#prince naofumi

[shieldherostuffs]

Royalty AU

Just had the thought of Naofumi being the first, but ignored and sometimes condemned prince of a Kingdom. The title of Crown Prince was given to his younger brother as soon as he was old enough since Naofumi didn't show enough talent or want for the crown.

However, after seeing how Naofumi turned out, a lot more pressure was put on his younger brother. Naofumi watched as famous teachers and tutors from all over the land were called and hired to teach and train his younger brother from the moment he could walk and talk, leaving him little to no free time to relax or enjoy any hobbies he may have found.

Meanwhile, Naofumi was left as alone as anyone could afford, though he still had to study, of course. A prince of the Kingdom couldn't be seen lacking. He'd spend his abundance of free time either in the royal library or sneaking into the Castletown, just to spite his parents, should they ever find out, though he doubted they would, with his little they seemed to care.

However, one day, after his brother's 16th birthday and the official announcement of his bachelorship and right to the throne, Naofumi was walking through the royal gardens in the evening, as the party was dying out. While walking through one of the more secluded parts, with tall, maze-like rose bushes, he finds his brother sitting on a bench crying his eyes out.

After listening to his brother's woes and hurts, Naofumi realized his little he'd actually been part of his little brother's life and vowed to change that. He offered his brother support and advice and tried to help lighten the load of his studies enough to free up a little time for relaxation.

However, the moment their parents found out about Naofumi helping his brother, they decided that the little time the two had freed up could be spent learning even more. So, they hired more tutors and reached.

Naofumi had felt guilty, and apologized again and again, despite his brother knowing and saying that it was okay, he'd just been trying to help. As another apology, Nafoumi showed him his second-favorite secret, second only to sneak into the town.

A secret net of catacombs beneath the castle grounds, including one larger room that Naofumi has fashioned into his own little private library and relaxation spot. Apparently, the majority of the catacombs, except for the main exit-entrances had been forgotten to time, and Naofumi had made a game out of exploring them.

However, only two years later, Naofumi's brother fell ill, too overworked from what the healers told, too stressed from all his lessons and piling duties to the kingdom. Despite the healers stating that the best cure would be resting for a while, their parents decided that despite being bedridden, Naofumi's brother could still study a bit while resting.

He didn't get better at all and only became sicker and sicker until he was so overworked that his body became weak and he couldn't leave his bed without help.

When it was declared that the Crown Prince was too sick to do his duties, the King and Queen suddenly turned their eyes back to their first son, the one they'd as good as thrown to the side and left to his own devices. This didn't sit well with Naofumi, as they started buttering up to him and handing all of his brother's duties over for him to complete in his brother's name until he'd gotten better.

However, the longer his brother had been and continued to be sick, Naofumi grew more and more resentful, until he couldn't take it anymore.

Not only was he cast to the side, his brother was also bedridden, his parents didn't truly care for either of them outside their usefulness, the court was riddled with serpents pretending to be advisors, the kingdom was headed into bankruptcy because of the court and nobility, but the people were planning something against the crown!

Unwilling to endure the decline of his kingdom any longer, Naofumi would once again sneak away from the castle, but this time, he wouldn't return for a long time.

Instead, he'd find the leaders of the group planning to overthrow the crown and strike a deal. If they let him sit on the throne after their overthrowing, he'd promised that he'd save this kingdom, and if he couldn't he'd willingly lay his neck under the executioner's blade, as long as they spared his brother. The deal was struck, and they started planning, beginning with Naofumi sharing his nearly-finished map of the forgotten catacombs.

Months later, in the dark of the night, the resistance would sneak into the catacombs under their leaders' and Naofumi's lead, and storm the castle from within. After helping apprehend his parents and throwing them in the dungeons, as the morning sun rose and the cheers resounded through the castle and town, Naofumi would go to his brother's chambers and find him finally looking a little healthier.

[shooting-the-stars]

Tag game

Aww thank you @pretty-dianxia for tagging me (꒪˙꒳˙꒪ )♡♡♡

Template here

10 Characters 10 Fandomִ ۫ ✧

And now!! I think this one was the coolest and the most satisfying part(≧∀≦)

1. Ian Phage ☆ Return of the Eighth Class Magician ☆

2. Zhou Yuan ☆Dragon Prince Yuan ☆

3. Chung Myung ☆Return of Mount Hua Sect ☆

4. Bai Xiaochun ☆Will of Eternal ☆

5. Xie Lian ☆Heaven Official's Blessing ☆

6. Naofumi Iwatani ☆Rising of the Shield Hero ☆

7. Pharoah Atem ☆Yu-Gi-Oh!☆

8. Yoon ☆Yona of the dawn☆

9. Mitsukuni Haninozuka ☆Ouran High School Academy ☆

10. Sesshomaru ☆Inuyasha ☆

Tagging(if you want to):@kailin-daydreams @hualianaddict @poisonivy-seastars @dianxiasworld @aelinrosendar anyone who wants to try

[cryptid-called-ash]

Really on a demon god au kick today, huh?

Thinking about the RotSH/servamp(demon god au?) thing

Bc if DGau,

- Nao is the adopted child of mahi and alek, he is undoubtedly some sort of fae (likely Hailian, so pointed ears and a tail, bc of course I built an entire fantasy race around my drawing preferences) and is so utterly steeped in the lunar court of his dads, it’s easy to forget he’s not biological theirs.

- imagine sweet baby naofumi dressed up all princely when uncle Cory has to babysit when Alek is on campaigns (yearly humanitarian work done by the legion)

- the whole thing with Myne was the first time someone actually had the guts to threaten naofumi, bc when you’re the son of the demon dragon lord Blackscale of Kyoto and the prince of death and madness, people tend not to fuck with you.

- the Cardanian imperial family, the orikikan princes (the DGau versions of the servamps) really try to be good uncles and aunts, but aside from Cory (I will take the fucking twin headcanon to my fucking grave!) and Lilith, none really know how to handle a kid, especially when that kid is just as feral as his parents

- naofumi doesn’t understand the human concept of gender. Hailian language has no gendered pronouns (using proper nouns and the pronouns ser/sera or they/them) or gendered words for anything that isn’t inherently tied to physical sex. ( hara is male, mara is female, and tara is neither. The words for parents are thus Ahara, Amara, and Atara respectively). That and multiple members of his family, Alek included, are gender fluid. So rigid gender roles confuse the hell out of him

Thanks @bluelovestoship for once again tolerating my brainrot so I can roughly coalesce this into something vaguely tangible 💙

[rosesinbloom7love]

TheRuFumi Prompt

What if? Au. Scenario: What is Naofumi was a prince? (i’m a sucker for royalty aus! Also imagine myne and the other heroes reactions if they ever found out?)

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Background: Naofumi is the crown prince of the Iwatani Kingdom, a country known world wide for its military power and vast wealth.

As next in line to the throne, Naofumi spent most of his childhood training to take succeed his father. Most days had Naofumi studying to run the kingdom or practicing his swordsmanship.

On the rare time Naofumi doesn’t have any lessons to attend to, he spends his time in the garden with his two younger siblings, the second prince and first princess.

Naofumi is very close to his little brother and sister as growing up their parents were often too busy ruling the kingdom and rarely had enough free time to for them. So, Naofumi tried to spend as much time as he could with his siblings.

Naofumi’s younger brother, the second prince, had a bit of a rebellious streak and would often try to skip out on his royal lessons. He hates the responsibilities associated with being royalty and craves the simple things in life.

In contrast, Naofumi’s younger sister, the first princess, absolutely loves the royal lifestyle. Being the youngest of the three siblings, she was often spoiled by their parent, especially by their mother. 

Both the first princess and queen have very refined tastes and tend to indulge in the finest of luxuries from expensive dresses and jewelry to decadent desserts. Of course, Naofumi father, the king, made sure they didn’t go too overboard in their lavish spending.

Naofumi is also ashamed to admit he spoiled his sister quite a bit as well growing up. It’s honestly amazing she didn’t become a selfish, entitled brat (like a certain red-headed bitch).

Both of Naofumi’s siblings can be pretty protective of him, despite the fact he can easily beat someone ten times his size. However, his sister in particular can be slightly clingy at times.

Whenever Naofumi couldn’t play with her, because of his royal studies, his sister would get really pouty and sad, but Naofumi always promised to play with her after his lessons.

However, there are days where Naofumi has no lessons at all and that is when his fiancee, Therese comes for a visit.

Therese is the daughter of Duke Alexanderite, a wealthy and influential noble  from the Kingdom of Shroud. 

Of course, the two’s engagement was arranged by their parents as are most marriages between royalty and nobility.

The two first met when Naofumi was only seven. Naofumi remembers being extremely nervous that day and when they were finally face to face, Naofumi could barely say hello as he kept stuttering.

An embarrassing first meeting to say the least. Luckily, Therese and her father didn’t seem to mind.

After the initial reaction, Two began talking and immediately hit it off.  Naofumi and Therese had an instant connection and enjoyed each others company. The two especially love taking walks in the royal garden on sunny days.

However, that’s not all Naofumi and therese do together.

When Naofumi was about thirteen, Therese managed to convince him to sneak out with her and attend the festival in the town square.

While at the festival, the two danced and laughed, while trying a variety of games and food. It became something of a habit for the two to sneak off whenever, Therese came to visit.

One day while on their way back to the castle after an afternoon of sneaking around, Naofumi noticed what looked to be a young boy laying in an alleyway.

Worried that the boy might be hurt, the two rush over to him. The boy had dark, crimson hair and tan skin, he looked to be around Naofumi and Therese’s age.

Therese noticed the boy was heavily injured with blood running down his face. Knowing that the boy needed immediate care, Therese and Naofumi decide to take the young red head back to the palace with them.

Once there, Naofumi called on the royal healer to help the boy and after a few hours had passed the boy finally awoke.

Naofumi asked who the boy was to which he introduced himself as L’arc. However, when asked where he came from and why he was laying in the alleyway, L’arc couldn’t answer.

In fact, other than his first name, L’arc couldn’t remember anything. The royal healer informed Naofumi and Therese that L’arc must be suffering from amnesia due to the injury on his head. However, the healer was unsure whether it was permanent or temporary.

With permission from the queen and king, L’arc was allowed at stay at the palace as one of Naofumi’s servants.

However, a few months after L’arc’s arrival, it was discovered that L’arc was an excellent fighter and swordsmen after challenging Naofumi’s sword instructor to a sparring match.

After that, L’arc was assigned as Naofumi’s personal knight. As time went on, L’arc became really close with Naofumi and Therese, which resulted in the two falling for the red head.

Therese began to visit the Iwatani kingdom more often, spending almost all her time with Naofumi and L’arc. L’arc even began to join the two on their adventures into town.

However, this all changed a few years later.

When Naofumi was about seventeen, his parents hosted a grand ball to celebrate his sister’s coming of age. The ball also doubled as a way to find a suitable husband for her.

By this point, Naofumi’s sister had grown into a fine, young princess renowned for her beauty and intelligence. So, she already had quite a few suitors wanting her hand in marriage.

One the day of the ball, royalty and nobility from all over were invited. The enormous ballroom was filled with nobles dancing, laughing and conversing.

Naofumi’s sister were with dodging dance offers and romantic gifts left and right, while his parents were busy dealing with nobles trying to convince the king and queen that their son would be the best pick for the princess.

Naofumi’s brother had either not shown up yet or is hiding in the corner somewhere.

Naofumi himself spent most of the ball with L’arc, at some point he went off to grab a drink for the both of them, effectively leaving Naofumi alone.

Thankfully, Therese arrived not long after and the two began to talk, During, their chat the two were approached by the king and queen of Shroud. 

Naofumi and Therese greeted the monarchs, who began to strike up conversation. 

It was around this time that L’arc returned with two glasses of wine in hand. Therese and Naofumi were about to greet him, but were stopped by the sound of a loud gasp and glass shattering on the ground.

The three of them turned around to see the queen of Shroud standing there with a shocked look on her face, the wine glass she was holding was now laying my her feet broken into tiny pieces, wine spilling on the marble floor,

By this point everyone in the ballroom turned their attention to the small group. Naofumi asked the queen if she was ok, the queen did not answer. Instead, she stared at L’arc with a look of disbelief.

When Naofumi looked to the king of Shroud, he saw that the king was just as shell shocked as the queen. Suddenly, the queen latches onto L’arc while crying loudly, much to the confusion of the red headed knight.

After calming the queen down, it was discovered that L’arc is the second prince of the kingdom of Shroud that went missing over four years ago and was presumed dead. 

This, of course, was a huge shock to everyone, especially to Therese and her father as no one knew that Shroud’s second prince WAS missing. Apparently, the thought of her child being dead affected the queen so badly that the king made it a rule that no one was allowed to speak L’arc’s name.

Once everything was said and done, L’arc had to return to Shroud with the king and queen, This devastated Naofumi as he had grown really close to L’arc over the years and can’t imagine not having the goofy red head around.

However, Naofumi understood that L’arc needed to return to his kingdom. L’arc promised to write and to Naofumi whenever he could.

A years or so go by and true to his word, L’arc wrote to Naofumi almost constantly. It was usually him complaining about paperwork or what him and Therese were up to.

Whenever, Therese came to visit Naofumi’s kingdom, L’arc would always tag along. It was almost like L’arc had never left. however, tragedy struck.

One day, Naofumi received news of the king of Shroud suddenly falling severally ill. That was already enough to make Naofumi worry about L’arc, but it only got worse when news of the first prince’s, L’arc’s older brother, assassination spread.

Apparently, the first prince and a few of his companions were on a hunting trip, when they were suddenly ambushed by a group of cloaked assassins. while some of the hunting group had managed to get away with only a few injures, the first prince was sadly killed during the altercation.

With the first prince’s death and the king too sick to lead, L’arc was thrusted into the position of king.

Both Naofumi and Therese attended the first prince’s funeral as well as L’arc’s coronation ceremony as a way to support L’arc through the hard time.

At first, L’arc struggled at being king, but as time went on it got easier, especially with Therese helping out.

The relationship between the kingdoms of Shroud and Iwatani also improved even more. Before, the two kingdoms were simply on friendly terms, but in the few years L’arc took over as king, the Iwatani kingdom became Shroud’s biggest ally.

As years went by, L’arc, Therese and Naofumi were still very close and would visit each other as often as they could with their busy schedules.

By this point, Naofumi was twenty and was due to take over his father’s position as king in a few years as well as officially marry Therese.

One day, Naofumi decided to visit the royal library, where he found his younger sister reading in one of the plush sofas. He gave a quick smile, before heading into one of the many book shelves. 

While searching, Naofumi noticed a book he had never seen before. Reaching up and grabbing the book from its place on the shelf.

On it’s cover read, ‘The Record of the Four Cardinal Heroes’, much to Naofumi’s surprise. 

Naofumi has read the record of the four cardinal heroes many times throughout his life, this book looked different than the one Naofumi used to read.

Upon opening the book, Naofumi only grew more confused. The heroes the book described were NOT the heroes of legend. At least, not the ones Naofumi was familiar with.

Suddenly, the book began to glow as did the shelves and floor around him. 

The last thing Naofumi saw before being transported was his sister’s fearful face rushing towards him, arm out-stretched to grab him. 

The next thing Naofumi knows, he is standing in a room with three other men all holding a weapon and there’s a green shield stuck to his arm.

Tagging: @shieldherostuffs, @crytid-witch-called-ash, @eli-elien

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Personal Headcannons:

No one believed Naofumi when he told them he was a prince from another world and rumors about the shield being a crazy man who thinks he’s a prince spread.

Because of that, Naofumi didn’t even bother mentioning the fact he’s a prince to Raphtalia or Filo. it seemed pointless to him.

So imagine everyone’s surprise when Glass shows up during the wave and immediately recognizes Naofumi as the missing crown prince of the Iwatani kingdom.

Then Naofumi reunited with L’arc & Therese on Cal Mira Island.

The three other heroes and Naofumi’s party having to travel to Naofumi’s world and end up meeting his family.

Naofumi’s kingdom is styled more closely to medieval japan with some European elements and the palace Naofumi grew up in is that of a giant medieval Japanese castle and is WAY bigger than the castle in Melromarc.

The moment Naofumi & the others make it to his palace they are greeted by a grand welcome from the palace servants.

then a beautiful young girl comes running out of the palace entrance and quite literally tackles Naofumi to the ground. Naofumi then introduces her as his younger sister.

Motoyasu 100% tries to flirt with Naofumi’s sister (much to his disgust & annoyance) and either gets harshly slapped or threatened by her.

Naofumi’s sister was undoubtably pissed after hearing about what her older brother went through from Glass, L’arc & Therese.

She’ll act VERY cold if not out-right hostile towards the other heroes (except maybe Ren, but that’s up for debate).

She has a particular hatred for Motoyasu because A). he was one of the people who actively made life for her brother harder and B). HE”S AN ANNOYING CREEP WHO CAN’T SEEM TO TAKE A HINT AND REALIZE SHE’S NOT INTERESTED IN DATING HIM!!

To Naofumi’s party though? She’s the sweet, doting big sister of the group.

Seriously, she loves to shower Filo & Melty with affection and sweets and acts like something of a close personal friend to Raphtalia.

Naofumi’s sister is also the first person to find out his & Therese’s relationship with L’arc when he was Naofumi’s personal knight. after catching the three coming out of a room together looking like they just got down with some kind of intense training.

She didn’t say anything as the three quickly left upon noticing her presence. But she did make a subtle joke a dinner that nearly caused Naofumi choke on his food.

She will NEVER let Naofumi live that day down.

[moonlightkitsune]

Bitch learns from someone that the kingdom is a Matriarch, and "tries" to get the prince's and King's favor to hopefully marry the prince and be made a queen... She claims to have slept with him at the Inn and demands that the issue is fixed with marriage. Naofumi explains that his little sister is next for the throne, because who ever she marries would not be Queen. (i.e. because he's gay)

Ha!

[eli-elien]

I've been thinking of another au combining my two favorite medias

An SBI ROTSH au

The plot is a bit twisted but instead of the original accusation it's some kind of terrorism and the characters are mostly based off of their dsmp counterparts 

In each their universes there's always were a version of them.

Wilbur grew up in foster care and there was always something wrong with these families. One had two other foster kids, a blonde kid with bright blue eyes. And an older one who was recluse and quiet with dyed pink hair. They play preten sometimes and Tommy and Wilbur usually wants to play the hero while techno plays the villain to appease his lil brothers.

Techno was born in London with a twin and something so traumatic happened to the point he repressed that memory and only remembers things after the age of ten. He now lives in America.

Tommy grew up as an orphan who never got picked or got attention and so he did things to get that attention by being a trouble maker and being obnoxious. He just wants a friend. He got that friend at age 16 but found that he led him to his death.

Phil comes from a sci fi world, he's a mechanic who lost his family due to the world being so fucked up. He's motivated by their deaths and the fact that there's a beautiful sky above the smog to make mechanical wings, when he's summoned he has them with him.

Techno

As the shield hero he'll be our mc also bc he's my fave and I find c!techno and Naofumi have a ton of similarities also to have have his iconic furred red cloak. He trusts far more than he should and gets blamed for causing something he didn't do.

He gets tricked by dream, the first prince and the one who actually caused the explosion.

Phil and Wilbur don't trust him except Tommy does because Dream seems "cool" and stuff ya know I mean he is like 16 soooo ye 

After weeks he sees a two teens get beaten up and and he knows he shouldn't get involved but his body moves before he can think and smartly beats one of them and runs away with the kids.

The kids are ranboo who's half cat and raccoon and very very weird looking and tubbo who's a goat hybrid. This is where he learns how fucked up the world is and gives the boys a lil speech abt how he doesn't trust people but they don't wanna leave techno and is willing to do whatever they can to help techno 

Wilbur

The sword hero, and his wit and charm is sharper than his sword. Due to his upbringing he doesn't trust easily and as someone who had to manipulate his way to survive he can see through dream and just does not like the guy.

Tommy

As the spear hero he can too much and because of his upbringing he gets attached to anyone who's nice and gives him the attention he's always needed. And unlike motoyasu he drinks his respect women juice.

He's still obnoxious but very very rude

Phil

He definitely didn't ask for this but fine he'll play their game. Hes the bow hero

Oh of course the monarchy is being a bitch ok.

Ye he never trusts the government bc of his world and definitely isn't trusting of that masked green fucker.

Before the big fight with the Pope (who I don't know will be) he and Wilbur explore and find out some secrets.

Tommy is fighting techno bc he thinks he killed them when it was actually the church and Tommy actually enjoyed his time with Phil and Wilbur and actually sees will as his older brother figure so ye very upset 

But after wards its revealed it was plot for dream to become king and he has a trial and Tommy is the one withthe idea to change Dream's name to bitch boy and green fucker which makes the rest of sbi laugh 

Wilbur yells "suck it greeen boooooy" and it's so funny anyways *dissolves*

[countess--olenska]

Identifying heads of leaders in the Satsuma Rebellion.

Pictured are Kawamura Sumiyoshi, Itō Sukemaro, Yamagata Aritomo, Ōyama Iwao, head of Saigō Takamori, Yasumura Harutaka, Mr.Masumitsu, head of Murata Shimpachi, Miyoshi Shigeomi, head of Kirino Toshiaki, Prince Komatsu Akihito, Tatsumi Naofumi, Yamada Akiyoshi

[alhakue]

MAGICAL MARCH 2021

16.         Hansel & Gretel – Yami Yugi (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Suggested by @super-lovely-collection​

You can’t have “Hansel & Gretel” with just one cinnamon roll so… We have Yugi as a guest!!!

I think I know them, so make a piece for them were easier than other days hehe This two lovely guys have powers that help them to defeat evil!

Yami can make and control fire (as the fire of the chimney that Hansel & Gretel used to kill the witch, funny lol). Yugi can exhale a sugar breath. At first neither of them saw use for that, but Yugi trained a lot and now he can use deadly variants: from fine needles and suffocating dust to a sturdy shield!!

Outfits were inspired by Hansel and Gretel from the original Spyro trilogy. Nice games.

I could make an AU someday…

                            **********************************************        

Magical March 2021

1. Sword – Vali Lucifer (Highschool DxD)

2. Cinderella – Pearl (Steven Universe)

3. Little Red Riding Hood – Mai Valentine/Mai Kujaku (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

4. Fairy – Mako Tsunami/Ryota Kaijiki (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

5. Sleeping Beauty – Chomosuke (Konosuba)

6. Goldielocks – Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

7. Aladin – Naofumi Iwatani (Tate no Yusha no Nariagari)

8. Thumbelina – Clara Valac (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)

9. Frankenstein – Kameo (Kameo: Elements of Power)

10. The Frog Prince – Shinobu Kocho (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

11. Kaguya-Hime  – Luka Couffaine (Miraculous Ladybug)

12. Snow White - Tomoyo Daidouji (Card Captor Sakura) 

13. Dracula - Purah (TLoZ: BotW)

14. Bow - Elio (Pokémon Sun & Moon)

15. Unicorn - Paimon (Genshin Impact)

[silyabeeodess]

Going to take a moment to brag about a Webtoon comic that I’ve been reading lately called “The Remarried Empress.”  Honestly, drama isn’t one of my favorite genres, but this story does so many nice things that make it an enjoyable read through-and-through. 

First off is the name alone and opening chapter, which gives you the major spoiler that Empress Navier remarries immediately after her husband, Emperor Sovieshu, divorces her for his mistress, Rashta. I feel beginning the story in this way is pivotal to how successful it is, because we’re then brought back in time to the events leading up to said point--which include numerous struggles and emotional hardships for our heroine.  When it comes to these types of stories, where the main character is basically unfairly treated like someone’s punching bag, it’s very easily to get frustrated on their behalf.  Take, “Rising of the Shield Hero” for instance, where Naofumi is forced to clean up the messes of the other heroes and in return gets blamed for crimes he didn’t commit.  Another example is “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” in which Tess is forced to face society’s harsh judgement and support her awful parents at the cost of her own happiness.  While the reader does garner a lot of sympathy for the main character, that sympathy can easily turn into a heated anger for the string of unjustices playing out in the story--with both a hope and uncertainty if there will even be a pay-off for it all.  This opening reassures the reader that, yes, everything will turn out alright in the end, instead replacing those feelings for a giddy anticipation of sweet, sweet karma. 

Spiraling off that point, this also plays a little into Navier’s character as well.  She doesn’t know what we, the audience, does; however, she’s a very strong and witty person who navigates herself through the worst of situations with a poker face that would be the envy of any gambler.   Yes, she suffers, but she always does whatever she can to rise out of the problem she’s in in the moment.  As much as we sympathize with her, we don’t have to mourn with her, because we know she can pick herself up again just fine. Therefore, it’s very easy to root for her as a kind of champion.  It makes following her story very calming and refreshing as opposed to the tale of the typical underdog.

Rashta’s character also has its own flavor to it.  A sad thing about a lot of modern day villains is that they often get split into two categories: Those who are rotten to the core and those who are merely misunderstood/need redemption.  Neither is necessarily bad: It’s moreso the collective whole of villains we see that make the lot of them stale, tiring, and even unbelievable. Rashta finds a nice balance between the two.  Without giving anything away, her backstory is sad.  We understand that she’s also suffered and is looking for her own happiness.  It’s difficult for her to trust others and she feels very alone, like she could be thrown away at any moment.  However, she clearly enjoys stepping on other people--even those who don’t have anything to do with her current situation.  She expects that other people sympathize with her even as she antagonizes them, such as Navier--the woman who’s husband she’s sleeping with.  The slightest, verbal slap-back can make her burst into tears, and she’ll manipulate others not just for her benefit, but also purely for her entertainment--even when the suffering she causes has grave consequences for those individuals. Yes, she has been a victim in the past, but it’s a role she refuses to let go of even when things are going well for her.  Yes, we understand Rashta, but her actions make it impossible to feel sorry for her.

While the main conflict is between Navier and Rashta as of the current update to the comic when writing this, don’t think they left a certain insect out of the mix! I’m glad that this story doesn’t just focus on two women fighting over a truly worthless guy as other stories have.  A homewrecker is terrible, but it takes two to tango and Sovieshu plays the role of crappy husband perfectly. While it’s addressed that he clearly still “loves” Navier in later chapters, it’s really just an ideal image of her rather than her herself that he projects onto Rashta--and he constantly gaslights/blames Navier for any fault that occurs on his or Rashta’s behalf.  He thinks he’s perfect, and wants both Navier and Rashta to follow his “perfect” vision of a single person without paying attention to his own faults. His “love” has turned to possession, and it will be a beautiful day when he wakes up and realizes he’s well past the point of being able to fix his mistakes.

As for Prince Heinrey, the last of our four main characters, I don’t know how much I can say as of right now since I’m also reading the Webnovel, which is much further ahead in the story than the comic.  Therefore, I won’t go into too many details.  I’ll just say that I do think he is an ideal guy for Navier to turn to, and while the audience can root for the both of them, there’s something a little uncomfortable about it that can tickle the back of the mind.  Don’t get me wrong, Heinrey truly loves Navier and comes across as a real prince charming, but the mystery element of a potential conflict between his kingdom and Sovieshu’s/Navier’s makes me wonder if any feelings she has for him will immediately fade due to the danger he poses to her people--even after the remarriage.  It’s easy to feel bad for Heinrey too since Navier is just coming off her bad relationship with Sovieshu while he’s already head over heels for her.  

That being said, it adds an extra element of suspense that might’ve otherwise been quashed by the opening’s reveal.  As much as I praised it, there would be a concern of just giving away the ending of the story like that--but that’s the gem: It’s not the end, it’s the end of an act/arc.  There’s so much more to “The Remarried Empress” that we’re only just being given spoonfuls of at a time, and with the focus being on the build-up to the divorce, I get a feeling it may lead to a blindsiding reveal in the future. 

Lastly, while this doesn’t have anything to do with the story itself, I have to say that reading the comments of it on Webtoons or posts about it on sites like this are just as entertaining.  Everyone’s so sassy that I think the fanbase just keeps riling itself up behind these characters as much as the plot itself.  I think if something big did happen in the story, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone forgot for just a moment that it was fiction and rallied behind Navier all while screaming, “For our beloved queen, we ride at dawn!” because we’d just all be so swept away in our own energy. XD I don’t condone mob mentality, but this is one thing I could get behind.            

[theanimeview]

What Makes a King? - A Concept Overview & Analysis

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial​​

Above is my favorite scene from the manhwa King’s Maker (from Season 1 Episode/chapter 14). 

I love this scene because it perfectly embodies the ideal of what it takes to be a just or good leader in the fictional world of this particular story (not just seen as one publicly, but actually being one). It's an idea that relies heavily on the concept of noblesse oblige, which tends to pop-up in stories featuring nobles, royalty, or something similar. While also expanding on this idea of the necessity for chivalry that draws its definition and history from stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round. In modern-day stories, I would argue that much of our current interpretations and ideas of knightly/chivalric qualities come from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s stories of the king and his knights as well as the tales’ later retellings. [For those that don’t know noblesse oblige is the idea of inferred responsibility from privileged people to act with generosity and nobility toward those less privileged and chivalry is defined as a knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. Geoffrey of Monmouth is the author of the first narrative account of King Arthur's life that we know of.]

You see, as someone who has studied literature in school, particularly Classical Antiquity and where we've gone from since, I've always been really interested in this idea of what makes a King, particularly in stories where we see a fight for the throne because it's hard to maintain these ideal qualities in what is often a bloody battle for power among people who have little to no qualms about committing vile acts to maintain what they have or gain more power, money, etc. This question of what makes a King? is a one I find myself asking often when I read fantasy stories that involve any question of a throne or it’s inheritance. However, I use the term "king" loosely to encompass the concept of a rightful ruler as defined by the set up an author gives in their individual stories.  

In popular works like Game of Thrones, in which we see much of the darker sides to knighthood, oaths, nobility, royalty, and so on--we see the grim reality of Geoffrey of Monmouth's time. In fact, some argue that Geoffrey's account and the focus on the knighthood and Arthur's reign amid war and beyond was a subversive aim to inspire real change among the dark abuses of power that many members of the knightly class, nobility, and above, held. In a movie like The Knight's Tale, we see this too in which it is the common man that depicts the embodiment of a true knight's spirit--one that is loyal, protective, chivalrous, deserving of love and admiration, and so on--rather than the majority of the knights born to their status. Shakespeare, who features many noble and royal families in his tales, also marks some of these qualities--showing audiences both redeeming features and cruelty among the classes (a rare depiction that landed him, at times, in the hot seat). 

These stories draw me in, as they do many others, and I think we can draw a conclusion on the trials a good or just king, knight, noble, or other must embody to achieve their "throne" by the end--one that is a bit more clear than The King Maker's summary above. 

Each potential "king" must succeed in a trail depicting one or more of the seven knightly virtues (defined here: http://marktoci.weebly.com/7-knightly-virtues.html), those being: 

“Courage.  More than bravado or bluster, a knight must have the courage of the heart necessary to undertake tasks which are difficult, tedious or unglamorous, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved.

Justice.  A knight holds him- or herself to the highest standard of behavior, and knows that “fudging” on the little rules weakens the fabric of society for everyone.

Mercy.  Words and attitudes can be painful weapons, which is why a knight exercises mercy in his or her dealings with others, creating a sense of peace and community, rather than engendering hostility and antagonism.

Generosity.  Sharing what’s valuable in life means not just giving away material goods, but also time, attention, wisdom and energy - the things that create a strong, rich and diverse community.

Faith.  In the code of chivalry, “faith” means trust and integrity, and a knight is always faithful to his or her promises, no matter how big or small they may be.

Nobility.  Although this word is sometimes confused with “entitlement” or “snobbishness,” in the code of chivalry it conveys the importance of upholding one’s convictions at all times, especially when no one else is watching.

Hope.  More than just a safety net in times of tragedy, hope is present every day in a knight’s positive outlook and cheerful demeanor - the ‘shining armor’ that shields him or her, and inspires people all around.”

Suppose one were to look to the code of chivalry defined in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In that case, those virtuous qualities might instead be represented as friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety/humility. 

Failing to pass such trails, the potential "king" would instead display a knightly sin (defined here: https://chivalrytoday.com/knightly-sins/), and often, if not always, in a story suffers karma for such actions. 

The idea of a Hero's Journey, a story form I'm sure everyone has heard defined many times before, includes these trails even though they are rarely explicitly spelled out in a summary of the form. This may be because many heroes rising, of which these "kings" are, already embody these virtues and only struggle with or require a trial against one of them.

As it stands, we can often see in advance a potential king's tragedy by understanding this idea. For example, we know that Wolfgang Goldenleonard, the prince seen above in The King's Maker excerpt I’ve provided, is going to be the King, birth order be damned. Will there be trails? Of course. And he passes them securing his crown at the end of Season 1; and continues to pass them thus maintaining his throne, which we can see currently in Season 2.

By extension, we can see the character's whose stories will end in failure based on how long it takes them to pass the knightly trails, if they even can pass them. For example, Richard III in Requiem of the Rose King, which is sure to end in tragedy--not simply because the Shakespearean plays the work draws on tend to end that way but because Richard’s character has changed from the loyal son/brother. 

King, in this sense, could probably easily be replaced by the word hero or knight... but the idea stands that to make them worthy of their title they seem to need one or more of these qualities.

So as you read the next chapter of your favorite knight's tale, or a battle for the throne, or a rise to power--consider whether or not your hero/protagonist is capable of achieving these virtues. You will probably find that even the characters that seem villainous, like the self-ish Seo Joo-Heon from Tomb Raider King or Naofumi Iwatani from The Rising of The Shield Hero, pass the test we've defined here.

[shieldherostuffs]

The Four Heroes are at some point, asked to wear formal wear from their worlds to a banquet.

Motoyasu wears black slacks, black shoes, a white, loose dressshirt, a deep red embroidered vest with a hood attached, a black tie, long silver earrings, a thin silver band around each upper arm, and multiple thin and dainty silver chains hanging around his hips and waist.

Itsuki wears a dark yellow-green three-piece suit with white gloves, and white shoes.

Ren wears white slacks with a blue stripe down the sides, a midnight blue satin tunic with frills around the wrists and neck, a black underbust corset, and a blue, embroideries sash around his hips.

("You look like something from a vampire story." Motoyasu commented "Yeah, well, I look good in it, and it's become a popular fashion for fancy parties in my world. I have no idea why. Also, you look like something from the past." Ren answered "Not my fault I look dashing in my world's return fashion," Motoyasu says back)

All three are confused as heck when Naofumi shows up in what's basically a glorified belly-dancer outfit, with more shawls, a see-through green cloth around his midsection, more jewelry (all of his own creation), and a long flowing half-see-through saying skirt attached to the pants sitting low on his hips

"And here I thought our worlds were somewhat similar," Itsuki comments upon seeing Naofumi's outfit

"It was either this, or something with a corset, probably a dress, and Raphtalia refused to allow me to wear one because of my injuries." (Genderfluid, maybe? @queen-of-carven-stone) Secret Royalty!Naofumi answers

"I wanted to wear a dress." Ren mentions

"I would've loved to have worn clothes from my culture too," Motoyasu laments

"Why didn't you?" Naofumi asks

"Didn't know if it would be accepted," Ren says

"I don't know how kimonos and those kinds of clothes are designed," Motoyaus answers sheepishly

First, Naofumi turns to Ren, "You're literally a Cardinal Hero, Ren. If you'd told them that your culture was wearing only your underwear to parties, because of some bullshit reason like loving your own body, these people probably would've taken it at face value." Naofumi tells him

Ren looks determined as he answers "Next time."

Then Naofumi turns to Motoyasu, "If you want, I can try to help. I've studied multiple different kinds of fashion and cultures in my world, and my neighboring ki-country had traditional clothing such as kimonos and the like."

(He was about to say kingdom but changed to country because that's what the other three use.)

Motoyasu grinned brightly, clinking his glass with Naofumi's, "Thank you!"

[natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk]

Happy Belated Birthday Kaito Ishikawa! (Oct 13)

He has an amazing amount of roles for someone who just turned 26. He seems to take a lot of roles.

Notable Roles

Tenya Iida - Boku no Hero Academia

Narek Ishru de Mildonia - Dame x Prince Anime Caravan

Ryou Kouzuki - Bonjour♪Koiaji Pâtisserie

Mitsuo Yanagisawa - Golden Time

Tobio Kageyama - Haikyuu

Kensuke Fukui - Kuroko no Basket

Kiyotaka Yagashira - Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes

Rinne Rokudou - Kyoukai no Rinne

Tsumugu Kihara - Nagi no Asukara

Kouto Fujisaki - Noragami Aragoto

Shihou Kimizuki - Owari no Seraph

Pipimi - Pop Team Epic

Kaki - Pokemon Sun & Moon

Kei Asai - Sakurada Reset

Sakuta Azusagawa - Seishun Buta Yarou

Ledo - Suisei no Gargantia

Naofumi Iwatani - Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari

Kuki Urie - Tokyo Ghoul:re

Harutora Tsuchimikado - Tokyo Ravens

Takurou Sugawara - Tsurezure Children

(no gif so have a video!)

Kaito Onogi - Tsurune

Subaru Ichinose - Uchuu Senkan Tiramisu

(WHY ARE THERE NO PLEASANT-LOOKING GIFS FOR THIS GUY? WE GET IT, YOU’VE GOT ABS, I DON’T.)

Nine - Zankyou no Terror

Genos - One Punch Man

Videos

Other Stuff:

[PLAYLIST] saito soma & ishikawa kaito

[Eng Sub] Uchida Yuuma surprising Ishikawa Kaito for his birthday

Kaito is (1) loud and sweaty boi (BNHA Radio)

How Ishikawa Kaito fell in love with Namikawa-san (story time) (eng sub)

[Haikyuu Radio] Ishikawa Kaito asking Uchiyama Kouki an indecent question [Eng Sub]

[Dame x Prince] What does Kaito and Saitou Souma's texts look like ⎮ CoLLa Game

Haikyuu Karasuno Radio (Rajikyuu), Episode 5 part 2 [Eng Sub]

[Rajikyuu!!] Ishikawa Kaito says ''Kaiayu" ⎮ CoLLa Game

[Eng sub] Papa Midorikawa can't give Murase to Kaito

[Dame x Prince] What does Kaito and Saitou Souma's texts look like

[Rajikyuu!!] Ennoshita will do anything for Kiyoko-san! but... 

[ENG SUB] Zankyou no Terror behind the recording session.

[English Sub] Ono Kensho thirdwheels in Ishikawa Kaito and Saitou Souma's date

[English Sub] Ono Kensho thirdwheels in Ishikawa Kaito and Saitou Souma's date Part 2

[cryptid-called-ash]

Naofumi Iwatani, first prince of hell, the shield demon, lord of wrath, master of the cursed flame. Husband and father.

From that fic I did, consorts of the shield demon. Here’s demon prince Nao in his mortal guise. I’ll draw his demon form later.

The writing is in daedric and it says ‘I do love you’

[recentanimenews]

The Rising of The Shield Hero's Postponed Stage Play Newly Set for July 2021

    The official website for the postponed stage play adaptation of Aneko Yusagi's fantasy light novel series The Rising of the Shield Hero has announced that it is newly set to be performed at Theater Sun Mall in Tokyo from July 15 to 25, 2021.

   The stage play directed by Ken Ougida (Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits stage plays) was originally planned to be performed at COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA TT Hall in Osaka from March 27 to 29, 2020, then at Theater Sun Mall in Tokyo from April 2 to 12. However, all of the shows were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  All of the original cast members, including Yuuya Uno as Naofumi Iwatani and Karin Isobe as Raphtalia, are confirmed to return. Further details such as timetable and ticket sales will be announced at a later date.

          舞台『盾の勇者の成り上がり』 延期公演、２０２１年７月上演決定！ ↓↓↓https://t.co/Ep75FU9Qdk 【公演HP】https://t.co/Kux2WGP0mq 【日程】 ２０２１年７月１５日（木）～７月２５日（日） 【劇場】 シアターサンモール 【原作】 アネコユサギ 【原作イラスト】 弥南せいら#舞台盾の勇者 pic.twitter.com/b11n4NgN1l

— 舞台『盾の勇者の成り上がり』 (@shieldherostage) March 5, 2021

      The cast filmed a no-audience performance for a DVD/Blu-ray release at the original Osaka venue (COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA TT Hall) on March 27, 2020, the play's scheduled opening day. The 7,000-yen DVD and the 7,500-yen Blu-ray were released in Japan in September of the year. You can see how the cast portrayed their characters on stage in a two-minute PV below.

           Main cast: 

  Naofumi Iwatani: Yuuya Uno (Kunimitsu Tezuka in The Prince of Tennis musicals) 

Raphtalia: Karin Isobe (Sayaka Saeki in Bloom Into You stage play) 

Raphtalia (childhood): Elena Kamata  

Motoyasu Kitamura: Ikkei Yamamoto (Shuichirp Ohishi in The Prince of Tennis musicals) 

Ren Amaki: Yuuho Matsui (Shun Izuki in Kuroko's Basketball stage plays) 

Itsuki Kawasumi: Taiga Fukazawa (Masaru Saiga in Karakuri Circus stage play) 

Erhard: Maruyama Atsushi (Utsusemimaru/Kyoryu Gold in Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger) 

Myne Sophia / Malty S. Melromarc: Sarah Emi Bridcutt (the anime voice cast of the character)

Slave dealer: Kotori Kojama 

Aultcray Melromarc XXXII: Isamu Ishizuka

Filo: Yuuna Sekine (Sakura Amamiya in New Sakura Wars the Stage) 

Knight Commander Nopus: Kenta Nishi  

Deputy Commander Sabre: Kiyoshi Ohno

Eyck: Ryuya Ishigami

            Source: Scissors Blitz press release

  © 2019 Yusagi Aneko/KADOKAWA/The Rising of the Shield Hero production committee

  By: Mikikazu Komatsu

[rosesinbloom7love]

L'arc is a thief tasked with stealing the crown of the prince. L'arc ends up stealing the prince as well...

Leader: L'arc, you were only supposed to steal the crown.

L'arc: Yes, I am aware.

Leader: ...Then why, the f*ck, is the prince in your arms!?

L'arc: Well, he is wearing the crown, so I thought it would be easier to just take the whole package.

Leader: Oh gods...

Naofumi: ...

[moonlightkitsune]

When the king summoned the four heroes to Melromarc, he never expected the Shield Hero to look so much like his deceased sister. (AU where Bitch is the summoned shield hero and Naofumi is the crown prince. Bitch's personality stays the same, Trash is an idiot that lets her get away with anything, and Naofumi is trying to keep his father in line during his Mother and younger sister's absence.) ((Everything she's accused Naofumi of doing in canon, she's done.))

Hate her....

Still... Naofumi would imprison her for her crimes, at least.

And... L'Arc would fall in love with this Prince. Maybe marry him.