#the case study of Vanitas part 2

[retracexcviii]

Now everyone in the room is racist

[detectivejay]

Detective/Mystery Media List

Open to more recommendations if I’m missing any favorites I should check out, let me know! Particularly any other good Sherlock adaptations, but also interested in finding more female, PoC and/or queer-led detective media.

Watched/read/played/etc:

Sherlock Holmes (ACD canon)

Sherlock - Basil Rathbone adaptation film series

Sherlock - Granada, Jeremy Brett adaptation TV series (some episodes, need to rewatch) - shoutout to @thegreatandlovablespacedorito for reminding me to revisit this one

BBC Sherlock TV series

Sherlock - Robert Downey Jr movies

Enola Holmes (movies)

Moriarty the Patriot/Yuumori (manga and anime)

Ron Kamanohashi: Deranged Detective/Forbidden Deductions aka RKDD (anime, need to read the manga)

Hercule Poirot novels (not all but a large portion) - need to watch more of the TV show Spenser novels by Robert B Parker (not all but a large portion)

Auguste C Dupin - The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe (short story)

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (book)

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (book)

Case Closed / Detective Conan (anime, some episodes/seasons)

Knives Out movies

Psych TV series

Only Murders in the Building TV series (caught up to the current season)

The Dresden Files books

Brookyln 99 TV series

House MD TV series

True Detective TV series

Monk TV series (watched some episodes)

Murder She Wrote (a few scattered episodes)

Hannibal TV series

Bones TV series (some episodes, not all)

Fargo movie and TV series (watched some episodes)

White Collar TV series

Justified TV series

Miami Vice TV series

Nash Bridges TV series

Killing Eve TV series

The Clue movie

Anita Blake book series (up to book 10)

Some Nancy Drew books

Ace Attorney video games (AA1-AA6 plus Investigations 1)

Professor Layton video games (not all but I believe at least the first 3)

Sherlock Hound

The Great Mouse Detective

Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century

Inspector Gadget cartoon

Scooby Doo cartoons

The Boxcar Children

Detective Pikachu movie

The Case Study of Vanitas (anime/manga)

The Millionaire Detective - Balance: Unlimited (anime) - @prapo237 got me into this one x3 so silly

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (read years ago, need to watch the show) - recommended by @holisticcomedian

Currently watching/reading/playing/etc:

Sherlock - Elementary TV series (on 2nd season, getting close to season 3)

The Invisible Library novel series by Genevieve Cogman recommended by a friend IRL - up to book 6 currently, The Secret Chapter

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (video game duology, includes Herlock Sholmes, almost finished with game 1)

Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (video game)

Persona 5 (video game) recommended by friends on the JR Discord

Sherlock Holmes and Co - podcast (currently listening to The Dancing Men Part 3, thanks to suggestions from @wasabitheweirdo and @cuil-chan)

To watch/read/play/etc:

My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files manga suggested on the JR Discord

Detective L - Chinese Sherlock-inspired TV series on Youtube recommended by @meg-pond

Miss Sherlock - Japanese series also suggested by @meg-pond

Bodkin TV series on Netflix - Irish, female-led, recommended by @rubycountess

Columbo TV series

Remington Steele

More Auguste Dupin stories and other mysteries by Poe

Murder on the Orient Express movie

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes film

Bonnie MacBird Sherlock Holmes books recommended by @romanathree

Soviet made Sherlock Holmes film recommended by @imlostatau on Youtube

Famous Five books

Midsomer Murders TV series

Twin Peaks TV series

Mindhunter TV series

Murdoch Mysteries TV series

Death in Paradise TV series

Phryne Fisher's murder mysteries books and TV show recommended by @milenathebrave

Turner and Hooch TV series

Magnum PI TV series

Father Brown TV series

The Professionals movie

Homeland TV series

Cadfael TV series

Broadchurch TV series

Criminal Minds TV series

Shetland TV series

Police procedural shows like NCIS, CSI, etc.

Baskerville play by Ken Ludwig suggested by @wolfyraged

Without a Clue suggested by @helloliriels

Young Sherlock suggested by @helloliriels

Vera Stanhope novels by Ann Cleeves suggested by @nightshadezombie

Charlotte Holmes books by Sherry Thomas suggested by @lej418

Sherlock Holmes stories by Anthony Horowitz ("House Of Silk" and "Moriarty") recommended by @bringerofworlds

Miss Marple novels by Agatha Christie

Any other Agatha Christie novels I haven’t read (Sad Cypress recommended by @romanathree )

AJ Raffles books by William Hornung recommended by @romanathree

Dead Boy Detectives on Netflix

The Hardy Boys books and TV series

Elemental Masters by Mercedes Lackey

Holmes, Marple and Poe by James Patterson - curious to see how this book treats these original characters inspired by the greats, the new characters are Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple (maybe related to Jane Marple?) and Auguste Poe (takes his first name from Poe’s detective, Auguste Dupin)

The rest of the Dupin stories

The rest of the Raymond Chandler books

More Arsene Lupin stories (including ones vs Herlock Sholmes)

Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout

Pet Shop of Horrors anime/manga recommended by @eden-falls

Otherside Picnic recommended by @eden-falls

Lonely Castle in the Mirror recommended by @eden-falls

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison, saw this one posted recently by @seeingteacupsindragons and I'm curious so added it to the list

Magnus Archives horror/thriller mystery podcast recommended by @writingandwritten

EDIT: Last updated 12/2/24

[starryskiesahead]

So…

I may have just found a new anime to obsess over.

Yep. The Case Study of Vanitas is easily one of my new favorites.

My goodness, I don’t ever think I’ve fallen in love with a piece of media this fast. From the first episode, I adored every second, every minute of it. I fell in love with the animation/visuals, the music, the character dynamics, the worldbuilding and lore, the story…I’m just so invested in it and love it absolutely. Noé and Vanitas have an absolutely amazing dynamic and their relationship is one of my favorites that I’ve ever seen. They have easily earned their spot in my Top 5 fictional faves.

Parts of it actually kinda surprised me? For one thing, it's a lot more comedic than I expected. Like I mean. A lot of times it gets dark and fucked up bc all the characters are traumatized and have their own tragic backstories that are made of their trauma and suffering. But it's also not all serious and grim all the time like I initially thought it would be based on my initial assumption. There's a lot of cute, comedic chibi moments (iconic tbh), which I didn't expect from this anime. Also the OP, which I expected to be chock-full of darkness and blood and symbolism and motifs and action and angsty visuals, is essentially VaniNoe going on a date.

In that aspect it's completely different from what I expected but also not too far off from what I've expected, a guy and his soulma-er, partner going on dark fantasy adventures around 19th-century-steampunk France. I really like the concept of Vanitas being a doctor curing the curses that corrupt vampires' true names into malnomens, turning them into forms like monsters - when he pulls out The Book of Vanitas and activates the magic grimoire, it sends a flurry of beautiful, sparkling magical constellations to purify the afflicted like he's a magical girl in a mahou shoujo anime using her special attack to save the day from the monster of the week.

ALSO also... holy shit never before have I shipped ANY fictional pairing as hard as I’ve shipped Vanitas and Noe. I don’t even ship hard 99% of the time AT ALL, the closest was two of my OCs, who are my own original characters so they don't count.

BUT THESE TWO?

THEY’RE JUST SO PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING AND AWESOME TOGETHER AND WHY THE HELL AREN’T THE TWO OF THEM KISSING YET?!

like.

I mean I get that Vanitas x Jeanne is canon (don’t care for the ship that much, but I can accept it I guess though I’ll never be super into it) and Noé could have a thing with Domi, but honestly? They’ll never hit the way Vanoé does for me. Even if they never become canon in the end, their relationship, while not necessarily romantic, is nonetheless a dynamic I treasure and the way their personalities play off of each other is my favorite part of the series.

(And even if you disagree with me and don’t see the romance you can’t argue that their relationship certainly did come off that way to a good deal of the fandom, judging by all the Vanoe content I’ve seen. Honestly with the dancing scene, the way they look at each other and are super pretty in each other’s POV, the fact Noé wants a taste of Vanitas’ blood so much when blood-drinking is usually framed as a sexual thing in this series, the first ending song being them reaching out to each other while lyrics like “you made me whole” play in the background….yeah I think someone has to definitely know what they’re doing at this point, right?)

This anime was a blast from start to finish. I was instantly entranced, enthralled, enchanted by it, and I simply can’t get enough, so I ended up binge-reading the entire manga in one day. And I loved and adored it as well! The cover art with all the watercolors is so *chefs kiss* stunning, lovely and beautiful and the mangaka did amazing with it. So talented, wtf?

Love it! 💙🩵💜💖

I do have some criticisms such as I feel the story (mostly in season 1, I feel like it got better around season 2) is kind of…jumping around between plots a bit? I was expecting the main conflict to just be. The problem of cursebearers that Vanitas and Noé mostly go around curing, with a few extra shenanigans here and there. Like the whole thing with Roland and the Chasseurs and the whole encounter at Dr. Moreau’s lab felt like it was a bit rushed or resolved kinda quickly for my tastes? and the ending of S1 with the encounter between Lord Ruthven and Noe right about as we’re about to begin the Gévaudan arc, and just an episode after Jeanne and Vanitas’ little date…And like I mentioned before, I don’t really care for this pairing - though I like both of them as individual characters, and I can accept that this is canon, but I don’t particularly have too much investment in the ship. No hate to anyone who likes it though. And well it’s important enough to the story to not be really ignored, it’s also kinda just. Okay. They like each other. At least it’s a subplot and there’s other things going on, so for me I don’t have to be too into VaniJeanne as a pairing to enjoy the story. Also I’m personally really not fond of the fact both of the times they kiss were forced on each other. But that’s just my two cents. (Toss in Noé and Dominique into the equation and the shipping/romance love square does get more messy/complex, though like I said, I’m glad it’s not a constant will-they-won’t-they love drama thing all the time (no hate to ppl who like it, but not personally fond of those). Relationships are definitely a very important part of this series, and that includes the romance stuff but at least to me it doesn't feel like constant dragged out melodrama all the time.) Also I lowkey do wish Jeanne and Domi got more chance to shine in the first season outside of their connection with the guys. They do get good character development in season 2, and though a good amount of said development does seem to be pretty linked with their relationships with Vanitas and Noé respectively, I can forgive it as after all, the relationships and dynamics are an important part of this series and at least they have entertaining, fun, and likable personalities and their own backstories and lore outside of just being "the girls who are there to be the guys' love interests".

Honestly the pacing to me feels much better in the manga than in the anime - idk if it’s the different format and the fact that I can read it at my own pace, but it just feels less fast and easier to understand. I know for the anime some people found it a bit confusing, and while I partially agree/can see it on some parts it’s not THAT confusing for me and I can still understand the plot okay. But that being said, I think the manga is a bit better at this and in some ways, easier to follow than the anime.

Also, while I love the chibi comedy moments, I feel like sometimes they can be a bit overused from time to time? Especially when it's shortly after a mostly serious moment, it kinda throws me off. The truly serious, dark moments, focusing more on the characters' backstories and trauma, at least don't get interrupted randomly by the chibis, but still it does feel a little jarring when the style randomly switches.

That being said, the problems or flaws this series has/my criticisms don't really take away my enjoyment at all, and I still loved and enjoyed the experience as a whole even when there were somethings I wasn't too keen on , so I can honestly still say that it was such a wonderful, magnificent experience for me. I do hope there'll be Season 3, but I think there's not enough manga chapters to adapt into the anime and the author is on hiatus I believe. Either was, this series has sunk its fangs into me and won't let go, and I look forward to seeing it the whole way through and being there for this journey, beginning to end, I am TOTALLY hooked.

I'm totally along for the ride, and until then, will be looking at all the fabulous Vanitas and Noé art by all the amazingly talented artists out there (keep up your good work, love you!)

(Also Noé might now be my #2 favorite character of all time, up there with Arlo from Number Days. Yes, he's simply that powerful.)

[whoishotteranimepolls]

Fantasy Anime Recommendations

I love all kinds of fantasy, whether it be high fantasy, low fantasy, dark fantasy, or urban fantasy. So here are my recommendations for that genre.

Disclaimer: More will be added to this list as I slowly work through my to-be-watched list

Black Clover

4 seasons and a Canon movie ongoing

My favorite underrated Battle Shonen series is about an orphan boy who dreams of being the wizard King. However, there is a slight problem since he was born without the ability to use magic. This is for you if you like the classic battle Shonen. It takes that classic formula and executes it to perfection. Plus, the show has some of the best-written supporting cast and female characters in Shonen.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles:

2 seasons ongoing

Satirical parody of Harry Potter. Except it's a kid without magic who has to somehow survive at the universe equivalent of Hogwarts without anyone finding out he can't use magic

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

1 season ongoing

It's a beautiful story and one of the best shows I've ever watched. However, it is not for everyone. Some people cannot handle the slow pacing because sometimes it is just as much of a slice of Life as it is an action-adventure story.

Wistoria: Wand and Sword

1 season is ongoing

A kid without magic wants to be a great magician, but to gain that title, he picks up a sword to prove you don't need magic to become the greatest. Unfortunately, he still has to go to magic school. Black Clover mixed with Mashle is just as good as both.

Black Butler

4 seasons, a two-part special, and a Canon movie ongoing.

A young boy and his demon butler solve mysteries in Victorian England. I recommend researching what Canon and non-canon or OVA are before you start. Otherwise, you will be confused.

Dungeon Meshi

One season ongoing

There's a reason this took over Tumblr for months and is still trending

The Case Study of Vanitas

A human doctor for vampires and his vampire companion in Paris. This one was an emotional roller coaster. The fate of season 3 is unknown and it is a shame

Trese

It's a supernatural detective show set in the Philippines, and it's a shame it only got one season

Not anime, but still adult animation

Castlevania

Completed, but there is an ongoing spin-off series

Based on the Japanese game, Netflix did a fantastic job adapting it. I never played the games and I loved it. I rewatched it with someone who played the games, and they loved all the Easter eggs

The sequel Castlevania Nocturne is not as good as the original. Hopefully, they fix that with the second season. The trailer did look amazing

The Legend of Vox Machina

3 seasons ongoing

You like classic high fantasy. This is for you. It's based on the D&D live stream show Critical Role. A friend of mine jokingly calls it Middle Earth. If they were allowed to say fuck it's very adult and very gory. However, it is amazing and one of my favorite animated shows.

Blood of Zeus

2 seasons ongoing

If you like Greek mythology, this one's for you. The story of one of Zeus's bastards and the consequences of Hera finding out about them. It's a story that feels like it could be straight out of Greek mythology and they do a fantastic job

Maya and The Three

One season it's a Netflix exclusive

Think of it as a love story of Mesoamerican culture in animated form. It's probably the most out of my recommendations because it is 3D animation. But God I love this show. It's about an Aztec princess who has to fight the gods in order to save her Kingdom along with her companions, who are members of the Inca, the Maya, and the indigenous Caribbean culture. Again, it's a love story of the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica made by actual Latinos. I love this show so much, and it is underrated.

[ecargmura]

Wind Breaker Episode 11 Review - New Day, New Classmates

I’m a little confused. Tsugeura’s little motto revolves around the word “virtue”. In the manga, it’s virtue. The subtitles call it virtue as well, but I’ve seen some subs use “aesthetics.” What is the accurate word? A moot on Twitter says that the accurate word should be “aesthetics”. Virtue means a behavior showing high moral standards while aesthetics means a particular theory or connection to beauty or art. My moot told me that the word Tsugeura uses is actually more associated with aesthetic rather than virtue. I don’t know…. For now, I’ll just call it virtue since that’s what the subtitles say, but if they switch it to aesthetics or something, I’ll use that.

Anyways, it’s a new day, the fourth to be exact, and Sakura meets two new classmates. The first is Taiga Tsugeura who likes to talk about virtue, is a gym bro, and is an all around himbo. He speaks in Kansai dialect, by the way. While he’s a nice guy, he lacks personal boundaries, which is why everyone avoids him. Sugishita’s face says it all. Fortunately, Sakura, Suo and Nirei are nice enough to hang out with him after school. Tsugeura is a macho guy, but he’s surprisingly goofy and sensitive. While he doesn’t get along with Kiryu, he doesn’t let that bother him. He’s very funny, honestly. I think he brings a good dynamic to the group as the optimist in a way. His fighting style centers around wrestling with the way he did a German suplex to one of those scrubs.

Tsugeura’s voice actor actually surprised me. He’s voiced by Kengo Kawanishi. You might know him as Muichiro from Demon Slayer and Roland Fortis from The Case Study of Vanitas. Why I was surprised was because I normally associated with him quiet pretty boys, but remembering that he voiced Roland, he has the capability to go loud and dumb too. Also, another thing that surprised me about him was that Kawanishi always sounded like he could be Akira Ishida’s successor in terms of range and tone, but the voice he uses for Tsugeura makes him sound like Noriaki Sugiyama who you might know as the voice of Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto and also voiced Muichiro’s dad who appeared in the third season of Demon Slayer. Kawanishi’s range is seriously killer.

The second of the new classmates is Mitsuki Kiryu. He’s rumored to be from a rich family with the way he went to a rich kid’s school during junior high. His past sounds very interesting if he chose to rebel and went to Fuurin; I’m super curious as much as I am curious about Suo’s past. Kiryu is practically the total opposite of Tsugeura in every way. He respects people’s boundaries, especially girls’, but is rather effeminate compared to the macho himbo Tsuge-chan. He’s also a huge phone addict as he was first seen in episode 2 playing with his phone. I do wonder if he has a hamburger case alongside the hotdog case. His fighting style sort of reminds me of the Gentle Fist style from Naruto, especially with the way it focuses on deflecting as Kiryu deflects his opponents and sends them flying to his allies.

Kiryu’s voice actor is Toshiyuki Toyonaga. It’s been a while since I last heard Toyonaga voice a rather effeminate character. I actually really like his acting a lot! He has so much range that his voice is so hard to detect because he sounds so different in whatever anime he’s in. If you’re curious on what roles he had done in the past, some examples include Yuuri Katsuki from Yuri on Ice, Kazuki Kurusu from Buddy Daddies and Nayuta Yatonokami from Paradox Live. All three of those roles sound different, yet they come from the same person. Amazing, isn't it? I love how Toyonaga gives Kiryu a boyish voice; that tone is so cute.

The fighting scene in the anime was well-animated! All three have such distinct styles, but it meshes so well together. Heck, even Suo gets to be a part of the fight, despite him being at the back protecting Nirei and the girl Kiryu saved and only fighting when mooks try to run towards the back. I really like the part where Sakura is flipping around after Tsugeura throws in a punch and then Kiryu deflects a guy towards him.

The episode is also has some development towards Sakura as he gets new fighting allies in Tsugeura and Kiryu and even gets five new contacts in his phone. He’s the most chronically offline teenager, and he’s even slowly adjusting to the teen life by attempting to participate in group chats and stuff. I hope that Sakura becomes an expert at instant messaging by the time the story ends.

The episode ends with the second years coming to Sakura’s class in order to pick a Group Captain. What is a group captain? It’s like a top of the class or something. Suo volunteers Sakura to be captain. What happens next will be shown next week. However, the second years showing up is great because Enomoto is hilarious with the way he rolls his R’s. Can you believe that he’s voiced by Taishi Murata, who voices Pieyon from Oshi no Ko? Crazy, right? That’s the third voice actor with crazy range in this episode. Also, this is the introduction to Kaji but I’ll talk more about him next week as he’ll finally talk. I can’t wait to see people’s reaction to Kaji. He’s such a great character.

There are two more episodes left. With how popular this show is in the Japanese fanbase, I wouldn’t be surprised if a second season will be announced; I certainly want it. What are your thoughts on this episode and are you also wanting a season two like I am?

[ultimate-anime-tournament]

THE ULTIMATE ANIME TOURNAMENT BEGINS! featuring 384 shows spanning 60 years!

all matchups are listed below the cut, and the first polls will be going up shortly 👍

edit: made a google spreadsheet documenting all matchups and their wins/losses!

left side:

Majokko Megu-chan VS Soul Eater VS Turn A Gundam

Noragami VS Ranma 1/2 VS Shadows House

Captain Tsubasa VS Barakamon VS Ojamajo Doremi

Dr Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist VS Joshiraku VS Concrete Revolutio

Maya the Honey Bee VS Bocchi the Rock! VS Senyuu.

Angel Beats VS Golden Kamuy VS Initial D

Lucky Star VS Mononoke VS Assassination Classroom

Go! Princess Pretty Cure VS Shirobako VS Space Pirate Captain Harlock

Golden Time VS Death Note VS Ao Haru Ride

Food Wars VS One Piece VS Space Battleship Yamato

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K VS Blood Blockade Battlefront VS Poco's Udon World

Space Patrol Luluco VS Yu-Gi-Oh! VS Your Lie in April

Slam Dunk VS One Punch Man VS Candy Candy

Doraemon VS Akame ga Kill VS Black Clover

Space Dandy VS Sazae-san VS Bloom into You

Show by Rock!! VS Pokémon VS Restaurant to Another World

Uchouten Kazoku VS Tetsujin 28 VS Miracle Girl Limit-chan

Sally the Witch VS March Comes in Like a Lion VS Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan

Day Break Illusion VS Heidi, Girl of the Alps VS Zombie Land Saga

Yuri is My Job! VS Kimagure Orange Road VS The Seven Deadly Sins

Akudama Drive VS Future Boy Conan VS Land of the Lustrous

BanG Dream! VS Rin-ne VS Serial Experiments Lain

Snow White with the Red Hair VS Juni Taisen: Zodiac War VS The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Ranking of Kings VS Osomatsu-san VS Odd Taxi

Flying Witch VS Bodacious Space Pirates VS Shugo Chara

Yuki Yuna is a Hero VS Super Dimension Fortress Macros VS Spy x Family

Magic Kaito 1412 VS Kaguya-sama: Love is War VS Kingdom

Aikatsu VS Cells at Work VS New Game!

Blue Exorcist VS Sound! Euphonium VS Ashita no Joe

Re:Zero VS My Hero Academia VS Pani Poni Dash

Ouran High School Host Club VS Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai VS Children of the Whales

86 vs Erased vs Demon Slayer

Mashle vs Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt vs Bakemonogatari

Skip and Loafer vs Shiki vs My-Hime

Laughing under the Clouds VS Naruto VS Sakura Wars

The Vampire Dies in No Time VS Dragon Ball GT VS Fist of the North Star

Shadowverse VS Blue Lock VS Tamako Market

Legend of the Galactic Heroes VS Lycoris Recoil VS Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple VS Sonic X VS Samurai Champloo

Cutie Honey VS Tokyo Revengers VS Parasyte

Kaiji VS Deca-Dence VS Clannad

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss VS Digimon Adventure VS Charlotte

Kageki Shojo!! VS Majuu Senshi Luna Varga VS Stars Align

Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions VS Gintama VS Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits

Bubblegum Crisis VS Air VS Made in Abyss

Touch VS Fire Force VS Love Live! Sunshine!!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer VS Sket Dance VS Himitsu no Akko-chan

Zatch Bell VS Little Witch Academia VS Gal & Dino

Parappa the Rapper VS Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout (Fabiniku) VS Talentless Nana

Nyanbo! VS Bomberman Jetters VS Do It Yourself!

Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops VS Nobody's Boy Remi VS Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Chika Ichiban VS Squid Girl VS Anne of Green Gables

Ikkyuu-san VS The Case Study of Vanitas VS Free!

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story VS Chihayafuru VS So I'm a Spider, So What?

Aggretsuko VS Hakumei and Mikochi VS Mou Ippon

What's Michael VS Kimono Jihen VS Kiratto Prichan

Mushishi VS Uma Musume VS Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Sabikui Bisco VS Dorohedoro VS The World Ends With You: The Animation

Un-Go VS The Case Files of Jeweler Richard VS Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure

Sonny Boy VS Tiger & Bunny VS Black Butler

A Place Further than the Universe VS Lupin III (all Parts) VS Tsuritama

Tari Tari VS Maoyu VS Buddy Daddies

Horimiya VS Akiba Maid War VS Cap Revolution Bottleman

Helck VS Play it Cool, Guys VS Revolutionary Girl Utena

right side:

Gegege no Kitarou VS Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood VS Urahara

D.Gray-Man VS Bakuman VS Devilman

Violet Evergarden VS Death Parade VS Speed Racer

Skull Face Bookseller Honda-san VS Mazinger Z VS Planetes

Aim for the Ace! VS Futari wa Pretty Cure VS Saiunkoku Monogatari

Comic Girls VS Galaxy Express 999 VS Dr. Slump

Wedding Peach VS Ronja, the Robber's Daughter VS Haikyuu!

Saint Seiya VS Mahoutsukai Chappy VS Yuri on Ice

Hikaru no Go VS Yona of the Dawn VS Mega Man NT Warrior

Black Lagoon VS Nichijou VS Space Cobra

Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles VS Stop! Hibari-kun VS She and Her Cat: Everything Flows

Space Brothers VS Gakuen Alice VS Dragon Ball Z

AKB0048 VS Kino's Journey -The Beautiful World- VS Musashi no Ken

Flip Flappers VS Hamtaro VS Daily Lives of High School Boys

Another VS Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju VS Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Gurren Lagann VS Hana no Ko Lunlun VS City Hunter

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water VS Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun VS To Your Eternity

Kiteretsu Daihyakka VS Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun VS Noir

Bungo Stray Dogs VS Soreike! Anpanman VS Moomin

Hajime no Ippo VS Paranoia Agent VS Mobile Suit Gundam

Maison Ikkoku VS Yuru Camp VS Sherlock Hound

Great Pretender VS Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress VS World Trigger

Little Princess Sara VS Ghost Sweeper Mikami VS Keep Your Hands off Eizouken!

My Next Life as a Villainess VS Kirby: Right Back at Ya! VS Air Gear

Saint Tail VS Haibane Renmei VS Astro Boy

Crayon Shin-chan VS Tokyo Ghoul VS Hell Girl

Heaven's Design Team VS Neon Genesis Evangelion VS Kiznaiver

Servamp VS Akane-chan VS Yo-kai Watch

The Vision of Escaflowne VS Tsurune VS Sk8 the Infinity

The Promised Neverland VS Hime-chan no Ribbon VS Fruits Basket

Urusei Yatsura VS Dr. Stone VS Shaman King

Star of the Giants VS Cardcaptor Sakura VS Angelic Layer

Berserk VS Kodocha VS Ping Pong The Animation

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's VS Boys over Flowers VS Otherside Picnic

Monster VS Sgt. Frog VS K-On!

Aria VS The Rose of Versailles VS Beyblade

Natsume's Book of Friends VS Planet With VS Detective Conan / Case Closed

Nodame Kantaabire VS Kyou Kara Maoh VS Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Duel Masters VS Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru VS Hunter x Hunter

Mahou Shoujo Lalabel VS Carole & Tuesday VS Powerpuff Girls Z

Big Windup! VS Heartcatch Pretty Cure! VS Fighting Foodons

Gosick VS Ace Attorney VS Inazuma Eleven

Given VS The Prince of Tennis VS Cowboy Bebop

Code Geass VS Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VS FLCL

Wolf's Rain VS Reborn! VS Princess Tutu

Magic Knight Rayearth VS Romeo x Juliet VS Oshi no Ko

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo VS Bakugan VS Jujutsu Kaisen

Yu Yu Hakusho VS Love Live! School Idol Project VS Trigun

Kimba the White Lion VS Waccha Primagi VS Toradora

Ultra Maniac VS Mahou Sensei Negima VS Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight

Visual Prison VS Steins;gate VS Inuyasha

Vinland Saga VS Assault Lily Bouquet VS Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Pop Team Epic VS Gingitsune VS Tokyo Mew Mew

Blue Period VS Higurashi When They Cry VS Fairy Tail

Chargeman Ken VS Shin Sekai Yori VS Chainsaw Man

Beyond the Boundary VS Silver Spoon VS Hyouka

Stitch! VS Mobile Suit Gundam SEED VS Symphogear

Kuroko's Basketball VS Pokemon Horizons VS Gatchaman Crowds

Ghost Stories VS Non Non Biyori VS Samurai Flamenco

Fushigi Yuugi VS Psycho-Pass VS Azumanga Daioh

Bleach VS Dragon Ball Super VS Ace of Diamond

My Neighbor Seki VS Mob Psycho 100 VS No. 6

Full Metal Panic VS Princess Principal VS Ya Boy Kongming!

Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei VS Puella Magi Madoka Magica VS Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

[callilemon]

✨️Heat haze✨️

Part 3 of @trixipixify and I Kintober series! This art is the most safe for work one so far, so you can click the chapters if you want to check out the first 2!

[anisongoftheday]

The Case Study of Vanitas Part 2 Ending

salvation by Mononkul

[fairy-writes]

Oh , hello , love your works!!! I wonder..if you still writing something about characters..can you write just some cute stuff about Roland fortis (from VNC) x female reader?

I LIKE YOUR HANDS

Reblogs and Comments are greatly appreciated!!

__________________________________________________________________________

Fandom(s): The Case Study of Vanitas

Pairing(s): Roland Fortis x Reader

Word Count: 0.4k

Genre(s)/Tag(s): Female!Reader, Short!Reader

Notes: Fun fact, I am most definitely not caught up with the manga nor anime. I’ve seen season 1 and part of season 2 but that’s it rip

__________________________________________________________________________

Roland was working late again. 

You can smell the wind on his clothes as he comes in late and puts Durandal by the bed. He always sleeps with it by his side of the bed. 

“Just in case.” He always said. 

You are teetering on the edge of sleep as he changes out of his work uniform and into pajamas. He slides under the covers with the grace of a cat and wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you close. You squirm. 

“You’re cold.” You mumble, and he breathes out a soft laugh. 

“It’s snowing outside.” Is all he replies with, and kisses your cheek when you turn over to face him. 

It takes some wiggling, but you free your hands and press them to his cheeks. You always were envious of his smooth skin and the light dusting of freckles across his nose. He nuzzles his face into your hold and smiles,

“I love your hands.” He murmurs, and you chuckle,

“Why? They’re gross and stained with ink and—”

“Because they’re part of you. That’s why. You could be missing a few fingers and all knobby, and I’d love them all the same.” He says, and you can’t help but giggle. 

“Well, I’m glad you think so.” 

You wake up in the morning to a cold bed and frown. 

Where was Roland?

Durandal is still by his bedside table, but his coat isn’t over the rocking chair in the corner. And when you enter the living room, his boots aren’t in their place by the door. 

Just where was he?

Then you hear it. 

Just on the edge of your hearing… A scraping sound. Like metal on cobblestone. And when you peek between the curtains, you find out the sound of the noise. 

Roland. 

Shoveling your walkways and sidewalks outside your home. Immediately, your heart sings and a warm fuzzy feeling blossoms. You watch him for a moment before going back to the bedroom and changing out of your nightgown and into clothes for the day. 

You’re making breakfast by the time Roland comes in from shoveling snow. His cheeks are flushed pink and flakes of frozen water are melting in his golden curls. You tighten your apron around your waist, and snag the clean towel you had set aside for this purpose. He grins when you approach him, leaning down to peck your nose. You laugh and cover his face with the towel in your hands. 

Roland had always been particular about his curls, but whenever he was around you, those particularities go out the window. He allows you to run your fingers through the strands, ruffle them, whatever you like. So, he doesn’t pull away when you move to dry his hair. He laughs jubilantly when you cover his eyes with the towel in a game of peek-a-boo.

He stops you abruptly by leaning down and kissing your lips.

[animehouse-moe]

The Case Study of Vanitas Manga Covers Explained

So, it has come to my attention that some people haven't clued in to the themes and symbolism of all of the covers for The Case Study of Vanitas. So, I am here now to explain the intricacies and important and impressive details of each cover so everyone can appreciate how outstanding these covers are. So without further ado, time to get a little too into something benign and slightly pointless.

Volume 1

So, allow me to state the obvious first. The "theme" of Vanitas here is Vanitas, as it's an actual painting style that combines vanity (go figure) with death essentially. Putting the opulence of life in opposition with the absolutism of death. You see it with the skull wearing a crown, for one, or the other skeletal figures that decorate the mirror.

Well, I guess I should explain that first, actually. Each cover has a mirror, in one way or another. A look into the characters, a reflection of themselves through both the frame and the actual contents of the mirror.

So anyways, in the mirror, we have the blue moon and the spider's web that we associate with Altus Paris. The undeniable connection that Vanitas has to the Babel Incident, Vampires, and Vanitas of the Blue Moon. As the first volume cover it's very well designed to evoke that connection without giving readers a touch more.

Volume 2

Next up we have Noe (one of my favorite covers). This one is interesting for a few reasons integral to his character as a Vampire. Firstly though, we have the two important bits cresting the the mirror, a pen and paper (to be taken as a journal) and the blue flowers of Noe's childhood with his teacher. They are integral aspects of his character in that he was never afraid of the blue moon like other vampires, and that his family's ability to feel the memories of others through their blood.

Alongside that we have his Teacher in the mirror, hands wrapped around Noe. It's pretty evident symbolism for how much his Teacher has him wrapped around his fingers, and how he's the controlling force within Noe's life. Outside of the mirror though, Noe is covered in blood from drinking it from someone. This is pretty easy to relate to Noe's line about a certain someone's fate, which he mentions within the first volume.

Volume 3

I find this cover particularly interesting, though it is not quite my favorite. Once more we see the Vanitas style applied to the mirror, though this one is special. It's a mirror that goes both ways. We're only seeing it from Vanitas' side. Regardless, Vanitas is both stained with blood and marked, while sharing the chain of the Book of Vanitas with Noe. This is pretty clearly symbolizes the nature of their connection, that Noe is chained to the book rather than Vanitas himself in this case.

Aside from that there's nothing incredibly crazy to it, though the water from the mirror and Vanitas' side disappears on the exterior of the mirror once it passes the plane that the mirror exists on. Essentially, the water only exists in the mirror and on Vanitas' side of it. The same can be said of Noe, as the "rest" of them on the volume is colored completely different.

Volume 4

I really love this one. The mirror is decorated with all manner of flowers to make it "pretty", and Jeanne is all dressed up as well. However, her mirror is coiling around her arm, trapping her in place. She's unable to leave it, stuck within it so to speak, eternally struggling to view herself how she so desires. But, we have Vanitas' hand pulling against this. He is there to free Jeanne of her mirror, to free her of the blood-stained thing that she desperately tries to hide.

It's a pretty straightforward theme that doesn't have a great deal to explain, but it has a really incredible amount of depth to it, especially considering the second part of the anime.

Volume 5

This one, this one is very interesting. It's arguably the most unique/divergent of the bunch. It doesn't adhere to quite the same rules as the prior 4, but still conducts itself like it does. I won't act as confident with this one, but I believe this cover to be from within the mirror. Things are as they are, and they are effectively trapped by the Beast of Gévaudan, which hovers menacingly in the background through the mirror.

Most interestingly however is the smaller details. We don't get to see Noe's right hand, and the book of Vanitas is not visible compared to it being featured in both of Vanitas' previous covers. Alongside that, we have the foreshadowing of the cover, with a certain spear covering Vanitas' leg. It's very well done and impressively creative, but is just a little too divergent from the rest for me to really sell my standpoint on it, so there's certainly room for personal interpretation here.

Volume 6

Really, all these covers are just so pretty. Here with Astolfo though, there's a couple of things that stand out. The spider's web, the butterfly, the damaged and odd mirror.

Let's start with the overall appeal. It's decrepit, it's damaged- tattered, if you will. A mess, a state of disrepair or lack of care. It all speaks to Astolfo's character, what his life left him as, and where he aims for. It's another more unspoken cover that digs deep into his character. For example, Have you realized that what they stand upon is a pile of skulls? Or that there is a fungus or something of the sort in place of the withered and dying roses along the bottom of the mirror? Or that the mirror itself is thorny?

Volume 7

I do quite enjoy this one for how simple it is. Jeanne Jaques and Chloe share a mirror in this volume cover to better represent their relationship. And along the outline of the mirror is a type of music sheet to better relate to Chloe's history and purpose. To cap it all off is the positioning of the mirror though. Shining a light down from above, like they're trapped in a dark cage and it is the only source around them.

It's just really well done, and then there's the details on Jeanne Jacques, that he's the only one with blood on him, that his eyes are glowing and that he has that flame alight his left shoulder. It's really expert work and stuff you might not typically pick up on.

Volume 8

I could speak on this mirror for ages, but I will endeavor to keep it short. The mirror isn't just Domi's reflection, it is Domi. She's losing her sense of self, she's losing who she is, being pulled deeper into the cracked and dark mirror. Falling deeper into the visage of her brother Louis who has turned his back on her. She has her sword drawn, a sense of duty mixed with fear and sorrow is traced across her face. She's afraid that the boundaries that comprise Domi are being broken apart, not much unlike the mirror, and that she'll lose sight of herself as guilt drags her deeper into memory.

Vol 9

Butterflies are something that we manage to see quite a bit of in these covers thanks to their symbolism. But more interesting than that is the standout butterfly, the one butterfly for noe that shines red against the hues of blue that Vanitas finds himself slumbering beneath, trapped within the desires of Mikhail.

It's a rather self-explanatory cover, but still a very solid one. The exterior of the mirror meant to mimic the Book of Vanitas, with pins decorating its exterior to "hold" it in place similar to how you pin an insect up to display it. Along with that is another show of the symbolism of chains, though this one in a different manner. It does not attach Vanitas to Mikahil, but rather Mikhail uses it to trap Vanitas.

Volume 10

And we finish the foray into the covers with volume 10. This one is very pretty, and the only cover in which we don't directly see Vanitas' earring. Of course, the mirror is his earring, as well as a window into both Vanitas and Noe.

More than that though, the mirrors themselves continue the theme of chains, as they decorate the exterior of the hourglass figure. Vanitas being responsible for the dark and rainy mirror of the top, with Noe taking the brighter bottom half. It's an interesting one to see given the covers for volume 3 and 5, but one that fits incredibly well with where the story leaves off at. Showing the opposite natures that the two posses, but that regardless, one will always fall into the other.

So there you have it, my takes on the importance and symbolism of Mochizuki Jun's expertly crafted manga covers. There's really such a great deal to appreciate in them, especially given how light the designs can be for them. They clearly went to great lengths to attach a theme to the covers that would be integral to the overall approach they have with the characters, and for that I'm really thankful (and impressed).

[retracexcviii]

Vanitas no carte Stage play comic translation (part 1)

Hi there. As I told you, I made the cleaning and edition of this comics Jun made last year.

The translations from japanese are all made by the hand of my dear J, you should go to show your gratitude here:

https://www.instagram.com/_jolene_c/

In case you need context: Last year, in January 2022, there were a event in Japan in which some actors represented Vanitas no carte first 18 chapters (until the end of Catacombs arc). It was a big event, worked well, Jun went there to see it and made all this comics representing moments of the stage play. Later in summer Jun wrote a AU so this actors could play it (that AU in which the main 8 characters traveled to the future and were dressed in modern clothes. You sure have seen those images already). And to finish, the stage play worked so well that it has had a repetition now in March 2023 and they have announcement that it will be a DVD/Blu ray release of this representation in September 2023.

[444lpblue]

The Witch and the Beast Anime's Outlook

I've finally awakened from my anime slump and have been catching up on a lot of anime. I learned my lesson about trying to do too much and watch too many shows. Therefore, I'm going to limit the number of anime I watch going forward so that I actually have time to write about them. I was barely finding time to watch the shows I've decided to begin, let alone write about them. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable now after grinding a ton, and I would like to talk about one of my anxiety-inducing and highly anticipated anime, The Witch and the Beast.

If you didn't know, The Witch and the Beast is possibly one of my favorite mangas of all time, if not my absolute favorite. It's very under the radar, and I think if you love the world of Ancient Magus Bride or enjoy The Case Study of Vanitas and want a darker twist with a highly aesthetically pleasing art style, I think you should give it a try. But back to the anime, like most people when their manga get adapted, when I first heard it was announced, I was extremely excited—after all, who wouldn't be? Getting an anime adaptation is probably one of the things you wish for your favorite series. After months of confirmation, we finally got the first teaser PV, which looked fine (I did have some complaints about it, but it was mostly fine). We learned that the studio working on it is Yokohama Animation Lab.

If you've been watching anime recently, you might have come across some of Yokohama Animation Lab's works, as they have been quite active since 2017. They have produced visually appealing shows such as Miru Tights and Lapis Re:LiGHTs. However, more recently, they've released shows with less-than-stellar visuals, like Kingdoms of Ruin, The Great Cleric, and Rail Romanesque 2. Even their highest-rated show at the moment, The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt, doesn't exactly have amazing animation quality; it's more of a passable-looking show. Which made the studio choice a huge large concern for me, as The Witch and the Beast is a series that relies a lot on its visuals. It's an integral part to the enjoyment of the series, it's a series that relies on its aesthetically pleasing artwork for the sake of showing off the characters and the worldbuilding.

However, studios aren't people, and I didn't want to adopt an incredibly negative outlook because the people working on it will change over time, and anime relies heavily on freelancers. The quality of the anime you see from individual studios will differ greatly. But there is a difference in that aspect to an extent in Yokohama Animation Lab, much like in this interview said. They are looking to become more of an in-house studio rather than freelance due to the costs of subscription programs. Oogami Yuuma emphasizes that while digitalization in anime is often viewed as a cost-cutting measure, setting up the required digital environment can be initially expensive. So they are seeking a cost-effective solution. His statement, to this day, still rings pretty true. If you look at the staff for Yokohama's series episode by episode, you might be surprised that a majority of the episodes do seem to involve in-house staff more than the average anime. However, that doesn't seem great when their recent quality, especially in shows like Kingdoms of Ruin, has been rather atrocious. In all visual aspects, animation (incredibly lacking), storyboarding (low quality and not engaging, scene flow to eachother like a slideshow), compositing (incredibly jarring). The only thing I can praise about it is its art direction.

I mentioned Kingdoms of Ruin specifically as it does share several key staff with The Witch and the Beast and I think it's just worth mentioning. Now with all that being said you can see how my worry for the adaptation was incredibly large at the time (in the fact it still is), but I've lessen my worry of it when I tried to look at the individual staffs working on this show and the stafflist of the recent Yokohama shows.

Unfortunately, I did sit through some episodes of Kingdoms of Ruin (do not recommend), and I found it interesting that the staff list for the show was rather small at times— a lot of animation directors, but not many actual animators. For example, one of the action-heavy episodes only had a singular key animator. It's as if they didn't have enough staff. I would say that Kingdoms of Ruin is of lower quality than even the average Yokohama series.

This got me thinking, where are the staff going? Well, there are several options. Yokohama has some upcoming releases, but unquestionably, their biggest series coming out is Whisper Me a Love Song (which I also love), followed by The Witch and the Beast. The other two upcoming series are not nearly gaining as much traction.

This is all just a guess that likely won't amount to anything, but just the type of series that The Witch and the Beast is and the fact that it's the series coming right after Kingdoms of Ruin, I think it's possible that it will end up benefiting from the staff that was missing from that series. I feel like Yokohama will try to put more effort into this series, considering they didn't opt for their usual newbies and completely in-house directors; rather, they got a veteran director in Takayuki Hamana.

Hamana has been in the industry for an incredibly long time, but chances are you haven't heard of him. Recently, he directed Power of Hope Precure Full Bloom, which had a lot of great cuts from what I've seen. He has also recently finished working on the Sorcerous Stabber Orphen series, which didn't receive the best reception (more so for its rushed nature rather than visuals). Additionally, he worked on the Rakudai Majo movie recently, which unfortunately doesn't have an English release yet.

While it's not like these recent shows have the best ratings on MAL or other sites, it tends not to be because of the visuals but rather the story, over which he likely didn't have much control, especially in the case of Precure. He's very much capable of delivering a good product if the source material and the script are solid. Beast Player Erin is his highest-rated work, but he also has shows like Library Wars or Arte, which I know many people like.

In studios like Yokohama, I always tend to favor veteran directors, as they have been in more situations and will likely be able to find a way to maintain quality better than newbie directors; their industry connections should allow them to get external staff to help out. Hamana has shown evidence of this many times, even in the rushed release of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and the hazardous release pace of each season. They all still managed to have well-animated cuts here and there, and that has been a trend for a majority of his series.

If you just put some of his randomly directed series on Sakugabooru, for example, you'll find that every one of his series tends to have cuts listed there. I think this is a testament that Hamana, while he won't always make the best shows, knows who to bring in and how to manage them for the more important parts of a show. He's a very consistent director, and I think he's someone who could and likely will benefit The Witch and the Beast's studio situation a lot in terms of its production quality. Whether you'll like his directing style (which tends to remind most of 2008s anime) is an entirely different matter, but he is a source of hope in terms of its production quality.

And you know with all this talk of Yokohama and the many people, like me worried for The Witch and the Beast's quality, while I may not be a fan of the many visual direction choice that has been shown in the PV, we haven't gotten any real evidence that the production quality or animation quality will be bad. From the most recent PV and likely final PV, the character designs look fairly well-maintained for the most part. Close-ups are impressive. I also like the expressions for them, strong eye work. Overall CAD work seems good.

Though, essentially, there isn't a lot of animation shown, so that aspect of it can't really be touched on at the moment. So, conclusion? It's a really lazy thing to say since I made you read through this long spew of mine, but I don't really know either. It really is a wait-and-see situation; however, I do encourage you not to write it off just because of the studio choice. A good pick in a director like Hamana, and some other staff I haven't even touched on, like the character design by Hiroya Ijima, and the external studio situation in terms of releases, provide hope for the series, and I genuinely believe that, at the very worst possible version of the series, it probably will be about the Genius Prince's visual quality, which isn't great but won't be a complete disaster. However, with Hamana at the helm, I do expect a better quality show than that.

I'll see you guys next time on January 11th when the show comes out, because, trust me, I will be there.

[phxntomhives]

Welcome to my sideblog

That has most likely become my main one. But idk how to change main and second one. So yeah. So if you see @phxntomhives-98 it's still me. I just don't know why sometimes I can't switch accounts and sometimes I can.

I will try to keep this blog mostly related to Kuroshitsuji and twst but who knows what I will like next. From memes (mostly repost because I am not that funny) to theories you can find anything here.

I am not spoiler free BUT I try my best to protect the new fans and hide things under the cut. Unfortunately, I am human, so you may run into spoilers, I am truly sorry.

I am 25, she/her pronouns, INTP. I would love to get to know more people in the fandoms I am in, but eeeh my social skills are lacking. So feel free to hit my dms, I don't bite I promise. I am trying to make more moots/mutuals pls

Here most thing you can find me posting about/comments etc (under the cut because it became long ops)

Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler

Sebaciel shippers do not interact. I will just block and move on. If you see me liking one post tagged like that it's because I am stupid and I don't always read the tags, pls let me know and I will fix the problem.

Now that the important part is over: I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW SEASON AAH. The Weston College arc is my favourite so I am very happy and it feels so nice to see my children here :3

I am up to date with the manga as well, so if you need to cry with someone, I am here. Sobbing.

My fave is Ciel, and Lizzie slander shall not be tolerated (half joking, you are free to dislike her but I am ready to fight at any time to defend her).

A couple of things you may want to check? If you are bored???

New manga chapter comments under: #Phxntomhives Kuro manga yapping

Analysis/theories

"The Parade of Battlers" song analysis

Finny grew up (chapter 211 spoilers)

Short analysis of the GFantasy May cover

The unlucky fate of the P4

Silly theory of the cricket's ending dance

Edgar sure is very much unlucky when it comes to life decision...

About Lizzie's anger (reblog theory)

Chapter 209 crack theory (to welcome denial)

Short analysis of Bluewer talking to Ciel during the Midnight party (from a reblog)

Short analysis of Undertaker's GFantasy cover

Headcanons

P4 headcanons

My kuro AU, kuro AU pt 2

Gregory scream headcanons (kind of angst)

Pandora Hearts

Very new to the fandom and I understood like half of it. Anyway it's beautiful and you all should read it! Come cry with me!

Here some fresh thoughts after I read the last chapter

Headcanon to hurt my soul

Vanitas no carte/The case study of Vanitas

Up to date with both anime and manga! And not so patiently waiting for each update. I miss them, I hope for a new chapter soon.

Twisted Wonderland (JP SERVER)

Up to date with main story and eons behind with the events ops. No I do not know japanese, tho I am trying to learn, but I started the game when that was the only version avaiable and I will not start again on eng server sorry. (Technically I have started but I had no more space on my phone and one had to go)

If you are curious about what I think about the story check #phxntomhives twst yapping (because I plan to type a lot and refuse to keep updating this list it's supposed to be pretty after all)

Theories

Events are canon. Part 2: wish upon a star.

Silver gets a title copium.

Tokyo Aliens

READ IT LEGALLY. FOR FREE. HERE I TELL YOU HOW.

WHY IS THERE NO FANDOM IT'S SUCH A NICE STORY. PLEASE GIVE IT A CHANCE.

I AM LIVING OF HALF A POST AND FANMADE TRANSLATION. HELP.

Parallels between Tokyo Aliens and Negai no Astro

Spoiler/Analysis from scans: chapter 41, chapter 42, chapter 43, chapter 44, chapter 45, chapter 46, chapter 47, chapter 48, chapter 49, chapter 50 (After I added these I basically took over the tags plsssss)

Dr stone

It's appearing more on my feed so I had the feeling I had to add this lol. I love it dearly, I finished the manga and I need to catch up with the anime. I am extremely worried about the rumored (?) new volume that is coming ngl

Negai no Astro

Damn, I am hooked.

Parallels between Tokyo Aliens and Negai no Astro

Aaand honestly many more, feel free to ask! If it helps, here is my not updated because it takes forever MyAnimeList! But I probably missed many of them so really, just come and ask.

I may drop some suggestions to read too sometimes, here they are

Suggestions for you <3

Why you should read Merry Marbling

If you like Negai no Astro or Tokyo Aliens PLEASE CHECK THE OTHER SERIE MENTIONED.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I'm just waiting for the Episode of Savanaclaw to show little Leona and the little lion getting his hopes and dreams crushed by everyone around him.

Also, this might sound weird but I always thought Leona and Dominique from The Case Study of Vanitas were kinda similar. Their both the youngest child of high-standing families and were viewed as inferior towards their older sibling(s) (In Dominique's case, 2 older half siblings and deceased older twin brother). But in the end, Dominique realised that her cryokinesis is actually way more powerful than even her older half siblings' because hers aren't violent like those of her half-siblings.

Now, I'm not saying Leona's parents are abusive/cruel (though it could be a possibility) and told Leona "You're brother can already do this, why can't you?" or "Falena's already unlocked his Unique Magic, why're you so slow?" (that's the servants' job) but it wouldn't surprise me if they did accidentally said something insensitive (or Leona misinterpreted what they were really trying to say) to Leona that crushed his already crippling self-esteem issues.

Maybe Leona tried to tell his parents how badly he wanted to be king and they said something along the lines of "You're brother's already going to be the king, so stop whining. You've been given everything you wanted." or "Falena's going be the next king and you can't change that." And maybe that finally caused him to snap and start being apathetic towards everything.

Again, this is just a theory I have and it may not happen. Hell, I probably got a few things wrong about Leona's character and backstory.

I’ve only read like one volume of The Case Study of Vanitas I won it in a raffle haha and I don’t know if I’ll continue reading it so 😅 not sure if I 100% get all the details about Dominique and how she parallels Leona. I like Vanitas x Jeanne only because Jeanne hates his guts while Vanitas simps for her and it’s so funny—

Personally, I've never thought of Leona's parents as playing a particularly significant role in his trauma (mainly because the game never showed either of them in his flashback, nor did it indicate the parents as being the center or the “trigger” that made Leona lose hope in himself). The focus of the flashback was on servants and Farena/Falena. The other boys' OB flashbacks also obviously feature major sources for their trauma such as Mama Rosehearts, Azul's bullies, the Viper parents, etc. so if Leona’s parents did play a big role in him being the way he is, it’s strange that they didn’t show up in his flashback.

Leona's parents are barely even mentioned; I only ever recall one instance where it was said that his dad is ill enough to the point where he cannot lead their country, thus Farena/Falena has to act as king. There is no mention of Leona's mother as far as I can tell, and neither parent has been really characterized. Maybe they'll actually get mentioned in the manga adaptation's telling of Leona's flashback?

I don’t doubt that maybe the parents may have said a few insensitive things here and there offhandedly (because everyone naturally makes missteps), but I don’t know about outright telling Leona to “stop whining” or “why are you so slow”. That’s just… very blatantly rude to tell anyone, let alone your own child. I’m not saying it’s not possible for a parent to say such a thing, but I think it’s a bit of a leap in logic to suggest that parents we barely know about would.

I totally buy that Leona would get pissed off and lash out at his parents for misinterpretations on his part though. When his self esteem is already low and he believes the world is against him, it’ll skew his perception of others’ words and actions as negative too. We most clearly see this exemplified when Leona acts bitter towards Farena/Falena, in spite of his older brother showing actually showing Leona a lot of genuine support. I’m more inclined to believe that the parents were also pretty supportive and well-meaning (if Farena/Falena is of any indication), but that Leona interpreted their good will as pity and/or backhanded compliments, or that they could never understand his plight. I’d at least like to think they were a little more tactful/wise with their wording rather than sound annoyed every time Leona expressed a grievance 😔 Alternatively, the parents were probably just never around much due to royal duties, so maybe Leona felt like he never got that social support from their end.

The nature of Leona’s struggle is also something that’s generally seen as more cumulative, rather than there being a single turning point that made him give up on trying. I don’t think you can really point at any singular instance and say, “yes, this part of his past is what made him ‘snap’.” It’s the constant rejection and being beat down by the world and the people he’s trying to get validation from that wears away at his spirit.

[yutopia-eleftheria]

Inktober 2024 Part 4

Day 21 to 27

Note : Since the original Prompt List didn't gave me inspiration (and I actually don't like it either so it doesn't help at all), I decided to do the Prompt List created by @van.neu on Instagram, which inspired me a lot more.

Here is her Prompt List :

RULES ! (I gave it to myself to add more "punch" and "difficulty") :

No duplicates in terms of Universes (with the only exception being the 2 Eternals drawings, because in alphabetical order, the 2 following for October are from the same Universe).

15 Classic Drawings

15 Minimalist Drawings

Day 16 (that is right in the middle, in that case, "Train", will be a combination of both : half classic, half minimalist).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 21 : Robot

Style : Classic (9/15)

Universe : Robotboy

Character : Robotboy : Deactivated (Left) / Activated (Right) / Super Activated (Middle)

Time Taken : 40 Minutes

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Day 22 : Glow

Style : Minimalist (12/15)

Universe : The Case Study of Vanitas (Vanitas no Karte)

Character : Noé Archiviste

Time Taken : 15 Minutes

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Day 23 : Window

Style : Classic (10/15)

Universe : Pokémon Violet

Character : Iron Bundle (in my AU)

Time Taken : 1 Hour and 29 Minutes

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Day 24 : Rescue

Style : Classic (11/15)

Universe : Another Code

Characters : Bill Edward (Left) / Ryan Gray (Right)

Time Taken : 1 Hour and 40 Minutes

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Day 25 : Disability

Style : Classic (12/15)

Universe : Higurashi ; When They Cry

Character : Rika Furude

Time Taken : 59 Minutes

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Day 26 : Camera

Style : Minimalist (13/15)

Universe : Outlast II

Character : Blake Langermann (Left) / Lynn Langermann (Right)

Time Taken : 21 Minutes

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Day 27 : Teacher

Style : Minimalist (14/15)

Universe : Saint Seiya Omega

Characters : Mû (Left) / Kiki (Middle) / Raki (Right)

Time Taken : 45 Minutes

[ecargmura]

The Case Study of Vanitas Volume 2 Review

Is it just me or is the second volume a bit thicker than the first one? Anyways, this volume covers the second half of Episode 3 to the end of Episode 5. Like what I said with my review of Volume 1, it’s the same as in the anime, but I can see that, in this volume, the anime did take away a lot of small, important details. You can’t take away small minor details in a Jun Mochizuki story! They’re all so important or the overarching plot or for characters!

I don’t remember if Babel was mentioned in the anime (it’s been so long). I know for a fact that it’s going to be important in the story later on. Because if Babel was an incident that changed the world, it’ll definitely be visited in the future. I know how manga writing works—specifically Jun Mochizuki’s.

Why I say to pay attention to small details is because the anime took away Dominique’s flirty personality! Her being extremely flirty towards Orlok’s female assistant is a vital part of her character. If you didn’t know, Domi is canonically bisexual, and her flirty behavior is an important part of her character that won’t be revealed until later on. Because you can see that she was demure and sweet as a kid in Noe’s memories with Louis, but changed into a flamboyant character who is rather androgynous.

Another small detail the anime took out was that Noe was once raised by an elderly couple that he called Grandpa and Grandma. They died and he was alone. This is why Noe’s rather fond of humans. I don’t remember if this was revealed in the anime, but my reviews don’t point this out.

Okay, small detail ramblings aside, I think this is as good as the first volume because of all the intensity. This volume introduces the vampire world, Atlus. What I liked about reading this volume is the fact that the more I read, the more I realize that Vanitas is a total bottom. He gets manhandled by Noe, bound by Domi, and gets his blood sucked by Jeanne. There is zero top energy from Vanitas. He is a total bottom. Even if you ship him with Jeanne, he’s the one that gets pegged. I really wanted to get this out of my chest. Disagree with me all you want, but it’s true.

There are a lot of Pandora Hearts easter eggs. In Noe’s flashback, there’s a panel where Domi and Noe were playing with black and white rabbit dolls. While they’re different from the dolls in Pandora Hearts, black and white rabbit dolls is a huge easter egg. They didn’t add these dolls in the anime too! These dolls aren’t important in this story, but if you’re aware of the story of Pandora Hearts, you might understand why I pointed out the dolls. I won’t spoil, but Domi, Louis and Noe’s story reminds me of Lacie, Glen and Jack. In fact, I think why I’m so fond of Domi is because she’s basically a ‘what-if’ scenario of Lacie if her situation was switched with Glen. Lacie is also a character I love in Pandora Hearts, hence why I like Domi. She reminds me a lot of her in a way.

I’m sorry if this doesn’t feel like a review. It’s basically 85% similar to the anime. All my thoughts are still the same thing I wrote in my reviews for Episodes 3-5. I bought Volume 3, so I can’t wait to read it soon! If you have read this volume, what are your thoughts?