#I think its fun at times. and the popularization of Yuri because of it has been AMAZING I'm so happy for that

[p2ii]

i think we should soft-retire the whole 'this too is yuri'/'yaoi', just like, a little bit 🤏. and maybe consider that characters of any gender can be multifaceted or preform gender non conformity in a way that doesn't inform their sexuality or relationship dynamics. aswell as stop pretending there is an inherent difference between the two as genre's from ppl who aren't actually emerced in that kind of fiction. any gendered relationship can and and probably HAS played out any trope. they're the equivalent of f/f and m/m catagorise on ao3, please.

this is mostly because if I have to read about another het/ m/f couple being 'both Yuri and yaoi' or 'half Yuri half yaoi' I'm going to go ballistic. it's giving 'half gay half straight' 😭

[stardustizuku]

So, Gushing Over Magical Girls Is The Best Thing To Happen to Magical Girls

Gushing Over Magical Girls get this bad rep. For all the wrong reasons. I’ve seen it be called an insult to Magical Girls, I’ve seen it be called “gooner bait” a term I absolutely despise but that’s a thing for another day. I’ve seen it insulted for everything and anything under the sun.

I first got acquainted with it when I was scrolling through Twitter and I saw someone complain about the PV. However, as an avid Magical Girl Fan, I wasn’t disgusted. I was intrigued.

I decided to read the manga, and oh god.

This is one of the best things I’ve read.

The story follows Utena, a shy girl that loves Magical Girls, tricked to become the evil general that will defeat the Magical Girl team “Tres Magia”.

And it’s a delight.

I binged all the episodes available to me in the manga, and had fun in each and every chapter.

The same, however, couldn’t be said by half the people who watched the anime. And I was extremely baffled. As a queer woman, this was the first time in my life, in which I had seen something so deliberately catered towards me. I saw tell-tale signs of someone who genuinely admires the genre, and is simply using it as an outlet for exploring deeper and more interesting topics that a SFW version of it would not be able to.

Yet, I turn around and I see people calling it the most horrendous stuff, and accusing everyone who likes it of being monsters or men.

Genuinely, I’ve had enough.

Gushing Over Magical Girl is not the Devil. In fact, I think it’s the best thing to come don’t even like Magical Girls AND IT SHOWS.

PART 1: “Magical girls are for little girls!”.

The first criticism you’ll see aimed at “Gushing over Magical girl” is the amount of sexually charged content it has. And it is true. It borders on straight up porn in many instances and it just gets wilder as you go on. By chapter 30, we’re way past PantyShots. Like, I’ve seen some of these girls’ vaginas, and I’m not joking.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with it, but there’s people who might disagree.

“Magical Girls are for little girls” some people say “and you’re corrupting it!”

Which genuinely makes me laugh.

This is because this type of argument could only be done by someone with no real concept of Magical Girls aside from maybe Sailor Moon and Sakura Card Captor.

out of the Magical Girl genre in a WHILE (Ignoring Precure, because they just gave us a magical boy and that’s my win of the decade).

People are just, you know, stupid. And reactionary. Enough that they see a boob and lose their minds like a Karen at a Christmas Eve Mall.

My point is, I love this manga. And I’m willing to risk my reputation to defend it. Cause genuinely, half the people who are clutching their pearls over this show - Magical Girl Anime haven’t always been PG, or aimed at girls.

Cutie Honey is a great example. It’s one of the most famous Magical Girl Anime you will find - and it’s a shonen. With the protagonist, Honey, being constantly naked, groped, put in suggestive situations and have outfits that show her cleavage.

And it’s one of the most famous, most popular takes on Magical Girl there is. Yet, I never see any amount of outrage towards it. (Part of me wonders if it’s because the fan service is aimed at men, rather than involving yuri).

There’s also Lyrical Nanoha, one of the most popular serial franchises there is. It spans several seasons and spinoffs, and it’s beloved by many.

And it’s aimed at older men. Yes, it’s a Seinen.

In fact, its origins are far from PG. It’s actually a Spin-off of an erotic game named “Triangle Heart”. It was most definitely not created with little girls in mind, and themes it tackles reflect as much.

There’s Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya too, a spinoff of the Fate/Stay Night VN, very obviously aimed at older men, it’s a Seinen. It has a lot of fanservice and scenes where the characters are half naked.

Day Break Illusion is also a Shonen.

And as much as I adora Madoka - I’ve been stating for years now that it isn’t a show meant for little girls. You could argue it’s for everyone, regardless of gender, who’s a little older. But it most definitely wasn’t for little girls.

So, no. This was never an “only girls” club. Trying to paint it as such, is not only wrong but ignorant.

Magical Girl shows can be for anyone. Men, boys, girls, women and I find it infantilizing to consider it “only for little girls”.

No one says “super heroes are ONLY for little boys”

Well, some do. But they’re, you know, bigots. Who don’t want girls playing or adults o have fun.

So no, Gushing Over Magical Girls being a sexually charged anime in the Seinen category isn’t “corrupting the genre”. In fact, I would argue it’s doing exactly what the genre has done in the OVA shadows for a while.

Not to mention, many people have screamed from the rooftop how they want “more mature Magical Girl shows” referring to the success of Madoka. But as soon as an actually mature take on Magical Girls shows up, tackling issues of sexuality and love, you all don’t want it anymore.

(We all know why, though. Americans, and western culture in general, considers mature themes, only that which involves violence. Anything close to discussing issues of sex is no longer “mature” but “Pornographic” and deserving of being shoved into a corner. With all queer themes, gender studies, and any nuance that could be had regarding these issues).

And speaking of sexually charged, have you watched so called “wholesome” magical girls? They’re still very much sexy. Not in the “on the nose” ecchi way Seinen and Shonen are - but they still are.

You’ll find transformations were the girls are naked, zoom in to their breasts, you’ll have panty shots every now and then. Even themes of growing up, having crushes, and innuendos about sex. Inappropriate relationships, taboo romance, and the likes.

Sakura had Rita and a professor’s relationship (mutual in the manga), Sailor Moon had Chibiusa and Elliot’s romance, Sugar Sugar Rune even having an element for ‘lust’ and other different types of love, and let’s not forget Mermaid Melody which has several instances of the girls naked, in compromising positions with other men. And I’m pretty sure Tokyo Mew Mew likely opened a whole bunch of doors for girls to be into CNC.

This is, by the way, normal.

Completely so.

These stories often talk about the girlhood experience. And girls and teenage girls are interested in all of these things. They’re interested in sex, romance, their bodies growing up, their own sexuality and the likes. It’s no wonder same-sex relationships and romance get included, they’re part of what experiencing the world through the eyes of a young girl is like.

And subsequently, it stands to reason that as people who engaged with MG grow up - they find comfort in exploring their sexuality through Magical Girl themselves. There’s a reason why there’s a growing section of “Magical Girl” in your local hentai site.

“Men get off on corrupting this wholesome girl targeted genre” is actually TERF rhetoric sneaking through the mainstream. It ignores AFAB ppl and gender nonconforming people, who grew up with Magical Girls, simply using a medium that originally started their journey of sexual identity, to explore more “grown up” aspects of that same identity.

In particular, I’m a Cis AroAce Woman. I wrote a lot of Magical Girl NSFW when I first started writing NSFW Twitter threads. They’re bad and they’re cringey. But it was something I needed.

Magical Girls were a huge part of my childhood and early teens. When I was mentally in the space to want to engage with NSFW content: it was obvious I would turn to what first sparked excitement.

So this idea that “men are corrupting Magical Girls with their sick fantasies” is nothing more than TERF-lite propaganda. People, including women and men, have been doing this for ages; for a variety of reasons. And doing so, doesn’t rob children of their spaces - but the gentrification of the internet is a story of another day.

The other argument I have heard is that GOMG is a mockery of the genre. Which is even more laughable in my opinion.

PART 2: Parodies and why I hate Earth Defender’s Club.

Gushing Over Magical Girls loves Magical Girls. It’s a parody, in a way, but it knows very well what it parodies. It’s not surface level in the slightest. And it absolutely is not mean spirited about it.

A lot of the time, shows that reference and parody the Magical Girl genre, do so in ways that feel like they view it as a lesser genre. They take generic images of cute girls in frilly outfits, swap the colors around, and have them chant over-the-top spells. You’re meant to laugh, not only at how silly they look, but people who would love it. Especially if they’re grown ups.

I do not like “Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!” For this exact reason - even tho many people praise it to all heavens.

Because

1) It feels surface level in its commentary and depiction of Magical Girls and

2) More mocking towards the genre than paying homage or doing anything with it.

The continuous use of the word “Love” is a very obvious jab at Magical Girls using these words, which feels mean spirited just for the sake of it. Their outfits are almost exactly the same, save for the colors. And they all use the same sticks as weapon, with no thematic link for the shapes of the scepters. The mascot too (a wombat for god knows what reason), I think it’s meant to be a joke of some sort for how ridiculous some of the mascots for the girls get, which rubs me the wrong way.

In general, it feels shallow and mean spirited. But no one calls this an insult to Magical Girls. Because people who like it don't actually care about Magical Girls. They see cute boys doing silly things and love it. Which is kinda sad.

Now, Gushing Over Magical girls has sort of that same problem on the Tres Magias…But they’re not the protagonists. And even then, in later chapters, they get power ups that are different in design, and thematically linked.

The protagonist, and the ones we follow, are Utena and the girls. And they all have very distinct outfits, all with motifs that are tangentially thematically linked, and speak of each character’s personalities in interesting ways.

Utena in particular has THIS outfit. Which a lot of people don’t like, but I actually do.

It’s very obvious it’s taking inspo from other iconic Bad Girls in the genre. Namely, Utau, Kraehe and Devil Homura. All “Enemy characters” that have unhealthy obsessions with other characters. In particular, I think the wings and the feathers resemble Homura - THE character known to have a massive obsession with a Magical Girl (Madoka), to the point of insanity.

There’s also Magia Azure. Who’s a clear reference to the Mean Tsundere girl that is iconic to the genre. She’s also a Miko. Which is a callback to Sailor Mars, arguably THE girl who popularized this archetype.

I also love what they do with the mascots. Unlike Earth Defenders, where the mascot is you know, a mockery of the archetype of a mascot - useless, only there to give power ups, and obsessed with food - the mascots of GOMG is taking a book from Madoka.

It considers the mascots both all-too-powerful and yet limited in their reach. Which is exactly what the mascots have always been in Magical Girls. Beings so powerful they can give mythical powers to girls, yet helpless to do anything on their own. So, they use magical girls as a vehicle to achieve their goals. Most Magical girls try to paint this as a good thing, but newer genres shine light on how dangerous that can be too.

Madoka tackles it with Kyubey as the main initial mascot, only later to turn out to be the villain of the series.

And in a Post-Madoka world, trusting the mascots is just the slightest bit more difficult. That’s why, from the get go, GOMG portrays their mascots as morally corrupt. He’s not a good character, he’s malicious and doing more harm than good. But for the majority of the series, he’s painted more as a useless harmless evil than anything genuinely terrifying or worthy of concern. The attention is focused on other things.

But I love the way that it’s heavily implied that they’re not good. It’s a very interesting take on the mascot and it helps with the themes of the series. Which yes, by the way. Gushing Over Magical Girls has themes.

Which lead me to-

Part 3: Yeah, uhm, Gushing Over Magical Girl has themes.

There’s this idea that Sex is an inherently violent act. In which a man humiliates and sodomizes a woman, and therefore the woman is exploited in some way. And 10x worse is any act that involves BDSM. It’s violence; born out of hatred.

This is TERF rhetoric. I’m not joking. This line of thought leads directly to TERF ideas.

Many on the internet have pointed out as much, and BDSM members have gone to be very vocal about it. In particular, people on the role of the submissive (or the bottoms) are loudly trying to explain the contrary. How they like the act of sex, like the idea of being vulnerable, or being humiliated. There’s also plenty of LGBT+ stories that talk about it, both in western and eastern spaces. Just jump into the section of dom/sub verse at your local manga browsing website, and you’ll find something.

That said, the same is not as common for people who like to “dominate”.

I can only think of two pieces of media that argue that, whoever is the dominant or the sadist, is also a human being. That whatever they’re doing is done, not out of hatred for the submissive or an act of violence, but love.

One, is the husky and the white cat. In which Mo Ran, among other things, has to come to terms that his love isn’t “pure”. That he cannot love someone without the want to have sex, and to completely dominate that someone.

The second one is Gushing Over Magical Girls.

It’s very clear to me that Utena’s sadism isn’t a violent act. It’s an act born out of love. She genuinely loves the Magical Girls, and most girls for that matter, and whenever she is inflicting pain and fighting with them - what she wants is to ultimately help them in some way.

She wants them to “be the cutest version they can be” and wants them to shine brighter than ever.

There’s this one scene I love, around chapter 20, in which Baiser (Utena) is fighting Magia Azura. And due to Baiser going a bit too far, Azura ends up being Mind-broken. She crawls towards her, calls her “mistress” and begs to become her servant.

In any normal Hentai you’ll find, this is a good thing. This would be the ideal outcome. A character being turned into nothing but a sex slave for the enjoyment of the dominant.

Which is why I found it breathtaking when that didn’t happen.

Baiser is horrified by this. She does not want to break the girls, she wants them to be powerful. She wants them to win. With her, the evil one, being nothing more than a vehicle for them to be even stronger than before.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen dominant or sadist characters being presented both sexually, and in such a positive light. Much less a queer woman in the same position.

It doesn’t treat BDSM sex as a disgusting taboo act, but something born out of genuine love - and a want to see the other person be or feel better.

This is reinforced around chapter 25 where Leberblume and Loco Mùsica are fighting Baiser. For context, Loco Musica wanted to be an Idol, but had terrible singing. She uses her evil power to basically force everyone to listen to her sing (which is so reminiscent of Mermaid Melody btw). When they fight, Baiser wins, and is then set to use her new found power to “punish” Loco Musica.

Originally, Loco Musica points out how Baiser’s sadistic tendencies are “the same” as Lord Enorme, who we’ve seen uses sadism as a genuine form of punishment. Something to avoid. You behave well, because you don’t want to get hurt or humiliated by her.

However, when Baiser uses her own unique type of sadism on Loco Musica, something happens. Instead of causing her physical pain by beating her or using violence, she forces her to get naked and perform her idol song like that. This causes her to get extremely embarrassed. And in the process, she actually starts to sing really well.

This is important for two reasons

1) Baiser is actually taking into account who Musica is. It’s later revealed that Musica wanted a more frilly idol-like outfit but Lord Enorme shut it down, for the sake of a more ‘unified’ aesthetic. Baiser is not just throwing around the same treatment and punishment for all girls - what one might like, the other might hate.

2) At the end of the day, while she did the punishment, it was both embarrassing, but ultimately something that helped Musica and made her feel better.

And that’s really the key here, and why I love the series.

Sadism, sex and kinks in general are not tools of degeneracy. They’re treated as part of our experience.

Also, it’s just fun?

Part 4: Gushing Over Magical Girls is just extremely fun when you don’t have a dumb bitch yapping abt how unholy it is to see tiddies on a screen

Yeah, GOMG just has one of the most creative depictions of the most insane of kinks you’ll see - I could spent hour gushing over Nero Alice.

Seeing all these different kinks being depicted as powers and abilities that these characters have - and seeing how they interact with other people is just interesting.

The sex scenes are both hilarious and kinda sexy. Specially if you do like to see women all hot and bothered. Personally I’m not into girls (or anyone for that matter) but I have to admit the scenes were pretty hot. And there is no shame in admitting as much. No matter what the puritanical Christian on Twitter crying abt “god honoring lesbian sex” Will tell you.

I cannot begin to explain just how hype and relatable it was to see Magia Baiser defeat Lord Enorme with the power of straight up delusion, we STAN.

So, yeah.

It’s been a while since I last saw a Magical Girl Show so unashamed of being a Magical Girl Show. Unashamed of being weird, of praising the genre and just enjoying it.

My essay is titled, in part, as a joking reference to my much more popular series “MLB is the worst thing to happen to the magical girl series”. Which I still think is true.

And while, yeah, maybe GOMG isn’t the best thing to come out of the genre…I still think it’s good that it came out.

A lot of people say they want a more “mature” take on Magical Girls but - this proved to me that just isn’t the case.

Gushing over magical girls proves that the Magical Girl Genre Can Be so much more than what people think. More than glitter and sparkles, more than vapid action scenes, or what little girls want.

Much like any other genre, it can be raunchy, it can be messy, it can explore things outside of the status quo. But it can still deeply respect the source material, and the origins of it.

GOMG proves Magical Girls can be fun. Just. Straight up fun. Regardless of your age. They can serve and connect you to parts of yourself you didn’t realize you could connect to.

I hope it proves to more people that the genre can be so much more than “just for little girls” that parodies can be more than pointing and laughing, and that it can have themes beyond just, “friendship”.

Magical Girls can be so much more. You just, have to have an open mind about it.

[ddlcbrainrot]

What are your ships in ddlc? I noticed you do all the ships- If you ship all then what’s your favorite ship?

Now, whoever you are how did you that i was thinking of talking about my ship opinions soon?? mind wizard

SO, here’s the thing : when it comes to ships in genera it takes a lot for me to actually have OTPs and stuff and this is especially true in ddlc for me. For me shipping is more of a “sure, i could get behind this” sort of thing, except if once in a blue moon i find that one ship that alters my brain chemistry but believe it or not that has not really happened to me with any of the ddlc ships. It has happened with the game as a whole, but not really with the ships. The only one that has come close i’d say is sayonika but that’s more bc they happen to be the characters that i think about the most

That being said, i’d say i ship every ship in the game, simply because i could honestly see all of them working out in one way or another. Sure, they’re are some i like more than others but generally all of them work. And yes, this includes the Mc ships even though i like them less bc the side stories blew it out of the park with the chemistry between the girls

Speaking of the side stories, they are the sole reason i got into the shipping side of the fandom lol. The base game, as influential as it was for me, never really ignited any shipping sparks ig. I actually could not care less for the shipping before the side stories, bc most of it felt kind of trope-y ironically enough. Like, Natsuri was the big one, which was only popular bc of the whole opposite’s attract thing (not that there’s anything wrong with that ofc, it just never really resonated with me). Sayonika was a victim of what i like to call the “leftovers syndrome” where two characters are shipped bc they are the only ones left to be shipped with.

And Mc.. well let’s talk about that actually. Mc x Yuri is well… how do i put this. They have absolutely nothing in common. I don’t necessarily hate this ship however, if i see it done right i can like it. Mc x Natsuki was alright, the banter was fun, they actually have things they can talk about, it’s overall a nice ship. I will say i prefer them as close friends, but if i was to see media (fan art, fics, mods etc) where it���s done right, i can appreciate it. Mc x Sayori is also a ship i can enjoy from time to time, probably the most out of any Mc ship. Again, i do prefer talking about their friendship more though but now that i’m writing this down i realise i’m just a slut for male/female friendships. Mc x Monika truly depends on what context the characters are given. Are we talking about non-sentient Monika x Mc? Bc that can be pretty fun. If we are talking about sentient Monika x Mc, i see a very interesting dynamic (not a particularly good one) where Monika is basically using Mc as a vessel for the player in her desperation. Can Mc feel this dynamic? Does he understand in some way that he’s the second choice, even if he doesn’t know the truth about their world? How does it affect him? Its fun to ponder about this ig, but it doesn’t really make for a healthy relationship

Then the side stories came out, where the characters evolved from their one-dimensional tropes into actual personalities with enticing dynamics between them and i was immediately sold. That being said, i still don’t really have an OTP per say, bc as stated before all of them could work out. Which is definitely bc of how we get to see each of them interact individually in each side story. In every side story, we see each character interact with the other and learn how to grow as individuals because of it. I could see each pairing happening individually, i could see them being a poly couple, maybe even a qpr, or just a very close friend group too! There is a lot of love between the characters, whether that is romantic, platonic or something in between im not 100% certain on, but the love is definitely there.

Anyway, you also asked what my favourite ship would be, and i’ll probably say Sayonika since most of the media I consume tends to be with them

WOW this was a long post. Hope i didn’t bore you too much. Thank you for the ask!!

[whateversawesome]

Fandom Wrapped + Some SxF Fic Recs

The year is almost over so it's a good time to reflect on all the wonderful fics we read and all the fics we wrote as well. I'm sure you have your favorites 😃

Here's my fandom wrapped plus a few fic recs and reflections:

(Special thanks to @katty-king-elfans for creating these templates so we can all have a fun fandom wrapped)

It's always hard to choose a favorite but this year, there was a clear winner in my heart:

After Peace by @unhappy-sometimes : To me, this fic is a masterpiece. I could talk about its interesting premise, the development of the characters or even the use of beautiful metaphors, however, for me, the most important thing is how this story just reached the deepest part of my heart.

Do you sometimes feel like you can't make any mistakes? Do you feel like if you do, you could derail your life forever? Well, this story shows us that's not true. It's a story about second chances about rebuilding life after huge mistakes, after being hurt, after thinking life is over.

And it's also a story about how unsettling "peace" can be after a lifetime of fighting. Here, Twilight is retired, he has "won" and there's finally peace between East and West, but his life is now meaningless. It takes place after the hero reaches the climax of his story and wonders 'now what?' Enter Anya and Yor to revive this man!

I won't say anything else to avoid spoiling it for you. If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and read it here!

Other amazing piece this year that I loved in the visual art field was:

Bad Omen by @buf309-art-binder , which is not a fic per se, but a fancomic that uses both visual art and written language to tell an amazing (and angsty) story about wanting to protect what we love the most by becoming "hunters".

Here, we see Yor's perspective through a memory. She protects Yuri's innocence from death and pain by hiding both from him. In the present, Yor reflects about how fragile life can be and we learn how she views herself: as someone who stole her time from others.

However, Twilight tells her otherwise. To him, she's more than someone who just fights and destroys. To him, he's the reason why he's been able to heal 💖

The fancomic wraps up in a spectacular way, right in the middle of an action scene, where we see Yuri as an adult but at the same time, relying on his sister's wisdom, just as when he was a child, because of a dire situation. In this scene, Buf warps up everything and tells us that Loid and Yor were right about referring to themselves as a canary and an owl.

And the story's cliffhanger at the very end is to die for!! 😱 If you haven't read it or if you want to read it for the 100th time like me, here it is.

I would also like to send a ton of love to Ari_Gateau @lpham2525 for her amazing stories that never fail to lift my heart; to @rachellysebrook but writing the most emotional fic I read this year: Pink Sakura (Rach, you owe me a box of tissues.) And to Puolain @loveroma whose fics are truly magical (and that kiss scene in Hide and Seek was hands down my favorite). Honorable mention to Talik_Sanis who is not on tumblr (not that I know) for writing some of the funniest sxf fics I've read.

I want to thank all the authors who kept writing and contributing to the fandom. Thank you!

Now, if you're also interested on my Writer Wrapped, here it is!

As you can see, My Enemy took almost all the categories in this wrapped. It has been very challenging but also very satisfying.

As some of you may know, I love reading and writing AUs but before writing this AU, I thought AUs were not very popular among readers. That's why I'm so grateful this fic has had such a positive answer. Thank you to all of those who have read, commented, and supported this story 💖 And for those who have no clue what I'm talking about 😆 you can read it here.

On a personal note, this fic has helped me understand a lot of things about life. My favorite scene this year (the blessing) felt so cathartic to me, because we're so conditioned to think that we must be useful for people to love us and that's not true. The people that love us do so because of our simple existence. Writing that, seeing those words on the screen, made me feel relieved. If you're interested, I explained it in detail a couple of weeks ago here.

Although My Enemy has taken most of my writing time, I've also had the opportunity to write other one-shots. My two favorites this year are:

Birthdays: A tooth-rotting fluff fic about all the Forgers' birthdays.

Deadly Encounters at the Department Store: A comedy in which Yor faces an embarrassing situation at the department store.

Also, I got to write a small one-shot sequel for Love Is... called I Choose You.

In addition, I also wrote for a couple of different ships besides Twiyor. Given my strong twiyor brainrot, I considered these two fics a fun challenge. Both fics were written as birthday gifts for two dear friends and I'm happy with the result:

Yuri and Chloe Big Daycare Ordeal (Yurikuro)

A New Dance Partner (Franky x Fiona)

AND to top it all, I did my first collaboration in the fandom with the amazing @unhappy-sometimes This collab was a gift for our friend @buf309 , who actually gave us the prompt for it. Unso was in charge of creating the art for this prompt and I was in charge of writing the fic. The result was fantastic!! You can see the fancomic here and read Sleeping Beauty: Twilight's Version here on ao3.

Well, that was a big wrapped but it was also a big writing/reading year. Thank you to all of those who read my stories, commented and left kudos. Thank you also to @twiyorbase for organizing so many wonderful events that kept us writing. And special thanks to my friends, who listened to me, encouraged me, and made me laugh. You make my life beautiful 💖Thank you!

[goatboard]

I’ve. Known about precure for awhile and would like to check it out. what would u rec for a beginner of the series :o

i still have 6 seasons left to watch so my reccomendation might be lacking but! i do love precure so

reccomending precure is kind of difficult actually because every season has a different concept and a different director so it really depends on what you want to get out of watching it

i think futari wa is a pretty good start if you want to see what most of the noise is about, it's the first season and is usually the one that i saw referenced in other media before i got into the series. you can also see why this series has so much yuri fans,,, there's little of an overatching plot, (there is more of it in Max Heart but still not a lot), most of it is about the relationship between the two MCs which is written so well,,,

Heartcatch is also popular because it's most unique in terms of style and world building (well,, except for happinesscharge but that's because it's the same director), i'd say it has the best developed world and magical powers for the girls, personally i like singular episodes more than the season as a whole. the overall theme is about growing and changing as a person and they do it justice

but but but if you don't care about being chronological or watching heartcatch then Mahoutsukai would be my go-to, it also has a pretty great world building and magical power system, i love the concept for it (there being a magic world and a non-magic world), the writing is pretty seamless, it feels like most episodes have something to say, the characters are so enjoyable (at least to me) and there's just something so comforting about its positivity... it's silly and honestly just a fun time

[taxkha]

I absolutely ADORE your art you are so talented!!! The way you draw people / characters has really incredible emotion and like a sense of character omg I really enjoy your work. can I ask a q about reccomendations, you can do one or the other or both or absolutely neither LOL up to you and just for fun!!! Do you have any favorite sports animes and/or klapollo fics??? I was CRAZY into klapollo a while ago and I miss them sm! Also was looking at ur posts and saw your bday was on May 15, mine is May 18 .so happy belated bday and let's celebrate being Taurus (sorry not to have stalkerish vibe LMAO) have an awesome day!!!

ahh thank you so much!! <3 this makes me so happy to hear! Regarding sports anime, I mostly watched the most popular sports anime but nothing too niche. I used to be a HUGE Haikyuu fan and drew a shit ton of fanart for it. If you havent watched/read it yet I recommend this one. I also like Kuroko no basuke a lot but its been so long since I watched it. I have a soft spot for Free! still and while I didnt enjoy yuri on ice when it came out I recently rewatched it to see if I would like it more now and I do! I watched Yowamushi Pedal up to a certain point and I liked it but I dropped it for some reason and I cant remember why. Knowing me, probably because I'm bad at watching shows :"D And for Klapollo fics: I actually made a big list a while ago here ! I have since then read a few more fics, a recent fave of mine is this one ! I have a lot of Klapollo fics in my bookmarks on Ao3, my username is Taxkha so if you feel like it you can browse through my bookmarks, I think. The recent 10+?? pages are all Klapollo fics lol

And hell yes, happy late bday to you too fellow Taurus! Also no worries, its not stalker behavior to scroll through my very public blog 8"D <3 Thank you for taking the time to send this ask and have an awesome day too!

[mahou-furbies]

Closing thoughts on Gushing Over Magical Girls

Spoilers, and I think I'll just put the whole thing under cut.

…alright it's time. So the show is about a mousy girl who is a huge magical girl fan but is forced to join the evil team instead, and then discovers she has a sadistic side to her and actually enjoys tormenting them. Usually I try to be more vague with stuff of this nature because this isn't that kind of blog, but here I don't think it can be helped. So if there's any children in there do avert your eyes or something, because this is as close to bdsm porn that can be shown on tv as possible.

I've been on the internet long enough that my deviantArt account can almost vote so none of this was new to me, but it was still quite a shock because I have already seen some horny mg titles and expected a similar level of fanservice, but this is in its own category entirely. Like it's not just that it's hentai, but having to sit through someone else's fetish hentai was the real challenge. Also while there was something entertaining about how the protagonist is a door mat for most of the time but sometimes switches into a dominatrix personality, a lot of the time she was just straight up rapey. Then again did anyone actually expect that a story with a premise like this was going to have all the characters carefully ensure everyone's consent and only engage in age appropriate activities? I was taken by surprise by the intensity but it was pretty clear that this was going to be a very pervy low brow show.

If you somehow make it past all the hentai, there is something of value in the character dynamics. Like once the characters take out the current leader of the evil team, they instigate the main character as the new leader, and that's kind of fun, and they do have some decent friend group banter with each other (or ""friend"", like the gun girl is very clear that she wants to bang the main character). Also they have alright relationships with the magical girl faction too, and I really hope we'll get more mg shows from the perspective of the villain team that aren't quite like, you know, this. Also the character relationships not being completely awful is not a recommendation of the show by any means, if you have any reservations at all about the sex aspect it's absolutely not worth it.

Final verdict is that I could find exactly one sex joke that was kind of funny.

So I don't know, If you're into bdsm and want to see yuri that's not just chastely holding hands then maybe this is your show, but in general I'd recommend anyone else to steer clear. I hear this was popular with its target audience so a season 2 will probably happen, but I'm pretty sure I won't be checking that one out.

[truefrostedagony]

Tell me more about Chia

okay so Chia

Personality wise she's kinda completely flat (less of a flat character she absolutely chqnges a lot) and lacks a lot of what we like to call happiness (lmao), she's generally snarky and seem to be unfond of people, he's not really trusting of people (but honestly based on his plot its proabably not to blame) and usually likes to hide in corners because people are scary, and Chia does not like people.

She was originally a lot happier, albeit in the past she basically spent half of her time rotting in her bed, texting her best friend and watching Lps Popular because that's what you do when you're a girlboy who hides in your room most of them,but still he had a lot of energy, personality wise, also obsessed with bugs, he loves bug, knows every single one of them and will not shut up about them, until it disappoints you in which she will crawl to the corner with guilt. She's a little sensitive, okay maybe a lot sensitive she abandoned one of her few other friends because of her family origins (Hi @citrusfruitbat thanks for the doomed yuri). She has many issues this is one of them he has the world's worst Black and white thinking.

Other things include the fact that he is a bottle of emotions, none of those ever come out.

Theres a lot about her she's a thingy called a zodiac (important people) however she personally doesn't like it but it gives him ghost friends so that's fun, (Girlie you're underutilizing your sun zodiac), he does rollerskating and art and can also Bend like a straw, does it to scare the hell out of her brother, Ethan (Owned by @citrusfruitbat) before realising he takes it super poorly.

The scar is due to some unfun things, very unfun things.

She also drinks Black coffee like its nothing. It's silly.

I love him he's my guy, he also kills a man but he deserved it he was a Monarch <3

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Girls Generation / SNSD (Part ONE)

Girls’ Generation debuted in 2007, with nine members: Taeyeon, Seohyun, Yoona, Yuri, Tiffany, Jessica (who left in 2014), Sunny, Sooyoung, and Hyoyeon, and soon became one of the most popular groups of the 2nd generation of k-pop with their catchy retro songs and down-to-earth image. Also, I’ll be using the names Girls Generation and SNSD (Sonoshidae, their Korean name) interchangeably through this.

Here are my credentials: So, I’m absolutely a fan of Girls’ Generation, although I’m in that weird space where I’m more than a casual one yet not quite a SONE (a full fan), but just like with Sunmi, I have a feeling that this deep dive will make me one. I’ve heard almost all of their title tracks, and a decent amount of b-sides, but since they have over 100 songs, I’m sure I’ll find some new ones to love too. I’m also a fan of both Taeyeon and Tiffany’s solo careers.

Their 2007 debut was Into The New World, and I honestly do not know what to say about this song. It was the reason I wanted to do this review in the first place, because in my opinion, it’s the best k-pop song of all time, and I’m not even a SONE. It’s upbeat and ultra-poppy, cheesy as hell, wonderfully hopeful, and has an instantly recognizable, soaring chorus that I can sing from memory (although not as well). I’ve probably seen this MV dozens of times, but I still chuckle at the dance break and can’t stop smiling at the take-off in the last bridge and how young they are, just barely older than I was when I became a k-pop fan. In the years after Into The New World was released, it’s become an important protest song in Korea, and to many now—myself included—it’s more than just what it was meant to be.

Full warning: there is no way that I could view any song fairly after this strong a debut, but I do really like the song Girls Generation, and actually didn’t know that this was a cover until this deep dive, since I can only associate it with them. It’s very bubblegum from its first moment, heavier on the aegyo than its counterpart, but the song’s slower pre-chorus, SNSD’s great voices, and that smash of a chorus manage to prevent the cutesiness from being overwhelming.

From the 1st album, simply entitled Girls Generation, I enjoyed the springy, vintage (somewhat Christmasy?) vibes of Ooh La La, the lovely harmonizing in Complete and Tinkerbell, the elegant classical flourishes in the background of Kissing You, and the guitar and excellent vocals in Honey. Overall this album feels incredibly 2nd gen, and gave me waves of nostalgia.

Gee is probably one of Girls’ Generation’s most well-known songs, and it’s easy to see why. With simple but fun choreography, and a chorus that constantly walks the tightrope of being incessantly catchy and just a little grating, it’s a total earworm. It takes a lot to make me enjoy such a cutesy song, but I think it was the combination of nostalgia and humor or maybe just how much I wanted to dance, and enjoy this one I did. As an aside, I’d forgotten that Minho from SHINee makes a cameo in this video, so that was a nice surprise.

From the EP, Gee, I had two main hidden gems. Way To Go is very much the kind of inspiring, upbeat bubblegum that I love, and also feels very nostalgic. Dear Mom, as I expected, is more of a ballad, and reminds me a little of Chung Ha’s Goodnight My Princess, with a sweet, heartfelt message to the girls’ mothers that made me text mine and ask how she’s doing. (Love you, Mom!)

Genie (or in Korean, “Tell Me Your Wish”) is a song that I thought was released later into their careers, with the slightly more mature image it uses. While still very bubblegum, it’s more polished, with a 70’s / 80’s synth background that began SNSD’s long run of retro-inspired singles. This isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, probably because in the years since it’s come out so, so, so many more k-pop songs have used the same style and thus it doesn’t sound as unique as some of their other tracks. I do still like it though.

From the EP, Genie, I had a good time dancing to the electronic beats of Etude, and the hrd-hitting synths of Boyfriend. One Year Later is a collaboration between Jessica and Onew from SHINee, so I was drawn to it right away; it chooses an understated coffee-shop feel that eventually blossoms into a strong ballad that really suits the warmth of their voices, and serves as a great album closer.

Oh! goes back on the somewhat more mature image that Genie established, going for a cheerleader concept, but sticks with the retro pop, this time pulling from a much more 80’s video game synth. It’s very much emblematic of the era it’s from with the nearly cloying aegyo, but unlike with Gee, most of that is in the MV and less so in the song. I like this one too, more than Gee, but I don’t find myself repeating it that much; I think it needs more of a bridge.

Run Devil Run is the second single from this album, and was highly unusual for the time since “cutesy” girl groups did not do this kind of hard-hitting synth. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very much a pop song, but today it would be considered “girl crush”, like TWICE’s later-career pivot with Fancy and I Can’t Stop Me. I was worried the first time I heard this one that it would have an anti-drop, but thankfully the vocalizing in the second half of the chorus assuaged my worries. I actually showed this song to a friend of mine who enjoyed it so much that she bought it! And now “you better run, run, run, run” is stuck in my head for the foreseeable future, which I suppose is my own fault, isn’t it?

From the repackage album, Run Devil Run, I had a lot to choose from as a hidden gem. I enjoyed the choppy hook of Echo, the runway-ready confidence in Show! Show! Show!, the full-speed-ahead chiptune in Stick Wit’ U, and of course Key from SHINee’s feature in the youthful Boys & Girls.

Hoot is next up, and besides Into The New World, is my favorite so far. For some reason, it’s not talked about much as one of SNSD’s best singles, which always boggles my mind, because it’s just so delightful. I mean, it’s a spoof of classic spy movies with a percussive 60’s retro beat and such good clothes! That vocalizing under the last chorus gets me singing along every time. I even had a poster of it on my wall in high school, and it was the first k-pop choreography that I learned (albeit, very badly; I looked like a dying chicken). My only gripe is that I have no idea why this song is called Hoot and not Shoot or Trouble, which both would’ve been better names, but I digress. From the EP, my hidden gem was the jazzy, ballroom dance inspired Snowy Wish.

The Boys, admittedly, is one of those songs that I appreciate more than I actually like. I respect that it’s a classic and an important moment for k-pop, but as one reviewer said, “it feels more like a spectacle than a song, but what a spectacle it is.” Though it’s very catchy and I do hum along whenever it comes up on my shuffle, I’ve just never been a fan of anti-drop choruses, and even when they’re done well (like here or in many BTS songs), I always find myself thinking how much more I would like the song if it was changed. It feels more like a 2NE1 song than an SNSD one, though they sell it pretty well and their vocals make it at least twice as enjoyable.

From the album, The Boys, I enjoyed the dancefloor beats of Telepathy, the interesting distortion and slowdowns in Trick, the roller disco of Vitamin, the classical flourishes in My J, and especially the jazzy super-spy influence in Top Secret, which was my hidden gem and feels like a natural successor to Hoot. I also enjoyed Mr. Taxi’s Korean version, but we’ll discuss that later.

I Got A Boy, like The Boys, is a song that I appreciate more than actually enjoy. Also like The Boys, it’s a song that popularized what’s now not uncommon in k-pop: the trend of songs that are a hodge-podge of genres and tempos, and admittedly, pulls it off. I’m not the biggest fan of the hip-hop segments, but the 1st chorus, the bridge, and the hook of “here comes trouble” are pretty great. I find myself caught off guard by the breakdown and switch up every time, even though I know it’s coming, which I know is the point, but it gives me a bit of whiplash, truth be told. This is more a me thing than an issue with the song, though, because it achieves exactly what it sets out to do.

From the album, though I liked both the choppiness of Talk Talk’s chorus and the guitar breakdown in Express 999, my hidden gem was absolutely the super catchy Dancing Queen. Though it’s named after the ABBA song, its very specific instrumental really reminds me of The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.

Mr. Mr. is one of those songs that arrives, like many of SNSD’s best tracks, with a “let’s go!” and wastes no time going into its excellent chorus. It pulls from bonafide disco, and feels like the best combination between a ballroom dance in its slower moments and a club hit in its faster ones. Its bridge and last chorus’ high note is, and I don’t say this lightly, perfection, and I can never resist replaying it at least once (or mouthing along). From the EP, my hidden gem was the pathos-driven Goodbye, though I’m sure it connected more with me since this was Jessica’s last release with SNSD, and I’m sad to hear her and her great vocals go. It’s hard to make a ballad engaging, but this is a catchy, somewhat bittersweet one, which is a personal weakness of mine.

We’re ending with Mr. Mr. for this week because as mentioned, Jessica didn’t renew her contract after the seven years were up, and thus this makes for a natural stopping point. Next time, we’ll be doing a boy group supplemental and part two of this Girls Generation deep dive. Tschüss!

[oloreandil]

20 Q's for Fic Writers

tagged by: @chameliyun, thank you so much <33

1 - How many works do you have on ao3?

131 works so far ! 97 of them are for haikyuu!! and i cannot wait to celebrate my 100 hq fics hehe

2 - What's your total ao3 word count?

323,624 words :0 i didn't think it'd be that much, i tend to write short things, i'm excited to have written so many words !!!

3 - What fandoms do you write for?

i have posted for haikyuu, death note, bnha, yuri on ice, free, breath of fire iv, and fairy tale for some unknown reason XD but i have unposted / unfinished fanfic for a bunch of other things like hunter x hunter or fma

4 - What are your top five fics by kudos?

chat me up has always been my most popular fic and tbh ? yeah i see why XD it is one of the most fun and chatfics were popular at the time. after that come ...or not, blue like the sky, silent trust and saw my momma dad cheese

5 - Do you respond to comments?

yes !! fandom is a community first and foremost for me, and posting is also a way to interact. comments are immensely lovely to get and answer !!

6 - What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ooh probably love me right ?? it's kinda the angstiest i've written... ever. but some nights is also. bad end. solely by virtue of being post apo and not very optimistic about it. i wanna rewrite it someday because i actually really liked that AU and it's not the best right now hmmm

7 - What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly hasetsu tour guides (which is a series but shhh) is the happiest thing i've written ?? it's not the most fun in terms of plot but everyone is content with their life in a way i've not really written a lot

8 - Do you get hate on fics?

nope, not well known enough XD and i'm not complaining about it

9 - Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i do ! i have no clue if there's a specific kind i stick to though, most of it isn't even posted or even written past heavy planning. trans cyborg smut is on its way though @notsuchasecret :3

10 - Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i have written or co-written a NUMBER of crossovers. most are not on ao3 yet (or... ever...) but i have posted death note x snow white and hxh x little red riding hood, so. however i do think that owari no seraph x the frog princess (the russian fairy tale) is the wildest one so far !

11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge, but that'd be kinda funny tbh ? imagine coming across your own obscure niche things in the wild. i'd almost be more disappointed it's not a new fic for my teeny fandom corner lmao

12 - What's the longest you've spent working on one fic? And the shortest?

the shortest would probably be a couple hours, for guardian of his king (written in a fugue state at like 3am, after Syb shared the drawing that inspired it. two of us fell in a trance btw, this was a POTENT artwork). the longest... i don't dare calculate... but it is measured in years and i haven't even started writing yet <3

13 - Have you ever co-written a fic before?

if you count detailed planning and extensive oral storytelling, many !! my best friend and i are very prolific behind the scenes, to her dismay XD. i thiiiiiink she is the only co-writer i have had ? but i LOVE doing group fics and i'd love to do it with other people

14 - What's your all-time favorite ship? From all fandoms?

"you ask questions i have no answers to" is what i was gonna say and then my brain went "well apart from bokuaka which has to be out of the competition-" so i may have an answer actually hahaha

15 - What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

oooh my god that naruto fountain of youth AU is never gonna be written. i have so so so much planned and i sift through and add more from time to time, but like... i pick my battles a little more wisely than this behemoth

16 - What are your writing strengths?

i'm not sure ! i do think writing dialogue is easier for me than most other things, and i love doing fun formatting / narrative constraints

17 - What are your writing weaknesses?

i forget to put down half of the words on the paper so my sentences make no sense and it's horrible to edit <- loves editing. doesn't love when i reread myself and every five sentences i have to think "who tf wrote this and what the hell does it mean. how do you go from here to there ??? oh wait i forgot a sentence again"

18 - Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

english isn't my first language. i write dialogue in another language 99% of the time. i don't think this question really takes into account the amount of ESL writers who are basically always doing this

to stay closer to what the question was meant to ask though, i have written sentences, in the middle of english fics, in languages that me or most readers don't speak. it is usually either a LONG process of looking up grammar rules, vocabulary, existing sentences etc... or what i did once, "write with mistakes because the person is learning the language still"

it is good imo to have characters speak their native tongue, or to add your own HCs onto characters and make them speak in their new native tongue, but it can be done more or less respectfully and more or less clearly. how do you include a translation, if at all ? is it jarring in the flow of your fic ? what about inserting song lyrics in another language ? it's a case by case basis for me tbh, and as a reference i really love how yuri on ice did it during the anime

19 - First fandom you wrote for?

i don't recall what i first wrote for exactly but i first posted for death note in 2015 :0 a while back !!

20 - Favourite fic you've written?

i don't have one at the moment, my criteria isn't defined enough these days. maybe some will jump out more later as they did in the past but for now i can say i love most of my children equally lmao

it took me a while to answer, sorry, and i'm too tired to tag anyone but DO feel free to say i tagged you if you wanna do it !!!!!!!

[bluejayblueskies]

9, 15, and 18 for the fic writer’s ask game :3

fanfic writer ask game!

9 - What’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written?

Oughh I'm so bad at remembering these things >.< I'm sure I have quite a few in my older fics, but I can't recall them, so here's a few from my more recent stuff!

from my upcoming big bang fic (cw: suicide):

John lets Arthur slit his own throat, and he says, “I’m so sorry, Arthur. I love you. I’m sorry.” It’s the first time John tells Arthur he loves him. Arthur is never going to remember it.

from whiskey, the entire sex scene in chapter eight! i think it's one of the best sex scenes i've written, and i'm still quite fond of how it affects everything that comes after it.

from cicatrix (i don't care that this fic isn't very popular because i love it and it's still one of my favorite malevolent AU concepts that i've explored):

Arthur's daemon had been a seahorse named Nimh, held in a sturdy glass container that Arthur kept secured to his chest. The water had soaked through Arthur’s shirt as the container shattered and the shape within it distorted and stretched, and he’d blacked out before he could finish witnessing the corruption of his soul. Now, his daemon is a black dog with bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth who goes by the name John. Arthur’s not sure what it means for him, that the physical manifestation of his soul has not only changed its shape but the entire fabric of its being. It’s not like there’s any precedent for it. What does one do when one’s soul has been replaced with that of an eldritch god beyond our comprehension? One simply … carries on, Arthur supposes.

15 - Are there words, phrases, mannerisms or scenes you tend to use a lot?

Answered here!

18 - Recommend someone else fic! (And tag them if they have a tumblr!)

i have two!

The Next Level | azriona | Yuri on Ice, Explicit, 370k words

The skating season continues (as skating seasons are wont to do), while Victor and Yuuri negotiate the shifts in their relationship, their careers, and their home rink. Sometimes, things even go as planned.

If you're even vaguely familiar with Yuri on Ice, go read this fic! It's season two in my heart, and I think it's truly my favorite Yuri on Ice fic.

Remora | zuzeca (@lyresnake) | Malevolent, Mature, 11k words

While traveling the Dreaming Oceans, Arthur acquires a strange passenger.

This is a delightful Malevolent AU with sea creature John and Arthur and some very fun worldbuilding! The prose is beautiful as well--I highly recommend it!

[yuribracket]

are you planning on doing any seeding for this bracket? the one youve posted just has the pairings based solely on series order and i'm worried it will lead to some strong contenders being eliminated very early due to difficult first round matchups (mostly talking about hikalala vs. akiyuka here. lol.)

So my problem here is I don't really know how I would go about gauging how popular each season/pairing is in a way that I could assign them values for seeding. Most popularity polls I can find are Japanese language so I don't know how that would map onto the primarily English-speaking tumblr fandom. I do know, for example, that kirapre is popular and hacha is unpopular, but if I were to swap those around I'd have to do more than just that and then I don't really know where I'd stop switching things up.

I also find the traditional seeding logic people apply to seeding for tumblr poll brackets somewhat unsound, since rather than a sports competition where a team could have an exceptionally good or bad day, it's just popularity and there's not really any way to keep everyone happy. While the first pairing on the bracket is one that follows the seeding logic of, going by popularity, a strong contender against a weaker one, I have a lot of sad Mai/Saki fans in my notes. Meanwhile given the enthusiasm I've seen for hikalala and the lack of enthusiasm for akiyuka in my original yuri bracket, I don't see either pairing winning that matchup as an impossibility.

And while I see where you're coming from with your second ask , I don't think excluding those big pairings is an option, especially considering how much pushback I saw when I excluded hikalala. I could see potentially replacing akiyuka with Himari/Aoi, but no such alternative exists for nagihono. I also don't feel able to switch them out for pairings from Smile and hugtto because, from what I can see, there aren't really any big ships from Smile, and because no one likes hugtto (no offense hugtto fans).

I do appreciate you giving your input, and I will continue to think on how seeding might be done. However in general I am just not too concerned about any of this because the bracket is for fun, for me and for voters, and its results are of no real consequence whatsoever. Perhaps my next project after the precure yuri bracket ends could be a B-tier yuri bracket, either for precure or in general. That way some high-quality but underappreciated ships could get their time in the spotlight...

[norcani]

3, 9 and 16 for the book ask?

answers under the cut

3. What were your top five books of the year? Oh man , I'm gonna only include novels in this, since I have a hard time ranking them along with short story collections or nonfiction.

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson I honestly am so afraid of when I will run out of novels by her. Each one has been a new fave and I wouldn't even be rank them amongst themselves. Hangasaman is a really weird book and I don't know that I understand the intentions behind it, but even so just on a sentence by sentence base it's so cleverly written. I'm surprised that this book hasn't risen to prominence again with the popularity of crazy women literature, but perhaps it's too vague and depressing? Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Another author I don't wish to be out of novels to read of! Although in this case she is allegedly still writing. I was not particularly looking forward to this one as I had watched the bbc miniseries long ago, and while I enjoyed it at the time it seemed a straightforward enough story that I didn't think the novel would add much beyond Sarah Waters' beautiful writing. Well apparently they completely changed the last third of the book which I had disliked in the series but now I read the book, the book version is my favorite bit by far! It ties everything up beautifully, and honestly Nan's arc just doesn't work without it. You can't cut the conclusion from a coming of age narrative! I imagine it was changed because of how political it is.

Also shoutout to nan for genuinely thinking she invented being a butch lesbian for most of the book. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Yes well I got converted.... You see enough about this on your dash I got nothing to say. Turning the Storm by Naomi Kritzer This duology is incredible and it's as if no one knows of it. This is the 2nd book in it, I read both this year but I liked the 2nd one better because the first one has a somwhat slow beginning. People will ask for revolutionary fantasy, fantasy with lesbian leads, fantasy with butch leads , but here it is! It's here! It exists! has since 2003 apparently! The way these books are unknown is insane to me. The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood Another duology, this one is more recent and more well known, but not enough really. I think a lot of people were turned off because the mc is an orc? I remember early reviews saying it was bad because there was no point of the mc being an orc. Well to this I say there is no point of being a book reviewer if that's your issue. She's cool, her gf is cool, getting possessed by malevolent gods is cool. I love the world in this and I hope the author will return to the setting even if the mcs story is completed.

9 Did you get into any new genres? I already answered before that I started reading more short fiction which was already a reach. I'm trying really hard to think of a 2nd answer. Oh, I read a biography, which I don't think I ever read before. It wasn't even a pop science-y one, more academic (the pdf I read had notes scribbled..) so I was surprised what an easy and fun read it was: Wu Zhao: China's Only Woman Emperor by N. Harry Rothschild, Peter N. Stearns By now I don't remember what inspired me to pick this up, but it was fun! I didn't read any other biographies afterwards though so probably not really getting into a new genre.

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year? I'm in Love with the Villainess by inori oh my god, I didn't even dislike this, it was fun enough and I did read the 3 volume main story. But I dunno what others have read because this was not worthy of all that praise l saw. I know it's a light novel but that's not an excuse, plenty light novels have decent writing, or failing that, writing that reads like a coherent narrative instead of a rough placeholder draft. And people who praise the trans rep in this are beyond me, like its nice trans characters exist at all in a yuri story (even though its convoluted magic trans stuff instead of a character just being trans but lets set that aside), but the way people talk over it youd think theyre actual characters with personalities, no the weird straight incest siblings get more lines than the trans character, come on.

I still enjoyed it, it was a fun turn your brain off kinda story, but nothing more. It likely will work better as an anime. The reactions TO the books though make no sense.

[icyviv]

Anime I watched in Winter 2023

I haven’t ever done anything like this before, but I figured “Why not?”. I enjoy writing. So, my thoughts on the anime I watched in Winter 2023!

Loooong Post Ahead!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel The Northern War

I will start with the show I was most excited for heading into the season. During 2022, I picked up the Cold Steel games, and was in the middle of III(3) when this was announced. Which was awesome, as this event (The Northern War) was heavily referenced, but never explored. So I went into the show quite optimistically. 

Unfortunately, while the first episode, and even the second were quite good, the show ended up falling quite flat, personally. And I think that was because of a few key problems.

First, the show was focused on characters created specifically for the show. A group of mercenaries. While they are characterized well, and feel fine, they are completely new. When this show came out, Cold Steel as a series had been finished for a number of years, so I get that trying to fit this in might be odd. But Cold Steel is focused on Class VII, or more specifically, Rean Schwarzer. While Rean is in the show, and we get cameos from other members of Class VII, it feels very forced. 

Second, the show did not know its audience. The Legend of Heroes is a moderately large series at this point, with currently 9 games available in English, with the 10th capstone game coming later this year. And that does not include the early series games that are not in the canon of the Trails series, as well as the sequel series that has had 2 games released in Japan. So, getting an anime at this point is kind of weird. Especially focused around an event that is not covered in the games. Which brings me to my point. Who was this show for? I should be sitting right in the target audience, but this show felt like it was trying too hard to be accessible for someone unfamiliar with the series. At the same time, it used the political intrigue the series does well, but the intrigue is very hard to follow without a background in the series. 

So, overall, this series was a pretty big miss. Which sucks, because I love the Trails games.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

This series was pretty high on the list as well. It is a yuri, and I tend to bias towards those greatly, but overall, I think it did very well.

It is an isekai, which have absolutely flooded the anime market, but that was expected given the popularity of the genre calling for a certain publisher in Japan to blanket ban future submissions in the genre. Which is hilarious and sad, really.

Back to MagiRevo. The pacing and flow of the series does very well, balancing high action with the political intrigue of running a country. Especially given that the political intrigue is the A plot, regardless of how much Anis tries to avoid it.

I would totally recommend this one, mostly because its really nice to see a show where love wins sometimes. And I don’t mean that in a specifically yuri way. Or maybe I do.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World

Honestly? Honestly? Isekai trash without the Isekai. 

Main character OP as fuck? Check.

Bunch of girls randomly in love with him? Check.

School setting? Not technically necessary, but check.

Really buff dudes and a solid brotherly bond? Che… wait a second…

This show surprised me, if only a little bit. Definitely not enough to redeem it. But still. 

The main character actually makes a male friend! And they bond over being buff as hell! And join a club full of really buff dudes! I appreciate the attempt at fan service in the other direction, even if it fell a bit flat. But the male friendship was a nice touch. I just wish it had explored it a bit better.

So, overall, meh.

Tomo-chan is a Girl!

Wow, this show was fun. The dynamic between the two main characters for this romantic comedy was delightful. This show could have very easily devolved into something misogynistic, but I think it walked that line very well. Some will definitely disagree, but this is the internet, so whatever.

Jun’s struggle is shown super well. His issue is not with Tomo being stronger with him. His issue is not with Tomo being a girl. His issue is with what a relationship with her would mean, and how that would change them together. Which is actually a super interesting way to address what a relationship of “boyfriend-girlfriend” is. His entire struggle boils down to “if I date Tomo, will we still get to compete?” The idea of an irregular relationship like that seems impossible to him. But, eventually, he figures it out. Which is great. Good for them.

A fun romantic comedy. Totally worth watching.

Onichan wa Oshimai (Onimai: I am now your sister)

I personally really liked this one. A lot of people will have issues with this show. For that reason, I can’t recommend it for someone who looks for issues in media. Cause it has more than a few.

Obviously, the show is filled with Transgender themes and experiences. Specifically, the villainization of trans women in “female spaces”. 

Trans girls, you will probably like this show. TERFs, fuck off.

Trigun Stampede

Oooo, this one is spicy. 

Hot Take, fantastic show.

Hotter take, the 3DCG was really good and I think made the show better then it would have been in 2D.

I read somewhere that the director said the this was “not a reboot, not a retelling, merely another Trigun story of two brothers.” (I am really paraphrasing). And I think that really helps with the show. 

As someone who has not sat through the original Trigun, I went into this show only vaguely knowing who Vash the Stampede was. Yellow hair, red coat, gun. 

What this show did really well was the emotional storytelling of Vash. Throughout the first episode, I felt something… off about Vash. Which was weird to me, because I didn’t know the character. But throughout the rest of the show, you really begin to feel his sadness. This giant weight he carries. That his smile is so, so fragile. And I adore it. 

I loved it. Someone who dislikes 3DCG will hate it. Pretty straightforward.

The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague

Yes! Office romance and not high school romance! I will take it!

Also, a fun show. Typical slow burn romance. If you like that kind of thing, this should be right up your alley.

Sugar Apple Fairytale

A fantasy tale involving Fairies that are enslaved by humans. Has a large chunk of tsundere romance, and both characters involved are Tsun, so that is always fun. 

While the main plot is focused on the “Will they, won’t they”, I do think it makes a few good explorations into love in a slave society. When you hold someone’s life in your hands against their will, can you really expect them to love you?

A good time, and I will be watching part 2 in the summer.

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

More romance! High school this time, but that's okay.

I really liked this one. Immensely. It felt really nice. 

I think the main conflict of the series is focused on removing your preconceived notions of others and just talking to them. Which is great! In theory.

  Of course, things are never that easy. Even once you have talked about something hard, it doesn’t mean that the future will be any easier. Every tough conversation is tough for a reason, and there can be safety in silence. In just letting the status quo be. The status quo can be scary.

I mean, there is also the wish fulfillment of having a really cute girl cook food for you. Like, I can get why people might just assume its that and nothing deeper. 

But I don’t think those people have ever cooked something delicious for someone else. It is a truly wonderful feeling to see a boy’s face light up in joy at something yummy. 

A lovely romance. Totally worth a watch if you want something sweet.

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement

I… really don’t know how I finished this show. 

Its mediocre at best. The story is WEAK. The animation is basic. The characters are quite boring.

I think I just kept watching because I was hoping for the obvious to be addressed? And it wasn’t? 

The obvious is… When will the main character receive consequences for her brazen and kind of stupid actions? And the answer is… never?

Very bland and boring isekai.

I mean hell. They never even address why the fuck she fell off a cliff in the first place? Like, what? Moving on.

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire

Another mid Isekai that… wait… it’s not an isekai?

A fairly mid show following the genre that sprouted because of the above mentioned isekai ban. “Character already in a fantasy world gets reincarnated with op powers” An attempt was made at least. I guess.

Not ridiculously fanservicey. Definitely has a fair bit though. Some fun fights. Interesting world building that is probably explored much better in the source material (I hope). 

A miss. 

In/Spectre 2

I quite enjoyed this series when the first came out, so I was pleasantly surprised to see more of it. 

This Sherlockian series following mythological creatures of Japanese folklore is quite fun. If you like weird mysteries, I would recommend In/Spectre. Its a bit crass at times, though I believe that to be a choice by the author to offset the perceived upper class nature of the main character Kotoko. 

Worth a watch

Shows I did not finish (with one caveat)

The Misfit of Demon Academy: This show actually had its broadcast canceled due to “Covid Issues.” It will resume in June I believe, so I will finish it then.

The tale of outcasts: This show had some promise, and I quite enjoyed its first half. Very Ancient Magus Bride vibes. Unfortunately, I SUPER lost interest in the final arc. The introduced villain basically said “I am going to do bad things because I am bored.” Which is fine. Depending on the character. It did not do it for me.

The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World: I am surprised I made it as far as I did in this show. But overall more boring OP Isekai stuff without much variance.

And I think that does it! That covers the shows I watched in the 2023 Winter season, barring stuff that was not part of the season. This was fun, and I might do it again for spring! There are a few good shows I am looking forward to, like GWitch Part 2, Tonikawa Part 2, and Ancient Magus Bride Part 2. 

If you got this far, holy crap, thanks! Unless you are looking for a TL;DR.

TL;DR 

Anime good. World hard and cold. Titty soft and warm.

[kawachinoyuumi]

Winter season overview

Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (Tenten) -

This is it. This is exactly what I want from most yuri anime I have issues with the way the story early on and think it finishes too cleanly. But really enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd arcs. But in terms of being unapologetically gay this is everything I want. I wish every show could be this satisfying. The final episode just gets gayer and gayer as it goes on. Definitely interested in checking out the novels eventually.

Onii-chan wa Oshimai (Onimai) - I know this show has a lot of varied opinions on it but personally I enjoyed it a lot. Mahiro discovering their femininity and struggling inbetween their gender identity mixed in with silly slice of life comedy is very fun and its very well animated to boot. Just a pleasure to watch.

Bofuri S2 - Bofuri is back and just as good. Bofuri was never about the story to me. It is a show that entirely runs off the pleasant vibes. The low stakes and chill atmosphere of people just playing a janky mmo and a dumb girl protag that continues stumble into get more weird bullshit skills despite not really caring about being super strong. It’s just a very fun show and needs to be nothing more than that. I still haven’t seen the final 3 episodes because they got pushed back but will do that when they come out.

Benriya - This is a very good show and a very bad show at the same time. The comedy is very hit and miss but when the show wants to get serious it becomes competent and even has a few surprising twists. I still have problems with it like the isekai protag feels unneeded and the grandpa almost feels like the real protag of the series. But otherwise as the show went on I got sold on its general vibe and would watch a s2 if it ever came.

Buddy Daddies - I probably wouldn’t have bothered if this wasn’t popular and written by an eroge writer but I enjoyed my time with it. My initial impressions of the show obviously gave a big spy x family rip off feel but actually going through it made me realize it had its own identity. For one the kid felt like an actual child and was more focused on raising a child and the story more serious in tone. All in all it was okay for what it was going for. I feel it could have been much better and I think its writing for the few female characters are disappointing at best, offensive at worst. The mains pair’s arc was fine for what it was though.

Still planning on going through -

Otonari no Tenshi-sama  - Been interested in this in a while and episode 1 was fun so will probably go through the rest (or just read the novels)

The Legend of Heroes: Sen no Kiseki - Northern War  - If I wasn’t a kiseki fan i would 100% skip this but I will drag myself through this for the lore

[magodangretsus]

Mann, I'm thinking through the introduction of this more, and like, the sentencing of Yuri is such a mess because

Yuri has a catalogued list of all the crimes he's committed as Lunatic with names, dates, and notable destruction to private and public property, which he volunteers to the court during his deliberations.

Losing the head of the Justice Bureau makes it really awkward for the Justice Bureau to figure out how to charge him, especially with the Mayor and the police chief's approval ratings at an all time low. Who even has the authority to carry this out? The Justice Bureau has so much else on their plate with all these X victims having caused considerable crimes but under the influence of a NEXT who can't be tried because he was murdered. And if it gets out that Oroboros has people in all layers of government?? Who the hell can we trust with this case?? Yuri come back there's so much paperwork here

This is also extremely awkward because the Justice Bureau was overseeing hero activities and in addition to All These Contracts Being Redacted, uh, this will be the second guy in a row who was in overseeing hero activities and turned out to be a major criminal

So basically in the window where Yuri is hospitalized I think the powers that be are... Taking their time deliberating Yuri's charges. Because until he's officially charged, they have no obligation to make his identity as Lunatic known or to fire him from being head of the Justice Bureau. Yuri probably finds this frustrating and wants to step down, but they can't handle more changes in leadership then they already have, yes we know you killed a lot of people but uhhh who else is going to arrange for the knowledge transfer to fill your position?? Also it'd make Stern Bild feel a lot safer if they trust the head of the Justice Bureau during this period of re-processing every single NEXT from Abbas Prison and re-establishing the hero program. No seriously this city will burn down if the hero program loses its second overseer like this. Please. Please.

OKAY STILL THINKING and I think where this leads is, L. L. Audun is interrogated because he was actually lucid for most of the event, and his attitude (+ the extent Oroboros played in framing him, though now that I think of it, that is not guaranteed to get out and even if it does, it's probably being suppressed) causes popular outcry to re-try Audun. Yuri of course thinks he cannot under any circumstances preside over this trial, which is about a former major criminal murderer having some of his crimes forgiven after being seen in a more heroic light, and he tells the Justice Bureau this. They don't care, they're actually procrastinating Yuri's case until after this one to hopefully set a precedent which allows Yuri (and the Justice Bureau and Heroes by extension) to save face. Seeing this blatant conflict of interest, Yuri does the only thing he feels he can and publicly steps down as the leader of the justice bureau before the Audun case, citing his own conflict of interest from the relationship between Audun and his father (he'd rather publicly admit to being Lunatic, but a lot of people really really really don't want him to do that.)

While this is all going on, Yuri is beside himself with frustration with his inability to atone through the proper legal process, and asking Tiger and Barnaby how they'd sentence him as heroes, what their "justice" says. Kotetsu says he could become a hero and fight alongside them again, make up for what he did by doing good now, and Yuri immediately points out that even if he got a new costume, everyone would recognize his flames immediately. Well, shucks...

Anyway, this is all fun to think about and means I don't need to make my main pairing a 10 year slow burn shdvvkgfjbcj also more scenes of Yuri doing way too much paperwork while in the hospital and Kotetsu fretting over him overworking himself (Barnaby in the back like "to think you'd even meddle like this with Lunatic...")

I have fanfiction ideas but I can't write them prose form, so I'm gonna write my idea in a tumblr draft so it will exist in some form even if I never get to actually writing it.

Follows from the last episode of Tiger and Bunny, can be either au or just decide that Yuri survives and is found.

Also it is clear to me that Kotetsu and Barnaby are married in all senses but (maybe) legal. And it's also obvious to me that some time during s2, Barnaby approached his husband about opening the relationship after reconnecting with Matias, which Kotetsu allowed.

And so this is when Kotetsu, having come around on that whole polyamory thing, perhaps considers pursuing a second partner as well.

So either this is an au where Yuri is talked down from burning himself alive and jumping, or he is found alive afterwards. Either way, Yuri is convinced to live (you realized it's wrong to kill people for being "bad", this includes yourself, also if you feel bad for doing bad things, you can make up for it by doing good things from now on, etc), and so decides to turn himself in and face justice for what he did as Lunatic.

Yuri is taken to the hospital, confesses while there, and eventually is sentenced to several years of prison and a good deal of mandatory therapy. During his hospital recovery which would preclude his sentence, Kotetsu and Barnaby, but especially the former, would pay him visits, which is a bit surprising but appreciated.

Yuri goes to prison, the heroes are reinstated and the NEXT returned to society, and Stern Bild gradually rebuilds after the destruction of the X outbreaks. Kotetsu, by popular demand once again, is allowed to continue working as a hero despite no longer being NEXT, and he along with the disabled Barnaby share their dream of inspiring weak and non-NEXT to see themselves as heroes too by being crowned Buddy Heroes. It's rough, but being used to only having access to their powers for 5 or 1 minute at a time before, it's surprisingly manageable. (Sorry Kaede, your dad still isn't coming home, but you sort of figured that already.)

Yuri hears about much of the above by Kotetsu, who is visiting him regularly in prison. This confuses Yuri, who is not entirely sure where they stand considering their former professional relationship and hero-villian rivalry. But Kotetsu has his reasons. One is to reassure Yuri that since losing his powers, even though he clings to his work as a hero, he isn't going to become like Mr. Legend. Another is to make sure Yuri is okay - he nearly killed himself before the prison sentence, and during his interrogations it became known that his mother was recently murdered, and that he's been suffering from psychotic visions for years. Kotetsu knows enough to understand him, even when they've disagreed with each other, and that means he cares enough to meddle (as Bunny would say).

So they talk, almost weekly, over the next several years. Kotetsu goes to the prison with Origami sometimes. And while Barnaby doesn't share the same impulse to get further involved with Lunatic, he can see where it's coming from, and is happy for Kotetsu when he talks about their regular chats, how their old director has started being less stiff around him and maybe even cracked a joke the other day.

Eventually, Yuri is released (with parole). For all the murders he committed, it feels soon, but he cooperated extensively during his sentencing and did help save the city.

Kotetsu is there when he's released. He invites him to drinks. Yuri accepts.

They go drinking, and mostly talk about what's next for Yuri. Yuri, guard lowered by alcohol and the many conversations they've had, thanks Kotetsu for being there for him all this time, and says he may not have believed in a future for himself without him, or had the strength to reach it. Kotetsu puts an arm around him, he cries, and Kotetsu offers to take him home because they're getting to be emotional and drunk messes.

Kotetsu wakes up in bed with Yuri. Shit.

Yuri wakes up hungover in bed with Kotetsu, who is panicking severely, because he is in a committed relationship with another man. Yuri takes stock and concludes that they did not have sex, but does remember making out pretty heavily before falling asleep in each other's arms. Knowing this was not intentional on Kotetsu's part, he offers to never speak of this again and pretend it never happened, an offer which Kotetsu eagerly and gratefully takes.

Kotetsu makes him fried rice for breakfast, says the fat helps with the hangover. It tastes very good. Kotetsu hands him his wrinkled shirt off the floor. Yuri feels some things and promptly ignores them. They part ways.

Kotetsu returns to work, and Barnaby asks how Yuri's release went, and Kotetsu does the dumb thing where he gets extremely nervous and suspiciously stammers a vague answer. He is sort of hoping that because they agreed never to speak of it again, that also means he doesn't have to tell his boyfriend about drunkenly cheating on him, because that is scary. (Barnaby is also in a relationship with Matias, but Barnaby asked for Kotetsu's permission before pursuing a relationship with him, and Kotetsu has not done that because he didn't think he was attracted to Yuri.)

Kotetsu assumes what happened there only happened because of the alcohol and heightened emotions, and Yuri is so cold and serious, surely when we're both sober, there won't be any kind of mood or opening for something like that to happen again!! Right!! If I just see him again, the atmosphere will be so different and I'll stop thinking about this!! He probably already has anyway!!

The problem is - Kotetsu is still thinking about it. And, he knows he prioritizes his relationship with Barnaby, but he still cares about Yuri, and still wants to be there for him as he reacclimates to life after prison, especially when he was such a public figure both in and out of his mask. There is still definitely some worrying about his mental health, even with the therapy seeming to go well recently. Kotetsu worries. He is Kotetsu.

(Re: worrying about his mental health and still caring about him, Yuri probably calls Kotetsu at least once after a Hero TV broadcast ends just to hear his voice, prove to himself that he's safe. Living with the voices of the dead and losing family suddenly both will make you worry about this.)

... It's normal, at first. Yuri is deadpanned and serious, but there's a humor to him now, one they formed over time; Kotetsu over-acts and Yuri plays the straight man, sometimes giving a sarcastic quip or a little smirk at his antics. Kotetsu can throw an arm around him and feel neither icy glare nor vengeful flame. But, uh, usually he doesn't glance away with a blush on his face. Uh oh. Uh. This silence is getting a little long. Oh no. Oh no, they're both thinking about it.

... Kotetsu tries to bring up Barnaby to assert how Normal things are. The atmosphere gets worse. This isn't good.

Kotetsu finally tells Barnaby about what happened the night Yuri was released. Barnaby is understandably not thrilled, but believes Kotetsu when he says he never anticipated or intended on that happening, and that nothing has happened since. But uh. So, Bunny, you know how you asked about opening our relationship..? I totally get it if you aren't comfortable with me doing it, especially considering what I just told you!!! But... Uhm...

Barnaby is a bit reserved, but ultimately decides that he can't possibly expect Kotetsu to be alright with his relationship with Matias if he can't be comfortable with Kotetsu seeing other people. With knowing consent. And it's been a few years since Matias was added to their relationship - they had some road bumps, Kotetsu was insecure at first (and didn't voice his discomfort because of said insecurity), but they've had many conversations since and both clearly know their rules about this kind of thing. So, okay. I know how much you care about him, and I know you're a stubborn old man so I doubt I could change your mind. Hmph. Love you too.

So, permission gained. Kotetsu no longer needs to feel guilty about these thoughts and memories that don't go away. Now the challenge is actually broaching the subject with Yuri.

Soooo, Yuri, want to get drinks again someti- oh, you're busy? Okay, well, when are you next free? ... You're not sure? Well, I mean - you're taking breaks, right? I know you overwork yourself! That's a bad habit to fall back into, I know things must be pretty overwhelming right now; I know, let me help you!! I insist!!

He forces his way in. Yuri is tense, and light small talk isn't lightening the mood at all. Yuri has already caught on that Kotetsu has something he needs to say to him, his guard is up for whatever it is. Kotetsu is so bad at hard, adult conversations. But. Soo, Yuri... Uh. Oh, how's Bunny? He's good! He and Matias! The three of us have been going out more as a trio, actually, and I still feel a little awkward being so much older than the two of them, but Matias is a nice guy, and we're kind of figuring out a dynamic! Not like, a romantic one, but - ohh the atmosphere in here feels like it's getting very cold very fast. He's not looking at me.

Ahem. Speaking of that. I, uh, I talked to Bunny. About the other night. When we went drinking. He wasn't thrilled, obviously, but, uh... Well, we do have an open relationship, so, uh... I, uh... If you'd... Y-yeah, I am suggesting that, if you wanted to, we could also... Yeah, yeah he's okay with it. Uh. No, I, don't think you'd have to go on double dates with the three of us. Like, they probably wouldn't mind? Bunny likes you by now! No you don't have to. But uh. Does that mean you....?

Kotetsu and Yuri get together. The relationship progress is very slow, which Kotetsu is able to be patient for because he still has Barnaby. Kotetsu doesn't know how much it'd be weird to talk to Barnaby about it, but he shares some of his worries with Matias, who has some insight about being introduced into a really strong, established relationship as someone on much unsteadier ground. Kotetsu dotes incessantly on his new boyfriend to try to reassure him, and Yuri insists he's not insecure, just unused to... Expressing himself. Not comfortable with it yet. But... Appreciates Kotetsu's patience, and, does love him, even if he's still learning to show it.

Things continue, and Barnaby gradually settles on curiosity. It's just... Hard to imagine the Director interacting comfortably with anyone, let alone someone as loud and brash as Kotetsu.

The first time he sees them interact, Yuri is just frozen. Awkward. How do I act around The Husband. I'm still getting used to flirting in general, how do I do it in front of other people, especially this person??

Barnaby: The old man isn't giving you a hard time, right?

Yuri: ... I think we communicate fine.

Barnaby: ....

Yuri: ....

Barnaby: Well, if you do ever have any trouble, you can come to me. I have some tricks for handling him.

Yuri: Thank you, Barnaby.

Barnaby: .....

Barnaby: I hope you know you two have my support. And I'm glad you seem to be doing well.

Yuri: Thank you, Barnaby. And it would not have come to this if I was not aware of your consent.

Barnaby will later complain to Matias at how painfully awkward it was. He'd started to feel bad for the guy. Kotetsu got worried about the atmosphere and kissed Yuri in front of him to try to reassure him it was okay, and it only made him more stiff. Kotetsu is an idiot. (No, Matias, they don't seem bad for each other, I think Kotetsu will be okay, it's just... That man. He's just like this. But I suppose opposites attract?)

And that is my fic idea, oh no it's past 1am

EDIT: More scenes

Also after they get together, Kotetsu is like "do you want to meet my kid?" and Yuri, who has several varieties of parent related trauma, and is also a known murderer, is like "uhh are you sure you want to do that?" and Kotetsu does because he wants to introduce the people he loves to each other.

Except, uh, as we've covered, Kotetsu is bad at having Important Adult Conversations. And the whole "explaining polyamory to my 13 year old" thing seemed... Listen, when Barnaby first got together with Matias, Kotetsu sort of felt like he was being traded in for someone younger and smarter. That obviously was never the case, and he's gotten past that, but he wonders if Kaede will worry that Barnaby doesn't like him anymore and he's just living in denial. So he never told her about Matias.

But now he wants to tell Kaede about Yuri, which means explaining polyamory and that Bunny is okay with it (she knows he and Barnaby are together), and the best way he can explain that is that Barnaby was the one who taught him about polyamory in the first place. Which means he's going to be throwing a lot at her at once.

Kaede is initially overwhelmed, but this is still less shocking than her dad dating her celebrity crush, she can handle anything at this point. Yes dad I'll meet your second boyfriend.

And then Yuri is on a video call with her, or meeting her in person, and he doesn't consider himself very good with kids but... Kaede, I love your father and I believe he's a good man. But my father was once a good man before he started losing his powers. If anything ever happens, know that I will defend you.

Kotetsu: ... I don't know whether to feel touched or threatened...

Kotetsu: I mean, I already lost my powers and I'm still a good man, right?? Right??

Yuri: You are, or I would not be here.

Kotetsu: Right!!!

Kotetsu: Ohhh Kaede, also be careful touching him because he's a NEXT and his power is very dangerous!

Yuri: ....

Okay NOW I'm done with my extremely ambitious fic outline I may or may not write one day (after I do quite a bit of research into how parole works).