#like hyakkimaru and tahomaru from dororo

[oddberryshortcake]

I’m like 50% certain that the Knight of Dawn and Princess Leah/Leia are Silver’s biological parents (which brings into question what exactly happened to Silver for 300 something years)

But for the other 50%, if the knight and the princess are Silver’s ancestors and were able to continue their family up til modern day, and Silver’s parents lost Silver years ago (assuming they’re still alive)

I almost kinda hope that Silver’s parents had another kid after Silver’s disappearance. He has a little brother out there who never knew what became of his big brother, maybe he goes to RSA, maybe he’s still hoping to find him someday and bring him home.

That would be crazy, to see someone call Silver by his first and last biological name, claim to be a lost family member, and everything would start crumbling down.

[margueritedaisies]

I just love drawing families of fictional characters, its interesting to think of how each sibling would look. I try to make them different from one another but at the same time maintain familial similarities.

Jinzha resembles their mom, Muzha their dad, and Nezha's a good mix of both.

Also get ready with some sibling dynamic rant, mostly relation HCs by me.

Enough with the parent child dynamic

I want sibling dynamic. Where these three come to terms on what happened between them. Specifically Muzha and Nezha's interaction is the one I want to see.

Tbh those two's fates in the myth reminded me of Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru in Dororo.

Like Nezha and Muzha had so much potential to gain solidarity with each other. Because Jinzha could never relate to them as the ignored or unwanted child. Muzha has that middle child stuggle fr.

Muzha is the one so eager to gain their fathers favor trying to meet Jinzha's level . Nezha wants nothing from his father so he makes himself worse.

Muzha's frustration with Nezha is that Nezha is rebellious, disrespectful of their dad

While Nezha's frustration to Muzha is that Muzha is so blinded and always struggling to achieve something so futile. Deep down he hates how Muzha is suffering this way but he wouldnt speak of it. This is why they always at odds.

They should make a movie focusin the Li brothers fr

Other than overusing the actual myths.

Fuck the ending from the original myth, they didnt even consider how the children felt from all the abuse. Not even mention of Muzha's death.

Enough Ao Bing, what about Muzha???

And the moral lesson is just about "respecting elders"?? The story still had so much to wrap up. How can you call this a family if there is some sort of hierarchal system. A family requires empathy to maintain that connection.

Tbh its kinda realistic

Families and siblings can still inflict trauma from each other .And a story based on reconcilation is a good way for this to be about family counselling.

I wanna see the "what ifs". It could be each brothers own story of self healing from the trauma caused on each other.

Maybe Im getting my hopes up too much, but it could be a development for them to forgive, start anew and an opportunity to connect and catch up on what they missed on each other.

Edit:

As for Jinzha he also has his own struggles as the eldest. Keeping up the station as the golden favored and perfect son. But its Asian family dynamics, which means hes in a lot of pressure. But he is mentally and emotionally strong. The brothers always busy on his studies ,future responsibilities and training to be able to spend time together. Their timetables seemed to be planned out to always not meet. Jinzha especially had less freetime. And if he ever came across any of his brothers, it was only one of them never both.

He doesnt mind being a buffer for the other two feuding but it does stress him out that it will never change. But he'll make sure to give time and attention to both of them as much as he can.

Other than keeping up his fathers expectations he also doesnt want to fail as a big brother to them🥺😭

Muzha and Nezha can see his efforts so they do not dare hold anything against him. Muzha still keeps his competitive attitude when Jinzha's around but accepts any offered kindness from Jinzha. While Nezha enjoys his company when he gets the chance.

Also because I tend to hold on to this little bit of bonding😭🥺🥺Jinzha trying to be the best big bro

Thinking of the contrast in the future where Jinzha was tasked to torture Nezha destroyed me😭😭😭What did Jinzha even feel while he had to do it??

Also here some Nezha with his hair down again

[xjulixred45x]

I am more curious on your thoughts on animes and shows on your master list. What are your thoughts on Dororo? I liked it and my god the temple fire scene will forever not make me cry

DORORO!!! I ABSOLULTY LOVE IT!

Maybe You don't know it(most of the people who follow me i think) but i started writing in Tumblr to make content of Dororo! I wanted to search for material of the series(mainly Tahomaru bc he is My fav)and find NOTHING! So i went all

And did the four works of Tahomaru that are in the Masterlist of Dororo:3 it's a fun fact that i think You could know.

If we talk about the series, i see it in the whole fiasco of the quarentine(2020) with My sis, and was one of the first series of high Quality i ever seen.

Animation? Awesome! Absolulty love the character desing and how the movements of Hyakkimaru change in the progress of losing/gaining limbs back. The fight scenes(specially the ones of Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru) are SUPER COOL! And in general i really like those stories of the Sengoku Era.

(it's very funny how Hyakkimaru gets used to several of His senses in record time. Specially the smell😂).

The Characters are interesting, they grew in the story, we get to know them to emphatize with them(specially Dororo) and we are happy for the ones who get a good Ending, and heartbroken for the ones who get a Bad Ending(WHY MY BOY--).

My favorite characters besides Tahomaru( how can Nui don't love this Ray of sunshine?? He deserved better) are easily Mio(Bc was the first time i saw those strong topics in a series and it make her superior. Also her song get stuck in My head FOR YEARS)and Jukai(the whole path of His redemtion, His relationship with Hyakkimaru, how he was worried that he could become a monster only for Hyakkimaru to see him as his mother I CANT--).

Even if i really liked the themes of morality(with if it was Right to kill off Hyakkimaru or not BC of the people of Daigo's domain) and how they resolve the conflict, I feel the story could have been longer, but at the same time i'm glad the story didn't get over extended like some others (COFCOFinuyashaCOFCOFNaturoCOFCOF), and either way it's an amazing story.

Hope this is the answer You wanted!

Hope that when i have the Requests Open again, Someone Requests from Dororo :,) for the old times.

______________

(Español )

¡¡¡DORORO!!! ¡ME ENCANTA!

Tal vez no lo sepan (creo que la mayoría de las personas que me siguen) pero comencé a escribir en Tumblr para hacer contenido de Dororo. Quería buscar material de la serie (principalmente Tahomaru porque es mi favorito) y ¡NO ENCONTRÉ NADA! Así que me puse a todo: "¡Está bien, lo haré yo mismo!"

E hice las cuatro obras de Tahomaru que están en la Masterlist de Dororo:3 es un dato curioso que creo que podrías saber.

Si hablamos de la serie, la veo en todo el fiasco de la cuarentena (2020) con Mi hermana, y fue una de las primeras series de alta Calidad que vi.

¿Animación? ¡Genial! Me encanta el diseño de los personajes y cómo cambian los movimientos de Hyakkimaru a medida que pierde o recupera sus extremidades. Las escenas de lucha (especialmente las de Hyakkimaru y Tahomaru) son ¡GENIALES! Y, en general, me gustan mucho esas historias de la Era Sengoku.

(Es muy gracioso cómo Hyakkimaru se acostumbra a varios de sus sentidos en un tiempo récord. Especialmente el olfato).

Los personajes son interesantes, crecieron en la historia, llegamos a conocerlos para empatizar con ellos (especialmente Dororo) y estamos felices por los que obtienen un buen final, y desconsolados por los que obtienen un mal final (¿POR QUÉ MI NIÑO!?).

Mis personajes favoritos además de Tahomaru (¿cómo puede Nui no amar a este Rayo de sol? Se merecía algo mejor) son fácilmente Mio (Porque fue la primera vez que vi esos temas fuertes en una serie y la hacen superior. Además, su canción se quedó atrapada en mi cabeza POR AÑOS) y Juka (todo el camino de su redención, su relación con Hyakkimaru, cómo estaba preocupado de que pudiera convertirse en un monstruo solo para que Hyakkimaru lo viera como su madre, NO PUEDO...).

Incluso si realmente me gustaron los temas de moralidad (si fue correcto matar a Hyakkimaru o no por culpa de la gente del dominio de Daigo) y cómo resuelven el conflicto, siento que la historia podría haber sido más larga, pero al mismo tiempo me alegra que la historia no se haya extendido demasiado como otras (COFCOFinuyasha COFCOFNaturoCOFCOF), y de cualquier manera es una historia increíble.

¡Espero que esta sea la respuesta que querías!

Espero que cuando vuelva a abrir las solicitudes, alguien solicite algo de Dororo :,) para recordar los viejos tiempos.

[linkemon]

Humanity (Hyakkimaru x Reader) [Soulmate AU]

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ɪꜱ ʙᴀꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴇᴘɪꜱᴏᴅᴇ 23 ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴇ, ꜱᴏ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ. 2. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇ ᴀᴜ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇ'ꜱ ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴘᴀɪɴ.

The villagers were preparing to face Daigo's army. The women hugged their children while the men tried to figure out where to go. Everyone was feeling nervous. They turned their heads every now and then, as if listening for the sound of hooves announcing the arrival of the samurai.

[Reader] promised to stay with the people, meanwhile Dororo will try to help Hyakkimaru. However, the plans quickly changed.

— On the left! — the girl screamed when she saw the rearing horse.

The boy failed to hold the rope. The horse raised his front hooves up. Before it could escape, the girl grabbed it tightly by the mane and jumped on its back. It kicked and then ran in a direction known only to it.

The girl felt pain. The branches lashed her face and she clung to the animal's neck. She drove half-blindly through the forest, hoping to find the source of the commotion.

It only took her a few minutes.

In the middle of the clearing she saw a huge mare. Her mane and tail seemed to be like fire and emitted a strange light. She looked like the embodiment of fury. She must have been the demon that people in the village were talking about.

[Reader] jumped off the ridge and into the tall grass. She failed to completely cushion her fall, which resulted in pain in her left arm. As soon as she stood up, she saw Tahomaru's bodyguards stabbing the huge horse with their blades. The gore-dripping animal did not remain obedient and, in a final act of despair, bit off Hyogo's head and attacked Mutsu. Within a few seconds, all three of them were lying motionless in a large pool of blood, to which the grey-haired boy quickly ran, followed by Dororo.

The girl felt terrible pain in her hands. She guessed that Hyakkimaru had regained new body parts. As soulmates, they shared suffering. She knew he must have been close. So she looked up and saw him nearby, kneeling in a strange position. She managed to get up and walked towards him on wobbly legs.

— Hyakkimaru!

He didn't turn around.

He didn't react to seeing her.

He ran away, with Tahomaru following him.

She knew her soulmate wasn't quite himself but it still hurt her. She didn't know for sure if he cared. Their relationship seemed to be pure chance and not the will of the gods, as the monk had sometimes presented to her. It was difficult to read the boy's signs and intentions. This caused her particular problems at the beginning, when he couldn't even hear her. Over time, however, she learned to see the care and straightforwardness in his actions. She just wasn't sure if it was enough for her.

— How can we stop them? — Dororo asked.

— Perhaps one of them will simply have to die — said the monk standing nearby.

— Listen, it's either your brother or us — interjected a man who had come from the village to check the situation.

— Say it again...

— It wasn't supposed to last forever. Peace built on the sacrifice of one person... We cannot defend what we have not earned with our own hands — said Lady Nui. — I don't have the strength to stop my own children.

— We spent our whole lives complaining about samurai, hoping that they would do something for us. You have to act like Hyakkimaru and snatch happiness from the gods with your own hands. — [Reader] clenched her fists.

— Then we have to be stronger — the girl said.

— But also careful. You saw how they fought. Too much force can make you lose your humanity — the monk added.

— Strength alone is no threat if you have a heart. And my brother has it! We have to start taking action.

The girl recalled the image of the carnage he had caused a few months earlier and wasn't sure if she should nod.

— I think we all agree.

— The hill is on fire! — Someone shouted from the small crowd.

Everyone turned their heads as if on cue. Flames consuming the palace could be seen nearby. Clouds of smoke rose up and from behind them, silhouettes of people running away in panic could be seen.

— Let's go!

— Don't lose your humanity. Let them take away your eyes, ears and hands. You don't need them. We will be your eyes, ears and hands if necessary. Don't become a demon, Hyakkimaru —  [Reader] prayed. 

— Who do I look like, Hyakkimaru? — [Reader] asked jokingly, trying on a kimono at one of the stalls.

— Mom — he replied, pointing at her.

—  Mother? — she sighed indignantly. — I'm not old! How dare you...

— Dororo. Told. Mom. Cooking. Washing. Hugging. Warmth. Love.

— After all, I'm not yours... Anyway, it doesn't matter. — She waved her hand.

However, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

[aleeth]

Hyakkimaru from Blood Will Tell : Dororo. I have just finished retrogaming Blood will Tell, it was a great video game, but I must admit I like more the chara design in the anime, especially Tahomaru, in the anime he looks fire, in the video game he looks random.

[muraski-yume]

3/8 Dororo

This anime was fantastic and will absolutely be binge watching the whole thing over spring break so special shoutout to whoever recommended it!

Episode 1 opens with the ethical dilemma of the lord turning his back on Buddha and pledging anything for his lands to be prosperous. Now at first glance this could be interpreted as honorable, that the lord wanted his people to not starve so badly he was willing to sacrifice anything which (although unknowingly at the time) ends up being his first born son. However it becomes clear that this was down out of pure greed and lust for power and I personally believe he would have gone through with it anyway even if he knew the true costs. We can see across these four episodes that the lord barely even thinks about the son he cursed and tossed away as he fawns over Tahomaru while his wife is constantly going back to the alter where the statue was destroyed the night the deal was made and Hyakkimaru was mutilated.

I really like the overarching idea of Hyakkimaru being way more powerful than he seems and that he can slowly regain his body. In this way he has a say in his fate and is less of a victim of the circumstances his father threw him into QUITE LITERALLY from birth. He's stylistically really interesting too I mean come on who wouldn't agree swords for arms is AWESOME but the animation of his character made me realize how even subtle detail changes can make a difference. Obviously animation can't 100% emulate human expressions but you never realize they're present in anime or other media until they're not. Having a permanent kind of blank gaze really adds to the mysteriousness of the character because many of the things you would traditionally base an impression of a character off of for him are missing. Like how you don't hear his voice (until episode 6), like half of his body is fake and how he doesn't really show emotions openly- most of the time Dororo speaks for him. I also really liked their relationship because despite being so much younger and weaker Hyakkimaru does rely on him (really a her), other than Jukai no one has really ever been there for him.

I plan to continue watching the anime but I feel like there will be this epic showdown between Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru and I really hope Hyakkimaru can get revenge on his father for what he did to him!

[kokusfluffyhair]

Tahomaru Modern AU Headcanons

Someone on here (you know who you are) got me into Dororo 4 years too late and now I'm obsessed. Let's see if this reaches anyone from the probably dead fandom of this underappreciated anime.

I really got captivated by Tahomaru. I probably see too much of myself in him. I can't stop imagining him in the modern world now.

(In this Modern AU, Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru grew up together as brothers and there was no contract with the demons.)

Tahomaru is a minor, so I will only write SFW headcanons.

+ He's gone through a lot of different style stages, from preppy (to look like the good boy to impress his mother) to sporty (trying to seem more athletic to impress his father) and found himself switching up between emo and luxury streetwear.

+ He really likes Italian designers like Gucci and Versace. (His parents are rich, so why not) Yes, he thinks he looks cool in those flashy, overly-printed items.

+ He either wears those clunky trainers with 'BALENCIAGA' written on them or DocMartens.

+ He is probably damaging his hair with the amount of product he uses in it. That hair's gotta be SPIKY.

+ The reason why he's so into his style is because it helps him to hide from his low self-esteem.

+ He compares himself to Hyakkimaru a lot, especially when it comes to their appearances. Tahomaru is bulkier/bigger-boned than his older brother and has a rougher-looking face. Hyakkimaru always got more attention from girls, which Tahomaru blames on his appearance.

+ He complains that he's fat (even though he's not) but he loves fried food and won't give it up.

+ He tries to make up for what he's lacking by being loud and overly-extroverted. But it seems to backfire.

+ He once tried to trim and groom his eyebrows, thinking it would make him more attractive, but he ended up trimming them too much. His mother giggled at him. His father got angry and insulted him.

+ He tries to spend as little time at home with his family as possible.

+ He has trouble making friends and often ends up pushing others away by being a brat.

+ He's gone through the phase of picking up skateboarding.

+ He's gone through the phase of trying to learn the guitar but smashed it out of frustration because it was too difficult for him.

+ He's also gone through the online gamer phase, but it was short-lived after he got into fights with too many people on the internet.

+ He tends to get into trouble. He doesn't shoplift or anything like that, but he would skateboard where he's not supposed to, loiter where he's not supposed to, do something stupid like knock over a bin on the street when he's angry.

+ He does okay in school. He doesn't fail anything but he doesn't get great marks. (Neither does Hyakkimaru, though he does better than his younger brother does.)

+ He once tried going to therapy, ended up doing some extreme trauma-dumping on the therapist that led him to burst into tears, and then refused to go back out of his own personal feeling of shame.

+ He acts tough, almost like some wannabe gangster, but he is really sensitive, hurt, and broken inside.

+ He does all he can to avoid having to face and deal with his own shit.

+ He likes to draw, and he's pretty good at it. He has to hide it from his father, who thinks art isn't manly enough of a hobby. His mother isn't very encouraging either because no matter how brilliant he is, whatever Hyakkimaru does is better.

+ The first time he had a crush, he spent hours writing a love letter in beautiful, calligraphy-like handwriting. He was brutally rejected.

+ Now whenever he tries to confess to someone, he does it through these cocky, lame pick-up lines that get him laughed at, and also rejected.

+ The worst time was when a girl agreed to go out with him just so she could get closer to Hyakkimaru.

+ Whenever Mutsu tries to give him tips on talking to girls, he doesn't listen.

(I wish I could write something more positive for him 😭)

[beauzos]

Finished the original Dororo manga. I know the author was rushed but that ending is fucking terrible. Awful ending, truly, it doesn’t feel satisfying at all.

Overall it wasn’t very, ah… good. It was rushed, a lot of the writing was kinda lazy, it doesn’t engage with its own premise (ie the focus being the main character who has no senses and no body parts) at all and just lazily avoids ever having to deal with the implications of Hyakkimaru’s disabilities, it’s just kinda the same shit over and over with no real growth or change.

It was fun but it kinda sucks. First half is better I guess.

I see why people who were fans of the original WOULDNT like Dororo 2019 because they’re very different works, but I think Dororo 2019 is a significant improvement over the original, even with the writing being all over the place after the Banmon episodes. They drastically expanded on Tahomaru and Daigo, they really tried fleshing out the world, and they added a lot of complexity. I think Dororo is one of the weaker characters in that version but he is still very lovable, just think they could’ve let him be more of a little scamp like the original.

But I prefer the new Hyakki and world and most of the characters to the original. I just think they really did something special by trying to faithfully adapt the original while still fleshing it out and taking it seriously and reimagining things that needed a little facelift.

Went to 2nd and Charles today and found a few volumes of the NEW Dororo manga (like from 2018 or whatever) so I’ll check those out but I am not thrilled by the Tahomaru redesign, that’s for damn sure.

[iukasylvie]

The 2019 anime adaptation of Dororo diverges a lot from the original manga by Osamu Tezuka, but I love the new interpretation of Kagemitsu's deal with the demons, Hyakkimaru's eerie doll-like design and naivety to underscore the gravity of his condition without telepathy to compensate for it, Tahomaru's expanded role and more sympathetic characterization as a foil to Hyakkimaru, and the addition of a new character named Mutsu.

To all TV and movie producers out there, a heartfelt message to you:

STOP👏ADAPTING👏ORIGINAL👏WORKS👏IF👏YOU HATE👏THE SOURCE👏MATERIAL

[carterkeller1234]

Late Post: Dororo 3/8/24

This particular viewing was an anime that I watched when it came out in 2019, not realizing that it was an adaptation from the efforts of the "God of Manga" Osamu Tezaku. This work in particular was greatly shifted to fit a much more dark and mature tone to allow for the violently well animated actions sequences, a thing that the studio behind the anime, MAPPA, is best known for. The anime follows the story of the boy cursed by his father to be born with none of the resemblance and traits of a human being, the story of Hyakkimaru. This work in particular is set in the warring states era of the Sengoku period of Japan, a period of great internal conflict and strife, an excellent backdrop for the themes of morality, humanity, and violence that are seen throughout the episodes I chose for us to watch. Hyakkimaru was born without any skin, eyes, ears, nerves, limbs, and many other features that would compose the physical identity, crippling him not only physically but ensuring a sheer lack of understanding on what it means to be human, all because he was born to a lord pressured by his failing state. This setup lets the disabled ronin meet the young thief Dororo, where they come across many of the demons that hold the keys to regaining the features that Hyakkimaru would have been born with. This overarching plot deals with religion and the political corruption that was rampant at the time, with Lord Daigo being a perfect representation of this. Daigo strips all of those around him from any individuality until their sense of identity and self is boiled down to a few aspects, like his wife as a simple "breeding stock" to produce heirs or his son, Tahomaru, who he strips of affection and any sense of esteem aside from the murderous behavior that would benefit the clan. Daigo serves as the representation of the strive for power despite the ethics and moral quandaries they may encounter, with Daigo choosing to essentially strip the humanity from his first born all to ensure the security of his legacy and empire, at the cost of his son and his own soul to damnation. In fact, this entire show critiques the many tropes and ideas led by the stereotypical samurai media of this era, with Hyakkimaru serving as a deconstruction of the classic ronin/vagabond main character. Hyakkimaru seems cool, calm, collected, and calculated upon first glance, but in reality his lack of ability to express himself through his lack of voice or senses characterize him as a naive and possessing an almost child-like innocence if he wasn't pressured by the Sengoku period and the demons hunting him to be violent and battle-ready. His weapon being his blade prosthetics instead of the stereotypical katana he often wears on his hip is further evidence for this deconstruction, as his unique situation ensures a degree of separation from the stereotypical ronin esque character. In short, this work touches on a violent era of Japan's history through its characters and offers value as a vehicle to deconstruct the visage of the honorable ronin or samurai through its characters, and I for one will probably watch the entirety of it again during winter break!

This shot perfectly encapsulate the overarching theme of humanity and what it means to be human, especially in the case of Hyakkimaru who quite literally starts the series and by extension his life without a majority of the physical characteristics that make up the human identity.

[christianlep]

Blog 23- 3/8

Dororo was not only entertaining, but also had a unique storyline, and takes place during the Edo period, a time where plenty of works are made with to its emphasis on culture, religion, and warfare. What I think sticks out is that war, while typically romanticized in other works, is instead subverted here, and highlights the atrocities of war, ranging from torture and death to moral corruption. This notion is personified through the very being of our protagonist, Hyakkimaru. In the first episode, we witness Hyakkimaru's father, Kagemitsu Daigo disavows Buddhism and embraces demonic influence as a superior power, striking a deal to protect the land in return for anything they desire, which is Hyakkimaru. It is here where we witness the first case of moral compromise within the psyche of Imperial Japan, in that the duty and reputation of being a strong leader was held as a higher priority than the duty to protect and care for your loved ones, evidenced by the fact Daigo only sees his wife as a means of producing an heir to his throne, and already being prepared to throw Hyakkimaru out when he was born. It’s because of his father’s decisions as an apathetic individual bent on control and honor that Hyakkimaru suffers literally as a trapped lost soul, which we see may not have to be the case. Jumping forward a bit, we see that Daigo isn’t the only one tainted by war. In the sixth episode, we see that Mio and the orphans are slaughtered by one of the sides of the standoff simply because Mio did “business” with the other side, and therefore had to be taken care of. This scene does a great job showcasing the fact that during these times, loyalty was taken seriously, to the point that all others who existed outside a particular faction were viewed as sub-humans with irrelevant lives. 

I think the show does well commenting on generational continuance and change, in there are those who view themselves as a necessary component of legacy and carrier or tradition, even in all its flaws, and there are others who will advocate for change. We can witness this contrast between Hyakkimaru and Daigo’s other son, Tahomaru. Both sons are warriors, but their entire motives are different. Being raised under the direct influence of Daigo, we see that Tahomaru’s focus is strictly on war and recognition, just like his father. What he wants is to be a great warrior and to maintain the honor of his family, asserting dominance over other factions. While Hyakkimaru’s purpose isn’t necessarily known at this point, I believe it’s a journey of self-recognition, and venture of ridding evil from the world, though not shying from violence if need be. This proves to be something difficult for Hyakkimaru along the way, as he gains his senses, he begins to be revealed to the world in all its light, good and bad, which begins to overwhelm him as he realizes the conflict brought about through war is devastating, and as he begins learning human emotion and interaction, takes a toll on him. Speaking of which, I think the concept of this story is really cool, in that Hyakkimaru starts his journey as the perfect killing machine, but as he becomes more human, he is bombarded with new sensations that weaken him physically, and impacting him psychologically, making his journey of becoming whole more complicated along the way.

[iristial]

[nuinokata]

I will not hear a single fucking word about Nui No Kata being a bad mother/person/character who needs to be ‘“redeemed”’ etc, because guess what!!! she’s one of the few characters in the entire series who has done absolutely nothing to require any form of redemption - quite the opposite: she’s a character who carries an immeasurable amount of guilt over a horrific act that she had absolutely no part in committing, and in which (regardless of what she herself believes) she was not complicit in any way, shape, or form. this is a woman who felt nothing but maternal love and adoration for a child whose appearance literally drove another character to permanent insanity. a woman who clung to her newborn child with every ounce of her strength as he was ripped from her arms to be murdered by his monstrous, power-hungry father. a woman who spent the next 16 years doing the best she possibly could to care for her second child while attempting to cope with the debilitating anguish, trauma, and self-imposed guilt of losing her first. spending every waking moment grieving the baby that was taken from her, and blaming herself for not being able to do the impossible by protecting him. this poor, brave, beautiful woman who somehow found the strength to remain a kind and gentle person despite her grief, isolation, and (presumably) abuse at the hands of her warlord husband, who broke down in tears of overwhelming joy upon learning that her firstborn was still alive. who, without hesitation, attempted to sacrifice her own life in order to ease her son’s suffering. Nui is not to blame for her husband’s crimes. she is every bit as much of a victim of Daigo’s cruelty and greed as Hyakkimaru. the fact that she (understandably) shies away from and doesn’t encourage Tahomaru’s obsession with war/violence ≠ child neglect, and the fact that she’s in no position to be tumblr’s stereotypical ass-kicking Strong Female Character™ does not make her a poorly written character. it’s not redemption that Nui needs. it’s to finally be able to forgive herself. 

[story-circle]

Dororo (2019) Review

Warning: Spoilers!

I recently revisited the entirety of the anime 'Dororo' (2019). I'm honestly surprised that I didn't come back to it sooner (though in hindsight it was probably cause I had a big move) because this anime is absolutely one of my favorites and I personally consider it a hidden gem.

I binged pretty much the entire thing in one night (there is definitely not enough content) and then proceeded to rewatch it a second time the next day with my sister.

oI looked into the original anime/manga, watching quite a few essay videos to get a feel for source material (video here). And let me tell you, the original concept doesn't hold a candle to the reboot. The subtle metaphors, morals, parallels and character foils are on point. They're devastating, realistic and relatable, which made it all the easier to connect to the character's personal growth and plot.

I can clearly see both sides of the conflict and the tension built by the world and the decision the characters make, made the story gripping. It's a neat and new premise that I haven't seen before and I adored the various characters.

I even liked the love plot with Mio and how the writers adapted it into a more impactful moment, and I have never really been fond of love plots because they always seemed like they're rushed and don't feel realistic. Thankfully, 'Dororo' didn't have this issue, which is a first for me.

Now, a few complaints.

This might be a controversial opinion, but I think that the emphasis on a 'mother's love' is overrated. It comes off as a cheap tactic to force conflict between characters and it feels half-assed at best. Like, the writers make the nonexistent relationship between Nui and Hyakkimaru a cure-all when Hyakkimaru doesn't even know this woman beyond the fact that she basically disowned him.

She should -for all intents and purposes- be a stranger to him.

A stranger who just so happens to also hold the title of 'mother'. I believe that the finale would've been more impactful if the people we actively saw Hyakkimaru build a relationship with were the ones to approach him after the emotionally and physically taxing battle. Meanwhile, Nui should've went to finally give the son -who actually needed her love- her full attention.

Tahomaru honestly deserved better.

Also, having the plot device of 'a mother's love fixes everything' takes away from the real relationships that Hyakkimaru built with other -arguably more important- characters such as Dororo and Jukai. By suddenly shoehorning Nui in as a "important character" in the last three episodes of the season seems rushed and the fact that the writers expected me to just except this underdeveloped plot point, is just insulting.

The last point that I wanted to address was the ending.

Hyakkimaru just straight up abandoning Dororo in a random village without even a goodbye for literal years is the worst thing that the writers could have done. Sure, it matched up with the original source material but it always sat wrong with me because the decision didn't feel like one we'd see Hyakkimaru make with what was established of his character thus far.

After showing the gradual progression of his intense (maybe even codependent) bond with Dororo, and all the scenes were it's proven over and over again that Hyakkimaru needed to keep Dororo safe at his side, his decision to leave doesn't fit what we'd seen from him previously.

Obviously, even a piece of media as amazing as 'Dororo' (2019) has it's flaws, but I don't think that it takes away from the stories it's told or the fantastic world building and creative cast of characters. This review is not meant to shun the writers or be blatant hate on the anime, it was just my take on what I had noticed in the show and what I would personally change.

Hope you enjoyed!

Ps: And please give it a watch yourself, it is definitely worth your time!

If you liked this review please consider watching this video by Mother's Basement on YouTube. He goes really in depth with the history of the manga as well as the new anime adaption. He makes a lot of good points and it just helped me appreciate Dororo (2019) even more!

[rin-the-shadow]

One of these days, I’m going to write an angsty AU for the stage version of Dororo in which Nui manages to crawl under the pillar before Jukai collapses. Especially because Hyakkimaru doesn’t respond to her when she meets him in the play (though that could be at least partially because he was overloaded from losing his brother and growing his eyes) and because Tahomaru is definitely already dead by the time she arrives (indicated by Hyakkimaru suddenly being unable to figure out where he is and flipping out over it).

But it could potentially be interesting to explore that shifting of roles, what that would look like or if there would even be one. Would she still want to act as a mother figure to Hyakkimaru? Would he want her to? How is she dealing with acting too late to save Tahomaru? How is Hyakkimaru dealing with having lost his mom and his brother in the same day? And where does Dororo stand in all that? Does he want them to reconcile? Where does he fit in that picture? Do they go back to Sukeroku’s village or do they travel somewhere else?

Though, at the same time, I have no idea when or if I would ever write this, given my less than fabulous track record with post-canon fics.

[tigirl-and-co]

This is just gonna be my F/O masterlist lmao have fun figuring out how I got into ANY of these fandoms cuz idk

Also I’m mostly cool with sharing, although I’m not comfortable sharing Black Jack or Starscream, especially since Screamer was a bug factor in my mental health recovery like 9 years ago.

If you have an F/O from any of these sources I am BEGGING you to interact!!! We can have Fun Dynamics!!!

If you add unhelpful negativity to something I post or reblog, you get blocked. No matter who you are.

my writing sideblog is @laserwolf6 if that's what you're here for, selfshipping resources are at @lavaridgecookie

ROMANTIC F/Os

Fu - Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (he’s actually why I bought the game haha)

Gavrill Madaraki - Franken Fran

Pirata - Dragon Heroes (not the tactics version)

G1 Starscream - Transformers G1

The Psionic - Homestuck

Johnny Blair - Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Dante/Dino & Kat - DmC Devil May Cry (it’s a polyship)

Octavo - Cadence of Hyrule

Dr. Black Jack/ Kuroo Hazama - Black Jack manga

Dian - Atom The Beginning (aka Black Jack again)

Zero & X - Mega Man X series (polyship)

Stygian - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (and associated comics)

Sable Able - Animal Crossing

Bardock's Squad (polyship) - DBZ

FAMILIAL

G1 Soundwave (my DAD YO) - Transformers G1 (and yes this does mean I am sibs with the cassettes, I get along better with some of them than others)

Pops and Olive (parental) - Weapon Brown

Sesshomaru (???? idk maybe like big brother but not. Cousin. idk but I have VERY BIG NON ROMANTIC FEELINGS) - InuYasha 

Astro Boy, Uran, and Cobalt (younger siblings) -Astro Boy 1963

Pinoko (younger sister) - Black Jack manga

Shinji Ikari (my wonderful son) - Neon Genesis Evangelion

SweetieBot (my beloved daughter) - Friendship is Witchcraft 

Wally (my other excellent son) - Pokemon Gen 3

Dororo (also my son whom I love) - Dororo 1967 manga

Hyakkimaru (baby boy. baby) - Dororo 1967 manga

Tahomaru (my stinky but wonderful boy) - Dororo 1967 manga

FRIENDSHIPS

Butch Gilzean - Gotham

Androids 16, 17, & 18 - DBZ (although we treat each other like siblings, picking on each other included haha)

Future Trunks Briefs - DBZ

Harley Quinn - DC 

Captain Ginyu -DBZ

N Harmonia - Pokemon

Chuck ‘Weapon’ Brown - Weapon Brown

Popeye - Popeye

Gesicht - Pluto

Krillin - DBZ

Every classic robot master. Just all of them, but like 5 in specific - MegaMan

The N Team (all of them) - Captain N

Maxie (sort of a mentor figure) - Pokemon gen 3

QUEERPLATONIC

B.J. Blazcowicz - Wolfenstein

There’s a TON of other characters I have wicked crushes on, but wouldn’t consider F/Os

Anywho feel free to ask about any of them, or even ask them questions, if you want??? I know some of them are from REALLY obscure places