#this past year i decided to get into some of the manga i hear people really rave about | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

absolutebl · 1 year ago

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BL recs (from any country) that don't have any s*x scenes? I'm too ace to enjoy them at all. Happy ending preferred, angst v welcome:)

BLs Without Sex Scenes

Oof, this is a hard one. Is a dead fish kiss okay? I do have a heat sorting on the spreadsheet of doom, and there are some with no kissing at all, but a dead fish kiss is in most of the HEA ones.

BLs with No Kisses

21 Days Theory (Thailand, YouTube) - the only thing I didn't like about this pulp was the fact that they don't kiss, so... yeah, this is my first pick for you. Very YA first love angsty, fantastic queer rep and side characters. RECOMMENDED

My Esports Genius Brother (China, Gaga?) - it's hella odd censored bromance but enjoyable. No real angst tho.

HIStory My Hero (Taiwan, Viki) - basically a BL with no sex or kissing, but also body-swap so is it BL? I can't remember the end but I think it's happy?

Silhouette of Your Voice AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan, ????) - this 2017 yaoi adaptation is a full on BL just no kissing at all. The source manga (I Hear the Sunspot) is a favorite of mine and the casting was decent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for you (but not in general). Grey only.

Love of Siam (Thailand, ????) ALL THE ANGST, I'm pretty sure the most they do is hug, I could be v wrong though because too sad for me to ever rewatch. Very formative to the Thai BL industry.

The Lover (BL cut) (Korea ????) sometimes you can find the BL cut on YT, it has slapstick comedic sexualized moments that are maybe a little homophobic (or something), no actual sex or kissing, but no angst at all. (Korea's working some shizz out with this early offering.)

Kabe Koji AKA Kabesaa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shounin Yokkyuu wo Kojirasete iru (Japan, Viki) - I watched this and I was excited about it before it aired, but I seem to have expunged it from my memory and kept no screen caps in annoyance, so that's all I got.

Love in Spring AKA Spring of Crush (Korea, ????) - a crossdressing historical that flew utterly under the radar. I decided it just wasn't really BL, but it has BL aspects and it's kinda a little queer... or something. Grey only.

Evening Cafe (Thai pulp, YouTube) - No heat and no kisses, but a decent lead pair, about a boy who works in a cafe and the new employee who has a crush on him. That’s it, that's the whole story.

A Shoulder to Cry On (Korea, Viki) - Has no kissing and many people found it really good as @isisanna-blog reminded me, thank you). It certainly has ALL THE ANGST. (I did not like it at all, but I'm a terrible judge of this kind of BL.)

What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Japan ???) - this is such a lovely show, very warm and comforting and slice of life. There is very little angst, they too old for that shit, but little to no sexual content either. It's very warm and loving. A safe extremely yet queer show - and oh boy do we not get many of those. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Censored Bromances

So No Kisses (TM) for the gays but the hets might do stuff I didn't pay attention to. All these from China. Some happy, most not.

The Untamed

Word of Honor

Guardian

SCI Mysteries

Stay With Me AKA Addicted 2.0 (I never watched this so there may be rough play)

Mr CEO Falling in Love With Me

The Fairy Fox

Youth in the Breeze

Precise Shot

Advance Bravely

His Cat AKA His Cat Boyfriend

The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao

The "Ghost Boyfriend" series

Past Youth

I Go To School Not By Bus (Hong Kong short)

Recommended Shorts with no kisses, but cute & fun

The 8.2 Second Rule (Japan YouTube)

One Last Order (Korea, Gaga)

Love Advisor (Thailand, YouTube)

BLs with Dead Fish Kisses (maybe? only one, if any)

His the series: I Didn't Think I Would Fall In Love (Japan ????) - (NOT His the movie) this one has all the angst you could want in your whole life. ALL OF IT. Japan wins at emo, it's their THING.

Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii AKA Cheri Maho (Japan ????) - there's sort of some bed tussling and implied sex but you could imagine them just being snuggles for the mains, the sides have dead fish kiss. In general there's some angst but not much. It's fluffy and great. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Bonus: overt ace representation for one of the side characters.

Meow Ears Up (Thailand Viki) - sides may kiss? I enjoyed this pulp especially at the start, the premise is fun. I think my biggest complaint was lack of kissing.

My Love Mix Up AKA Kieta Hatsukoi (Japan Viki), a case could be made for a demi seme in this BL. So much frenetic angst around bisexual identity crisis. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My Ride (Thailand Gaga) - my favorite Thai BL pulp the sides have a good kiss and the mains do kiss but it's v dead fish, not at all sexual, and it comes at the very end. Otherwise extremely chaste, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this BL, queer and complex and engaging.

I Want to See Only You AKA Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai (Japan ????) - This is a beautiful piece of cinema well acted, about two boys who are opposite personalities and grew up together. The only kiss is the one pictured above, v dead fish. Full review here.

Nobleman Ryu's Wedding (Korea WeTV) - 12th Night goes BL in this cross dressing historical that ended up feeling like a Cinderfella fairy tale, lightly dramatic and utterly charming. Full review. There is one dead fishy kiss at the end but it's otherwise aggressively pure.

If you like this last style of KBL (with a kiss at the end being okay, I have quite a few more to recommend). Until 2022, most KBLs only had one dead fish kiss in them, so you are pretty safe with pre 2022 KBLs. They tend to be quite chaste and de-sexualized. Other good examples: Wish You, Light on Me.

That's all folx.

Some of the above I may be misremembering (since I don't rewatch this kind of BL and my memory is shit). And I may have forgotten some too, so I hope comments with jump in.

Others to consider:

(source)

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cocogum · 10 months ago

Text

The theory behind Evangelyne’s father explained.

‼️SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4‼️

LEAVE AT THE WARNING IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FIRST TWO EPISODES.

After waiting seven years for season 4, we have finally got the newest season of Wakfu, with two episodes coming every Friday on the Okoo app.

Given the fact that it takes a full week to wait for each pair of episodes from the newest season, this leaves us with enough time to theorize and create suspicions about new characters that have revealed themselves in the available episodes we have at the moment.

And it just so happens that we do already have a character that emits a strange atmosphere around them, besides the eliatrope goddess.

And the character I’m mentioning is none other than this man right here:

We first see him in the second episode of Season 4 and we initially get no context as to why he’s there until the end of the episode.

And after watching the last two minutes of the episode, we received some information about him that made us ask even more questions.

What we know:

1- He is a blind Cra.

2- He’s labelled as a monster by the guards and chief of his prison.

3- He’s also labelled as an assassin by the prison guards, implying that he had killed a very important person in the past.

4- He has excellent aim despite not having his sight (he was seen throwing a rock at a very precise angle which then hit one of the soldiers’ swords just as he was about to leave his prison).

5- He can wield and fight with a bow from what we’ve seen in one of the trailers.

6- According to the credits, this man’s name is “Madagaskan” (weird name but okay).

So given what we now have about this character, Madagaskan, people have suspected that he may have some kind of link to Evangelyne and could even be somehow related to her as a father.

Why the father theory could work:

1- He is a Cra. Since he has pointed ears and was seen fighting with a bow in one of the trailers, this confirms that he is a cra since cras are primarily known to fight with arrows and have distinctly pointed ears.

2- His precise aim is just as excellent as Eva’s.

3- While meditating, he heard Flopin’s voice of all people and then made a face when he heard Pin’s voice right after it.

4- Since he was meditating and listening to the Percedal’s family, he could have been overhearing them to keep watch on Evangelyne for whatever reason. So when he hears Pin’s voice, his face scrunches up a bit, almost like he was not pleased in the least to hear a new Iop in the family (it could be because he can sense that this specific baby isn’t a normal one like how Oropo has also felt how unusual he is).

5- Pin’s unusual atmosphere (that or the fact that Rasha is in him now) may have been the reason why Madagaskan had decided to leave his prison after all these years to finally face Evangelyne and her family.

On a personal note, I initially had speculated that this man could have been Evangelyne’s grandfather since he looks way too old to be her father in my opinion. But when I finally remembered that his name (again weird name cuz who the hell is named “Madagaskan”?) was not Flopin, I had given up on the possible theory that he was Eva’s grandfather due to the fact that in the Wakfu manga, Evangelyne’s grandfather is canonically named Flopin which is why Dally and Eva named their cra son after him.

Overall, I do believe that this theory can work but I do not think Madagaskan is in actuality Evangelyne’s father but rather someone related to her.

After all, it can’t be a coincidence if a cra was overhearing another very specific cra’s family and decided to intervene once he heard that same cra’s newest baby.

(EDIT: after taking a moment to think, I believe this man could also end up being Flopin’s mentor since, well, Elely and Pin have Goultard as a mentor while Flopin has his mom so that wouldn’t be a good balance. Which is why I think Madagaskan should be Flopin’s mentor! Flopin really needs some screentime and a moment to shine!)

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tala-bez-i · 5 months ago

Text

At first sight Chapter Twenty-Nine

(m!reader x Bonten!Haruchiyo Sanzu)

Fluff/slash/reader is male/cursing/BontenTimeline/drugs and alcohol mentioned/violence/blood/death

All characters that appeared in the Tokyo Revengers manga and anime belong to Ken Wakui.

Words: 5040

This chapter may not be pleasant to read for some people.

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“I know it's too early, Hanma. Listen, did that bitch had said anything about their boss?” Sanzu paced around the living room, his voice growing irritated.

“We already established that Kuroda and the rest were just admins, so stop talking nonsense.”

The question was swirling in your mind about what Yuji had done to you that your subconscious had decided to erase his existence from your memory as much as possible. In fact, you didn't remember many events related to his character, and yet he spent almost all his time at home.

He was older than you by how much? About 12-13 years? Yeah. Mai was seven years younger than him, and when she was home, he was never far from her side. He helped her with her studies, with her school projects...

“She must know something!” Sanzu shouted, stopping in his tracks, and as you sipped the alcohol from the glass, you saw the hand he had clenched into a fist starting to shake. “Maybe it would be easier if I talked to her myself? Oh, you know I would get everything I want to know out of that bitch.”

He was never far from her side... You were just a little shit who didn't understand many things back then, but now...

“Yuji was obsessed with her.” You mumbled and drank the contents of the glass in one gulp. “He was fucking obsessed with her.”

The pink-haired man continued talking, or rather arguing, with Hanma on the phone, completely ignoring your words. Maybe he didn't even hear them, so without anyone stopping you, you took the bottle of alcohol you had just started and started drinking straight from the bottle.

You remembered your father's words, which you once overheard while walking past your parents' bedroom.

“It's not healthy, Sachiko. He does something he shouldn't. We are Family."

"I know babe. Mai is afraid of him.”

“He treats Tomoko like a sister…”

“Which it is by virtue of actual kinship. Yuji just got lost..."

“Don't defend him. He's my son, my firstborn, but I can't bear to look at him. I can't accept what he's doing, and neither can you."

“Kenzou…”

“He's 25 years old, damn it, he's not a kid!”

You didn't hear the rest of the conversation because your father closed the door, not knowing that you were standing right next to them. You remembered taking steps towards your eldest sister's room, but on the way, Tomoko grabbed you, placing a finger to her lips to keep you quiet.

You knew what that meant. Yuji was at home, in his room, and if he heard you around Mai, you would be in serious trouble.

You felt the alcohol starting to burn your throat, but you didn't mind. The feeling was strangely soothing and as soon as you noticed that there wasn't much alcohol left at the bottom and Sanzu left for the bedroom - still talking on the phone, you got up from the sofa and went to the small bar where he kept more alcohol.

You were going to get drunk, even drink yourself into unconsciousness, which would allow you to forget about your brother, at least for a moment. Too bad, maybe Sanzu will kill you for your weakness, but you didn't give a damn about it.

“Yes, I have my suspicions.” Haruchiyo said louder, returning to the living room wearing a shirt and pants. “I won't tell you who we mean… Yes, we, me and Y/n…”

You started drinking from another bottle, feeling an increasingly pleasant tingling sensation in all your limbs. You took two more bottles in your hand and headed back to the sofa so you could sit on it and enjoy your alcoholic beverages.

Suddenly, Sanzu's hand took one of the bottles from you, and when you looked at his face, it had a strange expression mixed with irritation at the drawn-out conversation with Shuji Hanma. He shook his head and you shrugged, continuing your journey to the comfortable lounge furniture.

“Focus, Hanma. How the fuck are you focused?” He loudly put the bottle back in its place and began pacing around the room again. You watched him calmly, taking a sip of alcohol from the bottle every now and then. “Who did she mention? Yuu? So, this fucker is their boss? Good, good. Now we're starting to come to some sort of agreement, you fucker..."

Yuu... Yuuta... Yuji...

You took a few long gulps and leaned your head back, mumbling under your breath. “Yuji might be Yuu…”

"What?" You heard Haruchiyo's voice close to you. “Not you, Hanma. Y/n, what did you say?”

“Yuji might be Yuu. I wouldn't be surprised at all. He's a fucking psycho." You answered him, staring at the ceiling.

“Fuck... Yeah, Yuji is the guy we suspect. Don't eavesdrop..." Sanzu growled into the phone and took a few steps forward, then stopped and walked to the sofa where you were drinking alcohol. “Why do you think so?”

You shrugged. "And why not?"

“Hanma, deal with Emiko. Get more out of her about this whole Yuu thing.” Sanzu said after a while and ended the call, throwing the phone onto one of the armchairs. “Stop drinking.”

You ignored him, finishing the bottle of liquor and setting it on the coffee table. Sanzu sat down in the other armchair and out of the corner of your eye you saw him swallowing drugs. You looked at the last bottle he hadn't taken from you and grimaced slightly.

“You don't have any vodka?”

“Should I take this away from you?” The answer came, so you shrugged, accepting the type of drink and took a sip. “Stop drinking, I'm serious.”

“Take care of your pills.” You grunted and you get hit with a small pillow, which you put aside unfazed and poured the burning liquid into your mouth again.

“Why would your brother compete with Bonten?”

“He's not competing with Bonten.”

“Care to explain what you mean?” Haruchiyo asked, still irritated. “He's endangering Mikey.”

"Not him. Yuji is endangering me. The murdering of whores and the actual attempts to threaten the syndicate was solely on the part of Kuroda and the rest.” You answered after a short moment of thought.

“And the Uchiyamas?”

You stopped your hand with the bottle halfway to your mouth. Well, what about them?

“Maybe… Fifty fifty?”

"What?"

“They acted as a means of disposing of our prostitutes, but because of Emiko they were more… Umm… Related to… Harming me? I don't know, Sanzu.”

“She didn't know you were alive. Have you forgotten that there was a contract for your head?”

Exactly. You forgot. You placed the bottle between your thighs so you wouldn't have to reach for it on the table, and you clearly intended to drink the entire contents. No matter what Haru said...

“So, they were going to harm Bonten.” You said, running your fingers through your hair.

“But they worked directly for Yuu, not Kuroda and Nagano like everyone thought, so…”

“Don't mess with my head, Sanzu, for fuck's sake.” You interrupted him and drank from the bottle again.

“Not in that tone.” Haruchiyo stood up abruptly from the chair he was sitting in and walked over to you. He grabbed the bottle you held close to your mouth and tried to take it away from you. “Give it back, you've had enough to drink.”

“No.” You slapped his hand and saw his eyes widen in disbelief. “Let me finish. I need it."

“You need purity of mind, not alcohol!” The man got angry and tried to take the bottle from you again, but you grabbed it from his grasp and wagged your finger at him.

“Let. Me. Finish.” You gritted out through your teeth and then you felt a stinging pain on your cheek and your head snapped to the side. Haruchiyo slapped you.

This time, when his hand reached for the bottle that was still in your hand, you let him take it. You were too busy trying not to punch him back to react to the confiscation.

“You're getting nasty.” He said, still nervous, but sat down next to you and turned your face towards him. “Can't you see this motherfucker is starting to control you? You haven't even seen him yet and he already has power over you."

“Let Hanma cut off her next fingers.” You mumbled, feeling the effects of the alcohol again. Your eyes began to move over Sanzu's face, not lingering on any point.

“He's already cut off enough of her fingers.” The pink-haired man grimaced as he watched your face.

“Then let him cut off the rest of them. We won't let her go anyway.”

“Y/n…”

“If not the fingers, let him start burning her.” You huffed, tightening your fingers on his wrists.

“Knowing Hanma, he's already tried that…”

“Then let him roast her nipples. Damn it, Sanzu... She doesn't need them for anything.”

His bright eyes widened, and his face showed disbelief once again. "What?"

You licked your lips, feeling your mouth dry and moved his hands away from your face. “You heard me. I can do it myself..."

“Y/n…” Haruchiyo laughed uncertainly, watching you struggle to get up from the sofa and take a few wobbly steps towards the entrance door to the apartment. “You won't go anywhere in this condition. You won't even be able to put your shoes on..."

“Then I'll go barefoot…” You mumbled, holding yourself against the wall.

"Absolutely not." The man sighed and grabbed your arm confidently, offering you better support, which you took advantage of.

“For me, Hanma can burn her cunt. She won't get much use out of it.”

“God, Y/n... I've never known you like this before.” He chuckled as he led you towards the door, but it wasn't until you were through them that you noticed that you had gone through the wrong one.

“Haru, silly, this is the bedroom…” You frowned and tried to turn around, eager to try to leave the apartment again, but his grip on his fingers tightened.

“Oh, I know what I'm doing.” The other sighed and pushed you onto the bed, where you fell rather limply.

You propped yourself awkwardly on your elbows and lifted your head with difficulty to look at the pink-haired man who poured a glass of water from a carafe on the cabinet and sat on the edge of the bed, handing it to you.

“Drink this. You barely ate anything, and you shouldn't drink on an empty stomach... Even Rindou wouldn't be that drunk after so much alcohol.” He said in a calm voice and you took the glass from him.

You drank its contents and your head fell back onto the mattress. “Don't tell him about this... Please.” You mumbled as you felt your eyelids getting heavy.

You saw Haruchiyo's face above you, watching yours closely. His soft hair tickled your cheeks and the fingers of his hand danced over your healing lip and eyebrow.

“I'm tired…” You muttered quietly and closed your eyes, feeling everything start to spin.

“Of course you are, honey.” Sanzu answered you and you felt something warm and wet on your cheek, followed by a few small kisses. “Sleep, Y/n.” Tickling on the neck. “I'll take care of everything, you don't have to worry about anything.”

His voice was soft, warm... Soothing. You wanted to look at him, but you could only open one eye. He was still leaning over you, the warmth of his body surrounding you in a pleasant wave.

You tried to lift your hand to touch him, but his hands were faster and pressed yours to the mattress above your head.

“Haru?...”

“Shhh…” He kissed your ear and you sighed softly. “Let me take care of you.” You felt another kiss on your neck and you tried to move your hand again, but this time you couldn't. You didn't have the strength for it.

The alcohol must have had a much greater effect on you than usual, but you didn't feel the slightest bit anxious. Sanzu was with you, and you knew everything would be okay. He said so himself...

You saw his face again and his rosy lips were stretching into a beautiful smile, so the corners of your mouth twitched upwards slightly, trying to answer him in kind.

He kissed you tenderly and you blew out a breath through your nose, closing your eyes and giving in to another wave of tiredness.

“Such a good boy.” You heard him whisper and fell asleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You woke up after what felt like an eternity of sleep. Your body felt numb, as if you were sleeping in a very uncomfortable position, but you were lying on your back with your head on a soft pillow. You moved your sluggish limbs and forced yourself to sit up with great difficulty.

Your head was dropped to your chest, but you managed to lift it and looked around the room. You were still in Sanzu's bedroom, but it was almost completely bathed in darkness. Only in the corner of the room, right next to the door to his dressing room, there was a lamp lit, giving dim light.

You expected a severe headache, but apart from slow movements, nothing else bothered you. You slid your legs off the bed and your bare feet touched the cool floor. You looked around again for your phone, but it was nowhere to be found. It probably was in the living room...

You stood up carefully and took your first few steps. It wasn't bad, really. Your body began to respond faster to the stimuli sent to your brain and after a while you opened the bedroom door. The living room was also lit in several places by standing lamps, but there was no one in sight.

“Sanzu?” You called out hesitantly, but silence answered you, so you took a few more steps and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

His hands showed 1:23 past midnight.

“Haruchiyo?” You called out, looking into his small kitchen once again, but there was no sign of the man there either.

You returned to the living room and looked at the cabinet where you always put your house and car keys, but they were nowhere to be found. The pink-haired man's keys were also missing.

You walked closer to the front door and saw that his shoes were missing. He left the apartment. He left you alone.

“What the fuck?” You mumbled and feeling anxious, you searched for your phone, but after twenty minutes you were unable to find it anywhere. This could only mean one thing. Sanzu took it with him.

You went back to the front door and pressed the handle. Closed. Sanzu locked the door and you knew you wouldn't be able to open it without the key.

Jacket... You usually had the spare key to his apartment right there in your jacket, and unless Haru checked it...

You ran back to the bedroom and grabbed the said article of clothing that was slung over the back of the chair and started checking the pockets.

“There it is!” You smiled broadly as you pulled out a key from your inside pocket.

Your smile quickly disappeared when you realized your weapon was missing and you cursed loudly. What was he thinking? And above all, where did he go?

You put on your jacket and went back to the front door, where you put on your shoes and inserted the key into the lock, turning it, and you were ready to leave your would-be prison. You locked the door from the outside and headed for the elevator to get to...

Yes, to get to your car. Genius. You didn't have the key!

You swore again and took the elevator down to the ground floor and into the lobby, where you stopped and bit the inside of your cheek lightly. So where did you want to go? You placed your hands on your hips and lowered your head. Maybe home? You had a spare key hidden under the flowerpot on the porch... You could take the other gun and...

You looked up at your reflection in the door of another elevator. You could have gone to where Emiko was being held and extracted the information you needed from her yourself. You had to make sure your thoughts were correct and that Yuu was Yuji...

Yes. It wasn't a stupid idea. You left the building and walked towards a nearby taxi stand.

As you drove to your address, thoughts flooded your mind again. Where was Sanzu and why did he take your stuff? What happened? One thing was certain, you would settle accounts with him and put the idea of imprisoning you in such a way out of his mind again.

You paid for the ride with the rest of the cash you had in your pants pocket and entered your house without any problems, but as soon as you got to the room where your spare weapon was hidden, it turned out that someone had taken it as well.

“Damn it!” You swore, punching the wall next to the locker door. "Sanzu, you dumb fuck!"

Oh, you'll definitely teach him a lesson this time. He could count on it.

You quickly left the room and went down to the basement, hoping that Hanma hadn't told him where you had another weapons stash.

You moved a cabinet away from the wall, with a few tools lying on it, and entered the code on a small keyboard. The light changed from red to green and you opened the door. You were immediately relieved when you saw your two extra guns and several full magazines full of bullets. You took one and put the holster under your jacket. Now you really wanted to talk to Emiko. You won't let yourself be stopped.

You entered the garage and grimaced slightly seeing that your only options were a bike and... Your face relaxed slightly at the sight of your first baby - the Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja. It didn't quite match the suit right now, but... You shrugged and drove it out of the garage, enjoying the sound of its engine all over again.

You rushed to the address of the warehouse that was etched in your memory, bearing in mind the fact that at such a late hour you might attract the attention of a police patrol. Even though you were focused on the road, you had your eyes peeled, just in case.

The journey didn't take you very long, but as soon as you entered the gates of the warehouse area, you let the machine continue to run at low speeds, trying not to make any noise. You had a strange feeling that you shouldn't draw attention to yourself.

You left your motorcycle behind the crates and listened. Silence. No talking or footsteps. For all you knew, there should have been a few people outside and at least five more inside.

You looked around carefully and saw a black SUV that belonged to the syndicate. Maybe the boys took a short nap break? You didn't blame them.

You stepped closer to see for yourself. You no longer cared whether they reported you to Hanma or Mikey himself. You had the right to show up here and it didn't have to be related to the fact that your ex was in the warehouse. The official version you knew was that the woman was outside of Tokyo.

The closer you got to the car, the more your stomach tightened. Something was wrong, very wrong. You stopped right in front of the driver's side door and without thinking, you pulled out your gun. You held it at ready and pulled the car door handle.

“Fuck…” You whispered as you saw the limp bodies and traces of blood.

You touched one of the men's necks and felt no pulse. The bodies were still warm, which meant they had been killed a few minutes ago. You looked at your hand and saw it was covered in blood. You wiped it on the man's clothes and looked towards the door to the warehouse.

If this was the situation outside, what was inside?

You sneaked to the door of the building and listened, but you didn't hear anything, so you opened the door and slipped inside the warehouse. The first thing you saw were more bodies of men working for Bonten lying in pools of blood.

It was bad, very bad. You walked towards the back rooms where Emiko was supposed to be kept and the closer you got, the more clearly you heard the conversation.

“…you don't understand…” A man said. “Hanma…can't find out.”

"I do not care about it." Another one growled, and you immediately recognized the voice you heard on the recordings from the basement of the Uchiyama house. Daisuke Sugiyama.

“But I care... Take away... disappear.”

You pressed your back against the wall next to the open door to the dimly lit room and listened.

“I'll take the car.” Sugiyama said and the other man cursed.

"Absolutely not. How will I explain this, eh?” The first man protested. “Take the woman away until Hanma shows up and fuck off.”

“Can't you see what condition she's in? She won’t make it to my car.”

“Then fucking carry her!”

The sound of a struggle and the man's quiet groaning. “Don't talk back to me. Don't forget who you work for.”

“Fine... I'll say they stole it... Fuck, let me go.”

The sound of bumping into some furniture or crates and the quiet sobbing of a woman.

“Shhh, baby. It's okay. I'll take you away from here. They won't hurt you anymore.” Sugiyama's tone was sickly tender and you felt bile rising in your throat. He really loved her...

“Move, the fuck.” The first man spoke again. “Look what time it is! Hanma is expected to be here within sixty minutes!”

“Why so early?”

“He's supposed to ask her about the boss. I only know this much.”

“He won't know shit.”

“Get out of here before the guard wakes up…”

“They won't wake up.” Sugiyama said and a female voice spoke.

“Look what they did to me, honey. Look what they did to me..."

“Shhh... They'll pay us for this. My poor thing.”

“What do you mean they won't wake up?” The first man became concerned.

"This." Emiko's husband answered him briefly and there was a gun shot, followed by the sound of a falling body.

Your heart started beating faster with the sudden rush of adrenaline and as the door opened wider, you grabbed the man leaving by the collar of his shirt and threw him against the wall.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a small female figure fall to the floor, but you decided to ignore it now and focus on the taller man who, despite the moment of surprise, quickly responded with an accurate punch to your face.

You stepped back and when you aimed the gun at him, he knocked it out of your hand with a strong kick. The gun slid across the floor and as you shielded yourself from Sugiyama's next attacks, you heard a woman scream in frustration.

You looked towards her and saw that she was trying to lift the gun, but due to several of her fingers being missing, she wasn't able to get a good grip on it. She threw the weapon further to the side and jumped to her feet.

“Get in the car!” Sugiyama shouted and his next well-placed punch to your head sent you reeling backwards.

You expected the man to be as strong as Hanma, but you had little hope that his age would slow him down even a little. Oh, how wrong you were...

Somehow you managed to land a few punches, though he blocked most of them without much effort. You kicked him in the side and the man fell into a pile of crates nearby. He grabbed onto one of them and gave you a hateful, icy glare. He smirked and nodded at you.

“Now I see who Yuuta got his beauty from. It became clear why my butterfly hated the little one so much.” He said contemptuously and your blood boiled.

“You'll pay for what you did to him, you son of a bitch!”

“Oh, come on…” He brushed his hair back from his face and laughed. “God, he was such a sweet baby. So obedient and lovely..."

"Shut the fuck up!" You screamed and lunged at him, but just as you were about to grab him by the shirt and punch him in the face again, he pulled out a metal pipe from behind one of the crates and hit you on the head with what seemed like all his strength.

Your ears were ringing and the pain was splitting your head. You fell onto the dirty warehouse floor, completely blind for a moment, and doubled over as you felt a strong kick to your stomach. Immediately afterward, you felt several blows from a metal pipe all over your body and you automatically tried to protect your head with your hands.

“Now you'll die, you bastard! Oh, the boss would like to do it himself, but…” Another series of blows. “He'll have to forgive me... This moment of weakness!”

Somewhere in the distance, you heard another scream from a woman calling for Sugiyama, and a wave of energy washed over you. You grabbed the metal pipe that was getting closer to your body again, yanking it out of the man's hand and throwing it far to the side. With a well-aimed kick, you knocked him off his feet and quickly sat on his chest.

Both of your hands shot to his neck, and you began to tighten your fingers around it. Your breathing was heavy, and you were panting loudly, the metallic taste of your own blood on your tongue as it dripped from your nose. You felt wetness on half of your face, and you wouldn't be surprised if the first hit of the pipe cut the skin on your head.

“Who is your boss?!” You drawled, looking Sugiyama straight in the eyes, where you saw blood vessels starting to burst.

The man's only response was a loud wheeze, so you slammed his head against the floor.

“Who is your boss?!”

"Y...Yu...ji..." The man drawled with difficulty and blood poured from his nose.

Your eyes widened in horror, but you didn't loosen your grip on his throat. Yuji, Yuji...

"Where is he?"

Another wheezing noise from him was drowned out by the roar of the engine and when you raised your head, you saw the headlights of a car speeding towards you.

You cursed loudly and jumped away from the man beneath you at the last moment. There were a few sickly wet cracks, you felt a few drops land on your face, and the front of the car hit the standing crates. You looked with horror and disbelief at the bloody body of a man who was dying before your eyes.

She ran over him! That fucking bitch didn't hesitate to run over him!

You were broken out of your trance by the screech of the car's tires as it reversed rapidly. His rear wheels ran over Daisuke's head and his legs jumped up. Without waiting for anything else, you jumped to your feet and ran away from the front wheels of the car that moved rapidly towards you. Instead of aiming at you, the vehicle crashed into the warehouse gate and with a loud bang, the car drove outside, leaving you alone.

Your poor heart almost beat out of your chest as you fell to your knees to catch your breath. You didn't want to look towards the dead body of the man who hurt your son. You covered your mouth with your hand and, ignoring the fact that Emiko might be waiting for you outside, you ran out of the warehouse and fell to your knees again, vomiting.

Your eyes stung from the exertion of puking and tears flowed from them. Emiko ran over him... She ran over him...

“Y/n?!” You heard someone screaming, but you didn't respond to it.

“Y/n!” Someone rushed up to you and grabbed your arms with such force that you had to grab onto something to keep your balance.

You looked into terrified, wide light eyes, framed by long, thick pink eyelashes, and you knew who you had in front of you...

“Sanzu…” You whispered and saw Hanma standing behind him with a look of complete surprise on his face.

"What are you doing here?!" His eyes widened even more when he saw the state you were in, then he looked towards the warehouse and its ruined gate. “What the fuck happened here?!”

“Sugiyama came for Emiko. She ran away…” You started to explain, your body starting to shake. “One of the guards was a traitor... She escaped!”

Hanma moved towards the SUV and looked inside, then quickly ran to the warehouse.

“You shouldn't be here…” Sanzu pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started wiping your face with it. “How did you get out of my apartment?”

“She ran over him with one of our cars, Sanzu… She tried to run me over, but she killed Sugiyama…” You tightened your fingers on his forearms and the pink-haired man froze, staring at your face in horror. “She didn't hesitate for a moment…”

“And the fun is over.” Hanma sighed loudly as he walked towards you and out of the corner of your eye you saw him signaling to the people who had come with him and Sanzu. “It needs to be cleaned up and all traces removed. Get to work, boys.”

Sanzu helped you up from the ground, holding your arm tightly as Hanma leaned forward slightly, pursing his lips. “Please, tell me that you at least had the idea to ask them about their boss, Y/n….”

“Hanma…” Sanzu growled warningly, but you nodded.

“Sugiyama confirmed my suspicions.” You swallowed loudly, looking into Shuji's golden eyes. “Yuji L/n is their boss.”

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x y/n #male reader #tokyo revengers haruchiyo sanzu #haruchiyo sanzu #haruchiyo sanzu x reader

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spider-jaysart · 1 year ago

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Character headcanons

Damian Wayne

@camo-wolf

1. He's Ambidextrous, meaning he can write and draw with both of his hands without any problem. He usually perfers using his right one though

2. Unlike canon, Damian actually loves rock music instead of fancy classical ones. He just thought that he actually liked classical ones more since that's the genere he would usually always hear around himself more while growing up, but once he started listening to rock ones, he fell in love. Jason is the one who actually loves classical

3. He dyes his hair temporarily green sometimes on the tips or just a streak of it and sometimes wears small black earrings in different shapes (round, square, diamond, etc.). He also paints his nails in the color black sometimes too (Jon was the one who got him to like doing this after offering to paint his nails for him before a few times during some of their past sleepovers together)

4. He's actually pretty short next to a lot of kids around his age. It's just that Jon is the one who really makes him feel like a shorty with how much taller he is than others, especially since he's supposed to be younger and teases him so much about it

5. He got Jon into manga (I imagine that Jon was the type to only stick to just the anime's before this). Now they trade mangas with eachother all the time if they already read all of their own and want to get into new ones. They both also always get so invested into the stories when talking about it to eachother too

6. His favorite Spidey is Gwen Stacy, since he likes her style and the fact that she can do ballet like him in the movies and uses some of those moves during combat too. He also really likes Miles too since they both love drawing and also because of the determination he has to choose his own path in the second movie, which he can relate to a lot as well since he has such big expectations from everyone else for his future, which is becoming the next future leader of the League of assassins or becoming the next Batman for Gotham City, instead of just letting him decide to do his own thing

7. He does NOT be calling Talia by her real name like how some writers make him do in canon. He actually has respect for her and always calls her Mother

8. He's a sneaky food thief when eating with his siblings. Whenever he sees something on their plate that he likes, he'll take it when they're not looking and is always quick and successful about it. He does it more to Tim though since he's usually the one in the family who's always eating goodies. It happens to him so much that Tim is the only one who's starting to catch up on it being him who's always stealing from him and everyone else

9. When he was way more younger (4-6 years old), he was the type of kid that loved making a bunch of many weird, goofy and scary faces at people all the time on purpose. Talia always thought it was so adorable

10. He always draws on top of all of his sketchbook covers, creating his own special, unique covers on each book

Thanks for the ask, camo!!!

#Damian wayne #Damian al ghul #Damian al ghul wayne #Robin #dc robin #robin dc #Damian wayne robin #Supersons #Super sons #Jon kent #Superboy #Jonathan kent #Jonathan samuel kent #Jon el #Tim drake

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herrsherofsorrow · 1 year ago

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Both stories will take place in season 2 (also call Gojo’s Past Arc) but I won’t be following out the anime as it currently been make or the manga incase people who haven’t read the manga don’t get too much spoilers. (I can’t guaranteed that I won’t mention some things about the manga/anime)

Seer of Cursed: This story isn’t gonna be anything serious other than imagine Gojo, Getou, and Shoko being task with capturing and taking care of a 11-13 year old boy who has no cursed energy yet Cursed Spirits seem to be afraid on him? The three are to observe the boy until The Higher-ups decided what to do with him. Will the boy be killed off or used a tool? Doesn’t matter because Gojo isn’t going to let either one happen anyways.

Preview: It was late in the night as Gojo, Getou, and Shoko were being driven to their destinations. Shoko sat in the front seat as Getou and Gojo sat in the back, between Shoko and the driver rest a computer displacing a picture of a huge building. Shoko flipped through the pictures as the driver was giving a briefing of their mission, “Apparently, this built was a psychiatric hospital a place where people could go and stay to be treated. Over the years, family and friends of patients expressed concerns and complaints when noticing they were getting worse and on top of it patients were going missing or found dead, it closed down do to many health violations. The building was to be demolished but locals fought against that, it server be a reminder of the horrors that took place. Local rumors claimed the place to be haunted by those who died in the building. Others theorized that the building workers were performing inhuman experiments on unwilling patients so local school kids, college students from outside the prefecture, and others would visit it in hopes to communicate with the dead and subsequently go missing. As of recently, it was fenced off to the public but even that didn’t stop the distance when people in the area of the building go missing.” The last picture showed the entrance of building and a towering chain fence blocking any point of entry.

“I thought they already sent someone to deal with it?” Getou questioned whether he reminded Yaga of mentioning the building to him before he was assigned a different task.

“Please select the next file,” the driver asked Shoko who did so, a picture of a young boy ranging from the age of eleven and thirteen appeared. “Two sorcerers that were sent, returned heavily wounded, one of them barely conscious. The building had attracted multiple Cursed Spirits on the outside merely lower grades but when entering the building they were ambushed by many seemingly controlled by a Cursed Spirit, potentially a special grade, and wouldn’t survive if that boy hadn’t appeared.” Gojo let out a snicker when hearing two sorcerers were saved by a child. The driver ignored him and continued, “The picture you see here is {Name} {Last Name}, he was reported missing recently by many neighbors who claimed to not have seen the boy in weeks but their claims were dismissed until the boy’s school called in claiming the same thing. The police were given a warrant and searched the house to no avail, both of his parents were investigated, their stories never match on the boy’s disappearance and they are facing five years in prison for child neglect, although they might face murder charges despite there being no concrete evidence for such a thing.”

“And… we should know this because…?” This time Shoko asked.

The driver sighed, “The one sorcerer claimed to see the Cursed Spirits cowered away from the boy yet they didn’t sense any cursed energy from him. Yet, the boy placed his hand on said Special Grade causing it to wither away or simply exercising it immediately while the others ran away with the boy following after them. Your job is to deal with the remaining cursed spirits and to capture the boy. You will then keep an eye on him until further notice.” This caught the trio’s attention, someone so young has a powerful cursed technique.

A Mother’s Woes: Haibara Yu struggles to keep Jujustu a secret from his Mother, who is beginning to question his school. All seems to fail as his mother decided to get some answers for herself discovering not only the truth but a shocking revelation that her beloved husband had been at her side even after death. What will Yu do when he figures out his mother own discoveries? What will {Name} Haibara do now knowing the truth?

Preview: They stood on a concrete path that led to the front door of a house neither taking a step. Nanami was waiting for Yu to make a move but noticed how his friend was nervous and decided to place his hand on Yu’s shoulder giving it a squeeze in an attempt to comfort him. As for Yu to say he is nervous is an understatement, do get it wrong he wants to see his mother and sister after all it has been months since his last visit, that’s just not what he’s worried about and he has still yet to warn Nanami of it.

Yu took a deep breath at the contact and looked to his friend, “Kento, before we go in I have to warn you about-“

”YOOOO!” A familiar voice yells followed by someone else calling out their names, ”Nanami! Yu!” The two stiffened upon their names and slowly turned their heads to look behind them. Gojo with both of his arms up in the air waving them around wearing a grin on his face, Getou only had one arm in the air and waved it around, and Shoko simply waved at the two.

“What are you guys doing here? How?!” Yu demanded the trio as they made their way over to him and Nanami.

“Aww, we can’t join you on your family visit?” Gojo pouts, placing his arms around Yu and Nanami and behind them closer to him.

”You talk a lot about your mother and sister, we got curious.” Getou said.

”They bothered Yaga until he blurted out that you were taking time off to visit family and took Nanami with you,” Shoko informed but Gojo intervened, “Blah Blah Blah, what are we waiting for!” And began dragging the two towards the door with Getou and Shoko following behind.

“No- Wait!” Yu begged while trying to break free from Gojo’s grip but to no avail. ‘Shit Shit Shit’ Yu thought, this wasn’t going as planned. “Can-I have to tell you guys something-.” Just as they all reach the door, it opens to reveal a woman. But, that not what caught their attention behind the woman was a Special Grade Cursed. The air was tense, Yu hoped his mother couldn’t feel it as Gojo’s grip got slightly tighter.

“Yu, welcome home.” The voice of his mother rang out breaking the tension and he couldn’t help but let out a breath ‘she didn’t notice thank goodness’ he thought. Oh, how wrong he is.

#jujustsu kaisen x reader #getou suguru #gojo satoru #shoko ieiri #nanami kento #haibara yu #female reader #male reader #jujutsu kaisen #child reader #jujutsu kaisen season 2 #jujutsu sorcerer #mother reader

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jessenigma · 1 year ago

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My Favorite New Manga Reads of 2023

For the past few years on twitter, I've made threads of some of my favorite manga and light novel reads from the past year. This year, I decided I would move it over to two tumblr posts.

After the cut are some of my favorite titles that I picked up for the first time in 2023.

Talk to My Back, Yamada Murasaki

I like to pick up something a little more unusual at least once a year and so at the beginning of this year, I picked up this 1980s alt-manga title about the life of a Tokyo housewife played out in short vignettes. It's a frustrating read because of how real it feels and how much it feels like things haven't changed as much in the last 40 years as I'd like, but it's all the more fascinating for it. The essay at the end discussing Yamada Murasaki's work and placing it in context was a nice bonus too.

When a Cat Faces West, Yuki Urushibara

I love Yuki Urushibara's Mushishi (slow though I have been to actually finish it), so when Kodansha announced a license for Urushibara's much shorter series, I was there for it. It has a cool concept - there are areas of "flow" that will pop up out of nowhere and shift people and places out of time and space and one guy has tasked himself with helping people fix issues caused by it - but mostly it feels like Mushishi but set in the present day. I love a series that's just vibes all the way down.

Skip and Loafer, Misaki Takamatsu

I was absolutely smitten with the Skip and Loafer anime, so when it ended with what felt like a pretty definitive "we are not making a second season of this" final episode, I started the manga. A high school slice of life series lives by its characters and Mitsumi is the more adorable dork ever. The other characters are equally delightful, even when I don't necessarily like them, and I'm so eager to dive deeper into their lives.

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture (light novel), Mikage Sawamura

This series feels a bit like what you'd get if you crossed The Case Files of Jeweler Richard and The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window: a college student with a supernatural ability to hear lies that alienates him from everyone meets a folklore professor with a mysterious past fascinated by mysteries, and together they investigate possibly-supernatural events. It's a bit silly, but the relationship between the leads is interesting and there's a lot of fun urban legends in the mix. There's also a manga adaptation that I haven't yet picked up, but maybe one day...

March Comes in Like a Lion, Chica Umino

I was curious about this one from the second Denpa announced the license just because of how much I'd heard about the series for years now, and it did not disappoint. I love a good story about a depressed and lonely teenage boy sublimating his feelings into an obsession with a uniquely Japanese pastime, especially when there's so many people around him wanting to help him stop being alone. Now I just wish that the release wasn't quite as slow as it has been, even if I know the many reasons why...though at least I still have the anime to rewatch while I wait.

Don't Call It Mystery, Yumi Tamura

After reading Basara and Wild Com, I was eager to get my hands on a newer series by Yumi Tamura, and the fact that it's a modern-day non-fantasy series made it all the more interesting. Totonou's incessant observations about the things going on around him are delightful, especially when they lead him straight into all kinds of dangers or even just leave everyone around him wishing he'd stop talking for about five seconds. I just want to pat him on the head and ask him to make me some curry.

After the Rain, Jun Mayuzuki

I got a card for the Japan Foundation's ebook library not too long ago, which has been great for picking up a lot of books that aren't available in my local library's collection, including this series. I had heard about it but was a bit hesitant because it's about a teenage girl who gets a crush on her much older boss...but hey, why not give it a try from the library? I'm glad I did because there was such a sweet relationship between them that ultimately helped them both out of the ruts they were in with their personal lives and dreams.

River's Edge, Kyoko Okazaki

I still can't decide if I actually enjoy Kyoko Okazaki's work or not, but I got a little closer to it with River's Edge. It's a harsh story about disaffected teenagers who find a dead body, but somehow it feels less depressing than the other works of hers I've read because they're teenagers and there's still the possibility that they can escape the lives that are dragging them down. I will say this - Okazaki's stories are never boring, whether I enjoy them or not.

Her, Tomoko Yamashita

I got a little overambitious this year and ordered the Italian release of a Tomoko Yamashita title I've been wanting to read for years. Can I read Italian? No. Did I think maybe I could figure it out kinda okay because I've studied French and Spanish? Yes. Did I end up reading everything through a translation app? Also yes. But this collection of interconnected stories about women and relationships was excellent despite the language barrier. I was thrilled to finally see the context for the kiss between a younger woman and an elderly woman that I so admired in Yamashita's 15th anniversary artbook, and its story was a touching exploration of what "normal" means. I would love to see this in English, but unfortunately I can't see it getting picked up.

Glitch, Shima Shinya

I was thrilled that Yen Press decided to pick up another title from Shima Shinya after Lost Lad London, and Glitch has been well worth my time. While it is a fantasy story about a town full of glitches in reality that I'm excited to see play out fully, what really caught my eye is the sheer amount of diversity in the characters - one of the leads is nonbinary, there are mixed race characters, there's a lesbian couple, etc. It's all part of the story but not in a didactic way, which I appreciate immensely. Shinya's art also makes me so happy, and I hope Yen continues to get more of their work.

Lilies and Voices Born Upon the Wind, Renmei

Speaking of diversity in characters, I enjoyed this series not only because it was a nice yuri with a motorcycle lesbian (always a bonus in my book, the motorcycle) but because it had some really thoughtful discussion of asexuality in multiple forms. I wish I could've gotten one of the printed copies that were available for purchase at one con, but alas.

Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, Hiromi Sato & Kamome Shirahama

Did we really need a cooking series spinoff of Witch Hat Atelier? Probably not. Am I glad we got it in English anyway? Absolutely. This is basically an Olruggio/Qifrey slowburn domestic au fanfic and I adore it. And I love that they keep up the conceit about magical ingredients in each chapter's recipe, even though they are legit recipes you can actually make with the real ingredients recommended as substitutions. What Did You Eat Yesterday? but with witches, clearly an ideal combination.

Scribbles, Kaoru Mori

I am not actually a diehard fan of Kaoru Mori's work - I drifted away from A Bride's Story when I ran out of volumes at the library - but I do unabashedly adore her art. Scribbles is just perfect for me with its pages from her sketchbooks and her commentary about things like the ideal skirt tightness. I bought this in hardcover and all and will continue to get the other volumes in hardcover even though I almost always get Yen Press titles digitally because it's so much cheaper that way, that's how much I like it.

Innocent, Shin'ichi Sakamoto

I've had my eye on Shin'ichi Sakamoto's work for a while because I saw a bunch of panels from Innocent on here and fell in love with the art. What I did not expect was that the violently erotic story about a French executioner would actually get an English license. It's gorgeous and violent and weird and I am so here for it. Now, if I could just be sure that Dark Horse actually plans on releasing the whole thing...

Barbarities, Tsuta Suzuki

Much like with Innocent, I saw panels from Barbarities on here ages ago and wished I could read it without much hope, given the lack of other licenses for Tsuta Suzuki's bl since SuBLime's relicense of A Strange & Mystifying Story ages ago. But thankfully I am getting to read this nebulously historical drama with all of its social machinations and pretty men getting flustered by other flirtatious pretty men. And such nice clothes!

A Home Far Away, Teki Yatsuda

Kuma really gets some stellar licenses and A Home Far Away was especially good. Set in 1990s America, it reminded me of nothing so much as My Own Private Idaho crossed with Banana Fish and made me weep absolute buckets in the end. I don't think it's for everyone, but if you were ever an aficionado of depressing 90s queer cinema like I once was, this might be one for you.

À vos cotés [Tonari ni], Basso

I was shocked when the announcement for the French release of this title crossed my twitter timeline earlier this year - France has even less by Natsume Ono than the US does, but one of their publishers managed to get one of her actual bl titles published under her bl penname? So naturally, I had to get it. It's super sweet, about a young man who likes to take photos of horses at a racetrack who meets a much older man, and I swear reading it was just like reading her non-bl work only this time the two characters actually got to say their feelings out loud. This would be a perfect addition to several mainstream US publishers' bl lineup, and I would be the first in line to buy it if they did license it in English.

Dear, My God, Nemui Asada

More by Nemui Asada in English! I love Asada's work for its unique storylines and this one didn't disappoint, with a story about a priest having sex with a cult member to help save him and another story about a guy who ends up with a talking plant. It's a bit disappointing that it's only available on futekiya - when will we get some of these titles in print already?

Ikigami & Donor, Hiko Yamanaka

Hiko Yamanaka is another one whose work is always a bit outside the mold, and Ikigami & Donor is an interesting sci-fi bl about powerful "living gods" who have tremendous abilities but can't heal from injuries without blood, bodily fluids, or tissues from one specific donor. It's a fascinating concept and the way the relationship between one ikigami and his donor played out made for an interesting story. I hope to see more from Yamanaka one day.

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titekuboisgross · 9 months ago

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My theory on why IR didn’t happen…

I used to be an active IchiRuki fan. I no longer am. I did have a dream about tumblr the other day tho and when I was on here that’s 90% of what I posted about. After the manga ended I ended up deleting my account. I was not only done with Bleach but anime in general. I have not watched or read Bleach since it ended. Which is nearly a decade. So my arguments won’t be as solid as they used to be when I could literally recite that series like a souther Baptist preacher can recite the Bible lol. But while I’m here (as I just made a temporary account to look at things for nostalgia’s sake) I have decided I want to post my ultimate theory as why IchiRuki didn’t happen.

So, first and foremost I want to mention I am not liberal, why do I mention my politics? Because I am about to say some things that I’m sure I’ll get attacked for by people claiming I’m just a crazy liberal. But I am actually a moderate that leans conservative, a rare thing for tumblr I know. I don’t make accusations of sexism lightly. I don’t just willy nilly call people sexist because I don’t like them. But I do think some people are sexist. Sexism is real and it’s a prevalent problem in Japan. And I think Kubo may be a misogynist.

And before you start rage typing at your keyboards please hear me out. This isn’t my theory, it’s actually my brothers who is even more on the conservative spectrum than I am. He REALLY doesn’t make claims like this lightly, but I really think he’s onto something. He said basically he believes if Kubo is telling the truth that he never intended on IchiRuki and always planned Ichihime that it’s likely because he’s sexist. Rukia is Ichigos equal, she’s smart, strong, and she stands up to Ichigo and tells him off when he needs to be told off. Orihime is I’m sorry Orihime fans, but she’s dumb, ditsy, airheaded, and most importantly submissive.

In Japan traditionally submissive women were looked upon as ideal. Obviously I know that things have changed with modern times and it’s gotten a lot better. But echos of Japans former sexist past still is present within their modern society. As are echos of our former sexist past. As a student of anthropology I can tell you women are just f**ked in most societies. While the “tiger mom” stereotype is very real do not let that fool you. The ideal TRADITIONAL wife in Japan is still very much one who is submissive to her husband. This is why Rukia could never be Ichigos lover. She was not submissive enough.

Anyway, this is my brothers theory and I think he may be onto something. I used to think, we ALL used to think Kubo was foreshadowing IchiRuki, but maybe he wasn’t? Maybe he really is just that much of a talentless hack. I mean was any of Bleach even any good besides the first two arcs? After the Soul Society arc that entire franchise became a shitshow. And IchiRuki wasn’t the only thing he foreshadowed that never amounted to anything. See this is what I mean where my arguments won’t be as strong because I haven’t read the series in years, but I know y’all know what I mean. There’s a tone of shit in Bleach that he introduced that never got brought up again. So much lore that was never developed and in the rare cases when it was it never made any sense. So maybe he is just talentless.

I used to think he intentionally gave Bleach a shit ending because he was fired. If you remember Naruto ended a year prior and Shonen Jump used the popular Naruto pairings kids to make a sequel series to milk the franchise. I always wondered if Kubo knew no one gave a shit about IchiHime and that it would be impossible to make a sequel with IchiHime kids. So he sacrificed his series so his enemies couldn’t prosper off it. That’s what I used to think he did. But I’ve since changed my mind. I was giving that man FAR too much credit. I don’t think he’s that clever to think to do that. I think he’s kinda stupid tbh. Sorry but I do. Anyway. This is all I’m posting. I again just made this account because I wanted to say hi to an old mutual I was shocked to see was still around. You can reply but I’m not gonna debate y’all like I used to. I’m over that shit now. My opinion stands and you can’t change it. Like it or hate it it’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it. If you’ve gotten this far and read all my post I hope you have a lovely day!

Edit: I forgot to add that before you say “well Kubo can’t be sexist because he creates strong female characters” THINK AGAIN! I love Quintin Tarantino but the man has said very misogynistic things in the past including that he thought a minor girl could consent. And he literally created the most badass female characters of all time. Some of my favorite female characters. Beatrix Kiddo and O-Ren-Ishi. Yes men who create strong female characters can be sexist. Never underestimate a man’s ability to demean a woman smfh

Anyway I am serious this is just a throwaway account I made so this is my only post so it’s also my goodbye post so,

#ichiruki

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lady-of-endless · 10 months ago

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hiii! hope you’re doing well!! i was wondering if i could get a match up? preferably w a guy pls

appearance wise: i’m 5’7, so taller for a girl, a little chubby, super pale, i have big freckles all over my face and shoulders, i also have dark circles (that paired with pale skin makes me look a little dead), kind of droopy hazel eyes, black hair, i have both nostrils pierced plus a few different ear piercings, some tattoos, a lot of scars (from surgeries and different things), and i really love alternative fashion so i tend to wear mostly black, but i’m still pretty hyperfeminine when it comes to clothes and makeup and stuff.

other stuff abt me: i’m pretty shy until i get to know someone, i have really bad social anxiety, but then i’m usually pretty goofy. i love making ppl laugh it’s my favorite. i have the sense of humor of a 16 year old boy though (i think fart jokes are so funny). i tend to anger quickly and am generally kind of angsty. i really love horror in any kind of form, but especially movies. i also really love vampires. i’m neurodivergent x3 lol. been through a lot of trauma. i also really love making art and seeing other people’s art. i really love music, specifically alternative rock. i’m kind of a stoner. i’m also a nerd, i like collecting things (coins, antiques, figurines, comic books and manga). i love all animals but especially cats and bats. i’m a crybaby. i tend to show love by teasing ppl but i love being sweet too. i thinks that’s it???

sorry if that’s all over the place! and thank you for doing this <3 i appreciate it so much!

Author's Note: Thank you for your request, dear! You seem so cool omg 😍 Hope you'll enjoy it!

I ship you with...Eustass Kid!

(lovely gif is not mine, please show appreciation to the OP)

- I feel like you two will bond over your sense of humor. You'll get bonus points from him if you joke about Law with him.

- Your relationship will probably go from allies to friends and then lovers. Going from allies to friends will take a lot for him as he's used to trusting only a few people. But the last two stages are extremely close because once he considers you a close friend, he will feel more comfortable around you and understood. And so, he will realize that he feels something more for you.

- Look, I'm going to say it, Kid might check you out on multiple occasions because he thinks you're so neat with the tattoos and piercings and overall aesthetic. Plus, the hyperfeminine vibe is a contrast to his liking.

- The fact that you're a bit shy at times and because you have social anxiety, he will be both your lover and your guard in the sense that he'll absolutely wreck anyone who might put you in a nasty situation. No one messes with you without consequences.

- Kid noticed some hints about your traumas and wants to help. However, he's so damn frustrated that he does not know how. He won't tell you anything, not wanting to make you feel uncomfortable. He's just going to let you know that he will always be there for you if you decide to share your past with him. He has been through a lot as well so he knows how that burden feels.

- Please, playfully tease him for enjoying your sweet kind of affection. You'll get to see such a pretty blush on this man's face.

- You both tend to anger quickly and because of this you can either calm one another down or make a sum out of that anger. He won't get angry at you, knowing about your anxious tendency. However, if you ever decide to put yourself in danger, that's when he'll get angry with you.

- I feel like Kid will not admit that he also collects things and that won't stop him from teasing you about it, playfully of course. Jokes aside, I can see him getting really curious about what you're collecting.

-He also enjoys alternative rock from time to time. The moment he enjoys it the most is when he's fixing something in his workshop and your favorite tunes are playing and he can also hear you humming that song.

- Talking about stuff to do in his workshop, he'll love it to have you close by making art as he, again, is fixing something.

- Horror movies? Count him in. He would propose a marathon with you and his whole crew.

#one piece #captain eustass kid #captain kid #one piece matchup #One piece matchups #eustass kidd #eustass kid #eustass kid x reader #eustass kid x you

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tsukidrama · 1 year ago

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hi!

i came across your blog the other day and i wanted to tell you that you have a really incredible writing gift. your cottagecore has me hooked and i can't wait to find out what comes next.

would you be ok sharing any ideas you might have?

- 🪻

oh? interest in TRNT and a new anon? yes please! 🥺 i would be happy to share some ideas

y'know, i actually have almost the entire fic planned out. i haven't intentionally abandoned the story... about once or twice a month the document gets opened and i'll write a few paragraphs, though i know that's not much. i feel like i've been going through something weird for the past year or so. i don't really know how to explain it properly. i haven't written a damn thing in so long.

between low engagement, me being sick all the time, and life being stressful (mostly this), this fic just hasn't come together the way i hoped it would. The Road Not Taken is still massively important to me and somewhat of a personal magnum opus so, i'll finish it... but i do not know when.

ideas below. i wrote more than i thought, and it's gotten me really excited about the fic again! please let me know if there's anything specific you'd like me to go into detail about

alright firstly:

the next big thing is what i've been calling the intervention arc. obviously we have to address some of the heavier emotional issues that both Annie and the reader have. nothing can move forward until our main characters are communicating again! both with each other and with their support system.

vacation arc! i want to write more about what's left of the world post-Rumbling on a global scale. i also need a reason to get them away from the cottage for a decent chunk of time so i thought i'd have them explore a bit.

there will be a subplot about the cats who live around the cottage, just for funsies. i have a chapter title planned for it and everything lmao

there will be a pretty major division amongst the eldians later on about some of them wanting to go back and live on Paradis. to be completely honest, i haven't decided how i want that to resolve and who, if anyone, is going to leave. but we have definitely not heard the last about Paradis. some assorted thoughts elaborating on that, and how the ending could potentially play out either way:

i don't know i should give EVERYONE a happy ending or not. my initial plan was to write what i think the characters would actually do in this post-Rumbling scenario i've imagined (let's call this Ending 1), but over time i've started to change my mind and be like: i'm not the mangaka and that ain't my job, so i should write my story the way i want. aka FUCK isayama, everybody gets a steven universe-esque happy ending (we'll call this one Ending 2) even though it might not be totally consistent with the way characters are written in aot.

i'd love to hear people's opinions about either ending btw

the largest difference that giving everyone a happy ending would have, is whether or not i decide to include Historia. i really adore her and in theory i want to give her a better ending considering how tragic she is, but where she's left in the end of the manga puts her in direct opposition with the narrative and the "not my monkeys, not my circus" attitude that the narrator feels so strongly about 😖 it would make me too sad to include Hisu at all if she's on the wrong side of things.

I want everyone to move away from all the politicking. they really don't have any business doing all o' that in my opinion... they're all early 20s AND child soldiers so like. please rest guys, you can be done with the whole saving the world thing...

after all, the idea of stepping away from the alliance and NOT continuing to involve themselves in global affairs IS the metaphorical road not taken

i do know how i want the fic to end in terms of Annie and reader, and it will be good. i don't wanna oversell it or hype it too much and then have it be underwhelming... but i'm hoping that their love story plays out in a way that people will call beautiful.

if i decide to go with Ending 1 then it will very much be a bittersweet narrative about how people naturally grow apart over time but everywhere you look there will be new sources of happiness and fulfillment etc.

Ending 2 would be much more idealistic. probably a bit unrealistic but it will give the characters ending that would make them happy and make us happy. true fix it fic style.

i think either would be cathartic for me to write in different ways so i really don't know where i want this to go yet. probably gonna wing it and see what feels right chapter by chapter.

I JUST HAVE TO ACTUALLY FUCKING WRITE IT

anyway like i said above the cut, i wrote a lot more than i thought i would. i got really into it pls send me more asks 🥺 it will light a fire under my ass and i'll finally finish chapter 10

#tsuki answers #🪻 anon #trnt annie #cottagecanon #this was so fun! and tysm for saying my writing is a gift teehee🤭

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trash-monkey · 1 year ago

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Dead Man Walking

Beep

Bbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

My vision return to me first to show I'm sitting in a filled dinner with people chatting away and when looking out the window on my left to see that the dinner sits in a busy city but I can't tell which city I'm in, looking at my hands that's lay in the table the memory of death appears in mind.

"Hey." Suddenly a male voice filled my ears before being able to hear the people around us and it take a moment for me to recognize the teen sitting a cross from me, long blonde hair sits in a braid on the back of his head as the sides are shaved to show one is tattooed with a dragon which he speaks at my confusion.

"The names Ryuguji Ken but others call me Draken, I don't want to sound too harsh but we're both dead and the reason you're here in 'this' after life is me as I'm stuck sitting here since I've regretted the way I have left things." He give a glance out the window with longing which I guess is the after life as the dinner we're sitting in is the gateway to it.

"Ok but what's this got to do with me?" He sigh.

"For me to move on it was decided that you'll take possession of my former body as it'll be yours to do whatever you want with and to look after my friends for me in exchange you'll get to live again." This confuses me more as the manga as already finished.

"But don't Mikey and Takemitchy save the future?" He nods.

"Yes but that's a different timeline and not the one you'll be in, Mikey will be stuck in a coma and Takemitchy will be dead though it hasn't happened yet which is a timeline I don't to live on in." I give a nod in understanding and agreement in doing this for him as I know I don't really have a choose in it but at least I'm giving some information instead of being dumped with nothing.

"How do I explain that 'you're' alive if I meet anyone you knew?" I lean forward as he chuckled and look at the door of the dinner, following his eyes to see Emma, Shin, and Baji waiting for him.

"You can figure that out on your own and thank you." With that he leaves through the door after the two gives him a hug while Baji gives him a fist bump, once they're out of view my vision goes dark again.

Blinking a few times to clear up my vision to see a unfamiliar ceiling hanging over me and with a moan of soreness I groggily sit up in the bed I'm laying in only to wince when my chest pulses after taking a deep breath which I moved the white tank top aside to see bandages covering my chest causing me to remember what happened, carefully I make my way over to the bathroom outside the bedroom to see a nineteen year old Draken standing in the mirror.

'A deal is a deal'

I sighed as I slid both hands down my face with my new reality setting in before taking a look around my new home that is a small apartment, quickly I figure out the date and why I'm here from a pile of envelopes sitting on the small table which one of them is a letter from the brothel owner.

'As you have loss your memory from the incident I had taken it upon myself to rent and pay for this apartment along with bills until you can get onto your feet comfortably in hope of getting you away from the past that caused the incident and memory loss.

~Masawei'

I shake my head at the straight forwardness but he had to care for Draken a little for him to do this, that or the ladies pushed him to but either way I'm great full for it.

'The memory lose will explain the personality shift as that I haven't really meet them personally before and I also have six days before the Battle of the Three Deities as today is July 1st of 2008 which I have plenty of time to get use to this body and plane what to do.'

I set the letter down back on the table and make my way back into the bathroom to take a look under the bandages which shows three gun shots holes has been stitched and still healing, before bandaging them again I do a workout to keep the healthy body Draken worked so hard for though I'm careful not to pull a stitch and take a nice warm shower after.

'I can pump some iron now'

I flex in the bathroom mirror with a laugh as the AI generated muscular Harry Potter parodies pop into mind causing me to double over before drying myself off , dress, and fix my now long blond hair into the usual braid that Draken has it in until I decide something else. Slipping the black boots by the front door on and a loss fitting hoodie as I put the hood on before slipping up the sleeves to the elbow as I head out to the door to get a feeling of the area I now live in. The street is busy and full of people so it's slightly hard for me to walk but because of my new height and the bitch resting face scared most out of the way, I use the days before the battle to get any map I can get my hands on and learn what this new body can do. Soon I figure out that I'm still in the same city as in the anime just farther out to the city limit then Takemitchys place and with ease I found the location of the rail yard where the battle takes place as I've decided to stay hidden to watch from a distance.

Although I worry about the effects of me being in the timeline will cause as I try my best to busy myself with learning and my usual morning workouts but it only worked a little, when the day finally appears I put on all black clothing and make the journey to the rail yard where I had picked a spot to watch from days prior but everything played through like it's supposed to though watching the katana go through Takemitchy makes my heart ache, but with the knowledge that the two are in a better place is enough to dull it.

'Now it's into the unknown'

Runs through my mind as I see Mikey falls to the gravel unconscious as the dead Takemitchy stays in his sitting position, hearing disbelief and tears fill the air but they quickly fade as someone call the ambulance which the sounds of it approaching fast cause the two broken gangs to scatter to the winds but I stay out of sight to watch to two be wheeled away.

_______________________________________________

#fanfic #male y/n #male reader #anime #tokyo revengers #tokrev #tokyrev #tokyo revengers draken #tr draken #tokrev draken #draken #tokyo revengers anime #tokyo revengers au

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psychewritesbs · 2 years ago

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hi!! i really love your blog, i love reading your posts, your analysis... after the most recent chapters, couldn't help but wonder how you would be feeling about megumi's fate. his character has also intrigued me so much, i find the implications of his paths and of his world view so interesting - even though i strongly disagree with most of it today, i really identify my past self with him, and sometimes also my present self - he makes me think and feel so much about life, my life, my relationships, identity, choices, traumas etc.... it's been rough with the last chapters.. anyway, i know the possibilities are not exactly on our side, regarding his fate/ending, but i can't help but wonder how fulfilling it would feel like to see more development from him. yes, a lot of development was made, but he has repeated some fateful mistakes, and i think, if he didn't die, that we would be yet to see him build for himself a new philosophy, a new fundamental understanding of the world and his place in all of it, making different choices and taking different paths. i also know a lot of characters don't get this chance (or don't take this chance) before ......dying, but this time, i would really like to see him changing and growing, learning even more from his mistakes.. what do you think about this? is there anything in particular you would like to see about his character development? if you have the time, i would love to hear your thoughts about it! really sorry for making this ask so long though!!! xx

HOLA!

So... first, thank you for sending Megumi love ♥, I love it when people share with me why they love the characters they love, ESPECIALLY if it's about Megumi.

Second, your ask gives me life in so many ways. Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to reach out.

So let's see... "how are you feeling about Megumi's fate?" you ask.

This is what I'll say above the cut.

I really hope there will be a moment of "poetic justice" that underscores and gives meaning to what happened to Megumi. I don't know that, of course, but I feel like it's consistent with how Gege writes... even if he flops the ending.

More word vomit under the cut...

After all... there's meaning in everything but if only we choose to create it in the face of the existential dread that is the chaos of the human experience.

After keeping up with this manga for the better part of nearly three years, I've fallen in love with Gege's writing style for several reasons.

The main reason is that JJK is very dark and gritty but not for the sake of dark and gritty per se. Rather, JJK is dark and gritty for the sake of characters exploring and giving meaning to the existential dread that comes from the circumstances of the world Gege has created.

So... to me... this alone tells me that even if Megumi were to die and even if the execution is lackluster (think chapter 208), it won't feel like an inconclusive ending once it's all been said and done.

Megumi isn't Aki after all, and Gege isn't Fujimoto.

As you say, "i know the possibilities are not exactly on our side, regarding his fate/ending" and what I'll say is that it's not that I don't trust that Megumi can do amazing #things like getting back control of his body. It's the cursed cat that I don't trust because he will kill any character off if the themes he is trying to depict call for it in the plot.

There IS good reason to think that, thematically, Megumi is getting out alive (for the sake of meaning-making) AND I STILL DON'T TRUST THE CAT AFTER WHAT HE DID IN CHAPTER 212!

Also...

Oops, I did it again, I typed a whole response to your ask, and then the chapter 214 leaks started dropping and I had to go back and delete what I had written.

So if you haven't seen the leaks/spoilers for chapter 214 you might want to wait until Sunday to read the rest of my response.

The thing is... I also wasn't sure how Jungian I wanted to get in my response to you.

So after much debate I decided to get Jungian af... After all, you bared your own soul to me. Why shouldn't I do the same? So... there will be personal rambling lol.

BASICALLY this is how I'm excusing myself for always taking forever to answer asks lol. In the end, I just want to give thoughtful and insight provoking answers if at all possible.

So thanks for your patience. You were never for a moment forgotten.

Anyways... as I like to say: without further ado...

You see, I have this condition...

You see, I have this condition... and I feel like you can relate.

But this condition--I call it character myopia, its main symptom is that when I love a character with my entire sense of self, I can't tell where a character begins and where I end.

his character has also intrigued me so much, i find the implications of his paths and of his world view so interesting - even though i strongly disagree with most of it today, i really identify my past self with him, and sometimes also my present self - he makes me think and feel so much about life, my life, my relationships, identity, choices, traumas etc

Everything you've said about how you relate to him, from his life, to his relationships, identity choices and traumas... yes. Thank you for sharing your Megumi love with me.

Honestly, since we're having this convo. idk about you, but it's not often that I love a character to the point of seeing myself in them.

I don't know that there is a whole lot more that I can add to this. I just love what you said so much.

This has got to be one of my favorite parts about experiencing works of fiction and deeply resonating with certain characters.

Fiction can be such a transformative experience and Megumi has been just that for me and it seems for you as well. I love that in Megumi, Gege has created a character that is a container for exploring ourselves creatively.

I agree with the sentiment of identifying with him.

I think for me, right now... I am going through a phase in my life where, like Megumi, I keep bumping my head up against my own self-inflicted limitations.

In addition, in Megumi I have found a reflection of my own darker instincts.

I don't know how to explain what Megumi has done to my psyche. Literally... it's like he's working behind the scenes in transforming how I see the world.

I've literally had dreams with Megumi in them that also include black and white dog symbolism. In retrospect, the dreams have felt archetypal, like a reflection of psychic processes I am unaware of that are working underneath the surface and transforming my consciousness.

With Megumi getting possessed came a new dream with clear satanic symbolism that I thought was really interesting. More specifically because I wasn't scared to face what I saw in myself.

i can't help but wonder how fulfilling it would feel like to see more development from him. yes, a lot of development was made, but he has repeated some fateful mistakes, and i think, if he didn't die, that we would be yet to see him build for himself a new philosophy, a new fundamental understanding of the world and his place in all of it, making different choices and taking different paths

Yes 🥺🙏🏼! This. All of this.

You made me realize I want to see him believe in himself again. When Megumi believes in himself, literal magic happens.

And going back to what is happening at the end of chapter 214, I cannot wait to see Megumi wreck Sukuna from the inside.

There's so much happening for Megumi right now, and he's told the audience before that he will do whatever it takes to protect the people he holds in high esteem.

That's my boy!!!!!!!!!!

So to your point... I love that he will not go down without putting up a fight as he re-negotiates this new philosophy about himself.

YES!

Again, it's not that I don't trust that Megumi has what it takes, it's the cat I don't trust!!!!

i would really like to see him changing and growing, learning even more from his mistakes.. what do you think about this? is there anything in particular you would like to see about his character development?

Yeah, for sure. This is a bit of a loaded question because there's so much about Megumi that still needs to unfold in terms of how he relates to the world around him.

I personally love how Gege has gone out of his way to show how immature Megumi is compared to other characters who share the same trope. Megumi is a flawed human after all.

And aren't we all?

In the end, Megumi has to grow in many different aspects like...

How he relates to his own power.

The limits of his own sense of self and how he uses his imagination to overcome how his sense of self can become unnecessarily bound by reason.

The much needed growth he needs to achieve in how he relates to others (more specifically Tsumiki and how that is a metaphor for how he relates to his own emotional world).

Bridging opposites together (good and evil).

Taking responsibility for himself and his actions...

I mean there's just so much!

If Megumi dies at this point... ok, yes, and "what meaning will Gege give his death?" is what I would like to know to feel like it was a satisfying end to his arc.

Honestly. I just want to see Megumi work his magic. I want to see him get pissed off, like really pissed off and fed up with his fate, and I want to see how that changes him and what he makes of it.

I want to see him say "fuck this fate, I still have things I need to do."

And then maybe perhaps come to realize, once again, that he can't manipulate others because they too have a free will of their own.

I may be projecting here but... Megumi's manipulative tendencies and the way he relates to others, it feels like it comes from a place in which his inner-child has not learned that it does not need to do anything to fulfill his need to be loved.

Megumi is beloved, and its a real tragedy that he hasn't figured that out about himself.

And... if that is not relatable, then I don't know what is.

AH but thank you so much again for reaching out! Thank you for your patience too.

I hope to hear from you again especially as we get to see what our Megumi does!

#ask the mental gymnastics anime girl #megumi being relatable af #fushiguro megumi lovers unite

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dropintomanga · 2 years ago

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Fan Stranger, Not Danger

It’s about time for fan convention season and that means fans going out to events once more to celebrate their fandom. Even though COVID still lingers, the convention experience is worth it. That’s mostly because you get a good chance of talking to strangers that can become new friends. I want to talk about that because I want everyone to see that there’s good people out there.

I was reading a 2021 Atlantic article called “Why We Should Talk to Strangers More.” It detailed various anecdotes of people’s experiences of talking to strangers and the joy they got when talking to them. They greatly underestimated the reception they will get from the stranger and vice versa. It turns out most conversations end up being pleasant. Many things are in-play as to why people don’t talk to strangers, but talking to strangers is a beautiful thing. It’s argued that we don’t know how to talk to them due to social messaging saying that strangers in general are bad.

I recall one moment where I talked to a stranger on the way to Crunchyroll Expo 2017. I ran into a woman who was wondering which rail train to take to the convention center. So she talked to me as I was in total cosplay and I guided her to the same train I was taking. We talked for a bit and then she revealed that she worked at VIZ Media. We then talked about what was hot at the time (Haikyuu!! and Tokyo Ghoul). After we reached the convention, we parted ways and told each other to have a great time. While we didn’t become friends, I enjoyed the conversation. It got me more hyped for the convention.

About a couple of months ago, a new user joined a mahjong Discord server I was a part of and asked about what to do at anime conventions as they were going to one for the 1st time. I chimed in and said.

“Regarding conventions, just hang around people with similar interests. Go to panels that interest you. Talk to people when you can. Take photos. Artists’ alley has some fun stuff to buy at times. I hope you get to make friends there because they make convention experiences worthwhile.“

I did check in with them later and they told me that while they may not be adept in social skills, they managed to make a friend. I considered that a success.

What I want to say is that meeting strangers is arguably the best solution to some of life’s problems. Many popular anime/manga stories are about meeting strangers that change heroes’ lives. I think about Gintama’s introduction where Shinpachi meets Gintoki at his job and decides to join him after seeing how cool he was standing up to the Amanto. There’s many scenes in anime/manga where a disgruntled youth finds a lone badass to be inspiring and their heart tells them to go with them. There’s also the opposite where the lone badass finds peace with strangers that turn out to be the best friends they needed. The best example is Guts from Berserk as his supporting cast helped him ease the burden of helping Casca and providing him a companionship that he missed since his old Band of the Hawk days.

There’s so much conditioning in media and outside influences saying the world isn’t safe. Here’s the thing - the ones who often hurt us the most are those closest to us. When I hear stories about abuse of any kind, it is usually from someone who knows the victim well. Trauma can be caused by people who are supposed to protect/support us. I notice a lot of anime/manga characters are usually hurt because someone close to them treated them like crap.

Given how much has happened in the past 3 years, definitely reach out to someone who looks like they could be nice to talk to. You deserve a manga-esque story that can make life a bit more worthwhile and less lonely. You deserve a chance to see that people are still beautiful and trying to live the best they can despite the mercilessness of it all.

#strangers #mental health #friendships #talk to strangers #relationships #fan conventions #liking gap #conversations

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unnounblr · 29 days ago

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So, I've been posting my Kingdom Hearts fanfic, I'm working on it and. Between the last time I posted an update and now I upped the rating, because I remembered. I already had a torture scene in this fic. And. There might be another, and some fucked up dreams, possibly dealing with gender and some body horror shit.

Beneath the tone and vibes of Kingdom Hearts there's tons of things and themes and ideas that are, in fact, really fucked up, and have really fucked up implications. And the quality of the animations. Like, there's implications, in one game, of physical child abuse, of things that they don't show us, even when they show teenagers actually being physically struck by adults, because it's an action video game with elements and the trappings of a battle Shonen Manga anime series.

And, the game in particular that I'm roughly adapting, in the alternate universe I'm working in, was already a tragedy, where the lies and secrets between three friends (one of whom was an Adult, albeit one who was immature and unable to develop and grow properly because of past traumas he suffered, and had the responsibility of caring for two kids thrust upon him, when he didn't think he was capable of caring anymore) drive them apart, and essentially lead to them dying, scared and alone.

And beyond that, viewed from one perspective, the game is also a psychological, existential horror, where, for two characters, they fundamentally don't understand certain truths about the essential nature of their beings, and everyone around them, all the adults around them, are lying to them, and using them.

And, anyway, in this chapter I decided to reference Alien, because I saw Romulus, I like the Alien series, Disney owns Fox, and I think body horror is cool.

And, while there are a lot of things I want to talk about, and I want comments about on the fic (hint hint), and justifications I can make about choices I made, which I worry might have been the wrong choices. The thing I want to talk about most is actually about what I intended to be the brightest, happiest scene of the chapter. And its the scene I actually had the hardest time with, and feel I got wrong the most:

In a scene in this chapter, I have 5 disney princesses, Alice from the 1951 film Alice in Wonderland, and the Kingdom Hearts original character Kairi, all singing, and they all sing the song "Simple and Clean", by Utada Hikaru.

It's a song I think most Kingdom Hearts fans are familiar with, especially in the English community. And, English is basically my only language I know, (I've taken other languages, but they were romance languages, it was years ago in college, when I was attending instead of teaching like I am now, I'm Jewish but i was never good at Hebrew or Yiddish, and never been devout or practicing and if you don't use it you lose it,) and I write my fics in English.

Now, Kingdom Hearts is partly Disney, an American company, Utada Hikaru is American-Japanese, and I know for a fact series director Tetsuya Nomura does consider the English version of the series a bit, because he handpicked Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Lee, Mark Hamill, and Leonard Nimoy for roles in the series. But he's still a Japanese man, and the series is written in Japanese first.

I'm not getting into the series translation here though, just, the music. Because the most impressive thing Utada Hikaru does in the entire series is that, because she knows both English and Japanese, she writes the opening and ending songs for the mainline numbered games, which people hear for the first time when they start a new game, and are the first impression the series leaves. She writes them to the same melody, so the English and Japanese songs can be considered the same.

And I'm not a songwriter, and I don't speak Japanese, but she has said in interviews that one of the difficult parts of the series, even if she does love it and is proud of her contribution and her role, is that doing that is really fucking hard.

However. My understanding is that, that was mainly true for KH2 and KH3. For KH1, however, when the game first came out in Japan, it used the song 'Hikari', (meaning "Light") which was a song Utada had already released, in Japanese, in Japan. Nomura asked her permission to license it. And, there's even some acknowledgments in places that Hikari, because it wasn't actually written for the series. Has the least to do with the series and its story and themes? Though, then again, it's plausible Nomura directed the first game with Hikari in mind, so maybe it's more that the causal relationship is reversed. The KH2 and 3 songs are based on the games, while KH1 the game is based on. The Japanese version. Of the song.

After KH1 was released in Japan, and they got to work on the North American release, Nomura asked Utada to write an. English version. Of Hikari. And that ended up being the song Simple and Clean that we all know and love today.

What I'm getting at, though, is that. Simple and Clean and Hikari are more different to each other than any of the other songs. And I mean that not in terms of the lyrics, but in terms of the. Melodies. The actual rhythms. The notes. The beats. I don't actually know anything about music, I just. Have ears.

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It's mostly the beginnings of the songs, and they get more similar towards the end, but. The opening parts, where she sings "When you walk away," in English, and "どんな時だって" or "Don'na toki datte" in Japanese (I copied those lyrics from the KHWiki) sound so radically different from each other.

But, Kingdom Hearts came out in Japan first, in March of 2002, and the North American version came out in September. And when it released it had an amazing soundtrack and score composed by Yoko Shimomura. And part of that score, was an orchestral, (or the nearest equivalent for the PS2 anyway) and instrumental version of. 'Hikari'. It mainly played during the 'attract movie' or 'attract screen' when you left the game on the main menu, without selecting 'new game' or 'load' or 'continue' for too long, but. To my knowledge, Hikari is unique in the entire series, because while other games have attract movies, where instrumental versions of their main themes play. Hikari and Kingdom Hearts 1 are the only instance where it plays during the game's actual runtime, in an actual cutscene.

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This is one of the most important scenes in the Kingdom Hearts series, ultimately, that has knock-on effects for multiple other games, and while this isn't aspect as relevant to those other games. One of the focuses within that scene itself is the hearts, the light of the group known as the 'Princesses of Heart', which includes Kairi, as well as the six Disney characters. This is a moment where all of them are saved, and. It's a sad moment, of sacrifice, that makes people tear up and cry (I was already an adult when I first saw it and didn't even know the characters yet and it still got to me, it's why I even like the series) but there's also. A sense of. 'Light' to it. Where the princesses get saved, from eternal sleep, at the climax, by the story's hero.

Setting aside the gender implications and criticisms of that, and I think maybe more importantly the way one of those princesses, specifically the original character theoretically most unrestricted by Disney's guidelines gets handled by the series after that. It's still a genuinely beautiful, amazing moment.

And, I wanted to call back to it, which, is probably futile of me. To do it justice, I'd need, like, to be able to do blender animations, and character models, and be able to do impressions of the singing voices of seven fucking characters. Or hire people. I sure as shit wouldn't do ai, ever.

Or I'd have the moment be silent with an instrumental of the song playing over it. That would be better, if it was audiovisual and not a purely written fanfic.

And, I'm a single parent to a child whose 8th birthday is coming up, and I teach full-time. It's a goddamned miracle I have been able to post anything at all, ever. And I've probably been irresponsible and maybe shouldn't be doing it, I don't know.

But, I wanted the reference to land, and make sense, in the language I'm actually writing in. But the problem I knew, that I know, in my own heart and mind, that bothers me the most about my decision is that it's the wrong song.

Because "Simple and Clean" wasn't the song that played in that scene. "Hikari" was.

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mtdthoughts · 1 month ago

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Migi & Dali Episode 7 Retrospective Reaction

Hello again! As part of commemorating the one-year anniversary of the anime, I'm doing a rewatch and providing my (unorganized) thoughts and reactions.

This time, I'm doing Episode 7! As always, I'll be keeping timestamps in case you want to watch along while reading, and be prepared for another long post below of unorganized thoughts, and of course spoilers...

[00:00] First, the twins sit in the tent and discuss their plans some time after their stay in the Ichijo house. This scene was not in the manga, but I think it's helpful for the viewers.

To me, one of the biggest questions of the story is: Why did Dali decide to remove Migi from the investigation of Eiji? Obviously, the twins work better as a team, so there must be a reason Dali decided to work alone. My theory is that Dali now saw the mission as too dangerous for Migi. Because Migi is not as smart and is very sensitive when it comes to Metry, Dali likely thinks that involving Migi carries a significant risk. This fear is warranted, as Migi has gotten hurt several times physically and emotionally throughout the story. As a result, Dali takes on the mission by himself, believing that it's for Migi's sake. To me, this idea is especially clear when Dali says, "Wait for me, Migi" (「ミギ、待っていろ」) as he clutches the dolphin pendant.

Meanwhile, Migi is clearly unhappy about being sidelined, though he's unaware of Dali's intentions. Although much of the work has been difficult, Migi always puts in 120% effort because he has always viewed himself and Dali as one. Thus, he's uncomfortable with Dali apparently pushing him away.

This is also the first time that Dali's theme (少年・ダリ) plays, signaling that the show is about to head in a darker direction as the twins nearly arrive at the truth of their mother's death. It plays several times throughout this episode, which makes sense since Migi has basically been sidelined from the story in this episode.

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[02:36] Next, Eiji has lunch at school. Note that in the manga, the students have different uniforms to reflect the change in seasons.

It's funny how the girls pretend to be uninterested in hearing about Eiji's type only after Eiji chastises the boys.

I feel sorry for Eiji, vomiting in the toilet without knowing why. The way he tries to compose himself is similar to Dali in Episode 8. I'll talk about it again next time.

I really like how Murase-san delivers the line "Stinky stew". Also, it's amazing how great Dali is at acting like a bad girl.

It's funny how Eiji goes back to the toilet to flush before running after Dali.

Imagine what would happen if Eiji had actually pulled off Dali's wig. Ironically, I think that the story would have ended less violently.

You can tell how panicked Eiji is as he immediately offers hush money. Sure, Eiji can deny any allegation about vomiting in the toilet and most people would probably side with him, but there's definitely a risk of tarnishing Eiji and his family's reputation. Eiji cannot is happen, so he's willing to do anything to buy Sally's silence.

Seriously, where did Dali learn these moves? Books?

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[04:54] Next, Eiji shows Sally his childhood photos. Note that in Chapter 26 of the manga, this scene takes place in the library (Migi and Sally's "paradise"), where there was a close encounter with Migi and Akiyama.

It's quite amusing seeing the smart boy Eiji getting manipulated easily by Dali. When Eiji says "I'm not an animal", it reminds me of Migi's sassiness. Dali has so much experience being a big brother that this kind of teasing is as natural as breathing to him. (But Eiji is actually his brother…)

Eiji must be wondering why this mysterious girl is so interested in his past…

Dali's line about Santa is so sad. You can tell how disturbed Dali was by that question as his real voice partially slips out. After all, Eiji, the prime murder suspect, lived a perfect life in Origon Village without any apparent hardships, unlike the twins. It's no wonder that Eiji's question would anger Dali!

It's interesting how Eiji was being fussy and thought "It's not fair" as he couldn't get any information about Sally. Did he think that he was behaving a bit too childishly? Perhaps he finds it strange that he's so curious about this mysterious girl.

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[06:54] Next, Eiji looks for Sally.

It's interesting that he never mentioned the color of Sally's eyes…

It's funny seeing all the girls fight for Eiji's attention.

Unfortunately, much of Chapter 26 was skipped, so we don't really get to see WHY Eiji fell in love with Sally, which I think is pretty important. Of course, Sally has good looks, but more importantly, the way that Sally approached Eiji was crucial. To Eiji, Sally is a formidable girl who could ruin his reputation, but also for some reason took an interest in him and his childhood. Unlike all the other girls at school, Sally is not in love with him, but rather seems to have contempt for him. Furthermore, Sally is independent, possesses a strong will, and seems to have suffered a tough past. Sally seems to be the only "real" person to Eiji, which might explain why he's drawn to her. Also, the fact that Sally knows his secret might bring him closer to her. In the manga, Eiji sees Sally's genuine smile, a stark contrast to Sally's usual cold image, seemed to be the moment that Eiji knew he was in love.

I think that in some ways, Sally reminds Eiji of Reiko. Since he wanted to become a psychologist to help Reiko, I think that perhaps he wanted to help Sally, who seems to be distressed deep down. And of course, with Sally's good looks and smile, that ensured that Eiji fell in love.

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[07:09] Next, Migi is sulking in the classroom.

Migi is no longer in the mood to commit to the act of being Hitori-kun.

In the anime, this is the first and only time we get to see the twins' teacher!

I like how Akiyama gives Migi a piggyback ride with no hesitation, even with other students staring at them!

Migi's sulking is reminiscent of Episode 3, which shows that he does not like being pushed away aby Dali. He firmly believes that he and Dali are supposed to do everything together. Of course, he's unaware of Dali's intentions.

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[07:41] Next, Migi tells Dali that Sally has returned.

I wish the anime adapted the full scene from the manga, where Dali is frantically looking for the pendant he dropped, and Migi leaps at Dali for a hug. I wish someone could draw that in the anime style…

It's so sweet how the first thing Migi does when he gets home is to hug his precious older brother.

It's interesting how Migi isn't suspicious of Dali's obvious lie, which shows how Migi has absolute faith in Dali's word.

Now that I think about it, the twins' hug is pretty symbolic of the events in this episode. Migi just wants to be together with Dali, though Dali pushes him away and lies to him (albeit with good intentions).

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[08:16] Next, Detective Migi searches for Sally.

Once again, Migi is using his real voice in front of Akiyama. Perhaps this shows how Migi already trusts him!

Still, it's pretty cold to just tell Akiyama to go away.

Don't laugh at your brother's drawing skills, Dali!

What is that string telephone for?

It's cute seeing Migi getting pouty at Akiyama.

I will never understand how Migi draws things… I'm indeed a "commoner"

It's pretty interesting that Migi's drawing of himself looks like Dali. It's probably because he looks into a mirror while drawing himself. Maybe this shows how he tries to see himself and Dali as the same.

Akiyama is very talented at drawing! He's probably better suited to being an artist than Migi

Migi, don't kiss the picture! That's your brother!

It's wholesome how Akiyama is happy to be given such a lukewarm compliment.

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[10:12] Next, Migi confronts Eiji and Sally in the classroom.

It's nice how Migi is considerate towards Akiyama.

By this point, Eiji has already fallen for Sally. He blushes, and doesn't hesitate to answer Sally's question about his past.

Given what Eiji is going through, it seems understandable that he considers his infatuation with Sally (i.e. "sweetness") to be "unnecessary feelings". Nonetheless, it is this warmth and sweetness that provides him relief from all the stress in his life.

Dali almost called out Migi's name with his real voice… I suppose that's what he gets for laughing at Migi's art!

Migi probably has the idea that Eiji will kidnap her and force her to do "education from scratch", so it makes sense that he calls Eiji "dangerous".

Just like in Episode 5, Migi now uses his real voice to talk to Eiji, which is so much different from his sweet voice when talking to Sally.

Once again, Dali is faced with a tough decision, and you can really see the panic on his face. In the end, he picks the choice that he thinks will hurt Migi in the short term but will benefit him in the long run. Of course, it brings Dali no pleasure to break poor Migi's heart…

Also, Eiji's surprised reaction is adorable.

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[11:46] Next, Dali goes to Eiji's house while dressed as Sally.

In the manga, the Ichijos are shown leaving for a concert which includes Eiji's favorite symphony. In my opinion, it's not a very important scene, but it shows how much Eiji likes Sally given how he's willing to lie to Reiko.

It's funny how Eiji wants to make sure his room is perfect for when his crush arrives.

I bet Dali was thrilled to hear that Reiko wasn't home.

Once again, Dali says "Wait for me, Migi" (「ミギ、待っていろ」) as Dali's theme plays.

Dali's voice sounds so soothing while he's doing hypnosis.

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[12:53] Next, poor Migi cries at home.

I wonder if Migi knows where Dali is. He might know that Dali is busy investigating Eiji. Otherwise, he might be worried why Dali isn't comforting him in his time of need.

But then again, wouldn't Migi find the timing (Sally's date with Eiji) a bit suspicious? Well, he's probably in no mood to think.

Anyway, the Sonoyamas comfort Migi in Dali's place.

It's funny how both Osamu and Migi recoil when Youko has a bottle of alcohol.

I'm not sure if I agree with Youko's advice. Anyway, cheers!

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[13:32] Next, Dali attempts to get Eiji onto the bed, which is undoubtedly the funniest scene in the episode and perhaps the whole story.

It's funny how Eiji seems to be oblivious of Sally's rather obvious advances.

What is a "guardian of time"?

Dali's right, how can anyone sleep with a bunch of creepy dolls? The analogy to cults is rather interesting. Also, what happened to Nezu?

Seriously, where did Dali learn these moves?? I have a good feeling that he's been reading too many books, including those that are meant for adults. He also seems to have also practiced those techniques a lot! It's possible that Dali might have a bit of a perverse side to him…

I will never forget the image of Dali caressing Youko's huge bra! This seemingly dirty act definitely tainted Eiji's image of Sally.

Where did Eiji learn about romance and the word "baiser"? I think that Eiji might have read certain books as well… Dali and Eiji really are brothers!

Dali's reaction to learning what "baiser" means is hilarious, as well as his resistance to kiss Eiji.

Eiji's moaning while leaning in makes this scene even funnier and weirder.

And finally, the kiss between brothers! It's clear that for Migi's sake, Dali will do anything, even it means kissing the enemy he wants to kill. I suppose this can be considered a "kiss of death"…

Poor Eiji, if only he knew who he gave his first baiser to…

And once again, Dali says "Wait for me, Migi" (「ミギ、待っていろ」)

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[16:28] Next, Migi is still crying while Youko is passed out and snoring.

It's clear that Youko's advice didn't cure Migi's heartbreak.

Poor Migi, he's crying really hard… he really needs Dali's comfort.

Osamu offers great advice, but perhaps at the wrong time.

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[16:56] Next, Dali successfully hypnotizes Eiji before getting a surprise visit from Migi.

It's funny how easily Dali can lie about a fake lullaby. It would be terrifying if hypnosis worked like this in real life…

I'm impressed that Eiji knows about "molars" at the age of five.

It's interesting how Migi doesn't try to go inside the house but chooses to climb to Eiji's window. I wonder what he's thinking when he sees Sally next to a sleeping Eiji. Probably not much.

Migi's such a sweet, innocent boy. Through the precious dolphin pendant, Migi's feelings have clearly gotten through to Dali, which can be seen with Dali's face and his breathing.

It's funny how Migi's tone immediately changes when talking to Eiji.

Once again, the twins were very close to a "game over" if Dali hadn't caught Migi after Eiji pushed him. If something happened to Migi, Dali would lose his mind, and the story would end very unhappily…

Overcome with panic over Migi's safety, Dali's protective instincts take over as his real voice comes out.

Ah, I feel so bad for Migi. His world must have collapsed after finding out that Sally was Dali. Not knowing what to do, his instinct is to bite Dali and run away. It's kind of like what a dog might do…

Also, Migi's teeth seem to be crooked.

Although Dali's plan ended up causing a rift between him and Migi, you have to admit that it was very successful in awakening Eiji's memories.

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[19:36] Next is Eiji's flashback.

It seems that Reiko did not tell Eiji what Santa is supposed to look like.

Poor Metry. I'm sure she had good intentions, but her judgment was terrible…

Reiko sure is a terrible woman for lying to Eiji about Metry. Because she told him that Metry was a ghost, Eiji thinks that he had a close encounter with an otherworldly being, which I'm sure gave him much trauma as well as his bedwetting problems.

Since Eiji has only just remembered this memory, it's very likely that Reiko might have suppressed his memories, perhaps using "education from scratch". After all, Akira was never aware of Eiji's bedwetting. This family really is scary…

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[21:07] Next, Dali runs home after learning Eiji's memories.

It's interesting that Dali is eager to tell Migi his discoveries, and doesn't seem to realize that Migi finally saw through his ruse. I suppose Dali is too focused on his mission. He even changes his clothes in lightning speed!

I wonder, did Dali ever think about WHY Metry was at Eiji's window? Without any other information, it would seem strange to anyone that this woman would leave her children unattended to climb onto the second floor window of the Ichijos' house. Of course, we the viewers know the exact reason, but Dali doesn't. He would have no other choice but to speculate, and considering that he likely assumes that Metry was Akira' mistress, he might not have a positive image of her.

But this doesn't matter now, as Dali is gradually being consumed by thoughts of revenge against Eiji.

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[23:04] Finally, in the post-credit scene Migi coldly exposes Dali's lie.

It's interesting that this scene takes place during twilight. I wonder if this is a reference to the opening song…

I'm impressed that Migi seemed to have outsmarted Dali with the bite on his hand. For some reason, I'd like to see more of Migi's cold gaze and hear more of his resentful voice…

It must have taken a while for Eiji to reveal his memory to Dali, which means that Migi must have been sitting by the window and stewing in negative emotions for a long time.

Unlike being heartbroken by Sally, being deceived by Dali hurt Migi much more. After all, for a long time Migi admired Dali, trusted him, and relied on him for emotional support. To be deceived by someone you perceived as your "other half" feels like a complete betrayal, as if taking a knife to the heart! (← interesting choice of metaphor)

Migi has always obeyed Dali since he truly believed that Dali was acting in his best interest, but now that faith has been broken. In this moment, Migi might be thinking that Dali never really cared about him and was instead using him like a tool. It wouldn't be surprised if Migi thought this way since the twins lived their lives in Origon Village by deceiving others. This can be seen by how Migi addresses Dali using "omae" for the first time in the story.

Now, the twins' special bond is broken, as symbolized by the dolphin pendant…

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[Conclusion] In Episode 7, Dali confirmed that Eiji really did kill Metry, though at this point, there is still a lot of missing information, especially the reason why Metry returned to the Ichijo house.

Furthermore, the deep-rooted problems in the twins' relationship that were foreshadowed in earlier parts of the story finally rose to the surface, culminating in the collapse of the twins' bond.

Despite the fact that Migi and Dali were together their whole lives, there was ironically a communication barrier between them. Dali wants to protect Migi at all costs, even if it means deceiving Migi, while Migi wants to do his best to make Dali happy, even it means complying with Dali's seemingly unreasonable orders. The twins love each other, but they don't truly know what the other is thinking deep down. As a result of Dali's decisions, Migi felt hurt and betrayed, causing him to lose faith in his older brother whom he once relied on.

Indeed, the twins believed they understood each other, but they were sadly mistaken.

This episode also explored the triplets' personalities as described earlier, especially Dali's. You can really tell that Episode 7 is Dali's episode, since his soundtrack (少年・ダリ) plays multiple times throughout the episode, and the words "Wait for me, Migi" (「ミギ、待っていろ」) resonate in my mind. Although Dali is willing to resort to any means to obtain revenge, you can really tell that Migi is at the center of Dali's mind. After all, he's willing to kiss his enemy if it's for Migi's sake!

Finally, Migi and Eiji's interactions with Sally reveal some similarities between them (they're brothers after all!). For example, Sally served as a distraction from their problems, with Migi pouting after being sidelined in the investigation, and with Eiji suffering from his repressed trauma. Furthermore, I think that Sally also reminds them of their mothers, as Sally has Metry's blue eyes, and also carries a hidden suffering like Reiko. This makes sense since it is commonly said that boys fall in love with girls that remind them of their mother.

That's all I had for now, and I hope to do this again soon for Episode 8~

#migi and dali #migi to dali #retrospective

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