#mtoto

[pupsandartwork]

Mtoto and kambuni

[pupsandartwork]

Mtoto and his mom

[jazzdailyblog]

Julian Priester: A Trailblazing Trombonist Shaping the Sound of Jazz

Introduction: Some jazz musicians are particularly gifted at pushing boundaries, redefining genres, and making a profound impact on the musical landscape. Julian Priester, a trombonist and composer, is unquestionably one such musician. From his early collaborations with legendary figures like Sun Ra and Max Roach to his groundbreaking solo work, Priester’s contributions have affected the growth…

[mask-of-prime]

TLG: Battle for the Pridelands Sketches

To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of one of my favorite episodes of TLG, I decided to do some sketches of some takeaways I had during a rewatch of the episode:

1. Wema, Tunu, Dogo, and Kijana aged up to how old I think they'd be around the time of the episode. Why were they not aged up?? Kiara, Tiifu, Zuri, and Mtoto were given some specific age models only used in this episode, why not the Outlander kids? I feel the jackals would be the equivalent to 12 years old by this time, while Wema and Tunu would be like 8-year-old kids.

2. I've heard people ask where the zebras and baboons were during the final battle, and for a while I was like "Yeah aren't they significant recurring characters? Where even were they in the Pridelands Army arc of Season 2?", but THEN it dawned on me: Baboon. Zebra. Cavalry. When watching the scene where everyone charges to the Outlands, I saw the galagos riding the sable antelope and went "haha like horses, that'd be funny if it was with zebras because equines", then I was like "baboons would probably be like humans while riding zebras" and I was just "WAIT IS THAT WHY PEOPLE WANTED THOSE ANIMALS IN THIS EPISODE". So here we are, Big Baboon and Thurston team up to surprise the Outlanders (and even the Pridelanders) by doing what they do best -- throwing fruit and panicking and running, respectively.

3. A sketch of this sudden visual I got during Ushari and Scar's conversation where Scar promised that Ushari and the rest of the reptiles would have whatever's left of the ravaged Pridelands. I instantly imagined the Pridelands becoming this unrecognizable wasteland ideal only for heat-seeking reptiles after the disastrous volcanic eruption Scar had in mind. The environment would be a tad like something out of the Mesozoic era.

4. One of my favorite aspects of this episode: The famous important-as-hell-but-vaguely-presented lore drop of the Strange Lion's (actually pretty ambiguous) existence as well as his actions accelerating Scar's entitlement and envy of Mufasa (which would kickstart the very premise of the first movie and the franchise as we know it). I love this guy's design for the same reason I love Zira's -- it's just so consistent in shapes and colors that all match with each other.

5. I find it funny that in order to not interfere with the events of TLK 2, TLG just decided to have it so the Outsiders would be completely out of the loop of the fact that Scar's spirit returned. It could easily be explained that Scar kept Zira out of it on purpose, or that he didn't know (and possibly didn't care) that she was still around. I have to think that the Outsiders don't live too far from the Outlands Volcano, so they've had to have heard some commotion and wonder what on earth could be going on. Looks like Zira's fanatic spiritual connection with her beloved Scar can apparently be heard by her peers.

[marcishaun]

Luna jumps when the lights flicker & the temperature drops.

Luna: What is that!? Olive: Don't worry, mtoto. The house is just old. Nyon: Ugh, I hate this! This house is totally haunted, mom. Olive: Don't be ridiculous. Haunted by who? Nyon: [quietly under his breath] You know who...

[devilsrecreation]

More thoughts on TLG episodes

The Savannah Summit:

First things first, major kudos to Makuu for actually being responsible and caring about what’s best for his float

You really can’t blame Kion and everyone else to be super skeptical about Makuu. I know he changed for the better, but he’s done…a lot since he beat Pua

“but to invite him to the Savannah Summit? With all these other peaceful animals?”—I hate to break it to you, Kion, but just bc an animal is an herbivore doesn’t mean they’re peaceful and friendly. If anything, it means survivor

Crocs at the Summit worked with Pua cuz everybody loves him 😎

“Makuu has more enemies than friends!”—So does Bunga lmao

The song is great. I love how everyone seems annoyed at first but near the end, it’s all 🎶Kumbaya, my lord! 🎶. Except Makuu…dude looks like he’s lowkey regretting his life choices he did NOT ask for a bs song

I’m totally on Makuu’s side. He was genuinely trying to be civil here, especially when it comes to Bupu

At least Beshte was trying to be the mediator cuz he looks at Makuu AND Bupu, Kion was just being kinda speciesist

Shut up, Bupu, you started the whole thing

Vuruga Vuruga saying “buffalo eat whatever we want” is actually pretty accurate. They, like other animals, don’t care. I read that buffalo will occasionally eat insects if it were an option. Even Twiga could sucking on a bone if she wanted to. Seriously, look it up

If Zazu had a nickel for every time a rhino used him as a chair, he’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice (great nod to the OG movie)

Rafiki is such a mood “not the official painting” you old ass gremlin/aff

I remember Athena P criticizing Simba for blaming Kion about ruining the Summit after Makuu understandably leaves and I agree. Wtf Simba he’s 10. Go easy on him, come on 😭

The part that irks me the most is that when Mufasa asks “What has Makuu done to make you think this way?”, Kion says “Nothing, really”. BRO WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘NOTHING REALLY’?! I understand Mufasa meant what Makuu has done today but there are a LOT of things Makuu’s done in the past that Kion should have told his grandpa. In fact, here’s a whole list:

-Taking over Big Springs when he became leader, resulting in all the animals to scatter

-Challenging kids to fight

-Taking over the flood plains

-Trying to eat Basi which would have been just him being a crocodile if not for the fact that the reason is so he wouldn’t have to follow any rules (says so on the wiki)

-TAKING NALA HOSTAGE (seriously did Simba even KNOW about that? Did Nala or Kion bother to tell him?)

-Generally being a dick to animals

Makuu I know you did nothing wrong in this episode, but you can’t blame Kion for acting this way

I’m not placing any blame on Mtoto. He’s a good boy and all he did was tell the guard what he heard and that’s it

Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga coming up with the trap doesn’t surprise me. Cape buffalo are actually really vengeful irl so it makes sense how she wanted to teach Makuu a lesson. They ain’t called “Black Death” or “Widow Maker” for nothing

It’s cool how Makuu took the prank well. Respect.

Wonder how Makuu felt about animals fighting over him lmao?

Let Sleeping Crocs Lie

Once again this episode would be VERY different if my oc Piga was still alive

Kiburi has a right to be mad. I’m not excusing what he does later in the episode but I’d be pissed too if someone woke me up

Okay but Nduli sleeping next to Kiburi is adorable. Adds to my hc how close they are

Serious question: Why exactly can’t the crocs go back to sleep after they’ve been woken up? The obvious answer is bc it drives the plot forward, but is it true in actual crocodiles? I kinda wanna know the scientific reason

Good on Makuu for going the pacifism route. He’d really do anything for his float

Love how Kiburi was like “Yeah yeah, whatever you say” but the second Makuu left, he was like “ANARCHY!”

Idk if any of you caught this, but when Ushari’s like “we reptiles will rule the pridelands under your leadership, right?” Scar actually hesitated before going “sure bud”. That makes me think he was going to betray Ushari the moment he and his army get rid of Simba and the Lion Guard

Crocs really DO need a lot of water, otherwise their lives are on the line. Makuu was really more concerned than upset

“KIBURI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”—Fighting a child, what’s it look like

Side hc: I like to think something similar happened with Pua, Piga, and Kujivunia. Pua saw Piga antagonizing some poor young animal and he was all “Piga! What in the Pridelands do you think you’re doing?” and Kujivunia (who happened to be there), with her typical sarcasm was like “Performing a dance number, Pua 🙄”

There go the skinks again. Njano with his cuteness and Shupavu…doing her best Grinch face

“At least you’ll be close to all your friends!”Awww Beshte trying to be positive 🥺

Kiburi saying “we crocs deserve better!” brings me back to my hc that Kiburi had good intentions (again, until further in the episode), he just went about it the wrong way. He’s almost like an activist in a way. He’s not trying to be selfish, he just wanted a better watering hole. Now going as far as to rule the Pridelands…..yeah too far

The background crocodiles who were like 😦 when Kiburi called for the mashindano are so me. I’m the one going “Ooooooh shit!”

Still not getting over that super gay conversation between Kiburi and Ushari

STILL CAN’T GET OVER HOW KIBURI AND HIS FLOAT LAUGH AAAAA (Neema’s laugh tho)

Nduli looks so derpy I love him

I LOVE HOW SELF-AWARE TAMKA IS WHAT AN ICON

Lmao Nduli just gave up like “Fuck it you win”

Love the parallels of Makuu pinning down Kiburi like he did to Pua

Kiburi, I love you but what the hell did you expect? You literally confessed to like 500 animals about your plan and then you get surprised when Simba and Makuu banish you? What did you think was gonna happen? You got way too cocky, I swear

Saying this again, Tamka and Nduli looked worried/traumatized when they were exiled

“Now you’re calling me a reptile?”—My love, you ARE a reptile. I thought crocodiles were supposed to be smart omg

Kiburi’s actually showing emotion for the first time

OMG JANJA HEY BABY HOW ARE YOU?

Full disclosure: “I have a plan” is mediocre at best. It has nothing on Be Prepared. That being said, I love Kiburi’s “Aiight I’m in” smile

That’s pretty much it. Maybe I’ll do more in the future

[theacidjazzguitarist]

Mtoto wa Tufani - Daughters of the Sandstorm

[tired-lamb]

answering the following questions from @dawn-sunlight from this post!

okay, so I won’t be telling if you’re right or wrong about the fourth character in order to avoid any spoiling (since I do want the character’s reveal to be with their post), but I will say a lot of you are on the right track! I’ll probably post more hints once that character’s post is almost done, if that helps any of you.

as for how the vultures are doing, I have not quite decided who all survive, especially since only two vultures are given importance in the entirety of the show, but I will say mzingo definitely survives but he has lost his ability to fly, if that tells you anything. the idea of him being a massive help to jasiri, instead of scar, is a VERY good idea which I might or might not indulge in, similar to how I indulged in spinny’s idea to make kion survive!

you are correct about how kion survives— using the roar at full power did infact protect him from the lava, but it was unable to protect his friends and everyone else.

my choices as to who all survive and who don’t are mostly, but not always, very random. especially regarding the side characters (not counting the outlanders since I view them more as main characters, especially for this au). my vision for how the incident takes place is that while the guard are inside the volcano and dealing with scar, the battle for the pridelands continues outside. the outlanders and pridelanders are still battling with each other, so when the volcano erupts it’s a ‘every man for himself’ situation. nobody expected it to happen and nobody was ready for it. the volcano hasn’t erupted since forever and they didn’t think it would then, of all times. some manage to take cover and only survive with some injuries but not everyone was that lucky. goigoi, for example, had nothing to cover him in that moment thus leading to his death. a lot of the reason for everybody else’s death is more or less that, too. janja’s reason is the same.

some leaders, such as mzingo, the royal family, etc etc did blindly try to cover whoever was closest to them. this would lead to their death, and also because of how weak the cover was, major injuries to whoever they had been covering. ma tembo survives with half her trunk gone and the lower part of her front legs burned. jasiri lost a hind leg and nearly lost an eye. some birds lost their wings, and mtoto’s hearing is no longer as strong. I’m not too aware of the injuries one faces from being close to a volcanic eruption, so the injuries may be subject to change.

not accusing anyone of saying anything (/gen), but I feel the need to mention that this au is just something fun I play with, especially in the angst sphere. I have no intention to have every inch of this developed as I tend to lose interest and get burnt out when I do that. in light of this, not every bit of this au will make sense, nor am I aiming to do so. I’m trying my best to keep having fun with this au, and I can only hope that you all do too. again, just felt the need to say this, that’s all.

anyway, hope that answers your questions, dawn-sunlight!

[kaythefloppa]

Lion Guard Finale Praise + Rant

There is a lot I hate about The Lion Guard's final episode but the one thing that will always hold a special place in my heart is the return montage:

You can't tell in screenshots, but in the background, the LG chorus sings a reprise of the Departure Theme from the premiere episode, with this montage being a book-end to the goodbyes that the Guard said to their friends and families in that episode.

It's really sweet and powerful because it's a beautiful example of "Show, don't tell" (a rule which this show, particularly in Season 3, and the LK sequels in general are not the best at following). We see what the Lion Guard had left behind when they went on their journey to the Tree of Life, how much they had missed their home and how glad they are to be back and how that feeling was reciporicated by their friends and families.

Keep in mind that earlier that morning they were under the belief that Zira invaded the Pride Lands and had possibly killed the royal family and subjugated the Pride Lands' non-lion subjects if not giving them a same gruesome fate (since Kion knows that Zira is a lion supremacist, god-forbid what would happen if she ever got near Mtoto, Thurston, or Ajabu), and on the Pride Landers' end, the Lion Guard had been gone for such a long time with no one having any way of knowing they'd return or if they died. So this reunion was likely also a huge relief for everyone in the Pride Lands, especially Simba, Basi, and Timon and Pumbaa (who no doubt would've been scared shitless at the idea that their kid could be missing forever or dead and have no way to confirm or deny that possibility). It's just all around amazing to see. When watching the episode for the first time when it came out I thought something was wrong with my computer because despite there being 14 minutes left, I wholeheartedly thought the series was going to end there....

...which is why I'm very mad that it didn't and forever disappointed at the route they went with for the actual ending.

In the span of less than a full day since the Lion Guard returned from the Tree of Life, all of them instantly want to head back there on a whim after losing the Lion Guard contest, which would wind up in them completely uprooting their lives and leaving their home and families again for the sake of this one kingdom that we've only seen for seven to eight out of 74 episodes plus a TV movie! The reunion showed us that the Guard was strongly attached to their home and families, but now the ending forces us to ignore that to logistify the Guard willingly going to the Tree of Life without any on-screen goodbyes or send-offs. No scene of doubt, no goodbye songs, no parting ways between characters, nothing, it just jump cuts from "Hey, let's go back to the Tree of Life even though we've only been back here for a day" straight to them at the Tree of Life for Kion and Rani's wedding. Isn't the episode's title supposed to be "Return to the Pride Lands?" Yet the "return" plot stops mattering after the first 11 minutes.

The whole Guard leaving with Kion doesn't even make sense: Bunga has Timon and Pumbaa at Hakuna Matata Falls, Beshte has to co-lead the hippo pod with his father, Ono has his flock and possibly even Ona (you could argue that he would want to return to the Tree of Life because they healed him, but that's not the reason they went with - Also the poor dude lost his Mark of the Guard twice, the first being after he lost his eyesight to protect the Pride Lands from Scar, like, what the fuck?), Fuli had been the most admant about returning to the Pride Lands, and Anga showed no interest in staying at the Tree of Life and seemed perfectly ok in the Pride Lands.

Even back in the days where people were theorizing what would happen to the Lion Guard that caused them to be absent in TLK 2, I never saw reason for the whole Guard to leave if Kion ever left, and even then, I never expected any departure to be permanent because it would go against their whole life-style. It feels like they only had them leave like this for the sake of some "twist" that didn't need to be there. And even if they were going to go with this route, they could've had the Guard separate, with some staying and some going to at least make sense.

Much like Makini, Season 3 ignores crucial story elements of the main characters from the first two seasons to both justify their "plot-twist" by the end and to wrap up any “plot-holes” with the Lion King 2 and forces the audience to suspend an inappropriate amount of their disbelief. So while I like the reunion in the final episode and whilst my love for the show remains un-matched, knowing how it all ends and that (according to some writers) it was planned from the start to end like this makes me feel cheated in a way. One of the most disappointing endings I've seen from a show which I've been willing to follow from start to finish and this is coming from someone who's watched both Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Bunk'd.

[ofmd-buys-boats]

On the afternoon of 1st April 2022, ex-orphans Loijuk; and her baby, Lili; Naisula; Kitirua; and Olare arrived at the Ithumba stockades. Much to the Keepers’ astonishment, they also had a tiny baby in tow. The calf was a few days old at most. He had clearly been without milk, given his weakened condition and how he tried desperately to nurse from all the females present, but to no avail. Aside from Loijuk, who had baby Lili, none of the females were old enough to be pregnant nor lactating, certainly none of them were the baby’s mother. We will never know how Toto found himself in the midst of our ex-orphans nor how he came to lose his mother. The ex-orphans must have come across him alone in the bush and, realising that he was in dire need of help, frogmarched him to the place they knew to be a refuge for all elephants: Our Ithumba stockades.

Kenya is home to 42 distinct tribes, each one as nuanced and unique as the next. However, the arrival of a new child is a much-exalted blessing for all. The baby - mtoto in Swahili - is embraced not just into the nuclear family, but the wider tribe. Given how readily this baby elephant was embraced — first by the ex-orphans, and then by his new human-elephant family at Kaluku — it was only fitting to name him Toto, a riff on mtoto.

Read the full story of Toto, here: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/toto

[australet789]

So remember how Simba said to Kion that there were "plenty of lions" to choose for his Guard and we never see them? I decided to change that. Here are the candidates to Kion's Guard that Simba wanted his son to pick:

Amaziah: Son of Chumvi and Kula, older than Kion but younger than Kiara. Future mate of Imara, You have already seen him here.

Babu: Son of Mega and Sabini, he is the oldest of the group and hates the Outsiders since the death of his old friend Kopa. His hatred against them is what makes him Simba's favorite to be a possible mate to Kiara in the future (Simba is against bethrotals, but doesnt mean he doesn't want someone good for his daughter). He loses his sight during Kiara's hunt (he was near the fire, checking on Kiara by Simba's orders, and it affected him). He is going to be Tazama's mate in the future after he gets a change of heart towards the Outsiders (i plan to work on this later hehe)

Jabari: The youngest, he is the son of one of Simba's cousins, Kitoto (Simba's cousins come from  the story "An Unusual Choir"). His mom is the grey lioness we see at Kiara's hunt. Took inspiration from one of the cubs of Simba's Pride: Active Gameplay.

Hewa: Son of Simba's other cousin, Mtoto (comes from "An Unusual Choir" as well). He is older than Jabari and his little cousin tends to get on his nerves on purpose. Took the design from one of the the cubs from "Sarabi's says".

[my-km-me]

My Neko Lion King Humanoid headcanon

King Mufasa (This masterpiece fanart of this fine male is by Sakimichan)

Prince/Illegitimate King Scar (This fanart that captures the increasing insanity of this deranged male is by Pugletz)

Queen Sarabi (Lupita Nyong'o)

Prince kid Simba & Kid Nala (fanart by www.deviantart.com/lila-me)

Prince/King Simba as an adult (fanart by www.tumblr.com/sukifoof-art)

Disney Princess Nala as an adult (Beyoncé, with her pet lioness. Pic by Chantelle Shamoon)

The Pride Lioness nekos (fanarts by www.deviantart.com/lila-me)

Nala being taught to hunt by mother and the other lioness nekos.

Queen Nala, leading her pride

Zazu (fanart by Pugletz; aroace)

Rafiki (John Kani; or alternatively Pugletz’s interpretation in her fanart)

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed (fanart by www.tumblr.com/julia-beatrice)

Timon & Pumbaa (fanart by www.tumblr.com/artsam)

Disney Princess Kiara (Chloe Bailey)

Kovu (fanart by Pugletz)

Zira (Florence Kasumba, "My Lullaby")

Vitani (lesbian) and Nuka (fanart by www.tumblr.com/tuherrus)

Prince Kion (Imagine a male version of Halle Bailey's Ariel, only with the dominance and physique of Mufasa. That's adult Kion in a nutshell.)

Fuli (Diamond White; this female character is still the same age as Kion, just couldn't find kid version of her Diamond)

Jasiri (female, obviously)

Rani (female, obviously)

Others

Anga: vitiligo

Azaad: fit vitiligo male

Beshte: overweight version of his voice actor

Janja: toned male with night color skin and natural shoulder-length hair

Ono: albino

Ranking Properties from Most to Least Liked

Broadway's The Lion King, with original cast (favorite)

Black Is King music film (really like)

The Lion King movie (Disney Animated Canon)

The Lion Guard

The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride

Timon & Pumbaa cartoon (like)

The Lion King on Genesis

The Lion King 1 1/2 (dislike)

The Lion King CGI remake

The Lion King on NES

Ships

+ = romantic, & = platonic

Azaad + Fuli

Kion + Fuli

Kion + Janja (enemies-to-lovers from childhood to adulthood)

Kion + Jasiri

Kovu + Kiara

Lion Guard 1: [Kion & Fuli] & Bunga & Beshte & Ono, Kion + [Janja (preferably), Jasiri (secondary), or Rani], Azaad + Fuli, Bunga + Binga, Beshte + Imara, and Ono + Anga

Lion Guard 2: [Kion + Fuli] & Bunga & Beshte & Ono, Bunga + Binga, Beshte + Imara, and Ono + Anga

Mufasa + Scar foemance

Mufasa & Simba

Nala & her pet lioness

Pridelands Royal family 1: Mufasa + Scar foemance, Simba + Nala, Timon + Pumbaa (honorary members), Kovu + Kiara, Kion + [Janja (primarily), Jasiri (secondary), or Rani], and Bunga (honorary member) + Binga

Pridelands Royal family 2: Mufasa + Sarabi, Simba + Nala, Timon + Pumbaa (honorary members), Kovu + Kiara, Kion + [Janja (primarily), Jasiri (secondary), or Rani], and Bunga (honorary member) + Binga

Pridelands Royal family 3: Mufasa + Scar foemance, Simba + Nala, Timon + Pumbaa (honorary members), Kovu + Kiara, Kion + Fuli, and Bunga (honorary member) + Binga

Pridelands Royal family 4: Mufasa + Sarabi, Simba + Nala, Timon + Pumbaa (honorary members), Kovu + Kiara, Kion + Fuli, and Bunga (honorary member) + Binga

Simba & his pet lion

[Timon + Pumbaa] & Simba

Other ships I’m fine with: Banzai + Shenzi, Beshte + Mtoto, Hodari + Kinyonga (T4T), Kiara & [Tiifu + Zuri], Mufasa & Rafiki, [Mufasa + Sarabi] & Simba, Mufasa & Zazu, Simba & Rafiki, Tiifu + Zuri, [Timon + Pumbaa] & Bunga, and Vitani + Kiara