#KURO GONNA HAVE A FUN TIME

[klahadorable]

i'm normal i swear

do i know anything about 3d modelling? no

did i still wanna make a 3d model of kuro to go with my 3d model of my one piece character? yes.

am i gonna make them do the nyan nyan dance from the early 2000's? also yes.

[ceoandslutler]

not to always complain about antis but why do they read/watch kuro if they hate sebastian this much

he's the mc how do u have beef w him so bad, interpret him however u want but if you genuinely dislike him... why put yourself thru the torture of reading his story (and this is about him, no way to argue against that)

like are you just gonna ignore all his development with the other servants... he is the epitome of an allegorical queer coded outcasted non human character who finds kinship in other odd (queer) people. how are you ignoring that lol

you can interpret main characters as morally grey or evil (a lot of times they are) but atp it feels like antis hate him and ignore any changes or developments in his personality, at least acknowledge him as part of the 'phantomfam' he helped to create. there would be no phantomfam w/o sebastian because there would be no o!ciel and phantomhive manor w/o sebastian,,, hell, there'd be no kuroshitsuji w/o sebastian. actually fun fact it's called 黒執事 kuroshitsuji (black butler) not 貴族子 kizokuko (noble kid).

they hate him until they sexualise him into the molds they want, usually within the ships they like [nothing wrong with those ships per se but they're viewed as 'correct' while the most canonical ship is wrong(?)] or they only love him after they take away all his sexual characteristics and turn him into a cat loving spinster, a dad/mom figure with no other characteristics other than (1) love cat, (2) dad/mombastian, (3) cooking and cleaning, nothing else but that ruins him because he's not that flat of a character in the original work... from what we've seen he likes a lot of things, he enjoys playing this butler game with ciel, he likes being mean and flirty, he likes being around certain humans like agni who he genuinely seemed to respect despite being a demon, he likes the concept of death and finds it beautiful, he has an eye for fashion and a lot more.

the way they treat him is akin to how society treated women in the victorian era... either the angel of the house (maternal figure, or in his case, paternal but they do momify him a lot, no sexualised identity or made limited and very 'pure'/'demure') or the hated demonised prostitute (evil evil demon taking advantage of little boy, no parental feelings and no feelings AT ALL, worthless). it's laughable how half of the fandom have such an innate dislike of sebs that they want to deny the changes within him or in the best case scenario, they'd minimise it. not to mention how they want ciel to be the perfect little sex-repulsed victim but other people have made posts about that before. my focus is on sebastian who is so grossly mischaracterised by antis, they are either purposely misunderstanding him or just very obtuse.

you guys have two interpretations of him and both are either dead wrong or at best extremely misinformed lol

[skygemspeaks]

okay let's do this again, for the last time this season, and what a way to end it!

i like that nami got to be included in the walk to arlong park, it was really nice!

the banter between zoro and sanji is already quite funny. i like that sanji is just earnestly trying to be part of the crew, but zoro's being a little bit bitchy because he feels like his place as the first mate is being threatened. later on in the episode when sanji starts calling out his move names, and zoro makes fun of him for it...how much do you wanna bet that the reason zoro starts calling out his attack names because his thought process is like "oh no, the shitty cook is also calling out his attack names what if luffy starts liking him better than me because i don't do it?"

as someone with dental trauma, seeing arlong's teeth fall out one by one was horrifying, thank you very much. it was well done

the fights in this arc were well choreographed, and i'm actually really happy that they all finished by around halfway through the episode because then we got a good amount of time to wrap everything up

it was really sweet when nami went running up to tackle usopp and zoro in a hug. i did feel a bit bad for sanji, but ehh it's understandable. she's been sailing with usopp and zoro for a while now! those are her boys!!!! and she didn't think she'd ever be able to sail with them again! she barely even knows sanji at this point

the scene after the tower comes crashing down and the straw hats are all waiting to see if luffy made it is great. nami looks like her whole world is ending again, because first she lost her mother, and now she might have lost her captain. and then everyone's relief when they see luffy come out is palpable! sanji doesn't even try to hide his relief! he's become so emotionally invested in this crew already and he's known them for just a few days

sanji's smugness when zoro comes back for seconds was cute, and i love their banter afterwards!

koby and helmeppo standing up to garp when they disagree with his orders was a good scene, and i liked their conversation about it afterwards at the end of the episode. each marine's personal code of justice is a big theme in the anime, and i like that they establish it here, and that it's what impresses garp enough to make him want to train them personally

we finally got the luffy vs garp confrontation! it was a good way to see just how small luffy is in the grand scheme of things, that he wasn't able to hurt garp at all. when luffy starts laughing and garp drops him and starts laughing as well, it was a good tension break. i really really wish that we got at least one grandpa hug before garp left...i know it never happened in the manga, but i crave that grandfatherly affection for luffy. but i know neither of these two idiots are like that. ace better fucking hug luffy at least once next season i s2g.

when nami is talking to bellemere's grave, and nojiko shows up wearing bellemere's shirt.....🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

the final conversation with luffy and koby was adorable! i loved the hug! also, i really like that koby was the first one to show luffy his bounty. a great way of coming full circle to the beginning of the season when he's standing next to luffy, looking at the notice board in shells town and luffy asks where his face is

the scenes where people see luffy's bounty!!!! makino grinning in pride!! kaya already looking healthier without kuro's poison! Zeff posting luffy's poster on the employee of the month board!!!!!!!! alvida and buggy meeting!!!! (if they make alvida lose weight or recast her next season i'm gonna kill someone)

helmeppo finally admitted that koby was his friend!!!! their little fistbump!! i've really come to like koby over the course of this season, and it's been great seeing his character arc

the mihawk and shanks conversation was great! shanks making jokes about his missing arm was hilarious, i love how irreverent he is

the redhair pirates are all SO proud when they see luffy's poster!!! and shanks' big, goofy, proud grin when as he stares at the poster just made my heart melt.

merry finally gets to fly the straw hat jolly roger again, i'm so happy for her!! luffy's absolute uncontainable joy at the sight of it, like he can't believe his eyes, was absolutely perfect!

the cast-off ceremony was fantastic! i really like the effect they did where their younger selves spoke in the voices of their older selves.

i could be wrong, but i think i heard we are in that last scene as they sailed off? which, amazing!

FUCK YEAH THAT LAST SHOT OF SMOKER!!! i can't wait to see more of him next season!!!

[tossawary]

Overall, in the live-action "One Piece", I liked the way that they did Mihawk visiting the Baratie. I still prefer the manga/anime (Zoro SEES Mihawk fuck up an armada and this wonderful idiot is like, "Yeah, I'm gonna fight him next,"), but I understand why they shifted the Don Kriegs around in order to fit the arc they had created for their limited number of episodes for the East Blue Arc, and I think it was probably the right choice even if it changing the Don Kriegs does give us less of the Baratie crew. All of the arcs were filed down and I can just go back to the manga to see all the East Blue minor characters properly.

I like the fact that OPLA has such a different feel. I think it's fun when adaptations embrace the fact that they're inherently different. I really liked Nami and Zoro's little drinking and questions game. And I thought Usopp getting super drunk at the bar and Mihawk being RIGHT THERE listening to him talk was SO FUNNY. Like, yeah, that gives off the vibe that this warlord does just casually visit bars as he travels, in between fighting armies for funsies, and now I get to also imagine Mihawk casually shopping at specialty goth clothing stores and buying bottles of wine to go as he travels. (And now I have to wonder what would have happened if Zoro had run into Mihawk somewhere like Funky Bar (the bar he mentions to Kuro, which yeah, they did kind of make it sound like a gay bar).)

I like Usopp/Kaya, but now I also like to imagine for a second that Usopp could have accidentally (or on purpose! If you're not going for Usopp/Kaya) HIT ON Mihawk at the Baratie. Maybe he was just trying to compliment the guy's fit or remark on his beautiful eyes or something, because Mihawk definitely has an aesthetic going on, and these words came out a little too flirty? Maybe it was a random bout of drunken courage sure to collapse quickly?

And, in this silly OPLA AU, I like to imagine Mihawk leaning into this at least for intelligence-gathering, like, "Let me buy you a drink. Tell me more." (Side note: Mihawk doesn't really seem like a bar hookup guy to me, like, in general, but counterpoint: SHANKS sure does!)

So, Nami, across the bar, can be like, "Whoa, Usopp's actually pulling some guy." (Mentally, she is evaluating Mihawk as, like, a sugar daddy robbery target. It's like second nature to her at this point. Are they going to have to interfere? Usopp is REALLY drunk. Can she swipe Mihawk's wallet if they interfere?) And Zoro turns around to look and he pauses for a really long time before saying, "...That's Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman."

So, things proceed pretty much the same way from there, Zoro challenges a warlord and nearly dies, but now Nami and Zoro can hold "flirting with a warlord at a bar" over Usopp's head as an embarrassing story FOREVER. (I think if Usopp tried to own this misunderstanding to lessen the embarrassment, his lying would take over, and this would somehow lead to widespread rumors that someone on the Strawhats is secretly MARRIED to Mihawk or something, because Usopp's luck is terrible. The Navy has to reach out to Mihawk like, "ARE YOU IN LEAGUE WITH THE STRAWHATS THROUGH MARRIAGE?! CONFIRM OR DENY." And Mihawk thinks it's so fucking stupid that he refuses to answer at all.)

After the timeskip, the first thing that Zoro ends up saying to Usopp after 2 years is something like: "Mihawk says hey."

Usopp: (⁠･⁠o⁠･⁠;⁠)

Did Mihawk really say hey? Does he remember Usopp at all? Is Zoro just fucking with Usopp? Usopp will never know. (Maybe Mihawk said something like, "My regards to your crew," but Zoro is totally just fucking with Usopp.)

[verdantcrimson]

Let's Play and Learn

Writer: Yuumasu

Season: Autumn

TL: verdantcrimson

(Unproofread)

Mitsuru: We’re heeere~! It’s the amusement park, the amusement park!

Tomoya: Hold on, Mitsuru. You aren’t a little kid anymore, don’t get all worked up about it. 

Mitsuru: Why not, why not? Everyone can have fun at an amusement park!

Mitsuru: I’ve been looking forward to this for looong time, so I’m gonna have as much fun as I can! YAHOO!

Tomoya: Wai- Don’t drag me by the arm, listen to me!

Souma: …… Today, Tenma seems more excitable than usual.

Hajime: Heheh. It’s been a while since all us four Ra*bits have gone on an outing like this.

Hajime: I think it’s because everyone from AKATSUKI is with us. Right, Nii-chan?

Nazuna: Yup. Hajime-chin, you can spend your time however you like too, kay? Relaxation is important.

Hajime: Okay!

Hajime: … Ah, Tomoya-kun and Mitsuru-kun are waving me over. It looks like they’re taking pictures with the mascots.

Kuro: Hey, Kanzaki. You go and take a picture too.

Souma: I as well?

Kuro: You’re the eldest amongst the students. That makes you their ‘big brother’. Keep an eye on the little ones and make sure they don’t tire themselves out.

Souma: I am their ‘big brother’, you say?

Souma: Leave it to me! ♪ I shall go forth, as an elder!

Keito: —Considering what you came here to accomplish, shouldn’t you be the one interacting with the kids, Kiryu?

Kuro: Uhhh…… That’s, well, I’ll get around to it eventually…

Nazuna: Ahaha! At that rate, you won’t make any progress at all, y’know~?

Keito: I agree. By the way, Nito was the one who came up with the plan for today, correct?

Nazuna: Ah, yeah. I happened to bump into Kuro-chin at the office last week, and he told me his thoughts on ‘Bogie Time’.

Nazuna: He also asked me: “How do you react entertainingly on shows like that?”

Nazuna: I gave him some advice on a few things, but ‘reacting’ isn’t a skill you can just get by listening to someone tell you how to do it, right?

Nazuna: We decided to train somewhere far removed enough from day to day life to put it into practice— Hence the special training at the amusement park.

Nazuna: Then we figured two guys hanging out on their own would be lonely, so we decided to invite our pals along! ♪ 

Keito: I can understand that much, however… Other four invitees aside, why call me? I’m not exactly the kind of person that would jump for joy at the prospect of going to an amusement park.

Kuro: With everyone else taggin’ along, wouldn’t you feel sad bein’ the only one left out?

Kuro: I didn’t want to make you feel bad, or have ya thinkin’ that I didn’t call ‘cause you’re too busy with work or somethin’.

Kuro: Havin’ ya here would make me happier too, Hasumi. Guys like us don’t tend to come to places like these often, right?

Kuro: I’m lookin’ forward to seein’ an unexpected side of ya. ♪

Keito: So, you’re expecting me to make a fool of myself? You have terrible taste. 

Keito: … But well, like you said earlier. Kanzaki seems to be happy about this.

Keito: I suppose you’ll need a reliable adult around. Don’t you appreciate that, Kiryu?

Kuro: ‘Course. I’m always appreciative of ya, Hasumi danna……♪

Keito: Hmph… Now that I’m here, I’ll make certain you accomplish your goals.

Keito: According to the pamphlet, the attractions that would be best for training your reactions are…… The haunted house, log flume, rollercoaster, as well as the—

Kuro: Ugh. Could we skip the rollercoaster and other swingy stuff? You already know I’m not a rides guy.

Nazuna: Then, how about this one? It’s an attraction where you can have fun talking to the crew.

Nazuna: Since you can’t predict what people are going to say next, it’ll be perfect for upgrading your adlib power. ♪

Souma: …… One and all, how long do you intend to keep conversing for?

Souma: T’would be a shame to waste away our time for naught. I wish for our senpai to enjoy the amusement park alongside us as well.

Kuro: Whoops. Sorry Kanzaki.

Kuro: You’re right. Even if I’m avoidin’ the rides, I’m sure I’ll be able to learn somethin’ from all the other attractions.

Kuro: Alright, shall we go and have some fun together? ♪

[A few hours later]

Nazuna: … Oh, I’ve got a call from Hajime-chin.

Nazuna: Hello? Were you able to buy the churros?

Nazuna: Uhuh. Yup, yup. …… Got it, you can take your time. Seeya.

Nazuna: Turns out the line ended up being surprisingly long, so it’ll take them some time to get back.

Kuro: I see. Honestly, that’s kind of a relief. They were constantly draggin’ me all over the place.

Keito: Yes. The amount of walking around they did was quite surprising.

Nazuna: Both of you look exhausted~. Feels like you’re two dads on vacation! ♪

Nazuna: But I’m impressed, ‘cause Kuro-chin still seriously practiced his reaction expressions.

Kuro: ‘Course I’d take it seriously. Otherwise there’d be no point in comin’ here.

Keito: Even so, doesn’t embarrassment tend to win out for most? You put in so much effort to act horrified at the haunted house, that you managed to horrify the ghosts—

Keito: And when you asked the mascot character for an autograph, It was like you were threatening him. You took it so seriously that it was almost comical. In some ways, this has been a learning experience for me as well.

Kuro: Haha. Comical, huh? Can’t tell if I’m bein’ praised or degraded here.

Kuro: So now, let’s have a look what other attractions there are……

Mitsuru: —Then, how’s this?

Nazuna: Oh, you guys are back. …Hm? What’s that?

Mitsuru: A horned headband! It glows in the dark! I bought one for everyone so we could remember our amusement park trip! ☆

Kuro: You want me to wear that and walk around? Nah, I couldn’t. I mean, obviously…… It just wouldn’t suit me.

Mitsuru: Eeeh? I expected a happier reaction! You might have to wear even sillier outfits when you go on variety shows, don’tcha think?

Mitsuru: If wearing a headband makes you feel embarrassed, you’re not gonna be able to do anything!

Kuro: But…

Mitsuru: Now’s my chance!

Kuro: Yipes. Close call… I almost got a headband put on me.

Mitsuru: You dodged!? If you had stayed put for just a little longer, I would’ve had it! Bummer!

Nazuna: ……Oh. Kuro-chin, Kuro-chin, wouldn’t this also work as training your reaction skills?

Kuro: Huuh? Whaddya mean?

Nazuna: Liiike this! —Hiiyah! ☆

Kuro: Woah! Nito, not you too!

Nazuna: Darn it~! Tomoya-chin, Hajime-chin, come on! Let’s join forces and put this headband on him!

Tomoya & Hajime: Got it! 

Kuro: Hey now, how’s a 4v1 even fair…?

Souma: Indeed, it seems as though Kiryu-dono is also enjoying himself whilst frolicking around in such a manner. I shall cheer for you as well…♪

Kuro: I don’t need you cheerin’, help m—

Kuro: …No. I ain’t gonna make a peep. If I start complainin’ now, I’ll lose my dignity as a man.

Kuro: Bring it, rabbits. I’ll take ya all on…!

Souma: Hehe. As one would expect of Kiryu-dono, he fights a solitary battle. ♪

Souma: ……By the by, Hasumi-dono. In this particular circumstance, what exactly would qualify Kiryu-dono as the victor?

Keito: No clue.

[flowerakatsuka]

as of the 8th, kuroba is officially a whole year old! 🍀

i originally made them as a way to take a break from my previous hyperfixation on pokemon, but then immediately got pulled back in by the 2nd scarvio dlc dropping. i was into osmt back when it first when it first came out and had actually made an oc for it back then, but i didn't really feel connected to them anymore so kuroba was born! all i can say is that i'm really glad i decided to revisit them ( and osomatsu-san as a whole ) again once my interest in the dlc started to wane.

when i first started focusing on kuroba and kurokara more, i never expected the immense kindness and support everyone has shown me these past few months. i feel like i struggle to properly express how thankful i am for that, but i really am! every single sweet tag on my posts, curious ask sent my way, or beautiful piece of art has truly meant the world to me. it's been so fun getting to interact with new people and become mutuals with so many cool, wonderful people, as well as make some amazing new friends!

though i can be a little reserved and have a low social battery most of the time, i've really love getting to know all of you and share my silly goofy guys with everyone. so truly, from the bottom of my heart, i want to say thank you so much for making blog a little reprieve from my daily life. i really, really appreciate it!! 🤗💕✨

as a little bonus, i'll share my first osmt oc from 2017 AND the first draft i made of kuroba!

yume... i can't remember if i named her that on purpose or not. she was also created to ship with karamatsu, i've always had to bother that man. i had a short-lived rp blog for her, but i sadly never got to do much with her. kara having more solid lore for his high school days now was one of the reasons why i ended up scrapping her, but i would love to revisit her at some point. ( i've thought about her being one of kuroba's middle school friends from back in yokohama... )

aaaand here's kuroba's original design, they were originally gonna work at a konbini! i ended up reworking their design and concept more once i realized they ended up looking way too much like me lol. i'm pretty sure i decided to make kuro own a flower shop when i saw kara from the 2nd hesokuri wars' work set.

[otomehonyaku]

ŌKAMI SHŌJO TO KURO ŌJI Vol. 6 Limited Edition Drama CD ☽ Track 5・Super Sadistic One-Liners I'd Like Sata-kun to Say to Me!

Original title: 佐田くんに言ってほしいドSセリフ集 Voiced by Sakurai Takahiro (Sata Kyouya) English translation by @otomehonyaku Click here for the audio (provided by myself, do not repost this audio anywhere)

And now for something completely different—yet still something I know my fellow Ruki enjoyers will be able to appreciate (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) Some of you may know that Sakurai voiced another pretty sadistic character back in the day: Sata Kyouya from Ōkami Shōjo to Kuro Ōji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince). Alongside the anime, two special, full-length drama CDs were released in a limited edition bundle with the sixth and tenth volumes of the original manga.

This track is a compilation of sadistic one-liners fans sent in to have Sakurai read aloud. I'll translate the rest of the drama CD at a later date, but I thought it would be fun to post a little teaser hehe (>/////< " )

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

00:00 Welcome to the ‘Super Sadistic One-Liners I'd Like Sata-kun to Say to Me!’ corner! (honk honk)

♫

Kyouya: So you want me to kiss you? Heh. The only possible answers are yes or yes (1), right?

♫

Kyouya: You’re such an idiot for forgetting your gloves on cold days like this. C’mon, give me your hand. Give me your hand. Holding hands will warm them up a little, at least.

♫

Kyouya: Typical for guys like me to fall in love with you, right?

♫

Kyouya: Don’t cry. I’m the only one who gets to make you cry.

♫

Kyouya: I’m the only one you have, right?

♫

Kyouya: Live only to serve me.

♫

Kyouya: There’s no way men can be around someone like you. You think I’m gonna talk to you?

♫

Kyouya: You’re such an idiot!

♫

Kyouya: Don’t you dare leave my side. Huh? Don’t misunderstand. This is an order.

♫

Kyouya: If anything, I do like your eyes. You have a good eye for looking at me all the time, after all.

♫

Kyouya: You really are the type of woman who can’t do anything if I’m not around.

♫

Kyouya: You’re being cheeky. I know a good way to shut you up (2).

♫

Kyouya: Don’t wag your tail for any other men but me.

♫

Kyouya: Why don’t you try and make me say ‘I love you’? Just once.

♫

Kyouya: Did you really think I’d let you get away?

♫

Kyouya: You’re better off staying by my side.

♫

Kyouya: I’ll decide when I fall in love with you.

♫

Kyouya: What? You don’t even know what to do when I tell you ‘stay’ (3)?

♫

Kyouya: Right now, your only job is to be my pillow (4). Just shut up and stay still.

♫

Kyouya: If you keep crying out like that, I'll tie you up real tight.

♫

Kyouya: That’s how you tell me you love me? Try again and come at me like you want to pry a confession out of me. That’s the bare minimum. You won’t get your little hands on me unless you do. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

He says イエスかはい (‘yes or hai’) where hai is obviously also ‘yes’ but in Japanese. ‘Yes or yes’ works for me too hehe. 

Implying that he’s going to kiss you.

Referring to telling a dog to ‘stay,’ as the whole gag in this series is that the female protagonist Erika is likened to a wolf/pet dog.

Implying that his head is in your lap.

[outivv]

I would rather not get too much into the wuwa vs genshin vs r1999 because each game has their own pros and cons. But I'll say this much about these three games.

Genshin representation is getting to a point where it's now becoming a racist Fandom, especially on genshintwt. These fuckers harrased and made fun of a Hawaiian because all she did was to show how Maulani is EXTREMELY whitewash. Both her and her brother are no longer on twt due to constant racism. (Doesn't help the fact that Maulani and her tribe are the stereotype of the "nice welcoming Hawaiian"). With every excuse that these racist would always use, "it's fiction it not suppose to be reality". The same can be said for HSR

r1999 does have good representation on LGBTQIA, sexual oritentation, and having characters that aren't just pasty white. HOWEVER, as many people have stated, we have yet to have a black person. They have mentioned Black historical figures such as Louise Armstrong but not yet a playable character. It's also doesn't help that in one city they have an area called "Cotton Club". The last time they had a POC was in 1.3 as of right now, at least in CN service, it is now 2.0 and there hasn't been another Black or brown character. Those who do have brown skin are usually the "ambiguous brown" (take a look a Joe)

Wuwa...I'm just gonna say this much. Kuro games has a history of being generous. We see this in PGR so for veteran players their generosity is nothing new. Representation wise....it's a not that great but its not bad. While they do have some brown and dark skin (really depends if you see their skin as ashy or not with the exception of Vonnegut) characters, they still follow some Oritentalism as well as not having another Black or Brown character for awhile. Seeing how they are open to new cultures and how they listen to feedback we can only wait to see if they are going fix their mistakes or not.

Each game has their fair share if criticism. However to say r1999 has "better" representation than Genshin is a stretch. They have a good set of diverse characters but no Black Characters despite the fact they have entered an era based of the Roaring 20s.

Off topic the only CN game I have see that has Black Characters is Dislyte. At the beginning they did have racist stereotypes but they learned from their mistakes. And there are some ambiguous brown/Black Characters. Moroyama and Yalina for example.

I agree, I should probably word myself better when talking about the games as to not seem so- like putting one on a pedestal cause they all have their pros and cons (though genshin is bottom of the barrel dogshit in terms of rep)

I love Dislyte though, they genuinely seemed to have improved a lot in terms of how they represent characters, and people, and just overall cultures- and I’m honestly really happy with that. The Dislyte fandom is like… microscopic I feel BAHAJHAHA, so I haven’t heard much in terms of criticisms for them, so I won’t speak on that because I don’t know- and I’m just not aware :’)

[cosmiclion]

Ok ok I think I have this dadbastian AU more or less figured out. Gonna braindump what I have so far under the cut.

-Like a lot of canon-divergent Kuro ideas I have, this is set in an alternate reality where all kinds of supernatural creatures coexist with humans.

-One of them is demons, there are different subspecies and not all of them eat souls. There was a time where all demons were feared and any human who was suspected of being in good terms with one became the target of a witch hunt. By the late 18th century, however, things have changed a lot.

-There has been an agreement or “code of honor” between soul-eating demons (commonly called Voids) and humans for centuries. Voids need human souls to survive, they cannot sustain themselves with anything else (it’s very rare for a demon to starve to death but they do become weak and vulnerable). Some of them are opportunists who roam in search of dying humans whose souls they can snatch before a reaper arrives. While others are more patient and prefer to cultivate a soul by forming a contract with someone who wishes to. Having your soul eaten is not the horrifying fate you may think it is: there’s no eternal torment, no hell, nothing. Just going to sleep never to wake up and becoming one with the demon. People accept this as another aspect of life. However, there’s one thing that’s unacceptable and it’s demons (unjustifiably) killing humans just for their souls, any demon who does this is considered a feral beast and will be hunted down (there are some methods to kill a demon for good). Even other demons look down on these individuals.

-The longer a human lives the more "nutritious" their soul is. Some Voids will form a contract with a human and serve them through all their life, and when it's their time to go the person will willingly feed themself to the demon. Other demons even become familiars and stay in the same family for generations, swearing loyalty to the next person in line after they have absorbed their relative’s soul. People consider this an honor.

-Sebastian is a very refined demon who only consumes the highest quality souls after fulfilling a contract. The day RCiel is sacrificed is the first time someone actively summons him, as all this time he met all his contractees by chance. He eats the human sacrifice’s soul because why not, there’s a first time for everything. However, when he takes a look at all the cultists gathered excitedly looking at him he feels nothing but contempt and disgust, and slaughters them without second thought and without bothering to take their souls. They have the distinctive stench of someone who has done unspeakable things to an individual of their own species, especially to a youngling, and not even demons find these souls appetizing. So nobody would dare to judge him for disposing of them. After the fun bloodbath he senses a tiny presence nearby, and locates it in a cage in the center of the room. A small, frail human lays there, apparently dead, though he still feels their soul flickering inside. Upon closer inspection he notices it’s a young child that looks exactly like the owner of the soul he just devoured. “Ah, twins. How sad”. It doesn’t seem like this child will make it, but waiting until he finally dies goes against his aesthetic, and for some reason he can’t bring himself to either end his misery or leave him there. So he takes the unconscious child out of there, craddling him in his very demon essence, and just keeps him, like a person who has found a wet, dirty, barely alive tiny animal on the side of the road. Besides, if he manages to save the child and he goes on to live, they might make a contract and then he can claim his soul in the end. It could be a fun experiment right?

-From OCiel’s POV, the story starts off very similar to in canon: he still gets horribly tortured and abused. But since in this AU it all happens when he’s younger, his small body can’t take much and eventually he gets so sick and weak that he can’t even stand, and the cultists just leave him to die in the cage while they focus on the stronger RCiel. The day of the sacrifice he keeps slipping in and out of consciousness and can’t fully register or process what’s going on. Unable to tell dreams from reality, he suddenly feels a warm, almost velvety cloak that surrounds him. It's very comforting and he clings to it with the little strength he has left.

[thereallycoolmonsterithoughtup]

thinking abt our kabcrew headcanons again. like the monopoly roleplaying. i think they would have a fun time at the arcade. playing those like. bumper cars.

Rin maybe wanting a cute plush in the claw machine and like shes trynna hide it but Holm notices immediately and hes like "ok i will try to get it. " -> (⁠´⁠；⁠ω⁠；⁠｀⁠) (fails miserably)" and then everyone takes turns trynna get it

Mickbell - ❌ FAILS BECAUSE HES TOO SHORT AND he keeps trynna get the joystick to work out like he believes. he tries three times and then gives up. Rin keeps huffing all the way like "hmph ur too bad at this" and it pissed him off

Kabru - ❌ THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA WIN and he did get a plush but it wasnt the one Rin wanted . so Kabru just keeps it and tries to think abt how he totallly didnt fail he #won it for her (its the worst plush thing ever. boyfail. at least he tried.)

Kuro - ❌ hims paws did not get him ahead. he almost crawled into the claw machine from the like plush exit chute . got his head stuck and mickbell had to frantically pull him out . Holm and Daya saved them

Daya - ✅ She actually got it but it took like 4-6 tries

Rin is happy . but she looks like 😐😑😒 outside because it was embarassing to watch them . but also she is very happy she is 🤭☺️🥰 inside...

AWWW THATS SO CUTE... the friends are friending ☺️☺️ THAT KAOMOJI IS LITERALLY PERFECT FOR HOLM HELP

i think mickbell would break an arm trying to play some random ddr clone what do you think

[jujumin-translates]

[18TRIP] Event Story | WE ARE M・T・T・B | TRACK. 7

Characters: 🫰 Chihiro Natsuyaki, ☁️ Ten Murakumo, 🎨 Kiroku Kinugawa, 🌕 Muneuji Kaguya, 🔮 Toi Shiramitsu

Location: Dance Competition - Venue & Stage

Chihiro: Al~right, today’s finally the day of the competition~! Are y’all mentally prepped and warmed up!?

Muneuji & Toi & Kiroku: …

Chihiro: …Oh?

Toi: Ah, yeah, of course we are! It’s just…

Kiroku: That team just now… The regular competition winners… “Punchline★”... Their performance was… amazing.

Chihiro: Ah~, it really was! I mean, they are a pro street dance group, y’know~.

Muneuji: The atmosphere in the venue was completely taken away. The honest truth is that our dance skills are just entirely different than their’s.

Ten: There’s no helping it at this point. They’ve already crushed us today.

Chihiro: C’mon, don’t say that.

Chihiro: (...I think they’re all getting swept up in the atmosphere of the venue. Plus everyone’s in a bit of a wake mode too~.)

Chihiro: (It’s almost time for us to get on stage, and since I’m used to the stage here, I should be the one to cheer everyone up…!)

Chihiro: Don’t look so blue, you three~! Chii and Co. are gonna—.

Punchline ★ Kuro: Huh, you guys are…

Punchline ★ Jiro: You’re the ones whose video “just happened” to go viral the other day, aren’t you?

Chihiro: Ah… Are you guys Punchline★?

Punchline ★ Jiro: I haven’t seen some of you before… Did you get more members?

Punchline ★ Saburo: You don’t look like winners, so what? Did you add more members in a vain attempt to try and win? Hehehe…

Punchline ★ Shiro: You’re being rude, dumbass. Hahaha, they can’t even hear you.

Kiroku: …

Punchline ★ Goro: Well, whatever, good luck with your group that ain’t much better than a buncha beginners~. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got~.

Chihiro: Mhm~... Thanks for the pep ta~lk.

Ten: (Ahaha, it’s been a hot minute since we’ve been made fun of like that.)

Punchline ★ Taro: Well then, la~ter.

Chihiro: …, …

Toi: C-Chihiro-kun… Are you okay?

Chihiro: Hm? I’m totally a-okay~! Don’t look so gloomy, y’all ♪ There’s no reason for y’all to worry your pretty little heads~♪ 

Ten: Not so sure about that one, my guy. It’s kinda hard not to worry about something like that.

Chihiro: …M’kay, so maybe those guys’ street dancing skills are in a totally different league from ours, but—.

Chihiro: Chii and Co. have individuality, direction, and most importantly, the “spirit of hospitality to entertain customers,” which we’ve all learned from HAMA Tours!

Chihiro: With that, we’ll never lose, dont’cha think?

Toi: Yeah, right…

Muneuji: You’re absolutely right.

Kiroku: …Y-Yeah.

Chihiro: IKR ♪

Chihiro: (...Good. Everyone seems less tense now.)

Ten: …

Chihiro: (I wonder what Tenchamu is thinking about…)

Chihiro: That’s why we don’t need to worry about the other teams. Chii and Co. just need to have fun and put on the best performance we can!

Muneuji & Toi & Kiroku: Yeah!

Chihiro: Nyahaha, that’s the kinda response I was looking for ♪

Chihiro: Al~right, huddle up, y’all~! C’mon, you too, Tenchamu!

Ten: Ah~, right, right.

Chihiro: Okay, just like before a live when you call out the team’s name to max out the vibes and the team’s spirit—.

Muneuji: …Team name?

Kiroku: Right… we don’t… know our… team name…

Toi: Did we even decide on one yet…?

Chihiro: Hehehehe~ don’t panic, y’all ♪ TBH, Chii already decided on the name secretly~!

Toi: Waah, nice going, Chihiro-kun! You never forget about things like that! So, what kinda team name did you pick?

Ten: Can you hurry it up then? Huddling up for this long is real hard on my back.

Chihiro: ‘Kay, ‘kay! Without further ado! Our team name is—.

Other Four: !

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[taiyaki-translations]

Intelligence - Epilogue 1

Season: Spring Characters: Jun, Shu, Izumi, Kaoru, Yuzuru, Kanata, Mao, Kuro, Nagisa, Wataru, Leo Translator: taiyaki-translations ENG Proofreader:  verdantcrimson (Yuzuru, Kuro), sunnyskiestls (Kanata), raspberrytls (Shu)

<On the day of the performance>

“In the darkness of the infinitely expanding universe, there exists a brilliant, blue planet shining in its midst - Earth.”

“Life originated on that blue planet, and humans, the end result of many miracles and mysteries, reign as the rulers of that planet.”

“Having built a great civilization, mankind’s progress continues on, unhindered.”

“Eventually, their control will extend beyond their blue planet, towards the solar system… and maybe even to other parts of the galaxy.”

“But that is only if they are allowed to continue to flourish—”

Mendako alien: “...Men ♪”

Mendako alien: “...Menmen☆”

“Those ignorant humans haven’t realized yet— there are other life forms besides them in the universe.”

“There is a civilization whose progress far exceeds anything that humans have built.”

“And most importantly, they are already trying to crush this blue planet that’s within their evil grasp—”

Mendako alien: “...Men!”

Kanata: Wow, the “Mendako aliens” have a very “active role”~♪

Mao: No, no, the play’s just started. Though, that’s a pretty grand introduction.

Kuro: Yeah, for sure. It’s strangely surreal seein’ them all lined up like that, though. Kinda makes it feel low stakes…

Jun: Haha, I agree. They’re supposed to be terrifying aliens that came to invade earth, but they’re oddly cute, aren’t they?

Izumi: Hey you, watch more quietly. But it’s not like I don’t get it… There’s a lot to comment on.

Kaoru: Woah, it’s rare for Senacchi to hesitate like that. Well, the play seems to be some kind of comedy, so it’s probably fine to make a bit of noise.

Shu: Non! Do not make a ruckus. If you are going to come to the theater, practice proper theater etiquette.

Yuzuru: Fufu. The play’s just begun, so let’s look closely at the story of those Mendako aliens that caused such a fuss at the dorms.

<A few hours later>

Mao: Wow, that was amazing~ Don’t you agree, Kiryu-senpai?

Kuro: Yeah, I was wonderin’ what was gonna happen at first, but I never expected it’d have such excitin’ development.

Mao: Right? It turned out that the enemies weren’t the Mendako aliens after all, but another species of alien from a different planet.

That scene where the Mendako aliens and Earth’s defenders joined hands, despite the language barrier, was very moving.

Izumi: Hmph. The contents of the play are still ridiculous, though.

Well, I could see that idiot was having fun with it. Doesn’t he keep in regular mysterious communication with the universe?

Shu: Hm, I participated in the play this time by making the costumes, and I still don’t know how they so often manage to perform so intricately while wearing them.

Izumi: Oh, it’s rare to see you giving honest praise.

Shu: I am always fair in my evaluations. It would be more regrettable if my evaluations were not properly understood due to strange misinterpretations of them.

However, when the acting is this well done, you’d naturally find your attention drawn to the costumes, after all.

Mao: Are you talking about those mendako costumes?

Shu: Yes, I was short on time and had no choice but to settle on making exact duplicates of the original.

As the one in charge of the costumes, I wish I had the opportunity to craft a more original alien design.

Kuro: …Haha, I see. As expected of Icchan ♪

Kanata: How about you, Jun? Did you find the “play” interesting?

Jun: I did. Like Isara-san said earlier, the play was very moving. Theater performances have an image of being kinda stuffy, but this one was inspiring and funny. It felt more like I was watching a movie.

Kanata: Fufu, I’m happy to hear that…~ I’m also very happy that my “Mendako aliens” got their big role~♪

Jun: By the way, do you know why martians have an octopus motif, Shinkai-senpai?

Kanata: No, why is that? Is it because the “sea” is the “mother” to all things?

Jun: I was actually wondering about it too, so I asked Nagi-senpai. Seems like it originally came from an old sci-fi novel. (1)

In it, octopus-like martians invaded the earth, and that image of ‘em got popular as it became more widespread.

Apparently, that sci-fi writer also drew a picture of these octopus-like martians ‘cause an astronomer said that martians are grotesque looking.

Octopi and mollusks also have that kind of reputation, y’know~

Kanata: Their “appearance” might be scary, but “cephalopods” are very smart, and full of “curiosity”...~

Maybe it’s because these “martians” looked like “octopi” that they were “curious” enough to come all the way to “earth”... ♪

Jun: Ah~, that’s an interesting way to look at it~! Like something outta a dream.

Kaoru: Yup yup. I think I prefer Kanata-kun’s theory since it sounds cuter than the grotesque one.

Kanata: …Not everyone knows how smart “octopi” are, you see?

That’s why, as the “manager” of the aquarium, I have to “promote” the intelligence of “octopi” more ♪

Kaoru: Ooh, then have you decided on what the next event at the aquarium will be? I hope lots of customers stop by.

…Now that I think about it, I completely forgot that this whole thing started with Fushimi-kun wanting to learn about management, huh?

Yuzuru: Fufu, that’s correct. So much has occurred since then, I had also completely forgotten.

Kaoru: You were planning to talk with Kanata-kun about it too, but it looks like he’ll be busy after this…

Yuzuru: Kaoru-sama, will you be available after? If you could spare a moment of your time, I would like to talk to you.

Kaoru: Eh, me? I’m fine with time…

Yuzuru: Then, if you would be so kind, I would very much appreciate it if you taught me your management theory.

Kaoru: Ahaha, it’s not so grand that I’d call it management theory.

Got it. Then, shall we talk over tea at a café somewhere? ♪

Translation Notes: 1. Most likely referring to the book War of the Worlds by HG Wells

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[quibbs126]

So I decided I needed a break from that beach picture I’m working on (yes I’m still working on it, right now I’m making two versions because I thought the lineart and background didn’t match), so I just decided to make this

Yes it is based on the Toy Story meme

Anyways, I did this for two reasons. One, because I realized that Reno and Ceres are basically the instigators of the game’s plot; Reno the first half and Ceres the second half. It’s also different in that Reno was unintentional; he just wanted the power of the Forest Guardian, and accidentally made the Magilith activate, causing Kuro and Fina to time travel and the story to happen. And then later when they get back to the present he’s the person they’re trying to stop from unleashing the Great Disaster. Ceres meanwhile very intentionally instigated the second half of the plot as she was the one to inform the group about the existence of the Magi Key and what it could do, as well as where to find the pieces

Second reason is just that I really want them to interact, because I think it would be really interesting, especially since likely, Ceres knows of their connection, while Reno doesn’t

I have also come up with this alternate plot where the story starts because Ceres approaches Reno and his group and has them start the time travel, which our heroes then get wrapped up in. And in doing so, we see their dynamic, which is basically that Ceres tries to interact with Reno and deep down wants to be close to him, even if she knows she’s just using him for her goals, but meanwhile Reno, whom she does not tell about their relationship (because he absolutely wouldn’t believe her and it’d probably ruin her credibility), sees her as more of a work partner, and while he goes along with her plans he isn’t fully trusting of her. And at the very end where he comes to his senses and turns on her, it does hurt her in a way he wasn’t expecting (he fully believes that Ceres doesn’t care and has no clue why she does), but she ultimately gets him out of the way because her mission is more important than her feelings, and she may or may not reveal to him their true connection

And that whole scenario is kind of one of the other reasons I wanted to draw them together. I’ve just been thinking a lot about the two of them interacting and wanting to draw that

I think I got carried away, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, drawing I made. Well might as well pivot over to the drawing process itself now

So I’m using a different brush here. I was looking for a brush for my big beach drawing, and someone suggested the Syrup brush on Procreate, and I actually had fun with it (and it is the reason I’m making two versions now), so I wanted to use it again here, and I think it turned out pretty well

I will say though, I had no clue what I was doing on the sketch with the bodies. I don’t think it’s super noticeable in the final product, but it was a mess in the sketch. I really need to figure out how I’m drawing anatomy, I swear. I can’t just keep doing guesswork

…You know actually, I don’t think I have much else to say, so I guess we’ll end here. It was a bit of a haphazard description, but I’m scatterbrained, what you gonna do?

I do want to draw more of the two interacting, I just don’t have ideas yet. Maybe in the future though

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Yatogami Kuroh Route Translation

Hanetsuki

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Neko: Ahhh, I'm beaten!

Saya: Kuro-kun wins 4th time in a row…You're good at Hanetsuki (japanese badminton).

Kuroh: Hanetsuki is not the only thing I'm good at.

Neko: Shiro, you have to defeat Kurosuke!

Shiro: I wish I could, but I got defeated in the first round. What should I do…?

Shiro: Oh, right. How about me, you, and Neko vs. Kuro?

Kuroh: Three vs. one? That won't be fair.

Shiro: B-Because if I don't get a handicap like that, I won't be able to win.

Saya: I think Kuro-kun would win even if it is 3 vs. 1.

Neko: That's not true! Wagahai is invincible with Shiro and Gohan!

Kuroh: Oi…There will be three of you…

Neko: Kurosuke~, are you scared? Are you afraid of losing to the Wagahai and the others after all you said?

Kuroh: …There is no way I would lose. Alright, challenge accepted. Watch my Hanetsuki's skills!

Kuroh: Damn it…!

Saya: Woo-hoo, I got one point!

Neko: Nice, Gohan! Kurosuke is not cool~!

Kuroh: Agh, I haven't lost yet!

Shiro: Sorry, but the game is over. Good job, everyone~!

Saya: I see. This is now our 10th win out of 10 rounds…so I guess we won!

Kuroh: Agh…That's not fair…

Neko: Sorry to keep you waiting! I brought the equipment for the punishment game!

Saya: Punishment game?

Kuroh: I didn't get the memo.

Neko: Of course, I didn't mention it.

Kuroh: Don't say that so proud.

Shiro: Well-well. It looks interesting, so why not?

Saya: Brush, ink… You want him to do kakizome (Japanese traditional first writing of the year)?

Neko: That's not it, Wagahai and the others will draw. On Krosuke's face!

Kuroh: What…!

Kuroh: The loser of Hanetsuki gets their face scribbled with ink as punishment! Get ready, Krosuke!

Shiro: Sounds like fun, I am in!

Saya: Neko-chan, Shiro-kun stop. I'll feel sorry for Kuro-kun if you both draw on him. Here…

Choice: [Let Shiro to draw] ❤

Saya: How about leave it to Shiro-kun?

Kuroh: …I don't agree. Why leave it to Shiro?

Kuroh: Why am I being punished in the first place?

Saya: I don't know either. Those two are unstoppable…

Saya: I don't think Shiro-kun would do anything more crazy than Neko.

Shiro: What are you two talking about?

Kuroh: Nothing. …I'm ready. Get on with it.

Shiro: Oka-ay.

Shiro: Here it is, let's see…Oh, I made a mistake.

Kuroh: You made a mistake!?

Shiro: Ah, it's okay, it's okay. It's just a figure of speech, it's acceptable…I think.

Kuroh: …

Shiro: …Alright, it's done!

Saya: Shiro-kun, are you finished already? That was quick--.

Saya: …

Kuroh: What's wrong?

Saya: I-I think…it's artistic…!

Shiro: Right? It's a masterpiece!

Kuroh: Oi, do you have a mirror?

Saya: Uhm… Here.

Kuroh: Thank you.

Shiro: How is it, Kuro? You're a beautiful wom-Whoa!

Kuroh: Shiro…I gonna stab you with the hagoita (a rectangular wooden paddle used to play hanetsuki), you bastard!

Shiro: W-Why~! It's a masterpi-iece~!

Saya: …They run away.

Neko: Wagahai is hungry! I want to eat mochi!

Saya: Right, well, let's go back to the clubroom.

Choice: [Let Neko to draw]

Saya: Neko-chan is the one who propose it, so let's have Neko-chan to draw.

Kuroh: How come?

Neko: Yaaay, drawing-drawing! Wagahai is the artist! Leave it to me!

Kuroh: You don't even know what an artist means…

Kuroh: …That's enough.

Neko: Not yet!

Kuroh: … … ….Let me go already.

Neko: It's still not ready! Krosuke, stay still! If you move, it'll never be finished!

Kuroh: Agh…Hurry up.

Saya: (Ah, looks like it's finished)

Kuroh: …How did it come out?

Saya: Y-you know…It suits you very well…Fufu.

Kuroh: Why are you laughing?

Saya: I-I'm not laughing.

Kuroh: No. You seem to be holding back, but couldn't resist it. …Is that so funny?

Saya: W-Who knows…I'll lend you a mirror.

Kuroh: This is…Neko!

Neko: Wah! I need to run away~!

Saya: …They run away.

Shiro: Moreover, with such a face. When someone sees him, Kuro will be embarrassed.

Shiro: Whew, it's getting kinda cold. Shall we go back to my room and make oshiruko (sweet red-bean soup)?

Saya: What with Kuro-kun and the others?

Shiro: They'll be back soon. Come on, let's go!

[Prev chapter][Next chapter]

[verdantcrimson]

Heaven and Earth / Epilogue

(Unproofread )

Prev | Chapter List

[A few days later. During the filming of the ending video for ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth R’]

Keito: “♪~♪~♪”

Keito: Phew… Somehow, we managed to cross that precarious bridge.

Kuro: Still too early to be gettin’ complacent, danna. What we made this time was just a prototype.

Kuro: The real show starts now. If anythin’, things’re only gonna get tougher.

Souma: Hehe. Somehow, before any actual running has occurred, one already feels exhausted.

Keito: Things were truly very difficult this time around… However, it’s a relief that everything has fallen into place somehow.

Keito: All of the ‘Three Sages’ were convinced of the plan we presented and were happy to cooperate.

Keito: With the support of senseis, ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ will continue to be— No, it will become, more than ever, a show that viewers will want to watch. 

Keito: An educational show beloved by all that allows you to learn history in a fun way.

Kuro: That’s the thing though. Even though ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ s’gonna stay on, and it’ll probably be a great show that the viewers love—

Kuro: Oogami said it too. In the end, we ended up completely changin’ the contents of ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’.

Kuro: It’s like we’re tramplin’ on the wishes of Ieyasu-sensei, who said he didn’t want ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ to change. I feel kind of bad about it.

Keito: You still understand nothing, Kiryu. You’ll have to continue your studies.

Kuro: Now why am I bein’ criticized outta nowhere?

Souma: Hehe. The person Ieyasu-sensei had the most profound interactions with was Kiryu-dono, who had been put in charge of him.

Souma: And so, from Kiryu-dono’s vantage, what has Ieyasu-sensei’s attitude been? Has he perhaps been lamenting the changes to ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’?

Kuro: …… No. In fact, he was so happy that the other sages were stunned.

Kuro: I get it. Seems like I was only lookin’ at the surface of things again.

Kuro: Suppose that’s the downside of havin’ been a delinquent.  People kept their distance from me ‘cause I intimidated them, and I used to keep my distance from them ‘cause I didn’t want to get involved.

Kuro: We haven’t changed ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ at all.

Kuro: No, we haven’t changed what Ieyasu-sensei found most valuable, the essence.

Kuro: Sensei loves history. That’s why for all these years, even though he’s become a dodderin’ old man, he’s still researchin’ it intently.

Kuro: Sensei wanted to share that love he felt with everyone. So when he was younger, he made up his mind and teamed up with his buddy from the TV station to create ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’.

Souma: Indeed. It is just as what we discussed in depth during the prototype edition of the show.

Kuro: Haha. It was pretty interestin’, seein’ how the outrageous old man was outrageous when he was younger too.

Keito: Yes. People have history. And those myriad histories, that don’t appear in any textbooks, are just as worthy of love.

Keito: They are fascinating and brilliant stories that mustn’t be ignored.

Keito: We will continue to watch over them, as ‘Spirits of Light’. And we’ll learn all sorts of things through our amusing investigation and interpretation. 

Keito: What is history? What is life? Does good and evil, right and wrong, truly exist?

Keito: We are still young and inexperienced, so we can’t draw any conclusions yet. We don’t know what the right answer is.

Keito: The aged Ieyasu-sensei, and the talented Hideyoshi-sensei and Nobunaga-sensei, none of them would ever triumphantly claim to have “understood”.

Keito: We know very little about this world— about the heavens, about the earth, and about people. 

Keito: That is why we research, we learn, and we discover. With care, perseverance, bit by bit, step by step.

Keito: It’s what Ieyasu-sensei and his colleagues have done, and it’s what we will do from now on as well.

Kuro: That’s right. The reason Ieyasu-sensei was convinced was ‘cause we didn’t change the most important aspect.

Kuro: Even if everythin’ might’ve changed on the surface, the soul is the same.

Kuro: We’ll make the ‘soul’ we inherited from our senseis shine too.

Souma: Indeed. Let us shine so bright that even the sun would envy us!

Keito: Yeah. We’re AKATSUKI, after all.

Keito: Life is about learning everyday. Graduating from school doesn’t change that.

Keito: So we’ll keep learning, keep growing, and become fine adults.

Kuro: Followin’ in the footsteps of those senseis?

Keito: To learn from their good qualities, you know? There’s no need to imitate their flaws.

Keito: No. A lotus blooms from the mud, swallowing all purity and impurity.

Keito: Let us create an innumerable amount of such flowers, and make this world into something even more beloved. 

Keito: A hundred flowers, blooming in profusion.¹ That’s what AKATSUKI is.

Keito: “♪~♪~♪”

Kuro & Souma: “~......♪”

[END]

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Translation Notes:

百花繚乱 (Hyakka Ryouran) is a phrase that, while literally meaning 'A thousand flowers blooming in profusion', is also used to refer to a period of time, or space, where many talents 'bloom'. A familiar example of this would be the Renaissance era. It is also in the title of AKATSUKI's first ever song, 百花繚乱、紅月夜 (Hyakka Ryouran, Akatsukiyo).

[infriga]

AAAAAHHHHHHHH THE LIVE ACTION WAS SO GOOD AAAAAAAHHH

Luffy was so perfect, they all were, but as my favourite character he had a lot to live up to and he was AMAZING

My favourite aspects/moments:

- Luffy was so tactile and physically affectionate. I'm glad they weren't afraid of having him be touchy feely with his crew and friends. Plopping his head down on top of Nami's head when she's cracking the safe, literally draping himself overtop of Zoro and hugging him when he wakes up after the Mihawk fight, clinging to Usopp when their ship gets attacked by Garp as they leave Syrup village, hugging Coby when they say goodbye the second time, even just the small moments like when he puts his hands on Kaya's shoulders while giving her his speech about his dream and the Merry during the dinner, he is so affectionate with everyone and loves his friends so much I'm gonna cry.

- him walking on the table in Kaya's house during the dinner while giving his speech then handing his glass to Kuro gkdgkdhj that scene was so funny and was such a Luffy thing to do, and everyone's reactions plus Kuro's apoplectic rage in response had me dying

- Luffy's anxiety when he's worried about Zoro after the fight with Mihawk, like all his fidgeting and not wanting to eat and talking erratically, it really reminded me of his anxiety when Nami gets sick after Little Garden, as well as when he refuses to eat for a while after Marineford. It's just a nice touch because the one thing that can get him to lose his appetite is the thought of losing someone close to him, and one of the few things that can make him openly anxious is when he's not sure if one of his friends will be okay and there's nothing he can do to help. His anxiety in that scene is portrayed so well.

- Sanji trying to get him to eat and suggesting a bunch of different foods he can make because he's trying to help Luffy feel better was also so cute and such a Sanji thing to do 🥺🥺🥺

- Sanji and Zeff's dynamic was done soooooo well, the actors had so much chemistry and the dialogue was so good between them. Also I love how much of a spitfire baby Sanji was, and his and Zeff's first meeting was actually amazing with Sanji being like "I'D RATHER DIE THAN LET YOU SEASON MY FOOD" fhkxgjzgkxgj

- so much swearing, I loved it lol. In Japanese they swear a lot but a lot of subtitles don't really translate the extent of it, and the official manga translation definitely tones it down, as does the dub, at least compared to the original Japanese. Sanji even said "shitty restaurant"! He said the line!!

- idk if this an unpopular opinion or not, but I actually like the changes they made to the Syrup Village arc. That arc in the manga/anime is probably the narmiest, and as fond as I am of earlier arcs, that one would probably not translate well to the style and pacing the live action had going for it. They adjusted quite a few of the fights to fit a live action series as opposed to a serialized shounen. But One Piece has never really been about the fights, so as long as the essence is there I'm fine with it. And tbh, turning Kuro into a slasher villain stalking Kaya through the house actually worked surprisingly well. It made for a fun deviation from what fans would be used to, and played around with the genre without sacrificing the essential plot elements or character dynamics. Also using Kaya's house instead of a random beach actually made for a nice setting and environment that I think felt more fitting to the One Piece vibe, ngl.

- I like what they did with Koby's story. Having his character development lead up to him standing up to Garp rather than Alvida actually worked pretty well, and felt really natural as his story progressed in Parallel with Luffy's. And having his story involve him confronting his ideal of what a marine should be vs the reality of what marines are fit the story really well. I love the scene where he and Luffy tell each other to become a good marine and a good pirate.

- I was shocked that they revealed Garp's relationship with Luffy so soon, but honestly, it works better than I expected. I think they actually did a really good job integrating him into the earlier arcs, and it provided a good glimpse into some of the world building that will come into play later, like the relationship between the warlords and the marines/government, while also providing a more significant marine threat early on. I am a bit sad we don't get Luffy's canon reaction where as soon as he even hears his grandpa being mentioned he gets like ptsd flashbacks lmao. But I'll admit, the "talk" Nami gets Zoro to have with him after everyone finds out is hilarious. Zoro not giving a shit about who Luffy's grandpa is and being like "ughhhhhhh fine I'll talk to him" when Nami pressures him into it, then giving the barest minimum effort and Luffy is just like being Luffy and fiddling with his hat and answering the questions so non-chalantly, then Zoro is like "good talk" and bails, they were really on that shared idiot wavelength lmfaoooooo.

- Zoro's bickering with Sanji was great. I particularly like how prickly he gets about Sanji acting so familiar towards Nami and Luffy despite only just joining, because Zoro would totally be peeved by that, like excuse u simp waiter those were my friends first and I called dibs lmao

- Zoro's goofy moments like trying to sit down with the swords and when Luffy was manhandling him after his injury lmfao, I'm glad they didn't have him be serious all the time and let him be an idiot occasionally. He was so hardheaded and proud and cocky and sassy in all the right ways. Also loved when Nami was trying on clothes and Zoro is like "I'm gonna wear black so you can't wear black" like a diva LMAO

- uh, they did NOT have to go so fucking hard with Buggy, but they did and I am grateful for it. His actor is so fucking funny, and his lines are so good, they fit Buggy so well. And Luffy constantly getting his name wrong made me laugh every single time lmfao. Also when he gets mad at Luffy thinking he said "nose" and squishes his face, and Luffy's like "well now that you mention it wtf IS up with your nose?" LMAO did I mention yet how much I loved Luffy?

- having Buggy trap Luffy in a glass box filling with water worked so well for the circus aesthetic because it's really similar to those acts where people escape from a box filling with water. It also made sense for Buggy to use that against Luffy with the sea water. Also the effects for his fruit powers looked so good and creepy.

- they didn't shy away from gore! The manga is actually super violent, even relatively early on, but I got so used to the reduced version in the anime I actually was surprised at how graphic some parts were. They straight up had Zoro slice a guy in half and did not shy away from showing his sliced meaty bits. Also Zoro casually bringing Mr. 7's torso to the marines with the hair sticking out was badass ngl.

- the main cast were all sooooo good, I can't even pick one out as being better than any of the others, they were just all perfect. They really felt like the characters. Obviously Luffy stands out to me as my favourite character, but I loved them all so much. Sanji, Nami, Zoro, Usopp, they all were portrayed so well too. Absolutely perfect casting. Whoever was in charge of casting is the absolute GOAT

- Zoro and Nami bickering like siblings the whole time was great, especially how they were only unified in their exasperation over Luffy's antics lmfao.

- "Think he has brain damage?" "I think that every day" EGHSKSCHLACHSK

- the villains were all the perfect amount of hammy, hats off to their actors they all looked like they were having so much fun and they did so well as each character. And Arlong's actor managed to include Arlong's SHA HA HA HA laugh and actually make it sound pretty natural so fucking kudos dude that's awesome.

- when Sanji fishes Luffy out of the water at Baratie and they tell him Nami is gone, he looks so sad and pathetic just laying there wet on the dock I wanted to hug him so bad 🥺 he was already anxious about Zoro and then they lost Nami too and he was so worried about his friends.

- Sanji's simping was so funny. The scene were he's like "NAMI!" with his arms open as she comes out of the collapsing building in Arlong's Park and she runs right past him to hug Zoro and Usopp instead WGHOVSHOD it was so in character. dude is mega down bad fr and they portrayed it in such a funny way.

- I was kinda shocked at how well the outfits and costumes translated to live action. Like the show was extremely faithful when it came to character designs and outfits but it managed to make them feel very natural to the setting. It was honestly so cool. Like when Gin stumbled into the kitchen and you can instantly recognize him from his outfit, but it looks so natural like they made the outfits feel like something real people would wear. And the Strawhats had some absolute fucking DRIP yo, implementing a bunch of their colour spread outfits in the different episodes was fucking inspired, and they looked so goddamn good. Oda is a fucking fashion savant I swear like the clothes he designed look so damn good in real life.

- Luffy still had his asexual vibes in full force which I'm so happy about. Like when Nami is getting dressed for their dinner with Kaya, and asks how it looks while posing, and Luffy is like "... you look like Nami", that was SUCH a Luffy line lmao.

- when Usopp and Zoro were teasing Nami about Sanji's flirting (Zoro's rapid fire "madam"s lmfao) and everybody was joking around together while Luffy watches them with the most fond look on his face it was so cute ugh my heart

- Having Zeff help to treat Zoro using fish skin grafting was a really cool addition and a great way to show his expertise as a former pirate.

- omg when Luffy gets all defensive of Sanji after only knowing him for like a day (because he's Luffy), and he tells Zeff about Sanji feeding Gin thinking he'll be all mad but instead Zeff looks proud and says "what a good kid" OMG MY HEART that was so cute 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 Zeff's dad vibes we're off the fucking charts. And they kept the "li'l eggplant" nickname, Zeff was so good goddamn like he was honestly one of my favourite parts. How the fuck they managed to make his mustache work so well and look so natural I will never know but god damn I was so impressed.

- holy fucking shit, the Baratie looked so fucking good. It was like seeing the manga/anime come to life. I wanted to fucking go there so bad. The little mouth balcony thing, the floors, the roof mural which didn't get any attention but was just casually made to be incredibly detailed and beautiful?!?! The colours and the bg characters, holy shit the set was just fucking amazing.

- The ships looked so good. Luffy choosing Merry 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 I also liked how Usopp was introduced, it fit his character and the adjusted pacing pretty well imo

-I didn't know how to feel about Shanks in the preview images, but in motion he actually works really well. And Yasopp and Lucky Roo were so good. I love how they had Shanks mime cocking a gun and shooting it to signal to his crew to start going ham on the bandits so it looks for a moment like he shoots someone with his finger gun. Also Yasopp's trick shots were awesome, as well as Lucky Roo literally beating people with a chunk of meat lmfao.

- Mihawk was serving absolutely cunt. He was there to slay and slay he did. No notes, A+ performance.

- Zoro and Nami's actors really nailed their big emotional scenes. They captured the expressions and delivery perfectly, especially Nami screaming Arlong's name and stabbing her tattoo, she managed to match the intensity that the original voice actor had in the anime surprisingly well.

- Helmeppo's actor was so funny. His dickish goofy way of laughing worked so well for his character lmao, and having Zoro give him his signature haircut was 🤌🤌🤌 idk WHY they had him naked when he was playing with Wado Ichimonji but it was so funny.

- the scene where he convinces Koby to slack off and have a drink with him, Koby takes several shots, then blurts out that Garp is Luffy's grandfather was great lmfao.

-Zeff's interactions with Garp were great too. I love their talk about there being a new generation coming into its own now and it's getting to be the time where they should step back and let the new kids have their turn. It was a scene I could absolutely see happening in the manga.

- I like how at first Garp seems more reserved and serious than he is in canon, but as more time passes the more it's revealed how unhinged he is and how he absolutely is related to Luffy. Like when he screams after Luffy takes out their main sail, only to start laughing and act proud. Or when he gets pissed off at Mihawk refusing to capture Luffy and just has a tantrum in his office throwing shit around. Or when Zeff convinces him to stay for a meal by mentioning meat and he's like 👀👀👀. Koby saying he should have realised Garp and Luffy were related because of how much they both like meat had me laughing out loud.

- I like how Bogard got a slightly bigger role. He always had a really cool aesthetic, like an old time gangster with a samurai sword is actually really cool, so it was nice to see him a bit more than we get to in the manga/anime.

- They did a great job showing off how terrifyingly strong Garp is. When he's going after Luffy and just demolishing him as well as the environment. His hits felt like they hit hard. Also when he grabbed a canon ball and threw it at the Merry I was like YES!!! I was really hoping they'd show that if they were going to involve him in the live action series earlier than in canon.

- the show really managed to capture that fun swashbuckling vibe that comes with pirates. Also the ships and sets looked so good. And I like how they made reasonable changes to ship designs without going too far or making them too "realistic", they kept the fun aspects of the ship designs. Like Garp's ship looked damn good! Alvida's ship was still pink and covered in hearts!

I could gush for hours about everything I liked. There were like a few tiny nitpicks, some of the child actors weren't the greatest (Usopp and Kuina's being the worst ones), Usopp didn't get as many important scenes in Syrup village (though he did get a nice scene where he refuses to leave Kaya even after she slaps him and accuses him of lying about Klahador/Kuro, and they also kind of made up for not having more big scenes for him by giving Nami some extra development with Kaya in a way that fit with both their characters and storys. It was cute!), they left Hachi out of Arlong's Park which could impact his story later on (if they ever get that far 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞), which kinda sucks because I've always loved his redemption story. But aside from that honestly, I have very few criticisms. This felt like it was made by people who love One Piece and wanted to share it with both fans who have always wanted to see the world and characters they love in real life, as well a new audience that might otherwise have never gotten to see it. What few changes they made were ones that made sense for condensing the story, adjusting for the change in genre and medium, and they all still fit the world and didn't actually sacrifice the important aspects of canon. And they captured the heart and essence of the story, world, and characters so well it almost feels like a dream.

Like, we all got so used to live action adaptations falling short of that, of missing what makes the originals work. But the One Piece live action feels like it gets it, like above everything else the strawhats are a family, and Luffy is the embodyment of joy, and freedom, and the pursuit of dreams, and letting yourself just believe for once in something bigger than yourself even when you're a very small fish in a very big pond. The attention to detail, all the little references and foreshadowing and stuff in the backgrounds. The casting was mind bogglingly good, even minor characters like Sham and Buchi were so good and had so much character and life to them. Even with the characters they mostly had to leave out due to pacing and time constraints, just their designs alone were given so much attention. Like the Mayor of Orange town, or Patty, or Gin, who were only briefly shown in reduced roles, but were still so instantly recognisable. And the wacky designs of the manga were adapted to live action so well I was flabbergasted at how well they worked and how good they looked even though they barely toned down any of their weirdness or goofiness.

I was initially worried about the main characters saying or doing things that felt out of character, especially my boy Luffy, but there was never a moment where I felt like they weren't their characters. Sure, they weren't exact 1 to 1 copies since a lot of the Japanese dialogue would sound stilted in English without an adjustment, even the typical translated versions are more attuned to the sensibilities of people who are used to reading or hearing translated dialogue, so there were obvious adjustments that had to be made to the way some characters talked and the lines they said, but they made it work and feel right for this version of the story, and the characters still felt like themselves in all the ways that mattered.

Iñaki as Luffy was amazing, I am so happy with his performance. He really embodied the charm and cheer and charisma of Luffy perfectly. I got to fall in love with Luffy's character all over again with him and that is such a gift to get to experience that more than once 😭😭😭😭

God. I'm so emotional. I wanted this to be good so badly. I wanted this, of all series to escape the live action anime curse, because I knew if any could, it would be One Piece. And it was even better than I'd hoped. Was it perfect? Probably not, but I don't care. There wasn't a single moment where I wasn't enjoying myself and having fun, and that was all I wanted was to have fun while watching. It captured that feeling of the east blue arc, the nostalgia, so well.

If I gush any more this post will be way too fucking long. There are obviously more things I could talk about and comment on but I have to stop at some point or else I'll be writing this post forever lmao.

I will be reblogging stuff about the live action obviously, so reminder that my spoiler tag is gonna be "OPLA spoilers"

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH