#and I wonder how Rin has developed

[bachirasbodyguard]

I'm a little worried about how Rin is doing in PXG, ngl

For a number of reasons:

Most importantly - his instructor is Loki. Look at the face Rin made when that was announced.

Rin already disliked him because of how hard he outplayed him in the Blue Lock vs. World Stars mini-game, without putting in basically any effort, as both he and Isagi noted. There's a certain tension between these two if you re-read those chapters:

I think a lot of it might come just from them being so close in age. I think Rin sees him more as another player he has to beat (especially since it's another player who is at Sae's level) than a teacher.

And you know that since Loki is part of the New World 11 it's probably going to be "Itoshi's little brother" and not "Rin".

2. He's probably hit a mental and emotional slump after what happened in BL vs U20. He must have lost some of his spirit after how things turned out for him personally and with his brother, now confused about what he's doing this all for, and Isagi isn't there to light a fire under his ass

3. He has to watch Isagi, his "i'll-kill-you-even-if-it-kills-me" rival, fight ANOTHER, cooler rival. I don't know about you, but if I had Rin's personality and my bitch-ass of a rival was all "look at this better, more powerful rival I found who is like you but better and whose demise is all I think about 24/7" I'd be a little pissed

4. VERY important: His only company are Karasu, who is just as big of a bitch as he is, and fucking SHIDOU. I don't even need to say anything else. I can't even imagine the shit Shidou is telling him now that he has his dick all hard for Mr. Underlashes senior

Of course I hope that his "defeat" at the U20 game made him mature and he won't be a sad little bitchboy during the Neo Egoist League but I'm pretty sure that's not going to be the case.

Anyway. Hang in there lil' emo guy.

[astronomalyy]

Thinking about the lifespans of Dungeon Meshi elves... The fact that they're completely unnatural alters my brain chemistry, because you can tell just how haphazardly the demon implemented their wish. They live five times the length of tall-men, so they age at a fifth of their rate. It's simple maths and the implications are terrifying. No wonder their birth rate and population are declining - their early development is so slow that at the age of two, they're still unable to stand.

They don't reach adulthood until their eighties. What does the infant mortality look like? How many elves succumb to illness or injury before they're fully mature? It only takes one accident to lose the child you've been raising for decades - and could you bring yourself to care for another? Add to that the implication elf culture has no idea how to process grief... just look at the way the Canaries treat Rin after the death of her parents. They're callous and insensitive and detached - part of that's racism, but there's also an element of pure cold ignorance. They don't even recognise the emotion on her face.

And that's just scratching the surface... does elven memory accommodate their extended lifespan? Once you reach two hundred or so, do the years start blurring together? Kabru mentions that their temporal awareness is remarkably poor.

Two years feel like a few months. Their lives are longer but not fuller. They're older but not wiser than the short-lived races, and most refuse to understand this. Those that do grasp it are interesting - namely Otta, who's ostracised for pursuing half-foot women.

A 30-year old elf is a young child; a 30-year old half-foot has entered middle age. Otta is in the equivalent of her late twenties. She knows that her elven lifespan makes her no more mature than a half-foot - but she also acknowledges that it creates a rift between herself and her partners, and not just in the eyes of society. 'She dumps them as soon as they pass 30', but probably not for the reasons Lycion assumes. For this to be a pattern, decades must have passed - it's possible Otta doesn't want to watch them die as she herself barely ages. No doubt some of her previous lovers have already passed away. In the end, all living 400 years accomplishes is leaving them out of sync with the rest of humanity.

Marcille's perhaps the best example. As a half-elf, she's got 95% of her life ahead and the thought terrifies her. She's going to lose everyone she loves, over and over and over again, and this cycle has barely even started. She runs at a different pace. This context adds so much to her dynamic with Falin in earlier chapters.

Marcille loves her! She's scared for her! Maybe even of her! She's grown attached to a short-lived girl who she met as a kid when Marcille was a teaching assistant! Biologically and developmentally, they're the same age, but chronologically she's twice as old as Falin! Considering what happened to her mother, is history repeating itself? Her feelings towards Falin are tangled and messy and fascinating. They're also more than a little homoerotic, which makes Marcille's infantilization of her friend all the more interesting. It feels like her way of resolving their power imbalance, of remaining a responsible (former!) authority figure... but it's also a coping mechanism. She's frightened by the ways Falin is maturing and changing - aging - and keeping her mental image of her friend as young as possible is her way of denying the march of time that's destined to sever their bond.

Marcille's dream of lifespan extension would remove the need for this obfuscation, render them equal... only, they already are! This desire is imposed onto Falin, but it's primarily for Marcille's benefit. Watching her fight for a world nobody wants, for reasons both selfish and altruistic... it's as tragic as it is understandable. I love this manga.

[zenokei]

blue lock manga chapter 271 spoilers, mentions, and analysis (this is an absolute word vomit)

my drabbles, understanding, and analysis on the itoshi family goes something like: when the itoshi parents didn’t know how to properly deal with rin’s behavior when he was little but sae seemed to be the only one that can ‘understand’ and ‘get along’ with rin—they unintentionally gave the responsibility to sae.

i suspect that their thinking is something along the lines of “sae seems like he’s got an understanding of rin that we don’t, maybe it’s better that way, he’s rin’s big brother, after all.”

and honestly, i think that’s why we as the readers find the itoshi parents “distant” from the brothers’ lives.

but do i think they’re bad parents? not necessarily, although i also do think that they could’ve done more. but given certain circumstances…it’s kind of subjective.

let’s talk about itoshi mom first

evidently, itoshi mom is a very concerned mother: she doubts herself, she worries for rin (and sae), and she’s generally lost.

and how could she not feel all those things?

i perceive this as she’s a mother who doesn’t distance herself from her children, but because she doesn’t know what to do at all, she seems hopeless and doesn’t have any solution to fix things. naturally, she has the instinct to do what a parent should in times like scolding, etc—however, this is blue lock, everyone has their own ‘ego’, yet some of those inner desires are just cultivated beyond rationality at this point.

(which strengthens my suspicion about the itoshi parents unconsciously putting the responsibility of rin’s behavior onto sae…)

now, itoshi dad

honestly, i don’t have much to say about him, he’s pretty hands off with what’s happening with their children.

as seen, he does seem more composed and lax about everything, and sae definitely got that from him. i wonder if it’s because of itoshi dad’s ‘talks’ (?) with sae that somewhat developed sae to be the big brother he was to rin back when they were little.

i believe the narrative is just implying that he doesn’t think much of the behavioral differences that rin and sae show, even when rin gets injured and gets in trouble, which is a little yikes on his end but that’s just what i understood.

most definitely, the siblings got the trait of being closed off from their dad, lol.

overall, i still don’t believe they’re bad parents whatsoever. however, i do want to talk about my recurring theory that the itoshi parents gradually placed the responsibility of rin’s behavior (and his whole development) onto sae.

let’s discuss the impact of itoshi sae

when sae was around 13-14, he went to spain, and during the pre-teen/teenage years of the itoshi brothers, their family seems rather peaceful.

the itoshi parents—aside from the pride and joy they felt about sae’s success as a rising soccer player—seem rather refreshed, anew, and just happier. they don’t carry the gloom of being worried for their children’s behavior anymore.

but why?

it’s because of rin and sae’s bond over soccer. from a young age, rin has joined his big brother’s soccer team as they both relished the games they could never play with anyone else aside from each other. basically, the itoshi brothers found what they were for. and they definitely got occupied over it.

though i’m only connecting the dots for my own analysis, i firmly believe that the moment rin played soccer with sae, he found a way for his destructive mindset to be utilized. through soccer—the only thing rin has been focusing on—rin was able to effectively let out his desire to break, destroy, and kill what’s “amazing/perfect”.

and who was the only one there by his side, every pass after pass and goal after goal? of course, it’s his big brother. the one to only truly understand and see rin from the very beginning.

honestly, it all makes me wonder if the itoshi parents ever talked to sae one-on-one about rin’s behavior. (which honestly makes sense, because sae seems like a pretty obedient kid). but at the same time, what are the chances it made sae extremely analytical, too?

i mean, sae was deemed a prodigy at what 7 years old? that’s seriously insane. so it shouldn’t be a surprise that all of what’s leading up to the ego of the itoshi siblings plays a big part. i’m leaning on the possibility that sae was somehow influenced by the itoshi parents to be more keen or observant on rin—that or sae was only doing what he did out of pure instinct, that’s entirely plausible.

however, whatever the course may be, the outcome that sae noticed something with rin (even before their ego in soccer) will not change.

from this point onwards is just my random babbles about the itoshi family’s relationship (kind of…)

“but when sae left for spain the itoshi parents didn’t appear to care about rin-” i am not hearing that. we should remember that blue lock is (honestly borderline but whatever) about SOCCER.

i believe the first ever backstory we got of the itoshi siblings was only soccer-centered, and in rin’s perspective/narration. why would his parents be included in his soccer career when they most definitely weren’t?

again, i don’t believe that they’re bad parents.

also, i doubt that itoshi mom would ever just stop worrying about rin, even when he’s grown up! in fact, i think that with sae leaving for spain, she probably felt even worried because their children are separated. yet at the same time, i do see her not knowing what to really do again. perhaps they had no cameo after the airport scene because rin found it irrelevant in regards to soccer and his ego.

but, then again, i’m very certain that the itoshi parents do care for their children, and are still connected to them somehow…just not when it comes to the field.

aside from the second backstory (the most recent one) they look out for them (i assume this goes for rin too). in the character book the egoist bible, sae mentioned how his parents send him salted kelp from home to go with his rice when he asks. additionally, we saw itoshi dad say in their first back story for sae to “take care of your health!” as he leaves for spain. the itoshi parents do seem to care for rin and sae as supportive parents of athletes, however, only in the sidelines, because i personally don’t think it goes deeper than that.

honestly, everything for me is pointing that the itoshi parents aren’t active and present in the itoshi brothers’ soccer careers. not necessarily implied, but in the ‘another blue lock: episode omotesando’, rin is the only one seen that has a ticket to sae’s japan triumphant match. a ticket sae sent—of which i assume—only to him.

although this is all still just my speculation, i am still leaning on that the itoshi parents aren’t really relevant in the itoshi siblings’ soccer life, but rather, they play a role in how they ended up developing.

that’s all!

again, this are just my own thoughts about this chapter. this is not canon by any means and i am not forcefully saying what i am discussing is right and should be deemed the only theory/ies out there.

i’d love to talk more about theories and analyses on blue lock, let’s chat!

[w1shb0n3z]

Alright, so hear me out

(this is another long one. Like. Seriously. It has 2.6k words.)

*yes, I edited this like 5 mins after I posted it just to add some more, oops

Post cannon Labru where Laios tries to help Kabru regain weight

TW: ED, Body Dysmorphia, Fat-phobia, Gender Dysphoria

It turns out to he a huge body image thing. Like Kabru develops a bit of an ED after he gains his weight back and tries to stay "the perfect weight" and major body dysmorphia. But! It's very sweet because hand feeding, of course, and self-acceptance.

I imagine Kabru's blue eyes get brought up when Laios is like "oh, you don't like that about yourself? :( you're so wonderful! What else could you possibly not like! Surely not those eyes ^^" or something

Plus! I'm 98% sure that Laios gains some weight post cannon, so his wrestler build gets softer, which, yay! We love that here! But this comes with its positives and negatives. (Dont he scared by how big the negative paragraph is)

Positive: Kabru has an example of having a healthy relationship with yourself and your body

Negatives (and hold on) TW btw: at a certain point of Kabru's weight gain/ body acceptance journey, where he gets obsessed with keeping "the perfect body" and does everything in his power not to gain anymore, his own twisted view of himself spills over to Laios. He starts to view Laios as a sort of slob or careless person because he gained weight after the dungeon and gained an extra 5-ish pounds while helping Kabru gain. Because Laios can and will encourage Kabru to eat by eating with him with a smile on his face.

What if someone finds out about Kabru's purging?

Yes, Kabru has purged a few times while he was at his lowest. And no, Laios doesn't catch him in the act. He doesn't know until someone tells him about it. Kabru just keeps it to himself with a tinge of guilt. Someone else finds out. I can't decide who yet, but if it were:

Chilchuck - he'd be familiar with his topic because one of his daughters went through the same thing. He keeps secret as per Kabru's request but gives to Kabru straight. He tells him vomiting hat much rots your teeth and only has negative impacts in the future. With Chil being big and tall for his race's standards and him canonically watching his own weight, he talks Kabru through this whole body image thing. Maybe not in the exact way Kabru wants, but in the way he needs

Senshi - he's SO against this. He tries to father Kabru, but his own lack of understanding for why Labru feels this way gets in the way of progress. He urges Kabru to eat and tells Laios what's goin on in hopes of figuring out what all of this is about, accidentally spilling the beans and leading to conflict between Laios and Kabru

Marcille - she doesn't really get the ED thing, but she gets not liking your body (since she never fit in with her "age group" while growing up and wished she physically presented like them). She also tells Kabru that throwing up rots his teeth and says it's bad for your mana and junk. Shes very offput by this whole thing, but she tries. She doesn't tell Laios...on purpose. (Falin also finds out becuase the guilt Marcille has from telling that secret ears her alive)

Falin - my girl does NOT understand. But she's here to empathize. She ends up being huge in Kabru's healing journey. She tries to check in on bim every now and then and uses her own transformation to promote body acceptance

Izutsumi - she doesn't know what to do. She's 17 goddamn it. So when she hears Kabru throwing up she just assumes he's sick, but when she keeps hearing it she gets a little stressed about him. She goes "he's just weird" and mentions it in conversation to someone else, most likely Marcille (which probably led to Marcille finding out in the earlier paragraph)

Mickbell...somehow - is like "dude wtf" and tells Rin about it since he knows there close. He's worried, yeah, but he doesn't think its really his problem. Especially since the two fo them aren't close like that.

Kuro - he finds out and tells Rin as well, he also tells Kabru that he looks fine. He mentions it to Mickbell, yeah, but in a "Will he be okay? :(" way

Rin - devastated. She initially gives Kabru a hard talk...which makes him worse, but hey! She tried. Rin then thinks its becuase of the shame of dying many times and tries to comfort Kabru again. Doesn't work. She tries to get him to eat the things he likes. He eats them, but she can sense the guilt from Kabru. They then have a heart to heart becuase Rin can't stand to see her best friend suffer like this and assures him that he looks fine as often as he needs

Holm - he takes a simular approach as Falin but gets a little more involved. He understands it on paper, but can't image what actually having these issues is like. Yes, he also informs Rin and is the one that told her to try to speak to Kabru in a less...prickly manner about this touchy subject

Daya - She doesnt realise what Kabru was trying to achieve by puking. So she just advises him not to do so and tells Rin about the strange behavior.

How does this affect non-platonic Labru?

Easy!

Well for starters! If they were boning before, they aren't now LMAO

Partly because of Kabru's own body image being trash and his attraction to Laios (temporarily) going to shit after Laios gained some weight to encourage Kabru. Damn that internalized fat-phobia. Neither one of them seems to have a clue what's going on. Let word, seems.

Kabru knows his view of Laios just isn't the same, but he doesn't let it be known that he's aware of this.

Does he feel bad? Yeah. But he only feels bad because he doesn't feel bad. He feels as though he's a shitty boyfriend for harboring such disgust for his partner's figure

Laios catches Kabru stealing glances at himself in the mirror. Staring just a little too long. Laios deduces that Kabru's feeling a little self-conscious after some hard thought.

So, of course, he makes sure to be extra careful about his words. He'd totally be like that one meme (which I can't find) that goes: "damn girl, that ass is wide" "what??" "I didn't want to say fat and trigger your eating disorders :/"

Plus, on the not boning thing, they're busy. You got a king and his advisor, they're not gonna be cranking it up every night! They simply sleep together, in a literal sense most nights anyways, so more sleep isn't anything bad

Additionally, I don't believe Laios has a high sex drive at all. (I personally think he's on the asexual spectrum, maybe because I'm ace, but still)

Kabru won't initiate a thing at the moment, it's up to Laio's sporadic desires to get things going. (It never gets going)

What if Laios discovers Kabru's feelings towards him and the purging?

He's hurt, simply put. He can't understand why Kabru dislikes his body, Laios can't understand why his own body would be such a turn off now.

In the non-platonic vers Laios tries to become "sexy" again. ....He fails horribly and ends up making a fool out if himself. At first he's like, "well monsters do this to attract mates" right after he feels as though he needs to inprove upon himself. Then he goes "no... Kabru isnt a monster, and im not either (unfortunately)"

He pushes that silly thought aside and tries to find out *why* Kabru is turned off by his looks now. His face? No.. His hair? Just got it cut. His figure? ...but why?

Laios goes right up to Kabru and confronts him about it. Kabru being the slippery bitch that he is denies it and goes "lol wtf haha! I luv u bae and there's nothing wrong with u!! ur so sexy and hot haha..."

This, inevitably, confused the shit out of Laios and he asks for honesty. Kabrus actions aren't exactly aligning with his words, and something needs to he done.

[Okay, let's be real here. If Kabru didn't want Laios to know how he felt, Laios' ass would NOT know lmao. This is just for the bit]

Now the purging? Laios is like "dude what? :(" he doesn't understand it. Nope. Not at all. He tires to he supportive, but he really doesn't know what to do with this. It's not like there's a bulimia monster, so he has no real frame of reference.

He's all "but you look fine how you are :(" and "I like the weight on you!" or even "did you know that [this species of monster] finds fat attractive? ,:D"

He means so so well, and Karbu knows it. Laios really is just a dog of a man.

Laios also tries to get Kabru to promise to stop. We know how that went. Karbu agreeing just to do it behind Laios' back because he knows Laios won't find out. He'll cut back on it, yeah, but he has his weak moments.

Eventually, Laios makes sure to only have Kabru serve his favorite meals. That should keep him from puking it up! And Karbu stops after a while. But only because his health is on the decline.

What else?

Two words: hand. feeding.

Kabru throws up? He gets his favorite meals so he won't. Kabru keeps checking his figure? Less mirrors in the caslte and more compliments. Kabru not eating enough or skipping meals? Simple. Laios makes sure he eats.

And how? A little less of Laios sensually slipping a fork full of decedent chocolate cake past Kabru's lips and a little more than a simple "here comes the airplane"

It starts off as Laios seeing Kabru taking smaller bites and being like "oh! Let me show you how to fill your fork! ^^" and then him taking Kabru's fork, impaling a bunch of assorted foods onto said fork, then handing it back to Kabru.

Then it sort of devolved (...evolved?) Into Kabru begrudgingly letting Laios feed him like a toddler while no one else ot looking. My boy Kabru does NOT know how to say no to this autistic man properly.

Laios was like "would it help if I just fed you?" And karbu replied something like "haha! It just might!" And of course Laios did not pick up on that God level sarcasm and went "cool, Let's try it then" and Kabru, wanting to appease Laios said "cool!". Bro was punching air.

(Yes, Laios said stuff like "good job buddy!" "You're doing so well!" "Its tasty, right?" Almost every bite)

In the non-platonic world, Laios would have Karbu sit ever so close to him as he was fed, maybe even in his lap. And of course Karbu would get a peck on the cheek after every bite. And the whole process may or may not turn Laios on. Especially when they're dining on monster. Whoops.

....anything else?

This all ties in with the absurd standards that was set for Karbu and the insecurities he hides within himself.

The whole blue-eye-spawn-of-a-demon thing was already enough for him. But being raised by that moody ass elf was a whole nother thing.

Milsiril, his adoptive elf mom, raises children like she has a monopoly in daycares. She's a serial foster fr. All them damn kids. Raising them like pets becuase you want something to love and depend on you. (I love Milsiril btw)

Anyways.

Kabru was his mom's favorite since his features were unique. Im talkin big bright blue eyes contrasting with rich dark skin, in particular. Plus, he was so sociable! All of his siblings looked up to him in one way or another. He was the star child.

And, you know that thing about elves being twinks, right? When ever Milsiril would check up on Karbu's health, she would use this old elven chart depicting the "average/desirable/suggested" height, weight, and muscle tone for diffrent short-lived races at diffrent ages/stages of life.

Safe to say these charts and texts were based off of elven standards, so everyone was thought to be slimmer, lighter, and more toned than normal. Plus, they're old lol. Instead of updating her charts and buying some from the diffrent cultures and races, she keeps her old one becuase she legit just forgets to replace it and hasn't had any "major problems" while raising her kids with that information so she doesn't think to change it.

What in trying to say is!

Kabru was raised with unrealistic body goals, and when he used to deviate from those arbitrary statistics during childhood he'd be put on diets and stuff.

Also, What if Kabru was transmasc?

Especially when he was a teen, even gaining a little wait made him go nuts. He couldn't get the words "unhealthy" out of his head and started associating it with the word "fat". His mind likes to play tricks on him when he's in the mirror. Exaggerating his figure and making him panic.

So! When he was sick and tired after that weird ass dungeon trip that changed his whole world and he came back to find himself thin as a pin, he tweaked.

He logically hated it because it was unhealthy, but a part of him was satisfied. With the added stress of becoming a Kings advisor, he started to crack under the pressure, manifesting in an obsession with himself. When he started to gain weight back he was brought right back to those check ups he had with Milsiril and those 2, maybe 3 times he was put onto diets in his youth. He really feared he was getting fat and he would just stare into the mirror and feel his flesh beneath his fingertips, searching for some sort of confirmation. All he felt was a bit of a squish, a bit of a give, and that's all he needed.

It was too much for him. His body was wrecked in his eyes. He's supposed to he fit and lean and thin and perfect. How could that be perfect? He looks in the mirror in his private study, wasting the time he could've been spending planning new city infrastructure or working out the kinks in trade. But no. He's here, in his dimly lit room, looking at how imperfect he's become in his eyes. How unhealthy he is his mom's eyes. How disgusting he is in his birth mothers eyes.

He had to fix it. The wound rubs deep, dar past the dermis. And, I guess, much like other wounds that cut a chasm into the skin, you don't really feel it once it severs your nerves. You don't really notice until you see the big, gaping, bleeding, notch where you used to be.

Lol anyways

Whoo boy. He is in hell. He feels like gaining weight makes him look "softer" and more feminine. He hates it, yes. But he tries his best not to let it effect his wardrobe. This whole weight journey really rehydrated his gender dysphoria.

He's used to looking a little androgynous, but with his new weight going to his stomach, hips, and thighs, he just feels as though his silhouette is becoming more girly.

Kabru is found training and working out more. Anything to get his body more boxy again.

He spends more time making sure he looks presentable. Even waking up a little earlier to ensure he vouge cover ready. (Well, I mean, as vouge ready as perpetual business casual can be)

And how does it end?

It takes some time, but Kabru heals. He's 10 pounds heavier than when we were first introduced to him, but he doesn't mind anymore.

It was a long journey full of all sorts of denail and shame, but he got there.

He's still the Light Yagami coded perfect chivalrous boy. He always has been. And Laios loves him all the same. Platonically or not.

Laios was essential in Karbu learning to let go of those impossible ideal and unreachable standards. Laios does not give a fuck afterall, he thinks all human bodies are unintresting beautiful! That dude does not judge. Rember him talking about the orc women in one of the monster tidbit sections? He's about body acceptance and neutrality.

Kabru grew to love his body, not just tolderate it or like it because someone else does. And if it tickles you, he liked the extra pounds Laios gained in the end, too. And if you're here for non-platonic Labru, then Laios may have became a bit of a feeder and has a tiiiiny food kink. Plus, Laios is a huge fan of the squish and Kabru likes how warm Laios is.

I just want to add this in here, also hecuase ive seen it before and i agree, but Laios seems like the type to give dutch ovens. He shows love like a big brother and its horrible (affectionate). This passes Karbu off SO BAD and it's hilarious. He has to sit down and have a very direct and serious talk about "getting too comfortable". And Laios would sit there the entire time like a sad dog and nod along.

Kabru and Laios also wrestle. No debate. They do it to spar, Laios does it for fun, Kabru does it to make Laios shut up. It's great!

Sorry this took so long lmao,, I legit just kept forgetting to write this

This was just word vomit. I've lost the plot somewhere along the way, I fear

[boinin]

Chapter 271 spoilers

So, a couple of interesting things about chapter 271, which is all from Rin's POV and mostly in flashbacks. The main reveal was about the Itoshi parents.

They're not particularly important figures in Rin's life, but apparently this is not due to neglect. The parents in this chapter seem conflicted in how to raise and guide their children, rather than actively harmful in their parenting. The worse you can say about them is that they seem hands off. Sae does the heavy lifting when it comes to consoling and advising Rin, not their mom or dad.

What's most interesting to me, in terms of Rin, is that they're never fully depicted. Rin's memory shows them in detail, but never with eyes. Compare this to how he recalls Sae, his kindergarten teacher and fellow kindergarteners. Even the bloody pigeons are well rendered in his memory—but not his parents.

Lastly, the body language of the parents speaks volumes. Rin and Sae's mom is somewhat present in their lives, or at least tries to be despite her own doubts. Their dad though? Really avoidant. His body language is evasive, and the only time he seems truly present is when he's comforting his wife.

As an aside, while their dad has dark hair, Sae looks just like him now that he's older. Their mom has lighter hair like Sae, but the way her hair sits looks like Rin's. She's also willowy and tall like Rin. Nice seeing how they both inherited different things from their parents.

Other than that? The panels of baby Rin trying to be a Kaiju are too damn cute. We're starting to get a sense of where he started, and how those natural instincts of his got twisted and repressed over time. I really liked this development, even if it refutes my theory about what his ego was.

The other thing that's really clear this chapter is how protective Sae is towards Rin. He steps in without a second thought to take his mother's reprimand about the broken toys—even though their mom seems to know he's lying about it. He's quick to suggest taking Rin out of the house for ice cream when he senses his little brother feeling bad.

Sae's aim seems to be to cushion Rin from every bad thing, whether or not it'd be ultimately beneficial for Rin to undergo that experience. Which makes you wonder—how does his outburst post-Spain fit into that agenda?

[byproducts-of-my-imagination]

Yandere Blue Lock (Bachira, Barou, Rin)

Mannn... Blue Lock is just so rife with yandere potential I cannot!!! It warms my ugly heart, watching them all slowly devolve into madness for the sole pursuit of one goal. Which is just how like I like my yanderes tbh, obsessively consumed by one thing and one thing only. There's rarely a sports anime where I am attracted to almost all the characters, but Blue lock hits some good spots I wasn't aware I had. These are just some thoughts for now, I will probably dedicate several posts to Reo alone in the near future. More coming soon as well

Bachira Meguru

Bachira has been unhinged since the very beginning. A monster in his head borne of loneliness voices his innermost desires and impulses. The monster whispers to him, telling him that you'd understand him, that you'd understand both of them. And really, how could he not want to have you?

He's a nasty boy and has no shame. Curious about everything and anything with no care for social boundaries. He'll invade your privacy, ask inappropriate questions and follow you into the bathroom to watch you pee just because he wants to know 'how it works for women'. There's a somewhat childlike wonder to him which makes it all the more unsettling as he makes eye contact with you while sniffing your panties, or jacking off to a very normal photo of you he snapped while you weren't looking.

He loves your eyes. Sometimes he can get hard just from making eye contact with you, and he loves any position where the two of you can look into each others eyes. He wants to lay you bare, to strip you of everything and see what's underneath, the deepest and darkest parts of you.

For him you're a never ending exploration that he'll never get tired of. He'll poke and prod you to get different reactions, and delights in every one of them.

"You're so beautiful." He lets out the most filthy, pornographic groan as his hands come down to squeeze your ass, pulling you apart to see inside you. You burn with shame, unable to escape his whims.

Barou Shoei

The king. Barou is a meticulous despot in every aspect of his life. It takes a while for him to develop positive feelings towards someone, much less love. But once he has his sights set on you, his feelings only grow stronger. There is no limit to the depth of his feelings for you. They overtake him, push him out of his comfort zone and force him to grow. His love swells and consumes to be all encompassing.

Once he makes up his mind there will be nothing to stop him. Now that he knows love, he will justify any means for his ends. Barou wholeheartedly believes in himself and his convictions, and if he wants you, you'll be his queen even if he has to force you to.

He'd keep you on a strict schedule and hold you to the highest standards. But honestly if you follow his rules well Barou is one the the most reasonable yanderes to be with. He allows you freedom and trust, as long as you uphold your role to his expectations. He's also not terribly clingy, and will leave you to your own devices while he is at practice.

About soccer, he is torn between wanting you in the stands and keeping you away from the other blue lock bastards. On one hand he loves to show off, as goals are just so much sweeter with you there to appreciate him and all his hard work. However, the other strikers cannot be trusted near you. Under no circumstances will he allow them to taint you, to allow them to bask in your presence.

Itoshi Rin

Rin has a terrible brother complex which extends into each part of his life, even his romantic relationships. His whole life has been spent practicing devotion.

You knew Sae first, met at school, were the barest of friends and moreso acquaintances. By chance you were partnered with him for a project, which the two of you completed as fast as possible in the Itoshi's living room. It was there that Rin saw you for the first time, dazzling and the center of Sae's attention. A deep jealously overtook him, a heavy longing to be in your place as Sae's equal. He wanted to have you, to be you. To crawl inside you skin and stay there forever and never feel inferior again.

Rin coveted Sae, and everything he had but never had he wanted something so much before in his life. So much of him is defined by his brother, and while it's agony for him, it's also his main drive in life. You'd be his biggest victory if he could only have you.

In the bedroom he likes to claim you, Rin lives to see your skin littered with bites and hickeys. Every inch of you will be constantly marked but it'll never be enough to soothe him. He never does anything halfway anyways. Touch starved and needy, he loves to destroy you, to control you and be inside of you. He's very possessive and it shows on your skin.

[doki-doki-imagines]

Blue Lock in Edo period

Wrote these with otomes in mind LOL

Sae Itoshi The daimyō with wonderful red kimono and golden embroidery visit your family restaurant and wants you to cook for him for the rest of your life, or until he gets tired of you. Sae takes you to his castle and you are so excited to work for such an important daimyō; maybe your family will have a wealthy but modest life from now on. Too bad Sae also wants you as a concubine. He really can't understand your surprise when after giving him his tea he pushed you toward the futon, wasn't his intention clear from the start? Maybe not, the headbutt you just gave him still stings; "arrogant bastard, I'll never fall for you". But is it real? Or you'll fall for that dastardly guy, grown a little too fast, that wants to travel the world, but still has many insecurities?  And will you be just one of his many concubines or something more will develop?

Rin Itoshi: The brother of the daimyō Sae Itoshi. Planning to get his revenge and take his brother's place. Can't suffer you from second one, just one of many concubines of his brother and another loss of time, he's sure of it. Then why he can't get you out of his mind? Why instead of warming his brother's bed you spend so much time with him? Your sweet words warm his body and make his heart beat faster and Rin can’t stand it; he has big plans, and he doesn’t have time for a silly crush. Not even when he notices you talking more with Sae and a green monster has his heart in a vice, dark emotions piling up. Will you be able to end his hatred and conquer Rin’s heart? Or you’ll be just one of his pawns?

Shidou Ryusei: The skilled ninja working under Sae, you meet because instead of using you as a cook the young daimyō found you clever enough to learn medicine and assist his best men in battle. Obviously, Shidou finds you so boring, that’s why he rather tease you endlessly to see your flustered expression while you patch him up.

“Wow you are so elastic Ryusei-sama! I suppose that years of training were really useful!”

“Yeah! That and breaking all my bones since I was a little child”

“W-What!? Are you kidding me, right?”

“…”

“Ryusei-sama! Don’t play with me!”

You are Shidou favorite toy and he can’t really let you go, meanwhile, your growing feelings for him make his teasing work even more! Will you be able to see behind the ever-smiling persona and discover his dark past? Or yours will remain just a playful banter?

Yoichi Isagi: Your childhood friend going down the path of the samurais. He always protected you and promised you he’ll always do. He works hard ‘till he becomes one of the best warriors under his lord Sae Itoshi, the same lord that now wants you all for himself. The last time you saw Yoichi he was just a small kid and now he is a young man, with brave eyes and a proud smile and Yoichi is smitten with you as much as you are with him. Too bad his lord doesn’t have nice intention and Yoichi knows he should be happy for his friend to go with such an honorable man like Sae, but Yoichi really can’t let you go with him, his crush of years ago resurfacing as strong as a waterfall. Will he always protect you from afar, or Yoichi will finally have you all for himself? Will he finally be able to pull you into his arms and kiss you silly with the sunset framing your faces like he always dreamt of?

Michael Kaiser: The eccentric merchant from an unknown land. You never know if he is trying to sell his merch or directly himself to you. You don’t know how his sellings can go that well, when he loses half of his time wooing you, but you have to admit that he must have some talent. Anyway, he talks too much

“Are all men from your land like you?”

“Do you mean handsome? Talented? Wonderful in the art of lovemak-“

“I meant annoying.”

“Oh. Well. No at any of those.”

Michael comes to your family restaurant as much as he can, flirting with you the entire time, always gifting you (and your relatives too! Damn buttlicker) fascinating objects from the various lands he visits. Will you fall for one of his many attempts? And will Michael be able to demonstrate that he is in fact as skilled as a merchant as he is in lovemaking?

Alexis Ness: The right-hand of his boss Michael Kaiser. His cute face attracts a lot of clients, both men and women and you fell for him like many others. Too bad he only has eyes for his boss and he thinks you have too. That’s how your rivalry starts, a rivalry that lives only in Alexis’ brain since you have zero to none interest in Michael. How can he not see that the sweets you made are exactly his favorite ones? Or that your eyes sparkle in that beautiful way only when you look at him? But what’s worse in Alexis’ mind is that he can’t think of his Michael as much as he used to, his mind is always full of ways to defeat you, and finally shout that he won and maybe kiss you, then pulling away the obi that tie your kimono and bed you and oh no; his mind is only filled with you after all. Will Alexis understand that it is not hatred the emotion that is eating him, but love? Or the impending war will destroy any chance you have?

[saharaadesertt]

˖˚˳⊹Blue Lock University: an Uni AU˖˚˳⊹

included: aiku, chigiri, gagamaru, kaiser, isagi, nagi, reo, rin, sae, shindou

note: already thinking about uni even though i still have two months LMFAOOO i am catching up on bllk and i finally made it to the different team battles. idk y'all manshine city kinda slaps all of these HC's are not official! check out part 2!

aiku

oh god, this guy gives off business major energy

most definitely in a frat, you can't prove me wrong

the kind of student that slacks off and parties all night but manages to do decent on exams and in class

not stellar but decent

insanely popular, gets all the girls but doesn't know how to keep them

the class clown

professors hate him so much but he does well enough where they can't lecture him

chigiri

Sports medicine major: wants to help people the way doctors helped him when he tore his acl

also oversees track and xc meets because of his speed

can be spotted at the cafe studying most of the time

likes to spend time to himself but doesn't mind seeing friends once in a while

but when he has a deadline he will focus on that 1000%

Everyone likes him, he gets good grades and is always very good with finishing things on time

His sister and mom visit him often, a family boy!

loves when people compliment his hair

gagamaru

Agricultural science or archeology major: mans is in the mountains constantly

probably does research there

a little bit of an oddball, mostly on the quiet end in class

that being said, he's an underdog in his class rank and always performs suspiciously well

people are scared of him because of his stoic aura but is a genuinely good person to get advice from and study with

if you get past his quirks, he's a great friend and an ever better person to depend on when you need it

kaiser

please hear me out

at first i thought "another business major but THEN"

i realized he could also be a really self-centered, full of himself STEM major

so i am going to say he is in computer science and thinks he is the true pioneer

honestly, the person that people complain about after class

tryhard and complains about getting a B on something

that being said, if you get on his good side, he is slightly more kind to you

isagi

kind of the same as kaiser but a psychology major, more popular, and much nicer lol

likes to study athletes and wonder if their personalities line up with how they play

a hard worker and studier, his weekends are rarely for rest

likes to go out though, he takes comfort in small things like visiting friends and grocery shopping

believe a healthy body is consistent with a healthy mind so is constantly health-conscious and drinks a ton of water

his parents send him care packages occasionally :))

nagi

this guy is undecided for now major-wise but will probably do something in video game development or digital communication

possibly cybersecurity if he actually wants to put in the work

lazy as hell but we knew this

constantly skips or sleeps in class but manages to do well

reo has to wake him up or call him if he has an early class he cannot miss or an exam or else nagi would legit miss it

isn't seen out much but when he is, he's with reo

fond of arcades, hoodies, and sweatpants

president of the gaming club and is surprisingly popular because of his gaming abilities

i believe him and reo share an apartment that the mikages help with financially because at this point nagi is like a second son to them <3

reo

another business major, this time marketing

president of the uni's business frat for sure

the definition of star student

everyone loves him but he only hold a few close to him because he knows a lot of people gravitate to him for his money

despite his family line, he is the most humble person you'll ever meet

super polite and respectful

he and nagi live in a shared apartment and only a select few friends get to come over

but when they do, reo shows them the best hospitality and above all, they actually study since he is a man of his word

rin

Definitely doing something in sports administration

the tryhard that is usually quiet, but piss him off and he WILL let you know

part of the school's podcast and newspaper club, where he works on reporting sports and talking to athletes

hates to be compared to his brother who is in the same major as him

gets jealous easily and finds it hard to keep a relationship because of this

communication is key for him in all aspects

sae

also sports adminstration

quieter than his brother but also has more attitude

enjoys being alone no matter where on campus he is in

but also popular

an ace student

is a part of a soccer travel team so is away a lot

drinks venti cold brews

shindou

biology... i don't need to explain LMFAOOOO

is VERY interested in all that stuff

actually a good student but is a class clown

doesn't take work seriously but does well enough

befriends everyone although he is a little unhinged

no filter at all

loves sugary coffee and staying up until the sun rises

would be part of the improv team bc he has a quick mouth and is quick thinking

thanks for reading!

[k9punkout]

random poppy war headcannons

• while she was studying for the keju, kesegi asked rin about her new scars. rin would come up with an action packed, overly exaggerated story on how she got each one. they both knew it wasn't true, but kesegi loved listening to the stories and rin loved to tell them, it took her mind off of all the stress she was under.

•ramsa would randomly ask for piggyback rides from basically anyone in the cike that could pick him up

•chaghan used to get bullied as a kid because of his weak build, and qara would protect him every time she saw it happening

•nezha loves the concept of makeup and hair-care. venka is the only person he trusts enough to express this with, and he always asks her about beauty routines. his interest in such "feminine" things is still a huge insecurity for him tho

•kitay is neurodivergent, i don't have so much evidence to back this up, but im sure he is

•kitay and rin often make jokes about kitay being rin's "right hand man"

•get it

•bcs her hand was cut off

•ramsa and baji are banned from sugar consumption for the greater good of everyone around them

•rin has the humor of a twelve year old boy and her time spent with jiang and the cike only encouraged her further

•pipaji dulin and lianhua developed a sibling relationship much like the watterson family in the amazing world of gumball

•altan has an irrational fear of arachnids. idk i just like the idea of him turning into a completely different person when there's a spider around

•rin and altan make jokes about the genocide of speer sometimes

•"rin, istg keep testing me, i will bury you in the ashes of our ancestors."

•"what are you gonna do about it altan? tell your parents? oh, wait."

•"you went there huh? see this is why i hate speerlies, mangy dirtskinned savages, all of them."

•of course, if anyone else joined in on these jokes they would get a memorable (and very painful) reminder that they do not have the right to speak that way

•kitay can waggle his eyebrows in a horrendous manner and he uses this skill to terrorize his friends

•jiang does the same thing with hanelai and the trifecta

•ppl say venka doesn't have a role in the whole trifecta reincarnated thing, but i say her role rlly fits hanelai, she was never as famous, always an outsider no matter how important of a role she played, n just like hanelai she is full of rage at the men who did her wrong

•hanelai would have been an amazing mother

•after rin tested into sinegard, tutor feyrick worked hard to quit his gambling addiction

•in a happier universe kid altan and kid chaghan would have a little treehouse with a big "NO GIRLS ALLOWED" sign on it. sometimes, they'd invite the rest of the cike over to play as well.

•of course, rin and qara are the only exceptions to this "no girls" rule

•baji does a terrifyingly accurate impression of quandale dingle and he uses this ability for the utmost evil

•nezha flirts with himself in the mirror

•vaisra never ate dumplings or anything related to the food after the whole jinzha incident

•in a modern universe jiang would purchase like 300 tiny plastic babies and leave them around the whole school for ppl to find

•rin has a distaste for sex jokes, she always responds with a "don't be disgusting" to every intercourse related joke she hears.

•venka likes giving rin mixed signals, one second she'd be throwing the most wonderful compliments ever created at her, next second she's calling her the ugliest most hotheaded stupid asshole to ever exist

•this leaves rin far too confused to feel flattered or offended

•suni cries when he sees other people cry

[xincountry]

Why and How Kunigami Rensuke Can Still Score in BM vs PXG

mega copium by certified kunigami glazer aka me... spoilers until ch 283. if 284 leaks come out right now and disprove this entire essay please pretend i never posted it

Like. This is Copium Supreme. I do not genuinely believe this is realistic, it's just what I want to happen, so I'm trying to find evidence to back it up.

The evidence, since BM vs PXG started.

1. Chapter 248.

In the entire NEL arc, this is the first encounter we have directly with Kunigami in what is assumed to be Wild Card. Right before the PXG vs BM match. Based on descriptions he himself, Noel Noa, Reo etc have given us—quotes like "The Wild Card... was an experiment to create a "vessel". Someone with the same physique as Noel Noa.", and Noel Noa himself explicitly referring to Kunigami as "wild card copyman". To me, this is some kind of foreshadowing that Kunigami may actually do something in this match, because I just cannot understand why else this snippet of Wild Card will be given here otherwise.

I wonder what on earth could've broken his resolve for him to become like this after it. But interestingly here also, Ego explicitly says "Abandon your ego." And then:

2. "Kunigami's ego is still burning" — Isagi Yoichi, Chapter 255.

They're dangling the Kunigami character development right in front of me I swear. Since Wild Card, this match has been the most clear-headed (for lack of better word) we've seen Kunigami, when he's always come across as conflicted or unnecessarily (almost pretentiously at times) obnoxious and rude, especially when he didn't have the skill to back it up sometimes. (Like in chapter 213 with the Egoist 4 and going "I'm not interested in that reunion shit" etc—but when you see how they treat him, despite how much he's changed, it should've been more obvious that he's never changed at all. Maybe) In a way, I perceive this as his ego "reawakening", or at least morphing to fit the limbo between the old hero him, and the him now, changed by Wild Card.

As I'm writing this, for all we know, this is just another "build up" to the Wild Card reveal in the post-NEL/Japan U20s arc, and I wouldn"t even be surprised. But to that, I ask, again and again: why now? Why bring up the idea of Kunigami's ego "still burning", the memory of them sharing steak together after Isagi's assist during their Team Z days, now?

I think there's definitely an impending chemical reaction with them happening at some point—again, remember that this happened Before Kaiser/Rin's awakenings in chapters 260 and 271 respectively, but I think there is potential for them to team up again if the three minutes for Star Change System runs out/a Kunigami subsitution—and for their chemical reaction to actually be successful.

3. Noel Noa subsituting Kunigami out for Igaguri

Really, this match feels like the perfect time for Kunigami to awaken, properly. He's playing against Shidou, and his time on the field to keep him at bay is being replaced by the person he's supposed to copy and Igaguri. Arguably a character which is not liked because he really just feels like the lowest of the lows—and yet during 2nd selection he took up a spot that could've very much been Kunigami's. Which, well. Just Kunigami's bad luck.

Chapter 276

Narratively, I get it. Igaguri here is being used to contain Rin—in a way, the way Kunigami was marking Shidou. But at the same time I just really think its neat how they're really making Kunigami face up against his second selection rivals—the people who ruined his life.

4. What happens after the Star Change timer runs out?

In the Barcha match, Kunigami is subbed out for Isagi after he fails to contribute to the team's attack, and after that Noa subs himself in when Lavinho does—as he always does, but crucially, this is the event we're facing now in BM vs PXG. After the Star Change timer runs out, Noa subs in Kunigami and says this:

Chapter 167

Somehow, I think after the events of Chapter 255, and Kunigami having to play against Shidou, he'll have a different feeling when he's told to mimic Noa. That could be a segue into Kunigami's awakening as his "new ego", or it could be me just being copium.

Another thing that is similar from the Barcha match and PXG is Isagi's chemical reaction/assist to Kaiser. In chapter 283, we see Isagi try to defeat Rin by intentionally putting himself in a "supporting role" for Kaiser to block Rin's shot. This is explicitly stated as a "talented learner x talented learner" chemical reaction.

Chapter 283

Now, parallel to the very first match in the NEL with BM vs Barcha, where Isagi passes to Kunigami instead. The scores are perfectly identical right now: 2 - 2 on both sides, and Kunigami scores.

Chapter 167

Specifically, Isagi tells Kunigami "Awaken your flow. Let's destroy Kaiser and this team." In a way, this is very much what is happening in the match against PXG, where Kunigami entered flow while defending against Shidou—instead of "this team" the destruction could be redirected towards PXG instead?

Kunigami's ego

We know Isagi has been trying to categorise the people on the field into different "ego types." I'll like to talk about this first: world-type and self-type, and how this plays into the "genius" vs "prodigy (talented learner)" ideas that Isagi/Ego brought up.

Chapter 267, Chapter 282

By this definition, Kunigami is a genius: someone who has strong beliefs in their own talents, born with extreme physical abilities, etc. "Self-style/genius" people also feel what they believe in/like is of the most importance, emotions which help them further develop their ego, which is evident in people like Shidou ("my soccer"/"it's a biological need"/"explosions"), Itoshi "I Need To Surpass My Brother" Rin, etc. This is also evident when in chapter 255 where Kunigami manages to completely shut down Shidou, motivated by the desire to get some sort of redemption for what he did to him:

Chapter 255

As a prodigy (world-style ego, someone who can adapt and "use" the talent of geniuses to do good. Where the geniuses are concerned about the one goal they score, the world-style ego prodigies are more concerned about the environment and the circumstances that lead up to that goal, and their attempts to contribute to it.) I think Isagi will need to learn that he has an arsenal of geniuses (Kunigami) on his team, and more than just trying to beat a genius like Rin through the nature of being a genius (aka: fixation on certain emotions and obsessions to improve), or the prodigy x prodigy chemical reactions he wanted to form, he needs to make use of a genius. Kunigami being one is really important, because I think he's gonna get subbed in after the Star Change timer runs out, given that there's really only 10 seconds left on the clock.

Chapter 284 and beyond

The title of chapter 284 is titled "Soul". I am literally hoping for the love of all things bright and beautiful and amazing that this is referring to Kunigami's soul: trying to resolve his conflicting two halves of being an emotional hero and being a cyborg. Like please. This is all I ask for—given that the timer on the Star Change at the start of 283 was literally 10 seconds I hope in the time it took for Rin to scream Isagi Isagi Isagi Isagi and shoot and when Gagamaru blocked it I hope the ball went out of play and now they have to subsititute people or something. Please.

Also, with the U20 Japan arc coming up and Sae probably being on the team with the other bluelockians hence revealing Sae's (S)Pain Backstory I can't really find a space where Kunigami would have his true time to shine as a Wild Card survivor—given that Noel Noa, the guy he's supposed to be a copy of, will only be here for this arc presumably like he'll go back to Germany after the NEL. I think. There's also the impending Chekov's gun of Chigiri's ACL reinjury which I'm not looking forward to and I'm really hoping it doesn't happen (my shipper brain has turned it into "Kunigami sees Chigiri injure his ACL on the field, is reminded of all the times they spent together, and has an awakening" and now I'm trying to avoid that scenario) so. Really. Please.

@ Kaneshiro, when you say Kunigami has a focus/awakening, I hope you mean in these next couple of chapters.

[heartnoose]

I really do wonder just how old Mephisto and the Demon Kings are, if they can be defined as having different ages, if their ages are something that can be quantified, and if this impacts their memory. It’s been established that some have been conscious for thousands of years. When looking at the panel of Mephisto reveling in his human body for the one of his first times, the setting appears to take place anywhere around the Sumerian to Babylonian periods (roughly 6000 BCE to 1500 BCE). If I recall correctly, that is around the time that deities were finally being recorded on written texts. They were given more personality and more distinction on what they ruled over as more people wrote more about them. With Mephisto saying that some of them are thousands of years old, it does seem possible that he and a few others developed their egos and first took their human forms during that time period.

That’s all theory though, and I’ve seen some debate as to how to measure their ages. It’s been stated that they developed egos after being created as concepts, but the idea of them also being as old as what they rule over is a good point to explore. Do they have different ages? One for when the area that they rule over came to existence, and one for them developing egos, and another for them taking bodies? If they’re also as old as the things they rule over, then it poses the question of “Can Demon Kings recall moments relating to what they rule over, even if these moments happened long before they developed egos? Or were they dormant and unconscious?” For instance, if Mephisto has maybe been conscious for a few thousand years, would he be able to remember the Big Bang and all other time and space related moments afterwards, regardless of that being billions of years before his ego developed? If so, then that would give him an absolutely insane advantage over his siblings since time is constant and has always existed everywhere, and him ruling over space would amplify that advantage even further with how space/matter is everywhere on Earth.

When explaining to Rin that Satan was unstable when he first took a body, Mephisto says that this was due to how Satan took years to acclimate and understand what was happening and who he was, and has only been fully conscious for a short while as a result. I love the theory of them being as old as what they rule over and having memories that ancient, and I see it as a good possibility and highkey want that to be canon, though I do think that most Demon Kings gained a more solid sense of memory after they developed egos.

After explaining to Rin how Satan’s ego developed, Mephisto makes the claim that he can’t recall what he was like when he first developed an ego and took a human body. He does have the advantage of being able to go back in time and watching events unfold again, though he doesn't seem to do so very often. He doesn’t like meddling with the past as he told Rin not to interfere with anything when he took him back in time. Plus he’s more future oriented with how he focuses on possibilities of what could happen later on.

Another note is how Lucifer is referred to as the oldest sibling, then Mephisto as the second oldest sibling, and so on. Not entirely sure how that works since Satan rules above them all and is regarded as their father, despite only having an active ego for a few decades. Very curious about this and hope that this is explored more in the manga, along with their ages and memories and so on.

[room-surprise]

Dungeon Meshi Season 1 EP 5 review

Episode 5 of the anime came out and we got to see Kabru!!! My boy Kabru!!! Oh right there was other stuff after the first five minutes.

KABRU THOUGH!!!

I don't actually have a lot to say about this episode. I thought it was competent, although as always characters standing around and talking, or doing simple tasks like eating, are just not Trigger's strong point.

Has anybody deciphered the language that Kui is using in the backgrounds? SO HAPPY that her glyphs are here now, instead of the Japanese in the first episode. I've tried to figure out what they are, but I'm honestly stumped. Seems like a combination of Norse runes, Greek letters, Cuneiform and Sanskrit...

Was NOT a fan of the way they overdid Kabru scaring Mikbell. It's really not a joke that's even that funny, so I think the lighting change and drama of it was really overselling it. Would have been much better if it was like in the manga, some childish, light-hearted ribbing between friends while they get ready to leave.

Although it was VERY VERY funny, I was also not a fan of the youtube-poop-esque zoom out on Marcille when she sees the treasure bugs. Like Laios' galaxy brain moment, comedic edits like this remind me that I'm watching a TV show, instead of allowing me to be immersed in the historical fantasy world. If I wanted modern jokes I'd be watching an Isekai where the characters are in a video game, not Dungeon Meshi.

I think they could have gotten an equally good laugh just from doing a simple zoom out.

I love the way they're depicting Laios. You can clearly see all the red flags his friends are picking up on and how he might be scary to others, but he's also very sympathetic and sweet.

All the Japanese VA's are doing a great job. I liked Kabru's Japanese voice a little better than his English voice just because I think he did a better job capturing Kabru's dual nature - he started out very sweet and cute, and then dropped his timbre noticeably once he was no longer sweet-talking someone. The English voice actor meanwhile felt like their voice basically stayed the same the entire episode.

THE DUB

This is still the better way to watch the show, the subtitles are SO lacking that they make the story harder to follow. The dub script, meanwhile, does a much better job. I wonder if there's a way to watch it with Japanese audio and the English dub subtitles?

BangZoom continues to make interesting casting decisions that make me VERY curious to see how they're going to handle the elves when they finally arrive.

Kabru, Daya and Kuro are all voiced by black voice actors! Rin's voice actress is Asian American, and Namari's voice actress is nonbinary. They all sound fantastic and I'm excited to hear them develop their characters as the series progresses.

Obviously Kabru isn't black, he's Indian, but Zon also isn't black, so I appreciate casting people of color to play characters of color (?) or at least, characters that are minorities? It feels like that's what they're trying to do.

ON THE OTHER HAND, Daya is very much not a minority or a character of color... I suppose that would be a case of race-blind casting? Which is also a good practice, getting new, underutilized talent into the industry... But obviously not a part of the previous point. Regardless, she sounds great.

Again, REALLY wonder how this will influence their casting decisions with the elves. Wonder if any of this was done with instruction from Trigger or Kui, or if it's 100% BangZoom operating on their own.

[maochira]

You belong to yourself.

A continuation of "Until the mirror breaks." [Part 1], [Part 2], [Part 3]

Tags: gn!youngest sibling!reader, this is a few days after part 3, hurt/comfort, mao lets them have a happy ending?? unbelievable

Synopsis: Sae is tired of Rin's irrational behaviour and tries to talk some sense into him, only to be met by Rin's coldness. As Sae keeps wondering what to do to help his youngest sibling, the little one approaches Rin on their own.

(A/N: I know I said I wouldn't write a continuation, but... the inspiration hit me. Also, if you're wondering why I'm not calling it "Until the mirror breaks part 4", it's because the mirror broke in part 3.)

It's been days, and Rin still refuses to talk to you. And at this point, he doesn't even talk to Sae either.

To you, Rin is unrecognizable. To you, he's always been a loving and protective big brother, even though he could be a bit controlling and possessive about your soccer career at times.

Maybe more than "a bit", since until now, your entire life regarding soccer has been in his hands. He started training you at a young age and he chose the team you got in.

All for the sake of making you the next prodigy, so he could beat Sae together with you. For the sake of having you on his side forever. He wanted to see himself in you.

Until the mirror broke.

Since Rin started ignoring you, Sae finally got a chance to develop a proper bond with you. Sure, it took until you're 8 years old, but something in him finally set the big brother instinct in him free, which he hid away after his rivalry with Rin started.

Maybe it was the internalized fear of being seen as a bad brother again. Especially considering the way Rin talked about him towards you back when you were younger.

As the day of Sae leaving again approaches, he keeps thinking about ways to fix things with Rin. He knows there's no way to fix the relationship he has with the younger brother, but he certainly wants to fix what's going on between you and Rin. Sae doesn't want you to continue being treated as coldly as Rin currently does.

It really pains him to see you like this. Your sad face every time you approach Rin to talk, but he turns away each time.

And really, Rin is acting immature. To him, you've always been perfect, always walked along the path he created for you. But now that you've only disappointed him once, by a mistake that wasn't even your fault, he acts as if you've only ever done wrong to him.

Only one mistake hurt the pride he carried for you so much. Sure, the mistake ended with him getting embarrassed, but is something like this really enough to start resenting you like this? In Rin's case, the answer is yes, apparently.

Sae doesn't want to make the same mistake he did years ago. This time, he's not going to talk to Rin on his last day of staying at home, this time he's doing it days earlier. Just in case, so he can be there for you if needed.

"Hey, Rin." Sae says as he enters the kitchen, where Rin is currently preparing dinner. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"I'd rather not." Rin hisses back immediately. "I know what you're going to tell me anyways. Just keep it to yourself."

Sae lets out a deep sigh and leans back against the wall. "Rin, come on. You can't act like this every time someone disappoints you."

"It's not just 'someone'," Rin looks at Sae for a moment, "It's my sibling. Not the first one either."

"Keep whatever it is between us out of this for a moment. This is about (Y/N)."

"What is between me and you," Rin points the knife he's holding in Sae's direction for a moment before he returns to cutting vegetables, "Is just as relevant as what's between me and (Y/N)."

"You want to compare what's between us with an 8-year-old messing up in a match? Due to their fear of cameras? Seriously?" Sae's tone is getting slightly passive-aggressive.

Those words hit Rin like a knife to the chest. It makes him realize how irrationally he's acting, but still not willing to step down from the point he stands on. It would mean admitting Sae is right.

"Shut up already. I didn't want to talk to you in the first place!" Rin snaps at Sae.

For a moment, Sae opens his mouth with the intention to continue talking, but after realizing this conversation won't go anywhere, he closes his mouth again and leaves the kitchen.

On his way to his own room, Sae meets you in the hallway. You just returned home from soccer practice. Seeing you makes Sae's frustration about Rin fade away quickly.

"Hey, how was practice?" Your older brother asks as he ruffles your hair. "Better than that last match, I assume?"

"A lot better." You tell him and giggle when he starts ruffling your hair.

"Great to hear." Sae smiles as he picks up your bag and then walks you to your room. "So, you don't want to quit soccer after all?" He opens the door and lets you step in before following you shortly after.

You shake your head for no. "Soccer is fun. I don't want to stop playing," You explain, "But I think I don't want to do it professionally when I grow up."

Sae puts your bag down and sits down on your bed. "Because of the cameras, hm? You might grow out of that fear when you get older."

You sit down next to him and shrug. "I don't know yet..."

"Hey hey, no getting sad again." Sae ruffles your hair another time in an attempt to lighten your mood. "I'm not Rin. I'm not pushing you into anything I want."

At the mention of Rin you look down onto the floor and only smile weakly. "I know you're not... doing that..."

Sae notices how much the entire thing with Rin is still dragging you down, and will most likely continue dragging you down in the future. Just the thought of it forms a weird pressure in his chest.

He's determined to fix things. Somehow.

As the days continue, Sae's leaving is only three days away and he still hasn't figured out how to help. He's talked to your parents, but even they have had no success in talking to Rin about this. But your oldest brother doesn't want this to be another hopeless case. He doesn't want this to turn out the way things became between himself and Rin.

And while Sae keeps thinking about ways to get Rin into thinking about the situation in a rational way, you've already decided to take things into your own hands. Something about the way Sae finally developed a bond with you and kept encouraging you to go your own way made you collect enough confidence to talk to Rin again, even though you fully expect him to ignore you again.

But surprisingly this time, he doesn't.

"You won't stop bothering me, will you?" Rin turns to you as you enter his room. "Let's get this over with." He points to the chair at his desk for you to sit down.

"What do you want to talk about?" Rin asks after you sit down on the chair. Despite his cold and strict tone, you can hear a hint of the way he usually talks to you, as if Rin is trying to hide it.

"I won't quit soccer." You simply tell him.

"Ah?" Rin's voice has a mix of confusion and pleasant surprise in it, "Even though... Even though I told you to never play again?"

With a bit of hesitance, you nod in response.

"You want to continue..." Rin says out loud, but it's more something he says to himself rather than to you.

"But Sae told me it's better if I don't go pro," you continue when Rin doesn't say anything towards you, "Because of the cameras."

"You... You don't want to go pro?" Rin looks at you with a bit of shock in his eyes. "After all these years I spent making the best out of your potential?"

A little ashamed of your decision now, you nod and stare down at the floor to avoid eye contact. "I'm sorry..." You start tearing up.

For a few moments, the entire room is silent. But when you start sobbing in front of Rin, attempting to hold your tears back without success, he can't help but let the coldness break down.

"Don't cry." He kneels down in front of you to be at the same eye height. "I'm sorry, alright?" He hands you a tissue. "Just don't cry because of me again, okay?"

A bit confused by Rin's sudden return to the way he usually treats you, you wipe away some of your tears and look directly into your brother's eyes. You can see how his cold gaze has softened into a caring one. One you're way more used to.

"I hate seeing you cry," Rin continues, "I hate being the reason why you cry... I'm sorry, (Y/N)." He takes the tissue out of your hand and wipes away your last few tears.

Rin takes a deep breath before he continues talking. "Sae was right... I shouldn't have been so disappointed in you about this."

It's something Rin had been thinking about ever since his last conversation with the oldest brother. Even in the moment when Sae pointed it out, Rin realized he was being in the wrong, but simply out of spite, he didn't want to admit it.

The thoughts about it kept bothering him every day. But seeing you cry another time in front of him - because of him - finally broke down the wall of spite that's been preventing him from admitting the truth.

As painful as the truth is to him, it was about time to finally admit it.

"I'm glad you're not giving up on soccer... Even though I told you to."

Tears of regret are forming in the corner of Rin's eyes.

"I know you don't belong to me. You belong to yourself. You know that?"

[jpriest85-blog]

After reading the @vendetta-if Halloween special featuring young MC, Ash, and Rin. I was inspired to doodle a little comic of my MC, Katerina Smirnova aka Kitty early play dates with Rin and Ash.

Kitty, squeezing Rin's cheeks: You cute little thing!

Rin, annoyed pushes Kitty away: I am not cute. I am a grown up man.

Ash: You're only five. Why are you acting like an old man?

I imagine Katerina was always a very affectionate child, which can be cute when she's cuddling with her family and friends. Although since she was so young then she didn't learn yet how some people aren't as comfortable with physical affection, like Rin being annoyed by Kitty squeezing his face and calling him cute. It's a bit ironic because Kitty being so tactile and affectionate is part of the reason Takashi was so determined to have Kitty become his future daughter in law.

He was already invested in getting closer to Viktor, the fact that little Katerina was so willing to welcome Takashi after learning that he was her dad's childhood friend by addressing him like a family member already and even initiating a hug. Takashi was instantly charmed. How could he resist such an adorable and sweet little girl? Although Viktor was a bit annoyed that Takashi kept fussing about how he wanted to bring Katerina home with him to become Rin's bride, he practically demanded Takashi release his daughter.

Although Katerina being so physically affectionate also changes her dynamics with Ash and Rin when both get older. Sure Ash is used to Kitty being so casual with touch, but it does make things awkward when they get older, and Ash starts developing feelings towards Katerina. Heck, I imagine part of the reason nothing more happened between them despite living together for two years is both Ash and Kitty, assuming their casual moments of intimacy are just typical "Gal pal" stuff and feeling self conscious about wondering if the other person wanted something more than just friendship.

Rin, on the other hand, develops a different attitude about Katerina being so physically affectionate as he gets older. Sure, he's still not a big fan of PDA, and Kitty is more respectful of Rin's boundaries, although he doesn't mind her being cuddly with him when it's just the two of them (and other forms of physical affection when they're alone together 😘). Although it's interesting to imagine Rin's dynamic with Kitty changing over the years, from being annoyed by his dad's persistent match making attempts as a child. Sure, he likes spending time with Kitty she's fun and just a genuinely kind person, which does make Rin worry about her despite the fact she's older than him. Then cue puberty and hormones, and Rin starts wanting Katerina to see him as a man instead of just a cute little kid she used to play with. That and Rin seems to be the type of person who'd enjoy seeing Kitty get flustered when he flirts with her, although I imagine it was a surprise for Katerina the first time it happened. Sure, as a teenager, Kitty has had her share of boys hit on her, and she knew Rin always acted so mature for his age. Still, she was very caught off guard the first time Rin made a very suave and flirtatious gesture towards her.

[boinin]

Couple things I enjoyed about this chapter, now we have Hoshi's translation:

Raichi remains combative, but ultimately supportive. He's not antagonising Isagi anymore—he's complaining on his behalf.

Raichi's one of those characters I didn't vibe with when I first watched the anime. But he's no longer just a shallow hothead. It's great to see him becoming more nuanced, even if he lacks more focused development.

Also, glad they addressed Rin's shirt grab, which would be egregious even in a higher contact sport 🤦

Love to see Hiori and Isagi talking high-level strategy. My own perception of them is that, while Isagi embodies Ego's ideals more, Hiori is better at extracting the key messages from Ego's quackery and presenting it in an accessible way. Isagi struggles with this.

Isagi spent so much time thinking and trying to crack the code in earlier matches, it left him ineffectual. Now he has Hiori as a sounding board, as well as a support who can read the field as well as he can. Helps explain why Isagi's exponentially improved since the end of the Manshine match.

And, er, yeah. Totally normal about this. Totally not throwing a party in my brain that we might FINALLY be getting some payoff for Emogami 🎉

It's interesting that Noa taunts him with Shidou. It reveals that Noa knows about how Kunigami entered Wild Card. Is his beef with Shidou something Kunigami offered voluntarily to Noa? Or is Noa working off whatever files Ego has on the players?

The use of these flashback panels, showing Kunigami at his most vulnerable as well as Shidou's worst act of violence, is significant. We know now from the light novel that Kunigami experienced physical harm from bullies as a young child. No wonder he squared up to Shidou as soon as they met.

I can't wait to see where they'll take this reunion. Kunigami's suffered a lot of Ls, while Shidou's riding the wave of his amazing goal. I don't think Kunigami's hit his lowest low just yet—there's limited evidence to suggest he has the ability to outplay Shidou, based on what he's showcased so far. But conversely, we have no real knowledge about what's going on with Kunigami.

What does he want? What drives him? What would represent a victory over Shidou in his eyes?

I'm gnawing on the table. Praying we get answers soon.

[wlwcatalogue]

Valentine's Special ~ Aerith/Tifa from Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Compilation)

Since today is Valentine’s Day, and FFVII: Rebirth is releasing at the end of this month, it’s the perfect time to get caught up on Aerith/Tifa, a.k.a. Aerti, a.k.a. possibly the most unexpected F/F ship in gaming! Here is what I consider to be the most comprehensive compilation of Aerti scenes from FFVII: Remake, prepared by yours truly for your viewing (and shipping) pleasure :)

Quick sales pitch: While Aerith is famously The One Who Dies and Tifa is known for her sexy character design, they are also popularly remembered as main character Cloud’s two equally appealing love interests, as attested to by one Robert Pattinson. However, just as the elements present in the original 1997 game Final Fantasy VII were expanded on and added to in FFVII: Remake, the relationship between Aerith and Tifa was also fleshed out… to the point where it became very, very easy to ship them together. To put it in Tumblr terms, it’s like Betty and Veronica, but taken in a different – but still (subtextually) gay – direction compared to Riverdale. Check out the video above, it's just 1.5 hours!

(Longer sales pitch / commentary below the cut)

Originally from the hit 1997 Japanese role-playing game Final Fantasy VII, Aerith and Tifa, along with the main character Cloud Strife, were one of the most famous love triangles of video games at the time, and arguably even now. (Note: Think Betty and Veronica (Archie but pre-Riverdale), or if you’re more familiar with anime, Rei and Asuka (Neon Genesis: Evangelion) or Saber and Rin (Fate: Stay Night).) Although they barely had any interactions together and really were primarily love interests for Cloud in the original game (and subsequent related works), the relationship between Aerith and Tifa was significantly more fleshed out in Final Fantasy VII: Remake (2020), going beyond your standard box-ticking “look, girl power!” exercise. There seems to have been many a fan who walked out of playing Remake who found Aerti (i.e. Aerith and Tifa’s relationship) memorable – whether read romantically or platonically – resulting in many GIFs, fanart, and even compilations of memorable scenes of their “friendship”.

Not only do they interact with each other outside of speaking about Cloud or other male characters (scraping a pass in the Bechdel test, yay!), Remake gives the relationship space to develop from “strangers who hit it off” to “individuals who care about and trust each other”. Significantly, Aerith is the one who seems to take Tifa’s concerns the most seriously and comfort her, and Tifa is also able to see past Aerith’s cheery façade and reach out to her at her times of greatest need. In my opinion, each of the pair offers the greatest emotional support to the other out of all the characters – even more than what they do for Cloud (or what Cloud does for them).

So what makes their relationship romantic rather than simply platonic to me (other than sheer force of will)? Even though there isn’t really any direct flirting or explicitly romantic lines, there are a number of moments which are framed romantically or parallel romantic moments between Cloud/Aerith or Cloud/Tifa. Perhaps the most obvious of this is when Tifa protects Aerith from falling (twice), which is animated and shot in a way which suggests that it’s just as swoon-worthy as when Cloud protected Tifa from a fall in a prior scene. However, another notable example is how the high-five gesture is linked to Cloud’s opening up to Aerith (as he has to be persuaded over the course of several scenes to do the high-five), but Aerith also high-fives Tifa in other scenes later, effectively appropriating the gesture. So while I never expect it to ever become canon, Remake’s Aerti has been a wonderful surprise and I hope to see even greater developments in their relationship within this subtextual space as the FFVII: Remake trilogy progresses.

Let's all hope for the best-- in the meantime, please enjoy this compilation!