#it feels like making a Commitment to something i haven't processed entirely haha

[allbeendonebefore]

my two biggest pressing concerns today are 1. do i introduce myself with she/they pronouns when i talk in front of undergrads next month and 2. what WHAT WHAT do i order at tsujiri today

[bakugoukatsuki-rising]

I'm. The new covers, op. The new covers. Gosh. Both of them hold so much symbolism. And technically they both are canon, they are both original ideas that could perfectly be valid. Horikoshi simply found something better. But anyways, I'm going to go ahead and ramble about it because Im- Op, prepare for a long ask! Hope you like it!

So!

On the one where Katsuki's the one in the picture, he's not on his knees like he is in the other two covers. Instead, he has his face down, body forward, one hand on one leg, the other one holding out for something...He's bowing. Bowing in Japanese culture is a pretty big deal. Hes not just tilting his head a bit, his head and body are on full on commitment.

Such a tilted bow means a LOT, specially from THIS guy, Mr dont let anyone walk in front of me. Even more when hes not just bowing, but accepting such an open display of given help, Mr shonen anime lone wolf. Accepting something he always has trouble admitting to. Accepting the past, accepting the wrongs. Accepting Izukus help means so much, and that's what these three covers have in common.

His hand is sctretching out. He's ready to say yes to that hand out in the air.

(Ps. I wonder if he's watching his own reflection on the water in this panel, as well?)

Hes in middle of the picture with those childhood friend at the back, which means audience. It means letting people see what hes done, what he's sorry for. He is being open and exposed and vulnerable. That's no fighting stance.

Remember guys, in case you haven't noticed before, Horikoshi puts lots of metaphorical value in his manga and on his covers. Sometimes you've got to dig in deep and think to get the bigger picture. And in this case, the bigger picture screams regret and wanting to make things right from the start.

This cover occurs in the past, at the moment where everything started, and Katsuki fully remembers this. Katwuki has thought of this, is thinking about this. He's had eye bags for gods sake, he's clearly troubled by all of what it means.

These three covers are the visual explanation of what's going on inside Katsuki's head, because this is clearly focused on him and his perspective.

(Ps. Rivers symbolise the massage of time. If that doesnt add to everything else, I dont know what to tell you.)

So! Next!

Wow, if this isnt one of my favourite things ever. Okay. Christ.

I have two options here. Scratch that, three options. Scream into the void, scream into this post, or actually make a good presentation of my inner turmoil. I'll have to go by the third option. (Haha. Just like horikoshi did. Dont # me, I'm funny in my head.)

This cover melted my insides, froze them all over, and hit me with them like a hammer.

I know they're kids, but let me get this straight-so kids seriously look at their friends with these looks in their eyes and think "ah, yes. This is my very good friend. This gentle smile and kind look I'm giving him as if he was my whole world? Well, hes just a very good friend."

I looked at my childhood crush this way, I dont know what to tell you.

Anyway, let's actually jump to the information at hand.

This panel seems like it's making a reference to what Katsuki wishes could have been. And if that's not absolutely soul-crushing...this cover is Katsuki's feelings, guys. These are probably his very thoughts. This scene has gone through Katsuki's head at some point.

We've got Izuku in his stuck up pose all over again, in just an awkward angle. It's like katsuki isnt looking AT this katsuki right now, but at the spot where the actual past Katsuki, at some point, was. As if this Isuku is frozen in time. Dont believe too much in this paragraph, I still have my doubts about that, but I feel it's a possibility. Izukus eyes seem to be focused on the water, while Katsuki is just the tiniest bit back, reaching for Izukus hand. And gosh.

I dont think I've ever seen older NOR child Katsuki have this look plasted into his face before. He's...sheepish. Kindly, awkwardly sheepish. No hate, no anger, no shame, no nothing. His face is clear and sweet and has this "Whoops. You got me. But thanks." kind of expression on.

The hand behind his head, just the tiniest but embarassed? That little smile? It's all so soft.

Rambling about softness though- I really liked the hand scene in this particular panel. If you close up your view, you realise that theres no effort to pull anyone out of nowhere. In this panel, they are simply holding hands in frozen time for no purpose at all.

Katsuki has his hand around Izuku...simply holding there.

Again, because the angle is awkward, it's kind of messy, but you get the point.

It's all simply beautiful. Horikoshi clean likes give me life.

And lastly. The actual cover.

I screeched so hard when I saw this. My first instinct when seeing this for the first time was to straight up go trigger happy fingers and write about it to my friends. Christ.

Everything is so...SOft. horikoshi made a good decision by mixing both previous drawings in one. We have parts of the two covers in one, which is amazing. In this one, Katsuki isnt alone, as Izuku's there too. But we dont have the audience either. Probably because the main focus on this panel is no one else except them two.

Again, Katsuki looks like he's bowing, but instead of looking all the way down, he's in the middle. Not looking at Izuku nor looking at the ground, like it shows in the previous covers. Instead, Horikoshi found a middle ground. He's looking at his hand. At the gesture.

Hes not holding hands quite yet, but his hand is there. At arms reach. Not close enough but there. Wanting.

Theres so much regret and again, softness.

Again, like you Op said a bit bad, the angle is off here. This is present Katsuki remembering his past. The angle is off because this Izuku isnt holding out for our Katsuki. This is a memory. A wish. Katsuki's wish.

(Ps. Izukus trousers drenched in the rivers water. This detail was so nice. It's a subtle action that describes Izukus characterization so much. Izuku went in the river with Katsuki in mind, not caring if he got his clothes soaked in the process too. For Izuku, only Katsuki was there. And for Katsuki, only Izuku is.

As a plus, I can't believe the cover of this is literally called Bakugou Katsuki rising. They named the entire thing after that one chapter. Actually, I very much, totally believe it. It's the moment so many people have been waiting for, after all. The moment so many scenes have been amounting for, little by little.

*dreamy sigh*

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this little thing, I had to get it out of my system and dont want to bother my dear friends anymore than needed.

Have a good day, OP! I'll stay updated!

You kinda just...took my heart and curb stomped it, not gonna lie. Your observations are so beautiful and so accurate. The sketch with little Bakugou taking Izuku’s hand is so...raw, and yeah, that expression is definitely one of love. Those eyes, the way he is HOLDING Izuku’s hand, not TAKING it. He isn’t taking it to stand up, he is literally just...holding it. 

That isn’t the way you take someone’s hand when you’re trying to pull yourself up. It’s an awkward angle and just...wouldn’t work right. No, he is literally just holding his hand, and that’s exactly what Bakugou wishes he did all that time ago. He wishes that he not only took Deku’s hand, but held onto it. Held it as if it were something precious, something to be cared for and protected. 

These are Bakugou’s true feelings expressed in these drawings, and I think Horikoshi released them on purpose, to show us more of what he wanted Bakugou to be feelings through all of this. Since after all, we know that Bakugou expresses himself in action, not so much words. And because Horikoshi is an absolute genius, he thought to give us these other glimpses in how he feels through these actions. 

And the other sketch with him bowing his body to Izuku, and the way the log looks like it’s on his back with his ‘friends’ on top of it. 

The pressure of needing to be the coolest, the strongest, the best. Those kids put that kind of pressure on him, even if they never realized it. They encouraged his behavior and fed his ego, and it never allowed him to see how he was wrong. But now he is realizing it, and he is bowing himself in light of that acknowledgement. He is lowering his head and putting his pride away, so he can get back what he lost all those years ago; the opportunity to take Izuku’s hand.

To take the hand of the only one of those kids that ever loved him unconditionally. Who never pressured him or expected him to be invincible. Who saw all of his flaws and was completely prepared to support him despite all of it. The only one. 

I’m just a mess over all of this, and I am so incredibly thankful to Horikoshi for creating this beautiful relationship. AND IN A SHOUNEN MANGA, NONETHELESS!!  

Thank you friend, for your beautiful thoughts. I think they’re spot on, and I am so emotional all over again because of this. 

[sage-nebula]

for the ocean meme ask, if you haven't gotten these already, sails, breakers, seafoam, coral, nymph, brine, coastline!

sails: describe your perfect partner.

Oh man . . . okay.

So, first and foremost, they’re going to be someone who is on my level, comfort-wise---someone who is perfectly happy just sitting around, browsing the internet on two separate laptops, or watching an anime or playing a game. Someone who doesn’t care if I’m just in comfy clothes, someone who is completely comfortable wearing comfy clothes around me, too. Someone who isn’t judgmental or super social, someone who understands the need for “me time” because they’re introverted, too. But at the same time, someone whose introversion isn’t infringed upon by living with me, and vice versa. They need to be someone I can live with, someone I can be comfortable with, someone that is fine with me just being . . . me, who isn’t embarrassed by me or embarrassed in front of me.

To that end, they need to be someone who isn’t self-conscious about nerdy things, or being silly. Someone who can laugh at themselves, and can also laugh with me when I do something dumb, and am laughing because I know they’re not actually looking down on me for it. This kind of goes with the above, but I want someone who is into a lot of the same things I am, or even if we’re not into exactly the same things, we can appreciate the things the other is a fan of without rolling eyes or looking down on it. I want to have hobbies in common, but I also want my partner to appreciate my hobbies even if they don’t share them, and vice versa. And, of course, they need to be someone I can laugh with, someone I can joke around with. They need to have a sense of humor.

They need to be smart. I’m not talking rocket science level, or even several degrees level, necessarily, but we need to be intellectual equals. We have to be able to discuss important things and be on the same level when talking about them. And I feel like that makes me sound like an asshole, but it’s just . . . hard . . . to have a relationship with someone that you’re not on the same level with. Along those lines, though, they can’t be pretentious dickweeds, either to myself or others. I can’t stand pretentiousness. That sort of affected superiority grates on me more than anything else. So while my partner needs to be smart (more specifically, intellectually equal to me), they also can’t be pretentious about how smart they are. 

Related, but they also have to be open to learning. Even if we’re intellectual equals, we might each know something the other doesn’t, and no matter how smart we are, there’s always room to learn and grow. So they have to be open-minded, they can’t be closed off from learning new things, can’t be so sure they already know everything. And building on that, they have to be open and accepting of others as well. I don’t believe in living in an echo chamber, but I could never have a partner who was racist, sexist, homophobic, et cetera. We have to agree on issues of civil liberties, or it’s not going to work, full stop. 

They have to like animals at the bare minimum, and especially dogs, because they have to be accepting of and willing to live with Morgan. She’s not going anywhere for the sake of any human. They can’t be a neat freak, because I’m a messy person, but at the same time they can’t be dirty either, because I’m not dirty---I’m just messy. So they have to have that balance between the two extremes, and they have to be OK with that balance, too. They also need to be financially aware; being completely irresponsible with money is a no-no. Money is important, and so are finances, and we have to be able to keep a good check on that. (Though if they are willing to clean while I keep track of the finances, that’s a good balance, too.)

Lastly, it would be nice if they were also ace, or at the very least if they were perfectly okay with not having sex often . . . or at all, and also not making out a whole lot because to be incredibly honest, I’ve tried kissing multiple times, and beyond chaste kisses it’s just . . . not for me. I find it gross. And while I’m not sure that I’m entirely sex repulsed (at least, I’m not when it comes to conversations and fiction and whatnot), it’s . . . not something I’m eager to participate in, so . . . while I want a romantic partner, and someone to cuddle with, it’d be nice if they weren’t that into sex, either. At the very least, they have to respect that I’m ace. That’s non-negotiable. It’s a really important thing.

So . . . yeah. All of those things together make up my ideal partner. My dream is that it’s not asking too much and I could find someone like this someday, but that’s . . . probably a long shot, haha.

breakers: would you ever consider getting married?

Honestly . . . no. Not unless I was in a committed relationship and my partner really, really, really wanted to.

The thing about marriage is that it’s a legal process. It’s a contract. It’s a very expensive contract that is equally as expensive to break. There are benefits to it---you can file together on taxes, for instance, and get some tax breaks there---but for the most part I feel like the costs are more than the benefits, outside of situations like green card marriages (which, after the election, I briefly considered in a panic as a way to go somewhere that’s not America, but honestly there are less expensive ways to accomplish emigration, so that idea has been dashed). If you love someone, you don’t have to get married to prove it. You don’t need rings, a ceremony, or a contract to prove it, especially when more than 50% of marriages end in divorce (which is similarly expensive). I think that the important thing is the commitment, and you don’t need to spend so much money to commit to someone. Commitment is something you do in feelings and words, not huge, expensive ceremonies. So marriage isn’t really my thing, and I’d probably only agree to it if I was really, truly in love with someone and it was something that was important to them.

seafoam: describe your ideal summer vacation.

Hah, I’m an adult, so I don’t get these anymore, sadly. But ideally, just lots of time able to sleep and wake at any time I want, and maybe going somewhere cool. Outside of the country I’d love to go to Japan (of course), or back to Italy. Inside the country, I still really want to go to Harry Potter world. Why are all of the vacation packages so expensive?!

coral: if you had to describe your personality as a food, what would you be and why?

Hmmm . . . probably a dark chocolate candy bar, because I am either sweet or bitter (or both) depending on who you ask, and I feel like opinions about me are usually pretty strong (i.e. you either can’t stand me or you like me, typically no in-between).

nymph: old-fashioned or modern decor?

By and large, modern! Especially when it’s a mixture of like, shiny black and white/clear furniture. My living room furniture is pretty modern. I really like the aesthetic.

But that said, I also like some wooden furniture sometimes, especially if it’s in a dark wood. My bedroom furniture is like this, as is the desk I have. So if that counts as old fashioned, then that, but generally I prefer more modern pieces.

brine: gold or silver?

Silver! I’ve always preferred silver to gold, by far, probably because I’ve always had a distaste for the color yellow, and gold is in that same family. (Not that I hate gold, but just, if I have a choice, I’m going to go for silver.) It . . . makes finding Gryffindor things a bit difficult, given that gold is one of the Gryffindor colors, heh. 

coastline: what is your favourite flower?

This might seem odd since I have delayed sleep phase disorder and thus cannot wake up early to save my life (I’m either still up at the rise of dawn or dead to the world), but blue morning glories! They’re so pretty they hardly look real. I love them. ♥ Thanks for asking!!