#the manga went with the latter but it was so well done imo and now I MUCH prefer romantic TH

[myinterestsvary-writes]

AKwaRd tensions

Shoving my OHSHC agenda down YALLS throats for now

[apparently-artless]

Hello, can I ask from this ask game :

https://www.tumblr.com/threecheersforinking/677824836625694720/anime-ask-game?source=share

For anime/manga : Daiya no Ace, Code Geass, Ao Ashi, and Frieren.

Thanks 🌻

Hi, anon! Thank you for sending this ask game. It's very interesting and I'd be happy to do this game. ^^

This ask game was made by threecheersforinking. Check my answers under the cut.

ANIMANGA: Daiya no Ace

Favorite Character: Sawamura Eijun

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: Act II, Episode 15: My Role (lost count of the number of times I've watched this episode tbh)

Character I Think is Underrated: Kariba Wataru (Kariba is the most dedicated catcher to Sawamura when he's suffering from yips. I even made a post for him because he's so underrated.)

Character I Think is Overrated: Miyuki Kazuya??? (Don't get me wrong, I love this character too but there are times when I hate him. lol.)

Favorite Ship/Pairing: I don't have ships for this series but I love the MuraMura battery. I also made lots of posts for this battery. I love how Okumura is so dedicated to Sawamura. There's a balance between the two where both look up to each other's strengths.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: The main character is such an inspiration. I've been thinking that the author might hate his own main character (because of all the shit he put him through XD), but I guess this just added to the readers loving this character more.

ANIMANGA: Code Geass

Favorite Character: Lelouch

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: the ending (the most beautiful ending I've ever watched)

Character I Think is Underrated: Shirley Fenette (she could've done more for Lelouch had she been alive until the end)

Character I Think is Overrated: can't think of anyone honestly, maybe because it's been a while since I've watched this (literally more than a decade now XD)

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Lelouch and CC are a good combo, as a pair and not really a ship

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: I love how the series ended. Like everything made perfect sense after you've finished watching it. There are a lot of series that are so good but fail to deliver at the end, leaving the watchers/readers not very satisfied. This, however, despite how the ending went is absolutely perfect. Best ending ever imo.

ANIMANGA: Ao Ashi

Favorite Character: Aoi Ashito (curly hair, crazy, inspirational, kind, why wouldn't he be my favorite?? XD), I also love the coach but I got angry at him at some point in one of the manga arcs lol

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: I really love the Esperion vs Aomori Seiran Arc (manga only) and if we're talking about anime, it would be Episode 14: It's Just Soccer (the scene between Hana and Ashito). Since then, I started shipping those two. XD

Character I Think is Underrated: I can't think of anyone, I think the author wrote the characters really well (not just the main character and that's what I love about this series).

Character I Think is Overrated: same answer for underrated

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Ashito x Hana (one of my favourite OTPs), I usually don't ship characters in sports animanga but their relationship is just so beautiful that it actually contributes to the development of the main character

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: This is one of the sports anime that includes family as a big part of the story. And it was done so beautifully. Not only that, there's the added romance that's not annoying but instead would contribute greatly to the main character's improvement.

ANIMANGA: Sousou no Frieren

Favorite Character: I don't have a favorite, I love everyone (Frieren and her former and latter companions)

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: (manga only) Golden Land Arc and Goddess's Monument Arc, I would really love for these two arcs to be animated, as for the anime, that would be Episode 10: A Powerful Mage

Character I Think is Underrated: none

Character I Think is Overrated: none (the characters in this series are well written IMO)

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Frieren & Himmel, Fern & Stark (doesn't have to be romantic, I just love their antics when they're together)

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: I love how the past experiences of Frieren influence her current adventure. Her character development is slow but steady and I love how her actions are briefly explained through the past that she would remember each time.

Thank you for sending this, anon! I really had fun doing this game. ＼(￣▽￣)／

[credits to kithsune for dividers used in this post <3]

[scammydoesstuff]

So about that OPLA...

My boyfriend, John (@jchristievo ) and I just finished watching One Piece live action on Netflix and I gotta say, fuck the haters. This was so goddamn fun.

So I'mma take a minute to gush about it cuz I gotta!

For context, John's a major fan of the manga/anime while I'm over here like, 'I saw the 4Kids dub for a hot minute when I was a child and was like nope!' I did watch several episodes leading up to Arlong Park with him as we geared up for the live action release, so I became familiar with most of the main parts of the intro of the series and before that, I respected the series for what it is and means to people. Because of the latter, I was definitely skeptical when I first found out about the adaptation, worrying for how they'd handle such a beloved series, but all the promotional stuff got us both hype af and had me hopeful that it'd be good. Not to mention Oda himself over here like, "Yeah, I want this to be a thing and it's gonna be made to my satisfaction or I'm pulling the plug".

For the creator to have so much involvement was such a game changer already and the cast are so delightful. Iñaki is 🌟Grade A Certified Good Shonen Boy🌟, Mackenyu is badass incarnate, Emily is a fucking weeb, Jacob consistently had me in stitches, and Taz was suave and also a badass. I absolutely adored all these goobers so much just from seeing them interact in the promos. Granted, I know those were staged to a degree, but their chemistry was there regardless and made me grin ear to ear every time.

I'm now familiar enough with the first arc to know what changes were made and some of what I'd expect when we went in, and I really like the way it was paced to cover everything it needed to. It can't be a one-to-one, but anyone expecting such a thing is out of their gourd. I think the story told here was very well done from beginning to end.

I did have some issues, of course. The series isn't perfect and there are definitely nitpicks I could name if given the time. While I think the acting was good, I think Arlong was one of the weaker aspects in terms of visuals which I think were otherwise excellent. He was intimidating enough, but his stature robbed him of some of that just a bit. It might be my main issue, in fact.

In regard to changes made, I'm probably the most happy that they left out Don Krieg. Even watching the anime, I never felt intimidated by him and got kinda bored with that whole span of episodes. They just wound up dragging so much imo with him doing very VERY little that I'm glad he was relegated to what was barely more than a cameo.

I think that's about all I wanted to cover as far as my main reaction. Only other thing I could conceivably mention would be...

I never expected that Buggy the fucking clown would be my favorite fucking character. Oh my god, I am so goddamn happy that he kept showing up. He was such a highlight and had me howling. For real, his actor was just

He was the perfect amount of unhinged and sassy and I was here for every second. I'm absolutely watching the series again to be on the hunt for Easter eggs with John, and to watch it with the og Japanese VA dub, but I'm likely gonna be watching Buggy's episodes the most cuz he's the best and I didn't get nearly enough Buggy.

Overall, 8 outta 10. Needed more Buggy. 🤡

[stanharu]

beastars episode 24 thoughts!

this post got kinda long i have Many Thoughts on this one

Overall I had fun watching this ep but I could really tell it was rushed and there was so much that got cut, which makes me super sad. our fears about the finale having pacing issues due to all the added scenes & rearranging were confirmed & it rly sucks, but i'll elaborate more on that in a bit.

this week's ep covered the end of chapter 92, chapters 93-97, and included small bits of chapters 98 & 99.

so the ep starts with the ED and the latter part of the tunnel scene with ibuki and louis. i liked the visual effect they used to show that they were in the dark. louis' voice acting was also On Point. for the most part i think this scene was done pretty well but I can tell it's being rushed also. I really wish we got more buildup and narration instead of just jumping straight to ibuki telling louis to shoot him. the way it is in the anime feels less impactful imo.

also im sad we didnt get to see this in the anime

before i move on, i wanna talk a bit about louis and his relationship w/ the shishigumi and ibuki. i feel like in the anime quite a few of the lil moments that really endear you to the shishigumi and also ibuki were either cut or kinda glossed over, which is strange to me considering how much effort and care went into the ED. it's very emotional and good but i feel like maybe anime onlies are missing out only seeing the anime and the MV. but idk.

legosi and riz's fight was quite rushed as well. there's so much narration and dialogue missing from it and that really rubs me the wrong way. It wasn't all bad but compared to the manga I just don't think it's as good. I will say tho that I really liked the sequence w legosi and the moths. I thought it looked really nice and was pretty well done.

also i liked how the backgrounds had some anti-yahya graffiti, its a nice touch imo

it says "high quality horse meat"

I was happy to see legosi do the "tell me more" pose but I'm honestly disappointed that the anime took out the whole exposition about why legosi did it. like i feel like without that it's just legosi being weird when he has a reason for it!!! This is just one example of the anime taking out crucial narration during the fight.

I also think it's kinda weird how they changed how louis shows up at the fight. im not sure how i feel about riz just charging at him like that, but i liked how legosi kicked him before they ran lol.

i dont have much to say about pina's small scene but I did wanna say that during my first watch thru of the ep i was too distracted trying to read the graffiti behind him that i didn't notice him getting his phone out of the dumpster and calling the cops lmao

it says "devour yahya"

and now... here we are... the predation scene.

overall i thought it was pretty well done but, like the rest of the ep, i could tell it was also being kinda rushed. some important beats werent given enough time to really sink in, and there's a few bits of narration taken out of this part as well that i find disappointing :^(

tho i did like how the anime called back to this scene in s1 when legosi mentions utilizing his strength.

also this part where louis is remembering ibuki had me like😭

I also really liked seeing louis cry. I was crying too sjdflskjdflsjkdf. i thought that scene was really good, its prolly my favorite part of the ep tbh. getting to hear the whole predation scene voiced made me kind of a mess lol. i really liked louis' expressions throughout this whole ep too. studio orange used their whole louis expression budget on these last 2 eps lmao.

seeing legosi instantly get all beefed up was great too. he looked a little ridiculous but i kinda loved it lol. he's so huge and poofy. i love him.

big pomeranian

anyway, im also sad they took out louis' line about being reduced to a flashback character lol. instead he tells legosi "be a hero" again which... im not sure about that change. i liked the part with riz thinking back about tem tho. tho imo the way riz realizes he's in the wrong feels pretty sudden. again adding to how rushed the whole ep feels.

before i move on again i just wanna say legosi looks so cute. even all puffed up and covered in blood. how does he do that

baby boy baby. i wanna ruffle his cheek floofs.

i think one of the things im most disappointed about from this whole ep was how the fight got wrapped up. i really like how the cops show up and totally shift the tone in the manga jslkdfjskljdf. im also really sad we didnt get this interaction

tthe anime really took out most of the sillier moments from the finale, which makes me pretty sad to think about. i know the anime and manga have different tones but pls let the boys be silly sometimes!!

the next part where legosi and louis finally establish their friendship was really cute tho ❤️ even tho it was pretty different i enjoyed it a lot.

BABIESSSS 🥺😭❤️❤️

the wrap-up for this arc and this episode gave me whiplash sdjlfkjsdf. it literally speedruns thru legosi's predation conviction, being released, louis & haru's graduation, and legosi deciding he's going to drop out of school. that is SO MUCH AT ONCE. also i was holding out hope that legosi would have his new years call with haru after the fight instead but that didnt happen!! so it just got cut!!! kinda mad about that tbh. legosi and haru having a lil scene at the very end made up for it a lil bit but that's still one of haru's few moments in this arc that's just not included.

we didnt even get the part wher legosi learns he can't marry haru bc of his conviction.

ive been really hoping for a season 3 announcement once this season ended. with all the background allusions to yahya, the added plot point of someone stealing elephant tusks, and sebun and melon's lil cameos in this season, it seemed to me that studio orange was kinda teasing a 3rd season. but now, with the dismissive way the anime ended, and paru's note from earlier today, im less sure about the possibility of a 3rd season. i'd still like to see the rest of the series animated, but i guess we'll just have to wait and see if more anime is announced in the future.

if we do get another season in the future i just hope that we swing back around and actually address the things that got completely glossed over in the last couple minutes of this episode instead of charging forward w/o touching them again.

i really think the finale for this arc should've been two episodes at least. not including the tunnel scene. i think then things wouldn't have felt so rushed. people have been saying this season really would have benefitted from at least 1 extra episode and i cant help but agree. some have even suggested a whole 24 episodes just for this arc, but i think that this arc couldve been done properly with 12 or 13 episodes if there was some better prioritizing on what to include and what to cut.

like i dont mind not getting the parts about legosi's family if they can be addressed somehow in a future season (or if theres no more future anime seasons thats a plot thread that doesnt have to be worried about). i could have lived w/o seeing sheila & peach's chapter animated if it meant more time for the focus of this arc. and was the kangaroo red herring really necessary?

adaptation wise, i dont think this season was as good as the first. i still think it did fairly well, but i know that it could have been much better. ive been excited to watch this season with my friends once the dub releases, but now im wondering if i should just tell them to read the manga instead. sighs idk. perhaps it comes thru better as a bingewatch, or perhaps im being a bit too harsh. idk. at some point ill do a rewatch and see how i feel about the season as a whole, but that wont be for a while.

if you've read this far, thanks for reading my ramblings!! it's been fun to make these posts every week and im gonna miss getting new episodes every week.

[radbutsafe]

ALL FUCKIN 35 OF THEM SKLNWESDJFPXO

I SHOULDVE EXPECTED THIS FROM YOU

1. From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

A three! I think I’m mid range cause I ain’t terrible but there is still shit I gotta improve and grow in my writing

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

to manifest what canon won’t give me and to write more! (though yes it is mainly about the smooching and the— I’ll stop there LOL)

3. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

Hm! My weird research details? I’m that “fun fact, did you know...” in my fics sometimes LOL! I plan on giving a penthouse for erina in a fic and I went through penthouse listings in Japan for floor layouts and locations💀 my research gives me inspo and depth to stuff I think I lack in comparison to others sometimes.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you?

In terms of fellow fic writers, one of them I can’t name here but she’s an inspiration with her exceptional gift for prose period and her lovely skill at comedy! I want to be as funny as her when I write, I love her ironic situational humor. Other fic writers are @takoyakitenchou, @royaldragonsevgisi15 who I always love sharing ideas with and motivate me to create more! For non-fic writers it would be V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Oda, and Horikoshi! The last two may be mangaka, however they are writers as well to create their stories! The depth these creators have given their worlds and interesting characters theyve given life to are all what I aspire to be like!

5. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

so far uh?? hm everything I’m currently writing are wips lol!! im proud of my wip that has been nicknamed ‘soma panics’ that is a multi-chapter fic that spans like probs 20 plus chapters maybe

6. What element of writing do you find comes easily?

dialogue! it’s so much fun! and character thoughts. I’ve said to people I may be better suited for script writing

7. What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I think it’s description, of like setting and showing action. also an expansion of my vocabulary LOL

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

erina! I think it’s because canon has shown us many of her different faces and range of emotion.

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

SOMA!! chill ass mofo whos more carefree compared to the common shonen protagonist! for other shokugeki characters I’m not sure just yet because I haven’t flexed my fingers enough for the rest of them.

10. What’s your favorite genre to write for?

I guess I should say romance cause that’s what I mostly write LOL!

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

sorina and I try to get them to smooch eventually KEK and yeah it’s..usually romantic fluff lmao

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

HONESTLY ALL OF THEM but “soma panics” is my brain child

13. First fandom you ever wrote for?

pretty sure it’s digimon....

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

currently shokugeki no soma!!!!

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for?

uhhhh I guess SNS? LMAO fandoms...all have their quirks to them.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

characters cuddling!!!! or getting the urge to smooch!!!!

17. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

unrequited love GOOD FUCKIN BYEEEEEE

18. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

I have plot ideas thst can be wild potentially but so far nothing fits this criteria so far that I actually have written.

19. Do you prefer canon-compliant, AUs, or something in-between?

depends on the fandom, but if written well, all of it!

20. Gen fic or shippy stuff?

shippy 100% like I said I like smoochin

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

romantic is...*drumroll* SORINA! platonic, soutaku and erina and alice!

22. Do you listen to anything while you write?

Sometimes! There are times songs will be on loop and times I just shuffle a playlist. and if I’m writing in random bursts it’ll be with no music but it really does depend lmao I think music is when I’m forcing myself to write?

23. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

completely independent ideas, I’ve realized in the past prompts shoot me in the foot often unless I luckily figure something out. but I’m often driven by my own sporadic self interest with shitty ping ponging attention

24. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

multi-chap I guess cause I can post without being finished LOLLL but tbh can I really answer? I haven’t finished anything.....

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

I can’t answer this question imo because I haven’t finished a fic yet so technically stuff could all fit in the one fic?

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

MYSTERY AND CRIME! I love the genre and I have plot ideas once a blue moon but I can’t dive in because I want to make details that work and reduce plot holes where suspension of disbelief isn’t as needed. I need to study it more (I need to study all the details for any of my fics imo to be confident sometimes LOL)

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I don’t think I can say one comment was the nicest because I’ve gotten comments that have given me quite the smiles to my face many times! I know this is a cop out but it’s true!

IS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY UNTIL REINA SENT ME THE FOLLOWING ON DISCORD LIKE TWENTY MINS AGO:

and also rad. i am never this vocal about my emotions like EVER but this needs to be said your fics are obviously far from perfect, as are mine and everyone else's. but the thing about your works is that they're so well-sanded that it's impossible to find any rough edges or faults in them in terms of cohesion to a plot. your cast is never OOC and the amount of effort you devote to developing your takes on the characters as accurately as possible is unimaginably awe-inspiring.

BITCH I WANNA CRY 😭

28. How well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

I’d like to believe I take it often well to try and improve because that’s always my goal. if someone is rude lol that’s not constructive snd is unhelpful. If I disagree with criticism I’ll explain why !

29. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

Not yet, but I have some plot ideas I think will let me test this.

30. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

F L U F F.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

elliott fuji, a japanese-american award winning photographer who is erina’s boyfriend in ‘soma panics’ which..causes soma’s panic LOL he’s 30 with slightly wavy black hair. I still haven’t pinpointed his personality just yet...he kind of humble brags for sure an artsy fucker and flirts maybe I’ll make him a lil shy though. he teaches sometimes, and becomes an adjunct photography professor in Tokyo so he can be with erina.

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less.

a cook is unfashionably late in realizing his feelings.

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

I am a slow. so slow. motivation who is she? I also write out of order, unfortunately a bit too often.

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

this should be for the fic ‘soma panics’ it’s either megumi or satoshi talkin to him rn, I’m leaning towards satoshi

“You thought she would always wait for you, didn’t you Soma-kun? To always welcome you home.”

Soma drags his palms down his face and groans. He doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t shy from confrontation but this is a whole different ballgame. Soma doesn’t play any ball.

“I guess..?” Is his reply, because he thinks he isn’t sure how to answer that.

“You guess?”

Just being questioned again is enough to crack Soma’s pathetic facade as if it was dropped chinaware and he lets out the longest sigh.

“No.”

Coming home means coming home to Nakiri Erina too.

Nakiri Erina is his forever.

this is @takoyakitenchou’s excerpt she’s most proud of that I’ve written, which is also from you guessed it, the long fic soma panics

SOMA: I am, I mean I will be, I swear I will always come home to you, not spend as much time abroad, once I’m done with work I’ll come right back. I’ll make sure to message you. Nakiri, I’m in love you with you. Maybe for a really long time. You know how I say I dedicate my food to you? My dad—my dad said that the key to become a good chef is to find someone to dedicate your cooking to. A special someone. For my dad it was my mom, you know? For me it’s...

(this is a good piece of dialogue tbh so I am also proud of this)

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I’ve mentioned it throughout this but the WIP I’ve nicknamed ‘soma panics’ is something I’m super excited to write, but it’s going on slowly...and almost completely out of order. out of all of my writing it showed off that particular habit of mine, along with “what is this, a shoujo manga?!” though the latter is currently being written chronologically now that I’ve posted chapter one and is pretty solid in direction. it was originally supposed to be a one shot but I got impatient and wanted to post at least something for the sorina / soueri fandom.

however, because ‘soma panics’ (I won’t call it that LOL) is my baby I want to keep true to my rule of refusing to post it until I have a draft of the entire fic finished and I’m satisfied with the main points pretty much. due to my writing out of order, I’m worried I’ll change my mind about scenes or want to reflect things in earlier chapters for later ones etc etc

I joined the SnS fandom extremely late, as season five was airing. I was a fan of the manga five years ago and dropped it because I forgot to check for updates when I caught up 😔 I really want to bang out the different fics and aus for sorina that I have before the fandom fizzles out entirely but tbh I’m writing for myself, I’m manifesting what I want to see and I’ll just share it with all my friends to read if no one else will. cause I’m slow broski I dunno what writing fast even is like LMAO I do really want to write faster though, so I can contribute more and let the words free from the discord dms....

[shiroganeryo]

D.Gray-Man Tag!

I got tagged by my friend Violet to hop into this little game she made, and there are few things I love more than babbling about DGM, so let’s go! The rules are to tag three people to get the game going, so I’ll do it at the start because this will get looong. I’ll tag @14th-melody, @metzzi and @rudimentor0x0. Here’s the blank post. Sorry if you have already done it, I might’ve missed the posts ;;

⭐ What year did you first get into DGM? Hmm, actually, that’s a hard question because I didn’t get into it right away? If memory serves me right about what grade I was in high school when that happened, I was 15 - so, 2008. Pull a chair, I’ll tell you how that went. It was actually a recommendation from a friend of my best friend; we weren’t particularly close, I just knew he and I had a similar taste for anime/manga and I was looking for getting into a new series... but I wanted it to be worthwhile. So I asked my bestie if her friend wouldn’t give me a rec. He recommended me D.Gray-Man, and just like I do before watching any series, I watched the first opening to get an overall “feel” of it and I quite liked it: cool aesthetic, music was dope, characters were nice-looking. But, for some reason, I didn’t watch it and eventually forgot about it.

Then, one day on my way back home from school, I stopped by a nearby newspaper stand since here they also sell manga. They were all very cheap at that time, so I would often look for new volumes of the titles I was collecting (my allowance was enough to buy two or three!). I saw DGM’s first volume there, and went “oh! It’s that one series he had recommended me! I’ll take it and finally give it a shot.”

I fell in love.

I really liked it at first, but the point where DGM completely won my heart was during Lala’s arc. I had never cried with a manga before. 

⭐ Who’s your favorite character? This is probably very unoriginal, but it’s Allen! At the start I was very lukewarm about him, but as time went on, I felt like I could relate more and more to that kind-hearted boy and he became my role model. DGM has been with me through some of the worst of my life, and Allen’s resolve to keep going, keep walking, no matter how hard things were for him was what motivated me many times in past. It still does. Allen also taught me to be kinder and through him I realized being there for others makes me truly happy. Sadly, I also share with him the same trait of being unable to truly see how appreciated I am and all the good I bring others just for being there... But I’m working on that! He became the first character I felt like I could fully relate to, and I was surprised - but still very happy - to realize that, now that I’m an adult with more experience and maturity, I feel like I can understand him even more and better than before. Our connection didn’t wane with time, I feel so much closer to him now. He’s very special to me.

Standing at the second spot - because it’s also fair I would mention her -, is Miranda! I always say that if Allen didn’t exist, Miranda would be my number 1 since she stands so close to him hahaha After him, she’s another character I deeply relate with. My self-esteem isn’t the best out there so I’m quick to think I’m worthless or useless, just like her. Even so, she wouldn’t give up. Every time I felt like giving up because of auto depreciation, I would think “Miranda would try again, she would work harder”.

It’s like the two of them were walking me through the steps so I could move forward and keep doing my best.

⭐ Who’s your least favorite character? I’m going to say Chaozii. But, before we get to the usual “Chaozii slander” we’re used to doing in this fandom, let me elaborate. It has nothing to do with him not siding with Allen. As much as I love Allen, I know we’re able of sympathizing with his ideals because as the readers we have a plethora of information on his motives; if not for that, we would probably take the same stance as Chaozii has taken about him.

What riles me about Chaozii is that, unlike all of the characters, his mindset is either black or white, good or bad. Everyone seems to have a perfect mix of both, showing many facets just like, well, real, imperfect people. Chaozii is the only one who doesn’t have that. Being simple-minded is not a bad trait, but when that clouds your judgement, then it turns into a bad thing.

It all fell apart when he snapped at Allen when he refused to kill Tyki. That particularly bothered me a ton, even if I understand his feelings. Chaozii, who thought it was wrong and cruel to kill humans and was grieving for his lost comrades, was fine with killing a human whom he wasn’t even sure if was being forced to do things or not. Do you see the issue here? Chaozii never feels to me like he’s striving to do the right thing in order to bring justice, but instead, because he wants revenge.

I hope he does get to learn one thing or two in the future. He has potential to be a great character; but he needs a “redemption” first.

⭐ Who’s your favorite general? Tiedoll! Although I like all of them for different reasons. I really love Cross and differently from what some people think, he did care for Allen and I love their rather dysfunctional relationship. He’s a much deeper character than just a womanizer full of fishy shenanigans. He’s also really badass: former scientist, user of magic, (former) wielder of both an Innocence of his own and another person’s (Grave of Maria). I just happen to love Tiedoll a liiiittle more because I can’t take this guy! He’s just so sweet, and his doting nature makes him both funny and lovely. General Sokalo is really cool and all, but I feel like he’s just a cool guy to me. On a side note, General Klaud could step on me and kill me and I’d thank her. I hope we get to learn more about her Innocence sometime.

⭐ Who’s a character you would get along with? I would love to say it’s Allen, but he’s someone really hard to get close to. If I think about the characters I’d like to befriend because of shared traits or interests, I think I could get along well with Miranda, Krory, and Marie. The first two because they’re two softies who just happen to be really awkward, I feel like I would probably befriend them after trying to comfort them too often. And, the latter, because I’m a person who likes calm company whom I can have honest talks with.

⭐ What kind of innocence would you have? I honestly have no idea. If I had to pick one from the ones we already have, I think I would go with the Dark Boots. Being able to fly and maneuver in mid-air would be a dream come true, I feel the happiest when the wind blows against me. If I have to think of something “for me” specifically, I think I would like a long range Innocence. I particularly like firearm-like weapons like guns, so maybe a gun or dual pistols? Yeah, I think I’d really like the dual pistols.

⭐ What’s your favorite ship? Ah, to be in the DGM fandom is to be a multishipper; yet this is the part where I always get nervous at because my favorite is a rarepair. But!!! I’m building up the courage to be more open about (and less self-judgmental of) the things I like. It’s Allen x Miranda. I don’t really know when it started; from what I said before, you already know they’re both my top favorite characters and very special to me, so I naturally loved it when I saw them sharing screentime. When I realized it, I was looking at them and thinking “they would make such a cute couple together”. It just kinda happened.

To keep this short, there’s this blog I really like explaining about this pair’s dynamics. I think they have a great dynamic together and much potential. They could very easily have a wholesome relationship based in lots of patience and mutually covering the other’s weaknesses and helping them become someone better. These are the best kinds of relationships imo. I hope to share some of my headcanons for them (and even writing, hopefully!) sometime in here. I always picture Allen being older, so that gives me some free room for creativity; it doesn’t look like he has time for romantic love right now, and I don’t really feel comfortable with him being a minor for this ship, so both things go hand in hand.

Honorable mentions go to Link x Allen (again, older!Allen), Yulma and LaviLena, as I also get super happy when I see these particular shippings. 

⭐ What’s your least favorite ship? I actually have some, but it goes against my policies to publicly (consciously) say negative things about certain things if I can help it. I know I’m allowed to have opinions, but you never know who can stumble upon it and what I dislike can be something that makes someone really happy, you know? I tend to stay silent about such things when it comes to something as harmless as shippings.

So, I think I can say I’m accepting of everything as long as everyone respects each other! And, of course, if it isn’t distasteful (as in, illegal).

⭐ What branch would you want to be part of? We’ve only seen the European and Asian branches properly before but even if there aren’t many choices, this is still a hard question; I think both have lots of good things going for them. I think I would probably want to settle with the Asian Branch! I love how lively the atmosphere is and I also feel like there are way less science division shenanigans in there... Sorry, Komui. 

⭐ What’s your favorite arc? I have three! The Rewinding City arc came right after Lala’s arc - that had touched me a lot -, bringing in even more feels. It introduced Miranda and at the blink of an eye, made me care so much about her. The first activation of Time Record after she protected Allen, followed by his thanks to her hit so hard; I get really emotional talking about it. It was such a great, yet touching moment. I think everyone can relate to that; being worthy of receiving gratitude for something they did for someone.

Then, there’s Lulu Bell’s Invasion of the Black Order arc, followed by the appearance of the Level 4 Akuma. I can’t express into words how great the flow of the elements are there. The plot is focusing on multiple characters with their own background dramas happening, all at once, yet none of it feels out of place. Everyone gets their moment, everyone contributes to the big picture (saving the staff and defeating the Akumas). It all felt like one big collective effort of several parts uniting forces, no one was more or less important than the other. It was expertisely done.

And the last mention goes to the Searching for A.W’s arcs (Saying Goodbye to A.W also included). These arcs are being extremely painful but, at the same time, also extremely rewarding to go through. For the first time ever, we’re seeing Allen give in to his wants and acknowledge his feelings; he’s not honest with himself very often, and seeing him actually admit that he still wanted to go on - for himself -, that he still wanted to hold onto hope was something that I suddenly realized I had always wanted to see him do. It’s like I had been waiting for so long. Allen is growing up, and I’m loving to see the part Johnny and Kanda are playing in this. I could talk all day about how happy it makes me, to feel this much hope in the midst of such a difficult situation these arcs are covering. It captures very well the essence of D.Gray-Man imo: the bittersweetness of the hardships of life, and the good things it makes us realize we have had all along. The people we have by our side. The will to continue moving forward because we still have something we love and want to fight for.

Whew, I expected this would get long but guess I got too carried away; those were amazing questions to answer to! If you read until now, you have my most sincere gratitude and appreciation. I wish you have a lovely day! 😊

[maiji]

I Heard A Cicada Cry (part 4 of 4) A YYH North Bound story

The end... for now. 

A lot (a looootttt) of historical and actual Yu Yu Hakusho series commentary below the cut.

The opening page is based on the “Tsuki no yotsu no o” (The Moon’s Four Strings”) by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, the piece I referenced for Semimaru’s appearance. I already shared a link to the image in Part 1, but you can see it again at this site alongside all the other beautiful works in the 100 Aspects of the Moon series, which uses the image of the moon to highlight 100 Japanese folktales and famous figures. (Tsuki no yotsu no o is #98.)

Otake’s comment about the bamboo is a reference to his own name (“Great Bamboo”) - more on Otake at the end of this post. Catching dragonflies was done by putting sticky stuff on the end of a bamboo pole so that when the insect lands, it gets stuck. Great fun for kids, probably not much fun for the dragonfly.

The poem is another Anonymous waka sometimes associated with Semimaru. Again, the version here is my attempted rendering for this comic, referencing many other much more skilled translators’ works. This one was really challenging to me. Compared to the two previous waka, there’s so little kanji to reference plus the really old kana, and the translators diverged quite a bit on the rendering of the last two segments.

Kokinshu 989

風のうへにありかさためぬちりの身はゆく���もしらすなりぬへら也 kaze no ue ni / ari ka sadamenu / chiri no mi wa / yukue mo shirazu / narinu beranari

A speck of dust / Tossed aimlessly / on the winds, / It seems I've become / One with no known future. (Susan Matisoff)

Blown upon the wind, / With no settled place to dwell, / This dust, my body, / Is doomed to an endless journey, / Destination yet unknown. (Edwin Cranston)

I have become a / speck of the dust carried in / helpless flurries by / the dancing winds   I who know / no destination   no home (Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius)

Fate seems to decree / that my wandering must soon / lose all direction -- / I who have no more roots now / than dust floating in the wind. (Helen Craig McCullough)

At last, the introduction of another existing Yu Yu Hakusho character. This is my attempt at Captain Otake from when he was a lot younger and before he grew a mustache!! Otake will (eventually) play a very important part in the creation of Raizen’s territory. I wanted to bring in an existing Yu Yu Hakusho character for this role, and after scouring the cast decided he fit the bill perfectly. He’s interesting - and by interesting I mean scary - because he straddles the line between loyal military man (in some aspects not dissimilar from Hokushin’s loyal retainer archetype) and reasonable-sounding extremist. The latter being IMO one of the most dangerous things in the world, and one of those challenging personalities Togashi seems to love writing. Not that we get to see much character development for Otake in the actual series. His depiction in the manga VS the anime diverge a bit - he’s a little more sympathetic in the latter. But we know he ends up leading that terrorist group in volume 19 of the manga after Enma Daioh is overthrown, and the OVA Noruka Soruka didn’t bother doing anything different. Otake’s age isn’t given in the series, but he comes across as being older than Koenma (it could still go either way, but nothing in the series makes it impossible). He clearly knows more than any of the other SDF members about the situation with the Demon World barrier and what’s really behind it. Sure, maybe he was just briefed about it because he’s the captain, but it’s more fun to imagine he was actually there when it all went down. If it came down to a fight: it’s clear actual series Yu Yu Hakusho Hokushin (S-class) would crush Otake (A-class) easily. But North Bound takes place around 700 years before the modern era, possibly centuries before the Spirit World has even developed its energy classification system! (At the very least, Kuroko didn’t know about it, so it was never used to brief her. Then again, Yusuke wasn’t aware of it ‘till the Sensui arc either so who knows when it came to be... aside from the fact that it uses the roman alphabet lol.) In other words, I have a lot of flexibility for my purposes.

If you recall previous bios I made for Hokushin, you'll notice I’ve lumped Heian-Kamakura era Otake and Hokushin into the same (wide) power class range. I imagine Hokushin being on the lower end. As explained in this post, rokurokubi in the North Bound universe are very weak demons. Hokushin’s unique experiences -  thanks to the interventions of his first lord and Raizen in Mirror Most Dark and A House That Holds Long Limbs, respectively - are what enable him to gradually break the common limitations of his type. Until then… we know Hokushin can be formidable even when he’s locked down to D-class. But that might be thanks to several centuries worth of accumulated battle and psychological experience, which he doesn’t have yet.

The final version of Cicada Cry is pretty close to the original script I had years ago, tweaking as I went along and revisited details with a critical/more experienced eye and a better sense of where the rest of North Bound had already gone. Still lots of things to improve on, but I can also see/feel improvement from where I've come from since beginning North Bound and having all those building blocks behind me. This might be the fastest I've ever gotten through a (more) sustained serious story, and I was able to try some new things in terms of art workflow, as well as narrative development and paneling. I really enjoyed getting to blend in many of my favourite things (ukiyo-e, ancient poetry, etc.). I hope it gave off that elegant classical vibe, despite the conclusion.

[kellodrawsalot]

What are your opinions on season 7? It was definitely my favorite season, the first by was dull but once they got to earth it was great. I felt it could have ended an episode early, though. I know I can't really ever ship Shieth again cause I just find that teacher student thing weird, nothing against people that do, though.

I can still ship Sheith but I understand why people woulndnt want to ship it,, I mean there are many ships who are like that such as two ships in Card Captor Sakura with the whole teacher-student thing, (trough one of them has a very disturbing age-gap and I dont get why Clamp thought that was ever a good thing) but Star Wars episode 1-3 has a age-gap relationship like that too and not to many people complained about that (is it because people find it okay if its between a boy and a older girl? idk..)

I havent finished season 7 yet, but imo I am not at all impressed. I think the writing is kind of all over the place and I feel the writers are falling into the same trap again as they were with Lok, (which worst seasons was season 2 and parts of season 4) Its deff not Avatar Legend of Aang good but I would say so far s7 isnt so bad as season 6 but I personally feel the series is ending on a bad note unless season 8 really changes things up. I deff can sympathize with the people who were let down by Shiro and Adam’s relationship (well he was his ex boyfriend) but it deff lacked consider they hyped it up so much at the comic con comes of as queer baiting and I have heard that Dreamworks didnt allow them to go further with Shiro’s homosexuality but maybe they should have revealed this after the series ended and show it in comic format where they had more freedom like Legend of Korra. But I am happy they didnt bend over to make Klance a thing. Dont get me wrong its a nice ship but it has no build up and the Klantis-fandom is beyond scary and dont really deserve that ship to be canon. But overral the writing is a mess. What I find most ironic is that some of the writers left Nick because the producers were giving them a hard time and forced them to avoid any Korrsami scenes and butchered their marketing and creative control. So they went to Dreamworks to get that,  and surprise again their writing and decisions has been altered and influenced by their producers they hold all the cards at the end. 

Having said that I am personally very disgusted by the way the Voltron fandom reacted. I understand criticism and being disappointed  when your animation series goes to hell I had that issues with several series both in anime and manga such as Owari No Seraph, certain parts of Digimon Tri and I was very let down and disappointed by Danganronpa v3 overall. 

But to send ‘’death threats’’ and haras the creators over it? 

What the heck? 

people saying they had a panic attack over the death of a character that hardly got any attention? people that were crying because they hated how season 7 ended? Sorry but, its just a cartoon, give it a bad rating and then go outside or talk to someone because such reactions is not healthy. The same people who are sending tweets at the Voltron crew telling them how bad they are for queer baiting the Lgbt community are some of the same people who missgender Bex and call Bex a fake lesbian by mocking Bex to refer Bex as a cis straight woman. HOW is the latter not more harmful to the lgbt community?  because it sends the message that its okay to be transphobic and homophobic to a none binary lesbian if their writing is bad….that is all sorts of messed up.

as for the death threats should I really go into detail why thats a bad thing and no no amount of ‘’they queer baited!!’’ justifies death threats, end of story. Tell them your criticism, send them your reviews but try to do that without being a bully and without resorting to homopobia and transphobia because that comes of as really freaking hypocritical and while your at it, send your criticism to Dreamworks as well for thinking a homosexual character is not appropriate for their series while at the same time allowing Netflix to market the series that way so they can still bank on their wokeness. 

Give up on Voltron if you want to 100 procent I understand that, focus on series that you like, I focus on Yuri on Ice and Steven Universe ( very posetive LGBT series) but I also started getting into older series that I love like Klonoa, But dont go deep into the toxicity of hating.

Sorry this ask just got super long and ranty and venting I just am tired of the whole Voltron series and discourse, its been going on for days, I am done with Voltron for now its not a good series atm, and I am so done with the fandom and its haters its such a unhealthy toxic place and there are more important things in life and more important things going on in my life right now then this. Now if you excuse me I am going to re-read my solo exchange diary again which is about a Japanese lesbian woman and people should buy it.

[darlingthebaka]

Fandom Favorite

Rules: Choose any three favourite fandoms(in random order) and answer the questions. Then tag some friends.

Tagged by both @artistefish​ and @danaty-consolation​

Thank you both for tagging me! Now let’s begin cause hooo boy!

My favs: Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Rinne

The first character I loved:-

1. LUM! She was crazy at first, yeah, but that’s what I liked about her! Plus her shenanigans with Ataru and Shinobu in the beginning were just too funny. But omggg when her personality changed I was like YES! She’s so pure and cute, but she still can act like her old self sometimes, which is fine by me OHO.

2.RANMA SAOTOME. LIKE??? WHEN HE WALKED IN THE ROOM I JUST KNEW HE WAS GONNA BE MY FAVE.  He is just a pure cinnamon roll. Ok sometimes he can be a jerk, but I love him ok? I felt so bad for him when Akane cancelled their friendship in the first chapter/episode after she found out about his curse. Like HOW DARE??? Also, I like how awkward and shy he can get despite being this great martial artist! He’s so cute like ahhhhh! Honestly, I just love his heart of gold and his willingness to help anyone in need. ALSO CAT RANMA IS A CUTIE!!!

3. RINNE! There was just something about this mysterious red-haired boy that made me like him the most in the first chapter/episode of the series. I know! HE’S SO CHILL!!! Yeah, unlike his predecessors, Rinne is so damn chill in the beginning. Plus he respects Sakura the moment he meets her like asdfghjkl!

The characters I never expected to love so much:-

1. ATARU MOROBOSHI- *cRACKS KNUCKLES* I hated this goof ball so much in the beginning, but after episode 44, HO-HO- HOLY SHIT NEW FAVE. I mean Ataru was growing on me after the famous Christmas eve episode and the Imo-chan episode, but episode 44 just changed my entire perspective of him! It showed me a side to him that was compassionate and can very well be hurt. Not gonna lie, the first time I watched that episode I was crying with Ataru when he was on the ground crying cause omg???? NO DON’T YOU CRY! You’re supposed to be the COMEDIC RELIEFFFF.  Before I knew it I was calling him my son lol. Anyone who has followed me for at least a year can tell that I love this idiot so much.

2. AKANE! She honestly frustrated me so much in the beginning. How dare you cancel a friendship with Ranma because he’s not a girl asdfg-. But after a couple of episodes/chapters I began to warm up to her. Especially once she got over her “I hate men” complex. She’s so sweet and kind, but will beat the crap out of anyone who messes with her!  My bad ass martial arts girl!

3. SABATO- Frick. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR SON!?  Yeah, he’s an ass, but HOLY HELL HE’S HILARIOUS! I couldn’t help but love him. Everytime he returns I get so happy...and then I feel bad cause that means Rinne is about to suffer ;w;

The character I relate to the most:-

1. Hmmmmmm. Ataru? IM NOT A PERVERT THO! I have the worse luck sometimes, plus I take things for granted just like him. I also relate to the fact that I’m really lonely when I’m not around the people I love. Although in Ataru’s case it’s just one person.(Lum e.e) On the plus side, I can be funny and have sarcastic humor. I am also low-key intelligent. The only thing I wish I had in common was not die if I was struck by lightning. Ataru you lucky bastard.

2. RYOGA- I have A HORRIBLE SENSE OF DIRECTION! And also I can get lonely too as stated before.

3. Rinne- I’m poor and whenever I get money it just goes away so quickly so VERY RELATABLE CHARACTER.

A character I liked at first but not so much anymore:-

1. NO ONE lol

2. Shampoo- Cause at first she reminded me of Lum then it got to the point where I just found her kind of annoying??? I like her more in the anime tho.

3. Everyone in Rinne makes me laugh so once again no one.

A character I did not like at first but they have grown on you (By a lot)

1. Mendou- RICH KID WHO THINKS HE’S BETTER THAN EVERYONE is actually just rich Ataru. I hated him because he was just soooo annoying. He also tried to kill Ataru in the beginning. I didn’t like Ataru during Mendou’s introduction, BUT YOU CAN’T KILL HIM MENDOU! I began to like Mendou more  because throughout the series you can actually see that he starts to care more about the people around him, INCLUDING ATARU fite meeee. He still can be a douche sometimes ofc.

2. Ouo No one...surprisingly.

3. Sakura- Ok so when I first got into Rinne I was one of the fans who hated how seemingly unemotional she was. Plus I low-key hated the fact that she wasn’t like her predecessors. But once I had gotten over that and the anime had kicked off she started growing on me. ESPECIALLY since now that I can hear her speak, I can see that she’s more chill than unemotional. Also her personality adds to the comedy of Rinne!

Three OTPS!:

1. Do I even- ok... ATARU X LUM! THE GROWTH BETWEEN THESE TWO STILL ASTOUNDS ME 5.YEARS. LATER AFTER COMPLETING THIS SERIES! Honestly, their relationship still has me shook to this day.  Like I could watch an early Ataru X Lum episode and then a latter one and it’s so obvious how much they have grown. Their relationship went from dysfunctional to a pure domestic relationship. Like I just get so happy cause in the latter half of the series Ataru and Lum can just chill together and be at ease with each other. Until Asshole Moroboshi flirts e.e That aside, I also like how when they have an argument you can actually see the hurt it causes them both. Especially Ataru since like before he met Lum I’m 99% sure he was a lonely kid. Sure he had Shinobu, but like she didn’t live with him. And if I had a mom who told me she wished I wasn’t born CONSTANTLY I’d be hella depressed. OK OK I’m done. OTP FOR LYFE! 

Shinobu/Inaba- THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER! I’m low-key pissed that the flower arc from the manga didn’t get animated tho...It was so important ;w;

And finally in an au where Lum doesn’t exist or come to earth or something.... Ataru x Mendou ouo’’ Don’t kill me. Not gonna lie...artists on pixiv made me ship this...PLUS EPISODE 131 WAS HELLA GAY FITE ME. And then they were other moments in the series that made me think they’d be a good couple lol.

2. WITHOUT WORDS! YOUR HAND IN MINE’S ENOUGH!! ;W;!! RanmaXAkane! Ahhhhh! These two are my babies! They have honestly been through so much together! Their relationship is hella better in the manga though. I cried during some arcs like holy shit.

Ryoga x Akari- cRIES! IM ON THIS ARC BUT i HAVENT READ IT BUT BASED ON SPOILERS...OTP. 

Don’t kill me pt2...

Ranma x Ryoga: So that fishing rod arc aha AHAHAHAHA. Plus the fan art on tumblr made me ship them even harder lol. 

3. Ghost hunters I MEAN RINSAKU! Honestly, my heart just flutters whenever Rinne acts all lovey dovey around Sakura. She honestly brings out the best in him. Rumiko....you better give them a happy ending like their predecessors e.e

Matsugo x Rinne: PLEASE, THEY ARE SO CUTE??? When I watched Matsugo’s introductory episode I was just making inhuman noises THE ENTIRE TIME. If Rinne hadn’t met Sakura these two would be hitting it off right after the reunion tbfh. I honestly wish there was more content for this ship???

Sabato x Money: :^) 

THANKS FOR TAGGING MEH. ouo’’ sorry if I got too excited with some of these. 

Tagging: @hibikiryouga @lamupika @sobtektor @milkychew @tomobiki

IF Y'ALL WANT AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO!!

[odilekuronuma]

One Piece 857 review: Rook

YES FINALLY! This is what I’ve been waiting for all this arc!

Everything points out to BM going down in this arc, and this chapter just cemented that idea. Why you ask? Because we’re finally seeing the SHs getting the much needed help in order to take down BM, in the form of an alliance with Capone “Gang” Bege.

Not that I think Capone is nice or anything, in fact he’s a scheming scumbag, but I like him because he’s so good at scheming. 

So the title of the chapter is “Rook” which is yet another reference to chess, since it seems that BM’s crew system is based on it.It is Capone’s rank in the hierarchy of BM’s crew. And when you think about it, it is very fitting since the rook used to be called the Tower, or in Persian (where chess comes from) it is literally called the Castle. And that is a perfect fit for Bege whose body is an impregnable fortified castle thanks to his DF.

The chapter itself doesn’t have much going on, and it’s entirely devoted to laying  out the SHs plan. So we see Luffy and Sanji catching up with the others, through the broken mirror that is still laying around from earlier with King Baum. It is nice to see Sanji really feeling awful about himself, as he should be for making his nakamas worry so much ,and for all the harsh things he’s done to Luffy and Nami. But he seems  concerned about Nami’s opinion of him the most, and the latter definitely doesn’t plan to forgive him so soon. It is more likely she’s just worried about him like a friend, but part of me kinda wants Sanji x Nami to happen at the end of the manga, especially now that things went to shit with Pudding (that bitch). #SanjixNamiOTP

What is more interesting however is that it is Jinbei who brokers an alliance between the SHs and the Fire Tank pirates. I really didn’t expect that, seeing as his crew saved Pekoms and all. Which to me sheds a whole new light on Jinbei’s character, he’s pragmatic.I guess that being a seasoned pirate who served under two Yonkos would make him that.And that is something the SHs definitely need in their crew right now, honor won’t get them very far imo, so sticking with Pekoms in this situation won’t really help them. On the other hand, joining hands with Capone, who made it abundantly clear that he wants to take out BM is almost a given. Right now the SHs and Fire Tank pirates are aiming for the same thing, so even though Capone is a scumbag who can’t be trusted, they need to ally temporarily to take out BM. Jinbei also gives a rather interesting explanation about Capone’s background, and how he just aims for the head of an organization, while keeping its structure intact. So logically we should see him do the same with BM’s crew, but just like in before he could get more enemies to come after him, so the only way for him to truly be free is if he made himself Yonko I guess. We’ll see.

Anyway it does look like the Fire Tank pirates are the ones who shot Bobbins, to prevent him from hurting Sanji, and it seems like Vito is the one who shot him, since he adores the Germa. The chapter ends with Capone waiting for Luffy and showing that he can’t be completely trusted, since he’d be willing to kill the latter if he annoys him.

Well there you go, from the looks of it BM is going down in this arc, but even with the Fire Tank pirates it might not be enough imo. If only the Vinsmokes weren’t such incompetent fools, an alliance between the SHs, FT pirates and the Germa would ensure that BM would go down. Maybe that could happen further down the line.

And we can’t forget Pekoms’ words to Capone, that BM shouldn’t be understimated, and yet I’m seriously questioning her good judgement, since she entrusted the security of the wedding ceremony to Capone and his gang, who are still considered rookies. It does seem like she understimates him and the SHs a good deal.

I really hope this second half of the arc delivers, after a somewhat underwhelming first half. At least Sanji isn’t mopping anymore.