#Kuro mention

[leaderoffestivals]

Blackjack Chapter 14

Tetora: He~h! I’ve learnt something new today!

Madara: Hmmm~? … … What’s this, Tetora-san? Why are you looking at me with such bright sparkles in your eyes?

Yumenosaki 1.5: 4th Tour-Blackjack Chapter 14 The Gift That Was Never Delivered Chapter 6

Scenario Writer: Akira Season: Autumn Characters: Kanzaki Souma, Mikejima Madara, Nagumo Tetora, Sakasaki Natsume Proofed by: @ryuseipuka​

< An hour later. Just after Anzu and Shinobu have departed to rescue (?) Mayoi. >

Souma: Sigh. I wish you would cease the making of these requests of me, Mikejima-dono.

It is my honest wish not to be excessively involved in "this side" of things.

Madara: Hahaha! However, if I’m unable to rely on you, I’d have no choice but to rely on Kanata-san, thouuugh? 

Souma: Good grief. I am easily swayed by the mention of Shinkai-dono’s name… … You are as cunning as ever, Mikejima-dono.

Madara: Fufu~! I reeeally wish you would call me ‘wise’ instead!

Tetora: He~h! I’ve learnt something new today!

Madara: Hmmm~? … … What’s this, Tetora-san? Why are you looking at me with such bright sparkles in your eyes?

Tetora: That’s because Mikejima-senpai is an outstanding predecessor whom I respect very deeply, of course! Ossu!

Madara: Mmm~m. I don't think it’s a good idea for you to take after me too closely as a role model, you know~? I'm sure there are much more respectable "teachers" around to serve as your example to follow, such as Chiaki-san and Kuro-san, right? 

Tetora: Nope. I’ve been persevering along those paths all this time but they’ve all come to dead ends. I’ve been starting to think I need to find other paths and ways to become stronger!

That’s why I believe the former Ryuusei Purpleーsomeone whom Morisawa-senpai respects very much, and whom Taisho acknowledges as an equal rival!ー

ーI’ve come to the conclusion that you, Mikejima-senpai, would be the perfect candidate for me to look up to as my mentor!

I wanna learn from you, Mikejima-senpai, and become stronger and stronger!

Madara: Ahaha~... … This must’ve been how the green guy who had to train the lil’ kiddo in that manga must have felt, huh! (1)

Souma: Haha. You have an unusually troubled expression on your face, Mikejima-dono. It is such a refreshing sight to see. 

Madara: Si~iigh. Aaall my kouhais just aren’t cute at all, huh~?  Kohaku-san and Anzu-san as well. All I want as a senpai is for my kouhais to make an honest, genuine fuss over me, though!

Tetora: Alright! If you so wish, I, Nagumo Tetora, will make a big fuss over you! Ossu!

Madara: Mmm~, what you’re offering is not quite what I’m asking for. 

Souma: If you would wish to be genuinely loved by your kouhais, Mikejima-dono, you should move yourself to express your love for them in a more honest fashion too. 

Divine retribution and poetic justice (2)—how you treat others will be reflected as if by mirrors back unto you.

Madara: Awww man, that really hurts my ears!

Well! That’s enough of that. It’s gonna be a problem if an outsider like me remains on Yumenosaki’s campus grounds forever, so I guess I’ll have to entrust this place to Souma-san from here on out. 

I’ll be waiting close by, so don’t hesitate to light the beacon fires to call for aid, should ever the need arise.

All riiight then, I wish you both fair winds and godspeed!

(—sound of Madara walking away—)

Tetora: Ah—Mikejima-senpai... ...he’s gone. I still have so much more I wanna learn from you, like the ways of being a hero and so on!

Souma: Fufufu~. To Mikejima-dono, an encounter with a kouhai who genuinely adores him as you do is a rare occurrence, so he probably fled because he has no idea how to deal with it. 

He speaks about wanting honest kouhais, but when one expresses genuine affection towards him, he retreats in fear. That esteemed person is a difficult man, as usual. 

Tetora: Hm? Are you a close friend of Mikejima-senpai, Kanzaki-senpai? Why does it feel like the both of you have known each other for a long time, somehow… …?

The both of you seem to be able to understand each other without the need for words—honestly, it almost feels like the both of you are family!

Souma: I only established proper contact with that esteemed person sometime during the last year. Our families, however, did have various comings and goings between us.  

Just as with Shinkai-dono—we have met with each other at family gatherings when we were children. Despite that, we were both reserved, and thus took care not to approach each other. 

Tetora: EH! Are you actually related to Mikejima-senpai, Kanzaki-senpai?

Souma: No. We are not bound by any bonds of blood, but our families are affiliated in various ways. You might say that we are all foxes from the same den.

This time as well—It is because of those connections that I was summoned here to be relied on in this way.  

Anzu-dono and Sengoku required covert passage into the ‘Underground’, and for that purpose, it was necessary that I bring the influence of my household to bear. 

This has led to Nagumo being stranded on the surface alone. I am truly sorry for that, but… …

Tetora: Oh! This wasn’t your fault at all, though? Right from the start, that Underground? Or whatever you call it—Big Sis Anzu and Shinobu-kun were the only ones supposed to go, anyway!

I’m the one who insisted on tagging along, so this is all on me. You couldn’t have possibly known to prepare one of those ticket-like things for me to enter the Underground, after all!

Souma: Still, I apologize. Had I been informed in advance, I would have been able to do something about it. 

That being said, there are still matters remaining which we aboveground must attend to. It would be greatly appreciated if you could provide your assistance with those, as well. 

Tetora: Ossu! If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll do it!

Souma: That is a fine response. … … It may be that we may encounter some skirmishes later on, so let’s carry out some sparring to keep our bodies warm. It will also serve as a way to pass the time. 

Tetora: It’ll be an honour! Taisho has spoken highly of Kanzaki-senpai’s skill as a formidable fighter. I’ll be glad for the opportunity to spar with you!

Souma: Well, I am an expert in the ways of the samurai when compared to an amateur. 

Come, Nagumo. Let me assess the strength of Kiryu-dono’s beloved disciple!

Tetora: Ossu! I’ll be in your care!

LET’S GOOOO!

Souma: Hmph! Too naive! Indeed, it would prove beneficial for you to receive tutelage under Mikejima-dono—Your sole chance at victory would have been to initiate your attack while we were still talking!

Your attacks are straightforward to the extreme! Those will not destroy true evil!

Tetora: Ossu! I thank you for your well-meaning advice! Take! THAT! And THAT!

Souma: Fufu~ What is this? You bear the name ‘Black’, and yet are unaccustomed to battles in the dark, are you?—’Ryusei Burakku’!

Natsume: … … Why have you guys started sparring all of a sudDEN? Are both of you characters from a fighting manGA?

Souma: Hm. Sakasaki-dono. What is your business here? (Swiping sound)

Tetora: (Thumping sound) UWAH!? You swept my feet out from under me, just when we were looking at Sakasaki-senpai?!

Souma: Fufu~. Inattention is a great enemy ♪

Natsume: SeriousLY? It’s great that you two seem to be having fUN, but it would be better if you didn’t make such a fuss nOW. The kitten and her company are in the middle of an undercover mission after aLL.  

Souma: That is so. … … It seems that you are one pulling the strings behind this incident, though? What on earth are you up to, Sakasaki-dono? 

Natsume: No~, I’m not up to anything nefarious at aLL. I’m not at all like a certain Glasses—a person who plots darkly behind the sceNES, all the while pretending to wear the face of a compassionate perSON.

Souma: Ngh—I will not tolerate this slander of Hasumi-dono! What Hasumi-dono does is termed ‘strategy’, not ‘conspiracy’! 

Natsume: Well~, unlike His Majesty the EmperOR, that bespectacled right-hand man of his has been behaving honourabLY. I’ll take back what I said about him scheming behind the sceNES. 

More than thAT, I’m really not up to anything underhanded this time eithER. I only offered the kitten and the kid a solution after they came to consult mE—

—because that is the duty of a fortune-tellER, you sEE. 

Souma: Ha~. Surely, you must have some other goal in mind, correct? Some other purpose?

Natsume: Of courSE, I’ll receive my proper paymeNT. I’m not doing this out of charity after aLL. 

There is a secret slumbering in this laND. We’ll unearth iT, and come in contact with the mysteRY. 

We’ll dissect that mystery with science and loGIC, and gain mastery over iT. That’s our mission as modern-day wizARDS. 

Natsume: Now thEN. What enigma will emerge from Yumenosaki’s Underground, I wonDER? Will it be a demon or will it be a snAKE? I’m looking forward to seeing iT ♪

It won’t matter how perilous the secret which emerges from the earth may bE. I, Sakasaki Natsume, on the name I bear as one of the ‘Five Eccentrics’, will master and bend it all to my wILL. 

—————-To be continued——————-

Translator’s Notes:

1) Madara should be likening himself to Piccolo and Tetora as Son Gohan in DragonBall Z. Gohan was 4 years old when he started training under Piccolo… a baby, lol. (points below) Tetora is not that small, Madara!

2) Souma is poking Madara by echoing what Madara said in Myriad of Colours and Flowers.  3) I only jumped to translating this part cos it has Madara in it + Madara-Souma childhood crumbs + I’m so chuffed that Tetora knows Madara is Ryusei Purple. 

[littlelightfish]

Holm nation... I have a heartbreaking announcement to make.

We didn't get to see this panels animated.

(I wanted to see Laios helping him, this one isn't the one this post is all about)

I feel it's important to his character enough that Kui decided to dedicate three panels about how he aproaches and resurrects Kabru.

He is used to resurrecting people, his party sucks at keeping themselves alive. He walks up to Kabru's corpse with a worried look on his face. Then he kneels besides him and takes a second to process what he is seeing. He is seeing a young man, Kabru, dead. It makes him feel unseasy, a bit of shock that he can't take the luxury of process at the moment. He doesn't want to look, so he closes his eyes and focuses on his spell. He is realizing he is the only one alive from his party (he doesn't know where Mick is or how he is). He is the last one standing. The reality of it all slaps him in the face.

The panel of him just... looking at the mess Kabru's corpse is was just... It was important. It talked about him as a character. "I'm not doing this because I want to, but because I have to". He doesn't has time for emotions. He has a job to do.

It's just three panels. But they provide lots of context between the ones that came before and after.

He doesn't just rubs Kabru's head because he's being afective. He does it because he cares. He does it out of relief. "As long as I'm here, any of you'll be dying soon. And I'll always be here. Don't worry." He is far from being OK after all this. Marillier died, Daya died, Kuro died, Kabru died, Rin died, Mick probably died too (but he doesn't saw it). He... By the time he was the only one standing, the fight was over, and he could alredy resurrect them. He wants to feel sad. To worry, to be concerned, to mourn. But he can't. It isn't necessary.

He is a cleric. He for sure has a notion of dead way different than anyone and feels a certain way about resurrection. "Dying is dying, even if you resurrect." It's a bug at the corner of his mind, he doesn't pay it any attention. He gets resurrected multiple times, he is gratefull he is alive. But seeing all his friends dead? And the most of them mutilated? Covered in their own blood? He has this desire to mourn. To cry the loss. To panic. "They are all dead."

He knows they'll come back. He has to make them come back. So he does. And they are alive. But they weren't a few seconds ago. And he just plays it off, he puts his calm face on as soon as there is another party member alive that could ask him what happened that it disturbed him so much. He throws all those sad feelings under the rug and focuses at the task at hand.

They're going to be ok, he just has to do his job: bring them back from death. They shouldn't even be dead. But they are. And he's going to fix it. No point on feeling sad about them dying if they can be alive soon!

I think the concern that the anime puts here it's something that could come close to what he feels inside. Those seconds are the only ones we see him looking something akin to worried for his friends.

But then...

His worry vanishes in seconds. The moment Kabru revives, he does it in such a "Kabru" way, that he tells himself: "This is fine, they're going to be back soon, nothing to worry about, I just have to hurry". He wants them all back to live. We know for sure that in his priority list there wasn't any "reviving Toshiro's party members first". He was going to make sure all his party, all his friends, were alive before even thinking of resurrecting other people if he still had the magic.

Those three panels they didn't animate are something that was there for a reason. To give depth to Holm. This last episode is definitely the one in wich he shines the most. He isn't the main character at all this episode, but he does the most important stuff on the background. He revives them all. This all lack of something if you don't show what Kuy drew on those panels.

Here he just... goes to work. He says: "lemme handle it" and he does. No concern, no worry, no, nothing. He just does. No thoughts.

It makes me sad. Those panels were important. :(

[puddii-ng]

a nostalgic feeling ♪

[ceoandslutler]

a short analysis on the theme of kindness in kuro, in defence of the morally reprehensible protagonists.

i previously spoke about sebastian pulling a "not like other humans" line on ciel but the things he's actually saying in this chapter are crazy...

chapter no's and pages in alt text!!

media illiterate (most kuro fandom antis') logic is that ^this guy's^ the big bad villain of kuro, there's so much to analyse about the theme of kindness and humanity in kuro but ultimately people are blind to it because sebaciel are not the kind, happy-go-lucky type of protags many people are used to and people struggle to purify them. there are so many people in this story "more innocent" than them and less morally grey which makes them look like worse people but the fact is that they are the "worse" in a world full of the "worst". they're there to show you how despicable humanity can be but they have their moments of 'good' (otherwise they'd be lacking in likability), especially moments like this can be quite odd in this story about corruption and evil because in those pages, these two do not seem like the deplorable, manipulative and conniving characters we often see them as. this moment reminds me of another very dear chapter to me which two volumes comes after this.

this is such an interesting part of the manga (it's why the blue cult arc is my favourite arc of the manga despite all the popstar/idol shenanigans that threw a lot of people off). the way these two behave in this arc is not normal, they do not need to go above and beyond for these people. it is not necessary for sebastian to go this far for ciel AND his tenants (who it is important to note he has no contractual obligation to care for, especially not to the extent of giving them the "time of their lives") and it is certainly not normal the way ciel treats these people with zero contempt even when they 'disrespect' him as a noble. these two are genuinely weird for their time, blue cult arc also gives us an unforgettable seb moment (link).

this chapter also serves as part of the transition between the blue cult arc and the blue memory arc which is also...

one of the most intriguing parts of the manga... what's interesting here is that ciel HAS kept his tenants happy as proven by the halloween chapter (the page below from this same chapter talks of infrastructure needs having to be met and we read that ciel has fixed the roads since becoming earl and even an old donkey can transport milk from across them- that's how good the quality of the roads are). however, what i want to focus on is undertaker previously saying ciel, despite having phantomhive blood is not like his predecessors. in fact, the flashback chapter shows he's not even like his own identical twin brother!

i really wonder what exactly undertaker meant by saying that right as ciel saves joanne in the school arc and also what vincent was thinking about his sons in this flashback sequence. did vincent think o!ciel is different too? and what is it that makes him so odd? or rather, what makes him an exception in the phantomhive family? i look forward to whatever yana has in store for us and hope to see where these wonderful characters with such bizarre morality (or lack there of) end up.

i will talk about this theme more in the future but if anyone has something specific to add, please do. and even if it's not too detailed or you're unsure, feel free to tell me what you think about the use of 'good' and 'evil' for the main characters of kuro overall! some things to consider:

fundamentally why are ciel and sebastian the way they are? and more importantly, do you think yana intended either of them to be read as strictly "evil"? a lot of people make the case of the fandom purifying them but i never see that these days, usually it's only ciel that's sanitised of all sin and sebastian that is demonised (although occasionally both are demonised as solely "bad guys"). i joke about them being narcissistic and not the nicest people (which is something i genuinely believe) but i do not think they are the root of all evil; which is a take you can have without absolving them of any and all misdeed they may have committed. i think what i'm really getting at is that sebastian is not ""evil""? and he's not innocent either. but he's a force for "good" in the story. he works for the phantomhive estate and the people living on that land more devotedly than a demon with a 3-clause contract with the master of the land should and he shouldn't be excluded from the phantomfam and only seen as horrible/evil but nor should he be solely seen as a silly little cat loving parent. and you don't need to ship sebaciel to see him this way, just read the source material with your eyes peeled, really think about what sebastian does and says. he's so interesting and he's so much more than the fandom makes him out to be. but interpret him however you want, i guess.

[captainbragd-personal]

Hey speaking of dungeon meshi, I think its really fucked up that the story brings up slavery Twice and just glosses over it. Esp when one of said mentions is pointing out that one of the characters OWNS another which makes all their interactions a whole lot less cute.

Anyway I hope Kuro skins Mickbell and makes a rug out of them.

[warmmilk-n-honey]

I'm splitting all the kuro fans I'm acquainted with into four categories-

The dadbastian enjoyers-These fans' main focus is on Ciel and Seb's dynamic, they also love the phantomfam antics as well as Ciel's friend group-Lizzie, Soma, and Sieglende. These fans are drawn to Ciel's familial bonds with different characters, so they tend to love characters like the Midfords, Diedrich, and the ones mentioned above. These fans tend to love Tango on the Campania and/or Noah's Arc Circus out of all the musicals. Obsessed with the concept of dadbastian, wishes Yana would lean into that aspect of their relationship more and writes/reads fic to rectify this problem. Ciel is their son and they have adopted him from Yana in order to give him a better life, filled with found family and talking about your feelings. Or on the flip side they revel in the pain and toxicity of Ciel's situation and relationship with Seb.

The reaper fans aka, the Grelle nation-These fans are obsessed with Grelle, interested in the reapers, and wish Yana gave the reapers more depth. They write/read fic to rectify this problem. Most likely ships Redcliff and is probably also a Madam Red stan. May or may not be a SebaGrelle and/or a Mey-rin x Grelle shipper. Angry at the transphobia Grelle faces, as we all are. Are obsessed with The Most Beautiful Death in the World. These fans are unreasonably horny for Miss Sutcliff, which y'know, more power to them.

Season 2 captives- These fans are being held captive by season 2 for reasons that mystify the rest of the fandom. They love Alois Trancy and wish he was given the justice he deserves; they wish his character, and his trauma were written in a more respectful way, they write/read fic to rectify this problem. They see the potential in season 2's characters, but understandably hate the execution. These fans also usually have some kind of fascination with the Weston boys and like to explore the concept of Alois attending Weston.

Phantomhive twins stans- These fans love the twins, usually are obsessed with R!Ciel, and generally love to explore/theorize about the Phantomhive lineage. They probably believe in the Undertaker grandpa theory and may or may not believe in the RCMMT. They may or may not be obsessed with Claudia Phantomhive, but they've at least drawn/reblogged art of her. They may or may not have an Undertaker pfp, and if they don't it's a pfp of one of the twins. They love to make memes about twins, I've noticed this group is extremely memey, like even compared to the rest of these groups. They love the blue memory arc despite how brutal it is, and they wish the twins dynamic was explored more beyond that arc, they write/read fic to rectify this problem. These fans are very much Ciel Phantomhive apologists, like even more than most other fans.

So which one/combination of categories are you?

[flowerakatsuka]

i'm curious. you mentioned kuroba living in an iyashi-kei, so do they also see the characters differently (art style wise)? cause if so, i 100% understand why they fell for karamatsu.

YESSS, i think it'd be really fun if them being meant for another genre extends to how they see the world around them. i do wanna clarify that kuroba isn't exactly living in a iyashikei, they're more so a character meant to be a iyashikei protag stuck as a side character in a slapstick gag universe. if that makes sense? dude's basically in the wrong genre.

anyways, here's how i think they'd see themself & karamatsu!

i drew inspiration from a few different places, mostly seizo watase & studio colorido's work ( along with wandering son for the coloring style. ) and i had to keep osmt's colored lineart, i love it too much to get rid of it.

[alien-slushie]

Kenma: No one is as excited to see Shouyou as I am.

Lev: I AM!!!

Kenma: Not scientifically possible!

[rdps01]

gator

[squidcandy]

horrible boyfriend chronicles 15: kuro who thinks keitos worst qualities are 'cute' and keito who has no clue when things qualify as 'a little gay'.

[childrenofthesun77]

Back when mahiru thought his uncle might be dead he had a flashback to the accident that resulted in his mother's death, but one thing I noticed is that we don't actually see akira in this memory? It feels like either mahiru (or someone like lily or jeje) is supressing his memory here.

And if someone possibly killed akira on purpose, who was it and why?

[raelyn-dreams]

Any headcanons of your favorite enstars characters? 👀💫

I do indeed nonnie! Though tbh, these are kind of full-cast headcanons lol. Tysm for the ask 😊

Mika is still upset he wasn't included in the Sanrio collab, and angrily sewed plushies the entire day it was announced.

During practice for Artistic Partisan, Hiiro was under the impression that the prop spears were much heavier than they actually were, leading to him accidentally slamming one through the wall (and nearly impaling Shu).

We don't talk enough about how Knights are given swords for their performances. Like who thought this was a good idea. Even if they are dull and fake, do you know how terrifying it is to have Ritsu Sakuma come at you with a sword and a maniacal grin? Kaoru Hakaze does.

Kuro was basically acting as a mediator for the entirety of the Yuukyou Seishunka cover rehearsals (while Mika and Souma prayed their unit leaders wouldn't kill each other). Keito and Shu came to feel kinda bad about this as they were winding down, so they begrudgingly worked together to make him a gi, as a thank you and apology. Keito never wants to hear the words "proper quilter's knot" again, but it was worth it for the smile on Kuro's face.

Hiiro and Hinata both have...shaky histories with high places (Hiiro in !! main story after Rinne disowns him, and Hinata during Setsubun). Niki doesn't know the details, but he notices after a while, so they start having rooftop hang-outs on occasion to help them with it.

I really like the Hiiro-Hinata-Niki dorm as a whole actually (which...Hiiro and Hinata are two of my favs, and Niki's up there, so that's to be expected lol). I see a lot of potential with the three, and I think they'd really get each other.

Ibara visited Kaname once. It was a stupid and sentimental thing to do, really, and he had work that needed to be done, lives to prepare for...but he couldn't help but feel he owed it to him, the near-silent apology that passed his lips that day.

Also, veering into AU territory a bit, but I think if Kaname were to wake up and eventually get back into the industry (after lots of rehab + accommodations), he'd keep the HiMERU name, but drop the "cool" persona he tried to associate with it. Life is too short to care so much about the public's perception of him, and I feel he'd go in the opposite direction of Tatsumi, and become even more outspoken, which would make him a good Crazy:B candidate.

OreMERU (our HiMERU) and Kaname are going to need to talk. A lot. I think Kaname wouldn't quite forgive him and would be upset about the identity theft, but he also can't bring himself to hate him, as he can see why he did it and knows it's for him. There's a lot of guilt and misunderstanding on both sides (ntm Tatsumi, Jun, and everyone else's reactions), but I think they eventually get through it alright, and OreMERU would always be Kaname's "Onii-chan".

OreMERU is also gonna have an identity crisis, and tries to quit Crazy:B, but of course Rinne, Niki, and Kohaku aren't gonna let him just dip like that. There's a lot of panicking, some bad hairstyle decisions, but he comes out alright, and starts going by another stage name that's important to him in some way.

I'm sorry about the excessive Tojo headcanons nonnie, I fully read Obbligato for the first time last week (just knew the basics before) and it wrecked me asdfghjkl.

Anyways. Back to everyone else.

As Mika gets used to Shu's more lenient personality, he tries to see how much gore he can get away with in Valkyrie's art.

Shu tries so hard to respect Mika's artistic vision and encourage him, he really does. But he draws the line at real pigs brains on-stage, even if they are in jars ("But Oshi-san, it represents the breakin' o' the mind after they tried so hard ta conform ta the expectations they put on 'em and ended up slaughtered! It's perfect symbolism, ain't it?")

Adonis makes money on the side for Undead by acting as an interpreter for other units during lives and Q&As. It ends up so popular and profitable that ES actually ends up investing money in professional interpreters for all events, because the ES heads can be kind of good people for once I guess. As a treat.

Rei, Ritsu, Niki, Tatsumi, Eichi, and Kaname (if he rejoins the industry) start having a combined monthly interview to make up for ones they miss due to illness/disability. The college kids/anyone that's been sick or couldn't make their own interviews occasionally join in too (usually Chiaki, Mayoi, Nazuna, Shu, Leo, and Izumi). Rei feels personally attacked sometimes, but its overall fun and way less stressful than trying to make every interview for their own units.

Kuro/Shu/Mao/Izumi dorm have sewing nights. It started because Kuro and Shu already sew, and Izumi wanted to be able to make his own alterations as a model just in case. Mao ended up joining in as a way to de-stress from student council work, and they have a relatively pleasant time together.

Souma is canonically good at embroidery, so I like to think he ends up creating his own sword scabbards for different Akatsuki costumes using the skills he's picked up from it. They're very pretty, and he's very proud of them.

[dustgeonmeshi]

I understand if this is perhaps not the most appropriate ask or headcanon to share, and I have not yet worked out the scenario in which this would occur (aside from them maybe crossing paths post-canon while one's on a road trip with Mickbell/Falin and the other is hunting evil wizards and beastman smugglers) but

I think Kuro would try to strike a friendship with Izutsumi under more favorable circumstances. Begrudgingly, perhaps, but this chimeric woman is evidently a Friend (of a friend of a friend) and he'll need to get accustomed one way or the other. Key word being "would" otherwise because Kuro is a rather obliging, relatively mature kobold (language skills notwithstanding) and Izutsumi... isn't. He'd probably feel rather protective of Izu if he had a better understanding of what she'd gone through, though I doubt he would learn directly from her.

They would cook a mean steak though.

not inappropriate at all! I've grown to care a lot more about Kuro and Mickbell after reading their omakes so i'm happy to engage with their characters

i think you're totally right in that Kuro is more mature as a kobold than Izutusmi is; despite being an adult by both beast and tallman standards, Izutusmi is evidently an immature teenager. Kuro is very protective so he may feel that protective instinct toward her as a young girl! I do wonder if his protective instincts are innate or if he mainly feels them as a result of his loyalty/care towards Mickbell.

funnily enough im sure Mick and Izutusmi wouldn't get along at first. Mick would feel threatened by another beast coming along ("She's gonna snatch Kuro away!") and Izutsumi doesn't really get along with most people right away. so the idea of Kuro and Izutsumi getting along while Mickbell and Izutsumi shoot each other dirty looks is funny.

and yes, they would cook a mean steak.

[natsmagi]

I hate to be rude but do you know how to draw body fat or are you just gonna make tsumugi a stick with boobs over and over

THE "I HATE TO BE RUDE" AHAKGSQKG3KWHQJSUANSHDNGN PLEAAAAASEE ANON DONT LIE TO URSELF U KNOW DAMN WELL THIS WAS WRITTEN WITH CONDESCENDING INTENT LMAO but to answer ur question; yea i do! admittedly im not the best at it as i lack experience (i dont draw nudity very often so the opportunity barely arises) but i do have a general understanding of how its meant to look and yes i will continue drawing tsumugi as a stick with big boobs over and over! because this is the body type i headcanon her with and i think it suits her. i know boob sizes arent that deep, but a figure like hers carries a more "motherly" vibe to it (theres a reason we say "mommy milkers" n shit after all) plus it adds to her "hot klutz anime gf" energy. theres a Reason this portrayal is so common in the broad enstars community (including JP/KR/CN/etc artists too). when coming up with femstars portrayals my priority is not in giving you representation (that was never even there to begin with); it is to try and translate what made the character good in the original and keep that energy in this new version. now, sometimes adding a larger bit of diversity DOES help translate over the characters energy, and its a win-win for all! it just simply is not how i picture tsumugi in my head (but this does not mean i eat up those different portrayals of her any less!!! i think its super fun to see and she will always be absolutely gorgeous!!!!). if you disagree with my headcanon of her you quite literally do not need to consume my art. no one is forcing you to look at what i make. Pick up a pen and draw the tsumugi of your dreams yourself

and before anyone brings it up: yes!! skinny ppl can have big busts!!!! crazy, isnt it?? ud never expect it from the way yall discuss it! boob sizes are determined partially by fat, yes, but also genetics and if uve undergone pregnancy (the mommy milkers.....) so its INCREDIBLY weird to see people constantly talking about how those of us who draw tsumugi like this "dont know how women look" when yall dont even research the shit you spew. the reason "big boobs skinny waists" is something we've been fighting against in media portrayals is because there was a time where that was ALL THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN WE'D GET. THAT IS UNREALISTIC. women come in ALL shapes and sizes, and to dictate what women Can or Can't look like is fucking misogynistic and i cant believe you people dont realize this. i cant believe you dont realize the harm in what you say. alot of skinny people with big busts end up getting breast reduction surgery because 1. those mfs are heavy and 2. everyone sexualizes them!!!!!!! their bodies are viewed purely as something pornographic!!!!!! and no one wants that!!!!!!!! which shit like THIS (something being wrong with having big boobs) perpetuates. often times they hide their busts by wearing baggy clothes, which hides their figure and they end up looking a few sizes bigger just to avoid being viewed as an object. its sad!!!!! and now theres a new wave of people BODYSHAMING THEM??????? and for what??? because men think big boobs are hot???? why can women only exist in contrast to men???? why must women always think about how men will react to how they look or behave?????? why cant women of all body types just EXIST. why must there ALWAYS be someone we punch down at???? bodyshaming isnt suddenly cool just because youre shaming something men get off to

so, i have a question for you too! genuinely, what is wrong with drawing tsumugi like this? what is the harm? theres like 6 characters out of the 49 in enstars that i hc with big busts, so its not like im reducing women to this body type, and its queer people and women who are my target demographic. so whats wrong with it? im genuinely curious

[randomminty]

Casually posts enstars art as if i didnt draw these back in august 2022 hello. I thought souma fish card was funny

[warmmilk-n-honey]

So lets talk about why the psychosexual elements of Sebastian and Ciel's relationship don't work for me and why I don't think it's thoughtfully addressed enough to justify its existence within the manga. I've wanted to write about my thoughts on this for a while and since my dadbastian post like two people have said they want to hear about this, so here you go.

Warning for discussions of CSA and the sexualization of children within the manga

The main reason, it's just fanservice and the thing is, even if this aspect of their relationship was explored or addressed the fact that it is used as fanservice fotter shows that Yana has no intention of exploring this in a thoughtful way, she just likes sexualizing kids. I'll be repeating this point a lot because it's like basically my thesis... So strap in!

I've seen people say that Yana is trying to illustrate that Sebastian takes pleasure in human suffering, and they use Ciel's panic attack during the circus arc as an example. I would say even if this was her intention-which it definitely could be, it still falls flat because ultimately the reader is meant to be titillated by the way it's framed. It doesn't matter what is trying to be said when we as the reader are meant to be taking pleasure in Ciel's pain and exploitation. That's why it doesn't work for me regardless of Yana's intention, there is no empathy for Ciel's trauma, not actually if we are meant to enjoy his suffering on some level. Lolita for example may be from Humbert's perspective but Dolores herself is not fetishized by the framing, the erotic scenes between the two are written as gross and unappealing, but this couldn't be less the case in the way she draws scenes of Sebastian and Ciel, we are meant to find it sexy. You could say we are meant to see it as Sebastian sees it, but I still don't see that as an excuse to sexualize a child character for the reader's enjoyment. Besides, there are many instances where Ciel is sexualized completely independently of Sebastian. For example in the public school arc there's that scene where Maurice ambushes Ciel...

It is very clear that Yana has fetishized Ciel's trauma and powerlessness in this moment for the sake of the reader's enjoyment, Sebastian's not even in this scene. I can't think of any other reason to frame the scene this way other than that we are meant to find a 13 year old csa victim sexy! What does this scene actually say about Ciel's character? That he finds some kind of masochistic pleasure when he is victimized, perhaps as a coping mechanism? Well that's never addressed within the actual text, that's not consistent with his character. See how I can just make shit up to make the fanservice seem like it serves an actual purpose? Like it's pretty clear Yana didn't think too hard about this scene other than the fanservice aspect of it.

On that note, Yana also likes to sexualize Sebastian and Ciel's power dynamic while not fully addressing the psychological effects this would have on Ciel. All of it is too sub textual for her to actually explore why a child survivor might have complicated feelings/desires towards a protector who is also being predatory towards him. It honestly makes me understand peoples love for Alois more, even if that aspect of his character isn't written in a respectful or descent way. At least his sexual feelings towards Claude are somewhat acknowledged, and Alois shows interest in his own sexuality (again doesn't make sexualizing a child okay but y'know what I mean). On the contrary we are meant to see Ciel as an effectively heterosexual character who hates Sebastian and has no complicated feelings/desires for him what so ever, so the fact that they are sometimes framed in a way that can be taken as romantic is rlly weird, both narratively and character wise. Also unlike Alois, Ciel shows no interest in sex or his sexuality-in fact he seems quite repulsed by anything sexual, so I find it even more insidious that the "camera" constantly has this voyeuristic view of his body-in the fan service and in the official art. Unlike Alois, Ciel clearly doesn't want to be perceived as "sexy," so why does Yana sometimes draw him posed in suggestive ways or with a sultry expression on his face? 🤔

this is kind of a bad example cause he's not "trying to look sexy" but still, sexualizing his body!

This next point is a bit disconnected from Ciel and Sebastian's framing but I feel like it still relates to some over arcing issues with how Ciel is portrayed.

So let's talk about Ciel's sex repulsion, and only being a survivor when it's coinvent for the plot. Let us not forget that Ciel was also victimized by women, but Yana shows a complete disinterest in what a survivor would actually be feeling in moments where he has his boundaries violated by girls and women. We all know the scene with Sieglende that's played only for laughs, or when Nina violates his boundaries, or when Ran-Mao shoves her tits in his face. We see Ciel is visibly uncomfortable by these instances and even when he sees a scantly clad woman, but all of this is played for comedy in the typical shonen manga way of guy gets flustered when he see big booba. Again none of it is meaningfully explored nor addressed. Is he actually sex-repulsed because of trauma? Or is his displeasure in those situations meant to be funny manga hijinks? Sometimes I truly think Ciel's status as a CSA survivor is just there for shock value (or worse titillation *shudder*) and to tie into her themes about the dark depths of humanity. The problem with that is that she is not thinking through the implications of having a character with this kind of trauma. Like he's triggered by someone touching his scar but not a grown woman shoving her tits into his face?! Make it make sense. Also by making it into comedy I find it dismissive of the fact that boys can be abused by women.

Before my conclusion, I just want to add that often times the fanservice can be taken as extremely subjective. There are many scenes of Ciel and Sebastian that can be taken as sexual if you want to see it that way, but can also be seen as parental. I fully believe this is intentional and you are meant "to see what you want to see" so to speak. It's one of the reasons I find it so funny when people who sexualize their relationship get mad at dadbastian, like you do realize she also makes them have pseudo parent child interactions on purpose right? (it can also be seen as a part of the fetish, eww)

In conclusion, basically what I'm trying to say is that Yana never thought of deeper reasons for why Sebastian and Ciel's relationship is portrayed the way it is, she is simply catering to shippers as well as fulfilling her own desires. She also handles Ciel's status as a survivor of sexual abuse very poorly. I've never read her past work because I'm not subjecting myself to that shit, but I have seen some panels of it compared to Black Butler, and I think it's is very clear that she has certain kinks that she likes to slip into Black Butler with no regard for how this muddies the narrative. She is the definition of the author slipping in their poorly disguised fetish! Even if I didn't think it was fundamentally gross, which I do, I also think it's just shitty story telling, most of this fandom is convinced that Sebastian and Ciel are romantically interested in one another, when the text itself couldn't be more to the contrary! And I can't even blame them for thinking that because Yana directly feeds into it! It's like a fucking ouroboros of shitty fanservice and lowbrow humor.