#being “Are you hurt?” made me sad. and then he immediately blames vash... just like how he immediately blamed rem for vash's ideals

[ruporas]

I fucking love the way u expand on every art piece u post with bootiful indepth character analysis. But i have to ask,May I have some art or a wonderful character analysis of our lord and executioner knives aka million knives? -what a stupid ass fucking name- or atleast what u think of him.

oh god LOL i can never do a justifiable knives character analysis. i care and love his character a lot, but my beef with him is so personal. i can say though, his emotional aspect is my favorite part of his character because there's a lot of instances where he's calm and collected for like 5 seconds and then he just breaks instantly with a single word or action. the fact it's a blatant trait since when he was a kiddie that gets further emphasized throughout the years with his ambition and reactions towards vash's choices… i like that he's presented as someone who chooses absolutes and can't - won't change despite his own loneliness and potential regrets that he's tried to bury. i looooove how he's drawn in trimax and how sleepy he is all the time, probably because he hasn't relaxed in 150 years.

and it might be obvious by now, but i'm specifically fond of trimax knives and the dynamic he has with vash in that iteration… i like the extra care the studio put into his character, but trimax just hits more for me.

anyway, here's a knives sketch!! thank you for sending this and for your kind words <3

[adilynia-kiden]

Extreme Character Sheet: Pixie Edition

Character’s full name: Adilynia Eonaris Silverfall Reason or meaning of name: Her middle name is homage to the Titan Eonar; Protector of Life Character’s nickname:  The Pixie Reason for nickname:  Given by her sister due to Addie’s diminutive size, and the fact that when she was little, she used to train with her shield wearing fake wings.   Birth date: December 20

Physical appearance

Age:  153 ( 26ish human) How old does he/she appear: 24-26

Weight: 120ish

Height: 5’5

Body build: Thin framed, with well toned musculature.

Shape of face: Square

Eye color: Teal (Soon to be gold!)

Glasses or contacts: None

Skin tone: Pale

Distinguishing marks: Seven freckles form under her right eye that looks like a constellation. Hair color: Black Type of hair: Thick strands that form in half curls. Tends to be unruly. Hairstyle: When fighting, always up. Everywhere else it tends to be let down, but the top portion is almost always braided to keep most of the strands from her eyes.   Voice:  Quiet, barely above a whisper most of the time. Overall attractiveness: 6/10 (Compared with the rest of Thalassian elves) Physical disabilities: None Usual fashion of dress: has a fondness for lace and soft fabrics when not in armor. Favorite outfit: Armor, or a sundress of some sort. Jewelry or accessories: Gold chain with a glass feather charm that hangs from her waist. Ear cuff that looks like Eonar’s vines, in silver and set with tiny colored gemstones.

Personality

Good personality traits: Loyal, Polite, Willing to listen, her empathy

Bad personality traits: Closes herself off, doesn’t talk about her feelings, unhealthy coping mechanisms

Mood character is most often in: Anxious 

Sense of humor:  Good

Character’s greatest joy in life:. Her family, her colors and her duty.

Character’s greatest fear:. Icecrown

Why? Addie’s sister died there, and simply being there drags up way too many feelings.

What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil? Already happened. Vynalia’s death. Now? Failing in her promise to @ly-canthos

Character is most at ease when: Alone and falling

Most ill at ease when: Around people

Enraged when: someone she loves gets hurt

Depressed or sad when: someone leaves

Priorities: Her oath, family and currently, her orders.

Life philosophy: “My father had taught me to be nice first, because you can always be mean later, but once you've been mean to someone, they won't believe the nice anymore. So be nice, be nice, until it's time to stop being nice, then destroy them.”

If granted one wish, it would be: An end to the faction wars on Azeroth. Why? Addie will always feel like the combined forces of Azeroth are greater than divisive factions.  Character’s soft spot: Too many to count, but especially the love she has for her father.  Is this soft spot obvious to others? Currently? Ehhh, she’s not happy with him, but usually? Oh yeah.  Greatest strength: Loyalty Greatest vulnerability or weakness: Loyalty, it can make her very blind. Biggest regret:  That she blamed Raelin for Vinnie’s death. Minor regret: That last box of caramels… Biggest accomplishment: Earning her colors and becoming a Knight of the Silver Hand  Minor accomplishment: Not turning red for a full hour in Lycan’s company. Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about:  Sooooo many. The worst probably being the time she blew up a kitchen trying to make cookies. Why?  Because everything personal tends to embarrass her. Character’s darkest secret: How truly bad her PTSD is regarding Vinnie’s death, and also her mothers. Does anyone else know? Her father, Raelin… most of her knights have suspicions.

Goals

Drives and motivations: To be a worthy servant of the Light’s graces and serve with honor and dignity. Immediate goals: Keeping Teren safe. Not letting Lycan down. Not letting her father down. Not letting Raelin down. Each one of those things includes a dozen goals in and of themselves, so… its a lot at the moment. Long term goals: Continue serving the Silver Hand, and working to create a lasting unification between the Horde and Alliance. How the character plans to accomplish these goals: NO IDEA. She does know she has to leave her comfort zone, and that is a process she’s working on. Slowly. How other characters will be affected:  Maladir will relish the chance to see his daughter step from Vinnie’s shadow, and he’ll be proud no matter what. Much the same with Raelin, and though he’d never admit it, he’ll miss having her around. As for Kidenland? Well…we shall see.  

Past

Hometown: Silvermoon Type of childhood: Set in the upper echelons of Thalassian society, Addie had a very comfortable childhood that some would call idyllic. A good education, caring parents and a healthy family dynamic led to a wonderful upbringing overall. Pets: ‘Pets’ is a vague term for the fact that Addie keeps company with a whelpling named Neris, and a netherdrake called Vash.

First memory: Winter’s Veil, when Maladir made Addie her first tiny little shield to use.

Most important childhood memory: The day she won a spar against Vinnie, legitimately. Why? It took decades of getting knocked down by her older sister before Addie could honestly say she had won a duel against her. Vinnie would sometime let her win, but when she did it all on her own…it reminded her that even dragons can be beaten Childhood hero: Vynalia Silverfall Dream job: -named- Silver Hand hero Education: Classical education with a focus on Titan and Dragon studies. Countless tutors in weapons, tactics, war history and survival training. Religion: Devout follower of the Light Finances:  Well off

Present

Current location: Nishan Marche

Currently living with:  @teren-k @ly-canthos @daughterofkiden and whoever else makes an appearance! Pets: Neris and Vash (not pets...sentient dragons arent ‘pets’) Religion: Devout Follow of the Light Occupation:  Silver Hand Envoy/ Protection Detail Finances: Well off

Family

Mother: Candaris Silverfall (Featherstorm) Relationship with her:  Their shared love of Titans bonded Addie and her mother early on. Long conversations over cups of coffee was the norm. While Candaris insisted on a court life for Addie, she knew it would serve her well in a world full of liars and cheats. Instead of letting her youngest daughter keep her head in the clouds when it came to the gilded ballrooms of Silvermoon, she put her in the middle of it to prove that not all that glitters is gold.   Father:  Maladir Silverfall Relationship with him: Warm, caring and wonderful. Next to Vinnie, Addie’s father is the standard by which all things good are measured. Siblings: Vynalia Silverfall (deceased) Relationship with them: Attached at the hip, Addie’s adoration for her older sister could easily be classified as hero worship. No matter how brutal, callus and cold Vinnie could be on a field, she could never do any wrong when together with her sister. For Vinnie, the Pixie was everything good and pure in the world, and needed protecting at all costs. They were almost a decade apart, but the Silverfall sisters were twins in spirit. Spouse: None Relationship with him/her: N/A Children: None Relationship with them: N/A Other important family members: Raelin Dawnsorrow aka The Ironfist. Once engaged to the elder Silverfall sister, he had spent almost his whole life in their company due to living at the property adjacent to theirs. Early on, he came under Maladir’s command for his prowess on a battlefield and his ability to keep Vinnie’s battle rage tempered with mercy. Over the years, Raelin’s become the brother Addie never had. Their brief falling out over her sister’s death led to very dark times, but it was he who dragged Addie, kicking and screaming (literally) back into the Light.

Favorites

Color: Silver Hand blue

Least favorite color: Orange Music: Tastes range from the Tauren Chieftans to comedy songs. Currently remembering how much she enjoys the sound of a piano. Food:  Yes. All of it. Just give her all the food. Literature: Historical accounts of battles, Titan mythology, journals of soldiers. Form of entertainment:  Free-form mountain climbing, running, sparring, glass work. Expressions: Usually, carefully neutral save the copious amount of blushing. Mode of transportation: Clockwork panther, Vash the netherdrake or horses from the Silver Hand stables Most prized possession: Her shield

Habits

Hobbies:  Glass blowing/work making stained glass windows Plays a musical instrument?: She can tinker out small songs on a piano, and carry a tune, but nothing extraordinary Plays a sport? Jousting? How he/she would spend a rainy day:  Training. Just cause the weather is bad, doesn’t mean you can slack. Working. Or that is how she would have spent a day, given shes a resident of the Marche currently… she’d probably find a book, go curl up in the sunroom and fall asleep. Go sit in the rain.. just because. Spending habits: She’s not a lavish person, but certain things won’t be compromised on. Good food, good coffee, and good bed sheets. Smokes: Nope Drinks: Coffee Other drugs: Do dreamless sleep potions count?  What does he/she do too much of?:  Worry. What does he/she do too little of?:  Self care Extremely skilled at:  Holding the line, defensive tactics, sword play Extremely unskilled at: Do not ever give Addie a bow. Ever. Or make her cook  Nervous tics: nail and lip biting, looking at the ground etc. etc. etc. Usual body posture: When standing still, she always looks like she is perpetually stuck in prayer. Head bowed, hands clasped together with a straight back. Mannerisms: Polite and demure. Peculiarities: The color of her eyes is an oddity in that they are teal. She’s rather short for a Thalassian elf.

Traits

Optimist or pessimist? Optimist Introvert or extrovert? Introvert until she knows a person. Daredevil or cautious? Daredevil on and off a battlefield in terms of her climbing, cautious in everything else. Logical or emotional? Logical, but her emotions always get the better of her. Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? Methodical and neat

Prefers working or relaxing? Working Confident or unsure of himself/herself?: Always unsure and always second guessing. Animal lover?: Yup! Except spiders.

Self-perception

How he/she feels about himself/herself: “I know my worth on a field, and that my last dying breath will be in defense of those that I love. Beyond that, all I can say is…I am trying.” One word the character would use to describe self: “Inhibited.” One paragraph description of how the character would describe self: “Well, the parameters for such a description are lacking. Are we talking in terms of height and weight? If that is the case, I’m vertically challenged for one born of elven heritage, and stronger than I appear. Odd in the dark color of my hair for a paladin. I try and be worthy of the continued graces the Light bestows upon me, but I often feel as if I am one step away from falling into shadows. I don’t know as I will ever be comfortable in my own skin, unless I am behind my shield. I struggle with my emotions on a near hourly basis, but in the end, everything is the Light’s judgment, seeking to find if I am still worthy.”

What does the character consider his/her best personality trait? “My compassion. Though it was a hard learned lesson, as I struggle with emotional connections, I have learned to be at peace with offering it to another. The same can not be said when it is offered in turn.” What does the character consider his/her worst personality trait? “My tenacity… stubbornness as some might call it. It’s the reason I hold a line…but it doesn’t translate well when it comes to personal interactions.” What does the character consider his/her best physical characteristic? “I would say my hands, as I know what they are capable of. However…the general consensus in the training yard is that I have a….well, that’s so say I spar a great deal and much of my training comes from fencing, which lends to lunges. I… think you may take from that what you will in regards to what my knights reference.” What does the character consider his/her worst physical characteristic? “My height.” How does the character think others perceive him/her: “I would like to think that I am considered kind and pleasant enough to warrant continued company. However, I also know that my self imposed solitude often makes people stay at an arms distance for fear of interrupting me…which makes little sense, as I would much prefer conversation to my own thoughts.” What would the character most like to change about himself/herself: “How closed off I tend to be. It’s become… paramount that this changes, but it not such an easy thing to change, especially where the ticking of a clock is always right in my ear.”

Relationships with others

Opinion of other people in general: “I enjoy watching people. Their stories play out like beautiful books… and most do not even realize it. They lead such beautiful lives, even in their pain…I see humanity for its best when the focus shifts from a field of battle and a fight for their very lives, to simply living for a moment. They offer insight when I am honored with any sort of company. They give me purpose behind my shield…if I can save just one from experiencing the pain of loss, the fight will have been worth it.” Does the character hide his/her true opinions and emotions from others? Always. Addie almost always has a careful mask of neutrality in place, though close attention will see it break… often. Person character most hates: Putress Best friend(s):  Raelin Dawnsorrow Love interest(s): @teren-k @ly-canthos (Yeah, I updated it:P) Person character goes to for advice: Maladir or Raelin Person character feels responsible for or takes care of:. Teren Kiden, Lycan Maddox, Maladir Silverfall, Raelin Dawnsorrow, Annest Kiden. Every single person that draws breath. Person character feels shy or awkward around:  Everyone? Person character openly admires: Turaylon, Uther, Tirion, Maladir, Vinnie, Raelin Person character secretly admires: Lady Liadrin Most important person in character’s life before story starts: Vynalia Silverfall

After story starts: Herself.

Tagged by: @jasper-quinn (OMG this took forever! <3) Updated Tag: @belillinafireseeker  THANK YOU!

Tagging: Whoever the heck wants to do this beast!

[sebastiano-merlino]

I've just published a new post on https://mylittleblackbird.com/2017/10/16/trigun-my-review-of-the-anime/

Trigun - my review of the Anime

This is going to be an article full of feels… so many feels!

Trigun is one of my favorite animes. This is the result of a combination of factors that can be summarized up into:

Awesome setting

Compelling theme

Incredibly well-designed characters

Great ability to inflict emotions on the audience.

I’d like to talk about them in order and, don’t worry, as usual, I will mark the sections containing spoilers.

Before we get into the meaty part, I am going to refer to the 1998 Anime series, not the Manga (that I read way too many years ago) nor the “Trigun: Badlands Rumble”, the movie from 2010 that I’ve yet to watch.

Trigun is an adaptation by the director Satoshi Nishimura (studio Madhouse) of the homonymous manga written by Yasuhiro Nightow. It is a Space Western story and follows the adventures of Vash the Stampede for a brief amount of time while trying to show us his philosophy and how this is impacting his and other’s lives. As the story progresses, more is discovered about Vash’s mysterious past and origins.

The setting

The story takes place on Gunsmoke (No Man’s Land) a desert planet in a far away galaxy. The human race has left planet earth because of unknown reasons and now finds itself on this deserted planet. Here humanity struggles to survive to the lack of natural resources. This caused a de-evolution into a society similar to that of the first explorers of the American’s west. Gunmen battles on the streets while sheriffs struggle to avoid the violence to spread.

One of the main resources of energy (and even water and food) are Plants. These mysterious systems are heavily relied on by humanity that builds cities surrounding them.

The theme of Trigun

I guess the simplest way to explain the theme of this series is to show you a short clip that summarizes it.

Simply put: can we save everybody? Can we subvert the idea and perhaps the natural order of “kill or be killed”?

This short video is a haunting one. I find this scene incredible from a writing standpoint – Rem (the woman) and her reaction when she sees Knives killing the spider (0:17) and the single shot of the two brothers (1:14), so similar and yet so different. So close and distant at the same time.

This theme is the main focal point of the entire series. The thing that hurts the most is that I am not even sure Vash is right here. We see him struggling for the whole duration of the story not to kill anyone. Protecting the good without harming the evil.

At first sight, this looks like the author wanted to create a perfect hero. I think there is a better read though. Vash keeps fighting without even knowing if there is a meaning in it. He doesn’t know if there will be an end. We watch him struggling to do the right thing without even believing it is actually the right thing. Is he just being a hypocrite? Will he not just make the spider die anyhow by continuously saving the butterfly?

I don’t know. The author doesn’t seem to know either and the anime doesn’t claim to give you an answer. It just leaves you with the pain of the question.

This draws quite an imperfect hero who is probably just lying to himself while trying to do what he thinks is the right thing and being punished for it.

The characters

Trigun displays an incredible cast of characters. Protagonists and antagonists are compelling and because of this, the series received overall praise during the past twenty years.

The main protagonist is Vash the Stampede. He is a mysterious man, arguably the best marksman on the planet. He has a massive bounty on his head for having destroyed an entire city on his own. Because of this hunters are always behind his back. For the same reason, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees, follow him to prevent him and who want to kill him from causing excessive damage.

Vash the Stampede

Vash is a pacifist. He has the goal to protect everyone he meets without harming anyone. Not even the evilest of villains. Because of this, he suffers incredible pain and losses. Many times while watching I struggled because of the emotional pain inflicted to the character. As discussed in the previous chapter, Vash has a naive and simple view of life. He keeps himself in sync with it by thinking of his mentor Rem Saverem (the woman in the video above). She taught Vash while still young and acted as a mother to him and his brother Knives. During this period, she explains a philosophy of peace and non-violence that remains with Vash forever.

Another important character is Nicholas Wolfwood. A priest and yet another mysterious gunman. He has a bleaker and more practical view of life and how to deal with evil. It is hard to talk about Wolfwood without making any spoiler, but he is what Vash would have probably ended-up being if not for Rem. They become closer and closer during the series and it makes it for an important subplot of the series to watch the growth of both characters as they influence each other.

The big bad of the series is Millions Knives. He is Vash’s brother. Knives’ philosophy is completely opposite to Vash’s. He looks at life in a more black and white way. Evil exists and must be eradicated. We must protect innocents and destroy who harms them. Sad to say, but in his view, humanity is the evil to eliminate.

The perpetrator of most of Knives’ actions is Legato Bluesummers, an emotionless nihilist. He continuously puts Vash in “kill or be killed” situations through the use of a group of outlaws, the Gun-oh-guns.

Trigun and the ability to convey emotions (Contains Spoilers)

Despite having often a humoristic tone, Trigun seems to have made a mission of making you cry. This especially in the last few episodes.

We see an example of this ability when Wolfwood dies. This happens on two fronts: the death itself and the way the others cope with it. We are used to seeing heroic characters dying in a stoic manner. Maybe even happy to have achieved their goals. This is not the case for Wolfwood. He has just saved Vash and saved the lives of the people he loves. Despite this, he cries while dying and re-affirms he doesn’t want to die. He finds it unjust and even blames God for having created an unfair world in which he has to die immediately after having found love and friendship.

This also continues after. Milly, Wolfwood’s lover at this point in the series, has to deal with his death. It is excruciating to see the scene in which she cries and laugh at the same time while claiming she is fine. Similarly, we follow Vash, while he separates from the girls and travels to another village. He is apparently joyful while buying some donuts (his favorite food). He sits down and starts eating them just to break into tears one moment after, consumed by the guilt of having convinced Wolfwood not to kill. Because of this, the man has paid with his own life.

A second example is when Legato forces Vash to kill him. The scene itself is powerful.

I consider this one of the greatest defeats for a hero I have ever seen in almost any media. Vash has lost. He has killed someone and, even worse, this happens to him after his best friend has been killed for following his ideas.

The aftermath is again devastating. Vash goes through the crisis. Unable to cope with what he has done, he thinks of himself as a killer. We hear him screaming in pain behind closed doors while Meryl and Milly are unable to do anything that can help him.

Does Trigun have any defect? (Contains Spoilers)

Well… nothing is perfect, right?

I am not here to talk about the relatively poor animation and generally flat drawing, but I can see some problems in the story too.

The Anime doesn’t really help us understand some of the things that happen. One example is Legato and his strong motivation. He almost appears surreally insane. Why such a devotion to Knives’ cause? (I know, the manga explains it but, we are not talking about that here).

Similarly, the story never goes deep on what Plants really are. We understand that Vash and Knives are Plants – this is why they hold such power. We never understand where Plants come from and why only the two brothers, amongst all the Plants we see, have human form.

There is also some waste of time. Whereas the first few episodes might be useful to establish the setting and Vash’s famous “fake smile”, this section of the Anime goes on for a bit too long. I would have preferred a shorter intro to the anime and I think it represents a risk of abandonment for the story to have such a long and undertoned introduction.

  This is my review of one of my favorite animes. Let me know what you think in the comments and if you like my work here feel free to subscribe to my mailing list.