#Winged Ichigo Kurosaki

[blue-cassowary]

Doodles for one of my favorite UraIchi fic "Glass Body, Steel Wings" by @devinephoenix

I'll probably clean it up when I'm feeling less lazy haha

Part 2 :)

[beedrawllsstuff]

two monsters

[wulvercazz]

☽ In the Otherworld ☾

Finally some new artttt <333 This one is a very odd but cute au, with energy beings Ichigo and Grimmjow being inhabitants of a world between worlds, a dimension that unsuspecting travelers have often called The Dream Realm when they get back to the physical world. Nothing ends here, time doesn't exist and everyone is a bit odd<3

Grimmjow's part of Aizen's faction of energy beings, an energy completely oppostie to Ichigo's; an energy without a faction. They're bound to make each other weak, absorb each other's energy back and forth. Consume each other in many ways... and yet, it works&lt;3

[bi-lil-guy]

YOU'VE HEARD OF "KISS ME YOU ANIMAL" NOW GET READY FOR:

HOLD MY HAND, AUTISM CREATURE! ❤

[everbloomly]

[poundcakecrm]

a winged!Ichigo for @/CLICKTK on Twitter's birthday last year 🖤

[writing-frenzy]

Isekai with the Kurosaki fam; now with some UraIchi spice

So, my brain has been dumping even more ideas for a fandom I can't write for, so I guess I'll dump all the ideas on the ground and sees what happens; also, partly inspired because of DevinePhoenix's Glass Body, Steal Wings and slightly be Cannon Ichigo in AU series by Williamcipher, especially the third of the series, because ye.

Anyways, so for me, I can never imagine Ichigo would part from his sisters and Goat-face easily, even in a normal au, because it's Ichigo's family, his friends, his lost, his life experiences that makes him who he is as a person; if he died and then transferred, a part of me wonders if he would ever try and get back home somehow. So my brain went-

Brain: hey, how about we have a thing that makes the entire family get into an accident :D

Brain: And, like, maybe a day before or when Ichigo was younger, he ended up saving a godly being's most beloved person, so the god is like; hey, I owe you, I'll reincarnate your family into my world; thing is, the world the god has is maybe connected in a way to an anime/webnovel/comic one of the girls or Ichigo's friends were reading, and Ichigo knows it because he was convinced to watch/read it as bonding.

It's a world of magic and fantasy, where words and names have power and things go bump in the night ever so easily. Ichigo and his Family find themselves in a cozy little hideaway, all confused but happy and relieved to be alive and with each other. Isshin in this au will be an awkward, not the best father but he loves and he tries, and he just wants the best for all of his children. (He is the unsarcastic B+ parent, because with all the shit in this au coming, Ichigo deserves this).

Isshin in their original world is descended from a sword wielding samurai family, and he's had the forms and everything beaten into him since he was young, and the reason why he never taught Ichigo was because he didn't know how to be a gentle teacher and he never wanted to hurt his boy. (it's why he's always given his children freedom and choice of what they want.) And coming into this new world, this new place, everyone can feel a change in their bodies, can feel power in their veins even if they don't know what to do with it. See, Ichigo's mom had a little something funky with her blood but didn't know it and Isshin is actually a human with spiritual powers but with their original world it never came out, and with the God giving them a boost/perks, everyone is learning how to control themselves first and foremost.

It's after a bit of convincing and Isshin making Ichigo promise to tell him if he's going too hard that he starts teaching him the family style, along with others in scrolls with phantom teachers to guide them along. It is rough, it is harsh, but it's Ichigo so he pushes on through and becomes better for it. (The two do agree to see if they can find better teachers for the girls though, as Karin wouldn't suit this style even if she would be good with a sword, and Yuzu seems like she would be better with magic then a blade.)

The family of four spends like three years here, learning all they can, devouring every book and all they can remember of the OG!Story of this place before they all have exhausted all the sources and knowledge of the cottage, can no longer progress in their skills as they have been, and had enough cabin fever to drive any sane person down the river. But they're not stupid, so first things first, Isshin scouting at first, then with his son, before him and Ichigo take turns exploring and scouting the area because they don't like leaving the twins alone. But as they're getting a lay of the land and comparing maps and such to reality, even getting a feel for their new magic gadgets and all, they come across monsters and such here and there Once Isshin is sure that Ichigo can handle himself, its only then they spilt so one can stay with the girls while the other explores for a few days, even if Ichigo is only allowed to do it for two days to his father's week.

After that, packing everything they need into magic bags and hammer space, the family takes one last look to their home of all these years, bows in thanks before they are off. It's not long till they join a trade caravan, Isshin trading his skills as a doctor to do so. They travel around for a bit, before in the end, they settle down in a bustling, safe city that never fell in the story, even if the story's protagonist and gang lives here with all their wacky and troubling hijinxs.

So, now that backstory and such is out of the way, let's get to some of the fun stuff. :3

Ichigo does not realize just how strong he actually is; see, in this world of magic and stuff, swords are... technically considered obsolete; of sure, in the story there is a Magic Swordman who is part of the Protagonist's party, but even there they mostly use the sword as fancy focus then to actually fight with it. But with the way Ichigo was trained, as well as both his and his father's lack of common sense for this world, for them it is as easy to cut down a monster as it is to cut down spells themselves. Neither Ichigo or Isshin understand how insane that is, because once a spell is out, you usually have to dodge it or hope it hits someone else if you can't counterspell it.

The Kurosaki's also avoid the Protag and his crew; lets not get involved in your drama, please and thank you (lol, just had the thought of how protective Isshin and Ichigo would get if the story was with a Harem Protag; both would be protective as heck over the twins because with either reverse or regular harem, girls usually get the shit end of the stick). Ichigo is just fine how he is, even if he keeps getting into fights because of random assholes, his charm flowing out and getting his own loyal friends without his knowing. Karin is way too interested in magical sports to care not to mention her age while Yuzu is getting fascinated by potions, alchemy, and cooking to care.

One day, after Ichigo has been feeding some tidbits to some strays, he finds what seems to be a tea and candy shop, with books to read. it doesn't have much business, being out of the way like it is, but there is the occasional regular coming out. Ichigo shrugs, he has time and so he enters this Urahara Shoten.

Somehow, someway, he ends up making friends with Geta-boshi, who as frustrating as he is, recommends good books and a listening ear. Things lead to one things, stuff happens, and Ichigo finds out this guy also has sword.

Sparring partner acquired, though it takes some convincing, a bit of bribing, but Ichigo is able to get the other to agree; he gets his ass beat easily, but Urahara is a harsh, but good teacher, and so Ichigo just thrives in the challenge.

As for Urahara, this guy is so fucking terrifying, just like in canon, how he is assassin sharp and quick with his blade even as he can spellcast at the same time, just watching Ichigo cut through his spells to meet his blade.

Kisuke: this is the most fun I've had in ages :D I wonder what else he can do if I don't tell him what's impossible.

These two end up getting involved in some harsh canon event disasters, Ichigo fighting with Kisuke, knowing the other man won't let him down. Kisuke, having someone he can trust lead the way, knowing, having faith the other can survive alongside him...

Just, these two bonding, getting closer, Ichigo introducing his sisters and Goat-Face who is giving that weird stare.

(On Isshin's part, he recognizes what's going on, and for all that he is not going to be a hypocrite, is not going to kick this Urahara guy as hard as he can and hide Ichigo away, he suddenly... completely understands Misaki's family's cold and hard stares as he had gotten, watching how the elder blond stares at his 20 year old son like he is sun, like he can't believe there is any light in his life again after being shadowed so long. He's pretty sure that is the same stare he had given Misaki as well, just as how Ichigo looks softer, warmer, happier the minute that Urahara guy stays by his side, just how his mother would melt around him despite her expression never changing.

So, Isshin won't say anything, especially since he can tell neither has a clue... but he will be doing the protective, embarrassing Father as much as he wants.)

So yeah, this is the idea :3 I also have another idea with a Mob Protagonist!Ichigo, where he comes to be a character never even mentioned in a story, and ends up charming local shop owner Urahara Kisuke, who is secretly the terrible, scary Puppet Master Benihime without knowing it. maybe I'll note it out when I feel like it, though if people want, they can ask questions about it.

[atamascolily]

first lines meme

Thanks to @virusq for tagging me! Skipping over multichapters and nonfiction/meta here to focus on shorts and one-shots.

Too weak to stand, Xie Ying Luo crawled. - Of Use (Thunderbolt Fantasy)

After Maomao had left the Inner Palace for good, Gaoshun found Jinshi huddled on his knees in the corner of his office surrounded by a sickly purple aura. - Mushroom Hunting (The Apothecary Diaries)

Homura woke before her alarm, as she always did--somehow, she knew what time it was without needing a clock and would jerk from a sound sleep to full alertness in seconds at precisely the right moment. -wake me up before you go-go (PMMM)

Ichigo Kurosaki never thought he'd see the day where he was grateful for the end of summer vacation, but the first week of the fall semester came as an immense relief. - Catching Up (Bleach x PMMM)

Your name is Mai Kawasumi and though you are a senior in high school, you are also an accomplished demon hunter who keeps the city safe by dispatching the monsters that no one else can see. -Demon's Serenade (Kanon x PMMM)

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? - Chicken and Egg (Null Magical Girl)

"Are you sure about this?" - Puppetmaster (Thunderbolt Fantasy)

"Mistress Frieren," Fern said sternly to the small figure crouched expectantly in front of a suspicious-looking wooden treasure chest tucked away in a corner of the dungeon. "You do realize that's a mimic, right?" -Improbable Odds (Sousou no Frieren)

The wild swans came down from the north in early autumn, the whistling of their wings echoing across the lake in the growing twilight. - Transmigration (Princess Tutu)

For a region supposedly devastated by the War of Fading Dusk, the Wasteland of Spirits contained no end of hostile inhabitants, all of them out for blood. -Unexpected Interference (Thunderbolt Fantasy x PMMM)

As you can see, I try to make sure my first line either functional (i.e., tells you who it's about and where in canon we are, if relevant) OR thematic. In other words, it explains either the setting or the what it's about--and sometimes, if I'm very lucky, both at once, as in the Homura one.

Stories are fractal, so I find it pleasing when the first sentence encapsulates the whole of the story in microcosm. I don't always achieve that, of course, but it's nice when it happens. So the fic about consent play begins with a question about consent; the story about wild swans and seasonal migration begins with their appearance; the story about fighting monsters in a wasteland begins with the dry observation that there's actually quite a lot going on in a supposedly empty landscape. And so on.

Because of this, I have a tendency for wordy first sentences, so it's nice to see I actually do vary my pacing a bit. I recall someone telling me once that you should never start with dialogue or a question, which, like most writing rules, can be safely ignored.

That said, I usually think of it more as "first paragraph" rather than first sentence, as you can see with the Frieren one. Anything I can't cram into the first sentence goes later in the paragraph if possible:

The wild swans came down from the north in early autumn, the whistling of their wings echoing across the lake in the growing twilight. Fakir stood on the dock with his neck craned and admired their fluid grace. In the water beside him, Ahiru watched too with her usual anatid inscrutability. Still, he couldn't help wondering if she wished she might follow them--if this little lake and his company weren't enough for her compared to the wide world beyond.

Here is the whole conflict of the story laid out--post-canon Fakir looks up at the swans, and he's wondering what Ahiru is thinking, and projecting his own ideas onto her because she cannot communicate in words. Everything that follows comes from this, and this is the image we ultimately return to at the end, with Fakir looking up at the swans once again--this time, hoping to see Ahiru and hoping she'll return, and the question of whether he is "enough" for her is finally resolved with her (non-verbal) answer.

In journalism, first lines/paragraphs are called "ledes", which I think is a great word, because you want to lead the reader along with you. Ledes can be any length--in a longer essay, the lede might be several paragraphs vs. a sentence in a short article--but they perform exactly the functions I've described above of explaining what the story is about and where it's going. Sometimes ledes are perfunctory, sometimes they're clever, sometimes the writer accidentally "buries" their lede by putting it later in the article. The lede may not necessarily be the first line, but it often is, and "find the lede" is a great exercise for writers in general.

Learning how to write ledes was the moment I really "clicked" as a writer--up until that point, I'd written thousands if not millions of words, but the spark wasn't there. Suddenly, I got it, and it completely changed my writing and my life. So I have a special fondness for them and they are also one of the hardest things to get "right" in a piece. I don't always succeed, but I keep trying!

[razieltwelve]

Gotta Eat Them All (Final Rose x Bleach)

Diana was in paradise.

Since she had an actual, functional moral compass, she couldn't go around eating everybody. Admittedly, she was well aware that her rebirth as a Hollow had led to some... shifts in that moral compass, but she wasn't about to go around eating people indiscriminately.

But now?

Oh, yes. This was a wonderful day.

So many evil Quincy with so many interesting powers.

And eating them wasn't even bad.

She was eating them to help Soul Society. After all, she was friends with the Kurosaki family, right? It would actually be bad if she didn't go around eating their enemies. If anything, she was doing what any morally upstanding citizen would do.

And, yeah, maybe the average Quincy tasted amazing, but that was just a pleasant side benefit.

Diana ripped through a group of Quincy as she sensed her own forces move throughout Soul Society. The only reason the Hollows weren't being attacked was the message being loudly broadcast throughout the entire area. That, and the Soul Reapers were in enough trouble. Half of Soul Society had been demolished, and the other half was locked in battle. Picking a fight with Diana's forces would have been suicide.

The Quincy died before they'd even realised what had happened, and a slew of tendrils burst out of Diana's back to yank chunks of flesh into the gaping maw that had formed between her shoulder blades. It was entirely unnecessary. She could have simply absorbed the necessary information directly, but shock, fear, and awe were powerful weapons in a fight.

And the Quincy were terrified of her.

Several of their elites rushed toward her with wings of light trailing behind them. They died the second they reached her, torn to shreds by barbed stingers that popped out of portals, stabbed through their defences, and then yanked them closer, so Diana could take a bite out of them herself.

Fascinating.

Her Semblance was definitely in its happy place. Her eyes tracked a Quincy whose own explosions had been knocked back into her as the dog-headed... or not dog-headed captain's bankai changed form. Curiously, she was being approached by some of her own allies who were...

Ah.

Diana blurred.

Quincy died.

And then she loomed over the downed Quincy. The woman looked up at her in utter terror that may or may not have had something to do with the fact that Diana was holding the severed head of a Quincy in one hand and a mangled, broken corpse in the other. Almost idly, Diana tossed both over her shoulder, allowing her tentacles and back-mouth to very noisily devour them.

"Some weird form of zombie creation... very nice." Diana took careful note of the last power she'd absorbed. It was actually not all that impressive on its own, but Ragnarok was already repurposing it and improving it. "What about you?"

Diana knelt down and patted the Quincy on the head. That was enough for Ragnarok to grasp the abilities of the other woman.

"Hmm... I suppose that's a very good ability to have if you enjoy property damage." Diana's smile widened impossibly wide, and she patted the Quincy on the head again. "Be a good girl and stay right here."

"Are... are you going to eat me?"

"No." Diana's eyes gleamed. "I'm not going to eat you, Bambietta. In fact... seeing as how you were about to be betrayed by your own allies... I was thinking about recruiting you."

"I..."

"At the very least, I can't kill ALL the Quincy. You guys do occupy an important niche in the food chain." Diana cackled. "Although you really should remember who's at the top. Hint. It's not you or the Soul Reapers." Diana stood and strolled toward the battle raging at the centre of Soul Society. "It's me."

X X X

Ichigo crashed through a building and slid through the rubble before coming to a stop against a half-toppled wall.

Those bastards!

He didn't know who these Quincy were, but they'd come into Soul Society and started slaughtering Soul Reapers left and right. He'd rushed over the second he'd heard about it. He had friends in Soul Society, and he'd be damned before he let anything happen to them.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of Quincy, and although some of them weren't that strong, the elites... they were tough. Yamamoto was locked in combat with the Quincy leader, and the battle was devastating the centre of Soul Society. If it kept escalating, Ichigo wasn't sure if there would be anything left. He needed to get over there and help. He was certain that between the two of them, he and the captain commander could beat Yhwach.

But Yhwach's elites had gotten in the way - a handful of them - and Ichigo was getting his ass kicked. He spat out some blood and got to his feet. One on one, he could take them, maybe not quickly, but eventually. All together? He was losing, and even with all the extra training he'd been doing, it wasn't enough.

Wait.

Even after Aizen had gotten eaten, Diana and the others had put him through absolutely hellish training. He'd mastered his Hollow powers and even gotten a strong grasp of his Quincy powers. Hell, he'd practically died a few times sparring against Ulquiorra and the other higher-ranked minions. His mom had been pissed, and Diana had been forced to flee his house after his mom had gone after her with a rolled up newspaper.

But Ichigo hadn't cared.

He'd gotten stronger... way stronger. And if getting the crap kicked out of him was what he needed to do to have the strength to protect his friends, then that's what he'd do. Besides, he trusted Diana. The Hollow might be a little crazy, but she'd always done right by him and his family. It was also hard to think of her as some kind of evil mastermind when she owned the largest toy and entertainment company in the world and spent most of her money trying to make things better for everybody.

"Surrender," one of the Quincy said. "You -"

And then a clawed hand burst out of his chest. The Quincy gagged on his own blood for a second before a second hand ripped his body apart. The two halves were caught by tendrils of flesh and then consumed.

Ichigo grinned bloodily. Oh, these guys were so screwed now. "You took your damn time," he growled. "And did you have to eat him? That's why people think you're evil."

Diana smirked, and her smirk was wider than any smirk should be. "You know me, twerp. I'm hungry all the time, and these Quincy taste pretty good."

"Who are you?" one of the others growled. The Quincy had retreated, and Ichigo moved forward to stand next to Diana.

"We need to beat these guys quickly," Ichigo said. "Their leader is really strong."

"Hmm..." Diana rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Is that so? Well... let's not waste any time then." She turned her attention back to the Quincy. "Anyway... if you want to know who I am, well, let me put it this way. I'm a very hungry customer... and all of you are the buffet."

Diana lunged forward, and Ichigo rushed after her.

"Damn it!" Ichigo shouted. "Are you really going to eat all these guys?"

X X X

Author's Notes

Ichigo has a totally skewed perspective on Diana. She's basically that cool aunt who drops by semi-regularly and hangs out and teaches him interesting stuff. He hasn't really put together the fact that to be the ruler of Hueco Mundo, Diana has to be the biggest, scariest Hollow there is. He sees his mother drive her off with a rolled up newspaper and forgets that Diana is so powerful that no Soul Reaper other than Yamamoto would even think of trying to fight her. The rest would just flee.

His time training in Hueco Mundo has also given him a bit of a weird perspective of the others. Harribel is Diana's minion-in-chief and arguably the second most powerful Hollow in existence by this point. Thanks to Diana's scheming, power-levelling, and modification, she is orders of magnitude more power than her canon counterpart. Ichigo just thinks of her as Diana's beleaguered second-in-command who has to put up with all her craziness and help run things. Sure, she was one of the people who helped train him and she'd crazily strong, but he has stronger memories of her brandishing paperwork at Diana and trying to strangle her after her latest scheme.

Likewise, Ulquiorra is that quiet, murderous dude who helps Ichigo train while Grimmjow is that other guy who helps Ichigo train and is maybe a bit bloodthirsty but otherwise good company. There are others, of course, but Ichigo views them fairly positively since they've never given him any trouble and helped him get stronger.

Due to all of this, Ichigo actually finds it a bit weird that when Rukia meets his 'Hollow Aunt' for the first time, she basically passes out with terror when Diana shows up. From Ichigo's description, Rukia had expected a much weaker but still quirky Hollow. What she got instead was Diana. When Rukia realised that Diana could completely alter and camouflage her spiritual power, she had nightmares for weeks.

That's Diana. To Ichigo, she's the cool aunt. To the rest of Soul Society, she's basically an eldritch horror, the stuff nightmares are made of.

Diana knows all of this and thinks it is hilarious.

[phoenixcatch7]

Because my brain has three fanfic ideas on rotation, I have of course gotten struck by the idea of reincarnating Ichigo Kurosaki into someone from ff7. But I'm torn - I can't decide which character to choose!

Obviously, I can't have him overwrite someone too different from him; it'll take out all the tension and character relationships. No one around him would believe it's the same person as before, and no one would trust him nor could he 'continue' to fill the original role. There'd be an intervention of some type, he'd lose his job, and be pretty quickly shunted out of the story, thematically (and literally). The dissonance would be too great. On the other hand, anyone too similar might lead to negligible differences to their original role in the story, bar the new overwhelming power, which again doesn't make for very good stakes.

You've got to achieve a good blend of before and after, to achieve that perfect sweet spot of believable assumptions and explanations for the change. 'We think he had amnesia' or 'we don't really know what happened, but trauma changes everyone' or even 'I wonder what happened when he was gone?'. You want to achieve that down but not gone energy, unintentional on the arriving character's side or not. So:

Options and explanations under the cut! (kinda long lol)

Aerith: Unconventional but huge potential!! Would be very cool indeed! Good parallels, good plot relevance to enter the final fight - there'd be some snags, mostly with the flowers and turks, and she's way more smiley than Ichigo lol. But the determination to help the community and (most of) the individuals in it remains, either through his help at the clinic or stubbornly maintaining and defending memorials to the dead. He's used flowers before, heck it's his opening scene. It's easy to imagine him seeing the affect greenery has in this new world and throwing his all into working with it like aerith did. Her connection to the lifestream, which is basically the reiatsu/afterlife of the world, would translate seamlessly to his sensory abilities. Heck, his full bring has green light effects!! It's perfect! And even if he followed canon and got killed he's got his shinigami form and copious amounts of bloodlust.

But fr imagine, it's cloud v sephiroth, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, sephiroth is obsessed with cloud - but what's this! It's aerith with a steel chair and a giant glowing sword!

(also I really don't care about the gender difference lol, so here Ichigo wouldn't either!)

Sephiroth: visually their ideal/true designs are very similar (long statement colour hair, very long thin sword, inhuman eyes, big billowing black coat/trousers) and it'd be annoying to have two people with such similar designs and bloodline selling points, but on the other..... I can't NOT have an Ichigo vs sephiroth, come on! If I went this route I wouldn't even bother changing the hair colour lmao, and it'd combine with his hollow characteristics perfectly! Wings AND horns!!! Strong 'I can be your angel or your devil' energy, new sword combos, his job is basically being the biggest scariest threat out there, which Ichigo excels at. But as an equivalent captain role, he'd also get stuck with the paperwork LMAO. Sucks to suck, pretty boy. And of course the jenova issue would just result in Ichigo and Co (zangetsu and ossan) eating her for breakfast, let's be real. He finds those papers he's burning the mansion to the ground himself, not nibleheim. Of course that means no world ending threat to kick-start the story, but hey, shrinras still around, which is basically the same thing.

They've got so many parallels; hybrid entities specially engineered to be (in)human weapons, raised oblivious to their true heritage, mothers purposely infected with monsters that got passed on to them, weapon and fighting prodigies of insane proportions rapidly out classing everyone around the despite their young age, a human shaped mf of a villain who claimed they did this on purpose to forge them into what they are today... Falling to their monstrous forms in rage and pain, voices whispering cruelty in their heads... But where sephiroth fell to madness and cruelty Ichigo responded with unexpected maturity, determination and was able to accept his demons as his own, and not be consumed. He came out the other side a better person. The potential is IMMENSE.

But.... Ichigo vs sephiroth. And the personality change would basically be an inversion XD.

Angeal: he was who I originally considered - a side character enough to be interesting, honour bound like Ichigo, big black special broadsword with special origins, down to adopt small children (like teenage (?) super soldiers) and would actually take very good care of them (if with a... Unique training style XD). Perfectly positioned to massively affect the story through small changes or be an amazing wildcard. The story would be able to be SOLDIER 1st domesticity too, which I love, and there'd be a wonderfully interesting dynamic with the other two as his massive new strength and skills become known, throwing off the long established power balance and getting the attention of Science. His own storyline in crisis core is ripe for aus. I had the idea of his old orange bleeding into his black hair and making it look like tiger stripes, but genesis has bright orange hair already and it'd be too similar lmao.

You could do so much with the similar codes of honour and how that plays into fighting people so much weaker than you and just comporting yourself when you're capable of that much damage. Angel's loyalty and honour being bound to shinra and SOLDIER vs Ichigos notorious and categoric refusal to bend the knee to authority and his history of stubbornly toppling similarly injust regimes. Not to mention the modern general loathing for... The very foundation of shinra, really lol. And the circumstances when that honour falls apart. Angel dropped it like a hot potato when his degradation started setting in (which, under the circumstances understandable if not to that degree) vs Ichigo who will go down with this ship UNTIL you touch a hair on his protected's heads and even then you'll get a proper burial.

But... I just can't make him work thematically. Out of everyone in the list, he's got the weakest connection to the world's fate. What satisfying ending could I use?? What would it be working towards? Curing the degradation, perhaps?

Genesis: I just... Don't like him as a character, I confess. His bull headed 'rivalry' and lack of care for collateral (even before the degradation) and constant sniping never endeared himself to me. It reminds me more of grimmjow or noitra than anything else. But I couldn't consider the other two and not also him, and he does come with the orange hair already! And the love of theatre! Ichigo loves Shakespeare especially, so I can definitely see him giving loveless a go and loving it (pun intended). He'd for sure be compelled by the lack of ending, especially given his own thoughts on fate. His ability with materia would differ greatly from Ichigo's norm, he who is horrendous at kido but fantastic at breaking it, so that'd be a problem. And again he suffers from lack of narrative weight on the world scale, but maybe something could be done with the G cells?? Them and S cells were both very similar after all. But nothing that wouldn't already be happening with sephiroth.

Taking this role would probably be the hardest for Ichigo of the three, but it'd be very interesting to see him stretch his literary analysis muscles (which, again - this is a Japanese teenage boy reading Shakespeare in the original middle English in his own time who then occasionally gives hard hitting monologues on the nature of fate and humanity and his hollow sure didn't that verbose and metaphorical from nowhere lol). The amnesia plot line would be very interesting indeed to work with, as long as he got a hair cut.

Zack: Zack is a Shiba through and through. He's fiercely loyal, capable, goofy and hardworking, a shooting star in the ranks and friends with the most unlikely people. He would and does endure the worst torture and saves Cloud. He leaves an enormous legacy, and dies a hero. If it weren't for his chill, happy go lucky golden retriever energy I'd have chosen him over the rest, but it's not a good match for Ichigo, it'd be a crying shame to lose that and have zack go unmourned. I think Ichigo and zack would get on EXCELLENTLY.

If Ichigo did reincarnate into him, I'd have to put it either right when he enters shinra, or surviving hojos lab with cloud. But Ichigo would probably just turn and leave if he wasn't solidly integrated, but by that point zack would have made too many friends XD! Surviving the lab would be the perfect cover for the new super insane strength/abilities and his new reticence, and he'd pretty quickly adopt Cloud so that'd be all well. He'd still be stuck with the effects of heavy mako poisoning like cloud, but hey. I feel he'd overshadow Cloud a LOT though in every way, which is a huge part of the story and the cloud-sephiroth thing isn't something I'm too happy to replace? Idk. It'd be very cool to see, admittedly. He could have tiger hair too!

Cloud finding out Zack isn't who he used to be would be heartwrenching though, possibly replacing a good chunk of the sephiroth gaslighting subplot that would be dropped. An identity reveal in these kinds of fics are rare, but it'd have so much payoff here.

Vincent: ok listen listen listen. Vincent gets a fresh start in a way very very few other characters do. With him Ichigos original personality could shine through the strongest, without any pre conceived notions from the people around him. However! His past and connections make him very well rooted in the grand scheme, should we use it right. He's already used to one feral op monster living rent free in his head (and the interplay of Chaos and Zangetsu, the hollow one especially, would be hilarious lol) and he wouldn't have to explain ANYTHING to anyone lmao. And his hair could do the tiger thing, he could do pretty much anything he wanted in regards to his powers! Hollow bits like horns and eyes? Sure! Quincy stuff with his gun? Why not! And he'd certainly join avalanche, given they woke him up. Ichigo already knowing of ff7 would work fantastically too, but it'd work great even if he went in blind. Vincent's main gun weapon and his solitary ways could remain or go, but it'd also be a good opportunity for Ichigo to flex his meagre quincy abilities, with old man zangetsu as his teacher. And he'd be a good choice (along with sephiroth) to portray Ichigo's feelings of being an outsider in this new and crazy world. Vincent's pretty out of place normally.

But either way you play sephiroths father he'd be so ready to try and save sephiroth once he finds out about lucrecia. Whether sephiroth would be willing to be saved, however... Also he could probably kill jenova lbr. I mean the hardest thing would be getting her head back from sephiroth. Also he'd love that tattered cape coat thing.

Cloud: and of course the most obvious for last - protagonist to protagonist! Letting his new friends assume his 'amnesia' isn't for the reason it actually is, a grouchy but loyal underdog beloved and trusted by the eclectic friends he leads, trying to uncover the truth of this body's past simultaneously before it comes back round to bite him and to discover who it is he's replaced to mourn, guessing at what he can't intuit, clueless as to basic world mechanics. Traumatised by the death of his mother. Struggling with identity issues and something in his head and so so so ready to kill g-d OR BECOME HIM. Spikey hair.

But it's just too obvious and it makes me unhappy. I like unconventional or weirdly fitting options, and well, is it weird I don't want to deprive Cloud of his growth and life in general? Ichigo's had his time as protagonist, I just feel it wouldn't be the best we could do. Ichigo would be such a guiding light for Cloud, an equal in ways so few others can be. They'd be able to connect on so many levels. There's great potential, yes, but I feel it'd almost be too easy. Ichigo would be swept along by the plot rather than being able to change it from the outside. What do you think?

Guest mentions:

Tifa: probably the best match for Ichigo personality wise, and I love the martial arts stuff, but too much of her story revolves around cloud. If she forgets, even with the best intentions, how is anyone going to help restore cloud's memory??

Tseng: it'd be so cool to have a spy Ichigo, admittedly, and also the 'I have super powers that put me on par with sephiroth' reveal would be insane, but Ichigo would probably be sacked if he took over Tseng XD. He is NOT cut out for that sort of subtlety.

Nanaki: I'm a sucker for people turned into creatures when they enter a new time/dimension, and Nanaki being another hojo victim would give him the thematic right to also fight sephiroth with cloud. Also with Ichigo's hollow form we could get a giant monster transformation!! Come on! He'd also be a good fit for Ichigo's sensory skills with reiatsu (listen I know Ichigo is renowned for being kinda bad if it's not intent or people he knows well but it's miles above what normal people have).

Rufus: this would be hilarious. Poor, poor Ichigo. He'd stage a coup. Finding and cleaning up deep ground too would be a very entertaining story lol.

Jenova: okay I know this is bizarre but this is the closest ff7 has to the soul king and Ichigo's soul is pure concentrated reiatsu, which is a pretty one to one equivalent of mako. Like, the life stream as the afterlife instead of a place would freak him out, but come on. Alien King Ichigo. 2000 yo or arriving during sephiroths meltdown or even just before hojo gets hold of her, it'd be so cool to explore. He'd be so not ready to parent a grown mass murderer traumatised lab experiment but man would he be willing to try.

Also, this would be one of the only timelines where sephiroth is saved/talked down. Ichigo being of equal strength already would get even stronger, he'd be able to handle sephiroth, probably take the attention off Cloud at least. You could take any point on the sephiroth spectrum from 'totally unwilling and mind controlled' to 'very eager to continue killing everything and will throw hands with whatever dares get in his way including jenova herself' and it'd work so well! Also I could finally give Ichigo wings. Him vs the WEAPONS would also be super cool. Maybe he could bargain with the planet? And the idea of her and sephiroths hair suddenly flushing neon orange for no discernable reason would be funny lmao.

[blue-cassowary]

Another "Glass Body, Steel Wings" fanart because I'm still not normal about this fic by @devinephoenix

I redrew Ichigo because the first one I did was uhhh not my best

Then showed the backside of his outfit because, why not?

Then another scene from the fic where they do the wild aerial waltz (I based the drawing on two fighting eagles because I still suck at fighting poses)

Part 1 :)

[auburniivenus]

[ 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 ] ― sender and receiver are in bed together while rain lashes against the windows / tent / etc

Rain descends from the heavens with a rhythmic cadence, each droplet a celestial messenger sent to anoint the world below. The air, heavy with the promise of petrichor, quivers with the awareness of a watery embrace. City streets, once bustling, now wear the glistening sheen of liquid memory. As raindrops pirouette from the celestial maxima, they find solace in the labyrinthine ballet of leaves, a verdant audience adorned in shimmering jewels.

Rooftops and windows, once stoic wardens of metropolitan dwellings, revamp into percussion instruments, their staccato beats conducting the symphony of the falling sky. Concrete sidewalks, now canvases for nature’s artistry, mirror the firmament in transient reflection. Puddles form like liquid speculums, capturing fractured mosaic of neon lights. Each raindrop, a minuscule lens, distorts reality in its aqueous dance, rendering the world a kaleidoscopic dreamscape. Umbrellas bloom like fleeting blossoms, their canopies a testament to human resilience in the face of nature’s aqueous benediction.

But not for them, who find solace within home, relishing the rain’s pleasant pattering against the window. Orihime, within the serene confines of Ichigo's chamber, endeavors to disguise her uneasiness. Alone with him, a scenario unfolding more frequently than ever before. “Né, what’s your agenda?” Wonders, attempting to settle onto his mattress while seeking comfort. “You mentioned wanting to watch a movie?” Although it is the initial plan, Kurosaki seems ensnared in a trance, fixating on her with abiding attention. “K-Kurosaki-kun, are you listening to me?” Inquires, cheeks burning as she attempts to salvage his focus. Rain’s rhythmic tune intensifies her edginess, prompting her to take control. Displaying symmetrical motions, she ascends from the bed, beginning the room's mutation.

Orihime opens the doors of his wardrobe, causing a creaking sound to reverberate throughout the room, while carefully extracting soft and comfy blankets. In a meticulous manner, she prepares a small side table, its tranquil surface reflecting the warm glow of the room's lamp, to optimize the proximity of the television. She calmly maneuvers through the area, adopting the persona of a princess with Ichigo serving as her prince—a radiant fantasy that lingers within her. His eyes trail her every move, cautious yet unintrusive, as if his wings tenderly enfold her.

“There you go. Now we can watch.” Declares, delving into her bag and presenting an array of snacks. “Come here.” Wrapped in blankets, she awaits his entry into the shared cocoon. Despite her agitation, she yearns to be as near to him as she can, and maybe even be embraced. @ikurosakii

HOLD ME LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT

[wulvercazz]

🫐Birb Appreciation🍓

More Otherworld AU

Uncensored on Pillowfort

[xxmoonxsisterxx]

Day 25 Bleach (anime) Challenge: Favorite Line/Quote

Way too many good lines and quotes to choose from also. I'll just put some of the top ten best lines and quotes down below.

"It's easier to crush a dream then realize one." -Gin Ichimaru

"It's meaningless to just live...to fight. I want to win." - Ichigo Kurosaki

"Revenge is just the path you took to escape your suffering." -Ichigo Kurosaki

"Don't break anyone's heart, they only have one. Break their bones, they have 206." -Ichigo Kurosaki

"If you give me wings, I will soar for you, even if this whole land sinks down to the water." -Ichigo Kurosaki

"Change is inevitable. Instead of resisting it, you're better served simply going with the flow." -Shunsui Kyōraku

"Arrogance destroys the footholds of victory." -Byakuya Kuchiki

"A man who raises his hands on a woman is trash. If I become trash...it'll be just like dying." -Renji Abarai

"Even if no one believes you, stick out your chest and scream your defiance!" -Rukia Kuchiki

"Do not live bowing down. You must die standing up." -Genryusai Yamamoto

Extra Quote:

"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do." -Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

[ramblingkat]

Fic: Death Collector

Major Character  Death

AU, Not a normal AU, But close to Normal AU, Seriously there is character death, The worst day possible, Everyone Needs A Hug

Kurosaki Ichigo Urahara Kisuke Kurosaki Isshin Kurosaki Karin Kurosaki Yuzu Ishida Ryuuken

All likes and reblogs are loved and appreciated. 

Fic found on AO3 here

Death Collector

Ichigo was hovering, dazed and confused, trying to soothe the poor kid that was sobbing in front of him. “Hey, hey,” he tried to calm the child, hearing yelling and fussing. But his attention was on the little girl. Who was sobbing hysterically, tears and snot running down her face, legs and hands scraped red where she had hit the ground after Ichigo shoved her out of the way of the car. He heard the calls to get an ambulance and thought it was a good idea. The little girl looked like she needed to be looked at.

Then a woman, looking frantic, scooped the girl up. She held the girl close, tucking the child’s face against her shoulder. “Don’t look,” she murmured, clinging tight. “Don’t look.” 

The woman was looking past Ichigo, eyes wide with horror, and Ichigo started to turn.

Only for a hand to fall on his shoulder, firm enough to stop his motion.

“Don’t,” said a solemn voice. “You shouldn’t look either.”

Ichigo tried to twitch away from the sudden and unexpected contact, but the hand stayed tight on his shoulder. Looking up, Ichigo found himself looking at a pale man, who looked calm but sad. “Trust me, you don’t want to look.”

“What’s back there?” Because the noises behind Ichigo were suddenly muffled, but he heard the increasing frantic tone.

The man was quiet for a moment. “You did a good thing, saving that little girl. I would not have the last memory of yourself be something so sad.”

“What do you….” Ichigo flinched as butterflies seemed to explode all around them. Black and violet filled his vision, the brush of their wings tickled against his skin. Then they fluttered away, other than one that fluttered to rest on the blond man’s hair. 

They were also not where they had been. Instead, they were outside of the clinic, and Ichigo could hear Karin and Yuzu yelling as they played something inside the house.

“How?” Ichigo tensed, ripping himself away from the man. This time, the hand let go, and he was able to look at the other face to face. 

The man was only a little taller than him, dressed in black and white robes. He looked calm, if sad, though whatever dignity he might have was lost to the butterfly flapping its wings slowly on his head. 

“You did do a very good thing. But….” The man sighed. “I’m Kisuke. I’m here to help you move on, Ichigo-san.”

Ichigo felt his brows rise up. “Pretty familiar there,” he said drily. Not that Ichigo usually cared about manners, but that was a bit of a surprise. Someone with such traditional gear tended to be more formal.

“Well, as the shinigami here to help you, we have one of the most intimate relationships you can have. Soul to soul is hard to beat.”  Then Kisuke sighed. “But I thought you’d like to visit your family. To say goodbye.”

Shaking his head, Ichigo took a step back. “No,” he protested, hands raised as if to ward the man off. Then he darted around Kisuke and ran into his house. “Karin! Yuzu!”

Neither of the girls reacted to his yelling, and Ichigo froze. That couldn’t be right. He reached out, reaching out to Karin’s shoulder, the girl grinning as she was focused on doing something with the controller. 

His fingers rested on his shoulder, but nothing happened other than the girl shivering, goosebumps rising on her skin. After a moment, she looked around, and Ichigo’s heart dropped as she looked right through him. 

“They can’t see you now,” came Kisuke’s voice behind him. It was softer now, quiet. “Tonight, when they sleep, I can help you talk to them. They’ll know, by then. They’ll need to say goodbye to you. Your father as well, if you like.”

“I…. Why?” Ichigo felt his heart ache, his eyes burn. “We lost Mom already, so why…?”

Kisuke was quiet for a moment. “Because life is not fair. It takes and takes, and death is no better. But you have done many things that your sisters will always remember. Just like your mother did things for you that you never forgot.” He was quiet. “You will start again. Because death isn’t the end.”

He looked to Ichigo, standing just off to the side, giving Ichigo his space. “Once we get there, you’ll have a choice to make. To stay dead and rest for as long as needed, to go ahead and move on and enter the cycle to be reborn right away, or to become something like me.”

“Like you?” Ichigo needed the distraction, because as much as he was drinking in the view of his sisters, the fact they couldn’t see him was painful. 

“I go out and collect souls, those who have passed. Usually the ones who have more to cling to, who hesitated on actually leaving the world.”

Ichigo, still watching his sisters, wanting to burn every bit into his mind, made a curious sound. “What happens to those who don’t want to go?” Because Ichigo didn’t. He wanted to stay, watch over his sisters. 

“They end up killing their attachments,” Kisuke said, tone flat. “It’s not pretty, and then they keep killing. A soul only has so much energy, so they pull it from those they love. Even those like me can only stay so long. We’re…changed, able to hold our own power so we can move in the living world without harming the beings here.”

He hummed. “I’m sure you’ve heard stories of places where the earth itself seems to drain the life from things that live there. Haunted woods, battlefields that the dead seem to linger, that sort of thing? Places like that attract souls that linger eventually. Each one just adds to the power that drains things. Eventually, they just become a sink of hunger. Another job shinigami have is to clean those spots, purging and clearing the power.”

Kisuke went quiet for a moment. “Enjoy this time, Ichigo-san. Depending on your choice now and their choice later, you may not see them again.”

That hurt more than Ichigo wanted to admit, and so he settled to watch. 

Which hurt more than he could have imagined. He watched as there was a knock on the door, of his dad stepping into the clinic with them. Watched as his dad broke down when the police told them about Ichigo. 

That hurt, watching him break down. His dad just wilted, the police taking the time to comfort him as best they could. One of them helped by contacting Uncle Ryuuken for Isshin. That was something. Ichigo knew that his dad would need someone else. Uncle Ryuuken did the same when Mom had died. 

He had to watch his dad tell his sisters, face still wet with tears. 

That would haunt Ichigo for as long as he had his memories, he knew it. Watching the way Karin’s eyes went wide, Yuzu clutching her mouth to strangle a cry. Both of them were stunned into stillness until small sounds of pain began to escape from Yuzu, and Karin started to shake. 

Isshin wrapped them into a hug, and both girls began to sob.

There was guilt burning in Ichigo’s gut. He never wanted to make them cry like this. Never wanted to see that hollow look in his dad’s eyes again. When Mom had died, the girls had been a little too young to really understand.

Now they could.

If he had known what would happen, Ichigo wasn’t sure he would have saved that little girl. But, she had just run into traffic, and he…. He just couldn’t watch her die.

Beside him, Kisuke was a quiet presence, there as silent support as Ichigo found himself crying with his family. He tried to offer comfort, even if they couldn’t tell he was there. But all it did was make him hurt more. 

Finally, the girls cried themselves to sleep, and Isshin and Ryuuken carried each of them upstairs. Isshin made sure to tuck them into the same bed, which made Ichigo feel better. The man lingered, watching his girls with a tear stained face. 

Eventually, Ryuuken pulled him out of the room, and Ichigo heard his father start crying again. 

“Your sisters first. Then your father,” Kisuke said. 

Ichigo wiped his tears away, then nodded. “I have to talk to them,” he insisted. 

“I know,” Kisuke said with a smile. Then he offered his hand to Ichigo. Fingers still wet with tears, Ichigo took it. Then he watched Kisuke reach out and rest a hand where Karin and Yuzu’s arms overlapped, allowing him to touch both.

Then he was kind enough to let Ichigo speak to them alone.

Slipping out of their dreams, Ichigo had to wipe tears away again, and allowed Kisuke to guide him to where his father finally slept. The way that went left Ichigo in tears and fond annoyance. 

But now, watching his dad sleep, fitful as he clung to Ryuuken’s waist, the white haired man a silent guard over the man’s sleep, Ichigo mourned.

There was so much he wanted to do. To see. 

“What’s it like being a shinigami?” he asked, voice rough from all the sobbing he had been doing. 

“It’s almost like life,” Kisuke said, once again to the side and one step behind Ichigo. “There are enough of us to interact with, to make friends with. We have duty, but we also have friendship, and family of choice.” He made a low sound, considering. “You’ll have time to consider. We aren’t quite so cruel as to make you choose so soon after such a change.”

He gave Ichigo a smile, and Ichigo dragged up the strength to give a weak smile back. He looked at his dad again. The urge to go back and look at his sisters again struck, but Ichigo made himself stand firm.

Then he offered his hand to Kisuke. “Let’s go.”

Because Ichigo knew he had to go. If he let himself give in, he’d never want to leave. 

“It hurts, I know,” Kisuke said, taking Ichigo’s hand.

Butterflies swarmed over them again, and Ichigo closed his eyes.

He was going to miss everyone.

[metalandmagi]

The Real Anime Awards of 2022 part 2

A few weeks ago, I made my own joke categories for what I consider the real 2022 Anime Awards (The Real Anime Awards of 2022 part 1), but I also wanted to put the memes aside and make my real list of nominees for the real categories that Crunchyroll usually does (minus best director, best film, and best fight scene). I did it last year too, and it was a lot of fun trying to think of a varied list. So here are my picks!

Best boy

Bon (To Your Eternity season 2)

Yuu Izumi (Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie)

Wakana Gojo (My Dress Up Darling)

Matsuboshi Raidou (Aharen is Indecipherable)

Milo Nekoyanagi (Sabikui Bisco)

Yoshikazu Miyano (Sasaki to Miyano)

Best girl (as per tradition, there are more than 6 nominees, because they’re all best girl to me)

Marin Kitagawa (My Dress Up Darling)

Aoi Amawashi (Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story)

Eiko (Ya Boy Kong Ming)

Yor Briar (Spy x Family)

Desumi Magahara (Love After World Domination)

Ranko Mannen (Akiba Maid War)

Lum (Urusei Yatsura)

Nazuna Nanakusa (Call Of The Night)

Best protagonist

Eve (Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story)

Kong Ming (Ya Boy Kongming)

Mai Kawai (Police in a Pod)

Loid Forger (Spy x Family)

Anzu Hoshino (Romantic Killer)

Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100 season 3)

Best Antagonist

Enrico Pucci (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean)

Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan the Final Season part 2)

Daki and Gyuutaro (Demon Slayer Entertainment District arc)

Mami (Rent A Girlfriend Season 2)

Faputa (Made In Abyss season 2)

Riri (at least until the last two episodes) (Romantic Killer)

Best Animation

Demon Slayer-Entertainment district arc

Akebi’s Sailor Uniform

Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Chainsaw Man

Mob Psycho 100 season 3

Honorable mention: Fuuto Tantei

Best Score

Spy x Family

Made In Abyss season 2

Call of the Night

Chainsaw Man

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Honorable mention: To Your Eternity season 2

Best Character Design

Yurei Deco

Yojouhan Time Machine Blues

King’s Ranking cour 2

Do It Yourself

Golden Kamuy season 4

Made In Abyss season 2

Honorable mention: Mob Psycho season 3

Best VA Performance English (Sorry, I don’t watch many dubs)

Elizabeth Maxwell as Barbara and Barbie (Shadows House season 2)

Christopher Wehkamp as Nyanko Sensei (Natsume’s Book of Friends. They started dubbing it this year, so it counts!)

Megan Shipman as Ayna (Spy x Family)

Johnny Yong Bosch as Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War)

Courtney Lin as Riri (Romantic Killer)

Mick Laur as Bon (To Your Eternity season 2)

Best VA Performance Japanese

Tanezaki, Atsumi as Anya (Spy x Family)

Imai, Fumiya as Yuuya Niyodo (Phantom of the Idol)

Kuno, Misaki as Faputa (Made In Abyss season 2)

Satou, Rina as Ranko (Akiba Maid War)

Koyasu, Takahito as Bon (To Your Eternity season 2)

Hikasa, Youko as Hizuru (Summertime Rendering)

Best OP (No the Chainsaw Man op isn’t in here, I literally made a separate category for it on my meme awards)

Spy x Family OP 1 (“Mixed Nuts”-HIGE DANdism)

Ya Boy Kongming (“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”-Queendom)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean (part 2) (“Stone Ocean”-Ichigo)

Akiba Maid War (“Maid Daikaiten”- Ton Tokoton Staff)

Call of the Night (“Daten”-Creepy Nuts)

Mob Psycho 100 season 3 (“1”-Mob Choir)

Honorable mention: Yurei Deco (“1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 LOVE”-clammbon)

Best Ed

Spy x Family ED 2 (“Shikisai”-Yama)

I’m the Villainess So I’m Taming The Final Boss (”Nomick”- ACCAMER)

Kaguya-Sama Love is War season 3 (not the special ending, the regular one, though the special ending is good too)

Mob Psycho 100 season 3 (”Cobalt”- Mob Choir)

Shadows House season 2 (“Masquerade”-Claris)

Chainsaw Man (I mean come on, how is this fair? What are you trying to prove by making 12 different endings? You’ve got to be kidding me!)

Honorable mention: Komi Can’t Communicate season 2 (“Koshaberi Biyori”-FantasticYouth) (no I'm not kidding, this ending fascinates me. I can find something new to focus on every time I watch it.)

Best Comedy

Aharen is Indecipherable 

Police in a Pod

Spy x Family

Romantic Killer

Bocchi The Rock

Play It Cool Guys!

Honorable mention: Isekai Ojisan

Best Romance

Sasaki to Miyano

Love After World Domination

Kaguya-sama Love Is War season 3

My Dress Up Darling

Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie

When Will Ayamu Make His Move?

Best Drama

Dance Dance Danseur (it might technically be a sports anime, but it certainly felt like a drama in the second half)

Attack on Titan the Final Season part 2

Summertime Rendering

Shadows House season 2

Made in Abyss season 2

Akiba Maid War

Honorable mention: Golden Kamuy season 4 (I don’t care if it had to go on hiatus, it deserves to be recognized)

Best Action (I usually judge this category based on how good the action in the show is, rather than the show as a whole)

Demon Slayer Entertainment District arc

Lycoris Recoil

Mob Psycho 100 season 3

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

Chainsaw Man

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 

Best Fantasy

King’s Ranking cour 2

Shadows House season 2

Sabikui Bisco

Made In Abyss season 2

Vanitas no Carte season 2

To Your Eternity season 2

Honorable mention: Kokyu no Karasu (Raven of the Inner Palace)

Anime of the Year

Spy x Family

Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc

Summertime Rendering

Chainsaw Man

Mob Psycho 100 season 3

Made In Abyss season 2

Honorable mention: Akiba Maid War (yes unironically)

But who cares what I think? What would you guys pick? Let’s see how much I match up with Crunchyroll!