#i need to make more echo evangelion art this is fun

[sing-geronimo]

"The only person who can sympathize with you and understand you is you. So, be good to yourself."

[trashayfanfiction]

1. Comfort zone: melancholy. angst. Tears. Suffering physically and emotionally.

2. Trope I want to try my hand at: Angsty highschool AU, but AU is hard for me.

3. Trope I wouldn’t touch with a 10ft pole? A/B/O sorry guys. I have squick for it. Give me all of the horrible rape, sex slaves, power dynamic/breeding kink and whatever, but don’t give me a biological hierarchy as to why it happens. (no kink-shaming if you do like it tho, but not my cup of tea)

4. I am nurturing...... 5 ideas? I”m doing RVBB, still the panic attacks fic, and yet another dead dove (but softer; less rape more angst this time)

5.Strengths: Introspection and internal conflict, portraying mixed feelings.

6. Weaknesses: External physical conflict. I can’t make a cohesive plot of physical things happening: I cannot write “adventure to gather all 7 dragon balls, fights along the way, we did the thing, the end”.

7. My favorite prose I wrote& why: ...I think I suck at prose. But ‘When She was Beautiful” An Ash’s Mother story https://archiveofourown.org/works/16004666

She was young. Fresh out of high school, when she met Jim at a country bar. She had a fake ID. In school they had called her a tramp, a harlot. It wasn’t true, even if she had the figure to put a porn star to shame. She was an attractive amount of tall and thin. Her curves were in all the right places. She’d had this figure since she was twelve.

The first time she did it, she was fourteen. He had asked. She protested. He kept asking. He did it anyways. It hurt. It was degrading. She grew used to it. It wasn’t rape. Eventually she liked that it was degrading; and would seek it out. This is what she was meant for, right?  She was a woman. She bled. This is what people like her were made for.

She was beautiful.

------I liked highlighting how the world saw her shaped how she viewed herself and justified (to her and those around her) what was done to her. I am trying to portray this critically and nuanced.

8. My fave dialogue and why: At Current I like this piece from Ch4 of ‘Fling” (Ash/Shorter)--- (Ash has suddenly ran away due to anxiety in the middle of what was suppose to be fun sex) https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768864/chapters/36680811

Shorter knocked on the locked bathroom door.

“Ah…. do you need a smoke?” He called, hesitantly.

“No! I don’t fucking need a smoke!” A quick response.

“Your pills are in the cabinet in there. You know, your anit-anxiety stuff-!”

“-I’m not sick! I don’t want my pills!!” Anger.

Shorter paused. Anything, anything to help. Anything to get his friend talking, “Do you want a sandwich?!”

A muffled scream of frustration, “I don’t need a fucking sandwich, Shorter! Leave me ALONE! I DON’T FEEL GOOD,”

“You’re not gonna like cut yourself and bleed out in my bathroom, are ya?” Humor, maybe? He hoped he was going for humor, but he was genuinely worried. Sometimes Ash flew off the handle…… Some of his other friends had done similar….

An exasperated exhale, “You know, I don’t fucking do that!” echoed through the door.

---- I like it because I think it portrays the disconnect Ash and Shorter have about what’s going on and lack of communication even though words are technically being spoken. Shorter wants to help, Ash isn’t letting him help and denying that there is a problem at all; thus resulting in more problems.

9. Hardest to write: The fic about Eiji’s reaction to Ash’s panic attacks that is still in production hell is my hardest. I don’t have anxiety, but I do try to help people with it. I want it to be an accurate representation, and attempt to be sensitive.

Also, my first Foxx’ rape fic was emotionally exhausting.

10: Easiest to write: ‘Fling’ I guess, I keep adding more to it because Ash/Shorter want to do more dumb things.

11. Writing is a fun hobby, I suck at writing. Writing is hard. I don’t wanna beta read enough to ever publish original content. Also, I like playing in other people’s sandboxes.

12. Episodes that inspire me: Neon Genesis Evangelion.... all that psycho babble.... yes. I’m here for it.

13. Best writing advice i’ve been given was by a friend who is a poet. Roundabout they told me; “You will never write something ‘good’, you will always write something better. Don’t worry about making it perfect.” They write with their emotions, so it vibes with me.

14. Worst writing advice I’ve come across: ‘Write everyday’ is horrible. It doesn’t work for me. It makes writing seem like a chore. I write when I am inspired. I will write a few sentences on a pre-started project when I am uninspired to help move it along, but ‘write everyday’ just tends to churn out a lot of garbage I didn’t learn from.

15. If I could choose a fic to be filmed? ....well, most of my fics are porn arent’ they. I think ‘Feelings of Loneliness” (Blanca+Ash post ending in the Carribean) would make an interesting art-house short-film. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17144981

16. Write one paring for the rest of my life? Well, I think we all know BF as a whole is what I’ll be writing on an off forever. ....Honestly I’m torn between saying I’d write ash/Eiji or Ash/Shorter. I never shipped Ash/Shorter until the anime fandom, but they might have a more interesting dynamic if I was to write them forever..... OOH, I SHOULD WRITE A FIC ABOUT ASH COPING WITH SHORTER DYING. I HAVEN’T SEEN ONE OF THOSE. oof. the angst

17. Do you write start to finish or do you write sentences out of order? .....I definitely write out of order. I write when scenes come to me, and then I fill in the blanks in-between. It’s difficult to understand my drafts, it’s definitely ADHD storytelling.

18. I do not use tools like worksheets/outlines, I do use a thesaurus because I have garbage vocab, and I’ve gotten into the habit of having beta-readers/feedback before I post. I sometimes look at ‘writing tips’ pages.

19. My muse is also ‘man who lives in his basement’. I am/was one of the punk street kids, and I observe the interactions that go on between them.

20. My perfect writing conditions are: home alone in my room, in my bed, cat not bothering me, new ‘fresh’ music playing that I’m vibin with and haven’t heard before but not so good it takes away from my concentration on a story. Usually after a hard day of work, I write about a story that was brewing in my head all day. Hopefully I don’t get distracted by social media: like right now....

[drink-n-watch]

  Genre : Action, comedy, supernatural, urban fantasy, science fiction.

Episodes: 13

Studio: Bones

  You know what’s tricky? Navigating that confusing time between childhood and adulthood. Especially if you grew up as a bit of a loner. Feeling outcast and different all the time. And that type of isolation can cut deep. Loneliness can get to you and turn you into someone you don’t want to be. Luckily for Mob, he’s always had a loving family by his side. And master Reigen has always supported him best he can. And now, without even realizing it, Mob is surrounded by friends. But what would have happened if he wasn’t? What would a powerful psychic like that turn out to be without others to keep him grounded?

The first season of Mob Psycho came as a long-delayed delightful surprise to me. I had been putting off the series for reasons that are obscure even to me, and when I finally got around to watching the first season a month or so ago, I wanted to kick myself for waiting so long. Mob Psycho made me happy. Eager to learn from my mistakes I watched a few palette cleanser shows and dove right into the second season. Let’s see if I’m kicking myself again.

  is the suspense killing you?

  Production-wise, there isn’t much change between the two seasons. Mostly because it was a really solid production, to begin with. I was slightly more taken with Itou, Setsuo voice acting this season but only because a few scenes allowed him to tap into this calm and melancholy tone that he does very well. Mob Psycho has always been a visually distinctive show and the aesthetic is once again rigidly upheld. If you didn’t like the look of the show before, you still won’t. If like me you really liked it, well you can figure out the rest.

All of this said there were two notable improvements in my opinion. One is expanded colour palettes. There are dusk and early morning scenes that bathe everything onscreen in a wash of colours. Environments get plunged in sudden ominous darkness as superpowered character shine. It really gave a lot of dimension to the series and made Mob Psycho 100 II look lush compared to its predecessor.

The second visible improvement was the animation. Not that it was bad in season 1, to the contrary , but there is a whole lot more this time around and it’s awesome. The action is exaggerated and quick-paced with insane ragdoll physics and skewed perspectives that are frankly just plain fun to watch. I found myself completely engrossed in fight scenes no matter how obviously unrealistic they were, unable to turn away and biting at my thumbnail.

  I’m telling you, it looks great!

  Sadly I have a feeling that if you don’t like the art style, no matter how much praise I heap on the animation, it won’t sway you. So let’s talk story!

I recently wrote a post on 100 Word Anime discussing the pitfalls of comparing one anime to another so let me do it again right now… Mob Psycho season 2 reminded me of Natsume’s Book of Friends.

Some of you may know that I compared Mob Psycho 100 to Neon Genesis Evangelion. The first season did in fact bring that show to mind for me. This second season, however, has matured and tweaked its themes and no longer brought to mind the classic series for me. Now you may think I’m just using another excuse to mention Natsume yet again, I don’t blame you. I do that. But there is a reason. When I say Mob Psycho II reminds me of Natsume I mean specifically season 3.

The second season of Mob Psycho is a wild ride. The action is geared way up and the stakes have been raised considerably. Yet for all the heart-pounding adventures what I took away from the season was just how much Mob and the show itself had grown. I actually wrote it in my notes after the first episode and couldn’t help but grin like a Cheshire when the characters on screen started to echo that exact thought throughout the season. It’s great when you can feel like part of the team.

  well…most of the time

  The second thing I wrote is just how beautiful Mob’s personal evolution was. The young boy isolated and bound by anxiety and fear had come out of his shell. Without even realizing it, he suddenly finds himself surrounded by friends and for the first time even something akin to peers. And because he finally has that support system available to him, he can finally find the strength to confront his own power. He actually starts using it to help others in mundane situations instead of only having it as a last resort. His emotional gauge actually gets filled by positive feelings just as often as negative ones if not more so. He no longer sees himself merely as a burden to others and therefore he no longer is.

I wrote all these notes down happily then went over them. When that early feeling of deja vu hit me. As I leafed through my past notebooks I realized that I had written almost word for word the exact same thing for the third season of Natsume. Clearly, I need to get a bit more varied in my note-taking but it also shows that I know what I like. And make no mistake I loved this second season of Mob Psycho.

Reigen is my favourite character in the series. I generally love tricksters but beyond that, I think that one of the main reasons Mob didn’t fall apart in his younger years was because he always had Reigen by his side. I doubt I’m the only one with a soft spot for the 2-part midseason mini-arc that developed Reigen and Mob’s relationship specifically.

  these are some great episodes

  I always thought that Reigen genuinely cares about the boy beyond what use he could make of him. Fact is, Reigen is scripted to ooze shifty sleeve but when push comes to shove he’s actually an extremely capable guy. Ok, not as a psychic obviously but as a con artist, definitely. More often than not his advice is pretty good, he has impressive observations skills and is a wonderful huge of character and he is protective and caring of Mob. He trusts and believes in the boy even when the boy does not believe in himself.

But it’s the flashback that got to me. The fact that Reigen had grown bored with his psychic gig and was considering moving on. With his social skills, he could easily have found some other way to make a decent living. But a young boy clearly in need of someone walks into his office and he just couldn’t turn him away. Sure, if he could make a buck in the process, all the better, but that wasn’t the main motivation. And he’s still like that. When someone is truly in need of help, he doesn’t turn them away, ever.

Combine this with a Mob that has become self-assured enough to think for himself and even say no! A young man that has gained the maturity to accept his mentor’s limits and failings and still appreciate him. And you have a tremendous character arc in two short episodes. Not only did they develop both characters without resorting to exposition dumps but they also did so without sanitizing or retconing either. I said this a lot in the first season review, but Mob Psycho is a smart show. And it continues to be so.

Mob’s been through a lot this season

This season also brought some conflict that was way more nuanced. In the last episodes, we even see Mob gleefully revel in his powers and the destruction they wrought. He immediately stops himself and is filled with guilt but there’s something else going on. There’s a great attention given to Mob’s expressions. By default, he’s a bit of a blank canvass, largely expressionless. This season, as he’s opening up more his feelings are starting to show on his face. Small shy smiles, tiny barely there scowls… But when he goes to 100% then it’s the complete opposite. He is deliberately drawn to be terrifying, almost demonic. Dishevelled unnatural hair, impossibly intense eyes, an uncontrollable aura escaping from him. But in that one moment, that minute that he let himself enjoy his power, he looked….great. I mean he looked like a healthy happy young man. The spiked hair flowing lazily about him like a pretty anime boy, no visible aura at all, a relaxed smile reaching all the way to joyful eyes.

In another anime, I would have called this an odd design choice but not in Mob Psycho. For two seasons this show has been very precise with its imagery and particularly with Mob’ expressions. This was thought out and selected for a reason. The visual language of the anime is telling a completely different story from the script. It’s subtly showing us a boy that has been at war with his own nature for his whole life and the one moment of release came as a huge relief. A boy that could still go down a dark path. This is a moral ambiguity the first season stayed very far away from and a noted shift in narrative vision. One I am excited for.

I feel you Ritsu, it was quite a moment

I want to see more of Mob Psycho 100 and I hope I can do so soon!

Favourite character: still Reigen

What this anime taught me: Sequels are fantastic

Come, we’ll get drunk, quote movies and talk about how awesome we are

Suggested drink: Brown Sugar Manhattan

Every time Mob’s in street clothes – take a sip

Every time the show turns into a video game – take a sip

Every time we see a tomato – get a snack

Every time we see the super awesome Body Improvement club – Cheers!

Every time anyone is pantless – gasp

Every time Reigen seem kind of cool – put the drink down

Every time Mob gets a call – take a sip

Every time we see Mezato-san – take a sip

Every time other psychics are watching tv – take a sip

Every time Ritsu doesn’t get along with Reigen – take a sip

Every time you’re surprised by how touching this show is – check if season 3 has been announced

I love Bones’ visuals. They really speak to me. So once again I uploaded a whole bunch of screencaps to Pinterest and Imgur.

      Mob Psycho 100 s2 – Growing Up Genre : Action, comedy, supernatural, urban fantasy, science fiction. Episodes: 13 Studio: Bones You know what's tricky?