#fubuki is popular with women

[badjohnspeakeasy]

I call this one "Unspoken Blizz vs Tornado of Harassment".

Funny story; I I forgot to take out the I and wrote "Bliad" instead of "Blad". When I lamented the mistake, several people told me that it made it four-thousand times funnier.

But for real though, Fubuki is definitely gay, and being a tanktopper is lowkey like being a Mandalorian

[tobiasdrake]

Before running off with Fubuki and enjoying life, I have hangouts to do. Picked up a few while working for Serval. Got one for Desuhiko, Fubuki, and Vivia - Though the bastards aren't letting me see Fubuki's yet. "Progress the Main Story". Okay, jerk.

Probably concerns her Forte, and they don't want to spoil it by having us discuss it before she can show it off. Oh well. Let's get Desuhiko over with so we can move on to Vivia.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Desuhiko likes to get high in his spare time. That disguise bag of his probably makes for a perfect hot-box.

Isn't this the same rooftop that Yakou took us to when we arrived? And that we then took Kurumi to?

I know we're in a fascist police state and all but it nonetheless speaks terribly of Kanai Ward's entertainment options, that the city's #1 most popular recreational activity is is standing on this rooftop.

Yuma trying to figure out a polite way to say that he's been here enough times to be over it.

That's not necessarily true, Yuma. Desuhiko works in information gathering, and you'd be surprised what people will tell to celebrities. Plus, with his Disguise kit, he can be whoever he wants when he's on the job.

Tom Cruise, one of the most recognizable people in the world, was once able to pass unnoticed among people by dressing as a Fedex delivery man. Even sat down and had conversations with people, and nobody pegged him as Tom Cruise.

If he can do it, Desuhiko and his magic bag of shapeshifting certainly can.

Like Halara, Desuhiko's Forte is not something he learned at Xavier's School but a pre-existing talent that he merely honed under their tutelage.

Oh, no, I believe it. You reek of fragile overcompensation. Your powerset is basically an elaborate metaphor for "Come on, baby, I can be whatever you want me to be!" Which men with low self-esteem always think is a more attractive pitch than it actually is.

And I know it's a metaphor for that because I've literally watched you do it. Well, not so much watched as followed the breadcrumb trail of women you failed to hit on with your genius "What kind of guy do you like? I'll become that!' pickup strategy.

I've been there. I get it. But I think you need to step away from the skirt-chasing and go learn to love yourself.

Desuhiko is completely self-taught. He's not even 100% sure what he needs to learn. This would be a good time to bring up his guitar, but he freezes out of ignorance instead.

Kid gives off strong poser energy. I don't get the impression from him that he wants to be, specifically, a singer or dancer or guitarist or actor, or even a Triple Threat. He may not even know what a Triple Threat is.

He has no passion for performance. He just wants to be famous. I think it comes from the same place as his skirt-chasing; Desuhiko craves external validation. He still has low self-esteem; He just, like many fragile overcompensaters, masks it under a veil of aloofness. He's the sort of guy that will tell you to your face that he doesn't care what you think, while visibly caring a great deal about what you think.

[the-nysh]

given the parallels between old bang and garou why is it that bang was portrayed as getting some when we havent seen garou have relations and it feels like the flashback was to show garou as just like young bang. also do you think the reason we dont get female practicioners trying to study under bang is due to either him not letting them to avoid his male students being distracted like he was or due to them hearing about his past and worrying about him hitting on them

Because despite their parallels and surface trait similarities, the point is they're not the same people. :O Garou is not the same type of sleazy, promiscuous fuckboy who'd frivolously fool around with women like young Bang (and Suiryu) did for self-indulgent reasons. Cause Garou is far more dedicated and principled (much more like young Bomb) and seriously goal-oriented than he's often given credit for, but people judging and misunderstanding him (Bang included) for the surface person he isn't, is a very common unfortunate thing his character grapples with - both in-universe and out.

So this is actually quite the lesson for Bang to understand - to see Garou for who he is, and to not see (misinterpret) Garou as a simple projection or repeat/copy case of Bang's former self. :O Because the reasons behind their respective behaviors are very different (just like I've said here.) Anyway you can see much of that difference now - when Bang tries to break the ice with him (with a topic Bang relates to most) by asking him the casual girl question and Garou awkwardly uncomfortably and defensively reacts like 'wtf old man!' So Bang narrowing down Garou's own separate interests (congrats he's a pure honest nerd~) and humoring/listening to him without judgment so that Garou trusts him, is a start towards actually getting to know his boy better and see Garou for himself. (Now hopefully Bang doesn't try to encourage/coerce his past self's bad habits onto Garou or I'll be very disappointed in him! Cause current Bang should know better.)

As for the second part of your question, that was briefly speculated about in the notes of this post, but if Bang intentionally segregated genders (or banned women entirely from learning an appropriate defensive art) for misogynistic reasons like that, then that would reflect very poorly on his character. :O It's more likely he lost sight of his school's original principles (to help defensively empower the weak - which ideally should be open and rated E for everyone who seeks help) by prioritizing the strong, neglecting his students' individual needs by being preoccupied by hero duties, and/or by favoring Garou (already someone gifted) as his successor.

The case could also be that a dojo perceived as popular among men (with no current female students or instructors) does not feel very 'safe' as an inviting enough environment to any passing young girl looking for help - it'd be a telling sign for her to avoid that dojo and look for other welcoming alternatives, rather than any active prejudice (or documented risk of harassment) on Bang's part. (Because current Bang is not distracted working with Fubuki - so that's not a problem for him.) Of course, Bang's history and reputation can also play a part - as Charanko joined just to get more popular with girls (Garou only cared that Bang was strong) if Bang's 'popularity' was ever made public or advertised as a selling point. (Or perhaps Charanko just did his research on Bang before joining, which to any other smart girl doing the same, would be a turn-off if she immediately felt excluded as the wrong target audience.) The other case could be that ONE simply didn't include any of this stuff, to avoid writing about such complications seen from a woman's perspective, as other female martial artists thankfully exist (Suiko, Rin-rin) in opm, so it's not like ONE himself sees the art/profession as something exclusively male.

[twinfoxtails]

“Putting an egg in your ramen makes it ten times better, you know?”

Name: Eri Philomele Age: 16 Gender: Male Job: VTuber (Fuyuki Shirakami) Hobbies: Video Games, Acting, Singing, Cosplay, Fashion, Memelord

Eri Philomele. Also known as the Star Actor of the school, and one overworked boy who barely gets enough sleep with a terrible diet of instant noodles. Has a closet hobby of cosplaying when he's alone, and doesn't seem to think people know it. (Spoilers: Most of them know.)

He is more outgoing and playful than his Gensokyo counterpart, but he lacks the shapeshifting abilities which the latter has. However, due to his singing and acting abilities, he boasts an impressive vocal range and a really good acting ability, although still not as good as his other self. If you like to see key differences between the two, feel free to look here!

Really loves kitsunes, though.

Cheerful and hardworking to the point of overwork, Modern Eri also works as a VTuber as Fuyuki Shirakami, a white-kitsune woman from Hololive known for her bubbly personality, improvisational skills, memes, and just how 'idol-like' she is. She has quite the popular following, and known for rejecting people's advances on being a 'waifu', and calling them a friend instead. (While she's similar to Fubuki in our world, they're not exactly the same, which you can look here)

And just like any other famous idol and VTuber, he has his fair share of harassment as well, getting both sexual advances and explicit pictures sent into both his social media feed and his e-mail as well. But that's for another time.

Cosplay outfit collection:

- Reimu Hakurei - Alice Margatroid - Idol outfit for work - Girls’ School uniform from his school - A white dress given by Nyalter - Another green dress given by Nyalter - Sweet Breaker - Djeeta

Relationships:

Classmates:

- Chen: @nekofantasia​ Local classmate and champion boxer of the school, she’s more of a Virtual Singer, while Eri’s a Virtual Idol. Her ‘alternate’ online persona is Koneko, a male singer who has albums sold in multiple record stores, and Eri’s a BIG fan of them.

- Daiyousei: @theblueempath Eri’s childhood friend, and the only one he doesn’t mind talking to about his ‘cosplay habit’, given how long they’ve known each other. A really sweet girl, and she even lives just next door!

- Wriggle: @mcsesofhope Local bug girl and quite a bit of a gamer as well. Also has a part-time VTuber account playing FPS games.

- Library: @muse-matrix Transfer student and local gacha nerd. Arknights fan and a REALLY good storyteller to boot. Occasionally borrows Eri some of her books for him to read, and he’s scared of her mom too. Also pretty smart and could read Eri like a book-

Outsiders:

- Nyalter: @nyalternatehellkitten AKA the Crossdresser enabler for Eri who kept throwing him women’s outfits at him, much to his dismay(?). Also a REALLY good cook of sandwiches, and works in a casino close to his home.

- Kurumi: @abundleofocs Crossdresser enabler #2. A really good photographer, and a world-known crossplayer to boot, selling multiple albums and even has his own Patreon. Encourages Eri to dress up in cute things as WELL. 

- Masako: @usagichronicles A real kitsune woman which was unlike anything Eri has ever seen before. Coming from the a town named ‘Kaohi’, Masako is pretty much a second mother to Eri has supported him quite alot. Also has shapeshifted him to make him look exactly like Fuyuki to explore her island, yup yup.

- Weaver: @madharemuses A mysterious woman who just recently moved into the same block of Eri’s apartment. She fancies herself as a ‘recruiter’ of sorts, of some kind of ‘talent agency’. He doesn’t think that she’s suspicious, but could be kind of weird. Kind of.

- Seiga: @thathermitwiththehairpin Seiga. He actually doesn’t know much about her, other than how she seems to be really good friends with Nyalter, and looks really pretty to boot. Also, she does carry a knife around, for some reason?

Hololive Coworkers:

- Polka: @musekaiplex​ Local loud clown who sprouts lots of memes and generally a very fun person to be with. Amazing with make-up, and fashion to boot! Also loaned her outfit for Halloween-

- Miko: @elitemikodanye​ Teasing central #1 for Eri. A really great fun to be around with, and pretty much all around nice person! A really bright sun to lighten up everyone’s day when it counts as well.

[runolllo-fanboygirl]

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

I'm going to start by clarifying that these are messages I got in response to my post here /// LINK /// After this, I'm not replying to messages about this kinda thing in a long time. Talking about sexualization and such other topics is important but I'm not in a state to be made the center of it. Please, don't come to my inbox asking for discourse, go and create your own posts if you want to raise awareness or vent.

And now to answer to these new asks:

FIRST OF ALL: while I love the way Murata draws men, robotic stuff, monsters... I actually HATE the way he draws ladies! I prefer their proportions in the OPM anime and games. Murata is literally SO BAD at drawing women compared to the level of expertise he has drawing men, and it's all ‘cos he keeps drawing ladies "the h0rny way". We all know this, let's move on.

"He's drawing all the monster girls sexualized" Did the fact that Manako's genre reveal deconstructs the trope "the default is male" totally go over your head? That Psykos's reveal as a woman running the whole MA was a big deal for this same reason as well? There are a bunch of female monsters… you just assume they're all male unless you see big b00bs and then complain about that very fact. They literally made a whole point about this specifically!

"He changed Mizuki's shorts to p4nties to please fanboys" I liked the shorts better too (just because I find her whole character design a bit more balanced that way) so that change bothered me as well, but the "p4nties" are actually standard athletic wear for competition. Shorts are not. Technically, she’s drawn more accurately now.

"Sports Bras don't work that way he just wants to draw b00bs" neither do the shirts and bodysuits the guys are wearing. You can see all their muscles and manb00bs and cr0tch lines, just as much as with Fubuki and Tatsu's hero outfits and Mizuki's top.

"But when the boys are drawn that way, it's not to please the ladies, it's male power fantasy" THERE IS NO HETEROSEXUAL MALE POWER FANTASY BULLSHIT THAT CAN POSSIBLY EXPLAIN THE WAY MURATA DRAWS GAROU, FLASH, SONIC, STINGER AND SOME OF THE OTHER GUYS. The fact is that the way he draws eye candy of them appeals to other collectives other than the cis het men and he knows exactly what he's doing. Period.

"He constantly draws sexualized art of Mizuki to please the fanboys" Why exaggerate so much? This is simply not true. She's a woman in athlete wear, most of the time she's either standing up talking or fighting, no weird angles or anything. There is like 1 sexy cover of her, the back cover with all the girls in bikinis and then that infamous watermelon sequence. That's all the sexualization you are talking about.

"Mizuki only gets so much screen time because of how much p0rn of her there is" oh yeah Mizuki got a grand total of, like, *drum roll* 1 chapter and a half dedicated to her! Wow! Which is NOTHING taking into consideration how dense Garou's arc is and the fact that they will need at least 2 seasons of the anime to finish it.

But think about this: OPM desperately needed more female presence, in special with the prospect of finishing Garou's arc in the anime. Making anime is hard and COSTLY. Most of the people who is going to watch the anime haven't read the manga and they'll be like "what the heck there are no female characters in this anime for like 3 seasons?" and there is no team that's going to risk it working with such prospects. We know why.

Of all the expansion that Garou's arc got in the manga adaptation (and later in the anime), one of the most sensible and balanced decisions was to add more ladies. They put all those monster ladies for season 2, and then for season 3 we get Manako and Mizuki having some strong presence, Shadow and Kamaitachi there a bit in the back too. It benefits the pace and balance of both the manga and the future season 3 so immensely because Fubuki, Tatsumaki and Psykos take a LOOONG while to be relevant during Garou's Arc… in special with all the filler the manga put in between (but all that filler is of the S-Class boys getting development and a reality check which is kinda important too lol).

Point is: the screentime Mizuki got was VERY necessary to balance things in between of all the relentless Garou fights and the boys being boys. Sure Mizuki is beautiful and sexy and all, but really EVERYONE was waiting for a new female character that was relevant, likeable, fun… and on top of everything, it's so rare to see a strong 2m tall girl in fiction in general, not even just anime. Everyone got instantly excited about her because she's exactly what we needed AND MORE. And sure, people draw p0rn of her like they do with most other popular characters, what did you expect.

"The ladies are always more sexualized-" YES, in the OPM manga, the ladies are a little more sexualized than the men –but not by much AND not during plot stuff. By that I mean that most of the so called "sexualizing the girls" happens in the covers, back covers and promotional art very exclusively, and not during the story itself. HOWEVER, a lot of the sexy men bits do happen during the story, curiously.

 In the anime though, there is almost zero ladies fanservice (which makes sense since there is almost no female presence in the first 2 seasons anyway). Yet it's full of naked dudes, sometimes for a good reason, but mostly just so we can look at them being sexy and silly.

 I personally don't care if the man candy and ladies fanservice is not perfectly even in Murata's manga adaptation, because there is enough of both in his work, as well as other official OPM stuff like the anime and games to bring a very nice balance in the s3xy department.

 "The way the women are dressed-" Most of the background ladies are wearing skirt uniforms and shit, but all the relevant ladies primarily dress in nothing you can call "sexualized" except for maybe Tatsumaki with her strong leg game. To recall:

 Lilly wears the same as the men of the Blizzard Group; Twin Tail just dresses like a jester; Mizuki is the first to show so much skin, but she's still wearing real standard competition wear for athletes. All the other sportwomen (Hornet and Swim) and martial artists (Shadow, Suiko, Lin Lin) wear standard clothes for their respective professions too. Sure we've seen Shadow wearing some, uh, ninja bikini thing under her ACTUAL work clothes, but for actual fights she's fully dressed and surprisingly not stuffed in a tiny nylon bodysuit that rips like stocking, like all the ninja men in the series do lmao.

Fubuki and Tatsumaki are, like, the only ones wearing dresses and they can because they use psychic powers anyway. Fubuki doesn't even show ANY skin, ever! She just happens to have big b00bs! Kamaitachi is the other one wearing a "skirt" but it's similar to what Japanese martial artists would wear, too.

So, again… all this sexualization we are talking about is not even happening anywhere except in Murata's covers and some promotional art. ONE is famous for treating ladies very fairly, even if Murata tries very hard to exploit the sexy out of every single of the ladies ONE creates. All these ladies have their own agenda and personality that have nothing to do with being pretty or f*ckable. In fact, in-universe, no one ever mentions if the heroines are beautiful or sexy and no one ever talks about liking them for those reasons (except for Lilly and Erika who are gay for Fubuki and Tatsumaki respectively, amazingly enough no hetero characters mention it). I think the first time we've ever seen a relevant character talking about dating another relevant character is when Suiryu told Saitama and Suiko to date (but Suiryu is the resident h0rny fuckboy of the series, if someone was going to say something so stupid for all the wrong reasons, it was going to be him).

For being an adult series, a seinen that parodies shonen tropes and all, OPM is seriously very tame in the sexy ladies department. For this series, the sexy is just a luxurious accessory, just one more little thing. It's always pretty weird when people get so angry and disappointed about a new sexy girl cover or a couple of compromising panels, like they don't know what to expect.

 "He only draws that way to please the h0rny fanboys" Murata IS a h0rny fanboy himself and draws shit that appeals to him as much as he feels he’s allowed to insert in the series. Please remember he's the insane fanboy that reached up to ONE to beg him to continue One Punch Man and offered to make a manga adaptation to promote OPM.

From the moment Murata started drawing OPM, the tone of the manga was set and never changed: lots of blood and guts, comical and non-comical nudity, irreverence, sexy angles, Genos ripping his shirts off, ninjas in body suits that rip like they are nylons… people in shirts, tanktops and dresses so tight you can see all their muscles, boobs and even belly buttons whether they are men or women or otherwise… h0rny chapter covers, stupidly h0rny monsters…

Just reading the manga to the point where Genos and Mosquito Girl first appear, you know what you are in for with OPM. I don't know what some fans are expecting to see in OPM next, but I'm going to take a wild guess here and say: you should expect more of the same.

 At the end of the day, the manga is Murata's work with ONE, and if he likes drawing h0rny ladies more than boys, that's how things are! This is just 2 guys with their passion project. I don't expect of them the same as if there was a bigger team with a big budget behind the series, like it happens with many games and shows. In this last case, I would be a lot stricter about all this, because with more resources you're expected to do better things.

[satoshi-mochida]

Bandai Namco has released new information and screenshots for “Brain Punk” action RPG Scarlet Nexus introducing the game’s world, dual protagonists, and characters Arashi Spring, Shiden Ritter, Kyoka Eden, Kagero Donne, Naomi Randall, and Cullen Travers.

Get the details below.

■ World

Long ago, deranged mutants known as “Others” began to descend from the sky with a hunger for human brains. Humanity had no choice but to lead an enclosed life on the earth’s surface, but thanks to highly developed science and technology based on “psionics,” extra-sensory abilities that everyone has by nature, all things in world were connected by a large-scale network.

In this world where brain science has developed beyond convention, an army to oppose the Others known as the “Others Suppression Force” (OSF) was formed in New Himuka.

The OSF is an army of soldiers that possess exceptionally powerful abilities called “powers,” and are the only ones with the strength to annihilate the Others.

For the people, the members of the OSF are heroes, stars, and role models. This era was long-lasting, and the Others are now perceived as a natural phenomenon in the vein of thunderstorms and typhoons in that battles against the Others are an unfortunate occurrence that exist as an extension of everyday life.

The OSF will be joined by new recruits against this year. They, too, are forced to fight on the frontlines of the never-ending battle between humanity and the Others.

Experience a deep story of human connection from Bandai Namco Studios and the developers behind the Tales of series.

—New Himuka: A near-future world developed by psionics.

—The story of superpowered humans with particularly outstanding strength.

The Others

A threat to humanity that has existed since ancient times. Deranged mutants that descended from the sky with a hunger for human brains.

Others Suppression Force

A group of humans with powers formed to protect the people from the Others.

Their standout features are red cables and hoods. They are known as the “Scarlet Guardians.”

■ Dual Protagonists

Scarlet Nexus has two protagonists: Yuito Sumeragi, whose life was saved by a member of the OSF at a young age; and Kasane Randall, an elite scouted by the OSF who was always at the top of her class in training school. A dramatic story await players from the perspectives of two protagonists who have joined the OSF as new recruits.

Players will start the game by choosing one of the two protagonists. Which protagonist you choose is up to you. By playing as both protagonists, previously unseen truths behind certain events will come to light, such as conflicts between OSF soldiers and the “Red Strings” that hold the key to the story. The fate of the world is at hand.

■ Characters

Arashi Spring (voiced by Yui Horie)

“Being able to selfishly slack off whenever I want is something a grownup gets to do.”

Power: Hypervelocity

Service Record in the OSF: 29 Years

As the face of the OSF, she works as public relations and has enthusiastic fans of all ages and genders, but the hard working, cheerful, and sweet girl she plays on screen is only a persona for the camera. In truth, she is a sloth who is more enthusiastic about playing slacking off than she is working. Some of her teammates even tease her with the nickname “Lazy Ara” since as soon as the cameras go off, she loosens up and slacks off.

However, her true abilities are rumored to be on par with those of the “Septentrion,” and she is a also a gifted engineer. If she is motivated enough, her calmness and brilliant mind are extremely reliable assets. She is also the older sister of Fubuki Spring, the commander of the 1st Regiment of the OSF Arm. While she may seem younger than Fubuki at first glance due to the effects of anti-aging drugs, she is in fact the older one.

Shiden Ritter (voiced by Kengo Kawanishi)

“I don’t plan on being your friend.”

Power: Electrokinesis

Service Record in the OSF: 14 Years

A twisted and cruel OSF soldier with a sharp tongue. His high sense of pride, slight negativity, and highly strict nature tend to cause problems for his teammates. He did not get along with the commanding officer of his previous platoon and was reassigned to a new platoon where he teamed up Kasane. His ability in combat, however, is outstanding, and his results on the battlefield make up for his bad attitude.

He does not shy away from complimenting those stronger than himself, and both admires and longs to become as strong as the seven members of the “Septentrion.” Above all, he has particular respect for Seto Narukami, who possesses the same “Electrokinesis” power as him.

Kyoka Eden (voiced by Yumi Hara)

“We can’t just abandon people who need our help. Let’s do what we can.”

Power: Duplication

Service Record in the OSF: 29 Years

As an OSF member gifted with beauty and brains, Kyoka’s name is widely known. While she has many fans both inside and outside of the force, she herself does not seem very interested in her appearance. She is great at looking after her units and often oversees platoons as a result. She usually has a kind and gentle air about her, but becomes an entirely different and dauntless person in battle.

She considers the members of her unit to be like family, and shows a strong motherly side in that she is devoted to her comrades and subordinates to the point of nosiness. She loves things like jinxes, good-luck charms, and fortune-telling, and cannot help but try out each new one she discovers. She and Arashi graduated in the same class and know each other very well.

Kagero Donne (voiced by Daisuke Namikawa)

“Man, my invisibility power really saved the day!”

Power: Invisibility

Service Record in the OSF: 12 Years

A sociable, somewhat frivolous young man. He was scouted by the OSF after becoming an adult, which is much later than usual, and is commonly referred to as the “adult enlistment.” With his handsome appearance and silver tongue, he can get along with anyone and get himself out of any situation. According to himself, he is especially popular with women. The mood maker of the party, he is calm in a pinch and jokes around even in the direst times, but never seems faltered. He is an immigrant from Togetsu, a priest of their faith. However, he does not appear interested in their teachings anymore. His past is the only aspect of his life that he is secretive about.

Naomi Randall (voiced by Asuka Nishi)

“Kasane is the type of person who is easily misunderstood, so I would worry if I’m not by her side.”

Power: Precognition

Kasane’s kind and somewhat reserved adoptive older sister. As the eldest daughter of the wealthy Randall family, she grew up comfortably as a princess doted on by her parents. However, she is selfless, treats everyone equally, and possesses the integrity and strength to side with the weak and crush the strong. Although she is the same age as Kasane, she treats the adopted Kasane like a younger sister. She loves Kasane like a real sister and shows her affection from the bottom of her heart. She supports Kasane often, who tends to clash with others.

Cullen Travers (voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama)

“Don’t waste my time.”

Power: ???

The commander of the 2nd Regiment of the OSF Army, and the order of the 1st class of the “Septentrion.” Even among the OSF’s most remarkable, his abilities are particularly outstanding. Since he is untalkative, self-confident, and does not mince words, he is sometimes described as arrogant. However, his overwhelming charisma and strength are irresistible assets that many members of the OSF admire.

As Luka’s older brother, they have lived together as siblings without other relatives. He is also childhood friends with Fubuki, the commander of the 1st Regiment of the OSF Army, with whom he graduated in the same class. Together, the two are known as the matchless duo of the OSF.

Scarlet Nexus is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in summer 2021. Read more about the game here, here, here, and here. Read our in-depth preview here and watch the latest trailer here.

View the screenshots at the gallery.

[usagienforcer]

Days Gone By, Returned

@volatilepaths

There were two protectors of the shrine. Both of them wore clothing incredibly far out of fashion to the point of novelty, and both of them had a sword on their hips. Though the more astute could notice it was the same sword, few who commonly visited took notice of them. They were simply part of the shrine. 

One was tall, and she always had a ghost of a smile. One was short, androgynous and somewhat moody looking, rarely smiling. No matter who was there on any given day, they never looked out of place. 

The tall one seemed much nicer to be about, for she seemed to indulge somewhat in a fad -- upon her head seemed to be fox ears, at her hip a mask, from her clothes six tails, the same colour as her hair. Kids liked her more than the other. None suspected that the fad she was indulging in was no fad at all, but in fact real. The moody one wasn’t approached much. She sported nothing of the sort. 

The shrine didn’t get many worshipping visitors, anyways - positioned as it was near some of the more popular tourist destinations, the majority of visitors were simply the curious, forever taking pictures. The guards, no matter which one was present, were as much part of the shrine and its spectacle as the shrine itself. There were perhaps hundreds or thousands of pictures out there of these guards, taken over the three decades since the tall one began to guard it one day, and neither of them had aged at all. Not that anybody noticed.

Few suspected that both women were one and the same. Her note in history being one of incredibly minor proportions, nobody would ever recognise the short and moody one as being identical to somebody who had fought with or against some of the most famous lords and samurai in the Sengoku period.

Nobody who hadn’t lived that era, at least. 

“Hello.” Said the seemingly-moody guard, who seemed to be the one working today. Her taciturn face developed a ghost of a smile. There was a visitor.

“Welcome, Traveler-han.” Yet there seemed to be something familiar about this woman. It was the first time she’d ever seen her, however. “I am Kawakami Fubuki. Are you here to visit the shrine, or...?”

[flashyslash-moved]

Garou

favorite thing about them: His personality. I am always amused by his post-teen testosterone fueled attitude that is really a mask for his emo ‘lets save the humans’ angst. (personality, for me, enhances sex appeal so thats why i didn’t say the obvious answer which would be his abs. Abs have to be attacked to someone cool. Saitama has abs and I rarely take interest in him)

least favorite thing about them: Sorry, but his horn hair. I’m not into the super saiyan look anymore. Quietly hoping when his monster form is shattered he really will have shorter hair.

favorite line: “You’re tellin’ me to grow a pair of horns, or somethin’?” Because it’s a nod for people who read the webcomic.

brOTP: Saitama. The way things appeared during their fight, it seemed a little like Saitama could end up being sort of a mentor to Garou at some point. Saitama called him sweet and didn’t sense any evil in him, and probably knew he was just misguided. And maybe he could take an interest in Garou’s “monster hobby” being like his hero hobby. They seem like the two main characters (or Garou being the secondary main) and Garou had no choice but to submit to Saitama’s vast superiority, so a vendetta wouldn’t be necessary. Although Garou might not care for Saitama’s interest in being a hero for fun rather than saving the world for justice and might not think he deserves that power.

OTP: Fubuki/Garou. Even though this is similar to Badd/Garou (see below) in that they haven’t interacted besides some violent and frightening encounters during the MA, we know both of them pretty well, and I think they could connect based on their similarities. I have no idea in the slightest how Garou is around women, but I have a feeling based on how he is with kids that he wouldn’t be aggressive. A lot of garouxreader fics out there that think differently, but w/e. Fubuki, although beautiful and perfect and popular, is a weak psychic, and I think that matters to her more than her popularity status. She does flaunt it around, but probably because she wants others to see that instead of her weakness. She is second best, no matter how hard she tries, and that’s basically Garou all over. Garou has just recently found out he’s not going to ever get his dream of being the highest being, so now he could understand Fubuki’s lifetime perspective. They’re stuck just below the alphas. And I’ll just say this, from my personal opinion, out of all the characters, male or female, she’d look the hottest draped all over him. Next closest is Sonic. That’s not true for everyone but this is my ask so I can say what I want.

nOTP: Badd/Garou. Sorry I get that it’s popular but I don’t know why, and that’s mostly why I don’t like it. It’s just kind of annoying, like that shocked pikachu meme. They don’t know each other, we’ve barely seen any of Badd’s backstory or how he could connect with Garou emotionally, their only interaction was a battle to establish a growth in Garou’s power, and all Batrou fan content is out of character and way too fluffy. It just doesn’t make sense to me and also I see so much of it in the Garou tag. When you see a ship you’re indifferent to constantly being zapped into your eyes, at some point it becomes psychological torture (not that I’m bothered enough by it that I’d leave the Garou tag, there’s some damn fine content in there). Tbh it almost feels like it’s just a fantasy ship where they’re only slapped together because of age similarity or something 🤔 That’s just my feelings on the matter anyway.

random headcanon: His mom died, possibly recently, and his dad is a drunk who beats him. I'm sorry but I never imagined him having a stable home life.

unpopular opinion: I sometimes think Saitama might end up a villain somehow and Garou could be the one to stop him. Maybe not physically but he just seems like too significant a character and kind of an opposite to Saitama that it would make more sense for Saitama to be weakened in another way by him. I don’t know how, it’s just a headcanon that is very unpopular.

song i associate with them: Korn - “Thoughtless″. I don’t care that it’s not 2003 anymore.

favorite picture of them:

I know I’m not alone here. 

[signutai]

20 for Twin Tail/Shadow Ring 🖤🧡

[inazuma-eleven-translations]

Animage June 2011

Inazuma Heroes, 10 years later! Inazuma GO is set in Inazuma’s world 10 years later. All of our readers sent in so many ideas about what they want Endou and the others to do!

~Picture captions~ Kidou and Fudou: ‘Along with inheriting his family business, Kidou will become coach of Teikoku! Fudou could become CEO of a successful business or something, haha.’ -Almost everyone unanimously agrees that Fudou will successfully climb the corporate ladder.

Burn and Gazel: ‘Soccer senseis!’ -Cool as a cucumber Suzuno gets glasses. They suit him!

Endou and Gouenji: 'They want to play soccer peacefully! They both become representatives for Japan and keep winning!’ -This golden combination hasn’t changed after 10 years!

Kazemaru, Fubuki, Hiroto: 'My three favorite characters! Kazemaru - Guidance councilor for the track club! It would be cool if he cut his hair! Hiroto - He works for the Sun Garden. I’d love if he straightened his hair again. Fubuki - Coach for Hakuren! If he would cut his hair just a little I’d be happy! I want to draw more characters but these are my favorites. I think Endou won’t change too much…’ -There were a lot of people who wanted Kazemaru to cut his hair.

Tachimukai: -It seems like Tachimukai will become a good man

Gouenji, Kazemaru and Fubuki: 'Gouenji - I definitely want him to become a doctor. And I wonder if Shuuya and Yuka’s Dad and Toramaru’s mother will remarry… Kazemaru - He continues playing soccer with Endou up to high school and becomes a representative for Japan after that. If he became a track and field player, I feel like he’d be popular with girls, haha. Fubuki - As for the almighty Fubuki, since his bond with Atsuya is in soccer he has to continue that no matter what. Personally I think he’d be great with kids.’ -You definitely won’t rule out the possibility of Gouenji becoming a doctor?

Hiroto: 'He’ll definitely become something like an astronomer! It would be good if he still plays soccer sometimes too.’ -There were a lot of people who wanted him to do something related to astrology!

Handa and Max: -doesn’t the suit suit you, Handa-san

Osamu: -Ohh! Hiroto and the others are small! Haha.

Megane: -Our editing team is waiting for you!

High school Yuka: -Shuuya is proud of his little sister’s growth!

Fubuki: -His beauty has been polished!

Chensoo, Aphrodi, Gazel and Burn: 'Aphrodi - A Korean Star - I don’t want him to marry… G&B - I want them to stay this way, together after 10 years!’ -It just feels right to give Chensoo a beard!

As for opinions about what the others will do~ Endou: A representative for Japan! Gouenji: A doctor. If he wears his hair down and straight and wears glasses he’ll be striking (Translator’s notes: If he did this d get sick just to visit him)/When Yuka-chan gets a boyfriend he will cry out loud. Kidou: In any case, he’ll graduate in his goggles and cape! / He’ll get full marks on his Japanese exam! Kazemaru: He’ll happily be captain forever Kabeyama and Kurimasu: A comedy duo! Fubuki: He’ll continue his studies to college, and live with Someoka!/ He’ll become captain of Hakuren and play against Raimon / He’ll become a ski teacher in Hokkaido. He’ll still be as popular as ever./ What if his personality suddenly became like Atsuya? Aki: A nurse for Raimon Junior Rika/ Touko/ Reina: They win the Japanese women’s cup! Tsunami: Become a world renowned pro-surfer Natsumi: Become governor of Raimon Junior Haruna: A sports reporter for a magazine Fideo: An MVP for European soccer Hiroto: Number one HOST!!! Midorikawa: Open an ice-cream shop. Please sell matcha ice cream./ Work as nursery school teacher at Sun Garden and teach small kids soccer Kidou-loving Sakuma will become a secretary for Kidou corp. Genda will become a handsome nursery school teacher. Sakuma: A penguin caretaker. The penguins surely adore him. Ichinose: His wish came true and America becomes a big soccer country! / He makes his debut as an idol! Tobitaka: Policeman. Aliea Top5: They continue to run Father’s company together Aphrodi: A magazine model. He has angel wings in photos. — Translator’ Notes: I’d love to hear your opinion! What do you guys think? Some were accurate… Some not so much… Fudou climbing the corporate ladder lmao…

[himetsuri]

The Future is in Your Hands

[Mt. Amagi is a real mountain range that is completely unrelated to Miroku]

The news of Fubuki and Ian’s wedding and Ageha’s return had reached even their former allies, including the man working at the hospital Elmore established, “Heaven’s Tree.” “Sensei is mine! You’re too ugly to even be near him!” “What!? Sensei is super nice, so he just ‘feels bad’ for you! But you think it’s something else! How embarrassing~” “Now, now, you two. Let’s all be nice to each other.” Shinonome Lan, user of the ability “Trick Room,” was currently in a bind, caught between two girls.

“Hmph! I know what you did! You went on a date in the yard with that boy in the room next to yours, that Masato-kun! You’re a cheater!” “N-No…he wouldn’t stop asking me, so…don’t listen to her, Sensei, we were just playing together!” “Hm, I see…erm…” Shinonome did his best to appease the two young ladies, all the while wondering where exactly these young girls around five or six years of age learned to talk like characters in an afternoon TV drama. Shinonome Lan–––due to the experience of having his younger sister in a coma for a long period of time, he’d decided to pursue medicine in order to try and save as many people suffering from illness or injury as he could. Additionally, thanks to his natural aptitude for looking after others and his love for children, he boasted an incredible popularity as a pediatrician among the children. Perhaps too much, as many fervent squabbles over him broke out between girls under the age of ten in the women’s ward. “Good grief…I’m glad they like me well enough, but when it goes over the top like that it gets exhausting…” Having finally pacified the two girls, he was rubbing his shoulders as he headed back to his office when one of his nurses notified him of a phone call. “Your friend, Yumeji-san, is on the line.” “Haru…!?” Yumeji Haruhiko–––he possessed the ability of “Shocker” and had been friends with Shinonome since high school. “L-Lan…you gotta help me…” “What, you want more money? What was it this time? Bandits? Or maybe pirates? A golden opportunity, if you ask me. Go off on your own Age of Exploration, overflowing with hopes and dreams!” Shinonome and Haruhiko shared an over ten-year-old bond, since their high school days, that they couldn’t break even if they wanted to.* However, Haruhiko loved gambling, despite being poor at it. He wasn’t foolish enough to ruin his whole life with it, but he was always running to Shinonome to borrow money. “I…I’m dead…they’re gonna kill me…” But this wasn’t his usual flippant tone; this was a tone filled to the brim with the fear of death, and, realizing this, Shinonome looked towards the receiver and inquired further. “Hn!? O-Oi…what’s going on, Haru? What happened!?” “Save me…at this rate, I’m gonna…I’m gonna die…they’re…monsters!!!”

At the same time, in a room of a certain apartment complex in Tokyo. “Aahh~ Man, I could down bottles of this celebratory alcohol forever~!!” This was truly a hellscape. The apartment’s living room was practically flooded with alcohol bottles. There was beer and sake, of course, but there was also shochu, awamori, brandy and tequila, rum and sherry and gin, vodka, doburoku and makgeolli and Shaoxing wine, wine and whiskey, rolling around by the cask. “It’s, y’know, oi! When y’keep knockin’ it back all day, y’get this nice feelin’ like all your worries just melt away…there’s just no words to describe how nice it feels, yep!” The one in very high spirits and gulping down alcohol was the former Psyren Drifter, Yagumo Matsuri. Above her hung a banner, already half falling down, with the message “A Night-Before Party to Celebrate Ian-kun’s Marriage” written on it. Written below that, however, was something any normal person would find hard to believe. –––“#32.” She had been holding night-before parties for one week straight now. To Yagumo Matsuri, a night-before party wasn’t a “party” held “the night before.” It was a “party” held up to “the night before.” She had a life force that far surpassed that of any normal person, one that allowed her to even endure the poison of Yusaka’s “Candyman,” but that was due precisely to her ability to quickly metabolize alcohol and wasn’t something any good kid or bad kid, good adult or bad adult, should try to emulate. That being said, the ones participating in this banquet were three bad–––or rather, stupid adults. “Fuhahahahahahaha…nah, nah, nah, I still can’t believe yous gettin’ hitched t’Ageha’s sister…’grats, man, now bottoms up…” “Fufufufufufufufu…well, well well, look at you, just pouring it in there…ahh, thank you, thank you…guh!? Ka-Kagetora…wh-what is this…” “Heheheh, s’my special stock a’ bourbon…th’strongest one I gots, wit’ enough kick ta power a generator…” “Wh-Why, you…” In front of Matsuri-sensei, who was sitting at the heart of the room upon a stack of ten cushions and chugging alcohol like the boss of a group of bandits, there were two men, whose faces were some mixture of pale and deathly and sunken, filling each other’s glasses with uncanny smiles: Hyoudou Kagetora and, the one who should’ve been the star of this banquet, Ian. “Ugh…m-my mouth hurts…khh…a-anyways, it’s my turn now…here’s your fill, drink up…” “Tch…stubborn bastard, ain’tcha…whoa-hoa dere now…watch how much y’put in dere, dumbass…whoa…” The two of them had clashed many a time over Yagumo Matsuri. In the end, Yagumo Matsuri had chosen to wed Kagetora, who had even accepted the curse of PSYREN that she bore in his desire to be with her. “Gghhk!? Y-You sonuva…Ian…what da hell is this…” “Kukukukuku…why, it’s vintage mirin…p-packs a punch, huh…?” “Y-You bastard…kuhh…not bad…” But that had been close to ten years ago, and Ian had long decided to leave it in the past. He bore no ill-will towards Yagumo Matsuri, either; rather, he gave them his blessings in his usual foul-mouthed way by saying, “The only man fit to be with you, if not me, would be that idiot and no one else, so you made a wise decision.” “N-Now’s my turn…time ta drink up some vodka shipped directly from Poland, a real treasure dat’s gotta 96% alcohol level…” “Gbahh! M-My throat burns! Haah, haah…o-okay, have some vinegar…straight from here.” “Ggghh!? You…dat ain’t even alcohol! F-Fine, bring it on, y’scuzzbag…and for yous–––” Neither of them hated or despised the other. Kagetora was truly happy for Ian’s wedding from the bottom of his heart, and Ian, as well, was grateful from the bottom of his heart. They were actually, as evidenced by the fact that they’d fallen for the same woman, quite similar. “Guhaa!?” “Gurk!?” One might easily call them best friends, though to the point onlookers would think the opposite, and they were both pigheadedly difficult and couldn’t forthrightly congratulate each other, which led to their current situation. “Ooh, ni~ce, ni~ce, keep goin’, keep goin’, kehehaha!” As she watched the two men before her writhe in pain, Yagumo Matsuri downed another cup.

Back to “Heaven’s Tree”––– “–––That’s the whole story! Please, Lan! Help a guy out…I can’t drink anymore…if I fall asleep they try to pour alcohol into me using whatever openings they can find…’do somethin’ funny,’ they say, ’n make me do some sort of shtick for them, but it doesn’t matter if it’s crap or funny ‘cause they slap me around either way…what the hell is with that Godsister bitch–––!!?”** Yumeji Haruhiko had been forced to participate in this drinking party that pushed one’s physical limits, and he was at the point where it wasn’t just his body and mind that were at their limits but his very life was in danger, too. “Ah…” Even from across the phone, Haruhiko’s screams of anguish and fear were palpable. Lan had attended only one of that indomitable woman’s banquets before, but his memories of it abruptly cut off partway through. He had awoken in a hospital bed and seen Ian standing with a face that seemed to say, “Humph, it happened again,” so he could imagine things had gotten quite dangerous. Additionally, his head started to hurt whenever he’d try to remember that event. When he asked his friend, a therapist, about it, he was told that “it had been such a traumatic experience that his brain was purposely making it so he couldn’t remember it.” “Lan…I don’t wanna die…I wanna see Chika-chan one more time…please…please save me…” “…” Then, there were voices in the background. Whispering voices, saying things that sounded like, “A~hn…where’d that Haruhiko go off to…” “Bastard’s got balls ta run off after we so graciously invited ‘im here…” “No, I can sense someone. He hasn’t gone far…” Most likely, Haruhiko had seen his chance for escape on this seventh day of partying, when the three demons were expectedly less attentive, and hidden himself away to call for help. But finally connecting with a normal human being must’ve set him too at ease and dulled his stress-induced vigilance. “Please, Lan! I’m in Tokyo–––” “Haruhiko–––!! They’re behind you, run–––!” “Huh–––gyaaaaaaaaaaa!?” Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep… With that last scream of a poor soul being dragged down into hell, the line went dead. “…” Shinonome closed his eyes and fell into deep thought–––and then, he quietly lowered the receiver and began walking off with unwavering conviction. (Forgive me, Haru! I don’t want to die yet…I have children waiting for me!) He looked up towards the sky with apologies to his friend in his heart. There, it was almost as if he could see Haruhiko’s bright smiling face–––

*

Elsewhere, around the same time, rumors began circulating amongst the inhabitants near Mt. Amagi of the mysterious explosion-like noises from deep within the mountain range and of the voice of a girl carried by the wind, saying things such as, “Are ya stupid, stupid–––!?” and “You useless, good-for-nothin’ wannabe geezer–––” and “Don’t you dare run away, Van–––” But, that was unrelated, as Kirisaki Touji’s mansion was situated amongst completely different mountains. “So? Things going all right…?” “We~ell…they’re goin’ good enough, I guess…I’m making sure to keep myself alive, if nothing else.” Kirisaki Touji was a former war photographer, now journalist, and before him was Kirisaki Kabuto, who had a more undaunted look to him now but retained the same frivolous tone as always. “Well, ‘not dead’ is good enough for me…I’m just glad to see you’re doing well…but when I heard you were coming back after so long, I didn’t expect you to make a beeline straight to my place. You trying to make me cry? Did you at least stop by to see your mom?” “Ah, I’ll be headed back home tomorrow…more importantly, you see…I was thinkin’ about how happy I’d be to borrow a little bit of funding for my work…” “And he~re we are again…for god’s sake…you already took off with my beloved camera, didn’t you…? That’s far from cheap.” “Geh, you found out? Whoops…” In response, Kabuto started laughing with that troublesome expression that hadn’t changed at all since his teens. “Honestly…you’re a lost cause, you know that?” Before, Touji would’ve seen a lot of his own past mischief in his rascal of a nephew and spoiled him, but not anymore. The change had come ten years ago–––when Kabuto had gone missing all of a sudden yet then returned with the face of an adult. “I’ll definitely return it to you soon, along with the money from today…I won’t waste it.” “Don’t worry about it, I’ve no doubts you’ll be able to get more varied shots with it than I could with this leg of mine. I’ll give it to you.” So Touji didn’t hassle him anymore about it and ended it off by giving a wry smile of his own. “Anyways, the reason you came back this time…your old friend’s wedding, huh?” “Unya, my old friend’s sister’s wedding…I mean, I know her, too, but it’s kinda more for the hubby, really. I…learned a lot from him.” “Oh? You attended school enough to feel obliged to a teacher? That’s news to me.” “No, no, that’s not quite it…he’s, er, more like a coach.”*** Touji, still not completely understanding, was about to question further when the doorbell rang. Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!!! “The hell’s going on…? Alright, hold on, I’m coming!” The person on the other side of the door must’ve really been in a rush or something, because they were ringing the doorbell like crazy. “No worries, Ojiki, I’ll get it.” Thinking of Touji’s prosthetic leg, Kabuto stood and unlocked the door before turning the knob. “Hello~o, who is…” “Hey there, Kirisaki-kun, it’s been a while!” Before Kabuto could even fully open the door, it swung open as if a pushy salesman was there trying to force his pitch and revealed one of the other former Psyren drifters, Mochizuki Oboro. “O-Oboro…what the…” “My, this does bring me back! I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Now, if you would excuse me…” Slipping past Kabuto, Oboro walked right in and began looking around. “O-Oi…who the hell are you?” Touji was left bewildered by their sudden intruder. After all, this attractive young man, who should’ve been a total stranger, was walking around his house as if he’d been here once before. “I’m certain…it was around here…that hidden door to the underground shelter!” “Oi!?” The only ones who should’ve known about the underground shelter in Kirisaki Touji’s mountain villa were himself and Kabuto. “Ah, you must be Kirisaki-kun’s uncle…you look so different from when we first met that I’m afraid I didn’t recognize you. Well, you were a mummy, at the time.” “Huh? What in blazes are you talking about…” “It’s fine…I remember the code…I’m quite good at remembering these sorts of sequences. 235…7…7…there we are.” Despite this, Oboro quickly found the hidden door and descended the stairs, mumbling incomprehensible things as he pushed the buttons and made his way inside, even locking the door behind him. “Oi, Kabuto!? Who the hell is that? You told him about the shelter!? …Hm, hold on, you said Oboro…is he Mochizuki Oboro!? How on earth do you know the ‘nobleman of the business world’!?” “Ah~ y’see~ um~…some things happened, and…” Obviously Touji wouldn’t let this slide unexplained, but once again, before any answer could be given, the doorbell rang. “Preeeeesideeeent!!! Where are you!? Someone saw you come in heeeeere! You can’t hide from me so get out here, now!!!” This intruder took advantage of the fact that the door was unlocked to barge in uninvited, pushing Kabuto aside and not giving Touji any chance to speak up before beginning her manhunt, looking through all of the rooms and closets and the toilet and the bath and ending off in the kitchen, where she even checked the cupboards. Her name was Matsumoto Kiyomi–––the woman who was once Mochizuki Oboro’s manager. After the end of the fighting in the PSYREN world, Mochizuki Oboro declared he was “tired of it” and quit the entertainment industry. He then made his sudden debut as a light novelist and was a big hit, until he also grew “tired of it” and moved on to be a painter. His first work went for ¥20 million at Sothesby’s Auction House and it seemed he was on his way to become famous yet again, but, as expected, he “grew tired of it” and this time decided to use all his earnings to start a business. This biochemical enterprise, which was formed solely to sate Oboro’s whims, had come up with new innovative techniques in three years. Currently, it had become big enough to boast close to 100 billion gross sales per year. “Mochizuki…so it really is that Mochizuki…” Touji knew nothing about Oboro the actor. But he knew the name from day trading and from magazines about economics. “How dare you just leave some note saying, ‘I’ve grown tired of it so I’m giving the business to Matsumoto-san’! Will you never grow up and grow out of this ridiculous irresponsibility and fickleness!? Aaaargghhh!!!” Matsumoto had worried that Oboro would crash and burn after leaving the entertainment industry and quit as well, but this had ended up landing her as his secretary. Matsumoto went on her rampage–––or so it seemed, but, while she searched the house, she never discovered the shelter hidden beneath the floor and she ended up leaving with faint traces of tears welling at the corners of her eyes. “Do you think I worry for you solely because I want money, you idiot…?” Kabuto heard her say as she passed. It reminded him ever so slightly of the voice of his mother over the phone, whenever she fretted over him. “…Has she left?” After several minutes went by, Oboro tentatively opened the door. “Come on~…you’re loaded; what more could you need?” “Hahaha, I have no interest in money. What matters most to me is having an artistic and fantastic and eccentric life!” Oboro, former actor, said this without picking up on any of the sarcasm and with specific movements only fitting of an actor. “Now then, what shall I do next? …Hm, Ageha-kun has finally returned, so perhaps I should set off on the journey, as well, this time… I can’t imagine I’d ever be bored with him.” “You…know that’s a terrible idea, right? Amamiya-chan will slice you up for lunch. ‘Specially…the other one.” “I believe that girl and I are on the same wavelength, though.” Oboro shrugged as he said this and Kabuto shot him a cold glare.

~~~~~~

[Notes: *The word used to describe Lan and Haruhiko’s relationship is a bit tricky, because it means “a relationship you want to break off but can’t.” This can be in a positive or negative meaning; it can signify something like a “we’re stuck together” relationship that indicates the two are very close, or it can be for something like an “on/off” relationship where the two constantly bicker and argue but always inevitably get back together/never actually break things off. **This is one of famous singer Wada Akiko’s nicknames, basically used like a female version of “the Godfather.” ***More accurately, Kabuto refers to Ian as a “master,” or a teacher for martial arts or something similar. Ojiki is Kabuto’s way of referring to his uncle, like an endearing way instead of just calling him ‘uncle.’]

← Part 1 | Part 3 →

[drink-n-watch]

Time has always been a very fluid construct in fiction. Once you’re no longer bound by time, it can become suddenly very difficult to keep linear timelines straight! This week Steins;Gate 0 yet again played with time and just a little with our minds. Although only two weeks have actually gone by since the last episode of Steins;Gate 0 and the one time between four hiatus, in he show, several months have passed since Kagari’s sudden disappearance and the team is at an impasse.

it’ll be alright – oh wait…you’re in Steins;Gate….

This is probably yet another manifestation of my bias but I found this extremely clever. The forced break between episodes imposed a certain pacing that will be sadly lost on binge viewers. The montage of grief, frustration and finally resignation shown by the characters as they fruitlessly tried to find any trace of Kagari, had that much more impact for it.

After discovering it in the last minutes of the last episode, the mysterious facility Moeka and Okabe went to, failed to provide any clues and was ultimately destroyed offscreen with no more than a split second mention. I had been thinking about that place for weeks. Okabe’s disappointment was mine. We see that after all these months life has settled back into a semblance of normalcy for our heroes.

I actually paused the episode to read this

Okabe is studying hard while considering Professor L’s offer to go to America. Meanwhile Daru and Suzu are trying to lure new best girl Maho (honestly how adorable was disheveled and blushing Maho???) back to Japan and into helping them figure out the time leap machine so they can Save The World! Faris and Ruka have gone back to being fairly irrelevant supporting characters and Mayushii, who was probably hit the hardest by everything that’s happened, is looking really great in a school girl outfit.

It’s difficult to make characters move on from a dramatic situation without making them look callous or lessening the importance of the event. I believe that making the audience wait for this episode has helped with that. We ourselves have put some distance between Kagari’s disappearance and today. We can relate to the characters slowly getting onto something else. I don’t know if this counts as meta on the part of the narrative but whatever it is, it’s smart.

despair suits you!

Of course, now we have to remind the audience of all the important parts, right? There were three main takeaways as far as I’m concerned. Fubuki’s return to the hospital and Professor L’s surprise presence there, reminding us of the potential second Reading Steiner and how suspicious L is.

Suzu and Daru’s hounding of Maho reminding us that the WWIII treat is still very relevant and that Maho is the new Okabe. Just look at that exhausted and beleaguered expression on Maho’s face and tell me that’s not the spitting image of a certain mad scientist who bit off way more than he could chew? I hope this is a sign that my wish of having them explore more of the neuroscience aspect will come true.

who’s the adorable tsundere?

Finally Kagari’s own story is highlighting the importance of the Amadeus experiment and the potential for memory transfer through both space (into machines or clones) and/or time (bananagel anyone?). It’s clear the she is being controlled. They are throwing clues and red herrings all over the place about who’s behind it all but I’m not sure that even matters. The real question is why? If she comes from a future where WWIII happened and Okabe’s resistance was defeated – what advantage would the *other side* have in controlling her? Was it always their plan to have her go back in time?

These are probably the main story lines we’ll have to look out for in the second half. And of course, let’s not forget that Yuki is Suzu’s mom and Daru’s future wife. They do bring that up a lot. It could just be to toy with us a little and inject a little light-hearted romance. To be honest there’s enough going on already and I would be perfectly fine if Yuki was just a nice girl who enjoys ha girthy man.

who doesn’t?

On the whole I enjoyed this episode even if it felt like a restart. The way Steins;Gate visual novel narratives are crafted, restarts tend to happen a lot so it’s par for the course. It wasn’t the most exciting one so far but I can see a solid foundation for things to come.

You know, every week I try to come up with an actual angle for my reviews of Steins;Gate 0. Something more precise and personal. These are some of my favorite posts to write so of course they tend to be the least popular. They are also the ones that have so far netted me the most friends. We may not be the most populous bunch but we time travel otakus stick together!

doesn’t he look like he’s holding a body pillow?

And so – once again, I strained my brain (this show does this to me) to find my own perspective on this episode. Time and time again, all I could think of was…that fight scene was really hot. Kagari pulls off menacing supremely well. And although the usual stills and close up animation shortcuts were clearly present; the character design was good enough to make up for it. It was an energizing scene. But that’s not enough to base a post on…

It took a few days for me to get here. One aspect of Steins;Gate that I have often gravitated to, is the second best girls. The supporting players. To me, one of the aspects that sets Steins;Gate apart from a lot of traditional harem shows is that the women are all extraordinary and completely self-actualized. It’s not so much that Okabe knows he’s surrounded by extraordinary women, it’s that they know it themselves.

they have their own interests, you know….

This week, I remembered what an exceptional badass Suzuha is. Her entire backstory is a bag full of nightmares and she deserves praise for surviving with any semblance of sanity as is. However, it’s not her admirable efficiency and extraordinary fighting skills that hit me this time. It’s her humanity. As fun as that fight scene was to watch, the moment that grabbed me was Suzuha quietly seething with rage at the thought of Kagari threatening her father. Suzu’s cold calm words were much more a promise than a threat. The idea of having fit but relatively small daughter Suzu protecting out of shape but huge father Daru was completely natural, and that rocks.

There you have it. Another week another reminder that it’s all about making good memories with good friends.

remember when my cousin stabbed me???

Want more screencaps? You know you do!

Steins;Gate 0 Ep 14 – The Disapearance of Kagari Shiina Time has always been a very fluid construct in fiction. Once you're no longer bound by time, it can become suddenly very difficult to keep linear timelines straight!

[the-nysh]

The new arc is gonna be the actual start of the Saibuki ship becoming canon, I feel it ever since Murata change Fubuki hairstyle to look more like her hairstyle in One Hurricane 6.5

Huh??? What are you talking about - opm itself has no connection to that fanporn doujin. Unless you mean the manga about to explore Fubuki's canon relationship + history with Psykos, and Saitama asserting he's just an acquaintance to her? Cause ONE doesn't write off his women to be trophies for the guys (see: Tsubomi in mp100), there's no romance between them here, and ever since the dine n dash scene, Murata explicitly stressed on stream that "Saitama doesn't actually care about Fubuki," lest fans get the wrong idea or other (Genos) shippers get mad at Murata for drawing them dining together. :O (Meaning Murata is aware of the popular fan preferences - cause he partakes in some of it himself, and knew even back then it was important to illustrate how Saitama has no interest in Fubuki, beyond being annoyed at her attempts to get him to join her group.) The stream translations about that (from Jan 2018) are archived for those who missed them. 

[gofancyninjaworld]

When it comes to the women in OPM (not the heroes, but the civilians), is there any female in the pro-hero career that they expressly look up to? Everyone follows King as a symbol, and there are tons of male heroes in A and S-Class, but what about the women? Would Tatsumaki be the idol for others, or is she too cold to be inspiring (and do people judge her not on her battle prowess but marketability, which is bad)? How about Fubuki? Okamaitachi? Tanktop Girl? Suiko? Webigaza? Thoughts?

Funny you should say that, I was just answering a question along those lines on Reddit. Tatsumaki *ought* to be highly inspiring, but if you've met her, you'll be turned right off. Powerful people are often thought of as rude, haughty, unreachable, unrelatable... and Tatsumaki lives down to every last one of those expectations.

Fubuki would love to be inspiring and reads newspapers anxiously for news of the Blizzard group, but so far, so bad. Thankfully, she has better things on her mind right this moment.

As for the others, they're kinda non-entities at the moment... although I hope someone takes a look at Okamaitachi and feels emboldened to come out. How much of Webigaza's pop popularity translates into inspiration remains to be seen.

[the-nysh]

You know, I like Fubuki a lot. I find her gag hilarious and I like her when she's in full leadership mode, and I ESPECIALLY love webcomic Fubuki. Her arc is my favourite arc in this whole damn story and I love the way it changed her. But, her popularity comes purely from her looks. People even admit to hating her personality but still saving images of her. So I have one fear; all her upcoming coolness and development will be ignored by people who only see her as an annoying fanservice character.

Ah! :O Webcomic Fubuki is excellent yes, and agreed that her esper arc when she protects both Psykos and her group vs her very own sister, by finally standing up to Tatsumaki (without cowering or compensating anymore) and fighting for what she strongly believes in and what’s most important to her, while also taking those better steps forward (also leading and setting an example for her followers to improve too also how her followers still chose to follow her of their own volition, so that was heartwarming) is one of the best for her char development. I was super proud for her! :’D (And seeing her finally get the narrative focus to shine and get stronger!)

But ahh....(manga Fubuki’s slowly getting there, so many readers probably have yet to really -see- the better and more fleshed out sides of her character in this case.) I’m looking forward to her webcomic arc getting adapted too cause it’s so awesome (and Fubuki can still be sexy and awesome too without it detracting from her character; cause heck, even Garou’s portrayed the same way as a fanservice character without it overriding or negatively impacting his coolness/development too, so the balance is possible.)

ONE’s portrayal of Fubuki and writing for her arc is solid (with similar handing + respect as any of his other male characters; ONE’s aware that even drawing women can be hard but he tries) so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about when it comes to her upcoming story aspect. How people take Murata’s adaptation of it could be a different story though (esp the dudebros, which I can’t comment on how they read/interpret Fubuki’s character, but nothing will stop them from being horny either.) There’s really nothing to do about those fans who may still only like and see her for her looks, cause that’ll remain their prerogative. (I’ve seen the same selective reading happen esp in bn/ha when people vehemently dislike a character too; they ignore any and all their development/content simply because it’s not relevant to their interests or the narrative they see, but again, that’s their choice to consume media that way.) In the end, that only leaves more content for the rest of us to enjoy when there’s more layers of meat to appreciate and savor. :’D Enjoy her for her looks, her char development, or both; if anything I’m hoping she becomes more of a complete, well-balanced package (like Garou) by the time Murata adapts her arc. Cause that’ll lead to more fans + appreciation of her all around. :’3