#our favorite miko deserves all the love!

[misslu999]

I wanted to share my opinion about those characters’ stories quests, I know no one asked or cares but anyway… so this is MY top :

(sorry in advance for the english, it’s not my main language !)

1 - Nahida Acts 1 and 2! Clearly to me those are the bests stories quests Hoyoverse have done. Not only because it confirm she is one of the best character and archon of the game, but also every of them are particularly touching. She is so pure, cute and with what happens during the Sumeru’s Arc, everything is pretty sad. She deserves the world and a big hug! I personally cried in each story… why Hoyo needs to hurt her???!

2 - Ayaka! One of my favorite character (sorry Jean you are obviously my love but for this top well…) it was splendid! From the beginning to the very end, I had the impression we did a date with her as a « lover » (? Let me dream!!). Her sweetness, her smile, and her innocent were awesome! And let’s talk about the danse at this end, what an amazing cutscene we had! I am though still upset with the fact that traveler refused her present !

3 - Raiden Shogun/Ei, Act 2, I did like the 1st one but it was clearly like the whole Inazuma Archon quest… kinda cool and a bit blank. Nothing more nothing less. BUT! The 2nd is a very different story, we know so much more about her, Makoto, and it help to understand why she wanted to stay in her eternity. The cutscene at the end is a masterpiece, I personally teared up a bit, and it’s the main reason I put her in the 3rd! (Bonus: we can see Yae!)

4 - Yoimiya Act 2, the most recent one! I did like the 1st but not like the 2nd who gave me an emotion I didn’t had in the others quests! There is an amazing hidden message about the transition from childhood to adulthood ! Our dreams, our innocence, our ignorance those things that faded little by little. I smiled at the cutscene that remind me a lot to Your Name. I am happy that we gave to Yoimiya some love, after all she does for everyone else, she deserved it!

5 - I hesitated between 2 characters… but well… How can I ignore her when I know she gonna pestered me if i do not! Did you find? Well obviously it’s will be my dear Eula, as I count her as my 2nd fav character of the game (the 1st in of course Jean!). She is soooo badly treated by Hoyoverse, but just because we didn’t had her banner since when ? I don’t remember, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do her story! She is clearly a character who deserves attention! Behind the fact she always wants revenge she is a very attaching person. She suffered a lot her name, the bad reputation it gave to her. And we all know she is not someone bad, on the contrary, she is a sweetheart !

- 6 I needed to put her, it’s Yae Miko! I can hear her teasing! Her story isn’t the best and isn’t the baddest. It’s fun how she used the traveler for her needs! We all know from the beginning that Yae has always something behind her mind. And that’s why I put her in my ranking! I had a very good fun to play her story! The cutscene too at this end was nice!

Hmmm…. i could put Kazuha, Ganyu and Shenhe in this ranking, but those are not the ones who touched me the most. But they didn’t leave me indifferent! So that why I mention them!

I also remind this is 100 % an objective opinion and personal ranking! I love every characters of this game, all of them are interesting. And I did all character’s stories quests! But I find their developments give us much more contexts about the main quest! And also because I loved playing them. So don’t take it too personally because I didn’t put your favorite character, I reminded I didn’t put my Jean!

[carlsthoughtsandtreasures]

02.05.2023

Ah, January...usually one of my least favorite months but this one has been fun.

Rai and I went to Palm Springs for his birthday which was so lovely and relaxing. We stayed at the adorable Azure Sky Motel (shoutout Acme) and basically just ate and drank our way around town which was perfect. Floating in the 80 degree pool and watching the sunset while sipping a subpar canned cocktail was probably the highlight for me. And the homemade bread from Bar Cecil ugh. We went to the zoo and I discovered Rai's love for rhinos and my fear of giraffes up close. We also went to a drag show (Rai's first!) which was super fun and I drank far too many vodka sodas.

This year's Acme holiday party was at none other than the shitty kitty which was more fun than I was anticipating (what I can remember from it that is.) It was nice to be able to hang out with everyone together for once. I have the best coworkers they make my job so much more bearable.

Marc turned 39 which we celebrated with both Secret Bao obviously and also when he, Miko, and I took a train ride to Ventura for the day. Miko gave us sassafrass which I didn't even know was a thing and I felt kind of ~shroomy~ all day which was really interesting. It made for a very chill day of wandering through town, watching the surfers, looking in random little shops and bars, and taking pictures. Sometimes I still can't believe how lucky I am to live here.

Also this month Rainier and I celebrated our one year anniversary. Like - Hello??? How. Has. Time. Passed. So. Quickly. And also what did I do to deserve him. He is the kindest, most patient and loving, funniest, most beautiful person I know. I've never met someone with such a generous heart. What a feeling to know you have someone that you can always count on, who wants to grow to become a better person and encourages you to grow too. I feel like this past year was only a fraction of our time together because there is so much more I want to do with him. I hope there are years and years to go.

I have been keeping up with the gym apart from getting sick towards the end of the month which was a bit of a set back. For February I am taking a break from drinking alcohol and focusing on waking up earlier, getting rid of clothes and other items I don't need, and staying consistent with eating healthy and getting stronger.

[whispersxwhimpers]

i can find some photos of you want? 👀 i don't think i have any of the yorkie because he never sits still (plus we have to keep him separated from the pit because he started fights with him a lot) but i know i have some of the other two!!

aww i appreciate the message relay haha, and of course <3

omg? i'm excited to see that :0 i'm glad i've inspired you !!

thank you 😭 and ooh yae miko!!! she's another one of my favorites, you have really good choices :0 i haven't gotten to the point where i get kokomi yet, but holy shit she's so pretty?? and yesss we love xiao !! i'm so surprised at how similar our tastes are really LOL

ooh okay noted, i'll see what i can do!

ahh so do i, i hardly watch anything new and if i do, it takes me awhile to commit 😭 and ooh, are you liking it so far?

of course, gotta make sure haha

what's your favorite song of hers?? :0 and YES that's one of my favorites!! same with the maneskin one! hm... for korean i'd suggest ateez, for russian maybe amirchik? for thai definitely 4mix, and for filipino sb19!! it's easier for me to give groups than songs because i'd be here listing stuff all day 😭

JULIEN BAKER MENTIONED?? OH MY GODS there's not a lot of her songs i like (i just don't vibe with them) but holy fuck i love HER as a person akfkwhf i love billie, chappell, and renee too!! i can't explain this, but all of your favorites are very you if that makes sense haha, like they definitely seem like youd listen to them!!

okay awesome ^^ and right LMAO ma'am sounds too professional for me (plus apparently it makes people feel old 😭) so miss it is! 🩶

arcane!! the first act of the new season dropped a couple days ago, and i've only just now gotten around to watching it. my heart, holy shit i'll never get tired of you calling me that. thank you <33

– 🩶 (lowkey kind of thinking about giving a name... i use it in a few places online, not on here so you wouldn't know me, but you gave me a name for you so maybe? 👀)

I'd love to see pics of your dogs!

I'm still working on that list, but I'll definitely show you! I'll probably post it one day and tag your emoji

I ship Yae & Ei so hard! Also Kokomi is gorgeous! So so pretty!

I definitely can relate! Also yes!! I love this series, I used to watch it when I was younger. I love Batman, he's my favorite DC hero

Hmmm, it's hard choosing my favorite Ashnikko song, but I'll probably choose Daisy! Also, I'll take note of those groups! Thank you for the suggestions! 😊

OMG SHES LITERALLY SUCH A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING 😭 I'd protect Julien with all my lives.

Haha, really?? Do I?? I love that for me 🤭

Ma'am definitely makes me feel old 😭 I like Miss!

Haha I guessed it was Arcane! I saw they dropped new episodes! I hope you're enjoying the first act sweetheart 💕

Of course Darling, good girls like you deserve praise 😘

I'm quite curious haha, feel free to use it here if you'd like! 😊

[inu-mothership]

Inu-Mothership Spotlight Saturday: Sept. 3, 2022: Kaede

Hello everyone! We here at @inu-mothership are very excited to bring you this week's fic rec list! Continuing with our character-centric lists, this week we are featuring everyone's favorite wise and sassy miko, Kaede!

For this one, we have a wide variety of stories for you. In our research, we found that there are stories that ship Kaede romantically with another character, stories that feature her platonic relationships with others, and stories that are Gen fics, often character studies exploring Kaede's mindset at different points in her life. And to that end, we have stories that also span a fairly wide timeline in terms of Inuyasha fanfiction. We have some that are brand-new, that were written specifically for this week's list, and we have stories that date back over ten years. As with Shippō's list, we will be organizing these according to romantic ships, and then platonic/gen fics.

Our list is below the cut! And a special thanks to everyone who helped out this week, by making recommendations and/or by writing some new fics for us! Kaede is a wonderful character, and we're sure you'll agree that she deserves ALL the love 💜

Kaede-ship fics

The Clouds and the Birds (T; SessKaede; complete) by @julyzaa

The Priestess Kaede was eight and ten when she first met the infamous Sesshōmaru of the West. And despite only seeing him a handful of times, her fondness for the cruel demon does not disappear even after forty years.

Diamonds in Your Eyes -- Ch. 16: Kaede/Suitor (M; Kaede/OC; ongoing) by thetroll/@moon-ion

Kiss and Tell -- Chapter 17: Kaede/Totosai, Investigator, Tawny (M; Kaede/Totosai; ongoing) by @sereia1313

Spirited Soulmates (E; InuKag; Kaede/Tsubaki; complete) by @fawn-eyed-girl

Higurashi Kagome is quite happy living alone with her cat Buyo. She enjoys running the most popular spiritual school in Tokyo with her friend Miroku, eating takeout, and drinking beer. She has no desire to be involved with anyone--especially because to do so would mean an end to her spiritual power, and thus, her very successful career.

But then she meets National Police Agency detective Matsushita Inuyasha, and her whole world is turned upside down, especially when she figures out they are soulmates. Will she tell him before her growing desire for him overpowers them both? And when mikos start going missing across the country and turning up dead, will she be safe? Or will she give in to Inuyasha, tell him the truth, and let him protect her?

Gen/Non-Kaede-ship fics

Bereave (G; Gen; Kaede & Kikyō) by anonymous

Kaede, in the aftermath of her sister's death.

Bluebird at Night (M; SessKag; complete) by thetroll/@moon-ion

Kagome has been raised by her two aunts most of her life. She owes them everything and she works hard to ensure they'll have it.

She just never expects to have a monkey wrench thrown in to her plans in the form of the most beautiful man she's ever seen.

The Closest Moment to Dawn (M; InuKag; MirSan; ongoing) by @sassybratt9791

They named her Kagome after finding her injured and unconscious on the subway. Suffering from amnesia, she recuperates under the care of a semi-retired surgeon and a fresh young doctor. But when dark and violent flashes of her past come back to haunt her, Kagome begins to wonder if her past was worth remembering. Especially when a man she doesn't recognize quite literally lunges into her life, accusing her of murder.

Encounter (G; Gen; complete) by sadladybug (Ao3)

A year after his sealing, Inuyasha gets an unexpected visitor, and Kaede has an unexpected encounter. A oneshot in which a demon and a priestess meet in the woods and determine the fate of a sleeping hanyou.

Encounters: Chapter 14: Inuyasha & Kaede (T; multiple pairings; complete) by sapphireLavender (Ao3)

Inuyasha is being impatient, and Kaede doesn't feel like dealing with it.

Flower Festival Ficlets -- Chapter 4: Doting & Dutiful (G; Gen/Kagome & Kaede) by AshMish111/@mrfeenysmustache

Kaede resigns herself to Kagome’s fussing as she learns to be the one taken care of for once.

Funeral of a Spider Tattoo (T; NarKik; Kikyō & Kaede; ongoing) by Eravon (Ao3)

Tattooist AU. The story of a beautiful tattooer and a red spider tattoo.

Inspired by 蜘蛛葬刺 by L·Morgenstern. Translation of NarKik fanfic "蜘蛛葬刺" written by L·Morgenstern, originally posted on Chinese forum Baidu Tieba in 2012.

The Greatest Debt (G; Gen; Inuyasha & Kaede; Complete) by NightStar28 (FFN)

On a stormy night a wise old woman has some things to make clear to a foolish young Hanyou.

The Sins & Virtues of the Sengoku Jidai -- Chapter 1: Wrath & Patience -- Kikyō & Kaede (T; Gen; Kaede & Kikyō; complete) by @neutronstarchild

In Sengoku Jidai, everyone can be defined by the choices they make. Sometimes those choices lead them to sin, and sometimes to virtue. Here are seven vignettes, where characters’ relationships are defined by their paths. A sin for a virtue, a virtue for a sin.

Sister (T; Gen; Kaede & Kikyō; complete) by MadHatterLilith (Ao3)

Kaede can't accept her as the sister she knew, no matter how hard she tries.

Someone Else’s Shelter (G; InuKik; Inuyasha & Kaede; complete) by Numisma (Ao3)

It was like he was frozen, half-drowned and waterlogged in time.

Thirty Shards of Inuyasha and Kaede (T; Gen/Inuyasha @& Kaede; complete) by myLink’sLady (FFN)

Stories from prompts about the relationship of Inuyasha and Kaede. A Post Manga story with flashbacks and memories.

Time Again (T; Gen; complete) by Elusion (FFN)

Kaede reflects on time and change, revealing things in her past and how they affect her present.

With One Eye (T; Gen; Complete) by Britedark (FFN)

Who is Kaede, and what happened to her after her sister Kikyo died? A series of pieces, based on LiveJournal prompts.

[inukag-archive]

Post-canon and canon fluff? Love and appreciate everything you guys do for the fandom.

Thank you for the kind words, anon 🥰 ! We’ve rounded up a bunch of fluffy canon and post-canon fics for you below, but if you’re craving even more, be sure to check out our other lists from this year for even more fluff / canon-based recommendations. Happy reading! 

Don’t Know Much Biology by @kstewdeux (NR)

Flashcards sometimes work wonders.

--

InuKag Week 2019 by @xoxopandapanda (G)

Oneshots based on the prompts for Tumblr's InuKag Week 2019

--

Tainted Love by @splendentgoddess (X)

Overhearing Inuyasha explain why they cannot be together, because allowing her to love him would taint her miko purity, Kagome is bound and determined to show Inuyasha that expressing their love would not corrupt her, by any means necessary. PWP WAFF

--

Homecoming (Series) by @anisaanisa (M)

A series of vignettes set within the same post-canon universe, starting with the three-year separation.

--

Lucky by @lavendertwilight89 (T)

Kagome reflects on her time back in the Feudal Era with Inuyasha

--

You’re Still Here by @ruddcatha (T)

The well was sealed for three years, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome on opposite sides of time. When the well finally reopens and Kagome returns, what is Inuyasha's biggest fear?

--

The Sounds of Love by @mamabearcat (G)

'Inuyasha gazed down at her, his heart swelling as he took in the beautiful picture his pregnant wife made, finally resting in the afternoon sunlight.'

So, I felt the need to create some art of a tired and sleepy pregnant Kagome, and a very happy and soft Inuyasha, watching her as she slept. And then I wrote this to go with it. Not much substance to it, just an extremely fluffy moment in time. All the soft Papa Inuyasha feels. Because I want them both to be happy.

--

InuKag Week 2020 by @superpixie42 (M)

One shots of various lengths for InuKag week prompts on tumblr. Collection in rated M for swearing and implied adult content. Prompts: Loyalty, Desire, Home, Blue, Confession.

--

Learning Curve by StoatsandWeasels (E)

Nighttime activities and internal musings of the newlywed couple.

Basically just fluffy PWP.

--

Patina by @mrfeenysmustache (NR)

How does a demon age? Or a Hanyo? Are they ageless and immortal, unchanged through all eternity? Do they walk through time more slowly? Or are they just like us but stronger and more beautiful in their existence? Kagome watches Inuyasha as he lives through middle age with her; grown children, aching bones and graying hair- hers and his.

--

Without Words by @keichanz (NR)

No summary provided.

--

The Scent of Camellias by @fantastiqueparfait (G)

Kagome adjusts to her new reality. Set during and immediately after the separation.

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Inuyasha: The Next Tomorrow (Series) by @xfangheartx (G - E)

A collection of stories that follow Inuyasha and Kagome's family life as well as the adventures of their eldest son, Ichiro, and his friends, Roku, the son of Miroku and Sango, and Tsukihime, the daughter of Koga and Ayame.

--

Together Changed by @goshinote & @lostinfantasyworlds (G)

On his first human night since finding out he’s going to be a father, Inuyasha begins to feel overwhelmed by the idea of impending parenthood. As always, Kagome knows just how to set his mind at ease.

--

Eternity by @serial-doubters-club (T)

Inuyasha never gave much thought to the idea of an eternity, but falling in love with Kagome has him believing that it might finally be within his reach.

--

Darkest Before the Dawn by Neko-no-Tsuki (T)

A bad dream leaves Kagome shaken about deserving her happy future. Inuyasha reassures her of her place by his side.

--

Healing Rain by Emmyyasha (E)

Post-manga. In the midst of a raging thunderstorm, our favorite hanyou plans a special dinner for his wife, just to see her smile that melted his heart all those years ago. However, when his wife returns emotionally devastated from a hard day of training, Inuyasha may need to find another way to cheer her up.

--

A Piece of Home by @omgitscharlie (E)

At winter's first snowfall, Kagome finds herself reminiscing about Christmas back in her time.

--

Something More by Neisha (T)

They were friends she'd said, and more than once he'd wished they were something more.

--

The ‘Almost’ Kiss by @morphituu (T)

So I've always wondered... What IF Sota hadn't rudely barged in and spoiled their kiss, but instead just showed up a little later? Just a little, like a few minutes later? I put my own mind to ease u.u

[shimmershae]

So.  Thanks to my new anonymous friend, this is going to become a thing.

Shae’s thinky thoughts about the latest episode--Acheron:  Part 2--beneath a cut. 

Because spoilers, however vague they might be.  

Let’s be real here.  This is more a stream of consciousness than anything else so if that’s not your thing, you are most welcome to nope right on out of this post.  Trust me.  I’ll completely understand, lol.  Sometimes?  I wish I could nope right on out of my own brain and the way it operates.  

That said?  Without further ado--

Episode 2′s opening, though.  Maggie trapped with hungry Walkers converging?  It totally gives me Glenn under the dumpster vibes.  I don’t know if that was intentional or just happy coincidence but way to link Maggie to her dearly departed better half, show.  

Is it just me or has Father G had more OOMPH to him these last few seasons?  Again, I have to ask--Rosita’s influence or no?  Regardless, I bet Seth Gilliam is loving the job these days.  

Side note:  am I gonna have to go to bed early every Saturday night from now until the end just so I that I might be able to SEE?  Something?  Anything?  My curtains are flimsy-ass.  I admit it.  But this is more frustrating than TXF.  Angela, WTF?  

No, seriously.  It’s like complete guess work who’s in these subway scenes.  Some of that has to do with them being overly populated by redshirts and the rest of it has to do with me having to squint and turn sideways to make out their facial features. 

Look at Daryl busting through concrete walls!  Should I call him the Kool-Aid Man considering NR has once again allowed himself to be led right into a biased, shipper trap?  Hmm.  I might.  

Imagine seeking refuge in those dark, filthy subways.  Any second now I expect to hear the skittering of rats.  Will Dog lose his effing mind a la Divergence?  He’s been shown to go off half-cocked that way, lol.  Oh well.  Guess it’ll be in character if he does.  

Impressive graffiti storyboards.  Does it mean something that it immediately cuts to the Commonwealth storm troopers afterward?  Maybe.  Who really knows at this point?  They been trying to gaslight us forever.  

LOL at Princess yet again.  Yumiko is just like da fuq is this person?  

No, really.  LMAO.  “That was her.  From last night.  Did you see how she was looking at us?”  

Then you have Eugene, hahaha.  “Oh God.  Why did he tell off the big guy?”  Like the man is totally me in this type of situation.  Not even gonna lie.  

“That’s right.  We want to talk to the manager.”  

I literally cannot wait ‘til Carol and Daryl meet Princess.  Can.  Not.  Wait.  

How sad is that note on that $100 bill?  Small moment but it totally gives me Season 4 vibes when they were on their way to Terminus seeking sanctuary.  

Hmm.  Remember how that place wasn’t what they thought it was?  I’m sure neither is the Commonwealth.  But I feel like what’s left of Team Family is totally going to do Rick proud, lol, and prove they’re messing with the wrong people if they try something.  

Daryl, Man.  You gonna have to get a better handle on your headstrong Fur Son.  I wonder if Dog would listen better to his mama?  Things to ponder.  

Sounds like Miko has this group’s number.  Or does she?  

Princess and Eugene totally look like they’re waiting their turn for the Principal’s office, LOL.  

“Stop moving!  You’re taking my nerves over the edge to a proverbial 11 on a scale of 10.”  I feel you, Eugene.  I do.  Also you, Princess.  Two of the most relatable TWD characters right there, I’m telling you.  

Princess is me when I really, really, really have to pee.  TMI?  Sorry, lovelies.  LOL.  I just...she’s so relatable.  

LMAO.  “If that fine ass dude in the orange suit...”  Princess and Mercer incoming in 3-2-----

Princess’s excitement over the toilet paper=PRICELESS.  

Eugene, Man.  You desperately need to develop a poker face.  

There’s Daryl getting another cool camera shot.  Angela?  You playing favorites again?  

Carol’s claustrophobia could have never.  I bet that’s in the back of Pookie’s mind.  You can’t tell me it’s not because Carol lives in there rent-free.  

Ohhh.  Back to the subway car.  Looks like we got the Maggie redshirts leading the way.  First sacrificial “lambs”?  

Maggie pistol-whipping Negan was kinda deserved, but he wasn’t all wrong so.  

Damn.  I’m no Gage fan.  He can fuck all the way off for what he did to my baby Lydia.  But Maggie over there with ice in her veins.  

Yep.  I think the dude just got one of the most gruesome deaths in a while.  Yuck.  

I think Alden’s faith in Maggie definitely took several hits.  I feel like he kind of had her on some sort of pedestal dating back to Hilltop times.  Father G, though?  The man is continuing to show himself a SAVAGE MFer.  

Josh gives Eugene such believable tics and mannerisms.  He IS Eugene.  

Thank you, Maggie, for lighting that flare.  I could not see a damn thing.  

What are these bad memories Negan alludes to?  Hmm?  Him being a shit husband to Lucille back when he was still taking her for granted?  

Father G on Gage’s Walker--”All that is, is a shell of a man, who died a coward.”  Kind of ironic considering Father G’s own origins, huh?  Has he any warmth in there for anybody but Rosita and Coco?  Does he equate it with weakness?  

“There are worse ways.”  And Maggie proceeds to paint us a horror story with mere words.  

Dark Maggie really surpasses anything certain fans have ever accused Carol of being.  Is she too far gone?  Who the hell knows?  I think it’s clear that she and Carol are both on a sliding scale of sorts when it comes to being able to compartmentalize shit to survive.  Personally?  I feel like Maggie might have leap-frogged Carol in this episode but it matters none because of the double standards so deeply entrenched in this fandom.  Both women have endured and had to do some horrific things.  It’s not a contest.  But it’s probably going to be turned into a season-long one.  

It’s almost like Kang was like, “Ya’ll bitches think Carol’s dark?  I’ll show you DARK.  Check and mate.”  

Whatever the reasoning, Maggie just got exponentially more interesting to me if not likable.  And before anybody out there comes at me, it’s entirely possible to be on a character’s side in some things and not be all up their ass in love with them, lol.  Like I’m attached to her because she’s family and Glenn loved her.  There’s a loyalty there and she absolutely is justified in her hatred of Negan.  But I’m not going to pretend her shit don’t stink like everybody else’s.  

Speaking of my baby Glenn.  What would he think of this version of Maggie?  I think he would be gutted and heart stricken that events led to her being like this but he’d understand because he’s pure like that.  Don’t mean he’d be A-OK with it all.  

Dog must be protected at all costs.  

Confession.  I know not the fuck who Pony Boy is, but I know him because all my fandom friends have pointed him out to me, lol.  RIP, Man.  I think you’re number’s up or close to it.  

Okay, though.  I admit it.  I am kinda LOVING Badass Father G.  

That scene in the subway car with all of them working to take all the Walkers out was already badass.  Then Daryl arrived and made it, in @freefromthecocoon’s words, HAWT.  LOL.  

Eugene staring at that little black book like it contains torture tools, hehehe.  

“Processed?  As in administratively?  Processed as in bologna or other meat stuffs?  This inquiring (enquiring?) mind needs to know.”  OMG, Eugene.  I admit it.  Even if it makes me look like a lunatic, LOL.  I straight up LMAO at that one.  I mean, ten years later and Terminus still fresh on the man’s mind.  

“You like feeling nervous?”  Well, no.  None of us that do, Mercer?  Do.  

Then he proceeds to make me howl with his “You can’t lie for shit” to Eugene.  

Josh McDermitt?  I love you, Man.  40 year old virgin, LOL.  

All this talk over the seasons of Daryl’s virginity and we have Eugene, hahaha.  But was he telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?  

Finally.  Some daylight.  Where I can see.  

Eugene’s relief at seeing his friends safe and sound was such a beautiful thing to see.  I loved those hugs.  

Mercer’s face when he snarled “beat cop” in disdain to Ezekiel.  I think I’m gonna love this dude.  

“I went to West Point.  Asshole.”  Yeah.  I am.  

I know they probably catfishing Eugene right here because spoilers tell us that ain’t Stephanie.  But my heart still did a little d’aww.  Angela.  Don’t play with his poor heart like that.  

What’s got Daryl so pensive, huh?  Is it that the note reminds him of kids being lost or taken from their family? Or separated from their family?  Is he thinking of those Grimes babies and wondering if Michonne will ever make it back and why and how she was able to leave them behind?  Tell me it ain’t that Find Me nonsense.  

“This place sure has gone to shit since the last time I was here.”  LMAO, JDM.  I mean Negan.  Sorry.  Sorry.  I still hate Negan, but JDM has me entertained at least since they gave the asshole some shades of gray.  And speaking of shades of gray.  I’m loving the gray beard.  JDM’s looking GOOD (hear that NR?  Embrace the gray).  Negan can still kick rocks, lol.  

Anyway.  That scene was CREEPY AF.  Not even gonna lie.  

The Reapers strutting right on up to our group like it’s The Purge:  ZA.  

My bad, Pony Boy. Now RIP.  

Dark, dark episode with loads of tension broken up by some welcome humor by Princess.  The girl is fast becoming a fave of mine.  

My baby’s back next week!!!

I’m just going to plug my ears and pretend they’re trying to capture/recapture the horses because they’re pets.  Not because they’re starving so bad they feel the need to eat them.  La la la la la.  I can’t hear you.  

[that-one-weeb-but-it-transformer]

𝔻𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕌𝕃𝕋ℝ𝔸 𝕄𝔸𝔾ℕ𝕌𝕊 𝕎/ ℍ𝕌𝕄𝔸ℕ ℙ𝔸ℝ𝕋ℕ𝔼ℝ (𝕋𝔽ℙ)

Hes one of my favorites not sorry

-guess who got spotted? Ultra Magnus

-well we're taking you back to the base

-he found you extremely childish and it annoyed him to a T

-And of course Optimus appointed him as your partner

-yay for him-

-Once he actually- finally- for god saken- took the time to actually get to know you, he didnt find you as annoying

-you were being bullied one day outside the school and the bulky threw you into the side of Magnus' alt mode- the door suddenly went flying open must've been a bad bolt

-Not to long after the same group of bullies keyed Magnus' alt form:

"Aw shes gonna cry!" One of the boys teased.

"Why? Did your sugar daddy tell you if you wreck it you'll actually have to do something for them." Another spoke.

"Aw. I knew she was a-"

The thrid boy was grabbed by the throat as his hands clawed at the wrist of the teen who held him, causing the other two to back up slightly.

"Touch any of my shit again and I'll bury you myself."

She threw him to the side, catching himself on his feet he held his neck with a hand, gritting his teeth he glared at her.

"Who do you think your talking to!?" He argued, catching the attention of kids near by.

She turned to look at him just to be punched in the face falling to the floor from the sudden force that knocked her off her balance.

"Dude! The hell! Your gonna get us in trouble!" One of the boys shouted.

The teen ignored him toppling over Y/n straddling her stomach, as he delivered brutal puches to her face. Kids started to gather cheering on the male as Y/n pushed him off her and return the favor, causing and either louder up roar."

"I told you!" She shouted punching him in the face.

"Don't!"

A broken nose

"Touch!"

A black eye

"My!"

A busted lip

"Shit!"

Her final blow was stopped when teachers pulled them apart.

"You broke my nose!" The teen cried.

"Well then go cry to your mom who I fucked last night!"

-Did Magnus just see what he thought? The seemingly innocent cheerful girl looking more scarrier than a decepticon out with a bloodlust

-he waited until you were able to come out- even though the kids had informed him via comn link she'd go home with her parents- you came out alone, him being the only thing there:

"I don't want to go with you today Magnus."

"I'd prefer if you did come with me." Magnus stated

Y/n frowned as she looked at the deep key job.

"Im not allowed back for a week."

"I figured so."

The door opened as Y/n only followed as she hopped in.

-did he- did he just be n i c e?!

-Instead of taking you to the street corner as usual he took you. He drove you around, mindlessly

-you ended up falling asleep so he took you back to base, unknowing of what to do with you, he he held your small form in his large servo, luckily nurse June had showed up sometime before to help with something and she was able to lay you down on the couch.

-Optimus has asked what happened as you were littered with brusies and cuts, Magnus explained and took full blame but Miko backed him up

-Magnus said one of the humans should contact Y/n's parents- Nurse June looked worried as she knew you were lacking in the depart of family.

-so she advised to keep her in base saying , "well if they didnt even bother to pick her up why worry right?

-Everyone found that extremely off as a cover June said: "well you like her right? She'll tell you whats wrong?"

-Arcee choked at that sentence, Ratchet actually laughed, wheeljsck was given ammo to fuel is annoyingness, Bulkhead was extremely uncomfortable, the two youngsters were like "hold up" and Optimus like a proud dad- brother- figure thing- smiled to himself

-Magnus was completely embarssed but kept it under wraps.

-miko was completely shocked when she figured it out

-"Magnus go scout" "thank you sir"

-you woke up to a dark room looking around you seemed to be on a cot, and Ultra Magnus was sleeping in the berth above you- wait- WHERE YOU IN HIS ROOM?!

-He woke up as soon as he heard you wake up.

-it was only silence at first, but he ended up thanking you in a way, saying it was arrogant but brave of you

-you thanked him for helping you as well

-cue the speaking at the same time

-confession was kinda werid tbh:

"So..." y/n spoke.

"Suppose you know about me then? All of it?" Y/n asked, "Im sure Nurse Darby told you."

"No, nothing was said about you." Magnus spoke.

"Oh...good...good."

It was silent for a few mintues the air thick and the only thing used as a light source was Magnus' bright optics.

"If you wish you can tell me." Magnus informed.

"Right..." y/n breathed in, "My uh mother...she died while I was being born....my dad commited a murder-suicide, he said it was my fault in his will."

"I am sorry." Magnus spoke softly then paused for a long second, "How do you do it?"

Y/n looked up at him, "do what?"

"Your as enetergic and as arrogant as Rodimus, your sparks would be one in the same." Magnus told, "but your well rounded as if you were a high ranking assistant to Alpha Trion. Then you deal with what would take most well trainned mechs off the feild."

Y/n shrugged, "I suppose..." y/n paused, "I dont want anyone else to leave me, it's tiring being alone."

Magnus answered awfully quick, "I would never leave you, you have too much meaning in my life."

-Woah wait! He didn't but did mean that!

-you ended up asking who Rodimus was and you both talked through the night.

-you guys were closer than ever after that

-he attempted to tell you out more straight forward but failed for a while

-when he finally told you- you were all like: Oh I know

-cue dating??????? Poor man hes so confused

-nothing changed much he loved being with you either way- with dating he just became more and more worried for each other

-Acree has extreme suspicions of you two

-you guys were going good, open with one another and honest, it was a pretty loving relationship

-that "Im Lutenit" shit dont slide with you

-you guys like driving in the rain, he especially like it if you've calmed down from a hetic week and fell asleep getting the resr you deserve

-when he lost his hand in combat and had it replaced with a new one you went to a tattoo shop and asked for stitching as if someone has stiched your fingers back together, you proceeded to go up to Magnus afterwards and tell him you guys were just alike now

-He got angery you hurt yourself- well he thought you hurt yourself- he couldn't stay mad at you

-Guess who squared up on the predaking? You and this is how it happened:

Magnus had been knocked to the side with the two wreckers. You who had came our from behind a Boulder shouted at the dino-mechanism

"Hey You!"

The giant beast looked towards you, "yeah you!"

Rushing its way over it screeched in Y/n's face, "Oh blow it out your ass!"

The schreeching stopped as Y/ns arms crossed

"How dare you!-" and you raged ON.

-The predaking is now warry of the autobots

-Wheeljack was given even more ammo to mess with Ultra Magnus now knowing you two were dating

-except Ultra Magnus to see you in a whole knew light of being a strong hooman and finding it absolutely memorizing and beautiful

[robbyrobinson]

Mieruko-chan (Review)

We interrupt this program to bring you...Miko the Scaredy Cat Girl, starring Miko, the Scaredy Cat Girl! Cursed with the ability to see ghosts, she tries to ignore them while living her normal life with her best friend Hana, and her rival, Yulia! But creepy spirits fester her town. It's up to Miko to ignore them all!

Mieruko-chan is a horror-comedy anime featuring Miko Yotsuya, a young teenage girl who goes about her daily activities, except she kind of has a tiny problem. That is if seeing horrifying ghosts amounts to being a small problem. For whatever reason, Miko is able to see ghosts, yet ignores them. But, in truth, Miko is scared silly due to her predicament, but if she wants to avoid the consequences of her acknowledging the ghosts, she has to suck it up.

For the first few episodes, we do get a formula: Miko sees a scary ghost; sometimes scary ghosts would go after her friend Hana so she tries to pretend to not see the ghost. As more characters are introduced into the anime, we get more of the basic ingredients for the plot of the show. With this episodic flow, the show can get predictable as a result of the premise.

But, starting from episode 6, there comes a drastic change in the formula of the show which can potentially build towards big lore drops. For instance, we have yet to hear an explanation of how Miko was cursed with seeing ghosts, and what prominence this has over professional mediums. In short, the first few episodes do fall short because of the predictability, but episode 6 onwards does have the potential to improve on the world-building.

What also works for the show is that, while it is a horror-comedy, it is also surprisingly emotional and heartwarming. Believe me, I watched the show not expecting to be hit with the feels train. These moments are not contrived and feel genuinely earned and heartfelt my favorite one being the ending showing what happened with the scarred man and his pet cat.

The animation. It isn't necessarily visually eye-opening, but it befits the tone of the show. Of course, there are elements of it like fanservice often coming from lingering shots of Miko's legs or Hana's chest, but it does it in a balanced way where it is not distracting.

While the normal world is more or less bland/mundane, what makes it are the designs of the ghosts. The ghosts are truly terrifying and potentially mind-shattering to look like. They move in inhuman actions much like reanimated corpses; they are shrouded in darkness, and sometimes they even emit insidious fumes. Looking at the manga, it looks like they took a book out of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark movie by translating the illustrations over to the big screen. It should come as no wonder why Miko tries to ignore them at all costs.

As for the characters: Miko. Poor, poor, poor Miko. She does not deserve to suffer like this and sometimes, I am often compelled to give her a pat on the back and tell her that everything's okay. Yet at the same time, it is amusing to see her being scared. Just really cute whenever she is. Yet despite her fears, there are moments where she has to swallow her fears and put her foot down if it comes to possible danger Hana might face, or helping the ghosts in some way.

Hana. She is really the best friend that anyone would want. She is very loving and compassionate, and she has your back. With her, her immediate characteristic is that she is always hungry and she scarfs down several sweets frequently despite never gaining weight from them. Starting around the halfway mark of the anime, she is getting targeted by spirits as it turns out because of the excessive aura she projects. To think about it, imagine ghosts dropping tiny ghosts on a barbie and you'd get why ghosts single Hana out.

Our tritagonist is Yulia. She already appeared in earlier episodes and for the most part quietly observed Miko. As it would turn out, much like Miko, Yulia can see ghosts...but she is unable to see the larger and more potentially dangerous variants.

Yulia is a complicated character for me. I like her Gothic aesthetic and character design, and it is intriguing to have someone else being able to see ghosts except with one key difference. At the same time, Yulia can also be annoying and self-absorbed with believing that she is the big cheese when it comes to her medium abilities despite not being able to exorcise ghosts herself.

When she starts to suspect Miko as also having "the gift," she becomes the "rival" of Miko and completely misinterprets her actions as her trying to show off her skills when it is painfully obvious that she had her all wrong. This came to be after she locks Miko in the ballroom which led to the most memorable part of the episode where Miko chokeholds Yulia in order to protect her. While she is egotistical, it is explained briefly via flashback that she was bullied for her claims over clairvoyance. So it makes sense that she would want to believe that she was not alone. Hopefully, Miko will come around to clear up these misunderstandings.

For other characters, we have the Godmother of Downtown who is a fortune-teller with actual psychic abilities despite having the looks and attitude of a scammer but is willing to help Miko. Miko's parents appear and they are depicted as being your typical good parents to their children. But Miko's Dad's role in the story is such a huge twist, it makes you reevaluate what you had witnessed.

And then there's Miko's little brother Kyousuke who, for all intended purposes, is more or less the man of the house. He is introduced as being suspicious of the oddities happening with his sister and wants to protect her. He is a good boi.

With that, I'd say that Mieruko-chan is worth looking into. While it starts off formulaic, it shifts into high gear due to the one decision that Miko makes that could lead to more reveals down the line. Even then, I would also recommend it largely because of the designs of the ghosts.

Story: 7.5

Characters: 8.5

Animation: 9.8

Sound: 9

Score: 8.7/10

[bougiebutchbitch]

Arcee or Knock Out for the ask meme? :3c

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS

Gonna answer for my best girl, my blue lady, motorcycle queen of my heart -

Why I like them

Sharp and smart and spiky and smol (but also very big; I'd say 'please step on me ma'am' but she'd crush me)!!

She has Big WLW Vibes (I know she only really has f/f tension with her mortal enemy..... sssh...... sometimes it be like that......)!!!

She loves her friends SO MUCH, and she’s a good person on the whole! But she is still allowed to have believable flaws and moments where she lets her anger and desire for vengeance overrule her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why I don’t

She's treated a little bit as The Killjoy sometimes? Which is suuuuch an overdone female character stereotype. Miko balances that out, to a degree, and it helps that Ratchet's a far bigger killjoy! But I've seen too many female characters (or female-coded giant alien robots) dumped into the caretaker-y, overly-responsible 'mum' role when they’re not the main focus of a particular storyline (SIDE-EYES MARVEL). Especially in scenarios when the girls are by far outnumbered by the boys on the squad, it gets a bit wearing.

Favorite episode (scene if movie)

YOU CAN'T ASK ME THIIIIIIIIS

I absolutely love every fight she has with Airachnid. When she loses her shit, to an even greater degree than when she goes up against Starscream, and all that repressed pain and fury bubbles up to the surface..... dang. Love That For Her!

The scene where Arcee rescued Jack and June from the top of the tower is one that really sticks in my head!

Favorite season/movie

hhhhhh I'm gonna say Season 1, because she maybe got a bit more character development there?

Favorite line

“How many more times do we have to save our world?” T.T

OR for a lighter hearted one: “Haven’t you heard? Humans multiply.”

Favorite outfit

.......................................................wax 'n' polish (no but imagine her in a tux)

OTP

Listen. My Prime Arcee ships are either vicious, mutual respect/loathing-fuelled Airachnid/Arcee, or epic femdomme Starcee... She deserves better than either, but I didn't learn enough about her and Cliff to really ship it, so I guess I only have OTPs in the sense of 'this is an interesting conflict-riddled dynamic and I really think they should fuck about it'.

....June/Arcee??????? Maybe???? I've never read it, but I want it.

Brotp

JACK AND ARCEEEEEEEEEE maaaaan they kill me. it's all about :clenches fist: that platonic partner bond.

Head Canon

She's the best drinker out of the entire cast. She could drink Megatron under the table. Yes, it's completely ridiculous, given her size - but ssssssh

Unpopular opinion

I don't know if this is 'unpopular', but I hate-hate-hate fic that demonises Arcee just to make Starscream seem more woobie. Power to you if you enjoy writing it, but it ain't for me.

A wish

That she and Jack stay together for the remainder of Jack's lifespan T.T

That she gets to just live happily and peacefully with her partner and know she's done her job of protecting him, and that he's gonna be okay.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen

JACK DYING IN FRONT OF HER (of unnatural causes)

NEVER LET HER LOSE ANOTHER PARTNER TO VIOLENCE

NEVER AGAIN YOU HEAR ME

5 words to best describe them

Kind, cool, efficient, stubborn, loyal

My nickname for them

ARSE-see, daaaaang gurl

[holyhikari]

Okay. Okay. It’s 2020, most of the world is shut down and the first episode of Digimon Adventure aired yesterday, missing a ‘Butter-Fly’ and with a colon to spare. Life sure is something. 

Gotta say I’m relieved. (For now, at least.) Sure, yeah, I got into the hype train for the reboot from the get-go and determined to just have fun, but. If I can picture all the ways something can go wrong — go BORING — down to excruciating details right from the first episode, why not? That’s what brains are for. So that’s what I did. 

Should have saved all that energy. 

I want to share with all of you my thoughts on this episode, break it down a little bit; how it made me feel, the few character introductions we got, the pace, the plot and its possibilities. 

As much as I want to approach this series keeping the idea of authenticity in mind, it is a reboot. They chose a certain set of (popular!) pre-existent characters to explore, to work with; a balance between creating and adapting. And I’m very interested in seeing how they’ll combine the core elements of Digimon Adventure with all there is unique to this generation of kids, teens and, you know it, adults who stuck around. 

Since all we’ve got is the introduction to the series, I’ll be contrasting TOKYO DIGITAL CRISIS to how the original Adventure kicked off back in 1999 with  ADRIFT? THE ISLAND OF ADVENTURE!

I did try to keep this as coherent and review-like as possible, but there’s a fair amount of fan-girling and it’s all seen through my very biased Adventure-stan-colored lens. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. 

‘99 starts with an image of our planet, and  ‘20 starts almost the same. This time, though, we can see we aren’t alone. ‘The Digital World affecting the Earth’ is something that happens, I believe, in every Digimon reincarnation. In ‘99, it’s deeply affecting our climate. Now, the issue doesn’t seem so drastic that it’s able to reach influence organic matter and mess up many Nature’s cycles across the globe, but it’s still not looking so good for our kids. (It’s the first episode and Hikari and Yuuko almost get train-sandwiched, but I suppose that almost having your head chopped off, courtesy of Kuwagamon, isn’t lovely either.) 

Anyway. 

I think this Digital World/Network shot isn’t actually part of the episode? I think it’s part of the opening (I mean, not the OP sequence with the song, obviously), and that we’ll be seeing it before each episode starts. Still, it’s an interesting juxtaposition, isn’t it?

A Glorious World is upon us! I wasn’t actually expecting Butter-Fly or anything similar to it, don’t worry. I’m glad the new OP is its own thing! I want Digimon Adventure ‘20 to be as authentic as possible without losing the original’s heart. The song is nice enough. I don’t want to compare it to Butter-Fly, but I’m only human. Give me a few episodes. Gotta let go. 

The OP has way more Taichi than the others. No surprise there. He’s our goggle boy. (Still, since they went for a quick throwback to the original opening, it’s a shame only Taichi was shown falling down towards the Digital World). 

Everyone got a part, though. Shout out to Takeru and Hikari for being yet again the ominous, powerful baby-faced duo that is definitely up to something. 

It’s so interesting that, while the other crests are shown very clearly and surrounded by sparkles, Light and Hope are only shown briefly shining in their partners’ shadows. Why is Takeru so far away from us, why is this so sinister-looking. Hi, mysterious plot. Nice to meet you.

Wherever Hikari is by the end of the OP, it reminds me of Vamdemon’s castle. Maybe she feels connected to Tailmon and follows her somehow? Angemon wasn’t shown in the OP with the older six children’s partners, just Patamon. I wonder if they’ll try to make us grieve for Angemon a second time. It’d work with me. Either way, I imagine we’re in for another last-minute Patamon evolution when everything looks hopeless. 

This time, though, we’ve got Hikari from the beginning (yes, I am VERY excited about this, thank you for asking, THIS IS WHAT I DESERVE), and, while I think Patamon is more powerful in regular conditions (as in, Angemon can probably take Angewomon in a fight despite the level imbalance, but as soon as Hikari starts glowing you know who’s winning), he will now be sharing the spotlight with another Archangel evolution… as his friend or as his foe, considering that Tailmon might be a double agent of some sorts in the beginning. Welp. 

Anyway. Toei isn’t fooling around, in the OP we can see MetalGreymon in a very scary-looking, glitchy fashion that I’m LIVING for, WarGreymon’s silhouette and, good grief, there’s even a glimpse of Omegamon. Talk about too much information. Maybe chill out a little? (I say this, but the adults already know all of their evos, and the kids just want MOOOOOOORE monstahhhhhrrrrrrsss….which is fair.)

MetalGreymon looks dope here. The others, though, are only shown up to their Adult evolution, even Gabumon. I don’t think they will have only Gabumon and Agumon reaching their Mega forms, and then fusing into Omegamon while everyone else only gets as far as Perfect.  Again.

They wouldn’t do this to us. Right? Yeah, they would. Maybe we can have Holydramon/Ophanimon and Seraphimon later on, as a treat. Aaaaaand, depending on how many episodes — how many seasons — this new timeline gets, I’m not giving up hope just yet. Let me have Phoenixmon, Toei, you heartless thing. 

Moving on to the actual episode… The first non-Digimon character to show up is the true protagonist. Our queen is back. Our little Digivice thief, Miko herself.

Just you wait, you ain’t gonna be Hikari’s favorite cat-like creature for long. 

Speaking of Hikari, LOOK AT THIS WITTLE BABY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2020 Taichi right off the bat was Taichi for me. He’s talking to Yuuko and yells “Hikariii~” so loudly Hikari hears it from where she stands, the short cutie. Their mom just hands down the phone for her without missing a beat so Taichi can comfort her through whatever she’s worrying about (her summer classes, probably). Such a sweet, natural little moment that flashes both characters out. I want more of that, please.

We’re then introduced to Koushiro! I’m not gonna lie, I cringed the first time I heard him speak. I thought the voice didn’t fit him very well. This impression faded quickly enough, though, and I’m already attached to his new voice. Later, I realized that part of the reason he sounded off to me was because of how nervous he seemed — around Taichi, of all people! In this version, they’re just meeting for the first time, so it’s very in-character for him. Guess I was kinda shocked seeing Koushiro not feeling at ease talking to Taichi. Poor thing is Anxious! And he’s overthinking about Summer Camp! And he’s happy Taichi is his neighbor! That certainly would’ve helped during the Vandemon arc back in ‘99. 

Koushiro gets a little bit over his awkwardness upon hearing the news regarding the cyber attack, something he’s curious about, and finally steps towards Taichi instead of away, which is spot on. These two fall into an easy camaraderie, as they SHOULD, and they head to the train station together, where Taichi decides to, I don’t know… run like crazy on the tracks until he gets to the rogue train where his family is and stop it with sheer force of will? Yeah! Sounds like him! 

And now to one of the most interesting parts of this adaption, is that they’re showing us the Crests early on and HOW they’re doing it. 

Taichi is able to meet Koromon because he’s being brave.

I mean, the first time, he was chosen because of his courage, too, but they all go in together. They’re taken. They’re washed off the Earth. And while Taichi had no idea he was going to be pulled into the Net, he chose to try to save Hikari and his mom (and, a few moments later, he chose to dive in towards Koromon). This time, it feels so much more personal. The screen switched back and forth between the Crest of Courage, Taichi and Hikari, who I believed called his name. The scene worked so well! (Following this pattern, Koushiro gets his Digivice when expressing curiosity, the will to pursue an explanation for what was happening!!!!)

On the other hand, it’s sort of bittersweet  they weren’t pulled in together. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they didn’t try to introduce all of them AND the Digital World at the same time again. But… ‘99 established them as a ‘team’ within seconds. It’s interesting, though. I’m VERY curious to see how their bonding will go this time around!

Taichi and Koromon meeting was beautiful. I was worried the soundtrack wouldn’t even stand a chance against the masterpiece that is the original one, but the musing playing was so delicate, so majestic. I felt I was witnessing a precious moment. Also, Koromon’s ears twisting into how we represent the DNA while he was evolving was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SUCH A GOOD DETAIL!!!!!! 

It cracked me up when Koushiro said that what was happening was very surprising while not sounding surprised at all. I wonder how long the kid has been looking into the cyber attacks. Oh, and the Network is pretty. Prettier than I had anticipated, though not that different from Appmon’s style, I think? I can’t wait to get a look at the actual Digital World and see if it has that unique feeling and that odd, watercolor painting aesthetic. I hope I can trust the OP:

 Did you notice that Agumon giggled a few times? He looked at Taichi with such love, familiarity and devotion and like he knew something. It felt… right. My heart. My poor, poor heart. (I know this Agumon probably has met Taichi before inside of this very Universe, like the Hikarigaoka incident in the original version, but I like to think about Universe-hopping platonic soulmates.) 

Overall the sound work was fantastic, but this scene deserves a highlight. The noise of the Kuramon lookalike moving after evolving was genuinely disturbing. And look at how pretty this is:

Speaking of evolution, AGUMON EVOLVING INTO GREYMON WAS THE SHIT. I loved how straight-up FERAL it was, while still keeping the “Digital” part of “Digital Monster” very much present. It reminded me a bit of Hosoda’s Greymon (most amazing Greymon to this day!) in the Digimon Adventure Movie and, now that I think of it, of him fighting in some Tri. Reunion scenes. Scary Greymon is the best Greymon. Yes. I like it when the Digimon manage to disturb and scare me, okay? They aren’t called monsters for nothing. 

I mean we got to see his horn literally bursting out of his skin. This is low-key terrifying. 10/10.

BUT WHERE IS THE EVOLUTION THEME SONG

I am: deceased. Cause of death: Hikari’s soft smile when she realizes her big brother managed to help them. 

Alternatively, this first pic had killed me on the spot.

FINALLY, we get to see Yamato, and of course, he’s staring down dramatically at Taichi on top of Garurumon like the intense person he is. And, no big deal, there’s a cyber attack in a U.S military base and, uh, apparently the next episode is the 2020 version of Bokura no War Game?! 

I— WHAT?!

No pressure, am I right? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be falling off a good ol’ cliff with my camping buddies. 

To be honest, if they intended to end it like this, it felt like this should’ve been a special episode. Maybe one-hour-long or so? Why……….HOW……….. They wanna go from the pilot straight to a Bokura no War game tribute?! The very movie that introduced Omegamon. I swear, if Omegamon’s debut is the SECOND episode, I’m gonna break. How is this gonna work. Well, at least they have us… intrigued? 

The ED is so Yamato-focused it’s almost weird that his voice actor isn’t the one singing lmao. That amount of Yamatoness got me by surprise. Some of the pics look like a PowerPoint presentation of CD cover ideas for his yet-to-exist (or not) band… and I say this lovingly, okay? I love him so much. 

This is my favorite one!

I lost count of how many times I listened to this song!! It also got me hooked up. What’s up with Takeru and how the writers took the whole Angel aesthetic to a whole new level?! Is he sick? Is he dying? Is this why Yamato is so sad and lonely throughout the ED?????? EVERYONE GO BEFRIEND HIM. I heard he’s a good friend.

Be right back, I’m gonna tattoo this pic to my face.

Bonus commentary!

I bet I wasn’t the only one looking for  random cameos whenever they showed us crowds. Didn’t find anyone we know, but I’m sure this will change. 02 characters cameos, I’m ready for you. 

Soooooooooo the Tachikawa own a tech company this time?? For all we know they own Japan. That’s scarier than the Diablomon-like virus giving Trump a headache. If so, Mimi is gonna be way more spoiled than before. Oh, dear.

I HOPE WE SEE MORE OF THESE PIXEL BABIES! That was a perfect Easter egg.

If none of these icons at the bottom is the Digimon Analyzer, then what’s the point of my entire existence? 

I can’t wait for next Saturday! Even if solely to yell “WHY??????” at my screen.  

I can’t thank you enough if you read this far!

[lavendertwilight89]

InuxKag Week 2020 Day 3--Confession

Breathe--rated Teen

Not my absolute favorite one-shot I’ve written but... it’ll do.

I’m writing another confession piece because I want the satisfaction of loving my own work lol Also on: HERE

@inukag-week @superpixie42 @lemonlushff @dangerouspompadour @keichanz @cstormsinukagblog @willowandfog @inuyashaloverforever @xfangheartx @clearwillow  @umacaking @procellaxletalis @smmahamazing @murdergiraffe @faulkner-blog @sapphirestarxx@swaggingtomboy @sarah-writes-stories

“It is the only way,” Kikyo said sadly.

“But… what about…” Kagome said as she looked back towards the barrier to see her friends standing outside of it.

“Kagome, he will be alright.”

Kagome exhaled shakily. The elder priestess had summoned her to talk but had decided that she was the only one who needed to hear the conversation. Kikyo’s body was gravely damaged from the miasma Naraku had impaled her with. Even after Kagome tried to heal her, it was to no avail—her body was still failing.

Kikyo had called to her for help—well—more like a request that she didn’t want anyone else to hear. That should have been a red flag in and of itself. Kagome reluctantly accepted the invitation, even to Inuyasha’s original discomfort. But she knew that if Kikyo wanted to speak with her, even with their friends outside the barrier, it must’ve been serious.

What she hadn’t expected was Kikyo’s request—to return to the other side of the well until she could vanquish Naraku and then she could return to purify the jewel. She said her soul was restless and refused to leave her body but her body was breaking down. Kikyo’s theory was if Kagome returned home, her soul would fight less and her body would be resilient, rather than succeed to its reincarnation.

Kagome’s main concern was Inuyasha. How would he cope with everything? She swore to stay by his side and had kept that promise. But would she break it so he could keep his? His promise to protect Kikyo? She sighed realizing it was more likely for her to break her promise rather than him…

Afterall, he loved Kikyo. Not her. Her love for the half-demon was one-sided. She knew he heard her at Kaguya’s castle. They had shared a kiss. It was chaste, short, but enough to draw him out of his full demon state. She also figured he heard her scream it to Naraku’s creepy infant and Kagura before she passed out… Neither time was ever addressed in conversation so she never brought it up. She would prefer to act like she didn’t put her heart out there on the line to just be stomped on. To be fair, he hadn’t stomped on it, if anything he just walked past it.

“Kagome,” Kikyo said as she stood uneasily. Kagome rushed over to her to steady her. The older miko granted her a soft smile of gratitude and then waved her off. “It is ultimately your decision; but we are short on time for you to decide.”

“Will you… Will you travel with them?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll protect them?”

“Of course.”

“Alright.”

“If the jewel is sacrificed in battle, you may want to say your goodbyes now if you get trapped beyond the well.”

Kagome nodded solemnly. As much as she wanted to be there, by her friends’ sides fighting Naraku, helping them exact their revenge and end his evil tirade, Kikyo deserved vengeance more. It honestly wasn’t her fight and her incarnation was the true guardian of the jewel—not her.

“I am sorry, Kagome. I wish there was a way for us to both coexist…”

“Mhm,” Kagome hummed, trying to hold back her tears. Kikyo and her had made amends as best as they could. The issues they hadn’t been able to resolve revolved  around one hanyou and a shared soul. But they were at least cooperative and civil. 

Kikyo lowered the barrier and their friends stepped forward in haste. 

“Kagome?” Sango called her friend. Kagome turned and smiled the best fake smile she could. Sango didn’t trust Kikyo and judging from her friend’s sadness, she had every right not to.

“I’m alright. Kikyo and I were just talking strategies.”

“Behind a barrier?” Miroku questioned.

“What was decided, Kikyo?” Inuyasha asked softly. Kagome had thought previously her heart couldn’t break any further—but she was dead wrong.

Kikyo turned to Kagome, as if prompting her to let everyone know the decision she had come to. It made Kagome feel even sicker. Even smaller. “We, uh, decided that…” she couldn’t finish. It was like her throat closed up and no sound could come out.

“Kagome will return to her era. My body and soul will recover without the strain her presence has upon it. Once it is repaired and I am strong enough to fight Naraku, she can return.”

All eyes fell upon Kagome, or she assumed they did. She honestly found her feet more appealing than anything else. Biting her lip, she took strides to get her backpack and then shot Sango a desperate look for escape to which she nodded sadly. Kagome mouthed a silent thank you to her. She hoped they would see each other again.

“Kirara,” Kagome said softly, beckoning the large demon cat forward. She hopped on her back and patted her to take off. She couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye. The tears in her eyes pooled heavily and her throat still hadn’t loosened. She was a coward. But she had to help Inuyasha keep his promise even if it made him hate her.

“Wait—” Miroku called.

“Don’t leave us, Kagome!” Shippo cried.

Sango crossed her arms and turned away from Kikyo and Inuyasha. She began walking away from the group to try and control her emotions. She wanted to scream at Inuyasha! She wanted to slap Kikyo! Gah!!! 

Miroku stepped to her side and placed his hand on her trembling shoulder, “We will make our way back to the village. Regroup with Kirara. We will leave you to your… devices.” Miroku nudged Sango to move forward as his anger and disappointment also rolled off of him. 

Shippo glared at Inuyasha and ran to catch up to Miroku and Sango as he cried. The fact he hadn’t even spoken to Inuyasha told him how hurt the little guy was.

“Kikyo…” Inuyasha said; he was unable to ask the question he knew he needed to.

“Inuyasha, it is the only way we will be able to defeat Naraku. Without the separation of time, my soul will continue to break down this body.”

“Kikyo, I--...” he didn’t know how to tell her. Would he be betraying her saying he wanted Kagome at his side? How could he even tell Kikyo that? It would be basically condemning her to death. Could he even admit that out loud? 

“Inuyasha, you seem upset by this decision. Is this… not what you wanted? Do you wish for my death?”

“N-no. That’s not--”

“Then why are you hesitant? Why are you questioning the plan? Naraku had deceived us into betraying one another. It is our destiny to destroy him.”

“Kikyo--”

“Inuyasha; why do you hesitate?” Kikyo kept her stoic face and voice even as she spoke to the half demon. 

“I--I can’t travel with you.” Kikyo tilted her head at his admission but remained silent to hear more.

“Kikyo, I thought, well, I thought you knew.”

“What do I know?” Kikyo prompted. Inuyasha looked into her eyes finally and saw she was pressing him. Testing him. Why?

“I--” he swallowed nervously. “I need Kagome.”

“Am I not enough for you, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha looked uncomfortable and started to frown looking at the undead priestess. She was pushing him to admit things he hadn’t told anyone. Things that he only wanted to say to the one girl who mattered. To the girl who took off running rather than saying goodbye.

“Kikyo, our time was cut short. But--” Kikyo finally placed her hand over his mouth and smiled softly.

“Inuyasha, I know. Just tell me.”

“Why? What are you--”

“I need to know that you will be loyal and protect that girl with all your heart. That you won’t make the same mistake twice. That the trust you put in her is unbreakable.”

“It is, Kikyo. I’m sorry that we--well--”

“While I know our time was short, it was meant to be that way. I now know things I didn’t when I was alive. I must apologize to you for holding you back.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know your promise to me was holding you from being with my reincarnation… I am giving you an out, as long as you say it.”

“Say what?”

“Is that girl more important to you than I am?”

He looked at her and while he was petrified to admit his deep feelings he harbored for Kagome, Kikyo bluntly had spelled it out for him. She knew. She knew she was dying. She knew he needed Kagome. She knew he loved Kagome. Kikyo wanted him to choose Kagome fully.

Kagome never asked him to pick. She wanted him to honor the promise he made to Kikyo and she vowed she would stay by his side. That’s all Kagome ever wanted was to be in his company even if it hurt her. He wanted to tell her for so long how he felt, but couldn’t--not with a promise to protect another woman. Not with a war going on with a malicious dark half demon who wanted nothing but to kill them all. 

“Y-yes,” he breathed. 

“Will you protect her with your life?”

“That’s not even a question, Kikyo. I already do,” he said more confidently.

“Hmm,” she hummed satisfied.

“Why are you doing this Kikyo?”

“My time is short, Inuyasha. Whether Kagome is here, or there, my body is going to give out. But before that happened I needed to know you were sure.”

“That I would pick her.”

“Above all else,” Kikyo smiled softly. “I would hurry if I were you. The longer you take, the harder it will be to convince her to stay, Inuyasha.” Kikyo turned away and began to walk back into the forest with her soul collectors.

Inuyasha smiled at the undead priestess. She freed him of his vow. He’d broken it too many times to count already racing after Kagome. Kikyo was dead and he knew that. He just wanted her to find peace. He had been in love with Kagome before he even realized it. Her friendship had grown so important to him that when she was gone, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t alive without the young girl from the future by his side.

He had made a declaration with himself when everything was all said and done, Kikyo still alive or not, he would finally confess his feelings to her. He would let Kagome decide where she wanted to be. 

Taking off in a fast sprint, he prayed he could beat Kirara to the well.

Kirara had landed by the well just as Kagome had finally pulled herself together out of her stupor. To be fair, she had left without saying goodbye. Just a shake of her head. How could she possibly say goodbye to any of them? Sango was like her sister. They didn’t even need words to be able to communicate. Miroku was like an elder brother. He was wise, offered good advice, and genuinely cared for her well being. Shippo… he was her adopted child. And she was abandoning him. Some mother she was.

And there was… Inuyasha. No words could ever describe her sorrow and pain having to leave him. He was her best friend. While he would never admit it, he needed her. All his actions showed her that. But he also needed her to leave so he could honor a vow he made to Kikyo. It was better to hate her than have him hate himself more… or hate her because it would mean the woman he loved would die. 

For her, the solution was simple. She would be that scapegoat for Inuyasha. Anything he needed, she would give him. She loved him. Ultimately, she knew it would end in heartbreak. But it was okay, because he would be happy. What more could she want aside from that? Eventually he’d forgive her, because he would have Kikyo. Eventually he’d forget her and move on...

She fell to her knees by the well and sobbed. She had to remind herself this was for him, not her. She was protecting him. That was all that ever mattered. Him. She was nearly sixteen. She would move on...

Kirara nudged her shoulder and Kagome let out a half-sob, half-laughed and turned to pet her friend, “I’m okay. Please, take care of everyone.”

Kirara roared as Kagome stood and sent her off. She wanted to be alone if only for a moment by the well. Where everything began.

As she turned back to look down the dark abyss, she felt arms wrap around her. She screamed briefly before she realized who had her. Shocked, she swung around to face Inuyasha.

“Wh-wh-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” she yelled.

“WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!” he snarled back.

“I’M LEAVING TO PROTECT YOU, STUPID!” she confessed as tears still rolled down her face uncontrollably.

“It’s MY job to protect YOU!” he growled, gripping her arms tightly.

“No! Your promise was to protect Kikyo!”

“I can’t do that without you!”

“You have to!”

“You swore you would stay by my side!”

“I can’t do that if it makes you break your own promise!!” she argued.

“I can’t keep that promise anymore Kagome…” he said sternly.

“Why?! I’m leaving! I’m making the choice easy on you! I never wanted you to choose so I chose for you,” she trembled and lowered her head but refused to let it rest on his chest. He was already breaking down her walls--she was supposed to have jumped in the well and have left by then. But no--he had to come and try and placate her. She couldn’t allow him to sacrifice his happiness to just appease her.

“And you chose wrong, idiot,” he chastised.

“How did I choose wrong?? I--” she was cut off from the press of his lips against hers. Her face had been forced away from the ground and she had seen the very angry and swirling crimson golden eyes of her best friend before he smashed his lips to hers.

This kiss was not what she expected. It was hard, crushing, furious, demanding and Gods did it make her want to come undone. But she knew she had to stay strong for him. He would regret this decision. Ultimately it would be her to blame for Kikyo’s death.

“Inu--” she said, trying to put distance between them.

“I need you, please,” he said brokenly. 

“What?” she gasped.

“I need you. Here. By my side. Please, I--I can’t lose you Kagome.”

“But what about Kikyo?? Inuyasha if I stay she’ll--”

“She’s going to pass on anyway, Kagome.”

The words should have made her feel better but if anything it just broke her heart further. Even if Inuyasha was picking her then, she was just a backup plan. A replacement for the real thing. She struggled to get out of his grasp but he refused to allow it.

“Let me go! I know I promised to be with you but I won’t be her! I’m me!”

“I know you aren’t Kikyo, Kagome! I’ve known that since we started traveling together! Do you think I’m stupid?!”

“Yes!”

He rolled his eyes realizing what poor timing this all was. It honestly wasn’t fair for him to assume she would have been jumping for joy or any of that. He knew why she was reacting the way she was and, damnit, it was his fucking fault.

“Kagome, what can I say or do to prove to you that you were my choice? I just confessed I needed you,” he begged.

“That doesn’t mean you…” she looked down and away from him again, still trying to pull from his grasp.

“I love you, Kagome. I told Kikyo I couldn’t be with her--that I needed to be with you. She knew her body was failing. She wanted our bond to be strong enough to face anything. She… she wanted me to confess to her. To know that I’d protect you with my life, that you were the one I wanted to be with. Kagome, please, I--I can’t lose you.”

“Why wait until now…” was all she could say. She halted in her struggles. She hated she was weak, but her heart had begun to beat heavily as he confessed his feelings for her.

“I wanted to wait until after Naraku was destroyed. Until my promise to protect Kikyo was fulfilled. But I can’t let you go. Don’t leave me,” he said as he sank down to his knees clutching her waist to his face. 

She lowered herself slowly, kneeling in his arms back into his embrace and took his face in her hands, “Do you mean that?”

“Idiot… of course I do,” he said blushing as he averted his eyes from her.

“Then… I can stay?”

“As long as you want,” he confessed.

“Forever?” she asked hopefully.

“I’ll never tell you to leave,” he added, crushing his lips back down to hers.

[crescentxhope]

x. hear me out...

Haylijah. Child. 

     OKAY! Okay. So this started out as a semi-joke, offhand comment in passing to @enduringlystoic​ ‘imagine how cute a Haylijah baby would be’ & that’s all the permission my brain needed apparently to go off. I may or may not have accidentally spoken this child into existence, even if we have no clue about the magic or supernatural circumstances that would ever make this happen. While I still dabble & wonder about whether resurrected Hayley gets brought back as a true hybrid because she technically died as a hybrid with her wolf nature bound. I assume she would be brought back by her ashes as it’s her original body, but would the spell and magic used bring her back as a vampire, a hybrid or would it somehow unbind her wolf nature and gets brought back to life as her werewolf self?

This doesn’t even BEGIN to go into Elijah’s side of the equation, Original vampire and all considering there would absolutely be no quick fix or else Rebekah would’ve already been there & done that with her desire to start her own family. Supernatural fertility issues seems like an incredibly lucrative market right now. But what’s important is all of my shippy fangirl ridiculous soft feelings about how happy Hayley & Elijah would be. This also led to hours of weird baby name lists and lots of terrible options that has left Rhi worrying about both mine & Hayley’s sanity. Hayley was not the best at baby name options, okay? Sorry Zoe, Caitlin, Angela or Katherine. Even with a ‘C’ that’s a solid no from us. While Elijah would want a strong foundational name, my Hayley would hate anything traditional or simple like Thomas or James etc. etc. They can both be extra af and pretentious, and don’t think that we’re still thinking of naming this child Amadeus because we absolutely are. HOWEVER. The name I really fell in love with is still so far out of left field, I don’t think anyone else has been on board but me. Mikolaj. MIKOLAJ. This is where the deep dark web has taken me. It’s a Polish name meaning ‘victory of the people’ but I was super drawn to it because the prefix ‘Mik’ reminds me of Nik/Niklaus and the suffic ‘laj’ reminds me of Elijah. It’s pronounced ‘Meek-o-lie’ & obviously Elijah would pronounce it very similarly to the way he rolls Niklaus and that’s perfection. It makes for an adorable nickname Miko that he would absolutely go by and Hayley also exclusively refers to him as ‘Wolfie’ per her own nickname for him. (Also from the throwback of a time in the convo she wanted to legit just name her child wolf in various languages or name meanings.) Catch me enjoying an entire thread where a heated argument ensues over Hayley & Elijah discussing names and probably not agreeing for days. If you’re even still reading this, honestly bless you because this is just excited & happy rambling J as usual. I don’t deserve you and I’m so sorry you actually follow me or care about my content when I’m actual trash. BUT. This beautiful cherub-faced child would have Hayley’s hazel eyes but Elijah’s lustrous locks. Hayley would never want to cut it, so probably for a majority of his childhood he’d have long beautiful curly hair and with Elijah as a father and Mikaelsons for a blood line this kid would also be impeccably dressed. It would turn lighter in the summer because he’s always playing outside and the sun would give him natural highlights and a darker complexion and I think in combination with our Cottagecore/simpler country life verse their child would love being outdoors all the time. When he’s still young enough, Hayley just loves to read to him with him on her lap in a rocking chair and read him his favorite book about trains over and over again until he falls asleep. Hope would be the most incredible big sister to have even as half-siblings and Hayley getting to be a mother a second time especially with Elijah is just joy. I’m probably never letting this go now, but thank you for coming to my TEDtalk.     

[triangulumlights]

Digimon Adventure 2020 episode 1

YO THAT WAS HYPE AF

Spoilers below the cut!

So I admit I was not super impressed a few minutes in; the new theme is okay but not Butterfly (not that I expected Butterfly, since this is a new series and deserves its own theme, but it’s still hard not to make comparisons) and I wasn’t huge on the super Taichi focus (I love Taichi but he’s not the only person on the team.)

HOWEVER, by the time Koushirou showed up I was sold. Taichi and Koushirou’s friendship was one of my very favorite things about Adventure, and it’s already off to a strong start here; there were so many aspects of their interactions that I loved, but especially that they immediately formed the same dynamic, effective team they always did in Adventure. Their interactions make it feel, at least to me, that the people in charge of this series are very familiar with the original and really know what they’re doing when it comes to the characters.

The Digital World (or well, this version of it) was obviously incredibly different, but incredibly cool; it was very Our War Game, but more on that later. I love the new imagining of the Digivices and that they can be used as communicators, and that the crests are in play immediately. Linking the Digimon disturbances to the real world follows in the original anime’s theme, along with several of the others that came later, as well as Our War Game and Tri. Generally it’s a strengthening of an already established theme, and I’m excited to see how it’s explored.

The intro of Yamato at the end (and the heavy focus on him for the credits) was fascinating, and explains why he wasn’t in the short montage of all the other kids during the episode. I wondered if maybe he’s living abroad somewhere (like maybe America), but I don’t think that’s the case. I’m definitely fascinated by how they’re going to expand his character in this way; he feels like he’s being set up as a the brooding but misunderstood anime rival, which I suppose is the role he played in Adventure to an extent, but it feels more tropey this time (not in a bad way necessarily, but different.)

Sad we didn’t see the others kids much at all yet, but it is just the first episode and this was a more tightly contained story. We’ll see what happens next episode, which APPEARS TO BE STRAIGHT UP OUR WAR GAME. I’m so hype y’all I will take any form of Our War Game I am ready for this give me it!!!

And now, for minor observations:

• Taichi’s personality was done perfectly; he’s his courageous, impulsive, confident self who’s also protective, kind, and encouraging.

• Koushirou seemed very shy at first, even more than usual, but maybe I’ve just gotten used to him after his character growth in the original series. He certainly warmed up to Taichi quickly (who wouldn’t lbr) but oh no, that little comment about ‘I think I can be useful’ or whatever he said to Taichi, I feel like it’s definitely going to be the same self-confidence arc for him in this series. My poor nerdy child.

• Taichi and the googles with the vault over the turnstile omg.

• That Koushirou followed Taichi after he jumped the turnstile is so in character for him and his habit of chasing Taichi into dangerous situations.

• Speaking of Koushirou (again, I’m sorry, I may have a favorite), did he already know about all this Digimon/other world stuff (which would be weird), did he figure it out on the fly (which would not be a shock), or is he intuiting it through his crest connection thing (which would be very cool)? I don’t know but I appreciate that his weird sixth sense for the Digital World (which he and Hikari both seem to have, just a little differently) kind of appears to be hinted at (when he said that something bigger was happening); I appreciated how blatantly it was pointed out in Tri and I think that’s a neat character ability to play with.

• And related to character abilities, did Taichi’s crest protect him and Greymon? That lines up with some of the crest powers we’ve seen tiny pieces of in the original Adventure and 02, so I would love to see the crests explored as more powerful sources of abilities for the kids.

• Miko was around!!! I missed her in Tri.

• Taichi’s mom is an icon as ever.

• Kou’s little tablet computer was so cute omg, and I think I noticed it had a logo that said ‘Tachikawa’ on it? Do Mimi’s parents own a tech company?

I’m sure I’ve missed things I want to comment on but aaaaaah I have so many feelings time to get read everyone else’s analysis too.

We’re all in this new ride together again, everyone!

[shoujocentral]

Symphogear S1- Now this is MY kind of anime!

Every once and awhile when I'd log onto Twitter, I'd see people saying "watch Symphogear" accompanied by images from the show. From looking at the pictures, I assumed it was just another magical girl show like Precure but with less magic and more... techno. Oh, and apparently they sing while they fight? Sounds kinda dumb...

Buuuut... I have heard that there's some yuri content? Maybe I'll give it a try. I mean, I'm always open to watching new stuff, even if it's just a silly little kid's show 😅

😳

Well........ color me hooked.

I have to say, this show is not at all what I was expecting in the best possible way. It feels a lot more like a Shounen action show along the lines of Fullmetal Alchemist or Neon Genesis Evangelion than a Magical Girl show (if that's even what it's supposed to be). Today, I'm going to be giving my first impressions of Senki Zesshou Symphogear season 1, which will be spoiler free for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Plot:

So what is Senki Zesshou Symphogear about?

In the not too distant future (next Sunday A.D.), Japan is under attack by monsters known as Noises, the likes of which cannot be killed by military weapons. The only thing that can kill them are girls clad in weaponized armor known as Gears, which is activated and powered by singing catchy techno-pop music.

One day, a girl named Hibiki Tachibana is caught in the middle of a battle, and one of the Gear users, Kanade Amou, sacrifices herself to save her. Two years later, Hibiki discovers that a piece of Kanade's Gear was embedded in her chest during the fight, giving her access to the Gear's powers. Hibiki is recruited by the Disaster Relief Squadron, the organization that created the Gears, to help defend Japan from the Noises.

However, Kanade's former girlfriend partner, Tsubasa Kazanari, sees Hibiki as nothing more than an obnoxious, naive girl trying to be Kanade's replacement. Will the two learn to work together, defeat the Noises, and possibly uncover a deeper plot to all the attacks?

Symphogear's plot might not be the most original thing ever; evil monsters attack, teenage girls transform into superpowered warriors to fight them, evil mastermind tries to take over the world, etc. But what makes this story stand out is it's unique approach to the fights. Having the Gears be powered by music, resulting in every fight being accompanied by a song, is either a genius way to amplify the fights, or a genius way for the producers to sell a techno soundtrack.

I was worried that the constant use of insert songs would become repetitive and annoying, but on the contrary, they heightened my enjoyment! The fights in Symphogear are easily my favorite part of the show: fast-paced, badass powers, lots of screaming, and downright brutal at times! Hibiki has officially joined the ranks of my all-time favorite battle cries, right up there with Goku from DBZ and Souma from Kannazuki no Miko.

If there was one thing I had to nitpick, it would be that most of the fights take away the credibility of the Noises. They're supposed to be this terrifying threat to Japan that can't be harmed by the military, but as soon as the Gear wielders show up, they're reduced to nothing more than cannon fodder as Hibiki and her comrades seem to waltz through them without breaking a sweat.

Thankfully, the versus matches between Gear wielders are much more balanced. My favorite has to be Hibiki vs Chris (see above), but then again, any fight with Chris is an absolute win!

Characters:

Hibiki Tachibana

Hibiki is your typical genki girl protagonist: optimistic, hyperactive, naive, and pure. What makes her a more compelling hero, however, is her slow growth into becoming a strong Gear wielder. Unlike most magical girl protagonists, who seem to master their powers after one line of "EH?! What just happened to me?!", Hibiki takes time to learn how to fight. She starts out with the mindset that she has to be Kanade's replacement and thus tries to fight just like her. However, she eventually comes to invent her own battle tactics that work much more in her favor. Mainly, punching the everloving shit out of everything in sight.

Hibiki is, in my opinion, a flat character done right. She doesn't go through any personal growth or development throughout the show (learning to fight doesn't count), but her belief that all humans can get along if they communicate and desire to protect people just because she wants to is the cause for most of the change in the people around her. The world is in a dark place, and Hibiki is the light. She doesn't need to change, because she's exactly what the world needs.

Tsubasa Kazanari

From what I've learned, Tsubasa is a favorite amongst Symphogear fans. Me personally, though, I have a few issues with her character. Now, I have nothing against brooding, damaged characters. In fact, Tsubasa's recovery from Kanade's death and learning to cherish her own life was incredibly engaging... for the most part. Sorry, but I can only take so much edge. Her constant repitition of "I am a sword, I exist only to fight" grew old after the first 10 or so times.

Also, while I love her overall development, I feel that her acceptance of Hibiki was a little rushed. For the first four episodes, she hates Hibiki for carrying Kanade's Gear to the point where she tries to fight her to the death. Then, after another fight sends her into a coma, she has a (extremely gay) hallucination of Kanade telling her to get over herself. Next episode, she's treating Hibiki as if they've been friends the whole time. Did I miss something? Did Hibiki even apologize for saying she wanted to replace Kanade? Did Tsubasa apologize for trying to shishkabob her?!

Development aside, her fighting style is awesome and unique, and leads to the best choreography in the show. Hopefully as I watch more seasons, my opinion of her will improve.

Chris Yukine

Best Girl. No questions. Anyone who disagrees is wrong. Deal with it.

Jokes aside, Chris is my favorite character of the show bar none. Maybe I just have a weakness for evil-turned-good characters, but I adored her "don't take no shit from nobody" attitude and her soft side emerging as the show progressed. And let me tell you, Tsubasa would have no right to brood if she knew what Chris went through as a child. I won't give anything away, but just a few brief images and harsh words were enough get the picture across and tug at my heartstrings.

She also had my favorite Gear and fighting style in the show. If there's one thing that always gets my blood pumping, it's gatling guns and an endless supply of missiles. Seriously, I could watch this girl fight for hours.

Kanade Amou

A moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen.

......

Kanade would be my favorite character if we had gotten more of her. But alas, she has to die in the very first episode. DAMN YOU, PLOT!!!

Even though we get very little of Kanade, she makes it her mission to leave a lasting impression. Her sacrifice at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the show, and her flashback is the best of the bunch. I got hard chills when she transformed for the first time. Let's just say she's psychotic in all the right ways.

Kanade died for our sins. Remember that... 🙏

Finé

Our main villain of the show. That's it. There's really nothing much else to her. She's cruel, manipulative, and powerful beyond belief, as most big bosses of these kinds of shows are. She was honestly my least favorite part of the show.

Fine's motivation is incredibly confusing on first watch. I had to go back to pause and read the subtitles multiple times to understand her backstory, but maybe that's my fault for being a slow reader. On the other hand, the explanation as to who she is and why she's so powerful comes right out of nowhere and doesn't seem to connect to anything the story had been building up to that point. Also, by the time I understood her motivation and actually found it a little intriguing, she dropped the dreaded "I'm going to take over the world" line. Aaaaand.... all my interest just went out the window.

There is a twist involving her connection to a certain other character in the show that I genuinely didn't see coming, but in the end, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for her shortcomings.

Miku Kohinata

God bless this little angel. Miku is a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. Thankfully, Hibiki's got it covered 👍

Words cannot express how much I love this girl. She may be only a supporting role for the time being, but good lord, does she support! It always broke my heart whenever she tried to spend time with Hibiki or talk to her, but the Disaster Relief Squad kept pulling them apart. I know DRS is classified, but Miku deserves better than to have secrets kept from her! Life sucks when your girlfriend best friend is a superhero...

Well, that was a mouthful. There's a lot more characters in this show, but I don't really have much to say about them. However, while we're on the subject of Miku, let's move on to the reason I checked this show out in the first place, and the reason I'm sure most of you read my stuff.

Yuri:

No sooner did I finish this show did I start looking up HibiMiku fanart 😍

I was expecting a fair dosage of yuribait going into Symphogear, but mother of all that is gay, did I get an overdose!

First and foremost, the main ship: HibiMiku. These two are dating. Nothing anyone says will change my mind. They compliment each other perfectly, with Hibiki's energy and Miku's sweetness... HHNNNGGH! IT'S TOO PRECIOUS! I sincerely hope these two get more time together in the next few seasons. Now if only they'd stop with the damn F word...... 😡

Next up, TsubaKana. This one seems more like it was one-sided feelings on Tsubasa's part, judging by how dedicated Kanade was to fighting the Noise. Regardless, you don't just lose all sense of your humanity and self-worth after your "partner" dies. And all that hardcore blushing in the flashbacks and naked cuddling dream sequences... nah, Tsubasa was hella hot for Kanade. Sadly, our lord and savior was taken from Ms. Brooding too soon.

Finally, there's Ryoko Sakurai, the DRS's head scientist. She was initially hinted to be gay, what with her being all too eager to have Hibiki undress and wanting to "pop her cherry" (yes, an adult said that to a 15 year-old). However, after a certain conversation occurred, it seemed more like she was straight or at least bisexual, if all that dirty talk wasn't just teasing.

I've heard future seasons introduce more potential couples, so I'm keeping my eyes open and my yuri goggles on tight 😋

Conclusion:

I enjoyed the first season of Senki Zesshou Symphogear through and through. As someone who enjoyed Akanesasu Shoujo and Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, I have a soft spot for shows about badass girls kicking monster ass and unleashing their inner yuri. Overall though, I think Symphogear might be my favorite of the bunch so far. It has its fair share of flaws, sure, but I think its positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot. If I got this much enjoyment out of the first season, I cannot wait to see what the following seasons have to offer!

Symphogear delivers a fun, action-packed story with colorful characters, kickass fight scenes, head-banging music and plenty of yuri content. Anyone who loves Magical Girls or Shounen battle shows needs to check it out!

Rating: 8/10

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go binge Symphogear G. See you next time, my fellow yuri lovers!

[zephyr-together]

1,3,5,7,9,10,12,14 and 21 for the my hero ask meme?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Favorite character.

KACCHAN MY BELOVED ;_; he's also the most meaningful character to me over all by far (I say most meaningful because I have characters I love for just having neat designs and stuff but that's a different thing? what does fav character entail really...but I know for just MHA he's by far my fav)

3) Favorite villain.

MIKO!! (that's what we like to call Toga :3)

5) Favorite teacher.

ALL MIGHT...and it makes me hurt when he is down on himself for not being able to "help" like he used to, it makes me think of how I often think of my worth as how much I can physically do and I can't do that much so it's relatable...buddy you're the best teacher and friend anyone could have please be nice to yourself...(plus I always thought his true form looked really cool I luv creatures)

7) Favorite student.

already said Kacchan for overall fav so for second fav student...m-me! (Deku!)

9) Character you wish to see more of.

Monoma...!! I really love him so much just because of how that's basically one of our headmates but I feel like loving him so much feels a bit embarrassing because whenever he shows up it's like only to be made fun of. I wanna see some character developments and stuff...and more of 1B in general...I'm really glad for the stuff in the first half of season 5 but most of it wasn't plot relevant...they deserve time to shine too...

10) Character you find most interesting or mysterious.

Kacchan is most interesting with being the one who went through the most character development and Kurogiri is the most mysterious with the stuff from season 5!! (I also super duper love him and hope he can regain his memories one day without changing his core personality or appearance. mystery shadow man as teacher pwease ;_;)

12) Any character you disliked at first, but warmed up to?

Kacchan...well I didn't dislike him, but I didn't really like him either, it was like...I felt like this is a character that looks like a pretty major character but he's so awful so I can't imagine this being all there is to it? I expected he'd grow on me a bit but not THIS much...;0;

14) Do you have a favorite quirk?

I really love thinking about Miko's quirk a lot but moreso with this vampirism idea that I'm actually working on a lil comic for!! other than that I just Really love the animal quirks, not just for the ability itself but because of how quirks can affect your appearance. like if you think of a society where most of the population has super powers you think oh so fire, ice, wind, etc powers? and there's that but there's also just straight up people who are just animals and that's so neat! (I love animals)

21) What or who got you interested in giving it a try?

I'm a simple person and when I see anime gifs on my dash that feature a more silly and cartoony style I simply watch them! (especially Froppy got my attention!!) although I admit I procrastinated for a while, I remember Mac posting that Justin Briner is Deku made me go "okay no more let's go" I just thought it was really sweet that he went from just being in teeny role in indie game to call (gestures to imdb) this?? @_@ I'm so happy for he...

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 031: Uneven Paths

I’ve been sitting with this one for a few weeks, taking time to reflect on the scope and magic of the music, and on our collective luck in having Raphaël Top-Secret and Jamie Tiller dig up all these wonderful treasures. In releasing Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop from Europe 1980-1991, Music From Memory have done for avant-garde and weirdo European pop what they did for outsider Brazilian kosmische/ambient with Outro Tempo, unearthing hitherto unexplored scenes and giving some long deserved appreciation to artists and songs that were almost lost to the sands of time. The LP packaging is marvelous and includes interesting historical information in the liner notes, some of it nigh unbelievable, that helps establish context and even a narrative for these sonic gems and how they were (re)discovered. And it has been fascinating reading other reviews and seeing the huge variation in what people like and don’t like, which speaks to the incredible range and eclecticism of the music. I have my own preferences of course, and this is reflected in the fact that I chose only to review three or four of my favorite songs from each side. But the whole journey is worthwhile and each song is necessary to gain the full picture of this nearly lost era of popular music.

Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop from Europe 1980-1991 (Music from Memory, 2018) Nightfall in Camp’s “Cada Día” is the perfect introduction, built from soft chords, a slow machine beat, and harmonically rich noise textures. The vocals are softly spoken, and meditative flute adds to the horizontal feel…everything floating in deep blue water. Tony Hymas’s “Pictures of Departure” starts with airport samples, hypnotic tropical mallet instruments, and deep soothing vocals speaking of mundane and melancholy travel experiences. Then almost out of nowhere, we drop into these neon lit downtempo bliss-outs with pounding drums, romantic and dreamy looped vocals, and climactic glossy synthesizers. It sounds remarkably like Chromatics, only decades earlier. Two of the compilation’s more anthemic cuts come at the end of the A-side, starting with “Listen Over the Ocean” by Violet Eves. Sitting somewhere between dark Portishead epicness in the low slung downbeat groove and that Siouxsie Sioux post-punk fire in the vocals, we have vibraphone dropping cool crystalline atmospherics aside melodramatic strings and glassy guitar. And Miko & Mubare’s “Komoma Ya-Ya-Ya” prowls on a mysterious groove, swaggering, dark, and hypnotic, as squelchy bass synth trades off martial riffs with bluesy psych guitar. It’s super rhythmic and vibin’, especially once the ritualistic chanting enters, celestial and atmospheric, before climaxing with a minimal downtempo nod-out and deep vocals imploring…demanding…”we all must speak in one tongue!”

Perhaps my favorite moment comes during the B-side, with John Makin & Friends’ “No Lie”. Starting on lilting psychfolk chords, an airy rhythm, and acid soaked fuzz soloing, this could easily be some lost Smith & Mudd track (think “Dogwood” from Gorthleck). Yet once the vocals enter, we shift back a few decades to the wide-eyed California infused folk-rock of Morrison Kincannon. Sparkling and kaleidoscopic guitar interplay, smooth electric piano, lyrics of lost love, and a totally freaked out echo guitar solo…brilliant. Elsewhere, the club vibrations are notched up. Nonobstant’s “Jessica” features smooth jammy electric piano over a stuttering and stoned funk swing, bass in stomping ascent, drums sizzling on hats and snare. The vocals are infectious, sometimes soaring over the mix, other times following the rhythm mesmerically. At times, the singing drops out, giving way to jammy sections of dueling guitar and electric piano soloing. Then there is the Kraftwerkian electro-boogie glory of “Depression” by Sound On Sound. Pocket calculator synthesizers blaze with sci-fi flare over a propulsive groove, accented by brass fanfares and catchy midnight diva chanting. The drums are cavernous and pounding, surrounded by bongos, sparkling chimes, and tropical mallets, everything working towards balearic dancefloor fire.

Side C starts off in a jazz leaning afro-groove with “What You Are” by Pete Brandt’s Method. Plucked contrabass ambulates over a hypnotic hand percussion shuffle, the mix embellished with moody organ chords, cinematic strings, sax solos, and fragile multi-tracked vocals. “Tambo Machay” by Lost Gringos seems like it could fit on any number of the amazing African/Middle Eastern psych records unearthed by Sublime Frequencies, yet it’s just a couple of German weirdos jamming away. The drum groove is primitive and esoteric, as playful stoned vocals and Floydian blues riffing alternate with furious and exotic Omar Khorshid surf guitar shredding. This side also has Brenda & The Beachballs’ “Dancing’ Thru the Night”. This is a highlight of the whole comp for me, featuring a body moving electro-boogie beat, fluttering melodica spaciness, and Brenda’s vibed out atmospheric vocals. There are spacefunk guitars with psychedelic echo trails firing through the mix as the hypnobass and cosmic fx swirl around the body-moving rhythms. And in a similar mode, though decidedly more sexual and sleazy, is Patrick Forgas’ “Sex Move”. Deep vocals, up front and too familiar, sit atop bright riffing guitars, a pounding bassline, and vibrant funk rhythmics. Late night string synths generate atmosphere as noir saxophone and epic brass themes ring out, joined by sci-fi pads and liquid spaceguitar.

Though it’s the penultimate track, Härte 10’s “Happy New Year” could easily work as an epic closer. After starting with playful tribal echo drums, weird vocoder effects, and airy distorted piano, we take a triumphant turn towards the ecstatic as sleigh bells and starlight chimes float with kaleidoscopic piano and majestic choral synthesizers. It’s like some optimistic march towards the heavens, totally earning its name. “The Whole City Between Us” by Bill Nelson’s Orchestra Arcana is similarly blissed out. Shimmering new age harp tones generate colorful fantasy atmospheres over a gated hard-hitting beat and sunshine electronics. There is something almost Broadcast-like in the childlike-yet-psychedelic nature of the melodies. One of the comp’s most balearic moments comes via Xavier Jouvelet’s “Oeuf en Clock”. This is a strange downtempo fusion odyssey, mixing organic and electronic textures in captivating ways. Tick-tock electronic rhythmics are accented by earthy shakers and jazz cymbals, vocal synthesizers solo alongside smokey and emotional soul singing, washes of mellow and oceanic pads underly bright splashes of aquatic electronics and shimmering chimes, and affecting Spanish guitar enters towards the second half, teasing out cinematic sunset warmth. And there is also the soulful buttery sax jam “Minéralité” by Lou Blic. The drums have a jaunty groove and occasionally we detour into weird sections of voice samples morphed into cerebral patterns alongside sparkly percussive effects, before returning to the head-nodding, blazing saxophone groove out.

(all images taken from my personal copies)