#possibly my favorite duo in the whole anime

[heavensincarnate1111]

no duo has ever siblinged as hard as they have.

[megu-meow]

how I met your mother - Gojo Satoru

dad!Gojo x fem.reader

Summary: I recently found out that many TV series and other Manga/Anime are canon in JJK - How I Met Your Mother included - and I couldn't stop thinking about how Gojo would re-enact the thing after watching it. Moreover, all of you deserve some teeth-rotting fluff after that horrifying manga chapter. Enjoy!

"Why am I here?" Megumi asked with irritation laced through his voice as he sat down on the couch, beside the two white-haired rascals he calls his siblings.

"I'm gonna tell you guys the story of how I met your mother!" Gojo exclaims as he sits on his desk chair, in his office at Jujutsu Tech. The desk usually sits in the corner, right beside the window, but now is pushed in front of the couch, so that he can sit face to face with his children, the setup similar to the one in his recent favorite American TV show, How I Met Your Mother. The only difference is that the whole scenario is not played in his home office, but the one at his actual workplace, because you declared your home a Jujutsu-Free Zone.

"Gojo-Sensei..." Megumi sighs as he starts rubbing his forehead with annoyance "I was five when the two of you got together, I heard the story of how you two met a million times, this is not new to me." he explains as three sets of cerulean blue eyes gawk at him from all directions.

"Mama..." the two-year-old girl sitting on Megumi's left puffs with a ridiculously adorable pout on her face as soon as she hears the mention of her mother, and the five-year-old boy on the other side of the couch whiffs the air aggressively with the plush sword his father was forced to buy him on their way to the school.

"I know, Megumi, but this is a special occasion, you're gonna sit through the whole thing again so that you can experience this amazing fairytale with your beloved siblings." the tall sorcerer explains and his attention turns to his beloved daughter, Munchkin as he refers to her. The little girl slowly climbs into Megumi's lap, the boy instinctively helping her settle down as he embraces her lightly from behind, tickling her sides, and the room is filled with childish laughter. His son, or as he refers to him, Nugget, drops the toy from his tiny hands and huffs in annoyance, suddenly jealous of his sister's ability to gain the undivided attention of his favorite person, his older brother. "Now, all of you pay attention."

It was his first day at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Given his extravagant upbringing, Gojo Satoru was a self-centered douchebag with a horrible attitude. He first met Geto Suguru, the only friend he ever claimed he had, the dark-haired sorcerer with a warm smile and polite demeanor, the polar opposite of him. The two formed an unbearable duo and as soon as you walked into the classroom with the three first-year students, four months after the school year began, you knew you had to keep yourself as far away from the boys as possible. You became good friends with Shoko though, the two of you had plenty of common interests and your personalities were similar as well.

You tried avoiding Gojo at all times, you thought he was irritating based on his behavior in class and his rude comments behind your back, ones he whispered to Geto, making your dark-haired classmate laugh obnoxiously. However, Your efforts to stay as far away from him were proven to be useless when Yaga paired the two of you for a mission.

"So, why is a clan princess like you avoiding the strongest sorcerer of her time? Didn't your family tell you about the power and influence my family holds over the jujutsu society?" he asks you cockily and you chuckle dismissively at his words.

"I'm not a clan princess, Gojo! On the contrary... I come from a family of non-sorcerers and I was an outcast my whole life because I kept seeing things that others couldn't." you said as you kept hitting the curse with sharp daggers that you wielded in the air with your cursed technique "And I don't care about your power or your privilege, because I'm only here to help others." you make your point even clearer as you throw your last dagger with extra force, exorcising the curse without breaking a sweat.

"And that was the moment..." Gojo begins to explain to his overly bored children, but Megumi interrupts him.

"... when you realized you wanted to pursue the only girl that ever gave you attitude, a.k.a. Y/n. We know, it's getting boring."

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Megumi! This is an amazing story about the two people that raised you. Show some respect!" Satoru exclaims with an offended expression and Munchkin hides her face in her tiny hands, thinking that she is the one who is being scolded, trying to hide from her father's light-hearted attempt at discipline.

"Papa, can we have Splendid Sushi?" the white-haired boy asks, boredom evident from his facial expression.

"Nugget, you just ate before we came here." Satoru pouts, clearly disappointed in his kids.

"I know, I'm still hungry."

"I'm gonna wrap this story up quickly and we can go eat after." he gives in, a sad expression on his face.

After that moment you shared on your mission, Gojo changed. He was still annoying and arrogant, but he tried acting like a decent human being around you. In one instance Suguru explained that the remarks they exchanged with each other were making fun of Yaga-Sensei, not you. He felt the need to clarify that after Satoru complained to him about how much you seemed to hate his guts.

These things shed a different light on Gojo, you noticed how he was very attentive when it came to the small details you shared about yourself when the four of you first years were hanging out. He also ensured that you got home safe whenever you went out as a group and he even gave you his jacket so that you wouldn't catch a cold.

He also started complimenting you, your looks, your advancement with your technique, and he thoroughly enjoyed how you blushed every time he called you sweetheart or any other nickname he came up with on the spot. However, you were stubborn, even more challenging than some curses he fought.

"I'm gonna wife you up one day, sweet girl! Even if it's the last thing I do." he whispers into your ear as your head is resting on his shoulder while you're being driven home by an auxiliary assistant from a challenging mission. He thought you were sleeping, but you could hear his muffled words and your lips curled into a slight smile. Because Satoru was good, kind-hearted, and loving in his dorky, obnoxious way.

"Papa, where is Mama?" Munchkin asks with tears in her eyes, clearly distressed from the long period of time she had to endure without her Mama. And the only thing Satoru can do is get up from his chair, walk towards his little baby and embrace her with his strong and bulky arms, trying to comfort her, because he knows exactly how terrible it feels being away from you. He coos at her lovingly, kissing her chubby cheeks and he sits back down to continue with his story. He also puts out his hand, using blue to fetch a pink fluffy blankie he keeps in his office. Megumi rolls his eyes at this, he finds it annoying how Gojo uses his techniques so unnecessarily.

A month after Satoru's not-so-secret confession, at Nanami Kento's birthday party, it happens. Your first kiss. For the most part, the party goes terribly for both of you. He is standing in a corner, drinking seltzers orange soda furiously as he observes how a third-year is trying to hit on you with cringey pick up lines that make Gojo want to throw up. You seem uncomfortable with his advances, but Satoru doesn't intervene, because he has no right to. You two are not dating, you are just very close friends. Nothing less, certainly nothing more. However, as that idiot steps closer to you and you try to bring an end to his flirting, Satoru observes the deep discomfort in your eyes and the twirling of your hands, trying to wield some glass shards with your technique from the broken bottle spilled onto the floor. He decides to intervene, and with a single clap of his hands, he's beside you, his fingers slip into yours, stopping you from using your technique, knowing that using it without permission on school grounds could get you in trouble. The third-year leaves instantly once Gojo arrives and there you stand in front of the white-haired sorcerer with thankful eyes.

"Thank you, Satoru!" you say and from the many shots of sake cups of tea you had, you gain a newfound courage within you to get on your tiptoes and kiss his cheek. Or so you think, because in the last moment, he turns his head and your lips land on his. It's a short kiss, basically a peck, but the sobering reality of the consequences of your actions hits you like a train.

"I'm sorry, that was a mistake..." you mutter and you run out of the party, leaving him there disappointed.

After that, you don't talk to each other for two weeks. Gojo tries in the beginning, but you stop all of his attempts because you are too ashamed of your actions. After a while he becomes petty himself, claiming that it's for the better and saying the two of you wouldn't have lasted in the first place. He does it in the usual Gojo fashion, making sure that you hear every word leaving his mouth. He wants you to hurt just as much as he is, but as soon as he spots the puffy, red circles under your eyes, he regrets ever being mean towards you.

"Dada, why you make Mama cry?" the toddler in his lap looks at him curiously, her lips in a pout, clearly disappointed with her father.

"Hey! That's not true, Mama made me cry first, Munchkin."

"You never cried in your life, Gojo." Megumi intervenes and if Satoru could kill with his Six Eyes, he would annihilate the Fushiguro kid right now.

"Is the story over, Papa? You said we'd go to Splendid Sushi after." Nugget whines once again and Satoru knows he has to finish up soon, otherwise, his son is going to throw a tantrum.

Satoru rushes into the medical ward upon hearing the news. You went out on a mission alone and you were brought back by Yaga himself, on a stretcher. He doesn't know any more details than that, but he's frantic. As soon as he spots you on one of the disgustingly hard hospital beds, being treated by Shoko with blood running down your beautiful face, Satoru is standing beside you, holding your hand. You are unconscious, but it doesn't matter, his six eyes tell him that your cursed energy is stable, you have been knocked out, that's all.

"Step aside for a second, loverboy, I have to heal the cut on her arm." Shoko says with a smirk and Gojo steps away hesitantly, watching carefully as your scars slowly disappear. The healer leaves the room as soon as she finishes and Satoru is quick to return to your side, his fingers laced with yours once again.

"Gojo?"

"Am I not Satoru anymore, sweet thing?" he asks disappointedly and your mouth curls up slightly. You could have died, but he's still hung up on the way you addressed him. You look down at your hands, not able to respond. You don't quite know what you two are anymore. "I was really scared, you know? I cannot lose my favorite girl this soon, otherwise I would go insane."

"It's not a big deal, Satoru..."

"But it is...Don't you get it?! I love you." he confesses, he seems furious, but his eyes glisten with the utmost adoration "It's you, it's always been you. The one who keeps me grounded, the one that makes it worthy to be the strongest, because all this power is meant to protect you, sweetheart. So please don't ever go two weeks and four days without talking to me and for the love of god, please don't go out there on reckless missions without me because I don't want to hear about you coming back on a stretcher ever again." he brings your hands up to his lips, kissing them gently and you swear you can see tears swelling in his precious eyes.

"I love you too, Satoru." you reply, your voice barely a whisper. He's shocked, for a second, the next he's leaning closer asking for permission to kiss you properly. You grant it to him and he unites your lips in a long-awaited kiss, one that seals the fate of the rest of your lives, without even knowing it.

"That day, in the hospital ward of Jujutsu Tech, I promised my classmate, the girl I fell deeply in love with, that I would protect her no matter what. That I would love and cherish her with all of my might till the end of my life. I promised her that one day I would marry her, when I went back home with you, Megumi, and told her I was planning on raising you at eighteen, while she simply agreed to help me all the way, no questions asked. Three years later I vowed to her that I would be beside her in sickness and in health. When you rascals were born, I promised I would take care of her and you guys with all the energy I have. Deep down I knew from the moment she stepped into that classroom when I was fifteen that she would be the one for me. And that kids, is how I met your mother." he finishes with a fond smile on his face, but it quickly falters as he notices that Nugget is once again preoccupied with whacking the air with the toy from earlier, Megumi is on his phone and Munchkin is sleeping soundly in his embrace.

Suddenly, he hears your footsteps from down the hall and your sing-song voice coming through the door.

"Where's my beloved family at?" you ask playfully, opening the door to his office, and peeking in. Upon spotting the sleeping toddler in his arms you keep quiet, approaching the two of them and you take your daughter into your embrace. You look around the room, observing the changes, the very bored teenager and your rascal of a son sitting on the couch and you quickly connect the pieces of the puzzle.

"You did it, didn’t you, Satoru?"

"What, sweetheart?" he asks faking innocence.

"The How I Met Your Mother Thing? The idea you were talking to me about the other night."

"Maybe."

"Oh, my poor babies, you had to sit through that cliche story. How long did your dad keep you bored, Megumi?" you ask, your tone teasing.

"Actually it wasn't that long after Nugget started whining." the raven-haired boy explained, looking fondly at his only mother figure.

"I'm so sorry, guys, let's go to Splendid Suchi, okay? That would make you all feel better." you add, leaving a loving kiss on all the kids' heads. Your son lifts his head with incredible speed upon hearing you mention his favourite restaurant, up until now he didn't even notice your presence, too preoccupied with his new toy. Suddenly everyone is up on their feet, ready to have a scrumptious meal.

You and Satoru stay behind a bit as the two boys run out of the school and Megumi summons his demon dogs so that the two of them can play with the fluffy shikigami.

"When are you gonna tell ME that fairytale of yours, angel boy? I'm really curious how you scored a clan princess like me." you ask your husband jokingly and he chuckles, raising his sunglasses up his nose. His hands quickly snake around your waist, pulling you into a loving kiss. Your daughter finally awakens lifting her head from your shoulder, interrupting the beautiful moment between the two of you.

"Mama!" she exclaims, embracing you tightly, her tired eyes fluttering as you bring her closer to your chest.

"Not only did you steal your Mama from me you get her titties as well?! This world is truly cruel."

[hiddencircus]

In my funky lil prompt-a-thon event, a whole bunch of people sent in very fun editing prompts! here is the full, complete list for anyone that would like to do any!

As a bonus, if you do at least 5 of these, you're free to claim an edit in my inbox! As of now, this is an open event, so there's no time limit! You can do them whenever you'd like! It's also not required to claim your prizes if you don't want to! Have fun!

RADIO'S PROMPT-A-THON: ALL PROMPTS!

sillysillynoodles's prompt: "an editing style you arent familiar with... mwahahah 😈😈"

anon's prompt: "a green and red duo"

wingedlovrs's prompt: "make an edit using one (1) color. black and white do not count, but also don’t make your edit grayscale. that’s boring. godspeed"

anon's prompt: "do the opposite of your usual like editing style if that makes sense?? if thats not possible then ur least favourite character from one of your favourite medias"

zombmelukitty's prompt: "make an animal themed edit ! :3 [like cat themed icons and such !!]"

anon's prompt: "make an edit for your LEAST Favorite Vocaloid"

endlessrailroad's prompt: "Assign a character a pokemon type and edit them w/ it :]"

rookmeo's prompt: "edit something cybercore thats about touching grass (interpret that however you want to)"

anon's prompt: "edits in the style of a music video / album cover !!!"

wifeism's prompt: "opposite aesthetic with your favorite (twst) character"

dollcemoe's prompt: "an edit incorporating your least favorite dessert :))))"

anon's prompt: "an edit featuring your favourite flower"

anon's prompt: "water and oil!"

vampuppyy's prompt: "edit something as colorful as possible with one of your favorite characters <33"

sakimafu's prompt: "do the most fucked up and desaturated empty edit with a character that's full of whimsy in canon. glitchy aesthetic maybe. idk go ham"

hy4c1nthh's prompt: "edit a character from your favorite twst dorm!!!"

lavendergalactic's prompt: "a character that has a hairstyle you love"

anon's prompt: "An edit of ur most favorite character from ur least favorite media"

anon's prompt: "a purple and white duo"

anon's prompt: "edit a character that reminds you of your favorite season and incorporate said season in your edit :3"

anon's prompt: " do an underrated duo with complementary colors. (green & red, blue & orange, yellow & purple). bonus prompt: make the character the opposite of their color. (if a character is green, make them red.)"

anon's prompt: "dark character with a neon theme and light character with a dark theme duo"

wingedlovrs's prompt: "edit your favorite characters from different media and attempt to make them match/look cohesive together"

evilyaoioverlord69's prompt: "make a bright/pastel colored edit featuring a character that usually has dark “aesthetics”"

If you see your username in the list and don't want it on the list, let me know and I'll gladly remove it!

If you do any of the prompt's, please @ me so I see them! you can also use the #radiopromptathon tag!

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - Number 16

Welcome to A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes! During this month-long event, I’ll be counting down my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more!

We’ve reached the halfway point of the countdown!

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “We're smart people. So why do we always do things that make us look like we have the intelligence of beef jerky?”

Number 16 is…or, rather, are…Zack & Ivy, from Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?

If you know me, then these two showing up somewhere on the countdown probably won’t be surprising. But if you don’t know me – or, quite possibly, if you only know the Carmen Sandiego franchise via the Netflix reboot series – then this will likely be VERY surprising, especially so high up. So, for those who came in late, as it were: the “Carmen Sandiego” franchise is an “edutainment” series, which primarily teaches social studies such as geography and history. It started off as a series of computer and video games, and was eventually spun off into four separate television programs. Two of them were game shows, the other two were animated programs for kids. The first of these animated programs – and my personal favorite take on the Carmen Sandiego franchise as a whole – was the cartoon series, “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?”

In the pre-Netflix era of the franchise – and, by extension, in “Where on Earth?” – the premise remained largely unchanged: the title role of Carmen Sandiego is the main antagonist of the series. Carmen is a master thief, and the mysterious head of a legion of robbers, spies, and blackmailers known as “V.I.L.E.” She and her cronies go after rare and one-of-a-kind targets, stealing everything from white lion cubs to Elvis’ pink Cadillac to the Statue of Liberty itself and so much more. Trying to capture Carmen and stop her crimes is the ACME Detective Agency: an elite team of sleuths whose primary objective has become the defeat of Carmen Sandiego, who was once a member of the Agency herself before turning rogue.

In the original computer games, before the cartoon show came out, the Player was the lead detective (although they sometimes had helpers who were fellow ACME Agents in different titles). In the game shows, similarly, the players had the roles of the sleuths on Carmen’s trail. Naturally, for “Where on Earth?” this format wasn’t really going to fly: the creators needed specific protagonists, characters with personalities and lives all their own to go after the arch-villainess. Enter Zack and Ivy: the brother and sister teen detective duo who act as Carmen’s arch-nemeses in the series.

Zack is a computer whiz kid who seems to know almost every foreign language under the Sun. He’s a wisecracking jokester who loves riding his skateboard almost as much as he loves catching crooks. (Did I mention this show was made in the 90s?) Ivy, meanwhile, is an expert martial artist, rock climber, and all-around awesome gal who prefers more hands-on methods of detective work. She tends to be a little more serious than her brother. The two are, in some ways, total opposites, and in other ways they work like two peas in a pod: both have a tendency to grow impatient with one another, but each also cares a lot about their respective sibling. What I love about these two is that neither is really treated as the “top detective” of the two; there’s no clear leader or follower between them. Each compliments the other very well with their respective abilities, as well as their respective personality traits. Throughout the show, they use their knowledge of history, and their respective talents, to solve Carmen’s numerous clues and try to stop her crimes.

I absolutely love Zack and Ivy, and many other people seemed to like them, as well. They were even adapted into the video game lineup that sired the franchise: “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Junior Edition,” which was loosely inspired by the cartoon series, featured the pair as helping hands for the Player. They would also become the template for several other characters who would appear down the line in the franchise. Most notably, the two were later reimagined in the aforementioned Netflix reboot; in that version, Carmen is reinterpreted as an anti-hero instead of a straightforward villainess. Zack and Ivy, similarly, are reworked from a pair of intrepid and brilliant detectives out to catch her, to being her two partners-in-crime, and tend to act as the brawn to Carmen’s brain, in some ways. While these new versions of the characters were fun, and fit the new format, I’ll always prefer the original teen detective duo from the first cartoon show.

I was actually sorely tempted to include the pair in the Top 15, but after much deliberation, I felt others earned the higher ranks better. Still…when your arch-enemy is the World’s Greatest Thief, and you do manage to arrest her a couple of times? You’ve earned your stripes, to say the least.

Tomorrow, the countdown enters the Top 15!

CLUE: “It’s called a hustle, sweetheart.”

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

jjk s2 ep22 spoilers under the cut!!!

GOSHHHHH THIS EPISODE. grabs u by the shoulders. wasnt it so good…….. wasnt it so mouthwatering…………

lets be clear im entirely guided by my kenny bias but i LOVE this fight. sososo much. and the animators did such a good job!!!! i was floored!!!! the choreography and creative decisions when it comes to kenny vs choso were so great, and the animation in general… gosh.

FIRST OF ALL: THIS MOMENT. one of my faves ever <333 and they did it SO much justice. i think mahito/kenny as a duo is so interesting bc mahito is the mirror that reflects human ugliness and what it means to be human, while kenny is a human being who’s lived FAR past his ’expiration date.’ if mahito is the mirror, then kenny is the reflection itself.

and the fact that mahito always knew kenny would betray him is such genius character writing from gege imo… just….. augh. SO good.

mahito’s expression…. kenny’s expression…… yeah.

and that brings me to!!!! uzumaki my beloved!!!!!!! my fave ultimate move in jjk maybe possibly…. i was just FLOORED by how beautifully they animated it, the fluidity, the colors, the emphasis on the fact that mahito is driving it to its full potential…

SOO good oh my fucking god. (that being said… ill never not lose it over the fact that kenny saw MIWA of all ppl and brought out maximum uzumaki like 😭😭😭 BRO??? WHAT BEEF DO U HAVE W HER?)

and!!! and and and!!!!! just in general: SO many kenny crumbs. so many great expressions. i love this freak to the moon and back

”ari did u seriously manually go through the entire episode just to take a screenshot of every single kenny moment?” …….. no.

ALSOOOO BEFORE I FORGET. sorry for being a freak but the back arch? yeah. obv not as much emphasis as the manga had but thats to be expected. kenny nation stays fed regardless 🔥🔥

OH AND AND the choso/yuji moment!! 🥺🥺 the cutest brothers everrrr i adore them. dont be shy yuji call him big bro!!!!!!

and finally!!! last but not least!!! the most specialest girl in the whole entire world <3333 :3 i missed her!!!

yuki is such a genuinely wonderful character AND i adoreeeee her dynamic with kenny. one of my fave duos in the whole series!!!

(SPOILERS FOR S3 but…….. kenny vs yuki vs choso is my favorite jjk fight overall. i love it so so so so much)

w all that being said!! BANGER EPISODE thank u mappa animators for my entire life <3333

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 124

Chapter 124: "Tell Us"

Vincent is such a gentleman the way he's being a good host to the duo by bringing them tea and lightening the mood, while Cislo & Barbara are over here adding to the tension and doing their best to come off as intimidating (and succeeding).

The way Barbara just scoots in between them without a word is fantastic and I wish the anime played with everyone's extreme expressions more. There's so many in this chapter and they're all so good.

Revisiting this chapter after season two makes me sad because the anime had the whole conversation feel so bland. Everyone spoke proper and polite; there was barely any sort of humor, which is unfortunate because it's the silly moments that make this scene so memorable and gives a far better look at the Lambda trio's personalities. Even seeing Ray play along is hilarious, albeit he's only doing so in an attempt to not start any kind of drama.

Neither one of them have any respect for personal space and I'm laughing at our duo's expense. The anime was definitely kinder to them without making this scene awkward for Emma & Ray but that's boring. I love how uncivilized the first half of this little chat is with Barbara & Cislo acting like irritating children.

It's honestly adorable how they're such big fans of Norman. I guess I'd fancy someone just as hard if they saved my life too.

Pfftt wait, I never noticed how Vincent was getting pushed back by the speech bubble before! The poor guy!

We'll never know exactly which stories were told that brings Vincent to tears since the anime decides to just glaze over that entirely. The manga does too of course, but I always have that hope that some minor details will get expanded upon when it comes to anime, but that's certainly a stupid thought to have with this season especially.

It's possible that Vincent was at Glory Bell the same time as Yuugo & Lucas, right? I know the bunker dads escaped sometime in 2033 and Vincent being born four years prior, but I dunno. That farm functions more like a village (apparently) so who knows if they might've ran into each other at one point. Regardless, I still wanna know where the Goodwill Ridge IDs are located.

Still unbelievable that the five of them alone were able to escape a prestigious farm such as Lambda and destroy countless others. Yeah Norman and Vincent are real intelligent dudes while the other three are crazy powerful, but damn. I guess anything is possible with a couple explosives and protagonist with plot armor on your side.

Oopsie, there goes all the silly, little feelings we were having.

It was all fun and games but now the intimidation is back full force and even worse with actual rage. Barbara is being so intense that she scared Ray outta his seat (which the anime didn't include btw).

Can't deny that her voice actor did a wonderful job with her anger though. I also like this one shot a lot better than the panel.

Favorite panel/moment:

The anime is far from perfect though because they completely missed their chance to animate that fantastic spit take of Ray's! They remembered his reaction and have him choke on his tea a little bit, but it's no where near as dramatic as this and it's a shame since it's once of my very favorite panels of him. Would've loved to hear him stifle a laugh too.

End of volume 14.

[quwr0fwrlccywrlfh]

HxH Ch 395: Founding, Pt 1

My thoughts on some of the newest hxh chapters, bc I’m losing my mind and need a place to just spew out every rambly little thought going through my head.

Spoilers ahead ofc

We’re staring at the beginning of the Meteor City flashback, bc tbh I’m not even caught up on the current arc yet, but everything pales in comparison to the momentousness of the PHANTOM TROUPE’S BACKSTORY. These sprawling panels alone already had me so emotional. This is a story decades years in the making: 20+ years ago, there was the *briefest* of scenes in the Yorknew arc of bb Chrollo playing catch with a VHS tape (it got like 1 panel in the manga and less than 10 seconds in the 2011 anime—even less in 1999). It’s one of my absolute favorite scenes in the series, and I even designed a big heckin enamel pin of little chrollo with the tape, but I was resigned to the likelihood that it would remain just that: a cryptic, wisp of a scene that would never be fully fleshed out or explained.

And tbh? I was totally fine with that. One of my favorite things about Chrollo and the troupe was how little we knew about them, how their characters and motives were presented by indirect information and impressions. The air of mystery made them more intriguing.

So when I saw this tape again, I had mixed feelings—I was excited beyond belief to get more spider content—and not only that, but have my pet favorite cryptic hxh scene CONTEXTUALIZED—but I was also a little apprehensive. I was worried I’d be let down by knowing the truth, that the spiders’ backstory would be hoaky. (Specifically, I was worried that their eventual genocide of the Kurta clan would attempt to be justified in some way—because, well, um, no.)

But wow was I wrong.

So that’s what this whole rambly, off-the-rails post is about: how wrong I was to worry that the spiders would LOSE their interest and appeal by getting a backstory. Bc they have only gained it, and once again, togashi is fuckign brilliant.

Also Meteor City is beautiful. Like yeah it’s a junkyard, but the vast expanse conveyed in this opening panel is breathtaking, and ever since first hearing of its existence in hxh Ive been fascinated by the concept of a wasteland city—it’s just so dystopian and unique—and now we finally get to SEE IT.

Was definitely reading through tears when I saw these three—the BABIES. We now know the two other kids Chrollo was playing catch with way back in the Yorknew flashback was Franklin & Shalnark. It surprised me a bit at first, bc I never considered the possibility that practically the WHOLE troupe were childhood friends (I suspected a few of them were, but not the whole group)—but thinking about it more, it makes sense that these three were close right off the bat. Chrollo, Franklin, and Shal. They’re the cerebral & logic-driven spiders. The brainiacs, the nerds—and the weebs (Franklin: I hope it’s anime!). These panels already establish that hunting for tapes is their thing, even at risk of trespassing on another kid-gang’s territory.

Side notes: 1) shal’s little gap tooth smile!!! 2) they’re wary of Machi in particular--as they should be

Here’s their rival kid-gang: Uvo & Machi (bb Machi!!! ;_;) Again, after a little thought, it made sense to me that those two were a team as well—they’re both instinct-driven and reliant on brute force and physical strength (Machi just happens to double as a healer). And what a cute little duo they make too: little Machi providing Uvo with ammo :’) The way Uvo calls it his “kingdom” is interesting as well, but more on that later.

Side note: Chrollo’s soft little “Ah! So soon?”

Shal the smartass is rewarded with PAIN haha. Something that I LOVE about these chapters is how the troupe’s child selves are portrayed so consistently with their adult characters—it may seem obvious, but writing a consistent character is HARD, especially when their story spans 20+ years of real time and undergo massive amounts of life-altering development. Also, it’s cool to see that despite abandoning themselves to become hardened criminals, parts of the spiders’ personalities remain unchanged. For Shal specifically, bc we already knew he was a little psycho, so it makes perfect sense becoming a mass murderer didn’t do much to change who he is at the core: a smartass.

It also provides a neat little contrast to Chrollo, who DID change quite a bit—but we’ll get to that.

SHAL IS STILL ROLLING XD Uvo’s “9 deaths left!” conveying that despite Shal’s snide comeback, he knows very much what he said—and meant it. He’s more than just your average meathead: he’s straightforward rather than simple, and he makes his own definitions.

Chrollo, Franklin, and Shal are clearly at odds with those definitions here—hence the conflict. Where Uvo sees his personal kingdom, the brainiacs see public property. This conflict might seem tense at first, but we soon see that it’s not:

They’re grinning, clearly having some fun with this. It’s implied that this isn’t their first run-in, and it’s a repeated game for them. How else do kids stay occupied in a landfill?

It’s notable that Franklin steps forward to confront Uvo, since it implies leadership (to be fair, he’s also big, unlike Chrollo, and fully functional, unlike Shal). Franklin also delivers their scavenger group’s worldview: the harsh reality that they live in a junkyard full of discarded trash, and everyone has an equal right to it. During the conflict, Shal has only snarked, and Chrollo has only made quiet side comments—more to himself than anyone—but Franklin confronts their “enemy” directly and speaks for the group.

Uvo responds in the most Uvo way possible, and it’s a really touching line, honestly: “Only dumbasses let their surroundings define them! I’m wherever the hell I say I am!” His pride shines just as brightly as a kid as it does when he’s an adult, and it goes on to shape the whole troupe’s philosophy too: the underlying sense of pride they have at not letting their circumstances define them, and refusing to let the world silence them.

Touching philosophy and fun games aside though, they still beat each other up haha.

Enter: our third little gang! It was no surprise that Phinks and Feitan were a team, because they’ve remained close even as adults in the troupe, but what WAS a charming surprise is them bullying Chrollo. I had a pet theory that some of the troupe members used to bully him as kids—bc well, he’s a little nerd—and it was so gratifying to have it confirmed.

Notable that Phinks does all the talking—it’s consistent with the idea that Feitan may have been a newer resident of Meteor City at this point, and was still not confident enough to speak in the local language. It’s also so cute to think of Phinks stumbling upon a scared, shy little new kid and deciding to adopt him :3

Side notes: 1) the deliciously detailed shots of the junkyard meteor city rubble 2) phinks and feitan’s hairrrrrrrrr 3) phinks’s FACE 4) Chrollo being the cutest lil guy once again

The sneaky little thiiiiief ahhh. Well, not a thief yet really, since Meteor City trash IS communal property, but I love how he pulled one over on Phinks. It reaffirms 1) how much of a lovable, gullible dumbass our resident tracksuited himbo was and is 2) how crafty Chrollo was even as a kid. Also love how Chrollo doesn’t say a word the whole time—he seems pretty reserved overall, saying very little, and when he does speak it’s often side comments to himself without any intended listener, more just a way to help him reason through a situation. For all the changes that happen to the poor little guy later, that’s consistent with his adult self haha.

Also going back to phinks’s “we’re not like that meanie Uvo”: it hints at an aversion to physical conflict when he can avoid it. The bike speaks to this as well: he’d rather zoom away from a problem, which is totally fine, especially when so many ‘problems’ in Meteor City are far too big for two kids to take on alone, and escape is a much wiser option. Feitan, however, is cruising for a bruising—just look at that bat.

Side note: another really pretty strip of sheer Meteor City setting detail ahhhh. It’s clear now that a lot of the residents live in hamlets or shacks, which is definitely what I pictured and makes sense.

CHURCH BOY CHROLLO CONFIRMED!! It was so obvious I couldn’t believe it at first, but wow, there it is. A nice twist is the hodgepodge architecture of the building: it’s not just a traditional Catholic cathedral. It fits with how despite the endless jesus parallels and the louder elements of adult Chrollo’s character design (inverted cross, forehead tattoo), his shtick is more than just christian. His character has elements of Buddhism, Judaism, fatalism, etc. He’s a sampler of religion and schools of thought, not necessary an adherent to any particular one, in part because he grew up in a multifaith setting.

Philosophical and religious musings aside, this scene is so quietly touching and sad. Chrollo still has his little tape, but he’s got a basket of flowers as well, implying that he stopped to pick them before heading over to check the tape, and further implying that the flowers are even MORE important to him than the tape he and his friends risked bodily harm to collect. Looking closer we see why: the center lower panel is filled with little crosses. Graves. He laid flowers on gravestones.

It immediately brought Melody’s words about him in Yorknew to mind: “He walks with death every day of his life.”

This scene established that Chrollo is indeed a frequent visitor of the church. It’s his sanctuary: a place for him to go and study. The church itself seems surprisingly nice and well-kept too: the only finished building we’ve seen in Meteor City so far, which implies it’s supported financially in some way, and is a priority in the community. They may not have houses, but they have a nice church. The how’s and why’s of this aren’t specified yet, but it makes me very curious about the structure of the city’s society.

Speaking of society: the priest sheds light on the graves outside: they’re children’s graves. Specifically, children who have been abducted. So the graves are meant to acknowledge the missing rather than the confirmed dead, which is almost worse. It’s also the first little hint of what we’ve all been looking for in this flashback: the probable reason behind the troupe’s anger and despair.

The sheer weight of the information contained in these panels, wow.

Before getting into it though: we can see Chrollo’s flowers by all of the graves, and they’re nice big pretty flowers too. Zinnias, dahlias, maybe roses. He took time out of his very urgent tape mission to gather and leave those flowers. It’s heartbreaking.

Para 1: info we knew already. Meteor City residents are all unpersons, so the system doesn’t care what happens to them.

Para 2: more info we knew—MC struck a deal with the mob in exchange for protection—but then a new gut-wrenching detail that makes sense but makes it so much worse: the vast majority of the victims were kids.

Para 3: very fitting, since we already knew chrollo took one of his strongest known abilities, Sun and Moon, from a MC elder, and interesting that we now know that multiple such elders had similar powers.

Law of Retribution motto: the same as the note the spiders left behind at the Kurta massacre. There’s so much to say about it but I think I’ll save it for later, since this is meant to be a light little jaunt of note-taking lmao

Para 4: the wording confuses me a little—does it mean the troupe were literal babies when this system first started, meaning it had already been in place for a few years by the time they reached the ages they are in this chapter? Or is it more figurative timeline-wise: meaning it was still in development, and that’s why so many kids are still going missing. Togashi is occasionally very hyper-specific when it comes to timing, but most of the time he’s pretty fast and loose, so I’m guessing it’s the latter, the law of retribution is still in development--or it’s proving to not be very effective.

NNNAHHHFHFHDJADHHSKS

the BABIES T_T

It was a shock and also no shock at all that Chrollo and Pakunoda seemed to have a close friendship and aren’t surprised to run into each other at the church. Needless to say I think it’s the highlight of this chapter for me, not least of which because we already know full well how this story ends, and the flashback only makes it hurt that much more.

I’ve also seen this panel of Chrollo circulating around with the caption ‘He used to be so happy’--and yeah, yeah he was. This whole chapter is shaping up to deliver the resounding point that Chrollo used to be a bright, happy, normal (?) kid. I’ve also heard him described as having a mix of Gon’s boundless enthusiasm and Kurapika’s insatiable curiosity and intellect, and I think that really fits.

Side notes: 1) Chrollo’s “Yo!”, I cry ;_; 2) Paku’s HAIRCUT. Stranger Things inspired, perhaps? A nod to how both she and Eleven have psychic, memory-reading powers? Either way, the look is fire.

They’re so cute I am in pain ;_;

Tiny Chrollo’s little meltdowns :’))) Once again showing how EMOTIVE he was as a kid, versus the cool and collected facade he keeps up as head of the spider. As a kid he had no qualms about letting his feelings show, which is extra endearing as a boy, who are often socialized from young ages to bury their emotions (but hey, maybe Meteor City is different).

“You read us like a book, Paku!” - clearly a nod to what Paku later develops as her hatsu: psychometry. Reading memories, and therefore people.

THE LITTLE GLANCE PAKU GIVES HIM. It’s everything to me tbh. I remember when my friend first started sending me leaks of this chapter, these tiny side panels were some of the first I saw. To me it confirms what I’d already suspected: Paku had deeper feelings for Chrollo. Whether she kept up the same childhood crush is up for debate, but either way, she cared about him a lot, and I’m connecting the dots that it’s why she was unable to sacrifice him for the sake of the spider in Yorknew.

Paku’s shock at Chrollo being fluent in at least two foreign languages, paired with Rizol listening on thoughtfully, followed by a cut to what looks like some kind of MC council meeting. Chrollo is a prodigy, no doubt about it, and he’s getting noticed. What makes me pause is how they’re already pinning the hopes of an entire city on a child--it certainly adds to long list of christ figure elements of Chrollo’s character, but it’s like... are things really so desperate... that you’re going to burden a kid with this responsibility? Perhaps. Perhaps they’re looking more to the future, once Chrollo is allowed to grow up a little and rise to the role on his own, but either way, it’s clear the point of this scene is to cement Chrollo as his community’s genius golden boy, much like a certain Kurta.

We get more angles of the fascinating architecture of the church, as well as an interior that seems to be the council room. Chrollo’s penchant for burning candles on his pedestal? It was born here.

The fancy outfits of Rizol and the council member shed more light on Meteor City as well: it shows it has a distinct culture, which makes perfect sense and seems obvious in retrospect, but it’s yet another thing I didn’t really consciously think about when I used to imagine Meteor City. I didn’t picture it this organized. What bothers me though is how the priests and council members get nice, fancy outfits but the kids are running around with rags their feet instead of shoes.

THE MYSTERY OF THE TAPE IS FINALLY SOLVED. I can’t quite describe the noise I made when I saw this for the first time, but it was definitely very loud and very exuberant. As a 90s kid, I was RAISED on the Power Rangers, and that’s clearly what the Clean-Up Rangers are parodying. What a fitting parody for a city fully of scrunkly street urchins too haha: the theme of cleanliness. (For the troupe in particular it has even greater thematic weight, but we can save that for later). But once again: I cannot believe the mysterious VHS tape people have been theorizing about for 20+ years turned out to be episodes of the Power Rangers. It’s better than anything I could have ever come up with.

Chrollo mentions “yesterday,” which means they left and came back at some point, and further cements that they hang out in the church together pretty regularly. It also implies that Chrollo was right in that no one ever guesses where he goes--at least not Phinks or Uvo--and he can keep it secret for at least a day longer.

Paku’s enthusiasm for getting everyone together to watch it is so heartwarming too--it speaks to a sense of community that looks past silly turf wars (depending on who she means by “everyone,” haha).

Lastly, Chrollo’s got a plan. His first of many:

Paku and Chrollo’s interactions here are so quintessential “KID” it destroyed me :’))). First, Paku calling Chrollo ‘Li’l bro,’ - which you’d think might cancel out the romantic crush theory, but my read is it’s more along the lines of kids not fully grasping the nuances of different types of relationships yet--that or she’s in denial, which is also likely xD

Then Chrollo getting absolutely MIFFED about being called younger, when he is actually OLDER than Paku, thank you very much!! *huffy face emoji* It’s exactly what a kid would do, and once again it breaks my heart to see him be this cute and innocent and know what he becomes :’)

Paku’s “You don’t look it!” calling to mind all the other times in hxh when people have commented on Chrollo’s age vs appearance: such as Neon (a literal teenager lmao) being surprised that he was in his late 20s, and the mafia men who found Chrollo’s “body” being shocked that their forces were decimated by a “kid.” Chrollo is and always has been: baby.

They’re so adorable I just wanna dunk them in my coffee.

SPEAKING OF ADORABLE

I think it’s precious that these two babies find it very important that the three female characters in the Clean-Up Rangers get three distinct voices--because yeah, yeah it is important, good job kids (I just wanna pat their little heads ;_;) And not only that--once again we see Paku surmising Chrollo’s thoughts/actions without him needing to say anything, which attests both to her future nen abilities and to just how closely she pays attention to him.

CHROLLO’S ‘I LOVE YOU, PAKU!’ GAHHHHHH. stooooop T____T 

100% became a core memory for this girl, and Chrollo has *zero* clue what the big deal is. It could just be childish innocence, but it could also be that Chrollo’s model for attraction doesn’t allow him to see the significance of telling a girl he loves her (*cough* ace *cough*). Because on the other hand - it shouldn’t  be any more significant than for two kids of the same gender, but since we live in a world still heavily influenced by the gender binary and heteronormativity... *sigh.*

(I can just picture adult paku thinking about this sometimes though... “when we were kids he told me he loved me...” no wonder she couldn’t let him die).

Chrollo insisting on his sincerity is so endlessly precious too--because he DOES mean it, just not in the way that Paku might be hoping for. If there’s any major, overarching takeaway from these chapters it’s that Chrollo loves his friends very, very deeply.

Side note: Chrollo surprised pikachu face.

Enter: two more Chrollo friends! I love that his closest friends all seem to be girls :’) Their introduction comes with mixed emotions though, because we’ve seen Sheila before, in Kurapika’s backtory--and that’s a big shock--but we have not seen Sarasa anywhere, so... where did she go? Could she possibly be one of the unaccounted spiders: the original # 4 or # 8? Or could something else have happened to her?

Moving on past that thoughhhh - it’s neat how they have such vibrant personalities that we get a read on them right away: Sarasa is the spunky go-getter who loves trying new things, and Sheila is quietly curious, happy reading her favorite book over and over (”Your sound arguments won’t change my mind.” - I’m DED) Also love the detail that Sheila’s a bit of a klutz: she trips and falls over mid-book, and there was already a bandage on her leg before that.

Other great details: Their little nerd hideaway is called the “All Faiths Church,” confirming what was already implied with the mixed architecture. Just like Meteor City itself, the church is a bit of a hodgepodge.

“Don’t let Uvo and the guys find out!” - there’s a gender divide here, and it’s interesting how the line is drawn with Machi on the side of the “guys” and Chrollo on the side of the “girls.” (kindling for my own little theory that they’re both trans/non-binary and are most comfortable hanging out with a gender different than what they were assigned at birth).

Chrollo being a little genius once again--verging on the unrealistic, because even if it took Paku a couple hours to find their friends, it’s a tall order for even an expert translator to write up an entire script. But it sure makes a point that this kid is SMART, and on top of it, he doesn’t seem to let the praise get to his head, breezing right past Paku’s shock--which is so so so precious. Modest little guy :3

“Huh? So you’re playing everyone else?” - the significance of this didn’t hit me at first, because I was too busy being distracted by all the CUTE, but this is clearly foreshadowing to Chrollo’s struggle with identity. Right now he’s just being an ambitious little actor (and a bit of a hog - the excuse not to let *anyone* else in seemed a little flimsy to me), but in retrospect it’s easy to make the connection: so good at playing other people that he forgets who HE is.

“No way was he born here.” - I have so many thoughts about Sheila’s comment. Might Chrollo have come from somewhere other than Meteor City initially? Or is she just referring to how gifted and charismatic he seems, how it’s hard to believe a kid like that could’ve come from a junkyard? It almost makes me wonder if she suspected there was something off about him, even while they were all still just sweet, innocent kids. I also think it’s an ironic statement, considering how Chrollo grows up to become the embodiment of Meteor City: taking everything, but having no identity of his own.

Side note: Sarasa and Chrollo dancing around all excited. The cutest.

The cuteness sure gets dampened abruptly, though. Here we are: the last page of 395, and a very ominous hint once again at what might be the cause of the troupe’s rage and despair.

It’s redeemed a bit by the image of Chrollo and friends working on their dub though. Once again, never in a million years did I expect my beloved mystery VHS tape to be... Power Rangers haha. And never in a BILLION years did I expect it would lead to Chrollo forming his own dubbing company.

Final takeaways from this chapter: 1) the founding members of the troupe have ALL known each other since childhood (yeah nobu’s not here quite yet but I’m sure he’s... somewhere), and not only that, a lot of them were close friends 2) many of them seem to have retained a lot of their childhood personalities, with the notable exception of Chrollo and Paku, who are MUCH more full of life as kids than they’re ever shown as adults 3) Baby Chrollo in particular seems very different, in all the best of ways, and it makes me so incredibly sad. He lays flowers on graves, speaks at least two foreign languages and gets excited about the Power Rangers. Whatever happened to that sweet little kid? Or is he still there, somewhere?

Guess we’ll have to read the rest of the flashback.

Until next time!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

The unmade PUSS IN BOOTS sequel...

In an alternate timeline, the 2nd PUSS IN BOOTS movie would've been released during the holiday season of 2018... It would've been a significantly different movie, too.

It would not have been directed by Joel Crawford, but rather Chris Miller, who directed the first PUSS IN BOOTS movie, and SHREK THE THIRD as well. He's not *that* Chris Miller of the Phil Lord-Chris Miller duo, but a long-time DreamWorks Animation veteran whose work goes all the way back to their debut feature ANTZ.

The title was PUSS IN BOOTS: NINE LIVES & 40 THIEVES.

It had, you may have guessed it, a 1001 Arabian Nights setting.

The concept art for this picture suggested something pretty damn cool. I absolutely love PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, in fact it is my favorite film in the entire SHREK franchise and just a new favorite movie of mine, period.

But... I'm not gonna lie, I would really love to see what *this* movie would've been like. I'm sure it would've had a tone and directing style similar to that of the first PUSS IN BOOTS, and the visual style for it would've been about the same: Much more hyper-detailed with ornate textures everywhere (look at Puss' sword in that movie and the other SHREKs, and look at his much simplified sword in THE LAST WISH), no framerate fluctuations, etc.

The SHREK series had often covered European fairy tales, and the first PUSS IN BOOTS movie married such fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk, and the Golden Goose, to a more old-school adventure genre: Think Zorro, Three Musketeers, etc. Threw in spaghetti westerns for good measure. It was a sandier side of the SHREK world, deserts, and Spanish and Latin American-inspired towns. THE LAST WISH retains all of that, the magical "Dark Forest" being not too far removed from the European fairy tale aesthetic. That whole storybook-inspired look they were going for put it firmly in the European fairy tale, I feel. Again, best of both worlds... But there's other worlds, right?

NINE LIVES & 40 THIEVES would've taken us more East, and I'd really love to see that in the fairy tale universe of SHREK. Who's to say they can't... take that idea off the shelf again? After all, THE LAST WISH ends with a direct lead-in to a fifth SHREK movie. Perhaps SHREK 5 can incorporate the Arabian Nights setting? Or a third PUSS IN BOOTS movie where we only follow "Team Friendship" on a new adventure?

About that... Very few Western animated movies spawn ongoing spin-off feature film series. DESPICABLE ME scored with the MINIONS movie in 2015, and that got an equally ginormous sequel this past summer. That was the inverse of LIGHTYEAR to the TOY STORY franchise, LIGHTYEAR could've been a big hit and could've spawned more space adventures with the human/actual space ranger Buzz... But alas, no cigar. (I'm honestly bummed about that, I was ready for more!) THE LEGO MOVIE tried to do this, but I feel Warner Bros. made the mistake of having the studio make two spin-off movies - unrelated to one another, LEGO BATMAN and LEGO NINJAGO - *before* THE LEGO MOVIE 2 proper. Maybe if LEGO MOVIE 2 opened in 2017 as originally planned, with BATMAN and NINJAGO afterwards, we could've had plenty of different theatrical LEGO stories to choose from. DreamWorks' own MADAGASCAR franchise couldn't have a side series of PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR movies, the first one - released back in 2014 - was deemed a box office disappointment. Its "flopping" actually lead to a big restructuring month at DreamWorks, which took NINE LIVES & 40 THIEVES off their schedule...

It was very possible that the movie was no more, much like other DreamWorks pictures that got the axe at the time: BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR MONKEY, B.O.O.: BUREAU OF OTHERWORLDLY OPERATIONS, etc. Thankfully, PUSS Dos remained in limbo rather than being outright cancelled.

But NINE LIVES & 40 THIEVES didn't make it, we got THE LAST WISH instead.

But now... THE LAST WISH has been a leggy box office success, a record-breaking one at that, too. It's actually the first post-1999 wide-release animated movie since THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE to make more than 10x its opening weekend gross... EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE came out in 2000... So that makes **two**, **two** animated movies released in the domestic market since 1999 that scored 10x their opening weekend grosses... WOW!

So yes, I'd imagine the PUSS IN BOOTS train won't be stopping. I think it's a strong possibility that we get *both* new SHREK sequels *and* new PUSS IN BOOTS sequels. Puss showed with both movies that he can more than hold his own and have his own long-form adventures w/ Kitty Softpaws and Perrito. The original made over $500m worldwide back in 2011/12, and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars much like this film, which looks to finish up with over $450m worldwide. Hey, is it possible somebody else gets a new movie, too? I feel there's a lot of ground to cover in Shrek's fairy tale world that goes beyond Shrek's swamp, Far Far Away, San Ricardo, Del Mar, the lands inbetween, etc.... A magic carpet that's reminiscent of the one in most ALADDIN interpretations appears in THE LAST WISH as part of Big Jack Horner's collection, so maybe that Arabian Nights-style world is still out there and might be featured in a future SHREK/PUSS IN BOOTS movie?

I'd love to see that, honestly. Since the world of SHREK is back in business, I say go explore and expand that world!

[chattegeorgiana]

Just wanted to say congratulations on Kaika Sasei. Just read chapter 2 and I'm hooked.

I have to admit it to you, I'm a loyal and devoted sasusaku. But that's not an impediment to read your story, you guys are really talented and you deserve recognition.

What I'm most interested about is your view of Sakura, I noticed the little hint about her promotion and I loved it, I missed moments like those from Kishimoto really.

So my question is, can you indulge me a little? Will you respect some canon events? One of my favorite things is inosakutema, I'm pretty sure you don't follow Boruto but they're an awesome trio! I was hoping you kept that? Haha sorry.

Another thing, one of my favorite things about narusaku (as my brotp of Naruto, otp for you) is their jobs. Hokage is the most important person of Konoha and the Head Medic is the boss of the most important Konoha department. Will you keep it that way? They're the most valuable and important duo, as friends in Boruto (or barely friends?😭) but a couple in Kaika Sasei.

Hope you cover Sakura's clinic too, her job in Cypher Corps too with Shikamaru (another brotp of mine) and Tsunade with Sakura in the clinic's creation. I need Sakura Hiden to get animated.

I'm so hooked about the kunoichis too. What will you do to Ino? Please don't do like Boruto and put her in Sensory she's awfully useless. Maybe follow her father's steps? I always thought she was a nepo but I can't help it because she's Sakura's best friend. Temari the Ambassador is great too. I don't care about Hinata though, Hanabi head of her clan?

I'm so excited to read more of Kaika Sasei💗

Hi there, fellow Sakura fan! :D

Also, like I always said, you guys ship whatever the hell you want to. Just because I don't like the writing because I have certain views and preferences, doesn't mean YOU should do the same.

Plus, as I said, I USED to be a multishipper, and it includes shipping SS too.

But anyway, let's get to the point.

First of all, thank you for your kind words for Kaika Saisei. Glad to see you enjoyed the little nuggets, hahah. I'm trying my best to stay as close as possible to Kishi's writing style. :D

Also lol, don't apologize for asking those questions. Now, I don't think I'll do a 1:1 on the canon events, but there might be some similarities?

I'm not familiar with Ino/Saku/Tema dynamics too in depth, but Ino is Sakura's best friend after all and I've already started writing more on the dynamics of those two in the written version of Kaika.

As for Temari, I also have a Sakura-Temari thing in mind given that there is something specific I want to do with Sakura in Suna, or better said in the whole wide shinobi world, and given that I will go the ShikaTema route, too, you'll probably end-up with a similarity in that sense.

However, I also have an adjacent development that includes logistics so to speaks, with Karin, as well as a certain aspect with Hinata as part of the Hyugas subplot.

I'm trying my best to keep this as original as possible because I've had with people accusing us of copying Boruto, when certain important elements in Boruto have been concepts that were first created by NaruSaku fans, but alas.

As for Naruto & Sakura, OF COURSE I'm going to keep that going on for them. I cannot see them as anything else besides Hokage/Head of the medical department. I like to keep consistency.

As for the clinic thing, well, we as fans of NaruSaku been talking about this idea of clinics for children years before the ending, so I'm going to have that one as well, just under a different route, maybe? I already started this in the written version of Kaika Saisei.

I have 11 chapters of Kaika Saisei written already, the manga is barely catching-up to the written version haha.

As for the kunoichis, I do have certain paths mapped out for them, especially for Sakura, Hinata, Ino, Karin and I have something in mind for Tenten too!

For Temari I admit I didn't give it so much thought because she had her fair share of spotlight that gives her proper treatment, so I focused more on the areas that I thought are lacking.

As for reading more of Kaika, well, there's always the written version if you want to read. Because the translation from written version into manga is quite different from what I've learned.

So it'll take a little while until I get to all the things in manga format that I have already written.

Besides, not even the written version is yet ready lol. I barely have just begun.

Anyway, hope I clarified these things for you.

Thank you for such a thoughtful question and for your interest in Kaika!

All the best, Chatte

[nat-seal-well]

Okay so, first off, I’ve had this The World Ends With You AU in my head for almost a year. And I think it would work really well with the DAMN crew because it’s all about making connections with people, and building friendships, and learning to appreciate the world around you.

If you don’t know what TWEWY is, I don’t judge you. It’s a video game released for the original DS, which means it's old as balls. It’s also my all-time favorite. I may also be getting old. (But they did finally release a sequel two years ago for the Switch!)

I can give you the bare-bones, spoiler-free summary right here: our main guy Neku wakes up in the middle of Shibuya with all of his memories gone. He learns very quickly that he died, and was entered as a Player into the Reapers’ Game: a competition lasting seven days, full of challenges the Players have to complete to avoid being Erased. If they make it through all seven days, their prize is the chance to be sent back to the world of the living.

At first I thought Freelancer would work as Shiki, but Huxley and Damien live in my mind rent-free forever, so I’m shaking things up a bit.

Damien would work really well in Neku’s spot as the protagonist, I think. We love our edgy, angsty, anime boy who wants nothing to do with anyone. Damien isn’t nearly as closed-off as Neku is in the beginning, but I think he would still fit that role pretty well for this AU.

I’m gonna put Huxley in Shiki’s place because I love Shiki with my whole heart. She’s probably my favorite companion character and I like the cat plushie she fights with :)

The only character who could possibly pull off the level of sass and bastard-ness that Joshua has is Gavin.

Lasko and Freelancer would work really well as a duo, I think, and they’d probably take the places of Rhyme and Beat. I love the relationship they have in the canon world and I also want to see them fight together just because I think it’d be cool.

I want Caelum to be Shuto—or Shooter, which is his nickname. I think. It’s been a while since I played this game last. I feel like he would love the Tin Pin Slammer, though. (So do I. I’m awful at it.)

Hanekoma is one of my favorites from TWEWY. I don’t know who would really fit his role but I want it to be Scorpius just because I love him a lot. We can ignore the fact that he hasn’t had any interactions with the DAMN characters in the canon universe.

I think a lot of the d(a)emons would be Reapers. This is partially because I think they would be cool. This is also partially because I want to see them all with Reaper wings.

Vega, however, would be a Game Master. One of the bosses you have to beat at the end of one week of the Reapers’ Game.

Kody would also be a Game Master. This is a little bit bc I’m pretty sure we all want to fight him. (And by that, I mean kick his ass.)

One thing I love about TWEWY is that there’s a lot of NPCs in all the shops and restaurants, and as people you meet in the side quests. And as you interact with them more, you can build a sort of friendship with them. It’s cool. This also means there’s lots of little ways to sneak in characters from over Redacted storylines too :)

[griseldabanks]

Shynael (shuh-NIE-ell):

His name has secret significance: I got the name Shynael from a dream. I never remembered anything else about the dream, only that spelling with that pronunciation. I knew I had to save it for something extra-special, and then a few years later I decided to write a dragon rider story, and knew that would be the perfect name for the dragon. All the other dragon names I came up with afterwards were modeled after Shynael.

I am so sorry, my child: I'm so mean to this poor guy T^T The first thing that happens in the plot is him being orphaned as soon as he's hatched, and then he has to immediately turn around and flee for his life with Shard, who he just met, because he's a dragon in a human village that his mother just crashed into. And then, not only does he have to start growing up on the run, he also runs into dragon hunters, knights, and various other battles where he and his best friend risk their lives...all before he's even a year old.

I would love fanart of him: I mean, who wouldn't?! But I would be annoyingly particular about the way he looks, because my insistence that "no one does dragons right" extends to the way they look too ^^'

I would want to be his friend irl: Oh my gosh, SO VERY MUCH TT_____TT He's adorable, he's fun, he likes to laugh and play, he's very loving and likes to cuddle, and he would want to be your friend too the second he found out you were Shard's friend. Plus...I mean...he's a dragon. How cool is that?!

Made specifically for a relationship: Again, this is a dragon rider story, and you can't do that without a human and a dragon bonding. Shynael kind of came first in this duo, but he was always meant to be the little brother.

Vital to the plot: Shynael's appearance is literally the inciting incident of this story :P

Fan-favorite: I'd like to think he would be! I've had nothing but positive reactions to him from anyone I've shown the first draft to. He's adorable and fun, and my hope is that most people will instantly fall in love with him and want to protect him at all costs.

Could be the protagonist of his own story: The few vague thoughts I've had about a possible sequel would be at least a short story with Shynael as the POV character, where he tries to find out who his father is. It would be first-person, and would make people laugh a lot more than The Ambassadors, though because it's me, it would probably still dip into angst a lot as well. But I never actually came up with more than a vague idea of what it would be about. First things first, you know. Gotta write the first story before bothering about sequels.

I love him, Your Honor: I can't put into words how much I love this kid <3 I don't have a little brother, but...if I did, I'd want him to be like this :') He's also quite possibly the best character I've ever created. I just want him to grow and thrive and have only the best things in life, especially after everything I put him through. (Shynael: "That's okay. You gave me my Shard, and that's all I need! :D")

Practically writes himself: As evidenced in the previous question, whenever I write him - or even about him, apparently! - it's like he comes back to life and starts talking to me. The whole time I was writing the first draft, it was like I had a tiny version of him curled up in my brain, and throughout the day he'd give his commentary on various things - especially if they had to do with dragons in any way. I always like to say that Shynael is my "Harry Potter" - he fell, fully formed, into my lap as soon as I started writing him. I barely feel like I created him at all. He already existed somewhere, and I just wrote the story that opened the portal he could come through. Objectively, I can look at his first couple of scenes and realize that I fine-tuned his voice over time, and I also know that the whole reason I started writing the story was because I was tired of dragons who were only ever austere and wise or basically just animals. Shynael is exactly the sort of dragon I would write, because he's specifically pushing back against almost every dragon I've ever read about...but at the same time, Shynael is just himself. Put him in any situation, and I know what he would do or say, because it's barely even me writing him. He writes himself.

Very good-looking: Okay, Shynael, you can stop preening like a peacock XD But it's true! Another thing I decided right away was that my main dragon was going to be black. I was sick and tired of the way black dragons always seemed to be evil in the stories I read. Besides, have you ever run your finger over a bit of obsidian? That's what Shynael's scales look and feel like.

*holds gently*: He is baby. I am constantly torn between the authorial need to Put Him In Situations, and the maternal instinct of "If anyone hurts him, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself."

He gets so much page-time: Originally, he was literally there on page one. I think I need to back up a bit and give more of an introduction to Shard in my next draft before bringing him in, and there are a few scenes where Shard is alone, but for the most part, Shynael is there the whole time. My working title of the story, before I decided on The Ambassadors, was The Black Dragon, after all.

Free space: His catchphrase is "My mother told me..." In this world, dragon eggs only hatch when the circumstances are just right (and it can be hard to know what those circumstances are), and the baby dragon is able to hear and understand while they're inside the egg. It was a long time before Shynael hatched, so he has a lot of memories of things his mother talked to him about while she carried his egg around everywhere. So he has a jump-start on knowledge about the world, and he wants to experience everything his mother told him about first-hand.

[artikgato]

10/15/2023

Well, it was raining yesterday, so I didn't go out for the jogwalk. I did today, though! It took me until like 10:30 but I did do it!

I was also up until nearly 1am last night...reading a fanfic. A Slayers fanfic. A 60+ chapter Slayers fanfic, currently unfinished, in the year of our lord twenty twenty-three. I have no excuses. I make it a policy to almost never read unfinished fanfics, for one. I also knew exactly what I was getting into when I saw the chapter count and just shrugged and went YOLO I guess?

Okay, so it all started with Anime Weekend Atlanta announced, less than a month out from their con by the way, a whole slew of new guest announcements. The schedule is out now and it's less than two weeks to the con so I think they're done doing that now, but I digress. They announced Veronica Taylor as a guest. Well, years ago I already had the honor of meeting her and getting her to sign my VHS copy of Pokémon The First movie, so I don't necessarily need her autograph on any more Pokémon stuff. But of course she's in plenty of other things, including Slayers, which is one of my absolute favorite media franchises, period. So naturally I have to get her to sign for Amelia! And Lisa Ortiz, the voice of Lina, will be a guest at a convention I'm going to in March, so I can get her to sign, too! Fantastic!

And then, because I haven't really thought about Slayers in a long time, my brain went I should cosplay from Slayers again. I've been wanting to for a while. I cosplayed Filia (from TRY) waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, maybe I could remake her? (I do still want to do that, FYI, talk about obscure characters though am I right?) Or despite being so tall, I've always liked Lina's character design, she'd be great. I can probably pull that off before Khromakon in March, but absolutely not before AWA. But do you know who I could pull off before AWA?

Yeah, so I actually cosplayed Xelloss all the way back in high school. I never wore him to a convention, and it was a very bad cosplay. Technically, my first cosplay. (Technically, because my actual first cosplay was a very, very very bad closet cosplay of emperor Hotohori from Fushigi Yuugi the year prior, my junior year of high school. Our high school banned Halloween costumes but a gaggle of my stupid friends and I decided to see if we could get away with just wearing regular clothes but clearly being in cosplay. So I was Hotohori, a friend braided her hair and was Duo Maxwell, etc. etc.)

Anyway, my aunt made the cloak for me, and I still have it all these years later. The rest of the cosplay would be easy, because of how skilled I am now. I can 100% do this cosplay in time for AWA, and it'll be fun! He's a pretty recognizable character from a classic anime, so while I'm sure The Kids won't recognize me, I'll get at least a few people excited to find someone else that remembers Slayers. And hey, I already cosplayed one evil purple-haired anime prettyboy this year (Okada Izou) so why not two?

So anyway, I made a deal with myself. I would go to no more than three thrift stores after work one day and see if I could find a yellow turtleneck. If I could, I would proceed with the costume. If I didn't, oh well, it's not like I don't have a closet full of cosplays to wear. And wouldn't you know it, I found the turtleneck at the third Goodwill. So I ordered a wig, and now I just need to do a few minor alterations and possibly make the staff.

And so, with Xelloss Metallium now fully on my brain, I remembered that, oh yeah, Xelloss/Filia was one of the OTPs for me back in the day. One of the very first ships I got really, really invested in. And I wondered if, in the fifteen or so years since the least time I probably looked, any good new Xel/Fil fics had been written. I mean, the last time I was really invested in the ship, Evolution-R and Revolution hadn't even come out yet! A03 didn't exist yet! What was the harm of taking just a little, tiny peak at A03, right?

And that's how I ended up binge reading a 60+ Slayers fanfiction, in the year of our Lord Of Nightmares 2023. I'm not even done reading, but I've got shit to do today!

Time: 21:41 Weather: 63, sunny Humidity: 60% Song of the Day: Ghost, Mystery Skulls

[temunitu]

Hi! I’m just starting the 2003 tmmt, so I was wondering what your thoughts on the show? Or what would you change about it?

Congratulations for starting my all time favorite TMNT series! I really hope you enjoy it and if ya want, feel free to send some asks including your own thoughts! I’d love to hear them :)

I’ve actually been rewatching the series (started because I was making a music video) so bits and pieces are pretty fresh. Light spoilers ahead (I will try to not go into too much detail about anything but no promises, so read at your own risk).

Thoughts:

• The series is basically the original comics put to screen with additions to fill the story out more. Granted, it’s not word for word every single episode, but it’s very close.

• They dive into a lot of darker concepts and handle them really well, honestly. Things like trafficking, PTSD and trauma, bigotry.

• I actually find it refreshing how, in this series, there’s a LOT of lore for strange creatures, and it doesn’t surround the mutagen. I’m pretty sure only 6 mutants come out of the mutagen from TCRI.

• I like the way they handle the introduction of the Utrom.

• Their character development tends to come in small scenes rather than entire episodes (for the first 5 seasons, anyway), which i really enjoy going through and noticing. It’s like a treasure hunt.

As far as changes go… I have very few quarrels with the show as a whole.

• Admittedly, with all the 2-, 3-, and 5-parters, it gets a little overwhelming(?) to binge the first time (Especially when you get multiple-part arcs consecutively). So if possible, I’d probably try to break them up a bit so it’s not so overwhelming for both the audience and our terrapin heroes (they need a break!)

• Someone pointed out in a different post that Don and Leo never got their own duo episode and we didn’t really see much of their dynamic so i’d add more of our fearless leader and brilliant machine guy interacting.

• They keep bringing back their most iconic villain(s) but it does get old after a while, so i’d probably add more or delve into some of the other villains. (One of the reasons I still can’t hate Fast Forward is because of all the new villains and worldbuilding. The writing is a lot more corny but the concepts are solid).

• I am a Mikey stan, through and through. They cut some storyline(s) that would have put Mikey through hardships... While i still think 2003 handled Mikey the best out of all iterations, he still got pushed to the back burner. 

• The last 2 seasons, Fast Forward and Back to the Sewers had a very, very noticeable animation and tone shift from the first 5 seasons. I know they’re not fan favorites (which I totally get) but if i were able to, i’d probably rewrite them to be a bit closer in tone to the first 5 seasons and fix up the writing so there’s a thicker overarching plot than what’s canon. i still really like the concept of both seasons, i just think the execution was less than ideal. (A lot of the Fast Forward season 2 concepts sounded pretty interesting too. Not sure how well they’d be executed but it’s fun to think about)

[cecebookworm]

Here are my thoughts after rereading KOLTC: Exile! Now, this time around I didn’t annotate the book because it’s a newer copy and I would have felt bad for destroying it. Also, this is my least for book (In my opinion! I know a lot of people hate Flashback but we’ll get there eventually)! Anyway, here!

- Fitz… UGH! Oh my god I hate him. We all know why, but he can still go to hell.

- Watching Alvar in this book was so funny. Because it’s like, when I had first read this series I was like, “Oh he’s being so nice because he’s starting to see Sophie as a little sister.” And then now/after Neverseen I’m just like, “This little shit! Acting like he cares so Sophie doesn’t (possibly) shatter from the guilt and ruin the Neverseen plans! AGHHHHH!”

- Silveny. No thoughts. Just the queen herself.

- I actually felt so bad for Alden in this book. GOD DAMN! In my last post I talked about how he sucked in the first book, and he still sucks from Flashback to Stellarlune, but I honestly think I really like him from Exile to Nightfall. He’s a very complex character, and seeing his clearly deep remorse for what happened to Prentice was painful.

- Sophie is so much more proactive in this book than I remember. Girl was READY to fight.

- SANDOR! Not having him in the first book, and then his relationship with Sophie being awkward in the first half of this felt so wrong, man. But finally, the iconic duo can return.

- Keefe was more involved then the last book and the flight scene with Silveny is still as adorable as I remember it. I’m very excited for him to become more important from now on.

- That scene still doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, and the one thing I’ll agree with Bronte on in this book is that they didn’t have to use HER. I mean seriously? We know pegasi exist, and yeah there smaller, but there also less valuable then quiet literally the most important animal in the entire WORLD. So so so so so convoluted.

- Grady’s arc in this book is still as sad as I remember it. Probably one of the saddest moments is when he’s like, “I don’t blame myself for Jolie’s death, I blame them.” (IE: The Black Swan) because of the whole, “Were they threatening me because I’m a Mesmer and that would be really useful?” Thing. AND then you get to the end when you find out they didn’t murder Jolie and he said, “So it’s not my fault?” I am shot through the heart every time.

- I remember seeing a Tumblr post pointing out the mention of the Fountain Of Unity thing in Prentices memories and when I read it I almost started screaming. Iv reread this book at least eight times and I never caught that and probably wouldn’t have had someone not pointed it out. Thank you dear KOLTC fandom for pointing out future plot points that Shannon just leaves us to figure out ourselves.

- I had totally forgotten why I put it in my notes “PAGE 313!” And when I checked I was like, “Oh right” because omg is the conversation between Tiegran and Sophie so relatable. That is literally me and my dad on the regular.

-Wylie was a small part of this book but still painful. I remember seeing a few comments on Pinterest saying that they didn’t understand why he acted this way, but of course he was going too, his dad is basically gone because of her (not saying it’s her fault as she didn’t even exist yet but it also TECHNICALLY is). Any way, sympathetic king.

- Knowing that Everblaze to Flashback is a single year is… something. I mean seriously. Elves must be miserable. (Also, believe me when I say when Flashback comes I will have many MANY thoughts.)

- I still think this is my least favorite book.

I am EXTREMELY excited to start Everblaze. It’s dramatic, it’s iconic, and oh boy am I not ready for baby Keefe’s anti-hero arc yet.

[twistedtummies2]

Some Anon requested I do this, and I agreed to cover it for three of my favorite anime: Moriarty the Patriot, Black Butler, and Welcome to the Demon School! Iruma-kun. So...here are my answers, as succinctly as possible... Favorite Characters

MTP = William James Moriarty

BB = Sebastian Michaelis

Demon School = Alice Asmodeus.

Yeah, I have a type, to some degree or another. XD

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene

I'll give a fave scene for one, a fave episode for another, and a fave arc for the last.

MTP = "Catch Me If You Can, Mr. Holmes" from "The Two Detectives." I can watch that scene over and over again on repeat and be just as happy as if I saw the whole episode. <3

BB = "Ciel in Wonderland." Because I'm a sucker for "Alice," and because that was actually how I was introduced to the show!

Demon School = Royal One Acquisition Arc. Not sure why, to be honest, it just is. XD

Character I Think Is Underrated

MTP = There are actually a lot of characters I could answer with here. XD I'm gonna with Von Herder/Q, since he shows up in both the anime and the manga...but in the anime he has very, VERY little to do, and most people probably forget he's there unless they read the manga. Still, at least he made it IN...my deepest condolences, Moneypenny and Billy the Kid.

BB = Madame Red. I consider her underrated because - SPOILER ALERT - she dies before ten episodes are over. But even after all this time, I still think she's a really interesting character, and the Jack the Ripper arc that basically kicks off the show - and which she is heavily involved in - is probably one of my favorites to this day. (Mostly because I'm a sucker for Jack the Ripper Fiction, to be fair.) I don't tend to see a TON of fanwork or posts about her, in general, at least not when compared to a lot of the other characters, most likely BECAUSE she dies so early in the series. Still, she's iconic to me.

Demon School = Honestly, I'm not as "in touch" with THIS fandom, in terms of what characters seem to be more or less popular than others, sooooooo...I'm gonna saaaay...MAYBE Amaryllis Asmodeus? Seriously, Azz's Mom is such a fun character, especially in the manga. I can't wait till the anime shows more of her. <3

Character I Think is Overrated

MTP = I don't think there ARE any characters I consider overrated in this series. The closest I can think of is Milverton, and he's a.) one of my favorite anime villains of all time, and b.) probably my favorite version of this character from any interpretation of the Holmes universe. So if that's the closest thing to "overrated" I can think of? It says something. XD

BB = Does Ciel himself count? :P I don't hate him with the fiery vitriol a couple people I know do - generally speaking, he's an interesting protagonist - but as far as main characters in anime go, he IS quite the notorious little brat. Plus, he gets in the way of me "kinkifying" Sebastian! SO unfair. (huffs)

Demon School = Again, I don't really know the fandom well enough to answer, but...hmmmmm...maybe Jazz? Because he SEEMS to have a fair share of fans, and my opinion about him is, "Well...I like him, but...that's kind of it." He's neither a character I'm hyper into nor hyper against, at this point in time. XD

Favorite Ship/Pairing

MTP = SHERLIAM ALL THE WAY, BABY

BB = I actually don't know if I have a favorite ship/pairing, somewhat surprisingly. I guess MAYBE either GrellRon or Grelliam. The former because I remember reading some fanfics of it back when I was first getting into the fandom, though I haven't looked at them in years...and Grelliam because they are SUCH a wonderful duo of total polar opposites, and it is GLORIOUS. XD

Demon School = IruAzz. I love the fact that, in the show, there are NUMEROUS female characters who are canonically into Iruma. He's, like, the world's most unwitting ladies man. XD But for me, the ship that really gets me is Iruma and Azz, partially because Azz is my favorite character, but also partially because I feel - especially in the manga - there are SO many moments that feel just as shippable between them, IF NOT MORE SO, compared to ANY of the female protagonists featured.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie

MTP = I am a HUGE Sherlock Holmes fan, and this is one of my favorite reimaginings of that universe. I love how you can tell the people behind the scenes were the same kind of crazy as me, clearly doing their homework and research in a LOT of places, while still bringing something new and unique to the universe and characters in question.

BB = This was one of the first "serious" anime I ever saw, and I am a sucker for Victorian Gothic tropes and Faust-like tales. This is both of those things with a few unique twists.

Demon School = I love how the series shifts tonally as it goes on, starting off super colorful and crazy and silly and steadily getting deeper, a bit darker, and more intensely action-oriented as the show goes on. I love how it juggles that tone, as there is some dark stuff towards the start, and it also never loses its sense of humor. There are only a couple of other anime I enjoy for their balance of tone (that's not something anime is typically known for, I'd say), and this is probably one of the best examples of that.

Anime Ask Game

Hello everyone! I’ve been super busy lately so I haven’t been posting many review/rec posts, but I had the idea to do an ask game (? I think that’s what they’re called) I don’t know how much interest there will be in this lol but I figured it’d be fun to put it out there and see if anyone participates.

I’ve seen other popular anime ones going around but I wanted to do a DIY one bc I am a control freak :)

Send me an anime (preferably one I’ve seen) and I’ll tell you my

Favorite Character:

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene:

Character I Think is Underrated:

Character I Think is Overrated:

Favorite Ship/Pairing:

Something I Love About the Show/Movie:

Also feel free to reblog this and use it yourself! Like I said there are other ones going around too but if you like this one go for it.

Thanks!

-threecheersforinking

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 137

Chapter 137: "Conversion"

It may only happen twice but I shall never get tired of seeing Emma slap the hell outta Ray. He's so stunned on both occasions that he can't even think of getting mad.

He is so freakin' lost it's actually adorable. It takes a great amount of nonsense to confuse a full-scorer so congrats to the Seven Walls and Emma's reasoning for completely stumping my boy and leaving him speechless.

I know the manga is showing us the flashbacks for our sake, but with how the duo is sorta looking off to the side instead of at each other, it makes me wanna believe they can see the images too. Hey, the Seven Walls can do anything. It ain't too farfetched to think it could project their memories right in front of their eyes like little screens. It's been playing with their minds this whole time anyways.

Bro help she's so cute being this tiny and explaining something this advanced to him.

Emma outright declaring she's acting on impulse gives me serious nostalgia for ch17 and I love it so much. Trust her hunch Ray, it's been right before!

I'll be damned.. I actually remembered to bring up what I had mentioned back in April. Huzzah!

"..when the trio speculate what’s outside of Grace Field’s large walls and Ray mentions the possibility of a desert, it reminds me of his time in The Seven Walls. While there, he states he’s never actually seen a desert (and concludes one only shows up because he visualized a vast space and sand due to the riddle), but it was satisfying to remember that he at least did think of what they look like once upon a time (here in ch16). I dunno, it just feels better knowing that one appearing in T7W wasn’t totally done at random, I guess."

It's scary to think how easy it is to actually lose yourselves in the Seven Walls. Ray mentions last chapter that the longer they stayed trapped here, the more his senses became messed up and had difficulties recognizing the differences between dreams and reality. Safe to say that he'd be truly lost without Emma's guidance.

I'm sorry but my RE heart is howling at this entire chapter. It's not even due to the ohmygodtheyreholdinghands thing, it's because of how determined they are to work through this confusing place together and everything else I ramble on about below.

Ray knows her logic is insane yet he chooses to put his life in her hands once more and trusts her plans anyway despite not understanding it fully and damn it they both make me so soft.

The fact that Emma was able to make some reasonable sense of this chaotic space and advise Ray of her logic in a way he would understand so they can both advance further into the Seven Walls together is nothing short of amazing and no doubt one of my favorite moments for her. And for Ray. It's takes a lot of grit to follow such a reckless leader after all.

Them actually succeeding and my boy being completely baffled that he just becomes an incoherent mess (he's just like me fr fr.)

Ah, so this is the hole that I've been trapped in ever since I started the series because I have yet to escape it.

My lovely GP children look fabulous. Can't say I'm a fan of how Norman & Vincent plan on using them for their plan though, even if just for logistical support. I'm sure the kids probably agreed to help but eh, they way they're chatting about their possible assistance makes me kinda skeptical about it.

Favorite panel/moment:

Okay, I honestly had such a hard time to decide.. there's so much I love about this chapter: Emma slapping Ray once again, him being totally confuzzled by her fantastic big brain moments, his mumbling, and the quick glimpse and the GP resistance at the shelter. This chapter has SO MUCH of everything that I adore and is probably one of my favorites. I obviously can't forget about these breathtaking double spreads either. Demizu never ceases to amaze me. The artwork is so incredible and I'll forever be upset that we didn't get to see this beauty animated.