#they masterminded the concept and i helped generate more ideas

[andiinaraethtash]

*slides into your mailbox with lightsabers and blue cookies* I have this idea of Paul getting Percy a lightsaber as a wedding present because not only is he marrying Sally, he’s also stepping up as a father and for the family moon, they go to Montauk and have a lightsaber duel while Sally roasts marshmallows watching her two boys get along and is happy because Percy gets to be a kid

I love the idea of Paul stepping up, he is the best, I love him so much.

Also I'm taking this as permission to rant about @itsybitsybatsyspider and my au, which just. Buckle in, it's a long one.

So it's very much a "Percy Jackson in the star wars universe," type thing, but like. Non-specific in terms of when in the timeline it takes place? I've kinda got it in my head that it's after KOTOR/SWTOR, but before the high republic.

So the idea is that the twelve Olympian gods are the twelve Counselors, with Zeus being the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. All the rest of the gods have their different rolls related to their areas of power. Eg, Demeter is the Gardenmaster, Hestia is like. Jocasta Nu in terms of her role? She maintains things, though she's not on the Counsel. Similarly, Hades is the Head of the Jedi Shadows, and he sat in on a lot of the meetings when he was on planet.

Percy is a young (ie, like. 14) Force-sensitive who gets brought to the temple. He eventually gets apprenticed to the Nautoluan Jedi Master Po'Seiden (I should mention that in this au, Percy is half-Nautolaun. For absolutely no reason. Totally has nothing to do with the fact that Master Po'Seiden visited his home planet 15 years ago AND met Sally, no sir, not at all).

Anyway, he meets and immediately irritates young initiate Annabeth Chase, who's been trying to get Master Athena's attention so she'll be her Master. Percy's impertinence is getting in her way of being chosen as Master Athena's Padawan.

So naturally they get pulled into an adventure, and end up becoming fast friends, and share a friend in the (possibly part-Deveronian? Tdb) Grover Underwood, who's Master is a Seeker, finding young Force-sensitives and bringing them to the Temple.

I'm not sure how the Lightning Theif works exactly? But the basics stay the same: Zeus's weapon--a beautiful golden-white duel-bladed lightsaber--has been stolen, Zeus suspects Percy (reasons unknown) who then has to try to track down Jedi Master Hades, who's suspected to have had a hand in it. Only they find out that HIS weapon has been stolen as well, and both end up in the hands of Master Ares, a Zabrak who held the dubious honor of being the most aggressive practitioner of Djem So in the Order. He gets put on probation, especially once it's learned that he has been influenced through his dreams by the long-thought-dead Sith Lord Kronos.

As has the recently-knighted Luke Castellan, though by the time they realize that, it's too late. He's completely Fallen. It had been a long time coming; one of his crechemates and longest-time friends had been critically injured during a mission, and had been left behind on Zeus's (her own Master!) orders. Thalia had been rescued by Grover and his Master, but it was too little, too late. Thalia was so close to dead no one really had any hope.

We haven't quite decided whether Annabeth does get apprenticed to Athena, or to Chiron (who might be a Wookie, might be one of Yoda's species. Again, tbd). But she does get a Master by the end of it!

So Percy is half-Nautolan, and has a sea-green lightsaber. Itsy has art of him, but I don't wanna share it without their consent. (Also i want to let them share their thoughts.) But like. He has gills, which aren't readily visible, so Annabeth freaks out the first time she sees them in action, because they look like his throat has been slit in multiple places. Percy mostly uses the Force to manipulate his environment, eventually learning to make earthquakes.

Annabeth, meanwhile, is at least mostly human, who uses a shorter, bronze lightsaber, made mostly from components Luke had gifted her. The crystal, I think, is hers, just by nature of how kyber crystals work. She's very agile, using the Force to leap around and move quickly enough to get close enough to end her enemies before they can react.

We have a whole thing planned for SoM, sorta a plan for BotL, and some idea of how TTC would go. But if I keep going I'm gonna make myself so worked up I'm gonna be awake all night. Lemme know if you have questions! Also bug Itsy if you wanna.

[jacksmusesdrv3]

Your twin theory stuff has been going on for quite some time, have you considered making a run down on it because it’s a bit hard to find all your points and information on it because of how long you’ve spent on it and I’m very curious but struggling to put it all together

(Alright, take two since I got stuck for a loooong while)

This is a basic explanation of the Ouma-Monokuma twin theory! I will do my best to condense the concepts down in a way that flows simply and is easily understandable, but it will be hard to cover everything while keeping to the most relevant information. So if this doesn't do the job, I might finish the much longer meta on ao3 at a later date, in which I will cover… everything I possibly can, no holds barred and without the blog links. Which will take considerably longer and need very careful execution. (Yeah, this is the short version…)

General disclaimer: this is a view informed by at least six years of trial and error, ruminating in canon for patterns and their meaning. Through all this, I recognise that it is still a theory, and it doesn't make others’ ideas less meaningful. All the same, I need you to understand that this theory and its analysis is fundamental to my view of Danganronpa as a whole, not just my feelings about Ouma. And in my opinion, the presence of bad writing in DRV3 does not negate that view, either. So if you believe that it does, I hope we can agree to differ on our reader responses instead, after all is said and done. Thank you.

Alright, with that out of the way, dropping this under a cut as it's lengthy. Though rather than a lot of detail on what this means for Ouma's character right now, I'm going to dig through the surface with the basis of reframing, roles, academy history, psychology, narrative style for the mastermind, and the broader consequences, with feelings from my perspective to wrap up. I hope that will help give a perspective of the theory world, so that any evidence I give should fit easier in the future.

⚠️ Reader discretion is advised- this content details abuse further on and will be marked like this! ⚠️ 

[‘Then this story's not over.’]

The way I see this situation is basically like a 3D sculpture with two different pictures- ‘the fiction’ and ‘the conspiracy’. That is to say- in the ‘fiction’, there are things that are effectively motifs or throwaway remarks (such as, Ouma's comment about having a brother in his FTE), but in the ‘conspiracy’, they become clues to a hidden interconnected situation. A puzzle in the meta, essentially.

To begin, I’ll outline components of this framing, as these are necessary to understand how this turnabout works.

Catbox world: the question hanging in the air, 'is HPA fiction, or is it real'? What would the consequences of the latter be for the game and outside world of DRV3? In order to begin answering this, I think this way:

Domino effect: 'when you learn a new fact, you learn something else along with it'. Ex: if HPA is real, a very large and clandestine organisation may also be real, since one was connected to HPA's library. With that possibility opened, there are… a lot more potential threads coming from it.

Unreliable narrator: is there something Shuichi is missing? In Ouma's lab, along with the complete history file there are monitors and a hatch, and in his dorm room there’s a whiteboard with pictures and notes scrawled on, the latter two Shuichi doesn't even notice. There are things he cannot verify too - such as Rantaro's odd memory of the forgotten Prologue - which is left up to us, the players.

Contextual reframe: with the new information, we can infer for example that record keepers of the past are made obsolete, and since the HPA history was in Ouma's lab, this could make him a viable record keeper. If TDR's agenda is with historical record, its identity may be the secret society involved in conspiracies. This can greatly affect some of Ouma's comments in hindsight- one relevant to this is his FTE remark about ‘tricking the entire world’.

With doubt already on the most basic aspect of the 'fiction' narrative (that is, ‘HPA is fiction’) we can apply this principle to the Flashback Lights and by extension, the idea that the cast must also be fiction, too. 

Ex: Shuichi and Kiibo were made to see the Flashback Light panel in a way that was rigged up to be seen- it should not have been visible to multiple persons, so it's likely to have been tampered. We know Shuichi to be helpless with computers, so he would not be able to verify if anything else is amiss (ex. Kubs Pad and other options being withheld). What's more, with ‘fiction things’ - such as the Shukuchi method for Ryoma - being relevant in both the ‘weird backstory’ and in the main narrative, there's a possibility that some of the Lights are real memories or at least closely based on their real experiences.

[‘A liar like me knows their own kind.’]

When you reframe the context in an excessive manner like this, it can also affect known roles, even events and relationships. I reason it beginning like this:

Tsumugi becomes a patsy for Monokuma. Just like the fake Makoto in DR2 led the narrative to trap Hajime, Tsumugi misled others similarly, with incomplete knowledge of her own cospox. That is, her cospox being real in the sense of the effects on her person, doesn't necessarily mean that HPA is fiction, because it's about her perception

Kiibo becomes a patsy for Monokuma, someone whose true (military) nature was obfuscated to himself on a metaphysical level, via code-hijacking. This means that high-powered functions he has are strange to him, and he’s easily manipulated into believing lies about his function (such as ‘strength of a senior citizen’, and the ‘audience surveys’ that he cannot verify) 

Ouma becomes Monokuma’s double, like Mukuro taking the identity of Junko, as the monitors and hatch are a direct parallel to Junko. This means that Ouma has a deeper relationship and notably intrinsic connection to Monokuma as well as less freedom from him, likely has extensive knowledge of everyone, and has his own memories. And from that, an incentive to guide people he considers his friends, to minimise himself and his own struggles while working against Monokuma subtly, even to manufacture his disappearance in ch5 to take the fight to Monokuma alone

Shuichi becomes the ‘shadow mastermind’, like Izuru- the ‘traitor protagonist’ who sealed and sabotaged the group’s will to live, while losing his memory of that. This is reflected by Chapter 1's case, wherein he had created the perfect setup for Kaede to enact her own plan to kill, and had conflict over his actions that he had tried to shut away. It also provides context for Ouma being especially wary of Shuichi, noting on the whiteboard to ‘be cautious’ of him, especially if he has a relationship with Monokuma as well.

These are the big four as far as the mastermind agenda is concerned, but another interesting role-reframe is the Monokubs. Remember that Shirokuma and Kurokuma were fragments of the mastermind, and Shirokuma’s role in UDG is to deceive the player? What if the Monokubs had such a situation, split up into comedic personality fragments? Were the melodramas telling some sort of story as well- the story of Monokuma?

If so, there may be some clues from them. But first…

[‘Designed like a school’]

As to the academy’s lost mystery, it’s possible it was originally an experiment. Rantaro’s hunch was that there was ‘someone behind Monokuma’, and in Salmon mode he points out that Monokuma could have ‘taken over the facility’. A bunch of files in Shuichi’s lab suggest that the culprits of the scenarios were noted for their ‘tricks’, likely pertaining to their Ultimate talent. 

A concerning matter is that the details of the Gopher Project’s plans were crossed out, with us unable to see why youngsters of Ultimate status were required. Doubly concerning is that Ouma himself appears to have amazing, even supernatural ability, demonstrated in ch5 with his scripting- a talent such as that is in line with Junko’s abilities. 

Speaking of that, it must be said that Junko's true ability was left a mystery by the game's end. It was also a subject of much curiosity by HPA, so if Ouma is a supernaturally talented person, that could speak volumes as to his own position. His status as an 'invisible Ultimate’ alone raises questions as to why it has to be hidden, or rather, why he has to obscure it. It could be that he is oppressed by the talent system itself, and if that's the case, perhaps he is its guinea pig along with V3's Monokuma. But it's not just about Ouma's ability- if Monokuma too had a similarly strong supernatural talent and/or circumstance, that could explain not only his posing as a ‘god’, but Angie’s mysteriously intimate knowledge of others' personal ideals through such a ‘god’. That is, if she was possessed by someone with knowledge of the cast's ideals, and who was exploiting them in the Love Hotel. 

Moreover, if Ouma and Monokuma were supernaturally gifted, there's a good possibility that if the vault clues were a layered clue symbolic of them- the ‘light’ and ‘dark’ Monokumas depicted on the ‘twins’ clue for the vault - then they were not only siblings, but twins- identical twins. This allows for another ‘report card misidentification’ a la Junko-Mukuro, while the Flashback Light panel refers to the ‘Gamemaster’ rather than ‘ringleader’ (meaning an identical double could interact with it), and from a lore perspective, twins were known in Danganronpa Kirigiri to be the subject of (highly unethical) research, and identical twins would be the most sought after for genetics reasons.

Such research could eventually wind up creating Ouma and his brother - seemingly the highest of any known talents - through a form of eugenics, not unlike Byakuya’s backstory. From there, there's no telling what could have happened…

[‘Eh…?’]

Now I can get to the psychology behind the bear. If a person behind Monokuma had such a past with this academy, traits can be speculated:

⚠️ Content: incest, child abuse, sexual abuse, psych torture/institutionalisation. ⚠️ 

Vengeful: in ch2, Monokuma suggests he may hate the cast for something, and tells them to ‘work for the answer’. Interestingly, Monotaro (leader persona) makes note of ‘red lies’ in the Salmon mode, and red lies are for revenge. 

Extremely traumatised and mentally ill: if it is Ouma’s brother, and he’s wearing a straitjacket, this could imply institutional abuse. Monokuma’s behaviours in ch3 (a mental shutdown) and ch4 (depression) could denote severe mental damage, and having the academy cleared of bugs gives credence to him having an affliction with bugs like Ouma ( foaming at the mouth and passing out).

Depraved: in ch4, Ouma noted he would ‘strangle the one he loves’ to ‘keep his eyes on him’, and appears to play a similar threatening, possessive role in the Love Hotel. Implied in the Monokubs’ melodrama, Monokuma may have coerced his own sibling into having relations- though he may have forgotten his sibling entirely due to trauma.

People pleaser: Ouma says that he ‘lies to entertain people’ in his Salmon mode ending, which could reflect his persona (Monokuma)’s desires. It may be that his desire to ‘not be boring’ feeds into this persona, too, as it's something so serious to him that it was shown as basically a dying wish.

In this sense, the mastermind can be similar to Monaca- as she took control over the city (while Monokuma stated to have taken over the country), became mentally ill as a result of the abuse inflicted on her, lied (about an injury) in order to make her abusers nicer to her, and became depraved in a way childish and sadistic (in how she toys with Kotoko and Nagisa, for instance). There's also the narrative effect of obscuring her trauma with unreliable narrator, and even Monaca’s own warped sense of humour that obscures it in tandem.

[Twin with supernatural talent (Junko Enoshima), a result of experimentation (Izuru Kamukura), childishness complex (Monaca Towa) and all combined (Kokichi Ouma)]

For narrative styles, DRV3's Monokuma is a culmination of approaches to make the game’s mystery truly warped to its core. Taking the masterminds’ actions from the past games:

Junko selectively picked photographs to sow discord about the group’s reality

AI Junko (a plant by Izuru) tried to lead Hajime into making a choice without proper context

Monaca led Komaru through a growth journey to use her for impact at the end

These can be attributed to: 

the Flashback Lights- some real, others ‘rotten apples’, but overall context is dubious 

the ‘It is fiction’ declaration- may be a leading question, again with dubious context

Shuichi’s ‘confidence growth’- that makes him more credible to those watching outside

(As for ‘context being dubious’, it should be noted that the Twilight mystery has a similar vibe in terms of how it is chopped up and misrepresented on the first viewing. This is particularly interesting when you factor in the mixed Kubs Pads giving other characters information.)

Speaking of ‘using’, Monokuma talks about how someone could be used by expressions of gratitude. In parallel to this, Shuichi is talking about how he was happy to be ‘useful to others as a detective’, and regards their gratitude personally. But it’s concerning that Shuichi and his history is a topic for ‘Monokuma Theatre’, when you factor in what Monaca did in UDG.

The basic concept is: with Monokuma’s agenda towards the end being to throw out foreshadowing and mystery - to deny its purpose - he wants you to make the decision of ignoring the heart, discarding the mystery and the path to the answer. In this sort of vague and unnerving way, a ‘hidden mastermind’ is like a progression of Monaca’s style. Symbolically, Shuichi’s journey seems to be one where he is on the fringe of going astray the entire time, and in this reading, he ultimately does with the loss of the game's mystery. 

What follows is the player's re-examination of the canon context and in this case, a ‘salvage effort’ of what was lost. And ultimately, in the quagmire of broken context, Ouma's mixed relationship with Shuichi is fuel for thought, because his cryptic behaviour - like the game he plays in his FTE - keeps you guessing on what he's been trying to say.

[Members… of what?]

So, factoring in earlier recontextualisation - of the large organisation likely spanning the world - is the idea brought up during Ouma's FTE, that I question like this: could Shuichi have joined a nefarious organisation after all, and following in Salmon mode: is there any indicator Ouma has concerns about Shuichi’s intentions in general (that is, regardless of whether or not his past self would have been capable of less-than-moral decisions)? 

What about others in the cast- a Prime Minister who had run away from her post, a military robot, a super inventor, an assassin? An artist with odd brainwashing powers, a musician with the ability to connect to others’ hearts through music? Because given that the DR2 group had affected the world with their talents after being manipulated, it's possible that the V3 group’s talents had a similar part to play, too. For instance, Kaito’s FTE detailed the possibility of communicating with aliens, and trading technology with them- and as it happens, there is notably a very weird technology in the academy, capable of ridiculous feats. This kind of unknown in the narrative speaks of a whole world that we barely know, even now. 

If this kind of world is what Ouma is burdened by, something beyond the protagonist's understanding, that too is a story waiting to be told. And his strange interactions with Shuichi could be at the heart of this story…

[‘Just hit the reset button on your feelings’]

As for the relationship with Shuichi, that is particularly difficult to give in evidence- partly given the culprit in his backstory, and how if Monokuma was that culprit - someone with a strong agenda against Shuichi - that might link to both twins. But due to the death of one of the siblings in that backstory, it warrants a supernatural idea such as resurrection, that has yet to be proven viable in-universe. If we remember Angie having a weird supernatural air about her though, and that she was implied to be in a cult, you could still infer that cults were involved in the supernatural. It’s entirely possible that a high-profile cult had come to the point of using resurrections, although that’s very much deeplore, as is the supernatural in general.

So while I can’t say too much about technical lore, like with the organisation, I can talk about the vibes I have with the theory, to focus on a sense of grounding in character instead: 

“Ouma and Monokuma are both sidelined by the narrative. A not-insignificant part of that was caused by Shuichi in his past, even if he was led into the cause unwittingly, and the actions of Shuichi’s present self in missing memories. As a result, Ouma is in a nerfed position during the game despite his supernatural talent. Unable to say anything without surveillance, he is under a great deal of stress and pent up, ambivalent feelings - not least towards Shuichi and Monokuma -  that he tries mostly to deflect. After all, it would not do to give too much away, and ruin his own plans.”

I have a detailed ‘song lyric analysis’ of sorts to tie to this, as a way of exploring feelings. Part of the reason I’d go this far, is Ouma as the designated ‘narrative scapegoat’ has always just fit well for me, given that the cast is shown to struggle with their treatment of him. Even leaving analysis aside, I feel it would be very satisfying (cathartic, even!) to explore an angle where he was suppressed, and that his position was legitimately the consequence of others actions right from the start, making the whole ‘pretending to be a villain’ situation even more painfully ironic. 

Plus it would be a welcome change from the notion of ‘misguided morally-grey antagonist who needs to change’, in my opinion, as Ouma’s unchanging self is something I hold particularly strongly. So instead of the arc of drastic change, the thing to explore would be how he functions and struggles with others (in mundane as well as grand ways), and also gets them to change, to understand him. It would also be interesting to expand on the theme of talent abuse, to have a Monokuma who was a product of the corrupt talent system- rather like Izuru was, but this time fully present in the narrative, and in tandem with someone else connected to him.

Overall, I feel that a situation where the protagonist thinks he’s won, while a mysterious someone has been struggling in the sidelines to affect change, is a real goldmine for a mystery situation. Especially from replaying the game, and picking up odd signs that something may not have been what it seemed. There may not be much to go from there (as things stand right now, at least) but the palpable frustration means that through this perspective, I can - at times very viscerally - imagine Ouma’s frustration and powerlessness. That alone colours the game and the interactions in a whole new light for me.

I hope this helped clarify at least some of what the heck is going on- and why I would even see Ouma this way at all, if it’s so convoluted. I have struggled to put it into words all this time, but with the pieces flying in my face from every direction, it’s hard to not try putting them together. I usually don’t game on Hard Mode like this, but something about Ouma compels me- whatever Kodaka’s intentions, I believe him when he says Danganronpa V3 is without end.

Thank you for reading!

[tumblingxelian]

Wednesday Fanfic Concept - Duo Detectives!

Summary:

Enid does not trust Tyler, not in the least. SO when Wednesday skips away to get a ride for him she doubles back to make sure the girl won't be ambushed in the parking lot or something.

Instead she finds herself pursuing Tyler into the woods and witnesses his trust nature and the death of Rowan

Wednesday, now armed with a secondary witness and ally is determined to fin out the truth behind Rowan's death, the prophecy and most of all...

Why Principle Weems and Sheriff Galpin are coordinating to cover up Tyler's murders?

Concept.

So yeah, basically expanding on the fact Enid seemed to have an intense distrust and dislike for Tyler and that leading to her being in the know of the monster and murders.

The reason this isn't taken straight to Weems is because thanks to Enid's assistance they are able to determine she is a shapeshifter and so start thinking Weems is in on it.

As opposed to desperately scrambling to keep the school open. Her penchant for trying to encourage outreach day and whitewashing history does not engender trust.

Because of these elements, I imagine Enid only explains all this side of stuff to Wednesday after joining her looking for Rowan's remains. Likely by sneaking her out earlier by using Wednesday joining the Black Cats and collecting paint from Xavier as a pretense.

The Hyde also freaks Enid out on an instinctively level because rather than true Outcasts they are more like a generational curse applied to several families. An external, magical parasite that was made from a Lycans spirit being mutilated and attached to a human to make living weapons in ages past. E

Enid remembers her mom telling her stories about the "Hyde Hunters" who killed little Wolves who could not transform because they were easy targets and used their skin to make bastardizations of true werewolves.

Notes:

The duo also can't determine if Bianca is a pawn, heir apparent or totally unaware. She isn't helping by being more involved, more effective and potentially trying to seduce Enid after Weds revealed the Nightshades to her & Yoko got guilt bombed, so Enid was offered membership and revealed she used to have a crush on Bianca.

Bianca (Strokes Enid's chin and walks away) I'll be waiting~ Enid: (Drops to the ground) Oh you're really in it now Sinclair.

Not sure of much passed that point but yeah, them thinking Weems is the mastermind is a huge part of why the case drags on.

Oh also the Nightshades actually do stuff, mostly smuggling and the like.

Eugene is also aware of all this as his hive hut is the main base of operation but he generally just observes and offers suggestions till he gets injured.

The basic premise is "Wednesday, but what if Enid was Wednesday's partner in the crime solving?"

I had the amusing idea of switching out the "Apologize to Thing or I won't help you" with Enid just going with her but Thing very deliberately only riding on Enid's shoulder and basically giving Weds the silent treatment for that segment of investigation.

Its fun to tinker with these things and see how "Investigate Rowan's death" can still happen but in very different ways

[animehouse-moe]

The Iceberg of Online Manga - A Reading List and Print Wishlist

We get a lot of manga in English, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. We get a hell of a lot of fan translated manga, but even that doesn't cover the whole thing. Separated by language and culture, the "untapped" potential of manga is foreign to a lot of readers, myself included really. But it's because of that deficiency that I decided to start taking a look at interesting fan translated titles to find series to recommend to publishers (and potentially read), so this is a sneak peek into my ever-growing list.

It's also an open request for people to share their favorites from the online manga sphere! As a single person it's impossible to find all the hidden gems, so being able to share titles between one another can really help widen horizons.

Sui and Neri of the Twilight Planet / Tasogare-Boshi No Sui To Neri

In a way, it reminds me of Girls Last Tour, a sunsetting planet that explores the oddity of a du in their life. Not quite as bittersweet or contemplative through what I've seen so far, but still very pretty and detailed. Lots and lots of hand drawn background art, and some really good layouts and paneling.

Poison Poison Forest Forest /Doku Doku Mori Mori

Mushroom on Mushroom violence, with a healthy side of grim visuals. It's got all the punch you could expect, and has a pretty novel approach to what you could consider a revenge story. Still early on so not a mountain of stuff to go off of, but at the very least what there is is good.

Captain Momo's Secret Base / Momo Kanchou No Himitsu Kichi

Tsuruta Kenji, the mastermind behind the art of Emanon (and other series), need I really say more? Regardless, with Tsuruta's art behind a lighthearted and curious series of a woman travelling through space alone with a cat, it's an undeniably enjoyable ride. Though do be warned, there is quite a bit of nudity featured as Momo prefers going commando to wearing clothes.

Every Every Night / Yona Yona Yona

An incredibly strikingly designed robin hood-esque story, Yona and her crew go on nightly missions to try and steal back art that was originally stolen by a corrupt police force. Creative, expressive, fun, and impressively detailed and unique, it's got quite a bit of potential!

The Feared Witch of Tasihou / Taishou Kitan Majo

Mixing the Western practices of Witchcraft with a Taishou-era Japan setting? A cultural combination that I'm truthfully surprised we haven't really seen yet. Add onto that the incredibly unique and sketch-like art style (and the wonderful color pages) and it's just a super easy pickup.

Welcome to Hotel Metsäpeura / Hotel Metsäpeura e Youkoso

A little hard to explain succinctly, but this is the story of a trio, two men and a teenager who they find standing outside their hotel in the Finnish wilderness in the middle of Winter. Characters with... interesting pasts, it's a story about providing not just a house, but a home to this young boy on his own.

The Ends of A Dream / Yume no Hashibashi

This is one that I'm really quite desperate to get in print. It's an emotional story of a pair as they retrace their forbidden romance through the years that have evaded them as they reach the end of their lives. A painfully beautiful concept that I really hope to see licensed someday.

Will You Clean This For Me? / Kirei Ni Shitemoraemasuka

Alright, something a little more light and fun! A story of a laundry (though it's really sorta general cleaning) shop as they go about their daily life, even offering a few tips and tricks to better cleaning things. Simple idea that has some pretty clear care put into it, and is just the right thing to relax with.

Amber Days and Golden Nights / Kohaku no Yume de Yoimashou

Let's keep the good vibes rolling! Another specific interest series, this time about craft beer. Kenzaki Nana's a burnt out employee at a Kyoto advertising firm, but happens to stumble across the Shirokuma bar. With just one night she ends up pulled into the world of craft beer, and our story begins! Very fun and light, and a really cool area to see explored by manga.

The Dragon, The Hero, and The Courier / Ryuu to Yuusha to Haitatsunin

Nothing like some good old comedy at the expense of someone else. Yoshida, a half elf, is a mail carrier for the Imperial City of Idazig that will deliver mail to anyone, anywhere. With the breadth of fantasy and middle-ages history expressed early on, there's a lot of creative potential for humor alongside the really wonderfully scratchy and sharp art.

Deep Sea Aquarium Magmell / Magmell Shinkai Suizokukan

My friend Phantom would kill me if this wasn't on the list. Anyways, it's a series about a deep sea aquarium employee in Tokyo. Very cool, very informal, and incredibly beautiful. I love how much they work with blacks and darkness in the art.

A Coffee Shop in the Unwaking Town / Samenai Machi no Kissaten

I love stories that are incredibly odd and quiet, and this is no exception. Suzume one day finds herself unable to wake up, stuck in the unwaking town Lutetia. It's in this town that she works at the coffee shop known as 'Quatre'. From the moment I laid eyes on it I knew I'd enjoy it, a unique concept paired with standout art, it has such a comfortable feeling to its experience (as well as offering a few recipes).

Living In an Antiquarian Bookstore of The Karakida Family / Karakida-ke no Kosho Gurashi

A simple story about three girls inheriting their grandfather's shop in the heart of the largest collection of used bookstores, Kanda-Jinbouchou. A very calm and borderline mundane story that is supplemented with some truly beautiful art.

And that's all this list has in it for now! Of course I've got more I can chat about, but I thought these to be the most promising in my perusing of the internet. Best of all though? All of these are available (to some degree) on MangaDex! If you want to give them a shot they're there. And really, do feel free to add to this list with your own online finds, I'd love to find all sorts of unique and creative manga that we don't get to hear about in the English sphere!

[mydreambatfam]

Batfam Fancast Part 13: The Al Ghuls

Oh baby my first request! @callmekohaii asked and they shall recieve.

The eternal Al Ghuls. Ra's,Talia,Dusan,Nyssa and Damian. For centuries this family has affected the world in more ways then we will ever know. Integral to the League of Assassins this family are known to be pompous and pretentious aristocrats. So who will be these immortal individuals?

Before we go any further we do have a major conflict to resolve. That problem is the ethnicity of the family. When potrayed before they had rather problematic castings, however the very concept of these characters are problematic in of themselves. Being Middle Eastern aristocratic type people that create conflict based on personal extremist ideals. Similar to the Drake family I have to be careful with how I elaborate and edit on these characters stories and must be thoughtful with how I want to portray these characters without stepping on anyone's toes.

I also have to remember to cast people that aren't completely Americanized, unlike most of the Batfamily who are all east coast American besides Alfred. Actors who are of Middle Eastern or Asian descent seem to be my best bet and have some actors be mixed as well.

Ra's Al Ghul

The leader of the League of Assassins, the Demon's Head, Grandpappy Stabby Stab. The figurehead of the family, Ra's Al Ghul is a legendary DC character, a well-known Batman villain that can keep up with the likes of Batman. Obsessed with destroying the world to remake in his own image he will do anything and everything for his goals, but still hold himself to degree of honor. However he is hypocritical holding onto old ideals that won't have him accept more liberal ideas. He still respects people of similar status though. Even seeing the like Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake as potential successors. Yet still forgoes someone like his Son or Daughters as successors no matter their enthusiasm for it.

There is only one actor that can covers all the things needed for this character and has been with him for over a decade. Oded Fehr has been voicing Ra's Al Ghul for Young Justice since 2011. He is 52 years old, has experience with action thanks to the Mummy movies and is Israeli. He is by far the best choice for this mastermind.

Nyssa Raatko

Nyssa Raatko also known as Nyssa al Ghul is the oldest known daughter of Ra's and half-sister to Talia. She was born early 18th and disassociates herself from her father sometime in the early 20th century. She has lived through WW2, her family she had were victims of the Nazis concentration camps. Even when she begged for help her father did nothing leaving her there. This left her spiteful and out for revenge.

Unlike canon a major change I'm going to make is the WW2 backstory, instead of a Nazi Concentration Camp, It's a Japanese prison in the Philippines. They tried to escape to the Philippines till the war spread there, her husband and sons dying after the "Bataan Death March" and Nyssa becoming one of the many women who are victims of the Japanese, becoming a Comfort Woman. Her evolution post WW2 however is to have her path of vengeance though violence changed into kindness... with violence. Using the generations of wealth she had acquired she becomes an icon of peace to the public, helping third world countries develop, using her sect of League Assassins to kill whoever stops her development, no matter their morals or even compassionate actions. She accidently becomes the very thing she wished to not associate with.

For Nyssa I need an actress who is most likely more mixed compared to Ra's, living in Southeast Asia. She doesn't have to be white and has to be active enough to do some to little fighting.

Elodie Yung is the only actress I thought of. She's the only half asian actress with martial arts training and enough experience in both action and acting. You might remember her as Elektra in Daredevil and as the main character in The Cleaning Lady.

Dusan Al Ghul

The tragic Dusan Al Ghul son of Ra's Al Ghul. A disappointment to his father's eyes he would do anything for his respect, even rising through the ranks under the guise of the White Ghost. He also albino for some reason. I think instead of him being Albino I want to emphasize him being an unintended child. Using those old ideals the Al Ghul's follow he is a bastard in his eyes, it's not just Ra's Al Ghul but the whole family that shuns him.Think Jon Snow or Gendry from Game of Thrones. Decades of longing lead to Dusan's obsessive drive for his family's love.

Joe Taslim has been nothing but delight finding international stardom thanks to The Raid:Redemption and later the HBO/Cinemax show Warrior. Staring in one of the best contemporary action films and martial arts drama, he is perfect to play this bastard son.

Talia Al Ghul

Daughter of the Demon and Mother to Damian, she is a main stay when it come to the Al Ghuls, a master manipulator like her father she later commanded the organization known as Leviathan. From villain to ally, then back to villain it's hard to say where her true loyalty will stand. She sees her methods as absolute and only the most stubborn of personalities could ever change her mind. Not even her own son persuade her, even willing to kill her own son for her own ambitions.

Many of the castings are rather difficult, yet this was a rather easy character to make. Known for her work in the show The Boys and as the character Farah Karim in Call of Duty Claudia Doumit is a Austrailian actress of Lebenese descent. Her prolific filmography has shown she is more than capable of playing this popular anti villain.

Damian Wayne

The newest Robin and biological son of Batman Damian Wayne is DC current wannabe shonen protaganist. He's a great character when writers remember that League of Assassin training means nothing when you fight beside the people who beat them constantly.

Brutal, short-tempered, and looking to be accepted, his assassin upbringing has left many holes in his ability to socialize in modern society. Unable to relate to anybody besides the more upscale aristocratic part of the world. He wishes to grow up so fast only to forget that growing up is part of the process. A major change I want to address is his upbringing, I want to emphasize the brutally conservative nature of the League of Assassins and the cycle of abuse his family continues to use. By embracing his father's side of the family he learns to forge his own identity and unlike many writers right now, learns that he does not want to be Batman and luckily has Brothers willing to carry that weight for him.

Another major character dynamic I want to switch is between Tim Drake and Dick Grayson. I want the antagonistic nature between him and Tim to go from rivals to family, with Tim filling in as the Big Brother role. Dick being the oldest needs to fill the mentor role, especially since he is the Batman to his Robin. By Dick having the more begrudging frenemy nature allows for them to grow as master and student. Think of Damian as Ahsoka Tano with Tim and Dick as Anakin and Obi-Wan during the Clone Wars. Damian grows on you as a character while the other two are more established and likable.You can even fit Drake and Josh on here with Damian as Megan.

Boy have I seen some terrible fancast for this boi. Like I hate all of them, why you casting 20 something you heathens? IMDB, Google, the damn Disney Channel. Can you not find 1 non white child actor? Gordon Cormier is a 13 year old Filipino Canadian actor who is going to play Aang in the Avatar The Last Airbender live action adaption. He is the only actor who can fit all the criteria that I have put for this character. I have scoured the globe and no one in his age bracket will work besides him. If this young man can play Aang, he can play Damian Wayne.

[analysisn3rd]

Henry Winter

Morality

Out of all of the characters in this book, Henry’s the one with the most interesting morality. I shall expand on why and explain more about his morality, but I will put him on my scale beforehand. Without a shadow of a doubt, he is in the grey area, and I shall explain the reasons why shortly.

Unlike some people who are put in this region, he’s very well aware of “right” and “wrong”. He knows the distinct difference, and, thus, he knows what he should and shouldn’t do. However, he’s never been one to care much about morality and he knows that he can easily get away with doing actions that would be considered “bad” or even a crime. The reason for this is quite simple; he’s a rich white man who also happens to be quite intelligent. If he hadn’t planned what he wanted to execute well, he would easily pay someone to shut them up or pay someone to cover for him and create an alibi. However, Henry’s smarter than that. He’s more meticulous than that. If he wanted to execute something of that kind, which is something that he had actually done, he would plan it to the finest details and he could potentially frame others by manipulating them into helping him in order to get out of legal issues.

Before committing the murder, he was terrified of this fact. He knew that he’s able to do horrific things. He knew that it wouldn’t be difficult to get away, and that’s why he was horrified by shooting the animal in the woods at the start of the book. He knew that he’s better than everyone else, and he knew that if he had gone too far, he wouldn’t be able to go back, and that is exactly what had happened.

Although some might think that the reason that he was planning his and his friends’ departure after the accident that occurred due to the bacchanal was due to guilt, it was not. He simply feared that he might be found out. It wasn’t something that he planned. It wasn’t something that he worked out every possible solution for, like Bunny’s murder. It was unexpected, and rather difficult to hide, so he’d simply feared being found out because it’s something that he couldn’t afford to do.

 In general, he believes that he is above morals. He’s fully aware of his own capabilities, and he acknowledges that, once he goes too far, he might never return to what he once was. However, that doesn’t exactly deter him, at least not like it used to at the start of the book, because he realised his extent of not caring about the concept that is morality. It used to frighten him because he had no idea what would happen if he didn’t stop himself, yet he lost control, completely by accident. What occurred due to the bacchanal took place, and, through that experience, he found that, if he planned it well, he can easily get away with a crime, and that it would not affect him as much as he imagined because, at the end of the day, morals do not matter to him.

Personality and insecurities

Henry has an incredibly interesting personality, which I would like to discuss in depth; there are many remarkable traits of his that I find rather overlooked.

A trait that’s rather evident about him is his brilliance. It’s conveyed crystal clear throughout the book that Henry is a person who would be called a mastermind. His intelligence shows a lot throughout the book. Furthermore, he’s compared multiple times to both Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, who are both considered geniuses and of remarkable intelligence. This shows just the level that Richard, and most people who’ve read the book, finds his intelligence to be at.

Alongside that, he’s a master at manipulation. Due to his observation and deduction skills, he knows how people think and he can slightly read people, much like a detective would. However, unlike detectives and more like “evil” masterminds, he uses this at times to know people’s potential weak points, which gives him the upper hand, and allows him to do whatever he pleases. Although it might not always work, it has worked on Richard quite a few times throughout the book.

Although this seems rather out of character for him, he’s remarkably passionate about his interests, namely languages and classics. He only displays this immense interest to those he feels comfortable around, which is something that’s quite understandable about him. The reason why it seems so unlike him is because he’s usually described as serious and cold, yet when he’s discussing the things that he loves, he’s entirely different. However, this is natural for anyone, as knowing so much information about certain topics doesn’t come without a form or another of intrigue.

Another trait that might seem uncharacteristic for him is how he’s deeply caring for those he loves. It’s usually unexpected, yet he’s shown it multiple times throughout the book. One of the most significant moments was when Camilla got the glass shard stuck in her foot. What he showed was genuine concern and care for her, because she’s simply someone who he loves deeply. Another is how he took Richard to live with him during the winter. In spite of this almost definitely being planned so that Richard would trust him more and carry out his plans, I’m inclined to think that a part, though a small one, of the reason why he’d done that was because he cared about Richard.

Henry is not someone who would be considered insecure. He’s very confident in how he presents himself while not caring about how people see him. Besides, he knows how to read people, and that makes him slightly capable of hiding his own fears so that he would seem unreadable and mysterious to others.

In spite of this, I was capable of naming one major fear of his; seeing those he cares about in a terrible condition, regardless what this condition might be. It’s something that causes him deep unsettlement because he knows that what’s being done to his loved ones is something that shouldn’t be taking place. It’s something that’s morally “bad”, and this is the only circumstance where he cares about morality. He doesn’t care whether or not what’s happening is “good” or “bad” as long as it’s not taking place to someone he considers important. The greatest example of his actions due to this is when he killed Bunny. Amongst other reasons, he killed Bunny because of what he was doing to Francis. He didn’t want that done to someone he cares about so deeply, even if what he’d do is rash. He simply doesn’t want to see them suffer; it causes him pain.

Conclusion

I think it’s rather evident that I like Henry. I usually dislike characters like him, not because they’re morally grey, but because I cannot agree with their motives. I often find their motives to be bland or simply things that I wouldn’t sympathise with. I might understand their situation, but I still wouldn’t like or excuse them because of their motives. I do not, in any way, excuse Henry for what he did, despite agreeing with him. My opinions on Bunny and how I honestly did not mind him dying in the slightest, I found Henry to be deeply relatable despite being, essentially, a murderer. I am very well aware of how horrible this sounds, yet I relate to him in aspects unrelated to his murder. 

I really like how Tartt writes her characters. They’re imperfect and human, with their flaws being a bit more highlighted as they are romanticised by Richard. Most importantly, I admire how Henry was written.

[g0os]

So, Hortus de Escapismo was an event, it happened.

(Spoilers filled rant ahead)

Fredrico became the first non-papal saint for some mysterious reason (tune in next episode to find out). But I cant say I didn't like him, I'd go so far as to say he's one of the only truly good people in the event, the only one willing to go against the law, even if that just means following it's words than the true intent behind them.

Clement (gardener deer guy) sure was a character, the twist at the end really did his character dirty, he was a sweet guy pushed to his limits by poverty that tried to hold hope and help people, working as a balance to the bishop who's hope was dwindling. Then suddenly he's also been planning to bomb the monastery because it's better to die together than live apart? I guess? It wad a bad twist to set up a final boss.

And why was Arturia the final boss? Did they really need to save her for the next event in this plotline? She was subtly built up as a antagonist with questionable lines doted here and there, Fredrico rushing off to stop her when given the barest idea of here presence, building her up as a mastermind that pulls strings from afar, but no deer boy.

As for her character, I like her, she's my kind a insane, clearly a bad person but the kind I wouldn't mind an event dedecated too, hopefully she gets more screne time in the next event.

On to the two that join Fredrico on the trip, Spuria is unlikeable, but that felt intentional? She's a sceming ass that uses others to her benefit and doesn't truly commit to Oren's plan out of self preservation.

Richele on the other hand is likeable but just as selfcentred as Spuria, they both put themselves first but their personalities give them a nice contrast to otherwise bland characters.

Now that I've mentioned him, WHY HAS NOBODY JUST SHOT OREN? He tried to do a massacre! And it's just pushed to the side once they're past that plot point. Seriously the baddest man just walks away from this event without a single consiquence.

And Lemuen, I can't say I like her, I can apreciate her as a character, someone who grew up in a racist society trying to do her best for people in a way that doesn't damage her worldview.

I loved the scene (and just the general concept) of a wheelchair bound girl zipping around a monistary chasing some eldrich abomination with a sniper rifle, woman couldn't be further from relistic if she tried, the CG of the stair covered path is the real cake of that entire scene.

The Sarkaz goobers (I've come this far, I sure ain't stopping here) were neet, though not the real focus, which is kinda wierd, they were the only characters that were facing any real stakes, do you abandon your friends so they can live a better life without you, even if it means your struggle will only get harder, I liked Gerald, he felt old, the reminders of his past being dreged up and forcing him to confront his past and recon with his action ultimately leading to the conclusion which felt a bit under cooked, he off's himself then they lose focus on the Sarkaz subplot until his brother tries to run away with Fortuna and nearly dies then their just dropped till the epilouge.

As for Fortuna, though I feel Delphina death was a might contrived I'm willing to accept that for what came of it, even if it too was dropped for the real story, her pain only caused by the circumstances she can't control, racist laws and inpovrishment push aother to break under their weight. Andoain was right, yada, yada.

Who else, the bird kids? They were cool 'n' fun nice lil subplot, saw their mothers twist coming from a mile away but it was still heartwarming to see.

The tenticle man? Was there? More set up for later events probably, really wish they gave his screen time to litteraly anyone else.

So as a whole I feel this just suffered from a degree of character bloat, Spuria and Richele don't really contribute anything to the actual plot that someone else couldn't have and beyond the start of FedEx's character arc this event really just felt like set up for later events, which sucks, I really hope that Arturia is actually the true villain of her event even if they make her a protagonist.

So yeah, I'm gonna call it here before this goes from rant to 5,000 word essay.

Racism bad, genocide bad, feed the poor, Andoain was right. Arturia please dom me.

[dulltoned]

currently brainrotting about the possible antagonists that we could get in Trolls 4 (if that does end up happening) and I need to get this shit out somehow

I’ve seen people talk about Crimp being the next antagonist, and imma be real; I don’t see it- like sure, that lil mop thing is smart, hell, even Velvet acknowledged that and ended up not trusting her as a result, but I highly doubt Crimp could be some kind of evil mastermind (also wondering how she didn’t get arrested as well since, legally speaking she could be considered a as an accomplice to the whole shit fest with Floyd?? make that make sense, but then again, law may work different in their world so what do I know)

some said something about Creek coming back, and let me just say I HATE plots like that-

Creek’s dead, end of story, and even if he is somehow still alive, he doesn’t deserve to fucking return (I hate Creek, alright- can’t stand the little shit)

now, I’ve seen someone speak about a new kind of Troll popping up and I gotta say that caught my eye a bit more; Phonk Trolls- I’d say it would be an interesting concept to play with-

I got a personally idea of mine since, throughout the movies, the subject of grey trolls in general is never truly talked about again- so far, canonically, Branch seems to be the only troll we know of that has turned grey and remained that way for a long period of time- but what if there were more, similar to him? trolls who had lost their colors and just- never gained them back

I find the idea of a whole tribe of grey trolls rather interesting, and it would be a fun concept to tweak and play around with- and how they could pose a threat to our beloved main cast- perhaps they want to rid the world of color, or they want to steal that color to have some sort of happiness back, unfortunately ripping all the others trolls of that same mirth- are they driven by anger, grief, vengeance, or a mix of all of these?

or perhaps the newest antagonist is another species entirely, or a bigger threat than anything they’ve experienced before-

anyways it’s midnight where I am and I need some sleep

-🪶

I don't really have any big hopes for the antagonists of the fourth film, were there to be one. I'd like to see some returning antagonists, to be fair, even if they've all been pretty safely written off and tucked away where they won't be a problem anymore.

I don't remember if the storyboards I saw were real or not but I honestly wouldn't mind if Creek was a returning villain. I'd honestly like to see him antagonize Branch a lot more, I enjoyed their bitter dynamic before the Snack Pack got taken in the first movie. While Chef is most certainly dead we saw Poppy save herself from a similar experience during Get Back Up Again so I don't think it would be entirely out of pocket to have Creek survive somehow.

I just don't know how the franchise could do that in a way that I wouldn't despise. I know that I absolutely loathed how Creek was written into The Beat Goes On and I would hate to have the main series ruined by some blunder like that.

I'd just like to see one of the Trolls movies expand a bit more on what we already know, like how World Tour really went into detail about the Trolls and their different cultures and subspecies. I don't want a whole new species like the Mount Rageons even though I adore them, I think it'd be fun to dig a little deeper into the world we already have and then continue to expand it later down the line maybe.

I like what I've seen a few people say here and there, though. I'd like to see a scenario where Branch is the one that needs help for once, instead of being the one to offer it and pull off the rescue. I love seeing how competent and aware he is but I'd like to see what would happen if the rest of the trolls didn't have Branch to rely on for once. He's always a really big piece of the solution so what would happen if they didn't have him to put things together?

Regardless, if/when a fourth film comes out I hope I love it just as much as the other three. That's all I can really ask for.

[mynextgames-blog]

An attempt on creating my own gaming superhero universe!

Superhero genre was a huge part of my childhood. There was no day without watching some Batman show or reading comics. I was so absorbed in those series that I could recite any line, from any episode and at exact accurate timestamp. I think saying that I wouldn't be the same person as I am now without "Batman: Beyond" is not so far from the truth.

But even though I love DC's universe with my full heart, there was always something I wished was made differently. Some characters' traits, plots, villains, settings - all of those were just little nuances, but in general I felt like there was still so much unused potential.

That's how I started thinking about "doing it better". Doing it even more... dark. First sketches were drawn and a few crumpled sheets of paper further my main character was slowly coming to life. His name - Hank Bukowski. But he just goes by Hank. Or... Mayfly. He is a recovering alcoholic, who in a moment of weakness, suffers a relapse. In his young years Hank was an illegal street wrestler, but those times are over. One day he lost everything - money, friends, his family. He lost himself in gallons of alcohol and suddenly realised, that he came in possesion of the unique superpower - time-travelling. That's when he decided to start his life again and give it a meaning.

But a superhero wouldn't be himself without his nemesis. The most dangerous man in the world, a mastermind, someone who can go inside other man's mind and use his inner demons to destroy him from the inside. A true master of chaos. Meet... the Unraveler. He's the leader of the biggest group of criminals that some time ago ruled this city. Unfortunately, thanks to Hank's help, all of them are currently locked up in Metro City Asylum. But those days are coming to an end. The Unraveler is planning his revange and wants to examine Hank's ability, which was the only thing able to stop his perfect plans and illusion shows.

The criminals crew is still getting bigger. Right now the most interesting ones are definitely gangster Sammy the Fish, Bloody Mary and Krupp, being more bulky version of Iron Man. Each of them has its own backstory and iconic skills, which... I can't tell you about right now, because that's too much for just one post.

There is also someone (or should I say... SOMETHING?) drastically more powerful, than any of the characters can imagine. A living incarnation of pure evil and darkness. The true bad omen and destroyer of worlds. Can Hank manage to save the world from the greatest enemy ever seen, or will he lost himself on the rollecoaster of demons and fears?

There's still so much I want to talk about and I promise to keep you informed about my new ideas! All of what you just read will become a video game called "Hank: Drowning On Dry Land". This will be something between a metroidvania, an adventure game and a puzzle solving experience with comic aesthetics. Gameplay will also be enriched with many time-travelling skills and horror elements! You'll also have to avoid your past iterations, as every time jump will basically make a copy of yourself in the same timeline, putting it at risk of collapsing.

I think I can say that none of the fans of series such as Batman, Disco Elisium, Watchmen or even Sexy Brutale should be disappointed. I'm still working on this epic opening animation inspired by an intro from Batman: Beyond series with an original rock song and I definitely can see the light at the end of this long road.

If you'd like to see my job and support me on this journey, here's the link to the Steam page of the game, where you can wishlist it. If you're here just for my concepts and you think they are cool - leave a like or a comment, your opinion means a whole world to me! Let's get through this journey together and make something cool :)

store.steampowered.com/app/1937880/Hank_Drowning_On_Dry_Land/?utm_source=tumblr

[kozachenko]

Speculation for Touhou 19 Update: [SPOILERS THIS IS OUTDATED KINDA SORTA LOL]

Ok so I haven't gotten to talk too much about my theories for Touhou 19 but I'll share some speculation and predictions that I have as well as a few theories.

First of all, I feel like not enough people are mentioning Seija as a possible character in this game, like, her whole thing is about the "weak eating the strong" and "overturning society" so this seems like a pretty good chance for her to go against the main enforcers of that ideology i.e. the beast yakuza leaders (Saki, Yachie, and Yuuma). I mainly got this idea from another Tumblr user mentioning Seija and I loved that concept so much, so I'm bringing it up again just to make people more aware of it.

Another thing I would like to mention is the SDMs role in the story, which may seem out of left field but hear me out. So, in 17.5 Okina got Flandre to beat up Yuuma yadayadayada incident solved. I haven't read up on too much of 17.5s story but I know that she's left in charge of the blood pools by Okina and that's that… or is it? What about the eagle spirits that learned of their leader (who they hold in very high regard) being defeated? Wouldn't they also use this opportunity to get revenge on the one who did it? How would Remillia react if she learned that her little sister was being targeted by a bunch of (potentially dangerous) beast spirits? And thus, this would be the reason for Sakuya to get herself involved in the incident. Even if Remillia or Flandre herself tried to tell her "It'll be fine! They're weak anyway! What's the worst they could do?" Sakuya would probably be too paranoid to let it slide.

Another thing to note is the Netherworlds involvement in this game, specifically Youmu. It would also be very likely that she would be involved too since in one of her touhou 17 endings, Eiki told Youmu to get more information on Yachie. So of course, this would be a great oppurtunity to do so.

Some people are also speculating the Moriya Shrines involvement in the new incident, which could be likely as the opportunity of claiming new land would be right up their alley. Plus a leak of Sanae being a potential character in this would support this theory.

One of the most common predictions for Touhou 19s roster and story is that the beast yakuza leaders would also want to get themselves involved in claiming new land. Plus the potential introduction of the fourth faction could also play into this, with all of them trying to go for the same place at once.

Then we have Tsukasa, who I think could probably be related to the fourth faction or (just the beast realm in general), and could potentially be the instigator for Touhou 19s story as she was for 18s story. I should also bring up Chimatas potential involvement as I think it would make sense, this was probably an unintentional side effect of her own ability and she would obviously want to help sort things out again.

Another thing that's mentioned a lot in the story is the possibility of Reimu being lured into a trap of some sort by going to the animal realm, mainly by Aunn. Now, there could be a variety of things that could happen with Reimu and the animal realm, but I'm saving this part for last because it's the possibility I'm most excited for and think would be a really fun twist.

There's also the fourth faction, who we know from Yachies profile uses "cowardly tactics" such as poisoning, parasitism, and assassination, which may mean that the spirits in the faction may not be the strongest in terms of physical strength, but more in strategy, so who could the spirits in this faction be? Foxes, cats, or maybe even monkeys, which leans into the idea of the Sun Wukong character being the leader of the fourth faction.

Then there's the question of who is the true mastermind behind the incident. With Marisa stating that there is some "unknown magic" behind the whole thing, there could be a multitude of answers to this question. It could be someone new or someone we know. I personally think that Okina would play some role in this incident as one of her abilities is manipulating mental energy, which means that she could make everyone want the new land. It could probably be someone new, but the answer to this question will probably have to wait until the full game is out.

So, as of right now, everyone in Gensokyo is going for this new land that just popped up. Especially the beast spirits and beast gangs. Now, if we consider the possibility that the beast leaders themselves (including the fourth one) are also looking to claim the new land, then what does that mean for the animal realm? Since no one is there (except like, maybe a few beast spirits who didn't go), the animal realm (and the human spirits for that matter) are left unwatched.

And I think we know who would want to use this opportunity to gather some faith and take over the animal realm completely...

So, I feel like Keiki wouldn't be a playable, she would probably send Mayumi out to go get this new land for a new base for the human spirits as a backup plan, so we can expect Mayumi to join the "New stage 5 character becomes a protagonist" club. Meanwhile, Keiki has all the time in the world to reassemble her Haniwa army and take over the animal realm. Just to clarify, I don't think Keiki is the one responsible for the incident as a whole, rather, she's just taking advantage of the situation. It would be out of character for someone like Yachie to just leave without making sure the animal realm doesn't get taken over, it seems like an oversight that she wouldn't make. This is why I mentioned maybe a few beast spirits staying behind just in case something happens. Maybe the fourth faction leader is still in the beast realm and is trying to keep Keiki back as long as they can to the best of their ability, and if the fourth leader really is the Sun Wukong inspired character, then anyone who is familiar with the story they come from (Journey to the West) would know that this character would probably jump at the opportunity to fight a powerful god. That probably wouldn't be the primary reason just a little benefit for them.

And with that marks the end of this, really, really long post (LOL), but yeah those are a few of my predictions and speculations. I used to have the mentality of "If you say your wish out loud then it won't come true" but if I was right about the Sun Wukong inspired 2hu character then who knows, maybe I'll be right about a few things here. Let me know what you think could happen, I'm really curious!

[remindish]

is there an oc who's design you've put the most thought into?

The most thought put into an OC... Huh, I never really stopped to consider what's the most I've ever invested into a design, partly because they all have a good while spent on them as to figuring out their details - but also because the artists deserve some big credit too, sprinkling in their own little details into the designs.

I can't really decide on one specific design that champions the rest as to invested input, but I can single out a handful that are kind of funny in retrospect.

Despite Cassidy Valent sticking out so much (in part because I want to make a Cool Story with her soon), she's ironically the one whose design kind of cemented from the rests of another: Tanner.

This design was done alongside a friend of mine @knifekeeper (thankyu so much still, she came out cute!) with the idea of having a slightly chubby scientist character with a geeky personality that worked at a big research facility. Things didn't quite click as to the story though, so it ultimately kind of just became a Cute Scientist For The Meantime...

Meanwhile, my brain latched a lot of interest onto My Hero Academia - specifically, a lot of the background details and worldbuilding regarding it. Something sparked in my head as to getting something off the ground for it as an alternative story: being set within the US amidst the Anarchy Age. A lot of interesting potential concepts in my head, but no proper concrete story... aside from one.

My friends hosting an MHA-themed tabletop campaign with the Mutants and Masterminds system helped me push for making a protagonist for said concept and that way kill two birds with one stone - but I'm also the kind of person that likes to have a design set for a token from the get-go, and I had all of the personality, details, backstory, and even the name prepared. I just needed a token design.

... And Tanner was right there. Put it through with an artist, described extra elements and details... and the rest is history.

[Funny how Oolong interpreted "chubby" as "give her much larger thighs"]

After that, and with input from some friends of mine, I'd eventually branch off her story with a completely separate setting from MHA (good thing I did too, that shit was going downhill Fast).

In a way, she's the character I fleshed out the most as to personality and story. I'm still feverishly excited to get her story told soon enough, and she's become one of the favourites out of the ones I've designed.

On a separate note, to close this ALREADY LONG-ASS POST AAUGHU, I personally really enjoyed getting Alta's design built alongside another friend of mine, @rivriderart. I'm totally blaming Ace Combat and Drakengard for getting my brainworms wriggling over new funky concepts, and eventually manifested her as a rival towards a hypothetical protag pilot. A lot of her details, like the scar, her personality expressed by the bottom right, or the strange zippers on the back were fun to think up: trying to convey the idea that she's got a funky past. Her manifestation would eventually branch off to creating the whole setting of Fraeternum overall, as a way to blend both the fantasy genre with the dogfighting action genre of Ace Combat. Yes, this actually means shit like griffins and Valkyrie knights going up against the equivalent of an F-22 Raptor.

I should've expected the possibility of her essentially having a proxy/persona element to her too. That just manifested out of nowhere, but I enjoy the funny circumstances that arise involving her proxy - often humorously indicated with a big white sign or some signature indicating "Remindo Proxy"

_____________________

There's more I could mention, because the general answer is that I enjoyed designing all of the characters in some way or another, but Cass and Alta generally stick out as the ones I had a lot of thought put into as to different details.

[marketingprofitmedia]

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AISonic Studio Review: My Recommendation

AISonic Studio is a valuable tool for anyone looking to create high-quality videos efficiently. Its AI-powered capabilities, user-friendly interface, and customizable features make it a strong choice for both professionals and beginners. While there are limitations to consider, AISonic Studio offers significant benefits in terms of time and cost efficiency. By carefully evaluating your needs and comparing it to other options, you can determine if AISonic Studio is the right fit for your video creation projects.

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Check Out My Previous Reviews: AI Tuber Review, AI Traffic Surge 2024 Review, UPLOAD n’ BANK Review, VinciPro AI Review, SoundWaves AI Review, Pulse AI Review, and AI Pixel Perfect Review.

Thank for reading my AISonic Studio Review till the end. Hope it will help you to make purchase decision perfectly.

Disclaimer

Please note: This AISonic Studio review is based on publicly available information and user reviews. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the platform’s claims, and individual experiences may vary. It’s important to conduct thorough research before making any purchase decisions.

Note: This is paid software, and the one-time price is $17.

[writingwithcolor]

Hello there, thank you for creating this wonderful resource! Your post about lizard people really opened my eyes, as I was not aware of it being an antisemitic trope specifically until now. I absolutely love making reptile heroes and villains alike, but I'm not Jewish myself and I’m now concerned about a dragon character I have as a main antagonist for one of my stories. Your other posts regarding this topic do point out that having one aspect of the trope does not guarantee that it will evoke the trope itself, but I'm afraid that this character has several aspects of it without me realizing prior to now, and I'm looking for advice on what to do with him. I did not intend to make him Jewish at all, but if I were to use other ways to specifically show that he isn’t Jewish/a Jewish equivalent in this fantasy world (and I definitely will when I reach the scripting/panelling phase), I’m still concerned that even the base idea for this character will read as such regardless. (I also apologize for the length of this ask, feel free to cut it down as needed when posting it) Dragons, lizards, and other reptiles are not considered evil or vile in this universe, in fact there is an entire kingdom that worships a dragon god to the point where things like their clothing and architecture resemble them. Having even a fabricated appearance of a reptile (or any other animal for that matter) is encouraged and celebrated across all the kingdoms, so this isn’t meant to be a “humans vs reptiles” or “humans vs non-humans” story, even if humans are still a dominant species. That said, this character is still an outsider to the monarchy (in fact his and the protagonist's status as non-royal is deliberate), and his appearance as a dragon man is the reason he is able to sway this particular kingdom so easily. The general populace views him as a second coming of their god, even more so than its current royalty, so I’m not sure if that makes his case better or worse here. (I know this isn't a visual design blog necessarily but if it helps, this is the most recent design I have for him. If you have any critiques about the visuals as well then I'm all ears) He is not motivated by greed as I thought the “dragon hoarding treasure” angle was overused already, but he does intend to overthrow and abolish the monarchy of all of the kingdoms in a “burn them to the ground” kind of way, so I’m concerned that his conquest of this and the other non-dragon kingdoms will still read poorly from the manipulation/government takeover perspective. The protagonists that ultimately defeat him are each from different parts of this world, one of whom is the princess of the dragon kingdom and is fighting to get it back from him, though she resembles a bat more than a dragon visually (they share the same wing type). Would adding more scaly/lizard characters on the side of good help matters? This antagonist’s own cohorts are also from various parts of this world as well (i.e. not a group of lizard people), which is intended to create a parallel between them and the group of protagonists thematically, but he’s still the leader and mastermind of his group's schemes. So with all that in mind, do you think this concept could still be used/reworked or should it be scrapped entirely? Do you have any advice on writing lizard folk villains specifically when it comes to avoiding antisemitism? Are there questions I’m not asking myself about this particular story concept that I should be? I'm happy to clarify any further questions about the world building as needed, though admittedly there are a lot of details that need ironing out regardless. In any case, thank you for your time, I appreciate it!

Dragon antagonist trying to overthrow a kingdom

Having him be an anomaly in dragonkind, and having the good guys be more dragonlike, will help. Because then it shows that reptilian-ness, in your world, is not the reason he’s a bad guy. So yes, you’re right that adding more good lizard characters would help.

How do you feel about switching his character design with the bat princess character? Or even making her more dragonlike (without making him less so necessarily?) Just some thoughts.

--Shira

I’d like to gently move you away from looking at this as “am I inadvertently checking a box that I don’t want to check?” and toward “What are the ways in which I am and am not playing into a constellation of tropes that might or might not add up to something I don’t want to say?” Dragon = reptilian = antisemitic is a decent start, and it’s good that it got your attention. Taking a deeper look will help you evaluate what’s happening with your character development.

“Lizard people,” as in the accusation of literally being reptilian, or the use of “Lizard people” as a dog whistle to imply “Jewish” without saying it, grew into significance in the 90s, but it builds on tropes that had been established in art and literature for the span of Western history. “Lizard people” works as a dog whistle because of how many of the tropes for negatively portraying Jewish characters also work for negatively portraying humanoid reptilians. So instead of simply giving the sign-off on whether “dragon-man” is a subset of “lizard person” and therefore antisemitic, let’s look at the various components of the trope and how a writer might find themselves upholding, bypassing, or directly counteracting any selection of them. 

Here’s a short list of character design elements often linked with negative Jewish coding in male characters (the tropes for non-men Jewish characters can overlap with these but will also have their own components). 

Note that a lot of them are only negative if the context establishes them as negative:

Skinny and nerdy, not physically strong or imposing, gaining power through trickery rather than force;

Fat and lazy, not physically strong, gaining power through financial pressure or tricky contract language;

Narrow, pointy nose and chin, close-set eyes, high forehead, black or red curly hair, olive undertones to complexion; portrayed as negative in contrast to the fair and square or rounded features portrayed on non-Jewish-coded characters;

Cowardly in a setting where physical violence is a virtue, violent toward family members or politically bloodthirsty in a setting where the virtue is pacifism, but never personally a warrior and never willing to take personal safety risks;

Never shown wearing armor or holding weapons except in 20th-21st century settings;

Elements of autistic coding including monotonous, robotic, cracking, or otherwise “unmasculine” voice;

Failure to dominate women, romantically or in his own family, but also failure to respect women who are outside of his family. Pursues women who have made it clear that they are not interested. Not a supportive or attentive partner;

Dismissive of others’ boundaries, whether sexual/romantic or just personal space;

Excels in careers that don’t require charisma, especially in math and technology fields. 

Lacks loyalty to the group that includes them: that is, lacks a sense of noble patriotism in settings where patriotism is noble; lacks loyalty to the revolution or resistance movement where those are the heroes; even when an antagonist will show disloyalty to the other antagonists. This will be the case either because he values nothing above personal gain or because he has a stronger loyalty to another group or nationality than the one he is betraying.

Unpleasant, unlikeable, unappealing: even people who work for him find him repulsive and follow him because they have been manipulated out of other options or are villainous themselves.

Right off the bat, we see that some of these are contradictory. Your character--and any other character we hold up to it--might wind up upholding one of these elements specifically by intending to counteract another. Some of them are only understood as negative when placed in a context that specifically extolls a different virtue. Historically, Jews have been a handy all-purpose antagonist: to capitalists, Jews are communist, to communists Jews are capitalists. To radical Leftists Jews are faking being marginalized and to racists Jews are faking whiteness. In the face of this, a checklist attempting to encode tropes to avoid would quickly become too sprawling and unwieldy to use. Since “vibes” are hard to convey in text, though, let’s do our best to figure out what applies here.

Your character is an antagonist who gains power through trickery, by using his draconic appearance to gain the trust of a people who revere dragons. He’s also red-toned, armored, and motivated by something other than greed, characteristics which generally run counter to negative Jewish coding. You have a two-sided task: to make it clear that he isn’t intended as a dog whistle, and to avoid implying that the actions he takes that make him an antagonist are inherently results of his Jewish-coded aspects. 

What are his other attributes?

Do people follow him because he offers them kindness or because he tricks them into contracts or maneuvers them out of options? 

Does he respect and listen to his allies? Is he loyal to them? 

Does your story frame his motives as noble even if his methods are misguided? 

What would it take to get him to sell out his allies? 

Would he do it for money? To save their lives?

Is he heroic on the battlefield, a formidable foe, or does he send others to take risks he wouldn’t take? 

Does he have romantic relationships? If so, how does he treat his partners? 

Is he loyal to a long-term spouse? Is he predatory and coercive? 

Does he have genuine friendships and loving familial relationships, or only yes-men? 

I’m not saying that your bad guy has to be a good person; rather these are some openers to considering what the coding of villainy consists of, and how one codes for evil without employing antisemitic coding as a handy shorthand. 

- Meir

[ottiliere]

may i ask why spades slick?

so I am thinking about dirks sexuality right. because he is a gay man. but one who is so immensely traumatized by the act of sex in general that I think he is very turned off to the concept of genuinely engaging with sex (none of his porn is genuine). this likely contributed to the formation of his puppet fetish as well... like his puppet porn is one of the few things he does that comes from an actual unironic place but interspersed with all his other works this is hard to deduce. his smuppet sidehustle, I imagine, is very slow-going because I think he'd be very meticulous about them, especially in the eve of their creation... I think he would've initially learned how to sew "improperly" by completely teaching himself no guides... it was a survival skill at the foremost but now it just makes the whole process a lot more difficult than it needs to be. he would not make a lot of money off these but I think they would be one of his most authentic passions.

anyway. mildly related. I think the sensory aspects of slick would help immensely. the texture of his carapace vs human skin, the noises he makes (diff larynges)...his hands would feel a lot different. different stature, different anatomy altogether... mainly I think the dichotomy between human and carapacian physiology would make the acclimation to sexual encounters with slick much easier than if they were with a human. aside from the obvious low hanging fruit of interspecies relationships i think it would have to be a stereotype that people with traumatic sexual histories often end up dating out of their species. like this would happen irl i firmly believe. if there were another sentient race that you could date aside from all the obvious social stigma. like of course you dont want to bone another human you are SEXAL ASAULT VICTIM. there would be STUDIES on this phenomenon. studies on the correlation between xenophilia and CSA history, in addition to just preference in general. alos really into the idea of them not being abl eto do anything penetrative if imbeing honest i think this idea rules. like it would require just a little too much bending of the most obvious truth (bug penis) to make it work so why not run with it. it also islike. just a realistic problem for them to have like this would be how it is..they would have to work around it and have issues iwht it.

as a starting point: how dirk thinks slick remembers him in a direct selfaware comparison to how he regards slick... even in canon dirk has the tendency to self-depreciate. like he has so much ego he is the MASTERMIND in planning (in his head) but he just genuinely hates himself and has absolutely no self-worth whatsoever so i find it likely that while dirk would get discharged feeling.... conflictedly positive...? over slick's treatment of him it would warp over the years until his perception of everything that happened has completely mutated. like he would RUMINATE over slick and what his fucking motives were for doing what he did for him and these thoughts would incubate. and thats the thing it's so fuckingbeautiful it's real life . like everyone has encounters where you meet someone random by chance and talk for a few hours and then never see each other again but you keep thikning about them in your mind if youre that kind of person. and then it comes to the way dirk handles this and he was with him for a longer period of time too. like. i feel like his MEMORY of the way things went would have the possibility of shifting too. so his perceptions of things change based on that. what he remembers of slick drawing funny caricatures of him he thinks about and thinks about until his mind settles on the fact that slick was actually genuinely making fun of him. just little things like that like very specific episodic memories. the bubbles htey are contained in in his mind each warp individually into their own little beast i guess is how i'm imagining it. i dont think dirk would ever settle on a firm "this is why" negative explanation for everything.different memories of that time just come to him and they all shift in turn to the most negative reasoning for what's happening in that scenario

IMAIGNE THIS SCENE Dirk sititng hunched in his bed with his arm around his legs brought up to his chest and he has his music playing and hes ruminating on slick and the way he changed his mentality forever andthinking about all those events and possibly indulging for like two seconds imagining meeting up with slick again and having genuine fun but he quickly stops thinking of thisbecause he's too self aware and gets embarrassed. and it's just like so dark and dismal and slowly zooming in on his face lost in thought. then it just suddenly cuts to slick getting like idk some battle wounds on his arm bandaged up by boxcars. ANd he's laughing saying Hahaha i look just like this kid i met in the hospital. He loved cutting himself up it was so fuckin sick. what was his name again? Ehhh forget it. then it cuts back to haunted dirk

in the end for the sake of more ongoing interactions they have reunited after the hospital events so the intense psychological exploration on dirk is technically noncanon although still important to explore.

[laundryandtaxes]

I think it's very very difficult for a lot of people to come to accept that sometimes a set of circumstances can 1) only reasonably be called abusive by sheer virtue of the intensity of the unidirectional pressure, condescension, and outright cruelty, and 2) ALSO be a set of circumstances in which one person was not sitting around actively thinking of ways to abuse the other person, systematically moving them through stages they've established as the track to get someone to continue to endure abuse. I'm sympathetic to the argument at least that we shouldn't call that abuse, but rather mistreatment, and that we should reserve the term for intentional manipulations of other people, but I don't actually agree with it. Ulltimately I think that framework makes it very difficult for people who've been abused to accept what is happening to them, because it requires that they reimagine someone they love and are intimately familiar with as an entirely separate kind of person from other people, as some special kind of evil human being who has spent the last x years just plotting on how to psychologically destroy them. But more importantly, I just don't think it is actually true- for instance, I think the majority of people who regularly hit their children must love them AND must believe that hitting them is a perfectly reasonable way to correct their behavior because they consider it within the purview of loving behavior. I also obviously think they're outright wrong and that that is child abuse, but when something like 80% of Americans still think it is okay to hit children, I simply think it is improbable that everyone in that group, including all the parents, actually hates or even doesn't love children. That is just one instance, but I think this is especially relevant in the context of emotional abuse.

Perhaps this is especially important to me because it's so, so hard for women who date other women to recognize and leave partners who regularly mistreat, condescend to, and pressure them in ways that I think are only reasonably called abuse, because they have this concept of abuse as something bad people do on purpose to harm other people and I think that absolute caricature isn't real and isn't helpful- it's hard enough to get out, I know personally that it's hard enough to get out, of an abusive relationship even when it doesn't require a total reframing of every interaction you've ever had with someone as them proming you for more abuse. Perhaps I'm functionally theorizing my own refusal to see the people in my life who've caused me the most harm as evil masterminds, and perhaps they really are evil masterminds and so is everyone in the country who treats their children poorly or hits them. I'll grant that those things could be true, but I don't think so. I think this abusive boogeyman is like the back alley rapist- real, yes, but certainly not making up the majority of sexual violence in a way that merits centering it as the thing women need to see as their primary concern in a way that informs their safety practices. I also don't think it's a coincidence that focusing on the back alley rapist lowers the defenses of women in situations they may perceive as less dangerous than walking down the street but where they're actually at much greater risk of harm due to being away from other people, etc. But I think that we need to move past this really static idea of what abuse can be (I imagine this has got to stem from domestic violence or abuse and the absolutely massive role that intentional control of another person has in that context- I have known women whose partners who kept regular surveillance of their phones, for instance) because it keeps a lot of people stuck, thinking their partnerships aren't bad, and frankly when a lot of adults in general but especially women who date women are just emotionally underdeveloped and have a low capacity for healthy relationships even when they have the absolute best intentions, we need markers of bad behavior that tell you to get out, not caricatures of essential traits.

[djangodurango]

Duck!! 🦆

With the caveat that I don't really think about trains having romantic relationships in the same sense that people do since, you know, they're trains...

NOTP: Diesel.

Duck values, above all else, getting his work done without any fuss and if the Great Western Way is indeed the standard on the Great Western Railway, then most engines he's interacted in his life prior to arriving on the North Western Railway feel that way as well. So Diesel was probably the first time he'd ever had someone cause that much discord in the yard and the first time his character was ever called into question. Even if Duck can tough it out to work with Diesel now, he probably never really gets over it.

BROTP: Percy.

They get along swimmingly at first meet, they have similar senses of work ethic, and Duck from Day One has gone out of his way to encourage Percy to advocate for himself. One could take a more uncharitable interpretation of this because the only other time Duck is insubordinate, he also let Percy take the role of spokesperson for their strike. Then again, this is also after Percy was unwillingly nominated for the deputation (an idea that Duck was also reluctant about) so maybe Percy's just getting used to being the union rep for collective actions.

Anyway, the point is, while Duck is the mastermind behind the revolt against the big engines' behavior and speaks to Sir Topham Hatt on their behalf, Percy is the one actually on the turnplate keeping the big engines out of the shed. It has to be Percy front and center, because Percy is the one who has to assert himself here or else they'll just keep bossing Percy around even if they stop doing so with Duck.

My OTP for them: Donald.

They have a duck daughter together! And I mean, that the pairing name is Donald/Duck? It gives me a sensible chuckle. And the fact that Donald, when arguing with his brother, leaps at the chance to work with Duck again? They've got a thing goin' on. The twins are also known for their similar lack of complaint when working, which is something that would resonate with Duck.

I haven't read the books yet (I ordered them, they're coming) but apparently Donald and Douglas bring up their old railway all the fuckin' time, so Duck probably also appreciates their loyalty to their heritage (even if the Caledonian Railway is obviously nowhere near as good as the GWR).

My second choice pairing for them: City of Truro.

The admiration and kinship is already there, City of Truro is written as being very friendly and amicable despite his fame, and they're both Great Westerns so I mean. Easy pick.

My fluffy pairing for them: Sir Topham Hatt.

Again, we're not talking romantic relationships for trains, but anytime Duck fucks up, Hatt is usually pretty lenient with him, if not reassuring. And why not? Duck's a good boy! When he crashes - which is rare - it's usually not his fault. And even if it is ("The Thomas Way"), he's got enough social capital from his general sense of responsibility, work ethic, and comparative lack of incident that Hatt's willing to just let him off with his disapproval. Which is awful as far as Duck's concerned, but it's not the kind of dressing down most of the other engines would get. The only time Duck ever showed outright insubordination, "Diesel Does It Again", Hatt didn't reprimand him, he simply explained that Diesel is the only engine that was available to help them and that he needs Duck and Percy to help him by going back to work.

My angsty pairing for them: James

The CGI series seems to gently brush the cheek of this concept, as if it would like to explore it but just feels they can't waste that much time on a side character, which is a shame because I think you could really do a lot with it and also because Duck's voice on this show is adorable.

James and Duck are actually quite similar. They are built for nearly identical duties, which Duck does happily in any occasion, whereas James gets harrumphed if he's asked to pull anything but coaches as he feels anything else is beneath him. They are both very proud of their liveries, but for completely opposite reasons: James is an individualist, to his detriment, and asks for red paint (which he is quite proud of, also to his detriment) to differentiate himself from the rest of the fleet which was moving toward a consistent blue livery at the time. Duck is painted in his GWR livery and he is quite proud of the work history it represents. To him, his livery is a mark of his belonging to the GWR and being an exemplary model of what that railway represented and he brings that to the NWR now. James, by contrast, is always seeking to either separate himself from the rest of the fleet or else prove himself the best of it.

He wants to be a Gordon, but he is not and will never be. So seeing someone like Duck, who knows exactly who and what he is (exactly the same thing James is) and is content with it, is disquieting. James attempts to look down on Duck for being satisfied and proud of the work he does, regardless of its perceived prestige, but maybe some part of him actually envies Duck for his security and assurance in himself.

If this show were about character growth at all, Duck would be an excellent avenue for that for James.

My favorite poly ship for them:

I don't really have a ship for Duck this way but... In "Duck in the Water", Duck (who is painted green) needs to be pulled out of a flooded track he's run into. James and Rocky come to do this, but James being impatient results in a signal being knocked over on the way there. So as they are trying to pull Duck out, Oliver (also painted green) comes up behind them and with no signal to tell him to slow down, he bumps into the back of James, who slams into Rocky, who drops Duck back in the water. Then, as Oliver is backing up so his driver can put up a warning flag, Percy (also green) comes along too and, with no signal to warn him, bumps into Oliver, who bumps into James, who bumps into Rocky, who drops Duck again and the green grass grows all around all around. And as I am watching all of this unfold, I am thinking to myself, "All we need now is Henry and this'll be a real green clusterfuck."

My weirdest pairing for them:

Daisy would be a delightful disaster, although Duck might have some positive influence on her that could be interesting. Duncan would also be a shitshow worth watching. Could be fun to watch how he'd handle an interaction with Bill and Ben as it would be a test of wills, unstoppable force versus immovable object.