#THEY MADE MORE FUCKING CRONA ART

[semiferalstreetcoyote]

ok i wanted to do something for croma week rlly bad and since i'm not that confident in my art skills i wrote a fanfic :) its only about 2k words, i've never really done this before tho so i hope it turned out ok lol (ignore that it’s a day late)

“Did Lord Death really need to rent a venue this far away?”

“Maka, keep your fucking eyes on the road!”

“I wouldn’t need to keep looking back and forth if you read off the directions like you were supposed to!”

Soul grumbled something about the ‘straightforward’ instructions under his breath in reply. When Maka glanced at him, his dirty sneakers that he had insisted on wearing were smudging the dashboard and he was very clearly watching a Minecraft parkour video. Despite the lack of space in the back, she was regretting giving him shotgun privileges. She could have made room somewhere. Overlooking the trunk was too generous a move.

In the rearview mirror she checked on her passengers. Kid sat in the middle seat – the ‘bitch seat��, as Patti refused to stop calling it. Liz and Patti sat on either side in matching white dresses. Their outfits had been painstakingly planned out by Kid weeks in advance. On each side of his chest he wore a perfectly positioned white boutonniere.

“Kid,” Maka asked into the mirror, “why is your dad going to all this trouble? Couldn’t we just do this on school grounds?”

“He mentioned something-or-other about wanting to do ‘something normal’ for the student body. I believe all of this is wildly unnecessary, but… you know Dad.”

“Ah.”

“Maka, that’s – that’s the turn. You’re missing it. Get the – no, the sign with the balloons on it. Maka!”

“I got it! Stop yelling in my damn ear, Soul!”

The venue that Lord Death had chosen was rectangular and beige, with large cardboard letters that spelled ‘PROM’ adorning the entrance. They weren’t lit up and so they loomed in the darkness above the students. Even though the little parking lot, too, was dim, it was clear that most of the spots were taken.

“Maka, your clock reads eight-o’-four,” chirped Kid from the back seat. “Prom started at eight o’ clock. Your clock is fast, right?”

Soul sighed. “Calm down, Kid. Ever heard of being fashionably late? It’s cool.”

“I don’t see what’s ‘cool’ about being late.”

“Yep, that checks out.”

“Frankly, I don’t need somebody who wears Air Jordans to a formal event lecturing me on what’s ‘cool’ and what isn’t.”

“Both of you please shut up.” Maka swerved into a free space at the end of the lot and the jolt, thankfully, quieted the bickering men.

Black Star and Tsubaki stood outside the entrance and greeted the group when they arrived, by leaping up and down and waving, respectively. Soul ran ahead and ended up in a headlock, his friend shaking him around like a dog with a toy. Maka chuckled under her breath. Black Star was Soul’s reason for showing up at the micro-event. Neither of them could miss such a cool, super-cool gathering of coolness.

As soon as Maka stepped inside, she was snow-blind. Had Lord Death decided on ‘the color white’ as the theme? White streamers, white paper lining the floor, and was that a cutout of a polar bear in the corner? It had to be. The disappointment that hit Maka did not seem to affect Soul and Black Star in the slightest. Both of them trotted off to explore. Tsubaki, now separate from her friend, crept up to Maka.

“Hi, Maka.”

“Hi, Tsubaki! How did getting Black Star up here go?”

“He tried to wear one of those dollar sign necklaces. He… has a sense of style!”

Maka grimaced. “He sure has one.”

“Crona is already here, by the way. I saw them in the window while we were waiting for you.”

Maka would have been content staying at home studying the whole night. Crona was her reason to go. Prom was nothing more than an excuse to see the people you adore, after all, and the more time she spent with them, the more her affection grew.

“Really? Where are they?”

“Over there.”

Tsubaki pointed to what appeared to be a snack bar. Crona stood crooked beside a wide punch bowl, observing the dancers on the floor. Tsubaki giggled and threw Maka back to the present. She had been staring.

“Tsubaki, look at them. Look at their bowtie. They’re so cute, I’m… my hands are so sweaty. Ew.” She laughed to herself.

“They really do look nice. You go talk to them. I’m going to say hello to Liz and Patti.”

“Got it. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck! You’ll do just fine.”

Crona spotted Maka after she was already speeding toward them. They jolted and offered an awkward wave hello.

“Crona! Hi! Is it okay if I give you a hug?”

“Oh! Th– that’s fine!”

Maka threw her arms around them in a bear hug. She wasn’t sure if the lavender smell on them was the work of false fragrance or a real plant in their pocket, but she loved it all the same. Their jacket itself was soft. Very soft. She buried her forehead into their shoulder.

“It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you, too. I, uh… missed you.”

“God, you see her all the time. You saw her two days ago, dumbass.”

Maka forced a smile. “Hi, Ragnarok.”

“Ignore him,” Crona whispered. “Do you like the decorations? It was mostly Marie and me setting them up.”

“They’re nice. I’m, uh… not sure I understand the theme.”

Crona lit up and snatched a solo cup from the table beside them. They filled it with the punch and handed it to Maka.

“Try it. It’ll make sense, I promise.”

“...Oh, it’s coca-cola.”

Crona pointed to the cutout of the polar bear. Up close, Maka could see that someone had draped a scarf around its shoulders.

“Oh my God, is the prom coca-cola bear themed?”

They nodded vigorously. “Marie came up with it after Lord Death bought nothing but white decorations.”

“That’s adorable! I… don’t think anybody’s going to get it, though.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m over here, so I can explain it to anyone who doesn’t know.”

Maka squinted. “Your plan is to be over here, pouring soda for everyone the whole time?”

“Um… yes?”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather tag along with me instead?”

Maka saw Crona begin to blush. The abundance of black blood let off a gray color instead of the typical red. Crona looked back and forth; the confidence that they once held had evaporated into the stuffy room.

“Are you sure that I wouldn’t bother you, or anything?”

“Of course you wouldn’t bother me. Actually, I’d really like to spend time with you.”

Crona agreed, thankfully, because Maka’s face burnt and she was not entirely sure what she would say if they had any other doubts. Together they said hello to the chaperones – Marie, Sid, Stein, and Naigus, each of them commenting on the secret theme and Crona’s involvement – and bounced between Tsubaki’s group and the snack bar. Despite the attractions and the people to spend time with, Maka’s attention remained consistently fixed upon Crona.

They had been engaged in this routine for an hour until the dj’s cacophonous dance music was abruptly replaced by some 80s love ballad that Maka couldn’t remember the name of. From the snack bar, they watched groups break off into pairs or cluster at the back of the room.

“The music’s quieter now,” noted Crona.

“Yeah. It’s so that everyone who brought a date can, well… have their date. It’s the whole reason couples come here, anyway.”

“Oh.”

She took a deep breath and wiped her palms onto her dress. “Do you want to dance with me, Crona?”

Crona froze, their mouth open, a small pretzel still in their hand. “Are you- are you sure that you want to? With me? I - I’ve never really done this before and I don’t want to ruin–”

“I’m sure. I’ve kind of been hoping that I’d get to dance with you since I got here.”

Crona’s whole face bore smudges of gray, like charcoal. They scratched the back of their neck and, with great care, held out their hand for Maka. She took it.

“Awh, your hands are sweaty, too!”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay! I don’t mind, I promise.”

After a few failed attempts at a traditional dance, the pair decided that the best course of action would be to follow the precedent set by the other couples and rock back and forth holding each other. Maka could hear Crona’s heartbeat even over the music. Every once in a while they asked for some form of confirmation – was Maka comfortable, was she still okay with it, and so on – and each time, she reassured them.

“I’ve been having a really good time with you,” she whispered during the song’s closing solo.

“Yeah. This is really nice… thank you for dancing with me, Maka.”

“Mhm! Like I said, I really wanted to.”

Crona just smiled and pulled Maka closer. What was once a loud growl of dozens of people talking throughout the room had died down to a distant humming. She could focus on them, their texture, their smell, everything. Nobody else existed.

The song changed from classic rock back to modern pop and the roar started up again. Maka looked around at the groups of friends reclaiming the dance floor, and among them, she spotted Black Star and Soul dancing – perhaps they thought that they were on fire and they were flailing in fear. That would explain quite a bit.

“These idiots,” she scoffed.

“Hey, Casanova,” Ragnarok sneered, “Why don’t you take your lady friend upstairs?”

“Oh, no, they said not to go up there.”

“Come on, I’m trying to do you a favor here!”

“Ragnarok, shut the fuck up.” Maka looked from the vile little ghoulie back to Crona. “What’s upstairs?”

“Oh, it’s just the roof. Marie said not to let anyone up there because someone could fall.”

She side-eyed Black Star, who was doing some sort of dance that involved clenching his hands into fists and wiggling his arms very very fast. “Did she name any names?”

Crona seemed to see, too. They winced. “I guess that rule was probably for him. It’s so loud in here… we can go up there, if you want. So we can hear each other better. I don’t think that would be against the rules.”

They snuck through the stairwell door after Crona revealed its location – obscured behind one of the bear cutouts. Outside, nothing could be heard of the party except for a muffled beat. Nothing could be felt except for a cool night breeze. Against the horizon, turbines whirred valiantly in the darkness. Both of them sat down side by side in the middle of the roof.

“This is much better,” sighed Maka.

“Mm.”

“Are you okay?”

“Just happy. This past…well, everything has been really nice. Thanks for hanging out with me, Maka.”

“Of course. You don’t have to keep thanking me.” She grinned and nudged their shoulder.

“Sorry. Habit. I just don’t know how to say it. Being with you at the DWMA has been… I’ve been happy. Especially because of you. You’re amazing. I really… I really like you.”

“I really like you, too. You’re one of the bravest people I know.” She was smiling. Her face hurt from it. “Hey. Crona. Look at me, okay?”

“Hm?”

Maka leaned in. She waited, in case Crona wanted to pull away, and when they only leaned closer she held their jawline and kissed them. A second later it was over, and she was staring into their eyes again. Those eyes sparkled like lightning in the desert.

“Hi.” They said after a sizeable trail of stammering.

She giggled. “Hi.”

For a time – there was no way to be certain whether it was minutes or hours – Maka leaned against their shoulder and the two of them spoke in whispers while they looked at the stars. The kiss seemed to give Crona a second wind of courage and they had their free arm caressing Maka’s.

“The others and I are going to go to my place after this and watch a movie,” she said. “I’d really like it if you came.”

“Are you sure they wouldn’t mind?”

“Are you kidding? They all like you. Even Kid.”

“Mm.” They smiled. “I’ll come with you, then.”

A coyote cried out somewhere in the distance.

“All of this really has been great. Even the shitty music and the coke bear theme.”

“Your lips tasted like coke when you kissed me.”

Maka laughed. “Well, there’s worse things, I guess.”

It was almost midnight when Soul and Black Star lost their energy at the dance. They were some of the last to leave apart from the chaperones themselves. What this meant was a lot of barefoot waiting in the car for Maka, Crona, Kid, Liz, and Patty.

“Okay, we’ve gotten through… fourteen songs waiting,” sighed Liz. “Any requests for the fifteenth?”

“I don’t think I know any more songs,” said Crona.

“Really? That’s tragic. Liz, play something classic,” Kid ordered.

“Classic or classical? I can never tell with you.”

“Wait, hold on!” Maka gripped the steering wheel. “Here he comes!”

Soul walked across the parking lot, his tie undone and his shoelaces spilling over the pavement. He was a mess. He staggered to the shotgun door and opened it, only noticing too late how it was occupied.

“What? Crona? Huh. Would you mind moving over?”

“Sorry, Soul. You snooze, you lose.” Maka smiled. “You’ll just have to sit somewhere else.”

“Wh–? There’s no more seats. Where am I going to sit?”

“Well, there’s always the trunk.”

[fruit-sy]

Spoilers for the ending of the soul eater manga

Finished reading the soul eater manga and uh,

Wha?

I am

A bit

Confused;

And also deeply conflicted....

First off, What the FUCK is Boob madness, hello?????? Also did they just fuck over Crona like that in the ending??

I dunno if I prefer the manga ending more than the anime ending if I'm being honest lol

Manga definitely had more time to develop and finish characters arcs and build tension, but the ending was,, a little odd and a bit rushed imo. They just brushed over Lord Death's death, things went back to "normal" way too abruptly, and I get that Crona's committed an unspeakably heinous act and deserves to be punished, but they just left them on the moon with a sorta cliffhanger? Pair it up with the boobs as an attempt at comedy, it's enough to take me out of the immersion.

Anime and its ending was rushed, but some of the direction for certain scenes/episodes took my breath away. A good mixture of music and imagery is always a guaranteed hit with me. Also the art style has this charm that the manga doesn't quite grasp at the ending.

Veryyy personal preference/nitpick, but I really prefer the way Anime!Maka's drawn more compared to how the Manga drew her later on. Something about the dead eyes with no highlights and particularly stylized body proportions makes Anime!Maka's art style more appealing to me.

(Thar's the girl I fell in love with <33)

I like how the face and limb proportions are stylized in a way that makes her not look like a generic anime girl, uh for a lack of a better term. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but point is, I just like how she looks cute, but in an aloof and kinda hardened way. A fine line to walk on but I thought BONES handled it beautifully.

I'm tempted to feel the same way about Manga!Soul (who's also been smoothened out a bit like Manga!Maka) but his identifying features like the shark teeth, droopy eyes and pinched eyebrows are still there.

...

Alright, to give an overall review of my personal enjoyment: episode 1-24 was peak Soul Eater imo, apart from some episodes, it was a continuous hype train for me.

After that (with the exception of episode 33) it didn't get my blood rushing as much as the first half did.

I read the manga, picking up from the Brew scuffle, and it was pretty good! That is, up until the book of Eibon in the lust/sloth chapter which made me want to bash my head against the wall again.

The Lust chapter was so cringe, it had no redeeming qualities in my eyes. Mayhaps the "creepy fucking asshole" vibes (which made me deeply uncomfortable) served the narrative for the Sloth chapter, which is Giriko wanting to instill absolute fear into Maka, but still, blergh. The fight with Black*Star and Kid was pretty neat I guess.

I don't mean to sound so negative, but this barely scrapes the amount of disappointment I felt. I came for Maka, my heart was stolen by the duo of the show, but in the end, SE is probably not the best when it comes to female protagonists in shonen imo, lol-

6/10, really strong start, such a damn shame it fizzled out and died at the end though.

[soul-dwelling]

Best place to read the English translation of Soul Eater online? I’ve been warned that online translations are incomplete, out of order, or generally bad…

Short version before I rant:

If you're reading online, buy the Yen Press translations; if you have the money and want more accuracy and are fine not reading online and instead with a hard copy, I guess you have to buy the Square Enix "Perfect Edition" (although fuck Square for not having an ebook version); I'm not going to link to scanlations here.

Now, the long rant:

I'm not up for sharing scanlation sites and unofficial translations, even as I think they are necessary in manga distribution and discourse.

Nothing against scanlators, who do and have done important work, especially for works that never get licensed in other languages. But I tend to have more confidence in the translations coming from Square Enix working with Yen Press or other North American distributors, rather than fans who are not in communication with the original creators to make sure intended meaning is retained as closely as possible across different languages.

A scanlation gets you by in between the leak of a chapter in Japan and the official translation that comes out within a few days or at worst months; a scanlation is not a good substitute for an official translation.

(And that's not ignoring that some scanlations can get it more accurate than the official source, or that a scanlation works as an alternate translation that may bring out additional meaning that the official translation failed to.)

2. Get the Yen Press versions if you are reading online.

The best place for reading online is from the publishers themselves, such as the Yen Press translation that you can get from Yen Press as an ebook or on the Manga Up app.

(Granted, Manga Up does the stupid black censor bars: look, I rant against the shitty fanservice in Soul Eater, but blacking it out and acting like it's not there is also stupid.)

The problem is that the Yen Press translation feels outdated, not only due to the more recent translation by Square Enix (more on that in a moment), but because the Square Enix translation updates Crona's pronouns.

3. What the fuck is wrong with Square Enix?

And that leads to my rant:

I have not picked up the Square Enix "Perfect Edition." And I appreciate that they have updated art, updated translation, etc. But there is such an accessibility / price barrier there: it's probably going to be more than $300 to read the updated translation because it's only a hardcover edition, no ebook version available.

What kind of bullshit is this? I know buying the Yen Press versions as ebooks is also an investment, but at least I can have those as ebooks and not pay more than $300. With the "Perfect Edition," I now have to clear bookshelf space. I get it, it's a better print, it has the color artwork--that's all fine. But what if I don't want another physical book taking up space?

Maybe Square Enix will eventually release these in ebook format, or maybe I just haven't seen that announcement yet. But it is galling that the only way you can get the updated translation is by purchasing the hardcovers only.

Hey, Square Enix? People wouldn't be asking about online translations if you actually made the newly translated books available online and affordable (or even free temporarily on Manga Up--with the updated Crona pronouns and no stupid black bars) instead of charging an Elric limb for them. Viz may have too much of a monopoly on publishing, but they aren't charging this much. Yen Press has managed to make some simul-published chapters affordable as ebooks. Why is an updated translation of Soul Eater priced so high?

[8-evil-annoying-catboys]

personally i kind of think that trying to squash out gender bending is what’s transphobic. it’s a key form of self-expression for a LOT of eggs, especially when they’re kids, and especially if they don’t/didn’t have access to media that represented genderqueer characters, whether that’s because that media largely didn’t exist for kids at the time (as for myself and many other trans people my age and older), or because their parents limit(ed) their media access to avoid exposure to trans and queer characters, be they canon or coded. before i watched soul eater and had crona rock my world with their gender ambiguous swag, i was obsessed with genderbending and characters crossdressing. the fiona and cake episode of adventure time? yeah i was staring at prince gumball and marshall lee both and forming so many brain cells around this concept at 10 years old, 3 years before i would properly start trying to explore and figure out my gender. while crona having some undeniable genderfuckery going on was definitely what actually broke my egg open, fiona and cake probably made the first crack, to be honest. i think i would be a very different person if i had never been exposed to the concept of genderbending as a kid. i would still be trans, certainly, but it would’ve taken me probably quite a while longer before i’d have figured it out, and i don’t think i’d be as confident in my identity today.

as op stated, you’d have to come at genderbending from the most bad faith angle possible to see it as transphobic, but also you’d have to be seeing it from a purely theoretical standpoint. the fact is, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum, just like any other kind of art. the experiences of the artist will inform the art, and the experiences of the person viewing the art will inform their interpretation of it. do you think a trans artist designing a genderbent version of a character they identified heavily with in their youth, to express how they feel after transitioning, is transphobic? or, even if the artist is a transphobe making a male character into a female character or vice versa so they feel more comfortable thinking they’re hot because they’re So So Straight, does that change the fact that some trans egg kid looking at genderbent art of a character they identify with is going to set off a lightbulb in their head and lead to a journey of self-discovery? no matter what, genderbending characters is still experimenting and playing with the very idea of gender, which is a huge part of what being trans is about for many trans people, and frequently the key to discovering transness for even more trans people than that. trying to police that self-expression is not going to benefit anyone. knowingly trying to twist it and present it as transphobic, though? that’s fucking vile. there are people who only say it’s transphobic because they’re parroting others, and that’s like, not good still, but whatever they aren’t thinking about it enough. but i really think that whoever first decided that genderbending is transphobic knew exactly what they were doing

Sorry to set discourse on your doorstep, but I’m curious: How do you feel about genderbending characters? I’ve seen some people say it’s transphobic but tbh I’m not totally sure if I agree. What do you think, if you don’t mind my asking?

Genuinely don't think gender bending is transphobic and I think coming at the idea of gender bending in the most bad faith way possible is the only way u can really say it's transphobic. Gender bending characters is like....a time honored tradition among fans and it's fun to design someone with the opposite presentation in mind. Like, what stays the same? What changes? How can I keep this recognizable while still showing the character is different in some way or another? These are fun design ideas and goals and it's only if you rigidly subscribe to the idea that gender and sex are the same does that become an issue. like, I guess I can see how it can potentially be transphobic, but like? I feel like it does far more good in terms of making people wonder about gender expression and playing with it? Like, does my Big Macintosh comic count as gender bending? I took a pre-established character and designed her to be a trans woman, and I thought about what that might look like should the character go in that direction. And I've gotten tons and tons of heartwarming comments talking about how much that comic helped them! I'm a trans person, I think we should be doing more fun play with gender and shit.

[jayjaysocks]

Listing my favorite animes (because I’m jumping on the bandwagon)

❗️⚠️ *spoilers!! (Duh)* ❗️⚠️

5. Deadman Wonderland

I was really really sad when I found out this anime got cancelled. The music was fantastic, the animation was really good, and the voice acting was incredible. Even the fucking dubbed version (I loved the voice they chose for Senji. God he was hilarious). I binged this show so fucking fast it wasn’t even funny. I loved watching the characters go through their own struggles and grow as people in the very small amount of episodes provided. There was a lot of development within the snippet that we actually saw, and I was thoroughly impressed with how well it was done. I wanted to scream or something when I found out there wouldn’t be a second season.

Sigh. Oh well. At least we got some of the manga’s masterpiece translated into a show, even if we were missing some fucking awesome characters.

4. Guilty Crown

Ugh, don’t even get me started. This anime was beautiful and I got so invested so freaking quickly. I literally go back every few years to rewatch it because I get ship starved.

Shu and Inori’s story was so beautifully done; between Shu uncovering his courage and Inori’s journey of self-discovery, I was continuously awe-struck and filled with feelings—I mean, I had never felt such raw emotion while watching something and I was completely blown away by the affect it had on me. Anger, hatred, sadness, it was all there (even for the main character lmao) and it was one of the first times I had ever felt a ship so heavily that I literally cried at the end. It was one of the very first Animes I’d ever seen and was one of the reasons I got such a taste for them. Thanks for throwing me down that rabbit hole, GC.

3. Soul Eater

This was literally the first Anime I’d ever seen, and my god I couldn’t have asked for a better starter. What I like about this one is that it’s style is so unique and different. It’s very punk and grunge, something I admired and appreciated in a genre that is normally the opposite (like Guilty Crown, for example). Also the fight scenes were badass, like holy shit just look at that gif ??? Freaking amazing.

I loved the way the show transitioned from light hearted to intense and adrenaline pumping so effortlessly. That can be said about a lot of shows, but this one went from *haha cute show* to *holy shit, like they’re actually gonna die ohmygod howaretheygoingtosurvivethis* so smoothly I was genuinely surprised. They made one of the main villains actually cool and each character had their own beautifully done arc. I loved and adored how the show solidified and expanded on the different friendships/relationships that were involved—specifically Soul and Maka’s (also, holy shit, Stein’s arc? Fucking prime, dude). There was a lot of growth in each and every friendship (CRONA!!!), and that really pushed the viewer to invest in the individual characters.

I am fucking delighted that this was my first anime, and (though the ending was a little anticlimactic) it remains one of my top favorites to this day. It set the bar pretty fucking high, and for that I am extremely greatful.

No one asked for Soul Eater: Not! It is the unspoken sin of the Soul Eater world (then again, it is called Soul Eater: Not!)

2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

If you have been following me for a while, then you are no stranger to my love of FMAB. Some of my most popular posts are about this anime, and for good reason.

Unfortunately, I was late to the party. I actually didn’t watch this until last year, but got invested really damn quick. I have a tendency to be extremely picky about the animes that I watch/like (which is why NONE of these shows are that recent), to the point that I will literally research them before I start watching (a bad habit, do not copy me). I have an incomparably hard time finishing a show when I start, because I get bored really quickly, but this was an exception. I started watching and I just... didn’t stop. I spent a straight week watching FMAB, gobbling it up during any small amount free time I could manage, and finished it before I even knew what happened. I wasn’t picky about it, I didn’t research it, I just dove right in and gosh, I was not disappointed.

The subtle romance that was alluded throughout the entire show was super cute, the devotion the brothers had for each other was to die for, and the struggles that each person went through was more than moving. I never once found myself bored while watching, and that’s saying a lot for my adhd ass. I was invested in each and every second of that damn anime and I was never, ever left underwhelmed. That probably had to do with the fact that every. Single. Character. Had a purpose. I’m not even kidding. Every single person contributed to the big fight at the end and that alone is fucking fantastic.

Not to mention ALL the women, every female character, was a badass bitch. None of them were reduced to sex appeal or romantic subplot, they all had real feelings, real arcs and real, unadulterated badassery that I thoroughly admired and appreciated. I could watch this anime over and over again every single month and I wouldn’t get bored. Between the emotional struggle, self discovery, and personal development of each character, I promise you will not see a lack of plot or meaning here. The more you watch, the more you discover and that is not a lie. There are so many layers to its story, which only makes me wish I had watched this sooner.

There is nothing I have to offer in the ways of criticism, and for that I couldn’t be happier. Thank you, Hiromu Arakawa, for such an incredible piece of art. You deserve every bit of love that this manga/anime gets. You go girl.

1. Cowboy Bepop

Holy shit holy shit holy shit this anime is so fucking good and it has been my favorite for so damn long. I have been watching anime for years, and while some of the shows in my list have moved around, this one has yet to be bumped down from the top (and I doubt it ever will). There’s a reason it became such a cult classic.

For starters, the animation. I mean, just look at Spike and the way they animate his fighting (yes I am aware that this gif is from the movie, but that still doesn’t change my point). The sequences in the show/film have been reused in many other shows and for good reason. It’s good, incredible, actually and they make him look so badass with just a few hand movements. I was consistently impressed with the way the fight scenes were portrayed and wasn’t ever left underwhelmed or disappointed (or, for that matter, feeling like they completely over exaggerated/overcompensated the scene with huge close-ups and tons of debris and lights). I loved watching this and my heart was always pounding with every intense interaction. I didn’t feel bored during any of the episodes and always found myself laughing when they cracked a joke—pretty much all of their funny lines hit and that’s saying something, dude.

The show, while having a lighthearted surface, has a heavy meaning that you don’t see at first glance. It’s about dealing with grief and loss, and how the characters themselves accomplished that in different ways. The most prominent quote is the biggest indication of its moral “you’re gonna carry that weight”. Basically: ‘You’ve gotta pick up your baggage, because the world moves on, with or without you’. Or ‘You’re going to carry that weight whether you like it or not, because life keeps going’. When I figured out the show’s actual message, while staring at my ceiling in the long hours of the night, I almost cried. This realization brought something entirely different to the table, a new understanding of the show’s characters and overall essence.

The main characters, all of them, had depth. They had real, palpable depth, and even if you didn’t want to care you found yourself seriously interested in their lives. Each of them had relatively shitty pasts. Faye with her lost memories, Spike with Julia and the people who fucked him over, Jet with his old flame and the ISSP, Ed and her/his father... throughout the entire show we got to see how all of them dealt with these things, whether they wanted to continue on with life or not. The way they portrayed it was engaging, because the characters individual, contrasting journeys weren’t repetitive or one note. The beauty that the show holds so achinging close to its core, the layers of grief that the characters are wrapped in so delicately is almost suffocatingly real—because they’re all different. It’s something you discover when you think on the subject in a deeper light, which is another reason why I enjoy it so much. It has both a surface story and a deeper one. You can either take the show at face value or choose to understand the underlying moral.

This show inspired my very first, thoroughly fleshed out OC, and continues to inspire me to this day. It has contributed to my own personal growth, and has helped push me to continue my art and writing. It is beautifully written, beautifully executed and even though some of the episodes seem like filler, it has never disappointed me. I rewatch it all the time because there’s something so infinitely refreshing about the beauty of this anime, whether it be the way we watch the characters develop or the overall moral it portrays. This show has given us a message that is essentially timeless, it can be ‘carried’ through generation after generation, and still have the same impact—something I absolutely fucking adore.

I owe so much to this anime, including my very own artistic development. I discovered it during a really shitty time in my life and I couldn’t have asked for better timing. I will never tire of the bittersweet message or the thoroughly fucking fantastic animation. Everyone who contributed to this masterpiece deserves love, because it’s seriously fucking gold.

[renas-rp-hub]

Tagged By: @madamenxgative (thank you!)

Tagging: @crona-is-ready-to-deal-with-this @dans-search-history @undertheroses @cricket-prince @courages-search-history @blue-cat-blues 

APHRODITE: laughter-loving / sweet  smiles / dressed  in  silk  and  satin / flower  in  their  hair / sees  the  world  as  a  runway / unapologetically  sexual / the sea washing their ankles /  in  love  with  love / stirrer  of  passion / cunning concealed by painted lips / secret daggers /  doves / revolution in their kiss / delighting in the waves / flirtatious winks / strolling along the beach / staring  wistfully  from  a  balcony / this  is  how  to  be  a  heartbreaker / wants  to  be  adored / gets  turned  on  by  danger.

APOLLO: glitz  and  glamour / art  galleries / turning the volume up / being  made  of  gold / neatly-organized  music  sheets / notebooks  filled  with  poetry / bathing  in  the  sunlight / the powerful urge to create / collecting  vinyl  records / beautiful  cover  of  Wonderwall / playing multiple instruments / tasting  like  sunshine / healing  touch / speaking  in  prophecies / smile mingled with wrath / shunning lies / sporting shades / hanging  out  at  music  festivals  with  their  friends / sleeps  naked / arrow  to  the  heart / paint  brushes / probably  has  a  Tinder  account.

ARES: armed for battle / wants  to  raise  a  dog  with  their  significant  other / soft spot for children / gives piggyback rides / scarred body / blood on their hands and face / willing  to  fight  the  world  for  the  ones  they  love / fights  against  injustice / warm  hugs / well-worn  combat  boots / boxing gloves / bandages  wrapped  around  bruised  knuckles / fist  raised  in  protest /  ignites  revolutions / fear  is  a  prison / more  sensitive  than  what  their  tough  shell  would  have  you  think / exhausted / damaged ��goods / force  to  be  reckoned  with / red  roses / curses  under  their  breath.

ARTEMIS: keen  sense  of  a  hunter / freckles  like  constellations  on  their  skin / piercing  eyes / disheveled  braid / moonlight  peeking  through  the  shadows / the  calm  of  the  forest  at  night / lying  on  the  grass  and  staring  at  the  stars / mother  doe  and  her  fawn /    protecting  their  kin / the  moon  shimmering  on  a  still  lake / quiver  full  of  arrows  resting  against  the  bark  of  a  tree / running  with  wolves / bonding  while  circled  around  a  campfire / not  being  much  of  a  people  person / arrow  hitting  a  target / popping  egos / patience  on  3% / touches  heaven  and  returns  howling.

ATHENA: discerning  gaze / unreadable  face / quiet  museums / owl  perched  on  their  finger / armor  that  intimidates / eye  for  architecture / plays  the  sims  for  the  sole  purpose  of  building   houses / studied  the  blade  while  everyone  else  was  busy  getting  laid / big  fan  of  logic / loves  brain  teasers / ancient  buildings / sweaters  in  neutrals  and  cool  colors / hair  done  up / can  kill  you  with  their  brain / heads  to  the  library  often  to  research / sharpened  pencils / abs  that  can  cut  steel / stoic  statues / pottery classes.

DEMETER: soil-covered  hands / smile  that  can  bloom  flowers / skin  loved  by  the  sun / being  the  mom-friend / can  lift  you  and  your  friends / flowers  kept  in  the  pockets  of  overalls / takes  pride  in  their  beautiful  garden / speaks  to  their  plants / leaves  rustling  in  the  wind / stalks  of  wheat / picking  fruit / greenhouses / heart  as  strong  as  a  mountain / values  simplicity / daisies  dotted  across  a  collarbone / curls  crowned  with  flowers / folded  pile  of  sweaters  in  warm  hues / pulling  out  fresh-baked  bread  out  of  the  oven  and  the  smell  wafting  through  the  air.

DIONYSUS: drunk  shitposter, on  their  sixth  glass  of  wine  before  you’ve  even  finished  your  second / seductive  smirks / untamed curls / rich  fabrics  on  dark  skin / sleek-furred  panthers / theater  masks / stage  productions / receiving  a  standing  ovation / rose  caught  between  their  teeth / being  the  baby  of  the  bunch / wild  parties  that  last  from  sundown  to  sunup / creeping  vines / inspiring  loyalty / grand  opera  houses / masquerade  balls / rolls  of  film / shattered  chandeliers  with  broken glass  scattered  across  the  wine-spilled  floor / pouring  champagne  into  flutes / lives  for  the  applause.

HEPHAESTUS: the  calloused  hands  of  someone  who  knows  labor / sweaty  brow / flame  burning  in  their  eyes / inventive  mind / broad  shoulders / steampunk  goggles / nuts  and  bolts  stored  away  in  little  boxes / ashes / striking  a  match / blueprints  for  future  projects / fixing  up  a  busted  up  car  and  giving  it  cool  upgrades / wrestles  with  bitterness /  work  boots  have  seen  better  years / wrinkled  plaid  shirts /  iron  melted  in  blazing  fire / huge  jackets / crafting  masterpieces / greased-stained  overalls / fascination  with  robotics / pain  is  fuel / stack  of  weaponry / even  their  muscles  have  muscles.

HERA: resting  bitch  face / dressed  to  the  nines / cows  grazing  on  a  pasture / cool  rain /  loving  and  hating  fiercely / hand  clutching  a  string  of  pearls /  large  chandelier  with  glittering  crystals / plays  the  sims  for  the  sole  purpose  of  killing  off  their  sims / romance  to  realism / pictures  of  the  sky  while  flying  on  a  plane / files  that  under  fuck  it / downs  glasses  of  wine  as  they  relax  with  a  scented  bubble  bath  and  netflix / like  their  selfie  or  you’re  grounded / knows  57  convenient  ways  to  murder  a  man / dark  eyes  that  penetrate  your  soul / marble  and  gold.

HERMES: devil-may-care  smile / always  up-to-date  on  the  latest  technology / will  steal  your  french  fries / does  it  for  the vine / shitposter / puts  googly  eyes  on  everything / meme  hoarder / long  drives  on  the  highway / ma  and  pop  diners / spontaneous  road  trips / folded  maps / fingers  dancing  across  the  keyboard  of  a  laptop / shooting  hoops  on  the  basketball  court / chatting  up  strangers  as  you  all  journey  to  your  own  destinations /    goes  jogging  in  the  morning / 

mixes  redbull  with  coffee / menace  on  april fool’s / hoodies  and  sneakers.    

POSEIDON:  storm  with  skin / colorful  coral  reefs / waves  crashing  against  the  shore / stroking  the  soft  fur  of  a  cat / their  heart  pounding  as  their  horse’s  gentle  trot  speeds  into  a  gallop / tousled  locks / clothes  smeared  with  paint / owns  several  sketchbooks  yet  always  yearns  to  own  more / leather  jackets / fondness  for  diy  projects / handwriting  that  flows  across  the  page / nimble  fingers  playing  the  strings  of  a  violin / velvety  singing  voice  that  haunts  your  dreams / mood  as  ever-changing  as  the  sea / the  roar  of  a  motorcycle / compass  with  a  spinning arrow.

ZEUS: thunder  in  their  heart / running  on  coffee / flash  of  lightning / natural  charisma /  eloquence / badass in  a  nice  suit / aficionado  of  history / force of nature / lenny face / nightmare-filled nights / proud  arm  around  their  lover’s  waist / high-rise  buildings / planes  soaring  through  a  cloudless  sky / technician  on  the  piano / maintains  order / strong  handshake / juggling  multiple  events  on  their  busy  schedule  with  ease / expensive watch.

[tumblunni]

wow im really rambling sorry i just couldnt manage to get any sleep cos the stupid headache came back and its my own fault for staying up rambling chat with my best friend and now she’s all No Go To Sleep Bunn so i cant even continue the chatting >_>

and also my typing is getting really incoherant cos im tired and WHY did i have to remember one manga i got mad about once at age 13 lol i didnt even fuckin know that crona was canonically nonbinary until a bazillion years later and man i would have got over my own self hate a lot earlier if i KNEW THAT WAS AN ACTUAL OPTION when i was 13... fuq u dub for censoring them and fuq u really bad gross fanservice writer man for accidentally making a really cool concept that ended up becoming a far more coherant anime and then everyone complained about the anime fixing the plotholes somehow and then it got one of the best dubs ever EXCEPT for the censoring of the one LGBT character.. Also fuckin hell how did this writer even manage to make such a good character and also a great non sexualized female protagonist within a story where every other female character is sexualized and then go on to make a bunch of infinately shittier, lazier, and less creative mangas with a worse art style and more out of place hyper crass fanservice and suddenly no female characters who get to be anything except fanservice and his previous manga before soul eater had NO FEMALE CHARACTERS AT ALL and no other manga except soul eater has a single LGBT character either, let alone a well handled one whose only flaw was being censored in a dub... so like what the fuck was he just testing out the idea of being respectful to various demographics and then went ‘nah, its easier to be as crude as possible’...??? or did he really get replaced by a clone with a worse art style. man its so demotivating whenever that happened, i still cant understand why one piece’s art style got worse too, and why people keep saying its better this way... OH MAN and one piece also is a thing that never had any sexual content and then suddenly changed into over the top fanservice constantly! its a really crappy feeling to have one of your favourite shows suddenly change like.. design philosophy. or intended audience?? at least soul eater remained mostly a good show with a bad ending, i ended up losing all love for one piece entirely as soon as i learned about the trans community, realized i was part of the trans community, and realized that that whole island of weird monster man characters was actually a joke about japanese stereotypes of the trans community... i mean man at least i cant blame kid!me for not realizing cos they didnt even look human let alone like trans women. its so gross when people stereotype trans women as looking even more manly than men?? TO THE POINT OF NOT EVEN LOOKING HUMAN?? SERIOUSLY I THOUGHT ‘OKAMA’ MEANT BIGFOOT OR SOMETHING... man there are a lot of bad decisions made in shows and i probably should not be thinking about them while sad and ill at midnight

bunni: makes post apologsing for rambling about random anime complaints also bunni: does exactly that, but more

Second Apology Time Also Now I Shut Up

[wiltingpierrot]

Oh wow, I'm mentioned, and with Toma, too 😁. This looks fun.

@spinelabelle I love LOVE reading your tags. Is it weird that I feed off of the positive energy coming from them? I also find great Spinel stuff in your reblogs so thanks for that.

@hatchsketch I LOVE your art. I LOVE your style. I LOVE what you've made so far with my crona!spinel. I'mma return the favor soon 😉 just a heads up.

@minimouselion I LOVE all of your Spinels. Your art is awesome in general. Also you're pretty cool.

@emositecc Yo, kamusta po! 'nga pala narinig ko ang mga dubs mo ang ASTIG.

@dragonsexcalendar The first person who ever messaged me here, welcoming me into Spinel Hell. Thank you for easing me in.

@omarstar84 @apllo-apollo @strangeracrossthestreet @chickinu @zeppydingus @long-hair-tol-azzy-boi @flutterbuttbex @sporeture @discosnax @skittlebuggy @mother-fricking-pumpkim @typicaltactical (And a few others I failed to mention I'm sorry) Thank you all for the early push and love for my weird concept. Of course, special mention goes to @enderia, my lovely... er, internet spouse (this is your fault @sleepy0210, I'm also looking at you @celestialalpacaron and @creamcheese01 ) for also giving me the early push and asking some really good questions about my AU.

@thejestboi and I have been talking about what Enderia and I's wedding would look like. I wonder if I should share. Also, best wedding planner. 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

@crackedspirit Who has been a good internet friend. A big help for my sanity. Thank you so much 💕💕💕.

@eggy-b-official @storfulsten @deerheadxr @spissed-off (I'm guilty) @toxicgummy for my daily dose of Spinelx2. Have I forgotten someone?

@noodlenibblescribble I can't stress enough I LOVE Spinel's dynamic with the CGs in your AU. Especially Pearl's. It's the kind of pain that hurts so bad but you keep coming back for more. Gad Dayum!!

@laztotro I still remember how ecstatic I was when I saw your crona!spinel doodle and yours being the first. What a fucking HONOR. I love you and your art so much.

Oh no it's long. BUT I LOVE THESE PEOPLE SO MUCH even the ones that have never interacted with me.

Reblog this with you’re favourite people/friends!

@fruitinabox @su-steven @steven-the-fucking-furry @lion-the-movie (TUMBLR LET ME @ LION) @mother-fricking-pumpkim  @steven-flipping-demayo andd @pink-steeb and you better follow them

[super-wastelandcupcake]

20 Follower Ask Meme Thingy

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[soul-dwelling]

Do you have any thoughts on why the soul eater fandom is so small and inactive (other than that it's not new and updating anymore)? I didn't get into se until 2019 but it seemed like the fandom used to be such a powerhouse around 2010 or so

(This could turn into a long “my life story” post, so I’ll try to keep this brief.)

I didn’t get into the fandom until early 2013, when Soul Eater premiered on Toonami. And it just so happened that the manga ended in Japan later that same year. I dropped out of the fandom a bit from 2016 to now due to various factors (work, health, family), so I am going to be ignorant about a lot of the shifts and changes between then.

With all of that in mind, I can bullet point an incomplete list of why I think the fandom is, well, not smaller or inactive (I think it is still large and still active), but is definitely quieter than before:

Soul Eater isn’t airing on cable TV or elsewhere on a consistent basis. Yes, you can stream it any time, but that’s not the same as having new premieres gathering an audience to watch together at the same time. (See also Number 6 below for the same reason: if you have to hunt online for something, I think it’s harder for people to get into it.)

Chapter 113 soured people like me, and I think opened up comparisons to flaws in how the anime wrapped up, too.

NOT and Fire Force have not been the kind of follow-ups that embody what made Soul Eater work so well in visual style, themes, and message (NOT lacked the gothic style and powerful message; Fire Force is repeating the Chapter 113 problems of losing focus on what message it had), so at least for me I don’t see the fandom latching onto those series in the same way and thereby keeping Soul Eater popular.

With Soul Eater in the hands of SquareEnix and Yen Press, there are fewer opportunities in the United States to cross-promote it with Kodansha for Fire Force. (That’s not a problem for Funimation, as they license the anime for both Soul Eater and Fire Force, but I haven’t seen that overlap in their marketing, so maybe that’s a problem where BONES and David Pro can’t coordinate the same way.)

Other manga, anime, and other media will come along to give us what Soul Eater gave us, only better or at least newer, in terms of what we got out of Soul Eater: having a lead protagonist who is a girl (Maka), having trans or agender representation (Crona), having stunning animation, a gothic look, and a good soundtrack. We’ve had Gravity Falls, The Owl House, Little Witch Academia, and a load of other series that I think tap into similar but different approaches so that the spirit of the show continues in newer and, in some cases, more popular content.

Sadly, I think the pandemic gets in the way, too: it’s hard to get into a series about death during a fucking plague, and COVID has limited fan interactions, thereby limiting interactions at conventions and all that this brings (cosplay, selling art and merch and collectibles, viewing parties, meeting actors). The Internet still serves as a replacement for a lot of this, but in-person interaction is more immediate than stumbling upon something online. And as a slight addendum to this: I do think having so much get crappy in the economy, in politics, in protecting our civil rights against fascism–all of that, I think, doesn’t completely destroy engaging with entertainment (otherwise, people would just stop creating and enjoying art overall, including in film, TV, etc), but I do think takes up time a lot of people have to engage with the fandom in the way they used to. People’s mental and emotional health in the last number of years means that protecting your time and energy against a burn-out is vital.