#a mainstream shonen manga anime

[lostwanderer42]

Been doing a lot of thinking lately with peoples obsessions with punishing fictional characters who did bad things and i dont have any coherent thoughts yet but i am like. Are yall ok

[vanquishedvaliant]

I’m forever appreciative of the fact that Dungeon Meshi, a manga that is generally beloved by many demographics and has a broad mainstream appeal’s generally lost popularity and evocative fandom ship is a lesbian one

That rarely happens outside of shows that are at least nominally subtextual or outright yuri, but despite Meshis obvious cues that drive that ship the story itself is FAR from centered on romance or sexuality in any way which further distances it from that

It’s pretty often that m/m pairings become the breakaway hits even in mainstream series but really think about how many huge, broadly appealing stories end up with women as the most prominent? It’s not often.

And there’s just something very fulfilling about the normality of that, where it’s popular enough to piss people off and make people unreasonably change their minds about the story because they’re annoyed the biggest ship is femslash, or in support of it

Just satisfies me, yknow? And I get to forever laugh at the people who think they’re oppressed because they ship het or yaoi for ONCE in their lives having to see two women kiss most often instead of their usual shonen anime boys

[knightofbluh]

I don't think people understand how subversive Dandadan is when it comes to having a main character that's female and not having romance be the main premise in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

A lot of this is because the main way that mainstream anime watchers learn of these manga series at all is from anime, somewhat removed from the context of their original publishing. But i need to emphasize that a lot of the Battle Anime that has gotten insanely popular over the past decade, nearly all of them started in Weekly Shonen Jump. Not shonen manga in general (which is the publishing genre), Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Weekly Shonen Jump since the 1980s had a very strong editorial hand in deciding what kinds of manga got published in their magazine, and despite their editor of the time Hiroki Goto saying that he wanted stories that appealed to "everyone", much of the stories centered male main characters and boyhood as default.

Almost all of the shonen battle manga coming out of WSJ is led by a male main character (no, for real, go through this list of titles published under WSJ for the past 2 decades and see how many have a female protagonist). Female characters can be deuteragonists but more often than not they are there as support characters, or main love interests. If female characters are the main character, its almost always in a romance-centric story instead of a battle manga.

(This translation was taken from bakedbananners's post)

Dandadan's author Tatsu Yukinobu wanted to have a girl main character and had to compromise by adding Okarun (and likely the romance elements as well) to get it through the door in WSJ. Momo being a girl as the main character of a shonen series from WSJ is so rare yalls.

[tawney]

The importance of a mainstream Shonen having gay relationships, is it treats it as normal.

Yes, there are mangas/anime that are categorized as yaoi or yuri. But the thing about that media is that it's only written for gay people (if it's not written as a fetish.) Those shows are good, but the queer relationships are established from the beginning, as does the yaoi/yuri label.

For a shonen manga like My Hero Academia to have a gay relationship, it completely changes how gay people are represented in anime. Mha's intended audience is a variety of people, rather than just queer people. It had a huge number of het boys and girls watching it because the main focus is heroism rather than relationships. THAT'S what makes Bakudeku so important.

For bkdk to be made canon, that means a relationship was developed and added as a side plot rather than having full focus shifted on it. And it would be a queer relationship, on a Shonen. That's revolutionary, because it puts queer relationships on the same casual level as straight relationships. Think of aot, and how much of an impact Ymir and Historia being queer had, as a casual queer relationship between two important characters. Now imagine that as the MAIN characters. Am I making sense? Are you understanding what I'm trying to say?

[damnfandomproblems]

Fandom Problem #6503:

I know anime has this reputation of being like super sexual or whatever and it's like everywhere and you can't avoid it. But it doesn't really match up with MY experience of watching anime for almost 10 years. I feel like this has something to do with me being more drawn to shoujo and just anime more geared towards towards women in general and I don't really watch many mainstream shonen animes. I think I actually finished only one of the mainstream shonen anime and it's one of the most ridiculed one. It's not that I hate mainstream shonen, it just so happens that I'm not interested in the plot of them. Not hating, just not my type of story. I even like fanservice, it's just that it doesn't pop up a lot in the stories I like. Also, in the shonens I've read (I read more shonen manga than anime), not all of them have excessive fanservice. I wouldn't even say half of them have.

I've mostly been watching seasonal animes lately and this complaint about there's so much excessive fanservice just confuses me because there's not that many in the stuff I watch. For example, Spring 2022, I watched 7 anime, I think 4 of them is relatively popular. There's like 1 scene in each that could be considered fanservice (I am being very generous and including stuff I don't really considered fanservice) and pretty tame. The most horny show I watched is the least known one that I think that most anime fans didn't even hear about and the fanservice in that is quite mild. And this is pretty much consistent with my experience with seasonals for the past year or so. There's like 1 or 2 horny shows but half of the shows I watch every season isn't fanservice-y. So it confuses me as to why I keep on hearing complaints about there's too much sexual stuff in anime and acting as though 75% of the shows that come out every season is High School DXD. Like do you only watch every generic isekai harem that comes out every season because that's the only conclusion I can make. 

[neonscandal]

9 Anime to Watch to Feel Like This 👇🏾

I love how long it's been since I've done any rec's lists before pushing two new ones out. Since my blog tends to have a bit of a reputation, this one felt necessary. In no way is this an exhaustive list, but if you're looking for some LGBTQIA+ representation this month, consider tuning into any of the below. While shonen ai and yuri will of course have representation, I tried to focus on mainstream stories where possible with characters that tackle their identity or where it's not necessarily a plot point but simply a recognized component of who they are. Bonus manga recommendations at the end! Happy Pride, beloveds. ✨

Zombieland Saga (series) - Something, something about stars burning brightest not lasting as long. This is the story of an idol group of zombies who were inexplicably resurrected to bring attention and culture back to the Saga prefecture. Enter Franchouchou forged by starlets who'd died far too young, seeming victims of some unspoken curse. Follow along as each of the girls reconcile the loose ends of their human lives while making the best of their second chance at stardom. ✨

Sub/Dub | Crunchyroll

Blue Period (series) - Who you are isn't something that's readily apparent especially in your teenage years. For Yaguchi, he starts a bit behind the curve realizing in his junior year that he wants to pursue art. While the story centers around his journey to catch up with his peers, there's an element of self exploration and vulnerability that he can't quite tackle alone.

Sub/Dub | Netflix

Komi Can't Communicate (series) - Arguably the first slice of life romance to hit the list but the character who inspires the series' inclusion is not involved. This is the story of a girl trying to overcome crippling social anxiety and the boy who patiently helps to expand her social circle (even though the girl's actually really popular??). Yea, it's one of those shows. While I haven't specifically tried to out characters in describing recommendations, I included this show specifically for Najimi Osana who, while their sexuality is not particularly explored, still has very Be Gay, Do Crime energy with the way they are always looking for an ever so slightly sheisty angle. Like, good for you. The fact that they are also extremely popular and accepted by their millions of friends is just another reason to adore them.

Sub/Dub | Netflix

Ouran High School Host Club (series) - This particular throwback is a dicier inclusion than the last, namely because of the antiquated (and, at times, offensive) language that doesn't particularly hold up in a rewatch today. The show centers around a group of affluent "boys" who cater to the whims and fantasies of well connected girls at their high school. This frequently involves a bit of overdone fetishization of their own questionable sexualities and, while most of the gang is referred to as the "homosexual supporting cast", I can't dismiss the feeling that there is some earnest representation specifically with the lead that most of the hosts have a romantic soft spot for. It's a cult classic but undeniably outdated; however, I think, in the representation it does well, there is diversity. In what the series does poorly, it opens up dialogue especially for conversations people simply weren't having back when the show dropped.

Sub/Dub | Crunchyroll, Hulu

Sailor Moon (series) - Can't forget the OG. I think what, inherently, inspires the inclusion of Sailor Moon and OHSHC above is the fact that, even then, there were small rays of hope in media. How well or poorly it was executed goes to show the evolution of that representation. Spoilers but, for context, in the US, the couple above was censored and portrayed as unusually close cousins rather than romantic partners. Granted, there were a lot of other choices that were made back in the 90's that have since been corrected as the series has been remastered.

Sub/Dub | Hulu, Prime Video, Pluto TV

Ranma 1/2 (series + movies) - OKAY, I know I called Sailor Moon the OG but.. for all intents and purposes. Ranma 1/2 precedes even Sailor Moon. I would say the series, at times, may teeter a bit on whether the representation is positive or not but, I maintain that a significant portion of the cast is queer as hell. The series follows eponymous person of legend, Ranma Saotome, in a quest to become a "man amongst men" as though their life depends on it.

Sub/Dub | Hulu, Prime Video, Tubi

Stars Align (series) - While I think most of the above can be considered positive or negative representation, they are at least not trauma porn in nature. Enter: Stars Align, a moody coming of age story set as an underdog tennis club tries to defy all odds and avoid being disbanded. While I wouldn't classify this as trauma porn either, it does delve into some viscerally heavy topics while also tackling the act of Becoming for a group of young boys and what that can mean with a support system of unlikely peers.

Sub/Dub | Hulu, Crunchyroll

Wonder Egg Priority (series) - As we've departed to delve into darker themes, the premise of this show centers around teens who have dealt with instances of suicide and, subsequently, learning to stand up for themselves in real life (while violently battling it out in a dream world).

Sub/Dub | Crunchyroll

Jujutsu Kaisen (series + movie) - wholesome inclusion to remind you that you should never let your sexuality nor your gender identity stop you from pursuing world domination. Representation is equal opportunity and of little consequence to this story and, yet, considerably diverse for a shonen series. Don't get me wrong, it's a battle horror anime where kids are battling curses and plot armor is hard to come by so prepare to get your heart broken.

Sasaki and Miyano (series and movie) - There will never come a time where I don't recommend watching this series. Actually wholesome romcom wherein there's a patient level of acceptance and support as Miyano navigates the confusion of his feelings for a clingy senpai. Because there should be more unproblematic love stories in the world. 💕

Sub/Dub | Crunchryoll

BONUS MANGA

Is Love The Answer? by Uta Isaki, completed

While the main story focuses on a character navigating their way under the Ace Umbrella, the story features additional characters on their own journey of self discovery with resources for Questioning readers sprinkled throughout. It's also a great example of how broadening your media intake can create a better sense of understanding with who you are and how you identify with grace so you don't have to be so quick to label yourself.

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy At All by Sumiko Arai, ongoing

Adorable story of opposites that find a middle ground together which drives home the idea that you should never judge a book by it's cover.

[obsessive-dumpling]

I have been waiting with bated breath but the end is nigh so it's time to get our final predictions in folks.

.

.

.

And I don't know.... I've had SO many predictions throughout this entire series and here we are, at end game, and I have no clue. Because Horikoshi is so talented at turning things where I least expect. Don't believe me?

Did you see "Kacchan of the Bakugos" live on world wide television happening?

Did you see "cutest girl in the world" happening?

Did you see "spend the rest of our lives together" happening?

(Spoiler Alert: There are so. many. more!)

Like we anticipated a lot of things as a fandom but then he would also smack us in the face with scenes straight out of our favorite fanfics. And why? Why did he do that? Why did he REUSE the line from School Briefs about Katsuki's relationship with girls in the final chapters of the manga? He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to do any of this!

Those were choices. Choices he actively made. Choices Shonen Jump let be published. Choices Bones is now animating. And it's because of those choices and that follow through that I'm so unsure now.

This all feels too pointed... Too intentional for there to not be a final bkdk scene/ending. So why the hesitation in predicting a bkdk ending?

Because. This ending isn't about the fandom. This ending isn't about "who's ship wins". And if you think that's all that's on the line here, then I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry, cause you missed it. You missed the point of this series and what bkdk as a canon couple would actually mean in the real world 2024.

MHA is one of the top animes in the world. Check the numbers. Not Japan. Not American. The world! Do you understand what it would mean to have a canon gay couple as leads in a mainstream Shonen anime? How many people that would reach?

Representation in media matters. Representation in MAINSTREAM media MATTERS. God, I could do a whole seminar on this topic but the point HERE being: a canon gay superhero couple in a top Shonen anime would have a massive effect on a global scale. And how many need to see that? How many people could that help? How many people could it change?

And though Horikoshi has shown a heavy leaning towards a bkdk end game, that doesn't mean he has to, or even can, follow through on it. Unfortunately, it's not up to JUST him. Shonen Jump could tank it. Bones could tank it! Do you get it yet? It's going to take A LOT for this to happen. And frankly my heart is having a hard time with it...

Because we've seen creators fight this fight before. The Legend of Korra. SheRa. Both always intended to have queer leads. But had to fight TOOTH AND NAIL with everything they had just to get a final closing scene.

We've also seen queer baiters. So many have pointed out the similarities to how Naruto felt. And because of the nature of the series' mangaka, we will never know what the truth is on that matter.

We've felt shunted by the system. We've felt laughed at for having hope to see a love like ours up on that screen.

But now we have hope again. And there /is/ a chance. There is a really real chance right now- that we could actually get it...

And that makes my chest tight.

[mysticstarlightmiracle]

I honestly don't use tumblr but Lily is apperently targeting FMA as her new punching bag which is so funny to me because if, and i'm honestly begging to God, "IF" Lily makes a video about it, the entire anime community will burn her at the stake for what she says. But since Lily wants to shit talk series that she knows people love, let me add a few more because I think it would be really funny if she stumbles onto my post:

I beg you Lily, please make a video on Berserk, I want to see how funny it will be when you are forced to keep taking down your video because the comments don't agree with your opinions on Griffith, Casca and Guts.

How much money do you guys want to bet that if Lily sat through Vinland Saga, she'd miss the point of Thorfinn's character?

Mushoku would probably fry Lily's brain because the theme of Mushoku Tensei is about a shitty person getting a second chance at life and becoming better, but Lily doesn't understand nuance lol.

I'm really curious to know what Lily would think about Frieren, one of the best fantasy anime, that is a shonen that follows one of the most interesting female MCs learning to find the joy in living life.

Since Lily can't stomach any show that has world building or nuance and wants slice of life UwU series. Read A Bride's Story Lily, it's a Seinen written and drawn by Kaoru Mori. It's a manga with amazing female characters, but i bet you won't even get past Talas's Arc without calling her a predatory weirdo.

Ahhh yes, what is currently one of Shonen Jumps hit series, Chainsaw Man. I wonder if Lily is gonna hate Denji and like the predatory woman who abuses him and traumatises him because she wants him to obey her and only her. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I wonder

Cyberpunk Edgerunners, the one series I know Lily would turn off the moment the show get's hyper violent because she can't watch anything that isn't a cute coffee shop A.U where the characters are as bland as her writing.

In conclusion: Lily, the person who made a video on Wholesome Media Vs. Dark Media, is to much of a coward to watch anything with nuance, and the person who has a very visible hate boner for successful woman who have actually had a contributing factor to mainstream pop-culture and media, has no right to shit talk one of the greatest series of all time.

[stardustizuku]

PART 1: How did we get here, again?:

The origins of Villainess Stories

Villainess Stories are an interesting phenomena that took a chokehold of the mainstream anime community, right around 2020, thanks to a little anime named:

“My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!”

I say this, but while it was popularized in 2020, that’s not where this is even close to starting.

I always find myself having to remind most people that: The anime is rarely the origin.

I’ve stated plenty of times before, animation is expensive. More often than not, animes are a commercial of sorts, for manga, light novels and merch. It isn’t until the source material has proven to be successful on its own, that it gets an adaptation.

A risk of this magnitude had to come from somewhere.

That somewhere was Shōsetsuka ni Narō.

Much like many of your favorite animes, My Next Life as a Villainess began as a web novel in the site “Shōsetsuka ni Narō”. A self-publishing Japanese website that brought you “Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!”; “Log Horizon”; “I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability”; “I’m in Love with the Villainess”; and for anyone who follows my page: yes. Ascendance of a Bookworm.

Among many others. Like seriously, a bunch of the most popular animes you’ll find being broadcasted in the latest part of this decade - started in Naro from 2012 - 2016.

“My Next Life as a Villainess” was published in 2014, and it ran all the way until 2015. With the Light Novel running from 2015, to this day.

Unfortunately, if you try to find a bit of a timeline as to where the genre came from, you will find a loud crowd that claims that all these mangas are a rip-off of one another, that have no basis on video games. That’s a blatant lie, born mostly out of a complete disinterest in the genre.

The villainess genre has a long, convoluted and frankly complicated story.

Unlike western media, in which you basically take one of the mediums (film, animation, or gaming) and more or less see it evolve with little to no influence of other mediums - Japanese media takes inspo from other mediums all the time.

What do I mean by this?

Let’s take animation. Film animation has a very linear timeline. It starts with Disney, moves to Pixar, moves to Dreamworks. It references almost only itself. If Hollywood does something you can barely feel it film animation. If something becomes popular on the small screen and tv, or streaming services, Film Animation has no clue.

Japanese Animation is different. Manga, webnovels, and games tend to influence each other all the time.

This is why you have extremely popular animes that have a mix of other medium in them. Like, Sword Art Online, which involves mixing elements of video games mechanics with anime tropes. As well as adaptations across the mediums: manga being adapted to animes, live action, musical theatre and even games.

This makes trying to analyze just anime, a fruitless endeavor.

In part too, because the ones who determine what anime becomes an anime, is in large part the manga industry.

Like the BIG THREE are the big three, not for any issues related to the anime, but because they saved Shonen Jump - a manga magazine. Sword Art Online too, became popular due to already popular JRPGs and MMOs. At the same time, it’s undeniable success, and change the course of history forever - came first in the form of a Light Novel (yes SAO was also originally a Light Novel entered in a contest in 2002). So it comes as no surprise that the first to feel its impact was the light novel industry.

The existence of “My Next Life as a Villainess” has then to be divided Parts. The Isekai Part of it, Game Part of it, and the Manga/Anime. Which melted together in the form of a popular webnovel.

Now. Isekais are weird.

People will always point and laugh about how the “original Isekai” is Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz.

But Isekai is a hard thing to define, specially its origins. At it’s core, Isekai is just “Being sent to another word” and that’s as universal as of a trope as any other. After all, it’s the first step of A Hero’s Journey taken to its most literal of interpretations. Crossing the Threshold into a New World is pretty much the beginning of any adventure. It stands to reason that this “New World” is a literal new one. This leaves everyone guessing as to what you’d consider the “first Isekai”. Some will point at Urashima Tarō, some at the Super Mario Bros movie, some will point at Superbook, or Mashin Hero Wataru.

That said, nowadays, “Isekai” became a genre of its own. It has a very specific aesthetic, tropes and characters.

So rather than to try and find where it originated, it’s more productive to see when it started to take the shape of what we would nowadays consider to be the essence.

And something to notice too, is that the trope varies greatly depending on what current you take. You could consider Digimon a precursor of Sword Art Online, but that would have very little impact on Villainess tropes.

In this sense, I would consider Vision of Escaflowne (1994), Inuyasha (1996) and Fushigi Yugi (1991) as the pioneers of what it is now Isekai Shoujo.

They all talk about high school girls being transported to another world. They all talk about destiny and fate, and whether we have to follow the path someone else has set for us.

Vision of Escaflowne presents the idea of fate. It involves also war and the nature of trauma. It’s a slightly more mature story. But it cements this idea of “the chosen one”.

Talking about Fushigi Yugi, it’s often considered to be the first “transported into a novel” Isekai with a shoujo romance focus. I wish I had read it or watched it because a lot of the tropes that eventually become a staple of the Isekai story come from here. Including the predestined story, someone being told they have a role to play, the jealousy of someone trying to steal your position, as well as a romance based around saving the world.

And I cannot possibly understate the influence of Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha. This woman quite literally created the concept of a harem and reverse harem romance with Ranma 1/2. She’s the queen of love triangles. While it would take a bit more for the Isekai genre aimed at women to fully take off, it’s undeniable to anyone who’s watched it how much contemporaries borrow from it. Not to mention, it’s perhaps the most famous one. While Escaflowne and Fushigi Yugi are both relatively unknown, specially in the west, everyone knows Inuyasha. It had 164 episodes, 5 films, and even a recent sequel.

Parallel to this, games started to transform too.

For villainess characters in otome games have been here since literally the inception of the genre.

Angelique, the (by and large) considered to be the pioneer or inventor of the genre, was released in 1994. This game has a villainess character, in the name of Rosalia de Cartagena. The game is about the Queen that rules the Universe, deciding to chose a new ruler, via a competition. She chooses two Queen candidates: Angelique and Rosalia. Rosalia being the rival, you (as a player) are supposed to defeat.

Surprisingly, though, when the game comes out, Rosalia becomes hugely popular with audiences. “How popular?” You may ask.

Well, popular enough that in 1998, KOEI released a game named Angelique DUET, in which you can choose to play as either Angelique or Rosalia.

Yeah, so you may considered that the villainess as the main character trope dates back for as far as 1998.

But…well, I’m twisting the truth just the slightest bit.

While the original Angelique story, is about two rival Queen Candidates competing for the throne, and yes, you will lose the game if you let Rosalia win…- Rosalia is never a full fledge villainess.

Yes, she’s a a rival, but not a villainess.

She isn’t evil.

The original game had two (main) endings: The Queen Ending and The Love Ending.

And in the Love Ending, which was still a Good Ending, Rosalia would become Queen.

You could quite literally, only choose between love and duty. And if you chose Love, you were letting Rosalia win.

She wasn’t evil. In fact, she’s described as talented, smart and was literally trained to be a Queen. It’s just that in the framing of the story, you have to defeat her to become Queen.

And even if you win, in Angelique Special 2, (where you play as the successor to Angelique) it is more than hinted that Angelique and Rosalia are friends - even when Angelique became Queen. Which is supported by the fact that the player can actually GAIN friendship points from Rosalia in the original game, by going into her room and chatting with her.

So, Rosalia is not evil, not by any long shot.

But this game cemented the idea of two Rivals Queens, an extensive Harem of Men, and the idea of duty vs love.

Albarea’s Maiden, released in 1997, also introduced the concept of the Saintess or the Holy Maiden, set to save the world by competing against other girls. With one of them being a counselor-type supporting character, and your active rival.

Later famous Otome game, Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side, released in 2002, popularized the concept of Friendship Routes. You could avoid the Rival Mode and befriend Shiho Arisawa, Mizuki Sud, Natsumi Fuji or Tamami Konno, instead of the Love Routes.

So you have these two genres, and both are growing in its own ways.

Otome series keep gaining popularity, like massive amounts of it. Obviously, it grows so much that it creates its own ecosystem. Varying from school romance, to historical fantasy, and all the likes. Games like Brother’s Conflict, Diabolik Lovers, Uta no Prince-sama, among others exploded in popularity around 2010-2012.

Meanwhile shoujo is also thriving as its own thing. Developing its tropes, one of which will come extremely handy later, that involves the “pick me” girl Japanese Version. Series like Kimi Ni Todoke, Kaichou Wa Maid, Special A, become extremely popular too around this time.

Finally, Summer of 2012 rolls around and.

Oh how I dread this.

As much as I would like not to talk about Sword Art Online, it’s unfortunately enough, a critical piece for most of anime history.

I cannot understate how much this anime changed the game. It wasn’t the first to introduce the concept of video games and anime - with The World Only God Knows coming out in 2011 - but it was the first to (in the first season) take its premise extremely seriously. It was the first to combine Isekai with gaming, and a power fantasy that many would soon find themselves indulging into. That’s it, a world where what makes you a loser, is your biggest strength.

Which launched it to popularity.

It became a sensation; a phenomena.

It opened the flood gates for many others who would try to combine anime, gaming and the Isekai concepts.

In the webnovel sphere, meanwhile, you could see that Magic Academy Stories and Historical Fantasy with the Princess archetype were fairly popular already. But it’s way harder to distinctively examine them for one reason.

Simply put, uhm. It’s, ah, sexism.

While a lot of stories aimed at boys would often get picked up without a second thought for an anime adaptation - the same could not be said of stories aimed at women. Be it webnovels, light novel or manga, it takes extreme power for a shoujo to get picked up. So, these stories simply don’t get an anime, which means we don’t get adaptations, which means no translation or English documentation.

And honestly? There’s just so far as my Japanese friend’s broken English and Google translate can get me.

It’s easy for me to analyze Angelique’s influence because there’s English archieves of it!

The same cannot be said, of what’s essentially a fanfiction website filled with self indulgent writing. As much as it is a treasure trove of why the genre blew up - I simply cannot access it.

But what from what I can see Isekai Villainess Stories exploded in 2014. You could already see it bubbling up in 2013. Notably, for anyone reading this from the AoB tag, Ascendance of a Bookworm came out in 2013. An Isekai story that heavily focused on Royalty and the “Holy Maiden” archetype.

It took just the right tweaks to get it right.

The first to appear, from all the digging I could find in English Archieves, was in 2013 with the “I Will Live with Humility and Dependability as My Motto” novel. It was discontinued in 2017.

It is nothing like “My Next Life as Villainess”. The protagonist was about to enter elementary school when she dies, the story told is one of a manga she was reading (not a game), and it lacks the harem aspect that would later be so cliche it borders on brain dead. But you see a lot of what would become essential. A heroine with a goal different to romance, an original villainess that bullies the heroine, and a wish for a simple no-problem life.

After that, most of what followed were novellas and small short stories, much which are now discontinued or on hiatus. Which is to be expected. Naro allows all types of stories in its website. And back then there was no format. No tropes, no guidelines to what works and doesn’t.

Trial and error landed us with “My Next Life as a Villainess”. And I mean a lot of trial and error. From what has been archieved and translated on English, there’s easily 15 stories with a similar premise that were published in 2014. Which may not sound like a lot, but that’s only what has been popular enough to be saved into English. I cannot imagine how much got lost in Japanese.

But, there you have it.

First, the sudden explosion of Isekai Gaming with the popularity of the Sword Art Online Anime.

Followed by a growing interest in Otome Games. An audience prepped by the original 1994 and 1996, to be endeared by a rival/villainess character.

An audience of Shoujo fanatics which grew up with Isekai shows like Escaflowne, Fushigi Yugi, and Inuyasha in the late 90s.

And an audience of webnovel enthusiasts, already in love with princess aesthetics and magical academies.

Anyways.

Once that reached the main consciousness, all hell broke loose.

After “My Next Life as a Villainess” blew up, it was only a matter of time for countless of self-published stories to follow suit.

Obviously, I’m glossing over a lot of history. I wasn’t able to touch upon the Light Novel and Visual Novel games, mostly because that’s a massive sinkhole you’d need a MASTERS to sort through. Made, entirely not easier, by the fact that mediums keep interacting with each other. Visual novels get picked up, turned into anime, which inspires the next batch of game developers and artists. And the feedback loop is somehow even quicker there, for some reason.

Like, My Next Life debuted in 2014, we got the anime until 2020, and its popularity only reached anime-backed levels of explosion until 2024. It took ten-fucking-years for this to become a thing. Whereas shonen and shonen manga has maybe 5 year gap? Shonen Jump spits out anime adaptations almost as fast as it cuts anything that isn’t OnePiece levels of popular. Again, it’s a can of sexism worms I’m not interested in today.

“Wait,” you ask. “I still don’t get it”

What do you not get?

“Well, I understand we’re the Isekai aspect comes from. I understand the gaming and all. But wasn’t Rosalia a good girl? How do you go from the Rival-Everyone-Likes in the game, to the horrible Villainess that The Original Catherine is meant to be? Her description of a the game’s villainess is far meaner than Rosalia was”.

Alright, so, you remember how I named these series “All Girls Dream of Cinderella?

“Yeah”

Well. We now have to talk about Cinderella.

PREV << MASTERLIST >> NEXT

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Spring 2024 Anime

I feel like 2024 is shaping up to be an unusual year for anime. Most mainstream shonen and isekai are staggering into audience fatigue of some kind or another, two-cours series are making a massive comeback, and big waves are being made from eclectic shows like Apothecary Diaries and Girls Band Cry that would likely be relegated to cult classic status in years prior. There haven't been many clear standouts yet, but there's a lot of fascinating second-tier stuff bubbling just under the surface. It feels like the general anime audience has grown so big at this point that the way we consume shows and the kinds of shows that break through are evolving before our eyes. Never mind movies like Look Back and The Colors Within waiting in the wings to redefine our notions of what animated cinema can be. All this is to say, I don't know what we'll make of 2024 when all is said and done, but it's gonna be a very interesting story. For now, though, let's take stock of spring's roster of shows to pick out the best, the worst, and the worth checking out. Not counting the shows I've already talked about (Hibike Euphonium's final season 9.5/10 and Demon Slayer's training arc 4/10) or MHA's latest foray, which I'm still waiting to see exactly how it shakes out.

Dead Dead Demons' Dededede Destruction: Please Watch/10

I'm putting this one right up front because while it's still very early into airing, there's a good chance a lot of you don't even know it exists. Released initially as a pair of movies earlier this year, this adaptation of Oyasumi Punpun author Inio Asano's bizarre bildungsroman alien invasion manga has been retooled into an 18-episode TV series with (apparently) lots of additional footage to fill out everything the movies had to cut for time. Those production circumstances alone would be interesting enough to merit checking it out (fingers crossed Haikyuu can get the same treatment?), but more importantly, this show is just really damn good, and it deserves better than being dropped on Crunchyroll with almost no fanfare and incomplete English subs that don't translate most of the written text. As someone who kind of loved and hated Punpun in equal measure, Dededede feels like all of Asano's best instincts on full display, a riveting exploration of how modern humanity is forced to struggle through "normal" life in the shadow of the apocalypse, asking how we can still set our sights on our futures when there's a very good chance that future might never come. It's messy and difficult, and yet it brims with love for people and our ability to seek kindness and compassion even in the darkest times. Just do yourself a favor and skip the awful "episode 0" prologue; not only is it leagues worse than the rest of the show, it spoils so many details about the story's endgame that it might just ruin the experience outright if you're not careful. You've been warned.

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Part 2: 1.5/10

Is the second part of Mushoku Tensei season 2 as apocalyptically awful as the first part? Not quite, no. But that's only because Rudeus doesn't do anything quite as jaw-dropping as buying a child slave or kidnapping and molesting a pair of catgirls with no consequences. I know, the bar is in fucking hell and this garbage fire still barely managed to stumble over it. Otherwise, it remains every bit as vile as always. Here's a fun drinking game you can play: take a shot every time someone this season 1) makes excuses to justify why Rudeus shouldn't feel bad about doing something awful, 2) praises Rudeus to high heaven and calls him the most specialest boy ever, 3) falls head over heels for Rudeus in a matter of seconds. You'll likely pass out before you're halfway through the season, but on the plus side that means you won't have to watch any fucking more. I simply remain baffled that so many people have been fooled into thinking this show is something meaningful and smart, how many people ignore its glaringly obvious awfulness to pretend it's saying things it's not actually saying and exploring ideas it's not actually exploring. All I can do is wait impatiently for Re:Zero's return later this year so it can smack everyone senseless with a reminder of what challenging, subversive isekai storytelling actually looks like. Maybe then we'll finally be able to recognize this steaming pile of misogyny and rape culture for what it is and cast it out without a second thought. We can only hope.

Urusei Yatsura Season 2 (2nd Half): 4.5/10

I think I've given Urusei Yatsura a fair shake. I've done my best to enjoy it through its weaker moments and painfully obvious crows' feet. But now that it's finally over, all I can think is maybe it was better off left in the past. There are infinitely better screwball comedies that have come since, comedies that have been building off the tropes Urusei Yatsura established and finding much more interesting, meaningful things to do with them. This may be a foundational rom-com text, but fifty goddamn years later all its best qualities have been improved upon to the point of obsolescence, and all that's really left is the gross, dated stuff and the fact that every time it tries to be sincere and sentimental it runs into the unavoidable problem that all the romantic relationships its built on really kind of suck. Sorry, but Ataru and Lum are an awful couple and all the worst parts of this show are when it unironically tries to make you root for them despite them being pretty blatantly terrible for each other. I'll stick with Inuyasha, thank you very much.

Wind Breaker: 5/10

Man, why does every promising modern delinquent anime end up driving itself into a ditch before long? First Tokyo Revengers, then Bucchigiri, and now Wind Breaker has completed the trifecta. And this one had so much potential! Casting a shoujo-style blushy tsundere bad boy as the protagonist of an otherwise straightforward tough-guy action brawler is one of the most inspired strokes of genius I've seen in a long time (let alone getting the Kyo Sohma's VA to voice him). What better way to explore the emotional human side of delinquent storytelling than with a main character who's arc is all about accepting other people and learning to love himself despite the world's rejection of him? That plus a slick production full of badass fistfights should've been an easy recipe for success. Unfortunately, it falls victim to the most common of shonen death knells: getting stuck in an overlong, dragged-out arc that consists of nothing but uninteresting fights against half-baked antagonists that loses sight of what made this series unique until its final moments. And double minus points for entirely taking place in a single visually dull location that you're forced to stare at for like 5 episodes straight with occasional flashbacks as your only escape. Seriously, you could cut the Shishitoren arc to half its current length and lose very little of value. I can only hope the upcoming second season won't get similarly bogged down, cause a good version of this show is something I desperately want to believe is possible.

Konosuba Season 3: 5.5/10

So here's the good news first: Despite a seven year gap since the second season and a change in studio, Konosuba's third season is still every bit the same show it was. As for the bad news... well, the bad news is that Konosuba's third season is still every bit the same show it was. Yeah, in the years since I first watched it, I've had to really reckon with all the ways this show fucking sucks, and all of those reasons remain on full display undimmed by the passage of time. It's sexist, it's objectifying, it's violently queerphobic, it thinks sexual assault is the funniest thing ever when Kazuma's the one doing it, it's every bit as misogynistic and masturbatory as the isekai genre it's supposedly satirizing. And it's also still one of the funniest goddamn anime ever made when it wants to be. Seriously, if you just strip away all the godawful incel-pandering that's seemingly endemic to modern isekai, Konosuba's god-tier expression work and pitch-black sarcasm are a blast of laughing gas like nothing else in its vicinity. If it could just focus on telling actual jokes instead of passing off alt-right sexual politics as "comedy" half the time, it would more than deserve its status as a modern classic. But it won't, because it genuinely believes all that garbage is the funniest shit ever. Which is why it'll forever be stuck as a show that you can never admit to enjoying in public without being justifiably judged by everyone around you.

Train to the End of the World: 5.5/10

It's kind of impossible to describe what Train to the End of the World is about without sounding like you're flipping through ten different plot summaries and choosing words at random. But here's as best I can: a freak accident causes the world to morph into a surreal patchwork of bizarre locales, while also seemingly reducing the scope of the world to a single train line in Japan stretching between rural town Agano and Tokyo's metropolitan Ikebukuro district. When Agano high-schooler Shizuru finds evidence that her long-lost friend Yoka might be trapped in Ikebukuro- and also maybe related to the reason everything went insane- she hops on an abandoned train car with a few friends and a dog and starts the long, long journey to reach Ikebukuro through the madness and chaos that defines the new world. The best I can explain it is Gullliver's Travels by way of Alice in Wonderland and Salvador Dali, each episode taking us to another stop on the train line that's morphed into its own flavor of batshit crazy, from mushroom people to horny zombies to a post-canon bad end magical girl world. Unfortunately, any semblance of a point feels buried under a thousand tons of calcified absurdism too thick for anything resembling sincerity to peek through. There are attempts at exploring deeper themes or character moments, but the show's pace is so blisteringly fast and so deeply uninterested with anything beyond what wild ideas it can pull out of its hat that nothing really sticks by the time the train's rolling on to its next destination. If there's anything here beyond a series of wacky Moments(tm) delivered with the rushed breathlessness of a Youtube video on 2X speed, I can't say it made an impression.

Tonari no Youkai-san: 5.5/10

I'm of two minds about Tonari no Yokuai-san. On the one hand, it's a deeply heartfelt iyashikei that uses its fantasy elements to explore grief, loss, love, community, and the reasons we celebrate life even knowing it must one day end. This town of humans and spirits living side-by-side feels so real and warm you wish you could live there yourself, and the characters populating it, from earnest nekomata to old gay cars to prickly fox spirits and everyone in between, burst with inner life so naturally it almost makes you jealous. On the other hand, for some baffling reason, this show keeps trying to shoehorn in action plots and sci-fi elements that gel with the quiet, contemplative tone as well as oil and water. I genuinely don't understand why the author thought they needed time-space bureaus and giant rampaging snakes to liven things up when just the main character going through an existential crisis about how they're going to outlive everyone they love is ten thousand times more gripping than any of that other nonsense. On the bright side, the good stuff is still really good, and considering how few of you likely watched this show already, let this be your reminder this your reminder not to let it slip through the cracks.

Go Go Loser Ranger: 6/10

Is the idea of a dark, edgy twist on tokusatsu where the protagonist is a nameless minion trying to overthrow a fascist cabal of sentai rangers that unique? Not really, no. But god damn if Go Go Loser Ranger doesn't make it work regardless. There's something just inherently fun about watching one of those nameless background mooks that normally exist just to get punted en masse decide "You know what? I'm done being the world's punching bag. I'm gonna become the protagonist of my own story and take these fuckers down." We've all rooted for the underdog at some point, after all. It's only fair the most disposable fodder get a chance in the spotlight. And Go Go Loser Ranger delights in twisting that setup as far as it can get away with, constantly making you second-guess your allegiances to any one side as it quickly becomes clear there are no true heroes to root for in this world, just lots of different people flawed in very different ways, all fighting for their own personal gain. You're never quite sure when someone you're rooting for is going to break your trust with some horrific act, or someone you loathe is going to prove themselves more courageous than they first let on, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see when the next shoe's going to fall. Sadly, it also suffers from Wind Breaker's mistake of spending too much time on an overlong arc that's mostly just dull characters fighting in a duller location, but by the end it's shaken off those doldrums and returned to form in a big way. As long as the second season can keep those gears turning, we're in for a good time.

Spice and Wolf Reboot (1st Cours): 6/10

Let's be blunt: there is no point to remaking Spice and Wolf. The original series is still just as good fifteen years later, and despite the source material continuing past the point it ended, it reached such a beautiful conclusion on its own terms that it more than cemented its status as a true eternal anime classic. Sure, it's nice to experience this story again, to re-aquaint myself with Holo and Lawrence's wonderful chemistry and the fascinating ins and outs of Medieval economics that drive their story. There's a reason I fell in love with this show so many years ago, and Reboot Wolf still has plenty of that charm to go around. But this isn't a re-imagining or a Brotherhood/Froobs 2019 style "proper" adaptation. This is just the same show again but a little bit worse in every way. All I can think of, watching this story I know play out again, is how much stiffer and generic the modern art direction and animation is, how it plays things so much safer with its source material while the original wasn't afraid to make strong changes, how Holo's prickly personality has been neutered into a much more docile, Lawrence-dependent character while the original stood so strong on her own two feet. Maybe it works well enough if this is your first taste of Spice and Wolf, but then, the original show is right there! You could just watch that instead and get a much better experience all around!

Yuru Camp Season 3: 6.5/10

Speaking of shows that are probably pointless, was there really any need for Yuru Camp to continue after the one-two satisfying punch of season 2 and the epilogue movie? Those endings put such a beautiful bow on the series that anything else would feel superfluous. Especially with such a massive downgrade in the art direction department, Jesus Christ. I don't know who's running studio 8bit's compositing department these days, but between this and the latest Yama no Susume season, it's so painful to see a studio that once excelled at background art reduced to putting filters over photographs and awkwardly slapping ill-fitting moeblob characters on top. The clash between the characters and the backgrounds this season is legitimately painful at times, and for a vibes-based iyashikei like Yuru Camp, that could so easily be a death knell. Thank the gods, then, that most of this series' charm still comes through in spite of itself, the wonderful characters and delightfully daffy comedy still as strong as ever as it extols the virtues of finding your peace in the great outdoors. But if we're going to get any more, then please figure out how to make this new aesthetic not so physically repellent to look at.

Kaiju No. 8: 7/10

I've said many times that the art of making a Good Enough show is more complicated than most people appreciate. It takes so much skill and talent, so much mastery of the basic building blocks of storytelling, to create something that's just fun to watch plain and simple. And Kaiju No. 8 is yet another example of how impressive it is when one of these shows gets it right. It's a simple, straightforward action show about an over-the-hill sanitation worker getting one last chance to live his dream as a member of the elite kaiju-slaying force that keeps the world safe from the towering monsters that menace it... by accidentally becoming part kaiju himself. The characters are simple but lovable, the emotional stakes are earnest without being overbearing, the action is consistently exciting and well-animated, and the story keeps you on your toes with well-worn tropes executed in novel and exciting ways. I honestly don't think I've seen a shonen action romp so perfectly nail its fundamentals like this since the early days of My Hero Academia. Whether or not this show will also rise to MHA's eventual level of complexity and thematic weight remains to be seen, but for now, it's just plain fun, and an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a good time.

Delicious in Dungeon (2nd Cours): 7.5/10

Well, I asked for Dungeon Meshi to get darker, and by god, that's exactly what it did. Through shocking plot turns and deeply disquieting thematic touches, this silly little fantasy cooking comedy has developed into something much more sinister and unsettling... while still being primarily a silly fantasy comedy about cooking D&D monsters into mouthwatering meals. I'm still not sure if the tonal whiplash entirely works, but my god does it make this a fascinating show to watch. A single episode can take you from some of the most gut-busting deadpan snark this side of Gintama to a skin-crawling contemplation on mortality and consuming life to perpetuate your own without missing a beat. Turns out, Dungeon Meshi has thoughts on the nature of food as a biological, societal and cultural force, and how that force is not always as simple or benign as a meal shared with friends and family. And it explores those ideas with a quiet dread that makes even its silliest moments feel like a tentative breath before things come crashing down. I have no idea how things will shake out in the second season, but if manga fans are to be believed, it's only going to get more twisted and insane from here. I cannot fucking wait. Just, can Falin stay on screen for more than a single episode without being kidnapped again this time? Girl's such a damsel in distress even Princess Peach is giving her concerned looks.

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night: 7.5/10

There is no feeling quite like being a young artist. You're excited to make your mark, painfully anxious about not measuring up while simultaneously being quite full of yourself, bursting with ideas and not quite sure how to execute them, but above all else, in love with the act of creation. And I don't think I've ever seen an anime that so perfectly embodies that messy, beautiful spirit as Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night. Four girls from different artistic backgrounds- an artist, a singer, a musician, and a tech wiz- come together as one to give each other the strength they lack on their own, forming the musical group JELEE as they strive to love themselves and their work through the magic they make together. It's an explosion of passion and joy, often times outstripping its ability to measure up to its ambitions and stumbling over itself, but always shining, always dazzling, always wearing its heart firmly on its sleeve as it celebrates the joy of creation in the digital age and the importance of sincerity in a world too afraid of cringe to accept it. It's also a wonderfully capital-P Progressive series; there's a gay kiss, one character is eventually revealed to be nonbinary in a scene so spectacular I wish I could bump my score up another half-point for it alone. Sadly, it only reaches those heights every so often- but when it does, my god is it a sight to behold.

Girls Band Cry: 8/10

I remember back when I watched Love Live Sunshine, I wished there was a girls' music anime where the protagonists sung the kind of badass punk rock usually reserved for the antagonists of idol shows. Well, it looks like writer Jukki Hanada and director Kazuo Sakai heard me, because five years after bidding Sunshine farewell, they're returned with one of the most exhilarating, renegade expressions of punk spirit we've gotten in a long time. Girls Band Cry is a supernova, a soaring firecracker of a show that marries an instantly iconic headbanger soundtrack with Hanada's typically spectacular character writing in this tale of five outcasts forming a band and coming together to spit in the face of the world that tried to grind them into conformity. Nina Iseri's arrogant, self-righteous immaturity is a primal scream for the importance of doing what's right over what's easy, and you feel that scream in your fucking soul. Even the show's scrappy CG animation embodies that non-comformist spirit, charting stunning new avenues for 3D anime with some of the most expressive character models and soaring concert scenes you're likely to see all decade. And while the pacing is definitely rushed at points, the overwhelming emotions bleeding from each and every scene make even the weakest moments go down easy. It's downright criminal Toei fumbled the ball on an official English release, but unless you're completely against sailing the high seas, you owe it to yourself to track it down regardless. So raise your middle fingers to the sky, spill your heart from your chest, and let Togenashi Togeari force you to believe in the power of rock all over again.

Dropped:

-Bartender Drops of God (3 Episodes). Too boring to stick with in a pretty packed season.

-A Condition Called Love (3 Episodes). Creepy possessiveness excused for the sake of romance.

Blue Archive (1 Episode). Do you even need to ask.

-The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio (2 Episodes). Awful adaptation that butchers what made the manga so great.

-Whisper Me a Love Song (9 Episodes). The production falls completely apart and it skips the main couple's first kiss. Just read the manga, it's really damn good and deserved so much better.

[elbiotipo]

Stupid post made after a couple mates but people who complain way too much and vaguely about "fanservice in anime" just reveal to me how strict US media is regarding about sexual things. Your average Latin American or European movie has at least two nude or sex scenes (of all kinds, depending on the movie), it's almost expected. Same with sexual jokes or references and the like. Meanwhile, and I'm far from the only one to observe this, violence has little to no barriers in US media, but even the subtlest sexual reference if it makes out the censors gets discussed to no end.

And I'm going to be a bit more controversial here and say that many people complain about fanservice in manga and anime when 1) manga and anime are much like, or more like precisely, comics or animation, they are mediums with several genres in them and 2) people who complain about juvenile fanservice often forget that those works are precisely aimed to an audience who loves juveline fanservice. What do you think "shonen" means?

I was a dumb kid and teen too, and the kind of fanservice or jokes you can find in animu are tame compared to the kind of jokes and talks I had with people my age or older. There's always a debate about sexualization and misoginistic depictions, but let's not pretend that young people aren't aware about that kind of stuff or that it even should remain hidden under locks (if you try, they'll find out anyways). What I mean here is that some people seem scandalized about dirty jokes or someone drawn a little bit too sexy when this is not an uncommon or unknown experience. We all eventually have experiences with that kind of stuff during our lives.

It's also a bit hypocrital to single out Japan about this especially since the real explicit stuff is aimed at adults specifically, because again, manga and anime are mediums, not genres. Especially that, despite what I've said at the beginning, TV and series on Netflix and the like seem very comfortable in portraying live action high-school settings with lots of sexualization lately. In a way, I think showing the kind of "perfect" body types and social expectations in a live-action series is a bit more concerning that fantasy fanservice.

Anyways, this is just a pointless rant, and I'm far from the first person to point this out. I'm just saying that it's very silly when I found out that people were warning about the sexual bits on Chainsaw Man, a series with perhaps some of the most violent gore you can find in mainstream manga today (and neither thing detracts from its quality, or lack of it, I personally think it's a great series)

[briebysabs]

I got the surge of Pandora hearts love in me today. Y’all don’t understand how badly I need this reboot. I need more people to find this series. If a studio who really cares adapts ph, it will be big. Not the next mainstream shonen but considering it will be at least 80 episodes, it’ll do better than vnc. Idk how successful the vnc anime was in Japan but I’d say its performance was decent. Now while as a bones adaptation, the vnc anime is overall good imo, I’d like to have another studio. I think bones should focus on the shows it’s dumped in limbo bc mha won’t be around long. I’ve said it before, I think Shaft would be perfect but apparently it isn’t in the best position right now, at least staff wise.

It’s so hard to have this series that’s dear to you, a series THAT IS SO FUCKING GOOD, a series that could be pretty successful, not get the treatment it deserves. Meanwhile we’re given season 3 of Rent-A-Girlfriend and I wail every time. Like you know all the praise, for instance, Memories of the Future from AOT got. Rightfully so, I think that was peak AOT. Chapters 59, 65, and 70 of PH are on that level of peak fiction. And honestly ch. 70 surpasses it imo. Like that is the best chapter of anything I’ve ever read. Needless to say I love ph very much. And even if a reboot mean a bigger fanbase and thus, more exposure to bad takes, I don’t care. Mochijun isn’t perfect but she deserves her due flowers for that story. And in my eyes, she hasn’t gotten that yet. It upsets me sometimes honestly, like when people bring up the best MCs in manga 9 times outta 10 Oz isn’t on that list. Because people don’t know who he is and they should, he’s incredible.

In conclusion, I’m begging studios to give ph a chance. The fans will be there, I can guarantee you that after all the thousands of qrts and replies they’ve given crunchyroll. TRUST WE WILL BE THERE. Plus when more ppl find it’s the same creator as vnc, you can bring an audience from vnc anime onlys. And of course, Vnc fans in general will be there (bc it’s majority of ph fans but hey). And please please please....you haven’t read Pandora hearts please do. It may be slow or chaotic in the beginning but the payoff is a masterpiece.

[ralad20]

Almost halfway through reading Naruto for the first time at 28. Never really engaged with the story in manga or anime form before recently. Blown away by how good it is and understanding now of its continued popularity

Especially Masashi Kishimoto's continually improving art style. Fights were somewhat incomprehensible to watch panel-by-panel in the early chapters, throughout much of the Chūnin Exam Arc, but now they're a true joy to read. Kishimoto's lines are so clean and distinct since Part II of the story began as well. Not remembering off-hand what would've been in Weekly Shonen Jump around the 2006-2008 era (beyond One Piece, Bleach & KochiKame ofc), I'm sure this would've been a distinctive and dynamic looking story each week. My god those colour pages look great, one of the few manga I'd love to re-read a full-colour edition (the use of silence too, I've not seen it used so often and so effectively in a mainstream Shonen story)

A moment in Chapter 321 stood out as an example of why I'm enjoying the heroes/main characters of the story as much as I am. Kakashi is trying to entice Naruto into a further important ninja lore dump and our dumb boy Naruto doesn't want a bar of it. So the charming and guileful Kakashi slips into a coercion of his pal Yamato proving to Naruto that there's no getting around this. It's very simple and is mainly for the gag of Yamato buying the buttering up wholesale, but it speaks to who Kakashi is a senior ninja

There are other moments like the mostly silent panels of Sasuke as a child trudging to the family shrine after the Uchiha clan was killed, or Orochimaru & Kabuto's fascinating codependent situationship or even just in Chapter 320 the silent pages of Kurenai knowing her husband, Asuma, is heading into a dangerous situation

(Of course the female representation is woefully inadequate and it's disappointing to see Sakura grow so much just to be sidelined most of the story, as almost all the woman characters are)

[cosmicjoke]

Idk if this is just me but I get pissed off by the fandom for ignoring the one lqbtq+ couple that's actually canon. Not many animes like Attack on Titan give people queer couples and as a queer person myself it upsets me to see Ymir and Historians relationship get ignored while trying to push a romantic relationship between two poeple who clearly aren't in love with one another

Idk I just feel like Yumihisu desrves better treatments from the fandom, they either get ignored or treated as an excuse to make every single character in the story a part of lqbtq+

That is strange, isn't it? There's an actual, canon queer couple in a mainstream Shonen manga/anime, and it almost never gets talked about. Makes you wonder how much these people actually care about "representation" versus just wanting something to complain or argue about. They'd rather delve into speculation about what Isayama was and wasn't allowed to include in his story rather than talking about what's actually, unquestionably there, lol. But yes, Historia's and Ymir's relationship should get talked about more. Their dynamic is endlessly fascinating, too, in that they're really perfect opposites. Historia is one of the most selfish characters in the story, while Ymir is one of the most selfless, with people around them having in general the opposite view of each. You could find some parallels there to Levi and Erwin, too, without the romantic implications, with people seeing Erwin as the charismatic, selfless leader of the SC, with Levi being the surely, unfriendly shadow at his side, but having, in reality, the purer heart and intention between them. People could really delve into the complexities of that dynamic between Historia and Ymir if they wanted to, but yeah, you rarely see it even mentioned. I think part of that too is that people got caught up in the fan theory that Historia and Eren were a thing, and Historia and Ymir fell by the wayside as a result.

[just-here-for-the-art-shit]

Me in the past: Man, I really don't like that Oda drew trans and gay people as comical characters.

Me today realizing that if Oda didn't draw them to be "silly" he couldn't have included queer, non-binary, and trans people to begin with or One Piece would have been canceled in Japan, so he drew them comically but gave them great character attributes, both strong as people, and in power, defying the world governments norms, which is a big fat poke at society itself in Japan where gay people are either ostracized or fetishized:

(Really though I learned a lot about modern Japanese culture in regards to lgbtq+ characters in mainstream or shonen anime. It's a tightrope Oda walks just to have Yamato and Kiku state that they are a man and a woman in the manga, and that he himself can't come straight forward and say, "Yeah they're trans." To whom it matters, his message is clear, but vague to the rest of the world. Like, Oda could be quite literally risking his life to say it flat out. The media culture in each country is different, and it's a lot stronger in Japan. You don't just get cancelled on Twitter.)

So thank you Oda, for giving us Bon Clay and Ivankov. Even if the rest of the world laughs and ignores the actual words the characters are speaking, we get it.

[hellothereandimsosorry]

I'm ALMOST watching dorohedoro bcs of you 🥹🥹🥹🥹 is it really that good? Bcs I'm kinda scared to start watching it bcs I'm not used to the artstyle

- 🦈🦈

ok im ngl it is literally my favorite manga of all time.

like ive read it front to back several times. its one of those pieces of media where the story is so good that i literally have no complaints like its genuinely a perfect work of art imo. it is absolutely that good.

Its definitely weird and not for everybody, I wouldn't recommend it if you're squeamish about violence because it's very violent and bloody and can get pretty gross. but its also super unserious and its actually really funny. the characters are lovable and without spoiling one of my favorite things about it is that there isn't really a good vs bad in it bc all the characters fall somewhere in between. they all have their own motivations and their stories are all intertwined and compelling.

the story is simultaneously sprawling, involving many different characters and their complicated motive, while also being tightly contained in the world it exists in. the world building is also some of the best i've ever seen its truly excellent. everything matters to everything else in the story and it is so well done.

idk if i can relate it to many other works because it kind of exists in its own genre. ive seen people call it seinen which i get because its mature in themes and storytelling, shonen which is definitely wrong??? i was confused af when i saw somebody call it that lmao, horror-comedy which i think is pretty close? its a mystery but it doesnt always feel like a mystery, theres no detective although its plot is driven by mystery. honestly idk. its really unique and i dont think that any other popular media matches its freak tbh.

it might be too weird to become super mainstream, even though its well known and loved. its plot is winding and weird, the main character has a lizard head, its set in an intentionally grimy world and actually looks like it. the characters arent cutesyfied, theyre mostly huge and bulky and gritty but they are so lovably human.

personally i love the art style i think it perfectly fits the world that it is meant to portray. the anime also does a fantastic job adapting it, though it did take me a minute to get used to the 3d models, it is a gorgeous anime like genuinely it is so beautiful like they cooked so hard.

ok holy shit this is so long sorry! i just really love it that much lmao. as for whether or not you should watch it - YES! (if it wasnt obvious) but don't sweat it if its not your cup of tea. i recommend it to all my friends and some of them couldnt get through it because of the violence, the art, or because its just too weird/not their thing. while i think theyre totally missing out, i understand that not everyone is like me and instantly loved it from the first chapter because the 1st tim i read it literally read the first 80 chapters in a day i was so crazy about it and finished it like 2 days later (the whole thing is like ~180 chapters i think? idk the exact count)

also if you're worried about the anime's art... you like blue lock and if you were able to get thru the s1 animation you will be fine. its way way better animated trust me.

ok gonna end it there bcs this is a whole ass essay