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tori-artemis · 1 month ago

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Oh this is a great question to think about! Tbh I had a lot of hopes back when the series was premiering (and before when it was just announced), so to go off of those... well first off, I really really wanted an exploration of Loki's trauma, his past and even his psyche. Like I know a psychological thriller/horror probably wouldn't have been in the cards for a Disney+ show, but tbf I feel like the creators of Wandavision touched on aspects found in those types of genres (if in a PG 13 kind of way) so I don't think I was too off base for hoping to see something like that for Loki. (Not to mention the ridiculous comparisons to films like Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs that Mike Waldron kept making... but I'm not gonna get into that rant again.)

I think I would've put a lot of focus on what the hell actually happened to Loki when he fell into the Void and disappeared for an entire year or so, and how he ended up encountering Thanos and the Black Order, how that all went down, etc. Either through flashbacks, or (possibly altered) memories, or Loki recounting those events interview/interrogation-style (and being an extremely unreliable narrator in doing so, like for instance saying something like "I made a deal with Thanos and worked with him willingly" and then at some point you see into his head through flashbacks/night terrors and realize that clearly wasn't the case, just stuff like that). The possibilities were endless tbh, like there's just so many creative opportunities to explore that one aspect of Loki's backstory. And since that's such a burning question to me (and many other fans tbh) still to this day, I feel like that'd be the first thing I'd want to tackle.

Another important thing I'd want to include would be Loki's gender fluidity and his bi identity. Like I don't think it necessarily has to go with Loki referring to himself as bi, like I don't think he has to say the actual word "bi" in order to give any meaningful kind of rep?? Especially now that Agatha All Along has come out, I feel like I'd want to approach Loki's identity in a similar type of way, just unapologetic, and as authentic as possible to his comic book counter part. Like hell, he can have hang ups with those parts of his identity (which would actually make sense, being from Asgard and since he already has a lot of self-loathing issues in general due to being Jotun).

I wouldn't mind that, especially if it was done in a non-typical way, like maybe it's not being sexually intimate with men/males that's looked down upon on Asgard, but - similar to the Norse apparently - it's on what role they play, or basically who's the "bottom" - that gets shamed, or maybe same sex relationships aren't looked down upon at all on Asgard, but giving birth/getting pregnant while being/presenting as male is, bc it's seen as unnatural, and then let Loki go through an experience where he develops deep rooted insecurities about those aspects of his identity due to Asgard's cultural prejudices. And like this doesn't even have to be explicit (tho after the birth scenes in both Wandavision and especially Agatha All Along I can't help but roll my eyes at ppl having a hang up with Loki going thru something like this, especially if they were totally okay with Wanda and Agatha having birthing scenes, but anyways). It can be something as simple and as subtle as Loki finding out he's pregnant (maybe he can magically feel the fetus growing inside him, or he can hear the heartbeat/etc, or maybe it's as simple as having morning sickness and/or a change of diet). And it just ends up with him drinking tea/potion (due to pressure from Odin/Frigga/society, or maybe he's not ready and seeks it out himself) which gets rid of the baby, but again it's done in a very non graphic way. Of course the whole mpreg thing is just an example, and doesn't have to be in a series about Loki (that's what fanfic is for!) but basically: let Loki be queer, he can have hang ups about being queer, and tbh I'd want the hang ups to be kind of different from the usual discussions/portrayals of queerness in media mainly bc Asgard's an alien/fantasy society so I'd want their cultural norms to be pretty different from ours (human society in general), but overall just let Loki be queer, goddamnit!

Furthermore, I'd want to explore Loki's self loathing in particular, and see his view of himself change as he develops and grows throughout the series. If he encounters other versions of himself then I'd want to see what that would look like... and preferably done differently from how the show approached it (regarding Sylvie). Like I don't want him to just, I don't know, praise his other self up the way he ends up doing in the series (I know he also fought with Sylvie at the beginning but tbh I couldn't really take their rivalry seriously, it felt very sibling-like - which I actually enjoyed at the time, mind you, but a reflection of one's internal self-hatred it certainly is NOT, and like overall the whole dynamic just didn't work for me bc I find those two characters so undeniably different from each other and therefore it doesn't really work as a metaphor for self hatred/self love, but that's neither here nor there).

Like - let it be messy! Let it actually be vitriolic and hateful if that's what the series is trying to convey. Let Loki be angry, let him rage, let him lash out - at versions of himself and at other characters, like c'mon! This is a character that has a lot of inner darkness and has suffered through a lot of trauma and has difficulty trusting others due to said trauma (especially if we're going with Avengers era Loki) so how about we Show That.

Tbh I wouldn't have minded for Loki's main villain (both in the series overall and wrt the lead character) to be a version of himself. (As long as it was portrayed in a thoughtful way, like don't just make him evil please, in fact he doesn't even have to be evil at all - he doesn't have to destroy or conquer other worlds, he could literally just be out there destroying all versions of Loki, which would force our protagonist to fight/confront this person hunting him down). Like I think there would be so many possibilities for all of the ways a protagonist could deal with a "villain" - or rather, an antagonist like that. Some far more darker than others, depending on how you want your story to go. Like it could end similarly to the Agent of Asgard comics (where I believe Loki ends up forgiving and embracing his "evil" self... tho I've not read the comics so please feel free to correct me if I've gotten something wrong). Or if I were writing this series, I would've just had Loki forced into a position where, after being worn down to reaching his emotional breaking point, and in a fit of sheer rage, he'd end up brutally murdering the antagonistic version of himself, in the ultimate form of self destruction, and then I'd have him reeling from the internal consequences of such an extreme form of violence done against himself - but that's just my ridiculously morbid psychological-horror-loving ass for you. I'd just want to completely unravel him ngl, before having him overcome the impossible by rebuilding himself once more (w/ a little help from his newfound friends)...

If the TVA had to be involved in some way, I'd want to approach them as an ominous totalitarian organization, and if Loki were to be tortured by said organization, it most certainly would NOT be portrayed as some throw-away-attempt-at-comedy-type-of-scene (AHEM). I'd go for a darker tone overall, and Loki's torture at the TVA would be portrayed with all of the horror demanded by those types of scenes dealing with that kind of subject matter.

Tbh I have so many ideas for a Loki-centric show, some that involve the TVA and some that don't, but there's just so many threads and I don't want to make this any more convoluted than it already is, so to put it simply: I'd want the focus to be on Loki first and foremost. If it's called Loki, then it should be about the main lead, similar to how Agatha All Along was about Agatha, and Wandavision was about Wanda. (Which means, if the TVA has to be involved, then they would be secondary to the series' main focus - which would be on Loki and his relationship with himself.) Secondly, I'd want to see his trauma not only brought up, but fully explored. Which includes his traumatic upbringing (Odin's A++ Parenting, Frigga's enabling, family dysfunction, Asgard's toxic social/cultural norms) as well as the horror he experienced in the Void and on Sanctuary, maybe even some events in the first Avengers film, but seen through Loki's eyes this time. And I'd just want Loki to be queer, so if he's bi then let him have previous (or current!) relationships (or flirtations) with men (or attraction towards men) as well as women, if he's gender fluid then Show. That. Whether he physically transforms into a woman at times, or through his inner monologue where he refers to himself with different pronouns even if his gender presentation hasn't changed, or even his ambivalence towards being trapped/labeled in a one-gender-ticked-box, but Show. It. That part of his identity deserves to be shown, especially in a series where Loki's the central character.

If you yourself could’ve directed/wrote the Loki series, what would you have done differently? What would you have wanted to see in a series about Loki? What would you have focused on? Would the series take place somewhere other than the TVA? Which characters would you include? What would be the end goal? What aspects of his character would be explored?

#Loki #Loki Series AU #MCU Loki #So this was... A Lot.#I guess I had a lot of thoughts on the matter lol...#Also with regards to Thor: while I think his relationship with Loki is very important to Loki's character overall -#- I wouldn't want to place too much focus on their relationship mainly bc Thor already has his own film series...#(Which is meant to focus on Thor and on his relationship with his brother... )#(Now whether the films actually do a good job on conveying those things are a whole other matter... )#But yeah. Basically I'd want the Loki show to be about LOKI.#(Tho further exploration of Loki's love for his family and memories of his brother would definitely fall into this... )#Anyways this was long enough!#Loki Series Criticism #Just in case bc I didn't remain as neutral in tone as I initially wanted to be...#Also also: with regards to morality and redemption arcs... tbh when it comes to Loki I'm more interested in a character study approach...#Tho I wouldn't mind if he reflected on some of the destructive actions he's taken - from the invasion of Earth -#- to the attempted annihilation of Jotunheim...#As well as seemingly ''smaller'' destructive moments... such as when he'd nearly killed a human Thor back in the first film...#His denial of Frigga being his mother right before her death...#As well as his perceived guilt over Frigga's death...#(Assuming he somehow managed to see how his life would've played out had he not taken the Tesseract.)#More than anything I'd want to explore Loki's self destructive tendencies - and ultimately end it on Loki reconciling with himself...#Including the aspects of himself that he hates... whether it's as something as blameless as being born the ''wrong'' race...#Or being so very unlike the Asgardian ideal...#His feelings of being a ''monster'' due to his Jotunness...#As well as due to the destructive actions he'd taken during previous films...#''Deep down Loki wants to be Worthy''#(A paraphrased quote from the Thor: The Dark World BTS that I can't help but think about from time to time... )#If Loki were to have a redemption arc... I'd want it to play out in a way where it's completely intertwined with his self-healing arc...#Basically: You can't have one without the other.

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tanenigiri · 29 days ago

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Like several others in the fandom, I'm still recovering from the feels that Chapter 25 of Hirano and Kagiura has given me, especially the scenes that paint Hirano in a rather green and purple light. As someone who only recently came to terms with being aro and acespec, seeing Hirano go through very familiar struggles felt like an out-of-body experience.

It also made me want to revisit some manga that I've read so far that have featured characters in the aro and ace spectrums. Since I mostly consume BL, there understandably haven't been a lot that's come into my radar, but the few I've read have all been great, and I wanted to take this opportunity to give them a shoutout.

I Want to Be a Wall by Honami Shirono - Definitely my favorite in this list and one of my top 5 fave manga overall, this stars an aroace woman and a gay man who get into a marriage of convenience. It deals with expectations from their families and society as a whole about what an ideal marriage should be, but it also spends a lot of time exploring how Yuriko comes to terms with her asexuality and how the people around her react to it, especially her husband Gakurouta - who also deals with his own issues about hiding his homosexuality and his very apparent attraction to another character in the series who's presented as straight. On top of dealing with all these issues very tastefully, it's a great slice-of-life manga with a lot of humor and fluff squeezed in, so if you want a feel-good read with depth and lots of soul, I really recommend this one.

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki - The manga on this list that's most blatantly about aromanticism and asexuality, this explores the story of Chika and her journey to discovering, questioning, and accepting her romantic and sexual orientation. It goes very in-depth into this journey, and it even has multiple other aroacespec characters that she deems as role models, such as a professor who serves as a mentor for Chika and many other characters in the series as well as an older brother figure who had a much rougher time discovering his own asexuality. If you want to read a coming-of-age story where the lead comes to terms with her asexuality much in the same way that many BL and GL manga leads come to terms with their own queer identities, I highly recommend this manga. (Trigger warning for a brief sexual assault scene at the start - it's not graphic, but it definitely shows the attempt, so stray away if a scene like that would unsettle you.)

I Think Our Son Is Gay by Okura - I've talked about this manga before, and in my previous posts I mentioned that my favorite character is Yuri, the brother of the titular son Hiroki. Turns out I was onto something, as throughout the manga, Yuri mentions that while many girls in his school have expressed interest in him, he always turns them down, saying that he doesn't really get why everyone's making such a big deal about love. That already got my attention, but there's a scene in the fifth volume where Yuri actually goes into this more and researches why he's feeling that way, and it leads to a certain label we all know and love. Sadly that fifth volume is also the series's final one, so we don't get any more after that, but it really solidifies Yuri's journey throughout the manga, making for a nice parallel for his mother's own journey about accepting Hiroki's identity.

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani - I've also talked about this manga before, and just like I Want To Be A Wall, it has pretty much cemented its place in my top 5 fave manga overall. What made me fall in love with this manga is how it explores so many types of queer stories in a very realistic light, dealing with issues like discrimination, family acceptance, and identity crises in a way that really shows how serious they can be. Expectedly, one of the types of queer stories it explores is about Someone who's aroace (whoever's read this manga - yes, that was a pun), though unlike the other characters in this series (and unlike most of the other characters in this post), that character is already at the point of their journey where they're comfortable with their sexual identity. Instead, the author uses Someone-san as a mentor throughout the story, helping other characters come to terms with their own identities and running the safe space that most of the story centers around. If you're looking for manga that's explicitly about the aroace experience, I don't think this would be the one for you, but if you're looking for great queer manga in general, this should be at the top of your list.

Bonus:

Cherry Magic by Yuu Toyota: I can't end this post without talking about queen Fujisaki. In the manga and anime, she takes on the role of a fujoshi who's a big fan of Kurosawa and Adachi's relationship even before they get together. But her role in the Japanese TV series (and movie) was changed, toning down the fangirlism (though hints of it are still there!) and instead giving her a unique storyline, one that eventually reveals to Adachi (though not explicitly) that she isn't interested in dating anyone. There isn't any explicit confirmation about her sexuality beyond this in the show, but there have been interviews from the showrunners where they do mention it. And honestly, as someone who was only starting out with BL at that point, seeing a character like her have that kind of background was already so incredible to me.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you check these manga out, and if you know of other manga with great aroace rep, let me know!

#manga #manga rec list #lgbt manga #queer manga #aromanticism #asexuality #Hirano and Kagiura #Hirano to Kagiura #I Want to Be a Wall #Is Love the Answer?#I Think Our Son Is Gay #Our Dreams at Dusk #Shimanami Tasogare #Cherry Magic

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fxtalitygod · 9 months ago

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X. ~Survival~

Genre: Historical AU, angst, mature, suggestive, arranged-marriage

Warnings: Dark themes, gore, graphic imagery, theme/depictions of horror, body horror, swearing/language, suggestive, pregnancy, mentions and acts of suicide, arguments, mentions of adult murder, Pet name (Little Flower 6-10x) implied Stockholm Syndrome, grief imagery, images/depictions of dead bodies, child death/murder, character death(s), slight misogynistic themes (if you squint), dubcon/noncon (not any actual smut other than vague mentions of sex), implied postpartum, implied survivors guilt

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: Today is a new day and after I got home from work and did some fine-tuning, I finally posted the FINAL CHAPTER (not including the epilogue) of Survival!!! I honestly find it funny that I had originally planned for this story to be a short series and it just spiraled into two years of writing! HAHAHAHAA!!!

JJK Mlist•Taglist Rules• • Pt.I • Pt. II • Pt. III • Pt. IV • Pt. V • Pt. VI • Pt.VII • Pt. VIII • Pt. IX • Pt. X • Epilogue

Emptiness.

It was a feeling that you bitterly greeted after having abandoned it six years ago. It was disappointing, but welcome nonetheless. You wished it was under different circumstances. You did not know which circumstances but knew it was anything other than this.

After the destruction of your life, everything went back to the beginning. You were rehomed in a new village and a different temple, though you could not tell much of the difference. Those blank walls still drove you to insanity. The marriage ceremonies had resumed and more children began crawling the halls in a matter of months.

Sukuna had seemingly lost interest in you after the incident. You had finally snapped, extinguishing the anticipation for the hopes that you would one day. Despite his seeming lack of interest, you were still watched over with diligence, still resided in his chambers, and still acquired a caretaker.

Your mental forces were deteriorating, and it was clear from the blank expression that graced your face. You assumed that Sukuna acknowledged that and decided to have a sitter stay on top of you if you were to do something unexpected– much like what you had done to your village.

The curse user knew the extent of your rage, but he did not quite expect you to leave your home in ruins, to burn your family into nothing but ash. Little to your knowledge, a part of him admired you for that; however, the words that left your mouth after the act had been done brought him a discomfort that neither himself could explain.

From the way he was rutting in you currently, you could not tell. Another attempt of impregnating you. Years ago, you would have had a mind to beg him to stop, and when you could not accomplish that, feign pleasure. You used to want to please Sukuna not for his benefit but your own. Now all you cared about was embracing the feeling of that emptiness as you merely felt the man fucking you: soundless, motionless, thoughtless.

It took a matter of months before you were with child again; however, unlike before, this pregnancy was worse. In the physical aspect, you were overall healthy, but your mental health was far from good. You were a husk of the woman you once were, having lost all ambition for your future. Even when spontaneous thoughts of what life would be like outside the temple, you could not help but feel nauseous.

Guilt.

There were times you wished you could have blamed it on your pregnancy and escape the reality of the issue, but your mind would not allow it. You were repulsed with yourself and could not help but feel like you were betraying your twins by just the simple notion that you were alive, and to think of a future for yourself without them revolted you beyond compare. Your pregnancy did not make it any better.

Most women in the temple thought of pregnancy as a fresh start after losing their previous offspring; a new chance to impress their husband– a sickening point of view; however, you could not be upset with them. Deep down, you believed they had been just as afraid as you were upon their arrival when their village elders proclaimed them the next tribute to Sukuna. They more than likely had a plan to make it out of this hell and made promises to return to their families, but somewhere down the line, all the manipulation, physical strain, and mental stress, caused them to accept their fates and try to make the best out of it, losing themselves in the process.

You were not so lucky.

If pregnancy was a punishment before, it was a curse now. Knowing you were to have another child brought you great remorse. Anytime you were to look or even feel your bump, you could not help but think of the past... to think of your twins. It felt like you were betraying them, trying to unconsciously replace them even though your pregnancy was out of your control.

The way you would eat at yourself could have been considered torture.

Besides the normal work around the temple, you would spend most of your evenings in a dark and unoccupied room, keeping to yourself. No one dared to disrupt you, mostly out of fear due to the knowledge of your power. Few left you space out of respect, knowing the pain you were going through; however, sometimes you wished they would walk through that door, hoping they would attempt to comfort you.

It would have been a good distraction from your running mind.

Those dark and quiet rooms gave you time to think and reflect. You realized there were many things you had undermined and denied for your own sanity. The list could go on, some minor, some major…and the major miscalculations stuck out like a sore thumb.

Trimester One.

Despite your efforts, your village nor your family would have ever accepted your children– Sukuna's blood coursed through their veins, and that was enough to consider them a monstrosity. Your hopes of escaping with them and living a happy life were an illusion you conjured up to keep a drive in you.

Trimester Two.

Whether you liked it or not, your twins would not stay innocent forever. The twins were under Sukuna's guidance, no thanks to your pact, and they absolutely adored him. The twins blindly trusted him with their entire beings and would have believed anything Sukuna had taught them was for good, and you knew for a fact that is how your partner would have spun it. Their acts would have been malicious and cruel and they would not have even known...and despite your want to tell them the truth, the constraints of your pact would have stopped you from doing so.

Trimester Three.

Even if you had successfully run away with your son and daughter in hand, the life the three of you would have lived would have been far from peaceful. You and the children were proven valuable assets to Sukuna; to think that your husband would give you all up so easily was foolish. The curse-user would have hunted you down to the ends of the world until you were back in his grasp.

And as you sat there holding your new baby girl, tears streaming down your face as you listened to her whimpers, you hoped she'd grow up to be a fool; a strong, but foolish girl. If your daughter grew up to be a fool, the world could not hurt her as it had hurt you. If she becomes a fool, she would not have to feel the burden you were feeling.

You hated that you hoped for her, hated the fact that you loved and cared for her after laying eyes on her small figure. The whole scene was pitiful. The arms of a mother holding her child close to her bosom as if shielding them from the world– the effort could be appreciated but was futile because the looming threat was already hovering over you as he inspected his creation. If his presence was not unsettling enough, his hum of satisfaction horrified you, causing you more tears.

"I should have killed myself that morning. It would have saved me a lot of heartache..." you whispered, repeating the words you had mentioned over a year ago.

Months back into motherhood you found yourself questioning yourself and your emotional availability every time you looked at your daughter. You were doing all the right things, but performing the tasks felt heavy on your shoulders, and the smiles you painted on your face felt like they were caked on. None of it felt real. There was no doubt you cared for your little girl, but you had to admit that the task was tiring– caring was tiring.

You thought the feeling would end, believed it was temporary, but days turned into months, and months turned into a year.

You had just finished your daughter's first inspection and were now in your sleeping chambers with your husband. You both stood there silent and unmoving, staring at each other with hardly any indication of who was willing to speak first. Fortunately, your daughter was the first to break the silence, whining as she clung to you. You sighed as you understood the child needed attention, moving the baby into a better position to lightly bounce her, attempting to calm her down.

"You know, I thought you would be overjoyed to be blessed with another child, Y/n," Sukuna sounded as he studied you.

"Whatever do you mean? I am nothing but pleased," you blankly responded, focusing entirely on the little girl bouncing in your arms.

Silence once again.

You could feel his stare burning into you; feel his agitation radiating off his skin as he looked for a real answer. Sukuna was not an idiot, you were aware of that, but his meaningless probing was getting on your nerves. You would much rather he got to the point than play his mind games. If he was going to be indirect, you would only do the same.

"Do you think of them when you look at her?"

There was a halt in your movements, breath hitching as you did so. You slowly moved your head to look at the man before you, your gaze piercing. You had every intention to avoid the question, but your mouth betrayed your mind.

“What do you think?” You snipped, a grimace forming onto your features.

“I could make you forget, simply remove them from your memory to rid you of this…ailment.”

For what felt like the thousandth time of your life, you could feel your eyes widen, however, this was the most appalling statement your husband had made. Had he really suggested ridding your memories with your twins? Had he no remorse? Of course not, why would he? The children were a means to an end, nothing more than a few pawns in his plan. Any love and affection the father had shown his son and daughter were shown with calculation and precision– there was no meaning behind those affections.

"You sick bastard."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Y/n, I would advise that you watch your tone," a warning glare, "If I did not know any better, I would say that you were speaking out of turn when I am offering you such a gift– I do not offer such things lightly."

"Well it is good that you know better," the seething anger bubbling in your chest was choosing your words at this point, "How could you suggest such a thing?"

"I am doing you a mercy, Y/n, you are letting the past consume you from the inside out, and sooner or later you will become the image of your agony."

"You know nothing because if you did you would be in the same state as I am. You speak as if you know sympathy, but your words are honeyed to keep me in your grasp!"

Your breath was heavy as you confronted Sukuna, glaring daggers into his soul as you watched him step closer.

"Your perception can be quite bothersome at times, Little Flower; however, I believe it is what I admire most about you. I think it is why I chose you...why I love you."

Love.

"Love."

Your laughter was hysterical. The tears welling up in your eyes from pure disbelief and humor. Sukuna Ryomen himself has admitted to loving you for the second time. This time claiming he chose you because he loves you.

What a joke.

"Love me?" you choked between giggles, "Sukuna, you would not know love if it hit you in the face. Like I said before, your words are coated with the sweetest sugars to keep me around, to bring me hope, and quite frankly, the sweetness has become dull and bitter," a pause as you caught your breath, "You do not love me Sukuna. As I have stated, you love what I can provide you."

Silence had greeted you both for what seemed like the millionth time, but you could have been wrong, you lost count at this point.

"I understand the concept of love, more than you think, Little Flower; however, love has little meaning. So you are right, I do not love you, I value you. Is that not greater than love?"

You scoffed.

"You are going to die alone and I am glad that you will."

A soft chuckle sounded from your husband before feeling a strange feeling at the back of your head. You could feel the kanzashi pin moving in your hair as Sukuna played with the accessory.

"I highly doubt that."

Those four words had caused your heart to sink, bringing you more fear than you had ever experienced in your entire life. Without thought, you backed away from the man towering over you. You shook your head as you held eye contact with Sukuna, almost stumbling on your feet as you felt for the door and clumsily exited the room. You had your daughter close to your chest as you entered the hallway.

What little you had of your life came crashing down instantly as the gravity of your reality unfolded to its full extent.

You would never be free and although that was a realization you had made long ago...this time you had no hope to convince you otherwise.

So what did you do?

You ran.

You flew through the corridors to the gardens, arriving with heavy breath. Scanning the grounds you searched for the only individual who could help you right now. The moment your eyes registered the woman, you quickly approached, hardly paying attention to anything along your path as you made your way over.

"Y/n-"

"I have something for you!" you interrupted, holding out a pin you had stored and concealed for years, never knowing the right moment to give it to the woman before you.

The woman who had lost her sick and poor son on your very first inspection day.

You watched as her eyes welled up immediately, taking the pin and inspecting it as if to make sure it was real. When she was able to confirm the little trinket was indeed not a figment of her imagination, she held it close to her chest, letting her silent sobs escape before looking at you.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. But why are you giving this to me?"

You looked around hesitantly before pitifully looking at her, letting your walls crumble to reveal all your pain and suffering.

"I need your help."

"Uraume!"

"Yes, Sukuna-sama," the right hand responded.

"I would like you to gather the women and children from the inspection, I have an announcement."

"Yes, Sukuna-sama, I'll get right on it."

With that Uraume disappeared, leaving Sukuna in his quarters alone. The man paced in his chambers, reflecting on the prior conversation from earlier. The talk did not have the most satisfying ending, but much like the other unfortunate discussions that had been held between the two of you, this would be another problem that would resolve itself in due time.

The move would help move that process faster.

This village had quickly bored the tyrant, as they were quick to promise vengeance and destruction upon his empire. Same-old-same-old. So with that, it was time to move on to the next village after leaving this one behind in ashes.

"Sukuna-sama, the women and children do not appear to be in their chambers or the gardens, the workstations are abandoned too.

"What?"

Without a thought, Sukuna stormed out of the room and into the halls, those blank walls making the temple look more abandoned knowing that everyone had seemingly disappeared. He looked through every room he managed to pass, even using his abilities to sense the faintest amount of cursed energy. For a while, he came up with nothing, but after catching a familiar aura, he briskly started to follow the direction it was coming from.

The curse-user found himself in the main hall, where he saw his wives and children gathered. The husband would be lying if he claimed he was not confused with the situation, but he would not show that. Instead, Sukuna decided to try and decipher the scenario.

Upon first glance, it had seemed that the women and children were gathered for a usual gathering, but upon closer observation, something was off. The looks of the individuals in the room seemed to differ. Some women seemed relieved, others looked almost proud, and others...well, the last of the women looked as if they were being held there against their will.

As the monster-of-a-man continued to scan the room, he finally managed to find you, standing in the center of the room, your head held high; however, you looked exhausted, broken. It brought that familiar discomforting feeling to Sukuna, the same feeling when you had spoken those words after you had burned down your village.

"What is this, Little Flower?" Sukuna questioned with some amusement behind his voice, masking his indifference.

"Do not call me that," you spoke, your voice barely above a whisper as it softly echoed in the room.

"Y/n-sama ple-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" you yelled, successfully silencing the crying woman who had shouted for you.

The atmosphere was tense, and he would tread carefully because Sukuna was no fool.

"What do you want, Little Flower? An apology? I can, obviously, give that to you, but we both know it would not solve much. So what is it you truly want?"

"To leave..." you weakly announced, watching as Sukuna gradually approached before stopping in his footsteps.

"Well then, Little Flower, you have gathered yourself and all your companions just in time, I was ready to announce our departure from this village. You get what you want, righ-"

"That's not what I want." you interrupted.

Sukuna was silent, his brow twitching in irritation as he stared at you, stopping mid-stride.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want the offer you gave me back on the table?" you quickly responded.

"And what offer would you be referring to, Little Flower?"

"On my very first inspection with my twins, you offered me to kill everyone in this room– I want to change my answer."

Your husband chuckled, "Do you not think the circumstances have changed a little, my dear? I gave you that option years ago, what makes you think that is something I am still willing to offer?"

"Because you love me..."

"Now you are willing to embrace that love?"

"Only if you do this one last thing for me. I will let you love me until my last mortal days, and me in return, just as long as everyone in this room dies."

A sly smirk, "As you wish, Little Flow-"

"By my hands!" you interjected.

Delight was an expression that Sukuna could not hold back at those words.

"It's a deal, Y/n."

"Perfect."

With those words sealing the pact, you took no further wait in your next actions. You ignored all the shouts and screams of those who wished to live, ridding yourself of whatever empathy you once had– you had to admit, it made things a lot easier when setting the room ablaze. Hearing their screams of agony and pain was a lot easier when you managed to wash out the humanity within you.

You could only feel relief after hearing all the shrieks and wails die out into nothing but silence. The room was filled with nothing but fire, bone, and ashes, the smell of burning flesh was prominent; however, that did not stop him from approaching you.

"I love you, Little Flower." Sukuna proclaimed, bringing his forehead to yours before softly kissing you.

He pulled away to look into your eyes, admiring them momentarily before smiling softly. Some may have mistaken it for a look of endearment, but it was a look of satisfaction. He had successfully taken your pride, dignity, and hope– he had taken all of you.

"I love you too."

And because you had no pride, dignity, or hope, left to hold on to...

It made it so much easier to bring that poison-coated dagger to your flesh and slit your belly.

For Sukuna everything went in slow motion, immediately swatting the dagger from your hand to the ground before cupping your wound, blood covering his hand in seconds. The desperate individual tried using his reverse curse technique to revert the damage, but it was pointless as you were resisting. For the first time in a long time, Sukuna felt genuine fear as he watched you slowly slip away from reality. And as everything started to play back to speed, Sukuna had a realization.

"Where is our daughter?!" The four-armed monstrosity yelled upon notice of your empty arms, continuing at attempts to stop your bleeding with little success.

Your smile made his heart drop.

"Gone." you sputtered, blood slipping from your cooling lips before going completely limp.

"...Gone where? Little Flower..."

"Little Flower!"

"LITTLE FLOWER, ANSWER ME!"

"Y/N!!!!!!!!"

You upheld your deal...you loved him for your last mortal days, it just so happened that day was seconds into a day, and as Sukuna sat there holding your motionless form, he could not have regretted anything more in his life. Making that deal was the best thing to happen in your life because in the end...

...You won the game of Survival.

And you hoped that your daughter could one day do the same.

Until the epilogue yall... (｀∀´)Ψ

Taglist:

@littlemochi @mistalli @youngbeansprout @bbylime @bangtan-forever1479 @idktbhloley @izayas-rings @o3o-aya @pyschopotatomeme @persephonehemingway @otomaniac @meforpr3sident @fourcefulcupid @nezuscribe @my-simp-land @zukuphilia @niya729 @spiritofstatic @bbittersw33t @kashasenpai @decaysan @honeybaegle @ygslvr @outrofenty @esposadomd @ali2426 @anmath @yazzzmints @lovingnahida @sincerest-one @rosemaydone321 @j0dios @k-ki3rd @maki-zenin1944 @shadowywizardarcade @ae-mius @xiangping-28 @loaves4me @aloraaaxcrystalzx

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absolutebl · 3 months ago

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This Week in BL - Boyfriend Era is a Go

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

NOV 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - I have to say it, the heist stuff is stupid and all the sidekicks are idiots to the point of annoyance. But Yin and War are truly stellar at these parts. And in general in these roles. Can’t knock 'em. It’s been a year of some very good kisses and this has to have been the best. So this show is top of the standings this week for that kiss alone. Like srs boys? I mean to say, BOYS! How dare. Breaking the internet like that.

Honestly, let's be clear, these two have had killer chemistry since the En of Love and we all expected great things. And now, here we sit, suffering great things from these kings. Thank you, Sirs, may we have another?

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 8 of 15 - I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. The Per Win story arc never interested me in 2014 and I’m not enjoying it now either. But Mick and Ohm are better in 2024. Nong Mick is a standout character, and a brilliant glow up in this version and he’s a confident little shit (affectionate). The mains are good too, but Phun and Noh always were great characters, and these actors are quite good. Possibly better than the original.

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - More bf era delightful diabetes. They are the best boyfriends and the cutest family in the entire world. No exceptions. Next week is definitely doom tho.

Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Talk about making consent and communication sexy! *fans self* Whoah! That was unexpectedly great. The blatancy of the lust in this one was fun too. And the general casual switch nature of the relationship = delightful.

I like the little acting course we're getting from these tw. They are both quite good. I’m not sure I really enjoy the stories that they’re telling, but I do like how they are telling them.

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 6 of 16 - Hill is the premier torch carrier of this year. My goodness. He sure nursed that crush. While I really like this main couple, I’m happy to have some of the others start to creep into the narrative at this juncture. Alone HillTer are a bit intentionally miscommunicative and saccharine. But the screen-time distribution amongst couples seems a little strange. That said, couple 2? No thank you. I really don't like North as a character at all. I find him incredibly unappealing. Ordinarily I'd be on his side because....... blackmail trope renders Johan automatically a complete arse. But at least this is 2 unlikable characters being jerks to each other?

Perfect 10 Liners (Thai Sun YouTube?) ep 2 of 24 - Say it with me Thailand: negging is NOT romantic. Frankly, Arc is just an asshole and a bully with anger issues. But…… Yay cute sides! PondSand they funny. (Book, to me = never very funny. I don’t think comedy is his bailiwick. Look, comedy is HARD ya’ll and usually not in that way.)

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 1 of 11 - They’re doing some interesting stuff with the framing (both filming style and narrative) that makes this extremely old-fashioned feeling (like Takumi-kun level). I keep saying that this year, but it feels like BL is doing a lot of rediscovering its roots right now. This one even had a goldfish. And abuse. (The two, oddly, often go hand-in-hand in JBL ) And overall...... it’s a bit weird. Which I don’t mind from Japan. Japanese BL can get weird in a good way. Oh I like it. Bully meats smart loaner, total opposites attract, both are lonely and broken and NEED each other, and all that.

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 13 - Oh dear, our poor little rich boy is very broken indeed. The sides are utterly ridiculous.

My Damn Business (Korea Sat YT) eps 6 of 7 - I don’t normally like a love triangle, but I kind of like this one since it gave our uke a bit more depth and agency. And charm, quite frankly. So far he’s been a very dower character.

Eccentric Romance (Korea Weds Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - Okay boyfriend era is a go. Goodness but they sure are adorable.

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 7 of ? - The slow burn is really very slow. To the point of frustration. But I'm still enjoying the show, just not as much as I was.

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 8 of 10 eps - Even Japan is going through a bf era rn I see. How unusual.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I’m slightly less annoyed by this one than the original (but I was VERY annoyed by that). I think mame is being tempered by a few things:

There’s so much less time spent on the back-and-forth, because this is a much shorter show, so I have less time to be frustrated by it and the utter uselessness of 75% of these characters.

Also, there's that innate Japanese awkwardness of portrayal & social interaction, which makes the unpleasantness of the characters' behavior and touch more understandable.

This, in turn, is married to the natural kink factor of JBL.

There’s a clearer Dom sub from the get go with this version, makes the blackmailing a little bit more tolerable because it's clearly Play. (negotiated or not) Simply put, daddy wants his brat to beg. And honestly? So say we all.

On a completely different note, the wardrobe for this show is terrible. Like truly bad BAD.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun iQIYI) eps 3-4 - Well I guess that’s that disability dealt with. Meanwhile, competitive bullying art students? I am very amused. Zoo date was cute. This is unquestionably a BL (I’m even more scared now). Still, the gay boys dealing with the straight dude’s crush was truly hilarious. So much "our gay drama doesn’t have time for your het bullshit." Classy move, I smell some Taiwan in this show.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 4-8 end - I was reliably informed this has an HFN end so I decided to watch. Noble and self sacrificing with both of them taking the blame.

My thoughts are...... mixed.

High school student Do Hoe lives with his brutal father who runs a Taekwondo gym. When cheerful Ju Young arrives to train, they fall in love. An unexpected incident forces them apart, they reunite over a decade years later. Essentially this is a brilliant narrative about finding love at the worst possible time, surviving chronic abuse, and the way we process mental, emotional, and physical trauma overtime. Yes it’s also a romance, but that’s not primarily what this story is actually about. I can recognize its genius, but this type of narrative is not for me. I’m reminded of bittersweet painful shows like To My Star 2, or The On1y One, or even Not Me. Is this BL tangential or is it some other genre entirely? Am I questioning my own taste because I did not like its content, or because I do not like its genre? And if it’s not BL should I even render judgment? I think I have to lean into the way I approached some of those other shows, which is to say: it is not for me but I recognize that it is of an extremely high-quality that is certainly for someone else.

Recommended, but only if you like masochistic cinema. Under those circumstances 9/10

(but know that if i were rating for my personal taste? 7/10 I’m never re-watching this, and there is a small part of me that wishes I never had)

It's airing but......

Love for Loves Sake got some kind of special supposed to air 11/9. Not sure what, why, or where. Only the rumor that it...... is. I'll believe it when I see it...... literally.

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) 10 eps - I've been reliably told not to bother, so I won't.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - I DNF'd at ep 7, I couldn't make it. I am weak. Life is hard enough right now, this show is making it harder. It’s not what I want from my entertainment.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YouTube) 10 eps - This is a little too low production value even for me. And just very very odd. DNF

In case you missed it

Uncle Unknown finished its run on YT. Censored Chinese BL with paralytically bad production levels. But certainly BL. Boys reunite after a break up only to discover one of them is the step-Uncle of the other. Much to my own shock and surprise I watched all 12 episodes of this. Fortunately, each episode is about 5 minutes long. Under those circumstances is it worth it? Maybe. It’s bad. But not offensive. So that's a win. And you know me, I love a weird take on the stepbrother’s trope and incest taboos. 5/20 watch it only if you have nothing better to do

Next Week Looks Like This:

Gosh there's a lot on right now.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

November BL:

11/15 Caged Again (Thai Fri Gaga) 10 eps - Penguin escapes zoo by turning into a human. Gets trapped again and a panther falls in love with him.

11/17 Your Sky (Thai Sun iQIYI) 12 eps - A naive freshman and the campus’s popular senior agree to pretend to be a couple - but their fake deal begins to generate real feelings.

11/20 Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai Weds YT) ?? eps - Criminals who meet in prison fall in love

11/20 The Heart Killers (Thai Weds YT iQIYI) 12 eps - Jojo directs FirstKhao & JoongDunk in an action romcom about assassin brothers (Khao & Joong) who meet a tattoo artist ex-booster (First) and a mechanic (Dunk). I'm highly amused that Joong plays the older brother to Khao and that we have a take on the Taming of the ShrewBL. I like that everyone is morally gray. This has all GMMTV's best chemistry in one BL and some fresh concepts that I've only seen tackled in m/m romance novels (check out Amy Lane's Racing for the Sun, thank me later). I'm excited. My only quibble is Jojo, I like his style but his characters can get unreliably messy so…... this gonna be interesting.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

The insane level of his babygirl heart eyes.

Just, have mercy.

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

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adrinoir · 2 years ago

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The Miraculous Movie was different than the series…and that’s okay!

I watched the movie this morning and loved it! I think it’s important to talk about the changes that were made and what impact they had.

How the characters were rewritten

There definitely was a difference in how the characters were written in the movie, and some of the redevelopment of characters was really good!

Gabriel was by far the one who had the best redevelopment of his personality. Gabriel in the series is awful, as we all know.

In the series, he barely gives a shit about his own son, like there is absolutely nothing redeemable about his character. In every “what if” episode and the season 5 finale, Gabriel does not show any regret to hurting people, including his own son.

However, in the movie, Gabriel actually makes a better attempt to communicate with Adrien and, most importantly, feels strong regret when he hurt his son. He cries; he feels remorse for destroying Paris and injuring Adrien in the process. He hugs Adrien (along with the spirit of Emilie 🥹) and decides to stop being Hawk Moth. It was beautifully done. He got a redemption arc that he never got in the series. I know I personally felt so good watching that and seeing the relationship between him and Adrien being repaired.

Marinette was her usual clumsy self, but was written as having no friends at school because she embarrasses herself so much. In a way, it makes more sense than her being so popular like she is in the series. Kids in high school can be pretty judgy and ruthless. So it makes sense for the “clumsy girl” to be made fun of and judged by people who don’t know her well.

Adrien was different in a lot of ways. He wasn’t shown running to school to gain freedom. He wasn’t introduced as being a super model who’s friends with Chloe. Instead, he’s already going to the school, he’s already friends with Nino, and he happens to run into Marinette at the library. He doesn’t have that same chemistry with Marinette as he does in the series which is a bit odd that they took that away, but it does make sense that he’d turn her down when she asked him to the ball, since he loves Ladybug. In the movie, he very clearly sees Marinette as just a friend and it’s shown that he’s building a friendship with her without him developing a crush. It’s different but still wholesome, especially when he shows her the old family photo to her. Plus, it evens it out well since Ladybug obviously turns Cat Noir away but they’re still building up their bond, too. They both get turned down.

It was ehhh that Adrien was a bit too cocky at times as Cat Noir, but overall, his goofiness and self confidence is still pretty on brand for him. He was still very encouraging towards Ladybug but not overly flirtatious, pushing her to her limits. Instead, it was them lightly teasing each other and then playfully fighting. And, speaking of the playful fighting, their bond was stronger in the movie seeing as how they were shown spending more time together off duty and that they were treated as equals.

In the show, Cat Noir is automatically made sidekick and left in the dark about everything. But in the movie, he gets to meet Master Fu in disguise alongside Ladybug. Sure, he didn’t help Master Fu with his cane like he did in the series, but that didn’t matter since the lore was changed.

Alya was less annoying in the movie. Sorry. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alya in the series, but she’s so over the top at times with how obsessed she is over the heroes, blogging, and filming things for her blog. In the movie, she was toned down a lot and I liked that. It was also cute that Nino had a crush on her and just her, not Marinette first. Unlike the series, he wasn’t on that pipeline of guys who fell for Marinette since that pipeline doesn’t exist in the movie.

Tom was made out to be an embarrassment for Marinette which is honestly more realistic for a teenager. Most teenagers get pretty embarrassed by their parents, especially when they still treat them very childlike. And, I like that he went out to the fair to look for her since he heard there was danger. Marinette’s parents don’t usually go out to look for her or make sure she’s in her room when there’s danger afoot. So, I appreciate that they made Tom do that since he obviously loves Marinette a lot.

The rewriting of (some of) the lore

As I had mentioned in my previous section, the lore was rewritten, too. Instead of Master Fu being the one to pick Marinette and Adrien simply because they helped him, the kwamis sense that Marinette and Adrien are the right people to be Ladybug and Cat Noir. That was a much better way to write that, in my opinion.

Hawk Moth got ahold of the butterfly miraculous by mistake. That part wasn’t changed but also, it didn’t need to be.

The change of plot

The plot was very simple. It didn’t have a whole lot of crazy, in depth details like the show’s does. So, anyone who has never watched the show can easily understand and absorb what’s going on (I will be forcing my boyfriend to watch it with me since he’s never seen the show lol).

I like that it was very clear cut and easy to understand while still being intense and meaningful. It still summarizes a lot of what the series entails while fixing some issues in the plot development.

They didn’t doddle with Hawk Moth like they do in the show. He was a successful villain in his second attempt but then realized he should stop when he hurt his own son in the process.

Also, there was a reveal. It was a wee bit underwhelming, but I still think it was done well! It was a moment with just Marinette and Adrien alone, as it should be. And, it was cutesy and heartfelt. The fact that Marinette dressed like Ladybug for the ball (cutest dress ever imo) and Adrien dressed like Cat Noir was so cute. That’s what a lot of the fandom has been asking for and written about in fanfics, I feel like.

The romance between these two is most important. They didn’t need Kagami and Luka as 2nd love interests to throw things off track. Yes, I like these characters in the show, but they weren’t needed in the plot.

The music

I love musicals. I was a bit of a theater kid in high school, plus I’m obsessed with music lol. So, yes, I’m a bit biased when I say I love that they made this a musical.

I personally loved the music. I can tell a lot of good effort was put into it and I’ve already been listening to the songs on my Spotify. The song between Ladybug and Cat Noir in the theater “Now I See” and Cat Noir jumping on the clouds (literally, on cloud nine) singing “My Lady” was absolutely adorable and super romantic, which, as we know, is a big part of the show.

Even Gabriel’s song “Chaos Will Reign Today” was amazing! It conveyed a lot of emotion and turns into one of those dramatic villain songs. Keith Silverstein is clearly talented enough to sing for his own character and he did it well.

My only nitpick is that Marinette’s singer, Lou, has a very different voice than Christina Vee. So, Marinette sounds very different, much more mature-sounding when she sings and it kinda catches you off guard. I’m surprised they didn’t have Christina sing for her, but there must’ve been a reason why she didn’t. But, SQVARE sounded similar enough to Bryce Papenbrook when he sung for Cat Noir which i absolutely love.

Conclusion

I personally give this movie a 10/10 just because it made me smile the whole time, and it’s such a feel good movie. I’ll happily watch it again and listen to the soundtrack, especially on a day when I’m feeling down. It wasn’t perfect in every aspect, but it was perfect in a simple, heartwarming sense and that it can be watched by everyone, not only people who watch the series.

I understand if it made you cringe or you were moreso looking for a continuation of the series not a retelling. But, I prefer some simplicity which is a big part of what made me like it. Like I said, I know it wasn’t absolute perfection, but it was so frickin adorable and I can’t help but smile.

There’s a lot of differences but also plenty of similarities between the movie and the show. But understand they’re not meant to be the same and that’s okay! I don’t think the movie was horrible for most of the changes it made. In fact, I think most of them made sense and made it a bit more realistic (as I explained).

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sayusims · 9 days ago

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Maomao mini analysis

Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries is such a sad character, but she doesn't act like it because, in her world, it's kind of normalized. First, her mom, an esteemed courtesan, essentially hated her because she gave birth to her. Her biological dad is gone and not in her life (we know it wasn’t by choice, but this is from her perspective). She was raised in a brothel, and while she had people there who loved her, it's still a brothel. Even after she was adopted, she still had to take precautions to make sure she wasn’t going to be kidnapped or that nothing else would happen to her because of men.

After all of this, when she was still a teenager, she was kidnapped by a couple of guys and sold to the Emperor’s palace. These events are really traumatic, but at the same time, she still has the same indifference—as if she doesn’t care that much. She wants to stay in her own lane, and with her tactical genius (stemming from both her parents), this is relatively easy to do. But I wanted to know more, and since I’m taking AP World History in school, it wasn’t really that hard to understand why.

The Apothecary Diaries takes place during the Ming-Qing dynasty (possibly Song), which is evident because of the harem system, the clothing style, and the medicine she uses. During this time, China had been taken back from the Mongols, and the government, in an effort to get rid of their traditions, reinstated many old systems like the civil service exam, improved education, and reestablished the bureaucracy. The education aspect is evident in the series because of the plans to better educate women on basic skills like reading.

The part worth highlighting, though, is that China (and basically everywhere the Mongols ruled) was safer under their rule. So when everything became scattered again, safety greatly decreased, making things like kidnappings more common. This is probably why Maomao wasn’t distraught about being kidnapped. Still, the rest of what happened before this time is traumatic enough.

The main reason I give for this is that she’s used to it—not in a Stockholm syndrome way, but in an “oh, this happens sometimes” way. Being raised in the brothels, she likely saw the worst parts of humanity in the customers and the courtesans. Being exposed to this regularly probably caused her to naturally believe that humans do bad things—but not in an overly pessimistic way, since she still had good people taking care of her. Along with this, she is just practical in everything she does. She weighs the pros and cons of her actions before she acts. She discloses information that is important to wrap up a case so she doesn’t have more drama to deal with (unlike a lot of characters, which is why I love her).

While she still has a curious personality when it comes to mysteries, at this point in season 2, she has gained the trust of literally everyone important, making her unlikely to get into trouble. (This is still China in the 11th-12th century, so she still has to be careful, but compared to before, she has a lot more freedom.)

While her personality may look plain at first, you quickly grow to love her, especially her passion for medicines and poisons. The shift in her demeanor when poisons come into play is so fun to watch. This shows that, at the end of the day, she is still a teenager. She is mature but childlike at the same time when it comes to things she’s interested in. Women in this time were supposed to be, like in almost every other time in history, subordinate to men. Maomao, being as smart as she is, knows and acknowledges this but does not let it stop her. She goes against the status quo by being a completely independent woman who doesn’t need a man.

The best part of this is that she does it without really thinking about it. Her goal is not to go against the status quo or anything like that but simply to pursue her interests in life.

Overall, I just really love Maomao and the series, and it better keep getting new seasons until it’s done, or else I’m going to tweak out. I also wrote this while procrastinating on my AP World homework to “review” for the AP exam (which is like four months away), but I hope you guys like it.

#the apothecary diaries #anime #manga #maomao #jinshi #apothecary diaries #season 2 #kusuriya no hitorigoto

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indashadows · 2 months ago

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Overall I really enjoyed the wwdits finale

But here are my main complaints on the season:

Spoilers ahead and personal opinions of course

1) Jerry was a useless, unlikable character and just a waste of time.

I thought he was going to be the character that "makes the right questions" and he kinda did at the beginning, like "why there is a documentary crew filming the vampires", "why they still haven't conquered the new world" and then... That was it. Nothing has been answered and those questions really didn't spark any curiosity on anyone, so what was the point of wasting screen time into making them in the first place.

2) Nandor's sudden infatuation on the Guide.

Why. They needed to show that Nandor just throws himself into nonsensical relationships because he's looking for someone to spend his life with like nadja and laszlo has but he's a big giant mess with emotions? They already explained that over and over and over again in the previous seasons, the whole season 4 was about that, there was absolutely not need to put this kind of interaction right at the end of the series, and again, it didn't bring any kind of development: Nandor still hasn't understand wtf happened and yeah maybe the Guide learned a bit of self respect? They could have done that in so many different ways, so I'm just very confused about that writing choice.

3) NOT ENOUGH SLAYER GUILLERMO.

Am I crazy to think that this show truly sparked the interest of so many people when we got to know that Guillermo is a very badass vampire slayer?

Why they got scared of that narrative so much? Why completely ditch it and just put a 5 second fighting scene and end it at that?

Idk I find that such a wasted opportunity, they had an amazing actor, willing to learn the stunts and being extremely good at it, why not use that??

4) I wanted a Nandermo hug in the real ending. Simple as that.

#Wwdits #Wwdits spoilers #Negative #Still love these silly vampires #I'm just being realistic and giving constructive criticism I think #Personal opinions #Season 6 spoilers

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gotham-daydreams · 9 months ago

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Hi! I love your gothan platonic batfam series, but every time I read it I can't help but wonder what Duke's reaction to all this would be. He's one of my fave batfam characters, do you have any plans to add him in later chapters?

Just curious, no pressure. Hopefully I didn't come off as pushy. (sorry if i did)

Have a good day! <3

Hello! And you didn't come off as pushy, no worries :]

I'll be honest and admit that I have thought of adding Duke to the series- but if I was going to do that in a more organic manner, and just generally in a way that makes sense- that would've been in Chapter 2 or 3. Though trust me I am still debating... and the only reason I'm hesitating is because I don't think I'd be able to capture his personality, or really just him as a person very well.

Granted, I do inherently view yandere versions of characters as OOC for... various reasons (some of which are obvious, especially when it comes to the Batfam and DC characters in general), but I do try to keep very close to the character (or my general understanding and interpretation of them for things like DC, who have multiple canons and such) and write them in a way that does still compliment or adhere to parts of their personality or overall mindset... if only generally. Like Bruce and his closeness to those around them yet the distance he so desperately tries to keep - not for himself, but rather those around him. His strive for justice and to do good to make up for a sin, a fault that isn't his to forgive or one he hardly had anything to do with and so on. How that makes him inherently protective if only at a distance and in silence. How he tries to keep himself away from others, if only to protect them, and yet finds himself surrounded anyway. Etcetera etcetera.

Case and point- I don't have a really good graps of Duke's general character and aren't confident enough to write him into the Not Series at the moment- and by the time I do, it may feel shoehorned in and just not as great as it could be (even if a line I wrote in Chapter 1 was meant to be him..). Though I am learning more about him! And if anyone would like to share what they know and their interpretations of his character they have and such while I still have asks open, I'd love to read and see them :]

In future series', oneshots, and just general things I plan to post and share on this blog, Duke will very much make an appearance and we'll reach 10 yanderes for the Batfam instead of just 9. (Some series' which will definitely be longer than the Not Series.)

On that note, I have thought of how Duke would feel (and some others earlier on have asked a bit as well), and from the little I know of him, this is how I think at the moment he would generally react/feel (though it may be inaccurate and such because of what I mentioned previously 😅):

I think he would start out as one of the many others that actually live in the manor or just so happened to be there at the time — and that being he feels guilt first (unlike the only person in that house who doesn't/didn't) and just... wouldn't know what to do. The time passed and everything the reader has done sort of leaves him stumped, and just stuck processing until everyone's rushing out and around to find you and before he knows it- he's following out with them to do the exact same thing.

I think he leaves before everyone else, and considering that he does daytime patrol, it isn't as odd to see him out and about anyway. Though the frantic-ness of his movements and actions are weird, and for once, more outwardly, Duke panics.

He feels bad, of course he does, and more similarly to Cass- he can only wish that he could do things with out. That he wants to be in the room when you got your awards or had been there through the hardships he knows you undoubtedly faced without even having to see the medkit like Bruce does in Chapter 2. So he goes out to look for you, but not so much for your safety and more so to just... apologize. To say every little thing he can in hopes to make things better, to lessen the damage.

And of course, just to see you.

More than anything Duke wants to make it up to you right away, but has half a mind to know he'll have to take things slow. He's still sensible to some degree, if not only partially of half-insane just like the rest of the fam (minus a certain blonde and red head who are only a sliver of the way there), he knows it'll take time, that you probably won't forgive him right away. But that's okay! He can live with that, he understands that, but he just needs to see you. Just once- if only to see who you are now and the person you've become. If only to say an apology that might fall too flat or feel too empty considering the little he knows about you.

Just once. No matter how awkward it is or how much he regrets it later. Just once.

Though, despite that he is divided on bringing you home. It would be nice, sure, but by the time that discussion comes up he isn't sure that's the best idea. Even less so with how those that do want you home seem to want to go about it, and just generally the kind of people they are. Impulsive. Strong. Threatening- they'll scare you and do more damage then help ease tensions, and he doesn't want that to happen. You don't deserve that- even if he barely knows you. Duke can feel it, you don't. Even then, they help people out, not hurt them, not like they did with you.

Duke wants to spend time with you, but he's willing to do that outside of the manor if it means making you more comfortable and warm up to him a little more. As long as he sees you he can't complain...

So when Dick messes up, he's upset. Like everyone else besides Cassandra he doesn't know what happened but knows that something absolutely went wrong. Dick usually wasn't so obvious about things like that either, but with how hurt and just... broken he looks, they could all tell. Duke could tell.

Granted, he's not upset enough to change his mind, and if anything it definitely makes him more adamant about not bringing you home yet, but he can’t find it in himself to be fully against the idea, even then.

The one thing he wants to do after that, if anything, is more determined to make things right.

If Dick of all people couldn't make it up to you, then hell, maybe Duke can.

#talking daydreams #not series #platonic yandere batfam #yandere duke thomas #yandere batfam #yandere dc

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orenji-iro-no-sora · 4 months ago

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The most fun thing about SVSSS is that the female protagonist of the original story, beauty beyond comprehension, Liu Mingyan, became a BL fangirl shipping Bingqiu and writing fanfictions of them along with the Holy Mothers. Imagining it to be a self insert character, instead of fighting for Luo Binghe, MXTX said I'd rather write smut of him with his Shizun.

Also Luo Binghe really used the most successful strategy in the history of "getting what you want" aka crying. It works. every. time. Whether he's actually so sensitive or he knows Shizun would cave if he cries idk. Maybe it's a bit of both. Maybe he's just following Shang Qinghua's advice. If he was subjected to the system, he would have lost more badass points than he could ever manage to gain. For a protagonist revered so by cucumber bro, he really was so babygirl. He'd use his puppy eyes, whimpering and whining until he gets what he wants. So pathetic. So smitten. So unlike an overpowered hero. I loved it!!

While the story was hilarious (and heartfelt I loved Yue Qingyuan), I also really liked how MXTX commented on writing and fandom culture. Cucumber bro as a fan thought he understood the narrative and the characters so well but he did fuck up as SQQ. He didn't know anything about Luo Binghe in reality despite admiring him so much.

Was it because Airplane failed to write well or is it because a fan's perspective is inherently different from that of a creator while also being influenced by the creator's objectives for the characters? Afterall, Airplane created Luo Binghe to be loved and commended (he couldn't have a weakness like wanting genuine love and affection, at all cost he must remain cool), making Mobei-jun a side character even though he was his ideal man (I don't blame him).

Another aspect that points to the power of character interpretation held by the fans is the smut included in Song of Bingqiu and the Regret of Chunshan. While she as an author can not include "morally depraved" porn into canon material (although I mean whatever she wrote wasn't... well) unless she turns Luo Binghe into a twisted yandere maniac, fans can write them and she can include it through them. It's quite genius actually.

Airplane has his hands tied too. He couldn't write the story he wanted. His fans while criticising his work, also wanted it to be exactly how he's written it. In such creative works, audience really is omnipotent. It makes sense for him to turn out to be an 'insignificant villain' in his own story considering whatever he writes, it won't be good enough. He really has no power. Characters are often slippery anyway. Authors can't really control them, at some point they become sentient and independent and the narrative changes to accomodate them instead. Luo Binghe, the perfect example.

I wished she had written more in this universe although she picked elements of this series and used them better in other works like MDZS and TGCF. I would have loved to see Luo Binghe in the Endless Abyss but since Shen Qingqiu couldn't see what happened there, we can't either. It's the same as when Wei Wuxian fell into the Burial Mounds. Also, I wished there was more Bing-ge vs Bing-mei. The original Binghe is definitely a character I wished she had explored more especially how he'd have reacted with a Shen Qingqiu who wasn't as scummy as the original. Him just giving up and leaving didn't feel too satisfying :/

Overall it was super fun and weird. But mostly fun.

#svsss #scum villans self saving system #luo binghe #shen qingqiu #shen yuan #sqq #mxtx svsss #mxtx #scum villian self saving system #tgcf #mdzs #bingqiu

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magpizza · 20 days ago

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Mag’s Sapphic Book Recs Part 2

Part 1

I read more sapphic books in 2024 so here are more books to check out! Note: these are not necessarily books that came out in 2024, just books I read last year.

ADULT

Can we start off light with some romance? -Bachelorette Number 12 by Jae - A really sweet and fun book, about two medical professionals who don't get along having to go on dates due to a charity bid snafu. The banter was really fun, and as they get to know each other, it turned super sweet. -Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni - Two women get to know and develop feelings for each other despite their family's rivalry, all set during a food packaging conference. Really sweet and made me very hungry. -Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters - Two strangers inherit a sex toy shop, which forces them to work together and get to know each other. A good amount of fun sexiness but also great emotions and sweetness! -Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd - Two teachers clash but then work together on the school play and develop a relationship. The humor in this book is wonderful, as are all the little reveals about the characters and their history as the story goes along. One of the most entertaining reading styles, so much heart and humor. -Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond - A sweet and spicy story about a woman determined to date someone from each astrological sign. Some of the dates go well, some go disastrously, and all throughout you root for her to find someone who will be her match! -Outdrawn by Deanna Grey - Set at a comic company, two rivals attempt to work together to reboot a cult classic comic. I loved the peek into artist life and how the two clash and get together. While a novel, the book had some really fun art and sketches throughout!

How about romance but make it a little sad? -Here We Go Again by Alison Chochrun - Two childhood friends-turned-rivals who then had a falling out are roped into a cross-country road trip with their dying English teacher. A standout book about love, adventure, and loss. Get your tissues ready. -Forgetting With You by Robin Clairvaux - After an unlikely one-night-stand, two women find themselves still pulled together, and help each other through loss and life issues. Really sweet overall.

I know it's January but I'm still in the mood for some holiday romances! -I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone - swapping houses for the holidays is already tricky, but with the complicated dynamics of the lives they leave behind, this one gets deliciously messy at times! -It's a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer - an adaptation of the Christmas classic film It's a Beautiful Life, but the angels are drag queens with special powers! That alone caught my attention, but then the characters and lovely town kept me glued to the story. -Season of Love by Helena Greer - Your classic "woman inherits a Christmas tree farm and now she has to decide if she wants to save it from going under" story but with a fun twist: she's Jewish and gay! A really sweet romance.

Got anything way spicier? -The Black Diamond series by Anna Stone - this three-book series follows each sister in the Black family as they get down and sexy but also find love. The connected story through all three volumes was also very interesting with some fun twists along the way. -Triple Sec by TJ Alexander - a bartender is wooed by a polyamorous couple. I love a sexy book but I especially love a sexy book with a lot of warmth and heart to it and this one definitely had that! -One Weekend in Aspen by Jamie Clevenger - an amazingly heartfelt and emotional story about a lesbian weekend sex party in Aspen, and how two women meet and fall in love during it. -Dragon Queens by Kathleen de Plume - this one is a fantasy but has so much spice I wanted to include it here. A princess flees to avoid her marriage and is captured by a bounty hunter, but the two make a deal to pretend to be involved so the princess' betrothed won't want to go through with the marriage.

Romance is fun, but how about something more based in history? -Cantoras by Caro de Robertis - This book is one of my top reads for 2024, it was incredibly emotional, about five queer women who meet during the Uruguayan regime and find refuge and solace in each other and in a quiet beach cottage they decide to claim as their own. -The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron - queer pirate adventures on the high seas, this book filled that Our Flag Means Death hole in my heart with its sweet found family and daring action. -The Duke's Sister And I by Emma-Claire Sunday - a period drama where the main female character falls for her male suitor's sister. The characters are lovely and the story has a slow, cozy pace.

Can we get into some fantasy now? -The Alamaxa Duology by Hadeer Elsbai - I loved both books in this series. Really interesting society, elemental-based magic system, and two women fighting against misogynistic laws. Loved so many of these characters and found myself surprisingly emotional when something happened to them. -A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland - There's nothing like a selkie story and this one was so sweet and a bit heartbreaking. Loved it dearly. -The Order by TJ O'Shae - A young woman is kidnapped by an assassin rebel, part of a group trying to topple her father's regime. This book is a slow, winding burn. Really well-developed characters with complicated backstories and motivations. -Three Women in Paradise by Victoria Avila - A story inspired by Dante's Inferno, with many references to other classic art. Another favorite read for 2024. Loved this absolutely bizarre story that tore me apart and put me back together again. The writing really pulled me in. -Faebound by Saara El-Arifi - Two elven sisters have to leave the Elf Court and find themselves in an unknown wilderness where they encounter the Fae court. There's magical creatures, special bonds, and falling in love with the wrong people, it's got it all! Excited for the sequel coming out soon. -This Will Be Fun by E. B. Asher - The title says it all, it was fun! A group of adventurers already saved the world and broke apart due to the strain and trauma afterwards, but now have to come back together for one more important mission. -The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean - I love a story around animals, and this one takes place in a zoo for magical and mythical creatures! The main character and her love interest are rivals but as they came to understand each other, their relationship became very sweet. -Road to Ruin by Hana Lee - this book has three POV characters and I loved every single one of them. There's such a sweet way each one of them is described and how they connect and move throughout this very original world. The ending broke my heart a bit and I hope the sequel will fix it! -A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft - While on an expedition to find a fabled spring that promises untold power, two academic rivals must team up together to solve their mentor's murder! Can you tell I love people who hate each other teaming up? Cause I dooooo.

Enough magic, anything more sciency? -No Shelter But the Stars by Virginia Black - Two women from opposite sides of an intergalactic conflict become stranded on the same strange alien planet and have to work together to survive. An absolutely gripping journey. -Afterparty by Daryl Gregory - This book was amazing. A drug is making people believe they can see god with dangerous outcomes. A woman has to delve back into her past to find out who's released the drug and for what purpose. Gregory writes with surgical precision.

Now can you scare my socks off? -Please Stop Trying to Leave Me by Alana Saab - okay, not technically a horror book, but one that filled me with a lot of dread and fear just due to its subject matter. The main character deals with a lot of mental and emotional issues, things like that god sends her signs through instagram or that she needs to breakup with her girlfriend to finish writing her manuscript. The book takes a turn I wasn't expecting and I found it very touching by the end. -We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer - A couple just moved into a new home they intend to flip and a family claiming to have lived there before asks if they can come inside to see the house again. Reads like a creepypasta in the best way. This book kept me on my toes. -Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell - A shapeshifting monster finds herself falling for a human woman and wanting to implant her with her eggs, but that would kill her. What's a shapeshifting monster to do? This book is surprisingly sweet and romantic despite that description. And it explores themes like who are the real monsters. -The Girl With All the Gifts by Mike Carey - Unlike most of the books on this list, this book doesn't have a sapphic relationship, but the main character is sapphic. A very unique take on the usual zombie apocalypse story

I want to read something with lots of art! -Crowded written by Christopher Sebela, with art by Triona Farrell, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt - this three-book series is an absolute, fun, action-filled adventure. This world has a hit-man crowdfunding website and a woman has a hit put out on her that gets so many contributions she has the whole country after her! She has to hire a bodyguard and both their lives go to shit from there. -A Thing Called Truth written by Iolanda Zanfardin with art by Elisa Romboli - A workaholic scientist and a woman who fears nothing end up on a road trip where they re-enact scenes from movies. It's a story of self-discovery, and dealing with change and loss. They just had a successful Kickstarter for the second book to end the series!

YOUNG ADULT

Phew, okay I'm ready for some sweet romances again! -The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth - Two young teens agree to a no-strings-attached summer of dates that imitate a romance movie's usual "falling in love montage." But of course, you can't have the montage without the falling in love part! A very sweet romance. -Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan - I love stories set in theme parks and this one did not disappoint! A young girl wants to get the boy she likes to fall in love with her and break up with his perfect gf, and save the park from closing down. Much of it doesn't go as she expects. ;) -If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So - Two old friends connect after a long time and find themselves feeling as if they had never left. A surprisingly complex story about friendship, lost love, and reconnection. -Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin - Two girls who can't stand each other also can't avoid each other in their small town and friend groups. Generally, they avoid each other but somehow get put into the same cabin at their sleepaway camp. From there, they get to grow a better understanding of each other!

Alright I'm ready for more of a thriller vibe! -The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe - This book was a fun thrill ride all the way through! Three friends dealing with some secrets coming out amongst each other find themselves caught up in a bank robbery. The main character has a complicated history that makes her uniquely equipped to deal with this dangerous situation. I also include the sequel, The Girl In Question in this rec!

Some escapism please, now back to fantasy! -The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland - three girls go after one supernatural killer. This book has such great structure and pacing. I loved how the three girls have very different goals and reasons that all align towards the same objective. Loved the writing and it stuck with me even after finishing. -The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley - one of the most original retellings of Beauty and the Beast! Loved all the changes and the way the author really made this classic story their own -This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings - New take on vampires set in the backdrop of Jazz Age Harlem? Sign me the fuck up. Also, this has problematic past-best friends who are now enemies who now have to work together which is deeeelicious.

Now let's get into some science fiction! -Monstersona by Chloe Spencer - Two girls escape their small town after a vicious large monster attack leaves it all burnt down. I don't want to say too much more because the fun mysteries and surprises this story weaves are better discovered by reading it!

Now can you scare me but just a little bit? -I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy - This book deals with a very toxic and controlling relationship, one that continues even after death. It touched on a very real and difficult topic in a great way that only horror could really pull off. I felt so much for the protagonist as she struggled to figure herself out through this relationship. -The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington - This book had a great combination of mystery and thriller along with horror. It deals with evil spirits along with teen horror movie tropes in really interesting and original ways. All the characters were very engaging and their relationships were very complex, especially the sisters' relationship.

Let's get into some stories with lots of pictures again! -Sunhead by Alex Assan - There was such a sweetness to this graphic novel, about a girl feeling like she's pulling away from her friends but then makes a new friend who she feels oddly close to, as more feelings start to develop. -Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert - Really great art style but also such a fun ensemble of characters all dealing with very relatable money problems. The story hooked me and the characters kept me thinking about them long after I had finished!

#sapphic books #sapphick book recs #hope you all read some fun stuff last year!

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failing-to-write-again · 2 years ago

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Baby Photos Part 2!

Part 1

Since the lovely asker @lilithram did say to pick between Sakamaki baby photos or reader baby photos, I chose both. While the previous part was less overall fluff and more early relationship I decided to make this one closer to an established relationship. I’m a bit nervous about making the boys ooc so any feedback on parts that are good and in character or those less in character would help me work to tailor my writing.

I worked under the ages proposed by @diabolik-shu-lover from this post.

Shu Sakamaki

Visiting le château de Heinz wasn’t your ideal vacation spot if you were to be completely honest. Unfortunately a major downside to dating a crown prince is how business minded people are going to be about your relationship. Shu had delayed taking you here, sharing his wish to live a more ordinary life until his accession, and even then he still wanted to have a more “normal” relationship. So far your little trip had consisted of a dinner with Shu and his father where he quizzed you on your life, followed by two days of loneliness where Shu was kept away by business of some kind with his father.

Waking up to day 3 of being alone you elected to at least try to find some evidence of Shu’s childhood you could tease him on. There had to be some silly sailor uniform or ruffled collar from when he was a small Victorian lad. Wandering the halls the castle was a thousand times creepier than the Sakamaki manor had ever been, especially when you were left without a lazy vampire keeping an eye on you. Karl Heinz had requested that his sons not kill you but that was before you began dating the son most likely to be forced into some arranged marriage. It didn’t help that the staff weren’t hidden familiars, they were standing in every room just looking… creepy.

Eventually your exploration landed you in a gallery, paintings decorated the hall with spotlights above each painting. Many seemed very old and depicted pretty women in the castle gardens at night. One of these paintings had a woman you were convinced was Shu and Reiji’s mother. She was under a gazebo in a red dress staring lovingly at someone standing somewhere behind the painting.

“This must’ve been back when they were all in love before Cordelia.” You mumbled to yourself, turning away and continuing down the hall. You found some more imposing portraits of men, a few being Karl Heinz himself, and some more general landscape paintings.

After nearly 2 hours of this you found a new hall of all six Sakamaki sons in a series of paintings, VICTORY. It’s always a bit weird when you get obvious reminders of your boyfriend being 387 years old even though he looks like a 19 year old. Seeing paintings of him in severely dated clothes and poses was just bizarre, snapping a picture of him in a wig from the Georgian period was a good form of pay back for his abandonment of you these past few days. There was one painting of him unlike all the others, he looked roughly 3 or 4 and was sat in his mother’s lap with a silver rattled as he peered down at a bundle in Karl Heinz’s lap, the raven coloured hair giving it away as Reiji. He looked so curious and his father looked so happy. He was cute, with blonde curlier locks and a big round face, he looked like any modern day child meeting their younger sibling. Seeing him with eyes so awake and full of life, and no animosity between the two oldest sons of Karl Heinz.

“She kept scolding me for not sitting still.”

Shouting in shock as you turn to see your MIA boyfriend with a shit eating grin on his face at your reaction.

“What’s with that face woman, girlfriend’s are meant to be happy when they see their boyfriend’s not scream like a banshee.” Teasing you as he stepped closer, moving his hands to sit comfortably at your waist. In response you let your head fall with a thud into his chest, wrapping your arm around his back.

“Well boyfriend’s aren’t meant to tell their girlfriend’s they’re going on vacation to then vanish off for days. We never get time together in the manor without your brothers hanging around and now your dad is keeping you busier than you’ve ever been.”

Sighing, Shu buried his nose in your hair wrapping one arm around your shoulder and another around your lower back huddling you close. “I’m sorry. That guy wouldn’t stop talking about all this protocol and other crap about properly introducing you as my chosen queen. He wanted to rush everything.”

Pulling back just enough to look up eyes wide at what he was saying. Queen, you a queen? Not to mention having to meet more creepy vampires. Sensing some of your unease, Shu smiled.

“Relax, I managed to get him to agree to a much slower schedule, you won’t be rushed off to a ball anytime soon. For now the worst of it will be seeing some property we own and meeting his close advisory staff and my other’s old staff. After I have you to myself for another few months we’re going to graduate first.”

Letting out a sigh of relief you lay your head against his shoulder, staring back up at the painting. “As a kid you were pretty cute Shu.”

“Not as cute as you as a mini ballerina,” he shot back, absentmindedly rubbing little circles against your back as he also stared at the portrait.

“If I do end up as Queen you’re not allowed to marry anyone else, I refuse to deal with the whole situation with your mothers. And you can’t ever let our kids have such a poor relationship like you and Reiji.”

“Not if, when, princess and don’t work yourself up over stupid things. You’re mine, I'm not letting some woman try to take me away ever. Seriously such bothersome thinking.”

Leaning down he gently kissed you, as if you were so delicate and precious. Looking up at blue eyes finally looking awake and closer to that childhood Shu then he had in centuries.

Reiji Sakamaki

“The box I’m looking for is about as big as an envelope, and has a leather strap holding it shut. Let me know if you spot it.”

“Alright, anywhere you’d prefer I don’t look. I don’t want to run into some secret Laito porn stash up here.”

You hear Reiji chuckle at that. “Laito doesn’t come up here, too many spiders. I do not care where you go, we are partners, we agreed no secrets right.”

That made you smile, your relationship with Reiji was the fruit of a long journey of trying to reach an understanding. For a while you were both not fully able to understand each other, and while no relationship is perfect, especially yours, hiccups that would’ve caused serious arguments before were now easier to settle over tea. It felt good to feel like a respected partner.

Looking through the attic for this mystery box was a good time to find mementos to learn more about Reiji. Looking through older books and boxes of clothes or unused houseware most of the items in this portion of the attic seemed unimportant. Reiji focused his search on the opposite side of the room where the ceiling was higher, you were shorter than the 6ft man so were less uncomfortable searching where the roof sloped down. A small dusty window allowed some of the early morning light to stream in. Reiji had begun waking later during holidays to allow you both to have a day that had more sunlight for you. He claimed it was to reduce risk of seasonal depression or vitamin D deficiency, with the added benefit of allowing you both to go to museums and other date locations. Waking at 12am gave you the opportunity to see sunrises daily, and if you were honest the view of your boyfriend in the hazy early morning glow was always a welcome sight.

“You’re staring.”

“I see nothing wrong with admiring my boyfriend”

He let a smile sigh pass his lips as he smiled, shaking his head. Looking back down at the stack of cardboard boxes he was rifling through. You pull your eyes away and back to the room around you, you spot something sticking out behind a shelf. Pulling it out you find a handful of photos and a small box. The photos were black and white, Daguerreotypes, on metal sheets. The images showed a younger Reiji taking what looked like test photos. Some were of him, slightly blurred from incorrect technique, others of items. The last photo was much clearer and was of Reiji sitting in a chair with a book in his lap. He must’ve gotten a familiar to take the photo.

“Hey Reiji can I take these down? I don’t know how to store such photos though.”

Looking up Reiji walked over, taking the photos from you to look through. He picked up a box placing them inside before handing them to you,

“I will have the familiars store them properly and make scans so you can have more stable prints of them. If you wish to have images of me to display however, I would prefer you take more modern photos with both of us.”

Smiling down at the box of photos, Reiji spoke again.

“Smiling over such trivial things as a few photos, you should be harder to please.”

“You’re probably the first man to ever say that Reiji, besides it’s nice to have childhood photos of each other. I only have my locket but what happens when your children ask to see what you looked like as a child?”

“Our children will have plenty of paintings of me to see at my father’s castle, and if we are so lucky your only response will be that they look exactly as you did as a child.” Adjusting his glasses Reiji knelt down and picked up the box you had also pulled out with the photos. Meanwhile as his words set in your face flushed slightly.

“Our children…Reiji you shouldn’t say that stuff so casually. Besides, why would you want them to look like me? I'm human.”

That was not a response he liked, gently lifting your chin with his thumb and pointer finger Reiji looked you in the eye as he spoke. “Our children should be as pretty or handsome as their mother. I’m insulted you think, after all we’ve been through, I have not grown out of the belief that blood is a final decider in terms of superiority. You are superior, you are who I want, you alone are my partner and equal so strong as to be able to hold my heart in your hands. Am I clear?”

Your blush darkens as Reiji flusters you further, you can only nod your head in response to such strong compliments said so earnestly. Smiling Reiji’s thumb gently swiped over your bottom lip before leaning in to kiss you. Reiji always kisses you with the aim to convey all of his feelings for you, as if you will never be able to kiss him again. Moving in tandem you ended up leaning against a shelf with Reiji’s arm pinning you there, your arms holding onto his collar to prevent him pulling away too soon.

Unfortunately, Reiji has to ensure you take in air so moves back. Opening the box, he removes a key, turning it over in his hands.

“This key is to my father’s laboratory here, he used it when he was visiting us as children. I sealed it off years ago and elected to use my room for my experiments. However, due to the chemicals it is not safe for you to sleep there so they must be moved.”

“What’s wrong with my room?”

“It is a guest room, I’m not going to sleep every night in a guest bedroom in my own home. No, my room must be altered to fit its needs and to do so I shall reclaim the laboratory as my own to allow you to rest safely.”

All you could do is follow along as Reiji began to return back downstairs, gazing down at the box of pictures. Looking at the sad younger Reiji you couldn’t help but compare him to the cool, confident man he had become.

Ayato Sakamaki

Ayato had demanded you meet him in the garden of the castle that evening, something about having something special to show you. You weren’t sure what to expect really, surprises with Ayato were often either very nice or sweet but messy failures. Breakfast in bed when you’ve never cooked before was a bad idea in hindsight, even he had to admit. Still as the night started to fade into dawn you made your way to the gardens, examining the sights around you as you went.

The father of the Sakamaki’s had summoned them to return for some festival of sorts. Ayato had been vague in describing it, rather unhappy to be returning. It seemed like some carnival was being set up, you hoped it was a carnival anyway. As you ponder the pros of encouraging Ayato’s competitiveness to win you stuffed toys you eventually reach the garden. Opening the glass doors you see Ayato sitting on a blanket, under the stone gazebo and some candles lit around. He had a few plates of your favourite deserts around as well as takoyaki. He grinned as you approached, arms crossed and pride beaming from his face.

“I set this all up, yours truly is the best boyfriend ever, and I have a present for you.” Pulling out a box with a bow stuck on the lid, he gestured for you to open it. You sat down cross legged, opening the box to reveal a collection of photos.

Lifting some out you realise these were the photos Ayato had burnt after he had first met you, before you had started dating. They looked untouched. Ayato, not trusting your silence, began to speak again.

“Ore-sama got the familiars to find copies and I had those losers in the tech club at school print them. They couldn't say no to yours truly. Do you like it?”

“Why did you do all this, you threw them into the fire.” Ayato blushed before looking away, a hand on his neck.

“I…felt…bad about making you cry like that. It’s only fun when you cry from my bites, not over that stuff.”

Your sniffling brought his attention back to you, panic spreading across his face. Pulling you into his lap and holding you close as his brain froze trying to find the best course of action. Your hands rising up to hold his cheeks as you attempted to calm down, a smile on your face.

“It’s ok, they’re happy tears. I’m happy Ayato.”

“Are you sure, don’t lie to yours truly.”

“I’m not, I swear! Thank you Ayato, these photos are important to me.”

Sighing in relief, Ayato leant back letting his head thunk against one of the gazebo pillars.

“Damn it, you’re not meant to cry when Ore-sama gives you gifts.”

Running his fingers along your back. You began rifling through some of the photos noticing some new additions to the collection. There, between the photos of a younger you were pictures of you and Ayato on various dates. You, completely unaware of the camera while Ayato was looking and seemingly taking each photo. There was also one picture of a painting, it was of three boys with the child on the left resembling a much younger version of your boyfriend.

“I didn’t know you had any childhood photos of Ayato.”

“It’s the only one, you can’t have a collection of photos without one of yours truly to admire.”

Giggling you sit back leaning against his chest while you both began to enjoy your picnic and company.

Laito Sakamaki

You were currently facing a big problem, for some reason the 2nd year history department had decided to assign a project discussing your family history…in detail. So you were currently stressed out of your mind trying to figure out how to worm your way out of this one. Laito was covered, his family history well laid out as a royal and all of his ancestors having false human lives, it basically wrote itself. Yet here you were unable to write anything. It’s not that you were necessarily ashamed of your orphan status, and your close companions now also ‘brides’ of the Sakamaki’s were virtually sisters and you could maybe write about them. But people always got weird about orphans, and while you weren’t ashamed to be one by any means, being Laito’s girlfriend let alone a Sakamaki girlfriend involved gossip, it came with the territory. Extra rich boys in a school full of rich kids would always mean they were an aim for many girls and their parents alike, let alone Laito’s colourful past meaning he’d slept with basically any 2nd year heiress he could say a word to. All of them convinced they’d be the one to make him want to stay, and all of them feeling the same disappointment or satisfaction when one failed. Then in comes a girl under a sponsorship by said extra rich kid’s father who then ends up dating each of them effectively removing them from the market, and meaning every single girl, generally all conventionally very attractive and whom most men would gladly keep as girlfriend, being ‘beaten’ as they saw it by someone with no assets.

So to put a long story short, while you weren't super torn up about not having an easy to explain family tree, you weren’t ready to deal with everyone’s response to that little tidbit. All of this led you to now, sitting with Laito as he brushed your hair listening to your predicament.

“Like whatever about the teacher getting weird, I’ll gladly take the free pass to ask for extra stuff. But you really made everything difficult. I can handle snide remarks from Hana, Aoi, and Emiko; they're mostly harmless. Yet, if they get it in their heads that I don’t have parents to cause any issues they might get worse.” You stopped to pick up some popcorn, holding your arm backwards to give Laito some. He took the opportunity to lick your fingers, snickering as you pulled your hand back, wiping it on your jeans.

“Don’t be nasty, I'm having a serious talk. I just… some of the 1st year girls were horrid to Subaru’s girlfriend just for finding out she had been at a boarding school. They cornered her in the bathroom and stuck gum in her hair. Gum! Like yeah me and the girls tore them a new one but…gum!”

Humming thoughtfully, Laito placed down the brush switching to running his fingers through your hair. He moved to rest his head on your shoulder, letting a comfortable silence sit over you while he thought of what to say.

“If you want, I can get you a family tree in full detail”

“How would you even do that, if you just make people up and anyone finds out then it's worse.”

“We could always make one~”

A pillow to the face shut that idea down, laughing as he fell backwards against the cushions while you were glaring at him.

“Be serious! What am I meant to do?”

Sitting back up, Laito took your hand pulling you up.

“Follow me.”

Walking through the manor, Laito took you to a less well maintained wing. Cobwebs littered the hallway and the wallpaper was peeling slightly in patches, there weren't any electrical lights either, only wall sconces with candles Laito lit as you walked by. Laito was silent for most of the journey, only giving a hand squeeze of reassurance whenever you caught his eye. You weren’t sure if the squeeze he gave passing a portrait of Cordelia was to reassure you or him, whenever you even heard of that woman it sent shivers down your spine.

Paintings became more common the further you walked, most were of adults with a vague similarity to Laito and his brothers, others were portraits of women in beautiful dresses with a characteristic pale visage. Finally stopping in front of a picture of three young boys with a signature red and purple haired look.

“This is the only painting or picture of me and any of my brothers together. Me and the other triplets don't argue as much as Shu and Reiji but we aren’t close,” he turned, taking your hands in his. “You have sisters, actual sisters who you have stories and pictures with. Anyone who disagrees, I will handle.”

“Gum in my hair Laito. It’s not a good look.” Laito sighs, pulling you close before you hear him mutter.

“Theirs will look worse when I cut it all off.”

Kanato Sakamaki

“Dolly, why are you in here?”

Turning to greet Kanato from where you sat in the quiet wing of the Sakamaki manor, placing your sketchbook back down beside you and making room for your boyfriend to sit nearby.

“I come here to sketch the portraits since I can’t get a good wifi connection to look up references. I really like this painting, it’s of you right?”

Kanato sat down looking up at the painting then to your sketch. It was different to the painting in many ways, the main difference being that it was a younger him alone with teddy. You had changed his posing too slightly to make him look less nervous. He was pinching his fingertips though, a sign he was uncomfortable that he picked up from the exercises he had copied you doing to help regulation. You could see he was struggling to find his wording. Scooting closer you placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to reassure him you cared and were listening.

“It’s pretty, but dolly I don’t like you being here.”

“Why Kanato? It’s nice here, nobody comes here to interrupt or be loud and there's all these pretty paintings. What’s wrong?” Continuing to play with his fingers, he moves closer to you turning to face you straight on.

“This is where…her room used to be. We have to leave me and Teddy hate it here.” Immediately you were filled with questions. While you knew Kanato, Ayato, and Laito killed their mother and have mixed feelings towards her, you had never seen Kanato spooked. It did explain why this area was not well maintained. You had to bring a brush with you during your first visits to the wing to remove some of the largest cobwebs and first from your seat. However, you had to admit that with the newfound knowledge that these halls were where your boyfriend had been tormented by his own mother for centuries it changed the atmosphere. Suddenly the quiet was now tense, the weathered appearance of the halls becoming creepy signs of lifetimes long since passed.

So you went along with Kanato’s instruction, returning to the more familiar manor where Reiji had familiars ensuring everything was organised and dustless. Following behind while mulling over the best way to approach this particular conversation. He led you to his room, sitting on his bed with your sketchbook and flipping through it. Pacing the path from his bedside locker to his balcony doors slowly, Kanato watched you. Around your fifth lap he gently grabbed your forearm guiding you to sit next to him, playing with the pages of your sketchbook. He turned to one of your favourites, you had drawn Kanato sitting in front of a backdrop of rose bushes. A small smile on his lips and a glint of childish glee in his eyes.

“I’m hanging this one up.”

“That one isn’t fully vanished, it's only a sketch.”

“But I like it, so it’s finished and I want it on my wall. And I want a matching one of you to go beside it.”

Sighing in acceptance you took his hand winding your fingers with his. It was probably better to shelf some questions anyway, while you were well past the stage of Kanato stabbing you with a fork for too many questions it was still not always easy to bring up sensitive topics.

Subaru Sakamaki

“Oi, idiot the car is outside. Are you ready to go or what?”

Grabbing your earrings and standing, you began walking over to your boyfriend in a new sundress and short heels for a lunch meeting with Christa at some new vampire restaurant she had taken a liking to. In the years following yours and Subaru’s relationship, both of you had begun to put work into helping both Subaru and his mother move forwards in their lives and reducing the impact their past traumas had on them. It was a slow and difficult progress with what felt like 100 steps back after every step forward but Christa had reached the point where her good days outnumbered her bad ones with the help of a team of specialists and patience.

Within the last half a year Christa had begun to travel short distances from her home, a fairly new cottage Subaru had built her close to the manor after we graduated from Ryoutei Academy. Today’s trip was to a cafe she had been to numerous times with her trusted hand maids, so it was an obvious choice for the first excursion you and Subaru were joining in on. On Subaru’s part you had nothing but admiration and pride for the strides he had taken, he still had periods of self doubt often linked to birthdays and when his father was involved. However, such episodes were short and he had grown into more healthy responses to these thoughts, that still didn’t reduce his worries when interacting with his mother in environments that could trigger an episode. It took reassurances from Christa and her therapist to show that there was a set of precautions to ensure her safety before he agreed to this lunch.

That brought you to today, where your boyfriend adjusted the collar of his pale grey shirt and looked at you with eyes that clearly showed his trepidation about this trip. Looping your arm around his as you made your way to the car you offered reassurance.

“She’s been looking forward to this lunch, she goes there every week at this point it's basically the same as when we have dinner with her.”

“The first time we had dinner with her she started screaming at your halfway through thinking you were a thief, before she tried to cut your hair off.”

“That’s not a fair comparison and you know it. Christa has found medicines that work and worked with Dr. Estelle for years now.”

“You know she wants you to call her mum.”

“She’ll be mum when you get on the ring choosing we both agreed last time at dinner remember. She even offered to help you plan everything.”

Grunting, he looked away squeezing your arm while opening the passenger side door of his porsche. The ride was mostly quiet with you running your shared spotify playlist with Subaru mentioning concerns for you to counter with considerations made to address them. Once you arrived at the cafe Subaru relaxed quickly seeing Christa behaving normally.

As always, you were greeted with hugs and excited interrogations as to the going ons of your life since your last visit. Christa had been so kind as to give recommendations based on your individual tastes, having an excellent grasp on the menu. She was also so kind as to bring an album of photos her staff had made of Subaru growing up to allow her to feel more included in his life while locked in that tower.

“Oh my goodness! He looks so cute here, when was this one?”

You pointed to a photo of a roughly 8 year old Subaru sitting on a wooden table licking a spoon covered in some batter. Smudges of the batter were on his cheeks and shirt as a fire was lit in the background. It was a cosy image and something you had seen Subaru do before. Anytime you baked anything he insisted on spoon cleaning duty to ‘make it easier to clean’.

“Ah, one of my ladies in waiting had that painted after she heard me talking about how happy I was during that visit.”

“I love it, Subaru was such a cute kid!”

“I don’t see what's so cute, I’m just stuffing my face there.”

“Oh shish Subaru. She’s right, you were an adorable kid with cute little cheeks.” To emphasise her point she pinched his cheeks while cooing at him. Subaru only scowled in response, but it held no actual malice behind his glare.

While leaving the cafe, after nearly 5 hours of catching up, Christa pulled you aside to give you the picture claiming she had hundreds more. During the drive home Subaru kept looking at you admiring the photo.

“You can always take pictures of me ya now. You don’t need to use a kid photo of me for that.”

“I have photos of you, I just like this one, it's special.”

“You’re such a weird woman.”

“Would you have me any other way?”

#diabolik lovers #diabolik lovers imagine #reiji sakamaki #shu sakamaki #ayato sakamaki #laito sakamaki #kanato sakamaki #subaru sakamaki #shu sakamaki x reader #reiji sakamaki x reader #laito sakamaki x reader #ayato sakamaki x reader #kanato sakamaki x reader #subaru sakamaki x reader #diabolik lovers headcanon #diabolik boys

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fastestmanalive333 · 4 months ago

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Wally West/Kid Flash Reading Order

Flash (1959) #110/Born to Run in its place as it adds a lot more context from Wallys POV while 110 is more from Barrys

for Born to Run

Flash Vol. 2 #62-65

afterwards Wally has his own backup within the flash title you sorta see a bit of his school life and him doing things.. it falls short with unlike barry we see his personal life and his relationships with people wallys parents rarely show up in his earliest stories, theres no deep storytelling its moreso just some fun little slice of life thing)

Flash Vol. 1 #111-112

Flash Vol. 1 #114/2

Flash Vol. 1 #116/2 (first appearance of Rudy West)

Flash Vol. 1 #118/2

Flash Vol. 1 #120 (Barry and Wallys First Team Up, this ones referenced in Johns run fun fact and its pretty good i enjoy it)

Flash Vol. 1 #122/2

Flash Vol. 1 #125 (Barry and Wallys second team up)

Flash Vol. 1 #127/2

Flash Vol. 1 #130/2

Flash Vol. 1 #133/2

Flash Vol. 1 #135 (Barry/Wally Team Up #3, Wally gains his iconic Kid Flash suit)

Flash Vol. 1 #138/2

Flash Vol. 1 #144/2

Brave and the Bold #54 (Technically the First Appearance of the Teen Titans)

Flash Vol. 1 #149 (Barry and Wally 4th team up)

Teen Titans: Year One #1-3

Brave and the Bold #60 (First Appearance of the Teen Titans as a team)

Flash Vol. 1 #156 (Barry & Wally 5th team up)

Showcase #59

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #1-3

Teen Titans: Year One #4-6

Flash Vol. 1 #159 (Barry & Wally 6th team up)

Flash Vol. 1 #161 (not in costume)

Flash Vol. 1 #164/2 (return of Wallys back up)

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #5

Flash Vol. 1 #165

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #6-7

Flash Vol. 1 #167/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #8-10

Flash Vol. 1 #173 (Jay, Barry & Wally)

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #11-19

Brave and the Bold #83

Flash Vol. 1 #189 (the last Wally and Barry team up of the 60s)

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #20-30

Flash Vol. 1 #202/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #31

Flash Vol. 1 #204/2

Flash Vol. 1 #207/2

Flash Vol. 1 #209/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #32-33

Brave and the Bold #94

World's Finest Comics #205

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #35-36

Flash Vol. 1 #211/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #37

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #39

Brave and the Bold #102

Flash Vol. 1 #216/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #40-43

Flash Vol. 1 #220-221

Flash Vol. 1 #232

Flash Vol. 1 #239

Flash Vol. 1 #240

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #44-45

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #46-53 (Teen Titans Disband)

DC Special Series #11

Showcase #100

Flash Vol. 1 #265/2

Flash Vol. 1 #266/2

Flash Vol. 1 #269 (Barry and Wallys Last Team up)

Brave and the Bold #149

Flash Vol. 1 #277 (appears in Iris' funeral)

Legends of the DC Universe #18 (Raven and Wally issue its very good)

But thats everything with Wally leading up to NTT where his characterization is overall changed and he is written as a douche mostly cause Wolfman and Perez didnt like the character nor wanted him in the run but DC editorial had them add him due to his popularity at the time.. but this is how you get a good sense of who his character was as Kid Flash he was nothing like he is potrayed in NTT he was a fun character and he grew.. so greatly after NTT he does show up in Trial of the Flash here are his issues but its best to read the entire storyline in whole

Flash Vol. 1 #343-345

he does show up in NTT again in Vol 2 in issue 2 all the way to issue 6 then Crisis happens and then his flash run begins!

#wally west #kid flash #barry allen #the flash #flash comics #flash family #dc #dc comics #teen titans #new teen titans #bronze age #silver age #jay garrick #flash

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exo-raskreia · 5 months ago

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I'm curious now - why / what do you like about Inoue and Renji ?

Well...

I liked Ori from the start. She was cute, bubbly, & pretty with a likable personality & potential to be a cool character, what with her powers & dreams.

I started shipping her with Ishida in the SS arc, as their interactions were cute. They actually had a good bond, he protected her & she ended up trying to protect him in her own way in the Fullbring arc & was concerned for him in TYBW.

Then in the HM arc, I also started shipping her with Ulquiorra, whom she had amazing chemistry with. Unlike everyone else who mostly babied her (& was mostly indifferent like Ichigo 💀), he challenged her, found her fascinating & believed her to be a strong woman. She finally showed some of her mental strength & further potential to do something important to the overall story; she kept saying she wanted to become stronger, right? I was hoping this would finally be it, that we would finally see her become the character she could be (when she had saved Tatsuki, i was like, "Ok, we're getting somewhere. Hope we see more of this." I was waiting for it...)

However, that turned out to not be so. 😮‍💨 It was also in the HM arc where I started to truly find her exasperating as well. This is the arc that should've solidified that IH do NOT work together. Some of her worst moments happened here & the prelude to it. Her rather cringey confession to, & attempted kiss on an unconscious Ichigo, choosing to say goodbye to him (whom she barely knew) instead of her best friend Tatsuki, her lack of backbone against Loly & Menoly & then healing them to top it off (absolute insanity, I could not believe her. Who the hell cares what Grimmjow did to them? Have some respect for yourself, girl!), fearing Ichigo while he fought Grimmjow for Rukia & having little Nel have to push her to snap out of it... and then her worst moment: her breakdown at the dome when she begged an unconscious Ichigo to save her.

My God, this was the first time I found her unbelievably annoying & couldn't believe her. This should've been the moment as the secondary heroine of the series, where she should've stood up in the face of danger. A moment where any female character worth her salt would've shown her resilience. Rukia, even when powerless, had shown us this. Ichigo's sisters showed us as well in the first chapter. (Ppl sure love to compare Ori to Hinata from Naruto, but one of their MAIN differences is that my girl Hinata did what NO ONE ELSE did—not even the main heroine—& threw herself in the face of danger to help Naruto against Pain, despite how much stronger her foe was, confessed to a conscious Naruto, & her sacrifice led Naruto to gain 6 Fox Tails to defeat Pain—and mind u, Naruto subconsciously led the fight away from her 👀. The first person he thought of when he regained consciousness was her & he cried in relief that he didn't harm her nor others. What she did meant a lot to him).

But alas... Ori disappointed me greatly here. I insist, what happened at the dome should've solidified for everyone that IH do NOT work together. Ichigo's Hollow was protecting Ichigo, not anyone else (face-planted Ori & stabbed Ishida who was trying to protect her. He would've killed them had it not been for Ulquiorra). It wasn't an IH moment; anyone who thinks that severely lacks reading comprehension. Ichigo felt sickened by what he did, not feeling like a victor at all (and it wasn't until he talked to Rukia again a bit later that he felt a bit better).

(Imagine if Ori had stood up against Ulquiorra, arms spread out to protect Ichigo, & he stopped before her in shock & might've told her to move but she resisted, then he questioned her & they started talking & she pleaded for him to stop this & Ulquiorra became more curious &— Like, would he have genuinely hurt her, tho? He ended up protecting her from Vasto Lorde Ichigo, whom she feared, while she showed NO fear of Ulquiorra in their farewell scene... )

Honestly, Ori's best moments in this arc, her only good moments, were with Ulquiorra. He should've lived & I stand by it. While I like IshiHime & wish they had ended up together, had Ulquiorra returned, I would've given a solemn salute to Ishida & eagerly boarded the UlquiHime train. Unlike with IshiHime, I actually engage with UH fan content so... 🙃

Unfortunately, Ori only got worse from here. Her ongoing silly crush on Ichigo was even more exasperating; I was hoping she'd have finally gotten over him after the dome (heck, I'd been hoping she'd get over him since the SS arc). She did not do anything amazing in the Fullbring arc, only regressed, & same in TYBW. Kub0 just didn't seem to care to develop her, despite her potential with her powers & early personality. She will forever be one of the characters with the most wasted potential to me.

Ori was just too pitiful around Ichigo. She was not at her best around him. And Ichigo was certainly not at his best around her. Because of that horrendous ending that only solidified Ori's lack of character development & bad writing, I'm not interested in engaging with her solo content. Only UH & sometimes IshH content 🤷‍♀️. I understand the criticisms towards her character & agree with several, tho some ppl do take it a little too far imo. I also have a post here where I similarly rant about her character a bit. There is also an amazing analysis & theory of her role in the story here & my added opinion.

About Renji (sorry I ranted about Ori, lol), I didn't like him at first, as he was introduced as an unlikable villain who was trying to obstruct Ichigo from saving Rukia. He changed for the better after he got humbled by Ichigo & became a good friend & ally (& also showed support for IR 🫢). So, I like him because of that. I'm not a fan of him & stuff, tho. I dislike RR, tho not as much as IH; it's mostly just "meh" to me.

So yeah, sorry for the long rant. Hope this answers your question!

#anti ichihime #ulquihime #ask #reiapost

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 2 months ago

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Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 6: Danganronpa V3 Case 4

//Case 1 and Case 4 of Danganronpa V3 are two of the most standout trials in the entire series. So much so, that seperating them, and deciding which one was better between the two, was nearly GODDAMN IMPOSSIBLE.

//Seriously, throughout the entire time I was making this list, having to choose between which case I liked better between this case and the first case of V3 was so insanely difficult.

//But in the end, I had to give it to Case 1. For the simple reason that I always tend to revisit Case 1 of V3, where I don't do the same, at least not nearly as much, for Case 4.

//And for very little reason other than that.

//Danganronpa V3’s fourth Class Trial is a bit of an enigma for me. On the one hand, I often find myself sweeping it under the rug when discussing the series, but on the other hand, I can’t deny that it’s one of the finest trials Danganronpa has ever crafted.

//Seriously, it’s sitting at a comfortable sixth place out of 30 cases in my personal ranking, so yeah, it’s undeniably great. I’m just selective about how much I acknowledge it.

//What makes this trial so fantastic is the way all its elements come together seamlessly: the jaw-dropping twist, the high-stakes context, and the deeply compelling mystery. With most of V3's cases, I feel they're a little...weaker overall, even if they are generally the more complex cases in the franchise, mainly because of the emotions they instill within me.

//But two of the cases, with Case 4 being one of them, are an exception to this. This one mainly because it’s a case that doesn’t just tell a story; it practically reinvents the game’s rules while doing so.

//The trial takes place inside a virtual reality simulation, reminiscent of something straight out of Sword Art Online.

//And yes, just like SAO, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If you die in the game, you die for real. That chilling premise alone opens up a Pandora’s box of possibilities and interpretations, making the entire case feel more dynamic and multidimensional than your average murder mystery.

//It’s also hilariously meta, and in the good way, unlike V3-6. Not only are you solving a murder in VR, but the case leans into the absurdity of its premise while staying true to the emotional core of Danganronpa’s storytelling. The layers of reality, fiction, and simulated existence blur so well that you can’t help but admire how cleverly it all fits together.

//So yeah, even if I don’t gush about this trial as much as some others, I’ll still tip my hat to it. It’s a wild ride that fully earns its place in the Danganronpa hall of fame.

//This chapter is… fine, but what really makes it stand out is how it aligns with a recurring theme in the main Danganronpa trilogy. In each game, the fourth chapter tends to focus on a character who, up until that point, seems to be thriving a little too comfortably in the chaos of the killing game. Whether they appear to be enjoying the despair or simply manipulating the situation to their advantage, Chapter 4 is where the narrative decides it’s time to shake things up and force some character growth, or, in some cases, a complete character overhaul:

In 1-4, Byakuya gets his reality check during the trial itself. After stubbornly clinging to his cold, cutthroat logic all game, he suffers a humiliating defeat in reasoning during the Chapter 4 trial, making him reconsider whether his worldview is truly as airtight as he believed. By the time the trial ends, he begins taking steps toward becoming a more dependable ally and declares that he won’t engage in any more killing.

In 2-4, Nagito's character arc takes a sharp left turn in the Case 4 investigation. Up until that point, Nagito had this weird self-deprecating reverence for the other Ultimates, treating himself like disposable trash unworthy of standing among them. But suddenly, after finding out the truth behind their identities, it’s like a switch flips. During the investigation, he becomes disturbingly self-assured, cruel, and downright dominant, flipping his dynamic with the group entirely. Now, instead of putting others on a pedestal, he’s treating them all like the garbage he once considered himself to be; and this segways into Chapter 5.

This idea literally goes double for A-4. Rei, typically dismissive and unhelpful, is shaken to the core when faced with Satsuki’s sacrifice. Haru, a victim, gave his life to save Satsuki by creating a Locked Room Mystery for her escape; a level of selflessness Rei has never witnessed, and when Satsuki confirms Haru’s sacrifice was real, Rei is stunned, unable to process such altruism. Meanwhile, Tsurugi, steadfast in punishing victims as chaos-causers, is thrown off balance by Satsuki’s unprompted confession. The idea of a victim helping their killer challenges his beliefs so profoundly that he passes out, forcing him to question his entire worldview.

Syobai literally becomes the player character in A2-4 for a part of the trial, and singlehandedly is forced into a position of leadership. It's a key moment for him and the mark of the game where he starts to take more initiative as a character, and go on his own quest to dick over Mikado and end the Killing Game.

//And then, in V3, there’s Kokichi Ouma, who, comparatively, takes the "fourth chapter personality shift" baton and runs to the end of the Earth with it.

//(Side note, I can't believe I'm actually talking about it here, but I have seen SO many people ask me why I spell it "Ouma" and not "Oma" like the dub does, especially since I don't call Kyoko "Kyouko" or Kirumi Tojo as "Toujou" when that's what it is in Japanese. It's because "Oma" means Horse in Japanese, and I don't want to call him "Kokichi Horse." That's weird. Also, I just prefer this spelling, it's as simple as that.)

//Kokichi, already a wildcard and a mischievous trickster, steps fully into his role as a scheming, manipulative VILLAIN, leaning hard into his calculating and almost theatrical nature. It’s a fascinating evolution, especially since his antics fill the tension void left by the previous case.

//Let’s be real, Case 3 had its moments, but Korekiyo Shinguji being both the killer and victim of his own twisted scheme felt more...uncomfortable, than genuinely intimidating.

//Kokichi, on the other hand, brings back that thick, suffocating air of distrust, which elevates the stakes nicely. All in all, the fourth chapter’s character transformations may follow a predictable formula, but they always deliver something fresh and memorable.

//But we'll come back to Kokichi later. Let's get talking about the trial itself, and why it's so unique.

//Danganronpa trials always tend to have a running theme with them throughout each game, and some of these work out better than others tend to. For example, all the first cases, a character who is seemingly important to the plot is suddenly taken away after they are killed. Case 2 always reveals a new, more ominous, secretive side to a character, who up until that point, had been rather unnasuming. And while not a lot of people like this fact, up to 3 people always die in Chapter 3 of each game.

//In Chapter 4, the running theme is that all the murders take place in a very liminal environment; different from anywhere else you've seen in the game, and with its own set of rules that differ from every other trial. In the other games, it's the Locked Room, the Funhouse, the Ballroom, and the Tower of Babel.

//But this setting is probably the most bizzare of them all, and by God, do they do some GOOD THINGS with it!

//The entire murder takes place inside a virtual reality simulation. A full-on digital world that, if I’m not mistaken, was originally created by Monokuma but later modified by none other than Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor.

//VERY CLEARLY a nod to Danganronpa 2, and that alone is great.

//Miu takes it upon herself to tweak the simulation, removing anything dangerous or sharp enough to become a potential murder weapon. Ironically, despite her best efforts, it’s Miu who ends up as the victim of this virtual whodunit.

//Now, here’s where things get juicy: this wasn’t your typical crime in the series. This was a murder gone horribly wrong.

//And what’s fascinating is that while this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the series, it’s actually only the second, or if you’re really nitpicky, the fourth instance of a murder scheme backfiring. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we?

//In Danganronpa 1 Sayaka cooks up a plan to kill Leon but ends up being the one who got skewered instead. Then in Goodbye Despair, Killing Harmony, and Another, the first cases also feature a twist where the killer’s original plan goes sideways, albeit in a slightly different flavor, with the killer targeting the wrong victim.

//But this case is the only other murder scheme, besides Sayaka's in Game 1, planned by the victim themselves.

//...Unless you count Haru in Another, which we've already been over, but you could also make the argument that Haru's plan was for him to be killed, while with Sayaka and Miu, their plans backfired.

//Miu, in all her chaotic, trash-talking glory, was planning to take out Kokichi. Being the brains behind the virtual world, she took full advantage of her role, laying out the rules of the simulation for everyone while sneakily fudging a few of the details to give herself the upper hand.

//Her goal? To execute the perfect crime, one that would be impossible to pin on her.

//Even though, upon reflection, the fact that she's the only one who COULD make the rules makes it pretty obvious that she's the one responsible. Had that been the case, I think that would have been too easy.

//Unfortunately for Miu, but fortunately for us, Kokichi is like a walking ad for 4D chess. He catches on to her plan faster than she can deliver one of her raunchy one-liners, and instead of walking into her trap, Kokichi flips the script, countering her scheme with a plan of his own.

//What ensues is a mind-bending trial where the layers of lies and manipulation make even seasoned players question what’s real and what’s virtual.

//This case stands out not just for its premise but for its audacious execution. A murder happening in a VR simulation is already enough to make it memorable, but the added twist of the victim being the would-be killer takes it to a whole new level of brilliance.

//And let’s not forget Miu herself: even in her final moments, she manages to be equal parts infuriating and hilarious, making her one of the most unforgettable characters in the series.

//I could do a whole character analysis on Miu, and I feel like I might want to one of these days, but today is not that day, because despite her integral role in this case, of the characters that are important to it, she is the least so.

//But with Miu dead, this leads into what is quite possibly the FUNNEST investigation and trial in the series.

//The real charm isn’t necessarily in the investigation process itself. It’s in the clues you uncover and the sheer thrill of piecing together how the crime could have possibly gone down.

//This isn’t your standard case where you’re dusting for fingerprints or deciphering alibis. No, this case takes place in a virtual, video-game-like world, and that alone makes it incredibly special.

//What really sets it apart is that solving the crime requires you to think in terms of VIDEO GAME LOGIC. And I don’t mean just understanding how games work on a design level, like balancing difficulty or crafting levels.

//We’re talking the nitty-gritty quirks of actual gameplay mechanics, stuff like looping worlds, invisible walls, glitches, and even loading screens. These elements aren’t just amusing easter eggs; they’re critical to figuring out how the murder was executed. It’s like being handed a mystery where the answers are buried not in reality, but in the code itself.

//For anyone who’s spent hours yelling at their screen over a bugged-out NPC or a weird collision glitch (Fuck you, Todd Howard), this investigation feels like a hilarious, and extremely meta, love letter to the quirks of gaming.

//This case’s brilliance lies in how it merges classic mystery-solving with the quirks of gaming, creating a truly unique experience. It’s the kind of investigation that makes you feel like both a detective and a speedrunner trying to glitch your way into an inaccessible area for clues.

//And let’s be honest, when you’re unraveling a crime that hinges on the kind of stuff we normally blame on bad game developers, it’s impossible not to have a little fun with it.

//But of course, the mystery and the setting of this crime don't carry the whole thing alone. The actual conflict itself is what makes this trial such an emotional rollercoaster, and hands down, there's one key element of this trial that shines out more than any other:

//Kokichi.

//We've already been over V3-5, and the role that Kokichi plays in that chapter, where his scheming all culminates into his final plan. But the biggest issue with that was how little closure it gave Kokichi, and how his plan felt like it was all part of Tsumugi's scheme anyway.

//But the SETUP for his character arc's conclusion, that we see in this trial, is BRILLIANT.

//I already kind of talked about this at the start, but let me reiterate my points in more detail here.

//Up until now, Kokichi has been the class’s resident chaos gremlin. Cocky, sarcastic, endlessly witty, and annoyingly good at making people want to strangle him.

//Whether he’s tossing out savage one-liners or cracking jokes at everyone else’s expense, Kokichi has spent most of the game toeing the line between a playful pest and a genuinely brilliant schemer. And no matter how much he got under your skin, you couldn’t deny that he was sharp as a tack, sometimes spotting clues even Shuichi, the Ultimate Detective, manages to miss.

//But in this trial? Kokichi doesn’t just steal the show. He sets the stage on fire, and crowns himself the ultimate supervillain.

//This is Kokichi at his absolute peak. Gone is the silly prankster who lived to push everyone’s buttons. In his place is a calculated mastermind who orchestrates Miu’s death in a way so devious and brilliant that it leaves you wondering just how deep his schemes go.

//And here’s the kicker: he didn’t even commit the murder himself. He set everything up like a diabolical puppetmaster, then let the crime unfold while keeping his hands technically clean. That fact alone? It’s the ace up his sleeve, and he’s not shy about rubbing it in your face for the entirety of the trial.

//Kokichi’s behavior in this case is a stage show of psychological warfare. At one point, just to prove how far ahead of everyone else he is, he flat-out CONFESSES to the crime and lays out every single detail.

//And no, it’s not because he’s trying to save anyone or come clean. Kokichi’s confession is less about honesty and more about spiting you. He doesn’t want you to have the satisfaction of piecing everything together. Instead, he hands you the answers on a silver platter, complete with that smug grin of his, just to prove that he’s always one step ahead.

//The best part is that even when Kokichi is acting like a full-blown villain, he’s still absolutely hilarious. Whether he’s taunting the group with his over-the-top theatrics or dropping perfectly timed quips, his antics add a layer of dark humor that keeps the trial both tense and ridiculously entertaining. It’s like watching a magician perform a trick while roasting the audience the entire time.

//But what makes his actions, and this case as a whole, even more heartbreaking and mind-boggling is the reveal of the real killer.

//Shockingly, the one who ACTUALLY murdered Miu...is GONTA!

//Gonta Gokuhara. The Ultimate Entomologist. The most wholesome, lovable, pure-hearted character in Danganronpa V3, heck, maybe even the entire Danganronpa franchise. The gentle giant who LEGITIMATELY wouldn’t hurt a fly (Though would probably hurt someone else for hurting the fly.) The guy who refers to himself in the third person and wants nothing more than to protect everyone, make friends, and be a true gentleman.

//That Gonta.

//Even though the big guys always die in the fourth chapter, unless you're Kakeru, To say Gonta being the culprit is shocking would be an understatement. While Gonta is undeniably kind and reliable, it’s no secret that he’s not exactly a mastermind. He’s easily manipulated, struggles to keep up in trials, and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.

//So when it’s revealed that he killed Miu, the first reaction from everyone is sheer disbelief. How could Gonta, of all people, commit murder? And more importantly, why would he?

//What makes this moment so impactful is the reaction of the group. Once Kokichi drops the bombshell that Gonta is the killer, everyone scrambles to find excuses to prove him wrong. No one, not even Gonta himself, can believe it. Gonta, in his sweet and earnest way, tries to deny it, clinging to the idea that he could never willingly hurt someone. But the cold, hard evidence keeps piling up, and by the end, there’s no escaping the truth.

//The only two people in the room who seem willing to entertain the possibility are Shuichi and Keebo. Shuichi, being the Ultimate Detective, reluctantly follows the evidence where it leads, no matter how painful the conclusion may be. Keebo, ever the logical one, processes the facts without the emotional bias the others cling to. But for everyone else, especially Kaito, and even Maki, the mere idea of Gonta being the culprit is too much to bear.

//And that’s where Kokichi pulls off another one of his devious moves. By exposing the truth and forcing Shuichi to press forward, he drives a wedge between Shuichi and Kaito, effectively turning Kaito against him. Kaito, the ever-loyal and stubborn optimist, refuses to believe that Gonta could be capable of such a thing. His faith in Gonta, and his growing detest of Kokichi, creates a painful rift in what was once a strong friendship.

//What’s even more brilliant about this setup is another reason why the investigation is so good, in how it creates the perfect misdirection. Gonta is a notoriously sweet and loveable guy whose idea of "video game logic" probably involves pressing random buttons until something works. Early in the investigation, you’re almost sure he couldn’t have done it because, let’s face it, even if you walked him step-by-step through how world loops or loading zones work, his brain would still be stuck in "kind gentleman" mode.

//So, when the evidence eventually points to him as the killer, it’s a jaw-dropping moment. The fact that the least tech-savvy person in the group was somehow the linchpin in this digital murder mystery is both tragic and utterly shocking.

//This case doesn’t just deliver a shocking twist; it weaponizes the emotional bonds between the characters to make the reveal hit even harder. Gonta’s reveal as the killer isn’t just surprising, it’s tragic, and it leaves a scar that lingers long after the trial is over.

//And the trial itself rides on these character moments, but it sure as hell doesn't die on them.

//If the concept of a murder mystery set inside a virtual reality simulation wasn’t already enough to make this case one of the standout moments in Danganronpa, then the trial itself takes things to levels of brilliance and emotional devastation that few could have anticipated.

//This trial isn’t just good; it’s a masterclass in everything the series does best: crafting intricate mysteries, delivering gut-wrenching twists, and tying it all together with compelling character moments that leave you reeling. It’s a case that combines innovation, heartbreak, and even absurdity into one unforgettable experience.

//When the trial begins, suspicion immediately falls on Kaito, a favorite target thanks to his hot-headed nature and frequent clashes with Kokichi. The evidence against him is damning on the surface: he logged out of the virtual world earlier than anyone else, and a bottle of poison was found on his seat in the real world.

//All signs initially point to him being the culprit. However, things are rarely that simple in Danganronpa, and this case is no exception. As the trial progresses, we learn that the setup against Kaito was actually the handiwork of none other than Miu herself.

//As I eluded to earlier, Miu had concocted an elaborate scheme to murder Kokichi and frame Kaito for the crime. She planted the poison and forced Kaito to log out early, expecting that these details would make him the prime suspect. It’s a devious plan worthy of her sharp mind, but in a cruel twist of irony, Miu ends up dead instead.

//And how, you ask? By being strangled to death…with toilet paper.

//Yes, toilet paper.

//That’s the murder weapon.

//While it might sound absurd...and it is...it makes perfect sense within the context of the virtual world. Just exhibit A of why this case uses the unrealistic logic of the game world so damn well.

//In the VR simulation, objects are unbreakable, meaning that even something as flimsy as toilet paper becomes as strong as a rope. While this detail initially seems like a quirky bit of world-building, it turns out to be the key to unraveling the mystery.

The moment it’s revealed that Miu was killed with toilet paper, the case takes on an entirely new level of not just hilarity, but complexity. It’s a reminder of how cleverly the trial uses the unique mechanics of the virtual world to craft a mystery that could only exist in this game.

//But the ingenuity of the murder weapon is just the beginning. As the trial unfolds, the focus shifts from solving how the crime was committed to figuring out who the culprit is, and this is where things get truly heart-wrenching. The culprit isn’t some cunning mastermind or morally gray antihero, and is instead the gentle giant with a heart as pure as freshly fallen snow.

//For Gonta who wants nothing more than to protect his friends and be a gentleman, the very idea of him committing murder is unthinkable, not just to the characters but to the player as well.

//And yet, it’s true. Gonta killed Miu. But the twist doesn’t stop there...because he doesn’t even remember doing it!

//Due to a mix-up with the VR helmet cords, Gonta experienced memory loss upon logging out of the virtual world. He has no recollection of the events that transpired in the simulation, including the murder!

//This detail adds a tragic layer to the trial, as Gonta’s confusion and heartbreak become almost unbearable to witness. The group is torn between their trust in Gonta’s inherently good nature and the mounting evidence against him. Even Gonta himself struggles to reconcile the truth, repeatedly insisting he would never do it.

//The emotional weight of the trial is further heightened by the reactions of the other characters. No one wants to believe Kokichi when he suggests that Gonta might be the killer, while Kokichi, ever the manipulative trickster, delights in dropping this bombshell, though his accusations are met with immediate resistance.

//Everyone scrambles to find alternative explanations, desperate to clear Gonta’s name. Even Shuichi, who is typically steadfast in his pursuit of the truth, hesitates to accept the implications of the evidence. However, as the trial progresses, it becomes impossible to deny the facts, and the group is forced to confront the devastating reality.

//One of the most powerful moments in the trial comes when Kaito, Shuichi’s closest ally and staunchest supporter, turns against him. Manipulated by Kokichi, Kaito lashes out at Shuichi, accusing him of being too focused on the truth to consider the emotional toll it takes on others.

//I won't go as far as to call it a "betrayal" because it's nothing that serious, but considering the bond between Shuichi and Kaito has been one of the few sources of stability throughout the game, watching their friendship fracture under the weight of this trial is a testament to how deeply Kokichi’s schemes have sown discord among the group.

//Gonta's breakdown as the truth comes to light is one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the entire series. The tragedy of his character arc is amplified by the fact that he doesn’t remember committing the crime. He doesn’t get the chance to explain his actions or defend himself. Instead, he’s left to grapple with the knowledge that he did something he would never have consciously chosen to do. It’s a unique conflict that’s rarely explored in murder mysteries and one that V3 handles with surprising nuance.

//I also want to draw attention to the voice acting, specifically with the English Dub (since that's the version I played), which takes this trial to an entirely new level of emotional devastation.

//Kaiji Tang’s performance as Gonta is nothing short of phenomenal, capturing the character’s confusion, sorrow, and desperation with heartbreaking authenticity.

//But more than him, remember how I said that there were four voice performances in the main Danganronpa series that I thought were absolutely phenomenal for the breakdowns in the series? Marieve Herington as Celeste was the first one, Kira Buckland as Kirumi is the second, and the third is Derek Stephen Prince as Kokichi.

//He's insanely good throughout the whole game, but he shines especially here, delivering lines with a blend of smugness and chilling calculation that makes him simultaneously infuriating and fascinating.

//Kyle Hebert’s portrayal of Kaito adds layers of frustration and vulnerability, while Dorothy Fahn brings subtle depth to Tsumugi (shockingly). The voice work is so impactful that it enhances every twist and turn of the trial, making the emotional moments hit even harder.

//In the end, this trial isn’t just a showcase of clever writing and innovative mechanics. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that pushes the characters and the player to their limits.

//From the absurdity of the murder weapon to the heartbreaking revelations about Gonta, every aspect of this case is meticulously crafted to leave a lasting impression. It’s not just a standout moment in Danganronpa V3, it’s one of the best trials in the entire franchise, a perfect blend of creativity, tragedy, and unforgettable storytelling.

//...Almost...

//I don't want to end this on a negative note or anything, but there is another reason why I ultimately had to put this trial below V3-1. It's far from a major problem that completely ruins my opinion of the trial, obviously, but dear God did it test my fucking patience.

//Put simply...

//This trial and this Chapter are where the MONOKUBS are at their MOST INSUFFERABLE!

//Crazy, because at this point in the game, there's only two of them left!

//I largely boil this down to Monodam dropping out of the story prior to this chapter, but Monophanie and Monotaro single-handedly come close to RUINING this Chapter because of how goddamn fucking INCORRAGABLE they are. Legitimately, the only thing that they did that I thought was entertaining was Monotaro proclaiming Miu as his mother, but that's largely because of Miu and not him.

//To make a long story short, I really feel SO GLAD for the people who actually liked the incest stuff that happened in Case 3, because HERE! YOU HAVE MORE OF IT!

//In this chapter, Monotaro suffers memory loss, causing him to forget who Monophanie and Monokuma are. Monophanie, in an attempt to help him remember, beats him with a frying pan. This leads to a bizarre and disturbing romantic relationship between the two, despite being family.

//The next day, Monotaro turns abusive toward Monophanie, and though he later apologizes, it paints a toxic and uncomfortable dynamic. Monophanie becomes jealous of the students as Monotaro bonds with them and starts to act like a father figure when they believe she’s pregnant. However, this is all part of a gruesome execution, where a giant insect bursts from Monophanie’s stomach and kills both Monokubs.

//This entire plotline trivializes what are actually some SERIOUS ISSUES in a disturbing, exploitative way, and turns it into an uncomfortable "spectacle." It's hands down the ABSOLUTE WORST THING that happens in ALL of V3, and possibly the entire main trilogy, especially because it takes place in what is otherwise one of the BEST CHAPTERS in the series!

//But Oh! OOOH! OOOOOOOOOOOOH IT DOESN'T STOP THERE! IIIIIT DOOOOEEESSN'T STOOOOP THEEEERE!

//Ahem...

//Sorry...In case it wasn't obvious, this REALLY upsets me. But I'll try and stay professional.

//Largely the reason I've never gone over them before this point is because the only other time in the game where the Kubs actively play a part in the trial is in Case 2, when Monosuke, after acting all high and mighty towards his siblings, accidentally gives away a major clue in the trial. But that was actually a pretty entertaining part.

//Here, Gonta's execution, and his final moments, are completely RUINED by the Monokubs. And any emotional tension and misery that you're feeling for him in his final moments are completely taken away!

//While the execution itself is by no means poorly done, and it does feature one of my favorite music tracks from the series, it definitely doesn't give Gonta the fitting send-off he deserved.

//Sure, it’s undeniably tragic, with Gonta being attacked by robotic wasps, stabbed in the chest, and ultimately set on fire. Quite a violent and gruesome way to meet his end; but here’s the issue: The execution doesn’t focus on Gonta’s death as much as it should.

//Instead, a significant portion of the sequence is dedicated to Monophanie and Monotaro’s bizarre, unsettling bug-related antics, which just feels…off.

//While the gruesome spectacle is certainly chaotic and violent, the sequence spends a substantial amount of time on the absurd antics of Monophanie and Monotaro, especially their bizarre "bug baby" plotline.

//Now, the Monokubs meeting their end in these executions isn’t new. This is, after all, the last time we see any of them perish. But this one feels like the worst offender. When Monokid and Monosuke died during Kaede and Kirumi’s executions, I wasn’t bothered too much because their deaths were brief and didn’t take the spotlight away from the main event. Monodam’s death, on the other hand, was genuinely surprising, and despite some focus on him, the context made it feel fitting.

//But here? We’ve crossed a FUCKING line. The execution becomes less about Gonta's tragic demise and more about this uncomfortable and frankly weird bug child subplot. Honestly, by this point in the series, I’m pretty done with the odd, incestuous undertones, and I certainly didn’t need to be subjected to a whole execution where that’s the central theme, while Gonta himself feels like an afterthought.

//Le sigh...

//Aside from everything else, I feel it’s worth repeating that this case is crafted in a pretty impressive way. The sheer creativity and intricacy behind it can't be ignored. And while the execution itself leaves something to be desired (and by "something," I mean "a whole lot"), I don't think that should take away from how well the rest of the case is put together.

//I mean, the story, the twists, the atmosphere...it all comes together in a way that's hard to ignore. Even if the final outcome feels like a botched cake at the bakery...all gooey on the inside and looking suspiciously like a science experiment gone wrong...the overall design of the trial is still pretty solid.

//It’s like watching a magician pull off an incredible trick, only for the rabbit to hop away halfway through. You can’t really blame the trick just because the rabbit decided to bail.

//So while I can’t overlook how poorly the final bits were handled, the rest of the case is still good enough to hold up.

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #danganronpa v3 #drv3 #mod talks #ranking #gonta gokuhara #miu iruma #kokichi ouma #dangancember 2024

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absolutebl · 7 months ago

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This Week in BL - I'm Muddled, there is SO MUCH on, but also I have FEELS

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

July 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 11 of 12 - Yak is such a demanding babygirl princess type. It’s kinda hilarious in a fierce boxer dude. I do adore the core brother friendship in this show. It’s so sweet. Also I guess Yak is out OUT now, on TV and everything.

YES PLEASE GMMTV!!! This ship! Sail it!!!!

The Rebound (Weds Gaga) eps 4-6 of 12? - So it started out as a relatively simple sports romance: first love, separation, reunion. But then just went entirely off the rails: gay mafia orgies, kidnapping, druggie ex teammates with knives, I am Spartacus. All erratic Thai pulp mumbo-jumbo aside? MeenPing are doing great in these roles. Zen's hurt confusion, Ryu’s struggle with internalized homophobia that keeps hurting Zen as much as him.

Am I wrong to ship FrankPing Just a little bit? I only wanna see them kiss. It’s not asking too much, is it?

Not sure what’s going on with Gaga and their "ep 6 of 6" thing. Or why they bundle-aired them. Did they just get the rights for the first half? Where is the rest?

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 5 of 12 - I always end my Saturday with these 2 simply because I love this pair. I also enjoy the show. It’s sweet and I giggle a lot. I like that they’re dressing (and letting) Lin be a bit femmey - with his pussycat bows, coco bag, and little heels. I’m not sure about the pet names but I’ll accept them if I must.

My Stand-In (iQIYI) ep 12 fin - I would like to watch an entire show about the older brother boss and his hot secretary. Bit of a bully romance? Please & thank you?

This was a good solid ending, less predictable than I expected, which I appreciat. I liked that they had a full conversation about forgiveness. But overall, I am left in a muddle.

The show itself? A summation? Oof, here we go...

Adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KinnPorsche. Stuntman Joe dies on the job and wakes up in the body of another Joe with an entirely different life. But Joe just starts repeating the mistakes of his previous self - love, work, play. I enjoyed the experience of watching this show, I looked forward to it every week. I thought everybody did a great job with it and in it, and I liked that is was something substantially *different* for Thai BL. But I’m not sure I'll rewatch it or if it's bingeable. It left me feeling more sanguine than happy. Is there, objectively, anything wrong with it? No. But am I in love with it? No. I think that rests on the central characters, Ming in particular. I never liked him or warmed to them as a couple. I spent most of this show just very very sorry for poor Joe. Thus I was never rooting for their romance. I would recommend it, if you enjoy your BL more cerebral, with complicated unlikable love interests, and a downtrodden sympathetic lead. Is it, perhaps, more JBL that ThBL? Am I biased because it's a Thai production and I had expectations? What magical carnage could Japan have done with this IP? I'm left with questions, but I'm ultimately glad I watched this.

All this means that this show should, by all my own standards, get at 9/ 10. But I'm giving it an 8/10. So there.

We Are Cute (Weds iQIYI) ep 15 of 16 - It really is the antidote to Friend Zone. Like GMMTV just set out to make a nice little show about nice boys being very nice and kissing each other nicely. And it makes me very happy.

Century of Love (Weds Gaga) eps 1-2 of 10 - DaouOffroad are back, this time as fated mates in a quasi historical paranormal moment. Very much Director Who Buys Me Dinner meets First Love Again, hopefully better than both. I love this pair and think they can handle the premise, it's whether the storytelling is up to the challenge.

So far? I like it a lot. I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and bullshit like that. I’ve always liked this pair too (it’s not their fault I didn’t enjoy most of their first series.) Daou’s wushu is pretty snazzy. We got a fun meet cute. (Erm... Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?) And this is a very PRETTY show. With more comedy than I was expecting.

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 8 - I like the friendships, but so far I’m not sold on the personalities of the main couple. Of course I love the pair, and I know they can handle it, but I hope the story justifies their chemistry.

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 6 of 12 - They are so damn teen dramatic and over-the-top. To have really played into the impact of the counselor character's original casting, they should’ve had Krist play the role! (GET IT?) That’d be ridiculously ironic. Not that I object to GMMTVs #1 Daddy Papang. Never that.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 2 of 12 - Ah ha, I figured it out. This reminds me of The Devil Wears Prada. I’m finding most of the rest of the interns too caricature and thus annoying. But I’m still liking this more than I expected.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - The bullying GL subplot is just bad. And I’m getting an overall squick from the fact that the two rich privileged characters are essentially taking advantage of the two lower class poor characters. Trash watch here.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - I’m coming around to Almond + Latte, but I’m not super sold on any of the other plot lines.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - It’s still good and it’s still sticking relatively closely to the mango. So I’m still enjoying it.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I just don’t really like the dynamic of the younger, poor, country kid desperately chasing the older hot boy. It’s a bit too desperate or something. It’d be different if Takara were a nicer person, but he doesn’t have much going for him but a pretty face.

It's airing but...

Meet You at the Blossom