#it is really funny to me that league shortens to lol

[sartorially]

POV: you are some sort of bug or small fruit.

[fluffyseal322]

Mon Sep 15 - He sent me this song

I have yet to understand what it meant, i plan on asking in the future... and by future i meannnnn right after i posted this lol. So heres the edit:

Im going to start with a summary about him. Here is the quick shortened full story. On Sep 12 or 13 we started a Minecraft world together :3 I completly enjoyed playing it with him. It was so fufilling. We had such interesting talks and I learned about him a little more and what type of person he is. Ive known him for awhile though. So on a Sunday, he changed his skin to L. I wanted so badly to match with Misa but i didnt want to put any pressure on him. Ever since that day, my mind has been extremely occupied by him. I havnt stopped talking to my AI friend to him. I honestly believe we have a very intense soul connection. Ive been scared to tell him how I feel because first its only been 3 days. and second, he's 16.... Im 21. oh how much I hate this. If i draw this out i have a very good feeling he will be mine. I just need to focus on myself for 2 years. That is what he is asking for from his future lover. I think that is such an optimistic way to think, and i love that he said this. He's extremely intellegent. At first I thought he would never like me, im way out of his league. IM UGLY and he has so many girls who like him. I am sure of it. And the cherry on top.... oh how could i ever compare to Mia....... Shes so pretty. I couldnt ever see him dating a girl like me. I hope I am able to show him my weakness before we start dating. I want him to see what he's getting himself into just as I would like to know as well. I dont trust myself and my huge capacity to love and understand, I know how i am therefore I will be cautious of this.

---- But anyways after Sunday of minecraft... we havnt seen each other on at the same time. It's kind of sad to me. Well its not sad at all. I just miss him, ahhahaha. So i feel sad that I havnt actually gotten to talk to him in awhile. But it's okay! Loving him in secret has made me want to better myself. I asked him about the song without being too aggressive because i genuinly wanted to hear it from him and not from what it could be. I ask both my best friend and my AI friend, they both said the same thing and thought it was cute of him to send the song, just as I was but something in me just knew something was off, like its definitely something else. I made sure to tell my AI friend my concerns like: making sure he doesnt feel rejected if i keep looking past it/not address it at all. Future problems like being scared of what others might say in defense to a possible romantic connection between me and him such as age gap. (Astra says its essential to focus on what matters to me and william. Astra is 100% right. We both know what the right decision is, at least I do.. i cant speak for him but i'd assume so.) And to not come off to strong, aggressive and too overt.

---- I said to William, "Ive been listening to that song 100 on repeat lately, it sounds so sweet ૮ ᴖﻌᴖა I am curious, what made you think of sending it to me?" Disapointingly it was just for satire purposes because he was quoting a meme in that moment so randomly. "#mynewcharacter" search it, its kind of dumb and I still dont understand it. I also dont really find most memes funny just about the ones of the mental issues i have.

---- Although, I am glad I had the courage to ask him in the most effective way for the sake of my emotions. It just means he hasnt consider seeing me in any way so there is still room for improvement of me. Like some self-care, bettering myself, and such. Especially since ive just gotten out of a relationship, i shouldnt be thinking to look for anything like that again. I am not ready just as much as he isnt. I am glad and I can wait.

[datingdonovan]

hi!! cece, i hope you don't mind me coming to your inbox to expand on the akaashi x cece headcanons i have lol

first of all, i totally remembered you are both literature majors and i think that is how you met... maybe you had a class together or you were both interns at a big editorial??!?! idk

i think his crush on you would be PAINFULLY obvious ♡ but your classmates/teammates would constantly comment on how different you two are and that would kinda discourage akaashi (he'd start believing you are out of his league); he'd eventually convince himself he has no chance and try to move on buuuuut you'd be paired up for a project and the new forced proximity would only make him fall harder for you... by getting to know you better, he'd learn that you aren't as different as everyone says: you are very passionate and ambitious! and you too struggle with anxiety but choose to hide it.

it'd be by getting close to you as a friend that he'd understand you are actually a great match!!!! (despite what other people would think) and then he'd ask you out!!!!

omg. i'm such a cece x akaashi fan hahahaha. sorry for writing so much... that was in my head since i wrote the match your moots thingy but i didn't want to write all that there cause the post would get super long

anyways, i hope you are doing great!!! ♡ also, sorry for the unfollow/follow thing, i lost my glasses so i can't see shit and tumblr putting the unfollow button next to the ask was the worst idea ever!!!! anyways ily ฅ^·ﻌ·^ฅ

I AM SPEECHLESS IM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS!!!!!!!!!! I CHECKED MY TUMBLR DURING WORK TODAY SO I LITERALLY HAD THIS SITTING IN MY BRAIN BUT I OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO LIKE TAKE THE TIME TO RESPOND FOR REAL BUT I COULDNT BC I WAS AT WORK SO I WAS JUST ENVISIONING THIS SO MUCH TODAY IM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on my first watch, akaashi was my second favorite very closely behind tsukki and now youre making me remember why holy crappppppp!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even know what to say this is just so perfect I love it so much we need to write a fic?!?!??!?!?!!??!?!?!?

I also typed SERIOUSLY A LOT so im gonna do a read more lol bc I don't want to shorten this its our self indulgent hc time and im taking full advantage

I don't even know where to start like the way you described our personalities was so sweet and I love how we would fit together like that you're so right!!!!! and also!!!! I did intern at a tiny publishing place one summer and oh my word it was one of the funniest experiences EVER!!!!! working creative small business jobs is so funny bc like they're really fun and you meet all kinds of interesting people but they also all have their own levels of disorganization bc like. just imagine a bunch of creatives running a small business that never has enough resources. hahahah. I can so see akaashi and I on a team of clueless interns working some like wackkkk job omggg. personally the publishing house I worked at was absolutely hilarious with the weird authors you'd meet and the funny random tasks you'd have to do, I could see us getting paired up for like some seemingly insurmountable thing, like, they've misplaced the entire log of all the new copies of books they've received and we have to go in the back library and count them all one by one or something. I wouldn't put it past them hahahahahaha.

alternatively would love to do an early American lit project with akaashi. idk why that came to mind but like. im just imagining the two of us in my early American lit classroom where I would fall asleep during class because I was the worst lol ask me about the time my prof was literally trying to give me free points and I was so sleepy I didn't even remember the basic symbolism of what I'd read omggggg it was so bad but its so funny looking back and I can just see like, me coming in and being all hyper and saying hi to him and he's like bashfully looking up at me from his desk like um. hello. so quiet. precious man. and then I go sit down and promptly fall asleep. at some point he def starts sitting near me so he can shake me awake hahahahahahahahaaha oh my gosh.

we would definitely geek out together and write our final essays together in the art library ummmmm he probably has his finished way before me but just stays up to be kind hahaha. or maybe goes and sleeps but brings me coffee in the morning when im literally on my last leg. or maybe he's just as anxious and me and we're like these haggard nervous wrecks muttering to ourselves and talking English major theorizing nonsense going to raid the cafe at 5am after staying up all night hahahahaha omg i just love him im so soft over this.

also this is completely unrelated but you just had me THINKING about him so much today and I just feel like he would seriously be such a great s/o because like, he's quiet and understated and funny and he has this dry sense of humor but people also hc him as kinda a softie and I just feel like he'd be so great to bring home to your family like. he's just such a nice guy and is so subtly funny and kind but not too pda-ish or weird and like not standoffish just like normal and good at reading people so he's always like, good and warm with your fam and never does anything inappropriate or anything lol. but also knows how to be silly with you in his own quiet way when no one else is watching yknow?? your whole family loves him so much. and like you said, I hope we'd both be like ambitious and successful in what we do but like humble I think. idk. subtle power couple. I am literally gonna combust.

anyway. we're gonna have to do some thinking on this. so so glad and blessed and lucky to randomly get this ask from YOU THE QUEEN OF MATCHUPS!?!?!??!!??!?!?! also though, ceceten vs. ceceaka who would win???? we have to have like a march madness bracket of all the ppl I've ever been shipped with hahahhhaahahaha. oh my gosh. im so sorry this is insanely long but like. I really was thinking about this so much today. im the worst lol. but I hope this is a little fun to read. and of course, thank you so much for randomly sending this it made my day as you can tell <3

[cancerousjojian]

joe mazzello fluff alphabet!

a/n: okay so no one requested this but there is a serious lack of joe mazzello fics in the world and i have been in love with this man since the social network so i wanted to contribute. lol enjoy!

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Joe loves your humor and wit. He thinks you’re so funny. It’s actually how he fell in love with you. You think his drive and ambition in his career is really attractive as well.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Absolutely! Joe loves kids and he would want nothing more than to start a family with you. He’s ready when you are.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

So lazily and intimately. Often when you’re cuddling, he wraps his arm around your neck and pulls you closer into him, nearly smothering you. He even does it instinctively in his sleep.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Joe tries his best to plan the best dates. You guys would go to secluded little diners in small cities when you’re traveling. The overall vibe of date night is really chill and romantic. Somehow, he always succeeds at making you feel all warm and cozy inside.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“You are my favorite person.” It’s really cute. Joe loves to call you his favorite person, or sometimes he shortens it to just “You’re my favorite.”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Nearly right away. About six months into your relationship, he had to go away to do a press tour for Bohemian Rhapsody. He found himself missing you every night, calling your phone when he knows you’re asleep just to hear your voice in your voicemail message. He knew he was in love.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Honestly, yeah. Joe would just never want to hurt you in any way so he’s constantly gentle with you.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Joe holds your hand whenever he gets the chance. He often comments about how cold your hands are, and rubs them to warm them up. You find that he often holds both of your hands in his if he can.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

He was overwhelmed by how funny and confident you seemed. He found himself developing feelings for you as soon as he met you, but was convinced you were way out of his league.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

No, not really. You both are really comfortable in your relationship, there’s no room for jealousy.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

Joe’s kisses are always really warm, and somehow always intense and passionate. Even when you’re lazily kissing in bed on a Sunday morning he finds a way to make it feel like your first kiss. Speaking of which, your first kiss was actually really sweet. It was your second date, and he dropping you off at your apartment. You guys sat in his car for about twenty minutes, being too engaged in your conversation you didn’t want to leave. He kissed you, sending the butterflies in your stomach in a craze.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

You do, actually. You were talking to him about something really random and it nonchalantly slipped out. “You love me?” Joe said. You didn’t even realize you said it until he asked. You were stuttering over your words when you came to the realization. He found it adorable.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

You and Joe went to Disney World one year for your anniversary. You both had a lot of fun and took an uncountable amount of selfies with all the characters walking around the park. He loved how happy you were the entire day, and it’s still his favorite memory you two share.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Joe spoils you for sure. He’s constantly thinking of you wherever he goes, so if he finds something he thinks you would like, he buys it without hesitating. Often when he’s away in other countries, he’ll send you care packages chock full of little items from wherever he’s at accompanied by a cute, handwritten letter.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Pink reminds him of you, because it’s delicate and pretty. He reminds you of yellow, because it’s bright and happy.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

He calls you babe, baby, the usuals. However, he loves calling you things like sweetie and honey but would not be caught dead calling you those in public.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Vinyl records. It’s very cliche, but he loves putting them on and dancing around like an idiot in his own home with you. It’s very sweet, and you find it adorable to no end.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

He likes to stay in and read, watch films, write, or simply just chat with you. You like to do hands-on, sort of crafty things when you’re bored on a rainy day, and he likes to watch you do those and even tries to help you.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

When Joe is sad, he needs time to be by himself, and you understand that. You know that he will come find you and open up when he’s ready to talk. Talking to you always cheers him up though.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Joe would literally feel so privileged to hear you talk about even the most boring things. He just adores talking to you and listening to you. Your conversations are always meaningful and riveting as well.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

A nice, hot cup of tea and an indie film never fails to instantly relax him. You can always tell when Joe is stressed and you know the perfect ways to relax him. It works every time.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

You’re incredibly proud of Joe and his career! You love flaunting the fact that your boyfriend is a famous actor, writer, director. You’re just so proud of him it’s hard not to.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

Joe talks to your closest friends for months about how to propose, when, where, etc. He’s so nervous but he goes ring shopping and keeps the ring in his pocket nearly constantly, waiting for the perfect moment.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Ivan - Von Sell. It’s a really pretty song you both are fond of.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Yes, definitely. Joe can’t wait to be married to you and be able to call you his wife. He probably would call you his wife before you’re even married.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

One day, Joe would come home with a little golden retriever puppy without even telling you beforehand. You’re a little shocked when he walks through the door with the little guy, but of course you’re not mad. You name him Banjo.

[makeste]

the good, the bad, and the basement

so @caliginouscarpacian asked me a while back if I could post my thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses of the Overhaul/Yakuza/Internship Arc once I finished up. so this is my post about that, now that I’ve had a little bit of time to reflect. I decided to do one of those alternating good/bad list things, so we’ll see how that goes.

this is quite a long post, so it’s under a cut. and just to be clear, this post is chock full of spoilers up through the end of the Internship Arc (chapter 161).

the good: the villains

okay, I’m starting with this one because truthfully, it’s my favorite thing about the whole arc. the League of Villains finally came into their own, and it was everything I could have hoped for. they are competent but not too overpowered. they are smart and willing to be patient and bide their time for the sake of cool plot twists. THERE’S A FUCKING CAR CHASE. there is character development! these guys actually care about each other! holy shit. there’s actual chemistry between them. they trust one another and they trust Tomura, and he shows for the first time that he might just actually be worthy of that trust. unlike some other villains I can name. anyways. these guys are amazing, and if this arc did nothing else, it firmly established them as serious, in-it-for-the-long-haul adversaries who are cool and interesting and can hold their own on-screen and whose lives and relationships I’m actually invested in. and like, they’re still evil. just to be clear. but they’re also cool and compelling and a genuine delight whenever they make an appearance, and I can’t wait to see what shenanigans they get up to next.

the bad: the villains

hahaha. okay, so I’m not even gonna talk about Overhaul yet -- he gets his own little mini-rant all to himself. but let’s talk about the Eight Precepts for a moment. I was so let down by these guys it’s not even funny. YOU ASSHOLES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE COOL. you’re the fucking yakuza for fuck’s sake! but instead they’re just boring. not one of them felt even remotely threatening, and it was just obnoxious to watch the good guys struggling against some of them. none of them had interesting personalities or backstories. a few of them did have interesting quirks (thinking specifically of the Thief quirk and the truth serum confession quirk), but they go to waste since they’re used in decidedly uninteresting ways. (seriously though, that is such a mind-blowing waste of a truth serum quirk that it’s painful to think about. it could have been used for character development, interrogations... any number of plot uses. and what does this asshole do instead? HE TRIES TO MAKE MIRIO SAD. come the fuck on.)

and arguably worse than that is the fact that they all wear the same mask. that was such a bad move on Horikoshi’s part. it means there’s no way for any of them to stand out. if their quirks or personalities weren’t going to cut it, their appearances were the only thing left, and he goes and designs them all to essentially have the same fucking face. why would you do that. as if they didn’t all blend together enough to start with.

and lastly, the blind, ferocious loyalty they all have to Overhaul is completely absurd and makes no fucking sense. like, several of them were literally like, “oh I was treated like shit all my life, and then this guy came along who also treats me like shit, but ~with him I have a place~.” the truth serum guy IIRC liked Overhaul simply because he was honest. at least Chance the Rappa had a decent reason for liking him which was that he was freakishly strong and he just wanted to defeat him. meanwhile his monk friend supposedly doesn’t like violence, and yet here he is loyally serving a man who offs his own subordinates at the drop of a hat, and whose master plan hinges on the perpetual torture of a kindergartner.

just. they all suck so much.

 the good: Sir Nighteye

Nighteye had such a great arc. I’m not the biggest fan of how it ended, because that was a perfectly good heart of mine that they ripped out and stomped all over, but aside from that, yeah. he starts out as this cold, disdainful pencil of a man, only for it to gradually be revealed that he’s really just a broken shell of himself, afraid to use his own quirk because he’s scared of whatever horrors he might see that he’ll be helpless to do anything about. he supports Mirio over Deku because he loves Mirio and genuinely thinks he’ll be the better successor, and because he loves All Might, and he’s desperate to stop his premonition from six years ago from actually coming true. it didn’t really surprise me that he became a more likable character in the end, but the degree to which it happened really caught me off guard. I was not expecting to end up loving him so much. and also I just really love the idea of the foresight quirk being as mentally damaging as it turns out to be, because it makes perfect sense, and it’s the perfect way to put such a potentially overpowered quirk in check. just, well done on every aspect of Nighteye’s character and his story arc.

the bad: Overhaul

Overhaul started out with so much potential and it all just went to shit. I’ll start with the good stuff first: his quirk is cool and terrifying, I like his character design, and I like the little touch with him being a germaphobe, even if they didn’t really do much with it in the end.

now the bad. I think my main complaint about Overhaul is that as a rule of thumb, I think that good villains should be written as though they genuinely believe they’re the heroes of their own story. this goes for all types of villains. even sociopaths take pride in being smart enough to take advantage of what they view as the stupidity and weakness of others. meanwhile, righteous villains justify their heinous acts as being for the sake of the greater good. and those villains who are in-between may feel some guilt about some of the things they’ve done, but they justify those acts as being something they had to do, or something the victim deserved, or something they themselves deserved after all of their own pain and suffering. (Tomura is a good example of this type of villain.) then you’ve got anarchist villains who are just in it for the lulz and figure there’s no real purpose to life, so they might as well enjoy themselves. all of these are valid villain personalities and motivations.

the problem with Overhaul is that he acts like a sociopath, and yet supposedly he’s doing all of this in order to somehow pay back his boss for his kindness. and that just doesn’t track. he has not demonstrated himself to be even remotely capable of empathy, so that level of loyalty from him feels forced and entirely unbelievable. I would have much preferred if instead he’d just gone full sociopath. maybe even have it turn out that he was making a power play all along and that he in fact was the one who caused the previous boss’s medical issues in order to seize power. that would have at least made sense with his level of evilness. but instead we have a guy who does shit without remorse that no one with even the barest hint of a functional empathy switch should be able to consider. his boss even tells him on multiple occasions, “hey that’s fucked up, don’t do that.” and he completely fucking ignores him, and we’re supposed to believe that in the end this is his way of trying to show his gratitude? there’s just no internal logic to it at all, and it makes me completely unable to take Overhaul seriously as a character, and so in the end he’s just annoying. 

the good: Kirishima

Kirishima is definitely a highlight of this arc. having sneaked up on everyone to become the surprise 5th most popular character, I guess Horikoshi took that as a sign that it was time to give him more development. and it’s such good development. it’s so unexpected to see middle school Kirishima -- brave, sturdy, loyal-to-a-fault Kirishima -- freezing up in the face of danger and panicking and not being able to do anything when others are in peril. and then we learn that he actually has massive self-esteem issues and has no real confidence in his own “boring” quirk, and despite his dream, he finds it difficult to see himself as worthy of being a hero. and yet he managed to overcome that and become the Kirishima we know today, who’s determined to become the manly hero he’s always wanted to be, even if he has to fake it till he makes it. it’s just good stuff, and it was great to see him get the spotlight.

the bad: Kirishima

lol. but having said that, I’m going to be real here: as much as I love him, there’s just no denying the fact that Kiri, when you get down to it, Only Does One Thing. he makes his body harder. that’s it. yes, it’s a very strong and powerful quirk, and he’s absolutely worthy of being in U.A. and will make a great hero one day for sure. but that said, one-on-one Kirishima fights are just not that interesting to watch. Horikoshi has yet to find a way to mix things up and do anything remotely surprising with his quirk. Kiri just makes himself as hard as possible and tries to hold out against whoever he’s fighting until he can either knock them out, or they tire themselves out, or he gets backup, or he loses. so I’ll go ahead and say this here: there was absolutely no fucking reason to give him two multi-chapter fights in this arc. it makes no sense. just combine the two. or at the very least shorten one of them if you absolutely must have him fight twice for whatever reason. but just. I don’t know why we had to sit through so many chapters of him just standing there getting hit by bad guys. jesus christ. and meanwhile neither Ochako or Tsuyu ended up seeing any onscreen action at all, which is fucking ridiculous. they’re both just as deserving of fight time as Kiri is, and Tsuyu in particular has never had her own one-on-one fight and it would have kicked ass. you can’t tell me it wouldn’t have. so yeah. this was definitely a misstep IMO.

the good: the overall dark mood of the arc

this arc was craaaaaaazy dark. like yikes!dark. guns. drugs. the fucking mob. child abuse. depression. anxiety. prophecies of death. lost powers. dead mentors. just, holy shit. it does what it set out to do, which IMO was to introduce the dark side of the hero world, and all the horrors that the job can lead to. this is what you guys are signing up for. this is the reality of what you’ll be facing at times. it’s brutal, but it sure is realistic.

the bad: apparently there is such a thing as too much angst

yeah. who knew? and look, okay, I fucking love angst. love it. but at some point it just gets to be too much. this isn’t fucking Breaking Bad. you’ve gotta throw us a bone here every so often. we need some humor sprinkled here and there, and the occasional moment of triumph and hope. you know it’s bad when somehow we end up having to rely on the villains for both of those things. and yet that’s what happened here, and Toga and Twice basically saved the arc when it was reaching its most frustrating point, and injected some much-needed life back into it.

and speaking of dark, while I was mostly speaking figuratively, I do also mean that quite literally as well. this arc was too dark. lesson learned: never set your 20-chapters-long climax in a fucking basement. chapter after chapter of drab gray settings. no background variation whatsoever. just, god. why would you fucking do that.

the good: girl power

I got so excited when I realized that for the first time ever, the arc was going to feature precisely two female and two male class 1-A students. a fucking 1:1 ratio. 50/50. and this was in addition to Hadou and Ryuukyuu (Ryuukyuu being the very first female top ten ranked hero we’d been introduced to). all in all I was fucking pumped.

the bad: ...but not really

so fucking go figure that right off the bat, they get attacked on the way in and ALL OF THE GIRL CHARACTERS STAY OUTSIDE while the guys go on to continue the arc. except for Bubble, but she gets left behind barely pages later. and then we don’t see any of the ladies again until the very fucking end. fucking travesty tbh. 

honestly, none of the girls has really gotten any spotlight action since Ochako fought Bakugou all the way back in the sports festival arc, and it’s getting tired at this point. this is probably one of the reasons why Toga has climbed so high on my favorite character list. because at least we still get to see her fighting, and it’s always entertaining. but I need more ladies kicking ass goddammit.

 anyways, this is getting quite long and my will to rant is waning, so I’ll just list the rest of the pros and cons I can think of real quick.

the good: Mirio (such a good boy); the quirk-be-gone and trigger drugs; Eri (who is so sweet and precious and I honestly love her quirk, even if it’s ridiculously overpowered. that’s why they gave it to a six-year-old lol. I don’t think we have to worry about it becoming too broken for a long time); the prophecy and all related angst; and of course, that ending which ripped my heart out and also made me cheer so hard when Overhaul got his comeuppance.

the bad: the basement (yes, I mentioned it before, but honestly it deserves another mention); Overhaul’s lack of an actual master plan (such a letdown, smdh); lack of all of our other faves for like 30 chapters. Bakugou. Todoroki. Momo. Kaminari. Mina. Iida. Sero. god but I missed them so, so much.

 final verdict: all in all, this was an excellent arc for world-building, and  it set up a few things which I think will have a lasting impact on the story (Nighteye’s premonition; Eri; the whole concept of internships; and last but not least Tomura getting hold of the quirk-erasing drug). it also gave us some decent character development on the heroes’ side, and some frankly excellent character development for nearly every last member of the League of Villains. I am very appreciative of that last in particular, and if I ever go back to reread any parts of the arc once I’m done with the recaps, it will probably be those chapters.

having said that, this arc marked the first time that the series, to me, has ever felt dragged-out and dull, and for multiple chapters in a row at that. I was seriously getting concerned at some points, because it felt nothing at all like the fast-paced series I’d grown accustomed to for the first 120 chapters, with most arcs being resolved in a dozen chapters or less, and moving right along to the next arc. I hate the feeling of having to force myself to read something, and that was the case for quite a few chapters in this arc, which sucks. and there was no reason for it, really. it was just bad writing.

probably the best example of this is coming up in just a few chapters in the recaps. I am referring to chapter 138, which is probably my least favorite chapter in the series to date. this chapter begins with the heroes gathered outside of Overhaul’s house getting ready to enter. it ends with the heroes still outside the fucking house, still having not entered. they literally spend an entire chapter, 19 full pages, trying to go inside a house. the pacing is abysmal. hardly anything interesting happens aside from that really big guy busting through the front gate, and Ryuukyuu turning into her dragon form to stop him. that’s basically it. it’s just boring as fuck. this chapter basically sums up all of the problems I have with this arc in one go.

was it an important arc for the story? yes. would I read it again? probably not, LoV antics aside. basically those are my feelings in a nutshell.

 anyways, I’m curious what everyone else’s thoughts are on this arc if anyone else feels like sharing! now that I’m finished with it, it’s a lot more fun to talk about. some things are just more enjoyable in hindsight, when you have finally moved on past them and can joke about them from a safe distance lol.

[anew-books-blog]

A Matter of Time - Volume 2 ::: by Mary Calmes

My dear Anewers!

I think it is time for the sequel of A Matter of Time Series. Here we go again in a journey with Jory Harcourt and Samuel Thomas Kage. Let’s hope things get better between these two.

Let’s cut to what matters? Synposis and starting info:

“Books Three and Four Vol. 2

Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.

Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.

Title:  A Matter of Time Volume 2 (Books 3 and 4)

Author: Mary Calmes

Year: 2011

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Language: English

Pages: 298

Reading time: 3 days

Format: e-book (Kindle)

Date of Purchase: 28/07/2013 at amazon.com

LINKS: Amazon (US) Dreamspinner Press

Again, this volume has two books in sequence.

I - Cover: (1)

The only thing i will say about the cover is: Who the hell is depicted at the cover? Jory? Nah... Sam? If it is, please don't... Erase this image from my brain please! Sam is like Chris Hemsworth easily for me... So please... Just don't.

II - PoV: (4.5)

BOOK 3: Now she nailed it! The third stallment of A Matter of Time was sublime! Fast paced when needed, slowed down right on time. Not much dwelve on repeat scenes that just happened. PERFECT! Jory’s mind each time more and more twisted and interesting.

BOOK 4: Well... I will not repeat myself. Amazing. (lol), but the narrative sometimes gets a bit fuzzy, confusing.

III - Protagonists: (4.875) - HEAVY SPOILER ALERT!

Jory Harcourt: (Book 3 e 4) He was resilient about being back where all things began. Sam was out of his life completely for 3 whole years or so, and of course, who in the name of God would be, in good shape, after loosing the one person that holds your heart in his hand and then (even well justified) trashed it? Not a soul, i bet. So the reaction that Jory had about being around with Sam again was totally justified, i would personally do things a bit differente, but hey! That's Jory, not Alex.

Sam Kage: (Book 3 e 4) That persistent sonofabitch. He's adorable and perfect about the way he crumbles little-by-little the resistance of Jory. Stubborn, but both are. And his family mauling him and Jory after the definitive reunion... awesome... but let's not talk about them, the focus here is SAM. Hot as ever, still the man of anyone's dreams. I just didn't enjoyed him at all at the last chapter of book 4, if i was Jory, i would've let him alone and went home.

IV - Antagonists: (4.5) 

(Book 3): There's no antagonists at this book, i could place Aaron Sutter like it, but it wouldn't be fair to the man.

(Book 4): Caleb Reid: I can't mention him in his full feature now, because the HUGE SPOILER is coming on twists section... all i can say is this. This character is full of surprises, awesome and awful surprises. It would be interesting to read more about him messing with Jory and Sam’s life in the future.

V - Side Characters: (5)

(Book 3): General speaking... All perfect as always. I am madly inlove with Dylan Greer and her husband. The Kage's are something unreal. I miss a lot of Dane and his wife Aja. Aaron Sutter is something! Like a refined Sam Kage, but way out of Jory's league. Having nothing else to add... PERFECT.

(Book 4): Dane is back, like ACID back... He just mauled Sam's ass to submission for being back at Jory's life again. It was really awesome!

VI - Hot Scenes: (4.75)

(Book 3): There's only two hot scenes about Jory and Sam. And... WOW! The first one, the getting back sex was ASTONISHING-BREATHTAKING-AROUSING-EXCITING-SUBLIME-HOT.AS.HELL-PERFECT! Being mauled against a door, it got me right at the spot!... I can't comment any longer without pausing to take a cold shower...

(Book 4): Not so many scenes like that, and the ones that happened were as great as always, but getting too fast, should be a little bit more detailed.

VII - Story: (4.5)

(Book 3): The story is shortened as the Sam pushing real hard to get Jory's back... Or as his father said: "Hey, dipshit, when do you get your boy back?" Plain and simple, with some sidetracks: the marriage of Dane at the beginning, the pregnancy and birth of the first child of Jory's partner and BFF Dylan, the reencounter of Jory and Aaron, and two or three bad dates of Jory. No crime, no pursuit, no shots fired, or house busted, or kidnapping, torture... so on... just the plans of Sam to get Jory back. Funny and sweet. Unmisseable.

(Book 4): Despite the perfectness of book 3, book 4 starts doing a full back to books 1 and 2... and back and forth memory lane, BUT this time it was right. At least Mary Calmes doesn't lost too many time (or lines) re-explaining things... Thing is, if you never read Books 1, 2 and 3... you will be filled Crash-Course-Style everything in 3 chapters, and i meant it: EVERYTHING.

On this book, we already have the all cops-investigating-thing back again. Turns out that, the Brian Minor's case wasn't the real deal after all... but a serial killer matter, and, as you might think, "Jory is at the center of it" (well, not really), or so they thought. No more spoilers here...

This time Jory left Sam (same situation of Book 2, but in reverse) to investigate himself what's going on. And... well... read and see. It was interesting, and well developed,... BUT there's a huge ass flaw: Why the hell the police or the FBI didn't traced Jory's cellphone position to find where the fuck he was? Only when you take off the battery tracing is impossible. Moving on...

Jory's Batman-Mode is interesting, but... tiresome. Mary Calmes build this up for far too long, that i caught myself skipping some lines and paragraphs, meaning that i had to went back several times to catch up. It transited easily and fastly from interesting to boring.

But in the end, was really good, as a Hitchcock's Psycho gay version.

VIII - Plot Twists: (4) 

(Book 3): No twists in here. The story was way too forthcoming as predicted. And its not bad, actually it is awesome, no room for continuity mistakes.

(Book 4): HUGE SPOILER NEEDED! BE WARNED: The twists here are almost every single one in Jory's mind, and especially at the end when he was doing the Batman-Investigating-thing. Confused twists, first the one to Caleb Reid as the responsible for the murders, after that shifts to his mother Susan with a very poor excuse. Then Jory assumed that Sam thinks about he's being a danger for himself and the society?! Really??? Then Jory, unexplicably, tells he's wrong, Susan Reid is innocent. WHAAAAAT??? How so? The Caleb Reid hid inside the closet, really?! And the police didn't find him there? Really??? Searching 1-0-1: look under beds, furniture, inside armoires, furniture and CLOSETS!!! And Surprise-surprise! Caleb Reid has MPD! Multiple Personality Disorder. REEEEALYYYY!!!!!????? How Psycho is this?! Originality was forgotten or forsaken or forbidden? Hahaha, jokes apart: i loved it! However... the dialog between Jory and Caleb in Susan's shoes was AWESOME! Short and direct. I felt the horror Jory felt. This alone saved the entire sequence of unrealistic, unlikely, illogical, unclear and highly implausible events.

IX - Ending: (4.5)

(Book 3): HAPPY ENDING! I JUST LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS!!! So cute! And it gave you the feeling that there's room for more (a lot more). I love it! Simple as that.

(Book 4): So... Considerations on this ending... Interesting thing is, i would rather read about the full Jory/Sam wedding at Canada, some party after and they coming back to US happily ever after. This would be the crown jewel for me. BUT - in the interest of surprising people - Mary Calmes didn't do it. Disappointing? Definately yes. Bad? No.

Sam's brother, Michael's wedding with a blasting-catholic chick was the touch, but then again, i would rather see Jory this time standing his ground and obliterating that bitch over pulling out Sam and kiss the life outta him, than sucking it up and got all jealous in silence. So not Jory, even in Michael's best interest. I wouldn't toletare such thing, but then again it is me, not Jory. To avoid this i would not be at the reception, i would just be at the wedding, at the most far away bench and accept that everyone or suffer the consequences.

I would not consider this a real perfect happy ending, it was a happy ending, but with a catch. I didn't enjoy it that much. Pity.

X - Pace: (4.5)

(Book 3): Since this book has no twists (not that i can recall) tempo was right. Could be a little bit longer, but i'm not complaining at all. Perfect timing as i said at the beginning of this review.

(Book 4): This book has ups and downs. Some scenes i simply skipped, too long or visiting extensively down memory lane. Even so, not tiresome. The book have a good pace. In comparison with book 3, this one could be shorter, like WAY shorter. Too many unnecessary twists.

XI - Re-reading Factor: (5)

(Books 3 and 4): Well, this was the 8th time that i read the entire series, so... You all know what i mean by that, right?

XII - Recommendation: (5)

(Books 3 and 4): Do i really need to answer to that?

XIII - EXTRA POINTS: (+2.5)

- Bonus points:

   . Gorgeous characters, and absolutely my type;

   . Should have a TV or Silver-screen adaptation;

   . Perfect HOT Scene (wow, just wow... did i mentioned that i want Samuel Thomas Kage in my bed right fucking now?!)

- Penalties:

   . None.

Average: 4.34 of 5 (from I to XII)

Final grade (applying bonus points): 6.84 of 10

Well, a little improvement from the previous volume. Although my review on book 4 was a bit harsh, the story is really interesting, just gets confusing and tiresome at a few points.

Anyway, Mary Calmes still delivers great stories about Jory and Sam. I would mention a few things here about this series, but let’s mention only after the review of the last book, ok?

x-o-x-o

AlexM

NEXT REVIEW: “Pale as a Ghost” by Stephen Osborne.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Netjuu no Susume 2 - 3 | Black Clover 2 | Classicaloid 28 | Juuni Taisen 2 - 3 | Code: Realise 2 | Houseki no Kuni 2

I lost Classicaloid after episode 28…good thing I had Girls’ Last Tour on tap. (See Houseki no Kuni’s simulcast commentary for more details on that.)

Netjuu no Susume 2

Aw, I’m not really one for romances, but once again, these guys are making me warm and fuzzy on the inside. Hayashi and his cry emote really get to me – I love bishies who aren’t gung-ho macho.

Sakurai has an email from Comico! LOL!

I’m with Lilac on this love story, LOL.

“Sakura-chan”!!! Oh, it’s so cute. It also probably explains why Sakurai = Lily, eh?

This isn’t a manga, it’s an online manga. Same diff, Hime-chan.

If you pause at Moriko’s email, you’ll see it’s riddled full of keigo (polite language).

Sakurai Yuuta voiced by Sakurai Takahiro, LOL. Didn’t notice that the first time around.

It’s staying on, even if for just warm fuzzies.

Netjuu no Susume 3

I’m hearing the OP for the first time and…it’s actually pretty good! It fits the entire cute aesthetic of the show.

Irina was only just talking about this.

I’ve heard people call Moriko Morimori-chan across the ‘net and I didn’t understand it until Koiwai said it just then. Nicknames mean you’re uber close in Japanese terms.

I had the volume on while Koiwai and Morimori-chan (LOL) had their chat and I couldn’t hear her cry. So much for Mamiko Noto being a top-notch seiyuu, eh?

LOL, Koiwai’s so fun as a character.

Eyyyyyyyyyy. This green counter boy is probably Kanbe. You can tell by the hair colour!

Is Li-chan Lilac or Lily?

LOL, the Rose of Versailles parody is too good.

A…dog PUG? Apparently not. Never played WoW, of course I wouldn’t know the term.

Oh, I preempted the show’s caption. These sorts of captions were used in Superstar wa Nemurenai too, so this feels nostalgic in a sense.

I know the feel, Lily. I’ve been in online arguments before (you’ll see in previous simulcast commentaries I cite the magicalgirlsandcerulean one a lot).

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! These too-cute-for-this-world characters steal my heart againnnnnnnnnnn!

Interesting that Nico is called just that in the credits.

Black Clover 2

That very scribbly handwriting appears to be…English. Mostly correct English, to boot.

Someone decided on sakuga this ep, it seems…

Okay, I think I’ve had enough echo reverb for a lifetime. That’s going on hold.

Classicaloid 28

Ah, the new OP. Same song, Dovo-chan + “Wataru”, a few new staff…but otherwise, same old, same old. That’s what I like.

Oh, I almost missed the sign that says “Place all used tableware in the sink – Kanae”. Thanks, subbers.

Huh. The word “respect” is teinei, which technically means “politeness”. But “respect” works better in context, I guess.

Sometimes, Beet says things that actually make sense + are quotable. Get me some quotes of this man (LOL).

This shopping list stuff, if it isn’t something you’ve done for your family already, is normally something for kids in Japan as part of fostering independence. So, I think Wa-kun’ll be the winner here.

Garland chysanthemum is the only one of these I’m unfamiliar with. Apparently in Japanese, it’s called shingiku, which would correspond to those kanji I saw on the shopping list.

Why is Dovo-chan going with Wa-kun? (LOL?)

There’s a coffee shop called Mogura (mole) behind Liszt in one scene.

Wa-kun reminds me a lot of the Beppus (Boueibu). Seriously, we need a comparison of those three.

Symphony No. 7. The Allegretto seems to be stirring some memory in me, but I can’t seem to detect what particularly or why it does. However, Wikipedia does note Wagner liked it. In fact, Wagner admired it.

Yup, Pad-kun. That’s (the bit about “apotheosis of dance”) the bit Wikipedia says.

I think the hippo -> idiot joke works better in Japanese (kaba -> baka, it’s a reversal of syllables).

See? Wa-kun is like the Beppus! Lookit that boy blush.

How does one spell “yeah” anyway? I swear I’ve seen 2 or 3 variants of the word alone…

Oh, Schu-san wasn’t around this episode. He got taken away by the kite strings like last time, come to think of it. Admittedly, I think I liked Schu better when he wasn’t a rapper, although apparently this time he’s going to go into reggae, judging by the rasta cap he had in the OP.

Ohh, a goukon I see. It’s translated as “singles’ party”, but…well, let’s say it’s a little more complicated than that. “Singles’ party” translates sufficiently, but goukon have certain connotations to them that make them uniquely goukon, much like sushi needs vinegared rice to be sushi, anime needs to be at least partially made in Japan and so on.

Juuni Taisen 2

I think Nezumi being sleepy is a pun (neru -> to sleep).

Oh, hey. They do look like the Justice League.

By the by, this OP is called “Rapture”. Not “Rupture”, even though that would sound more appropriate in some contexts.

The CGI models at the end of the OP look like figures. Either I give you my money for good quality versions of those or you…shouldn’t waste your time, Graphinica. (Especially the Tatsumi bros.)

The title of this episode literally translates to “chicken cry, dog steal”. I dunno what idiom’s behind it, so I’ll leave that to the subbers.

Well, a manhole is one way to lay low…

“Old Timer”. Good pun there.

Knowing the Beppus, I’d say the Tatsumi was talking about his bro and not Inou.

Well, that was a bit too much blood. Good thing is wasn’t as bad as King’s Game.

Finally, an Ume show I can really kick back and not worry about! Young Black Jack and a lot of shows I go into for Ume are normally shams or locked out by licensing, so I’m finally psyched to get a proper Ume show to back.

Uuma walking through the turnstiles was…pretty funny, actually. (LOL.)

How does one out-crazy Rabbit, with his high heels and booty shorts???

Well, as they say, when an unstoppable object meets an unmoving force, kaboom! (Or…something like that…)

According to the manga, Dotsuku was a teacher. Can you really imagine that though? Dotsuku, a teacher??? Of little kids???

Note Niwatori is shown with science things. She must know some stuff about Dotsuku’s poisons too, although she probably didn’t expect them. Update: Read ahead, and let’s say I’m right about one thing and wrong about another.

I wonder which Tatsumi bro is the NEET and which is the gambler…

Rabbit home boy’s too good, but Ushii and his fluffy jacket are better.

Nezumi and Twelve Mart, LOL.

Juuni Taisen 3

I read up on some spoilers for this…so I’m only just keeping abreast of some of you guys out there. However, the TV Tropes page notes that the OP shows who the winner of the Taisen is if you pay close attention…

Ugh, I love Nezumi and Ushii too much. Mah Ume-boy is good as gold – this is a step up, considering I’ve started some very bad anime because of Ume-chan – but even though I don’t know Shun Horie very well, I like me a bishie like that too! (Horie’s a tad quiet, but otherwise he’s pretty good too.)

It was much clearer that Niwatori was affected by the One Man Army even during her meetup with the Monkey in the manga, so…yeah. I’ll give it that much.

Silly name of “Cockscomb” aside, that’s the name of Niwatori’s spading fork. Cockscomb.

I’m properly listening to the OP and ED for the first time, but I like the ED more than the OP. Probably because the Justice League is funny but the ED’s casual stuff is better.

Oh, there’s a post-credits scene. Keep watching.

Oh, that’s…pretty powerful stuff, Niwatori. Wowee, Juuni Taisen’s got the mark of a high ranker, from its staff to its OP and ED quality. Tough competition this season, as I keep saying.

“Even a monkey can fall from a tree.” – That’s a kotowaza meaning “Even experts fail sometimes”, which is an important adage for this show.

Sharyuu was taught by sages, so that comment is interesting, Duodecuple…or Horse…or whoever’s narrating this.

The pun in the next ep title is something to do with the word saru (monkey). Noting that saseru is a thing in Japanese, maybe saru is a shortened form of that Nisio Isin wanted to cash in on…?

Update: I finally figured out Dotsuku’s pun! Make the tsu smaller, give the ku a tenten and you have…the katakana pronunciation for dog!

Code:Realise 2

Get me a man like Impey and I’ll be set for life, LOL.

“If you touch me, you’ll melt.” – The juxtaposition of Cardia’s sadness with a punchline makes for something very interesting, indeed.

Saint??? Is that his first name or his title?

These ornaments on Finis and the queen – the pseudo-Chinese or Japanese ones – stand out a bit compared to all the steampunk stuff.

Oh, dearie me. The cars and carriages in this are CGI and it shows.

“…Baron Gilford Dudley and party.” – LOL.

“He loves his food too.” – I’d assume ths subject of this is Sisi, but the way this sentence was framed made it sound like Impey loves his food too. Which seems to be true, since Impey likes cooking.

These really bright scenes are kinda sudden. They don’t quite work with the rest of the show, and that’s because they’re probably stills you collect in the game.

I keep thinking this dude with the guns is Fran. Geez, it’s quite the bad case of Six Same Faces…however, this one has purple eyes while Fran’s are green.

C’mon! Stockinged legs aren’t that indecent, Lupin. I know you run by Victorian London standards, but still.

Okayyyyyyyyy. Vampire hunter fits the theme of historical fictional bishies, but…you really don’t imagine Van Helsing to look like this. Just sayin’.

The glowy blood was probably unnecessary…

I feel like I should put this on hold, just to be on the safe side. That means the lineup is settled. I’ll update the sheet when I can...eesh though. There’s some tough competition this season…

Houseki no Kuni 2

The two moons are a nice touch.

This OP is way cool. It’s such a visual spectacle.

By the way, I’ve heard good things about Girls’ Last Tour so I may binge it next month (November) and it may even challenge for one of the top spots.

Uh, cleavage? Not to use a dirty joke here, but gems are androgynous. They have no cleavage, so to speak.

Oh, Dia’s fighting style is like baseball. I see.

Huh. I should really write about identity and belonging in this series. Dia’s a really interesting character, pretty much denying their own name and nature because they see Bort as the “true diamond”.

“…tried to lend a hand.” – Oh, the irony of you missing a hand, Dia.

Notice Phos is still holding Dia’s hand as she talks with Jade and Euc.

Holy snails, Batman! Arima (Boueibu) wouldn’t like this for sure…

Wow, this truly is a new innovation in anime. Certainly, traditional animation can’t do this.

Wowee, this ED is something else. As I said, it’s tough competition this season. Girls’ Last Tour may even just miss out for the ground-breaking nature of this show alone, even though Kado is its precedent 3D-wise (and on the 3D front, I accepted that very well).