#she's successfully utilized girl power!!!!

[azuresquirrel]

I'm having a very normal evening everyone

[mongeese]

Did Lady Macbeth successfully utilize "girl power" when she convinced her husband to murder the king thus damning them both to a slow descent into insanity and eventual death?

[starl1tsky]

ok so. boston gatsby musical. overall? i enjoyed it, had a great time watching it, etc.... HOWEVER. cons first then pros. and then stuff i had mixed feelings on.

a) they took gatsby's teeth out. he was wayyy too nice. also not charismatic enough. like i feel like a gatsby should suck the air out of a room bc you're too busy staring at him. like those gayass vampires from the vampire show. anyway he was dorky and like sweet and shit and im like that is NOT jay gatsby!!!! that is a musical theater mfa.

b) daisy was also a yass queen white feminist instead of like. the ideal that gatsby obsesses over which like ok, fleshing out female characters, wtver, but daisy SUCKS SO HARD like she killed that girl. did daisy buchanan successfully utilize girl power when she vehicular manslaughtered her husband's mistress. also they were leaning so hard into the class thing that it might've been better to like uh idk TALK ABOUT CLASS??? BC DAISY IS ALL ABOUT CLASS SHE IS LITERALLY THE REPRESENTATION OF THE UPPER CLASS?????

b part 2) they also changed it so that daisy actually totally did want to marry gatsby and her mom forced her to marry tom which imo removes a lot of nuance from the story like??? its not a fucking love story????!!! daisy was NOT about to marry gatsby when he was poor like. let's not try to make daisy something she isn't.

c) ok so they basically made it so gatsby was Native American and like pretending to be white and that in and of itself is NOT a con, i think that's an interesting way to deal with the whole new money/reinvention thing. HOWEVER it felt very shoehorned in bc it was literally only mentioned in the last song when gatsby's dad came to bury him. and then the finale was like #landback which is all well and good but again let's maybe try and have one cohesive theme (class tensions) before we try to add things into the final two songs. because that is not the place to add themes.

d) this isn't so much a con as a ???? but jordan??? what the fuck was she doing there. she like was an exposition drop for nick like twice and then she just stood there and had a verse in like two songs and made out with people. the actress was very hot so it was okay but like. what was she doingggggg.

e) i LOVE florence + the machine however. the music was GOOD, objectively speaking but i would have appreciated a little more variety. the tap number was great tho, 10/10. also loved the damage that you do, that was a good one. "what of love and what of god" felt like, a good florence + the machine song but a heavy handed musical theater song like. giving dust and ashes. great song, but jesus christ josh groban calm the fuck down.

PROS:

a) ok i know i said gatsby wasn't charismatic enough BUT. in the meyer wolfsheim number, he was tap dancing and it was INCREDIBLE. so what i think is that they just should have had him dance more, bc the actor was an INCREDIBLE dancer and that would've given him the gatsby charisma and magnetism. so that's a directing/staging issue not an actor issue. like as far as i remember he only properly danced in that one song.

b) i did appreciate how they fleshed out myrtle and her husband, it was very well done and added significantly to the class tension themes of the original novel

b part 2) HOLY SHIT SOLEA PFEIFFER THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE. also the husband ATE. the two of them were really extraordinary, standout performances.

c) nick was very charming, they did fourth wall break/monologue type things and it worked quite well i thought. he had a great voice, would've loved it if they gave him more to do but...

d) i mentioned this before but GOOD LORD the meyer wolfsheim tap number was fantastic. best part of the whole show imo

e) honestly the tom was very good. like detestable and i wanted to punch him in his face the whole time but. he was quite good. and i said it before but the damage that you do ATE.

f) very sexy. lots of hot people dancing and making out with each other.

ok now things im unsure about.

a) look. nick carraway is a homosexual. you know this; i know this, however, i don't think he's aware enough to be like "yeah i'm fucking gay and in love with gatsby" like he is gay, he is in love with gatsby but like i do not think he knows that. he idolizes gatsby because he doesn't have the vocabulary or the self knowledge to know that he's in love with him. also babe if you know you're gay and you know you'r ein love with gatsby and gatsby is trying to get with you for his first song and a half, WHY ARE YOU HELPING HIM GET WITH THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE WHO HAPPENS TO BE YOUR COUSIN???? make it make sense. but yea i think making nick gay is the right choice and even having him make out with dudes is the right choice and yea maybe he even knows he's gay but i really don't think he knows he's in love with gatsby. and also nick didn't narrate quite enough and when he did he wasn't quite unreliable enough.

basically i just LOVe the great gatsby and while i did enjoy this musical i just didn't like it as much as the book. so i guess my expectations were too high. also i found it ironic and depressing that in a musical where the adapters added so much about modern politics and tried so hard to modernize the politics of the original novel, the ushers STILL managed to be racist to my mother. yay a.r.t!!!!!

[liesmyth]

Do you think Mercymorn successfully utilized girl power by blowing God's back out knowing it would plunge her entire Empire into an apocalyptic state

INTERESTING QUESTION. I don't think she did, because the Houses may be an absolutist theocracy but their society exists outside of the patriarchal framework within which “girl power” is defined as a concept—e.g. a social context characterised by sex-based gender discrimination.

HOWEVER. If we consider girl power in the sense of “girl (gn)” as commonly understood on tumblr dot com, meaning whatever you, the blogger, personally find interesting or lovable—e.g. “cannibalism is like a girl to me”—then Mercymorn does in fact have girl power. TO ME.

That said. She did not successfully utilise girl power when she was committing deicide, because EJG is also a girl (gn) to me. The biggest babygirl of them all. This was a case of girl-on-babygirl violence, and as much as I stan Mercy for it, I cannot condone it.

Thank you for asking!

[floatingcatacombs]

GENSHIKEN POWER LEVELS

12 Days of Aniblogging 2023, Day 10

For no particular reason, all the members of the Genshiken have had their abilities translated into specific parameters. It’s pretty obvious that A would be the strongest, but you might be thinking to yourself, “What on earth is all this B+ and C+ nonsense!?” Well, don’t worry, because I’m not going to explain anything here. Just consult the Servant Parameter Rules.

Overall, the ratings represent ‘otaku power expressed as deviance, taking combat potential into account’.

Spotted Flower spoilers follow. (everyone is bisexual now).

Sasahara Kanji: C+, B

Condition: Green

An “average” otaku in nearly all respects, though he has good taste and the ability to distance himself and speak objectively, even when under attack by girls. Can appreciate yaoi in some situations. As a manga editor, of course, his power increases, and his devotion to his waifu is commendable. The Gunpla Quiz gave him the Ball as his favorite mobile suit, and he’s also a Patwaber fan!

Still… Ahhh! Men who get in the way of Yuri are unforgivable!

Kousaka Makoto A-

BAYOEN! BAYOEN! BAYOEN! BAYOEN! BAYOEN!

Extremely high base stats, a very scary offense and near-perfect defense, that pretty-boy face, perfect crossdressing, and the ability to make it all look effortless. Capable of going at it for half an hour while also watching anime! He can pull girls for threesomes whenever he wants! (not Saki though). He’s a master of the Great Tanaka Rensa technique! That kind of power is truly fearsome… However, a kiss on the cheek from Sasahara was super effective.

Harunobu Madarame. C++/--

Sou Uke

A lot of pros, a lot of cons. However, it all balances out to an average C. This guy is the very picture of a normal otaku… or at least, he tries to be. Low base stats, excellent coverage and decent utility, but he suffers from four moveslot syndrome. Capable of entering a gay relationship, and even bottoming, although the circumstances were not particularly praiseworthy. Easily punishable, due to his excessive recovery frames.

…I can’t decide if cheating on his wife on the night she gave birth to their child is something that raises or lowers his power level.

Mitsunori Kugayama C-

Level 27 Ranger

A pretty skilled artist, when he has to be. Usually he doesn’t have to be, so that’s fine. Manages to live a nice normal life without drama, and that counts for a lot – but he’s pretty conflict-averse.

Souichirou Tanaka. B

P-Bandai 1/100 MG Master Grade Ver. Ka

Capable of successfully synthesizing 2d and 3d by sewing cosplay, building gunpla, and even making custom figurines. Tanaka definitely understands the power of care and love. That’s not the kind of power you can take lightly.

The type to mostly just block attacks until he sees an opening.

Kasukabe Saki E

Blood Type: AB

An otaku-sounding name, but a low power level. Not actually very good at conflict, either. Still, she has been to Comiket Comifest! Don’t count her out.

Ohno Kanako D+, B

Wears a Three Star Uniform

Just wants to be a pretty cosplay mannequin with no internality – until Ogiue shows up, and then the gloves come off. You can really tell the devs put a lot of effort into that jiggling, huh. Don’t take her lightly though: she built seven Goufs.

Her victory line, “There’s no such thing as a girl who hates homos!!”, does feel really out of place after a round win against Hato though.

The Genshiken President ???

BLOOD TYPE: BLUE

A mystery to the last.

Angela Burton – C+

“Unlike your chest, mine gives people dreams and desires.”

You’d think that not being able to understand all those doujinshi she’s buying would make her a weak otaku – but in practice not speaking Japanese just makes her really good at dodging attacks. Extremely high attack power. Eventually becomes an enlightened being capable of appreciating both Yaoi and Yuri and, uh, demanding threesomes from her friends. Hm.

Suzanna Hopkins – B+

Pettan Pettan Tsurupettan

Today I’ll sneakily hide in the trees again and keep stalking Ogiue! I'll wait and steal the precious thing!  The little girl who speaks in nothing but references is actually really blushing?! She sticks out her arms when she runs; is she going for the cute look?

This fanservice joke girl (evil spirit begone!) /

born into the nation of America (probably plays puyo puyo)/

was actually, canonically, (Kadabra, Alakazam)/

bisexual??????? (Mada Mada Ra, Mada Mada Ra, Mada Mada Rame, yeah!)/

Manabu Kuchiki – E

Stand Parameter: Development Potential E

The other kind of joke character. Like Sue, he’s a grappler, but he just doesn’t have enough options or ability to adjust to matchups. Gets points for liking traps, but loses them for one-note misogyny; gets  points for kissing Madarame but loses them for being boring. Starts a lot of conflict but easy and uninteresting to deal with; he always goes for the super so you just have to bait it out and then smash attack him.

If that wasn’t enough, I personally hate this guy because if not for him Hato and Madarame totally would have done That!!!!!  

Ogiue Chika D+, A

Genshiken Brigade Chief and Ultra Fujoshi Director

Incredible otaku power – enough to draw doujinshi of people she knows in real life and easily grasp the truth of Kifujin Kaminaga’s “Hato x Brother” madness. She does constantly try to kill herself and deny her heart but once she stops doing that she’s capable of producing incredible amounts of manga. Ends up with a boyfriend and a girlfriend but complains that sexually satisfying them both takes away from her drawing time. She’s bad at dealing with conflict but her pure ‘level of ability as an otaku’ is close to the top of the rankings.

This ranking is curtain fire shooting game.

Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please watch warmly until it is ready.

The border land was wrapped in Scarlet Magic. Girls believe that you solve this Genshiken Nidaime.

Yoshitake Rika C+++

Nen Type: Manipulator (Pseudo-Coercive).

A demon of chaos. Her power as a fujoshi is fairly standard, but she devotes herself wholeheartedly to causing problems and drama – and in this capacity she’s powerful enough to approach Hato. All her moves have random components… in serious play nobody uses her but among casual players she’s often considered broken.

Yoshitake Risa D

Noble Phantasm Rank C

It’s all fictional anyway but girl. what is wrong with you. Fails to appreciate Hato, but does get Hato to wear fetish clothing, so that’s a bonus. The gap between her appearance and her personality is moe.

Mirei Yajima D+, A-

Self-Proclaimed Uncute Girl Doing Uncute Things

Toiling away in the shonen mines, convinced that someday Naruto and Sasuke will kiss for real no you just don’t understand the depths of their relationship. A terrible artist, and she knows it. Grouchy and grumbly and insecure about her gender presentation, especially with Hato around.

But she’s a good writer, and a good editor, and she knows what she wants (Hato) and how to get it. My second favorite character honestly; I really love the way her complexes towards and around Hato play out. “He needs to have sex with a guy so we can draw better manga, which is the only way to make sure he stays with me!” Yajimacchi are you okay? (no she is not. She has way too much internality).

Kenjirou Hato. A++

Super High School Level Homewrecker

What is Hato’s otaku level? Let’s review: Hato is a crossdresser with a foundational crush on his older brother’s EX-level fujoshi girlfriend, going so far as to dress up as her, copy her drawing style well enough to end up with a wall circle spot at Comifest, and blush when she tells him “Hey. I’m getting married to your brother soon. It’d be really hot if you dressed up as me and fucked my husband-to-be, your brother, as revenge on me for taking him away from you.”

Hato has a naked floating tulpa girl of his fujoshi self floating around behind him who does things like make him smell his senpai’s bedsheets and shower in his room, hoping Madarame will walk in on him. Once he's in deep enough with all of this, he gains a second naked floating tulpa girl of his fujoshi self who has the same eyes as his older brother's girlfriend and is Evil. Hato then integrates both of them and keeps crossdressing after a conversation with Ogiue about what he really wants to be and what he wants to draw.

Hato is out of his fucking mind. I love him.

Hato’s conflict potential is also extremely high. Not only was he a judoka (who spent time in the locker room looking at other boys’ bodies and thinking about yaoi) he expertly plays all kinds of “ohhhh you should just give up on me” women games with Madarame’s pure maidenly heart.

And then Spotted Flower happens. Spotted Flower is a moiling toxic sexual swamp of barely-holding-together relationships and threesomes where your good old favorite Genshiken buddies are now bi (Kousaka, Sasahara, Sue, Ogiue, Angela, and Yajima, in addition to original series bisexuals Madarame and Hato) and cheating on each other. Everybody hates Spotted Flower and they’re so wrong.

By the time of Spotted Flower, Hato is living as a woman full time, with silicone implants.

Regrettably, I have no choice but to stan.

[violet-stormbringer]

The Abilities of Mystic Knight Violet, Part 5.

As a Mystic Knight who was taught by the Four Elemental Spirits, Violet is otherwise capable of performing Mystic Artes that other Mystic Knights could not.

For instance, Violet is capable of utilizing the Four Spirits' powers with her Mystic Artes, able to summon Sylph to enhance her Aero Stab, Gnome for her Earth Shattering Dragon Blade, and so on.

It is thanks to this that Violet was capable of inventing her own Mystic Artes in the form of "Forgiven Rebellion's Flame Dance" (though she referred to it as "Furious Flame Dance" at first) and her Ultimate Skill.

We've already covered Forgiven Rebellion's Flame Dance, and unlike Quadruple Giga and Violet's Ultimate Skill, it does not require the Four Spirits.

Speaking of Quadruple Giga...

Quadruple Giga. The Ultimate Sword Technique, created by the First Bringer of Storms, one Ras Elaine Thorne. Quadruple Giga is a technique that requires a heart filled with resolve, something the First had in excess. Those with weak hearts and weak wills would be consumed if they attempted Quadruple Giga, a fact that was not lost on the First when she developed the move. It nearly consumed her. She, however, proved stronger, and with a mighty roar befitting the Girl who became a Dragon, Quadruple Giga was first unleashed upon the first Emperor of Inferia. Quadruple Giga utilizes the four basic elements of Fire, Wind, Water, Earth. The mastery of one element is irrelevant when paired up with the other three, and if one cannot harness the power of all three, the skill will ultimately fail as the balance is tipped heavily in that which they have the strongest control. By gathering the four elements into a blade, one can harness the destructive powers of nature. With a single swing, all is erased and returned to the void upon which it came. Ultimate Sword Technique indeed, it is no wonder it was sealed away and only ever successfully used by three people. One could, theoretically, obliterate a God with it.

[divinityunleashed]

Location - Dathomir

Now finally having returned to the proper Galaxy, Grand Admiral Thrawn and his Modified Imperial Star Destroyer I; Chimaera, prepared to utilize the Imperial Presence on Dathomir to regain contact with the Empire and resume operations.

That was when a familiar Bounty Hunter's ship approached the Chimaera.

"ISD Chimaera, requesting permission to board. I have a Prisoner who wished to see the Grand Admiral. They're paying top credits."

"Permission granted, Slave I. Proceed to Hanger Bay."

Once the Slave I had docked successfully with the warship, Grand Admiral Thrawn was already waiting for him there. Once the ship had landed and unloaded the entry ramp, the two stepped out. First was Fett.

"Thrawn."

BGM: Star Wars - Grand Admiral Thrawn Theme (Samuel Kim Ver)

"Boba Fett. What brings the esteemed Bounty Hunter of the Hutt Cartel to my presence?"

"I have someone with me in custody who requested an audience with you. After they stowed away on my ship whilst on a job."

Boba pointed to the girl next to him, which ended up being...

...Yep. It was Adult Neptune. Thanks to having reabsorbed Croire into her Nep Note, she has certainly been getting around. First she ended up arriving at an alternate Earth and bringing an army of Transformers, and now she ended up in the Star Wars Known Universe.

"Uh hi, your uh, royal-ness!"

"Watch your mouth."

"It's quite alright."

Thrawn walked over to Adult Neptune and broke the cuffs that were binding her, which prompted a shocked reaction from her.

Why did he just release her? This prompted most of the Stormtroopers in the Hanger Bay to slowly raise their weapons, but Thrawn held out his hand and ordered them not to fire.

"What's your name, girl?"

"Neptune."

"I see. Well, Neptune. Welcome aboard my personal flagship; the Chimaera. I will show you around."

A Officer rushed over and gave Boba a bunch of credits, as well as a datapad that effectively ordered him to be under his command for the time being. He reluctantly accepted the deal, and followed after the two.

As he showed her around, she was bewiled at all the technology, as well as some art pieces that were hanging around some of the walls. It seemed to her at least that he was a collector as well as a high ranking official of the Empire, far as she could tell from her time in this Universe.

As they got to the bridge, Thrawn was quick to discuss something.

"You are not from our Galaxy, are you? You certainly don't dress like your average Imperial Citizen, nor do you bare any weaponry of our nature."

"Yeah, that's a long story. But to be quick with ya, it's my fancy book! See, I absorb things into it and I get their powers! I can hop between Universes so long as I think about it!"

"I see. Interesting. So tell me, why exactly are you looking for me? You must of done some research but why me in particular?"

"Well, my friends got their homes back after their prior were destroyed, and I'm mostly just on the lookout for cool people to help them! And well, you seem like you know what ya'll are doing so won't you come see them?"

"Intriguing."

Thrawn had a think about it for a moment. All the while this conversation was going on, Boba was standing guard by the Bridge entrance with his rifle cradled in his arms as he usually is.

"So. How do you propose we enter this world of yours? While we are technologically advanced, we do not possess the means of multi-dimensional travel, as you put it during our conversation on the way here."

"Well, I'll just make a portal in front of your ship and you can jump through it like you normally would!"

"Very well then. All hands. Take off from this system and follow my instructions."

On his word, the Chimaera slowly began take off and lift into the space layer. Neptune concentrated for a good while and created a semi decently sized portal using her Nep Note in front of the Star Destroyer. The ship then proceeded to enter it and come out at the other side, which was...

The right hand side of Lastation! The opposite end of the map, with the side on the left of Leanbox being where the Decepticon Warship was located.

Thrawn opened the Bridge hatches and exposed the glass to the air around them, and saw witness to Gamindustri.

"So this is your home."

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"Indeed. We shall make the necessary preparations."

-=-=-=-=-

"I've got to get down there and warn them. They have no idea just how much destruction the Empire can cause. I already know what they did to my brothers once they stopped being useful."

Exclaimed Clone Commander Rex, former Captain of the 501st Legion which in this era was adeptly renamed to "Vader's Fist." Rex spared no expense, and snuck aboard a TIE Fighter, taking it out of the Hanger.

-=-=-=-=-

"Admiral Thrawn, sir. A TIE Fighter has departed from the Hanger Bay unannounced. Shall we blast it out of the sky?"

"Shall I pursue the target?"

"No. Let it go."

"This is going exactly how I want it to."

[dgrailwar]

Round 1, Day 3 - Team Alter-Ego

Pulling back after landing a decisive blow before Ruler could retaliate seemed like the best course of action. And so you returned, watching Meltryllis sit and lounge back with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling with an unreadable expression.

"Not bad. I'll give it a passing grade, 70%. It was closer than what I would have liked."

"Going toe-to-toe with that blonde girl was more trouble than I expected. It doesn't seem like I was able to gain any 'EXP' from her either… what, does she have some sort of skill or something? I hope they all aren't like that."

She huffed, shaking her head with frustration.

"Right, right. This is a war of Extra-Class Servants. Not the random trash that the Throne usually spits out, these are unique Servants, all of them. Obviously not on my level, but if you'd have to be a moron to take them lightly."

You're now in the 'preparation' phase. Due to the unique nature of your Command Spells, you'll need to agree and decide on their usage BEFORE the next combat scenario. This can either mean:

Spending one Command Spell to give your Servant a temporary (+5%) boost in strength or recover a wound.

Spending three Command Spells (or 2, depending on the effects) to utilize your Servant's NOBLE PHANTASM, a powerful technique that gives your Servant a grand boost in power, as well as possibly inflicting other secondary effects depending on the Servant.

If a Noble Phantasm is prepared, but the Servant does not engage in combat, the mana from the Command Spells is returned to the team and therefore isn't wasted. This ONLY applies to Noble Phantasms, not Command Spell boosts.

Servant Skills:

Melt Virus (EX Rank) - When engaged in a Free-for-All, inflict all foes with a -3% demerit. If Meltryllis gains 1st place in the Free-for-All by a margin of 10% or more, inflict a -3% demerit to your foes for their next round and gain a +3% boost for your next combat round.

Crime Ballet (A Rank) - When engaged in a one-on-one, increase the Alter-Ego Class Trait one-on-one boost to +5% rather than +3% (+6% if targeting a Servant that's Playing Defensively).

NOBLE PHANTASM: Saraswati Meltout (EX Rank)

A powerful, debilitating Noble Phantasm that inflicts 2 ‘wounds’ instead of one. Meltryllis gains a +30% boost in her combat poll scores for the round, and if her target survives, they’re struck with a -10% demerit for the immediate next round as Meltryllis holds onto a +10% boost.

If the Noble Phantasm successfully kills, Meltryllis successfully absorbs the ‘Class Traits’ of the destroyed enemies.

-

Class-Trait:

ALTEREGO-CLASS Servants fight at their best when given a specific target. When engaged in a standard one-on-one confrontation, they gain a +3% boost. If attacking a Servant 'Playing Defensively', they gain a +4% boost instead.

[thewiglesswonder]

i, for one, CAN NOT wait to see Mae torture the others >:) girlboss moment

Did Maelstrom successfully utilize girl power when she used her mnemosurgery to dig out Team Prime's most painful memories and drive them to various stages of mental breakdowns? Yes, yes she did.

Really though, thank you. It's just so interesting to explore how Team Prime would react to this, because we know that Ratchet and Optimus both experience straight up flashbacks, it's not a far cry to think that Bumblebee jumps straight into denial, stuff like that. It's fascinating.

[agnesjurati]

do you think Nandi successfully utilized girl power when she sold Dal R'El to the Diviner?

[gayleviticus]

Do you think Margaret Thatcher successfully utilized girl power by funnelling money into illegal paramilitary death squads in Northern Ireland?

no but I do think she queered the process of funnelling money into illegal paramilitary death squads

[incompetentmedic]

So I finished watching the last episode of Demon Slayer last night, so here are my thoughts on the entire anime as a whole

[OBVIOUSLY MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD]

God that ending. Fuck. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show successfully get me to fucking beg for a dumb bullshit plot armor deus ex machina before. I don’t care if it made no sense I don’t care if it’s bad writing I’m just happy Nezuko survived. And the sheer amount of skill it takes to make me care about a character that much is impressive.

I’m kind of sad that we didn’t get any filler in the latter seasons. I would’ve loved to see how the relationship between the main 4 changed during and after each major arc. Also I want more yaoi moments.

Jar guy’s final form is honestly kinda hot

I could write a whole essay on how effectively the writers utilized unreliable worldbuilding to show us that demons are all evil and Nezuko is the only exception, then slowly lead us to the conclusion that nonviolent demons have always existed and purposely make themselves as invisible as possible. I cannot stress enough how good the worldbuilding in this show is

I appreciate the lengths that the series goes through to humanize it’s villains and show us how the demons are pushed into lives of violence as symptoms of larger systemic issues

That being said, the “sudden backstory montage right before the monster of the week dies” starts to feel a bit lazy after the 10th time they do it. I understand that all these character backstories couldn’t succinctly fit in the first season, but it leaves us with a lot of deaths that could’ve been a lot more impactful if we had been introduced to these characters earlier. I’ll have to read the manga and see if it’s handled better

On the topic of lazy writing, I’m really not a fan of Zenitsu’s whole “sleep transformation” thing. It feels like a gimmicky way to get out of writing character growth

Back to the good stuff now. 52 episodes and the main character does not fall in love with a single person. Aros everywhere are celebrating

When I first heard the premise of the entertainment district arc, that the 3 male main characters disguise themselves as women to infiltrate a brothel, I was completely ready to drop the series. But if I’m being honest, they handled that arc just about perfectly. I obviously can’t speak for the transgender community and maybe I’m just ignorant, but the whole arc seemed pretty supportive of the concept of changing your gender. I’d argue that Zenitsu seemed a lot more happy and fulfilled as a girl than they did as a boy. The series also has one of the best depictions of sex workers I’ve seen on television

Everything in mugen train was literally perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I hope whoever wrote that arc gets $750,000,000 in the mail and free gourmet meals forever.

I love Inosuke’s gay ass crush on Tanjiro. King shit

I complained about Zenitsu’s character arc earlier but I must admit his writing in the spider forest mini-arc was fucking phenomenal. We love it when comic relief characters experience personal growth and start to carry serious narrative weight

The way that Nezuko speaks at the very end. She speaks slowly and abruptly. She can only manage a word or two at a time, and even then only simple ones. It takes her 3 whole attempts to say her first word. Its so god damn impactful watching her stumble through speech after spending so long being physically incapable of speaking. I love that scene so much

I really hope we get a season 5. I want to know where tanjiro and Nezuko go from here. Do they stay in the corps? Do they settle down to a peaceful life, now that Nezuko is, in most respects, functionally human? Or is Nezuko not content with her current state, leading them to continue searching for a total cure? How will the more skeptical and conservative hashira react to knowing that Nezuko, who they already consider a liability, is now powerful enough to withstand direct sunlight? How will her relationships with Inosuke and Zenitsu change? All of these questions would be answered if I read the manga but I’m too lazy to do that so I’m gonna have to wait for the next season, if they make one.

Overall this was one of, if not The Best, shonen anime ever made

[jamsofdeath0]

it's interesting because the lack of life they had in the previous world is part of the power fantasy. but that wasn't a thing at the start of the genre.

In jobless reincarnation basically the father of modern isekai (the reincarnation as a slimes and the Smart Phone in another worlds) the protagonist nobody piece of shit who gets reincarnated is a nobody piece of shit and you're not supposed to think that's cool or empathize with it. he reincarnates and he still a nobody piece of shit. he doesn't even go outside for several years. he is visibly intangibly affected by the trauma of his previous life. The whole story is basically about his growth in this fantastical new world and his second chance. there is a power fantasy aspect but you are not at all supposed to project on how the protagonist acts. you can relate to some of the struggles he goes through like depression and social anxiety but his actions arent admirable.

And Sword Art Online another big inspiration for the genre™. The harem magic elf tiddies jrpg isekai the protagonist all DO have lives back home. they are specifically trying to escape the game before they all die. yes to some level it is about this badass edgy semi self insert and just badass girlfriend. but "going home" is the goal.

At some point all the stories started degrading into nothing but self-insert power fantasies. and by virtue of being self-insert power fantasies the protagonist isn't allowed to have a personality past "kind" or "cool".

But Going Home has always been the driving force 70% of portal fantasies. And even when the characters don't immediately wish to go home. they often get homesick and it's a growing up or maturing story and they go home. (most not all nothing is absolute)

The wizard of oz, Digimon, Magic Knight rayearth are all classic examples.

- TWOO is explicitly just about going home.

- Digimon adventure 1999 is at first about going home then it's about saving this world they grew attached to. At I think episode 39 our main character actively chooses to go back to the digital world after escaping it to help the world they now grew attached to. But in the end all the kids WANT to go home. Miss home.

- Magic Knight Rayearths premise is three Middle School girls are summoned to another world and they have to save it or they can't go home. their goal is to save the world to go home. it's an excuse for all of these fantasy adventures and then a melancholic ending where they can never see this world again but they get to go home.

Of course there HAS always been stories where the protagonist goes "shit this world is cool"

Like Monster Rancher. Where our protagonist gets sucked into monster rancher there's a video game and basically goes "I'm in this game I like and I don't have to go to school no more hell yeah" but I think to some level that is a reaction a kid might have. And really its a story about "look how cool our not pokemon rippoff world is"

--

Modern Isekai resemble Monster Rancher more than the average portal fantasy in this aspect. Its all just an excuse for some fantasy nonsense. But by prefer to you with being nothing more than escapism it does not utilize its concept. portal fantasies have to be inherently a little sad. your character has to pick one of the worlds. (unless your spoilers the owl house. a story that even had she picked one would have successfully given an interesting character a reason to pick the witch world over her original world)

If you just wanted ecchi fantasy you CAN just have ecchi fantasy. So often the Isekai protagonists have so little personality and attachment to their original world they have no reason to have been from another world.

half the time their reaction isn't even oh hell yeah or what the fuck this sucks. it's nothing.

Isekai just seems like a profoundly sad genre of fantasy by design. Yes you have rad JRPG powers now and you get to hang out with big tiddy elves who love you but do you not have like. Friends that you mourn. Family that you miss. Habits that you can’t practice now without tripping. Familiar sounds and smells you’ll never know again

Either you did and you don’t care in the face of JRPG powers and elf tiddies, or you didn’t, and both options are profoundly sad in their own ways

[kykyonthemoon]

Character Profile Love and Deepspace OC

This post will be frequently updated following in-game content and the progress of this character's related stories.

Full name: Lunaire Caelum

Birthday: 14/03 (Pisces)

Age: 24

Height: 163cm

Evol: Enhance or restrain energy (Buff/Debuff)

Profession: Owner of a florist’s - Elysium, biotech researcher from Ever Group.

Current location: City of Linkon

Her personality

Lunaire is a sweet, gentle, and cheerful girl. She radiates positive, healing energy, combined with an inherent tranquility that helps others feel at ease when they are around her. They also trust and adore her. Furthermore, she is a highly sensitive person who quickly empathizes with others.

Lunaire lives modestly and enjoys nature, plants, and small animals (dogs, kittens, etc.). This is due to the influence of her grandmother's lifestyle, who has been caring for her since she was a child. She is also a family-oriented individual who constantly prioritizes her family.

Lunaire also has a vivid imagination and frequently connects her dreams to reality. She believes she may have existed in other timelines  (Referring to Zayne's myths).

Lunaire, on the other side, has a high level of faith in others and may believe just whatever a person says. She gets overwhelmed by emotions at times, which results in an unpredictable temper. She tends to make emotional decisions and finds herself in trouble as a consequence, but she never regrets following her heart.

Other things about her

Lunaire adores nurturing and caring for plants, dogs, cats, and small animals, as well as learning about uncommon species. She also regularly communicates with plants and appears to have a positive effect on them.

Lunaire enjoys making wool crafts (crochets) and giving them as gifts to family, friends, and customers.

She loves to sip tea and sweet drinks, especially after using too much of her Evol.

Lunaire is a good cook who enjoys cooking, yet when she is busy, she often neglects meals or only eats lightly.

Lunaire loves to consume fiction and romance. She has a tendency to cry while reading or watching movies.

Lunaire dislikes bitterness, chilly temperatures, and darkness.

Members of Lunaire's family with special powers all have distinctive flower fragrances on their bodies. To her grandmother, it is the scent of grass. Lunaire has a flowery scent that is sort of sweet.

Enhance or restrain energy of living things (Buff/Debuff) - Quite similar to the original MC's Resonance in the game. 

Lunaire's maternal family was once known for their "green witch" bloodline - which grants them the ability to affect living things, especially plants. Some of their members, such as Lunaire and her grandma, even possess the ability to control Metaflux, cleansing it from the human body; nevertheless, it may also impede or accelerate the process of transforming a human into complete Wanderer.

The drawback of such a talent is that it has an impact on the user's physical health. As a result, members of the family frequently suffer from illness, particularly cardiovascular disease (Lunaire's grandmother and she both have heart problems). Controlling and purifying Metaflux creates hallucinations, disorientation, and may even consume the person who utilizes it. Lunaire's ability is like a two-edged sword, from the time she was young and began to show her power, Lunaire was trained by her grandmother to control it and aspire for a greater cause.

Lunaire always kept the truth about her power hidden because she predicted the problems that it may create. If asked, she would simply say that it was a floral and plant-related Evol. However, Ever Group successfully recruited her into their training program, offering to research and utilize her power to assist others set to be turned into Wanderers before it was too late.

In combat, Lunaire plays the supporting role, enhancing her comrades' strength while weakening opponents' power. Her skills include floral and plant elements, as well as vibrant color schemes such as yellow and green.

In ordinary life, Lunaire utilizes her power to care for flowers and plants, or she stores it in items that serve as "lucky charms" for others.

Background

Lunaire's maternal family is deemed to have "witch" bloodline; they refer to "Evol" as "magic". They are granted the gift to enhance or briefly disable Evol energy, but few are able to own and manage it. Their family is small and tends to live in seclusion, away from the city and closer to nature.

When Lunaire was ten, Wanderers assaulted her home. She became separated from her family and fled to Linkon City with a group of refugees, where she met Zayne and received assistance from him. She eventually learnt that her parents passed away in the tragedy. Lunaire was brought up by her grandmother (Céline) at their new home in the Bloomshore neighborhood.

Lunaire was awarded a scholarship from Ever Group and trained to be a biotechnology researcher. Following graduation, she participated in a number of their projects in various locations across the world before returning to Linkon to continue her private research.

Current

Lunaire opens a little flower shop in Linkon called Elysium. The flowers in the shop are always lush, and not soon after the opening, people begin to speculate that there is "magic" emanating from the flowers, making them feel calm, comfortable, and even healthier after purchasing. The fact is that Lunaire used her Evol to care for the shop's plants, giving them enchanted attributes and transforming them into a kind of "lucky charm" for customers.

Since the florist's is located near Akso Hospital, the majority of its customers are medical patients and their family members. Lunaire's shop also has a little space where customers may drink tea and enjoy snacks. She likes hearing people share their stories as she prepares their orders. In addition, tea bags made from dried flowers at the shop are also best-sellers.

Outside the florist's, there is a little wooden stairway covered with vines. Following the steps will take you to Lunaire's living space - a cozy, pleasant residence for one person located right above the store.

Because Elysium Flower Shop shares the same name as another location in N109 Zone, unexpected and hilarious things happen from time to time, such as strange items being sent to the wrong address or individuals asking Lunaire questions that confuse her.

In addition to running a small business, Lunaire occasionally engages in freelance research or projects sponsored by Ever Group.

With the Male Leads

✿ Zayne - Love Interest.

While being lost during a Wanderer assault as a child, Lunaire encountered Zayne, who kept her safe until she found her family. Since then, she has never stopped paying attention to him. Lunaire kept the snow seals Zayne gave her in a wooden box, never opening it again after he moved away.

Many years later, they meet again in Linkon. Zayne works as a doctor at Akso Hospital, where Lunaire's grandmother is being treated. He knows she has the same kind of talent and heart problems as her grandmother, so he proposes they both go to the hospital for frequent check-ups. Lunaire becomes Zayne's patient, and their connection soon blossoms into serious romance.Although their personalities are somewhat opposite, they both look forth in the same direction and share tranquil times together. (That is also the primary goal I hope to portray across this independent fic series for the two of them.)

✿ Caleb - A brother figure.

Lunaire's family reside next door to Caleb's. The two children quickly became friends and grew up together. Lunaire regards Caleb as an elder brother, and he is extremely protective of her, especially toward Zayne.

✿ Xavier - A friend.

Lunaire had learned a lot about Xavier through the words of her close friend Cery. Then they have the opportunity to officially meet.

✿ Rafayel - A friend and customer. 

Rafayel is a regular customer of Elysium Flower Shop. He particularly enjoys flowers, tea, and decorations handmade by Lunaire herself. The two occasionally make small talks. From the stories about Lemuria that Rafayel often mentions, Lunaire begins to doubt his true identity.

✿ Sylus - An accquaintance. 

Lunaire goes to Serein book cafe and often catches this person sitting in a corner. At first, he created the impression that he was frightening and unapproachable, so she avoided him. However, Jade, the book café owner, eventually alters her opinion of him.

With other OCs

✿ Cery (Cery's OC) - Best friend.

Close since childhood, Lunaire shares everything with Cery. Cery now works as an operator at the Hunter Association headquarters. They continue to spend time together on a regular basis.

✿ Jade (Sora's OC) - A friend

The owner of Serein Book Cafe, which Lunaire frequently visits. Her impression of Jade was that she's a cool and mysterious person, whom Lunaire wanted to get to know. 

✿ Na (Na Sa's OC) - A cusomter.

A customer and Rafayel's personal bodyguard. She often comes to the flower shop on his behalf when he is busy, and she eventually becomes acquainted with Lunaire. 

✿ Bubblegum (my OC, not her official name) - An accquaintance. 

A friend from the Academy whom Caleb constantly talks to Lunaire about. Through his stories, she is certain that he likes Bubble but refuses to admit it, which makes Lunaire curious to meet this girl even more.

✿ Grandmother Céline (my OC) - Family

The person who raised and mentored Lunaire in using her abilities after her parents deceased. She adores her grandchild and wished that she could find someone to care for and be taken care of. She has cardiac difficulties, like the majority of their family members, and must regularly visit Akso Hospital for check-ups.

She was once a friend of Zayne's family. Knowing that Lunaire has a secret crush on Zayne all this time, she often suggests that they both return to Bloomshore to dine with her and tell him stories about Lunaire after he departed, which makes her very embarrassed.

✿ Lily (my OC) - Part-time helper at the flower shop.

A girl just a few years younger than Lunaire who works part-time at Elysium Flower Shop.

With other NPCs

✿ Greyson & Yvonne - Friends.

Lunaire frequently converses with the staff at Akso Hospital in addition to Zayne. She sometimes wonders why these two would make such a lovely couple yet are not together. Zayne then suggests that she should stop worrying about other people's love affairs and concentrate on her own first.

✿ Jeremiah - A business partner.

Both own floral shops. Jeremiah occasionally drops by Lunaire's place to drink tea and talk about plants.

✿ Luke & Kieran - Customers???

When Lunaire received an order for another Elysium, not her flower shop, she noticed the twins observing her intently from a distance. They believe she has something to do with the forces operating within the N109 Zone. Lunaire frequently visits Jade's cafe, where she encounters the twins and Sylus.

Tower of Secrets (Myths - TBA)

Snow's Embrace (Myths - TBA)

Still In Dark (Anecdote - TBA)

The Little Flower Shop In Linkon (coming soon)

Disclaimers:

In-game characters and related stories belong to Infold.

OCs belong to me and the friends mentioned.

See my masterlist for other L&Ds works.

[mika-0730]

do you think kotomine kirei successfully utilized "girl power"

Not to as much as she could honestly, because i truly believe estrogen would have made her so much worse but in the "she's happy she's finally in her body and living her life but her chosen path is absolutely chaotic" type way.

Think about it, guy forced to grow up in a religious sect, doesn't have any aspirations or real sense of self, buys into the first person with charisma who sells her a good idea, becomes an absolute chuuni. She NEEDS estrogen, it'll give her something to actually live for.

She gets bonus points for flexing on the boys by eating spicy food

[theweirdspacejellyfish]

tiktok book recs pt2

lip and sword b jin shi si chai, summary- in order to find out the truth about his fathers wrongful death in prison, med school graduate xing ming resolutely entered the news industry. with his dedication and commitment to pursuing journalism, he becomes a popular news anchor, known sometimes as an 'ice prince'. to clear his fathers name and bring justice to his case, xing ming went so far as to sacrifice himself, clinging to influential and powerful people. he hates yu zhongyes selfishness and indifference but has to accept his advice and help again and again. with yu zhongyes guidance, xing ming eventually grows into a professional journalist while also managing to keep the bottom line of reporting with integrity. as his show goes on, his life gradually unwinds, and the truth about his fathers wrongful conviction gradually emerges

in the dark by jin shisi chai, summary- this is a story of a young police officer searching for the answer to ' who am i?" in the past, xie lanshan was an undercover drug enforcement officer who infiltrated the golden triangles most feared armed organization as drug lord mu kuns right hand man. after successfully returning to his post from the operation, an accidental case of police misconduct triggers a series of unexplainable headaches and hidden memories that begin to haunt him. while investigating the truth behind his fathers death of many years ago, xie lanshan utilizes his unique and sharp thinking from the perspective of a psychotic murderer to solve difficult cases around him. plagued by this growing change and instability of both his mental health and personality, he meets a mysterious forensic sketch artist named shin liufei. together, the two men will maintain a strange relationship, as friends and enemies, they solve mysterious cases one by one. but, perhaps, there was another motive for the forensic artist to approach the young officer.

providence girls by morgan dante, summary- fifteen years ago, middle aged lavinia whateley escapes her hilly massachusetts town when the townsfolk decide to sacrifice her on halloween. after almost dying in the woods, she's saved and housed by the stoic and mysterious asenath waite, or azzie. on the coastal outskirts of east provindence, they start to fall in love. however things change when azzie, with her secret past and the strange 'scars' on the side of her neck begins to transform into an eldritch creature of the deep