#In a way I actually think it'd be more interesting if what's been shown to eclectic comes to pass. It's awful

[humanmorph]

they need to assassinate future btw. I've thought about this and I'm sure there would be consequences & I also know you can't truly kill a divine anymore but idgaf. find a way

[foodfightnovelization]

ROTTEN: Behind The Foodfight

Holy chips! It's an exciting time to be a Foodfight! fan, because ROTTEN: Behind The Foodfight is finally out! This really is THE definitive documentary on the insanity behind the movie, and it finally answers the question of just what was going on behind the scenes during production. Since I helped out with research (and I even get a short line of dialogue at 45:19) I've already seen everything that was shown off, but had to keep quiet until all the interviews were conducted and the documentary was finished. But now it's out and everything has been made public, the cat's out of the bag (the Fat Cat Burglar?) and I can talk about all the production material that's been shared.

Before I get into any of that though, I'd highly recommend you watch the documentary for yourself. It's insanely well researched and put together, and having worked together with Ziggy Cashmere (the documentary's creator) I know how hard he dedicated himself towards making this all possible. If it weren't for him, the most interesting Foodfight! discovery would've been finding the novelization, and we would have never gotten any real insight into how this movie came to be. It's also a documentary that really speaks for itself- I don't want to say too much about what it reveals since it's all expressed far better through its narrative and the interviews with people who actually worked on the project. My favorite is the interview with texture artist Mona Weiss- she tells such horrifying stories about how she was treated by Larry and other crewmembers, yet does it all with a sense of humor that makes it clear she's enjoying getting to talk about her crazy experiences. It's clear Foodfight! was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish, and there's nobody to blame for that but Larry Kasanoff himself. The movie was rotten from the top down and despite the countless talented animators and artists working on it, nothing could fix the fact that it was fundamentally mismanaged in the worst way possible. I think the quote from producer George Johnsen summarizes it best: "Foodfight! was a good idea that unfortunately lost its way during production. The technology, the art, and the direction were not in sync. Many very talented people gave their all to make the picture, but more understanding of process from the top was needed for it to succeed."

But if you saw the documentary, you already know all that, right? So instead, let's talk about the behind-the-scenes material that's finally been shared! You can find everything I'll talking about HERE on archive.org-

It's worth following the link and checking it out for yourself- there's so much it'd impossible to discuss everything. Artwork, storyboards, bloopers, models, a nude render of Lady X, an interview with Larry Kasanoff, the list goes on and it's still being updated! Despite the documentary already being out, people who worked on the movie are continuing to share new material! It's pretty incredible- for the past year I've ran this blog all I've really had to discuss are two tie-in books, and now there's so much Foodfight! material I can't even keep up with it.

I mean LOOK at all this, isn't it fantastic? The character art by Jim George showing off just how much better these designs originally were, the countless environments showing off just how stunning Marketropolis could've looked as well as the strength of the core idea "what if a supermarket came to life at night", and insanely detailed storyboards for a 7-minute pitch reel that was used to sell the movie to investors. Normally, I'd be ALL OVER this because it's all just incredible, but there's something far, FAR more fascinating than any of it.

There are even multiple drafts of the script (one from 2005 and one from 2007 respectively) and normally I'd be insanely fascinated by those too, making extremely detailed posts explaining the differences between the drafts and how they compare to the novelization, but there's something else that was found that blows ALL of this out of the water and is easily one of the most monumental lost media discoveries of ALL TIME.

That's right, a rough cut of the ENTIRE movie from 2005 has been found, containing nearly ALL the completed animation from earlier on in production. I mean, that's mindblowing right? We first got sent this around a month ago, a little while before the documentary came out, and I literally stopped everything I was doing at work to just sit and watch this. This is the closest we're ever going to get to the "original" version of Foodfight! after all- only 7 minutes of footage was ever actually made before they switched to mocap, made solely for the aforementioned pitch reel, and this workprint contains practically all of it! On top of that there are some great storyboards in here, as well as some truly hilarious ones cobbled together from 3D renders, and the plot is far better than what we ended up with, a lot of the more inappropriate jokes being absent. This rough cut is actually pretty similar to the novelization in that regard, and it also contains scenes that we'd previously only read about in there.

For example, in the novelization there's a snowmobile chase through the mountains, with Brand X soldiers on snowmobiles and a heavy avalanche close behind. This scene was completely left out of the movie itself, but in this workprint it's here! ALL the previously novelization-exclusive scenes are included, and this rough cut is seemingly based on an even earlier draft of the script than that- here Brand X are still defeated by a flood, whereas by the time of the novelization it'd been changed to a lightning storm. There are SO many exciting differences in this workprint, the snippets of original animation we get to see are SO good, and it's SO much better than the movie itself that I think it by far deserves the crown as the DEFINITIVE version of Foodfight! There's so much in it I want to discuss, that there's no way I can fit it all into this one post...so stay tuned, because in the next few days I'll be doing a FULL analysis of the 2005 workprint, pointing out all the extra brand mascots not in the finished film, and generally just gushing about how amazing it is.

I mean, this is it. Just take it all in for a second- the original footage was considered lost media for over a decade, and now it's practically been found in its entirety, embedded in an early cut of the whole movie...isn't that just phenomenal? All the mysteries have been unraveled, all the questions have been answered, and now we can relax, take a deep breath, and watch Foodfight!...the REAL Foodfight! Make sure to enjoy it, and join me next time for my analysis!

[sabertoothwalrus]

hi !! just curious because i was looking at your adventure time episode guide and i love hearing other peoples adventure time takes !! how come you don't like finn's characterisation in together again?

I've talked about it before here and here!

But also I'm gonna say more and share some art I did in 2021 for a rewrite comic that I never got around to doing

So again to reiterate: Adventure Time is usually VERY good at making it feel like time passes, even when you're not watching. It's something about what they don't show that tells you everything you need to know.

Together Again did not do this.

It really really felt like they were avoiding showing Finn as an adult, as if they wanted to leave his post-show life ambiguous. Which, now that Fionna and Cake has shown us literally that, it makes Together Again feel even more wrong?? Like. imagine you have to pick a moment from your life that represents You™ the most. Together Again said that Finn, after living his whole life and dying as an old man, feels most represented by how he was at 17. I do not buy this. I am 25, and I cannot fathom identifying by my 17 year old self. I was a completely different person then, I was still cooking. I can imagine most people feel the same. And ok, so maybe Finn DOES for some reason feel stuck at 17? Explain to me why!! What needed to happen to him that made him feel that way?

And before you just say "it's because Jake died," there's still too much that was left out. How old was Finn when Jake died? What was Finn like, at that point? What else had they accomplished? What was he doing at the time that was on the forefront of his mind? Where/with who did they spend most of their time? Where were they living after the treehouse got destroyed?

It was like,,, it was like the story Together Again actually wanted to tell was about Finn's grief, and how poorly he copes, and how too much of his identity is tied to Having Jake, and how he struggles to move on. But that's not the story we got. I honestly think-- as interesting as it was-- everything with New Death and Tiffany and Lich just did a disservice to the focus, which was Finn trying to get over Jake.

I think Together Again should have gone like this:

Finn and Jake had always planned that whoever died first would wait in the dead world for the other to die so the two of them could reincarnate. Jake dies first. Jake would be able to "watch over" Finn as he lives the rest of his life, so Jake wouldn't miss Finn as much as vice versa, since he'd feel like he's still there with him. Eventually, Finn dies.

Finn's appearance would change with his emotional state. I thought it'd be interesting to show different phases of his life through the stages of grief.

There'd be a room where they could watch Finn's memories. Finn would walk Jake through the events of his life. We SEE exactly how Finn dealt with grief, with heartbreak, with love, with friends, with community. All the good and all the bad.

By the end of it, Finn is quiet. "Jake... when we reincarnate, will we.. lose all of this?" "Well, do you remember anything from any of your other past lives?" "No.. But that's the point. I don't want to forget you." Finn, despite their promise, despite Jake waiting for him all this time, declines reincarnating. He doesn't want to move on, because that would mean forgetting everything. He wants to say with Jake!! He JUST got Jake back!!

“What if— in the future— what if they forget about us? What if they don’t know about all the stuff we did?” We see Ooo in its current state. It’s changed, but it’s clearly been affected by the two of them. Every person they’ve saved, every civilization they helped build, every hero they’ve inspired. They’ve left their touch everywhere. “They’ll know,” Jake says with certainty. “We’ll know.” We see the future, with Shermy and Beth. We see the Finn Sword, and BMO with all their old belongings. Everything stays, but it still changes. Will happen, happening, happened. These have always been the themes of the show. They reincarnate, together.

[tsumuus]

first date headcanons | nekoma

a/n these are just some ideas on how i personally think these characters would ask you out on a date + the actual date. not proofread

characters tetsuro kuroo, kenma kozume, lev haiba, yaku morisuke

masterlist

tetsuro kuroo

would spend days maybe even weeks planning before actually asking you out

he'd ask kenma for advice

he'd just be nonchalant about it a vague

but his laid back responses would help kuroo calm down about the whole situation

despite all his planning, when the moment's right, he'd just go for it

how it would play out:

it would start w his usual teasing

very playful to tease any tension at all

he'd joke about how you two seem to never hang out outside of school

then his tone would shfit to one more sincere

and he'd just go for it

there would be no pressure from him at all

he'd explain how it'd just be a chill, fun night out just the two of you

i think he'd choose a restaurant for a first date

one he knows you'd love

just some place you could relax and enjoy each others company

throughout dinner, the convo would flow so easily thanks to him

he'd be talking about anything and eveyrhting

but would also be quiet and listren attentively whenever you had anything to say

would never cut you off

if you didn't like your food he would 100% switch with you if you seemed to like his more

after the restaurant

he'd take you someone that aligns with both your interests, whatever that is

like a botanical garden, bookstore, a cafe for dessert, wtv

constant chemistry between you two

he'd walk you home

now he'd get nervous

bc he'd really want to kiss you but just doesn't want to freak you out

so if the moment is right

and you seem to be sending the right signals

like saying how much you enjoyed your time together

and closing the gap between you two

he'd just go for it

after your kiss

he'd leave with a warm goodbye and a promise to text you when he gets home

kenma kozume

kenmas very introverted i think that parts obvious

so if he liked you he would take his time contemplating whether or not he should try to confess or even ask you out

but if he comes to the conclusion that he should

he would do it in a way that's both natural and comfortable for the both of you

like if you both like gaming

he'd use that as a bridge

he'd start dropping subtle hints whenever the two fo you are casually playing a game

like how fun it would be if you two tried out a new game together in person

or maybe even hang out a cafe?

i feel like he'd opt towards doing it on text rather than in person

it's less intimidating for him and he could carefully plan out what his message says

it would be simple and straightforward

after sending the text, he'd prob be a bit anxious waiting for your response

but when you say yes, he can't help but let out a small sigh of relief and a genuine smile

for the date, it would be somewhere comfy yet secluded

like a small, cozy cafe or bookstore that has a cafe

the convertstaion throughout your date would center around shared interests like gaming

and since kenma isn't one for constant chatter, he wouldn't feel uneasy if the convo ever got quiet, infact he prefers the silence more than ever since it's w you

his affection is shown through the small things

since he's not one for chatter, you'd most likely be the one carrying the convo while he atentively listens

you'd catch him giving you shy, soft smiles throughout the date

he wouldn;t make a big deal out of the goodbye

just a quiet, sweet, sincere thank you

but you will recieve a follow up message later that night with him clearly expressing that he enjoyed his time with you and asking if youd like to hang out again sometime soon

lev haiba

he is naturally enthusiastic and filled w energy

when he asks you out it would be a total accident

he woulda been bursting from excitement, barely able to contain his feelings

it prob woulda been after you complimented him on something

or even just a sweet thing you did for him that went completely unnoticed by you, but not by him

so he just confesses on the spot

Immediately asking you out on a date

his sincerity would be evident in his eyes

making it hard to resist his invitation

the date he takes you on would be packed with fun activities

he'd choose a mix of things to do to ensure theres never a dull moment

like going to an amusemnet park or ever the zoo

his playful energy would be contagious

he would make sure youre both having a blast

whether thats by riding roller coasters, playing arcade games, or mimicing the animals at the zoo

his natural charm would unintentionally come off as flirting

he'd make you laugh by doing just about anything

often teasing you in a lighthearted and affectionate way

despite his playful demeanor

hed show his sweet side through ways like letting you beat him at an arcade game, buying you your favorite snack, and just overall ensure that you are comfortable throughout the date

his tall build and boundless energy leads to some adorable clumsiness

and even in those awkward moments, he never seems to get embarrassed around you

but you do catch him blushing at times

his openness and vulnerability is definitely endearing

it just shows how much he cares for you

he'd waljk you home after

still buzzing with excitement

he'd thank you for an amazinf day

and he's quick to text you with details for the next date, eagerly getting ahead of himself

has everything for the next date planned out way before even asking you about it, even way before the first date ended

yaku morisuke

wouldn't prep much before asking you out

dont get me wrong hed want it to be special ofc but also not overly dramatic

he's observant

he pays attention to your likes and dislikes

so his approach would be based on what he knows you'd apperciate

he's reassuring, sincere, and gentle with how he asks you out

he makes it clear that his interest in you is genuine

the date he plans is well-organized

he'd take your interests and preferences when choosing the location of your date

oh but let me just say

he is a total GENTLEMAN

like chivalry is not dead, and that is due solely to him lol

his manners are impeccable

hed hold doors for you, pull out your chair, constantly checking in on you, etc

he'd keep the conversation engaging

asking you many questions to keep up the convo

but also inst shy about talking about himself

but not in a selfcentered way yk

he listens so well to everyhting you have to say

makes you feel heard and valued

he'd remember small details from previous conversations, showing how much he cares

if its a bit chilly

he would notice immediately and offer you his jacket

his protective nature evident in these tiny but meaningful gestures

constantly complimenting you throughou t the date

he would walk you home

thank you for a good time

he's so thoughful and heartfelt

you can;t help but kiss his cheek before saying goodbye

the genuine and starstruck look on his face leaves you looking foward to your next date

[oh-no-its-bird]

Also, the detail of Houhua!SQH checking out the expensive earrings because the color reminded him of MBJ is heartbreaking. Kinda hope MBJ got isekai'd w/ him

I ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IF MBJ HAD GOTTEN ISEKAI'D WITH HIM AND I KIND OF REALLY WANT HIM TO BE!! I think it'd be normal reincarnation for him, he doesn't remember their past life, which just makes things more painful for Houhua actually.

Houhua is falling over himself trying to see if he remembers him but is getting nothing !! Sorry Houhua <3

I think he'd be from another village and they wouldn't bump into each other till way later down the line. Im thinking specifically like. Him reincarnating into the same clan as Haku actually. Don't they have some sort of bloodline limit that revolves around ice? I need that. Desperately.

Maybe in a parallel to SVSSS, MBJ here wants to become Kiri's Kage? Idk how thatd work, but like putting that on the table. But like him being a rogue nin, possibly not knowing that Haku survived the culling of their clan (omg he finally has a family he can have an actual positive relationship with! He just,, needs to find him first)

Houhua is straight up ready to drop everything he's been working at in Konoha to go to his kings side but MBJ does not remember his ass and would not know how to appreciate it correctly

I want them to meet and like, obviously MBJ is warry of this Konoha shinobi, but Houhua is incredibly uncharacteristically eager to help him out (which alarms and confuses whatever teammates hes with at the time) and ends up going out of his way to help him somehow

MBJ is left thinking he's a fucking idiot, real Konoha "friendship is magic" breed, and is incredibly confused by the kindness he was shown by him but kind of ends up chalking it up to just. "fucking konoha weirdos and their reputation for being soft"

(Meanwhile Houhua's teammates are giving him HELLA side eye rn, who are you and what happened to their cowardly, Uchiha "we must always choose our own interests over others, especially outside the village walls" Houhua)

(,,,they absoloutley think Houhua has a hopeless crush on the nukenin. Nothing Houhua does or says from this point on will change this assumption.)

(To be fair, they aren't,,, wrong?)

Some time later one of his teammates gives Houhua a cut out of MBJ from a bingo book, meaning it as a joke to tease Houhua, and the cut out ends up meaning much more to Houhua than anyone might have guessed.

(Even later, when they met again, Houhua ends up dropping the little picture where MBJ sees and MBJ is deeply confused by it)

Anyways what would MBJ go by here? I changed SQH's name to better fit the setting plus to draw a clear line between Shang Quinghua and Uchiha Houhua

Tbh I feel like just "Jun" works pretty well? I feel like it's also similar enough Haku's short n sweet name to be able to squint and wave a vague hand at them being related, like, on a surface level, idk, does that make sense?

ANYWHO YEAH !!! Houhua and Jun my beloveds <3

[allhailmeandmy]

So in curiosity I looked up the 72 demons names and such and read them a bit, as well as thought how many of them will be where and if every king will have 10 each and special guys have extra, will any kings share a vassal? Will there be nobles who don't serve a king? There likely will be more fallen angels like beleth, for example, phoenix, according to the wiki, is a fallen angel.

"Phenex hopes to return to Heaven after 1,200 years, but he is deceived in this hope. "

I've picked some I found interesting under cut. If anyone looked up the 72 demons as well and found any interesting and wonder what king they'd be assigned to add on, I think it's interesting

First up Gremory

A he/she!? Idk how pb will design the demons, but this one I'm excited for ( be ready for disappointment always happens to me for things I'm excited for)

This one's interesting, depending if they give him thunder powers, cuz some they did take the powers the demons had into characters and some not as much, so if furfur had thunder powers, he and leray... and the lying? Hmm, it could be a hades noble. I tell ya, but that's just a theory, a game theory!

Hmm... flauros what does "other fallen angels" mean? Are u one? Are u just knowledgeable in fallen angels? That of course could mean nothing when turned into a character

Shax gives a vibe of a tartaros noble, cuz u think It'd be funny, cuz yk mammon wouldn't care too much, while bimet would go crazy, enemy co workers, but bird motif is giving abyssos... most abyssos existing nobles , demons they're named after have a bird motif so... if so, bael would get another headache ( giving kleptophilia, but might be too predictable)

Decarabia is giving paradise lost noble due to the herb precious stones knowledge, "can change into all birds" is giving abyssos origin, but precious stone knowledge is giving tarturos, either way I think healer

Gaap as mighty as Beleth? Making me wonder... if they do make that important enough to whb, what would it mean? One sided beef with Gaap and beleth? Gaap idolising beleth? Well who knows, do wonder if "guide of four kings" would be taken to whb tho, a shared noble?

I can see people getting mad that an Amy is a male demon when Amy comes out, but as its here, the actual demon named Amy is a male . "Return to the seventh throne" is making me think, either a previous rules that's been thrown over, or like glasyalalobas vassago, where they want to throw over the existing king

Marchosias, this one's interesting, non fallen angel? How would that work? Maybe like Samael where he got betrayed by angels as he was being used? I'd say gehenna, but idk everyone seemed surprised at Lameas but it could've just been surprise at being betrayed, and not him being an angel , so who knows, especially since there's so much making gehenna being welcoming to all but so far everyone's shown to be a born demon?

And, since there's people who want a female demon interests ( like myself), and as all 72 demons are male, they could introduce other demons who aren't nobles, like lilith for example, she's not one of the 72 nobles, and I checked another thing, and in it being "female demon named Obyzouth" as well as " the 7 star sisters (a reference to the Pleiades)" according to Testament of Solomon Wiki

But that's just a theory! A game theory! For anyone who rear it go here, I'm curious, if you read the wiki, any demons yall found interesting? Have your own theories? Do share em! I think it's interesting

[justanotherhh]

what does being aroace do for alastor's character?

thing about alastor being aroace is that there's so much juicy potential (cannibal joke) embedded in this concept that i don't know about going too far into, as it's still early days and who knows what the direction will be. but. some analysis. some predictions. some headcanons. mix and match with hedonistic abandon. and at the end a bunch of feelings

first and foremost and basically what all the subsequent points will be about in some way, is it's such a great flipping on its head of a tired idea that aspec-ness (in the vague way it's often discussed) is a way of depicting inhumanity -- characters who can't love are Other, characters who don't want sex are childlike, the way to become a Human Adult Person is to enter into these partnerships, to be fixed. in alastor, being aroace is very much the thing that brings him to humanity, grounds him in something beneath the constant mask he wears. to dig deeper...

just visually, i like how his mask literally slips when he's propositioned/involved in sexual comedy/when people discuss romance too much around him. he glitches, or becomes otherwise uncomfortable, or zones out. i like the crack hc that he avoids val at all costs, that val is actually vox' best weapon against alastor, just because his whole Essence is outside of alastor's ability or wish to process

2. the fact that he's caught off-guard by attachment. he's created an untouchable persona (emotionally and physically to an extent/with exceptions -- the distance of the radio to the listener is something i think about a lot), that with the aroace read comes off partly as protection, especially considering how hypersexual hell is, and how generally hyper-romantic earth would have been (hell is romantic with caveats... more in a sec), so when he realises he almost died to protect the hotel gang it sends him into a full-on meltdown

3. that being said, the way he interacts with women is full of charm and ease: mimzy and rosie first and foremost, then also charlie and niffty, and even to an extent vaggie and possibly carmilla, and maybe cherri in future. he's able to get closer to women, able to be respectful in a southern gentleman old-timey way. it reads as chivalry-with-a-demonic-twist. alastor may be unsettling and untrustworthy for other reasons, but not about crossing sexual or romantic boundaries, which makes him surprisingly safe to hang around. i wonder if this was the case whilst living (and if, ironically, it meant that women ended up crossing his boundaries)

4. i especially would be into this tying into his relationship with niffty, who feels like a woman scorned/wronged/hurt in some way in a 50s housewife-ish romantic way (i personally think her story will be incredibly messed up when it's finally shown), but is very happy hanging out with alastor. sidenote, i bet alastor is so proud of her for killing adam

5. the fact that "ace in the hole" is a comment directed at the idea of alastor-and-charlie is fun and spoken about in-depth, and i will wonder until we find out (if we do) how rosie figured it out, and what it says for their relationship that she hasn't told alastor. that they have limitations to their closeness, or that she knows he'll reject it, or that he needs time to get there. personally i think alastor is so detached from himself that he wouldn't know what to do with it at present, it'd be functionally useless until he's learnt to come into himself more -- aroaceness as the end of a journey of humanising a character, not the thing that needs to be gotten away from in order to be seen as human

6. romance! in hell! it's a little stickier there, with sex-with-no-strings seeming to be a more popular pastime, so i think that part was more of a concern whilst he was alive, but that being said, im interested in how this plays into the above relationships, how characters will react to this part once he starts being more openly on the side of/affectionate with the wider hotel gang, and in how this might come up in future, with regards to...

7. vox! voooox! oh i want vox to become. so creepy. currently we've got underlying creepiness to vox' pathetic obsession with alastor that's coded as having been partially romantic and sexual in nature at one point (if not still romantic and sexual...). there's something about it that speaks to the way that alastor is not aroace because of trauma, but there is trauma involved in being aroace

8. that is, constantly having ones boundaries overstepped, whilst not having the words to say how or why or assert them properly, being projected onto by vox and maybe others while he was alive and post-death, potentially when-alive having that framed as a form of inhumanity in and of itself (and how that ties to him being a serial killer, which im so into)

9. the idea of having been made to feel alien in his own skin due to amatonormativity and not knowing why he feels this way, and compensating by creating boundaries that are extreme, but they work as coping mechanisms, up until... perhaps they won't (hinted at in the finale of s1)

10. (i soooo want vox' creepiness to eventually lead to him actually beating alastor in some way, temporarily, and alastor having to face the mortifying ordeal of being saved by the hotel gang, knowing he's weak and needs to be taken care of by them, knowing that they know that vox won in some way, knowing that vox will take it as vindication and become more powerful from it, know all his walls weren't strong enough in the end -- like a part two to the finale, which ultimately the others didn't see (although vox did) and was already such a big deal for him. gimme some alastor angst!!!)

11. smthinsmthin when we have an aroace character whose whole Deal is being untouchable (emotionally and physically, barring Certain People) being pushed into a space where he has to allow himself to be cared for and through that engage with his own boundaries and which ones have become poisonous to him vs the ones which are actually Who He Is

12. i like to think that he and angel could have an unlikely friendship with a lot of shenanigans, because they both have narratives focused on (re)establishing a relationship with their own bodies, after being made to feel unable to inhabit them as who they are -- angel due to abuse, alastor due to being aroace/repulsed (angel learning to respect alastor's boundaries and being protective of them as an extension of his own journey)

13. alastor filtering through what parts of him are him and what parts are the walls/coping mechanisms -- it's been a lot of years, even before he died, of building them after all. who is the man beneath it all?

14. big fan of how this interacts with his past as a murderer too -- the metaphor is made into something much deeper when the character's aroaceness is a humanising factor in a story about people who have done/do bad things. this not to say he'll necessarily be redeemed (but who knows, vaggie has killed a lot of people and probably will be, or, she'll probably stay in hell with charlie, but the narrative will go "she's chill now." in fact it already pretty much has), but that it adds to all the grey areas of his character. he's not a pure, sad little soul who's always suffering, he's dealt in suffering himself, he enjoys the suffering of others, and he's in control all the time

15. it must have been incredibly humiliating not only to die so stupidly/randomly/without say, but to become a deer demon after that. again, prey, weak, lack of control. his whole Thing is control of the narrative, and his death was totally out of that control, and that in and of itself plays into aroaceness as the idea of "if you can't verbalise yourself, if you can't adequately create boundaries, then overcorrect. become the most inscrutable, untouchable, unsettling, disturbing version of yourself. make people not want to get close to you in the first place"

16. and yet despite all that, he can't help liking people, he can't help being charming and funny and smart and in some ways there's a mask in that too -- sharp wit to cut people down, when you're not... literally cutting people down, a cool, shallow friendliness that deliberately keeps a tension at the forefront, the smartness helping to control and shape and keep power. funnily enough, when he's ready to be aroace, oh the real power he'll have (whether he'll use it for good or bad, or a mix of both... who knows, but he'll be fully himself at last, and that's a happy ending)

17. on the flipside to angel, i think it would take charlie a hot second to deal with it -- she'd be supportive in word, but also she's a known boundary-crosser/someone who has her fixed ideas of how things ought to be and it takes a strong "no" to make her realise when she's got it all wrong. all this to say, she might get the ace part, but she could struggle with the aro, trying to twist it into a version of love so that she could humanise him on her terms, using the word "love", until someone steps up for alastor in some way (in my head, angel, but that's my angel and alastor unlikely friends agenda)

18. husk already knows in some way. also not with words, but he's like, yeah this guy. none of that. are y'all surprised????

19. i wonder if when alive he briefly thought he might be a homosexual, or if he knew from the start that he wasn't, especially considering that men are more disgusting to him overall than women

20. i wonder if mimzy knows or suspects, and also if she was in love with him during their lifetime

21. i like to think in life he's utilised the tactics of the song "the gentleman doesn't believe" and just gone "i hate kissing i mean and uh. dancing. and jazz. and uh... smoking. and walking. and everyting else!!!! (but mostly kissing)" as a way of getting out of someone suggesting a date

22. alastor as hot and charming and unfuckable and unromanceable and repulsed by the idea of it all, and who has the supremely aroace fantasy powers of a. "am not being perceived" and b. "am so terrifying you wish you couldn't perceive me" and whose relationships are dictated by his aroaceness, not despite it!

23. ultimately, this point is the main one for me, regardless of how the story actually gets there: aroaceness as the end of a journey of humanising a character, not the thing that needs to be gotten away from in order to become human

24. pal of mine @creepysora said: "they didnt let anyone walk so now he waltzes ready for murder" and yeah. jumped straight to complex character with big, wonderful flaws in a strange little universe, bypassing all the dull explanatory 1-0-1 that just isn't my cup of tea and into a way of writing aroaceness that can be complex and nuanced and based in character, story, theme, rather than education -- he's not implied, he's not one-note, he's not there to explain, he's not defined solely by his role in the story as the token so-and-so, he's not there to be fixed, he's not there to be dubbed as Other, he is

this character genuinely doesn't exist elsewhere, outside of the stories and ideas i see shared and share within my community. this kind of focus, it's... kind of heady to be honest. like you only ever tasted something sweet in crumbs, and then someone gives you a boatload of it all at once

and tbh. he deserves a little murder. as a treat. because fuck, being aroace is hard

[melonteee]

I think one representation we are really missing in media is people who are interested in romantic relationships but that doesn't mean it's the only ending for them to be happy. Like, an unmarried woman living with lots of cats or an old unmarried man in an apartment is always depicted as this lonely unfulfilling life when it sounds so good to me. This is why I love one piece so much. Sanji is obviously not like luffy or Zoro who aren't interested in romance at all but atleast to me I can't imagine him ending up married with one single woman and raising children. I think he would end up like chef Zeff in the end. And there's so many different ways people are living. Whitebeard was happy raising his hoarde of criminal adopted boys, kureha is happy living alone up on a mountain and only coming down when she pleases to cause shit. Rayleigh and shakky are happy in..whatever their arrangement is.

No anon literally. One Piece has always been about that happiness is more than just the social norms we've found ourselves in. Happiness is MORE than just the world TELLING us what happiness is, it's MORE than just getting married, settling down, and having a wife and kids. Happiness is different for everyone, goals and dreams aren't just related to romance and bloodlines, and that's why for the LIFE of me I cannot see One Piece ending with ANY of the Strawhats getting married.

Even with Hancock, her happiness is not 'marrying' Luffy, it's the fact SOMEONE actually SEES her as a human being. If Luffy ever loved her back romantically , it'd be a paradox, because she loves him BECAUSE he doesn't romantically love HER.

And with Sanji, we have seen Sanji's happiness is not JUST marrying a woman, Sanji's happiness is not getting married. Sanji's happiness is with his crew, it's his dreams, it's carrying on Zeff's will and finding the All Blue. Pudding's happiness came from Sanji helping her realise she's more than just the monster her mother told her she was, and this is a STEP towards her finding her own person and happiness.

Happiness CAN mean a romantic partner and marriage, but One Piece has shown us time and time again, these characters do NOT care about that - nor do they even THINK about that. Oda is a good writer, he makes sure his themes all connect and are comprehensible - hence why I truly cannot see ANY of the strawhats getting married or having any endgame relationships. Especially with One Piece having tons of older characters who are happy existing without romantic partners OR marriage.

[piesafterdark]

Predictions for Arcane as a franchise + my thoughts! Season 2, Act 3 spoilers ahead.

jayce, viktor, and jinx can't be dead. Let me tell you why.

no. 1, Arcane's been pretty explicit with deaths. Silco, Vi and Cait's moms, Benzo, the sergeant from season 1 act 1 etc etc we've all seen dead bodies, time pass without them coming back, or character arcs shifting to accommodate deaths (lsha's and Silco's death shaping Jinx). In season 2, Maddie's, Ambessa's, and random extra's deaths were all shown on screen. Therefore, if we don't see a body, the body's still moving.

no. 2, while this is Arcane's last season, there's going to be more Runeterra shows. Of course we don't know what's going to happen over there, but I don't think Riot and Fortische are just going to throw Arcane's characters away unless they do. "the arcane is waking up" and all that jazz. Seems to me like the arcane isn't back to sleep, and who has experience with the arcane. Oh, right, all these cool guys. Leading to points 3 and 4.

no. 3, Jayce's crystal, given to him by the mage (Viktor) in season 1, was used for teleportation, if I remember correctly. Rather than dying/getting sucked into the crystal, they've been teleported somewhere else and will be used to shift the focus onto that location. This fits. Moving to a completely different location would disrupt the glorious evolution. Plus we didn't see their bodies so.

EDIT: apparently it was the rune of insight or smth. my bad. Still, theres a chance? Please Riot, pleaaseee

from arcanegifs

no. 4, Jinx my beloved. There was a line of shimmer leaving the explosion at the bottom of the pit, and the epilogue of Cait looking at the pit and seeing air ducts hints that Jinx/Powder escaped. I'm pretty sure the Zepplin shown at the end was to imply she left Piltover and Zaun, finally becoming her own person. Throughout the show, her identity was determined by her relationships (hair mirroring Silco's, smoke tattoos for Vi, mental illness from causing her brothers' deaths), and with hallucination Silco suggesting the best way to change the Cycle of Killing is leaving, that's what she chose to do. Additionally, her handwriting for the "the end" at the finale suggests that she was there to write it. She's alive guys trust me. Her change of scenery can be used to shift the focus to a different location.

My personal Thoughts:

on no. 4, I would hate it if they decided to kill Jinx after she found herself. It's overused. Seeing Jinx/Powder finally become herself without Silco's, Zaun's, and her sister's baggage in a new place would be super interesting. As someone who doesn't play League, I've heard there's some blond character she's shipped with from a different country/city? Foreshadowing perhaps? Plus it'd be so in character for her to start a new series with a chaotic "I bet you're wondering what I did after I faked my death."

Cait and Vi will probably remain in Piltover/Zaun doing reform (the show's whole point). The reason why Vi didn't look super duper sad is probably because she's going through shock or because Cait reassured her that Jinx/Powder isn't dead (air ducts). Ekko's probably going to do reform w/ the power couple because that's his motivation.

The sex scene's context is a bit odd, but Jinx literally gave Vi permission to be with Cait so... ? When life gives you lemons, give your gf head i guess. Wish Cait did apology head though, she really hurt Vi... But then again, Vi probably wanted to get lost in the sauce and forget about everything around her, hence the "I don't fucking care" comment.

Jayce was right, Viktor was blinded. Love that they're in love.

It's so interesting to see Sevika going from backing revolutionaries (Silco and Vander) to becoming a revolutionary herself and actually getting a seat on the council!! She went from kingmaker to king.

Thought season 2 was kinda rushed? Idk wished we had hour long episodes just to flesh things out.... still a great season.

It's not over. With the success this show's been giving Netflix, there's at least twenty more on the horizon. God bless Riot and Fortische.

going to go cry now.

[ghenry]

What do you think of GHMs more "Mainstream" titles such as LC, SoTD and NMH3 compared against their more underground works like Killer7, Silver Case and NMH1. I find the latter has a sense of mystique and weirdness that's missing from the former when the studio seemed pigeon-holed in a brand of "Sex, Violence and quirky"

I've been meaning to write about this here, so good question! I gave it a lot of thought after finding a JPN copy of Killer Is Dead and seeing this within the box;

Here's a quote of Suda reflecting on the production of said game;

Suda was not interested in eroticism when it came to his company's games. However, the more mainstream games GHM made (without his direction) were full of instances that were little more than eye candy. Sex appeal for the sake of it. And much of that was against Suda's will;

Paula running around in a thong (and even tits out a couple times if you played the NA version) throughout Shadows of the Damned also reminds me of Tim Rogers recalling his time working at Grasshopper as a designer in the late 2000s. He sat in a lot of meetings with Suda talking to EA and mentioned a time Suda talked about a save function idea he thought of while reflecting on Travis always using a toilet to save in the NMH games.

An early idea was Garcia going to bed with a woman every time he had to save. This was likely when the game was still going to be open world-ish and Garcia was single. From how Tim Rogers talked about this, it was pretty much the only idea Suda had that EA actually showed interest in. Obviously this idea never panned out, instead saving being delegated to a little demon that poops to signify a saved game. Funny that it connects to NMH's toilet save function in that way.

Something else worth bringing up would be the "gigolo missions" from Killer Is Dead. This also derived from a concept Suda had for Shadows of the Damned where Garcia was gonna take girls out on dates, bring flowers, and it'd actually be cute and romantic. At least, from how he described it.

(These screenshots are from Feel the Magic, a DS game where you played mini-games as you tried to win the heart of a girl throughout the story)

This idea was repurposed for Killer Is Dead, but, according to Suda, the sexual aspects of it were conjured up by Hideyuki Shin, the game's director. Therefore, it devolved into x-ray glasses, staring at boobs, and giving gifts to a robot that repeated animations. A cannibalization of the original concept.

Suda seemed afraid of Grasshopper's reputation being mutated into an identity he didn't consent to. Sex appeal is not something he really thinks about when it comes to making games. It's not his style;

The only times Suda has shown sexuality in the games he directed is when it's discomforting or deeply disturbing, almost never for eye candy.

I still appreciate games like Shadows of the Damned, Killer Is Dead, and Lollipop Chainsaw. As much as this era of GHM was railroaded to chasing some mainstream trends and trying too hard to be quirky, they still had unique aspects that help them stand out above other games of the same subgenre. But I can't help but notice a fissure between these games and the ones he actually directed. The nuance, mystery, and thought-provoking stories are most prominent when he's the one directing.

I'm not going to fault people for liking eroticism and such in video games. I've played plenty of horny games too, and there's obviously an appeal there. But anyone still expecting that from Suda is barking up the wrong tree. Looking at how he's been handling everything since 2018 makes it even sadder when you reflect how these publishers tried cramming Grasshopper Manufacture into this box they didn't want to be in.

One last thing I have to retort, though. I don't lump No More Heroes 3 with the quirky "mainstream" games the way you did in the question. Sure, NMH3 definitely went for a more mainstream marketing plan and the game got super silly at times, but it still has an interesting narrative with a ton of nuance. Way more than any GHM game between 2010-2016. Hence my 4+ hour long analysis of the game;

Many people even rejected this game outright because the eroticism and scantily-clad female cast was mostly absent. This was likely expectations they built after experiencing games like NMH2, SotD, LC, etc.

Speaking a bit more on the sense of eroticism, it's funny to think how that was admittedly present in NMH1, obnoxiously expanded upon in NMH2, and then mostly done away with in NMH3. Going as far as turning Naomi--and her balloon tits--into a goddamn tree!

However, I don't believe Suda turned Naomi into a tree for the sole purpose of removing her sex appeal. I believe this just further accentuates how that aspect is not something he's interested in or finds important for the game itself. He likely didn't even think of it that way, but instead "Hey, she should be a tree now."

And then there's Kimmy, whose death was not only a very harrowing moment in the game, it was also depicted in a sexual manner. Similar to Bad Girl's death in the original NMH. Note the motions and angles in her death scene.

Like I said, this rather disturbing sense of sexuality is more Suda's vibe. And I'm happy to see he hasn't lost that edge, so many years later. Anyway, thanks for the question! I had a lot of fun writing out this answer.

[moxie-girl]

DRDT EP 13/14 ANALYSIS/THEORIES

I said I'd do this once I collected my thoughts! haha Warning! This is super long…

To start, I'm going to pick apart all the stuff I predicted for ep. 13 (I'll try not to make it too long…)

Levi's Secret

Well. Levi sure did admit to. All that! I think this eliminates any last doubts I personally had about him being the killer… (your honor just because I'm a serial killer doesn't mean I killed that specific person /ref) I really like that he isn't shown as a bad person just because he lacks empathy, and he's actually actively trying to be a good person… the fact that he just admitted his secret because he thought it was the right thing to do is so funny though, there go all my theories lol! (I'm still a little worried about rule 14 though…)

Ace's (Almost) Murder

Yeah!! This is probably what we're gonna spend episode 14 talking about, with murder method and alibis, etc. I still don't think it was Nico though! (I want to say I called that it'd be relevant, but it felt a little obvious…)

The Murder Method

I think we can say this has been all figured out, with the method being exactly what several people much smarter than me all figured out.

The Possible Culprits

Rose was still acting a little odd, but I think Whit on the other hand, despite whatever all that was, is off the hook for now, so my number 1 suspect is still Hu! I'm like 90% sure she was the one who tried to kill Ace, at least, and that's become very important now!

Secrets

Well, we got all the secrets figured out! (Hu :( ) The fandom interpretation was pretty much correct, except for Teruko's (we'll get to that later…) I do hope that after this trial, some of the secrets that are not relevant/haven't really been discussed do get adressed, because I could even see them becoming motives for murder again. But also, I just want the characters to talk about them! (gimme that juicy juicy angst…)

Ace

He didn't re-open his injury or really freak out like I expected, but we got some vulnerability (and a new sprite!) from Ace, and considering next episode is probably gonna focus a ton on him, I'm still expecting at least one of the two to happen…

Teruko

Luckily for Teruko, we didn't have anything unlucky happen to her this episode! But she sure did get her time in the protag spotlight anyway, I'm glad she didn't let the mistake from last episode get her down!

☆ ☆ ☆

Also, my bingo card! I got a bingo!! (ft. my messy tiny notes if you want to read them)

A few of my other bingo predictions I'm still going to hold on to for the next (few) episodes, but now, onto some new stuff!

Final Arei Flashback

Whoooah boy was that scene a doozy. I'm starting to think David's murderous rage towards the blackened at the start of the trial was genuine, because me too, man. I'm really glad Arei got at least a little bit of closure before she died, though! She also had an interesting take on the "good person" role, something that has been very important to this trial thus far and will likely continue to be. (I'm thinking that the killer may have had a "good person"-related motivation for killing, which is why it's the chapter's overarching theme?)

Also, to adress the elephant in the room… EDEN??? Well, no wonder Xander "didn't expect her to attack [him] like that" - and from her expression I wonder if she expected it either - I'm really looking forward to learning more about what, exactly, happened before the killing game that involved them! I didn't really believe in Mastermind!Eden before this, but it's starting to look pretty plausible... (Also Xander is the king of haunting the narrative oh my god lol)

Teruko's Secret

Many of us, myself included, were hoping/guessing/assuming that when all the secrets were figured out, David would reveal that he actually had Teruko's, not Xander's. While that didn't happen, the way he reacted after she claimed "her" secret essentially confirms it, as does a lot of other evidence:

That secret being hers would complete a secret circle of Teruko -> Rose -> Whit -> David -> Teruko and a secret pair of Xander <--> Min, which makes sense considering all other secret swaps are either circles of four or in pairs.

Xander and Min would have each other's secrets logically since neither of them can receive secrets, so theirs would probably be separated from the rest.

MonoTV's line about not knowing whether they're all correct feels like a reminder/a hint that some of the secrets are incorrect, and those two feel like the most likely options.

Teruko apparently has no idea which secret is actually hers, so may have just guessed the one that sounded more like her, except we know she never knew her parents and only had one sibling (as does Charles… I wonder if he'll notice)

EDIT: I cant believe I almost forgot, but I feel like David’s attitude towards Xander (and Teruko) makes more sense with these secrets, because why would he idolize Xander if the killing game was his fault, but he would idolize him if he thought Xander was trying to end the killing game by killing Teruko, the person David now thinks/knows is at fault.

However, since David didn't claim out loud that Teruko was lying, it's likely that this piece of information will become relevant much later in the series, and he'll be keeping it to himself for now.

Veronika and Hu

When did Veronika and Hu make their pact? And how did Hu, presumably the one who wanted to make the pact, know that Veronika had her secret? Also, what on earth do you mean, Veronika, that your secret isn't the worst thing you've done???? This little section with the two of them could just be entirely innocent and a way for the dev to get the rest of the secrets on the board, and let Veronika be a little unhinged as she tends to be, but I get the feeling at least some of this is relevant. (I'm betting on either Accomplice!Veronika or Veronika's actual "worst thing" being important to a later trial…)

David

Ohhhhh, David. I feel like Veronika with how much I want to psychoalanize this guy. He is on the verge of a breakdown, and I can feel it! The question being, of course, whether Arei's death was enough to make it happen this chapter, or whether this is something that's gonna last another chapter or two before coming to a head. My money's on the second option, because I think this trial is about to be about Ace and his impending breakdown :)

I do hope after this trial we do get to see a little more of what David's actually like beyond his facades/the roles he's been playing! Also, as much as I'd like to see David survive and have to deal with the consequences of revealing his "true" personality on live television, I think it's more likely he'll go the way of DR antags trying to end the killing game via self-sacrifice.

(We also better keep a close eye on anyone who tries to befriend or help David in Ch3, because they're gonna die next! /j)

J's Morality

This is a short one, but I just wanted to comment on another analysis I saw point out that J has been one of the most vocal people anytime murder has been brought up. I think that behind her rougher personality, J is a more empathetic person, and/or has very strong morals, making her a narrative foil to Levi now, so I do hope the two of them interact in Ch3!

Whit??

Whit. Whit why do you know so much about hanging??? Being serious though, I saw someone else bring up that his mother might have died by hanging and he researched it afterwards as a coping mechanism or something? That's the saddest possible explanation, but it does make the most sense by far… I honestly don't think that Whit is the killer, because then why would he be being so helpful in figuring out the murder method, but he's still so weird and suspicious sometimes.

Nico!

Even though I still don't think it was Nico (crime scene makes more sense if seen as Nico trying to help Ace, they may have just admitted to it because it was the less confrontational option, next ep is def not the last one and I think it'll be about proving who it was other than Nico, and if you look at Nico's secret quote…) I still do hope they get the chance to get mad! Get mad at Ace! Get mad at David! Get mad at whoever the (attempted) killer was for putting the blame on them! Idk I just want them to have their moment.

☆ ☆ ☆

And finally, here are my new bingo cards for the next episode:

(I can't believe ep14 is gonna be 40 mins + there's a "non-spoiler" thumbnail rn oooooh I'm so nervous)

[nerdinsandals]

Since this year is such a special occasion, I thought it'd be fun to take a sneak peek into the ✨future✨!

I'm not 100% married to one specific future for Conway, but the idea of him becoming a professor is my favorite so far. After all, he's been shown to be very studious to the point he was already a walking Pokédex as a kid!

So this version of him caught Professor Rowan's attention during one of his school camps (I like to think they went more than once!) and decided to recruit him as his protégé so that he can succeed him when he retires.

[This post turned out longer than expected so I put the rest after the cut!]

While Rowan has taken a back seat at this point, he's still very much not retired and watches Conway like a hawk to make sure he'll be okay when he's on his own. But due to Rowan's resting grump face, Conway often finds him difficult to read and sometimes believes Rowan is dissatisfied with his work, even though he's not! He just looks that way, but he's really proud of him. ♥

So what would Professor Conway specialize in, you ask? Well, since one of his more remarkable characteristics is the fact that he introduced moves that had never been seen in the anime before him (and sometimes even after him), that's definitely something that interests him. In the anime, the process of discovering and learning rare moves spontaneously (when Pokémon "level up") has never been explained iirc. So I thought it'd be interesting to make rare moves and the learning process of these moves his area of expertise, and let his research lead to the eventual creation of TMs as training assistance tools in the anime universe! Plus, in this version he's still an active trainer even if he's more focused on academics, so his research actually comes in handy in battles too.

As for the design itself, I wanted to give him a sleeveless lab coat to mirror his canon self's jacket, but tbh I didn't like how it looked in white, so I made it green instead, aaaand that accidentally made the outfit look just like an evolved version of his canon one, which I guess makes sense? Adults are basically evolved versions of kids after all.

And what's the evolved version of sandals with jeans? Why, Crocs with jeans, of course! 😌

He doesn't care too much about his appearance, so he'll only get a haircut when he feels it's absolutely necessary or when it physically bothers him, so his hair can fluctuate between short and long (or in-between, as shown here! I drew the grown out look just for fun but I actually really like it haha).

Anyway, this post turned out longer than I expected. I just love Professor Conway, okay? 🥺💚

[echoesofwisdomcountup]

25 Days until Tears of the Kingdom Release. Is it really? Haha the smaller the number gets the more I doubt reality. I've just been waiting for this game for so long that even with all the marketing and the trailer analysis it's hard to believe its actually happening.

Spoilers under the cut for the last batch of screenshot trailer analysis.

So this tear has the recall chicken symbol on it. I checked. Zelda also has the Master Sword with her. Either she's fixing the sword and that's something only she can do or Zelda is in the past so the sword isn't broken yet and she is leaving something there for Link.

Ganondorf, mummy version I'm assuming, spewing red malice stuff but much brighter red this time. I wonder if Malice is just Ganondorf's version of fuse. Link gets green glue and Ganondorf red. After this there is a shot where the red stuff hits the sky and starts summoning monsters. The trailer transitions it to make it look continuous but once we get into the game we'll most likely find that it's separate cut scenes or different parts of the same cut scene but not continuous. Honestly, I think this might be where Link and the Master Sword get attacked but I'm still not giving up on the possibility that the malice emerges from the Master Sword outwards as Fi looses control on Demise.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned the lack of lynels in the other analysis I did. Welp here they are with their massive antlers (oof on the damage those things will probably cause) and the sword looking thing sticking out of one of their heads. I wonder what fusing Lynel horns to shields, swords, or arrows will do. I think I'll fight some just for that.

What else do I have to say? It's the main man, Ganondorf. I can't wait to kick his ass again.

Never seen this enemy in any of the Zelda games I've played. However, I will look forward to this boss fight/mini boss fight and whatever skill or item we need to defeat it. Maybe ascend or some ice weapon? I heard that ascend works on certain enemies and I'm very curious about which ones. It'd be interesting if this enemy tries to swallow Link and Link just ascends through the roof of its mouth.

This is Hylia or some version of Zelda from the past (yeah I'm aware that Hylia is technically a version of Zelda but whatever.) I think she's very pretty, super amazing, and very strong considering she laser beams a bunch of Molduga with no sweat.

RIJU!!! Look at my girl double wielding swords (Can we do it too as Link? Nintendo?? I wanna duel wield.) Riju appears to have grown into her own and mastered her lightning powers without needing the Helm. I'm so proud of her and I can't wait to fight along side her.

I can't tell you how cool it is to see that Link will be working and fighting alongside other citizens of Hyrule. The resistance in Twilight Princess walked so that TOTK NPCS can run. At least that's my hope. Also neat looking sword Link.

Now this part of the trailer nearly gave me a heart attack. I was like no freaking way will the new champions literally fight besides Link and not just in a cut scene. How sick is this? Of course, I heard some people say co-op but I don't think that's what's happening. You see the blue glowy stuff on Sidon? Yeah it was on Tulin too. I think the new champions might be like summons, automated companions. I think Nintendo took the wolf link amiibo and the Yunobu follow quest and beefed it up. I'm very excited about it.

So Riju doesn't have a tear that we can see and they haven't shown Yunobu but Tulin and Sidon have different tears. I'm very curious about what these things do. I'm also amused that Sidon got blue and Tulin green considering the colors of Mipha's Grace and Revali's Gale. I'm not sure about the symbols on them since I don't think they correspond to any of the abilities icons unlike recall. Anyway, it's just another thing that can't be answered until the game is out.

Giant fire gleeok or three headed evil dragon or whatever it's called, it's a sick looking boss that I can't wait to fight. Also the weapon that Link is using looks so other worldly. It's got the shape of a wing and its probably ice related. I wonder what enemy Link got it from but it does remind me of Naydra so maybe it's a dragon part? Nintendo really popped off with the Fuse ability.

So Ganondorf is most likely what this mural figure represent but look at the Hylian (i think it's a hylian, could be a Zonai) beneath him. I think the figure with its hand raised represents either Link or the person who owned the ancient hand and sealed Ganondorf.

It's a bit hard to see but see these four warriors? I think they might represent the four champions since these guys are the only warrior figures in the middle of the horde of monsters. The warriors that aren't yet in the midst of monsters must represent the other NPCs, the citizens of Hyrule that are also fighting back. I think the mural is neat and I wonder where we might see it in the game.

Lastly, Zelda holding the Master Sword and saying "You must find me Link." The first time I watched the trailer I went "Zelda?? If Link has to find you then where the heck are you??" And that's where time travel to the past is looking like a more and more likely theory. The only other theory I have involves realms/alternate worlds since A Link Between worlds exists and so do the Twilight and Silent Realms. But again, I think we'll just have to wait and see what the game has in store.

Thank you for coming to the end of this analysis with me. I'm ecstatic to have my questions answered on May 12, 2023.

Edit: It has been brought to my attention that Riju does in fact have a visible tear and I even posted a picture where it is visible. Guess my brain was so focused on how badass she looked while duel wielding swords that I missed it. Welp that's three for three tears so I'm expecting Yunobu to have one.

[good-beanswrites]

I wonder where Mahiru got the idea for "A Different Kind of Love". I'd say it's Amane because I'm biased. But more likely, Mahiru saw little acts of love from everyone, and she realized that romantic love isn't all there is to it.

Drabble request? *twiddles fingers* Or if not, headcanons work too.

Ough I was crying through that whole chapter, it was really beautiful ;--; (Haha, I'm biased and think it'd come from Fuuta! but) I ended up writing something with Amane and found a really sweet idea to run with. They both just want to teach one another...

“It’s not scary at all, because it’s love.” Amane gave a decisive nod, pleased with her explanation. She’d been at a loss for words lately, weighed down with exhaustion and pain, so it was nice to finally feel like she was articulating herself well. 

That is, until she got a look at the horror painted across Mahiru’s face.

“I… I’m not sure…” She shifted uncomfortably. “That doesn’t sound… quite like love.”

It was understandable that Mahiru wouldn’t understand. Amane had heard the way she talked. More importantly, Amane had heard how the others talked about her. Mahiru had a very rigid view of love. She wasn’t a narrow-minded person like some others here, but she certainly had some work to do in that area. 

Amane took a breath. She’d grown tired of trying to teach these sinful adults anything, but Mahiru was always a good listener. 

“Not all love is shown in the same way. A strong bond requires respect. Discipline.”

Mahiru still didn’t look convinced. Her smile seemed forced on her lips. She tugged absently on one of her colorful earrings. “I know love comes in all shapes and sizes. But… I don’t think it should be so… harsh.”

“Let us take Kajiyama for an example.” Amane folded her hands in her lap. It felt good to be speaking like this, as equals. “His behavior in the first trial was nothing but harsh. And yet, you’re the one who spoke up on his behalf, pointing out ways that he cared to the others.”

“That’s true. But Fuuta never hurt anyone.”

“Fuuta has hurt many people.”

“W–well yes, but I meant…” Her face twisted into the one and only expression Amane hated to see from her. A sad sort of smile. There was love in it – which is the reason Amane tolerated it at all – but so much pity, as well. 

As quick as it had come, it was replaced by one of her signature little smiles. “I’ll tell you what, will you play a little game with big sis Mahiru?”

Amane’s mouth was open to reject the idea until Mahiru hurriedly added, “I do love games. I don’t get to play as many, now that the warden didn’t forgive me…”

She huffed. Mahiru turned her round, brown eyes on her. Amane let out another noisy breath. “What is it…?” 

Mahiru clapped her hands together. “Yay~! It’ll be fun, I promise! Let’s pick out the ways that the prisoners show their love! We’ll keep track of it during the day, and keep score at night. You said it yourself, there are so many ways that people show it. Let’s try and notice them all!” She held a finger to her lips. “But we’ll keep it secret. And we’ll try to find something for everyone.”

Amane scoffed. “We’re not going to find one for everyone.” There were a few people who were not graced with the capacity for real love, she had found. 

“Well then, that’s what will make it an interesting game, yeah~?”

—

Mahiru bid Amane a good night. She kept the notebook open on her lap for a moment more. 

The two had busied themselves keeping a secret scoreboard throughout the past few weeks. Mahiru was worried the idea would fizzle out quickly, (as most of her spontaneous plans usually did,) but she hadn’t accounted for how committed Amane was when she put her mind to something. 

Each and every night, Amane would appear in Mahiru’s cell, picking up the notebook to add in the day’s entries. Mahiru would scramble to come up with a few of her own, as she’d forgotten to pay attention throughout the day.

Though she hadn’t actually noticed any decrease in game-playing, the warden’s verdict had hurt her in other ways. If Es rejected her love, what did she have left? If her love truly did hurt others, and Milgram thought she should be punished for it, wouldn’t it be better for her to never show it again? Now and then she’d be crushed under the weight of the verdict, the voices, the guilt. She considered withholding all the kindness within her – what if it got someone else killed? Hadn’t it already come close?

But this little exercise with Amane… 

Originally, the idea had come to her as a way to prove that not a single entry in their notebook featured any harm – no screamed words, no contradictory rules, and certainly no physical pain. It would be a way to keep Amane from staying in her cell all day. Mahiru wasn’t sure if the others necessarily appreciated the nonstop surveillance from Amane’s single, bright eye, but Mahiru knew what a blessing it really was. 

To her surprise, she’d felt swaying within her own heart, as well.

Mahiru ran her finger across the chart, lingering on various entries. Some were as big and grand as she had expected: “held Muu’s hand when she was nervous after a nightmare;” “complimented Mikoto’s appearance after he’d taken a long time to style his hair.” Physical touch, gifts, compliments, it all made sense to her.

Other lines had surprised her: “changed the subject when Kazui started looking uncomfortable;” “explained a joke to Haruka when he didn’t understand it at first;” “left Yuno alone when she seemed too tired to talk.” Amane brought much more variety when she wrote down the things she’d witnessed

Just as Mahiru was teaching Amane something about love, the girl was revealing something to her about it. The mere act of picking out others’ acts of kindness, recognizing when they were trying, even imperfectly, acknowledging when the others touched something deep inside of themselves – it all proved something new.

Her finger paused over a recent addition in Amane’s neat handwriting. “Spoke to me like an adult.” 

It was in a column filled otherwise with Mahiru’s pen strokes. Shidou’s.

“Huh…”

[taradiddled]

Alastor: What’s this? The Devil’s own illustrious mistress has come to ask a favor of me?

Ada: Yeah, yeah. Toot your horn. Go on. But I can also take my generosity elsewhere. As well as the chance to piss off Vox and his cronies. So, if you’re finished gloating?

Alastor: We shall have to see if what you’re offering is truly worth my care. Remember, I am only willing because the Princess of Hell has asked me to give you better courtesy than you’ve shown me.

Ada: Uh-huh. Right. Did Rainbows tell you that you talk in the same sneaky, work-around way as her dad? Only, yours isn’t as charming…

Alastor: I take offense at that comparison. My time is valuable, so if you would tell me what it is that you want?

Ada: Right. Brass balls it is then. So! Vox’s news station has requested that I let them interview me, seeing as I’m the new Hot Shit doing the moving and shaking in this hellhole.

Alastor: Interesting. I believe you’re overestimating your impact, but, do go on.

Ada: I haven’t given them my answer yet, but I’m hoping to give someone else an exclusive interview with yours truly. And I want that interview to be inaccessible to Vox’s cronies.

Alastor: Interesting...and where is my assistance required?

Ada: You have a handle on the radios, don't you? Radio demon and all that fancy shit?

Alastor: In a more refined and dignified manner than your 'fancy shit', dear, but...yes. I do have a...'handle' on the radios.

Ada: Great. I want my interview to go on YOUR station, with one of YOUR flunkies doing the interviewing. Let Vox and his freaks know that Hell's Mistress doesn't fly under Vox's flag.

Alastor: Hmmm. Quite the request you've made. I would need to do some planning for this, not to mention, find one of my 'flunkies' willing to take the time to ask the questions. There is also the concern with bringing someone associated with the royal family onto my station -- I usually don't seek to flatter anyone with particular POLITICAL motives.

Ada: Oh please. You're buddy-buddy with the Princess of Hell, helping her run this Redemption Project of hers. You've also been SEEN with me in public, fending off one of Vox's cronies looking for the latest paparazzi shot. You're more than ASSOCIATING with the royal family. So why not do something to make the statement that, not only are you ASSOCIATING...but you're actually quite BENEFICIALLY FRIENDLY, too?

Alastor: Very persuasive argument. I will need some time to think this over. Give it the careful consideration it deserves, coming from the King's courtesan.

Ada: It's MISTRESS, asshole. And just in case you don't say 'yes', I've already told Charlie what a GREAT idea it is, and how I can use the interview to also advertise the Hotel. So, hope you're not planning on disappointing the Princess of Hell. It'd be pretty shitty to lose your pull with that nugget of power, huh?

Alastor: ...you are not as feckless as you have appeared to be.

Ada: Thanks. It's called 'playing your cards right'. You learn how to do that when rubbing elbows with Seraphim.

[laugtherhyena]

I don't know what LINUJ was thinking when he chose to make Yoruko's upperclassman and Minako two separate characters but personally I don't really mind it? Mostly cause when I see background characters that don't officially appear beyond a few mentions, I go, "A character that barely has a skeleton of a personality that I can mold to my whims?! WOOO!!" and then proceed to squeeze them like a stress ball. I don't think about Amane (the upperclassman) a lot, especially in comparison to Kojiro, but I think it'd be fun to explore her character as I do have a project idea with her as part of the cast but it's kinda on the backburner of my brain cause I'm trying not to make too many projects at once cause I'm already struggling to juggle a bunch of other stuff at the same time. That being said, on the topic of Amane's pink hair, I actually think it's dyed?? Not sure cause I only just got passed the second bad end with my friend in Chapter 6 so we haven't seen the context of Yoruko's CG where she's in her fantasy, so take this with a grain of salt, but for some reason the wiki labels the CG as Yoruko talking to Minako??? And the woman shown has her hair having faded pink tips, revealing that her roots are actually brown. Ngl, the idea that Minako (still) dyes her hair to the color she has today is really funny but I think that's just the wiki editors messing up on whos who. Sometimes wikis aren't the most reliable source of information when you want to quickly review something without replaying the game and stuff, and I think it makes more sense that in Yoruko's fantasy, she'd be reunited with who she believes is her upperclassman, even if she cares about Minako. And if we take her appearance in the fantasy as truth from what little we can see of her, that means that both Amane and Yoruko dyed their hair for their hostess job (although Yoruko did it to mimic Amane specifically), lmao.

But yeah, I think the sequel cast having connections to the characters of the previous game is a really neat tie-in, even if it's not very strong and it's interesting to explore their connections with each other in fanon. My headcanon with Setsuka and Teruya being sibling figures to each other could be interesting since they actually reunite through their work, and probably spent a lot of time catching up and getting to know each other again. Which makes it hurt even more when Setsuka goes missing. Like, Teruya probably freaked out when he realized he hasn't heard from Setsuka in a long time and tried to push for an investigation to search for her which Kinjo put a stop to due to his own plans with Syobai. Poor guy was probably torn between disobeying orders to find Setsuka since he didn't want to lose another important person in his life or falling in line to Kinjo due to his loyalty to him. But if Kinjo were to suggest that she might've been kidnapped for the killing game, possibly to "fill in space," Teruya probably chose to fall in line since stopping Mikado's killing game would probably be the closest way to save Setsuka, even if he wanted to do more. And we all know how that worked out...

On a much lighter note, in a Non-Despair AU where Setsuka and Kojiro cross paths again after many years, I like to think that they reignite their friendship since I see Kojiro being more upset over Setsuka ghosting him (and Teruya) for years without an explanation than the fact that she cheated and got herself banned in billiards, which probably caused some controversy with his sponsorship for her. Hell, he probably thought she was dead or something with how long he didn't hear from her. That's kinda what happens when you go into hiding instead of confronting the consequences of your actions, Setsuka. But once they get pass the initial awkwardness, Setsuka and Kojiro becomes best buds again. They also become drinking buddies with Teruya (as an adult) chaperoning them, much to his (affectionate) annoyance.

It's crazy to me how he just made this random ass character instead of making Minako herself be the upperclassmen, like that would have led to a much stronger connection between Yoruko and the first killing game's class than Minako just so happening to be the boss at the bar her and Amane worked at.

Slight tangent here but, seriously, Amane Kaira? Two letters away from Akane Taira? I know Linuj has a track record of having characters with similar names in the another series, but this ridiculous. How were we seriously meant to believe this was a real person? Because for the longest time i just assumed that "Amane Kaira" was the fake ID Minako used when she worked at the bar with Yoruko since she mentioned both of them had it because they were minors back then.

As for the wiki, i believe it really is just flat out wrong when it says that's Yoruko talking to Minako (which generated this whole misconception) because those CGs were first uploaded there just a little after Ch6 came out so we didn't had everything properly translated back then and it just never got fixed + just from the little we see of this girl you can tell she's not meant to be Minako

In addition, the hair color of the girl in the Cg is a soft pink whereas Minako's is a pink closer to a purple-ish (violet-ish, whatever you wanna call it) tone + from both of her sprite galleries Minako's hair really doesn't seem to be dyed when you compare it to characters we know have dyed hair in the series (Emma has visible brown streaks in her blonde hair and Hajime's is really really light at the top for some reason)

And if this isn't enough, Linuj straight up adresses her as her own person in Yoruko's character sheet (translation by ToastCat333)

So yeah, Amane, the totally real person who is not Minako Tomori! As much as this stuff annoys me, I can't say I'm not a fan of picking minor characters and making up ocs out of them, I'm curious to see what you'll make up of this character.