#gets shorter as the manga goes on

[mushroompollution]

Chapter 62: Repose

Previous Chapters: The Sablier Arc Masterpost (35-42) || 43 || 44 || 45 || 46 || 47 || 48 || [ Ceremony Arc: 49 || 50 || 51 || 52 || 52.5 || 53 || 54 || 55 || 56 || 57 || 57.5 || 58 || 59 || 60 || 61 ] bonus: 61.5 Read the manga: imgur || mangaread (ad warning)

Though there's still an underlying sadness in his eyes, Oz is finally starting to look just a little like himself again. Except, his default outfit just got a much, much needed upgrade. thank god.

There's a festival on in Reveille. Duke Barma had called off the trio's bodyguards and sent them into town with orders to have as much fun as possible, saying their gloomy faces had been making the Duchess Rainsworth worry.

Alice runs off chasing the smell of meat, and Oz runs off after her, a refreshing callback to the simpler times of the Story's first act.

Duke Barma and Duchess Rainsworth take a stroll through Pandora's gardens as they discuss matters. And one of those matters is Xerxes Break, who's finally come to after more than a week.

Inside, Sharon races through the halls to meet him after receiving the news herself. She finds him wrapped in a sheet and brooding on the floor.

Sharon thinks about why Break is so hard on himself, refusing to accept help from others. It must be because of his past, but she knows very little about it. It doesn't really matter anyway, she likes the way he is now. Her awkward, lonely, good for nothing big brother.

Back in town, Gilbert drops his crepe in shock at the news Oz has just given him.

As Oz and Gil discuss Oz's Incuse, Alice remembers a conversation she'd had with him recently. Oz had sat her down, and told her about her missing memories that he'd seen way back in chapter 19.

After racing through the halls filled with bodies during the Tragedy of Sablier, he had followed a young Vincent, and found Alice back when she was human. But it was too late. She had already been killed, stabbed with scissors.

Unfortunately, Vincent had forced Break to destroy the bell that memory was stored in by holding Sharon hostage.

Back in the present, Oz and Gil are starting to get on her nerves. They're still carrying on back and forth, Gilbert fussing over Oz, Oz fussing over Gilbert for being too uptight.

Finally, they turn to Alice to decide which of them is being unreasonable. She says she doesn't know, to her, it sounds like they're both saying the same thing.

Leo apologizes for interrupting their conversation.

Oz smiles sadly to himself without turning around. It's been a while, hasn't it?

Leo notices Oz doesn't seem surprised to see him.

Sadly, no, he admits. Whenever they're allowed to move around freely, without a guard, it's usually because they're being used as bait to lure out an enemy.

[whathorselegs]

All the names Chuuya and Dazai call each other in the Fifteen light novel

Note: This is not every time they insult/make fun of each other. For example Dazai tends to say things like he'll put a curse on Chuuya to remain short whilst he grows tall, more than name calling. However this list is only name calling.

Dazai about Chuuya:

Kid

Pip-squeak (Uses more than once)

Little fairy

A child

Schoolboy (Uses more than once)

Little man

Filthy dog

Chuuya - He calls Chuuya by his name for the first time in the arcade, Chuuya then tells him not to use his name. After this Dazai repeatedly says his name over using nicknames.

Chuuya about Dazai:

Kid

Surprisingly gutsy kid

Little shit

Little punk

Dumbass

Lil twig

Mummy boy (Uses more than once)

Little wimp

Bandages

Idiot

Twisted freak

Little suicide-obsessed- (he's cut off before he finishes this one)

Sly dirtbag

Slimeball (Uses more than once)

Crafty son of a bitch

Sly bastard

Demon

Weasel

Dazai - He calls Dazai by his name for the first time during their fight with Rimbaud when they agree to work together to defeat him. However, he still mixes in name calling along with using Dazai's name.

BONUS - Names Chuuya uses for other people:

Old man - Hirotsu

Old fart - Hirotsu and the Old Boss

Doc - Mori

Bastard - Mori

Piece of shit - Mori

Damn octopus - Mori

Gramps - Random GSS member

Dumbass - Shirase

Ma'am (Ane-san) - Kouyou. (She also calls Chuuya 'Young man' just before this. They both disapprove of being called these.)

Boss - Mori

Randou - Rimbaud (as far as I could see Chuuya mostly used his name, though I may have missed a nickname)

A thing I noticed with Dazai is that he generally calls people by their names. He calls Hirotsu, Mori and Kouyou all by name. With Mori it sometimes feels like that's the insult, he knows he can get away with disrespecting him this way, so he doesn't call Mori his Boss. Similarly he only starts calling Chuuya by name after he's told not to. He also prefers coming up with imaginative insults/scenarios rather than name calling, though he's not above it, so his list is a lot shorter than Chuuya's.

Chuuya however, uses nicknames for practically everyone, they just get more polite the more he respects them. Mori goes from 'Bastard' and 'Octopus' to 'Boss', once he gains Chuuya's respect. Rimbaud felt like the exception because Chuuya kept calling him Randou during their fight.

I also think it's interesting that Chuuya calls most adults something to do with being old/older. I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but to me, this emphasizes how Chuuya is used to being solely around other children. Even Kouyou who is only nineteen, is labeled as older to Chuuya, probably because there were no Sheep her age. In both the anime and the manga they are all depicted as younger teens around the same age as Chuuya.

Ane-san is also a mafia title, so it could just be that, but I do think Chuuya is genuinely not used to being around adults and that not meaning danger.

[room-surprise]

How Old Is Thistle?

(EDIT: I've made a follow-up post to this one that goes deeper into the math and additional evidence that the 5:1 ratio is correct. You can read it here!)

I've seen people debating this and a lot of folks insisting that Thistle is a child, and since Thistle just debuted in the anime, I wanted to do a full write-up to help myself and others figure this out.

We don't know how old any of the Merini family members are exactly, so the best we can do is guess based on the information we have, but after carefully studying the manga, I think Thistle is at least a teenager, but much more likely a young adult, and definitely not a prepubescent child.

Here's what we know:

EDIT: Depending on what translation you read of some of the extra materials, Freinag implies that Thistle is the same age as some of his advisors.

Here's a detailed translation of this panel from my friend Fumi:

Elves age 5 times slower than tall-men.

16 year old tall-men in Dungeon Meshi's medieval time period are adults, they commonly join the military, get married, have children, etc.

An 80 year old elf is an adult. Pattadol is 82 and she's a lieutenant in a military unit. It's her first job and she's obviously a rookie, but Captain Flamela tells Pattadol to accomplish her mission or die trying.

Many fully adult elves look like what we might consider children or young teens, because they're short, petite, and have androgynous features.

An average elven adult is around 150-155cm tall (5 ft), meaning some are shorter than that, and some are taller. Thistle is 130 cm, which is short, but not unheard of.

Fleki is 130 (26) years old and she's 140 cm tall (4'7")

Otta is 137 (27) years old and she's 130 cm (4'5") tall, the same height as Thistle!

They are both women, but there's probably plenty of elven men in their height range.

Just so we can compare Thistle to some adult elven men, Mithrun and his brother are probably adults (or close to it) in the panel on the left.

Mithrun (in this image) is somewhere between 75 and 144 (probably in his 80's), and his brother is older than him (so he could be in his late 80s or 90s). As you can see, they don't look that different from Thistle, Otta or Fleki.

So, how old is Thistle?

(Spoilers below the cut)

Thistle was brought to the royal court as a child (found on the street, stolen or purchased, we don't know how they got him). At the absolute youngest I'd guess Thistle is 25 years old here (so about 5 years old for a tall-man.) He can already play the flute, and possibly the lute, and most children that aren't prodigies can't handle playing an instrument (physically or mentally) until they're around 5.

EDIT: We now know that Thistle is the same age as Freinag, the king that takes him in! So Thistle must be at least 25 years old in this comic, though realistically he could be anywhere from 25 to 40 based on how Kui drew Freinag.

He lived in the court for an unknown amount of time, Freinag hasn't changed much but Thistle appears to have aged a little, so let's say it's been 5 years and Thistle is 30 (6) when Delgal is born. More than 5 years could have passed, but I'm trying to keep the numbers low.

Delgal gets married and has a child. Delgal should be at least 15 at this point, but since he has a full mustache before his wedding, I think he's in his 20's, since teenagers tend to not be the best at growing robust facial hair.

(He has a full beard by the time Eodio's a young child.)

Thistle puts the kingdom inside the dungeon around this point, however, people are still aging: Delgal's grandson Yaad is born, and Eodio is clearly a young adult here, probably in his 20's. Therefore, there is NO REASON to assume Thistle stopped aging. "The dungeon lords don't age" is a common fan headcanon I've seen people spreading, but it has no clear canon basis.

Yaad ages until he looks about 13-15 years old, and at this point all of the people of the kingdom and Thistle appear to stop aging, and 1,000 years pass.

So, the youngest Thistle could possibly be, if he was 30 (6) when Delgal was born, if Delgal was 15 when he had Eodio, and Eodio was 15 when he had Yaad, and Yaad is 13 years old...

Is 73 years old, which would make Thistle about 14.6 years old by tall-man standards.

HOWEVER, I think it's VERY unlikely that all the characters are that young.

I think it's clear from Kui's drawings that Delgal and Eodio are not 15 years old when they become fathers, and that Freinag is at least 25 when he takes in Thistle.

If we assume Thistle was 30 when Delgal was born, and Delgal and Eodio were both at least 20 when they had children, even if Yaad is only 13 years old, that makes Thistle at least 83 years old (16.6), and makes him older than Pattadol, who is an adult at 82.

However, I think it's entirely possible that Thistle was anywhere from 40-50 when Delgal was born, and Delgal could have been anywhere from 20 to 30 when he had Eodio, and Eodio could have been anywhere from 20-25 when he had Yaad. If you use the maximum ages, and assume Yaad is 15, then Thistle could be as old as 120 (24).

I think a reasonable middle ground is assuming Thistle was 30 (6) when Delgal was born, Delgal had Eodio at 25, Eodio had Yaad at 20, and Yaad is 15... Which would make Thistle 90 (18) years old.

This of course says nothing about Thistle's emotional maturity or sanity, he's obviously stunted in some ways, but the point I want to make here is:

Thistle's age could be anywhere from 14.6 to 24 at the most extreme, but more realistically he's somewhere between 16.6 and 18.

And that's not even counting the thousand years that he's lived since then!

And that's all I've got to say about that 🙏🙏🙏🙏

(EDIT: Follow-up post with additional evidence here.) EDIT 2: I've seen a lot of people talking about the page Kui drew talking about elven earmuffs. It's considered just barely okay for Pattadol to wear them, but it's ok for Thistle to wear them... In which case I'd say Thistle could be any age younger than 83. That's handy as it knocks out some of the older ages!

So in that case Thistle's age is between 73 years old and 82, which makes him developmentally between 14.6 and 16.4!

[ikimaru]

Hi sunny :D I’m a tad nervous to ask questions but you’re one of my favorite artists soo… 😞😞

I was just wondering if you have any tips regarding making a comic :,3

thank you‼️🫶

heey thank you so much! 🙈 I'm sure I've responded to this multiple times before but I can't even find the asks on my own blog so here we go again dksjd

this is for a shorter type comic, for comics that are a lot longer like many hundreds pages it's more complicated!

1 - write down the plot with main things you want to have happen and divide it into scenes revolving around these things, expanding on what should happen in each scene with dialogue, notes etc. This helps making sure each scene connects well to the next and also gives you a general idea of how long the comic is gonna be

2 - sketch out pages as rough draft (thumbnailing) so you will know how the action will be distributed across the page, I usually sketch all the pages in one scene at the same time so you can know in advance where a scene is gonna end it's not gonna be 2 panels into a new page if u don't want it to

3 - when figuring out how a scene plays out you can sorta imagine it like a movie in your head and you choose angles you like or that make the scene flow nicely! (as for panel shapes and other technical things I suggest looking at tutorials or looking through comics or manga you like to see how they do them)

4 - this is just if you want to carry out a comic from start to finish! never underestimate how long it takes to make comic pages, so if you want a finished comic I suggest trying out doing something shorter of a few pages to see how you feel about that first, find a way to draw and color them that's comfortable for you! I think around 50-60 pages is manageable, if it goes in the hundreds it's gonna be a long haul (I kinda never want to go there again lmao) so imo avoid spending too much time on full coloring/details/backgrounds in every panel, it can look good but ur gonna get burned out SO fast (a lot of comics get dropped for that reason) most long running comics have simpler styles and assistants to help with coloring, adding text etc

hope this helps!

[rainingashes1002]

I know everyone talks about how ridiculously tall Chilchuck is compared to the average half-foot, but one of my favorite Dungeon Meshi character details is that all of Laios' party is just really tall... except Izutsumi, who is incredibly short instead. (And Falin, who is just an inch taller than average)

You can't look at these people as average representatives of their races, which is so funny to me because they are literally the people through which the audience gets introduced to their races.

Here are their heights compared to the average heights for their race and sex (as listed in the wiki)

Laios

Height: 6'1"/185cm

Average male tallman: 5'10"/180cm

Marcille

Height: 5'3"/160cm

Average female elf: 4'11"/150cm

Chilchuck

Height: 3'7"/110cm

Average male half-foot: 3'3"/100cm

Senshi

Height: 4'7"/140cm

Average male dwarf: 4'5"/135cm

Izutsumi

Height: 5'2"/150cm

Average female tallman: 5'6"/170cm

Falin

Height: 5'7"/170cm

Average female tallman: 5'6"/170cm

Spoiler for a reveal towards the end of the manga and a mini theory under the cut

I know Marcille's height can't actually be compared to that of elves due to her mixed heritage, but I used that because you are meant to believe she's just an elf in the beginning so my point still stands.

Also worth noting that Fionil (the elf spell caster they meet on floor two) is also a half-elf, half-tallman and she is shorter than Marcille. She's 4'11".

Now, as for my theory, do we think it might be possible that Chilchuck has tallman in his ancestory?

I've been thinking of this since I learned that tallmen and half-foots produce fertile offspring and if elves and tallmen just produce what looks like tall elves, it stands to reason that tallmen and half-foots would produce tall half-foots.

Now I'm not suggesting one of Chilchuck's parents is a tallman. We know they aren't, but maybe a grandparent or a great grandparent? Or maybe he's just really, really tall. But I do like to think it's the former and his family line has just been getting shorter and shorter back towards the half-foot average as it goes down the generations because his daughters also appear to be tall but are shorter than him. Though whether or not that's because they are women is something I will never have the answer to.

[sanjisboyfie]

rockstar ! trafalgar law headcanons

trafalgar law x male reader ; he might seem ooc but he isn't, trust me. this is how law is supposed to be perceived, i talked to oda himself and sorted this all out with him before publishing.

-> listened to brooklyn baby by lana while writing this...hehehehheheehhehehehehe ps. i think that is my favorite photo of manga law ever oh my fuking godhes so hot.

rockstar ! law . . . did not get famous overnight, but also did not get famous on purpose...if that makes sense. like his ass was up posting his guitar covers on youtube for years before someone reached out to him on joining a proper band. but also he wasn't posting those guitar covers with the intent of getting noticed. he just wanted people to see how SICK he was on guitar (he's a not-so-secret narcisst). but also another reason he posted them was because of you, his boyfriend who he had been in a relationship for a year at that point, was encouraging him to do so. your support for him and his talent was really assuring and fuelled him to be confident enough to post them online. (he was kind of against the idea at first, probably saying romantic shit like, "i want only you to hear the songs i play," but eventually was swayed when you spent many minutes convincing him to)

rockstar ! law . . . when he finally goes on tour with his band, he is pretty insistent and headstrong in allowing you to come with. he doesn't care if he needs to pay out of pocket money to fund your stay with him and his bandmates, he will if he has to. because he's not leaving you for months on end, pursuing the dream that was only possible because of how you supported him through it. there's absolutely no way he's going on tour without his boyfriend.

law's tattooed arms were crossed over his wide chest as he listened to their manager and a team of people tell him and his band about their upcoming plan for their first ever tour.

after the end, when it was about time for everything to wrap up, law calmly asked, "what about bringing significant others?" this makes the executives share looks with one another before apologetically smiling at him.

"sorry, another person added onto the travel, boarding, and all that will not be able to fit into out budg-"

"then i'm not going," law says simply, already getting ready to storm out of the room. but the manager stops him by his wrist.

"n-now, let's not get hasty! this was not something we accounted for-"

"well you should've, i'm not going anywhere without him. i'm not gonna leave him." law states stubbornly, glaring down at the man that was much shorter than him, "he's either coming with us or i'm not going at all."

a silence passed over the room and his bandmates were internally praising law for having the balls to stand up to these powerful guys so carefree like that.

maybe that's what had made him such a good rockstar.

his passions that he was not willing to back down for, he'd settle for his desires being fulfilled or nothing at all.

what they didn't know was that all of those passions were singlehandedly fuelled by his immense love for you.

"a portion of it will have to come out of your pocket, then. we really don't have the funds to bring on another person. so if you can't-"

"i can manage. if that's all, and we're all good. me and [name] will be ready by the designated time and meet you all at the location with all of our things," law easily says, walking out of the room with his broad shoulders being the last thing the executives saw.

"wow, law is so cool!" a memeber, stage-named penguin, said with stars in his eyes.

"don't get any ideas." the manager immediately cuts them off before they can gush further.

rockstar ! law . . . is very openly gay for you <3 doesn't really care that people are expecting him to act a certain way because he is a rockstar, he could care less. he's said time and time again that the only reason these fans of his have the oppurtunity to appreciate him to such an extent is because of you. had it not been you encouraging him to post his covers, he would not be standing on that stage for them to admire. so he can be as shameless as he wants in displaying his affection for you. naturally, law isn't the most into pda, but when he hears annoying people batter him for being so into you, his boyfriend, he feels the need to piss them off even further.

law's calloused fingers were playing with the flesh of your waist as he held you close. it was dark in the after party room so he made sure to keep you secure to his side so that he wouldn't lose you in the crowd.

there were a bunch of celebrities that attended their recent show scattered around the room, but he didn't care for them. not when he had you on his arm. plus, he didn't really like these after parties that much - he'd much prefer to be on the tour bus cuddling with you.

feeling unimpressed with the party, he turned to you to feel some comfort. when he saw how you were just taking in the view of everyone, he leaned down to kiss you, surprising you at the sudden affection. but soon, the both of you were just pressed against the wall of the room and blatantly making out with each other. his raven hair was messy by the time you two pulled away from each other and that knowing smirk of his was proudly plastered on his face.

the next morning, the internet were ripping law into pieces for still being in a relationship with you despite having access to as many beautiful women, handsome men, and alluring people that he could have wanted. he was a talented, well-known name in the scene with a handsome face and charming demeanor. he could have had anyone. and some were frustrated, for some reason, that he was still with you.

five years going strong in your relationship wasn't enough for the press to believe he was satisfied and completely settled down with you, for some reason...

he groans the moment he sees the headlines, throwing his phone to the mattress and turning into your side to be comforted by you once again. the only person capable of calming him down still remains to be only you.

"love you," he says against your skin, making you laugh at the sleepy confession.

"love you, too, law. you know i don't care about the stupid shit they say," you comment, making note of how tight his arms were around your waist.

he doesn't acknowledge what you say, only peppering more kisses to your bare skin.

rockstar ! law . . . kinda perfectly fits the rockstar bf aesthetic to a T. he's wearing the leather jackets and the other staple fashion pieces that scream "rockstar boyfriend." it doesn't help the way the clothes so perfectly fall into place on his body. he enjoys matching with you too, even if your aesthetics may not match. if he's wearing a heavy jewlery piece, like a necklace, ring, or bracelet, he buys a matching one that you would like and would be able to style. he doesn't mind discarding his iconic leather jacket for you if you are feeling cold. and of course, he's attentive, protective, and caring for you (and only you) - perfectly fuelling the fantasies many people have of that "rockstar boyfriend persona"

law was not known for being hot-headed. there were never any stories of him giving customer service people a hardtime, or of him trashing hotel rooms like many others in the same genre as him were guilty of doing. his overall attitude was off standish, but polite.

with a slight difference whenever he was seen with you. still off standish and polite, but specially doting and careful when he is with you.

his arm is always slithered around your waist or shoulders and he is always seen attentively listening to whatever it is you're rambling about. his eyes focused in on you, and only you, show that he is blocking out the rest of the world and listening to you intently.

the way he almost, kind of, definitely glares at people that interrupt your time together before he softens his gaze the moment you catch him making faces and scold him. he's completely wrapped around your finger, despite his seemingly intimidating and threatening persona, he's complete mush with you.

his leather jacket was thrown over your shoulders as he protectively stood behind you. tonight, the two of you were at the bar and watching the live performance of the local band of the town you were in. due to your begging, he agreed to get off of the counter stool and dance and sway to the music with you.

his arms are resting in front of you as he holds your hands in his, completely engulfing them with the size difference. the jacket around you is practically drowning you as well.

he's rocking you back and forth, occasionally leaning down and pressing a kiss to your cheek and whispering sweet nothings to you. your cute moment unfortunately comes to an end though. some drunkard knocks into the two of you and spills their entire pint of beer on you and your clothing.

your first reaction is to take off law's jacket to spare it from reeking of the beverage, but law's first reaction is to push you behind him and size up the guy that knocked into you.

"the hell is your problem, man?! it was an accident!" the man defends himself when he feels threatened by your boyfriend.

law's one hand is holding your own, wanting to make sure you stay close to him some way, while the other is clenched at his side to form a fist. noticing how he was very close to landing a hit on the idiot's face, you pull him back by his shirt, "c'mon, people are staring,"

"don't care, this guy has got his head so far up his ass," law simply says, genuinely not caring at all that people were looking at him as if he were crazy.

"law, let's just go," he turns his head to you, his gaze softening as he turns.

he waits a couple seconds before speaking in whispers, "do you really want to go? i can just take care of him-"

"i do, really. let's just go, babe, it's alright, it was an accident," you continued trying to convince him.

"he could've done it on purpose, he could be a complete, total asshole,"

you laughed at his reasoning of giving the guy a lesson, shaking your head, "let's just go and get out of here."

law doesn't seem satisfied with having to let the guy go without any reprecussions, but if law is anything: he's a boyfriend that listens to his boyfriend.

so he walks away with you close by, tight grip on your hand, and silently cursing the asshole the entire ride home.

rockstar ! law . . . very casually dedicates the most romantic, sensual, loving, etc. songs to you when he is on stage.

"this one is for the man standing at side stage, waiting for me,"

"i've been with the same idiot for 5 years now and this song is for him,"

"this is [name]'s favorite, by the way. so if you don't like it, you can fuck off,"

rockstar ! law . . . who doesn't understand the way some fans really idolize your relationship. he loves you a lot and he's glad that they're accepting of that fact, but why are people on the internet asking him and you to adopt them...? or why are they calling the both of you their "daddies"? he's confused. he at least pieces together that they're being supportive, but he doesn't truly understand what they mean when they say stuff like "i wanna go to paris" underneath his posts of you and him on his instagram.

rockstar ! law . . . whose favorite audience is still you. he loves playing his guitar for you, just in the quiet of your room (when you're finally home for tour) and with you on the bed with his strumming as background noise to your reading, or whatever hobby you commit to.

his fingers move with such familiarity he can easily take his eyes off of the neck of the guitar. he looks at you with such love and care that it would make any onlookers vomit at how sweet he was being.

the song that he was playing was faintly resembling "can't help falling in love" by elvis, with his own personal twist. the moment you recognize the chords and notes, though, you look at him with a deadpan expression on your face.

he smirks, tilting his head, "what?" he'll ask with that annoying knowing look on his face.

"you're so cheesy," you comment with an eye roll.

"oh, don't be an asshole now,"

"not being an asshole, just being honest!"

law puts down the acoustic guitar, walking over to where you were and planting a kiss to the top of your head. clearing his throat, he begins to mimic the singer with exaggeration. it spurs you into laughter at his impression, which he only grins wider at. your laugh still remains his favorite sound in the whole world.

this soft side was only shown behind closed doors with you. and you liked it that way. no one else got to see your usually intimidating boyfriend with his walls completely down. how sweet and doting he actually was. polar opposite to that persona he put on whenever he walked onto those grand stages.

he was just yours right now.

and as he leans down to press a passionate kiss to your lips, you can smile against his with comfortability. and warmness spreads throughout both of your chests as he smiles back.

and finally, rockstar ! law who definitely gets your name tattooed somewhere on his body. probably on his hands or arms tbh because that is the most visible body part of his that gets photographed and noticed due to how he plays the guitar. that way if anyone wants to take photos of him in his element, they'll see a small part of you that he carries with him everywhere.

[taki118]

Yakuza Fiance Ep1 Manga Comparison

The first ep of Raise wa Tanin ga Ii aka Yakuza Fiance, just aired. Overall the ep was good, great expressions and voice work and the pacing was fairly good, HOWEVER there are some important and/or fun things that slipped through the cracks of adaptation. Since I am SUPER normal about the manga I got everything here under the cut. Warning these are fan translations cause I'm lazy.

We are starting out stronger here with this little back and forth between Kirishima and Tachibana

The anime cuts out Tachibana's response which helps to show how these characters interact but also establishes the impression Yoshino gives to others she doesn't interact with.

So overall the scene of Yoshino confronting Renji gets cut down but I think the loss of this character beat is sad.

In the anime Renji just changes the topic when Yoshino bemoans her looks, while in the manga he actually kinda feels bad for her and does more to talk up the situation. Another bit we loose is Renji noting how similar Kirishima and Gaku look this comes up a few times later on in the series so its fine but still.

Overall the scene goes on longer and you get a better feel for the dynamic between the two. Also he talks Kirishima up WAY more so you can better understand why Yoshino would even go.

Yoshino's arrival is also way shorter in the anime, she just kinda arrives. We loose this explanation by Renji about the differences between Tokyo and Osaka Yakuza

Followed up by Yoshino noting the compound does feel like a traditional inn but that you can't ignore its a Yakuza home due to security cameras about.

But this is nothing compared to Yoshino and Kirishimas first meeting the anime cuts quite a bit from Kirishima revealing he was with her the whole time to talking about staying in the annex.

When Kirishima starts pulling her along Yoshino kinda notices his pushy behavior, at a later point Tsubaki will equate it to a salesman forcing his way in and that is exactly what Kirishima is doing. This next bit however I am really upset got cut.

After asking why she doesn't have an accent Yoshino explains Renji taught her both dialects in a weird "Do what the locals do" mindset. This bit follows where Kirishima assumed she'd have a strong accent and this is actually a bit of foreshadowing, set up to a later pay off that happens in the ep, and a bit of characterization for Yoshino. That's a lot so let me explain

Kirishima reveals he had expectations for Yoshino as a person this right here is the first hint of it and will carry into the alley incident later but also just overall. Yoshino almost always acts in a way Kirishima does not expect.

The series starts with Yoshino speaking with an Osakan accent then when shes in Tokyo it stops only to come back in times of stress or anger, you might not notice however she's dropped the accent without Kirishima noting it. So when he asks where's her accent? That kinda tells the audience to look for it and oh boy do we get it

Finally this shows a little of Yoshino character as well, she's trying to blend in, trying to not make a fuss and make things easier for everyone and a way she does that is by altering the way she speaks, but you can also see it all over the scene she's very stiff she doesnt want to touch anything so she holds her bag tight

The tour is also a little longer but the overall speech at the end is the same in both. Though again you can see more clearly how Yoshino was charmed into coming to Tokyo in the manga as we spend more time with Kirishima.

One thing I noticed is we loose a lot of Yoshino's internal thoughts in the anime and along with foreshadowing. Such as this moment.

This is the first time the readers are let in on the idea that theres something up with Kirishima until this moment he seemed maybe a little odd but overall normal, this gives us a glimpse of whats to come.

I think this is the best example of removing Yoshino's thoughts in the anime she just notes she's getting a lot of stares but the manga has a full page on this

This actually starts a mini arc for these chapters where Yoshino compares her life in Osaka to Tokyo and how different it is. Like there's a difference to getting talked about behind your back where you can't hear and within hearing difference, her situation wasn't great in Osaka but she knew how to deal with it. This is all new to her and kinda establishes she's dealing with a lot.

After seeing him in the yard at night, which is the same in the anime and manga, the anime only gives us a brief scene of Yoshino thinking Kirishima is acting distant and only giving a slight thought to what the moment could mean for him. And did you guess it? the manga gives us more.

We get a confirmation that days have passed since then, which the anime doesn't denote, she then ponders what he does outside of school and tries to push it from her mind.

From here we get the same bit of girls gossiping about her openly that the anime has where they suggest she's a prostitute working off a debt and such. The scenes are much the same expect for how it ends. The anime just has her calling it a pain in the ass but in the manga we get this bit after that thought.

Much like before this shows that Yoshino is dealing with a lot and nearing her limit. She's alone in Tokyo and isn't sure what to do.

The build up to the alley scene is a LOT shorter in the anime than the manga and is loosing out on some character moments for Yoshino.

We have her being worried about imposing on Kirishima and him brushing it off. Then when she notices she didnt withdraw money he states he thought HE was paying, again these subtle notes that he's been making assumptions about her.

The pick up guys scene is the same overall in the anime as in the manga, if anything the lead into the fight...actually can i call that a fight? the beating in the alley is longer in the anime. But it does cut this character beat here

The scene is relatively the same but we loose Kirishima casually tossing what I can only assume is that guys tooth over his shoulder. It helps to show how horribly he's beaten them and how callous he is to this violence and I honestly don't get why they didn't use it.

The scene after this as they walk away and his tattoo is revealed is the same but once more we loose a Yoshino thought that kinda helps to explain the scene

I get they likely didnt want to break tension but they could easily have had her voice that while she's use to tattoo's and violence with Kirishima it's different, it unsettles her.

The scene where his mask drops fully is very accurate to the manga however when he starts talking about selling her body the manga actually goes into far greater detail this is about the only thing I get being cut back.

Now transitioning back to the school the anime looses this lead in moment that shows how on edge Yoshino is

She hears a boy speak behind her and it scares her, the assumption being he must sound like Kirishima. Her internal dialogue also tells us that she hasn't seen him for a bit since the alley. The anime comes in after this where she contemplates going back to Osaka but goes against it but again doesn't denote time passing where as the manga states it hasn't been a month yet.

The "bullying" scene is the same in the anime and manga but her clean up is longer and gives a look into Yoshinos mind again

She is methodically thinking about how to mange the shoes, showcasing how she tends to focus on small things right in-front her and just dealing with it, all the while trying to push the unpleasant parts from her mind such as returning to the Miyama house.

We get the same thought from of thinking of going back to Osaka but shaking it off in anime as in the manga but as shown here without a lot of the build up the manga has. For what I have to assume is time reasons, we don't get Yoshino's thoughts on her situation as much and her growing exhaustion from all the mental shit she's dealing with. Think about it she moves miles from home, is living alone with strangers, going to a school where people openly bad talk and bully her, and the person she came here to get to know has been lying to her and tells her she's worthless and to just sell herself or leave, and this all happens in less than a month. I sure as hell would want to quit. But I don't think the anime really gets this across all that well.

So again this next scene with Renji goes about the same in the anime I mean its functionally the same but again we loose a little character beat.

So far I'd say there's a warmth that's missing from these talks between grand father and daughter in the anime. Yoshino doesn't stop acting like she's fine until she starts getting a normal conversation from hi , probably the most normal one she's had in days. This also sets up how Yoshino picked up gardening from Renji which is just a nice thing as she does garden later in the series.

But also the anime looses out on this great expression

Its a much more one sided conversation in the anime, again giving distance to the characters. Think about how you talk to those you are close with you interrupt them more and such much like the manga does.

After this the scenes are identical to the manga a couple lines dropped but overall its the same which is good cause these are the scenes that originally sold me on the series.

So that's it every major thing that the anime dropped from the manga. Overall its not bad but looses some insights into Yoshino which I hope doesn't continue. I might do these for each ep we'll see.

[laviefantasie]

Video 1

| series masterlist |

A dark classroom’s window with rain pouring down its glass, that’s what you’re pointing your videocamera at as you record. Ignoring the loud voices behind you as you focus on the soothing whisper of the falling drops.

“I’m soooooooo bored”, whines Gojo.

You sigh, looking through the screen at the window you’re currently recording after Yaga prohibited you all to go out because of the rain, saying how none of you had to get sick before your group mission.

Which meant all of you locked in one classroom dying of boredom.

“You know what we could do?” Shoko says, mischief in her tone, “How about we give Satoru a new look?”

The videocamera moves as you do, excitement coursing through your body as you see Gojo’s panicked expression.

You don’t hesitate to turn your camera to capture the horrified look on the white-haired sorcerer and the mischief and ecstasy on Shoko’s and Suguru’s.

“Woah! We are not giving me anything!” He exclaims, pointing his finger at his face, “THIS is perfection! You don’t mess with perfection!”

Suguro scoffs, “Oh, come on! It’s just a little trim or… oh! Are you scared? You are scared”

Shoko and you laugh quietly as Satoru looks at Geto in absolute disbelief and betrayal.

“I’m not scared! I’m not scared of anything!”

“Really?” Asks Shoko, “Then what’s all this yapping you got going on?”

“That’s not being scared! That’s just… Y/N! Tell them I don’t need a makeover!”

His hopeful eyes shining unblinkingly in your direction make you feel the slightest guilty. But not guilty enough.

Shoko grabs the camera from you with a smile that lets you know exactly what she expects you to do, making you groan internally. You truly doubted it’d work but Shoko and Suguro had been adamant on it.

Better try it out then.

The camera records you as you stare at Gojo before looking down for a second, smiling slightly with innocence.

“Oh! I…” you flutter your eyelashes innocently, “I just think you’d look great with shorter hair”

The camera records every single emotion that goes through Satoru’s face in a second. From the way his breath hitches and his eyes widen, to the red that slightly tints his neck, to the bashful look he directs to the side as he tries to appear unaffected.

It also captures the silent scoff you let out and the ‘I told you so’ look you direct at Shoko, believing her and Geto to be wrong.

But, oh boy, were they right.

“I guess…” he clears his throat, “a little trimming would look good on me. I mean anything would really”

That’s how later, Satoru found himself sat with the videocamera directed at him recording and the three of you behind him as you pondered how much to cut.

He had the most frightened look on his face every single time either of your hands got close to his hair, and even screeched when he saw one of you grab a scissor. It was taking every ounce of restraint he had to not run out the door. Why had he ever agreed to this?

“I’m so excited!” You laughed, “You’re gonna look great, Satoru!”

Oh, now he remembers why he agreed to it.

It was all your fault. You with your bright e/c eyes and glazed s/c skin. Why would you look at him with that expression? It made him forget for a second he was the strongest, that he was all-mighty and godly.

He didn’t truly understand why it made him forget. When had it become so easy to forget what everyone saw him as when you were around? Was it when you showed him your cursed technique after he promised to go easy on you during training? Or was it when you had listened to him talk about Digimon attentively, even going as far as reading the mangas too?

What exactly was what he felt anytime he had your attention? Why did his knees feel wobbly and his heart beat so loudly? Why did his senses become dull?

When had you started cutting his hair?

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”

Long story short, for a while Gojo Satoru didn’t go out without something covering his head. He’d never let any of you cut his hair again.

Never ever.

[l-in-the-light]

The importance of a haircut

I was pondering whether I should mention it, but seems no one is catching on to that so far, so I might as well stir the pot a bit.

Many women today maintain long hair when they're single, and then cut it shorter when they have kids, due to its impracticality. So in a way, that cutting of hair is a ceremony that mirrors that of an Edo period Samurai: an end to an era of someone's life, and the beginning of another.

(...)

A friend or co-worker might remark, "wow, are you quitting your job or something?" joking that they were making a grand gesture by getting a haircut.

(source: Anime News Network)

The first time I came upon deep analysis of this trope was in Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka cuts off his bun before leaving village, which signifies he might never come back, he is from now on "dead" to them, because topknots and buns were associated with status back in the days. By cutting it he was not only giving up on his current social position, but also cutting ties with the community he belonged to.

Sumo wrestlers will cut off their topknots when they quit their career. If a samurai cut off their topnot it meant they're giving up on their title and becoming a commoner like everyone else. Sometimes it's done because of shame (pressured by others or because of your own conscience, if you're a honorable samurai). For aristocratic women hair was also a symbol of status and pride, and also object of adoration. Might be why even nowadays in fiction when a girl goes through a break-up or gets rejected by her crush, she cuts off her hair to make a "fresh start" (that apparently isn't uncommon not only in Japan). Last time I saw it was probably in XXXholic (I reccommend it to anyone who never read this manga, especially if you like supernatural themes mixed with slice of life :D).

Funny thing is, I also picked up on that trope subconsciously as a child, because I grew up watching animes. I remember my classmates often asking me why am I keeping my hair long (like, what's so strange in liking your hair long? I guess it became trendy back then to have shorter hair). And I always felt like I need a big reason to cut my hair, like I should do it only after a big life event happening, and I even decided when exactly I will do it. Except that I didn't find any meaning in it and decided I won't do it anyway. Lol.

It's interesting that apparently there was once a law in Japan that forced women to keep their hair long! If they need to cut their hair, they had to report it to the officials on paper, stating a good enough reason (for example, a health issue or a religious ritual). And if they fail to report or deliver good enough reason, they have to face some kind of punishment. You can read more about that here: Women in Japan who got haircuts once had to tell government why.

Importance in Japanese culture aside, for more fun examples of this trope used in fiction you should certainly visit the tv tropes page on it: tv tropes/important haircut.

Now back to Robin. She didn't exactly cut her hair short or anything like that, but she did return to her old hairstyle. That might signify she wanted to underline some kind of change in her life. She got a different hair style in the timeskip. Coincidentally, Nami also allowed herself to keep her hair long and be more feminine, because she felt safe doing so, not anymore having to survive on her own, or so I assume. I think it could have been similar for Robin, it was her sign of "now I'm part of this crew wholeheartedly", because before timeskip she kept the previous haircut instead and she was also always alone. So, it was a way of showing the change in her life, but she chose to do it only after learning news about Luffy losing his brother. Perhaps it might have been her way of showing her solidarity, besides the faith and trust in her crew.

Robin returning back to her previous haircut might be a way to celebrate meeting Saul, like she wants him to feel familiar with her looks, like nothing ever changed (just like the Giants suggested in the chapter). Except that we know that a lot has changed since then, she finally found her comrades, her nakama. That's part of the reason why I think it might not be about Saul at all. There was a lot happening with the Vegapunk's broadcast and will of Ohara in Egghead.

And she did look very affected when she listened to the bits of that broadcast. So, whatever her reason is, I'm sure of one thing: that haircut signifies some sort of decision or change in Robin, a new determination or something coming full circle. Towards what? Revealing the truth and carrying the baton passed by Vegapunk? But wasn't Robin already carrying that on her back already, the call to reveal the truth about the history? She didn't need Vegapunk for that.

It could mean Robin has made some important decision that is the opposite of the timeskip one and it relates to events from before that as well. There are some loose ends left from Water 7 arc. There were some never addressed again lies or games of deception. Maybe it's finally time we learn more about Robin, her mission and what she did exactly before she joined the Strawhats.

[landofanimes]

My 2024 Anime Watchlist

Anime (and related media) I watched last year

Sailor Moon Cosmos (2023)

After 10 years Crystal finally comes to an end! The 2-part movie is cool, it gives us an epic streak of final battles in the second part, things feel very grand and it brings emotion. The ending is oh so lovely. Also I was happy to see some things animated for the first time! That said…Most of it goes by too fast, specially in the first movie. Too many beloved characters have limited screentime, which really brings the arc down. I know these are problems from the manga too, but damn…This solidified to me that in the manga/crystal version of events, Dream Arc is more enjoyable. That’s not the case in the 90s anime, which butchered a good chunk of the Dream Arc but has the characters around much longer in Stars (yes I know screentime in a movie is obviously shorter, but still). I think in the end the musicals brings us a good balance of Stars. If only they had included the Sailor Quartet in those myus, they would feel complete. But anyway… this was it. Could Crystal have been better? Yes. Should it have been longer? Yep. But overall? I really enjoyed the whole thing through and I’m happy it was made! Just really wish the last two arcs were seasons instead of movies, but oh well...What a decade!

I watched subbed and dubbed. Brazilian dubs are usually great but a couple choices sadly kinda killed this one, just like in Eternal (somehow I thought this time it was worse but I think it's just that in Eternal I was happy to see it dubbed, since Crystal wasn't). Unless they redub it, I'll stick to the subs.

Kaleido Star (2003-04)

Sora is a Japanese girls who finally gets to live her dream of working as a trapeze artist on Kaleido Stage, a famous american circus. Every spectacle means new challenges and lots of hard work. But some people want to see her (and even the whole circus) failing...

I used to watch this as a kid! Finally sat down to watch the whole thing, and it’s a great show. It has cool characters and it’s very entertaining to see them training and performing new shows at the circus. True, season 2 has some annoying characters, so season 1 is better...Except for the final arc, cause personally I found the end of season 2 much stronger than season 1 - it was a great way to end the show (I could see people prefering the s1 ending, it just didn't hit me as hard). There are also a couple of OVAs that take place after the ending. The first one is so-so, but the second is pretty cool and it works nice as a second ending/epilogue.

Watched it dubbed (except for the 2nd OVA since there is no dub)

Yu Yu Hakusho Stage Plays (2019, 2020)

Picking up from last year's Yu Yu maraton, I've watched the stage plays! First one is really just the beginning: Yusuke dies, comes back as a spiritual detective, and we get the Three Youkai mini arc. We also see Kurama and Hiei's first meeting, like in Two Shots. The second play covers both the 4 Beasts castle and Yukina's rescue (they basically skip the training). Since Kurama and Hiei are not much in the second half, their actors get to play a side character each.

Sadly I don’t think these were very good. Sure, visuals are cool, the characters are well done, and they have their moments, but overall these plays were not it, imo. The bit where they play the opening song with a fighting montage is great though, very entertaining.

Rurouni Kenshin (1996-98)

Another from my childhood I hadn't seen in full! First two arcs are good, specially the second one (plus you can notice there’s some filler in the first, but it’s ok). Third part diverges from the manga and is mostly anime original stuff - and noticeably much weaker. If I ever rewatch it I'll stick to the first 2.

Watched it dubbed.

The Apothecary Diaries (2023-)

I had been hearing about it and decided to catch up in January. What a Good series! I was impressed. Maomao is a great character, the court intrigue is a thrill and I’m looking forward for a better understanding between her and Jinshi, and yes, rooting for actual romance. The series got drama, mystery and comedy, it’s great. Happy for the upcoming second season!

Subs cause the dub only came later.

7th Time Loop Season 1 (2024)

Rishe is stuck in a 5 year time loop that starts at the annulment of her engagement with the prince. No matter what profession and life she lives, it always ends during a war. 5 years into her 6th life she swordfights Emperor Arnold, from the neighbouring country, who is responsible for the war - and is killed by him. In her 7th loop, she soon meets Prince Arnold (not yet emperor) and he unexpectedely is smitten with her and proposes. After working hard in her previous lives, she is determined to finally relax and hopefully find out more about how the war starts, so she accepts. As his fiancée she soon notices Arnold is not completly cold as she expected, wondering what makes him go down that path.

I believe I saw some posts here and then I saw a clip of Rishe dealing with poison and so I decided to watch. I loved it! It was not quite what I was expecting, but rather better. Rishe is a delight and the whole mystery surrounding Arnold’s past and future, which lead them to the war seen in the previous loops, is very intriguing. I’m also captured by Rishe’s past jobs (merchant, harbalist, knight, etc), they’ve made her very resourceful. I really like the court day to day stuff and the drama, and the way she navigates all that. The dynamic of her knowing certain people from past loops but them not knowing her is always intriguing – and we get to know a little more about her this way too. And of course, I love her growing romance with Arnold!

I watched a bunch of dubbed episodes but then I caught up and the subs come faster, so.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023-)

This one seemed to be a fan favorite of the season and well, I can see why…While 7TL and tAD are more my vibe, I can’t overlook Frieren. The way it presents grief, time, connection, and the mortality of people through the eyes of this seemly apathic elf is very touching. It made me cry a few times! It also has cool action. And of course, I can’t resist a good medieval fantasy setting. I’m not versed in rpg but even I can recognize some basic elements, it’s pretty cool.

Watched it dubbed!

From Studio Ghibli

Only Yesterday (1991) - This one is pretty slow, contemplative. It’s also a little boring imo... I can see its value, but it’s not really for me. Subs cause there is no dub.

The Cat Returns (2002) - I didn’t intend to watch this one but changed my mind at some point. It’s pretty fun! Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this haha I quite liked it!! Subs cause there is no dub.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) - This is a pretty long one, and the different artstyle threw me off at first, I thought I might not like it... I finally got  to watch it though, and not only it is not boring, but it is visually very pretty. It could have ranked high but I didn’t vibe with the ending, so. I could see it being other people’s favorite though. Watched it dubbed.

Earwig and the Witch (2020) - This one’s got a bad reputation but I thought it was fine. Like sure, this 3D animation did not capture that Ghibli charm, but the character design does seem on point and I thought it  had an interesting setting. Overall I liked it, even though the ending is rather anticlimactic. Things shift abruptly and are over soon after, leaving some stuff unresolved too (I imagine there would be a sequel). It was still entertaining though. Watched it dubbed.

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

I think this was the first time I watched a Ghibli movie in cinemas! It’s a good film. Not among my Ghibli favorites, but it would rank in the upper half. I'm sure it's other people’s favorite. I think the relationship with the stepmom could have been better developed, but it's still cool. The crazy, whimsical world kinda reminded me of Spirited Away at times. It's got that Miyazaki balance of weird and wonder, with a rather unique mythology and intriguing characters.

I wanted to watch it dub but there were limited screenings and the day I went had only subs.

Buddy Daddies (2023)

A duo of assassins with very different backgrounds and personalities are sent to kill a criminal. The mission is accomplished, they just didn't expect him to have a little daughter. Now they have to figure out how to take care of a child.

I heard good things about this one - and I loved it! I wish it had been longer, I believe it could easily fill 20 something episodes, but oh well… The trio is very endearing, their dynamics are great.

Subs cause no dub.

Yona of the Dawn Season 1 (2014-15)

Princess Yona has to flee her castle with her chidlhood friend/bodyguard Hak after her beloved cousin, Soo-Won murders her father, the king. While searching for the four legendary dragon warriors to help them reclaim the kingdom, Yona finds out her people have been suffering for years, and feels it is her duty to help them.

I was honestly surprised to see this series is already TEN years old. I remember people talking about it but I didn't remember it had been this long? Maybe I heard of it afterwards? Maybe not…Anyway. This series is great. I didn’t expect it to be so good. It’s an epic (east asian) medieval fantasy! It’s got drama, adventure, action, and I’m looking forward to the romantic plot development with Hak. It’s cool to see Yona growing from sheltered princess to a warrior. I’m honestly shocked they never made a second season, like, wtf. Fortunately they’ve started selling the manga in here, and I’ve been following it! Good stuff. I wish I could watch the plays, but specially the musical. Oh, I'm saving the OVAs for when I reach the respective manga chapters.

Subs cause no dub

Snow White with the Red Hair Seasons 1-2 (2015-16)

This one is also medieval fantasy, has plenty of drama, and while it does have action and adventure, it’s not so much in the epic side - it’s more…mundane? I mean sure, it’s got court intrigues, swordfights, and there’s a kidnapping at one point and whatnot… But the vibes are more on the quieter, lovelier side? I mean, there isn't an epic quest. But it’s cool to see Shirayuki’s journey in becoming a great herbalist while Zen trains in his princely duties and how they both fight to be together despite the obstacle of their different status (something which worries Zen's older brother and other influential people). Their friends also form a cool cast. Wish there were more seasons, but the ones we got are good. I’m not even mad at the misleading title cause the only reason I remembered its existence and watched it was because years ago I saw there was a Snow White anime. Alas, this has basically nothing to do with Snow White, but it’s so good I don’t even care. 

Subs cause no dub

Spy x Family - Code: White (2023)

Yes it’s filler but it’s fun! Plus it's not like Spy x Family plot moves fast anyway... So here we got a little winter family trip in search of a recipe (for the Mission!!!) turned into a crazy kidnapping and rescue as Loid and Yor separately go after Anya…it’s action-packed, whacky and fun! It’s Spy x Family!!! There are also a couple of cute Twiyor/family moments, which I love, of course. It’s a good pastime. Bring me season 3!

Watched it dubbed at the cinema!

A Sign of Affection Season 1 (2024)

A lovely show! It’s about the daily life of a deaf college-age girl, and her new romance with a guy who loves to travel, and how her world expands when meeting him and other people in college. I think most school settings stories I see are in high school or middle school so this is a nice change.

Watched it dubbed

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (2022-23)

People talked so much about this one I had to give it a go. The only Gundam series I had contact with before was Gundam Wing (watched some assorted episodes as a kid), so I thought that would be the first one I watched in full, but I still haven't done it, oops. And now I’ve seen Gundam Witch! Intriguing developments and characters! Deals with some serious issues, which apparently is an usual Gundam thing. It has some cool dynamics and the queer romance is cute, it has a good arc. The show is not quite my jam, so not a favorite, but it’s a good show, felt solid.

Watched it dubbed

My Happy Marriage (2023-)

Miyo lives in a Cinderella situation until she is engaged to Kyoka, a rich guy with a bad reputation… In a society where powerful families have superpowers, she’s got none, so her family wants to get rid of her…The poor thing lives with no affection and the guy is desensitized to previous fiancées chasing his status, but then he sees that’s not the case and is decided to treat her well AND to stand up to her family. Oh, and it’s got an historical setting. Also Kyoka is part of the special forces which fight evil spirits or something. He controls elements. I gotta say I was not expecting that kind of action in a Cinderella-esque story, ha! It was a good addition.

It's kinda tough to see Miyo so meek, but it's key to see she is not magically cured after the engagement, she still struggles from the abuse of her family, but with help, little by little she gains more confidence, which is lovely to see. She also finds her own way of helping Kyoka herself, the end of the season really makes it stronger. I don't think it's gonna be a favorite of mine, but it IS good. Season 2 incoming!

Watched it dubbed

My Happy Marriage Movie aka As Long as We Both Shall Live (2023)

The movie is basically a compressed version of what we see in season 1. As such, it is definitely inferior to the animated version, but it’s okay... Like, it has its moments but overall it really doesn't hit the same, specially the ending. I would say it has all the important bits of the first half of the season, but a lot of the second half is lost (Hazuki, you were missed, girl!).

Shaman King: Flowers Season 1 (2024)

I was entertained, I wanted to see more of the kids and their dynamics (and more of their parents), and I wish they would continue it…But I don't know, it's got some odd choices. Granted, it's a short season, if it had been longer it might have been more charming/intriguing. For example, Ren's son is the last to join so we don't see a lot of him, which is a shame. I also thought it was going to be a complete story but turns out the Flowers manga was continued in Super Star, and the season we got was really just Flowers…Also I still think it would have been a better investment to use the money to improve on the Shaman King remake, but anyway. I wonder if they will ever continue it.

Watched it dubbed

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Season 3 (2024)

This was about the same level as season 2 I guess. Though back then they let the fights begin in one episode and end on the next, while here they kinda kept it in the same episode, which made them feel shorter :/ Like, it was cool but still not even close to the original series. It has its moments, but parts of it are too quick, there’s a lack of stronger soundtracks to enhance the scenes, etc. The original content was interesting enough, but we had so little time it would have been better to use it on canon events... or at least parts of it.

I would watch more if they made it but it seems they’re going to stop this version in this arc – and I get it, like I said, its really not as good as it should/could be. I’m glad they finished it though, it would have been a bummer to see the arc only halfway done. I hope we don’t have to wait too many years until a new saint seiya anime…also I wonder what it will be.

Watched it dubbed

Delicious in Dungeon (2024-)

Everybody couldn’t shut up about it so I had to watch it XD yes, yes, it’s good! Well made rpg-esque medieval fantasy setting. It’s got plenty of comedy, and the story is pretty different from the usual stuff… It wasn’t until things started to get serious that it really got me though, like halfway through the season. From what I’ve heard, it should be done by season 2. I'll be there to watch it!

Watched it dubbed

Sailor Moon: Musical Festival Chronicle (2022)

Finally could watch this one, yay!!! Story-wise it's not really impressive, but then again this one is more of a celebration of myu history than anything else. Cool to see the old numbers back, lovely to see Satomi’s guest appearance and, of course, the BANDAI MYU team, hooray!!!! Oh and we could see more of Riona’s Mamoru too! Since The Super Live full recording was never released, we don’t have much of that, so this is nice.

I honestly thought this would be the end of the myu/moon renaissance, but after the announcement of the long run of the new Super Live in London, I'm not so sure! But alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Ranma ½ (2024-)

Ranma’s return!!!! Its been rather fun to follow Ranma and Akane’s shenanigans again. I’m glad I watched the full og anime a few years ago!!! I hope they get to adapt the manga until the end this time (I’ve never read it myself). Waiting for season 2!!!

Watched it dub (I’m so happy Netflix got the cast back!!!)

[monkeydluffy19920]

Quick thoughts: One Piece chapter 1133

Still 100 years behind the canon story but trying to catch up and wanted to take a sneak peek on newer chapters because they appeared on the dash and I completely understand the hype now.

First of all, I'm happy that Oda-sensei returned Robin's pre-time skip look and even cuter is that Robin specifically requested it so it would resemble the haircut she had when she first met Saul. In general there isn't anything wrong with her post time skip look but I personally think the bangs makes Robin much more unique because well it was her look ever since she was introduced and it took some time to get used to the later look.

Frankly spoken once I mistook her once for Hancock by quick glance in chapter 857's cover page (before I noticed the earrings and the snake) maybe it was just because of the way Oda draws women or something?

Kinda had similar feelings with post timeskip Nami, that it took time to get used to the long hair and that a couple of times when scrolling manga way too quickly, I've mixed Nami with someone else a couple of times (and btw that Giant warrior woman, doctor Gerd was it? she also looks like a bit like Nami with the hairstyle and all). So, even though the long hair is stylish, I still think the shorter hair fits Nami better (but that viking hairstyle looks good on her though).

Another thing especially in anime that bothered with Robin's hairstyle was that sometimes Robin's forehead looked for some reason bigger so, definitely rooting on the team "Robin with bangs".

Anyway back to the chapter, the Straw hats arrived to Elbaf and are not only having a a reunion with the crew but also with Dorry and Brogy etc. That must've been such a nostalgia splash for all of them and then they hear Saul is there and this is another heartbreaking yet so darn beautiful moment ahead :')

It's honestly amazing how Oda is able to create such storytelling in general and also close the circles of plots even after hundreds of chapters. Robin started with someone who was abused by her relatives and was constantly on her toes for a long time whereas she simply craved for unconditional love after her mother not being able to be around much. She basically lived for Olvia's (and Saul's) will and in order to simply survive the next day until she met Luffy, her upcoming captain.

Now hundreds (thousands?) panels of later we have reached this point where Robin has a loving crew that she knows are extremely loyal to her. They are her safe place and she now pursuits her dream the fullest (not just to survive) .

So now to think about it, now Robin basically got some kind of closure with her past when meeting Saul 22 years later. It was also really nice of Oda to set the meeting with such a parallel, 22yrs ago and in the present Saul tried his "famous growl" once again with a spark in his eyes and Robin sparkles back and this time differently (like she has blossomed and isn't so reserved)

It was indeed a tearful reunion but I really love that Robin is finally able to let those emotions out, I mean when she was out of the run she was probably forced to "cold and distant herself" in order to stay alive (although she probably never forgot Saul's dereshi shi shi-laugh). She feels so relieved after seeing Saul and her being so happy things have changed in her life.

So, this chapter points out one the most important character improvement for Nico Robin: instead of living for others, she lives now for herself and sees her self worth and that definitely it's no more an crime for her to exist!

I really like that the crew were a bit worried about Saul and were basically prepared to help him but Robin says it's all fine and goes by herself but it seems that she still kind of wants to share this reunion with her beloved nakama because she doesn't say at any point they aren't allowed to be anywhere near. Well they stay in the background but still she feels safe enough to accept them to be around in this vulnerable moment.

There is by the way something extremely touching in Luffy's expression in the chapter's last panel. He must've felt loads of emotions too but look at that precious smile! He is so proud of how far Robin has achieved!

[alpaca-clouds]

Why I loathe CoD Hector

Something I really wanted to write a proper blog on, is Hector. I answered on another blog on this before, and wrote a shorter thing about this before. But I really wanted to write something on its own. Because I will once again iterate: While Hector in the animated series definitely gets to finish out his character arc, he works a lot better as a character than his game counterpart. And that even though the game came out at the time, where Castlevania tried to go more for storytelling.

Yet, there is this thing, and that mostly comes from it still being an old action-centric game... How the need of making the main characters of action games until sometime in the 2010s into the stoic kind kinda made them worse characters.

I said it before: The Castlevania games for the longest part never really were that interested in telling characterdriven stories and focused more on the gameplay. Which is very much fine. But even when they tried to include more story, for the most part they still keep the brutish, stoic protagonist. Even Alucard, despite looking like a beautiful princess, is very much the stoic male protagonist. This is just a thing with action media that was going on for way too long. Sure, even stoic characters could make for good fan interpretation in stuff like fanfics, it often is an issue that the media itself does not want to actually explore the characters emotions.

Or, to make it fairly clear: This has very much to do with this idea of toxic masculinity. A lot of old action media (not only games, but also movies and such) will not allow male action heroes to show emotional vulnerability, because that would be unmasculine in the eyes of the writers. Which then boils the characters down onto the supposedly "masculine" emotions, like anger and the urge for revenge.

And this is kinda where we get to Curse of Darkness.

We have this whole backstory through the manga, that goes into Hector's background and all that. While I will say that here I prefer the animated version, too, I will fully admit that this is just a subjective thing (I like that the animated version draws some clearer cultural aspects into it, while also giving Hector the agency of killing his abusers, rather than having it happen as an accident), because I definitely can see why people would prefer the manga version.

Where this ends, however, is already at the moment when Hector joins Dracula. Yes, I will fully admit that I am not a big fan of game!Dracula in general, though I will not go into the why here. He works as a game villain, I will admit that, though.

No, what I dislike about Hector's story with Dracula is more the: "And he becomes like the best forgemaster. Like he is so amazing and so strong, and did we tell you how amazing he is?" It goes too much into the power fantasy to me. While I get that the game canon heavily drew on this idea of the main conflict between Hector and Isaac being one of jealousy... I will just say, that a conflict of jealousy is actually so much more boring than a conflict of ideals. And the backstory by far had enough going on there to make it a conflict of ideals, as Hector did still - like in the animated version - not like the idea of killing thousands. Which could have been used for a lot of conflict, but... yeah.

I will still say, that for the most part, the backstory works. While I roll my eyes already at everything with Rosaly, because Rosaly is very much the incanation of the trope where this pure hearted girl saves the soul of the corrupted man (I don't know how this trope is called, but it is for sure a trope), it does work so far.

No, where Hector as a game character stops working is... at the game. Or rather in the moment that Rosaly does do the thing that she as the sole female character in this entire fucking story has to do: She dies so that her death can motivate Hector. And that is to me where game Hector as a character does stop working.

They could have given Hector any motivation to face off against Isaac. They had put up more than enough story fragments in the manga that they could have build from. They could have made it that Isaac wanted to go for revenge and before he could do it, Hector tried to go in there to protect the people he had now learned to love. They could have made it that Isaac tried to ressurect Dracula. They could have made it that Isaac tried to continue Dracula's work until Hector decided that he could not let his former friend do this, because Hector now knows better. There could have been several interesting and good motivations.

But no. Instead they went with: "Girl dead. Boy sad. Boy angry. Boy wants revenge." The fuck?! This is just so bad in terms of storytelling. It is just the refrigerated woman trope, in its most lazy iteration.

They could have given Hector an interesting motivation and conflict. But no, instead they went for revenge. Ugh.

But that was not enough for the writers of this game. Ooooooh no. If it was just that, I would still hate it, but I would be fine with it. Because let's face it, a lot of games use the "revenge for loved ones" trope. Sure, this game is not using it in the most creative way, and it could have done a lot better from the backstory that was set up in other media, but... It is fine. This is fine.

What is not fine however is Julia. I hate Julia. I hate everything about her as a concept.

And again, mind you. I absolutely would not have a problem with Julia if she was just "some girl" or just "Isaac's sister". Then Julia would be fine. It would even be fine if Hector caught feelings for her, even though I would once again roll my eyes at this.

No, what makes Julia so offensive is the fact that she looks and sounds like Rosaly. Meaning, that she explicitly, not just implicitly exists to be a replacement for Rosaly. And that just makes it all so, so badly written.

Worst of all: This gets never explained. Julia just is Rosaly's doppelganger. Just because... Well, because the writers of this game wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They wanted to motivate Hector by revenge for a dead girl, but also wanted to have him end with the girl. And it is just... misogynic writing. I am sorry.

It portrays women as "things" that can be easily replaced. And I hate this so, so much. It is the reason why, even though CoD might not be the worst game in the series, it is by far the one I loathe the most.

And they could have so easily done it differently. Either by not motivating Hector through Revenge in the first place, or by just making Julia a different person from Rosaly. Make her strikingly different and then have Hector fall for Julia. That would have been fine. Just this: "I broke one doll, but I will just get a replacement" thing that game has going is... horrible.

And yes, additionally I will say that another reason why I do prefer the animated version of Hector is, that he is not the stoic kind of character, but he is actually fairly vulnerable. He is a bit of an idiot who easily fall for people. He definitely does not get to have his power fantasy. But it is exactly this that I like. Because it is a story we usually do not get with male characters.

The story of Hector in the animated series is very much a story that would have usually been given to a female character. And I adore this fact. I adore how they switched the gender stereotypes around for this.

Yes, I am well aware that some fans of the games hated this, too. But I honestly have to say: Look, the game characters might have some minor differences, but all in all they all fall under the stereotype of the stoic action protagonist. Yeah, the series needed to switch this around a bit, because it would have gotten boring otherwise.

And frankly. I am sooooo sick of protagonists being all stoic all the time. Give us some variety. It won't kill these characters to smile from time to time... Or, you know, be vunerable.

[milaisreading]

Unexpected meeting during war times...

Warnings: Reader uses she/her. Requests are open. Set during WW2, nothing serious is going on, just some light-hearted writing.

(C/n)-Country name

Hana is the shorter version of Hanatamago, which is Finalnd's dog in the manga.

🌍Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya🌏

"Hana? Why are you growling like that?" (Y/n) asked as she observed the white dog. Both her and Finland's dog were relaxing on a field that was a little bit further from the country's house.

'Maybe she misses Finland and is acting out? She never growled at anyone, let alone at thin air. The poor girl.' (Y/n) thought as she picked the white do up, hugging her tightly. Finland left Hanatamago in her care when the war started on Europe's mainland, citing that the dog would be safer with someone who was neutral, but also someone he trusted. (Y/n) will make sure to comfort her!

"Ahh~ it's alright, Hana. Finland will be back soon and you will be back at his home." She sighed sadly, but the dog didn't stop growling, instead she started struggling in her hold.

"Hana! What's wrong? You didn't act like this ever around me-" Before (Y/n) could finish her speech the dog got out of her hold and ran towards the opposite direction of her house, all the while barking.

"Hana!! Come back!!! The forest has big animals and birds of prey!!" The country yelled as she quickly got up and ran after the dog, already imagining the worst scenarios.

"Hana!"

It took (C/n) 20 minutes, but she eventually found the dog, still growling behind a bush. Sighing in relief, she silently ran towards the dog and picked her up. Hana looked startled for a moment, but her distressed mood switched into a cheerful one when she saw it was (Y/n). Before the country could ask anything, she heard two loud voices... two familiar, loud voices.

"You pasta loving imbecile! Look what you did! God knows where we are!"

"How is this my fault, England! I was in a completely different aircraft!"

Behind the bush (Y/n) watched in shock as England and Italy, an Allied force member, and a Axis powers member arguing with each other. In her forest... in a neutral place. Now, (Y/n) was no coward for the most part, but she panicked for a moment. She wasn't much of a fighter, and they were pretty powerful compared to her. Just now she realized why Hana was acting out.

"Uhmm.... what are you two doing here?" Against her better judgement, (Y/n) walked closer to the two, who stopped arguing and looked at the girl. Both were confused as to who she was, and she couldn't blame them. (Y/n) wasn't really social, and most of the time her boss only goes to meet other countries. So naturally they didn't know her, except for the Nordics, Belgium, Russia, and Netherlands, she never met anyone. The only reason she knew how Italy and England looked is because the other Nordics showed them to her on photos, or she would see them in newspapers.

"Who are you?" The green-eyed country asked suspiciously, letting go of Italy's collar.

"I never met you, but you are such a bella donna! Do you come here often?!" Italy was the complete opposite, he quickly ran up to and took her hand in his, surprising (Y/n) and agitating the dog even more.

"I-I... uhm..." She stuttered out in embarrassment.

"Will you stop making her uncomfortable." England sighed at Italy's antics.

"Where are we, miss? And what is your name."

The girl looked away from Italy, who was rambling about going on a pasta date, and looked at England.

"Ehm... I am the personification of (C/n), and right now you are on my territory. How did you even get here?" England blinked at her for a moment, then his eyes slowly widened as he registered her words.

'Crap! This is a neutral country we are om! Will she chase us with guns like Switzerland?! Or arrest us?!'

"Bella! I never saw you in my life before! Why don't you come to meetings more often?! You are so beautiful, it would make me more excited if I knew you were there as well!" Italy pouted as (Y/n) grew increasingly more nervous.

'Well, this is certainly something new.' England thought to himself as they sat in (Y/n)'s living room, both served tea and some baked goods as the country sat across from them. Hana, who neatly bit off Italy's finger, was sat on the floor next to her, eating.

'I hope my boss will do something soon. He probably heard by now that these two landed here.'

"This cake is really good! Did you make it?!" Italy suddenly broke the silence as (Y/n) looked at him.

"Oh! Yeah, it's a cake Denmark and Iceland like to eat, so I learned how to make it. I am surprised it didn't come out burned this time." (Y/n) laughed nervously while taking a sip from her tea.

"Now then, let's get to the point. Why didn't you arrest us?" England sudden question caused both Italy and her to look at him.

"Why would I arrest you two?" (Y/n) questioned.

"You are a neutral country in this war, it would be pretty normal for you to do that when two countries, that are at war, invade your territory." England explained as he drank some of the tea as well, surprised by how good it tasted.

'This is nearly as good as the one back at home!'

"Oh? Is that so? I am very unfamiliar with war and how that works, since I mostly keep to myself. I guess I should have asked Denmark, Norway, or Sweden for some advice." She mused for a moment as Hana jumped on her lap.

"But, I don't see the point in arresting you two for an accident, and you didn't cause me any damage."  She answered right back as England looked at her stunned.

"You are so kind! The kindest country I ever met! Can we please stay in contact?!" Italy cheered as he walked to (Y/n)'s side and grabbed both her hands.

"I don't know if that's a good idea! Besides, I am fine with the friends I have so far." The girl answered back, growing flustered at his closeness. Growing annoyed with Italy, England walked over to him and tried to separate them.

"Let go of her! That's no way to treat a lady!"

"Please, I know how to treat you well!" Italy ignored the blonde, but before she could utter any protest while Hana kept on barking, her door was slammed open.

"What is going on?!" (Y/n) yelled as the two males looked equally startled.

"Dude, England?! Where are you?!"

"America..." England groaned in frustration as (Y/n) got her hands out of Italy's grip and hugged Hana tightly.

"Italy! You imbecile, where are you?!"

"Germany is here as well!" Italy said cheerfully.

"He just insulted you." (Y/n) said in disbelief.

"Aru~ you all are making too much noises!  Russia, you said you know your way around here."

"Da, that's true, comrade. I am very well acquainted with (C/n)."

"You know Russia?" England asked as Italy looked at the girl in surprise.

"We have a history, you can say..." (Y/n) said back.

"Mon ami is full of surprises these days."

"Enough now, we need to find Italy-san and England-san before they get in trouble."

As the two countries made their way out of the living room, (Y/n) stayed rooted to the spot while Hana started growling again.

'Why are the Axis and Allies in my house now?!'

[affluent-havoc]

Toko Time! Spoiler Warning of course (though it's barely anything)

First off, Toko's casual attire! I gave her a cute little sun hat for one. I thought it'd be cute but also as good protection of the sun as well as a cute way to hide her face if she ever got a bit shy. Additionally, I feel Toko would be prone to sunburns. Thus, I got her protected while also having her be stylish in her blouse, long skirt, and pretty heels. The heels aren't too long though as I feel those wouldn't be her style. Perhaps Toko would find longer heels a bit gaudy. Plus, I feel she'd be probe to twist an ankle in those. Also, the choker I added on her was a choice I made on a whim. Just felt like mentioning that. Moreover, Toko's work attire. For my AU, for one, she's still writing away with her novels, especially now that she's got more time to herself along with more life experience that can channel more stories. So, in a way, she doesn't really have work attire. It's more that she goes and dresses up a bit more than her casual attire. After all, Toko's a gal who has her fashion sense aligned well with mostly formal attire anyway. As for the specifics of her attire, I gave her a cute little vest for the vibes. Gotta have some nice puffy sleaves too along with some more fancy heels, some leggings, a nice skirt with an adjustable zipper, and a bag to keep some of her stuff in! Feel she wouldn't carry much in there but perhaps just useful stuff like a notebook or two, some pens, her phone, and some feminine hygiene products in case of an emergency. Those are for Komaru though since she's a bit of a girl failure still. Additional info about her work in general is that, when she's not writing away in her room, she helps Komaru out and is sort of like the co-owner of Komaru's little shop. The store has a ton of books, manga's, comics. Haven't fully thought of all the little stuff that would be there but I feel it'd be a bit like a thrift store where there's a bit of everything in there, from scarfs to handmade sweaters little trinkets. Maybe there is also a donation thing going on too where one can donate an item to the shop in exchange for some cash or maybe another item. There can be a little system there! Komaru works on the store independently for the most part. She deserves to be independent after all! Komaru does has good support from Toko as well as occasional help from Byakuya. I also like to think that Toko herself might work at a library on her own. The library wouldn't be that far away from Komaru's shop as well as the two's apartment. I like to think that Toko, with age, would venture out a bit more and gain some more confidence. She's still an introvert at heart of course! Plus, though she keeps a low profile in life, she still is a well known figure both from her talent, being in the killing game, and what she did with Komaru by helping save Towa city.

For her physical build, Toko fans, rejoice!! She's at a healthy weight!! She's taking care of herself!! One main thing of note in Toko's better physical care is her hair. For one, it's shorter, perhaps Toko cutting it at some point to really get rid of the previous tangles she had before slowly going to restore her hair's heath. Additionally, her hair's got some layering to it and is done fairly loose. I like to think that Toko in her youth did her braids too tight. Maybe to compensate for her lack of showers or that she didn't brush all that well. Not anymore though! Some other things of note I'd like to mention are her undergarments. I see her as the type to want to feel pretty both on the outside and inside. This is the case once having a lot more money to herself and can have that ability to treat herself. Toko's time with Komaru and the two of them still living together has certainly helped as well with the both of them having each other's backs. I'd like to think though that, at some point, Toko would like to move out at some point to her own place. Maybe she's only stayed with Komaru for so long out of habit or to help keep Komaru safe. Toko cares for Komaru a lot after all! I like the idea of Toko going and becoming more in charge with her life though. A Toko who's taking initiative! Something like that.

I'd say I'm pretty happy with how Toko's turned out! Might be some edits I'd to to her design but nothing too crazy. And no worries. A certain fiend is still going to have her own time to shine! May take a bit for the next design but it won't be too long! (1) | (5)

[br4inr0tx]

Hey! Sorry for taking so long. I recently did a show of Brigadoon (I was an ensemble villager, so I had a shit tone of dance routines to remember) so I had little to no time to write this out. 😓

Nonetheless! Here’s your matchup, @xxchthonicreaturexx !

tw - discussion of mental disorders, discussion of unhealthy coping mechanisms, and toxic relationships (kinda, it’s vampires idk man)

Your Diabolik Lovers matchup is… SHU SAKAMAKI !!

• I love Shu, and I’m glad you fit with a character I think is a silly guy.

• I think with his cool demeanor, and your slightly more upbeat and hyper one, you’d make a perfect contrast that sticks out like a sore thumb.

• Shu isn’t a picky guy, especially when it comes to the human body. As long as you’re healthy and provide good blood, that’s all that matters. Thus, it will most likely lead him to do favors for you that you may feel unmotivated to do.

• Or not. Other times he’s tired and just bullies you until you do it yourself.

• Though he’s especially not picky with clothes. He could give less of a shit. In fact, I think he actually enjoys your cutesy style.

• The alternative twist makes it even better. I believe he’s very much into that style.

• Shu would frequently call your interests weird, but please, don’t mind him. He’s a little mean, even if he doesn’t mean it all the time. Even if he doesn’t have a care for it, he’ll end up feeding into your obsession by either buying you dolls or manga.. just because he has such a soft spot for you.

• As we all know, Shu loves listening to music. Most likely some rock and indie. You should definitely recommend him some songs!

• Do be careful when you get sassy and snappy with Shu. He’ll get you right back, usually with even harsher words. Be careful.

• He takes advantage over your shyness and conditions frequently, either trying to fluster you (like the bathtub scene) or by moving stuff around your room without you knowing, just to mess with you.

• Shu wants what he wants, and he’s going to get it. When he really needs something, he doesn’t have time for any sort of compassion. Though if you really beg him to stop, he’ll stop.

• If you try to mother him, I don’t think it’ll work too well. That goes for all of the boys. He will shut you down immediately, and do whatever it is for himself. There’s a possible slim chance you could get him to break when you’re officially together, but as I said it’s very rare.

• He disappears a lot, so you’ll get a lot of alone time. If he does want your attention, whether you reciprocate or not, he’s gunna get it.

• He’s been a lot of crazy and abandoned places just to be alone, so if you ever want to get back into urbexing he’s got plenty of places to show you. Don’t plan on running away though, it’s inevitable that either him or the other boys will find you.

• Obviously, he thinks your fears are weak. However I don’t think he’ll go any further than just telling you that though. He doesn’t make it his life goal to torment you with that.

• All the boys have issues, so you can connect there. I don’t think he’ll really care about that aspect though? Not that he doesn’t care about you, he just tunes it out a lot of the time. He’s a strange guy.

• Your runner up is Reiji!

• Admittedly this one’s a bit short. I’ve only watched the Anime, so if there’s more on him in the game then feel free to make your own little headcanons.

Your Friday Night Funkin’ matchup is… GARCELLO !!

• I think Garcello would be perfect for you! This is the one match I’m not super hesitant about!

• He fits your vibe perfectly. As cheesy as it sounds, you’re each others anchor. You’re everything he’s ever wanted, and hopefully he’s what you want too.

• You’re much shorter then him. Some nicknames he’d give you are “tiny woman” or “little baby”. Garcello loves giving nicknames, and I’m sure he’d come up with more.

• He LOVES alternative styles, like, really digs it. For him personally, he prefers comfort over style, but I still think he’s fashionable in his own way. He openly compliments you all the time, and is always taken aback by your beauty.

• He finds the doll thing pretty cool too! Although he might joke around and say they’re possessed, lil goofball.

• You simply have such an amazing style he can get behind. He’s very interested in your hobbies, since he doesn’t have many himself.

• Like I mentioned, he doesn’t have many hobbies. If anything he might hop around to different hobbies sometimes just to do something. He does really enjoy singing he finds! Hopefully you two can bond over that?

• He also gives indie and rock vibes, so you’ll definitely be listening to the same music a lot!

• I’m pretty sure Garcello is extroverted, but also a lone wolf? Perhaps it depends on the day. I think he only talks to people he gets a good vibe from, or is interested in. For instance he most likely complimented your style and jokes, and a friendship blossomed, which turned to romance.

• He loves all the banter and soft bullying. It’s something he has for you to keep him on his toes, and so the both of you don’t get lost in your own heads.

• He’s quite the pessimist, so please knock some sense into him sometimes. In return he’ll act as somewhat of a guard dog, protecting you from anyone who wants to hurt you both mentally and physically.

• He’s a very intuitive guy, and can tell when you’re not at your best. You both have the same issue of not expressing yourselves until it’s too late, and even being a little hypocritical when talking about feelings. Perhaps the two of you together can start noticing each other’s actions more quickly.

• Everyone has some bad habit. His is being addicted to the colorful smoke. He may or may not overthink when you go on your hiatuses though, so please try to shoot him a text at the very least.

• He loves urbexing, and would definitely like to go on one of your late night adventures. He strikes me as a nocturnal guy anyway. (Not actually, just meaning someone who’s more active at night.)

• That being said, he’ll stay up however long you want him to, and do whatever you want as well.

• He’s another one that’s not scared hog much at all. He soothes and helps with a lot of your fears unlike the other boys, with no judgement at all. Everyone has different sorts of fears, it’s only natural he wouldn’t get all of them.

• Garcello has a handful of disorders himself, or at least in my headcanon, so I’m sure you guys can share experiences and just be in each others presence. After all, misery loves company.

• Garcello needs alarms for everything tbh, because he can be forgetful and basic human needs sometimes. He can totally relate!

• He’s very finicky with touching. He hates the idea of ever making someone uncomfortable and will never touch you unless you touch or ask him to first.

• He’s usually the driver for things, so having someone else drive is a good change in his book! He’ll talk the wheel whenever you need a break too.

• A very close runner up would be Annie! Either way, I can see the three of you having fun in your own little group.

• Garcello is a great boyfriend, and in the end, he’d do anything to see that happy look on your cute face.

Your Outsiders matchup is… KEITH “TWO-BIT” MATHEWS !!

• I never really engaged with The Outsiders fandom, so if there’s any popular headcanons that I didn’t include, please don’t be too mad. I’m going off of what I remember as best as I can.

• I chose Two-Bit since he’s funny and adventurous, but not too mean..like Dally. Also not too skittish like Pony, Johnny, or Darry. Though saying Darry is more in a mama bear sense. He’s a perfect balance for you, same as your runner up.

• In my opinion, Two-Bit seems to be the type of guy to like curvy girls. He likes to hype you up if you ever start to question yourself.

• You both have a little bit of child like wonder. I don’t think he fits in kids clothes, but he does wear clothes more fit for kids sometimes. He’s the type of guy to come out with to most wack and embarrassing outfit, and you just have to roll with it lmao.

• Two-Bit is a little cheesy. One of his favorite things to do is kiss each one of your freckles all over your body, if you’d let him.

• So alt fashion wasn’t at its prime until the 80s, and even then it was still consider out of the norm. You’d easily become an outsider (wink). Two-Bit takes you in almost immediately!

• After learning about your doll obsession he’ll learn or give all of your dolls names depending if they have them already or not. He thinks they’re such unique collectables!

• Hearing you gush is super cute too, and often times he’ll just rile you up even more to see your reaction.

• He loves to dance with you! Whether it’s a style he’s good at or not, he likes to just jam with you!

• You’re like a cute puppy to him, though might be one in your eyes too. He gives a little bit of Golden Retriever energy.

• He’s a bit of a talker, and will happily talk for you if you needed someone else to do it for you. He very protective, and if he had it his way he’d just want to do almost everything for you.

• His whole friend group consists of friendly bullying and banter, so It’s another point where I think you’d fit right in.

• I don’t think he gets sad easily? He does appreciate your kindness though when those times do come, and will do the same for you tenfold when it’s your turn.

• He strikes me as mostly a realist, with some bigger dreams here and there. Perhaps you could ground him in some moments, and at other times he’ll convince you to be more optimistic about certain things.

• He doesn’t notice your emotions at first and how you mask, but he’ll start to pay more attention after you first broke. He felt so bad..and from that day forward sworn to pay more attention.

• He can be a little pushy sometimes, and even forget how you feel about touch if he gets excited. If you guys ever get into a fight about it, he’s surely the first one to apologize. He’s that kind of guy.

• Most times he’s mindful of your space though, and will often speak for you if people do things you’re uncomfortable with.

• He loves urbexing! He definitely wants to kickstart that old hobby of yours! (Just don’t kill anyone so you don’t need to chill in an abandoned church lol.)

• I don’t remember if he has any canon fears, but for me I don’t think there’s a lot that scares him. At first he pokes fun at your fears, but he definitely has protective boyfriend vibes.

• He’s very supportive of you, just don’t take all of his advice. Most of it consists of punching and fighting people.

• Your disorders aren’t a hinderance at all, and doesn’t usually bring them up throughout the day. After learning about them, he treats it as a normal occurrence to be treated, as it should be. He’s never mean about it.

• Two-Bit also seems like the guy to not have a strict sleep schedule, I’m sure he just goes to bed whenever he feels like it. So, You’d have someone to stay up with!

• Your runner up is Sodapop!

• Overall he’s a free flying guy that’s not too mean, and not too strict. The perfect happy middle for you.

Your Homestuck matchup is… TAVROS NITRAM !!

Your Shark Bait matchup is… RHIN !!

[impromptu-sketches]

𝔹𝕃 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟛 ✦ 𝕎ℝ𝔸ℙ-𝕌ℙ

Happy New Year! ☕️⋅˚₊‧🌸•₊✧📖｡⋆

For all of the BL stories I've read this past year, I have a winner in 13 categories and 5 overall 2023 winners!!

This was an amazing year for BL and incredibly hard just to narrow these down to only five per category. Thank you to all of the authors, writers, and creators out there! We appreciate your hard work ♡

Enjoy!

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✰ FUNNIEST

And the nominees are...

Killer Crush (2022 winner)

Punch Drunk Love

Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi / The World's Greatest First Love: The Case of Ritsu Onodera

Lucky Paradise

Sasaki and Miyano

And the winner is...

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE

Moscareto, you've done it again. I'm literally laughing every chapter. The characters, the art, the whole story is amazing. Can't wait to continue reading it this year and will definitely be a re-read for me down the line. Love those AU chapters too!!

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✰ MOST INTRIGUING

And the nominees are...

Mad Place (2021 winner)

Lost in the Cloud

Shutline

Liveta

I Became the Lousy Side Top

And the winner is...

I BECAME THE LOUSY SIDE TOP

Yay!! I was so surprised by this manhwa. I started to re-read it and suddenly it was taking over my thoughts - the transportation mystery and the shifting love triangle has me hooked!! I'm so excited to see where it goes from here ❀

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✰ BEST S3X SCENES

And the nominees are...

Pearl Boy

Love in Orbit

Coyote

Taming the Tiger

The Ghost's Nocturne

And the winner is...

COYOTE

I mean... everything this author does is beautiful and sexy af. Their very first sex scene was... very good. The difference in species, the secrets, the newness, the amazing art style (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄ Easily some of the hottest scenes I've read.

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✰ FAVORITE FLUFF

And the nominees are...

Our Dining Table

The Third Ending

Sasaki and Miyano

Hirano and Kagiura

Our Sunny Days

And the winner is...

OUR DINING TABLE

Awwwwww this one was so cute!! I read and also watched the live action which was great ♡ I usually don't get attached to shorter mangas because you don't spend as much time with the story and characters, but because I watched the live action with this one it's stuck in my heart. Super soft romance ♡

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✰ FAVORITE BOTTOM

And the nominees are...

Seo-an | The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace (2022 winner)

Victor | Liveta (2021 winner)

Sangwoo | Semantic Error

Seon-Woo | Punch Drunk Love

Yeonwu | Banana Scandal

And the winner is...

SEON-WOO | PUNCH DRUNK LOVE

He really stole my heart with his hilarious daydreams and fantasies, but I grew to love this character even more because of his sweet (yet sexually charged) nature and the fact that he's genuine and earnest. So cute and just an overall unique character ♡

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✰ FAVORITE TOP

And the nominees are...

Giovanni | Hold Me Tight (2021 winner)

Dooshik | Pearl Boy

Ash | Define the Relationship

Juwon | High Clear

Yoonseul | The Third Ending

And the winner is...

GIOVANNI | HOLD ME TIGHT

Giovanni again!! ♡ It was super tough to choose from this list of amazing men but as I've said many, many times, Giovanni has my whole heart. I simply love him.

Like a lot of the tops on this list (I love the green flags the most ♡) he's different from the typical top who's a company president/director. He doesn't care about money, power, or really anything else except the ones he loves - which is mainly just Felix. One of my favorite things about Giovanni is that he'll drop absolutely anything to go to Felix's side, no questions asked. And sometimes a few questions would be a good thing.

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✰ FAVORITE COUPLE

And the nominees are...

Dooshik & Jooha | Pearl Boy (2021 and 2022 winner)

Skylar & Cirrus | Lost in the Cloud

Taeman & Dahyeok | Killer Crush

Sangwoo & Jaeyoung | Semantic Error

Sasaki & Miyano | Sasaki and Miyano

Woo-won & Seo-an | The Pizza Delivery Man & the Gold Palace

And the winner is...

DOOSHIK & JOOHA | PEARL BOY

Dooshik & Jooha again!! ♡ It was so hard to choose from this list!! But if you've read Pearl Boy, you know these two are the epitome of ride or die. On top of that, they're also so many other things, like adorable, awkward, funny, silly, and incredibly sexy. I absolutely LOVED their awkward and silly beginning and both of their determination throughout the story to be with each other and care for each other ♡♡

(Yes I have six in this category but I couldn't take any of these off the list!!)

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✰ FAVORITE SIDE COUPLE

And the nominees are...

Potato & Heesung | Jinx

Sys & Randolph | King's Maker: Triple Crown

Deisel & Ein | Wolf in the House

Seolho & Hyunshik/boss | Killer Crush

Seo & Do-Hyeok | My Suha (side chapters)

And the winner is...

SEO & DO-HYEOK | MY SUHA (SIDE CHAPTERS)

I'm kind of surprised this won, but I can't lie. I ate these side chapters up. Every week I looked forward to seeing if these two were going to fight, f*ck, or fight while f*cking. I didn't think it would end so soon and abruptly. I was also hoping for a different ending. But I'm happy we got this story in the first place because I don't think anyone expected these two characters to interact, I'm glad we got to see it. And maybe we'll see more of them someday? A girl can dream.

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✰ COUPLE I MOST WANT TO BE IN A THROUPLE WITH

And the nominees are...

Our Sunny Days

Define the Relationship

The Pizza Delivery Man and The Gold Palace

Pearl Boy

Hold Me Tight

And the winner is...

DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP

:'( Sadly none of these will become a reality, but if I could choose a relationship to be welcomed into with open arms, it would be with these two beautiful men. Two alphas? Are you kidding me? Two alphas, one top one bottom... yes please!!

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✰ FAVORITE MAIN CHARACTER

And the nominees are...

Seon-Woo | Punch Drunk Love

Juwon | High Clear

Yoonseul | The Third Ending

Taeman | Killer Crush

Shin | Shutline

And the winner is...

TAEMAN | KILLER CRUSH

Taeman ♡♡♡ we've got ourselves a killer / babygirl! Really the perfect example of 'get you a man who can do both.' He'll kill a wild boar to save you no sweat then cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie with you. He's shy and blushes a lot, he's also calm, cool, and collected when he needs to be. He is everything to me ♡ Looking forward to re-reading Killer Crush soon before the next season comes out!!

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✰ FAVORITE SIDE CHARACTER

And the nominees are...

Deisel | Wolf in the House

Woojin | Lucky Paradise

Sys | King's Maker: Triple Crown

Heesung | Jinx

Potato | Jinx

And the winner is...

SYS | KING'S MAKER / KING'S MAKER: TRIPLE CROWN

Where do I start? I love him ♡ I love everything about him. I love his cuteness and his cheerful energy. I fucking love his dom side, his choice of outfits for himself and others, his taste in men. What an icon. I'm sure I'll have much more to say after actually reading season 3.

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✰ FAVORITE BOY

And the nominees are...

Kim Dan | Jinx

Dooshik | Pearl Boy

Giovanni | Hold Me Tight

Yoonseul | The Third Ending

Juwon | High Clear

And the winner is...

JUWON | HIGH CLEAR

I love this boy so much! So cute, so funny, incredibly awkward, and so freaking sexy. I love his tough energy in the beginning and his more recent soft top energy. His chibis kill me every single time. And I think it's well known by now that characters with red hair like this are my weakness (>ω<)

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✰ FAVORITE TOXIC BL

And the nominees are...

Twittering Birds Never Fly

Low Tide in Twilight

Jinx

Under the Green Light

My Suha (side chapters)

And the winner is...

TWITTERING BIRDS NEVER FLY

How can I not choose Twittering Birds when I've been obsessed with it for like 3 years? I re-read it a few months ago and cannot get enough of these two. I love it. I need more. I pray for a happy ending - though not anytime soon. I cannot get enough of their tension and the recent chapters!!!! ⁂((✪o✪))⁂ I'm so excited to see what we'll see from them this year.

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✰ SUING FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGE

And the winner is...

PEARL BOY

I bawled my eyes out after seeing one tiktok of these two. The ending... while technically happy... had me in tears. Really, I was in distress throughout the entire series. And also the ending could have been happier and more clear in my opinion. But was it all worth it? Yes. Would I do it again? Ideally I would read it all in one go, but still yes.

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✰ FAVORITE NEW BL

And the winner is...

OUR SUNNY DAYS

Ahhhhhhh!!! I'm so happy about this new BL!! So wholesome, so cute, SO FUNNY!! Not even 10 chapters in and I already adored all three of them. So much warmth ♡ I would read 100+ chapters about them just going about their daily lives.

The author apologized in chapter 22(?) because we had to wait so long for spicier chapters - first, I did not once feel like I was waiting too long for spicy chapters, I wasn't even thinking about that, I was just happy and second, dear author, you never have to apologize for anything, you're creating a masterpiece here. I already know it's going to be one of my all time favorites ♡♡♡

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✰ FAVORITE ONGOING BL

And the winner is...

SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI / THE WORLD'S GREATEST FIRST LOVE: THE CASE OF RITSU ONODERA

Oh my god... I read this for the first time this year, not expecting much but to my surprise I enjoyed every second of it 0_0

It was just so fun! Ritsu was hilarious and relatable (minus the nepotism), maybe controversial, but I love Takano ♡ That man just wants Ritsu's love, he's got it so bad.

I loved reading about all of the side characters and couples too ♡♡ I will be reading Junjou Romantica and then re-reading this and then probably watching both animes. And by then, maybe, finally, Ritsu will have confessed.

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✰ FAVORITE BL THAT ENDED THIS YEAR

And the winner is...

HOLD ME TIGHT, BANANA SCANDAL, -AND- SEMANTIC ERROR

I couldn't decide!!! How was I supposed to decide between these three??? There were so many great BLs that ended this year (ノAヽ)

Hold Me Tight - Wow, 194 episodes and I would have kept reading as far as the author wanted to go. This one has a special place in my heart because I remember exactly where I was when I started it and binged probably the whole first season. I've since re-read the entire thing, and despite how long it is, I was so sad when I got to the last chapter. One of my all time favorites. I love Giovanni and Felix so much ♡♡ I love their love ♡♡ (Leegang was my favorite side character). Funny, heartwarming, loving, wholesome ♡

Banana Scandal - I am so so SO glad that we got a season 3 ♡ Even with 190 episodes, similarly, I would have read three more seasons. I loved Taehee and Dojin in season one so much, but Yeonwoo and Taehwan stole my heart just as much at the end of season 2 and in season 3!! I will definitely be re-reading this again ♡ and recommending it forever. Sweet, funny, cute, love these boys ♡

Semantic Error - which just ended like last week it feels like. I'm so sad seeing this one end right now, I want to see more of Sangwoo and Jaeyoung ♡ I feel like there was some more to tell - I'm really hoping for a few side chapters. But overall, duh, I LOVED reading this. So funny, had me hooked from the very beginning. Enjoyed the art style, the concept, and of course the characters ♡♡ I will be re-reading this one again someday. And maybe checking out the novel...

For all of these and other ones that ended this year, I'll be so excited to read future works by these authors!!! ♡♡♡

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✰ FAVORITE BL OF 2023

And the winner is...

SASAKI AND MIYANO -AND- HIRANO AND KAGIURA

I cheated again and included both of these for best of 2023! I think we all know why and know that I couldn't possible choose one over the other.

Sasaki & Miyano I started in the beginning of 2022 and immediately read Hirano and Kagiura after I caught up and also immediately watched the anime. And now we have a movie!

In addition to being an adorable and wholesome romance, both of these were hilarious. Miyano is my favorite, and one of my favorite panels of him is when he called Hirano an uke to his face ʱªʱªʱª(ᕑᗢूᓫ∗) Miyano you crazy fudanshi!!

The tension with both of these couples!! So freaking soft ♡ and the way I know we're all screeching at just hand holding and little touches is delightful ♡

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Thank you for reading!