy, for me, is very sweet because of Ned’s dedication to being there for Nancy no matter what, but it also has that persistent dark cloud of Nancy going off all the time without telling him (which, although I love her to death and I understand why, is pretty crappy on her part). Ned is a precious boy who is “okay with it” and thinks it’s “worth it” to be with someone like Nancy, but… God. He’s SO SOFT and, as someone else who is Very Soft, I would be heartbroken if my s/o was never around, cancelling our plans at the last minute, etc. And we do actually hear this loneliness from Ned many times. He almost always comes around with these supportive, encouraging speeches which is one of the biggest points in Nedcy’s favor, but on a larger scale there’s sooo much he could be getting out of his relationship that he’s just… not. He’s a simple hometown boy who just wants to give all his love to the lucky girl and live a nice life with her - he doesn’t have the same thirst for adventure that Nancy has. He’s totally a romantic who doesn’t.. really.. get to be that way with her? Not often, at least. A good guy like Ned deserves someone he can truly be with, rather than wondering if or when she’s ever going to be home - even for the important stuff (like birthdays and anniversary dinners). I mean if homeboy is really content to put up with her being gone all the time then good for him. I still just feel like, if he did some serious soul searching and prioritized what he truly wants in life, he could be happier. 😭
- Frank/Nancy doesn’t struggle with the lifestyle differences of Nedcy, which is a point in their favor, but I’ve always personally seen Francy as being a bit stagnant due to their similarities & differences. They’re both logical, studious, hard-headed individuals - yet Nancy has this inherent inclination to break the rules, which is a quality Frank doesn’t generally possess (unless it’s absolutely necessary). Nancy is stubborn about the daring methods she often uses to solve cases, and Frank is stubborn about wanting to go by the book first & pursue everything with caution. This leads to an ongoing dialogue that VERY closely mirrors the dynamic that already exists between Frank & Joe, so for me it’s a little less interesting of a pairing (just my opinion, of course). It’s true that Nancy & Frank’s matched intellect is pretty much unrivaled, but I don’t think they have much to offer each other in the way of everyday development and growth. Their mindsets are already so similar, there isn’t much new for them to learn or gain from being together. Lots of intellectual stimulation, certainly (which would be GREAT for them), but otherwise they mostly just reinforce the qualities in each other that they share. Obviously Frank & Joe make a great team and so do Frank & Nancy, there’s NO disputing that, but a romantic relationship takes so much more than just working well together. That’s a big part of it, for sure, but there’s so much more. Take a look at my next paragraph and compare these two dynamics to see what I mean.
- Joe/Nancy is the middle ground between the two. They share similar life goals, so there’s no off-and-on issue of “when are you coming home?😢”, yet mentally they’re very different. They’re both extremely smart, but in completely different ways. They can challenge each other in everyday life, which helps them stay on their toes and become better people. Nancy is the head, Joe is the heart; they can effortlessly achieve that emotional balance with no major obstacles standing in their way. Plus, the qualities they DO have in common are stimulating and beneficial to their relationship; both Nancy & Joe have more of an unbridled, adventurous spirit than Frank does (though perhaps this is more noticeable in Joe). They’re both eager to take risks and do what others are afraid to do. Yet Nancy is logical/grounded enough to keep Joe in check, and Joe is able to feed that inner desire of hers to be bold & fearless - not only that, he can usually be seen in the background emphatically cheering her on because that’s a quality he has IMMENSE respect for. He doesn’t love her in spite of this dangerous habit, it’s part of why he has soooo much admiration for her in the first place. Joe makes no secret of the fact that he absolutely loves this about her, even in canon. He has no doubt that she can handle herself, so Nancy has the freedom to make her own choices without the initial resistance she usually receives from Ned or Frank. Of course Joe cares, and he does remind her to be careful, but he does so in a way that doesn’t feel like he’s wrestling with this lowkey desire to hold her back. Despite how much Joe wants her to stay safe, he doesn’t feel the need to worry himself sick over her because he trusts her entirely, and besides, “that’s who she is. That’s what makes her so freakin’ AWESOME” (- Joe Hardy, probably). Please see this link for the rest of my thoughts on this. And, as I also stated in the linked post, something that’s often overlooked is that Nancy & Joe both actually have the dorkiest sense of humor so they can easily make each other grin over stupid jokes and puns and I am so very here for that. Not to mention Jancy’s shared enthusiasm for mysteries; Frank enjoys it for the intellectual rush, but Joe enjoys it for the adrenaline rush. Nancy is both. I love those phone convos where Nancy tells them she’s still on the case and Frank is like “aw man, I know you can do it Nancy, just keep at it” and Joe’s like “HECK YEAH YOU HAVE MORE MYSTERY TO SOLVE! GO GET EM, NANCE!!!” bc Nancy honestly loooves working a case. I just find it so wholesome.
And… perhaps this is another personal opinion, but stop for a second and think about the subversive nature of a well-written Joe x Nancy narrative. Got it? Yeeeah, I’m all about that. 😉
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. I love Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew with my whole heart
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intotheshade · 4 years ago
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Hello!! If you’re still open, may I request a general love reading on a future partner? Also I love your Kiki icon, it’s such a great movie ^^ - Finn
Hi Finn! I love Kiki too, Ghibli films are absolutely precious haha. I have your reading here asking about your future love partner, which tarot wants to reassure you will come at the right time. :) It’s a pretty lighthearted reading and I hope you like it!
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The Hierophant represents the situation between you two right now. It looks like there’s still a lot for both of you to learn about life before your paths can cross. With the imagery of this particular card, it also points more to school over other versions of The Hierophant. This could mean you’re both still students, or you will meet in a setting for learning.
The Nine of Pentacles represents you. You’re in a time for growth and flourising right now—this Nine of Pentacles is a really lovely card for contentment. Look at the prince just enjoying his surroundings and where he currently is in that moment. That’s you. Meanwhile, the King of Wands signifies your future partner. This person is an intense individual, very passionate, and possibly spiritual as well. The King of Wands here is represented by the snake, a symbol of transformation. The snake appears another time during the reading.
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What you should avoid doing and what you’re doing right are a bit tricky as they’re very similar to each other. With the Queen of Wands, tarot asks you to not dwell too much on it at the moment; don’t dream too much on romance and, as it also repeats in later parts of the reading, to focus on other things for now. Remember you both still have a lot to learn. The Nine of Cups here reinforces that—look around what you currently have at the moment, all that is blossoming in the Nine of Pentacles in your position. Find joy in this and in yourself, and remember that love is when two people remain separate whole individuals that choose to be together.
The Lovers though tells you to still keep that inner romantic—in moderation. It’s like, there’s a quote I remember seeing years ago, I forgot how it went exactly (obviously) but it said that there was nothing wrong with wanting to love and be loved. To want a romantic relationship. To hope for companionship is normal and okay. What’s not okay is when you just constantly long for it that it defines your loneliness or happiness in a particular moment. A person who is not whole, will not become whole by being in a relationship. That you can want one but to continue living your life and experiencing it and learning new things, so when you do find them you can do all those cute romantic things your inner romantic’s always wanted to do, and as a bonus you’ll have all these cool stories to share to them, your adventures and things you learned before finding them. The Ace of Wands supports this—it encourages you to really go out there and live, discover what you love and enjoy doing. What topics you can talk about for hours to end, what topics you can teach a class on without a lesson plan. This is also where the snake comes back. Your future partner is a passionate individual who’s undergone a lot of personal transformations. This isn’t to say change who you are, but grow beyond your limits, know who you could be and shed your old skin.
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Tarot recommends your next step to be The Priestess in reverse. It’s basically telling you to get out of your shell. Are you a little too introverted? There’s nothing wrong with introversion, I’m introverted myself. But go and experience the world, there’s a whole one out there for you to explore. The Eight of Cups promises you so many new experiences once you take this step. You’ll get to do those things you’ve maybe always wanted to try doing but didn’t,, things you otherwise wouldn’t have done. The Ten of Cups in reverse paired with the Four of Wands say that you’re going to really enjoy this time. The Four of Wands is one of my favourite cards in this deck—just look at that pure contementment and joy; however, the Ten of Cups in reverse warn that your family might get the wrong idea. They might think you’ve changed suddenly, became a party animal, joined the wrong crowd, etc. (Don’t do those things.) They might not understand that you’re just discovering more of the world and your place in it, and this might cause a strain between your relationship with them. As this happens, do try to be understanding even when they can’t.
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Your three cards for advice are the Eight of Pentacles, The Moon in reverse, and the Three of Cups. Tarot reminds you that you reap what you sow. All this work towards your personal growth will aide both yourself and your future relationship. Don’t be led astray by fantasy and wishful thinking, stay grounded in reality. Do you have the tendency to be too idealistic? Tarot tells you to be careful of that. And finally, it tells you to just enjoy this time, again, with the friends you will be making along the way.
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Your shadow card is The Wheel. This is the card, in tarot, for fate, “in due time.” It promises your paths to cross, but who knows when? Though with all the new adventures you’ll hopefully be taking, maybe it won’t even feel that long.
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chirpinchikadee · 5 years ago
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Sina Entertainment Exclusive Dialogue – Xiaogui Wang Linkai [Trans]
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Hello everyone, I am Xiaogui ✌ 
Q: As it is the last concert, how are you feeling now? XG: I’m a little nervous, and a little excited, and looking forward to it.
Q: Will you bet on who will crack and cry tonight? XG: I think most of us won’t be able to hold it in, because actually the mood has reached that point. I think it will be a very sad scene.
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Q: I saw your preview (More Than Forever) two days ago. You were in the car saying “I feel regretful towards NPC, very regretful. I wanted to work harder but realized there was no time left”. What made you say it at that time? XG: Because after we became a group, the time that we truly spent together was actually very little. I wanted to be with my brothers. I especially missed the time when we were touring for fan-meetings, the feeling of that time and also the training. There weren’t many chances to gather together later on, so I felt it was a pity.
Q: Everyone seemed to have a feeling towards the group like “we can become the number one boy group”, but it seems like this advantage was not fully maximized. XG: Actually, being the number one boy group is not important. What’s most important is during the time we were a group, everyone grew and found their goals and direction. I think the most important thing is having a group of brothers like these by your side. And also the quiet support of our fans, I think this is most important. Being the number one boy group does not matter. 
Q: Particularly when the competition just ended, the attention from the outside world towards you guys may say it’s just popularity, only about things that are more superficial. When you just debuted, as you are also a newcomer, was there a process where you were a little confused or did not know which way to go? XG: At first, there will definitely be some dispute and public opinion. They will feel like… because actually they don’t know what kind of person you are. But I think all answers will be revealed in time, and NINEPERCENT will definitely become even better in future.
Q: As far as you are concerned, are you clear about your own path? Or was there a period when perhaps you felt the workload is a lot, asked ‘what am I doing’, or something like that? XG: Actually there are times when I was confused, when I encountered problems, when the pressure was huge. But I think this is a process that I must go through. Without experiencing this pressure, you won’t grow. So to me, I think this a way for you to grow, so going through this is inevitable. 
Q: For example, when you (encounter) some problems in your career, will you share it with these few brothers? Some of the troubles. XG: Yes, of course I will share it. But I know that even if everyone doesn’t say it out loud, we have definitely gone through a lot. We can sense it the next time we see each other, the look in our eyes is different. We can gradually sense the other person is becoming more and more mature. Maybe others have the same thoughts, which is the feeling that everyone has an indescribable mutual understanding. But we can feel one another slowly growing up.
Q: Regardless of how highly the outside world thinks of you guys, how do you guys perceive the outside world among yourselves? XG: To the outside world, I think it’s more of doing our own part well. I feel that NINEPERCENT is not a group which one can simply appraise or determine its nature. The group means a lot to me, it is not what it looks like on the surface. It has a lot of value and many important things. So its nature is not something that can be easily affected by a couple of sentences. 
Q: Out of good intentions from the outside world, probably when NINEPERCENT is brought up, most of the comments are regrets. But like what you said, do you feel that NINEPERCENT still left something for everyone? XG: We left precious memories and friendship. I think this friendship is more important. Actually for our age group, we have experienced things that perhaps children in the same age group as us have not gone through. So I think this is the most valuable fortune.
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Q: I saw that all of you posted a Polaroid on the 6th, and felt that these boys had a sense of ceremony. Apart from this and the promise made among your team, did you show a sense of ceremony in other ways? XG: Actually, I won’t say that we had a sense of ceremony, but we really value our friendship. To express it in other ways, we’ll joke around but we absolutely won’t be sentimental. Even if we say our farewells in a joking manner, we won’t seriously and sentimentally say those kinds of words. We’ll do it our own way.
Q: That time when you guys were rehearsing in Beijing, how long has it been? (Since) Everyone was together? XG: A very long time, actually. It feels like….a few months? Anyway it was quite long.
Q: During the reunion, was there anything fun in the process of rehearsal? XG: Everyone is still mischievous like before. During rehearsal some are still playing around and not being serious, and then there are also times when they get serious. It feels like our understanding of each other is still there.
Q: I saw some posts online again today. There’s a lot of hardworking delivery guys sending takeout after takeout. How many things did you guys order at that time? XG: I was actually always in the process of practicing the dance. I keep going into the lounge and see another pile of takeout. I go into the lounge again and I will see another (takeout) again. But I don’t know who ordered it, specifically. Anyway there were quite a few meals, different kinds of dishes, hamburgers, everything was there. In the end we couldn’t finish it and felt it was quite a waste. 
Q: As you will really be saying farewell soon, what does NINEPERCENT mean to you? XG: As I mentioned, precious memories, precious experiences, friendship, the friendship between brothers, and the most valuable growth.
Q: Everyone felt that your workload was quite heavy this year. Do you feel that with the things you are doing, it is in the direction which you really want to advance? In our industry, there will definitely be a lot of things not within our control. XG: In terms of direction, I feel that I like my current identity. I also like what I’m doing now. I also like everything NINEPERCENT has for me. I feel honored with this identity, and also very thankful. To be able to work on the music I love, to make more people like me, I think this is enough. In future, I will use my own way to create a path that belongs to me.
Q: At the present stage, do you have any big confusion? XG: Actually I think there are still a lot of things (I am) lacking and I still need to continuously work hard to learn many things. I don’t consider myself as someone who is good at having a conversation with others, maybe because my personality is more direct. I think I need to make more effort to be considerate of others. I need to work on this, and also in terms of my music, including my stage, including all kinds of lighting and so on. Actually in terms of the stage, there are quite a lot of things lacking. I hope to work even harder, to have more time to film, such as some MVs will be good.
Q: On account of questioning by the outside world, everyone will think that idols have a very strong possibility of being replaced. Even in the market now, as you know, (idols) come in batches. Do you have any concerns on this? XG: I don’t mind whether I am replaced, because I am myself. There’s only a character that belongs to me, a personality of my own. He can take over your position, but he will never be able to take over your name is Xiaogui, that’s how I’ll put it. Which is why I feel Xiaogui is Xiaogui. Like I said, Xiaogui will use his own style to create a path of his own. So I’m not afraid of anyone replacing me.
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Q: When you first debuted, everyone seemed to give you guys many titles, such as “redefining boy groups” or “opening up this generation”. After these 18 months, do you think the results produced lived up to the expectations and titles given to the group? XG: NINEPERCENT’s existence in itself is the best (result) in my heart.
Q:  What would you like to say to Xiaogui, the NINEPERCENT graduand? XG: Graduand Xiaogui, you will soon be wandering by yourself, running towards your goals, the true meaning of ‘go it alone’. I hope you won’t be afraid to face all the coming challenges and pressure. Be sure to cherish, be sure to remember all the friendship and all the precious memories left to you in these 18 months. These will spur you on to solve all the challenges in future. Remember the things that NINEPERCENT taught you and everything given to you. Be thankful to everyone.
Q: Lastly, whether using lyrics from your own songs or older songs, express your feelings towards your brothers. XG: *singing* “Let time return to that first moment, when I first stood on stage”. Let time return to that first moment, when we first stood on stage. I want to return to that time the most right now.
✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
© ZH>EN Translation by chirpinchikadee.
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ranposlittle · 5 years ago
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hi!! could i request a matchup? i'm 5'2 average weight, pisces, slytherin, INFP-T! i have medium length wavy short brown hair and blue/green eyes, i'm a straight female! i can get anxious quite easily but i'm very friendly and i love talking to friends. i also have adhd so i'm quite hyper at times :/ but i really like having fun and going on adventures! i also really like cuddles! hopefully i'm not bothering you, i really enjoy your writing! :)
I ship you with...
🐶 Tachihara Michizou 🐶
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Did you say adventure? Did you say fun? Well, look no further. Tachihara is all you need!
Don't worry about being hyper, this man is as easily excitable as you are. Tachihara wouldn't be actually annoyed with you bugging him even if he talks like he is, he does posses a level of patience and actually finds it a bit cute but he refuses to admit it (because he's a tsun tsun). Rollercoasters and haunted houses is nothing compare to this man's taste. He's a very good company when it comes to chasing the adrenaline rush and you don't even have to worry about your life if things get a bit dangerous because Tachihara is just a talented man and it just so happens that his greatest talent is wielding two guns. He's a bit unsure about bungee jumping and sky diving, though.
You're a clever, cunning and determined Slytherin. With that, you're always planning for your next goal. You tip-toed on the carpeted floor, your eyes prowling on your unaware prey and then– thump!– you pounced on Tachihara's back, making chomping sounds as he tried to pry you off by tickling whatever part of your body he can reach. You'll always get into some sort of play fight whenever he's home and it's always a great time. Aside from that, Tachihara often gets himself in a discussion with you that he just can't win and he'll just have this pouty look on his face when he runs out of rebuttals. It's adorable and you take great pride with your wins against your equally strong-willed partner. You would always use your victories to demand cuddles from him as your prize and even if he reasons with you that it's not a serious thing to even be worthy of a reward, he'll still cuddle you because he actually enjoys it too. He even initiates it sometimes and make some excuse of giving you your unclaimed prize for that one time when in fact, he's just feeling clingy.
However, an INFP-T like yourself is delicate, sensitive and compassionate. You also tend to be a bit hard on yourself when you don't meet the goals you set on yourself. You need somebody who's going to treat you with tenderness and understanding whenever you're soft side takes over you. Don't worry, your tough guy got you covered. Tachihara is not a shallow man and knows what it's like to feel emotions despite his resting-frowny-face, so he wouldn't think twice to sit down with you and just talk. Or he can just hold you for a moment, if you don't want to talk about it. His support for you will never fall short and he'll always commend you for working hard towards a better version of yourself. He admires your concern for personal growth and dedication on finding your own path in life. He finds it very courageous of you and secretly wishes he's as strong as you are in turning every challenge into a positive opportunity for self-improvement. Your natural personality of being accepting and open-minded is what got him in the first place. Although he was already attracted to your enchanting eyes that reminded him of a river he used to swam in as a child and to the luscious waves of your brown hair, he never believed that he could actually have you because you're a saint compared to him. But it's just with the way that you talk to him with no prejudice at all that made his sleeping heart raced again. For somebody as good as you to tell him that you understand him and his ways, that you feel his pain for being a victim of the circumstances, and just to support him no matter what is enough to make him overflow with joy. For the first time in a long time, he thought about turning his life around for the best, for you and for the future of your relationship.
Like any other Pieces, you're a healer and an emphatic person. Whether you're aware of it or not, you're tend to be drawn to people with problems and so are they to you. Tachihara was no exception; the both of you just felt a connection that pulled you together. With this being said, Tachihara knows the weight that his way of life brings you. You've told him multiple times how much you want him to share the weight of his worries with you and that you'll always be there to ease his pain, no matter what. He greatly appreciates it, of course but he doesn't want you to suffer because of him either. So even if he does share everything with you, he doesn't allow you to take on all of his problems and assures you that everything is okay; he can handle it. It's hard to keep you from worrying whenever he leaves for work but he makes the effort of updating you on his well-being as much as he can, never coming home without getting properly patched up first if he ever gets injured and just shielding you from matters that he deems too intense for a person who's not in his line of work to handle. He never keep secrets from you and he would break down in front of you if that's what it comes to, but he will not let you get exposed from things that you don't have to be. He knows you're strong. He knows that you have an inner strength and you'll stand up for all the things you believe in (which is such a turn on for him) but he aims to protect you in any way that he can. His ultimate goal is to keep you happy, after all. That's why he makes jokes even if it's not really his strongest suit, but thanks to your offbeat personality and odd sense of humor, you still get a good amount of laughter from it. Sometimes, you're not even laughing at his jokes but just at him, in general. He will complain about it but he won't really do anything to make you stop because you're just too precious to watch and the ringing of your laughter just sounds so good on his ears. It doesn't matter what it is about, he'll just love to see you laugh.
Overall, I think you'll be good for each other because both of you would bond with all the fun activities you'll do but also, would support each other through the hard times. Tachihara treasures you for being the most understanding person he's ever met and you'll treasure him just for the unconditional love he has for you that no one else could have. He also admires that you're friendly but sometimes, it's given that he'll get a bit jealous. But don't worry, just a kiss and a few comforting words that he's still the hottest guy in the room will assure him. He's a bit shy in giving you compliments but that's the same reason why you feel so blessed when he suddenly blurts out one. He's more vulnerable during night time when he's all cuddled up beside you, his face nuzzled in your neck. He'll give you compliments after another and just as before he lets you drift away to sleep, he'll always kiss your face or your hand and remind you about how much he loves you and how important you are in his life. You feel good about yourself as you get to see Tachihara's ruthless behavior dissipate whenever he's around you and gets replaced with nothing but gentleness and affection exclusively for you and you alone.
***
Thank you for sending this in, fluffy anonymous bunny~ ♥️ here's a song from Tachihara from you (pls love him even if he's a bad boy ;-;) Tachihara is one of my absolute favorites so I hope you liked this and made your day a bit brighter today! Also, thank you for your kind words~ I appreciate your support so much! ( ⸝•ᴗ•⸝)♡
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shoujocentral · 5 years ago
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Symphogear S1- Now this is MY kind of anime!
Every once and awhile when I'd log onto Twitter, I'd see people saying "watch Symphogear" accompanied by images from the show. From looking at the pictures, I assumed it was just another magical girl show like Precure but with less magic and more... techno. Oh, and apparently they sing while they fight? Sounds kinda dumb...
Buuuut... I have heard that there's some yuri content? Maybe I'll give it a try. I mean, I'm always open to watching new stuff, even if it's just a silly little kid's show 😅
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😳
Well........ color me hooked.
I have to say, this show is not at all what I was expecting in the best possible way. It feels a lot more like a Shounen action show along the lines of Fullmetal Alchemist or Neon Genesis Evangelion than a Magical Girl show (if that's even what it's supposed to be). Today, I'm going to be giving my first impressions of Senki Zesshou Symphogear season 1, which will be spoiler free for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
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Plot:
So what is Senki Zesshou Symphogear about?
In the not too distant future (next Sunday A.D.), Japan is under attack by monsters known as Noises, the likes of which cannot be killed by military weapons. The only thing that can kill them are girls clad in weaponized armor known as Gears, which is activated and powered by singing catchy techno-pop music.
One day, a girl named Hibiki Tachibana is caught in the middle of a battle, and one of the Gear users, Kanade Amou, sacrifices herself to save her. Two years later, Hibiki discovers that a piece of Kanade's Gear was embedded in her chest during the fight, giving her access to the Gear's powers. Hibiki is recruited by the Disaster Relief Squadron, the organization that created the Gears, to help defend Japan from the Noises.
However, Kanade's former girlfriend partner, Tsubasa Kazanari, sees Hibiki as nothing more than an obnoxious, naive girl trying to be Kanade's replacement. Will the two learn to work together, defeat the Noises, and possibly uncover a deeper plot to all the attacks?
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Symphogear's plot might not be the most original thing ever; evil monsters attack, teenage girls transform into superpowered warriors to fight them, evil mastermind tries to take over the world, etc. But what makes this story stand out is it's unique approach to the fights. Having the Gears be powered by music, resulting in every fight being accompanied by a song, is either a genius way to amplify the fights, or a genius way for the producers to sell a techno soundtrack.
I was worried that the constant use of insert songs would become repetitive and annoying, but on the contrary, they heightened my enjoyment! The fights in Symphogear are easily my favorite part of the show: fast-paced, badass powers, lots of screaming, and downright brutal at times! Hibiki has officially joined the ranks of my all-time favorite battle cries, right up there with Goku from DBZ and Souma from Kannazuki no Miko.
If there was one thing I had to nitpick, it would be that most of the fights take away the credibility of the Noises. They're supposed to be this terrifying threat to Japan that can't be harmed by the military, but as soon as the Gear wielders show up, they're reduced to nothing more than cannon fodder as Hibiki and her comrades seem to waltz through them without breaking a sweat.
Thankfully, the versus matches between Gear wielders are much more balanced. My favorite has to be Hibiki vs Chris (see above), but then again, any fight with Chris is an absolute win!
Characters:
Hibiki Tachibana
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Hibiki is your typical genki girl protagonist: optimistic, hyperactive, naive, and pure. What makes her a more compelling hero, however, is her slow growth into becoming a strong Gear wielder. Unlike most magical girl protagonists, who seem to master their powers after one line of "EH?! What just happened to me?!", Hibiki takes time to learn how to fight. She starts out with the mindset that she has to be Kanade's replacement and thus tries to fight just like her. However, she eventually comes to invent her own battle tactics that work much more in her favor. Mainly, punching the everloving shit out of everything in sight.
Hibiki is, in my opinion, a flat character done right. She doesn't go through any personal growth or development throughout the show (learning to fight doesn't count), but her belief that all humans can get along if they communicate and desire to protect people just because she wants to is the cause for most of the change in the people around her. The world is in a dark place, and Hibiki is the light. She doesn't need to change, because she's exactly what the world needs.
Tsubasa Kazanari
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From what I've learned, Tsubasa is a favorite amongst Symphogear fans. Me personally, though, I have a few issues with her character. Now, I have nothing against brooding, damaged characters. In fact, Tsubasa's recovery from Kanade's death and learning to cherish her own life was incredibly engaging... for the most part. Sorry, but I can only take so much edge. Her constant repitition of "I am a sword, I exist only to fight" grew old after the first 10 or so times.
Also, while I love her overall development, I feel that her acceptance of Hibiki was a little rushed. For the first four episodes, she hates Hibiki for carrying Kanade's Gear to the point where she tries to fight her to the death. Then, after another fight sends her into a coma, she has a (extremely gay) hallucination of Kanade telling her to get over herself. Next episode, she's treating Hibiki as if they've been friends the whole time. Did I miss something? Did Hibiki even apologize for saying she wanted to replace Kanade? Did Tsubasa apologize for trying to shishkabob her?!
Development aside, her fighting style is awesome and unique, and leads to the best choreography in the show. Hopefully as I watch more seasons, my opinion of her will improve.
Chris Yukine
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Best Girl. No questions. Anyone who disagrees is wrong. Deal with it.
Jokes aside, Chris is my favorite character of the show bar none. Maybe I just have a weakness for evil-turned-good characters, but I adored her "don't take no shit from nobody" attitude and her soft side emerging as the show progressed. And let me tell you, Tsubasa would have no right to brood if she knew what Chris went through as a child. I won't give anything away, but just a few brief images and harsh words were enough get the picture across and tug at my heartstrings.
She also had my favorite Gear and fighting style in the show. If there's one thing that always gets my blood pumping, it's gatling guns and an endless supply of missiles. Seriously, I could watch this girl fight for hours.
Kanade Amou
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A moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen.
......
Kanade would be my favorite character if we had gotten more of her. But alas, she has to die in the very first episode. DAMN YOU, PLOT!!!
Even though we get very little of Kanade, she makes it her mission to leave a lasting impression. Her sacrifice at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the show, and her flashback is the best of the bunch. I got hard chills when she transformed for the first time. Let's just say she's psychotic in all the right ways.
Kanade died for our sins. Remember that... 🙏
Finé
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Our main villain of the show. That's it. There's really nothing much else to her. She's cruel, manipulative, and powerful beyond belief, as most big bosses of these kinds of shows are. She was honestly my least favorite part of the show.
Fine's motivation is incredibly confusing on first watch. I had to go back to pause and read the subtitles multiple times to understand her backstory, but maybe that's my fault for being a slow reader. On the other hand, the explanation as to who she is and why she's so powerful comes right out of nowhere and doesn't seem to connect to anything the story had been building up to that point. Also, by the time I understood her motivation and actually found it a little intriguing, she dropped the dreaded "I'm going to take over the world" line. Aaaaand.... all my interest just went out the window.
There is a twist involving her connection to a certain other character in the show that I genuinely didn't see coming, but in the end, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for her shortcomings.
Miku Kohinata
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God bless this little angel. Miku is a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. Thankfully, Hibiki's got it covered 👍
Words cannot express how much I love this girl. She may be only a supporting role for the time being, but good lord, does she support! It always broke my heart whenever she tried to spend time with Hibiki or talk to her, but the Disaster Relief Squad kept pulling them apart. I know DRS is classified, but Miku deserves better than to have secrets kept from her! Life sucks when your girlfriend best friend is a superhero...
Well, that was a mouthful. There's a lot more characters in this show, but I don't really have much to say about them. However, while we're on the subject of Miku, let's move on to the reason I checked this show out in the first place, and the reason I'm sure most of you read my stuff.
Yuri:
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No sooner did I finish this show did I start looking up HibiMiku fanart 😍
I was expecting a fair dosage of yuribait going into Symphogear, but mother of all that is gay, did I get an overdose!
First and foremost, the main ship: HibiMiku. These two are dating. Nothing anyone says will change my mind. They compliment each other perfectly, with Hibiki's energy and Miku's sweetness... HHNNNGGH! IT'S TOO PRECIOUS! I sincerely hope these two get more time together in the next few seasons. Now if only they'd stop with the damn F word...... 😡
Next up, TsubaKana. This one seems more like it was one-sided feelings on Tsubasa's part, judging by how dedicated Kanade was to fighting the Noise. Regardless, you don't just lose all sense of your humanity and self-worth after your "partner" dies. And all that hardcore blushing in the flashbacks and naked cuddling dream sequences... nah, Tsubasa was hella hot for Kanade. Sadly, our lord and savior was taken from Ms. Brooding too soon.
Finally, there's Ryoko Sakurai, the DRS's head scientist. She was initially hinted to be gay, what with her being all too eager to have Hibiki undress and wanting to "pop her cherry" (yes, an adult said that to a 15 year-old). However, after a certain conversation occurred, it seemed more like she was straight or at least bisexual, if all that dirty talk wasn't just teasing.
I've heard future seasons introduce more potential couples, so I'm keeping my eyes open and my yuri goggles on tight 😋
Conclusion:
I enjoyed the first season of Senki Zesshou Symphogear through and through. As someone who enjoyed Akanesasu Shoujo and Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, I have a soft spot for shows about badass girls kicking monster ass and unleashing their inner yuri. Overall though, I think Symphogear might be my favorite of the bunch so far. It has its fair share of flaws, sure, but I think its positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot. If I got this much enjoyment out of the first season, I cannot wait to see what the following seasons have to offer!
Symphogear delivers a fun, action-packed story with colorful characters, kickass fight scenes, head-banging music and plenty of yuri content. Anyone who loves Magical Girls or Shounen battle shows needs to check it out!
Rating: 8/10
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go binge Symphogear G. See you next time, my fellow yuri lovers!
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bi-lullaby · 5 years ago
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I'm sorry, I'm sorry! 😂. Okay, a nicer one: Jetra
No need to apologize, I love rambling!
• when or if I started shipping it: My bi little heart always loved them a lot more than normal friendships, but I was caught up in Cordueva. Them after Michael died and Petra glowed tf up and so did Jane and they had lots of storylines about them as mothers and friends and co-parents and  found the online fandom for them... I was free-falling. My fave JtV couple.
• my thoughts: I swear to God they will be the death of me. They have the softest moments ever. Jane was maybe the first person to reach out to Petra without a single second-intention or expectation, and the way her kindness and stubborn love and will to see and do good bought out the same qualities in Petra makes me melt. I swear to God, in that ep when Jane asked Petra to bring over Mateos lovey and A) it was a ploy to give Petra a nice moment in family, and B) A very pregnant Petra rushed there as fast as her waddle would take her and gave Jane the biggest smile in the world when she opened the door and C) looked so happy at being asked to stay, it made me ugly cry. Petra’s a woman that’s overcome decades of abuse at the hands of her mother, her partners, who’s been neglected, abandoned, used, who has had to have her survival mode switched on all the time. She deserves someone like Jane, who gives out such a fierce but kind love, who is protective and centers her, who’s willing to see past her deflections and facades and rougher edges and keep working on their relationship when others would give up. And Jane, my precious Jane, deserves Petra sparkle to ignite her, someone who recognizes her strengths and values her opnion them without letting it override their own self, someone that can love so deeply and sweetly as she can. Plus, they make each other better, be it with gentle pushes, wise advice, or fierce competition. They are the most willing to work their internal struggles out (More than Cordueva or Jafael or Jafetra). They deserve better, and better is each other. And Yael and Gina make sure we know it, damn their heart eyes and adoring gazes.
• What makes me happy about them: That they have each other. That their fandom is so big and loving. Their scenes together. Their growth. The fact you can use only canon scenes and make it seem like they’re really together because the love and the flirting and the development and the chemistry is there. The kids and how adorable their dynamic is. That they fit together so well in looks.
• What makes me sad about them: That they won’t be canon because of a ship that I dislike. That they keep pushing us the “Jetra are enemies and hate each other and don’t interact and are jealous of each other but OH! they actually don’t hate each other so much!” storyline repeatedly and every five seconds when they’ve been friends for as long as season two, and been arguably best friends, or at least really good friends and each other’s support system, for years. That they are perfect for each other and in a better world, the show would realize that.
• things done in art/fic that annoys me: Their characterization can get so. Extreme. Jane’s either the perfect saint-angel-lovely-goddess to Petra’s mean, rude, angry and borderline abusive bitch, or she’s the bitchy Judgy actually-always-wrong self-righteous unlikable person who never ever ever gives even an inch to poor Petra, who’s simply misunderstood and trying her best and actually right in every single aspect and incapable of mistakes. Like, the fun is their balance, the subtleness, how they are more similar than different but different enough to push each other and bring out the best in each other. Why screw that and make them so flat and stereotyped and incompatible and awful for each other? 
• things I look for in art/fic: HEIGHT D I F F E R E N C E. I get weak. Jane’s so teeny tiny next to Petra. I die. Plus, co-parenting fics make me all gooey and mushy.
• Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Petra - JR. Jane - Michael.
• My happily ever after for them: Happily married, successful in their own personal careers, travelling the world as a internationally-acclaimed author and a hotel-industry-powerhouse. Still bickering and competing and being absolutely in awe of their gorgeous wife. Watching the kids grow into happy, loved, successful people as well.
• what is their favorite non-sexual activity?: Arguing, going on dates, cuddling, talking about everything and nothing. If possible, all at once.  
send me a ship and I’ll tell you
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semi-imaginary-place · 5 years ago
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fe3h blogging 1
spoilers
Sorry blue lions. It was between eagles and deer for me. 
ch3: Well OK. The church is now using me as their personal political assassin are they?  
Fe3h fav characters so far: Tomas: knowledge grandpa! And one of the few I trust  Gatekeeper: my pure boy. On the topic of trust. You know who I don't trust? Claude. He always angling for something. Always digging for secrets never revealing his own
I didn't think I'd like Raphael so much but I do. He's so good natured. He always wants to help and even when the other kids are mean to him. His only response is more kindness. Like oh youre kinda grumpy right now how about a snack. Like a human shaped golden retriever. Full of love and very food motivated. As much as he's a complete musclehead, his emotional/social intelligence is pretty high. He just wants to make friends. Let Raphhael have friends!  
Guess who chose golden deerI was considering black eagle. But everyone did black eagle. I can go on youtube later. I haven't gotten it but on youtube is lorenz and sylvain's c and b supports and they are hilarious
I found japanese audio of fe3h and it just really hit me that Sylvain belongs in an otome game. I mean his character design (hair color, hair style etc.) and the way he acts is already... eh. But then his japanese voice actor... and its giving me this mental dissonance. Especially aince I've seen the character artist doing utapri, samflam, and other stuff.
weeho spoiled myself on supports: Everyday I grow less and less convinced of Sylvain's heterosexuality. Does he even like women?? He's just emotionally manipulating them as a self destructive coping mechanism because he has self worth issues.  So he presents himself as the superficial stuff like social status and then gets insecure and accuses them of only dating him for status. He's setting himself up for failure. And each tine reinforces his belief that he is nothing but his crest and family. Look at this disaster boy 
knowledge grandpa no! I trusted you and I trust so few people. I wonder if it was real Tomas who first joined but an impostor who rejoined a year ago
List of potential immortals: Jeralt, Rhea, Flayn. There are multiple mentions of Jeralt not seeming to age, he looked the same over 30 years ago. Rhea looks suspiciously like Saint Seiros and was archbishop 20 years ago. Flayn act both young and old and won’t give me her age. That said now that its revealed in the paraloge that Seteth is her dad, maybe not secretly an immortal so much as magical bloodline. Also Seiros, Rhea, Sothis, and Flayn are all related somehow. The green hair doesn’t help. And Byleth is somehow involved. I thought byleth might be part of the immortal gang but mom’s grave stone said she died at age 20 so byleth was born at the church like 20-21 years ago
support thoughts: Are all of huberts c supports just him insulting people?? each and every day I fall more in love with Dorothea. her support with Ferdinand where she straight up says she hates him, the voice acting on that! Lorenz and Ferdinand was hilarious. This is why you get bullied. Lorenz and Sylvain was also funny. Not a big fan of Bernadetta. 
Ok so update on the green haired tinfoil hatting: Flayn related to the saint cetholynn????? somehow and definitely real old.
end of part 1
Thinking back the crests and church(seiros/saints) are what turn people into demonic beasts. there are beasts with crest stones in their heads, in Remire villiage they tried to turn people using Flayn’s blood, and later succeeded. Flame emperor is using the church’s abilities against it. Also Rhea’s been seeking to replicate... something Seiros maybe?? (or more someone.. someone who was precious to her) by ripping the hearts out of babies and putting in a special one??? Rhea seem desperate, but I’m not sure what (or whom) she is desperate for. turning Byleth into Seiros??? There is a ... tension is her, like she is on the edge of snapping. And what was she trying to achieve there in the tomb before she was interrupted. For being “holy” relics, they sure are ominous looking. and they turn people into monsters. The whole church is sketch honestly. The propaganda and censorship campaigns. The crushing of any that are a threat under the language of sin and justice.
So Edelgard went full supervillian. Wow. And Rhea was the immaculate one huh (still don’t know what that means), here I was theory crafting that she was a reincarnated Seiros or something. Edelgard is like a worse Alm, she wants to rid humanity of dragons ruling over them and install a meritocracy. Her methods though are !!!!! yikes. I mean any reign that starts with “kill all that resist” can’t lead to anything good. Also out of 10 siblings only 1 didn’t die of illness or go mad. hmmmn where have I heard that before.
That said I do agree with her goal. I love it when I can take down a religious institution in a videogame.
At Garreg Mach her whole plan in to brute force it. Like if we just keep throwing enough lives at it we are bound to win. Admittedly I know nothing of military strategy, but that doesn’t sound like the best plan.
Interesting the differences between routes. In Edelgard’s church allied with feargus, while in Claude’s the Church lost significant power and Edelgard successfully incited a coup, but why did the Empire give up Garreg Mach as a strategic position? 
My baby deer are all grown up. And yup another mark in the Flayn is some immortal being, her sprite didn’t change at all. Totally in favor of stealing everyone from the other houses.
Who wore it better Part 1 or 2
Edelgard: 2. I mean p1 Edelgard was already best dressed but p2 takes it to a new level
Dimitri: 2. I mean p1′s hair is so goofy looking I just have to choose the edgelord
Claude: both. Claude looks fine so matter the time
Hubert: 2. He really did grow into the goth look
Petra: 1. Both are good but I love the huge braid
Lindhart: 1. p2 isn’t bad but I like the two layers look
Dorothea: 2. but both are good
Caspar: 2. Something about p1 always bothered me
Ferdinand: 2. His character model looks better than his sprite, and his hair is so luscious and flowing!
Bernadetta: 2. its just a mess is p1, v cute in p2
Dudue: 2. what is even going on in p1. where as p2 is like... elegant
Sylvain: 1. as much as I teased about him belonging in an otome game, his p2 haircut is just ugly
Ingrid: 1. mmmm its fluffy?
Felix: 1. What is his p2 hair even doing??? it makes me confused
Mercedes: 1. Fluffy.
Annette: 2. never was a fan of the hair loopies
Ashe: both. p1 is cute but p2 is beautiful. both are sooo good
Hilda: 2. p1 pigtails kinda boring
Raphael: 1. though p2 its a shaggy dog
Leonie: 1. another fluffy head, p2′s low pony tail does not give a flattering shape
Ignatz: 2. a bowl cut is an improvment from whatever p1 is
Lysithea: 2. not sue about the veil but it is more intersting than p1
Marianne: 1. I always did prefer thick bangs
Lorenz: 2. its definitely p2. in p1 he looks like such a clown
Cyril: 2. Honestly he kept the baby face so there’s not much difference.
Claude sees that under Rhea the church enforced a doctrine that locked in the status quo of nobles and crests and he wants to chage the church’s influence to promote tolerance, diversity, and open mindedness. but, hey. Hey. What if we got rid of the church all together.
Why can’t I recruit the old general... hey. Hey!
Aww Claude introduced me to his second mom and dad
So the more people you can recruit the less painful things are. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to kill Dimitri.
In terms of characters, Ferdinand has surprisingly grown on me. As for Caspar I shocks me occasionally how uncaring he is about killing people. He reminds me of a smt chaos hero with the whole might equals right thing. As long as he decides they are evil its ok to kill them. Now all he needs to do is get possessed by a demon. Eating away at him from the inside out. Ashe as always continues to be an absolute angel. I need somewhere to gush about how cool Claude looks in him final class promotion. So I rather like the group of childhood friends dimitri, felix, sylvain, ingrid. And it always trips me uo to remember that sylvain is like 2 years older than the rest because he really doesn't act like it. I'm getting that they are all traumatized from the death of felix's brother. A lot of the characters have had pretty bad childhoods.I was surprised to find out that Lysithea was tortured as a child like ok wow. I need to spend more time with you. Does Dimitri have PTSD? Golden Deer has had quite a few goofy hijinks. Marianne's character growth really has been a a thing of beauty, I’m so proud of her. But I love my oddball bunch of misfits. How did Dedue not get found out??? He’s very noticeable. and Claude, you’re starting to sound like Edelgard. I love Edelgard’s final promotion. Looks so cool. Like a mix or her Lord and Flame Emperor clothes. I wince every time some mentions the free market or the joys of capitalism. I guess adrestia is imperialism, faergus is religion, and leister is capitalism. I didn’t care about Dimriti’s death, but Edelgard’s got me.
damn ok so dubstep cyberpunk dungeon and Rhea took like 15 missile strikes. wow this really is very smt. maybe persona 2. And fighting zombie Nemesis and the 10 was excellent (Nemesis is still a stupid name). I love it when we fight literal embodiments of the past
its hilarious that in Shamir and Claude's paired ending,  he ends up ditching 3 whole times. He turns the opportunity to lead the unified fodland down, then he ditches house reigen, and then he abdicated the throne! I love it! That's so him. And they both wanted to travel the world.  Technically Claude is also a descendant of Loog so he also gave up claim to the Faerghus throne too. I swear. This dude. This dude...  Next its going to be revealed that secretly Claudr is Edelgard's cousin. Or one of her "dead" sibling. Lysithea tell us that blood experiment to force crests leads to physical and mental damage. Does this have anything to do with what happened to Edelgard’s siblings? As far as I can tell every ending has Fodland under a single party state. Crimson flower, azure moon, and verdant wind all end in monarchies, and silver snow a theocracy.
Hold up. Flayn said that Cethaleann never had any children as rational as to why she's not a descendant. But how did Lindhart get the crest then?? And I might be mixing up the 10 and the saints, but then I thought  the crests were designed as tools of war by those who slither in the dark. Thats how the 10 got them, to use as weapons against Sothis. But that then brings the question of why Rhea edited history in favor of them.  This is why the holy relics looked so ominous and creepy. The animations are eeeeeeeeuuuuuugggh. My initial though was that the church is secretly evil and this is foreshadowing. I mean rhea's kinda... viscous? Ruthless? Filled with barely contained hatred? I was thinking maybe she's secretly the evil dragon of the game the way Mila kinda was. 
But then you dont need consent to make a crest. Only blood. Blood could have been stolen from cihol and cethaleann to make their crests. Alternately they could have chosen to give crests to specific people.  The 2 sources of crests is also why there’s multiple weapons for some crests. The crest weapons made by the agartans all have a similar aesthetic, but not all the crest weapons have that aesthetic some look different and probably weren’t made by them. As for why Rhea rewrote the 10 into heroes. It might have been to stop people from questioning the crests and relics and seeking to replicate them. By framing it as sothis's doing, with the power of the church she can control crests, how people view them, and keep a closer eye on the descendants. Its its a gift by the goddess, of course we cant try to replicate them.
Let’s see what Claude achieved before he dipped. anti-discrimination laws (race, religion), and increased foreign relations. Potentially equal treatment under the law.
Edelgard really likes brute forcing solutions
The whole opera thing with Dorothea and Manuela stinks of the idol industry where an idol peaks at like 18. Real opera singers have much longer careers.
Golden Deer is so JRPG in the best way. There’s an evil cult of technologically advanced subterranean people, a zombie army, the power of friendship.
It already caught my attention when  missiles appeared and the evil cult's dungeon belonged is a scifi movie like ghost in the shell and I was thinking to myself "hmmm... this all sounds very smt of you" or maybe Persona 2. I mean with names like Shambala and the whole general aesthetic of that dungeon ... yeah. But then someone points out the UN’s symbol is all over the Agarthan stuff. And wow we really are in an smt timeline aren't we. and I remember seeing the missiles thinking hmmm that looks vaguely familiar. Its the UN symbol. Which means in alternate future Earth Sothis comes, we wage a war against the gods and and then Rhea destroys modern civilization along with the planet. that really does sound like the plot of an SMT game. I did wonder at the inclusion of electronica and dubstep into the soundtrack.
THC (Thinking Hard about Claude). Claude let's everyone know he's up to something, and his self portrayal as a schemer is both deliberate and truthful. He's using it part as social armor and part as an excuse to probe. Claude holds genuine cuiosity, wonder, and passion for the world. He is not always scheming so much as he is one of those people who's brain never turn off. He just wants to explore the world, meet different cultures, and discover all the secrets. Given the environment he grew up in, his natural inclinations angled him to thinking in terms of how to best leverage someone or how to sneak around.
Alright so here’s the lore as I know it. Sothis=Goddess came from another world to Fodlan. Through her blood made the goddess’ children (Nabateans) who are the original magical beasts and can talk, and they resided at Zanado. Rhea=Seiros=The Immaculate One, and the 4 Saints (Cihol=Seteth, Cethaleann=Flayn, Indech=The Indomitable, Macuil=The Wind Caller) are Nabateans. Sothis gave knowledge/interacted with the native humans of Fodlan (Agarthans). Eventually the Agarthans waged war against Sothis killing her and many Nabateans. The Agarthans used their bones to make weapons, their hearts to make crest stones, and their blood to make crests. The above is why magical beasts and demonic beasts are connected to crest stones. The crest stones as the hearts of Nabateans transform humans into a distorted version of their magical beast forms. The Sword of the Creator was made from materials taken from Sothis’ body. Using these weapons the humans attacked Zanado killing everyone except Seiros and the 4 Saints. The 10 Heroes Relics were similarly made from Nabatean bodies. Seiros, already obsessed with Sothis thought only of vengeance and bringing back Sothis. She raised an army, killed Nemesis, and drove the Agarthans underground to become Those who Slither in the Dark. Seiros then took control of the continent under the guise of The Church of Seiros. Seiros and the 4 Saints gave their blood to favored individuals granting them the power of their personal crest as well as potentially extending their lifespan/granting extended youth. This is why the 10 Heroes Relics have a visual aesthetic distinct from that of the weapons of the 4 Saints. The 10 Heroes Relics were made by the Agarthans but the other crest weapons like the other Gloucester crest weapon the Axe of Ukonvasara and the Saint’s weapons were not mad by them. The Church the acted as a tool for Seiros/Rhea to control the continent and its course. She then rewrote that part of history. The goddess was just sleeping, crests were a blessings of the goddess, etc. 
I am unsure as to why she did so, but I believe it served the 2 purposes. First it allowed Rhea to control the narrative and how people thought about the matter. Second it erases the existence of a rebellion against the Goddess. From the Church, Rhea could control the flow of information, censoring anything that threatened her power. Using the language of religion she could also justify using military force to eliminate her political opponents. 
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teenybeanielinguine · 6 years ago
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Outlander S4 - A Reflection
With that explosive finale behind us and a long Droughtlander ahead, I’m taking a moment to look back on this season and reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly.
(I’ve had some time to unpack and process, so be warned: this is a LONG review, with mild spoilers for The Fiery Cross.)
The Good:
I understand that this was a divisive season for many fans, but I personally loved it!  I could write a whole book about everything I loved, but for the sake of time, I’ll confine my praise to the best part of this season: the amazing cast of actors who bring my favorite characters to life.
Caitriona Balfe reprised her role as Claire Fraser with stunning success, and really sparkled when she shared the screen with her fellow cast members; her most powerful moments this season were definitely the mother/daughter conversations she had with Bree and Marsali.  Though she handles tragic scenes with ease, I hope she is given a chance to enact lighter, happier sequences in Season 5; Jamie and Claire need more laughter and teasing, less heart-felt speeches and drama.
As our leading man, Sam Heughan played Jamie to perfection; he managed to tell entire stories with his eyes alone.  Same as with Balfe, he captures tragedy easily, but I want him to stretch out a little and show off his acting chops.  There will always be drama in Claire and Jamie’s lives, but please sprinkle in some more fluffy moments, so we can see Heughan laugh!  Jamie’s roles as patriarch and leader are also going to be significantly expanded in the next season (the last few moments of the finale teased that a bit), and I can’t wait to see Heughan tackle that challenge.
I’ve been tentative about Sophie Skelton in the past; after all, Brianna is one of my favorite characters, despite her polarizing nature, and I was worried about her portrayal.  But Skelton nailed everything (the rape scene and its aftermath, in particular, were deeply chilling), and I have complete confidence that Bree is in safe hands.  In the finale, we saw Bree finally become a mother and reunite with her husband (not gonna lie, I’ve had that reunion on a loop ever since it aired); these two events are going to play major roles in her character growth (so excited for next season!).
Richard Rankin was a tour-de-force as Roger; I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen every time he appeared.  Any issues I had with his character were purely a result of writing and production choices, and despite those issues, Rankin still managed to make the character wonderfully, emotionally, lovably human (for further evidence, please refer to the idiot hut).  Roger’s journey is one of the most difficult transformations in the series, and next season will be challenging for Rankin; I’m particularly interested to see how he handles Roger’s growing relationship with Jamie.
All the leads were supported by a strong set of secondary characters, from Duncan Lacroix as the miraculously resurrected Murtagh to David Berry as the fabulous Lord John Grey.  John Bell was one of my absolute favorites, with his spot-on portrayal of Young Ian (that proposal! the emotional goodbye!! running the gauntlet!!!).  Ed Speelers played Stephen Bonnet in a way that brought back shivery memories of Black Jack.  Honestly, there was no weak link in this cast.  Special shoutout to Braeden Clarke (Kaheroton) and Tantoo Cardinal (Adawehi/Nayawenne in the books); hopefully we’ll be able to see even more powerful and complex First Nations characters in the coming season (to this effect, may I humbly suggest showing Young Ian’s time among the Mohawk?  Would love to see that first-hand rather than having the character describe it after the fact; also, you can never have too much John Bell).
This Season’s MVPs: Lauren Lyle and César Domboy.  Marsali and Fergus are never more than side characters in the books; you never hear the story from their POV.  Thankfully, the show saw a chance to expand their roles and took it.  And oh boy, did Domboy and Lyle deliver! Their nuanced performances just blew me away (”If Not For Hope” comes to mind).  I hope that we see even more of them going forward.
The Bad:
No adaptation is perfect (although if you have found one that is, please message me immediately).  It is especially difficult when the adaptation in question has to fit an 880-page book into a mere 13 hours; to put it into perspective, the audiobook version of Drums of Autumn is a whopping 45 hours long!  Though I like to nitpick and criticize, I am not so arrogant as to think that I could have done a better job, and I am very grateful to the writing and production teams who tackle this impossible task. I am also strangely content with most of the deviations they’ve made from the source material (Murtagh as a regulator is particularly genius, with really interesting implications for next season).
That being said, there is some room for improvement.  And one area that definitely needs some fine tuning is Claire and Jamie.  This year, some very vocal fans found issue with the fact that we didn’t see our main lovebirds enough, and there weren’t enough sex scenes, and why weren’t they in this episode?!  For me, none of those things were an issue, especially given that we saw Jamie and Claire way more than any other characters this season.  I don’t think we need more J/C time; I think we need better J/C time.
I wish the show would stop beating us over the head with Jamie and Claire’s epic love; we know their love is deep and everlasting, that’s why we keep coming back! (That, and the kilts.)  But we need to move on from soap-operatic speeches and tender love-making; those were more interesting in the early days of their marriage, when their love was a new, fragile thing.  Show me instead the easy comfort of a long-married couple: the teasing, the laughter, the bone-deep happiness.  Balfe and Heughan have such great chemistry when it comes to that kind of thing, but we’ve only gotten snippets of it this season!  Rather than another over-the-top, tear-jerking scene where Jamie and Claire reassure each other and reaffirm their love (again), give me Claire cuddling up to Jamie under a snowbank after his back gives out and telling him stories.  Or exchanging amused looks with him when Young Ian does/says something silly.  Or Jamie teasing Claire about that time she hit him in the head with a fish while he was trying to fight off a bear (true story).  Or Claire teasing Jamie with her new breeches (I’m not going to say no to sex scenes entirely).  Get rid of the excessive drama (this couple already has more drama than they know what to do with); bring on the fluff!
Speaking of moving on, the show needs to let Frank Randall go.  By this point in the series, he’s been dead for a few years, and quite frankly, good riddance (pardon the pun).  His character was cast in a sympathetic light for narrative purposes; the producers wanted to make him the antithesis of his ancestor, Black Jack Randall, so they carefully omitted the fact that he was at times a racist ass with a string of mistresses (my apologies to any Frank fans; as you can see, he’s not one of my favorite characters).  The problem is that they took it too far, painting Frank as a martyr and putting first Claire, then Jamie, at a big disadvantage.  Despite this mistake, I’m fine with using Frank to flesh out Brianna’s character (his only redeeming quality is his aptitude for fatherhood), but that should have happened very early on in the season, before Bree makes the journey through the stones.  That journey is a pivotal point for Bree; she is driven not only by a need to save her mother, but also by a deep curiosity and longing for this birth father that she’s never met.  In the book, she even goes so far as to abandon the name “Randall” and adopt “Fraser” for the journey.  But that sentiment was lost entirely by the decision to have Frank accompany her on the voyage, narratively speaking.  We no longer get the feeling that she’s eager to meet/bond with Jamie; even worse, the writers had her casually dropping Frank’s name into every conversation!  No matter how great Tobias Menzies is, we have neither the time nor the will to keep devoting so much energy to a deceased character (who isn’t that critical to the future story, btw).  Heading into Season 5, we need to make our final, belated goodbyes to Frank Randall.
One 20th century man we should have seen more of instead was Roger Mackenzie.  As we dove into Season 4, I was so excited to see his developing relationship with Brianna; remember when they were super cute together, a million years ago in Season 3?  But too much focus on exposition meant that we didn’t see them until three episodes in, and instead of the slow burn I had anticipated, we got a lot of unnecessary drama.  Why on Earth is Roger a misogynist all of a sudden?  What happened to the sweet proposal where they both decide they’re not yet ready for marriage?  The lack of screen time meant that Bree and Roger’s entire relationship development was crammed into one episode; coupled with poor writing choices, the result was a shaky romance that was hard to root for.  I was lucky enough to have the books as a safety net; I know exactly how deeply they love and respect each other, despite the mayhem onscreen.  But the fans who hadn’t read the series (and even some who had) didn’t understand why these two were an endgame couple, and I don’t blame them.  That last reunion scene helped cement their relationship a little, but not enough; unfortunately, Season 5 is going to have to waste some of its precious time rectifying this misstep.
Which brings me to my last point: the pacing.  With so many new characters and so little time, it is more important than ever that the show learn to juggle all the storylines more smoothly.  The pacing of this season was so uneven, it gave me whiplash.  Gone are the days when Claire and Jamie were the only focus; from now on, their ever-growing family is going to continue complicating matters.  Outlander needs to evolve to meet this need if it wants to keep up. (Also, could we revert back to a 16-episode format, like in Season 1?  Please and thank you.)
The Ugly:
I will readily admit that I am new to this fandom.  I got hooked on the show during summer 2018 and devoured the books shortly thereafter.  When I joined Tumblr in the fall, it was because I wanted to celebrate this story with likeminded people and geek out over the upcoming season.
The actual experience was a bit more jarring (suffice it to say, I didn’t know hate-watching was a real thing that people did).  I don’t want to chastise or implore certain fans to adopt a more positive outlook; I’ve seen a lot of posts about that already, and I’m not inclined to add to them.  Instead, I’d like to share some of the guidelines I impose on myself when I contribute to any fandom (I’m not saying these will or should work for everyone, but they have worked for me):
Love, not hate.  To me, a fandom is a community that comes together out of love.  Knowing this, I try my best not to express any feelings of hate within that community; I don’t think it’s an appropriate place to share those feelings, and I don’t want to diminish the fandom experience for anyone else.  If I find that I no longer love or even like the show/book/movie that the fandom is centered on, I disengage from the community entirely, because I no longer consider myself a fan.  And that’s perfectly fine; there is no rule that says that once you’re in a fandom, you’re in it for life.
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.  Despite the fact that I love the subject matter, it is not an absolute, unconditional sort of love.  I often find myself disliking certain aspects or getting frustrated by opposing views (this is doubly true when it comes to adaptations).  I let myself express these dislikes and frustrations only if I can see the silver lining; in other words, I allow myself to say a few negative things about a character/scene only if I can supplement them with a good dose of positivity as well.  Too much uninterrupted negativity borders on hate.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  I’m a very anxious person with self-confidence issues, so I have a hard time expressing my opinion online, even anonymously.  That’s why I’m never going to tear anyone else down for doing so.  I may disagree with you, or dislike the way you expressed yourself, but I’m going to be respectful even if it kills me, because that’s how I would want other people to interact with me.  Even with the Internet as a buffer, I think it’s important to remember that we are all human, and all equally capable of hurting others and being hurt ourselves.
Again, these guidelines work for me, but it’s completely subjective.  And even though my experience in the OL fandom hasn’t been a bed of roses so far, I’ve still met some amazing people with incredible things to say.  My favorite fandom moments of the season? @futurelounging‘s beautiful thoughts on episode 12 and @breefraser‘s hilarious criticism of Roger’s sartorial choices.
I’d love to hear from other fans!  What worked for you this season?  What would you have changed?  Favorite fandom moments?  If you choose to reply, please be kind and respectful.
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glassrain · 5 years ago
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"You have an issue with how guys act today? then just GIVE THEM THEIR FRIENDS BACK" yes I love it, agree with it, and I also love your tags 😂
Ah, yeah, went on a little bitof a tag rant there. Oops - I didn’t actually mean to do that. Butonce I got to talking about it … well, it’s a topic I’m ratherpassionate about. Let guys be bros again! Let guys do silly guythings, without attacking them for … what, being guys? How is thatfair? Boys are precious, I don’t care what anyone says - just stopbreathing down their necks, stop villainizing them or forcing labelson them. Give them a little room to breathe and just do their ownthing, have their friends and be affectionate with them withoutfeeling the need to clarify or justify or pretend or peek over theirshoulder to make sure no one is looking. It makes me so sad, thatthis is what men feel they have to do. That they’re not allowed tojust have friends, care deeply about their friends,enjoy their friends. It’s so unhealthy? It’s so isolating?Like, that’s so achingly, ridiculously lonely? When they exhibit problematic behaviors, men are absolutely responsible for their own choices - that being said, society could help a ton, and put a stop to a lot of issues, by not crammingthis kind of a toxic mindset down the throats of men at every turn. Thismindset that shames and pressures them into shying away from love andaffirmation and compassion, to neither accept nor express a perfectlynatural - and even necessary - type of love to other men in theirlives, and instead bottle everything up until it festers and causes awhole mess of problems for everyone. This idea that they’re onlycapable of loving one (1) person, romantically, and that’s it.That’s the end of the line. I just hate it, and myheart goes out to these poor guys (as they get what I’m going tocall, for lack of a better term, the “gay treatment” far more often than girls).
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And I think it stems from this idea that romantic love is somehowthe superior love. If there’s someone in your lifethat you love uniquely and passionately, then obviously ithas to be romantic love because friendships can’t reach the heightsthat romantic love can. And on the one hand, I cankind of understand where that thought process comes from, because romantic lovebuilds families, romantic love is exclusive and special, I’m notdenying that. But it’s not superior to friendshipsor familial love. It’s different - that’s all. I think that thisis the point that a lot of people, who look at two men who deeplycare for each other and immediately cry “gay!” misscompletely. I’m going to say it one more time, just to hit thepoint home: romantic love is different - but not superior- to other kinds of love. My sister can talk to me, can doactivities with me, can express herself with me in a way that shecan’t with her husband. My sister’s love for me and ourrelationship is very different, but in no manner inferior, to herlove for and relationship with her husband. That’s just absurd.
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Or maybe this mindset also comes from the idea that love betweenfriends is too generic. “X has good friends that he loves verydeeply, sure, but Y is special to him, even amonghis friends, and thus must fall under theexclusivity of romantic love.” Because friendship is,apparently, boring. A person is capable of having multiple friendships at once, and therefore you are unable of caring for any one of them uniquely. Since a man can have more than onefriendship, his relationship with this particular individual is nolonger unique or special if they’re“just friends” (ugh - as if there’s anything just aboutfriendship). But … that’s a problem solved if they’re in love! If they’re in love, then their relationship is special! It’s an equally absurd mindset as romantic superiority, but I think it’s one that people do fall victim to, and is a key factor in the “gay treatment” for male friendships. This idea that friendships are cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all relationships that blanket all friends together, instead of unique, personalized connections full of pain and laughter and growth, with inside jokes and strengths and weaknesses and support and arguments and apologies and secrets shared like priceless gifts between just these two individuals, which differ vastly between person to person - it’s laughable, really. It’s also very problematic and needs to die a swift death. Harry’s relationship with Ron is different than his relationship with Hermione - there’s nothing bland or simple about either of their relationships, even though they are both ”just friends.” Tony has a different relationship with Steve than with Rhodey than with Peter, to name just a few - friendships are just as unique, beautiful and powerful among each other, as romantic relationships are among friendships.
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And it’s not my intention to attack ships or shippers, just this dreadful mindset. Please stop sabotaging and undermining male friendships. They’re so important and wonderful. If people would just start valuing friendships again, I think we would see a world of difference in the way we view life, and people, and in all of our relationships.
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