#there's notes on them being demons because of more YYH connections

[wetbloodworm]

oh we found some OLD art, friends

[itsclydebitches]

So I'm curious what are some character designs you love? Not from RWBY, but just i general. I'm the same anon who got you to check out Berserk and I'd say essentially all of the designs are done damn well. Fit the character. Changes that makes sense for growth. Also make sense given the setting. Even women in armor that doesn't have those massive boob plates. Good designs impact so much subconsciously to have much we enjoy other aspects of a story.

Congratulations! You’ve unlocked my never-ending need to praise Yu Yu Hakusho! :D 

This long, picture-laden post needs two disclaimers going forward: 

I’m not an artist. In the sense that I’m not a visual artist who knows anything about what makes character design good from a technical/community approved standpoint. This is purely based on my own, personal reaction to a beloved series. 

Connected to that, I’m going into this under the assumption that people might really disagree with me (?). Based on the cartoons and anime that I see praised for character design, I don’t think YYH fits whatever list more knowledgeable viewers are pulling from. But I’m gonna lay out my thinking anyway! 

Major spoilers for Yu Yu Hakusho below. 

Alright let’s do this. 

First off, when people start talking character design they often reference how cool a character is. Which makes sense. You want a character to be visually engaging and distinct. Something that makes you go “Wow!” whenever you look at them. However, one of the things I love about the YYH cast is how normal they are. Because they’re supposed to be normal. The trope of the main character having a crazy hair color has become so prominent that we’ve got memes about it now and that works for a lot of stories. You know who is important because, despite the assumption that they’re average people not dying their hair, they stick out like a sore thumb among the rest of the cast. 

However, normalcy is a really important part of YYH. The entire point at the start is that Yusuke is not special. He’s not unique. He’s a delinquent kid who most assume isn’t going anywhere in life. When he dies this doesn’t unlock some Super Special Backstory - you were innately amazing all along! - he just gets caught up in the plot because of a paperwork issue. The afterlife doesn’t know what to do with an asshole kid who unexpectedly saved another kid’s life so they just kind of... shuffle him around until he’s given another chance to live. Then he gets to pay back that second chance by becoming a Spirit Detective. Yeah, Yusuke is talented when it comes to fighting and spirit energy, but at the start that’s rarely emphasized outside of “He’s the best street fighter among no-name street fighters so really, it’s not impressive once you take Yusuke out of his tiny world of school parking lots and the occasional alleyway.” The takeaway is that he’s a dime-a-dozen troubled teen who got involved in the spirit world due to an impulsive act and a bunch of bureaucracy. Indeed, it’s a HUGE moment of emotional growth for Yusuke to realize that people do love him despite his supposedly average, unremarkable, and otherwise negative personality. His normal-ness - and others’ expectation that he could someday make himself great if he learns to work at it - is crucial to where Yusuke starts out. Making him visually distinct in terms of Anime Protagonist Looks would undermine a lot of that. This isn’t supposed to be a Super Special Kid Destined For Greatness. He’s just... a kid. A normal kid. A kid who has to work and learn and grow if he wants to make something of himself. So he gets black hair, brown yes, and a green school uniform. He’s pretty damn average looking. 

Same with Kuwabara. Same with Keiko. Same with Atsuko. They’re just normal people going about their lives and I always appreciated that they looked the part. You can still easily tell them apart thanks to different hair colors, texture, jaw lines, and outfits, but none of them seem out of place in the average world they start out in. Which, as said, is crucial to a lot of YYH’s themes. The ones who look more visually distinct - Hiei and Botan - aren’t human. It makes sense that they wouldn’t obey these same average laws of the rest of the cast and they are our first taste of a world that, in terms of character design, will eventually get pretty wonderfully weird. They function as stepping stones. 

This eventually becomes a story about the demon world and those demons wouldn’t come across as particularly scary/other if you begin the story with equally strange looking humans. Or even just “I don’t see people who look like that walking down the street” humans. Alongside many themes, there’s a contrast at work here. Yusuke stepping out into a stadium full of demons who despise him because of his species hits home when he is so clearly distinct from them. Suddenly, his normal is abnormal. 

Once the ball gets rolling, Yusuke’s looks are constantly in contrast with both his environment and his inner self. He looks like a scary thug but then unexpectedly saves a life. He looks like an average human but is actually the strongest among a group of scary-looking demons. He looks like this badass spirit detective who everyone assumes with have an equally badass spirit beast but, uh... 

Oh my god that’s a precious baby. By the time our cast is family and everyone accepts that Yusuke looks scarier than he actually is or ever was - once the core group is made up of not just humans but demon loving humans who are equally soft - we turn it all on its head again and reveal that Yusuke has demon blood. For the first time he looks as strange and powerful as he is. Yusuke’s normality is done away with the second he’s fully accepted his place in these worlds, throwing everything back into chaos. 

Yusuke’s demon form becomes even more foreign looking  when he’s being controlled by his ancestral father. The above is a Yusuke who is still Yusuke and in many respects the design reflects that: natural hair color, human body, tattoos easily covered up with a shirt. When he’s gone full Mazoku though, something dangerous, the white, wilder hair and change to his expressions ensure we read him as something feral. For the first time in the series Yusuke is truly the dangerous creature he’s pretended to be since his principal was running after him at school. 

As a side-note about character costumes, we see this emphasis on normality in their outfits as well. Obviously a story like RWBY is limited by how much time/money they have for animation, but it nevertheless has an impact to see the group almost constantly in their battle gear. They’re never not the main characters of an action-fantasy show, not even while just out around town with no expectation of entering a fight.  

In contrast, Yusuke and Kuwabara are often animated in everyday clothing that remind us that they’re really just teens trying to live their lives outside of this crazy nonsense. Kuwabara wasn’t even formally hired for all this! The cast wears sweaters and jackets while out and about. More formal clothes for special occasions. Jeans and t-shirts when they’re unexpectedly caught up in a fight because, you know, they’re not ready for battle every second of every day. They’re drawn like normal folks because, outside of the ring, they are. 

(We’ve also got a lot of parallels between Yusuke and Kuwabara’s civilian clothing, visually reminding us that they’re far more alike than they might be willing to admit.)

Despite often changing outfits, the group maintains a basic color pallet that makes them recognizable, yet it’s also not so limited that they appear strange for sticking to one (1) color for the entire time we know them. Yusuke, like most people, is drawn to particular colors, mostly greens, yellows, and blues, so each time we see him he’s familiar while also being distinct from the last time he changed. 

Hiei, as someone who initially wants nothing to do with anyone else and relies on assassin-like speed to take out his enemies, is dressed almost entirely in black. Without that bit of white in his scarf/hair you’d lose him in the shadows... which is the point. 

When he opens up and actually becomes friends with the team, his color pallet starts opening up a great deal too.  

And we’re shown all the little changes he starts incorporating that speak to his growth: his Jagan eye, a bandaged arm hiding his Dragon of the Darkness Flame, the necklace connecting him to Yukina. 

I’ve blathered on about the outfits enough but as a quick final note: EVERYONE WEARS APPROPRIATE FIGHTING CLOTHES. 

No one (even the women to my recollection) wear heels. Everything is loose-fitted and looks easy to move in. They’ve got sensible belts, bandages if they need them, and... that’s it. No unnecessary bells and whistles that distract from what’s supposed to be the story’s real draw: good fights and good characterization. Even the more elaborately styled characters (usually) look like they chose their outfits practically first and for the aesthetic after. At no point do I recall watching this show and going, “WHY would you wear that to a fight??” 

Anyway, back to the designs. 

The exceptions to either side of these extremes - from human normal to demon monstrous - are Genkai and Kurama, both of whom straddle the line. Genkai is someone who has pushed her spirit and body far past the norm. She’s the first human we meet who truly goes beyond that normality, even if you don’t immediately realize it. Her pink hair (such a soft color in her old age it’s not at all distracting) is a slight hint that something isn’t quite right with her. She’s obviously human... but not a normal human. Not anymore. 

Those unnatural looks are emphasized in her youth when she was at the height of her power. 

Genkai as a young woman has vibrantly pink hair (a bright pastel like Botan’s), a softer face, and far more emotive eyes. She looks ethereal, which fits not just her own journey to power but Togoru’s as well. Her story is intimately tied up in what that power does to the human body/soul. So Toguro starts out like this 

a pretty normal looking guy who is on the far end of what the human body is naturally capable of. He’s buff as hell, but not so much that it looks unreasonable. I’ve seen body builders bigger than him. He’s the average (dehydrated...) MCU superhero. However, he ends up like this

In Togoru’s case his abnormality is explicitly presented as grotesque. Rather than giving him a cool looking characteristic that’s clearly supernatural (blue hair, an extra eye, curly horns, etc.), we’ve taken a human characteristic (muscles) and expanded them to an unnatural degree. He’s got some uncanny valley shit going on. 

Paralleling Genkai, we likewise see Kurama subtly standing out among his human allies. 

He’s a demon in a human’s body. By in-world logic his appearance should be just as normal as anyone else’s, but a bit of his true nature shines through. His hair is long in a style not popular in YYH’s Japan. His red is far less of a natural shade than Kuwabara’s. He carries himself with the air of someone who is ancient, because he is. His human design deliberately reflects his true demon form so when that’s finally revealed we still recognize him as Kurama. 

(Same sort of work with Hiei’s demon form.) 

When we look at the cast together we have an immediate, visual impression as to who is normal and who is not - and those assumptions are embedded into the story. Yusuke is someone you’d overlook in the crowd, but he’s the most powerful. Kurama is clearly other in some way, but he’s desperate to live an average, human life. Kuwabara is designed to look and move like the fool and a lot of his development (his and others’ in relation to him, really. Like Hiei) is built around respecting him despite those looks. Hiei is tiny but will kick your ass. Genkai is tinier and will kick your ass worse. 

Her size combined with her age - combined with her status as Yusuke’s teacher - is a continuous reminder not to judge power by looks alone. Don’t underestimate your opponent and get overconfident (a major flaw of Yusuke’s). Know that you still have a LOT to learn about the world. That woman you assume is just a rude grandma? She’s going to break your expectations over and over and over again. 

Speaking of size, that’s a major aspect of Koenma’s design as well. When Yusuke learns he’s meeting the head of the underworld he starts picturing a massive, demonic beast who (sensing a theme here) looks the part of a supernatural ruler. Seeing Koenma for the first time - an adorable toddler-like being - is an absolute shock. 

It’s a gag for the audience, but it’s not just a gag. Due to his looks Yusuke is unable to take Koenma seriously, despite knowing the power he holds. 

Which, even more-so than arrogance, is Yusuke’s greatest flaw throughout the series. He doesn’t take school seriously. His death seriously. Ruler of the underworld seriously. His teacher seriously, etc. Yusuke constantly acts like he doesn’t care, throwing basic respect and effort in the face of whatever authority figure is desperately trying to keep him from self-destructing. He’s on the receiving end of multiple speeches throughout the series (mostly from Genkai) that boil down to, “Care about something, dammit. Take this seriously!” and when he does it’s GREAT. It’s a moment of growth we’ve really built to in a hundred different ways, including how he reacts to others’ looks. Koenma’s design feeds directly into the primary flaw Yusuke is working to overcome. How will he go from a delinquent laughing in the face of the most powerful being to someone multiple worlds can put their trust in? Design assists with that. 

When Yusuke does respect Koenma (even if he still insults/teases him because that’s just an ingrained part of Yusuke’s personality) Koenma’s appearance can change. It’s no longer serving its original function, so he evolves into a very good looking young man (with references to Tuxedo Mask to emphasize those good looks) that just... happens to still carry a pacifier. 

A pacifier that is revealed as an incredibly powerful weapon that will help save the world. Again: don’t judge anyone or anything solely on their looks. They’re never precisely what you’d assume they are based on your first glance - with the exception of minor villains whose looks serve only to convey their villainy: 

For everyone else, looks are complex. Two of the most different looking characters (color-wise anyway) are actually siblings, their contrasts reflecting both differing cultures and the emotional distance between them. 

The scariest looking monsters are just paper-pushers. It’s the handsome humans you should watch out for.  

And this is our hero, a man charged with protecting three worlds. 

I could say SO MUCH MORE but this is already disgustingly long so basically YYH (I think) does a great job of: 

Crafting characters that are distinct but not different for the sake of different. They always feel like they belong to their individual worlds and adhere to whatever “normal” is by those standards. 

Tying character looks really closely to the show’s themes and individual growth. Which, frankly, is something I think all good character design should do. 

It’s not nearly as flashy as other anime... but YYH knows what it wants to accomplish and went about it beautifully. Catch me still weeping over this show fifty years from now. 

Peace ✌️

[luckystarchild]

INUYASHA Volume 01, Scroll 01: “The Accursed Youth”

Welcome to Lucky’s INUYASHA recap—a recap of the Inuyasha manga by me, Lucky, an anime fan who has somehow never read it or seen the anime before.

Over the course of these posts, I’ll be recapping and reacting to the events of a chapter (or series of chapters) of the Inuyasha manga. I’ll be using the official VIZ manga volumes as my source material. References to Not Quite Kagome (“NQKagome”) pertain to my ongoing fanfiction series, Lucky Child.

And without further ado... chapter 01 of Inuyasha (or volume 01, “Scroll 1,” as VIZ titles the manga chapters.)

We begin in media res; Inuyasha has stolen the Jewel of Four Souls (the “Shikon Jewel”) and is rampaging through a village. He wants to use the jewel to become “a true demon.” Kikyo, mortally wounded, shoots him with an arrow and pins him to a tree. Her body is burnt along with the jewel by her young sister, Kaede.

I don’t generally like prologues that employ flashbacks in writing, as they sometimes seem like a way to shoehorn in backstory that either isn’t necessary OR backstory that could be imparted through the reader more organically. (They’re all-too-often lazy, basically.) But this is a manga, so maybe it’s not so bad. Not sure how I feel TBH.

Was sort of surprised we learned what Inuyasha’s goal concerning the jewel is so soon; thought maybe that would get dragged out a bit longer, though IDK why I got that impression exactly. I’ve seen a few random eps of the anime and know he isn’t fond of his own half-demon status. Perhaps I feel like we should’ve earned this revelation during the narrative and on Inuyasha’s terms, rather than have it handed to us right off the bat by a faceless narrator. But that’s me being overly critical, perhaps.

Flash forward to 1997. The day before Kagome’s 15th birthday. Her grandfather tries to tell her a legend about the Shikon Jewel, but she shrugs it off. 

Kagome’s family lives inside a big temple, and everything has a legend attached to it (including the massive 500-year-old Go-Shinboku God Tree), but Kagome never pays attention to them. Later, her brother loses their cat in the mini-shrine, specifically in the well house (which a sign declares the home of the Bone-Eater’s Well). Kagome bravely ventures inside to search for the cat.

Right off the bat, we get the impression that Kagome is a pretty average teenage girl—a bit of an airhead with a sharp sense of humor who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty or shy away from a dark and spooky well house. Nice bit of characterization in just a few panels. Well done, author-san.

NQKagome Bonus: She’d probably pay more attention to all the legends her grandfather tells, which could give her an edge in the Feudal Era.

Kagome hears odd noises coming from the covered well; the cover pops off the well and a horrible, Noh-mask-faced women with a skeletal snake body to leap out and drag Kagome into the darkness. 

Her body regenerates, turning into a... centipede body. Not a snake. D’oh. Frightened as they fall, Kagome emits a light from her hands, breaking off the woman’s arm and sending her careening away into the dark as she cries something cryptic about the Jewel of Four Souls.

Soon Kagome stops falling and finds herself at the bottom of the well, but upon emerging, she’s lost in an unfamiliar forest.

I gotta say that as far as first-chapters go, this one is pretty good! We immediately know who Kagome is, where she’s from, what she’s like as a person, and this introduction to the supernatural is spooky and interesting. The stakes are high and the action is fast-paced, without an overload of exposition.

Kagome spots the God-Tree and hurries toward it, noting that she always used it to find her way home in the past, but she does not find her familiar home at its base. Instead she finds Inuyasha pinned to the God-Tree.

We’re treated to this gorgeous two-panel spread:

She notes that the boy pinned to the tree has inhuman ears before some villagers find her in “Inuyasha’s forbidden forest” and bring her to Kaede, the younger sister of Kikyo (who is much older than she appeared in the earlier flashback). Kagome realizes she is in the Sengoku Period (1467 to 1615 CE). The villagers theorize that she’s a spy, a kitsune, and similar before Kaede realizes that Kagome looks identical to the deceased Kikyo.

Kaede tells Kagome briefly who Kikyo was before the centipede woman attacks the village. 

That bit where Kaede tells Kagome about Kikyo is where I would’ve placed the flashback from the start of the chapter, FYI. Would’ve given the earlier parts of the chapter more mystery to withhold some information from the reader.

Also we have TOO MANY K-NAMES. Already three of the four named characters start with K, and two even start with the “ka” sound in Japanese. We have this problem with YYH and I foresee it being a problem as I type these names a ton, LMAO 🤣

So... Kagome realizing what time period she’s been magically dropped into after approximately seven seconds seems… IDK, kind of handy? Easy? The only info she has to go on are the vague references to “battles” a few villagers shout at her, and maybe the way they’re dressed. She supposedly doesn’t pay attention to old legends, so it doesn’t seem plausible that she’d pay enough attention in history class to discern what period she’s in now based on the cut of a kimono.

(Disclaimer: I’m American and the American education system is notoriously horrible at teaching the subjects of history and science with any accuracy, so I might be projecting my experience onto hers to some degree. Maybe Japan is better about this stuff. IDK, but thought I’d mention it.)

ALSO, Kagome jumps to the possibility of time travel really fast. I would jump to “this is a dream” or “I have fallen into a historical reenactment amusement park in which no one will break character” (a special hell of its own) first. Again, though, this chapter is moving quickly to draw in readers, so I can see why they didn’t give her confusion more screen-time. Especially with serialized manga, you have a handful of chapters (if that) to grab readers, so it’s gotta move fast as a matter of necessity.

I appreciate that some of the villagers mentioned “kitsune” in this section (and not just because it reminds me of all the reasons Yu Yu Hakusho is so easy to cross over with this manga). It shows that the supernatural is something the locals consider on a daily basis, which helps with worldbuilding.

Also, I wasn’t expecting the nipples on the centipede woman??? In her first panels, her breasts were covered up a bit, but now we’ve got detailed nipples. I’m guessing the scant few episodes of the series I watched were censored quite a bit. I’m wondering if there’s going to be more fanservice in this series than I expected, especially after reading that the series’ author, Rumiko Takahashi, advised the anime team to avoid using Kagome for any pantie-shots…

The centipede claims Kagome has the Shikon Jewel, and Kagome flees the village (toward “that light” in the east, which Kaede notes she shouldn’t be able to see) as the centipede woman gives chase. Elsewhere, Inuyasha wakes, stating he can smell the scent of the woman who killed him.

So I know a few things about this series already thanks to the research I did for Lucky Child, and chief among these things is that Kagome is Kikyo’s reincarnation. We can already see this tidbit coming through in obvious ways: Kagome’s resemblance to Kikyo, the Jewel being connected to her somehow, etc. Kagome seeing that light is probably a power she got from Kikyo, too.

It’s interesting that these connections are as physical as her having the same scent as Kikyo, though; scent is informed quite a bit by genetics. Obviously we’re dealing with magic and not science in this story, so I’m not looking for infallible logic when it comes to this reincarnation plot device… but it’s almost like the magic here overrides things like genetics and the extreme differences in what Kagome and Kikyo must’ve eaten in their respective times when determining their scent and appearance. The soul is more important than the body, etc. Wondering how consistent that will remain over the course of this admittedly massive story.

And that’s it for chapter 1. This was super fun! I’m guessing I’ll have more to say once we get past the set-up and are introduced to more characters, but overall I think this was a really strong start to this feudal fairy tale.

If you enjoyed this recap, feel free to buy me a Ko-Fi☕, and subscribe to the tag “lucky’s inuyasha recap” to see more!

NEXT CHAPTER

[tackyink]

The making of Anomaly, chapter 2

Link to chapter 2

Fumiko didn’t exist in the first chapter.

In fact, there was a line in the original version that said that Makoto didn’t have any friends, so like a thief in the night, I changed it for “Makoto didn't have friends in class” while nobody was looking.

Fumi came to life because I didn’t want to fall into the trope of OC having no friends until they meet the main cast. If Makoto was going to be her own person outside of a one-shot, she needed a life, and people usually know other people.

I also gave her a black cat because that’s the pet a witch needs and Makoto relishes in the aesthetic. I don’t know if it fully comes through how eerie Makoto seems to the people around her, since the story is written from her point of view and the people she ultimately surrounds herself with don’t pay any mind to it, but it isn’t just the gloomy appearance or the blunt personality that throw people off. By virtue of her power, Makoto knows way more than she should about other people, and they sense that at an unconscious level. Human danger alarms react to Mako’s paranormal antenna. She’s dangerous, whether she wants or not, so regular humans and weaker demons identify her as a threat.

(There’s a chapter in the sequel where she’s described from some else’s point of view that I enjoyed writing a lot because of all this, but it’ll still be a while until I can post any of that.)

But back to Fumi: she’s such an over-the-top character because so is Makoto, if in the opposite sense. I got curious as to how those two started to get along, and that’s how I got the idea for the side chapter The Witch, The Hero and The Cat, though that would happen further down the line. They work as friends because they seem to be physically incapable to pull their punches. They appreciate each other’s honesty and, most importantly, they accept each other for who they are. Fumi is under a lot of pressure from her parents, and since she got into high school, her schoolmates tend to steer clear away from her because she hangs out with the wrong crowd. If she does something dumb, they blame her for it. Meanwhile, Mako tells her she’s dumb but also asks whose kneecaps need to be broken. This works both ways.

I also get the sense that, when they were little, Fumiko used to get into fights to defend Makoto from kids who badmouthed her, and Mako feels that if Fumi doesn’t have as many friends as before is partly because of her.

We meet in this chapter the two half-demons forever known by the nicknames Yosuke and Kazama. They are to blame for Anomaly and Makoto’s character concept. In one of my manga rereads, I started thinking about that chapter where they reunite the entire population of half-demons in Sarayashiki, and… they were a lot. It was just guys, too, so the women were probably doing something productive with their lives, instead of messing with the current Spirit Detective. It was a part of canon that was never explored and I never thought much about, but the fact was that it was canon. There were half-demons living among humans, and they weren’t as uncommon as it could seem.

This is also the chapter were I lowkey panicked because I realized that Makoto’s power could get out of hand very easily. You can’t just throw a character with future sight in the middle of a preexisting story and expect it to go like the original. I could say that I spent a lot of time thinking of how to make it work, but truth is, it happened organically, which, I suppose, is the result of being a living repository of YYH information. I just needed to fill in the gaps, and since I didn’t have any ideas set in stone, it was easy to go with the flow.

In this case, Mako talks about fate for the first time:

"That is not what I mean." She hung her schoolbag on her wrist and started explaining with more intensity than usual, "Fate is like this sort of path we all have," she gestured with her hands apart, drawing lines in the air, "and we all take the one that is wider and marked for us. It's like a highway with a single destination. People don't deviate from it. In your case, it was either you or her, no way around it. If we follow the highway analogy," she furrowed her brow, and drew another, smaller path with her hands that branched out from the other, "you took the car with your mother inside it, swerved it out of the road and onto a goat path, found another highway at the end of it, and reincorporated to traffic as if nothing had happened." She looked up at him, befuddled and very relieved that she was being able to put into words the thoughts that had plagued her mind since that night. "Only you could have done it because… because…" She threw her arms in defeat. "You can't do that!"

Note the amount of contractions. She’s confused and thinking out loud and she doesn’t like it. She has a rigid view of the world, and this doesn’t fit it.

Towards the end, we arrive to Genkai’s temple.

I was very unsure about this part. I thought letting Makoto have a previous connection to Genkai, on top of the one she had just stablished to Kurama, would trip off readers’ Mary Sue alarms. I hadn’t imagined back then that their relationship would become so central to the story and to Makoto’s eventual path in life.

The way I described the temple and its surroundings was the way I had always imagined them. We know from Genkai’s tournament that the forest and the battlefield where the final matches take place is brimming with power, and Makoto, who is attuned to energies more than the average psychic, is especially sensitive to it, and the wild energies swirling around make her feel not so out of place as in the city.

Genkai is a bit of a second grandma to her. I didn’t know yet that Genkai and Nana had been fighting companions in their youth, but I did know that Nana had psychic powers, just not the extent of them, and that she brought Makoto to Genkai because she didn’t think she could help her manage them properly. She had already failed and lost a daughter to her inability, so she wasn’t going to repeat that mistake. Fortunately for her, it worked, because Mako turned out to be way more powerful than she had anticipated.

[yyhfanfiction]

The Shotgun Approach by ClaireShepardHKKY

M | English | Drama/Romance | Multi-chapter | 94,371 words | In Progress

On: FanFiction.net

Summary: “In my mind I saw all the tiny chess pieces and tried to predict all their movements, from start to finish, but Yusuke was always the wild card—that one unknown factor that could ruin the entire game. Etternia is a rare demonic species called Elementa. She works as a paramedic in Sarayashiki and finds herself quite tangled up with Yusuke Urameshi, current king of demon world.”

Overall Score: 97.71%

Read more below (warning: SPOILERS!).

Note: As this review was completed on a work-in-progress, the reviewer comments should be taken with a grain of salt.

(Author credit on tumblr: @1nerdygurl)

Canon Plausibility

Definition: How well the plot and characters aligned with the original story universe.

Score: 5.00/5.00

A high score for this element indicates that the story blended into the original universe well. This includes the characters being portrayed as they originally were, and that the plot and/or any original characters aligned with the sense of the universe as well.

Reviewer comments: This fits very well and very uniquely into the post-barrier removal YYH-verse. I think that the author has matured the characters and taken them to logical, but fun areas that are great to experience as a reader. Additionally, all original characters blended in well with the story and added enrichment to the plot and/or character development.

Relationships

Definition: Platonic and romantic interaction and development between characters interspersed over time.

Score: 5.00/5.00

A high score on this element indicates that the presentation of the interactions between characters created realistic and meaningful relationships that allowed the readers to connect with and understand the characters.

Reviewer comments: While the romance is technically "young" so far in this part of the story, it has a GREAT foundation that has been set-up with utmost care. I truly envy the author for the area she's written herself to play in for the future of all of the relationships. I also love all the little details that get slipped into the story - like Yusuke playing footsies with someone! Just the many scenes that are in here conveying those feelings and relationship development are great and allow me to readily connect as a reader.

Plot and Technical Execution

Definition: Interrelated content sequenced in the storyline, including subplots, presented in a grammatically accurate manner.

Score: 4.75/5.00

A high score on this element indicates that the readers did not have a hard time following along with the storyline and that major situations were addressed logically. Additionally, there were likely few or no grammatical errors.

Reviewer comments: In terms of a slightly lower rating - there were only occasional typos, but nothing that was glaring or made the story illegible. So far, there have been no plot-holes or inconsistencies in the writing and all POV changes were utilized for a purpose and clearly marked. The advancement of the story has been useful in developing the characters and their relationships.

Conflict

Definition: Internal or external struggle presented throughout the storyline, eventually reaching resolution.

Score: 5.00/5.00

A high score on this element indicates a balance of presented conflict. The characters have taken a stance in a situation or addressed a pressing internal struggle. This has allowed for character development and reader interest.

Reviewer comments: I cannot rate resolution yet since the story is in progress, but I really find the main OC's drug habit and past an interesting and uncomfortable issue that is great to read. It's uncomfortable in the way that's intriguing and puts the reader into a feeling that I don't think we get to experience too often. It has been well-utilized to advance the plot as well (in terms of the troubled background and addiction to unfeeling/numbness). It makes me thirsty for the resolution with both of these concerns AND the "unrequited" love.

Originality

Definition: Uniqueness of the presented plot as relevant to the fandom.

Score: 5.00/5.00

A high score on this element indicates that enough unique content was presented, sparking readers' interest.

Reviewer comments: I rarely get to see post-barrier removal stories and I really enjoyed where this author took it. It's been a pleasure to read so far. Additionally, while drug addiction isn't necessarily a unique issue to tackle, I don't see it done frequently in this fandom, but this also took the issue further and has really examined it in a comprehensive light. I would love to see more of it and how it ends up affecting others around her. And I love hearing about Yusuke, his Mazoku markings, and all his dealings with being King (and the use of King's Hands - used so purposefully - is FABULOUS).

Dialogue

Definition: Quality and quantity of the conversation had throughout the storyline, including verbal and nonverbal communication.

Score: 5.00/5.00

A high score on this element indicates that there was an effective balance in quantity and/or quality of verbal and nonverbal dialogue. The dialogue was well-utilized in furthering character or story development.

Reviewer comments: So far, I have read a very good balance of verbal and non-verbal communication in the story. Anything that the characters do converse about is used to a purpose and aligns with their overall characterizations well - or highlights a moment of importance if it does not (e.g., OFC lying).

Pacing

Definition: Appropriateness of the speed of the presented storyline.

Score: 4.33/5.00

A high score on this element indicates that the pacing was appropriate for the storyline and that the readers were able to meaningfully experience the story without losing interest or being confused.

Reviewer comments: The rating on this area is mostly reflective of me reading a slow-burn I believe. I can't say that that's a bad thing, but it may more accurately reflect my desire for more to happen NOW (i.e., my impatience). That doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the pacing, but it might affect my own personal ability to stay focused. So, the author should take this portion of the feedback with a grain of salt. Overall, I think the story is going well and that it is logical how long it is taking to develop the characters - because it's happening more naturally and believably given the situation. I think I am just dying for more, but in a good way.

Front Matter

Definition: Appropriateness and instilled intrigue of the categorized preview information and summary.

Score: 5.00/5.00

A high score on this element indicates that the front matter was accurate and enticing. This may range from a well-constructed summary to appropriate categorizations for the rating or genres.

Reviewer comments: No comments.

Additional Comments

Overall, what could the author improve most to make the story better?

At present, I think only my impatience is coming up in desiring to see more happen and actually shove Ettie over that bump in the rode to getting better. I want to see her FLOURISH with these two both romantically and demonically. I am so impatient to see it happen, but know it should ultimately be worth it. I am trusting the author on this because she has not disappointed!

Overall, what did the author excel at that really made the story for you?

I really enjoy a lot of things in this story - from all the small intricacies that have been put into this post-barrier removal/demon-integration section of the world, the uniqueness of the OFC and other side-characters, and the well-thought-out points of the slow-burn and relationship building - this story has a lot of promise to be great in many ways. It makes me want to stick around to see more!

What was your favorite moment in the story? Were there any particularly funny or surprising moments?

It's not a moment, but the choice to have a polyamorous story to this depth is great and really, really hooked me. I wanted to see how the author went about it and so far, all the best developmental details have been taken to really set it up. To that end, it might be the interactions between Hiei and Yusuke, on the romantic side, that I've enjoyed the most. I cannot wait until we get to see ALL THREE OF THEM TOGETHER PLEASE IM DYING AND LIVING FOR IT... ahem.

[luckystarchild]

“Rescue Yukina” Is a Weird Arc

OK SO LIKE I’m at the Rescue Yukina arc in Lucky Child, right? And that means I have to re-read/watch the manga/anime and as I’m doing that I’m finding...weird stuff??? 

Case in point: SPIRIT WORLD MESSENGER BIRDS?!

As per my post a few days back, APPARENTLY Yukina’s little friends are Spirit World spies?! They did NOT mention that in the anime. I rewatched episode 22 and the birds are NOT mentioned. The only thing Koenma says on the subject is, “According to Spirit World intelligence, she’s being held in a mountain stronghold...” AND APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO THE MANGA THAT “INTELLIGENCE” IS ACTUALLY BIRDS OR SOMETHING, IDK.

KURAMA IS IN CAHOOTS WITH KOENMA?! AND IS ALSO IN THIS ARC IN THE FIRST PLACE??

Right at the start of episode 22, Kurama is shown IN Spirit World discussing Hiei’s role in this case. So Kurama knows Hiei’s connection to Yukina through Koenma?? In the manga it’s established that Yusuke is the one who clued Kurama in (a tiny aside that says “Yusuke blabbed” when Kurama taunts Hiei over Yukina). Kurama isn’t even in this arc in the manga, let alone in cahoots with Koenma.

(Side note: This is one of the few times we see one of the main four boys actually present in Spirit World in the anime. Aside from Yusuke’s ghostly visit to the place, I think Kurama is the only one we ever see in Koenma’s office. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. The manga makes a point of saying you leave your body behind if you visit that world, so I assume Kurama must be astral-projecting in this scene.)

Pictured above, Kurama also shows up at the end of the arc in the anime to just... IDK, be on screen for eight seconds? Kurama’s presence here has no point and serves no purpose. I think the animators only added him in because he was popular and they didn’t want him off-screen for too long lest they call down the wrath of the fangirls.

BOTAN STAYS BEHIND?!

Yeah, that’s right. The anime features Botan on her oar, flying around, getting abducted by spider demons, and of course there’s the whole “Raise your arms!” bit when she gets caught by the third member of the Demon Triad. Pictured below: Spiders.

Alas, none of that happens in the manga. The manga gives us this gem before the boys depart, but otherwise she’s not really featured in this story arc.

(Also Botan gets abducted so many times this arc and doesn’t help them very much; why was she even here, but to appease fans who might miss her???)

NO LAND MINES

We all remember that one part where Yusuke and Kuwabara step into some landmines and then come out glowing, badass as hell and totally unphased. Toonami used it in the YYH promo reel back in the day. 

There is no equivalent scene in the manga, which makes me sad. HOWEVER...

GUNS, POORLY DRAWN, AND LOTS OF ‘EM IN THE MANGA

Is the middle goon ONE-HAND-FIRING a SHOTGUN?! We’ve got a pistol, an automatic of some ilk, and... TBH I don’t even know what that one in the middle is supposed to be. But the boys only face the Triad in the anime, no goons with guns at all, though said goons are shown fleeing during the aforementioned land mine scene. I guess the anime draws the line at gun violence but violence against demons is A-OK! Also the guns don’t seem to bother Yusuke and Kuwabara...

ALSO WHY DOES TARUKANE HAVE A TANDEM-ROTOR HELICOPTER? It looks military, but maybe that’s just the color they chose...

A NIGHT IN THE WOODS + RANDOMLY PLACED HIEI BACKSTORY

The manga doesn’t show Yusuke and Kuwabara sleeping by a campfire as the anime does (see above). Apparently the whole arc in the manga takes place in a single day. The anime decided to extend their journey... apparently with the express purpose of shoehorning in some random Hiei backstory FOR NO REASON, and to show Hiei having a nightmare. 

I guess you could argue it’s just characterization the manga lacked, but it’s w/e. Still kind of a weird choice. But at least we know where the fandom got the idea that Hiei likes sleeping in trees... it’s the animators’ fault.

Also note that we don’t see Hiei till the very end of this arc in the manga, but the anime decided to show him sleeping in a tree and, like, running around and jumping through the forest a bunch saying dramatic things like, “Yukina! I’m coming!” IDK why. Once again, the animators feared the wrath of the fangirls. 

BYE BYE YUKINA

The last big discrepancy is this whole scene with Kuwabara and Hiei and Yusuke apparently going with Yukina into a blizzard to tell her goodbye. Like, did they travel to Demon World or something with her?? How’d she get back?? Was there a portal?? Who made it?? Or did Yukina just wander off into the nearest snowstorm and hope for the best?? This was, as you might expect, NOT in the manga at all and yet another drama-grab on part of the animation staff.

These aren’t all of the differences in this arc (not by a long shot) but I figured someone might be interested in these in the meantime. Might do a Part 2 if I get more material. Thanks!