#he's very particular when it comes to VA work

[punanami]

Baby we are talking about stereotypes. Toji fits black stereotypes more than any other race. why are you acting brand new to the parallels? If it look like a duck and quack like one, it's a duck—so yeah we are going to write Toji in the way he presents. That's typically what writers do lmfao.

If you don't speak Japanese yourself you are going to need more than just a google search to grasp what you are trying to argue against.

Osaka ben is just the dialect of Osaka, yakuza speech takes it further to the point it's disrespectful. That is why I said it's considered rude or disrespectful the way he talks. Plain ole' Osaka ben isn't rude, it's just a different dialect. So no there's no 1:1 with the way he or the yakuza speaks to US southern dialects. US Southern speech is known for "manners" and politeness—yakuza Osaka speech is not that.

Also for clarification him talking hybrid is him taking both with Tokyo dialect and the Osaka yakuza dialect—in his speech the VA uses both. But again, Osaka dialect and yakuza dialect are NOT one and the same. I can't stress that enough, yakuza dialect is layered into whatever regional speech that person has be it Osaka or Tokyo or wherever else. Toji just happens to speak in both Osaka yakuza and proper Tokyo Japanese as a blend.

I honestly think this knee jerk reaction of yours is from not actually reading what I wrote because I literally said "y'er" instead of "your" is more accurate too. So you are trying to make this grand point of "why don't we have toji speak like xyz which also works" and answer is: we already do—and people have definitely complained about that "cowboy speak" "y'er/t'/n'" speech too btw.

I can't believe I have to say this but the use of aave doesn't have bigoted implications nor is it lazy, are you crazy? you would only say that if you thought aave usage in itself was negative—which is bigoted in itself so I would really check yourself right now. AAVE is just a dialect of speaking its not inherently negative but its usage has a lot of slang too and therefore considered rude in certain contexts much like yakuza/delinquent speech. everyone code switches, lets not forget that.

The English dub of anything is pretty inconsequential in most cases, especially games taken overseas and marketed to a mass audiences. Devs will keep core story but change intents/meanings/phrases to what is most popular or relatable for that particular audience and what will sell the game, rather than what is the most 100% accurate. You are more likely to get the most accurate translation from a fan manga, which cares more about accuracy than a game dev trying to sell a game.

Additionally, I am not relating Toji 1:1 with yakuza neither—just parts of his speech. Yakuza are still very traditional in customs and have strict guidelines. Toji's whole character was defying traditions, the status quo and not identifying himself by any membership to his family or otherwise. He doesn't fit perfectly in the Yakuza box either. He fits in more with western individualism ideals.

My reply wasn't looking for allowance or approval. It was to correct your very incorrect assertion that aave isn't appropriate for Toji's character when it very much is for a multitude of reasons. IDC if you don't like it, I'm saying its accurate.

Furthermore this...

and of course it makes sense to use some slang when it comes to Toji. but it gets to a point.

This convinces me you are literally being contrary to be contrary because you don't want to be wrong. I literally said in my reply "don't make walking stereotypes." So we literally are saying the same thing lmfao that it makes sense to use some aave/slang for toji. lmfao! glad you agree which really invalidates everything else you were saying about it not making sense for toji to use aave slang because 95% of American popular slang comes directly from aave.

Your entire response lacks the capacity for nuance I fear... because mentioning gege is super relevant as you said "nowhere does toji talk like this" and I am making mention to the actual way Toji speaks according the the JP anime which is according to gege's interrpretation of his own character. Also the fact that gege is very aware of black stereotypes and influenced by them as they show up in the actual JJK manga with gojo and Miguel—so yes this also speaks to Toji being written with certain black stereotypes in mind.

It's definitely seeming like the problem isn't the fanfic authors but your own biases of what you, as a non black person, are deeming is "too much aave". Black people, including myself, who use aave in our day to day don't even purely speak it where its every other word. code switching is very much a thing. christ sake no one is writing him like that lmfao.

good god.

people will write toji and make him talk with hella aave and EYE think it’s weird. outside of the fact that it just doesn’t mesh w his character and he literally doesn’t talk like that AT ALL I also think it’s weird that he’s the only one who (within some corners of the fandom) is characterized as talkin like that and u rlly gotta wonder why..

[barb-l]

I love that your brother is like so committed to these ships whether they be canon or not hes just DECIDED and taken them to the highest level

Oh yeah. He isn't really much of a shipper. In fact he discovered he's aromantic after I had to explain to him the "ace in the hole" joke. Anyways, my brother(the youngest that I've mentioned recently at least. I have another brother who loves shipping and romance) isn't too interested in romance, but he likes Wenclair and Chaggie pretty well. He isn't too vocal about shipping, our convos related to it is mostly me ranting and him giving his two cents. With Wenclair it was because he liked their dynamic, while with Chaggie he thinks they make the most sense. Also apparently Vaggie's dedication reminded him a lot of Asami which is a plus for him because he really likes Asami. He also adores Charlie so he likes that Vaggie treats her the way she does because he thinks Charlie deserves it anyways.

[kleptomaniakrow]

there's something that tickles me the cutest shade of pink whenever i think of these silly little guys (coughKönigcough) having interests or hobbies outside of just being the world's most terrifying forces of nature on the battlefield.

this is plaguing my thoughts! i am imparting it onto the general public! i cannot stop thinking about this man or other KorTac members, so im making it YOUR problem with my silly antics! to preface, i'm saying this as someone who streams, and there are a couple of military guys who stop by to say "hi" from time to time. pairing this experience tandem with watching simon riley's va wishing an indie streamer's birthday... it just got my toasted ass at 3:47 in the AM whimsically thinking.

what weird, obscure hyper-fixated interest these built, brick shithouses (/pos) would enjoy in their brief reprieve of the horrific effects of war?

who would even be most likely to enjoy such niche interests? would they try to share it amongst their brethren? who lives under a rock and knows little to nothing about such online entertainment? do they watch informative essay-long videos? obsess over vtubers/streamers/youtubers? what is it do they fixate over?

König is someone whom i personally and selfishly pen down as a silly little streamer enjoyed. specifically indie streamers so he isn't overwhelmed by the ridiculously large audience or crowd, as lines of text are a blur by sheer explosive speed alone in popular, mainstream chats... no bueno, really. at least for him and his shy nature.

men like Krueger and Nikto seem a bit of a harder sell (imo) because they just seem a bit more... how do i put this nicely—a bit too out there to project this stupidly silly ideation onto them even as fictional characters yk? even for me! but it is very amusing to think about the potential of König getting clocked off-handedly by someone when he wasn't looking, just watching something on his phone off-duty or in the commissary before lights out.

König is watching a particular streamer/content creator play a game he likes. if he happens to catch you playing a FPS for the first time, it'd be akin to watching a baby deer stumbling into the world; utterly precious and genuinely impressed as you progress and improve, even if his messages in live-chat are a bit.. dry.

König's probably the only one who willingly provides tips or directions (only) if asked, and is fairly genuine about it. bless him, honestly, especially when he takes the time to explain certain mechanics to you in a way you can understand and implement rather seamlessly (he's so proud btw).

König is also probably in the minority camp of cheering you on instead of roasting/bullying you like the rest of the chat does, urging you to do your best!

König is frankly a very merciful viewer/lurker. unbeknownst to you, that it's the one humanizing silver lining when things get hard. eventually, his visitations become frequent enough that said streamer will be elated seeing his name pop up over and over again. he may not be able to say much, or attend every stream, but it's a welcome distraction. there's no known word that can express beyond any word in his bilingual lexicon to describe such gratitude for even a moment of peace.

König and his visitations are very sparse due to his line of work taking precedence over rather fleeting comforts. which is unfortunate, but he usually comes back or shows quiet support, however he can, a token of his gratitude. little did you know that sometimes even the strongest of men need a little corner to forget the battering surroundings... and that was both a very saddening realization but a warm one. a simple person on the other side of the world. the one who has never, not once, endured hardship like him, yet somehow is the same individual carving out space where built stress can shed like muddied boots and a sodden coat. even if unintentionally. it was the little things, really.

is it silly? ooc? unrealistic? yes to all of the above, but i do not care enough to be bothered with it! this is a treat to myself i am sharing publicly because.. i can! i had a hard week or so, therefore i am considering this a shitily drabbled treat to myself! and hopefully with this fluffy, crack-leaning list of head canons, i can finally sleep!

[yuurei20]

Thank you for your hard work! I wonder, is there more information about Kazuki Kato and his role in Twisted Wonderland? Any interview where he talks about Malleus Draconia or how he was selected for the role? I'm very curious about it! :)

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 🦦

edit: My answer confused Kato Kazuki with Furuta Kazuki oh no 💦 (thank you so much @/hanafubukki!!)

In short: Kato was offered the role of Malleus without auditioning for him! While he did audition for the game he says that Malleus was not on the sheet of potential roles that he was provided.

Information from Kato Kazuki on Malleus is here!

and here!

And now here is the rest of the mistaken answer my apologies m(_ _)m

The seiyuu will sometimes mention their auditions, such as how the VAs for Malleus, Leona, Epel and Crewel were all offered their roles directly after auditioning for other, unspecified characters (more here ->), but I have not been able to find much information from Furuta Kazuki (🦦)!

The only official Twst interview I have been able to find was published in vol. 1 of the official Twst fanbook, but he has also appeared on Twst's YouTube show "Good Boy!", explaining in at least one episode what it is like to portray Kalim:

He says that he made up an idea in his head that Kalim's homelife was very boisterous and possibly quite loud when he was growing up, so his natural speaking voice is louder than that of people at NRC because he would have to speak loudly at home in order to be heard over all the commotion of so many people all of the time. As a result, he has this image of Kalim as someone who always projects their voice no matter how close he is standing to someone.

🦦 says he makes the facial expressions that he imagines Kalim making when he speaks, which takes a lot of energy because Kalim has a lot of energy, so he is certain to eat and sleep a lot in order to prepare for his recordings.

And that is all I know! ^^ It is not uncommon for 🦦 to appear as a guest on Jamil's VA's (🐍) webshow for his band TWiN PARADOX and 🦦 will also be a guest at 🐍's in-person birthday event coming up in April!

They also appeared together recently on Twst Radio (summarized above)!

I watched the TWiN PARADOX Showroom episode featuring 🦦 in 2022 but do not remember any particular mention of Kalim 🧐 I do remember 🐍's twin brother Yuu managing to say the word "twst" in a sentence and immediately making eye contact with the camera ww

But it is possible that there are contractual limitations on how much they are allowed to discuss under what circumstances ^^ (Also possible that discussions were had on episodes I missed!)

[crossdressingdeath]

I'm thinking about Karlach and in particular her relationship with Gortash, and the more I think about it the more I really wish that she'd known he was a Banite from the start, or at least for a good chunk of her time working for him. I mean, the canon story of "I didn't know what he was, he lied to me and I didn't realize the truth until he stabbed me in the back" doesn't not work? It just feels like a very... safe option. Now, I love Karlach, I really do, she's a joy to be around. But I don't know, the whole "I didn't know what they were doing" method of letting a wonderful person work for the bad guys has been done. It's been done a lot. And it also makes Karlach feel less morally complex than the other origin companions to me! I mean, it's entirely possible she didn't even know Gortash was a criminal; his public persona would require bodyguards too. So if we assume that she didn't even know he was a criminal then her moral complexity is limited to having some friends who are devils and wanting Gortash dead, which... even just by general fantasy standards and especially when compared to characters like Astarion, Shadowheart and Lae'zel (as the most obvious examples, but personally I also find Wyll's pact with Mizora and Gale getting the orb at least as complex if not more and they didn't work for the villain, so that feels like a bit of a problem) is very straightforward. She's good. Maybe she used to be a bit naive and then learned not to be so blindly trusting through betrayal. Sure. Fine. Personally I do not find that particularly compelling, if I just saw her backstory written out without the super hard work of her writer and VA in the rest of the game my reaction to her would basically just be "Eh". And if we assume she did know he was a criminal then it feels kind of weak that the only time that even vaguely comes up is Gortash potentially making one comment about how Karlach knew what he was and shouldn't really have been surprised.

Also, an additional point, the fact that supposedly Gortash was putting enough work into keeping her ignorant that there was a noticeable drop in his ethics after he sold her is... kind of weird, because the only reason we're given for it is "He liked her"? To be clear the fact that he liked her isn't the problem, we know Gortash is perfectly capable of liking people. But... he went out of his way to deceive this one employee? To the point that people noticed a change when he was gone? Or alternately selling her specifically actively made him significantly worse, which... would also be kind of weird. There isn't even any particular reason for him to see himself in her, other than the Lower City upbringing they had very little in common before Gortash sold her (unless baby Enver was way better of a person than his current self would suggest). I feel like if Larian was going to justify Karlach apparently not realizing she was working for an arms dealer and slave trader as his personal bodyguard (so someone who'd logically be around for a lot of shady shit or frankly what is the point of her being on the payroll) with "he lied to her" more needed to be done with it.

But if she knew he was a Banite and knew what he was doing for a good chunk of the time she spent working with him that adds a tasty "I didn't think the leopards would eat my face!" energy to the whole situation! I love the idea of Karlach liking and trusting Gortash despite knowing what he was because he treated her with respect and that was all that mattered! Obviously this is subjective, I will freely admit I like my characters with a bit more moral greyness than Karlach shows, but to me at least her reassessing and improving her morals from a standpoint of "Him liking me and respecting me wasn't enough to save me because other people's lives do not matter to him" would be much more interesting than her being a perfectly lovely person from the start and not knowing what her boss was doing and getting betrayed and then continuing to be a perfectly lovely person. (I'm not going to claim that a person's morals improving when the thing they did to others is done to them is particularly ground-breaking, but I would argue it's no less ground-breaking than "they didn't know and were good all along and their boss was lying to them" and to me at least it's significantly more engaging.) And it would also neatly remove the question of why Gortash cared enough to lie about what he was doing to this one specific employee from day one (so before he could bond with her at all), which. y'know, would be nice.

[waterdeepthroat]

playing Veilguard, and while it’s not perfect, it’s not as bad as most of the critics say— i’d give it a solid 6.5/10 so far.

what i liked:

- character creation is great for the most part— some very good hair options with realistic physics, tattoos and scarring seems pretty good as well, and the complexion options are overall pretty varied.

- emphasis on companion questlines— early on in the game (i’m maybe 10-12 hours in at this point) there’s a lot of emphasis on companions, but it doesn’t feel forced— it feels like a natural progression of the main story and it seems to tie in well with the main themes of the game. i can understand why BioWare changed the name from Dreadwolf to Veilguard.

- landscapes/atmosphere— THE ATMOSPHERE. god, when it comes to the aesthetics of the different maps in this game, the art style works incredibly well. the game is visually stunning.

- voice pitch— not a major thing, but i thought it was a nice touch. it makes sense for my rook to have a deeper voice while still feminine, so i thought this worked quite well.

- ghilan’nain’s design is incredible.

- combat is fast-paced and engaging, and while a lot is going on at once i don’t think i ever get left behind in terms of mechanics or new abilities

criticisms:

- why are there so many american VAs?? the dalish in particular seem to suffer from this problem. strife i can understand, as iirc he joined the dalish, but bellara? it breaks immersion for me when the dalish have (with the exception of origins) had welsh and irish accents typically.

- bellara as a character frustrates me. i might do another post about her later, but her mannerisms, her voice, and her class/specialisation irk me.

- no eye or lip shape customisation in the CC.

- WHY NO DA KEEP?? it’s so fucking frustrating that it seems like the devs only care about past choices in DAI if they relate to solavellan. while i did romance solas on my first DAI playthrough, i don’t think it should be the canon/default romance, nor is it even my favourite romance in the game.

- the art style for characters isn’t my favourite, but i don’t think it’s a huge deal. i’ll probably get used to it though.

- what i do genuinely hate is the art style for the UI (ex: journal, skill tree, map, etc.). DA2 and DAI i think do this better, DAI in particular is stylised in such a beautiful way.

- might get some flak for this, but i do think a lot of the gender options are shoehorned, but only in terms of wording. the word “trans”, at least for me, really breaks immersion in the game— i think they should’ve gone the route of the forgotten realms and had human/elven words for trans, like they did in DAI with aqun-athlok.

- i don’t think taash’s questline was handled the best, though i haven’t played through it myself yet (only watched videos on youtube), so take what i say with a grain of salt.

- the skill trees rely on far too many passives, meaning a lot of levels feel pretty dead/barren

[deviouscrackers]

MY opinion on todays TSAMS ep

Going to try and keep this constructive, because criticism without offered solutions is just dumb. (Got a bit long, sorry)

(I've had to use data to watch it since my wifi isn't existing for some reason (like everything is working but for some reason it ain't showing up on the connect list).)

Todays TSAMS episode... hm.

What did I like about it? Well, I liked Dark Sun pressuring Sun, the desperation in Sun's voice and his reluctance to kill Nexus at first. I liked how Moon came rushing in, and the fact that both him and Solar were willing to die to protect Sun. Nexus's scream was pretty good too. I think Reed and Davis did pretty well acting-wise.

(I can't comment too much on the exact dialogue, since I had to rush through and conserve my data.)

All in all, a solid episode.

Where the episode falls flat, at least for me, is that it's very noticeably lacking something.

Ironically, it's also very similar to why I no longer watch TFF Fnaf, even though the potential of Bryan's character rotates in my brain like it's in a microwave.

Today's episode had too much buildup for what ended up being. I'm not purely talking about Nexus's death and the months of buildup, I'm talking about from a viewing stand point as well.

The "marketed appeal" (I dunno what else to call it tbh), of this particular episode set was that it was a three parter halloween special/arc finale that had the last part premiering.

The first part, The Halloween Party, did very well with the collab, the way the events took place, the editing was good... it was very solid, and I enjoyed it. It got me interested in what was to come, got me wondering who took Moon, what's going to happen next?

The second part was also excellent. Goliath versus the Dragon was a thrilling addition and Ruin helping Moon nicely showed off his character. The way Nexus yelled when he realized what had happened, nicely done too. I left that episode wondering what would happen to Ruin, who would win the dragon fight, will Sun and Moon find each other in time, will Sun's trance come into play at any point in time?

The last episode did not deliever on what the first two episodes were bringing up. The dragon did not come back, and with what Dark Sun said about not wanting to see Sun again, it most likely won't. Sun and Moon did find eachother, but it wasn't all that impactful? It felt more silly than anything else.

After writing this all, I realize what exactly I felt was missing.

The episode felt like filler, almost?

Throughout Dark Sun's regular antagonist position on the channel, and specifically near the end, after the dragon had been revealed, it felt like he had a plan. Something cooking up in the background that involved all these complex pieces. And in a way he did, but it wasn't satisfying. What was the point of the dragon? What was the point of asking Ruin how long? What was the point of all of that, if he's just going to leave? Dark Sun did almost nothing, and while I want to believe that all of it was because he that "data", he went about it in such a stupid way!

Nexus's death, while well acted, also just wasn't satisfying either.

I think ultimately, the disappointment I feel with the episode is a result of things feeling rushed, underdeveloped, or just not elaborated on. Nexus felt uncared for as a character and I think the story could've done without Dark Sun. It could also be that we just haven't seen everything that's too come with the story yet, and there's loose ends or extra stuff to be told. I want to continue watching, because I enjoy TSAMS, and I'm a huge fan of Davis and his va work.

Because I don't want to sound like all I'm doing is complaining, I want to offer a solution.

I think, something that's bogging TSAMS down as a whole, is how often it's being posted and how that really spreads the story thin. Three times a week with one "lore" episode per week would work well. Yes, that mean less daily views, but it could potentially boost the lifetime of the channel for a while. It'd be easier to catch up when a viewer has fallen behind and allow the episodes, both gaming and story, to breathe.

At the end of the day though, I don't know how the channel works, I'm not a va for the channel, I don't work for them. This is just my own opinion on it and if I write anymore I will begin rambling on about why Season 1 of TFF Fnaf was peak and the others weren't (jokes but I do think both TFF Fnaf and TSAMS have a lot of similarities when it comes to the writing issues).

Anywyayyyaahha Happy North Hemisphere Halloween, losers :P

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Not only we are graced today with a momentous illustration courtesy of Yana Yoboso, articles have come out with Daisuke Ono and Maaya Sakamoto as interviewees and their feelings towards the new season.

To be honest, I was a little worried about whether I would be able to play Sebastian as usual back then. But when I was allowed to record with Maaya, and when I heard Ciel's voice next to me, I naturally felt that I was Sebastian. I think the role itself is spun with my own voice, but I felt like I went back to the origin because I was never alone, but I was making it with people. I can be Sebastian because Ciel is there. (Daisuke Ono)

From Maaya :

For about 15 years, I feel that I have spent the same time in the same work while passing through the days when I face each role and worry about it, and before I knew it, the part of trusting each other as a buddy was nurtured. I'm thinking that maybe Ciel and Sebastian are like that too. At first, we had a tense relationship as a business partner, but especially in this "Boarding School Edition", we felt the scene where we rely on each other and the atmosphere of allowing each other, not only as a business partner but also a relationship of trust. There are also two people. In that way, I think there are places where the actor and the character are synchronized.

…

I had the impression that Ciel, who I originally felt, was a boy with a smart and cool side, a situation where he could not show his age-appropriate innocence, and a sad side with a dark past. Speaking of charm, such a shadow part is also attractive, but sometimes my heart is in pain when I look at it ... I feel that such a Ciel is drawn very vividly in the "Boarding School Edition" of this work. As a dormitory student, a refreshing ordinary boy ... I'm playing "another Ciel" who is not me, and I spend time with my seniors, chat quietly in bed with the boy in the same room, and get absorbed in cricket games .... Of course, there is a premise that you infiltrate in the name of the Queen, but it showed a lot of emotions and rich expressions that have never been seen in Ciel so far, so this work may be the most colorful so far.

I have to sift through them still as they are a treasure trove of information concerning the VAs of S and Ciel who have been working for years and their relationship.

It is lovely to read their thoughts about this particular project that has been running for years.

[essycogany]

Why I Ship Sonic The Hedgehog and Amy Rose?

Hi! I’ve been a Sonic fan since 2022 and wanted to give insight on a beloved pairing from someone who’s only FRESH in this fandom. So I could give a somewhat recent perspective on something others might’ve grown up with.

Disclaimer: This is just my merriment of cartoon madness. Done for fun. It has my everywhere all at once speculations, and opinions. Spat into one big MESS. No problem if you disagree. I wish you all the best in whatever you create with your preferred take on these characters.

I take 0 credit for anything displayed in visuals.

Now, let’s get started!

Reason 1: What Got Me Into Sonamy

I want to recommend people who not only helped me understand the dynamic better, but did so while giving good insight on Amy’s character. Which is one of the most inconsistent in the ENTIRE franchise. Here they are! In no particular order.

Why Amy is a “Strong Female Character” [Sonic The Hedgehog Video Essay]

Channel: Taro Marshmallow on YouTube.

She helped me understand Amy’s character as a whole. I believe it’s important for people to comprehend Amy’s character in order for them to understand or like Sonamy. No one has to, but it sure was eye-opening for me. So, do of it what you will. I advise people to give it a watch for the AMAZING character analysis alone.

Molinaskies: On Tumblr, this person goes into serious analysis on Sonic’s emotional characterization, and Sonamy too. Words can’t describe how much I appreciate this ship the more I read about their dynamic from someone I can tell has fun doing it.

Sherrydoodlez: This person is the reason I became a Sonic and Sonamy fan at the same time. Once I saw her videos, I was HOOKED. She makes cute, fun, and outstanding Sonamy content on her YouTube channel. It’s mostly Boom!Sonamy animations with voice actors on some occasions. She makes other random Sonic animations as well. It’s a feel good channel you can watch to calm yourself as you head into a romantic cafe of servings you never knew you needed. Give her content a watch. It’s a jolly ride.

IDW (Specifically Issue #2 Page 21): I believe this is the statement which changed Sonic’s view about Amy. At the beginning, the blue blur was still on the run when Amy came around. But after fighting robots together and helping the villagers, Sonic admitted having fun. It could mean he grew more comfortable. Or just loves to fight robots regardless of who’s joining him.

Afterwards, Amy realized their negotiation about Sonic coming back to the resistance was a loss. She happily accepted it and accepted Sonic for who he is. Which made the feelings mutual on Sonic’s part in my opinion. He was even bashful while offering her to join him. Showing he didn’t mind having Amy around a bit longer. I know someone else stated this better, but I hope you get the point.

Sonamy is also the one ship that gets the most hints and jokes. From official writers, voice actors, (ESPECIALLY in Japan. Sonic and Amy’s VAs literally sung a love song IN CHARACTER for crying out loud.) X, Boom, Prime, artist, some of the games, and Sega themselves with their marketing.

Fact check me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure in Japan, Amy’s been called Sonic’s “Girlfriend,” plenty of times and some even theorize they're already together in the Japanese version of Sonic Frontiers.

(Which I’m positive is very intentional)

Can’t forget the creator of the characters Naoto Oshima stated on twitter, “Sonic has the eternal heart of a boy, but were he to one day mature, he’d choose Amy.” I believe if any ship in this franchise at least makes the most since, it’s Sonamy. I’m only scratching the surface, but we’d be here forever if I continued.

Reason 2: The Dynamic

I believe Sonamy works romantically and platonically. Sonic and Amy are best friends so their bond is already close in that regard. I think in times of peace they hang out. Which has been shown in IDW in the retail incentive covers of issue 1, 5th Anniversary.

The reason I think Amy’s the best choice for Sonic is because she can always keep up with him. She understands him and reads him like a book.

(Sonic doesn’t express himself very well, so that’d be a huge benefit.)

She brings an array of emotion out of him, and accepts him for who he is.

Amy wouldn’t slow him down because they’re relationship wouldn’t change at all. She’s always just as down for going out and exploring as he is. Being a hot-head, she’s not adverse for a bit of head busting with her hammer. Amy allows Sonic for a chance at a relationship he couldn’t get inattentive or tired in.

They’d go on their usual adventurers and might only tell a few friends about their relationship.

(Or keep it a secret)

After that, they’d travel together or Amy would leave Sonic to whatever he needed to do. In Sonic’s case, he would appreciate Amy’s understanding and return the favor by giving her flowers. Maybe even show minimal affection.

Like in Sonic X when he gives Amy a rose in episode 52. X also had moments where Sonic constantly protects/holds onto her. Not to mention willingly laid on a pile of hey next to Amy. And kept the bracelet she made him in episode 9.

Sonic X isn’t canon, but IDW has moments of Sonic hanging out or fighting alongside Amy too. Point is, the couple would be an updated version of their friendship. A “POWER COUPLE,” to be specific.

Romance doesn’t always mean you have to be lovey-dovey. You can treat your partner like a best friend as well. Sonic and Amy have a unique relationship because they’re subtle about it.

Reason 3: Why?

I believe it’s important to get this out of the way since these are my weird BIGGIES when it comes to shipping. Why Sonic might have a crush on Amy and why Amy loves Sonic?

Sonic’s (Alleged) Reasons: Amy doesn’t want to change him. She can keep up with him. She’s super compassionate and energetic.

(Sonic stated she was “sweet’ before.)

He respects and might even values her ways of thinking. In TMOSTH, he said:

In Prime he admits she’s, “Pretty great.”

And, he said in IDW Issue #58:

These can be seen as platonic compliments, but it’s the “Accepting Sonic for who he is” thing that homes in the mutual romantic feelings head-canon.

I’d even argue ever since Unleashed/Black Night he had a little crush on her, but felt unsure of it. That is, until IDW. He might still have no clue what to do next.

Sonic lines in Frontiers : “Amy, I should’ve made up my mind sooner.” and “Wish we were sharing an umbrella, Amy.” are huge examples of that and his reciprocated feelings.

Fun Fact: Sharing an umbrella as a couple in Japan is considered a romantic expression, and teens often draw an umbrella with their name and the name of their crush, the way one would in a heart. A very old tradition.

Sharing an umbrella has been seen as a romantic thing in a few American movies as well.

Here’s another detail I find hilarious. I LOVE in instances like Amy being, “The Lady Of The Lake” in Black Night. The time she ran away from Sonic in Unleashed, and became split versions of herself in Prime. The blue buffoon acts as if he grew more fond and I’d even suggest “attracted” to her. He either flirts with her or gets disappointed. To me, it’s a check on the, “Bringing a wide range of emotion out of him,” point.

In issue #2 of IDW it’s similar. Sonic asked Amy to join him. Then she admits being away from the resistance for too long. I’d say it’s a weirdly consistent thing. The times Sonic acts ready to “open up,” he and Amy end up having to save the world and go off to do their own thing.

(That panel in The Metal Virus with Sonic reaching to Amy while she’s freaking out, still hurts.)

Is this a sign they may need to take their time? Fortunately, we have additional content with them interacting outside those situations. I guess the hedgies are allowing each other to be their own person before committing to anything.

Like a “when they know, they’ll know,” situation.

Last thing. Sonic hugs Amy in both IDW and Frontiers. Never happened in official canon before, so his feelings must’ve changed into something.

Amy’s Reasons: He’s her inspiration and motive for loving adventures. Sonic gives Amy an excuse to show off her skills. And she admires his personality.

By the way, can we just appreciate how Amy loves Sonic for the right reasons? Not looks, popularity, or fortune. He always and forever will be her number one.

Reason 4: Conclusion

This isn’t everything, but I’m sure new content will give me new reasons to love this pair. I just wanted to take MOST of what’s already established and use it for a basic understanding.

As basic as overwhelmingly extra can be.

I don’t know whether or not Sonamy will be canon and that’s fine. To me, it’s semi cannon already and there’s a bunch of talented people who create Sonamy stories.

In actual media, their relationships grows stronger and stronger. Which I’ll dub, “Untouched reciprocation,” which is common in videos game ships.

I see Amy and Sonic as best friends with crushes on each other and find that very fascinating. The hedgehogs can just be.

Though on twitter in February 2023, someone asked about Sonic and Amy’s relationship. Then Mario Kishimoto (The director of Sonic Frontiers ) answered, “Sonic is single. But what about a lover? What about Amy? I’m also looking forward to seeing what kind of love Sonic will have in the future.”

Doesn’t prove much, but it could mean Sonic Team is interested in developing this relationship more. Whatever that indicates, I’m intrigued.

All in all this is why I love Sonamy. Hope you enjoyed my over analyzed essay

Stay Creative! 💙💖

[crumbsintopebbles]

LOTR - accent headcanons

So, this is just a fun, light-hearted post about the accents I can imagine LOTR characters having. Most of the time, I will be considering more than one accent for a given character. Of course, this is completely unserious and not meant to offend anyone.

Let’s go!

Frodo Baggins

Let’s start with the protagonist, shall we? While Frodo is technically from a whole other fantastic universe, and therefore he isn’t really from any country in our world, he’s definitely British-coded. Like, he’s very much inspired by your average Englishman.

Anyway, I guess the most obvious choice would be a classic RP English accent. I think it’s a rather boring choice, though, and I don’t particularly like it for Frodo, sorry. That said, him being all sassy and bitchy in a posh accent could potentially work very well.

A broadly Northwestern English accent could work for him too. I’m not sure of where exactly from, though. Manchester, maybe? Lancashire?

Think Alexander J. Newall in The Magnus Archives, or Billie Hindle in The Magnus Protocol. That one specifically.

Maybe it could be a mix, where he speaks with a mostly RP-ish accent but the northern comes through when he says things like “us” or “much” or “funny”, (cuz people from northern England have this very particular way of pronouncing those words).

Finally we have, hear me out, Frodo speaking with an Irish accent. Dublin, maybe. Admittedly this one doesn’t have a lot of “foundation”, so to speak, and it might be a little bit out there. You know, it would require some openness to Frodo *not* being English. It just works in my opinion, though. Also, I have this very specific person in mind to voice Frodo in a hypothetical new adaptation (animated ofc), and he’s Irish, so I would like him to use his natural accent. Like, do you see the vision?

Samwise Gamgee

The accent we’ve now come to associate with Sam is West Country. This one’s fine, I guess it works, though I’m not sure of why exactly did they choose it.

OK, so is there anything else I would like to propose for him? Yes, a Birmingham accent.

This proposition is actually quite grounded, given that Tolkien himself spent a lot of his childhood in Birmingham, and the very word ‘Gamgee’ is very specific to this territory.

Really, it leaves you wondering why they didn’t go for a Brummie accent in the first place. I guess it could be jarring against our established idea of Sam, which is so informed by the film adaptations, but maybe it wouldn’t be super thick. Either way, I still do think it could potentially fit him as a character.

Peregrin (Pippin) Took

Scottish!Pippin is pretty much canon at this point. Or well, at least the movies also played a huge role in our collective idea of him. As far as I know his accent is specifically from Glasgow, and it’s great, so why fix what isn’t broken, you know?

If we really went with this, I think it would be really cool if the Tooks had a family tartan and Pippin got to wear it at some point. I imagine it would have, like, teals and goldens or something. Very pretty.

Another accent that I think could work for Pippin is Geordie, which really isn’t all that different from Scottish, probably due to location.

Finally, I would like to propose a London accent, but not, like, posh London, regular London.

Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck

Apparently Meriadoc is a real Celtic name. Cool!

Anyway, I guess an Irish accent could also work for the character, subtly showing his kinship with Frodo. Also from Dublin, specifically. Not only in terms of them being actually related, but also their strong friendship in the books. Honestly, Frodo and Merry as a platonic relationship is underrated. One of the people I would like to audition for Merry is also Irish (and presumably good friends with my potential VA for Frodo), so I’m also thinking about that.

I can also imagine Merry speaking in a broadly Welsh accent. Maybe northern Welsh, given that the southern is a lot more "stereotypical", as far as I know.

[shadamyheadcanons]

I saw a while back you were asked what your favorite interpretations of Shadow and Amy were.

While I don’t disagree (haven’t played heroes so can’t comment there, but have beat SA2) I was curious on your views over Sonic 06 version of Shadow? Ignoring the heavy problems with the game itself, I’m personally a heavy fan of the VA and how he acts.

It may be selfish of me… but I kinda wish Amy got more interactions with Shadow instead of Silver. I get WHY they did it, but I feel like it could of been nice to have them reunite and maybe even contrast the end of SA2 y’know?

First post about my favorite Shadow & Amy portrayals, SA2 and Heroes

Follow-up about Sonic Battle and Sonic Chronicles

I love both Shadow AND Amy in that game!

06 Shadow in particular has been getting a ton of interest in the past few years, and it’s wonderful to see. I considered including it in that first post about my favorites. 06 being such a failure gameplay-wise really screwed things up for the series for a long time. Sega learned all the wrong lessons. No more humans apart from Eggman. No more dark, serious plotlines. One-dimensional characters. No playable characters apart from Sonic in mainline games. None of the others can talk to anyone but Sonic. Obviously there were exceptions to this, but the series lost so much. Sonic 06 is older than most Sonic fans, but we’re only just now getting all of that back with Frontiers, IDW, etc.

This would have been bad enough on its own, but coming off the heels of Sonic 06, it hurt that much more. Sega decided Team Dark weren’t friends directly after their most poignant interactions. Shadow knew who he was. He knew what was important. And he knew he could trust the best friends by his side. When’s the last time he was so self-assured? That’s the downside of the 06 timeline being erased in the end. We know Shadow and Team Dark’s potential, but he doesn’t remember any of it.

That said, I’m ultimately still glad it’s erased. I’d hate for Shadow to go through life knowing the humans would reprogram his own best friend to hunt him down and lock him up forever. It says great things about Shadow, but it makes me like the humans a lot less.

It’s thanks to 06 that I consider Shadow to be the biggest hero in the franchise. This clip encompasses everything that makes his heroism unique:

“If the world chooses to become my enemy...I will fight like I always have.”

Iconic. Badass. I love the way he drops his inhibitors as he talks. This is Jason Griffith’s delivery at its best.

Sonic fights to protect his friends and the planet he calls home, along with the humans and Mobians who all love him, but there are SO MANY people who’ve treated Shadow like filth, and he still protects them. There’s no one else in canon who’s that selfless, and I also like that 06 doesn’t lean on Maria as the reason he does all this. Shadow himself is a good person and does good things for his own reasons, not just because she told him to.

Heroes proved this, too. Shadow didn’t even remember Maria in that game, but he still made the right call. Maria’s important, but she’s not the only reason he’s a good person.

Jason Griffith does a very good job as Shadow here and elsewhere, but David Humphrey is and always will be my favorite Shadow VA. If Jason is an A-rank, David is S-ranked. I’d be thrilled to have either of them back.

You’ll never see me judge anyone for wanting more Shadow/Amy interactions. I’ve thought the same thing with 06, and I love the Silver/Amy bits, too. She has an adorable scene with him AND starts him on the path to redemption. It’s the Amy Rose Special. I also like how she and Shadow inadvertently worked together to turn him around. Amy raised a question Silver hadn’t thought to ask, and Shadow showed him the answer.

But what this demonstrates to me is that this didn’t have to be an either/or situation.

It would’ve been nice for Amy to reunite with Silver and see how he turned things around. They were both there for the final battle, but they didn’t speak to each other. What if they’d had a scene with all three of them together? I hypothesized about that possibility in headcanon #99.

Side note: I just want to say that I think Amy is great in 06. She has the same cute accidental hug/elevator speech combo she used to turn Shadow around in SA2, but people sleep on it in 06 for some reason. On top of that, a lot of fans willfully misinterpret one particular line of hers. And anyone who knows Sonic 06 knows which one that is.

“If I had to choose between the world and Sonic, I would choose Sonic!”

I’ve seen so many people say she’s a dumb, ridiculous fangirl for this, and I can’t stand it. She’s not saying the rest of the world doesn’t matter, she’s saying that she has so much faith in Sonic as a person that she’d take his side even if the rest of the world said he was wrong. And, uh...she has good reason to! It’s not the first time he’s been falsely accused of something. It’s like these fans conveniently forgot what happened in SA2 the second they saw an opportunity to hurl insults at Amy.

You know what Amy’s line reminds me of most?

“Even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you, know that I’ll always remain by your side. Remember that.”

Yeah. That line everyone loves about ultimate loyalty for someone you care about. The line that many consider to be Rouge’s best. The only difference is that Rouge is a calm young adult talking about a friend, while Amy was an upset young girl whose feelings were too big for careful phrasing and restraint. Combine that with how much hate there was for her at the time, and you have a great, dedicated line absolutely drowned in ice-cold, bad faith takes from the fandom. And Silver needed that fervor to make him question Mephiles, too! It had to be her! It was because he saw how strongly she felt about Sonic that he started having second thoughts. You think a calm statement like Rouge’s could have made him back down from attempted murder?

Much like with Shadow in SA2, it had to be Amy. 06 did a great job with her. Some fans still need to wise up about it. They’ve been recognizing how awesome 06 Shadow is, so maybe, just maybe, they’ll do the same for Amy someday.

[rhapsodynew]

#memorial day

On this day in 1980, an attempt was made on John Lennon's life. After 25 minutes, he died due to heavy blood loss. RIP

It is a pity that such a great Romantic of music, John Lennon, has left our world. The singer of peace got bullets. The murderer Mark Chapman himself, when he was arrested after the murder, said that if he had not managed to kill John, he would have killed David Bowie, who was on tour in America at the time. In general, the killer is a complete psychopath and a moral freak. Bright memory to John. Thank him for the thrill of the soul. His songs are imbued with bright positive energy, which is so lacking in our imperfect world, where negativity is more than joy. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Where were you when John Lennon was killed?

"I was in my third year of college in San Francisco, a moody punk lying on the bed in my room at my parents' house and listening to Devo. My sworn enemy, my mother, came in to me with an ashen face. I asked sarcastically: “Who's dead now?”When she answered, my face reflected her expression. This news silenced me" – VA

"I was in high school at Curtis High School on Staten Island. My friends and I were big fans of the Beatles, and John Lennon in particular. The morning after the pledge of allegiance to the school, one of my friends went into the sound reinforcement room and asked for a minute of silence in memory of Lennon. The school administration punished him for the unauthorized announcement. That Saturday, a group of my friends went to a longer minute of silence in central park. I remember it was very cold. We fervently hoped that as a result of his senseless death, appropriate gun control laws would be passed. It would be a fitting tribute. Ah, the youthful idealism inspired by Lennon and never faded to the end" – Alison W. Reed

"I heard gunshots for the first time in my life. They didn't sound like they were on TV at all. Bang, bang, bang. My parents and I looked down at the chaos unfolding on West 72nd Street, 22 floors below and east of our terrace. It was the first time I saw my parents crying at the same time" – Dinny

"I was in my college dorm room watching Monday Night Football with a group of other freshmen from the Midwest. I remember Howard Cosell's voice breaking when he broke the news. After that, everyone poured out into the corridors, and The Beatles' songs could be heard through the crying" – Nuel

"I remember the expression on my father's face and his changed voice; he seemed meek, defeated, as if the pallor of his face had spread to his entire being. At that moment, I realized that even a person who worked on the creation of missile guidance systems can be shocked and depressed by the death of a man whose demise was the last blow that turned the course of events towards good"

– Eric

"We learned about John's death from the then communist Czechoslovakia on Radio Luxembourg. I was 9 years old, and I remember how sad my parents were, especially my mom. Soon after, students began painting an image of John Lennon and his call for peace on one of the walls in Prague's old town. The authorities didn't like it and painted over the “Lennon Wall,” as everyone called it. It was always restored within a few hours" – Andrea

I just walked a friend to her house on West 72nd Street,

about 100 meters from Dakota. As I was leaving her entrance, I heard a sound like a car exhaust, and a few seconds later I heard people screaming and saw that they were coming from Dakota. I, like many others, went towards Central Park, and almost immediately sirens started wailing from all sides.

At that moment, I couldn't get close enough to understand what had happened. I went home and turned on the TV to listen to the news. Like the day J. F. Kennedy was shot, or the day M. L. King was assassinated, or the day R. F. Kennedy was assassinated, that evening is etched into my memory. I remember the girl's name, the place where we had dinner, the weather—everything that happened that evening. The sound I heard must have been a gunshot"

– David

[distortedclouds]

hi hello I'm here to overanalyze every single line in that tiktok yes yes indeed

Eren: "other members of the 104th Training Corps, like Krista Lenz?"

FUCK YOU EREN!!!

I can't believe he straight up goes "your type is short and blonde, so Krista?" WE KNOW ARMIN IS AN ASSHOEL PIECE OF SHIT WITH A PARTICULAR TYPE YOU DONT HAVE TO CALL HIM OUT ON IT LIKE THAT!!!

*****

Eren: "But Annie is very hard to understand"

Armin: "She is very hard to understand at first but if she opened her heart to someone it would be amazing…"

DEFENDING HIS GIRLFRIEND SINCE 2014(?) I CANT BELIEVE THIS FUCKING SIMP I LOVE HIM!

the way he KNOWS there's a softer Annie underneath all the ice. A softer all blushy and cuddly Annie duqeodniwebfweifbwef

****

Armin: "Also Annie has a different attitude (to Armin)

Eren: "It would be great for Armin as an adult"

🌚🌚🌚 Yes, indeed, Eren. Yes, Indeed.

*****

I CANT BELIEVE IT THEY GO INTO THE HEIGHT DIFFERENCE!!!!!! SHE'S FUCKING TINY AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT!! AND THIS IS BEFORE THEY ALL BECAME FREAKISHLY TALL DUDES IN THEIR LATE TEENS FIOEWNWENFWOENFWERKPWJF

Armin: "the 10 cm difference is perfect"

you know what's even more perfect? MORE THAN 10CM!!!!! (WHICH IS FUCKING CANON HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA)

Also i love the whole "there's no high heels in that world" EXACTLY keep my girl comfortable and short and shortly comfortable and comfortably short!

like of ALL THINGS they could've talked about, it's the height difference. WIFE COME GET YOUR HEIGHT KINK VALIDATES BY THE VAS!!!!

******

Eren: ""Holding hands" does sound like Armin's style"

IT'S CANON!!! ARMIN IS A FUCKING HAND-HOLDER!!!! HE'S A HOLDER OF LITTLE HANDS!!!!!

🫠🫠🫠 fucking date-gores behavior while the world's ending...

****

Eren: "Never had a happy holiday"

....oh

Eren why must you say it like that. It's true we all know but WHY FUCK!!!

girl has NEVER has a happy holiday!!! you hear that Armin!?!?!? better start working on changing that bullshit!

****

Armin: "So Armin wants to show her some cute hair accessories and tell her "Annie, I am sure it fits you well.""

HE BUYS HER HAIR SHIT AND ACCESSORIES!!!?!?!?!

Armin: "Yes, she would show a cold look"

Eren: "But she would still wear it all the time!"

Armin: "I would say she wears it alone in her own room."

Connie: "And smiles when Armin can't see her."

I dont know how accurate this is since we found out that she's a blushing mess at the slightest mention/ interaction with Armin but i would LOVE to see her trying to keep it cool but she's screaming giggling kicking her feet in her room over a cute hair pin or something!!!

[salty-dracon]

My thoughts on the Hundred Line demo

First, and most important question: Did I enjoy it? My answer is, YES!!! ABSOLUTELY YES!!!! I am beyond hooked. This game's got its claws in me. I've got theories cookin', man!

And yes, the EN dub is fine. In fact, I'm very excited to hear more from it!

Under the readmore are further details about the demo and my thoughts on them. Please note that this contains major demo spoilers, and I ask that if you comment, you avoid dropping any information about leaks. Thank you for reading!

First, let's talk presentation- encompassing art style, music, and engine quirks.

I think the presentation is superb. The visual novel engine carries over some quirks from Danganronpa V3 such as having the protagonist's expression on display when they're speaking, which was one of the best things about that game and Rain Code. Not only that, but they allow movement to the side and use interesting angles to display different features of each room, while billboarding the sprites around. That's so freaking cool, and it gives the illusion of having the characters in the room around you as you're looking around, not looking like paper dolls. The art style is predictably a little more grey and mechanical than the colorful psycho-pop DR1 and DR2 and psycho-cool DRV3 and cyberpunky Rain Code. I mean, they're in an army base. That's to be expected. I think it does well to set the tone for the game.

The more colorful floors felt a bit lacking in some respects, and I disliked the sidescrolling. It didn't work for Rain Code either, and I'm curious as to why they went with this format instead of the usual DR Open World wandering. Maybe otherwise you can get stuck between the rooftop micro-habs? Or maybe there will be a horror scene later on which will require you to walk through the halls while bodies line the floor?

The music is very similar to Danganronpa, but I can't complain. DR music is almost 100% bangers, and the battle theme is original. And also a banger. TEMPO TEMPO TEMPO TEMPO-

Voice Acting

This may be controversial of me, but I like it. (Same guy who loved Triangle Strategy's dub, btw.) First, we do have some big names in here from games like Metaphor ReFantazio and various Fangans. And yes, I think of the ones we've seen, they're really good! I'd say every issue I had with the voice acting was just caused by poor voice direction. But I'm not going to let it hamper my enjoyment of the game, no matter how many assholes yell at me on stream about it. Shoutout in particular to Sirei's voice! It sounded just like an army sergeant with a little bit of Cave Johnson thrown in, and the lines were read with so much pomp and personality! Also shoutout to Darumi, Takemaru, and Hiruko, who we saw a lot of in the demo, and whose performances were all full of personality. I kept comparing Darumi to Jinx from League of Legends (not Arcane- important distinction). It helps tremendously that the localization was written so buttery smooth that every VA could take it in stride.

Oh yeah, localization. It's 10/10. That's it.

Characters

I've been following the marketing since the beginning, so I've already come to adore this cast. Everyone's a standout in their own way, but some of them defied my expectations in interesting ways.

Eito is supposedly a sickly boy who gave me Major Sus Vibes on account of his weapon being a scythe and that one CG with Takumi- you know the one. People in my circle are calling it Komahina 2 But They Actually Do It This Time. Oh god. Anyway, Eito standing up and calling out Sirei, and proving to be unpopular enough with Hiruko in the mix? I didn't expect him to be the first one to get into interpersonal drama! He seems so reasonable and so nice, but I know that facade is going to be crushed later on- I strongly suspect he'll develop some kind of one-sided obsession with either Takumi, or based on his moveset, justice and group unity, and cull anyone who poses a threat to those things. Which is to say, he's my favorite and I hope Takumi keeps interacting with him!

Hiruko was long thought of as the group's first obstacle to achieving any level of unity, and I'm definitely seeing that here with the way she threatens the others and treats them as worthless unless they're fighting with her. Girl, you may be strong, but you have 0 range- you'd get swarmed by the real baddies if you didn't have the rest of us with you! I don't see any attempt at humor with her yet- which is good, I'd hate to have that illusion shattered so early.

Darumi and Takemaru, as Takumi's first allies, are wonderful! We saw a lot of Takemaru's personality on display- he's weird, but honorable. Same with Darumi. She talks a lot of trash and acts pretty scary, but she's not just a character made to mimic a Danganronpa fan. She seems fun- and moreso, that she cares about the others enough to help them out in a pinch like with Eito's rescue.

If there are two members of the cast that may get annoying, Gaku is one and Shouma is another. WRT Gaku, this is just my own past talking but I hate characters that play Oppression Olympics to win. That being said, they asked us not to write him off as he's very kind when he locks in. As for Shouma, I just hate characters who have 1 line of dialogue followed by 2 lines of self-deprecation. But I trust the team's character writing. I trust they'll do both of them justice.

As for characters that just suck, it is so much fun watching Ima suck. Like, please stop making your sister so uncomfortable, dude, but depending on how far you go, we'll be cheering even louder when Kako hits you with a brick. (Also, not the worst guy I've ever seen in a Danganronpalike. That one goes to a certain sexist Italian Catholic.)

Anyway, I look forward to seeing more of these guys.

Gameplay

It would help if there were a clearer aggro mechanic. I don't fully remember which character had a taunt move in the first place, but it would help if I knew anyway. Otherwise, I find the gameplay super interesting, with lots of opportunity for potential strategies. Paying attention to the movement, range, attack, armor, AOE capability, etc.. of each character will be very fun in a game that's mostly mooks with one big tough boss at the end. AOE characters aren't the best in games like Fire Emblem, you know? So to be able to wipe out enemies quickly feels powerful, a bit like Unicorn Overlord.

I still feel bad about having to kill the scrunklies for enemy reasons, but they revive anyway.... won't be that bad, right? Right?

That "Finishing Blow" sequence? THAT WAS FUCKING CRAZY!!! I didn't think this game would have PVP, but GOD DAMN!!! (Can't wait for the inevitable "Shouma, you're behind on EXP, go kill the commander" moment.)

Anyway, can't wait to play Tsubasa and hit people with my car. I know we have some ideas of movesets for characters that weren't in the demo like Yugamu and Kurara, but... Tsubasa Hit and Run. Please.

I wonder what the school stats will be used for.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of board game mechanics... I was actually hoping for some brassy-sounding penis music to fit the funny looking character sprites. Didn't get that...

And most importantly, plot!

As a fan of Danganronpa, Akudama Drive, Rain Code, Zero Escape, and AI The Somnium Files, I like to think that I know enough about both Kodaka and Uchikoshi to know what the markers and cinchers are.

In three words, I am hooked.

This plot so far is very Kodaka, but I see some Uchikoshi on the horizon and sprinkled here and there, especially with the potential way they might handle 100 endings. Identity issues are very Uchikoshi, for instance, and I'm wondering if Takumi switched bodies with the ghost boy somehow.

We had our Danganronpa divergence with the complete disappearance of Sirei and his subsequent death at the end of Day 7. Who knows WHERE the plot will go from here, now that the students are essentially self-governing? And we have some interpersonal drama in there with Hiruko vs everyone who won't fight and Eito vs. Hiruko.

And what is "Cryptoglobin", the key word that appeared at the end of the most recent trailer? I know what Hemoglobin is- it's the protein that carries oxygen on your red blood cells- so... what does that mean here?

All I know is that Eito is sus. He's gonna have a serial killer arc. He's gonna somehow commit worse crimes than everyone else in the school and still do absolutely nothing wrong.

Anyway, some theories based on what we've seen:

Every character has been ripped out of their own time somehow. Takumi is from a different time period than everyone else, which is why some characters feel so old-fashioned and why almost everyone is completely disconnected from everyone else. It's because they didn't exist then- or only existed as adults.

The ghost boy is the "heart" of the Undying Flames. They appear to have a consciousness, and that consciousness wants to protect the school from the Invaders, hence why it tries to keep them out.

The flames burn through spacetime. This would explain how Takumi could see a boy he'd never met as well as why the flames only incinerate organic matter- rock doesn't deteriorate as fast as a plant, so if you sped up time around a plant, it would wither away faster than a rock would.

Rather disorganized, but those are my thoughts on the demo! I hope you enjoy!

[gunkbaby]

Do you have any tips for writing Shuu?

This is the best ask I’ve ever had thank you anon!!! I am honoured to have been asked this, sorry it took me so long to answer, I was getting my thoughts in order! I have a few general tips!! Idk how useful they’ll be tho! :P (this is very long but i have tried to make myself as concise as possible…sorry anon…bear in mind this is all my opinion!)

Shuu, is dreadfully mischaracterised. So it’s tricky, especially because it depends on what exactly ur writing. If ur using headcanons that drastically change him anyway, then the rules are looser ofc, but if as close to canon is the aim, then I would take all fanon Shuu with a grain of salt. Not a slight to anyone at all, but I find different people interpret the character really differently, and I don’t agree with most of it (especially anything pre-2018), so I don’t interact with fanon, especially when writing. Idk what’s currently fanon tho, maybe it’s real af!

A very general tip but it cannot be understated with Shuu - always refer to canon. I have a notebook where I make notes of things I have noticed in his canon appearances, notes from the wiki, the light novels, films, everything. I always cross-reference when planning, and adjust my plot accordingly, during the writing stage, so I can alter my writing process, and upon editing/re-drafts, which I find is where Shuu really becomes himself. I would say write him as best as you can in a first draft, and allow yourself time to redraft and fine tune him afterwards. :)

Another tip for general character writing is to write diary entries from that character’s POV - regardless of whether that is the ultimate protagonist or not - this helps get inside their head. Shuu’s blog entries are helpful starting points.

So, some things to avoid (note: i haven’t read fic in years, so this isn’t in reference to any writer/fic in particular, just things I did notice/have noticed that i dislike when I see him characterised.)

I used to see a lot of flanderisation with Shuu. People really overestimate the amount of French he uses, so I guess a tip there is to limit that - or half the amount you think is enough. You can always add it in later if it is too little. He obviously does use it, but it’s not to the point I’ve seen. Also remember that Shuu doesn’t just speak French - he speaks Italian and English too! (Ik he speaks German, but this only comes up once. Unless ur writing a fic with Kanae I would say it’s less important). A good starting point for adding French/Italian/English to his dialogue/inner monologue would be to look at a list of common francophones, Latin phrases, or older English turn of phrase (not modern Bri’ish, shuu is not a roadman). If I find a list I will add some links 4 u. :)

With regard to general speech/train of thought, try use a wide vocabulary of colourful adjectives - words that are maybe rare or perhaps too fancy for normal conversation. I read a lot, so if I find a new fancy word I write it down. Normally this ends up going to Shuu’s passages in my work :) (I think a great example of this was when I read A Certain Hunger - the protagonist was a food critic, so she was very helpful with colourful language in relation to food!) I also think imagining his anime VAs saying any dialogue really helps me check dialogue too! Food is worth mentioning too, obviously, I think a Shuu-specific tip is to use terms that could be food-related in otherwise unrelated actions - one can devour a book, salivate in anticipation, or go out for a delicious walk! That kind of thing. Don’t be afraid to make it a little silly. Shuu is very fun to write, so have fun! The key is just to toe the line between silly and fun, to caricature. I think if you intend to write him properly, then you inherently sort of avoid that tho.

A thing that seems random but that I used to see constantly in fanon Shuu was him swearing a lot. Off the top of my head, Shuu properly swears once in Tokyo Ghoul - depends on the translation. He also says damn/damned a few times. That’s about as much as I ever write him saying. Again, I would use more colourful language to express his anger or strong emotions. Thinking to him slagging off Rize - that sort of posh-boy anger. You could probably use swearing very sparingly to pack a comedic punch. He doesn’t swear flippantly, that’s very important imo.

Shuu’s motivations are really important. I’ve seen him written as this sort of caricature so many times. People often refer to Shuu as this sort of narcissistic creep - but I think that’s a mischaracterisation. I think he’s vain, but I think that his vanity and pride is covering up some repressed guilt about what he has to eat - his earliest documented interaction with food is that of guilt. Shuu sees himself not as some kind of monster - but as very strong predator. I think he’s more matter-of-fact than people initially realise. He views the world as dog-eat-dog. He’s hunting Kaneki because he is predator - not in the sense of a creep, but as a lion. His justification for his existence is merciless in that fact - man is not typically sympathetic to the hens in batteries, served pre-plucked en mass in a Tescos, but Shuu, who hunts his prey properly, as a true animal should, is supposed to believe he is lesser than them. I think that makes him much more understanding. I think that’s why other ghouls also fail to understand him, because though he pretends to be better, more civilised, he has a very savage mindset. (Sorry. Long Character analysis there, remember what I said about taking fanon with salt earlier?). :p)

TLDR: I think people think Shuu leans far more into a ‘villain’ role than he actually does. An animal is an animal. I wrote a whole load of paragraphs about his character on Instagram a while ago. I will try and rewrite them and post them here if they would be helpful. (Again, all just my opinion)

In regards to Shuu’s obsession with Kaneki - if this is what you’re writing - this isn’t something I’ve ever written (sorry!) but I have written a similar relationship with him and an oc, and I also have BPD (shocking!), so I can relate to this kind of thing…Kind of. I’ve never wanted to eat anyone! I find expressing this kind of obsession very difficult to verbalise - it’s like, full of over-idealisation. You get so swept up in the idea of someone, you forget they’re a flawed human being who you actually might not know as much as you’d like. And when that idealisation inevitably implodes, it’s very devastating. Shuu’s depression and anorexia after ‘losing’ Kaneki, is something I heavily relate to. It might be worth examining what other people with similar conditions have said about this kind of obsession in particular (in bpd we refer to it as having ‘favourite people’) - im not saying Shuu has BPD, I’m simply saying that looking into real life examples for similar kinds of things, in ways that are expressed by people much wiser than me. :) I think it’s important to have empathy for people like this when writing them, because we do exist out here! Having empathy for Shuu when writing is very important, imo.

I think with his relationships, it’s key to remember that Shuu does not understand what he is feeling. He does not understand that he actually genuinely likes Kaneki and enjoys his company, or Hinami’s company, or Hori. This is despite him going out of his way to comfort them, lend them books, buy them gifts, and (importantly) flowers - which Shuu says he links directly with feelings of happiness. People have said this is creepy, but I think this is wrong. Shuu does not understand how relationships work, but he understands that material objects can make people happy. I think people viewing Shuu’s exchange of gifts as something impure are kind of missing the point - understandable if you’ve only read TG and not :re, tbf.

This is just my opinion, so listen liberally, but considering Shuu refers to his actual friends as pets - I think it’s a somewhat reasonable assumption to make that Shuu’s only relationships outside of his home have been with animals or plants. I write Shuu’s relationships as if he were interacting with animals. With :re based stories this is a little different, but you can generally use the same rule. Referring to my earlier point about Shuu viewing himself as an animal - he probably doesn’t think this perspective is as offensive as it might be.

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I think this is everything off the top of my head. In general, it all comes back to referring to canon, that’s your main thing. Thinking about, and analysing the character in your own way, and coming to your own conclusions. You can utilise other people’s ideas- as long as it’s not offensive, I don’t think it’s so bad, but I try not to. Also, having empathy for the character and taking the time to get to know him. Sometimes I just listen to what Shuu is telling me - if a story arc is too difficult to write, maybe it just isn’t his! Sorry for rambling so much - was this even helpful at all? I feel like I have simply waffled!

Just a few notes: I have written/am writing Shuu at stages Tokyo Ghoul does not document (when he is19/20, and after the end of :Re at age 30+). So most of my work is my estimation of where he might be.

Bear in mind I also haven’t posted anything in a loooong time so none of this has been subject to any criticism aside from my own! I can post some extracts of my current work if it would be helpful. I can also post some pages from my Shuu notebook if you need inspiration, or my instagram analyses, or whatever might help! Feel free to send more asks if needed too! As you can see I like to talk!!!

i hope this was semi-helpful!!!! thank you anon!!! This was such a lovely ask, thank you, merci beaucoup!!! Bisous!!! <3

[selkies-world]

How to write bilingual characters when you're not bilingual

I've seen this come back up pretty often recently, so I figured I'd make this post to help some of yous out.

I'm a polyglot, I grew up using Makaton, speaking English and Gaelic, I understand Scots though I don't usually speak it. I went to a multilingual school, where we learned a new language every term (4 languages a year) and had the EAL students & teachers teach us their language. We had to use the language the school was learning when we passed each other in the hallway, when we went into a different classroom to fetch or ask for something, when a different member of staff came into the room and when we were stopped by teachers in the hallways. Sometimes we had to use it in the lunch hall, too. We had to be able to understand & reciprocate basic conversation level skills in whichever language was being taught that term. In addition, classes 5, 6 and 7 also learned individual languages which we had to be able to read, write and understand music in as well as converse in more advanced ways.

From 11 through my teens, I taught myself Italian to near fluency, as well as BSL and Scottish Gaelic. I have varying levels of understanding in Russian, very minimal French and Japanese, and conversational German.

(If you're interested in how I learned these languages, check out this post I made and this article I wrote.)

I'm saying this so that you understand when I say: I KNOW HOW BILINGUAL CHARACTERS WORK.

So here's some suggestions on how to write bilingual characters realistically, arranged in no particular order.

We don't forget how to "switch back", so please fuck off with that concept. (Example: "Va bene," Kelsi said. "Huh?" Harry asked, and Kelsi laughed, embarrassed. "Sorry," she said. "I forget to switch back sometimes. "I meant; it's fine.") We don't do this.

HOWEVER, something close to this that we do do is forget which language we're speaking, and jump between two, usually fucking the grammar up as we go. (Example: "It's bene," Kelsi said, and Harry squinted at her. "Huh?" he asked. Kelsi looked at him, confused. "What?" she asked, and he fought a smile. "It's be-nay?" Harry repeated, and Kelsi stared at him before grimacing as she muttered under her breath. "It's fine," she said, louder. "I meant to say it's fine.") This is more realistic than us "forgetting to switch back".

Another thing that can look like us forgetting to switch back is when we get upset and the language part of our brain just. Nopes tf out. (Example: xxxx) [THIS EXAMPLE WAS TAKEN FROM MY BOOK!!! THAT I PUBLISHED!!!! ONLY 1 CHARACTER HAS ENGLISH AS HER FIRST LANGUAGE!!!!! ALL THE OTHERS ARE BILINGUAL AND GAY!!!!]

We forget basic words for shit, and only remember them in other languages. (Example: "- tie your... thing," Henry said, faltering, and Jess raised her eyebrows at him. "My... thing," she repeated, and Henry gestured vaguely to her shoes. "Your thing. The..." He muttered under his breath. Jess only looked at him, not understanding. Exasperated, Henry gestured to her shoes again. "The string thing! In your shoes. The... the fingers. The finger strings. The... the shoe belts! The- just the thing!" Jess was grinning at him as she laughed quietly. "Do you mean my shoe laces?" she asked. Henry nodded, though he wasn't entirely convinced that was the right term, either, now that he was hearing it.)

From that, we usually forget the common term for something, but we'll remember the literal translation from another language, or the literal description of it. (Example: "hey do you have any... uhm... bee puke?" "WHAT?!" "I want to put it in my toast." "WHAT THE HELL IS BEE PUKE?!?! WHY WOULD YOU WANT THAT ON YOUR TOAST - WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO EAT IT?!?!?!!?" "Everyone eats it? It's super sweet. And golden, and drippy?" "It sounds disgusting." "HONEY. I MEANT HONEY! THAT'S THE NAME OF IT!")

Another version of this is saying the sound or action the thing does, rather than the name of the thing itself. (Example: "OMG your bark-bark is so cute!" "You... mean my dog?" "Isn't that what I said?")

This is all I can think of atm, but feel free to ask any questions about bilingual / polyglot characters!