#duel of journeys

[pluralsword]

We think these two would make a very good team and get a long well.

Despite that we wrote a fic where they butt heads and fight each other because of opposed outlooks due to differing access to information- but c'mon it's Samus and Arcee they'll figure it out. Do you like the Metroid universe? Do you like trans takes on transformers worldbuilding? What about combining the two as if they were seamless parts of each other, and reading these two badasses square off until they come to terms (do you think them fighting would be hot)? Well, then we have the Samus vs. Arcee fic for you, three chapters of it so far, as part of our Duel of Journeys series of crossover vs. that handles things differently than Death Battles and similar things do, in the following respects:

-presenting an ostensible reason for the two sides to be fighting, because outside of sparring, motivation helps drive and define combat

-in situations where the power levels are skewed (e.g. Arcee is a fantastic fighter and certainly a more experienced commander than Samus but barring her time-traveling Alternity iteration Arcee does not have the armor / defenses to survive Super Bombs, Super/Ice Missiles, Hyper Beams, the Metroid Suit, etc etc. Her swords with her reflexes are missile defense systems but um well blast radius is still a thing so there's a big difference between Samus's missiles and Bombshell's) show what other advantages both can bring to the table, not fighting in a vacuum/void from the rest of the world

-as such, it is not necessarily a battle to the death. It is about victory by defeating or persuading, and ones allies and loved ones can get involved. (to make a non Star Wars example, if you threw Admiral Susan Ivanova of Babylon 5 and Grand Admiral Thrawn of Star Wars against each other while yes their close quarters fight would be interesting we think their abilities as space naval commanders would be much more interesting to see against each other)

-with that in mind, finishing whatever plot comes after if possible

It's really more of a character analysis / comparison thing. So there you have it, good hunting! If people want to suggest matchups please do so in asks or comments or reblogs of this post, bear in mind that we will want at least one character involved from any of the following (yes we will favor robots), and may not write what we are unfamiliar/uncomfortable with, and we will also consider team-up fics instead of vs.:

-Transformers (e.g. Chromia), GI JOE (e.g. Scarlett), Steamworlds (e.g. Piper Faraday), Battletech (e.g. Kamea Arano), Sunless Skies (e.g. Reckless Driver), Babylon 5 (e.g. Delenn), Supreme Commander (e.g. Rhiza). We will add to this list when we have time. <3

[jmmallory]

Living on one of the lowest (and cheapest) levels had its challenges.

May the 4th b w/u

[frugalkubal]

I finally ascended Odie and Rowan to Supreme+ and I also got Odie's new free skin. I'm so happy! ✧⁠◝⁠(☆⁠▽⁠☆)⁠◜⁠✧

I bought 2 copies of Rowan from the Arena Store and bought 10 copies of Odie from the Dream Store. (Yeah, I had a bunch of coins saved up. lol)

[iwasateenagenosferatu]

Duel of the Fates

I'm sad so I'm chasing the 1999 nostalgia dragon. Also Ani already loves Padme.

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Here we go! Chapter 8 Volume... Huh?

Voulme 2? I thought this is still Volume 1. Am I tripping?

Anyway! Just a moment of appreciation for this parody page of he cover.

This while thing is so "busy" yet it still make sense. There's so many elements layering on top of each other. It should be a confusing mess. However, I can still easily pick out the four components that tells a story.

Component 1: Vash as a happy salary man being served a drink by a geisha (judging from the hairstyle and accessory) with shadowed eyes on the opposite end of the page.

Component 2: BDN at the dead center. The text makes it a bit difficult to confirm if he has a top knot, but he definitely is rocking a traditional Japanese look. He looks menacingly at Vash as he drinks.

Component 3: Meryl and Milly running in a hurry but for two clearly different purposes. Meryl looks like a traditional restaurant staff frantically trying to serve a lot of guests. Meanwhile, Milly doesn't look she's working anywhere near the food service industry with her get up and the tool that she has on hand.

Component 4: The Bad Lads drinking in celebration while an ambulance seems to be sounding its sirens as it parked near them.

Look. I may seem to be too obsessed with this gag page but it's crazy how its a fucking busy mess that still works at telling a cohesive story!

With just this two page drawing, I can infer easily that someone is in danger and may need to be hospitalized - so the ambulance was called and asked to stand by. Milly is probably the heroine about to save the day with the overworked yet eager to help Meryl. The party the Bad Lads are having is a big distraction at a possible murder attempt starring Vash as the victim, the geisha as the accomplice, and BDN as the mastermind.

I'M SORRY BUT HOW THE FUCK?!!!

And don't get me started on the scaling of each figure and the silhouettes. Just... I'll just repeat, Nightow is amazing for how pretty AND technical his drawing is. It's so clean. Wow...

Sorry for getting derailed. So, back to the chapter.

Ok. I lied. Let me just appreciate Winter Mery and Milly here. I love them so much and they so fucking cute here with their dynamic pose... solid silhouette... Clean fucking lines... Sorry... Give me a minute!!!

Sigh~

Interesting. So, '98 rearranged the sequence of events here. This happened a bit later... which I think is better. It adds more impact on Vash's duel against BDN.

These guys are no stormtrooper shooters. They having really good aim!

They didn't hit Vash. Okay. Maybe the tails of his coat now have fresh bullet holes, but aside from that, Vash is fairly intact. The Bad Lads have great accuracy.

This is an intriguing way of drawing a spinning gun. It's simple but effective in visually communicating that that is what BDN is doing. A good choice. Thinking about it... If three twirling guns in a blur of circles were drawn, it would be too distracting and BDN will be overwhelmed in the panel.

Cool foreshortening. Incredible detail on the filigree. And a bonus Goofy Face Vash!

So so fucking glad '98 was faithful to the manga with these scenes. Meryl and Milly were such badasses here.

Huh... Well that's a huge difference. There's not much:

GASP! It'S VaSH tHe STampeDE!

vASh ThE StAMpEdE?!

VASH THE STAMPEDE!!!

It can get a bit much... sometimes in '98. So, this is refreshing.

WHAT...

WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?!!!

So, those lines by Miss Purple Avenger from the filler episode were originally from BRILLIANT DYNAMITES NEON?!

I-

Oooohhh.... Pretty art... Wait no... I can't distracted. I'm mad!

I'M VERY VERY MAD!!!

OML! This is much more intense! IT ADDS SO MUCH WEIGHT TO THE DUEL!

Oh my goodness... This nuance... WHY WAS THIS CHANGED?!

Not to say that Miss Purple Avenger and the episode featuring her was bad. It was actually great! Her version of July was nightmare inducing... and her confrontation with Vash was truly tragic too but.... Uhm...uh... AAHHHH!!!! I CAN'T CHOOSE! THEY'RE BOTH GOOD!

Oh... break my heart into fucking pieces will you huh?!

LOOK AT THESE! Manga Vash getting cheered on by the people! People were supporting him! He is being treated nicely as he deserved.

Even in '98! It was not as overt at this page. However, that scene of the captain from the beginning of this chapter replaced these panels instead and is just as effective. '98 Vash has people believing the good in him.

TRISTAMP VASH WAS ROBBED!!! HE NEVER HAD THESE!!! That poor precious boy! The few precious people who supports him only showed up near the end... and... and...

Now getting even more upset again with the Jeonora Episodes in Tristamp!

It's so not fair!

Oooh. A cinematic page!

HOLY SHIT!!! THESE PAGES ARE AMAZING!

I can't believe this. This fight is better in the manga!

I am not dissing Studio Madhouse for what they've done tho. The '98 Duel was epic too! They did great! But all these crazy angles and perspectives in the manga just elevate the overall awesomeness of the gunfight. It's just more immersive.

Tbf to the '98 anime, this is a nightmare to animate faithfully. With the technology and techniques at the time, this would be so difficult to pull off beautifully - going topsy turvy in one smooth motion for two characters at the same time in a fight scene with a complicated moving background? Yeah... The animation staff would go insane. It's totally understandable that they simplified this duel into extreme close ups and strong facial + gun drawings instead.

I hope Studio Orange re-hashes this fight in some way tho... or does the Episode 1 duel count?

Sigh... With the my discovery that Miss Purple Avenger's lines were actually BDN's, and that the outrage towards Vash for not remembering anything about July belongs to the Bad Lads', these words have become so much more meaningful.

It's also now more effective at convincing me that Brilliant Dynamites Neon have hidden depths.

Oh... Ow... The detailing here is just ow for the hands of an artist. Perhaps I overreacting, but those fine lines in the crooks and crannies make me wince.

Once again tag responses:

@revenantghost

Yeah. The more I see his work, the more I'm awed by his skills. That's a cool detail that his design incorporate realism. I thought the glasses are for the light tho? But maybe it's like those the Olympian gunners wore during the competition?

The dead REALLY haunting the narrative? Looking forward to it!

@takeshidude

Ok. Monthly publication are still grueling but at least its not as nightmarish with weekly mangakas. No wonder the quality is consistent with the art. Nightow was allowed to breathe.

You make a good point. '98 did have a bit of a mystery woven into it. We know Vash the Stampede - we follow his misadventures and people kept saying who he is ad nauseam in every episode. However, we don't really know know him for quite a long time. It's a different, but no less interesting, spin to the story.

Which kinda explains I'm misremembering some scenes and characterizations? The last third of '98 made a long lasting impression that I kinda forgot about Vash's horn dogginess.

[randomingoftherandomness]

There is a thing I don't get, why Yuanzhi was so against the idea of Ziyu becoming the sword wielder?

Just because he wanted his brother to be it? Or because of the rumors about Ziyu's mother? I mean, Shangjue was always logical on the reasons why he didn't want Ziyu to be the leader while Yuanzhi seemed to just do what he was told to do.

I read an answer on Reddit where Yuanzhi was described as Shangjue's dog, with no opinions of his own, petty and oblivious. Many people regarded him as the true villain of the show because he caused pain and played tricks for no real reasons. Do you think he is like that? Only smart for poisons?

Me to the Redditor who said that:

Knuckle and buckle, kids, you're on the Gab Meta Train.

1. Gong Ziyu started out hella unqualified and everyone knows it

Don't come at me and tell me Gong Ziyu was the most worthy candidate to be the Sword Wielder because based on the first character setup, he definitely was not it. He was known to frequent the pleasure house, he stumbles home drunk in broad daylight, he has no involvement in the family's affairs, and he is most definitely more known as a dandy than anyone who is being groomed to take over the helm of the family.

Honestly, off the bat, in real life, would you want someone with a proven track record to lead you and protect you and your interests, or would you want some dude who is better known for hanging out at a brothel than he is actually handling paperwork or has a track record of maturity?

Yuanzhi, who is younger than Ziyu, but already is contributing to the day-to-day running and the development of tech and research for the family.

Which means...?

He has skin in the game about who he wants to lead him in the family. And that's a very valid stance to take. It's more than "oh Gege told me to do this, so I will" because that's such a sad 1 dimension take, and again, to that Redditor:

Of course, we as the audience know that Ziyu will shape up. He will step up and he will answer the call, so to speak. But Gong Yuanzhi and Gong Shangjue did not. And if you really think about it, they're pretty much 'employees' of the Gong company. They just didn't agree with what top management decided and vocally voiced that opinion.

If you reeeeeallly want to think about it, they were just unionising :)

(gonna put this under a read more coz it got long)

2. Gong Shangjue has instilled a mentality of "Family First"

Relating to the first point.

Shangjue is obviously Yuanzhi's North Star. He is who Yuanzhi is shaping himself to be, and for all we know of his character, of course he would. He's basically the perfect man to aspire to be in a society like theirs.

So, when Shangjue says, "Family is the Most Important", don't you think Yuanzhi is gonna listen? Gong Shangjue is Gong Yuanzhi's most important person. He's family in a way that the rest aren't. Even if he doesn't outright say "I want that position", Yuanzhi would have done anything to help support him and get him there.

And going on the point where Shangjue and Yuanzhi were on Ziyu's case coz of the rumours that his mom was possibly pregnant when she married into the Gong family; I know other users on the MJTY tag have quite possibly discussed this matter (shoutout to @kingsandbastardz @swiftletinthecloud @romchat for their lovely metas and analysis posts ❤️ I consume them with much gratitude and glee), but let me crudely try to wrangle what has been beautifully said into my my own words;

For a family that prides themselves with being very strict about their familial rules, the fact that there is some measure and level of doubt persisting about Ziyu's parentage should have and must disqualify him from the position itself. Ziyu's dad could have easily kiboshed the rumours but he didn't, why?

More than that, the implication given to Shangjue over tea was that the position of Zhiren was always meant to go to him. Rewatch that scene where he last saw his uncle. Tell me differently.

The whole paternity issue is just one facet of a very Ziyu shaped problem. Having a murky paternity will raise issues of succession. Why do you think the nobilities of Europe back then had a court of people, usually people of importance, to be present when a marriage was consummated and a child was born? This is to make sure that there was no doubt that the marriage was legitimate and the line of succession and paternity remains unbroken.

(there were always exceptions to the rule, of course, but you get my drift, right?)

Of course, we got the resolutions to all of these issues; Ziyu was always the bio son of the Zhiren, he probably didn't kibosh the rumours because he never wanted to have his son carry that burden of leading the family when he could tell that his son had always wanted to leave the Valley, and Shangjue never coveted the position in the first place, he just wanted the right person to lead.

3. Yuanzhi has no opinions

Yuanzhi's just a dog to Shangjue? Well, if he's a dog, I wanna be one too Woof Woof.

Yuanzhi has his own motivations and drive. They just so happened to be Gege-shaped. I don't see how that warrants being called someone's dog.

He doesn't have his own opinions? Bro quite literally almost died to prove a point that the porridge was poisoned and Shangguan Qian cannot be trusted. HOW IS THAT NOT HAVING AN OPINION?

WERE WE EVEN WATCHING THE SAME SHOW???

Honestly, it's Reddit so I shouldn't be this surprised about the hot takes that happen on there, but damn if some people lack two brain cells to rub together to critically consume the media in front of them.

4. Yuanzhi is a reactionary character

Think about it; how many times throughout the narrative did he cause problems for no apparent reason?

If anything, don't you think that Ziyu & co. are the ones who deliberately do things to antagonise him and Shangjue? It's almost midnight as I am typing this and the old noggin is starting to lag, but let's focus on the blood GPS incident.

Yuanzhi saw that the people in the Yu residence were being a bit suspicious so he goes to snoop (cause + reason = reaction). Jin Fan is best boy, but Yuanzhi did not instigate that fight, he did (with good reason i know i know). (offense + defense = reaction). Ziyu & co. tried to stuff him into the closet (*snerk*) and what does he do? Bites down until he bleeds because he knows Gege will find him if he sniffs him out. And he did. A successful reaction.

In my opinion, he's like gunpowder -- left alone, they'll be fine. When given a spark, will react.

And again with feeling... To the Redditor who spouted such utter shite;

Class dismissed

[squirrelwrangler]

The Twitter outrage fretting over May in Season Three going only to Tanchico and not the Aiel Waste - Good! Mat has no plot line of worth in book four except the Aelfinn/Eelfinn doors which can be relocated. He had no purpose to be traveling with Rand and gets better development and more entertaining plots when with the superior Wondergirls Adventures (it’s pure misogyny that ranks their plot lines below Rand’s. Combine his role with Julian and the previous and later Mat arcs. More bonding time with Thom.

The only real decently interesting Rand chapters are the Rhuidean flashbacks and those aren’t about him). The best plot threads in Book 4 are Nynaeve and Elayne’s adventures in Tanchico and Perrin’s group in the Two Rivers.

Rand saving Mat from his Odin cosplay shoot? No, there’s absolutely no reason that it has to be Rand there. Rand saving Mat from death is repeated with far greater thematic and visual impact in the showdown against Rahvin. There’s no Rand-Mat bonding scenes to miss out and Mat doesn’t linger on Rand’s role in the non fatal hanging, just that it happened and the other gifts he received from the foxes.

You know who should save Mat? Nynaeve

That would make sense from the show’s groundwork- it is payoff for how she failed to heal him from the dagger in season one and couldn’t save Rand in the finale of season two. It makes sense for Nynaeve’s character and the arcs established in the show.

[bestgameostcrownduel]

Round 1, Side B: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux (2017) vs Golden Sun (2001)

Shin Megami Tensei | Golden Sun

Campaigns under the cut!

Campaign for Shin Megami Tensei:

Strange Journey's OST is super underrated when it comes to SMT. IV gets the love it deserves, but SJ doesn't and I want to change that.

Campaign for Golden Sun:

Best GBA soundtrack (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)⁠━⁠☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ

[aimfor-theheart]

are you guys gonna boo me off stage if the dynamic in this zhongli fic gets weird as hell

[the-monkey-ruler]

Journey to the West - A Duel on the Faith (2021) 西游之双圣战神

Director: Luo Le Starring: Chen Haomin / Ding Huiyu / Zhang Chuxuan Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2021-06-20 (Mainland China) Duration: 81 minutes Type: Retelling

Summary:

In order to maintain the order of the three realms, the Iron-Faced Star Lord deceived the Qingya villagers who wanted to become immortals to work as coolies in heaven. Sun Wukong pretended to accept the position of BimaWen, but in fact he took the opportunity to release the villagers in the prison of death and Yang Tianyou, who violated the law of heaven because of his union with a goddess. Yang Jian was ordered to capture Yang Tianyou and Sun Wukong, but was touched by the touching scene of the villagers' reunion, and Yang Jian decided to stay in the mortal world. Upon seeing this, Iron Face Star Lord promised Yang Jian and Sun Wukong to return to heaven to perform their respective duties, and let the Qingya villagers go. Unexpectedly, the Iron-faced Star Lord went against his promise and wanted to kill Sun Wukong and the villagers. Yang Jian tried to stop him but was petrified. The Iron-faced Star Lord wants to induce thunder from the sky to destroy Sun Wukong both physically and spiritually. Sun Wukong is burned and goes crazy, and wants to destroy heaven...

Source: https://mov-20.chinesemov.com/2021/Journey-to-the-West-A-Duel-on-the-Faith

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4473n1LX6fo&ab_channel=%E9%92%9F%E5%A9%B7%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99MSZhong

[frugalkubal]

Yes, I would very much like to have my own pet cat and also go fishing. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

[sketching-shark]

For the erlang n swk movie its called

2021 Journey to the West - A Duel on the Faith

Its on youtube!!!

Theres alot pf good swk n erlang moments

Many thanks for giving the name anon! I did see that there's no English subtitles, but here it is for those interested parties that know Mandarin!

[supersaiyanjedi14]

A redo of my Star Wars: Visions micros from September, this time with updated models and a few all-new creations. Most are my best approximation of their designs, some have designs and names specific to my AU. Feel free to ask about story details.

credit for my pixels here.

[katherinejblackwell]

this game is taking over my life.

[hollowwhisperings]

Multifandom Silliness: Who's the Lan Wangji in this Series/Ship?

if you don't know your Mo Dao Zu Shi (or its sanitised, webseries adaption CQL/"The Untamed"), allow me to briefly introduce him for the purposes of this Silliness:

LAN WANGJI (courtesy name)

gained the title "Hanguang-jun" during a war, in reference to his "bringing hope wherever the chaos is" AKA being The Cavalry to even the most desperate of fights. the title roughly translates to "Light-bearing Lord" and additionally refers to the brightness/strength of his [sword glare] & his white robes.

had been Gay Pining for decades by the start of MDZS: his white robes now a symbol of grief, acting much like a war widow.

the "gay" part was not public knowledge but LWJ is VERY HOMOSEXUAL.

BUFF (& pretty): LWJZ is buff as all heck, nvm what his Pretty Boy reputation might say. he regularly does one-handed pushups, often while writing with that other hand. MUSCLES.

he is a famously talented musician: he uses this to not only destroy evil but also further his Gay Agenda, composing a love song when he was 15.

Poetic License: LWJ relays his observations & opinions very concisely and poetically, signalling his high intelligence & artistry. this is something lost in translation to english, where being concise is interpreted as being somewhat rude & socially awkward.

is VERY petty, if you have the background context to realise his beautiful words are often veiled insults.

"Equals": is Gay for one Wei Wuxian, someone both infamously evil & famously selfless. WWX is unanimously understood as being a genius: their first meeting involved a moonlit duel where both found in the other their "true equal" in every sense, martial & intellectual.

a romantic & an idealist, one who became Jaded but who eventually found his faith restored via...

spoilers: LWJ & WWX end up happily gay married and are very public in their affections.

NOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND, let's figure out who Else is the "Hanguang-jun" of their respective Stories!

KINGDOM HEARTS: Riku

"Hanguang-jun": not-so much in the earlier titles of KH but, overall & ESPECIALLY as the series goes on, Riku's Strength is depicted as a literal, blinding Light. he also has white/silver hair.

Gay Pining: while not outright stated, context established Riku as 1) Gay and 2) PINING. it's literally a Plot Point (sometimes even THE plot).

BUFF (& pretty): Riku is just that much older than KH's protagonist, Sora, to ensure Riku is considered Tall, Strong & Handsome. the "pretty" part comes from being an Anime boy.

PETTY: before he felt secure & at peace with his Gay Pining, Riku had A Whole Villain Arc because of an Assumed Love Triangle that was not in his favour. he has technically outrgrown this now but it WAS a big enough deal in the overall plot fo be something he Can Never Live Down.

"Equals": the subject of his Gay Pining is thematically paired with Riku at every opportunity. they fight in-synch, their hearts beat in tune, they are sources for each other's Strength.

while never seen singing or playing instruments, DDD features Riku finding & manifesting his "heart song": it doesn't become "music" until Sora does the same on his side of the dream. the song their hearts make together? the leitmotif of KH as a whole: "Dearly Beloved".

Poetic License: Riku prefers action to words but most of KH's theme songs are from HIS POV. another instance of his relaying great depth with few words? Chain of Memories has 2 poems, one to end each "Side" of its story: Riku's poem is VERY WOW.

Riku is, if the above had not made it glaringly apparent, at heart a romantic: he believes in True Love, in legends about paopu fruit & forever, in sacrificing yourself for who you love. this, uh, kind of blew up in his face upon hitting the "edgelord" phase of puberty: fairy tales are about princes and princeSSES, not knights. Riku's idealism made him susceptible to manipulation as those ideals were put into question.

Riku does not currently believe he can have his own Happily Ever After: he has, instead, resolved to ensure that his Dearly Beloved has HIS (even if it's not with Him).

A Song of Ice & Fire: Brienne

"Hanguang-jun": Brienne is considered the embodiment of all a knight should be... were it not for her being female. she "goes where the chaos is" (the Riverlands, where the War of the Five Kings has left the land lawless & fraught with danger) and saves the helpless. in one of Jamie's dreams, Brienne bears a literal sword of light and so turns his nightmare into [an unrealized crush] sign of Hope. she bears a very shiny Valryian Steel sword named "Oathkeeper".

Gay Pining: while Brienne is female & her love interests male, her FIRST love was a gay man & her SECOND love is VERY QUEERCODED. she pines and she pines in a very "it will never be, he'd never feel the same because of who i am, i am devoted even as he knows it not" manner that is Very Gay Pining-esque.

BUFF (& pretty): Brienne is a giant of a woman & triumphed over older, more experienced men in a tournament melee. SHE HAS ALL OF THE MUSCLES. she is not, however, considered "pretty" and her nickname of "Brienne the Beauty" is meant as a cruelty. Jamie Lannister, however, has Accidentally Swooned over Brienne at least thrice (in the books, doing more than just "swooning" in That Dragon Show).

when Jamie is fevered and delirious at being Unhanded, he finds comfort in Brienne singing to him: it's unknown whether her singing was any GOOD but it makes sense that she'd secretly enjoy music (& that this interest was never encouraged in her childhood).

while she is not an eloquent speaker, Brienne is a romantic & an idealist: she has had moments of profound insight. only moments, however: she's never received the kind of privileged education that LWJ had.

"Equals": Jamie Lannister, undeniably.

...ASOIAF is not kind to idealists & unlikely to give ANYONE a "Happily Ever After". that's what Fandom is for: many a "fix-fic" has been written in response to That Dragon Show, and artists have made truly beautiful images showing Brienne with her dreams realised.

Genshin Impact: Diluc?

"Hanguang-jun": Diluc is very deliberately designed in homage to Batman, the Dark Knight... but his Pyro Vision inevitably results in his brightening the night, where he chases chaos & saves others from great peril.

BUFF (& pretty): while Genshin Impact limits its muscular models to NPCs & enemies, Diluc is ALLEGEDLY "buff" and should be so following the logic of his being 1) a former knight and 2) an active claymore wielder. Genshin, as a very anime-game, makes ALL its playable characters pretty: Diluc's 5-star skin "upgraded" his hair to REALLY push that point home, enabling him to reach Peak Pretty Boy.

Diluc, as a fancy rich boy, PROBABLY knows how to play at least 1 musical instrument: Mondstadt's patron god IS an Orpheus Expie, after all. his various VAs have certainly put their musical talents to use, in fancovers or in other series they've worked in.

eloquent & concise: this varies from dub to dub but the Vibe remains, if only for his Blatant Batman Invoking.

just like LWJ, Diluc is a romantic & an idealist who has grown jaded over time.

Gay Pining? the ENG dub, as all english dubs seem to do, translated Diluc's Very Queercoded Word for what one Cavalry Captain Kaeya once was for him into... "adopted brother". in CHINESE, however, similar if not identical words used to describe LWJ & WWX in relation to each other: their vibe is more "Bitter Exes" than the "Mourning Widower" type of Gay Pining exhibited by the others in this list.

Genshin's story is ongoing, Diluc's home region has had its main story on Hold so as to return with Greatet impact. hopefully Diluc won't end up like EITHER of his Creative Inspirations (Batmab & Murata Himeko) when Genshin's main story returns to Monsdtadt & Diluc.

Voltron Legendary Defender: Shiro or Keith?

"Hanguang-jun": as the Leader of Voltron, Shiro brought hope to the universe. he may have piloted the Black Lion but the grey in his hair Sure Did Foreshadow his hair going wholly white (& his ultimately piloting a "white" lion-esque ship for humanity). Keith is ever connected with darkness: he is Shiro's successor in all things but ever walks in his shadow (very much deliberately).

Gay Pining: Shiro is the character "canonically" gay but it's KEITH who exhibits all the Trademarked Characteristics. Keith has a Dark Phase about his gay pining. Keith accepts his gay pining during his attempt to redeem himself. Keith resolves to ensure his beloved's happiness, often at the expense of his own. Keith spends the entirety of Voltron (epilogue included, ouch) screaming "i am a gay widower whose love died unrealised & now i fight about it".

so it turns out that deep space astronaut training &intergalactic warfare don't give you much time to showcase any musical talent you may or may not have.

Poetic License: as leaders, both have their moments of profound, concise wisdom. Keith is angstier about it though.

"Equals": Keith & Shiro start out on UNequal footing but, during the series itself, Shiro attempts to make Keith his successor for his (believed) inevitable demise: Keith spends his time metaphorically kicking and screaming that NO DYING ALLOWED, the two eventually compromising by BOTH of them taking up leadership roles. all the space/time shenanigans ALSO, incidentally, enable Keith to pull a "not a little kid anymore" on Shiro, cementing their new status as "equals" (again, forget S8).

Buff & Pretty: as anime boys, both Keith & Shiro are Pretty. as an astronaut-turned-supersoldier, Shiro starts out BUFF. post-Space Whale family reunion trip, Keith becomes "buffier "but remains very much in Pretty Boy territory.

Romantic Idealists: Shiro was his academy's Poster Boy for a REASON. Keith screamed of "i am angsty because everything i've dreamed of has died" but seems at least 25% returned from the side of cynicism by the end of Voltron (in s7 because, as above, There Is No S8).