#but also a fun way to explore more.. mature and complex themes

[chimkin-samich]

Am I the only one completely confused by the story line for Clouds? I mean, I understand Sun loves his coworker, but why on earth is he so upset and hurting himself? What am I missing in terms of story? Either way, absolutely loving the art 🤩

Omg hello!

So...

In terms of story, Clouds is supposed to be an intro...

Yes, it's farther in the story already but the plan was to put that first so that we can put smaller comics with what happened previously as flashbacks not to be too repetitive and/or make a storyline that was already seen before.

If that makes sense...

So no, ur not missing anything thecnically yet.

But basically in this storyline,

Sun and moon are... Well.

Let's just say they're dealing with a lot of stress.

Moon can often have depressive episodes and rage outburst (in this au they didnt exactly get rid of the virus, they just put more and more upgrades to make moon more stable and "able to live with it") so we like to immagine a lot of guilt and being scared of himself on his part.

while Sunny, the poor boy, before moon got the upgrades he kinda had to deal with everything by himself for years.

We talking about screaming kids, upset parents, human staff acting like jackasses to him, all the while having a corrupted moon to keep at bay in his headspace, and the undying fear that the virus might corrupt him too one day.

So overall his anxiety got worse, and that often led to self destructive outburst.

Which, years later became a die hard "habit", often coming up under extreme stress or manic episodes.

*self insert* here, also called "Thari", (they/them or she/her)

Is basically a theater kid that generally doesnt fit the usual vibe of the other staff from the plex.

They're dramatic, hot headed and an absolute nerd.

And the boys, Sunny expecially, think that if Tari was ever to find out how they feel about her, she'd leave or be creeped out or start acting mean to them.

And they're terrified of ruining the friendship, expecially with one of the few people that actually treats them like people and makes them "feel alive"

So they think that by telling her how they feel, they're gonna end up alone.

And badly treated.

Again.

Summary:

In Clouds it's kind of the moment when Sunny realizes it's more than just a crush, freaks out, overthinks and crashes

(also the whole angsty thing we pulled up out of our sleeve, was heavily inspired by stuff that indeed happened to the both of us without going too much in detail, so I guess it also counts as a way to cope lol)

[portsandstars]

Revisiting Red Spring Studio's Interview with Blerdy Otome - Select Quotes

It's been almost a year since RSS had this interview, but I think that many people have not listened to it, or recently revisited it. I thought I'd highlight some quotes from it, though the entire interview is worth watching! Some of these quotes I have lightly modified for clarity or succinctness but the majority are direct transcripts.

23:30: "Touchstarved is a horror romance visual novel where the entire cast is made up of characters where you're like, "I can fix them!" but you actually can't. I think that Touchstarved is a very complex and mature story with really really complex themes and interwoven routes and obviously it's very sexy at the same it's a romance - and I think it's one of those games that I've always wanted to see exist and I think that a lot of the team has always wanted to see this game exist as far as being this kind of like dark, broody, moody, but also very deep, right, and authentic and honest exploration - Monsters, and the feeling of being a monster - feeling of being an "other", right, whether you're queer or POC or anything like that… we've created a game that's not only really fun and action-packed and bloody and all that kind of stuff… but very heartfelt in a way that I hope readers can pick up on.

Imo, this line of reasoning ("you can't fix them", and the cast's monstrous nature and how it intrinsically ties to/is an analogy for being queer, or POC) - makes me think that even in the good endings for the game, your character won't be minimizing the character's monstrousness. For example, even if your character has the Power of True Love, it's not going to make Vere nonviolent or absolve Kuras's guilt.

25:35: "These themes are pretty complicated in a way that's messy and honestly bloody and I think for that reason is why we're looking at a mature rating - that said, when we set out to make the game our goal wasn't really to be explicit, it was much more to focus on sexiness . . ."

Just clarifying that there won't be explicit sex scenes in the game.

28:55: "What are some aspects of the story that you are most excited to showcase?" "I'm so excited that people get to die terribly, that just gets me so pumped up. Like in previous jobs I have not been allowed to brutally murder . . . main characters permanently and it's very important to me that I now have the power to write really just messed up awful endings…Don't worry, there's also good endings there too, they just get as much passion and all that stuff as the bad endings… but the bad endings, oh my gosh, those are some of my favorites."

This line makes me curious about whether the main characters are just MC, or if the other characters will brutally die as well!

30:50 "A little while ago we posted Kuras's character reveal and people really like the fact that he can't cook so for me it's really cute and innocent seeing people obsess over that fact and I really just want them to see the contrast between that version of Kuras in their head and what he's actually like in his route. Like I just really want to see them react to like the terrible things he's going to do. . . They're all awful in different ways that I'm really excited for people to see it - it's very funny to see everyone be like _Literally name any of the characters of the cast and be like "they're my little meow meow" and it's like, oh. good. I hope this continues once they learn more about the characters. Obviously they're all wonderful - right, the characters are all awful but they're also all wonderful".

32:26 : "the theme of monstrousness and how each character kind of approaches it differently . . . because they're all monsters, even if they're not literally monsters . . .it also plays into each character's brand of horror in their own way as well that ties into their monstrous nature."

This line especially (to me) hints at how Leander is likely not SPECIFICALLY a monster, but a human with a monstrous nature.

34:30: - Ais was the first character they made and each of the other characters build upon him, so they spent a lot of time getting him right. Vere was the easiest to create and they made him in a weekend. Kuras was the hardest to create (especially visually).

38:00 "This is a romance game and a big draw of the game is making a love connection with these characters - do you all plan on including platonic friendship routes in addition to romance routes, or is it strictly romance?" The way that we planned out this game is that we wanted to focus on the intimacy of these individual relationships between the main character and the love interest and the route that they're on, right, so this is the way we had planned the game from the beginning. We really like poly romances, for example, and friendships, but we think that it wouldn't have made much sense for the characters in the story that we had written for them because this entire story - with who the main character is and why they're having to turn to these mysterious monstrous strangers - there's a level of intimacy involved in the themes and stories that we really focused on for how we're writing…

It's almost like a narrative design intentionality we did early on because each route that you'll be able to play from the main five cast is very driven and each character is like a ticking time bomb in their own way. So if you choose to romance Vere, Kuras's route still continues and you can see the effects of what not choosing Kuras is in Vere's route when you're playing Vere's route. So the world is meant to be very interwoven and interconnected where you can see the ripples of everyone's choices even when you're not romancing them and in that way we've designed this cast that's woven together. So if we did want to do a poly route, we would probably have to do entirely new characters . ."

43:30: "One of the fundamental goals of this game was to have, as you've been saying, a living world - a world that's evolving, and one of the ways that we wanted to communicate that was with the idea that these characters are not doing great… um, they're all in very very bad situations, uh, they're all essentially doomed if you do not go with them and it's seeing that carried out in each route that I hope will be really interesting for people.. it will be very sad, in a good way".

ARGHHH this is the WORST. This means that if you choose a character, you're essentially dooming the others. Though this will undoubtedly manufacture delicious angst, I'm soooo sad at imagining each of the other characters faltering and ultimately failing on their paths because you didn't chose them. Though, I wonder if there are some routes where multiple characters turn out ok, or if the entire cast is doomed as soon as you don't select them (in different ways depending on the route)?

54:30: "I also want to clarify too that even though we've been talking about blood a lot and all that kind of stuff and death and we love those parts of the story, um, if you get those endings there's a reason why, you know what I'm saying - you have to actively try to get those endings - poke the bear with a stick."

Definitely referencing Vere's bad ending in the demo. Personally I am too curious to avoid them, but it's encouraging that some of the MC deaths appear to be because you deliberately make dangerous choices, rather than simply "tricking" the player and surprising them.

Let me know what you think of these quotes, and the whole interview is definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it!

[maul-of-shame]

Hey, so no hate of any kind. Sorry you get any.

Context:

I personally despise the very concept of haladriel. It's toxic and abusive. At the same time, I have friends in the fandom who are haladriels, honest about the way they see the ship, and I love them.

I love platonic friendships so the idea of Galadriel and Elrond being romantically connected when they had such a lovely friendship at first missed me. With that said, their kiss is fire, and I've read some really lovely fanfic that makes me entertain the idea more than I thought possible. In fact, I've kinda enjoyed them as an idea that I'm sure won't even pan out in the show, but can be fun to ship regardless.

Just want to gently suggest that dunking on Celebrian and Elrond's storyline from the books is something that I don't think is necessary when enjoying your ship! Elven age gaps do not work the same way as humans and in Tolkien's world you got all kinds of funny business. A maia marries an elf (Melian and Thingol, how does that work?!) A near 3,000 year old elf (Arwen & Aragorn) marries a man who is in his 80's. It's not creepy, it's fantasy. It invites us to consider the possibility of other realities than our own. Including immortal races and how not being bound by time as humans might change how we view the suitability of things.

ofc you need to remember its important to consider themes like consent, age of adulthood etc, which Tolkien does, but beyond that - strictly speaking, age gaps are just so different when you consider immortality.

Have fun shipping elrondriel! I've got some lovely friends who do. I've enjoyed some of it myself. But let's not tear down the work of the guy who gave us these characters in the first place or we turn into other toxic shippers who tear down instead of enjoying the fun of fandom and shipping what you love!

<3

Thank you so much for the thoughtful and polite message—it’s incredibly refreshing to have a conversation about this without animosity, so I deeply appreciate your approach!

I want to start by saying that if you enjoy the Elrond/Celebrian dynamic, more power to you! Everyone connects with different aspects of Tolkien’s world, and I think it’s great that there’s so much room for interpretation and exploration in his works. That said, for me personally, their relationship has always felt uncomfortable on multiple levels.

[TW: If you are an Elrond/Celebrían lover or shipper, you might want to skip this post.

This is purely my personal take on the dynamic, and it’s not meant to ruin anyone else’s enjoyment or interpretation of the material. However, if you’re deeply attached to the pairing and prefer not to read critiques or perspectives that might differ from yours, consider this your friendly heads-up to save yourself the read and scroll past.

No hard feelings, just setting the tone so everyone can engage (or not!) as they feel comfortable.]

It’s less about the age gap itself—because as you pointed out, the rules of age and maturity in Tolkien’s world (and fantasy in general) are not the same as in the real world. Elves are immortal and operate within a completely different framework of time and relationships. I have no issue with the idea of large age gaps in fantasy. Elves, Maiar, and Men pairing up inherently introduce complexities that we wouldn’t even be able to frame properly with our human understanding of time and age. (I mean, you’re absolutely right—Melian and Thingol, or even Arwen and Aragorn, show how Tolkien worked within these possibilities.)

I’ve also read plenty of stories that explore age gaps in fantasy, including series like ACOTAR and others where humans pair with non-humans, and I understand the dynamics and nuances that come with it. Age differences in those contexts aren’t inherently the issue for me—they can actually be fascinating to explore, given how immortal or long-lived characters experience life so differently.

This isn’t about me rejecting the concept of age gaps in fantasy as a whole, because I don’t.

For me, it’s not the age gap itself that’s unsettling—it’s specifically the context of how their relationship evolved.

If we imagine Elrond taking on a caretaker-like role during her formative years (which, let’s be honest, seems pretty likely given his close relationship with Galadriel), then him later falling in love with and marrying her (Celebrían) crosses into territory that feels morally complicated—viewed from a modern perspective or not. If this were a real-world scenario, people would absolutely raise their eyebrows or call it out as inappropriate, because it echoes a type of dynamic where one party has likely held more authority or influence over the other at an earlier stage of life.

And that’s where it just doesn’t sit right with me.

It’s not even about “dunking” on their relationship in the books—I understand the context Tolkien was writing in, and I respect the depth and richness of his world. But for me personally, the idea of Elrond being a guiding figure in Celebrían’s youth and then later marrying her leaves an uneasy impression. I think a lot of it comes down to tone and context; it’s entirely possible to have these kinds of dynamics written in a way that feels more balanced or nuanced, but the way it’s implied in Tolkien’s lore makes it feel unbalanced to me. It’s less about whether the relationship is “creepy” from a canonical perspective and more about how it reads when you apply it, real-world logic or not.

The thing is, I’ve always envisioned Elrond as the kind of person who would step up and help Galadriel while Celeborn was absent—he doesn’t seem like the type to leave baby mama Gal (as I jokingly call her) to fend for herself, especially while raising Celebrían.

From what we’ve seen in The Rings of Power (or the movies), Elrond is portrayed as incredibly caring, kind, and deeply loyal. Whether you interpret his bond with Galadriel as platonic or romantic, it’s clear that he is someone who wouldn’t turn his back on someone he holds dear, especially in a time of need. That’s just intrinsic to his character—he’s the type of person who builds bridges (literally and figuratively) and remains steadfast when others falter.

Given this, it feels natural to imagine him being a significant presence in Galadriel and Celebrían’s lives during Celeborn’s absence. That bond, however you choose to view it, shows who Elrond is at his core.

He’s not just an ally or a friend; he’s someone who steps up and supports others when they need it most. That’s one of the things that makes his character so compelling and relatable, regardless of whether you see him as a potential romantic figure in this context or simply a platonic pillar of strength.

This is the heart of why I struggle with the idea of him later falling in love with Celebrían.

While I respect that others interpret it differently, for me, it’s hard to reconcile the idea of someone who helped nurture and protect her during her formative years as a baby, child, and teenager, eventually seeing her in a romantic light. It doesn’t sit right with me on a personal level, and it makes me uncomfortable in ways that go beyond just their age gap. It feels inconsistent with the deeply nurturing and protective Elrond we’ve come to know, and that’s where my hesitation stems from.

As for missing the romantic potential between Elrond and Galadriel—honestly, I completely get where you’re coming from. Their friendship is beautiful, and I can absolutely see why someone might prefer to keep it platonic. For me, though, I think their dynamic in The Rings of Power opens the door to exploring their relationship in a way that feels deeply emotional and layered. Their bond is so full of trust, understanding, and genuine care that it’s hard not to see the romantic implications the show sprinkled throughout. Of course, everyone will interpret their connection differently, and that’s part of what makes this fandom so rich and varied!

I genuinely don’t have an issue with people enjoying Celebrían and Elrond as a ship—I’m glad others can find joy in it.

But I think it’s fair to acknowledge that the circumstances surrounding their relationship invite critique (just like for any other ships), even from a place of love for the material. And that’s exactly what fandom is for, right? To dissect, debate, and engage with the source material in ways that might even go beyond what Tolkien intended.

Just to clarify, me saying that this dynamic feels weird and creepy to me is not "tearing the work down" or being disrespectful to Tolkien in any way. I have the utmost respect for Tolkien and the incredible world he built—his work has inspired countless stories and connections, including my own writing. But respecting the author doesn’t mean I have to uncritically embrace every aspect of his work.

Sharing my take on this isn’t me “turning into a toxic shipper,” either. It’s simply me expressing my personal interpretation and feelings about the dynamic between these characters as I see them.

I do the exact same thing with Haladriel and I also did this with ships from Star Wars and many other fandoms. This is not a "one time" thing here. My take on this dynamic is purely my personal perspective—it engages only me and reflects how I feel about the material as presented.

To me, sharing my thoughts is part of engaging with the material and the conversations it inspires, not about discrediting or disrespecting the source. I think it’s possible to love and respect a work while still questioning or feeling uncomfortable with certain elements—it’s just part of being an engaged reader or fan.

This wasn’t/isn't me "dunking on the ship" (I’m guessing this might reference my most recent post about it). It was mostly me, as I usually do, using puns and the information I have to share my take on said ship when asked about it. If it came across differently or felt like I was being dismissive, I genuinely apologize—that wasn’t my intention at all.

I know fandom discussions can be a sensitive space, and while I love exploring dynamics in a humorous or analytical way, I never mean to make anyone feel like their perspective or enjoyment is invalid. I totally get that this ship works for many people and brings them joy, and that’s something I absolutely respect. My aim was just to share why it personally feels a bit off to me, but I can see how my tone might have come across differently to others. Thank you for giving me the chance to clarify!

Again, thank you for being so kind and respectful in sharing your thoughts—it really does mean a lot and changes from the vile antis I get in my inbox every day.

It’s always a joy to have a conversation like this, where we can appreciate different perspectives without feeling the need to argue or tear anyone down.

[arcplaysgames]

P4G Post-Mortem

deep breath. this is a LONG post.

it's still not as good as P3P but it's pretty good

What I Liked:

The characters in P4 are pretty fucking good, I'm not gonna even try to lie. They are all much rougher and messier than SEES. I noticed right from the start that the maturity level of this cast was a huge step down from P3P, and that actually bore out through the entire game. For this game and for this tone, it worked. Just due to P3P's solemnity and its obsession with death, I don't think anyone in P4 would fit into the P3 cast. They each suit their environments well. .

The voice acting in this game is tremendous and frankly saves the game from its dodgiest moments of writing. If Yosuke was not performed with so much depth, he'd be nothing more than The Teammate Everyone Secretly Hates. All of Chie's flaws and the times her personality chafes are smoothed by how fucking consistent and empathetic her performance is. And I feel like both Rise and Teddie are character I would have straight up not liked if they were not performed so fucking well. Also Troy Baker turns in another stellar role, what the fuck else is new. .

The villain was just better in P4G. Strega was a fucking joke that I could never take serious because who the fuck could with trashy coachella jesus? Adachi though? My god. What a fucking great villain. The unfurling of his character was tremendous and I loved almost every minute of it (except for the shoe-horned sexism that the game itself basically dropped the second it could lmao). .

I went into P4G braced for impact re: a lot of ambient discourse over the years, and I wound up flinching much less than expected. I think it's a very flawed game in how it tackles sexuality and gender, but I think personally it has a bad rap that is maybe undeserved. Kanji is truly a bisexual king and while I totally get the disappointment around Yukiko deciding to stay in Inaba, I think the nuances of her arc get glossed over a lot because it's fairly complex. And while I wish Naoto got the actual exploration he deserved, there was a lot fewer microaggressions than expected. Which, low bar, but the bar was there nonetheless. .

Yosuke is such a fucking complicated nugget of a character. I found I really enjoyed the rollercoaster of our resident closet case, because I really did genuinely grapple with what I felt about him for the entire game. And I think my favorite moment of the game is still Yosuke's quiet moment with Reverie after the talk with Adachi. That was great. If anyone could have survived in SEES, it's Yosuke honestly. .

Until the Izanami thing, I did really like the plot of the game a lot. Like with P3P, I think the ending is....... Fine. Honestly, its interesting that they seem to have opposite problems. I found Reverie dying at the end of P3P kind of unnecessary and disappointing. The sheer sunshine happiness of P4G was a little too neat for me. But the way the plot got SO fucking crunchy when you finally meet Namatame, that was tremendous. .

The writing is just better overall on a technical level, I have to admit. I like the plot and themes and twists of P3P more, but the writing was much rougher and we all know it. The writing in P4G is better, more naturalistic, and is so frequently genuinely funny, I'm a big fan. .

I am going to have some Stuff to say about the protag in a bit but one thing I did like about P4G: You can play this game gay. Oh my fucking god you can play a huge flaming homosexual in this game. At almost every single turn when the game asks you to be het, there is a Get Out Of Het option available, and they are often really fun picks. Does it fucking suck that Yosuke is transparently in love with the MC but is not romanceable? YES. I THINK EVERYONE WHO CAN SHOULD INSTALL THE MOD TO RE-IMPLEMENT THE YOSUKE ROMANCE. But I cannot deny that Reverie Vantas was fucking gay as hell and I was a big fan of that aspect of the game. .

This game has Kanji Tatsumi in it. Like. What else can even be fucking said?

What I Didn't Like So Much:

yeah yeah blah blah arc is a nerd no one cares but some of the arcana associations here just weren't stellar. Some were good, so I forgive it, but Yosuke was not a fucking Magician, Yukiko was not a High Priestess at ALL, Dojima as the Hierophant frankly baffles me, and why the fuck is Nanako Justice? Are all Persona children obligated to be Justice? .

The music sucked. I'm sorry. I played all of P3P and all of P4G and even though P4G had more variety of tracks, I found myself actively annoyed by the music fairly often. I think the battle themes are either mediocre or Actively Bad (god i hate Reach Out To The Truth). I'm literally going to go put on FeMC's battle theme to detox right now. .

Naoto. Naoto was a huge disappointment once they joined the party. Oh, in main scenario scenes I loved Naoto and he got a few of the funniest lines in the game. But the way the game went in so hard on the gender thing in Naoto's recruitment only to just whistle and non-nonchalantly nudge all that under the rug after-- I have thought about it a lot and I think I would have preferred they tried ANYTHING with Naoto rather than just wussing out on the entire thing. It's so palpable that Atlus didn't know wtf to do with what they set up with Naoto, and I literally would rather they have tried and landed on something offensive and bad than the completely anemic SLink Fortune turned out to be. how the fuck did you make FORTUNE boring? Goddamn. .

Unfortunately I think the ending might just be really mediocre. The final reveal felt like a joke, the last boss was so blah after Adachi-cum-Ameno-Sagiri. It feels like the game peaked with Adachi and the rest of the story coasted with a slow miasma of diminishing returns all the way to the final ending. Izanami just is so boring as True Villain. LIKE HERE IS THE THING I KEEP COMING BACK TO. Nyx, right. Nyx is technically revealed as the final villain very late in P3P. But with the themes of P3P and its foreshadowing, it feels like you were always fighting Nyx. P3P is truly and deeply about what it means to be alive, and that to live is opposition against an inevitable outcome. You will someday fail, but there is beauty in struggling each and every day until your eyes finally close. Even if it is not named Nyx until the end of the game, you have been fighting Nyx the entire game. Izanami just.... sucks because Adachi has already covered the ground she does and better. Adachi is the actual confrontation against falsehoods and complacency. He's already given the player the question (and frankly at least he HAS some arguments, unlike Izanami). And then another 20 to 30 hours later, Izanami is all "wait do humans NOT want to live in a fog of lies? fucking wild." It's just a very meh ending. .

Which is not helped by the pacing. Holy shit I got impatient when P3P made me wait a month to give Ryoji an answer, but P4G is so badly paced it drives me kind of batshit. .

I've talked about this a lot but I really miss characters having their own stories together. Yosuke and Teddie eventually get this, but literally every single time this game HINTED that the characters were off hanging out together instead of with Reverie, I was thrilled, and it just didn't happen enough. There is no equivalent of Yukari and Mitsuru's promise, there's nothing like Ken, Akihiko, and Shinjiro's shared history, there isn't a wrench in the plot like Junpei and Chidori. P4G is afraid of that friction, of letting the characters exist outside your influence, and it's a fucking shame because it makes everything more shallow.

And the biggest problem I have with P4G...

actually i'm gonna put that in its own post, this is already long

[bobbyinthegarden]

February Reading Wrap-Up

Doing my own little review of all of my February reads in the style of one of @isfjmel-phleg‘s posts (in no particular order)

Alec by William di Canzio 

I did a whole review for this one, so I don’t feel the need to add much in terms of commentary. 

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

I’ve actually got a whole review in-coming for this one, which I’m in the process of writing, as I read this book as part of my 2023 Reading Challenge for the Vampires category. I gravitated towards this book because I am a big fan of genre bending, and this has that in spades: it’s historical fiction, it’s queer romance, it’s eco-feminist fiction, it’s sci-fi, it’s everything. No regrets, I had fun, more thoughts in-coming.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin  

This is the second book in the Earthsea series. I absolutely adored A Wizard of Earthsea when I read it in January, and bought the second book immediately after finishing the first and it didn’t disappoint. I’m not going to write a whole review for this book, so I’ll just lay my thoughts down here. I love Tenar so much, she’s such a great character to spend 250 pages with, the story is mature and timeless, the world building is great and the prose is beautiful, plus it was great to see Ged again, and see what’s he’s up to. No notes, highly recommend to everybody. I’ve still got four other books in the series to read and I can’t wait.

Return to the Secret Garden by Holly Webb

I understand that I’m not the target audience for this book (the audience in question being like 7-13 year old girls), but man, this book was a slog to get through. I mentioned above when I was talking about The Tombs of Atuan that Tenar is such a great character to spend 250 pages with, and I cannot say the same about Emmie (the protagonist of this story). I have a whole review in the works for this one, but the long and short of it is that this book is basically just less interesting rehash of the original book, and I did not enjoy it.

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

The whiplash of reading Return to the Secret Garden and then immediately following it up with All Creatures Great and Small was quite astounding, in the best way possible. James Herriot (the pename of Alf Wright) is an incredibly compelling writer and relays his experiences of veterinary practice in Yorkshire in the 1930s with wit and charm. I feel like I learnt a lot from this book, as he is able to balance storytelling with technical language about complex medical procedures very well, but the book is also really funny at times, I was genuinely laughing out loud at the parts with Ticki Woo. I’ll probably read the other books in the series too, once I can get around to them.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

This isn’t a book as such, but a serialised comic book which has since been released together as a graphic novel. I was very into the Terry Zwigoff film adaptation when I was a teenager, and I did read the comics before, but many years ago. They’re extremely edgy. I’m quite difficult to shock, but there was some jokes that really made my mouth drop at times. Others have drawn similarities to The Catcher in the Rye and I completely see why, teen angst and alienation are major themes in both works. It’s pretty depressing and (like I said) edgy, so definitely not for everybody, but I do think it’s good.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir and Amber Pedilla  

Got a whole review coming for this one too. I definitely liked this one more than Return to the Secret Garden. The art style isn’t really my aesthetic, but it’s cute. There are things to like here, though I have very mixed feelings about Colin’s portrayal, and the book really feels like a PSA about mental health sometimes. Like I say, I’m going to write a whole review soon, and I’ll explore my thoughts in more detail then.

I also bought some self-published comic books from some other tumblr users this month, which I thoroughly enjoyed, they were:

Tender is the Night by @thequeenofbithynia

Really wonderful 1920s inspired short comic about butches in love. Was a nice palate cleanser after reading Alec (I highkey actually enjoyed it more than Alec though) with absolutely gorgeous art and illustrations, Andreas’ art style is beautiful and 100% my aesthetic. Here’s a link to where you can buy it is you’re interested.

Signals by @wuntrum

Really cool semi-relgious horror story about a girl who becomes obsessed with and begins to worship a radio tower after she becomes convinced that she can feel the word of god through electrical currents. Really cool, plus the art is also amazing. It kind of reminded me a bit of Serial Experiments Lain (which is an anime from the 90s that I really like). And here’s a link to where you can buy that one too.

[the-gamer-guide]

Top 15 Games Like Summertime Saga In 2023

Do you remember the captivating story of Summertime Saga? With its unique take on a high school-based narrative and witty characters, this game was one of the best entries in its genre. If you’ve already finished playing it and are looking for some similar experiences that offer slightly different adventure-filled stories, then look no further. We have curated a list of the top 15 games like Summertime Saga for gamers, who appreciate nonlinear story developments, fun characters, and rewarding achievements. Keep reading to explore all these exciting titles right away!

Top 15 Games Like Summertime Saga

If you're ready for a different kind of second-life experience, then Snow Daze: The Music of Winter is worth checking out. Unlike other simulation games like Waifu Academy and Melody, which offer more risque gameplay, Snow Games offers an enjoyable journey through the peaceful winter season while letting players express themselves musically. 1. Waifu Academy

In 2018, Irphaeus shook up the gaming world with Waifu Academy, a visual novel game now available on Steam and various other platforms. It invites its players to high school as a male protagonist, taking part in tales of romance between him and strikingly attractive female characters famously coined ‘waifus’ by anime fiends. You must navigate through different social situations while developing relationships with these virtual ladies to achieve educational goals- dating sims meets visual novels! The versatility of storylines offers multiple paths for completing this mature-rated experience; make sure you're ready before entering Waifu Academy! 2. Ladykiller in a Bind

Ladykiller in a Bind by Christine Love provides an immersive experience with its deep exploration of identity, gender roles, sexuality & relationships from a mature perspective. The player can choose to take on the role as either male or female and find themselves disguising their character for all sorts of interactions aboard this cruise ship set game. Not only is it up to them to win over others' affection but also confront tricky aspects such as power dynamics, control & complexity of consent - bestowing whoever plays the responsibility not just to have fun but think critically about it too! 3. Snow Daze

Snow Daze, the adult-themed visual novel game from Outbreak Games, has captured the attention of players around the world. Players take on a student role with their step-siblings during an exceptionally long snowstorm created for intense social and romantic challenges. Even though there are many games like Summertime Saga, Snow Daze stands out due to its immersive and engaging plot. With several story arcs available to explore and endings dependent upon choices made within each arc, this game offers unbeatable replay value as well as anime visuals tailored specifically to adults who seek graphic sexual content and nudity in gaming experiences. Perfectly suited for those looking to get lost in intriguing storylines through an interactive medium, Snow Daze is sure to make its mark among fans of visual novels! Must Read: Top 10 Games Like Fortnite In 2023 4. Sisterly Lust

"Sisterly Lust" is a steamy visual novel game that follows the story of an unexpected reunion between step-siblings. Developed and published by Perverteer in 2018, this adult content dating simulator features multiple endings depending on how you navigate through its risqué scenarios of romance and social interaction within your family home. With high re-playability value built into each play, "Sisterly Lust" promises players nights full of naughty drama! 5. Coming Out On Top

Get ready to take a deep dive into the diverse world of "Coming Out On Top", an adult-themed visual novel game from Obscurasoft. This groundbreaking title released in 2014 follows protagonist Mark Matthews as he journeys through life - navigating social and romantic struggles while also feeling his way through self-discovery when it comes to sexuality. The player is presented with various story paths and outcomes which evolve based on their choices; offering immense re-playability value all wrapped up within mature themes like sexual content & nudity that are intended only for adults. 6. Dreaming of Dana

Experience a heartfelt story of romance and discovery with "Dreaming of Dana", an adult-themed visual novel from Ptolemy Games. Released in 2017, the game follows Nathan, who returns to his hometown for his mother's wedding and unexpectedly finds himself reconnecting with childhood friend Dana - in more ways than one. On top of its engaging narrative that diversifies based on player choices, this title features mature content such as sexual themes and nudity intended only for adults. Whether you're looking for new love or lost memories - everything is possible when dreaming...of Dana. Must Read: Top 15 Games Like Skyrim In 2023 7. A Town Uncovered

Enter "Sunshine Bay," a quiet town with its fair share of secrets. As the player delves deeper into this mysterious world, they uncover dark and erotic revelations in an adult-themed visual novel game - Town Uncovered! Developed by indie studio Geeseki and released in 2017 on PC via Steam, players must use social interaction to navigate various romantic scenarios while unraveling their new home's hidden secrets. Experience mature content such as sexual themes or nudity within captivating storylines specially developed for adults – are you up for it? 8. Monster Prom

Ready to rev up your dating game? Enter "Monster Prom", the smash hit multiplayer rom-com sim that has players navigating a twisted high school world, where seemingly innocent prom dates are truly out of this world...literally! Developed by Beautiful Glitch and released in 2018 across various platforms including Steam, the game follows a student's three-week race against time to win over any one of an array of monstrous characters - from demon princesses to pun-loving ghosts. Experience vibrant visuals combined with witty dialogue and multiple paths through richly branching storylines for highly repayable date night adventures sure to delight fans everywhere - with or without friends alongside you as four-player support amps up fun competition style. 9. Amber’s Magic Shop

Step into a mystical world of romance, adventure, and fantasy with Amber's Magic Shop - the ultimate visual novel game developed by Winter Wolves. Play as heroine Amber who inherits her grandfather’s magical shop in search of true love and destiny! Guide baby steps towards success in managing this special store full of enchanting items crafted using your wand's powerful magic. Get to know all kinds of customers & other characters while you make choices that will shape not only their relationships but also their fate of yourself within the game's multiple endings... But beware; due to its explicit content, some scenes are designed for adults only, so choose wisely young mage! Fans have already embraced "Amber's Magic Shop" providing glowing reviews from many satisfied players worldwide! 10. Crusoe Had it Easy

Crusoe Had It Easy invites players to embark on an adventurous journey of survival, romance, and mystery! Take the role of Robinson Crusoe as you are stranded with a mysterious woman named Friday. Throughout your stay on this deserted island, you must bravely make decisions that may determine not only your fate of yourself but also your relationship with Friday. How will you interact? What tasks should be prioritized first - such as building a shelter or finding food? Be mindful, there may be more than one ending based on what choices are made along the way; don't forget that 'Crusoe Had It Easy' contains mature themes and is unsuitable for some audiences! 11. Harem Party

Enter the fascinating world of "Harem Party", a visual novel/dating sim game developed by the Japanese company Sekilala. This anime-style masterpiece will take you through an enthralling journey where, as the main protagonist, your choices and decisions matter. With multiple female characters each with unique personalities and storylines for you to interact within this mature content adventure - it is up to YOU who ends up being part of your harem at the end! Will you be able to find true love or have all hope dashed? What secrets from these exotic ladies await if their hearts are opened and won over? Take on this epic experience today only within Harem Party. 12. Dual Family

Step into a reality with two sides: the adult-oriented visual novel game, "Dual Family". You are given complete control to become both husband and wife in this domestic drama. Your decisions will determine how things unfold for their family as you navigate through multiple branching paths full of sexual content and other mature themes that take your story down unexpected roads toward one of its various endings. Although it has garnered mixed reviews due to its explicit nature, fans can't get enough - an audience eagerly awaiting wherever these choices may lead them! So if you're looking for something unique & risque, grab hold and find out what lies within Dual Family now available on PC platforms everywhere. 13. Mythic Manor

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Mythic Manor, an anime-style adult visual novel game. You take on the role of a male protagonist who inherits his mysterious late grandfather's mansion and its inhabitant's ghosts, demons, and other mythical creatures. Your decisions will have powerful consequences as you explore branching paths with multiple endings throughout your journey. Uncover hidden secrets while managing this magical estate, customizing leveling systems that unlock exciting new scenes for deeper immersion into this enchanting realm - intended only for mature audiences due to explicit content, including sexual themes. 14. Taffy Tales

Take on the role of Nathan and become immersed in Taffy Tales, an adult-oriented visual novel game developed by UberPie. Return to your hometown after being away for several years, branching paths with multiple endings await as you interact with characters such as family members, friends, and other townspeople while making decisions that affect their story outcomes. Level up along the way unlocking new scenes and dialogue -but beware! This explicit content has not been rated lightly; it is intended only for mature audiences looking to explore more than just a typical 'kiddy' tale. Reviews? Mixed opinions from critics suggest caution should be exercised when playing this one. 15. Melody

Melody is a visual novel that is highly compelling and immersive. This narrative focuses on the journey of a young girl and her attempts to stay connected to her grandfather, affected by dementia. She must confront complex emotions as part of this arduous struggle, making it an emotionally resonant tale. The visual experience enhances the discussion of complex emotions, depicting each scene in stunning detail. Through interactive dialogue and fully formed characters, the game follows Melody on her journey of self-discovery and encourages players to consider the idea that memories can be stronger than physical reality.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, as you can see, there are plenty of great options for playing games similar to Summertime Saga. Some of these suggestions are comparable in terms of gameplay or story, while others take the same genre but offer a new twist. Whatever type of game you like to play, there is something compiled here on this list that will surely make your summer more enjoyable. Whether it’s a dreamy romance, exploration-building simulation, or a musical adventure, these top 15 games like Summertime Saga have got something for everyone. We hope this article on the top 15 games like Summertime Saga has inspired you to try something new. Read the full article

[vereing]

Your discussion here completely reminds me of the developer's discussion with Blerdy Otome where they discussed the themes of monsterousness and POC identity. They said:

23:30: "Touchstarved is a horror romance visual novel where the entire cast is made up of characters where you're like, "I can fix them!" but you actually can't. I think that Touchstarved is a very complex and mature story with really really complex themes and interwoven routes and obviously it's very sexy at the same it's a romance - and I think it's one of those games that I've always wanted to see exist and I think that a lot of the team has always wanted to see this game exist as far as being this kind of like dark, broody, moody, but also very deep, right, and authentic and honest exploration - Monsters, and the feeling of being a monster - feeling of being an "other", right, whether you're queer or POC or anything like that… we've created a game that's not only really fun and action-packed and bloody and all that kind of stuff… but very heartfelt in a way that I hope readers can pick up on."

Your analysis of "accepting the imperfect" really adds to this continuing narrative of the societally labeled "monsterous part of ourselves" (whether we're queer, POC or a man eating kitsune..) makes me think more and more that the character arcs in touchstarved will be more about acceptance and forgiveness of the self rather than fundamentally altering or erasing these monsterous components. That we'd accept and move forward with these dark pieces, and be more whole and stronger with them.

I had this thought for a while, but MC's scars look almost exactly like that japanese Kintsugi art of repairing ceramic pots/vases, could be intentional maybe?

A friend of mine @portsandstars mentioned the idea of maybe MC's hands being broken (metaphorically or not), with their golden scars being what holds everything together. Anyways I didn't think too hard about it, I want to see what the community thinks about this idea/theory :D

[spikeinthepunch]

was on a walk daydreaming nonexistent amvs for Cryptolalia which got something on my mind i want to ramble about

theres a few things i have taken/thrown out from the story/world as i revisit it in this last year or so, and one i just kind havent addressed bc i wasnt sure if i wanted to talk about it (and majorly spoil something) or keep it but i think i dont need it in the story anymore as i feel like i am exploring these themes with the more complex and mature way i understand things now

basically there was this idea of theo having like two stories in a sense. it was kind of always a thing that theo had no memories and the reason was that he'd face loads of trauma and also had his memories forcefully erased, as he was taken as an experiment child by Elias from his childhood. there was vague trauma and abuse implied from years or growing up in the labs, being monitored bc of his specific mark, and eventually Elias decided to release him into the world bc he felt that theyd learn more if the mark started reacting to the real world-- handing him to his friend Mal to raise as his own while being able to easily keep Theo tied to him. the fun of it was this idea that Theo was interacting with Elias from an entirely different perspective because he did not remember him at all, and that this information would come up and hit real hard at some point.

i dont dislike this concept, and i have kept certain things, but a lot of early Theo was inspired hard off my own trauma and I was projecting hard in ways I don't want to keep carrying through the character. There are still mysteries regarding Theo and Elias, just not.... this. Mal still know Elias, they're still connected. But the above just felt unneeded when Theo's whole drive to go after Elias wasn't affected by that anyways (he goes after Elias before he would ever learn that stuff) so a lot of the details of writing this out back then just felt like torture porn in a sense. Throwing loads of my bad thoughts into him bc I didnt know what else to do.

And as a writer i feel like I can capture themes far better than literally putting Theo in that specific position. But its more nuanced, it feels more natural, its not a big show of trauma.

[unnursvanablog]

Our Flag Means Death, s2 / tv show review.

This is a mildly spoilery opinion on the the second, but also the first, season of Our Flag Means Death

There is an interesting flora of characters aboard the pirateship in both seasons of Our Flag Means Death; both supporting and main characters of the series, but also in the few guest roles that pop up here and there throughout the episodes which truly make the series what it is.

One of the main charming points of the whole thing is truly the lightheartedness of the series, the way it deals with the found family trope, the handling of queerness and how it is woven so naturally into the story. It truly is lovely and heartwarming as well as introduces different sort of dynamics within the pirate stories we are used from Hollywood.That and they don't take themselves very seriously makes the show a great, mostly cozy watch.

But what this seasons has in interesting and complex character arcs, where the characters we met and parted ways in the first seasons learn to trust again, let go of their egos and find themselves again, the second season lacks a bit of the overall structure and plot that the first one had. There the characters all went on a journey, but the story itself was also going from a to b and overall just saying a bit more until we arrived at the point where Stede having truly found himself and there was no turning back.

That felt lacking this seasons; a certain point to the story that we spent eight episodes following. The conclusion to the character arcs were handled beautifully but other than that the story did lack a bit of focus and just hobbled around between fun character moments and funny bits that fans would love. But what was the point, the theme.

So while the series is still full of shenanigans, action, humor and heartwarming incidents and adorable moments, and the cast is clearly having a blast on set which definitely translates onto the screen, and the queer joy that the episodes showcase is such a welcoming sight I did find myself quite tired after a whole of the bare-boned plot of the second season.

It seemed like it was all a filler; the fun character moments and funny scenes, which is fun for a while, but after a while the series seems to get a little bogged down by never having much of a narrative. There isn't a thread, a plot, that runs through the whole series to build up to. Expect for the character relationships but I wish there was more of a plot around those.

It felt like a fanservie. We got a whole lot of what we wanted so easily. By the middle I was starting to wonder what this series was really trying to tell us, what the point of the story was, and I was having a hard time to find the answer. It was a great fun and the character exploration from start to finish was excellent, but I personally wanted more than that. I guess now it was Blackbeard's turn to really find what he wants, compared to Stede in the first season, but it seemed a bit lost in focus.

In lots of ways the second season is a lot deeper when it comes to the characters themselves and I'm all for slow-paced character stories with minimal plot that allows the characters to be more complex and mature, but even though things are slow and the characters dictate the course rather than the story itself, things still have to happen and the narrative also needs to have some focus to it.

It was fun though and I did look forward to watching it every time. I would almost describe this as a cozy and fun watching experience that and I do so hope that we get more of it. I just wish the story itself was a little bigger or more tangible, so I hope if we get a third season that more thought will be put into the plot. Because this felt like it was giving the people so much of what they wanted, just in case if we never get to see these characters again.

[euphoriaonpluto]

I love many, many things about Wendell & Wild, but I think my absolute favourite aspect of it is the balance between whimsical absurdity and realism. It shows that a story can be full of magic without having to wrap its message in 10 layers of allegory, and by doing so it avoids falling into the many tropes that usually end up muddying up the morals of fantasy stories.

Kat's battle with her inner demon shows that the way to self-actualization isn't getting rid of "the dark side of you" and becoming the best, unburdened version of yourself, it's about embracing all of yourself, the good and the bad, because you have matured enough emotionally to understand WHY your harmful thoughts and coping mechanisms exist in the first place.

After she completes her hero's journey, her core personality and identity isn't tamed in order to show that she is in a better place, which avoids the idea that a mentally healthy woman must be gentle.

Instead of going the stereotypical 'mean high-school girls' route, the movie shows that people can genuinely have only good intentions and still be complicit in, or even actively harm, others due to ignorance of their own privilege. It shows that accepting your own privilege is a thing that people often protest against, even subconsciously, because fighting against systems of oppression as someone who benefits from said system means losing your own comfort for the good of the collective, and not many are ready to do that. It also shows the difficult journey of accepting that you are, indeed, upholding a system that is harming others, despite believing yourself to be a kind and morally just person. Accepting that being privileged does not mean you're evil but it does mean that you can do better.

It shows that it takes the collective effort of a community to inspire change, rather than the heroics of a 'chosen one'.

And a particularly great part of the story were the zombies of the old councilmen. It was great because the movie did not shy away from showing that these old, rich men supported such a project not because they were forced to/manipulated by the big bad, but out of their own volition because the rich and powerful are always going to support that which keeps people like them in power, regardless of how harmful it may be to the community they are supposed to be a part of. Because money will always come first. Rich people's solidarity will always be with other rich people, not whichever communities they may be linked to. People in positions of power do not want their communities to be safer, they want a community that is 1. easy to control because it lives in fear and 2. is easy to exploit by means such as the prison industrial complex. There are more and more prisons and more and more prisoners not because crime is on the rise and those in power just want to keep everyone safe, its because their wealth will always and forever be built on slavery and this is just one of the easiest ways to do it in this day and age.

Wendell & Wild shows that serious themes such as these can, in fact, be explored explicitly, without a movie having to sacrifice its magic, its ability to be fun and colourful, even its ability to be for kids. Fantasy doesn't always have to be abstract and realism doesn't always have to be dull.

[land-of-brains-and-chocolate]

Rec list for Eddie and Symby being vaguely to very gay?

I'm sorry for coming to you with my monsterfucker agenda 😔👊 (no I'm not)

i mean, i probably could’ve seen this coming.

venom is dominated by two opposing narratives. let’s call this the “relationship narrative” and the “control narrative”. they’re not perfectly separated, like, you’ll definitely get elements of one in the other, but generally one of them describes what the story, at its core, is using the symbiote for.

now comics are an endless tug-of-war at the best of times, much less the gayest and slimiest of times. there’s a neverending backlash and backbacklash going on between these two takes. what you want is the relationship narrative.

everything very much started out with that take. eddie and the symbiote are two characters who forge an evil alliance because it lets them do what they wanna do (kill spider-man, more or less) and they have the same kinds of neuroses and complexes and syndromes. lots of early comics are also very fun about the merged consciousness, merged identity deal. that’s kind of the textbook relationship stuff.

personally i absolutely think the original stories (venom was created by david michelinie) have romantic undertones, even starting in the villainy days. eddie describes their first meeting as “a shadow moved, caressed me.” he takes the rejection of the symbiote still being “in love with” spider-man really hard. he sobs his eyes out when he thinks it’s dead and promises to avenge it bare-handed. they totally expect to live happily ever after on a deserted island together.

then there’s venom: lethal protector, which is cute on its own, but if you’re reading for slime romance, i very specifically recommend the novelisation. i won’t even spoil it. and then, planet of the symbiotes is the first comic that i would say has outright queer themes, intentional or not.

so all those recs until now are collected in this post.

we're trucking along through the 90s, we explore elements of one take and then the other and sometimes we ignore the symbiote completely, but not too much changes, overall. the next BIG stop in Gay Venom is, of course, the hunger.

miniseries by len kaminski, just venom: the hunger. plenty of people have written their essays on it, but what’s always important to me is that it DID NOT come out of nowhere. as said above, it expanded on themes that were there, it references michelinie venom very explicitly, like you get your SECOND “tenderly touching the green glass tube” scene.

but yes this one is specifically about, like, stigmatisation, otherness, mental illness, meeting all those things with care and empathy and optimism, tentacle sex. again, many essays. a venom comic that can go “look at the twisted deviance of this relationship” and then turn it around into “but how are you looking at it” is good. god how good would it be if they also did that to eddie more. anyway.

a few years later you get the first MAJOR fucking backlash, culminating in the SECOND story titled the hunger. spectacular spider-man: the hunger, from 2003. completely reboots venom and retcons their motivations and backstories, makes very spiteful references to planet of the symbiotes and the hunger, like it is not also called that by sheer coincidence. literally starts out, in a comic that wants to tackle and redefine venom, with the line “the PROBLEM is that you guys are like an old married couple”. so the new status quo is that the symbiote only ever used eddie to be with spider-man, and eddie only ever used the symbiote to not die of cancer.

the “control narrative” that really kicks in here uses the symbiote as, you know, a thing to control, eddie’s demons personified or even a completely foreign force to torment him. if eddie is evil, it’s not because of what he thinks and believes and wants, it’s because he couldn’t control the symbiote and gave in to its inexplicable bloodlust.

this is an unambiguous downgrade in terms of complexity, in my humble opinion, completely fucks up eddie’s responsibility themes, and is also a pretty clearly petty reaction to venom’s absolute oversaturation in the nineties. the bitch was everywhere and most of it wasn’t good. so there was LOTS of “look at this creepy loser” content by writers cringing themselves into self-awareness at the time. the 00s were going to be GRITTY and MATURE.

this of course means that we get to see eddie slit his wrists and bleed to death on panel after selling the symbiote to supervillains as an attempted act of redemption???

wild fucking times! it’s not exactly worth recommending as ~shippy~, but the first real backbacklash to this first round of retcons comes from dan slott, who just kind of ignores it all in new ways to die. drags eddie back to the land of the living and relevant, makes the symbiote refuse to let its new host kill him, telling that host, and reestablishing, that it loves eddie. and then, to keep him living and relevant, slott makes eddie anti-venom.

don’t even worry about it. anti-venom is essentially eddie seeking redemption with symbiote powers, but without the symbiote, except he pretty much acts no fucking different at all, just keeps on being a murderous vigilante with cracked ideas about innocence and guilt. people still act like he’s better now because, in its metatextual ways, the hunger was right.

then fucking uuuuuuhhhhhhh. agent venom. symbiote goes to flash thompson and the us military, and the writer, rick remender, goes really, really, really hard on the control narrative. the symbiote becomes a substance flash is addicted to, gives a voice to his past abuse, it’s dark times all the times.

people very much do like that narrative for flash, like at least from that perspective it was worth it. i don’t like it much for the symbiote. for the symbiote, representing everything fucked up with flash and forcing him to murder kill bite all the time is resolved via the good guy avengers literally lobotomising it so flash can wear it without further resistance or input. imagine doing that to a human person. you’re uncooperative so we’re gonna turn off your higher cognitive functions and wear you like a meat suit. happy ending for everybody! truly we’ve conquered our demons this day.

then! at the same time, there’s a cartoon coming out, it’s called ultimate spider-man. THAT one does the control narrative take with harry osborn, but then does the relationship take with flash, making it the only cartoon to outright redeem the symbiote and let it find friendship and be valued as a person.

and people loved it! so brian michael bendis gets it in his head that he’s going to redeem the symbiote and make it partner up with flash. and he does redeem it by the highly fucking questionable means of having it be “cleansed”, aka brainwashed and relieved of its memories and personality. not that it matters for long. nothing fucking matters in comics. take this with you if it’s the only thing.

so then for fun friendship times you get venom: space knight, flash and the symbiote’s adventures in space! and then that gets cancelled. eddie is off somewhere being toxin and hunting carnage (2016). many good comics but you did not ask for them.

and THEN.

it is time for the next MOTHER of backlashes.

flash gets literally discarded at fucking roadside to put the symbiote back on eddie and turn back time on their relationship to RIGHT before the FIRST backlash happened. you know, all those 2003 retcons. gone. ignored. no more. venom’s themes are now those circa 1996 again. full fucking on relationship narrative. ROMANTIC relationship narrative, and that after the symbiote was turned into eddie’s evil shadow, after he hated it and spent a LONG time seeking to eradicate all symbiotes (and not even for the first time).

the COSTA run. venom (2016). reviled and beloved.

like this comic is fucking ANGRY about symbiote treatment. i HAD to tell you all of that so you’d understand ANYTHING it’s doing. the first thing it does is flip it completely around, puts the symbiote on a military guy who’s making IT do bad things, makes his ability to control it horrifying and abusive instead of heroic and admirable. one of the later things it does (in the follow-up venom: first host) is outright feature a villain who lobotomises symbiotes, ending on a symbiote serving him swift and sweet payback by doing the same thing TO HIM. it’s exactly as unsubtle as the hunger (2003) was about its hang-ups.

comics... are a conversation.

flash remains a symbiote friend but still got fucked over big time by it all, symbiote-focused writers slott and costa also kind of use him to literally, in case anybody hadn’t caught on, literally spell out the REAL story that’s been going on in the writer's room for the past THIRTY YEARS:

you’ll notice i didn’t actually list any of the Gay Shit for you, you’ve probably already seen it or you’ll get to see it for yourself. yes, they are deeply in love, yes, it’s fucked up and flawed, yes, it is real and taken seriously and has ultimately redeeming potential. yes the concept of that nearly knocked me off my feet and in front of the subway at one point. yes there’s mpreg

it’s also fucking riddled with events, which spin off into other comics, so either ignore those and rely on the recaps OR click yourself forward through the “next issue (story)” button on marvel wikia to know what to read.

and after that must of course come the backbackbacklash, as certain as death or taxes. in the next run, we retcon everything once more, eddie just needs to control his darkness, the symbiote was an evil abuser all along, nothing on earth is ever new.

i’m not gonna go through it, i’m just gonna point you to the backbackbackbacklash issue that came out during this time: venom annual volume 2 number 1 - it’s confusingly named, it’s the one that has a blue-skinned space lady on it. this one ignores the backbackbacklash going on very pointedly and goes “it’s not ABOUT control” again, it’s pretty explicitly romantic.

and then there’s also marvel comics presents (2019) #5, which, oddly enough, does not particularly feature the characterisation you’d typically see in the relationship narrative? but it does feature eddie and the symbiote literally fucking, so you’d want to know about it.

that’s the overall, like, frame of eddie and the symbiote being in a relationship (nuh uh) (yeah they are) (NUH UH) (YEAH THEY ARE)

some stuff that’s smaller but still notable, uh.

nova (1999) 6 - 7, that’s the “we’re space married”

venom: dark origin, that’s an ALTERNATE (!!!) take on the character, don’t expect a likeable eddie but it’s very darkly funny and gay so what can i say.

venom: the end, which i would absolutely fucking hate to be canon, i think its characterisation is quite regressive, but the symbiote sure is in love, i guess.

venom: separation anxiety, the dawn of the control narrative but eddie’s characterisation did not have to go so wrong from here, like if they’d just figured out AT THIS STAGE that he's STILL acting like venom without it... i digress. it has the symbiote going eddie eddie eddieee

venom: sinner takes all, this is the first she-venom comic so that’s. hm. interesting. healing symbiote blanket

don’t read venom: license to kill just look at this panel with me

if i think of more comics worth adding i’ll add them.

the subtext slash text is heavy enough to be present to some degree in literally every cartoon adaptation of eddie brock. spider-man: the animated series goes FULL control narrative, in fact it started the “the symbiote corrupted peter” take that we to this day cannot escape, but the first few venom episodes are VERY playful about their relationship.

in spectacular spider-man it’s canon, but horrible. eddie’s in love with it, but eddie's a good boy and the symbiote is played very, very, very abusively. i think this is an evil symbiote adaptation that works well enough, at least it’s an actual meaningful character instead of just a malevolent force to resist.

in marvel’s spider-man, the only venom episode worth watching is venom returns.

i’ve actually got every symbiote-relevant episode listed right here from when we did our communal watch-through.

also watch truth in journalism. idk if it’s exactly shippy just do it

[kcpolh]

Lost judgment

#LOST JUDGMENT SERIES#

You don't need to have played the original Judgment - or, indeed, any of the Yakuza games - to easily get into this non-numbered follow-up. It's an expansive game that players can expect to spend upwards of 50 hours exploring, should they seek out everything it has to offer. Our hero has a trio of fighting styles he can quickly switch between, each of which is best suited to specific situations, such as the Snake style, which is useful to scare and intimidate enemies. Along the way, players will run into plenty of shady characters who aren't willing to let Yagami proceed unscathed, resulting in intense kung fu encounters.

#LOST JUDGMENT SERIES#

Side quests provide breaks from the main story, including a series of fun investigations set within a high school, where Yagami teams up with the Mystery Research Club to uncover the misdeeds of an enigmatic figure. Players spend much of their time exploring urban streets and engaging in a variety of activities, from trailing suspects and looking for clues in order to further their investigations to playing a variety of mini-games, including drone races, dance challenges, classic arcade games, cat and dog interactions, dating, and more. He finds himself becoming embroiled in a complex criminal investigation involving the alleged murder of a student by a police officer who's grieving his son's suicide, which was apparently caused by bullying. LOST JUDGMENT, a sequel to Judgment (a spin-off game in the Yakuza series), puts players in the shoes of Takayuka Yagami, a private detective and one time lawyer. Characters frequently use very strong language, including the words "f-k," "s-t," and "d-khead." Show more Parents should also note that Yagami and other characters smoke and drink to excess, and that certain challenges and achievements involve getting drunk and increasing his alcohol tolerance. Players will also encounter frank conversations about dating, sexual assault, and prostitution, with words like "groping" and "slut" appearing in dialogue. But these issues are handled with some delicacy, the main characters discussing how best to protect victims emotionally and physically before taking action. Story themes are mature, with talk of sexual assault, suicide, and bullying in a high school setting. Plus, players are exposed to blood and gore in non-interactive scenes, including a dead body covered in flies and maggots. Yagami is generally a law-abiding fellow who stops short of killing his attackers, but his enemies use knives, guns, and other weapons in a bid to kill him. Players spend most of their time investigating - talking to others, following suspects, taking photographs, and looking for clues - but occasionally get into frenetic, highly stylized fistfights with bone-crunching melee attacks. It's set in free-to-explore urban locations in Japan and stars a lawyer-turned-detective named Takayuki Yagami, a master martial artist who uses a mix of street smarts and fisticuffs to discover the truth for his clients. As part of Sony's July State Of Play Presentation, a new gameplay video was also released showcasing new minigames, which we've included below.Parents need to know Lost Judgment is a detective/action game for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. He can ride around town with a skateboard now, and Lost Judgment also features a playable Master System, emulating games like Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Penguin Land. Yagami's gained some new fighting abilities, namely a third fighting style called Snake, which focuses on counterattacks. There's greater focus on the detective elements, including improved chasing and tailing sequences, alongside stealth options and platforming sections. Lost Judgment - Gameplay Changesĭuring the Judgment Day stream, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio outlined details. Sega has confirmed we'll be exploring Kamurocho once more, alongside Yokohama, the latter having served as the primary setting for Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It'll once again feature detective Takayuki Yagami, who'll be investigating another mysterious murder mystery - one considered to be an impossible crime - with ex-yakuza partner Masaharu Kaito.

[thesimperiuscurse]

08.04

It’s The Kingston Legacy’s sixth anniversary, so here’s a throwback post to celebrate! Last month I forced myself to reread the entire legacy, and while I stopped, clicked off the tab, and emitted a soundless scream of pure cringe numerous times (I wish I was kidding)—the past generations are actually not as terrible as I remember. I think enough time has passed for me to detach myself from the childish storytelling and look back in nostalgia. 

Thank you to my fellow Wordpress writers who have come along the journey, some for many years now, through every high and low. It’s astounding how much has changed in the legacy from when I was 15, and 21. Follow me down the (very) long memory lane, as I reminiscence about each story and my perspective on them now ❤

Generation 1 — Fern (2015)

To my shock, I found myself genuinely enjoying Fern’s story. I think this was because the first generation was purely me commentating on gameplay, and not trying to write a story (that’s when the cringe began). I was inspired by one of the original stories, Alice and Kev, to make a homeless sim and document her struggle for a better life: Fern, a snobby aspiring writer. Reading this, a huge wave of nostalgia hit me, and it reminded me of how wonderful Sims 3 gameplay is. Although I’m long past it now, there’s real heart and life in the design. I think it speaks about the rich personalities and quirks that I could write a whole life story off it. It was super fun making Fern camp out at Old Pier Beach, stealing from townie picnics and roasting apples on the fire, finding little ways to scrounge money, giving her a makeover in the salon, watching the townie dramas unfold around her. Although she faced homelessness two times and a shitty first husband (yeah, fuck off, Xander), Fern grew into a strong and independent yet sweet and gentle character, in love with the ocean like her great-granddaughter comes to be.  

I never actually addressed this, but she (and her love Christopher) passed away in the story between the end of Gen 3 and start of Gen 4. It just felt weird to make it a big deal because they never died in game—still ‘alive’ and well, scattered across different backup saves and the bin.  

Generation 2 — Briar (2015)

Briar’s story was strange, because it was half gameplay and half story, which meant that there were things that just did not... make... sense. She was quite an ‘unreliable’ character to follow because of her Insane trait. The plot revolved around her as a fresh detective, investigating supernatural phenomena in Sunset Valley. Her character arc was almost the opposite to her mother’s: a naive, optimistic, silly girl hardening through trauma into a cold and ruthless police chief. Ash’s death was the one moment I felt true sadness in this legacy, because he did really die. Imagine me actually getting emotional over my characters, lmao. Wild. 

Also, Max is OP. To this day he is one of the best male characters in my legacy, a healthy and supportive best friend (to husband) in stark contrast to the following generation. 

Fallen Angels — Cherry (2016-2019)

Yes. It’s this generation. Square the fuck up, Cherry. I will fight her any day. Old readers will know of my pure hatred for this story. It’s been about two years since it thankfully ended. My verdict now?

It’s not quite as horrifically shitty, Gabriel and Lilith being a lot nicer than I remembered (Gabriel’s only a bit of a dick at the start), but it still has glaring problems, such as the pacing and clumsy handling of sensitive topics. The story would have been far nicer if it focused less on Cherry and Luc’s relationship and their respective issues, more on the found family and her relationship with Gabriel (which was rushed due to me despising the story by that point). During the first chapters, I was cringing spectacularly at the combination of Luc’s initial jackass behaviour and Cherry’s whining. Toxic as FUCK. I had to skip 3.8 and 3.9 entirely. These two (because of my own shameful mistake) tainted the generation in my eyes, and even though all of the characters grew from their toxicity, I can’t really see past that guilt to the better parts of the story. 

Jade has been telling me for years that this story isn’t all bad, and upon forcing myself to reread, I can see what you mean. I’m sorry LOL. Something that pleasantly surprised me was the writing quality (just the prose, not the actual story mechanics... lmfao), and Raphael, who made me smile every time he appeared. Every single careless, sarcastic line of his was a banger. The pictures are something else I like, too. Many of them stand up to the best ones in En Pointe—the fiery, gritty, industrial tones of Bridgeport just hits different. The world was rich and immersive, which is missing at the moment in En Pointe because of me being too lazy to build a proper Los Angeles world, but Act III is set in Boroughsburg so I’m excited to get back into the city scenes. 17 year old me wasn’t mature enough to tackle dark themes, but at least the visuals for them were nice, I guess. The atmosphere of the story I really enjoy. It’s just the toxic characters and way-too-angsty moments that ruin the whole thing for me. 

En Pointe — Evangeline (2019-)

And here we are now! The early chapters are kinda painful to read because 1) Mako looked so ugly and 2) the dialogue was so clumsy and generic. I sighed in relief when Chapter 5 came around, because it was then both of those aspects really began to improve. Eva’s voice was simple, with her punchy remarks, much less romantic and descriptive than Cherry, so it was interesting to see her voice becoming more complex and layered as I more understood her character. Also, me visibly struggling with the natural lighting and only getting a handle on it 7 chapters later has me shaking my head. 

I’m already beginning to identify issues with the story, mostly with character arcs and pacing. It’s a strange combination of fast pacing (spanning half a year in 8 chapters) and Eva becoming surprisingly comfortable with Mako’s touch due to their unusual pas de deux circumstances. It’s curious how real life time actually played into the pacing of the story—because of the slow publishing schedule, less time has passed in the story as real life, so it’s almost as if the time jumps were made up by real life time, making the jumps feel not too strange. Reading consecutively, however, Evako’s relationship growth doesn’t feel slow burn... a little underdeveloped, in a way, despite their lengthy conversations. I think that’s because of Mako being such a reserved and mysterious character, and that I’ve unconsciously come to rely on Tumblr to give more depth to the characters/relationships. Luckily, pretty much everyone who comments on the story also follows me here, so this dual-platform storytelling is okay, I suppose. I want to post more of #Mishako since there just isn’t enough time to explore their bromance in the story!

At the moment I’m not happy with the story, but it’s fine. I’m learning. There’s more than half the story to go, which means plenty of time to reflect upon the issues and improve. I’m really looking forward to Eva and Mako’s character arcs in Act III. At the moment their relationship is based on their natural chemistry and respect for each other, and since they are yet to face trials their bond isn’t super deep, but Evako are still my favourite couple in the legacy thus far, and feel much more real than any character I’ve written before. It’s been very interesting for my aro ass (and being way more logical than emotional) to figure out a dynamic that is actually compelling to me, because most of the time when I look at romance I’m just like 😐🤨 I’m liking it so far but we shall see how everything unfolds, because I have barely any idea what’s going to happen beyond Act II, lmfao. 

That’s it for my incredibly long throwback! I hope it was at least nice for the OG readers, and interesting for anyone else who managed to battle through this essay, haha. This family has been an integral part of me growing up, as a person and writer and artist (what I’ve developed in visuals I apply to architecture), learning a great deal of awareness about real life through story research, which is pretty cool now that I think about it. I’m aiming to finish En Pointe by the end of 2022. I’m excited for what unexpected changes are to come!

[imthepunchlord]

so I recently read through your "Always a hero"-works. And now I am hooked on LfM. And while Adrien Seems so much different from canon, he really isn't? Marinette not being in his "friends-folder" means he sees no reason believing her over Chloe. (I cannot recall situations like that in canon but when does canon explore sidecharas much other than to akumatize them)

It essentially is canon Adrien, though been focusing on his worst aspects as we’re going into 4 seasons, and those issues have yet to be addressed and I’m a tad salty and LfM is a salt fic response fic. And Adrien for a while will have that salty focus. Largely because

And yeah, canon won’t put focus on side characters (or even truly focus on our lead herself) as those characters have to circle around the love square, their akumas, or 

Actually the most we got is Chloe. 

She got focus outside Adrien and the love square. Unfortunately, all her focus was a big waste of our time and essentially another tease of “is she going to be redeemed or not”. Ultimately not and its like, why even bother spending two seasons focusing on will she won’t she be better. That could’ve been shortened down to one. Now she’s a very irritating character and canon wise, I don’t want to see her with another miraculous ever again. 

Which is a shame as I was one of many up to see Chloe redeemed, especially since I’m fed up with the idea that 14 yos girls are irredeemable but Gabriel will probably be redeemed. It shouldn’t be like that for Chloe or Lila. But they want to push that these girls are absolutely evil, more so than the active terrorist who is a neglectful father and by Chat Blanc abusive so... 

It’s also a big shame cause there was so much potential in the side characters outside love square and Adrien. 

Putting this under cut cause I just go off and it gets lenthy. 

Alya could’ve had an amazing arc if she was a full time hero. Could’ve had a struggle of balancing her hero and civilian lives, as one she is essentially living her dream. Another option is learning, hey, being a hero isn’t all glory and glamour. And depending on the miraculous, there was more to learn, especially since I myself am not big on her having Fox anymore and there are better alternatives, both in matching her but also teaching her things she needs to learn. She could learn to be more of a team player and to be more conscious of her friends as when she gets going in her goals, she can be quite inconsiderate. She can also learn to be more self conscious of her own security as she can rival Adrien in reckless behavior around akumas. And in truth, any miraculous can teach her the importance of secrecy, not Fox exclusively. 

Honestly, Alya and Nino should’ve had their miraculous swapped (most characters actually don’t have a miraculous that suits them in terms of kwami,  powers, or/and symbolism).  Alya at the core is meant to be a supportive friend that is supposed to have her friends’ back, but also prefers to be on the front lines. Turtle would allow this, and teach her to be more aware of the danger she and her friends are in. It won’t essentially stop her reactive behavior, but she can learn to be more smart about it. 

And with Nino, it was always weird to me how popular it was for him to get Turtle. And then it happened in canon and I’m just put off by the assignment. Nino at the core isn’t a character that wants to be on the front lines, but Turtle is a miraculous that is meant to be on the front lines as a protector. Nino is a support role, but not in that sense. Fox would’ve been better as its more designed to help from the shadows. It won’t be as aesthetically pleasing still as Nino is so color coded for Peafowl, but would fit better as it allows Nino to be a background support. It would also help him learn to be more observant and aware of others, and wanting to be a director, you need to learn to put on a good show that draws your audience in. Mirage can give him a chance to truly practice this. Mindful, Fox still isn’t my top pick for Nino (I think Fox would be more fitting with Marinette or Felix), Peafowl still is as that’s what he is coded for, and even canon wise, it would be a more fitting miraculous for him than Turtle. But of what Fu has, Fox would’ve been the better pick for Nino. 

And speaking of Nino, it’s revealed from a tweet from Thomas that Nino had lost an older brother and that his hat belonged to him. That actually gives Nino an emotional tie in to the plot as, while he wants his brother back, he wouldn’t go to the extent that Gabriel is. 

Classmate wise, there’s potential too. 

Origins shows that everyone was afraid of Ivan and assumed the worst of him, he could’ve had an arc of changing those views. Go from being feared to being seen as a hero to trust. A source of protection and security. 

Juleka wants to shine out more. But she struggles in that spotlight and to even be heard. She could have an arc about being heard, and building her confidence. 

Rose is a girl ruled by her heart and is full of love and trust for others. It could be interesting seeing her have a miraculous and struggling with the factor that fighting is involved, but she herself is a pacifist (at least I get that impression). And that can be an interesting thing to explore, as she’s not wrong, but sometimes fighting is the only way. She can also learn to be more conscious that there are those who will take advantage of her and will have active malicious intents to her and others. 

Kim actually states that he wants to be a hero. Not only could him as a hero be fun, it could help him mature as a character and be more serious, as akumas demand focus and be treated as serious. Copycat shows that he can be an observant character, I’d be intrigue to see ML’s residential himbo be surprisingly observant and offer up advise to his friends. 

And of alternative love interests... 

Well, this is more Kagami than Luka, at least in terms of character potential and an arc to see. Though, as of now, if all the predictions are correct SPOILER ALERT, Lies will break up Adrien and Kagami, to me its going to make them another Chloe. More specifically, why did we spend two seasons building up and teasing these alternative love interests only to immediately break them up at the start of s4. 

To me, that sets them up as pointless inclusions who ultimately didn’t bring anything to the narrative. 

Either way, this is about character potentials and I see more potential to explore with Kagami than Luka, and that’s more on the writers and how they handle Luka as most Luka episodes wound up more about Adrien than him. So he is largely a character I just don’t know what to do with. 

Kagami though, she’s an aggressive character that could learn to cool it, she wants to branch out/rebel from her mother, she wants to make friends but struggles with it, and can learn to be more conscious of others and step up into the hero role, of helping others. 

Honestly, working solely off Riptose, she would’ve been a better rival for Adrien than Marinette. Not just as a love rival, which he truly has yet to have, but a rival in general. While she wants to branch out from her mother’s influence, fencing is still her passion and her goal, something Adrien himself lacks. Outside being romantically involved with LB, he has no passion or goal for himself. Kagami can challenge this, why is he here when he doesn’t truly care about fencing? 

And as a romantic rival, she’s one of the few who doesn’t need a miraculous to join fights, she can vigilante to assist LB and pay her back for her helping in cleansing her, but could end showing that she’s a better partner to LB as she takes things more seriously and is more battle smart in fights. Which ultimately would force Adrien to step up his game, take things more seriously, and wise up for throwing a tantrum will only take you so far. Especially when there’s a 3rd party member that’s judging you for your immaturity and shows LB she doesn’t have to bow to his whims just because he’s having a tantrum. 

...You know, maybe Luka then would’ve been better as Marinette’s rival. Not a love rival, Marinette has enough between Chloe, Lila, and Adrien’s fanclub. But more of a rival for Ladybug. Though, it won’t so much be an arc for Luka himself but one for Marinette. If Kagami and Luka are supposed to help Adrien and Marinette grow, then this at least keeps in that theme. 

With the show taking a turn that Marinette is feeling overwhelmed and stressed with her role as a hero and now Guardian, and slightly playing off Origins and her doubts of whether she’s a good hero; Luka could’ve been an interesting character for her to come across and consider. Ultimately, he is set up to be a very solid hero: he is calm, mature, shown to be a planner, and considerate and aware of others. Only thing he has against him is that he’s a removed character and is mostly seen sitting on that boat. 

Romance between them I’d leave as optional, but it could be intriguing to see Marinette considering the possibility of retiring as Ladybug and passing it on to Luka so she can fully embrace her Guardian duties and not be so overwhelmed. And in general, it is a big wonder, who would take over as the Ladybug if Marinette has to leave and not come back, or that she can’t balance between being a hero and being the Guardian (and in truth, Tikki is no longer a good kwami for Marinette to have as she’s developing an Atlas complex through her and she hasn’t been helpful as a guide and adviser in a long time). 

Now the show writers would butcher this, but it could’ve been interesting to see. Maybe Luka could’ve been a means to help her learn to manage things better if she has to stay LB and Guardian. 

But yeah, it’s a shame that this show won’t delve past the LS which has long since gotten stale and quite toxic. There’s a lot of potential, but they won’t touch it. Won’t care to. 

[ireallylikejonouchi]

𝙽𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚑𝚢𝚘𝚗 𝚗𝚘 𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠

Written and drawn by Shiibashi Hiroshi, Nurarihyon no Mago is a manga series that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump with 210 chapters, 25 volumes. It’s about a Japan that has a massive Yokai underbelly, consisting mostly of yokai yakuza clans that run certain parts of Japan. The protagonist, Rikuo Nura, is the third heir of the Nura clan, kingpin of Kanto. His grandfather is the legendary Lord of Pandemonium, the yokai Nurarihyon, but Rikuo is only a quarter yokai, having a half-human father and a full human mother. As a child, Rikuo thinks yokai are the coolest thing, but his classmates mock him for this, not believing that they exist, and finding it even weirder that someone could admire them. Rikuo is told that it is his destiny to take on this role, and that he cannot live a human life. Hearing stories about evil yokai who enjoy making humans despair, Rikuo decides that yokai are terrible and he wants nothing to do with them. When Rikuo’s classmates are attacked by some rebellious yokai from the Nura clan, who are unhappy about their new leader being a quarter-human child, Rikuo awakens to his yokai blood and transforms in order to defeat them. He decides here that he will become the third heir in order to subdue yokai that would bring terror to humans with his “Fear,” the power system of the series.

With the synopsis out of the way, from this point on there will be spoilers. Be wary. I’ll try my best to spoil only what’s necessary in order to get my point across.

The beginning of this manga takes its time setting up character dynamics with short story arcs, as well as establishing what the yokai of the world are truly like with various examples of opinionated yokai antagonists. Some consider it boring, and I can understand why, but I think it pays off very well. The characters are incredibly likeable and fun. Even the ones that don’t have very much development are still a joy to see on the page when they show up. Rikuo himself is simultaneously a complicated character and a very easy character to follow. The first chapter takes place a couple of years before the second one, and his childish judgement to go from worshiping yokai to hating them is intentionally so. The story is about his growth. Rikuo is told that he must take on this role, he denies, but eventually accepts under his own terms, and for his own reasons. This ultimately sets up what his character arc will end up becoming, as one of his final conflicts at the end of the story sees him battling against another half-yokai, Abe no Yoshihira, who believes it is his duty to follow his evil father’s plan because of his "cursed” mixed blood. Rikuo doesn’t simply reject this title, but he also doesn’t accept out of obligation. He accepts this as an opportunity to bring about change. The change he wants slowly evolves from protecting humans to bridging the social gap between human and yokai so that they may find peace together. Fate shouldn’t be fought against or ignored, but you must make whatever you can out of it. Rikuo feels that connecting human and yokai is something only he can do as a half-yokai, so he feels a responsibility to carry this out, yet it is also what he truly believes in and wants. He is a leader because he was graced with the opportunity to bring about a better world. Your fate is only what you perceive it as. The final villain Abe no Seimei believes that human and yokai are fated to be at odds forever, and that influences his evil plan to purify the world. Both are believers of fate to some extent, the message isn’t something as simple as “defy fate” or “there is no fate,” which I appreciate. This manga is very good about exploring all facets of the themes it presents, which I will give more examples of shortly.

The power system is an interesting one. To quote the wiki, “ Osore (畏, Fear) is the term that denotes the unique skills and traits of each yōkai. It refers to the "fear" of the unknown, an emotional reaction produced when the yōkai represent themselves as "monsters". As yōkai first existed as creatures who induce fear in humankind, the general concept of "fear" revolves around being feared and respected by humans and making them feel small and weak. It involves exerting a wall of pressure to make one's presence feel larger than the actuality. When done correctly, this also creates a change in the mood and surrounding air - as seen whenever a dense fog appears when a Hyakki Yakō gathers in the series. Itaku states that Osore only applies to scaring humans.“ Fear is an inherently negative word, especially when associated with demons. However, Rikuo is proud of his fear, despite scolding yokai who scare humans. Fear in this manga is not quite so black and white. Rikuo’s form of fear is reverence, admiration. He considers this to be a form of fear, and he is indeed proud of the awe he is able to inspire within his followers as well as his enemies. Rikuo is able to use a power that comes only thanks to his human side, letting a yokai haunt his humanity while keeping control with his yokai half, performing Equip and gaining that yokai’s powers, but only if they entrust themselves to him. It is the ultimate representation of the Fear that Rikuo believes in. For the core power system of the series to have such a double meaning about it speaks to the coming complexities, and it is incredibly fitting for this story, as I hope to convey.

Fate, lineage and connection to history are the main themes of this manga. Many of the characters in the story are tied to tradition before it starts, and have to be brought out of that by Rikuo and his progressive mindset. One’s blood is used to portray this theme in an interesting way. Rikuo’s father, Rihan, describes him as a symbol of hope for the future. Rihan longed for a world where human and yokai could get along, yet he came into constant conflict with both evil yokai and evil humans, as his son Rikuo would soon come to do as well. Rikuo loved his father, and carries on his dreams. However, similar to his “fate” of leading the clan, his respect for his ancestors is well-informed by his individual beliefs, and not from any kind of feeling that he MUST do what his ancestors wished. Abe no Yoshihira failed here, becoming a slave to his perceived fate. Hagoromo-gitsune, the main antagonist of the Kyoto arc as well as Abe no Seimei’s mother, was tied to her blood relations as well. She did everything for her son, who was soon to be reborn again into this age. She had her own image of an ideal world, erasing humans and making a world full of yokai, but she didn’t consider her child’s ideals, which she could have presumed from Seimei’s suffering he received when both human and yokai betrayed him. Seimei is born and casts Hagoromo-gitsune into hell, declaring that he will purify all life from the world, as neither human nor yokai can be trusted. Abe no Seimei is the agent of fate, declaring that all living things on Earth have doomed themselves to a fate of death thanks to their own horrible and greedy nature. Abe no Seimei is a half-yokai himself and he has found solace from neither of those sides. Rikuo, however, does not give up. He equips himself with the true fear of this reality that places him in-between two worlds, unable to fully enjoy life as a human or a yokai, refusing to resign himself as Seimei did, and instead fighting against the fate Seimei enforces by bringing together humans and yokai, including Hagoromo-gitsune, in order to seal the final blow against him.

You may be wondering what it means that Rikuo was able to finish off Seimei by fusing with his mother. Well, you see, Hagoromo-gitsune is sort of, in a way, Rikuo’s mother as well. You see, before Rihan had a child with Rikuo’s mother, he was married to another woman, Yamabuki-otome. For context, Abe no Seimei is a man who reincarnates throughout generations, as does his mother, Hagoromo-gitsune. Some time after Yamabuki-otome’s death, Seimei used her to take revenge on Rihan for disrupting his plans, by reviving her as a child and turning her into the host of the yokai Hagoromo-gitsune, sending her with false memories and subliminal orders to kill the man she loved when she was alive. Once she had killed Rihan, her human self hid itself away in despair and Hagoromo-gitsune was able to take control of her body for good. In modern times, after being cast into hell by Abe no Seimei, she is revived by Nurarihyon in anticipation for the final battle. After encountering Rikuo and his burning feelings in Kyoto, she had regained her human memories before being struck down by Seimei. Upon her most recent revival, she found she had feelings for both Rikuo and Seimei, and considers both to be her children. She regrets that her feelings for Seimei had ended up being met with treachery, and she goes to confront him. When she hears his full plan, she decides to do kill him herself, though she fails. She feels it her duty as a mother to make up for not understanding his suffering earlier, as it’s now too late to reason with him. Hagoromo-gitsune’s progression comes from her ability to find love for her yokai followers, considering them to be her children all the same as Rikuo and Seimei, and learns that she should have seen this love all along rather than being blinded by her obsessions with her blood son. Once again, she values her children and the blood she shares with them, but she is only able to find happiness when she realizes that the feelings she has for them don’t have to be restricted to only them simply because they are her kin, and similarly she does not need to follow Seimei’s plan just because she thinks it’s what a mother “should” do. Fusing with Rikuo is the culmination of this. While Rikuo is technically her kin, as Seimei is, we see through her arc that she has matured and learned to spread her love. So even though without context it would seem that she simply went from one child to the other, we can see the complexities of this and see how it relates to Rikuo’s arc, accepting something not out of obligation, but from your own will. 

By coming to a true understanding with the woman that Abe no Seimei had discarded, his mother, and her doing the same, an act that seemingly defies their fates (Rikuo’s fate to be a cold yokai ruler and Hagoromo’s fate to be a slave to her child’s whims), they’re able to defeat him and sever fate itself.

The Hundred Stories Clan Arc is one that I really appreciate for showing me how truly interesting Rikuo was as a character. I hadn’t realized it up to that point, and it’s clear why. His characterization and progression is subtle. The text doesn’t tell you how Rikuo grows, the art and his actions do. When humanity told of Rikuo’s half-yokai status is convinced that he must be killed for the safety of Japan, Rikuo is forced to face the fact that the humans he wants to protect are not perfect, and have as many imperfections as yokai do. Humans can be greedy, they can do horrible things when they’re afraid. In a backstory, the leader of the Hundred Stories Clan is shown to be a despicable human from Japanese history named Sanmoto Gorozaemon, who takes control of yokai to secure his political and social power, and turns himself into a yokai in order to secure that power. When a member of his clan is assaulted by humans who don’t care about the harm they’re causing, some of them even reveling in it, through facial expressions we can see him struggling with the thought of killing these humans to end the conflict, or out of revenge possibly. Shiibashi leaves this to the reader’s interpretation and it works wonders, he has no internal monologue relating to this feeling and nobody points out that he seems crazed or anything. It’s some panels that you could easily miss if you’re reading too fast.

In this panel, we are shown his reaction to a female yokai appearing and tormenting the humans that were tormenting him and his clanmate just moments ago. Even when he showed such rage at the humans, seemingly almost snapping, he decides he needs to stop the yokai from killing them. However, the expression on his face conveys perfectly how complex his emotions are over this. Despite how confidently he’s saying he needs to save them, his face almost looks like he doesn’t want to. Of course, he overcomes this and saves them for the sake of his dream.

It’s clear to see the moral dilemma he’s going through and it’s conveyed entirely through art and subtext. This is confident storytelling, and not to mention incredible artistry. Shiibashi has a certain maturity and respect for the reader that is hard to find in Shonen Jump manga sometimes.

Rikuo’s fight against the yokai artist Kyosai in this arc is notable for being similar to what I just described from the beginning of the arc.

Kyosai has an interest in turning human women into yokai using his painting techniques, including one of Rikuo’s classmates. Enraged, Rikuo engages him in combat with his newly acquired Attack Mode, which switches his Fear from a defensive technique to an offensive one, and changes his hair from white with black underneath it to having half of his hair being black on one side and the other being white. As the fight progresses, Rikuo is continuously injured and decomposed by Kyosai’s abilities, burning his flesh and scarring Rikuo black.

Rikuo’s deteriorating mental state during this arc is conveyed visually through his design, with both the way he is inked as well as his literally evolving design, his new transformation. He’s never had to confront these kinds of humans and yokai before. This leveling of suffering is new to our middle school-aged protagonist. After Kyosai is defeated, his momentary rage subsides but he is still scarred, physically and mentally. Encho, the acting leader of the Hundred Stories Clan, betrays Sanmoto’s reincarnated brain for personal gain, confusing Rikuo who is already in a fragile mental state. He struggles to comprehend the enemy, as he had been forced to face humans that he wanted to protect, yokai that despised those humans, and even his own best friends. Once again, exclusively visually conveyed and up to interpretation.

At the end of this arc, he accepts the help of his friends, his aide Yuki-Onna, and equips with her, washing himself of the stress he’s in and covering him in a beautiful veil of ice. His design goes back to normal in order to show this, and get across just how much his friends mean to him, in a truly impactful way that really strengthens the theme by giving real weight to his connection with both his yokai and human lives.

Every arc is strong in its own way, I simply wanted to discuss the few that best show what I’m trying to say. I hope you now understand why I love this manga so much and why I think you should read it. I promise the things I’ve spoiled here are only a fragment of the whole experience, and your appreciation will only grow as you experience the full context by reading the manga. If I got across what I wanted to, then you understand that this manga cannot be explained as much as it can be experienced. There are probably more things that I never noticed, maybe you’ll discover those before I do.

This manga is an ode to the future, to humanity. We can overcome our differences and coexist. Perhaps all it takes is for one person to take the fear that we as people feel in our daily lives onto themselves. The fear that there can never be change, the fear that our road only ends in sadness. The fear that our history defines us. The fear that we must conform to our duty. The fear that accepting a duty strips us of individuality. The fear that we can never bring these conflicting aspects of our mind together and find inner peace. The fear that we can never bring the conflicting aspects of people together and find true peace amongst ourselves. Not many people can overcome that fear, but he who is truly strong is he who equips that fear. He who takes that uncertainty of the future and uses it to empower himself and push for that change he wishes to see. This review is my ode to the man who was able to understand what makes people who they are and didn’t let that fear consume him. The man who equips true fear. Thank you for reading.

[makeste]

if there is a timeskip, how far ahead do you think horikoshi will move along the story?

okay, so... I sat here for a while trying to work out how to phrase this less harshly lol, but I think I’m just gonna be blunt: I really, really hope that Horikoshi does not give us any kind of timeskip. there are precious few things that could potentially push me to quit this series, but a timeskip is one of them. I’m not saying that to be dramatic, I’m saying it just as a fact, because it’s happened to me multiple times before. in my experience, nothing else out there ruins a story as easily or effectively as a timeskip.

but let me try to break down and explain my loathing of them a bit more in depth.

1.) they make it so the audience misses out on character development. this is probably the thing I hate the most about timeskips. so here’s the thing; there are two different kinds of shounen timeskips. the type where the characters (mostly) stay together throughout the timeskip (think Naruto), and the type where the characters split apart during the timeskip (think One Piece). and I hate both of them equally, and let me explain.

I am reading the series because I am invested in the characters and their relationships. I want to see these relationships grow and evolve. timeskips make that impossible, because the whole point of a timeskip is that it skips right over everything so the audience doesn’t get to see it. and so, if the characters stay together during the timeskip, that’s a huge chunk of time during which their relationships are continuing to evolve, and the audience is missing out on all of that. that’s like starting a book and then finding that the entire middle section of it is blank. like, sorry about that, we decided this part wasn’t important enough to write down. if you’re lucky we might show you little bits and pieces of what happened during flashbacks, but otherwise you’ll just have to deal with it. boooo.

on the other hand, if the characters all go their separate ways to train on their own during the timeskip, then in a way that’s even worse. like yes, we’re technically not missing out on any relationship development, because no relationship development is even happening. those relationships are just put on hold for the duration of the timeskip. like, to use One Piece as an example, that means that the crew was together for like six months or however long, and then they all split apart for two whole years. they were apart for four times longer than they were ever together as a crew! like, you brought this found family together and bonded them so strongly only to rip them apart again?? for two years?? and for what! so that they could become boringly overpowered?? well, speaking of --

2.) they make fights predictable and/or disappointing. now for me, this one isn’t quite as bad as the character development one, but that’s mostly because I don’t care about fights as much. that said, post-timeskip fights are usually a dime a dozen, and I hate it. because here’s the thing: the whole purpose of the timeskip was to power up the character offscreen, so that they come back ready to kick more ass. which is great in theory, but in practice, post-timeskip fights tend to feature one of two brands of disappointment. either the protagonist character powered up so much that they easily win the fight, or else they still struggle even after all of that training and effort. the latter is just frustrating, because it’s like, so then what even was the point? but meanwhile, the former is also disappointing in its own way, because there’s no challenge anymore. yes it’s cool for like two seconds, but then what? if all I wanted was to watch someone reliably and effortlessly kick ass all day, I’d go become a fan of a bandwagon sports team. for me, the appeal of shounen is that the characters are learning and growing and struggling. if you make it easy for them then where’s the fun in that? if your character no longer faces any real obstacles then it stops being an interesting story.

and last but not least, 3.) they change the tone of the series (usually for the worse). so this one is interesting because this is one of the main reasons why a lot of people advocate for timeskips in the first place. ‘they help to make the series more mature’, or something along those lines. people are interested in seeing what kinds of storylines would open up with an older, more experienced cast of characters.

except that when people say more mature, what they usually mean is one of two things. either more romance, or else darker/grittier story content (read: more character deaths). which, just speaking personally, I have approximately zero interest in either of those things. if I wanted a grimdarker shounen series I’d be reading Attack on Titan instead. if I wanted more romance, I would read... well actually don’t really know what I’d read lol, because that’s kind of the point I’m trying to make here -- I don’t read romance, because I’m not interested in it (insert aromantic disclosure here). as an element of a more complex story, sure, that’s fine. but as a focus, I’d just as soon not. nine times out of ten I will lose interest in it. that’s 100% a personal preference there of course, but yeah.

anyways, but the point is, I started reading this coming of age story about teenagers at a superhero academy because I like coming of age stories! I like reading about younger characters and their adventures, learning about themselves and the world around them, making mistakes and getting stronger and the like. this is a specific genre that has a specific appeal to me. there’s an idealism and an optimism inherent in it, and I really don’t want the series to go changing that up. especially if there’s no need to change it up. which imo there really isn’t. as it stands, BnHA is already an unexpectedly mature story in a lot of ways, and it’s already exploring a lot of darker and more complex themes as it is, and doing an excellent job of it imo. basically, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. most of the time you’ll just end up ruining what was so appealing about the series to begin with.

so yeah! thus concludes my impromptu rant post about timeskips lol, and I’ll just belatedly add in a disclaimer as well that this is just my own opinion of course, and ymmv. but for me personally, I think that shounen series in particular rarely come out better after a timeskip (in fact I can’t think of any off the top of my head to tell the truth). also in BnHA’s case I really don’t think there’s any need for one at all. maybe if we get another short one, like the three-month timeskip that took place just before the start of this arc. but even then, there is just so much going on currently in the manga that it would feel weird to just fast-forward through it. TomurAFO is still on the loose. Dabi just blew up hero society as we know it. All Might is prophesized to die in the near future. the entire Billboard Top Ten was pretty much wiped out. and so on and so forth, and that’s not even getting into all of the character development that recently took place.

it just feels like things are too chaotic right now to skip ahead very far. I want to see what’s going to happen in the immediate aftermath of all this. and I don’t feel like the villains will leave the heroes alone to recover for very long. like, I can’t really figure out where someone would even put a timeskip, I guess is what I’m saying? there’s nowhere that feels natural. I could see them skipping a few weeks ahead maybe, but no more than that. anything more, and one has to assume that Tomura simply comes back to wipe out the rest of the heroes and/or the world lol. unless they shove him into another cryotube or something, I suppose.

so yeah, I think we’ll either get a very short timeskip or none at all. at least I am keeping my fingers crossed for as much. I don’t think it needs to happen or should happen. again, ymmv, but at any rate that’s my answer.