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historyhermann · 10 months ago

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Spy x Family Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review

Spy x Family is an action spy comedy based on Tatsuya Endo's manga. It is directed and written by Takahiro Harada. The first season aired in two cours / parts from April to December 2022. Kazuhiro Furuhashi directed and wrote that season. Wit Studio and CloverWorks produce this series. The latter studio is known for Akebi's Sailor Uniform, My Dress-Up Darling, In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki, and Bocchi the Rock!. The former studio produced Attack on Titan's first three seasons. As a warning, there will be discussion of blood, violence, death, murder, and other mature themes.

Spy x Family focuses on three people staying together as a family unit, each for their own reasons. Twilight (voiced by Takuya Eguchi) receives the top-secret mission, Operation Strix, from the Westphalia intelligence agency (otherwise known as WISE). They want to stop war from breaking out between the East and West by investigating reactionary political leader Donovan Desmond. Twilight lives in Berlint as a psychiatrist named Loid Forger. He's the patriarch of a mock family including himself, his wife, Yor Forger née Briar (voiced by Saori Hayami), and his adopted daughter, Anya (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki). He's unaware that Yor is secretly an assassin named Thorn Princess or that Anya is a telepath. They all live together, hiding their true identities from one another.

The first episode of this season, episode twenty-six, re-introduces viewers to the characters. This includes Bond (voiced by Kenichirō Matsuda), who can see the future, akin to Garnet's future-vision in Steven Universe. The opening is more aberrant and cartoony, differing from those for the two cours /parts of season one. I like the openings of those cours much better. This season opening gives the impression that this season will be wild and out of control. That somewhat pans out.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and my personal WordPress blog. This was the sixty-sixth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on February 7, 2024.

There's no doubt that this season is more centered on female characters, especially Yor, than previous episodes. Surely, Anya has received a huge spotlight, leading to the nomination of her character as a "must protect at all costs" character during the Crunchyroll's Anime Awards this year. Anya's voice actor was also nominated for another award. However, Yor hasn't received as much of a spotlight. This season changes that. The season's first episode involves Yor and Loid going on a date after he notices her foul mood. In reality, a "bad person" shot her in the butt, while she was working as an assassin, and it hurts badly. Adding to the comedy, Anya and "Scruffy Head" (also called Franky), follow them.

This episode shows Yor and Anya's inner strength. For instance, Anya uses her telepathic powers to stop someone who wants to kill Yor. She makes a bomb out of peanuts, telling the assassin to go back to his normal life. Yor eats a poisonous blowfish but survives because she has a built-up immunity to poisons. As a result, she enjoys her time with Loid and wants to go out on more dates with him. The next day, Loid has no idea what's wrong. In reality, the medicine/poison has worn off and she feels terrible again, making him lament that he doesn't understand women. From the get-go, it was clear that Yor would get "her due" this season.

Spy x Family episodes after this focus on male characters. Bond figures out a way to stay alive. Damian Desmond (voiced by Natsumi Fujiwara) goes on a field trip with his classmates, and an instructor named Mr. Green (voiced by Hiroshi Shirokuma), to the wilderness. The latter resembled a scene from Laid-Back Camp, and reminded me of my days in Boy Scouts, including a trip to the Adirondacks. The twenty-eighth episode focuses on an operation against Franklin, who distributed underground newspapers, and spotlighted secret police officer Yuri Briar (voiced by Kensho Ono). Although he has been shown as harsh, Yuri tried to be compassionate. He agreed to give Franklin's father financial aid.

This series doesn't attempt to portray Yuri's work comedically. Rather, its shown negatively. Historically, both sides in the Cold War developed secret police forces. They were tasked with preventing the other side from overthrowing their government. Austin Murphy wrote in The Triumph of Evil: The Reality of the USA's Cold War Victory that East German secret police were tasked with protecting "government leaders and buildings...uncovering plots to overthrow the government, collecting information...and spying in the West." He described how political repression and secret police actions in Eastern Europe were exaggerated by the U.S. government and mainstream press. In this series, it does not go against this perception. The idea the East is "bad" and the West is "good" is ingrained in the plot. In this series, the Eastern secret police are brutal agents of repression, engaging in surveillance and harsh interrogation.

Yuri is determined to track down Twilight. He is not aware that Twilight is married to his sister, Yor, as Loid. Even so, he is angry at Loid, due to his obsession with his sister. Anya dislikes him. Otherwise, there's a scenario from an episode of the in-series show, Bondman. Bondman creates a harem of eight women. He declares he'll make all these women like him. Fissures form. Some women are angry at not getting enough attention from him and the harem breaks apart. After Anya asks him about it, Loid rejects Bondman's actions, which echo polyamorous relationships. He say that Bondman was only being "gentlemanly" and hints that he doesn't like the idea of relationships with multiple people. I would say it is more about respecting other people rather than a statement against polyamory and favoring monogamous relationships.

I'd forgotten how many slice-of-life moments are in Spy x Family before an arc which compromises almost half the season. Anya rides on a silly polar bear machine. Loid realizes he doesn't understand the children's minds. Anya is determined to get legendary pastries from the Eden College pastry chef. Perhaps hinting at the future, Anya cries in front of Damian. He loses the game of Old Maid, as a result. She gets a macron, following her failed efforts to be a "cool liar" and almost being exposed for being a mind-reader.

One of my favorite slice-of-life moments is where Franky Franklin (voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino) and Yor work together to find a cat named Kopi. Kacey (voiced by Marie Ôi), a girl who works at a nearby cafe, owns the cat. This scene artfully combines combination of humor, technology, and action. Franky develops cat-shaped listening devices which cats destroy, and a device which shoots out catnip pheromones, which work too well. In the end, Franky is disappointed. Kacey has a partner named Mark. Yor is glad she helped Franky. This fades away when she's called into a room to answer a call from her boss-of-sorts. She learns about another assassin mission.

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Episodes 30-34, and part of 35, comprise the cruise liner arc. It is perhaps one of the best Spy x Family arcs due to the focus on Yor, something severely lacking in the series up to this point. Apart from episode 26, Yor had been treated as a secondary character among the protagonists. This echoed Oshi no Ko. That series centers around the perspective of Aquamarine "Aqua" Hoshino. Female perspectives are downplayed. Some critics raised the same issue about Helluva Boss.

The latter is curious. Hazbin Hotel, also created by Vivienne Medrano, centers on female characters. This raises the question as to why more wasn't done in Helluva Boss. Medrano defended this decision in a Twitter thread. She said "Hazbin has always had a heavier emphasis on women led stories, so Helluva has steered more towards male-led stories." She added even with such storytelling, she still loved female characters in the series.

Coming back to Spy x Family, the arc started off strong. Yor meets her aforementioned boss-of-sorts, known as the Shopkeeper (voiced by Junichi Suwabe). She receives her mission: protecting someone seeking asylum in the East. Her mission is complicated when she learns that Anya and Loid have tickets on the same luxury cruise ship, the Princess Lorelei. It is in-character for Anya to be excited for the cruise and then be disappointed once she entered the living quarters.

Yor protects Olka (voiced by Aya Endō), her son Gram (voiced by Marie Ôi), and Olka's husband, Zeb (voiced by Shinya Takahashi). Olka and Zeb have shared wartime experiences. Olka gave Zeb a piece of bread when he was starving which brought them closer together. Assassins threaten Yor and her clients. Some even bug the entire vessel.

The episode that follows involves Yor fighting off an assassin, masquerading as someone providing room service. She;s assisted by Matthew McMahon (voiced by Kenyū Horiuchi), the director. Loid notices wiretaps and tries to avoid suspicious characters. At the same time, there's a substory between Loid and Anya. She tries to ensure that assassins don't try to kill or attack Yor and attempts to distract Loid. In the process, Yor and the Director use brutal tactics to defend their clients (Olka, her husband, and son). This includes Yor killing someone with a button and another with her hand strength, while the Director throws an assassin into the water.

The thirty-second, thirty-third, and thirty-fourth episodes of Spy x Family give more depth to Yor. This mixes with Franky realizing that he can "pick up" women with Bond and Anya continuing to distract Loid in one way or another. In the process, she ends up enjoying mini-golf, going on roller-skates, attending a play, and so on, rather than thinking about helping Yor. She realizes that she is worrying Loid and notes that she misses Yor. In response, Loid says he will leave a message to let them know when Yor is free.

These episodes feature some of the most brutal fights for Yor, which she wins. Anya assists her. She convinces people that Yor is only a circus performer. As a result, assassin becomes distracted and Yor leaves victorious. She kills other assassins through various means. Blood, violence, murder, and death in this episode make clear that this series is for adults.

Yor's battles against assassins is some of the best action sequences in the entire series. The flowing animation fits well with the music and voice acting, all while she begins to question what she is fighting for. At one point, she gets cornered. She contemplates what would happen if she died. She remembers why she took on the job as assassin: to protect the simple life of her brother, Yuri. To fulfill that mission, she vows to "thoroughly clean" the world and ensure Loid acknowledges her.

She doesn't give up. Using her strong kick, she lurches the enemy assassin backward and kills him. This episode, the thirty-fourth in the series, is shorter than others. It provides appropriate context for Yuri becoming sick that his sister isn't around. As he drinks terrible herbal tea, he remembers when Yor went to extreme lengths so he would feel better. This led to determination to make the world gentler for her. This goal echoes what she is trying to accomplish as an assassin.

The thirty-fourth episode of Spy x Family is the final one entirely focused on this arc. The stakes are higher than before. Yor is determined to defend Olka and her family, who were formerly part of the Mafia, and attempting to defect. The fireworks distracts everyone from the bloody battle. Anya unknowingly saves all the passengers by giving hints to Loid and finding Yor's weapon. Loid disarms the bombs on board, one of which unintentionally kills two assassins.

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Yor is unsure how her weapon got there, not aware that Anya is her unstated accomplice. But, she's glad that her fight is over. Loid hints at possible tensions to come: a group of miscreants attempt to destroy the vessel using bombs resembling those from the West. They hope war will break out, again, causing weapons sales to skyrocket. Loid's quick thinking, and clues from Anya, ensure that all the bombs are found and disarmed. One bomb causes two extremists to be knocked into the water and be eaten by sharks.

Yor's victory not only benefits the Garden, the "extremist terrorist group" she is part of, but Olka. She thanks Yor and hopes that her family, some day, can have true peace. Yor gets permission to meet with Loid and Anya. Loid is tired and annoyed he put his family aside. Yor does medical care on herself. The arc doesn't end until the next episode, in which they them relax on Resort Island. Yor attempts to hide her injuries, even while they go snorkeling, go to a cafe, ride a tandem bike, ride a zip-line, ride hoses, build sand castles, or do spelunking. Through all of this, they enjoy themselves. After everything they have been through in Spy x Family up to this point, it is only right they get to relax.

After Yor and Anya conk out, Loid carries them both in a double princess carry. Following this, they return home, and Bond greets them. Loid tells his boss about what happened on the cruise ship, noting that some suspicious people were aboard. His boss reveals that the State Security Service is covering up what happened and says they will keep an eye on Ostanian "extremists." Funny enough, Loid says that after everything Anya put him through, he has had enough vacations. He describes it as more backbreaking than his usual missions, making clear the challenges of being a parent (albeit of an adopted child).

Although this arc is enjoyable, I'm doubtful there will be another Yor-centered arc in Spy x Family. In the second half of the episode, which ended the arc, Yor attempts to give her co-workers skeleton keychains, an idea they are lukewarm to. Loid prepares the apartment for Yuri's arrival. Anya attempts to brag about her cruise ship visit. However, this is a magnificent failure. This is a "normal thing" for students at this elite private school. Everyone makes fun of her. She attempts to lie about it but this does not work. They all commiserate, with Loid, Yuri, and Yor absurdly telling Anya that liars are terrible, even though they are all lying. Anya responds, saying that lying is too much work and that she isn't going to do it anymore.

Following the end of this arc, there are stories which focus on two female characters: Becky Blackbell (voiced by Emiri Katō) and Nightfall / Fiona Frost (voiced by Ayane Sakura). For the first of these characters, Becky attempts to use "lessons" she learned from Berlint in Love to express her "love" for Loid. It's an expression of her privileged mindset. Whether this obsession is a stand-in for fans who like Loid or male anime characters, I'm not sure.

A possible second cour / part of this season, could expand upon her assistant, who Loid remarked carries herself like a soldier. It is typical for Becky to think that Loid is acting sweet toward her, when he is being nice only because he sees her as a good source of information, knowing that the Blackbell family runs an arms manufacturing business. They are "masters of war" as Bob Dylan once described such people. Of all of them, Yor realizes that Becky is happy to meet Loid, who is wary of Becky.

The episode has some of the worst misunderstandings I've seen in a while. Yor jumps to the wild conclusion that she put alcohol in Becky's drink, not realizing that Becky is fawning over Loid, and rushes her to the hospital. Becky ends up clearing everything up. But, Yor isn't angry with her. She appreciates that Loid is loved. She tells Becky that Loid chose her because she is strong. This leads to another misunderstanding, on Becky's part: that Loid prefers strong women.

She tries to use a hammer to hit a pan, and ring a bell, a common game used to test someone's strength. This is another failure for Becky because the hammer is too heavy. Yor uses it, gets first place, and breaks the machine, because she can't control her strength. Becky realizes that she isn't a match for Yor and offers to become her apprentice. Yor happily agrees.

For the first time in the season, Nightfall appears. She's still deeply in love with Loid. The Handler / Sylvia Sherwood (voiced by Yūko Kaida) warns her to not push herself too hard. Her missions are aptly interspliced with Loid and his family on vacation. She perfectly executes all the missions that Loid would have been tasked with if he wasn't on the cruise ship.

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Once again, she plays the role of the romantic interloper. She's determined to take the role of Loid's wife, wanting to achieve "complete victory," even going through intense training. After Loid returns, she tries to ask if Operation Strix has changed and he tells her no. He does not tell her what happened on the cruise ship. She is overjoyed to receive a gift from Loid. He gave it to her in appreciation for all the hard work she did while he was gone. Although she doesn't know that, she skips happily.

In some ways, Nightfall shares a similar obsession to Yor's brother, Yuri. She isn't the most sympathetic, considering the fact she wants to split apart the burgeoning romance between Yor and Loid, by claiming Loid as her "prize." In reality, Loid has no feelings for her whatsoever. He only sees her as a diligent and skilled agent. Undoubtedly, she is dedicated. She works hard for the same goals as Loid. It remains to be seen if he will shatter her love for him.

The final episode of this Spy x Family cour centers on Bond. He tries to use his future-vision for good, causing problems at first, at least until he runs into a burning building and saves a pug dog named Daisy, with the help of Loid. Both escape and stop the man who set the fire. It is revealed that Bond is actually very skinny. His fur makes him look more puffy.

Loid is proud of Bond, although annoyed he bit the arsonist in the wrong place (the leg rather than the arm). He says the top priority is making Bond feel he is part of the Forgers, with his training taking a back seat. He promises to bring him to a dog park the next day. Later, Anya gives him and Bond fake Stella starts. Loid wants Anya to get real Stellas.

The episode ends with Damian studying and getting in a pillow fight with his dorm mates, Becky posing with her dog and trying on new clothes, Yuri eating his sister's terrible cooking in which he sprays blood, Nightfall practicing her shooting with Loid's photo in the middle, and the Forgers having a nice meal together. It says "see you next Mission" at the end. This episode is the last one for a while. The next cour is reportedly coming in October of this year. The movie, Spy x Family Code: White, released in Japanese theaters last year. It will release in theaters, and on streaming services (like Crunchyroll) sometime this year. A date has not been announced.

It is worth noting that manga artist Tatsuya Endo, who created the original Spy x Family series (for which this anime adaptation is based) has worked on manga series since 2000. While this has, primarily, included one-shots such as Blade of the Moon Princess and I Spy, there has also been serialized stories such as the action-thriller, Tista. He has been created as an illustrator for three books. Spy x Family is the first of his manga to receive an anime adaptation.

Endo is said to create well thought-out characters. Some say he writes stories which indicate negative or positive shifts in psychological states of characters. This translates into this anime. Anya, Loid, and Yor are more than they seem on the surface. Each one is trying to hide their true identities, either as a telepath, spy, or assassin. This is partially what drew them all together, and keeps them as a family, with each of them acting the part. As Jaques, an exiled noble, famously stated in William Shakespeare's 1516 pastoral comedy, As You Like It, "all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

(K)now_Name, a J-pop music group, composed the show's music. Comprised of three vocalists, seven composers, and one illustrator, (K)now_Name also produced opening and ending themes for Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, Sakura Quest, Fairy Gone, and Dorohedoro. The group did the theme song of Quiz RPG: The World of Mystic Wiz too. The music in this series earned the series some nominations, for various songs, in the recent anime awards hosted by Crunchyroll.

The English dub and Japanese voice actors enhance these aspects. Takuya Eguchi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Saori Hayami, and Kenichirō Matsuda, who voice the four protagonists, are emblematic of this. Eguhi voiced Kazuya Kujo in Gosick, Julius Euclius in Re:Zero, and Byakudanji Tsubaki in My Master Has No Tail. Tanezaki voiced Mizore Yoroizuka in Sound! Euphonium Season 2, Rio Futaba in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Sajuna Inui in My Dress-Up Darling, Eiko Kikuchi in Shine Post, Gyokuyō in The Apothecary Diaries, Serina Yoshida in The Dangers in My Heart, and Iroha Inukai / Cure Friendy in Wonderful PreCure! (currently airing).

In addition, Hayami voiced Chizuka Nishikigi in Whispered Words, Mylene Certon in Bodacious Space Pirates, Midori Aoyama in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Yuzuki Shiraishi in A Place Further than the Universe, and Viola Cadaverini in Ace Attorney. She also voiced Maria Campbell in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Ruby Rose in RWBY: Ice Queendom, Inori in Shy, and Charlotte Evans in I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness.

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Matsuda voiced characters in Pluto, Tearmoon Empire, and Chainsaw Man. Hiroyuki Yoshino, Yūko Kaida, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Natsumi Fujiwara, Emiri Katō, Kensho Ono, Ayane Sakura, Umeka Shōji, Manaka Iwami, and Junichi Suwabe are just as talented. Yoshino voiced Masaaki Ohyama in Azumanga Daioh, Shakti in Carole & Tuesday, and Jaron Fate in Metallic Rouge (currently airing). Kaida voiced Minako Tsukiyama in Maria Watches Over Us, Amane Ootori in Strawberry Panic!, Nanette in Emma: A Victorian Romance, Sakura Muroi in Stars Align, Seira Amawashi in Birdie Wing, and Flare in The Executioner and Her Way of Life. Adding to this, Yamaji, Shoji, and Iwami voice many characters across anime.

Ono voiced Mikazuki Subaru in My Roommate is a Cat and Fujiwara voiced Yozora in the absurdist Too Cute Crisis. Katō voiced Himari Uehara in BanG Dream! seasons two and three. At the same time, Sakura voiced Alisa Ayase in Love Live! School Idol Project, Natsumi Koshigaya in Non Non Biyori, Cocoa Hoto in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Ran Mitake in BanG Dream!, and Kurei in Do it Yourself!!. Iwami has many roles under her belt, as of late. This includes Akane Kurokawa in Oshi no Ko, Euphyllia Magenta in The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Kokona Ōtori in World Dai Star, and Sakuna Memoir in The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess.

Presently, English dubs for most second season episodes are on Crunchyroll, but not on Disney+ (with Hulu Bundle) or Hulu as of yet. I plan to watch the dubbed episodes like I did with season one. Although I enjoyed watching this series, I wish the cruise ship arc had been longer. More episodes focusing on female characters, particularly Yor, would be great.

For that reason, and the fact the story too easily falls into the East (bad) / West (good) dichotomy, I am rating the story section lower than in my first season review. In that review, I was far too charitable when it came to storytelling issues. While saying this, I look forward to what the second season and film has to bring. I hope for more stories centered on female characters, like Yor, Anya, Becky, and Nightfall, in the future.

Spy x Family is streaming on Hulu, Disney+ (with Hulu Bundle), and Crunchyroll. Misordered episodes can be purchased on Prime Video. Also, you can order the Blu-ray or DVD for the series from the Crunchyroll Store.

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tokiro07 · 2 years ago

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Any UU moments in particular you are excited to see animated?

This is not at all what you asked, but because it's something I've been thinking about lately, I decided to answer your question with my expectations for how the anime is going to break down episode by episode and then just highlight which events are my most anticipated

Season 1:

Ch. 1

Andy and Fuuko vs. Void and Shen

Trip to Baikal, meeting Gina

Gina defeated, meeting the Union

Clothes, trip to Longing, Spoil Phase 1

Spoil Phase 2, Victor awakens, Spoil defeated

Victor vs. the Union

Addition of Galaxy, trip to Rio

Meeting Chikara, battle with Rip begins

Tatiana vs. Feng and Creed, Tatiana's backstory

Andy, Fuuko, Tatiana and Chikara vs. Rip and Latla

Child Rip introduces Under, Chikara joins the Union, Fuuko resolves to become stronger

Season 2:

(13) Brief recap, Billy's betrayal

(14) Apocalypse retrieved, Juiz explains the loop

(15) Undead X Unluck, meeting with Anno Un

(16) Soul Calibur, journey through Andy's memories

(17) Andy and Fuuko vs. Victor, closing the book, death of Sean

(18) Negotiations with Rip, Autumn Phase 1, death of Anno Un

(19) Autumn phase 2

(20) Juiz vs. Billy, battle with Feng begins

(21) Battle with Feng, death of Shen

(22) Resurrection of Shen, Feng defeated

(23) Summer defeated, Winter goes unchecked

(24) Deal with Under, Winter defeated, meeting with Under

Season 3:

(25) Brief recap, Who would win: Hydrogen Bomb or a Spring Breeze?; Fuuko resolves to break out

(26) Fuuko vs. Kururu (extended scene dedicated to Kururu to fill up time); Fuuko's message to Andy

(27) Plan to take on Under, Top and Chikara vs. Creed begins

(28) Creed defeated, "I love you, Fuuko"

(29) Andy vs. Billy

(30) Andy concedes to Billy, Spring battle begins, Fuuko chooses Beyblade and summons Isshin

(31) Isshin's backstory, Beyblade battle

(32) Karuta battle, Spring Phase 3

(33) Union+Under vs Spring

(34) Spring defeated, final cherry blossom viewing, Fuuko assassinated

(35) Union vs. Ruin, addition of Ghost

(36) Preparation for Ragnarok, Andy leaves the Union

Season 4:

(37) Brief recap, meeting with Lucy, rampage through the Rules, addition of Seal

(38) Andy vs. Seal, sealing of Lucy

(39) Sealing of Andy, escape from Seal, Rip arrives

(40) Andy vs. Rip

(41) Rip and Latla's backstory, death of Rip and Latla, Andy resolves to Loop

(42) Andy vs. Nico, Andy vs. Ghost

(43) Tatiana vs. Ruin, Billy arrives

(44) Billy vs. Ruin, Juiz explains the Loop (again)

(45) Fuuko becomes the leader of the Union, God's descent

(46) Union vs. God, Juiz's Rebellion

(47) Death of Juiz, Victor's Rebellion

(48) Ragnarok, Anno Un's epilogue, Fuuko's declaration of war...Fuuko meets Akira

[Season 5: Loop 101 Arc in progress]

I may have the timing a little off here and there, a few plot points might take a little longer or go faster than I anticipate, but I think it should be pretty easy for there to be a strong finishing point or cliffhanger every 11-13 episodes, standard length for a seasonal cour

Also, I'm honestly just really impressed with myself: I did this with minimal reference to the wiki, I really just have the general order of events memorized, apparently. It went so well that I feel like I must have forgotten something really important and will end up having embarrassed myself

My real worry is that this is just going to become a repeat of what happened with Medaka Box, though; I made a similar prediction around the same time (approximately the 150-chapter mark) that would have organized the current material into four seasons with a fifth planned for the remaining story, and LOOK WHERE THAT GOT ME

Here's hoping David doesn't hurt me like Gainax

#undead unluck #uu spoilers #uu anime #spoilers #fouryearsandananime #...WAIT I CAN PULL OUT SIXSEASONSANDAMOVIE NOW

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ruanbaijie · 2 years ago

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hello again hanyiii💖 your work sounds tiring😭 but hopefully next month is more relaxed so you can take it easier!

omgg what's your cat's name? i've always had a dog at home but i'd love a cat too!! they're always so funny and lol i can imagine it being shy about strangers 🤣

excited to see all your edits!! simple or not i bet they'll all be beautiful😍 your lastest levi gifset looks stunning! he looks so good in that uniform!

are you watching any seasonals anime now? and what are your plans in the holidays? only a few more weeks until Christmas and i'm soo excited ❤️❤️

-animanga secret santa

hello santa!

sigh there are good days and bad days but recently it's just been a stretch of bad days _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):_ the first two days of this week especially, but today wasn't that bad so I'm hoping for the best for the last two days of the week {{ (>_<) }}

his name is mika! we were trying to decide on a name, my mum suggested a few names starting with "m" (since he has an "m" on his forehead - very typical cat pattern). mika was one of them and my brother picked it for the singer while i picked it because of owari no seraph ▓▒░(°◡°)░▒▓ our family never considered getting a cat but now a couple of years later we're all cat slaves (/ =ω=)/ what is your dog's name and what is it like?

thank you so much! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ I was trying to keep my gifsets for that challenge (the fashion week one) as simple as I could since it's 7 days of posting in a row so thankfully he only wore that uniform for a couple of episodes which made finding scenes so much easier ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌ I've also just started on my set for my secret santa giftee! I did like 2 gifs and my arm started hurting and went well ok this is gonna take a while and gave up for the night ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

I'm watching chainsaw man, sxf's second cour, and blue lock! I'd only started blue lock over the weekend but I already need more ( ~*-*)~ I don't know if you're watching it too (or have read it) but my god chigiri's scene in episode 7 had me SCREAMING - I was equally excited during that tsukki scene in haikyuu (if you don't or haven't watched blue lock and/ or haikyuu I'm so sorry aklalkdflkkl just skip right past this but my FEELS oh my god it's been four days and a few months respectively since those scenes but they still evoke such excitement lkkldlklalkd) *incoherent screaming*

I'll be going to cambodia with my family for a few days, then off to korea by myself! we were supposed to go to turkey for our family trip for a couple of weeks but my brother had other commitments at the last minute so we had to plan for something shorter and nearer. I'm counting down to it! what about you, do you have any plans you're looking forward to?

#*replies #animangasecretsanta

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blossom765 · 2 years ago

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Just watched tiger and bunny 2 cour 2 and I have some screaming thoughts and a whole lot of questions!

Spoilers for tiger and bunny season 2 part 2 below

Firstly...

Did Kotetsu really quit?!! Oh my God! And Barnaby just continued to be a hero without him?!! I feel like Kotetsu would keep being a hero even when his powers ran out and Barnaby didn't want to be a hero without his partner. Maybe because they said so in last episode of season 1. I just their views have changed.

I honestly thought Aurora would have come up with something for Barnaby's leg or Kotetsu's powers.

And I don't think I've ever seen Barnaby cry when it didn't have to do with his parents. And he's crying because of Kotetsu.

And the scene where Barnaby and Kotetsu are talking about each other at the same time. And that ending credits felt like it was out of a romance anime. Where's a romance confirmation when you need it.

And I am STILL WAITING for Kotetsu and Barnaby to go out for drinks on screen!

I just hope we get a season 3 and see them get back together again.

And what was that museum section at the end?! Did they place as kings of the buddy hero or is this a monument to their fight?! Oh God, their last fight?!!!!

Honestly, I just want them to kiss. I don't expect them to because anime and aversion to having the main characters be in a gay relationship if it's not yaoi. ( Not even double decker did it. Had a lesbian relationship with side characters but main characters was a step too far or something.) But I'm still gonna cry if they don't because, my God, they would make such a good love story!

Does anyone know if we're getting a season 3.

I feel like Kotetsu should have been berserk for longer. I was waiting for this to happen. With Kotetsu's fear being his powers hurting someone. I wanted Barnaby to be the one emotionally supporting Kotetsu through his trauma for a change. We honestly need more of that. I want to see Kotetsu facing his inner demons with the support of his partner. I also wanted Barnaby to be the one to snap Kotetsu out of it to show their bond. I am glad they found a clever way to do it that brought a new story for Kotetsu ( and hopefully a struggle Barnaby will help him with ) but I just would have loved if Barnaby was there helping Kotetsu through something that's been his childhood nightmare. That berserk oart really should have been bigger. I honestly worry that they didn't take that wouye because they don't want to lean more into the gay and just try to turn it into an older person helping out a youngster. I hope not but I do wonder and worry about that.

Oh well. And Suburu and Thomas. OMG. Thomas sharing his candies at the end and going crazy when Suburu offered Lasagna. And Suburu's powers are getting cooler and cooler.

I am still so glad they didn't pair up Kotetsu with Karina.

And Lunatic just killed himself. That's his end. I get he might feel he has nothing left for him. But, I was hoping he'd be arrested and get some help. God knows, he needs it. Kind of an anti climactic end for him.

Also, do they know Lunatic was Yuri? They never said his name and there was some shadow on his face.

And seriously, where are the second league heroes?! Have they been retconed?

And how did all the bruises Kotetsu and Barnaby had all heal up when Barnaby put Kotetsu's suit on? And how was his suit completed unharmed after Kotetsu took it off? And what exactly is going on with Barnaby's leg? Like does it feel better now because of the suit or something? Or is he going to have to retire later?

And you know, I think Kotetsu would make a great hero coach. With his experience in the hero field, I wouldn't surprised and would actually be more than a little happy if they made a new position where Kotetsu coached Barnaby while Barnaby fought crime. They'd even be able to stay partners. Would love to see them show how there are different ways for people to work together.

And Ruby has 2 Dads! Granted, they never made an appearance and it was only mentioned in the subtitles. But, it's still impressive that an anime had that.

And that girl that went crazy because of a girlfriend. I know some might be worried that it portrays LGBT people as crazy or villainous but honestly I think we're past the point of just having gay relationships on screen just be "Look we're existing and we're normal" and at a point where they should be interesting characters and interesting love stories. Which is why I want something like Barnaby x Kotetsu to be canon. Such interesting characters with such an interesting love story. Ah damn!

Oh damn, was this season bad for my heart!

#tiger and bunny #tiger and bunny 2 #tiger and bunny 2 part 2 #tiger and bunny 2 cour 2 #tiger & bunny #tiger & bunny 2 #tiger & bunny 2 part 2 #tiger & bunny 2 cour 2 #tiger & bunny season 2 part 2 #tiger & bunny season 2 cour 2 #tiger & bunny season 2 #spoilers #tiger & bunny 2 cour 2 spoilers #tiger and bunny spoilers

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itsnothingofinterest · 3 years ago

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Okay, forgive me but I need to rant about this. It needs to be said: I am hating how this season of the anime is being handled. Every decision Studio Bones is making with MHA’s 5th season is really ruining my faith in their abilities, and I have never been more glad to be a manga reader.

Like, they start out spending literally half the season on an extended/stretched out JT, which is quite the bold move since that’s not exactly a popular arc. Not hated, just boring. But a boring half a season isn’t the end of the world, and I wouldn’t be writing all this down if that was it.

Nah, next they make decisions with the second half of the season; namely rearranging the next two arcs to...promote a movie as near as anyone can guess. But that’s not the problem here; the problem is that they made no edits to change or hide the effects the originally earlier arc (well regarded as one of the best, if not the best arc in the series) has on the later arc. This spoils for the anime watchers the ending to that superior arc and who exactly makes it out, as well as severely affecting the tone of that arc.

(And this is getting just a bit long and I’m getting into slight spoilers myself so I’ll put the rest of my rant below the cut)

Because by presenting the stars of that arc first and foremost as the future greatest threat to the heroes are set to face and are hard at work preparing for; it really hurts their presentation that they’re poor, destitute, scrappy underdogs. Which, to be clear, is what they are and what the reader/viewer is meant to see them as. Oh, and did I mention how it spoils that they all make it out? Kinda takes the wind from Spinner’s sails when he mentions that this is the arc when the League are no more, especially since most did not have the kids plot armor.

It also really tanks my interest in the next movie, since it seemingly caused all this. Not that I had much interest anyway when the movie had no hook besides staring...the main characters of the series and...the most controversial characters in the series. I think they also go to a new location(s) like both movies before it too. Anyway, this mess didn’t help.

Also, let’s talk about the OP and ED, because neither works.

The OP is forced to cover both the Internship arc and the villain arc and doesn’t work for either. It was probably doomed from the start too, as the arcs feature two very different tones and casts. But it’s attempted solution is to apply the usual action and energy (very generic HeroAca stuff, really) mostly to the Internship arc sections, which doesn’t work because that’s a very mellow arc that’s mostly sitting around and talking and very little action. And the villains are barely in it, with the OP mainly celebrating the usual cast; so even if they could make better use of the OP’s energy, it doesn’t work for them either

And the ED mainly focuses on those controversial characters we mentioned, most notably the one who’s in it for like 3 episodes. Which is a bold choice already since it already only works as an ED for half the cour (and only an effective one for a quarter), but what makes it worse is the knowledge that the song used was something that actually could’ve worked. It was written for the relationship between Shigaraki and Midoriya, the stars of the arcs. And then they used visuals the promote aforementioned controversial characters.

I have never seen an anime adaptation go to such lengths to play it more safe than its source material. Hollywood producers are looking at this season in jealousy.

And the worst part is they really did not need to do any of this. JT is about as long as MVA, so they could’ve just done to one what they did to the other and cover those 2 arcs this season. It really was that easy.

“But what about promoting the movie?” They made the movie, that they needed the Internship arc and needed to promote Endeavor & Hawks so much was a self-made problem.

And that’s just off the top of my head. There were probably lots of other things they could’ve done too. For this to be how things turned out, well it doesn’t exactly reflect well on the studio and whoever makes these kinds of adaptational decisions.

#bnha #studio bones #midoriya izuku #shigaraki tomura #anti endeavor #anti hawks #I'm just so disappointed and needed to vent

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willsimpforazula · 2 years ago

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New WIP

because I can't seem to actually sit the fuck down and finish a fucking story due to IRL stuff (work, mainly just work) here's another WIP after rewatching EP11 of 86 cour 2 (kenot recc this anime enough, worth all the rewatches and then some) Notes: - it kinda sorta ties in to the christmas gift thing i did last year, so you might wanna check that one out before you start. link is here.

it's pre-relationship fic so if that's not your jam consider other fics like my sokkla saturday submissions for 2020 / other assorted one shots.

put on either Voices of the Chord or Avid at the part where you see an * trust me, it helps set the mood. alternatively, just have the ep playing as you read.

lastly our girl azula (+ a whole bunch of atla characters) is slightly (or very, depends on how you wanna slice the pie) OOC but it be like it do when it comes to AUs. i don't make the rules.

Anyways....

Enough.

The dead belong to the past.

They must be separated from those who still remain in the world of the living, Sokka thought to himself as he piloted his Feldress towards the sentient railgun, using the fact that it was distracted by Kiyi placing the muzzle of his pistol against her temple. Firing off the grappling hooks, he maneuvered himself up onto the grotestesque machine, keenly aware he only had one shot left in his gun, the weight of his comrades' sacrifices hanging heavy on his mind, the last being Zuko's crippled mech seemingly obliterated by the field gun they were tasked with destroying.

Bobbing and weaving amongst the deadly appendages that threatened to slice his own machine like a hot knife through butter, Sokka put on a masterclass of Juggernaut piloting for a non-existent audience, even as his thoughts churned and swirled like the River Styx of the underworld.

What good is there for you to so desperately cling on to this sham of a life?

You can't go anywhere.

You're nothing.

So let go.

Sinking his machine's piledrivers into his target, he depressed his gun and shoved it down at the central nervous system of the railgun and pulled the trigger. With a dull roar, the one remaining shell exited the barrel of his gun and slammed 20 pounds of HEAT into it, blowing a hole out the other side and sending fragments of hot metal in all different directions. In that split second, his thoughts were rudely interrupted by an external voice, as he felt a phantom hand grip his own.

Tsk, take a look at yourself in the mirror.

We're closer than you like to admit. You, and I, have nothing left.

No, you want to die in battle more than you ever wanted to live, correct? Then why are you still alive?

As the phantom voice left him with the one question Sokka did not wish to answer the most, the self-destruct sequence that had begun counting down since he blew its metaphorical brains out hit zero, initiating a chain reaction of explosive charges that reduced it to a hunk of burning metal, the force hurling his machine into the air like a toy tossed aside by a petulant child. Knocking his head against the headrest, he blacked out as the machine sailed through the air, before crashing into the field some five hundred meters away.

Dream sequence one

Slammed against the wall of his bedroom, Sokka could only whimper, his hands scrabbling against Katara's as she attempted to choke him, her face twisted with rage as she blamed him for the death of their mother, the phrase "If it wasn't for you….if it wasn't for you…."

Dream sequence two

Just as the chant grew to a crescendo, it just as suddenly ceased as the scenery now changed to the rolling grasslands, the spiteful hurting tone his sister used now reverting back to the kind and gentle voice as he now felt the shard of his sister's Juggernaut in the palm of his hand.

You won't be bothered by me anymore. Just forget me.

No, no no no no, wait for me sis!

Just then, a familiar voice called out his name, startling him.

"Sokka!"

Turning around, he saw a bloodstained Jet, the trademark stalk of wheat hanging from the side of his mouth at the head of a group who all sported similar injuries, a distinctive patch of dried blood on the side of their heads.

"Thank you, Sokka." The spectre of Jet spoke, prompting a flurry of gratitude from each member of the group, thanking him for not letting the Legion condemn them to an eternal existence as ghosts in the machine before flickering out of existence.

Out of nowhere, the mocking voice of Kiri interjected once more with his sneering words

You are nothing.

Belong nowhere.

Nothing to live for, no end goal in sight.

No one to bid farewell to, no reason to live.

Killing me was the one thing that kept you going all this while. So what are you going to do now?

I mean, you don't have anything else to live for, right?

Dream sequence three

Before he could even reply, Sokka found himself chipping away at the metal husk of the Juggernaut with his bayonet, trying to extract a piece of his sister's Juggernaut, even as the kind voice of his sister seemed to mock him with every blow that he swung.

Of course, I'm not expecting you to completely forget me. Just, y'know, think of me occasionally.

Live, Sokka. Be free and happy.

"Freedom?! Happiness?! Easy for you to say! You. Left. Me. Alone!" he snapped back. With a final blow, the blade on his bayonet shattered, grazing him above his left eye.

"Why does everyone have to die and leave me behind ?" he half sobbed, half whispered to himself, the burden he bore threatening to sever his already tenuous link to sanity.

It can't be helped, can it?, Kiri's voice answered. I mean, you've always been putting your life on the line like you've got a death wish, dragging your friends and companions into the jaws of death every single time you go out to combat. Kind of selfish, no?

Looking up, he found himself at the memorial site staring at the first person he performed a mercy kill on since leaving the Republic on a suicide mission all those months ago.

"Thank you…Shin." it smiled, showing him a portrait of a small girl in a locket before closing it and vanishing.

Out of nowhere, he heard Kiyi's voice come from behind "Your heart has already been hardened, hasn't it? That's why it hurts so much when your friends show care and compassion for you, doesn't it?"

"You don't have to bear this cross alone."

"You can count on us."

Turning around, Sokka saw his comrades Zuko, Suki, June and Lu Ten approach him in a column with Kiyi leading them. Upon seeing them, he stretched out his hand towards them, only to have it sliced clean off as his field of view narrowed down to a slit.

"Looks like we're leaving you behind. Again." Zuko's phantom commented in a tired tone.

"Wait, wait, wait no!" he cried. Suddenly, he felt his body jerk and Sokka found himself back to reality, his hand stretched out as if reaching for some distant object over the horizon.

Glancing around, he saw that the railgun he and his team set out to destroy a little over two days ago was now a smouldering wreck in the distance. Turning to his other displays, he saw that the rest of his friends showed no signs of life, confirming what he suspected to be the case.

He was alone.

Left behind. Again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the fragment of his sister's Juggernaut had fallen out of his pocket. Bending his body forward, he stretched out to grab it when an alert blared out, informing him that there was a hostile approaching him.

So naive to think it's all over.

Did you really think it would be that easy, Reaper? Surely not. Kiri's mocking voice sneered at him, one last cruel joke from beyond the grave as a lone Amiese scout crawled ever closer.

At this, Sokka finally snapped and he screamed "Kill me already!", tears of frustration flooding his eyes as he awaited the inevitable.

Opening his eyes, the last thing he expected to see was a Republic soldier running towards him, the ubiquitous battle rifle slung over her shoulder as she approached his stricken mecha. Pressing the loudspeaker option on his side panel, Sokka called out "Hey, you there, are you from the Republic of San Magnolia?"

At this, the girl stopped and turned, before replying "Yes. Who are you?"

"We're at the westernmost limit of the Federal Republic of Giad. I am affliated with the 177th Mechanized Corps. To maintain our defensive lines, we initiated a long range reconnaissance patrol to neutralize the railgun, which has been codenamed 'Morpho'. Thank you for your support."

"Thanks, but are you….alone? Being sent on a suicide mission like this deep behind enemy lines? That's a harsh and inhumane thing to do!" Azula replied.

"Thank you for your concern. The main force is only a few clicks away. See you again someday."

"That's good to hear."

"Do you want to come with us?"

"What?"

"I mean, there can't be too many of you left, right? If so, we can protect you." At this suggestion, Azula's face hardened.

"No. To suggest that I do so is to spit on the blood sacrifices this country and their soldiers made so that others may live. I have a duty to them as their commanding officer even….even if I might fail." Azula responded, the last part coming out as a whisper as her mind flashed to the recent memory of close quarters street to street fighting in the heart of the capital itself, the stench of blood and gunpowder still fresh in her mind.

"I will stay here and keep fighting to my very last bullet and last breath."

At this, Sokka snorted and replied "Keep fighting? For what? Do you have a death wish or something? If not, then why?"

At this, Azula marched forward, intent on giving the pilot a piece of her mind (and a couple of hard spankings with the butt of her rifle if need be). Behind her, a Republic Juggernaut in olive green scuttled up to her, only for Azula to activate her para-raid and order the Processor to stand down.

"What the hell are you thinking? Get the fuck out of there, Your Majesty! The hell do you think you're doing prancing around the battlefield with no armour on?" a familiar voice rang out to Sokka.

*"No. Besides, how would you know if anything were to happen, if at all. Besides, if I didn't run then why would I run now? Until my last dying breath, I'll keep fighting. There's a lot of people who hold the same belief as I do, it's only right that I catch up with them and lead them forward!"

"Listen up, I am the commander in chief for the defense of the Republic, Captain Azula and I will never, ever, abandon my people and my country!"

"Ma-ma-major?" Sokka hesitantly asked, immediately recognizing her voice and prompting a gasp from Azula as the gears in her mind started to click into place.

"Those whom you speak of have already gone to the land of the dead. What obligations do you have for ghosts and spectres?"

"Because someone once told me 'Don't forget me.' Because of him, I survived the Legion's assault on the capital. That is why I keep fighting, so I can meet him one day. Even if they're all dead, I want to keep living. Because that's what they would have wanted for me."

Pulling out a faded Polaroid and a sketch of a pig dressed like a princess, she turned it around and showed it to him.

"That is why I fight. Because they wouldn't have had it any other way. Surely you think the same way right? After all, you fought so hard to get to this point, I think you should be proud of yourself."

At this, Sokka choked up again, relieved to hear the familiar voice of his beloved major.

Pressing the hatch release, Sokka could only stutter "Ma-major, I-" before the chatter of approaching Legion forced him to reseal his hatch. Grabbing the controls, he gritted his teeth and attempted to have his mech get back on its legs.

Just then, the olive green Juggernaut skidded to where Azula stood and interrupted her "Gran Mur's calling, Legion are approaching!"

"Shit! You from the Federacy, come with us!"

"No." was Sokka's reply, just as artillery shells streaked across the sky, before slamming into the horizon.

"No…no way..you've got to be-"

"What's wrong Cyclops?"

"You don't recognize that mark?"

"That's a Federacy emblem right?"

"No, that-well, you wouldn't have seen it before."

"Huh?" Cyclops replied, as the corps commander strolled out from a helicopter.

"Good work, Lieutenant."

"Sir, please don't assume we're all dead, y'know."

"Exactly, I mean, did you Suki was crying non-stop for five hours straight?" Lu Ten chided.

"I was not!"

"Well now Sokka, I did warn you what would happen if you made her cry again." June added.

"You dumbass, we thought you died after you failed to move from that blast." Zuko lectured. "Well, the good news is we all survived. No one has gone ahead of the other. So rest easy."

#sokkla but pre-relationship #tsundere sokka is actually a nice challenge to write this one #since he's never seen azula's face until this point #you know he'll blatantly lie to his comrades that he didn't get a good look at her #we need more sokkla fics where sokka's the tsundere #but also more sokkla fics in general #sokka x azula #AU #sokkla

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glapplebloom · 3 years ago

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My 200th Revisted Review. I wanted to do a video but I just don’t have the opportunity to do so. But I figure why not review a great fan series.

My Tiny Pony was made by the Youtube Channel Double W Brothers. You may know them for their other numerous Pony Animations or their most recent video (at the time) Teeny Tiny Undertale where they try to kill you by too much adorableness in Kid Toriel. So I’m going to review the entire My Tiny Pony series (even though together they probably don’t reach 15 minutes).

The first episode features Twilight Sparkle in name only. Sadly, while it is adorable to see her do everything in this short, its very unlike Twilight. It is like if you had a pet that wanted a cookie in your pocket. With this one, you can tell the animation is drawn more traditionally compared to later installments. And one thing continuing throughout the series is how everything is told in music and animation. No dialogue at all. Despite that, still easy to follow.

Episode 2 improves on the original by bringing in Pinkie Pie. While Twilight wasn’t really Twilight, this Pinkie is definitely Pinkie. Complete with cartoony anctics that wouldn’t make sense in any other context. Twilight also improves as we see her in a book fort reading a book, showing the Twilight we know. But Pinkie makes a good pet as she’s affectionate and playful.

Almost four years later, we get the next part as Rainbow Dash enters the picture. You can tell the animation is different from the first two, as they look to have moved on to what I presume is flash. But it is still adorable, especially when Rainbow Dash hugs the owner’s finger and not letting go. She’s as playful as Pinkie Pie, but in her own unique way.

Now for my favorite episode of the series: Rarity. I do call her best Pony for a reason and this is just another example. Despite being a Tiny Pony, her full character is on display. From wanting to help out artistically, to her over dramatic nature, and right down to her fashion sense. She’s going to make everyone fashionable one way or another.

Applejack shows us their morning routine in the next episode. How she has to wake up the owner one way or another (guy gets knocked out of a window twice and is still asleep, but a small peck on the cheek is enough to wake him), how they both enjoy coffee, and how Applejack eats an apple. It is definitely adorable how she cuddles to the apple slice and rocks herself. And of coure, putting on Applejack’s hat.

Before the final one, there’s a video called “About My Tiny Pony” where Discord explains why its taking a while. Basically, animation frame by frame takes a lot of work and while they probably have some shortcuts here and there, it definitely takes a while so its understandable. To make it up for me, they shoot Discord and have Angel Bunny attack him.

And the final episode (for now) has us learning he gets a box with a Pony magically. And this one he has to earn her trust as she’s so afraid of her new surroundings she tries to escape. Even hurts herself and nearly gets herself killed. But the owner proves his worth and Fluttershy is now part of the Pony Possee.

Overall, this is a great series especially to watch with kids. The music and animation will keep them entertained as well as yourself. I highly recommend it. Also not canon with GLAB.

#mlp review #MLP Revisit #Green Lantern Apple Bloom #Other Reviews

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anime-onlys · 4 years ago

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Spring '21 anime list: What I tried, what I'm watching, and first impressions!

Shaman King (2021)

I hadn't heard about this show until the reboot was announced, and it seems neat so I'll give it a shot! Hesitation isn't quite the right word, but I am watching cautiously because there's a lot about early 2000's anime that should stay in the early 2000's. I'm prepared to take a certain amount of product-of-its-time-ness, but only so much.

I really like its unique visual style. It feels like it's got a similar vibe to Soul Eater and TWEWY with its chunky proportions and face design, and the squash-and-stretch animation really lends itself to comedic moments. I feel like there are some eminently cosplayable designs in my future.

Character-wise, it's only been one episode but I'm taking a liking to Yoh. Based on the OP I hope that Ryuu will be an early-antagonist-turned-loudmouth-friend like JJBA's Okuyasu or Sk8's Shadow. That's one of my favorite character tropes.

The World Ends With You the Animation

My friend is a huge TWEWY fan, so our group was really looking forward to this anime. I saw a little of the gameplay when the Switch version was released, up to the end of episode 1's plot. I know it's going to be excellent story wise, and I already may be planning on making cosplay of that Reaper with the skeleton hoodie.

I love a unique visual style and an awesome soundtrack, of course TWEWY already had that coming in. The CGI Noise are a little clunky, but allow for some really great fight sequences. The characters' CGI models are nearly seamless with the 2D. It feels like the plot is moving fast, but according to my friend they just skipped some fetch quests and puzzle solving that wouldn't have been interesting to animate.

I'm really looking forward to this one each week!

Dragon Goes House-Hunting

One of those "eh, we'll give it a shot" shows. A bunch of us have been eyeing real estate lately, so at the very least it's topical. If done right, the concept could be fun!

We spent most of the episode HATING the dragon's character design. Its proportions are just...awkward in every way. The neck is extremely short and thick and leads into a human-muscled torso, the arms are tiny twigs, and the legs are a little too human and a little too thick to be anything but unnerving. It's bad.

Oddly, except for the dragon, the rest of the creature designs are pretty great! In contrast to a lot of anime, they let them be really non-human and had a good design sense. The humor was solid, the Monster Hunter references were on point, and the character interactions were fun. The OP is GREAT, too!

We'll be continuing this one! If you can make your eyes stop hating you for forcing them to look at the Monster Factory reject of a dragon, I'd say give it a shot.

You Can Make A Mug Too

Now that Yuru Camp is over, we wanted another lighthearted anime that might teach us something while it's at it. You Can Make A Mug Too was one of our picks to sample because one member of anime night has recently acquired a kiln.

My impression is an approving but unenthusiastic "Fine, really." You can definitely tell it's an anime made to bring in tourism to the town it's based in. The characters don't really grab me, but they set up a solid emotional backbone for the story. The production quality isn't stunning, I was hoping for some nice pottery wheel animation but didn't get any.

It's probably a decent show, but we won't watch any more because of the next one on the list.

Supercub

Going straight from You Can Make A Mug to Supercub was like going from store-brand ice pops to fresh gelato. I can already tell this is my favorite anime of the season, hands down.

First, the production quality is excellent. The backgrounds are beautiful, the score is understated but well done to the point that Debussey's Clair de Lune felt like it had been made for the scene it was used for.

More than the production quality alone, this anime's direction is exceptional. It takes 'show don't tell' and uses it perfectly, using body language and soundtrack and shot composition to communicate as much or more than the sparse dialogue. Like, they made my heart skip a beat with nothing but color grading. THAT kind of exceptional.

I haven't spoken much about the plot because I really have no idea where it's going to go. Will we fill in why Koguma is so alone, or will we only move forward to seeing her connect? Will the past of that Supercub come back to haunt her? This feels like an anime that can and will absolutely wreck me, but at the starting line all I can say is I'm READY.

If you only watch one thing this season, watch Supercub.

Continuing anime:

My Hero Academia Season 5:

This season is interesting because for the first time, I think I'm going into it with almost zero spoilers (Dabi's real name is the only one I have). The only plot spoiler I thought I had, that Hawks was somehow working with the League of Villains, was revealed at the end of episode 1. I really enjoy going into things blind so I'm looking forward to this season!

However, the OP is the most disappointing thing out there. Nothing about the song, animation or composition is memorable or even noteworthy. Bones and MHA have access to all the money and talent in the industry and they best they can do is "Fine, I guess".

Yuukoku no Moriarty season 2 (Split cour):

I really enjoyed Moriarty's first season, but the second part of a split-cour always has the risk of running off the rails. What I enjoyed most about the first cour was the reverse-whodunit formula: Here's a terrible noble and the people they hurt, how does Moriarty get rid of them while making it look like an accident? The end of cour 1 started to focus heavily on Sherlock and I don't want the show's namesake to end up sidelined.

Knowing Irene was coming, I was really hoping for a Scandal in Belgravia that follows the books...at all, where the end of the story is that Irene escapes with the photo (except this time aided by the Moriarty brothers). Few or no Sherlock adaptations actually want to engage with the sexism of the era or today's, and just want to paint her as a blackmailer or temptress instead of a woman holding onto the power to protect herself. The beginning was extremely promising, but that went off the rails pretty quick. I still haven't yet seen an adaptation of Irene Adler that I like.

Zombieland Saga: Revenge

I watch this show because it's fun and ridiculous, and I get to hear Mamoru Miyano having the time of his life in the recording booth. I love this show because it always ends up surprising me with its solid emotional backbone. It looks like this season is shaping up to be more of the same!

What blew me away was this episode was the first time I saw a CGI dance sequence that I LIKED. Ever. The characters used different mocap so they weren't eerily in sync, the song and dance itself was well made and supported by excellent camera direction and shot composition, there were 2D cuts to closeups of the dancers as well as audience, and they actually pushed facial expression!

It's a good time. Give it a shot.

#seasonal anime #spring anime #spring anime 2021 #shaman king #twewy #twewy the animation #dragon ie wo kau #yakunara mug cup mo #supercub #bnha #yuukoku no moriarty #zombieland saga revenge

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wynsnerdyrambles · 3 years ago

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KNY Season 2 News Thoughts

OK, now that I've spent the whole day squealing about this news, I might actually be able to coherently give my thoughts on it. OK, let's go chronologically in series timeline:

Mugen Train TV Anime Edition:

I actually did not see this coming. Of course I'd heard the rumors that the beginning of Season 2 would be 'Mugen Train', but I brushed those rumors aside with the logic of: "Well, the movie didn't cover the entire arc, we still have some aftermath to go over, so that's probably what this is talking about." Well, I was completely wrong. Not only are we getting what I'm affectionately dubbing "Mugen Train Extended Edition", we also get an entirely anime original episode starring Kyojuro in the days leading up to the fateful mission aboard the Mugen Train. Words cannot convey how excited I am for this re-adaptation.

I've seen some press complain that it's simply milking the Mugen Train cash cow for all it's worth. While I do feel that, in regards to things like this, the financial side of things must be taken into account when determining causes of decisions; I feel there is more to this. It's a television re-adaptation of the singular most successful film in the entire history of the Japanese box office. Much like the Television specials that have been broadcast in the past, I feel that this is more a publicity move than a financial one. Instead of compiling many episodes into a few specials to air over the course of a couple of months, we instead are treated to an extended cut of the film split up into seven episodes, including a special episode starring the film's most popular character: Rengoku-san! That way, with each new episode airing weekly, hype and publicity builds to a climax for the premiere of the Entertainment District Arc. (We also get 2 new LiSA songs serving as a full OP and ED for the mini-cour, which my KNY playlist will gladly accept). Only time will tell which version of the arc will be my preferred version for viewing, but I am ready for this arc to hurt me again- in a serialized weekly format (maybe with Taisho secrets pls).

Entertainment District Arc:

So the Entertainment District Arc will start airing early December, which to be fair, is not unexpected for me. Aniplex and Ufotable had basically nothing final to show us regarding the arc back at the Aniplex Online Fest in July, so it was always iffy in my mind that we would actually get this arc in October like many people thought. A few of my main takeaways from the trailer will follow. (Manga Spoilers after the break)

I am excited by the prospect of an hour long premiere, although it makes me wonder whether the Mugen Train re-adaptation will include the aftermath scenes with Tanjiro's visit to House Rengoku. It seems odd to me to have an hour long premiere if we're just gonna jump right into the heat of this arc, especially if you consider the fact that there are plenty more episodes in this season to follow.

Daki's voice sounds perfect! Miyuki Sawashiro definitely captured the 'sultry and intimidating' air that Daki puts on when she's confident, but I wonder how she'll fare during Daki's tantrum, or during the flashbacks to Ume. I'm sure she'll do great, though it will be interesting to see the direction they take.

On a related note, I'm quite happy they seem to be keeping Gyutaro under wraps. Hopefully we can keep it that way until December! (On a vaguely Upper Moon 6 related tangent, I'm so hyped for Doma reveal during the flashbacks, purely for the eyes, and to finally get some semblance of a canon hair color for the guy).

I was initially a little sad to hear that LiSA would not be lending her vocal talents to the OP and ED for this arc, since the vocal consistency between seasons 1 and the movie was very appealing to me; but having heard that tiny snippet of it during the promotional reel, I think it fits. It's not at all what I envisioned though. I had initially envisioned a LiSA song, that was kind of tight, focusing on the suspenseful atmosphere of the arc, and the mystery. But wow, what we got is so flamboyant, and sure to be an earworm (it's already stuck in my head). I think it works, despite having taken the opposite vibe of what I expected, and Aimer seems to be an excellent choice for this song (I've loved pretty much every song of hers' I've heard).

The shots that we were treated to in this reel seemed up to par with what I've come to expect from this adaptation of KNY, and served a really good purpose as a trailer of things to come. It showed things and characters people should keep an eye on (I'm looking at you, shot of angry Nezuko).

While we've still been shown very little footage from the arc, I'm quite excited by it, as much like Mugen Train, it's a favorite of mine, and I'm ready to see what flashy magic tricks Ufotable has in store for us with this arc. I'm just hoping and praying that Daki VS. Nezuko gets the episode 19 treatment.

Well yeah, that's the end of my hopefully coherent ramblings about this news. This has maybe been the biggest day in this fandom since I joined a little over a year ago, and I'm glad I get to be a part of this with all of you. Here's to season 2!

#demon slayer season 2 #kimetsu no yaiba #Mugen Train arc #entertainment district arc #set your heart ablaze #flamboyant #my playlist is ready but my heart might not be #not just one but two anime adaptations of mugen train!

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thewhitefluffyhat · 4 years ago

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How I Would Fix Gou’s Second Cour

Throughout my Cour 2 thoughts posts, I’ve amassed a whole laundry list of minor details, pacing quirks, characterization notes, and order-of-events shifts I would have changed about Gou.

Once more, off the top of my head:

-Given that Gou/Sotsu is ultimately about Rika and Satoko’s conflict, they really should have gotten more focus in the first cour in order to set up the second cour. A scene of Shion discussing St Lucia with the two, more scenes explaining Rika and Hanyuu’s relationship so Hanyuu leaving in Episode 14 would have actual emotional weight - even something as small as having Bern’s poems lying around as Easter Eggs for sharp-eyed viewers to spot would have been an improvement.

At the end of the day, choosing to focus on certain characters more than others was always going to disappoint some fans. If Gou had been telegraphed and had then committed to being a SatoRika story from the beginning, then perhaps SatoRika fans like me wouldn’t have dismissed the first cour, and non-fans would have known Gou probably wasn’t worth their time from the start.

-Speaking of Bern’s poems, please just use the witches’ names already. With Bern in particular, she’s always been around in the OG, and emphasizing that Rika has a hidden personality that is very different from her mask would go a long way toward explaining why she wants to attend St Lucia and changes so radically once she’s there. It would also explain why Satoko is so hurt and confused by Rika’s actions - from Satoko’s point of view, Rika would be acting like a completely different person.

-As much as I enjoyed Episode 16, showing that much on-screen gore, and for such a long stretch of time, was a major mistake. Aside from Episode 2 turning off newcomers, Episode 16 was the biggest point I saw both old and new fans drop the anime. Even at the end of the cour, Younger Brother still called this episode out as the sticking point when he was no longer watching out of interest, but just because of me.

-The order of events in Satoko’s loops should really have been shuffled and tweaked.

In general, I would have liked to see a more gradual buildup of Satoko’s controlling and manipulative behavior. Start off with her being entirely reasonable, and show how her methods and mindset devolve to extremes as she’s worn down by failure after failure.

The chandelier drop timeline, for example, is the first time Satoko intentionally hurts another person, and thus should not have been the first loop - it should have been the last thing she tried, after she’d become desensitized to her own deaths.

Next, Satoko watching Rika’s loops should absolutely have focused on Satoko discovering Rika’s selfish actions during them, not on trying to catch newcomers up to the overall Hinamizawa mystery.

Finally, Satoko announcing that she would trap Rika should have been the endpoint of the arc, not something in the middle.

And of course, there are tons of ways that events at St Lucia, or events with Satoshi, or even Hinamizawa Syndrome could have been differently handled in order to make Satoko at least a little more sympathetic.

As for the first cour, I’ve flirted for a while with doing a long “what if we reworked the first three -damashis from the ground up?” post.

However, because the Sotsu PV suggests we may be getting true “Answer Arcs” to those arcs, I’m still reserving judgement on them. Who knows - maybe the answers really will justify their inclusion! But as I said in my Cour 1 thoughts, it’s going to be an uphill battle to convince me that the doldrums of the first three arcs were a meaningful use of everyone’s time.

#when they cry #higurashi #higurashi gou #higurashi gou analysis #higurashi gou critical #gou cour 2 analysis finale #how to fix gou #my ramblings #read more #nekodamashi #satokowashi #my higurashi gou sotsu meguri thoughts

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bruh-haikyuu · 4 years ago

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A/N: Iwaizumi domestic AU!! I am here to quench your Iwaizumi Hajime father-of-three thirsts.

On another note: Haikyuu manga ends today :(( Guess who’s gonna fucking DIE. Anyways, this manga has left so much of an impact to me, I feel like it’s already imprinted in my heart. Thank you so much to Furudate for making such a wonderful story, and may their stories flourish! I’ll still make content though, I’m really waiting on that new light novel and the second cour of the anime pspsspsps 👁👁

ménage. | iwaizumi hajime episode 1 – haimish.

summary: in which your oldest son is about to begin elementary school, but your husband misplaces the documents while in a frenzy.

word count: 2215

warnings: manga spoilers!!

(adj.) homey; cozy and unpretentious

At seven and four, Kazuki and Isao were at the age where they couldn’t keep their messy doodles confined into the sketchbooks you’d bought for them.

The first victim to their mischief was the wall in the kitchen beside the door leading to your backyard. It was a small parade of animals, with streamers and party hats. Tiger-san with his jagged crown, the dainty family of rabbits, and the hefty Bear-san (“No, Mommy! That’s Cat-san!” your second oldest had huffed indignantly at the clutter of crayon circles) who was at the very front of the entire crew. Your boys were lucky enough that it had been you who’d walked into their little streak of artistry. An understanding glance had been enough, seeing that you probably weren’t so different back then. You’d clean it up with a secret trick your mother had taught you and everything in the Iwaizumi household was back in business. Easy-peasy.

But had it been Hajime who’d encountered their mess... let’s just say you wouldn’t hear the end of the boys’ shrill wails until the next week.

Unfortunately for you and your trusty washcloth, Kazuki and Isao’s artistic escapades didn’t stop at the kitchen wall. Next, it was the floors, the windows of the entrance and even on the door to your bedroom (with a side of elephant stickers that you’d admit were pretty cute). Thus, it didn’t take very long for your husband to finally be faced by their “little” temperament. And not very long for the boys to be faced by their father’s wrath.

But there was simply a stubborn rock settled somewhere in your sons’ heads—they get it from Hajime, you’d kept telling yourself—and for simply the reason of being boys in their early youths, they kept on drawing. Everywhere. Anywhere.

At least the both of you were thankful enough for Hina-chan. Still a tiny ball of warmth curled up cozily against in your arms, Hina was the youngest and the only daughter in your modest family of five. And the least likely source of your daily hurdles.

“By the time Hina learns to hold a pencil, should we just introduce our home as an art gallery or something?” Hajime had asked you rather comically after seeing the colorful family portrait Isao had drawn in one of his reference books.

Though Kazuki, your first child, was completely aware of his responsibilities as an older brother, it was concerning enough that he still hadn’t let go of his childishness. He was seven now, and in a few months, delving into April, he’d be in first grade. Maybe he was simply rowdy in nature... who knows? With a gruff husband like Iwaizumi Hajime, anything was possible.

Elementary school... you pondered, gazing softly at your family in the living room. Hajime cradling Hina in one arm while he and the boys cheered wildly at the service ace that was displayed on TV. How exciting.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

“Remember to ask for ‘Ichimura-sensei’, alright? She was the teacher I talked to when Kazuki and I checked the school. She’ll know the details I asked her about in the last meeting so you just have to give her the application form.”

Hajime suppressed a chuckle at your adamant ramble. “You’ve only been telling me this all week. I won’t forget, you know.”

“Sorry,” you sighed, bouncing your sleeping daughter in your arms. “I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong. This is our firstborn we’re talking about.”

“Trust me, Y/N,” he smiled. “It’ll be fine.”

You could only nod quietly. Was it the maternal instinct within you that was acting up? It all felt too soon, too quick. If you blinked, Kazuki would’ve already gotten married already... You weren’t ready for that.

But the least you could do was get used to the changes that were going to happen around the house. Starting with this.

“You’ve brought the form with you, right? You didn’t forget it?”

You felt bad that your husband was being held up at the entrance to your little home, but it couldn’t hurt to be just slightly careful. Unclasping his bag, he scrabbled through it, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, I’ve put it in a folder here last night, so there’s no way it would—Eh?”

More rummaging.

“Hajime, is everything alright?”

He was pulling things out of his bags now. 2000-yen bills, crumpled receipts, his packets of protein shakes, Hina’s diapers. But no application form. Nothing.

“I-It’s not there.”

“Huh?!”

“H-Hold on, I’ll check our bedroom,” his voice was in the least reassuring tone he could muster and you felt your heart drop a million feet into the ground.

Why would this happen now of all times? The document was already filled and sealed with your inkan*, payments documented, crucial information written on that single sheet of paper. Crucial information you couldn’t afford to fill in twice... and it was missing?

You really didn’t want to think about how today was the last day to submit applications—

“Kazuki!!” Hajime’s thunderous voice cut through the silence.

A tiny echo of pattering footsteps and Hina shifted against your chest but did not wake. You were thankful enough; anymore ruckus and your sanity would snap.

Yawning, your eldest scratched his dark bedhead and sauntered over to his father who fisted a sheet of paper in his hand. “Daddy, you’re too loud...”

Putting the paper onto full display, your eyes nearly bulged out of your head at what was on it.

Had the form always been so... colorful? You could barely see any writing on it, covered by the persistent doodles your son had scrawled over. Mixes of hiragana he’d been practicing, completed with small side drawings—Anpanman*, some horses and a purple paddy field. All in all: it was a mess. But it was clearly the form you’d filled in. And it was clearly Kazuki’s mess.

Hajime scowled, the space between his eyebrows wrinkling. “Did you do this?”

“...No.”

“Well it couldn’t be Isao or Hina, couldn’t it?” he seethed. “Don’t take me for an idiot. Isao’s been having playdates all week and Hina can’t draw yet. What did I tell you about drawing outside of the papers and books we gave you, huh?!”

“B-But I was just trying to help!” Kazuki exclaimed. “You and Mommy are always so busy taking care of papers. So I thought if I helped you write in it... you’d come and play with me again.”

Suddenly, a lump rose in your throat. You were always so busy taking care of Hina and Isao and their immeasurable demands, and your husband was either at work or out playing volleyball with the neighborhood team. You wondered how lonely it was for him the entire week you were taking care of the registrations.

How lonely it was, despite being surrounded by so much people.

Your husband, however, was completely unfazed. “Go to your room.”

“But Daddy, it’s not—!”

“Kazuki.” Each syllable he drew out sent a shiver down your spine. In a split second, the Iwaizumi household’s living room grew cold. “Go. To. Your. Room! Put your arms above your head and keep it that way until I come back!”

As if on cue, the waterworks emerged.

“I hate you, Daddy! I hate you! You never listen to me!” and that was the last thing you heard from the tear-streaked boy before he stumbled through the hallway, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

“...Mmn,” Hina roused, her tiny button nose flaring, and you instantly knew what was to come. Oh no...

Sighing in defeat, your husband crossed his arms and ambled back towards you and the bawling baby in your embrace. Pressing your lips together, you mumbled to him. “You could’ve been a bit nicer to Kazuki. Now look what happened.”

“He’ll never learn his lesson if I don’t get strict,” he said, the guilt crossing his eyes. Swimming. Settling. “I’m going to go ahead to the school before they close for the day. Ask if they’ve got anymore forms I can fill in there.”

You nodded, hands coming to rub gently against your daughter’s back as your husband kissed your forehead—a daunting ritual you did before whenever he left the house.

Then, he bent down to softly coo at the red-faced infant. “Hina-chan, how about a kiss for Daddy before I go?”

The result: Hina only cried louder. Repelled by the sudden change in volume, Hajime scratched the back of his neck remorsefully.

“I get it, I get it... I’m the bad guy today,” he rustled. “I guess I’ll be off now. I’ll leave the house in your care, Y/N.”

You smiled at him, your hard-working husband with a weak spot for your little family. “Be careful, Hajime-kun.”

As soon as the door clicked shut, you were left to your terror again. A crying seven-year old, a crying baby, and if all the noise were to wake up Isao from his afternoon nap... Geez, what a mess...

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Hajime really felt like he knew this guy somewhere... High school? A volleyball match? That refreshing aura wasn’t really difficult to tell apart, either...

“You’re number 2 from Karasuno High, ain’tcha?”

“Uwaah... Seijoh’s Iwaizumi Hajime...” Sugawara twinkled, the grey cowlick on his head standing up straight. “The atmosphere of an powerful ace really is hard to miss.”

Hajime blushed. When was the last time someone called him a ‘powerful ace’? He had you to call him that whenever you were feeling nostalgic, but otherwise, that label was a shard of the past.

“Sugawara-san, right?” he recalled. “You work here at this school?”

The man chuckled. “Yep! I’m a teacher now. How about you, Iwaizumi-san? What are you up to here?”

“Oh, I’m looking for Ichimura-sensei. I want to talk to her about the registration for my son.”

Sugawara shook his head for a moment before replying.

“Unfortunately, Ichimura-sensei is out with the flu. That’s why I’m covering the weekend shift for her. You can just give the forms to me, and we can look over the terms and conditions.”

What luck, Hajime thought. But at least having this guy around wasn’t going to be as bad of an experience.

“Ah... about that...” he started. “My kid drew all over the application form and I don’t remember making any copies. So, would it be a problem if I did it again right now? Me and my wife are in a bit of a tough spot at the moment.”

By the grace of God, Sugawara said, “I don’t think it’d be a issue. Let’s go to the office and discuss it together. Before that, can I ask for your ID, Iwaizumi-san?”

“Ah, yeah, sure, let me just get my wallet...” filing through his bag, Hajime rifled through the stacks of paper, looking... searching... And when he got to his wallet: “Huh?”

There it was. The application-payment form he’d filled in last week, in its pristine glory. And with absolutely zero drawings on it. There was his family seal and everything. Down to both of your signatures, in the blue ink you’d insisted on using (Hajime never really bothered to make out the different uses of different inks).

“The form...” he muttered. “It must’ve slipped from the folder or something. Then that means the one at home was probably a copy...”

Freezing, Hajime realized. Crap. What have I done?

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

By the time Hajime got home, the house was already quiet again. Isao and Hina were asleep in your bedroom—Hina in her crib and Isao laid spread-eagle on the limited expanse of your queen-size bed. Taking the opportunity of a silent home, you decided to use the time you had to eat some sweets you’d secretly stashed in the fridge away from your children’s eyes.

“What a ravenous wife,” he’d teased, only for you to smear a dollop of whipped cream across his face in retaliation.

It didn’t take him long to realize the muffled sobbing from Kazuki’s room had subsided too. Curiosity getting the best of him, your husband stepped inside the danger zone.

Hajime always thought that Kazuki was a peaceful sleeper. He could sleep anywhere and still look like he was having the time of his life. During times like this, where Hajime was drained empty at the end of the day, he couldn’t help but feel jealous of his son.

Gingerly picking him up from the carpeted floors, Hajime rested Kazuki’s head on the crook of his broad shoulder, his gentle breathing blowing faint breezes next to his nape. Looking down at the smattering of papers on the ground, he reached down to read one that Kazuki had presumably written right before he was knocked out cold.

I’m really sorree Sorry Daddy :( I promise to never draw on your things ever again. Kazuuki

Below the large lopsided text he’d written in crayon was a smudged drawing of (what seemed) to be him. Well, if Hajime was a stickman with prominent eyebrows that stuck out of his face.

“I’m sorry too, kid. Guess I was being unfair, huh?” he murmured. “I’ll make it up to you once you wake up. We’ll all play together. Me, you, Isao, Hina and your mom. We’ll use as much time as we have left.”

And Hajime never backed down on a promise.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Glossary:

inkan - personalized seals used in lieu of signatures in paperwork

anpanman - a Japanese children’s superhero cartoon character, looks like this

#bruh haikyuu writing #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #domestic au #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #haikyu #hq #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi hajime x reader #iwaizumi x reader #seijoh x reader #aoba johsai x reader #iwaizumi hajime imagine #iwaizumi hajime scenario #sfw #hajime x reader

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aotopmha · 4 years ago

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Attack on Titan Final Season (Cour 1) Thoughts

Also thoughts on episode 16 subbed.

I think this was pretty much a perfect adaption of all of the covered material.

I thought particularly some of the dialog episodes were elevated from the source material by excellent direction and general storyboarding: the adaption of this material has the most flavour it has had since season 1.

On the other hand, I think this season had a lot less strong 2D animation. Most of the stronger animation comes from character acting, though and this is definitely a welcome breath of fresh air because I feel like the dialog episodes of AoT were always the more static ones.

The modesty in this sense certainly has its reasonable logic to it: if there is a place to hold back on animation for other sections of the story to shine for it, it's dialog episodes, but at the same time seeing some of this high-quality animation in dialog episodes was still very welcome.

There is also a lot more CG, but honestly, most of it ranges from tolerable to even great (some of the cuts with the Armoured and Jaw Titan come to mind for me, episode 1 and 7 respectively).

As always, I think the cuts were fairly smart and nothing of too much importance was lost that you can't either assume from the context or that isn't redundant.

My absolute favourite part of this section of the story in terms of content is the story's exploration of the complexities of fighting against a terrible societal system and the moral complexity of war.

The story sort of destroys the us vs them dichotomy: the people on both sides of this war are people, complex human beings who are shaped by their personal experiences and the environment they grew up in.

A common sort of buzzword statement for this story at this point is that there are no good or bad guys anymore, but I think this is not the case: there definitely are worse and better people in the story, it's just that you can't point at just one specific lone enemy to fix everything.

This leads me to episode 16. I think the strongest material here was everything with Eren, Pieck and Gabi.

Eren accounted for Pieck being able to transform, but he didn't for Porco to be there, too.

While Eren used the fact that Pieck is bound by her orders (not free) to make her ineffective.

Pieck believes a good portion of what she told Gabi: the underlying truth in what she is saying is that you can't please a system which is hurting you for it to no longer hurt you. Fascists don't listen.

Pieck knows this and she is jaded enough to not believe Marley's bullshit, but she still believes in her people and protects this system because that's her home.

This is no doubt also one of the important stepping stones for Gabi's character to see the complexities of the situation.

The rest of the episode is much less interesting, but the scene with Zeke and the mindless Titan will always be the most metal thing (also sets up some wonderful insanity for later, in fact, this little scene explaining this little mechanic is the reason why I think most of the insanity can go down at all).

Out of all of the seasons I think this currently ranks as my #2 next to season 1 in terms of quality of adaption. I think the direction is just really really good.

#Attack on Titan #Shingeki no Kyojin #AoT season 4 #SnK season 4 #AoT #SnK

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snowe-zolynn-rogers · 4 years ago

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Pairings: Romantic Prinxiety (Virgil x Roman)

Word Count: 9841 Words

Summary: Roman goes into the Imagination after the events of POF but he runs too far. Can the others find him before it's too late?

Warnings: Eye Trauma, Injury, Blood, Permanent Injury, let me know if I should tag anything else.

Notes: I might make a part 2 but I don’t know.

Shatter Me

Roman loved going into the Imagination and roaming around, the freedom to do whatever he wants and go wherever he wants. It also let him do things he couldn't do around the other sides like spar with his katana and visit Remus and Janus.

So he set out to his part of the Imagination first, cheering himself up with the beautiful meadows and he helped a small snake across the road and a short lecture to stay safe and not get hurt.

He then continued along his way through the Imagination with a small friend following him. Roman eventually stopped and picked up the small snakeling and it curled happily around his shoulders and he continued walking while talking to the small animal.

"So Virgil's been really nice lately. I think we're finally getting along and I really like him. I hope he likes me too." The snake flicked its tongue against his face like a cat grooming its owner. "I suppose you need a name? How about Romy?" The snake blepped at him and he smiled, pet over its side, feeling over the smooth, beautiful scales. "Romy it is."

They continued travelling, Roman telling Romy of his woes with the other sides right now until Roman stopped, noticing the sky had gone grey. Was it about to rain? Oh well, he wasn't going home just yet. He kept walking into the darkness until he found himself in the middle of a forest and realized what happened.

He had walked right into the dark side of the mind. He walked right into the dark side of the Imagination without so much as his sword for protection and he couldn't summon it here, inside of the Monster's Forest and he could hear the monsters that resides here, some howling, others growling, a few rattles and scrapes and screeches. And he was alone with Romy and no weapon.

He slowly, quietly, tried to find the path he'd come on but there was no indication of which way he'd come from or where he could escape. He stuck his head from the brush to look for a way out and got a slash across his eyes for his efforts. He stumbled back, hands over his eyes and holding them as he felt blood? tears? something warm and liquidy in his hands.

And he swore he was opening his eyes even though it hurt but nothing came through them. Romy hissed softly, cuddling to him, comforting him or at least trying to. Roman pet him, his only indication this was real right now and started crying. It would be too long before anyone found him, he'd die here.

"Wait, wait, wait. My baby brother is what?" Remus asked Janus again.

"I need to go into the Monster's Forest. I've been scouring the Imagination but there's only so many places he could be and the last place I need to search still is the Monster's Forest." Janus explained.

"I'm sure he's probably at his castle right now, moping because his ego was hurt." Remus told his boyfriend.

"Virgil checked there first, he's not there." Janus told him.

"Wha-"

"He has to be in the Forest, Remus, but I need your help to get him. It's been a month, Remus. I'm scared. What if something happened to him?" Remus' somber grimace greeted him when Janus finally managed to look up at him.

"Then we'll get him. Bring extra weapons, those things are vicious." Remus warned him.

Not a half hour later, they were at the entrance to the Monster's forest, Virgil, Logan, and Patton alongside so they had more people to search more area, weapons drawn and ready to fight whatever was in there.

"If we talk inside, it'll lead us to the center on the path where they can't hurt us. Don't step off the path, don't stop talking." Remus warned them.

They went about talking, Janus and Remus of their upcoming quest plans, Logan and Patton of their ideas to help Thomas focus, Virgil talking to himself quietly about his feelings about Roman. They eventually emerged into the circle of the forest, the dead center, which had a small grassy field surrounded by a tangled line of trees and foliage.

They didn't quite expect to see a bone-thin version of their friend mumbling to himself, or, rather, to the snake on his shoulders. Said snake slithered from his companion and to the closest side, Remus, to pull him closer, biting at the fabric of his pants and trying its hardest to drag him over.

"Romy?" Roman whispered. Romy let go to care for Roman, rubbing against him affectionately and seeming to tell him it was safe right now.

"Roman?" Remus asked, kneeling before him and ghosting his hands around his shoulders.

"Remus?" Roman asked back, reaching out for him, hands hitting Remus' chest and grasped on. "Remus, you came." Roman began sobbing.

"We all did, Roman." Remus alerted him.

"Everyone's here?" Roman asked.

"Yes, Ro, can't you see us?" Patton asked.

"I can't. One of the monsters. It...It scratched my eyes when I tried to leave." Remus hugged him close, protectively so, and Romy slithered onto Roman's shoulders, keeping him company again, protecting him.

"How did you survive here for a month?" Logan asked.

"You won't like it." Roman warned.

"Roman, are you okay?" Janus asked softly.

"I think so?" Roman answered unsurely.

"Remus, we need to leave, it's going to start getting dark soon." Virgil warned him, gently taking Roman, letting Romy crawl from Roman's shoulders to his own in the process of getting Roman settled in his arms. Virgil was concerned by how little his friend felt like he weighed.

"Okay. It's harder getting out so everyone tire this rope around you." Reus alerted everyone tying everyone to the rope. "We all guard Virgil no matter what. He can't fight. Virgil called bullshit. Virgil let his cloud-like aura manifest itself like a shield around him and Roman, impenetrable. "Nevermind, that works too. Again, keep talking, it should let us out if we all keep talking. Jan, talk to the new snake friend, keep him communicating." Remus reminded the snake-like side.

"Hey Ro, I'm really glad to have you back, everything's been so boding without you. I've missed you a lot." Virgil prompted Roman to talk.

"I thought I would die out here."

"I wouldn't let that happen. I made everyone search."

"But why do you care? I'm just a good-for-nothing price that can't even do his job."

"You're not. You're amazing and I'm sorry I've never said anything before but Roman, you matter and I'm sorry if I ever make you feel like you don't because you matter so much to me and I can't stand to see you hurt or unhappy."

"I matter to you?"

"Matter? Roman, I'm in love with you. Roman, I love you, of course you matter to me." Virgil sighed as they stepped from the forest and Remus counted all six of them and Romy, all seven, perfect.

"You love me?" Roman asked.

"So much." Virgil whispered, letting down his aura to calm himself and he had to hand Roman quickly off to Logan and took a few deep breaths to regain his strength and composure.

"Vee? Ae you okay?" Patton asked.

"I'm fine, I just... I had to protect Roman." Janus then noticed the blood spot forming on Virgil's right leg, his jeans ripped with three claw marks down the side from his hip to his knee all the way down his thigh.

"Virgil?" Roman asked as Virgil sat on the ground, breathing deeply.

"I'm okay. Nothing deadly. Just a little scratch." Patton would have scolded him if he wasn't downplaying it for Roman's sake.

"Remus, Roman, why don't you two go with Romy and clean up, I'm sure Roman needs a bath after a month in that dirty place." Patton told the twins.

"Sure, Pops." Remus began carrying Roman to the dark side house, Romy wrapped around Remus' neck now.

Virgil gritted his teeth as Janus had to bite anti-venom into him, nearly screamed actually, at the teeth impaled in his already venom-inflicted skin. But this was good, he could still feel it so no nerve damage had been done.

"I'm sorry." Janus told him, spitting out his blood onto the ground, nearly throwing up at the bitter, sour, burned sugar taste in his mouth of the venom that wouldn't affect him.

Actually, now that it was all he could focus on, he did throw up into the grass, Patton rubbing his back just as much as he was holding Vigil's had as Logan came running back with a first aid kit apologizing as he wriggled Virgil from his ripped jeans and began tending to the finally stemmed wounds.

Virgil would have been freaking out if he hadn't lost so much blood, but a few needles and some stitches meant basically nothing to him in his lightheaded, dizzy, dazing state of blood loss. So, even after nearly a hundred stitches, he was virtually unfazed.

Logan helped him into clean, not ripped jeans and helped him back to the dark side home as well where they found Roman and Remus in the living room with Romy, who was getting right along with Remus' pet possum, Pumpkin. Roman was telling Remus what he and Romy did to survive a month stranded in there with no way out.

"Romy brought me food. Well, his kind of food. But it was enough." Patton grimaced at the idea and Janus was already busy trying to quietly find something in the kitchen that would get rid of the taste still in his mouth from the venom.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Remus asked.

"If it's not any trouble." Roman whispered.

"Of cours, it isn't any trouble. I wanna feed my hungry baby brother! I won't even put anything weird in this time!" Remus told him.

"Thank you, Remus." Roman hugged him. Logan set Virgil next to Roman.

"Virge? Is that you?" Roman asked.

"It's me, my prince." Virgil told him, hugging to him.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Roman asked.

"I'll be fine. Janus gave me some anti-venom and Logan stitched me up good so I'll be better in no time. It's you I'm worried about. You haven't even opened your eyes."

"It's ugly. They're scarred now. They shouldn't be open."

"I'm sure they're not ugly. They're a part of you. No part of you can be ugly, you're too gorgeous to be even remotely ugly." Virgil assured him. Slowly, Roman opened his clouded milky white eyes and Virgil held his face gently.

"Beautiful." Virgil alerted him

"They're ugly and they didn't heal right." Roman told him.

"Well, you won't see, I can't fix that. But I can make them look normal again if it bothers you so much." Logan told him.

"Please?" Roman requested. Logan put his hand over Roman's eyes and a healing blue light flashed before Roman's eyes were their old bright green, though with clouded milky pupils but they looked normal, no scar at all.

"Do I look okay?" Roman asked.

"As handsome as ever. Not that you weren't before." Virgil told him.

"I'm really tired." Roman alerted the other sides.

"Drink this and you can rest." Remus told him, handing him a warm bowl of soup, Virgil supporting his wrists and helping him hold the heavy bowl.

Once Roman drank the chicken based broth, he fell asleep against Virgil and Janus, who had settled next to him to check him over for any bites or scratches from the monsters.

Roman felt safe. He was home.

Taglist: @yeet-ceit @sneaky-slytherin @punk-academian-witch

#sanders sides #sympathetic deceit #roman sanders #virgil sanders #deceit sanders #janus sanders #remus sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #snoweywrites #tw eye trauma #tw injury #tw blood mention #tw permanent injury

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