#most shounen are like that so i can understand where people of that stance are coming from

[gojosbf]

Is satosugu a queerbaiting ship?

there's nothing gayer than those two twinks

[centrally-unplanned]

I don't think Altman's tweet gives enough to properly extend charity one way or the other, so I suppose this isn't a defense of the tweet. But this stance expressed properly is pretty much fine, as the Social Network has a version of the "Fight Club Problem". Fight Club portrays the story of the protagonist's alter-ego forming a masculinity-driven, reactionary, rebel-outsider terrorist cult, and they are the 'bad guys' of the movie. But it portrays them so A: compellingly, and B: attractively as part of that narrative, that, actually, idk man I can kindof see their point? They are 'wrong' but you also hate what they are fighting as well and see the appeal of the refuge they have built.

For Fight Club, this makes its a "good movie", because its fiction. These people aren't real, you aren't going to wipe out all debts with a bomb, so really challenging the audience's understanding of what society values through the metaphor of a violent cult is very effective. Like I am trying to convince you of the value of getting punched in the face! That is a hard sell! I gotta make it sexy, make Brad Pitt the man pushing this line, and now maybe you are questioning if you have ever really felt alive, just a little bit. Its meeting the audience where they are.

The Social Network is not 'fiction' in this same way. Its not terribly accurate, sure but its portraying a very real path people have and do take in life. It aspires to a sense of reality, and as such is telling the audience to see this is as possible for them. So what is the reality that it is selling?

In The Social Network our 'protagonist' Marky Z is dumped by his girlfriend Erica for being an asshole. She shows up one or twice throughout the movie to be a killjoy. The rest of the film shows Mark genius-building a website, pulling the rug out from under some trust fund snobs, fucking chicks in a bathroom, whiz-kidding his way to rubbing palms with The Greats, dropping millions in cash on cool shit and articles from his meal ticket's name, and beating the shit out of everyone who tries to stop him. He wins, and wins again, and wins some more. Which is why when you google "The Social Network quotes" its all shit like this:

Which apparently had a dart board deciding on how to use the bold text feature, but you get it. And sure, there is the "I have no intentions of being friends" line 10 entries down, but thats...just funny? Its not some like gigantic own, its a breakup.

So you have the final scene of the movie, Mark alone in his room, having burned the bridges of all of his friends...and also being one of the richest human beings to ever live and looking like a total genius. And this is a movie about 'reality'.

First, most people would, in said reality, take that deal. You will just idk go make more friends! Friendship isn't Disney films and shounen anime, its not the be-all-end-all and its not a binary thing, they shift and change over time. The movie spent 85% of is runtime on Mark being a badass, and a few minutes here and there on him not having a girlfriend. He's a billionaire, he can go buy one, and by that I mean his social status and success and superintelligence will make him attractive to many amazing people giving him the chance to form authentic, long-lasting connections. Its a fine enough movie ending but as attempt to make the idea of being Mark look bad, it fails, completely. All it really does is give him a tragic veneer to make him kindof hot.

Second, this is a movie about 'reality'. I know, when I am watching it, that it is a biopic, that this Mark isn't real but Mark Zuckerberg is, the life he lived is real. And the actual Mark Zuckerberg...is married with three children. To his wife, who he met before he even started Facebook. Zuckerberg is actually pretty famous for being nice and sociable, none of that Cumberbatch's-Sherlock-coded aloof intensity is real. And you know this, watching it! It was a creative liberty taken to give the film more of an arc. So if you, as someone seeing Mark win and win and win some more, would love to be that in your life, but are maybe worried about the social isolation thing? You do a 1 second google and go "oh, never mind. I can have my cake and eat it too". Reality isn't just, reality balances nothing on its non-existent scales. The Social Network sells you a sexy dream and then hangs a Do Not Enter sign, listlessly, with no lock, on the door of that dream, and thinks no one will open it.

Obviously they do - and this is pretty common for media. People are (sometimes) smart, and they are self-aware, they can separate out the elements of media and use it as they see fit. I will critique The Social Network for this - if its goal was make such separation difficult for the audience to swallow, it failed utterly in that goal. I personally don't even think it was - I think those tragic elements were just the flex of the craft; the film needed more arc, more balance, so counterweights were invented. I'm not surprised audiences discarded them; they were very flimsy weights.

Silicon Valley geniuses think that The Social Network is a movie about how creating a start-up is good

[guardianspirits13]

if you feel like answering, why is natsuo your favorite character? like what do you like most about him? what made you connect to him/what made him stand out to you?

Ohhh boy better buckle up because this is gonna be a long one.

First off, thank you so much for the ask, and sorry it took so long to strap down and answer you! Naturally, I have a lot to say and I'm always looking for opportunities to rant about my favorite character 👀

The chapter that first opened my eyes to Natsuo as a character was chapter 252. I was caught up with the manga at this point so I read it right when it was released and it really touched me. From then on I became invested in his character, particularly his relationship with Touya which I really dug into and channeled into my Brother animatic. He's been my favorit from then on, and there are many reasons for this.

I think the main reason his character resonated with me so deeply is because I've never encountered a character who hits nearly as close to home as he does. I didn't have the best relationship with my father growing up, and despite it being a different and much less serious situation than what Natsuo lived through, I can relate to and understand a lot of his resentment on a personal level. Many of his one-liners are things that I have said or thought before almost verbatim, so needless to say Horikoshi definitely knows what he's doing.

It is very important to me how Horikoshi goes out of his way to give this seemingly minor character so much development. Every scene he is in, every word he says has so much thought behind it and contributes to his character tremendously, and some of the best examples of this are in the latest chapters with him.

He has significantly more developent than most of the minor characters in 1a, despite them obviously appearing much more often. This is because whenever Natsuo does appear, he's very outspoken and the scene normally ends up revolving around him in some way.

I also want to talk about his relationship with his family as a whole- one thing about his character that I don't think anyone else has really mentioned before is how humble he is. He grew up in a household where he was neglected and essentially seen as worthless (regardless of his quirk or lack thereof but I have a whole nother essay for that alone), and even Touya wasn't exactly the kindest to him from what we've seen. Despite this, Natsuo was able to forge his own path and become the person he wanted to be. He got through highschool with good enough grades to get into a pre-med program which in Japan is a very hard thing to do considering national standards, not to mention how different the medical field must be with the variety of mutation quirks that exist.

As for humility, I think the fact that he can be proud of Shouto for forging his own path as a hero despite his personal distaste for hero society, and is immediately thankful when he’s saved from a villain by a group of high schoolers. He doesn’t act like he’s better than anyone else because he’s older, or because he won’t forgive Endeavor (quite the contrary, he seems to view his distaste of Endeavor as a shortcoming on his part).

Another thing that I really just adore about his character is how kind and gentle he is, regardless of (or perhaps in spite of) his upbringing. Considering that he's a male character in a shounen manga, this is particularly interesting to me. Out of his brothers he is physically the most similar to Endeavor, but personality-wise the most different. A huge component of this is that he was raised mostly by Fuyumi and continues to be incredibly close to her. Natsuo is a social person and an emotionally driven character, and he is certainly not afraid to speak his mind- if nothing else, he is honest. Compare this to Shouto, who is definitely an introvert and prefers to keep to himself, kind of blunt about things and definitely lacking in emotional awareness. It’s hard to separate Shouto’s personality from lack of socialization as a kid, but even Endeavor shares many of the same traits. Touya is also an emotionally-driven character but in a completely different way, he’s self-serving and angry and driven for revenge. Perhaps if he had a normal childhood Natsuo and Touya would have been much more similar, but Touya’s early signs of mental illness as a kid festered with lack of treatment. Back to Natsuo, he also is very caring and thoughtful, and we really see this most in the 5th light novel, (official translations aren’t out but here’s a link).

We consistently see just how much he cares about the rest of his family (other than Endeavor, obviously). I think this is seen really clearly through his attempts to connect with Shouto. He knows nothing about his little brother but still tries to connect with him in any way he can think of- playing soccer, eating soba, talking with him about his friends and just generally showing interest in his life.

Another interesting point here is that he almost seems to look up to his siblings as being better than him, especially Shouto. This is not in a jealous way, but more self-deprecating as he sees Fuyumi and Shouto letting Endeavor back into their lives and feels guilty and unkind because he is unable to do the same. He is proud of Shouto, but they are different in so many ways that it’s hard to find a middle ground. Shouto is mature in that he is already halfway to a lifelong career and has experienced many dangerous situations, while Natsuo is a college student and years away from helping people on the same level that Shouto does in high school. Inversely, Natsuo is more socially competent and outgoing, while Shouto is sheltered, and has a unique innocence to him. Natsuo is more familiar with their family situation and thus has a more complex understanding and much stronger stance than Shouto, especially because he knew Touya.

He also goes out of his way to try and help Fuyumi and re-iterate how much she means to him (even if it fails, it’s the thought that counts, amirite?). He consistently comes to dinner when Fuyumi invites him, knowingly exposing himself to his pervasive trauma upon seeing Endeavor to allow her to entertain the fantasy of having a happy, normal family.

I really want to re-iterate here how much of his own pain he puts to the side in just agreeing to show up for dinner. Both times he is visibly uncomfortable and almost upset by Endeavor’s presence as if it makes him anxious (which is understandable), and he is mentally incapable of staying in said situation without freaking out, which he does whenever he can’t escape; the first time when Endeavor puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him from leaving, and the second time mere minutes after an incredibly traumatic near-death experience. (Side note: Endeavor should not be getting up into his personal space like he does, knowing full well how uncomfortable Natsuo is with his mere presence).

He puts his own trauma to the side to help his siblings ,and if that isn’t selfless I don’t know what is.

With all of this deliberate development and the advent of the Dabi reveal, I am confident that Natsuo is going to play a larger role in the future and will contribute in some major way to bringing Dabi down. If there's one thing I trust Horikishi for it's that he doesn't develop his characters for nothing. There's always a payoff at the end that puts everything in place, even though he plays a slow burn. I'm always scared that whenever Natsuo shows up he's gonna do/say something that's inconsistent with his character so far and disprove one of my theories/assumptions/headcanons about him and every time I am proven wrong.

In conclusion: I love my salty son.

If you want to read even more of my thoughts on him, here's a link to a rediculously long meta about his trauma and emotions:

Thank you again for the ask. I very much enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it as well!!!

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Black Market.

*Hajime and company arrive outside the final lab.

...

Yeah, I see Fujimori’s car. His team’s already inside.

Alright...

Hajime. If you may allow me to ask, why didn’t we bring some soldiers with us? Why is it just us 6?

Well...The thing is...

I kind of wanted to go in by myself and meet Fujimori.

...Why?

...I just wanna talk. In the very least...

I need to convince him to stop what he’s doing...Or at least...I need to try...

What makes you think it’s gonna work?

...Because...Somehow, I know...

That yeah, he doesn’t show it but...Fujimori’s just...a regular guy.

And he has good intentions...Just bad ways of going about them.

If there’s even a chance I can snap him out of it, then I at least need to give it a shot...

Well, I for one think that’s an awful idea.

Please, just...

Give me 10 minutes.

...

Fine.

If anything goes south, Chiaki will shoot you an SOS.

Will do.

...

*Hajime quietly makes his way down the elevator into the underground lab. The doors open and he walks out.

...

*He hears voices nearby, and thus follows them.

How long is this gonna take man? Future Foundation could be right on our asses in seconds!

It’ll take as long as it needs to. It’s not instantaneous.

Sometimes you need hold out a little Kego. Then the results will be the most enjoyable.

Huh? (。・_・。 )

Just...ignore her Marin.

I don’t want to ignore her! She’s my friend! ಠ_ಠ

*sigh* Alright, don’t ignore her. Just don’t try to make heads or tails of what she’s saying.

Thank you for the kind words though Marin.

*sigh*

...You all seem like you get along very well.

Wha-!?

*The UUV members all get into a defensive stance upon hearing and recognizing Hajime’s voice.

You!

Easy. I’m not here to fight. I...I just want to talk.

“Not here to fight?!”

“Yeah, right, as if we’ll believe that!”

Children, easy now! We don’t want to irritate him or he’ll rip us apart!

Look, not everything has to be resolved in a fight where we rip each other apart!

You said it yourself Fujimori. This isn’t some weekend Shounen manga. Life doesn’t just have to be about having a brawl to solve any and all issues!

...

I’m not your enemy. I’m not, and I never have been.

I AGREE with you. You and your fight for justice, I agree with it. What I DON’T agree with, is the way that you’re fighting it. What you’re doing can be likened to terrorist work.

You don’t have to start a war like this.

A war was started as soon as me and everyone else here was kicked out of our homes and onto the streets.

You know, I had a pretty terrible life as a kid. When the Tragedy first started to die down though? That was the best years of my life.

And it wasn’t just me, it was hundreds of thousands of people who suffered the same fate! Even outside of the country.

Ayumu, can we not just take this guy out alrea-

No! ... No... I wanna hear him out.

Huh?

I understand. But is the problem really so great that you’d go this far?

Why did you have to subject yourself to a Cultivation Program? Why gain these talents? And above all that, why not at least attempt to solve this peacefully?

Because I already tried that you dumbass!

Back when I was first abandoned and forsaken, I ran street protests and tried to make my voice heard. But I was too quiet. I’d go onto streets and peacefully protest, shouting to the crowd about my ideal.

Not one person turned my way.

I’m sorry to hear that.

But I WOULD like to hear more. What’s your story? I don’t mind if I don’t hear all of yours, I just need to hear yours.

Seriously Ayumu this is pointless.

Mikoto-chan, let the nice man talk, Poka Poka~ (︶︿︶)

Grrr...

I’ll tell you my story. But I wanna hear yours first. I still don’t fully trust you, so if you want me to, then give me what I want.

...

Alright. I will. But to be honest, you’ll find there’s not much.

I was just a regular guy who admired Hope’s Peak Academy. So I signed up for the Reserve Course. Just like all these guys...

*He indicates to the pods.

But a part of me always felt inferior, and I had a desire to be something more...To be an Ultimate, just like my best friend in the world was.

...Hajime...

After that, I realized just how much Ultimate Students look down on Reserve Course Students. So much so, one of them...told me to my face...

That if we all died, no one would give a shit. Because we weren’t talented. And thus we had no place in greater society.

I understand that. I was the same. Without these talents I...

No...By all means finish.

To sum it up, prior to this, I had already been approached in regards to a project. The Hope Cultivation Program that could imbue a talentless kid with every conceivable talent known to man. Like a dream come true, right?

Turns out it was a nightmare in disguise, and I made the worst decision in my life. They told me they’d give me talents, but they never told me that they’d delete my original personality in the process.

I was gone...for good...And the last thing I remember before disappearing forever is watching my best friend die right before my eyes...

...Hinata...

You might think that this talent power you have is a blessing, but it’s not. It’s a curse, and it’ll make your life eternally worse!

No. No that’s not true in my case.

Why not?

Because I was already cursed with a much worse infliction prior to receiving these talents.

...How so?

I’m...unlucky...And completely misfortunate.

No matter what I do, one way or another, it would always go wrong. Either because I was really bad at the job, or something really bad would happen purely by chance!

I couldn’t control it. But sooner or later, whenever something went wrong, everyone would always blame me for it. Because I was unlucky.

Even my own family...There wasn’t a single day that went by where my mother didn’t tell me how much she wished that she hadn’t conceived me. How kind and loving she was.

That’s...!

But one day...it all built up...and something terrible happened.

*Ayumu looks towards his friends and the vat.

A man was about to be shot in the street by a policeman. I came at the scene simply by being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But the man looked terrified and helpless...And unlucky like me...So I helped him out.

I distracted the officer while he ran. And it took the policeman 2 seconds after he escaped to blame it all on me.

You shouldn’t have helped a criminal. It sounds like you brought that on yourself.

He wasn’t a criminal.

Huh?

I found this out later...I based my value on a hunch at the time, but it turned out that I was right.

The man that that officer was chasing was innocent. Completely innocent, of all crimes. He was the type who never even went slightly over the speed limit. That officer was a corrupt d-bag who abused his power to try to murder him and get away with it. For no reason other than he didn’t like him.

...!

But in the end, my family got straddled with a mountain of debt by the Government, after that officer sued the pants off of us. And that was the last straw for me.

In the end though, my father came up with a genius idea. To kill two birds with one stone and both pay off the debt...and get rid of me.

...What did they...?

They took me to the Black Market...

And sold me as a slave...

!!!??

!!!??

They hated me...They hated me more than anyone else...So they clearly didn’t care how they treated me...and I did deserve it.

But I must compliment my father on his genius. It was a smart move...Even if it was cruel.

Why? Why do you sound so happy about that? That’s the most inhumane thing for a parent to do ever! It’s DISGUSTING!

Because there was positivity in it.

*He indicates to his friends.

I met these guys thanks to that.

Ayumu-kun. (゜-゜)

And after my life as a slave was over with, I became a key part of the rebuilding process post tragedy. And even when my luck weighed me down, I had people to cover for me.

People who genuinely liked me, despite my flaws. Friends. Family.

Friends and Family that I lost after it was done...And I was thrown out, along with lots of other people.

I...

*Ayumu turns back to Hajime.

There’s a reason why even though we have conflicting ideals, that I will always respect Future Foundation above everyone else in society, the Government especially.

Unlike you, the Government never give a shit about the Future unless it’s relevant to them. They’ll ignore us if we don’t. They only care about their problems.

And it’s for that reason that I need to be a problem. That WE need to be a problem that forces them to get off their asses and solve us...!

...But going this far? When you boil it down, all of this is because you want people to notice you!

And that’s a problem?

If you ask me, neglection and ignorance? It’s the worst kind of abuse...

...I...

*BANG!*

UGH!

!!!??

*Ayumu suddenly gets shot in the shoulder!

AYUMU!

!!?

*Hajime looks over his shoulder.

...

*Nagito stands with a revolver in his hand, aimed at Fujimori.

NAGITO! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?

The time for talking is over. We need to end this...

You fucking idiot! What’s wrong with you!?

So...all of this...You were just stalling?

No! Ayumu, listen to me-

*BANG!* *BANG!*

AH!?

*Mikoto pulls out a gun and shoots at the Future Foundation.

GRGH!

A-AAAACK!

*Fujimori, at lightning speed, rushes up to the group. He grabs Nagito by his throat and chucks him down the chasm!

FUJI-! UGH!

*He immediately kicks Hajime in the stomach.

A-Aah...

*Ayumu clutches his shoulder in pain.

Ayumu-kun! °□°

Shit, this is bad. What do you we do...!?

I’ll...I’ll be ok...What matters most is getting those vials out of here!

Mitsunari! There’s a secret exit at the bottom! Take the vials, and take Ayumu, and get the crap out of here!

What about you guys?

I have some people I need to chastize...!

Aw shit...Here we go again...!

//Future Foundation vs The UUV!//

[yangxiaoshorter]

Why Utsuro was the perfect Gintama villain.

(Taken from reddit, with permission from the poster. Posting it here because more Gintama fans need to see it).

Warning: This won't have any manga spoilers, but inevitably, a lot of anime spoilers.

So while most things in Gintama are universally loved by the fans, by comparison, Utsuro seems to be slightly more contraversial. He isn’t hated by any means and most Gintama fans still like him, but there are a few who think he is just a generic overpowered final boss that the show didn’t need. I want to explain why Utsuro is not only great, but the perfect villain for this show. For this I will have to talk about two characters: Utsuro himself of course, and the main character, Sakata Gintoki. Brace yourselves, because we are going to go deep here.

Before I start though let’s just quickly summarize what Utsuro is on the surface though. He is the most powerful being in Gintama. He is the biggest threat that the show had so far. He is an immortal being who is so hard to kill that even he himself has trouble killing himself. On that regard you could compare him to characters like Madara Uchiha from Naruto, or Aizen from Bleach. But that is far from everything that there is to Utsuro as a character. And most of it is because of what Gintoki is as a character.

Sakata Gintoki is one of the strongest main characters you can find. I’m not talking about “blowing up planets” or “cutting through dimensions”. I’m talking about the fact that Gintoki has such a strong personality, beliefs and conviction that almost nothing can shake him. This is partly because of his personality, because of all the suffering he went through (more than anyone else) and of course, Shoyo’s teachings. In a normal Shounen, “Death” is the biggest threat a character can face. But like it was pointed out in Rakuyo arc “Death and Breakfast are equally close to Gintoki”. Gintoki doesn’t fear death. For him it isn’t just “I would sacrifice my life” type of thing like most others. He literally doesn’t fear death. After seeing so much of it death is just another part of life for him. For a man like him, it doesn’t matter how strong a foe is. The worst they can do is kill him, which doesn’t scare him. The only thing that shakes Gintoki is when people around him get hurt, but even then, after overcoming everything in his life, Gintoki now believes that he can protect them no matter what. Even during the few times Gin loses control (like with Jirocho or Oboro) he recovers quiet quickly.

There is something Kamui says to Gintoki in Rakuyo: “You don’t see me when you fight. With Housen and with Shinsuke too. You aren’t fighting the one in front of you. Who is it that you are fighting?” This is the main point of where I’m coming from. No villain, not even his closest friend can shake Gintoki, because when he fights, he fights himself and his own weaknesses, not the opponent in front of him. There can be a lot more that can be said about it but I’m sure most of you know this part so I’m going to keep it brief. So why is Gintoki’s character so strong? Because the “foundation” of his beliefs are so strong that no attack on them can even shake them. So the only way to even shake Gintoki would be to attack that “foundation” itself.

There is a saying that a hero is only as good as their villain. Which is true in most cases, but there is also the opposite: A villain can only be strong if he confronts a strong hero. Otherwise, your audience might start finding the hero they were supposed to root for annoying and start agreeing with the villain, which is the last thing you would want as a storyteller. Now as we established, Gintoki is really strong as a character. He can emphatize with everyones suffering, because he suffered more than any of them. He knows people can come out as a better person after all sufferings because he himself managed it after far worse. That is where Utsuro comes in.

Every aspect of Utsuro’s character is specifically created to challenge Gintoki. His very existence, ideas, his past, his actions… everything about Utsuro is an antithesis for Gintoki. Let me explain what I mean by that because there are a few reasons. First being of course, that he is Yoshida Freaking Shoyo. The man who made Gintoki who he is. Everything Gin is started with this man. While what happened to Shoyo was one of biggest regrets in Gintoki’s life, he still overcame that and mostly made peace with it. He finally accepted (not over night btw. You can literally see it happen throughout the show) that he could forgive himself. That he did his best. That Shoyo would be proud of what he did and does. That was because he knew who Shoyo was. Thanks to his teachings, Gintoki learned to forgive people, people like Takasugi, or himself. But then Utsuro appeared. An embodiment of all of Gintoki’s fears and regrets. For Gintoki, Utsuro was created by one of the biggest regrets in his life. He was literally a walking talking version of everything Gin tried to overcame. Not only that, but Utsuro’s existence also shook one of Gintoki’s core beliefs as a person. That you don’t have to be empty. That you can overcome any pain. Gintoki was baseing those beliefs on his own experience and Shoyo, and throughout the show, he always challenged people who run from pain (like Jiraia, or Takasugi). But now Utsuro’s existence on its own meant that he could be wrong. That the only reason he wasn’t empty was because he didn’t suffer enough. Because even the person he trusted the most could be broken and become empty with enough pain. That is what Utsuro’s existence meant. Everything that gave strength to Gintoki was suddenly shaken by Utsuro’s very existence. It also meant that Gin himself still wasn’t safe. He suddenly started fearing that with enough suffering, he too can become empty again. Become like Utsuro.

If you think that I’m overanalyzing this I want to remind you of the first things Utsuro does when he appears: Literally, before he even appears on screen, the first thing he does is throw a sword at Kagura. Something that would have at least fatally wounded her if Nobume hadn’t pushed her out of the way. Later, he almost stabs Shinpachi on the forehead, who was saved by Sougo at the last second. Then in Silver Soul arc, he almost kills Sadaharu. This is not a coincidence. Who are Kagura, Shinpachi and Sadaharu to Gintoki? They are the Yorozuya. As in, they are the embodiment of everything Gintoki build since he started overcoming his weaknesses. Symbolically and physically, Utsuro was trying to destroy Gintoki from the very beginning.

I also want to give you a few examples on that. First, remember what Sougo says to Gintoki in Silver Soul: “When you confront that man, you lose control and see nothing but that guy. You don’t act like yourself”. Indeed, throughout the show, especially in Silver Soul arc, Utsuro is constantly making Gintoki lose control. There are 3 instances in the show where Gintoki almost “gives up”. First being when he loses his memories, which obviously doesn’t count. Second being in 4 Devas, which was just an act to keep the kids out of trouble. So the only time Gintoki falls into despair and almost gives up is in Silver Soul, when he thinks about how he didn’t make progress even now, right before the Shinsengumi shows up. Again, all these is just shows how much Utsuro gets to him. More than anyone else in the show ever could.

Because Utsuro is not only Shoyo, not only is he everything Gintoki fought to overcome before, but he is a product of the humanity Gintoki always wanted to believe in. He is the monster Gintoki was scared of becoming. Noone can deny the fact that Utsuro has one of the worst pasts in the show. He was tortured again and again. People killed him again and again and no matter how much he wished for it, they didn’t manage to kill him. Which made them fear him even more, which made them hurt him even more. For decades, he was killed, tortured, went through pain that would easily kill anyone else, but he wasn’t even granted the escape that was death. He was stuck in a prison that was the world that didn’t want him. That he didn’t want to be in. Yet he couldn’t escape. The monster that was Utsuro was created by humans. He became Utsuro (Hollow) because of them. And Gintoki understood that. That is why he couldn’t ignore his stance like the other two. For Katsura, Shoyo was dead and he made peace with it, and Utsuro was just a villain threatening his new life. For Takasugi, Utsuro was the one who killed Shoyo. He hated him, but he was just another target for his revenge. But Gintoki understood what Shoyo and Utsuro were more than anyone, and that is why he was affected more than anyone else.

So what does all this have to do with Utsuro? Well as I said, a great villain, especially a final villain, should be able to challenge the hero on every aspect, not just at swinging swords. And Utsuro stood against everything Gintoki stood for. I’m not going to give manga spoilers here, so just going to say that Gintoki has to overcome all his weaknesses, fears and traumas if he wants to truly defeat Utsuro. And Gintoki’s beliefs are important because they make up the core of Gintama’s ideology. Every villain in some way challenges that ideology: Even the likes of Takasugi and Isaburo. However, none of them go against it as clearly as Utsuro does.

So where does Utsuro himself stand in all this: Some people don’t understand his motivation. Saying that it is weird that he would say that he wants to die but then fight people who want to kill him, but while this isn’t the point of the post I’m going to briefly explain that first to avoid misunderstandings:

Utsuro isn’t just an immortal being who wants to die. He also wants to get revenge on everyone. Not just because for the sake of it, but because he wants to proof himself right. He more than anyone knows how deep humanity can go. So if Gintoki fights to proof that humanity is worth saving, Utsuro fights for the opposite. He wants to proof that despair can overcome anyone. That humanity will abondan everything, their believes, their loves, their ideals when they are confronted with a fear that they can’t overcome. Utsuro doesn’t just want to die. He wants to end the humanity that he sees as a curse on everything.

So in the final battle of the war, when he is about to cut Nobume but hesitates, that was the main conflict coming back at him. It wasn’t Shoyo literally coming back as a seperate entity to hold him back. That was symbolizm. He hesitated because everything those people who he was fighting did at that moment, was going against all his core beliefs. They didn’t despair. They didn’t give up. They didn’t leave each other. Even when everything was hopeless, they kept getting back up. If Utsuro was an antithesis for Gin, then Gintoki himself was the same for Utsuro. Utsuro believed that enough suffering could make anyone “hollow”. Yet no matter how much suffering that boy (Gintoki) when through, he didn’t break. He didn’t become hollow. While the story isn’t done yet, this was the main confrontation of Gin and Utsuro’s ideals and this was the first time since FS where Gintoki cleared his mind and truly fought like he always does, fighting for himself instead of fighting to escape, while Utsuro for the first time, lost that secure belief he always had. This was the true triumph for Gintoki over Utsuro. However, after that Utsuro decided to jump into the Altana, because he refused to accept what Gin said. He denied what he was seeing. He still defended that the humanity would destroy himself. That’s why he jumped. He wanted to win that final argument. He wanted to show that with him out of the picture, the humanity would still destroy themselves on their own. And he wasn’t completely wrong either. As in the next two years, people tried to revive him, gain his power and overall almost started another war. It comes down to Gintoki and the others to win that final gamble Utsuro made.

So yeah, I could probably write more but this is way too long already. Basically, Utsuro is not only a powerful, charismatic villain with an amazing voice, but he is the perfect villain to represent the opposite of everything Gintama stands for. He has such a strong backstory, that you can’t help but understand even the worst of his actions. And most importantly, unlike most final villains in other Shounens, he is connected to the main character more than anyone else. He isn’t just a random powerful guy. He is the only person who was closer to Gintoki than Takasugi was. He was the only villain the show could possibly get after Takasugi. That personal connection to Gin and the others is what makes it so compelling too.

I hope this will give some light on what Utsuro represent as a character. This might have been a bit of a mess, and I apologize for that, it was tougher than I expected. Thanks for reading.

[winterbites]

(Major JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime spoiler warning) My review of...

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders and Battle in Egypt (I'm counting them as one whole season but as two parts) is, admittedly, my least favorite season of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. 48 episodes long across the two parts, the show is definitely enjoyable but I personally wouldn't watch it again for anything other than a few cool fights. However, once again showing his viewers just how crazy his work can and will get, Akari makes JoJo's Bizarre Adventure even more bizarre starting with this season. For this review, I'm going going to take both parts into consideration. As usual, I'm going to keep my review as neutral as possible even if Stardust Crusaders isn't a top pick for me.

Unlike its predecessors, Stardust Crusaders has no narrator for the majority of the season, only showing up to speak the occassional thoughts of characters or animals. Akari always keeping things fresh, I think this is good for the show; we're no longer in the past so we don't need a narrator to tell us events as they happen in front of us.

First, I'm going to talk about the new element Akari brings into JoJo's Bizarre Adventure with Stardust Crusaders: Stands. An absolutely badass idea, Akari plays with this new element of the show beautifully. Unlike many other shounen manga/anime, the ability to control a Stand isn't solely about who has the biggest dick energy attack, but instead Akari turns the tables and uses the Stands for strategic battles; this way, it doesn't actually matter who's stronger or weaker, but instead who's smarter (which very much counteracts the art style of buff men quite nicely). Due to the Stands and mental/wit battles instead of physical battles the way it usually is in the shounen genre, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure takes a very unique turn for the better and works incredibly well given the context of the series.

Now lemme tell ya about the intros: I LOVE the both of them, and I'll start with Stand Proud from the first part of the season. So much energy, wonderfully timed visuals and the fantastic 3D-looking 2D animation; there is nothing about this intro that I don't like. It's ranked as my second favorite intro in terms of song choice, is tied for my number one in terms of visuals, and is tied for my favorite in terms of sound effects. The beautifully drawn night sky, the small addition of sketched art, the subtle hints of enemy Stands in the background, and the background constantly changing in such drastic ways are such terrifyingly engaging imagery that it makes me cry tears of happiness. Not to mention the hard to see hint of Dio at the end, only people who are active on-lookers or were shown that he's there at all will see him. I also love that, in the beginning of the intro, you see 5 stars, alluding to our 5 main characters, but then a 6th star appears, which alludes to Holly Joestar still sick in Japan. Also, the physics of Jotaro's chain and shadow is absolutely ravishing, it's little effects like that that really get me going, as well as the gradual breaking of glass at the end of the intro. The entire sequence is a masterpiece by my standards, truly a job well done.

Now, as for the second intro, I don't like it as much as the first one but it's still great in its own right. I adore the mixing of vocals, going from hard rock to the softer sounding male and then mixing them both for a wonderful Ora Ora Ora duet. I lean in towards my computer screen each time I watch the intro because the fast moving visuals are so enrapturing, not to mention you can see subtle changes in the faces of the characters and their body stance between the fast-paced frames. There's even one point where the group is lined up and the beat strikes, quickly switching them out for their Stands before swiftly changing to the next image. I also admire the way the credits are so well integrated into the intro, jumping and spiking along with the enthusiastic beat, emphasizing the song without being in the way. And when Dio uses his ZA WARUDO to stop time during the second version of this intro, I go into orgasmic bliss because it's so awesome; you can even see that piss bucket SMIRK while hearing his soft footfalls and I love it. Once again, there is nothing that I don't love about this intro.

Just like with Phantom Blood, there isn't much I can say about the soundtrack as a whole, but is fantastic in that it reflects the current situation and could easily switch up its beat when a battle turned.

As for the outros, I love Walk Like an Egyptian and its spirited inspiration, beat and vocals (fantastic job by the Bangles). There's no song quite like Walk Like an Egyptian so it's always a win in my book whenever it's used, especially in such a fitting case. I don't really like the second outro because, unlike every other intro/outro of the series, Last Train Home is a more somber or melancholy song, which doesn't really fit the show in my opinion. It's certainly a nice sounding song, but I'm just not crazy about it.

As for the characters, while I don't like them as much as other characters from other seasons, they certainly aren't bad either; we even get to see character development throughout both parts. Some characters become more mature, more level-headed and smarter with situations, and each person is internally unique as exemplified by their Stand. Some were more likable than others but, in general, the cast was pretty damn cool.

Now that I'm done gushing about all the things I love about this season, I'm gonna gush about the things that made me dislike this season more than the others, and I'm gonna start with the female side character Anne. This girl... did absolutely nothing throughout the show. In her defense, she didn't get in the way of the characters, but she didn't do anything for them either. She was even dropped out of the group halfway through the first part of the season, being inconsequential the whole way through. There was also some kind of weird sexualization going about her too: her age is never stated but she's definitely prepubescent (given the dialogue, she's probably 11 or 12 years old) but she had the body of a teenager and fawned over Jotaro. Once again in her defense, young girls fantasizing about older men (I personally enjoy the company of older men as they tend to be financially stable and more responsible) and having more developed bodies compared to their peers isn't odd at all; instead, it's actually very normal and healthy. However, Jotaro is 17, which is a lot older and, generally, the older the man (or woman) is the weirder it gets.

Speaking of sexualizing little girls, I want to turn attention to the Strength Stand user orangutan, Forever. This literal animal had the hots for Anne, and tried to do stuff to her that I can only describe as attempted rape, so that was a thing. Obviously, that's some fucked up shit that wasn't actually necessary to the story since Jotaro found out about Forever anyway and beat the shit out of him.

Next is, once again, Dio's motives. I love Dio, I really do, but he's just not that much of a well-explained character. His goal is explicitly stated this time around: he wants to rule the world. Fantastic, but WHY does he want to rule it? Who knows, it's never said why.

My next problem is with the villains of the show, they all seemed the same and reused to me. While each Stand (expect for two that did legit the exact same thing of stealing souls and putting them into objects) was unique given the user, whenever they were defeated they did one of two things: they either begged for forgiveness, which would always result in getting the snot beat out of them, or they swore their absolute loyalty to Dio (less of them did this) and died. Some of them would run away, but all of them (save for two Stand Users) never made another appearance, so most of them were just throw away characters.

Finally, my biggest problem is with Iggy, the last party member in our group of main characters who showed up at the beginning of Battle in Egypt. I know Akari wanted to make an animal Stand user to be a part of the cast and I know that Iggy was dragged out to Egypt against his will, but that doesn't make him any less of an infuriating character. For nearly the entire season, I absolutely hated Iggy: he was more useless than Anne as he intentionally turned his head the other way when the group was in trouble and/or DYING, he tried to sell Jotaro out to save his own skin as soon as he was introduced, and he had the absolute worst ambition of any of the characters in that he basically just wanted to be a pimp. After getting fucking up by an avian Stand user that totally should have won the fight (the finishing icicle appeared so much more slowly than all the other volleys, plot armor truly is invincible) and getting his leg dismembered, Iggy finally stepped up to the plate that he probably should have been on to begin with and earned my respect. Seriously, why would you so eagerly make an animal Stand user only to not use him for the entire show and then kill him off when he's barely shown what he can do? It makes no sense and it's so frustrating.

However, Akari truly has magic hands because as soon as Iggy actually started doing something, he immediately became a badass in my book and I cried another river to his death.

Speaking of deaths, just as a side note, why kill Avdol, bring him back, only to kill him again? As I understand it, Akari killed off Avdol the first time around but then realized that if he was going to kill a main character, he should probably make that character more important. But then Avdol died again and his death still felt insignificant. A good opportunity to learn on Akari's part, but I feel like bringing Avdol back to life didn't make much sense either.

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #154

The Sports Tournament Arc has come to a close (watch me eat my words), and while things may not have ended in the most spectacular or dramatic fashion, it does offer a healthy dose of retrospection after the flurry of emotions we’ve undergone during this whole thing. Tomoko’s world may be winding down for the moment, but as we all know, that just sets the pace for things to spring right back up. 

Chapter 154: Because I’m Not Popular, The Sports Tournament Will End

Watamote has always been relatively good at picking apart what it means to be female, and acknowledging their habit for casual grooming is just one of those times. But where this series shines is that it neither advocates or condemns stereotypical female behavior. Its stance has always been, “it is what it is,” and the reader is open to make their own opinions on that.

Well, I never expected them to win, honestly speaking. This ain’t no shounen sports manga after all, where the underdogs make a dubious comeback thanks to Nakama Power™. The obligatory homosexual subtext was there, though.  

Yeeeah, one of Yuri’s biggest flaws is that it takes her some time to admit, or even recognize her own responsibilities. Naturally, that includes pointing out other’s faults before her own. That being said...

Is Yuri being Bitchy or Awkward? An Analysis to Come in A Couple More Pages.

Tomoko, being the one to slightly raise up everyone else’s spirits? I’d be more shocked if her growth didn’t already make that actually kind of plausible.

This right here is the single coolest girl in the entire manga.

Side note: Komi’s rekt face is sublime. 

That hit had so much force, it burst through the panel borders. For once, poor Minami.

I see friendships all over the place.

In spite of (or perhaps because of) Komiyama’s overzealous nature, she can also be hit pretty hard with a sense of shame when her efforts prove fruitless. Maybe Itou plays the role of the “Lift Their Spirits” Friend in times like this.

At least the other girls are also taking their defeat in stride. Although, Minami seems particularly down for once. Perhaps she surprisingly feels some disappointment over their loss.,,

....or maybe she just feels jaded watching Mike and her Boyfriend make kissy-face. 

The thing about Kiyota is that he doesn’t seem like an especially capable guy. But from what we’ve seen, the dude’s got a pretty agreeable personality that sort of just makes it easier for people to follow him. It’s the same reason why he became the class representative. Kiyota may not be at the top of the class in any way (that we know of), but his likability makes him a natural leader.

Of course, his true friends will still give him hella shit for it.

Like many loners with self-esteem issues, no one cares about winning until they actually start winning.

Hey, hey, hey! It seems that the disastrous fallout between Tomoko and Ucchi didn’t the stop the latter from making good on her claim to cheer Tomoko on. We don’t know if the Emoji Gang ever intervened after those events, but if Ucchi still has the nerve(cluelessness) to cheer the girl she berated, that can only be a good sign.

It’s kind of weird seeing Hirasawa next to her though, considered how Ucchi cut her down that one time. Long-term grudges do not exist unless you’re Tomoko.

Fuuka, eh? The gap between a character’s first major appearance and their revealed name gets smaller each time.  

So these two are close friends, I see. They certainly give off those “alpha girl’ airs, but not in an unapproachable way. Contrary to what Western media has fed me, bitchy queen bees aren’t actually that popular. 

I’m sure many a shipper thinks that Katou chose table tennis to be with Tomoko, but I don’t that’s the only reason. It could just as well be that she’s into the sport. For the longest time, Katou’s personality has increasingly contrasted with her appearance. On the surface, she looks like the stereotypical beauty whose friendly, girly, and is super popular. But underneath, she’s also rather unaware, possibly perverted, not actually that good with makeup, and frankly, a bit of a weirdo. She’s all full of surprises, and it honestly makes her feel more human.

That was probably not her intent, but a mini party is definitely more up Tomoko’s alley. She just barely made it through the KBBQ party after all, and while Tomoko would’ve probably made it through another large-scale party even easier, small get-togethers are the introvert’s bee’s knees.  

It’s still hard to get a read on Futaki’s sociability, but she seems like a middle-of-the-road case as far as we’ve seen.

Yuri using Tomoko as a support beam is way within my expectations of her. It hasn’t steered too far into the Unhealthy Zone (yet), but I do enjoy that Tomoko’s simple company is all Yuri really needs to enjoy herself.  

Introvert Problems #092: Preoccupying yourself with your beverage to break the awkward silence without realizing the social cue of waiting to clink glasses before drinking. 

Smooth move, me Tomoko.

Good taste, my girl. Very good taste.

I love how the artistic license in this series is played completely straight. Girls with cat smiles are a dime-a-dozen in manga, but it’s usually a visualization only apparent to the readers. But not here. Emoji eyes and a feline grin are just as ludicrous in-universe as it is to us.

Yeah...I have no idea what to make of this. Guess Yuri has her own weird quirks, after all. What makes it extra funny is when you remember that Tomoko is strangely good at cutting things. Ironic humor at its finest.

Harking back to what I said about Katou being full of surprises, it’s easy to judge Katou sorely on her appearance, given how much more refined she looks next to the other “plain" girls. But when you look beyond what’s skin deep, Katou actually has more similarities to Tomoko than she let on. Being decently athletic, but not sporty; having a high tolerance for perversion, and socially naive at times. Katou’s affection for Tomoko had always felt out-of-place when we didn’t know her personality too well. But now that we’ve gotten a good look at it, her budding friendship with Tomoko feels all the more authentic.

Being the Nucleus Friend is never easy, Tomoko. 

Ah, Tomoko, regrets are natural. One of the more informed aspects about Tomoko is that she doesn’t dwell on the past too much. Her episodes of cringe hardly have everlasting negative effects on her personality, and the only times she does dwell are when she comes to terms with the mistakes she’s made. The twist now is that Tomoko puts a positive spin on it this time. Instead of bemoaning how she did something bad, she now reflects on how she could have done something good. It’s a layer of positive reinforcement that I think Tomoko has truly benefited from.  

Futaki coming through with the Nakama Speech™. It’s a pretty good one, too. Not heavy-handed or overly sentimental, but it’s from a place of earnestness that many can appreciate.

And I just realized that Futaki has been going through a quiet development from being a single-player gamer to multi-player gamer. Damn, that was slick, Nico Tanigawa.    

Hey now, those Spot the Difference games are totally legitimate critical thinking exercises.

It’s easy to think from first glance that Yuri is being purposely insensitive by the way she’s ignoring such a heartwarming speech, but I don’t think that’s really the case. It’s not that she doesn’t care about it, it just that those dining table games are too damn engaging for her introverted mind to resist. Yuri’s personality is a lot of things, but a lack of empathy is not one of them. 

Even though that’s true, it sounds vaguely hypocritical coming from you, Tomoko.

As I thought, Mako the Mom is also Mako the Enabler. 

Is Yuri Being Bitchy or Awkward?

Neither. She’s being a weirdo.

We all know by now that Yuri’s no sheep. She’s not going to pretend she’s something she’s not just to reciprocate the mood. But at the same time, she’s aware enough to adjust herself in situations where just doing anything she wants would be potentially hurtful. Of course, that’s only when she realizes she’s being hurtful. And there’ve been a number of times where she failed at that. Yuri’s behavior is very much circumstantial, and in cases where she’s expected to fit in with the crowd, she can be bitchy, awkward, or neither based on how well she can read the atmosphere. 

And that, my friends, is why Yuri’s a weirdo.

I don’t know about that, Tomoko. As absurd as her face and gaming skills are, Futaki’s personality has always seemed fairly normal to me.

Don’t judge an emoji by its emoji.

You may laugh at their apparent difficulty at finding them all, but I read up that these specific Spot the Difference games are a reference to the ones they have in Saizeriya restaurants, which are known for being notoriously tough. (Seriously, a dude called up the manufacturer because he couldn’t find the last one). Thanks as always, /r/watamote!

Eat your words, Tomoko! Just because you have more friends now, that doesn’t mean you’re hot shit and too good for “childish” games. Not that I can blame her too much, though. It’s understandable that Tomoko feels there are certain social conventions that come with increased popularity. But if there’s one thing that Tomoko still has to realize, it’s that popularity doesn’t equal maturity. No matter how high you are on the food chain, doing dumb kiddie stuff is present all across the board. 

Didn’t I tell you that, “Not that I care” was going to be this series’ tsundere line? 

When you think about it, Yuri’s come a long way from how she was at the start. At the end of second year, she lamented that her new friends might drift away from her. Compare that to now, where she’s actually more optimistic about her relationships. Sure, the fact that they’re now in the same class is the key difference, but the sentiment is still there, and feels a lot more impactful given that Yuri has never really been this open about her feelings. 

That’s what happens when you get the last word in.

As with most of these arcs, it’s the journey rather than the end that has the most impact on our characters. For some, like Ucchi and Yuri, it was a major game-changer in their relationships with Tomoko. For others, like Itou and Hirasawa, it was an exploration of what made them the way they are. And then there’s Tomoko, still fumbling around with a degree of popularity she was never fully prepared for. 

But for everyone, it was all about trying. Trying something new, putting in the extra effort, and reaching out to others. While the results were kind of a mixed bag, nearly everyone came out of this tournament with some form of victory.

[probabltbry]

Carole & Tuesday [Rants/My Opinion/Controversy]

THIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE, PLEASE SKIM IT AT LEAST (T.T).

This is very different than what I usually post and I want to begin by saying that I may not have all of the facts! I am basing this on what I’ve seen other people say on this site (and others) and fact checking. I am open to learning and understanding more, and I will read any and all comments (if this post gets any lol). If this changes anything, I am making this post through the lense of a black bisexual female, so my view on things may be different. :)

I try to keep this spoiler free in general, but since I’m going to talk about characters and episodes that have released that’s a little impossible, so I will warn you if there are any spoilers in the section I discuss. I want people who haven’t seen the anime to get a taste of what it is! 

In this long post I will touch on the following; LGBT+ representation, POC representation, exposure of the anime(streaming and where to find it), the community/fandom of C&T, Cybelle????!!, and other characters. Remember- this is my opinion and that is always subject to change.

For those of you who don’t know about Carole & Tuesday, it’s a Spring 2019 anime directed by Shinichiro Watanbe in association with the popular Bones studio. Shinichiro is well known for his other successful series such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloos and Space Dandy and Bones studio has produced many popular animes like Noragami, Soul Eater and Ouran High School Host Club, etc. [Fun fact, Cowboy Bebop and Carole & Tuesday are said to be set in the same universe and I died when I heard this.]

The plot of Carole & Tuesday, as provided by wiki is:

Set in the future on a partially terraformed Mars, teenager Tuesday Simmons runs away from her posh lifestyle as the daughter of a politician and makes her way to the populous Alba City to pursue her dream of being a musician with just a suitcase and her Gibsonacoustic guitar. On her first day in the city, she crosses paths with Carole Stanley, another aspiring musician who plays the piano, and the two decide to team up as a singer-songwriter duo under the name Carole & Tuesday.

Where can I find this? Why haven’t I heard of it?

I actually discovered Carole & Tuesday through google since I was looking at new and upcoming animes for the Spring and Summer of 2019. Sadly, the website I used show that Carole & Tuesday was an anime many people weren’t looking forward too- but that was only a handful of votes. Personally, I had been super ecstatic since, just from the promo poster, I assumed Carole and Tuesday would possibly be a couple, there’s a person of color as a main protaganist, and they’re both SUPER CUTE. This all made me happy beyond words. 

As of now, Carole & Tuesday should only be available on Japan Netflix. Japanese viewers tend to prefer weekly released episodes whereas Americans prefer to binge shows. I am assuming that once the show has completed airing in Japan (there are going to be 24 episodes) it will appear on other Netflixs around the world. 

I believe that’s why the promo for it has been severely lacking and the fanbase appears non-existant. The fandom is there, if you squint (which is why I’m surprised there’s already controversy). The fact that I had to look through a list on an unknown website and scroll to the bottom to find this anime is very showing of how unknown this anime is.

I also saw a post comparing Yuri!!! On Ice to Carole & Tuesday and I personally believe that OP took the wrong approach. I forgot the posters name (I will edit and tag if I find it again) but the post said something along theses lines; YOI is so popular because it’s a mlm show whereas C&T isn’t nearly as popular because it’s a wlw relationship with poc. 

While this can prove to be true in the future, there are some major differences that were overlooked. I was into the YOI hype when it was first released but it didn’t truly become popular until Yuri and Viktor were canon and everyone was speculating whether it was a kiss or a hug, etc. Yuri!!! On Ice is also a relationship with a person of color, Yuri, and the anime was also supported by Crunchyroll, a major streaming service for Americans/others. It has had two years to become popular, grow and this is one of the very few animes that had positive lgbt+ representation since the relationship grew just as normally as any other type of relationship. It also wasn’t labeled a yaoi/shounen ai (though this sadly didn’t stop the fetishization of the characters and No.6 did it first but let’s move on-). It felt like a big step in the anime lgbt+ community and it won’t be forgotten! 

Carole & Tuesday has just started off! Not much promotion is being shown in other countries outside of Japan and the first episode premiered in early April this year. I believe it’s harsh to compare C&T to such a popular anime when it’s literally just begun. It’s also exclusively on Netflix (besides pirating sites) so there is a little foreseeable loss since it won’t be available on Crunchyroll. But despite that I know there’s hope! Though mlm couples tend to be more popularly viewed, and any pairing that doesn’t have completely white/asian/white-presenting people in the relationship they tend to not garner much interests, but I don’t think C&T will fall into that pit. There’s simply not much promotion of it yet but it still has defied odds and has a fanbase with people from many different countries already!

Though I do see the OP’s point and concerns and they have facts on their side (look at fandometrics popular characters/couples, they’re mostly male) I think it’s too soon to point fingers.

Just imagine how large it’ll get when it has proper streaming (because many people do choose not to pirate in order to directly support the anime and it’s creators!). I think this is where our patience comes into play because if you have seen Carole & Tuesday already, you are most likely not using the most legal means. We are all early to the party.

LGBT+ and POC Representation (spoilers in part of this section, read first line):

I will say this, and this will only be the only spoiler free line, I think it has decent lgbt+ representation and that there’s more to unfold. If you’re going to watch exclusively for lgbt+ representation then I don’t think you will be too disappointed but the anime has a ways to go before it’s finished so my opinion can change.

But the most recent episodes and commentary has caused a ripple in viewers beliefs.

Anne and Marie 

I literally adored when Marie kissed Anne whilst Carole and Tuesday sat there blushing. Then, Marie was careful to ask if either of them had a boyfriend or girlfriend not assuming C or T’s sexualities at all. This happened on in an early episode so this left me to believe that more casual representation was on the way!

Cybelle

This was where it began to become uncomfortable for me and a few others. I actually couldn’t figure out whether Cybelle was a female, male or left to be ambiguous intentional (I just concluded she was non-binary until they used she/her pronouns). But many people concluded that since it was clear Cybelle was a female with an infatuation (not a crush, an infatuation) on Tuesday people simply labeled her as lesbian. A few are labeling her interactions with Tuesday and Carole as a harmful and negative commonly used trope when involving wlw characters.

Cybelle was being creepy and aggressive towards Tuesday, constantly touching her abruptly and without consent and going as far as biting Tuesday’s neck and leaving a mark. Actions like these feed into the trope that is commonly used in anime/television shows and it actually demeans real lesbian couples. It’s like a scapegoat; saying ‘here’s your rep’ but it’s very, very, very bad rep.

The controversy comes in since there are people defending Cybelle’s actions because she’s a girl, and people are literally calling others ‘homophobic’ because they choose not to ship Cybelle and Tuesday despite their ‘canon interactions’ but they still want Carole and Tuesday to become a couple.

My personal stance is that none of Cybelle’s actions were consensual and I will never want her and Tuesday to become a couple. I think the creators fed into a bad trope (I’m not sure if intentionally or not), and the real only development we got from this was Tuesday learning to stick up for herself. I also think that Cybelle is simply a crazed fan who is not in a sound mental state and that her gender may not necessarily play into this; maybe she was meant to just be an aggressive fan that overstepped boundaries and made people uncomfortable and just happened to be female. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be representation and should not be labeled as such.

But these are just thoughts!

Mermaid Sisters - Galatic Mermaid  

I was personally pleased that the Mermaid Sisters blatantly said they weren’t male or female, just like mermaids aren’t fish or human. Non-binary representation is my fucking jam!

But there are worries that this group was used as a comedic affect due to the way the characters were dressed and how they presented themselves, and the fact that they were POC who were interrupted, immediately lost and were shown to be aggressive directly after. 

When I first viewed this I was more focused on the fact that they were non-binary, had amazing voices and had sang a song that was clearly not the most appropriate for Mars Brightest. Now I understand that how there were presented can be damaging and as a person of color, I am disappointed but I’m still conflicted. This scene caused people to ‘cancel’ the show and they’re trying to discourage others to not view it but I want to watch until the very end.

Overall I am super happy with the POC representation in the show! Especially since various races and skin tones are show quite frequently.

Dahlia

The same can be said about Dahlia. People feared the a negative trope of transgender females was being displayed though it’s stated that Dahlia is currently male but their sex varies from time to time, on the official website!

The Community/Fandom

Honestly besides the few odd balls who stir the pot and clearly use harsh words when not needed, the fandom is chill. The artworks are sooo cute and a little scarce but you can find Carole and Tuesday content here, on twitter, on YouTube, Deviantart- literally where you would find any other fanbase! Most people are friendly and (NEED) are willing to talk with you! If you’re still hesitant to watch just message someone who constantly tags Carole & Tuesday because I assure, they’re dying to rant to someone about what goes on lol.

Here’s my last little tid bit on whether or not to watch!

You should watch this show because you want to. Don’t do it because someone else keeps saying you have to because it has representation, or because they think Pyotr is hot or whatever. Of course I am the biggest hoe for Carole & Tuesday and if someone wants a new anime to watch I will suggest this one!! But!! Watching a show just because you feel you have to and you have no genuine interests will dull the experience! You should watch and support the show if it makes you laugh, feel love and genuine enjoyment. That’s the point of anime and that is definitely the point of Carole & Tuesday. 

I have already seen so many people drop the show because they were forced into it and promised things that weren’t delivered (it’s still early on) and then they bad mouth the anime. If you want to start watching when there’s more hype and a fandom, then wait!! If you’re unsure and want more convincing, message me!! If this doesn’t seem like this anime suits your tastes and, then why did you read this far (kidding)?!!! Regardless, I just want everyone to have a good experience when watching so we can have more good vibes all around.

I would definitely give this anime a shot if you love music, beautiful voices, dancing, poc/lgbt+ rep, suspense and just amazing animation all around, though! It’s has a baby fandom but it’s surely going to grow and I can’t wait to see the outcome of the anime and what becomes of our lovely Carole and Tuesday! <3 

I’m also in love with Roddy, just look at him~ | I’m still not super fond of Angela but I am wishing her the best to achieve happiness in the end!

[sparda3g]

Sparda’s Lounge: My Tale of Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail. Ah yes, Fairy Tail. The series was going on for over ten years. It has ended with a total of 545 chapters. It was…some journey that I have embarked, but now, I am closing this chapter of my life; well, at least for the manga. Looking back at it, I often wonder: was it worth it? Did it become something I despise? Or was it just a rocky road? I decided to look back and evaluate my personal journey with the series to decide my outcome.

This is My Tale of Fairy Tail.

The Beginning

As far back I can remember, the debut of Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail brought in the first image that was posted over the web. It was the chapter cover page and it was at that moment that got everyone saying, “What a One Piece rip-off!” Even now, it does color the picture of being awfully familiar with its designs. It took me a while before I realized that it was the same creator of Rave Master, so it quickly got me remembering the artwork. It does resemble it but it still puts me off to think it is One Piece; only with magic, instead of pirates.

I didn’t consider reading the series, that is, until a friend recommended me to try out the anime around 2010. I didn’t read it beforehand, but I decided to give the anime a try. I have to admit, I do like the opening a lot when I first started. Before I know it, I was engaged with the anime. It was amusing with its presentation, action, and characters. If I remember correctly, the latest episode was during Tower of Heaven Arc, but then, I wanted more.

I decided to read the manga and at that time, it was nearly at the end of Edolas Arc, so there were a lot of materials to read from where the anime was at. Sure enough, I caught up to the latest chapter within a week and I was glad to be part of it. I discussed with my friends and people at forums about how fun it was to watch and read. I still continue to watch the anime for more Fairy Tail goodness, even when I know what happens next.

What I liked about the series

So what did I like about this series to begin with? For starters, the premise is fun. It’s about a fictional world that is surrounded with magical entity, including beasts, magic users, and dragons. Fairy Tail is a guild that would essentially be the home for the audience to live and have fun. It’s not the most original premise, but it doesn’t have to be. All it wants to explore is the fun journey of these characters as well as exploring many new encounters with magical creativity. Early on, it was like taking on missions pasted on the wall, like a Role-Playing Game.

There are plenty of arcs, including mini ones, and many of which has its own story to tell. Not to mention, its own entertainment; whether you laugh or cry, it has a good amount of moments to share. It also gives us more time to explore these characters in-depth, including in combat skill.

It does have a main story and that one was going well with the theme and premise. It was interesting to learn more about dragons and one that is particularity threatening. It gave me a reason to care more about these characters and I already was enjoying the early stage, so I cared a lot.

The characters, at first impression, were pretty good. I actually liked Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and even Erza. I thought they share a fun chemistry together. They have their own backstory and I thought they were interesting. Each of them has their own unique skills to fill in for varieties of entertainment. One uses fire, one summons spirits, and so on. Sure, they weren’t original, especially Natsu, but with the premise, theme, and the target audience, it fits fine with these character traits.

Of course, there are other characters, including like Gajeel and Juvia. They have nice chemistry especially with their interactions, fun personalities even if some could have done differently but it is manga so what can I do, and all around entertaining and charismatic. The pairings aren’t too shabby as well. It’s actually more of a stronger perk that I tend to see fans going wild over them. Admittedly so, I enjoyed the sight of its moment and because it was around the time where I needed a break from horrific sights of love triangle war, this was a relaxation that I needed.

The action was pretty damn cool; though perhaps benefit a lot towards the anime. In the manga, it was still good.True, it can be said for plenty of anime in general, but I tend to think it’s like Bleach, where the anime could fix or to be precise “excuse” the problem because it’s entertaining, in a short run. After that, you can still find the fault but at least you got some joy.

The use of magic is pretty neat. The creativity was at times pretty impressive. When it comes to elements, it’s standard but acceptable design use. Anything else, it can be amusing to see what Mashima can come up with it. All in all, it brings the good time with its spectacle.

The artwork did look similar to Mashima’s older creation, but it does change around Edolas Arc, at least from what I can remember. I don’t recall disliking the older artwork, but it does feel a bit odd now. Look at Happy, my God. It looks like his head is about to fly off from his body. After the apparent change, it’s pretty good and solid enough to justify its own universe.

The art can be pretty to look at. It captured the essence of a magical world with its really good details. The action sequences are often easy to read through; never had a hard time to follow. The characters can look fierce when they needed to be. They can be delightful as well. The character model is pretty good for Shounen standard. Bonus: the body tone is fan service friendly…We’ll get to that soon…

When it became disappointing and lackluster

It felt like everything was going to be fine. It’s not flawless no doubt about it, but there wasn’t any significant flaw that could hinder it heavily. So…at what point did I feel like it starts to go downhill? Oddly enough, it was during Edolas Arc that I begin to feel a bit unsettling with the direction.

I don’t think the arc was bad, but there are signs that the series may begin to falter in a much clearer state than before and soon enough, the fans would begin to hate it. Granted, I did enjoy the Tenrou Island Arc, so I didn’t have any real complaint outside some of the obvious ones. It also introduced plenty of main plot threads that would carry out to the end. It just so happened to be the last straw before it exposes itself. Grand Magic Games Arc was pretty disappointing and some of the old elements that worked fine before repeat here; only it already has become tiresome.

Erza’s character in battle mode has gotten too predictable but most importantly absurd. The battle sequence usually involves her struggling in a nearly equal fair, only for her to bounce back and win. It doesn’t sound too bad; unfortunately, this pattern will continue on for the rest of the series. What makes it weak is her speech tends to be repetition on friendship and it really doesn’t send a good feel anymore. Even with different wording, it still factors the same thing.

The most harmful aspect is the sequences of how she will triumph. Earlier on, I was rooting for her to overcome with logical attribute that she has to work with. She became Superman in a stereotypical sense; meaning she can’t lose and she easily overcome the odds in a more illogical approach, even when based on magic. There’s no real tension for her and it gets boring.

Natsu, while not as bad, has the formulaic battle sequence in his arsenal. Therefore, you would know how it will play out before it even starts; it’s the matter of how. While he does share some of the similarity from Erza, his fighting stance doesn’t feel as annoying for whatever reason. He does have friendship speech in its typical glory, but it doesn’t trouble me that much. However, the main drawback is that he’s the protagonist, and his battle often involved with the boss of the arc. When there’s teamwork, it’s perfectly fine. Otherwise, it barely feels any exciting.

Some of the other characters are fine in their respective battle, though some are faltered by the spotlight being stolen by the main characters. In all fairness, Lucy and Gray are fine with their combat, seeing it’s more reasonable for their victory. It’s the other two that gets the most out of it and it can lead to disappointing result.

When Erza gets into a battle, I become disinterested almost immediate. It has gotten pretty redundant by the time when she fought two opponents at once while she was weakened enough to be defeated. The redundancy does carry forward all the way to the end. It’s like Mashima was afraid to change up the formula of a hero going against a villain. It is a Shounen formula, sure, but even some series changed up the formula to create the thrill once more.

At Grand Magic Games Arc, everything has gotten too predictable. Deus Ex Machina or way over the top moment has been present before, but it began to use in a much larger magnitude. I can buy that Erza has plenty of armor to use, but moments like still engaging in combat without all senses was going too far. Even Happy practically summed up her character in battle. Because of it, it lost any momentum that it was garnering.

The art is still pretty solid; however, Mashima has increased the fan service, by the way I am referring to perverted moments, tenfold. I remember vividly that fan service wasn’t that apparent back in the earlier chapters; around the starting point to be exact. I get that it is normal to have those moments in any of the manga, but the amount of use is incredibly high.

The main gripe is that it’s distracting. I can’t take the moment serious when there’s something perverted being displayed. Mashima would find any opportunity to show off their skins, even during a crucial moment. Again, I understand that it does happen, but why start now and why so many of them. It’s not that series was dark and serious, but it wasn’t going that far with explicitly.

Arguably the main problem is the payoff. Many elements were interesting to follow, including Zeref, one of the main antagonists. However, when it comes to the endgame, it not only doesn’t live up to the hype, but leaves an underwhelming reward. It’s most effective towards the character, villain or not. He gets hyped, later gets utterly defeated. He gets hyped, later gets utterly defeated. It happened to many characters and they barely leave any strong impression.

Because of those recurring problems, it affected the final arc of the series, and that’s very disappointing. While there are some fun moments, the battle portion is lackluster for the most past. The rest of the said problems are also present and it was the last thing I needed from this arc. It’s the same setup, same speech, and same outcome without anything that differs itself. The final battle is disappointing, though admittedly, I enjoyed one aspect of it. The point is the final arc didn’t feel final, rather another arc to deal with before going to the next one; only this one is the last.

By this point, the hate for this series was known through the forums and I thought to myself, “Am I going to be that guy?” I have come across other series that suffered this fate, and while it’s nothing new, it feels like the hatred screams the loudest. After a long journey, what are my thoughts on Fairy Tail?

…In the end, I thought it is a fine series.

Why don’t I hate it as much as people in Internet are portraying

Truth be told, I find it strange that I didn’t end up hating it or disliking it. Does that mean I like it? Well, let’s just say I’m fine with it. I don’t have any collection based on it or anything to protect the name. I have no problems with people hating it or even loving it. I have no need to protect this franchise for my benefit. So why don’t I hate it?

I guess after other series of letdown, this series does carry one part well: consistency. When it comes to battle portion, it is anything goes and formulaic. In a way, I kind of wish we didn’t have any battle. In fact, I think the real positive perk is the characters.

It’s not like they’re so original or anything. It’s just that I enjoyed their developments and they didn’t come across as someone who betrayed themselves. If anything, they remained consistent; whether it’s their personal or pairing developments. Consistency doesn’t make the character good, just easier to follow, but the good part is the journey of each one. Even the ending seems to agree with me. It’s as if Mashima enjoyed that aspect the most, more than anything.

The story, while it does have letdown results, is rather consistent; for the most part. I am more troubled with the action and under-delivered payoff of its battle and at times, story progression. That said I at least could follow and found myself interested, rather than giving up near the end and just finish the series just because.  I wanted to know how these characters would end up at. I wanted to know the background of its world. Again, it’s not original or amazing, but it got my attention. Also, it didn’t take itself so serious, so the damage wasn’t that severe.

I would have like a slice of life with the characters over action since it was continuously slacking as the series progresses further. I know that’s not everyone’s preference; it’s just me thinking that maybe it could have gone better; though the length has to cut short. So…was the hate heavily exaggerated?

Despite that it’s a subjective topic I sort of bought in that it was the most hated series, like ever. That was a long time ago, however. It’s just the ground that I have to deal with and while they’re not right, they’re not wrong. It’s just an opinion and the amount of hate appeared to be everywhere, but perhaps not. It’s hard to determine the actual count of fans. Hell, I was expecting the video content to be hated like the one that I have seen.

Maybe we are just in the minority. Japan seems to like it just fine. Mashima was even voted as the 9th favorite mangaka in the recent poll. It’s true that it doesn’t determine much, but again, it’s not easy to begin with. If you are in one place, it’s not everything. I tend to think that Mashima created this series simple because well, it works with the mass audience; even if some of us have problems with it. Black Clover Yuuki Tabata has stated that the fans like the easier-to-understand main character and sure enough, it’s a success.

Maybe Mashima did this simply because it’s easier to grasp and maybe the formula is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s not to excuse his writing; I’m only saying from another perspective view. If anything, I think the series overstay its welcome. The formula and other parts did get stale, so if it had ended earlier, it wouldn’t get this much of negativity.

Closing Words

In the end, I don’t find it awful. I can’t really say it’s good. I can say it is fine. Would I recommend it? No, but I don’t find myself frustrated with the time I spent. I enjoyed it, for better or worse. I will check out Mashima’s next work; just going in with lower expectations than the last. The series is over, but the family will forever live on.