#I'M ON EPISODE 32 AS I POST THIS

[hyakunana]

BREAKING NEWS: The most miserable man that ever stepped in DPG is winning and about to make everyone as miserable while looking good at it

[honeyspeeches]

This is a long post, I'm so sorry. Something I’ve always struggled to wrap my head around is Voltron’s timeline — especially the widespread fan assumption that Keith spent a year in the desert. As far as I can tell, there’s zero canon support for that.

For example:

We know from Sam Holt that it takes two months to reach Kerberos. In Pidge’s flashback, the mission is officially declared a failure five months after launch. That implies the crew was kidnapped at the three-month mark, and the rescue team didn’t find them on arrival.

Let’s assume the Kerberos mission launched around April or May — Pidge is still 14 and in middle school, which supports a mid-year start. That puts the crew’s disappearance around August, with the mission declared a failure around September or October (which is also… peak Keith angst season, if it was October).

Now, Keith is impulsive, sure — but he’s not an idiot. He wouldn’t immediately drop out of the Garrison the second Shiro disappeared. If anything, he’d double down, knowing the Garrison was his best shot at figuring out what happened. It’s likely he held on at least until Shiro’s birthday or the end of the school year before he was either expelled or quit.

Canon says Shiro was held captive for about a year, which would mean he crash-lands back on Earth in July or August of the following year, at the beginning of the month. That lines up with the calendar we see in Keith’s shack.

And based on the U.S. school year (especially in Arizona — which the show seems to suggest based on the Blue Lion’s map trajectory and desert geography), the academic year starts in early August. Also, it wouldn’t make sense for Lance to be promoted mid-year. He’d logically start the Fighter Pilot course at the beginning of the school year. Another key detail that supports this timeline is Iverson’s dig at Lance in the very first episode — comparing him to Keith and saying, “You’re only here because the best pilot dropped out.” That line only lands if Keith’s absence is still fresh. If Lance had held the Fighter Pilot position for a full year, proving himself day in and day out, Iverson’s insult wouldn’t carry the same sting — because clearly, Lance would have earned his place by then, and Iverson's dig would fall flat. The fact that it hits so hard suggests the promotion is still new, the wound is still raw, and Lance is still trying to prove he deserves the spot.

Also, Pidge not recognising Keith further supports this timeline. If she started or transferred into the Garrison at the beginning of the new academic year, it makes total sense that she wouldn’t know who Keith is, especially since he’d already been expelled by then. These small character beats only make sense if we assume the simulation takes place at the start of a new term.

So basically: if we line everything up — the Kerberos launch, Shiro’s disappearance and return, the academic calendar, and Lance’s promotion — the evidence points to the opening simulation in Episode 1 being the first time the Garrison Trio works together. Lance and Hunk are clearly trying to bond with Pidge, which makes sense if they just met her. And the timeline doesn’t leave room for Keith to have been out in the desert for an entire year — more like a few months, max.

What are your thoughts?

hmmm that's very interesting... I'm gonna be honest and say I've never really thought about it before, but reading this made me very curious so I tried to find everything you're talking about here.

How long did Keith live in the shack for?

First,

We know from Sam Holt that it takes two months to reach Kerberos.

Well... Pidge says this in Episode 1:

[Season 1, Episode 1: The Rise of Voltron, 21:32]

and Sam says this in Pidge's flashback:

[Season 1, Episode 5: Tears of the Balmera, 03:20]

What I find curious though is that what Sam says implies that they will be eating peas for only two months, kind of implying that they'll be back to Earth after that and eat other stuff. Either that, or there is other food on Kerberos, but I don't know. Anyway, yes you're correct.

Next,

In Pidge’s flashback, the mission is officially declared a failure five months after launch.

[Season 1, Episode 5: Tears of the Balmera, 03:51]

Yup.

That implies the crew was kidnapped at the three-month mark

Well, to be fair, we don't know how long they were on Kerberos for when they were kidnapped. They could have just arrived or they could have been there for longer (not more than five months though). But alright, let's assume that they were kidnapped 3 months after launch.

and the rescue team didn’t find them on arrival.

Well, based on what Lance says here:

[Season 1, Episode 1: The Rise of Voltron, 02:17]

and what Pidge says here:

[Season 1, Episode 5: Tears of the Balmera, 04:21]

I don't think they actually sent a rescue mission, but rather declared them dead when their probes couldn't find anything. Lance's class training in the simulator for a rescue mission on Kerberos makes me think that they never sent a team, but rather trained the next generation to do it. They were going to send one eventually I think.

Canon says Shiro was held captive for about a year, which would mean he crash-lands back on Earth in July or August of the following year, at the beginning of the month. That lines up with the calendar we see in Keith’s shack.

[Season 1, Episode 1: The Rise of Voltron, 13:02]

Yup.

Also, it wouldn’t make sense for Lance to be promoted mid-year. He’d logically start the Fighter Pilot course at the beginning of the school year.

Yeah, I think you're right about that, because it also makes sense with what Pidge says here:

[Season 1, Episode 5: Tears of the Balmera, 09:49]

Let’s assume the Kerberos mission launched around April or May — Pidge is still 14 and in middle school, which supports a mid-year start. That puts the crew’s disappearance around August, with the mission declared a failure around September or October (which is also… peak Keith angst season, if it was October).

At first I thought it might have been a bit earlier than that, but yes, if Pidge, Lance and Hunk's training in the simulator is supposed to take place one year after their kidnapping not the declaration of failure, that would make sense.

Now, Keith is impulsive, sure — but he’s not an idiot. He wouldn’t immediately drop out of the Garrison the second Shiro disappeared. If anything, he’d double down, knowing the Garrison was his best shot at figuring out what happened. It’s likely he held on at least until Shiro’s birthday or the end of the school year before he was either expelled or quit.

I'm very sure Keith did not quit, because it is heavily implied that he was expelled due to "disciplinary issues" when Iverson says this:

[Season 1, Episode 1: The Rise of Voltron, 04:58]

and thanks to the flashbacks in season 7, we know that Keith is likely to start fights, because he starts a fight after they call him a "discipline case", implying that his discipline issue is mostly his temper:

[Season 7, Episode 1: A Little Adventure, 03:26]

[Season 7, Episode 1: A Little Adventure, 10:54]

Keith himself also says he was "booted" which means thrown out, and not "left" or anything like that:

[Season 1, Episode 1: The Rise of Voltron, 13:09]

So, Keith was most likely expelled due to a fight. Whether that was with Iverson or with some kid who was talking shit, I can't say, cause we never saw it. It's also likely he had a large disagreement with Iverson and he was told to leave the Garrison. But again, idk, cause we never get this clarified.

But yes, it is very likely that this didn't happen immediately. I can't say for how long though. Until they declared it after the kidnapping, it's already less than a year (3 months if we take your assumption), so max. if Keith was expelled immediately after they announced it, he would have only lived in the shack for 9 months. I do think it's more like mid-school-year though, since then Lance would have time to apply for the Fighter Pilot position and basically work his way up, but this is a bit unclear.

If Lance had held the Fighter Pilot position for a full year, proving himself day in and day out, Iverson’s insult wouldn’t carry the same sting — because clearly, Lance would have earned his place by then, and Iverson's dig would fall flat. The fact that it hits so hard suggests the promotion is still new, the wound is still raw, and Lance is still trying to prove he deserves the spot.

yes I agree.

Also, Pidge not recognising Keith further supports this timeline. If she started or transferred into the Garrison at the beginning of the new academic year, it makes total sense that she wouldn’t know who Keith is, especially since he’d already been expelled by then.

Keith definitely was expelled by the time Pidge starts at the Garrison.

All in all, your logic is solid, and so is your evidence! Keith most likely only spent a few months at the shack after being booted from the Garrison, not a whole year! I think the reason people say it's a year, is that the show tells us a year has passed since Shiro's kidnapping, and it's sort of the only time-frame we have. But yeah, this was fun!

[mariusrenathyrs-crashout]

#going back to my 'marius' vampirism is a metaphor for the lasting trauma of sexual abuse' idea#marius is my roman empire

So I did a funny joke post about Marius and this was one of the tags left on it and I'm so sorry prev but you've activated my trap card because I've thought so much about this topic, but have felt too afraid to talk about it unprompted lol. But I am going to spew my guts about how I feel about this symbolism so cw for talks about SA and victim blaming. Cause I have for sure thought about this a lot and gotten sort of heated about jokes about Marius just being a dumb horny knight when he's a whole ass victim of significant trauma.

(tag credit goes to @royhasissues, hope it's ok to post your tags)

So, I loove Marius and one of the main reasons for that is his relationship to trauma and what that both symbolizes for his character as well as how it determines his actions and emotional stability as of episode 32.

Marius Renathyr was someone who thrived off of structure, order and discipline. He was clearly a highly religious man and had followed his religious and orderly tenants to the letter for most of his life. A young Marius was focused on things like war, helping to defend his people and more specifically, protecting his king and best friend from forces that wished for their ruin. As such, I cannot imagine a young Marius really had any type of experience with relationships aside from platonic and brotherly relationships he had built with fellow knights or Victor. So already we have a young inexperienced knight going off on a quest where not only is he leaving the shelter of his kingdom for the first time, he's also on a time limit in which his success or failure could determine the future of an entire kingdom of people.

Then, vulnerable and half starved, he stumbles upon the Duchess who not only takes advantage of his physically weakened state; but also takes advantage of his emotional and mentally weakened state. Lilith as a temptress of course could tempt a young knight, and then to curse him with vampirism after tricking him into sleeping with her is back to back traumatic events - the vamprism something that could be interpreted as a punishment for failing his tenant of chastity. Something that I found interesting too is not only is his kingdom's symbol a rose, but it also is the same symbol as The Duchess - it brings to mind the idea of "deflowering" as a symbol of lost innocence.

From there, he has fought against his vampiric instincts which he viewed as a curse and a punishment for his weakness when in reality, it was not weakness at all. And the way some people react in a sort of joking or unserious way to his attitude towards sleeping with someone, his concerns of being trapped in a power scale imbalance with a strong and powerful woman also shows how his character reflects victim blaming both from others but also internalized victim blaming. It is why I think the scene of his friends trying to convince him to sleep with the Inquisitor only for Yorgrim to shut it down and back Marius up is such a powerful scene because it showed how some of his friends did not understand the level of trauma he had experienced despite how he bares literal physical reminders of the trauma he had experienced decades prior and how it still weighs so heavily on him.

Not to mention how Marius' bloodlust and how his aversion to getting too close to people - particularly Lethica who he shows clear romantic feelings for - is also symbolic of his trauma reactions. He is unable to allow himself that sort of closeness or intimacy with another person, even if there is no sexual motivation or undertones about their interactions, it's still a fear response of wishing to avoid any possibility of being harmed once again or lashing out due to that trauma.

And mind you, this is all worsening for him around the same time he comes to realize he's lost his connection to his God, his king and best friend he went on this quest for is dead, 2 of his closest friends are also dead, and many other awful horrors have befallen him and his group, it makes sense why his emotional and mental stability have started crumbling so drastically. And then, when he is at his lowest, who swoops in to whisper false promises and telling him he can be strong once more, protected once more, that this all can be worth it if he just listens to her? The one being who gave him this trauma in the first place. She swoops in and talks to him tenderly, who caresses him and tells him it'll be ok, that he can be what he was once more, that she will help him if only he listens to her and stays with her and loves her and nobody else. Nobody else. There's a lack of clarity, a lack of stability, of rational thought. Marius entrusts himself to her now because it's hard escaping from your abuser when they act like they're your protector instead.

[karaaaak]

Omg I’ve been dying to post about this episode omg. I actually originally made this post when it first went up as fast pass but I took it down and just decided to wait until the ep came out for free! Anyway! Here are my fun facts about ep 126!

As much as I wish it did, from what I can find the last name Sterling doesn't mean much as a last name

BUT! Egeaus is infact a character from an Edgar Allan Poe story. Infact, it's from the story Bernice!

I'll spare you the read and just give you the summary directly from Wikipedia

"The story is narrated by Egaeus, who is preparing to marry his cousin Berenice. He tends to fall into periods of intense focus, during which he seems to separate himself from the outside world. Berenice begins to deteriorate from an unnamed disease until only her teeth remain healthy. Egaeus obsesses over them. When Berenice is buried, he continues to contemplate her teeth. One day, he awakens with an uneasy feeling from a trance-like state and hears screams. A servant reports that Berenice's grave has been disturbed, and she is still alive. Beside Egaeus is a shovel, a poem about "visiting the grave of my beloved", and a box containing 32 teeth."

Weird, I know, but we don't ask questions. I would go into detail about the whole thing with Bernice and the teeth but I think that's a post for another day. (If you do happen to make a post about that, please please tag me!)

Unfortunately I can't easily find a direct meaning for the name Egeaus but if someone find one, please do comment or tag me!

Moving on, Mr Sterling say "Harlem misses you, I'm sure" which means that Bernice and/or Egeaus live either in Upper Manhattan, New York or the Netherlands. I'm gonna go with Upper Manhattan, please do correct me it there is anything against that tho!

Lastly, form what I can find there is a handful of different symbolism's for donkey heads but from I could find or google the main ones include "In some traditions, it represents humility, peace, and servitude, while in others, it's associated with foolishness, stubbornness, or even anti-Semitism"

That all I have for now! Apologies if some parts didn't make a lot of sense, please do ask questions, give feedback, etc!!

(also you should totally look at my other posts!)

[hemi-demi]

Protocol day! I get to yap ❤️

Magnus Protocol Episode 32 spoilers below cut, as well as mild spoilers for my own fic "I am Here":

Ok, so this is just a personal kicking my feet giddy as shit moment for me, let me indulge.

I loved loved loved this episode. While I'm not 100% how this case fits into the narrative (aside from the parallels of someone identifying with a building as the same as how the custodian became one with the Hilltop Center) I'm clearly just a sucker for "buildings that hate you."

But like... y'all, I was trying not to cry. Just like look at this.

Transcripts from episode:

Y'ALL. I am so unwell. It's Martin Norris reading this statement. I got to hear him say the words, exactly how I heard them in my head. Like...I'm just beside myself. This was so lovely.

Snippet from my fic "I am Here":

I can't tell you how much I was just fucking vibrating listening to this episode. The statement was beautifully written and played with themes I clearly adore, AND I got to hear this. There's other lines that killed me, but I'm getting deeper into spoilers at that point, so I'll stop there.

Just, ough. I'm so happy. I'm curious what inspired this statement in particular, as well! I wouldn't be surprised if the game Control and the Oldest House was a part of it, considering it's overall inspirations to Protocol; with its brutalist architecture that actively attacks the player. Although the game Kitty Horrorshow's Anatomy was a big inspiration for my own fic, which I highly recommend folks play. One of my favorite gaming experiences.

Ok, other stuff this episode! I'll probably update my other post about this, but one of the last lines from Alice is further backing up my "Luke isn't human/is a doppelganger" theory. I'm curious to see how it goes.

Colin's flesh showing up randomly is fascinating, and reminds me of this line from TMA ep65 Binary

So this feels as if the body can't entirely integrate. Too fleshy. Maybe a part of Colin is fighting to sever himself from Freddy as he can never fully become one with it, or maybe it just can't digest him properly. The presence of teeth also reminded me of a teratoma tumor as well.

Ok, I think that's all the yapping I have in me. I loved this episode so much, for very personal reasons that probably only matter to me, but I'm allowed that dammit, lol.

[twig-tea]

2024 BL/GL/QL Round-Up Post

Since I did this last year, I thought for posterity I'd post another reflection on everything I watched that completed in 2024. For me, that means anything that started in 2023 but the last episode was in 2024 is on this list, but anything that was still be airing after 31 December 2024 11:59 my time (EST) is not on this list, even if the bulk of the show did air in 2024.

A few stats:

[The image is TL;DR for what follows lol]

I watched ~150 discrete pieces of new QL content in 2024 (series/films) that I tracked [It gets complicated with specials and split seasons but I did my best to be consistent]; plus 10 things that I would consider "adjacent". For contrast, I listed 110 pieces of discrete content in 2023; that's a 45% increase year over year!

This clocked in at an est. 900 hours of new BL/GL and adjacent content (up from ~600 in 2023--which also tells us that the content I tracked was a little longer overall because that's a full 50% increase in terms of hours spent).

The new content I watched came from 9 different countries [same as 2023]: (Cambodia [1], Philippines [2, down from 3], Hong Kong [1], Japan [32, up from 18 in 2023], Korea [20; was 19], Myanmar [2, up from 1], Taiwan [12, up from 6], Thailand [75; up from 56], Vietnam [4, down from 7]), China [5], and then 3 joint effort productions from Thailand/Korea [2] and Thailand/Taiwan [1]

This means just under ~47% of the content I watched on this list is from Thailand [close to the 50% in 2023]

So many more shows had multiple or varied distributions this year, but like last year ~85% of my content was on 3 platforms: YouTube [38%; down from 40%], GaGaOoLaLa [30%; up from 23%] and iQIYI [17%; down from 21%] Note: I'm in Canada and my access routes are sometimes affected by that.

As unbelievable as it sounds with all that, I did actually drop shows this year! I dropped 9 shows, which is I think more than I've dropped in my entire previous 20+ years watching queer asian media combined (that might be an exaggeration but I do really hate dropping shows); 4 Thai, 3 Filipino, 1 Taiwanese and 1 Japanese (listed at the very bottom of this post if you want to be messy). I didn't track any dropped shows in 2023.

And if you're wondering how many shows there are in the world in total, I am aware of an additional 11 shows I just did not have time to even start (2 from Cambodia, 4 from the Philippines, 3 from Thailand, and 1 each from Korea and Myanmar). That does not include the vertical short reels that I didn't track this year--see @ellsieee 's tracking post for these--as well as several GL shorts from JPC media YouTube channel and Sastra film app YouTube channel that I just have not had time to try or even keep track of, though I do peek in on them to see if there's anything that looks particularly good, and I do always link these folks in my GL round-ups.

All of this doesn't include re-watches or catching up on old shows, or non-QL queer media, or non-queer media (the hets sometimes do deserve rights); but does include films as well as shows.

I hope you all appreciate that with this much content, and with my general brand of being unable to make decisions, I really struggled to narrow down a top 10 list. What follows is the best I could do lol

Top 25 QLs I'd Recommend From This Year:

[Links are self-indulgently to what I thought was the most relevant post I'd made this year relevant to that series/media, mostly spoiler-free pitches]

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat S2 (Tsukutabe) [GL]

Love in the Big City

Love For Love's Sake

Tadaima Okaeri [anime]

Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka (Oppan)

Marahuyo Project

Knock Knock Boys

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo

Love is Like a Poison (Doku koi)

Ossan's Love Returns

Twilight out of Focus [anime]

At 25:00 in Akasaka

Cooking Crush

Cherry Magic [anime]

Cherry Magic Thailand

Takara no Vidro

Soul Sisters / Twin Rabbits [GL]

Perfect Propose

Unknown the series

Paradise of Thorns [film]

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days

The Secret of Us [GL]

Mr Mitsuya's Planned Feeding (Mitsuya-Sensei)

The Time of Fever

A Man Who Defies the World of BL S3

I tried to put these in some kind of order but honestly if you asked me to rank them the numbering would change all the time and I would combust. The ones I liked best are closer to the top of this list. I also debated back and forth on whether Paradise of Thorns counts as QL so many times. But in the end I decided the main character was queer and queer romance of a sort was at the heart of the drama, so I've left it in this list even though technically it should probably sit with the 'adjacent's.

Worth noting that though only ~20% of the content I watched was from Japan, ~45% of my favourites were from Japan.

+5 notable pulp offerings worth mentioning:

Bagan Beginning (Myanmar)

City of Stars (Thailand)

Gym Affairs (China)

To the Ex Who Hated Me (Korea, GL)

Under the Oak Tree (Vietnam)

I think I'll do a top 10 GL post separately since we had enough content to warrant a top 10 (yay!) but this is already long enough. I just want to take a second to acknowledge that this year was so much better than in 2023 when I didn't feel like I could recommend any of the new GL shows. Thank you content creators for better and more GL in 2024, please keep that energy for 2025!

Bonus: Not a QL but worth calling out:

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Thai film)

I saw both this and Paradise of Thorns in theatres during the Toronto International Film Festival and they were both so powerful! Extremely different tones but they surprisingly hit on similar themes, and very beautifully filmed. HTMMBGD was a complicated film filled with very rounded and complex characters, and I still think about it all the time. Very excited for more folks to have access to both of these soon.

Sidenote: The fact that I watched 45% more shows in 2024 than I did in 2023 and still managed to keep my rec list to 30 (*cough1cough*) does seem to back up the general feeling that though we had more content, we didn't have a proportional rise in good content. I do want to crunch those numbers in another post.

Double Plus Bonus: Best Older QL Content I watched for the first time in 2024:

Life as a Girl / Joshi-teki Seikatsu (Japan, 2018; I'm so sad I missed out on this one for so long due to misinfo, it is fantastic! Thanks to @so-much-yet-to-learn for helping propel me to this one)

Iron Ladies (Thailand, 2000; thank you for the rec, @happypotato48)

Nacchan's Secret / Himitsu no Nacchan (Japan, 2023; thank you @furritsubs for making this watch possible)

Can I Buy Your Love From a Vending Machine / Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasuka? (Japan, 2023; thanks to @nicks-den for making this watch possible)

I Fell In Love with the Villainness (Japan, 2023; watched because of a convo with @pilanthitasanilaphat)

Doi Boy (Thailand, 2023; this one I had on my list and just had to work up the energy to watch, but it was a beautiful film and I'm glad I did)

BL Metamorphosis (Japan, 2022; another thank you to @furritsubs)

Dear Dad (India, 2016; thanks to @neuroticbookworm for the rec!)

Salty Blue / Kakenuketara, Umi (Japan, 2023, thank you again @nicks-den!)

[I can't believe I forgot this at first] The Miracle of Teddy Bear (Thailand, 2022, thanks for going on that journey and writing great meta with me and for calling me out for forgetting @lurkingshan!)

There is so much good content in the world and despite my best efforts I haven't seen everything! So grateful to the fansubbers and people who write about past shows so that those of us who missed them the first time still get a chance to see them.

In terms of my output based on all this input, I continued not lurking this year, and have enjoyed it very much; see my Top 10 posts from 2024 here as well as the content I linked in my recommended shows above--going through the process of adding those links really highlighted to me how much more I've written this year, and how much more motivated I am to write about shows I love. It's no surprise I had dedicated posts for most of my top shows! To highlight a few specific projects this year that I'm proud of, I participated in the Love in the Big City Book Club read and watch-alongs organized by @lurkingshan, which was such a fun project that I am grateful for, and I started my GL Odds and Ends posts (tagged with #gl recs) that I am still feeling out but am really enjoying seeing the impact whenever someone watches a show because they found out about it through one of my posts. I also made an appearance on several episodes of @the-conversation-pod and had an incredible time trying out different things in a quarterly 'Dispatch' and having some really rich conversations with @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup. I love this corner of tumblr that we've carved out for ourselves as a QL watching community, and I just want to say to everyone I've interacted with in 2024: Thank you, and wish good things for you all in 2025!

Full list of 2024 shows under the cut for anyone curious! [Mostly in order it completed but may be slightly off--if a special aired immediately after the final episode I only list them as one thing and count the airing of the special as the end date, for example].

Bagan Beginning

Love Senior the Series

After SunDown

VIP Only

Twins the Series

Last Twilight

Night Dream the Series

My Universe

Bake Me Please special episode

Sahara Sensei to Tori Kun / Mr Sahara and Toki-kun

Love for Love's Sake

7 Days Before Valentine

Happy Ending

PitBabe the series

For Him the series

Cooking Crush

The Sign

Chaser Game W

Playboyy the series

Perfect Propose

Ossan's Love Returns

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna S2 / She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat

Cherry Magic Th

Dead Friend Forever

Sukidoya / Although I Love You and You / Sukiyaken kedo dou yaroka?

Healing Thingyan

Love You in Every Multiverse

Cherry Magic (anime)

Please Teach Me

Anti Reset

Jazz for Two

Blank the Series

A Secretly Love

To Be Continued the series

Love is Better the Second time around / Koi wo Surunara Nidome ga Joto

City of Stars

Sea You Soon

Human Too

Man Who Defies the World of BL s3

Gray Shelter / Gray Currents / Grey Current

Gym Affairs

1000 Years Old the Series

Love is Like a Cat

To the Ex Who Hated Me

Lady Boy Friends the series

Deep Night the series + Special Episode

Unknown the series

Memory in the Letter

You are My Star

Lonely Girls

Boys Be Brave / Roommates / I Can't Confess

Blossom Campus

Two Worlds

VIP Only special episode

Pray In Love

I Fell In Love with My Male Best Friend

Friend With Benefit

Stay By My Side special episode

23.5

You Made My Day

Living With Him

City Boy Log pt3

Anti-Reset special episode

The Time of Huan Nan

Xiao Xiang Yi Jiu

Inverse Identity

At 25:00 in Akasaka

Only Boo!

Tadaima Okaeri

Love Bully (Club Friday)

Blank the Series S2

Marahuyo Project

The Two of Us

Blue Boys

OMG Vampire!

My Stand-In

We Are the series

Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka / Oppan

Wandee Goodday

Under the Oak Tree

The Rebound

Love Enemy

Love in the Apocalypse

Bad Guy

My Marvellous Dream is You/ Dream the Series

Century of Love

Knock Knock Boys

Be Your Star

Meet You at the Blossom

BOYTOY

The Secret of Us

Ayaka is in love with Hiroko / Ayaka-chan wa Hiroko-sempai ni koi shiteru

My Love Mix-Up!

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans

Love Sea the series

Cosmetic Playlover

City Boy Log s4

Sunset Vibes

Mr Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

Takara no Vidro / Takara's Treasure

Paradise of Thorns

I Hear the Sunspot

The Time of Fever / when your temperature reaches my fingertips

4 Minutes The Trainee

Twilight out of Focus

Happy of the End

The On1y One

Live in Love

Heaven'sxCandy

The Two of Us s2

Addicted Heroin

I Saw You In My Dream

Monster Next Door

Our Golden Times

Affair

First Note of Love

Battle of the Writers

Reverse 4 U

Unlock Your Love

Chaser Game W s2

Let free the Curse of Taekwondo

Uncle Unknown

The Hidden Moon the series

Love in the Big City [the series]

Smells Like Green Spirit

Red Whisper

Eccentric Romance/PT is Love

My Damn Business

Apple My Love

Dominant Yakuza and Wimpy Corporate Slave

The Nipple Talk

Kidnap the series

Every You Every Me

Jack & Joker

People Come Later

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days

The Loyal Pin

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2

Love is Like a Poison / doku koi: doku mo sugireba koi to naru

Bad Guy My Boss

Haunted Hearts

Seoul Blues

The Renovation

Love Sick 2024

Love in the Big City [the film]

Spare Me Your Mercy / Euthanasia

Soul Sisters / Twin Rabbits

My Hot Butch Roommate

Whisper Me a Love Song / Sasayaku you ni koi wo utau

Boys' Christmas

Bonus: FuFuKnows bi-weekly shorts [every other week they post a short film, almost always a QL storyline; there were 23 in 2024]

And those QL-adjacent shows I mentioned [these are all adapted from QL media or starred QL actors or were part of a QL franchise but did not have a canon queer romance at the core of its storytelling]:

The Spirealm

Close Friend 3 - Soju Bomb

How to Make a Million Before Grandma Dies

Man Suang

High School Return Of A Gangster / I, a Gangster, Became a High Schooler

Kimi to Yukite Saku: Shinsengumi Seishunroku

Hoshikuzu Telepath

A Balloon's Landing

Peaceful Property

My Strawberry Film

The shows I dropped:

Time the series

Beside You

Sugar Dog Life

The Whisperer

Kiseki in Tokyo

Q18

Sky Valley

The Fate Trap

Dear Miss Becky

And as a shout-out in penance, the shows I had on my list to get to but haven't yet watched:

A Blue Sky (Cambodia)

Ending Friend (Cambodia)

Pretty Boys (Philippines - requires an access fee on VivaMax+)

Oh My Boo (Philippines)

The Perfect Heartbreak (Philippines)

Where I found You (Philippines)

My_ the series (Myanmar)

What's In My Bag (Korean GL - requires an access fee on Vimeo)

Complicated (Thai)

Club Friday: Hot Love Issue (Thai)

2nd Chance (Thai; not to be confused with Second Chance, this was a smaller 3-episode short series from this year)

Thank you for reading!

[danieyells]

@justseedee not dumb at all! Shion's only been explicitly mentioned once in Episode 4 Chapter 13 by Ritsu. He damaged the casino and Haru paid for it.

He's implicitly mentioned in Episode 12 Chapter 32 as having broken Haru's arm. Given his name is Shion Genkai and he's the destructive sort it's fair to assume that 'Gen' is Taiga's nickname for Shion.

Romeo mentions people being interrogated and awaiting sentencing that Haru should be trying to help(and their being on trial like this is perhaps why Haru is in Jabberwock.) Haru says that Elias(the janitor) will take care of it. Haru mentions in the aforementioned chapter that Elias can't make any headway, so it's fair to assume Shion and 'Mio' are the ones on trial, who, according to Taiga, will die(based on Haru, possibly also including himself) if the coin flips wrong. I assume that Shion and 'Mio' are Haru's previous housemates, or they're otherwise from one or more of the defunct houses.

Episode 10 Chapter 6 has Romeo saying that 'they' will rot in prison if Haru doesn't do something. Based on the above Haru is realizing that Romeo is right, he--or all of them--need to make a move if they wanna save their friends from the Institute keeping them locked up or worse.

ESST CORRECTED ME ON THIS AND I NEVER EDITED THE POST BECAUSE I'M DUMB but the Dionysia students are the ones who broke out in the prologue, which actually makes it more likely that Mio, Shion, and perhaps Haru are from Dionysia, not Ultio! Thank you Esset for the correction!! The crossed out info below is incorrect speculation for lack of better explanation lmao.

Given we know the Dionysia students are alive and in recovery this leaves Clementia and Ultio. Considering Ultio houses the secret prison for dangerous anomalies and Elias said that Haru is good at training anomalies, on top of that the Clash was started when an Ultio student was murdered(and thus the Ultio ghouls may have done something out of very on-brand vengeance that's got them on trial) it's likely that Shion, 'Mio', and possibly Haru are all from Ultio. But that's just speculation!

Anyway that's all we've got on Shion so far! @shiongenkai pointed out that 'Genkai' means "Strange Sea" and has some suspicions that he's the mermaid(which could be in line with that Haru was worried about someone after Hyde told him about the mermaid situation at the beginning of Episode 7 Chapter 41) but we don't have anything else to go off of yet! (Shion means 'aster' by the way, like the flower!)

(i'd include like two more screenshots but i'm on mobile and the limit here is 10 compared to desktop's 30 so rip)

[rogumi]

I want to get into Nintama but I'm a little intimidated!

OR, alternatively, "I want to recommend Nintama to someone but I'm worried I'll overwhelm them!"

With the new movie coming out and English subtitles in the works, there's been a lot of excitement and curiosity about Nintama and how to get into it. While it's a staple in Japan, international fans have famously struggled to access it.

There are many ways to dive into the fandom, and none of them are wrong! But today, this guide's goal is simple: to help you grasp the key plot threads and character relationships featured in the newest movie--without feeling overwhelmed or confused. The new movie expects you to already know a lot of context and history between characters! I've narrowed it down to 6 essential episodes, plus a few optional ones to deepen your understanding. Episodes/movies considered must watch will have a ⭐ next to them. Everything else isn't strictly necessary, but will make the new movie more enjoyable.

(For easy access to all the files, look at the bottom of the post!)

1. S01 - E01: "Enrolling into Ninjutsu Academy / The Kunoichi Class is Frightening" ⭐ A charming introduction to the setting and main characters. While characters have evolved since then, this episode remains a great starting point. 2. Movie 1: "Eiga Nintama Rantarou" ⭐ Many elements from this film become relevant again in Movie 3. It’s also a good way to meet Dokutake and the rest of 1-ha without adding more episodes to the list. 3. S19 - E90: "Doi-sensei and Kirimaru Special" ⭐ A must-watch before Movie 3—a scene from this episode is directly referenced. 4. S20 - E58: "Compassion is Forbidden" This episode centers around a trio of character that are important in Movie 2. Next episode as well is mostly prep for that movie. Remember this guide is just a suggestion. If you want to skip this episode or the next one, that's fine, but Movie 2 will become a little confusing. 5. S16 - E11: "Committees in the Middle of the Night" and S16 - E12: "The Equipment Committee President’s Debut" This 2-episode arc introduces 3 committees, including the Health Committee, which plays a major role in Movie 2. Feel free to skip it if you're already familiar how committees work in Nintama and are short on time. But it's a fun watch regardless if you know them or not! 6. S25 - E54: "Let's Go Home" Focus on Kirimaru, Doi, and the Yamada father-son duo. A really cute episode. 7. Nintama Rantarou Movie 2: "All of Ninjutsu Academy Ready for Action!" ⭐ Tasogaredoki joins the fray. A fun movie for sure. 8. S26 - E 35: "Steal The Roof Tile" 5th year focus episode! 9. S28 - E45: "The 6th Year's Part-Time Job Mess Up?" Explores Kirimaru’s relationships with some of his senpai. 10. S30 - E35: "The Remembered Treatment" ⭐ Amako Soubee-sensei drafted this episode. It elaborates on Doi's past and his ties to the Yamada family. Must-watch pre-Movie 3. In Season 32, Amako Soubee-sensei herself drafted five episodes which aired shortly before Movie 3. They're all excellent, and you can find them all here if you're curious, but if you want just the essentials: 11. S32 - E60: "Going Home Together" Further explains how Doi-sensei and Kirimaru ended up living together. 12. S32 - E63: "The Reason They Hate Him" Focuses on Tasogaredoki characters, who play a key role in the story in the latest movie. 13. S32 - E64: "Rookie" ⭐ Another must-watch for Doi's background. 🎉🎉 Movie 3: Gekijou-ban Nintama Rantarou: Dokutake Ninja-tai Saikyou no Gunshi 🎉🎉 You made it! Enjoy! For convenience's sake, here's a mega with everything listed above in recommended watch order. Here's a pixeldrain mirror as well. I've tried to give credit to all subbers by adding square brackets with their names, but some have deleted their blogs, their youtube accounts have been terminated or I simply can't find the source. If you know it, drop a comment, and I’ll edit it in—it would help me immensely. Special thanks to the ninjas of Tasogaredokijou for working extra hard to release the episodes needed to complete this list. And to everyone who gave me their input, thank you as well! If you have any doubts or need further assistance (or episode recommendations) let me know! I have anon asks enabled here and comments on for dreamwidth. I will maintain the links so please go to the OP post if anything breaks. Hope you have fun and end up joining us in the Nintama swamp! mega files pixeldrain files dreamwidth mirror of the post

[ittybittyremy]

All the details Bells Hells know about Cyrus' death & everything surrounding it

I've been seeing people wondering/forgetting how much Dorian has told Bells Hells about the circumstances of Cyrus' death. So I've decided to go through the episodes!

A couple disclaimers before I start:

Orym shouldn't have made that comment to Dorian. Even if he didn't know all the specifics, knowing Dorian's brother died recently (and at all for that matter) should have stopped him from making that theoretical. Even if Cyrus' death had nothing to do with the gods, it would still be an inappropriate thing to say. He could've made that theoretical to anyone else in that group but he said it to the person with a recently dead family member.

Even though it would be beneficial for Dorian to tell BH (and for BH to learn/understand) everything about that day, he doesn't have to (and` shouldn't be forced to). Plus, it's very in character for Dorian not to tell them.

I don't want to see any comments saying "well it's implied," "BH should be able to connect the dots," or "BH should get the hint because of how Dorian has been acting." I'm bad at picking up hints irl so I won't fault BH for not connecting those points.

This post is about what Dorian has explicitly said (even though I did add a couple parts where he implies what happens).

This is all under the assumption that Dorian has not told BH everything off camera.

All timestamps will be based on the YouTube VOD.

I may miss a couple tidbits so sorry in advance.

Now to the actual information

Episode 93

Cyrus died (3:43:24)

Two of Dorian's best friends became the champions of the Matron of Ravens and the Spider Queen (3:43:28)

It all happened yesterday (3:43:38)

Opal is "not really" okay (3:43:45)

Cyrus died in battle "if you can call it that" (3:53:36)

Until that day he never thought real evil existed (3:53:46)

What he saw in the previous couple days does was "irredeemable" (3:53:55)

They tried to help Opal (3:54:59)

Dorian knows that there are forces enacting on the world that go "deeper than [he] imagined" (3:55:05)

Fy'ra Rai stayed with Opal (3:55:16)

Dariax is "all right" (3:55:20)

Opal is alive but corrupted (3:57:04)

Fy'ra Rai may be walking down the path as Opal (3:57:12)

Episode 94

Dorian doesn't explicitly mention it this episode but there is a moment where he hints that the prime deities may have somehow been involved.

"If you are relying on the help of the gods, champions, I can't say that I trust them anymore" (2:30:17)

Episode 102

No explicit mentions here BUT we begin to get Dorian's opinions of the gods. That's not what this post is about so I will move on

Episode 103

More of Dorian's views on the gods and we finally get another (sort of) explicit mention

"The last I conferred with a god, they cared very little about the feelings of anyone around us." That god being the Spider Queen (1:37:01)

The reason I say "sort of" is because Dorian doesn't say this is in regards to Cyrus' death (even though we the audience knows this). Orym and Fearne could've easily assumed that this was in regards to their EXU times.

Episode 109

Get an idea of what "getting dark" means. Matt describes Opal as "a humanoid shape of white hair and a black crown dripping and black oil and ichor. Opal stands dark and still" (2:19:13)

"Opal the Twice-Crowned, born a fractured, dual soul. A being of unknown potential, manipulated by cult and betrayer gods alike to walk a violent path without agency, a pawn for the gods and their whims." Raven Queen describing Opal (2:19:32)

Opal has a spider form (different from three-armed Opal) (2:49:20)

Episode 110

Dorian remind Bells Hells that Opal is now the champion of the Spider Queen (51:29)

Laudna says "hang on, because didn't, the last time you saw Opal, wasn't she trying to brutally murder you?" (52:22). I guess BH knows it was the Spider Queen? I'm a bit confused because Dorian never explicitly told them this but maybe it was an off screen thing

Dorian: "I'm not certain any information we would get from her would be particularly reliable" (52:30)

What does Bells Hells know?

As far as they know, the day before Dorian reunited with Bells Hells:

Cyrus died in a (sort of) battle.

They tried to help Opal but she is corrupted, she is still alive though

Fy'ra Rai stayed with Opal

Dariax is safe

Opal and someone else are now the champions of the Spider Queen and Matron of Ravens.

Dorian discovered real evil existed

The title "Opal the Twice-Crowned"

Opal's spider form (but different the three-armed Opal that Dorian saw)

Opal is not a reliable source of information right now

What does Bells Hells not know?

Wildmother refused to help

Matron refused to help

The Spider Queen killed Cyrus (? tbh i'm confused about this one)

Dorian came here because Opal casted mass suggestion

Dorian abandoned Dariax

Opal's memories are either gone or altered

Opal with three arms

The whole Ted thing

And much more

[noicevibes]

𝐦𝐥𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬

This is a continuation of the links I original had in this post here! It reached tumblr's 100 link-per-post limit, so since I had more mlm links than the other ones (... 👀), I'm giving them their own post (which is killing me bc I wanted them all together & it's ruining the aesthetic vibe I had going grrr)

All links coloured in blue are new to the original list! Links with ✨ are personal favourites/recommendations. 98% of the links lead to twt/x, but some go to the hub.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 ✨ | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 ✨ | 19 ✨ | 20 ✨

21 ✨ | 22 | 23 | 24 ✨ | 25 ✨ | 26 | 27 ✨ | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 ✨| 40

41 | 42 ✨| 43 ✨| 44 ✨| 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 ✨| 49 ✨| 50 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 ✨| 55 | 56 ✨| 57 ✨| 58 | 59 | 60 ✨

61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 ✨| 68 | 69 | 70 ✨ 71 | 72 ✨| 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 ✨| 77 ✨| 78 | 79 ✨| 80 ✨

81 ✨| 82 | 83 | 84

Mignon ep. 12 -> 1 2

Additionally recommending y'all to watch

Mignon (episode 11 & 12)

Hyperventilation

Hiro

[episodeoftv]

You know what I'm just gonna link the bracket too. It's not very easy to read bc most of the titles are too long, which is why I'll make an actual nice looking bracket later, but it does tell you what the matchups are

Round 1 is over!

I’ve been kind of slacking off on the spreadsheet‚ but here it is ready for round 2!

They are listed alphabetically by show title and will tell you which group of voting they are in. Episodes that are still in the running are in bold. There is also a second sheet listing only those that made it to round 2.

Edit: the round 2 sheet is organized by group bc I thought having that also alphabetical might be a little redundant

Edit 2: oops forgot to link to Round 2

[jacky93sims]

9 people I want to know better

I was tagged by @lucilla-sims Thank you! I always wanted to do one of these 😃

LAST SONG: In the last period I'm obsessed with A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Master OST. My favourite song of the album is Therapist by Vigil. 🖤

FAVORITE COLOR: Bloody Red for sure 🩸 My room is full of this color. I perceive it as a very intense nuance, representing obscure passion, primal instincts, life/death and sacrifice. Themes that are really fascinating to me.

CURRENTLY WATCHING: I usually don't like to watch series, because I don't like to have pending stuff to finish for long time 😁 so I just watch miniseries or standalone episodes (like the ones from Black Mirror). The last serie I watched was Good American Family (I like documentary-likes about crimes).

LAST MOVIE: I really like horror and thriller movies, I watch one new movie every night before sleeping. I usually search for the most unsettling and less famous ones. The last one I watched that I liked was Possum 🕷️

CURRENTLY READING: I used to read a lot in my adolescence but now it's hard for me to focus on it so I stopped because it was becoming unpleasant 😔 The last book I read was The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.

SWEET, SPICY OR SAVORY: I like savory but also bittersweet 🫕 Can't eat spicy at all.

CURRENT OBSESSION: I usually don't get hyperfixated on things but when I do I guess it's forever 😆 The only "thing" I'm obsessed with since I was 16 years old (now I'm 32) is Freddy Krueger. He is like my lifelong crush, I can't help it. I still collect action figures and random merchandising about him. Love the character and the saga.

LAST GOOGLED: I googled some terms to write this post because I'm not fluent in english ahaha. Except for that I googled "The Cleaning Lady" which will probably be the next movie I'll watch 👀

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: In the last month I'm very busy with commissions so all my energies are going to this. Also I'm on a diet to lose some weight, not much, just the few pounds I gained during the christmas holidays (this is what happens when you live in Italy with all the good food around you everyday). So we can tell I'm also working on this 🏋️‍♂️

Phew I did it, it was very funny ☺️ I don't know who to tag but feel free to do it if you want to ❤️

[lukolabrainrot]

Hi there. So I've been firm in my belief that Luke & Nicola are gonna announce their relationship by telling us that they are already MARRIED. I've been conversing with a friend on here and we both agree there's been clues/crumbs that just might support the theory. Some might think it's too soon, BUT I just think their relationship was never a normal dating/courtship. Them being TOGETHER is 4-5 years in the making. Anyway, sorry it's long, but here's our thoughts on possible clues that these two may have tied the knot:

Many of them come from secondary sources, but I found these nuggets too hard to ignore. So here it goes:

8/22 N shares Polin photo. My interpretation of this photo is that this is the pivotal scene where Colin reads her letters and starts to forgive her. Penelope professes her love for him later that day. I think this particular photo was to signal they had worked out their differences and were together. I most definitely could be wrong, but I took it as a positive sign.

(I think 8/22/since deleted) JVN shares TT song and dance to Oh Happy Day. Well that's suspicious...

8/28 N and JVN like Evan Ross Katz Insta post about Catherine O'Hara meeting her husband on set and being married for 32 years. Hmmm?

8/28 Bridgerton Netflix drops the cute Lukola-coded media video on Insta.

8/29-8/30 I saw maybe 3-4 random comments on a few Insta and TT posts mentioning Cabo. In fact, there was a comment on L's Spain post up until recently that said "do Cabo next." So weird and probably not true, but I couldn't stop thinking about Cabo.

8/30 JVN posts the song "They Went for the Gun" from the musical Chicago to TT. I kept thinking what an odd song choice when talking about your remote work team. If you're a musical fan, you know that this is the routine where Richard Gere performs the puppet dance number with Renee Zellweger. The song is about convincing the media to buy in to your narrative by turning them into your puppets. I thought this could be about the JD photo gate distraction or maybe L/N were getting married and they wanted us to think otherwise? Or, this could mean absolutely nothing, lol.

8/31 This is the morning we all saw the JD in the ocean/pool story. OMG everyone panic - he's in Malta with N! I wonder if JD was excited to be on vacation and accidentally posted the pic to Insta and that set off the whole day of possible distractions? Right after, JVN posts a we're home and here's a garden update story. (I almost always wonder if his garden updates are jokingly about L/N status.) Maybe it was previously recorded, and he used it to possibly provide cover for JD's slip-up?

I know my theory is off the rails, but I kind of like the possibility of it. Maybe L/N went to Cabo for a long weekend wedding around 8/30-9/1 with just a few close friends and family? You know JD and JVN would be there. I'm not one of those photo date, location and time truthers. It seems like that is never accurate. The previously mentioned JD photo looked like a pool to me, and it reminded me of this deep blue-colored one that is at the One & Only Palmilla in Cabo. This resort has been featured on many episodes of Real Housewives and N loves that show. I also thought the Insta story from N's work colleague in Malta would be really thoughtless and unprofessional if she was actually there at that exact time. I hope it was an intentional misdirect.

8-31 Days before Chupi has been teasing their new Future Awaits Diamond Arrow eternity band. They have posts pairing it with the Claddagh ring. They release it early on this date. It looks very similar to the one N is wearing in her Polin post from 6/11/21. Maybe it's her new wedding band and she's already married? Squee!

Anyway, this is crazy delusional but it was fun to think they might have been breadcrumbs. Maybe L/N got married quietly in Galway(because she'd definitely want her mother there and her Irish roots/traditons are important to her, and now L) Spain when no one was suspecting it. Regardless, I hope Netflix paid for the wedding if there was one. Thanks so much for letting me share. I hope we find out soon! The rings are still the biggest clues of all. 🥰💍👀

This is all speculation... but interesting theories...

I don't think they are already married, but what does everyone else think?

The rings definitely mean SOMETHING about L/N 👀

[jteditanime]

One Piece anime by Toei Animation

Episode 32

I'm watching One Piece anime and I figured I might as well post some cool animation sequences that I find interesting.

[Gif 64/???]

[komatsudaya]

Getting to Know: Komatsuda Shuusaku

This is (what I hope is) the first in a series of posts dedicated to showcasing different characters, groups, committees, etc. in Nintama so that anyone who's interested in knowing more about them has a bit of a starting point. There's a ton of characters to learn about in Nintama, so sometimes it can be difficult to figure out which episodes to watch.

I will, perhaps unsurprisingly, be starting with Komatsuda Shuusaku. This post contains an overview of Komatsuda's history and personality along with a selection of episodes that provide a well-rounded picture of him as a character. I'm hoping this will be a good intro to those who don't know much about him and a nice refresher for those who already do.

This post cites both the Nintama Rantarou anime and the Rakudai Ninja Rantarou manga.

Komatsuda Shuusaku, sixteen years old, is the second and youngest son of the Komatsuda family of folding fan artisans and sellers. His older brother, Yuusaku - who has taken over the family store Komatsudaya at the age of nineteen - characterizes Komatsuda as having always done things "by halves" and never following through (vol 35, pg 47 and ep 13-05). We've never been told anything about his childhood, but it's likely he spent parts of it helping at Komatsudaya, as he always comes back to help with the store during school breaks (vol 65, pg 15).

At some point in his youth, he became interested in ninja and learning ninjutsu. Yuusaku paid Komatsuda's way through the private ninjutsu school in town - an expensive undertaking, so the Komatsuda family must be rather well-off (vol 32, pg 87 and ep 31-30). Komatsuda graduated with a third-level ninjutsu certificate (vol 28, pg 235 and ep 09-20), though his current skills don't quite reflect his education; he's on par with 1-Ha when it comes to ninjutsu.

After receiving his certificate, he set out to find employment as a ninja. In his first appearance in the series, he infiltrated Ninjutsu Academy to attack it as part of Dokutake castle's employment exam (vol 19, pg 79 and ep 04-82). He'd been vaguely aware of Dokutake's bad reputation, but once he ran into 1-Ha and they showed him just what evil Dokutake gets up to, he gave up on joining them.

We don't know exactly what he got up to after that incident. Perhaps he continued seeking out ninja work; perhaps he returned home to help with the store again. Some time later he ended up as the newest employee of Ninjutsu Academy (vol 21, pg 211)*. He joined the staff as a clerk, with some of his duties including paperwork, taking care of equipment, and getting people to sign in and out whenever they come into or leave the school.

If I had to sum up Komatsuda's personality, I might go with "in his own world." In some ways, Yuusaku's description of him as doing things by halves still rings true. He naps on the job (eps 14-40 and 16-97) and immediately goes off the clock as soon as the bell sounds at the end of the day (vol 27, pg 204). He can be easygoing to a fault: his reaction to someone saying he's a bother is to smile and say with a little laugh, "I didn't know! So I was being a bother"(ep 17-05). When Dokutake ninja come to spy on Yamada-sensei, he happily lets them - and even brings them bento (ep 22-53). "It's frightening how out in left field this boy is," someone said of him (vol 22, pg 111).

These traits, as well as his poor ninjutsu skills, often have people telling him that he isn't suited to be a ninja. However, there's one thing he does have that would make him a good ninja, and that's tenacity. When he falls, he gets back up. No matter what happens, no matter what people say and no matter what setbacks he faces, Komatsuda has never fully given up on his dream of becoming a ninja.

He also tends to see the best in people and situations. Demo Shikanosuke, a ninja who's vying for Komatsuda's position, tries time and time again to steal Komatsuda's job in underhanded ways, but Komatsuda never thinks poorly of him. When told that Demo purposely tripped him to make him look bad, his response is simply, "No way! Demo Shikanosuke would never do something like that" (ep 32-66). This sort of harmonious attitude is why Komatsuda has kept his job in the first place. Unlike Demo, who everyone thinks has a rotten personality, Komatsuda almost never does anything to hurt others and gets along with everybody - a trait that's more valuable than ninjutsu or clerical skills.

That's not to say he's always all smiles. In some ways, he can be incredibly stubborn and pushy. For example, his fervor for getting people to sign in and out of the school is unmatched; he'll chase after people, cling onto them, take bombs and beatings just to get a signature. He can also be petty and childish, such as when he chased Hemu-Hemu all across the school because Hemu-Hemu laughed when he fell down (ep 26-13), or when he got mopey about the students ignoring him (ep 11-04).

The adjective most associated with Komatsuda is "heppoko" - untrained, incompetent, good-for-nothing - and it's not entirely unearned on his part. From scattering stacks of papers across the floor to spilling tea to sending out invitations to all the wrong people, there's little as a clerk that he's actually good at. When he does his job right, it's usually because he does things by the books. However, being Komatsuda, he sometimes takes things to the point of absurdity: he'll let in an intruder and show them around the school as long as they sign in (ep 18-58), will ignore any enemy until they hit the invisible threshold of what he considers the school grounds (ep 23-34), and even makes animals sign in and out of the school (ep 15-19).

However, there's one thing he's more skilled at than anyone else: sensing and chasing down people trying to get in or out of Ninjutsu Academy. Whether they're going over or under the school walls, he'll be there as fast as his legs can carry him. If someone doesn't sign the entry or exit form and he senses them, he'll chase them down to the ends of the earth - into the ocean if he has to (vol 29, pg 234 and ep 10-05). His skills were even acknowledged by the Dokutake ninja, who used him as an alarm system when they'd taken over Ninjutsu Academy (30th anniversary special). This talent has earned him a variety of nicknames, such as Ninjutsu Academy's Sidewinder (vol 36, p65)**, their Terminator (vol 28, pg 234), and their Ultimate Weapon (vol 26, pg 234 and ep 22-67).

That's it for the overview - onto episode recommendations!

*It's possible that the why and how of Komatsuda getting his job at the school is explained in the anime, but the episode(s) in which he's reintroduced as clerk are currently unavailable to me so I can't know for sure. **A reference to the AIM-9 Sidewinder, a heat-seeking missile. In the anime adaptation of this chapter (ep 13-26), his nickname was changed to "Demon Pursuer" (鬼の追跡者). However, he was later called Sidewinder in the anime in ep 23-23.

Recommended Episodes

For convenience, I've put all the episodes together here (except the three episodes which have been translated - 28-48, 31-30, and 32-62 - where I've linked to the subber's page).

Most of these entries contain spoilers for the episode in question, as almost none of them have been translated and I want as many people as possible to be able to understand the plots.

Introductory episodes:

04-82 "RanKiriShin Get Angry" (乱・きり・しん怒るの段) His very first appearance. While quite different than his current incarnation, this episode gets you acquainted with his backstory, and it's interesting to look back on. Technically a two-parter, as his story continues into episode 04-83, "It's Finally Summer Vacation" (やっと夏休みの段).

13-05 "Yoshino-sensei's Home Visit" (吉野先生の家庭訪問の段) This episode has a little bit of everything, making it a good introduction to Komatsuda's character. It introduces us to his brother, shows off his poor ninjutsu and clerical skills, and showcases his odd way of thinking. Additionally, it lets us see his cheerful, caring attitude, as well as how he and the staff feel about each other.

Episodes that show off his personality and skills:

09-05 "Komatsuda-san's Talent" (小松田さんの素質の段) Komatsuda and RanKiriShin visit Daisankyoueimaru at the ocean, where Komatsuda saves him from drowning (Komatsuda had excellent swimming skills, but these seem to have been forgotten in later seasons). Daisankyoueimaru says Komatsuda has the talent to be a pirate, which gets Komatsuda dreaming. However, when he learns that Daisankyoueimaru can't swim and is still aiming to be a pirate anyway, he reflects on his own aspirations. "I may not have the talent to be a ninja," he thinks, "but it's so much fun to work as the school's clerk. It's okay if I'm not talented, as long as I enjoy my work every day." Komatsuda can always find a silver lining.

17-89 "The Master Komatsuda Shuusaku" (名人小松田秀作の段) The sixth-years are all showing off their ninjutsu to appeal to prospective employers who have come to visit. To Komatsuda's surprise, one of those employers scouts him - not as a ninja, but for his intruder-detecting and detaining skills, as the castle's princess keeps sneaking out. Komatsuda arrives and does his job well: he keeps going even after being bombed and chases the princess as she digs her way out of the castle grounds. However, Komatsuda's stubbornness and fervor take over, and soon he's making sure nobody leaves - not soldiers nor cats nor even mice. In the end, he's returned to Ninjutsu Academy. Komatsuda is the kind of person to take a direction literally and commit his all to it.

21-72 "Don't Throw Your Dreams Away" (夢を捨てるなの段) Yoshino, Komatsuda's direct supervisor, is worried because Komatsuda has been even more absent-minded than usual. It turns out he's been thinking and has decided he's not cut out to be a ninja. However, the always steadfast Komatsuda has a plan - if he can't become a ninja, then he'll just become the best clerk that he can possibly be. Unfortunately, this causes even more problems. In the end, he goes back to being his normal self and continues to dream of being a ninja. Komatsuda normally doesn't get down on himself, even when he's yelled at or reprimanded, so I enjoy the rare moments where he's introspective.

22-67 "Ninjutsu Academy's Secret Weapon" (忍術学園の秘密兵器の段) While showing around a ninja looking to scout students, Komatsuda relishes the chance to be scouted as a ninja himself - but, after much inner debate, decides he shouldn't. Komatsuda is aware and humble about his own lack of ninjutsu skills, even showing the scout how bad he is at throwing shuriken - but the scout is convinced Komatsuda is downplaying his abilities and is actually an amazing ninja. When he returns to his castle and his lord looks up Komatsuda's name, he finds that Komatsuda is described as "Ninjutsu Academy's ultimate weapon" (perhaps acquired as rumors of his intruder-catching skills spread?). The scout returns to tell Komatsuda of this nickname, and Komatsuda gets fired-up, returning to his job with new vigor… only to fail as usual. Komatsuda is confident in himself, enough to engage in flights of fantasy, but he's also aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

27-67 "Mail-Order Ninja" (通販の忍者の段) Makaino-sensei of Dokutake orders the wrong item and ends up getting Komatsuda sent to him instead of the vegetable komatsuna. A good example of how silly (and cute) Komatsuda can get, especially when he has a straight man to play off of. He takes an already absurd situation and his naturally unusual thought process makes it even more absurd.

Episodes focusing on his relationships with others:

School staff:

The staff is most often seeing yelling at, berating, or just being baffled at Komatsuda. However, beneath all that, everybody at the school cares for him in their own way - or else he would've been fired long ago.

30-12 "What's 'Normal'?" (普通ってなんだ？の段) RanKiriShin find Yoshino watching Komatsuda from a distance. RanKiri say maybe Yoshino is too strict, but Shinbei insists Yoshino is just keeping an eye on Komatsuda. Yoshino doesn't hate Komatsuda; he criticizes Komatsuda because he wants Komatsuda to become "an excellent clerk - no, an excellent human being." It turns out that Komatsuda hasn't been his usual clumsy self lately - and this worries Yoshino so much that he ends up collapsing. When they ask Komatsuda, it turns out he'd been to a shrine recently, and that's why he hasn't been clumsy. When all of them go to the shrine, Komatsuda rings the bells - and they end up falling on Yoshino's head. Yoshino chides him, and Komatsuda, with a blush on his face, says it's been awhile since Yoshino scolded him. Ninjutsu Academy is kind of like a big family, with episodes like this emphasizing the bonds all the employees share.

31-05 "Ninjutsu Academy's Specialty" (忍術学園名物の段) Hemu-Hemu and Komatsuda tend to work well together (they have that same kind of breezy attitude), but Hemu-Hemu can also bring out Komatsuda's more childish side. In this episode, Komatsuda decides to go on a journey to train to be a ninja, and it's decided that Hemu-Hemu will take over Komatsuda's job. But when Hemu-Hemu excels at it and is called the school's specialty, Komatsuda gets jealous and instantly declares that he's the school's specialty and won't give up that title to anyone. It's not even the first time he's tried to compete with this dog… (see also ep 23-34).

His brother:

Yuusaku is a kind older brother who some might say babies Komatsuda a bit, and Komatsuda refers to Yuusaku as his "pride and joy" (ep 28-48). They're usually affectionate with each other, but there are times when they don't see eye to eye.

28-48 "Komatsuda Brothers Taken Prisoner" (とらわれた小松田兄弟の段) [Subbed by Tasogaredoki Jou] When Komatsuda returns home to help with the store, he finds that Yuusaku has been kidnapped by the Dokutake ninja so they can force him to make fans for them to use ninjutsu with. Never fear, for Komatsuda is off to rescue him! An excellent example of their love for each other, as well as how understanding Yuusaku is of Komatsuda.

31-30 "Loved By Everyone" (みんなに愛されているの段) [Subbed by Tasogaredoki Jou] After Komatsuda says he's on par with elite ninja when it comes to tracking intruders, Yuusaku visits the school to put Komatsuda's skills to the test. When Komatsuda doesn't perform as expected, Yuusaku decides to take Komatsuda back to Komatsudaya. This episode lets us see the friction that Yuusaku has between treating Komatsuda like a child and treating him autonomously.

Rikichi:

Rikichi and Komatsuda are like oil and water - except Komatsuda doesn't realize it. Komatsuda looks up to Rikichi's skills and gets along well with him, while Rikichi's anger at Komatsuda's shenanigans goes right over Komatsuda's head. Despite this, Rikichi still tends to treat Komatsuda with a level of respect (albeit sometimes begrudgingly).

30-56 "Rikichi's Day Off" (利吉の休日の段) On his day off, Rikichi runs into Komatsuda while walking around town. Convinced that Rikichi is actually on the job, Komatsuda asks Rikichi if he could watch him so he can learn to be a ninja. And so begins an inadverdant game of hide-and-seek as Rikichi tries to get away from Komatsuda. This episode is a microcosm of their relationship: the casual and close way Komatsuda interacts with Rikichi, Komatsuda's inability see how irritating he can be to Rikichi, and the way Rikichi always gets pulled into Komatsuda's pace.

32-62 "Testing My Patience" (イライラするの段) [Subbed by Tasogaredoki Jou] In addition to his normal spiel about how Komatsuda should give up on being a ninja, Rikichi specifically tells him that people like him are the first to die on the battlefield - potentially a look into why Komatsuda's naivity incurs Rikichi's wrath, as Rikichi has probably seen enough starry-eyed teens go to war unprepared and end up killed. This episode also has a rare instance of Rikichi respecting Komatsuda for his character and giving a genuine smile. Includes the line "Just looking at you annoys me!" (イライラするんだ君を見ていると!) - a staple in fanwork with Rikichi and Komatsuda ever since its first appearance in volume 32 of the manga.

If you've made it to the end - thank you! I hope that even just reading through everything here has left you with a better appreciation of the depth of Komatsuda's character. If you have any comments, suggestions, or corrections, I'd love to hear them!

Interested in more episodes with Komatsuda? You can consult my chart which lists all (currently) known appearances of him in the anime. Please also feel free to direct any questions or discussion about Komatsuda my way!

Dreamwidth crosspost

出門票にサインおねがいしま～す！

[daka-d3monb0y]

Human AU Designs

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More below:

Wheelchair code: GZASAE8SU

Sun's design took the longest because I tried and tried to be more creative then gave up. The hair took a while I kinda just searched through Pinterest for a while which ended up giving me no inspiration and I did that and I like it. I like making Sun with the overalls kinda childish and convenient, I imagine he has a lot of pockets filled with art supplies and stuff for kids.

Moon is the same escape hair slightly changed. I might change his outfit.

Solar is practically the same.

Lunar I changed his hair to have braids with beads in them because I think it's something he'd enjoy. His outfit will definitely be getting changed.

I have Earth the same hair her anamatronic design has because I thought I'd look pretty, and it does. I gave her glasses because I thought it fit, I've had a former earth design have glasses I'll find it. Earth's outfit is changed because I realised I'd never used that sweater and I thought it'd be cute. Her pants are brown for her brown legs on the model and it fits with the coloursheme.

(My favourite pairs of pants I own are red, green, and brown. The brown are the thickest pair too, very warm. Just fun fact nobody wanted to know about me: I'll wear any colour pants except blue jeans. I also have yellow and pink jeans [the pink are cargo pants).

Eclipse was the hardest for me for some reason, I just thought his proportions were all wrong. I ended up changing his vallitigo for his mouth.

Charlie I wanted something more creative with her hair, but I Also thought of a canon reason: Eclipse puts her hair up on pigtails but she runs around so much it ends up coming out partly and he doesn't care enough unless she complains about it.

Puppet I just thought it would be interesting to give them acne so I could have them wear those star pimple patches.

Old designs:

Wow, you've seen the whole post.

I really want to drop out of the fandom. It hasn't been fun.

But it's what keeps me getting likes. Anytime I draw or do another fandom I don't get this same level of interaction. I've tried and tried but those posts get like 6 fucking likes. I haven't written in months, I haven't watched a full episode in months. I feel that I've also made myself sort of important/useful because of the playlists and such, like I'm working a job I'm not longer pationate about.

Work. That's exactly what this feels like to me now.

I've been struggling for months because I feel like I can't leave this but I don't enjoy it.