#i like that it isn't copy paste from the manga

[torgawl]

still not over the artistic direction of the episode. or the new season in general, actually. it's just so well done. i adore the horror influences so much and how expressive the characters are. it's very cinematic. this shot? obsessed

[mochinomnoms]

hrng… trey birthday fic…

I’m not gonna lie, for awhile, I didn’t really like trey. i didn’t dislike him, mind you, but he was just kind of there. but all of a sudden, my brain was just thinkin about trey. like i’m just chillin at home, and i’m just thinking about trey. he’s just so…

and then you posted the birthday fic and godDAMN

Mochi, you are a genius. I am a buff trey truther. mans would have hella arm muscle and I will not accept any less. sorry i just keep thinking about trey now. he would have the biggest breeding kink its not even funny

anyhow, if you have more trey I would LOVE to read it especially if it’s about him being a pervert

i’m so normal i promise

as always, have a wonderful day ^^

-🦷

AAAAAA TY!!! I'm so glad that you're seeing the appeal for Trey he really is an underrated character!! I got that eldest daughter syndrome and Trey as a character feeds into that ngl.

I also had a crush on Peeta from The Hunger Games when I was a kid and I was remembering a bit where it was pointed out that as a baker, Peeta was actually hella strong (he could toss 100 lbs flour bags over his shoulder), so it would only make sense to me that Trey would be similar.

I image he would have a bit more of a sleeper build, so it's not obvious how strong he is until he's actually doing something physical (like fucking me—). None of the sprites do him justice in that regard, but this very specific panel from the manga does do things to me:

aaaaaaaaa big strong arms to hold you in~

Trey is also kinda silly in the fact that he canonically is really bad at flirting, or at the every least being suave/romantic. Poor ghost bride, getting her eyes compared to grapes...

He did say that it was cause he was put on the spot, which is partially true. I like to think that he's the type to just say something flirty or romantic without meaning to.

Think of an old married couple where one of them will casually drop a compliment like it's the most natural thing in the world. That's how Trey is, and he doesn't even realize it! It's very sweet, and it's very easy to fall for of course!

I, of course, have other thots as well tehehe~

He absolutely has the biggest breeding kink (no this isn't just copy and pasting my own kinks into my favs, wat you talking about?). He grew up with a happy family, and had a bit of a taste of what parenthood is like while taking care of his siblings.

He wants to replicate that for his own family, no doubt, but it's not exactly those reasons that he's so into breeding you. No, it's the, forgive him for the silly comparison, look of your hole absolutely stuffed like a éclair (which I've seen several people on here ask of him YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE).

The sight of you swollen, twitchy, and full hole is sooooosososososoooooo yummy, and he has the excuse that he has to make sure his seed will take to keep filling you! It's not until after when your belly is swelling with a baby that his pregnancy kink kicks in...but perhaps that's another discussion for another time.

My last thoughts for just this moment are that Trey maaaay have a slight bit of an oral fixation. He likes seeing your mouth on his dick, he likes to open your lips with his cum still resting on your tongue and running his fingers over your teeth, and he reeaaally likes to have you bite down on his neck and admire the teeth marks. Not enough to bleed, mind you, but enough that he could take a picture and then compare the marks to your actual teeth later on in fascination. It's only a little weird, indulge him won't you?

[yumeka-sxf]

My thoughts on Spy x Family: EYES ONLY Guidebook (English ver) - part 1

I finished reading through my copy of the English version of the SxF manga guidebook "EYES ONLY." There's tons of fantastic information about the series, but I wanted to share my thoughts/commentary on parts that were the most interesting to me. Since there's so much content to cover, I'll be dividing it into a few different posts. Also, rather than go in the order of the book's sections, I decided to group the content based on topic. This first post will cover Endo's comments about the characters individually, as well as information about Garden.

Endo's Q&As and comments about the characters

Loid:

I like that Endo provides a reason for why Loid wears a WISE logo pin as it's something more than one fan of the series has questioned! And I totally agree with Lin about his "lack of distinctive features." Compared to so many other anime characters, especially shonen main characters, Loid's design is so plain, particularly in his hair and clothes. At least in his spy outfit he has a gun to make him a little flashier, but when he's in his casual clothes, he literally just looks like "some guy," haha. But that also makes sense for his character.

I love how Endo gave specific numbers for comparing Loid and Yor's strength (Yor: 10, Loid: 6-7)

Anya:

I did notice what Endo is talking about how Anya's design changed over time. But that can be said for all the characters really, and it's definitely not uncommon for manga-ka's styles to evolve as they get a better feel for their characters and world.

He mentions the classical language thing that was also brought up in chapter 42. Definitely makes me think that will somehow tie into her backstory.

Speaking of Anya's backstory, there was this little excerpt about the researchers at the lab. So one thing we can say for sure about her past is that she was not treated well there at all (which has been hinted at in the series).

Endo also discussed the origin of Anya's pink hair (namely, there really isn't any origin, lol).

Yor:

Interesting that he spent the most time designing Yor, and also about the origin of her stilettoes. And his apology to the cosplayers for that bonus feature about Yor's hair, haha.

I had to chuckle when he said they can't measure her strength because she keeps breaking the instruments! Also the fact that she hasn't learned how to make a single successful meal since the stew…Endo is such a savage sometimes, lol. But keep in mind that this book was originally published over a year ago, and obviously we know from recent chapters that her cooking is improving. I also like that he mentions that she has left witnesses to her work, like in Extra Mission 2. I wonder if that will be a bigger plot point somewhere down the line.

Like Anya having pink hair, Endo expresses some regret about making Yor an assassin (but his laugh makes it clear he's not terribly hung up about it!)

Bond:

I know some people are bothered by the fact that Yor is Bond's least favorite. But I think Bond's (initial) dislike for her originated from the chapter where he assumes he would have died from her cooking. Also the fact that Anya put the idea in his head that she would "murder" him if he did something she didn't like, like shun her food (which is obviously heavily exaggerated). But again, this book was published over a year ago, and the most recent chapter revealed that he definitely doesn't dislike her even if she's not his favorite. It's perfectly normal for pets to have family members they prefer over others for whatever reason.

Franky:

I love that Franky does charity work. I hope we'll see that in a future chapter.

Fiona:

It's interesting that he ranks Fiona's combat ability so low, especially when you consider what she did to Wheeler in the recent arc. But to me, that wasn't so much a display of combat prowess as it was totally raw, uninhibited willpower.

Yuri:

I love his blunt answer about whether Yuri has other interests besides Yor. Also intriguing that he mentions Nightfall when discussing Yuri's combat ability…maybe those two will meet eventually?

Information about Garden

Since Garden is still such a mysterious entity in the SxF universe, I tried to gather everything about them that the book mentions.

It's interesting that Yor sees Shopkeeper as her mentor since he taught her survival skills in her youth. The book also raises the question about how Yor found Garden in the first place…maybe something Endo will expand on in the future?

So the information Franky gives us about Garden is exaggerated? Gah, that just makes them even more mysterious!

The above was a cool bit of trivia...so it seems like the secret police might know more about Garden than WISE. Perhaps Yuri will find out about Yor's real identity before Twilight?

Continue to Part 2 ->

[demonslayerunhinged]

Unhinged rant >:(

Demon Slayer fandom discourse

I want to start this by saying, I know that Demon Slayer isn't an explicitly queer manga/anime because Shōnen Jump, but I believe that Demon Slayer is for the queers and has lots of themes that we can identify with like love, acceptance, loss, guilt and strength.

Despite what these stupid, smelly, ignorant, power-scaling, non-ass-washing, Cheetos-dust-snorting, once-a-month-showering, dude-bros would have you believe, Demon Slayer isn't just another battle Shōnen anime/manga, it's a love story and about the perseverance of the human spirit and if that doesn't speak to the queer experience then I don't know what does.

Plus, I don't know how Gotogue-sensei is as a person, but I think the fact that she managed to make one of the kindest mcs in shōnen speaks volumes about her disposition. I don't think she would be one to reject queer fans identifying with her story so well.

In these recent times, it seems like everything is going to shit, the world is slowly regressing into the dark ages destroying decades of progress and trying to distract ourselves from all this by engaging with the fandoms we love is hard because everything seems to cater to cis, straight, white men.

To be honest, I created this blog mostly out of spite, but I also wanted to carve out a tiny space for myself where I can talk out of my ass and not have some decrepit reddit dude bro go all 'well, ackshually ☝🤓' on me, and I'm happy to have met so many like-minded people.

So, I've compiled a list of answers to the common types of nonsense drivel these fuckers post in response to shipping and queer discussions and theories about Demon Slayer. You can copy and paste whenever and wherever you encounter these black holes of ignorance and stupidity if you want.

In the Taisho era, there were no gay/queer people: This is one of the dumbest statements I've ever heard, and the fact that it's a really common response really shows how we've failed as a society. Queer people have existed for ages all over the world, Japan has an extensive queer history. Demon Slayer is based on samurai culture and samurai culture was really, really, really, really, really, really, really gay. Sure, it had rigid roles, but that doesn't make it any less queer. A quick Google search would go a long way to nourish that dried-out, shrivelled husk you call a brain. Go read a book you walking condom ad, your parents and education system have obviously failed you.

It's forcing sexuality into the story: We literally had a whole season dedicated to the mcs going to the 'entertainment district', we have a sexy man with three wives who talks about 'loving' them all equally, we have the abundant male fanservice, one of the mcs talks about women on the daily, we have a boy who eats demons and is horny shy around girls all the time, we have his brother who exposes his tits because he's proud of them, we have a demon who was essentially a sexual predator that targeted 16-year-old girls and ate them, the main villain shape-shifts into a woman to 'get' information as a Geisha, we have a girl who literally lusts after almost everyone she meets but yea no lets not force sexuality into it 🙄.

I don't care: Okay cool, but I value your opinion as much as I value the shit I took this morning.

It's who they are as a character that matters: Sexuality is a part of a person's character. Your sexuality defines your experiences, decisions, options and outlook on life. That's why you as a straight man can be so ignorant.

It's forced*(I really hate this one): Honestly, fuck you. Why is it that you only think something is forced when it doesn't revolve around you and your experiences? You guys are fine with tons of anime/manga that sexualize women and girls to an insane degree even when it doesn't make sense, but that doesn't stop you from consuming and glazing the hell out of the authors, but when we talk about including queer characters suddenly it's forced? Your existence is forced, and you can just eat shit.

I don't like it: Who the fuck do you think you are dictating how other people consume and interpret the media they consume? How about you go hump your smelly, cum-encrusted anime body pillow.

Men can be touchy/emotional with each other without it being gay, it's just our western standards: No it isn't the majority of shipping activities and works come from Japan, which wouldn't happen if it was just part of their culture. We're not stupid, we know men and boys can be friends without it being sexual, and we know when a friendship is just that, and then we know when two guys are straight up pining for one another.

It's not canon/the mangaka didn't explicitly state it: They can't because of Shōnen Jump, so a lot of them pass off information about a character through subtext, metaphors and allegories. They also don't have to, things don't have to outright stated or 'canon' for them to make sense and if you need them to be so for you to understand or enjoy the story then a moment of silence for your head since it's without a brain.

It's not common: Despite Shōnen Jump, there are lots of mainstream anime/manga that have queer characters: One Punch Man, Hunter x Hunter, Dr. Stone, Windbreaker, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Naruto, Gintama, Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, Fairy Tail, One Piece, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Blue Period and that's not to talk of the ones with queer subtext like I dunno ALL Sports anime/manga to ever exist!

Why do you look for LGBTQ in everything?: It might be hard for straights to understand but growing up queer and looking for a connection causes us to develop what we call a gaydar that helps us identify characteristics, mannerisms, features and vibes from a person that screams 'ONE OF US! ONE OF US!'. It's only natural, and our gaydar doesn't suddenly turn off when we're consuming media, especially when it's media that we love and hold dear to our hearts. It doesn't matter if the mangaka inserted these characteristics intentionally or not, that doesn't stop us from picking up on them, and why should it?

Shipping is stupid: So is power-scaling, but that doesn't stop you assholes from making thousands of posts, creating YouTube channels and sharing content about it and cramming it down our throats. It's even worse because it's from grown-ass men.

The characters have no chemistry/they hate each other: A lot of queer ships have more chemistry, history, interactions, personality and development than a lot of 'canon' straight couples. It's literally a trope in media that all a man and a woman need to be in a relationship is to be in close proximity to each other, then their relationship goes on to be drier than salted crackers in silicone packets scattered in the Sahara desert. Well, I guess you can't blame the creators, you write what you know after all.

I know this is a lot and I know how angry I sound right now, but I'm so sick and so tired of all these guys who are as useful to the human race as pieces of freshly shat out dog turds that have been thrown in the grass by the sidewalk in a hot summer afternoon, who can't see past their lice-infested neck beards trying to make something as colorful, interesting, joyful and queer as anime and the fandoms fit their own boring, stupid and misogynistic worldview.

In Conclusion, Demon Slayer is amazing, horny* and unbelievably queer.

*I'm talking about the male fanservice btw :)

[milaisreading]

hello! can I request something about manager meeting with sae/national team and others members of NEO egoists league (like Kaiser, Noa, Oliver, Sendo, Chris Prince, Snuffy etc)? maybe some moments about coaches teasing boys about their little (actually not little) crush on manager? or some protective/jealouse moments? or some moments where new members warm up for manager too and slowly become her simps too? everything you want and can imagine!

Author: Hi!! I hope u like this one and that it somehow fit what you meant. I did 2/3 requests, I am keeping the last one for a scenario I will write later on. It's too long to fit here😵‍💫 hope u like this and thank u for the request🩷🩷

Warnings ⚠️: none in particular. Reader uses she/her and there might be manga spoilers. Requests are open

⚽️Blue lock belongs to:Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

"Rin...could you like move it?" (Y/n) wondered as she tried to move past the boy, but he would just follow her steps and block her from moving any further.

"Give me those boxes! I will bring it to the team. I heard the national team is pretty aggressive." Rin said, trying to grab the box from (Y/n), but she moved away.

"Ego-san told me to bring it to the coach of the team. Rin, you are being rediculous and should go back to training. You will get punished." (Y/n) argued as she moved away, the boy kept on nervously looking around, as if he was praying that someone wouldn't come. Growing worried, the girl's glare softened and she looked at Rin more calmly now.

"What's wrong? You seem to be on edge ever since the national team arrived. Did your brother say something?"

"You know Sae?" Rin asked, alarmed by (Y/n) mentioning him.

'Did they meet? Did he somehow get a hold of her social media?!'

"Well from the news and you told me once you don't have the best of relationship with him." (Y/n) explained simply.

"So you don't know him more than that? Like on a personal level?" Rin asked cautiously, confusing (Y/n) even more.

"No? You do realize your brother has been in Spain the whole time and I am in Japan. Are you sure you don't need to visit a doctor, Rin?" The boy let out a sigh as (Y/n) used the opportunity and walked past him towards the quarters the U-20 team was settled in.

"Wait!" Rin ran after her as (Y/n) sighed, annoyed with his behavior.

'It isn't even noon yet...'

"So these are the papers I will sign? Did Teieri-san or Ego-san say till when?" The coach of the national team asked (Y/n), who nodded her head.

"They will need the papers back by tonight. Please keep the copies just in case, also I was instructed to explain how the computer system works here..."

Rin tuned out their talking and kept look around the hall nervously, hoping that she will be done soon.

'Please hurry up... if (Y/n) even throws one look at Sae, I know I am done for. All the girls like him, so why would it be different this time.' Rin sighed as he watched the girl write down the instructions.

'She always looks cute while explaining things to someone... My manager-'

"Yo, Sae! Isn't that your little brother?" A voice came from behind the now frozen boy.

'Crap!'

"Rin? What are you doing here?" Sae asked calmly as he and Sendo approached the younger Itoshi. Rolling his eyes, Rin calmed down and turned around to face the duo.

"Hi big brother, I am just here... delivering papers to your coach."

"You are delivering papers? Shouldn't you be training?" Sae wondered.

"Yeah, otherwise you won't be able to catch up to your brother or me." Sendo added.

"What a tragedy-"

"Alrigh Rin, we are done here! Ready to go?" The boy bit back a few curse words as he heard (Y/n) approach them. The older Itoshi and Sendo turned their attention back on (Y/n).

"Yeah, let's go. I am sure Ego-san will need you for something." Rin said as he grabbed her sleeve, but he was of course stopped by none other than Sendo.

"Hey wait! Don't you want to introduce us, Rin? Who is this cutey?"

The two stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the grinning boy, while Sae kept staring at her without saying a single word.

"Sure..." Rin said bitterly.

"Sweet! The name is Sendo Shuto, and yours?"

"(L/n) (Y/n)... nice to meet you." The girl said cautiously, a little bit unnerved by his smirk.

"Great! Can we go now-" Rin was again interrupt, but this time by his brother.

"Itoshi Sae, from the looks of it you are the manager of my little brother's team." Sae said, pointing at the badge. (Y/n) nodded her head, feeling a little bit more at ease with Sae than Sendo, but still kept her guard up.

"Yep! It's nice to meet Rin's brother. I heard a lot of you from the news and such."

Rin perked up at the way she had addressed Sae, since not a lot of people would call him Rin's brother, it was always the other way around. Sae noticed that too, and the way she was so nonchalant with him was off putting too. A lot of girls wished to be in your position.

"Did you hear of me too? I am our nation's star ace striker after all."

(Y/n) kept quiet as the gears in her head started turning a little, hoping that the name might come to her head. Meanwhile Rin was basking at the fact that this time, this one time Sae won't take something from him.

'Finally, she doesn't see him as the mighty Itoshi Sae, but as Rin's older brother. That felt good to hear.'

Sae meanwhile kept quiet, observing the girl and then his brother, who was sending him a victorious smirk.

"Sorry, never heard of you." (Y/n) spoke up, causing Sendo to deflate a little.

"Bit I trust you if you say that you are the star striker. Anyways, it was nice meeting you all, but Rin and I have to go. Good luck with the practice."

Just as (Y/n) said that, the younger Itoshi grabbed her wrist and tugged her away.

"Everyone is Blue Lock is a freak. How can it be that she never heard of me?" Sendo frowned as he looked at (Y/n)'s form before she disappeared.

"Let's go, Sae."

The said boy nodded his head quietly, new forms of interest and curiosity forming inside of him.

'What a weird girl... I wonder if she has any social media. Can't believe she called me Rin's older brother just like that.'

Meanwhile Rin was over the moon, happy that he didn't lose (Y/n) to his brother or his teammate. Honestly, he felt like proposing to her the moment she humbled both his brother and Sendo.

'What a day... a great day.' Rin sighed with one of his rare smiles.

"Are you alright, Rin? You seem a lot more cheerful now than 10 minutes ago." (Y/n) questioned.

"Yes! Never felt better, actually." The boy said quickly.

"There they are! Kunigami, Isagi look!" The two boys turned to look at the direction (Y/n) was pointing.

"I hope they aren't too nervous... I remember how you two were nearly jumping in excitement during your first official Bastard München match." (Y/n) laughed, remembering that day fondly as the two boys blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, this is a huge thing. And the stadium is full of Ubers fans cheering them on, too." Kunigami said, leaning against the railing as he stood to (Y/n)'s left side.

"I am glad we got these VIP tickets tho, it's less crowded." Isagi agreed from (Y/n)'s right side.

"Well being part of the Bastard München team is quite the privilege. I hope Noel-san will let us go watch the Manshine match too. Nagi said they will be playing against a big club from England." (Y/n) said absent-mindedly as Baro, Aryu and Niko ran to here they were.

"(Y/n), you made it... and you two too. I honestly thought you guys will be busy training." Niko said, sounding a little bitter that she was with Isagi and Kunigami. It just kept reminding him that she picked working with them over him.

"And miss our friends play? Never." Kunigami said with a smirk.

"Besides, today is our day off." Idmsagi shrugged.

"You guys look amazing! I hope you all aren't too nervous, in a crowd like this anything can be overwhelming!" (Y/n) said as Aryu sighed at her caring words.

"Nothing to worry about. With our skills, this game will be over pretty soon. I get even better." Baro said proudly, staring directly at (Y/n), who nodded her head.

"I am sure you all will do amazing! I can't wait till it starts! The uniforms look good on you guys too."

The last part caused the trio to blush as they nervously thanked her.

'She is just as sweet as I remember. I hope that German water won't ruin her hair though, my manager should never have an ugly hairday.' Aryu thought as he thanked (Y/n) for the compliment.

"Th-thanks... you look good too." Niko said nervously back, eyeing the girl a little.

'So cute! I really envy the Bastard München team for being able to see her like this everyday...'

"Well, don't pay too much attention to the uniforms. You will not be able to keep up with my attacks and scores." Baro said to the girl.

"I will keep that in mind, king." (Y/n) teased, not knowing how flustered the nickname coming from her made Baro feel.

'My queen is just the best.'

"Ahh they are at it again." Snuffy chuckled as him and Lorenzo watched the trio talk with the other Blue Lock members.

"They are close friends, I am guessing." Lorenzo stated with a raised eyebrow.

"They are more simps than anything. It was fun to watch them react to Oliver pestering the girl for a date." Snuffy laughed, remembering Baro kicking the football right into the said boy's head during practice once.

"She didn't agree to date him? That's a first."

"No, she said he was too extreme and obnoxious for her taste." The duo chuckled as they let the three Ubers players have some more fun chatting before the game starts.

[anulithots]

Link Click hyperfixation

THEY ARE MY EVERYTHING AND PERFECT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW PERFECT THEY ARE.

The notion board

because of restrictions I'm putting things on here first. Analysis and such and I'll copy and paste.

Fanfics (by me)

4am, in Which Exists Time and Time Alone. - The_Land_of_the_Fallen_Fairies - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own]

Dive back in time (to make cat pastries, and other random thoughts) - The_Land_of_the_Fallen_Fairies - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own]

Analysis (by me)

I started analyzing Cheng Xiaoshi on this ask (I am wrong I am so wrong the themes here are wrong I am going to fix this)

What if CXS still dies?

Hear me out... this would be worse than CXS and LG breaking up

How my analysis is going

An ask in which I ramble about CXS and Lu Guang's strengths and weaknesses, their dynamic, and rave about the donghua in general

Lu Guang's tendency to infodump at precarious moments... and a general analysis

Cheng Xiaoshi's parents

Theorizing on how Cheng Xiaoshi's emotions work when he's possessing people

Qiao Ling as the present day in a time travel show (+ amazing points and theories that sadden me by @canofholes)

Lu Guang's nervous energy (when CXS isn't there)

little things from season one

doesn't know the genre x genre aware

The tides ---> general link click/CXS analysis (I rambled)

The firsts and lasts

Qiao Ling and her present day parallels

The trio, shiguang and their changing trust dynamic... I ramble a lot here

Chibi short #8 (but make it angsty)

past or future, let it be

Why Cheng Xiaoshi didn't dive back to save Lu Guang

Cheng Xiaoshi's jokes that are foreshadowing and... quite concerning

Lu Guang was freaking out for all of episode 10 (and just in general I think he's freaking out internally all the time /hj)

Cheng Xiaoshi's memories through photographs

Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi

Cheng Xiaoshi analysis... which ties everything together I suppose?v

Cheng Xiaoshi over the course of season one

Headcannons (by me)

Soy Sauce

Cooking

Cheng Xiaoshi's hair

Last words

Earings

Words in general

Is CXS competent? Yes and no

The news

Random scenario #1

Random scenario #2

Random scenario #3

The noodle scene

The siblings

random scenario #4

aroace Cheng Xiaoshi

Photography

Fanart (by me)

in my style

the trio

@snowpoet123 makes me sob and I analyze it with my dwindling sanity /pos

CXS becomming his parents

Making the trio into waldorf dolls because I'm very normal about link click

Lu Guang's finished!

Cheng Xiaoshi's hair

Lu Guang's hair

The trio

Skin sac

Edits

Playlists

Favorite Analysis

Lu Guang is a hypocrite by @briebysabs

Cheng Xiaoshi's backstory

Everything from @chubphoe-linkclick, so much analysis. I loveee it all so muchhh

Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang's powers

S2E9

What kind of story is Link Click by @oceaniche

Lu Guang's plan in s2, ep 8 (IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE HOLY HERBS) by @snorlaxlovesme

Lu Guang's non existent socializing skills /aff and how CXS helps with that by @noot-nootie

The side affect of timelines by @muninnhuginn

The side affect of diving by @g1ngerbeer 

A metaphysical argument for why Lu Guang was the one who risked his intestines falling out to go save his little meow meow by @sarshles-cheescake-li

Favorite fanarts

Lu Guang sicfic manga by @intothefrisson <-- all their art is soooo goood 1000/10 reccomeded

To this pitiful me by @doublxpresso

CXS blowing hearts by @dorea80-blog

This guy's been clingy by @doublxpresso

whimsy angst by @zychimixx

The silliesss I lovee themmm by @ghostlyenola 

SOBS by @lucreciaart 

(If I like a fanart I'll reblog it a million times... but I should really save them more... I'll get to that.)

Favorite fanfics

& despair has the knife at your throat, but hope will kill you first - Chapter 1 - sunslants - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @sunslants

Only Your Heart Beats The Sound (Keeps Me Awake So I Can Fight) - RStar6709 - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @ravs6709

Talk Me Through One More Night - Cruel (Crafty_and_Cruel777) - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @celestialsun123

Memoriam - JordannaMorgan - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own]

Three time's a charm - Chapter 1 - SnowPoet - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @snowpoet123. (I love this I love this I love it so much. I love it.)

lonely bones - wait for me - cat soda (bestofwaifusbestofwomen) - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @cat-soda

Fluid Like The Water - RStar6709 - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @ravs6709

Afternoon Nap - SnowPoet - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @snowpoet123

I'll recover if you keep me alight - SnowPoet - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @snowpoet123

Would you take a break for me? - SnowPoet - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @snowpoet123

Life tastes like cardboard - clinicallyfine - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @addled-egg

Cats are Basically Children - Chapter 1 - Cruel (Crafty_and_Cruel777) - 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] by @celestialsun123

Extra

the wonderous @starryeyeddarlings translated the link click ads! (*gets so excited that I explode*)

Link Click OST for season one *excited screams* by @starrywangxian

CXS's vouge modeling days (season 2 spoilers) by @mylee-sketches

CXS's extra backstory from the audiobook

fics to read

A song written for you

timeline of season one and season two by @just-prime

ranting about the link click OST

Lu Guang and his besties in the hospital

The timeliness (s3 cannot come soon enough) by @rashslinging

fanfic idea from @rainibao

more fanfics to read

[arsquare]

Hello everyone!

As I take on more projects and expand my practice, it feels prudent to write monthly newsletter posts to keep followers up to date on what projects I'm currently undertaking. So here's the update for October/November 2024!

Zines

Currently I'm participating in two zines, both of which will likely be released in November!

One is the Detective Conan Fanzine, which is dedicated to the 26 movies of the franchise. I was assigned Movie 2, and I've posted a preview below! The full illustration will be available on INPRNT after the zine releases.

The other is the Counter-Pale Resistance (@de-fanzine-cpr-pale), which is a Disco Elysium fanzine. Participants take inspiration from song lyrics to create their piece, whether it's an illustration, comic, or writing. I created an illustration of Harry and Dolores for this zine! I quite like this piece-- it will be available on INPRNT after the zine releases, and I'll also be making gold foil postcards of it. Stay tuned!

Additionally, COMPASS: A Heishin Anthology (@haidocityzines), which I did several illustrations for, has been released for free digitally! Download your copy here. There are also merch bundles remaining if you're interested.

Merchandise

I've been putting together a Kaishin merch bundle in the past several months to go with a polished print version of Breaking Stasis (link goes to the original version-- polished version will be uploaded at a later date), my 2021 Kaishin Secret Santa manga. There's going to be a bookmark, a memopad, and a postcard in addition to the book. I'm waiting for the last of the merch samples to arrive! When they do, I'll photograph them and open up pre-orders.

Remember this? The pages are now fully toned and I've fixed the illustrations that were bothering me...

Pre-orders will likely open on Friday, Nov. 8th, and will close before the end of the month. A more detailed announcement is coming in early November!

Additionally, I've added several prints to my INPRNT:

Commissions

Commissions are currently closed! However, you may contact me at any time via email at soharsquare@gmail.com or soharsquare on Discord to add your name to the waitlist. Folks on the waitlist will get priority when commissions open up again.

Upcoming Events

November 23rd: Tabling at KDF26 (Tainan, Taiwan)

December 10th: Lecture on creating fanzines and doujinshi, hosted by the NCKU Manga Club (Tainan, Taiwan)

December 14th-15th: Tabling at FFK17 (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

This probably isn't relevant to most people here, but I figured I'd put this out there just in case!

CHORUS

CHORUS is my current comic project! It's a 16-chapter BIRDMEN fan manga, and we've just uploaded the last pages of ACT 2. If you liked my previous comics, please consider checking it out at @birdmenfanmanga! Most of my love at this time is going into this project.

A more extended newsletter on CHORUS can be found here.

Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletter Elsewhere

In times like this when social media websites are imploding for one reason or another, I think it's nice to have multiple bases of communication. Of course, monthly newsletters will always be posted on Tumblr, but you can also join my Community Discord for these updates as well. I have also set up an email subscription list.

Thank you all for the support thus far!

Love, Soh Arsquare. Oct. 27, 2024.

[INPRNT | Ko-fi | Commission info]

[yukirayu]

The Slow Damage patch had been accused of plagiarizing the text in the localization (which are false, mind).

But what they conveniently leave out is that the official localization of Togainu no Chi (from 2020) actually did just that with the fan translation, which was made back in 2012.

Keep in mind that in any of the attempts to "prove" that the Slow Damage patch just copy-pasted stuff, they took comparison screenshots only from Interrogations, where there's only dialogue, and sentences are very simple syntax-wise that there wouldn't be much variety of translating them in English.

These comparisons, on the other hand, are from narrations, and this is from the very opening scene. Now I know that depending on the complexity or simplicity of the sentence, there's either only one correct way to phrase them or more while still sounding coherent and comprehensible.

But this is still oddly suspect, no?

There are many scanlations of mangas/webcomics that - when comparing the fanmade and official one, and in the same language - are also very similar in phrasing, with the more stark differences being mainly in translations/spellings of the names and titles.

As I've stressed, English has a wide vocabulary, but it isn't always the most flexible when it comes to the syntax/structure of a sentence. And using a thesaurus on every word and retyping every letter for what amounts to around 100,000 lines in a VN that lasts for 50+ hours isn't practical.

If two or more translations translate a sentence to "What's your reason for doing this?" or "Why are you here?" or "He decided to go out and talk a walk", does that automatically mean they're copying each other?

Anyhow, the accusation was made to the defend the localization (and this time, my criticism's more on what people would say and do when responding to even constructive comments about it).

But as it turned out, the localization company just did what their defenders accused the patch of doing.

And so, regardless of whether something's licensed or not, if it's the people behind a licensed material that pulls something like this, would people still point fingers?

Or does double standard come into play here since one certain kind of group can do no wrong while the other can do only wrong?

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 58 Welp Posting

Hello kind void. Short (for me) yap this time... it's mostly just pain this chapter, after all. So much pain.

Very rough TL of the editor's notes:

First page: 漆羽の命滅契約は一体…? [Uruha no meimetsu keiyaku ha ittai...?!, What in the world happened to Uruha's lifelong contract...!?] Last page: 信念のもと漆羽を殺めた座村を前に… [Shinen no moto Uruha wo ayameta Samura wo maeni..., Standing in front of Samura, who killed Uruha due to his conviction...] Google Translate or DeepL can probably do better than me on this one, so go ahead and copy/paste that text into one of those instead for a better idea. Just note that 漆羽 (Uruha) usually gets auto-translated to "Urushiba" and 座村 (Samura) to "Zamura".

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Pregame Mini Meta Rant: If I hear a SINGLE complaint about how many panels were reused this chapter Imma get heated. Yeah, there's been a lot of copy-crop-paste stuff going on in the past two weeks. This chapter alone re-used Hakuri's exhausted seal pose four times. But the major scenes still hit hard as fuck and the new art is holding up. Let the author do what it takes to avoid burnout and health issues just as his series is getting the major promotion treatment, okay? Dude's had to do a lot of extra work recently with the cover and colour pages in addition to the usual volume redraws and accompanying filler sketches/doodles.

These chapters were probably being written and drawn about the same time as the extra materials. It's not like the author starts drawing on Monday and sends the chapter out by Friday so it can be published Sunday- they're finished weeks in advance before they're released. I recommend checking out a short manga called The Right Way to Make JUMP! by Takeshi Sakurai if the practical details of getting manga out to thousands of readers in both print & digital simultaneously every week seem interesting!

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Uruha vs. Samura

I interrupt this ramble before it even begins to do a little celebratory dance. I got most of what I yapped about last chapter right for once! Yay! ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪ I won't have to recap the Samura motivation/mindset yap with the new information! (This will probably never happen again.)

Anyway...

Let's start with this because fuck it was so cool and sad.

I love how every character in this manga holds fast to their convictions, man. But I didn't expect Samura to be so cold about killing his former apprentice y'know?! Not even a hint of remorse from this guy. Between this and the subdued greeting Uruha gave him, the lack of warmth in their dialogue together... I wonder if they had a positive relationship. Uruha certainly respected Samura's skills but the contrast between how he thinks about Kunishige and the man who presumably taught him everything he knows about fighting is striking, isn't it? He was pretty unemotional about having to duel his master to the death despite being such an emotive guy. Yet now we'll probably never know... (sigh).

Here's something I missed on my first read: Samura didn't use Tobimune to face Uruha; he was just the quicker draw with a regular katana.

His sword is closer to being sheathed, while Uruha's sword is still farther out.

In case anyone still wants to believe that Uruha is alive or can come back somehow after this... more power to you. The Sojo copers can probably give you some tips if you need them. But there is one small smidgen of comfort to be had, if one wants to interpret it as such.

Not using Tobimune can be read as respecting Uruha's determination and facing him on equal footing. I know he unnecessarily double-tapped Uruha when he was laying on the ground- he didn't need to slash the guy again with Tobimune to make the kill. I get it, the Enchanted Blades are tools of death. Just let me have this. I need it.

Uruha deserved better. He deserve to live, dammit. I didn't get nearly enough of him. But what a way to go. Standing up for what you believe, your dead (boy)friend's last words telling you to live no matter what running through your head. Fighting for your life to honor his wish even though it's a completely lost cause... fuck what a tragic character. He was such a passionate guy despite the losses he suffered. Uruha, man... I really wanted to spend more time with him, but I guess all we'll get of him are flashbacks about him from other people or during scenes recounting what happened in the war.

The worst part of saying goodbye is that it felt like we had so much more to see and learn about him. His story's incomplete but it's over all the same. That's what hurts most when authors kill these characters- the sense of real loss because of all the loose ends. Anything we learn about him will be retroactive for context. No more growth, no more silly faces... damn you Samura...! Fuck this author makes good villains in a short span of time.

Whatever incident was covered up 18 years ago has to be incredibly awful to drive Samura to become an avenger for the truth. I'm talking "establishing a whole fucking international court system to process it for over a decade" levels of bad. Which it may well be, if this flashback from Sojo's PoV in chapter 8 remains unchanged when we revisit it for context:

Hello, probable war crimes.

Yeah I'm banking on that mystery kid being Magatsumi's current wielder. Whether he was a child soldier or picked up the sword by accident somehow, this might be the clue to The Incident that turned Samura against his allies. The point about how anyone can use the Enchanted Blades is made repeatedly during and after the Sojo arc- why not a child? Covering up a massacre like that would be in a lot of people's interests.

Unfounded spitball theories aside, now that Hakuri and Chihiro are both clued in that some real bad shit went down, we can expect to learn more about it. Hopefully sooner rather than later because I'll definitely be judging the shit outta Samura based on how awful it is. I'm very interested in his moral dilemma but I've got unreasonably high standards as to what kind of event could drive someone to do something so awful (in fiction, at least). IRL people are messy, but fiction demands justification. And the way this incident is being hyped up makes me believe it's different from the other horrors of war sinking in and slowly driving someone to resent everything they did for the cause. Whatever the Bearers and the Kamunabi covered up is going to cast them all -Kunishige included- in an extremely unflattering light.

Burnout

He just looks so cute being carried like that even though he's so exhausted and roughed up…

... Yeah. Poor Hakuri.

I won't take up as much space here as I want to yapping about him because most of it's just retreads of things I've been saying for weeks already. But man. Man.

This guy awoke to his powers, killed his dad and brothers, put an end to his family's cruelty, saved a bunch of lives at great risk to himself, passed out, and woke up to try and do this crazy mission with Chihiro all in just over 24 hours. He's so fried he fell asleep while being carried piggy-back and can't even move any more! But he's still kicking himself for not summoning Kumeyuri for Uruha when he had enough adrenaline to sort of stand up on his own. Never mind the brain haemorrhage- he's got lives to save. Ms. Makizumi's words about pushing himself too hard being dangerous just go in one ear and out the other. These people want him to care about himself for the mission and because he deserves it but he just refuses to take it to heart...

Then the person he promised to protect is killed in front of him right after he made it his life's mission to prevent exactly this sort of scenario.

Fuck.

Can't even turn this into a ship moment I'm so bent out of shape. Someone strip me of my fudanshi creds.

It looks like Hakuri did summon Chihiro in a panic after all- he couldn't even call out to Uruha so reaching for Chihiro instead was his first instinct. He just wasn't fast enough because his body and mind are on the brink of totally shutting down. If he's truly unable to use sorcery again after finally gaining his own strength at long last... oh, that will hurt so bad. I'm not ready for how hard Hakuri's going to be on himself when he eventually wakes up despite doing his very best.

Hakuri's gonna be out of commission for sure after this event.

I'm close to 100% positive he'll temporarily lose his powers now. If it comes to be, then Kagurabachi will have passed my bullshit "don't say they'll die if the consequences don't match up to the risk" test. Being paralyzed and powerless for a while is good enough to convince me that death really was a possible outcome. See, it's really that easy. Totally not unfair and arbitrary.

Regardless, there's a lot of suffering ahead for Chihiro and Hakuri. Not only did all of this shit go down the day right after the Rakuzaichi, but there's still whatever the blood test will reveal hanging out there... the political and practical price of this failure with the Kamunabi... processing the guilt of not being able to save a life... coming to terms with how much they don't know... so much has happened to them in a short 24-ish hours, huh? And neither of them have anything good to look forward to in the short-term.

I gotta wonder what Hakuri will do this arc if he's literally unable to move for a while. His PoV gave us the info that there was a specific incident that was covered up, but that doesn't mean he'll be involved in that plot line. But let's save that stress for another time- gotta see how badly he fucked himself up and how things shake out between Chihiro and Samura first.

Chihiro vs. Samura

(Ch. 50) A long-awaited reunion.

What will go down next week? I'm sure as hell not gonna try to guess. Could be anything from casual conversation to an actual skirmish. At least one thing will definitely not happen though.

Neither Chihiro nor Samura are dying here. Chihiro cannot die until the last fight in the series is finished, so that's out (boo joyless nerd take no fun booooooo). Samura's simply too strong to go down to an exhausted Chihiro and we still have to learn the history behind his motives. So he's gonna stick around for a bit longer to cause trouble. Wouldn't be surprised if he's the arc boss! Hiruhiko's got his own training arc ahead of him and all (and some arms to reattach), so he'll be more of a recurring villain than someone to defeat as a character growth moment for now. It's looking like Samura vs. Chihiro for the foreseeable future IMO.

If I can reveal a selfish hope, I want Samura facepalming Chihiro and feeling the scar to be the means of getting insight on how he feels about Chihiro's situation. Samura's probably the one who tipped off the Hishaku about Kunishige's location thanks to accidentally finding out when Momma Shiba took Chihiro to the local festival. Oh boy, if Chihiro learns that Samura was the one that sold him and his dad out... that would be some incredibly potent angst. His hero, a monster? Say it ain't so. Would have told you sooner if I could, Chihiro.

Hm, Kunishige and the Bearers who were entrusted with his vision...

(Chapter 1)

(Chapter 9)

(Chapter 58)

I feel confident in thinking that Samura is basically Bad End Chihiro now. He's been tormented by guilt for nearly two decades and has decided to do everything himself. He'll kill his former comrades and the Hishaku or go down swinging- and kill himself if he actually succeeds. He's on a doomed mission to scorch the earth and take out as much evil as he can. All scum go to hell! Including the guy who's so mired in grief that he does a lot of murder to cope. Those scars of his don't look like tear tracks in some shots for nothin'. (Wait, wasn't I talking about Chihiro for a bit there?)

Chihiro's well on his way to following Samura's path already... he's not the type to kill his comrades, but he's definitely got the "guilty sinning avenger" thing going on strong. So if Samura is Chihiro's "Bad End", what will he force Chihiro to realize? Every major foe reflects a part of Chihiro back at himself and forces him to answer difficult questions, after all. Sojo- forced him to accept that there are multiple ways to interpret and use his dad's legacy

Kyora- forced him to look at his own devotion to his dad's legacy and admit he doesn't know as much as he needs to

Hiruhiko (round 1)- forced him to admit that he thinks of himself as a monster for the lengths he's willing to go to

As for Samura, I think it'll be along the lines of "is it necessary or justifiable to sin and/or commit oneself hell for the sake of a cause?". Maybe "can I be redeemed at all?" (or if redemption is even necessary in the first place). Legitimately can't wait to see what goes down between them next week to get more clues! God I love this manga so much. I haven't been so consistently engaged week to week like this in ages.

...One last thought. This is probably looking too far ahead as an angst merchant and I was rightly rebuked for mentioning it. I should know better than to share the worthless depressing bullshit that goes on in my head. But these posts are supposed to just be some yaps into an ambivalent abyss so... sorry, kind internet void, but you get some of my depresso espresso.

"The least I can do is refrain from causing harm to others and take you Hishaku bastards to hell with me." - Chihiro (ch. 53)

With all the deliberate parallels drawn between Samura->Chihiro and Uruha->Hakuri, I wouldn't be surprised if our favourite protagonist/deuteragonist pair has the same exchange later down the line. Definitely not under similar circumstances! I can imagine scenarios where Chihiro is trying to kill Hakuri but they're so far removed from canon that they make absolutely zero sense.

But there could well be a time where Chihiro decides to leave because he really does need to bear this burden alone and Hakuri tries to call him out on the ridiculousness of that mindset. I think it would be a happier result for Chihiro and Hakuri compared to Samura and Uruha if only because Chihiro isn't as far gone as the blind traitor rat is. But yeah I'm just sticking that in my back pocket to see if it manifests in the future.

Time to write some hurt/comfort and hope canon eases up on the pain soon. It's either that or setting up a bingo sheet with all the angst scenarios I've got written down in my drafts and notes... I choose the one that I can create my own happy ending for. Until next time, dear void.

[mia-martian]

I wanna bring to the Death Note and Lawlight community a take that I have and rarely ever hear about.

A lot of people seem to look at or even just remember L as an unfeeling apathetic weirdo- and this is coming from people who haven't seen the anime in years or just see a couple scenes of him. And that's a fair enough assessment to make- dude is detached in his own way.

But it's really ironic when he's put next to Light Yagami, a character who I believe literally doesn't know how to love.

Not in the aro/ace way- dude doesn't even know how to love anyone platonically. He doesn't love his family, he doesn't love his friends or his romantic partners, he doesn't love anyone. If he shows any small signs of it, I am not inclined to believe it.

When his father died and he cried, it looked like the most half-assed performance to me. As if he used it to framework and test how he would act for L's death. (Edit: Apparently Soichiro's death was after L's i think? I remembered that incorrectly. But at the same time, I think he copy-pasted his fake reaction to L's death and reused it for his dad. Point is, I don't believe he even grieves sincerely.)

And I don't think the Death Note itself exclusively did this to him. Sure, it influenced him a LOT. When you find yourself in a place of power, your brain chemistry LITERALLY changes. Of course the ability to kill with almost no consequence would influence him.

But even in the Yostuba amnesia arc, even when he's doe-eyed and defending the innocent and fighting with L about the people who died for the Kira case, I am not convinced that it's the truth. I am not convinced that he isn't just saying what he was taught to say and believe by his father. I am not convinced he fully believes his own words, even subconsciously. At least in the context of the anime and manga, he is the most insincere character I have ever seen. It's nothing but bullshit coming out of his mouth.

I'd argue the Death Note only gave him a feeling of authority that caused the mask to slip off. I'd argue that he was always this lost and was just waiting for an excuse to cut to the chase on 'justice'. To build his guillotine and finally start collecting the heads he wants to put on his mantle. He is the unfeeling, apathetic and cold freak that I've seen people assume L is. All the Death Note did was foster it.

Because while L tries to be a character for the necessary evil and gray area (i.e. Lind L. Tailor), Light is just evil. He is blindly writing names and filling pages the moment he realizes that the notebook works. He is placing a bomb in his house without thinking of the risks he'd place on his kid sister or his well-meaning parents. He is manipulating women and using them like tools. I simply cannot imagine a reality in canon where Light Yagami can love.

And obviously my point isn't to say "Lawlight wouldn't work in canon !! You can't ship them !!" The canon of a story isn't some kind of divine set of rules, literally have all the fun you want. Canon isn't real. This story isn't real. Literally make it all up and turn Light Yagami into a pining, simping mess. If anything, that's justice.

But it's interesting to think about. I used to ship Lawlight so intensely. But then years later, when I rewatched the anime, my feelings changed drastically.

Now I can't fucking stand Light Yagami, and I wish the same fate he places on all his victims. As ironic as that is.

If he was a real human being, and I had the notebook in my hands, his name would be one of the first that I would write. Call that a sign of my bias.

Now I can't imagine a single scenario where Light loves L.

I mean, I think L definitely would have feelings for Light. L has shown that he has the capability to care, despite how the writers tact on things like in the How to Read manga where his line about Light being his first ever friend could've been a 'coldly thought-out strategy.' (Eye roll)

Even in the scenario that L doesn't truly consider Light a friend, he shows that he cares for people even a little bit. When a member of the task force decides to quit and leave, L says he appreciates him and makes sure he and his family are well paid and protected. When he witnesses a member die, he's shaking in fear. He is capable of being vulnerable and caring for others. He just doesn't do it often. It's half a choice to protect himself, and half his unmasked autism. (And bro IS autistic i don't gotta defend that point)

L is capable of loving Light if L allowed himself to. If that "you're my first friend" line is sincere, he's opened his heart up to a monster. And the unfortunate thing is that there is no possible way Light is reciprocating. Light is the unfeeling, lying monster, uncapable of even concieving what love feels like. Light doesn't care for other people. His motives might be driven by a sense of justice, but that is just the flavor. That's just the color that his true intentions are thinly painted over. The true intention of power. The only thing that brings him joy is the authority he believes he has over humanity.

[leportraitducadavre]

Let's get something out of the way, the "Sasuke as a medic" AU has nothing to do with Tsunade being more "suited" to mentor him; there's nothing she can teach him that he'd find useful in his quest (why would he, who has an enormous amount of chakra at his disposal, need to learn to delicately control his energy as Sakura canonically needs to as her chakra pool is small?), nor helpful. Tsunade would never even consider taking him out of the front lines to use him as a medic either, as doing so would be a waste of his immense power and capabilities in the field.

No. This AU isn't about Sasuke, it's about Sakura and how her stans want to disguise their ultimate desire for her to have more jutsus at her disposal than what Tsunade taught her.

Hate to break it to you, but being the student of a powerful ninja doesn't mean copy-pasting the abilities of the mentor down to the disciple. What they learn has all to do with their personal capabilities, desires, and natural strength. Naruto, while he used mostly his teacher's jutsu, quickly outgrew his teachings by taking the Rasengan further than his father and Jiraiya, Sasuke surpassed both Orochimaru and Kakashi, as Kabuto did with the Sannin by the end of the series.

Orochimaru knowing kenjutsu doesn't translate to Sakura being able to be even remotely good at it. Her "agility" (which isn't even canon as there's no mention of medics being agile, rather them staying away from danger) has to do with her being a medic-nin, and I'll reiterate, Orochimaru isn't a medic in a similar manner Tsunade is, that one is Kabuto. Why would Orochimaru take Sakura with him when Kabuto, a 19-year-old, devised a technique like Tsunade's without even meeting her before fighting her?

Sakura copy-pasted the techniques taught to her, she improved them in no manner:

Do you see where I'm going with this? Kabuto even has a larger pool of chakra as he was able to learn Senjutsu mode which Sakura will never be able to do (Tsunade and Sakura having a small chakra pool is the whole reason why the Yin Seal -that actually uses Yang, as that's the only chakra nature Tsunade possesses even exists).

Kabuto knew medical ninjutsu outside of Orochimaru's teachings as those were the reasons Orochimaru sought him out, the Sannin even admitted to looking for extraordinarily talented people to take "under his wing", and at no moment he even looked in Sakura's direction (I implore you to read yourself the whole Orochimaru vs. Team 7 fight, from Chapter 46 to Chapter 49, and tell me how many times Orochimaru even glances at Sakura's direction. He knows both Naruto and Sasuke's names, yet never mentions Sakura's).

I don't even understand why "being an expert at Genjutsu" has her fandom in such a chokehold, normal genjutsu became almost obsolete when the Sharingan (Yin Release at its finest) was introduced and the more the story unfolded the fewer regular genjutsu experts, of the likes of Kurenai or Shee, were introduced, as the strongest characters either used kekkei genkai genjutsu (which can't be broken by a single person as the chakra needs to be disturbed by someone else) or ninjutsu/taijutsu skills. Regular genjutsu can be broken by the target if they realize a genjutsu has been casted, it's mostly used as a quick diversion for an attack or to escape, and most ninja have that tool at their disposal.

[And if you think Sakura would be able to pull off a Genjutsu like Shee does and attack with the speed at which A attacked Jügo you're out of your mind, she used not a single remarkable genjutsu in the whole manga, having Sasuke do that for her during FoD and dispersed a single basic one. She fell for Kakashi's genjutsu on the bell test, had to wait for Sasuke's reassurance that an illusion was in place in the chünin exams, fell for Orochimaru's own genjutsu in FoD, and was fooled by a henge twice in the same chapter and once by non-other than Naruto who pretended to be Sasuke. She had four encounters with the genjutsu technique, and three out of the four times she fell for it and still, some of you still hold Kakashi's words as "proof of her wasted potential" when he's the same man who couldn't care less if she dropped out of the exam.]

And as a quick addition, why is Mokuton!Sakura so insanely popular? Her having Earth and Water releases (Ino also has those nature releases, what's your point?) means nothing as she'll need a huge amount of chakra (which she doesn't possess) and few ninjas are even capable of mixing the two.

While any ninja can learn to transform their chakra’s nature, and even transform it into different natures consecutively (which Sakura was never even shown to do as she only used her medical skills to fight), it is impossible for them to transform two at the same time.

And he could perform such a special jutsu because he was of a kekkei genkai bearing clan

Only those with the genetic abilities of these kekkei genkai have a chakra system capable of double-nature transformation.

Canonically, no one but Hashirama could naturally have such nature release (for god's sake, Naruto and Sasuke both have water and earth nature and they can't even use Mokuton!). Let me remind you the reason why Hashirama having Mokuton is so important thematically:

Mokuton is the expression of Yang (Life) at its finest; Yang Release uses chakra that is two parts physical energy and one part spiritual energy. It governs vitality and manipulates the body, breathing life into form to animate that which lacks life of its own, which is in direct opposition to the Sharingan that expresses Yin (creating form from nothing); Yin Release uses chakra that is two parts spiritual energy and one part physical energy. It governs imagination and manipulates the spirit, creating form from nothingness to give shape to that which has none (which is why the Sharingan is the ultimate expression of Genjutsu).

[Used Sasuke's chart to exemplify, as Madara has both Yin and Yang Releases as he modified his body using Hashirama's cells].

Yamato was experimented on by Orochimaru by using Hashirama's cells, so the only way Sakura could have such power is if she is experimented on by Orochimaru, and why on earth would he do that? Furthermore, Hashirama's cells would eat her alive in seconds, she couldn't handle a scratch amount of Kyuubi's chakra, how would she handle Hashirama's? This is the same man whose chakra was so vast and potent he healed himself unconsciously!

Sakura having delicate chakra control isn't a wild card you can use as you see fit to fulfill your fantasies, it means nothing outside her medical work. This notion that "Sakura has precise control of her chakra! That means she can learn any jutsu she wants!" is completely false.

First of all, Kakashi outright claims this idea of "no Jutsu should ever be beyond you," is "in theory, anyway." At no point does he say you'll be capable of learning chakra-draining ninjutsu with this skill alone as not a page after he claims this:

If you think this looks hard, it's even more difficult to maintain your chakra when using ninjutsu

Delicate chakra control in a portion of one's body (like fists when using Sakura's Cherry Blossom Impact) used to enhance one's strength (chakra enhancement is a feat used by every shinobi ever, like Lee and Gai themselves, albeit with different levels of expertise) isn't as chakra depleting as using Ninjutsu, which is why Sakura and Tsunade use it as their main fighting technique since they don't have a vast chakra pool as Hashirama had.

[spirithunter]

Fan-translation Plagiarism for DM Vol.1

I've noticed similarities between a Death Mark manga translation that is currently being worked on by @lamentations-lighthouse (aris on Discord) and a translation done by @kasmis, posted on Tumblr in 2022.

Enough similarities that I suspect kasmis' existing translation has been lifted directly in parts of their translation. I spoke with kasmis about it and she’s aware of the situation and shared some more info from her side.

You can view kasmis' original translation here. On the first page, you can see the disclaimer about working with an existing scanlation group with plans to publicly list the final version on an ad-free manga sharing site (added once she was made aware of the situation). I won’t go over all similarities, but this second translation in question is available on a public Discord and can be compared there. I wanted to point out three instances that I think are particularly noticeable, but I encourage anyone who is curious to look for themselves.

Pictures & Evidence under the cut.

1st comparison: translation notes

The translation notes shared between the two versions regarding the way characters speak is similar both in content and flow. They also both come at the end of Chapter 2.

kasmis' translation:

other translation:

I think this is also worth mentioning considering a comment made by lamentations-lighthouse in their Discord where they make a very blatant error determining who is speaking during a panel in a Vol 2 extra, when they spent an entire translator’s note going over how the characters talk. They incorrectly assume Banshee is the speaker, when it’s obvious with a working knowledge of Japanese that the speaker is female and likely Yasuoka, the only woman in the panel (again, aris is lamentations-lighthouse, Kiu is the current editor who is not on Tumblr):

2nd comparison: "guess we're in the same boat"

One of the lines from Chapter 2 is lifted directly from kasmis' translation. This isn't a matter of translating the same material and coming to a similar conclusion, as the original Japanese line is completely different.

In the bottom left corner, Mashita uses the expression "腹をくくる" when talking about the Mark. His line (very) literally translated would be something like "Looks like I should prepare for the worst, too"

kasmis has gone on record with me saying she took some creative liberty when translating this bubble, using it as a callback to a line of his from the actual game (the scene from the car ride back to the mansion where they're having this same conversation). Additionally, she was very clear in stating this change was purposefully made to act as an indicator of if someone was using her translation without her permission, as a translation not referencing hers would likely translate it differently. In her words: it’s a phrase that doesn’t get spit out neatly when put through machine translation, but also is easily understandable to anyone using a dictionary for reference. The term for “being in the same boat” as someone is entirely different (一連托生) and is not a logical conclusion when going solely based off the text. Here is a link to the site in the second screenshot showing an explanation of this phrase by native Japanese speakers offering English advice. The phrase has the same translation when entered into a Japanese dictionary as well.

kasmis initially didn't translate the line such a way either. Here is a comparison from her first draft (which was copy-pasted from her individual chapter translations she did back in early 2021) and the eventual change later that same year. The part in question is underlined:

Here's the comparison between the most recent version of her translation and the other translation:

Even if this group were employing a similar strategy, the chances of the "indicator" line being exactly the same is hard to believe.

3rd comparison: XX/XX/199X

This observation is somewhat minor, but the date format used throughout Chapter 2 is the exact same one used by kasmis in her translation, just with the order switched around. In the raws, the dates are written as "O (Month) X (Day)," aka censored placeholders for month and day, with no mention of the year. kasmis stated she decided to use the 199X/XX/XX format to better relay some of the info from the game (the year 199X being mentioned in the diary seen after the final confrontation). While this team may be doing the same, it's odd how it's exactly the same.

Raws for comparison:

kasmis' translation:

other translation:

Public Bashing of kasmis and Proof of Knowledge of Her Translation

kasmis was contacted by @buffaloborgine about using her translation in their project, but she stated she was working with a separate group and that she did not give them permission to use any of her translation in their own project. This user is currently working on a translation of Volume 2 of the manga. For transparency, in the 3 day gap between messages seen below, buffaloborgine joined lamentations-lighthouse and Kiu’s group, so the relationship was not established initially. buffaloborgine did not disclose however they were collaborating/in contact with lamentations-lighthouse, when in fact both are now moderators in the discord where the new translation is being uploaded. kasmis followed up with buffaloborgine once she was made aware of this connection. Below are her initial answer to the offer (note dates) and the follow-up messages (screenshots taken on 4/24):

buffaloborgine discussed their conversation in the Discord server (screenshots taken on 4/24):

They later followed up complaining about kasmis’ reply publicly in the Discord while omitting similar relevant details (screenshots taken on 4/24):

Again, note that kasmis’ reply was only 3 days after this initial explanation, not 1-2 weeks as they originally stated. Though this gap doesn't really need an explanation in my opinion, kasmis agreed to allow me to share that she was in fact in preparation for a medical procedure and was not available to answer messages at the time. She sent her follow up message regarding lamentations-lighthouse's translation because I informed her of buffaloborgine's presence in the Discord server.

The messages from buffaloborgine to kasmis also appear to show the team had direct knowledge of her existing translation, as the editor in question is Kiu. At no point did any individual besides buffaloborgine reach out to her about potentially collaborating or using her translation in any way. aris/lamentations-lighthouse claimed to have no knowledge of the translation and similarly shamed kasmis in their public (reiterating this fact) Discord, where all of these messages are available to anyone who joins (screenshot taken on 4/24):

For this reason kasmis decided not to reach out to lamentations-lighthouse directly as they already publicly denied knowing anything about her translation.

I think it’s also worth pointing out, since the SH Reddit has been mentioned, that kasmis shared her translation there as well last year. The comment can be found here. As a relatively inactive subreddit, this post and her comment are not hard to find.

If anyone mentioned in this post wants to go on record in response, something as simple as posting the version history from their working draft (as seen in kasmis’ Google Docs screenshots, for example) to show that they aren't simply modifying her existing translation could help clear up any confusion. lamentations-lighthouse stated in the Discord that they use Google Docs to communicate with their editor, so showing their process should be fairly simple (screenshot taken on 4/23):

Disclaimer: kasmis and I are friends and she provided input and helped write parts of this post. This post is not meant to be an outright accusation, nor is it implying that lamentations-lighthouse’s translation is a one-to-one copy of kasmis’. I wanted to draw attention to the similarities between the two translations, kasmis’ experience, and the available information we have. All screenshots and images shared here are unedited besides cropping, redacting the information from third parties, and marking relevant points. Time stamps marked as “today” have the associated date attached to them in the description. The relevant Discord server is publicly available at the time of posting and all conversations screenshotted are available in public channels.

[medusasea]

AFO's Evilness is Ridiculous

Usually I don't mind villains who are pure and/or inherently evil , I like Aku from Samurai Jack. However, with AFO in particular, him being born evil seems out of place, and not just because he and his brother were able to survive on their own since they were babies. Morals are jubjective, and while there are plenty of moral rule I agree with and I totally agree Afo had to be defeated, given the life he had: living in a time where people with quirks were discriminated against, having to fend for himself, having almost 0 support from others, it all seems like everyone who walked in his shoes would turn to villainy, or at least turn out very badly. Despite of this, I am not entirely against AFO being inherently evil, since the plot could've still made sense. However, not only does AFO being inherently evil contradict his characterization pre body snatching subplot, where he seemed to genuinely care about Tomura as his successor, as evidenced by AFO's inner monologue in the prison, but the manga falt out shows that AFO wasn't 100% evil when he lamented about losing his brother again.

I must admit that fictional sociopaths tend to not be realistic, but when it comes to emotional empathy, they tend to be quite realistic or at least consistent for their fictional world. They tend to feel little to no empathy and desire for human connection. In AFO's case, he missed his brother so much, he searched for him for centuries and he feels like nothing without his brother. Now, fiction does not have to represent realistic mental disorders or give villains mental disorders. Perhaps AFO isn't really a sociopath, but even for fictional standards i don't see how he would be able to feel such a deep connection towards his brother, albeit an unhealthy one, yet also not just inherently evil, but over the top evil. He didn't just corrupt Tomura after finding him, he manipulated all the events in his life and tricked him that he will become his successor. AFO also largely shaped Chisaki and copied his quirk in the past I personally don't think this was Horikoshi's plan all along. While I considerthe plot twist of AFO manipulating Tomura's life, at least we knew from the start that AFO was a bad influence on him, at least there is a hint of this twist, with the at the time unknown man who got Tenko back to his house turning out to have been AFO all along. It wasn't well written, but at least there were some attempts to make it believable, albeit dumb ones. With Chisaki not only was there no hint he ever had anything to do with AFO or Garaki, but considering his hatred for quirks it begs the question why the supervillain who is all about getting more quirks would influence Chisaki to hate them? It's even more counterproductive than his plan with Tomura.

There is also AFO making tons of stupid decisions and outright murdering or attempting to murder followers for petty reasons, when he was build up as a calculated mastermind who knows how to get people to like him. You could argue that the vast majority of abusers often treat their victims well, yet also treat the cruelly in other instances, but AFO comes across as a manchild who shoots himself in the foot all the time. AFO being a manipulative abuser who doesn't really care about his followers only for his behavior to bit him in the ass could've worked if he was more pragmatic, subtle and not childish (or at least not as childish as in canon). The reason why some other over the top evil villains work, is because they are way more of a genuine threat and/or have other qualities that make them entertaining, like for instance being funny, both of which on't really apply to AFO, not since he escaped Tartarus at least. Even minor villains form saturday morning cartoons are more intimidating and/or more entertaining.

[maxknightley]

respectfully where do you like. start with touhou

gonna copy and paste what I said to my friend sara when she asked for suggestions:

you can either start with the manga or start with the games. the games are generally short, light on plot (but they still have solid characterization imo), and really fun. BUT they're almost all bullet hell games so that's definitely gotta be your Thing

most of the games have a difficulty selection and you can just play on easy if you want. it's fine. some of the really old ones won't let you play the final stage on easy but those ones are largely overrated anyway

if you want a starter game I'd recommend

TH7, Perfect Cherry Blossom: first of the touhou games to really have, like, characters and ideas in a way that matters. pretty simple, very Iconic. it's a little flat in my opinion tho

TH10, Mountain of Faith: this is where the games really hit their stride, and it's the start of like. one of the two multi-game arcs in the series. it's not too difficult, it has some fan favorite characters, and I like the music a lot

TH14, Double Dealing Character: my personal favorite. it's tricky to get used to, especially because there's a gimmick that works best once you've played the game several times and are starting to memorize the stage layouts through repetition. that said it has My Blorbos in it and I think it has some of the best patterns and characters in the series

TH17, Wily Beast and Weakest Creature: it's for furries and it's one of the easiest games in the series. it's basically the start of the second multi-game arc

you can find all the games at moriyashrine.org. to get them translated to a language other than Japanese, look up thcrap on github.

IF you end up not liking how the games play but you want to read the story & dialog, that's all available on https://en.touhouwiki.net/ The wiki's original writing isn't always the most reliable, but it has the official character profiles & all paths from all main games (plus some fangames?) fully translated into english, so that's always reliable. it also has text from some of the written works.

as for manga: forbidden scrollery and wild and horned hermit are typically the recommended entry points, and I'm inclined to agree.

[cloudysky-930]

So, I replied to this in a brief comment already

"Bullshit. The reason people shit on Sakura 24/7 is because of some shit she said when she was 12. People will hate on Sakura for being weak and then like rock Lee even when she trained just like he did to become better. Naruto tried to "reason with him" but would've done the same thing. And don't forget, sasuke tried to kill Sakura several times. If she didn't really love him, I don't fucking blame her. All he did was treat her like shit, with a handful of soft moments that she probably doesn't even remember. And then he left his family for nine years in boruto and tried to kill his own daughter 💀 father of the fucking year"

But I thought it would be important to actually post some evidence in order to support my claims so I'll start from the beginning

________________________

"Bullshit. The reason people shit on Sakura 24/7 is because of some shit she said when she was 12."

Incorrect! I can give you some reasons why I dislike her in shippuden.

Says shes going to save her teammates finally, but when the time comes just hides in the forest and does nothing.

Sai is the one that stops Sasuke from harming Naruto, not Sakura, for some reason. Isn't Sakura the one thats whole goal is to finally be useful? What happened to that?

She could've stopped EVERYTHING, but no! She hesitated and made the war SO MUCH WORSE. She couldn't even do this simple task!

She's stupid af for running at 4 tailed Naruto. Like what was she thinking? What would she even be able to DO.

Ran at madara with absolutely no plan, which was a stupid idea. She did this so she could impress "her precious sasuke-kun!"

The constant pining after sasuke for no reason other than his looks

She doesn't even try to understand his actions throughout shippuden

See! He doesn't even care when she gets hurt! And why would he? Not to mention, she didn't even acknowledge Naruto helping her at that moment.

I'll just copy and paste what I said in a pervious post

"Friends who care about their friends don't lie and tell them that they love them. What if it actually worked? If Sakuras plan worked and Naruto believed her, what did she plan on doing after that? Did she still plan to go after Sasuke, and let's say she actually managed to kill him somehow. Wouldn't that just break Narutos' heart even more? For being so smart as some people claim, she's really stupid."

Leaving her teammates who were trying to help her with her stupid plan unconscious and in the open where people can easily harm them.

Last but not least, We are only told that Sakura surpassed the tsunade, not shown it. For example, as shown in the manga and anime during the 4th Shinobi war, Sakura couldn't heal shikamaru, but Tsunade did it with one tap. If Sakura surpassed tsunade, wouldn't she heal Shikamaru faster than a tap?

Also in this frame above, she's dissing her TEACHER who made her go from a complete ZERO to above average in strength. Like Tsunade was doing CHARITY WORK by helping SAKURA, and she dares to put her teacher down???

There are more examples , but because of the image limit per post on Tumblr, this is it for this section.

______________________

"People will hate on Sakura for being weak and then like rock Lee even when she trained just like he did to become better."

Well, for one, Sakura was born naturally gifted with chakra control while Lee was born with no talent at all.

And two, Sakura has A LOT more screen time compared to Lee but does less in that screen time compared to him. Like, 4/5 times, Sakura is going to be useless when we see her, but for the small instances, we see Lee. He's actually being helpful.

______________________

"Naruto tried to "reason with him" but would've done the same thing."

Newsflash! Killing someone is very different than offering to die WITH them. So no, he wouldn't have done the same thing.

______________________

"And don't forget, sasuke tried to kill Sakura several times."

Every time sasuke tried to kill Sakura was after she tried to harm him or had plans to harm him first! So, Sasuke was more of a victim in these scenarios than Sakura.

______________________

"If she didn't really love him, I don't fucking blame her. All he did was treat her like shit, with a handful of soft moments that she probably doesn't even remember. And then he left his family for nine years in boruto and tried to kill his own daughter 💀 father of the fucking year"

Wrong again. All he did was treat her like shit? Are we watching or reading the same show/manga? Because he has been nothing but kind to her, and she didn't even deserve it. She's done nothing but hit on him for no real reason and tried to bring him back for her selfish reasons. Those "handful of soft moments" you claim that he gave to her weren't even deserved, considering she never cared for him as a person but about his looks.

Yes, he left for over 9 years, but why's that a mistreatment of Sakura on his part? Considering she was dying to get with him in the first place.

"Father of the fucking year" why should he want to be near a women he never truly loved and near a child he obviously only needed to have for plots sake.

Why don't you mention how shitty of a mother Sakura is? She uses physical intimidation to make sarada stop asking questions, which is a form of abuse! And those questions weren't even offensive. Her relationship with sasuke IS weird, and she should've answered her daughters questions accordingly.

She even chased after Sasuke for this life so no! She's NOT a victim this is EXACTLY what she wanted!

___________________

I would tag you, but considering how much you've been commenting on my posts, I'm sure you're going to come across this anyway.

Now we obviously share different opinions, and that's okay. But commenting on my posts isn't going to change my opinion because why would it? I have the evidence right here, and measly comments aren't going to make it go away.

[thee-horny-thicky]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Okay, so, technically, Satoru and Suguru are two different characters, but they're canon parallels to each other, two halves of a duo. When that stopped being the case, a chasm was created and their worlds shifted. Their relationship is a major part of both characters stories, so separating them is difficult.

It isn't hard to guess that I love them. They're complex characters, and both serve as a cornerstone of JJK. It's impossible to imagine the series without either one of them, and their respective ideologies and the reasons behind them can be essay material. (I know because I've written one for school)

Bella Goth is an iconic Sims character. She's a baddie, and has some of the most intriguing lore of the game. I think it's a shame the Sims 4 slacked up on the storylines of the townies, because even though I've never owned the original game or Sims 2, the lore of the first two games is compelling. I have fond memories of her, often revolving me breaking up her marriage, and protecting her from those mean, scary aliens.

I was six when this movie came out, and my mother took my sisters and I to see it in the theater. That first watch is something I'd never forget, and even though I was upset that my older sister stole my snacks, the magic of the movie overrode it all. To see a princess movie set in New Orleans endeared it to my entire family, and the fact that she's the first and only Black princess gives Tiana a special place in my heart. She's hardworking, ambitious, and persistent. Not to mention, she's a baddie.

Her and Naveen's love story is one of my favorites, and I adore the fact she showed you can have a loving husband and a prosperous career. She's an independent woman, but can still accept love.

Speaking of....

The original Disney baddie, (argue with your mama), and the first to spark my interest in martial arts. I thought she was so cool, and seeing her growth always puts a smile on my face. When she sat on the top of that pole, I was so proud of her. She started out headstrong and determined, and more honorable than most of the men around her. The crowd bowing to her was exactly what she deserved, and her Father giving her her props was such a sweet moment to me.

As a side note, she deserved better than Li Shang. I fully subscribe to the theory that Li is bisexual and developed an attraction towards Ping. I love the hypothetical queer representation, even if he ends up in a straight relationship. What I don't love is how he left her to die. He tried to pose it as an act of mercy, showing his gratitude for her heroic actions, but he still left her on a freezing mountainside in barely anything. Then, when she escaped and tried to warn him, he refused to give her the time of day. Put short, he was raggedy.

Saiki is one of my favorite anime protagonists. The way the anime pokes fun at tropes is so funny, and Saiki being done with the world around him is a mood, as is his fear of bugs. Anime is riddled with all powerful characters, and a lot of the time, they have a copy and paste personality. Seeing Saiki longing to be normal, (to the point of stalking someone who's scarily average), whilst also being over reliant on his powers and being comedically apathetic is a nice change of pace. It also makes him surprisingly complex. Though this is a theory and not canon, he's great ace representation. He's content with having no romantic partner, and I like how he grows to deal with having friends without having a sudden interest in romance.

Another good example of Ace representation, in my humble bisexual opinion, is Barbie. She shows that friendship and sisterhood can be fulfilling on its own, without any need for a romantic relationship.

Now, I don't think the Barbie movie is as revolutionary as people made it out to be. It was feminism 101, with the core message being the patriarchy oppresses women, and grossly limits men. A message that's still controversial in 2024, but not one we haven't heard before.

Still, it was an incredibly fun movie, and Barbie was a great heroine. The moment she chose the high heel over the Birkenstock, I knew I'd love her, and I was right.

I love Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was so ahead of its time, and is an example of how complex 'kid' shows can be. It's pretty hard for me to pick a favorite character, but if I was forced to choose, I'd say Uncle Iroh.

Long ago, I saw a comment about how if there was a character that embodied the pleasant warmth of a fire place or cackling campfire, it'd be Uncle Iroh. I completely agree. He's the perfect mentor, standing in Zuko's corner no matter what he wanted to do, while subtly guiding him down the right path. He also wasn't blind to his nephew's flaws, but never addressed them in a way that made Zuko feel unwanted. Even after being backstabbed, he was simply sad that Zuko lost his way.

We don't see his character arc on screen, but we know he underwent an incredible transformation, going from a fearsome Fire Nation general, to a humble old man reflective about life, though he can still kick ass if needed.

Leaves From The Vine still makes me feel mushy and teary-eyed. It's bittersweet knowing that losing his son was the catalyst for him to become the character we see, and the reason he's so dedicated to Zuko. He's trying to prevent him from suffering the same fate, and right a wrong that's haunted him for so long. Learning that the tears in Iroh's voice was genuine, because that was one of the final things Mako Iwamatsu recorded before passing, made me want to curl up in bed. He brought the character to life, and is one reason he's so iconic.

Finally, Mr. Shouta Aizawa's fine ass. Now, besides just being fine, I love him for many of the reasons I love Iroh. He's nowhere as cheerful and warm as Uncle Iroh, but he takes his role as a teacher and mentor seriously. He stands in his students corner no matter what, and has shown time and time again that he'd give his life for them. Furthermore, he isn't a hero for fame or recognition, but because he believes it's the right thing to do. He knows the society he lives in is flawed, and tries to right U.A's quirk prejudice system by mentoring Hitoshi.

One might not peg him as it, but he's a very parental character. It's shown with his students, with Hitoshi, and most especially Eri. He's dedicated to guiding the next generation to achieve their fullest potential. Plus, his quirk is cool as hell, and he can throw hands.

Bonus:

Anya Forger and Nezuko, because they make me reconsider my stance on children. They're so cute, and highlights of their respective shows. And I love how Anya is shown to be childishly intelligent. It's due to her powers, but still.

TF141 also gains an honorable mention, especially my baby girl Ghost. Despite being the most secretive character of the task force, we have the most information on his background, and I love his fruity friendship with Johnny. Likewise, I love the mentor relationship Gaz and Price have. On a hornier note, I wish there were more threesome fics with Gaz and Price taking a lucky lady to Pound Town. All and all, these four awful people are my favorite pieces of military propaganda.