#some characters look taller because of accessories

[christnarr]

arena guys lineup

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance - Naminé

[rin-solo]

Finally, I am happy to present to you my ...

EPIC: THE MUSICAL | ACT I [Character Design project]

I have been working on these for a long time and I am very happy with how these turned out. I am a huge fan of visual character design and I simply needed to do a full lineup.

Act II will follow shortly (it is all done except for Ithaca Saga, which I will add as soon as it drops.) Please enjoy, and read below for some thoughts and background on some of my design choices!

TROY | CYCLOPS ft. Odysseus, Athena, Eurylochus, and Polites

With Odysseus, I really wanted to emphasize his free spirit in this era and mark him as Athena's warrior, so I gave him a special belt and some armbands that represent her (this was inspired by some of @mircsy's work). He also has heterochromia; his left eye is green, representing his cunning, wisdom, and spirit; his right eye is gray, representing his ruthlessness and warrior side.

I simply love Athena in purple/gold. Her mask is a symbol of her invulnerability and comes off only during "My Goodbye" when Odysseus tells her that she's alone. Her cape can also transform into wings, and her eyes are actually golden without the mask.

I had to give Eurylochus his large anime sword (it's just as heavy as it looks but he likes it that way because that means no one besides him is strong enough to wield it ... I imagine Eurylochus can bench press at least Odysseus' and Polites' weights combined. He and Polites are also wearing variants of Odysseus' armor, indicating that they belong to the same army.

Listen, I can vibe with Eurylochus' giant sword but I draw the line at Polites with glasses, sorry. He still gets the hairband, of course. He's also dressed more casually, and without a weapon, because of his pacifistic outlook. He's the physically weakest among the trio by far but also still an inch taller than Odysseus (it's fine, Odysseus is still like 5'10, his friends are just all so freaking tall...)

OCEAN ft. Aeolus, Poseidon, and Odysseus

Not gonna lie, I LOVED designing Aeolus' outfit. She's playful and mischievous and loves to hang out in the clouds all day; her outfit is probably made out of clouds let's be real. Also yes, her image on the windbag moves to make cheeky faces.

Poseidon I cannot imagine without tentacles anymore thanks to @gigizetz's "Ruthlessness", idk it just fits him so well. He definitely got all dressed up to go and sink Odysseus' fleet that day, he has a reputation, you know? And he just likes the shiny gold and accessories; the ocean is full of them so why wouldn't he?

Edit: I actually updated this design somewhat significantly; if you're interested in the current one, check here! He still has a tentacle/monster form, but it's not his only one.

Since breaking up with Athena, Odysseus lost her belt and armbands. He's still wearing her brooch because he couldn't bring himself to fully throw that away as well yet. Polites' hairband around his wrist reminds him of what he's fighting for and what to live by ... for now (Poseidon is about to ruin this man's whole career...)

CIRCE | UNDERWORLD ft. Circe, Hermes, and Tiresias

I wanted to give Circe the "witch" vibe while putting a Greek spin on it and I actually adore her design. She seems both immortally youthful (something I aim for with all my god designs) and motherly. There she was, gathering some herbs when a bunch of strangers crash onto her island ... Oh well, at least this man was a good man this time.

Hermes is kind of just Hermes. I wanted to keep him shaded, a bit impish, and definitely up to no good. He's wearing the contrasting colors on purpose, by the way. And yes, his hat can fly on its own ... But for it to do that he'd have to actually be willing to show his face which he seldom does unless he really trusts you.

Tiresias is a soul, so he has the same kind of ageless youth as all my gods (something that goes for souls of dead people too, since I like to think they get to appear at whatever age they want after death.) He's looking a bit regal since he's a prophet, so I imagine regarded highly, even in the Underworld. Instead of the blindfold, his hood covers his face, adorned with a symbolic eye to identify him and his skill.

***

Well, that's it for ACT I, friends, I hope you liked these! I will upload ACT II asap. Please comment and/or tell me your thoughts about my designs! And feel free to ask any questions you may have! I would love to talk more about these.

[swifty-fox]

As callum is double the size of Austin and quite a bit taller, how do you think this affected the way bucky and buck were portrayed on screen? I know there's also a lot of physicality in acting and I found it interesting that in certain scenes - like when they're fighting with the British at the table, or at that party where bucky has a tense moment with his superior, or when bucky gets up and starts singing - that he seems like someone buck can be quiet behind, he can watch him go and be amazed/amused at what he might do and whilst all the noise happens around bucky remain in his own seemingly preffered quietnes. Buck also watches bucky a lot too, like he is as intrigued with this larger than life character as we are - until he needs to step in lmao.

Not to say a smaller person can't be formidable, after all I think callum is distinctly bigger than the real life Eagen, but for Apples interpretation of MOTA it fits that bucky is this bull of man. It makes the moments -like that super tense moment when crank says 'the people we're bombing didn't shoot down buck' or when Bucky walks into the bar after bucks been shot down and tells everyone they don't have to guess why he's come back and slaps a bill down, or when he won't give that nazi anything but his number - all the more tangible for us watching at home.

The use of callums size is very, very wonderfully executed imo and kudos to callum and the directors for that because I think it can be so easy to end up being a caricature of some tough guy JUST because of size as opposed to being tough in spite of it, that's the balance of physical acting imo you can shoe horn any buff actor into a role but it's how secondary his size is to Buckys rage of emotions that makes it impactful, it's wielded like an accessory to an already formidable character.

I also think it shows in callum and austins friendship like Austin in their interveiws is very content often to simply relax and laugh and watch and listen, he said they're cut from the same cloth and callum said their personalties are similar to buck and buckys I.e. introvert and extrovert but they're kindred spirits. - sorry this was long but I find the art of acting so fascinating when it's done well. And the phycality of buck and bucky is to me really well done and an important part of how they understand each other

Callum is only 2 inches taller than Austin! He's just....big. he's just broad. Austin is much more trim and it makes the difference look extreme but they are in fact very similar in height!

I think from what we know the real John Egan had a very similar bombastic personality lmao. I don't think they were really factoring in Callums height or size into the casting so much as his physicality. He plays the cocky self assured pilot so well. and one thing we know about John Egan was that he was one cocksure motherfucker

^ his POW with a very cocky popped collar.

I do agree that Callum injects a lotta physicality into his roles. i can spot him from a few pixels just by the way he walks. I think it's what lends to his charisma on screen but I also think yes it is virtue of being a big guy. he's got a lotta limb and a lotta body of course he's gonna use it in his acting, of course he's someone whos probably grown up being very aware of his size. Bet he bashed those long arms a lot on things before he learned how to control himself lol. I think of course he is quite physically intimidating in scenes where he needs to be and his size lends to it but it's just the simple fact of him being a big guy.

Austin is shy and an introvert and hates talking about himself, but loves talking about things other than himself. and Callum is willing to talk about anything lol. He seems like one of those guys who kinda has a thought on every subject. It's no wonder they mesh well, they're both deeply thoughtful guys and it seems like Callums open personality smooths the path for Austin really well. I doubt they have many awkward silences between them due to Callum being Callum

[nightmarexdove]

🥀Wesker with goth! s/o headcanons🥀

Note: These are just some personal headcanons of mine, apologies if anything is out of character </3

♡ I feel like Wesker would be intrigued by the very dark and elegant way you dressed and presented yourself, I feel like he'd definetly find a kick out of matching outfits with you. Weather you be into trad goth, mall goth, Gothic lolita- he'd eye every detail of your makeup, accessories and articles of clothing when you wouldn't notice and use those details in his own outfits

♡If he was to be working, weather in his office or his lab- I think if you were to play your favorite bands/artists he'd enjoy it, especially bands like the smiths, siouxie and the Banshees and twin tribes. Who knows? Maybe if you liked to dance to your music, he'd join you! Maybe you can teach that old man a thing or two

♡Of course first meeting you, he'd keep his distance. Tho the way you presented yourself in those elaborate patterns and chain belts and spikey chokers and exaggerated style of hair and makeup I think would make him feel at ease, finding someone with a similar vibe as his own would definetly be easier for both of you to get along. (I mean- cmon. Have you seen his fit in re5?)

♡Wesker at some point I think would grow to think of you as a important figure in his day to day life, your interests would soon become his own I think. If you liked to read horror books, or dark poetry he'd dive into that genre as well; same with movies if you liked horror/old slasher films- He'd find time out of his busy schedule to watch one with you out of his own genuine interest.

♡He'd definetly find it adorable seeing you wear platform boots, if you were short; He'd find it almost adorable seeing you a good couple inches taller but still not necessarily his height. And if you were already tall; he'd admire the way in which you towered him with confidence, and if you weren't necessarily the most confident individual and more timid- he'd always shower you in quiet whispers of admiration decorating your neck in little kisses if that's something you would like.

♡Besides "dearheart" I definetly see wesker nicknaming you his "darling rose" "baby bat" "little reaper" <3

♡ another headcanon I have is wesker would definetly (but of course with hesitance) let you decorate your shared bedroom with him in whatever decor you like, if you wanted everything crimson red and black. Then crimson red and black it shall be, if you wanted creepy old Renaissance art plastered everywhere or band posters hanging on the walls; He will not bat an eye or say a word. Instead giving you his platinum credit card and let you go wild however you wished, he will deal with whatever debt comes his way if it meant you feeling comfortable and seeing that big smile on your face.

Same thing goes with clothing, you see a nice dress/suit? You'll have it in a handful of days. Want insanely expensive nails that look like claws? No need to ask him twice because he's personally choosing and taking you to the best nail salon money can buy.

[meltedbluecaterpillar]

Welcome to my blog where I talk about Ruggie Bucchi and clothes because I love clothes.

I think Ruggie is well versed in street fashion the older he gets. I will explain. I think... Money wise he doesn't prioritize brands. But he hangs out with Leona. I think... In my mind... Leona plays dress up with him because when they hang out... Ruggie looks homeless. So Leona feels irritated hanging around someone without swagsauce. I think Ruggie is fashionable (a lot of the Twst cast is) but he just can't afford his dreams haha.

I like clothes a lot. When I write fanfiction, I plan out fashionable clothes for my x Readers. I love the idea of a character I like wearing clothes I like to see them in or fashion that suits them out of uniform. In a fic I wrote, I mentioned a character wearing True Religion jeans. Because it makes sense for him.

Here are clothes I want to see Ruggie wear/I might mention in writing/I want to draw him in:

The Goofy Shirt x Shorts

So, I'm black if you did not know. As in African American (I am biracial but both parents in my life are black) and that means I grew up with a lot of black men in my life dressing like this. Me and my friend joined forces and agree Ruggie Bucchi is Afro Latino. He is pale because he is at school on an Island, he doesn't get cooked in the sun so he lacks melanin.

But he dresses like this. I like him wearing shorts because I like that Ruggie has long legs despite being a somewhat short guy. Shorts like this make him look taller (the illusion of baggy clothes also making you look thin) and I actually do like him in boots a lot. Firstly, when I write Ruggie, I write him as someone who's second home was the streets. Boots, especially steel toed work boots are heavy. I actually own a pair and I will explain. There is a bit of heel on work boots. So you get an extra inch of height. But they're heavy because of the steel put in them to protect your feet. In my mind, Ruggie get's into fights sometimes. Have you ever been kicked by someone in a steel toed boot? The bruise is giant and you could get something broken. In his dorm card he also wears boots so I think if she needs to, he can do what needs to be done.

It suits him to wear boots when he looks like he's on a lil' mission. (I will talk about other shoes on him later.) The goofy shirts is something I think he would like. Shirts with bizarre imagery on the front is something you usually would get secondhand and he is a thrifting guy. He goes to places like that for fire fits. They house personality so when I draw or write Ruggie I usually picture him with a weird shirt on.

It makes sense to me. And I hope you see my visions.

For brands I write/draw for him specifically? I will say usually it's older street fashion that is considered 'outdated but still trendy'. I will build him an outfit of what I think he would wear at some point.

Ed Hardy x (Thrifted) True Religion

I think this would be something he wears. At least since its so hot. It is my personal opinion so you don't have to agree with my post. Something like this while going out with a friend. I think he likes odd clothing like the shorts and they have the thrifted vibe. Especially since Ed Hardy is a form of 'street/punk' fashion. Motorcycles and all of your favorite plugs wore Ed Hardy. I think Ruggie's holy grail would be thrifting True Religion (anything) or anything luxury. He doesn't buy stuff like that for full price ever but he laughs knowing the rich toss this stuff out so easily. This can be paired with any basic steel toed boots and classic white socks. Accessories... I think Ruggie would like bracelets. Oh, I usually give Ruggie a think gold chain. Why? ... Growing up, my younger brother and my dad were obsessed with gold chains. It was a thing that made sense. Seeing a black boy smile over his first gold chain. It was a sign of... Adulthood almost. You get your first job and at the age of 15 - 17 every boy I've met has either saved to buy a car or a gold chain. It is a personal thing to me and I think Ruggie bought himself a chain. (This is also because Ruggie wears a traditional necklace from the Afterglow Savana made of wooden beads and stones I think) I think that he can't drive... So a car is pointless especially at NRC, so I think he bought himself a chain with his first check. He was told buy his granny to be selfish for once. To use what he earned for something he wanted. "Make one dumb purchase and then be responsible. Just once' so I think Ruggie 'grew up' buying a gold chain from a pawn shop.

It's culture if that makes sense. I think it's dope.

I will come back to this later, and I will add a second post of another style I think he would wear. I can do Summer, Fall, and Winter... Maybe... Thank you for listening to me ramble. I had fun.

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - A Premature Burial 1

Author: Akira

Characters: Nazuna, Kuro, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"I wish I was hearing those words in a different context, you know!?"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Starmony Dorms (Exterior)

The next day. Near the entrance of Starmony Dorms…

Nazuna: Absolutely not…

Kuro: If ya could nod your head with a “yes” instead… Much like a man bowed his head askin’ for help—Nahh, we’re too close for that, aren’t we?

Nazuna: Mhm. I’d love to help you with whatever you ask, Kuro-chin, but I don’t like what I don’t like.

Kuro: Oh come on. Dressin’ up in any outlandish outfit ain’t somethin’ new to you, right, Nito?

Nazuna: You’re right, but…

I’m an adult who is about to turn twenty years old. Sometimes I look at myself wearing cute shorts and I wonder to myself, “What am I doing?”

But I know that’s just the way things are, that’s the type of idols Ra*bits are, and I’m fine with that.

Kuro: Ooh, so then…♪

Nazuna: This is something different! Why’s it I gotta wear women’s clothing made by my friend, Kuro-chin?

Just, no! It makes me feel obscene!

Kuro: T-There’s nothin’ obscene about it! Ya make it sound so bad!

Why’s it you’re so reluctant? I’m just asking if ya can try on an outfit I made for my lil’ sister!

Nazuna: And I’m sayin’ you have some nerve to be asking a guy your age to do that!

If I’m not mistaken, your little sister’s still in primary school, right Kuro-chin? Sure, I sell cuteness, but I’m still a grown man, aren’t I~!?

Kuro: It’ll be alright! It’ll work out with ya, Nito!

My lil’ sister’s steadily growin’ up to be taller and taller just like me, it’ll still be a lil’ short on ya, but you’ll still be able to wear it!

I believe in ya, Nito!

Nazuna: I wish I was hearing those words in a different context, you know!?

Aaalright! We’re done here! I’m uncomfortable, I’m going back to my room!

I’ll let you off the hook this time because we’re friends, Kuro-chin, but go take a walk and cool your head too!

Kuro: C’mon, don’t say that, Nito~…

My lil’ sis recently has been startin’ to take more and more interest in fashion, but all the clothes and accessories she wants are ridiculously expensive.

We can’t afford it with our current economic situation, so I thought to sew it myself. It’d be cheaper that way.

But the thing with clothes is, ya can’t tell if it’s gonna look good or bad ‘til it’s actually put on. So..? Do ya understand, Nito?

I’m beggin’ ya… You’re my only hope, ya know.

I know I’m one to talk, but all the idols in ES have large builds. Your tininess is a valuable asset, Nito.

There’s nobody else in this wide world that can wear primary school girl’s clothes naturally but my friend Nito—Only you!

Nazuna: Buy a mannequin, then…?

Kuro: Whoah!? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your eyes as cold as glass marbles!

Nazuna: I don’t want my eyes to return to the days where I was a doll in Valkyrie because of a situation as stupid as this…

Mika: …!

Kuro: Ohh? Hey, hey, watch where ya goin’, are ya hurt?

Mika: …

Kuro: Hey… Ya run into me and don’t even say hi? Did somethin’ happen, Kagehira?

Mika: Nnah!? Ahh, my bad, “Ryuu~-kun”-san! My head’s been so blank…!

Kuro: What’s wrong with ya… Somethin’ wrong? If you’re willin’, I can at least hear ya out?

Mika: Nnah? Nah nah, it’s somethin’ unrelated to ya, “Ryuu~-kun”-san—

Ohh, but you are “Ryuu~-kun”-san, aren’tcha?

Kuro: Wha? I’ll be blunt, you’re the only one callin’ me by nickname from when I was a kiddo. It’s been a long time since Itsuki called me that, even.

Mika: That’s right! “Ryuu~-kun”-san is Oshi-san’s childhood friend, right? That’s why yer “Ryuu~-kun”-san, right?

Kuro: What’s this gotta do with anythin’… Is there somethin’ goin’ on with Itsuki?

[ ☆ ]

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[blankfairy]

Glance, stature, and favorite for Trystane?

tysm for the ask!! sorry for the wait i've been so tired with work 😭 but the silly ocs in my head make it all better!!

glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature?

i think trystane just naturally looks... offputting. like, he and samsa both, but in different ways. one looks concerningly alive, animalistic; trystane is a ghost. pale, white hair tinged with brown, and those big, dark blue eyes that you can drown in. he is really not there at all. he hasn't appeared officially as a character/samsa hasn't spoken to him in what i've written, but. she's seen him:

He was a ghost — seen and heard only when wished to be, and it seemed he didn't wish to exist at all. [...] If Aemond hadn't spoken his name, she would have assumed him a figment of her imagination.

there's also, due to westeros' intense alienation of anyone not able-bodied, his clubfoot.

It seemed to Samsa that Ser Criston had conjured the name out of nothing, but when she turned, there he was, seated and silent on a stone step with a cloak over his shoulders despite the heat. [...] The sigil of House strong was embroidered on the cuffs of his gloves, but Samsa didn't need to see it to know his father. One of his feet twisted painfully in towards the other.

stature: What's your OC's body type? How tall are they? Do they wear clothing to accentuate their look or do they try to mask it?

trystane is 5'11"! he was shorter but larys is like 6'3" in the show so i had to make him a little taller... as a treat. he's very... awkwardly shaped? at least in his head. tall, lanky, bony, and ashamed of it. he wears heavier, thicker clothing to fill himself out more and. not be perceived. he is, unfortunately, still perceived, much to his dismay JBSDKSDF

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

y'know, i haven't given this one much thought! one constant feature i've had in all his art so far, at least, is that heavy red cloak he wears. i can't say i know where it came from, but i DO know it's like... a comfort item to him, i guess. something for him to hide under. he, samsa, and finn all have red cloaks and while YES that is because i'm a sucker for a nice crimson cloak, i think it has some fun symbolism stuff too. bound by blood.

[taybatwo2]

And another Magic Mixies Pixling review:

Wynter the Bunny Pixling (with really bad eye wonk).

She’s unusual that she is the first in the Magic Mixies Pixling line-up to have no molded on clothing-aside from her under-roos (still hoping for a knee joint, but she’s a great step in the right direction).

A close up of her sweet and wonky face. Again, she is lightly pixelated, but it is MUCH better than Mattel’s pixelation. She also has a very sparkly head gem too (while I believe the others have had no sparkly backing to their gems).

She has only one set of ears (thank you!! I really don’t care for the two pairs of human/animal ears some dolls have *cough, cough* Enchantimals *cough.*). They even sculpted fur on the outside! It’s very cute. Also, you can see the pearly tinsel in her hair here as well (her hair fiber is super soft, like Rainbow High/Shadow High’s kiwi hair).

Here are her accessories: a fur lined, sparkly snowflake cape, a flocked headband, some pink glittery shoes with heart and fur details, and her wand/scepter (my favorite due to the little rabbit ears on top and the little bunny tail on the bottom).

Only part of her dress is hemmed, and there is a ribbon inside to help it from riding up.

Okay Wynter, wave your magic wand to bring up some similar bunny/rabbit themed dolls to compare yourself to!

*POOF*

more under the cut

Turns out there are quite a few bunny themed dolls out there, compared to the few I own.

Of course, they are the very cute Calico Critters/Sylvanian Family Rabbit Families (if I ever give in and buy one I’m doomed). They’re flocked, smaller than Wynter and have less articulation:

Then there are these Chinese BJD’s:

I actually might give in and buy -the whole set- ONE of them from this series….because they are ALL so cute:

Both sets are fully articulated and are strung with elastic. I believe they are a bit taller than Wynter.

Okay, back to some dolls I do have:

Wynter with Angel-Hop the Zelf (both from Moose Toys). In every review, I have said that they really seem to have some similarities in the line (or look like they would be the Pixling’s pet/sidekick). Angel-Hop also has molded on fur.

There were two other bunny Zelfs, the large Snowflake (going with a snow bunny theme like Wynter) and Sugar Bunny.

But, the Zelfs that looked the most similar to Wynter was: Crystal Gemz Angelala! …the light pink one on the left: Float kinda reminded me of her hair blend l, so he also snuck into the picture.

Their heart gems are not the exact mold, but they look VERY SIMILAR TO ONE ANOTHER. Her brother from another species’ mother…..

Okay, onto the Shopkins Wild Style: Melonie Hops and Bunny Bow. Both characters are flocked and waaaay smaller than Wynter. Besides them also being made by Moose Toys, and being bunnies as well, there isn’t much similarity (Wynter finds them adorable).

There was a Shoppie who went along with Bunny Bow, Rainbow Kate. I believe that she is slightly taller than Wynter, but has less articulation, and I don’t know if her clothes are removable.

Okay, now onto some non-Moose Toys. How about Na! Na! Na! Surprise! by MGA? Now they have a lot of bunnies! Including my Aubrey Heart (who seems to have more in common with the Zelf: Sugar Bunny than Wynter). Aubrey is a cloth doll over a plastic vase and has five points of articulation and is a good deal taller than Wynter with her bunny hat on (which is permanent and seen to her hair). Both have really soft hair fibers…

This line also had allll of these bunny themed characters: Bebe Groovy and Melanie Mod (a second bunny doll named Melanie/Melonie). I believe these were released in the same series too.

Alice Hope (second bunny girl with the last name “Hops,” and will be the first of two Alice in Wonderland references in this post) and another snow bunny: Aspen Fluff.

Finally, they had “Black Bunny,” from the Ultimate Series (they’re MUCH bigger dolls with removable hats and rooted hair ….and were stupid expensive…)

Okay, the other behemoth of bunny doll characters are Mattel’s Enchantimals (which I believe are still putting out characters/play sets, just not in the United States). I never cared for them due to their molded on clothing and the human ear/animal ear combo (I DESPISE it SO).

They are the same height as Pixlings, but with smaller proportions, and more limited articulation (and with molded on tops and removable skirts like Pixlings, but not executed as well IMO). I don’t own any bunny Enchantimals, so here are more stock photos for yoooou. Also, their set of bunny ears remind me of the Rankin and Bass’ “Here Comes Peter Cottontail’s” rabbits:

There is another pink bunny girl: Bree Bunny and ANOTHER snow bunny: Bevy Bunny (a skirt and tank top are NOT snow appropriate clothing).

There are Brystal Bunny and Blyss Bunny.

aaaand the smaller (also pink) bunny: Bedelia Bunny (no relation to Amelia Bedelia) and another purple bunny: Becker Bunny (who comes with an fairly cute Farmer’s Market Playset and looks to have the extra knee joints, along with a new cute ear mold). Apparently, they are all related….

And I would be remiss if I did not include Mattel’s Ever After High Bunny Blanc (daughter of Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit)…..she looks much cuter in the very enjoyable animated series and this stock photo than she does in real life.

[rozaceous]

Hey! I love tcba a lot and Mariko is a fantastic character. I just wondered if there was a physical description for her floating around somewhere? I get a very vague picture from how she is written and how other characters perceive her. But aside from “dark brown/bronze hair, usually braided and tidy, probably fairly pretty (?), girl…” I got nothing for her on my head. I ask specifically because I’d really like to try doodling some fanart for her, or find some online somewhere, but that hard to do when I cant actually picture her very well.

If not describing her outright is a preference of yours though, then I completely understand too. Sometimes a lack of POV character description helps with reader immersion and adds to a story.

Just figured I would ask before I went off half-cocked and drew something that doesn’t suit who Mariko is.

wow that would be really sweet of you! (also tysm for loving tcba) @arc-haism drew some awesome art of mariko that's in the 'art for me tag' that you can find on my pinned post, if you'd like.

and there isn't so much of a physical description in the fic, i guess? i put in smaller details throughout, but i'm so burned by the 'my black hair and purple eyes' descriptions of old that i shy from it very strongly haha. it feels very self-indulgent, but i can give it a go now 💪

so we're looking brown hair, which is almost always braided in some fashion for practicality's sake. (i find having hair in my face super annoying, but also in a medical setting that's unsanitary.) for most of the fic it's a braided updo of some kind, but her starter shippuden look has a side-braid that's a little more abt form than function. it's also pretty long? bottom of the ribs in length. brown eyes (at least pre- eyeball shenanigans lmao), paler skin but not sasuke pale and def not sai pale lmao, square-ish to round-ish face shape, strong jaw. and dog teeth!

short-to-average before she hit her growth spurt (which would have been the start of the fic, so she was basically the same height as naruto and sasuke), and here is where i drop her current height as 178cm. based on some of the height charts i've found for shippuden, she's taller than all of her peers, which i think is hilarious. sadly it won't last forever. in terms of her current build, think sprinter.

accessories/clothes: all black all the time, except for when something is gray lol. those mesh shirts p much always, fingerless gloves. otherwise you can kind of go nuts, i've got her in tons of outfits. shippuden has the bell earring, which is the bell test bells, hanging from one ear, that she uses to cast auditory genjutsu.

i hope that's detailed enough? let me know if i didn't answer something you were dying to know abt tho.

[sirenjose]

Your thoughts on the Identity Switch

Thanks to you…. I now really like Norton. I used to hate him because I have a vendetta against people taller than my 4’11 self but now I love him.

on another note, what are your thoughts on the Identity switch system? Looking more into Norton’s background specifically makes me wonder why Norton gets a hunter form. What does this represent? I know that there’s a lot of drugs involved but I always interpreted it as them unlocking a new personality or smth, one more attune to following the manor’s games and supervising it (hunter) and like the other just trying to leave (survivor). I’ve been so interested in Norton’s lore lately that now I’m in an existential rabbit hole in how survivors get hunter forms, why that is, and if it’s like some sort of curse or punishment. Why are these survivors getting hunter forms?

soooo many questions, IK. But like reading your theories and analysis at 3Am is my serotonin. As a new player purely interested in the game for its lore I am just excited to know more but can’t wrap my head around all these weird concepts cause, again, I’m new. Also if I spend the next hour reading more of your analysis I will not sleep so therefore I need to preface my curiosity with a timed endeavor. My question probably do3snt make sense but like uhhh yeaaaaa. You should totally make something on your thoughts on identity switch (especially for the survivors gone hunters) cause I am too far in deep into the Norton-Campbell-Fool’s-Gold-Alternate-personality rabbit hole.

I’ve never done the questioning thingy before so sorry if this is not how it works. G’day!

Ah, it makes me happy to think a nobody like me can turn your thinking around on someone. Especially Norton since he was 1 of the main reasons I got started with the lore at all. I'm someone who usually plays a game based on how interesting the story or characters are, so I was interested in learning about idv's lore soon after I joined (had to take quite awhile to figure out the basics of the game and what all the various buttons were, then take some more time to get used to it before I could even get started with the lore). Was the main reason why I went looking to join places like Discord or Reddit, just so I could find people talking about the story.

Started by just understanding what I could about what people said, but then I eventually moved on to trying to understand at least the basics of everyone's backstories (once again, took me awhile to do that ^_^; Especially as I joined before we were getting all that much story at all). While I was doin this, I heard a lot of people saying bad stuff about some character named Norton. Have to admit I didn't know who he was for quite awhile. Wasn't in my radar. Can't even say I cared much for him. But I eventually got to the point where I basically decided I wanted to see if I could determine if Norton really was that bad or not (maybe as a challenge to myself, maybe because I wanted to find out myself rather than just hearing other's opinions, or maybe because I failed to find anything really in-depth about him).

That analysis took a ridiculous amount of time. In part because I ask too many questions, because I'm a perfectionist and wanted to look at every bit of info on him and detail on him, but also somewhat because I ended up writing this like a persuasion piece, and felt the only way to do that was by going through everything to back up my conclusion (whatever my research turned up). Which was also why I analyzed every single essence he had a skin in, as well as any skins not in an essence, his accessories, emotes, etc... It was during that process I actually got attached to Norton. Probably because of how long I spent going through him (no one needs to know how long it took... only the immense joy and desire to collapse I had when I finally finished).

Since then, I've rewritten his analysis... 3 times now I think? Counting after hunter norton's release? Though I've taken down that 1st version due to issues, and haven't reposted my essence analyses as they're old (they were pretty much the 1st analyses I wrote, and I'd like to think I've improved since then) as well as because they're based on the 1st version of my norton analysis... and because they're probably a bit needlessly long and thus embarrassing... Maybe I'll repost them once I get around to rewriting them. I definitely will eventually at least for Soul Catcher's and Magic Item Keeper's essence because I have to say they took longer than almost any other part of that original (complete) norton analysis (i can never forget the trouble they caused me over how long it took to understand them).

ANYWAYS! Ignoring my stupid rambling because who cares about any of that.

I was going to include my answer to your question about Identity Switches but it’s starting to become a little silly in length ^_^; (seriously, for those who know me well enough, I have a bad habit of writing more than I initially intended to once I get started) so I’ll make that a separate post for you, and you can let me know if it answers your questions (once I post it). If not, feel free to ask any more of your questions.

Honestly, the lore is confusing even to those who aren’t new players, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t wrap your head around a lot of this ^_^;

It’s hard for me to imagine my stuff is so good people are willing to read it, much less re-read it. Especially as I know people tend to prefer… shorter things, but I have tendency to be lengthy. I can’t help it though ;’) But thank you so much for the compliment.

And please, I’m still pretty new to Tumblr, so I’m still figuring all this out myself.

Anyways, don’t feel nervous talking to me or asking me any questions you have. I enjoy being helpful! So please, ask whatever you like. Or even if you don’t have a question, that’s ok too. I enjoy rambling about a subject I get started on, as long as the other person can bear with me ;’)

 It’s always nice to know people besides me, myself, and I are reading this stuff.

(Apologies for any errors or nonsense in this post, as I decided to write it without double checking it for errors cuz I felt like being lazy, and I'm still busy writing out my thoughts about Identity Switches for you)

[chromotps]

You, answering my asks while sleep deprived: 👁👄👁

Me, sending asks, depriving myself of sleep: 👁👄👁

You suggesting the feather accessories made me think about Avian Hybrids!CoraLaw. Or, well, a Wings!AU.

- Cora has black swan wings and Doffy has flamingo wings (the only time I'll ever include this dude in my AUs. I avoid this mf cuz I'm starting to like him 😭). Idk what to give Law lmao–

- Cora's wings are huge. Like, 260cm/8'6ft. They're also waterproof, he uses them to cover the people from the rain.

- Law's wings are sensitive, so he doesn't like people touching them unless he gives them permission and consent to do so. Cora is an exception tho, Law even reaches out himself so Cora would touch them (No, Bepo isn't jealous. Of course he isn't.. whaaaat. He's totally okay with sharing his pseudo blanket with Cora..!!! That's a lie. Bepo is sulking in the corner while listening to Uta's songs).

- When it's Cora's time to moult in the summer, Law usually takes him flying when he wants/needs to. It's Law's favourite part of every summer, he gets to have Cora in his arms as he takes them flying. Law also helps toss out the old feathers, but some of them are gonna be used and turn into coats for the both of them.

- As you mentioned, feather accessories! I love those omg, thank you for suggesting them!! Cora has a single earring with Law's feather dangling from it. Law has a feather of Cora's attached to Kikoku and another as an earring.

- Law's wings are warmer than Cora's (that's the real reason why Bepo likes sleeping next to Law, trust me /j), so Cora likes to be the little spoon most of the time, just so he could feel Law's warm wings engulf him (they rarely spoon each other, they look like the type to sleep with their backs flat on the mattress). Law's wings are 210cm/6'10 ft, taller than himself when tucked in (Yes I did use the height comparison website on Google lmao).

(...Nah I'm not gonna give their wings width measurements, I'm too lazy for that and it's 5am)

- And because Cora's wings are huge, it makes him hard to stay balanced and upright. Falling means he starts panicking, panicking means his wings starts flailing, his wings flailing means knocking off whatever it is near him and slapping people in the face lol. He tries to tuck them in as close as possible.

I might expand this because I love it sm, but right now I ran out of ideas. You could add your own btw! My AUs are everyone's AUs xD. Enjoy and have a great day/night!

-S

!!!!! I miss Wing!AUs... They're so nostalgic...

(okay also total sidenote, I have the same thing with Doffy. I went from thinking he seemed cool when he was first introduced to being Big Mad at the sight of him, with him killing Cora and. all that. But I've grudgingly come back around to?? strangely liking him?? I just like when villains have a sense of style and totally commit to being completely unhinged... I'm still glad he got got, but he is a fun character. 😂)

I wish I knew more Bird Facts so I could give a suggestion for Law... all I can think of right now is some kind of hawk... ooo or maybe a vulture?

God, Law still being such a SIMP with his wings 😂 and letting Cora get near them.... (hahaha I see those Bepo cameos... man if I wasn't so down bad for Cora I would throw in more with the law/bepo crew. full respect there). Also Law putting a feather on Kikoku!!!!! Ohhhh the mental image of that is so good.... Like, Law subtly showing that Cora is part of the reason he fights....

Ahhh also thinking about Cora being so used to trying to make his wings as small as possible and not inconvenience anyone with them, but one time Law makes a point to take them somewhere with a wide, open space and ask to see them... Or Cora has to fly them somewhere for the first time while running from Marines/some group that's not worth staying and fighting. And Law is just!!! awed!! at the sight of them!!! I know clumsiness is part of Cora's charm, but based on that mission where he stole the op-op fruit, we know he can be really coordinated and stealthy when needed. So, like, when he finally makes full use of his wings, maybe he's one of the fastest/swiftest flyers Law has seen.

[gloriousncss]

Task 004: Maria Ortiz's Wardrobe

How important is fashion and staying current trends to your character?

Maria would often prefer to look at fashion trends and do literally the exact opposite just because deviating from what everyone else is doing, and making it noticeable, is very satisfying for her.

What colors does your character typically wear? Why do they choose that particular color?

Red represents a lot of who Maria is; fiery, vibrant, dangerous, sexy, individualistic, revolutionary, etc. Though her typical pirate/bandit wardrobe contains those rebellious colors of black and metallics, she wears the most red in her evening wear, when she is forced to go out to parties. That is when the attire itself feels the least like herself, and so to be covered entirely in red is the way that she can maintain her character.

Does your character like to wear a lot of embellishments? Or do they keep it more simple?

Maria's style has evolved a lot over the years, but nowadays, she is wearing much more simplistic fabrics so then her personality can really shine through, rather than previously hiding behind all of those adornments.

What does your character wear when they go to balls and social gatherings?

These days, Maria only wears proper royal attire to evening balls as to maintain the position she needs to light the spark of revolution. As previously stated, her dresses are the most red of anything she wears, but her skirts are bigger, her sleeves are tighter with puffs coming out at her shoulders, and she wears a traditional corset beneath her dress. It's aligns very much with traditional Spanish attire.

What does your character wear in their day-to-day life?

Last year, she had two lives; the traditional Spanish Princess and the Bandit, Esmeralda. Both were complete opposites; the Spanish princess being in heavy dresses and corsets and satin and lace, while the bandit wore trousers, pirate coats, belts, and puffy white shirts with loads of jewelry. The dichotomy of Maria's wardrobe has merged into one with what she tends to wear since the Reckoning, as she's beginning to discover who she is when she's not torn in two. Now she wears puffy shirts (black or white) with a non-traditional exposed corset (much like a wench), and some kind of single-layer skirt in solid colors (black, beige, red, etc).

How does your character style their hair?

Long, down, absolutely no accessories. Yes, it is considered most improper, but what is Maria if not being improper just for the bit? She wants jaws to drop from the scandal as she enters with her hair down.

What shoes does your character usually wear?

Maria can do it all in heels. She wears calf brown leather boots with lace ups at the front with a 2-3 inch heel. Oddly enough, the hells make her feel taller, which makes her more intimidating, in her mind. Over time, she's come to learn that they're not all that uncomfortable.

Does your character like to wear jewelry or any other accessories?

Absolutely. Though she claims her abundance of jewelry comes from Ortiz money as an act of defiance against the Bonaparte family for trying to steal their money over 10 years ago, Maria is truly wearing the jewelry she's stolen over the last 6 years. Perhaps the most important piece of jewelry is the necklace that she was found with; a coin with the name Esmeralda engraved on the back. It is the only piece of her missing childhood memories that she has, and it's the starting point on the search for her birth mother.

What does your character wear to sleep?

While it is customary to sleep in an ankle-length, modest night gown, Maria sleeps in black or red satin that barely reaches her thighs with little straps instead of sleeves. Quite provocative, indeed.

[wherefore-whinnies]

I compiled a list of all the teatime conversation topics in one place for your OC creation needs, etc.! this was done manually so there might be mistakes or some missing, and if there's a conversation topic that exists but nobody actually likes it then it won't be listed here because I was just going off the lists of what everyone likes. every character has one conversation topic they like that is unique to them; I have indicated those with an asterisk but I didn't write which character goes with which so you can have a fun guessing game 😁

A dinner invitation

A new gambit

A new sword technique*

A place you'd like to visit

A strong battalion

A word of advice

Academy memories*

Being the perfect knight*

Best performance venues*

Books you've read recently

Capable comrades

Cats

Celebrations*

Childhood memories*

Children at the market

Classes you might enjoy

Close calls

Cooking mishaps

Cute accessories*

Cute monks

Dating escapades*

Dimitri*

Dining partners

Dreaming of lazy days*

Dreams of a throne*

Dreamy knights

Equipment upkeep

Evaluating allies

Exploring the monastery

Fashion

Favorite sweets

First crushes

Fish and the sea*

Flayn*

Fodlan's future

Food for life*

Food in the dining hall

Forest birds*

Gardening mishaps

Ghost stories*

Gifts you'd like to receive

Good jokes*

Guessing someone's age

Heart-racing memories

Hopes for your future

I heard some gossip

I'm counting on you

Insectivorous plants*

Jeralt*

Keeping Abyss safe*

Kitchen catastrophes*

Lady Rhea*

Likeable allies

Magical innovations*

Methods for growing taller*

Mighty weapons

Mixing pigments*

Monastery rules

Monastery security

Money-making secrets*

Mountain folk traditions*

Muscle growth*

Our first meeting

Overcoming weaknesses

Past laughs

Perfect recipes

Plans for the future

Potential training partners

Relaxing at the sauna

Reliable allies

Roses*

School days

School uniforms

Shareable snacks

Someone you look up to

Stargazing*

Strange fish in the pond

Sturdy weapons*

Successful plots*

Survival skills*

Swimming in the ocean*

Tell me about yourself

Thanks for everything

The art of napping

The courtyard couple

The existence of Crests

The ideal professor

The ideal relationship

The last battle

The library's collection

The meaning of nobility*

The melody of words*

The opera

The thrill of sweets*

The view from the bridge

Things that bother you

Things you find romantic

Wood carving*

Working hours for guards

Working together

You seem different

You seem well

You're doing great work

Your ambitions

Your research*

[brxkxnhxxrtsclxb]

with the addams family skuklector release getting closer, i’m excited !!

i decided to do my personal ranking (from faves to least faves) of the skullector dolls :3 (this is solely my opinion so it makes sense if others don’t agree)

1. greta

- i think greta is great and so beautiful !! i love what they did with her and she definitely fits the monster high verse !! plus i adore her little three fingered hands >.<

(hoping to one day be able to get her for a reasonable price. i was aware of the skullectors since the first releases but didn’t think they’d be worth it so that’s my fault T_T)

2. bride of chucky (chucky and tiffany)

- the first set of skullectors i got because i adore chucky and tiffany. i think they’re cute and great :3 i also love how they yassified them to look more monster high. my personal favorite of the two is tiffany. i just love her dress and the pattern of blood splattered hearts is too cute to me♡ also love her black nails. i do wish her beauty mark were a tad bigger. chucky is cute too but i won’t lie, would’ve been nice if he was a manster cuz we need more >.< but overall i’m happy with her too

3. nightmare before christmas (jack and sally)

- like many, i love this movie and anything tim burton. its always spoken to me for some odd reason. jack and sally are too cute imo. i love love sally’s face !! i think the monster high look works well with her♡ also love how long her hair is !! jack is amazing. i love the new mold and i feel he also fits right in the monster high world. he’s a skeleton with a round head. he looks odd and i think that’s what helps him fit in :3 love that they incorporated the spiral hill on his heels

4. addams family (morticia and wednesday)

- oh, the addams family. i’ve been obsessed with the addams family since fifth grade. i won’t lie, i was at first a little bummed out we weren’t getting a couple set with gomez and morticia, but after seeing the reveal of wednesday and morticia, i can’t be mad. they’re really cute imo. love love morticia (her shoes are great imo) and wednesday is a cutie (cousin itt and thing on her heels is a cute detail as well) :3

(maybe it was for the best they didn’t include gomez since mansters barely get any love. i’m afraid they wouldn’t have put as much effort into him >.<)

5. annabelle

- i think annabelle came out really cute. also think they did the same as with the bride of chucky set. they yassified her to fit the monster high verse and i think it works :3 i love her dress, especially the blood drip pattern on the bust area

6. bride of frankenstein (the monster and bride)

- i think this set is really cute despite the bride not actually liking the monster. they look great together and although simple, they match the vibe of the original and monster high to me. love the little ballerina in a beaker detail on the bride’s shoes and the monster being our first manster is great !! just would’ve been nice if he were taller and had some actual hair instead of it being molded since he’s a collector doll. i do love his shoes !!

7. pennywise

- i think she looks good. definitely captured the character well in terms of look, but i do wish she had a more crazed look on her face but overall she’s great for what we got :3 i love her little red ballon and paper boat accessories♡

8. elvira

- she’s cool as a doll, but i have no attachment to the character sadly since she’s such an icon and heard she’s also hilarious (show’s on my watch list). overall. i think she’s really pretty to look at and i think she looks so good in the monster high style. her face just suits it so well !! also love her little dagger belt and think they did her hair so well :3

9. dracula

- love the vibe and black and white with pops of red aspect she has going on, but she’s definitely lower on the list because she’s kind of boring to me. i know the bride of frankenstein set are also more on the plain side, but for some reason dracula wasn’t able to get me T_T her shoes are cool though !! i adore the little detail of opening the coffin heels to reveal a mini bela lugosi inside♡

10. the shining (grady twins)

- not my fave. they’re twins so it’s technically two of the same doll and much like the source material… they’re just there. they’re cute but do not captivate me. i do like that one looks more serious than the other and their shoes are also cute

11. beetlejuice (beetlejuice and lydia)

- not a fan. never liked the way they did beetlejuice. it just doesn’t look right imo and my least favorite of the set is lydia. i don’t like her face, much less her bangs. the shoes on both dolls are cool though. just didn’t like how this set turned out T_T

12. creature from the black lagoon

- the gill-man definitely removed dracula from my least favorites list and bumped up the beetlejuice set in terms of liking them better. wasn’t a fan of the gill-man as soon as i saw her. just doesn’t go well with the rest of the universal monsters skullector line up. while the other three have the distinct black and white with a pop of color aspect to them, the creature is way too saturated (makes less sense since the movie is black and white so it was cool they kept the black and white elements in the previous dolls). head sculpt is cool and i do think it’s creative she got the arm accessories and boots to look like the gill-man’s traits but overall, i do not vibe with her, making her my least favorite

that’s it for me regarding the skullectors !! can’t wait to see the sanderson sisters coming out in september :3 i’m not attached to the characters, they’re cool and funny but i will be skipping the three pack !!

i can’t wait to hear the next rumors of what next year’s skullectors will be >:3

[doamarierose-honoka]

On this day ten years ago, in a glitzy media space in New York, the world was introduced to Sonic Boom, a brand new branch of the long-running Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. With branded games, comics, cartoons, many merchandising and licensing deals and a lot of marketing budget behind it, this was intended to be an all-encompassing cross-media initiative that sought to revitalise the blue blur for a new generation of kids.

The 6 Feb 2014 event was billed as a “renaissance” that would kick off the “Year of Sonic” - but instead it would become the day that marked the beginning of a long, lost decade for the franchise.

The colossal failure of Wii U exclusive ‘Rise of Lyric’ left fans with next-to-nothing to play for several years, as SEGA scrambled to rescue its most-treasured IP with rushed projects and outsourced works that leant heavily on the brand’s “legacy” - something that the company had just tried so desperately to move away from.

But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. At this time, ten years ago, there was no such panic within SEGA, and not nearly as much consternation from the fanbase. The community reaction, in fact, was one of stunned curiosity. The reveal of Sonic Boom was incredibly surprising at the time - not least because of the unique redesigns that Sonic and friends were rocking. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy all came with brand new kicks and accessories (including an industrial amount of sports tape), and proportions were tweaked to varying degrees (Sonic got taller, while Knuckles got… bigger? In the… chest?) in order to make them look contemporary for a Western (read: US) audience.

Also fascinating was the gung-ho effort by SEGA America to fully commit to a trans-media offering for the Sonic franchise. The blue blur has made - and will continue to make - appearances across all manner of different media, obviously, but Sonic Boom would be the first time that a consistent universe would carry across branded games, comics, TV and potentially even movies.

US developers Big Red Button and Sanzaru Games were tapped by SEGA to develop the first set of video games in this new world, and no expense was spared in getting these projects off the ground - with headliner ‘Rise of Lyric’ reportedly assigned some $20 million in budget. While fans were having a time trying to adjust to this bold new direction for the franchise, it at least could be said that the Wii U exclusive was looking incredibly good in its initial reveal, with the game reportedly running a version of CryEngine 3 specifically made for Nintendo’s cursed console.

On the very same day, a trailer for a branded TV series was also revealed (and it would be this arm of the sub-franchise that would ultimately stand the test of time, with a successful comedy angle for the show and writing that got increasingly great [and weird] across the two seasons that followed) as well as a range of tie-in merchandise in partnership with TOMY. Indeed, Sonic Boom was ripe for the licensing, with SEGA America fully intending to rightfully milk that cow until the end of time with many, many more partnerships confirmed over the course of the next year.

Of course, as we all know now, during the rather chaotic year that was 2014 things started to quickly fall apart. Impressions of Rise of Lyric at E3 were not super positive, with the realisation that Sonic’s design wasn’t the only factor where Boom had deviated from its SEGASonic (or “legacy”) counterpart. Gameplay appeared to follow a rather generic ‘Western action-platformer’ formula, with weird ‘Enerbeam’ swinging gimmicks in place of a traditional Sonic moveset and a focus on character-swapping and puzzles over high-speed action. It later transpired that the Wii U was not quite powerful enough to onboard the aforementioned CryEngine 3 tech either, so graphics and game features ended up taking a nosedive over the months leading up to release.

The game, which was a key factor in Sonic Boom’s overall brand success, crashed and burned by the time the review embargoes lifted (you can read our review on our archive site here, but other media outlets were much less kind to it). Add to that an associated title on Nintendo 3DS, ‘Shattered Crystal’, that suffered similar negative feedback, and you had a verified disaster in the midst of a new IP’s flagship year. The fallout was so bad that in the fiscal quarter that followed, SEGA sheepishly reported to investors that the Sonic Boom games were among the worst-selling Sonic titles in the entire franchise’s history.

Unfortunately, once the games themselves proved to be duds, the rest of the cross-media initiative came crumbling down. An Archie Comics book was announced in July 2014, and ran for only eleven issues before being cancelled. The toys would continue for a little while longer - likely owing to licensing contractual obligations - but it never reached the heights that SEGA America intended, with in-store concepts discovered in 2015 that suggested a complete Sonic takeover of toy stores had the Sonic Boom series become successful. 

About the only thing that remained by the end of it all was the Sonic Boom CG animated series, which was beloved by the community and won itself a second season before its time was up. That premiered in late 2016, alongside the third and final video game in the Sonic Boom franchise (if you don’t count the branded Sonic Dash sequel that SEGA HARDlight released a year prior), titled “Fire & Ice” (which itself was delayed a full year from its original intended release of 2015).

It was a sad run for an ambitious “sub-franchise”. But, while SEGA reps went to great lengths back in 2014 to insist that Sonic Boom was not intended to ‘replace’ the old Sonic continuity, there were signs that in practice this may not have been entirely true. For the three years that followed, the Sonic Team studio took a back seat from practically all association with Sonic the Hedgehog, with its release schedule limited to mobile spinoff Sonic Runners (which, while interesting, only lasted a year with SEGA calling the project a total failure).

The lack of any viable options from the “other branches” of the Sonic franchise, coupled with the share of voice Sonic Boom enjoyed, meant that SEGA America’s pet project was inevitably the de-facto “new face” of the IP, despite comments to the contrary. In reality, Sonic Boom was not just “a new direction” as told by producer Stephen Frost, but “the new direction”, with non-Sonic Boom branches openly considered as part of the franchise's “heritage” instead.

Perhaps most telling of this point of view came from comments made by then-SEGA producer Omar Woodley back in mid-2015:

Quote

"Sonic Boom is meant to branch away from the classic/legacy Sonic. Our plan is to go forward with both the modern Sonic and the legacy Sonic, but the Sonic Team will handle the legacy side of things in Japan.”

Indeed, until 2017 if you weren’t interested in Sonic Boom there was simply nothing interesting to play. In the gaming world, Sonic was in the doldrums. In fact, for years the Sonic social media team had the unenviable task of carrying the entire marketing for the brand, distracting a bored community with nothing but memes (a frankly herculean task that was nonetheless executed so masterfully that the Twitter account ended up growing to millions of followers) until SEGA could action a fallback strategy.

The focus on Sonic Boom (along with the subsequent lack of high profile Sonic Team projects in tandem) and its resulting failure led to SEGA America taking the unfortunate decision to downsize, restructure and relocate its Western business, and the company did not showcase or announce any new titles at E3 in 2015.

Later that year, SEGA Games CEO Haruki Satomi even stated that the company had "betrayed" its fans:

Quote

“We did our best to build a relationship of mutual trust with older fans of Sega, but looking back, there’ve been some titles that have partially betrayed that [trust] in the past 10 years.”

SEGA Europe’s Jon Rooke added that; “SEGA has publicly apologised to the fans as the quality of console games in the Sonic franchise hasn’t been acceptable over recent years.” Whatever was going on, it clearly seemed that SEGA felt like it needed to engage in damage control.

In 2016, Takashi Iizuka spoke up about the future of the franchise, and talked up the possibility of Sonic Team making a comeback.

Quote

“Because [Rise of Lyric] tried a different take on Sonic from the norm — and considering the results — this made Sonic Team feel that we want to build a Sonic title which represents the evolution of the Sonic series over the last 20 years.”

The years that followed brought us Sonic Forces - which despite a reported long development time gave the impression that it was rushed to fill a void left by the collapse of Sonic Boom - and Sonic Mania, a critically-acclaimed title that in spite of its honors was a project outsourced to indie developers.

Arguably, it would not be until 2020 - six years after the announcement of Sonic Boom - that the Sonic franchise would start to pick itself back up. The advent of the surprisingly-fantastic Sonic the Hedgehog feature film from Paramount Pictures restored a lot of energy and good will for the IP and within the community, and ironically brought Sonic to the new and extended audiences that SEGA America originally intended to reach with Sonic Boom.

In 2022, nearly nine years on from the New York reveal, Sonic Team returned to the fore with a new concept in Sonic Frontiers. And the consensus on this seems to be that, while it is rough around the edges, its approach has great potential and could flourish in a follow-up with the right design direction.

It truly feels that now, a full ten years on - and thanks to a lot of hard work from SEGA, Sonic Team and the Sonic Brand team - there is a lot to be positive about with this franchise, with plenty of interesting and exciting new games and projects on the way.

But with all that said, is it right to say that Sonic Boom was a complete and total failure? No, I don’t think so. For all of its faults, the sub-brand did do a number of things right. For one thing, the Sonic Boom cartoon remains a favourite for many this day, with fans often mourning the casual and quiet non-renewal of the series. Producer Stephen Frost also concluded that Sonic Boom in general was a success from a licensing and brand awareness perspective, which cannot really be argued when you remember the long-lasting line of toys and merchandise that kept Sonic in the mainstream’s consciousness.

And it was ahead of its time in terms of helping SEGA understand Sonic’s prominence in the West as opposed to Japan, with Iizuka moving to the US in 2016 and establishing the Sonic Brand team out of SEGA America’s offices, where a good majority of brand decisions are now made.

A lot has been written about how Sonic Boom fared and where it may have gone wrong over the years, but one thing is for certain - its reveal and its ambition was most definitely interesting. How do you feel about the overall series, ten years on? And what are your fondest/"fondest" memories of Sonic Boom?

Happy 10th Anniversary, Sonic Boom (the franchise)!