#they have something from the manga (both individually and together) that no other adaptation was able to replicate

[mirien3]

秘密～THE TOP SECRET～ (2025) Maki Tsuyoshi (Itagaki Rihito) & Aoki Ikkou (Nakajima Yuto)

[glamourscat]

Possible… Rin Okumura… nsfw alphabet headcanons? If it’s okay?

RIN OKUMURA NSFW ALPHABET HCS

a/n: not proofread :(, i hope it's what you were looking for?!

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

I can see a lot of cuddles. Maybe a bit of confusion the first time, considering it will be Rin's first experience. But he is a fast learner. Once he is used to the emotional spiral of intimacy, I think his favourite part would be aftercare. Just holding you, breathless, together staring at the ceiling in comfortable silence and lazy kisses? Yes sir. 

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

I think he would particularly like his back and hands. His hands because they allow him to cook the food you so much love, but simultaneously allow him to squeeze and hold your body. Which brings me to my second point.

He is a boob guy. I have said it. Sorry, not sorry. Yeah, he likes to squeeze them. And his hands do just the perfect job. But small or big, they are still his favourite pillow to use. Especially because he gets to listen to your heart. 

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

I do not know if it’s related or not, but with him being half demon his body has adapted and changed from the “normal” human body. I think it would probably enjoy finishing inside, because of his half demon instincts. Yes, there would be quite a lot…

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

More like a thought. After you two got together he felt like his hormones were all over the place. Even just a single hand holding got him worked up. He felt ashamed and embarrassed, because like… get it together? It almost felt like trying to control his flames all over again, just this time, he was finishing in his pants just at the thought of having you close.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Not experienced at all, but a fast learner!

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Anything he can see your face. I think he would be such a kisser during sex, more than he already is. 

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He is already a goofy individual per se, i think he would try to act– be serious, the first time around. But as you two learn more about each other, he realises there’s nothing better than him being himself. He loves your laugh and if he can make you feel good and laugh? Yeah thats a double win

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

I can’t really see him as the type who grows a lot of hair in general. I do think he would have a very faint happy trail leading not a few hair, trimmed. Not too long, not shaved completely. Just comfortable for the both of you. 

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He is romantic. Or tries to. Sometimes it seems like he is joking, but he is just an awkward ball. Overall, he is very very sweet. And wants nothing but to make sure you are well and feeling good. Also, soft whispers and moans in your ear/neck, he loves feeling your reactions when he does that.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

I mean… he probably has read some spicy manga before. Mostly when he was single. I don’t know, he seems like the type to do so. 

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

So… strong mummy kink? Yeah, I know. Biting, dry humping, fem dom, praise and worship, pegging. 

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

His or your room. He needs the time and comfort to make you and him both feel good without distractions. 

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

The vibes, but generally just you. Being together, maybe a makeout session turning into something more. Late night talks turning into sleepy sex. Showers turning more intimate. Just the intimacy, almost the domestic like, vibes between you two. 

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

restraints, sure, he loves pulling you close by his tail. But no, he wouldn’t use it to make you stop moving. He likes the closeness too much, but especially because he doesn’t want to hurt you. Anything that can hurt, is a no.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Big on receiving. The first time he gets a blow job I think he would probably see stars lmao. He also just loves holding your hair, caressing your cheeks and just praising you when you do it. But, he won’t pass down on giving. He will eat like he is starving, just saying.  

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Is not sex, it’s love with him. Period. There might be some rough thrusts but it’s more out of a pleasure thing, not out of lust. His pace will change base on what you two both need, but it will always start off slow and sensual.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Not a fan. Maybe quickies n1 hater. He needs to take his time. However, i do think he would enjoy occasional foreplay or dryhumping without going further if you two do not have much time. It’s a double edge sword, though, because once you two start he just wants to continue lol.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He does love risks, does he not? He would be down to experiment as long as you're too. Maybe trying some weird position you two read about, even if it turns out bad, he knows you two can just laugh about it.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Solid two. Objectively, he can go for more, but he is considerate of how many you want. As I have said, sex with him is more than just that. Is a whole emotional and mental connection– which can be draining in a good way.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

I don’t think he does own some, but, if his partner does then he will be intrigued enough to try and use them on you. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

A TEASE. Too much. But then you do it right back at him and he is whining, moaning and begging to stop. 

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

LOUD. can’t be silent for the life of him. He just can’t. He wants you to feel good and for him to know. And vice versa he will do the same. His moans are the most beautiful thing ever.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

The first few times you two were intimate he was so nervous, just a mess, that a tiny flame or two would appear on his head especially towards the end, close to him finishing. He is still embarrassed about it to this day, especially because after the first time he came, he cried. It was just too good, ok? No judging.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Curved up, cute blushy pink tip, on the thicker side? Solid 6 inches when hard. 

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

I think is high. Just– high lmao. I do not know if it’s confirmed in canon, but do demons have a mating season? Yeah…

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Not fast, he would like for you two to chat a bit first. Maybe take a bath together and eat something. He is so big on intimacy time where sex is not involved. Just being closed, naked bodies close, as he caresses you and you two whisper sweet nothing to each other. 

[h3rmess]

Blue lock chapter 298 is absolute horror (spoilers for non-manga readers ahead)

rip nagi I’m gonna miss you my goat you would’ve loved the u-20 World Cup

Genuinely I cried when I saw his rank. I thought it was fake but it wasn’t 💔💔

So…what do we do now?

Nagi was actually pretty close to doing something IF ONLY he hadn’t seen reo and passed to him.

It’s like that saying “old habits die hard” AND THEY DIED HARD ALRIGHT.

Nagi needed to reach point zero to be reborn but he couldn’t do it. And he knew he couldn’t but he still tried and failed. And I think it was inevitable that Nagi wouldn’t have a comeback. It would’ve been too convenient

I think this proves that nagi and Reo’s relationship before was flawed (NOT that they’re incompatible tho) and for them to be able to work together again, they would both need to be reborn and find a new formula for them to team up.

It’s one thing to have your goals align, but it’s something else to be codependent

For example, Otoya and karasu. They make an amazing duo and their goals and play styles align, yet they don’t need each other to survive.

It was different with Nagi and reo because they only started playing because of each other. This meant that they were never able to hone their skills individually and since they were on the same team during first selection, this meant that they weren’t able to grow separately.

And even though they were on different teams during second selection, I feel like this also stunted nagi’s growth as he wanted to play with isagi to see what football is like with him, which shows that he needs someone else to encourage and guide him.

This was different from reo, firstly bc he’s a talented learners, and secondly because both chigiri and kunigami have individualistic ego types.

this forced reo to adapt and be able to fight on his own.

so basically what I think is that it’s harder for a genius to adapt than a talented learner because being a genius relies on instinct and being a talented learner is about reading the situation and adapting to it. In order for nagi to evolve he would need to hone his instincts and his creativity which is what makes me thing that they’re are pushing nagi to become a individualistic + freedom type

sorry this chapter gave me so much to talk about BYEE

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

There's a small moment in the Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime that I thought was pretty cute. It's close to the beginning, during the Hunter Exam, when they're looking for pigs in the forest. Gon slides down a hill, and Killua follows him, only for him to crash because Gon had stopped at the bottom of the hill. This scene!

It's one of those rare little bits added by an adaptation that really add to the characters - because yeah, this was not in the manga.

I find this anime is really good at adding little moments that either

are just cute or endearing

are fun extra interactions that show off the character dynamics more

actually highlight something about the characters in question

This one, I feel, does all three. First of all, I just love seeing Killua a bit more involved in their group before the eventual reveal of "he just wanted to be friends". It's really sweet.

But mostly, I think it's interesting that Killua assumed Gon was just messing around, when Gon was actually focusing his efforts on beating the challenge. Because, sure, Killua finds Gon somewhat intriguing, and he really wants to stick around him due to his desire for a friend - but Killua still sees himself as a class above pretty much everyone else there, and also as an assassin in a category so firmly removed from "regular kid".

So, Killua totally misreads Gon here. He assumes Gon is just doing a regular kid thing and attempts to mimic it so he can join in. It doesn't actually occur to him that Gon was tracking the pigs, or focusing on the task at hand.

It's a far cry from later on, where Killua and Gon are primarily a team effort - in sync, aware of the others' strengths, and taking each other quite seriously.

And part of it, of course, is that they just don't know each other very well at this point. But I think another thing is that Killua, during most of the Hunter Exam, is more invested in what Gon represents than who he is, necessarily.

His first friend represents rebellion against his family, childish enjoyment, and the desire for connection and understanding that he is not receiving. And even though, as time goes on, he grows more and more impressed with Gon, I really don't think it fully clicked that he wanted that friend he wished for to be specifically Gon until he was confronted by Illumi.

I also think Killua takes Gon a lot more seriously after the fight with Hanzo, and especially after Gon went all the way to the Zoldyck estate to save him. Before the Hanzo fight, Killua was outright irritated by Gon being ranked higher than him overall, and was even a little bitter at the beginning of the fight ("I could've dodged that easily" comes to mind).

By Heavens Arena, I feel they both have a much firmer grasp on, and appreciation for, who the other is as a person. Killua is more consciously aware of his investment in Gon as an individual rather than an abstract, and Gon is aware of Killua's crappy upbringing and is quick to be very supportive of him as he figures things out for himself.

During the Hunter Exam though, a lot of the interactions between them feel a lot like Killua is either mimicking or acting out "regular kid" behaviours, either because that's what he thinks Gon is already doing, or he wants to see if Gon will respond in kind.

Aaaaand... he does. :)

So, while they do not have what I feel is a true depth of bond here yet, the foundation is already being laid down for their powerful friendship - Gon and Killua both show an immediate willingness and enjoyment to go along with what the other wants to do and to try out what the other is good at, and they wind up having a whole lot of fun together right off the bat.

[animehouse-moe]

Just a little heads up regarding the sexual humour in Undead Unluck in the manga it’s gone after a couple of chapters in the beginning. If you were to take a look at the story now and look at the beginning you wouldn’t think it’s the same story. So it’ll probably be a few episodes until it goes away. I felt the same when I first started reading it and now watching the anime I find it cringe because I kinda blocked it out 😭 but it’s still a good story with great characters I like how the studio is adapting it. Hope you enjoy future episodes :) also looking forward to your reviews !!

Well isn't that some good news haha.

It's good to hear that because the narrative structure and world is immediately appealing through these first two episodes. The author is clearly intelligent in how they do things because of how they paired up the two negators in this episode, in my opinion.

Sticking characters together with similar abilities is an easy way to confuse characters and readers/viewers alike, because where one ability ends and the other begins can be a bit of a hazy line, and they use Fuuko to represent that in contrast to Andy. It's also very nice to see them immediately go for a negation that isn't too simple since it gives viewers something to mull over for next week.

Apparently this has turned into a full blown rambling of my thoughts once more, so let me hide the rest because of talking theory haha

On the topic of negators and their abilities, I personally feel like Shen's negation is has something to do with desire or impulse. Their negation can be seen as "simple" when you look at it in just Fuuko's context (or even Andy's as well if you're not really paying attention. While it might sound similar to how Andy describes it as "will", Shen's hint of it being a power that works on "your deep psyche". Will is the representation of something much more shallow. Sort of like the idea of conscious will vs unconscious impulse.

Anyways, an example of where things get jumbled up is Shen is able to cause Fuuko to run in reverse, which is a surprisingly similar feat to how he allows Andy to aim for his weak point so that he can "invert" Andy's actions like Fuuko. But it can't just be the act of reversal, as Andy ends up frozen by Shen when he hesitates about killing him.

If I were to try and explain it in my own words, Shen is negating the instinct of the characters. Fuuko didn't think about running to Andy, she just did it. Andy didn't "think" about not killing Shen, he physically hesitated. That sort of thing.

Anyways, to bring a long story short here, the depth expressed so quickly with Negators shows a lot of potential in how the author is approaching the concept which is great to see. Oh, and also thanks to Shen's dialogue towards the end of the episode, their power works on looking at the individual. You could argue that it's "eye contact", but Andy's fight vs Void shows that mutual eye contact isn't a requirement (though Shen does only close a single eye once during the sequence, so it's shown that you don't need both eyes on the target for it to work).

But I'll got a step further regardless. Immediately, the benign rule of 10 Negators in the Union poses an interesting question. Why only ten? Personally, it sounds like someone, or something is using the Union as puppets to cull and control the negators around the world. You might say, "well that makes sense", but it doesn't. If the Union can wield Negators as a weapon, why would they kill them, and why would they so quickly accept the people that killed Union members as their replacements?

It reeks of an unseen hand controlling negators and their population through the Union, but aside from a group in direct opposition of the Negators, I'm not sure what it would be. I'd have a hard time believing it's a Negator that's at the head of this plot, but it's not like we have any examples of people that are whatever the opposites of a negator would be called.

The thing that confuses me the most though is the seats. Ten seats at a table that resembles a clock (where are the other two?), and I can't help but be reminded of the clock in the first episode's cold open, as well as the visuals that appeared when the clock struck midnight (does removing the last two seats of twelve have something to do with the visuals, or with Andy and Fuuko specifically?). Could a doomsday be in the cards, or is it something to do with a Negator that can control time? Or am I just reading way too far into this?

Only manga readers will know I guess, which makes it even funnier that this is responding to someone who read the manga. I just couldn't help but mull over my thoughts here though so I hope you don't mind.

So yeah, past the very rough and prickly humor here, these first two episodes have a lot going for them in reassuring me that there's a really good story ready to unfold.

[otterinterests]

I've already run into this problem with other fandoms. The main problem I get with this as a reader? THEY COUNT AS CROSSOVERS IF YOU TAG ALL APPLICABLE SUBTAGS!

Example: You write a Jujutsu Kaisen fic. You set it in a part that's been covered in the anime, and have read the manga so part of your characterisation comes from that. So you tag both JJK (anime) and JJK (manga). Someone comes along and wants to read a JJK fic and so is searching JJK manga because they watch and read. But they don't want to see any crossovers at all. There's a handy button that is "exclude crossovers". This person checks that button. And suddenly, and JJK (manga) fic that is also tagged with JJK (anime) gets excluded, because these two identical piece of media count as seperate fandoms, ergo are crossovers.

I usually exclude crossovers! Unless I'm in the mood for it, I don't want to see the top 10 fics of my new obscure fandom be Harry Potter crossovers or something. But now I have to individually exclude each cross over fandom because the manga and anime count as separate fandoms! It's such a massive pain to do. Particularly when 90% of fics in a fandom use both anime and manga tags because the story is exactly the same. I asked about it around a year ago and got this as the response.

Thanks for contacting us. The tag wranglers have replied as follows: "We appreciate hearing from you. Over the years, we have received many complaints by fans who prefer manga to other adaptations that we were consistently merging such manga into more-popular anime adaptations. We were not doing the same for light novels or video games, as those were being treated like English-language fandoms. To avoid causing primarily manga fans this kind of difficulty and creating the implication that we don’t care about fans who primarily prefer manga, we changed our policy a few years ago. New fandoms created after these complaints were received are now canonized separately as (Anime) or (Manga), not together as (Anime & Manga). Therefore, we are not canonizing new (Anime & Manga) combined fandoms, or creating new "All Media Types" tags of this kind. As well, particularly in cases where the canons are not yet complete, we cannot know whether they will diverge at some point, causing many problems if they had been previously treated as the same. Unfortunately this means that if users choose to tag with both the anime and manga versions of the fandom tag, their works will be treated as a crossover. There is no solution to this issue at present, other than to only tag with the most applicable version of the fandom. We regret the inconvenience.

So essentially, they have no solution.

(Also, it definitely has happened to Video Games. Compilation of FFVII anyone? Imagine trying to individually tag what FFVII media you pulled info from)

New AO3 Tag Wrangling Policy and the Transformers Fandom

(This is a long one, folks, but I think it's important.)

A new tag-wrangling policy on AO3 has the potential to create some massive confusion and chaos in the Transformers fanfic community, with regards to fandom tags. There is a Reddit post about it here with a focus on anime fandoms, but I want to give some concrete examples for the Transformers fandom on why we DO NOT WANT this, and why I think it's a horrible idea.

The Problem

Basically, AO3 is looking to get rid of the "All Media Types" fandom tag across the board, either by dismantling them or just not maintaining them. The Transformers - All Media Types tag has been an all-purpose tag that you could select when your story doesn't fall into any one specific continuity. Additionally, all most (see below) TF continuities on AO3 are considered a subtag of the Transformers - All Media Types tag. For example, if you look at the link above for all works in the All Media Types tag, you will see fics that are also tagged ONLY with Transformers: Animated, because it falls under the All Media Types tag.

One exception: With the upcoming Transformers: One movie coming out imminently, there will likely be a big influx of stories tagged with Transformers: One. In fact, there are several already. However, it hasn't been linked to the larger Transformers - All Media Types tag yet. I wasn't worrying about it though, because I know these things can take time.

With information about this new tagging policy, however, I'm now wondering whether it'll EVER get linked to the All Media Types tag. If that happens, and when more continuities are developed in the coming years (since you know Hasbro loves creating new universes) this has the potential to cause massive confusion when looking for stories to read.

Searching for Stories with the New Tagging System

So let's say the All Media Types fandom tag isn't accurate anymore, because it no longer includes ALL of the continuities (such as TF:One). You will need to include ALL the Transformers continuities when browsing for TF fics.

How many tags is that? Well, here are all of the tags currently listed under the Transformers - All Media Types tag:

Note that this doesn't include Transformers: One since it hasn't been categorized yet.

You will potentially have to have 40 or more different fandom tags in your search, just in case the author tagged their story with something you weren't expecting.

This massively decreases the findability of a story.

Tagging with the New System

The email response from the Tag Wrangling group (see the linked Reddit post above) seems to be a bit flip in the response to the user's concern. "...encourages creators to tag with the media they intend."

While I appreciate what they are attempting to do, this policy change feels like a solution in search of a problem, especially in larger fandoms with multiple continuities, versions, and media types that are all cross-pollinated in both canon and fanon. While I'm focusing on Transformers fandom, imagine a creator in the DC comic universe writing a story that incorporates bits and pieces from a dozen different reboots.

For example, let's say that I am writing a fic about Ratchet. I am using the setting of the original G1 episodes, but I also am using the characterization of him as a bit of an old man grump. That characterization originated in the Animated continuity, but I want to incorporate bits of pieces of his other characterizations as well (old friend of Optimus from TFP, Ratchet ran a faction-free clinic like he did in the War for Cybertron series, he's got a Decepticon boyfriend like in IDW1 - or maybe even Cyberverse, etc.)

With this new tagging structure, I might potentially have to tag the story with ALL of those continuities. So instead of just slapping down the "All Media Types" tag (and maybe one other fandom tag that matches the characters as best I can), I'll have to analyze my story and try to figure out how best to tag for the characters I used.

And what if you're doing a completely AU version of the story? For example, a humanformers story, or merformers? Using the All Media Types tag along with a Alternate Universe - Human or Alternate Universe - Mermaid tag worked perfectly, since you weren't writing the story to fit into one specific continuity. But now, that might not be an option.

What To Do??

The first thing I would suggest is to contact AO3 (using the Feedback and Support page) and let them know (nicely) that you think this is a horrible idea. Give them some examples on how you use the All Media Types tag to find stories to read, or to help you tag a story. People outside of the Transformers fandom don't always appreciate how absolutely tangled the continuities can be with each other, and providing examples might help them see why this would be a really messy change.

Readers: Be aware that when you are looking in the All Media Types tag, it will no longer show newer continuities. And if AO3 starts dismantling that tag like they suggested they are doing, be aware that some stories won't show up in that tag like they used to. You can also create and then bookmark a custom search page that includes all 40+ continuities. REALLY annoying, but it's a workaround.

Writers: Until they start dismantling the All Media Types tag, ALWAYS ALWAYS tag your stories using Transformers - All Media Types... Especially for newer continuities. This will be especially important if you are writing a Transformers: One story. Right now, anyone who is only browsing the All Media Types tag will not see a story tagged only with Transformers: One. Make sure you're aware of how tags work and how they can affect the visibility and findability of your story.

Epilogue

Ugh. That's a lot of words for a long-weekend Saturday. And maybe I'm overreacting a tiny bit. But my work involves information architecture, and this change just absolutely baffles me. It's almost as though they want to make it harder to find stories. Considering that AO3 won a Hugo partially because of its fantastic tagging system, this change seems like AO3 is doing its best to shoot itself in the foot.

When you have a square hole, a round hole, and a rectangular hole… Yeah, you DO want each peg to go in the "right" hole. But if all of the pegs fit in the square hole, who cares? You got the job done.

I love you @ao3org, but please reconsider this change... Especially for IPs that are as old and are as varied as Transformers.

[candyjellydream]

nct dream x akatsuki no yona

💬 why? because i can- nO. really... this is something i've been thinking about a lot for a long time. after all, my favorite group is nct dream and akatsuki no yona is my favorite manga. i just NEEDED this parallel. there might be a lot of self-indulgent stuff, tho.

mark lee x yona

ah, the protagonist syndrome. i feel like mark would fit in very well with a character like yona. noble origins but naive. one day, they would be placed in a situation where everything they believe in is taken away from them and they still manage to remain true to what they believe in. truly good and concerned with the well-being of others and yet a very firm and strong person. easy to adapt, strong and independent. and above all: both are someone who charms and influences everyone around them. leader of a group of very different people. the force that unites them.

huang renjun x yoon

i believe that renjun would also make a lot of sense in other characters, like ki-ja for example, but there is something about him that screams yoon much more than all the others. they both have roles within the group that only they can play, no matter what other internal dynamics are involved. they are the person who is not only there to take care of the group, but is also capable of making so many HARD-HEADED people pull themselves together. they are irreplaceable, although there are those who doubt their value. wonderful heart, very fair and determined. the irritation that happens sometimes is totally understandable, and an added charm.

lee jeno x hak son

okay, hear me out- for some, this may not make much sense, they may think it's self-indulgent because it's jeno and hak-who are simply the characters i love most in the world. the similarities i find in the two seemed very subtle at first, but the more i think about it, the more sense it makes. jeno and hak both have a reputation and a fierce aura about them, they have an enviable physique and skills, but deep down, there's so much more. i think other people sometimes overestimate how much they both are there for the team, and people who really know them know this. they seem to be individualistic but they are incredibly warm. they are the strength of the group and extremely loyal. really, never doubt their loyalty. the most logical, practical people but also the biggest yearner people you will ever meet. they just love truly.

lee donghyuck x jae-ha

i think people could see this one coming. this parallel is fun to analyze even when we compare individual dynamics. i think both jae-ha and donghyuck are controversial personalities. it's easy to like them, but who really sees the nuances of their personalities? life of the party. very witty people, sometimes, to the point of annoys you-but that's their charm. i think donghyuck fits those types of characters who put on a social mask that hides their true thoughts and history. jae-ha deals with problems by making jokes, being irresponsible and is simply TERRIFIED of getting attached, but when he finds the right people, he sees them as family, and in his own way, he protects them and is one of the most observant and warm people out there. when we see their brat ways, we don't imagine how much emotional baggage they carry around. complex, fun, and sometimes a total mystery.

na jaemin x ki-ja

at first, i thought it wouldn't really match, but if we analyze it closely, we can see similarities in small things that are very significant. i think they both have energy spikes sometimes, and they have very subtle personalities. i can see jaemin being pampered and treated like a prince his whole life, and yet having strong opinions about duty and loyalty over what really matters. even the nagging they do it's the same in some ways if we stop and think about it. they're both organized, clean, and both have hearts full of love. their personality can be quite headstrong, straightforward sometimes but still very polite. they're both pretty guys. analyzing the dynamics between the characters and the dreamies, i think this parallel between ki-ja and jaemin makes even more sense.

zhong chenle x zeno

sunshine chenle and zeno are actually so important to me. the way they both communicate, sometimes without much scruple, their constant energy and even how they are kind of foodies is so on point. this parallel makes a lot of sense. the way they present themselves to the world that makes us disbelieve in the possibility that they could have gone through something bad in the past and surprise us with the depth and all the nuances that they have already lived. due to their expansive personality, sometimes it is even difficult to see that they are actually quite complex, and above all, an essential part of the group. the energy, the good humor and all other things sometimes do not make us think how complex they are. they are perceptive, and will not always express it, but when they do, they can be very direct. there is always much more than we see when it comes to them. they have always been there at all times, they have their moments of wisdom and will always be on the front line to protect those who are important to them. kind, energetic and much more than that.

park jisung x shin-ah

texto.

[sanjiafsincedayone]

Why SaNa over other ships?

Now, this is not to hate on other ships or downplay them, because what shipping really comes down to is often simply preference. What characters or dynamics you enjoy and what reasons you might have for liking different things. 

No, this is simply my own reasons for why I like SaNa and also why I think they could make sense and thirdly why it’s possible Oda could be setting it up to actually happen in canon. It’s all just my views and I apologize if I forget a moment or add something that is more head canon, but again, this is my reasons and they will always be partially biased. (And there are too many to remember them all properly, so if you want to add feel welcome to do so.)

I think Sanji and Nami is a lovely ship even based just on fan content and the community. But we also get some great moments in the manga, and I personally think there is potential for Oda to make an actual romance work between them.

1. Why I like Sanji and Nami

I personally fell in love with Sanji before I even started to watch or read One Piece, simply based on his voice actor (Hiroaki Hirata), his design and his fighting style. So obviously I already have a bias towards Sanji (SanjiAFsincedayone having a bias towards Sanji? Who knew?). I didn’t ship Sanji with Nami from the start and even now I am a multi shipper who enjoys fan content with Sanji as a main part of several pairs, most prominently ZoSan.

So, when did I fall for SaNa then? Well, I have talked about it in various posts before which you can find in my Masterpost - SanjiAFsincedayone, but for me shipping Sanji and Nami more seriously didn’t start until Thriller Bark. 

Sanji took a knife in the back for her as she is dressed in a wedding dress, even this one scene is enough to explain why someone might like to ship them together.

I for sure saw many SaNa moments before that, and felt Nami seemed special to Sanji, but I didn’t think it would have a big chance of happening and I preferred other ships above it when consuming fan material. Again, shipping is after all mostly fantasy and wanting more of something in a romantic/sexual way. Thriller Bark was when Sanji and Nami’s interactions caught my attention properly and I started to look a bit closer and actually note the way Oda wrote them and their moments. Going back after and rereading I think there is a lot of interesting things even before that. But the wedding theme and bridal carry and how Oda showed them in Thriller Bark was just too on the nose to ignore.

What got me into shipping Sanji with Nami were mainly three things. 

1. Their dynamics getting more interesting over time and Sanji and Nami being two of the most well written and interesting characters in One Piece. 2. Sanji consistently seeming to have a preference for Nami in combination with my belief that he is after true love and isn’t just a pervert forever doomed to be alone. 3.  The manga showing the potential of it actually happening and them finally catching my attention in Thriller Bark. Basically there are moments to follow and look at in the actual story as well, which in turn also leads to more fan content and material for shippers.

So point 1 and 2 really is mostly about my preference and how much I enjoy watching them together and how well I imagine they would fit together. I think their personalities and desires overlap well with them being able to understand and compromise for each other while aslo being on a similar level of intelligence and communication. They also have their kindness and empathy as a highlighted shared theme for their characters.

Them talking about the Children in Punk Hazard or Sanji helping Nami turn in the argument between both Luffy and Vivi and Luffy and Usopp are some examples. Or Nami letting Sanji smoke in her body because she knows how hard it is for him. Small gestures like this show both understanding and a willingness to compromise.

I think they are fun and have a relationship that right now might need working on, but it’s clear how much they care for each other and how they actually appriciate each other a lot.

Simply put I think they are interesting together and I think they could work as a romantic couple in the future, where their dreams and family oriented views migh allign. Again, from how I view them as characters and interpret their wants and possible futures I think Sanji and Nami is a good match. They can have a restaurant either traveling the world or docked close to both Cocoyashi and Zeff, Nami can tend to her mikans together with Sanji and they can manage a restaurant for a living. I also think they are the most parental members in the crew and has shown some possible signs of wanting to settle down with families. This would also work well as a final contrast to their less than happy childhoods (You might also want to check out my post (Part 3) Sanji x Nami hints - Thematic parallels).

There is a lot of potential in their dynamics and how different they seem while they also seem willing to adapt and try to understand each other that make them interesting as characters of romantic plots. At the same time they have enough in common to relate to each other and work well together. Again, as a fictional ship within the fandom there is a lot of great artists, writers etc. that truly explore them and make Sanji and Nami a great and fun ship with an active fandom to engage with.

Of course there are more shallow reasons like them matching in age and being good-looking but really I could ship Sanji with almost any woman if it was only about the looks. I mean, Purin is basically made to be a perfect match for Sanji, but I personally find his dynamic with Nami much more interesting and his dedication to Nami is of course unpraralleled thanks to the time Oda has spent on them over many years.

I love Sanji and Nami as individual characters and with the amount of moments between them there is also a lot to explore and enjoy in the manga. It makes them interesting in a third aspect for me, which is of course analysis and the potential of them actually ending up together and looking closer at the way Oda writes them from a story perspective. For me what we have gotten from Oda in terms of Sanji x Nami moments is very interesting and I see potential there even though it would need more development to truly work for the current story.

But, again shipping doesn’t have to mean anything for the actual story... There are crack ships or slash ships that surely will never happen but that could still be great and fun to explore for the fans. Honestly, everyone is free to ship whatever they want. We all have different taste after all.

So, what about the manga then? 

2. Why do I think they could make sense as a romantic couple even in canon?

First, my own view is that Sanji is someone who seeks true love, and as briefly shown with both Violet and Purin it seems like he would take an actual relationship seriously if given the chance. I also think it would make him happy and thus as Oda might want to create happy resolutions for the strawhats I think Sanji ending up with someone has quite a big chance of happening. This is combination with his preference for Nami and in turn Nami truly caring for him (though not yet in a romantic way) is something that makes me think it could happen. Other ships have potential too depending on how Oda decides to develop them, but considering how he keeps adding moments for SaNa in the way he does as of now I still think SaNa is the most likely ship for Sanji.

As I mentioned earlier I also think Nami has shown some possible inclinations for wanting a family (or at least being a great mother if we look at her with children in many arc, not the least Punk Hazard) and maybe even getting married eventually. 

If she ends up with someone we will need to see a more obvious attraction and want for romance from her no matter what ship we might consider. She has at this point not shown a lot, but I do think the thematic parallels she shares with Sanji in combination with how their moments are written has the potential to grow into something more. 

As a romantic pair I think Sanji and Nami would be happy, he would adore her and take care of her and both of them would probably find that ideal. In fact it’s already a big part of their dynamics and seem to make them both happy. They also seem to try to understand and show interest in knowing each other as seen with several scenes and general attention towards each other’s backstories. They also challange each other in different ways and we have seen them compromise a few times. I think compared to many other relationship in the manga Oda has shown more personal moments between them. So a romantic additional aspect is not too far off. Not that Oda would make it happen now, but that he would lay down the groundwork for it to work by the end of the series.

In short I think they would make each other happy, but also challange and grow thanks to the other. I think their dreams of traveling the world with Nami drawing her map and Sanji cooking on all the seas and finding All Blue and then settiling down together close to both their “homes” in East Blue with a restaurant and family seems to fit them both. It wouldn’t always be easy, but I think they would actually enjoy their dynamics with Nami bossing Sanji around most of the time.

Now this all sounds nice and all, but it’s of course just my imagination based on biased interpretations of the manga. So where do I get it from?

3. The way SaNa is portrayed by Oda

Now this is really the biggest point... Because again, I can ship whatever characters I want and it is just for fun. It doesn’t have to happen for me to enjoy it or I wouldn’t ship Sanji with Zoro. But with Sanji and Nami there are legit reasons in addition to my preference that makes me think it could happen in the manga.

It might take years to actually go through it all in order with my additional interpretations, but I will try to go through the basics themes and moments that to me could indicate SaNa over any other Sanji or Namji ship.

I think the obvious thing to talk about first is simply how Sanji definitely has a romantic (and sexual) interest in Nami. No matter what other character you might see with either of them, this has been shown consistantly over the whole manga. You may argue that Sanji might be interested in others equally, and though I wouldn’t agree it’s a fair point. However from a story perspective it would still need to be resolved. It’s highly unlikely for Nami to end up with anyone unless Sanji ends up with someone else and gets a happy ending too.

As for Sanji’s interest in Nami I personally think Oda has paid a lot of attention to it in a way that makes it the most likely ship for Sanji. He might yet add moments between other ships and develop them (most notably San/Pu of course), but in my opinion the way Oda has added Nami in other potential romantic moments with Sanji it seems Nami is above every other woman so far.

Most importantly I think we have seen: 

Sanji leave Violet who actually seemed to show interest in him to run off to save Nami (and the crew, but the point is that Oda chose to highlight and add this moment with focus on Nami to begin with).

Sanji being more focused on Nami even when Vivi and Robin has been on the ship or at the same place. Oda definitely puts Sanji with Nami above other women at least in amount of moments and involvment.

Sanji being very concerned with Nami in front of Purin and being shown happy with her (the bridal carry for example) and saying he loves her right in front of Purin.

Sanji having stronger reactions to Nami than other women. This could just be my way of seeing it, but I do think we have seen the strongest reactions from Sanji when it comes to Nami. Not the least with turning into a literal devil when he heard she was kidnapped by Absalom. For example compare Sanji rushing after Nami in both Skypiea and Thriller Bark even to him going after Robin. Or his reaction to Nami getting sick in Drum. We simply have a lot of strong reactions from Sanji towards Nami in different ways and more importantly Oda seeming to add focus on them. 

We also have him reacting to things like “women’s tears” or calls but only indicating Nami might be calling him personally. For example Sanji hearing Tashigi cry or saying he trusts Violet or Robin even though they are lying but for Nami adding things like “I think I heard Nami call out for me” or moments like “I leave my Nami to you”. Basically the way Oda writes it there often seems to be added a more personal stake in Sanji’s reactions and moments with Nami compared to with other women.

So from Sanji’s point of view, and the way Oda has written them so far, I think he puts Nami above every other woman. But more importantly, Oda shows us moments between them that he doesn’t add for other ships as consistantly or in romantic looking ways. Keep in mind that both Nami and Sanji are main characters, but they are not Luffy. Oda choosing to not use Luffy (who will obviously have strong moments with all of his nakama, like how he had his own time with Sanji both in Baratie and WCI) for some of these moments but rather insert Sanji or Nami instead for each other’s stories makes it more relevant. Because it’s not an obvious choice in the same way. It’s a choice based on their characters and dynamics within the world, not because of their roles as main hero or heroine. Here are some examples.

1. Their first meeting. Sanji is for the first time seen in love cook mode and he basically seem ready to leave everything behind for Nami. Right away his reaction to Nami is stronger than what we have seen from him and it seems to hold true even with time.

2. SaNa having interest and plot relevance to each other’s back stories. Sanji getting involved with hearing Nami’s back story and saving his sister.  Also, calling her “sister” which indicates a platonic familiarity where he puts Nami above Nojiko romantically (yes, despite flirting some with her). Nami in turn also getting involved and showing interest in Sanji’s backstory, pushing to go with Luffy to save Sanji and being the one to remind us of Sanji’s past and character traits.

3. Sanji getting personally tantalized by using Nami. This has happened several times, the first with Kuroobi in Arlong Park, but also with Mr. 2 in Alabasta, Absalom in Thriller Bark and then in Fishman Island (Zou too, but that wasn’t just Nami) and on Zou. You can check my post (thought not updated fully) Sanji and Nami – Fights and danger for a more detailed view. (Even in movies like Strong World Sanji has a direct talk with Shiki about Nami and it seems most people are aware of Sanji being extra sensitive to Nami.)

4. Sanji asking Nami if she is jealous or if she loves him, indicating again that he is interested to know is she is interested in him. Once even responding “I love you too”. In general Nami responding in these situations in a more “positive way” or Oda showing Sanji interpreting her actions as more romantic. For example the “proposal” or the hug in WCI.

5. Romantic looking moments or themes. Now this is of couse not something that has been done mutually between them and thus aren’t actually romantic scenes. But the tropes and common use for many of the things that Oda has chosen to use for Sanji and Nami are romantic in nature. Of course the two forced marriages are the strongest examples with them rescuing each other from getting married to someone else. But we also have the switch body trope, the slap and of course smaller gestures like the bridal carries or the way Oda drew the hug between them in WCI. I am not saying that SaNa is the only ship with romantic looking moments, because San/Pu And San/Violet obviously has some as well. However, considering the amount SaNa moments and the fact that he has left Violet and Purin in particular for Nami seems to make the SaNa moments trump any other ship. At least for me personally SaNa as it is now and as Oda has portrayed it in comparison to other Sanji ships gets in the way of Sanji ending up with someone else unless Oda starts to make some changes.

I want to make some emphasis on how Nami and Sanji seem to get some “bigger” moments between them in almost every arc. Again, compare this to Sanji with other women, or even Nami with other crew members.

Baratie - Their first meeting and Sanji’s reaction to Nami and interest gets focus. Arlong Park - Sanji shows interest in Nami’s past and Kuroobi mocks Sanji by specfically mentioning Nami. ( Loguetown Arc, Reverse Mountain Arc, Whiskey Peak Arc and Little Garden mostly have small moments, like Sanji asking if Nami is jealous or Sanji giving Nami his jacket.) Drum Island - Nami is sick and we see Sanji worry and care for her and in the end even sacrificing himself for her. Nami worries about him too. Alabasta - Sanji fighting Mr. 2 looking like Nami and lots of small moments like Sanji asking Nami if she loves him.

Jaya - Nami showing interest in Sanji’s back story. Small things like Nami hiding for the bugs behind Sanji or Sanji. Skypiea - Sanji being hell-bent of saving Nami and making the others look for her. Then him saving Nami and Usopp from Enel and Nami being worried in return. (Both times Sanji gets hit by Enel Nami is there and worries.) Then a lot of small moments like him giving her a flower and Nami pulling Sanji’s ear for flirting with Conis. Long Ring Long Land - Nami encourage Sanji be the ball and win, but mostly small moments like Sanji getting annoyed with Aokiji for flirting with Nami or him sitting next to her and trying to kiss her. Water 7 - Sanji leaving his love letter to Nami and Nami being worried for (and impressed with) Sanji. Enies Lobby - Sanji losing against a woman, Nami being understanding and then stepping in to basically revenge him. Also Sanji hearing it as Nami loving him and then him showing up to save Nami and Usopp from Jyabura.

Post-Enies Lobby - Not much, but Sanji stepping in to make Nami and Zoro stop fighting and make Nami understand Zoro’s pov. Thriller Bark - Sanji just being extremely focused on Nami and worried about her throughout the whole arc. Also him getting specifically selected by Luffy to save Nami. Of course the wedding theme with the bridal carry and Sanji’s reaction to Nami. Also Sanji’s Zombie protecting Nami (and later kicking Robin) and his “obsession with Nami” being mentioned. Sabaody Archipelago - Another smaller arc, but we do get Nami worried about Sanji possibly drowning. And smaller moments like Sanji being angry for Nami being put in danger by the Fishman Riders or him telling Franky to take care of Nami as he runs to protect Zoro. When they return we of course also get the nosebleeds, and Sanji daydreaming about Nami’s development.

Fishman Island - Sanji’s reaction to Jinbei and Arlong. Also the fishmen pointing out that Nami might be their weakness due to Sanji’s “over reaction“ to her falling. Punk Hazard - The body swtich, Sanji’s body saving Nami and Sanji being careful with not hurting her etc. Also them working together to save the children, Sanji listening to Nami’s request and saying he loves her more because of her kindness. Also small things like Sanji giving his jacket to Nami again. Dressrosa - Sanji leaving Violet behind to save Nami, insisting that he should be the one to save her and then him getting attacked by Doflamingo and Nami getting worried and not wanting to leave him. Sanji basically tries to sacrifice himself for Nami for the 4th time (Drum, Skypiea x2, also maybe in Thriller Bark). Zou - We get a lot of focus on Nami and Sanji together, and then of course when Sanji is gone Nami is the driving force for his plot. Once again Nami is also used to taunt Sanji (inside Capone). Then Nami is both the one to mention Sanji being from North Blue and to listen to Pekom’s talk about his family. Not to mention her insisting on going with Luffy to WCI and having a fight with Zoro as she defends Sanji. Whole Cake Island - The way she pushes for them to find Sanji, her hapiness when they find him and her hurt and the slap. We even get something like Nami being tantalized with Sanji by both Purin and Brulee. The only strawhat besides Luffy who gets a personal story thread with Sanji and a personal resolution for their conflict is Nami. The tension seems personal and combined with Sanji having another love interest but choosing Nami above her it does seem like Nami is the more natural choice both for Sanji and for Oda. 

There is also a distinct increase in romantic-looking moments between them, with them touching more than ever before.

Wano - Even after WCI it doesn’t seem like Oda is stopping the SaNa moments. Sanji manages to save and carry Nami three times in the beginning of Wano. On top of that we have the bath scene and of course a lot of small moments and mentions between them like Sanji asking Usopp to take care of “My Nami-san” or Sanji jumping in abobe Nami to save her from arrows. 

How many times have we had Sanji be the one to go after Nami or save her? By his own choice, by being the one present or even by Luffy asking Sanji to go. Oda puts Sanji next to Nami a lot, and I think it’s possible he might be doing it for a reason.

Who knows what we might get, but the fact that we have as much as we do really seems to show Oda having a preference to put them together in various ways.

The point is they have a lot of time and moments dedicated to them from Oda despite them both being secondary characters. At this point it’s possible Sanji is the person Nami has moments with the most in the story besides Luffy (and perhaps Usopp) as they often end up together. Of course this is including them thinking about and talking about each other as well, and not just direct interacting. For example counting the body switch and Nami being worried and focused on Sanji while on Zou. Oda doesn’t have to, but he has chosen to write it like this. On top of that he adds romantic interest from Sanji and romantic looking moments between them.

I could go on, and there are plenty of moments and examples to find between Nami and Sanji that are interesting to look a bit deeper at. You can check out my Masterpost - SanjiAFsincedayone for some of them. But as it is now here are the main points for why I think SaNa at least has a bigger chance to happen than other ships with the two of them as it is now.

One-sided attraction and romantic interest from Sanji’s side that needs to be resolved in one way or another.

Nami seems special to Sanji. Even small things like only using -san for her and -chan for others is a detail that makes her stand out to him.

Great involvement in each other’s stories. Oda likes adding Sanji and Nami in moments together both for interaction and explenation about each other. For example Sanji is also often used to save Nami.

Interactions of understanding and changing dynamics between the two, like them compromising for each other or wanting to know about the other’s past. Matching personalities and a possible future.

Romantic themes and moments, mainly the weddings, but also the amount of times Sanji has saved Nami and things like the hug being drawn in a very romantic looking way with Nami being more focused on.

Tension and urgency. This is basically Sanji and Nami having a lot of focus on each other in dire situations and Oda showing it with specific mentions.

So, to summarize, I like Sanji and Nami both as indvidual characters and together. I enjoy them as a ship and to explore their dynamics in a romantic way no matter what they might end up as in the story. Anyone should be able to respect that people have different preferences. Additionally I think and speculate that they would work well and could happen in the manga as well. This is obviously a biased interpretation and opinion. 

I might be wrong, but you should be able to respect that too as we have yet to get anything objectivly confirming any ship. We don’t know if any ship with end up canon at all. Maybe Sanji and Nami will remain a ship that never becomes canon, but even so they are a ship that is definitely worth enjoying.

I hope you found this post interesting and can enjoy your own ship and fandom while also seeing that it’s ok for others to like something different than you. Thanks for reading.

[aesterblaster]

How Blue Lock Flips Tropes On Their Head

This'll be a more in depth look at blue lock's relationship with tropes and how it's different than most stereotypical stories about sports.

I would like to first talk about some tropes to do with the main character of the story.

In most sports manga the mc has some sort of advantage, an ace in their pocket so to speak. They are also usually a bit of a softie/naive. Isagi, the protagonist of blue lock, fits this bill at first glance. However as you dive deeper into the story you realize Isagi isn't all that special, everyone has an ace in their pocket. Hell, he isn't even the best at predicting moves. But he makes up for this by not being as naive throughout the whole story, he can be selfish and egotistical. He can push people around and degrade them if need be.

Honestly, I find this to be a refreshing take since he is much more believable as a character than some 100% bubbly gifted kid.

Next up are a few tropes that are..personal pet peeves.

Sometimes in sports genre manga you see a character get beaten nearly to a pulp, but they still get back up and win. Why? Because they just wanted it that badly. Blue lock does have many moments where a character pushes through and beats the odds. But in all cases the character had the skill, planning, and ability to back it up. I mean, Naruhaya, Kunigami and plenty of other characters also wanted to win badly but still failed. This not only heightens the stakes, but makes the moments when characters do pull off a miracle win or last minute goal much more satisfying. Because it doesn't happen for everyone.

The *slow down* moment is another common trope in sports mangas. So that you can really simmer in that last play or build tension towards the point scored. But Blue Lock throws it out the window. Often, the chapters are non stop action where you have to make yourself pause to soak in the individual panels. This makes it mirror an actual sports game since yeah there are stand out moments, but it still keeps going making reading an intense roller coaster.

The protagonist ends up making their way to the top, is a huge factor in most if not all sports manga. After all, that's the point. That's what you're waiting to see. And yet we all know quite clearly that Isagi isn't a stand alone best player. But he is still highly formidable and respected which is realistic. Just because you aren't ranked number 1 doesn't mean you can't still hold your own.

Now for general character stereotypes.

The rival that becomes a friend and the rival that stays a rival till the bitter end are both tropes I see a lot in media (in general tbh). But when it comes to Rin and Isagi, they don't fit in either box. After all, they aren't friends and barely interact outside of games, but they still work incredibly well on the field together. To quote rin (not exact but yeah), "This twisted relationship is how you and I should be."

The snotty uptight character is also a big archetype. But the thing is that they are normally straight up dislikable or fitted with some sad backstory to make up for their attitude. Barou is neither of these things. While he does in fact, have a higher than thou mentality at first and seems annoying, he begins to grow and evolve as a character. We see him fall off this gifted kid pedestal and violently climb his way back up, breaking the illusion that he can solve any issue with ease. Which is why his goals and triumphs are actually satisfying instead of predictable.

The rich kid, like the snotty gifted character, is often bratty and lazy. But Reo flips this by being genuinely passionate. He learns to stop relying on what he already has and work for what he wants on his own. Most character's that are rich are explained to be cut off from or disconnected from people their age. His character does explore that idea as well but from a different angle. One where he takes a look in the mirror and decides to fix it instead of pouting. (Though he does go through his little fall from grace break up period)

The last one that I'm choosing to talk about is, actually, what makes all of the main characters so likable. I began to cover it in the above section but after thinking about it, it truly deserves it's own point. The likable characters all try to overcome their issues. Try does not mean succeed. As stated before, a couple of characters fail to rise to the occasion and get kicked from blue lock, but all of them struggled to the very end. When a main character, is held back by something they can't control (EX: better players, a teammate turning against them) they overcome it with skill and/or planning. While most manga will spend whole chapters or arcs dedicated to the character overcoming this one focal point issue, blue lock forces the character to change in an instant. With pressure, suspense, and heightened stakes, we see the true desperation and soul of the characters shine through as they claw their way through matches. At the end, win or lose, we have a newfound respect for their ability to keep fighting or adapt. Most of this development taking place during matches, not arcs, not storylines, just sewn together make or break moments.

And that is truly what makes blue lock so special and different from other sports manga.

[jolyneswife-anime-reviews]

Sailor moon manga review

Spoilers for sailor moon and tw for kissing between a child and an adult

“If a soldier’s pride means hurting one another, I don’t want it,” - Usagi Tsukino

Genre: action, romance, magical girl

Characterisation: 9/10 (The sailor guardians, as well as the villains, are all incredibly different, with a wide range of personalities, strengths and aspirations. What I love about sailor moon is that all of these women are presented as powerful- they all have their function in the team and fight side by side, growing very close in the process. From kindness, intellect, bravery, stubbornness, and diligence to determination, vulnerability and humor, this show was one of the first to successfully present femininity in so many different, yet equally valuable, ways, which is something that we’ve thankfully grown accustomed to seeing. None of the girls are perfect- Usagi herself struggles to adapt to her role at first, making mistakes and wanting to surrender, but they all persevere through their battles and grow as fighters because of it. As well as having distinct personalities, some characters also have reasonably well developed backstories, which is something others lack on an individual level.)

Setting: 8/10 (With its galactic concept, sailor moon is often all over the place when it comes to setting- this adds depth to the story and expands on sailor guardians, as well as the main themes of the anime. Even though a lot of the story is set in Juban, a regular city in Japan, the girls also go to the moon to visit the moon kingdom they used to belong to, as well as the planets they protect on one occasion, where each one has their own castle. Not all of these settings are as well developed as the main one of Juban, but not all of them are as significant either. A piece of setting I particularly enjoyed was the game centre- the girls go there in the day to relax, hanging out together and leading the life of ordinary students, which adds a nice slice of life aspect. However, it also doubles as the sailor guardians’ headquarters- it’s a control room for missions and to collect intel, which nicely shows the duplicity in the girls’ own lives.)

Art style: 9/10 (I adore both the drawings in the manga, which are very detailed and picturesque, communicating the emotions and ambience of a scene visually, and the official artwork included- the colour pallet used in the official art is bright and pleasing. The way the drawi8ngs are arranged on the page is also skillful and attractive.)

Addictiveness: 6.5/10 (Although compelling in various points, the manga loses its appeal in others, especially during some of the later battles, which move slowly and start to drag. This makes certain points less interesting and tempting to skip, but other sections are very engaging and keep you so hooked that you could read them several times without getting bored.)

Consistency: 7/10 (There are some dips in quality here and there where the manga stops being engaging, and it also starts feeling slightly monotonous after a while. However, despite this, the quality stays very constant.)

Originality: 7/10 (A magical girl show of this type is nothing new, with the saving the world, diverse girlfriend groups, and glittery transformations. However, this manga kinda paved the way for several others later. The way the space concept is explored is also very unique to the anime, with intergalactic enemies and guardians all over the galaxy, as well as different dimensions. The usage of space, time and dimensions is definitely a new one, which greatly enriches plot and setting.)

Comfort: 8/10 (Sailor moon isn’t a heavy manga to read- even if the girls argue, there are troubles with love, or an enemy seems to have won, things always take a turn for the better and the day is always saved. On top of this, there are many wholesome romantic, friendship and domestic moments, and many more slice of life skits where the girls act like a regular group of friends. These tend to be quite lighthearted and funny, as well as relatable.)

Plot: 6.5/10 (The plot is usually dynamic, engaging and varied in action, romance and comedy. There are several sub plots, some of which are, in my opinion, unnecessary and downright gross. For example, the way Chibi Usa, who is mentally and physically a child, is kissed by Helios, who looks like a grown man, and this is romanticised, felt very creepy to me- I get that they were destined too end up together when she was an adult and not then, but this did not make that particular interaction okay in my eyes, because Chibi Usa was still a child. There are a few other uncomfortable sub plots that lean towards that kind of content.)

Philosophy: 7/10 ( While it does have eloquent phrasing and some worthwhile perspectives on love, determination and friendship from the battles and from Pluto, when she protects Chibi Usa and ultimately sacrifices herself, the manga itself is not too insightful and makes for quite a light read.)

Plot

Usagi Tsukino is just a normal student, fighting with her parents, struggling to get up to go to school and gossiping with her friends. After school, she likes to go to the game centre and play the Sailor V game- a game based off of the latest famous superhero, who has been catching criminals all over the city. Her life changes forever when she meets a strange black cat called Luna who tells her she is destined to be a guardian - her task is to find and protect the princess and the “legendary silver crystal,”. Usagi is incredulous at first, and just admires her transformation brooch. However, when she receives a vision seeing that Naru, her best friend, is being attacked by enemy monsters who are using her mother’s jewels as a means to drain the life energy of the customers, she spring to action, going down there to save her friend. At first, Usagi is unsure of how to fight, and almost gets discouraged, but, upon meeting a handsome stranger called Tuxedo Mask, who motivates her, she keeps fighting and ultimately defeats the monster, saving her friend and all the people in the store, and disrupting the dark Kingdom’s plans for the first (but definitely not the last) time. This marks the start of a new double life for Usagi- she’s a normal schoolgirl like  she was before, but she’s also a powerful guardian of justice who saves and protects the city. She soon starts finding her allies, or the other guardians, with Luna’s help. The group become close and face increasingly dangerous situations, but they always come out on top, saving the day. Usagi’s relationship with Tuxedo also develops, and they grow inseparable on and off of the battlefield. As the manga goes on, more, unexpected allies are found from far away, as well as distant, but very powerful, foes, who come to earth with the sole purpose of fighting the sailor guardians. 

Masterlist

[80sanime]

Top 10 Favorite Manga

I was bored today so decided to make a list of my top ten favorite manga, with little comments describing what’s great about them:

Apocalypse Zero by Takayuki Yamaguchi If you were scared off by the OVA… well, you might still hate the manga since it’s even more crazy and explicit. But the anime failed to capture most of what makes the manga so unforgettable, be it the deliberately over-the-top tone; charmingly grotesque characters; bizarre eroticism; or the stunning artwork. Plus Kakugo is the perfect man?!

Devilman by Go Nagai This has finally reached the mainstream so I don’t have to describe how influential it was/is. I consider it Nagai’s most put-together work, and where his art looked the best; rough but expressive and with lots of character (for that reason I recommend reading the original edition if you can, not the later ones with the stylistically jarring additions). Although to be honest, my true trashy Nagai pleasure is Cinderella Knight…

The Holy Terrors by Hagio Moto I’m not a huge Hagio Moto fan. I recognize her greatness, but most of her original work doesn’t really speak to me. Her adaption of Jean Cocteau’s novel, though, is some of the most magnificent comic work I’ve ever seen. Their unique styles meld to create something not quite Moto and not quite Cocteau... a dreamlike union.

Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi This was a tough pick, since I like individual elements of other Takahashi works more (particularly Mermaid Saga and her short stories), but Maison Ikkoku is the one I find the most compulsively rereadable. It’s still so relatable, while also being such a charming snapshot of what everyday life was like in Japan during the 80s. The characters have foibles but aren’t stereotypes, not even Godai’s wacky neighbors (well, except for Yotsuya), and even the romance subverts her infamous will-they-or-won’t-they waffling by delivering a poignant payoff by the end.

Me-teru no Kimochi by Hiroya Oku I feel like I shouldn’t love this manga half as much as I do. Oku is a creator I have a lot of issues with normally. No matter how intriguing the initial setup, all of his long-term series tend to fall apart at the seams... but this three-volume manga manages to come together in a genuinely amusing and touching way. The last few pages make me emotional every time I read them.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki This seems like a cliche choice but, despite how popular Ghibli is in the West now, I feel like a lot of people are still sleeping on this manga. Since it isn’t primarily aimed at children, unlike his films, Miyazaki is able to add a lot more darkness and moral complexity to this apocalyptic war story; I was impressed when, by the end, even his saintly heroine was forced to get her hands dirty. The style is unique (inspired more by European comics than Japanese manga), the world building is fascinating and the entire cast has so much more depth (esp my girl Kushana). The last two volumes are absolutely staggering.

Ogre Slayer by Kei Kusunoki When Viz released the first two volumes of this manga when I was a kid, it was a shock to my system. Kusunoki lavishes as much detail on the terrifying ogres as she does her attractive main character, the nameless boy on a fruitless quest to become human by hunting his own kind. The juxtaposition of cathartically gruesome violence with the emotional, largely female-coded trauma the ogres represent is captivating. So although the series starts to lose steam toward the middle of its run, I still love it for the strength of its early installments.

Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda I feel guilty whenever I admit this, but most of the time I prefer the anime adaptions of shoujo manga (Fruits Basket, Kare Kano, Ouran Host Club, Please Save My Earth… this is even the case for one of Ikeda’s later works, Onii-sama e). But the Rose of Versailles anime doesn’t come close to matching the detail and grandeur of its source material imo. If you’ve only seen the series, please please make sure to read the manga as well, esp if you love Andre as much as I do… Dezaki did him (and by extension his romance with Oscar) dirty!

Twin Knights by Osamu Tezuka I wasn’t that enamored of Princess Knight, but this sequel captured my attention in a big way. It’s so imaginative and fun, has great supporting characters and features some of Tezuka’s most beautiful Disney-inspired panels. It also manages to avoid most of the dated gender essentialist stuff that made me roll my eyes so hard in the original, despite them both being from the 50s.

Violinist of Hameln by Michiaki Watanabe Where do I even start with this one? It’s honestly a mess, but the best kind of mess. A fantasy adventure about a hero that fights monsters with the magical music he plays on his jumbo-sized violin, the ping-ponging between cheesy humor, extreme tragedy and shonen manga power-leveling is disorienting at first, but you get used to it. The art is a bit amateur (and becomes increasingly abstract as the series goes on) but you can feel the enthusiasm the author has for his work jumping off the page. Plus, it’s jam-packed with classical music trivia!

I’m sure I’m forgetting some big ones but these are the first that come to mind. What are your favorites? Now that I basically have no work to do (orz) I’d love to read some new stuff. Off-kilter series in particular!

[shinidamachu]

People always use the flower episode to say, "oh, Inuyasha had stronger feelings for one over the other," but completely ignore all the issues that got pointed out in past episodes, like the lack of trust between Inu & Kik, and the whole "I'm not supposed to be happy" speech, which is really not healthy.

Also, I don't know if it's an adaptation or translation issue but in that scene you're supposed to read between the lines, which Rumiko does all the time in her work with characters leaving their thoughts unfinished but the reader knows what they mean. Inuyasha would've gone with the illusion Kikyo because in that illusion Kagome literally didn't exist, until she called and the illusion was destroyed because her mere existence ruined the demon's death trap, which debunks the idea that he doesn't cherish Kagome more.

Maybe it's another translation problem, like the whole "she'll protect us forever" line that got butchered and changed into "I wanted to protect her forever" in Kikyo's death scene, because you never see these arguments about the flower illusion in the Japanese forums and discussions.

Yeah, this is exactly how I see it too!

And I actually agree that Inuyasha had stronger feelings for one over the other. I think I just hold a different opinion than a part of the fandom regarding who he had stronger feelings for (Kagome) and what those feelings were (love for her and infatuation for ᴋɪᴋʏᴏ, maximized by guilt and grief).

There's also the people who think Inuyasha loved them both. And this is also a valid take. In fact, I think it's precisely what Takahashi was going for. But the way she went about it made me go the opposite direction.

And even those who ship both pairings have to admit that their dynamics were vastly different and that Inuyasha didn't love them in the exact same way because they were fundamentally very different people who represented very different things in his life.

So in the end of the day it all comes down to our personal prefferences and interpretations, which were dictated by our individual backgrounds and subjectivity.

I didn't know the "I wanted to protect her forever" quote was a translation problem, so I'll just take your word for it, but the thing with it is... even if lines like this one didn't exist in the manga, even if the translation turned them into something other than their original meaning, we can still be critic about it. Inuyasha might tell he wanted to protect her forever, but what was shown to us was a very different story, which only makes his words lack substance.

To me, ɪɴᴜᴋɪᴋ went against the "show, don't tell" rule and the episode in question was just another example of that. We had a third character talking about how she was the woman Inuyasha loved the most but when push came to shove it was Kagome’s voice he chose to follow.

That, combined with the trusting issues, the fact that Inuyasha felt so guilty about her death to the point of self distruction, ᴋɪᴋʏᴏ's lack of reluctance in erasing a whole part of who he was, the absense of relationship development betweeen them after her return, the refusal to address and fix the peoblems that made their relationship fail in the first time, the character Inuyasha becomes when he is with ᴋɪᴋʏᴏ, the way they ideolized each other and the life they thought they would lead together... It just keeps me from getting on board with the pairing. The same way the sitting command and other aspects of the Inukag relationship puts some people off the couple.

It all depends on where you draw the line, on what you find compelling in a ship.

To me, it's all substance: chemistry, quality time, development, hardship, trust, friendship, naturality, balance, complementing each other, comfort, a deep understanding of one another and, most of all, the relationship must actually change them and push their characterization (and the plot) to where it needs to be, instead of regressing them to square one.

That’s why I found slowburns so compelling. It’s not just about the tension, it’s about paving the way to the happy ending through hard work. It’s about giving the characters time to build a organic, believable and solid bond, which only happens with patience and day by day progress. It’s about showing how hard the journey was and making me feel part of it. It’s about earning their endgame with great efforts and sacrifice so it actually feels satisfying.

And to me, Inukag succeded in delievering that. Their relationship was something they built together from scratch and we were there to watch it all from the very beginning. Nothing was handed to them on a silver plate. And every moment of that progress was so meaningful and important, that it could never be summed up to a few episodes.

Most importantly, I loved both characters. I wanted them both to be happy. And as it turned out, they were the happiest when they were together.

[starberry-cupcake]

The Chinapuri finale and its montage aka censorship who?

I decided to do all of this in one post and read more, so that the 95% of my followers who are uninterested on this particular drama/source material can easily skip it. Here are 7 relationships showcased in the montage ranked and 2 bonus (a family relationship and an extra). 

Note: I’ll speak about the relationships as they were portrayed, whichever the form of relationship chosen to display in this version. Also, I’m glad that everyone was aged up in this version, kinda wild but very much appreciated that some of these actors are my age or somewhere around there lol 

#7 Lu Xia (Echizen Ryoma) and Qi Ying (Ryuuzaki Sakuno) 

This drama was a bit more romantically-inclined in terms of these two than the anime/manga was, but some of that may be also influenced by them giving their version of Sakuno more room (which yay!) and having them be older. 

For this to stand alone as a drama, it was a needed step, I believe. I found Lu Xia to be more vulnerable than Ryoma, he doesn’t feel quite as ~cool~ and it doesn’t take away from the character that he has moments showing internal struggle (in tennis as well as at home). These two were sweet and adorable, which gave the drama probably more of an expected appeal for a wider audience, to make it stand on its own as a drama and not only an anime adaptation. 

#6 Yan ZhiMing (Inui Sadaharu) & Liu Lian (Yanagi Renji) 

Kinda mad they didn’t do this for Fuji (Zhuo Zhi) and Saeki (Zuo Xiaohu) but they did good with these two. I didn’t know at first why they started to build up their relationship so early, but it ended up being a good emotional plot point during their match, which is, as we all know, a determining factor in Seigaku’s (Yu Qing) win against Rikkai (Hai Guang). 

I don’t remember being as invested in their match in the anime as I was here, maybe I was just too focused on the Fuji match at that time, but what they did to build that game as a decisive point in the season finale was so well developed, I was impressed. 

#5 He XingLong (Kawamura Takeshi) & Ya JiuXin (Akutsu Jin) 

This is a relationship that can get complicated and even problematic if handled incorrectly. Akutsu’s journey through the anime is pretty long and takes a while for him to be on a healthier place, but the added element of aging the characters could have gone really wrong here if they had done him exactly as in the anime or manga. I think they did pretty well with the time they were given, showing his turmoil and learning curve. 

XingLong was allowed to have a more in-depth journey being older and about to graduate, it made more sense for him here to think about his career at this stage and added the gravity of this being THE moment to decide whether to keep pursuing the sport or take over his dad’s restaurant (they even adapted the type of food they cook to match the cultural impact of the family-owned business, which was great). 

I think the two complemented each other really well and worked interestingly together, in a way I didn’t think the drama was gonna give them time to do, so I’m really pleased. 

#4 Qiao Chen (Momoshiro Takeshi) & Zhang BaiYang (Kaidoh Kaoru) 

My younger self is thriving with this one being included tbh. These two were so much fun in the anime, two rivals and opposites that represented the future of the team upon their elders leaving. 

I was surprised to see them so focused here, because it’s not a relationship most adaptations put emphasis on (their loss), but it paid off immensely by the time their game against Bunta and Jackal (Jin WenTai & Ke Jie) came around. 

Kaidoh is a tough one to adapt most times, and they did him so well in this one, I think this is my favorite live action Kaidoh in any adaptation, and I’ve watched a whole bunch of tenimyu in my day. They really captured the ambiguity of his character, how he balances a tough exterior with a sensitive core. Qiao Chen maintained his feelings for Xu Xingzi (Tachibana Ann) but that didn’t stop them from showing these two every time they could. 

#3 Mu Siyang (Tezuka Kunimitsu) & Ji Jingwu (Atobe Keigo) 

Oh, these two. Hyotei (Xing Yao) wasn’t featured as much as one would probably expect (I’m a Fudomine fan and with Yu Feng I got more than I even was expecting, but I admit Hyotei is a riot and I always live my best life when they show up). Still, they did the Tezuka/Atobe match justice and then some. 

Mu Siyang was incredibly compelling as Tezuka, and had a vulnerability to him that made me worry for his health more than I probably did for his anime counterpart. Maybe also the fact that he was older than his anime version yet looked younger than him made it sink more that his injury was something to worry about. I wish we had time to include anime!Tezuka’s issues with yips with Siyang, because I know the drama would have pulled it off, but that was further down the line in the story. Maybe for a season 2. 

Anyway, the Atobe/Tezuka game is one of the best games in tenipuri history and the drama knew it. The game felt like it earned its gravity with the development of both Siyang’s injury and Ji Jingwu’s determination to play against him. Then they sprinkled the camp on top, as the anime does, with Ji Jingwu paying for his every expense and calling him to get updates, which is 100% canon compliant imo. 

I feel like Ji Jingwu didn’t have enough room to be as much of Atobe as he could be, but then again, that’s not easy for anyone to pull off. Not even Kato Kazuki can do Junichi Suwabe as well as Junichi Suwabe.  

#2 Bai ShiYan (Yukimura Seiichi) & Tian ZiLong (Sanada Genichirou) 

So, it’s tough to feel for Rikkai (Hai Guang) at this point of the story. You learn about Yukimura’s health and it’s difficult, but you just met them and the first impressions haven’t been great. 

However, the relationship between Sanada and Yukimura has always been something pivotal for the way the team is constructed (they were named that way for a reason, two parts of a same hero and all that) and they sustain the team in a way other teams don’t have to. They are the mom and dad of the team, the coaches, the leaders and the pillars. They have a balance of severity and permissiveness, of strictness and instinct. They are like a couple who has been married for 25 years. 

How on Earth, I asked myself, will they achieve that with censorship on the way? I don’t know, but they did it, the mad bastards. 

It really does come through 100% the importance of their relationship and the way in which the captain’s health affects the team and, more than anything, their vice captain. It reaches a crescendo during the final match, before ShiYan’s operation, and they manage to pull it off with the time they have. 

Also, their scenes are like shot for a contemporary romance drama and I appreciate that vibe. 

#1 Tang JiaLe (Kikumaru Eiji) & Chi DaYong (Oishi Shuichiro) 

Oh boy. Look. I still own Golden Pair merchandise from my Days, ok? These two hold a special place in my heart. I saw actors who portrayed them grow up, succeed and pass away, sadly. I still sing Depend On Me sometimes. There is a cheerful vibe with these two, a sense of overcoming obstacles and finding balance, I don’t know. Fuji is my favorite character but these two are special in their way. 

This freakin’ drama just went full on Golden Pair. The level of content was off the charts. The moment they came on the screen, the second they talked about their doubles, it was already setting the tone of how deep their relationship was going to go. I am a bit amazed that they avoided to get closed down for this ngl. And I appreciate the risk because it paid off.

They have a body language communication that is captured in every shot. Even when they’re not the focus of the scene, they’re close, touching or holding each other, arms around each other, hands on each other’s shoulders, grabbing each other’s clothes. When they fight, that language changes drastically, and the distance they take feels intense and cold. You go through it with them and the team shows it as well. There’s an entire episode I had screencaps of and never posted when the team falls apart because they do. 

My favorite part, though, ironically, isn’t what they did with them together but what they did with them apart. They took time to develop them as individual characters with their own issues, their fears, their worries and weaknesses. They were allowed to be flawed and wrong and have to mend their ways. 

What really got me and impacted me deeply was the fact that they chose DaYong to talk about mental health. They gave room to speaking about the physical implications of anxiety disorders and about how self esteem issues can give more magnitude to ongoing issues with your mental health. Again, the age of the characters being changed helped add a depth to some issues that get developed with more intensity in a drama of this kind, and the way in which it takes TIME to get resolved, it isn’t a one episode thing, it’s an underlying issue that spans the season...*chef’s kiss* 

Even though there’s a specific tenimyu incarnation of these two that I hold dear and will always remember fondly, I think that Xu Ke and Zhu ZhiLing are the most successful and best portrayed live action Golden Pair I’ve ever seen. 

Bonus that was in the montage but it’s specifically about a family relationship: The Zhuo Bros

I have said Fuji has always been my favorite and his relationship with Yuta as an older brother (albeit he’s not the eldest sibling like me) is one I always felt close to. 

In the anime, the two have a rocky relationship that gets developed throughout, but the drama is very good at establishing not only Zhuo Yu’s (Fuji Yuta) self esteem issues, the subsequent use of that Guan Yue (Mizuki Hajime) does and Zhuo Zhi’s (Fuji Syusuke) attempts to breach the gap between the siblings, they also use it to develop Zhuo Zhi’s character and his reticence to show weakness. 

It’s tough to get Fuji towards a place of vulnerability without breaking character, but they used family and the care he provides to his brother as a point to further his story, and I appreciate that a lot. They managed to build Zhuo Zhi up with this sibling bond as one of his core elements, and that gave a lot of dimension to his games and his character. 

Bonus that wasn’t in the montage but I’m including in some capacity: Mu Siyang (Tezuka Kunimitsu) & Zhuo Zhi (Fuji Syusuke) 

I thought these two deserved a place in the list, even if they weren’t grouped much in the montage, because the drama did make them share moments together that I feel gave more depth to their characters. 

There was a very interesting moment in which they showed Mu Siyang and Zhuo Zhi establishing their differences when approaching tennis, and how serious Mu Siyang is about taking the team to victory. I think that strengthened the character as a captain to me, in a way that shows it rather than tells it, and allowed for his guidance to still be present when he wasn’t physically there. His determination ultimately influenced Zhuo Zhi to take things more seriously, and that was a pretty interesting development to see. 

All in all, I should, at some point, go and do a serious review for MyDramaList but I wanted to leave in my blog how much I appreciated this adaptation. I wasn’t expecting much and I was delivered everything.

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Light Novel Review - Adachi and Shimamura Vol. 1

In Yuri, as with most things, what is popular is not always what is good, or rather, the most prolific item is usually successful because of massive marketing and economic power, and rarely because of a work’s merit. That is not to say that just because something is beloved, it is a bad work, far from it. It is nearly impossible to achieve commercial success if the content is terrible, although NTR Netsuzou Trap challenges this statement. However, the vast majority of the most consumed Yuri series like Bloom Into You and Yuru Yuri are good and even great at times, even if they are not the pinnacle of the genre, despite what sales figures and community polls may tell you. Occasionally the (subjective) best can rise to the top, like Kase-san and My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, both of which have lauded appropriate praise from critics and audiences.

Iruma Hitoma’s Adachi and Shimamura is a well-liked and successful series, publishing eight volumes over the past seven years, spawning two manga adaptations, and receiving an anime adaptation, which currently scheduled to premiere later this year. The light novel finally makes its English debut, and I found the first volume, sadly, disappointing. There are some lovely moments, and I understand why this series is so widespread, but far too much of the material felt aimless, unnecessary, or even aggravating. Give me a few hours and an X-Acto knife (or the copy-paste tool, considering this was an early digital release), and I could probably salvage a pretty good short story from the unfortunate drudgery that is this light novel. Still, as a whole, it would rank significantly far beyond other popular and frankly superior titles.

The light novel follows two high school girls, Adachi and Shimamura, who are both delinquents that regularly play hooky. The two meet when they both choose the same hiding spot, a loft in the gymnasium, and the two become friends, spending their classtime avoiding other people and playing ping-pong in the loft. This concept quickly wears thin as the author feels the need to drill it into the readers’ skulls over the first two chapters. Eventually, the actual plot, if you could call it that, takes over, and the rest of the volume follows the two girls on their inconsequential adventures, going to the mall, fishing, and singing karaoke. Now, there is nothing wrong with a relaxing slice of life about girls doing everyday things, but Adachi and Shimamura utterly fails in this endeavor.

There is a semblance of a narrative arc, but meaningless occurrences so muddle it. After almost every scene, I found myself asking why it was included, what the point was, what the consequences were, what effect it had on the overall story, and there was hardly ever an answer. Sure, there were cute moments, like Shimamura riding on the back of Adachi’s bike or the two girls holding hands which one can squeal and throw money at, but it all feels so distracting. These inadequacies are made all the worse because the story underneath all the garbage is actually rather enjoyable.

 Chapter Three, “Adachi, Questioning” is a definite highlight of the story. This section sees Adachi having a salacious dream about Shimamura and struggling to come to terms with it and her feelings. Her inner conflict includes some pleading and self-assurances she is not gay. This assertion quickly begins to shatter as she struggles to control herself. This chapter is realistic, if a bit sensationalized, and captures that awkward teenage lesbian experience perfectly. If one reads only this chapter and a bit of the start of the novel for context, you will find a fantastic story.

Another feather in this series cap is Iruma’s prose, translated by Molly Lee. The light novel reads exceptionally well, with varied and complicated writings, raising it above most other light novels whose composition I struggle to identify alongside my elementary students’ writings. The perspective shifts back and forth between the title characters every chapter or so, providing readers with a nice bit of dramatic irony, as the girls wonder about the other’s actions or thoughts. Such moments are the only time the author shows us any sense of logic or consequence. My only complaint with the prose is the over-reliance on narrating the characters’ thoughts. These comments are usually sarcastic and used for comedic effect but become a bit tiring.

The story may be thin and convoluted, but the characters are at least consistent. Sadly, they are consistently terrible, ranging from unlikable to downright annoying. Both Adachi and Shimamura are incredibly antisocial, with the former being somewhat more anxious and closed off. Neither one has any ability to connect with other people beyond awkward conversations or snark. At more than one point, Adachi actually runs away from an uncomfortable situation. Their introversion does not read well. Both girls come off as cold and unkind, not touching, cute, or relatable. I cannot fathom what they possibly see in friendship with each other, and this is a serious failing on the author’s part. But nothing, no aspect of their character, could possibly make them worse than Chikama Yashiro.

Yashiro is a small time-traveling alien from the future who forces her friendship on Shimamura. If that sounds awkward and out of place here, do not worry, it does in the book too. No other character indicates any level of fantasy. They at least maintain a semblance of reality even if their personalities are unrealistically callous. Yashiro feels like a strange addition from a fanfiction. Not only is she out of place with the rest of the story, but she is aggressively bothersome. On more than one occasion, she forces her company on Shimamura and loudly interrupts the already struggling plot. The worst of these incidents occurs when Adachi finally gets Shimamura to agree to an outing together at the mall, only to have a bratty alien impose her company on them. In the end, the only emotion the girls feel which Iruma manages to convey is anger and annoyance, as readers will be nothing short of fuming after reading chapters about the bothersome creature.

Adachi and Shimamura is a resounding disappointment. There are individual moments of cuteness, none of which have meaning, and one chapter with some actual stakes and engaging story. Other works, like Yuru Yuri, have shown that inconsequential slice of life stories can thrive with engaging characters and fun situations, but Adachi and Shimamura has neither. However, I still have some hope for the upcoming anime adaptation. Crazy and annoying antics like Yashiro’s will likely come across better in a visual medium, where characters can be reactive and exaggerated better than in text. Further, I think the additional dialogue required by television will help the girls feel less distant and more engaging for the viewer. I recommend you skip reading this book and wait to see if the anime has anything more to offer, or if future volumes can improve the shoddy storytelling.

Ratings: Story – 4 Characters – 2 LGBTQ – 6 Sexual Content – 1 Final – 3 

Purchase Adachi and Shimamura Vol. 1 here: https://amzn.to/3alTyLM

Review copy provided by Seven Seas Entertainment

[carriagelamp]

Book Review - Summer Summary 2020

I didn’t get around to doing an individual post for the books I read in June/July/August, so I decided to choose a dozen that I read over the summer... I’d separate the wheat from the chaff for you so to speak. Though like you’re about to find out, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were all good by any means...

Crave

My girlfriend got this for me to “tide me over until Midnight Sun”. Between you and me, I think she was taking the piss. Anyway, Crave is very... standard fare paranormal YA school romance with the added flare of being written by an adult erotica writer, meaning the rhythm and tone of this novel is fucking bonkers. If you want to read the novel without reading the novel, just take Twilight and the entire Vampire Academy series, shove them in a blend, and force down the sludge you get from that. Normal Average Girl Goes To Secret School In Alaska For Vampire, Werewolves and Dragons. That’s this book. It is so big and so so so bad. I finished it out of spite, please don’t do that to yourself. Unless you are really craving (hurr hurr) some top tier trashy paranormal romance, in which case... no judgment.

The Last Firehawk

The Last Firehawk is a Scholastic “Branches” series, written for beginning readers (grade 1-3ish, depending on the child’s reading level). It has short stories, big text, and awesome pictures on every page. Guys. I unironically am adoring this series. It’s simple and is introducing children to a number of classic elements in the fantasy quest genre, but it is so charming. Friends Tag and Skyla discover a firehawk egg, and species that is supposed to have disappeared long ago. When Blaze hatches from it, the three are tasked with going out and finding the magical ember stone which was hidden long ago by the firehawks and which could be used to defeat the evil vulture Thorn and his dark magic... I read the first two books to second graders who ate it up and read the next four books because I personally wanted to continue the series. If you have young readers in your life (or just want a fun kid adventure) then please try these they’re the literary equivalent of nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie.

Lupin III: World’s Most Wanted #3

All the kind people that still follow my tumblr and haven’t tried to murder me because of my Lupin obsession are not going to be surprised by this one. I finally read one of the manga for this series and honestly I’m delighted. Somehow even hornier than the show, but hilariously funny. I felt like I was reading a more adult version of Spy Vs Spy. It’s a bunch of short, individual bits/adventures with lots of visual gags and an artstyle that is really different and delightful.

River of Teeth / Taste of Marrow (American Hippo series)

I’ve talked about River of Teeth before, but I finally finished the American Hippo duology and need to sing its praise. This is an alternate history series composed of two novellas that explore the question What would have happened if the States had decided to import hippos as livestock...? Anyways, my pitch for you: queer hippo cowboys. That’s all it took for me to read it. You have a gay gunslinger who loves his hippo to death, a nonbinary explosives-expert / poisoner who is the main love interest, a fat con artist who spoils her hippo and is the only voice of reason in this entire series, and a latina mother-to-be who is the scariest assassin in the entire series and is obviously scheming. The four of them are brought together on a job to deal with the Mississippi’s feral hippo problem.

IT’S A QUEER HIPPO COWBOY HEIST NOVEL GUYS I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M STILL TALKING AND YOU HAVEN’T JUST GONE TO READ THIS YET.

Petals to the Metal (The Adventure Zone series)

The graphic novel adaptation to the McElroy family’s DND podcast The Adventure Zone. Most of you are probably aware of this? It’s a great adaptation, it hits all the important beats, shows off the characters really well, and still gets lots of good gags in even while condensing entire arcs into single book stories. This one is probably my favourite so far just because Petals to the Metal was one of my favourite arcs in the show... but you can also see how the art has improved and the chaos of the race is fun to see drawn out.

If you like The Adventure Zone but haven’t tried the graphic novels yet -- would recommend! If you’ve always wanted to listen to The Adventure Zone but don’t have time for such a long series or struggle to focus on podcasts then pick up the first book of this series (Here There Be Gerblins) and try reading it! It really is an enjoyable adaptation.

Pony to the Rescue (Pony Pals series)

I continued my April/May theme of reading old-school chapter book series to combat Covid Brain Fry, so I picked up a few Pony Pals books. I read these as a kid and always enjoy them -- there’s just something so appealing to a child about having a horse. It gives your child characters a level of independence and ability to explore that you wouldn’t get otherwise. These books definitely read young, but they were nostalgic to revisit.

Small Spaces

A really cool middle grade horror novel I picked up. Maybe it’s because I live around a lot of corn fields, but farm/scarecrow themed horror absolutely does it for me. One evening, after seeing a woman try to destroy a strange, old book, eleven year old Ollie doesn’t stop to think, instead stealing the book and running. That’s how she becomes wrapped up in the strange, sinister story of a cursed family and creature called the Smiling Man that seems to live out in the foggy fields. While unsettling, Ollie tries to remind herself that it’s just a story... but this becomes more challenging when her school bus breaks down one day out their own set of fields, and a fog is rolling in...

“Avoid large spaces. Stick to small.”

Snot Girl #1 - #2

A Canadian graphic novel series by the creator of the Scott Pilgrim series! I love his work so I decided to give Snotgirl a try, even though it’s not generally my genre. I’m glad I did! First book took a while for me to get into, but by the time I hit the second I was really wrapped up in the mystery and character development. Snotgirl is about Lottie, a self-consumed fashion blogger whose biggest struggles are dealing with her allergies, frustration with her fellow-blogger friends, and how entirely her self-esteem is tied to her “beauty” and how people view her. But everything shifts in strange and horrifying ways when Lottie starts taking a new allergy medication, meets a new friend... and then witnesses that girl’s death. Or does she?

Seriously, or does she? I have no idea, I need to read the third book. This book is full of intrigue, complicated relationships, murder (or not?), and a healthy dose of magical realism to keep you guessing. If you like slice-of-life, crime, and abstract reality then this series is world a try. Plus the art is gorgeous.

Summer Wars #1 - #2

I recently rewatched Summer Wars (still one of my favourite movies) and decided to read the two-book manga adaptation. It was a really neat little adaptation. The creator of the movie gave the writer free range to tweak things to fit better in a manga format, which means some movie elements were allowed to fade into the background, whereas other aspects were fulled into the forefront and fleshed out to a greater degree. It was very cool, it kept the same story but gave you new things to think about which I wasn’t expecting. Reading this as a stand alone works just fine, but honestly if you’ve never watched the movie Summer Wars you should give it a try! It’s a great mix of slice-of-life, sprawling family dynamics that I relate to a little too well, cyber adventures, and fantasy. Super feel good.

This One Summer

Okay, last graphic novel, I swear. This One Summer was... weird and intense. It’s a coming-of-age Canadian graphic novel that follows a pair of pre-teens who meet up like they do every year at their family’s summer cottages. You see them both in the awkward phases between childhood and growing up to become teenagers, as they’re confronted with things like maturity, friendship, self-esteem, family problems, and sexuality. A beautiful read, but probably the heaviest out of all the books on my list.

Wild Thornberrys Novelization

I rewatched The Wild Thornberrys movie with my girlfriend earlier this year, and decided I wanted to hunt down the chapter book novelization because I’m kind of a sucker for novelizations. Honestly, this was about what you would expect from the era. 90s/00s novelizations, especially young novelizations, are generally just a transcript of the movie without much thought or effort put into them to make them anything but. That’s what this was. It was fine, and it really let me revisualize the entire movie, but honestly you’re probably better off just rewatching the movie unless you also really deeply love The Wild Thornberrys.

The Willoughbys

I saw that Netflix had done a funky looking adaptation of The Willoughbys and I decided I needed to read the book first before watching the movie. This was a little bizarre, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Over all, I think it was a net-positive experience. It’s an obvious satire on classic children’s novels, especially the likes of Mary Poppins (real Mary Poppins, not the Disney version) and while a little heavy-handed, it does a Series of Unfortunate Events vibe that redeems it. The story is about a group of horrible children (The Ruthless Willoughbys) who decide they are sick of their parents and would rather become Worth Orphans... and to do that, they’re going to have to dispose of their inconvenient parents, obviously. Conveniently their parents are also sick of having children and decide to do away with them as well. The Willoughbys sets up three (or four?) different subplots that are gradually woven together through a series of schemes and exploits. It’s definitely more ruthless (hurr hurr) than the Netflix version, which tried to make the children more sympathetic, and in some ways I think that’s a definite point in the novel’s favour. I’m not sure I would go out of my way to recommend it, but it was a fun romp if you want something short and off the wall (and a lot more fleshed out than the Netflix version).

[bapydemonprincess]

Hey what do you think are the differences between the two pairings sebagni and sebamey?? They both have a lot in common but I notice differences with how Sebby is with either one! ☺️

You’re right to say Sebastian acts very different with them. As well, no two pairings SHOULD be exactly alike, hopefully.. It wouldn’t be much fun if pairings were all the SAME. :P

Most of the differences are linked to Agni and Mey Rin and how they are. From their backgrounds, to how they met Sebastian, and how they interact with him.

Agni used to be a sinful high ranked individual back home, and almost was KILLED for all the bad things, until Soma rescued him, gave him a new name and purpose. And thus Agni’s entire mindset as we know is a sweet man, who is filled with only pure thoughts and ideals now, and even after someone puts him together with Sebastian in a story or something, and they’ve obviously had some *time* together, he still is very pure and not changed nor swayed into acting any different. 

Agni might also fight and attack, but he only does so when given orders by his prince, or to rightfully protect friends or loved ones.

Other than that Agni likes being calm and discussing things if possible. He likes justice and doing the RIGHT thing, as we’ve seen in the manga when he TRIED to turn himself in to the police after the curry contest, while Ciel and Sebastian were trying to PROTECT him and keep him from getting arrested. And then LATER, a few arcs after that, he truly sees how dark and gritty things get for Ciel and Sebastian, and tries to talk to his dear friend about it, only to get brushed off with just a smile... And then he tries to sway his prince to leave and go home, afraid of all the dark things he’s finally noticing happening!

Then we get to how Sebastian is with HIM.. and I mean like.. usually fanon Sebastian since clearly manga canon Seb is way more cold.. TwT... Fanon Sebastian practically swoons and blushes at the strong and pure khansama, and flirts and begs for kisses and to be ah taken when they are together. He pretty much acts similar to how Mey RIN acts about HIM... XD So the demon is VERY thirsty for the Indian Butler in this pairing, and Agni finds himself in love with the pretty shorter butler.. much more romantically inclined than sexually.. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t passionately take the other butler when finally giving in!!

NOW with MEY RIN... She had it rough in her backstory, and learned from the lesson of dealing with being trapped in the Chinese Mafia, stuck doing as they wished of her day in and day out, that fellow human beings could be CRUEL. VISCIOUS. MONSTERS. And you were on your own to survive.

So she grew up having to turn into a human weapon, not even caring about her gender, as she had not a second of her own free time or free will to even THINK about her changing body as she grew up in the place she grew up in.

And when she was finally caught for the first time ever, all she could think of was the fact that she WOULD die if discovered having failed, and.. SHE ALMOST DID when she tried escaping from her failed attempt! If not for Sebastian catching up to her somehow and killing the man who’d snuck up to do the deed himself!

Mey Rin then learned she really had no choice but to accept learning to become a maid of a nobles house, and thus learn to be a very different person all together than what she was used to.

There were now pros and cons. The Pros being: She WAS free to think for herself, to breathe easier, no longer tense and afraid every day, surrounded by nasty wicked people, and free to explore her body, to see herself... ESPECIALLY when she was finally given GLASSES so she could FINALLY see her own reflection! And thus becoming more self aware than ever that she was a young woman... The CONS being however: She had to learn a whole new set of skills from the ground up, to speak english better, to learn to READ and to write! Do CHORES! To CLEAN! To ACT a certain way around certain people! But really.. seeing both pros and cons, it seemed the pros definitely outweighed the cons.

We obviously don’t know ALL the details of what happened after THAT as she adapted to being a maid, all we know for SURE is that Mey Rin grew to LOVE being a maid much more than her former job. And likely for more than one or two reasons: She got to be PRETTY.. to grow her hair out.. to put it in PIGTAILS to be more girly! To wear dresses and gowns and skirts! To have her own personal room to retire to.. and to read likely now that she knew how! And finally.. to see the handsome butler every day! To watch HIM work and enjoy HIS company and to have the TIME to think wild fantasies of him or her confessing their love.. just like in the books she read!

Yeah, Mey Rin was CANONICALLY amorous towards Sebastian, unlike Agni, and a few times we even see her thinking very BOLD things about like what Seb would look like in bed without clothes.. thinking wild things like about the vampire carmilla and the possibility of vampires being real!!

Mey Rin is way more imaginative and voracious than Agni, with a libido almost as crazy as a DEMONS, and though she grows very very blushy and bashful and embarrassed, she still cannot help herself with STILL thinking of such things!! 

So on the other end with Sebastian here he can MATCH her in this lust, and boy does it get them in trouble! ;) But since Mey Rin is also a blushy pretty girl who is only just getting INTO being a blushy pretty girl, Sebastian likes going along with that, being the chivalrous gentleman he can be, whether as a butler or otherwise~.. He turns into a Victorian English version of Gomez Addams, absolutely adoring Mey Rin and deeming her a worthy mate for what she had almost accomplished, not to mention the fact that she loves him. In the purest form of the word. And in our fanon verse, he accepts this, and loves her back! 🥰

Not to mention, as they get in deeper, he trusts her enough to let her explore her thirsty side.. and have him, a demon, in bed. >:3

Ahem.. so I hope this... helps somehow... in explaining the differences in pairings??? 🙈 I’m so sorry if not, I’m a bit loopy with a cold and having taken medicine for it.. But I hope this answer is good anyways!! Thank you for the question!!! 💖💖💖