#this is my first kamen rider related post

[ikeoji-subs]

Zettai BL Ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL Ni Naritakunai Otoko 2024 - Episode 3 Eng Sub

VS CONFESSION and VS CUPID

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translation notes:

about “suki” vs. “tsuki” (3:32)

This is explained in a brief translation note in the subtitles, and there isn’t a ton left to say about it that wasn’t stated there. But due to the amount of dialogue happening in this scene, we had to keep the note as short as possible and we weren’t able to keep it onscreen for very long, so it still bears mentioning here. 

In Japanese, the words “suki” and “tsuki” sound quite similar. “Suki,” as a lot of BL viewers know, means “like” or “liking,” whereas “tsuki” means “moon.” Hatano is saying “suki desu” to Mob, which in this context means he’s basically declaring his love for him. Mob is using the resemblance between “suki” and “tsuki” to pretend that he thinks Hatano said something to him about the moon. Then he uses the English word “moon” a couple of times, seemingly to ensure that Hatano won’t be able to turn around and take his “tsuki” as “suki.” 

As Mob says, usually a maneuver like this would make the person declaring their feelings get so self-conscious that they’d back off. But Hatano’s not a typical suitor, as Mob soon learns.–Towel

about “perfect match” (15:31)

I mentioned in our translation note about episode 1 that the red and blue beams that shoot out of Mob’s eyes seemed like a reference to his character from Kamen Rider Build. This time, I kind of made my own Easter egg about that show.

I mentioned before that Inukai Atsuhiro played the main Rider–and title character–on Kamen Rider Build. Kamen Riders always have some kind of transformation item, sometimes with interchangeable components. They're typically some kind of object attached to a belt, sort of like a massive buckle, that you can put smaller items into. The components that Build (a.k.a. Kiryu Sento) used at first (and to an extent, later in the series) involved “bottles” that were each named after some kind of object or animal. He would use two at a time, and the resulting juxtaposition (e.g. RabbitTank) would be reflected in his suit form somehow. But not every combination of bottles worked together, and some resulted in more effective suit forms than others. When Sento found a really good combination, his transformation device would designate it a “best match.” A “best match” resulted in more strength and more effective abilities to fight villains. 

Sento showing Banjou how best matches work

The phrase “best match” didn’t exactly fit here. But when I was polishing up this line and the word “match” came to mind, I felt like I had to at least try to word it in a way that would allow me to say something reminiscent of it--hence "perfect match." I hope some Build fans will recognize the sorta-reference!–Towel

Banjou annoying Sento by guessing a best match combination on his first try

Tag list: @absolutebl @bengiyo @c1nto @come-back-serotonin @lurkingshan @my-rose-tinted-glasses @porridgefeast @sorry-bonebag @twig-tea @wen-kexing-apologist

[kirider]

Your art for it is so cute, what's Kamen Rider SD? I want to get into it :D

yesss.... fall into my trap... mwhahaha >:3c (also thank you ^v^)

SD in general means Super Deformed, it's a chibi style that's not unique to Kamen Rider (Gundam also has a bunch of SD stuff, mentioning it here bc i love those models :3)

But since you're asking in relation with my art, here's the ones I made art for:

SD The Great Battle

A series of videogames that's a crossover between Kamen Rider, Gundam and Ultraman characters, all in the SD style. An original character called Fighter Roar joins the team from the second game on. They're very fun and wacky game that don't really have a coherent plot but we love them for that :3 In IV they get a giant robot (Compatible Kaiser my beloved) and in V they're cowboys. I love the cowboy outfits so much. Games one to five have english fan translations, now I need someone to translate Gaia Saver because apparently that one has the Rider Killer lore....

Kamen Rider SD: Strange!? Man Spider (or simply Kamen Rider SD OVA)

If you've been around the fandom you probably already know this one. It's a 30 minutes short where RX and the other Battle Riders (Ichigo and ZX) have to rescue RX's crush from shocker, with the help of the Mechanic Riders (V3, X and Super1). Wild Team (Stronger, Amazon and Nigo) appears for like. 3 minutes total at the end but they're my darlings and I love them. Other very important thing in this short is the Rider Carrier, a giant robot grasshopper that acts as their base and I think every version of the riders shoul have a giant grasshopper base not just the SDs u.u This short is apparently an adaptation from the Mighty Riders manga, but I haven't investigated it yet so I can't confirm that. It's also connected to a couple more SD videogames, Sortie!! Rider Machines and Run! Mighty Riders (the team names come from here as far as I can tell)

Kamen Rider SD: Hurricane Legend / Kamen Rider SD: Legend of the Stormy Age

(listen. I know the direct translation is the first one. But the second one is on the back cover so if they gave it an official english title I'm using that :P)

This is probably the one you're asking for, but I wanted to use the excuse to talk about the other two :P

I'll be honest, going in blind on this one is probably the best experience. Do not look up panels you will get spoiled. The basic plot is V3 and Riderman travel around to recruit the other Riders to defeat Shocker. I want to talk about it more but again, I had so much fun going "WHAT!?!" while reading it that I must resist- Might post more about them but will tag it as spoilers

Other SD stuff that I care less about, for completionist sake:

• there's a third SD manga (Kamen Rider SD: Roaring Laughs School) that I know nothing of (I think it's a 4koma gag manga? I'll be honest I'm not very interested in it so I haven't done much research);

• the most recent SD game is SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble, a game for the movie, but that one seems to be simply a side scroller so again, no interest from me;

• Lost Heroes 1 and 2 technically use chibi-ish versions of Riders, Gundams and Ultramen, and are part of the Compati Hero series (the same series as The Great Battle), but they don't have SD in the title;

•there's. sooooo many sports games in the Compati Hero series. I like the Battle Dodgeball ones :3 Also speaking of Compati Hero, special mention to Super Hero Operations because that's the next one I wanna play, I get to meet Zubat, Metalder and a bunch of others there :3

[almightyrayzilla]

I promise you, this is the only time I will ever willingly post AI generated imagery on any of my pages...but G-Fest is DEAD to me. I first attended in 2006, then again in 2009. I got my start doing artist alley tables at this show in 2010, then branched out to other shows. I even did the promo art for the 2019 show. I cannot tell you how much of my life was shaped from meeting the folks I have met because of this convention.

I'm not even mad. I'm sitting here along with my fellow artists, laughing our asses off. Not because it's funny, but because NONE of us are deeply surprised.

Let's go back a bit.

In 2018, the artist alley (AA) was moved to the lower floor of the hotel. Now I let this slide - the Crowne Plaza had just replaced the area that was used previously with the Caddyshack restaurant. Duh, we couldn't use that area anymore. There was some pushback, that maybe something else could be moved downstairs, but there was refusal to budge. Whatever, us artists actually did pretty good that year, despite a rather sequestered and tight space.

Then for 2019 - we were told a Toho rep was coming, and we were hit with a 30% limitation, which essentially meant that for every ten pieces of art we had, only three of them were allowed to be Toho related. Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider - fair game. I mean, let's put aside that no one could enforce that (and no one tried) - the person in question wasn't even tied to Toho. And even if they were...they'd be more concerned about, say, bootleg DVDs and such.

Personally speaking, my sales were even better, so even with the limitation, people still did alright. Gee, it's almost as if AA is a big attraction at a convention, especially one as niche as this.

Then 2020, when our good friend COVID-19 came about. Someone decided it'd be a good idea to spread misinformation about the pandemic with G-Fest's Twitter page. Among those who spoke up were the artists who regularly attended through its artist alley. A Facebook page that was specifically set up for AA members to share info and whatnot was then told to no longer associate with G-Fest.

And for the record, G-Fest didn't happen that year because of a statewide mandate. No no, the con wasn't canceled it because they recognized the severity of things, it's because Illinois shut everything down.

Well, here comes prep for 2021 (which ultimately became the 2022 show, since it was pushed back again). That's when G-Fest hit us with the AA contract. It forbade artists from selling prints of Toho fan art (originals/commissions were okay, but not reproductions), unless we held a license to sell prints of that work. We could not sell Godzilla fan art prints at this Godzilla convention. We tried to speak with them, to see if there could be some compromise...which there wasn't. They kept saying that the reason for it was to stay on good terms with Toho, even citing a big C&D sweep Toho was doing (they were after bootleggers, not fan artists). Heck, even one of my good friends actually did get a C&D (prior to said sweep), and they have legal word that they were allowed to sell prints of Godzilla art. But apparently, that wasn't good enough for G-Fest. HMMMMM...

I was actually willing to abide by these tighter rules, even planning on trolling them with a few pieces of Jirahs and Gomess (though Jirahs without the frill might have been a bit too risky, lol). We were trying to talk with the head of the vendor room, who was not exactly being clear and timely with responses. Well, someone went to the head of the show to ask if they were being compliant with the rules - I guess they gave a different answer, because that's when the showrunners started bickering about not seeing eye-to-eye on some things, ultimately telling the artist it's best they not come.

That's when I backed out. A few of us had paid for our table/badge for the 2020 show, which was rolled over; with the option available, I asked for the refund. The head of the vendor room said the request was put in. Almost two weeks go by. I go to the showrunner, and within 20 minutes, I get the refund. Look, I know G-Fest isn't a big corporate show, and I try not to be a snob, but I expect SOME professionalism. that's why I've backed out and refuse to ever attend G-Fest ever again. But that's not where things stopped.

During the 2022 show, I was told an artist said screw it and put Godzilla prints out on their table to sell. I laughed and said, "Yeah, and how much of that was playing favorites?" I mean, G-Fest kicking this person out? That would be glorious. But someone like me? I'm pretty sure they'd have banned me on the spot. And I'm not even going to get into the vendor who was selling bootleg DVDs, so...yeah. And from what I hear, the 2023 show forbade ALL fan art prints, not just Toho IPs. I can't imagine how hard they're gritting their teeth trying not tell artists to get lost outright.

*deep breath* And that brings us to today's nonsense. After all that, they pull this. And of course they've turned off comments on the Facebook posts for these...pictures. I mean, after my turn in 2019, we had the idea of giving each AA artist a shot to do the promo art each year before all this crap reared its ugly head.

Like I said, I'm not even mad, I'm actually having a good laugh over all this. If I'm shocked by anything, it's how quickly this convention pulled its 180. The point of this post is to just be informative of what has been going on the past couple years, and why the artists who usually go haven't come back.

But most of all, if/when people ask if I'm going to G-Fest next year, here's the TL;DR version: NO.

[adriwatchestoku]

Gavv ep9

Kamen Rider buddy decided she wants to lay in front of my second monitor today so here she is

I can and I will make you look at her every time I post these

Ooh, Halloween episode!

Shouma is still too cute. Adorable baby in pumpkin costume, and is that a gochizo dressed up like a bat ghost? If it was that would be so cute

"FREE CANDY??? HALLOWEEN IS GREAT" I mean there's a reason it's my wedding anniversary and it's not just because I'm spooky, shut up

Is Shouma going trick or treating? On his own? Sweetie… let Sachika take you the first time so you know the rules

hmmmmmm. monsters by a tunnel.

the circle lenses that the actors use for the stomach family is just. a really good design choice. "it's the only reason you like nyelv's design so much" SHUT UP

I haven't mentioned before that Shiita and Jeebh's designs are fascinating to me because of the fact that Shiita's outfit has a lot more "masculine" while Jeebh's is "feminine." Like, I'm pretty certain Shiita's top is what the YoRHa Type-51 Robe of Casting looks like on male characters in ffxiv, and Jeebh's outfit is a dress? I believe? I love it. Gothic lolita twins.

But there is something about Nyelv's design that makes my brain slide sideways and I don't know why

I like how they added Valen to the op. just a little thing but fighting next to Gavv? Perfect

GOD I might like the song that plays over this but it has a sound like someone entering a discord call and I have to keep looking over to make sure I'm not in a voice channel

Oh Shouma, you're too "old" (read: PEOPLE ARE FUCKING COWARDS ABOUT TRICK OR TREAT) for this

you're adorable, Shouma. You shouldn't be allowed to trick or treat without Sachika to teach you the rules

Hanto, you're not exactly threatening, but……… you might want to get a different coat if you're going to talk to kids. I think that'll go a long way

Again, when Hanto thinks he's very smart and can come to some very good conclusions. But the first step is actually thinking

Hanto's actor's eyes are often so red and irritated, it's distracting. Sleep, my dude

"I want to be an idol" whoo buddy that's a dream, and in a very tough industry.

I know I mentioned before that the strong visual identity made Hanto stand out, and it's really obvious when Hanto's talking to this girl. Everything is bright and bold, and he's wearing a lot of muted colours

Oh I relate too hard "I'm not good so I should just quit."

Yes I do realize Hanto's wearing a new jacket and yes I do find it funny I said that earlier

Shouma you dork. Silly, silly boy

seriously what is the food:gochizo ratio?

Hanto.

This is what happens when you don't think

Tho lbr it would have been shady no matter what with the sunglasses and the way he had his coat wrapped around him

but still

okay this poor guy needs to not follow his student and find the nearest toilet to hole up in. My sympathies, my dude

"I didn't think you'd be the one to track me down" Hanto actually has a very smart brain up there, he just had to remember to use it.

the twins are so much fun to watch

Hm, Valen's fighting style is very… brawler, street fighting, whatever goes, isn't it?

Reminds me a little bit of Birth's style, but Birth's was more like, pro wrestling and Valen's is more like… unrefined?

OH I LIKE THE MECHA DESIGN OF THIS SUIT

okay gochizo little dudes stop being the fucking cutest thing on the planet I need to stop smiling before my cheeks hurt

I love this show

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Sato Ryuga in Kamen Rider Geats - an overview for non-toku folks

Now that Living with Him (Kare no Iru Seikatsu) has premiered has a couple of episodes out and is getting a good response from a lot of the folks I know on here, I thought it might be a good time to do one of those posts I do sometimes. I should probably have a name for this. Like, a tokusatsu actor overview post? My imagined audience for posts like this is made up of BL fans who haven't watched toku but would like to know more about their favorite actors' pasts in that genre. But I hope they're interesting for others as well.

The tokusatsu-to-BL pipeline has been getting shorter lately, with a lot of recent toku alums getting into BLs within the first year or so after their toku series has ended. Sato Ryuga falls into this category. He was on Kamen Rider Geats, which stopped airing last August. His costar Kan Hideyoshi, who played the lead rider in that series (Ukiyo Ace, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Geats), made the leap so quickly that the BL he was in, Although I Love You, and You? a.k.a. Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka, finished airing a while ago. That show had its moments but was a bit on the lackluster side (through no fault of Kan's--I thought he was charming, funny, and showed an admirable commitment to the role). I'm a lot more hopeful about Living with Him. In addition to its promising start, it was written by the screenwriter of Old Fashion Cupcake and directed by the director of My Personal Weatherman.

But even if it weren't for these positive indicators, I would have been excited to see Sato in a BL, or just about anything. He was really impressive in Geats. He showed a lot of range on that series, handling action, high drama, and occasional comedy really well. And it doesn't hurt that he's cute as hell.

By the way, I'm going to keep the spoilers vague in this post, but I can't really avoid them entirely while doing this type of overview. If relatively mild/general spoilers don't bother you, you should be OK to continue. And of course, if you don't think you'll ever watch Geats, you don't have to worry either way.

Sato and Kan together during Keiwa's villain era.

Sato's Geats character was named Sakurai Keiwa. Keiwa starts out as a sort of proxy for the audience. The premise of Geats involves a high-stakes competition called the Desire Grand Prix where the winner gets to magically change the world. Most of the time, most people don't know this competition is going on. It's already in progress when Keiwa encounters the players for the first time and he has zero context. As he learns about the game, and ends up joining in as Kamen Rider Tycoon (a pun on the fact that his suit form is modeled after a tanuki), the audience learns about it alongside him. Keiwa comes into the story as an idealistic sweetheart so it's easy to root for him right away. (This is less true of the other characters. Geats's biggest weakness, to my mind, is that it starts out conspicuously lacking in any sort of bonds between characters or truly relatable characters other than Keiwa. This gets a lot better by the latter part of the series, but I found it somewhat rough going to get to that point, and it took longer than it needed to.)

One interesting thing about Keiwa is that you can tell a lot about what's going on with him by his hair. You'll see what I mean. I didn't notice this until I was doing screenshots for this post and then it really stood out to me.

So, here's Keiwa as a naïve newcomer. Check out the cute mop.

It doesn't take long for him to get kind of intense when he's in a fight and about to henshin (transform into his armored suit form).

Speaking of which, for the first part of the series, his pre-transformation move involves a sort of determined fist gesture, which will be important later.

This is a later example of the henshin fist, but it gets the point across.

Intense henshin face notwithstanding, he's still Mr. Nice Guy for a lot of the series. He might get a bit of a hair part but he's basically a floppy-haired cinnamon roll.

And then something bad happens.

This thing is really hard on Keiwa, and he has a dark night of the soul. He gets estranged from the other lead characters.

The hair is already going a little haywire here.

He does some creepy shit.

Then he gets into an even darker place.

Keiwa switches up his henshin move. He starts snapping his fingers, which is part of Ace's signature move. Ace is a total badass who has won the Desire Grand Prix repeatedly. He's a perpetual contender, the guy everyone else is always gunning for because he's the most likely to come out on top. I mean, his name is Ace. Adopting the snapping part of his henshin move has significant symbolism. It's like Keiwa is saying he's the new badass in town. He also has a new, stronger suit form to go along with this change.

There's a difference in the way Keiwa does the snap that's worth noting. Ace's snap move starts as a fox head hand gesture (think the rock'n'roll devil horns gesture but with a pointed snout) because Geats takes the form of a kitsune when he goes into suit mode. Keiwa's snap starts with his hand upraised, fingers up, the back of his hand facing outward. It's reminiscent of an American-style beckoning motion (the "c'mere" finger thing and its multi-finger equivalent), which I gather is considered extremely rude in Japan. This calls back to the henshin move of a favorite toku character of mine, Sawatari Kazumin/Kamen Rider Grease, who Takeda Kouhei played on Kamen Rider Build. Sawatari just straight up does the rude beckoning motion before transforming. It's a very antagonistic, cocky thing to do.

As you can see, Keiwa's hair is really going haywire at this point.

Keiwa ends up facing off with Ace more and more, including in some scenes like the one below. It doesn't really come off this way to me when I'm watching the scenes, but when I look at these screenshots, these two look about as likely to smooch as they do to come to blows.

Keiwa's hair starts to get a little less poofy at this point but the cute mop hasn't returned. Instead, his hair is almost ready to go into bad guy mode!

Finally, Keiwa tips over into full-on villain territory. This is signaled by his hair getting a defined part. He also starts wearing an earring, just for extra bad boy hotness points.

(I’ve seen this earring thing happen in Japanese media quite a few times and it always seems funny to me, because an actor will have had a very visible hole in his earlobe for a whole series and then when he puts something in it we’re supposed to be all surprised Pikachu about it. It’s an interesting commentary on the cultural significance of earrings on dudes, I guess. Now I’m trying to think of nice boys in toku who get to wear earrings in their highly visible ear holes. Kaito from Zenkaiger is one, at least. I assume there are others?)

He keeps snapping/beckoning.

The beckoning thing is clearer here, and it has that flipping off the audience energy.

He adopts some pretty cold-blooded expressions.

In some scenes, like the one seen above, he seems to have subtle makeup on. I don't know if this is because villains are supposed to be hotter or because they're supposed to be more gender non-conforming. Or both? Well, it suits him.

As you would probably guess, Keiwa doesn't stay bad. The stuff that sent him off the deep end gets resolved and his relationships with other characters get repaired. He also gets his mop back (it's only intermittently messy) and loses the earring. He goes back to his original henshin move.

There you have it! Hopefully this gets across a good bit about Sato's Geats character and some of the shifts he goes through. Of course, I've left out plenty of stuff as well. Anyone who's really curious should definitely check out the series.

[kanouseis]

Kamen Rider Saber and Primitive Dragon

Ever since finishing Saber, I’ve thought a lot about the relationship between Touma and Primitive Dragon and how the corresponding mini-arc relates to both Saber as a whole and Touma himself. I've been wanting to write a proper post about it for some time, so now enjoy attempted curated thoughts!! Please keep in mind its mostly all just how I read/interpret certain things. Spoilers for the entire show ahead.

A lot of the second arc of Saber (or really, Saber past episode 13) sees Touma pushing aside all the grief and pain he feels: over Kento’s death but also all the people losing their loved ones to the Megid that he meets – this is especially emphasized in in episode 21. He’s shown extremely frustrated by his failure to help.

The same episode makes a point about how the way swordsmen deal with their burdens is carrying them on their swords and using the people they couldn't save/the knowledge that they cannot save everyone as (a source of) strength, so to speak. Touma saying he wants to save everyone and everything is a way of denying the reality they all face. 

He doesn't carry his burdens on his sword either, that's why it doesn't echo. During their fight in 21, both Daishinji and Ogami point out that Touma relies so much on his Ride Books that his sword does not echo. To me, this is also an allegory for Touma clinging to stories without facing reality. Stories are a popular source of escapism, after all, and Touma talks about how they're a source of hope and strength for him in episode 46 and Trio of Deep Sin. 

While Saber makes a big point about how stories are exactly this, yes, and how that is what makes them so valuable, the point here is balance. It's only after Touma faces how he truly feels, what he truly wants (to never see anyone make such a sad face again) and what is possible that his sword does end up echoing a little. The honesty and shift in objective is what lets him synchronize with Rekka and unlock its ability to separate people and Megid, as well as win Daishinji’s trust, as the first of the Sword of Logos members.

So Touma has taken steps towards facing his pain in a more upfront manner. And then Primitive Dragon comes into play.

Primitive Dragon forces Touma to externalize his emotions. in a very destructive way because that's what the dragon thinks is the only way. After all, as Master Logos says in episode 24, "because it cannot be understood, it shall continue to destroy". This power is too much for Touma. In a way, it's the spiritual opposite of how Touma was before episode 21. Full-on physical destructive power, when before it was the magical Wonder Ride Books alone. Reliying on nothing but yourself versus relying on stories written by someone else. The imbalance of power and control shows in both the way Primitive Dragon fights and the way the suit itself is designed, with a singular claw clutching the Brave Dragon Book forming most of the chestplate (which is also reflected in the design of the corresponding Ride Book).

It is my belief that Primitive Dragon sees in Touma someone that might understand him, and this is confirmed in the production notes for episode 27: "It was a sad story of a dragon who was left alone and wanted a companion even after death". In the same episode, Touma also mentions that “the boy was worried about me”. After all, Touma is also someone who is very lonely and experiencing a lot of loss, especially during this arc. This is why the dragon reaches his hand out to Touma in episode 26 – he (thinks he) understands, and so he wanted to befriend Touma. And I think that he also wants to help. The Primitive Dragon Book mainly appears to take over Touma when he's in a pinch/struggling/suffering. It’s the most clear in episode 26 itself, when Touma is faced with what Kento has become. When Touma meets the dragon boy after having just faced all of Kento’s despair, Touma is overcome with pain. It is so bad, so overwhelming that he's just kneeling on the ground, silently crying. When the boy reaches his hand out, Touma merely looks up at him, and then just hangs his head again, which leads to the boy turning away and leaving. 

Another interesting detail is the animation for whenever Touma henshins into Primitive Dragon. It shows the dragon's upper body appearing behind Touma and hugging him in a way that overtakes all of Touma – yet, it still is a hug.

Everything culminates, of course, in Touma’s decision to save the boy. He isn’t sure why at first, he doesn't know how – but he still tries.

This involves Touma reaching out towards the boy, no matter how many times he gets burned. When Touma asks if the dragon can tell him why he’s so sad, he reacts with anger and yells that a human couldn’t ever understand. This sentiment is one that he has deeply internalized, as per Master Logos’ words, and I think that after Touma “rejected” him in episode 26, Primitive Dragon has only grown more disillusioned. It is only after Touma fights through the flames and presses himself against the dragon (which looks pretty much like a hug) that the dragon stops. This time, when Touma asks him why he’s so sad, he listens and tells his tale. 

Touma’s response to the boy’s despair is to empathize and speak of hope. He continues the story of Primitive Dragon that was thought to have ended in sorrow and gives it a happy ending. He gives the boy all he’s wanted this entire time – friends. Touma makes the elements of nature his friends and it brings the boy’s smile back. This is why Elemental Dragon is named and themed the way it is – it’s the friend Touma has found for the boy. That’s what Elemental Dragon is. And Touma too, of course, becomes the boy’s friend. Them shaking hands leads to the creation of the Elemental Dragon Ride Book. Much like its predecessor Primitive Dragon, the hand element is very present in the suit and gadget design. This time, though, it’s two hands, holding each other, supporting each other – it’s all balanced.

But it’s not just Primitive Dragon that regains hope during this – Touma does, too, I think. As mentioned earlier, Touma also experiences a lot of loneliness during this arc. People he fought alongside before end up going against him and especially Kento positions himself against Touma too after his return, an event that is shown as soul-crushing for Touma. There is also the fact that Touma loses control whenever he is possessed by Primitive Dragon, giving him nightmares about possibly killing all of his friends. Even despite having rewon the trust of some at that point, that still isolates Touma, in a way. I think that it’s poignant that 27 is the episode after which Rintaro essentially makes up his mind to join Touma’s side. In the end, becoming Primitive Dragon’s friend is healing for Touma, too – friendship is not a one-sided thing, after all – and additionally, that starts to lead to him regaining another important bond as well.

The decision Touma makes here is not just important to this specific part and story within Saber, but to the show as a whole. It literally saves Touma’s life during episode 47. Episode 46 has a very dramatic, cynical ending, with Touma being tossed into a deep pit by Storious, a character epitomizing nihilism, even after all the fight Touma had put up, after his long speech about what stories mean to him. His heroic moment was interrupted, the figure of hope lost in the dark, the story over. But the next episode shows Touma being saved by the Primitive Dragon Ride Book, the boy saying the following:

It is truly only fitting that Touma is saved from despair by someone he’d saved from despair before himself (and this is not exactly the first time it has happened, either, think Kento’s appearance in episode 15) – if you look at their positions in the above image and compare it to similar shots from episode 27, this time the boy is on the right side instead of Touma, the side of the sun, the side that gives hope. And with the power of a story, a happy ending that Touma gave to Primitive Dragon himself. This is a preliminary to how Saber itself ends, with Touma writing the story of the world again, rewriting the future to have a happy ending, one where the world is saved and Touma can be with his friends.

Saber, at its very core, is about the value of hope. Pretty much every major antagonist (as well as Kento, his father and Primitive Dragon by extension) experiences great despair and comes to the conclusion that there's only a specific path for the world to take. That there is only one possible ending, and that it has to be accepted, even if it's full of despair. Another common denominator amongst those characters is that they act on their own and/or have no true bond with the people around them – and Saber is indeed themed around connection, as stated here. Against that stands Touma with his belief in hope and the changeability of the future. His catchphrase exemplifies that: “I’ll be the one to decide how this story ends.” That is not a statement of selfishness, but one that represents his refusal to give up. Touma also believes in the value of connection (which the promises stand for!) and friendship. Stories gave him all of these things, which is why they are precious to Touma no matter what. So it is beautiful to me that throughout the course of Saber, Touma both saves with the power of stories and is saved by them/the people he’s saved, all while holding onto his beliefs and the strength hope.

[digitalgate02]

[main post about the Rider AU] [the tag tho]

Rider AU's main cast [2/8] - Ken

Yeah, I'M LATE?! Had this getting dust in my folder... Well, here we go. I'll not make promises about the rest getting finished that quickly (I'm working on more stuff at the same time)

Ken in this AU has a small ponytail (because I always wanted to see Ken in a ponytail, but I'm pretty fine with the canon short-haired Ken thanks to it having some Terui Ryu's vibes) but his personality is still the same as canon: he’s kind and polite BUT because he want to, and if you mess with his beloved ones he might become totally sarcastic, salty and hostile towards you.

Daisuke befriended him in the first year of college, but Daisuke quit quickly in order to pursue the ramen business thing. Ken didn’t have many friends at college back in time so he just wanted to keep tagging along with Daisuke. While he’s studying psychology, he hid a secret from everyone which was… He’s a famous gaming Digituber called ‘The Kaiser’.

No one connected the dots about the courteous Ken with the famous gamer who would simply get SUPER COMPETITIVE and FERAL in online competitions and esports events nicknamed Kaiser. The only person who might know this secret is his girlfriend who’s an excellent technician-bar-hacker who manages his accounts (so Ken can have time to be his real-self too) – Miyako. But Later, Miyako and Ken are acquainted with a young boy named Iori, who’s pretty good at taking the hints and then decide to help them out with his own abilities (no he’s not like a hacker, but he got the skill to help cover traces and find clues to stuff)

Ken also met Rui casually and not related to Daisuke at all – at the cafe shop Infinity, where Rui works at. The day they first met, Ken witnessed a digimon running away from some people in the lab getup trying to catch a hornworm digimon called “Wormmon”. The digimon ran into Ken’s way and begged to help him to escape. And Ken, who was a good boy who wouldn’t refuse to help someone in need, took the digimon inside the first shop near them. Which was Infinity Cafe Shop, after all.

At first Rui felt confused about why would someone just take a digimon inside a shop out of the blue, but since it was one of those days with low customers and he was… Alone at the moment, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Wormmon explained to both of those two young adults that those people with scary costumes were trying to capture him and insert something terrible on him. Ken and Rui raise eyebrows and look at each other, as if they were asking each other what to do. They are asked by Wormmon to protect him and both boys just agree with it. Since then Ken and Wormmon drop by to talk with Rui.

And then, on a random day, Ken meets Daisuke again at the same cafe shop and learns that Rui is Daisuke’s childhood friend. Wormmon is still kept as a secret from Daisuke and everyone else, but hey. They don’t need to worry too much about it now, right?

Meanwhile, as the celeb Kaiser, Ken gets in touch with a person named WriterOfHope91 (privately btw) who claims to be from the same college as Ken. He tells Miyako about it and then they start planning what to do. Turns out the person was Takeru, who’s from another course from the same college and had been friends-and-neighbors with Miyako and Iori. While Ken didn’t want his secret to be leaked, he tells Takeru to keep his mouth shut about this. Takeru agrees, and says he didn’t want to do anything bad. The reason he contacted Ken was because his friend Hikari witnessed him getting inside a shop with a digimon in hands. And it was when Ken told Miyako and Iori about Wormmon for the first time.

BUT THE PROBLEMS DON’T END HERE!! The Kaiser is associated with an agency, the 7DM Entertainment —- Which suspiciously has a woman called Layla as its CEO.

Just like Rui, Ken does not know Daisuke is a Kamen Rider recently. But he does know Kamen Rider Lightnimon to some extent via the digimon, and he wants to uncover all the mysteries surrounding the mysterious hero and the cases around Tokyo, as some kind of detective.

(Which would make him want to pursue a career in investigations later)

[realrogerhours]

So, You Want To Watch Kamen Rider

Below the cut, I will explain;

what is the Kamen Rider? how to determine what season to watch good entry points for the indecisive anniversary seasons that depend on knowing of other seasons streaming it vs. torrenting it seasons that you can just watch on tubi, for free, legally

you know the drill, no direct links to pirated material to preserve my sources, keen eyes might be able to assemble something.

1.) What's Kamen Rider?

Kamen Rider is a long-standing series of Japanese live-action shows, fitting into the Tokusatsu genre, which is largely about heroes, usually two but some seasons have much more than that, fighting against villains and monsters. It airs weekly on Sundays, alongside its sister series Super Sentai. The particulars of each season differ wildly, and many seasons are completely disconnected save for crossover movies and the occasional appearance of a very special magenta clad drifter.

What I personally enjoy about the series is that variety as well as the fight choreography for most seasons, as the directors often decide to make action scenes go nuts for no discernible reason.

2.) What season to watch?

I will present two different methods;

go to this officially run youtube channel and watch a couple episodes of each season there to determine what vibe you like

or

continue to read this article

either way, you will find yourself in the next section naturally at a pace that is comfortable to you.

Since there are three distinct eras, if you'd like, you may simply start with the beginning point for each era;

Kamen Rider (1971) (90 episodes, slow pacing) is about Takeshi Hongou, who is kidnapped by a transhumanist neonazi organization known as SHOCKER and put through genetic and cybernetic augmentation, he is removed from their grasp before they can indoctrinate him, leading him to live in shadow and fight an endless war against them. It is much goofier than the synopsis implies. Kamen Rider Kuuga (2000) (49 episodes, medium pacing) is about Yusuke Godai, a freelancer who has recently returned to his hometown. In a strange coincidence, an ancient race of murderous beings known as the Gurongi have reawakened, leading to the opening of a cave sealing the ancient power source of the one warrior who can stop them; Kuuga. A new legend, a new hero. Kamen Rider Zero-One (2019) (45 episodes, pacing fluctuates somewhat) is about an age where human-like androidsm known as Humagears, who are employed to make life easier for those around them. A nefarious hacking group, MetsubouJinrai.net, has begun converting them into dangerous attack units. This coincidentally happens on Aruto Hiden's first day as the newly, suddenly appointed CEO of Hiden Intelligence, the company responsible not only for manufacturing Humagears but for the primary means of subduing hacked units; Kamen Rider Zero-One

If you're nasty, you split the middle era, the Heisei era, into two phases, some call it Neo Heisei, I call it Pre-Decade and Post-Decade

Kamen Rider W (2011) (49 episodes, pacing starts moderate and slowly ramps up) is about two detectives who share a bond more precious than life itself; Shoutaro Hidari and Philip, who investigate mysteries in the windy city of Fuuto relating to strange monsters called Dopants. With a long runtime and many great episodes, this is an easy recommendation.

3.) Seasons you should wait to watch.

There aren't many seasons you should wait to watch until after you have a few after your belt, but they do happen at the end of both halves of Heisei; Decade should be seen after you have a few pre-decade seasons under your belt, and Zi-O should be saved until you have a few post-decade seasons under your belt in addition to Decade. You can still watch them whenever you please, I'm not your dad, but your enjoyment of them will be heavily enriched by the experience of being able to point at the screen, throw an expression akin to a fish, and scream "I UNDERSTOOD THAT MOMENT!! WAOW!!"

4.) Streaming, Torrenting, which is better?

Now, you may be asking, "Roger, where do I even begin to find these things?" Well, unfortunately, I can't tell you for the safety of my sources. Surely, though, I can tell you which is better. With torrenting, you are guaranteed to find new episodes as soon as a subtitling group has finished with their translation, however, there is a more involved technical process. Additionally, the fact that there are multiple subtitling groups tackling each new season, you may have to expect that a little researching to figure out a preferable balance between your favourite presentation style and your preferred translation.

With streaming, however, you trade decision making for the one thing that's worse; viruses and fake mirror sites. Since these sites often go down, you may need to be ready to either swap over to torrenting at some point or find a new site, though not all drama sites will have Kamen Rider.

As for subtitling groups, I recommend OZC-Live or Earthlysubs for older stuff, Geosubs for newer (IzuSubs also works if you prefer a little oldfriend weeb spice), and TV-Nihon/T-N/Anon for anything you can't find under those.

5.) What if I'm a pussy and want to exclusively watch legally?

Well, my weak willed compatriot, you're in luck! A few seasons, as well as the big shiny new film Shin Kamen Rider, are available legally through a few channels.

The adult-oriented prestige television style reimaginings of earlier Showa-era seasons are on amazon prime. Kamen Rider Amazons, Black Sun, and Shin Kamen Rider, are on there, and they're not too bad! I personally recommend giving Shin Kamen Rider a viewing, it's a real fun time.

On top of that, Shout Factory has done a few seasons, with plenty more on the way. You can buy them on blu-ray or find them on tubi.

Currently, only the following five seasons are available legally;

Kamen Rider (1971) Kamen Rider Geats Kamen Rider Zero-One Kamen Rider Kuuga Kamen Rider Ryuki

As well as a couple miscellaneous films, the Heisei Generations Forever film as well as the big season movie for Zero-One, Real Time.

If you get into the series because of this post, please tell me how you liked it after you finish your first season, it would warm my heart

[cina-full-moon-xanadium]

I've had this in my notes for a while now with no progress so I may as well post it. Build's legend rider gimmick was a really cool one of combining a pre-existing bottle that matched the Rider's theming with a new bottle that was VERY specific to the Rider's theming, but unfortunately they never did any Heisei 1s aside from Den-O and Decade and didn't even do Ichigo, which I especially found a shame for the show that was specifically getting back to Kamen Rider's roots... I feel if any show deserved an Ichigo legend rider item, it was Build

So! I decided to try and come up with a lot of them, but you can tell i ran into some stumbling blocks

Ichigo is an absolute no-brainer. A bike bottle exists which makes sense to use for The Kamen Rider, and then no grasshopper bottle exists so that's freed up for Ichigo too. The two most basic themes of the franchise for the first Rider, that's perfect to me

No Kuwagata bottle exists, but I figured with Kuuga being both the first Heisei Rider and mega popular I could probably make an exception and make up two bottles for him; like what W and Ex-Aid got. I went for Trychaser as the inorganic bottle as nothing else came to mind, but he DOES use it a lot (more than any other heisei main rider!) and it creates a nice mirror with Ichigo

Using Light from Agito was a sudden flash of inspiration for me. It's obviously a different 'light' that Agito is about than a lightbulb but it's cute and funny and that works for me when it comes to fullbottles. Humanity as the organic is the best i could come up with

Ryuki is the first thing I don't know what to do with. The obvious thing would be to use Dragon but it feels wrong to use the bottle of a main form, even if other existing legend rider combos use alternate forms. Grabbing Cross-Z's stuff is different than grabbing Gorillamond to me...

Faiz the obvious thing to do would be to use Smaphone but that's kind of already a Faiz homage as a whole with its combo being Smaphowolf. So I decided to go for the deeper pull and use Shark because that was apparently his original design concept so I combined that with a flip phone. You could probably use Wolf instead of Shark here come to think of it

Blade and Hibiki again I have no idea what to do. There's absolutely nothing relating to them in the existing bottles that I can think of

Kabuto is another no-brainer bc there's literally a Kabutomushi bottle. Inorganic was a bit of a struggle but in the end i figured ZECT wasn't a bad choice

Kiva was the first one I came up with bc again Bat existing makes it a no-brainer. Violin as the inorganic makes the most sense to me

I'm not going anywhere with this I just thought it was fun to come up with and I don't wanna keep it up in my notes tabs for another few months. Still bugging me I can't think of anything for Ryuki, Blade and Hibiki though...

[the-art-of-sanshoku]

1 2 and 8 for the toku questions! ^-^

Okay #1+2 is honestly kind of a long winded answer but I will unapologetically let it be that way (but I will tl;dr toku anime got me interested in toku and the first proper live action toku was Kamen Rider Den-o):

I don't think I really grew up watching any toku like power rangers or godzilla movies or anything I just watched a lot of anime and really liked anime mostly

So the first toku property I watched is technically the Garo 2014 anime

And even though I really liked this show I think at the time I just didn't have an interest in live action toku (although I have checked out the original Garo recently and its cool and I do want to watch more but I'm too rider-brained rn so its on hiatus for now)

After that Kamen Rider was something I kind of thought now and then that I might like just because I thought the aesthetic was kind of cool but honestly I didn't know much about it, and it really was like a super passing thought not really on my mind

But then in 2018 SSSS.Gridman (another anime based on a toku property) came out and I really, really love Gridman (and the sequel dynazenon) and it's vibes and the fights and like everything about it so I became a bit more interested in the genre. I think it helps that the toku roots are a bit more obvious in it than in the Garo anime which felt more like just a cool fantasy show.

At some point I think because I would watch like gridman related clips and the openings and stuff on youtube the algorithm thought it should recommend me tokusatsu stuff and one day this video was on my homepage (or some version of this video) and I clicked it on a whim I didn't even know it was Kamen Rider related until I looked at the comments

And I had somehow never been exposed to the sillier sides of Kamen Rider and honestly still knew almost nothing about it other than like what Ichigo looks like (and actually writing this I realize I watched the first episode of Fuuto Pi in 2022 when it came out just because I checked out a lot of anime premieres at the time- making that the first Kamen Rider I'd watched but I dropped it after that episode) and when I watched this I was like "What the hell this is Kamen Rider? It can be like this?? This is so stupid and fun looking I have to watch it at some point"

But it would still take like a year or two for me to decide and commit on a series and if discord is to be believed I funnily enough started watching kamen rider on april fools day last year, and I eventually decided on den-o partially because of that video kicking things off

And then the toku obsession slowly grew over time and now it's overtaken me, I watch very little anime and read a lot less manga nowadays 😞

#8: Comically obvious from my blog but it's Kuuga which is wild since I really do love my other rider seasons I think they're all like 9-9.5/10's but Kuuga is like an 11 and I'm not even done and it's making its way into my like Top 10 fictional media list. It kind of just hits all my personal biases and clicks with me and I will probably write the world's longest most rambly post on it when I'm done.

Anyway world's longest answers over :))

Ends it with Godai jumpscare

[the-dragon-girl-27]

i wanted to draw something Zero related for haloween, at first i was thinking I would draw all my ocs in costumes, made some quick sketches, than never actually drew the final peice beyond a very rough sketch

then i started working on an unrelated animation i will probably finish some other time and realized i was not going to finish that in time

but i wanna post something anyway so here you get the crappy concepts for some spooky outfits for my OCs wooooo below readmore is more rambling

Ito's devil horns are his real horns he is pretending are fake horns, he can do this because these drawings are not cannon because our earth holidays do not exist in medieval fantasy land

Gray is a cat person and not a dog person but i see him having wolf ears instead of cat ears, he seems like someone super into wolves but i don't think he is

Hana is specificly wearing a very crappy ghost costume, I think Hana has an awful sense of fashion and Scarlet helping her buy clothes is the only reason she is not a fashion disaster, Hana sees this costume as good enough she even drew the ghost face herself

Scarlets pirate outfit is the best one here btw and i do not take objections, makes sense because I see her as being the most fashionable out of the group, she's the kinda person who makes sure they are dressed nice when running simple errands

imma be real Yukki is dressed as a bootleg kamen rider/ super sentai because i wanted to draw him dressed as one lol idk the look fits his vibes

"anime girl" really just means hatsune miku vibes and just general anime schoolgirl vibes, but also hatsune miku

Red probably would also wear a mask now that I think about it but you need to know its him also I just realized now i made that outfit weirdly frilly for a "grim reaper' huh maybe its my touhou brainrot cuz i finished touhou PoFV recently

Serra is the other one that looks really nice, speaking of touhou she literally just looks like marisa huh? guess her hairstyle this arc is very marisa when its not colored in lol

soma.... idk i dont really have anything to say he is literally just there

[outofcontexttokusatsu]

Small Announcement for Japan World Heroes!

Hi everyone! I've mentioned it a few times here and elsewhere, but I and the other hosts of my podcast will be attending this year's Japan World Heroes tokusatsu convention in Burbank, CA, and will be there on each day! The biggest reason I'm making an announcement post in general is because of a last second decision we all made content wise, and that's to announce a little feature we'll be doing called....

TEST YOUR TOKU!!!

The first (and probably only) tokusatsu trivia show brought to Japan World Heroes attendees! Hosted by yours truly, we'll be ambushing receiving volunteers from con attendees to test their mettle! With a sizeable list of questions ranging from all across the genre and varying intensity, fans get a chance to show their stuff for the chance to win special prizes! As in, real actual items of physical value! For real yes not a joke not clickbait!

Disclaimer: these games will be recorded and footage of you may potentially be posted on our Youtube channel in an edited highlight reel, though I can't guarantee whether you will or won't be used we will be recording all players, and if you are not comfortable with that we unfortunately will not let you play (or at least play for prizes).

HOW TO FIND US:

For those attending the convention looking to play, or just hoping to meet me and/or the other Toku Podcastu hosts (but mostly me naturally) here's how to keep an eye out for us:

WITHIN THE CONVENTION:

While I can't speak for the others specifically, we'll most likely all be attending wearing Kamen Rider Film Crew jackets (as seen from pic related) which I personally will be wearing at least one of the three days in and around the convention center. I'm varying things up slightly day by day but I'll be wearing the FaizGear and pants with a color scheme to match during my time at the convention. I don't know what kind of outfits the others will be wearing beyond these jackets but we'll likely be together a majority of the time anyways so if you see one you'll see all of us.

We'll also be holding this sign for better spotting too!

OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION:

I'm not about to share a detailed schedule of what I or the others will be doing naturally, but we'll all be staying at the hotel connected to the convention (Los Angeles Marriot Burbank Airport for reference) so during the convention time we'll be hanging out within the hotel grounds or outside the convention center for likely the entirety of the three days with the occasional excursion beyond. Naturally we'll all likely be in the same outfits outside the convention that we have inside, so if you see us out and about anywhere by all means go ahead and say hi!

But please if you do see me outside the con don't follow me up to my hotel room I'm not interested in that....I mean you know haha unless 😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏

(kidding of course but if you asked nicely to hang out I'd consider it)

Beyond that I have nothing more to add about my or the other's activities at Japan World Heroes, to all those attending I look forward to seeing you there! It's been a difficult road to get to this point but I'm more than hoping the wait has been worth it!

See you all soon!

[t-u-i-t-c]

1, 2, 5, 22, 27 for gif asks!

1-How did you get into graphics / gif making?

I just liked the look of gifs and when I started out I wanted to have specific gifs that I couldn't find. My 9 panel sets that I do every now and then are actually part of this, as my Ankh and Eiji set is one of my earlier sets that I really wanted to get into giffing to make. However, I really got into the idea of making gifs while watching Gaim, even though Kamen Rider OOO made up quite a few of my earlier gifs. One of my first sets was a Gaim set, and I have since remade it, but it's still not perfect (the subtitle coloring is a bit off in spots...).

2-Do you do something creative/related “irl” as well?

Yeah. I knit, embroider, sew, paint, draw, etc. Am I good at any of these? Not particularly, but I live y'know?

5-What do you dislike most about making graphics / gifs?

Coloring can be so difficult and frustrating. It can be especially difficult if a series has coloring inconsistencies or the coloring is generally very green.

I also struggle a lot with being more creative with my gifs. I have a lot of ideas and visions for the types of sets I'd like to make but I always end up playing it safe and sticking to what I know, especially when it comes to gifs with text, I cannot font pair to save my life.

22-What is your biggest improvement since you started making graphics and or gifs?

Coloring. My early gifs are way too pink/red. Here's a Sonoi gif I made in May of 2022 and a quick remake I did for the sake of comparison today. Here's a really good post that helped me improve on my coloring.

Here's a frame of the remake with the old coloring and a frame from the old one with the new coloring to show more of the improvement.

(Note that the quality is different and so is the method of making the gifs so the coloring is not exact on the frame examples)

27-Advice you’d give yourself when you were starting out?

Look into tutorials. There's so many tutorials that are readily available on Tumblr that could really help with improving in areas and learning to do new things. Templates, fonts, resources, and more have been made and provided by other graphic/gif makers and are free to use (follow the proper guidelines set by the creators).

Here's my giffing tag where I put posts related to giffing, whether it be tutorials, fonts, resources, or just posts about giffing in general.

Ask a Graphic/Gif Maker

[denebsapphic]

I'm going to answer all those toku questions jutst 5 at a time so my posts won't be so long

1. How did you get into tokusatsu?

Show wise, An ex tried to get me into ten years ago with Fourze but didn't click then. I just forgot about it for awhile until I saw people last year talking about Kamen Rider so I was like well it's been a long time, let's try again.

Obviously it worked this time.

I was into Godzilla before though at least since I was a kid because of my dad. I'd watch them on TV with him and my brothers.

2. What was the first show you watched?

Fourze, I figured let's try again and it worked. Granted it still took me months to finish it because I kept getting distracted

3. What shows have you finished so far?

All of these

4. Thoughts on what you’re currently watching/watched most recently?

Dogengers Metropolis: Fine so far

Garo Makai Senki: Liking it, I just need to watch more

Ultraman Geed: Wellll sad right now

Boonboomger: I like it a lot, we get to see something ToQger related too at some point so I'm excited for that. I'm assuming it will happen after this Genba arc is over.

Ultraman Arc: Fun so far

Kamen Rider Gavv: I like so far but I think some people are like over hyping it and possibly setting yourself for disappointment because of it.

5. Favorite Main Hero

For now at least

Kamen Rider: Eiji and Philip

Sentai: Right

Ultraman: Gento

[joyfuladorable]

do u have any peni hcs? 👀

also i love ur peni content where she plays a more prominent role :)

Aww, thanks! I can get Very Attached to characters who I feel needed More from the Narrative, lol.

Now, for headcanons:

Since Peni works for Oscorp, she Absolutely milks the fact that they Need her to pilot SP//dr to get Things like rare snacks and merchandise and music and trinkets for Spider's terrarium

She was already kind of an Oddball while going to boarding school when her dad was out being SP//dr. The typical parent-influenced child cruelty towards kids with absent parents

She was transferred to a school closer to Oscorp and her Aunt and Uncle upon getting Bit, and she’s kinda known as the “kid with her head in the clouds” and “kid who definitely brings a spider with her to school but as long as her grades are good and it doesn’t bite anyone then whatevers”

There’s a bit of contradictory info in the comics about how secret her identity as SP//dr is, but for the movie-verse I imagine Oscorp tries to keep that info contained since she’d be vulnerable while at school but also More Importantly to avoid a Media Uproar about them having a Child fight deadly foes on the regular

As I’ve said, I’d want Peni and Addy to be Besties before the VE#m Incident. Maybe instead of the ill-timed approach during school that the comics had, Uncle Ben would’ve introduced Addy to Peni as a potential support/partner during missions. Peni would be kinda resistant at first like the comics cuz What Is She without SP//dr and now there’s someone who could potentially Replace Her???? But then maybe they’d bond over music and that’d snowball into friendship as Peni showed Addy the ropes concerning mech piloting and “it’s different since you’ll be bonding with just the AI but I’m sure you’ll be fine!”

The “new” SP//dr design was based off schematics Peni unearthed after being in a bit of a Fugue State post-VE#m Incident. Maybe they were files her father had hidden away.

It's Awkward when Peni starts living with Ben and May. Peni was probably already a bit self-sufficient from living at boarding school, and Ben and May are scientists first, guardians second. That changes, softens, when time passes. I think by the time the VE#m Incident happened, maybe Peni was beginning to see them more like parents

It's kinda curious that Ben wasn't a genetic match for SP//dr. Maybe Peni's dad and him aren't blood-related??

In the comics, Daredevil is sorta like Peni's mentor? Would love to see him in the movie-verse, too, as like a mentor/dorky uncle who keeps giving her stickers with weird/funky imagery cuz he can't see them and thinks it's funny to surprise the both of them upon gifting like "here, kid." "...Uncle Matt, this is a sticker sheet of gold stars saying 'you tried.'" "Oh, huh, well, you're welcome." (She sticks one of these on him when he isn't paying attention)

And ohhhh MAN, I know we didn't see him in ATSV, but there's a Kamen Rider/Super Sentai-inspired Spidey who pilots a huge zord called Leopardon and he and all the other mech/robo Spideys are like a Squad in the comics. Would love to see him and Peni bonding over mechanics!!

Peni Definitely had a hand in building/improving the Go Home Machine with Margo

Something someone said to me on Twitter because of my Trust comic is that Spider probably hangs out with other Spideys while Peni is hyperfocused on her work. And I was like YES she Absolutely has to basically play hide n seek with Spider and go to all her friends to see which one has him

Spider likes being spun around like a yo-yo and has a Lot of fun hanging with Pavitr. Spider has a specific reason for liking each of the Squad, actually, and will go to them depending on his Mood

Spider is Highly Intelligent and can pilot SP//dr independently to help Peni with tasks (in the Spider-Verse Unlimited webcomic he helps Peni with her hardwiring homework)

Peni and Spider's psychic connection happens with feelings instead of words. In the suit, those feelings tend to synch so they're of one mind. With the other Spideys, Spider usually communicates with a Lot of gestures and hopping but will resort to Charlotte's Web and weave words if he needs to

Back to my mention of Spider with a Terrarium. He has multiple: one at Peni's house, one at Oscorp, and one at the Spider Society. None of them follow a specific aesthetic, just whatever Spider and Peni like at any given moment

Peni keeps a container of live insects on her person at all times for Spider. She has absolutely almost opened the container on multiple occasions forgetting it's not one of Her Snacks

In the spirit of Peni's heinous ability to chew bubblegum and eat chips at the same time, she Loves eating things with strong flavors and weird textures

One time she spent a Whole Week grinding levels for an MMO with her tech bud, Margo, and they celebrated their raid boss victory by turning the Go Home room into a massive blanket fort where they were found fast asleep in a pile of pillows surrounded by snacks (oh, shit, I should draw that hold on I'm adding it to my list, lol)

And to close on a somber note, Peni has a small shrine at home for her father, her aunt, and Addy. She always takes a moment with it before leaving the house.

And nooow, here’s some Actual Canon things in the Movie-verse I noticed after watching ITSV Everyday for a Week:

Her psychic link with Spider and SP//dr means she Feels when the mech gets Rough Up

Her eyes glowed red when Spider bit her and I imagine they just Do That whenever she focuses on their Bond

The SP//dr mech probably had its own sentience/AI since it emoted without either of its pilots inside. Remnant of her father, maybe?

Okay also speaking of her father, since he Built that suit that means he was probably a Huge Dork for designing the outer panel to emote like that (or Peni programmed it that way but it’s cuter to think her dad did it, lol)

Also, either her dad was a Small Guy or the pilot’s chair was adjusted to fit Peni after she took over, which MMM means it has to get adjusted every time Peni grows like that’s not a particularly efficient design choice??? Or maybe the hull can just adjust itself depending on the pilot, lol

SP//dr’s joints are Magnetized, which gives it a pretty broad range of movement

Peni was trained in some sort of martial arts, which makes sense if she ever needs to fight while outside the suit and gives SP//dr more versatility during combat if it’s in-built weapons aren’t viable

At the very least, Peni is Bilingual. Her New York probably has a majority mix of English and Japanese speakers

She embossed the Goober with a Spidey Insignia, which she either made on the side while working on the Goober or her universe just Has That, lol. Maybe it’s the insignia they use in Oscorp to label SP//dr-related things

She knew where Aunt May's house was in Miles' universe, so she canonically lives in Queens, too. I wonder if she tried going to Oscorp at all?

Heelies heelies she has Heelies which is so freaking Adorable!!

Wow, this is a lot more than I thought I'd write, lol! Hope you enjoyed! ^w^

[buffintruder]

@allpurposepanda sent me this ask game and since I have writing to procrastinate, I figured I'd just go through and answer all the questions I felt like answering

1. What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

I think the most interesting thing I did was write a fic where I tried not to use any figurative language at all in the narration or dialogue from other pov characters. It wasn't as hard as I was expecting (actually, it was harder to determine what counted as figurative and what counted as a word simply having multiple meanings, one more concrete than the other) and I think it turned out pretty okay. I'd do it again if I wrote from this pov again or someone similar, but I don't think I'd seek it out

2. How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!)

About 18 if I counted correctly! 7 have been posted, 1 is in the process of posting, and 10 are unposted. 9 are brand new while 9 are continuations of wips from previous years

3. What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer?

I'm not sure. I guess I've been thinking about the relation between a writer and the audience and feedback and community support a lot (I went from a bigger fandom to a smaller fandom, and the decrease in comments and people to talk to about my fics hit my motivation harder than I was expecting)

4. What piece of media inspired you the most?

I'm not sure, but I think I wrote the most fic for Donbrothers or Kamen Rider

5. What fandom(s) did you write for this year?

8 fandoms: Kamen Rider Blade (6), Kamen Rider W (1), Kamen Rider Drive (1), Changerion (1), Donbrothers (3), Ace Attorney (4), the Watchmaker of Filigree Street (2), and Les Miserables (1)

6. What ship(s) captured your heart?

Nothing new from last year, but Hajime/Kenzaki from Blade and Sonoi/Momoi from Donbrothers

7. What character(s) captured your heart?

Also nothing new, but Haruka from Donbrothers and Wakana from Kamen Rider W

8. Did you write for a new fandom or ship this year?

Donbrothers is new because I was waiting for the show to finish airing before I started writing anything for it. Changerion I only watched this year, so that's also new

9. What fic meant the most to you to write?

I am obsessed with my Blade soul nemesis au and my Ace Attorney Trickster au, and I don't have any fics that like particularly hit close to home for me or anything. However, I do think the winner would have to be Truer than Truth because idk. It was difficult and it feels like one of the best things I've written (definitely the best shorter fic I've written) and just had a lot of thought go into it

10. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

Definitely my soul nemesis au. Tbh I have enjoyed working on it so much I started posting it probably like a good 6 months later than I could have so I could work on it more, and it's also taking me forever to upload the chapters despite the fic being finished because I want to keep working on it (that and it has 0 comments, so I feel like no one is too invested other than the people I know personally, so I can take my time with it and get distracted from it)

11. What fic was the most satisfying to finish writing?

To Turn the World Upside Down is maybe the best long fic I've written, and finishing it felt like the end of the journey. However, I'm pretty sure I wrote the ending in 2022 (I just finished the editing in 2023), so I'll also put in Truer than Truth for the reasons answered in the next question

12. What fic was the most difficult to write? Did you finish it?

Definitely Truer than Truth. I mentioned I wrote a fic without figurative language, and this was the first fic in the series where I tried to write a fic with a ton of figurative language. Coming up with symbolism related to classic Japanese Buddhist literature that isn't too heavy handed is hard! Coming up prose with metaphors and pretty descriptions that doesn't sound unbearably flowery is hard! Also mapping out the character of progression of Sonoi, someone who both knows a lot about humans and also doesn't, in a way that makes sense and doesn't make him more ignorant than he is in canon is hard!

13. What fic was the easiest to write?

Trust Fall. I wrote probably about half of it in one day and finished writing+editing it in probably around 2 weeks which is insanely fast for me. It just sort of came out of me, idk man

14. What were your shortest and longest fics this year?

Technically Meetings is the longest fic (90k words), but that was originally meant to be a trilogy that I wrote most of years ago and just polished and posted this year, so I'm counting To Turn the World Upside Down (73k words) instead because it's finished and I like it more.

Shortest is Trust Fall (4k words)

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023

This is hard because I do like a lot of the fics I wrote and posted in 2023. However, I've talked a lot (and will continue to talk) about my top 3 fics in this ask game, but one fic that will not be mentioned outside of this that I think is good is Across the River of Stars.

It's an outsider pov Cowherd and Weaver au where I think I did a good job with a sort of melancholic atmosphere

16. What were you go-to writing songs?

I don't listen to music a lot while writing, but when I do it's probably the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack (movies 1-3), the Witcher 3 soundtrack, or the Black Sails soundtrack

17. What were your go-to writing snacks?

I don't think I have one. I don't particularly snack while writing, and if I do, I'll just eat whatever

18. What was the hardest fic to title?

Afterwards. I needed something short and simple and to the point to contrast the long and more poetic "truer than truth are those beautiful lies", but I still think it's a bit meh and doesn't really do much for the fic

19. Share your favorite opening line

Here is a truth: Momoi Tarou is like the sky, impossibly vast and unreachable; and Sonoi is like the sea, forever gazing up, reflecting that same blue.

This wasn't initially the beginning line (I switched around a lot of stuffin this fic), and the whole "here is a truth, here is a lie" bit was a totally unexpected unplanned bit that just happened when I started writing it. However, I'm pleased with how it turned out, and also the particular way in which I took a line from the show (Sonoi saying "we are like the sky and the sea") and expanding a bit on it and how the two of them individually relate to that

20. Share your favorite ending line

Okay technically it's 2 lines from Trust Fall, but it's still my favorite:

(All too soon, when the end does come, Kenzaki looks at Hajime and smiles like a blade to the heart and says, “See, I said that you could trust me to keep this hope of yours alive.” And Hajime does not have the time to tell him that no one has ever lied to him so cruelly before.)

It's good because of the misunderstanding. Kenzaki is sacrificing himself so Hajime can keep living, but of course that also really sucks on Hajime's end. I just think seeing something from the pov of the person/people left behind when someone sacrifices themselves is so juicy. Also Kenzaki's symbol is a blade while Hajime's is a heart, so the smile is from Blade to Heart but also metaphorically like being stabbed hahaha (i think i'm so clever when i do symbolism 101)

21. Share your favorite piece of dialogue

This is hard. Definitely, my favorite piece of dialogue comes from To Turn the World Upside Down because tbh I think that fic has some of the best written dialogue in anything I've ever written, but I'm not sure I could pick out something among it. I just went with the last scene because I am genuinely proud, like I don't normally like writing endings and it's especially hard in a long fic with a lot of build up, but I think I did well on this one. Also it's probably one of the parts I worked most on in 2023 (rather than 2022)

“I think you should do it, daddy,” Trucy says. Surprised, Phoenix looks up to see his daughter staring at him, her face set firmly. Of all the people who would encourage him to retake the exam, he hadn’t thought it would be her. She has never known him as a lawyer. “What? Why?” “You never stopped being a lawyer,” she says, as if it’s that simple. “Sure, officially, they took that away from you. But deep down, you’ve always been one.” “What?” Phoenix scoffs, something small and hopeful curling into a cold and defensive ball deep in his chest. “Prove it.” Trucy raises her eyebrows at him. “Prove it? Do I need physical evidence for it so that it may be accepted in the court of Phoenix Wright, or is pointing out your contradiction enough?” Phoenix flushes. “Okay, okay, point taken.” “She’s right,” Miles says quietly. “It’s your life to live, but please—at least consider it.” From the moment you asked, there was no question of the answer, Phoenix thinks. I became a lawyer for you once, I would do it a second time, as many times as you needed me to. “Are you sure about it?” Phoenix asks. “I mean, you know what it was like the first time I was a lawyer. You know the kind of shit that follows me. I was a lawyer for just two and a half years the first time, and look at the kind of mess I left behind me.” Miles smiles at him, so fond it hurts. “You say that as if that’s not exactly what I want. I want you back in the courthouse, Trickster and all. It all needs a good shaking up, don’t you think?” It was never meant to be about the suffering, the Trickster had said about their chaos. There already is suffering stuck in between each clean-cut brick of the legal system, trapped in the very foundation and everything that has grown on top of it. Maybe it’s time to knock things around and see what shakes loose, to see what can be built anew from the rubble. “Alright,” Phoenix says, and the way Miles and Trucy’s eyes light up already makes it all worth it. “I’ll do it. Let’s go turn turn the legal world upside down.”

22. Share an excerpt from your favorite scene

Tbh I could probably also post a bit from the Trickster au, but just to switch it up here's a sneak peak from my soul nemesis au. I was so excited to write this scene that it's the only one I skipped ahead to write. This scene (earlier parts of it, not what's here) is also the reason why I chose the mechanics for soul nemeses that I did, like I've been hyping up this scene almost since I first had the idea for the fic, and it's still one of my favorites

“Did...” Gou started. “Did he love you too?” Kenzaki thought about the way Hajime kissed back, the way his whole face softened as he smiled at Kenzaki, the way he looked like his heart was shattering when Kenzaki had last seen him, the way he had written don't go in his letter. “I think—maybe. But it doesn’t matter. I had to leave, so he could live out his life.” For the whole time that Kenzaki had known him, Gou had been all bright smiles and wild hand gestures. Even as the conversation took a turn for the more serious, his face had been an open book, but now his face turned still and unreadable. “It’s not worth it.” “What?” demanded Kenzaki. “I’ve been there,” Gou said, and now he looked angry. “Someone sacrificed himself for me, so I could live my life. And I will never forgive him for that, because if I had the choice, I would choose him over me every time. I may not have met Masaki myself, but I'm sure that he would rather have you in his life no matter what hardships. You can still go back—” “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kenzaki snapped, anger curling defensively around him. He knew that. He knew he was hurting Hajime, that it had destroyed him to be left behind. It had destroyed Kenzaki to leave. But he had chosen to defy fate, and this was their punishment. “It’s impossible.” "What's impossible? You're both still alive, aren't you?" "He might as well be dead, for all the difference it makes to me,” Kenzaki snapped. Maybe if Hajime had been dead it would hurt less. “There is no other choice.” Gou stared back at him, his expression set stubbornly on his face. He was so young, Kenzaki thought all of a sudden. Kenzaki had been like that too over a decade ago when he was around Gou’s age, so stubbornly set on how things should be, as if he could bend the universe into shape through sheer force of will. Kenzaki sighed, and let the anger drain from him. He would have had those same thoughts, and it wasn’t like Gou had any idea of the impossible circumstances that kept him and Hajime apart. “It's too late now. I would go back, if I could. And he would track me down across the world, if he could." “Right,” Gou said, and Kenzaki wondered if he felt the same envy towards him. Gou hadn’t specified what sacrifice had been made for him, but the implication was clear. At least Hajime was still alive. At least he was out there somewhere that Kenzaki could return to, technically. Gou couldn't know that the potential only made the separation ache more, he couldn't know that the impossible situation that trapped them went far beyond ordinary human concerns. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Kenzaki said, as much of an acquiescence as he could make. “Thanks,” Gou said, his mouth twisting. “I... don’t know if he’s gone for good though. That’s actually why I’m here. Trying to do some research to bring him back.” “Are there good medical facilities here?” Kenzaki asked, confused. Maybe Gou's person was in a coma or something? Gou shrugged. “Not particularly. I’m here more for the tech stuff.” “I hope it succeeds,” Kenzaki said, not entirely sure what to say. “Thank you,” Gou said, sounding tired. “And I hope you find someway around whatever’s keeping you two apart.” It was impossible, but Kenzaki smiled and nodded anyway. “If I ever run into him, do you want me to pass on a message?” Gou asked. What could Kenzaki say that Hajime did not already know, and that would not hurt him more to hear? “Just that I am well,” Kenzaki said at last. “And that I like his book. And... I still miss him.” Gou nodded. “I’m going to get my friend back,” he said, with all the confidence and naivety of a twenty year old. “So you better not give up on yours, alright?” “I never will,” Kenzaki said. And Gou smiled because he did not yet know that it was the hope that destroyed you.

23. Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out?

There are definitely many of these, but I'd have to go through my fics again to figure it out and that would take a while so I'm skipping this

24. What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story?

I mentioned earlier that there's a bit in Truer than Truth where between each scene it goes like "Here is a truth: [...] Here is a lie: [...]", or in the other order (lie first then truth) that is vaguely related to the themes of that scene, and I absolutely was not expecting.

It ended up changing the story quite a bit. I was originally going to have the story alternate povs, but something like this could only work from Sonoi's pov, and I wasn't sure how to juggle things around to make it work. Because I also wanted to have it alternate between whether it starts with a truth or a lie, I had to add two scenes in order to make the pattern work when I realized that some of the truths and lies would work better flipped around. And I think the story is better off with those added scenes to fill in something that would have been a jump otherwise

Also, it just generally affected the tone, since I had to think about the themes of the scene to write those bits, and they're very heavy in symbolism and metaphor that I could reuse throughout the fic

25. What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.)

Mostly google docs and occasionally a notebook and pen. I have occasionally written a bit on my notes app of my phone if i couldn't get to google docs for whatever reason, but i don't think i did this year

26. If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

The writing spree during which I wrote the first half of Trust Fall. I was feeling a bit shitty and purposeless at the time, but I had an idea brewing in the back of my head for awhile, and the stars aligned so the idea solidified and I wrote like 2k words in one day. I remember feeling afterwards that I really love writing sometimes and maybe if I go too long without doing it, it makes me worse

27. Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic?

Not really? Maybe tell all my friends about it

28. How did you recharge between fics?

I don't think this question applies to my writing style tbh. I don't have "in between fics" (i am always working on a fic) and I switch between them a lot, so I don't really get worn out by them. I recharge between writing sessions I suppose?? I'm not actually sure how I'm supposed to answer this question

29. If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

I do try to thank the people involved in me writing a fic in any way at the beginning of each fic, but in a general sense, I would thank all the friends and acquaintances who encouraged me to write whenever I was like "maybe this is stupid" and all the people who listened to me go "wait I have the coolest idea for a fic, let me tell you about it" and all the people who helped answer my questions from everything between 'does this sound like semi-realistic attraction or is it just weird' to 'what are traffic-related superhero/supervillain names.' And particularly to @magpiedragon who bears the brunt of all of this

30. What’s something that you want to write in 2024?

I still have that one Kamen Rider Blade post canon idea that crosses over with Star Trek ds9. Also some Kamen Rider Agito ideas I want to get to at some point, but who knows if I ever will