#if i have to see any more mischaracterization of nikolai this way i actually think im going to gnaw someones arm off

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

No one is fucking allowed to write Fyolai until you whores pick up some Gogol works

[theonlyqualitytrash]

—I am continuing as I said.

You're my spirit animal. You get it. You really do! It's like our minds are in sync. I can feel a genetic connection.

For me, it clicked in my head the moment when Fyodor looked down at Atsushi in pure disgust, anger, and disappointment when Atsushi desperately begged him to save his friend's life. I think in that moment Fyodor saw himself in Atsushi - the man he once was - that innocence. He was reminded of the humanity he had lost over time - the same helplessness he had once experienced, the emotions so vulnerable that it caused him to lose everything (perhaps the first time he discovered his ability). I just know that that man will have the most tragic backstory imaginable and that I will bawl my eyes out. Slowly forgetting who you used to be, your family, your friends...watching everyone you love die…being condemned to centuries of loneliness because of an ability that's more of a curse than a gift...and the fact that he is deep down craving to bond with someone. I can’t even imagine how dehumanizing all of this must have been for him. To be betrayed and murdered over and over again, to witness all the horrible events throughout history... I am honestly worried about his sanity. Can we blame him for what he wants to achieve? I wish I could give him a big hug. 😞

I'm so angry at the anime for taking away those silly moments that showed Fyodor's remaining humanity and replacing them with serious scenes. They really disliked him, huh? By the way, agree with you. It is shallow to say being cold and calculating is all he is because his character is much, much more complex than that. I think his coldness and calculating are acquired traits. I find him to be one of the most mischaracterized characters by the fandom, and I think it's because most people don't actually care about the actual plot. They just want their favorite ships and characters to be the center of focus all the time so badly that they don't stop for one second to think and just complain about everything. Like okay, I get it, I want to see my favorite side characters too, but they are not relevant to the unfolding story right now. It wouldn't make any sense to suddenly show them like a commercial break while Atsushi is in a dangerous situation and being repeatedly traumatized. ☠️ Plus I feel like this kind of behavior is very disrespectful to Asagiri-sensei, to Harukawa-sensei, and to the work and the effort of everyone who has been working on this manga. I mean, no one is forcing them to read. 🤷‍♀️

I do not understand how some people don't like the recent chapters or the direction in which the story is going. Yes, it's a bit confusing sometimes, but I think that's the reason why this manga has become much more intriguing than ever before. Because it makes you think about every little thing. Asagiri-sensei is COOKING.

Finally, all the spotlight is on our main character Atsushi, and our main anti-villain Fyodor. I'm excited to see how things will take a turn. I think it's a good thing that there won't be any new chapters until February, it will give the fandom time to digest all the new information (and deaths 😭).

And now that Fukuzawa is gone too, Atsushi can either go berserk and lose control of Byakko, fighting with everything he has, and possibly manage to do some damage, but Fyodor would still be able to escape or he’d try to join him for the sake of getting the page from Fyodor (though I doubt Fyodor wouldn't have figured such a thing out the moment he tries to, but still). So, I don't think Atsushi will succumb to despair yet (but the concept would be very interesting to watch tho). That page is still a source of hope for him. (Plus the living members)

(I don't know about Viego but I LOVE Snape and the Undertaker as well. Heavy on the Undertaker, by the way.)

AND FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO LOVES MY BOI ATSUSHI FOR HE IS ONE OF MY FAVES TOO. I also really like Kyōka, Nikolai, Lucy, Dazai, Sigma, Ryūnosuke, Chūya, Aya, Higuchi, and Oda…

(proceeds to list almost the whole cast 💀)

But of course, despite all the above, there is only one person who 24/7 occupies both my mind and my heart... - Fyodor.

I'm afraid I'm too loyal. Even with fictional characters.

The message you wrote at the end of your answer means a lot to me, thank you. 🤍🌸🌺 Likewise, please try to take care of yourself and be sure to listen to your own advice too! I've never heard of holding an ice cube in your hands to calm down before, but I'm going to try it if I ever feel overwhelmed. I'm sure it will work as it's funny to even think about doing it. 😭

I loved reading all of your thoughts; it’s so refreshing to see someone else get equally excited about the same things I do! We can just geek out and deep dive without restraint, and that’s what I find niche about the internet—screaming into the void and having people scream at you back :))

I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. You’ve voiced my thoughts exactly! Although I understand why they cut certain scenes from the anime (animating is tedious, after all 😞), it still hurts because those moments were so important to Fyodor’s character and how people perceive him. No joke, I have a word document where I’ve listed all the times Fyodor smiles or shows any emotion—and spoiler alert, it’s a lot more than the anime lets on.

"I find him to be one of the most mischaracterized characters by the fandom"—THIS! Popular characters get mischaracterized the most because of their success. Fyodor’s definitely fallen into that category, and along with him, Chuya, Dazai, Poe, and Sigma have suffered the same fate. I think it ties into the shipping problem you mentioned: I’m not an avid shipper myself, but I understand it as a creative outlet. The issue arises when fanon (born from ships) starts overwriting the canon version of characters. It can be really frustrating when you just want to see a character explored more deeply without stripping them of their core traits. But, at the end of the day, I can’t blame anyone for enjoying what they do.

Regarding the recent chapters: I think a lot of people don’t like them simply because they don’t understand them—and that’s okay! Our community spans a wide range of ages, but most of the fandom is middle-to-older teens, and that poses a problem when you’re dealing with a seinen manga which is meant for an older audience; while the anime, being more accessible, appeals to a younger crowd. The recent chapters have been chaotic and packed with info, and casually dropping quantum physics? As someone who loves learning new stuff, I’m all for it! Asagiri does a great job of explaining it in a way that’s digestible, but I know it’s a lot to take in for some. (Anyway I will have Fyodor mansplain everything to me please)

As for Atsushi, I also don’t think he’s going to succumb to despair. He’s a tough cookie, and we saw that at the end of Season 5 when the anime was hinting at the fight with Amenogozen. Also after Tanizaki's death, I think people started to realize that all this suffering is just pushing Atsushi to grow. It’s painful to watch, but it’s necessary for his character development. I’m also really curious to see how Fukuzawa’s death will affect both Atsushi and Kyōka. (I have a feeling Lucy will play a role with the phone)

Gosh my heart aches while thinking of irl Dostoevsky's works and how they all somehow have the overarching theme that love changes, people can be reborn and redeemed: so I am holding onto the thread that maybe, just maybe-very cliche I know-the power of love will save Fyodor. That perhaps Atsushi has the power to make Fyodor redeem himself. But sadly he seems resigned to his role as the solitary genius who need to cleanse the world of people like himself.

don't mind me sobbing about his character again

Some other things I want to lightly touch on:

Undertaker is THE goat in Kuroshitsuji (I loved the new season, also we are getting the emerald which act in 2025???? Crazy. I remembered when I first read the manga in 2017)

As silly as it sounds the ice cube trick works because our brains register the cold stimuli and it stops releasing cortisol and other stress inducing hormones! It is a neat life hack indeed :>

---

Discussions like these really spark joy in my heart :)) Please take care while out there <3

Kisses and good vibes, Q

[greensaplinggrace]

002 Alina

how I feel about this character: I adore her! and also grieve for her. she had so much taken from her, and she is stripped of so much agency throughout the books, and all she experiences is tragedy after tragedy and the endless shaming from her peers as well as the narrative for a part of herself she should be growing to learn and love. I grieve the potential arc for her that was lost, and I think often of the tragedy in her character. I find her humor fun, and her full personality engaging and interesting. I like that she's so flawed and I like that she's so selfish and vindictive, in the same way that I like how loving and protective she can be, and how strong she is inside. my favorite part about her character is how conflicted she is about everything. the ways she struggles with knowing herself, and struggles with the leftover emotions from her time at the little palace and other traumas. she deserves the world.

all the people I ship romantically with this character: everyone! genya, mal, aleksander, zoya. even nikolai. I even like the crossover ships for her with the crows, although I'm not as fond of them. plus of course any poly combination of any of these.

my non-romantic OTP for this character: alina & genya is the ultimate brotp. I mean I ship them but their friendship is so good. I love it.

my unpopular opinion about this character: I have as many unpopular opinions about her as I do any other character for sab lol. I think that she's not some stalwart moral paladin and I don't get why people say she is. people also make her out to be more helpless or more vulnerable than she is, not to mention that they often mischaracterize her relationship with survival, trauma, and privilege. her ending was also tragic, and her arc was regressive, and imo fandom likes to use her to hate the characters around her more than they actually like or understand her as a character.

one thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: that she got the ending she deserved in the books - that the loss of her powers was either given a better narrative message, or that she didn't lose her powers at all. that she actually got to have any depth at all in the show, instead of all of her complexity and conflict and "bad" traits getting sanded down into nothing but performative bullshit.

my OTP: malarklina!! 💕

my cross over ship: alina/buffy sounds fun I'm ngl

a headcanon fact: alina is always burning hot to the touch. she knows the time of day based on the light around her. she can sustain small balls of light for long periods of time while not being around them. she's nonbinary with she/they pronouns and she's extremely bisexual. that she spends her time with mal after the books recovering from what should be acknowledged as a sudden and painful disability. that she sees the ghost of the darkling even after he's dead. that she's schizophrenic and has chronic fatigue. that she operates at some level on inhuman instincts tied to the nature of light & shadow. that she's not very good with kids because she struggles to convey empathy, but her protective instincts make her the safest person they trust to go to whenever they're afraid.

give me a character (x)