#There's some little lines from the manga I was missing this episode. The “I hate dealing with this decay member the most”.

[sskk-manifesto]

:/

[notfreetoday]

My Personal Weatherman Ep 2 Tidbits

I'm really enjoying the adorable awkwardness with which Yoh acts around Segasaki, and it comes across not only in his behaviour but also in his speech pattern. I watch without subs, so this may have been conveyed, but just in case it wasn't I'd thought I'd share a few cultural/language tidbits here.

Teruteru Bouzu first - you'll probably have seen one before if you watch slice-of-life anime. That little doll/ghost like thingy that Yoh was folding with the tissue is used like a charm of sorts, to chase the rain away, or just as a good weather charm that you'd hang by the window. You'll often see these hung up by the kids in Kindergarten cause that's the age when rain sucks hahaha

I loved this because it shows that Yoh really does miss Segasaki, even though he doesn't want to admit it. The way he smiled at it and then violently threw it away when he realized what he was doing 🤣🤣🤣

Later in the episode, Yoh's emotional withdrawal from Segasaki due to his building jealousy is emphasized in his speech patterns - he awkwardly drops in some "polite" words/patterns (which he didn't in Ep 1, although, granted, he hardly spoke to Segasaki in Ep 1 lolol), which makes his sentences come across as slightly more stilted. This first happens (and is clearest here) when Segasaki joins him for dinner after realising Yoh had waited up for him. He catches Yoh staring and asks "Hmm?", to which Yoh replies says

"あ、いや。なんでもない…です" (Ah, iya, nandemonai…desu) aka "Ah, no, it's….nothing".

"Desu" as you probably know, is an ending particle used in "polite" speech, which he tacks on as an afterthought (the polite form of "iya" would be "iie", if he had wanted the whole sentence to be polite from the get go).

After dinner, when Yoh tries to wake Segasaki up but doesn't know how to, he tries by saying "あの…" (ano…) a few times - which is a common sound you use to get someone's attention but don't want to sound too demanding - this actually isn't being polite per se, because Yoh's certainly not going to go all "Oi!" (which is rather rude) at Segasaki now, but it does show the hesitancy with which Yoh approaches him. Then, when he says he's going to bed, he says

"じゃ、俺は寝るので" (Jya, ore wa neru node) aka "So then, I'm going to bed, therefore…"

The usage of "node" here doesn't quite make the sentence "polite/formal", but it certainly is a little less colloquial than using "から(kara)". The same way that "therefore" doesn't make a sentence polite/formal in English, but is definitely less colloquial than using the word "so" in English. Also, I just find it funny that he uses the informal "ore" pronoun for "I" here with "node" instead of the more formal "boku". Both this, and the random -desu he added earlier, just make his sentences a little more stilted/awkward, and individually don't deserve much mention at all, but together, and in the context of his jealousy, show just how unsure of himself Yoh is around Segasaki.

Btw, the full line he said was

"寝るなら部屋で、とおもって。じゃ、俺は寝るので、あ���、その、そういうことで、おやすみ。 aka If you're going to sleep then, (you should sleep) in the room - at least that's what I thought..... So then, I'm going to bed, therefore...um... that... with that... night!

TOO ADORABLE.

(If the text in the speech bubbles wasn't subbed) The manga drawing on the computer, shown right after Yoh's internal dialogue of "But, if I said, 'no' then… it would negate the 'hate' that I said earlier so…" has the words "suki da yo, chanto" in speech bubbles, essentially "I do like you, (you know?) Really."

I'm really enjoying this show 😆 😆 😆

[room-surprise]

Dungeon Meshi Anime Review, Season 2, Episode 17 review

OH GOD OKAY here we go...

Once again, I am a broken record: good episode!

My two major complaints: The bit where Laios and Kabru stand around talking next to an off-screen, roaring, screaming monster seemed kind of silly in animation. In a comic it works, but they really should have animated them walking or stumbling away while delivering those lines, having them just stand there until the monster attacks them again is really goofy.

ALSO, something Trigger keeps doing that I am NOT a fan of, is throwing animated speed-line backgrounds behind characters when they're reacting to something. Sometimes these were in the original manga, other times they are NOT... and they break the immersion of the anime completely IMO.

The coloring in DM is so moody and wonderful, the aesthetic is generally grounded, so when suddenly the background is bright blue or lime green or pink and strobing, it's VERY jarring... and the joke DOES NOT NEED these effects in order to be funny! In fact I think it leeches some of the humor out of the jokes. Imagine if every time someone had a strong emotion in a classic Disney movie you'd get this:

This type of sudden background color change, strobing and speed lines are artifacts of older, cheaper anime, tricks that used to be done to hide the lack of budget, as a way to make a quick joke. It's now used as a shorthand to tell people a joke is happening.

But Trigger doesn't NEED to use these tricks, they're using them because "that's how you make sure the audience knows a joke is happening", but the jokes in Dungeon Meshi are so well written, you don't need to cue us with a visual laugh-track, Trigger!!!! ESPECIALLY when Kui didn't do it in the manga!!!

They've done it in other episodes, but I felt like they were particularly noticeable and bad in this one. Makes me sad because I feel it's dragging the anime down from the genuine peak of artistry that it's otherwise achieving.

As always, animation is fantastic. The stuff with chimera falin is obviously top notch, brutal and fast and amazing... But I also have to say that the Toshiro and Laios argument was animated INCREDIBLY well, with a lot of loving detail given to what is, ostensibly, just talking, something Trigger normally hates to animate.... But they put movie-quality work into that argument and it really paid off.

Honestly can't think of much to complain about. It's a solid adaptation of this part of the story, one of the biggest, coolest action sequences that we've all been waiting for.

Vocal performances were all great in both English and Japanese. Kabru's English voice actor did a great job, despite my misgivings about him in previous episodes. I hope he continues to improve.

A dub script change had Kabru think "He's excited" about Laios instead of "his pupils are dilated"... This isn't a terrible change, but a bit baffling. Saying his pupils are dilated tells viewers HOW Kabru knows Laios is excited, and indicates that he is using some kind of scientific criteria to measure it, it makes him sound smarter and more detached from what he's doing. Just saying "he's excited" doesn't tell us how Kabru knows... and it's a thought, not dialog, so it's weird for them to change it in the script, since there's no need to match mouth-flaps.

The sequence where Kabru strips off all his armor and does a surprise attack on Falin is still fantastic in this, though I am a little bit sad that they didn't find any ways to add any extra emphasis for it - in the manga it's drawn out a bit, to the point where you might miss what was happening on your first read... I think the amount of shots we got in the anime was the same as in the manga, but somehow it felt less impactful to me. Maybe pacing?

At any rate, it was an incredibly solid episode.

I already liked Toshiro, but seeing this part of the manga animated really made me like him more, I hadn't realized in the past just how damn romantic the twin bells thing was, but damn. Toshiro really has forgiven Laios by the time they part ways here, it's easy to forget that since Toshiro very much takes a back seat after this.

[redge]

【OSHI NO KO】 Season 2 Episode 18

(I am writing this while Episode 20 is already airing haha)

I will never stop wishing that this character keeps on smiling and finds happiness when this manga ends. Everyone deserves to be happy but I want this character to be happy even more. Please, Akasaka-sensei I beg you. 🙏

"actors who've been at it their whole lives" There's sadness in those lines. Arima Kana really clings to this harsh world of the entertainment industry. 💭

I will miss this Shinjuku faction when the Tokyo Blade ends (which is today's episode I think [episode20])

Look at these two watching each other's acts! They won't admit that the other is better than themselves but you know deep down they both acknowledge each other's talent for acting. (this is further proven after the Tokyo Blade play, I hope it will be animated in today's episode)

The voice acting in this script was spot on!

Tokyo Blade theme is so beautiful! I loved reading this arc but the music just really adds angst to the play. Even that Sayahime music was so good (Tumblr says I am only allowed to post one video so go watch the episode if you're curious haha) I hope they release these tracks officially 😁

"What is it she doesn't like about me so much?"

HAHAHAHA oh my gosh I don't remember Netflix having this sub but I remember so many accounts who don't like Kana to the extent of unhealthily hating on her like where are you all coming from what did she do to you 😅

I will never understand how some fans of Akane hate Kana when in fact in the manga, and now in this episode, it was so clear that Akane started her footing as an actress because of Kana. It was not the best experience but from that encounter, Akane started to study the psychology of other people which we see as a huge part of her personality. The actress that she is now is due to her hard work and talent but she wouldn't have even started if she hadn't seen Kana act. If her parents had not encouraged her to try acting, even persuaded her with "you might even become friends with Kana-chan.", we wouldn't have seen the actress that she is right now. In the OnK universe, Akane does not even hate Kana. I mean, do you actually hear an ounce of hate on the way Akane calls Kana "Kana-chan"? Because I don't. 🤷‍♀️ (It's because of hating on characters that I don't really enjoy interacting with people in this fandom. Some Akane fans hate Kana. Some Kana fans hate Akane and it's making the series less enjoyable. 💭)

Young Akane is so adorable! It was narratively satisfying to see the effect of the Bell Pepper Exercises on other kids, from a different perspective than Kana. Kana hated bell peppers but she was able to convince Akane to eat them. If that's not good acting, then I don't know what is. 😹

How can anyone hate these two when they're the characters who understand each other so well?! Remember how in season 1 episode 8, Kana talks about Akane saying "She thoroughly prepares for roles, displaying deep consideration and insight into the parts she's given. Her natural talent allows her to assume those roles with perfection. Though her personality might not be suited for reality shows, as an actress, she can only be called a genius.".

And this season, we get this from Akane. They both acknowledge each other's talent so really I don't get where the hate energy comes from. Maybe I'm too old for fan wars that I don't get them anymore. 😅

I just noticed that the hand guard of Sayahime's sword is crescent moons assembled together. Interesting detail.

These frames were so good! The symbolism of Sayahime turning into young Akane as she is inviting Kana to act with all she's got because that's what young Akane loved about little Kana-chan: her acting that devours everyone. What an adaptation. I hope Akasaka-sensei and Mengo-sensei feel the same as Kichijouji-sensei when they saw Melt's acting improvement, or as Abiko-sensei when she's watching this play. I hope they both feel the satisfaction of the anime adaptation of their manga because it's been really doing a great job this season. ♥

The way Kana sees herself is so pale in comparison to Aqua's "She shines brightest when her face screams "Look at me!". 😭 And it's so curious that most of those frames are just from normal conversations he's had with Kana and then the anime goes extra as to include frames from the Full Moon music video 😂 Even more curious that that first encounter as a child actor also comes to mind when Aqua remembers how he wanted to kill the arrogant child actor Kana 😂 Anime prod why are you doing this to me I love Kana enough no need to show these frames to me, please. Ah. I just want Kana Arima to be happy. T_T

The way these two believe in Kana while Kana does not even think of herself as someone who deserves anything. The relationship of Kana, Aqua, and Akane is so interesting. I don't hate anybody in this universe. 😁(except Himekawa Airi sorry Taiki)

This post got longer than expected 😂

[tomyo]

Coming back around to my opinions on the animation now that DandaDan's anime is finally beyond what I initially saw.; I can't fully tell what it was that had upset me with the compositing initially because the problem has mostly gone away. It could be they updated the episodes after the theater release, it could be that the saved the budget for later episodes and ep1 being lackluster affected the feeling overall, or it could be I focused on the wrong things.

I definitely think no matter what airing a tv animation in a theater created a bad experience since the audio mixing and line work. I will also say if they had aired episode 4 in theaters, I probably would've felt a lot better after the experience.

The backgrounds got better for me but the character design can still be a little iffy, not as odd as Tallkarun but I still miss the manga's boxier features. Still grateful the fulfilled the potential of Okarun's hairstyle.

If anything, the most substantial aspect is the creativity of the cuts in this episode. When I was in the theater, they showed an interview segment in which the director expressed being a composition otaku and this really really really felt like that was sleeping through here. I feel really conflicted?? I think the first major one is the zoom to the eyes for memory to which I both like and kind of wish was just a normal cut. It's a very clever but I think I always built the tunnel scene in my head as a very slow creepy horror; a little darker shadows and more tension that the zoom can kind of destroy. It especially hits hard because Turbo granny counting and Momo's capture are some of my favourite early panels. I do think Okarun's eye cut works a lot nicer though because the jump to a close up if his eyes isn't as dramatic. The helicopter legs while very saru-esque I think was the best result one could expect from that plot point and I love the details they added in like Okarun grabbing for Momo to brace her and the two taking milliseconds to wordlessly get into piggyback mode again. On the opposite hand I HATE the running through town cut. Having them run throughout the town in some wide still cuts could of added some world building character and by doing the weird cg first person with the shadow people only made me feel more like there were corners cut. To add to it they had that really effective shot of them starting in the foreground before running further off only to be stopped by the crab. Now imagine, several cuts of them running through the street with no issue only to have the crab come in on the third or fourth cut? It's like taking the wrong turn in a maze or someone you thought you got away from shouting Boo! From behind you. But I'm guessing the whole point of it was to save on budget for the all out moment which actually fleshes out that part extremely well and helps build up an exciting finish. The final cut change is catching the train, it's actually a smart cut of them flying away when Momo grabs it but admittedly my feral momokarun brain misses the close up of her holding him.

The final part is how they changed plot points??? For some reason??? Nothing major but I noticed they took out the part where they notice the girl's faces on the back in exchange for a set up shot to Momo's train gambit. It's kinda an FMA situation where you still get to the same point in the end but the choice reframes how you feel about it. As you can guess I kind of prefer the manga version mostly because I think it adds to feeling the same surprise as turbo granny felt from it but in terms of good film direction the later makes more sense. There's a lot of little things like that that are give and take, like the designs I keep harping on. On one hand, I think they made Okarun look like a more competent design but the side effect is he looks too cool for the loser of a guy he's meant to feel like (no hunch, slimmer and less baby faced, fringe creating a more conventionally Shonen protag appearance). I think that's the same thing in general I feel complaint over, that to some extent Science Saru packaged the series into a cooler Shonen appearance when imo the manga at points conveyed a slower more contemplative pace (I think a lot about DDD's face close ups and how they feel out of a 90s romance like To Heart or Kare Kano). Sometimes it can feel like the desire to express DandaDan's quirkiness sadly undercuts the quieter moments. The sayonara scene though held up pretty well despite me wishing for a little more pause and an extra cut of Momo (the cut to black tho, 🤌)

Some final final praises; I like how goofy Snake Granny moved, again big praise to the cute extra bit with Okarun protecting Momo, In general Okarun's voice has been perfect and really captures the spretrum of cool Shonen dude to petulant child having a tantrum, it was exciting to finally hear Momo-chan and the first use even almost sounded like a -tan imo, and the little added scene of being scolded by the police was a thoughtful touch.

[688199]

the shitification of cheeky angel’s greatest arc: ichiro bomb

the start of a small series dedicated to kicking and spitting on the anime adaptation of takao gakusan’s game.

today i’ll be exploring “ichiro bomb”, a scene from episode 48, and chapter 176/177. spoilers ahead.

in the anime, fujiki, wearing a bomb vest and a carrying a float, runs away from megu-dan. he jumps into a waterfall, then is saved by yoshimi.

where did the helicopter even come from?? there’s no tension at all because of the absurdity of it all. “we’ve been following you because yoshi was worried”, “it’s the power of love”. nahhh. ig it gives keiko a good development but it’s unnecessary, and unrealistic as fuck. i know it’s a little comedy show but are you kidding me? this is plot armour at its finest.

in the manga however, megu-dan is trapped in a room with fujiki being strapped to a bomb ticking down. he willingly backs into a corner and forces megumi away, going as far as to order the rest to restrain her. then he holds the bomb right up to the glass to show takao the countdown before it explodes.

sure, it isn’t as exciting as jumping off a cliff. but it is 100x more heroic and better portrays fujiki’s courage, will power and care. here’s a side by side comparison with a very specific, but important line:

notice how in the manga he says “them”? it’s not just megumi he’s caring about, but the entire megu-dan, even genzo who he clashes with the most.

this is one thing about the anime i hate very much. the way it latches onto their feelings for megu even though it’s clear that fujiki, yasuda, and kobayashi grew past it.

i would like to point out another very crucial action by genzo. take a look at these two scenes:

genzo stops megumi from rescuing fujiki because “he’s being a man”. on the other hand, in the manga, genzo is the one who attempts to rip the chain apart even though he knows deep down it’s impossible. this is the genzo we know, someone who goes against the logical decision because he follows his emotions. here, his concern for fujiki drives him into a desperate attempt to save his life. fujiki also then rips it away from genzo. here, they’re both being “men”, embodying courage and care for those around them.

but the anime completely misses the point by letting genzo say that. it’s not about trust and the power of friendship. we’re talking about someone’s life being at risk here. trusting someone doesn’t immediately increase their chances of being saved.

as a fujiki fan, it pains me to no end that the anime makes him more annoying for the sake of comedy. i wasn’t even very fond of him when i watched the anime. but moments like this in the manga really puts forth fujiki’s development.

to end this off, here is the anime scene and some (goated) manga panels:

live laugh love fujiki, even if i’m a genzo fan. because that’s just how cool he is.

[hellcatinnc]

An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride Anime Review

Spoilers Included

A friend of mine told me about this anime and I was so happy I jumped on for the ride. It really is a cute anime, fluffy in alot of ways but be prepared for alot of blushy moments and I mean alot, as well as a slow burn. By the end of this show you will find you haven't progressed alot, they still haven't kissed and finally stood close enough to dance. However even in all that it still is a feel good anime. I loved watched Lord Zagan and Nephy interact was absolutely adorable. Also not only is she a very pretty elf but the made him just as attractive. I do however want to break down each character with this one since the whole story in whole did still feel open ended like there is no way you aren't going to have to pick up the anime cause 12 episodes isn't enough. The soundtrack is addictive I wasn't able to stop listening to it even after the show ended. See for yourself...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lord Zagan

Lets start with the main character. I love this man to bits he is the reason I tuned in and the reason I stayed to the very end. He is a longer and not really a good or bad guy from the start he just sees things his own way. Even with his friend who really is a bad influence he stood his grounds. He came from a sad life on the streets but he is such a well rounded character he was able to pull the show alone. Even though when he is around Nephy he is a blushy boy but another reason for me to love him so much. He is pretty powerful especially later in the show when he put Barbatos in line making him his bitch. Anyways he is my favorite character hands down look forward to reading about him in the manga.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nephy

This little elf is so adorable how can you not look at that face and not go awwww......she is so sweet and caring and I love her interactions with Zagan however unless she is by his side she can be forgotten fast which I hate. It was also weird that she wanted her collar back on so she could feel like she is with him like some kind of vow of loyalty and marriage yet through the thing that kept her as a prisoner. Not going to say I full understand the character as much do that however she is going to make cute babies with Zagan well that is if he can ever make a move.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barbatos

How does this damn man be the bad boy and yet I still find him freaking hot especially when he blushes. All the way to the end I still wanted this man. He was Zagan's best friend/frenemy he would back stab if needed to get what he needed for him. Selfish, rude, but oh so sexy. I would gladly take me a piece of him. I would love to see a spin off of him and his teleportation power is pretty cool too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raphael

Honestly he really was never my favorite and through most the time he was just a ass that I wanted to go away, oh right he is like immortal or some shit. Anyways not enough backstory honestly its not even a character that was needed and can't even imagine anyone would miss if he was gone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chastille

Ok at first I wasn't sure what to think of her I liked her then I didn't but then when she sided with Zagan because they had saved her it was when I really liked her. However I do feel like her character profile is weak like besides she wants to fight along side of Zagan she seems to also have a crush on him which you see near the end, not sure if I'm the only that saw that. However she will never act on it she is a noble character and loves Nephy way too much. I really wish they would have done more with her cause like there is even a few episodes where she isn't in it or she really isn't needed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valefor

OMG who does not love DADDY ZAGAN....YES PLEASE! Ok this cute little dragon girl lost her parents and watched them die. Zagan and Nephy took her in as their own daughter. Like how stinking cute is he with his lil girl...total daddy material. Anyways she only comes in at the very end but its sweet to see her grow such a liking to them and how they really do treat her like theirs. Whats sweeter is she sees how they are to each other and tries to help them get together so they can be one big happy family.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Their love story is so long from being over. They are so cute together but neither of them know how to address each other romantically. I feel like its cute but funny that Raphael and Valefor are now trying to help them be together cause like she says if they wait for them to get there it will just never happen they need someone's help. You can not look at them without smiling I'm sorry just can't I dare you too. Their interactions right down to how cute they blush. This anime is definitely a 9 for me the story not continuing or at least cutting off in a ok place like maybe a kiss left it from a 10 to a 9 for me. as you see below perfect for a kiss we never got.....😭😭😭😭😭😘😘😘

[starlight-time-machine]

Week in Review

04/21/2024 – 04/27/2024

Sunday

Week 11 of missing Cipher Academy

Girl Meets Rock good. Seems like the dynamics of the social web are about to shift again, with a rift growing between Takami and Ayame…

Undead Unluck super good…Feng getting stronger is a little scary, because if he ever manages to defeat Fuuko I fear that he’ll want to destroy everything in his pursuit of strength again…but also I want to believe in the connections he’s built with others in this loop…Ichico turning the previous loop’s tragedy on its head to change Nico’s version of Unforgettable is an amazing moment, though I can’t help but feel really sad for Nico regardless…Unforgettable is such a mind crushing ability even without the wife death thing, and I guess the implication here is that he held onto his sanity because of Ichico’s confession but I hope there’s some way for him to better cope with things in this loop…I’ve been really enjoying the fun and cheerful Nico we’ve been seeing so far, and I’d hate for him to just immediately revert back to his crotchety old man self from the last loop.

Monday

Touched some grass and ate some pizza

Tuesday

It’s time to get through some of these library books, the first being The Diamond Girls by Jacqueline Wilson. It’s one that I distinctly remember reading as a kid, and I think I still quite like it, reading today. It’s definitely my favourite of the three Wilson books I’ve read so far – I like the utter and overwhelming chaos that the story immediately throws us into, and even when it gives us some room for respite with the Mary segments, the nature of her living situation is so terrifying that it’s honestly like a horror movie. Dixie’s voice as a narrator is strong and distinct, and I like that you can still tell that she’s a dreamy little kid being put into these stressful situations. Some of the characterization got a little bit tiring, but I did appreciate Wilson subverting some of it by the end, like with Ryan turning out to be a decent-ish guy (still way too old for Rochelle though) and Jude actually becoming friends with the boys. Bruce was a nice character with a heart of gold, but I thought he got a little too attached to the Diamonds a little too quickly…although I guess if I were in his situation I wouldn’t want to turn a blind eye to them either. But immediately proclaiming that you’d like to be some kid’s uncle and stay in her life even though she’s just the estranged daughter of one of your clients is a little weird… Things got wrapped up a little too quickly too, by the end, but I think that’s Wilson’s trademark – just 95% stress and drama before a perfect happy ending, and I can’t really fault her for that.

Ummm Manga Tuesday I guess, which is just in time for the new Chainsaw Man chapter. As usual, I have no thoughts on it – I feel like I won’t be able to tell what’s going on in Part 2 until it ends and I can reread the whole thing from start to finish. Structurally I think I like Part 1 a lot more…

Dandadan good.

Took a break to watch the latest Game Changer episode while I ate lunch and wow I loved the chaos and the way it somehow accurately simulated people going insane in a time loop. All the bribery was fun, as was the contestants starting to say the scripted lines as they were being said by the other presenters. I also love how this continues to spur on the conspiracy theories that the fandom is cooking, and I really do hope there’s some multi-episode foreshadowed twist by the end.

Magilumiere good! Everything’s really coming together now.

One Piece good…I’m nervous for what’s to come.

Wednesday

Ah

Thursday

Very good episode of DunMesh today (with a side of meatballs). Loved all the action, especially with how brutal it could get due to the rules of the dungeon. Kabru doing all his little machinations in his mind was fun, as was him getting the sneak attack on Falin. The Laios and Shuro confrontation was also interesting and revealing of character, but I feel like everything about DunMesh’s writing has been talked to death already so I don’t want to just repeat what I’ve seen on Twitter. My general DunMesh thoughts are just that Ryoko Kui obviously has the writing chops to construct an absolutely original and airtight story, and it’s just fun to be a part of the ride.

Friday

I’ve been in the mood for some TV, and also wanted to pare down my watchlist a little, so I decided to check out Sharp Objects. I’ve heard good things about it and I like small town mystery stories, so I thought I’d like this one too…but the first episode just annoyed me so much that I dropped it right away and read the series synopsis on Wikipedia lmao. Everything about it was just so…screenwriting 101? In the sense that it was like they were checking off bullet points from a How to Write a Screenplay textbook; the tortured protagonist with substance abuse issues returning to their hometown to literally and figuratively confront their past is already well-trod ground as it is, but then every line of dialogue was so basic and boring and acted with all the enthusiasm of a mannequin going through the motions. At first I was wondering if the stock dialogue was some sort of tool being employed by the writers, like a metatextual façade being purposely put up for the sake of the mystery, but no it’s just how it is and I hate it. And judging by the Wikipedia summary that I read, I definitely would’ve hated watching the story progress and the ending, so I’m glad I can just write this one off.

The next show I tried was This is a Robbery, that Netflix documentary about the Gardner Museum art heist. I only got through half of it today, and it’s pretty…standard, I would say. You’ve got the dramatic graphic design and the million interviews and the goofy ass re-enactments of what happened (I know why documentaries do them but it doesn’t stop them from being silly as hell) – just the basic Netflix hyperproduced documentary flair with a dash of being high on its own supply in terms of drama. I thought I would like this documentary because I somewhat enjoy true crime but not the intrusive “accidentally ruin people’s lives due to media attention” kind, so an art heist felt like a nice middle ground between being interesting but still somewhat low stakes…but so far, it’s been pretty slow-moving and meandering and I wish they’d get to the point already.

Saturday

LMAO okay so the reason why This is a Robbery was so meandering and chasing all these dead ends was because there’s no real ending to this story, and I’m so mad that I wasted four hours of my life on this stupid shit. I guess I should’ve looked it up beforehand but I didn’t want to be spoiled…I kind of assumed that if they were making a whole documentary about it, there was going to be an interesting story or narrative to be told…but no, it was just an overproduced publicity stunt to get more attention on the case… They spent so much time interviewing all these people (LITERALLY WHAT WAS THE POINT OF GETTING A WHOLE EX-IRA GUY JUST TO SAY A FEW LINES AND “YEAH IT WASN’T US” BRO ALLOCATE YOUR RESOURCES BETTER PLEASE) and going into the granular details of the case and possible theories about the suspects and their whole organized crime web and I thought it was all going to tie together somehow or be in service of some grand narrative but no!!! This documentary has zero storytelling weight and really shouldn’t have come into existence. All it did was highlight how dogshit the FBI and the police really are. I just wanted some answers and to see how the heist was actually carried out, but I guess real life is rarely as interesting and narratively satisfying as Ocean’s Eleven. I’m giving this thing a 1/10 for annoying me so much and wasting my goddamn time.

Agh…most of the TV shows I’ve watched recently have been duds… This isn’t helping my irrational fear that I won’t find anything that’ll reach Succession’s heights ever again… Granted, I only finished This is a Robbery because I thought there’d be some sort of payoff by the end, but I need to be more discerning with which recommendations I should actually follow through on in the future.

[saiakv]

❝ i miss the way you smell. ❞ *satoru ~

yet another angsty meme : accepting, i have a problem y'all

Ever since that night in Roppongi, they have only gotten worse.

Suguru's subconscious is plagued by the thought of that red thread and the ghost of it looped around his finger; pulled taut when they are apart, weaved into a warm blanket when they join. In many ways, it was everything he'd wanted — Satoru there by his side in the grand realization of his utopia; in others, it was a feeling worse than the taste of a thousand curses. Suguru remembers being secretly judgemental of addicts back in the day; so there was an added layer of hyprocrisy to pitching the burner phone idea amidst an episode of ( what could only be paralleled to ) withdrawals.

It came with a binding vow attached; the rules for which they negotiated thoroughly under the sheets, on the hotel carpet, in the shower and several other surfaces. The conversations were contained in a barrier held up with their individual energy — otherwise they'd end up carrying each other's residuals. If either party withdraws from the pact, they would be burned from their minds. There had been something oddly calming in working together to imbue the curse, little by little, with cheeky smiles under convening glances. Suguru didn't say it then, but he felt it deep in his bones that they are so hopelessly, helplessly entangled with one another; they'll end up walking like blind men, hand in hand, towards the cliff.

Honestly, it would have been more sufferable if Satoru had just hated him.

And yet, alarming as it was, leaning agaist the doorframe with Satoru's voice pressed to his ear came so naturally. He latched onto every vibration from the phone brushing against his lobe like a parched man folds over the fountain. Suguru could go on for hours; listening to him talk about his day, some movie he had recently watched, what K-pop songs were overrated and if there had been updates on their favorite manga. But there was a high output to maintain those barriers; it wouldn't be discreet if they pushed it.

How was it fair? Satoru had his personal time wholly suspended in the service of people who should be revering him. When the sliding doors to his audience chamber would part, that thought only served to fuel Suguru's hatred. For each monkey dead would be one moment longer with the man he loved, so, so deeply.

It came with conflicted ease, when he drip fed him that love under the palm covering the phone's speaker, lest he drown from it. The conversation had derailed this time, one step further into the madness — playing pretend that this was just a casual phone call in their reality; that they were bickering over what's for dinner. That once they'd hung up Suguru would chop the pork loins and Satoru would start on the soup. And from that, inevitably, to tender confessions of yearning — the sort Suguru had made it a principle to avoid; and then went against his own word.

❝ Is that why you had that pack of Mevius on you? Pft, you're lonely, Satoru ~ ❞ The playful lilt trails off into a soft chuckle. His forehead presses to the wood as he faces towards the sunset, envisioning those long legs folded atop some table and Satoru leaning back in his chair to where you'd think he's going to fall on his head — but it never happens. It's an image Suguru wishes to live in, with guilt. And that guilt manifests into a pang to the left side of his chest when his eye catches a glimpse of Manami motioning for him around the room's corner.

He's quick to hold up a palm to her, to press his lips in a reassuring smile as if this is just some random phone call and he'll be coming along shortly. And he can see the shadow of concern crossing her features before she silently takes his word for it and walks off — to prepare the ground for that next audience. There's a pregnant pause on the line and Suguru belatedly realizes that his beloved asked some question that he never registered; instead, his hand burrows in the folds of his sleeve and procurs a piece of folded paper.

❝ Hey, can I read something to you for a moment? ❞ Eyes squint over his own crumpled handwriting where the ink has bled into a splotch from something wet dripping on it — reads the haiku as though he's reciting some theater monologue. With its true meaning held between his teeth, with its yearning coating his tongue.

The fishing-boats are tossed about, when stormy winds blow strong; with rudder lost, how can they reach the port for which they long?

Pause.

❝ Satoru ? — I have to go now. We'll talk another time. ❞

[thesnowflake18]

JJK Thoughts~

I just finished binging JJK, and I have to say, that it wasn't till like Sea2 that I actually started to click with this show, but now I think I'm here to stay! :D Here's just some general thoughts.

BTW idk if I'll start reading the manga or if I'll be anime only, but plz don't spoil anything past Sea2!! I also know of a movie, which I will be watching sometime this week, so no spoilers!

FIRST OF ALL, Mappa's animation is freaking insaaane, ESPECIALLY the battles, they're eyecandy!! 💕💕 My wholehearted respects to all the animators, esp hearing the studio issues. About the production, is it just me or was Sea1 lacking in some regards? The animation is just fine, but the way characters deliver lines, some really awkward pauses (or too short), the music being a hit or miss (like suddenly being intense for no reason, little/no build up, just doesn't fit the mood?). The genre they picked was good, but I think it could've been done better? Idk but it was a struggle to stay immersed at times, though it might just be me being picky. Sea2 was sooo much better in all regards to the point where the difference is hella noticeable. Side tangent, but the OP's all slap, my favorites in order would be 4, 1, 3, and 2!! ED's are so sweet too!!

Okie now story, (mostly) spoiler free! Though I think the main trio (Yuji, Nobara, Megumi) wasn't the strongest bond-wise, at least in Sea1, I really grew to love all their dynamics-- and I will say they really made me feel the feels later 😭 They're so siblings-coded I LOVE THEM! Idk where I'd rank Yuji in fav MC's because other than being good at fights, early on he was a little flat (to me) character-wise. Anyways, Sea2 gave him a massive boost in my eyes, def made up for that. He's so nuanced now, and I can't wait to see where his story goes! I hope there's hope of something with Nobara, and I'm super intrigued with Megumi's story progression!! Um, Nanami, top 3 probably. I think I adore him (platonically). Iykyk 💔 The classmates all left a decent impression on me, though I will say I don't think they're too prominent, so lowkey kept forgetting most 😅 Maki is best girl tho, 100%. I love Miwa, I eventually liked Mechamaru (ship? 👀), Panda is Panda, Todo always comes in clutch even if I'm ~eh~ on him, and basically I wanna see a little more of everyone! And I miss Junpei 🥲

I will say though, the very heart of this show are definitely the villains!! The type you hate and love to hate because they're that good (bad?). Mahito is a damn menace and loves being a menace- idek how bro keeps dodging death, even avoiding a swing from Gojo, but MAN. I hate him. Jogo is so interesting because he has so much potential, but is so freaking ridiculous sometimes, but then I lowkey understand the grind he wanna be on, so yknow kudos to him. I can see him as a fan favorite. Hanami was ok, definitely weaker in my eyes, but they left a good impression for their dynamic in the group. Choso idk what to think about him but I might like him?? His little intervention in the final episodes really left me w questions, so I'm hooked. I won't say I love him but he has potential to shoot up to my favs! TOJI!!! Talk about an antagonist that legit made me punch the air AKDHDLAL HE'S SO GOOD. I honestly got scared for everyone in his near vicinity bc that guy is unstoppable, and even though I'm supposed to dislike him, again, bros on a destructive grind and I respect that. (Pull up Zen'in clan 😤)

Alright, so uh, the big three eh? Gojo, Geto, Sukuna. I'LL ADD SPOILERS HERE. I love how this world is set up revolving around the fact that since Gojo is "the strongest," he bears the weight of responsibility the hardest amongst sorcerers for failures and accomplishments. I don't blame him for wanting to turn against the system that put them all in that spot in the first place. Lowkey his development between seeing everyone as lesser in his past, to now (still arrogant smtimes) wanting his pupils to join him in that title as strongest. Yeah, he's an OP character, so what. I can see why he's a fan favorite on story alone. He acts self-centered, but after knowing his story, I can see how he fakes it, what he really wants to achieve, and how he's grown to care for others. Idk where his story goes from here, but I'm definitely ready for more Gojo. Okie, GETO! What an interesting villain?? Legit took the best-friend-turn-evil trope and added one tragic spin to it AAAAH. His past friendship and playful rivalry with Gojo made his change of ideals (I totally feel like there was power jealousy btw) so much more impactful. Gojo starting off as the one who didn't care too much for others while Geto wanted to save people, switching over so Gojo wanted to find/make people just as strong to protect others while Geto, feeling left behind, found no point in saving humanity and their struggles. It's too good!? I think there's a hint real-Geto's not gone completely, but I also don't think he's actually coming back, as sweet as that'd be. I feel like there is backstory missing (the movie maybe?) so I'll try to see what or if I'm missing anything on my own. Finally Sukuna, and man what a way to depict an OP freaking villain! Like ok, sometimes it was hard to take him seriously, being over the top and all, but I love how rare his actual interventions are. It makes you give your complete attention to him when he does, wondering what the heck he'll do next. Also, his conversation with Jogo added a new layer to him that I liked, with respecting even Jogo of all people. I haven't seen many protag/antag dynamics like Yuji and Sukuna before, but I'm so intruiged in how long they're gonna keep up this switching thing? Sukuna must desire his freedom after all. I love how he presents himself, and how terrified people are of him, though it wasn't till Sea2 that I feel like he was finally able to show us how he can back up that presence with real power. I cannot lie, I lowkey fangirled at those scenes (bro literally forced a movie screen aspect ratio lmaooo) and also thinking how they actual heck anyone is supposed to beat him 😭 I dun think Yuji's fists are enough, and I'm lowkey concerned whether even Gojo could take him on. Like, yeah Gojo's the strongest, but Sukuna just nuked a city ez bro. Beautiful presentation on how to actually make your villains, well villains. :]

Erm, overall, I think I finally came around to really liking this series, despite the rocky start with Sea1. The power system is cool once I finally figured out the terms, it's got endearing characters that I wish I could save (😭), and cool tropes and story I wanna see the resolution for. I'll probably be mulling over this show more in the coming weeks, so prepare for that! 🫡 I'll be watching the movie and making my mind up for the manga or anime soon. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE, THANKS FOR READING.

[katzirrart]

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE... also thank you, I try very hard for cute njkfgh but also THANKS I MISS PEOPLE ENGAGING WITH ME LOL

Puts this under a cut for you because it is...long, friend!

My phone crashed after I got ALMOST DONE typing this and I'm so sad... onto the PC I guess. At least now I can reference a specific video :D

For reference; I'm in my early 30's so I was like growing up with Sailor Moon hitting TV for the first time with seasons R-SuperS and it was a BIG DEAL at the time. I watched it religiously up until SuperS hit, then school kinda clashed with the time slot, so it was mostly the tail end I caught of it. I rewatched it in my 20's but never... finished it because work... watching a 200 episode, monster of the week anime wasn't really... holding me at the time. Recently my girlfriend and I decided why not check out the new dub because I wanted something on I could draw to!!

I see a lot of people dog on the redubbing of it, and so I started to kinda... look into comparison videos of characters/voices to see just how BAD some might be - I also was worried that...ya'know, maybe my nostalgia glasses for Sailor Moon especially, of all things, could cause me to be overly critical of it? So I kinda...went in preparing myself to give it a solid chance to sit with me lol I think that mindset helped me appreciate the actual WORK that went into it -

Like, being a kid who grew up on the internet from 1995 onward, and you had to DIG for half the shit we had back then... I grew up with intimately knowing the struggles Sailor Moon had getting over here in some ways... I knew I was going to respect it TECHNICALLY even if the dub annoyed me in the end! So that's kinda my personal intimate experience with SM :0??

I'm a huge fan of older 70's, 80's and 90's anime and a lot of that is the WEIRD charm of the voice acting some times in dubs? Also the style GOSH, but the voice acting is either HORRENDOUS or iconic as hell.

But I also grew up with Brooklyn Molly, and Linda Ballentyne's Usagi being a thing and uh... they're something. The latter is a nightmare to me LMAO... so I'll give anything a chance.

I'm gonna reference a video for the three voice actors, I linked hopefully to each's segment :0 BUT UH, this person did these videos up through S, and it was SUPER COOL to reference these and kinda COMPARE CONTRAST some of them with my girlfriend when we watched recently!! A FUN COMPANION TO THE SERIES TBH!! :0!!!

In R we get the really iconic voice Tracey Hoyt had. Rini~ had this weirdly little deep and monotone voice. It was iconic to her, and I liked that, but I... hated how she did emotions. Hated it. So much. Which I think is where it really starts - it's 100% voice acting issues honestly. Writing too.

There's a few scenes that stick with me in my memory of being like shut the fucK UP?? and one is the flashback to Neo Tokyo when she trips in the rain. She's asking her parents for help and crying about PLEASE HELP ME!! And something about what Tracey does is she does VOLUME = EMOTION in a way. I don't like how flat her lines feel. I don't like how she does emotional readings at all and it's so WEIRD to me looking back on it now? I wasn't like some SNOB as a kid, I just... I dunno :0 I knew I didn't like her.

ALSO ANY TIME THE BLACK MOON CLAN GOT HER CRYING AND HER MOON ALL BAT-SIGNAL MODE UH.... her screaming/crying is NOT GREAT :D Super dislike it, and it made me hate her a lot LMAO???

In S we get Sugar Lyn Beard [Stephanie Beard].... our SQUEAKY Rini~ Uh. This is the one that most people remember, she did her for the rest of the show. So S and SuperS. Uh. S is my favorite arc. Manga. Anime. CHEF. KISS. I love the scouts, the plot, the fucking ROGUE GALLERY~

I was like... in the trenches with the wild shit this was when it hit america. I was like on Sailor Moon forums and shit ... I WAS SO STOKED ABOUT HOTARU...

Hotaru's plotline and her relationship with Chibi Usa, however fans see it, is so near and dear to my heart. And to a degree I have a nostalgic fondness for Sugar's performance, but I also don't like it at all. In that video at like 10:39 or something we get her just saying Hotaru's name over and over and like HER VOICE IS SO BALLOON LIKE AND WATERY IN WAYS that I just usually felt annoyed? She's two clicks from being that warble cry filter to me...

Which might be why I really liked the redubbing, Sugar is who we have through the REAL BIG CHIBI USA IS THE STAR SEASONS and we have this voice that just feels so.... idk it's weird how much I nose wrinkle at it.

It feels... idk, like I said, I'm by no means a voice actor/performance snob, but in the face of everyone having beefs with a redub I felt did a good job it's VERY curious what people go up to bat for? :0 Different strokes, different folks or whatever! :D

She sometimes feels like she's just...reading a line - but it's also this strange little lilt and hnh~ that happens at the end of a lot of lines? It's interesting to dissect I guess!! I never put TOO much thought into why I disliked her, I just... did for majority of my life and now I surprisingly found myself being like hey that's my GIRL???

To be honest though the whole uh... reign of Linda Ballentyne as Usagi was difficult for me LMAO Like I straight up WOOF... but that's me, she might be someone's favorite Usagi lol But it made those seasons hard at times.

In the new dub we get.... Sandy Fox. I think she hits this EXCELLENT mid point between the two. It's high and kiddish, and she has an interesting tone and lilt? I love how she does emotions with Chibi Usa and it just MAN. IT BE HITTING RIGHT. She was the biggest improvement to me in the casting and performance, and IT MADE THE REWATCH SO SMOOTH TO ME HONESTLY, BECAUSE SHE BECOMES SUCH A MAIN CHARACTER TOO.

I also think the writing being redone helps more in the grand scheme of things too!!

Like, for all the shit the redub gets, I was REALLY happy to have names fixed, lines fixed, dialogue reworked, VOCABULARY added, THE MUSIC FIXED - ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES.

I found some of the dumb shit like Chibi Usa's O CHRONOS~ lines to be silly, but a FONDNESS for the fact they decided NO. We're gonna DO THE THING. Like, hell yeah, man!! I can fuck with a team getting the rights and PROBABLY GETTING INTO ANIME AND WHAT THEY DO, BECAUSE THEY GREW UP ON THIS ONE - like can you IMAGINE that being your passion project in life is to get into the industry to advocate for REDOING THE ONE ANIME from your 80's/90's childhood that was treated like Sailor Moon was?

ADVOCATING FOR STARS TO FINALLY BE SEEN BY AMERICAN AUDIENCES NOT ON CRUNCHY PIXELATED REALMEDIA VIDEOS YOU DOWNLOAD THROUGH SKETCHY FORUMS AND STUFF...

Like that's so NEAT TO ME LMAO... I'm not a fan of the season but there was something deeply settling in my heart to like... know where I was as a kid on the forums watching videos of it with no subtitles, or fan subtitles and seeing it on a STREAMING SERVICE, cleaned up, crisp, with SPOKEN ENGLISH.... like idk it's silly but that was so... idk. My heart felt a lot of happiness for that? It was a treat, just for me LOL

But!!! It also is to the benefit of the redub that they got to do it all at once! One voice actor per character as much as they could help it, and just have that CONSISTENCY. Having an actor KNOW their character and roll forward with it, versus getting the show season to season, and having contract issues and having to get someone new in the seat, who maybe doesn't get the role right in the long run.

It's also kinda sweet to think the people doing it, and a lot of the new faces in voice acting these days, got into it BECAUSE of growing up on things like Sailor Moon!! There's weird levels to the redub that kinda hit me in my heart like that. I still like and enjoy how clunky the OG dub is, and I like the japanese sub of course, but there's something very SWEET about the care that has actually been put into the new dub, y'know?

Preservation of media and stuff too!! I'm big on that topic, and the redub was a team seeing opportunity to FIX a weird editing job where so much was SCRUBBED...

It's wild the hate I see when I think there needs to be some celebration for what it achieved, honestly. At 12, I never thought I'd SEE all of SM dubbed, or ACCURATELY. I grew up on Mixx comics SM manga where she was BUNNY, and watching the Dic dub, like I never thought I'd see the UPHEAVAL to revise and FIX the americanization.... SHIT IS SO FUCKING COOL TO ME.... HOW CAN I NOT THINK IT'S WORTH PEOPLE'S TIME and effort??

Again, to each their own opinion but I think there's a certain...view people need to have about what some shows like SM go through and how cool it is, it got to be fixed and to BE a passion project in doing so, you know? I was originally in the camp of OH WOW... WHAT A LAZY CASH GRAB, VIZ... but... nah dog, nah. Not anymore.

That healed some weird part of my childhood I didn't know needed it? LMAO...

BUT UH, let me get off that tangent of being soft about that shit. I'm sure there's some bullshit people could tell me about how difficult it was or how insensitive shit was - which honestly idk I think the redub handled a LOT of things very interesting and well... but this post isn't about WAXING POETIC about the redub.

The point is; that video was a REALLY COOL resource to me. My mind remembers things different a lot, so hearing the comparisons was REALLY fucking cool and it really highlighted what a GREAT JOB Sandy did as Chibi Usa honestly!! I loved her a lot, and that... helped a lot.

I guess as a kid, my annoyance with the script of R-SuperS and my lackluster care of Chibi Usa as a character made me just find her tedious and annoying. Why are we focusing on her~ this show is called Sailor Mooooon lol

But in R, sure she's a little brat and man IS SHE A BRAT... and I found myself disliking her still, but I wasn't annoyed because how she sounded. She was annoying because she's a spoiled little kid, who... I as an adult can see kinda what she's been through better with her parents, y'know? I can sympathize better now than I did at like...10/11 LOL

With S... I really grew to LOVE her because they started to really focus on her being a brat, but she's a little older now. She's little sister energy now. Y'know, we all forget she's like 900. She spends 900 years pretty much being....4? 5? Wild. No WONDER she's a fucking brat??

But with S we see her MAKE FRIENDS...!!!!! FRIENDS HER AGE!!! We see her meet Hotaru, and we see how much like her MOM she is. Her dad too! She's got a big heart, and a firey side, just like her parents and it's nice to see that come out in her determination towards Hotaru and being her friend and ENRICHING HER LIFE. Fighting for that friendship!! And I ADORE THAT. And a lot of that, again, didn't always come through because how the scripts and voice acting were handled.

I mean even in that video we HEAR some of the script changes, there was so much CONTEXT added to various scenes it's interesting! To me at least :0

S really benefited from the redub, I'm sorry fans of the OG but fuck. That shit was painful no matter WHAT and I think honestly... I grew to love the S redub the MOST ESPECIALLY HOW THE WITCHES WERE HANDLED, FUUUUUUUUUCK!~!!! AUGH. MAN!!!! Love.

I just... I dunno. We got a really good performance on her, and like it really helped the character arc SHINE in what a kind hearted girl she's gonna be growing into? It's not flippant and weird like it is in the OG, it's sincere and there's a sort of childlike not...wONDER BUT?? The vibe is BETTER??

But... SuperS is really where it started to solidfy. I mean, I joke a lot about her being GASP.... THE ORIGINAL HORSE GIRL and I am not immune to my childhood self being so heart eyes at the MERE AESTHETIC OF HER AND HELIOS, GOSH... but like, yo. That character growth in SuperS is FIRE.

She... has this day dreamy/lovely sort of vibe to her, she's experiencing first love and we're dropping the obsession with Mamo because of it, we're experiencing her having real deep questions about the world around her and people's hearts - and these are conversations she's having with someone who isn't a senshi. She's having these conversations and thoughts with her new ethereal friend. I can't imagine some of these topics with Usagi.

I love her, but she's so... unserious to a point? She has her moments, but with Chibi Usa it can be this coin flip of mocking her, or being serious, y'know? And like... she really starts to be mature beyond her years at times, she'll say things that are so wise seeming and it's our reaction and the senshi too... to be like whoa what did you say? She becomes very selfless, and yet a streak of selfishness still lives in there that all children have... and overall we really see her become a kind hearted lady. She becomes her title; Small Lady. And I love that.

I love that so much. Just how tender she is as a character in SuperS. It's so GOOD.

She comes a long way from the selfish demanding brat in R, but she's still Chibi Usa. She's still got those moments of being a defiant BRAT but.. she's sweeter. Grounded?? She's becoming a person her mom and dad can be proud of, she's becoming someone that would make her hero and ours; Sailor Moon, proud of her.

And I kinda love that by the end. She's gonna fulfill that role some day, y'know? Why SHOULDN'T we like her. Why shouldn't we acknowledge all the text and subtext about her character in those kind of ways. AND THAT MIGHT BE MY OVER ANALYTICAL ASS BUT LIKE...

A good performance carries a character's writing!

I mean, I even as an adult saw things to relate to with my own childhood I hadn't thought before which... I dunno. Steps to liking characters is relating to them, or having something resonate right? Something about sometimes saying things that shouldn't be coming out of a child's mouth, that's advice to people easily almost ten years her senior... yeah.

SORRY FOR THE LENGTHY POST... but yeah just uh... Sandy Fox did a LOT of good for the overall performance and read of Chibi Usa, and that video REALLY highlights that for me, and the script work and love from the team to do right by how Sailor Moon was edited for American soil paid off, and just... being able to appreciate things in a different way than when I was a kid did a lot for just...seeing what a good character arc that little brat gets!!

She's a wonderful little spunky dork, and I love her now where as before I just felt eye rolls incoming when I saw her!

-pet owner voice- my widdle pwincess....

Finished Sailor Moon with the girlfriend recently and have to admit the new dub honestly made me like Chibi-usa a thousand times more ;w;

[maximaxstreasurebox]

BSD Untold Origins: Anime VS Novel (1)

FINALLY ANIME ADAPTATION YESS- This is my fav BSD light novel and I'm so happy season 4 starts with it!! There's obviously moments and LOTS of, LOTS OF dialogue cut from anime to squish it within (most likely) 2 episodes...

Since I finally have the physical copy of the novel (from YenPress), I thought of comparing the changes/cut-out moments between anime & the light novel version..

When I say a lots of text/dialogue, ITS IS A LOT, so I'll also need to cut out most part to lessen the length of this post ^^" I covered the first half of episode 1,,, Obviously season 4, light novel, and (bit of) manga spoilers!

Gifs © @the-chikyuu-times

(Part 2)

Around that time, there were rumors of a highly competent bodyguard in Yokohama. Give him a sword, and he could kill a hundred villains. Give him a spear, and he could take on an entire army. [...] If one had to name a flaw, it would be that he never worked with others on the job and trusted no one. In short, he was a lone wolf. [...] His name - Yukichi Fukuzawa.

This brief tale is a record of one man's struggle, of his growth - and of parenting. -Page 57

Episode starts with an bonus scene that is easily missed when first-time watching (due to hype lol), a phone call from Fukuchi (Gen'ichiro is the real name of the IRL author, and nickname(?) in BSD)

This added scene is mind-blowing in a sense that in the manga, we just got more backstory of Fukuzawa & Fukuchi's past, so this must has been planned out a long time ago, and it will be used as a throwback when anime gets to the *coughs* current events..

[...] However, he wasn't exactly in a bad mood. He was drowning in self-loathing. His client had been assassinated, and it was all very sudden. [...] She was a certain company's president who he'd sworn to guard only a few days prior. They had never talked outside of work. Fukuzawa made it a point to avoid getting personally involved with his clients,[...] However, he was once asked if he wanted to become a full-time bodyguard. Hating the idea of working for a specific company and having subordinates and colleagues made it easy for Fukuzawa to instantly decline the offer. [...] -Page 58

[...] While the victim's body had already been taken away for examination, there was no hiding the enormous bloodstain on the ground.

[...] The secretary, a sickly-looking man dressed in a black coat and a crimson necktie, was lining up some of the papers across the room. He stared at the field of paper, pulled a few files out, and returned them to the bookshelf before lining up some more documents. -Page 59

"What?" Fukuzawa uttered in astonishment. "Is the suspect still next door?" "He's very quiet, so quiet you might think he was sleeping. Almost as if he's given up." -Page 60

Between "He's very quiet" and "I would like to see the assassin" convo is a paragraph about Yokohama being a lawless district, 'city of demons', 'lawbreaker's paradise', and the existent of skill users in the world.

[...] However, bodyguards for important people, such as Fukuzawa, were very familiar with them, [...] . While Fukuzawa was a master of the martial arts, he was not a skill user. [...] -Page 60

After asking to see the assassin, there's literally little more than 3 pages of Fukuzawa (slightly) bickering with the secretary about the papers on the floor lmaoo-

"Mind if I move some of these?" Fukuzawa asked, pointing at the documents. "Oh! Stop! Don't touch them!" "[...] Please find a way past them without touching or shifting them! I know someone as talented as you can do it!" Fukuzawa stopped just short of uttering, "Uh... Excuse me?" [...] - Page 62

His way of getting to the next room is describe as he leaps from a bookshelf and ornament(s), then landing on a guest chair with his hands, using one leg and arm to balance between the documents and reaching for the door and turned the knob with his fingers only, then using the door as balance he jumps into the room.

Probably the biggest change is the way the room arranged, the description of the assassin, and what Fukuzawa does in light novel.

[...] The assassin's hands and feet were bound, and the thick, dark sack over his head prevented Fukuzawa from being able to see his face. [...] Tied around his arms and legs was iron wire in addition to the rope. [...] He didn't appear to be any more than a run-of-the-mill bandit who was good at sneaking into buildings.

[...] This was the reception room. The only items in the room were a simple bookshelf, a table to discuss business, and a painting. [...] - Page 65

Fukuzawa hits the wall behind the assassin, no reaction. He knows after this that he's not an amateur. He keeps observing the assassin, no guess of his name or possible ability. On a small desk in the corner of the room are the pistols, changes, and pick locks. Fukuzawa pickes up a fountain pen on the desk, tests its writiblity, then using the pen as it was sword, he gets into a stance. The assassin reacts. Upon Fukuzawa stricking with the 'sword' (pen), he hops to the side while tied to chair and slams to the ground. Fukuzawa thinking about the reaction differences, then returns to the office.

"Greetings!" It was an energetic voice, reminiscent of clucking chicken. [...] He appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old [...] -Page 68

"[...] Oh! Also, I ran into a seagull on the way here. Good thing they're so nasty, huh? It grossed me out so much I ended up giving it one of my rice balls before I could stop myself." [...] "You're seriously never heard of a seagull before? Freaky-looking rats with wings, those things." [...] -Page 70

"Ack! Wait, wait, wait! Stop right there!" [...] ...the secretary grabbed the boy by the shoulder, barely stopping him in time. The boy stared at him, puzzled, [...] -Page 71

"Sheesh, just look at the mess you made here. I get that you didn't want anyone to search the room, but...this? Adults puzzle me. What a puzzling world we live in!" -Page 72

Ranpo keeps pushing and kicking away the papers, secretary is freaking out.

"Old guy"... Fukuzawa was about to counter with "I'm only thirty-two years old!" but he furrowed his brows, more curious about the last part of the boy's sentence. -Page 74

"After all, you're the one who killed her, Mr.Secretary." "...What?" The secretary tilted his head to the side, mouth agape. "...What?" The secretary tilted his head to the side, mouth agape. "...What?" The secretary tilted his head to the side, mouth agape. His head was almost completely perpendicular to the floor. "Why did you just say the same thing three times in a row? I swear, adults make absolutely no sense sometimes." [...] -Page 75

[...] "If my mother were here, she'd already have the criminal tied up and tossed out the window!" [...] You're joking, right? What is this? A test? Do I get points for every obvious detail I lint in the end? Sigh. The city really is a mystery to me." -Page 76

I can't stress enough the amount of times Ranpo talking about why the world & adult are confusing!! Basically the secretary framed the assassin he hired. He killed the president because the role of secretary wasn't enough for him.

The fight is similar, slight change is that Fukuzawa have more control, immobilize him using martial art techniques, while the bigger change is that all that moves that Oda does are done WHILE HE WAS STILL WEARING THE SACK. The secretary got killed the same way. Fukuzawa slams the assassin against the floor, and disarms him. He takes the sack off and finally recognizes Oda.

[...] The boy's dark-brown eyes were frighteningly vacant, void of even a fragment of emotion. [...] -Page 84

[darkdevasofdestruction]

A Thousand Year Love ~ Ryomen Sukuna x Kitsune!Reader

Okay, I wrote the Reader's name as "Kitsune", but that's mostly because I envisioned a nine tailed fox without an actual name, that everyone would just call her "Fox" as if she wasn't anyone worth naming, despite her rank.

This is a little fic which explored Sukuna's supposed backstory, 1000 years prior to he action of Jujutsu Kaisen - Idk if it's accurate, I didn't yet read the manga, I still have 6 more episodes from the anime, but I had this idea and I couldn't stop myself from writing about it.

Most of it builds up the bond that very slowly grows between Sukuna and Kitsune, then snaps during a scene somewhere around episode 4 of the anime, when Sukuna takes over Yuji's body, and Yuji can't switch for a while, but with enough altercations that it's not exactly the same as in the said episode.

Hope you enjoy this <3

-------------

"What are we doing here...?" Kitsune asked her parents in a voice that was barely audible as she looked left and right at the huge estate's gardens.

Estate? Rather said, palace, since this place was grandiose - Most likely, even more so than the Emperor's own Palace, the girl thought to herself. Everywhere she looked, cherry, plum and pear trees were in blossom, even though it wasn't their time. Statues and little shrines, along with various small pools with flowers, lanterns and lotuses were scattered as much as her vision would allow her to see. Looking up at the estate, she realised just how small she was in comparison to the intimidating and imposing energies radiating all over the place.

"You are going to meet someone very important, dear." her mother spoke, yet her voice wasn't as gentle as usual, rather, it sounded stiff, on the edge...Almost afraid, maybe? It was foreign for young Kitsune, as she has been confined in her little palace her whole life under the pretext of keeping her safe. But it did exactly the opposite, she believed, considering she itched to explore and go on adventures with each second passing. "Who is it?" she asked as soon as they stepped inside the palace...But it was so dark, save for the red, malicious light from the lanterns and candles lit in just the perfect places so it would guide them to the room they had to go to. "...You will find out soon." her father snapped at her, and she could only frown, her fluffy ears flicking as her tails wrapped protectively around herself. She knew something was wrong, and she had half a mind to believe she was brought there as a sacrifice for some War Deity that would allegedly save them from this era of war...Or something along the lines.

After a longer walk than expected, they found themselves in front of two large, red doors, and without any kind of reticence, Kitsune effortlessly slammed the doors open and saw a dimly lit room with a few stairs and a throne where a man with short, kinda spiky pink hair, garbed in a loose, white kimono was smugly sprawled over that royally embellished chair, while tons of gorgeous women dressed in the most luxurious kimonos, their hair done up with intricate headpieces and flowers that would put any living being to shame...

But what is this about? Kitsune was more confused than anything, and she could only step inside the room, slowly and carefully, before turning to look at her parents, who had a pitiful look in their eyes.

"What is going on?" Kitsune demanded an answer, her voice agitated, her body ready to go into a fight or flight mode, her eyes darting rapidly between her parents and the man on the throne whose name she wasn't interested in finding out. "Well, darling...You see...You had to find you a husband. You are old enough to be married, and you can't stay with us forever. You need to have a family and children. You are the princess of the Fox clan, there is nobody more beautiful than you -..." her mother tried to reason, but the young girl wasn't stupid. She understood what was going on. "No. No. If you want to speak - Then speak the truth. Don't lie to me. This guy is strong, isn't he? Some kind of demonic thing that everyone is afraid off. You are giving me away to this guy...To be his...Thousandth concubine in his harem or something, just because you're too weak to take care of our kin. That's the truth, isn't it? Go on, admit it. Stop trying to sugar coat the situation." her nine tails opened from around her in a large, undulating fan, making her aggression obvious, as fire began to immolate the tips of her fur. "SHUT UP, IMPERTINENT, UNRULY CHILD!" her mother slapped her face, not wanting their benefactor to hear his future concubine speaking so foul of him. "You are a woman, and the princess, nonetheless, and your role is to continue our kin and obey your family and husband. Do not speak unless you are allowed to!" but before her mother could grab her face, Kitsune's tail slapped her hand away, and she stepped back. "I am nobody's toy. I will not obey anyone's orders. Not yours, and not his. I will not be just another concubine for some disgusting, good for nothing lecher with no redeeming quality." the girl snarled at them, ready to make her escape out of there, if needed. "If your sister was alive, she would have sacrificed herself for the greater good of this family! You are nothing more than a selfish brat!" it was her father's time to accuse her, which made her ears perk up, while her tails completely deflated. "Yes, of course, how could I forget. It was me who should have died, not my perfect elder sister. Sorry, but you should curse the Gods, not me for that. But, since it seems that my life is meaningless to you, then I will make you a favour! I will end it myself! I'm sure you'll be happy without me, won't you? Ahh...But how will you save our war-ridden? Too bad I won't be alive to witness your demise, huh?" with a dark chuckle, Kitsune's hand went inside her kimono, taking the small kodachi sword and unsheathing it, hearing only the gasps and shrieks of fright from the harem girls. Kitsune could only guess that these girls were all high-born and unfamiliar to the horrible things happening outside of these walls. "What the hell are you doing, you idiotic child?! Cease this madness at once!" her mother shrieked at her, lounging towards her, trying to stop herself from impaling that blade through her body, and yet...

The second the girl launched her hand down to stab herself...She got stopped. The whole place became instantly silent, save for the sound of a blade bouncing down as it fell on the wooden floor. "Enough." a dark, annoyed voice resounded through the place as Kitsune's wrists were grasped by the man's...Front hands? While her body was immobilized in an embrace by his other two arms. "I was promised a beautiful princess as a concubine, and you failed to do as you promised. Leave, before I get bored and kill you." he threatened the two adult fox people who scurried away in a hurry, leaving behind their only daughter without a second thought. "You, however...Will remain here." he chuckled in her ear, but Kitsune wasn't one to be messed with. Her answer came in the form of lighting up her tails on fire an wrapping them around the man, who hissed and unhanded her, allowing her enough time to go into a corner and get in a fleeing stance. "Why did you stop me? I have no intention of being one of your whores. You should have let me end it right there." she scoffed at the man, who dismissed the bottom pair of arms and laughed. It was almost a psychopathic laugh, she thought, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up - Unsure if it was from fright or disgust. "You amuse me, little vixen. Very much, you amuse me. Having a little fox wag her tails around this place, all fired up, would give some sense of fun, wouldn't you say?" his voice was grating her, and she only wanted to sock him in the jaw. "Keep on dreaming. I'm not your toy, and I'm not here for anyone's entertainment. You have enough girls in this place to amuse you. I'll be going now, and even if you chain me, you can't stop me from achieving my freedom." Kitsune growled at him, slamming open the sliding door that would lead into the balcony, from where she could jump the hell away from there. "You proved you value your life even less than your parents do, so chaining you would do nothing. I have never seen a woman as fiery as you. All the ones I have are the same. Meek, soft...Afraid. Boring. They all like the same things, and hate the same things." he groaned pitifully, evidently bored out of his mind. "They hate you, don't they? You want women, but you don't bother treating them right. Can you get even more typically terrible? Pitiful and disgusting, that's what you are. You just want to break people for your entertainment. You are nothing more than a selfish megalomaniac. No wonder you are in need of entertaining, you are thoroughly boring." Kitsune's degrading words, however, didn't seem to phase the man at all - In fact - It made him laugh. Never, in this life, has he heard anything this degrading before - Everyone tried their best to appeal to his benevolent and merciful side - To at least spare their lives. He was stronger than anyone alive, so nobody dared speak up in front of him. It was obvious she had no idea who he was - All the better - He thought. "Ryomen Sukuna, missy, but you can call me your Emperor." that confident laugh was enough to drive Kitsune up the wall with anger as she stomped to his side and actually punched his jaw. It was annoying - The height difference - As he towered over her entirely, but at least she managed to reach where needed, little miss firecracker. "Piss off." the fox girl growled in anger at him...And yet...He only...Laughed. And he cupped her face, getting his own so close to hers that they could feel each other's breaths. "You. Are. Mine." his grin was so wide and sociopathic that he might as well have had his face split in two. "I will never be yours. I will never be anyone's. I'm not an object. I will not obey anyone. The second you leave me out of your sight, I will flee, and you will never see me again. And if I can't, I will find a way to kill myself. I have nothing to live for, but everything to die for." Kitsune bared her elongated canines at him, and gosh, was she enticing. "And if I get rid of the harem?" he asked, not bothering with everything she talked before. "You'll be a heartless jerk who'll destroy

the lives of so many women." she refuted just as quickly. "And if I don't fuck anyone but you?" he threw that, wanting to fluster her, but the fire in her eyes only ignited even higher. "As usual, you can only think with the wrong head, can't you? There's nothing to you but your stupid little prick. How pathetic. And you call yourself a man. Go die in the war or something." she grabbed him by the loose neck line of his kimono, only to hear him laughing condescendingly. "But darling, that just couldn't possibly happen. I am simply too strong to get killed. Everybody fears my power, why else do you think your parents were so willing to give you away? They were weak, just like you said, and every weakling needs the help of Ryomen Sukuna, Japan's own God of War." this statement made the girl's gorgeous eyes widen in shock...Only to start laughing, almost hysterically. "Oh, bow down to the self proclaimed God of War! Can you believe that! Your majesty, tone down your arrogance, it's gonna get yourself killed! I knew it, you're absolutely useless! All you can do is bark, no bite, little puppy! The only thing intimidating about you is your height, other than that, you are just a generic man who thinks he's all to powerful. How ridiculous." the fox girl couldn't stop her degrading laughing, which confused the man for a while, only to smirk and pick her up bridal style, carrying her out of that room, not letting her get out of his grasp, no matter how much she tried to wiggle or burn him. "I won't let you go until you acknowledge my infinite strength, cute, little fox. But don't think that just because I favour you, I will let you get away with all the shit you called me." his voice sounded darker, more ominously, but it didn't seem to intimidate the girl. "Not in a million years. Not even in your sweetest dreams. You're pathetic and I'll never acknowledge you as anything else but a disgusting, lecherous pig!" she yelled at his face, to which he responded by letting her roughly fall on a soft futon, then crouching by her side and gripping her face just as her mother did before. "Say that again when you'll end up screaming my name as if your life depends on it." he laughed at her before leaving her new room, which she won't leave for a while.

This annoying girl, Sukuna was intrigued by her, but at the same time, he was very tempted into strangling her or snapping her neck - Despite all that fire she lets out, he was curious if she'd end up groveling in self-pity, begging him for mercy, going back on her previous misguided and foolish courage. Wasn't it bad enough that she had no idea who HE was? He also had to endure such disrespect - And even worse - Enjoy it? That little fox bitch was ready to commit seppuku in front of everyone just to prove a point, what the hell else could be more entertaining? All the women he's had were given away by their families as tributes, and none said a word. He was a jerk to them, he fucked them, he mistreated them - Sukuna didn't give a fuck about any woman, man, child, animal...Or any living being in the world, except for himself. All were beneath him - Unworthy, weak, frail -...

And yet, they still lie to his face, trembling as they say all the fake, sweet nothings - "I love you, My Lord" the women would say, their voice shaky, jumping in fright as he'd touch them. He was a rough man, he never knew gentleness, nor mercy, no love - Through all the words spewed by the firey woman, the part where she declared he had no idea how to treat women properly - Yes, it was true, but did he care? Of course not.

Humans were all puppets with whom he could play as much as he wanted - All instruments for his entertaining in this terribly boring world, he would manipulate everyone like dolls on his strings, and when they've exhausted their means of entertaining him, the string will be cut, and the puppets will fall in an abyss of infernal fire.

For the first two weeks, Sukuna and Kitsune were literally acting like a cat chasing a mouse - And each time, the cat would surprise the mouse just as she was about to survive - He was giving her hope of success, only to pick her up by one of her many tails, or embrace her from behind, pick her up, trip her, show up from behind a tree, play with her hair as he came up from a tree behind her, and sometimes, even going as far as to mock her by pointing her the way out of the place.

But very soon, she gave up, and decided to starve herself to death by not leaving her assigned room, ignoring him entirely whenever she'd get visited by him - But that ended in the worst way possible - With her fainting and unable to wake up, and Sukuna freaking out because he didn't want his little toy to die before she got boring.

He laid next to her on the futon, holding her in his eyes, brushing her hair out of her face, playing with her vivid red hair - She truly looked like a fox in Sukuna's eyes, and he almost felt his heart warm up as he felt up the soft fur on her tails, waiting for his cursed energy to heal her up. After some time, he noticed the little red ball of fur getting smaller and smaller as she cuddled into his chest, resembling a defenseless kit searching for warmth, love and safety from its mother. She was so much smaller than him - So frail, so thin, so soft...So cute? - What was it that he was feeling? Calmness? Protectiveness?

He was furious at her for neglecting her health just so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of toying with her - But that was also endearing, in its own, messed up way? She would go to such dramatic extremes to prove him wrong...It seemed that no matter what she did, it would still make him enjoy her company.

Whenever he'd fuck one of his harem girls, he wouldn't stay over, not even for a kiss - Hell, he didn't even know most of their names - Why should he? They were all the same to him - But he felt such a strong sense of protectiveness over he - He didn't want to strangle her to death anymore - Maybe just a bit of fun, some teasing, some startling - His hand around her supple neck as she looks up at him with her sparkling eyes, calling out his name - Sukuna, Sukuna - Pleading softly, but desperately to him for her sweet release - Sukuna, Sukuna - And he will be merciful, for once, and give her what she wants.

Just as he was caught in his own, sick fantasy, he felt the girl move and grumble, turning on her back, her small hands flying to rub her eyes awake - And he rolled over her, a playful, teasing smirk on his face as he waited for her to realise the position they were in - And yet, she was still out of it, for her eyes were half-lidded and gleaming, she was still weak from her lack of self-care, and she could only look up at him, dazed..."Sukuna...?" she mumbled in a whispery tone - What is she doing to him?! How dare she entice him so much? He wasn't supposed to be attracted to her in any way, so why...?!

"Relax, sweet-cheeks. I'm here." he spoke in a low voice, not wanting to alert her...Wait, what - "...Thanks." muttering that, she let out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes again, the corners of her mouth slightly turned upright as she allowed herself to fall back asleep and rest, not caring too much that she felt a slight pressure on both of her hands, in the form of the demon man pressing his own hands to hers, intertwining their fingers together as he towered over her, watching her chest rise and fall rhythmically as she breathed, her kissable, pink lips just a tiny bit parted. He couldn't stop himself - She was too irresistible, and he was much too insatiable - And he leaned down, pressing his own lips over hers - Gently - Very gently in fact, almost as if afraid of breaking a porcelain doll, as if afraid to crush a snowdrop he just picked from a glade, one just just barely managed to get out from under the remaining, melting snow of early spring. "You'll be the death of me, cutie." he found himself saying as he licked his lips, taking in the sweetness of the kiss.

Since then on, despite not being exactly friendly with the man, the fox girl didn't hate him that much anymore. It even got well enough for them to eat in the same room, or play shogi - The girl beating him at it more often than not, which left mixed feelings in his heart - And then he showed her the musical instruments that the concubines would sometimes use whenever he'd want a banquet and more sinful indulgences. He didn't ask her to play for him, though. He realised that the more he tried to push the girl, the less likely she'll actually do anything he wants.

Even more, the more time they spent together, the more his concubines would get neglected - So much that he was completely drawn to this fox girl and all the other women were completely wiped from his head. - And he started gifting her a bunch of beautiful kimonos, only to find them in front of his room's door, rejected. She didn't want anything from him, nor did she want his favour, so she continued wearing her simple clothes.

Until...

Until one night - It was a special night, really - For the moon was full, and big, and gleaming with such a beautiful silver light that neither of them saw in the many years they've been alive. And Kitsune dressed in one of her festival yukatas and went to the lotus pond, surrounded by a few wisteria trees, as the mirror of the water reflected the celestial orb like sparkling zircons. The fox gingerly jumped in the middle of the sheen, walking on it like a spirit, only her feminine silhouette being seen, as her long hair was gently blown by the warm spring wind and her tails were dancing around her in perfect sync. As her feet moved to the sound of the melody she played on a vertical flute she was given by the owner of the place, Sukuna found himself unable to move from his place on the palace balcony, his sight fixated on the woman's form as she alternated playing the instrument and dancing with ribbon-fans.

Her moves were fluid and mystifying like those of a priestess leading a will'o'wisp to rest into kakuriyo, the land of the dead - what was he supposed to do now? He was confused and mesmerised. He's seen his fair share of beautiful women playing instruments and dancing for him - Hundreds of them, in fact - But none could match the effect this nine tailed fox girl had on him.

This continued days on end, but he never admitted to her that he was stalking her every night, nor that he was completely enchanted and under her spell, at the point of no return.

"I'm going to war tomorrow." he told her one evening as he poured himself some sake. "...Good for you. Finally, more entertaining for the most powerful man on Earth...Or something. Bring me a souvenir when you return, I guess." the girl merely shrugged her shoulders as she took the tea pot and poured herself some tea, not bothering with any reaction. "You're not worried for me, are you? What if I die tomorrow? Will you weep for me?" he leaned forward, taking her chin between his fingers. " 'Course not. You're the one who keeps boasting about how you're the most powerful man on Earth and The God of War or something. Besides - If you die, I will just steal all your money and get the hell out of this place, so I can finally see the world through my very eyes, not through inked letters on paper. I want to be free and fly. Life here is boring. I've had enough years of being home stuck, don't you think?" she snapped at him as she snatched the now empty sake up and poured herself some alcohol. "And what if I promise to take you out to see the world when I return?" he smirked at her, watching her ears perk up a bit at the proposition. "...I don't believe you." she looked away before she could reveal any real emotion in her eyes. "I promise. But you also have to promise to relax around me. You're always on the edge, even if you've been here for a whole year. I saw you play in the winter, jump to collect autumn leaves taken by the wind, pick up fruit after climbing up the trees, and make flower crowns in spring. I saw you get buried completely in snow, only one of your tails being seen, I saw you make fruit wine in autumn, send paper lanterns into the sky and bathe in the lotus ponds. We're not strangers anymore, and I've never hurt you even once. So, do we have a deal?" his hunter-like eyes carefully watched her every reaction, noticing how her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly, before biting into it softly - She was nervous, that much was obvious - And Sukuna was now a pro at reading her behaviour. "...I'll try. But if you go back on your promise...I promise you, you won't wake up the next morning." she scoffed, threatening him, but it only ended up making him laugh. "The little kitten has claws, how adorable. That's fair, I'll let you have that." the man chuckled at her, petting her hair just between her ears, making her close her eyes and blush just a tiny bit. He was finally able to reach her - Not by much, but even this much was enough for him...For now.

For a whole month, Kitsune was all alone in the palace - Or so she felt, despite the numerous harem girls and the servants - All who had to obey her every order - But she refused any of that. If she wanted to eat, she would make food for herself. If she wanted to drink, she'd get some herself. If she wanted to bathe, she would prepare the bath herself - Just as she's always done. However, all this time, she was never in need of company. She couldn't handle people, nor their fakeness and many other useless emotions that would only make them vulnerable and susceptible of being used and taken for granted.

She's been through that numerous times while living with her family, and she wasn't about to let that happen again.

Thankfully, Kitsune never felt lonely, nor bored - However, she realised that she actually enjoyed Sukuna's annoying presence, and somehow, she found herself awaiting his coming back sooner.

"Master came back, vacation's over. Take care, everyone...I heard he's been injured. Can you believe it? Never thought demons can bleed." the many rumours circulated around the palace, but the fox girl only snapped at the gossipers, glaring at them to shut up. But she didn't go to greet him, like everyone else did. Instead, she waited until night to go to his room, and she found him on the ground, calmly drinking some sake.

"Ah, look at this, a little fox found its way in my humble abode. What ever could you be doing here, I wonder?" he chuckled teasingly, as she only looked down at him, giving him a slight head tilt, yet no expression on her blank face. "Are you wounded?" she muttered in a low voice, almost half-wanting not to have been heard...But she was. "Ha! So you heard those rumours too, haven't you? How ridiculous! Me? Ryomen Sukuna, the God of War, getting injured? Preposterous!" his bark-like laugh echoed through the place, but it didn't move the girl in any way. Instead, slowly crouched next to him, snatching down the already loose kimono top from his torso, letting it fall down to his chest, as her delicate fingers traced his chest, arm and back, analysing each and every fresh wound and scar alike. "I thought you could heal. Cursed energy magic or something. What you did to me when I passed out. Stupid liar. All you know how to do is to boast to everyone, but you can't even admit that you are still capable of making mistakes sometimes." her voice was obviously pissed off, but not enough to sock him in the jaw again. "Anti-regeneration magic. I didn't know something like that existed. Gimme a break." he scoffed, looking away in mild embarrassment. "Lucky you. Now don't move, or you'll really piss me off." she sneered at him as she made blue fire light up her palms and focused on healing him. It was then that she realised how good it felt to feel someone's bare skin, to feel his muscles, sore from fighting so much. He was finally beginning to look more like a man - A warrior - Not like some obnoxious, bratty, entitled casa nova. "I didn't know you could heal people. It tickles." he smirked slightly, turning his head to watch her focused face. "You don't know many things about me, Sukuna. Don't even bother trying, you'll never be able to, anyway." she scowled at him, but this time, it wasn't as aggressive as usual. "I've always loved a challenge, sugar." he chuckled boastfully, only for her to frown and look at him. "Is that all I am for you? A challenge?" she asked in a softer voice, sounding almost disappointed. "Not anymore. You've always been an enigma for me. You were fun, that's why I kept you around. If you weren't, I'd have killed you. I have no regrets about killing anyone, reason or not. But you got under my skin. I don't want to unveil the enigma behind you anymore. I just want to know you." carefully, his hands found their way on her hips, just before pulling her on his lap, only for her to stiffen up completely, her hands quickly taken off of his skin, as she quickly snapped her head away from him, her face covered by the long hair that resembled the blood he spilled on the battlefield. "Aww, are you shy, cutie~?" his seductive voice was back again, one of his hands reaching up to cup her face - But she couldn't bring herself to speak - Instead, she just gulped and jumped away from him, taking a few deep breaths before getting out of the room, and climbing up to the roof, hugging her legs to her chest, leaning her chin on her knees, her bottom lip bitten into to the point of drawing blood.

What the hell was she thinking, letting herself getting touched like that? By someone like Sukuna, nonetheless, who, if given the chance, would have his way with her, then toss her aside like he did with all the other women in his enormous harem. Her heart was beating so hard, so fast against her chest. It was a foreign feeling that scared her so much that for a long while, she couldn't help but avoid him once again, going out of her way to only leave her room when she was sure he wasn't there. It didn't always work out as she wished, but she still tried nonetheless, as succeeded for most of the time.

"Are you scared of me?" Sukuna asked the girl one night, when he found her softly shedding tears up on the roof. "...No." she offered a monotone answer. "Then why are you avoiding me again? Do you hate me?" he asked again, only for her to hang her head and hug herself. "I realised that I shouldn't be alive. All my life I've known only two emotions - Hatred and Rage - All of them masked by a facade of complete neutrality, passiveness and uncaring. But, now...I can feel my heart beating. And it hurts. I was so ready to throw away my life, and I knew I would have no regrets. I lived for nothing. I have no memories of anything good happening in my life. I thought that...I thought that maybe...I would be able to feel, staying here, with you. I wanted to feel something good, for once. What was that called...Happiness? Love? I wanted to feel those too. I guess it's too much to ask from this cruel life. The second you touched me, I started panicking and I got scared. I was afraid. Not of you, but of the idea of possibly getting hurt. I don't know how to feel, and I don't think I'll ever be able to be a proper being...But maybe...Someday...I will be able to look up at the same sky, at this very same moon, and the very same stars...And smile...And my chest won't be hurting anymore. And I won't be afraid anymore. Maybe, in the next life...Or the one after that...I will be lucky. Maybe times will change, and people won't be so cruel anymore. I'm sorry, Sukuna. I didn't end up being who and what you thought I'd be. I will forever be a disappointment to everyone I meet." she wasn't sure if her words were directed to anyone at all, or if she just found the courage to speak for the first time in her life - To acknowledge the existence of feelings altogether - But Sukuna understood her. Except for the thrill of the kill and fleeting quenched lust, he didn't feel any relief. Just like her, anger and hatred, for the entirety of his life. How different and similar the two of them really were, he realised, as he went to hug her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head. "You have never disappointed me, Kitsune. You cannot disappoint me. I understand what you're feeling. It's a cruel world, and we are much crueler to everyone around us, including ourselves. If you ever think you have it in your heart to accept me, I will be waiting. Forever, if needed. And if not, I will be awaiting in the next life. Or in the next one. I won't give up on you." and saying that, he planted a kiss on her temple before leaving her alone to watch the same silver moon they've been looking up at for so long. "...Thank you." she spoke to herself after who knows how long.

And she smiled.

Every day passing, she would look at the pink haired warrior, and every day, she'd want to throw herself in his arms, but every time, she'd start shaking, and she'd turn around and leave the place. This whole ordeal continued for well over three months, until one day, the palace was attacked with burning arrows, and the whole place was lit aflame.

In the mayhem in cause, the fox girl made sure to gather all the civilians in the huge estate and lead them to safety, and by the time she was done, she rushed to search for Sukuna, the person the enemies wanted to bring down, once and for all. However, by the time she found him, the whole place was ablaze, the once blooming garden was now turned into ashes, and the Demon God of War was heavily bleeding, slouched and leaning his back against a wall.

Opposite of him, many meters away, a menacing looking enemy who had spears in his hands was ready to throw them at him...And Sukuna merely smirked, defeated, and closed his eyes, awaiting for the impact of his ultimate death.

"Sukuna...Keep your eyes closed." Kitsune's low, shaking voice called out to him, but instead of doing as he was told, his eyes snapped open, only to widen in terror seeing the girl he grew to love, impaled by numerous spears, acting as a shield for him. "K...Kitsu...Ne...?!" he managed to usher after getting over his shock. "I told you...To keep you eyes closed...Idiot." she shook her head as she curled her fingers on the wall, taking a few deep breaths, despite her legs shaking. "Idiot. Idiot. You are such an idiot." "No...You...You were supposed to run away...I told you to run away...I told you...To...Live..." his voice was desperate, trembling, not believing what he was seeing before his very eyes. "Not without you...We were supposed to...Go...together...And be happy...And look at the moon...And stars...Together..." but as she said that, she heard the air getting split by yet another set of spears that go through her tails and torso, making her lose strength and fall over the man she was shielding. With her last strength, she punched back the spears out of her body and crawled on his lap, cradling his body, wrapping it up protectively with her tails, holding tightly onto him. "I never learnt how to fight...I never had anything to protect...Until I found you. I have no regrets dying, if you live. Close your eyes, Sukuna. I...I love you." and just before all strength left her body, she cupped his face and stole a weak kiss.

She was happy. She finally found her courage to act as she wished - With her heart, not with her fears. She was finally able to expel all the bad things possessing her. She died, and yet, she was finally smiling. She regretted nothing.

She was really happy.

"...Look there, Kitsune. Look at the moon. And the stars. And we are together. In this life. And the next one...And the one after...I will find you. And I will protect you. Don't be afraid anymore...Nothing will hurt you again. Until then...Sleep well, my Princess...Wait for me...Very soon."

---------

"Don't worry, Yuji! We will find all the victims of this place and rescue them! You'll see!" the cheerful nine-tailed girl wagged her fluff left and right as she dragged her best friend to the ominous place, as their other two team mates followed soon after, both having different reactions, as usual.

As her shikigami fox and Megumi's white wolf were assigned to make sure no cursed spirit would sneak up on them, they tried to make heads or tails of the distorted reality inside the place - They knew they may be dealing with a Special-Grade monster, but to have power of such magnitude seemed...Unreal...And unsettling.

"Guys, calm down. This is the Innate Domain...Cursed energy made this foul play...But I've never seen anything like...This. We have to move fast, and not split up, or we'll get picked one by one." Kitsune gritted her teeth, feeling the fur on her tails stand up. "Where's the door?!" Megumi yelled, turning around, only for everyone to gasp, realising the way they got through completely disappeared. "Th-The door's gone?!" Yuji blinked, incredulous at what he was witnessing. "How?! We just came in through here, didn't we?!" Nobara freaked out, only to make a short, brain dead dance with Yuji. "Calm down. The dog remembers the scent of the entrance." saying that, the two fawned over the two canines as they let them lead the way, only to find three mangled corpses, one of them having a name tag - It was the name of the child of the desperate woman outside of the place, pleading to the police to rescue him.

However, a fight erupted between the two boys who couldn't decide whether they should run away or rescue the corpses, as closure for the woman outside, at least, and while Nobara yelled at them, trying to make them stop...She...Disappeared?! Through a makeshift hole in the floor that wasn't there before.

"B-But...Megumi's demon dog and my fox should have been able to sense the curse...!" Kitsune then quickly turned around, only to gasp, noticing the bloody corpses of the said shikigami protruding from the walls. "NO! CYNDER!" she whimpered, hating to see her lovely companion in such a state. "ITADORI! KITSUNE! WE HAVE TO RUN! WE'LL LOOK FOR KUJISAKI AND -" but before he could finish speaking, Kitsune's whimper, that grew louder, along with the presence of the demon she was pointing at, staring straight at her...Made both boys stop in their tracks, wide eyed and shocked...And very much afraid.

The trio was sweating bullets, trying to move, trying to get the hell away from there - But Yuji moved first, taking out his knife, slashing at the Special-Grade....Only for his hand to go flying far away...From the impact.

"Megumi, run away! Go find Nobara, I'll stay here and create a diversion! Give us a signal when you're out of here! Yuji can get Sukuna and save us!" the fox girl yelled at her brunet friend desperately as she pushed him away, but a mouth on Yuji's cheek, speaking very derogatory, pointed out he doesn't give a fuck about Yuji's body, and that he won't die, even if his vessel does. "Nope~! Even if parts of me inside you die, I've still got 18 other fragments of my soul! Still, irritatingly enough, I don't have control of this body, so go away and switch, if you want! But once you do...I'll kill that brat before the cursed spirit can! Then, I'll go for that woman. She's a lively one. I'll have fuck with her. And then...I'll claim this cute fox girl that you care so much for!" Sukuna kept talking, and it was creating a state of panic in Yuji's heart. "Don't listen to him, Yuji! I know you won't let him take over you completely! You can't hurt us!" Kitsune yelled at her friend, trying to snap him out of the trance Sukuna put him in. "No, no, no, darling, you're wrong. If he's too focused on me, his friends WILL die~!" the demon kept laughing at his vessel, until the Special Grade unleashed a full blast of pure, cursed energy. "Yuji, look out!" she jumped at him, getting him out of the blast's range. "Stop listening to him, and take care of yourself! This isn't Jujutsu, this is pure cursed energy! We have to buy Megumi and Nobara enough time to get the hell out of here! Look at this jerk, he's having fun. I'm sure we can figure something out." the fox girl gritted her teeth in anger, but before either of them could try to attack or dodge - In the blink of an eye, really - She felt herself getting picked up and slammed on the wall before her by yet another blast of cursed energy - Followed by another, that flew her on the bridge in the next room, rendering her barely conscious. "KITSUNE! KITSUNEEEE!" she heard her pink haired friend's desperate wail as he tried to shake her awake. "...Sukuna...?" she asked, her shaking hands trying to rub away the tiredness from her eyes, as she looked up at him with gleaming, half-lidded eyes.

Before he could answer, shocked that she would call him by his demon's name, and even more, his own demon shocked, hearing her say something like that, she managed to cling onto the boy enough to get herself back on her feet, turning towards the attacker, her big, fluffy tails opening like a protective fan for the boy, as she created a blast of blue spirit fire to try to counter the cursed energy blast from the enemy. It made her growl from the pain, but her mind was blank - She had no regrets - No matter what life she was living, she will only get stronger and stronger, until she succeeds and protects the ones dear to her.

But not in this lifetime.

She wasn't strong enough yet. She was nowhere near her mentor, Satoru, in power. She had no way to compete with him, nor could she protect her friends when needed.

How pathethic.

It was her last thought before the cursed energy took over her, burning away some of her skin and creating even more damage after getting slammed and breaking yet another wall. With the last bit of consciousness she was able to hold onto, she saw her pink haired friend still alive and well - By some standards, at least - And she could merely smile and fight back the darkness threatening to take over.

But...Something happened, for the boy now seemed fearless - And he even taunted with the special-grade...And then he healed his own arm, before going to her, looking down at her, shaking his head. The markings on his face...This wasn't Yuji. This was...

"Idiot." a much darker, more masculine voice came from the body of the teenage vessel as he crouched down to the girl. "You never change, no matter what life you reincarnate into, do you? But that's the charm about you, stupid fox. You never really lose your memories of the past, do you?" he gently caressed her face, feeling his heart beating a bit faster as he noticed she was smiling and leaning into his touch. "You said you'll find me...So what is there to fear?" she mused weakly, before she got picked up bridal style, allowing her to cuddle into his chest, finally allowed to rest at ease. "Let's teach this weakling a lesson and get the hell out of here. The moon is up." Sukuna chuckled as he walked up to the demon, effortlessly punching in the head, slamming it into the bridge, only to smash his foot into its head, breaking the bridge altogether. As they fell, the monster grabbed his leg, but the fox-fire burn on his hand was enough to get his to shriek in pain and let go, as Sukuna jumped on one of the falling rubbles, taunting and laughing condescendingly, as he ripped apart the monster limb from limb before impaling it into a wall, as soon as they reached the watery ground. "Honestly, I'm jealous. I could never get to your power with jujutsu alone. Satoru said this thing is 80% born talent. How disheartening." she grumbled, feeling better already. "There's nothing cursed in your heart, sugar. Let the killing to me. I promised I'll protect you, I'm not going back on my word. I'm not going to see you die again." he threw her up a bit to get a better hold on her. "Hang onto me, foxy. Let's show this sucker how we do things." seeing his infamous smirk on his face, she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tightly, seeing as he did a hand seal, calling out his Malevolent Shrine...And they were back home, dressed the same as they were so long ago...A thousand years ago...And the monster got split in 5 slices, before Sukuna dug out another one of his soul-fingers, and he started grinning even laughing even darker, realising that Yuji couldn't switch bodies again, which made villain jump out of the facility, right on top of it. "I guess...No matter what life we live, the sky is going to be forever beautiful." Kitsune sighed as soon as he let her down, but she didn't let go of him. Not this time. Fears won't take over her life anymore. "And yours is even more eternal than the moon's or the stars." he cupped her face, taking in her beauty for the first time in over a thousand years. "It's been to long. I made you wait far too long. I hope you didn't miss me too much." one of his hands found its fingers raking through her hair, and she closed her eyes a bit, taking in the warm, loving feeling that completely took over her. "I'll forgive you. You did take your bloody time...But at least you're here now. And you're not going anywhere. I won't let you." her hands slid down to the neck of his blouse, pulling him to her level, which only made him smirk smugly. "Good. That was my intention." his charming, dark voice spoke, making her heart beating faster, and feeling the hair on the back of her neck and the fluff on her tails stand up from excitement. "Won't it be weird? Being Yuji's body...?" she asked shyly, as he only chuckled, pulling the same Malevolent Shrine trick, so they finally looked as they did when they first met. "Better, sweet cheeks?" he pulled her flushed to his body, as she got on her tippy toes to get closer to his face. "Spectacular."

As the fox girl couldn't stop touching his face, raking her fingers through his hair, feeling his body closer to hers as her whole body felt hotter than ever before - It was just a kiss - His lips so sweet against her own, his arms, so strong, holding her, feeling her, loving her.

It was only them, under the gentle light of the silver moon, guarding them, as the stars softly twinkled, embellishing gold into the dark sky - Just like this love light up the darkness in their hearts.

Her tails wrapped around him instinctively, as they pulled apart, and looked each other in the eyes for the first time since they've known each other. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness, her lips were curled into a kitten-like smile, and she was glowing - It made Sukuna's heart have a pleasant arrhythmia as he saw in front of his very eyes a sight that he's been dreaming about for over a millennium - The woman that captured his heart - Happy, in his own arms, safe, and very kissable.

This feeling and image were worth waiting a thousand years.

[rewordthis]

A Day Like Any Other

Yuuji → Megumi | Sukuna → Megumi

🥛📚

1507 words Itadori Yuuji, Ryomen Sukuna, Fushiguro Megumi SFW

Summary: Until Episode 16

Hello, guys! Missed me? Long time no fic, huh? Well, let me fix this. Although it’s from another fandom yet again, I still hope you’ll like it.😗

Anyways, as the summary says, this doesn’t include manga spoilers, but as I am getting spoiler-ed over on twttr and the net in general, I think I have stepped on some minor(?) things. So, yes, that’s it for foreword. I really hope you’ll N’joy this little something-something.🤗

Three months.

That’s how long it took for Itadori Yuuji’s cosmotheory to turn upside down.

In this short span of time, Yuuji had learnt that monsters are real. They get born from the negative feelings of humanity and hungrily prey and feed off of peoples’ fear, shame, hate, regret…

… blood.

They bring mayhem into the human lives in order to cause enough pain to illicit such emotions, so they can sustain themselves and grow stronger. With each passing day they remain unresolved, they become more dangerous and harder to deal with. Eventually, these voracious spirits — curses as they’re called — will evolve into these walking, talking, intelligent forms of existence that can take more than just the life of a human being.

These curses, savagely devour the very soul of their victim.

But Yuuji has also learnt, that there’s a secret society that has taken upon fighting these nightmarish things. It’s just a handful of humans with abilities that far exceed what once he considered common sense; the jujutsu sorcerers.

These people are just like any other. They laugh, they cry, they resent.

They however, put their lives on the line with every battle they fight, so that the rest of the world will be safe. 

They all do it without expecting anything in return or knowing whether they will be able to get back alive and are forced to silently suffer the losses of their friends in this ever waging war.

Yuuji, admires that kind of resolve.

But as long as it goes through his hand, he will never allow a curse to take anyone from him.

That said, in that same time, he’s gotten painfully aware of some things about himself he’d never admit would rather not have known…

For one, he’s still terribly weak. He’s nowhere near as strong as he considered himself to be when facing these abominations.

Then, comes the fact that he’s actually sane enough to be scared of dying, something he hadn’t been expecting to be of much effect on him since he had made his mind about taking responsibility for helping with Sukuna’s containment. 

And finally, there’s his shame over being unable to flatly adhere by his ideals, after having already been forced to cross red lines he’d promised himself would never cross.

And that all, circles back to his weakness.

In the end, he’s helplessly mortal…

Only human.

Yuuji has made these mental workouts several times throughout the past two months, and he’s always left feeling unsatisfied with his progress after reflecting on each breakthrough coupled with a new throwback.

Yuuji furrows his brows and squeezes his closed eyes until it’s nothing but complete blackness. 

‘It’s irritating.’

When will he finally be able to protect everyone with his own strength?

A second later, deciding that all he can do for now is shoulder these emotions and simply just work his ass off to get even stronger, he releases a long-held sigh and opens his eyes to stare at the wall across him…

Dark, gentle eyes gaze at him—

A calm, steady voice reassures him…

Ah, that’s right. This guy… He thought he already knew how awesome he was, but he can honestly be so damn cool.

All his agony and regrets were soothed by just a few words: “Ultimately, It was for selfish, emotional reasons...”

Because he was there…

“… So, I’ve never once regretted saving you.”

Because he was there—

Yuuji had managed to get a peaceful, albeit early, death.

But now, he is in his dorm room again after the two months he’s been dead. And Fushiguro’s just on the other side…

A grin wide enough to make his cheeks hurt, pulls at his lips. His spirit is lifted once more.

Ah, he really likes this guy!

What Yuuji is yet unaware of, is that someone — or maybe something — other inside him, has developed a fondness for his friend, as well…

_____________________

Sukuna wasn’t going to waste any time or opportunity to take over Yuuji’s body for himself…

That was plain as a blood-painted crime scene.

But the slower he pursued his final goal, the better the chances he would wipe this annoying kid out for good in his first attempt, and he would be stronger yet to marvel when he would take him up for battle. It’s been millennia since he’s last walked and wreaked havoc on this land of weaklings, and he thirsts for a strong opponent.

He was watching him through Yuuji every time he sensed his presence — and even more so from the comfort of his domain — he didn’t need sleep, after all. He’d butt in in their conversations from time to time but otherwise wouldn’t interrupt no matter how much he would like to tease them sometimes, but kept silent because he wanted to measure his progress. Without interferences.

Yet, after the last fight they had with a new special grade, for which he was called upon to vanquish; Yuuji’s injuries were a little on the more serious side leaving him suspended in and out of unconsciousness due to blood-loss, so before they took him to Jujutsu Tech, he jumped the opportunity to take over once more that day and restore him — effectively shutting everyone’s distracting panicking yells up — while chatting off with the delicate boy he’s gotten an interest in.

This one here may have a slender body, but he’s not as fragile as he looks. He’s not exactly on death’s door, even as he’s covered in his own blood with a thigh vertically slashed open all the way down to the knee and his bones struck with aching chills. He’s trembling and that’s probably more due to the exhaustion that threatens to coerce his eyelids shut and send him right into Morpheus’s arms, than any lethality that would see him anywhere near Hades’s kingdom.

‘No. He’s watchful of Sukuna in spite of the sleepiness that claims him. His cursed energy burns tenfold.’ Sukuna notes, sensing him.

But since he’s at it… he may as well.

He doesn’t make a fuss of it when Sukuna places a tentative touch just lower the makeshift tourniquet, over the jacket that haphazardly bandages his thigh. The drenched cloth that still gushes and oozes and drips, with every bump of the road the car speeds by, the very essence of life is hot under his palm. That and the fire in his dark eyes make the corner of Sukuna’s lips tug a little. He loves this kids’ heat… It’s not a fraction of a second later and these watchful eyes slightly convert from pain to surprise to ease in a flash before him.

“Just about time, now…” he says. As he begins to count, “…6, 5—” Sukuna brings up his other hand, two of his fingers ghosting over his jawline. His skin is smooth and clammy and his body temperature a stark contrast to the warmth of the blood that scorched his insides.

“…3— Don’t expect me to thank you—“ he points out around a breathed laugh as long eyelashes flutter closed; his eyes unable to fight back the built up fatigue anymore, and Sukuna now knows he’s barely made it on time. 

‘His cursed energy was so focused… How— could he hold up in this state?’

It’s the fact that he’s shaken about losing him from within his arms that unsettles him the most. Will this boy be my undoing? The thought flies right through his mind. And just a split second before changing back with the little nuisance he’s stuck with in this temple, he says: “Glad I could help~ Even, if I didn’t do it for you. We still have business left unfinish— ed…”

After that, and for a whole week now, he’s made a habit out of swapping with Yuuji after his recent injuries during his down time, in order to indulge himself in his company. Even if for a single minute…

He could not have let himself play out this idiots’ character for anymore than that anyway. It was already hard enough to his humongous ego to continue hiding, but he just felt like spending a bit of actual time with him before the moment to present himself in front of him again would come.

Sukuna was, of course, doing this so he could later play mind tricks on him on that day.

Or… so he seemed to believe this all just was.

He never expected himself — a few days after — to jump into saving a jujutsu sorcerer from another curse, especially when said sorcerer was not being anything but full ready to go down fighting with everything he got.

Thinking back to it, he can just pretend that he did it because Yuuji would be a nuisance if he found out Sukuna could take over his unconscious body by himself even without the contract. And he would still be safe of everyone finding out about his real conditions for swapping with the brat…

But the uncertainty remained in him…

Why the fuck was he bothered into saving him?

—————————— A.N.: Hello l, again, to whoever is reading up ‘till here! I hope you have been doing great! As I also hope you liked what you read! 

Ma~n! This has taken too long to post!! I had it sitting in my notes for more than a month now, and that is only because editing anything on mobile is HELL!😤💢💢 I’m used to having at the very least, 3 different versions of what I’m writing open on my screen at the same time and then another 2-3 app windows when posting, and not having a computer for the past 7 months is simply killing me. I have ordered one 3 times already and when it’s time to go pick it up, I am told that there has not been any reservation in my name. Just who do I need to kill in order to have my gd order properly addressed, huh?????

Also, I won’t be switching from Free! now that it’s over. Nope! No, sir. So, rest assured all fics will continue once I’ll be able to get my docs back… (I wonder when?😫) Ahh~ I really want to get a new pc asap, because I’m losing my mind here!😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[averagebakedpotato]

ok i finally got the chance to rewatch last week's episode of mob

some screenshots with commentary:

lmao

love that they kept mob's expression from the manga!

great idea using the manga covers for the eyecatchers

ritsu finally facing his biggest fear and voicing that he hated being scared of this happening but not hating his brother for it ; ;

cross hatching on ???, my beloved

literally crossing a bridge to finally close the gap between brothers

this part got to me in the manga, and it was no different in the anime

:'(

Ritsu <3

i always thought the whole thing was akin to having a meltdown and hurting others (even the people you love the most) even if you don't want to and even if you really want to stop

i always thought this scene was very cute (and makes me want to have psychic powers just to do this)

; ;

screaming, crying

finally!!!

my girl Tsubomi! they took away your line but at least there you're

love that they also kept ritsu's expression from the manga in this, but i did miss the line from this scene although i guess there wasn't really a need for it since we got to see that he landed safely

i'm not gonna lie, i did miss the part where ritsu and ??? kept destroying and reassembling the bouquet, but i'm just glad they kept most of ritsu's scene even though they had so little time and still managed to add some anime only scenes for him

would i have liked it more if the had kept the bouquet part instead of these anime only scenes? i'm not sure, probably yes?

anyways

as always, it's a pleasure to hear setsuo ito's interpretation of mob and now of kageyama shigeo

next week is the last episode and i'm Y_Y but i'm also really looking forward to the conversation between mob and shigeo, serizawa's lines, reigen's confession, mob's ugly cry and of course the post rampage scenes

[stillness-in-green]

MVA In Memoriam (4/5)

The Comprehensive Account of the Butchering of My Villain Academia

(Introduction and Part One, Episode 108: My Villain Academia) (Part Two, Episode 109: Revival Party) (Part Three, Episode 110: Sad Man's Parade)

Part Four, Episode 111: Origin: Shimura Tenko

Chapter 233 – Bright Future

• Twice clearly having arranged a Skeptic puppet to where its arm can be used as a pillow for Toga’s neck. A cute little character detail while also being kind of disturbing? Very on-brand for the League! A not-immediately-plot-crucial visual of a member of the League demonstrating obvious care for another member? The guillotine awaits!

• A little explanation about how clones’ physicality and memories work relative to the last time Twice saw the people the clones are based on. This is a very useful little nod of explanation to something that remained unclear from the dialogue of Mr. Clone-press last chapter. Twice’s quirk is pretty arcane in its ins and outs, frankly, and the clearer those details are, the fewer plot holes you’re leaving for later.

• The scene of Skeptic being right on the verge of confronting Twice. Skeptic has, oh, about five moments where he’s obviously a big tense neurotic who’s unpleasant to be around if things aren’t going his way, and the anime deleted or downplayed all but two of them. As ever, it’s obscenely damaging to the characterization of the MLA cast, who we have little enough time with as it is. Further, it was a particularly weird choice to make with Skeptic, who is as of this writing the only major MLA character who’ll emerge still free and active from the War Arc. Why shaft the characterization of the one of new characters who’s going to be getting the most attention out of any of them in the next arc, with yet more scenes yet to come after?[1]

• A full page’s-worth of Spinner’s rationalizations on targeting Trumpet and ordering the Twice doubles to do the same. This lays out the details on why targeting Trumpet stands to relieve some of the load on Shigaraki. It isn’t because Trumpet’s quirk makes the crowds more dangerous, though that is true. Spinner targets Trumpet because he’s seen enough to know that attacking the MLA’s leaders gets them crazy riled up; he knows that if he makes himself a threat to Trumpet, then all Trumpet’s followers’ attention will shift focus to Spinner, leaving Shigaraki with less to deal with.           Spinner also knows that that is ludicrously dangerous to him personally, given his weak quirk, but he actively makes that choice anyway, because that’s how much he’s devoted himself to Shigaraki without (yet) quite articulating the nature and reasons for that devotion. Targeting Trumpet without any of that reasoning made for a perfectly sound tactical decision, but it missed the regard Spinner shows the unnamed mobs of the MLA, and it really missed the probable savage beatdown and even possible death that Spinner consciously chooses to risk for Shigaraki’s sake.           Of course, a chunk of what the episode deleted is flashbacks to scenes the anime also cut, so they couldn’t figure into Anime!Spinner’s reasoning. This does not excuse yet more cuts to Spinner’s arc and characterization; it only adds to how badly the anime maimed him.           Also, on a less salty but still confused note, deleting all the Twice clones from the beginning of the scene and just having Spinner running along a wall past mobs of people instead of laboriously fighting his way through the street to the van was really dumb. Why did all those MLA people just stand there and let him run by? Where did all the Twice clones that just helped save Spinner from a huge flurry of long-distance attacks disappear to? Come on.

• Trumpet’s thought that using Sevens Loud will draw every bit of strength from their warriors, but that it’s necessary. Setting aside that it looks far less necessary when there hasn’t been a crowd of Twice clones fighting Trumpet’s people this whole time, just Spinner by his lonesome, we still lost quite a bit to this cut. Firstly, a nuance on the trade-off Incite gives—that its stat-boost is temporary, and that it’s borrowing from the future to pay for the present, a stock that is limited and a bill that will come due when the effect wears off.           Secondly, it’s another demonstration that the MLA leaders aren’t just thoughtlessly wasting their followers’ lives; they’re very consciously doing cost/benefit analysis on how much danger their people are in versus what stands to be gained by the potential exertion or outright deaths those people will suffer. It’s cold reasoning, yes, but that’s how the Liberation Army operates: not for the personal gain or lackadaisical ease of the people on top—Trumpet would just have been in the tower speaking through city-wide loudspeakers, if that were the case—but for the advancement of the group’s ideals.           It also just grants Trumpet some interiority, but of course the anime can’t have that.

• The note in Trumpet’s meta-ability explanation that the more his voice causes the air to vibrate, the stronger Incite’s effect. This is—good god, it is literally the entire design mentality behind Sevens Loud! Sevens Loud purpose isn't to make his voice louder so more people can hear him (which I would think is the most logical assumption an anime-only person would make as to why he puts it on); it’s to make himself louder because being louder enhances the boost. It’s about the quality of the effect, not the quantity of targets. This is why Trumpet has the thought about how using Sevens Loud will drain the strength reserves of his people. There’d be no correlation there if Sevens Loud were only about boosting his range.

• When Spinner got porcupined in the anime, they did a close-up on his face, possibly to avoid the gore of showing the spines piercing through his forearm. That’s fine, but they also emphasized the reaction by having him lose his grip on the huge fuck-off knife he had clutched in his teeth. In the manga, sure, he yells in pain, but he doesn’t lose the knife. Indeed, he gets the guy off him by slashing at him with it—a shot the anime dropped. So Spinner doesn’t even get to keep displays of his pain tolerance, a trait he doubtless improved during those six weeks against Machia. Why does the anime hate Spinner so much, you guys? Why did it go out of its way to make him look lamer, when Dabi and Toga were out there getting anime-original flourishes to make them look cooler?

• Spinner’s thoughts, “When I get inspired to act, I don’t know what the heck I’m doing! I’m just a loser jumping on a bandwagon. Or at least that’s what it looks like.” A humorous bit of self-awareness from Spinner here. The anime got at the self-awareness. The humor, as we’ll see, not so much.

• Spinner’s thoughts, “Look at me. Look at me!! With all that prejudice in your eyes!” Hah hah, laughed BNHA the anime nervously, what prejudice are you talking about, Spinner? No idea what you could possibly be referring to there! This one’s particularly annoying because, while one might think that the anime was just dodging the heteromorphobia angle it eradicated all references to back at the beginning of the arc, the prejudice line isn’t even about heteromorphobia, not really.           See, the Japanese line there literally translates to, “With those colored glasses!”—to see with colored glasses being a Japanese idiom for seeing something from a biased viewpoint. So aside from being a wordplay jab at Trumpet’s choice in eyewear, it’s also about Trumpet’s expressed view that Spinner, having been a shut-in with a weak quirk who decided to take his resentment out on the world, can’t possibly amount to anything much. So, what, did the people in charge of making those cuts think Trumpet was right? Why even keep the line where he disparages Spinner if you’re not going to let Spinner call it what it is? He’s not calling out fantasy racism there, anime! He’s calling out the bias against weak quirks that even the good guys in this world sometimes partake in!           Possibly it’s because non-villains in the world[2] sometimes use reasoning that leads logically to quirk supremacism that the anime got gunshy with it, or it was more reluctance to give the villains—and the Too-Real Iguchi Shuuichi especially—moral ground for accusations against their society that get too close to real life. Whatever the motivation, it’s a bullshit cut.

• Shigaraki calling RD “Detnerat,” presumably because he neither knows RD’s real name nor cares to dignify him by using his code name. The anime, again, made neither the connection nor Shigaraki’s recognition explicit, so it lost the specificity and pettiness of that little snub.

• A little exchange between Giran and a Twice clone as they flee. It doesn’t give you much you wouldn’t assume just from seeing them flee, but it always feels more immediate and empathetic when the characters talk and you can see their expressions, instead of just a quick shot of them from behind as they run away in complete silence. Heck, running away in complete silence is actively out of character for Twice!

• Because the anime has some kind of aversion/restriction on showing hand-related violence, it radically changed how Shigaraki lost his fingers,[3] resulting in the loss of several important shots. To the best of my parsing, in the manga, when Re-Destro makes that first big jump to avoid Shigaraki’s decay wave, he comes back down specifically aiming for Shigaraki’s outstretched left hand, spread wide and flat on the ground. Shigaraki tries to evade (you can see the blur of his left arm in the panel where RD lands), but either RD does manage to clip the hand or he simply hits the ground with so much force that the sheer explosive burst of rock shreds Shigaraki’s hand and part of his coat sleeve. Being so much larger, RD then simply snags Shigaraki by the wrist before he can get out of range. It’s very fast, a burst of speed and violence, and very different (read: cooler) from Shigaraki flipping end over end in slow motion in a way that seemed to imply visually that he was thrown well out of RD’s grabbing range.           As to the shots we lost? I counted three. First, Hana’s hand crumpling amidst all the flying debris. Second, that big dramatic panel of Shigaraki’s maimed hand ribboning blood into the air as the narration box finally drops Re-Destro’s identity and code name. Third, the shot of him catching Shigaraki, almost delicately, between one thumb and forefinger and delivering the, “Was it this hand that committed such evil acts?” line—a clear threat to what of that hand Shigaraki has remaining—as we find out what his meta-ability is.           This is all hugely dramatic in the manga, because, of course, readers always assumed Shigaraki needed all five fingers to activate his quirk, and here Re-Destro nigh-effortlessly robs him of fully half his capacity to use it. It’s a shocking turn-around and instantly ups RD’s threat level by allowing him to permanently maim Shigaraki in a way that no one, hero or villain, has done before or since. Robbing Re-Destro of the immediacy of that seemingly devastating blow—inflicted within moments of meeting the real Shigaraki—did immeasurable damage to his credibility as an arc boss.           The shot in the manga is also just arresting visually, with RD finally getting to properly loom over Shigaraki. Most of the shots up to this point have been framed such that, while RD is obviously bigger, he and Shigaraki have still been moving and fighting in a pretty level way. This is the first place where the viewer is situated so squarely behind Shigaraki that they can really feel how massive RD is in comparison. It’s certainly a more impressive visual than this mess—thanks, anime; thanks, whatever broadcasting standards forced overworked and uninspired animators to undertake a redraw of RD’s quirk reveal panel when every other member of the MLA brass had theirs carried over directly from the manga.

• A chapter-ending cliffhanger of Slidin’ Go helping direct traffic on the outskirts of Deika and the warning rumble as Gigantomachia approaches. Aside from being a nice little tension boost—Will Gigantomachia roll up just in time to see Re-Destro making a mess of Shigaraki? Who will he target? Will Shigaraki ever be able to win him over if he sees a scene like that?—it’s good foreshadowing for what the news reports will eventually be saying. Remember, the claim is that a bunch of villains lured Deika’s heroes away and then attacked the city while it was defenseless; that’s why we never see any of the MLA’s heroes involved with the fight once it starts. And now, here, we find out where they’ve been the whole time: making sure no outsiders get in who might be able to undermine that narrative.

Framing Shifts

• Once again had an MLA member using their Detnerat item say its name out loud, when it’s clear in the manga that they’re just thinking the names internally. Once again, it was kind of silly.

• When Spinner flashes back to watching Stain on TV and being inspired, the manga uses a shot of Stain’s face, snarling and defiant. The anime used—a shot of Stain from behind, only visible from the shoulders to the knees, hunched so that his lower back and ass were towards the camera. Bones… What exactly were you implying lit Spinner’s fire there? Or did you just not have the time or budget to go pull Stain’s reference sheets for drawing his face?

• A tone issue, but a major one: Spinner should be grinning, face alight with accusatory challenge, as he hurls his accusations of the MLA/Trumpet being the same bandwagon-jumping nobodies that he is. This is the moment in the manga where we see Spinner truly throw his hesitations and his doubts to the wind and embrace Shigaraki’s nihilistic fervor and the beauty, value and profundity of emptiness. So what if I’m empty? So what if he wants emptiness? Who cares about other peoples’ ideals if their ideals leave no room for me? It’s not a heroic triumph, but it’s a triumph all the same, and losing Spinner’s smile made the moment far too bitter.

• Meanwhile, in exactly the opposite problem, Shigaraki by this point is not smiling. In fact, he’s barely on his feet, swaying violently in place with accompanying sound effects. While his words are openly mocking, he seems to wholly lack the energy to back them up with his usual verve. The anime didn’t have him smiling, admittedly, but the whole time the ‘camera’ wasn’t directly on his face, his voice actor was reading the lines with an uneven, chuckling cadence that suggested Shigaraki was seconds away from breaking into howls of laughter. He was also, of course, impossibly clean, at a point at which his manga counterpart is muddy, bloody and tattered from the horrifically extended combat he’s been living for six weeks. It’s stuff like this that made it so impossible to take the Army or even Machia as much of a threat in the anime, when, other than the red cords on his hands being broken, Shigaraki looked absolutely no different than usual.

Additions

• Gave Spinner a tiny bit of new animation when he got mobbed by people hopped up on Incite. It was nice, but if they were going to give him a flourish, I’d rather it have come when he swipes Porcupine Dude off him with a combat knife. Or, you know, just kept the bit of him telling the Twices to attack and his reasoning on why.

• Cut inside briefly to show a ballerina girl dancing through a darkened apartment right before she sliced a neat circle out of the wall. I love it, A+, exactly the kind of expansion on the action of the manga I wanted to see. My only complaint is that her manga self looked more like Pearl from Steven Universe.[4] XD

• A quick new shot of RD when Shigaraki was hounding him about his feelings. His teeth were visibly gritted, the corners of his mouth pulled down. It stands out because there’s only one shot of RD there in the manga, and in it, he’s smiling, close-mouthed and calm. The anime copied said shot, smile and all, then cut away, and when it cut back, Re-Destro had a totally different expression on his face. Baffling. Anime!RD having a dour scowl everywhere manga!RD is smiling in a tight, controlled way was all over the fight scene, and it detracted from the sense of RD’s menace every time.

Chapter 234 – Destruction Sense

• The illustration(s) accompanying Re-Destro’s, “Let’s not judge people by their quirks,” line. The pictures are cute, but the real loss there was the note informing us that they’re excerpts from a children’s book published by Shoowaysha—Curious’s outfit—called Quirks and Us. That’s a very concrete illustration of the kinds of things the MLA is getting up to in the world, and an equally concrete thing an anime-only viewer lost. Of course, that viewer never even found out Curious was in publishing, so it wouldn’t have meant anything on that front, but there is one other thing I think is notable: the way that book implies that the only people explicitly pushing a “don’t judge other people by their quirks” message are the radical Liberationists.           See, the rest of the story touches on the virtues of a nonjudgmental attitude here and there, but actually finding people willing to say it out loud is—unprecedented, I think. Deku comes across situations where he could say something like that multiple times and he never, ever does—not to Shouto, nor to Shinsou, nor to Eri, nor to the giant fox lady. And that’s not even touching on Shouji’s mask, or the discrimination Spinner faced, or the CRC “losing support” without being declared illegal. I think the manga itself is against judging people by their quirks, but it’s interesting that it doesn’t make its characters into mouthpieces to say as much. This is because its characters are thoroughly enmeshed in a society that very much does judge people by their quirks, regardless of whether or not it will say that doing so is bad or rude or prejudiced.           Re-Destro and the MLA aren’t immune, of course—Re-Destro himself says that quirks are linked to personality—but they adhere to a different set of values than the larger society does. While Hero Society talks about quirks in terms of being heroic and/or useful versus villainous and/or useless, the MLA spectrums instead emphasize how capable a person’s quirk is of helping them exert their will and how ambitious the quirk’s bearer is in that exertion. That is, their ethics are less about morality and utility-to-society than they are about aspiration and utility-to-self.[5] Both worldviews have their pros and cons, but that, I think, is what the children’s book is getting at when it says not to “judge”—don’t assign an arbitrary moral value to a quirk; judge a person by their actions.           And isn’t it interesting, that the only explicit verbal statement of that value comes from the leader of a radical cult descended from a famous insurrectionist quoting a children’s book published by a member of selfsame radical cult? The value is not ever stated by a member of the heroic cast, so are we to assume that the heroes don't actually believe it? Do people profess to believe it but everyone knows it’s only for courtesy’s sake, with only the MLA willing to breach that wall of “things we don’t talk about in polite society” to actually talk about it in anything other than platitudes? Obviously, you lose this entire line of discussion when the "don't judge people by their quirks" value is just never mentioned at all.

• The phrase, “In that case,” from RD’s, “You will never measure up to me.” It establishes continuity to what RD was saying before. He’s not taking breaks from talking while Shigaraki has flashbacks; the two are happening concurrently.

• RD’s, “Cracking apart…?” reaction to his Decayed fingertip, and the dripping blood from the injury. I’m not hugely fussed about the former, but I like the latter as indicative of what Re-Destro’s Stress powers actually do. That is to say, he isn’t covering himself in a thick shell of Stress power or something; his Stress powers make him physically larger, infusing his body and swelling his size. That’s why he bleeds when Shigaraki touches his fingertip.           Admittedly, the size distinction was more obvious in the anime, where the audience watched RD’s shoulders inflate like balloons last episode, compared to the manga, where you don’t get in-between animation. Still, given that RD still has that wound even when he goes back down to normal size, and is still wearing bandages for his speech a week later,[6] it’d be nice to mark the severity of the wound with a bit of blood. Oddly, the anime did keep the wound for the crater scene, visible red slices opened in the flesh along the length of his finger, very obviously the sort of injury that would have bled upon being first sustained. Maybe RD ran afoul of whatever the studio mandate is on when Decay has a dust effect and when it leaves gore? (More of that later.)

• Shigaraki’s, “Mother!” for the first panel we see of her. It’s obvious enough who she probably is, but odd that we got a whole bunch of narration for Hana, and likewise an acknowledgment of his grandparents, but not even a single word for Nao.

• Very significantly drops the grandfather’s, “Eating yummy things helps make the sadness go away.” Grandpa’s not just randomly handing Tenko his favorite snack in that memory—he’s trying to treat some kind of grief or wrong without actually addressing the wrong, opting to just put a flavorful band-aid on it. That could be fine if it were something outside Grandpa’s control, but we’ve already gotten some early hints from Hana’s phrasing that things are not okay in the household, and thus the grandfather’s attempt to bribe Tenko with sweets is just as ominous a sign of what’s to come as the grandmother’s attempt to guilt him into not crying lest he make her cry too.

• A little shot of Shigaraki stirring in the rubble when RD answers the phone. It’s a nice demonstration of their size difference, especially comparing both of them to Machia, who we just saw tearing through buildings like the kaiju his theme music declares him to be.

Framing Shifts

• When Shigaraki narrates that Hana always took him by the hand when he got weepy, she actually does take his hand in the manga, her fingers wrapped around his, his clasped over hers. It emphasizes that this is what he can’t do anymore, simply hold hands with people, the innocence lost aspect, and it suggests the closeness he once had with his sister.           In the anime, she reached out a hand but wound up taking him by the wrist instead, his hand splayed open beneath hers. This suggested, albeit very implicitly, that maybe that innocence was something he never had from the beginning; it also suggested less reciprocity in his relationship with Hana. Even though Tomura said in narration that their hands were joined, what we saw was that Hana just pulled him where she wanted him and he didn’t fight her on it, not that he held her hand in return.           Alternatively, the anime could have been drawing a parallel to how her hand would eventually be gripping his wrist in a much different context (a more necrotic one, for starters) later in life, though if that's what they were going for, they could have stood to tweak the dialogue so it actually matched the onscreen action. (Credit to @robotlesbianjavert and @aysall respectively for these two theories!)

• Shigaraki still having his fingers when Re-Destro squeezed his hand made RD look like a real moron. I assume the intention was that he assumed he’d done enough damage—broken bones, torn ligaments, etc—to prevent Shigaraki from being able to move his hand in more than spastic twitches, but like, if all it takes is a hard enough spasmodic clench to dust you, you are playing much riskier games than the MLA is generally portrayed as favoring. (Not that the anime kept many of the scenes that demonstrated all the planning and prep that the MLA did as groundwork for their attack, as I have complained about at length.)           In the same sequence, Anime!RD turned and bodily hurled Shigaraki away from him, while Manga!RD threw him a similar distance with nothing more than a flick of a finger. Anime, why you gotta make Re-Destro look so lame all the time?

Additions

• Just one episode prior, the anime managed to turn in an entirely reasonable assemblage of swiping and dodging between Shigaraki and Re-Destro while RD was rambling on about the Mother of Quirks. What the hell was the excuse for this episode’s ridiculous shot of Shigaraki literally running circles—big, broad circles—around RD multiple times in the time it took RD to finish one (1) thought? For heaven’s sake, if you don’t have the budget for flashy, just use slow motion or more flashback animation or something. I know there’s more leeway for long thoughts in manga, where the reader understands that thoughts are moving far faster than action, and that it can be hard to bridge that gap for anime, where motion is motion but voice acting still has to rattle its way to the end of a sentence. I understand that measures have to be taken to account for that. Still, I promise, something that just looks a bit padded is much preferable to something that looks outright dumb.

• I admit to having found huge Stress monster RD pulling out a teeeeeny-tiny cellphone very funny—even more so the distinct cracking sound it made when Skeptic reported in bad news and RD’s fingers tightened infinitesimally—but the manga suggests fairly strongly that RD’s just answering on some kind of earpiece or micro-receiver, the same kind of thing Ujiko hands out and that Skeptic is associated with on multiple occasions. It’d be nice if RD could have kept more of the jokes he actually makes, the ones that stem from his native good humor, rather than the anime making up new ones based entirely in the contrast of Re-Destro and the viewer’s expectations of Re-Destro.

Chapter 235 – Shimura Tenko: Origin

• The man at the door, whom Nao is apologizing to at the beginning of the Tenko flashback and the apparent reason Tenko got busted for playing hero. I don’t love the way deleting this obscured that Tenko, in some fashion, troubled someone to lead to Kotarou dragging him down the hall (the anime also dropped Kotarou’s subsequent line, “Causing trouble?!” that’s supposed to supplement his, “Playing hero again?”), but it’s not like the manga doesn’t imply that the same thing would happen for any hero-based rules infraction, regardless of whether it troubled strangers or not. No, the much, much funnier thing to me is how it just fuckin’ torpedoed the most obvious thing people point to when they posit that All For One gave Tenko Decay, kicking off the entire tragedy: the man at the door with the conspicuously shadowed face and the even more conspicuously AFO-like suit and dress shirt with the top button unfastened.           Listen, I hate that theory and what it would do to the narrative of Shigaraki Tomura/Shimura Tenko as Hero Society’s long-overdue reckoning, the villain they can’t put down and the victim they can’t silence, so watching the anime summarily cut out the scene that really kicked the theory into overdrive was very validating! Conversely, I still can't deny that it's a plausible theory, so if it does turn out to be true, that means the anime shot itself in the foot on the most obvious bit of foreshadowing this side of AFO addressing Tenko by name when he finds him in the alley. The schadenfreude of that would also be very funny. Really, unlike every other cut this season, I regard this one as win-win for my personal experience with the anime.           Incidentally, I was very prepared to complain about the anime dropping all the changes of clothes the Shimura family goes through over the course of the flashback—I regard the timelapse as one of the major points against the AFO Gave Tenko Decay theory, since it’s never taken a quirk bestowed by AFO multiple days, maybe even multiple weeks, to kick in before—but it turns out I’m a lot less bothered about them not taking the time to change the side characters’ clothes when the anime also deletes the dude at the door who is the only reason I care about clarity re: how much time the flashback covers! But just for the record, while they had more outfits than I was expecting them to, the family did go through fewer changes of clothes in the anime than in the manga.

• The full echo of the line about kids being sneaky and simple in favor of Narrator!Shigaraki just letting out this exhausted, rueful, “Ahhh, kids are…” I actually rather like it. It’s a clear reference back to the earlier line without having to restate the whole thing, and Uchiyama Kouki’s delivery is really excellent.

• Kotaro’s first slap of Tenko, the only one directly portrayed on-panel, and Mon-chan’s barking in response. On the one hand, I think there’s an argument to be made for the scene flowing a bit better like this—why wouldn’t Grandpa try to stop him from going for that second slap; why wouldn’t Nao pass Hana off to Grandma and do something instead of just standing there yelling for the entire scene? It makes a bit more sense if they’re hesitant to intervene because Kotarou has “only” grabbed at Tenko’s collar and they don’t yet know how that it’s going to escalate to naked physical violence in a way that it never has before.           On the other hand, that first slap is so visceral and shocking. Nowhere else in the manga is domestic violence portrayed more sharply and directly, in greater detail or more cruelly generous panel space than in this moment. It’s in the difference in size between Kotarou and Tenko, the force behind the hit that’s enough to knock Tenko clear off his feet, the pages upon pages of gut-churning lead-up to this moment and what we know will be following soon after.           Also too, it makes the family’s failure to help Tenko much worse that no one else acts when Kotarou pulls back for a second hit. The first one, you could almost excuse because no one saw it coming; the second throws those justifications out the window and spits on them afterward. Two hits are important—not only for what they tell Tenko in the moment about his family's inaction, but because two hits speak in ways one hit doesn't to how wildly uneven the power balance is in the house, that Nao and her parents could witness something like that and not only fail to intercede, but then take who knows how long to work up the courage to confront Kotarou afterwards.           I understand very well the fear of showing this in a family TV timeslot—the violence is so much more real than any big fantasy beat-‘em-up could ever be—but it’s the kind of thing that really drives home what Tenko needed to be saved from even back then, a social issue that heroes as they currently exist were in no position to address. Far from demonstrating that heroes aren't at fault for what happened to Tenko, though, what this scene truly does is vividly illustrate the flaws in All Might's social contract, in which his power and smile seem to promise that he can save absolutely everyone, only to leave children like Tenko out in the cold with no explanation as to why. It's brutal because it has to be, and the anime shying away from depicting Kotarou's physical abuse undercut that.

Framing Shifts

• There was a bizarre, nonsensical change to the scene at the beginning of the chapter where RD is figuring out how Shigaraki survived/got back up after taking a Burden attack head-on. The manga’s explanation is that Shigaraki didn’t actually take a full force hit because he was Decaying it even as it was blowing him back. This is somewhat silly, given that even a reduced-strength Burden is still strong enough to put him through multiple buildings. It is, however, less silly than the anime’s take, in which Shigaraki touched Re-Destro rather than the corporealized Stress of Burden. How Re-Destro survived a full-fingered touch from Shigaraki’s completely uninjured right hand[7] went totally unexplained; the problem was then compounded by Re-Destro delivering manga-accurate lines about Burden not being an evadable attack despite “evasion” having nothing to do with Shigaraki’s actions.           Anime!Shigaraki didn’t dodge the Burden attack any more than Manga!Shigaraki did; unlike Manga!Shigaraki, however, Anime!Shigaraki also did nothing to reduce the impact of the attack. So not only was how Shigaraki survived the Burden attack not explained, the change to the material also opened up the plot hole of how Re-Destro survived a direct touch attack that Shigaraki in the manga never lands.

• There was also an extremely weird decision made to give Tenko dark, gray-blue eyes, obviously reminiscent of Nana’s, and suggest that they became red at the same time as his hair was changing to white. But in the manga, other than the size, there’s no difference between young Tenko’s eyes and how Shigaraki’s eyes have always been drawn—an unshaded iris with a visible pupil and a relatively thick line delineating the iris from the white of the sclera. Tenko’s eyes never matched those of anyone else in his family, least of all his dark-eyed grandmother. His hair changed color because of a trauma response,[8] but his eyes were always red.

• Relocated Shigaraki’s first, “Little kids…are sneakier than you’d expect. And simpler,” to underscore Hana showing him Nana’s picture in the study, squarely centering the line on her. And like, yes, that line does get its bitter echo later when Hana panics in the face of her father’s fury and throws the blame onto Tenko—but that line isn’t just about her; it’s also about what Tenko wanted to hear from the other adults in his life. It didn’t matter that his father didn’t approve; if he could get at least one adult to say he could be a hero, to take his side, then he could feel vindicated.           It’s a child’s sneaky, simple reasoning: if an adult’s words are absolute, you just have to get one (1) adult to agree with you. It’s asking Dad if you can do something you don’t think Mom will agree to, and then going to Mom with Dad’s permission held defensively in-hand. Laying the line over Hana obscures that it’s as much about Tenko’s craving for external validation as it is Hana’s (entirely understandable) deceitful streak.

• After half a season full of internal monologue being voiced aloud even when it made little sense to do so, the anime decided to render clearly talk-bubbled dialogue—Tenko’s chatting at Mon about how he feels like he could take on the world—as internal monologue instead. Who talks to their animals in their heads when they could be talking at them directly like pet owners the world over?

Additions

• Added a few extra stills of Kotarou rebuking Tenko and dragging him around. I don’t think they’re inaccurate to the situation, though I wonder if it really needed to be underlined two more times than the manga did. Maybe they were trying to make up in advance for deleting the first slap?

• Added a few new stills of Nana and child!Kotarou. They hurt my soul and I love them without reservation.

Chapter 236 – Shimura Tenko: Origin, Part 2

• Hana’s second apology. What needs to get across was communicated with her first apology, but I do think the second one adds some naturalism to the dialogue. It feels very normal for a child feeling extremely guilty to apologize multiple times, like the more times they say it, the more true/convincing it will become.

• A bit of Tenko’s internal monologue—thinking Hana’s name, and Mon’s, and that he can’t talk. The anime slipped some attempts at verbalizing “Mon” into the dialogue, and it was painfully obvious just from listening to him gag and choke that he was too horror-struck to get words out, in ways that would be a little harder to convey on the page. Also, he thinks again that he can’t talk just as Hana runs away, so it gets across regardless. No real complaints here.

• Some thoughts about how he’s itchy, which, given what his itch represents (or at least what he thinks it does), they probably should have kept for continuity’s sake.

• Tenko’s last, “Hana-chan!” just as he grabs for her. I can imagine it having just that little bit more desperate impact, especially given Sekine Arisa’s great delivery of the first “Hana-chan!” but his delivery of the first one was great—weeks later, I can still remember it clearly—so it’s not a snip I’m inclined to doomsay about.

• Hana’s verbalization as the Decay hits her. Given that they kept Mon-chan’s last whimper, it’s kind of inconsistent not to keep this. It’s grueling, sure, but no more so than the rest of the horror show shortly to follow.

• An echo of Nao’s defense of Kotarou’s anti-hero stance. Frankly, I think anime already over-indulges in echoing dialogue we’ve heard not ten minutes prior, so I don’t mind losing this—in the manga, the moments would have fallen in different chapters, so it makes more sense to squeeze in the little reminder, but that wasn’t necessary for the anime, in which the original moment and the callback happened barely more than five minutes apart. It was obvious what the mental image was meant to draw attention to, since Tomura was narrating about exactly what his grievance was, and the image was followed by the two equivalent moments with the grandparents. (Admittedly, it hurt that correlation a bit that Grandpa’s line about the ohagi being intended to make the sadness go away got cut, but the sentiment was pretty clear from the man’s expression of nervy, abashed guilt regardless.)

• The line of Decay that splits Nao’s eye, one of the more vividly horrific little grace notes in the chapter. It undercut the grotesquerie just the tiniest bit, but the scene’s grotesque as-is, so I can understand that slight edit for TV standards. The discrepancy between Decay-to-dust and Decay-to-gore, discussed below in Framing Shifts, was much more damaging.

• A shot of Kotarou just after he hits Tenko with the tree pruning shears in which he looks, briefly, incredibly distraught, like he’s just realized what a monster he’s become. The anime didn’t make the slightest of attempts to keep that spasm of horror, grief, and regret, and thus lost that last moment of sympathy for a man deeply traumatized by a heroic character’s actions. It’s my only complaint about Anime!Kotarou, who I was otherwise far more pleased with than I was afraid might be the case, but it’s a complaint I must register nonetheless.

• A bit of inarticulate yelling before Tenko screams, “You... Die!!” It helps get across Tenko’s rage overflowing, to have that wordless garble before he can actually wrap words around it. He was still having trouble talking, too, so it makes sense that his first vocalization would just be a long, incomprehensible screech. That said, with the music there to supplement the mood in a way the manga would lack, I don’t think the anime’s rendition of the scene suffered overmuch from its absence.

Framing Shifts

• The anime, of course, has always gone the dust route for Decay because Decay is a little too gruesome for family hour TV, and anyway, when Tomura gets as fast with Decay as he is in Deika, he really is just insta-dusting people, such that not even blood remains. But he wasn’t that fast or that thorough as a child, hence why it’s all so much gorier—and it needs to be, because it’s hard to imagine Hana freaking out like she does if all she sees is a pile of dust instead of, well, dog gobbets. (Also, if his family had gone the dust route, it would have been very hard to convince the audience that Tomura’s hands are his family hands and not fakes provided to AFO by Ujiko.)           This obviously put the anime in a difficult spot, but apparently the decision they settled on was—to not decide? Everyone we saw in the active process of decaying decayed into dust as usual, but then once they were done decaying, once that transition from person to ruin was complete, there were all these heaps of gore everywhere. It was a very strange and distracting inconsistency that hurt the scene much more than any of the nearly invisible cuts, and I hope the blu-rays will change it.

• Added Grandpa catching Grandma as she staggered at the sight of things in the yard. Since his body language in the manga (the only non-Decayed shot of him in the sequence) has him leaned more forward, like he’s still halfway through running towards the kids, I thought this was a nice little touch on why he stopped, for reasons other than just the obvious.

                                                         ---

Episode 111 was about half of a really strong episode. Most of my complaints about the Shimura Family flashback are very minor, and most of the ones that are less minor are still easy to overlook when the rest of the presentation was so strong. Unfortunately, the non-flashback half of the episode had as many problems as ever, and those aren't over yet.

Come back next time for Part Five, Episode 112: Origin: Shigaraki Tomura. Assuming my complaining about the finalized gutting of Spinner's arc doesn't get too out of hand—which it may; if so, I'll tack on one final part to wrap things up—I'll also be running down a quick overview of the Paranormal Liberation Front scenes in the Endeavor Agency arc and some various odds & ends.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Yes, I know the Skeptic Confronts Twice scene goes nowhere, but maybe, instead of deleting it, they could have patched it up by showing Skeptic turning away from the confrontation when the tower went down? You know, actually made an effort to improve on the material?

[2] Bakugou, of course, but also Inko, Kotarou, and, very prominently, even All Might. Deku circa MVA has an entire arc lying in wait for him about how much he’s internalized All Might’s paternalism re: having the strongest quirk.

[3] Indeed, as of the scene in the crater, he still hadn’t lost them at all! He had his prosthetic by the time of the speech, so I guess we’re meant to assume that Ujiko or some MLA doctor declared them past saving and amputated them. I hope I don’t need to tell you how unbelievably lame it is to have a shounen manga character sustain a permanent injury like that off-panel.

[4] It’s the pointy nose.

[5] That, at least, is the best way I’ve found to reconcile all the related-but-distinct values professed by the various members of the MLA brass, from Re-Destro’s focus on liberation and purpose, what exactly Trumpet chooses to cite when he’s talking about Spinner not “amounting” to anything much, Geten’s open extolling of quirk supremacy, and so on.

[6] In the first big double-page spread. Oddly, no bandaging is visible in the other panel that has a good shot of that hand, possibly because Horikoshi was more focused on drawing RD’s empty pant leg. The anime kept the obvious wound during the crater scene, but not the bandages during the speech.

[7] I assume, anyway, that Re-Destro only survives Shigaraki’s first touch because it’s a weaker Decay, coming as it does from only from two fingers rather than five.

[8] The fabled Marie Antoinette Syndrome. Never been scientifically documented as such (hair can whiten because of extreme stress, but not overnight) but it endures in fiction because it’s pleasingly dramatic. Trauma-based eye-color changes, not so much.