#and heck. even a vol 2

[eliotbaum]

Because people have been interested and I’d love to know how many copies I should order — making a poll for a to Have & to Hold reprint! ⛅️🩸

[deus-ex-mona]

pretty minor thing to think about, but i find it interesting how chapter 7 is the first chapter illustration to show chizuutan as chizuru (instead of chuutan)

like, i get it’s a flashback chapter, but we hardly got to see her as chizuru in the previous few chapters thus far… maybe we’ll get to see more of her as her true self after the hiyori fight/make up? only future chapters may tell, i guess…

[zineobiology]

Welcome to the Zine O’Biology Vol.2!

A multi-fandom Star Trek Zine.

Whats New? This time we are organizing the artist/writer partnerships like a bang! We want to avoid some confusion from last time and think this will be best way to do that.

Do you have strong opinions on Vulcan fra’als, Cardassian tails, or how the heck Trill symbionts reproduce? We want to hear from you!

The Zine O’Biology is a fictional comparative xenobiology academic journal set in the Star Trek universe. If you’ve always wanted to wax eloquent for up to 3000 words about your theories on alien biology, welcome to your new home!

We want all your theories about all your favorite aliens! This is a friendly but competitive academic journal where the content of every paper is a little bit suspicious (is this paper based on rumor or fact? What is the methodology?) and some competing authors leave snarky comments on one another’s work. So just like a real academic journal, except ours features the Great Green Anthurium.

We welcome xenobiology articles on all Star Trek aliens from all series!

The final format will be a PDF that you can scroll at your leisure or print at home in order to have a physical copy of the Zine. (This way there is no money involved.)

--SEEKING SUBMISSIONS FOR--

Alien biology articles

Alien biology artwork

In-Universe advertisements

Letters to the editor

ALIEN BIOLOGY ARTICLES

How do Andorian genders work? Are Cardassians actually lizards? Why do Klingons have so many redundant organs? What’s the biological purpose of Bajoran nose ridges? What’s the best cement mix for emergency surgery on a Horta?

You’ve been pondering alien biology for years. This is your chance to infodump all your favorite theories to an eager audience of your fellow nerds!

Articles will be separated into two categories: reproductive biology or general biology. Yes, we also want all your theories on what every species is packing downstairs…and how they use it.

Journal articles should be fun and engaging, but also written in your interpretation of a pseudo-academic style, since this is a highly respected Federation xenobiology journal. If you want to keep things more lighthearted and less academic, check out the section on Letters to the Editor.

ALIEN BIOLOGY ARTWORK

If you have independent illustrations about alien biology we would love to see them! If you would like to provide illustrations for one of our journal articles, we will open up bidding so that you can find the perfect article for your ideas!

JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS

Even in a post-need future, academic journals will need a little extra funding. Submit your ads for Ferengi Oomox Creme, Self Sealing Stem Bolts, Gently Used Federation Technology, and, of course, “reproductive aids.” The weirder the better! Have fun with it!

All art needs to be printable at high resolution

ART Sizes:

Full page: 4.5"w x 7.5"h

Column: 2.21"w x 7.5"h

Half Page: 4.5"w x 3.75"h

Square: 2.21"w x 2.18"h

Banner: 4.5"w x 1"h

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Do you have a great idea, but it’s not enough to fill out a 3000 word article? Submit it as a “reaction” to a previous journal article. Feel free to lay into a mythical researcher who does NOT understand why their biological theory is wrong and yours is right!

Max length 1500 words. Enjoy making these plenty frothy!

WANT TO GET INVOLVED, BUT YOU’RE NOT A WRITER OR ARTIST?

WE NEED:

Graphic designers to help with Zine layout

Social media promoters

Alien art and article wranglers (ie: get your fannish friends involved!)

--HOW TO GET INVOLVED--

Fill out the Art or Writing Google Form letting us know your interests or reach out to the Editor in Chief at zineobiology@gmail.com

DEADLINES:

July 15, 2025: Last date for writer applications

August 18, 2025: Last date for Artists applications

August 30th: Writer drafts due. Claims begin.

October 30, 2025: All art, advertising, and journal submissions are due

We hope to have the Zine O’Biology ready for your enjoyment by New Year’s Eve 2025/2026. We all have full time jobs and lives, so that date may change depending on the volume of submissions.

FAQ can be found here.

[bookoftheironfist]

Foggy: "What are you guys doing here?" Danny: "We're friends. You're in trouble." Foggy: "I-I didn't even know you were still together." Danny: "Special occasions." Daredevil vol. 2 #78-79 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Dave Stewart, and Cory Petit

Danny and Luke rescue Foggy Nelson from Reporter Hell.

This takes place during the "Murdock Papers" storyline, in which Matt Murdock's secret identity has become front page news for the second time in a very short period of time. Matt himself has vanished (he's gone off to try and solve the problem as Daredevil), leaving Foggy, his law partner and best friend, to face the hordes of reporters who failed to break the story the first time around and are eager for a second crack at it. A unique and, to me, compelling element of the Bendis/Maleev DD run is the heavy presence of the news media—through the spotlighting of characters like Ben Urich and J. Jonah Jameson, and also through the press's inclusion in the run's broader exploration of superheroes as public figures.

Luke and Danny first met Foggy back in the early 80s via Heroes for Hire, when Foggy employed them to serve as bodyguards for Matt, who (gasp! shock!) had found himself in the mob's crosshairs. They previously knew him, however, by reputation; Nelson & Murdock was a high-profile law firm, and Foggy had also recently served a term as the New York District Attorney. Following the bodyguarding job (which did not go well) and then a team-up with both Daredevil and Foggy (which went a bit better), the group ended up becoming close acquaintances, and eventually, close friends. While it is unsurprising for Danny and Luke to hang out with Matt, as fellow NYC superheroes with frequent team-up opportunities and a lot in common, it is even more meaningful to me to see their fondness for Foggy, who they continued to protect through the rest of Daredevil volume 2 and, notably, during the "Shadowland" event, where Foggy's life was actively in danger. I also love the way Luke and Danny's time-honed and trademark teamwork is on full display here, even in this relatively low-stakes situation, with Danny stealthily checking in on Foggy and hurrying him away while Luke stands out front, drawing the attention and metaphorical bullets while telling the crowd to %@$# themselves.

There is a parallel that I greatly enjoy between Danny and Luke and Foggy and Matt as two of Marvel's most prominent and enduring pairs of business partners/best friends. As Danny says here, they weren't officially operating as the Heroes for Hire at this time. But Luke and Danny are only ever "not together" in the same way that Foggy and Matt are ever "not together": they are a matched set, a bonded pair, brothers (their words) for life, and so in one way or another, they are always together.

(As a side-note: I'm almost positive that Alex Maleev was trying to draw Danny's costume from memory in those initial panels, because what the heck is he wearing?)

[karasukarei]

Wind Breaker DVD/BR Vol. 6 bonus content – Boufuurin Vs Shishitoren Maruhi ㊙ Talk and Battle - Part 1

This is the translation of the vol. 6 bonus with the DVD/Bluray! I did not buy it for the bonus. I did buy it because Umemiya is featured on the cover. I have my priorities right.

There's 3 (4?) main parts to this - (1) Boufuurin x Shishitoren talk, (2) Hiiragi x Sako talk + (3) battle, (4) Boufuurin x Shishitoren battle. The battles are kinda hard to understand without the video, so I'll leave that aside for now and focus on just the talks.

As these are more like talk shows, there's quite a few areas where multiple people are talking over each other; in such instances, I will be omitting some of the stuff being said if it's repetitions or if they do not add on to the main stuff being spoken.

Important: A lot of what NakaYuu says will seem very cold/ indifferent on paper, and unfortunately this is one of those things that get lost in translation. In context, he's actually playing the deadpan fool like his pal Sugitan.

For the rest of my translations, see this post!

Boufuurin x Shishitoren talk

Sakura (CV: Uchida Yuuma - Yuuma)

Umemiya (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi - NakaYuu)

Choji (CV: Totani Toya Kikunosuke - Toya) (t/n: there's this running gag that has an origin I'm unaware of, apparently some people read his name wrongly and called him Totani instead and I admit that for the longest time I really thought it was read as Totani. The 谷 in 戸谷 can be read as either "ya" or "tani", and both are pretty common readings, hence the confusion)

(if anyone wants to hear me ramble about multiple readings for names please DM me I will be so happy to go on this long shpiel about meeting 3 people with 3 different readings of the same character before)

Togame (CV: Umehara Yuuichirou - Umechan) (t/n: yes I'm here to confuse the heck out of you)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yuuma: Hello everyone! I'm the voice actor of Sakura Haruka for the television anime Wind Breaker, Uchida Yuuma!

NakaYuu: Umemiya Hajime's Nakamura Yuuichi! (t/n: he was drawling a lot here wwww)

Toya: Tomiyama Choji's Toya Kikunosuke! (t/n: he is really so cute I want to protecc) (I also cannot emphasise enough just how talented he is; he sounds NOTHING like Choji irl)

Umechan: Togame Jo's Umehara Yuuichiro, thanks for having me.

Everyone: Thanks for having us! (t/n: it's the usual yoroshiku onegaishimasu greeting and I can never figure out how to properly translate it)

Yuuma: Speaking of, to everyone who bought the anime package (i.e. the DVD or blu-ray), will be receiving this special bonus, ehhh. ~It's Wind Breaker~ (comes with sparkles too) everyone.

NakaYuu: That's right.

(everyone chuckles)

Toya: We've even worn these jackets!

NakaYuu: Why are you doing it? (t/n: LMAO)

*everyone laughs*

Umechan: On the other hand, *points at Yuuma and NakaYuu* you're here like this?

Toya: It feels different there. (t/n: this is not an entirely accurate translation, but i'm pretty tired today and don't feel like explaining now. What he said was 気合違いますよ which has a bit more nuance; I'll explain in an edit next time.)

Yuuma: This is my regular...

Umechan: Gakuran? (t/n: this is the style of school uniforms worn by Boufuurin)

NakaYuu: It's not that. *very seriously*

Toya: Yuuma-san's clothes actually of give off a bit of the feel of gakurans...

Yuuma: It's not a gakuran ^_^

***

Yuuma: With that, the four of us from Wind Breaker, Shishitouren and Boufuurin will have a talk with each other.

Everyone (i think): Yes!

Yuuma: It's been a while since we've recorded our lines, and I think there'll be lots of memories we'll be reminiscing upon, but in Wind Breaker, there's often talk of speaking with our fists; Nakamura-san and I first joined from the PV, it's been a while, hasn't it? (t/n: They're referring to a special video they recorded for an event in Shibuya in 2021)

NakaYuu: It's a while back, isn't it?

Yuuma: Around 2021, yes.

NakaYuu: About two years before the anime, I think.

Umechan: It's from before the anime?

NakaYuu: Yes yes yes, when you get to our level it's like that. (t/n: this is absolutely dripping in sarcasm fyi; NakaYuu can only get away with a joke like this cos he's the oldest here) You start getting involved even before the anime is announced.

Yuuma: As for the two of you (Shishitoren), you guys auditioned?

Umechan: Yes...

Toya: We auditioned and received our roles.

Yuuma: You two make a great combo, how was it like performing together?

Umechan: It's my first time working with Toya-kun.

Toya: Yes it is.

Umechan: It was really refreshing. The other cast members, I've met them quite often at other places, so I sort of know how things will turn out with them. It's only Toya-kun I don't know anything about.

Toya: For me, it's my first time meeting most of the cast members, I remember that during the first recording I was really really nervous.

Umechan: I didn't know how it would turn out, but he was very Tomiyama-ish.

Yuuma: That's the matching being done (t/n: this might be a mistranslation; he literally uses "matching" in katakana, I'm not sure if there's an alternative meaning I'm missing out.)

NakaYuu: There's difficulty in reading him. (i.e. in reading his character)

***

Yuuma: Next is the visual commentary part, where we watch the anime while giving comments on it. First up, is this match!

T/N: I'm going to skip some parts and summarise some parts, as it's going to be pretty much impossible to match the dialogue and scene one on one without video

Sakura vs Togame

When Umechan first recorded for Togame, he spoke so slowly he was surprised, and in the end that take was used for the anime. It got easier to speak slowly as he practiced more, but at first he had to make a conscious effort to go slow.

Togame's script also had a lot of markings at the end of words (e.g. dashes), to indicate that the words should be drawn out / spoken slowly.

While filming the fight scenes, they thought quite a lot about what to ad lib and how to draw breaths in between lines. They were told it wasn't necessary to do it for everything, but on the day of recording they decided that they did want to include the ad libs and breaths for the whole thing.

NakaYuu, at the point when Sakura is kicked by Togame with his geta on: Getting kicked by the geta looks bad. (t/n: NO SHIT SHERLOCK)

Umechan: I would've preferred him to wear sneakers, it can absorb the impact a bit.

Yuuma: The geta is really hard.

NakaYuu: Of course it is.

NakaYuu, at the point when Sakura's head is stomped on by Togame with his Geta: That looks bad.

Yuuma: He's a real beast!

Umechan: Everyone, this is fiction.

Yuuma: Please don't try the same thing at home.

Umechan, at the point when Togame took off his geta: If he hadn't taken off his geta, I think he would have won. (t/n: LMAO)

NakaYuu: This is a power down event.

Umechan: His reach is now one geta shorter.

NakaYuui: His reach and power have both dropped. But his grip is stronger now

Umechan: It would've been fine if he hadn't taken it off.

NakaYuu: It's probably cos it feels strange using a weapon when he wants to fight fair and square.

t/n: WHY ARE THEY FEEDING INTO EACH OTHER'S CHAOS

Everyone in turn, when Sakura and Togame kicked each other in the face: The geta. the geta!

Yuuma: It's a good thing he's not wearing the geta.

NakaYuu: If he was wearing the geta he would've won.

Yuuma: Togame is a really great guy, fighting for Choji's sake. Thanks for the great battle! Next is this battle!

TO BE CONTINUED

[imustbenuts]

nuts reading in jp 11 - wrap up for vol 2 + i can talk about TriStamp undertaker wolfwood a little!!! whooo!!!

its been hella weird to read trigun in japanese since my first read was in english. i think i dug out a few extra stuff i didnt know existed in the work during this little journey. (thank you for joining in on my rambles!)

no real translation word related stuff today. mostly culture stuff dump.

but man i was right on the money when i said vash was stressed in #10. i forget he actually falls unconscious after dominique quits the narrative. yay~

me after i finish these posts at 5am every time

and then, him.

🥺✨✨raidei the blade. ✨✨ 🥺

listen. this guy. this fucking guy is, personally, the funniest guy in the entirety of trigun. for that line above in the 98 anime, and also for some stuff he represents. ...and it's not for larping reasons. ill get into that another day, please look forward to it. (i say this knowing his backstory was rough.)

anyway its time.... for Wolfwood's 'job change'.

in the manga he introduces himself as a tradesman Priest. it doesnt make much sense to outsiders but despite people getting confused, it mostly gets hand waved off as the guy being a little eccentric. and also prideful.

we then get more information about that being a cover for him being one of the Gung Ho Guns, Chapel. he can fight, hes an assassin, his job is to somehow get at Vash while being technically employed by Knives.

this wolfwood has absolutely no struggle with himself as a Priest specifically. heck, its even giving him some confidence bc he actually knows his stuff and can get by with those priestly things alone. at least, i assume so, bc otherwise the pride thing would be very misplaced as he is revealed that he really wants out of the insane GHG business, and wants nothing to do with his coworkers, as it were.

but TriStamp Wolfwood is... different in that pride regard

this version of wolfwood introduces himself as an Undertaker. he's technically a Priest, but he clearly lacks so much pride that he chooses to be an Undertaker.

the narrative tracks since he's the guide to send Vash to hell in tristamp, but theres at least 1 more layer to this.

so, Shinto! Shinto has played a very big part in Japanese culture and history since idk the beginning of Japanese history, affecting society and culture and governance.

key thing for this post: Shinto has a concept named Kegare/Defilement, which you can think of as an accumulation of evil energy. bad energy. bad enough to attract misfortune, evil spirits, and evil evil evil bad bad bad. (ive actually written about this in video game context before if you wanna read it here)

Kegare is generated upon death, blood, menstruation, and all that. in some modern media, Kegare can also be depicted to be generated by an accumulation of negative emotions from people. but for the longest time, it was mainly Death. (oh and somewhat also women with the whole uh.... you know, menstruation, childbirth, and stillbirths etc.)

but: Kegare is NOT sin, and should not be seen as such.

old japan governance also used Caste System. so combine that with shinto, and society and here's the not fun stuff: we now have a discriminated class of people who did all of society's very necessary but deemed dirty jobs. these are the Butchers, Leatherworkers, Executioners, and Undertakers. (which is wild. a society would not be able to function without them.)

they are shunned, deemed too dirty, too tainted, too polluted to ever have a hope of having a better life. since social mobility wasnt a thing with Caste System in some eras. and coming too close to them means pollution on the self too.

the Caste System got abolished, and today the descendants are called Burakumin 部落民. they are still being discriminated against to this day. the remnants of the dirtiness with certain jobs still remain, especially with jobs that involves the dead. its also possible to know who is a descendant of one through family names, which can be used to trace family registry and sus out old residences etc.

feel free to watch the above video for a clearer explanation by a japanese man instead of just taking my word for it >_>

back to wolfwood.

studio orange making him go from Priest to Undertaker is likely rooted in a logic associated with this. that TriStamp wolfwood lacks the confidence to have a strong identity outside of GHG, whereas manga wolfwood has. that TriStamp wolfwood really does think of himself as trash and worthless even before outsiders' judgement, whereas manga wolfwood's struggle is more about an internal struggle of being lost.

manga wolfwood is also never truly free from his identity as part of the EOM until the very end.

but TriStamp wolfwood gets a full contract saying that hes free from the EOM (i assume!)

i think theres also additional implications but im losing braincells by the minute. the change makes so much sense and tracks so well that apart from the confidence thing, everything is more or less intact.

(worth possibly nothing also, I think TriStamp wolfwood isnt fully checking boxes of uhhh Normality in japanese context. hes dressed in a mess, hes not clean shaven, his skin is kinda dark and not fair, he speaks in non-standard japanese. but ymmv, he will be ok in kansai at least, but not fully fitting in in Capital Tokyo nor ex-Capital Kyoto.)

i also, admittedly, dont know much about the culture surrounding death and undertakers within the states or europe so i cant comment much on that aspect. im aware i must have missed something. on that front, sorry D:

anyway thats all i got for now! thanks for reading this long ass post!

Edit: smooshing a bunch of add ons that are important into this og post, originally here

#OOOOOOOOO#Tbh I've always wondered about the Japanese context#Because it's more straightforward here in the US I feel like#Also I love love love where this put Stampede Wolfwood#Because they DID say that Wolfwood is still finding his footing#His shirt is grey because he isn't settled in who he is yet#So I'm curious where they're gonna go#Anyway thank you for the wonderful meta as always#Trigun Meta#Trigun -@revenantghost

thank u for the tags once again! and for putting this on my dash bc i just remembered something as i looked through this post with fresh eyes again.

it might be important for a potential future plot point in Stampede. it's about water and some parallels with a potential baptism. (though there is 0 guarantee this addendum will happen, im going into wild speculation territory here)

there is technically 2 ways to purify Kegare. Harae and Misogi

Harae is performed by a shinto priest/ress with shinto rituals on a target to exorcise/purify them. this is external, and involves ritual tools. or even a dance or song.

Misogi can be performed by the self. this involves basically washing oneself in cold ass clean water. it can be in a moving water or still, so long as its clean. shinto priests usually do this before they perform a ritual themselves.

visitors to shinto shrines are expected to do the same at the water spots for their hands and mouth. this act is called temizuya but the concept is still the same

so uh

remember ep 10-12 where its shown that vash going into the Pool puts him in total disadvantage and was a whole thing that wolfwood stood outside for? and that there was at least a few post calling this Pool a baptism bit?

;)

yep. im thinking of wolfwood a potential shinto priest on top of the catholic variety. im gonna bet my 1 monster energy drink this pool trap will happen again and wolfwoof is gonna go swimming for a bit of his own free will, if this plot point comes up again ever

[zekidork]

I'm a Zeki, and I haven't given up on this story either. Glad to hear from another Zeki who feels the same way. There aren't many Zekis left who are actively participating, only really toxic and persistent Yumes hoping for a different outcome. I doubt Yuuki will return, that would completely undermine Hino's story, which, yes, is inconsistent at times, but not to that extent. Zeki had such significant development throughout the story that there's very little left to explore.

Hey! Glad to hear that we're not all gone, lol. Yeah, it's sad that our zeki fandom has gone quiet. Sometimes I feel like I should be more active on the platform, but I just decided to look instead of participating much. I'm sure other zekis do the same.

I remember a time when zeki fans were still very active, roughly during the vol.2 to vol.4 chapter days, and there was a lot of excitement and disappointment about zeki's development as a couple (like not getting a sex scene, or not getting any clear cut communication from Yuuki, etc). And things shifted at one point. There was a huge discourse over ch.13 (I think), when Zero bit Yuuki all over, and a lot of drama and meta-analysis ensued. But Hino didn't really address any of the fans concerns (not even Yuuki's seed of desire mentioned in vol.1), and I think by the time Ren was born, and when the incestuous relationship between the girls started showing up--I think zekis sort of got discouraged and "gave up". Obviously I can't speak for anyone, but that's kinda what I observed throughout the years--hopefully I'm wrong, and it's just that people forgot or something, haha.

Hino's style of writing is often questionable--definitely not the best out there, but I've come to accept it and try to enjoy it for how it is. She just writes in a way that's very vague, and I completely understand how that gets frustrating for both zeki and yume fans. Heck, I got frustrated for years and also became less active because of it (and because of life in general). But like I said, once I started to read the series with acceptance towards Hino's style, things became much simpler (though I still hold some gripes with the writing, as most of us do).

Honestly though, in the spirit of appreciating what we did get, volume 10 gave zeki a whole lot, and I'm so grateful for that. Even if it's not exactly what we hoped for, I think Hino really took the time to show how far zeki has come as a couple in her own way; with Zero's final chapter really tying everything in their relationship together relatively well. She essentially dedicated a whole volume to him, and zeki's relationship in general, giving us a proper farewell and perfect tie-in to his death scene from vol.1.

As for yume fans; while, some can definitely be toxic (just like some of us have been too), I'm honestly not gonna be mad at them for being excited about Kaname's return to main character status. Like, that's literally what they've been waiting for since the start of the series--for years! I'm hoping Hino uses each chapter to its fullest to give Kaname a proper ending, just like she did for Zero. Whether or not Yuuki's coming back in his life is, well, hard to say at the moment (which is something unique to Hino's writing honestly). But as you said, the chances are low, and I agree. And if she does come back, then the only thing I can do from there is hope that it at least makes sense and ties everything together (actually I hope whatever ending will do this). For now, I guess the best that we can do is enjoy as much as we can while the story still lasts and hope for the best.

Thank you for messaging me! Sorry for the long response, but I guess you gave me the opportunity to reflect on the story and our fandom's evolution (or devolution).

To anyone reading this, have a lovely day!

[daresplaining]

Daredevil vol. 2 #48 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Matt Hollingsworth, and Cory Petit

I've written about this scene before, but I just keep coming back to it. Matt has just been attacked by Typhoid Mary, approximately thirty seconds into his second date with Milla. With the help of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, who are bodyguarding for him at the time, Matt manages to fight Typhoid off and get Milla out of harm's way. He brings her back to his apartment, where he can treat his injuries and Milla can get some breathing space to recover. As the evening progresses, they end up in bed together.

There are so many stories— heck, so many Daredevil stories— in which a scene like this would turn sexual. And there isn't anything inherently wrong with that, and there are certainly undertones here for anyone looking for them. But instead, Milla and Matt get into something much more somber: a direct examination of what they've just been through, and what Milla wants to do about it. The bed scene begins with Milla tracing her fingers over the scars on Matt's body while he tells her which villain gave him each one. The conversation slides into the exchange above. This is not long after Karen Page's death (a fact that will pop up in more emphatic ways later in the run). Milla has just been on two disastrous dates, the latest of which put her in direct physical danger. Matt is brutally aware of the kind of target he is putting on her by allowing her to associate with him, and now he knows that Milla knows it too. In previous relationships he might not have brought it up; before Karen's death, before Elektra's, before Glori's, he might have said nothing here, eager for love and brashly confident in his ability to be the hero and keep his girlfriend safe. But no matter how much he likes Milla, and no matter how desperately he might want this relationship— because he's into her, because he needs something pleasant and consistent in his messy life, because the guy rebound dates like it's his damn job— he has the wherewithal, and the honesty, and the fear to tell her that she should take all of this danger seriously and leave. He gives her that choice.

It's easy for us as the readers, with the benefit of hindsight, to say that Milla was foolish to ignore the warnings and to pass up this opportunity to get out of the relationship before it turned ugly. But what I think hits me so hard about this scene is her conviction, and her courage to push all of that aside and offer up the hope that this time, things might be better. Milla has not known Matt for long, other than by reputation, but she has already proven that she is willing to go to great lengths to protect him. She isn't easily frightened, and she likes Matt too much to let him go this easily. Look at the framing and pacing of this moment. Matt makes his long speech about the horror Milla has just been through, and how much he likes her and how little she deserves what she will go through by being around him, and how he can't imagine why she would possibly want to stay. It's a speech full of stutters and pauses; Matt is rattled and frightened. And then there are two panels of silence, in which Milla seems to consider him, and he seems to consider her (it's almost framed as if they are looking at each other, and while obviously that's not what they're literally doing, it does create the sense that an examination is taking place). And then Milla just snuggles in closer and gives her answer: "Because I'm quite fond of you." And there's immense power in such a simple, almost casual response. She has witnessed the danger. She has thought about the danger. She wants to hang out with him anyway because she likes him.

The final panel is beautiful, framing Milla's single line of dialogue. A breeze lifts the curtain on the open window. The walls of the bedroom are transparent, letting in a view of the city and the sky, as if they are lying outdoors, perhaps invoking that feeling of the sounds of New York coming into the room and shattering that illusion of spatial separation. In this moment, neither of them can know what is coming, but with her choice to stay, Milla has conjured a world in which they can both imagine that this kind of peace might be possible.

[exhausted-archivist]

So About That Thedas Calls Teaser...

I am by no surprise a map fiend and have been combing over the map shown. First off it is tilted and squashed to heck cause of the really fun stylization which seems to be pulling inspiration from historical nautical maps as it has at least two sea bound center points.

Second, we have confirmation of:

Treviso, Antiva

Rivain

Weisshaupt, Anderfels

There are elements that suggest the following:

Merdaine, Anderfels: a location that holds the giant white sculpture of Andraste titled "Our Lady of the Anderfels", this is also near Weisshaupt.

Minrathous, Tevinter: which would make sense considering everything we've seen in previous concept work and through the short stories and anthology Tevinter Nights

Arlathan Forest, Tevinter: Same reasoning as above

Kal-Sharok: This one is a bit more tenious because as I mentioned in the first point the map is squashed and tilted so exact location is hard to figure out. Couple with the fact the structure is largely hidden in the fog of war. It could very much also be Andoral's Reach as that is the other known location in that area, but that is in Orlais so I have my doubts.

The following images are organized in order of mention:

The last image shows the whole frame for Minrathous, Arlathan forest, and the mysterious southern fortress (Kal-Sharok?) I also wonder, given that the Thedas Herbology oversized mousepad shows two varieties of deep mushrooms we've only seen in a drawing in The World of Thedas Vol. 2; the bleeding russula and the blighted morel. I wonder if that further lends to the possibility that we will be venturing back into the Deep Roads.

I'm really hoping we get to see more than one place in each location outside Tevinter. Not only that, but I also hope we get to go to Antiva City, though not named it would be interesting to see the capital of Antiva as well as how the "crown" and crows are handling the fifth occupation of Treviso by what they perceive as the Qun and if the main body of the Qun is helping fight against the rebelling Antaam as we see suggested in Tevinter Night.

I do really love the map they've shared, the stylization definitely communicates a focus on certain locals and fades away the ones we don't need to even consider. The use of the fog of war also plays so well into that and the sea monster.

Unfortunately, it doesn't portray much in terms of climates/biomes. The Anderfels looks arid as it always has, but Antiva is even more un-informing than usual. The fact the map is essentially stylized cracking rock portrays little on if Antiva is an arid climate or not. Considering Treviso seems to have snow on the mountains, and pretty low on the peaks as well, I have questions considering the rough placement we've been suggested they are on the globe and the fact that Seheron and Par Vollen are tropical and Rivain has the hallmarks of the same with the crops they grow - bananas, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, rice, chickpeas, bell peppers, ect.

Very excited to get back into the world of Thedas again.

[intooned]

What are your least favorite ships for jaune, Steven, and finn

My LEAST favorite? Woof! Ok, here we go.

Jaune: WhiteKnight: Any woman Jaune ends up with will have to AT LEAST have Pyrrha as a standard. Pyrrha loved Jaune before he accomplished anything, when he was just a sweet, earnest dork who wanted to be better than he was. She met him in the mud and jumped at the opportunity to help brush him off and build him up. Pyrrha heard his aspirations and said "cool, here's the first brick, let's start building you up!"

Meanwhile, Weiss just so happened to glance back at the finish line as Jaune crossed it, literally as a middle aged man, and she all of a sudden has a complete change of heart about him based off of his LOOKS? And nothing else? I loved Weiss' character development as a person, but having her take interest in Jaune on a dime with zero preamble was the most shallow thing she's ever done, and that's saying a lot considering her character from vol 1-2.

He already closed ONE gaping hole in her stomach at Haven Academy, and she never so much as uttered a thank you or acknowledged his presence. Just stood up, struck a pose, and used her summon. No indication whatsoever of a changing perspective or reevaluation of him to suggest any interest in having him fill her other holes in the future. When he expresses that he's glad she's OK, she doesn't even respond to him being their whatsoever, just gets up and carries on. And after the fight no words were exchanged between them, no apathetic eye contact, just nothing at all.

The shmuck fell for her at first sight without even getting to know her (not that Weiss ever gave him the chance to) and she never let anybody hear the end of it. Yet she knows Jaune for years and after all that time still has zero interest and the barest of friendships? Fine, fair enough! But that all goes out the window because of his APPEARANCE alone? A few seconds isn't enough time to take into account how Jaune's character has developed for his character to have been what attracted Weiss. How astoundingly hypocritical that she just wants him for his body after giving everyone hell for assuming the same of him? And one outing to the movies, with oscar in tow, off-screen, with no suggestive interaction afterward is not sufficient enough for anyone to believe anything had changed.

A cliché is cliché for a reason; Weiss didn't want Jaune at his worst, but Pyrrha did. She didn't want him at his beginning, but (according to Oum, by the end of season 2) Ruby did. She didn't want him at his mid, but a literal harem of milfs did. But now, at his best and most vulnerable... that STILL wasn't what had her moist at first sight; his newly well-worn dilf status was the sole factor in her newfound attraction. If you ask me, Jaune deserves so much better than the frigid panties of such a fickle and shallow girl. Especially ironic now that her kingdom, status, and family name are worthless. The gall to thirst after a guy you consistently insulted, for liking you, for two whole school years!

I had really hoped that someone, ANYONE, but especially Ruby would have confronted her behavior with contempt and indignation at her lust for Jaune after her indifference and outright hostility toward him up until that point. Having the both of them as her best friends, Ruby was privy to both sides of Jaune and Weiss' "relationship" back in school. I want to see both Jaune and Weiss happy but as far as we've gotten in the plot Weiss is acting more immature now than Jaune was back at Beacon, and it sucks that the writers are definitely going to smooth over all of that for the sake of giving the ex-heiress what she wants.

Steven: Steven x Sadie: Not much to say other than I can't imagine either of them benefitting or growing from each other's presence in a relationship.

Finn: Fubblegum: Princess Bubblegum is a conniving, manipulative, lawful evil ego-maniac and Finn dodged a NUCLEAR WARHEAD moving on from his crush on her. Heck, Marceline is WAY too good for her. I don't have a single doubt Marceline would give her life for her partner, and Finn was willing to tank third degree burns for someone he liked, and would do that and more for anyone he knew, but Bubblegum? I don't think she'd suffer any major inconvenience for her lover, especially after the bloody CUNT called Marcy "Monster Trash". This may be my diehard Finnceline enjoyer talking, but of all the female characters in the show, none of them vibed on the same wavelength with Finn like Marceline did. After Jake there's no one who's been a closer friend to Finn than Marceline; I'd go so far as to say Bubblegum has been more harm than help for Finn and others in the long run.

[juststeveandtonythings]

Avengers Vol 9 #1, part 1 of 2. This issue bounces between the formation of the new Avengers team and the threat they're currently fighting - I'll talk about the team in this post, and the threat in the second. Anyway. Apparently the most recently active Avengers have voted Carol to be their new chairperson, which means she gets to put together a new team. She thinks about why everyone does what they do - for Tony, it's because he wants to make up for his past; for Carol, it's Earth - "a gem of infinite worth".

Tony, looking really hecking handsome, tells her she needs to build her roster as they chill out in the Jarvis Lounge. She tells him he's his first pick. Aww. "You're my sponsor. Of course I need you. And given current events, you need us." It's hard to pin down what event she's talking about exactly, but since Tony still has his Mark 70 armor, it's probably the blowing up of his brownstone in IIM #1.

From there, she also asks Thor so that he can be the powerhouse, then T'Challa, "the most dangerous man alive". He's apparently not on great terms with the Avengers due to some previous event involving sleeper cells and kill-switch protocols, and he's not king or even officially the Black Panther anymore. Still, he's smart - "not the same way that Tony's smart", but rather canny, and in the end, he's still an Avenger. "Come home," she tells him.

Then she finds Steve and Sam training with each other in the Lower East Side. They all have a chuckle as they call each other "Cap". Then Carol asks if Sam will join the team, because they need a normal person instead of only stacking the team full of unusual people, and Sam is the closest thing there is to that. He accepts. Steve seems fine with this, and we know he'll go on to lead the Uncanny Avengers soon, so all is well.

Finally, she asks Vision, who is brooding a bit after the events of Judgment Day (no idea what that is), and Wanda, who preemptively accepts, calling the Avengers the one point of stability in her entire life, aw. And that rounds out the team!

- Avengers Vol 9 #1 (2023)

[completeoveranalysis]

Hi Nick, anon from 2 days ago who asked about the Google drive here - tysm, the link worked! Also, I saw your tags and just wanted to say no thank YOU! I became a fan of Tsubasa when I was pretty young (I watched the anime around 4th grade and read the manga around middle school) So while I absolutely loved it, a lot of the nuances and details were lost on me (heck I probably read the first 14 vol out of order lol, since I had to go with whatever was available at the library) So when I randomly stumbled across your blog I was absolutely overjoyed!!! This manga and the characters have such a special place in my heart and reading it again through your blog made me love it even more! So thanks!

Absolutely my pleasure, anon! I'm very glad the link worked and and gives you some more reading options.

I'm always completely blown away when people say that this has helped them enjoy Tsubasa even more than they already did, which is basically the highest compliment possible. I appreciate it greatly <3

[hikennosabo]

trimax vol 10 random thoughts (ch 1-4)

usually my method for writing these posts is to read the volume in full, then read it again while writing out my thoughts. sometimes i have to read a volume more than just twice. i don't want to read this one again... mom come pick me up i'm scared

also it's finally gotten to the point that i have to split this post up into multiple parts... lol

why is nightow recycling chapter titles. or is this a translation thing? we already had chapters titled 'wolfwood' (vol2ch4) and 'death omen' (vol6ch4)... heck, the first 'wolfwood'-titled chapter is DIRECTLY REFERENCED in this very volume... anyway.

chapter 1:

this chapter cover FUCKS... it's just the punishers because this is all razlo is... a weapon. to chapel, anyway.

the bullet holes in ww's back... they've healed by now i think, but still, it's so visceral...

i don't know what to say about wolfwood's faith in vash that hasn't already been said. just. fuck, man.

can chapel die please please please please please youre nothing

razlo getting in between chapel and wolfwood is... interesting. even if he just wants to prolong ww's suffering... i don't know. it's not like razlo cares about wolfwood, but, hmmm, i don't know. just something i wanted to point out i guess.

...remind me to count how many vials wolfwood drinks when i rewatch stampede.

razlo's expressions while chapel is talking about how ww needs to die NOW while shooting him and stabbing him with the gun... hmmm... he's thinking...

chapter 2:

i like seeing razlo being pensive.

the way chapel has his talons in razlo... razlo is so loyal to him because he literally shot himself to beg for razlo's life, but this line of thinking tells me there's also lowkey fear there. the level of obsessiveness for which he injured himself so badly is the same one that makes him want to hurt wolfwood so much and razlo knows it. this is how far chapel is willing to go...

razlo... :( all he ever wanted was to be needed. and chapel fully took advantage of that.

ww is trembling here. is this him trying to physically resist chapel pushing his head back or is he trembling out of fear...

chapel is the evilest motherfucker in this whole fucking manga. seriously, fuck this guy.

melanie's words to wolfwood... despite it being a scolding, they're clearly coming from a place of love, not fear or anger. i think other people have already said everything that i could say about this. so instead i'm going to talk about razlo some more, since nightow made it a point to show us that he's listening to this.

i wonder what he's thinking... this chapter opened with him thinking about what happens to those who "betray" chapel... and he's observing this interaction, of a mother, a guardian, not reacting with anger, but with love, to seeing what's become of wolfwood. such a far cry from chapel's unbridled rage. melanie took care of razlo, too, technically. so i wonder if this is another... i don't know how to put it... another way that razlo's belief in chapel is being chipped away at.

and wolfwood thinks of vash, and once again, vash appears. like he's answering his prayer again.

i said this last volume, but i love seeing vash use his feathers to protect. and use his powers willingly. of course i worry about him when he does it, but it's just such a powerful character moment every time. because it's for wolfwood.

chapter 3:

wolfwood reaffirms his feelings about vash - absolute faith, someone he believes in and considers a friend - but doesn't understand why vash would come for him. i'm feeling some type of way. it's mutual, you fucking idiot!!!

razlo's smile is cute...

he's just excited to fight who he deems a worthy opponent... i wish the situation wasn't so dire...

^ how it feels to read trigun maximum (eating glass)

also, i need to share that when i watched stampede for the first time, this is what i said, copypasted directly from the group chat:

"as if the giant cross he carries isnt enough of a death flag on its own, the glass vials he's drinking are like. major flying high death flags."

i was thinking along the lines of "a character taking mysterious medicine is a death flag," but little did i know that the vials would literally be his cause of death. i was closer to the truth than i thought.

someone in the tag said something about ww going "catholic beast mode" and truly this is it. chapel was REALLY sent flying... fuck you fuck you fuck you you deserved that. i do feel a bit bad for razlo though.

a LOT of people have already questioned/referenced the theory that vash can literally hear ww's thoughts, but honestly i think this one is just a case of vash knowing ww so well that he understands what ww wants without doing that.

GOOD!!!!!

i actually do, truly, feel bad for razlo though. chapel was the closest thing he has to a father. thing is, chapel was just as abusive and controlling as livio's parents were. not in the exact same way, obviously, but abusive all the same. razlo has just... not been in a good situation. like, ever. he doesn't know anything else. he didn't see chapel's abuse for what it was.

*head in hands* VASHWOOD.......

they're so fucking stupid. they understand each other so well and yet so little. they can fight back-to-back seamlessly but fall so short when it comes to words. i'm going to cry.

chapter 4:

vashwood banter is back, but oh look, more dread. i've talked before about chapters that use familiar setups/scenarios but have an air of dread over them. 'colorless expression' was one. 'bastards and the blues' was another. i think this scene also falls into that.

what if i microwaved myself.

no!!! no silly expression!!! not when my heart is so full of dread!!!!

vash thinking about his feelings for wolfwood. i can't even articulate anything. i just want to cry.

"i wanted to see tomorrow with him." I WANTED. TO. SEE. TOMORROW. WITH!!! HIM!!!! i feel like shinji on the chair.

he can feel wolfwood's body dying. what if i ate rocks.

the way he clings so hard. he doesn't want to let wolfwood go, literally and figuratively.

the embrace. the hesitation. what if i ate glass.

the apology...... ww knows he's dying and he knows that vash knows. in yet another "i know he knows i know" situation. their whole fucking relationship.

i can't read this chapter without crying, fuck.

even razlo is like, "i want to fight both of you!" but even if vash joined wolfwood against razlo now, it would be too late...

i have nothing coherent to say. this post has become a record of my vashwood-induced mental breakdown, sorry. and we're only halfway through the volume...

[bookoftheironfist]

    In which all of the comics fans who spent this whole episode going “Heal her, dummy! Heal her!” are finally rewarded! What a great reveal this is. I mentioned in an earlier post that this season did not dig very deep into the Iron Fist power-set, but it did give us two key components: the punching and the healing, and since the healing is much less famous than the punching, it was hugely exciting to see it spotlighted in this climactic moment. 

    In the comics, pre-Immortal Iron Fist Danny was, relatively speaking, an untrained Iron Fist-- which is to say that he didn’t know about a lot of the things that the chi of Shou-Lao could do. This wasn’t really his fault, as his predecessor, Orson Randall (who we will get to next episode!) took with him the source of that knowledge, the Book of the Iron Fist, when he ran away from K’un-Lun. Both 616 and MCU Danny are forced to learn a lot of the business of being the Iron Fist through lived experience, trial-and-error, and sometimes just by accident. 

The circumstances in which Danny discovers his healing powers in the comics are different than in the MCU, but equally desperate: he gets caught in a collapsing building and finds himself trapped in the rubble, dying from his injuries. On the edge of unconsciousness and hallucinating, he receives some vital information from the image of his uncle, Nu-An, the Yu-Ti of K’un-Lun: 

Nu-An: “Save yourself, young dragon!” Danny: “H-how?!” Nu-An: “The power lies within you, as it always has, nephew. The legacy of Shao-Lao can heal as well as kill... The Iron Fist is not a weapon--it is a force of will...and used properly, it can accomplish...miracles.” Iron Fist vol. 1 #4 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Janice Cohen, Frank Chiaramonte, and John Costanza

    Danny’s first healing experience is extremely painful and exhausting, but it works. He survives. Over time, he grows more comfortable with using the dragon chi in this way, and after his power-up in Immortal Iron Fist he is able to do so casually, whenever he needs to, for both himself and others.  

Lei Kung: “Daniel?” Danny: “Hunh...I healed without even thinking of it. And I don’t feel drained at all.” Immortal Iron Fist #8 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Matt Hollingsworth

Danny: “Your doctors did most of the hard work weeks ago... All I’m doing...is focusing your chi a bit...” Dakota: “...Whoa...” Danny: “...To speed up your natural healing process.” Daredevil vol. 2 #111 by Ed Brubaker, Clay Mann, Matt Hollingsworth, Stefano Gaudiano, and Chris Eliopoulos

    MCU Danny is at much the same state of training as pre-Immortal Iron Fist 616 Danny, and I love that his effort at healing Colleen is clearly painful for both of them, reflecting that early power level and lack of experience. And the fact that Danny just passes the heck out afterward and is unconscious for the rest of the episode means a lot to me.  

    (There is a great issue of Heroes for Hire volume 1 in which a desperate, pre-Immortal power-level Danny heals Luke from life-threatening injuries and nearly kills himself in the process. Obviously, this is not on the same level as that, but it has a similar flavor.)  

    While this is all very exciting for geeky reasons, it is also a major plot point. After being teased as Colleen’s mysterious sensei earlier in the season, here Bakuto swoops in to save the day...much to the annoyance of Madame Gao, who is pissed that he’s muscling in on her Iron Fist manipulation efforts. And not only does Bakuto help, he knows about the Iron Fist-- including details that even Danny doesn’t know. That is hugely significant, a mystery that leads us directly into the next episode...

[I’ve been going through and providing in-depth commentary on Iron Fist season 1. Look here for all of the posts so far!]

[standardquip]

Heat Guy J Live Reacts

While watching Gungrave I remembered this show existed. Here are a compilation of discord messages I sent while watching the show over the course of ~2 weeks.

Key points: - This just might be an escaflowne AU - werewolves heck yes - better women than gungrave - surprise "tomatoes in anime" research

do I watch Heat Guy J (26 eps, similar to gungrave) or do I watch Black lagoon (29 eps, sexy guns starring a lady) I'm leaning toward Heat Guy J for my grey haired man quota I'm playing Heat Guy J ep 1 now so far the music is good lol kill bill inspired or kill bill was inspired bythis? I don't remember when either of those came out wow the voices are so much cooler sounding in japanese they just sound lame in english but english uses less brain power so I'll deal I'm gonna play all these at 1.5x speed because I'm on a strict schedule wow the cgi in this anime did not age well

I think this show shares a character designer with escaflowne … I might have to get this soundtrack damn this ost is all over the place but in a good way I'm only 12min into the first ep this is crazy ok alan schezar

hey look, it's Chid Freid all grown up

shut up, emo dildandau

also, they call the don of their mafia "vampire" (that's the title of the position) That's pretty neat

I'm pretty sure that's just a simplified bra design but this is the 2nd time she's shown up and all I can think of when I see her is "furry boobs"

this dude [Claire] seriously is dilandau straight up psychotic

werewolf or werecat? Hmmmmm

WHAT prisoners have their dna altered so when/if they escape prison, their faces are altered to look like beasts That is such an INSANE policy who puts sunflowers on a grave wtf

I started Heat Guy J I'm just starting ep 3 Here's my thoughts so far:

Surprisingly way more interesting than I thought it would be

The OST is god tier imo

Character design is very similar to vision of escaflowne

the android design is unique and cool bonus: at least one werewolf

ep4 it is a werewolf hecc yeah

"Have you seen my bunny?" I think I found Van

oh If we take personality into account This guy is actually folken

hot

this irish jig thing they have for the fight scenes is really entertaining

the russian roulette guy is the werewolf And I'm going back on the folken thing He's definitely Van ep5 I think this will be the last one for me tonight

fun times

[someone else says: Heat Guy J episode 1: October 1, 2002. Kill Bill Vol 1 premiere: October 30, 2003 ]

gonna try and get the next 5 eps of heat guy j done starting with ep 6 alright what's with the tomato symbolism in anime this didn't just come out of nowhere in new anime and now it's in heat guy j

[someone says: So Google has no idea why tomatoes I thought there would be like some sort of analysis on tomatoes as a symbolic device in anime ]

No it's probably not that direct like maybe japan exports a ton of tomatoes or something?

like if potatoes show up in some irish show There's a lot of history behind that (because of the potato famine) regardless of how they are actually used in the show There is a reason Just like how english is always saying "oh my god" or why they say "bless you" when you sneeze That seems benign but the reason for it is because english speakers are/were predominantly christian

Nobody's going to write an essay about why english speakers use "oh my god" or "bless you" in mass media It's something ingrained in the culture, so you'd have to look in a different context (different from its connection to why it shows up in tv shows a lot) to find the answer you're looking for

I guess ep 6 is "the stock market episode" oh boy they're really hamfisting the lessons in this one already oh boy they just explained the difference between stocks and commodities they also explained shorts (without calling them shorts)

J just caught a bullet with his BARE HANDS and it wasn't even a special scene or anything IT JUST HAPPENED

WHAT dilandau is like "I don't want you around anymore" to his butler so the butler is like "ok" AND THEN PUTS A GUN TO HIS HEAD FOR SUICIDE that's fucking crazy just leave the organization It was a free pass

ep7

cool he's got a scar now also it was just confirmed that THIS ONE is a cat

Back to tomatoes in anime: https://tasteofculture.com/2023/07/17/tomatoes-in-japan/ not as in-depth as I was hoping for

but my armchair guess is it symbolizes a gaijin making a big change to the culture and succeeding maybe an underdog story that also happens to look pretty

I wonder if this is why the tomato is getting spotlight in new anime https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Science/Japan-approves-gene-edited-super-tomato.-But-will-anyone-eat-it

why do japanese love the tomato so much? :skeptical fry.jpg: https://www.bbcspirits.com/gb/other-alcohols/729-liqueur-japan-la-tomato.html

ok so [person] might be onto something with the "it's just pretty" thing https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/100_10 this abstract makes it more clear that tomatoes were grown primarily because they were pretty. They didn't start eating them until the 1920s!

starting ep 10 now

alright Let's see if I can get to ep 15 I want to start a different series

ep11 was about mind control You know, it's been awhile since we saw the werewolf guy I wonder if he'll be in ep12

Heat Guy J is way more entertaining than the trailer made it seem but there's no real over-arching plot so I'm kind of bored of it now But not bored enough of it that I am ok abandoning it without finishing HELL YEAH WEREWOLF GUY IS IN THIS ONE oh lame they reused the animation from the other episode 😔

ep13 (yay) if I could finish this series today, that would be cool idk if I can keep focused on it much longer though I actually kind of want to go to bed… :reigensweat: (it's only 6pm here)

Starting ep15 The last one for today oh damn they legit destroyed heat guy j they just gave the main character super lsd

… j will make a full recovery damn plot armor

damn MC's (Daisuke) got plot armor from the super lsd too what a letdown

well ep15 is over and nothing has fundamentally changed I'm going to bed I guess And by "Bed" i mean laying down and browsing reddit on my phone til I fall asleep

ok let's see if I can get through 16 - 20 of heat guy j tonight

ep16 MC's brother, alan with glasses, was shot and is in the hospital. I guess he doesn't have plot armor. Meanwhile, dildandau's organization tries to overthrow him because he's too psychotic I wasn't paying much attention, I'm not sure if it succeeded or not

ep17 continues this plot MC & J leave the city and MC smells clean air and grass for the first time He doesn't like nature smells one random side character is the voice of those toonami music video narrator's (outlaw star narrator?) and it's sooo weird

hell yeah werewolf is back werewolf guy aka van is actually just a deus ex He only appeared for 5 seconds to make plot armor for MC 😩 ep18 MC got fired from the special unit. So he and J are now no longer partners alan is out of the hospital I think MC is going after the gang organization that dildandau used to be head of. is currently head of? It's still confusing

ok looks like dildandau is uhhh not present mentally and is maybe on the run So I guess the coup succeeded lol dildandau's character name is claire rival crime gangs are all after claire because they need his eyes to defeat some retinal scanner to access a ton of gold

J has been re-activated to be the plot armor for MC, who happens to be in the same room as clair currently while this gang war is going on yadda yadda somehow MC got the special unit formed again ep19 MC trying to recruit werewolf to the new special unit oh werewolf history episode yay

werewolf joined them yay ep20 Probably the last one before bed tonight There's 26 eps total, so maybe I can finish it tomorrow ep20 today we learn lightsabers just casually exist in this universe oh There's also an evil clone of J apparently

the evil J is trying to kill the MCs but normal J is nowhere to be found I wonder why that is oh there he is finally J vs J battle has commenced J is so OP evil J is dead now ehhhh let's watch ep 21, then call it some random side character has lost his black cat, named juliet aaaand now he's dead

juliet sees it And with his dying breath, he reaches for the cat "I have to make sure that you get home" Sad surprisingly powerful for random side character who has never shown up before oh wait He has shown up before lmao his name is romeo of course he'd name his cat juliet poor juliet

ok ep21 done bed now finish heat guy j tomorrow hopefully

alright let's see if we can watch the last 5 eps of heat guy j today beginning ep 22 this time the killer machine is A WOMAN! you know, this show has more women than the last one (Gungrave), which is good, but so far every single "evil" woman has been mind controlled meaning apparently women don't have the power to be bad of their own accord So that's kind of weird that it's happened twice now

the mechanic for J is very obviously in love with him I mean it was obvious from the first ep she was introduced but now it's even more obvious This looks like it's going to turn into "the beach episode"

oh shit, the island's owned by sephiroth! 😂

ep 23 There's a reoccuring small girl photographer character. She sells photos from a carriage on the street with a mule. So we start this ep with her carriage (which is also her house) burning to the ground girl is stoic, mom is crying and sobbing Girl says "Darn. I forgot my camera. I bet I could've sold a photo of this to the news for some money"

monica (the girl) now lives with the special squad and she is spitting some straight facts J has agreed to pretend to be monica's dad She is using him as a stage performer so she can get money LOL Now she's using him to gamble haha

so you're telling me that in all the years MC has been carrying this bullet pendant around his neck, he never once tried to open it? give me a break Monica opened it and found a memory card inside which is a thing MC needed to solve a crime anyway, ep24 time woman assassin! is she acting of her own accord though? Let's find out

Turns out MC's brother, Alan (actually named Shun) was the evil one all along! Oh Female assassin is actually J's technician! womp womp and shun just killed her sad trombone.mp3 and now he's controlling J!

oh no.jpg

ep25 begins (second to last episode) claire/dildandau makes a triumphant return, to tell MC his brother is the one behind this! Because MC was too dumb to figure it out himself for some reason rather than MC fighting J, beautiful werewolf deus ex appears out of nowhere and forces J into sleep mode

something weird is happening with alan's voice I'm predicting he is actually an android as well Let's see if this bet pays off dildandau got his organization back

same face syndrome killed me the assassin was shun/alan's assistant, not J's technician time to start the final ep, ep26

this is dumb the anime is too episodic now what do I want to watch next? (even though ep26 is still going on in the background) - High Card - Link Click season 2 - Blood Blockade Battlefront - Grenadier - Noein - Black Lagoon

Currently I am interested in lots of guns and gray haired men idk which is more important so maybe a good 50/50 ratio is perfect 🤔 well if we go in download date order, I should do Black Lagoon next… MC to evil brother: "The only think I'm here to kill… Is your anger" 😂

plot armor is in full effect in this episode now there's fireworks because some random deus ex kills everyone that mattered to the coup evil brother tries to kill himself nothing matters evil brother is not an android sad evil brother does not die and decides to not be evil anymore they gave him amnesty This has less stakes than an MCU movie MC goes on a kino's journey without J series ends super lame I am going to make a very nonsensical decision and start High Card next oh no its japanese with subs only! 😩 I don't want to deal with that right now Guess I'll go with Black Lagoon

I finished Heat Guy J It's too episodic for my tastes Also the plot armor was super thick I have started Black Lagoon I'm on ep9 currently It's much better (Heat Guy J OST was still amazing though) the only thing black lagoon is missing is a silver haired guy

well there's 29 eps... More than enough time for one to show up

[starfirexuchiha]

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher) Album Book Volume 4 - English Translation

Did you know that there were 4 story books made for Fire Emblem Ciphers?

Volume 1 is about Ike and FE9 / FE10

Volume 2 is about Male Corrin and Fates

Volume 3 is about Female Corrin and Fates

and Volume 4 is about Roy and FE6 / FE7

Thank you so much ZoraTwilight for scanning the Volume 4 book for me! I was able to translate the story within it! (I was supposed to translate this years ago but I was buried in college homework/exams at the time and forgot I'm sorry💦)

My translation isn't perfect but I tried my best to make the English sentences not sound weird. Some phrases in Japanese cannot be easily translated to English. So here goes!

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)

Album Book Vol. 04

Shadows taking over, Light of Hope

-----A sinister shadow is about to overtake this continent…

The sandstorm is whirling like crazy. As if it’s something that refuses to be approached. As if it’s never going away.

“Hey… do you know about this rumor?”  The guy in front of a caravan said. While wrapping his turban with the scarf is covering his mouth, the man walking next to him spoke out: 

“I’m tired… talk about that gossip to someone else will ya?”

“Hey don’t say that, there are many legends about this Nabata desert.” 

The listener gave him a dull look, but the speaker continued to run his mouth. The speaker’s face is also tired, but he at least wanted to distract himself from the unbearable desert heat as well as the drifting dust in the sandstorm. 

“First of all… there are valuable treasures buried everywhere in this great desert.” 

“Yeah…”

“And I heard about a story where there’s a secret village hidden somewhere around here. It’s a village where the descendants of dragons live.”

“I see, I see…”

“And there’s a large temple brimming with cold water underground or something…”

“…..”

The story is hard to believe. There shouldn’t be hard ground in the sand as far as the eye can see. These two are traveling merchants. They do business while carrying loads of items. Walking in the desert is a normal thing for them. In this great desert, they usually shouldn’t be traveling through the dangerous sandstorm. But this time, they chose this route because there are buried packages from Bern soldiers that contain large amounts of money here. However… if the contents inside the packages hold just food and soldier equipment, then what the heck do they do now? No, they do not need to know about such things. In fact, it’s more risky to raise such a question. 

“There’s one more thing…”

The rumor-loving man still continued to tell the story. Even though the story sounds fake, what other pleasant things are there to talk about? 

“I also heard that a ghost of a beautiful woman tends to show up around here too.” 

Just as he said that, the ghost suddenly began to appear. Right before the merchant’s eyes, the sand whirling in the storm grew stronger. It’s so harsh that the sand begins to stick onto the merchants’ carts.

And then the men saw her. Amidst the raging sandstorm stood a shadow of a woman standing in the dunes. She is as beautiful as the rumors say, the figure of the divine woman appears to be more fascinating than frightening…

“Is that…. THE GHOST YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT JUST NOW?!”

“GRAAHHHHHHH!”

The frightening sound echoed. At first it seemed that the sound of the wind became stronger but that’s not it. A bigger shadow was looming just behind that woman. The strange looking monster figure closely resembled the ones seen in fairy tale picture books for young children.

“It’s… It’s a DRAGON!!!”

As they cried out, the caravan group ran away at once, leaving their horses and goods behind. 

There’s an area in the desert where one can hear the sound of gentle water flowing and leaves rustling from the trees. The sunlight filtering through the trees created small patches of light in a small area. One could hardly believe that it is the same area as the desert a while ago…

“Hey! Big sister Sophia!”

In the desert resides a village around one oasis. It is commonly known as Nabata Village, a Utopia where humans and dragons live together. Among the powerful territories in Elibe, such an isolated land like this one exists. 

“Huh? Say it in a little more detail please~”

Fae inflates her cheeks with a face of tantrum. Sophia laughs again, sounding a little worried. Since birth, Fae is not allowed to leave the village. It’s because her power is too strong and that there is a risk that she will be used under the wrong hands of unknown people. Therefore, she should not be allowed to talk about her interest regarding the outside world. Sophia knew that. 

“I really…. don’t have anything to say”

She was watching a caravan passing by. One cannot reach this village unless they know the restricted route to get there. Apparently it doesn’t seem that someone had found the way, but Sophia had a bad feeling about this. Sophia, who inherits the blood of the dragon, doesn’t have tremendous power like Fae does, but instead has magical powers that no ordinary person can possess.  Foreseeing the future is one of them. She felt it. She foresaw that an unknown shadow is going to cover all of Elibe. Something bad is going to happen… so she hugged Fae close and frowned. 

 “Big Sister…. what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Fae looked worried. Her innocent face expresses unhappiness knowing that she continues to be confined in this oasis. But Sophia has been wishing for Fae to be released from this eternal prison. Someday, to her heart’s content, she wants to play with her while she is free and happy. However, that desire is far away as if she can sense that it is hidden behind the dark clouds in the sky… 

The sounds of a horse’s hooves echo in the courtyard under the clear sky. As the horse is walking, a young man with gold shining hair and blue eyes is seen with a bit of dirt on his body, showing a bitter smile on his face.

“Checkmate” 

Said a female knight riding a horse. The young blonde man who had fallen on the ground, raised his defeated face and returned an invigorating smile. 

“You win…. Mage General”

The name of the female knight is Cecilia. She is the Mage General from Etruria’s 3 generals. The young man she defeated is Klein. Against this skilled bow user, Cecilia thought that it had been the first time in a long time that she had such a tough sparring match. The young man skillfully dodged her wind magic, and has great precision when he shoots his arrows many times. If Cecilia didn’t change the trajectory of her Aircaliber magic, she might have lost that match. Klein is a noble of the Reglay family and is currently engaged in military service in the Western Isles. He was with Cecilia when returning to Etruria for a report and decided to have a sparring match with her on the premises of a villa. And now…

“You and your younger sister have a considerable amount of skill. Perhaps the next Mage General of Etruria will be Clarine I wonder?”

“Haha… please don’t tell my sister that.” 

It all began in a dinner party when Klein’s younger sister Clarine started asking Cecilia to become their mage instructor.  The people of the dinner party were surprised at such an unfamiliar offer but Cecilia accepted it. The place was small but Cecilia was able to teach her a few magic tricks. 

-----It was wonderful! But… given that Clarine’s brother uses a bow, General Cecilia cannot teach him. Clarine insisted she do it, but Cecilia will not. However, Klein did mention when greeting Cecilia, that a sparring match would be a great opportunity. 

“Now then… if you’ll excuse me…”

Klein is about to leave while brushing off the dust on him.

“Klein, can you spare me a moment?”

“Huh? Um… of course…”

Cecilia was worried about the state of Klein’s mind during their match. She understands that Klein is an innocent young man during that match, so she also wanted to hear his story a little more. 

“Is General Arcard doing well?” 

“Yes. The General is trying day and night to suppress the rebellious group in the West Isles. I am trying hard to suppress the rebels too but…”

Klein stopped talking after saying that, and took his gaze away from Cecilia with an expression that looks as if he is thinking about the distant lands in the west. He hesitated to say anything because he was hesitant to reveal anything like a complaint about his military service or his superiors. He was afraid to say that there was something disturbing about this expedition. For Cecilia, just knowing about it is enough.

“I see, I understand” 

-----Let’s meet again. Future Archer General. As Cecilia said this, she smiled as she watched Klein leave.

The Western Isles is an expedition that is far away from the capital. General Arcard is currently ruling that place. I heard he was suppressing the rebel soldiers but… there are rumors that he is in some way in contact with the higher-ups, and I heard some not-so-good stories out of that.

I hope that they are not planning something by taking advantage of how difficult it is to see in the fog… and speaking of rumors, I heard that recently there has been an influx of smuggling illegal goods and mysterious cargo within Etruria. There are various nefarious schemes being planned without my knowledge. Should I briefly consult with the other war commanders in advance to confront those who pose a threat to the country?

Cecilia was pondering about this while looking at the sky, which was beginning to cloud over, when suddenly a messenger soldier came rushing in. 

“What happened?”

“A report! T-The Bern army has crossed the border and is marching into Lycia!” 

“What?!”

The Kingdom of Bern is a large nation located on the eastern side of the continent of Elibe, and although it clashed with Etruria in the past, in recent years, their relationship maintained stability. Bern’s relationship with Lycia shouldn’t be bad either. I also heard that Zephiel, who became the king at a young age, is a man of great character and is a spitting image of a king. Why on earth is he…

However for Cecilia, a general of Etruria, that is not the first thing she should think about. Although it’s not her country’s problem, they have a better relationship with Lycia than with Bern. First, she must immediately consider what countermeasures that her army should take. In some cases, she could send reinforcements over to Lycia. And so…

She ran. Roy… Lilina… She remembered the faces of her beloved disciples whom she taught how to fight, back when she was stationed in Lycia. Also Klein and Clarine of Etruria… She is feeling uneasy that promising young people in this continent are getting dragged into a war by a great unseeable force…

When I awoke, I found myself in a small room surrounded by humidity, darkness, and rocks----- It was a prison.

In his hazy consciousness, Hector, the Marquis of Ostia remembered why he was in this place.

It was a complete surprise for Lycia that the neighboring country of Bern, which they had maintained friendship up until now, is suddenly attacking them.

However, the initial confusion was short-lived, for an alliance of lords immediately gathered with their troops at Araphen, with Hector as their leader. They formed an allied army with all of their soldiers, and prepared to confront the Bern Kingdom’s army. Although they are outnumbered, the army alliance is known for their strong unity, and their spirit of not losing against a big army kept their morale high. 

Well, that’s how it should be, until Bern showed up leading an army of resurrected dragons…

Looking at it, Hector’s beloved heavy armor that had been with him for many years was cracked and brutally destroyed in many places. Also, the wounds he sustained when he faced a dragon on the front lines, covered his whole body.

Since my youth, I have been through many battles and fought alongside with many friends… But my body that I once considered to be very strong, is reaching its limit.

-----This life too, is also… 

Amidst the painful defeat, and the humiliation of being imprisoned in the dungeon of an ally’s castle, Hector sensed that his death was drawing near.

“Lilina…”

Hector couldn’t help but say his daughter’s name. His daughter got her good looks from her mother, and she also gained a lot of trust from her retainers. Plus, she has recently shown her talent as a mage. Since she’s his daughter, she’ll be strong enough to survive. He’s not worried about the future. However, not being able to witness her growth would be painful and unbearable. The heart of a fierce warrior who is at the brink of death, is filled with regret. Also there was another thing that he regretted.

----- If one of us is ever in danger, we will protect each other with our lives.

Those are the words that he swore to his best friend Eliwood during his younger days. Eliwood is also a Lycian lord, and the head of his family in Pherae. He is his closest friend like no other. As promised, they had saved each other in difficult situations many times. Eliwood is not just someone that he has a cooperative relationship with. He is a precious friend with a solid bond…

But recently, Eliwood has been suffering from illness, and is often laying in bed. Hector wanted to go to his sickbed and see his face. He wanted to cheer him up and throw away his illness.  However, it seems like his promise can no longer be fulfilled. 

No, but putting it that way would mean that Eliwood is also breaking his promise by not being able to save me from this current situation. We are in the same boat huh…

F… Farewell… my best friend…

Hector smiled weakly and quietly tried to close his eyes.

At that moment, he heard a noise from above. Several people were rushing down to this dungeon. Then, Hector saw a young man running towards him right before his eyes.

“Lord Hector! Are you okay?” 

That voice sounded a lot like the voice of a man whom Hector knew. The voice of the only man he could stand shoulder to shoulder with, the only man he can rely on in this life dedicated to battle…

(TN: Roy's voice sounds like Eliwood's)

“Roy…?”

Hector noticed it right away. Fiery red hair, eyes full of justice. The boy who looks a lot like Eliwood turns out to be Roy, the son of his best friend.

“Yes. I came to help!“

Behind Roy, there is chivalry that follows him. Reliable young warriors are gathered together. This reminded me of my past self with Eliwood and the others. The promise couldn’t be fulfilled, but instead will be inherited. I can… I can entrust everything to him, regarding Lilina’s safety, countering the threat of Bern, and Lycia’s future. 

Hector remembered a prophecy he heard from Archsage Athos during his younger days.

(TN: FE7 reference)

-----“An evil star will rise in Bern and all of Elibe will be consumed in war. But do not be afraid. Lycia will once again bring hope.”

At the end of his life, he found hope. It was like a passionate, bright, blazing hope-----

In the desert in the far west, in a hidden village where humans and dragons live together, the priestess Sophia looked up at the night sky. Fae, who was lying on her lap, perhaps tired from playing, looked up at her curiously. 

“Big sister Sophia, what are you looking at?”

Sophia saw it. She saw that within the dark shadows that began to cover Elibe, there is a small light that twinkles brightly like a star. She sensed that under this distant sky, the light is growing larger and larger, and is clothed in fire.

Sophia only stroked Fae’s hair in silence. She feels the breath of brightness that is budding in the distance, and it will not be defeated by the harsh fate that lies ahead.

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

That's the end of the translation! 😊

I really want to translate Volume 1 (Ike's story) too but I do not have the book nor do I have scans of the pages. 😭