#i hope y'all wanted to read commentary from me bc you've got it

[shadows-in-the-light-of-day]

I was tagged by @irinyaclockworker, who wants to drag me directly to hell, it appears. :D 

Rules: Name ten favorite characters from ten different things (books, tv, film, etc.) then tag ten people. 

1. Master of the Court (The Evillious Chronicles)

Technicallyyyyy it’s not cheating if you list a character with multiple incarnations, right? :D I have a soft spot for Irina in general, probably due to my dear little sister Irinya’s influence, but Court is absolutely a fave because, well...okay, listen, I too think Gallerian is A Dad, and if I were a kid who it’s likely has never really, ah, had a decent guardian or mentor figure before, and has just been shown a lottttt of parental affection for the first time (I mean, she had Lemy back in Sloth Arc, but that’s babie son affection, not parent affection), I’d probably try to emulate that “father” and start sending souls off to hell too. Also, Master of the Court is objectively a bop. 

2. Matsuda Touta (Death Note)

Aw, my first ever fandom fave. Tbh, I probably got a few of my personality quirks from Matsuda. I’d imagine Death Note being the first media I got into after I formed had a lot to do with that. Anyway, there’s a lotttt of dislike for this kid in fandom, on account of him being kinda a dumbass and a very, very clumsy detective. However, he’s a genuine sweetheart, and probably one of the most realistic characters in a show full of geniuses. He questions the morality of both his own side and the side he’s fighting against, and his badass moment in the finale was simultaneously heartwrenching and really, really fulfilling. He’s not perfect by any means, but I’ll defend this silly guy to hell and back. 

3. Alluka Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)

Okay, so I haven’t actually gotten to the part of HXH where Alluka shows up yet... But from the few clips I’ve seen of her, I’ve already decided that I will be adopting this child and protecting her from the majority of her biological family at all costs. I mean, look at that little face! She’s just babie... (Additionally, trans rights!!) 

4. Kunikida Doppo (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Ah yes, Kunikida. Everyone I interact with irl asks me “what exactly do you like about him?! he’s annoying!!” To which I say “yes, perhaps, but he’s interesting”. I mean, he’s somehow both the ultimate idealist and the ultimate pragmatist (you can imagine the problems this causes him), who schedules his life down to the second and really, really sucks at showing his friends he cares. So okay, he’s really annoying. But he’s also very loyal, and genuinely tries to make the world better, albeit rather clumsily. Plus, I want his ability. Please give me the power to manifest stuff out of notebook pages, universe. I am begging here. 

5. Ozaki Toshio (Shiki)

While looking for a decent picture of him, I was reminded both of how weird Shiki hairstyles are and of how few screenshots from the show exist. But uh...well, Ozaki is...something, like most of the characters in Shiki. I mean, it really sucks when a sudden summer epidemic turns out to be symptomatic of a vampire invasion, especially when you’re the village doctor in charge of solving this mess. Ozaki’s an extreme pragmatist with good intentions...which, coming straight from Kunikida to him, I’m realizing is a character type that interests me. Guy really needs to quit chainsmoking, though, or he’ll die of lung cancer before the vampires can get to him. 

6. Hazel (Watership Down) 

(I promise I’m not a furry, just a literature nerd.) Despite the fact that I actually...don’t really like the classic movie adaption of Watership Down, I really, really adore Hazel in the novel and every single adaption. (Having spent a good while in the kids’ TV show fandom, I can appreciate the strengths of just about every version.) He isn’t particularly smart or strong, but he’s good at solving conflicts within the group, and some of his plans are, in my opinion, fairly brilliant. Plus, I find it heartwarming how much he cares about his friends’ well-being, as well as trying to solve issues with cunning and a minimum amount of bloodshed. 

7. Sohma Yuki (Fruits Basket)

Today on anime boys I would die for - Yuki! To be fair, I adore basically everyone in Furuba, with a few notable exceptions (*cough*Shigure*cough*), but Yuki will always have a special place in my heart. His arc in the manga focuses a lot on recovering from trauma and putting the past behind you, and while I don’t necessarily agree with his eventual conclusion that forgiving his abusers is the right thing to do, I like that he learns to be kinder and more open with the people around him, and that he genuinely appears to be moving on and healing by the end of the series. (Also, I am sooooo happy with the 2019 reboot anime; it’s doing an excellent job with the story so far, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll do in the future!)

8. Nikki (Love Nikki) 

(This is the part where I started having trouble thinking of characters.) Next up - a dress up game protagonist?! Yeah, okay, so I would absolutely die for most of the Love Nikki squad at this point, but the titular character is a particular favorite. A story that started with her miraculously ending up in a world where everything is solved with dress up competitions has somehow escalated into an actual, all out war, and she’s handling it with surprising courage and determination. Nikki is an absolute sweetheart, and I’m sure she has what it takes to save the world! Anyway this has been a moment with Kiril and now I will be taking a break to cry about this game. 

9. Vincent Nightray (Pandora Hearts)

So now that Fruits Basket is getting a remake, can I pleaseeeee have Pandora Hearts get the same treatment?! Anyway, it was between Vince and Break for this one, but I went with Vince ‘cause, well...that’s a relatable mood, buddy. Vince’s goal is to basically erase himself from existence, and in a manga that imo has a LOT of commentary about mental illness and suicide, I appreciate the existence of a character who...doesn’t immediately feel better once someone tells him destroying himself wouldn’t change anything, but does manage to live a somewhat fulfilling life after the ‘conclusion’ of the main story. ...Okay, I also think he’s really cute, but anyway. That’s that. 

10. Travis Bohannon (The Serpent King)

Aaaaand no image for this one, ‘cause he’s from a fairly obscure and new novel! Being a nerd from Tennessee, I am absolutely the biggest fan of Jeff Zentner’s books in at least the Eastern region, and possibly the world. :D I love all his books, but The Serpent King is especially near and dear to my heart, and I regularly bawl over Travis. He’s what you’d call a gentle giant, I guess; tall, incredibly shy, and obsessed with fantasy novels, his main escape from his absolutely shitty life. The stories he loves eventually give him the courage to take steps to get away from his parents and live his dreams, and I just think that’s a really wonderful and relatable thing. Also Jeff Zentner owes me money for the absolute DEVASTATION of the conclusion of Travis’ character arc. That is all. 

And that’s it! I, uh, don’t really like tagging people, but I’ll tag @levinenoel, @super-lisa and @meadowlarkx, who probably won’t hate me for it and are free to abstain from this meme! :D