#he's transformed so that he well does his job to look like a gun in case someone breaks in. i say that as if we don't have a real gun sdggd

[transingthoseformers]

Came across some interesting discussions about Megatron's original Cybertronian alt mode being the Cybertronian equivalent of a gun, mostly because the photo shown of him and Dot is based off a similar pose from The Iron Giant, a movie which had the title character turn into a super weapon at one point. Adding on, Megatron mentioned his original alt mode couldn't fly, so it might be canon that Megatron's old alt mode may have been a canon or a blaster of some sort, since I really don't think it was his original mode was going to shrink like his G1 alt mode. Just got a weird thought but maybe Shockwave developed the Immobilizer because Megatron traded in his old alt mode for an Earth based one. Another thought: what if the whole "loyalty test" given by Optimus was so Megatron could think of himself as something that wasn't a weapon or machine of war anymore.

First thing that came to mind was also a tank! We've seen Megatron with a tank altmode before, after all

But it'd be super fucking cool if he turned into a massive perhaps mostly stationary gun (ik it's been discussed on here the idea of Megatron with a howitzer altmode, and it'd make sense in this context)

This is because I always giggle at the idea of Megatron turning into a rather average sized gun. "Most powerful thing in the universe" and he's just a fucking gun, a normal ass looking gun. Like like look at this shit.

That's an original G1 Megatron toy from the 80s transformed, look he's got the swirlies and the insanely faded decepticon insignia.

Though, I can't discount the idea of him turning into a relatively average sized laser gun if just for the factor of the heavy g1 influences and Soundwave still also turning into a tapedeck and the cassettes still being able to turn into cassettes.

[spaceyprincely]

Boothill observations and theorys(?):

⚠️‼️Cw// leaks + possible 2.1 spoilers‼️⚠️

Hello tumblr I thought I’d share some observations I’ve made about boothill, an upcoming 5 star character. Particularly his name and how it relates to his cowboy aesthetic as well as his possible backstory. I also want to theorize his situation with Acheron as well. Well I’m not exactly an expert on theory’s so I doubt mine counts but I’ll share what interests me on boothill!

Boot Hill, Name origin:

First off, what is a “boothill”?

“Boothill” or “Boot Hill” are a type of cemetery most commonly referred to in western parts of the United States and America. What makes this cemetery unique is its association with cowboys, specifically ones that died in violent non natural fashion like shooting or hanging, “died with their boots on”.

How does this relate to Honkai star rail boothill.

- boothill is based of the typical western American cowboy , with the outfit, his accent , usage of guns, etc. so we have that connection .

- The HSR wiki says that he’s specifically a cyberborg. Cyborgs are typically depicted as robot human hybrid characters. Some cyborg characters like robocop and cyborg (dc comics) have backstories of becoming a cyborg by having had either died and came back to life through technology or damaged their human body greatly to the point they replace with artificial robot tech.

- Boothill in leaked eilodons shows his naked body. However you can quickly noticed his body is human. Not robotic like what we’ve been officially shown.

- Contrast this with his lightcone art, boothill has only part of his robot body. It looks like he’s being operated on.

- So how does this his name relate to his possible backstory

- As previously iterated, boothill is a name for cemetery of cowboys that died in violent ways. Pair this with how the leaked content having a human body which insinuates that he was at some point a human.

- So what I theorize: Most likely case is that boothill died/ got heavily injured, most likely due to a fight, so much that his only chance to survive was to make him a cyborg. The name boothill fits because he probably died in his boots (I’ll assume for now it happened on the job, maybe his job was the same before and after?).

- Interestingly There’s a leaked description of his lightcones. I’m not 100% sure about how true it is so I’ll have to take it with a grain of salt. However it details on him coming back to life after almost embracing death.

- - If boothill died, who killed him?

There isnt much to hint at who is to blame for cause of him becoming cyborg so far, given he’s a new character with little information.

At this moment, my best guess is the ipc which characters including topaz and aventurine are in. Boothill is revealed to not like the IPC as revealed in his introduction post. However there’s an interesting thing we need to observe.

- Notice how it states “the target of his revenge”, meaning the ipc most likely wronged him in some. I wonder if the ipc is the ones responsible for his death and transformation to being a cyberborg. But it’s likely it could be another reason for his distaste.

About Acheron

Cw/ this part gets into partial spoilers for 2.1 trailblazer main story quest

black swan receives a call from boothill. The call is immediately clear he is threatening Acheron with death.

- his tension with her seems very extreme to the point where hell even go after people affiliated with her when he threatened black swan under the impression she’s was working with her. And saying she shouldn’t exist.

do I think she was behind his death?

Unlike with the ipc one, I’m not really sure. I personally think that this possibility has less weight to it and there might be another reason for his dislike towards her. But it wouldn’t be surprising considering aventurine claims she brings death and finality.

- like aventurine, Boothill knows that Acheron isn’t an actual galaxy ranger however boothill himself is a galaxy ranger. Since Acheron is falsely claiming she’s a galaxy ranger, could this possibly cause tension with the actual galaxy rangers and her to be a target for them? I don’t really have much to theorize much more but would like to hear what others think

[skrill999]

I just finished the first season of Transformers prime. And overall I liked it.

The human characters are fine. I don't hate them but I am not too invested in their story. (But you would not believe how much I said to tue TV "No... Mikko... don't do it...") but some of their shenanigans are rather funny

As for the cybertronians. I like them a surprising ammount.

Starscream:

I mostly prefer starscream more higher pitched voice but I do like what Steve Blum does (also I kept hearing heatwave)

As for his character he is a wet cat which keeps running out into the rain crying, not quite sure why he's so wet. Like he has my sympathy from the abuse he goes through under Megatron (to be fair Starscream did try to kill Megatron on multiple occasions) but a lot of it was his own doing. He keeps getting in his own way.

There is a curious moment that stands out to me: in the episode where breakdown was captured by humans, the autobots try to rescue him because they thought decepticons wouldn't and Megatron didn't want to but Starscream did try. (They couldn't have known Autobots were there before leaving base)

Now I won't go so far as to say that this means Starscream cares for Breakdown. At first I was thinking he probably needed him for a plan of his but so far I have no clue what that would be so it really left me wondering why.

With Starscream defected from the decepticons and hiding I am curious to see what future awaits him in the upcoming season

Soundwave:

Soundwave is my favourite deception and in this show that is no different. He's still super cool. He's quiet loyal and no one messes with him. I liked it when he beat Airachnid (who definitely underestimated him)

Also Laserbeak is also super dope

Breakdown:

A surprise entry for me. He was actually quite interesting. At first I thought nothing of him then the episode where he's captured by the humans came. I am not surprised he sided with the decepticons but I could tell Bulkhead coming to rescue him did shake his perspective. He might come to see how ridiculous this all is. Maybe

The rest are fine and so their job well

Now some Autobots:

Optimus Prime:

He is my favourite autobot no question(idk about charcter as he would be facing Soundwave). Peter Cullen nailed it as always. The sword and gun arms are very cool.

His very strict no nonsense demeanor does work well with the dynamics of others and he does clearly care a lot about his team and the humans living on earth.

Though he might be a bit too eager at playing martyr for everyone else to escape.(I don't remember specific examples but that's my understanding)

(This is not a critique on his character just really amuses me)

Him losing his memory is definitely not good for the autobots but let's see how that plays out.

Bumblebee:

He is very cute. Love his eyes, face shape and voice. Also he really seems to look up to Optimus and Optimus seems to have a soft spot for him. I remember the last scene where Optimus looks back at him.

Him and Raf are buddies, chill to play racing games together and it is cute. Also he seems to be the youngest of the cybertronians.

Ratchet:

Another surprise entry. I certainly enjoyed his presence on screen. His banter with everyone was rather funny.

An episode that stood out with him is the one with fake energon. He did go a little nuts with the fake energon but I did like that his reasoning in general wasn't just nonsense but based in the truth and his own feelings that he might not have been expressing. (He was definitely being hot headed though)

Again the others were fine but their stories didn't stand out to me too much.

I did like the episodic nature of the show. The little shenanigans of the show were very funny and enjoyable to see. I liked the racing episode.

Also another funny note: this show reminded me of tmnt 2012 (another favorite childhood show of mine) in that there are no people. In tmnt 2012 New York had like 5 people at a time. This show took place in Reno Nevada and while we only really saw a school, there was like no one at the school.

I know why it's like that but still it quite funny to me.

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere (TFA) Swindle with a human mechanic darling that tries to fix him up after a run in with the autobots? Darling has no idea he's a robot and just thinks hes a neat, beat up, car

Sure! Using his alt-mode without the huge gun because... well... that gives it away, doesn't it? As always I hope I get the character right ^^

Note: I struggled with the ending yet I think it turned out okay despite that :)

Yandere! TFA! Swindle Concept

Yandere! TFA! Swindle with Human! Mechanic! Darling

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Transformer/Human, Forced partnership, Kidnapping, Stalking, Manipulation/Threats, Violence, Attempted murder/implied murder.

As a mechanic the opportunity to see different models of cars always excites you.

It's not everyday you see an armored vehicle to fix up.

Let alone one in such strange colors.

Do these types of cars typically have purple windows?

You assume it must be a custom.

Even then, the vehicle looks so beat when you come across it.

What's even weirder was it was just left for you to find at your mechanic shop (or house if you decide to work from home).

There was no owner in sight.

Just a broken down car, sitting in front of you, as though it was waiting.

You had no idea about the concept of Cybertronians.

To you this was just a rare armored vehicle custom model.

One that you were excited to attempt to fix.

You have no idea that this car is a Cybertronian Decepticon named Swindle.

Swindle thought there might be a chance to use a human like you to fix his scuffed armor plating.

Those Autobots really dinged him up.

When Swindle saw you in his vehicle mode he thought you were such a small thing.

All humans were small and weak yet part of him found it cute.

He tucks away this thought as his only concern was using you to help himself.

He didn't think a human like you would know what to do at first.

He can tell you've worked with vehicles yet he hoped you didn't notice much of his Cybertronian biology-

Swindle also wasn't sure if he should feel disgusted or think it's funny at your excitement with fixing him.

He isn't entirely put off by humans touching him.

The thought of disgust actually starts to fade when he notices how soft you are with fixing his parts.

It actually feels... pleasant when you study his parts and try to find new ones to fix them.

You get rid of the dents, swatch some paint colors, and crawl over him to look for any other damage.

It... tickles, honestly!

It only takes you a few days to fix him up.

Although you nearly get suspicious a few times at the strange tech he's armed with.

This vehicle doesn't feel normal....

You expect it to disappear after you've fixed it, just like how it's mysteriously appeared before you.

As you expect, the car's gone the next day.

Meanwhile Swindle marks the location of your business/home for later events.

If he's injured again then he'll come to you.

As long as it isn't anything too serious as of now.

This meet up kick starts a strange series of growing thoughts in Swindle.

Out of every human he's met you're probably one of the most useful.

He actually feels pretty good after your work.

The new paint job feels nice, too.

He actually wants to go back.

In fact, he does!

He goes back many times, much to your confusion.

It's not even just to get fixed up, either.

He just... pops by, sometimes.

Maybe he circles around the block at times...

Maybe he sends you letters he gets other humans to write by making a deal (he would do it himself if he could).

He shows gratitude for what you do for him.

He actually enjoys you checking up on him.

You, on the other hand, are beyond confused and a bit frightened.

The more you work on him, the more you notice things you shouldn't.

Why is this vehicle so armed with weapons?

Is it military?

Who does this belong to?

Why did they choose YOU to fix it up?

You may be thinking, are you doing this all for free?

At first you were just out of interest... but now money just shows up at your damn door.

Swindle respects you and gives you currency to pay for his repairs.

He is one for deals, after all.

There will come a point you get suspicious of the car to the point you try to call the cops about a suspicious vehicle.

Swindle realizes he needs to rush his obsession over you at this point.

For the past few, what is it on Earth, months...?

For the past few months he's been watching what you do.

At first he planned on taking you with him because you're so useful.

Now he wonders if his intrigue is more about keeping you as a human pet than your useful traits.

Which is why when he has human cop cars following him everywhere he realizes he should probably hurry.

As much as he hates the idea of it.

The cops can't stop Swindle.

He'd most likely blow them up with one of his many weapons.

Again, humans are weak to him, it's funny how they TRY to be a threat.

His next stop is picking you up.

Which occurs when he drives into your shop, making a disgruntled you come out to take a look.

Just who is this guy!?

Then he snatches you up like a toy, shoving you into his vehicle mode and speeding off.

His seat belts ensnare you into his seats as you cry and scream.

Finally, it is done.

"I know it's jarring, trust me I was going to properly introduce myself later but you forced my hand." He'd say to you, tracking a location to bring you.

"The name's Swindle, the armored vehicle you've been working on? Got to tell you... you do some nice work. I feel great whenever you finish. So great I thought I'd take you with me!"

"What the hell!? What are you? Where are you taking me!?"

"So many questions, let's take this slow. I'm a Decepticon, an alien to you. As for where I'm taking you..."

The belts squeeze you tighter when you try to reach around the vehicle for a chance to escape.

"I'm taking you to my ship. Out of all the fleshy humans here, you're the most useful in my eyes. An arms dealer such as me gets into trouble at times. Plus... you could say you've grown on me."

"Let me out!"

"Or what? You'll call more of those cops? They didn't help you before."

"I have a family, please..."

"Let's make a deal..." The Decepticon says bitterly. "You come with me willingly and I promise to leave your family be! It should only be just us anyway. Haven't you spent more time working on me than with your family anyways? I thought I made you excited, dear!"

You stay silent at that, tears pricking your eyes as your breathing grows uneven.

"Don't cry, baby... I promise you'll get much richer with me. I'll even provide you great company...!"

Swindle can try to comfort you all he wants but it most likely won't work.

Even when he takes you onto a ship he managed to barter for and shows you his robot form, you still close yourself off.

Swindle is willing to wait for you to open up.

Sometimes you have to be patient when making a deal, right?

Swindle thinks with time you'll be happy with him.

Why stick to such a boring human life when you can stay beside him...

Business awaits, dear... quite possibly in more ways than one.

[frankenwolf1564]

Transformers ONE Optimus Prime and Megatron: ONE shall stand, ONE shall fall

Trying another little something this week, kind of a blend between a photo gallery and a full review. Not as in depth or with as much background as a full review but more complex than my notes on a gallery. Hasbro Deluxes are like… the default transformer toy? So there’s usually nothing exceptional to say about what the actual figure can do. “It has a waist swivel, it has a bicep swivel, it has an ankle tilt.” Standards have risen substantially over the past, like, decade, especially post Siege, so while there are standouts, the context of a toy will usually be a meatier discussion. I’ll still mention accessories and stuff but I’m not going over every point of articulation.

Starting with Optimus, he’s a fine little lad! He’s on the smaller end of the deluxe scale, not quite mini-bot, but close. That might be a bit small for some people’s taste, but it does leave him as the perfect size to work as cogged Orion Pax, especially when stood next to the Studio Series Optimus. It helps that most of the elements that distinctly denote him as “Optimus” are his accessories. The smokestacks can unpeg, the axe is completely optional, and the matrix isn’t even visible tucked away behind his thinner, opaque chest window. Nearly everything else that feels like Prime is just from the two forms looking fairly similar. The biggest thing that’s baked in is his face, which is molded with the classic mouth plate. Given the scale and some of the styling at play, he works wonderfully as the Autobot Leaders younger self. I’d even be willing to look past the SS’ weird color choices and get him too if it weren’t for something we’ll get into later.

Rounding out Orion, he’s a little lacking in articulation thanks to his slightly lower price point, with no ankle tilt and slight clearance issues in his arms, but you can still get him into a wide range of poses, no problem. It might just take a little more balancing. I love how the fingers are sculpted into the axe. It’s close to how it works in the film and is just fucking cool, innit? Optimus feels incomplete without an Ion Blaster but it’s not a deal breaker. You can use the smokestacks as guns if you really want anyhow, though they are a bit dinky. The axe tucks away neatly on his back, and the matrix is as nicely sculpted as ever. I like the more Prime styled handles, though they are mostly just to let him hold it.

His truck mode is cute. It rolls fine and does the job. I said Deluxes don’t have much to talk about when it comes to what they can do.

Moving on to Megatron, he’s similarly splendid! Like SS ONE Prime his colors are a bit off, having used an off grey compared to the movies shiny silver, but it’s much more at home on Megatron, and it doesn’t look like it’s just yellowing, either. The rest of him looks great anyhow! He’s well sculpted and the muted red pairs nicely. It’s a great rendition of the character but… that fusion cannon is seriously hurting selling him as Megatron. The tri-barreld cannon didn’t have quite as much screen time, but it is a huge visual distinction that clearly sets him apart from just being D-16. The sculpting and such are absolutely that of his final form with the harsher angles, but like Orion and Optimus there isn’t a massive visual shift between the two forms and the cannon isn’t doing him any favors.

He shares many points of articulation with Optimus, with a few improvements and one or two downgrades. He gains a second hinge in his elbows, his wrists swivel, his ankles tilt and his feet can rock, but he can. Not look up. Like at all. His head swivels just fine, and he can look down, thanks to the transformation, but that one thing really hinders what you can do with him. You’re forced to stick with more static poses unless you want him looking at the ground all the time. Or at least. I was.

The tank mode is fun! There’s also more to talk about here so- Nothing’s coming undone once it’s all pegged together and it’s a dead ringer for what we see in the film. It’s definitely one of my favorite tank Megatrons in recent years and in general. The turret is just “alright” though. The swivel is located above the hinge so it’s hard to point it up in any one direction other than straight forward and have it look natural. It also unpegs a tad easily…

Megatron has a couple things that could have used a little more work, but they’d probably require bumping him up a size class to get more parts. Things like the head, maybe his shoulders and hips, a few minor bits that we’ve seen done better elsewhere. He could have easily gotten the triple barrel cannon as well. I really like him at this size though? I wouldn’t want him any bigger, and none of those things are a deal breaker. All of this comes with zero kibble, too. Honestly my biggest complaint is that there isn’t a mainline Deluxe version of him. I’d have gladly gotten both Orion Pax and D-16 and Optimus Prime and Megatron, but they didn’t release a Prime Changers D-16. I have no reason to also get the SS Optimus, as I’m happy with the Prime Changers and that doesn’t have a direct Decepticon counterpart, so the whole set would forever be incomplete. Hasbro I want to give you my money please-

[mcflymemes]

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the 2014 film

so hail satan, and have a lovely afternoon.

do you know what that means?

my people will be getting in touch with you very soon.

what do you see?

if you get blood on the carpet, you're going to have to take the carpet up!

do i look like i give a fuck?

we're here to enhance your skills and test you to the limit.

i was breaking up an undercover spy ring at the pentagon.

i'm famished.

you can't talk to me like that.

if you have a complaint, you come here and whisper it in my ear.

how may i help you?

turn that shit off.

shit. fucking missed it. how did i fucking miss it?

sorry about that. needed to let off a little steam.

and so began our adventure.

nobody thanked me for any of them.

your little experiment failed.

go home.

do you think there's a lot of jobs going around here?

i apologize for putting you in this position.

who the fuck are you? where am i?

do you like spy movies?

did you have any chance to think further on my proposal?

always someone else's fault.

would you care for a drink?

just leave him alone.

i'll deal with this mess... personally.

sorry. gotta save the world.

you were halfway through training, doing brilliantly, but you gave up.

these, you're familiar with.

would you like a lift home?

i'm sorry. wrong number.

this is my new valet.

grab a seat.

this whiskey is amazing.

no stomach for violence. i mean, literally, i see one drop of blood, that is me, done.

i need to have a private conversation.

well if we don't do something, nature will.

this knife can save your life.

being a gentleman is something one learns.

you're going to need a pair of shoes to go with your suit.

don't be ridiculous. it's a hand grenade.

you fucking freak!

can anybody tell me what this is?

fuck! just cut the fucking ropes, please!

can you guess what this is?

is he dead?

looks like a lot of people are going to die.

it's a pleasure to meet you.

how can i understand if you won't tell me anything?

there are not a lot of people who knew about him.

sit down.

ever heard of knocking?

congratulations. bloody well done.

i am inviting you to be part of a new world.

once he explained, i understood.

hope you're hungry.

gotta admit, i was really intrigued to meet you.

words to live by.

i'm awfully sorry.

i had that done already.

i'm so sorry i can't say more.

you know your shit.

i don't want your help.

i killed all those people.

i suppose asking to borrow a cup of sugar is a step too far.

a suit is a modern gentleman's armor.

there is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. true nobility is being superior to your former self.

let me teach you a lesson.

you know what this is like?

i stepped things down because i wasn't getting anywhere.

i see someone with potential.

i seem to have my dates muddled up.

pretty dog. what's his name?

you're a bloody disgrace.

i knew you couldn't make it.

i cancelled the gala because of you.

so we going up or down?

i'm going to come up with some absurd and convoluted way to kill you, and you'll find an equally convoluted way to escape.

it was a blank. it was a fucking blank.

i don't doubt it.

how do i get it back in?

this is our standard issue pistol.

if you save the world... we can do it in the asshole.

that tends to happen when you shoot someone in the head.

how deep does this fucking thing go?

limits must be tested.

your weapon scores are excellent, by the way.

is this it?

how do they feel?

nothing personal, if that's your concern.

i'm had a rather emotional day.

one day, you might be as good a spy as any of them.

if you're prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform.

can't you see that everything i've done has been about trying to repay them?

i'd appreciate it enormously if you could just leave us in peace.

give me the gun.

i'm just in to find out what kind of person you are.

that is sick.

get out.

pull the hook to the left.

i've had my people looking into your affairs.

i'm sure you understand that.

i'm so sorry. please untie me.

ah yes. very very nice.

what did you do to me?

you're full of surprises.

you throw away your biggest opportunity over a fucking dog.

is this the part where you say some... really bad pun?

i will be right back.

no! that wasn't the fucking deal!

you think i've got anything to lose?

how'd your folks make it?

i had no control.

are we going to stand around here all day, or are we going to fight?

thank you for such a happy meal.

[gallus-rising]

i'm back to DanDaPost more. unlike with csm i don't feel like i've been repeatedly pushed down several flights of stairs so i'm capable of having post-reading spree Thoughts develop

the kasa-obake is one of my favorite mythological Little Guys and i'm soooooooo happy there's a character themed after it <3 'brella boy my beloved plz come back </3

the grandma yuri is so real. i'm not joking it's one of the most viable ships. would be better if Seiko actually looked old but i will eat my scraps 😔

i'm loving Jiji, Kinta, and Valoma as a subgroup in the main cast <3 they're very silly and also i think their powers would combine well in a fight so i'm holding out for that. if Jiji's on the field then it's the 3 characters with the most Anime Superhero powers of the cast teaming up, and if it's Evil Eye then it'll be the 2 most socially inept ones (an amazing feat) trying to wrangle a fully unsocialized baby killing machine

speaking of Kinta i think they should give him a gun. like an actual realass gun. i think it'd be funny

Let Momo Say Fuck

hey so the day-to-day logistics of Jiji/Evil Eye's whole setup are insane, right?? it's not just me (over)thinking about this??? for the purposes of transformation what exactly counts as a liquid like can Jiji not eat idk popsicles anymore?? also Jiji is cursed to a life of hot showers/baths only summer is going to suck so bad. what does Jiji do if it starts raining while he's out??? is bro just stuck out there? does EE even know what direction Jiji's house is???? oh god i don't think EE knows how to swim. guys, they cant fucking swim. Tatsu, i need answers. how far out does food/drink have to spill from his mouth before it counts, how do IVs work for him now, what would happen if i dosed Jiji in gasoline then set him on fire, Tatsu answer me--

cursed boardgame arc character spoilers:

i really hope the cop and alien make a reappearance as begrudging pals. my ideal scenario is them becoming coworkers. idk maybe cop retires from the force for age/injury reasons and they work at the same convenience store. perhaps mr alien finally gets a job somewhere that pays better. plz they'd be so silly. just imagine if Zuma comes back and after some serious stuff goes down we learn about his not-dads cop and alien. imagine their homelife. imagine it with me

[britcision]

So, the YuYu Hakusho live adaptation

Well.

We got a real good anime adaptation, which is rare enough

And they did a good job with the costumes, aesthetics, and they did hit a lot of the fight scenes as close to the original as they could

They just… very obviously understood absolutely none of the actual messaging or what made those scenes impactful

Spoilers below for the original anime/manga and the live action

I understand they only had 5 episodes to get through the first season but I just finished episode 3 and I literally do not understand how they plan to get from here to the Dark Tournament

Genkai was introduced, trained Yusuke for 20 fucking days, trained Kuwabara as well and blatantly favoured him for 19 of those days including telling Botan to tell Koenma Yusuke’s a write off

(Do not fucking ask about Koenma he’s a cool teenager with a pacifier the entire time it is literally not even commented on)

Then oh Yusuke does his finger handstand for one entire night, pops off a spirit gun that Toguro notices

(Elder Toguro promptly shits himself in glee)

Genkai can magically tell they’ve noticed, nearly cries, and hands over the fucking spirit orb. Immediately. It just pops straight in, no big deal, no question, Yusuke wanders off for ramen and Toguro kills her

Not one Genkai fight scene. A lil moment of her fucking around and throwing walnuts at Yusuke, but not even breaking a sweat

Tarukane and Yukina were introduced right off the bat and Hiei’s stolen spirit treasure is a piddly little knife he used to make a teeny weeny cut and give himself a jagan eye so he can look for her, no evil machinations or transformation for this bitch

Yusuke and Hiei don’t even fight before Kurama calls them both bitches and they’ve already picked up Kuwabara to get on the boat for The Fucking Tournament Island which is apparently just Sakyo’s house

Oh yeah, because Sakyo told Tarukane episode ONE that he’s digging a hole to the demon world, sold him Yukina (so who should Hiei really be stabbing?), and has now invited Tarukane back to his place to be protected by Sakyo’s demons, the Toguros

The Black Black Club are fucking all there. In person. Just chilling. At Sakyo’s house on the tournament island and the Demon Triad are there but none of the tournament folks are but they’re on Sakyo’s boat? Minus Genkai? Who died about 30 minutes tops after her first appearance?

Oh, and we saw the demon triad and Toguro popping a giant beastie and Hiei running around with his knife and then immediately after the cut Yusuke just fucked off to Genkai’s to be instantly accepted as her pupil for a 20+ day training montage so who knows what the fuck Hiei and Tarukane were up to in the meantime, Tarukane fully left the mainland and apparently Hiei spent 3 weeks sitting on his thumb about it

I just. The saddest part is that I really, truly think the people making the adaptation thought they were being faithful to the original

The characters look so good, the costumes are incredible, the special effects are fucking fantastic

But every single moment of build up, of dramatic tension, of getting to know the characters and seeing them care about something is gone

Yusuke’s dramatic revelation that it’s time to get serious with his training isn’t Toguro levelling a parking block; it’s watching Kuwabara hit a rock with a wooden sword until his spirit sword happens

His whole motivation to get stronger is “well I can’t let Kuwabara beat me”, which even Genkai calls piss weak one day and then the next it’s fine, he’s ready to finish his training

(One thing I do like is the characters themselves occasionally dropping a “well what the fuck did that mean” about particularly egregious logic leaps, like Elder Toguro shapeshifting to impersonate Hiei and kidnap Keiko

Like

Do they not understand Hiei was a fan favourite just for being an evil little shithead in his first appearances who didn’t care about anybody except maybe Kurama?

Instead we have pre-reformed Hiei who only wants to save his sister uwu won’t even take a stab at properly fighting Yusuke before they’ve teamed up

Just let Hiei be a little shit

Just let him have a stupid grandiose plan that even je can later admit made no fucking sense

Let Yusuke shoot him in the ass and show some ingenuity under pressure)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m finishing out the season just to see where the fuck they’re going, but I thought I had a general idea for the first two episodes and now I just. I don’t know.

I think they’re gonna pansy out of giving me Jin

They’re not gonna do my goddamn flying demon uni-leprechaun

However if they do punch Sakyo and toss him into a pit at the end of this season I will not be mad, he’s gonna be Right There in punching range apparently because they’re not going to a tournament, they’re going to HIS FUCKING HOUSE

Oh and no Shizuru

No badass moments for Keiko (well I guess she did slap the face off Elder Toguro once that was great)

No Atsuko past the first episode

Botan is basically a semi-sadistic cheerleader

Genkai is dead

Because it’s not like anyone liked this show for actually having interesting and semi-independent female characters

Honestly I even had a couple moments of “maybe I’d like this better if they did a worse job”, because it’s so clearly made by people who really cared about the show, and worked to fit as much as they could into five episodes (fuck you Netflix)

But what they cared about was fight scenes

Not any of what actually made YYH interesting and compelling; no character growth, no relationships between rivals, between enemies to allies, between teacher and student

Not 30 seconds on the relationship between Toguro and Genkai, for all they lifted lines directly from the anime

He walks in and pops her, no big deal

Not even on screen

Puu does not exist

For a character who starts the show by fuckin dying, Yusuke really has not been pushed to his limits since

And to be fair, the things the show does well, it’s fucking nailing

Toguro’s muscle transformation? PERFECT. Understated, clear potential to become fucking ridiculous around 80%, classy as hell

Kurama’s rose whip? Incredible, 10/10, so fucking glad we’ve seen so much of it, super well done

Spirit gun and spirit sword? Fabulous, gorgeous, I am in love, only thing that would make it better would be shooting that asshole teacher in the head (not that Yusuke has been to school since the day he died except to sit on the roof)

It’s just… the edgelord version of the story. As truncated as possible, just event event event, without any patience or respect for character relationships or growth or that, y’know, you need to give your audience a reason to care

The good news is, at this point it’s pretty much no reason for them to do the fourth season just in general which would make Yoshihiro Tagashi very happy

Just in general, it’s… fine. It’s a little short action show with great special effects and some fantastic costuming and aesthetic

There’s something that sorta almost resembles a story

And as far as live adaptations go? We definitely for sure know it could be worse, especially with Netflix *stares in Death Note*

I just won’t be all that disappointed if they don’t get the second season they really really really needed

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trimax Thoughts Vol. 6 Pt. 1

Ahhhh I have fallen behind... D,:

Anyways. My usual stream of consciousness stuff for my first read! Here we go! I'm sure things can only get better from here.

[All images in this post are from Trigun Maximum Volume 6.]

Meryl... :( She's not even in the bed, she's just sitting in a chair, as if she knows she won't be able to sleep well... or more likely that she can't fall asleep and she's been awake so long she dozed off in the chair... my poor girl somebody at her job give her compensation or like. Extended vacation days or something. Please. (Also how long do you think Meryl had to reassure Milly that she was fine before Milly lay down and got some sleep? Idk seems like something she'd do; try to stay up with Meryl.)

The entire conversation between Wolfwood and Meryl is really interesting to me. Firstly, Wolfwood trying to dig for why Meryl hasn't asked any of the obvious questions (because it doesn't seem like Meryl has told anyone what she saw) and just coming across as incredibly annoying for no reason ahdjfhjdbfv. But what's intriguing is even with the lack of real communication here, I feel this is a conversation of equals, despite Wolfwood's objective being to get Meryl to leave. Meryl's fear has little to do with Vash's transformation itself, but rather the implications of what he is and the very visceral and traumatic experiences that she is now privy to through the perspective of the person who suffered them. Thing is, even with Wolfwood lacking this info, he still notes something about Meryl's character without saying it outright that is 100% spot on - Meryl won't leave for herself. But she might leave for Milly. She has a strong sense of responsibility to her, and Wolfwood pulls on that, likely because it's something of a commonality they share. (However, I think Wolfwood does not fully see that Vash is included, as well as Milly, in Meryl's list of people she would do pretty much anything for... but that might involve Wolfwood having to like. Actually admit that Vash occupies a similar position for him in a personal and not just occupational way...)

[ID: Vash's hand holds Marlon's gun loosely. His index finger has released its hold on the trigger and is dripping blood. End ID.]

...oh yeah. He's doing well.

Vash: *on the tail end of a severely traumatic flashback and incident*

Also Vash:

[ID: Three images of Vash making a variety of silly faces. End ID.]

(Also I adore his snark so much. Vash's inner monologue has got to be so much snarkier than anything he says out loud. That whole "I won't say anything because I am polite but know that I am thinking very loudly about how much of a dick you are".)

[ID: A panel of Brandon Marlon in a cartoony style, mockingly throwing his hands in the air and saying "Ohhh, look at me! I fired a gun! Woow!" then switching to scowling and waving dismissively, saying "You can die and be reborn a thousand times and I still won't make a gun for a moron like you!" End ID.]

Oh my god. Someone who actually understands the responsibility that comes with distributing weapons. Brandon Marlon you are my new favourite minor character. Also you're so funny about it.

Meryl... she is so worried about him... :(

"His determination is stronger than the regret he carries." Augh...

Wolfwood having nightmares... Meryl having nightmares... it would surprise me if Vash and Milly weren't also having nightmares... there is only one solution. Group cuddle session under nice big blanket.

[ID: Vash sits, perched on the edge of a roof with a friendly smile. Behind him, the full moon with the crater is in full view against the darkness of the night sky. End ID.]

Oh. Hm. This is a choice. Very much echoes what Wolfwood was saying to Meryl earlier, that they both know "what kind of guy he is" (friendly, compassionate, etc.), but that he's also very dangerous... a "time-bomb"... :(

AUGH

Oh man. More of the "I know" "I know you know" FUCK. No way Vash didn't realize Wolfwood was pointing his gun at him.

God. Nothing Wolfwood does matters. It looks like he killed someone to save the kids, but they're not safe and it just guaranteed he couldn't go back to see them. He tried to kill Knives but was too freaked to follow through and ended up trapped obeying him. Knives is going to destroy the orphanage anyways no matter what he does, so all he's doing is stalling for time. Caring about Vash doesn't change anything - he's still doing exactly what he's been told to do. He's stuck. He's trapped. Somebody help him out please.

Vash has now canonically been referred to as "pretty boy". I mean we all knew but it's still funny.

[ID: Vash, aiming his gun, has his back turned to Wolfwood, who is crouched low and shielding him with the Punisher. The remnants of a wooden table are shattered across the scene. End ID.]

OHHHH this fight scene is GOOD. Back to back fighting! They automatically switched who they were facing off against AHHH

They both, without even a word, showed their backs and trusted the other to defend them. I. Ok. Ok. I'm cool.

Never mind apparently Milly is sleeping like a log shgjdfhbvjdfhb

The Legato and Elendira interaction is so funny. Knives' duo of worsties who hate each other and want to kill each other but settle for petty insults and whipping beverages in the other's face.

DOUBLE FANG??? OHHH???

Why is this boy Bane. He has Bane powers. What.

...Legato. Wtf happened to your tongue. Like I'd heard people talk about the tongue but I thought it's probably not that bad. Never mind. Eugh.

[ID: A set of panels showing street market vendors and their owners, selling their goods. Snippets of dialogue are heard: "Right here! Fresh meat! Just in today! Chicken! Beef! Pork! You want it, we've got it!" "It's always a concern. That's why I suggest this powder..." "We use ingredients as close to the original as possible." "Well? Doesn't that smell good? That's the very freshest tea." "It's really fantastic, madam." "My, that is good. You don't skimp on the sugar." "It's flammable, so be careful. Nah, just handle it the same way you would gasoline." Amid the conversation, a close-up of Knives' face reveals his eye, narrowed, bitter and distant. End ID.]

Ok. This set of panels gets me. There's so much ambiguity here. Knives is listening to the people enjoy the fruits of the labours of his sisters that humanity have been exploiting. The thing is... these things, a lot of them aren't exactly necessities. They're specifically engineering things to be close to what they had, which, while understandable (humans need enjoyment to survive. like that's real), it also begs the question of whether this kind of differentiation increases demand on the Plants beyond what is necessary for humans to take. Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe the differentiation is no more effort on the part of the Plants than the raw amount needed to live comfortably. It's hard to say, since we're seeing this through the filter of Knives' view, for whom any amount the humans take from Plants is too much. Anyways. It's interesting. ...I also think he looks painfully young in this panel, but maybe that's just me.

[ID: Knives stands before a headstone engraved with his name. He is just an eerily grinning silhouette, with his weapons curled and hooked over his head like a set of bladed wings. End ID.]

He is proud of his artwork. (Sorry lol)

"This Plant is going to be retired." <- uh. yikes. Way to avoid saying she's going to die.

"Deliberately go out of control" so wait. I'm confused. The Plant is going to go out of control at the end of her life cycle and they're harvesting what was going to happen anyways, or they deliberately push her to that point so that she goes out of control? What's happening here.

Hm. An angel arm type thing formed from what looks like her stomach... or maybe womb? I don't know but that's... hm. It's like it's their core or something. Like a reactor core. If that's the case then it being forced out of Vash like that is even more disturbing.

Her hair turned black. No. No hold on. Oh no.

[ID: A close up of Knives' face. His eyes have gone blank and lines from his Plant abilities are etched on his cheeks. End ID.]

Ohhh... remember how the blank eyes seem to show severe distress...? :(

Noooo oh my god. It's so much worse. Knives has been inadvertently killing Vash every time he activates his powers. AUGH

Local man just wanted to enjoy his noodles. Unfortunately his buddy is a trouble magnet and he keeps getting interrupted. Will he ever have the chance to finish his noodles in peace? hdjvbhdfvhjb

So Vash has been sneaking off to day drink apparently. Holy crap that panel is disturbing. Also it hurts me. My poor boy... :(

"Needle-noggin-isms" I'm screaming

Oh god he's so off in this fight. He's... he's actually drunk, isn't he...?

!!! Holy shit Vash's Plant abilities saved him automatically.

Oh fuck off with these people.

AUGH MERYLLLLL

I am in so much pain. Haha. Ha.

Ok ok but - does anyone other than Meryl know that she saw everything? Because Vash was totally out of it in that scene - it's not like he meant to transmit those flashbacks. I don't think anyone knows the full extent of what Meryl saw. So, when she has a panic attack and flinches away from him... he completely misunderstands. He thinks it's because she sees him as a monster; that she's scared of him. But that's not true! Meryl has done nothing but be concerned for him! And yes, it was terrifying, and yes, she's scared, but she cares about him! As a person! But I think Vash perceived this as a rejection. And all he can do is apologize. (Augh and the parallel to Hoppered and the woman with the blinded eyes who panicked when being touched...) STOP THIS NOW THIS HURTS

The little kid defending Vash... not old enough yet for fear to overtake reason... :')

I feel like Elendira is just here to see how things go down. She's here for a good time, not a long time.

TESLA MENTION.

Rem is so silly. <3

Baby Knives wants so badly to be liked and accepted... augh.

The contrast between "Do you think we can become friends with them?" and "Yeah... it might take a lot of effort though." Ooh. Many thoughts.

[duskkodesh]

Look who's here...

How about a figure review? It might be long so I'll have to put it all under the cut.

SO, after nearly 3 damn years I have my figure. I ordered in Feb of 2021 with them saying it would hit THAT SUMMER. *Shakes fist* The movie delays and pandemic I think fucked their releases up royally but also I had some extreme panic about losing 100$ because I paid in full with Paypal at order date. ANYWAYS... he's here now. Outside box gave way to this:

Petty complaint 1: Y'all could have commissioned some original artwork for your boxes instead. The sides are a different cover but this time from the 2020 series. I contemplated why they didn't just give me a window box.

Oh. That's why. SO... After 20 minutes of me peeling protective plastic off of literally every part of Morb...

He angy. Okay so good points: He comes with three heads, eight hands. His suit is a very cool feeling cloth and the collar STANDS UP. He's got the V-cut though it should be more whorish. The heads pop on and off his ball joint neck super easy. The hands are trickier and go on with a peg so take some wiggles. Costume is non removable and why no belt? MEZCO? What did you do to my boy's belt? One last small complaint:

Cape, not wingflaps. Look, I get that diff artists have changed that around but capes are boring. Also the cape goes longer cut than his sleeve which doesn't work well visually. If the suit is permanent they could have done wingflaps. Overall I love him, he's cool and the faces and hands have sold me entirely... but the accessories. Oh. My. God.

Guys help... that microscope folds and transforms. THE FUCKING CENTRIFUGE LIGHTS UP. The lights circle and then the computer screens light up like he got results or something!!!

The beaker and test tube come out. The dagger, hammer and stakes come out and are on a hidden tray under the lab stuff!!! You have enough stuff here to actually play doctor and then a gun for when all else fails! (I'm a healer... but) BTW they say 'syringe gun' but Mezco those are frickin bullets in that tray. Also the battery is in it's own teeny clamshell until you pop it in his case so if you store this figure long term there's no worries about batteries corroding inside a figure and destroying shiz. Accessories? 11/10 like Oh my god guys. The only problem I have is my fat sausage fingers moving and spinning things. They are TINY.

And look at this paint job! you can see his gums! His eyes are glossed! He has his facial hair! AHHHHHHHH the likeness is so good!

He is also almost perfectly Marvel Legends scale if you need a Spidey to take blood samples from or a she-hulk to inevitably bail him out from jail when he does something dumb as heck!

This was worth a three year wait, I need two more to display all the heads!!! Please excuse me for a while. I have an extreme urge to play action figures again like when I was eight. WHO WANTS TO PLAY WITH ME?

[highfunctioningflailgirl]

Damage Control - 2x09 Croatoan

(Please read the tags and trigger warnings for this one!)

Dean’s heard the cheesy saying that the night is always darkest before the dawn, and although he doesn’t believe either Sam or he will actually see the next day, he’s inclined to believe whoever said it was right. Even with the sudden disappearance of the infected roaming around the clinic, the darkness seems to be pressing in on the squat building. The sky is pitch black, void of stars. Dean feels like he can barely breathe.

He’s keeping watch. While… and …are  patrolling the entrance, ready for the infected to return, Dean is inside, pacing in front of a locked exam room where Sam is sitting. Sitting and waiting. Through the glass part of the door, Dean sees him fidget, perched on the exam table, knee bouncing anxiously. Around his thumb, the cast on his right hand is fraying, as much as he’s picking at it. Shoulders slumped, jaw pushed forward, he looks every bit as tense as Dean feels. At least, as far as Dean can tell from where he’s pacing, there are no black veins running up Sam’s neck yet, and, so far, his little brother hasn’t tried to attack him either.

Dean feels the cold metal of his gun against the small of his back, where it’s tucked into his jeans. He’s refused to give it to Sam, no matter how many times he’s asked now, wanting to end his own life before the Croatoan virus turns him into a raging monster. Almost four hours have passed since he’s been infected, and Dean’s spent most of them arguing with Sam and telling him that, no matter what happens, he’s not going to put him down like a rabid dog.

“What are you gonna do then, when I turn?” Sam had asked him, yelling. “What?!”

“I don’t know yet,” Dean had answered, just as angrily. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, okay? If we get there.”

“I’m going to turn, Dean,” Sam had urged him. “And I’ll attack you! If you don’t stop me I’m gonna kill everyone in this building, including you. Do you want to let that happen?!”

Maybe he does.

Dean had needed to step out of the room then, get some air. 

Maybe he wants to let it happen.

The admission comes unbidden, but it’s the truth. Dean had said it earlier - he is tired. That weight on his shoulders has become too heavy, and Sam doesn’t even know the half of it. Doesn’t know that Dad warned him of something exactly like this, exactly right here - that, if Dean couldn’t save Sammy, he’d have to kill him.

But Dad was wrong. There’s another way out: Dean can just stand down and let it happen. When - if - Sam turns, he’s going to infect him as well, and it’ll be all over soon. They won’t even be aware of the end when it’s coming. They will no longer be themselves, lost in monstrous thirst, oblivious to what's happening. 

It scares Dean that he’s even considering this. His father taught him to always keep fighting, to put one foot in front of the other, no matter what was coming at him. And he’s done that, after Mom’s death, after Sam leaving for college, after Dad’s death, after he found out about Dad’s demon deal. But the last couple of weeks have worn him thin and he sees no way out of this one. 

He turns his back on the exam room door and on Sam, just for a minute. Rubs his hands down his face, feels his exhaustion battle with the adrenaline that fear keeps pumping through his body.

He has kept fighting, but, in truth, not for himself, but for Sam. It’s always been for Sam. Since his father told Dean to watch out for Sammy, and then to save him (from what, Dad, from what?!), it’s been his job. Dean should have been dead a while ago. He’s been walking around with a borrowed life ever since some other young guy’s heart gave out so his own could keep beating. Definitely since his father traded his life for Dean’s after the car crash. 

It seems fate (and his dad) kept him around for one purpose only - to protect Sam. And now that he’s failed at that, too, now that Sam is dying, there’s no reason for him to be here anymore. 

A knock on the door behind him startles Dean out of his thoughts. He swivels around to look directly into Sam’s anxious face.

“What?!” he almost snaps, his eyes quickly running down his brother’s face and neck through the glass partition, expecting to see dark black lines appear. But Sam’s skin looks clean.

Sam points at his watch. “The doctor wanted to test my blood every two hours,” he says loudly through the glass. “It’s time again.”

The fear loosens its claws a little around Dean’s heart. For now, Sam still seems normal. For now, he’s still his little brother, alive and breathing.

Impatiently, Sam raps against the door again. “Will you let me out? I’m not going to bite you, I swear.” An unconvincing smirk tugs at his mouth.

Dean rolls his eyes and unlocks the door. Sam steps into the hallway, bringing with him the same smell of sweat and anxiety that Dean can smell on himself. 

“It’s been four hours now,” Sam says cautiously. “Do you think… maybe I got lucky? Maybe I’m not infected after all?”

Hope. Dean sees it shimmer in Sammy’s eyes, and it almost kills him. 

“How- how do you feel?” he brings out. 

“Fine. Nervous. I can’t sit still.” He chuckles nervously and runs his good hand through his hair. Dean sees that his fingernails are once more bitten to the quick. “But I feel fine. The others turned quickly. I don’t know, but maybe…?” 

Dean claps one hand on Sam’s shoulder and draws up an encouraging smile although, inside him, a terrible collision of hope and despair batters against his ribcage. 

“Let’s get you checked out then,” he says. “Doc’s in there.”

He steers his brother to the small lab room where the doctor is poring over slides and bloodwork of the previously infected. She looks up, a bit startled when they enter, and her questioning eyes flick from Sam to Dean.

“He’s still okay,” Dean says quickly. “Here for his bloodwork.”

The doctor relaxes and gives them a well-practiced smile. “Sit down then.” She points at a chair by the table. “Roll up your sleeve.”

Dean stays right next to Sam as she draws his blood, takes his pulse and blood pressure and checks his skin. So far, he’s clean, and Dean feels hope flutter–

No. 

He pushes the feeling back down. He won’t allow it. He can’t afford it. If Sam turns after all, it’ll crush him. He needs to be there for his baby brother, needs to see him through to the end, no matter how bad it’s going to get. And then he’s going to follow him. He won’t leave Sammy alone in the darkness. He won’t leave him. He won’t. It’s his job.

The Damage Control Series - Masterlist

Read the whole series on AO3 here:

[renee-writer]

Baby Girl Chapter 93

AO3

“Where?” His eyes are steady on her even as inside he is frantic.

 

The medics have  determined that Brian wasn’t shot. That he had a major cardiac event, as they put it. He was stabilized and rushed to hospital. The man he shot was pronounced dead. And good riddance, Geillis added in her head.

 

“Raigmore.” He starts to walk away and she stops him by saying, “You need to go to the crime scene first and see if you know the unsub.”

 

“Crime scene.” he feels like vomiting at the idea of Lallybroch being so designated. She is right though. As much as he longs to hurry to his da, he has a job to do first.  He nods.

 

Claire sits among her computers, wiping tears out of her eyes. She was sent all the information. Her job now is, not to fall apart, and try to find the identity of the man who Brian stopped.

 

“He has to be okay, God. He simply has to.” Bargaining with the Almighty, she starts running the face of the unsub through the network of computers. If he has ever been in the system, in anyway, she will find him.

 

John pats his arm when he enters his home. A place of safety has been violated. The crime scene tape, the smell of blood and gun powder, the knife still clinched in the dead man’s hand, the tale is easily told. Now, to make sense of it.

 

“He was hiding in the attic. When he started down the stairs your dad heard him.”

 

“He would have. Any unusual noises, he would pick up on. “

 

“Brian was here,” Murtagh stands where the fallen man stood, “It seems he didn’t hesitate. Our unsub approached and was taken out.”

 

“Do you recognize him?” John asks.

 

He steps up to him, avoiding the blood splatter. Kneeling he looks into the dead eyes of the man who tried to kill his family.

 

He hasn’t seen him since upper school. Death and age can’t  hide his identity from Jamie. Amazing. He isn’t the last person he would suspect but not near the top either. Did da recognize him as well? He will ask him when he wakes up. He must wake up!

 

“Jamie?”

 

He turns to Murtagh as he stands up. “His name is Simon McKimnie. In upper school, he was a bully. Got pissed at me for rejecting his sister, Laoghaire. I haven’t seen him or even really thought of him since.”

 

“Thank you Jamie. We will send his name to Claire and see…”

 

“No, let me. I need to hear her voice.” Murtagh nods.  He walks outside, wondering if entering his home will ever feel the same again. How can they have a wedding there now?

 

“Baby girl.”

 

She starts searching out everything that can be known about Simon McKimnie. A name focuses her. Hearing the despair in her man’s voice, she feels like dropping everything and going to him.  No, you need to stay here and find out all you can, she orders herself, then you can join the family.

 

“Mam!” She runs into her son’s arms. He holds her close. His sister and brother -in-law stand behind her.

 

“He is in critical condition in the ICU.” Jenny tells him. “Stable, they say. Oh Jamie, he looks so small.” She starts to weep and Ian holds her.

 

“I thought him shot, all the blood. Feeling his pulse, even a little, was such a relief. I wasn’t worried about the other bloke.”

 

“It was Simon McKimnie.” Jamie says.

 

“From upper school? The bully?” Jenny is surprised.

 

“Aye. I have no idea why he would suddenly come after me through you, why he would kill that other family. Claire is searching for answers, it is why she isn’t here.”

 

They enter Brian’s room. Jenny is right. He does look so small.

[wanderersrest]

Mazinger Z Preview: The Introduction is the Most Important Part

Spoilers for, amusingly enough, Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Also I forgot how quickly the shots between Domon and Shining Gundam flash. So keep that in mind if you have something like epilepsy.

This is going to be a "short" preview of my upcoming post on the Mazinger Z franchise. And all I really want to highlight is that how a series introduces a giant robot is important. Take for example...

Shin Getter One in Getter Robo Armageddon

Shin Getter One's introduction highlights the fact that Shin Getter does not care about Musashi and Benkei's well-being, which indicates that it is currently unknown if it is a friend or a foe. This is amplified by the fact that it is shown fighting an invader seconds later. More importantly, we get a glimpse of how brutal Shin Getter One is as a machine not only in how it fights Getter 3, but how it ruthlessly and bloodily it tears apart the invader. For another powerful giant robot introduction, let's take a look at...

God Gundam vs Shining Gundam in Mobile Fighter G Gundam

G Gundam does a pretty good job using the introduction of the main character's Gundams to highlight a contrast in how he has changed as a person.

With the Shining Gundam's first appearance, it's landing pod crashes violently in Rome. And the suit-up sequence for the Shining Gundam is iconic: Domon's suit-up sequence is a violent affair, which really showcases that this is a man filled to the brim with nothing but anger.

Once he upgrades to the God Gundam though, things change. Even God Gundam's very first appearance is different from how Shining's intro. Whereas the latter is this explosive and destructive affair, the former's very first appearance harkens back to Michelangelo's Pieta as it carries the now-destroyed Shining Gundam in its arms. Even Domon's transformation sequence for the God Gundam is more peaceful, which makes sense as far as characterization goes since Domon has, at this point, learned how to reign in his emotions.

It's not just G Gundam that does this, by the way. You'd be surprised to note that Gun X Sword does this as well. Van's Original Seven Armor Dann of Thursday is treated as this otherworldly and almost angelic Armor that descends from the skies.

Meanwhile, Ray Lundgren, the Gun to Van's Sword, summons his Armor Volkein by having it rise from under the Earth. Fittingly enough, Volkein also has more of a chthonic and lived-in look to it as well to contrast it with the more ethereal and almost alien-looking Dann.

Music is (also) the Key to Victory!!

Another key factor in a mecha's introduction is the soundtrack. A soundtrack, while not necessarily being the only factor in what makes a mecha's introduction, can almost certainly elevate it's introduction. You see this with the aforementioned Dann of Thursday, but there are two examples that stand out in my mind that aren't Dann: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, whose final fusion sequence is paired with the theme of the same name...

...and The Big O, where the titular mecha's theme is complimented by the soundtrack Sure Promise.

In both cases, the soundtracks mentioned help to really sell the idea that a powerful and heroic machine has appeared. Both robots use these themes really well when it comes to selling the fictions behind their machines. Sure Promise helps to sell the image of Big O as this massive, monstrous, and destructive savior whose every movements shake the very earth itself.

Meanwhile, Final Fusion sells us on the idea that GaoGaiGar isn't just a hero. He is the hero. The King of Braves is finally here, and by god is he going to save the day.

So... What's the Point, Me? What Does This Have to Do With Mazinger Z?

Well, I really made this post more because I couldn't fit all of this in with the Mazinger Z post I'm working on. But Mazinger Z, and specifically Mazinger Edition Z/Shin Mazinger Z, was the series that taught me that a mecha's first introduction is of vital importance. To bring in one last example before I sign off, think about how the Death Star is introduced in the original Star Wars.

The first time we're introduced to the Empire's greatest weapon, the very first thing we are shown it can do is destroy a planet (to the horror of a captive Princess Leia, it was her home planet of Alderaan specifically). The introduction of this moon-sized battle station helps to clue us in on how evil the Empire (represented in the original film by Grand Moff Tarkin): they built the Death Star as the ultimate deterrence against anyone who tries to pick a fight against them. It's a battle station that is not only armed to with a planet-destroying laser but also houses a whole armada of TIE Fighters, landing shuttles, and Lord knows how many storm troopers. The Death Star blowing up Alderaan wasn't just by chance; it served to explicitly show to both Leia and the audience that the Empire would be more than willing to use the laser if anyone stood up against them.

As for Mazinger Z... you'll have to wait and see. However, if you've read An Abbreviated History of Mecha, you've probably seen the introduction that I'm hinting at.

[thequietmanno1]

TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 110, Replies Part 2

1) “Oh hai McBee, didn’t saw you up there, sulking dramatically in your beat form.

So, what’s the next big move in this chess game?”-The ultimate chess move – pulling a gun and shooting the other player. They never see that one coming.

2) “Oh trying to get a namedrop there you smartass? Well something tells me you’re the careless one, because Soga is coming and he’s gonna be a real bastard. As usual.”- Actually, it’s the vigilante helper we’d (mostly) prefer to show up instead. Like, little bit late with the milk run Knuckles, but still, appreciated keeping Soga out of this fight.

3) “That’s where you’re wrong McBee, he’s not thinking that

He’s not thinking anything in fact.”- Nomura trying to get inside Koichi’s headspace is an amusing exercise in failure. He may as well try and become an astronaut to experience the vacuum of space.

4) “Uhhhh- What now”- Knuckles’ little near-miss sniping on Nomura left a pretty big mental impact on him, such that he brought along the components to copy the tactic himself if he ever wanted to. His speed didn’t save him from nearly getting his head blown off, so understandably he’d want to mimic an effective tactic on himself used by his “master”.

(Vigilantes ch 107)

5) “Again, Koichi trained daily against the guy that created the knuckle flurry, you’d have more luck pulling an actual gun against him.”- Well, here’s the gun, but it seems his luck with sniping goes about as well as Knuckle’s own near-miss on him, courtesy of the man himself.

6) “…what now”- Ok so….where were the rifle parts being held inside him when Nomura goopified himself to escape Phelps’ handcuffs?

7) “You do you Green Ojama, your deck is OP but I don’t think it counter’s Koichi’s omni-negate”- Doesn’t matter much if he’s never given a chance to play it properly.

8) “So, what’s faster, the boy that can outmaneuver someone using a quirk to go so fast that time seems to stop, or a rifle bullet which travels around 3000 Km/h?”- The correct answer is C: the old janitor who saw that move coming before the night even started, and got into position to counter it several hours before. 9) “Okay koichi, just give a glance towards his “scope” so he knows he get got, and you’re already ahead of him”-One thing about Knuckles’ interference here is that it does sadly again prevent Koichi from having to think himself in order to out-play her opponent. Like, I get that it’s basically his power move, but I really do like how Izuku always pulls a successful version of Nomura’ “cobble together a plan on the fly” tactics here in a fight. 10) “Oh, look at that, the sniper got sniped, I wonder who did that…”- Not the guy you were expecting to show up at this final stretch. 11) “…

wait a second”- Time for the trashman to have his final hurrah!

(Vigilantes ch 104)

12) “And Koichi was so close, so damn close to finishing the job, but his guilt about Pop’s state are holding him back. Goddammit are we gonna need to have her die so he can finish McBee?

Hopefully not, but I don’t trust Furuhashi, In wouldn’t put this past him. The same way I’m not putting past him bringing Knuckleduster or even All Might here to finish the job. Oh good lord, that thought itself makes me terrified.”- Well, that’s 2 for three. Bets about Furuhashi bringing in All Might as well?

(vigilantes ch 109)

13) “The Crawler ejects from the trash pile left by Knuckles years ago. 

That man had good foresight, he knew that Koichi would fight a super-powerful Nomu that would get a one-winged angel transformation and would eventually resort to new strategies to get Koichi by surprise, therefore he left this pile here, just in case.”- Knuckles has enough foresight to know exactly where Nomura’s going to wind up in a high-speed battle between him and Koichi should one erupt, and make use of it even with a crap-ton of injuries against a super-speedster.

(Vigilantes ch 109)

14) “Oh yeah, now he can make good use of those mobs

Sure, it won’t matter because I bet Soga is gonna show up with a gun to cover for Koichi, but at least it was an attempt.”- Well, not Soga…. 15) “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME”- It’s time for a bit of Brain vs Fist to round out this fight, rather than Brain vs Void.

(Vigilantes ch 95)

16) “…

So it’s not McBee, it’s Knuckles that is back. McBee wouldn’t be so stupid to- No, I mean, he would, but he is at least trying now, so he wouldn’t make it obvious he’s in there.”- Knuckles has never been one for entering a building without breaking something. (Vigilantes ch 95)

17) “…

oh

my fucking

GOD

IT IS KNUCKLES AFTER ALL

HE TOOK THE BANDANA BACK

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME HE’S NOT DEAD AFTER THAT SEND-OFF AGAINST McBEE

WHAT IN THE FUCK WAS ALL THAT FOR THEN”- It was kinda necessary in getting Koichi to “grow up” without having his mentor there to support him or take over in a moment of Crisis – plus it was also evocative of All Might’s own last stand in his role as the Hero of Peace, given how Knuckle didn’t come out of the fight unscathed either.

18) “I suppose I should never wish on a monkey paw after all. 

And that’s all I have to say about the matter.”- “Starts huming When You Wish Upon a Star” @thelreads

[madraleen]

Bungo Stray Dogs - Kafka Asagiri/Sango Harukawa Volumes 7-8: “I like Dazai a normal amount,” she lied - A commentary (*anime spoilers)

-JINKO ATSUSHI AND DAZAI ON THE COVER, HERE WE GO

-THE COLORED PAGE OF DAZAI AND ATSUSHI, I LOVE THEM IT'S BEAUTIFUL

-it kind of amazes me that higuchi had to look at dazai's records to learn who he is. it amazes me that he isn't a local legend turned into ghost story for the newer mafia members

-could it actually be that cruelty "bores him, really"? current dazai isn't cruel. he's many things, but not cruel. could it be that he actually got so desensitized to it, that from cruel he turned to not cruel because it all became boring?

-i need to know, asagiri-sensei, did you sense that dazai would become so popular, did you hope, did you have a hunch. i had the same question on aot's levi, and i had it answered

-that's what i'll be saying if present timeline dazai gets transferred to the port mafia too: "why would mori-san, a paragon of rational logic..."

-DAZAI IS SO PRETTY, I CANNOT. i mean, erhm, yes, plot, interesting, very

-great job at drawing Q scary enough to justify dazai's "!" reaction. great job (i first wrote "dazai's shocked reaction," but "shock" feels too heavy of a word for dazai)

-i can just picture atsushi lamenting for all the clothes and shoes he destroys when he transforms

-okay no, that's decidedly an untainted eyes shocked dazai, when he realizes what "for his safety" meant. also my, what poofy hair for manga dazai <3. erhm, i mean, plot, yes, interesting, very (*i jest, i love the plot)

-but also, dazai's safety? really? what would anyone do to him in this situation? he'd cancel Q's and atsushi's abilities. nonsense, they just wanted him to not do that. great moment for atsushi though

-i mean, even the fact that you'd think of going so far as to "ponder the morality behind your[the agency's] plans" is progress for you, my dearest dazai

-THE BITCH SLAP, I LOVE THAT MOMENT

-"i have no right to whisk you away from your own past" that's such an interesting notion

-"stop feeling sorry for yourself. as long as you do, your life will be an unending nightmare."

-state of dazai's neck bandages: they're always there! always there!

-pff louisa is adorable

-genuinely, i'd like to see just a glimpse on what dazai has on chuuya, on kouyou, on everyone that's so terrified of his capacity to blackmail them/keep them quiet

-okay, but the spread of dazai pointing a gun at ango. iconic. ango's seen dazai for two seconds and he's already exhausted. dazai is tainted-eyed. all is well.

-i mean, ango having wiped your record clean is a Pretty Big Thing, dazai, you have to admit

-the walking whiplash that is dazai

-i think this is a great arc to show what exactly dazai does with information. how he makes educated guesses and plans, how he gets more info, how he reacts and adapts based on what he learns. later on, at least in the anime, after you've taken for granted that yeah okay dazai is a genius and probably has fifty plans hatching in secret, and with all the mind-fuckery going on, it's easy to forget that it's an actual process that he goes through, and it's very nicely laid-out in this comparatively more small-scale conflict

-man, i do love atsushi, he's so. SO! adorable, sweet, pure little flower, pinch-his-cheeks, feed him a cookie, pat his little head, protecc him.

-TAINTED EYES KYOUKA

-why is atsushi "the guide to this book," did we ever learn?

-DAZAI'S WIDE EYE WHEN HE SEES THE MARK ON KUNIKIDA! also, kunikida my man, what did you do to the poor trees, i didn't think you were like that

-i love the translator for translating "hohh?" as "hohh." you could have said "oh?" but you went with "hohh?"

-lucy calls atsushi "a poor lil stray cat," cat-theme, cat.

-lucy is an ada/pm shipper confirmed, and highly relatable

-CHUUUUUYA

-idk man, i think atsushi is a very compelling MC

-me: ffs, akutagawa, stop it with needing dazai's praise so desperately. also me, when dazai tells atsushi "you did really well": omg he praised us :") he said "really well" omg :') dazai omg :")

-dreamy princess dazai on the cover

-i see you fukuzawa, on the same spread with dazai. REMEMBER DAZAI, YOUR BLACK SHEEP SON, FUKUZAWA?! REMEMBER HIM?!

-dazai: "haaaaah... i can't muster the energy for anything..." relatable

-I AM SO IMPRESSED BY THE ALWAYS-THERE NECK BANDAGES EVEN IN THE TINIEST MOMENTS

-EIGHT YEARS AGO, LITTLE WHITTLE 14-YEAR-OLD DAZAI, HE'S SUCH A KIDDIE, LOOK AT HIS BIG EYES

-isn't it funny how it's basically because of atsushi's suggestion that the agency starts communicating with the port mafia and they start cooperating regularly? isn't it funny how our Sweet Summer Child MC did that

-pardon me, i don't like what i'm saying either, but why is mori-san so babydoll when talking to fukuzawa. he's extra smiley and sparkly

-see, see, dazai says it clearly to mori-san, "i don't want to team up with you either." PLEASE take tanizaki-kun!

-"twin dark"? double black is translated as twin dark in the manga? interesting.

-chuuya so fine

-WHAT IS THIS PAGE OF SMOL CHUUYA AND SMOL DAZAI LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AS THEY'RE BEING SEPARATED! WHAT IS THIS TINY Q WITH HIS SLIPPERS

-chuuya so smol :")

-"and there was only one doorknob" (*on dazai and chuuya both reaching out to open the door)

-you say you drank wine to celebrate that dazai left, chuuya, but all i'm hearing is "i got myself drunk 'cause i couldn't deal with it all"

-why does chuuya look so concerned that the curse hit our agency, what

-ah yes, my ship, walking bag of bandages/hat rack

-anime, manga, anywhere i see chuuya call dazai's name in concern, i just melt, i cannot. icannotcope

-chuuya "herding dog," mafia, dogs, my point.

-"and i hope your hat seizes your consciousness and kills you"??? that's creative.

-i almost said "chuuya is such a sweetheart," ffs. HE IS NOT, but you know what i mean. running to dazai, telling him he can't die in a place like this...

-is that a bare elbow i see? IS THAT A BARE ELBOW BEYOND THE CAST, NO BANDAGES?! dazai you minx

-CHUUYA'S SO SHORT COMPARED TO DAZAI, I CANNOT <3

-"TWIN DARK SIDEKICK"?! that's a low blow, dazai

-dazai's so starry-eyed at corruption

-is chuuya conscious through corruption? does he remember what he's supposed to do, does he remember what he's done after?

-DAZAI LEFT CHUUYA BEHIND AND WENT HOME?! JESUS CHRIST, DAZAI!!! ffs.

-is there anything more terrifying than having dazai bring you flowers and a fruit basket. you know nothing's good coming out of it

-so what we are saying is a) dazai and his tainted eyes either predicted the guild would attack ango or arranged the mystery vehicle attack for blackmail reasons, most likely the latter, which, fine, and b) that dazai fiddled with the airbag of the exact vehicle ango would take? what if he'd taken another vehicle? dazai, let's talk.

-WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ERASED YOUR ENTRANCE EXAM FROM YOUR MEMORY, TANIZAKI, EXPLAIN! WHAT HAPPENED, HOW BAD WAS IT!

-"WIMPIEST IN THE WEST/WIMPIEST IN THE EAST" AHAHAHA

-"stagger," "cough," coughing blood, bring our boy aku-kun to yosano-san ffs (CAN she heal him? how much can she heal?)

-even though dazai and ranpo are both geniuses and both reach similar conclusions, their individual brand of genius just FEELS different. dazai's a strategist and a coordinator, ranpo is a puzzle-solver. it just tastes different, even though the result is the same-ish

-there's something so sweetly non-MC-heroic about atsushi telling dazai they should cancel the plan and find shelter when he learns the moby dick will drop on top of the agency. you think it's gonna destroy just the agency? the general populace doesn't even cross his mind on that instant, and it's so naively sweet

-atsushi's so strong, mentally. he struggles so much and he is so strong, fighting against himself, against his upbringing, and coming up on top. i'm sure he has no idea, but there is such strength in his choices and his actions

-okay, but hear me out. i want tanizaki to be the one to go to pm, no question about that, BUT. wouldn't it be interesting if atsushi was the one to go, and there was a repeat history of the new double black, only this time it would be atsushi dragging aku-kun towards the light kicking and screaming rather than two darklings enabling each other? an interesting thought. anyway, yes, please take tanizaki.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Land of Bad Review

Oh lord it's my first one of these. So, fun fact about me, I don't like anything that glorifies war. Never really got into Call of Duty, don't watch military movies usually, never even had gun toys as a kids. (Thank you Mom and Dad.) Like don't get me wrong, I respect our troops and veterans because God knows I can't do what they do, but the Military Industrial Complex is bad. I don't feel shame in saying that. One of my earliest memories is my parents taking me and my sisters to DC and all of us participating in an anti-Iraqi War protest. Fun times. This, along with the fact that our theater got no marketing and it's starring Russell Crowe and the two Hemsworth brothers that aren't Chris meant I was not looking forward to this movie at all.

What's This Movie About?

Liam Hemsworth is a rookie air force soldier who gets sent on a black ops mission to recover a CIA asset in the Philippines, but when his crew is seemingly killed he needs to travel across the jungle to reach an evacuation point.

What I Like.

Russell Crowe plays an air force drone pilot that is only a captain despite being active duty for a long time because he disrespects authority and while he starts as a massive jerk, I kinda liked his character by the end. There is a scene where he's trying to motivate and calm down Liam by just talking to him about banal stuff and it felt like something actual military personnel would do. I also kinda liked the ending. It was pretty tense and the speech Crowe gives is appropriately dramatic. The movie didn't didn't kill off the black guy, so good job of doing the minimal effort to fight back against racist allegations people like me are going to lob at the movie.

What I Didn't Like.

So I'm not gonna go off too much about the stuff I didn't like that just comes prepackaged as a movie about the US military. Obviously this movie gives a pretty glowing look at the US's bang bangs and woosh booms, and is also a ton of white guys killing foreigners. I find all that distasteful but if you saw the poster than you'd pretty much know exactly what you're getting. The problems I want to focus on is twofold.

One, The message of the movie is... well I could charitably call it confused. The main thematic conflict in the movie is about the new gadgets and tech that the military uses (like drones) versus just shooting guys face to face. It seems to favor the fighting up close approach, but not only is the guy making the face-to-face argument the team's SNIPER (Yeah, real face-to-face combat there), but the cartoonishly evil villain has the exact same points as him. Also, the drones in the movie are basically just the eagles from Lord of the Rings except they blow up bad guys instead of carrying the characters. Liam makes a point that using the drones helps put less lives at risk, but the sniper dismisses it because they're still killing people. Not only was that not his fucking point, but it was honestly insane to me that the movie just straight up admitted that it didn't care about minimizing loss of human life. Did you know the US military bankrolls movies and lends out hardware to so film makers can have authentic planes and weapons on set? The only real stipulation is that the movie has to have the US military framed in a positive light, showing off how effective and nice they are. That's why there are so many US gun wank propaganda movies, even in places where it shouldn't be like the Michael Bay Transformer movies. My point is that the US military saw the script of this movie, and went, "Sure, have all our tech and shoot on our bases and here's a bunch of money." So even the US military is tacitly admitting they don't care about minimizing casualties! (Whoops I said I wasn't gonna go off about this.)

Two, the camera work during the action scenes is awful. Does anyone like shaky cam? I know a little bit adds realism, but so many action movies look like the camera workers are trying to work through a seizure. You can't fucking see anything that is happening! At least there wasn't so many quick cuts in this movie, but it was still slightly nauseating to watch. You all know why action movies actually do shaky cam and quick cuts, right? It's to hide the fact that they are stitching together like thirty different takes into one fight. I don't want to take away from the hard work the actors and stuntmen do to create these modern scenes, but is this actually easier or better than just attempting to an entire fight choreography in mostly one take? I dunno, something to chew on.

Final Summation.

If you can ignore the under seated politics that all military movies have, the movie is just fine. If you get an erection watching guys in camo shooting gibbering non-white people, you'll have a goddamn ball. I, however, hate that shit so I'm going to hope the trend of no tickets being sold to this garbage continues.