#i love this manga so much id be happy if more people could check it out :D

[blackcurrant-juice]

axolotl...

[dazed--xx]

Hello! I love your fake texts and I religiously check you blog for new stuff thats how much i love them 🥹 I was hoping you could do a hyunjin scenario where he likes y/n and y/n likes him too but they're just friends and y/n thinks he could never see them as more than a friend so y/n's other friend has a big crush on hyunjin and y/n is so nice so when y/ns other friend asks to set them up with hyunjin y/n tries to by trying to talk up their friend to hyunjin and trying to convince him to go out with their other friend - you can decide where it goes from there thank you so much! 🩵

Honestly, at first i was gonna say I wont write this ngl. I typically don't like this type of prompt, I hate when this scenario pops up in the manga and manhwa I read. BUT then people just kinda hype me up when I take tired ass scenarios (No offense sorry) and make them my own. so I will be doing this, now I cant promise it will follow your prompt to a tea but do note that it will for sure have

Hyunjin and Y/N will like each other

friend will be either shitty, oblivious or a decent person

Y/N will have to try to set up friend with Hyunjin

this shit will be angsty, cant promise a happy ending I'm not too big on those but my readers like to bully me into them anyway (complete joke)

also how far can i go? i feel like some people don't realize the lines I'm willing to cross for a good story so from like a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being almost sunshine and rainbows and 10 being a Tsunami of angst and sadness? i feel like I'm not gonna get an answer but others considering making a request yall should let me know from now on. i mean one of my OT8 y/n's is the survivor of a serial killer people. like non con is the tip of the fucked up mental iceberg I'm willing to write like when october hits yall are gonna be traumatized with my Spooktober masterlist, BTW I'm doing a Spooktober event (We kinky but not in our works too much these days, but the first day will be a smut/horror fic. Just won’t be smut focused)

anyway, im writing this like legit right as I'm answering this so that's why I'm Rambling but like who cares right get into my mind. anyway if you could message me with the how far I could go question lol like mild angst, medium angst, or heavy angst id appreciate that

[eshithepetty]

EXCELLENT CHOICE to actually show ???%'s expressions a little instead of them just being a black void with white, blank eyes. Especially since we don't get their internal narration like we do in the manga. Gives a nod to the fact that this is a person, not just an unthinking entity,,, i love it

[ID: two screenshots of Unknown Percentage from season 3, episode 10 of Mob Psycho 100, where they're first shown to be glaring, teeth gritted, then raising their head, eyes widening in what looks like surprise. End ID.]

Also, anyone else get the sense that here, ???% was leaning in to Teru to check if..... well, maybe not if he's okay, but if he's alive at least? Whether or not that means they care for Teru's well being, I'm not sure, but I find it interesting. In the least, it does show that they are aware that they are hurting people, and not just doing it indiscriminately, so that's something.

[ID: a screenshot of Unknown Percentage eerily leaning over Teru, who is prone. End ID.]

In light of that, it's also interesting to consider exactly what ???% kept attacking Teru for then. This part is gonna get a bit long, though (as ???% is my childe and I have many a dozen thoughts about them), so I'm putting it under readmore.

(Also, there are gonna be manga spoilers on account of me getting way too deep into it, so beware !!)

[ID: a screenshot of Unknown Percentage, facing away from the viewer, looking up at the sky where Teru's bag is exploding where it floats. All the following images are screenshots as well. End ID.]

1 ) First thing first, ???% immediately destroys Teru's bag. I don't think there's much to this one, but you could consider this a sign of hypervigilance - they saw Teru drop something, and immediately went to destroy it, perhaps in fear that it was aimed for them. So it quickly becomes obvious, that ???% is quite distrustful.

[ID: In the first, Teru is in side profile, looking to an off screen Unknown Percent, saying, "I'm not sure what happened," and in the next image, he is facing front, his face still relaxed, but now illuminated by the white light of Unknown Percentage's powers, saying "but if I'd suffice, I'd be happy to lis-" then cutting off. End ID.]

2 ) Next, Teru says this, and ???% immediately gets angry... I think. The first part, the implication from Teru that 'something must have happened for you to act this way' is what annoys ???% more. Because to them, they're just finally acting as they've always wanted to.. This isn't a bad thing to them. And they're frustrated that Teru, this person that acted much like them not even that long ago, is looking to talk them out of it.

[ID: In the first, we see Mob's bouquet of flowers, Teru off screen saying "Oh, you bought flowers! That's great!". In the next, he's smiling as he says, "But it might be a little dangerous going as you are right now.". In the third, he is illuminated by that same light, only brighter, his hair sweeping back, his expression turning panicked. End ID.]

3 ) Now this one... manga readers will know, ???% wanted to see Tsubomi as much as Mob. And so Teru denying them that chance here... well, suffice it to say, they feel a bit rejected here. Reigen told Mob in the previous episode to show his 'true self'. And in ???%'s eyes, they are the true self. To let Mob simply continue on, lie to Tsubomi as they see it, and keep pretending ???% wasn't a part of him, as if they weren't the whole reason he was even still alive right now... ???% probably would find that unbearable.

[ID: In the first, Teru is frowning and sweating, saying, "You leave me no choice." In the next, the background behind him has turned an ominous purple, his expression intense, Unknown Percent's shoulder seen in the corner as Teru restrains them with his telekinetically powered scarf, and says "I'm gonna have to keep you restrained until your powers calm-". And in third, we see his vacant face, flying through the clouded sky, his noise slightly bleeding. End ID.]

4 ) Once again, Teru is denying ???% being a part of Mob, being Kageyama-kun, instead labeling them as just Mob's 'power'. Fitting for Teru, who just in this episode said, "[Kageyama-kun taught me], how important it is to accept yourself without any psychic powers." For Teru, accepting himself without his powers was essential, since he hinged his everything on them to an unhealthy degree. But to Shigeo, the opposite is true. And ???% has had enough of being restrained.

[ID: In the first, it's closed up on Teru's trembling hand, which he is clutching with the other, saying "Kageyama-kun...." The second image is a closeup of Teru's eye, slightly serious, as he says "Stop this. You should head home for the day." And third is a similarly composed closeup of Unknown Percent's eye, glowing a bright white against his shadowed skin, as Teru continues off screen, "It's for your own good." End ID.]

5 ) The same as in the third point, except this time, there's the added salt of Teru saying "It's for your own good", as if he even knows the slightest thing about ???%, and, by extension, about Shigeo (as ???% sees it). Logically, we know that it truly doesn't do Shigeo any good to let ???% just keep rampaging like this. But ???% doesn't. Feelings are often irrational. And in this case, ???% just feels scorned.

[ID: In first, it is closed up on Unknown Percent, them turning back to the flowers flying behind them, their mouth slightly open in alarm. Teru in the background is staring wide-eyed, aura glowing. In second, Teru is looking more serious, saying, "If I destroy those...". In third, it is focused on the flowers, Unknown Percent and Teru in the background, as the bouquet gets enveloped in Teru's powers, seemingly exploding. In fourth, it is closed up on Teru's gritted teeth, as Unknown Percent grips their hand around his throat, choking him. End ID.]

6 ) Once again, same as third point... ???% is very determined to do this one thing 'right'. The fact that Teru almost took that chance entirely away from them probably scares them. And, of course... there's the obvious parallels with the choking.... this follows Teru's little inner monologue about how Mob has changed him. So even though I am still undecided on whether this was an intentional act of revenge on ???%'s part or not, the narrative meaning of this is pretty clear... they are, as Mob said all that time ago, the same, in that Mob needs to deal with his feelings involving his powers just as Teru did.

[ID: In first, Teru is noticeably beat up, expression worn and concerned, as he asks, "Kageyama-kun, are you having some kind of episode?". In second and third, it pans the back of Teru's head across the screen to reveal more of Unknown Percentage, a he says "To think you, of all people, would go berserk and lose control of your powers...". In fourth, the background has turned to a splash of warm yellow, as Teru disjointedly smiles, points a finger at them and proclaims "I guess you're pretty average, too! I'm a bit relieved, honestly.". The fifth is a closeup of Unknown percent's eye, staring angrily. And the next, the lines shadowing them get more intense, and Teru in the background lets out a "No..." End ID.]

7 ) Whoooowgh,,, this part..... it's hard to hear, but ???% gasps a little after Teru calls them average. I think... this runs deeper than Shigeo's relationship to Teru and their collective view on a person's worth. I think, this traces way back to Reigen. When he told Mob, right after he hurt a loved one with strength beyond any 'normal' person all by accident, that he's 'just like everyone else'. That he's average. I think... this talk. Was instrumental to the born divide between Mob and ???%, just as the actual violent act was. Because how do you reconcile the fact that you're apparently just some normal, average, harmless little kid, with the fact that you can also kill people without even trying? While not even aware?

Reigen does say, after all, upon seeing this. Upon actually witnessing ???%, Mob's power in it's entirety, that he didn't know about this. He didn't know. He had no idea, and he was just speaking out of his ass about things he didn't understand... so while that advice did help Mob immensely in a lot of ways, people aren't wrong about that... I think. A lot of people are also missing that this advice Reigen gives isn't the full picture. That it is, just like everything about the conman, flawed. Just as Reigen influenced Mob positively, he was also one of the negative influences in his life, that led to this point. To Mob splitting himself in halves, and paying the price.

Everything and everyone, after all, has two sides to them.

[ID: First is a closeup of Teru's eyes, the background being a stark white, everything illuminated in a haunting red glow. His expression is horrified, he is bleeding from his nose, and someone in the background is yelling "Help!". In the second and third, Unknown Percentage turns to Teru wordlessly, as the people around them continue to shout "Look out!" and "Save me!". End ID.]

8 ) And you can see it here. The way ???% is staring at Teru, almost asking him, "Do you see it? What I am actually capable of? Is this really 'the average' you speak of?" because I have the feeling, Shigeo is tired of people brushing past his very real concerns of being more than capable of hurting people, to a disastrous extent. To deny he is different in any way, is to deny his capabilities are different, and that what he needs is different as well. He cannot go on living just as any other human without powers, or as any other esper even. Because although he is equal to everyone else on a human level, he is not the same as everyone. This desire to fit in, to not stand out, to not acknowledge his unique fears and desires and feelings, is the entire reason 'Mob' as a persona got constructed. And ???% is finally finding the chance to unravel all of it.

[ID: two shots framed from low perspective, the background being a cloudy, gray sky, as Unknown Percentage first looks down at an off screen unconscious Teru, then turns their back, beginning to walk away. End ID.]

It is meaningful, then, that after this, ???% just lets the people Teru saved float, and leaves the boy to lay on the ground, to continue on. It wasn't really their intention to hurt people just to hurt. They certainly don't care that much about their pain right now, either, but. It was for a point. It was all just to prove a point, to Teru, to the world. That they're not something to be stifled. That their desires deserve to be heard, too. And, more than anything... I think it was a way to get back at Mob, at this person that has shunned them all this time, and say - you think you're the only one who deserves to be happy? You think you can be happy, with me continuing to writhe underneath the surface, unacknowledged, like this? How long are you going to go on? How long, until I'm able to exist freely again? And how long, until you realize, that what happened 4 years ago, wasn't a fluke?

Because they're not the one who hurt Ritsu. It wasn't some otherworldy entity, this power that is inhuman and uncontrollable and unreachable. It was Shigeo. Shigeo, who is comprised of Mob, in all his desire for self control, and ???%, in all his desire for freedom. And only through them meeting together, can they fulfill both, and learn to not repeat those same mistakes.

Because Shigeo is human. And Shigeo is the protagonist of his own life. For better, for worse <3

[spidermanifested]

ive thought a little more about devils nest dungeon meshi au (demons nest?) and here is the idea i was bouncing around in my head. id love for some kind of lore compliance check because i havent really gone back over the manga since i finished it, or sought out any kind of supplemental material, and i like the challenge of fitting these kinds of things into the boundaries of the source (once again DUNGEON MESHI SPOILERS. for people who havent read the manga at all)

so you have this demon (in a dungeon) (granting desires and eating them) (getting stronger) (hoping someday he can get out of the dungeon). and hes been in there a while and boy does he love watching humans get their greatest wishes granted, but the part where they gradually go mad with power or get disenchanted with the results and also he has to eat their desires anyway eventually kind of blows. he wishes he could only have the good part where he gets to make people happy forever is that too much to ask. maybe when he gets out of the dungeon he can do something about that. love to get out of the dungeon

anyway fast forward a while and this guy comes in. some teenage prince from a tallman country thats wracked with internal conflict and what HE wants is to become immortal, because that way when he takes the throne his reign will be eternal and the different clans will stop fighting over the right of succession. thats so specific. the demon loves it. he can just give him a peaceful united empire here, in the dungeon, which he can rule eternally-- no he wants the one at home. well. the problem with that is that the demon is here, in the dungeon, and not out there.

HELP WANTED NOTICE: i dont remember what the exact plan was vis a vis the winged lion getting up to the surface in the manga and i know it Had to be simpler than "just walk out of there" because why would it have had to steal laios' body about it. WOULD a sufficiently dedicated dungeon lord be able to get back up to the surface with their respective demon in tow.

ADDITIONAL HELP WANTED NOTICE: if a demon WAS freed from the dungeon without being powerful enough to get out under its own strength, how much magic would it be able to perform out there? would it be able to make somebody immortal without the big magic-insulation box. i feel like this changes a lot if greed Can grant ling immortality vs if now that hes out of the dungeon he cant really do shit.

either way now that hes out he does not technically need to eat this kids desires specifically anymore. if the immortality thing is a bust, maybe hes shaken by the experience of not being able to fulfill somebodys wish for the first time. but HIS wish has been fulfilled instead? complicated! maybe ling drags him back to his kingdom to help him gain the throne, or maybe he gets mad and leaves and greed never finds out what happens to him, but whatever goes down it changes his worldview and hes starting to develop a sense of personhood separate from the rest of the Demon Conglomerate, and also desires that are unique to Him

but he still wants to help people realize their own desires and maybe thats even strengthened by the fact that now he personally knows how much it owns (funny) to want something so bad and finally get it. so im thinking eventually he goes back to his old dungeon, now way smaller, and he sets up shop, and just waits for people to come by so he can help them in a less exploitative way. like he graduates from Addiction Metaphor to Healthy Coping Mechanism Metaphor. and the chimeras all find their way there eventually and he wins their trust one at a time until they are forced to admit this weird overly genuine dungeon guy kind of rules. his personality is laios basically he has the exact same type of autistic swag

but. if the elves heard about a demon who was just fucking going up to people floor 1 like hi im a demon welcome to my dungeon. they would shit bricks. so the raid also has to happen at some point. and i Am putting ling in there albeit as backstory so im open to suggestions as to how the rest of the cast of fma can fit into this (father and the homunculi as other more typical demons obviously) (no clue about anybody else) (come and play toys with me)

[reficu1]

hello i was wondering if i could get matched up (harry potter, male character)

im a girl, my prefered pronouns are she/they, INTP 9w1. the house i would be in is ravenclaw.

im filipino and chinese. im 5’2 and my skin is like a medium-light tone. i have black hair with curtain bangs and it goes a bit past my shoulder. i have brown eyes, theyre not dark but not light either, and i wear glasses that tend to stay at the tip of my nose. for my style, i wear a lot of sweaters or jackets, cropped shirts, and jeans with either converse or docs. i prefer dark, muted, or neutral tones over brighter colors. my style is kinda like the downtown girl aesthetic.

things i enjoy are reading, listening to music, playing video games, watching movies, and studying. my favorite books are schoolgirl by dazai osamu and our happy time by gong jiyeong. i dont read as much as i did before, but i do it here and there. ive been really interested in japanese literature and also manga, though, and ive always loved the works of dazai osamu and junji ito. i listen to music almost all the time since it sort of blocks out everything when it gets too loud. i wear my headphones even if im not listening to music since simply having it there kind of comforts me (i also have really bad sensory issues since im autistic. its not only with hearing but all of my senses in general). i listen to a variety of artists, but my favorites are laufey, mitski, lamp, tyler the creator, and childish gambino. besides listening to music, i also play the piano. i play a lot of video games, but its mainly genshin and osu, but i love horror and mystery games. its similar with movies, i love horror and psychological horror, mystery, and action. studying is what i enjoy the most even if it sounds odd. i love learning new things especially if its something im interested in.

personality-wise, im a very quiet and calm person, but im also very observant. i dont talk to a lot of people, but when i find someone interesting, i’ll most likely talk to them first. it also takes me a while to grow comfortable towards people depending on how they are. but once i get comfortable with someone, i become more talkative. i go on and on about what i find interesting and my passions. im also a good listener and im willing to listen to people ramble to me as much as i do to them. im open with my friends venting to me and i tend to only listen since im not the best at comforting people, but if they need it, then id try my best to comfort them. i have a really difficult time expressing emotions. i wouldnt call myself emotionless, i feel a lot of emotions to the point where it can be overwhelming for me sometimes, but expressing them it very awkward for me. im intelligent and i love all kinds of science (its my hyperfixation), but i despise english and history. im not bad at either of them, i just dont find them at all interesting.

just random facts abt me: i have the worst memory its actually concerning, im the youngest in my family i have two older siblings (a sister who im extremely close with and a brother), i love animals especially cats, i love the sky and i always take pictures of it.

(also dont know if this was necessary but just wanted to add it: stargazing, cafe, museum, park/flower garden, or study/library (except we wouldnt get anything done and we’re just in our own world) dates are my fav and my love language is acts of service!)

SORRY IF THIS WAS TOO MUCH HAHA but thank you so so much if you actually respond to this! i hope you have a wonderful day/night!

I match up for you...

Ron Weasley. And I'm talking about Ron from the book, because in the film he is shown as a coward, stupid, weak and only likes to eat. But in the original, Ron is quite smart, he has a lot of "beyond expectations". Yes, he lacks perseverance. Ron has a strategic mind, if you remember his interest in chess. But damn, his game didn’t end with a checkmate, it was a check and the enemy could be blocked by a queen_._._ Your love of reading and studying didn’t bother him, he would probably sit next to you and listen to you if you want to discuss something, otherwise as he has many older siblings, he has a lot of experience that they passed on to him. But because of them, he would be less likely to express his thoughts or knowledge. Ron is very insecure, due to the fact that his mother always set only the older ones as an example, and Ron is the only younger one. But every year the guy learned from his mistakes and admitted them! This is a wonderful quality in people, it helps us to improve ourselves.

[sako-mii]

sending this again!!

hello!! i was wondering if i could get a matchup for a male tokyo revengers character? if they aren’t closed, of course! c,: i’ve only watched the entirety of the anime so i don’t know much abt the manga! ^^; my pronouns are she/her <3

appearance: i’m 5’5”, i have long dyed yellow hair with bangs, blue/greenish eyes, pale skin, curvy body & thick/chubby which i’m insecure abt,,. my style is very soft and princesscore with pastels and lots of dresses/skirts c: i have 3 tattoos! one on my ribs, and the other 2 are inspired by sailor moon ^_^ i’m hoping to get many more in the future !!

personality/wants in a relationship: i’m an infp, my zodiac sign is cancer, my favorite anime is sailor moon if that says anything abt me bdjcmdmsndmsn ><. i have depression, anxiety, and ptsd but i go to therapy for all of them !! i desperately want a partner that i would feel safe walking around in public with, as i have really bad social anxiety and am very afraid of getting cat called and stuff bc it’s happened to me before. id like someone really protective or strong looking! i’m really clumsy, sensitive and a bit naive with social stuff but i’ve been told i’m wise in other aspects. i’m pretty positive and optimistic but it’s mostly a front to keep others happy. i’m quite motherly; i’ll always check on how my loved ones are doing/feeling, and i love to cook/bake for them! i fall in love very easily, but when i’m with someone i only have eyes for them. i can be very ditzy logically but i’m also intelligent when it comes to random facts and my hyperfixations! i get protective of my loved ones and i’m not afraid to defend those that won’t stand up for themselves.

interests/hobbies: i’m a wiccan and witch, i read tarot and practice spells c: i love anime, video games, horror movies, cats (i have 2!). i’m studying to be a makeup artist and i love doing my makeup as well as other people’s!! i also cosplay quite a few anime characters c:

i think that’s it! i’m so sorry if this is too long!!!!! tysm for reading!! <333 take care of yourself!

I'll assign you...

Mitsuya Takashi

You were currently walking back from your make-up classes, until some guys decided to bother you.

You felt very uncomfortable but ignored them. You picked up your pace but they didn't budge, you suddenly heard someone yelling, "stop bothering her. If you have to say something to her then say it to me instead." It was mitsuya, a guy from the fashion design department.

The guys were quite intimidated and walked away. You thanked him for helping you out. He told you it was nothing and suggested to walk together in case.

Mitsuya was very loved in his department for his remarkable fashion pieces. He was also loved by many girls.

You walked home together with him, it was quiet but rather comfortable. Before you went into your house you thanked him once again.

Despite living in the same direction, you two rarely met or saw eachother on your way.

After that incident, he often came to you and asked if someone still bothers you. He sometimes asks you to walk together so he can be sure.

You two became quite good friends, it became only natural to wait for eachother to walk home. His sisters would sometimes insist on meeting you too

One time, when you two were hanging out together, he suddenly asked for your attention and asked you out. You were surprised but you happily said yes.

On your first date, he took you out to the movies and later on to a cafe. It was quiet simple but sweet.

He would look out for, if someone bothers you, he would calmly walk in and put his arms around your shoulders, pulling you closed to him, "is there any problem?" He'd ask in a gentle manner but would slightly glare at the other person.

When you walk together and he notices people looking, he'd see you getting a bit nervous. He'll assure you that he's by your side and would intertwine your hands in his, giving you a light peck.

Having sisters to take care of himself, he knows how to assure you or calm you when you get nervous. He'd also tell you that you're beautiful no matter what, and he would also make sure that you know it.

He would be very protective if someone catcalls you, seeing you getting uncomfortable.

He'd pull you close, hold you tightly and make sure that those people won't bother you again

He loves seeing you do your makeup. He thinks you look gorgeous.

He'd make your costumes when you want to cosplay, he'd also design some clothes for you, telling you that those will suit you. He will also have one of the prettiest smiles when he sees you wearing them.

Sometimes you would make him cosplay with him too, which he doesn't mind. People loved it when you two cosplayed together. And honestly, you two look really cute together.

Enjoy your new realm that's where you'll stay now

You're pretty just the way you are so don't be insecure :) you're gorgeous. Hope you like it. Stay safe ❤️

[madame-fouquet]

2020 Anime Retrospective

With the end of the year here, and all the anime that came with it now behind us, I feel like looking back and reminiscing on it. So, following the style of ANN's own yearly retrospectives, may I present my 2020 anime in review! Enjoy.

Best of the year: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken

    This is actually not the first time Yuasa and his crew of, let's be honest, visionaries have rolled something special out right at the beginning of the year in some weird power move against everything else that has to follow it. They did it back in 2018 with Devilman Crybaby, and then they hit us this year with Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken.     You ever have one of those shows where you're just constantly in awe of everything it does? Where you never found yourself chasing merch or hunting after content based off it online, but you consistently find yourself thinking about it? Yeah, that's what Eizouken did to my brain after I watched it. It was such an earnest love letter to anime and anime production, to animation in general, that I couldn't help but get sucked into its imagination and enthusiasm. The way it was able to so perfectly illustrate that pure, boundless, childlike joy that one can derive from the simple act of creating, I'd be lying if I didn't say that it had a powerful effect on my own desire to continue creating. (Corny as that sounds, it's true.) The sheer amount of love it contains, and the equal amount it puts out into the world make it so I know I am going to be thinking about it again and again for a long long time.

Runner-up: Akudama Drive

    I don't know if it's really quite a matter of my two favorites being opposites, but there are definitely some pretty sharp stylistic and tonal differences between my two top shows this year. Akudama Drive's cocaine-fueled bender of an intro episode made it very clear what it's intentions were and what it wanted us to be prepared for. That doesn't mean I had ANY idea of where it was headed narratively, but I did know I was in for one hell of a ride. And it delivered is spades on that promise.     The twists and turns, no matter how insane, illogical, or steeped in tropes they were, were all such a colorful energetic spectacle that it would be hard to hold anything against the series. Every character was such a force that I didn't really consider any of them a weak point. Yeah, some of them were more or less cardboard cut-outs of antagonistic elements, but when the cardboard cutout looks REALLY FREAKING COOL, it's hard to get too torn up over the details. It's a show that oozes style and knew EXACTLY what it wanted to do and be, and I have to respect that.

Runner-up-up: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

    The next few entries aren't really in any sort of order, I actually found it near impossible to sort anything below my top two. Hanako-kun however does hold a bit of a special place for me though because, at least from a stylistic standpoint, it hits so many of my buttons. Just visually this show is the exact kind of thing my younger self would have latched onto immediately, even before knowing anything about the actual content. I suppose not much has really changed though.     I'm absolutely in love with the animation style of Hanako-kun, and I got really lucky that there is an interesting story and delightful cast of characters underneath that visual splendor. Along with the sharp lines, intense colors, and soft characters, I'm also a sucker for contemporary supernatural mysteries. That's a fancy way of saying one of my favorite shows as a kid was The X-files, but both make the point pretty well. The world of Hanako-kun has a lot to offer, and I can only hope it gets a second season so we can continue to delve into it's beautiful and terrifying mysteries.

Runner-up-up: Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 2

    I know a lot of people will be talking about this one when it comes to “Best of” lists. I know a lot of people were talking about the first season when it reminded us just how funny anime can be back in 2018. Absurd high school comedies (Is that a genre?) could definitely be considered my favorite. Hell, of my top five favorite anime of all time, THREE of them fall under that category. So believe me when I say Kaguya-sama absolutely deserves the deluge of praise it receives. For what describing something as “laugh out loud” is worth, this show had me constantly needing to pause it just so I could finish laughing at whatever ludicrously funny misfortune had just befallen it's cast of lovable morons.     The thing is though, Kaguya-sama understands that you can't just earn love and goodwill on laughs alone, there needs to be a beating heart at the center of all the shenanigans. And when this season had me actually cheering on and feeling sorry for Ishigami of all people, I knew that beating heart was present and accounted for. Look, the cast are all self-centered idiots, but I'll be damned if they aren't also my dear children who I delight in watching slowly grow and become slightly less self-centered idiots.

Runner-up-up: Dorohedoro

    When the Dorohedoro anime was first announced, a lot of my experience was watching a group of people online scream about how they were so pumped that it was finally getting an anime. I had never heard of it before, but the excitement was very real and tangible. And I gotta say, sometimes you need to believe the hype.     I've never been one to shirk a series just because it was CG animation, (Watch ID-0 dammit!) but Dorohedoro makes a strong case for why people shouldn't sleep on something based solely on it's animation. The dirty, grease-encrusted world of Hole is brought to life with plenty of flair and style that, I feel, the CG didn't hold back at all. What I had seen said was that for a long time Dorohedoro was kinda considered “unanimateable” but I think MAPPA did the iconic manga a fair amount of justice. Even if pulpy ultra-violence isn't normally your thing, I still highly recommend giving Dorohedoro a look, it might just end up being a hole worth going down.

Honorable Mention: Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!

    I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. The first Show By Rock!! was definitely an indulgence for me. While not something I considered a high level series by any stretch: messy plotting, shallow characters, a weird isekai angle, a lackluster finale, and an even MORE lackluster second season, it still got is hooks into me with its sheer energy and fluffy charm. So despite the, as mentioned, rough second season, I was more than happy to check out the new series in the franchise. And boy was I glad I did.     Mashumairesh!! takes all the heart and sweetness that worked for the first series and dials it up. It then took a hard look at a lot of what DIDN'T work in the first series, and manages to fix most of the issues. Removing the isekai angle and the whole existential threat thing, and just letting the series be a “slice-of-life but in an electric animal filled music world” did wonders for the direction and consistency. Add to that more properly fleshed out characters, and you get a series that is far stronger than it's progenitor.     The next series, Show By Rock!! Stars!!, will be adding back the cast from the first series, and that could very well be a sign that it will be falling back into its old habits, but the presence of the Mahumairesh!! girls gives me hope that it might have a chance of staying the new, far better course.

Worst of the Year: Digimon Adventure:

    This one really hurts to say. What hurt more was how quickly I knew what show I'd be electing for this position. One thing to clarify is that I would not nominate a series that I'd only watched one or two episodes of, that's just not fair. So the award was bound to go to something I had at least dedicated a decent amount of my time too. And in any other year this may have gone to something that was more my “least favorite” or had an ending that disappointed me. But unfortunately I have to be honest and sit here and tell you that the newest entry in the Digimon franchise was easily the worst thing I watched this year.      I have been a long time Digimon fan. Ever since I was but a wee lass watching the original Digimon Adventure premiere on Fox Kids at a family reunion, I have always considered the franchise a sort of cornerstone of my anime fandom. So please understand the excitement I had felt when I found out they were doing a full on remake of that flagship series. Imagine how absolutely pumped I was when the bombastic movie-like premiere of Digimon Adventure: wowed us with everything it delivered, and all the promises of what was to come. And then imagine my disappointment, my despair as the show devolved until it showed us what it really was during the finale of the Fake Tokyo arc.     I would call it a production meltdown, but considering the precedent that got set back in episode 10 during the already shaky Ultimate Evolution arc, has been so clearly informing everything up to the current episodes in the early 30s, I have to be honest with myself and admit: this is what we were going to get all along from day one.     All of the heart that had made the original series so endearing, despite its own flaws, just isn't present here. What you get here is just a non-stop (and I mean non-stop) string of barely related fights with poorly-defined stakes, or sometimes no real stakes at all. It's just one ugly set piece fight after another as the children chase after vaguely implied evils. I think the most damning thing is how much more I could say about just how much this series has let me down. Like I said, this one hurts.

Best Theme-Song of the Year: Night Running (BNA)

     My opinion of BNA as a series is complex. But my opinion of its ED, Night Running, is simple: Its a god-damned bop! I could spend this whole section talking about the artistry of the ED animation itself, its fun and creative use of color, the slight variations for certain episodes, the focus on character, or the fact that it was done by an American animation team. I could even talk about the song's importance to the series as a whole and its place in the narrative. I won't though. The fact of the matter is that even without all that, I STILL probably would've picked Night Running as my best of the year because as a song it is just that much my jam. This is the kind of shit I could listen to on repeat for hours, days, weeks, and still keep coming back to it. Don't get me wrong, Ready To is a damn powerful and catchy tune that goes hard, but at the end of the day, I'm a sucker for a soulful pop tune like Night Running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWTFfEnMCCc

Best Character: Sayaka Kanamori

    This was actually probably the hardest category for me to decide on. It was stuck hard between Eizoken's Kanamori and Akudama Drive's Doctor. I know those are a powerfully different pair in basically every way, but it was specifically for their startling differences that both characters stuck out to me so much. In the end though, it was the poignant rounding out of, and emotional hooks of Kanamori's character that let her triumph over her delightfully two-dimensional opposition.     Kanamori already had me from episode one. In a show that I wasn't really worried about the usual diversions of anime ingestion like picking a favorite character, Kanamori sealed herself as “Best-girl” from the word go. I have mad respect for a girl who knows what she wants, and has a clear idea of how she's going to go about getting it (See also: Doctor.) But Kanamori was more than a driving desire for success and money. Underneath her unstoppable ambition there was a very real, very relatable driving impetus. She stood apart, and yet still believably vulnerable and invested in the people she associated with. It was always a blast watching her suffer as the only thing keeping the more creative minds on track, and yet she was never reduced to a simple task master; her love and respect for her friends was always clearly visible. I could go on and on about how Kanamori is a nearly perfect character, but I hope I've said enough already without having to resort to senseless rambling.

Best Moment: Howan confesses her feeling to Himeko (Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!)

    By the time episode six rolled around, Mashumairesh!! had already shown marked improvements over its progenitor in basically every area. Not only was the story in a better place by focusing on what had worked in the original series, (Ya know the BAND part of this show about bands) but the cast was also doing a good job of standing out from their seniors and feeling more equally rounded out. Where the original series had just kinda been the Cyan show with guest stars, I felt like I had an actual grip on all four of the main girls now.     There were however the usual issues that come with a cute-girls-doing-cute-things series, chief among them the “ambiguously gay member of the group who constantly reacts with clear romantic interest towards the main protagonist but the writing will never actually do anything with those feelings” trope. Retoree had spent the better part of the first two seasons fawning over Cyan only for nothing to come of it and, despite the increased focus on all of the girls this time around, it looked like we were going to get the same old song and dance with Himeko's feelings towards Howan.     But then the climax of episode six hit and, midst a really intense subplot about Himeko's abandonment complex, Howan comes out with a straight up love confession. And I kept waiting for the usual dead-ends these moments always seem to have. The “I love you! I love the girls too! I love the band!” Or a “I love being with you.” and the dreaded, “I love having you as my most precious friend.” But none of that happened. It was a full on heart-felt, “I love you, Himeko. I want to stay with you forever!” I'm just not used to getting that sort of straightforwardness from my silly little band shows, so I was shocked, but also completely overjoyed. And frankly the series just kept getting better from there.     The evolution of their relationship built off that moment, no dreaded resetting of the status quo. I daresay it was on the power of this moment alone that I wanted to include this series in my top five at all. If there was anything I would want other anime to take from Mashumairesh!! it's that it's okay to introduce radical changes to character relationships partway through a season, and it's okay to let characters unequivocally state their feelings for each other. People will respond positively to that earnestness, I promise.

[prettycutebunny]

Wide awake - hisoka x reader collab part 1

Me and my amazing friend @absolute-flaming-trash decided to collab , hope you enjoy it 💙

TW: unhealthy relationship , hisoka being an asshole , hinted non con nothing graphic I can't write lemon to save my life, and manga spoilers !

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

When did it start ? How did the time merge so fast , you couldn't decipher it anymore ?

You've known him for so little time , yet it feels like forever. The moment your eyes met, even in your own memory you feel the time stop

His golden eyes looking at you curiously , eyeing you up and down as you approached him blushing.

You've seen him before. Hisoka Morow , the famous champion of Heaven Arena. A place you never thought you'd step a foot in until your friends dragged you there.

You've seen him fight his way to the top. You used to go because your friend made you , but how did it end up with you being his fan ?

His tickets were the hardest to come by , yet you couldn't stop yourself from spending paychecks on them. The disappointment of him not showing made you promise yourself to never go , yet again you go. He was simply too good to miss.

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I was in the dark

I was falling hard

With an open heart

I'm wide awake

How did I read the stars so wrong

His eyes were piercing you as he tapped his feet impatiently. You had to do it now. There's no knowing when you'll ever see him again.

"I'm a huge fan of you ! I've seen every one of your fights, and I don't know if you have someone ! But ..."

The words flew from your mouth so fast , you had to say them without thinking. If you think , you'll stop.

You swallowed nervously.

"Would you go out with me ?"

A chuckle took you by surprise. You felt your cheeks heat up, as your head lowered in shame.

He's laughing at you. Of course he is, what did you expect ? For him to hug you close and admit his love for you ? That he noticed you watching him in every match and fell for you ?

As your tears formed in your eyes , the laughing stopped and noises of heels clicking took it place.

Your chin was raised as you met his eyes again. His melted gold eyes shone with amusement accompanied with his signature smile.

"Amuse me , and I might♦️"

I'm wide awake

And now it's clear to me

That everything you see

Ain't always what it seems

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I was dreaming for so long

You stood in front of the mirror looking at yourself bitterly; how did he enchant you like that ? You were so far gone you ignored every warning sign even when it hit you in the face. Literally.

Your first "date" if you could call it that was unusual to say the least

You tried so hard to look as pretty as you can. You even bought new clothes and spent more time on a makeup tutorial than you care to admit.

He had texted you about his upcoming fight, naturally you already bought tickets to it before it's sold out. He wanted you watching from his room.

The tickets were pretty expensive but it also meant you could sell them and get a decent profit thanks to the limited number of them.

You walked nervously into Heaven's Arena, displaying your ID at the receptions who allowed you in. Hisoka already gave you a copy of his keys, which surprised you with how sudden it was. Then you laughed , what would you do ? Hurt him ? The idea alone was laughable

Reaching his room , you felt a sharp intense pain as your neck twisted painfully with a loud smack noise deafening your ears.

"You whore , you thieving whore ! He's mine. How dare you !"

Wish I knew then

What I know now

Wouldn't dive in

Wouldn't bow down

Gravity hurts

You made it so sweet

Till I woke up on

On the concrete

Closing the door while breathing heavily , you felt yourself shake with the amount of energy it took you to slam the door in her face and lock it.

Your cheek stung as you looked around at his place. It was quite fancy, which was expected from Heaven's Arena undefeated champion's rooms.

Your shaky hands turned on the tv as you headed to the kitchen looking for ice. Opening the freezer , you found tubs of ice cream and ice. You grabbed the ice while eyeing the neapolitan ice cream.

You were tempted, but you felt rude enough helping yourself to his ice. You didn't want your cheek to swell on your important date.

Hearing the excited announcement ,with the ice pack in hand you rushed to the TV. He was there in all his full glory with some powerful guy you never cared about.

The fight was similar to Hisoka's usual ones. He loved to spend time teasing and messing with his opponents. The death came in too quick after

he managed to land a hit on Hisoka's face, resulting in him being shredded with a stream of cards that came out of nowhere.

Closing the door , checking your face again , retouching your makeup , and changing your posture to your best abilities. You're going to look your best no matter what.

The loud noise of the door opening shocked you , being pinned out of nowhere on the sofa terrified you , seeing Hisoka's excited face aroused you as his hands started touching you all over while the other started ripping the clothes off of you.

Falling from cloud nine

Crashing from the high

I'm letting go tonight

I'm falling from cloud nine

Every single part of you ached. You've never been taken like that , so passionately and with great urgency. His deep alluring voice whispering in your ear; dragging you from the pain and pleasure. You were overwhelmed not only by his body , but also his words and whispers.

Feeling him shifting from atop of you as he walked naked to the phone. He looked at you with a satisfied smile as you tried to move after such a rough session.

Standing up wobbling , his voice faltered as you walked to the bathroom. looking at him , you noticed him glaring at your cheek, your hand went immediately to touch it earning a wince.

He slowly and predatorily approached and you could do nothing but stare.

"Who did this ♠️?"

"A woman slapped me when she saw me unlocking the door , she said I stolen you from her"

Your eyes lowered in embarrassment. That's not something to mention after you spent the night with someone.

Chuckles caught you off guard

"Ahh ! My little fruits tend to be a little too excited about me ♥️ you'll forgive them, won't you ♣️ ?"

I'm wide awake

Not losing any sleep

Picked up every piece

And landed on my feet

I'm wide awake

Need nothing to complete myself, no

It wasn't the last time it happened though. He was rarely around , and when he was he didn't want to do anything but have sex.

Whenever you did anything else , "little fruits" as he called them would attack you. Verbal and sometimes physical abuse towards you ruined the mood for you.

He didn't seem to care much , in fact he always looked amused. Today wasn't any different. He sent you a ticket to his new match with a keycard to his new suite in h]Heaven Arena's. You stopped buying tickets since he always sent you one.

It didn't take a genius to know , he either wanted you to patch him up or looking for a quick fuck. His matches always leave him hurt and aroused.

Why were you okay with this again ? Why can't you say no ? You knew it wasn't healthy but you can't help it. You're addicted to him now.

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I am born again

Out of the lion's den

I don't have to pretend

And it's too late

The story's over now, the end

Going to the match a lot earlier as usual, Heaven Arena's had a first come first serve rule on the seats. It became a habit for you to come hours earlier to book a decent seat.

His rival was someone he already defeated in the past so it should be okay. Not like he would lose or anything.

The noises of people slowly pouring distracted you from the nagging pain in your chest. Was this what you wanted ? A once every few weeks fuck or dinner if you're lucky ?

The match started as usual , Hisoka observing and letting his opponent take shots at him while he taunted them. The sudden severing of Hisoka's arm made you scream so loud , yet it was drowned by the screams of the entire stadium.

Hisoka was smirking and even offered him the other arm. What is he thinking ?

You felt yourself trumble as tears swelled in your eyes , how can he fight without arms? Will he bleed to death ? Why is he happy about it ?!

I wish I knew then

What I know now

Wouldn't dive in

Wouldn't bow down

Gravity hurts

You made it so sweet

Till I woke up on

On the concrete

You sat next to him in shock as you watched the

beautiful pink haired lady do her magic. She didn't seem to care you're watching. Her movements were fast and graceful before she finished and demanded her payment.

"Would you spend the night with me ♥️?"

You felt like you couldn't breath. Did you just hear that ? Her eyes drifted to you as she ignored him and left.

"Pity ♠️"

He looked at you with disappointment in his eyes before he smiled again. You stood back slowly heading to the door.

Where were you headed at this hour ? You can't stay with him ! He asked another woman right in front of you !

A firm hand gripped you as you felt your blood freeze.

"Where do you think you're going ♠️?"

Trying to break free from his grip , the painful lump in your throat making it impossible to breathe normally let alone talk. His hand only gripped you tighter as you started fighting to let go.

His face frowned at you trying your hardest to shake him off. Who did you think you were ? You knew you couldn't win against him , you saw all his fights ! The rational part in your brain didn't work.

All those women ? They weren't some crazy fans ? He's been cheating on you ? Does he even see you as more than a sex doll ?

A scream tore through your silent tears. He pinned you roughly over the table next to him. His face changed from the usual frown to something more sinister.

"Go on , fight me ♦️"

Thunder rumbling

Castles crumbling

I am trying to hold on

God knows that I tried

Seeing the bright side

But I'm not blind anymore

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

Every single muscle in your body hurt. Even the roots of your hair felt like hell. Your throat was dry and so were your eyes.

How did this happen ? Why did your innocent crush turn to this ? Weren't you enough for him ? Did your pain excite him that much ?

He left after the pink haired girl as soon as he was finished with you. Is that really the last time you'd see him ?

It's okay you'll gather your pieces and move on. At least that's what you tell yourself every time you go and bandage him. Every time he has his way with you.

When you heard about his fight with chrollo you refused to go; still traumatized from the last night at his Heaven Arena's place , you simply couldn't. You still watched him on the TV and went the next day after he cooled off. It'll be the same thing over and over.

Why can't you just say no ? Will you only escape him through death ?

Death , it made you laugh. Hisoka dying ? The idea of it seems so far fetched. He was so strong. Too strong.

Wait , did his hand just explode ? His legs too ? Hisoka ?

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

[chocochar]

Found [Dabi x Quirkless!Childhood Friend!Reader]

        "T... Touya...?

        (Eye color) meet a bright cerulean as (F/n), on the ground, stares in shock at the man who saved their life.

        At first they saw the dark scars, staples, his raven black messy hair, and froze in utter fear knowing who it is. They've seen the headlines and the images of the League, so when Dabi of said group suddenly appeared in the alley they were being mugged in and started blowing his flames at their attackers they were reasonably taken aback. The sight of the men running in fear as the fire licked at their backs, Dabi clearly toying with them by putting that fear into them, (F/n) watched them go. But their eyes dart to their 'hero' when his boot shifted in the dirt and they turned stiff looking slowly up to find he's staring. He's staring right at them.

        While his expression is aloof his eyes are both intimidating and... familiar. They know they've seen them before.

        "Touya wait!" A younger (F/n) exclaimed chasing after their friend. The 12 year olds raced to the park nearby, although the red headed child was moving a lot faster than his friend. His limbs and neck wrapped in clean white bandages, recent burns hidden, a look of anger on his face while his friend is only worried and reaching out to grab his arm. "Touya, stop!!"

        They managed to pull him back, stop him before things get out of hand, and he turned around a look the (hair color)ed child has seen on his face before.

        "Why? Why do you always have to stop me?!" He cried, people glancing their way. (F/n) swallowed, taking a step back when he spoke louder and shaking slightly. There's nothing they can do, but they want to help him so much.

        He sniffed before collapsing onto the grass, holding himself while pulling his knees up to his chest to hide his face behind them. "I don't want to go back there anymore, please just let me leave! I-I hate him!!"

        The memories come back one by one, bit by bit, and shakily they stand. Their legs are weak from one of the muggers using his quirk so the couldn't run but they manage to stand at the very least. His bright blue eyes like that of the #1 hero, while still being bright and beautiful they hold a lot of emotions they've seen before but also new ones. 

        They know what he's done thanks to the news. But even then (F/n) has this urge to rush forward and hold onto him just to make sure he's real.

        "If I ever disappear don't come looking for me," His words hit them by surprise. (F/n) faced him in the middle of eating immediately confused and worried.

        "Huh?" Is all they could muster as a response. Touya's face was hard to read, the eyes they've come to get lost in looking a lot more dull these days, almost like he's more a shell than a living, breathing person. With his family life that didn't surprise (F/n), but still what was he talking about?

        The two 15 year olds sat on the rooftop of their school like always during lunch. Normally they'd talk about games or manga they'd read, but that day Touya seemed so different. It scared (F/n) seeing him so devoid of life. His father even then was like a force that kept sucking the life out of their close friend, even if he started to put all his time into Touya's youngest sibling.

        The scars the boy carried would never go away. He'd said more than once he wanted his dad to disappear, but (F/n) always let him vent. His mom was gone leaving him with no one to shield him, so (F/n) tried to be that shield, even more so when realizing they'd grown feelings for the red head.

        "I said if I ever disappear don't come looking for me. I don't know if or when it'll happen, but I don't know what I'd do if you ever found me..."

        It was cryptic, and even though (F/n) tried to believe they were empty words there was that nagging, negative thought telling them he meant every one. Shakily they grabbed his hand and scooted closer, letting him rest his head on their shoulder while they say,"I don't know if I can promise that, I..." They stop before the last two words slip. What would they do if he disappeared...?

                That answer came sooner than expected the very next day when ashes were found in his room after his blue fires roared destroying his room and side of the house, Touya nowhere to be found. Everyone assumed he'd died, he was weak to his own quirk.

        But (F/n) remembered what he said, the last thing he had said to them. They never left their thoughts, even while they cried and tried for to move past his 'death', but they also didn't know what to believe happened to him... 

        "Found you..." The words slip through their lips as a soft smile lifts at the corners of their mouth. "... Touya."

        He had fooled everyone, even the person who knew him best. Even though they're shocked and even a little upset they're also happy because he's alive. Despite his new role... It was by accident, at least on (F/n)'s end, and probably a mistake on Touya's end, but they found him.

        His scars don't bother them, they know how he got them and they want to help him take care of the marks any way they can. His hair isn't the same crimson they'd sometimes brush their fingers through when trying to brush his hair, but the black doesn't look bad either. His eyes are the only thing they recognize, once again getting lost in the cerulean tone.

        Dabi takes in the big mistake he just made and he gets ready to run. (F/n) had no idea but he's always been there checking up on them; he's helped them out more than once when they were walking home late and about to get robbed, stole money and left it on their kitchen table while they were at work when they were stressing about money, even left flowers for their mom when she wound up in the hospital. This should've been like any other time but he screwed up.

        Now they know. He is aware they won't say anything, but seeing him like this isn't what he wanted.

        Knowing he's now a villain isn't what he wanted.

        It's a short lived reunion when he turns on his heels and starts running down the alley, planning to find the muggers and take care of them later. (F/n) holds out their hand and shouts,"W-Wait- Tou-" But he's already gone losing him in the darkness when they shakily trying to chase after him.

        They stand there for a few moments staring into the alley; should they go after him? 

        "If I ever disappear don't come looking for me."

        "I don't know what I'd do..."

        Slowly (F/n) goes back to their bag and gathers their things, those words repeating in their head.

        'For now I won't come looking, Touya, I'll promise that at least,' they think, looking back down the alleyway one last time. Even if he disappeared they can still feel someone watching them from the darkness. With a small smile they shift their bag onto their shoulder.

        "But I don't know how long I can keep that promise," they say before turning and heading home.

(AN: It’s a bit short but I actually had fun writing this, ain't gonna lie. I love writing Touya theory Dabi so much, always open to do more! (〃▽〃) Thanks to the requester on quotev, hope you enjoy!)

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 253: That Good Angst

Previously on BnHA: The villain Ending, whose name in retrospect is hella melodramatic for a guy whose power is MAKING ROAD MARKINGS COME TO LIFE, kidnapped Natsuo and then deservedly got his ass kicked by three teenagers. Endeavor won the manga’s coveted Best Hug award, made up by me just now, and then gave one of the best monologues in the whole series, basically owning up to all his crimes and saying he doesn’t want or deserve his son’s forgiveness. And he didn’t get it either, which was excellent. Instead, he announced to his kids that he was building them a new home for them to go live in with their mother and without him. Meanwhile Katsuki was all, “btw I’ve decided on my new hero name,” and the ENTIRE FANDOM was all “!!!!” until he went on to say, “but I ain’t revealing SHIT until I’ve told it to Best Jeanist,” which caused everyone to collectively wince and awkwardly glance at each other wondering who’s going to break it to him. Uh.

Today on BnHA: hAHAHAHAHHA.

Sorry, I forgot to turn my capslock back off. Anyways, so we return to U.A. and everything is all “HAPPY NEW YEAR IIDA!” and “STILL ON ABOUT THAT UNREQUITED LOVE THING, HUH OCHAKO?” and “LOOKS LIKE THAT SCAMPISH IMP BAKUGOU IS AT IT AGAIN!” and all the usual stuff. We then have a complete switch of gears, and I seriously mean like the GEAR SWITCH TO END ALL GEAR SWITCHES, as we cut to Aizawa and Mic driving to Tartarus! Why are they driving to Tartarus you ask? Well it’s because they got a call from Naomasa and he was all “hey, so you know your deceased childhood friend from chapters 59 through 65 of Vigilantes? Well IT TURNS OUT I HAVE A FUNNY STORY ABOUT THAT.” Anyway so the rest of this chapter can basically be summed up as (1) LOL SO KUROGIRI WAS REALLY SHIRAKUMO ALL ALONG, and (2) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

btw the whole reason I spoiled myself in the first place was because my dumbass id was all “WE SHOULD CHECK IF THEY MENTION THE HERO NAME” and I was like “YES” and just immediately lost all self-control. like it wasn’t an accidental click or anything; I was fully aware of what I was doing. lord knows what I would have done if I actually had been spoiled about the hero name lol. that would have been so much worse than the spoiler I actually got, so yeah. just stupid decisions all around. anyways how are you

no BnHA thumbnails on the Mangastream homepage today. must mean Kacchan didn’t make any good faces. ah well

lmao the chapter is literally titled “Shirakumo.” well I guess I wasn’t spoiled much after all. I did catch a half-glimpse (I was trying not to look; like, I had my fingers covering my eyes and was peeking through them. again, I’m not really sure what I was trying to accomplish in the first place honestly) of what seemed to be Aizawa with a shocked expression on his face though, so that’s why I was so convinced Kumo was somehow coming back from the dead or something. WE SHALL SEE

MY FORMULA 1 SON!!

lol I’m having one of those Berenstein moments. like. he didn’t always have those huge exhaust pipes running out from his sides and from either leg, right? those are just for this cover. or else something new and fancy he just added to his suit. right??

anyway so yes, Iida is the color page this week, just as we all expected from a chapter titled “Shirakumo”

“WINTER BREAK WAS OVER IN A FLASH” oh man. ain’t that always the way

wow I’ve really missed U.A. like, we’re cutting to these panels of USJ and the stadium, and it’s so fucking nostalgic geez. we weren’t even gone that long

Deku’s voiceover is talking about how they only have three months left in their “tumultuous” first year. ha. tumultuous. if Deku hadn’t met up with All Might, he could have easily fallen back on a career in PR; he’s got a gift for phrasing things diplomatically

Iida is wishing everyone a happy new year! happy new year Iida!!

he’s announcing that their class will be an action report meeting, which apparently means everyone’s gonna share what they learned over the winter break

but now he’s telling everyone to come down to Field Alpha, which Mangastream annoyingly spelled out with the Greek symbol α, forcing me to look it up because I’m sorry but I don’t speak math. ?? like what is this

now Aizawa’s sliding the door open all CRANKY because he’s MISSING HIS NAP

but Mina is all smooth like,

Mina could also have had a promising future in PR. well it’ll still serve them well in their hero careers too

oh my lord

WHAT is that FACE, Iida. just what. is that an eyebrow waggle. what the fuck. he looks like the next words out of his mouth were going to be “sliding into people’s dms”

jokes’s on you Horikoshi!! you think a panel like this will stop my “stupid sexy Iida” jokes? IT ONLY MAKES ME LOVE HIM MORE

oh? someone on the loudspeaker is calling Aizawa and summoning him to the faculty room. I wonder what this could be about. probably nothing!

now we’re cutting to the changing room and the girls are admiring Ochako’s new costume!

I’ll add an ETA later where I actually analyze the changes in her costume. right now let’s just pretend like I’m aware of what actually changed. I swear I pay attention to things. by the way, why would the suitcase get heavy? her quirk can be applied to anything can’t it?

(ETA: so the costume changes are (1) an upgrade to her gauntlets, and (2) an upgrade to her headset. so anyway that’s pretty cool, even if it was really only brought up in this chapter so that we could get that SWEET YA ROMANCE DRAMA. which I know annoys some people, but at this point I feel like Horikoshi only throws it in because he’s expected to, and the way he does it is so adorably reluctant that I can’t help but enjoy it at this point lol.)

OH MY GOD

OCHAKO YOU KEPT DEKU’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO YOU IN YOUR HERO COSTUME FOR GOOD LUCK, OH MY GOD. (1) YOU ARE THE LITERAL CUTEST, (2) IT’S TIMES LIKE THIS I’M GLAD I SHIP BASICALLY EVERYTHING BECAUSE THIS IS A DELIGHT, and (3) MINA’S REACTION TO THIS IS ABOUT TO BE MY FAVORITE THING OF ALL TIME, SO LET’S COUNT DOWN TO IT IN 3... 2...

okay but before we click to the next page, I just need to draw everyone’s attention to the background of that Jirou panel, where I’m pretty sure that is Ochako acquiring Hagakure’s quirk in a moment of transcendent desperation, much like how parents are able to summon incredible strength in times of crisis to lift cars off of their trapped children and shit. we are witnessing the next stage of human evolution over here

-- oh fuck me

hello, Horikoshi? yes, this was supposed to be a cute moment of teens being teens and giggling over high school crushes. did you not get the memo. what are you doing here with this sucker punch of feels right to my fucking kidneys. why would you do that. why does this panel of Ochako make me want to fucking cry, I did not ask for this

(ETA: but like also, you see how he just instantly drops the subject less than a panel later lol. like “THERE’S YOUR ROMANCE PLOT, OKAY?? NOW BACK TO THE REANIMATED BRAINWASHED CHILDHOOD FRIENDS ARC.”)

meanwhile in the boy’s locker room! so apparently word has spread about Deku mastering Bloopwhip!

so Ojiro is evidently fucking ripped under that karate gi. Ojiro, this one corner of a panel with you facing away from the screen is possibly the most interesting thing you’ve ever done. have you considered what a costume change might do for your image. I’m just saying

lmao Deku

I have never in my life found the idea of Villain Deku even remotely convincing until this exact moment. jesus christ. Deku are you sure there isn’t a little piece of AFO horcrux soul in you right at this moment. just wondering. if it was Kaminari doing this, the headline for this chapter would be “KAMINARI 100% CONFIRMED THE TRAITOR” and even I would find myself hard-pressed to argue at this point

anyway, the hero we deserve is stepping in to bring him back to reality sob

(ETA: I’m not even going to check the bnha tag to see if there is discourse about this, because I already know!! because clearly this is a very serious panel which should be taken 100% seriously!! anyway I’m not even going to go here lol.)

it’s okay kids I’m already dialing 911. Kacchan, honey, come here. listen, we need to put you in a time out. I love you but you can’t just go around throwing your spiky headgear at people like a fucking tomahawk, and also what the fuck is that thing even made of jesus christ

sob is Deku actually fucking dead

and so, while the girls were having cute shoujo drama about a romantic All Might plush, over in the boy’s locker room an actual murder was going down

FSDKDJL

I can’t. stop laughing. I

and the way they’re all just staring at him and clearly have no idea what to fucking do at this point. “so should we just... leave it in, then?” lmao Horikoshi what the fuck kind of substance did you ingest before you went and drew this. I need me some of that

(ETA: and now that I’ve mostly stopped laughing, I would also just like to point out that he is essentially saying “I just had to stop thinking so hard about it and just do it”, which I’ve only been saying SINCE FOREVER, DEKU, but sure go ahead and don’t listen to me then!)

ALL MIGHT IS...

WHY, YOU ASK? WHO CARES!!

lol apparently it’s a pun. someone go over there and check to make sure this All Might isn’t actually a bunch of Mirios hidden underneath a trench coat

anyway so they’re completely unimpressed, because they’re all jaded fucking teenagers with no souls, and they’re asking where Aizawa is

is this the part where we slide right back into the angst after our brief humorous interlude with the kiddos. because I am ready. bring it

OOOOH HERE WE GO, LOOK AT THIS TENSION

SO HERE WE HAVE MIC ACTUALLY TELLING AIZAWA TO SHUT THE FUCK UP, AND IT’S CONFIRMED, THE WORLD IS ENDING

and look at Aizawa’s body language. arms crossed, fingers tapping anxiously, gritting his teeth. fucking Mic has to tell him to calm down. jesus christ. anyway so Aizawa angst is apparently MY DRUG you guys, and Horikoshi you can go right ahead and INJECT THAT SHIT STRAIGHT INTO MY VEINS

AHHHHHHH

OHHHHHH THAT’S GOOD. I might need someone to come and slap me in the face in another minute just to make sure I can continue here

-- HOLD UP, WHAT

THAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS THE SOUND OF MY MENTAL BRAKES SCREECHING TO A FUCKING HALT, EVERYONE HOLD THE FUCK UP WHILE I DO A QUICK MENTAL ROLL CALL OF THE VILLAIN CAST AT USJ. FUCK ME, PLEASE TELL ME HE WASN’T THE NOUMU. BUT ASIDE FROM HIM AND TOMURA, AND THE FACELESS NO-NAME VILLAINS, THAT ONLY LEAVES... OKAY MY BRAIN JUST SERIOUSLY FROZE UP WHILE PROCESSING THIS, BECAUSE NO FUCKING WAY

fuck me fuck me FUCK ME

there is no fucking way it can really be Kurogiri, can it?? Kumo didn’t have a portal quirk. but All For One, though?? but no wait because we know he didn’t have that quirk because he had to use the other teleportation one instead. John’s or whoever’s

so then the only other option is the Noumu. could this be the start of the Noumu arc at long last?! oh my godddddd I’m about to get up out of my seat and just jump around for a second to get all my nerves out. ahhhhhhh

Horikoshi knew full well what he was doing titling the chapter “Shirakumo” and then teasing us with this incredibly tense buildup, too. I have actual fucking chills

oh my god IT REALLY IS THE NOUMU ISN’T IT

I HATE AND LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT IS THE WEIRDEST FEELING. IT’S BOTH INVIGORATING AND TERRIFYING HOLY SHIT

I WANTED THIS. I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE DARK. I WANTED IT SO BAD AND I COULDN’T WAIT FOR IT AND NOW IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING AND WHAT A FUCKING WAY TO KICK IT OFF I JUST!!!

AHHHHH

DON’T MIND ME PLEASE CONTINUE AND IGNORE ALL OF MY SILENT SCREAMING!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

AIZAWA IS ABOUT TO LOSE HIS FUCKING MIND. HIS CLOSEST FRIEND WAS DESECRATED AND VIOLATED IN AN UNIMAGINABLE WAY AND TRANSFORMED INTO SOMETHING UNRECOGNIZABLE WITH ALL TRACES OF HUMANITY LOST, AND THIS WHOLE TIME HE THOUGHT HE WAS FUCKING DEAD. THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE A THERAPY FOR THAT, PEOPLE. THAT IS THE KIND OF ANGST THERE’S NO COMING BACK FROM

ANYWAY, SO THERE’S THAT SHOCKED AIZAWA FACE I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF YESTERDAY, NOW WITH HORRIFIC CONTEXT, AND IF ANYONE NEEDS ME I’LL JUST BE HERE IN THE CORNER SETTING MY KEYBOARD TO PERMANENT CAPSLOCK, AND UPDATING MY SEXUAL ORIENTATION TO “THE FUCKED-UP AIZAWA ANGST IN THIS CHAPTER” BECAUSE THAT’S APPARENTLY WHAT IT IS AND ALL THIS TIME I NEVER KNEW

OH GODDDDD

BRB UPDATING MY ORIENTATION AGAIN TO “MIC’S COMFORTING HAND ON AIZAWA’S SHOULDER AS AIZAWA STRUGGLES TO HOLD ON TO THE LAST OF HIS COMPOSURE WHILE TRYING AND FAILING TO PROCESS THIS UNFATHOMABLY HEINOUS THING THAT’S ABOUT TO BE REVEALED”

(ETA: and also!! the fact that either Mic’s hand is shaking, or Aizawa is shaking so badly that it’s affecting Mic’s hand on his shoulder too! either way how the hell am I not literally dead after reading this chapter, I don’t even know.)

WAIT WHAT!!!!

THE CORE?! SO WAIT, IS IT KUROGIRI THEN??? OR WHAT?!

(ETA: I know I’m just inserting random commentary all over the place at this point, but like, can we also talk about how Naomasa looks like he hasn’t slept in eleven years?? this is taking such a toll on his soul here and it’s heartbreaking.)

OH MY GOD!!!!!

I WISH I COULD BETTER DESCRIBE THIS FEELING BECAUSE IT’S REALLY SOMETHING!! I’M SO EXCITED AND AT THE SAME TIME FULLY AWARE OF HOW I’M DELIGHTING IN THE PAIN OF THESE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, SO IT’S LIKE THIS GUILTY SADISTIC GLEE AND AT THE SAME TIME SHOCK AND EXCITEMENT AND DAMN NEAR A KIND OF ELATION AT BEING FULLY TAKEN FOR A RIDE BY THIS EPIC FUCKING TWIST. IT’S GOOD SHIT

SDLKFJASLKDFJ;LKS

(ETA: so if they can trace quirk factors like this, they should be able to do it with the other Noumu they have in captivity, and also with any dead Noumus they’ve collected as well, yes? including the one that Stain killed a few months back? like, don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here trying to calculate the Six Degrees of Bakuangst for this plotline seeing as my brain, as ever, is focused on one thing and one thing only.

and so if they have managed to ID some of the Noumus, would that info maybe be on the Hero Network? meaning Endeavor would have access? would the interns then have access too? or if not, is his password something easily guessable, like Shouto’s birthday or something? will I ever stop running out of hypothetical scenarios along these lines? doesn’t seem likely as of now.)

“SEVERAL DIFFERENT QUIRK FACTORS” HOLY SHIT, AFO. THAT MANIAC. THIS WHOLE TIME MY RESPECTED DOCTOR OF MEDICINE WAS REALLY A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT WHO GOT CONKED ON THE HEAD BY SOME FALLING ROCKS ONE DAY. THE GRANDDADDY OF ALL TWISTS!! THIS TWIST WAS CONCEIVED IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS!!

AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU AGAIN TO THAT ANON, BECAUSE HOLY SHIT THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT IS FUCKING RAW. ONCE I FINALLY COME DOWN FROM THIS BIZARRE HIGH I’M GOING TO CRY FOR AIZAWA BECAUSE HE IS HURTING SO BAD RIGHT NOW AND I CAN’T EVEN, SOMEONE SAVE HIMMMM

WELL FOLKS. THERE IT IS. HORIKOSHI FINALLY HOOKING US UP WITH THAT GOOD ANGST. THE PLOT THAT WAS PROMISED. THE ANGST THAT WAS AVOWED. YOU GUYS I CAN’T BELIEVE AIZAWA SHOUTA WAS SHIGARAKI TOMURA’S FUCKING UNCLE THIS WHOLE FUCKING TIME. HOLY SHIT

AND YOOOO I JUST HAD A BUNCH OF THOUGHTS THAT I CAN BARELY EVEN PROCESS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS REVELATION OPENS UP SO MANY NEW DOORS NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THOUGH. BUT LIKE, IF AFO AND UJIKO WERE IN THE BUSINESS OF TAKING CHILDREN’S CORPSES AND REVIVING THEM AND INFUSING THEM WITH UPGRADED QUIRKS AND NO MEMORIES OF THEIR PRIOR LIVES, THEN HOLY FUCKING SHIT, WHAT IF A CERTAIN TODOROKI SIBLING REALLY DID FUCKING DIE AND HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A PUPPET OF AFO’S THIS ENTIRE TIME OH MY GOD. THIS CHAPTER IS JUST!!!

(ETA: yeah I actually have a lot of thinking to do about this one, because holy shit. I mean there must be a reason we’re getting this reveal directly on the heels of the Todoangst Arc with all of its talk about Touya and how dead he is, right? god I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. this stupid manga!!)

AND AIZAWA’S FACE. THE WAY HE’S COVERING HIS MOUTH AS THOUGH TRYING TO KEEP HIMSELF FROM BEING SICK. THE MAN WHO PRIDES HIMSELF ON HIS RATIONALITY IS SO COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED BY EMOTION THAT HE’S STRUGGLING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER. THIS IS THE DEFINING WOUND OF HIS CHILDHOOD, RETURNING ALL OF A SUDDEN TO STAB HIM RIGHT IN THE HEART ALL OVER AGAIN WITH A FRESH NEW KIND OF HORROR. MIC, YOU’D BETTER BE THERE FOR HIM AFTER THIS, BECAUSE HE’S GOING TO FUCKING BREAK DOWN IN THE CAR ON THE RIDE HOME OR SOMETHING PROBABLY, AND HE NEEDS YOU, AND YOU PROBABLY NEED HIM TOO, AND FUCK

I DON’T HAVE SPACE FOR ALL THIS ANGST IN MY HOUSE!!! BUT LIKE HELL AM I GIVING ANY OF IT BACK, IT’S MINE NOW AND I’M KEEPING IT!! I WILL FUCKING RENT OUT A STORAGE LOCKER FOR THE EXCESS!! I WILL HOARD IT ALL LIKE A GREEDY DRAGON IN MY CAVE. THIS ANGST IS MY CHILD NOW. FUCKING SUBSCRIBED, GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE

[toumakibangs]

Oh when I woke up tonight I said I've gotta make somebody love me (and now I know that is you, you're lucky lucky)

SERVICE NOTE: Here we are with the last prompts of the TouMaki Month! I’m so very sorry for the delay, but I went long with writing because of work issues and after that I’ve been without internet for a while (still am, technically)! If you’re reading this, it means that he last fics have been queued and they’re being uploaded as we speak: a post every two hours, from 3pm to 5am, CEST time. My advice is to check the blog if you don’t want to miss any, because if you’re going to browse the tags (‘toumaki month 2018’ and ‘toumaki’), Tumblr will only show you three posts per blog.

Anyway, at 7am CEST time we’ll upload a recap post featuring ALL the entries to the Month, so you can browse them more easily (I’m also saving the final Goodbyes and Thank You-s for then).

My apologies again for the wobbly schedule and I hope you’ll enjoy these last fireworks!

Prompt: “Things you said on the phone at 4am”

Jules’ Notes: Did somebody say ‘Paradise Kiss’? Not an AU, but whenever I think about Makishima’s life in London I feel influenced by that manga. So, if you’re familiar with it, you might recognize a certain situation… but I’m positive it will end differently for Maki-chan! ;)

Toudou’s phone blasts off in the middle of the night, and it’s only halfway through the fifth ring that Toudou sees it’s freakin’ 4am in the morning. Right after that, Hana, for the adjacent room, proceeds to remind him just how late 4am in the morning is for the average person. Caught between sleep and the literal wake-up-call, he has barely the time to mentally chastise himself for always forgetting to put his phone on vibration mode before he sees the caller’s ID. It’s Makishima. Who is the reason Toudou always forgets to put his phone on vibration mode. They have an hard enough time just trying to keep in touch, lately, it would be absolutely unthinkable, in Toudou’s list of values, to miss a call from Makishima or let a text or a mail unattended. Even if Makishima never calls after 9.30pm (Tokyo time), not to disrupt Toudou’s sleeping schedule. And even if he insisted Toudou didn’t have to reply to his messages right away, that was the whole point of leaving them, to give Toudou the chance to answer when he was more comfortable.

But Makishima is clearly calling him right now, in the middle of the night, and the ringtone has been going on for so long that it can’t be a mistake. Why would he do that, if not for a huge emergency?! If not for something very serious!? Like, an accident, or breaking up with Toudou over this long-distance-relationship that is clearly more effort than it’s worth?!

Hana solicits him again (this time by slamming her platforms towards the wall they share, by the sound of it) and Toudou answers the call out of reflex. The picture of Makishima that is associated to his contact switches to the black screen, but Toudou’s ears fill with a well-known, much beloved, totally missed voice.

- Jinpachi!!!

It’s not, Toudou notices, the tone of voice of someone that is going to announce a tragedy, but he kind of feels too drowsy, still, to trust his own judgement.

- M-Maki-chan..?

- I’ve sold it, Jinpachi, I’ve done it! I’m sorry, I know it’s late as fuck back home but I had to tell you!!! I’ve sold it!

Even half-asleep, he doesn’t miss the affectionate way Makishima addressed Japan and called it home. A few months ago, he wouldn’t have. It puts a smile on Toudou’s lips and calms his racing heart more than the rest of Makishima’s words. That, so far, still hold too little meaning for him to make something of them.

- …w-what are you talking about?

- My dress, Jinpachi! One of the pieces I’ve left at some boutiques! It has been sold!

It’s something they’ve been talking about, recently: Makishima still helps his brother with his brand but lately, with the complicity of a few classmates, he has started developing his own side-brand, and Ren encouraged him to put a label on his creations and try to propose them to some few, selected underground shops among his own. So far, the experiment hadn’t given much results. Although it was to be expected, since unique pieces were more difficult to place than mass-produced ones that could be made available in every size, it still was a little disheartening for a wannabe designer to hear, day after day, that nobody wanted your stuff. Until today. When, apparently, right before closing time someone had walked into an indie store looking for Ren’s Design novelties and purchased a whole outfit labelled Spider’s Web.

Makishima’s first sale as an independent designer.

- That’s AMAZING! Oh my god Maki-chan I’m so happy!!! Are you happy?!

He hears a loud chuckle at the other end of the phone, along with the clinking of glasses and a whooping noise that sounds too much like Ren partying on his own in their tiny kitchen.

- K’ha! Of course I’m happy! It’s a real sale, Jinpachi! I mean, in a real shop! Somebody walked in, tried my dress and liked it so much that they decided to buy it! And they picked the accessorizes too! I mean, isn’t it amazing!?

What’s amazing, in Toudou’s opinion, is his boyfriend’s absolute marvel at a gesture that is at the very base of his dream profession, and he jokes about it lightly.

- Isn’t it what you’ve always worked so hard to achieve, though? People buying your stuff?

- Yeah, but you don’t understand: I’ve sewn things for Ren that have been sold, I’ve even suggested him some designs that he’s managed to turn into something desirable, but people never really liked my clothes enough to buy them! I mean, this is real!  They’ve given me the money they made from the sale! I am currently drinking the fruits of my labour!

Toudou would like to hug and kiss him senseless. To congratulate and celebrate him, of course, but mostly because right now Makishima is too adorable for words.

- Drink them to the last drop, then, tiger. You’ve earned it.

- I did. I mean, I really did. It’s unbelievable.

There’s a pause, and Toudou hears him gulp down something, most probably expensive beer, if he knows him and Ren. Then there is a sigh, and when he resumes speaking Makishima sounds more sober than earlier.

- What if it’s real, Jinpachi? What if this is the real thing?

The subtext is clear: what if it turns out this is not a scam, and all my efforts pay off, and my future starts to take a definite direction, and it’s a route that doesn’t involve Japan, at least not in the short term? What if I make it, and my dreams come true? What happens to the rest?

Toudou exhales loudly, failing to hide a chuckle. Because despite the untold questions, he can’t help but feel enthusiastic at his boyfriend’s success.

- This is the real thing, Yuu. Which means that you were right all along, and that you don’t have to stop now, but work harder than ever. Strike while the iron is hot, or what is it than they say in London: go get your rightful place among all the professionals that populate those streets!

- …you make it sound so easy.

- I know what you’re capable of, and I believe in you. I’m proud of you: congratulations on your sale.

He hears Makishima swallow.

- I… I wanted to tell you right away. As soon as I knew it. T-They called me and the only thing I thought about beside my own exhilaration was ‘I have to tell Jinpachi’.

Toudou sniffs, and dries his eyes with the back of his hand.

- T-Thank you. I’m very h-happy to hear that.

- …I love you?

Makishima never says the words first. He always reciprocates them wholeheartedly, but he doesn’t say them first, usually.

- I love you too. I… I wished I was there to celebrate with you.

There’s a pause and Toudou knows Makishima is worrying his bottom lip and pinching the bridge of his nose.

- M-Me too, Jinpachi. Honestly.

They don’t say anything for a while, merely breathing into the phone and listening to each other. Toudou puts his own device on the pillow and lays down himself: like this, if he keeps his eyes closed, it almost feels like they’re beside each other.

- …sorry for waking you up? I mean, what time is it on your side, 4 am?

- Twenty past four, right this instant.

- Go to sleep, Jinpachi.

Toudou yawns.

- Talk me into it: what are you having for dinner? Going out to celebrate?

- K’ha! No, not at all: we’ve ordered take out, I’ve been craving spring rolls for a while. And Ren keeps handing me beer that I swear I don’t know where it’s going.

- You’re drinking it, Yuu. I can hear you swallowing and you’ve been doing that for a while.

- You’re lying.

- I’m not and you’re going to get drunk.

- And doesn’t that bother you?

Toudou whines.

- It does, but it’s not like I can stop you from here, can I?! At least I know you’re home and you’re safe.

- I’m not safe, my brother is totally irresponsible.

There’s an indignant exclamation in the background, followed by a thud, and Toudou knows Ren has thrown Makishima a slipper: he chuckles.

- Love that you’re so lively…

The commotion is followed by silence, as if Makishima locked himself into another room.

- Where are you, now?

- Bedroom.

- Me too.

- Yeah, I guessed as much.

- …tell me about the dress you sold.

Makishima knows Toudou doesn’t really care for the details of the outfit, but he does understand that asking Makishima to talk about his work is the easiest way to get to hear his voice for a long period of time. It’s a game that Makishima plays willingly, and he knows he’s going to lose Toudou before he arrives to the description of the matching hat and fake suspenders, but he doesn’t care. The breathing on the other end quiets down and stabilizes at the shoes, but he rattles on in a low reassuring tone and then stays silent, listening to the faint murmurs coming from the other end of the line.

It almost feels like Toudou is sleeping beside him.

He doesn’t hang up for a long time.

[squeemcsquee]

Anime Midwest 2018, Day 2

Ah, Day 2. Aka, the day I forgot to really mark things in my program guide, so I’m having to read the schedule now, 9 days later, to figure out what I did.

Can I repeat my wish for AnimeCon.Org to create or pay to utilize an app that will let you highlight panels/take notes/etc? Please?

Day two’s morning started with another visit to the manga library. I didn’t stay long, but even just popping in briefly was a nice way to get my day going. From there, I wandered over to the “Two Guys Walk Into the Internet” panel so I could see Linkara and The Last Angry Geek again.

This was the panel to attend if you wanted to get not just info on YouTube experience and their preferred reviewing styles, but also the recent Channel Awesome debacle from April of this year. Some of it was what I knew from the Twitter thread and the Not So Awesome Google doc, but some of it was not stuff I’d known. And it’s sad to know that The Geek took a big hit to his viewing and subscriber base when he cut ties with the site. From what I saw of him during Midwest, he seems a cool guy, and I’ll be looking into his channel more.

From there, nothing really caught my eye for the next hour, so I decided to check out the game room, and man, I wish I had spent more time there. Honestly, I haven’t dabbled in the gaming rooms as much as I’ve been tempted, because of the “funk” that usually pervades them. But Midwest’s game room smelled just fine, and looking at the games on display, I was like a kid in a candy store. From giant-sized games meant to be laid out on the floor to classic board and card games, from games aimed at younger players, to games for adults, to all ages...seriously, the people they’d partnered with had it all. And the game room staff knew their stuff! I spotted a copy of Betrayal at the House on the Hill and was talking to @shbumi about it, and a staffer overheard and joined in. I love that game - it does not love me back. 

If I do another Anime Midwest, I am going to have to spend more time in this area, that’s for sure!

After that, it was time for the Bad Music Videos panel with V is for Villains. Only one band member was on hand, but he made the panel a blast. Instead of my usual pic from the panel (even though I stole @lechevaliermalfet ‘s phone to take one), I’m going to include one of the videos shown. This one is a classic, so you may have seen it before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC35cQKHwzg

I’m glad that this is a staple V is for Villains panel because I found it entertaining and wouldn’t mind sitting it again sometime. 

Also, I need to thank @shbumi - while I was at this panel, she was out trying to catch a shiny Articuno for me. The raids in the area didn’t pan out, but I appreciate her making the effort!

I wandered for a bit, then I checked into the tail end of the “Sexy Multimedia Q & A with D.C. Douglas” panel, since I knew he’s funny to listen to.

I went back through the dealer’s hall and artist alley after the panel. I stopped to say hi to a friend of a friend in the AA, and snagged a copy of her comic.

I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet (I’m bad about that - I snag indie comics at cons, then they sit on my shelf for quite a while) but I’m looking forward to it!

This was my other score for the artist alley during that time:

@falsedelusion does absolutely gorgeous work and I was happy to find art for Violet Evergarden, since Violet could be considered my latest anime waifu. 

After dropping my comic and print in the room and grabbing some food, I went back to the con for some people-watching before going to the “Great Graphic Novels You Should Be Reading” panel. 

This is another one I’ll probably have to attend again. See, the manga librarian apparently updates it every 2 weeks. And she’s got waaaayyyy more titles to choose from than you might think. Everything she recommended during the panel, she had on hand in the manga library. She also gave out personal recommendations for attendees, if asked.

I did end up taking photos of each slide, though I didn’t take notes of what was said. Still, I can do a photo post of what was recommended that weekend, at least.

From there, it was time for the “Women in Anime, TV, Film, and Beyond” panel.

I tried to like this one - I really did. It was nothing against the women who were answering questions and talking about the industry. It had everything to do with the setup. See, to even get a clear view of who was talking, you needed to either be up front or super tall. I don’t know how the A/V setup would work, but this particular panel is one that would have benefited from using the projector to show the image of who was talking and when. Since I couldn’t see from where I sat (my photo was taken by holding up my phone way about my head), it was hard to follow who was talking. In the end, I had to leave - I just couldn’t focus.

The evening was moving on so I snagged some free ramen, then headed off to the “LGBT Equality in Anime and Games” panel, which was 18+. The staffer checking my ID recognized my cosplay as the Impala from Supernatural, which was awesome.

(Side note: my favorite moments from Saturday were the one I just mentioned and running into Sam, Dean, and Cas cosplayers and taking a photo with them.)

I don’t know that I’m as familiar with Oscar Seung’s work, but I can say this: Hearing him sing and play the violin was awesome! And it was funny to hear how he’ll stop, mid-conversation, if he learns he has a voice role for Funimation - he takes his prep that seriously. Which is great, but I would hate to be the one talking to him at the time!

After that was “So You Think You Can Broadway.” This was easily the panel I was most conflicted about, after attending it. See, here’s the panel description, from the program:

 “Are you suddenly bursting in song? Being “Pulled” in a new direction? Can’t seem to “Wait for It” or “My Shot”? Do you think being on stage has always “Meant To Be Yours”? Then you might have caught the Broadway Bug. Let us “Whip Into Shape” and see if you have the guts to survive the stage.”

It was a Jeopardy-style panel. Okay, fine! I like Jeopardy! But a lot of the rules seemed to be sorted out as we went: how to divide into teams, how teams would give answers, how many turns before allowing the other team a chance at the board, etc. People were having fun - including me - but there were grumbles at times about how the uncertain rules were causing possible unfairness in the judging process. 

The panel ended with the option to sing in front of the judges and be told if they thought you were Broadway-material or not.

After that, it was time to wait in line for the conclusion of my evening: The Forbidden Fandom Dames Broadway Burlesque Adventure!

It was only in line waiting for this event that I learned that Anime Midwest had wristbands for 18+ events, just like the parent company had done for Anime Zap!.I’ve since looked over the program booklet to see if this was mentioned anywhere, but it wasn’t.

The room was packed, and it was an amazing experience. All involved were incredibly talented and entertaining. I admire their confidence in being able to perform and show some skin in front of a room of strangers.

It was a great way to end the day.

All of my Anime Midwest 2018 Coverage:

[multsicorn]

1, 14, 30

thanks for the questions!

1. Your favourite non-canon ship?Currently, my favorite ship (Jack/Parse) is non-canon... or is it?  They were together, in some meaning of the word together, for a while in the past, but my shipping’s not at all limited to that.  And I’m pretty sure my other favorite ship (Kent/OMC aka the ao3 tag for Kent/happiness) is also not canon, but maybe Kent has an awesome boyfriend out there beyond the bounds of the panels somewhere, who knows!

My favorite random-ass totally non-canon ship for Check, Please is Jack/Shitty (if I call it jackshit enough, will anyone eventually join in), just cause... I don’t know?  I like the characters, I like their friendship, and it’d be the sort of hop-skip-and-a-jump from canon that interests me.

My favorite non-canon ship OF ALL TIME is... probably Roy/Ed, from Fullmetal Alchemist.  (’03 anime version preferred, but I think the fic I love most is influenced by both the first anime and the manga; written pre-Brotherhood, though.)  I love the push-pull of the power dynamics, I love the both the characters (iron woobies

14. Is there a ship you feel gets undeserved hate in fandom?In Check Please fandom?  Anything about Kent Parson, (who is my fave, idec what anyone thinks, he’s the whole reason I’m in this godforsaken fandom), although that’s more ‘character’ than ‘ship.’  Also I don’t know how much there is nowadays, cause I pretty much stay in my corner, but I’ve read around enough to know that some of my favorite fic authors left before I even came into the fandom because of it.

(And, no, obviously, it’s not deserved, I’m not dignifying that with elaboration.)

‘Ship’ rather than ‘character’ though?  That I’m aware of in some other way than ‘general rubbernecking of fandom wanks’?  Hmmm.  The closest thing I can think of is the objections to rule 63 of Jack/Parse, which I will defend, because a. making one of the characters in a canon m/m ship a cis girl, in this case, allows you to tell a story about this character being a cis girl in the environment of Juniors hockey and/or the NHL - any other sort of gender AU would be a different story, and I think we should have them all, b. if you make both of them cis girls, yep, I’m for exploring that too! but you lose the specific story of being the ~only one~ - and, more interestingly, of having the boyfriend who kind of gets it and kind of really really doesn’t, the way the CHL/NHL surroundings are replicated and not inside the relationship.

(Are there other ships out there in omgcp fandom that get hate, though?  Maybe, and if so I’m against it, I just don’t follow the fandom overall enough to be aware of them.)

30. Is there a ship you like but you dislike the fandom?I can’t for the life of me think of a canon where I’ve fallen in love with a ship, went to check out the fandom, and gone, hell no, I’m staying away.  Possibly because I typically get sucked into ships (and, frequently, canons) by fandoms rather than vice versa.  And on the rare occasions where I find a ship I love enough ~in the wild~ to go looking for a fandom, I’m usually rewarded not with success but with either nothing at all or ‘five or ten people over the years have written single stories on ao3, a couple of them might even be good.’

If I go to ‘disliking the fandom for the ship’ rather than the whole canon’s fandom, though.  Back when I was in Hamilton fandom my favorite ship was Hamilton/Laurens (yes, based mostly on the letters, not the play, but I loved the hints in those letters, which I was brought to by the play I loved)... and all the cool kids (all the best writers, all my friends) mostly loved other ships.  Whereas Ham/Laurens was the juggernaut ship of the fandom, but populated mostly by incredibly toothless fluffy modern au’s, and also quite a few wankers, eventually :|.

Hamilton/Eliza was my other favorite ship in that fandom, and it also brought me knocking unfortunately close up against wankers who ~didn’t want to be associated with me~ (are you ever getting over that, mults? idk, ask me in a few years again!).

And, I mean, hey, this is ‘got’ rather than ‘gets’ (I believe), but back then, Washington/Hamilton, which is what the bulk of the best writers imo shipped, which I read sometimes but could not properly ship (e.g., write) for still mysterious to me reasons (in every other case I love commander/lieutenant, I love the complicated power dynamics fuckery way they need each other, why not here, mults??), got.. a shitton of horribleness.  And no, none of it was deserved.

[franeridart]

Omg your OC's are so cute. I love Dave so much 10 out of 10 can relate. Does Dave know Chris and Josh?

!!!!!! Thank you!!!! *O* and nope, they’re part of two different universes - I mean, as I said Dave only exists to let me have a way of drawing about my cats, so ??? He does have some sort of background and life going on around him, but that’s mostly just because that helps in giving him a personality haha

Anon said:You’re like, the only BNHA fan I know of, so I wanna ask - I know you said before that the anime is a lot slower than the manga, but I have a really hard time sitting down and reading manga without getting super distracted; the characters and story are super interesting to me though. Is the anime still worth checking out? I saw the first episode and it seemed interesting, but I’m not sure if it’d be quite the same experience as the manga.

Okay here’s the thing, I got into bnha through the manga because I’m more of a manga person myself, which means that I haven’t really watched the first anime season from start to end - I did watch some episodes just to see my kids talk and move and be awesome (also, Bakugou with Nishinoya’s voice was something I needed to check out) but I can’t tell you exactly if the experience is the same. I do know a lot of people who’ve watched the anime and read the manga both, though, and all of them are of the opinion that the anime was adapted perfectly, though as I mentioned the story goes a bit more slowly, and I trust them on it because that’s the feeling I got from those episodes I’ve watched too

I say you try it out, anon! If you really don’t feel it you can always drop it, after all

Anon said: I originally followed you for hq, and since I started bnha some months ago I finally get your other amazing art and you just have such a good content blog and I really really love your art!! 💖💖💖 I visit almost daily to see what you’ve posted since everything makes me so happy!!

AHHHH!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much??? This just made my whole morning?? Thank you, seriously!!!!

Anon said:Oh man.. I’ve been following you for so long, I’m starting to notice the little changes in your art style and all I can think is “wow.. I’m actually watching magic happen!!” I love your art and being able to watch you change more and more in Littles ways.. it’s heartwarming! I feel so honored?? I’m not good with words but yeah… I’m just feel so happy whenever you post your art! Bok.uroo and Bakuk.irikami are my faves but I literally have notifications on just so I won’t miss any of your post! :)

Magic omfg that’s one big word to use haha but thank you?? so much???? Knowing people can see my style change and hopefully get better is such an amazing thing because honestly since it’s my own art it takes a lot for me to actually see any improving haha rip 

Anon said:Dave is so inspirational lol, he reminds me of myself on chill days. PLUS PHILOSOPHY, SIGN ME UP 😂😂

I wouldn’t call him inspirational but he is a pretty chill guy! So chill you might actually just say he’s too lazy to not be chill! Actually he’s just a cat inside 

Anon said: Denki’s face at the end is soooo cute give this darling all the love and affection

Thank you!!!!! And yes please acknowledge this boy and make him feel loved and supported I’m gonna cry 

Anon said:I watched bnha season 1 lastnight, and just… Kirishima ❤ he’s great. I like a bunch of others, but he’s my favorite, at the moment. Your blog, and art made me so curious about it, so I had to check it out, finally. Thanks! 💜✌

Oh my god anon Kiri’s the best fave you could have picked I swear he’s so good and also super present and involved in the story and incredibly well layered and he keeps on getting prettier and prettier did you know I’m in love with him I feel Baku and Kami a lot

Anon said:Ngl id be ok with a flood of Dave even if you never got back to fan art

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hE C K thank you????????  This seriously means a lot oh my god 

Anon said: bakugo will only ever be known as blasty to me. anytime i write my fics, its “blasty this, blasty that” only when its quiet time, and i need soft kiribakus (or kirikamibakus) its “katsuki” or “katsu”

Right? Kiri even suggested it as his hero name, he really does like the nickname so I don’t see why he wouldn’t use it! And Kiri and Kami calling him by his first name will forever be a weakness for me so I’m all for that too - I also like the idea of them calling him Kats because it sounds a bit like cats and Bakugou’s actually a huge cat (or a bunch of hyperactive and angry kittens all together, depending on the moment) AH and Kaminari’s definitely the type of person to use babe/baby so that too

Also Bakugou calling Kiri and Kami by their first names and the first time it happens the two of them being surprised he remembers them at all LMAO but that’s another thing altogether haha

[apprenticemages]

Busy, busy week at shows set up for the final arcs and penultimate episodes!  Hinata and Aoi reconcile, Harakuna gets amped up, and Hanebado is…  well, once again Hanebado.

All that and more after the jump! The shows that I am watching are in bold, shows my wife and I are watching together are in bold italics, and strikethrough marks dropped shows.

Attack on Titan 3 / Shingeki no Kyojin Ep 9 (Ep 46)

Is it just me…  Or did that victory feel just a little unearned?  From desperate worries and plans to Titan guts splattered about the landscape all in the span of a single episode.  I understand that they’re picking up the pacing this season because the political stuff is boooooring!  But I think they could have spent a little more time here.  Yes, I’ve seen the argument that this displays how skilled they’ve become.  I counter that with the immense  strength and threat they built up the Reiss Titan to be.

Cells at Work / Hataraku Saibou Ep 3

Not the best episode ever…  Very preachy (that is, way too much Narrator) and they just couldn’t resist yet another “fighting the infection” plotline.  Still, plenty of Platelet fanservice so it wasn’t all bad.

Seriously, CGDCT/moe spinoff based on the Platelets – when?

Chio’s School Road / Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro Ep 11 Chio’s has settled into what can be best described as comfortable mediocrity.  Nothing really wrong with that per se…  It just hasn’t been as consistently funny as it was early on.  That being said, I laughed my _ss off during the first segment.  The series is at its absolute best when it gets inside the insanity that lives in Chio’s head.

Encouragement of Climb 3 / Yama no Susume 3 Ep 12

And the conflict between Aoi and Hinata is resolved – not with a bang, but with an old joke shared between close friends.  Aoi’s staunch insistence on standing by her friend rather than continuing the climb broke the logjam in Hinata’s feelings and they were finally able to talk it out.  Perfect.

I kept waiting for Aoi to make a reference to the incident on Mt Fuji, and I’m glad she didn’t.  This isn’t paybacks, it’s about what friends do for each other.

The girls sleeping on the long train ride home…  Priceless.  Who want to bet that right out of the frame, Aoi and Hinata are holding hands?  They don’t have to show us.  We know.

Grand Blue Dreaming Ep 10

I went back and checked the manga, and yep, they’re skipping stuff.  They kept all but a couple of Cakey’s best lines/bits – and the ones they skipped don’t matter except in the unlikely chance that Grand Blue Dreaming gets a third season.  Have I mentioned how much I love Cakey?  She’s the only sane one in the bunch and it’s funny watching her try to maintain her balance (and sanity) in and amongst the madness of PAB.

They also cut the funniest part of Iori bunking with Nanaka and Azusa, but then they trimmed all the groundwork laid in previous chapters.  (tl;dr version: Azusa has the hots for Nanaka, part of the reason he bunked with them was to “protect” Nanaka.)

From the preview, they are going to hit the pool scene – my absolute favorite bit from the Okinawa arc.

This is only the second time I’ve watched an anime where I was familiar with the source…  And it’s been a very different experience from watching Sweetness & Lightning in that respect.  Dreaming is a serial, and they had to trim to fit chapters into episodes and to fit the whole thing into a single cour while also reaching a natural stopping point.  Sweetness on the other hand was episodic and they could and did skip about to maintain the pace of the series without worrying quite so much about adaptation issues.

Hanebado! Ep 11

Once again Hanebado demonstrates its amazing skill at spending two-thirds of an episode either on complete irrelevancies or going back over well covered ground.  That match though…  When it gets to actually playing, it seriously, seriously delivers.

If the series matched the quality of it’s musical cues…  we’d be having a very different conversation.

Harukana Receive Ep 11

Some folks are saying this isn’t “actually” a sports anime…  And really, I dunno.  It certainly works as one for me – I mean the whole darn show is about girls participating in a sport isn’t it?  No, it’s not fifty eps long.  Nor does it go into obsessive detail about things.  But it strikes me that neither is central to any kind of useful definition of a genre.

Either way, this was a damn fine episode.  I spent a good part of it practically leaning forward in my seat anticipating what might come next.  They did a good job modulating the tension with flashbacks and turning the camera on the folks watching the match.  I enjoyed the heck out of it.

My Hero Academia 3 /  Boku no Hero Academia 3 Ep 15 (Ep 61)

Not sure I understand what all the fuss is about – Bakugou sure is a puzzle sometimes.  But, All Might was happy and pretty much every review I’ve read was pleased, so whatever.

Music Girls / Ongaku Shoujo Ep 11

Once again Uori is being a self-centered so-and-so, and once again all is forgiven and the other girls welcome her back with open arms.  Sigh.  This is a well-worn trope in anime that feature any kind of group of people and not one I enjoy when done so badly.

Which inspired this thought: https://twitter.com/DerekL1963/status/1041396281719971840

It’s never going to happen, but I can dream can’t I?

=========

Well, there you have it!  Another week in the books.

It’s been nice this week, the heat has finally broken which means I can cook again…  Had some lovely chicken curry rice last night, and am thinking of making up a big pot of veggie soup this weekend.  OTOH, Hisone to Masotan (Dragon Pilot) drops on Netflix tomorrow so I might want to pick something that doesn’t take quite so much attention.  (I’m currently thinking of marathoning it on Sat.)

Next week’s entry may be shorter than usual because we’re taking off early Wens afternoon to drive over to the Big City to catch My Hero Academia: Two Heroes.

Anyhow, how did your week go?  Drop a comment and let’s chat!

Summer 2018 – Week 11 Busy, busy week at shows set up for the final arcs and penultimate episodes!  Hinata and Aoi reconcile, Harakuna gets amped up, and…