#i wanted to make it look more manga like but i dont think i succeeded lol

[spacebunnie-e]

my entry for the love and deepspace ver 2 fanart contest and a lil bonus doodle

[caedogeist-rights]

on a more genuine note. yes im making three posts right after each other literally dont worry abt it. i want to dissect the art of trigun like a frog. bc to me personally trigun is always a... scary series. but while tristamp is high tension high dread high blood. the manga being monochrome B/W means you get starkly terrifying(?) gore and a lot more mood. tristamp is bloody and stressful but trimax is gorey and like..... whatever word describes your protagonist going through constant psychological torture. i dont think tristamp can achieve trimax's horror in the same way that i dont think trimax could ever do the awe-inspiring terror that makes tristamp stand out. in tristamp we don't watch a man's arms get cut off but we do hear it, and we see the blood (and the arms). but trimax.... trimax we see a lot of heads and bodies impaled. we see someone's intestines. we see plants. who are angels. who are. body horror creatures. their proportions are. so much. but.... and its so fascinating to see, in hindsight, since i started w the anime, tristamp takes the body horror out of trimax and instead replaces it with aprehension and dread and loss. something abt... the difference between terror and horror.

both are good. both are SO good. but theres just inherently a different vibe and atmosphere! the artists for stampede set out to make a very specific type of art and i think they succeeded! nightow made a manga that looks a very specific way and it's fuckin amazing! both have their problems. i am not saying one is better (oh my gd do i have my design gripes w tristamp and my composition gripes w trimax) but fuck they are just. different. theyre different. and if you want to see tristamp but More. read trimax.

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: Don't Look Up (2021)

Don't Look Up (2021)

Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, graphic nudity and drug content

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-dont-look-up-2021.html>

Score: 4 out of 5

Don't Look Up is a movie that wants to be Dr. Strangelove for global warming, and whether or not it pulls it off depends on your tolerance for very heavy-handed satire. Adam McKay, the film's director and co-writer (together with former Bernie Sanders speechwriter/advisor David Sirota -- i.e. a man literally paid to write stump speeches for a politician) who had previously made The Big Short and a whole bunch of 2000s Will Ferrell comedies, wasn't shy about the movie he was making. He said point-blank that he went out of his way to write the most heavy-handed, blunt-force metaphor for global warming he could possibly think of, a comet destroying Earth that we have the ability to deflect but for some reason aren't, and the result is a pure sadist show filled with unlikable people who you're waiting to see receive their comeuppance, while the only ones who get anything resembling a happy ending are the beleaguered scientists and bureaucrats who serve as mouthpieces for the writers.

I felt it more or less succeeded at doing that, but I also felt that it, almost accidentally, stumbled into something I've rarely seen: a Lovecraftian comedy, specifically one that still goes all-in on his brand of cosmic horror rather than soften it. The central conceit of many of H. P. Lovecraft's stories, that of humanity being small and meaningless in the grand scheme of a universe far bigger than them that doesn't care about any of their puny accomplishments, is one that's usually played for horror, most notably by Lovecraft himself and the many artists influenced by him. When that kind of material is given a lighthearted touch, it's usually in the context of stories that borrow the aesthetics of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos (doomsday cults, grotesquely visceral monsters with lots of tentacles, alien gods with unpronounceable names) but give humanity the chance to effectively fight back. This movie takes the opposite track. It's a movie about a comet that's coming to hit Earth and destroy everything. It doesn't give a flying fuck about any of us; it's a comet, an inanimate ball of rock and ice randomly drifting through our solar system that just so happens to be on a collision course with Earth. The protagonists, the graduate student Kate Dibiasky who discovers the comet and her astronomy professor Dr. Randall Mindy who does the numbers and realizes that it's going to impact Earth, are framed as the kind of heroes Lovecraft would write, people who slowly but surely go mad from the revelation of just how meaningless their existence is in the face of looming extinction. In fact, the basic premise is not unlike that of Junji Ito's manga Remina, which plays a very similar scenario for some truly fucked-up horror, complete with both stories having satire of celebrity culture as a running theme.

But this movie takes that premise and, instead of using it to try and scare the viewer, uses it to mine the darkest possible laughs it can think of. Kate's breakdown on a talk show as she tries to warn the world about the comet goes memetic and is treated like Britney Spears' meltdown in the late '00s. Dr. Mindy's reaction is to dive head-first into wine, women, and song, exploiting his new status as a rock star scientist to have an affair with a morning show host and bask in the fame and adulation of the world because he knows, deep down, that anything else is pointless and he may as well enjoy his last few months on Earth. And most importantly, the film's main satirical thrust is that humanity probably does have the ability to deflect the comet and save itself, but is just too goddamn stupid and greedy to do so. The President is a vain, corrupt, bullying, media-obsessed idiot whose administration is rife with nepotism, cronyism, and graft (guess who was President when this movie was written), the "visionary geniuses" of the tech industry are more concerned with a mix of pie-in-the-sky utopianism and getting rich than in the actual, practical, day-to-day problems that most people face, and the media is chiefly concerned with celebrity gossip and other frivolous stories and buries serious issues that might hurt their ratings. Humanity as a whole doesn't go mad from the revelation of the comet, at least not at first, but that's because, as far as this movie is concerned, we're already living in a world gone mad.

These two angles -- McKay and Sirota's intended one of a satire of the world's (lack of) response to global warming, and a film that takes a lot of the tropes of cosmic horror and plays them for comedy -- feed into each other and produce a pitch-black satire reminiscent of an Armando Iannucci story, a good episode of South Park, or the background worldbuilding of a Grand Theft Auto game. This movie ain't subtle. The comet is a plain-as-day metaphor for the climate crisis that practically screams the message into your face, most notably when Dr. Mindy goes on a furious rant on a talk show that, barring the specific subject matter of the comet, may as well have come from the unshackled id of any climate scientist, meteorologist, or environmentalist who decided to one day say "fuck it" and let everyone know what they really think of all the bullshit they have to put up with. The entire 138-minute runtime of this movie is an escalating exercise in cringe comedy as Dr. Mindy, Kate, and the underpaid civil servants and bureaucrats who take them and the crisis seriously find themselves stonewalled, tripped up, and belittled by the vapid, selfish, ignorant dumbasses who actually run the show. Its sense of humor is mean-spirited and often insulting, but it saves its bile for very specific and deserving targets while still affording enough humanity to its protagonists to make me actually care about them, especially as the film rolls towards its conclusion.

Make no mistake, though, this is a very funny metaphor for global warming, much of it sold by an excellent all-star cast. Meryl Streep plays President Janie Orlean as a combination of every terrible thing that's ever been said about Donald Trump and every terrible thing that's ever been said about Hillary Clinton (again, you can tell that a Bernie Sanders advisor co-wrote this), the kind of mediagenic, charismatic politician who looks good in front of the cameras but whose administration is a pit of slime. Streep is clearly relishing the chance to play someone who'd be an unrepentant villain if not for the fact that she's also a complete fucking moron. Mark Rylance plays the President's partner-in-crime Peter Isherwell as a mix of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs who gives off the sense that he's not just a greedy robber baron but someone who genuinely seems to believe his own bullshit, that his sci-fi scheme to save the day would not only work but elevate human civilization into a utopian golden age, and that he's spent too long marinating in the stew of hare-brained Silicon Valley techno-dreamers to think about any practical problems. Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry as the talk show hosts Brie Evantee and Jack Bremmer are playing clear parodies of Kelly Ripa and Al Roker, and perfectly capture everything obnoxious and saccharine about morning talk shows and daytime news. The supporting cast is a non-stop parade of both rising stars and "hey, it's that guy!" actors, including Jonah Hill as Janie's Jared Kushner-esque son/Chief of Staff who serves as a symbol of the White House's corruption, Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi as a pair of pop stars putting on a benefit concert who contribute a hilarious song to the soundtrack, Ron Perlman as a war hero with a few screws loose who leads the initial mission to try and deflect the comet, and Timothée Chalamet as a punkish slacker whose response to the comet is to get right with God. Finally Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rob Morgan get the "straight man" roles as Dr. Mindy, Kate, and the government scientist Dr. Oglethorpe, all of them offering up welcome reminders of why they're all considered some of the best actors of their respective generations (and, in Lawrence's case, reminding us why she was an A-lister before she did Passengers) as they have to navigate the sick, sad world around them in their long-shot effort to save it. Even here, though, they're not immune from the film's satirical barbs, each of them (especially Dr. Mindy) shown to not quite be as above-it-all as they assume they are.

The Bottom Line

It's so in-your-face with its politics and message that it risks feeling insufferable even if you agree with it. But me? I found it to be a hilarious, pitch-black, and frequently on-point satire that pulls no punches and manages to somehow combine big laughs with existential dread. I recommend giving it a watch.

[captnjacksparrow]

Despite the official and "canon" ships and the monstruosity of Boruto, but a lot of times and even in real life we see that the "unnoficcial" things are stronger than the canon-officials one. For example in tv shows were cannonly one is married to another, but deep inside they love another person, so what's more important? His "official" marriage? as Robert Baratheon for ex in got, or the men in Brokeback. So, do you consider SNS as canon or at least is canon down the surface? I mean, you just need to scratch the surfe a little bit to see what a really canon couple is, you dont even have to go that deep because everything is there, it's not even the subtext xD taking into account their behaviours in Boruto, in Naruto manga, and also taking into account that a marriage paper certificate or having kids...actually means nothing.

IS SNS CANON?????

Naruto and Sasuke kissed each other. It's canon. This one scene is enough to shot down all those ‘They are Brothers’ theories.

After the kiss, To verify whether he is an Heterosexual, Naruto made a deliberate plan to knock off Sasuke and went on to verify his feelings with a known girl and found that, "I like this girl because she loves the boy in a same way that I love him... And on top of that she likes to kiss him, just like I liked the kiss I gave before...". It's canon.

Naruto's Rivalry concept is not to beat Sasuke and surpass him to flaunt his powers. It's mainly to show that he is an Equal to him and save Sasuke from any Danger. It's canon.

Sasuke wanted to walk next to Naruto because he was crushing about Naruto's bravery by stucking a Kunai in his hands. It's canon.

Sasuke said to Sakura and Kakashi that he was going for a walk but in reality he went to train along with Naruto. Sasuke lied. It's canon.

Instead of asking tips from a person who succeeded in the task, Sasuke was asking tips from a Dunce like Naruto. Sasuke is trying to initiate conversation without being obvious. But it was obvious. It's canon.

Sasuke, despite having a lifetime ambition of getting revenge for his Clan, shrugged it aside as if it was nothing and gave his life for Naruto. When asked about the reason, He simply said, "My Body moved on it's own". Indication of cluelessness. It's canon.

While dying, instead of thinking about his happy times he had with his family or Team 7.... He was only thinking about Naruto and his stupid actions like falling from the Tree. All for a boy with whom he never had any proper conversation (Including the Accidental Kiss). It's canon.

Despite being mistreated by the Villagers for all those years, Naruto’s emotions got enraged enough to extract Kyuubi Chakra for the first time on seeing Sasuke’s dead body. A boy he 'supposed' hated the most. It’s canon.

Naruto, a person who makes friends with everyone so easily, was being catty with Sasuke after he gave up his life for him. Shouldn't he be grateful for him???. Instead both were behaving weird by not making eye contact. It's canon.

Naruto, with his persistent Hard Work, impressed Sasuke with his skills. And finally got the Acknowledgement he always wanted. This is one of the happiest moment for Naruto. It's canon.

When Sakura was pinned up by Gaara sand, Naruto attempted save her. He tried to summon Gamabunta Frog by using Kyuubi Chakra but failed. He could produce only 4 Kage Bunshins. But when Sasuke simply said, "I'll act as a decoy even if it means death.... YOU ARE CAPABLE OF SAVING SAKURA.. SAVE HER AND RUN AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN.. And I don't want to watch my precious comrades die"... Naruto could produce 1000 Kage Bunshins and could summon Gamabunta without any issues. A Girl in danger couldn't evoke anything from Naruto but Sasuke's words could. It's canon.

On hearing that Itachi came to the Village and was looking for Naruto, The very first concern that crossed Sasuke's mind was to not let Naruto die. It's canon.

Naruto was trembling on the sight of Itachi's Aura.... But when he saw Itachi was beating Sasuke left and right, Naruto could no longer afford to tremble and was pulling out Kyuubi's Chakra which impressed Itachi. It's canon.

After bringing Tsunade to cure Sasuke, Naruto felt something unexplainable on seeing a girl hugging him. He just left that place with an awkward smile. It's canon.

Naruto, a boy who faced worst things in his life, was weeping rivers when he realized that Sasuke was really trying to kill him. It’s canon.

Naruto almost lost in his thoughts when Sasuke was trying to kill him. And his thoughts were all about how he always wanted to be friends with Sasuke but couldn’t because he was a loser and hence he decided to become an equal with Sasuke and become a ‘True Friend’. To be honest, he always admired him. It’s canon.

When Sasuke asked why he was going so far as to stop him.... Naruto revealed that he liked Sasuke back when he was just 8 on the day when Sasuke threw him a simple smile. A fact which Sasuke also acknowledges because he also liked the fact that he was noticed by Naruto. It’s canon.

Conveniently, Rain interrupted Sasuke from completing, “Naruto.... I....” It’s canon.

Sasuke despite saying he wanted to kill Naruto, he pulled his punch when he got the chance to ram his Chidori into Naruto’s chest.... Stared at Naruto for quite a good amount of time with a painful face.... A Visual symbolism very similar to Mary Jane kissing Peter Parker in Spider Man movie which Kishimoto liked a lot. It’s canon.

Naruto wanting to remain as a fool if that means saving Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto couldn’t able to find any difference in Sakura’s womanly appearance but could admire Sasuke’s cooler appearance when he was compared with Sai. It’s canon.

Naruto was Okay with Kakashi being replaced by Yamato. But not Sasuke being replaced by Sai. Instead he became hostile, which is very uncharacteristic of Naruto. It’s canon.

Sasuke said ‘I remember someone (Naruto) like that’.... But the moment Sai said ‘I will replace Naruto and get along with you better than Naruto’.... Sasuke put Sai in a Genjutsu. It’s canon.

Sasuke hugged Naruto in a femme-fatale way by wearing open chested costume while asking Karin not to come closer. It’s canon.

Sasuke threw a genuine smile on seeing ‘The Great Naruto Bridge’. It’s canon.

Naruto was brainrotting about Sasuke but when Sakura appeared in front of him, he lied about making a plan to date Sakura. It’s canon.

Naruto wished for Sasuke under the Shooting Star by keeping his hands in his heart. It’s canon.

When Naruto got the chance to finally be alone with Sakura who was caring about Naruto’s health.... Instead of making a romantic move of confessing his ‘supposed’ feelings.... He started to talk about getting closer to Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto was happy about the fact that His Wind element was compatible with Sasuke’s Fire Element. Because it would make Sasuke stronger. It’s canon.

Naruto was pining about Sasuke in his Bedroom for an entire night without sleeping. It’s canon.

Sasuke asked about Naruto’s whereabouts to Obito in a subtle way. It’s canon.

Naruto erupted 6 tails after experiencing Jiraiya’s death, his village being reduced to dirt, Kakashi’s death and Hinata’s suicide. But just the mention of Sasuke’s name from Orochimaru’s mouth evoked 4 tails from Naruto. It’s canon.

Naruto became a Hero of Konoha. But got beaten to death by Karui and took all the brunt of her hatred that she had on Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto despite breaking the chain of Hatred by forgiving Nagato who killed Jiraiya and Kakashi.... But went on to hint Raikage that there will be war if he kills Sasuke. It’s canon. Hatred what???

Naruto didn’t mind losing his dignity by begging in front of Raikage to pardon Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto got into hyperventilation mode on hearing Sasuke was going to be killed very soon. While clearly ignoring Sakura’s life in possible Danger as she was planning to kill Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto always knew that Sakura loved Sasuke from the day Team 7 was formed. He confessed that the promise he made to her about saving Sasuke was never for her but for himself... It’s canon. 

Naruto ignored Hinata’s confession even though he remembered that incident. He also rejected Sakura’s confession by saying “Stop lying to yourself” just like he was lying to himself that he hated Sasuke, just like he was lying to himself that he thought of Sasuke as his brother, just like he was lying to himself that he thought of dating Sakura even though he knew she loves Sasuke from Chapter 3 onwards, just like he was lying to himself that he was saving Sasuke for that promise he made with Sakura.... And later, he went on to confess Sasuke as to how he felt about him all along.... It’s canon.

Naruto declared that he will die along with Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto literally said he can’t become an Hokage unless he can’t save Sasuke. It’s canon.

Naruto wanted to control Kyuubi Chakra in order to save Sasuke. It’s canon.

Kushina thought Sasuke was a girl on the first glance. And after realizing he was a boy he wanted him to get along with her unborn son, Naruto. It’s canon.

Before her death, Kushina asked Naruto to find someone like her. Sasuke shares lot of similarities with Kushina while Hinata kind of people was what Kushina specifically asked Naruto to avoid. It’s canon.

Sasuke was left in Naruto’s hands by Itachi and he believed that Naruto was the one who could change him. It’s canon.

Sasuke was worrying about Naruto after feeling his chakra from some miles away even though he already planned to kill him. It’s canon.

Minato literally brought Sasuke as a Gift for Naruto. It’s canon.

Sasuke on realizing that the entire shinobi army was going to be destroyed by the Tailed Beast Bombs, immediately created a plan to save Naruto while ignoring Kakashi and Sakura. Sakura who???. All the while, he wanted to kill Naruto personally. It’s canon.

Sasuke gave a three layered protection to save Naruto and his reflex to protect Naruto was much faster than Minato, Naruto’s father and Tobirama.... Both are the fastest shinobis in that Battlefield. It’s canon.

Naruto displayed his feelings about Sasuke to the entire Battlefield and was wondering that “I should have reached Sasuke out on that day”. It's canon. Hinata who???

Sasuke just left Kakashi and Sakura to die in the Lava pit but went on to save Naruto. Even agreed that he saved them during Mugen Tsukuyomi because they were just happened to be next to Naruto. It’s canon.

Sasuke literally called Sakura and Kakashi as useless. But answered Naruto’s question without any mockery. It’s canon

Naruto who speaks endless speech about the importance of Comradeship and Bonds never got angry when Sasuke left them to die in Lava Pit. Instead he was making a callback to that time Sasuke’s body moved on it’s own. It’s canon.

Naruto outright said that Sasuke was not his Brother. It’s canon.

Sasuke said the only living tie was Naruto after Itachi’s death and that he needs to kill him to be alone. It’s canon. 

Sasuke asked, ‘What does Friend means to you?’. It’s canon.

Naruto said, ‘I don’t know why I feel immense pain whenever you are suffering’. It’s canon.

Sasuke literally said that Just by observing Naruto gave the feel of his Family. And that he felt Happiness but also he was distracting him. (Dude, How could someone distract you and make you weak when you were just seeing him??). And this explains why he went so far as to give up his life in the Land of the Waves Arc because he always liked Naruto’s presence. It’s canon.

Sasuke literally said that Naruto came closer to his heart. And he was going to place Naruto as his family and try to feel his pain, hopes and dreams. And also he acknowledged that Naruto saved him. It’s canon. 

Many years later.... We find that Naruto was desperately ignoring his family by choosing to spend his time to count some stupid Head bands. He sleeps separately. He ignores his Son. He ignores his daughter’s birthday. But wanting to go on that long mission with Sasuke. Thought about Sasuke while receiving Hinata’s bento filled with her purest form of love. Thought about Iruka and Sasuke as his bonds made without having any blood connection. Hinata who??? It’s canon.

On the other hand, Sasuke abandoned his Family for 12 years, couldn’t recognize his own daughter’s face and was about to stab her, annoyed on seeing Sakura after many years, refusing to kiss Sakura, made a disgusting face while having a Family Dinner, didn’t keep any memento to remember his family but kept that Headband which Naruto gave to him years ago. And also he don’t mind spending time with his ‘Friend’s Son’. It’s canon.

-

-

-

I might have missed many things but it doesn’t matter because it’s good to be overwhelmed by so many things rather than desperately looking for empty scraps to justify my reasoning to support SNS. 

In a media, where Marriage means an implication of 2 people living ‘Happily Ever After’ and in a culture where a Man or Woman’s life always revolves around the ‘Traditional Family’ under the name of Marriage where Parents’ ultimate job is to care and provide for their Kids in whatever way they can.... The Author literally spat on everything by refusing to give them that ‘Happily Ever After’ and went on to ascertain the Fact that Naruto and Sasuke don’t care about their kids but he made sure to show us that Naruto cares about a random kid named ‘Kawaki’ who looks like Sasuke and..... Sasuke cares about someone else’s kid named ‘Boruto’ who looks like Naruto. 

What more do we require??? Anything more than this would be like a last straw... Like Say if Kishimoto comes out and say “Naruto and Sasuke were Lovers”.... And I’ll be like, “So??? Is there anything new we don’t know already???”

So, Yes... Like every other SNS shippers I felt angry about the Ending... Not because they didn’t become Canon but because they took a route which betrayed everything that they built up till Chapter 699.... 

But nobody can still disregard SNS as Fanon or Crack Ship or Non-Existent ship or Red Herring Ship. (*** It’s the only ship that’s Filled with Only Canon elements not some fucking delusional headcanons***) 

Narratively, Kishi created Haku & Zabuza, Obito and Kakashi, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, Hashirama and Madara to parallel Naruto and Sasuke as to how N and S are similar and yet different from everyone else. If this is just Friendship or Brotherhood, what is the need to create these many parallels???

All the While Main Pairings were horribly written (intentionally) but side pairings like ShikaTema, MinaKushi looks much more cuter and profound in it’s own way.

While we have all these canon incidents which had some clear romantic undertones in a refined manner, What do those ‘supposed’ canon pairings have??? Just the dicks of those boys which was used to spew out some babies and after that those boys went on to ignore everything but they still find comfort in each other’s presence. In Short, NH/SS shippers simply put their value in those character’s reproductive part alone. That’s their ultimate form of love.

If that’s the kind of thing they want under the label of ‘Canon’, Welll..... LET THEM HAVE IT and I don’t mind staying unofficial. AT ALL. And In fact, It’s the only functional ship in Narutoverse with Love and Understanding under the label of ‘Unofficial’ and I think it’s perfectly ALRIGHT. 

[enigmatic-bumble]

Hey don't do this, people are saying that villain assaulted Midnight because of the hurt position she was in and she was attacked by a group of men? Like the time Hori made Twice clones gang up on Toga??? And he said something like "she's mine" or "I'll take care of her" before attacking and oh shit, how different does the scene look from when she was attacked, did they do one hit and then it was over??? Her glasses frame, mask? fell off too. Hori wtf.

Ah the first part was at hori!! Thanks for clearing it up!!!

And i hate that this happened the way it did

Tho you can get hints to how she died if the manga panels have anything to go by which are under the read more

In chapter 278 we see the condition she is in after Mr. Compress unleashes debris at her and she falls from a very high distance

She is clearly not doing so good and is struggling to get up which makes these plf dudes

Have the chance to get the drop on her

You can see she still has her mask on here

And this guy already has his quirk activated and is above her while she barely had the chance to turn around meaning she didnt get the chance to fight back

The next time we see her

Her mask is flung away amd i think shes one her front???

It also looks like she barely got the chance to move and is either bleeding out or dead in chapter 294

Like this is how the kids found her because the next we see of her is Mina holding her hand and the panel of the kids crying over her

We dont know what condition Midnight was in when the kids found her or how she died

She died offscreen and the way she died, alone and most likely scared for not only herself but also the kids, was horrific

What hurts is that she trusted the kids' judgement and to do their best but also wanted them to put their safety first overall

She had no idea if they succeeded or not and probably died hoping they survived

[eyestumblin]

I'm several years late but after finally watching Aku no Hana (anime) I was really impressed with the director. I've been watching some candy colored fantasy anime on the recommendation of friends (a different conversation entirely) and this very bitter realism was a refreshing palette cleanser, even if it was honestly hard to get into and stick with to start. Despite the interesting execution, a purposefully feel bad plot with unlikable protagonists can be hard to want to watch. The first six episodes were a challenge to push through, but once the momentum and tension had built and snapped, instead of dreading what would happen next I was sucked in.

I think this show would have been well suited to a movie format instead of television, as it felt sometimes like episode recap, preview, and opening/ending credits interrupted the narrative flow enough to feel like filler at times. The choice to see character's actions and situations unfold without much, if any, time skipping also contributed effectively to the feeling of realism, so it was jarring to have the "real time" pace interrupted in the final episode with a rush of things to come. I accepted the chaotic jumble of future sight as a kind of surreal prophecy, but later read it was a preview of a second season which sadly never came out. I am left wishing instead for a complete film made by this team.

Seeing the look of the manga and live action adaptation, I dont think I'll read or watch them. Feel bad stories arent my cup of tea in general and what I really appreciated about this anime was the pain taken to capture realism; not only in the writing, but also in the look and movement of each person and the composition of each frame.

When asked at a Q&A panel at Animazement 2013 why he didn't make the adaptation a traditional live-action series, he responded that in live-action, the focus is on the actors and not the characters. 

By rotoscoping, both the reality of the human bodies and faces moving in space, and the sublimation of the actors into a hand drawn world, succeeded in sharing so much more information than just video or imagined drawings. The rare surreal special effects also feel naturally integrated thanks to everything already being animation. When I was younger I think I would have hated rotoscoping for being "lazy" or requiring less draftsmanship from the artists, so I can understand why this choice netted backlash. Where I'm at as an artist right now, however, the level of real detail this process retained seems well worth the effort of essentially making the show twice.

I appreciated aku no hana's honesty. Despite its purposeful unpleasantness, it did remind me in some ways of being that age. Teens are almost like adults, and yet so different inside and out, and I think a lot of media fails to depict that as clearly as this show did. I'm grateful for the reminder.

[eremika-forever12]

|| Eremika Fanfic: Remember Me!? ||

This is basically continuation from Manga plot with some changes ....you will get to know as story progresses! Do read, share & comment!

Chapter : 1

Just like any day....the sun rose from East making the whole city glow from its heat!

Just like every day everyone is back to their own chores !

Since that day of the new history of Shinganshina or to be more accurate the new Paradis....where there is no more walls, no more eldians & marliyans hatred....it was more like a new Era....Everything has just changed!

People know more about the truth with No Memory Loss....No Misconception Of Titans & Their Existence....Cause Titans Are Just A History Now Which Kids In Their Schools Learn About Their Past Existance!

6 Years....

6 Years Since He Disappeared....Vanished Just Into The Thin Air Just Like That! Leaving her alone once again in this Cruel World! He is known as humanity's Biggest Enemy Now....Who was once recognised as Humanity's Only Hope! But Something Tells Her....His Decision Changed The Whole Prespective! He Actually Changed This World....United Them To Fight Against Him! Sacrificed Himself....For The Cause Of His Own People! No Matter In Which Way But He Succeeded...Even If It Is By Being Cold Hearted Mass Murderer....She knows he was The Saviour, He Was No Monster!

But.....The Sad Part Is He Just Disappeared Like That 6 Years Back After That Rumbling Ended!

No One Noticed Him Since Then Nor His Giantic Titanic Body!

Did he deceive her all again? After making her that promise of returning back alive....wrapping around her that piece of cloth...before going for that final battle against everyone....Did he just die like that after doing so much....not even once meeting her again! Is he actually dead? Where is he? Where is Eren Yeager?

Just like any day....Mikasa starts her day thinking about him....just when her thoughts broke off hearing the powerful scream of her son....shrieking the hell out of her!

“ MOOMMM “

“Ahhh....Heyyy....” says Mikasa shocked watching that little guy running to her hurriedly with a backpack in his hand.

“ MOMMMM! GETTT ME MY FOOD HURRY! I GOTTA BE LATE FOR MY SCHOOL IF YOU JUST KEEP ON SITTING LIKE THAT! I AM HUNGRY” says the little guy with his loud voice.

“ Hush! Cant you speak a bit normally? I mean whats with all these shouting! I am not deaf!” scowls Mikasa as she gets up from the dining table.

The boy simply shrugs- Look Mom! I have no time for this....Alright! I am HUNGGRRYYY!

Ah that pout....thinks Mikasa....his cute little pout always makes her heart melt....and those Green eyes...it just reminds her of him! Thinking about him makes her Sad again!

Mikasa brings a plate full of noodles as she pushes it slightly towards the little devil on the other side of dining table.

The little guy hungrily takes the spoon out of it as he starts rolling the strands of noodles in it....and hurriedly stuffs them in his mouth.

Mikasa stares at her little boy silently observing his every features....his antics were just completely like his dad. Mikasa sighs....only if he was here! Suddenly her eyes fell on a small bruise on his forhead...Mikasa frowned....

When did he got that! Damn....did he just again fight with someone in his school yesterday!

This boy will surely make her crazy....

Mikasa glares at the green eyed little boy who was busy in gulping down his glass of water without noticing his mother's furious glare!

Mikasa in serious tone- Eli.....Look at me!

Eli looks at his mother in confusion as he stops munching his food for a moment...

Eli mumbling – Yes Mom!

Mikasa scowls- What is with that scar on your head!

Eli gasps in shock as he looks else where but not in her eyes....he surely tried to hide that thing by bringing his most of the black hair upto his forehead so that his mother wont notice that scar!

Eli nervously while fidgeting a little as he speaks in his child like voice- Errmm...Its nothing...actually...I fell on the way while returning to home so I guess Got hurt a little!

Mikasa glares- Eli...Shut up! Dont dare you lie to me! Since you got admitted to the school...I have been receiving lots of complain due to your rude behaviour towards children! So dont give me that crap! Did you fight again with someone?

Eli glares back at his mother as he says raising his voice- Rude behaviour? I am not Rude! Its not my fault if those kids of my class bumps into me intentionally just to tease me ! I am not gonna keep my mouth shut if they taunts me by calling me Monster Baby! I am gonna punch their freaking ugly face for calling me that! I had enough of it! I am not weak or Something....

Mikasa scolds him as she raises her voice- Eli! Stop it! If they taunts you....its not necessary for you to reply them back! Stop being impulsive! You cant just beat up people if they tell you something! Learn to control yourself!

Eli tries to defend himself- But...

Mikasa holds his shoulders softly- Eli listen to me!

As Eli stares with his big green eyes, Mikasa with broken voice tells him- Punching someone or beating someone wont prove you strong! I know how it feels but you gonna get adjusted to this! You dont need to start a fight with someone if they say hateful words to you! I know you are strong Eli! But you need to control yourself! Your anger wont do any good....

Eli remains mum as he softly shrugs off his mother's hand....taking his back pack on his back.

Eli calmly- I am done with my breakfast! Bye Mom!

Before Mikasa could say anything, Eli runs out of the house way to his school while Mikasa just whispers watching him running away- Bye! Just dont fall into any trouble Eli! You are the only one I have! I have lost everything in my life....I dont want to loose you!

Mikasa stares at sky scattered with clouds and the sun rays with birds flying...

Mikasa murmers as lone tear escapes from her eyes- Eren....I Wish You Were Here!

***********

Eli has been walking merrily along the way towards his school when he hears someone calling him from behind....

Eli turns around and squeals in happiness seeing the blonde hair guy with that scout uniform- Uncle Arlert!

The blond guy walks hurriedly towards him as he laughs- Its Armin!

Eli rolls eyes- oh yeah its the same thing! Arlert is also your name anyways!

Armin giggle- oh well young man ! Off to school ha? Come I will take you there!

Eli with his head high- No need! I can walk to my school myself!

Armin nods his head gently- ofcourse you can! But I have to make sure you dont fall in any trouble you know....or else your mom will be worried!

Eli frowns as he chirps in his child voice- Wait Mom asked you to follow me!

Armin nods in negetive as he nervously says- No No....Not that lately she is being really worried about you! So I thought to have a check on you....

Eli yells angrily- Heyyyy! What the hell is wrong with everyone damn it! I am not a toddler or something! I dont need anyone! I can look out for myself! I am freaking 5 years! Leave me Alone uncle Arlert ! You have your own daughter....Just look after that pathetic princess of Yours!

Saying this....Eli ran off hurriedly before Armin could follow him any further.

Armin was shocked by his reaction! He wasnt expecting such outburst! He was not told by Mikasa to follow him....he just did it cause he felt he had some responsibility towards his best friend's son after what just happened a week back in his school!

But today this out burst....he just completely reminded of HIM!

It wasnt for first time....Eli was like this anyways since he was born....stubborn & pure brat with that pathetic anger of him but he usually doesnt talk like this with him....he is really fond of his uncle Arlert & his only friend Alina Arlert....his & Annie ‘s daughter! Yes They are no more titan shifters now! That power & the curse got ended 6 years back immediately after the rumbling! They were all normal now....

Alina is 4 now....a year younger than Eli...She still didnt get admission in school yet , most probably after she turns 5....she will also start going to school and accompany Eli too...

But well right now Armin is concerned about Eli sudden outburst....did he get into an argument with Mikasa again in morning! He seemed really pissed off hearing his mother’s name!

He needs to talk to Mikasa right now....

***********

Eli was breathing heavily as he stops mid way & looks back....damn his little legs are paining now! He just ran a marathon to escape from Armin.

Aaahhh He hates just being lectured every damn time! Nobody just understands him & his point of view! His mom only thinks him of as some brat who doesnt listen to her or something! What she doesnt understand is....Eli is just tired of this daily bully of him in school by calling him some monster's child, Titan baby, illegitimate kid etc etc ! When he tries to explain this to his mom....all she tells him to not react to them! Like how the hell....why wont he react to those carzy bunch of people who simply insults him! Eli's anger just rose thinking about all these! He realises...he just ran off bit too far from his school....in some empty area with less people walking around! The area has some broken houses all around....people dont live here now much! Duh he is in no mood to walk back to his school....missing a day at school wont be any harm ,thinks Eli.

He just notices a bench a bit far.....and walks towards it & sit down!

He wants to be alone from his mother's scoldings and lectures! Eli always wondered why he didnt have a father like every other kid! He has been numerous times taunted about this by some adults in their neighbours! They simply call him Titan Baby & he hate that Word Titan! He doesnt really know what are those but once he heard some students in school talking about it....Titans were some bad ugly creatures who used to be on this land some years back! And Eli understood he was simply called those ugly creature's kid....

Once he dared to ask his mother about his own dad....but didnt get any answer from her instead he made her sad for some unknown reasons. He hates his mom to be sad or to cry! Its true his mom is strict in many ways and over protective too but Eli loves his Mom very much....just only he wishes if only she understood his feelings! Since Eli never questioned his mom about his Dad whom he never met!

Eli was lost in his thoughts as he was swinging his small legs over the bench absent mindedly....when all of a sudden he felt some one was watching him from far....Eli’s eyes travelled up infront of him as he felt alert all of sudden....

He noticed a Silhouette infront of him......on the wall ahead of that old broken house...someone is standing behind HIM!

To be continued.....

Chapter : 2 - click here

[midoriyaizukustan-inactive]

MHA Song Analysis - “Holy” by PVRIS

so i was listening to this song and it gave me massive todoroki family vibes lmao

anyway!! i got encouragement from fran (thank u fran) so its time to go off

i will leave a read more for those of u who dont wanna see me yell tho uwu

this is the song: https://youtu.be/rfrFT_3GP4A

SO i will be using genius lyrics as a ref for the lyrics so if u would like to double-check me on anything, u can do so using the same source

also for this analysis, we are going with the theory that dabi is todoroki touya just for simplicity’s sake

ALSO there are some manga spoilers in here so be careful!! it’s nothing too major or anything but there are instances discussed here that have not yet happened in the anime, so just a warning

w that let’s begin hoho

“youve got it all” “you” in this context is endeavor (who will be referred to as “enji” for the rest of this) and the rest of the line is obvious then; he’s got it all in the sense that he’s a successful, rich pro hero; he has a wife and kids and his own agency; when/if he retires, he could do so comfortably; he has a world-renowned, powerful quirk; he’s got looks and fans and everything

“but youve got it all wrong” despite everything enji has, he doesn’t treat it right at all. obviously he’s abusive as fuck towards his family, and negligent to natsuo and fuyumi once shouto comes along. he’s not satisfied with his place because he doesn’t get to have the number one next to his name. nothing is enough for him; his fatal flaw is envy, and it consumes him to an absolutely absurd degree

“now you dont know you��re a poor unfortunate soul” as previously mentioned, enji’s fatal flaw is envy. it fucks with him so severely that he can’t be happy with what he has, and instead stews in hate towards all might and the bitterness of “what-ifs”. thus, he’s a “poor unfortunate soul”

“oh i know/you make it seem that you feel whole/so they don’t know you’re a poor unfortunate soul” so even though enji is clearly a bit unstable and will never be satisfied or happy with what he has, he has to hide that fact; we see this particularly with his interactions with all might. he is venomous towards him, yes, but he will never let all might know that he’s jealous of him. we see this pattern of behavior echoed in shouto in the sports festival and dabi

“you put on a faith facade/think you’re holy when you’re not” the “faith facade” is enji pretending to feel accomplished with what he’s done, when he clearly isn’t. the “think youre holy when you’re not” refers to enji’s tendency to not see or not admit when he’s wrong. at least until his fight with the nomu leading to introspection, enji did not see any error in his ways. he was fine with using a woman solely for the children she could potentially bear, he was fine with neglecting the children that weren’t “good enough” in his eyes (natsuo and fuyumi), and he was perfectly fine with overworking the children that did meet his standards (shouto and dabi), which supposedly led to one’s death (touya/dabi)

“i hate to break it to you, baby/but you’re simply lost” could be seen as words dabi is telling enji during the nomu fight. shouto, fuyumi, and natsuo have no doubt thought this as well, though, and shouto and natsuo have said things that are equivalent to this (shouto when he told enji he would use him as a stepping stone to be a good hero and natsuo’s recent blowing up about touya’s “death” and enji’s parenting)

“you can right all the wrongs just to feel you belong” these are words natsuo definitely said to enji during their most recent interactions. shouto and dabi echo this sentiment, though, with how they interact with enji. its a very sarcastic and bitter line about not being able to just let what enji has done slip by

“but simply calling out sins don’t bring you closer to god” “calling out sins” is enji’s abuse towards his children and otherwise living through them, particularly shouto, and “bring you closer to god” in this context would mean enji reaching his goals. this is a sentiment all the todorokis feel, but particularly shouto, as enji honed in on him for years and shouto had no way of getting away from him until ua

“youre just a ghost at most/a set of empty bones” i feel as if this is a sentiment all the todorokis feel currently: enji because he’s finally realizing all he’s done wrong and doesn’t quite know how to cope with that; shouto because he’s trying to see himself as anything other than enji’s tool; natsuo because he wants to be more than the abuse enji inflicted on him, but it’s hard bc he can’t let go of touya’s “death”; dabi because he’s completely warped as a person from who he used to be and can’t reach out to his mom or siblings; fuyumi because she most likely has doubts about her feelings/lack of anger towards enji, even though her brothers are all angry with him in some form or fashion; and even rei, because she was changed as a person from enji’s abuse and hurt her own child because of it, and she must deal with the guilt of that

“searching for anything and everything to make you feel whole” this is a reference to how the todoroki’s are trying to cope with what is making them feel like a ghost. enji is reaching out to his kids, shouto is connecting with his friends and midoriya, natsuo is honest about his feelings to enji himself, dabi has a new family/group he connects with, fuyumi stands her ground bc her feelings are her own and shouldnt be swayed by what others are thinking, and rei is in a much better headspace now that she’s away from enji

“when it gets cold, oh, oh, oh” “when it gets cold” means when their struggles get particularly hard. examples of this: enji during the nomu fight, shouto during the sports festival, natsuo during the attack in recent manga chapters and the following conversation with enji, when dabi “dies”/runs away, and when rei hurt shouto. i cant think of a specific example for fuyumi right now, but you get the idea

“you dont know/no you dont know/oh you’re all alone/you poor unfortunate soul” i feel this line relates solely to enji and halfway with dabi, as shouto, natsuo, fuyumi, and rei all have each other and others that help them with being “unfortunate souls”. enji and dabi, on the other hand, only have themselves -- enji because he’s too prideful and also has no one left in his corner after his years of abuse, and dabi because he hasn’t told the league his past (yet), thus he certainly hasn’t talked about this at all

“you can’t control/where your body lets you go/oh you’re all alone/you poor unfortunate soul” i think this line, in particular, is dabi’s, as depending on which “dabi is touya” theory you’re looking at, he was kidnapped by ujiko to be made into a nomu that kinda failed/kinda succeeded, therefore he literally had no control where his body let him go. however, dabi in general didn’t have much choice, or probably felt he didn’t; he couldn’t stand to be with enji any longer, and it quite literally would have killed him if his scars are anything to go by. so he left, and ended up on the path of villainy. he didn’t choose that necessarily, it was just how the cards were played

“and you say that i’ve got it all wrong” “you” is enji and “i[’ve]” is shouto. this is before and during the sports festival. enji is still at his worst, shouto is trying to spite him/separate himself from him, and enji hates shouto for that, thus, he says shouto has it all wrong to not use his quirk/be obedient

“cause you just know im a poor unfortunate soul” enji knows and is the cause of shouto’s fucked up upbringing, so this line is kind’ve a bitter acknowledgment of that

“but there’s no way that there’s weight in the words that you preach/when you’re claiming your faith and you contradict your speech” shouto’s pov one again; he can’t take enji seriously in addition to not wanting to be like him because of enji’s obvious issues with envy. enji tells him to be proud of his fire, and yet clearly enji isn’t even satisfied with it as he can’t beat all might with flames alone. thus, shouto has resentment towards the irony of this, which this line attests to

“so i sit here and listen to your tongue and cheek/i know that when you sit and pray you’re only praying for keeps” shouto has no choice but to listen to enji’s hypocrisy, at least until the dorm system at ua is put into place the “praying” in this aspect can mean a couple different things; enji’s talks to the public, talks to shouto, or talks to all might. “praying for keeps” in these contexts, then, are: “just want to keep his hero ranking high”, “wants to live through shouto’s success because he’s unhappy with his own life”, and “wants to one-up all might in anything possible, from demeanor to supposed satisfaction to pride to legacy, etc”

chorus (“cause you’re a ghost...[...]unfortunate soul” bit) once more

“you’re shallow and empty and filled with regret” arguably all the todorokis feel this way. they all have things they regret at this point and all feel the emptiness that comes when there is a void in what is supposed to be a family. enji in particular has been shallow for a long time and still has issues with that.

“i think that chest must be heavy from that cross on your neck” the “cross” in this context is the weight that the todorokis each feel about what expectations they think they have to live up to/what worries them. obviously all the todoroki kids had/have the pressure to live up to enji’s expectations, but to get more precise: shouto and natsuo have the need to be more than “endeavor’s kids” on their chests, and shouto additionally has the pressures that come with being a hero course student; fuyumi has the dilemma of if she’s being too forgiving or not (and how that affects her loved ones) on her chest; dabi has the knowledge that he left behind his siblings and mother on his chest; enji has regret and dissatisfaction with his whole life on his chest; rei has the regret of what she did to her kids and the horrors of living with enji on her chest.

“you only wear cause you’re wary of what comes next after your death” why the todorokis hold on to their aforementioned “crosses”? they hold on bc its important to them that they carry reminders of who/what they want to be, or because they regret or are unsure of certain decisions, or because of nostalgia and a desire that things were different

“dont think i didn’t notice” this can be an outside perspective, but particularly im thinking midoriya because he’s met almost all of the todorokis now and has seen them at lows. very low lows in fact. thus,,,it can’t escape notice however it can also be the todorokis acknowledge the trauma and guilt that each other has; “takes one to know one” sort of thing

“dont think i didn’t notice/dont think i didn’t know/you’re just a po-o-o-or, poor unfortunate/so-o-o-oul, poor unfortunate/oh, oh, oh, oh poor unfortunate/so-o-o-oul, poor unfortunate” this line is kind’ve incoherent which is why i think it fits all of the todoroki’s thoughts; this is all of them thinking over each other about themselves and about the rest of their family

“and you’ve got it all/you’ve got it all wrong/no you’ve never known, known, known, known/you’re a poor unfortunate soul” once again, this is the todoroki’s thoughts overlapping each other, except these thoughts are exclusively about each other and not themselves

“dont think i didnt notice” definitely this is where the outside party comes in, at least for everyone but enji and dabi, as they have others that are there for them and they can talk to. as for enji and dabi, this line is still them thinking about the others

[tumblunni]

Man the manga makes it look so fun to be a Nobody!

I really marvel at how they captured the uncanny nature of the enemy Nobodies?? Cos seriously the whole point of them is that they look humanoid but move in really inhuman ways. And each individual enemy type has its own unique mannerisms for this, but in general its like..slugs? I'm pretty sure its slugs?? They stretch and squish and wiggle around and its like pretty much EXACTLY how medicinal leeches move, but thats a very underrated animal so its probably more likely it was slugs or worms. Like 'hey lets exaggerate slugs' but BELIEVE IT OR NOT THAT FATEFUL WIGGLIER SLUG DOES TRULY EXIST. And i love their cutie patoot lil faces. And the world needs to appreciate them more!

...ok im getting offtopic but you get the gist of what i mean. The basic Dusk enemies are vaguely humanoid things with their arms and legs tapering off into sticklike points, and they either wiggle them around like leech heads or hold their arms behind them naruto run style and use their entire body as a leech! Like its more likely that they pick up stuff by wrapping around it like a snake, rather than just using hands?? And also they can fly and stick to ceilings and just generally have loads of fun?? And look really pretty?? And some of the other more complex nobodies look even cooler doing their weird wiggle flying. Like the Assassin type have these weird big metal petal shapes on their arms that flutter like feathers and make them look like winged snakes crossed with.. Kites...? Kites made of kimonos? Being worn by a man with no face..?

SERIOUSLY WHO DESIGNED THESE FUNKY THINGS THEYRE SO UNIQUELY GENIUS

And aaa the Days manga has a REALLY good panel showing a big swarm of them in flight and it just looks SO MAGICAL AND SPOOKY! this is the exact kind of Aesthetically Nutso Ghost Monster Person i wish i could be! The manga is so cool at iimplying the same sense of inhuman motion by drawing them like motion tweens? Like theyre warped into wildly different body shapes in every panel and its just SO CREEPY and SO BADASS and SOMETIMES KINDA MAJESTIC AND ENDEARING EVEN! And this big flight scene has EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL ONE drawn with its own different pose and mannerisms and like man every one of these weird squiggle flights looks like a world of fun to do!! God i love when superpowers actually look FUN, yo! It fuckin sucks that theyre just low level enemies and not ever playable. The only Nobodies that are playable or even get a big amount of screentime in cutscenes are the ones that ACTUALLY look humanoid and also move humanoid and BOOOO have zero traits of the monster theyre supposed to be. Like man just give me a whole game playing a lil bebby Nobody flying around! They remind me of the wanderers in Journey, they'd be so well suited to a chilled out exploration game like that.

And AAAAAA i get so sad thinking about how they're like bebbys!!! Noooo! Why do we not have more sympathy for them?? Like the particular way they write their 'bumbling weak enemy' scenes just comes off more like..well..sad thoughts about what happens when you lose your heart. Cos i mean the series really doesnt dwell much on the implications of the fact every single one of them used to be human! And whenever they're not being given orders by the higher ups in the organization, theyre just shown wiggling around flying in circles for fun, like a shoal of fish. They're so inhuman now, aside from vague resembelance in their appearances. They'd be seen as the cute wpodland critters in a disney princess musical number if they werent designated as monsters! Like they're not just 'dumb', they friggin dont remember how to talk anymore. And in their most memorable scene they dont understand the order "find this person" and can be easily tricked by photos of him. "Yes boss here is roxas he's a little more flatter than usual but here he is!" And they just keep gathering hundreds of the same person and never once cotton on to anything being wrong. Its so cute and also scary?? Cos seriously they are such eldritch monstrosities of fragmented soul that they move on to STEALING THE WORD PHOTOGRAPH. Just plucking it right out of the language! Failing so hard that you warp the laws of reality! I feel sorry for the poor lil guys, you definately cant say they didnt try as hard as possible!

AND SERIOUSLY THATS ALSO A COMMON TRAIT IN THE MANGA

I'm just so happy that they gave a bit more sympathy to the low level enemies because seriously WHO GIVES SUCH A GOOD DESIGN TO A LOW LEVEL ENEMY AND THEN BARELY EVER USES THEM FOR ANY SCENES

They actually give some sorts of pseudo dialogue to them?? Like during the kh2 prologue they show roxas being able to psychically perceive their thoughts while theyre trying to kidnap him. And its just so sympathetic and sad in retrospect?? They did a great job amplifying everything about this sequence because they made the Nobodies look so much scarier, made Roxas's life with his friends look even more heartwarming, and made it all super tense so you overlook all these little hints and just cheer for roxas in defeating these guys. But they left so many things that actually foreshadow that Roxas is a Nobody too, so reading this a second time is so sadddddd. I almost wish this was the first time i experienced the story, i think it does basically everything better than the original game version. Like seriously THAT ONE LINE OF WHAT THE WEAK ENEMIES ARE THINKING! "We've found you, my leige". THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO SAVE THEIR BOSS AND DIDNT KNOW WHY HE DIDNT RECOGNISE THEM. AND THEN HE ATTACKS THEM AND THEY DONT KNOW WHY!! aaa theyre just BABIES god theyre just ghost demon thingies that are like the larval stage compared to the main character versions. They dont remember who they were as humans, they just know they love their boss!! and he's apparantly been kidnapped by scary humans!! THEY WERE TRYING SO HARD TO SAVE HIM!! they got so damn close to taking over the town and they were swarming everywhere searching for him and Axel was trying so hard too and Diz just kept interrupting him before he cpuld explain or lying to roxas to manipulate them against each other! And axel even brought cake and icecream with him!! He was just trying to rescue his lil bro!!! Auuuugh seriously it was such a good twist that the Scary Monster Dudes were objectively in the right throughout this entire intro, and they just wanted to save Roxas's goddamn life. And he didnt even get to remember his peaceful days as a family with his fellow monster boyos until like five seconds before dying :(

Did anyone else just.. Not want to play kingdom hearts 2 after the prologue?

Like i couldnt stand the mood whiplash of going back to happy go lucky disney worlds with sora and having no more deep sad intriguing plot points for like ten hours of gameplay. And i could never take Organization 13 seriously as villains when the entire damn prologue was them being SUPER FUCKING SYMPATHETIC and the 'good guy' trying to murder a child in order to bring sora back. Like why am i supposed to be happy that he succeeded when i know sora himself would say no if he was told what sacrifice had to happen to bring him back? I would have been way more interested in this sequel having me play as roxas and try and take on the legacy of sora as the next hero and try and find a way to bring sora back without anyone having to die. Like the whole story could be people being all 'blah blah youre worthless youre not human your only purpose is to die for the sacrifice' and we explore all different sorts of 'heroes' doing horrible acts and justifying it to themselves because some people are just 'born evil' and its okay to do whatever you want to them. And Roxas is always struggling with almost believing that shit about himself, but in the end he does succeed to find a happy ending for everyone without a need for 'sacrifices'. And he learns to have self confidence and form his own identity and have more friendship scenes with Axel and co and also redeem all the other Nobodies please and also hug the tiny enemy childrens ones. I just did not feel much for the plot of kh2 at all except for the Nobodies!! Its just not sympathetic to have your 'heroes' arguing that 'oh they dont have hearts theyre not human they dont feel anything so theyre all evil and its all fine'. The game acts like this is true despite giving sympathetic backstories to half of them and the other half all die crying that they want to live!! What the fuck!! Like the only consolation is that they clearly cottoned on to the Org being RIDICULOUSLY POPULAR and later games literally bring all the most fan-loved ones back from the dead and add EVEN MORE sympathetic backstories and also here have a bigger villain who was really responsible and also he lied to them and theyre NOT really empty hearted and incapable of love. THEY ARE CONSTANTLY SHOWN HAVING THAT, EVEN THE WEAK LIL ENEMY DUDES HAVE ALL THAT LOYALTY TO ROXAS AAAAGH THEY DIED IN DROVES TRYING IN VAIN TO SAVE HIMMMMM

And god theyre so cute and so well designed and so sad and im sorry but AGGHHHH

I Forgot I Had So Many Emotions For The Emotionless Bebs :(

...also i really wish i cpuld get this pic of thos one panel to upload cos it looks real cool. I didnt think anything could make me love them more!!! Theyte just innocent weird snake bird worm person mannequin origami things. They just want to flutter around like messed up butterflies! And adorably poke at things they're curious about, and hold brooms awkwardly with their squiggle hands! The manga shows them doing lil chores around the house!! I LOVE THEMMMMMMM