#that first screencap is her Distrust face

[lavelans]

i really am so amazed at how different your playthroughs can be; as the dark urge, lialeth really has no time to deal with any illithid bullshit when she's too busy trying not to be consumed by her urge, so she never had much trust in the emperor to begin with, and reading all those notes on mind flayer manipulation at his hideout at the elfsong really put into light his manipulation tactics

it's really funny too, how he goes "oh i shared my favorite soup recipe and memories of my dog with you, i have no more secrets to hide, so place all your trust in me" when in fact he doesn't even mention the fact that he just happens to be BALDURAN i mean all of this in hindsight?? i really have to laugh

[irenadel]

And if the devil... 1/10

Making a banner for this finally for the grand finale coming soon. Excuse to rb. Credit for the Aemond screencap goes to the wonderful Liv @barbieaemond Eventual smut, Aemond Targaryen x Maid!Reader

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

“And if the devil was to ever see you, he’d kiss your eyes and repent.”

- Farouk Gouida

He’d had nothing but contempt for you the first time he’d seen you: a too tall, mannish girl mopping up baby vomit for Helaena with less tact and grace than a stable boy. He had seen the blotchy red and white of your hands and face and had thought you one of Aegon’s cruel jests for a sister-wife he did not deserve: a freakish chambermaid for a mad princess.

And far too familiar with a lady who was in every way your better.

He told himself it was not jealousy that burnt in the pit of his stomach, brighter and wilder than Vhagar’s fire. No. It was distaste and a healthy amount of distrust, he’d felt when he’d come to visit Helaena and found you rocking her gently in your arms. You’d been in drab servant red, hair escaping your work bonnet, so strangely pale that it had made Aemond squint in immediate suspicion. Whatever it was, you were no noble companion or even one of the prettier handmaidens, just a scullery girl, dress still stained from floor scrubbing, holding a Targaryen princess and gently brushing her hair out of the way.

He’d had to control the urge to snatch her from your arms and snarl at you to leave if you wanted to keep your head… It would not have been becoming. Helaena would no doubt have found it distressing. But most of all, he feared what he would do to you the moment he’d had your pale, sickly hand in his grip. Because you had robbed him of a thing which he had not known belonged to him. His right to his sister’s pain, always so far and yet so close, because he feared the things he could say if his affection were ever to escape him. And here you were, like a thief in the night, snatching his chance before he’d even known it existed.

You’d had the common sense to leave quickly with your bucket of slops, and your eyes fixed determinedly on the floor. As if you’d known your transgression.

Helaena was not half as wise as you. Her tears had been all but gone, not there for a brother to wipe away or avenge. No forthcoming confession about Aegon that he could use as an excuse to stalk his brother’s steps and pick a fight. Just her tongue loosened by the joy of Aemond’s sudden gentleness, brought on by unwarranted competition.

You’d been recently assigned to her quarters, she’d told him and you were very good at putting the children to sleep. You weren’t squeamish like the ladies of the court, would look at Helaena’s insects without problem and think nothing of her muttering under her breath, however strange her words might be. When the children were quiet, when Helaena herself hadn’t known what else to say, you had talked to her about the great locusts of the plains of Essos, told her stories of swarms of them, climbing atop the little babes, eating the grass so thoroughly no horse or cattle could survive on what was left.

But more so, you were kind and strong and willing to put the princess to bed when her head hurt so bad she could barely think. You stayed up with her when her dreams were more a punishment than reprieve from her reality, asleep in her bed besides her or waking up for her to tend to the babies. Not a wet nurse, but you had a good head on your shoulders for fussing and crying. She had come to depend on you really. 

He had not liked it at all.

He’d blamed himself for being too engrossed in weapons training and Vhagar to have noticed your creeping, insidious influence on his sister. He’d questioned his mother and had found only her relief that at least Aegon left you alone, probably less out of kindness than out of distaste. You may have been coarse and rude and perhaps unfit to deal with anything but the lower floors of a castle, but the queen had had enough problems to deal with and at least you had a strong back and a mean glare that kept even princes away.

Not Aemond though.

He’d kept his good eye on you, and a new man-at-arms he trusted always at his sister’s side. Had even thought to corner you and put the fear of the gods in you lest you had thought Helaena alone and vulnerable. Had not even considered replacing your presence with his own, uneasy with how much the prospect thrilled him. 

You’d looked up only once: a lightning quick glare for the One-Eyed Prince before the subservient mask was firmly back in place. And Aemond had been struck strangely silent by your odd red eyes and let you scurry away. Your coarse yellow hair had been escaping its thin bonnet and he’d known immediately.

Not Valyrian blood, not a misplaced bastard, not some political trick as he had suspected…

Albino.

Oh but Helaena did have quite a fondness for broken, repellent things.

He’d been less wary then, but no less watchful. He’d stopped to stare when he saw you carrying the princess’s tray or even one of her children up and down a corridor, infallible technique for getting them to sleep at last. He’d haunted his sister’s rooms, lurking in doorways, listening in to your accent (not Flea Bottom, but not court either, no one had taught you how to speak to your betters or even how to speak well at all, it seemed…) as you told Princess Helaena about having eleven cousins and wrestling them all into bed, about taking in laundry because you couldn’t take in sewing, about a crotchety old uncle who had broken his hip out at sea and needed minding now. An uncle who resented the minding and the niece and wife that kept him and his children fed. An uncle who sounded to Aemond’s hungry, savage loneliness a lot like a father and a king.

He does not hear the other talk, even if allowed to be present for it he would not consider it. He would have dismissed it as women talk, gossip, having seldom let himself dwell on kindness instead of grievance, succor instead of retaliation. He does not hear a beloved sister tell you to stay one step ahead of the dragon, as far away as you can manage, because dragons bring nothing but fire even if they love you, warm enough until it becomes death. She should know.

It does nothing to keep Aemond from following behind you. When you took the children and their mother down to the kitchens for hot milk with honey. When any of them were achy or colicky or cranky and you would put a shawl over them, babies or mother. When you insisted the princess and her children could do with a stroll and some sun, and Aemond found his heart aching with hideous envy because he could hear his sister laughing at your snappish kitchen talk, speaking softly and intimately to you, as hungry to give the attention as to receive it. (Even as his sorry, wicked heart screams out, it was mine, all this was meant for me, how dare you, how dare you take what I didn’t know I needed!) When you sang Helaena’s babies or Helaena herself to sleep and Aemond found he had to cover his  ears against your strange, foreign crooning, that didn’t sound like King’s Landing but sounded treacherously like home. He’d had to flee to the training grounds and take out this all-consuming anger on something, drown out your husky, kind voice with the din of his sword against a shield. Hitting the wood over and over again until he tore it to splinters and Ser Criston had to hold him into stillness, knowing there was no comforting a dragon without getting burned.

“My prince.”

You would say when you fled a staircase he cornered you into.

“My prince.”

When you’d courtesy, clumsily, still too sour-faced and suspicious to do it gracefully, when he managed to catch you on your way out of Helaena’s room.

“My prince.”

The day he had decided that yes, your prince, was exactly what he’d be to you, what you’d say to him, in whatever way he’d manage to tear it from your throat, in spite of Aegon’s taunting and the visceral fear at his own woeful lack of knowledge in matters of the flesh.

Because he had decided if you had no problem taking from him, he would have no problem taking from you.

Because you’d said it to him on your way out of the washing court, bonnet gone and coarse yellow hair sticking out of your pinned braid like a frightful halo, a bright purple bruise already forming on your cheekbone, as you’d glared directly at him, challenge in your head held high, and the water splashed all across your linen apron, sticking to your skin so closely that Aemond should have had you right then and there.

Because you’d said it with a curt nod, like Ser Criston when he approved of a particularly good move Aemond had just learned in the training yard, like a general to a soldier, “My prince.”

Because he’d just seen you swing a chamber pot directly into a stable boy’s face after hearing him call Princess Helaena “daft,” bringing it swinging back to the other side of his face, contents and all, just to take a step back to bring a fist into the stable boy’s friend. Aemond had been too transfixed by the sight of your heaving chest and the splotchy red of your cheeks to intervene after you’d taken a half-hearted punch to the face, returned it in kind and thrown the now empty chamber pot at the whimpering serving boys at your feet.

“And clean up your bloody mess!” You’d said before washing your hands in the fountain and strolling out of the courtyard, about as triumphant and vicious as Prince Aemond himself had ever felt when defeating knight after knight, telling himself he was better, stronger, a more fit ruler than any of them would ever be.

“My prince,” you’d said with your curt, martial nod, with your ruby-red eyes and the split knuckles of your hand, wounds taken in the defense of Aemond’s sister, wounds that should have by right belonged to him.

He’d taken your wrist in his hand, grip monstrously strong, and watched you realize the mistake you had made in the proud tilt of your head. You had forgotten for a second that pride wasn’t for your class of people, less so when confronted by a prince of the realm. He’d watched you realize your danger and how you didn’t care, that if there was a price to pay for pride you might as well pay it… and had realized himself that he didn’t care much either. Because Aemond had decided in that moment that he liked the defiance and stubborn anger in your ruby-red gaze, just as much as he had liked the ringing din of the chamber pot breaking something in that stable boy’s face. The prince had smiled at you then, his hunting cat smile, the one men all over the Seven Kingdoms would learn to fear, as he let you pass. Your prince, you would call him again, he decided as he let you go. Your prince, he would hear you call him, on your knees, on your back and beneath him, anyway he could get you. Because he wanted it. Because he had known himself to be spoiling for a fight and would be spoiling for a fight his whole life, the moment he had gone looking for Vhagar, the largest living dragon in the world, and won her. As he would win you. On your knees, your back or beneath him, as you called him your prince, because you wanted to, not ripped out of you by fear and hope for profit but because you wanted him. He would teach you that. That there were none like him, Targaryen or otherwise. That he was your prince and more than. He would teach you this, just as he had begun to teach the world.

[ponyguru]

My Little Pony: A New Generation Review

By ME, Ponyguru! Because you were all waiting for it, I’m sure! (Hee hee!)

The movie has been out for a couple of days, so I’ll list my general opinion, then add some spoilery bits behind a cut, in case you haven’t seen it yet! It’s on Netflix right now, but I’m sure (if the fandom is keeping up its pace) it’ll be mirrored elsewhere pretty soon.

So, overall: I liked the first MLP movie more than this one. (No, not the 80s one, I mean the one with Tempest Shadow!) That’s not to say that this movie wasn’t enjoyable! It was very fun, and I got some genuine laughs and ‘OMG did you see that?!’ moments out of it. I became invested in the characters! I will be watching it again! And considering that I’m not the market audience (adult woman in her 30s), that’s probably pretty good! But then again, I have watched some truly questionable stuff in the name of pony, so take that as you will.

Highlights: new pony content (always fun!), fun jokes, intriguing plot, nice songs, and the ponies are not quite as human-shaped as I had been afraid. The muzzles are actually pretty well defined from the side, so they look much less like humans than I had feared, based on screencaps and vectors. I was also worried it was going to be Social Justice Lite based on some plot spoilers, so the fact that it wasn’t (and didn’t devolve into Br*ny memes or fandom references) had me incredibly relieved. This may make me more forgiving of the movie as a whole than the average viewer, due to the psychic damage I’ve taken from viewing the Brone Documentary.

Lowlights: the plot feels rushed at the end, the resolution feels hurried; the fact that the villains are never really, uh, addressed? feels weird (I guess I’m used to the clear-cut ‘you are defeated and will face punishment/get redeemed’ pattern from G4), the music isn’t as catchy or hummable as the first movie (none of the songs ‘stuck’ with me, meanwhile Tempest Shadow’s ‘Open Up Your Eyes’ literally stuck with me to the point that I had to buy the soundtrack), some of the characterization feels very shallow and, again, rushed. I felt there was a moment where Izzy referenced not having many friends, and I thought there would be some kind of exploration of that... nope, rushing into another musical number! And, finally, after years of BLM and police brutality protests, the choice of villain feels timely (trying to be vague for the sake of spoilers)... but when one of their ‘friends’ is a ‘by the book, we gotta follow the law’ cop (which they try to soften by calling him a ‘sheriff’, which doesn’t work in a non-American West themed world), makes me distrust him more than anything. I don’t really want to see MLP redeem a cop; I want MLP to be outside of that kind of real-world ugliness. Pony xenophobia is one thing, but pony police forces feel like a step too far, at least in our current society. Even if he’s voiced by the handsome James Marsden!

Okay, some spoilery thoughts beneath the cut! Thanks for reading this far!

Only keep reading if you’ve seen the movie! I’m not kidding about spoilers! :P Proceed with caution!

Okay, so, the villain: ostensibly, it’s Sprout, right? The overpowered cop who has a grandiose sense of self, seizes power, literally pilots a pony-robot and smashes up Sunny’s home.

Why the fuck is his mother allowed to, what, remain in power in Maretime Bay? The movie ends, and it’s all “whoopsie-doopsie, I know I was a xenophobic war-profiteer who fed my followers a fake sense of fear and urgency to the point of creating a mob mentality for the sake of capitalism, but since my son (who I groomed for this) built a Gundam I guess I get off scott free!” What the fuck? First of all, Karen would have been a more fitting name than Phyllis in this case (although Phyllis is funny too, ngl), but she’s allowed to just ... stay in power? We see her standing next to the pegasus and unicorn leaders at the end of the movie, vowing to abolish xenophobia or whatever, but why the hell isn’t she in chains??? (And yes, I’m sure it’s partly because it’s a children’s movie, but that doesn’t mean we should see her face ZERO repercussions!) Alphabittle and the pegasus queen aren’t great leaders, sure; but we also don’t see extended scenes of them war profiteering, either. They both seem like more capable leaders than Phyllis!!

The other ponies, like I said, felt pretty flat, characterization wise; the vibe I got from the movie was that Izzy was incredibly lonely, which while it sets us up nice for some more character exploration in the miniseries, you need to have ... SOME, for the movie itself? Pipp was a super-fun character for me, but that’s because I basically just viewed her as Ariana Grande the pony. I also was waiting for an explanation of why Hitch was so magnetic to animals that ... never happened. Does he eventually get out of sheriffing to be a friend to the animals? Who knows!

I did like how we saw the differentiation between technology levels in the movie; the unicorn forest seemed to have very little if none, whereas earth ponies were more mid-level technology, and pegasi ponies seemed very high-tech. The little advertising/influencer references I caught were all very fun, but I wish they had leaned into the pony references a little harder, like in Zootopia. The icon they used for the pony news show seemed to just be the CBS eye icon. Do ponies have CBS? It felt kind of lazy. That said, I thought I’d hate ponies with cell phones, but they made it very fun, so I enjoyed it! (I definitely had the ‘ha ha, I do that!’ kind of amusement.)

Like I said, the ending felt rushed, and it felt a little bit ‘okay movie’s over now, let’s wrap it up!’ kind of feeling. Okay, Sunny got wings and a horn; it felt almost, idk, a foregone conclusion? Almost like a letdown, like it was so hurried it didn’t feel like it gave the proper payoff. The return of alicorn magic should be a HUGE DEAL, but maybe because her dad was fridged for drama (which never really happened? it felt brushed aside unless Sunny needed to have a 30-second depression which she immediately got over) we didn’t have anyone with the knowledge base to point out how important that was for the other ponies/the viewers. 

Did I mention yet that I still don’t like the idea of having cops as sympathetic characters in the movie, even if they don’t call them cops, even if they have a good cop/bad cop dynamic to make us empathize with one? Because TBH, Hitch was not very endearing to me for a lot of the time (”I love rules” isn’t gonna sell it to me or to kids, I imagine), and the fact that he was a shitty friend to the orphaned Sunny didn’t endear him to me, either. I’m sure it was supposed to show his character growth - first he’s just Phyllis’ lackey, but soon he grows into his own man who sides with Sunny because it’s morally right - but I didn’t really feel that payoff very strongly. I mean ... he’s still a sheriff at the end, right?

All in all, I may just be more critical of this movie because A) I’m an adult and B) I’m viewing it through the eyes of a fan who enjoyed years of pony stories. It may be that all of my nitpicking is something that they chose to gloss over for the sake of the runtime or the young viewers! But I wouldn’t be a fan if I didn’t nitpick, so maybe my nitpicking will be fun to read, at least! I’m curious to see how my viewpoints change after I watch it again, or read more fandom insight. I know I’m someone who goes ‘woah, I didn’t think of that!’ when I read other peoples’ opinion pieces!

While on one hand I do hope the Br*ny thing dies, I hope that the same level of fandom interest won’t fade. I’ve gotten spoiled over the years by having tons of fan art, fan fiction, merchandise info and immediate uploads of episodes to enjoy. I will be very sad if that dies, but if it’s the sacrifice that we need to make to end the B-word stuff, it’s a trade I’m willing to make. Either way, I’ll still be here enjoying pony stuff, and making my own content! It’s just nice to do it with other people!

[eatingfireflies]

I can’t believe we’re doing this in 2019 AD, but I rise back from the dead because I heard shit-talking about my boy.

Yosuke’s character development--the ones covered in his social link and not counting how he grows with the rest of the IT as a group--is imo one of the best-written progressions in P4 and I won’t stand for this. P4 has its flaws and one of the themes that didn’t sit quite so well for me when I first played it was how the characters seem to have gone a full 360 when it came to their plans for their futures. Yukiko, for example, has gone from the independent girl who wants to live on her own back to accepting that she has to take over the Amagi Inn someday. Not exactly the best message, is it? 

But sometimes, it’s what people need to hear. After all, the main point of P4 is acceptance and in the same way adults accept and make the best of a situation they don’t necessarily like, so did our P4 protags. 

Unlike the others though, Yosuke’s problem didn’t come from the outside pressures of society so much as himself. 

Which isn’t to say there’s no pressure coming from outside. There’s a lot he has to deal with just being the Junes kid in Inaba. He’s also a teenager on the brink of manhood who had been recently transplanted into the countryside. Come on man, his problem isn’t just that he wants to be interesting. And even if it were, what’s wrong with that? How hard is it to admit you’re mediocre? Is it weak to admit you’re scared of having zero reason to be in this world because you have no connections with other people and no place in society?

Buckle up, I have 100 screencaps and I’m not sure if it would all fit in one post but would we try. Pics taken from here and here.

One of the things we keep seeing in Yosuke’s social link is how good he is at PR. He’s a good kid. He has to be: he’s the Junes kid, the son of the manager. What he says and does will reflect on his family and the business.

This even though almost everyone in Inaba distrusts him because of his connection to the department store that’s killing the local business. Above, we hear women implying Yosuke is a brazen shithead for showing his face in the shopping district when his classmates’ family businesses are failing because of Junes. And still he ‘minds his manners’.

Here he finally loses his temper with the part-timers who kept bugging him about weekend work and talking shit about Saki, and it’s only because the girls told Yu to shut up. Otherwise? I bet he’d just take it all in. He’s ignored them before and there are other things to worry about:

‘Sorry dad, they said some bad things about our murdered schoolmate, kept missing work, and yelled at my best friend, but I shouldn’t have lost my temper because that’s not what the Junes kid does.’

He admits as much in the P4G additional scene. So there’s that: people expect Yosuke to be polite because of his connection to Junes even though they treat him like shit because Junes is bad for the economy. (Which it is, but they worked around that in the end.)

But that’s not the only reason Yosuke tries to be nice. There’s also what his shadow said: he’s terrified of being alone and his move to Inaba has made him more aware of how shallow his bonds with people are:

He says so when he talked about how he hasn’t changed his email address because he's hoping his friends from the city would keep in touch. Spoiler: they don’t. 

Had he not moved to Inaba he probably wouldn’t have thought different, but I guess having no excitement in the countryside and no friends to spend time with, he has a lot of free time to ponder on his loneliness and mediocrity. 

Again, it’s hard to accept mediocrity. It hurts knowing we don’t mean anything to the people around us, that we could vanish and nothing would change. He’s 17, for pete’s sake. He’s trying to figure things out while dealing with his loneliness. And he thinks the reason he has no friends is because he’s not good enough. He pretends to be nice and carefree like his shadow said, because he thinks showing people the real him (the loneliness and insecurity) would drive them away. He also has to be nice because Junes kid, remember? And in the case of getting along with his friends, he overcompensates and gets annoying/oversteps his boundaries because he’s scared and it’s all bravado. And also he’s a bit of a shit, but that’s okay Yu is also a bit of a shit and they deserve each other. 

Can I just take this moment as SouYo trash to point out that Yu walks him home and that is probably one of the gayest things ever. Especially coming after the hug which is like P4 code for ‘we’re dating now’.

Did I mention Yosuke has a lot of free time to think about his mediocrity? Not really. Like every kid on the brink of adulthood worrying about their future--college? Work? Career? What? Yosuke is worried too. Except his path has sort of been decided because of his family. 

He’s good at PR, he does the whole Junes kid shtick well, but is that what he really wants?

Ofc he usually changes the subject after bringing that up--again, he’s so scared of you thinking he’s boring and that he only complains when you hang out that he does a 180 and starts talking about the goods under your futon. 

But also can I just say Yosuke is so busy? I see Chie and Yukiko chatting in the classroom after classes and I’m like ‘Hey I have a best friend right? Why don’t I have anyone to chat with?’

He’s a busy pal. You know I always thought Yosuke might make more friends if he joined some clubs and met people outside of the Junes thing, but he has to work part-time so. 

How does Yosuke deal with this? Well he accepts that while working for Junes is tiring and maybe not what he actually wants to do with his life, there are actually some good things about it: he likes being needed. 

Is it what he wants to do for the rest of his life? He doesn’t answer that. What’s important is that, right now, he’s happy where he is.

He realised that he doesn’t have to overcompensate for being boring or being a loser. That he can show people the ‘bad’ side of him without them hating him for it. That even if he is mediocre, it doesn’t mean people don’t need his support or his company. He didn’t have to try so hard. He just had to have a bit more confidence in himself. 

And tbh he went from this:

To this:

I think there was a reason we couldn’t date Yosuke in game: it was too soon, it would feel like Yu is a rebound, that Yosuke latched onto the first person to show him kindness and interest since Saki’s death. And perhaps for the hugging scene (social link 8?) it was too early. But after social link 10? I think that would be a good time. Ofc, the game doesn’t work that way so I can see why they took it out, and yet. And still. 

But none of that takes away from the fact that he grew from being an insecure kid who wants to prove himself into someone you can trust and count on. There’s a reason the games keep giving you the option to thank Yosuke: he’s your partner and he has your back. 

I know I’m biased af because I’m like  

whenever I talk to Yosuke, but he’s just as complex as the other characters, come on man. He’s a top notch bro and this is the hill I choose to die on. 

[hall-of-merlin2]

Magic, Monsters and Merthur - 1x02 - (Merthur)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right! This turned out way longer than both of the other posts. I’m sure you Merthur shippers will appreciate this.

I know I do.

The Merthur content in here is incredible!

No more rambling!

<_><_><_>

03:31

*snicker*

Cutie.

<_><_><_>

03:41

CASE IN POINT.

<_><_><_>

04:55

GWEN TOO. SHE’S AN ADORABLE CUTIE FOR HELPING MERLIN WITH THIS DUMB SHIT.

This particularly <3

And, as a bonus, she’s cute.

<_><_><_>

05:39

Hmm...

You sure about that sweetie?

(Also, yes, I am purposefully making the screencaps as awful as I can. I want my eyes bleeding out of my sockets by the end of season 1.)

<_><_><_>

10:08

Ah, the infamous line. What does it mean??? Does Arthur like Merlin now??? Arthur is still mean after laughing at Merlin’s joke!!!

Means nothing, I think. Merlin probably spoke what Arthur was thinking, or it was just so unexpected that Arthur could only reply with a chuckle, basically saying “Did you really just say that?” with a quirked eyebrow, raised in disbelief.

I mean, how many people do you think could openly say something “negative” about a knight? Not a knight, that’s for sure, let alone a servant, a peasant. And Arthur is still trying to adjust to having this… This curious thing as his personal servant, just as much as Merlin is trying to get adjusted to being pressed under a boot for the first time in his life.

And I think, judging by their conversation that I will mention later, that they both feel something similar for each other.

A certain trust.

And… Yeah, trying to keep the “I want to kill him” thoughts to a minimum.

<_><_><_>

19:10

First, it was “Good Luck”.

Then, it was a pat on the shoulder.

And it’s all only happening because Merlin realizes that Arthur gets extremely nervous before every fight.

That is someone who is stressed. Very much. On the brink of breaking down.

Merlin can’t address that, and he doesn’t. He just does these little gestures in hopes that Arthur will just take a deep breath when he remembers them and focuses on the fight with a calm mind.

And that’s just… That’s just so sweet.

Merlin was handling Arthur’s stress before the pratty prince even realized he was stressed.

<_><_><_>

21:40

Gaius acting surprised that just after he mentioned that if they had the antidote, they could have a chance of proving Valiant’s guilt, Merlin immediately got up and nearly ran out of the room – Gaius. Do you seriously not understand that Merlin loves getting into trouble?

<_><_><_>

“I don’t like the guy, but that doesn’t mean he’s cheating.”

“Gaius is preparing an antidote to the snake venom, when Ewan’s conscious, he’ll tell you what happened.

“If you fight Valiant in the final, he’ll use the shield, it’s the only way he can beat you. 

“Look at it! Have you ever seen snakes like this in Camelot?”

***

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

...

“I want you to swear to me what you’re telling me is true.”

“I swear it’s true.”

...

“Then I believe you.”

24:43

This is the convo I was referencing earlier. Just the fact that Arthur doesn’t deny the obvious proof Merlin has with him, but still is in denial because a knight using magic is unheard of, and just impossible in his mind, since knights are… valiant, but then Arthur asks Merlin to swear, like an equal to him knight would, to prove that they are not lying, he thinks of Merlin as honorable enough to understand the importance of swearing, even though he probably wouldn’t expect any other servant to. From the second episode Merlin is different from others in Arthur’s eyes.

And that’s not even taking into account the implications of this scene. Merlin comes to Arthur because he trusts that Arthur won’t dismiss him and throw him into the dungeons for badmouthing a knight, and will hear him out before giving a final verdict. None of the other knights would have even listened to him beyond “Valiant is using magic!”, they would have shut him down then and there. Arthur is different from others in Merlin’s eyes.

It’s episode 2 guys. It’s episode 2 and already we have scene like this!

How the hell can it go up from here?

It can go up and beyond what we know as gay.

I mean bisexual.

Or demisexual? I kind of liked that theory…

What we know as Merthur! There.

<_><_><_>

27:01

Like here!

Merlin whispers an important thing – not getting close to the shield – but Arthur hadn’t thought of that, so he lets himself be reminded of that by Merlin, when he could have told him to shut up instead.

IT’S EPISODE 2.

<_><_><_>

30:50

I know I’m missing the point of this scene, but…

This time?

Is he talking about…

I think Arthur’s talking about his armor.

Like… Yeah, it actually is quite important. If the armor’s not tightened properly, or it’s rusty, or if it’s not fixed/cleaned since the last day, then it’s a pretty big deal in a fight. It can cost one’s life, and Arthur’s putting his in Merlin’s hands with all of his duties.

This is why this episode breaks my heart – because Arthur truly had no reason to distrust Merlin or not believe what he’s saying, and Merlin had no reason not to share what’s going on with Arthur when they’re going on a dangerous journey. After this whole mess Arthur is far more dismissive of what Merlin says, especially since the boy doesn’t have nearly as much proof as he had this time. Yes, Valiant did prove to be using magic, and what Merlin said did come true, but I think Merlin himself is less keen on sharing his suspicions with Arthur or anyone else other than Gaius, if not to avoid this whole emotional mess, then to avoid the difficulty of explaining how he knows things and their legitimacy. No more just… walking up to Arthur and saying what’s happening, no more Arthur believing him.

It’s just… agh.

<_><_><_>

“[Valiant] will use the shield against you.”

“I know.”

“Then withdraw. You have to withdraw-”

“Don’t you understand? I can’t withdraw.”

***

“Valiant will kill you. If you fight, you die.”

“Then I die.”

36:01

God… Damn.

This is how every knight is, isn’t it? It’s better to die with honor than to live in shame.

A perfect tenant to live by to die before you’re 20.

Unless you have a secret warlock to protect you, then you’ll make it.

To 30.

<_><_><_>

36:38

Some people say that Merthur became canon in the second episode.

I just want to do my part and point out that this is how Arthur reacts when Merlin leaves after the prince shouted at him.

First time was right after that god-awful court session, the second after Arthur sadly admits that he can’t withdraw, and he must die before he disappoints his father.

<_><_><_>

44:19

I don’t think he is. I think he’s just repeating what Uther has ingrained into him – to only care about himself, and his own accomplishments, to never take the help of other people, because he doesn’t need other people, he alone can and will take on the world.

That’s not talk of someone who’s ashamed of being saved by a girl, but someone who thinks that they were capable of doing whatever it is by themselves. And because they didn’t, it turns to denying facts and just propping themselves up, focusing on what they did rather than what the their helper did.

He will never know that it wasn’t just Morgana who saved him that day, but also Merlin, Gaius too and even Gwen, but acknowledging that getting help from other people is a thing he did and understanding that without them he would be nothing is something he still struggles with until season 4 and a bit beyond, so let’s just…

Let’s just hate Uther for making Arthur so hard to deal with in the beginning.

And let’s praise the people around him for having the patience to live with him and the gall to call him out on his bullshit from time to time. Those people deserve a holiday, several of them.

<_><_><_>

44:37

Arthur approached Merlin to sneer about Morgana! Out of all the people in the ballroom, Arthur felt that he couldn’t talk about Morgana behind her back with anyone, except for Merlin.

How would a knight react? How about another noble? A servant?

Neither of them would either agree with him or tease him about it, which Merlin would do if only he didn’t feel slightly awkward that THE PRINCE FUCKING ARTHUR JUST WALKED UP TO HIM AND STARTED TALKING LIKE THEY WERE FRIENDS.

Heh…

Yeah.

Merthur was canon by episode 2.

AND THEN HE APOLOGIZES FOR TREATING MERLIN HARSHLY ONCE HE NOTICES THAT THE POOR BOY IS CONFUSED ABOUT WHY HE’S TALKING TO HIM.

SJGNOIUDRHNGIUJSRGUJNRDOIUNGVJKJNGRNIUERJNGUIHNJHBK

PRECIOUS BOYS.

<_><_><_>

45:25

I think Arthur just enjoys putting that look on Merlin’s face.

Don’t take that out of context.

<_><_><_>

The episode starts with Valiant getting his snakey shield, and murdering a guy. It ends with a feast in Arthur’s honor! Even though all he did was stab his sword into Valiant. Quite heroic. Uther approves.

<_><_><_>

The Magic

The Monsters

[themattress]

My Top 11 Danganronpa Characters

I love many characters in the Danganronpa series, but these ones are truly the Ultimate.

11. Monomi

Don’t get me wrong, Usami is a sweetheart and all, but on her own (as seen in DR2′s Island Mode) she’s pretty bland. While her forced conversion into Monomi caused her no end of grief in-universe, it made her a much stronger and more memorable character outside of it. Her interactions with Monokuma and position as his good counterpart / “little sister” are just perfect, as is the voicework done by Rebecca Forstadt. She, like her “big brother”, is iconic.

10. Sakura Oogami    

I may love Nekomaru and Gonta too, but neither of them hold a candle to the original “tall, muscular giant who looks scary as Hell but is actually the nicest, most loyal friend you could ever hope to have” in the franchise: Sakura Oogami. Her lower placement on this list is only because she kind of recedes into the background among the cast until the reveal at the end of Chapter 3 (which is fitting given the nature of that reveal), but once Chapter 4 centers around her she easily steals the show as a powerful, noble and tragic figure who is nonetheless such a beautiful human being that she successfully ends the Killing Game.                             

9. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

A textbook case of a character you hate at the start and love by the end, Fuyuhiko’s development from a perpetually angry wannabe-thug who refused to be friends with his classmates and routinely threatened them with violence as a cover for his insecurities to a humble, honorable, brave, supportive team player was amazing to watch unfold, and Derek Stephen Prince sells it magnificently with his most touching performance since Ken Ichijoji . He may still be rough around the edges, but Baby Gangsta has always got your back.

8. Byakuya Togami

If you merged Sherlock Holmes and Seto Kaiba, and in the process filtered out all of the redeeming qualities, you get Byakuya Togami: an elitist prick of the highest order who has a dangerous intellect to back up his ego. As despicable as Byakuya is, he is also fascinating: I both hate hanging around him due to his constant insults and love it because I’m drawn to watching him work as he displays just how well the Togami family-sponsored education has served him. He’s as useful as an ally as he is formidable as an enemy, and once he learns there are some things beyond his sociopathic grasp and that it’s best to stick with those who know it, he mellows out into a reliable anti-hero. So yeah, awful person, fantastic character.

7. Chiaki Nanami

Hey, hey! Chiaki, as portrayed in DR2 anyway, is such a lovable character, at first seeming like an anti-social girl who would rather play video games and sleep than converse with people, but steadily revealing just how big a heart she really has and what a great friend she is once she connects with someone. As naive and weird as she is, she quickly picks up on things once she learns them, and is consistently one of the most perceptive people to have around in a class trial. And just when it seems like she’s becoming a tad too perfect to be realistic, we find out that she isn’t real and suffer one of the biggest emotional gut-punches in the series as she is cruelly taken away from us...except that even then, the bond she and Hajime forged is strong enough to keep her digital spirit alive within him. And Christine M. Cabanos brings it all home with her vocal performance. Chiaki, we will never forget you.

6. Nagito Komaeda

Who would have thought that a guy who at first seems like a weird, equally bland retread of Makoto from the original would end up being one of the franchise’s most famous characters? But it’s super easy to see why - when he shows his true colors it is bone-chilling, and the creepiness factor that Nagito brings with him only keeps on growing from there, as he shows how far he’s willing to go in order to create despair just so that hope can triumph over it. The story of DR2 would not nearly work as well as it does without Nagito in the role of the arch-antagonist for the other characters, all while he develops as a character too in a deliciously negative way which ends up culminating in what is probably the best class trial in the series.

5. Celestia Ludenburg

In a mystery-solving game like Danganronpa, Celestia honestly stands out as one of the most complex characters because she herself is a mystery. The game doesn’t really spell out her backstory, motivations or character arc given that as the Queen of Lies she has to keep a poker face about all that, but does allow the player to decipher it by themselves. While those unwilling to indulge their minds write her off as “crazy evil gambler lady who just wants money in order to become a vampire queen”, the people who pay attention to everything she says and does across the game (including / especially in her FTEs) can separate the truth from the lies and uncover the sad, pitiful reality of the character, a reality that haunts her all the way to her final moments. Call her Celeste or call her Taeko, that kind of depth deserves respect.

4. Gundham Tanaka

That’s right, my favorite DR2 character isn’t Monomi or Fuyuhiko or Chiaki or even Nagito - it’s GUNDHAM TANAKA! This man is a fucking legend, with Chris Tergliafera’s voice-acting perfectly capturing how endearing he is with his persistent delusions of villainous grandeur. But as funny as Gundham may be, he ends up not being a purely comic relief figure, playing a serious, emotional and noble role at the end of his run that gets me and many other players choked up. He may play at being evil, but in actuality Gundham is too good for this Earth.

3. Junko Enoshima

Do I need to explain myself here? It’s Junko fucking Enoshima! One of the most unique Big Bads in recent video game history! From the fact that the ultimate evil is a teen fashionista to the bizarre way she keeps changing her personality just to keep from getting bored to her ungodly despair fetish that has no rational basis for existing but simply does, Junko is less like a human being and more like a force of nature: gleeful, nihilistic despair incarnate. And though it’s true that she wore out her welcome past DR2, in her prime she is magnificent.

2. Kyoko Kirigiri

As far as I’m concerned, Kyoko Kirigiri is the real main character of the original Danganronpa. Makoto is just the POV character; the Watson to her Holmes. And what a character she is; truly one of the greatest female detectives in all of fiction. What I love best about Kyoko is what a unique take on the Emotionless Girl / Ice Queen trope she is. It’s made clear quite frequently that she isn’t really emotionless and that she’s just really good at masking her feelings as a necessary part of her job, and that this doesn’t stop her from being a kind and compassionate person toward others in her own straight-faced way. The narrative doesn’t condemn her for the way she is and she doesn’t have to change it either; what she has to change is her distrust toward others and reluctance to rely on friends, plus her hypocrisy regarding that and her personal goal vs. everyone else’s. It makes her such a rich, nuanced character and I love her for it (fuck the Danganronpa 3 anime though, it did her so dirty).

1. Monokuma

I think I’ll just conclude this post with a screencap:

[missanthropicprinciple]

Super-long rant-review post about Werewolf of London (1935) with images and spoilers...

I love Werewolf of London, this 83-year-old film. It’s got some problems typical of 1930s Hollywood, but I still find a lot of value in it. 

The setting, the moonlit hills of Tibet. Accuracy? not so much. 

Apparently the “Tibetans” are actually speaking Cantonese...and the white actors are clearly not speaking anything. 30 years before Star Wars and it honestly sounds like they’re speaking Ewok...but it’s just gibberish. I think the only realistic part of this scene is the fact that there actually are bactrian camels in Tibet. At least it’s quite well filmed. 

The sequence where Dr. Glendon (Henry Hull) is attacked by the werewolf is really eerie and holds up well.

The actual bite is so quick but if you screencap that second it’s creepy AF.

Despite the attack, Dr. Glendon gets his coveted “Mariphasa Lupina Lumina” flower (sadly, completely fictitious) and heads back to England.

In his lab, Dr. Glendon lives out his mad-scientist aesthetic surrounded by some high tech equipment. He even gets buzzed by his wife on what is basically an old-timey FaceTime device that lacks audio. Even though we know it’s superimposed footage it’s fairly seamless. 

Next we get a little portrait of a marriage. He’s working on an experiment with flowering and artificial light and his wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson) wants to know what the hell he’s up to. He’s secretive and she’s understandably annoyed. But she calls him “dear old bear” which is quite sweet but ironically hints at the animalistic transformation to follow. He says that after the experiment he will try to be more “human” but we know that ain’t gonna happen. 

Henry Hull’s accent. It needs its own paragraph. It’s not bad for someone from Louisville, Kentucky, and in fact sometimes it’s really amazing, but other moments it crosses your mind that the dialect coach was out sick that day of shooting. He enunciates very strongly. His jaws much have hurt him a bit. He’s fun to listen to though and you gotta give the guy credit because he doesn’t shy away from being über-Brit. 

Enter Lisa’s old childhood sweetheart Paul, played by the adorkable yet suave Lester Matthews. He and Lisa, whom he refers to as “Lee”, reminisce about their joint childhood exploits. 

Cue Dr. Glendon’s jealousy:

Understandably, Dr. Glendon is quietly dying inside because he hates all the socializing that comes with being a world-renowned botanist. Seeing another man making his wife smile does not help his mood.  

Lookit ‘em; holding hands for heaven’s sake. Aunt Ettie also likes to stir up trouble and add to Glendon’s jealously which isn’t very nice of her. 

Side note, Dr. Glendon has some tricked-out plants: 

Now we meet Dr. Yogami (Warner Oland).

Warner Oland, who was often cast as Asian characters because he “looked Asian”, was actually Swedish. (One would think that 80 years later this casting of white actors in non-white roles would have come to an end but we’re still dealing with this crap.) While Oland is a fairly good actor, he’s still NOT Asian and it would have been so much better if they had cast Sessue Hayakawa as Yogami as he was not only gorgeous but a better actor. 

However, Yogami is implied to be Chinese or Tibetan and Hayakawa is Japanese. Still, if the character was stated as Japanese it would have been perfect. Ironically, later on in the film Aunt Ettie keeps calling him Yokohama which is the second largest city in Japan. And I can’t find the surname Yogami anywhere. I can find Yagami and that’s a Japanese surname, not Chinese or Tibetan as far as I can tell. Oh, Old Hollywood and your stomach-churning whitewashing. 

Dr. Yogami says that they met before in Tibet...in the dark. He’s giving him a really big hint that he’s the one who bit him (...either that or he’s implying they met for an evening liaison). Dr. Glendon is trying to piece it together. 

Dr. Yogami says, “The medical term is ‘lycanthrophobia’.” WRONG. The medical term is lycanthropy, if being a werewolf was actually real. (The uncommon thing were people grow all the excess facial hair is hypertrichosis.) Clinical lycanthropy is a rare psychological condition that is linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and/or clinical depression. (More on that later.) 

Here’s a cap of Dr. Yogami intimately stroking Dr. Glendon’s injured arm while making hella awkward eye contact. As modern viewers we may or may not have a strong impulse to read this as somewhat sexual, or maybe as an identification of repressed homosexual desire. Lycanthropy in literature and film mythology has occasionally been used or identified as a metaphor for homosexuality. 

In a world where stabbing yourself with a plant gets rid of monthly hair growth. I’m curious to know why it looks like his stabbing it into a dorsal metacarpal vein and not the palmar (inside) side of wrist....medical side of Tumblr help me out here. Maybe they just wanted to feature the hairy hand. 

Dr. Yogami essentially asks Dr. Glendon for a blossom of the glow-in-the-dark flower to save his soul (and his fellow botanist as well), albeit in a cryptic way. He says “But remember this Dr. Glendon, the werewolf instinctively seeks to kill the thing it loves best.” Sadly, Dr. Glendon thinks he’s full of crap and ignores his warnings despite knowing that stabbing himself with this rare flower magically makes his moon-grown hand-hair disappear. Dumb or in denial? 

So of course Dr. Yogami steals not one, but two flowers. For two of the four nights of the full moon. Technically there is only one night of full moon at any given time but I’m going to give this a pass. Maybe during the time that the moon is still almost full, though waning, it still have the power to change man into the “satanic creature.”

Meanwhile, skeptical Dr. Glendon does a little lycanthropic research: 

Lisa drops by and asks him to join her and Paul at a society party but he pegs out or course, and then adds a jibe about not wanting to hear anymore childhood memories. Is the werewolf infection making him bitchy or is he just like that? Hard to tell. 

Lisa is hurt. But he says she should go out and enjoy herself. She tries to show him this brocade he bought her but he flips out when she turns on the lights. Presumably being a werewolf makes you sensitive to light. 

He responds with the “I put some medicine in my eyes” routine and they clearly don’t buy it. 

Seems fake, but ok. 

I feel like this is one of many allusions to depression in this film: sensitive to light, wanting to be alone, disliking small-talk and society parties, general introversion and distrust of others. We get a sense that he’s kind of this way anyway at the core of his personality but the werewolf contamination has made that all worse. 

Dr. Glendon may be a jerk but it’s hard not to feel sympathy for him. He really does love her. She’s still too annoyed to reciprocate. 

Even his cat’s pissed at him.

When animals start rejecting you, ya know you got problems. 

And lo, he thought, “oh shit.” 

The moonlight transformation sequence is quite simple by today’s standards of physical and special effects, but it’s still effective. Using the shadows to break up the footage isn’t fooling anyone, especially nowadays, yet it has a kind of fluidity that makes it oddly very evocative. 

A word about Jack Pierce’s makeup. Believe it or not it was originally going to look like this: 

Oink oink. Thank heavens someone talked Jack into a more minimalist look. Jack Pierce, known for his incredible work on films like Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and The Wolf Man (1941), to name but a few, appears to have been a tad stubborn depending on the actor he worked with. He had a great relationship with Boris Karloff as far as I’m aware but the harmony working with Hull didn’t last long. There was a rumor going around that Hull was super vain and didn’t want the makeup to obscure his face. The truth of it was there are a couple scenes when Lisa and Paul both recognize him and if the werewolf makeup was applied too heavily, this part of the plot just wouldn’t work. Apparently Hull went over Pierce’s stubborn head straight to Carl Laemmle to fix the problem. The book Universal Horrors: The Studio’s Classic Films, 1931–1946 by Tom Weaver and John Brunas has more on this. (And in the Svengoolie intro to the film featured on ME TV.) The incident paid off because the final makeup was stellar. 

That awkward moment when someone steals your flowers: 

Suddenly filled with jealous rage...

...but wait lemme just put my hat and coat on first. If he does that when he’s full-on werewolf can you imagine how much time it takes for him to get ready normally? Diva. 

The obligatory party scene...

...with a comic interlude from Aunt Ettie who drunkenly says to “Dr. Yokohama” as she calls him, pointing to a dodgy district visible from her flat, that people there would “knife you for a shilling.” But then they hear the howl of a “lost soul” which is the chilling call of Dr. Glendon and it’s time to go inside. 

Drunk lady trope scene. No point in rescuing her she already made a fool out of herself but off they run: 

There is a ring of sadness to Aunt Ettie’s drunk scene because she says “she gets so nervous.” Hello social anxiety. She is a tad obnoxious as a character but this part makes her seem so much more sympathetic. 

“A-woooooooooooo!” 

Ok, that’s not a dog. 

Dr. Yogami is quaking in his spats at this point. 

Even though you know that this is Dr. Glendon, this remains creepy. Who hasn’t thought of a monster clawing their way into your bedroom late at night? They really milk the suspense in this scene. 

Lisa is offended by Dr. Yogami’s seemingly sexist and controlling behavior but in reality he’s trying to save her life. He knows that Dr. Glendon is on the loose and can probably smell her and will likely kill her. But she goes up to comfort her friend anyway. 

Cue the “you just had a bad dream” scene. For once Ettie isn’t full of hogwash. 

Poor Ettie. Seeing a werewolf will sober you up pretty quick. 

Mr. Hyde? Oh wait, wrong movie. 

Apparently all young women of a lower class looked like Hollywood starlets back then. Pretty stylish. 

This is why I don’t have a Tinder. 

Dr. Yogami executes an A+ facepalm. His wrist-leaning skills are classic. 10/10:

I mean, what did he think was going to happen? You can’t blackmail a guy who’s in denial about being a werewolf, it doesn’t work. But then, if he left one flower there you wouldn’t have a second act. 

Paul says that it might be a werewolf attack. He’s almost joking but he makes the suggestion anyway. His uncle, head of Scotland Yard no less (now that’s convenient) thinks this is ridiculous.

Meanwhile Dr. Glendon reads about how he accidentally murdered a woman last night: 

“You’re being utterly hateful, Wilfred.” She sees that he’s not happy and we all know that he’s past the point of no return. Someone has already died. His bitterness at her relationship with Paul is exacerbated by this revelation. But he doesn’t storm from the room or hurt her. He actually acts like an adult, says he’s sorry, and says that he will go out horseback riding with her after all. A lot of reviewers don’t like his character but I find him continually sympathetic. 

Again, it’s a realistic portrayal of a marriage. Dr. Glendon “forbids” his wife to go out on a midnight horseback ride with her ex. As sexist as his I’m-the-man-putting-my-foot-down-with-the-wife routine is, he has a couple genuine reasons for acting this way. He’s worried about her safety cause he knows the moon is gonna make him crazy and he could unintentionally kill her in a fit of jealous rage. And of course he’s ticked off that Lisa is galavanting around with another man. She in turn is appropriately angry with his controlling remarks without having good reason for his concern...plus she wants to prove a point that he’s not making enough time for her in their marriage. 

Mrs. Moncaster explains how decking her “dearest friend” Mrs. Whack was an appropriate action to take in the sake of business.

Dr. Glendon calls himself “Singularly single, madam. More single than I ever realised it was possible for a human being to be...” Which seems to evoke qualities of his situation and depression. He feels so isolated. 

He prays that this transformation won’t happen again but it does.

“If I ran the zoo I'd let all the animals go”  - Dr. Seuss. This is Glendon’s way of causing a distraction so that he can attack another woman but it’s also symbolic of him releasing his inner animalistic nature. 

Ya gotta appreciate the special effects: 

Dr. Yogmai hails from the University of Carpathia. Here to represent.....an institution that I’m fairly certain doesn’t exist. Unless they mean Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University but that wasn’t established until 1940. Still, he’s a professor of botany so that’s cool. Kind of like Professor Lupin. 

Presumably, Dr. Yogami goes to Paul because he’s well connected and he wants to prevent Dr. Glendon from doing anymore damage. 

A+ usage of the scary uplighting effect. 

Dr. Glendon instructs a servant to lock him in until sunrise. Oh the upper-classes and their odd demands.

Paul still loves her. Duh. She can’t reciprocate because she’s married. 

Those bars are toast.

Henry Hull does a great job of prowling with just the right balance between animal and man.

Now that’s a scream:

Paul to the rescue. 

Paul recognizes Dr. Glendon. (Thanks, Mr. Hull.)

Dr. Yogami’s rooms “smelled like a kennel" when they found the mutilated maid. Yuck. Did he pee all over the room? Not something anyone likes to think about for too long. Especially the head of Scotland Yard. Just look at his face. 

Paul digs through the trash and finds the discarded flowers. 

Maybe Paul should work for Scotland Yard instead of his uncle. 

Hey how was your trip? So, Hawkins (J.M. Kerrigan) doesn’t think it’s odd that Dr. Glendon is hiding from the police? Does he even know why? Did Glendon tell him “hey I’m a werewolf and I accidentally killed people?” or does Hawkins just give him a pass like “it’s his life and none of my business.”? Well, as the scene suggests, Hawkins clearly does not know because he’s confused by how important this damn flower is to Dr. G.

I have to say, I get this excited about my sweet peas every year so I totally identify with his reaction. #humor

How does he even get into the lab?! Dr. Glendon needs better security or just, ya know, locks.

Somehow Glendon doesn’t see Yogami tip-toeing down the steps. How bad does your peripheral vision have to be?!

"You brought this on me that night in Tibet!” (You don’t say.)

The problem with stealing a plant that only blooms as the moon emerges is that the werewolf might kill you mid-transformation. Exhibit A:

They were both doomed anyway. 

Dr. Glendon goes looking for Lisa. 

Lycanthropy makes Dr. Glendon strong. Those chintz curtains and flimsy doors are no match for him.

Paul also lacks clear peripheral vision, apparently. Funny how ya don’t see a werewolf perched above a door you’re about to go into.

With all that jumping off buildings, werewolves must be prime candidates for knee replacement surgery. 

More great uplighting to do justice to some remarkable makeup:

“It’s Lisa!”

Who the hell is Lisa?

Maybe he remembers at this point. Hard to tell. 

A regular bullet does the job. The myth that a werewolf can only be killed by a silver bullet most likely dates back to the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, in which a humungous wolf is killed by a hunter named "Argent" which is Latin for silver, who uses a gun loaded with silver bullets. The filmmakers clearly don’t feel that this is a necessary part of this movie’s mythology. And in a way, this is a good decision because it makes the werewolf more pitiable and certainly less mythological. If a werewolf has most of the same vulnerabilities as a human, most of the same human rules of existence apply because werewolves are not semi-indestructible. It also just makes werewolves more human and more sympathetic. Werewolf!Glendon is basically afflicted with a kind of disease that could hypothetically be explained by medical science; he isn’t some mythological beast.

We can presume his soul is saved. “Thanks...thanks for the bullet. It was the only way. In a few moments now, I shall know why all of this had to be.” 

“Good-bye, Lisa. Lisa – good-bye...I’m sorry...I couldn’t have made you...happier...” 

(This is immediately followed by the sound of my heart breaking.) Seriously, this isn’t a guilt trip like he thinks Lisa is some overly-needy wife. He knows that he’s not always equip to give Lisa what she needs out of a relationship. He genuinely feels bad. It isn’t because of the lycanthropy, he was like this before, as a scientist. Did he have depression anyway? He might have. He really does love her and they have an understanding. This is probably some of the best acting in the film, the way that Hull delivers his lines and the look on Valerie Hobson’s face tells you so much. 

Thankfully, his death means that he is free of lycanthropy. 

The sun comes up. 

A plane is in the air, presumably Paul and Lisa are off to California. 

And then we get a nice transition into the Universal Studios plane. 

What a trip. Hope you enjoyed my rambling. Until next time. 

[kolivance]

Kolivance is obviously canon I mean it's hitting you in the face the first episode. The blade could choose any lion to ride in and they chose blue? Not red, the fastest which is piloted by one of their own members? It's obvious Koli wanted to ride with his boo and wouldn't take no for an answer

Hi there nonnie! Mod Blob here taking over this reply!

First of all, you should know that all of us mods screamed over this ask in our chat and we all agreed we love you.

Like. This ask is us.  This is us in a nutshell.  Amazing.

Moving on! I’ve been waiting for an excuse to talk about S3EP1 for a while now and I finally have it!!!!! I’ve got the screencaps ready! I hope you guys are in for a long post because goose do I have stuff to say…

I introduce you to a guide on how to read too much into less than 5 minutes of an episode, written by me

In EP1 we are shown that each member of Team Voltron is basically doing their own thing.  Keith (with Coran’s aid) is looking for Shiro among the remains of their previous battle with Zarkon, Allura is getting ready for diplomatic meetings, Pidge is on her own looking for her family.  Out of all of them, only Hunk and Lance are the ones fighting to liberate yet another alien civilization that fell under the claws of the galran domination.

Both Yellow and Blue are big lions, bigger than Red and Green, and out of the two options we are shown that Kolivan and more BoM members are riding on the back of Blue.

(I’ll put the rest of my reply under a read more so it won’t be tiring to scroll past this post on mobile)

Now this could’ve been entirely a casual thing, but I don’t think it’s something we should look over and ignore.  We know that Kolivan doesn’t trust others easily unless proven they are capable warriors.  For him to accept being in Blue along with the ones he’s in charge of, it means that at least to some degree he trusts in Lance’s skills.

Not only that, but he trusts that Lance will take them to the place they need to be.

I would also like to put emphasis on the fact that Lance calls him by his name.  We know that Lance is a generally friendly person, but I believe that him specifically saying “Kolivan” also supports my idea that there’s an undercurrent of trust between them.

Now, Kolivan doesn’t have doubts at any moment of Lance’s actions or skills.  I believe that this also goes to show that he recognizes Lance’s potential as a good leader, considering Lance is technically taking the leading position during this mission and that Kolivan (a more than well experienced leader) treats him as an equal.

Immediately after this scene, we are told (by Hunk) that they are past the drop zone, and Lance replies that they cannot stop.  They are under heavy fire by the enemy ships and doing so would leave not only the lions exposed, but also it would turn Kolivan and the BoM members (side note: kolivan and the bom, good name for a rock band) into easy targets.

In this situation, now it’s Lance the one showing clear respect and trust in Kolivan’s judgement.  He could’ve easily done anything else without consulting the other passengers within Blue, but instead he diverts the final decision towards Kolivan, trusting that he’ll know the right thing to do.  This shows that Lance is willing to give others key leading decisions and that he is aware that Kolivan has more experience, therefore his opinion/decision would more than likely be better for their current situation.

I mean, we know Lance is full of self imposed bravado, yet we are shown that he has no trouble fitting into co-leadership roles with noticeable ease.  His interactions with Kolivan here go smoothly, and later on in the next episodes of S3 he proves to be an excellent right-hand man.

Kolivan never once says anything remotely judgemental of Lance asking him for guidance.  And I know I’ve been saying this so much but Lance!! Trusts!!! Kolivan!!!!!!! And!!! The!! BoM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I’m mainly including this screencap because it’s a super cool shot and I love Kolivan. No, I’m not biased. Also, I think his braid necklace is super cute and adorable and ohmygod guys Kolivan has long hair, I know this is obvious yes, but whenever I think of it I always feel so weak for this gorgeous alien.)

The fight continues on for a few moments longer until Kolivan requires for help because how can they, a bunch of tall purple furry generally handsome aliens with cool blades and awesome fighting moves, fight against a canon lodged in a place waaay above their heads that’s targeting them specifically? 

Clearly, the best course of action is asking for help.  Which is what Kolivan does. I’m inclined to believe he’s actually directing himself to Lance, who is the one that replies (while keeping his eyes on his buddy Hunk and only looking away once Hunk emerges from that cloud of smoke).

(Look at Lance’s cute face here. I love him. So cute. Another screencap I’m adding mainly because Lance is cute and I’m the one replying this so I can do what I want and get away with it :D besides, who’s gonna complain about cute Lance, huh? Who? Not you, that’s for sure)

(Sidenote: the microphones/whatever you wanna call their communication devices that are inside the helmets are on the left side, proven by how Lance turns his attention towards that side.  Also, you could also say that by doing that he’s technically placing a good part of his focus on Kolivan.  Shippy goofy smile, get off my face.)

Ehem ehem.  Going back to what I was trying to say.  The BoM dealed with the situation as best as they could (which means: they are the best of the best even though they do the Naruto run. They even have saNdALS-LIKE FOOTWEAR), until this canon thing blew that up (heh) and turned them into easy targets.  They do need help.  They cannot fight blasts with blades, guys.

Here’s Lance immediate reply:

And then we are immediately shown that he cannot take it out.  Because he rushes in without really assessing how that weapon works and tries to shoot it from the front.  Which in turn almost ends in Lance getting shot.  Then Hunk, who stayed behind as Lance rushed in, does notice that the weakest spot of the canon thing is the back, and he is the one to effectively destroy it.

So far in this scene we’ve seen a Lance that was generally smooth in his actions, and this is the only moment in which he fails to effectively eliminate a target.  He notices that he needs to get rid of that thing as soon as possible, but in his hurrying up to help Kolivan fails to see the best way to counter-attack.

Fast forward to when the battle is won and the galran ships are flying the hell outta there.  We have the whole alien people come out of their hiding spots to celebrate their liberation and gape in clear admiration at the Lions.  Yet in that same scene we are shown something that, in my opinion, is a gem:

Some of the aliens, which are then declared as the leaders or most influential ones of that community, clearly glance at Kolivan and the BoM with obvious distrust (and prejudice) in their eyes.  Kolivan notices, and the change in his expression is painfully obvious:

His face falls.  He lowers his gaze and bows his head.  This is the moment I went like “I want to hug him and tell him he’s doing great and that he’s amazing and that I love him”.  I’m not biased guys, I don’t know what you’re talking about. 

What’s clear here is that he’s hurt.

This gives a whole new level of importance and relevance to what Lance does a few moments later:

He literally stands up for the BoM and Kolivan.

Upon rejection from the aliens towards them based solely on their race/appearance, what Lance does is openly and proudly stand up for them and defend them.  He extends the reason of the victory to them while also showing his gratitude for their assitance.  

He could’ve said nothing and accept the worship the aliens were giving them and the Lions, but no, he also redirects that attention and acknowledgement (rightfully so) to Kolivan and his team.

It would’ve been enough for Lance to say: “We couldn’t have done it without them”, referring to the Blade of Marmora in general.  Yet he put special emphasis on Kolivan, stressing his value as leader and showing how much Lance appreciates him.

It’s also important to notice that Lance is doing this while standing right besides Kolivan, who, in turn, has his body turned towards Lance and redirects his gaze towards him.

This scene is really beautiful and the first time I saw it I screamed. Also: LOOK AT THEIR SIZE DIFFERENCE!!!

Kolivan’s reply is the reply of a leader.  He doesn’t say it was his honor, he consciously includes his whole team.

Also, look at Lance’s fond expression.  He’s so proud and grateful.  I love him.

Anyway, I’m forcefully stopping myself here because I could go on and on and it would get repetitive.

Is Kolivance canon?

It is in my heart and nobody will be able to tell me otherwise not even after I die.

— xoxo, Mod Blob 👽

[oumakokichi]

I'm not completely sure why Ouma wanted to trap everyone in Gonta's lab and make them watch the motive videos?

These asks are not exactly the same, but they are related to the same topic, so that’s why I’ve decided to answer them together. The second ask also made me realize that summarizing from that particular conversation between Momota and Saihara is perhaps one of the best ways to explain why Ouma did what he did.

The discussion they share in Hoshi’s room while looking for the motive video he had pretty much hits the nail on the head. As the second anon says, it starts when Momota admits that he actually wanted to have everyone get together and share all their motive videos right away, rather than holding onto them and not talking about them like Kiibo suggested. He talks at length about how he believes that’s the true meaning of “cooperating,” and how doing so would probably have actually strengthened the group as a whole. By embracing those motives and watching them, Monokuma couldn’t have used them against them. Here’s a screencap, to show what I mean:

As shown, Saihara realizes belatedly that that’s exactly what Ouma tried to do by holing them all up in one place and trying to force them to watch all the motive videos. For all that Ouma talks at length in Chapter 2 about how the group shouldn’t cooperate with each other and how he doesn’t believe that cooperation will solve anything, his plan was actually about cooperating in the truest meaning of the word.

The reason Ouma talked so emphatically against cooperating with the rest of the group’s plans while actually putting a plan of his own into motion to try and force everyone to cooperate and review their motive videos was because he knew that he had to act the part. Acting friendly and trusting and cooperative, not only in ndrv3 but in any DR game, is a surefire way to make sure the ringleader will just send out another motive in order to cause more paranoia and suspicion. Ouma himself says in Chapter 2 many times that it’s exactly when they all start getting along with one another and trying to cooperate that Monokuma comes around “to torment them.”

Kirigiri even alludes to this as early as dr1, in fact. I’ve been doing a dr1 reread recently, and I was amused to see in dr1 Chapter 5 that Naegi has many questions for Kirigiri similar to what many characters in ndrv3 have for Ouma. She says that she knew from almost the start of the killing game that there was a disconnect in her memories, and that her talent and purpose at Hope’s Peak must have been disadvantageous to the mastermind, which is why she was made to forget them. Naegi then asks her why she didn’t just talk to everyone else, so they could all cooperate together and act as one big group of friends in order to find out her talent and her reason for coming to Hope’s Peak.

She responds by saying that such a plan wouldn’t have worked for quite a few reasons. The first, of course, is that cooperation would only have drawn the mastermind’s attention. Acting like a big group of friends would only have given the mastermind more cause to try and split them up and get them to distrust one another. The other reason is that she couldn’t eliminate the possibility that the mastermind was one of them, someone actually hiding within their group and only pretending to be their friend.

Even in dr1 Chapter 1, Kirigiri says point-blank that trusting people too much is just as dangerous as not trusting anyone at all. So she couldn’t trust the group enough to cooperate with them in order to find her memories, other than Naegi—and her bond of trust with Naegi was something only built up gradually throughout the story, not something immediate and inseparable.

All of this sounds… well, very familiar. Ouma’s reasons for acting in the shadows and putting these plans into action without telling anyone his reasons why are pretty much exactly the same as Kirigiri’s. Like Kirigiri, he knew that open talk about cooperation and being friends would only cause the ringleader to give them even more motives and incentives to kill. And like Kirigiri, he suspected the ringleader was someone in their group only pretending to be friends with them (and in this case, he was right).

So, his plan with capturing everyone and forcing them to watch the motive videos in Gonta’s lab was the perfect way to try and neutralize the threat of everyone’s motives, while still seemingly refusing to cooperate. After all, he pulled off his plan in such a way that he seemed incomprehensible, chaotic, and self-serving—but even Saihara notes that Ouma doesn’t actually seem evil or malicious when putting that plan into action. He thinks to himself that he can’t actually see a single trace of “evil intent” on Ouma’s face, before quickly shaking his head and thinking that that could very well be another one of his lies.

But we know, of course, that it’s not. Given all the evidence we’re presented with in Chapters 5 and 6, Ouma’s objective was to stop the killing game. He hated killing and death; that’s simply a canonical fact about his character, not a subjective opinion. And so he was willing to use extreme measures in order to try and force that game to a halt.

By watching everyone’s motive videos, not only would they all have been able to theoretically shoulder the burden by knowing everyone’s motives in addition to their own, but they would also have known immediately who was most likely to kill. While motive videos were originally an incentive in dr1 Chapter 1, I’m honestly more reminded of dr1 Chapter 2, with its “secrets you don’t want anyone else to know” motive.

In dr1 Chapter 2, all the characters similarly considered sharing their secrets with each other—the idea was proposed by several characters and considered heavily, but ultimately everyone was far too embarrassed and paranoid and afraid to share them with one another. Had they actually done so, however, Mondo’s murder of Chihiro would’ve been avoided entirely. Knowing everyone’s secrets at the time would’ve taken away Monokuma’s leverage over them, and caused them to come to terms with their own dark secrets, all the while enabling the rest of the group to keep an eye on the characters they knew had the secrets most worth killing for.

The same applies to ndrv3 Chapter 2. Kirumi’s motive video was rigged to go to her from the start precisely because it was such a guaranteed trump card that would start the killing game up again. Her motive video “went to her by mistake, because the Monokumerz messed up,” but that’s simply an excuse; the Monokumerz do whatever they’re scripted to do, as part of the killing game show, and that means that Kirumi was absolutely going to get her own motive video no matter what, because it had the juiciest incentive of all to kill for.

Had the rest of the group seen her video, or even seen Hoshi’s video with its blank and depressing message, they would’ve had a much better idea of what was at stake. Everyone would’ve been able to discuss the potential fate of their “most important loved ones,” everyone would’ve been able to talk to both Kirumi and Hoshi and keep an eye on them to monitor what they were likely to do after seeing such horrible videos.

And of course, everyone would also have known about Maki’s talent as a SHSL Assassin, which was something Ouma wanted to make clear to them as soon as he found out himself. Having an assassin hidden in their midst who wouldn’t come forward or tell them about her talent even though she was extremely dangerous and had killed plenty of people in the past was a very dangerous, unstable scenario.

Having that fact brought into the open might not be something Maki herself liked very much—but it was undeniably necessary. Keeping her talent a secret was unfair to the rest of the group, and the longer she kept quiet about it, the worse the backlash would’ve become. That’s the reason Ouma goes ahead and exposes her talent at the end of the Chapter 2 trial anyway, in order to try and force the group to come to terms with the fact that Maki is a threat and should be watched carefully.

In addition to all of these things, I strongly believe that watching all the motive videos together would’ve exposed several inconsistencies, both in the videos and in their own memories. Having these inconsistencies exposed would’ve made them seem less credible; without even knowing if the videos or their memories were even real, the characters would’ve been a lot less willing to kill for them.

For example, Kirumi’s status as the “shadow Prime Minister of Japan” can be called very easily into question just by looking at Momota’s FTEs. Momota mentions in one of his FTEs that he actually introduced the current, elected Prime Minister of Japan to politics. In fact, he wholeheartedly seems to believe this. If that were actually true, then he and Kirumi should, theoretically, know each other, or at least know about each other. Even if Momota never knew Kirumi, because she was such a well-kept secret, there’s no way Kirumi, as a SHSL Maid whose duty was to remain diligently on top of everything, wouldn’t have known who one of the Prime Minister’s close friends was.

And yet, they know nothing about each other prior to the game. This inconsistency can’t be easily explained away by “they were made to forget before the game started,” because Momota did know about Hoshi prior to the killing game, having looked up to him as a sort of tennis-playing hero in middle school. Therefore, if Kirumi were really the “shadow Prime Minister,” then she should have known about Momota. But she didn’t.

Realizing and discussing this fact would’ve made her motive video seem instantly less believable. Without believing it to be true, the likelihood that she would’ve been willing to commit murder for it decreases significantly. There’s no reason to risk one’s own life or to kill everyone else over something that seems so obviously fake, after all.

As someone who clearly distrusted his own memories and the motive videos right from the start, Ouma knew these things, and that’s exactly why he tried to put his plan into action. Had he actually managed to succeed, I do believe there was a very good possibility it would’ve worked—not least of all because Tsumugi looked very shaken up when she realized his plan herself. If the ringleader looks so obviously dismayed after hearing about a plan like that, then that seems to indicate Ouma was probably on the right track.

Anyway, this has gotten long, so I’ll stop now, but I hope I could clear up the first anon’s question. As for the second anon, thank you so much for stopping by—I was also very glad to see Momota and Saihara hit on the right track in that conversation, even if it was only briefly. Going back and seeing all these little clues and hints to the fact that Ouma was doing things with the group’s best interests at heart is so rewarding, because I feel like there’s always something new to see.

Thank you both for asking!

[drink-n-watch]

Just a few minutes ago I somehow managed to loose all the screen caps I had taken for this episode. It’s a bummer. I had so lovingly chosen each one. Oh well, I guess I’ll do it all over again in a little bit. Happily, this minor annoyance has not dampened my enthusiasm for the episode. Irina here, I will be hosting this week’s Demon Slayer discussion. First, how are you Crow? Recovering from Easter yet?

  Doing fine, thanks for asking! Trying to recover from Easter as much as from the excitement of this episode!

you weren’t supposed to cut the rope, start over!

The episode quickly reminds us that Tanjiro was finally able to cut the boulder thanks to Sabito and Makomo’s help. The music got a touch overbearing this week but once again the CG was on point!

What’s more. The scene showing an exhausted Tanjiro quietly listening to Urokodaki admit that he had given him an impossible task to keep him from the dangers of the final selection and the cathartic release that followed were genuinely touching. I could feel both men’s grim determination an mutual respect. Am I reading too much into this??

If you are, you have company! I thought that was a beautiful, touching, and authentic moment. After all that training and effort, after slicing the boulder, Urokodaki saying “Tanjiro, you’re a remarkable kid” meant a lot to both of them.

d’awwww

As bittersweet as it was, Urokodaki could not hold Tanjiro back from his destiny and meter they chose to celebrate with fasts and a gift of masks. I really like masks. Especially kitsune ones.i think more rites of passage should be marked with gifts of masks.

Unless they’re like the masks from that Twilight Zone episode. < shudder >

had to look it up – is this it?

You know, I have been a bit judgy on the perceived motivations in this show and kept reminding people that Tanjiro never wanted to become a demon Slayer in the first place. However, if I remember correctly, he’s been training for this for close to two years now. Even if he may not have set out for it, becoming a demon Slayer is the only purpose he’s known for a while now, I bet it’s beginning to mean a whole lot to him.

And in all that time, Nezuko has not woken up once. Do you miss her too Crow?

Yes, I do! I’m also wondering if Urokodaki is turning her from time to time, because if she doesn’t, she’ll get bed sores! And that bamboo bit has got to be chafing by now! And secretly? Part of me wonders if her slumber is a bit too convenient…

oh no Crow suspects something – quick, knock him out

I’m just going to say it: told you so. Told you those two were Yokai!

Yes, you did! In the comments from the last episode, Lynn was close, guessing they might be spirits. And didn’t you think how the episode presented them was so sad? They were dead themselves, but they kept worrying about Tanjiro! But I’m getting ahead, aren’t I? Please, carry on!

yes you are Crow

Thank you! As Tanjiro made it to the final selection, I got a bit nervous. It reminded me of the Hunters Hunter exam and that’s not a good thing. Maybe it was the creepy twins or the brutal nature off the exam but I have a though time trusting the demon Slayer organization.

The show is teaching me to distrust cute, that’s for sure.

The second half of the episode was basically one tense survival/fight scene. One thing that has consistently impressed me about Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba is how well it creates disturbing scenes.

this freaked me out

The mega demon was nothing short of an abomination and it was a little difficult to watch him with the victim. Am I just too precious here?

That monster was horrifying! And do you know what helped sell that idea? Tanjiro’s reaction! The other candidate was screaming, but we have no idea who he was. Maybe he screamed in terror at the sight of kittens! But Tanjiro? We know he’s tough. So if he’s scared, there’s something to be scared of!

But a lot of shows can’t stick the landing. Even after we saw the creature – it was still horrible!

The episode also did a great job at creating an emotional reaction. After all, I know Tanjiro is going to be OK, I see it in the opening credits. This fight doesn’t have that much riding on it all things considered and yet. I was wringing my fingers holding my breath and rooting for Tanjiro like my life savings were on the line.

I’m gonna punch you except you’re super scary – Tanjiro, you do it!

The scene pulled us in so deeply that were were in the flow, so to speak; anxious to know what was next! That’s a great sign.

I think they managed this through a couple of tricks. First you had that rather brutal introduction to the big Demon that instantly identified it as not just an antagonist but an abomination. Second, you had that other student playing the role of damsel in distress to get our protective instincts ging, and finally you had the demon bring up a personal connection and history with both Urokodaki, Sabito and Makomo. And what a history it was.

I am not a blood thirsty person by nature nor do I find vengeance particularly motivating but I really wanted Tanjiro to kick his but!

you go!

Did you see Tanjiro’s reaction? His moment of realization? Powerful stuff. For me, his motivation at that point was less revenge (which is completely understandable!) and more a primitive instinct: to remove a threat to your kind.

If we overthink it for a second, there’s quite a bit of fridge horror going on here. Basically they are all on a mountain which is surrounded by a wisteria grove. For reasons not yet revealed (and maybe never to be revealed) demons stay away from the flowers to the point that they are trapped on the mountain. I’m not sure how often these final selections are held but I’m thinking no more than once a year. Potentially even once every other year or less. Those demons are starving. Even one that’s been around for eras has only managed to eat 50 hopefuls. Considering a demon like that could probably get quite a few every time.

They are sending a lot of trained but still completely green recruits without backup or supervision in there to survive or 7 days. With no food, shelter or light. No provisions at all. Just their weapons.

Tanjiro was incredibly lucky to have run into that thing right off the bat. Imagine if it was night 5 and he was exhausted, hungry and mildly dehydrated, show would be over.

whatever, let’s take a nap

If the training and selection are this brutal, what’s waiting for them after graduation? For the few that graduate, I mean. I suppose one way to look at it is if they send poorly trained slayers into the field, they just become demon food, which makes the demons stronger. They can’t have that!

In any event, you’re absolutely right about how lucky Tanjiro was. And did you notice how he had thought things through? He was planning to stay mobile at night when the demons were active and sleep during the day. He was also heading for the spot on the mountain where the sun would hit first! He’s a smart kid!

I’m happy we finally got to see those ‘water’ animations. Seems it’s the style Urokodaki teaches. I find it visually stunning. Do you think other masters wield different elements?

That’s something cool to think about, isn’t it? What did you think of the moves’ names, like Striking Tide, Water Wheel, or Water Surface Slash? I geek out over that kind of stuff!

I liked them!

We saw a few faces that I recognized among the kids at the selection. If I had to guess, I’m thinking we’re going to be seeing more of them next episode. I’m pumped this is a 24 episode run. Even with everything that happens each week, I always feel like we’re going to run out of time. Maybe that’s just because every week, the episode is over before I know it!

An I got my screencaps back! And then some.

That’s a relief! Oh — did you notice how Tanjiro said “Rest in peace” after killing the first two demons? That reminded me a lot of Allen Walker from D.Gray-Man! That differentiates those two heros from their peers.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

and here are those screencaps in question. Some are very pretty, the wisterias for instance!

      Review Of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04 – The Names of Dead Children Just a few minutes ago I somehow managed to loose all the screen caps I had taken for this episode.