#underrated poll 3

[underratedmhapoll]

FINAL ROUND - Cathleen Bate - United States Hero: Star and Stripe VS Inko Midoriya

[doyoulikethis-vocaloid-song]

random question! what’s your favorite vocaloid/vocal synth etc . recently mine has become teto :]

Long time answer is Gumi (Wonderful Nippon & Echo carried me in my middle school years 💖) and I also have come to really like Kaai Yuki, Mayu, the Kotonoha sisters, Adachi Rei and Phonon-Chan! Though that last list changes frequently, so ask me again in a few months teehee

[whos-hotter-jjba]

Hottest JJBA Outfit Bracket - Round 1 Match 23

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group J Round 3: #J3 vs #J1

#J3: Cat demon stuck in cat form, gets adopted as a pet

#J1: Two high school girls overcome mommy issues with the power of YURI!

Details and poll under the cut!

#J3: Legend of Luo XiaoHei (series) (Luo XiaoHei Zhan Ji)

Summary:

XiaoHei is a young cat demon training to be an Executor, someone who maintains the balance between humans and demons. His first mission as a trainee was to steal the Sky Pearl. He succeeded, but he also got injured enough to be unable to revert to his human form. Stuck in his cat form, he gets adopted by the human girl XiaoBai as a pet. The story then follows XiaoHei’s adventures as a pet cat in a human home while also evading the pursuit of his enemy, Diting.

Propaganda:

Legend of Luo Xiaohei, at first glance, is a fun kiddy series with cute art. But the more you learn of the story, the more you realize how much thought is put into every little detail. The creator’s worldbuilding is so intricate. It’s like Adventure Time in that you think it’s all fun and games, but there’s actually so much more to it. There’s even a manhua for the side characters featuring their lives from thousands of years ago!

A lot of information will be slowly unfolded, but not once does it feel overwhelming to the viewer. Following XiaoHei’s point of view, we get to see glimpses of the wider lore, piquing our curiosity. 

In the world of LXH, demons and cultivators/immortals exist, but they don’t usually cross paths with ordinary humans because they keep their existence/powers a secret. XiaoHei himself has had little interactions with humans aside from his master. It isn’t until XiaoHei meets XiaoBai that he actually learns more about them and their way of life. Slowly, he gets drawn to the human life and also learns to have fun just like the human kids his age.

Season 1 presents to us XiaoHei’s daily life with his friends, so it’s more slice-of-life with the supernatural simply peppered around. It never gets boring, though, because there’s this ever-present tension of XiaoHei having to keep his identity a secret. We also get to meet a lot of intriguing characters, like XiaoBai’s “brother,” who helps XiaoHei fight against Diting. 

Season 2, on the other hand, is more action-packed. The plot for s2 is the Executors guild seeking humans with talent in cultivation. They screen them through a virtual reality game where they can emulate the use of powers. XiaoHei’s final test as Executor also takes place here.

I personally think the best aspect of this show is its hype fight scenes, but that’s just me craving stimulation. At its core, LXH is really a heartwarming story about a young demon learning that there is more to life than powers and fighting. Sure, the supernatural stuff is interesting, but beyond that, it’s a story of love—It’s about XiaoHei making friends and discovering what it is he really wants to do without fear of losing what he calls his home, for home will always be with him. 

Overall, Legend of Luo Xiaohei is a nice, warm show that you can binge on a slow day without missing out on the excitement a story with an overarching plot brings. Do give it a try.

P.S.: This series takes place about three years after the events in the movie (which has the same title in Chinese, but is more known as simply “Legend of Hei” in English). The series aired first before the movie, though, so it doesn’t matter. 

Trigger Warnings:

Child death in s2 (it’s fake, but the characters’ reactions feel so real)

Not really a trigger, but just in case: Teens/adults bullying children. XiaoHei is a great fighter, and the people that can match with him are only those older than him.

#J1: Flip Flappers

Summary:

Cocona is an average middle schooler living with her grandmother. And she, who has yet to decide a goal to strive for, soon met a strange girl named Papika who invites her to an organization called Flip Flap.

Dragged along by the energetic stranger, Cocona finds herself in the world of Pure Illusion��a bizarre alternate dimension—helping Papika look for crystal shards. Upon completing their mission, Papika and Cocona are sent to yet another world in Pure Illusion. As a dangerous creature besets them, the girls use their crystals to transform into magical girls: Cocona into Pure Blade, and Papika into Pure Barrier. But as they try to defeat the creature before them, three others with powers from a rival organization enter the fray and slay the creature, taking with them a fragment left behind from its body. Afterward, the girls realize that to stand a chance against their rivals and the creatures in Pure Illusion, they must learn to work together and synchronize their feelings in order to transform more effectively.

Propaganda 1:

Flip Flappers is a magical girl show that brings its own unique twist to the genre, while still being reminiscent of older classics. It has incredibly creative visuals, good characters, and an absolute banger soundtrack! The deeper messages of the show are about finding the courage to start making your own decisions and living your life the way you want it, growing up, and the struggle against controlling authority figures that entails. While it is a fun show, the emotional moments it has hit hard! It also has a yuri narrative (seriously, they even get taken to an all-girls Catholic school yuri setting one time), which I’m sure the himejoshis on this webbed site would appreciate if they saw the show!

Propaganda 2:

Look, sometimes Magical Girl Shows have fights that are just kinda… ehh. You ever wanted to see magical girls beat the SNOT out of monsters in amazingly animated, incredibly physical fight scenes? Give Flip Flappers a shot! And if you don’t, that’s fine too, because the shows genre changes every other episode anyways.

Flip Flappers has a little something for everyone. It has amazing characters. It has slick transformation sequences. It has stunning fight scenes. It has horror. It has yuri. It has mommy issues. It’s fun for the whole family!

While one would think the constant tone-shifts would leave the series feeling kinda all over the place, Flip Flappers keeps itself grounded with its amazing character work. The main two characters, Cocona and Papika, bounce off of each other incredibly well. They have so much chemistry, and it’s refreshing to see a show that actually does something romantic with its two main leads instead of just kinda dangling it in front of your face and then chickening out at the last second.

In conclusion, this show is the embodiment what having ADHD and being sapphic feels like. Give it a shot!

Trigger Warnings:

Flashing Lights/Flickering Images, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination, Guns, Kidnapping, Nudity.

Depictions of child and emotional abuse, both at a side character and a main character. Control over children is a common theme in the show.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[vvyvernicus]

Writing a fanfiction and wanted the community's consensus on this subject. Pretty sure it's not Astarion 🧑🏻‍🦳

[lilac-gold]

Hi there, Hero fans! Around this time last year, I began planning for a little event called Hero Week 2023: a week of prompts dedicated to (as the name might suggest) our one and only Hero :)

The lovely @charismabee & I each posted our own one-shot collection for the event on AO3 around this time last year. It remained mostly a private event as I wasn't very active on Tumblr at the time. However, we had a lot of fun with it, and I've been wondering if any of you would like to join in this time!

Whether you would like to participate directly, to engage with creators' contributions, or even just to push a button, here is where I ask...

Either way, Red & I will likely repeat the event & publish our writing on AO3– this is to see whether I should spread the news about it here or not. Unlike last year, the event will take place in around mid-July to avoid exam season.

I'd like to point out that any contributions are welcome: writing, art, edits, etc. Anything you feel fits the prompt and would enjoy making! :D

I have a list of prompts pre-made that I will release here later on if people in the fandom want to get involved! There is, of course, no obligation to make something for each prompt; if one or more in particular take your fancy, it would be wonderful to see what you come up with for those alone! I hope that this will be an opportunity to show Hero some appreciation & get the creative juices flowing again <3

Thank you! I look forward to seeing your thoughts :]

[seagull-scribbles]

Wakko warner warm-up

[gaphic]

for simplicity's sake this is only including characters listed by name on the sanrio website, so plz forgive any seemingly-obvious oversights <3

[underrated-lovers-of-apollo-poll]

Round 1: Poll 14

*Please Read*

I advise everyone to read each contestant's story to get a well-rounded understanding of each entry. I urge you to not just vote for the one "you know best". I have everyone's stories/reasons why they should win under the cut.

(Remember, this poll includes relationships from The Trials of Apollo)

PROPAGANDA:

Tatiana Nikolaevna

(*Not the real Tatiana, only the one mentioned in The Trials of Apollo)

What's The Love Story?

In ToA, Apollo mentions how Tatiana was really stressed out during the Russian Revolution and how much she needed him during that time <3

Why Should They Win?

...RA RA RASPUTIN LOVER OF THE RUSSIAN QUEEN-

okay maybe not the queen but the pun was too good ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sinope

What's The Love Story?

Apollo fell in love with Sinope and she made him promise her a gift. She asked him to remain a virgin and he respected her wishes.

Why Should They Win?

APOLLO RESPECTING HIS CRUSH'S WISHES >>>>>

[underratedmhapoll]

Match 1 - Cathleen Bate - United States Hero: Star and Stripe VS Manami Aiba - Hacker Villain: La Brava

[onepiece-polls]

Could we get some ship confirmations? Ones that are guaranteed to make it to the tournament? Or are there no guarantees yet?

It's hard to say, since I didn't do an official count yet, and I also am still not sure if I'll start with 32 ships or 64 and/or have a seperate poly ship bracket (I'll put this up to a vote later, when I've done some counting).

But, some ships have gotten so many submissions that they are very very likely in. These ships are:

Frobin NamiVivi LuSan (SanLu? I've seen both)

The most submitted poly ship for now is Cross Guild.

However, there are many more ships with at least 5 submissions (from the top of my head, I only kept count for some 😅), so if your ship isn't in here, there's quite a big chance they still have a lot of submissions already, and will likely get in.

There's even a crack ship (and with crack ship I mean a ship between characters who never interacted in canon) that has at least 5 submissions already.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group E Round 3: #E3 vs #E1

#E3: Sending us penguins will NOT fix our terminally ill sister, but thanks anyways.

#E1: Forcefully mixing the old and the new. Hilarity and disaster ensues.

Details and poll under the cut!

*Text in green indicates that something has been changed.

#E3: Mawaru Penguindrum

Summary:

For the Takakura family, destiny is an ever-spinning wheel, pointing passionately in their direction with equal tides of joy and sorrow before ticking on to the next wishmaker. With their parents gone, twin brothers Kanba and Shouma live alone with their beloved little sister Himari, whose poor health cannot decline any further.

On the day Himari is given permission to temporarily leave the hospital, her brothers take her out to the aquarium to celebrate, where the family's supposed fate is brought forth with her sudden collapse. However, when Himari is inexplicably revived by a penguin hat from the aquarium's souvenir shop, the hand of fate continues to tick faithfully forward.

With her miraculous recovery, though, comes a cost: there is a new entity within her body, whose condition for keeping her fate at bay sends the boys on a wild goose chase for the mysterious "Penguin Drum." In their search, the boys will have to follow the threads of fate leading from their own shocking past and into the lives of other wishmakers vying for the Penguin Drum, all hoping to land upon their chosen destiny.

Propaganda:

Do you like weird artsy stuff? Do you love magical girls? How about weird, messed up character dynamics? Then boy oh boy, Mawaru Penguindrum is the show for you! The show starts out funny enough, but will quickly spiral into an intense and intricate plot, involving fate, the mafia, magical destiny-rewriting spells, and penguins. Which yes, before you ask, the funny penguins are in fact plot relevant.

Penguindrum isn’t really a show about all that stuff though, even though it is. It’s a very symbolic story, about living under the crushing heel of capitalism, and the quiet poison of the societally expected nuclear family dynamic. I could write an essay on each and every single one of the characters, as they’re all given a lot of depth and time to grow. Every character has their own baggage that, one way or another, ties back to someone else. Everyone in this show is connected in some way shape or form, and that’s really highlighted when everything starts to fall apart. Be warned: this show is NOT a light watch! If you’re the type of person who gets really into deciphering symbolism and creating your own meaning from pieces of media, then this show is for you!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights/Flickering Images, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination, Guns, Incest, Kidnapping, Nudity, Pedophilia, Rape/Non-Con, Smoking, Suicide, Bomb Threats/Attempts and Terrorisim

It’s a very major plot point. This show is HEAVILY based off the 95 Tokyo Sarin Gas Attacks, so if content like that is triggering to you, tread lightly.

#E1: Are You Ok (You Yao)

Summary:

People from the modern world transmigrating into the ancient Chinese fantasy world has become a common and everyday occurrence that the royal court in the latter has decided to moderate them. If you’re a transmigrator, you must report your existence to Lou Zhu, the master of Best Tower. Once you pass his test and prove that you are indeed a modern person, you can then be assigned to work in different areas of the government and be given a high salary.

Because of this promised benefit, many impostors have showed up before Lou Zhu. And one day, Zuo Yunqi takes this test as well. Is he an impostor, or is he an actual modern person?

But some transmigrators also choose to hide their existence out of distrust in the government. Where are they? And with their advanced knowledge on science and technology, what are they planning in the dark?

Elsewhere, other transmigrators find themselves in all sorts of situations—an art student is detained and forced to come up with a recipe for a poisonous meal, while another is stuck sharing a body with the original soul and fighting for its control. Meanwhile, unrest rises in the Jianghu and a storm brews in the palace. Can our transmigrators’ modern knowledge save the day? Or will their lack of understanding in the current world lead to their downfall?

Propaganda:

Often in transmigration stories, the locals are portrayed as “backward” and “ignorant” to make the modern characters seem intelligent and progressive. The latter are then hailed as geniuses or pioneers, but in You Yao this isn’t the case. 

You Yao deconstructs the transmigration genre and explores its possibilities. The system that moderates the transmigrators really puts them in their place and curbs their arrogance. And when in Rome, do as the Romans do. No matter how “smart” they may be, they are still subjects of the Emperor.

Besides, modern knowledge doesn’t always prove to be useful. An educated man like Lou Zhu is considered illiterate because he cannot read Traditional Chinese. His assistant has to first translate them into Simplified 😂

Moreover, this world they’re in has elements of wuxia (martial arts with superpowers). How can a modern person who grew up in a safe environment protect oneself in such a setting? They can only ask the locals to protect them. 

So, transmigrators are not necessarily superior to the locals—which I like because it lets us look at the locals’ strengths and appreciate them as well. 

You Yao features an ensemble cast, by the way, and all of them, both locals and transmigrators, are endearing. There are also several canon BL couples, with each pair marking the different sub-plots of the show. Just don’t expect any explicit gay confirmation because it’s limited by Chinese censorship, after all. But even then, it managed to be as fruity as it could be (the S1 ED is literally an angsty love song about the second gay pairing).

In regard to setting, it’s a genius mix of ancient Chinese fantasy and modern technology. Best Tower looks like a traditional Chinese pagoda on the outside, but on the inside it’s like a mall, complete with different entertainment venues and even a milk tea shop! It even has an “elevator,” but since electricity hasn’t been invented yet, it’s just powered by different men (in fancy uniforms) on bicycles. 

You Yao is really creative in presenting what could happen when you forcefully mix the old and the new. This allows a lot of hilarious situations, but it also highlights the dichotomy of tradition and modernity, making viewers question which changes are actually good and bad.

Can the Emperor really be that benevolent when plenty of people with knowledge beyond his keep popping up? And how can all transmigrators be content in following this world’s backward laws? What happens when one side tries to dominate and eradicate the other?

You Yao may give off that silly sitcom vibe, but it’s actually so much more than that. I don’t wanna spoil anything, so all I can say is that it’s gonna make you laugh a lot, and once your guard is lowered it’s gonna sucker-punch you in the gut. Vote You Yao.

Trigger warnings: Guns, kidnapping, and imprisonment. Nothing too dark, though.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.