#his story has absolutely no substance tho i just love him and love drawing him

[irritablepoe]

favourite poe hcs??

:))))

oh anon i don't think you know what you've done

okay i'll list some headcanons and then i'll make a cut and list some further headcanons which contain spoilers for my fic that i haven't published yet, so they'll be major spoilers of what's to come!! you can decide if you wanna read them before ranpo finds these out hehe >:3

(if you don't read the fic that's irrelevant tho, enjoy the hcs ^^)

also pls note these are my personal hcs you ofc don't have to agree with them :3

ok first of all poe is absolutely unscareable, he could watch any horror movie and be deeply fascinated by it rather than afraid

exceptions are when there's a scene where many people talk over each other, he gets very overstimulated by that (also like in general not only in movies)

he can hear heartbeats more sensitively than a normal human being

he has relatives in america but doesn't talk to them a lot, especially since he isolated himself after ranpo defeated him

similar to irl poe i'd say his father left and his mother died when he was young leaving him and his siblings behind - they get adopted by their aunt & uncle, tho henry and poe move out quite quickly to get their own place

used to host big events in his mansion, he is very prideful of his deduction abilities after all and he's actually quite famous for solving multiple big crimes that got a lot of attention (like scandals and stuff)

(that's why he's so bummed out when ranpo defeats him too)

karl lingered outside his mansion before poe took him in; poe realised he was injured and took him to a vet; they bonded over that and karl just stayed bc poe got him food and was comfortable to sit on

always has candy for ranpo everywhere despite not being a big fan of candy

deals with dissociation and intrusive thoughts; has problems with idealization of people (see ranpo)

has been dealing with some sort of substance addiction in his time between his duel with ranpo and his revenge part

has issues with chronic pain bc of that as well

has a raccoon plushie for karl for when he's gone

loves writing with an actual quill but has been made fun of

has some odd knowledge about the human body that might or might not be concerning

hates swimming. i mean hates. loathes, in fact.

loves to rot away in bed and think while drifting in and out of consciousness (sameee)

is always cold (uses ranpo as a heater lol)

can solve basic code

loves bitter tasting things (tea, dark chocolate, strong coffee etc)

is insecure about his face + his body in general that's why he wears his hair like that and so many layers

ok now for the spoilers (if you don't want to read further than this, ty dear anon for letting me ramble about this and ty ty for reading :3)

i love the theory that an ability manifests as a kind of response to either trauma or a major change in their life, so - my theory or hc, whatever, is that poe wasn't an ability user before he met ranpo. obviously the first time they meet ranpo doesn't know about his ability and hasn't experienced it before. poe seems to find confidence in his ability and i think he'd have mentioned it before if he'd met ranpo in a setting that would also be in relation (in terms of mysteries and stuff) to it

i'm very sure or i'd like to think poe manifested his ability as a way of escapism but also as a way of determination (drawing people into his story i mean, you can't get further in being a successful detective writer than this ability yk)

also poe was a detective before they met, i'd guess he still wrote stuff but he switched almost completely once he was defeated by ranpo and barely solved any crimes anymore (maybe only over text or sth idk)

all this results ofc in a feeling of inferiority in poe who before ranpo came along was probably quite prideful - which leads me to believe he thinks of ranpo as a rival that has corrupted his mind but also as someone he is thankful for, which makes all of this wayyyy more complicated than it seems on the surface

poe thinks he's tied to ranpo and therefore cannot say no to him or pretend for long enough that he doesn't care; he actively puts himself in situations he doesn't like bc of ranpo and helps him when he really doesn't have to - he could just walk away. but he doesn't

he also exclusively uses his ability for or against ranpo, we've not seen him use it outside of it and tbh i don't think he's ever used it otherwise (except when it manifested, tho i don't know how it could've manifested tbh. like how do you find sth like this out?)

in my fic henry (his brother) knows at least a fraction of all this and asks for poe to get himself something unrelated to ranpo, which he does, which is why i think poe is also an artist, tho less skilled than in his writing but he finds fun in it

he keeps it a secret from ranpo (he will eventually open up tho)

yea. i think that's it for now, ty again anon and ty for everyone reading so far, i hope i'll not disappoint in putting this into the fic :D

[whumpsical]

If you are still doing the touch /gestures

For Morgo and Jian pls

👍 👎 👐 🤲 🤝 🤛 👋 ✋ 🤙 🤞 middle finger

🖖

Sorry if it’s too long, I just couldn’t resist since you write your writing is so magnificent I feel like I want to know everything about them. And just like the other anon said, I agree that you are very cool especially with the bonus of your skillful drawings incorporated

(Hell yeah boiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 💕💞💗💗💟💓💝💓💕💓💕💗 Thank you, I'm honored to be creating characters and stories that you enjoy!!)

👍 - what (if any) is a good, safe touch for your character?

Morgo: Jade is the only one whose touch doesn't freak him out, and only as long as he's not touching his hair.

Jian: Almost any touch from Chela is good, they're besties. And he's generally fine with hugs and arm/shoulder/hand touching. Pre-trafficking he enjoys most sexual touches and making out. Note: believe it or not, he is a top. (....when he has the choice lol 😬😬😬)

👎 - what kind of touch is not comfortable or generally unwanted by your character?

Morgo: ANY touch from ANYONE besides Jade is The Worst. He's not even okay with his sister touching him. The worst of the worst is anyone touching his hair. And NO GRABBING. This is rough because he's deaf, and sometimes his attention needs to be called.

Jian: Pre-trafficking he'd only really get pissed if you grabbed him roughly or were violent with him. Post-rescue he is not comfortable with any type of sexual contact at all, or with people touching his waist, neck, or face. He tries to get back into intimate touch, but it's a long, difficult road. He also might get a little icked out if you touch his stump, but he'll mostly just think you're weird.

(Bonus, Me: if you touch my ears I'll hate you forever)

👐 - can your character handle more than one set of hands on them? do they enjoy it under the right circumstances, or generally not?

Morgo: NO ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Jian: I guess it would depend on who it was, but generally he would feel a little panicked.

🤲 - is your character better at receiving touch or giving it? under what circumstances?

Morgo: Better at giving it, but ONLY because he's so incredibly bad at recieving it. The only reason he'd touch someone other than Jade would be to get their attention, and it would be the lightest, briefest touch possible.

Jian: Better at recieving it. He just doesn't think to initiate touch most of the time, usually staying curled up in his own bubble.

🤝 - how comfortable is your character with the 'professional' type of touching/gestures? (i.e. handshakes, having a card handy, small talk, etc)

Morgo: He has literally never experienced this lmaoooo but he would hate it

Jian: Super awkward and fidgety, but not a huge deal of stress. He prefers this to people who go right into hugging immediately after meeting you, though.

🤛 - how does your character react to being hit? are they likely to continue a fight if someone else starts it, or try to de-escalate or get away?

Morgo: He's been taught for years that he's not allowed to fight back if someone hurts him, but ya know, torture doesn't work. He is a thrasher and a biter. Usually his struggles are for the purpose of getting away, not fighting, but he will hurt someone if he's able to.

Jian: Pre-trafficking he'd switch unpredictably between fighting back and running away. He's kinda small and weak but was not shy about conflict, so his brain is screaming at him simultaneously to get the fuck out of there and to beat his attacker's ass. Post-rescue he'd kinda freeze before going absolutely ballistic on whoever hit him.

👋 - someone waves at your character. what do they do?

Morgo: If it was a stranger or someone he didn't like, he'd just stare at them and feel sick. If it was a friend, he'd wave back :)

Jian: He does that wave where you barely move your arm at all, just kinda raising his hand in recognition. The one where if you interpret it wrong, it looks like he's smugly dismissing you.

🖐️ - high fives, yes or no?

Morgo: No way bud

Jian: He thinks they're cheesy, but will begrudgingly participate, especially if Chela is initiating one.

🤙 - how does your character's relationship with touch change if they get tipsy or otherwise chemically unbalanced?

Morgo: He'd be a bit more willing to let others touch him, but still wouldn't seek out touch from anyone besides Jade.

Jian: Touchy touchy touchyyyyyy! He will hug and lean on and grab people without hesitation! Don't let him out of your sight because (pre-trafficking at least) he WILL start making out with a stranger.

🤞 - if your character needed to touch someone to check on their physical condition, how would they go about it?

Morgo: Very hesitantly, and only as a last resort.

Jian: He's very quick to grab someone to look them over, especially if it's someone he cares about. If Chela was hurt, Jian would be all over her, searching for traces of blood.

🖕 - someone touches your character in a way that's rude or that they just don't like (i.e. shoves past them, etc). what do they do?

Morgo: Either freeze up or flinch away from them as fast as possible.

Jian: Pre-trafficking, would call them out with an aggressive "Hey!", a big exaggerated ~what the hell's your problem~ shrug, and an eye-roll, but not much else. Post-rescue he would silently fume and try not to punch them, or depending on the type of touch, like if it's sexual, he would flip out and fight and try to get as far away as possible, whatever it took.

🖖 - if your character needed to communicate peaceful or helpful intentions to someone else through touch, how would they go about doing that?

Morgo: He wouldn't be able to. He might try to put a hand on their arm, but he'd just get stuck on the "try" part, his hands frantically wavering but never landing anywhere.

Jian: Similar to the way he'd immediately grab someone to check on their physical condition, he would just sorta grab their arm or shoulder with both hands.

[twokinkybeans]

Huldugaldur [Starker]

Summary:  Peter Parker gets his hands on alien sex pollen with Thor's help and uses it to seduce Tony.

Notes: Written for our 600 follower line prompt challenge. I got the following prompt: "He's saved many different lives in many different ways, but "fuck or die" is definitely the one that takes the cake."

This wasn't supposed to be angsty but... Well, that's what happened whoops. I'm sorry, but this is what it turned out to be! Please read the tags carefully, this ain't a sweet, fluffy thing. - Kim

Warnings: Nff, dubious consent, drug use, sex pollen, fuck or die, manipulation, repressed feelings, angst, smut, unresolved sexual/emotional/romantical tension, bad ending.

-

Huldugaldur:

The first seeds for the idea plant themselves into Peter’s head on an early Sunday morning in October. The rain outside is splattering on the windows. It sounds like a drum concert that announces the beginning of Autumn the way drummers used to announce their arrival on a battlefield. Peter doesn’t mind the harsh downpour. It’s the perfect excuse to stay inside and enjoy his day off. Being a superhero and all, those are a rarity. Peter is propped up on his elbows, his eyes skimming over the lines of the new issue of his favorite comic book series. He keeps his collection hidden in a locked box underneath his bed. The mere idea of May finding out that her nephew gets off to drawings of muscular, dangerous extraterrestrials with giant slimy tentacles- Yeah. He’d rather keep that to himself.  May is away for the weekend, though, and Peter intends to make the most of it; enjoying his guilty pleasures without any disturbances.

Yesterday evening after she’d left, Peter had bought the new issue at the small shop just around the corner. The reviews of this specific piece had been off the charts, and Peter agrees with the praise. Fuck, it’s absolutely sensational. Peter has already jerked off to it three times in this past hour, and his still hard-and-ready-to-go dick is leaking small drops of precum into his cotton sheets. He’s trying not to hump against them yet but his hips are moving back and forth slightly on their own accord. It’s insane, absolutely insane, how stunning the graphics of this story are. Peter’s nostrils flare slightly as he keeps on reading, turning page after page, watching the main character get sprayed on with a particular type of sex pollen that forces them to fuck- or they’ll die. The sheer desperateness has Peter whine out loud with need. He presses his groin down a bit more forcefully and gasps at the electrifying sparks deep in his abdomen. His soft, breathy panting becomes louder and louder until his eyes flutter shut. He shivers all over, trying to not dig his fingers into the paper pages- one more thrust- and comes with a silent cry. He stains his bed and himself and damn. Peter goes limp, trying to catch his breath for a second. Just a short bit, and then he’ll continue reading and start all over again.

Oh, he thinks as he stares at the wall. If only he could experience such a rush in real life as well…

Peter sits upright, his eyes wide and shocked. What… What if he could?

-

Peter jumps up from the conference table and rushes after Thor. He’d been waiting for the God to finish his conversation with Dr. Strange and he must’ve zoned out. “Uhm, Thor?”  “Yes, my young lad?” Peter cracks a smile at the name. He wonders if he shouldn’t be feeling nervous about his plan. He feels strangely calm about all of this. Thor has seen and done so many things in his immortal life that Peter doesn’t think he’ll think of the question as odd. “So, I saw this thing on TV- about eh, pheromones on other planets that make you crave sex? I was wondering if something like that exists in our universe?” Thor laughs, a deep rumbling sound coming from the deity’s throat. He puts his hand on Peter’s shoulder and leans in. Almost as if they’re friends about to share a secret.

“We do have something like that indeed. In Asgard, we call it the Huldugaldur. Way before I was even born, my father could harvest it in Álfheimr- but not too long after that, the Dökkálfar were banished to Midgard. Now, the Ljósálfar are its keepers. For a reason. The Huldugaldur is highly addictive and will lure simple humans to their death. Only if you pay a fair price, you can get your hands on the substance.” Thor explains. Peter’s mind spins with all the new information and he has to keep himself from bouncing on his feet as he asks the next question. “Would it lure you to your death, too?” “Nope,” Thor grins. “For us… It’s a celebratory elixir. Makes one feel aroused. I think you mortals would call it a party drug.” Peter presses his lips together for a second as he ponders his next move. “Can I… Try it?” “Look, little hatchling, you are certainly strong enough to withstand it and reap from its pleasures. But there’s a catch. If you don’t make love to someone, you’ll die.”

Peter’s mind provides him with the memory he resents and cherishes most. Soft, slightly chapped lips pressed eagerly onto his. Fuck, Peter can still feel the rough stubble scratching past his cheek. Two years. It’s been two years since Tony Stark drunkenly kissed him and confessed his love. Peter hard just turned twenty-one, but Tony still felt disgusted with himself and told him harshly that they would never work out. Peter had stopped fighting back against the argument after a few weeks but he never stopped hoping Tony might change his thoughts. Maybe… Maybe if the man gets a nudge in the right direction... “Oh,” Peter whispers to Thor. “I know just the candidate.”

Peter is pumped about all of this. So excited he doesn’t even want to think about the possible consequences. He’ll finally get to truly experience the thrill of the sex pollen, and he’ll get to fuck the man he’s been longing for for so long now. “Peter-” “Please, please can I try the elixir?”

-

Peter doesn’t have to wait long before Thor gifts him a beautifully carved glass-like bottle. Deep red fluid swirls inside it whenever it moves. Peter has to admit that even just looking at it makes him feel jittery and low-key aroused. “So, I just… Drink it?” “Yes,” Thor answers. The God looks awfully out of place with his shining armor, long hair, cape… in Peter’s cramped bedroom filled with old reach and nerdy posters. “I took this from my father’s collection. This should be enough to do the trick for you.”

Peter swallows. For the first time, the nerves start kicking in. It’s all becoming so real now. A small voice in the back of his mind wonders if he should politely decline the Huldugaldur drug after all. His curiosity wins, tho, and he reaches out for it. Thor scrapes his throat. “Are you sure you still want this, sticky boy?” “It can’t go wrong, can it?” “Well- It could. Highly unlikely, but possible. Rest assured, I know how to help people through the elixir if the plan doesn’t work out.” “Sex?” “No, it’s… A mind trick Loki taught me. Don’t ask, better not to know. All you need to know is that I won’t let you die if your plan of fucking Stark fails.” “H-how-” “Everyone knows about the kiss,” Thor waves it off. “There’s a reason I agreed to give you the Huldugaldur.”

Somehow, that’s all the encouragement Peter needed to nod firmly.  “I want to try it, then. I… I want to feel what it’s like.” Peter sighs and runs a hand through his chestnut hair, ruffling it slightly and then dragging it to one side- knowing it’ll look better that way. Thor nods. “It should work instantly, so I recommend taking sip by sip until your mind clouds a little. A warm feeling will spread through your chest, and your manhood will erect.” Peter nods, his shaky fingers reaching out for the bottle. Thor wishes him good luck and confirms he’ll be waiting at the park in front of Peter’s flat in case it won’t work out as planned. Once Thor is gone, he downs the bottle in one go.

He waits.

He waits.

And nothing happens. Nothing at all.

-

Tony can’t believe what he’s hearing. Peter is standing in the doorway. His face flushed, jaws clenched, trembling feverishly. Tony’d been drifting off, his head lolling back and forth above the desk when Peter had slammed the door open.  “Tony- Please. There’s no time to explain. I took this elven drug I got from Thor, and if I don’t fuck anyone, I’ll die.”  Tony blinked. He's saved many different lives in many different ways, but "fuck or die" is definitely the one that takes the cake. “What?” “Tony, please, I don’t want it to be anyone else.”

Tony doesn’t know what to do. His mind is racing with thoughts he can’t quite make sense of. He knows exactly which drug Peter is talking about- Thor bragged about it more often than not. Why would Peter take it? Why- Of course, of course Peter would take it. He’s too curious. Loves experimenting. Tends to overestimate his body’s capacities at handling dangerous things.  “Peter, can’t you ask anyone else?” Tony wants to curse at how his voice wavers. “You know- you know we can’t .” Tony swallows once. He’s no longer drowsy with sleep. No. His heart is pumping fast to spread the shot of adrenaline through his body. If Peter dies- no no no. Tony can’t bear the thought. But he doesn’t want to give in to all these years of denying himself and the boy what they both want. He tried to be the responsible adult for so long, and now this ?

“Who?” Peter’s lips tremble, his eyes showing the clear hurt from the rejection. “I don’t want to fuck anyone I don’t fully trust the way I trust you. I,” Peter’s words are cut off mid-sentence as he lets out a whiny noise, grabbing his cock through the fabric of his jeans.  “P-please, Mr. Stark- It hurts…” Tony’s heart breaks for the boy and before he knows what he’s doing, he nods and spreads his arms. Not even a second later, he’s knocked back by the force of Peter straddling his lap and kissing him passionately- the boy’s slender hands already tugging at the buttons of Tony’s waistcoat. “Peter, slow down, boy.” “Can’t. I can’t. I need you,” Peter murmurs and rolls his hips against Tony’s stomach. Tony gasps when he feels the fierce hard-on against his body. He inhales sharply, as he too can feel the slowly building tingling sensation in his balls. His cock hardens where the boy grinds himself against it. Tony’s growing weaker and weaker and he sucks Peter’s bottom lip into his mouth harshly. He’s been wanting this for so long. Too long. And perhaps, the denial had been so repressive that right now there’s no self-control left. No self-control, where Tony’s hands slide down to cup Peter’s beautiful, firm buttcheeks to help him grind faster. No self-control when Peter hastily undresses himself to reveal his gorgeous abs. 

“Mmmmmh!” Peter moans into Tony’s mouth while sliding the waistcoat off Tony’s shoulders and starts unbuttoning the dress shirt too. At this point, Peter is too far gone. Too sexually frustrated to open up the buttons one by one. He rips the shirt off Tony’s body and discards the torn fabric onto the floor. Tony’s hips meet Peter’s with every thrust.  “Pete, Pete, baby. What do you need?” “Fuck me, fuck me Tony please.”  “Have you had sex before?” “Mm- couple times. Not much. ‘S okay I can take it.” Peter babbles and Tony’s eyebrows furrow together. No. No this isn’t right. Not like this. Something about this is very very off and he should keep that in mind. In any other situation they would not be doing this. All he can do is make sure Peter feels good again. Tony can’t let himself get carried away. “Hold onto me, baby, lemme carry you to my bedroom.”

Peter obeys and as Tony stands up, the boy wraps his legs around the older man’s waist. He doesn’t stop grinding though, and when they reach the elevator, Tony traps the kid between the mirror and his own body to kiss him like he is the one almost dying.  “Peter, fuck, I’m so sorry.” “N-no, no Tony it’s okay. Please. This is a dream come true and-” Peter chokes on his breath and his eyes widen. Quickly, Peter tries to make up for his mistake. “I- I mean, you’re saving me? There’s no need to be sorry and-”

Tony freezes. Turns entirely frigid at Peter’s words. That’s… That’s… “Friday,” Tony breathes quietly. He watches the horror spread on Peter’s face and Tony’s heart sinks. No. No, no, no. “Show me Peter Parker’s vitals.” “Tony, I-” “Quiet,” Tony hisses. Peter is still clinging onto him, but no longer grinding as if his life depends on it. Perhaps, perhaps it hadn’t depended on it at all. “Vitals are good. A slight rise in heart rate but that is to be expected in the situation you’re in.” “Blood work?” “Nothing unusual, boss.”

Tony’s gaze crosses over Peter’s face. It’s awfully disheartening to see the guilt spread onto Peter’s face. “Mr. Stark, I can-” “No. I don’t want to hear it.” Tony closes his eyes for a second and slowly he lowers Peter back onto the floor. Tony takes a step back. He can feel his mind taking control. He’s in charge of this situation again. His heart turning cold and distant, cutting off any emotion that had been there just mere seconds earlier. He wishes he could scream, take the anger out right away. But instead he simply shuts down.  Peter betrayed him. Peter, someone he deemed to be one of his best friends and teammates despite their crush on the other. Tony knows they can never be the same again. Not after this. The man had managed to live happily enough without his hands on the young adult, that he could live with… But this… His heart breaks with the realization of everything they could’ve been.

“Mr. Stark- you don’t understand. Please, please let me explain. I swear, I swear I took the drug. You can ask Thor! It just didn’t work as I’d hoped and-” “I said, I don’t want to hear it. You,” Tony sniffs once and points at the boy in front of him. “I don’t fucking care what you did. How on Earth you were stupid enough to take a drug meant for Gods - if you even did. You’ve been reckless. Irresponsible. I thought you changed, thought you had your impulses under control.” Tony takes a deep breath. He doesn’t want to say any of this, but he has to.  “But the worst part is that you took advantage of my weakness for your own gain, and that is something I can never forgive you for.”

Ping.

Tony looks up warily and sees the elevator has reached his private suite. Tony eyes the kid one more time before stepping out. Tears are rolling down Peter’s cheeks. His eyes are red and puffy, he’s trembling. Tony can see how sorry Peter is. How much he wants to make things right. Well, Tony reckons, he should’ve thought about that before he decided to do this.  “Friday, please take Peter Parker back to the lab.” “Tony, please, please no-” Peter cries. Tony doesn’t listen to his pleas and continues. “Let him collect his things, and escort him to the lobby. Once he’s out, please deny him access to the Tower for an unknown period of time. No one has the authority to let him back in but me.” “Tony!” “Friday, close the doors.” “Yes, boss.”

Tony turns around, shutting out the sounds of Peter, begging Tony to let him stay. The sound fades when the doors close, only muffled noises coming from the metal box until it completely dies down. “Tony, can you please confirm once more.” “Confirmed.” Tony is met with a deafening silence. He breathes. In. And out. Once. Twice. His eyes sting with tears he angrily tries to keep from spilling. His vision is blurred. The New York skyline is nothing more than a grey patch where Tony stares out the windows.

Again. Again he’d trusted someone who is clearly unworthy of it. He feels bitter. Humiliated. Naked. He swears quietly as he makes way to his bedroom to grab the first sweater he can find and pulls it down over his head. It’s not enough. He can still feel Peter’s fingertips on his chest. His own body feels like a prison he can’t escape from. With shaking hands he reaches for the flask of whiskey standing peacefully on his nightstand and downs it in one go. It burns in his throat. The oaky, sweet yet smokey taste on his tongue is not enough to get rid of the sugary taste that had been on Peter’s lips. With a loud roar, he smashes the glass bottle onto the floor. He watches the shattered pieces, and finally, finally a sob rises in his chest. He drops onto his knees, his hands clawing at the wooden floor. He’s aware that a small piece of glass is digging into his thumb but he doesn’t care. He sobs. And sobs. And wonders what the fuck he did wrong for the universe to punish him over and over again.

“I trusted you,” he whispers into the empty room. “I trusted you.”

[entamewitchlulu]

Homura’s Flash Reviews [Spring 2018]

It’s the end of another animu season, so it’s time to give some flash reviews for the stuff I ended up finishing this season!

Under the cut for the length + all the gifs lol

Comic Girls

After having storyboard after storyboard rejected, young aspiring manga artist Kaoruko moves to a dorm specifically for young mangaka, where she makes new friends, has fun adventures, and learns a lot about herself and her craft.

I liked this show way more than I expected to; it’s a very moeblob show and especially in the first couple of episodes there’s a lot of anime bullshit.  It IS a gag anime at the start and tends to default to a lot of the same tropes.  Despite this, I found it ridiculously hilarious, and I could relate to a lot of the #ArtistProblems and other things the girls dealt with regularly.  Not to mention, the characters were generally just really fun, cute personalities.  Despite some frustrations with some general character arcs feeling a bit stagnant, there were actually multiple places where I physically cried because despite the gag manga start, it gets pretty emotional later on regarding things like anxiety, artist’s block, and the feeling of stagnation, which was super relatable.  Also....Kaoruko is absolutely a tiny lesbian and I love my tiny lesbian daughter.  Actually I’m pretty sure they’re all lesbians, except for Rukki who is probably bisexual.

overall: 7/10

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card

Following the events of the original Cardcaptors, Sakura wakes up one morning to find that all of her Sakura Cards have turned clear.  Not only that, but there are more, strange new spirits appearing, and she’s been granted a brand new key from a dream.

Okay so....I have made mention of this one from a few other flash reviews since the first cour took place during last season.  And...my opinion has honestly worsened.  This was 22 episodes of obnoxiously boring fluff and little else. Don’t get me wrong: I love fluff. But I watch specific things for fluff. I don’t watch magical girl shows for 95% fluff, I watch them for sparkly, magical girl bullshit, cute costumes, fun magical experiences, and maybe just a little bit of worldbuilding.  Clear Card gave me next to nothing on all fronts.  When it wasn’t trying to be Cardcaptor Sakura: The Cooking Show, it was dragging its feet with 15 minutes of pointless chatter that did nothing to further characters or relationships, leaving them the exact same static characters they were in the original series.  Syaoran’s greatest draw was nearly completely erased once he became just a sedentary background love interest who did little. At least as a rival he pushed Sakura, but here, he just enabled the boring writing that did nothing to push the envelope.  The formula is nearly exactly the same as the last two series and the arc even mentions it.  Characters are unnecessarily cryptic, hiding things from each other, which only drags the story down.  The main plot is barely sprinkled in, magic stuff usually only happens for about 2 minutes towards the end of the mind-bogglingly slow fluff episodes, and the major plot??  Only appears for about five minutes in the final episode, addresses none of the questions we had and only reveals things we had already figured out fifteen episodes ago, gives no conclusion to any of it, and COMPLETELY ERASES THE ONLY CLIMATIC, STORY-FURTHERING SCENE BY USING TIME MAGIC.

And that’s...it, apparently.  I see no indication of a second season.  I assume the manga is still ongoing, but even if it is, this was an absolutely horrendous ending that did nothing to satisfyingly tie up ANY loose ends, further the world or the characters, or really do anything to add to the previous series.  Even the costumes were few and far between and the cards were almost all the same as the last set.  There was no creativity and nothing added here for the fans.  That brings me to my ultimate complaint: who was this show even for?! It can’t still be for kids, because new young fans of the original demographic’s age group would not have any clue what was happening with these characters, and it’s just lore-based enough to confuse any new viewers.  And it can’t be for the original fan group, who are all much older now and want something with just a little more substance. I’m not asking for a gritty cardcaptors show at all. Just something that respects us as adult viewers and gives us a little more to grab onto.  And that was way longer than any flash review has any right to be, so I will cut myself off there.

overall: 4/10

Lostorage conflated WIXOSS

Though they believed it was finally over, former LRIG and Selector Kiyoi knows that the Selector battles will come again, and this time, they will destroy everything--and she is determined to bring the dark loop of suffering to a close once and for all by bringing together all of the greatest Selectors from every generation to take on the new threat.

Boasting the largest cast of any of the previous WIXOSS series and continuing both the story of Lostorage and the first two Selector series, this is absolutely the most ambitious take on the WIXOSS universe thus far: and it does fantastically with it.  There was not a single moment where I was bored; even during slower flashback and exposition parts, I was hooked.  This was one of the best ways to expand and complete the universe, as the ending here finally does feel like a decisive end to the anime franchise (though, so did the end of the Selector anime, so who knows lol).

As always, WIXOSS has some of the most fantastic character designs, relationships, dynamics, and animation among other anime, making it truly stand out.  The card game is more window dressing than actual substance, but that doesn’t matter, because the power of the relationships and the messages that this story is telling are far more powerful and attention grabbing.  The decision to make Kiyoi the protagonist of this series, while also bringing back previous protagonists Ruko and Suzuko, was an incredible decision and really made for a fantastic story.

overall: 9/10

Golden Kamuy

After being discharged from the army after the Japanese-Russo war, Sugimoto is left with the dying wish of his comrade: to make enough money to support his fallen comrade’s wife and son and pay for their medical expenses.  He stumbles across an opportunity when an escaped convict tells him of a hidden trove of Ainu gold that can only be found by collecting the information tattooed onto the bodies of a group of escaped prisoners. With the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa, whose tribe the gold was stolen from, Sugimoto takes on the mission to track down the prisoners and find the gold.

This show is absolutely fucking incredible.  I don’t think I can even give it proper words.  Like what a goddamn great season for anime this was??  Not only is the show clearly heavily researched, giving us insight into a part of Japanese history and Ainu culture that is rarely if ever discussed in Japanese culture, the story and characters are all so well done.  The animation can be wonky in places, but the expressions, the character banter, and god the soundtrack are all mind-blowingly good.  Unlike Clear Card, when this show decided it wanted to be a cooking show, I was completely on board, because I was learning something new about Ainu culture and also getting to see our heroes be adorkable and hilarious together.  The characters are absolutely where this show shines, and even though it’s a bit bloated at first, characters quickly become recognizeable and easily separated.  The relationship between Sugimoto and Asirpa, especially, is one of the most wholesome and fun friendships I’ve ever witnessed (I’m hoping, tho, that it stays platonic despite some jokes to the contrary lol).  This was only season 1, and season 2 will air in October, and you can bet I will be waiting at the edge of my seat for more of this incredible show.

overall: 9/10

Hinamatsuri

After a strange girl in a metal cocoon drops out of the sky and onto his head, yakuza Nitta finds himself the reluctant father of a needy young girl with psychic powers.  Shenanigans ensue around their strange new family and the dysfunctional adults and children that surround them.

This show was so much fucking better than it had any right to be; from the initial plot summary I was worried it was going to be awful, creepy-ish moe bullshit...but it was NOT.  This was a gag anime of the highest caliber.  The pacing was amazing, the characters were to a one endearing, the animation was BEAUTIFUL, and god...the punchlines...everything was so fucking funny the whole time.

You’ve got pretty much everything here: you’ve got the obnoxiously needy Hina, who is monotone in everything she does, you’ve got the Worst/Best Dad Nitta, you’ve got poor can’t-say-no-to-favors Hitomi, and the Most Pure and Wholesome Anzu.  There’s something to love in every character and every scene, and it’s ridiculous just how amazing this show is.  I can’t put it into words, please just watch it.  Where my other top shows of the season took awhile to grow on me, this one was hitting home runs from episode 1.  Do yourself a favor and watch it.

overall: 9/10

Megalo Box

In a world where boxing is performed with powerful mechanical rigs known as Gear, a nameless boxer known only as Junk Dog is tired of being forced to throw fights in an illegal underground boxing ring to pad the pockets of his gambling organization.  When he crosses paths with the current champion of Megalo Box, he and his crew take a risky gamble to get him into the world’s first international Megalo Box competition so that he can fight the champion again, reinventing himself as Gearless Joe as he steps into the ring without any Gear.

This show took a while to really get onto my Awesome List, mostly because the aesthetic that it’s throwing back to was never really my thing in the first place.  I’m generally not a huge fan of the muted color palettes, the punkish music, or just the idea of boxing in general (a lack of significant female characters also always tends to put me off).  Despite this, however, the show ended up being stunning.  By halfway through, I was incredibly hooked on the high this show wanted me to ride, by the character arcs that were playing off each other, and I was even coming around to the music.  Boxing may not be my thing, but the character story that was told here was an incredible one, and definitely deserves its place among the Best Anime of 2018, which if it doesn’t win something come that time, I’ll be floored and disappointed with everyone.

overall: 9/10

Overall this was an incredibly strong season: I dropped a few things of course, but what I continued were almost all 9/10s.  I’m super pleased with the spring season and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming out for summer.