#Right now I'm betting on us either getting a trailer for the new episodes or a movie/game with It as the main draw OR

[dbphantom]

Do you think these 4 people know that at this point I've pack bonded with them and would kill and die for them if they asked

[bisexual-in-denial]

Arcane Season 2 Ending Prediction

This hurts to write about, but it must be done.

I think that the final episode of Arcane s2 will end with Jinx and Vi killing each other.

Think about it, right. We know this is the final season of Arcane, and in the official teaser trailer, it tells us to "witness the final chapter." Chapters are in books and stories, and what--or rather whose--story is Arcane about? The two sisters, Vi and Jinx. So this is the end of their story.

Now, you might ask why I predict that they die, as the end of a story doesn't imply death, merely the end of the tale. Well, to that I'd say, that Jinx and Vi are very active participants in their narrative, and that to get them to stop participating fully, you'd have to put them in limbo or an Atlas situation where they were completely out of the larger world of Arcane with no chance of coming back. I wouldn't fully dismiss the idea of future cameos in Riot's coming shows, but I think the writing team really respects Jinx and Vi's story, so they wouldn't throw them in for a bit of fan-service unless the sisters were *really* integral to the new show. Basically, Riot probably won't leave Jinx and Vi alive at the end of s2, but what about killing one and leaving the other alive?

Going back to active participation in the narrative, these two sisters have been together pushing the narrative forward since the first scene of Ep1S1. If we count the Imagine Dragons Enemy MV as cannon, then we have even more proof that these two sisters have been together since the beginning, and they need each other to function properly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but every episode in season 1 starts with a vinyl record with Jinx and Vi on it, mirroring the taijitu--the yin and yang symbol.

Like the symbolism behind the taijitu, Vi and Jinx are so interconnected with each other, as sisters and to the general narrative of the story, that you can't have one with out the other.

So, in my mind, this rules out the possibility of killing off either Vi or Jinx. They both have to live or die, and with the incredible writing team behind Arcane s1 and s2, I doubt they'll leave the sisters alive.

Now, why do I say that Jinx and VI will kill each other? For that theory, I have less concrete proof, but based on the s2 official teaser trailer, we already know that Vi and Jinx fight. Now, I'm betting that the fight that is shown in the teaser happens in Act 2, and it won't be the final big fight between Vi and Jinx. That will happen in Act 3--probably the last episode. Caitlyn says that her strike team going into Zaun aims to "locate Jinx," and "neutralize any agents still loyal to Silco." My guess is that Vi is going to initially focus on trying to bring Jinx in without killing her, but eventually, Vi will see that Jinx needs to be stopped by any means necessary. In their final fight, Vi is going to go for the kill blow, but at the last moment, she's going to see Powder in Jinx and hesitate. That lets Jinx fatally wound Vi with a GSW, but Vi, out of instinct (mirroring Jinx's impulse to shoot Silco at the end of s1), fatally hits Jinx. The two sisters now lie dying beside each other.

I can't accurately predict what they'll say before they die, but I think that Vi will say something along the lines of "I wish I could've protected you, Powder," and then Jinx will lash out with the whole "it's Jinx now," anger, and then they'll pass on. Basically, Vi dies crying and Jinx dies with a snarl on her face.

Also, regarding the s2 finale, Ella Purnell said “I actually just went back into the studio to complete some ADR [automated dialog replacement] for the season 2 finale – and I cried. So, I think other people will cry, too. It's devastating, and nobody will feel good after watching it" (Forbes).

Of course, this is Riot and Fortiche we're talking about, so there could absolutely be some other absolutely devastating ending I haven't even considered.

TLDR; Jinx and Vi kill each other at the end of Arcane s2 to inflicting maximum emotional damage to the viewer.

[thewritersaddictions]

2023 : Eddie Munson- Episode 2 Disappearing Man

Pairing: Eddie Munson x OC!Lilly Miller

Pov: Dustin Henderson

Warnings: Middle of Season 4, Flahsbacks, Fighitng Vecna, Angst, Dustin, Wayne, Steve, Nancy, and Robin Mentioned, eddie is missing, back in 1986.

Summary: Back in 1986, Eddie is missing. He never made it through the gate. Can the gang, and the other work without having Eddie. What is Dustin supposed to tell Wayne Munson?

A/n- firefly-graphics for dividers

WC- 4.6k

Stranger Things Master List // The Adults Master List // 2023 Series Master List

The next chapter is here!

"What the fuck!?" Where is he? He was supppoed to make it through the gate? "Eddie?" I scream through the gate. It's like an echo, but nobody is there. Not from where I can see. It's the fucking ceiling for crying out."Eddie? Did he not make it through the gate?" Steve asks as he gets back onto his feet. Now that mostly everyone is back, Max is sitting with her headphones on and listening to her music. Vecna is coming regardless. "I think Vecna might have gotten him," I say. The words hurt more even has they come out.

Steve shakes his head like him saying the words will make whatever I'm thinking less true. "No way, I bet he's just fucking with us."Steve says simply. "We should probably get the hell out of here dingus." Robin says, "Where's Eddie?" She asks like she hasn't been listening to out conversation. "Dustin guys we need to leave." Nancy yells from the other side of the trailer. "We can't stay here for to long." Max interupts her, "We can go over to my trailer. My mom is at work tonight." She offers.I stutter between the gang.

 I can't leave this trailer without knowing where the fuck Eddie is, but the logner I stand the longer Robin and Steve stare at me. The longer, and harder it hits me that he isn't here, and he's not there either. I take one more look up at the gate. I swallow hard and walk towards the front door."Well let's go," I say quickly as I shut the lights off, and walk out onto the small porch. running with the gaggle of these people. Who never has the plan to figure this shit out. I wondered for only a moments time before I throw open Max's front door.

The lights were all off, and as the gang of us pilled in we found spots on the couch. Regardless of Eddie being there or not we were still in a fight with a supernatural scary ass fuckin’ monster we knew nothing about. “Dustin, you said you had an idea.” Steve reminded me. “Shit yeah I’ve got an idea. But I don’t think it will work now that Eddie is gone. We were supposed to have all eight of us…” The words in my throat died, just as Eddie probably. The upside down in a scary horrible place, and even if I’ve never been there I know better then to think that anything good will ever come from it. 

Eddie’s house is a grand mess and I stare from the window. Hoping and wondering he’ll step out of the front door. Maybe it was all just a huge joke. “Dustin. Come on dude we need that big ego plan of yours.” Steve throws out into the air. I snap my head from the window still I’m in my own thoughts. “Has anyone tried Will, and Mike?” Nancy barks out. The face of everyone changes, and fear hits everyone but not as strong as it hits Nancy. “I’ll call.” Max rings out, and as we wait for the phone to pick up in California I have to rethink my plan.

The phone donesn’t pick up and Max stands with sadden shoulders. “Nobody has picked up, it just rings until the line cuts out.” She slowly walks back over to couch. “Are you sure that you’re putting the right numbers in?” Steve asks with a bit of harshness behind his words. Max rolls her eyes, and sighs heavily. “Of course I’m putting the right number in asshole.” I look around the room, “I have a new plan, and since we don’t have to hide away with Eddie we can work a little bit faster.” I mutter, by teeth grabbing my lips. 

“Shoot the plan out kid.” Steve is trying to get this over and done with. There’s to much danger in this whole thing. “You know that gun army store?” Steve brows go down, nut Nancy perks up. “Yeah all the rednecks go there say the end of the world is coming.” “We can go there and get weapons to fight and kill Vecna.” Nancy agrees with me shaking her head, Lucas and Max are off in the distance. Lucas is so scared about losing Max that it makes me for a quick second think of Suize. “Well let’s go, before another gaping hole sucks another one of us in it.” 

Erica yells out. It’s to early in the morning but getting somethign to drive into town wouldn’t be bad of an idea esicaplly since Lucas basketball friends are looking for him and any of his friends. Including me. “We have to wait till morning, we start running out of here guns blazzing stealing someone car that’s just a good way of getting attention.” Robin makes sense to most of the group. “How about we try to get some rest before we have to go fight this freak creature.” Steve says. It’s hours past, and I’m still sitting here infront of the window. Staring at Eddies front door.

Nobody has come or left. I feel the couch shift, and I swallow hard. “Kid, he’s not coming back. You know what happens in the upside down.” I heard Robins voice. As much as it’s comforting it just hurts my heart even more. With Steve no longer in school, I feel even more lonely. Yeah sure Mike is still there but there’s something different about him. Lucas is trying desperately to get into a different group leaving behind the gang we had made at the start of middle school. “There’s no way that he’s gone though. He was my only friend.” 

I mumble out. My knees shift on the couch and I land on my ass. My head hitting the back of the couch. I hear a low sigh. “You’ve got other friend Dustin. Steve is still very much your friend. Trauma bonds a lot of people.” Robin has always been the smart one. “I…” My words can’t manage to get out. “What do you mean that your only friend is Eddie?” The sound of Steve voice makes me wanna roll my shoulder together, and become a snail. “Dustin… What do you mean?” There’s so much tense that I can’t bear it anymore. 

The tears fall, and for once I can’ bear the weight of everything that been falling apart for the last four years. I’ve been losing control of my life, of my friends, of my friendships for far to long and losing Eddie was the last strike to my crumbling state. “Oh Dustin.” Robin says moving in to hug me. There’s a look of deviation in Steve’s face. Robin rolls her eyes and forces the unconfrotanaily man to come over and hug his teenaged best friend. “I’m sorry Dustin, I… I just don’t want you to think that you and I aren’t friends anymore. Of course we’re friend and of course I still care about you even if I’m not there at school anymore.” Steve rambles on. 

My tears don’t stop not even when Nancy and Lucas wake up ready to leave for the WAR ZONE. “I’m sorry about Eddie” Steve apologies as we all walk out of Max trailer. We walked to Steve place, finding that his car was still in the parking space. “We’ll take this to the war zone you were talking about, and then we can do what we need to do from there. Deal.” Steve spoke to all of us. Looking through the rearview mirror. The drive was quiet as Max and Lucas whispered to each other Erica is pressed into the back of the seat and window. Robin and I sat in the second row behind the drivers and passenger seat.  

“So at the War zone. What’s the idea after that?” I hear Steve ask from the front seat. He’s looking at me through the rearview mirror. There’s a wonder in his eyes, like he is asking me to guide us through another round of hell. Steve’s been around for a while now. He knows the ins and outs of what happens alongside the upside down. Everything we do is horrible, and has death stamped across the front of it. It’s like purposely going back into the crime scenes. With the tape that tells you that you aren’t allowed to come in. The yellow tape that screams at you to not be a nosy nelly. 

Still the gang of us have gotten pretty good at being nosey nellys. “Well I was thinking that… that um since Eddie isn’t here anymore…” There’s a long moment. Long pregnant moment of silence that erupts through the car. At the mention of his name everyone is quiet. “Look, I thought that Steve and I could head up to the trailer. Deal with those bats.” Steve shakes his head with agreement but he’s still lost. Forever lost in a bout of blindness and just plain stupidity. “Nancy and Robin, you two are okay with killing that Vecna son of a bitch.” There’s a solid head shake from Nancy in the passenger seat. She’s more than willing, more than wanting. 

“Oh fuck yeah Nancy!” Robin seems more than ready to kill that son of a bitch Vecna. “Max and Lucas and Erica you guys are still a go for Vecna house in not the upside down.” I throw my question into the back of the car. There’s one hum, then a second. Max is trying desperately to stay in her head in her music. There’s a verbal confirmation from Lucas. 

“I’m fuckin’ ready.” Is all Lucas says before going back to watching his not ex-girlfriend. “So that settles it then. Everyone has a spot to be at for this fight.” Steve murmurs from the driver's seat. I shake my head and look back out into the passing trees, and the numbing roads that lay underneath us. When we made our way into the parking lot of the war zone it was like the world was ending. 

Well to everyone else around us they thought it was ending. We were in the middle of a war with Russia, and everyone around Hawkins knew or at least had heard that it was a haunted place. A cursed town that brought nothing but death and horror to all. From young to old, and everyone in between. There was a sense of growing panic in the parking lot, there was no spot. Not big enough to fit the large family car we are all stuck in. And not small enough for even the smallest of cars. So we round around the back. 

The back is also full, but there’s a spot that nobody has taken. Steve pulls in and is quick to turn around before looking at the bunch of us. “Erica, Robin, nance and Dustin will all go inside. We don’t need those football guys chasing after you Lucas.” There’s a snort that leaves Erica, and then a slap from her older brother hitting her hard on the forearm. “Come on kids, before the world ends.” I heard Steve shout from the outside of the car. Robin is quick to make it out of the car. 

Erica is hopping over Steve’s backseat, and thank god he wasn’t paying attention. I’m not the last one out but then there’s Nancy. The five of us walked and to say that this War Zone was not a disaster would be a lie. Long lines of people searching for the compact gear, lines that wound up all the way at the front of the store for check out. The guns were in the back and Nancy was gone. Robin and Steve go off into a direction with a cart in Robin’s hands. 

Erica and I rush to get a cart and move around the flooded isles. I have a handful of weapons. There’s an assortment of different things in my hands. I try to hide and not get noticed by the older adults. I swing left and right between the legs of the large crowds. When I made it back to the cart. Erica had already stuffed it full of fuel and anything else that she thought could kill Vecna. “Dustin.” I heard Erica says her voice was low even in the loud and large crowd I could hear the panic. 

“The jocks.” Was all she had to say. From my point of view Nancy was by the guns. Jason was cornering her, but his lackeys were already on the search for us. Like bloodhounds that had already caught the scent. I look around the wave of people, searching and eye out for Robin and Steve. They looked like they had just seen death itself appear in front of them. When Steve's eyes caught mine we had the same idea. “It’s time to move out before we fucking get caught.” I whispered over Erica. She was quick to get into action. Swerving in and out of people's way to make it to a cashier. 

Robin and Steve met us there a few seconds later. Shoving shit from both of our carts on the convatoebelt. The older gentleman that was ringing us up wanted to have a full blown conversation with us. “Oh are you guys as nervous as the rest of them out there?” He asks his voice a little low and a little grim. Steve was silent as ever, but on the other hand Robin was ready for an uncomfortable conversation.

 “Yeah, just as nervous. Just wanna get home and stay safe sir.” At least she was direct. Before Erica and I knew it Steve was paying for the batch of things we had grabbed and Nancy was pulling the car to the front. A nice shotgun laid on the floor of Steve’s car. “Get your asses in. They know we are here.” Steve had never thrown shit too fast into the back of his car so fast. Jamming himself into the back seat between Lucas and Max. Robin grabbing the passenger door open, Erica and I climbed into the back. 

My heart was racing against my chest, and I felt like I was going to explode. All I could think of was that finally that was over. All we had to do now was kill that son of bitch who was on a killing spree. Sadly without Eddie’s help. Nancy drove for what seemed like hours. The road passed us with great speed, and Steve in the back seat telling his ex-girlfriend. “Hey, drive my car nicely, she isn’t a hunk of junk.” “Oh shut it Steve I got us out of there didn’t I?” The conversation ended there. 

As we sat in the car I wondered about Mike, Will, and El. I wondered what was happening why they hadn’t answered the phone. I wondered if maybe they were also dealing with as big of a problem as we were. The passing trees turned into black and my eyes closed for the first time in at least twenty four hours. Sleep took its course, but the dreams that followed were more like nightmares. 

Nightmares of what the world was coming to around us. After nearly three years of dealing with this upside down shit you’d think that we were all almost champs about it. Taking the battle we had dealt with in stride, but that was never the feeling. The feeling of dread was a better word for the ache that came into my chest. The ache of knowing that we might lose more. We might come out with more than a few cuts and bruises.

In my nightmares. The sky was red, and the road was made up of ashes and dead bodies. This was the reality of what would or might happen if the seven of us didn’t make it in time to save the whole fucking town of Hawkins. It’s funny how yeah we had saved the town not just once, twice, or three times. This was the fucking fourth time we’d be saving them from the deal with death. 

A monster was coming to collect on a debt. A monster was coming to collect on a debt that the Hawkins people were not sure how they had incurred. Eddie was flying in the sky, his body arched in impossible ways, and then all of the sudden Steve was there. Body bending bones cracking and eyes bleeding. 

The people, my friends. The ones that I loved and cared for deeply, and all in a row came up and into the dark red sky bending and contorting into painful shapes. The scream of horror as each person moved in unbelievable ways. The horrible screams that came from me as each person died in front of me. 

I was awoken by shaking. Vigor shaking. Steve was staring down at me. ‘Dustin are you alright? You’re screaming in your sleep.” I tried to mumble a response, but no words managed to come out. Nothing I could think was going to claim my racing heart. Nothing that Steve was, or might prepare to say was going to fix the fact that I had just had a nightmare. “Did you have a nightmare?” He asked me softly. He bent at his knees, and that’s when I realized we had stopped. I looked around. 

A bright green vibrant field of grass laid out in front of us. “Where are we?” I tried to move the conversation anywhere other than my nightmares. “Dustin, don't try to move away from the question. Tell me please.” Steve had started to act like my bigger brother, one that I had never gotten the chance to get. “Nightmare Steve. It was fucking nightmare.” I rambled on, the words came out hotter than intended. There was a moment of silence between the two of us and then I noticed how quiet it was and that nobody was in the car. 

“I get them too.” Steve was looking down at the ground beneath his feet. “What? For how long?” I started to question him. “Since um… since the fight with Billy at Joyce's house.” For almost two years. I remember driving back in the car with Max horribly driving Steve laid across the back were the only bandaids we could find in Joyce’s bathroom. 

“For two years Steve. Why didn’t you tell anyone, or me?” I was angry, but the more I thought the sadder I got Steve had been hiding this from everyone. “I call Robin when I get them she comes over and stays for most of them. We talk a lot about them.” I looked over my shoulder and Robin was eyeing the both of us. “She’s really helpful.” Steve mentions as he drags my attention back to him. “Look Dustin you don’t have to tell me, but I understand. Why don’t we get to work on some shields?”

 I shake my head and I get out of the car. I look around. Lucas and Erica are making knife sticks. Like javels you see that knights used to carry around with them. Not a bad idea if we were trying to kill fish in the olden days. Nancy is trying desperately together with Robin to make motlovs. Shoving a shit ton of gasoline into empty vodka bottle. Fire and glass a nice touch if I do say so myself. 

We walk together, not close but close enough that when Steve and I reach the set up of half assed shields. Steve doesn’t say anyting rather instead handing me an old trahscans lid. Metal and sturddy enoug hto handly getting hit with a dozen or more demon bats. “I see the got those two to work with each other for the first time. I hear grunting and there a sort of shot gunny fire sound coming from the far right of us. “Does Max have the gun?” I ask without yet looking at her. There’s serious shock behind Steve’s eyes. Scared shock.

 “Yeah I tired to take it away froim her and she literally growled at me, and then shoved me to the ground. She’s fucking scary.” I can’t help but laugh at Steve. Yeah theres terror behind his words, and his actions so it as he looks quickly behind me to see if Max has heard him talking shit about her. “Nancy told Max that she could saw off the barrels of the shotgun since ya know they make a shit ton of tons all over the place. Nance wanted to see if she could get it to go full blast all at one time.” Steve goes on. He looks around the green summery field. 

There’s a feeling in the air. I can’t describe it and I’m not sure that anyone else can.There’s terror, and a horrible sinking feeling in my chest but I ignore it. “So I was thinking about adding some more nails. Saw you grabbed some nails thought it might not be a bad idea.” Steve hands me a metal lid and I get to work. Hammering down the nails into the metal. I put my weight into my knees and hammered harder into the top of the metal lid. They hit the wood logs with a force that made it hard to pull the lid back and into my chest. 

The upside down in a fucking mess. Steve had driven all of us towards Eddie’s trailer. The dark night sky making everything. We had changed into more tactical gear. Jeans that weren’t ripped, and thicker shirts. Steve throws his keys into Nancy hands. “You two be safe, and we will meet on the other side.” Nancy yells from the window as we walk back into Eddie’s trailer. The makeshift ladder still is there. From my guess Eddie’s uncle had never come back. Maybe he was staying somewhere else maybe he wasn’t ever going to come back. 

Steve eyes the portal, the gate of horror. “You go first okay. I’ll keep an eye out and then I’ll be right up.” Steve is looking over at me. So I moved, I’m make haste to move up the makeshift ladder rope and back into the upside down. The landed in hard and make me head hurt but only for a moment, then Steve is right there next to me. 

There’s no time to dilly dally. “You know how Eddie is metal? Kinda punk?” I’m looking over at Steve as we both get up and onto our feet. “Yeah what are you getting at kid?” I breath deeply. If I knew more about Eddie, I would say that he might come back and murder me. But since he wasn’t there and isn’t here. Then this is the only choice I have. “You had a guatitar was like his baby. So I was thinning he’s probably got at least a speaker or two in his room back there. Maybe you could play his guitar make some loud noises to drag…” there’s silence. 

A long pregnant silence, that takes over the room. “Would he kill me if I touched his shit?” Steve asks. “Duh… Anyone would kill you if you touched their shit!” I roll my eyes at Steve rather dumbassery. Steve rubs his hands through his hair. Smoothing back his brown curls, curls that he’s been telling, teaching me how to make it perfect for the past three years now.

We are quick to get everything together. The two of us rushing into a messy, and dark bedroom. That yeah probably used to be filled with life, “You know that the upside down is actually fours years in the past. Sorta stuck.” Steve is murmuring things to himself. “What? Are you saying this is not now but four years ago?” My mind in yet another chase of thoughts as I try to understand what the fuck Steve just muttered to himself. 

“Yeah like when Will disappeared that when this is stuck. Stuck when will went missing. So like earlier when Nancy went looking for her guns she wasn’t able to find them because according to her words ‘they don’t exist’” I stare at Steve. My mouth is getting further and further from being closed. I can only shake my head, “We have… we have to… we’ve got to get this done. Nancy and robin are on the way to killing Vecna and to two of us are sitting her like tow chicken with their heads cut off while talking about hsit that for right now doesn’t matter.” 

The words all fall out, and Steve chuckles. Grabbing Eddies guitar, the strings play and  we lock all the trailer locks. The only things that we can use is the outside to manage to get ourselves to the top ofthe trailer. Plugging in the long strings of lines hta make everything come to life. “Let’s go Steve.” I yell over to him, the sky is dark red and it reminds me of my nightmares from not to long ago. “I don’t know what to play?! I don’t even know how to play a fucking guitar!!” Steve yells back at me. I roll my eyes in frustration. 

“Just play something! I know you’ve got it in you Steve!” I yell back there’s nothing besides hope in my words. Nothing biut hope and desire to make it out alive. The firs t few beats and strings that play through the speakers are uneven and not right. This sounds off. Sounds like this happened before. But this wasn’t Steve standing on the rough far from me. It feels like Eddie sould be standing next to me dragging a thousands demon bats attention towards us. 

This all feels wrong. 

I don’t remember much after that. I try ot not focus on it as we come back up from the upside down. As Steve helpes me limp back into the right side up. It’s a mess, the earth below us has cracks. “An Earthquake” Is what Hawkins citizens make it out to be. The sky isn’t red, but my ankle is swollen broken, or maybe just twisted. The mess of people is cause for concern. The people that are leaving Hawkins in a rush in a hurry to save their own lives before staying here in Hawkins to help other is scary. 

More scary then knowing what sit underneath  the town of Hawkins. The look on uncles Wayne’s face is painful for me to look at from across the crowded building. “I wish that everyone would have gotten to know him.” Wayne turns, and the words die in my thoart. “I just wanted you to know that Eddie died saving me… us my friends and I. He died a hero and… and he died doing what was best for all of us.” 

The silence was long and pregnant and that was okay. “Thank you. You must be that uh… that uh kid he was always rambling on about… Said he had a few great ideas just needed to push himself a little bit more.” Wayne chuckled and then plopped down the chain into my hand. “Keep this boy. Hold it close to your heart and remember Eddie everyday.” Wayne got up and left the crowded building. 

‘You did the right thing Dustin.” I heard Steve say under his breath. A hand sitting on my shoulder. My hand that Wayne had dropped the chance into squeezed hard around it. I feel cold, and like there’s something missing. I stand there still, and for the first time I feel the emotion.

 The disappointing end.

Completed on: 04/07/23

Posted on: 04/17/23

The Adults- @yourfavdummy @mothermirkwood

[peridaniel]

eda's requiem: a worst case scenario plot that no one asked for

disclaimer: this is the brainchild of me and some other people on discord. I'm posting it because I can't stop thinking about it, but the ideas aren't all mine. this also isn't necessarily my theory on what will happen, just some sadness fuel.

warning: this is gonna get real heartbreaking real quick

so... we start out the episode with eda, to her (probably pleasant) surprise, seeing rayne in bonesborough. some old memories reignite, and I fuckin bet that's where these images from the trailer come from.

and then, rayne gets to talking and we get to the heart of the plot: they ask eda for help in "rebelling against the emperor". might have a whole elaborate plan, probably involving taking eda somewhere. they sorta rope eda in with a mix of promises of making the isles the way she (and probably, at least at one point, the both of them) always wanted it to be, with a few memories and remnants from their past to get eda even more on board. (perhaps even... sparking their old romance, if we're all correct about them being exes? and even if not, rekindling their friendship works just as well. either way, eda is in love, whether platonically or romantically, all over again, and a rebellion? even better.)

well, maybe somewhere along the line, we see rayne confer with golden guard, or kikimora, or belos himself. we know their true motives. do they want to do this? I'm guessing no, but, well, lilith never set out to hurt eda in season 1 either and was under the impression that everything she was doing (barring the curse of course) was for her own good. they'll probably come around eventually, but right now, they're (again, probably begrudgingly) setting up to trap eda.

all the while, lilith sure as hell doesn't trust rayne. whether that be because, as a fellow (former) coven head she knew them well enough to know their true motives, or just plain premonition about their actions, lilith knows something is up and they're not what they seem.

well, what usually happens in a plot like this? accusations of baseless anger/suspicion/just not liking the person, leading to a fight. and look, eda hasn't been overtly angry towards lilith yet this season, but I have a strong feeling she's holding something back. and when lilith has already betrayed eda, what the hell does she know about untrustworthiness?

plus, look at lilith in this shot. I don't think she's ever liked rayne/rayne and eda's relationship that much, if that facial expression is anything to go by. eda would probably just think she just hasn't let go of the past.

and so, the plan continues despite lilith's protests and eda goes with rayne wherever they want to take her.

and then, golden guard or kiki or some other emperor's goons come out and take her. maybe "the titan" has gone back on allegedly wishing to spare her life or maybe belos just needs her help activating the door. belos' motives don't matter- what matters is that rayne betrayed eda.

here's where it gets really sad.

after she escapes (with lilith and luz's help?)... she enters a new low. again, i still don't think she's truly as cool with what lilith has done to her as she's been acting and I think she's really holding a lot back- and now, she's been betrayed by *another* person she loves. who is there to trust anymore? she could find comfort in luz, someone she loves who hasn't betrayed her, or- more likely knowing eda- she could distance herself from luz with the expectation of being betrayed again.

so, what does requiem mean? I've always known it was likely meant in more of a symbolic sense, and that still holds true here regardless. in this plot, it means she's letting go of everything she used to be. no more trust, no more love, and therefore, no more betrayals. a different, more hardened eda.

OR another thing we came up with- burning her memories! but I don't think that's gonna happen, at least not in this episode, because...

the next episode focuses on hooty attempting to help luz, eda, and king with their problems! king, I have some ideas on what his problems may be but frankly they deserve their own post if I'm gonna get into them, luz is implicitly entering a VERY bad state of mind that I'm sure will only get worse as the season continues, and eda... well, baggage from this episode. heartache, betrayal, unwillingness to trust anyone. she's broken. and no way the bird worm is gonna fix that.

tensions grow to a boiling point in that episode. everyone is sad, hooty isn't helping, eda is trusting no one, and in no uncertain terms, shit's fucked.

I could go further but this is already way more off the rails than intended so I'll leave it at that for now. again, this isn't really a theory/what I genuinely believe will happen so much as it is the speculation of a lot of sad people with overactive imaginations.

[tedturneriscrazy]

🎶Knock, Knock, Knockin' On Hooty's Door🎵

I wonder if anything will happen in this episode.🙂

(I say as if I didn't watch the episode twice before going to bed and writing this post)

I don't think I'll ever not be amused by the way Hooty just...does things with his face

Seems like he found a thesaurus at some point

Okay so it's canonically spelled "Hootsifer," good to know

Also, this is really all we get of Lilith, huh?

His little hoot/coo at Lilith's letter❤❤❤

To borrow a meme format: If I had a nickel for every time Alex Hirsch was involved in a show where one of the characters was experiencing pubescent voice cracks, I'd have two nickels, which isn't very much but it's weird that it happened twice

Eda's face🤣

As much as this bit is played for laughs, Eda's clearly still shaken by what happened last episode

Jeez, Luz, priorities /j

Pictured: Hooty

The way King talks about being pelleted implies this is something Hooty does on the regular

Hooty's plan to help King is literally a Buzzfeed quiz? Okay then

Betcha never expected lore from Hooty, eh?

"DO NOT INTERRUPT"

Officially a "type of worm"

The dance being a grievous insult wasn't exactly from nowhere, but still funny nonetheless

WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE FUCKING COCCOON

Tiny Nose playing Switch definitely seems to be drawing from Dana's real life experiences

Wait, Hooty and Tiny Nose are friends?

Well shit, turns out she could use magic this whole time. Guess her going Super Saiyan wasn't just the power glyph.

I am extremely skeptical of your medical credentials, TN

I have so many questions about the methodology they used for the blood test(s)

I think Hooty may have misinterpreted what King was looking for

I'm still amazed at how King has had, and continues to have, moments in the show with some of the greatest emotional weight

Ooh, sound powers!

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CRUMBLE!!!"

It just occurred to me that that segment consisted mostly of Alex Hirsch talking to himself

Hello not-at-all obvious setup

Today I learned that Hooty is the baker of the house. Maybe he'd critique Amity's fairy pie.

Aaaaand there's the sleep inducing

Oh shit

In hindsight the Owl Beast being part of a dream sequence is rather obvious

Wow, Eda, tell us how you really feel about the Owl Beast

Oh we're just gonna ride aboard the Trauma Express today, huh?

Oh, I guess Lilith did make an appearance, after all

Damn, Gwen, not even looking

Oh shit dad issues

Sandy Cohen?! (To anyone who gets that reference, hi. How are your 30s treating you?)

Well, I know who Peter Gallagher voices now, anyway

Oh dear...

(Also, bright flashing lights triggering the curse? There's an epilepsy allegory in here somwhere)

Blood and eye injury? Gotta stretch that Y7 rating

Now we have some context for that look on Eda's face when Lilith mentioned their dad: good old fashioned guilt!

I desparately want to make a "Dude, you're getting a Dell!" joke, but I'm better than that

New memory! Raine!

Oh no...

I get the feeling I'll hate this part, too

They were exes!😢 Guess the fandom called that one

The reasoning for them being exes is understandable, all too real, and goddamn heartbreaking

That said, the fact they never stopped loving each other🥺😢😭

I do hope we can see Raine again under less...traumatic circumstances. Maybe that wedding that was mentioned?

Oh shit, are we getting into the Owl Beast's memories?!?! What a tweest!

Bet nobody expected Cloaked Moonface to show up in the frickin Hooty episode

(Also, holy shit I briefly forgot this was the Hooty episode)

Who is this mysterious cloaked figure? And why are they so tall and long?

So the curse was a sealed beast this whole time. Damn.

And it was just picked up as beach junk to sell as a trinket. So much for it being connected to Belos. (Not that people will stop trying to do so)

Who had "experiencing sympathy for the Owl Beast" on their Bingo cards for this episode? Yeah, me neither.

And here we have the necessary Eda coming to terms with her curse segment. More accurately, Eda and the curse coming to terms with each other.

Goddamnit why does it have to be cute

"It's like sandpaper" IT'S LIKE A CAT I FUCKING CAN'T

Insert Steamed Hams reference here to kill the mood

New transformation!

Oh no she's hot!

No, Hooty, you made it surprisingly much, much better!

She might have a problem pushing people away and holding onto guilt, but Eda always knows that she looks damn good

Oh right, Luz having girl problems. Fuck, so much is happening in this episode!

"Cotton-candy-haired Goddess" LUZ! 🤣

Attuned to other people's emotions = being a fucking creeper

Oh Luz, what happened to you back home?

Also, 99.999% certain Amity would love your cheesiness

That's...rather morbid, Hooty

So much lore development, including the fact the Owl House has a basement

Classic inanimate object silhouette fakeout gag. Subversion in 3...2...1...

There it is!

I can't imagine being pelleted is a fun experience.

Honestly I have so many questions about how Hooty got Amity there in the first place, but I'm not so sure I actually want to know the answers to any of them...

Cue much panicking

Wow, I'm really getting some Into the Bunker flashbacks

Oh this is gonna be amazing isn't it

I commend Luz for not actually dropping dead of embarrassment

Seriously, how can Hooty set all this up so fast yet not hold a pen?!?!?!

Poor Luz, she thinks this is destroying her chances

Meanwhile Amity is just "Oh, Titan, is this actually happening?!"

The way she's fixing her hair!❤

Goddamnit Luz let this play out, she's so clearly into this!

"Again?!" Okay who do I have to kill?

Luz is luzing it

Nooooooo....

JUST TALK FOR FUCK'S SAKE (aka how like 95% of issues in literally any plot could be solved)

Noooo Amity's so heartbroken right now💔

This isn't what either of them wanted!

To be fair, Hooty, Luz had a part in this too. Not that she can be blamed entirely. Poor thing clearly had some awful experiences back home...

Now Hooty is McFucking losing it

Why did I think he was gonna say "Looks like I'm gonna have to JUMP!" I think I've watched too much Homestar Runner (jk there's no such thing)

Those pulsating organs are still gross

Eda swooping in to save her son (No, really, he actually is now)

I'll say things get weird when Hooty gets upset!

Yes, King! Save them with your voice powers!

Damn that is some romantic lighting, and Luz is enjoying the eye candy (cotton candy, if you will)

Luz's reaction to Harpy!Eda is the family-friendly summation of how the fandom has reacted.

Hooty really just tearing up the landscape in remorse

Mother-daughter moment about love life!

I appreciate not just Eda's encouragement but her actually asking Luz what she wanted

God, Eda is best mom

Also, OH FUCK IS THIS HAPPENING?!

OH SHIT

THESE ADORABLY AWKWARD NERDS❤💜💙

"I'm not as cool as you think" could be interpreted as self-deprecating, but here it seems...oddly reassuring?

The way Luz eloquently says how she wants Amity in her future...beautiful❤

Luz making some good faces

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

YOU CUTE DORKS I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

THERE IT IS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS

WE WERE LOSING OUR SHIT OVER A PECK ON THE CHEEK THREE WEEKS AGO AND NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE HOLY FUCK

Awkwardness is still there, but that's to be expected

BET Y'ALL DIDN'T EXPECT THAT TRAILER SHOT TO BE IN THE HOOTY EPISODE HUH

THE WAY LUZ RUBS AMITY'S HAND😭😭😭😭😭

(And yeah, it's gonna still be scary, but only because it promises to be so wonderful)

Let's give it up for Hootsifer, goddamn!

Let'a also appreciate just how fucking funny it is that Lumity becomes official in the Hooty episode

Fus ro WEH!

Hooty actually saying "Luz's new GF" out loud...

In just about any other show the love interests getting together would be a climax/culmination of the entire plot. Here? It's actually used to advance the plot, and that is brilliant!

Dana Terrace and the crew really just knocking it out of the park again and again, huh

"They're adorable, and deserve all the happiness!" Well said, Hootsifer. Well said.

Probably for the best they had Hooty promise that. As much as what happened/progressed, there was a lot of property damage.

OH SHIT ONCE AGAIN

King's dad/relative! And he's voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson!

GODDAMNIT HOOTY

Wow. Just...wow. This episode.

King has voice powers! Harpy!Eda! Lumity are girlfriends for real!!!!

How do you pack so much into a single episode?! And so expertly?!

I had my suspicions before, but this confirms it: The Owl House is the greatest show of all time.

And we have two episodes left until the hiatus! And 11 episodes in the season after that! What are we in for?!?!?!

I, for one, can't wait to find out!

[purplerose244]

Thoughts journal about Season 13!! 💪💪 (1/4)

Phew, I actually made it to the English release without spoilers! 🤩 I do know general things about little plots for the ninja, hopefully nothing major! Finally, the Cole season we've all been waiting for, with Rock Mom and possibly plenty of our Earth baby development! COLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT LAST!! 🖤🖤

Well, I know I'll be shooting rainbows from my eyeballs if I see even one Nexo Knights reference! For the rest I don't really know what will happen, I'm curious! 🤔

It's the 6th of July, and here we go!!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Is it just me or the dialogues sounds better? More built up, funnier, cohesive just like in the earliest seasons of Ninjago? Maybe it's just me but I'm really appreciating 🤷‍♀️

It also doesn't feel that rushed anymore! Which was my biggest problem in Prime Empire really. The episodes seem to me like fragments of a nice movie, not a too long story forced into 11 minutes. I'm very happy with the quality so far, I feel good about this for now! 👍

No matter what season it is, you can count on The Fold to make an AMAZING intro!! Freaking awesome, it was epic and very final battle like 👌👌 I WANT THE FULL VERSION ASAP!!!

SHINTARO

I do appreciate we are not forgetting about the adventures we had until now, it feels like from season 11 forward we are building a new backstory of. But they still show stuff from the very first seasons so I'm happy anyway 😍

Pff, Cole plays Prime Empire right after being trapped in it. And Lloyd joins in! YES!! Maybe there is hope for a season without greenie being traumatized! 👍👍

Also he's doing laundry because I DON'T WANNA DO THE DISHES NO MORE~ 😎

The chicken is back 😂 The constant reference to the movie we are all kinda attached to a this point (well I am, LOOK AT THE LITTLE HAT 💕💕)

Is it me being a "I've rewatched this show way too much" type of fan to feel that Nya saying that Jay using Spinjitzu for chores will get Wu mad might be a reference to how the guys had cleaned the very first Destiny Bounty with that? You think that Wu found out and got crazy mad? That would be kinda cool 😂😂

Okay, poor sensei and all, but he's kinda right 😅 I like Wu, I really do, but Aspheera was a problem kinda because of him, they all going to another dangerous realm could have been dealt a lot better if he hadn't been so on edge and in Prime Empire he freaking got kidnapped by NORMAL PEOPLE. Maybe he is getting old 🤷‍♀️

At last, he has returned...

THE ONE AND ONLY RULER OF NINJAGO, THE POSTMAN!!! 💜💜💜 Was he missing since March of the Oni? I can't remember if he was around for the Aspheera part 🤔

Soooo, not to be that person, but a secret group of royals asking the ninja to meet them in a place that was never open for outsiders before then? Kinda... feels familiar... *SoG flashbacks* 😰

Okay, not the biggest fan of Misako, but her scolding Wu was kinda fun 🤣 Needed to change the animation for her to get a bit of personality apparently 😉

Ah, you left Pixal behind to let her do... chores. Well, if you guys are happy 😒

Ninja babies all excited ❤💚💙🖤🤍💦 Also I'm excited because there is FINALLY a white heart between the emoji! I didn't notice it until now, I just need a gray/maroon heart now 😍

Jay screaming NOT MADE UP cracked me up so much 😂😂 Gosh I love my bluebell

A bit of action scene, nice, nice, also Cole going full buddy mode to save Jay gives me my beautiful Bruise vibes 💙🖤💙🖤

Well hello Brian

Looking good 💕💕 The designs are rocking in season 12 and 13, I cannot tell it enough! Super super cool

Overall nice episode, seemed more nicely focused than usual, I don't know if it's just me. I'm happy anyway 😁

Ooohhhh, so the sails were ripped off by the bats, and they were flying thanks to the soldier guys with wings. It makes sense, I was confused by the trailer, now there's the answer!

IN THE DARK

Okay, Vania introduction, I wonder what kind of princess we will get after last ti-

Vania: I'm such a big fan of you, I was the one that insisted at having you here! 🤩

... besides the fact that she sounds and looks absolutely ADORABLE, I'm kinda with Lloyd about feeling suspicious... because that's exactly how Harumi introduced herself back then 😅 And away it goes, the possibility of Lloyd spending a season without feeling disturbed or traumatized...

Ah, there we go, Cole and Vania. Soft looks, instant attention and... that's it? Idk, Jay and Nya's meeting had that one very awkward color question (💙❤💙❤), Kai literally heard romantic music while looking at Sky (❤🧡❤🧡), Lloyd was being mocked all the way by the guys as he looked at Harumi (💚😰💚😰). This one seems a bit weak? I don't mind it actually, I'm actually a bit curious about how it will develop since it started like this 🤷‍♀️

References to Hiroshi's Labyrinth and the Tournament of Elements, my fangirl heart is happy 😍 Is it too much thinking that the maze was a reference to Shadow of Ronin, since they all went there in the game while in the show only Lloyd was at the Labyrinth? Idk 🤷‍♀️

JAY SAYING COLE IS HIS BEST FRIEND, YES!! YES!! FINALLY, HAVEN'T HEARD IT SINCE SKYBOUND!!! BROTP IS BACK 🖤💙🖤💙 Also Jay confused that Vania is interested in Cole, pff, you clearly don't know the fandom 😂

But it is a bit fishy, does she knows stuff? Now I'm into it...

Lloyd sneaking in, that was creepy 🤣 And ninja like, of course

I kinda like how this is going, Cole straight up saying dude, I just met her, calm down. Like, I do understand green bean and I'm kinda on his side, but still 🤷‍♀️

Cole: I'm not just gonna jump on the lovesick wagon like you weirdos, geez

"It felt like a cloud of warm contentment." I'm gonna use this whenever someone asks me why have I been in my bed all day 😎

I know they all believed Cole was just dreaming the purple guy, but honestly they could have just said "Cole, we had flaming snakes raining on Ninjago a few weeks ago, what are you so worked up about?". But yeah, ROCK MOM FINALLY!!! I wanna know more!! 😍😍😍

Mr Sparkles 😂😂 So cute

Vania is cool for now, she is basically the innocent Harumi without a scarring tragedy from her past changing her into a vengeful villain... yeah 😅

Did Cole notice that she talks a lot and loud, kinda like Jay? Is that why he seemed a bit annoyed? 😂😂

For now they don't seem that annoyingly into each other, they look chill, no major lovesick moment or anything. I like it, I don't know if this ship will be super important or something, but at least I'm happy they are dealing with it in a different way 👍

With all these creatures chained up and a crazy dude making them work, Cole must have one HECK of a flashback from back in Chen's island 😵

Okay, I get the drama, I get the lair which is

Legit cool, with that nice Underworld vibe, but really? A wood door with ropes behind a lava fall? Security measures who? 😂😂

So Skull dude is the bad guy, and has a mask. People with masks means big reveal at some point. I like dudes with masks 😗

Aaaahhh, figures it was too easy being in a literal mine with the power of Earth. They really can't keep their powers for more than five seconds now can they 😂😂

But this seems interesting, is it connected with the burst thing they said in the trailer? Or even Cole's mom? Is this Skull Sorcerer connected to her? I HAVE QUESTIONS PEOPLE!!!

I am legit enjoying this 👌 They are building up questions and I do hope we'll get a good flashback moment with Rock mom... or even finding out if something else happened to her... EXCITED 🤩🤩

So to be the main ninja of a season lately you have to be either without powers (Kai Fire Chapter) or trapped in an unknown place (Zane Ice Chapter and Jay Prime Empire). Cole got them both 😅

IT REALLY IS ROCKY'S SEASON FINALLY 😎😎

WORST RESCUE EVER

Mm, the king is being weird, what's up with this mountain thing? Does he know who the Skull Sorcerer is? QUESTIONS

So Vania keeps being extremely adorable, I think I really like her character 💕 We'll see what will happen with her, how she will interact with the others, especially Lloyd since he seems very suspicious... can't really blame him 😅

Kai ready to argue with a king because one of his friend is in danger, THAT'S MY FLAME BABE ❤❤❤

Okay, the conflict between the two tribes, I read about this in some plots of the season. Not sure how that will play, but

I did laughed at this 😂 Sorry Mole

Okay, seriously, have we not learned anything from letting Kai come up with a plan? The notoriously bad planner Kai? The think before talking Kai? The let's follow the sun because yes Kai? I love him to dead but really, it was meant to go bad right away even if the title wasn't that 😅😅😅

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO GOT EMOTIONAL AT COLE'S NINJA-GO WHILE DOING SPINJITZU?? 😭😭 They don't say it that much anymore before spinning, it kinda hit my tornado shaped heart 🖤🖤

I expected at least a comment about them being similar to the Skulkin, too bad. Not fundamental though, I'm really enjoying this so far 👍

Well, all of the ninja are trapped now 😅 Is Wu going to come for the rescue? Is Vania? I know they will be separated and will all go on separated quests, and I'm kinda more looking forward to it now. Let's see what happens!! 🤩

THE TWO BLADES

Considering how big of a fan Vania seems to be of the ninja, I bet she had those figures way before this moment 😂

Wooooo, hearing someone addressing Cole as the leader, does this count as a major throwback to pilots and season 1? I would make it count 😍

Okay here Vania does seem into Cole, we'll see how that plays out 🤷‍♀️

Ooooooooohhhhhh, vengestone! This actually make more sense than the last two times they were left without powers 😅 We never actually saw where that material came from, and here there's an actual mine full of it! Very cool, I like this! Big question is, what does Skull dude need all this vengestone for? 🤔🤔

Okay, the legends fits, sounds good enough but... she? SHE?!? WAS THAT ROCK MOM??? She was clearly a ninja and she did spinjitzu!! I didn't even considered the possibility, I only saw Misako, Doubloon and Aspheera knowing Spinjitzu before!! An actual mom?? THAT WOULD BE EPIC!! 🖤

Pff, these tribes are a bunch of idiots, I actually like them 😂 I like them better than the rats of Prime Empire that's for sure, but maybe that's just me 🤔

Aww, this Mino creature is cure! Cole did pretty good with him, does he remind him of Rocky? ☹

Nice, this I was waiting for! Cole and Lloyd together, leaders collaboration 💚🖤💚🖤 It didn't last much, but I think there will be more of it? I HOPE SO!!!

So the blades must be somewhere hidden, if they really have been taken by the Skull Sorcerer. I mean, even in Prime Empire they thought for sure Unagami was Dyer, so I wouldn't jump on it right away 🤔

There we go, the divided team! I knew about Kai and Zane stuck together, I remember stuff not too promising about Nya having to fight for Jay, but I'm honestly really enjoying the season so far! I like the pace and it doesn't seem as rushed as before! I hope we get to some good plot twists and backstories soon!! 🤩🤩

[recentanimenews]

What Is Zombie Land Saga? I Don't Know, But I'm About to Make a Lot of Guesses

In the age of pervasive social media, it's almost impossible to keep spoilers for upcoming works completely quiet. Whether it's a visitor to a filming location or a quick snap from a smartphone, assiduous fans will make sure that something gets out. It's to the point where a major part of entertainment marketing has become deciding how much of the story to spoil oneself, just to beat the detectives to the punch.

  Then there's Zombie Land Saga, where all bets are pretty much off.

  The upcoming "100% original" anime is the result of a collaboration by MAPPA (Yuri!!! on ICE), Cygames (Umamusume: Pretty Derby), and Avex Pictures (Juni Taisen: Zodiac War). It's a powerhouse trio, with each participant implying a very specific skill set. But during the entirety of the series's promotional period, from announcement to pre-screening, what exactly it is has remained a mystery. That's not going to stop us from making a lot of guesses, though.

    So, what can we expect from the upcoming anime series that promises to be a new twist on the zombie horror genre? Here are at least a few possibilities, admittedly with varying degrees of likelihood:

  Canonical Zombieland Expanded Universe

2009 survival-comedy Zombieland was a hit when it first came out, establishing itself as America's answer to Shaun of the Dead. Featuring Woody Harrelson as "grizzled man with a past" and Jesse Eisenberg as "nerdy protagonist," it took off quickly. It also made all of us oddly nostalgic for Twinkies.

  It's been confirmed that a sequel film, Zombieland Too, will be happening. For a while, there were plans for a television series featuring a different cast of characters, but this has been stuck somewhere in the depths of Development Hell for the last five years or so. While the sequel film is set to start filming early next year, the series is not so luck.

  Could this be a new attempt to resurrect the TV project? After all, the zombie genre is a global phenomenon. Not to mention modern zombie anime series like Highschool of the Dead have dropped cheeky Zombieland references, so we know it's at least a known entity in Japan. Perhaps the upcoming series is Zombieland's version of Fear the Walking Dead.

Likelihood: 2%. Normally it would be a flat 0%, but Bill Murray is a wild card.

    Mamoru Miyano's Fever Dream

  One element of Zombie Land Saga is unmistakable, even with the secrecy: Mamoru Miyano is a major part of it. The Free! and Death Note voice actor seems to have assimilated himself completely into the world of the series. Or maybe the character is him? We're not entire sure at this point. The lines are a bit blurry.

  Either way, the show's official Twitter has graced us with videos of Miyano cosplaying his own character, accompanied by a stuffed toy of zombie-dog mascot Romero. He seems to be completely into the whole world of this show. Is he just in character, or could it be he's seen all this before?

  Likelihood: 85%. We are completely ready to believe he's having a weird dream and we're all along for the ride.

    12 Episodes of This Dog Having a Nice Time

  Speaking of the Zombie Land Saga Twitter, this Romero plushie has been a recurring star of their media. Pictures include him advertising for pre-screenings, going to the park, and enjoying squid snacks.

  We don't know anything about Romero except that he's a fluffy zombie pup with an A+ referential name. We already like him, though, and if the show ends up being anything like the Twitter, that would be delightful.

  Likelihood: 10%. We hope Romero is having a nice day anyway.

    They'll Make It up as They Go

Zombie Land Saga is promising a zombie story the likes of which we've never seen before. That's a pretty daring statement, considering the last decade or so has offered a wealth of films, TV shows, anime, and beyond offering different takes on the genre. So what if they just make it up as they go along?

  Indie projects — and even a few high-profile ones — have been known to alter their work last-minute in order to either follow or steer away from audience predictions as to what will happen next. What better way to create a thrilling, unpredictable new addition to the genre than to follow what fans are predicting and change courses whenever they get too close to getting it right?

  Likelihood: 0%. Anime doesn't work this way.

    Idol Anime in the Zombie Apocalypse

  One of the few things the trailers have divulged to us is the fact that the character of Sakura (voiced by Kaede Hondo) is an aspiring idol. A quick look at the cast also shows us something very interesting about the characters: all six leads are cute girls. (Technically all seven, but Tae has no voice listed yet, and she also looks slightly not-alive.)

  Not only that, but their variety of design is awfully reminiscent of idol anime and games. Each is significantly stylistically different from each other, enough to be recognizable as a certain "type." Sakura's design fits the standard "normal girl trying to make good" trope of so many idol group centers. All six girls also perform together on the OP and ED, according to the information we have so far, which seems indicative of a unit.

  The biggest tell is the producers. MAPPA produces just about any genre of anime, but Cygames and Avex work in much narrower fields. The former is predominantly a game producer that has only recently branched out into anime. Its primary productions are anime adaptations of its own games, such as Rage of Bahamut and the aforementioned Umamusume, the latter of which is heavily focused on idol training.

  Then there's Avex: a music producer. Their projects are multifaceted as well, but titles like King of Prism and Popin Q stand out as being music-centric. They've handled music for several productions, but listing them as an equal third of the staff drives home the importance of music in this work.

  If anything, the more you look at it, the more Zombie Land Saga seems like the seed of a 2.5D idol project with zombie overtones. Could it be? Am I going to have to clear more space on my smartphone again?

  Likelihood: 95%. I was kidding when I started this section but I think I may have figured it out.

    Right now, only a small group of fans know the truth, thanks to a screening at which they were sworn to secrecy. Fortunately, we'll know very soon, when Zombie Land Saga starts streaming on Crunchyroll.

  -----

Kara Dennison is responsible for��multiple webcomics, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos. Her latest work can be seen in the charity anthology The Hybrid, which is currently available for preorder.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[recentanimenews]

What Is Zombie Land Saga? I Don't Know, But I'm About to Make a Lot of Guesses

In the age of pervasive social media, it's almost impossible to keep spoilers for upcoming works completely quiet. Whether it's a visitor to a filming location or a quick snap from a smartphone, assiduous fans will make sure that something gets out. It's to the point where a major part of entertainment marketing has become deciding how much of the story to spoil oneself, just to beat the detectives to the punch.

  Then there's Zombie Land Saga, where all bets are pretty much off.

  The upcoming "100% original" anime is the result of a collaboration by MAPPA (Yuri!!! on ICE), Cygames (Umamusume: Pretty Derby), and Avex Pictures (Juni Taisen: Zodiac War). It's a powerhouse trio, with each participant implying a very specific skill set. But during the entirety of the series's promotional period, from announcement to pre-screening, what exactly it is has remained a mystery. That's not going to stop us from making a lot of guesses, though.

    So, what can we expect from the upcoming anime series that promises to be a new twist on the zombie horror genre? Here are at least a few possibilities, admittedly with varying degrees of likelihood:

  Canonical Zombieland Expanded Universe

2009 survival-comedy Zombieland was a hit when it first came out, establishing itself as America's answer to Shaun of the Dead. Featuring Woody Harrelson as "grizzled man with a past" and Jesse Eisenberg as "nerdy protagonist," it took off quickly. It also made all of us oddly nostalgic for Twinkies.

  It's been confirmed that a sequel film, Zombieland Too, will be happening. For a while, there were plans for a television series featuring a different cast of characters, but this has been stuck somewhere in the depths of Development Hell for the last five years or so. While the sequel film is set to start filming early next year, the series is not so luck.

  Could this be a new attempt to resurrect the TV project? After all, the zombie genre is a global phenomenon. Not to mention modern zombie anime series like Highschool of the Dead have dropped cheeky Zombieland references, so we know it's at least a known entity in Japan. Perhaps the upcoming series is Zombieland's version of Fear the Walking Dead.

Likelihood: 2%. Normally it would be a flat 0%, but Bill Murray is a wild card.

    Mamoru Miyano's Fever Dream

  One element of Zombie Land Saga is unmistakable, even with the secrecy: Mamoru Miyano is a major part of it. The Free! and Death Note voice actor seems to have assimilated himself completely into the world of the series. Or maybe the character is him? We're not entire sure at this point. The lines are a bit blurry.

  Either way, the show's official Twitter has graced us with videos of Miyano cosplaying his own character, accompanied by a stuffed toy of zombie-dog mascot Romero. He seems to be completely into the whole world of this show. Is he just in character, or could it be he's seen all this before?

  Likelihood: 85%. We are completely ready to believe he's having a weird dream and we're all along for the ride.

    12 Episodes of This Dog Having a Nice Time

  Speaking of the Zombie Land Saga Twitter, this Romero plushie has been a recurring star of their media. Pictures include him advertising for pre-screenings, going to the park, and enjoying squid snacks.

  We don't know anything about Romero except that he's a fluffy zombie pup with an A+ referential name. We already like him, though, and if the show ends up being anything like the Twitter, that would be delightful.

  Likelihood: 10%. We hope Romero is having a nice day anyway.

    They'll Make It up as They Go

Zombie Land Saga is promising a zombie story the likes of which we've never seen before. That's a pretty daring statement, considering the last decade or so has offered a wealth of films, TV shows, anime, and beyond offering different takes on the genre. So what if they just make it up as they go along?

  Indie projects — and even a few high-profile ones — have been known to alter their work last-minute in order to either follow or steer away from audience predictions as to what will happen next. What better way to create a thrilling, unpredictable new addition to the genre than to follow what fans are predicting and change courses whenever they get too close to getting it right?

  Likelihood: 0%. Anime doesn't work this way.

    Idol Anime in the Zombie Apocalypse

  One of the few things the trailers have divulged to us is the fact that the character of Sakura (voiced by Kaede Hondo) is an aspiring idol. A quick look at the cast also shows us something very interesting about the characters: all six leads are cute girls. (Technically all seven, but Tae has no voice listed yet, and she also looks slightly not-alive.)

  Not only that, but their variety of design is awfully reminiscent of idol anime and games. Each is significantly stylistically different from each other, enough to be recognizable as a certain "type." Sakura's design fits the standard "normal girl trying to make good" trope of so many idol group centers. All six girls also perform together on the OP and ED, according to the information we have so far, which seems indicative of a unit.

  The biggest tell is the producers. MAPPA produces just about any genre of anime, but Cygames and Avex work in much narrower fields. The former is predominantly a game producer that has only recently branched out into anime. Its primary productions are anime adaptations of its own games, such as Rage of Bahamut and the aforementioned Umamusume, the latter of which is heavily focused on idol training.

  Then there's Avex: a music producer. Their projects are multifaceted as well, but titles like King of Prism and Popin Q stand out as being music-centric. They've handled music for several productions, but listing them as an equal third of the staff drives home the importance of music in this work.

  If anything, the more you look at it, the more Zombie Land Saga seems like the seed of a 2.5D idol project with zombie overtones. Could it be? Am I going to have to clear more space on my smartphone again?

  Likelihood: 95%. I was kidding when I started this section but I think I may have figured it out.

    Right now, only a small group of fans know the truth, thanks to a screening at which they were sworn to secrecy. Fortunately, we'll know very soon, when Zombie Land Saga starts streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos. Her latest work can be seen in the charity anthology The Hybrid, which is currently available for preorder.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com