#sailor moon manga captures

[misspines]

Chibi Sailor Moon

Reblog/like if you used it

[moonrosegirl]

Rei is a completely different character in Sailor Moon 90s vs Crystal. You cannot convince me those are supposed to be the same person.

[greenfinchg-illustration]

Hiii!

@ the pride month fanart, I would love to see Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune in your style, if that is something that sounds good to you and you have the time 🥰.

I am also a big fan of your Isobel and Dame Aylin paintings. You capture them so lovely, one can never say no to more of that!

Love your work! Happy Pride and have a lovely day! 💖✨

Like every year, I asked my Tumblr followers which fanart they would like to see from me for pride. I started with the suggestion of @haeluin , Uranus and Neptune. This illustration was a little challenge for me. Although I know this TV show from my childhood, I have never drawn anything about it. but I had so much fun. When I was little I always wanted to draw magical girls. haha. I still love it.

But there is one thing I would like to talk about. Because this was the first time I've drawn these characters and it's been a long time since I've seen the show, I went to Pinterest to look for references. I had to scroll for a long, loooong time until the first fanart and original artwork came up. I almost only saw generated “art”. That makes me so sad. Sailor Moon is one of the first fandoms I can remember. The internet has always been full of self made art from this wonderful show. How many of us discovered anime and manga through Sailor Moon? and also the love of drawing. I have the feeling that all these wonderful works have now been replaced by carelessly generated art. it's such a shame. It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of generated art. But the fact that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find human -made art (and the original illustrations) is incredibly sad.

[zoe-oneesama]

You said you were a super fan of Sailor Moon, could you give your opinion about the 90s and Crystal adaptations? There's a lot of debate about which one is the best, honestly I think both have their positive points...although personally the 90s one will have a special place in my heart 💖

Crystal definitely had a rough start since it was just...so UGLY! DX I'm sorry but that's the only way to describe it, the 3D models were bad, the animation was bad, the drawings were bad, it was bad! So despite being the more faithful adaptation, it was a hard watch at first.

Luckily, Crystal can now stand on it's own and is actually quite beautiful. It really captures the melodrama from the original manga while being less visually confusing and easy to follow. If you're a fan of the manga, definitely give Crystal a go.

I too have a nostalgia attachment to the 90s dub and the 90s animation is the one that I'm collecting the full season of, so it is definitely the one that I prefer. I do really like that the redub and Crystal use the same voice actors, so all the VAs get to experience the different versions of their characters.

As a kid, I really only watched whatever random episode was on tv, whatever random video blockbuster had, or the movies, but I was still really attached to 90s Sailor Moon. Now I'm currently going through and watching every episode. Pray for me, I'm at Season 3: Sailor Moon S.

[emyluwinter]

Attention! Spoilers!

SHOO. AWAY!!

Fellow/Ferro…..are you going to do W.H.A.T ?!?

SELLING CHILDREN AS PUPPETS?!?DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD???

EXCUSE ME?!?When did I miss the moment when twst went down the dark path of the "black butler"??????

Yana, don't you damnt dare!! We've been in shock since the last time!! *creepy flashbacks from manga*ugh..

*deep breath* And HOW interesting are the guys going to handle everything now???

On all counts, Honest will be responsible at the legislative level.. Unless he escapes as a TaxedoMask from Sailor Moon. Pf.

Yuu, Grimm, Jade and Lily, due to the wooden masks sprouted in their heads, technically remain hostages. Because of this, the spells should become wooden puppets.

Remembering something Yuu exhales painfully

-What's the matter Yuu?Is something hurting you? - Lilia asked anxiously

-Lilia-senpai….how much do you think Tsunotaro will go off the rails this time when he finds out that we were firstly kidnapped, secondly turned into wooden puppets, and thirdly also sold to unknown people..

Lilia makes exactly the same painful sigh.

-Ooooh,the blessing night, last time he captured the whole island of the sage, I think this time his anger will be much more difficult to pacify.

Yuu and Lilia take another deep breath.

Jade with curiosity

-What are you two complaining about so much in your thoughts?

-If Malleus finds out what happened to me, I'm afraid it will be very difficult to reason with him.

-Oooooh. - Jade realises very quickly what Yuu and Vanrouge are so worried about, more than for their position now.

-By the way, Jade. I'm wondering if I don't go back to college, how fast do you think Azul will buy out Onboro and make another restaurant?

-I think it will be done by the end of the week.

-I bet that he will organize everything in three days.

Ace freaked out when Yuu and Grimm had to be left behind to save himself. Yuu straightforwardly shouted at him to get out and run. I love their interaction.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Is there anything you think the 90s did better then the original manga?

Oh yeah, a ton. I prefer the 90's anime to the manga overall. The manga was pretty bare bones, though I think the manga does have it's strengths, I'm not like super anti-manga or think it's all garbage like some of my friends. It was the foundation for the anime, I think there are reasons why it was the way it was (a lot of them being crushing deadlines) and a couple of really interesting ideas it had I wish the 90s anime had fleshed out. (PGSM, notably, did flesh out some of those ideas--like Rei and Makoto's backstories--and it was really good).

I've talked about it before, but Haruka and Michiru wouldn't have been such icons and so important to queer fans if we only had the manga--the anime fleshed out their relationship, fleshed out their characters, and importantly, never had Haruka inexplicably suprise kiss Usagi, thus cheating on Michiru and never addressing what that means for their relationship. I just generally prefer their characters and how they were handled way more in the 90s anime. Michiru in particular was pretty done dirty by the manga, while she's wonderfully complex in the anime.

The anime also fleshed out the other girls and put emphasis on their friendships way more than the manga, which I heavily prefer. I'm not one of those people who's going to complain Mamoru was "shafted" by the anime, I prefer the relationship with the girls, who often had absolutely nothing to do in the manga and got captured over and over again. The manga was very focused on Usagi (and Mamoru and Chibiusa) above all else.

(I will say though, that the manga treated Usagi and Mamoru more as a passionate relationship between equals while the anime was often "ugh usagi is sooo childish and unreasonable and jealous and Mamoru is the Reasonable Man who has to put up with her, women amiright" you can kind of tell which one was written by a woman vs a man. doesn't help that the anime worsened their age gap.)

The anime also added a lot of the humor and fun we associate with Sailor Moon, and got to make the villains memorable in their own right--see the anime's version of professor Tomoe, Kunzite and Zoisite, so on. It added a lot of queer stuff too (some good like Kunzite and Zoisite, some pretty problematic and bad like Fish Eye).

Overall, Sailor Moon wouldn't be what it is in our hearts without the 90s anime, and I think it's the default for a lot of people (myself included) for a reason.

[m1ssword]

My favourite retro animes with their perks and perils

Let's start straight away!

1. Lady Oscar / The Rose of Versailles

(70s)

Such a lovely manga/anime series. The story follows the life of a military general's daughter Oscar and Marie Antoinette. Oscar is raised like a boy to succeed her as the commander of the Royal Guards at the Palace of Versailles. The story is set in France before and during the French Revolution.

Perks:

Strong multidimensional female lead

Surprisingly historically accurate

Interestingly captures the large scale of femininity and being a woman

Cool soundtrack

Interesting fact: this anime inspired the makers of Berserk (1997)

Perils:

You'll cry

2. Lady Georgie

(80s)

Lady Georgie tells the growth story of a girl named Georgie who lives in peaceful and pittoresque Australian countryside. Georgie doesn't know the secret about her origin while the rest of her family knows it.

Perks:

absolutely endearing setting

the storytelling of their childhood is beyond cuteness

reminded me of the book "The Little Princess" by F. H. Burnett

Perils:

I was a bit weirded out by the love square (?) which included her two adoptive brothers

The ending is not satisfying and the manga is even worse

The love between Georgie and her main love interest is quite bland

3. City Hunter

(mainly 80s)

City Hunter is a humorous anime classic from the 80s. The story focuses on Ryo Saeba, a famous underground sweeper in Shinjuku, and his partner Kaori Makimura. They together help different customers - which are all beautiful women, since Ryo is also well-known for his lecherous habits. Kaori keeps Ryo in check with her hammer.

Perks:

fun anime with a lot of seasons and movies

interesting characters

pictures the city life of Japan in the 80s

Perils:

the love story between Ryo and Kaori is sometimes frustrating

The fetishism of women in almost every episode starts early to feel like a worn joke (notice the time context)

Episodes follow the same plot almost every time, may start to feel repetitive

Tsukasa Hojo, the maker of City Hunter, has also done an another manga named Angel Heart which shares the same characters with City Hunter but isn't it's continuation. I don't yet have a full review of AH, since I'm currently watching it. Thus far, I have cried during every episode, it's good but different. (Please tell me in the comments would you like to have full review of AH)

And a lot more...

There is a lot more retro animes that I didn't mention in this post, like Candy Candy, Cowboy Bebop, Sailor Moon, Utena, Ranma, Akira, Lupin the III, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Berserk (1997). This is just my list of favourites and I hope that you would like to share your favourites in the comments!

With love,

Jessica

[jade-green-butterfly]

🎶Happy, happy marriage~! La, la, la, la, la~! La, la, la, la, la, la, la~! Happy, happy marriage~! La, la, la, la, la~! La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la...~ Shining together, the two of us...~ (Kagayaku yo futari de...~)🎶 ~💍🧁💜💗💚🦋💒~ We maybe in Spooky Month now, but it still doesn't hurt to show some romance, especially when it comes to Coossy cuteness~💗😊 Along with the phenomenal 'Better Place' by the grand return of *NSYNC, living in my head rent-free, the 'Happy Marriage Song' from Sailor Moon Cosmos is doing the same, hehe!😚🎧🎶 Whilst waiting patiently to still watch whole SMC movie, I did watch a beautiful clip of Usagi and Mamo-chan's wedding with the lovely song, which inspired me to capture Cooper and I within that same memorable wedding kiss, both manga and movie~💞🥰 I have to say this is one of the best kissing poses I have ever done in my time as an artist, I am so pleased with how I wanted it to turn out!✨🤩Just like in the actual screenshot on YouTube~💖It makes me so happy inside, seeing me and my beloved happily together in this truly cherished moment...~💝🥹 Hope y'all like too, my lovelies!😘🫶🫂xoxo.

*~Reblogs are also deeply appreciated as well, so please do reblog as well as like! Thank-you kindly!~*

Cooper (c) DreamWorks Trolls/DreamWorks Animation Trollsona Jussy/Justina Butterfly (c) @jade-green-butterfly (Me~!)

[aurumacadicus]

What are some of your favorite manga?

Oh I am all over the place lmao. I don't read much anymore, but I'd like to if I could capture that old nostalgia! I'm annoying and have many favorites <3

First, the obvious: Sailor Moon, Yu Yu Hakusho, and InuYasha. In fact, IY was my entry manga lmao. But! I was also obsessed with CLAMP, like Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, Wish, Angelic Layer. (I did see the Cardcaptor anime first, and the manga came later.)

I was (am?) a hardcore shojo girl. Not because I don't like shonen or anything (YYH still one of my faves of that genre), but because they were short runs. Naruto was just beginning to come out when I was a kid, and it was daunting trying to buy/store that many books. I had Zodiac P.I., Tokyo Mew Mew (and à la Mode), and Natsume's Book of Friends (my one exception to short-runs in shojo I think lmao).

I also somehow got into Zombie-Loan? I'm not sure how that happened. It's not my usual genre and I was a bit put off by some of the things that happened in the first volume but I decided to give the second one a shot and with a little more exposition it became one of my favorites as well.

And! I would be remiss if I did not include my favorite shorter runs: I Am Here! and Genkaku Picasso. I am not kidding when I say both of these manga came into my life when I needed them most. I cried all the way through both of them (they are not sad, they just hit me hard because I was so lonely). They're the only manga I own that I haven't put in storage currently because I'll reread them constantly.

[mayamidnightmelody]

The 1990s was a pivotal decade for geek culture, solidifying many of the trends and franchises that continue to influence pop culture today. Here's an exploration of the various facets of geekdom in the 90s:

Video Games

The 1990s were a golden era for video games, seeing the rise of iconic franchises and gaming consoles.

Consoles and Games:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis were at the forefront of the early 90s gaming scene. Classics like "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," "Super Mario World," and "Sonic the Hedgehog" became household names.

The mid-90s introduced the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo 64. Games like "Final Fantasy VII," "Metal Gear Solid," "Super Mario 64," and "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" revolutionized the industry with their storytelling and 3D graphics.

PC Gaming:

The rise of PC gaming brought titles like "Doom," "Quake," "Warcraft," and "Starcraft," which laid the groundwork for modern first-person shooters and real-time strategy games.

The introduction of the CD-ROM allowed for more complex and graphically intense games, expanding the possibilities of game design.

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

The 90s was a transformative period for comics, marked by a combination of innovation and market upheavals.

Marvel and DC Comics:

Marvel experienced a surge in popularity with the introduction of new characters like Deadpool and the significant events like the "X-Men's Age of Apocalypse" and "Spider-Man's Clone Saga."

DC Comics shook the world with storylines such as "The Death of Superman" and "Batman: Knightfall."

Independent Publishers:

The formation of Image Comics by former Marvel artists brought a wave of creator-owned series like "Spawn," "The Savage Dragon," and "WildC.A.T.s."

Vertigo, an imprint of DC, produced critically acclaimed titles such as "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman and "Preacher" by Garth Ennis, pushing the boundaries of mature storytelling in comics.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

The 90s were a golden age for science fiction and fantasy, both in literature and on screen.

Television:

"Star Trek" had a strong presence with "The Next Generation" continuing its success, followed by "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager."

"The X-Files" became a cultural phenomenon, blending science fiction with horror and conspiracy theories.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" redefined the fantasy genre on television, combining teenage drama with supernatural elements.

Movies:

Blockbuster franchises like "Jurassic Park," "The Matrix," and "Men in Black" showcased cutting-edge special effects and imaginative storytelling.

The re-release of the original "Star Wars" trilogy in special editions prepared the groundwork for the much-anticipated prequel trilogy.

Anime and Manga

The 90s saw the global explosion of anime and manga, making Japanese pop culture a mainstream phenomenon.

Anime:

Series like "Dragon Ball Z," "Sailor Moon," and "Pokémon" became immensely popular worldwide, introducing many to the world of anime.

Films by Studio Ghibli, such as "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro," received critical acclaim and international recognition.

Manga:

Manga series like "Naruto," "One Piece," and "Berserk" began their runs, setting the stage for long-lasting popularity.

The publication of "Shonen Jump" in English brought many of these series to Western audiences.

Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

The 90s were a significant decade for tabletop RPGs, with many classic games being developed and popularized.

Dungeons & Dragons:

The release of the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) in 1989 carried through the 90s, with campaigns like "Planescape" and "Dark Sun" becoming fan favorites.

Other RPGs:

"Vampire: The Masquerade" by White Wolf Publishing introduced the World of Darkness, a setting that offered a dark, gothic-punk alternative to traditional fantasy RPGs.

The cyberpunk genre was well represented by games like "Shadowrun" and "Cyberpunk 2020," capturing the gritty, high-tech, low-life aesthetic.

Collectibles and Trading Card Games

The 90s witnessed the birth and explosion of collectible card games (CCGs), with "Magic: The Gathering" leading the charge.

Magic: The Gathering:

Created by Richard Garfield and released by Wizards of the Coast in 1993, "Magic: The Gathering" became a groundbreaking and immensely popular game, sparking a new industry of collectible card games.

Pokémon:

The Pokémon Trading Card Game, released in 1996, quickly became a massive hit alongside the video games and TV series, contributing to the global Pokémon craze.

Internet and Technology

The rise of the internet in the 90s played a crucial role in shaping geek culture.

Early Internet Communities:

Bulletin board systems (BBS), forums, and newsgroups like Usenet allowed geeks to connect and share their interests in ways that were never before possible.

The creation of fan sites and the use of IRC (Internet Relay Chat) facilitated the growth of online communities dedicated to various fandoms.

Technology:

The proliferation of personal computers and the advent of the World Wide Web democratized access to information and entertainment, allowing geek culture to flourish and expand globally.

In conclusion, the 1990s were a transformative decade for geek culture, characterized by the rise of influential media, the advent of groundbreaking technology, and the growth of vibrant communities. The era laid the foundation for many of the trends and franchises that continue to shape geekdom today.

[misspines]

Usagi and Mamoru

Manga ilustrations

[sociavoidance]

The Evolution of Slam Dunk: From Anime to Personal Passion Project

As a child, after finishing school for the day, I would switch on MBC3, a television channel that aired anime. I'd gather with my cousins and we'd watch anime during our pastime together. Among the popular shows like Dragon Ball Z, Beyblade, Sailor Moon, and Yu-Gi-Oh, one that stands out in my memory is Slam Dunk.

The anime adaptation of Slam Dunk ran for 101 episodes, which were based on the manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue from 1990 to 1996. The story's narratives revolves around Hanamichi Sakuragi, who develops feelings for a girl named Haruko Akagi. Sakuragi decides to join the Shohuku High School Basket Team in an attempt to win her affections.

Slam Dunk first volume manga cover, featuring Hanamichi Sakuragi (redesigned)

The First Slam Dunk (2022): An Overview

Takehiko Inoue took on the roles of both screenwriter and director for the First Slam Dunk movie, making it a personal passion project. The film picks up where the anime left off, after the climactic match between Shohoku and the Shoyo and Ryonan teams combined. However, rather than focusing on Hanamichi Sakuragi, the protagonist of the original story, the movie shifts its focus to Ryota Miyagi. It follows Miyagi's journey as he navigates the world of basketball, his relationships within the team, and his own personal growth.

The Establishing Shot

The movie opens with a scene of Ryota engaged in a one-on-one basketball match with his older brother, Shota Miyagi, on a court. The opening scene effectively sets the tone for the film by showcasing the close bond between Ryota and his brother, and illustrates their deep connection to basketball. Despite the scene's initial brightness and joy, it carries a sense of foreboding, hinting at the tragedy to come: Shota's unexpected death.

Following this loss, the movie delves into Ryota's journey of grief and his determination to honor his brother's memory by pursuing basketball.

Throughout the film, we see present-day or specifically courtside scenes intercut with flashbacks to Ryota's childhood, which is heavy with the weight of processing grief. This storytelling technique slows the pace of the film, allowing the emotional impact to unfold and resonate with viewers.

The Film's Animation

Inoue wanted the movie to capture the essence of the manga, so he chose a light and muted color palette. The film combined 3D CG imagery for basketball scenes mixed with traditional hand-drawn 2D animation for everyday life scenes. Personally, I believe Inoue achieved his goals because as I watched the movie, it felt like the manga illustrations were coming alive. I particularly enjoyed the "watercolor" effect created by the sharp outlines around the characters, and the soft, layered colors.

Lessons Learnt from Shota Miyagi

"I’m always like this too, my heart pounds like crazy. That’s why… I have to pretend that I’m fine."

In the opening scene, at the basketball court, Shota is not only teaching Ryota how to play basketball but also valuable life lessons about strength and resilience. In the scenes leading up to this, we witness Shota processing with the loss of his father while also being a support for his mother. Despite his own grief, Shota bravely declares to his mother that he will take on the responsibility of being the head of the household. This display of strength and determination resonates deeply, almost as if Shota is speaking directly to the audience (breaking the fourth wall), urging them to remain steadfast in the face of adversity. His courage serves as an inspiring reminder to stay strong during trying times, no matter how challenging they may seem.

Final Thoughts

"The First Slam Dunk" stands out from other sports and action anime or movies by taking viewers on a journey from pain and trauma to resilience and strength. It blends fast-paced basketball scenes with slow flashbacks, creating tension and anticipation that keeps viewers engaged. When I watched the film in the cinema, I felt inspired and motivated—it made me want to start drawing in my sketchbook right then and there. The movie left a strong impression on me and remains my biggest inspiration for improving my artwork.

It was incredible to see how the narrative shifted from focusing solely on sports and romance in the anime adaptation I watched as a child to a more personal and meaningful message in the movie years later. As the title suggests, Inoue intended for both familiar and unfamiliar audiences to experience it as though it were their first time watching, establishing a different perspective and impact.

[thereasonsimbroke]

"Cosmos," now available for streaming on #Netflix, is a must-see for long-time #SailorMoon fans.

It offers a visually stunning and emotional conclusion to the beloved series. The animation quality and depth surpass other #Anime adaptations like "Eternal," but strict adherence to the original manga results in some underdeveloped plot points and pacing issues. The movie beautifully captures the essence of Sailor Moon's battles and friendships, with standout performances, particularly from Galaxia.

However, its missed opportunities for tighter storytelling may alienate newer audiences. Despite these flaws, "Cosmos" delivers a fitting and heartfelt end to the Sailor Moon saga.

[oftlunarialmoon]

Everything You Want to Know About “Kawaii” Culture- Kawaii Fridays

Originally posted to www.onlyfunthings.org on June 01, 2018

Ciao lovelies, Lunaria here! Today for Kawaii Friday I though I’d make a comprehensive post detailing all you could ever want to know about “kawaii culture”; where it came from, naming some fashions within it (I’ll do more detailed posts on each fashion later), giving some resources on good places to begin reading more/ youtubers to follow/bloggers/Instagrammers, and even telling some about my own personal experiences with kawaii culture.

Personal Experience with Kawaii Culture

As you may have noticed, myself and OFT are highly influenced by Kawaii Culture. Personally, I’ve been into kawaii culture since I was about 13 and a friend told me about Anime, Vocaloids, and the word “Kawaii.” Later I, thanks to the internet, discovered fashions like EGL, Decora, Hime Gyaru, Fairy Kei, and many others. My lifestyle and fashion style were heavily influenced by all these fashions and kawaii culture in general, and reflect these influences.

But enough about me, let’s talk about how it all started!

History of Kawaii

Etymology speaking, the word “Kawaii” is believed to have come from the word “Kawayushi,” a word dating back to the Taisho era (1912-1926) meaning loveable, shy, and small.

A big influence on what is seen as “Kawaii” dates back to the first shoji and kawaii illustrator, Yumeji Takehisa, in 1914. Takehisa merged Eastern and Western art styles in his Chiyogami (flat woodblock print patterns on paper) and used the word “kawaii” to describe them. He was one of the first to use wide, round eyes in his works. 

Another big influence on “kawaii” was shojo manga. Shojo Manga (Illustrated stories of a girlish nature), was said to begin with illustrator Katsuji Matsumoto, with the first Shojo manga girl being Kurukuru Kurumi-chan. She had big round eyes and a soft round face. (as seen in the pictures below). Kurumi-Chan was used as a source of encouragement for Japanese people during WW2.

Moving forward into more modern influences, as shojo manga developed we also saw the rise of Mahou Shojo (magical girl) genre of manga and anime. Characters like Sailor Moon brought forth the idea that kawaii could include flaws, and strong girls, but still maintained the air of childish cuteness.

What are some Fashions that are in the Kawaii Culture?

Some fashions in the Kawaii Culture include:

-EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita). This style has evolved over the years to include Sweet, Sailor, Classic, and many other sub-styles, but it’s root was gothic Lolita fashion. Hence where it gets it’s name. For more info, see THIS post.

-Decora. A style dedicated to lots and lots of accessorizing.

-Fairy Kei. Lots of sweet pastels and childish themes.

These are pretty central to the Kawaii culture, of course there are more styles, but I’ll get into that later.

Some Good Resources for More Research:

Some Good Bloggers/YouTubers/Instagrammers:

Thanks for reading! I hope you learned a lot about Kawaii Culture today!

Remember to Stay Awesome and Love Yourself!

[madokasblogg]

Hey Madoka, have you ever read and/or watched Sailor Moon? if not it comes highly recommended.

Omg I got so many recommendations!! ( ≧ᗜ≦)

Lucky stars is super cute! Fruit basket is ab a fun love triangle! Card capture Sakura is ab a magical girl! Toradora is a romantic! Any season of pretty cure!!Ojamajo Doremi is very cute magical girl show, but sailor moon is in my top ten favorites!!

Wait Sakaya wants to tell hers too lol!

I love school days it’s kinda dark! Same with Higurashi is 100x scarier! Ouran high school host club! But I mostly read manga!

[pikapeppa]

Fic writers' end-of-year roundup: 2022 edition!

It’s that time of year, writer friends — time to take stock of what we’ve been up to this year! Tagging to literally ANY AND ALL WRITERS who would like to participate, but I’ll throw down some tags from the top of my head: @contrivedchaos @kittynomsdeplume @little-lightning-lavellan, @varric-tethras-editor @lavendreapark @hobo-apostate @ranaspkillnarieth @iamcayc @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @hollyand-writes @elveny @johaerys-writes @charlatron @noire-pandora @hellas-himself @crackinglamb @barbex @mogwaei @alyssalenko @musetta3 @iarollane @about2dance @mythicaitt @cthu-boo !

Words written (published or not, WIPs included!): 1 012 607. I was hoping to crack a million this year and I FINALLY DID IT. 😂

Smut scenes: 41! Less than other years, but not the least.  

New things I tried:

I wrote fanfic for anime for the first time this year — for Samurai Champloo (Fuu/Jin/Mugen) and for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (David/Lucy). On a related note, this year was the first time I wrote for a form of media that I didn’t originally watch in English. I was always a little scared to write in English for something that I hadn’t watched in English, because capturing characters’ voices and speech patterns is so important to me, and it’s hard to translate that across languages. But CPER got me by the throat, so I watched it in both Japanese and English so I could capture the characters’ voices as best as I could. I watched Samurai Champloo dubbed in English, though, and I am a sucker for Jin’s English voice, so that was a snap to write. 😂

For the first time, I also wrote for a game that I’ve never played before: Far Cry 5! @schoute got me reeled in with her raving loving descriptions of cheeky shithead John Seed, and I was compelled to write some smut for her. I had a blast watching a playthrough of FC5 with her (LOVE YOU BB ❤), and writing from John Seed’s POV was A MINDFUCK AND A HALF, let’s just say. GOOD TIMES. 😂

Fic I spent the most time on: 

Becoming Whole (Aloy/Kotallo), which has been my main focus since March and is more than 500k words now. I genuinely did not expect or intend for this fic to be this long! I’ll blame the party banter for this. My outline will say “GAIA Gang chat over dinner”, and this single note will translate into 10k words in the chapter 😂💀 In any case, VERY honoured by everyone who has stuck with this extremely long fic!

Fic I spent the least time on:

The Wisdom In A Bowl Of Pudding (Felassan/Tamaris Lavellan). I was inspired by the news about the DA:D milestone and got so excited that this oneshot came together in… one day, I think? One or two. I JUST LOVE FELASSAN OKAY.

Favourite thing I wrote: 

It’s a tie between two fics. I loved writing Finding Something In Common (Aloy/Nil/Drakka) because a) writing Nil again after 5 years of being “away” was like coming home 😭❤ and b) I fucking love Drakka with a burning passion LOL. But I also loved writing my Samurai Champloo fic Just Hold On, We’re Coming Home because it was purely and entirely for me. There are so few fics for that anime and even fewer explicit fics for the OT3, so I knew that basically nobody was going to read it and that anyone who did would be really grateful to see a rare fic for the OT3, but I had to write it because I just had the urge and couldn’t rest until I did. It was a gift to myself to kick off the year. 😂

Favourite thing I read: 

I’ve actually done some actual reading this year!!! Both of fics and published books, because I wanted to start working my way through my bedside tsundoku, with mixed results: I read a couple of books from my tsundoku pile but then bought the entire Sailor Moon manga set and have only read 6 issues so far 😂😭💀 one step forward, 10 STEPS BACK. 

Anyway! Fave fics of the year:

I read a few fics for Samurai Champloo. As I mentioned before, there aren’t many fics for this fandom, but one of the fics I read was both the shortest and the most drop-dead gorgeous fic I’ve ever read: Bodies of Water by moemachina. I genuinely envy this writer for their ability to pack so much emotional punch into so many words. 

Where The Time Goes, a Chloe Fraser/Nadine Ross fic by @contrivedchaos. OH MY GOD WAS IT EVER LOVELY. Cat used a repeated phrase/theme throughout the fic that just had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and MY GOD was the ending ever wonderful and satisfying. 😭❤

Written In The Stars, a Kotallo/OC fic by @iamcayc WHICH IS SUCH A TREAT. Caycee has created a wonderful OC to pair up with Kotallo and expanded on Tenakth lore in a way that had me squealing!

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network by Discar. It’s a texting fic between the GAIA Gang and it’s SO GOOD. Hilarious, great characterization of the crew, incredible expansion on the worldstate and lore. I stopped reading halfway through because I was afraid that I’d start accidentally stealing their headcanons/lore expansion since it just makes so much sense, but I just recently noticed that the fic finished, so I might get back into it soon!

Writing goals for next year: 

Oh man there are so many things I want to write and so little time and I’M SO MAD ABOUT IT.

Finish Becoming Whole. Now that we know the DLC is coming out in April, I am DETERMINED to finish BW before then so my slate can be clear for new fics ideas 🤩

An Aloy/Avad sequel to Window Bird. The conversation that Aloy and Avad have at the start of HFW makes MY ENTIRE HEART HURT. I will stubbornly maintain that Avad is the most tragic character alive in the Horizon universe, and I’m going to give him some love because he deserves it, the poor sweet man.

More Aloy/Drakka. This entire fic has been my treat to myself, and the next oneshot is in progress -- probably the first thing I'll publish in 2023!

Aloy/Nil. I fucking love Nil to the moon and back, but writing this ship again is going to take some mindfuckery because I’ll be rebooting my take on the ship as though Stormbirds and Stalkers didn’t happen 😅

I’m sure this won’t be all; I always end up getting blindsided by a desire to write something I didn’t expect (e.g. Cyberpunk this year), so we’ll see what else comes up as the year progresses! 

Can't wait to see what everyone else has been up to!!! Please tag anyone you think would like to participate, and tag me back so I can spy on what you've been up to as well! 🥰

-- love from your friendly Pikapeppa xoxo