#pen15 shuji

[douceurrrr]

in which shuji notices your different flavors of chapstick for each day of the week.

strawberry. is what you started with for Monday and every monday after you get ready for school you would apply it to your lips with a smack of your lips. anna's mom usually pick you up along with maya,shuji,anna, and sam. your parent/s would take you to school but you like being around your friends.

soon enough you realized Ms.kone had made it to your house so you made your way out the house after saying a good bye to your parent/s. once you got to the car you opened the door to see shuji smile at you, went he looks at you the way he does it makes you feel like he's the only one in the car. "hey shuj." you smile sitting next to him, closing the door.

"hey baby." he says before leaning down to kiss you. he kissed you long than usual, trying to decipher the taste of your chapstick. once he finally broke away he kiss lingered like he didn't really want to pull away. "strawberry?" shuji questioned.

"mmhm." you replied trying not to blush. everyone in the car watched the interaction. maya gaged but anna smiled dreamily.

"are you sure? I think I need a another taste just so I can know for sure." shuji teased but you weren't buying it, knowing what he was trying to do. "whatever." you rolled your eyes as shuji leaned back down connecting his lips with yours.

-

cherry. is what you apply on Tuesdays. for some reason school was closed that day which made you so happy. at this point you were laying on your stomach in the bed, swaying you feet back and forth playing with the phone cord around your finger as you talked to shuji.

"I bet you're on the bed with your feet swaying back and forth, huh?" he chuckled in the phone. and that you were.

"shut up." you whined.

"but I would rather have you do that on my bed, come over." he says. you applied your cherry chapstick and within seconds you were there.

you ringed the doorbell and in a couple of seconds the door opened to reveal shuji in a basketball jersey and some baggy pants. "hey shuj." you smiled and walked in the house after he closed the door and shuji close behind you. shuji didn't reply he just instantly pressed his lips against yours. "mhm cherry this time?" he says licking his lips.

"yep." you replied. shuji then began to stare at your lips, getting an urge to taste your cherry covered lips again, so he did. "okay slow down cowboy, we have the rest of the day ahead of us." you said while making your way to his room.

he just shook his head and followed you.

-

blueberry. now blueberry is your favorite. it was wednesday and you were in class that you shared with shuji. shuji didn't kiss you that morning because he wanted to wait to see what flavor you picked this time. you sat next to shuji who was just staring at you (well more like admiring). you soon felt like someone was staring at you so you look over to see shuji staring at you, you smile bashfully then looked away.

after that class shuji had went with his friend group he usually goes with and so did you. after a couple of minutes you heard some boys call maya ugis which you knew meant ugliest girl in school. you walked over to them. "maya we're getting your brother, come on." you told, grabbing maya's hand in anger.

once you reached shuji he was with his group of friends and then he noticed you coming over with maya and anna. "hey babe, what's going on?" he says seeing you in a angry state. "some boys have been really mean to maya." you said cross your arms to your chest.

"look I'm not going to beat up a 7th grader but I can teach her a couple of words." shuji says. after shuji said a couple of things maya and anna went off to give the boys a piece of her mind.

"you're such a good big brother." you flirted, putting your hands on shuji's shoulders. he smiled and kissed you. "I knew it would be blueberry." he smirked.

you rolled your eyes and shoved him playfully.

-

watermelon. well watermelon was your second favorite but it's still a favorite. it was friday eve and you couldn't wait for the week to be done. on wednesdays you have a half day which means school ends early. it was lunchtime and you obviously sat next to shuji and some more friends.

"okay so don't tell me.. banana?" shuji says trying to guess the chapstick you picked this time. "nope." you replied with a giggle.

after many failed attempts he gave up. "okay was what is it?" he huffed. "why don't you kiss for yourself." you said, puckering your lips. he happily complied and kissed you with his hand on the side of your jaw. "guys not at lunch." he's friend groaned so he flipped him off while kissing you.

"watermelon." he says with a droopy smile.

-

well it's sad to say that you did wear any chapstick this day. it was friday and you ran a little late to school so you skipped you daily routine of putting chapstick on. well after school that day you went over to shuji's house nervous because you didn't know how he'll react to you have not chapstick on but you braced yourself.

"hey shuj." you say was in the room where he plays his video games and sat next to him on the floor. "hey ladybug." he says before pecking you in the lips, you cringed because you knew he would notice. "no chapstick today, huh?" he pouted.

"sorry but you know I was running late to school this mor-" you paused when you noticed a sweet taste on your lips. vanilla?

"wait shuj, kiss me again right quick." you said getting his attention. shuji just pecks you again and you licking your lips. "are you wearing my vanilla chapstick?" you questioned, smirking.

"oh yeah you left it here, remember?" he says, eyes glued to the screen but looks over at you every five seconds. you smile at his antics and kissed him on the cheek making him smirk, knowing what he did.

[ittetsuspecs]

Wip: Shuji's Question

[sivyera]

Dating PEN15 characters would include...

ft. maya, anna, shuji, alex, dustin, sam, brandt, andy

⤷ Maya

Maya would be so happy that you two are dating, like really. She would be kinda insecure so sometimes you would have to assure her that you love her and only her. Anna would be really happy for you two. Late night talks on the phone. PDA in the public is like holding hands or little kiss on a cheek, if she feels confident enough. She would often buy you some of your fav snacks.Matching necklaces or bracelets. She would be awkward at first but after a few weeks of dating, she would be less awkward. Styling her hair, she loves when you touch her hair. In private she would be more affection, but you have to take things slow.

⤷ Anna

Anna would be also very happy about the fact that you two are dating. Also insecure so you have to assure her that she is the only one for you. She would loves to cuddle you for sure, but at first she would know how, so you will have to help her a bit. Matching t-shirts and pyjamas. Lots of silly photos together. She has few photos of you she took whenever she found you beautiful (which is all the time but yk). You made a playlist together and she listens to it ALL THE TIME. She loves when you do her make-up, but she also loves doing your make-up. Going on a date every Monday. Trying new foods together sometimes at home and sometimes on the dates. She really loves you and she is often scared that she will lose you..

⤷ Shuji

OMG Shuji was over the moon when you said that you love him. Movie nights! He loves cuddling with you (I think he's kinda touchstarved yk) Probably the most fav cuddling position is him being the big spoon, he feels like he's protecting you. But sometimes when he's too tired, he buries his face into your neck and wrap his arms around your waist. Night walks and deep talks whenever one of you need to get something off your chest. He LOVES when you play with his hair or scratch his scalp while cuddling. Ass and thighs guy, but he prefers your face and eys. Neck kisses are his favourite, if I don't count your lips. Maya thinks you are the prettiest girl in the world (Shuji thinks it too) and she often come to you with Anna and asks for help with girl stuff. Very protective bf!!

⤷ Alex

Pretty chill bf but whenever someone insults you or hurts you in any other way, he snaps and will beat the person up. Shows you off and Heather is jealous that Alex found someone prettier than her so she will kinda bully you but she quickly notice that you don't take any of her mean comments. He loves kissing you on the lips, but kiss on the nose will also do it. Cuddles whenever he has a chance. Ass guy definitely. He loves watching horror movies with you. He is a small spoon most of the time because he loves when you hold him and he can easily grab and squeeze you ass cuz he's lower (yk what i mean). He loves watching you (admiring you) and it doesn't matter what are you doing, he just find you beautiful at every moment.

⤷ Dustin

Protective bf! Matching earings. Movie nights at his place, mostly watching some comedies or sci-fi movies. Sitting on his back when he does push-ups. Forehead or neck kisses are his favourite, but he also loves your lips. Hugs from behind. Hot quickies in the boys locker room. Thighs guy. Smacks your ass whenever he has a chance. Playful teasing and bullying each other. When you two are cuddling he loves holding you from behind so your ass is in his lap, his arms around your waist and his head behind yours so he can easily kiss your neck or the back of your head. He LOVES LOVES when you stoke his hair and scratching his scalp. He loves when you cups his face with your hands and kiss him. His parents loves you a lot, but not more then him.

⤷ Sam

He is like a teddy bear, big and cuddly. Your lips are his favourite and his second favourite is kiss on your cheeks. Watching him wrestling and being his biggest fan. His boy friends are litttle jealous that Sam has a girlfriend and they don't, but after all they are really happy for you two. I think he is a big fan of star wars, so star wars marathons. Baking together. Painting his nails. He loves your voice, like you can just talk about the most boring thing in the world but still he will listen to you and find in calming. PDA in public is mostly holding your hand or holds you by your waist and sometimes kiss on the cheeks. He doesn't like picking between ass, thighs or boobs so he always chooses your smile because he loves it the most, jk he loves all of you.

⤷ Brandt

Brandt will show you off ALL THE TIME. He is so proud about the fact that you two are dating. He is such a tease so he will tease you all the time. Tits guy 100%! He is always using his tongue whenever you guys kiss. Calling you hottie. Movie nights, which often end with the two of you passionately kissing on his bed, the movie is completely forgotten. He has always his hand on you, like your waist, thigh, lower back, doesn't matter. PDA in public wild, like he will just french kiss you in front of everybody with no shame. He will protect you and he doesn't like when any other guy or a girl is looking at you. Sleepovers are mostly at your place, because of his parents.

⤷ Andy

Andy would be the most protective of them all. If someone even dares to insult you, they're dead. He will beat them up. There was a lot of times he got into a fight with some other guy because of you. When he's working out, he likes when you're watching him or helping him, like being on his back when he's doing push-ups, holding his legs when he's doing sit-ups etc. Most of the time you will have a hic on your neck, he just can't get enough of you, you're driving him crazy. He will sneak into your bedroom late at night just to see you and talk to you. Ass guy. Playing fights together and he always lets you win just to see your beautiful smile you do when you win. Kissing your forehead whenever you are upset. His hugs are the best because of his strong arms.

[ban-al3x]

FLUSTERED ♡

Yall this is my first fic!! Pls lmk if you have any tips

I sighed as I turned my head to look at my boyfriend, Shuji Ishii-Peters. He turned to face me, and I took the chance to take in his features. His beautiful brown eyes, his soft plump lips, his amazing hair. He was just so stunning.

"What are you staring at, dummy?" He said with a slight grin."My handsome boyfriend, " I said, giggling. "Well, why?" "I can't just admire you?" His grin slowly turned into an upside down smile. As my giggling died down, I saw him pick up his arm and grab a pillow.

"Shuji...What are you doing with that?" He slammed the pillow into his face, smiling hard. "Shuji come on" I said grinning. I climb onto his lap, trying to retract the pillow from his face. "Let me see you pretty boy." Knowing that would make him even more flustered.

Finally, I got the pillow off and looked down at my blushing boyfriend. I started kissing him face everywhere. "Y/N stop he said, laughing. "C'mon, you know you love it." He flipped me over, so he was on top of me. "You're right, I do."

I looked up at Shuji, knowing he was the one for me.

Word count: 202

Published: 03-29-23

[canigirl]

hey i just finished pen15 and i fucking love it so much it perfectly captures the preteen girl experience like i was deadass shocked watching it bc no other piece of media has reminded me so much of myself

i really related to maya bc growing up as a non white girl at a mostly white school was a very interesting experience!! having maya constantly feeling like an outsider because she wasn’t white and struggling with fetishization was so painful to watch bc of how much it reminded me of my middle school days. i also connected with how she always felt like she was the ugly friend and how she just had to sit back and watch as her best friend got into relationships and had her first kiss

shit i also liked how well written anna was when it came to her parents’ divorce like i was about to cry watching those scenes because they really really hit home

overall it’s a really good show but i will admit it has bits of cringe but it’s also about 13 year olds so what do you expect lmfao go watch it rn!!!

[coilsofmisery]

Im so so upset that they picked the actor that plays shuji to be zuko and not his friend

like ARE YOU KIDDING

[onybo]

dallas lius love language is pretending that his friends are his family members/s.os

exhibit a: ian as his boyfriend

exhibit b: mark tuan as his brother (?)

[reignbowarbiter]

take pen15 off of tiktok rn bc ppl dont get it

[chocsra]

YO WHATS UR FAVOURITE SHOW I LOVE ALL OF US ARE DEAD I WATCHED THAT A YEAR AGO BUT I HEARD SEASON2 IS COMING AND IM SO EXCITED BC IT WAS SO GOOD

OMG YEAH I LOVED ALL OF US ARE DEAD TOO!! not sure if i have a favourite show and it'll be repetitive if i say blue eye samurai again but for kdramas i loved sweet home , my name and the glory.

PROBABLY ALICE IN BORDERLAND AND ATLA WOULD BE MY FAVOURITEEEE, i wanna watch pen15 tew actually

[douceurrrr]

Hiii!! I was wondering if you could write a shuji fanfic where they almost get caught making out?

ouu this is a good one!

-

you smirk as you walk up to shuji and his friend group. “hey can you help me with something in the janitor closet, the thing is too heavy.” you said, cluelessly. shuji smirked. “yeah sure thing.” he replied, smirking.

that’s how you ended up in the janitor’s closet, hand tangled in shuji’s hair, lips smashing against his, his hands griping your waist. shuji tugged your shirt, out of breath, he asks, “do you want me to stop?”. you hurriedly say, “just the opposite, please.” he pressed his lips back on yours soon after his tongue is pressed against yours.

he moves his lips to your jawline then to the curve of your neck making you moan in ecstasy.

he pushed you against the cold wall, cooling you down from the heated kiss just a bit as his hands traces your curves as he nibble on your lower lip, hands teasing every edge as you moan into the kiss. suddenly after powerful knocks were made on the door making you and shuji force apart.

you almost screamed from the knock but shuji had his hand on your mouth until he saw foot shadows went away. “that was close.” he laughs. he moves the hand that was on you mouth to you cheek. “where were we?” he smiled.

“your so cheesy.” you chuckled before he kissed you again.

[nostalgiccrystalic]

Can you write pen15 characters and their first kiss with the reader

Sure!! Im so sorry that this took so long to write, but i had school and christmas + new years eve preparations. I wrote it as a one shot (it also includes them already having a crush on you, because I never wrote anything similar and it's my first ever " x reader" that im publishing). I included Maya, Anna, Sam, Brandt, and Alex, I wanted to write for Dustin and Shuji but I completely didnt have an idea how to write it with them (but if I do I will also publish it someday).

Maya

You, Maya and Anna were friends since the beginning of seventh grade, so it's not really a long time, but you two quickly learned that you have crushes on each other. Anna was torn apart between you two, because you both kept telling her about eachother, she was silent, but eventually she revealed to you both at the same time that you two are crazy for eachother, and you definitely should be together. You started dating a couple of days before the big dance that everyone was so obsessed about, you two were once again separately telling Anna that you really wanted to kiss eachother at the dance. Well, Anna obviously kept her mouth shut about the kiss in front of you two, so that you could surprise eachother with it.

After the fight that Anna and Maya went through, you didnt left Maya for one second at the dance, so she wouldnt feel lonely and abandoned, and also you still wanted to accomplish your goal. When the music became less jumpy, and more romantic, you quickly pulled Maya on the dancefloor, and started slow dancing with her, hoping it would light up her mood a little. It was really awkward because it was your both first times dancing with someone like that. Halfway through the song, you started to lean in closer to Mayas face, you saw that she was kinda taken aback by that, but she didnt backed away from you. You took it as a perfect moment to kiss her, and you did.

You did it rather quickly and as a little peck, because of the embarassment that has taken over you. But it didnt stop Maya from also kissing you, she did it a lot better than you have imagined, she was slow and careful to not hurt you with her braces, after the kiss that felt like forever, she looked you in the eyes.

- You have no idea how much time I practiced this kiss on Anna's bed knob... - she said after a while and you both started to laugh at her comment, that made her smile goofily. You both now had a silly memory of your first kiss, and after Maya and Anna made up, you both told her about it with details.

Anna

You were friends with Anna and Maya since you were like 8 years old, so going into seventh grade with them, meant a lot to you. But what was more important to you was Anna. You were crushing on her a long time before seventh grade. Naturally, you started to get jealous when Brendan started to look at Anna during your school band practices, and when he started to pass her cute little notes. You didnt like it, you hated it. You told yourself that you had to do something, before Brendan asks Anna out. You were thinking really hard, and during final practice before the show, you got an idea. You will kiss Anna after the show.

You told Sam and Maya about it, they started to crack silly little jokes in front of Anna, but luckily she didnt really understand what they were talking about so you were safe. During Anna's opening solo, you looked a bit dreamy at her, that's what Sam and Maya will probably make fun of later but you didnt really care about it. After the show, you hurriedly jumped off the stage and went straight to Anna, she was talking with her dad, but when he saw you he immediately went somewhere else telling Anna that "he has to talk to someone". When he left, and you two were alone (well, not really because it was like half of your school in there), you looked up at Anna (she was taller than you, at least in this particular situation), and you kissed her tenderly but also really long on her lips, she started kissing you back, so right now you were sure that Brendan didnt stand a chance with you. After the kiss, she looked at you and smiled widely.

- I thought that I had to make my first move, but you finally did it. -

You smiled too, and took Anna by her hand, going straight to Maya and Sam to tell them that you're together now.

All of this happening in front of Brendan, who was now mad at himself that he didnt thought about doing something similar as you did.

Sam

You and Sam weren't really close with eachother, but that didnt stop you two from feeling something for one another.

You were almost always paired up with eachother for projects in different classes, so you were kinda forced to talk and spend time at yours or his house.

One time, while sitting in your garden and discussing something for your physics project, you two developed a strange conversation in the process.

- Do you have like, an eye on someone Y/N? - Sam asked while dribbling something in his notebook.

You were kinda taken aback by that, and you didnt really thought before saying your answer.

- Yeah, I do... - you told while looking down at a pile of dirt.

Sam got visibly surprised with your answer, but not visible to you, because you were looking down.

- Well, who is it? Is it someone that I know? - he got interested in your answer, and he was mentally chanting to himself, that you will call out his name.

When you were just about to lie to him, that he didnt know this person, you suddenly heard a car honking in front of your house, it was Sam's mom. You two said goodbye to eachother, but you saw Sam's cute smile while he was waving to you, driving away with his mom. After you closed the door, you sprinted to your room, and thought about something slightly absurd. Does Sam like you too? You were left alone with this thought for the night. The next day, you wanted to look extra pretty for Sam, you knew that it was dumb, because he probably wasnt talking about you, but you had nothing to lose. So you put on some light makeup, with the help of your mom, because she was better at putting it than you. After your mom drove you to school, you went to your first lesson, and you sat at your assigned seat, next to Sam.

- Hi, Sam - you said while looking at him, smiling lightly.

- Whoa, Hi Y/N, you look pretty today, I mean you always look pretty but today you look like... extra pretty - he got visibly embarassed, and Maya who was sitting before you and was laughing at Sam's attempt to compliment you, didnt help him out. You just smiled at him and directed your attention at your teacher, who was just about to start the lesson.

After some classes, you had some time for lunch, so you entered the cafeteria as always, and you saw Sam waving at you to come sit by him. It was weird for you that he was sitting afar from his friends.

You sat next to him.

- Why are you sitting alone? - you asked him, visibly confused.

- Oh, I just wanted to talk with you... - he looked at you, and got closer to you.

You were looking at eachother for what felt like eternity, but finally Sam kissed you by surprise. He kissed you really long, and kinda messily, probably because he didnt thought about it before actually doing it. After he backed away from you, he just looked at you, scared that you will run away from him.

- You know, yesterday I was talking about you, Sam... - you looked at him and smiled.

He smiled too, and took your hand in his.

- So are we like, boyfriend and girlfriend now?

- I guess so... - you both smiled and went to sit with Sam's friends who were howling at you both mockingly.

Brandt

You and Brandt were like totally opposite, he was one of the most popular guys in school, and you were just a normal student, almost invisible to others, but not to him. He secretly liked you, and behind every rude comment about you, in the back of his mind he thought about your pretty features, how you're so nice to everyone that are nice to you, and how you always replied to his rude comments with such creativity. So, when it came to the big dance, he decided that he will kiss you that night, and then he will see if you like him back, if not, then he can find another girl in a blink of an eye (at least, that's how he thought so). You were a loner, you didnt really had any close friends in school, of course you talked with some of them like for example; Sam, Gabe and even Dustin if he wasnt an ass to you, but you didnt had any close relationships with anyone, you were once again just there, just someone, not really outstanding.

You still wanted to look pretty, you picked your best outfit, you asked your mom to do your hair and help you with your makeup, maybe someone would dance with you? Of course you didnt want to exaggerate your look, so you kept it simple, just added some things that you normally wouldnt (like light lipstick, or colorful eyeshadow).

Your mom drove you to school, and told you to have fun. Brandt was standing in front of school with his friends, and Heather's "gang", you quickly walked past them, not paying attention to things they were saying (just Heather and her band gossiping about your outfit, but who are they to judge?). When you finally walked inside the school, and the hall that the dance was taking place, you were kinda impressed by how the place looks, and how everyone is dressed up (for example Brendan's new look), but you decided to just have fun and not really look at anyone else. You were chatting with anyone that wanted to talk to you, you had a great conversation with Sam, Gabe and Jafeer. After talking with them, you kinda stood under the wall next to the table with drinks and snacks, then you saw Brandt going up to you with his friends, but they stood a little far away from you. You looked at Brandt, who had his infamous smirk on his face.

- Nice look, wanna dance? - he asked with his bored tone in his voice, you were surprised that he didnt insult you in anyway. That made you think he was making fun of you, but his face right now was deadly serious.

- Is this some kind of trap? We'll go dance and one of your friends will pour something on me? - you asked cracking up a smile, but you were kinda nervous that you guessed it right, and he would make a fool of you as soon as you'll go dance with him.

- Promise it's not... - he said smiling a bit, it wasnt his smirk, it was a normal, sweet smile, you never saw him smiling like that and you thought that he was being serious. So you went to dance with him, as soon as you both stood on the dancefloor, the jumpy and fun music faded, and now the more slow and romantic one played in the background. Brandt took your hands and put them on the back of his neck, his arms went to your back, his grip was strong but also careful to not hurt you. You both started sway to the music, you desperately tried to avoid Brandt's gaze, but it was nearly impossible cause he was kinda burning a hole in you with his eyes.

- You know, I really like you Y/N... - He said while looking into your eyes, you were kinda confused by his words, but then he went straight for your lips with his, and started to kiss you really strongly and passionately. You didnt know what to do, you wanted to kiss him back but he was way more invented in it than you, so you just kinda stood there in shock, he finally backed away from your face, but still held you.

- You want to be my girlfriend? - he asked and looked at you, you didnt feel it but he was nervous that you will tell him "no". But luckily to him you didnt.

- Sure - you nodded lightly, and smiled.

You wouldnt thought this morning that you will suddenly be with Brandt, but now you were, and you liked it.

Alex

You and Heather were once inseparable, that was until she started dating Alex. Their relationship was rather awkward, because Heather was really jealous and posessive of Alex, their relationship was on and off. You stopped talking with Heather, because she also started accusing you of trying to steal her boyfriend (which was really dumb, because you rarely spoke with him). But anyway, after cutting off contacts with Heather, you started to notice something weird. Alex was always by your side, I mean like literally. He was always sitting close to you (not like directly next to you, but close enough for you to notice it). He was always looking at your direction (not saying he was looking directly at you, because you never caught him doing that, but it was still weird). Sometimes you thought that he was telling Brandt or Dustin about you, because they were whispering to eachother while you were walking past them, or when you were looking at them occasionally in class.

You always got that weird gut feeling while looking or thinking about Alex, that's when you realized you started to develop feelings for him. It was really infuriating for you, you felt uncomfortable in your own body while getting that feeling. You finally decided to talk to Alex of your assumptions (not that you love him, but you wanted to confront him about his sneaky glances at you and gosipping about you with his dumb friends). So you did, you lured him to janitors closet, and you stood before the door, so he wouldnt try to escape. You looked at him, and saw that he was kinda scared, I guess you couldnt really blame him, you would be scared too if someone locked you up with them in janitors closet.

- Alex, why are you like staring at me all the time? - you looked at him seriously, he looked at you with his big eyes.

- I dont know what are you talking about? - he started to get visibly nervous, something that you never thought you will see, because he was always calm and he sometimes looked really bored.

- I dont know if you are lying to me right now, or if im going crazy, because I always see you next to me, I always see you looking in my direction and I see you whispering to Brandt or Dustin while you're looking at me! - After you said this, a long silence came afterwards, you were looking directly into Alex's eyes, and almost as you were hypnotized you started to kiss him, which he almost immediately returned back, you were both kissing eachother messily, as if someone would pull one of you away from eachother. And that's how it all started with Alex And you, Heather wasnt pleased by that, but, who cares?

_________________________________________

I hope that you liked it! I tried to write gender neutral reader (which was easy to do with Maya and Anna), but with the guys i kinda forgot about it, but you can still imagine reader as a male or a female.

[natlacentral]

DALLAS LIU THRIVES UNDER PRESSURE

Few franchises have captured the imaginations of a generation as wholly as Nickelodeon's iconic Avatar: The Last Airbender, which ran for three seasons during the mid-2000s. Fewer still have demonstrated the series' ability to cross generational divides and maintain a lasting impact on the cultural psyche while continuing to enthrall successive generations as a touchstone of youth-oriented animation. Often regarded as one of the greatest narratives in television history, the show has spawned a massive and dedicated fanbase whose ethical boundaries have been imprinted by the mature yet sensitively portrayed moral quandaries presented therein. The world of Avatar draws upon Asian and Indigenous spiritual practices and traditional martial arts to construct an alternate reality where four nations, each attuned to one of the four elements (water, earth, fire, air), are home to different “bending” abilities—portions of their respective populations are connected to and able to control the element of their nation. The Avatar, capable of bending all four elements and serving as the human manifestation of spiritual light and peace, is tasked with maintaining balance between the nations and the spirit world as well as nurturing prosperity and peace. In its massive scope, the show touches upon a slew of issues including diplomacy, genocide, social responsibility, cultural conflict, ecology, and parental abuse—heavy material for a kids' show.

Given the entertainment industry’s recent streak of adaptations and reboots, it is no wonder that Netflix tuned in to the incredible demand for more Avatar. With the last attempt at live-action adaptation remembered as an unequivocal disappointment—the M. Night Shyamalan-directed 2010 film whiffed on its whitewashed casting and soulless direction—devoted fans followed the casting and production of the new miniseries closely in hopes for a vision truer to form. In the months leading up to the show’s release, conversation picked up immensely. The official trailer racked up over ten million views on YouTube and nearly two hundred thousand shares on Instagram alone, leaving the internet abuzz.

Avatar: The Last Airbender notably features an ensemble of characters who span across generations and the live-action casting follows suit (Gordon Cormier, portraying lead protagonist Aang, is only fourteen). Until now, Dallas Liu—who portrays the banished Crown Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation—had been used to being one of the youngest on any project. His first role was in the 2009 martial arts film Tekken, released when he was only eight years old, and until now he was best known as Shuji, the older brother of Maya Erskine's seventh-grader in Pen15. “Most of the time when I'm going on set, I'm the most inexperienced person. I take the role of a student and try to pick everyone's brain and take in as much knowledge and wisdom as possible,” Liu points out. Now twenty-two years old, he found himself asking while filming Avatar, “‘How can I also be a leader [to the younger actors]?’ [I was] trying to mentor them to become professionals and how to handle themselves on set. I feel lucky enough for them to have let me into their hearts and allow me to take this role of an older sibling they can rely on.”

Although older than many of his fellow leads, Liu also had the opportunity to draw upon decades of experience through multiple seasoned actors in the ensemble, particularly scene partners Daniel Dae Kim (Zuko's father Ozai), Ken Leung (antagonist Commander Zhao) and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Zuko's uncle Iroh). While filming, Liu found the older cast members to not only be sources of wisdom but also grounded peers. “Those guys had set the bar for me in terms of what kind of person I wanted to be on set,” he recalls. “It wasn't like people [had to look] up to them. [They] all created an interesting environment where everyone was equal. That's the way it should always be. I think the way people felt valued by them was something I really wanted. I want to be like that, that's a real leader.”

When the show's cast was announced, many viewers were particularly interested in Liu's selection as fan favorite Zuko, an embattled and exiled warrior prince hunting down the titular Avatar in hopes of reconciling with his cold-hearted, world-conquering father, the authoritarian imperialist monarch Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko's character development drives much of the plot of the story, tracing a redemption arc parallel to his coming-of-age in a high-pressure, war-torn environment. Liu's portrayal is pivotal in bringing the story to the franchise's new format and charting a course from brutal angst to principled compassion. The conjunction of the show's immense hype and Zuko's plot-driving character arc resulted in a unique strain of pressure for Liu, himself an avid follower of the original series, in assuming the role.

“The first thing that I ever remember seeing of The Last Airbender was Zuko training on his boat with Iroh. I fell in love with the show,” Liu recalls. “It was one of the reasons I ended up taking part in martial arts,” which he practiced competitively throughout his childhood and led to his acting career after he was referred to audition for Tekken by one of his instructors.

As he considered the scope of responsibility in portraying Zuko and how to apply his own idiosyncrasies to the character, Liu turned to Dante Basco, the original voice actor. Basco, aware Liu had been inspired by the initial show in his youth, encouraged his younger counterpart to embrace the differences between live-action and cartoon animation. “Dante had certainly set a high bar. Instead of trying to match him, try to surpass it, [we] talked about it,” Liu recalls. “He said, ‘What you're going to do is different. By all means, you have your own experience of Zuko from your childhood as well.’”

Liu's precise training and familiarity with action and combat have played a key role in his acting career, as he has joined franchises such as Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and Marvel's Cinematic Universe in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Elemental bending is a central component of the world of Avatar, requiring the actors to study several different fighting styles. “They had us learn every single bending style to really differentiate,” Liu says. “We had an understanding so that on the day, they could make a certain shot work and we had to come up with something on our own.” The collaborative nature of the stunt work allowed Liu ample opportunity to impart his expertise to the other cast members. “We were in this boot camp,” he adds. “Helping the kids out, I was having a blast—just hanging out and kicking it because that stuff is like second nature to me.”

That blending of acting and martial arts in Avatar required Liu to reflect on the mortal nature of some of the circumstances in which Zuko finds himself. “You're going to do whatever it takes to come out of that situation,” he notes of some particularly perilous moments that he believes are more impactful in the live version. “I incorporated that into the fight scenes. Even the stunt team was willing to let me have some creative input.” At one point near the end of the season, for example, Commander Zhao tricks Zuko into boarding a boat rigged with explosives, causing Iroh and the rest of their naval forces to believe him dead. In the finale, their conflict comes to a head in a battle to the death; as Zuko is rocked by a revelation from Zhao, the commander goes for the kill. “In the animation, people forget,” Liu adds. “This is a life or death situation!”

If you ask Liu, he and Zuko share a proclivity for absorption in their endeavors. “It's almost two-and-a-half years since we started shooting the show. I've definitely grown more as a person, and when I was growing as a person, that also developed my acting,” the actor notes. “I was like, ‘I'm going to come into work, I'm going to stay focused.’ It wasn't because I didn't like anyone, it was because I was scared of getting distracted. I understood the responsibility and the pressure that came with doing this.”

Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Netflix.

[ban-al3x]

Do u write male readers? If so can I get one for shuji <3

Shuji ishii-peters x Male!Readet

This is my first m4m oneshot, so pls lmk if I did anything wrongng 😽

Also so sorry about yesterday! It was my bday and I was busysysy

"Love?" "Yes??" "Can I paint your nails?"

Shuji turned and gave me this weird look. "Why?" "I don't know, I'm bored. Pleaseee, I'll do anything." "Anything?" "Anything." I gave him the puppy dog eyes, he adored."Fine." "OH my God thank you shuji!!" I gave him a kiss. "You're literally the best ever." " He gave me a cute grin. "I know"

I got up to go choose colors, wondering what's be best for him. After a minute I choose blue and black. I got the polish and scurried back to him. "Okay so I'm thinking for your right hand, I'll paint your ring finger and thumb blue and the rest black. For your left it'll be the same just switched. " I explained. "..what..?" I rolled my eyes. "Your left hand will be, thumb and ring finger black and the rest blue. "Oh, that seems cool."

"Okay lemme see." I open the blue nail polish in the right hand, and take his hand with my other. I carefully glide the liquid across his nail, trying my hardest not to mess up. I go from his ring finger to his thumb. I start on his other hand, doing exactly what I said I would do.

"Okay, I'm done with the blue. I just the need the black. ?" I screwed the blush onto the bottle and grab the black bottle. "This'll will take around 5-7 minutes okay? Thank you for being patient." I say, kissing the corner of his mouth. Shuji pouts, asking for a kiss on his lips. "When I'm done handsome" I say chucking. "Alright.." Shuji mumbles.

The next few minutes go in silence, except for me humming a song that was stuck in my head. "Annnnnd done!" I exclaim "They're gonna need to dry but how do you like them?" "They look good my handsome, amazing, talented, boyfriend" He said with sarcasm. I rolled my eyes at the silly boy. "But for real they do look good. "Thank you. It takes skill to learn how to paint nails this good." I laughed. I put the bottle on the side table and look at shuji pouting, again. "What?"

"Can I have my kiss now?"

Word count: 363

Published: 04-2-23

[chismosasns]

I binged watched Pen15 and the guy who plays Shuji is playing Zuko in the live action. Also me too Anna, me too 👏🏼

[fakeuwus]

10 QUESTIONS FOR U - valentines edition

favorite color of roses?

favorite flowers?

you can send a love letter to anyone. fictional/idols/celebs. who?

which idols have the best rizz?

most rizzful mutual?

favorite petnames/nicknames? giving or recieving?

fictional characters you're in love with?

have you ever had an online crush?

songs that you want to play at your wedding?

fav breakup songs?

fav love-themed kpop song?

mutual with beautiful themes?

pink vs red ? coquette vs old money / preppy?

favorite sweets?

DRINK WATER + YOU ARE LOVED <3

nonnie this is so cute omg!

1. pink or white

2. im not quite sure but maybe irises

3. i'd send a letter to jay ofc 🫶🏼

4. heejake 😩 (sorry jay) and honorable mention mark lee (he has that awkward rizz, def would make me fold)

5. @enmayz she has a way w words 🤌🏼

6. hmm i guess babe ? pookie is cute too lol, honestly any nickname i loveeee receiving but i also like to give nicknames too!

7. god theres so many but the first one i can think of is shuji from pen15 (dallas liu supremacy ‼️) also zuko from atla and levi from aot 😍

8. mm not genuinely

9. only - lee hi

10. most of the sour album, glimpse of us - joji, love is gone (acoustic) - slander & dylan matthew, somebody else - 1975

11. ahh cant choose but lets go with polaroid love - enhypen

12. @jaylaxies @enmayz @enaus @hoonvrs + many more !!

13. pink! anddd i have to choose BOTH coquette and old money ahh

14. i loveee ice cream hehe

TYSM FOR THIS ASK MY LOVE THIS WAS SO FUN <33