#hey anime onlys how was the season end? you feel how I felt now

[cincincinnanom]

TOGA IS FINE AND NO ONE IS DEAD

see she's happy with her gf making out in the early morning after staying up too late watching the stars and-

sobs

[Reblogs > Likes]

[marchofmistria]

A Nice Contrast

A/N: This is my first Fields of Mistria fic so I hope you like it! It's based off March's autumn dialogue when you speak to him at the forge and he tells you that it's nice and warm in contrast to the cold outside <3

Planning to cross-post this to AO3, and will update this post with the link when I do.

Summary: March helps you warm up by the forge when it starts to cool down in Mistria.

Word Count: 2,127

Tags: March x Reader, gender-neutral reader (2nd person), hurt/comfort, fluff AO3 link here!

The summer bled into autumn and it was officially cold in Mistria. You felt like you barely had time to catch up, and the first two seasons you spent in the town sped by so fast you could scarcely remember to enjoy the season before it was over. Days at the beach with friends felt long and restful in the moment, and now they let out to a short and cool autumn when a farmer's work is hardest. Your wardrobe had yet to catch up to the change in Mistrian weather, however, and unpacking your warmer clothes was on the to-do list. However, a late start to the day after a late night in the mines and that plan was gone.

It was already 2PM by the time you had finished your daily tasks on your farm. The crops were watered and they had just begun to peer out of the dark soil. Your animals were fed and seemed happy. You sat down for a moment next to Caldarus, chatting with him as you untied your hair and changed out of your farming gloves. There were errands to do today, after all, and Mistria certainly did not rest for you.

As you fell into the swing of the day, your morning plans were quickly and totally forgotten. You didn't have much of a chance to notice; you felt warm from running around the whole town for hours. These townsfolk sure knew how to run you to the ground. First it was a delivery for Balor, then a chat with Nora before returning to Balor, then a trip to the museum to discuss a new finding with Eiland and Errol, some fishing for Reina's new dish at the Inn tonight, and a quick trip to the mines to repair a chip in the metal of your shovel.

Your body had gotten stronger in the last few months since arriving to the small town, but you felt exhausted regardless. Days felt like they ended too soon as is, but as you left the mines, you were truly surprised by the incoming dark. How did it get so late so fast?

The feeling really set in once you set off to the forge to smelt your findings. The breeze blew your hair back and out of your face, exposing your shoulders further and starting a chill down your arms. You felt thirsty and very hungry and realized you missed lunch and would miss dinner if you didn't hurry.

Wanting to catch March before he left the forge for his own dinner, you hurried on, wrapping your arms protectively around your shoulders for some mock-warmth. It did little to help, and you had begun to feel a bit lightheaded.

March seemed to be finishing his work day just as you were arriving, although you knew he would leave the forge hot for you to use at all hours. He had grown accustomed to your habits, knowing how busy you were throughout the day and that you might come to the forge even late at night to squeeze as much into the day as you could before you passed out from exhaustion.

When you finally stumbled up to him, he addressed you with a curt "Hey," his usual attempt at appearing nonchalant. Just as he had grown accustomed to your habits, you had gotten to know his as well. You had gotten pretty good at giving whatever he gave you right back to him, and your conversations were at the point of total ease.

But rather than shooting the shit with him as you usually did, well enough to break down his boundaries to show even some vulnerability (a shock to anyone who had ever spoken to March), you ignored his greeting and rested your hand on the anvil for support. At this point, you felt like it was the only thing supporting your weight up.

March, who often couldn't help but observe you closely whenever you were near him, noticed right away and rushed over to you. His brows knit together, he put a strong arm under your arm for you to lean into. You all but collapsed into his support for a moment, before regaining a bit of strength and using your legs to lift yourself up a bit more again.

"What's wrong?" March asked, an arm still around your torso in case you fully passed out on him. His heart beat faster, worry showing on every feature. As soon as your head stopped spinning a moment later, you looked into his eyes and saw his concern. He couldn't even try and hide his real feelings like he usually did.

You blushed as soon as you realized how close your faces were to each other. The closest they'd ever been, you both quickly noted before pulling away from each other slightly. March did not withdraw his support though, despite the blush that was tinging the tips of his ears.

"Hey, did you hear me? What's wrong? Should I call Valen?" March asked again, concern growing as you didn't answer his first question. Your mind swam back into focus when March reached his hand up, moving your hair out of your face to feel your forehead with his hand. You closed your eyes at the warmth. His hands were rough against the skin of your forehead, but the warmth spread throughout your body.

"O-oh, sorry! I just got dizzy for a second..." You finally stuttered out. The crease between March's brows lessened slightly, but was still visible. He didn't move his hand away from your face. "I think I'm just tired from the mines, and I realized I didn't eat much today. I'll be fine though."

"What the hell? Why didn't you eat anything, dumbass?" March all but barked at you. You couldn't help but smile a bit to yourself. So this is what it looks like when March worried about you...

"Charming as ever, March," you replied quietly, hoping to ease some of his worry and show that you really were okay. But as soon as that signature smirk reappeared, pulling up the corner of his lips, it was gone as you tried to walk again and stumbled once more. The dizziness was back, and you were worried that he may be right about the fever after all.

"Hey, hey... you should sit down. Don't try and stand up again," March commanded, lowering you gently to the ground. You didn't think March was capable of touching anything so gently, let alone you. He kneeled down at your side and made sure you were comfortable with your back propped against the outer wall of his house. "You're freezing... why aren't you dressed more warmly?"

You had nearly forgotten how chilly you'd gotten, and his comment caused a shiver to run down your spine. March had you scoot a bit closer to the fire in the forge. "It's warm by the forge," March said quietly, taking your hands in his and pulling them a bit closer to the fire in an attempt to warm you up a bit faster. "You shouldn't hang around in the cold too long. Especially in what you're wearing! What were you thinking?"

"March, I'm fine. I promise. I'm just a bit tired." You said weakly, hoping to provide reassurance once more (even though you didn't want him to let go of your hands quite yet. The warmth felt too good, both from the forge and from your closeness.)

"Like hell you are. You're gonna sit here while I go find Valen, got it?" You didn't dare defy him while looking into his sharp eyes. "Will you be okay a few minutes alone?" he said, the softness seeping through yet again. Your head was reeling from this contrast alone, and you nodded. March looked back at you one more time as if to verify the truth, his eyes softening as you leaned your head back to rest against the side of the house once more. Just before he left, he took off his brown jacket, throwing it on your lap before he turned and walked to Valen's clinic with speed.

As you waited for March to return with the doctor, you shrugged the jacket onto your cold shoulders. You couldn't help but note how comforting it smelled. It was the same pleasant smell you noticed when March leaned closer to you as you worked at the forge, observing your work and chiming in with helpful comments. It was also the same smell you enjoyed when March all but pulled you to his side at the Inn when he had a couple of beers in him. The warmth spread from your nose to the rest of your body. The smell of a crackling fire, leather, a bit of sweat (not at all unpleasant), and even... chocolate.

You had nearly fallen asleep in the pleasure of the smell alone when you heard March's deep voice coming up the cobblestone path to you. "—seemed like she was gonna faint. She told me she hadn't eaten anything all day, and looked like she was freezing her ass off."

Without a greeting, Valen knelt down to you eye level, checking your forehead with her hand before asking to put a thermometer in your mouth. You noticed how different her hands felt from March's. Soft, gentle, and a bit cold. Clinical was the right word.

"March, please go down to the Inn and grab them a bowl of soup, would you? That would be just the thing, I think." March went right away, as if he was tempted to do just that before Valen had given him the instruction.

"Y/N, you need to take better care of yourself. This behavior is a bit concerning to me, and it seems to March as well. Which, alone, says something, no?" Valen smiled knowingly. She gave you a bottle of water to sip on, and asked if you were still feeling dizzy. You were not. Just plain tired.

"You're running yourself to the ground with work, which I can't say I'm too happy about in the first place. But to make matters worse, skipping meals? Not dressing for the cold weather?" Valen chastised lightly. You were embarrassed that your lack of self-care had caught up with you, and now it was a problem for others as well. You hadn't meant to make anyone worry, which you expressed to Valen.

"You're right. It won't happen again. I'll make sure to take better care of myself," you said softly. "Sorry to make you worry..." Valen chuckled, surprised by your humbleness. "No need to apologize to me. We just want you to be healthy. You may not realize it, but everyone in this town has really grown to care for you. I know you want to take on everyone's problems, but I really think people would be more grateful if you watched out for yourself before you burn out all your energy."

Cheeks burning, all you could muster was a nod of your head. March returned with the soup in his hands. The steam that rose from it looked so incredibly appealing. March sat down next to you. "Have enough strength to hold the bowl or do I need to feed you?" March scoffed.

You shook your head, offering a small smile and thanking Valen again when she told you to monitor your condition and find her right away if you felt bad again. March sat next to you as you took spoonful after spoonful of the delicious vegetable soup. March said nothing, but in the silence you could tell he was making sure you finished every drop in the bowl. As soon as you had taken the last spoonful, March removed the bowl from your hands and set it down on the floor. "I'll bring this back later," said March.

"Do you think you can stand? I'll walk you back to your house," March sighed, extending his hand out for you to grab. The combination of the soup, the fire in the forge, and the presence of March next to you made you regain much of your strength. You grabbed March's hand and used it as leverage to pull yourself up to stand. Still wearing his brown leather jacket, the two of you set off in the direction of your farm.

It was only after March saw your front door close behind you and the lights flip on in your bedroom that he turned to head back home. Something about the thought of his jacket in your bedroom made his heart beat faster, and you both fell asleep that night heated by the feeling of each others proximity that lingered and left its warmth in you through the entire night.

[morurui]

CHAOS THEORY SPOILER REVIEW

Cause I just finished it and I have thoughts!

Sooooo I honestly have mixed feelings about Chaos Theory if I’m going to be honest I feel like there are some things that worked in my opinion and some things that didn’t really work for me so I’ll be separating this review into three parts: Things I liked, Things I wasn’t a fan of, and General thoughts.

Things I liked:

-The animation was absolutely gorgeous, it was such a step up from Camp Cretaceous that it’s weird to think that they’re apart of the same series. The team behind it did an absolutely amazing job!

-The last two episodes. Oh my god were those last two episodes so good, they had me at the edge of my seat as well as episode 10 finally giving us interactions between the entirety of the nublar 5

-YASAMMY. I think yasammy was done so well this season. Their fight was so real, nobody was totally in the wrong, but they both weren’t communicating their feelings to each other well and they resolved it in the end. It was just perfect

-Yasmina Fadoula. She was written so well I loved how they didn’t just completely forget she has PTSD and anxiety and included that in her character arc for this season. I also loved how they used her to address how bad it is to infantilize those with mental disorders. (Yaz and I are anxiety twins 🧘‍♀️)

-Mateo. The GOAT. I am the number one Mateo fan, dont ever forget it. I love that man and I will stand by him, I was stressing for his life during episode 10.

-Microbang villain girl was such a menacing villain at the end and I honestly love her. It’s clear that while she is using the atrociraptors for evil deeds she does clearly care for them. I desperately need to know more about her…

-Kenji and Brooklynn’s new voice actors do such a good job with the characters and while I’ll miss Jenna and Ryan, their new voices were casted very well!

Things I wasn’t a big fan of:

-Now to address the elephant in the room…Darius being in love with Brooklynn. (I’m going to try to look at this through an objective pov, but since I don’t ship dinostar obviously there’ll be a slight bias)(nothing wrong if you do ship Dinostar I’m happy for you, but these are just my feelings) Im not a big fan of this. To me I’ve never really read Darius and Brooklynn as being romantic together and their friendship is something I truly cherished about JWCC. I do see why they probably decided to make the decision to have Darius be in love with Brooklynn, but to me it’s kind of upsetting in a way to have Darius’s extreme grief response not be just because they were best friends. It feels like the writers were saying “Well, he’s not experiencing this grief so hard because she was his best friend, but it’s actually because he loves her!”. We’ve seen loss be something Darius takes extremely hard (His dad’s death and Ben’s death) and so I don’t really see why they made it so he was in love with her to justify his response when it’s in character without it. Idk man…

-Brooklynn being alive….HEAR ME OUT HEAR ME OUT. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE I HATE BROOKLYNN SHES ACTUALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS. But idk these fake out deaths are starting getting to wear me down. Even Bumpy had a fake out death 😭. I get why they kept her alive being as she is a beloved character, but I just think it would’ve been better for her to be a character that somewhat haunts the narrative. It adds more onto the mystery, not only that but it allows the nublar five to explore “Hey our friend was hiding things from us and we’ll never truly get answers, but we’re going to find out what lead to her death and put a stop to it”. Which was what the nublar five are on a path to, until Brooklynn inevitably shows back up and explains everything. Also why did they give her the 2017 Katy Perry haircut…

-Kenji and Darius’s dynamic. I loved how they used their dynamic at the beginning of the show with Kenji blaming Darius for Brooklynn’s death, but beyond that moment their dynamic felt off to me. It was not helped by the whole Darius being in love with Brooklynn thing, but it just felt like they toned down their brotherly bond in this show (ironic since this is the first time we see them call themselves brothers)

General thoughts

-Jesus Christ was Kenji this shows punching bag 😭. He literally does not get a break, it just keeps on coming, breaking up with his girlfriend because she’s not invested in their relationship anymore, living in a trailer with a failing rock climbing business, his girlfriend kept secrets from him all while working with his estranged dad behind his back, his dad trying to use him again and then dying saving him, AND his brother was in love with his ex girlfriend. All in the span of ten episodes. If I was him I would have a mental breakdown every single day.

-Do yall think Ben actually has a girlfriend? I’m like at a 70/40 split, because he only talks about her two times and the first time he brings her up she totally sounds fake. “She’s from…Europe” Why did you have to think so much Benjamin? Also he fully just said she’s from the continent of Europe rather than a specific country in Europe. Also also it’s implied he hasn’t had a phone on him for a while so how does a long distance relationship work if he doesn’t have any means to contact her??? And he doesn’t even have a picture of her in his van. That man is hiding something I need to know…

-Ben and Darius had like 30-40 minutes of screen time shared between them, which is weird because like most of the show was marketed with them being the main protags and they barely interact beyond episode 4. (Their dynamic was too strong for people to handle “do you talk to your mother with that mouth” broke the world)

-Bumpy having a baby is something I predicted and I’m happy I was right!

Anyway that’s really it, sorry this was pretty long and excuse any typos or grammatical errors, but these were just some of my thoughts!

[drabblesandimagines]

Farmhand

Wordcount: 1676

Pairings: Sebastian x Farmer, Sebastian x Reader

You’d felt tired all day, but you especially felt lethargic now that you’d finished your chores for the day. There had been an annoying tickle in your throat all day and it probably wasn’t helped by the drizzle that you’d worked in for a few hours. There had been no other way about it, you needed to get those seeds in the ground today if you wanted another crop out before the season’s end.

You secured the barn and coop doors for the evening, making sure there was enough hay for the animals in case they got peckish. You headed inside for a warm shower, hoping it would perk you up but it had no effect and your head was starting to thud.

You were meant to be playing Soliaran with the boys tonight, but the more you thought about the journey to and back from Sebastian’s and how late it would probably end up being. You hated to let him down though, but you also knew you wouldn’t play at your best. Reluctantly, you got your phone and rang your boyfriend’s number. Sebastian had warned you he wasn’t great on the phone – he much preferred text messages or via the app – but you knew he often missed messages until much later and you didn’t want him to think you’d just forgot about the whole thing.

After a few rings, he picked up.

“Hey, Y/N. All okay?”

“Hi, Seb. I’m not feeling so well. I think I could do with an early night, but I hate to let you guys down… I’ve been feeling tired all day and I’ve got an awful headache now. Ugh, I’m sorry, I feel the worst!”

“Sweetheart,” he began – oh, whenever he called you that still made your stomach do somersaults, “it’s fine, don’t stress. Do you want me to get Harvey?”

“No, it’s nothing serious as that. I think I just need a seriously early night. Going to sleep past midnight and getting up at six must be catching up on me.” Your alarm clock had felt pretty brutal the last few days.

“Do you want me to cancel and come round? I’d be happy to.”

“That’s sweet but it’s okay.” You smiled as you opened the fridge, perusing the contents. “Honestly, I’m going to heat up some soup and then go to bed – I’d be extremely dull company.”

“Only if you’re sure. The others would understand.”

“Please don’t cancel for me, Seb. I’d feel terrible. I’ll catch up next time, okay?”

“Okay. But you’ll call me if you feel any worse, right? I can be right over.”

“I promise. I’m pretty sure I’ll be dead to the world once I get in bed, though.”

“I’ll miss you.” You could hear his pout through the phone.

“I miss you too. Love you, have fun!” You stressed.

“I love you too. Rest well.”

True to your word, you ate some leftover soup, left the dirty dishes in the sink – something you hated doing most of the time – and treated yourself to a fresh pair of pyjamas and crawled into your bed before the clock even hit 8pm.

--

Sebastian hadn’t slept well. He’d had fun with Sam and Abigail and they’d left just after midnight. He’d sat at his laptop for a couple of hours after that, keeping his phone close incase you’d rang. At around 3am he’d got into bed and must’ve had a few hours sleep as now the clock read just after 6am. He’d checked his phone, but there were no messages from you. That wasn’t unusual either – you knew he slept late into the morning and wouldn’t want to disturb him. He considered texting you but having stayed over at the farm a few times now, you weren’t one to take your phone out with you on your early morning chores. He placed his phone back down on the floor and tried to settle down but his mind was whirring. He wanted to see you and you’d be up anyway, right? He groaned as he got himself out of bed, he then quickly threw on jeans and his usual sweatshirt, picking up his keys and heading upstairs and out.

Thankfully, the sun was pretty low in the sky and he didn’t meet anyone taking the back route to your farm. Something was off, though, as he reached the top gate and let himself in – it was quiet. On nights he slept over, he’d soon got used to the sounds of the animals grazing in the morning. The chickens were always particularly vocal after being let out of the coop but as he walked past the door, it was firmly shut.

He checked the time on his watch – 06.45. That was super unlike you, unless you just didn’t want them out today? No, that didn’t make sense. It was often your first task in the morning to go and open the doors, and the only morning he hadn’t seen you do it was when it was a torrential downpour as the animals much preferred staying cosy inside.

Sebastian climbed up the porch steps and knocked, tentatively. Maybe you’d changed your morning routine since the last time he’d stayed – it had been over a week ago. He waited a moment or two but there was no response, no muffled sounds behind the door. Beginning to worry, he dug his keys out his pocket and swiftly found the one to your front door, easing it in the lock and twisting it before swinging the door open.

The living room was empty and there was no sign of you in the kitchen, but your bedroom door was slightly ajar and he could hear deep, heavy breathing. He crept over and peered through to see you fast asleep in the bed, a pillow over your eyes. You must be exhausted. He hovered his fist over your bedroom door, about to knock when he lowered his arm back down to his side. You were always working so hard, he couldn’t remember you ever mentioning a lie-in the whole time you’d known each other – every day it was up at 6am, rain or shine, feeding the animals, watering the crops, preparing the ground for the next lot of seeds… It seemed relentless, all that plus the other stuff living in Pelican Town meant – helping out your neighbours, maintaining friendships and a relationship with him. He began to wonder how you even had enough hours in the day. He retreated, heading back and out the front door, silently locking it behind him.

His eyes turned to the barn and he nodded in determination – he’d seen you do it enough times…

--

You stretched your arms over your head, feeling a bit stiff from the position you must’ve slept in, but otherwise you felt good. Far more rested than you could remember feeling in months. You rubbed your eyes, noting that the sun seemed pretty high this morning, especially since it must be before 6 since you hadn’t heard your alarm go off yet.

You looked over to your bedside table and your stomach sank when you realized it was past 10am. What the…? Had you turned it off in your sleep?! You cursed, scrambling out of the sheets, popped to the bathroom and then quickly got dressed, trying to remember exactly what you had on your to-do list today.

You unlocked the door and stepped out onto the porch to be greeted by the gentle cluck of the chickens pecking at the dirt down by the steps. Had you not closed the doors last night? No, you were sure you had, but that didn’t explain how the cows, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens were now all roaming amongst the grass.

Suddenly, Sebastian ducked out of the chicken coop, a basket in hand and your heart skipped a beat. He caught sight of you standing dumbfounded on the porch and smiled shyly.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

You jumped down the porch steps and over to the fence, where he met you on the other side. His basket was filled with chicken eggs.

“I, er… I hope you don’t mind. I came by early and I saw the animals were still inside, so I checked on you and you were dead to the world. I thought you could do with the extra sleep, so I tried to get on with your morning jobs.”

“Seb, you are the sweetest man alive!” You squealed, pulling him forward by the scruff of his sweatshirt into a kiss. The man’s usually pale complexion turned a cute shade of pink as he blushed.

“It’s nothing,” he shrugged. “You work really hard, Y/N. Are you feeling any better?”

“So much better,” you stressed, opening the gate for him. “I think I must’ve slept something ridiculous like 14 hours. What did you get up to?”

“Er, well, I let all the animals out to graze, and I topped up the hay a bit. I’ve collected the fallen fruit, turned the sprinklers on, cleared some of the weeds in the crop patches and I just finished collecting the eggs… It doesn’t seem much considering the time.” He finished with a yawn while you stared at him, momentarily sunned.

“Sebastian, please, that’s loads! I can’t believe you did all that for me. Here,” you took the basket from him and grabbed his hand. “That calls for a coffee break.” You led him towards the porch. “Or maybe even a nap? You look exhausted, did you even sleep last night?”

“A bit,” he shrugged as the two of you entered the farmhouse.

“Go,” you pushed him towards the sofa, “Lie down whilst I brew up the coffee.” You had the strongest suspicion Sebastian wouldn’t make it till then.

He yawned, loudly, before settling down and resting his head back against the arm. “Okay, but only for a moment. Still got cows to milk…”

By the time the coffee was brewed, you could hear light snores coming from the sofa. “Sleep well, farmhand.” You whispered, kissing him on the forehead.

[arctrooper69]

Hate to Love You

When an angry awkward boy meets an angry awkward girl.

A/N: Hope everyone had a great Holiday season! Happy New Years and here's to many more friends and star wars fics! (Also, how bout those new Bad Batch episodes 😍)

Warnings: Some kissy kissy stuff towards the end (no smut or anything like that). I think that's it!?

It started out as a simple, little feeling. The way you rolled your eyes at Echo’s stupid joke. The way you laughed out loud when Wrecker accidentally smacked you upside the head with his Lula during an especially animated conversation. Or the way your brow furrowed when you were concentrating.

It was just a flutter of warmth that bloomed in his chest when you looked his way - something so small that it was easily drowned by more legitimate, practical thoughts.

“Hey Crosshair, am I doing this right?”

He glanced over at you from his chair. You sat on the floor cross legged with the pieces of your blaster spread out on a cloth in front of you. He crossed his arms as he leaned back into the seat, eyes closed.

“No.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Okay… then what am I doing wrong?”

He sighed, admittedly annoyed. If you were anyone else right now, he’d have already vacated the premises.

“Figure it out.”

He smirked as you let out a frustrated sigh.

“You figure it out!” You mocked. He opened a single eye,

“I did.”

You groaned. “Then what is it?”

Crosshair turned away, slouching further into his chair as he propped his feet up on the edge of the console, arms still crossed with eyes closed.

“Come on Crosshair.” You rolled your eyes. Now you were annoyed. “I know you’re not asleep.”

He didn’t answer and you were left to fend for yourself. At least that’s how it felt. But you finally caved and ended up with what you were pretty sure was a completed, working blaster. Crosshair would finally be impressed.

You were sure he’d seen you staring at him recently. Maybe his rudeness was just a way to tell you that there was no way in hell that he’d reciprocate any kind of feelings toward you. But you had to try something. You weren’t sure why Crosshair of all people gave you butterflies. Maybe it was the quiet but penetrating gaze he wore - the one that seemed to expertly pick up every little detail. Sometimes you swore that he could see right through you, reading all of your secrets like an open book. Maybe it was his devil-may-care attitude, or the way he playfully competed with his brothers. But they were only small, fleeting thoughts that made your heart swell for just a fraction of a second before your more logical thoughts set you straight.

***

“Do you want to blow us all up?” Crosshair hissed as he held your blaster in his hands, turning it this way and that, inspecting the work you had done. You couldn’t quite place his expression - somewhere between annoyance and maybe concern? Or were you confusing disgust for concern? Obviously something was not to his liking. You felt your face grow warm and your heart sank.

“No, of course not!”

Crosshair smirked, looking at your face. “Well that’s how you’ve got this configured.”

You were at a loss as to what exactly you’d done to your blaster to unintentionally turn it into a bomb.

“Oh for kriffs sake,” he growled, rolling his eyes. “You put the crystal in backwards…”

“…destabilizing the blaster” you said simultaneously with him, realizing what you’d done. It most definitely would have blown up in your face if you’d fired it before handing it to Crosshair to inspect.

Grimacing in embarrassment, you glanced up at him.

“Uhm…thanks.” You said softly, meeting his stern gaze. Time seemed to slow as he held your gaze.

One second.

Two seconds.

He sharply looked away.

“Do better next time.”

Crosshair shoved the blaster into your hand before stalking out of the room, leaving you standing, looking as frozen as he felt.

Kriff. That was dumb. You’re such an idiot! Crosshair berated himself as he slunk away to the empty cockpit, dropping forcefully into a seat. He glared at the console in front of him, crossing his arms across his chest.

He heard Hunter come in behind him and felt a twinge of guilt for most likely being the reason his brother woke up an hour before his watch shift was supposed to start.

Hunter raised an eyebrow as he sat down. “What’s got your skivvies in a twist, Crosshair?”

“Nothing.” He snapped, shifting away from his brother. Hunter had always been able to read him like a book and right now that was the last thing Crosshair needed.

"Yeah ok." Hunter scoffed, "Look, it's none of my business but -"

"You're right " Crosshair cut him off. "It is none of your business." He got up and swiftly left the cockpit, leaving Hunter looking slightly bewildered.

Crosshair did his best to avoid you for the rest of the day, but the Marauder was a small ship, and for the two of you, it seemed smaller than ever.

***

"HA" Wrecker yelled triumphantly, slamming the sabacc cards down onto the table. "You owe me a bucket of Mantell Mix!"

You groaned and Omega laughed heartily as she patted you on the back sympathetically.

"Hunter I - " Crosshair turned the corner and froze. You jumped up out of your chair, nearly toppling over. He groaned and immediately turned back the way he came. "Nevermind." He grumbled, "Thought Hunter was out here. Guess not."

"You know what, Omega?" You said louder than you meant to. "Why don't we go get that Mantell Mix right now!"

Wrecker looked uneasily between you and the cockpit where Crosshair had disappeared to. He wasn't stupid. There was something going on between you and his brother. He knew Crosshair and Crosshair was acting strange. Well, stranger than usual anyway. He shook it off quickly. If there was a problem on the ship, Hunter would address it sooner or later.

"Yeah, go get that Mantell Mix and be back soon! I'm starving!"

The ramp hissed open as you and Omega made your way out of the ship and into town.

***

Crosshair sighed as he leaned against the console at the front of the shuttle. This was pointless and idiotic. You hated him. You'd nearly broken your neck jumping out of the chair when he'd entered the room. You'd been avoiding him all week. He was certain that you wanted nothing to do with him. Yet, he couldn't stop thinking about you. The smell of your hair every time he'd pass you in the hall. The way you fully threw yourself into whatever you did whether it was sparring with his brothers or helping Omega study ship designations. The way you always seemed to retreat after long missions just to catch a break from everything around you.

It was stupid really; completely asinine to even entertain the thought that there could be something between the two of you. Crosshair wasn’t a schoolgirl. Crosshair didn’t have crushes. Crosshair was cool, collected, and he had the guts to do what needed to be done no matter what. That’s what he told himself every time you brushed past him on the Marauder or when he watched you fight, taking down battledroid after battledroid.

"Crosshair, are you going to just stand there and mope, or are you going to help me?" Tech's voice drifted from underneath the console, dragging him out of a daze.

"Hmm" Crosshair grunted, acknowledging his brother.

Tech crawled out from beneath the main console and stood up.

"Look, I don't know what's going on between the pair of you." His scolding tone softened, "But I do know that, scientifically speaking, distraction from one's concerns has proven, short term psychological benefits." He slapped a spanner wrench into his brother's hand. "So I will keep talking while you help me rewire this console."

"Great." Crosshair rolled his eyes before sighing and bending down beneath the console.

***

"So what's up between you and Crosshair?" Omega asked quizzically as she skipped along the road beside you. You groaned.

"I don't know, Omega. I really don't know!" You threw your hands up. "I don't get it! I'm pretty sure he hates me and I've no idea what I did wrong."

Omega frowned, "Well that's just normal for Crosshair. He acts like he hates everybody."

You shook your head, "No, before he just kinda ignored me. Now it seems like he actually hates me. But...." You paused, feeling you face grow warm.

"But?" Prompted Omega, lips twitching into an encouraging smile. Then she gasped as if the thought just occurred to her. "You like him! You like like him!"

"I...I can't stop thinking about him!" You admitted.

A mischievous grin brightened her features. "You're in love with Crosshair. You're in love with Crosshair!" She teased in a sing-song voice.

"No I'm not!" You rolled your eyes.

"You even roll you eyes like him." She cackled.

You snorted, "I do not!"

"You do too!"

You glared at her, then softened. "I don't know, kid. I don't think you can be in love with someone who hates you."

Omega grabbed your hand. "He doesn't hate you. I think he feels the same as you but he just doesn't know what to do yet."

She sighed inwardly, hoping that her encouraging words were true. She didn't know what to say otherwise.

***

As you headed back to the Marauder, Omega tugged on your sleeve. "Look, there's Crosshair!" she whispered, pointing subtlety over to the side of the shuttle where Crosshair was helping Tech with something.

"Give me the Mantell Mix and go talk to him!" She whispered harshly, taking the two large boxes of snacks.

You looked up in time to see Tech shoving Crosshair in your direction. Omega climbed up the ramp, giving Tech a thumbs up to which he responded with a nod.

You shook your head, suppressing a grin.

The two of you walked in silence for what seemed like hours through the wooded area outside of town. Finally Crosshair sighed, cutting the tension with a knife.

"What is your problem?" He asked suddenly, stepping in front of you. You took a step back but Crosshair filled the gap quickly.

"Excuse me!?" You retorted. "I could ask the same of you!" Your back hit a tree.

Crosshair rested his hand on the trunk just above your head, gazing sharply at you. Your breath quickened and you felt his do the same as he licked his lips. No. You were not going to do this.

"You....you" you sputtered, no longer able to make coherent words come from your mouth. "You just...."

Crosshair's lips came crashing into yours with a bruising force, cutting off anything else you had to say. This was so wrong. You'd been sure he thought the worst of you, so why did this feel so right? You sighed and relaxed into his touch.

He pulled his lips from yours, panting.

"I thought...." you took a shakey breath. "I thought you hated me!"

You kissed him roughly again.

"I do" he breathed. "I don't think I've hated anyone as much as I do you."

You chuckled, "I hate you too. I hate you so much, Crosshair."

He growled playfully.

"Then don't stop."

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

@zoeykallus @ttzamara @nahoney22 @merkitty49 @viva-la-whump @agenteliix @dumpsters-little-matchbook @nekotaetae @ladykatakuri @loverofclones @heyitsaloy @padawancat97 @jambolska-grozdova @flyingkangaroo @melymigo @rain-on-kamino @jiabeewrites @my-own-oracle @dragonrider9905 @queenofspades6 @ordinarylokix

If you want to be on my taglist, feel free to send me a message! Also, asks are open! Reblogging is very much encouraged and it makes me do a happy dance every time any of my writing gets reblogged 😂❤️

[dysfunctional-doodle]

now i WOULD go rest after the whole ypi business HOWEVER. is there any way to convince you to watch it because OH MY GODDDDDDDD THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SERIES EVER!!!!!!!!!!! it’s certainly not the best written tmnt series out there (ESPECIALLY with the romance…. shudders)

HOWEVERRRRRRR there are a lot of awesome things about it i really like….. i think one thing i like the most about this iteration (besides the very obvious obsession about sunset duo) is THE VOICEACTING. in a tmnt voiceacting teirlist i would put almost every rise character in s tier and yet STILL, despite the fact i put donnie in b, 2012 IS MY FAVOURITE VOICE ACTED SERIES. the original ask includes the giant navy battleship line and. yeah. sean astin’s delivery makes it a kajillion times funnier to me. IDK MAN THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SPLINTER’S VOICE THAT IS SO SATISFYING TO ME. AND THE WAY SHINIGAMI LAUGHS???????????????? HRGHHHHH

also a big fan of the dynamics between the turtles…… the absolute brothers of all time. sobs (again it’s very obvious which duo is my favourite hfhdbsjbsdj)

also this might be a slightlyyyy controversial take but mikey’s adhd is written really really REALLY well in my opinion. like ok donnie said he hasn’t matured since age six and infantilisation is a big problem with neurodivergent people HOWEVER. a big part of mikey’s character is that he doesn’t like being underestimated and wants to prove he is capable but also. as a person with adhd. YEAH I TOO FEEL LIKE THE PERSON IN MY BRAIN IS A SMALL CHILD. the reason i peaked in primary school is because, back then, i was only slightly less mature than my peers. now as i’m in secondary school i realise i am like a TWO YEAR OLD compared to these people. when i was in s1 i would call myself the twelve year old toddler because that was essentially how mature i felt i was. SO THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. maybe there are times he feels slightly stereotypical but hey, everyone has their stereotype moments, right??? (as cliche as it is i feel like everyone has had a “hey, look, squirrel!” moment in their life). yeah i just relate to 2012 mikey on a spiritual level. like every time he’s on screen he does something and i think WOW. that is LITERALLY me (which is why i’m surprised that one poll i have more people think i’m like sonic than mikey?? but i’m not complaining, sonic is super cool)

the 3d animation is cool (the increase in skill is very obvious as you progress further through the series) and the fight scenes are just. MWAH. SO satisfying.

also SOME of the romance is pretty ok! raph and mona lisa are great. also arguably raph and casey (but we’re not ready for that conversation i think).

i have a full disc set of all five seasons that included a list of all the episodes and whenever i finished an episode i REALLYYYY REALLY enjoyed i would highlight the name in pink sharpie… here are all the episodes i marked :3 (i might need to rewatch some of these)

the pulveriser

cockroach terminator

parasitica

the good, the bad, and casey jones

plan 10

a foot too big (i’m actually not too sure about this one right now, might need to rewatch it)

journey to the center of mikey’s mind

revenge of the triceratons (this one is only half highlighted for some reason)

bat in the belfry

tokka vs the world

requiem (sobs. sobs so so hard.)

end times

when worlds collide: part 2 (i think this one is where the giant navy battleship line comes from)

it’s ok if you don’t want to watch it or you’re not able to watch it but if you can and you don’t end up liking it THAT’S OK I TOTALLY GET IT THERE ARE A LOT OF PARTS THAT SUCK

erm anyways that was my strange ramble. sorry for invading your ask box 👍🏼

(oh yeah, the comics are pretty cool too)

(guess who michalina’s favourite character + duo is challenge (impossible))

Ok I will say oddly enough I’ve read the comics for 2012. Weird, but I pirated found them and enjoyed reading them, they were fun.

I have watched a few episodes - I did like the speed demon episode (I love the dynamic of 2012 donnie and Casey mirroring the 90s movies even down the name insulting scene where they are going through the alphabet) and I like parasitica a lot. I have watched others like journey to centre of Mikey’s mind, Buried Secrets, and the usagi episodes, and also the final episodes of the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (? I cannot remember the name, but the one with the insect guy as the villain who’s name I can’t spell and can’t be bothered to Google lol), that one where Donnie becomes dumb, the vampire ones, but that’s it.

What puts me off is the romance and the (in my opinion) partial butchered character Donnie has due to it. He’s genuinely creepy and it makes watching it uncomfortable and wildly out of character compared to what I’m used to. I’ve never been a fan of romance, and I expect ally despise the whole “main character has a crush on someone else but is so nerdy they don’t know how to approach them” trope. The whole love triangle and the poorly written “love at first sight” which most the romances in the show are just put me off completely. I genuinely have tried other episodes but I cringe every time the Donnie/April romance happens. It’s a shame because when they let Donnie move on from April or not be simping after her I really like his slightly sarcastic, blunt yet sensitive nature.

I’ve heard they kind of throw away the romance at season 3 but it’s having to watch this until then tbh. Maybe one day I will give it a go if people really say it’s worth the suffering of my least favourite trope. You seem to like it a lot so maybe :)

[alexanderwales]

TV Review: Ludwig

Ludwig is a very formulaic murder mystery show about a puzzle-setter who impersonates his twin brother as a detective. It's on the BBC, the first season is only 6 episodes, and it's got David Mitchell as an affably neurotic and somewhat frumpy upper class puzzle-setter, which was the real draw for me. Spoilers follow, but not the mystery solutions, just a bit of the season plot.

There are tons and tons of eccentric detective shows, and I've watched a fair few in my time. This is one of a subset, where the eccentric detective is not actually a detective, but brings in his own unique perspective from whatever his profession is, in this case, puzzles. One of my favorite detective shows of the last few years, The Afterparty, had the lead be a guy who designs escape rooms, and it's just a particularly sort of nerdy that I enjoy. (It honestly makes me yearn for a detective show where every case is solved by the lead being the biggest nerd ever, always having his epiphany on the basis of something he read in Star Wars fanfic or something, or looking at his poseable anime figure or something.)

There are two things this show does that really irritate me, and in fact this might be more of a "things that bug me about BBC's Ludwig and eccentric detective shows in general" thing than a proper review.

Ludwig's premise is that John is taking the place of his identical twin brother James, who has gone missing. James is a detective, John is a puzzle-setter, and it turns out that having a mind for puzzles makes you an excellent detective. There's often a "theme" for the case of the week, like "spot the difference" or "reverse chess", some puzzle that provides insight into the case. I found this theming to be somewhat on the light side, and wanted more of a puzzle-minded take on things. Here, it felt more like an informed ability, an "ah, this is just like reverse chess" and then we don't get to see any of the actual steps. Not really fair play, which ... I guess I can deal with, but I would prefer if the solutions were possible to guess at.

So one of the things about Ludwig is that John is pretending to be his brother for most of it, and while this is milked for some humor value, it's also extremely illegal, and when it comes to the rights of the accused, very fucked up. He's never the arresting officer, but he goes into crime scenes, handles evidence, interviews witnesses, and compels people to be present for a grand speech at the end, one of the staples of the show (which they hang a lampshade on more than once, since yeah, it does seem like a hassle for everyone involved to be summoned to a specific location by the police).

If this happened in the real world, which of course it could not, every case he solved would be in jeopardy, even the ones where he got a confession. In a criminal trial, the detectives usually need to take the stand, and this is a one way ticket toward a loss of credibility for the entire police force. Aside from impersonating a police officer being illegal, I would also argue that it's immoral, and that a basic understanding of the rights of the public should say that randos shouldn't be allowed to conduct investigations.

I kept thinking to myself "well now how are they going to square that", since it was clear that they were aware it was an issue that he was lying to everyone all the time, even people who were kind of friends with him. And in the end, he reveals that he was John all along, and then the Superintendent sweeps it under the rug. She puts forward a piece of paper says "hey, date this today, sign it, we're going to just pretend that all those cases were solved by your brother".

And like ... what? This is what you're doing? You're depriving these criminals of due process with a conspiracy that at least half a dozen people are privy to? You're just going to lie?

I wouldn't mind this if it didn't feel like the show was endorsing it, but it does feel like the show is endorsing it, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief, even though there is now this much bigger thing hanging over everyone's head, and it's now a police-endorsed miscarriage of justice rather than someone making a clown of the police. Call me a soft-hearted liberal, but I think the police shouldn't engage in conspiracies against the public, even the accused. (Also this feels like it's creating some big problems down the road, if any of these cases go to trail, because they're not going to be able to put James on the stand, and also if anyone pokes at any of these investigations it's going to require a lot of lying under oath from everyone else involved.)

The show has been renewed for a second series, and I'll probably watch it, but this time John will be back as a "consultant" rather than impersonating his twin brother, which makes me feel better at the whole "justice" angle of things. These shows are most often not about justice, they're more puzzles than anything else, and perhaps that's the mindset I should be going in with, but it does make me cringe. My favorite moments were not the mystery aspects, but instead seeing David Mitchell being awkward and neurotic and saying things like "I've never cared for metaphors, don't call a thing another thing, just say what it is".

[tenebriskukris]

Oshi No Ko Chapter 162 - My Thoughts/Analysis

This chapter finally closes the book on this Hikaru-Aqua confrontation and gave us a shitty cliffhanger that we’re stuck waiting three bloody weeks for a conclusion. At this point I just want to put this manga to rest so that it can let me down one last time.

The chapter starts us off back in the saddle with Aqua and Hikaru.These were a cool couple of panels—with a shot of the backdrop then Aqua trying to strangle Hikaru, but I felt like this first page was largely unnecessary given how the last chapter ended.

I hit my head on a rock. Please imagine me staring at this page with a deadpan look. Aqua has LITERALLY stabbed himself before pushing the two of them down to the ocean. That’s some real good excuse to justify how Hikaru couldn’t have just swam away from Aqua considering that our protagonist is literally bleeding out. The most vexing part of these series of panels is that they just handwaved actually SHOWING them both tumble down the ocean. And while, yes, it probably wouldn’t have been necessary, the fact that the chapter just cuts away to such a halfhearted explanation when the first page was LITERALLY just filler feels too much like a cheap bait and switch for me to feel like this development was anything but an asspull.

Am I going to die in a place like this? Considering how this bitch is responsible for at least two deaths in the series so far—I find it very fitting that Hikaru is going to die Just Like This. Yura died in a similar manner, alone and isolated with her murderer gloating that he’d killed her and now it’s his turn on the chopping block.

Holy crap that shot of Goro’s shadow pulling Hikaru down! And then the one with Aqua floating upward while a bunch of shadowy hands drag Hikaru down…that’s some pretty on the nose symbolism of the people that Hikaru has intentionally or unintentionally ruined with his schemes. I’d have liked to get an actual body count for Hikaru as well as, you know, good fucking characterization that doesn’t rely on a deus ex machena, but we can’t all get what we want.

I felt like I was only alive when I was with Ai. [...] Even if it was the weight of my own sin. I wanted to feel it forever. The Japanese mental health system—or lack thereof—claims another victim. Still a murderer, though.

I could’ve felt you more if I had killed Ruby. Unrepentant to the end, I see. Good fucking riddance to terribly written antagonists. As sad as Hikaru’s backstory is, it falls squarely under the category of “Sad motive! Still murder.” As much as I can sympathize with his sad backstory and the way that his life turned out, that doesn’t excuse the fact that, you know, he literally had a hand in murdering people—but I’m getting ahead of myself, I’ll touch on those thoughts after the chapter.

And now we return to Crow Girl. Are we going to get the deus ex machena now? 

OH HEY I KNOW THIS PANEL FROM THE ANIME OPENING! Whether or not the anime staff knew that this panel was going to happen or the authors took inspiration from it isn’t quite clear but it’s a nice little nod and a wink to the anime. Crossing my fingers that it’ll get to this point and fix up some of the garbage pacing we see during these last two dozen chapters, but considering we just got a season three for the anime I think it’s likely we’ll be getting to this point.

Have you finally found your mission? Oh? Are we going to finally find out why Aqua was reincarnated in the first place? I’d been hypothesizing that it had to do with Ruby for awhile now outside these analyses since that was one of the only constants that Aqua had when he was reincarnated but I’m curious to see how this mess goes.

The reason I lived…was to protect my own sister. That’s—hm. Well. I certainly have Thoughts about That but we’ll get to that after the chapter. The page dealing with Aqua and Ruby’s interactions…as well as that panel of Goro and Sarina…it’s pretty sad, I gotta admit. 

Thank goodness. This time I can die before you. Sad little panel, but considering there is Literally a god watching Aqua and said god is one that is sort of invested in his story at the moment—enough to actually interfere with said story as an actor in the fucking movie at his behest—I think it’s more than likely that Aqua survives this whole ordeal.

This was honestly a bit of a shorter chapter to get through but it’s still one that I have plenty of thoughts about.

There was originally an entire mountain of paragraphs here about Hikaru and his place as an antagonist of the series, but I wrote so much about that topic that I’ve decided to turn it into its own post instead of inserting it here. Expect that analysis to come out hopefully before the next chapter drops. I’ll instead focus on Aqua concluding that he was born to protect Ruby.

I’m honestly torn about the reveal. On the one hand it makes a certain degree of sense—in a messy and half assed sort of way. After Ai’s death he was considerably more protective of his sister—following her into the same high school as well as going so far as to shut down Ruby’s attempts to become an underground idol. This is compounded by the fact that Aqua asked Kana to protect his precious sister when he was persuading her to join B-Komachi, as well as scouted Mem—someone who he’d known and who he’d already grasped her character—into B-Komachi instead of any strangers that could’ve been Ruby’s idol partners.Hell, he’d even done quite a bit of legwork to ensure that his sister’s first performance had gone well by posing as Pieyon.

On the other hand I feel very dissatisfied with Aqua’s conclusion because of everything that had happened in the series ex post facto. If this was a theme that the writers wanted to press for the ending of the series then it should’ve been highlighted a hell of a lot more! The page full of panels detailing scenes where Aqua “protects” Ruby just fall flat because of the fact that these are all completely new panels that the reader hasn’t ever seen! If this was supposed to be A Thing then why weren’t these panels sprinkled into the series beforehand??? Why weren’t there more interactions with Aqua protecting Ruby so that readers could go “Aqua has always been protecting Ruby throughout the series so revealing that Aqua’s purpose was all to protect Ruby makes sense.” Except it doesn’t! The examples that I’d previously mentioned are nice and all but it isn’t substantial enough for me to fully be on board with this reveal as most of said examples were in the earlier part of the series! Where’s Aqua protecting Ruby in the later arcs, huh? Where do we get to see Aqua intentionally going out of his way to keep an eye on Ruby, to make sure she’s protected post Tokyo Blade? One could argue that Akane disguising herself as Ruby sort of counts since Aqua is involved in it, but come the fuck on would it be so hard to actually SHOW that Aqua had a hand in it instead of handwaving that plot thread???

Obviously this reveal needs to be taken into the proper context—the manga’s writing and quality has fallen dramatically below average for the past forty chapters or so. But the fact that the page showing all the times Aqua “protected” Ruby contained completely new panels is just so incredibly egregious. You’d think that such an important reveal—the entire REASON that Aqua was reincarnated in the first place would have been established more during the course of the whole bloody series instead of shoving these completely new panels down our throat without priming the readers for this reveal in the first place!

If I’m giving the manga the benefit of the doubt—which I shouldn’t even be doing because of how objectively bad some of these chapters have been recently—there’s still plenty of room for doubt with regards to Aqua’s conclusion. It wouldn’t be the first time that Aqua was just plain wrong—he assumed his father was dead without making any effort to confirm that. These characters aren’t infallible, though with how the narrative speaks through the characters on occasion it’s easy to forget that. Obviously if the manga doesn’t deign to comment on Aqua’s conclusion again then it’s de facto canon because they’d need to clarify such an important plot beat and not let an incorrect conclusion stand by unchallenged.

The other interpretation of these events is that Aqua was too blinded by revenge to fulfill the reason he was reincarnated, and therefore, there wouldn’t have been many moments where Aqua was able to protect Ruby. But I find that interpretation, for lack of a better term, a hot steaming pile of BULLSHIT. The only reason that Aqua was able to “protect” Ruby here in the first place from Hikaru was because he had gone through his revenge scheme in the first place! If Aqua didn’t spend this much effort trying to catch Hikaru throughout the series and instead decided to become a surgeon like he wanted, then Hikaru would’ve had a free hand to target Ruby whenever he wanted. He wouldn’t have been able to find out Hikaru’s identity, nor would he be able to figure out that he wouldn’t be satisfied with killing Ai, or even that Ruby was at risk in the first place. If Aqua didn’t attempt to find Hikaru to take revenge, then Ruby would’ve been collateral damage in the process.

I do wonder though—disregarding whether or not Aqua is right about why he was reincarnated—what was the reason that Ruby was reincarnated in the first place? The obvious answer is Ruby was reincarnated as a twin to meet AquaGoro again. Aqua’s reason—assuming it’s accurate—for reincarnating was related to Ruby, and it’d make a certain degree of sense for the reverse to be true as well. Of course, that’s all just speculation, but it makes one wonder…

On the whole though, this chapter certainly happened. Hikaru and Aqua’s second confrontation has ended with Hikaru finally biting it and Aqua’s state being unknown for three bloody weeks. And with four bloody chapters remaining for the manga, I don’t expect anything resembling a good ending to wrap up any of the lingering plot threads the manga’s been pushing at us.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: March 2024

……….FILM……….

Dune: Part Two (2024) Every piece of technology felt and looked so tangible. The baby worm too! Love the tactile nature of this whole production and I hope studios take note that CG can't be the only tool in your belt. So much bigger than I imagined and just enjoyed the whole thing.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) Ages surprisingly well and a script that lets the main quartet be both funny and layered.

……….TELEVISION……….

Columbo (1.01 to 1.03) Hey I'm starting Columbo! Love that each episode is feature-length and Columbo appears fully formed right out of the gate. The sets and costumes are all so glamorous and L.A. Very excited to keep going.

Succession (2.05 to 3.04) The Kendall play at the end of season 2 felt very much like the Kendall play at the end of season 1 and while I'm still a huge fan of this series, I just hope it's not the same going into season 3 and 4.

Delicious in Dungeon (Episode 1.09 to 1.13) Great adaptation that isn't just a straight recreation of the artwork in the manga. The more kinetic/frantic moments in the animation are a nice departure and while they don't pop up in each episode, now that I'm 13 eps deep I can appreciate how they're sprinkled throughout.

Love is Blind (Episode 6.02 to 6.13) It still amazes me that anyone goes on reality tv.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Twilight | ContraPoints by ContraPoints Yes I did watch a nearly 3-hour essay on Twilight, sexual expression, and all that comes with that. And you should too. VIDEO

Instagram fatigue and the rise of 'Resentment Reels' by Taylor Lorenz While I haven't noticed this specific phenomenon, I have noticed Instagram declining as an app (both as a user trying to see anything other than ads, and a creator trying to get my work seen in between those ads). It's a bummer. VIDEO

Saltburn: The Tumblr-ification of Cinema by Broey Deschanel Every since I saw Saltburn, I've been thinking about what wasn't quite sitting right with me. This unlocked a lot of what I couldn't describe and most of it stems from the writer/director's upper class upbringing. Saltburn isn't a "take down the rich" movie, it's a horror story from the perspective of a wealthy family. VIDEO

Why Is It So Hard To Cross The Street? (& What You Can Do To Help) by Strong Towns Accidents where drivers hit a pedestrian are going up in my area so this really hit home. And for those feeling like there's nothing you can do at ground level, consider taking their course (not a paid sponsorship I'm just in real support of community-lead initiatives). VIDEO

……….READING……….

Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock (Complete) After picking up the last book in this series (which I've yet to read) I figured I'd start at the beginning. Love the fast pace pulpy action and I can see how this influenced the creation of D&D.

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (Complete) This one would lose me for stretches but the final quarter of the book is stronger. A lot less cozy and a lot more action than I was expecting but skimming other reviews it sounds like this was written during her more...adventure-focused era. Three books deep and I have to give Christie credit that each has been a completely different experience.

Adventures of a Japanese Business Man by Jose Domingo (Complete) Always love going back to this nearly wordless epic that follows the titular Japanese business man. I love the complexity of the earliest panels and wish that could carry throughout more of the book, but it's always such a treat to discover just where each new panel will go.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 5 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Enjoying rereading this with shorter breaks between volumes as I certainly missed/forgot details on my first read. It's here that the story and tone shifts from light romp to a more dramatic and dangerous affair but it never loses its spot-on humour. Love those dryad pumpkins.

Ultimate Spider-Man HC Volume 11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, David Lafuente, and more (Complete) Going from some of my other comics back to this, I'm struck by just how wordy it can get. Now knowing where the story goes, it was a great idea to prime readers to the idea of Peter Parker dying even if it's not from this event.

……….AUDIO……….

Blank Check with Griffin & David (Podcast) Late to the game on this but really enjoying burning through their back catalog. Obviously started with their episode on Speed Racer as it's a near perfect film that you should watch right now.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday group just killed a mayor! So the aftermath of that is going to play out over the next couple of sessions. And the Mof1 crew is investigating the aftermath of their own district-wide catastrophe and it's all looking rather suspicious!

Spot It (Blue Orange Games) I can't recommend this game enough. It's so easy to learn, rounds last maybe 5 minutes, it plays well with small or large groups of any age, and all it requires is pattern recognition and quick reflexes. Every time I've played this someone says they're going to buy a copy for themselves.

And that's it. See you in April!

[phynally]

Greek mythology and the Hunting Dogs

What if I told you the Hunting Dogs' theme song used Greek mythology to hint at the future of the series?

BSD manga spoilers ahead

For this analysis, I’ll be using a fan transcription of the Hunting Dogs/Bloodhounds theme.

Original post with transcription:

One Song, Two Narratives

The Hunting Dogs' Theme first appears in Episode 44: Dogs Hunt Dogs (S4, e7) and is repeatedly used throughout the anime during scenes involving the Hunting Dogs' pursuit of justice.

However, its lyrics (in line with previous songs from the show) feel purposeful, describing two distinct narratives within the story.

1. Artemis and the Agency

The first portion of the song seems to be directed at the Armed Detective Agency, as seen in the first verse, 

“Here comes the setup from the moon It’s time to play hide-and-seek” 

and first pre-chorus,

"Do you remember what you have done to my world? You cannot recall it We chase you round and round a shiver

The "setup from the moon" might be a reference to Artemis, the Greek goddess considered by some to be the personification of the moon (Artemis is also directly mentioned in the second verse—more on this later).

Additionally, "hide-and-seek" may also refer to the cat-and-mouse chase between the Hunting Dogs and ADA that began in season four and has continued to play out in both the anime and manga.

The pre-chorus further echoes the sentiment felt by the Hunting Dogs toward the agency, as from the Dogs' perspective, agency members appear to be lying about atrocities they "cannot recall."

2. Artemis and Fukuchi

In a twist of irony, the song's second half seems to change focus, however, as we can see in verse two, 

“How come you cannot see your doom? …I have the end of Artemis”

and the second pre-chorus,

"Have you conceded that you've been already dead? Your bullshit feeds the end Shut up now dancing 'round a shiver"

Now you may be wondering, "But Phy, why aren't these lyrics also about the agency?" I'm so glad you asked.

To answer this, we need to take a brief dive into Greek mythology:

Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt, said to have once punished a hunter who saw her bathing by having them turned into a deer and devoured by their own hunting dogs [Wikipedia].

In a way, the Hunting Dogs personify this "end" condemned by Artemis in myth, as the ADA is ‘fated’ by the Page to be targeted and torn to shreds by their own nation’s military police.

However, this line takes on a deeper meaning when applied to Fukuchi, a hunter who has "already been dead" in alternate futures and whose "bullshit" (claiming to lead a terror investigation while being the cause of said terror) "feeds the end" of their world.

Another key difference between the first and second verses is that while the agency is only "set up by the moon" to "play hide-and-seek," Fukuchi is "doomed" to "the end of Artemis."

Could this mean Fukuchi will ultimately face his end—similar to the hunter from myth—as he is torn apart by his own hunting dogs?

If so, we may have already seen the beginning of this process in Tachihara and Jouno's resistance to Fukuchi. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before Tecchou and Teruko follow suit, passing the ironic judgement of Artemis on their former captain.

BUT HEY, THAT'S-- not my line lol

Thanks for reading!!~ <3

[hopeymchope]

True confessions from an RE:Zero convert

This might be more of a ramble than my better-organized reviews, but I have a lot to get off my chest.

Personal Backstory: The stuff you skip when reading a recipe

For a long time, I avoided isekai stories. They were so pervasive in anime/manga that I found them quite annoying.

When I first caved, it was only for comedies. I figured that, hey, they're taking the piss out of the genre; that sounds up my alley. So I felt it was safe to enjoy Konosuba. After that, I fell in love with Trapped in a Dating Sim... and to my surprise, it wasn't solely engaging for its overarching comedy. There was more characterization and interpersonal relationship stuff that grabbed me in that one.

That's probably what made me feel more receptive when I saw a couple of people call out Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion as an underappreciated anime highlight of 2023. I gave it a shot one afternoon with only mild expectations for it, and guess what? I adored it.

Yet despite ALL THAT? My expectations for RE:Zero were close to the floor. Raeliana had opened the floodgates, leading me to try some other isekai stories... yet I repeatedly found the ones I tried quite lacking. Furthermore, almost everything I'd read about RE:Zero over the years had been resoundingly negative in spite of its seeming popularity — a real "Sword Art Online" situation, basically.

But eventually, I was curious enough about why some people are invested in these characters that I started giving it a watch. These low expectations left me perfectly disarmed when it began to weave its spell over me.

Storytelling and Worldbuilding: Returning by death

You can neatly divide the show into story arcs, each representing a unique event/hurdle that the protagonist has to get past using his unique power.

The first arc of the story is mostly just setup for some of the important characters and the basic conceit. Our freshly isekai'd Japanese protagonist, Subaru, meets and bonds with a half-elf girl named Emilia, only to soon get tragically murdered. However, he just restarts his life from roughly one day earlier. He can go back in time by dying, giving him a new chance to take new approaches to situations and to accumulate knowledge via loops. Eventually, his "save point" advances to a new point in time... but what causes that to happen is left unknown for now. Making matters even worse is that if he tries to tell anyone about this superpower/curse, he feels intense chest pain as though he's about to be killed... so he has to keep this under wraps. (Though I still wish he'd try to tell people that he can't tell them. We never see if that'd work.)

With Subaru and Emilia established, the second arc introduces the most important supporting characters — Beatrice, Roswaal, Rem and Ram — and also puts one of them through a significant stretch of development. And finally, the third arc takes up the bulk of the series' first season, dealing with... frankly, a LOT. There's a lot crammed into it. You could even argue that it's got multiple smaller arcs stacked inside of it, and that would make complete sense. The third arc definitely does the bulk of the world-building/stage-setting for the future of the series, but there are details and background provided all throughout to get you up to speed on how people think here, how the government works, some of the existing races, etc.

I was initially taken aback by now blasé Subaru is about being transported to another world. This isn't a "death and reincarnation" thing like I've seen in most isekai stories; Subaru just blinks, rubs his eyes, and suddenly he's in a fantasy world just like that. And he... is completely unconcerned and unimpressed by that? It's a weird choice. Combine that with a point late in the first arc where he literally talks to the camera, and I thought maybe we were getting some kind of Deadpool-esque comedic commentary on isekai conventions.

It's the severity of the violence and related agony that makes me take it more seriously than that. I still find animated blood and gore extremely affecting — moreso than fake blood in live-action. That's probably because I was raised on Western animation that contained little to no sign of such violence, whereas Western movies and TV are full of corn syrup and other blood stand-ins. I'm just saying that when the deaths/kills come around in RE:Zero, they hit hard and often quite intensely. They're not showing entrails hanging out (even if they talk about it), but you can expect to see snapping bones and arterial spray. It's still a minority of the time, though; this is NOT a gorefest, and it's better off for that fact. When you suddenly get two minutes of ultraviolence after four episodes of relative peace, that makes it feel all the more effective.

It's not lookin' good there, chief.

I'm an easy mark for this stuff. Some of my primary entry points into anime were horror anime, so playing up this kind of horror gets me to sit up and take notice. It's not going to be anywhere near enough to keep my attention, though. I've certainly watched AWFUL horror anime that had nothing to boast about beyond their gore levels. That's where the quality of RE:Zero's character writing really saves the day.

What's really important to understand is that, through the strength of its gradual buildup of intensity helped along by showing the repeated consequences of failure Re:Zero manages to make some of the big anime shōnen  battles EXTREMELY hype! And yet, thanks to the great characterization? One of my favorite episodes in the whole show is an ep where two characters are just talking the entire time from a single location. THAT is the mark of something I love: If two characters holding a discussion for nearly half an hour has me COMPLETELY GLUED to it.

I've glossed over season two here because, although it still has some excellent moments, it's just not as good as the first. A big part of that is because it's just one giant-huge arc that covers all 26 episodes... and that's a LOT of time to spend on a single ongoing challenge/hurdle. It not only becomes exhausting and kind of boring to be confined to this problem/situation for so goddamn long, but it also makes it extremely obvious when Subaru is going to reach his final time loop and succeed. So once you piece together that the entire season is going to be stuck on this one arc, you realize you're stuck just waiting for him to get close enough to the season's end to finally achieve real progress. Once he does, though? It weirdly manages to feel like it's too soon -- like he didn't do enough to prepare all the problems at hand and somehow just won this time around because he tried super duper hard. There's also the fact that my favorite character from the first season is entirely sidelined (and apparently won't be in season 3 EITHER) — and nobody new manages to step into any similar shoes to pick up the slack.

Sounds like a good time to talk about that that character... as well as the rest.

Characters: The value of growth and change

One of the reasons I got into this so much is because the characters have flaws, go through changes, grow and develop. Rem is an early standout of this. As is apparently a common opinion, she quickly became my favorite character. Her shift from being suspicious and disdainful of Subaru to being 1000% supportive of him is EXTREMELY well-handled, and her sympathetic backstory is also one that we get before most other characters share their own. But when you get down to brass tacks, the main reason I think she's great is because she flips out and goes into violent combat mode whenever anyone she cares about is threatened. :D That's always a favorite archetype of mine. I love me a bloodstained hero or heroine who will march through hell and take any measure of punishment to save someone. Honestly, it makes it hard to understand why he'd so hooked on Emilia when Rem is so peak. And as I mentioned above, a big downside of season 2 is that Rem is completely absent past the first episode. In fact, she won't even be in the upcoming season 3!!! Alas, there is no "person who absolutely tears shit up and covers themselves in the enemy's blood to protect the ones they care about" character who steps in and picks up the slack, so I'm missing my favorite archetype after the first season. TSK.

She's not a princess (a lot of anger in it). Not your cutie girlfriend, oh no, don't you know?

I find it literally depressing that, to date, Rem is STILL not truly back in the cast of the source light novels - not in any way that matters. She makes her cameos via illusions or flashbacks or what-have-you, but she's not really there until she's physically AND mentally present once again. So until she returns to the team with all her memories (and therefore, her all-important character development) intact, I must legitimately ask: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, NAGATSUKI?!

Enough about Rem: We need to talk about the lead protagonist. Subaru is pretty brave throughout all this but really has to grow over the course of the first season and learn to be less self-serving and invest a lot harder into self-improvement. It's nice to see someone who clearly has blatant personal flaws but also is never a detestable person. I actually first saw him when I watched a few episodes of Isekai Quartet a couple years back, and frankly? I found him pretty loathesome over there. I was fully prepared for him to be a shitheel that I was inexplicably expected to like. I'm so glad that this isn't the case. In fact, I love having a character who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's not too manly to weep openly, and he's not afraid to act like a total doofus... or maybe he’s not smart enough sometimes to realize when he does. And although he may be frequently selfish and kind of stupid on multiple occasions, he never becomes one of those perverted male characters or too egotistical. Well... he gets a bit egotistical at times. Too much for someone like me, but... still not overmuch compared to many, many anime protags.

Panic! After Repeated Trauma

And yet... he does get a bit exasperating by the end of season two, imo. Partly because he doesn't grow too much in season two. At least he gets to confront his bottled-up feelings over leaving his homeworld behind, so that's nice. But otherwise, he's pretty much treated as this perfect man whose only major remaining flaw is a lack of combat skill. By the time you've got him convincing yet ANOTHER long-lived character to never give up and put all their faith into him personally just like he's done multiple times before, and it yet AGAIN works? The swelling music and the emotional reaction of the characters to him speechifying about how he'll always be there for them and needs them... that lands well maybe two times, but by this point — when he's talking to a character who has mostly treated him with disdain/avoidance and whom he's only hung out with maybe five or six times — it's pretty hard to swallow, honestly. But I'll try not to hold that against Subaru... I just want him to show some more flaws in future stories that go beyond just "He's not good at fighting." I want him to lose more arguments again. Besides, one of the best things in season two is when his mind starts to crack under the stress and pain of all the deaths he's endured. I think we should dig deeper into that.

I honestly love seeing a hero begin to crack under the pressure.

I kinda cheated by talking about Rem before Emilia. Emilia's the main female lead, after all, whereas Rem is a supporting player. The thing about Emilia, though, is that she's good and noble and pure-hearted from the start. She doesn't grow at all during season one, though at least she does show us a different side of herself when she questions Subaru's behavior during their argument. Season two sees her face her past and gain new inner strength, but she still undergoes far less change than Subaru or Rem in even just the first season. I'm glad they took the time to show her failing and then needing to learn in order to move forward, but Emilia's maybe just a little too perfect, y'know? One thing that garners her a lot of sympathy is that most everyone who meets her dislikes her just for being born a silver-haired half-elf. So many people associate that with one of the gravest threats to ever exist in this world that Emilia has to endure a lot of racism, and honestly? Confronting that racism is when the character is most engaging. So while Emilia is clearly likable and not totally uninteresting, she's not as interesting as a lot of the other players in the story. Most of the characters run deeper than her or have more mysterious goals. Compared to them, Emilia is an open book who rarely changes. The author of the books has said that Emilia is his favorite character, and maybe that's why he never sees much need to develop her. I think it does her a disservice.

On top of being beautiful and kind and intelligent, Emilia is also a powerful combatant. Because of course she is.

Her relationship with Subaru is a major focus, but it seems sort of hollow at first. Subaru admires her kindness/helpfulness and thinks she's beautiful, so he follows her around and dotes on her as much as he can. It's easy to see why he'd admire someone so good-hearted, but it starts to become a little cringe just how obsessively he dotes on her... and that cringiness peaks right around the moment when the two have a big argument and a falling out. It's an important scene that helps both characters, because it shows us Subaru's flaws on full display and also makes him confront just how cringey his devotion to Emilia can come off. Emilia, meanwhile, walks away to spend time without him for a while... though she never really rejects him, either. She really struggles with being independent. She keeps thinking about him and wishing he'd come back and make up with her. Clearly, she's gotten addicted to having a Hype Man around... and goddamn, I can't even blame her. Subaru looks at Emilia the way Stilgar looks at Paul Atreides. Who doesn't want that level of positive reinforcement available 24/7? By the end of season two, although both of them have grown, Subaru's still relentlessly hyping her up. He did criticize her (softly) in one major season two moment, but despite his claims otherwise, he still acts like she's an angel on Earth. And so, although he pool of their romance has grown deeper, it still feels like we've stepped out of the kiddie pool and into the shallow end. It means a lot more to see a character and their feelings grow and change over time, y'know? I suppose part of why we don't see that happening much is because Emilia is treated as so flawless to begin with.

Something I love in a long-running story is when a minor background character slowly starts to appear more frequently until - surprise! - they become a major cast member and full-time supporting player. Season two does this very successfully, and I love the character they expanded and brought into the cast. I feel like I shouldn't say too much about them for anyone who's a newcomer, because the gradual increase in their presence is so enjoyable. But it's a character who first appears in season one and has to wait numerous episodes of season two before they become important enough to get a front-row seat. It's very satisfying to watch them shift slowly from "fifth-tier supporting character who shows up for two scenes" into "major player."

Other characters? Ram is Rem's sister, and she's... not exactly a wealth of depth. Not yet, at least. She's mostly there to act tsundere. Her exact relationship with Roswaal remains hazy by the end of season 2, but she's clearly devoted to him and he's clearly doing... something for her? Roswaal and Beatrice both get by on acting mysterious. We learn a lot more about them in season two, and what we learn makes it hard to tear your eyes off Roswaal especially — he's a fascinating and weird bastard. Puck is a cat-like spirit with a lot of power and a very mischievious attitude. There's a surprising darkness lurking within him that keeps him from being some cute mascot-type. Season 2 also brings us some new characters whose long-term presence among the cast is still in question, but Echidna (not an Australian monotreme) is a standout. She really made me question everything I thought I understood about the moral good-and-evil situation in this reality.

Get those eyebrows under control. We ARE on television, y'know.

Serial Killin'

The series a whole is SO serialized and SO intense that it's really hard to watch it with gaps in-between episodes. Even taking one day off from the show mid-viewing proved too agonizing for me, so I was really grateful I could tear through seasons 1 and 2 in a rapid binge. I say this because... yeah, I don't see myself watching season 3 as it airs. Maybe I'll do a binge for each story arc it contains when they wrap up, or maybe I'll just wait for the whole season to conclude. But either way? This is something that demands to be binged in rapid succession.

I guess you get my point by now. I'm pretty hype about this series in spite of it holding some noteworthy flaws. I'm surprised I can still get so invested in something that dates back as far as 2016 that I haven't seen yet... and that gives me hope for what else I might discover going forward with my anime viewing.

[randomshyperson]

Hey Mary I saw you mentioned in one of your fics (amazing work as always btw) that youre watching Hibike! Euphonium??? I've watch over 4 times so it's probably my favorite anime ever and I would love to hear your thoughts about it, how much you liked it, if you also ship Kumirei or nah?

~🦭

I saw your ask a few days ago and was waiting to respond when I finished the anime, and here I am. I can define my emotional state after finishing both seasons in two words: emotionally devastated.

Btw, this will contain spoilers if anyone bothers.

I watched the anime for the first time almost a decade ago, and I had only seen it because of Kumirei. I decided to give it a chance even though I knew beforehand they weren't canon, and I remember being really in love with the couple and being truly outraged when Kumiko ended up with that boy.

At fifteen, I had no idea about concepts like heteronormativity or comphet, or any of those more complex concepts I learned in college. And rewatching the anime today, I found Kumiko's relationship with Shuichi more comical than anything else. Her frequent and clear lack of interest in that boy throughout the entire anime turns any interaction between them into something comical and even frustrating, especially since everyone around her seems to insist that Kumiko should be with him simply because he has a crush on her. When I was the same age as the characters, it really irritated me, now as an adult I just felt sorry for them all. And I found it really frustrating how he got more development with Hazuki, and if the producers had focused on them, it would have made more sense than putting him with Kumiko who had an interest in basically any topic other than that boy.

But male characters aside, I just realized how much I missed female characters (or girls in this case) and their well-written and developed female friendships when I rewatched this anime. Hollywood could never.

Remember that I defined my state as emotionally devastated? Well, that's all the fault of the arc written for Asuka.

Her friendship with Kumiko is absurdly beautiful. The dialogue where Kumiko, who is the youngest between them, shouting about how Asuka doesn't need to act like she knows everything and that the two of them are just kids has easily become one of my favorites in any media. At fifteen years old, I had no idea the weight of several scenes, especially this one, or when Asuka is slapped by her mother? Insane. I had the pleasure and luck of being reminded of how beautiful and well-written this anime was. And the ending with Asuka graduating was deeply painful. Not because something bad happened (thank god), but that fact that she did it! She played for her father, got the best grades in Japan and will probably have a bright future ahead of her. But that means she's leaving and Kumiko still has two years there and even with that incredible connection, Asuka needs to move on. Living through high school while watching, I didn't understand what that scene really meant. The arrival of adulthood. But upon rewatching it I was in tears, completely in shock. For the good of my heart I simply decide that they met again in college.

Also, I still haven't rewatched the movie about the second year because I simply don't want to say goodbye to any more characters.

How difficult was it for the studio to write a band made up of students from the same year? I wanted everyone to graduate together. I guess it wouldn't hurt the same way if they did.

Now talking about what I didn't like? Well, there's just gone thing that really bothers me about this anime: Reina's feelings for her teacher. When I was fifteen, and I heard these teenagers talking about it, and I had no idea whatsoever about life, I didn't see it as a major problem. I even thought that Reina, so mature and intelligent, would turn 18 and embark on a failed romance before realizing that the only person for her was Kumiko, but now at 23 I absolutely hate everything about that matter. What bothered me most was that at no point was there a straight forward take on how the mere idea of this relationship is wrong. We even have a scene where the temporary Instructor makes jokes about the Professor being popular with the girls. I was very uncomfortable with how this subject was not closed in a concrete and absolute way, I would have liked to have seen at least one scene of Reina's parents guiding her about how she was confusing admiration for a talented adult man she has known since she was a child with love, but the anime insisted on a one-sided romance until the end, and it aged really badly.

I haven't had the chance to see both movies and the new season yet, but I really hope the matter has been closed because it was very uncomfortable.

Also, I've come to have a different view of Kumirei now that I'm no longer a teenager; I used to watch the scenes and be outraged, just hoping that they would kiss soon and realize how in love they are. Today, well, yes please just kiss, but also, I noticed an even greater complexity in their relationship. Slow Burn is very welcome, I even have the impression that their fifteen-year-old versions from the first season simply don't have the emotional maturity necessary to understand their own relationship. I know the studio probably won't make them canon, but I don't think I'll mind it as much as I would have a decade ago: I really like the idea that they took time to understand the depth of their feelings, and that the separation during college was perhaps what was necessary for them to realize how emotionally intertwined they are. I feel like as always, the fanfics will make it worth it.

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Episode 45

I hesitate to call this the final battle because Digimon's always throwing out surprise bosses. That being said, considering how few episodes are left, this feels like the beginning to the end. They're finally confronting the D-Reaper head-on and they've digivolved to ultimate. The auxiliary folks are joining as well.

Looking back on it, this show has had really good pacing and hasn't really felt long at all. It was less segmented than previous seasons which I think helped it.

Notes:

I thought the kids' speeches in the beginning were kind of clunky. Jian brings up that he was spoiled "as a kid" (you still are a kid buddy) and Ruki talks about her dad randomly. Like...okay...I do get what they were going for, with the overall theme being how friendship has given them strength, but they shouldn't have brought up random stuff that hadn't been established before. Like Jian being spoiled and wanting attention isn't something we ever really saw, so I think he got over that before meeting Ruki and Takato.

Alice being licked by the disembodied head of Dobermon was more creepy than touching. I wish they had at least given him forelegs or something.

Alice walking away from the explosion like an action star was unintentionally funny

Glad to see the ultimate digivolution sequences again, definitely one of my favorite bits of animation from this series.

I guess the army (I know Japan doesn't really have an army...SDF?) has given up on fighting the D-Reaper lol. I guess it's a bit like shooting at a natural disaster: hopeless.

Takato addresses Dukemon by name which took me off guard because, isn't he a part of Dukemon? (Like in Steven Universe, Ruby or Sapphire wouldn't be like "hey Garnet!") Kinda fuzzy how this digivolution works from a body/soul/mind perspective.

Equally confusing is how the digimon are in their perfect forms (Rapidmon, MegaloGrowmon, and Taomon), yet to digivolve to ultimate they go back to their child forms first. (Probably for ease of animation honestly)

I feel like the D-Reaper felt like more of an immediate threat in the digital world. Like it went from insta-destroying everything it touches to just weakening things. Maybe the ultimate forms are more resistant?

I enjoyed seeing Kenta's mom for the first time. We don't get plus-sized (by anime standards) anime moms too often and I liked her design.

Very glad to see Antiramon again! I guess we haven't really seen them fight much yet, so I hope they get in on the action.

Impmon still bullies Culumon in the exact same way but now it has buddy-buddy undertones lol. Nice to see their relationship improve.

So I guess the D-Reaper used Juri to analyze the human race and deemed us unworthy. This is just your average "AI destroying its creator" plot line now. What exactly DOES D-Reaper find useful? I guess the AI learned nihilism and is just like "EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS." Mood.

Someone pointed out that Juri's behavior isn't too different than the dark seed kids from 02, which is a good point. With only 6 episodes left...I don't think Tamers is really that dark compared to the other seasons. It had that one episode that got kinda edgy, but in the grand scheme of things, nothing too brutal. Well, we'll see.

[olberic]

ranking anime i’ve watched in 2023:

as expected, here’s this year’s top 10 for how much i personally enjoyed the anime i’ve watched this year. ive watched more than this, but god i watched so many bad ones…. even number 10 sucks but everything else was worse. sad!

as always thank u gifmakers for ur service 🫡 the world would be nothing without u all

10. the legendary hero is dead! (2023)

dont watch this show. it sucks and its bad. hey. come here. hold my hand. now lets just watch and enjoy the OP ok? don't worry about the rest.

9. my daughter left the nest and returned as an s-rank adventurer (2023)

i have to admit this show charmed me. its not the best thing ive ever seen but its nice. comfy. yknow? i haven't finished it but it's enjoyable. can't rank it higher until i finish it

8. sabikui bisco (2022)

if it werent for the positively nonsensical jump in the middle of the show and the way theres just like. a lot of gaps? it’d rank higher. it’s a very cool premise for a show and i like the bisco/milo dynamic, and [SISTER] is fun as hell. it didnt wow me though overall, and while i enjoyed it i was hoping for more.

7. trigun stampede (2023)

im sorry trigun stans i simply didnt love it. i see the appeal i really do but it just didnt hook me. i really liked the animation and the storyline. im intrigued by whatever the fuck is going on with those plants and yall have said theres a tallgirl in the next season? so i’ll keep watching. i just didnt love it

6. that time i got reincarnated as a slime (2019-2021)

in contrast to #7, i can see why this show is weak HOWEVER i just enjoyed it. i like it. huge fan of how much gender the protag has. i love how they get new powers. i enjoy that it can be interpreted as an extremely bisexual show. it was well paced and the slime diaries OVA was a great addition. a lot of the characters really stuck with me too and its like. idk. one of my favourite isekais i guess

5. buddy daddies (2023)

this should rank higher. its so fun. its SO fun. its silly and it doesnt take itself seriously. i laughed in every episode. the dynamic between the guys is great. the dynamics between them and the kid is great. just a really solid show if you can stand the queerbaiting. i dont even care

4. bocchi the rock! (2022)

the bocchi side of tumblr is right this show rules. i like how real bocchi’s social anxiety feels (literally how it felt when i had it). the characters are entertaining, the show’s well done, they even have solid music (which band-based shows dont always do right!). its really funny and its really earnest and its a joy to watch

3. demon slayer: swordsmith village arc (2023)

i included the entertainment district arc in last year’s list so this arc makes the cut. im always late getting around to watch the new stuff and i dont want to read the manga but god DAMN does this show hit different. incredible fight scenes. i loved everything they did for the hashira backstories. i love whatever the fuck is up with genya. it even gave me some akaza to sustain me for the next year or whatever. ik this show gets overhyped but its normal hyped. to me.

2. frieren: beyond journey's end (2023)

oughhh frieren… ive only known this show for a few months but it means to much to me… i dont even wanna talk about it because its so good i just wanna watch it again. go watch frieren if you havent already its anime of the decade. to me

1. gundam: the witch from mercury (2022-2023)

ive never seen a gundam before but i will be watched them after this! what can be said about it that hasnt already been said on this site. the romance storyline is impeccable, the fights are awesome, the moral questions it posed were excellently covered. by the end of the first episode i was speechless. by the end of the last episode i'd cried like 4 times over the course of the show. this thing made me cry to happy birthday. what the fuck

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

"A little help"

Another tentative attempt to start writing DST fics, because why not.

_________________________________________

"Stars and atoms! You don't look so good, my dear friend."

"Not so good" was putting it mildly...

Usually the Curio Collector always greeted Wilson and the other survivors in the Trading Inn with a loud, bass voice, waving his arms in anticipation of what they had brought him again to exchange for something worthwhile and stylish. Now the poor man couldn't even get up from the stump to shake the gentleman scientist's hand properly. Any movement gave him a sharp pain that travelled through his whole body. It felt like a herd of Beefalos had walked over him!

Ah, right, that's pretty much how it was...

The Constant current ruler only knows why in the world an obscure bone with an eye fell out of the sky right on his head, forcing him to reveal his disguise to the huge horned animals. The veteran survivor in this Hell had seemingly calculated everything, and his camouflage, made of Beefalo wool and hay, should have guaranteed him to be at ease around these huge beasts during breeding season. Rain was not a hindrance, for in addition to camouflage, his cloak protected him from any bad weather, and wild spiders and hounds dared not come even close to the herd, or they would be crushed by the powerful hooves. The Collector was sure that he had prepared for everything before the nap! And suddenly - a bone in front of his nose, and a moment later - awakened and furious Beefalos battered him and toss him with their horns, like a ragdoll. Now he sits here, beaten and miserable, who can't even-

No. He'd been here so long, and had survived attacks and worse than a run-in with Beefalo, to let himself get so sore. Bruises, fractures, scratches - so what? It's nothing compared to what he's had to deal with before! And it certainly wouldn't stop him from trading with the locals!

"Hah! What gave ya that idea, kiddo? I feel fine!" As proof of his words, the Collector jumped sharply from the stump to his feet.. and immediately his face contorted into a grimace of sharp pain, but he tried not to show it. Wilson's face cringed a little too when he heard a muffled crunch from the Collector.

If there was one thing he remembered from his medical practice, it was that the body shouldn't make sounds like that when moving.

"So what did ya bring here to trade?", the Collector waddled over to his old machine, and pressed a button, bringing the machine to standby.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Wilson asked with concern.

"Listen, are ya going to trade with me or not?" Already the Curio Collector replied a little more roughly, but he did so less out of annoyance than out of the never ending nagging pain. "I may have plenty 'o time and can yammerin' all day, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna answer yer stupid questions." Why was this minnow even interested in his wellbeing so much? They all should take care of themselves.

Wilson looked at the Collector for a few more seconds and then silently walked over to the machine, putting all his shirts and trousers inside the machine, filling the slots.

"Maybe you should-"

"Just press tha damn button to start tha trade!" God, what a blabbermouth...

The machine rumbled and skidded, a Shadow hand came out of the screen and grabbed all the items stacked in the slots, leaving the black dress in one of the slots.

"Hey, ya struck it rich! Look at that- Augh!" The bloody pain won't go away! "Look at that Cocktail dress! Your fiery friend- what's her name again?"

"Willow," Wilson corrected her.

"Right. She's gonna love that stuff. Well, pleasure doin' business with ya, come back next time!"

But Wilson was in no hurry to leave. Frowning his eyebrows, he scrutinised the Collector from head to toe.

"What are ya looking at, pup?" He felt a little uncomfortable with the stare. Because that's usually how Them looked, anticipating the opportunity to strike him with his claws when the Beefalo-camouflaged man couldn't find his torch or other light source.

Wilson took his Backpack off his shoulders, fiddled around in there for half a minute, and pulled out the Honey Poultice.

"Here. Take it."

What?

To keep the battered man from making too much movement, he stepped closer to the slightly confused Collector and shoved the Poultice in his hands.

"It should help with the injuries. Not much, but it's better than nothing. If you do get hurt again, you can visit our camp and I'll patch you up!" The scientist gave him a warm smile. "We've set up near a wooded area, northwest of the frogs biomes." Wilson realized it was as futile to continue the dialogue with the Curio Collector as it was to insist again that he join their group of survivors. The invitation still stood.

"Get well, my friend, and be careful." Taking the black dress with him, Wilson started to leave the Trade Inn, heading towards the camp, hurrying before dusk fell.

And the Collector still stood in a complete stupor. Wilson, along with the rest of the survivors, were probably the only ones who showed some sort of concern for him. Hell, ta even in his life before arriving in Constant few people cared about his existence. Humans were evil and cruel. Animals were easier to deal with, like those Beefalos (not counting the breeding period). But these...

The Curio Collector sat down on a stump and began to wrap his wounds with Honey Poultice. They weren't bad kids, he thought, and he hoped they'd live a little longer here than the others.

[deltastra]

My Thoughts on Tower of God Season 2 Episode 1

Hey guys, I hope to make this a regular thing every week! Before I begin, I want to state that I watched episode 1 and 2 when it first aired, but I didn't have the time to write anything about those episodes. Now I do! At the time of writing this, I have not watched episode 3. Anyway! Let's go!

WEBTOON SPOILERS WAS TEASED BUT NOT OUTRIGHT STATED

Rating: 9/10

Summary: A solid premiere that showcases what this new season will offer with the change in studio and artstyle! Some scenes felt a bit off but it wasn't too much of a bother!

I like the short recap at the beginning of the episode! It lets us adjust to the new artstyle and direction the show is going while also giving us a bit of a refresher as it has been 4 years!

This scene is interesting because first, AWWW ENDORSI NOOOOO SHES CRYING, and two, does this mean that they will add in the Bam and Endorsi scenes that were skipped? I sure hope they do their best to add in key scenes for characters that were changed or skipped in season 1!

OH MY GOD SHE SAID IT SHE SAID THE THING GUYS OMGGGGGGGGG

Why did Yuri's VA change? It will take some time for me to get used to it, but it's alright.

I like her look, they made sure to design her as closely to the webtoon as they could.

KEVIN PENKIN YOU'RE COOKING SO DAMN HARD WITH THIS SOUNDTRACK. THIS SCENE FELT LIKE MADE IN ABYSS FOR A SECOND WITH THAT MUSIC. LOL

If y'all are curious, I already gave my thoughts on the new OP here.

Loving the voice acting for him!

Maybe it's just for Wagnan, but I love the expressions!

I'm not ready.........

I love how the inspirational music playing as Wagnan steels his resolve gets cut out with a loud chanting ost when Viole comes into frame.

Love the details on his eyes. He looks tired. First glimpse of Bam as Viole!

The start of a beautiful friendship!

Yup. this scene was funny years ago, and it's still funny now.

HORYANG HAHSHAHAHAHAHAH

THE TEAM DAD IS HEREEEEE

i liked the music here! And love this scene because it shows how nice Wagnan is despite his strong personality.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO LETS GOOOOOO

AND HERE IT IS. THE ROUGHLY 10 SECONDS OF FIGHTING THAT WAS SHOWN CONSTANTLY IN TRAILERS!

Jokes aside, it was VERY well done. I smiled like an idiot watching it and even replayed it many times.

I am unsure if it was done by a solo animator, but I hope they save their resources for this type of animation during very important fights.

Season 1 had very animated fight scenes too but they all felt slow to me. This? I love, the dynamic camera really adds to the action. Music is great too! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its better than other popular shows' fight scenes with sakuga animation. I'm just saying that if they maintain this current standard, I will be satisfied!

I do wish it was slightly longer and I am worried that this episode may be the only one with good animation for its fight scenes due to how much it was being used for promotion. However, I will keep my fingers crossed that they are cooking for THAT important fight later in this cour.

OH THE SHINSU LOOKS BEAUTIFUL HERE

NAHHH VIOLE WAS TRYNNA CATCH A BODY HERE. HE WASN'T JUST GONNA "FAIL" WAGNAN LMAO

Istg guys this ability only appeared like once and never again. Maybe I just don't remember. Anyway, close enough. WELCOME BACK TOKYO GHOUL!

NAH WAGNAN SAW THE REAPER IN THAT SPLIT SECOND. VIOLE WAS DEADASS TRYNNA WIPE THIS GUY OUT OF THE TOWER COMPLETELY LOL.

:(

I LOVED the ending to this episode. Viole's flashbacks, and him standing in that elevator with the music playing. It gives you so much regarding Viole's feelings about his life and his surroundings at that moment. And the way the music distorts at the end adds to the tragedy of Viole in my opinion!

I LOVE THIS ED SO MUCH GUYS. THEY DID IT IN WEBTOON SCROLLING FORMAT!!! THEY EVEN ADDED SIU'S WAY OF CREDITING HIMSELF EVERY CHAPTER (He removed the TUS after coming back from hiatus tho oh no)

To me, this ED not only pays respect to the source material and how many of us read Tower of God. But also a way, in my opinion, of telling the audience that "Yes, we know about the source material, and we will follow it this time." And I like that it will show more every episode. (Also covering up all the events with Jahad's symbol like its "blocking memories" is kind of funny. I doubt the studio did it with that in mind but its still a neat coincidence)

Overall, a fantastic premiere to the new season! If they maintain this quality, we are in for a treat!