#i love the style the manga has so i wanted to do something similar but with a twist on the framing and Wolfwoods position

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I've been trying to focus on thinking about things I enjoy about the idea of the TWST anime. And regarding overblots, I think an anime version would really help illustrate (even more) how terrifying the process is. I really like how the manga shows Riddle's OB, and I love anime as a medium, so I'm pretty hyped to see how it will be conveyed in it.

I really hope they accentuate the horror of it- I'm aware that they might not go all in w the horror like I would personally like, but the thought still excites me. What kind of music will they play? Will the animation change like it does in some animes when the characters are distressed (wobbly lines, glitchy effects)...? What sort of directions will the voice actors get? I mean, they already voiced the game, but anime gives them more room to do voice stuff. I'm really hyped for this aspect tbh...

And I'm also excited for the possibility of dubs, since I'm quite a fan of the whole dubbing world. (I know some ppl have their fears about this last possibility, but in my case even if it turns out to not be so good, I think we could still have a good time w something like that. Plus I've seen some popular eng dub actors hyped about the anime and wanting to be casted for certain characters)

I also wanted to apologize for my previous ask ᕙ⁠(⁠⇀⁠‸⁠↼⁠‶⁠)⁠ᕗ I already did so in the comments, but I felt bad about doomposting on your inbox. My mind's first reaction is usually to see the negative first and become anxious, and it's something I'm working on, but it sometimes goes out of hand. But now that a bit has passed, and specially thanks to your advice, I can sit down and try to focus on the things that excite me rather than the ones that scare me. Sure, building too much expectation could backfire at the end— but as you said, we have little to no information at this point. So I think focusing on the things I'd like to see is a better usage of my time. If they turn out to disappoint me... That's something I'll worry about next year, I'll suppose. I'm still a bit anxious and scared, but there's also lots of things I'm hyped for. I'll try to take your advice and focus on those. 🫂 Sorry if my previous negativity made you uncomfortable.

[Referencing this news! Asker’s prior post here.]

I’ve seen a lot of fans speculating that the OB transformation sequences will resemble magical girl ones! While that’s a fun idea, I do feel like it makes more sense for the anime to portray OB as something scary and all-consuming, similar to how it is depicted at the end of animated dorm commercials and in the manga. For the characters experiencing them, it’s not meant to be glamorous… All that agony, the dripping ink leaking out of their orifices and dripping like blood. Overblot looks incredibly horrific, and I think that should come through in the animation—whether they change the usual style for these segments or keep it the same.

I think the anime would reuse (or maybe do remastered versions of?) the Twst soundtrack for a lot of the show. The compositions are already there, so might as well. Maybe experiencing the anime will help to make the music more memorable, since it seems the game soundtrack alone isn’t doing it for some fans.

No clue about the JP voice cast; I did see some people worrying that they could replace the game’s voice cast for the anime, but as I’ve mentioned already, that’s an unfounded claim. If the usual VAs are there, surely they won’t just reuse the already recorded lines from the game?? 😂 I’d think they’d at least have to rerecord those based on how the script and its scenes are laid out, plus additional dialogue to fill in the gaps (such as new scenes).

No confirmation of an English (or other language) dubs yet either! (Again, this is another topic related to the anime that sparks worry, but I must stress that it’s pointless to get into a tizzy about something that isn’t concrete yet.) But yes, I’ve already seen English VAs expressing interest in certain characters; Daman Mills wants to audition for Malleus, Alejandro Saab has made it known he has Twst on his radar and wants to voice Leona, etc. (The latter has done Twst dorm leader impressions for fun before; I think Mr. Saab could make for a decent Leona or even Malleus!)

Don't worry about the previous ask ^^ I think it's better that we discuss these things with one another rather than post or tweet into the void and allow those negative feelings to fester. If you want to view it in a different way, think of it like the OB boys actually getting therapy/finding someone to confide in instead of being allowed to stew in their own emotions and risking OB a second time. Sometimes all it takes is that gentle nudge or a reminder to step back and take a deep breath. When we let our emotions get the best of us, we end up thinking and acting in irrational ways, and then that can lead to people--whether yourself or others--getting hurt.

[gealachros]

Trigun panel redraw I did awhile back

[seishiroses]

Thoughts on Nagi (not) having friends

[with additional thoughts on Barou and Rin also not having friends]

I saw many posts expressing disappointment in the author's comment that Nagi isn't close with anyone outside of Team V trio.

I get it, considering some of his lighter, most wholesome and hilarious moments in the manga are with Barou and Chigiri, Isagi and also Bachira.

I love that people want Nagi to have friends and a strong support system since he didn't grow up with one. 🤍

However, as someone who feels very similar in personality to Nagi, I feel like I can immediately understand why he wouldn't feel "close" to people easily.

People who prefer their own company for the most part and don't get lonely that easily are used to keeping a distance from others. For Nagi, even meeting Reo was something serendipitous and becoming friends with him was definitely not achieved through his own efforts. Reo had to stalk him, kidnap him in a car, chase him around school, carry him on his back and get down on his knees with candy (lmao) in order to win his trust and his time.

I think that while other more naturally social characters would be able to form connections even in an environment like Blue Lock, characters like Nagi, Rin and Barou, owing to their personalities would find it hard to feel close to most people. Getting close to someone is extra effort on top of enjoying someone's company or liking them as a person. So it would not happen unless the other person continues to insert themselves into their lives by force until their presence becomes part of the new status quo.

I don't think this in any way means they aren't fond of any other people who are nice to them (I support all their condescending hater moments too! 😤)

Okay maybe a huge stretch to say Rin is fond of people 🙈 but Barou has gradually revealed a softer side albeit begrudgingly and Nagi too actively socialises when he does have the energy (usually when excited during matches or when something or someone piques his curiosity, or when trying to annoy Barou lmao). Nagi also readily expresses strong admiration for other Blue Lockers on many occasions throughout the main manga and his own.

So I believe there are many people he really likes and has fun with and learns a lot from (as much as you can like people while playing death-game style football that is) but "close" is something that would take time as this is a guy with a very low social battery who isn't really in the habit of sharing his thoughts (not for seventeen years at least). Even with Reo, who we can very safely say he is close to, he has been learning how to do that through trial and error which often leads to ugly misunderstandings. But maybe he will be able to do it more easily and with more people in the future.

And if not, there's always Choki.🌵🤍

[merakiui]

Have you read the new Platinum Jacket Riddle card story yet?

Riddle getting fashion advice from Cater and Ace because he doesn't know how to dress casually. Imagine Riddle in a panic because he somehow landed a date and has no idea how to dress for it. Cue the shopping montage with the boys!

Riddle getting assigned Vorpal as a hazing because the other students knew he was a difficult horse and wanted to put Riddle in his place. There is so much potential for a bully!darling on that one. Something something you are going to teach that brat Riddle a lesson, but he hangs on until he earns your respect (and love?).

I HAVE AND OMG!!!!! SO MANY THOUGHTS!!!

Riddle who was told by his parents that he must always wear a tie because it's appropriate,,,, Riddle who has no sense of casual fashion because he's only ever dressed formally. Which would make sense considering in the manga he's dressed in very studious attire while Che'nya and Trey are in clothes that children their age typically wear. But Riddle is always wearing his Sunday best, as it's what his parents (more so his mother, though) would choose for him. It's so cute that he's asking for fashion advice because he wants to dress more casually. >w<

"because he somehow landed a date" lol,,, Riddle unintentionally winning darling's heart and now he has no idea what to do or how to dress. It's his first date ever! Cater and Ace are on the case. >:D Cater's very excited to dress Riddle in all kinds of aesthetics and styles to see which will be best for his date and Ace is there to be bluntly honest about what works and what doesn't. Ace (self-proclaimed) "rizz master" Trappola knows what the people like to see in a man (he has no idea). All in all, a very fun day spent trying on clothes and shopping. Maybe they wear silly disguises to keep an eye on Riddle during his date with you and cheer him on from the sidelines.

Did you also see how Riddle mentions his Housewarden journal has less and less room now that he's been writing so many things in it!!! AAAAA RIDDLE SOCIAL ERA!!!! I'm so happy for him,, so proud. T^T <3 he finally has friends and is more involved with them and the rest of his dorm. Very much well-deserved!!!

>:( those students!!!!!! Assigning Riddle a difficult horse with the hope that he would quit Equestrian Club altogether...... what a cruel thing to do. But because Riddle is determined and stubborn, he was able to connect with and have mutual trust with Vorpal!!! :D he's truly the best. <3 an impressive feat that only Riddle could have accomplished. I think Riddle and Vorpal have a few similarities, so perhaps that is why they both get along so well. Both are outcasted and disliked by others due to their difficult-to-manage personalities. They both deserve the world. orz

OOOOO a bully darling..... preying on new club member Riddle Rosehearts, hoping to put him in his place. Your bullying has the opposite effect. ;;; rather than discourage him, it only inspires him to do better, to push himself harder, all so he can gain your approval. Riddle who falls in love with you despite all of the mean things you put him through. He admires you in a way that no one else could. Others may think you're cruel or unfriendly, but to Riddle you're an inspiration. He'll continue to strive for your love respect and recognition.

AAAA thoughts of you and Riddle somehow getting locked in the horse stables and now the two of you have to actually work together to find some way to get out so you don't spend all night trapped there. >:) hehe maybe you bully Riddle only because you feel your position in the club is threatened by him because he turns out to be a very good Equestrian Club member. Intending to lock Riddle in there, but it backfires and now you're trapped alongside him.

[yuujiheart]

Yuuji is becoming Sukuna's equal.

I like everyone, was hoping for yuji's reaction towards yuta taking over gojo's body., although I did suspect that they wouldn't have enough time after yuta gets done and yuji will prioritize saving megumi instead of questioning this whole thing and there is a good reason to believe that todo might have explained him already....I had some doubts that I believe would only be solved once we get yuji's reaction...But what happened this chapter actually ended up answering my question in a different way..

yuji completely ignoring yuta falling on the ground, todo getting black flashed and him not stopping even for a second ,completely locked in. when even todo, a trained sorcerer got distracted reminded me of this panel...

Here sukuna talks about how one should completely let go of everything without worrying about anything and should focus on their desires.

And what yuji did here is exactly that, he didn't let anything distract him at all and he kept moving forward towards his desire to save megumi.. Which he has been doing since Shibuya. And he's the only one except Sukuna who has displayed this behaviour..whether it's during his fight with Sukuna after him possessing megumi, or the moment when todo appeared. The whole shinjuku showdown arc has evidence for that..

Yuuji has gone through so many changes . He went from wondering why he needs to die to happily sacrificing himself. Mahito completely destroyed his belief in himself but not his desire to help/save people. He reduced himself to a cog in order to not let the guilt of sukuna killing people overpower him and allowing him to keep doing what he thinks is right. So much so that Hakari also questions his claim of being a cog. (Which in my opinion he isn't as cogs solely focus on doing their part which is not yuuji style).. And it is quite similar to sukuna..

Sukuna also works in a similar manner without worrying about anything and keeps doing what he thinks is right.. The only difference is the nature of their desires, while sukuna does everything for himself, yuji does everything for others...

Apart from that, this was uraume's (who has known Sukuna for a long time) first thought after sukuna revealed his and yuji's origin. Which is self explanatory I think.

This panel here also suggests something similar. Kenny here calls both yuuji and Sukuna the reason why curses cycle exists and it will remain so as long as BOTH of them are alive. I personally think this could also mean they both are the reason why curses exist in the first place. Not to forget he also called BOTH of them a time bomb. Although It makes more sense now.

Yuuji is called tiger of the West and has tiger in his name while sukuna is associated with dragon (dragon scales) . The two beasts that represent yin and yang . Now yin and yang are not opposite forces but complementary . They represent the balance that exists in universe. Gege also tries to depict something similar in manga initially through yuji and sukuna 's clothing as yuji is all black with white hood and sukuna with all white and black scarf which gege himself mentioned in an interview.

We can also see this as a conflict between strong vs weak where yuuji went from being strong to weak ( him being special in high school but weak in jujutsu world) and sukuna weak to strong ( him being ostracized and undesired to being known as king of curses.)

Another thing that connects them is their feeling of loneliness.. Yuuji does not want to be alone when he dies so he tries to save people. He doesn't let yuta kill him because he still hopes to help people. Otoh Sukuna also feels lonely and that's why he listens to yorozu kashimo gojo but after seeing their version of love which is them connecting to him through strength ,he declares he doesn't want that .

This is my personal opinion but yuji and sukuna are not completely opposite.. Both of them are striving for what they believe in and what they want to do. That's why only they can understand each other like no one... But it wasn't like that from the start, it has developed slowly into one.. Sukuna who has only cared about his pleasures and desire, started to understand other's ideals through yuuji and yuuji understanding through sukuna what curses truly are . To me it's like both of them are forces that are needed to create balance but disrupting one of them can cause chaos too.

So I am imagining that both will save each other, yuuji by connecting with Sukuna not through the strength and sukuna will help yuuji realize his true potential because merger is still there and I strongly believe sukuna is not in the story only to die by good guys hands I guess. Gege said nobody is completely wrong or right so i don't want to discard this possibility at all.

[room-surprise]

I understand if this is outside your field of expertise, but do you think if the ornamentation of the clothing that (some of) the kobolds drawn by Kui wear is inspired by anything?

Actually this is exactly my field of expertise! I studied costume design for about two years in university before switching to something else :) So clothing is something I love looking at and talking about, and fashion history is one of my favorite elements of history in general!

HOWEVER, though I have some experience with subject, I'm not a fully trained expert in the field, and I know that I may not have all the answers, so please take what I say with a grain of salt. This is only my educated guess.

I'm assuming that you're talking about this page from the Daydream Hour book:

To start with, the caption says: "Kobolds that appear in foreign games and fantasy often have a reptilian appearance, but we chose an appearance that is more familiar in Japan." This doesn't tell us anything about their clothing, but I wanted to translate it to make sure it didn't say anything about their culture.

(You can read more about why the Dungeon Meshi kobolds are dogs in the Half-foot chapter of my Dungeon Meshi research project)

Kobolds likely live all over the world, but their large population centers are all located in the Western Continent, so that is probably the region they consider home.

So those two kobolds on the bottom left of the chart, who appear to be wearing European-inspired clothing, are probably living somewhere in the Eastern hemisphere, where Northern/Western/Central/Eastern European clothing is the norm, while the rest are likely from the West. So we can discard the European-looking clothes, since that's probably not a part of the kobold's traditional culture.

We have very limited information about the Western Continent, but these images plus what we know about Kabru (His name and Utaya's name are both South Asian, the dessert that comes from Utaya is South Asian) and the elves (several of them have South Asian names, some elves wear South Asian clothing and bindis) makes me think there's probably a strong Indian/South Asian influence in the Western Continent. It's a large land mass, so I don't think it's all South Asian, but South Asian culture is the only thing we have conclusive evidence of so far.

The majority of the kobolds are wearing brightly colored tunics with patterns on the hems, or what seems to be dresses/tunics made of draped fabric, also with hem decoration.

It IS worth noting that Kui avoids drawing elaborate patterns, even when it would make sense for her to do so. She does it only a couple of times in the manga and uses screentones instead whenever possible. So the simple hem decoration and single color fabric may just be an artistic choice that doesn't mean anything other than "I didn't want to draw a pattern." However, it's all we have to work with, so I'm going to assume it's intentional.

The repeated over-the-shoulder draped fabric the kobolds are wearing seems like it could only be a Greco-Roman style toga, palla, or cloak, or a South Asian saree. We have seen Western elves wearing garments similar to all of these on occasion, though obviously Kui has made some changes. As I say in my essay, I don't think any of the cultures in Dungeon Meshi is an exact copy of a real-world culture, Kui is remixing things together.

(Except for the Island of Wa, which seems to be entirely based on Sengoku-era Japan.)

Roman togas were just large pieces of cloth that they draped around their bodies, and they were usually white, with brown or black reserved for the lower-classes or for use during mourning, and purple or red reserved for extremely important people. Embroidery and trim, if they had it, was usually either very simple (plain colored stripes) or very elaborate (images of people, animals, or things).

So I think that rules out the toga as a possibility.

On the other hand, the saree and dupatta are also large pieces of cloth draped either around the body and over the shoulder (and sometimes the head), and usually they are either a single plain color, a plain color with a decorative trim, or an all-over pattern. This is a lot closer to what Kui draws the kobolds wearing.

(Pictures and more text after the cut)

Toga:

Saree:

The tunics the kobolds are wearing could be many things, as what's visible is not an uncommon neck shape. They could be something like a kurta, kaftan, or abaya (tunic/robe)... And there's probably a dozen other similar garments that I'm neglecting to name.

There are a million variations on the kurta, but these neck styles looks like what Kui is drawing on a couple of those kobolds.

However, some of the tunics COULD also just be a depiction of what is often called a "Viking tunic" or kyrtill (Nordic name for a kirtle or tunic).

However in Dungeon Meshi, the kyrtill is extensively worn in the Eastern hemisphere, primarily by dwarves, tall-men and half-foots. So I don't think the Western hemisphere kobolds are wearing them, and the style of trim looks different to me than what Kui drew.

Kobold fashion could also be influenced by any culture from North Africa, West Asia, or the Middle East, as these are also cultures that appear to dominate the Western hemisphere of Dungeon Meshi, and that have similar fashion cultures involving patterned textiles and draping cloth/veils/head coverings...

However, because of what seems like a large draping cloth over the shoulder, and the combination of trim with a solid color, I think the primary influence is South Asian rather than these other cultures.

I hope that helps! And keep in mind that Kui loves to remix things, so I'm sure there's elements from other cultures that would fit right in with what she's shown us of the kobolds, if you want to get creative with your fan works!

[inside-lees-mind]

Hello! This is my first ask and it may be very bad but here it is:

Can you do a headcanon of any dr.stone character with an always exhausted and introverted s/o? They’re just always exhausted with no reason why and they don’t like talking to people as that delays the possible time they could’ve been sleeping

If you do this, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Remember to have a great time and take care of yourself <3

P.S: may I be called 🍙 Anon?

Hi, 🍙 anon! Thank you for your request!

Dr. Stone Characters with a Constantly Exhausted! Introvert! S/O.

The characters I chose for this are: Senku, Gen, Chrome, Ryusui, Hyoga, and Francois.

Random fun fact: I have the same MBTI as Senku! INTP! (Joel Gear from the manga also has the same type)

Senku Ishigami

Before you’re even dating, he may notice your constant exhaustion. It likely worries him, and he will probably try to seek out the cause.

He might confront you about how you’re sleeping at night, in order to offer advice, but even then, he makes the kingdom of science pull ungodly feets so he might just assume it’s all that hard work.

He’ll likely assume you have hyposomnia, or maybe insomnia at night, leading to sleeping throwout the day. Or something similar.

If it’s none of those, just how you are. He’ll except that and let you sleep periodically when you need to.

But he’ll likely remind you about how much sleep is TOO much sleep.

He really just means the best for you.

So if you need help sleeping better at night to prevent sleeping so much during the day, he’d make sleep drugs or melatonin.

He’s an introvert too, so he’d understand any of your personality traits pretty well.

If you just want to be alone, he understands that and will give you space.

If you don’t like big groups and need a break, that’s okay. But they need 800 manganese batteries so you can do that while you’re alone :)

He’s not very affectionate, so he’d show his love for you by giving you inventions to help you in any way you need, rather he makes them or asks a friend for a favor. So if that’s a pillow? There is left over fabric, he can ask Yuzuriha to sew it together for you.

Gen Asagiri

He understands, but he, like Senku, would be concerned.

He’d likely be trying to figure out if it’s a mental health issue. Or something typical, but harmful, like “revenge bed time.”

Insomnia can be caused by anxiety, or something of that sort. And same goes for hyposomnia.

If he rules you have neither, or even if you do, he’ll do anything he can to help you. Maybe by convincing you to go to bed earlier.

He likely would know it’s more than just this new world and the work Senku has everybody doing.

If he gets a chance though, he’s taking a nap with you. I think he’d be the type to hold you or let you sleep on his shoulder if you want.

Then he’d tell Senku he simply can’t work at the moment because it’d require waking you. (Senku would invent the megaphone just to wake you to do work)

Gen isn’t an introvert himself, but he has a strong understanding of mentalism, of course.

He’d understand you completely. And if the social life gets to be a lot, he’s got some ways to deal with it to help you.

Overall, he’d understand you don’t really want to be around everybody all the time. And that may include him.

Chrome

Are you… sick?

That was his first thought. But he’s smart. So it puts it together after talking to you.

If you have trouble sleeping at night, he’ll do anything he can to help.

If you sleep fine at night, but just sleep more anyways. He’d be a bit confused, especially if you are from the past. It’s a bit weird to see in a fast paced, grit and grind kind of life style.

He’ll do any work or scavenging or whatever all by himself if you need to catch up on some sleep, he really doesn’t mind! Because, yeah he likes your company, but he values your comfort (and safety, he doesn’t want you to fall asleep in a dangerous situation or to be too tired to think)

Really, he might have one of the least understanding of any of these terms and stuff out of anyone on this list, but he will likely be the sweetest one. He’s a quick learner too, so just tell him about your needs and he’ll respect that and work around that.

If you fell asleep on him, he’d be a blushing mess. Just saying.

He doesn’t have a great understanding of introverted vs extroverted people in terms of like terms and stuff. But he can tell some people are more social and lively, some people are more reserved.

So he doesn’t have a hard time adapting to your life style.

For example, if you want to stay in even though there is a party, he’d likely stay with you. He’s happiest where you are. (He might lightly nudge you towards just dropping by to say hi, especially if it’s a celebration of an accomplishment you both were a part of)

Ryusui Nanami

You’re tired? He’ll ask Francois to prepare you a bed if you don’t have one where they are.

You don’t want to walk? He’s carrying you.

You fall asleep on his shoulder? If anybody wakes you, they owe you 1000 dragos for the inconvenience to you. (He’ll likely wake you up accidentally and try to give you the money he threatened other people to have to give you. Tell him to put the dragos back)

Literally the most excessive man ever. He desires the best for you. (I love this man omg)

He’s not much help for an introvert though.

He’s always doing the most. Literally.

So quiet time usually means time AWAY from him. But don’t get it twisted, he can be quiet for you. If you want him to just spend time with you, but need silence. He can.

He’d be okay with just being in the same space together. He might be building a ship model while you sleep a few feet away. He’ll try to be quiet!

Or if you want a quiet night in, play him at chess. (Sai is shaking in his boots)

Francois

Anything you need is yours.

A drink on your bed side table? It’s yours.

Dating or not, they treat you so well.

If you are dating, they keep professional until nobody is looking. So it’s likely they don’t treat you any differently than everybody else until you’re both away from prying eyes.

You would also be the only one to see Francois rest, and know Francois does in fact run out of stamina. They are no Taiju.

So you’d likely take naps together.

I don’t see them being super physically affectionate, so likely just being within the same space as each other.

They treat you pretty much the same if you’re an extrovert or introvert, but an introvert would likely be preferred for them anyways. Seeing as they likely prefer quiet and peace when they get the chance.

Hyoga Akatsuki

I saved the worst for last :)

Now it depends on when he met you how he treats you, but how he thinks of you remains about the same.

At first, either way, he’d think you’re weak and likely wouldn’t give you time of day.

Now, if you’re strong beyond just being exhausted, now you’re talking.

Or if you’re super intelligent and can use that as strength.

You’d have to have something to make him gain respect for you to even get together.

He doesn’t have much time for your issues, or pity.

He says, at least. But he finds himself doing small things behind your back to make it easier on you.

If you two, for any reason, went out on a scouting or scavenging mission together, he’d stand guard and watch while you sleep. He says he’s stronger so it makes sense, but really he just thinks you should rest.

He’s come to care about you, rather he’ll admit it or not.

He’ll give you a, ever so slightly reluctant, helping hand when you need it.

He’d prefer an introverted s/o, likely, because he doesn’t have any interest in being encouraged to be social and lively.

He’d be the type to just like to be in the same room, at the same time, and that’s bonding.

Thank you so much for the request. I hope I did your vision justice :) have a wonderful day!

[absolutebl]

Hii do you have any recommendations for bl that’s similar to Bad Buddy, My School President, and Semantic Error? Idk I’m looking for something fluffy, but with some angst for flavor (also potentially school setting but it doesn’t have to be). Anyways thank you so much!! 💟💟

10 Fluffy Yet Angsty BLs + School Setting (By Request Rec List)

Examples: Bad Buddy, My School President, Semantic Error

Interesting selection. I added the "school setting" to keep me tailored down. Let's see what we got.

You'll never guess how we are gonna start...

Did ya guess?

Seven Days

Japan 2015 - grey

Never doubt my ability to recommend this show. One of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes (rare in Japanese BL). The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses.

I Cannot Reach You

AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai

Japan 2023 - Netflix

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen. Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way. This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen. Full review.

Light On Me

Korea 2021 Viki

Korea does an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles. LoM strategically tailors classic BL tropes to 2 different semes resulting in pristine pacing, plot, and character development, explicitly serving narrative (not just to tick boxes). LoM is a master class in this trope drops. (If you write fanfic or romance you should study this show.) Full review.

Cherry Blossoms After Winter

Korea 2022 Viki

Korea took on early Japanese sweet yaoi but gave it their signature softness and precise production with a STUNNING color palette (beautiful pastels, sun-saturated over-exposure), manga framg style, some traditional BL character archetypes, that tiny edge of bullying roughness and out-of-control seme, plus FINALLY a palatable take on the stepbrothers trope and it was, in a word, classic. Sophisticated and understated CBAW is not slow, it’s just subtle. It's dream-like and atmospheric, as if the whole thing took place under cold water on a warm spring day. Is there plot or peril? Not really. Do we care? Also, not really. Look, I can’t help it, I’m old school and so is this show. I grew up reading sweet yaoi, and this was THAT YAOI just on my screen. There’s no objectivity with me and this show. It’s a beautiful pastiche and I loved it for how it made me feel and what it remded me of. It’s not flawless, but it is a wonderful experience. Full review.

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun

Japan 2022 Gaga and Viki

I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this show. Reserved cool kid who must learn to communicate to keep the tiny disaster nugget he’s madly in love with. It is beyond charmg: soft and gentle, packed with cuteness and high school angst, thirst, & yearning. Was there plot? Not really. Was it emotionally tense and paced well enough for me not to notice? Absolutely. Did I enjoy the hell out of it? Oh yes. Full review.

Blueming

Korea 2022 - iQIYI

It’s a tiny bit dark and a tiny bit bittersweet, almost too honest to a university experience and first love for BL, but if you want your md ever-so-slightly messed with and your intimacy hellishly sweet, this BL will do it for you in a coldly distant manner, while bitch slapping you with self worth issues. I wasn’t into it at first, but the leads are solid and by ep 5 it got really good, becomg a narrative about self discovery meets understanding and accepting others people’s flaws without hurting them. Ultimately we witnessed two characters maturing because of each other and their mutual affection, without that affection becomg the conflict point. Instead, tension was built around other aspects of identity, popularity, and self-worth. While production values were a touch lower than usual for Korea, Bluemg included decent kisses and other forms of intimacy and a satisfying ending plus there’s judicious and very elegant use of tropes, this is a great BL. Full review.

About Youth

Taiwan 2022 - Gaga

A truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst and an earnest depth. I didn’t even mind the singing, and that’s saying a lot. A weak seme/uke dynamic but tons of BL tropes (both rare in a high school setting but common for Taiwan) makes this one feel both sweet and colored by real world authenticity and grit. Full review.

My Love Mix Up

AKA Kieta Hatsukoi

Japan 2021 - Viki

Completely adorable absolute chaos bi disaster muffin falls accidentally and utterly in love with his classmate, hijinx and friendship result. What’s great about this BL is that it deals with things like homophobia, asexuality, and one sided affection in an extremely gentle and palatable way. Perhaps sometimes too subtle, but I believe this is a great show for younger audiences, particularly if you want to spark conversations about identity, sexuality, authority, truthfulness, and consent. Oh and it’s funny.

The Eclipse

Thai 2022 - YouTube

GMMTV does gay Blacklist with a good boy/bad boy pairing. This is a good show but the cast is excellent and the leads are absolutely flawless, which elevates it beyond just good. We got a nuanced and multifaceted burgeoning relationship: philosophical (and socio-political) conflict contrasted to moments of empathy; flirtation contrasted to moments of genuine affection, plus plenty of angst. This narrative is less about love than it is about courage and tenderness. However, near the end the pacing was off and the plot frustrating. Still, this is an enjoyable watch, with a finale that features verbal consent and a fun blooper reel.

Destiny Seeker

Thai 2023 - WeTV

Frankly this probubly ranks along side most of hte runners up, but it's chronically under watched so I wanted to give it a special shout out.

A darn near perfect pulp featuring 3 likable grumpy/sunshine pairings with uncomplicated iterations of enemies to lovers. At least one half of each does a decent amount of pining and there’s good chemistry, classic tropes, and communication rep. It’s fun and full of linguistic jokes. Sublimely cheesy but a good rainy day offering with tons of rewatch potential. Full review.

Honorable mention

These satisfy your criteria but I jsut personally like the above 10 better. And you did ask me, still OPTIONS!

2gether & Still 2gether

A Breeze of Love

Between Us

Dark Blue Kiss (+ Kiss Me Again - PeteKao Cut)

Hidden Agenda

Love By Chance

Love Class

Love Class 2

SOTUS

Star in My Mind

TharnType

Theory of Love

Why R U? Thailand

Why R U? Korea

(source)

[hollersparrow]

why the fuck was all might allowed to be a teacher. he's teaching at what is widely regarded as the best school in the country, particularly for heroes, but also just in general from what i understand. there is no way in HELL that a school like that would let a person who is uncertified and has no higher education to teach, regardless of how famous they are or how much pressure the hpsc put on the school or even how eclectic and eccentric the school/its teaching styles are. there is simply no fucking way.

at most he'd be allowed to be a guest in some of the hero classes to provide additional feedback, etc etc. he probably couldn't even do administrative work as that generally requires either ample teaching experience or some level of training/school to do as a job.

also, i don't care how much nedzu loves chaos, he also loves his job and wants to protect/care for his students. he would not just skip over all might's lack of ability for this, no way no how; he would expect him to follow the rules set up to ensure that the teachers are equipped to handle the position and to teach the students

semi-related to the above, it is a personal headcanon of mine that many of the UA teachers are not as popular or as widely regarded as other heroes BECAUSE THEY HAD TO GET A TEACHING DEGREE. many of them worked as heroes or sidekicks to gain field experience but did so while also attending university to get an undergraduate degree AT THE LEAST. then, depending on the person, they either went straight into a teaching assistantship or continued working as a hero for a few more years to get more experience. however, many of them weren't able to reach higher levels of notoriety simply because they didn't have the time or the energy to market themselves and they ALSO didn't have a need to, as they were working towards a different goal.

for some, especially those in the support course (i'm thinking powerloader but i'm sure there's others), i could see there being waivers like many schools offer for folks teaching a trade (at least in the US). if you've worked in a trade for long enough, you might only need to get your teaching license which is usually not as long as getting a degree since your work experience shows that you know what you're doing. so i could see some of the teachers for support courses or even business courses being hired through a similar process.

i also think that most of the teachers don't work as heroes during the school year. i think that they keep active hero licenses and are able to be called on at any time (i could also see staff wide training/sparring being a part of this), but that they generally are taken off the roster. there are definitely some exceptions to this, like aizawa who's quirk is super valuable and who is also insanely willing to sacrifice himself and his health to help others (he needs therapy and some sessions on how to set boundaries). i think yamada is also an outlier with his radio show, although i think that started while he was getting his teaching degree and was working for the university's radio channel and he just decided to keep up with it. however, everyone else just teaches and then picks up freelance work during the summers (also see them only being on 10 month contracts or an equivalent type of work schedule).

i also know next to nothing about the requirements for teaching in japan, so take most of this with a grain of salt. but, at the same time, i think bits and pieces of this are probably universal.

it should probably also be mentioned that i really like bnha for the potential and the amount of room left for fanfic and the fandom to play around in the sandbox that is the world that Horikoshi Kōhei has created but i literally can not finish the manga or the anime. i have tried. multiple times. and i can't get past the sports festival for either of them. so maybe this gets better explained or something or maybe my standpoints on the characters are a little off.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

HOW I WOULD’VE WRITTEN YUKIMIYA AND KUNIGAMI

i made a silly post last night about something i would’ve done differently in the neo egoist league and it inspired me to finally make a proper post explaining how i, personally, would’ve written yukimiya and kunigami specifically, given that the both of them are currently suffering from benched-character-syndrome (that’s not a real thing, i just made it up, but i’m sure you all can figure out what it means)

disclaimer before i start: this is MY OPINION and just one way that things could be done differently — i’m not saying that this way is better or worse (on the whole i actually have been enjoying kaneshiro’s decisions so this is definitely not hate), it’s just a different perspective!! i will be cutting many characters in the course of this explanation, including some fan-favorites ones, but don’t take that personally, because for the most part, it doesn’t mean i hate them 😩 in fact i typically like most of them, this is just from a writing perspective ☝🏻

disclaimer two: i am not a professional writer or mangaka or anything — i’m literally typing this while eating a rice bowl at my kitchen counter!! so don’t expect peak fiction and DO expect plenty of typos…i also don’t know how the manga is going to go and this could be rendered completely obsolete (writing this as of chapter 276) in like an arc or so 😓 please don’t come in my notes and call me stupid or say i have zero reading comprehension or whatever other insult you feel inspired to come up with (i know some of y’all like to tussle 😰), put that energy into making your own post or ignoring me or whatever brings you peace and joy 🥰

OKAY now that that’s over with we can finally get started!! LMAO sorry for the lengthy disclaimers i’m scared of some people in fandom tbh because some of the notes i’ve seen on my mutuals’ posts/some of the fandoms i’ve been in in the past…anyways…

@sharkissm here’s the post i promised you!!

YUKIMIYA KENYU

poor yuki…he went from number 5 in blue lock to a literal random in bastard münchen?? okay maybe not quite RANDOM but he’s approaching that status 😓 it feels as though the character he was set up to become in the third selection and u20 arcs is not the same as the character he became in the NEL arc both in terms of worldview and play-style!! so to begin with, i’d make some heavy adjustments to his backstory in order to explain away some of those discrepancies in a more consistent manner

as we know, yuki had a pretty good childhood, all things considered — much more in line with the isagis of the world than, say, bachira, and not to mention kaiser. well, the first thing i’m going to do is take that away from him completely!! instead of having an idyllic childhood where he’s incredibly perfect, i want him to be from a “bad” area of japan. of course, both in real life and in blue lock, japan does not have any crazily horrible terrible areas, but all countries have their sketchier parts, and i want yukimiya to be born in one of those. he lives his childhood as an absolute MENACE and is the kid that adults hate to see coming. his parents work a lot, so as much as they love him and try to raise him as best as they can, they’re not there to correct him 100% of the time, so he kinda just runs roughshod and does whatever the hell he wants. in his light novel, it’s mentioned that he learns to play soccer with this old man and his dog, and i’m actually not going to take that aspect away from him completely because it’s cute, but i will change the context a bit; instead of it being a chance encounter, the old man actually seeks yukimiya out and asks to teach him soccer. maybe his son went down a similar path that yukimiya has begun down and while he can no longer save his son, he at least wants to help yuki out and channel his energy into something more productive, hence soccer!!

after learning soccer from the old man and his dog, yukimiya begins to play it on the streets with some of the other local kids (who are just glad he’s not being a bully anymore and are happy to play along) which is the beginning of the development of his street-style dribbling (in reference to that majestic ass panel of him in the u20 game that was like hardly ever referenced again) as well as his dominance as the one-on-one king. he’s basically undefeatable, and this leads to something of a superiority complex in that he is firmly convinced that he is the protagonist, he is the one that the universe favors, and he absolutely cannot and will not lose and nothing bad can ever happen to him. he continues to be an asshole in general and is still the kind of guy that your parents would tell you to stay the hell away from, however!!

things change when his eyesight starts deteriorating. he goes to the doctor, and that’s when it’s revealed that he has this eye disease (is it even named in canon?? idk i’m just going to call it eye disease) and he might eventually go blind. that night when he leaves the doctor, it’s pretty much in despair, because soccer is the only thing that makes him happy given how miserable his surroundings are (again, there’s obviously many countries and places that have it way worse, but for young yukimiya who is comparing it to the rest of japan, it’s not that great) and he feels like he’ll now be stuck in the same cycle that his parents are caught in. on the way home, he sees one of those religious billboards that’s all like “god will always forgive you” and since he’s at one of the lowest points of his life thus far, he decides that he’s going to become religious because this blindness/disease must be a punishment from god for the things he’s done.

soon after, he’s walking home from school or something random (this is meant to be an extreme coincidence given the situation) and is scouted to be a model. this reaffirms his conviction that his conduct thus far is wrong and that if he ever wants to escape and live the good life that he dreams of, he has to abide by god’s rules and follow his ways. he gets into modeling and makes enough money that he and his family can move to a better part of the country, where he begins to play soccer for his new high school and is quickly recognized for his skill/talent. through this process, he learns how to be incredibly polite, kind, and altruistic, because he’s already been “punished” once and doesn’t want to face it again…he also wants to prove that he is better now and deserves this new life of his as much as if he had born to it + he doesn’t ever want to go back to where he used to be!!

what this backstory change accomplishes: it explains the street soccer panel in a more satisfying way, and it also gives a reason for why yuki is so kind in the 3rd selection/u-20 match and then suddenly becomes incredibly selfish in the NEL — instead of it just being explained away as ego, it shows how blue lock manages to draw out the worst aspects of one’s personality via competition, because yukimiya, who has worked so hard to be good and kind, reverts to his childhood personality almost instantly under isagi’s pressure!! it also explains why yuki’s so quick to just go back to being chill, as he probably feels guilty that he let himself slip like that and doubles down on being a “good person”

now as for the actual games this is where i think i will make the most people mad BUT i would’ve gotten rid of kurona and had yukimiya replace him!! to be honest as much as i do like kurona, he was very very randomly dropped in (i literally thought i had missed the manga panel introducing him because his actual first speaking appearance was so out of the blue) and there were already established characters that could’ve taken that role (ex. yukimiya). i would’ve sent kurona (and honestly probably kiyora) over to barcha because they likely would’ve gotten along well with bachira and otoya plus their passing skills could’ve made barcha a stronger team!! this also serves to isolate isagi more and gives him literally no one but hiori on his side — in this scenario, i want yukimiya to be SO altruistic (as per the backstory change) that he will pass to anyone, just as long as that’s what’s best for the team (the “greater good”). if yukimiya stays the 1v1 emperor, this also adds another dynamic to the kaisagi rivalry as well as possibly adding a ness vs hiori dynamic because that would mean that more often than not, yukimiya would have the ball, and he’s the one who they will rely on to break through the defense before passing to one of the other midfielders (ness, hiori) or going straight to one of the strikers (kaiser, isagi) (yes i know there’s only one striker on a team but YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN). this version of yukimiya could also have a very interesting dynamic with kaiser as both of them come from somewhat similar backgrounds (obviously kaiser is worse but there are similarities) however kaiser forsakes everyone in order to view himself as a god, or god’s chosen one, whereas yukimiya once believed himself to be that but has now forsaken that aspect of his ego in order to place his beliefs in others and in a higher being. this means kaiser could also be a method of awakening yukimiya (giving him interactions with more of the team than just isagi) where his selfishness makes yukimiya realize that if he wants to survive and continue dominating on the field as the 1v1 emperor, he also has to be a little more selfish (a leader instead of just a follower), allowing him to settle into a blend of his new personality and his childhood one, where he’s still kind and agreeable but also a little bossy and much more assertive/willing to score his own goals even if it’s not necessarily for the greater good 100% of the time

what this new role accomplishes: it allows yukimiya to have much MUCH more play time as he deserves given the hype built up for him during the third selection (he was ranked higher than NAGI, which yes it was in the second selection but second selection nagi was a beast so that says something about yuki for sure [as well as karasu and otoya but we’re not talking about them atm]), it gives us a smaller cast to work with on bm (because at the moment there are just too many blue lockers getting random backstories and doing one thing in a game before ghosting and honestly if all of their individual contributions were consolidated into one character, in this case yukimiya, it would make that one character much stronger as well as taking away the plotsagi accusations as now isagi isn’t the only one consistently doing things in games) and allows us to get much more attached/involved with the stakes of the games, and it gives kaiser dynamics with the rest of bastard münchen instead of just isagi, which fleshes him out a bit more as well

KUNIGAMI RENSUKE

i’m sure this is what most of you are reading for (although i hope you went through the yukimiya part and enjoyed it as well!!) and trust i have come to deliver because i have many thoughts about kunigami…my biggest gripe is that his return from the wildcard was so built up and then the narrative treated it as so utterly unimportant (why do literally none of the characters gaf??? like there were a couple of panels touching on it but nowhere near the significance it shoudl’ve been given) that the readers themselves have zero stakes in it!! like if isagi, who considered kunigami a fairly good friend as far as blue lock goes, barely questions why his friend is so different now, then why should we as readers care either?? now, if/when the wildcard reveals are done, they will MOST LIKELY not have the same impact that they could’ve if kunigami as a character was treated differently in the narrative (again, maybe this will change and there will be something that makes the punch of it still hit just as hard, but as of the moment i’m writing this post, i don’t feel that that will happen)

there’s two routes that i could see kunigami taking, and both of them involve kicking out some fan favorite characters (again) but in the first case it’s only temporary!! i’ll go through the first one and then the second one and cover my ears as the bm fans yell at me for axing kaiser and ness

that’s right, route one involves getting rid of kaiser and (most likely) ness entirely!! i am actually of the firm belief that the ng11s (specifically kaiser and lorenzo) were introduced too early. people legitimately think lorenzo is a bad player just because ubers lost vs bm even though kaiser himself had difficulties when lorenzo was covering him…in my opinion the ng11s should’ve been kept as a mysterious entity whose only representative we see is sae itoshi (for narrative reasons) until the u-20 world cup, where ng11s randomly show up in some of the matches to raise the stakes and allow individual blue lockers to confront their demons/weakness and develop further (for example, in a game against, say, the italian u-20 team, maybe shidou learns how to break through a defensive set up with lorenzo at the center?? and that particular match is the ‘shidou match’ random example because idek if shidou’s built like that but you get the gist). i honestly don’t even mind kaiser being there as much because at least he’s doing stuff and still feels like he’s on another level but lorenzo shouldn’t have been shown until later — anything he does, aiku could’ve accomplished and that also would’ve built the rivalry between him and barou that was hinted at in barou’s ln…but anyways my thoughts on aiku can be a separate post because i have digressed!! back to kunigami

in this version, i want him to be isagi’s main rival instead of kaiser, who’s not here at all. make his new ego so obsessed with scoring goals that he cannot fathom anyone else doing it. whatever wildcard did fucked him up so badly that he is absolutely TERRIFIED of returning, so even if it makes the team lose, even if it makes him an asshole, he will do anything to score and prove himself as “useful” to the team so that, even in the worst-case scenario, he’s the one being chosen instead of anyone else (the way reo was chosen over him). this also creates a much deeper rivalry than just “who gets to be the star of the team” as it’s rooted in kunigami’s insecurity and fear of wtvr the fuck was going on in wildcard. this also builds wildcard up as something much more terrifying than it has been so far in canon, because when you think about it it MUST have been horrible and that’s gone somewhat unacknowledged except for brief hints and glimpses, and it also adds a legal/moral/ethical dilemma — because obviously wildcard WORKS, kunigami is the proof of it (as isagi’s main rival, he’s scoring all of the goals that kaiser did, so he’s obviously eating it up), but is it sustainable?? is it something that they can do en masse?? because there’s no question that it’s destroyed kunigami completely, so is it even worth it?? or is it one of those things that you think is worth it when you start (the way kunigami must’ve) but afterwards you regret entirely??

however, given the importance that kaiser has to the NEL (he’s kind of the face of it to be honest), as well as how many fans he has, i can totally understand leaving him in, so i have another option, which i also really like. in this route, i want to use kunigami to replace ness — which doesn’t make sense at first i know but hear me out!! ness hasn’t contributed enough to the plot (besides his dynamic w kaiser ig) for me to feel bad about kicking him out honestly and that’s one less character on the main cast that we have to care about, allowing for more depth to the characters that DO exist. in this scenario, kaiser’s in a loki-esque situation, where all he needs to get that coveted re al offer is someone with the crazy strength to push through players like lorenzo (we’ve seen kaiser struggling with defense before, and as barou says in second selection, kunigami has the build to hold the ball up at the top of the field)…enter kunigami, who’s very obviously a prime candidate for this, and kaiser POUNCES!! he thinks he’s going to have to convince kuni to take his side instead of isagi’s, but surprisingly, kunigami very readily agrees to it. this is because in this route, kunigami resents the blue lockers, including isagi, because while he was effectively being tortured, they were being lauded with praise and shown on live tv as celebrities and whatnot. they never suffered in the way he did, and although he does believe that wildcard was necessary for him to evolve (not a healthy mindset but the one drilled into him), he still wishes the rest had endured what he did, because it scarred him so much that he almost cannot handle knowing that he went through it alone while the others were enjoying themselves (comparatively)?? so he teams up with kaiser and is actively working against his old friends (for maximum effect add in reminders/callbacks to the team z days to give extra angst to the “betrayal”)…it would also be very fun to juxtapose kunigami’s and kaiser’s backstories here, as kunigami had a good life that was ruined by soccer, whereas kaiser had a shitty life that was saved by soccer, and this could definitely come through in their particular brands of desperation while playing!!

now, there’s plenty of theories floating around that ness will assist isagi in scoring the final point against pxg (now that IGAGURI is in for some reason idk if that’s still a likely outcome but i can def see it happening) however my counter-point is don’t have kunigami assist isagi with the two-gun volley…give that to yukimiya (given he’s a character like i outlined previously) or even hiori, and instead have kunigami pay isagi back for the half of the steak (therefore acknowledging their past and old friendship for the first time since his return) by passing him the ball instead of kaiser, the way everyone expected/was covering for. this allows isagi to still score the final goal against pxg while giving it more of an emotional meaning than just “oh isagi has to win because he’s the main character”

alternatively, if pxg is meant to win, then i would leave the two-gun volley as it is, but i would just make it so that the setup is still kunigami choosing isagi over kaiser and acknowledging their old friendship, and i would make a bigger deal out of the pass since the build up is different!! i also wouldn’t have noa tell kunigami to manmark shidou the entire time…instead i would make kunigami obsessed with shidou in the BEGINNING of the game, but i would have kaiser/isagi/noel noa yell at him for this obsession and remind him that the objective is winning, not revenge, so he’s still active in the game instead of just being stuck on babysitting shidou duty (this role could be given to yukimiya actually, again given that he’s written as i stated previously, as he’s the 1v1 emperor so he has enough of the physicality to accomplish that and keep the ball away from shidou if it gets near him, and he’s already done enough in the previous games that it’s alright for him to take a bit more of a backseat especially after two-gun volley)

as a footnote, EITHER route you like, there’s one thing that was absolutely a missed opportunity which i’d like to focus on, and that’s kunigami’s dynamic with noel noa. it’s not a secret that kunigami’s supposed to be a copy of noel noa, but what does noa think of this?? i need their dynamic to be weird and fucked up…like he’s noa’s protege, as he’s meant to be a copy of the man, but noa is simultaneously absolutely disgusted by ego, becuase what do you mean his old rival who faded into obscurity has suddenly returned with this child whose body and life and future he completely ruined, whose mental state is absolutely destroyed, just so that he could finally “beat” noa?? just so that he could make a copy of the man that he could never actually be himself?? and this disgust with ego transfers to noa also almost shunning kuni and avoiding him when possibly/treating him way more strictly than he does the others…which only makes kunigami try to work ten times as hard to prove himself…but this only freaks noa out more and it’s just a vicious cycle LSKDFJHSLK

ANYWAYS so this was a crazy long post but it’s really not meant to be taken all too seriously!! like i said these are just musings about how two characters that i personally like could’ve been used differently 🤩 if you read all of this then you’re a goat fr and feel free to talk to me about blue lock/anything else at any time!!

what was that youtube ass outro

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! Your blog has been incredibly helpful for me, thank you for doing what you do

Disability is a core theme of the stories I make, so accessibility is one of my most important goals. For reference, I write books but my main project is a show that’s sometimes semi-animated and sometimes similar to visual novel style dialog.

Some of the things I’m doing now are subtitles and narration that’s baked into the show itself, sticking to a simpler style of writing, and making it free to watch. It’s one part practicality and one part frustration at being told these things “ruin the experience” for others. Now they’re a core part of the experience.

But those are just the things I find personally helpful, I only have my own viewpoint. My question is what are other things I can do to make my story more accessible?

Specific things I’ve been struggling with are showing nonverbal communication (The narration covers a lot of this, but not enough) and conflicting needs. I know some things will help some people but hurt other’s experiences (ie, subtitles) which is a really hard thing to navigate! So advice on that would be helpful

Thank you!

- @interroblog

Hello lovely asker!

So I'm gonna throw out some ideas here at the start and these are in no way me saying "You have to do this". No, just me tossing some ideas out and maybe they hopefully help! 😁 Let's try this.

First off you also mentioned that it's part of your style in the way you're animating as well. I think if it's your style that you shouldn't have to change that either. It's both something that is unique to how you choose to do things and it also aids in accessibility. You shouldn't feel pressured to change it because some people find subtitles or Narration annoying. It ultimately comes down to how you want to do it, so again here are some things I could think of.

So if the site you're hosting your show on allows you to have toggle on subtitles and audio descriptions I would do that. If not what you can do is when you put your animation through you can have multiple. Kinda like with certain shows or movies you have a version in its original language and a version that's Voiced over with another language. If you want to accommodate your audience perhaps you can have a version:

Without any subtitles or audio descriptions

With subtitles

With audio descriptions

With both the subtitle and the audio description

Granted going this route may be more work than just doing it all together (I'm not 100% sure, I don't know animation very well) but it's certainly an option. I think the process of rendering and saving it at the end (having to do it multiple times) and in regards to space may be an issue.

Another thing you can do is write up a description transcript for each episode so that people can look at it for reference. Some people use screen readers or braille displays that read over this information for them if you're worried about the text itself. Here's a good example of one done from a DeafBlind film done in the 60's at Perkins [Warning for typical 60's language regarding disability]. It usually includes what an audio description would just typed out.

Another thing you can do is see and look around for anyone who is fluent in the local Sign language that your show is in and see if anyone could record and interpret it for you too, if you want to have that option for people as well.

You could also do kinda like comics and Manga do where they mark the sounds/actions on the panel/animation it self.

[Manga panel from the Manga "Shino-chan can't say her name"]

For instance in this manga panel there's no dialogue but the author gives us multiple cues which the translator also translates as well. There's the foot steps with the text getting bigger and bigger letting us know that the sound is getting closer and the direction, then in the next panel we have two exclamation points letting us know she's alarmed and aware. The text of the foot steps is now darker and bold and we see the streaks around the characters hands letting us know that she hurriedly wrapped up her box. Then we have the word "Sneak" in bold lettering against the wall where the character is pearing over.

Now I'm not sure what type of nonverbal communication your using so I'm gonna go over things a little vague.

Sign Language [Mostly in ASL because that's the sign language I'm most familiar with and can understand the most]

Here's two animations by @scoliwings and they're both in ASL and the way the person made them is with captions into the animation (also they're very cute and lovely). The show ThisClose also does this with their entire Pilot episode but then only does it with their ASL scenes moving forward in the series. The people who wrote and produced the show note that while they made the show surrounding the deaf community and about the deaf community they wanted the show to reach their hearing audience.

This scene that is with a translator has no captions whatsoever. While this scene between the two main characters using ASL does have captions. Then this one does have captions that go away when the characters communicate verbally.

This is a constant thing of multiple different medias is they kinda choose between which audience they want to pertain to. And whoever they choose, it usually ends up leaving the other out or not 100% involved usually at the fault of accessibility on streaming services/wherever the media is being hosted.

If someone Deaf/Hoh wanted to watch this show and there's no captions available on whatever platform is hosting it then it wouldn't be accessible to them. And if they are fluent in ASL, those parts have captions all the way through. For instance those videos on YouTube, not all of them are accessible because they don't have the toggle on Closed Captions. So the moments where there's characters who speak English and don't sign ASL, especially if the camera isn't on them when they're talking, it's just not accessible.

In the episode "Into the Mystic" on Supernatural, they introduce Eileen's character. This is the only episode that she uses ASL by itself, every other episode she is in uses SimCom and she code switches or uses English. Again captions are in the episode Everytime ASL is used except for scenes where she's signing in the background for instance this scene. From This Gifsets by @winchestergifs

[Gif of Eileen from Supernatural. She's sitting across from an older woman on a couch and she signs in American Sign Language "You" while pointing at the older woman, then she forms her fists into a 'S' shape one on top of another and moves them to the right, she then finger spells "Bait".]

It's never translated, not even in the script or the transcript. Even while this show is targeting their hearing audience they still gloss over things like this. (I also want to note that me and Mod Rock spent a while trying to figure out the second sign and came up empty handed as well 😅)

Now when it comes to Audio Descriptions, it's usually "[Character name] signs [dialogue in Verbal Language]". If it's the first time introducing the character or the character is switching languages, then specify what Sign language off the bat, ASL, BSL, ISL (SEE, SSE,) etc. It's the same as in writing that you write the character dialogue followed by "[pronoun/character name] signed". The shows that I know of that have characters using Sign language and have Audio Descriptions is The Boys (kimiko's scenes), ThisClose also has them, Bridgerton (episode 1 scene in s3, it's one scene in BSL but it's there!), and I'm pretty sure Echo does too (it should, I'm looking at you streaming service) but I've yet to watch that last one. Listening to them might help you with getting a grasp of writing them if you have any signing characters.

Ex. Eileen signs in ASL "You sure you don't want both?"

Another thing with Sign language though is body language and expressions and even things like story telling are there also. So describing an action can give a lot of context of feeling and what is going on in the scene. Here's another ASL animation that is in the works and they go more in detail of how they are animating body motion, face expressions and such. Craig of the creek is an animated kids show that also has BASL and ASL in it (and I love how they go about the characters dialogue, the signs are so well animated, and the friend translating and the others learning for him too.)

There's also Pro-tactile & Tactile Sign language. Granted I've never seen or do I know of a show/movie/short with pro-tactile in it or Tactical Sign Language but if anyone were to do that the audio description would probably be like "[Character A] puts their hands over [Character B]. [Character B] signs [dialogue]". That would be for the Hand over method which is Tactile Sign Language.

For Pro-tactile, this involves other forms of communication such as back channeling, mapping, haptics. It should be translated much the same I believe because these certain elements of the language are used to portray emotional tone, contact/interaction, as well as directions.

Here's some examples of pro-tactile and tactile sign language since I know it's not largely known: (all ASL)

Pro-tactile: Video 1 (Captions & No Voice Over), Video 2 (Captions & Voice Over) and it goes further into specifics of Hand placement, Back channeling while Standing & Sitting, Video 3 (Voice over & Captions). Here's five vlogs in PTASL also, no captions or voice over so Fluency in ASL is needed.

Tactile Sign Language: I was having a hard time finding videos (for some reason) but Here is a segment in a video where they show it. Here is another short video too!

Of course you don't want to describe every movement when it comes to Sign language but you want to describe the base movement. If someones Tracking, (this is where a person holds the wrist area of the other person who is signing so that it's in their field of vision) you might describe that before the dialogue. "[Character] puts their hands over [characters] wrist" and so on and so forth.

Haptics/Mapping may also be very similar but they're mostly used in describing the layout of an area someone is in, directions to somewhere, how to navigate the surrounding area. This is gonna be just explaining how they are moving. The same can be said with Visual Vernacular. It's movement to describe something or to tell a story it's not Sign language but a movement of general understanding. Here is a video where an interpreter details Visual Vernacular alongside ASL. Here's the one without the voice over as well.

AAC

The movie Come Play is a horror movie centered around a non-verbal boy with autism who uses an AAC app on his phone. His device is the one where speech is generated from the different buttons that correlate with the words he clicks. I couldn't find an example of an audio Description for this movie anywhere but it might be similar to the next example.

The Boys again also has scenes with Kimiko where she uses her phone to communicate and such. And the audio description usually sounds like "Kimiko types on her phone, it reads [dialogue]". The only difference in Come Play would be that the Dialogue wouldn't be narrated because it's already done so by the AAC device in the movie, but subtitles would be needed.

Speechless gives a lot of examples between low-tech and high-tech examples. This scene in particular where all the characters are in one scene. The main character (JJ) uses a laser pointer and a word/alphabet board with the assistance of an aid. In this instance the aid reads aloud everything that JJ communicates. If you're one on one though, much like with sign language, you wouldn't really read aloud everything they say especially if it's a private conversation. Instead the pov would probably show the characters AAC method they use whenever they communicate. For the audio description it might be something along the lines of "[Character] points and says [dialogue]".

I've never seen other types of AAC in media so it would probably be the same when it comes to Audio Description when describing another method like print on palm. it might be something like "[character] grabs their hand and writes [dialogue]".

In the show In The Dark the scenes with braille are described as "[character] runs their fingers over the braille, it's read [dialogue/text]". And on that topic, In the show All The Light We Can Not See, it has a really (really really really) good basis of what an Audio Description should be like. It also has multiple featurettes and an audio introduction with it that goes more in depth to explain the costumes, settings, the characters, and other visual information that is often important but left out in the audio descriptions due to the pacing of the show/film.

Immersion was the goal, much like with the production of Romeo and Juliet in PTASL that was performed. Introducing your characters and settings in a little short animation before hand or at the begining as a little segment may be something you can do/consider.

This video details some other forms of communication that I may or may not have left out (Auslan & Voice over). Finger Braille (Video of one handed with translator), Lorm Method, Touch Glove alphabet Method, and some other methods I think can all be described relatively the same. You want to describe the base action of what they're doing (writing, pointing, typing, grabbing, lifting, touching etc) and then focus on their dialogue.

Also I don't use any form of AAC to communicate so if anyone who does finds error, please correct it. Or even if there has been a discussion on this before among the community please reiterate or link to it so we have first hand experience and voices as well.

Known problems with audio Descriptions

Here's a Small history and more in depth article written by someone who needs audio descriptions. They primarily talk about its lack of rush to be used in cinema and primarily the UK.

Describing everything but the characters race: I've heard that this is an issue specifically for Netflix that the audio descriptions are good but they never mentioned the race of the character which some people have made note about. (I don't know much about this I will say just I've heard it around here and there)

Here is a post that goes more into detail about Audio descriptions as well by @accessibleaesthetics. And here is an all around really Good source as well called The Audio Description Project.

Forgetting character entrances & exits: This is important because people need to know what characters are in the scenes. Much like in a play with stage directions you need to know who comes in and when they exit.

Over describing/under describing: I read a debate about the use of over describing and under describing when it comes to AD's. The example given was when describing facial expressions. Option one is to just say "[Character] is surprised". Option two is to describe the facial expression in all its little details "[Character] opens their mouth, their eyebrows raised and eyes wide". Under describing in general seems to be a issue but when it comes to things like body/facial expressions it's best to keep it simple and to the point for another reason that I list down below.

Forgetting small details: the audio descriptions of All The Light We Can Not See, and The Boys do a fantastic job of small details. For others some things are glossed over but then don't make sense later on in the scene. For instance, if the character picks up a knife and this isn't narrated but then the part of them stabbing another person is then, it's kinda like "Oh well I guess the character picked up a knife at some point" but the exact moment isn't specified. In this article, the person who makes Audio Descriptions tells that he had described someone as Smoking a cigarette when he was in fact smoking Weed. He says the reason he realized the difference is because these are two separate substances that change the perception of the character. The little details matter because of the implications and importance to who is doing it and why, when gathering all the information and understanding a character.

Misnaming/mixing up characters: The same article I listed right before also says how mixing up characters is an issue sometimes too.

For audio descriptions in general I think listening to a few different ones might help with getting a grasp on how to do them/better do them. AudioVault is one place that if you can't find audio descriptions of your shows or movies, they might have it there. In this instance, maybe listening to your favorite movies or shows with the audio descriptions on might help you. Most shows/movies that are original to Netflix have them, the same with other streaming services like Peacock and Amazon Prime.

I don't use audio descriptions a lot because my tinnitus makes it difficult but I sometimes turn them on (when available) to understand scenes that are confusing to me. Certain actions and how the cameras frame them don't make sense to me sometimes, or even I can't see because of the lighting of the show or movie and so I need to know what's going on. This brings us to that beside people who are low vision or blind, many other people use Audio Descriptions for different reasons too. The same points can all be made for people who use Subtitles/closed captions as well.

Issues with captions/Things that need to be more common with captions

Names: Some captions have the names of the characters next to their dialogue. A lot don't do this. I think it should be done because of many reasons but mainly it makes it easier to follow along for everyone who uses captions.

Tonal Cues: As I mentioned before Tonal Cues in Captions would be so very helpful for a lot of people.

Don't censor: Don't censor swear words, slurs, anything, write it as it's said. Unless it's actually censored in the audio (which is usually done for comedic reasons) then do that.

Lyrics/music/background sounds: So not only making sure to include the songs that are playing over certain scenes but also making sure to include the soundtrack and background music that is playing. Almost every movie and show uses music as an indication for tone, often times characters or certain situations have their own theme too. These are all important to note when writing captions. The caption writers of Stranger Things did amazing when it came to background noises, writing every creak and bang is important especially if it's being heard and reacted to by either the characters or the audience.

Include language changes: This has long been an issue when you're watching something in one language and then when they switch languages it just says "Speaking in [language]". Instead write out what they said in that language. So instead of "Speaking in Spanish", actually write out "Sana sana colita de rana". If the character knows what they're saying because they speak the language you can also put another set of subtitles under it translating it. If you're doing a sorta comedic scene where the audience needs to know what is said but the character doesn't, then do the same, write it out in the language "Ay dios mio!" And then under/above it put the translation "Oh my God!".

Include different speech patterns: If the character has a stutter write it, if they're slurring their words together write it.

Auditory/Visual Learners: Some people just do better retaining and understanding information when it's in an auditory form. For some people, they're able to retain information more by reading it rather than hearing it as well.

People Who Have Trouble With Social Cues: Okay so a continuation to the "Over Describing/Under describing" bullet points above. For people who have trouble reading body/facial cues, the audio descriptions help by describing it as The character is happy, scared, shocked, surprised etc. This is part of the reason why it's best to use those words instead of describing every movement that goes into a person's expression/body language. Like wise Closed Captions with Tonal Cues would also help and serve much of the same purpose but those are rarely ever seen (in my experience).

Help People Learn The Connection Of Words And Actions: a lot of people are always learning new languages and being able to connect the word to the action helps with the understanding of new languages. Again the same for closed captions, being able to look at how words are spelt while listening to them helps grasp a better understanding.

Overstimulation: For some people looking and listening to something at the same time can be too much and it becomes overwhelming. I know I often turn off the sound to a lot of movies I watch and just use subtitles because sometimes commotion/yelling especially in like action movies is a lot. For some people, a lot of visual movement and constant rapid actions can be overwhelming as well.

Dark Screens: As I mention, especially more recently in the media industry, things are a lot harder to see nowadays. The same can be said with dialogue and why a lot of people may opt-in for subtitles and captions because things are just so hard to hear now.

The Busy Bees: Some people just like to multi-task and much like an audio book, you can do something (chores, crafting, homework etc) while listening to the show and not miss any visual information. Multi-tasking also helps some people concentrate better on what they're working on too much like music helps some people.

People With Other Medical Conditions That Make Viewing Screens Inaccessible: If your having a migraine or headaches, a screen is the last thing you want to look at, and for some people, noise is a trigger for them. They're also a known trigger for many people with epilepsy/seizure disorders. People who have photophobia also may AD due to the light sensitivity. People with ADHD, autism, Prosopagnosia, Processing Disorders, and many many other things that I can't possibly list them all, all may use Subtitles or AD's for multiple different reasons.

Okay, that was a lot, got a bit long, but hopefully I covered everything! Things could be more organized but it works so hopefully this helps! I'm not very familiar with animation so anyone who is, please feel free to add on in a reblog to share a few tips and tricks!

~ Mod Virus 🌸

[reikorun]

KlubOutside Q&A 301-400 [Translation]

Translated by @reikorun

Q301.

2022.03.07

The Medallions and the "Sankt Altar" used by His Majesty bore a striking resemblance to each other, is it correct to assume that the Medallions are the practical application of "Sankt Altar"?

A301.

That's correct.

Q302.

2022.03.07

Towards the end of the story, brush pens became used less frequently to express bloodshed compared to the early days, does this have something to do with your art style? I would love to know if there is a reason.

A302.

It became like that because I wanted to draw more detailed blood spray and flow.

Q303.

2022.03.14

What kind of technique is Ganju's "Seppa"? Considering the fact that it can directly interfere with matter and the fact that Ganju trained with Ginjō's group in the final arc, I anticipate that this is perhaps a technique closer to Fullbring.

A303.

He is using a technique passed down within the Shiba clan to unbind the union of Reishi particles thereby dividing the matter into pieces.

Q304.

2022.03.14

The boss-like characters that Ichigo has fought so far, that is, Byakuya, Aizen and Ginjō, all have colors contained within their names, but is there some color related connotation in Yhwach's name? 

A304.

In the very early stages of development, Yhwach was given the pseudonym "Yhwach Beltz". Beltz means "black" in Basque.

Q305.

2022.03.14

Is Renji's false Bankai "Hihiō Zabimaru" (*Baboon King), inspired by Minamoto no Yorimasa's slaying of the Nue? Renji subdued Zabimaru who is in the form of a Nue and attains the Bankai "Hihiō Zabimaru"; Minamoto No Yorimasa slays the Nue and is granted the famous sword Shishiō (*Lion King). I'm very interested in the pair because they both have these points in common: defeating the Nue and gaining the power (or weapon) called "~King". I would be happy if you could answer!

A305.

It's the first time I'm hearing of this legend. However the similarities are such that I'm not even surprised you would think it's the source. A sword with such a manga-like name exists….

Q306.

2022.03.21

Orihime has a food scene in every arc. Examples: 

Agent of the Shinigami arc - Red bean paste on a loaf of bread.

Soul Society arc - Meal at Kūkaku's residence.

Arrancar arc - Ice cream eaten with Rangiku and the meal that was almost shoved down her throat by Ulquiorra.

The Lost Agent of the Shinigami arc - Doughnuts.

Thousand-Year Blood War arc - Scrapped bread, some sweet potato-like food. 

And more.

Were these eating scenes included to add to her character, or rather, perhaps I should ask if they naturally increased in number because Orihime came to life on her own as the story progressed? I love the scene where she cries while eating doughnuts in the Lost Agent arc.

A306.

I'm realizing that for the first time now that you've mentioned it. Come to think of it, Orihime eats well, huh…. Whenever I draw a food related scene, it is also the moment where I think to myself “I want a soft atmosphere in the dialogue and the scenery”, so I believe that's where Orihime fits in. Besides, it's kind of like, I don't really want to draw a scene where a man eats food, you know?

Q307.

2022.03.21

Between Isshin and Masaki, who came up with the name "Ichigo"? My personal hypothesis is that he was born because Isshin protected "one thing = Masaki's life", and since Isshin would probably dislike the idea of his son bearing half of his own name, I reckon Masaki came up with it. However, if there is a definitive answer, I would love to know! 

A307.

Masaki is the one who named him. For a long time, I was in two minds over whether or not I should draw Ichigo's naming scene, but I abandoned the idea because it would likely just be Isshin and Masaki getting all lovey-dovey and that's gross.

Q308.

2022.03.21

In my opinion, Ichigo is the most handsome Jump character of all time! From sensei's point of view, are there any protagonists that you think lead a cool lifestyle, or anyone you consider good-looking among the history of Jump protagonists?

A308.

I'm rarely enthused by the protagonist, so I don't have any protagonist in mind. I like Cygnus Hyoga. Somehow, I feel like I've mentioned this before….

Q309.

2022.03.28

If Grimmjow undergoes training, could he attain Resurrección: Segunda Etapa someday? 

A309.

He can.

Q310.

2022.03.28

In chapter 2, Ichigo fights a Hollow in Yumisawa Children's Park, is there any connection between the name "Yumisawa" and the Quincy? From long ago, the Ishida family have resided in Karakura Town which is the Jūreichi. I wondered if there is a possibility that words relating to the Quincy are attached to place names? (*Yumisawa - 弓沢 includes the kanji for "bow" - 弓.)

A310.

Huh!? There is indeed a connection. That's uncanny! I'm surprised you noticed because I simply added that connection in the name while playing around with the background details and had no intention of mentioning it at all.

Q311.

2022.03.28

When it comes to something I don't like, but I have to get it done, I have a hard time getting started. What does sensei do at times like this?

A311.

I procrastinate until the very last minute, and when it finally becomes impossible to put off any longer, I'll start with just a little bit of the initial part and then leave it aside for later. Of course, I'm talking about my rough drafts. 

Q312.

2022.04.04

I thought the lines that Kajōmaru-san delivered were contrasting Captain Kyōraku's speech, but since Kajōmaru-san disappeared earlier than I expected, I've been contemplating the true meaning of his words this whole time. Did something happen in Kajōmaru-san's past?

A312.

Naturally, his lines are meant to correspond with Shunsui's lines, but it's the prelude made for the purpose of setting up Shunsui's speech which is the main message, so I had Kajōmaru say it as he was going to exit the stage early.

Q313.

2022.04.04

I've always thought to myself that if a BLEACH musō style game ever came out, it would probably be so much fun. Doesn't "Shinigami Musō" sound good??? Thank you for your time!!!

A313.

I love Hokuto Musō too, so I think it probably would be fun if there was one. Just imagine Aizen running out from the back of the screen in a 2-player setting whilst blowing away all the trash mobs!

Q314.

2022.04.04

Why did the Shin'ō Academy have its name changed from "Tōgakuin"? (Has their curriculum or philosophy changed?) ×[1] 

A314.

Originally it was a school exclusively for Shinigami, however as organizations like the Kidō Corps and the Inner Court Troop were established and classified, the name changed. 

Q315.

2022.04.11

It's something that I just thought of right now, but is it possible that the Zanpakutō belonging to the early 13th Division were modeled after Pisces and its ruling planet Neptune? Captain Ukitake's Sōgyo no Kotowari may allude to the constellation of Pisces. It is a constellation in which the tails of two fish are tied together with a string (or ribbon), and Sōgyo no Kotowari also has the hilt of two swords linked together with a cord.

On the other hand, Kaien's Nejibana is a three-pronged spear. It is a symbol of Neptune (Poseidon in Greek), the god of the sea who rules over the planet Neptune. 

I have a fair amount of confidence in this theory as there is too much overlap, but what do you think? Also, please let us know if there are any source materials or inspirations which formed the image of Captains and Vice-Captains (any others are fine too).

A315.

"Twin fish" is used to represent letters in Chinese literature, from there I kind of imagined it as "exchanging of letters" → "circulation of energy". About Kaien's sword, I suppose that comes from the mental image of combining the whirlpool of the Shiba clan and water from the twin fish. ×[2]

Q316.

2022.04.11

Sensei, can I use the photos you uploaded of your doggie for my phone's wallpaper?

A316.

You can.

Q317.

2022.04.11

I really sympathize with Quilge Opie's line "speech is silver, silence is golden", but I wonder if a line like this is based on sensei's actual experience?

A317.

This is originally a proverb from the English language.

Q318.

2022.04.18

I watched Ōishi-sensei's birthday stream! I'm very happy because I was able to see characters from other works being drawn by Kubo-sensei and the process by which illustrations come to a state of completion in real time! Do you have any plans to stream it to your fan club or release a time-lapse? If you are so inclined, please do so!!

A318.

That is Ōishi-kun's YouTube project, so please make a request to Ōishi-kun! ×[3]

Q319.

2022.04.18

What does Honshō Chizuru-chan think about Orihime and Ichigo's marriage?

A319.

Since Chizuru is a free-spirited person, she would think "she got married, so what?"

Q320.

2022.04.18

Kubo-sensei also appeared in Ōishi-san's YouTube archive, I watched the hell out of it (an expression I rarely use these days….) The damask-patterned curtains behind Kubo-sensei were so chic that I took my hat off. What brand is it? I looked very closely at it, but I wonder if it's a front lace style where a damask-patterned lace curtain is hung in front of a thick curtain. I was interested because the curtains were beautiful.

A320.

I forgot the manufacturer but it does indeed have front lace. You're very observant…. ×[3]

Q321.

2022.04.25

When Byakuya fought PePe, he was never manipulated by Love Kiss even though he was struck by it. Is that because the mantle Byakuya was wearing is made of the Ōken.

A321.

That's right. That reminds me, there was no space to draw the reason there….

Q322.

2022.04.25

When the Soul King is first seen, he clearly appears to have limbs, when did you settle on the idea to have him limbless? Additionally, when Pernida Parnkgjas promptly dispatched the Second-Class Divine Soldier he was drawn with a normal left hand, so I don't think Pernida was set up to be the Left Arm of the Soul King at that time.

A322.

With respect to the set up I had in mind, it had been arranged so that normally, Pernida can maintain an imperfect humanoid form, but when they lose themself, they lose the ability to maintain their shape, thus revealing their true form (a left hand), but since it's difficult to understand, I'm thinking it's a concept I can probably do away with. Either way, I wanted to draw Pernida's hood tearing apart when they turn into a left hand.

Q323.

2022.04.25

I wish a Blu-ray box edition of the BLEACH anime would be offered for sale…they were available in the past…I'd like to have something similar to the DVD box which went up to the Soul Society arc….

A323.

I'll let my editor know. Murakoshi-saaan!

Q324.

2022.05.02

I apologize for bringing up the anime, but in the Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale arc, among the Zanpakutō of the Captains and Vice-Captains whose names had already been established at the time, it was only Itegumo's incarnated form which did not make an appearance. Was this Kubo-sensei's intention? Or is it that the anime staff simply didn't come to you with an offer for Itegumo…?

A324.

Since I have no recollection of ever having met to discuss Itegumo, I think it's likely there were no plans for Itegumo.

Q325.

2022.05.02

What kind of person is Ikumi-san's husband? How old is he in your designs?

A325.

Ikumi-san is single in the main story, and she remarries in that space leading up to the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc.

Q326.

2022.05.02

Kubo-sensei, do you often reread the BLEACH tankōbon? 

A326.

I usually don't read them at all, so I've almost forgotten everything. It's thanks to posting replies in this Q&A corner that with every round of questions I end up rereading the previous and subsequent tankōbon thoroughly.

Q327.

2022.05.09

Was it intentional that Aizen's origins and past are still largely undisclosed? I'd like to know because I often find myself thinking that there aren't many villains who possess that much charisma whose background remains unknown.

A327.

Most depictions of a villain's past are composed in order to draw out sympathy and a sense of relatability from the audience, and since I don't like that approach very much, I try to avoid it. All characters have a different set of values and I believe a villain is a character whose differences in that regard are so large that they cannot be accepted.

Q328.

2022.05.09

I was always watching out for this with bated breath, but I wonder if the reason Rangiku's breasts don't spill out from her Shihakushō is because she's holding them in place with Reiatsu? Did she actually have a nip slip once where nobody was watching? I'm curious if the reason why her chest is so widely exposed is because they cause her pain or perhaps it's a 'freebie' for others. I love how sexy her chest is.

A328.

I was drawing her with the assumption that she would affix double sided tape to her chest, but I like the idea of her holding them in place with Reiatsu better. Maybe I should use it.

Q329.

2022.05.09

I was surprised to learn that Kubo-sensei's hometown is the very town where I currently live and work (I felt a strong sense of familiarity at the mention of Soleil). So here's my question: roughly where in Karakura Town is the Visored's base located? 

A329: 

The Visored's hideout is around Spark (the name of a supermarket). I wonder if Spark is still there…?

Q330.

2022.05.16

The 7th volume with Byakuya on the cover begins with the line “We should not shed tears”, but at the time Kubo-sensei wrote this poem, did you already have an image in your head of chapter 502, "Falling Sakura" (where Byakuya is defeated by the enemy and sheds tears)?

A330.

I had no way of knowing where Jump would tell me to end the series, so it's not the exact version I had in mind back then, but I wrote it based on the idea that the tears would eventually be shed.

Q331.

2022.05.16

I would like to know how Yoruichi transforms into a cat. Is it a technique she herself had developed, is she able to shapeshift using a spiritual tool belonging to the Shihōin clan, or perhaps a device or technique developed by Urahara Kisuke? These are the only methods I can think of.

A331.

This is a technique developed by Yoruichi, for the purpose of sneaking out of the mansion whenever she pleases.

Q332.

2022.05.16

Have you ever tried Ayataka Café Matcha Latte? It's extremely popular and delicious.

A332.

Matcha based sweets aren't really my thing.

Q333.

2022.05.23

Where on Earth did Renji get that snazzy shirt with the Zabimaru-like design which he was wearing in the Human World in the final chapter? Was it custom made for Renji?

A333.

It's custom made. That t-shirt is nice isn't it?

Q334.

2022.05.23

On the Squad 10 introduction page in BLEACH 13 BLADEs, it says "Rangiku narrowly avoided having her Bankai stolen", has Rangiku acquired Bankai?

A334.

That's what is actually written there!? It's a mistake. How in the world did a mistake like this get in there…?

Q335.

2022.05.23

I have a question about the Shikai of Komamura's Zanpakutō "Tenken". When looking at the games and the anime, it seems there are two patterns in Tenken's Shikai ability: one where it partially summons Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō and does battle with its arm and sword, and another pattern where it accompanies Komamura's attacks with a mass of sword energy (?) that looks like an enlarged version of his own arm and sword. Which one is considered correct by Kubo-sensei?

A335.

"Summoning the arm of Myō'ō" is correct.

Q336.

2022.05.30

Regarding the resident certificate which is given as a bonus for joining this FC, I was surprised to see that Hueco Mundo was an option. Even in Hueco Mundo there are resident certificates…are there any public offices and such that manage it? If so, did Aizen establish and maintain it? These are the questions I thought about but I'd like to know sensei's opinion!

A336.

You might be able to tell by looking at the signatures, but Harribel is in charge of it and Hueco Mundo has started to become organized after Harribel began ruling.

Q337.

2022.05.30

You mentioned Momoclo in a previous Bambies related question, do you have any favorite idols and such? Did you happen to like Hinatazaka46 through Love it!? Is there someone you're rooting for?

A337.

When I see idols who were season regulars on Love it! appearing in other shows, I naturally start rooting for them. (*Love it! is a variety show in Japan.)

Q338.

2022.05.30

During the new captain's appointment ceremony in volume 74, Nanao-chan, who served as the host, is seen carrying a cane, was this an aftereffect of her fight with Lille? In the same volume, just a few pages before (the scene where she goes outside to call for Captain Kyōraku), it looks like she didn't have a cane, so I was wondering what the true situation is.

A338.

That's right. Either I forgot to draw it in the scene where she calls out to Shunsui or the detail ended up getting lost in the solid paint fill.

Q339.

2022.06.06

Is the reason why Ichigo's Bankai could not be stolen with a medallion because Ichigo's Bankai was mixed with Hollow power?

A339.

Correct.

Q340.

2022.06.06

You served as a judge for the Jump Gag Manga Awards, and I got the impression that there is a high percentage of gag manga among the works you find interesting, but do you have any plans or desire to draw your own gag manga?

A340.

When it comes to me, I just don't have the talent to draw gag manga, so I won't draw it. Gag manga are challenging works and only a select few can draw them.

Q341.

2022.06.06

About the color illustration from chapter 558 (depicting Ichigo and Renji inside a white coffin with a cross on it), it appears to bear a close resemblance to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video, is there any connection?

A341.

I drew the white coffin design quite a long time ago and when I saw the Bad Romance music video, I recall being rather indecisive about what I should draw because Bad Romance was released first. Ultimately, I ended up drawing it after some time had passed. That being said, the music video for Bad Romance was incredibly cool.

Q342.

2022.06.13

When the anime commences, will there be a BLEACH game released following Soul Ignition? Not so much an app or something but for game consoles…. 

A342.

I feel like I heard some rumor like that from my editor….

Q343.

2022.06.13

If the Quincy trace bloodlines, I think Uryū would notice that an Echt Quincy called "Kurosaki" existed until recently, but were there any documents, family trees, etc. compiled by Sōken? If so, did Uryū sense something extraordinary after being admitted to Karakura High school, in particular towards the fact that it was a human with the surname "Kurosaki" who possessed the high Reiatsu?

A343.

Books concerning the Quincy are kept in a locked archive inside the hospital. Uryū is forbidden from going there, nor does Uryū himself want to enter that place so much that he would go to the trouble of fighting with Ryūken. Additionally, the more important books are kept in Ryūken's private room.

Q344.

2022.06.13

I've been wondering about this for a while, but in the color version, Liltotto's clothes in her earlier appearances had long sleeves, is this something that was simply overlooked during your checks? Don't the Sternritter only conform to one style of clothing?

A344.

Really!? I had no idea because I wasn't asked to check that. Her outfit was always sleeveless.

Q345.

2022.06.20

I read on the internet that the heroine of BLEACH, Inoue Orihime, is modeled after Inoue Mayuko from Ushio & Tora. Is that true? Is it also the case that Tatsuki was modeled after Asako?

A345.

I'm not exactly familiar with Ushio and Tora…. Please check for yourself whether it's mentioned in any official statement anyway.

Q346.

2022.06.20

Is it possible for fellow Hollows to make children?

A346.

It's possible.

Q347.

2022.06.20

I was thinking that the "B" and "H" from Jugo and Bazz-B's Schrift are the letters which form each other's names, was this giving us a hint that these two were best friends?

A347.

Of course.

Q348.

2022.06.27

I want Hollow and Dragon figurines!!! Are there any plans to turn them into figurines? Where can I request one to be made for me? I want to line up all the Märchens!!!!!!!

A348.

Is this question based on the premise that I draw all the Märchens!?

Q349.

2022.06.27

Will the effect of Wabisuke's ability be lifted if the Shikai is disengaged?

A349.

It will be lifted.

Q350.

2022.06.27

When Shinigami engage their Shikai, sometimes It will be unleashed by calling the sword's name despite not uttering the release command, is there any difference between this and a situation where they do recite the release command in full? Just like how only those who have acquired Bankai are able to release their Shikai without calling the name itself, perhaps it's not the case that just anyone can do this?

A350.

Only experts can release Shikai without the release command, and even if they can, it will take time for its efficiency to reach 100% after the release.

Q351.

2022.07.04

If members of the Visored have theme songs, please tell us about them!!

A351.

Oh yeah, I guess I've never made a note of that. I'll write about them somewhere!

Q352.

2022.07.04

Please tell us what your favorite BLEACH movie is!

A352.

I like the Ulquiorra fight at the beginning of Hell Verse.

Q353.

2022.07.04

Is the healing ointment that comes out of Ikkaku's sword an original ability of the Zanpakutō rather than something that was added through modification? When I did some investigating, I learned that the Hōzuki plant was used as a medicinal herb in the past, so I thought, maybe?

A353.

It's Hōzukimaru's ability.

Q354.

2022.07.11

I have received my certificate of residence, thank you very much. Did you also inspect the packaging envelope? I have never seen such a stylish parcel before, I was totally blown away…. I'm truly happy that I was immersed in this universe even before opening my package.

A354.  

I did inspect it. Isn't the design great? The certificate of residence is also the outstanding handiwork of Ishino-san who has been involved with BLEACH for a long time.

Q355.

2022.07.11

Will the birthdays of the Sternritter members be made public in the future?

A355.

Perhaps it will be revealed in the anime, I can't say for sure.

Q356.

2022.07.11

In an illustration previously exhibited at the Reverse Shibuya event, Rickenbacker was listed as a Broombuggy. His appearance is quite different compared to Marshall and Wordsworth, does this mean that all Dragons people ride are considered Broombuggies?

A356.

Broombuggy is the name of a Dragon species while simultaneously being something like a model number used for Wing Bind registration, so if an individual brings along their own Dragon and it passes the test, they can register it as a Broombuggy.

Q357.

2022.07.18

When designing a female character, how is the bust size determined?

A357.

It's not so much choosing a bust size, but rather it's more like deciding on the overall fleshiness of the character and then making it a size that suits.

Q358.

2022.07.18

The new BLEACH work looks so interesting, I could barely contain my excitement!!! I couldn't help but wonder if there's something hidden in the title, like in BURN THE WITCH, is the missing horizontal bar on the "A" in "BREATHES" simply a design choice? Or does it have some kind of meaning? Please give us a hint!

A358.

I was just playing around with a design for the rough draft and I didn't even really communicate this detail to my editor, but the design more or less gives the impression that the "bolts of Hell have come loose.”

Q359.

2022.07.18

In the one-shot, there are records adorning a whole surface of the wall in the 5th Division barracks, are those all Hirako's personal belongings?

A359.

That's right.

Q360.

2022.07.25

I read the new BLEACH one-shot. The individuality of each person very much stands out, even down to things like their Captain's haori, has the change in Captain-Commander resulted in a more lenient dress code, personal grooming and so on?

A360.

It's definitely become more lenient. I mean, the Captain-Commander is Shunsui so….

Q361.

2022.07.25

With regard to Captain Unohana's name, was it intentional that by giving her the name "Retsu (烈)", the kanji for "death (死)" can be constructed when parts of her name are combined? Also, if the aforementioned is true, is there a possibility that the details surrounding characters’ naming will be revealed in a future one-shot sequel?

A361.

If "Hana (花)" and "Retsu (列)" are cut in two and then connected together, the result is "death (死)". It was intentional, or perhaps I should say, I did it out of fun but it turned out right. If someone correctly guesses the wordplay in the naming like this, then I may acknowledge it, but I don't think I should be the one to reveal it.

Q362.

2022.07.25

Is the BLEACH one-shot drawn entirely with traditional art mediums? There were some parts here and there that looked like it could be digital, did you use both?

A362.

Illustrations of characters, illustrations of animals, visual effects and lettering for sound effects were all made using traditional art mediums, Anything outside of that is digital.

Q363.

2022.08.01

New Vice-Captain, Rindō, has made an appearance, but where did Vice-Captain Iemura go?

A363.

Given that Atau's abilities were superior, Iemura voluntarily made an application for himself and was demoted to 3rd seat. Even though Iemura was the one to raise the matter of his own accord, he was so depressed that Hanatarō, unable to look on in silence, summoned him back to the 4th Division where he was reinstated. In the end, it seems that the 4th Division, which has a lot of paperwork, is more suited for Iemura. 

Q364.

2022.08.01

I read the one-shot! I was like "this is iiiit!" for the first time in a long while and it gave me goosebumps…. Is this strictly a one-shot, will there not be a continuation…? I would definitely like to read the rest!

A364.

I'm not good at drawing when I'm being told to “draw, draw, draw” repeatedly, so I'll consider it once I'm no longer being told to do so.

Q365.

2022.08.01

Was the color spread in the 20th anniversary chapter, drawn digitally?

A365.

The coloring is digital.

Q366.

2022.08.08

How does Ichika perceive Yumichika's gender? We live in a time where gender is a difficult issue, but I'd like to see a scene unfold where he's like "I'm a man" and Ichika goes "what!?"

A366.

She already knew he's a man from the start.

Q367.

2022.08.08

In chapter 188, when Isshin-san regained his Shinigami powers for the first time in 20 years, he referred to the Visored in his conversation with Urahara-san. During this scene, Urahara-san who had helped to contain their Hollowfication, acted as though he possessed no detailed information concerning their backgrounds or ideology. Was this information simply not revealed to Isshin-san and nothing more? Or is it that he truly had no idea what the Visored were planning at that time because he hadn't been involved with them since The Past arc, among other things?

A367.

This is because he concluded that there would be more of a benefit towards the management of Ichigo's Hollowfication if he did not divulge that information to Isshin.

Q368.

2022.08.08

I like the sound of Aaroniero Arruruerie's name. What is the origin of this name?

A368.

It's based on the designer Eero Aarnio.

Q369.

2022.08.15

I have a question concerning the phrase "Fill the earth and know your own powerlessness" in Kurohitsugi's chant. In the book of Genesis, after creating man (in the sense that man is the greatest thing ever created), the word of God states “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it." Are the words in the Kurohitsugi incantation modeled after this? 

A369.

It's not the case that I used Genesis as a model, though Kurohitsugi's chant itself becomes a chant that speaks about all humanity.

Q370.

2022.08.15

In the new one-shot, Ichigo goes to Keigo's ramen shop and says "everyone came out to eat", but who exactly does he mean by "everyone"? Who else was there besides Mizuiro? Was Chad also with them

A370.

The one in the seat at the back is Uryū.

Q371.

2022.08.15

I love Dordoni, so I'd like if you could draw him a lot more.

A371.

Now that you mention it, I forgot to draw new pieces for Dordoni and his group for the art exhibition….

Q372.

2022.08.22

In the new one-shot, Ichika calls Renji "Tō-sama (*father)", but what does she call Byakuya?

A372.

"Oji-sama (*uncle)"

Q373.

2022.08.22

Sensei, have you ever seen derivative creations (fanfiction, dōjinshi, etc.) of your own work? Also, what do you think about such creations?

A373.

As long as the fans can find enjoyment in it with one another, they can go right ahead. Please send me male-oriented erotica. Because I read it.

Q374.

2022.08.22

I love the background music from the anime and movies and I listen to them often, was sensei also involved in the music selection?

A374. 

It doesn't involve me. This is not because I'm not interested, but because I'm fond of Sagisu-san's work.

Q375.

2022.08.29

Aside from nobles, do seated officers live on the road to the seated officers' quarters? Do they live in detached housing?

A375.

Most of them do.

Q376.

2022.08.29

I was incredibly impressed after watching the video of you drawing on KlubOutside! Are you using a tracing lightbox from Bears.Seven? And is it being stabilized by the horizontal pipe behind it? Also, if you don't mind, I would be grateful if you could tell us what's going on with the space on both sides of the tracing lightbox!

A376.

I ended up buying a new ultra-thin tracing lightbox over and over again until I found one that I liked, I forgot the manufacturer's name. I'd be in trouble if it broke…. The space on both sides is chaotically littered with things.

Q377.

2022.08.29

Regarding Kyōraku-san's Bankai, Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū, if the opponent doesn't put up a resistance (that is, try to rise to the surface) at the Third Act: Dangyo no Fuchi, does it not transition to the Final Act? The story goes that "having resigned themselves to their fate, they hurl themselves", so I thought that if the opponent accepted it, then it would become a lovers' suicide just as the name suggests. 

A377.

Not limited to the Third Act, If an opponent dies midway through, it is assumed that the "performer has disappeared", and thus the Act ends there.

Q378.

2022.09.05

When I look at sensei's work, the lines appear to be much bolder in the early stages, are your lines something you paid more attention to as a consequence or did you have a change of mind regarding this area? Or perhaps you merely changed your pen?

A378.

The lines became thinner for two reasons: for one, with that early method of drawing, the lines would come out too thick when printed in the magazine, secondly I gained more experience with a pen and it reached a point where I was able to draw faster. 

Q379.

2022.09.05

Do you like robots? You are great at creating characters, creatures and fantasy. Someday, I would like to see a robot designed by sensei.

A379.

I'm not interested in robots right now so I don't think I'd be able to compose a good design.

Q380.

2022.09.05

After I saw Ichika, there's something I've been wondering about: what is the growth rate of a Shinigami like in terms of physical age? Does the growth rate eventually come to slow down as the physical body develops in age?

A380.

I'll probably write about this in a Fanbook.

Q381.

2022.09.12

Japanese translations of the chapter subtitles were printed in the Fanbooks, but are there any plans to publish the rest somewhere?

A381.

It was difficult to check them so I don't really want to do it….

Q382.

2022.09.12

How tall is Tōshirō at present, in cm? Has there been any change from 133 cm…?

A382.

He's 134 cm now.

Q383.

2022.09.12

When you were composing your designs for New Sakura Wars, did you decide on the framework of each character? I'm especially curious about Anastasia.

A383.

For Sakura Wars, the request came in with everything already decided down to the names, settings, personality, body type, hairstyles, colors and role, so my job was to draw the actual design of the character using my own art style, that's all there was to it. It's almost like "putting makeup on someone else's child “

Q384.

2022.09.19

Kazui's room made an appearance in the one-shot, what made an impression on me is the fact that it wasn't a children's study desk or the like which adorned the place, but instead it was very simple furniture. Is there some reason for that?

A384.

It's to Ichigo's taste.

Q385.

2022.09.19

I would like to know what foods Kisuke-san likes and what food he dislikes…. If there are any changes between the time he was a Captain and the time he became "Hat-and-Clogs", I'd definitely like to hear about both of those eras….

A385.

His favorite food is rice and the food he dislikes are too many to list. While we're on the subject, Yoruichi has no likes or dislikes at all when it comes to food.

Q386.

2022.09.19

Who came up with the title "WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU"?

A386.

I did.

Q387.

2022.09.26

Is it possible that Engetsu was not originally Isshin's Zanpakutō, but instead a Zanpakutō that once belonged to another Shinigami, like for instance, someone among the Five Great Noble Clans? I was wondering if the reason why no Shinigami connected the dots between Isshin and the Getsuga Tenshō used by Ichigo, was because they recognized Engetsu as a fire type Zanpakutō and were unaware of its ability i.e. "Getsuga Tenshō which gathers Reiatsu into a slashing attack"?

A387.

There are three reasons why the other Shinigami were not reminded of Isshin through witnessing Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō:

Unlike the one used by Ichigo, Isshin's Getsuga Tenshō is a technique that gathers fire and Reiatsu into a slashing attack which is used at close range.

There are no opportunities for fellow Captains to learn each other's technique names outside of fighting together and training together.

In the Soul Society arc, Ichigo doesn't mention the name Getsuga Tenshō in front of anyone but Byakuya.

Q388.

2022.09.26

A long time ago on a certain program, Morita-san, who plays the role of Ichigo, mentioned how Kubo-sensei had pointed out to him the correct intonation of Getsuga Tenshō back in the early days. Did Kubo-sensei check the intonation of characters' spoken lines and techniques in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, which were implemented in Brave Souls but have yet to make an appearance in the anime?

A388.

I may not be able to check as far as the finer details for Brave Souls. For the new anime on the other hand, I spent several hours discussing and checking as many new names and vocabulary as possible. As long as I haven't missed anything in my checks, it should turn out great.

Q389.

2022.09.26

I would like to learn the particulars of how Shutara Senjumaru got promoted to the Zero Division. What did she (is it a she?) create? At first I thought it might be the Shihakushō, but I can't imagine that a Shihakushō is important enough to warrant a promotion to Zero Division, so I'm thinking it's probably something else. 

A389.

It's the Shihakushō.

Q390.

2022.10.03

I would like to know how Abarai Ichika-chan rates her father's eyebrows!

A390.

She thinks they're the coolest shape in the whole world.

Q391.

2022.10.03

Does Kubo-sensei have a Kanken certificate? (*Japan Kanji Aptitude Test)

A391.

I don't have one.

Q392.

2022.10.03

What is the motive behind Kyōraku Shunsui choosing Yadōmaru Lisa as his Vice-Captain? I'm also intrigued by their relationship. When Kyōraku and Lisa reunite again during the Decisive Battle of Karakura in the anime, Lisa strikes him violently as if in greeting, Kyōraku then says something like "you're looking as cute as ever" and Lisa blushes in response. I'm curious because I think this would never have happened if Lisa wasn't conscious of Kyōraku in some way or the other.

A392.

This is one of those scenes where the checks didn't come to me.

Q393.

2022.10.10

I really love the well-built and good-looking mature men that Kubo-sensei draws, but I was curious about specific areas of the face or body where you exert the most effort when drawing these characters. If I have to pick one character, I would be very happy if you could tell me something about Zaraki Kenpachi. 

A393.

All the characters are different in terms of what aspect I pay extra attention to, in Kenpachi's case, I imagine him with "dry-looking, tense muscles on a thin figure with prominent bones.”

Q394.

2022.10.10

Not long after assuming her position as Captain of the 8th Division, Yadōmaru Lisa is seen wearing a Captain's haori which had long sleeves (in the illustration from the novel "WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU" Lisa can be seen wearing what looks to be a haori with sleeves.) However, in the one-shot, it became a sleeveless Captain's haori. Did she have it altered to sleeveless or does she switch between two garments depending on her mood that day?

A394.

Immediately following that, Lisa used the haori Shunsui used to wear after cutting down the length of the sleeves.

Q395.

2022.10.10

The Seireiheki ordinarily protects the Soul King Palace, but do the gatekeepers of the Seireimon also normally protect the Soul King Palace?

A395.

I'll write about this here because it's probably not a piece of lore I'll ever draw, but the areas bordering the edges of the street around where the gates fall have come to be named "Marumaru-mon", they stand guard over the vicinity of those areas. ×[4]

Q396.

2022.10.17

Sensei, how many layers do you divide your work into when drawing an illustration digitally? If possible, I would also like to see a making-of video of your drawing process!

A396.

The number of layers depends on the illustration. All of the original color drawings from the BLEACH exhibition are still available as time-lapses, so I hope they can be viewed somewhere.

Q397.

2022.10.17

Kazeshini's chains appear to be expandable, but how does it shrink back after it has been expanded? 

A397.

Shūhei does his best to shrink them back.

Q398.

2022.10.17

Given that Shawlong is the No.11 Arrancar, does that mean he was the first Menos among Aizen's forces to be turned into an Arrancar? In that case, why did Aizen choose him as the first test subject?

A398.

That's because Shawlong himself advised Aizen to try it on him first.

Q399.

2022.10.24

If Moguro Fukuzō from the "The Laughing Salesman" were in the world of BLEACH, who do you reckon would be the character that would likely be targeted by Moguro Fukuzō to have their souls filled?

A399.

Let me see, I wonder who… Shūhei…?

Q400.

2022.10.24

According to Ulquiorra's monologue, it seems that the fully Hollowfied Ichigo had used Sonído which is Hohō for Arrancar. In The Past arc from volume 36, it appears as though Kensei, who had progressed in Hollowfication, also utilized Sonído in the same way when he instantly moved behind Rabu. Could this be an indication that as a Shinigami's Hollowfication spreads from a state of being the mask alone to one where it affects the whole body, their existence grows closer to an Arrancar?

A400.

Correct.

Translation Footnotes:

×1. The "Shinigami Tōgakuin" is a name which appears in Souls character book, page 99. This is the name that is still most commonly used in Rukongai to refer to the Academy.

×2. Kubo is referring to Han-dynasty poems and legends, most notably: Ballad of Watering Horses in a Ditch by the Great Wall. Fish is used as a metaphor for letters sent by families far away as people would place their message in a wooden receptacle shaped like a fish. This receptacle would open down the middle thus becoming "two carp":

From a far land a traveler came and left me two carp. I asked my children to cook the fish and inside they found a silk letter. I knelt long and read the letter. What did that letter say? It started, Try to eat. and ended, I miss you always.

×3. Kōji Ōishi's Birthday stream featuring Tite Kubo:

https://www.youtube.com/live/nTwRin6T3VA?si=TmtttpxOOAdWnRLa

×4. Please note: "Mon" means gate but "Marumaru" is not really a name, marumaru is a symbol (○○) which we use as placeholders when, for instance, there is no name. So it's essentially like saying "such and such gate” until the named gate actually falls and replaces that placeholder.

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Intense Subtext in Front of Oblivious Side Characters: "I had no wife in the year six"

There's a thing, I guess it would be considered a trope, that is one of my favorite such things in any form of media but especially any sort of romance-centered story. I don't know of an existing term for this and I'm terrible at being concise so I'm not sure how I could put it briefly. Basically, it's the thing that happens when a larger interaction is happening with a group of people but there's a subtext to it that means something very different--and generally, much more meaningful--to the central characters. You could call it something like Intense Subtext in Front of Oblivious Side Characters.

I've been thinking for a while about possible parallels between BLs and Jane Austen novels and/or adaptations. This is my attempt at taking a small, specific example of a parallel I sometimes notice and talking about it. Austen's novels do a lot of this trope I mentioned. That's in part because of choices Austen made in what she wanted to write about. But it's also because of the social context of her time. There was a lot going on that people couldn't be explicit about, for a variety of reasons. I think one reason why I see similar things happening in some BLs--and maybe one reason for the appeal of certain types of BLs--is the fact that being queer in a homophobic society makes openness complicated in a way that doesn't come up as much for hetero relationships these days. Especially when we get into things like office romances, in which appearances have higher stakes. These complications around openness have a kind of similarity to the reasons Austen's characters had to play a lot of things close to the chest.

Fellow Old Fashion Cupcake fans will remember an example from that series that I think really fits here. Nozue and Togawa agree to attend a goukon, or "mixer" as it's sometimes translated--basically a group hangout intended to help men and women meet for the purpose of finding people to date. Nozue is hitting it off with a cute younger woman, which is bad enough. But then he mentions his "anti-aging" efforts, and because of the mysterious way he words it, the woman asks, "Does that mean you're in love?" which of course catches Togawa's attention even more. He's clearly affected when Nozue answers, "If I were, I wouldn't be here."

@jdramastuff did a great screenshot post of this scene if you want to see what this looked like.

After Nozue's comment, Togawa starts knocking back alcoholic drinks like it's going out of style, ensuring that Nozue will have to help him home instead of going home with the woman who's been flirting with him.

(You could argue that this isn't so much a case of subtext as it is the significance one person assigns to what another is saying. Subtext really requires some degree of communication between more than one person. But while Nozue doesn't fully grasp what's going on, I think he does understand in some ways what he's communicating. I don't want to go on too much of a tangent, so I'll just say that having just read the manga the series was based on, it strengthened my belief that while Nozue is repressed, insecure, even deluded at times, he has glimmers of awareness of his feelings for Togawa and even suspicions of Togawa's feelings for him, and on some level he knows what he's saying, though I don't think he knows in this moment how much these words will hurt Togawa.)

I have another favorite example of this, a scene from Persuasion. It's rendered really well in the 1995 adaptation of the novel with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. (The whole thing is phenomenal, by the way--I think it's the best Austen adaptation ever made, personally.)

A bit of background for anyone not familiar with the story: Anne Elliott was engaged to Captain Frederick Wentworth in 1806 but was convinced by Lady Russell, her neighbor/family friend and a kind of surrogate mother to her following her mom's death, to break off the engagement. She has regretted it ever since. Wentworth was deeply hurt and angry when she broke things off, not surprisingly.

More than eight years later, Anne is visiting her sister and her sister's in-laws, the Musgroves, when Wentworth comes to the area and starts spending a lot of time at the Musgrove place (and with the Musgroves' eligible young daughters). Wentworth acknowledges Anne, but just barely, while paying enough attention to both the Musgrove girls that everyone is gossiping about which one he's going to marry. Anne's sister Mary was away at boarding school when her previous relationship with Wentworth happened, so neither Mary nor the Musgroves are aware Anne and Wentworth were involved and think they were only acquaintances.

At a dinner party, the Musgrove girls try to look up the ship that Wentworth first commanded, the Asp, in the Navy List, a book that chronicles the various ships in the British Navy, their commanders, and so forth. Wentworth tells them not to bother--"she" is not in the current version of the List because "she" no longer exists.

Louisa and Henrietta Musgrove are suitably horrified.

Admiral Croft, Wentworth's brother-in-law and superior in the Navy, remarks that Wentworth was lucky to get a command so early in his career at all, no matter how seaworthy (or un-seaworthy) the ship was.

(Remember, 1806 was the year that Anne and Wentworth became engaged and then un-engaged.)

Gut-wrenching. And nobody else sitting at that table has any idea what just happened. I love it.

I have some more thoughts about this languishing in an excessively long post in my drafts, which I'll try to get out one of these days. I know I've talked to a few people about trying to do some BL/Austen posts and had meant to tag them but the only person I remember talking with about it was @absolutebl. If you're reading this and you want a heads up next time I write about this stuff, let me know!

[emerxshiu]

rat brainrot going hard

sorry for not posting this week, i was cooking some stuff but this drawing took almost the entire week to do, worst part, it was a shitpost

i still dont know why this took me so much

so uh, almost all my drawings this week have been related to this two(and lis) so much so that i struggled because i wanted to draw other things so i would just stare at a blank sheet of paper for over half an hour, god that was torture, tho i dont mind drawing the sillies, sometimes it gets a bit boring drawing the same over and over y'know? im also going to take this as an opportunity to ramble about my forgo gijinka, because surprisingly i hadnt done that yet.

og image

ok now to actually talk about the wet rat

ive tried doing a gijinka of em since i joined the fandom (my first gijinka was fecto elfilis (well not really they were fnaf, but i mean when i got into kirby and when i started using the term gijinka))

but most of the time it just looked like elfilin but like...evil, with a different ear and a hospital gown, thats it, so i barely drew them since i didnt like that, but on february, i actually sketched an idea that i liked, and thought it looked cute but a bit off (i mean off in a good way)

(yes im posting this image again because i think its the best drawing of my forgo (im very inconsistent with my style ok))

they have their eyes closed most of time, like in game, i considered giving them legs but i ended up with the tail, since i didnt want to end up with like a fourth evil elfilin, the arms are like that so i can have em be small and weird like in the actual game, but i also made it so they can like change it, that way i can make em have hands and stuff if necessary (like to hold that frying pan for example)

not sure if a lot of you notice it but um, bro has no neck, i took away his neck privileges, i did it just to see but i ended up falling in love with that and stuck around, and also that allows me to draw them bending their head like in the drawing above because their neck isnt necking and i like that, i like being able to draw characters doing stuff that shouldnt be anatomically possible or is abnormal (i did something a bit similar with void) thair clothes are rugged because well forgotten land you know what i mean, but in general theyre actually pretty simple

i also did the drawing in digital

i tried doing very sketchy lineart, i tried a new brush in this one and thats the one im using for my last drawings (not sure if anyone noticed the brush change) it was pain painting it because i did it all with the brush in the same size, not changing it, god did my hands hurt and it was a bad idea

i accidentaly downloaded the following 3 drawings twice lol

sleepy zzzz

i think they would wear something like this to sleep, i dunno i just wanted to draw em in something cute, and sleepy, with elfilin slippers (the mug also has elfilin btw) oh and also i like changing their hair, here one of their long bangs is tied into a bow, kinda like callie from splatoon, i have some drawing im probably wont post, one more of forgo wich looks very much like the upper one but like eyes closed, and one of fecto elfilis gyaru because my sister asked me to draw them like that, bad thing is i didnt look up references on gyaru since i couldnt use my phone at the moment, i did like the hair i did for them in that one tho, they have their bangs tied up in a bun, and then left the rest loose, making it look longer than it actually is. i might redraw it, but actually looking up gyaru so i can make something more accurate, i like the style, but im not too informed on it

elfilin being silly like a kitty :p

not much more to say on this, just sillines :3

there is totally not a cropped drawing there

based on the kirby manga, where they make it so elfilis sings really bad, at first i didnt like it that much since i had imagined they'd sign great, but after i while i started to find it a bit cute so now its a headcanon, they like to sing but suck at it.

writing this just made me remember i wanted to do another drawing too for this with kirby and them singing, but i forgot to do it, im kinda tired (and its late) ill probably draw it, but for next post or another one

tried drawing fecto forgo as a plushie, silly.

i wanna learn how to sew so i can make plushies of characters (like prince fluf!) but im way too lazy, i will get around it some day! (hopefully)

elfilin too as a plush

i also wanna learn to sculpt, i tried doing a clay kirby once, but one his feet broke in half, and one day my mom put it in a box, and his eyes fell off and stuck to the box :(

i really wanna do figures for characters i like or dont have enough merch or my ocs (prince fluff, flamberge, fecto elfilis)

but as i said, im way too lazy and unmotivated, though its be nice, one day, maybe one day if i stop procrastinating

it doesnt have the same ring to it as "feto rata mojada alien" wich is how my sister and i call them (she doesnt know that much about kirby, but i sometimes show her my drawings (reluctantly sometimes, but im the older so like >:) she has too if she wants to show me her stuff too))

silly rat and wet rat, thats how i call em (because wet rat alien fetus is too long sometimes)

you can tell the brainrot was too strong (were near done(kinda))

they gain a mouth whenever i fell like it very much

artblock hit, and all the rest of pages i stared at them for 30 minutes

it felt weird looking at my fecto elfilis with the eyes so big, it looked off (in a weird way)

dunno, tried drawing them in a different pose i i dunno really

i think these are from tuesday. i did more but those were oc (mostly splatoon) or other kirby character related, and i want this to be a rat post (might post those tommorow or another day maybe)

i dunno (x2), i tried drawing elfilin like elfilis, i really liked the hands here. i still struggle a bit with anatomy but i think this was quite good for my usual character just stading looking at the front or a quarter profile. im considering making this into a fully digital drawing, what do i say by considering im actually doing that fuck it, i just think it looks kinda cool

"This new creation, driven by pure chaos, was defeated by the bright light of Kirby's hope."

Chaos Elfilis reminds me of a moth. kirby's hope is a bright light.

you can see my thought process. i just thought itd be a bit cute and kinda silly and funny.

the kirby fandom wiki, said that chaos elfilis looked akin to a moth, and it just stuck with me, so i wanted my gijinka of them to be moth inspired, and thats when i saw just how cute moths are! i mean im still a bit scared of insects but at least now i kinda like em.

i feel like i need to say sorry to that one moth i desintegrated in a matter of seconds with a book because i thought it was an spider and didnt think (im so sorry little guy)

but ah yeah elfilis, moth, it made sense to me since chaos elfilis has the soul of morpho knight, who is a butterfly, and moths are kinda like butterflies too. and i thought itd be cute

so uh yeah i sometimes like making my chaos elfilis be a bit like a moth, that includes liking light, a lot, so uh kirby is like a lamp in here because i said so

now to talk about the desing since for some reason i hadnt earlier, as i said before, they are very moth inpired so uh im might say that word way too many times (im sorry i suck at explaining stuff)

their horns are thinner to resemble moth anntenae, and they curve just because i thought it look cool, and to differentiate it a bit from fecto elfilis. their bangs tie into a bun (i forgot to draw that but i dont wanna go and change it now, way too tiredv man and i still have to post this on other places) the bun looks a bit like an eye, because well, they are basically a soul boss, and moths have things in their wings that look like eyes, btw chaos elfilis doesnt have their wings here because i got lazy and i didnt want them to like cover most of the drawing. the things coming from their bun are like the trhee things theyve got in their head, theyre shaped like that to resemble insects legs a bit, fecto elfilis also had the 3 things (i dunno how to call em sorry) as their eyelashes, but chaos elfilis has just white eyelashes, because the bun already has the 3 things and because my morpho has white eyelashes so (i still havent done my morpho gijinka yet, i just know im gonna give the butterfly some white eyelashes cuz cute and pretty grimm reaper) the rest of the hair is shaped into like a ponytail but like, adn shaped, with whats left shaped like a lil moth

the waistband they have is a nod to morpho, they used to have a bow shaped just like the butterfly morpho appears as, but i took it out because i thought it crowded the design way too much, and also because it was too on the nose. the arms have those golden things because my fecto has it and because my og chaos elfilis gijinka had them so i wanted to bring it back, the hand fades into white because the red in the hand wasnt hard to distinguish so i came up with that to make it easier to see.

the red part of the pants are actually a bit fuzzy akin to a moth and the white part has those stripes to loke like insect stuff because y'know akin to a moth. the boots are like the red part in their legs their model in-game has, so i just made em tall boots, the high heels? originally it was platform just ike my fecto but then i wanted to draw them in high heels when i was slightly redoing chaos elfilis, and welp, i loved it and now theyve got high heels. those rings around the ankle are inspired by the ones leaongar has around their arm. also can you tell anatomy is not my strong suit? and that i dont draw high heels often?

i made a slight change in my kirby, making the sleeves be a different color, since the one he had before i felt was way too white, and i wanted to have more saturation in it

i also forgot but elfilin is supposed to wear that during forgotten land, and then i decided that after the anding of the main story he changes clothes, but i forgot about that while doing this so he has his pre-ending clothes (also because i still cant really decide on their second outfit for the post-game)

god im so tired i wanna talk and show more drawings but o shit im sweating why is it so hot in here

um thank you for reading all the unnecessary long rambles about why i do certain stuff in my gijinkas, i appreciate it a lot (im still sorry about writing walls upon walls of text but i just cant help it)

Jambuhbye! :D

[einsatzzz]

For the artist ask game:

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

There are so many good questions 😭😭😭 I hope it's okay that i just spamed a bit 👉👈🥺

It's ok bro !!! Ask as much as you want !!! So that l can keep yapping about art as much as I want too lmaooo Thank you for sending this over hehehe 🫡✨💜

Weirdly Specific Artist Ask Game

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

Since it's you sending this ask, the fave I got to answer this with has to be the one and only, Hib/ari Ky/oya 🤣🤣🤣 The first look at his design, it looks so simple. Nothing really too complicated with his hairstyle. He would fit into that one meme where this user is trying to compile "basic black hair guy" from various media (basic black hair guy??? but he's so ikemen and popular??? that's how you know he has 10000 aura & charisma *biased*). But then when you actually try to draw him, there's just something about him that I find hard to capture. Or maybe it's because he's my fave, that my brain just hyperfocuses on the tiny details that makes him *HIM* that sets him apart from other characters with similar designs. Then, I just end up overthinking how I draw him. And that makes him such a bitch to draw.

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

Game OSTs and maps/areas! I listened to the whole playlist of Enka//nomiya (from Gen/shin) so much, it lowkey ended up as an inspiration for Kana's character and general vibes, especially for a certain part of her lore. I originally listened to it for just studying because it helps me focus, then somehow the whole playlist AND the map/area itself is Kana-core now.

If I just have to rec a few from this playlist though, these are the ones: Soft Moans of the Remains, Sink Into Oblivion, Tearless Souls of Byakuya, Hope or Nostalgia, Vanished Beyond Recall, Combat Beneath the Waves (most of the titles ahahaha...🙃)

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

The first one that came to mind for this is Hiro/hiko Ar/aki-sensei! He's the mangaka who made Jo/jo's Biz/arre Adv/enture. His style is so legendary and iconic, I'm very sure you've seen it at least once. It's so different from mine that leans more towards the conventional pretty anime character style, but I LOVE Ara/ki-sensei's art so much, especially the fashion, poses and his grasp with drawing the forms/shape of his characters with such a god-level of consistency.

I remember someone making a gif of his character in different panels, arranging them so that they're facing in different angles. The result is so smooth, it's like you're rotating a 3d model with how consistent he drew the face structure, even if each one is from a different manga panel! 🤯🤯🤯✨✨✨

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

It's a 50-50! Sometimes I do when I remember, then sometimes I don't because I either forgot to or it's just that good of a day for me to draw. And when I do forget, I would only remember because it kind of feels off for no reason, especially when I'm just at the sketching stage. When I realize that, I would open another canvas asap and start drawing random stuff. If it's coloring then, I usually don't need to warm up.

For my warm up subjects, I usually go for Kana or Kurumi, depending on my mood. I drew them so much, so they're the easiest and quickest to draw for me, they're great for warm-up sketches for that very reason. They're also a test to see rq if a certain day is a good drawing day. Because if I can't even draw KanaRumi properly, then I know my brain is not in the right setting to draw at that particular time just yet. I can stop the clownery very early and just switch to doing something else.

[arkadiaasks]

Your take on togashi is absolutely rancid. Try and have some basic human empathy and imagine why an artist might want to personally continue the manga he put his blood, sweat, and tears into for years. He should be praised for trying to continue his work and yet you're upset it's not coming out as fast as you would like. You obviously lack any frame of reference on how a chronic illness can affect your life along with the notion of being committed to something you love.

I'm sympathetic to wanting to continue the story and his health, but...

From everything I've heard, he's rejected every option to heavily smooth the production line for himself (even if it means most of the artwork is handled by staff and he does the bare minimum name) or take the off ramp to end the story or find some other means of telling his story at the least self harm to himself.

Considering Miura of Berserk had seemingly similar workaholic and OCD personality issues (which killed him), it's honestly baffling to me, though I guess also unsurprising, that he hasn't made a change when he's known for over a decade his current state of affairs is not going to work.

My father quotes a line to me "A Man Has To Know His Limitations".

For comparision:

The author of Paranatural, a webcomic, destroyed their wrist due to work that they now do it as an illustrated novel instead of a webcomic, and I respect that because they understood and accepted and adjusted their entire workflow, presentation and story to deal with the fact they have severe carpal tunnel that makes a standard comic book style untenable.

(this is also no nevermind, if togashi was anyone else, hunter x hunter would of been canned during his first major medical hiatus and it's only survived as long as it has due to him being Jump's wonder child that saved the magazine between Dragon Ball and One Piece and he quite literally has a very unique contract).

If "I want him to be able to tell his story in a more efficient manner that is better for not aggravating his own chronic medical conditions (which all seem to be results from his mangaka work) that lets him tell it within his lifetime" is somehow a toxic position, than so be it.