#unfortunately i only know manga/anime so here you go <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[astrowaffles]

Until now, have you found any couple (canon or non canon) from any media (books, tv series, movies, anime/manga, etc) that the dynamics remind you of Yuki/Kakeru or Oikawa/Iwaizumi?

*clears throat* DID I HEAR CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WHO ARGUE AND ARE IN LOVE?

Joe x Cherry - SK8 the Infinity

Yona x Hak - Yona of the Dawn

Ena x Kosuke - Science Fell in Love so I Tried To Prove It

Mu Qing x Feng Xin - Heaven Official's Blessing

Tomo x Junichiro - Tomo-chan is a Girl!

Kabakura x Koyanagi - Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

Dazai x Chuuya - Bungou Stray Dogs

Maomao x Jinshi - The Apothecary Diaries

Hikari x Kei - Special A

Okay, not all of these are childhood friends, but all of them have the argumentative/competitive dynamic that is occasionally tempered with some sap just to keep us believing. If I counted correctly, 6 of these are canon couples and 4 of those are the stars of the show! I highly recommend all of them.

Thanks for the ask!

[pienhime]

my ten manga/game/anime/etc recs for jirai

hiii long time no long ass recs post! i wanna recommend media that is popular w landmine types for newbies to the subculture, and recommendations for those who might have been here long enough to know the most popular media within jirai subculture and want some recommendations beyond that!

so without further ado...

1. Tomorrow, I Will Become Someone's Girlfriend

TW: unsafe sex work, abusive relationships, body dysmorphia, self harm, substance use, misogyny, and parental death

Okay you knew this was coming. It's probably the most popular manga amongst jirai girls as it literally is about Kabukicho, sex work, trauma, and jirai culture. Everyone's seen Yua at this point, and she is a jiraicon, but the other characters are interesting and may be relatable to jirai girls too!

2. Mahou Shoujo Site

TW: sexual assault, r@pe, abusive family dynamics, transphobia, self-harm, suicide, murder, gore, bullying, human sacrifice

This is probably also familiar to people in the jirai community and yandereblr. Super mega fucked-up parody of magical girl animes with a cast of memorable but mentally unhinged and often morally gray-to-terrible characters with a hopeful message at the end. The most unfortunate girls around Japan get given magical girl items to improve their lives, but using them drains their life force- and someone's on the hunt for magical girls, all while the countdown to the apocalypse ticks down on the mysterious magical girl site. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE ANIME, JUST READ THE MANGA!!

3. Needy Girl Overdose/Needy Streamer Overload

TW: substance abuse, self-harm, murder (potentially), suicide, non-graphic sexual content, abuse (player is being abused by the main character), unreality, internet addiction

Duh. I can't not have this game on here! Created by a renowned menhera subculture artist and featuring Jirai icons Ame-chan and KAngel, this game has blown up unexpectedly since its release, getting art exhibits and collabs with brands like DearMyLove. You play as P-chan, Ame/KAngel's boyfriend and producer, while you try to help her achieve her goals of becoming an influencer and prevent her from killing herself or going insane along the way. If you've been in a relationship like this as the P-chan, I'm sorry we relate but this game was super therapeutic to me so maybe it'll help you process too!! Also the soundtrack fucks. Hard.

4. Neeko wa Tsurai Yo!

TW: agoraphobia, existentialism, substance use (kind of), ecchi (of both adult and high schooler characters), suicidal ideation, internet addiction

This is a super underrated personal favorite I've posted about a few times before. It follows hikki-NEET gacha gamer Niiko, as she faces jealousy of her little sister for being farther in life than her as a high-schooler, the trauma of a particularly horrific job rejection keeping her from going outside or trying for another job, and being totally fed up with her life. It's a pretty depressing read for the first half, but becomes a realistic story about recovery by the end.

5. Wristcut Warriors: Menherachan

TW: suicide attempts, self-harm (duh), parental abuse, parental death, parental neglect, attempted sexual assault, mild gore, societal ableism/sanism

Much more popular in the menhera subculture than anywhere else, but still popular enough with landmine types to be included, and a personal comfort series of mine. This is a satire manga about three teenage magical girls who have to self-harm to transform, meant as an allegory for how suffering and self-sacrifice for the sake of upholding societal norms is seen as more noble in Japan than speaking out etc. It's pretty short with only 20 chapters and some supplemental material, and tons of merch collabs but due to Ezaki being the actual fucking worst i encourage you to only but fanmerch and second-hand.

6. Danganronpa

TW: murder, suicide, ableist depiction of DID, misgendering (kind of, im not getting into ******* discourse so ill put it jic), SA, addiction,and general violence and blood

I'm biased as a Danganronpa multi-kin and selfshipper but I personally think every jirai should play Danganronpa, read the supplemental materials and watch DR3 if they can. Quirky teens with mental issues locked in a school and forced to kill each other or themselves? Prime insanity and mindbreaking ensues, with some really cool characters coming out of the franchise. Despite the premise, theres a pretty hopeful message.

7. Oshi no Ko

TW: stalking, teen pregnancy, exploitation of minors, suicide attempts, murder, terminal illness, age gap relationships, bullying, abortion, parasocial relationships, and... sigh... pseudo-incest is apparently in the manga as well

If you are into idol anime and expect your standard cinderella story about passionate girls and guys hitting it big... Oshi no Ko isn't the idol anime you're used to. This doesn't even follow the hit idol herself- rather, her two children who are reincarnated fans. They have to find their way in the exploitative and often dark showbiz world while trying to solve their mother's murder.

8. Bocchi the Rock!

TW: agoraphobia, alcohol abuse

I only watched this one recently, but it's already an all-time fav. It follows agoraphobic and severly socially anxious Hitori (aka Bocchi), and her newfound friends as they do their best to become a successful local band! They make odd friends along the way and Bocchi starts to try to recover and better herself, with often comedic failures along the way.

9. TUYU's interconnected songs

TW: abuse, substance abuse, unsafe SW, dysmorphia, suicide, self harm, parasocialism

Okay so... ik the timing is bad but I meant to make this list ages ago and this was on it so... a lot of the TUYU songs and MVs are interconnected! Some specifically cover jirai kei and ryousangata otaku topics! My favorite songs and MVs are the ones involving my favorite characters, Anhiro and Anzu, who are heavily featured in the Under Mentality album.

10. School-Live!

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!! I RECOMMEND GOING IN BLIND FOR THIS ANIME SPECIFICALLY!!

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TW: unreality, major character death, parental death, self-harm, animal death, graphic depictions of delusions and hallucinations

I loved the anime, so I picked up the manga recently. I'm only a little ways in, but I want to complete it since the anime didn't cover it all! You don't even know the plot until the final seconds of the first episode, where it's revealed that Yuki is the only member of the squad who doesn't realize what's going on- she's not in school for class, she's living there for shelter in a zombie apocalypse. Oh, and she sees dead people. She has moments of clarity, and the story often follows other characters' memories and POVs, so you still get to have a clear look into what happened and what's going on for real.

That was my list of my current top ten media recommendations for jirai kei! Please lmk if you decide to give any of these a try! Remember that I also regularly post music recs under #music too! Bye-bye!!

[bicth-and-in-that-order]

Rambling thoughts of various Yuri manga I’ve read

1. Kase-San and Yamada (Morning Glories sequel series) by Hiromi Takashima

notice how Kase’s name is first, which is representative of her being the main one to cause problems in their relationship

If you asked me what my favorite yuri manga was like 2-3 years ago, I’d say Morning Glories and Kase San everytime. Every avid yuri fan has either read or watched Morning Glories because, at the time in 2010, it was groundbreaking, and I stand by the fact that the original series still holds up to this day. It was cute, sweet, wholesome and only had a few obligatory “we love each other but we’re giRLs😳😳😳” moments. Most of all it wasn’t a pseudo-incest-straight-male-porn-pandering-garbage-fest—also known as “Citrus”. Was it cliche at times? Yes, but they all are lol. Did they add to the dumb ass “blonde femme and dark hair masc” trope? Also yes. But it was adorable and it was my first ever yuri so it holds a special place in my heart.

And it SEEMED like it was only going to get better in Kase San and Yamada, the sequel. The girls would be heading to college and the story could theoretically focus on more mature topics while they navigate their new relationship. Keyword: theoretically. Unfortunately, instead of exploring interesting relationship dynamics and storylines, the plot of each story arc boils down to: Kase is insecure because a man breathed next to Yamada or Kase is being completely insensitive to Yamada’s feelings…again…—> ✨miscommunication drama ✨—>big over dramatic apology scene—>boring makeup sex or other romantic gesture.

Literally that’s how every single plotline goes. Kase is so goddamn dumb and insensitive to Yamada’s feelings and Yamada’s a complete doormat who can only stay mad for 0.2 seconds before getting pussy whipped like a spineless ass bitch. And for all that Yamada sacrifices for Kase; her hometown, her dreams, her apartment, what does she get in return from Kase? Oh that’s right; bare minimum romantic gestures and a neglectful partner who can’t even call her “girlfriend” in front of others:

Like I thought we were over this shit. It’s been THREE years of them together, a whole anime production, and god knows how many irl years and we’re going back to “we love each other but we’re giRLs😳😳😳” WHY???

And then Kase later goes onto bet her entire three year relationship over the ugly bitch in the next panel, so now I’m questioning whether or not Kase even loves Yamada with the amount of bullshit she’s put her through. Which COULD be an interesting plot point, but Kase never gets any consequences for her actions and the creator genuinely thinks this is romantic and full of tension so I’m 10000% positive that this arc, just like all the others, will end with some makeup sex and we’ll be right back to step 1. Sigh.

2. Tamen De Gushi by Tan Jiu

Tamen De Gushi’s problems are interesting but it’s NOT because of the Chinese government💀

So today’s dark haired masc and blonde femme of the day are Sun Jing and Qiu Tong, respectively. Their personalities aren’t anything to write home about, if you read ANY high school yuri romance, then you know exactly what happens in this story beat for beat. But, BUT, however derivative it is, I find their dynamic very endearing and down to earth. Idk maybe it’s just the translation, but other yuri stories often have this very inauthentic “anime” vibe to it. Which is to say the characters act very cutesy, overly dramatic, and have this stilted, caricature-esque acting of how the creator thinks teenage girls are supposed act.

However, I’m happy to report that Tamen De Gushi is a breath of fresh air in this regard. The characters and interactions they have are grounded and feel organic, which makes them feel like real people, not aliens pretending to be human. This really elevates the humor in turn, oh did I mention that Tamen De Gushi is super funny? Because Tamen De Gushi is super funny, here’s one of my favorite panels and it’s all because of Sun Jing’s goofy ahh expression:

Like go girl give us nothing

If you’re wondering why I haven’t spoke much about the actual romantic relationship between the girls, that’s because there isn’t one💀 Which, okay, that’s not a fair assessment, they have a ton of romantic tension and they flirt a lot. It’s certainly building to a great romantic relationship, but it can’t quite get there due to legal/political reasons sadly. 😔

Edit: I received new information in regards to what happened to Tamen De Gushi. While I reached my limit for posting pictures, I want to point out that the Chinese government had nothing to do with Tamen De Gushi getting censored, rather it was a dispute between the author and the publishing company. The prior information I received was false and I prob should’ve looked it up more so sorrrry. The fact still remains though that after their big lesbian kiss towards the middle of the story and maybe a few other moments, that’s just kind of it. You’re stuck waiting for something to develop, but nothing really happens. The comic very quickly becomes a collection of slice of life segments and cute pictures that imply a relationship between the girls, but not really ;) ;).  Now things are just kind of left in purgatory for the foreseeable future and, well, that’s Tamen De Gushi y’all.

Compared to Kase San and Yamada, the characters were much better, which is not saying much, but without an actual romantic storyline, there’s just not a lot for me to comment on to be honest. It’s really pretty though, look at this art :

3. Beauty and the Beast Girl by Neji

my personal favorite and the BEST yuri I ever read

So next on the list is Beauty and the Beast Girl (I’m going to abbreviate to BatBG from here on) , which I already spoiled my feelings on the matter so this will basically be me gushing about this story for several paragraphs straight, enjoy.

Contrary to what the title suggests, it really has nothing to do with Beauty and the Beast’s story except in name. The main girls are Lily Blind, who is actually fucking blind 💀 and Heath the monster girl. Already I’m happy because instead of blonde femme and dark hair butch, it’s blonde femme and of-course-you-have-purple-hair-and-pronouns masc. Lol, all jokes aside, Lily, unlike her blonde femme counterparts is quite assertive and voices her opinions all the time. In fact, she’s the one who pushes Heath to be more open and communicate with her rather than the other way around. This is, in part, due to the story BatBG is trying to tell. I say BatBG is in name only to Beauty and the Beast because Lily isn’t trying to find the “beauty” within Heath or learning to love a beast or whatever, she’s fine just the way she is and her love for Heath is unconditional. Plus the only thing beastly about Heath is her appearance…which I’ll harp on later, but her behavior is in no way different from a regular human except in very rare, specific moments.

At its heart, BatBG is a story about forgiveness (the creator literally says as much) , but it’s also about the cycle of violence that results from being outcasted and deprived of love. BatBG is set in a world of humans and monsters, where the monsters are outcasted and either have to stay away from human society like Heath or assimilate themselves by hiding away their monster like traits, which is a really queer narrative on top of an already queer story. I don’t want to go into too much spoilers, but sometime before the beginning of the story, Heath in-directly hurts Lily before they ever meet. However, it’s not about Lily needing to forgive Heath, or trying to get over the pain she inflicted upon her, rather its Heath learning to forgive herself and in effect, learning to love herself as much as Lily loves her.

Another big aspect of BatBG is disabilities, Lily Blind is in fact Blind lol and while there are times she struggles with her blindness, she never views her disability as something she needs to be ashamed of and never, ever, blames Heath for it or holds it against her unlike what many, many, many, many other stories end up doing. Her blindness isn’t treated like a super power either, it’s a legitimate disability. She just accepts that it’s a part of her and goes onto say that if not for her blindness, she would’ve never met the love of her life, which I found to be an incredibly profound thing to say.

Now that I’ve gotten this far, I suppose I can add a bit of a disclaimer. So BatBG is waaaaay more explicit about the physical affection between the girls than in any of the previous stories I talked about. Heath and Lily are constantly kissing on, hugging, and almost always flirting with each other, and make no mistake, these girls do be fucking. The sex scenes are never perverted or gross, but genuinely super sweet and romantic, which makes it way hotter imo (huh imagine that🤔). And aside from being hot, it also serves a purpose! Lily’s pretty damn horny underneath all her nice girl antics and while it’s not a major part of her character, it does give a slight edge to her personality and, most importantly, balances out the dynamic between Heath and Lily. It would’ve been very easy to fall into that boring trope where Heath is aggressively horny and Lily is the submissive blind girl, but by making Lily be the one to initiate the sexual encounters, it not only compliments Heath’s more reserved nature, but breaks the stereotype that people with disabilities are pure precious being who couldn’t possibly have sex, which is ableist af btw. Many people think the existence of any sex scenes at all is superfluous, but in BatBG, it truly elevates the story, the characters, and the romance in ways that wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying without it.

Now, with as much praise I gave BatBG, there is one criticism I have, but it’s a quibble really, and it can be explained in a single image:

There is a dissonance between the story and the art, the story says: “Heath is a big, ugly scary monster”

The art says:

And like yes, it can be argued that Heath is simply regurgitating the things bigoted people have said to her, but at no point in the story is this ever challenged or brought up in any meaningful way. Lily is blind so she doesn’t know what the hell she looks like and the other characters aren’t any help either. It’s not a big deal or anything, it just would’ve elevated the story if Heath was actually kinda ugly/more monstrous and not incredibly beautiful because right now it’s giving skinny girl who calls herself fat all the time, and it’s like, babe, who tf are you fooling? 😭

Other than that, BatBG is incredibly profound despite its premise being so deceptively simple and I love it to pieces so …yeah! READ IT.

4. Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit by sometime

Well, at least there are no blondes

So imma just abbreviate to SiL btw

Alright, let’s get started. The premise is that a villainess falls for the super hero girl and then that plotline is dropped in about 16 pages. I’m not even joking, the villainess falls for the hero, loses her job as a villain and then joins the hero all in one chapter. The REAL plot is actually about a council of evil alien-humans who want to destroy humanity because of generic super villain reason #434: the leader of the aliens is sad and misunderstood :( I’m not even going to lie, I had 0 interest in “X” (the generic ass name of the main villain) and her band of useless lesbians. They did literally nothing in the story except be a nuisance and contribute to X’s incel breakdown at the end. Their inclusion actively made SiL worse because the story has this weird tonal problem where in one breath the villains are portrayed as complete jokes and then you turn the page and now they’re shooting children like girl what💀 And these useless lesbians hog sooooo much of SiL that desperately needed to be given to Honey trap and Hayate to develop their relationship.

When the story DOES actually focus on Honey Trap and Hayate, it’s pretty good, even cute at times, there just wasn’t enough time given to them to flesh their relationship out. As it stands, Honey Trap and Hayate don’t have much of a dynamic, or personality for that matter. Honey Trap’s main gimmick is that she’s extremely horny for Hayate and delulu:

Aside from that, she’s a great value version of Heath, but even a watered down character is better than, like, nothing. All I really know about Hayate is that she’s nice, heroic, likes wearing tacky clothes and ….that’s it. She loves Honey Trap because…………they fought together a few times so why not🤷‍♀️ I’d say at least that’s better than Tamen De Gushi, but actually it’s not because these grown ass women don’t even kiss , all we get is a love confession and their gremlin love child and that’s supposed to be satisfying I guess.

And the worst part is that SiL has the audacity to pretend the romance was something that it clearly wasn’t:

Girl…yall were “””enemies””�� for 10 panels.

Now, it’s stated they have been rivals for a while, but I guess Honey Trap forgot all of that because the moment she sees Hayate’s face, my good sis is pussy whipped for life. And that’s in spite of apparently being the evilest one out of the evil group because Honey Trap has no grudge or baggage toward Hayate. She immediately turns good with no issues and Hayate is only distrustful of Honey Trap for 1 or 2 speech bubbles and then she’s not. Anything else that happened was off screen, which means it didn’t happen. Ironically, the very next entry on this list will do a MUCH better job at an ex-villain love story, but for SiL, there’s just not much going on.

Another reading of this story is to call it a “parody” but…no, it isn’t. SiL isn’t a comedy, yes there are comedic moments that poke fun of the genre, but the rest of the story genuinely wants you to take it seriously. Except it can’t. X and her league of dimwits are boring as piss and they oscillate between Saturday morning cartoon villains and child murderers seemingly on a whim. So I can neither be endeared to them nor take them as a serious threat. Honey Trap and Hayate are there, but I lament on all the potential lost from what could’ve been an amazing relationship.

5. Yamujiburo/Kianamaiart’s Hanamusa webcomic

This one is kind of cheating, but I also don’t care let me talk about hot MILFs💀

So the final entry on this list is a webcomic series by one of my fave artist: kianamaiart! And it’s right here on tumblr so check it out!

I stumbled upon this webcomic a few weeks ago, fell in love and now I want to talk about it. This yuri pair thankfully has no blonde femme in sight and instead features two popular Pokémon characters: Jessie from Team Rocket and Delia Ketchum, Ash Ketchum’s mom. What I love about this ship and the world Kiana creates around them is that it’s a very unconventional pairing. There’s just not many romances where a single mom falls in love with an ex gang member and the best part is, Delia being a mom is a big part of her character and she doesn’t ignore Ash in favor of her new relationship with Jessie. She has time for both and doesn’t prioritize one over the other, which many ppl fail to do even irl so good on you Delia!

Now, as for the romance it self, Jessie and Delia are a unique pair. Jessie’s overconfident, brash, drama queen personality doesn’t automatically put her in the “dominant” role and Delia’s sweet, motherly personality doesn’t automatically put her in the “submissive” role. Their dynamic in the webcomic actually plays out in the reverse, Jessie is the one who gets easily flustered and Delia’s…intense, to say the least:

(But Tbf if Delia looked at me like that I’d be at her beck and call too💀)

This subversion of these tropes creates a fun dynamic for the couple and it’s super adorable to see how their energies bounce off each other in each new situation Kiana puts them in. I also love how both Jessie and Delia inspire each other to live out their dreams and they become better versions of themselves by being together.

And one last thing, I don’t have any smart commentary to go along with this, I just really like this drawing of Jessie:

no thoughts, head empty

Final Thoughts

Soooo yeah, that’s the end of my dissertation on yuri comics. I know I ended up dragging a lot of popular yuri, but it wasn’t my intention to make you guys hate any of things I talked about. These were just my thoughts as an avid yuri fan, so let me know your thoughts as well, especially if you read any of the yuri I talked about. And even though I’m super picky about the type of yuri I read, I’d still love to hear any recommendations. Who knows, it might dethrone the undefeated champ that is Beauty and the Beast Girl.

[faulty-writes]

Alright, alright, I have this little crossover idea of sorts!

Trigun is an anime in the world of MHA, and reader is crushing on Vash the Stampede. Reader has the manga, the anime on Blu-ray, figures, a plush...

How would Izuku, Bakugou, and Mirio react to their crush having a thing for Vash, who is fictional? Would they possibly get jealous, wondering what it is about him they like so much? :3

[ I love this cross-over idea. Fuck yeah! You know, it's funny. I wrote a few headcanons between the BNHA boys and them having a plushie a long time ago. I think the reader being obsessed with a fictional character, Vash in this case, is awesome and quite relatable. I honestly have to say I'm in love with Vash from the 1998 animated series, he is just so cool and I'm also currently reading the manga which is just mind-blowing. ]

His words were stolen from him when he entered your room to see endless amounts of manga, plushies, and even figurines of Vash the Stampede. Although given his collection of All Might merchandise, he knew he couldn't judge. But he also couldn't stop himself from feeling the tiniest bit jealous.

"W-what is it about t-that guy that makes them a-admire him…so much?" He asked after successfully convincing you to allow him to borrow the Blu-ray Trigun Stampede series collection you had. He didn't understand why you liked the characteristics Vash displayed but nonetheless jotted them down in his notebook as he watched.

Unfortunately, the attempts to display the same characteristics he saw to capture your attention were unsuccessful, and honestly, he felt a little pathetic about trying to be someone he wasn't. Plus, the look on your face made him feel like a bigger idiot than he was.

"I d-don't know what I was thinking…" he whined, pressing his head against his desk. "Will they…l-like me like they do V-Vash?" It was pitiful to think he was jealous of a fictional character.

"Perhaps you are approaching the problem incorrectly," Tenya suggested. "While the feeling of affection can extend to…fictional aspects, I'm certain that Y/n is aware of reality and will look at you the way you desire as long as you remain yourself." He wasn't sure how much faith he put in Tenya's words but knew he was right. Comparing himself to Vash wasn't going to get him anywhere.

Accepting something was the hardest thing but given that he was once the quirkless boy who dreamed of being a hero, he would face this issue the same way. He could accept it but not for long. He'd prove he was better than Vash The Stampede and then maybe…just maybe you'd see him as your hero.

"Tch, reading a lame manga, huh!? How stupid!" He remembers those words from his middle school years, and how you would always huddle in the corner with a stupid smile as you read 'Trigun Maximum.' The thing that years later became your obsession.

"What the hell is all this shit!?" He demanded. "This is worse than that damn Deku's room!" You had shelves filled with manga, and Blu-rays, not to mention plushies of the same character scattered around. "You shouldn't be obsessed with fictional dumbasses that swing guns around! I'm the only badass here!" And he'd prove it.

His jaw clenched tighter and tighter whenever he was in class, hearing you go on and on about your love for Vash. How cool and handsome he is, how amazing he is in combat. Damn, he hated it. He would never admit he was jealous, but what made Vash better than him!?

"What do you mean I can't take these!?" he demanded after irrationally barging into your room and stealing your Trigun manga collection. Nevertheless, after a heated argument, he settled for reading it in your room. "What the hell is so damn great about this dumbass?" From what he could gather Vash was nothing but an outlaw with a gun.

He didn't think his jealousy would affect him just like he didn't think his feelings for you would sway him from his dream of becoming a hero. But he found himself being fueled by the hatred of your Vash The Stampede obsession. Because of this, he grew extremely cocky during training exercises. He even went as far as shouting that he was better than some stupid outlaw which you found...odd, to say the least.

It didn't take a genius to realize you were unimpressed by his attempts and criticism of your favorite character. Yet, as usual, he'd be damned if you continued to idolize someone else when he should be the one idolized by you. Whether you liked it or not, he'd be the object of your affection next.

"Heh, wow...you really like this guy." Of course, it was an obvious statement with all the Vash the Stampede plushies, and merchandise that littered your bed and shelves. He picked up one of the plushies, staring into its blue button eyes that reminded him of his own and a strange feeling made his stomach twist. Was he feeling insecure?

"Oh, is that Vash the Stampede?" Nejire asked, pointing to the plushie Mirio held. "Huh, wait you know about him!?" He exclaimed. "Yeah, I-" He grasped her shoulders before she could finish. "What do you like about him!?" He demanded, and although Nejire didn't have a solid answer she settled for Vash's bravery and caring for others.

While Mirio was happy that he shared some favorable characteristics with Vash the Stampede, he still struggled to think of how to get your attention while respecting your love for the fictional character. How could you view him as you did Vash? Of course, he could never tell you who you could and couldn't love, but gosh wouldn't it be amazing if you did love him?

"So, what do you think!?" Mirio demanded with a bright smile. He was dressed in a red trench coat and orange glasses, the key pieces of clothing Vash wore. "You like Vash, right? I sure look like him now, wouldn't you agree sunshine?" To see your eyes light up when you looked at him, even in the silly little cosplay he was wearing, meant the world to him.

He convinced you to hang out with him and took you to a special area resembling the setting where the Trigun show took place. It was part of a beach, with endless sand everywhere. He wanted to impress you while respecting your feelings, and maybe make you have feelings for him. Overall, your reaction was so-so.

Despite his jealousy, and his somewhat successful attempts at trying to sway your attention away from Vash the Stampede and onto him, he wanted you to be happy. "Heh, who knows, maybe I will be their Vash someday!" Until then, he'd just keep smiling.

[yumeka-sxf]

My thoughts on Spy x Family: EYES ONLY Guidebook (English ver) - part 3

Continuing from my previous two posts, this will be my last post discussing the English version of the SxF manga guidebook "EYES ONLY." I'll discuss some of Endo's and Lin's comments on specific chapters, some of the included concept art for the series, all the Twiyor tidbits the book has to offer, and conclude with a couple things the English version of the book omits.

Endo's and Lin's comments on specific chapters

There's at least one comment from Endo and/or Lin on every chapter of the manga from when the book was originally published (up to chapter 61). Unfortunately I can't cover every single comment, but I did want to highlight a few (more will be covered in the Twiyor tidbits later on).

So Bond wouldn't have actually died from Yor's cooking then? Good to know her cooking isn't that bad, lol. Also that's a good question, Lin, maybe you should ask Endo? 😅

Lots of great info about the cruise arc. Makes sense that they had to plan it out many months in advance and keep revising it to patch up plot holes. All that work definitely paid off! Interesting that they almost considered not having Loid on the ship at all. Glad they didn't because otherwise we wouldn't have gotten one of his best outfits! 🤣 (can't wait to see this piece of work in color in the anime!)

Incidentally, the scene Endo mentions where he "managed to make Yor look pretty cute" is this one (she does look pretty cute here).

My favorite comment of Endo's about any chapter has to be this one for chapter 56. Never change, Endo 😂

And lastly, some good comments about chapter 59 (Becky visits the Forgers).

This is one of my favorite stand-alone chapters so I'm glad it was well received. Funny how they kept going with the joke instead of ending it "normally"...but when you have such great characters and setups, good comedy writes itself!

Below is Endo's commentary about Henderson, not a specific chapter, but thought I'd point it out since he mentions Henderson is the only character he's done a shower scene for...not anymore!

Also, while not related to a specific chapter, I do like what Endo says below about Loid and Yor's "dark sides."

He enjoys drawing them this way, which is cool, but he's also cautious about not overdoing it and saving those expressions for important situations.

Concept art

Most of the pre-serialization character designs included in this book were also in the exhibition pamphlet, which I already discussed thoroughly here (wish I had remembered these were in the fanbook so I wouldn't have put so much effort into trying to read Endo's scribble notes). So I'll just mention a few of the most notable things.

As I discussed in my post about the pamphlet, Franky was at some point intended to be the uncle of the family. Though I do think it would have been fitting to make him the uncle, I also like the main focus being on just the "nuclear" family, with the uncle and other characters having supportive roles.

An interesting note about the beta version of Yor is that she seemed to be more like Fiona - she was in love with Loid right from the start, to the point of trying to eliminate Anya! I doubt this is something she would be doing all the time as it would have been difficult to make her a likable main character if she was always trying to kill her daughter...in all likelihood, she would have tried to kill Anya at first before eventually learning to love her as a daughter. While I see how this could work for an intriguing character arc, I'm glad Endo decided to make Yor a loving mother to Anya right away, and not make her feelings for Loid an obsessive "love at first sight" kind of thing.

Twiyor tidbits

Being the shipper that I am, I tried to see if I could pinpoint any Twiyor subtleties throughout the book, as vague as they may be! 😂

Below are excerpts from Loid and Yor's character pages where we're given info on their current stance about each other.

Love the emphasis on their bond of trust ❤️

Below are excerpts from chapters 14 and 35, probably the most Twiyor-heavy chapter pages in the book.

This confirms that Loid did indeed interpret Yor's kick as her not having any romantic feelings for him.

Below are comments by Endo and Lin for chapter 30, where Fiona is introduced.

Endo's line is a little ambiguous here, but I think he's saying how people sympathize with Fiona because she's "doomed to lose," which is...telling 😅 (does Fiona's loss automatically mean a Twiyor win?)

Endo says he likes the "You're strong, Yor" conversation, one of the most Twiyor-ish scenes in the series so far! 😊 Lin also mentioned how they got to use that theme again during the Becky chapter.

Weird that he chose to highlight this line of all things as Loid's "Family Comment" for chapter 10. Could this and chapter 79 be more foreshadowing for an eventual "Twilight vs Thorn Princess" showdown? 👀 Or maybe he just likes teasing fans because he knows it's something they fantasize about.

English version omissions

There's an additional Endo interview that's missing from the English version of the book: an interview with him and Kazumi Takayama, a former idol of the group Nogizaka46.

At first it seemed very odd that they would leave out just this interview, but after discussing it with others on Discord, I realized it's because it has to do with an idol. Apparently getting licensing rights for anything that has to do with a Japanese idol group is very difficult, which is further hindered by the fact that Takayama isn't even part of that idol group anymore, which makes getting the content green lit for official release overseas even more taxing. So probably Viz decided it wasn't worth the trouble and just left out that interview. But thankfully u/Nemshi on Reddit posted a fan translation of it, which you can read here. They talk a bit about SxF, but most of it is just general questions they ask each other.

And the other thing missing from the English version that I really can't understand is the inside cover! Another great 4th-wall breaking joke from Endo (I added a quick translation of the Japanese version below).

Unlike the Takayama interview, I have no idea why they didn't include this. They include the inside cover as an extra page in all the English volumes, so why not here? Very weird.

---

And that's all I'm going to share for the "EYES ONLY" fanbook! Honestly, there's so much great content in the book that I didn't touch on, like info about East/West relations, about Eden Academy, Endo's comments on all the designer chairs for the volume covers...and lots more. So definitely get a copy yourself if you can! It's a must-have for any SxF fan 😁 Books like this aren't officially released in English very often, so the fact that Viz thought it was worthwhile to make this proves how much of a hit SxF is!

<- Return to Part 2

[shishuri]

Ive been rewatching Vision of Escaflowne (because youtube algorithm compelled me to).. ohh boy.. watching the anime with adult brain you realize a lot of things you probably missed when you watched it when you were a child

Ex.

Allen was 21 in the anime, and Millerna and Hitomi were 15.. it gave me big ick whenever one of those two flirts with him. And every time he kiss one of them i keep saying "15, Allen, get away).

When i was a kid i did wonder about the Dilandau/Celena situation, specially what goes on down under.. i mean Dilandau is suppose to be male so does Celena grows the matching parts too.. I realize now that Dilandau is probably a split personality for Celena to cope with whatever experiments were done to her, the experiments probably just enhanced Dilandau's presence. Because at the end Jajuka told Celena that its ok to turn back to the gentle Celena. And that is way sadder than what i thought when i was a kid and also what the hell was i thinking 😂

Dilandau was a major jerk, i never thought of it before but he was so abusive with his subordinates and now i wonder why those guys are so loyal to him.

Duke Freid is based af, he is the father who stepped up. He knew, he fucking knew that Chid wasnt his but he acknowledged him, loved him, took care of him and even trusted the future of the Duchy to him. He didn't care about Marlene's former lover, and the fact that she still chose him in the end, I am 100% sure this man is a green flag.

Chid was swole at 5 yrs old. This little man was able to carry a huge ass sword twice his size to present to the zaibach empire for their treaty. Either that shit was not as heavy as it looks, there is magic shenanigans involved or Chid was swole af. Also, for a 5 yr old he speaks like he's 10. Either he is a genius or children in Gaea age faster or the author never met a 5 yr old.

To this day i am still upset that Van and Hitomi never really got together in any media made (manga, anime, movie), Hitomi will always end up going home, now i am more upset that Allen got to kiss Hitomi and Van only got a goddamn hug at the end.. I want my farewell kiss at the very least.

Since Van is a king he may still need to be married to have heirs to continue the Fanel bloodline. However, if he was responsible enough and realized that he shouldn't have kids to avoid the Draconian bloodline to be passed on and possibly repeat the same problem he had with Escaflowne. I know he wanted Escaflowne to never be used again, but shit can still happen and may inevitably be needed to be used again. If who inherits the throne is not very strict in Fanelia, this should be fine.

What the actual hell was Asturia's power hierarchy. The king had 3 daughters, supposedly, the first born should be the heir, but he sent her off to marry into the Duchy of Freid, but the duchy doesn't seem to be part of Asturia, so it's probably a duchy of another country. The next in line should be Eries, but when the king couldn't do his job after Zaibach attacked Asturia, Dryden was in-charge and he married the Mallerna the 3rd princess, and even before that Dryden assumes or maybe told that he will be king when he marries Mallerna. Even in a 90s anime there was a middle child syndrome. I didn't care about this when I was a kid, but somehow it bothered me now. Justice for Eries (the forgotten middle child).

Dryden was actually a green flag.. i think when i was a child I didn't like him for whatever reason. But now I realize that he isn't so bad. Aside from marrying a 15 yr old (he was 21, according to wiki), but that's Royal marriage for you, unfortunately. Besides the ick when he flirts with Mallerna. He bought a mermaid to set it free, paid the repairs for Escaflowne (the price of his main ship), helped Asturia during the war, and he wanted to wait for Mallerna to choose him.

Escaflowne has a "click here to call the Repair guy" mechanism in it. Literally, they can call the Ispano and they'll come right away whenever, wherever if they need it repaired 😂. Top notch Customer Support service. Nowadays, if you call the repair guy it might take 5-7 business days.. that's being generous.

I still dont understand Folken's motive to destroy Fanelia.. he is literally the first born of the king of Fanelia, he can open Escaflowne, he could have just returned with a dragenergist and claim his right to the throne to get Escaflowne before Van's coronation. But instead he let Van claim Escaflowne and had Fanelia destroyed. It could be argued that Van needed to take Escaflowne. But at the start the target was just "the dragon" Escaflowne, not Van.

I also still dont understand why Zaibach needed to wage war and it was necessary for the Zone of Absolute Fortune. Of course everyone's wishes will be tainted with their thoughts of war, that was the last thing they were doing, their adrenaline is still working overtime. They haven't sat to think what is going on so of course they would unintentionally wish for the fight to continue, they were still on survival mode.. i think they would have a different result if the Zone was activated when everything was peaceful. Did they need the situation to be dire?

Dornkirk is Isaac Newton. Lol

By the way, the way Dornkirk described what happened when he arrived in the Zaibach Empire.. bro was having a major god complex, "sent there to save these people" like sir.. you end up there cause you wished hard enough.

I kinda missed animes having a bit meta in it with their opening and ending songs.. ex. The opening song for Vision of Escaflowne is the tune in Marlene's music box.

[taxkha]

i love your art so much i can't even describe it!! for the past year, every time i see it, it inspires me to create and improve so much i can't be jealous; i can only work harder hoping i can invoke the same feeling in someone else one day. your masterful use of loose lines and cozy colors never fails to make me happy on the rainiest day. do you have any tips for establishing such atmospheres, such as color selection or particular poses or expressions? (i don't write very well, sorry if this seems confusing) -an anon who appreciates your work to the fullest

Oh my god anon, you are so sweet, thank you so much (ಥ﹏ಥ) It means so much to hear I inspire someone to draw and I'm happy I can motivate you! <3 Please keep it up and I would love to see what you are making if you ever feel like sharing it! x) I'm so happy to hear my art has such a positive impact on you!! Okay so regarding your questions! When it comes to colors I recently made a coloring tutorial where I also went a bit into how I select colors, how I shade and what my go to effect layers are, you can find it here but it's also currently pinned at the top of my blog! I explained it in my tutorial but I will say it here again, I rely a lot on effect layers. That isn't wrong by any means and is what I would argue most digital artists do but if you want to learn actual color theory that goes beyond what colors compliment each other I unfortunately cant help with that on my own nor do I have any guides at hand to redirect you to :") Speaking of complimentary colors though, knowing your color wheel and which colors contrast each other already helps a lot! My favourites are green/red and orange/blue! To give some examples: green/red

These are less about an atmosphere achieved through lighting but more about the general subject matter of the piece. They are both more ominous and uh, bloody and threatening. And for Orange/Blue

The orange and blue combination is something you see in a lot of movies, for example Mad Max Fury Road or Blade Runner 2049 and many many more which have likely influenced me on what colors I chose in my art to some extend. Paying attention to media other than your own helps a ton and can totally improve on how you approach you art! Like, obviously I draw mostly anime/manga esque art and I get most of my inspiration from manga and video games, but I also try and look at buildings when Im outside, look closely at shot compositions in movies and so on! Other inspirations that have helped me are artbooks from my favorite games/shows/series, if you enjoy those x) Theres probably PDFs to be found of a lot of artbooks online if you don't want to spend money on them. I know you didn't directly ask what my inspirations are lol but they absolutely helped me! OKAY SO now about poses and expressions. Since you mentioned my loose lines, I have very good advice for that: Draw without erasing. Get a scrap book or some lose paper, cheap paper! And a pen you cant erase, such as a fineliner or a ballpoint pen and then draw. Do not go into it with the intent to make an actual good drawing, just. Draw! Draw half finished faces, hands, bodies, cats, whatever you feel like. Fill up the entire page. If you don't want to waste any paper, do it digitally but don't erase! Do that a lot. You will train yourself to draw loser and loser as time goes on. I've always had the habit of doodling onto everything mindlessly and I still do so I never had to actively practice drawing lose lines but thats most likely the reason why I draw the way I do! I actually have some examples from today because I got distracted at work:

I just draw whatever comes to mind until the page is full. I usually don't even keep these pages :") It has helped me a lot though. Uh yeah thats pretty much everything?? Thanks so much again for sending this ask, it was a very sweet thing to wake up to and I hope my rambles here can be of any help and to you good luck in your art endeavors!! :) <3

[nuri148]

Bad Boy: No one calls Levi "IT".

I wanted to comment on something that I've seen these days in some meta posts of Bad Boy, but I haven't had the time till now to check the font to confirm my impressions and, you know, argue with receipts.

No one calls Levi "IT".

I also must say, the posts authors are without fault. The "it" in the (rushed, fan-made) English translation is either a mistake (I suspect machine translation might be involved) or a very unfortunate choice of words if translated manually.

You see, there is no "it" in Japanese. There is “this” and “that”, but no “it”.

The word the criminals use is “こいつ” [koitsu] which is a derisive term to refer to a person. Depending on context, it could be translated as “this guy”, “this dude”, “the SOB”, “ that MF”… you get the idea.

If you watch subbed anime, you’ll hear koitsu* all the time in shounen where guys are or want to appear tough – especially since, much like in English, such terms can be used insultingly, informally, or even as a term of endearment between very close people (as in “This mf and I have been bffs since kindergarten!”). Those guys likely use koitsu on a daily basis. I don’t have all the raws handy and neither have the time to go through them, but for instance, Hannes calls Eren koitsu in chapter 1 when he ponders about the kid’s wish to join the SC; and Connie calls Jean this when he “blames” him for his joining the SC in chapter 3.

There are worse ways to call people, and Levi himself uses a wide range of them throughout the main manga.

More importantly, although koitsu can be used for inanimate objects, this use is rather an endearing form in familiar settings. What’s important to note is that koitsu is not the Japanese “it” equivalent by any means and, therefore, it does not carry the dehumanizing undertone that calling a person “it” in English has.

Depending on context (and Japanese is a highly contextual language) it can range from very informal to plain derogatory, but it is absolutely not akin to call a person an object. Calling someone koitsu in the wrong context wouldn’t make them go “omg they’re dehumanizing me”, but rather “omg they called me something very rude.”

Of course this doesn’t mean the criminals in Bad Boy are any less perverse, but I think a clarification of this (I want to believe, honest) mistranslation is important for two reasons: one, to provide an accurate analysis so as not to atribute the characters, or the author, an intent that isn’t there; and two, to not give the haters an excuses to dismiss or disparage a whole meta post because of one incorrect piece of data.

*I’m using only koitsu throughout the text for simplicity’s sake but you’ll also see/hear the equivalent terms soitsu/aitsu/yatsu, which are basically the same, the only difference being the itsu in relation to the speaker: this mf, that mf, that mf over there... You also have doitsu as the interrogative form (which mf?).

Here is a very clear article regarding the use of these words:

[basil-does-arttt]

DMC Questions Anon here!

It turns out that today, July 30th, is friendship day! What are some of your favorite friendships in DMC? What friendships do you want to see? What headcanons do you have about them? Just anything about DMC friendships.

Hello!!

My favorite friendship between anybody in DMC is probably Lady and Dante. Their relationship is very nuanced, theres a lot of complexities and they've been through so much shit together, yet they stuck with eachother through everything no matter what. I can see why some people would assume Lady doesn't like Dante due to how she treats him in the anime, but at the same time its a little unfortunate to me that some can't see past that and realize that constantly nagging him and such is just her way to be around him, and thus, to care about him. She wouldn't constantly be annoying him about money if she didn't care. (and she's never really forced him to pay up either for that matter.) While the ways she shows her affection may not be conventional, it works between her and Dante, and thats what matters.

I really like the HC of them having drinking nights together as well, just as a chance to feel things and let out all their (shared) trauma. They both have a habit of hiding their pain behind a mask, it'd be nice for them to just let loose every once in a while.

Personally i dont ever see Dante and Lady being anything more than friends. The ship is cute, but just not my personal tastes.

I also really like the friendship Lady seems to have with Nico. Even though we dont see them interact more than like twice in dmc 5, its apparent they've known eachother for a while (Lady used to go to Nico for her gun repairs and such iirc), and they seem to enable eachother's mischevious side lol (evidenced by Lady almost crashing the fucking van into Nero, when we've only ever seen Nico drive up untill that point lol).

I would like to see a friendship between Kyrie and Dante, either in a game or a manga or whathaveyou. I feel like they'd get along well, especially considering their shared experiences with losing an older brother. And we all know Kyrie is more of a prankster than she lets on (its canon she told me herself), so her pranking Nero with Dante's help is something i can totally see happening.

Id also like to see the relationship between Vergil and Trish developed more. Theres a lot of baggage there after all... it'd be interesting to see how it works between them, would Vergil get along with her or no? I think yes, but not easily.

Lastly, id really love to see Lucia getting along with Trish, they're both demons in similar ways (Trish being created by Mundus, Lucia by Arius) and maybe Trish could help her adjust better to being around humans, especially with her fears of turning on said humans against her will.

Thank you for the ask!! I hope that answers things :> <3

[sebadztian]

I rarely get myself invovlved in fandom/shipping discourse, but please allow me to put in my two cents in this whole "A guide for new Kuro fans" drama by sharing my own personal experience.

When I first watched Kuro, I wasn't into Sebaciel. I didn't see them as father-son, but I didn't see their appeal as a unit either, if you know what I mean. I was just watching this new anime without shipping anyone with anyone else (no, not even Cielizzy).

The only reason why I watched Kuro was because of the plot (yes, really). I like the idea of Ciel being the Watchdog and how he behaves like a detective, solving these cases (Azzurro, Jack the Ripper, and even the demon hound anime arc).

I managed to stay 'neutral' for the entire season 1 & 2, believe it or not (totally has nothing to do with how I'd watched them all within 3 days. It was during COVID lockdown, ok? I had nothing else to do!).

Of course, as a fanfic avid reader, I'd gone to AO3 to check out some fanfics and to my surprise, there were a ton of Sebaciel fanfics out there (I wasn't into anime at all and I wasn't aware that Kuro, let alone Sebaciel actually exist).

Since I wasn't into it, I didn't read any of those fics. I looked for the neutral ones because I just wanted to read about how Ciel solved various cases. Unfortunately for me, not many of those existed.

I started looking for more Kuro anime and found the BoC, BoM, and BotA online. Tbh, I was very, very confused. S2 was confusing enough and now this? Naturally, the next thing I did was to do some research about what's going on and that was when I found out that most of the anime aren't canon.

Then I started reading the manga.

In the beginning, I still had the same mindset, that I was just here for the plot. I can't remember exactly what has changed my mind, but then I gave those Sebaciel fics a try and that was when I started shipping them, because I was curious about why people ship them.

I started slow, but as I read those amazing stories and equally engaging manga, I started to see the appeal of Sebaciel and before I knew it, I become a shipper.

I'll say this, there's no way not to ship them if you read the manga. The entire series is built upon their relatinship and the development of their characters, both individually and together as a unit.

You can see this 'unit' as romantic, erotic, mentorship, even business partnership, or other. It really is up to you because your upbringing, your environment, your own characters, etc, might make you look at something in a certain ways.

But please remember that they're just FICTIONAL characters and they remain as such. As invested as you are in the story or the plot, this is just that, a story. Reading it doesn't make you a/an *insert insulting terms for Sebaciel shippers*.

So, in conclusion, for the new Kuro watchers/enjoyers, there is only one rule to watch Kuro: There's no right or wrong way/reason to watch Kuro, but kindly please do not harrass others whose opinions don't align with yours. Everyone has their own life story and it's not within anyone's rights to judge others for what they ship/don't ship. Please respect that and don't be an ass about it.

That's it. Other than that, read, watch, and enjoy the series (or any other series) in whatever way you want.

[elalalune]

Heyo,

I was wondering if there would be a sequel to your buggy in wonderland au fic. I'm assuming the au is based on the 2010(?) movie, which I watched only to know more about your fic because before that I had only watched the 1953(?) animated film and according to that your au made no sense but when I watched the 2010(?) film it made perfect sense.

So basically what I'm asking is if there will be a sequel to this au of yours cause 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' is amazing and it instantly made me think of your fic (as most AiW things do nowadays) and if your are making a sequel I feel that a good plot would be Time (whose identity does not fit any one piece character I know well) being obsessed with Shanks and being jealous of Buggy and trapping Buggy in his past where we actually meet the Buggy Pirates and then Buggy breaks out of the illusion and rescues Shanks and they get present time Buggy Pirates who are really worried about Buggy and theyalllivehappilyeverafterinwonderland.

Sorry for the rant 😅

Anyways, even if you don't have a sequel planned it's no big deal, the idea has just been swimming in my mind for a bit and I had to get it out.

P.S: How did you come up with the 'Buggy in Wonderland AU'?

Hello! The AU is mostly based on the original novels (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass)! Especially things like the roles for the characters (ex. Robin = the Mouse in ch.3 of the novel that talks about history to Alice (sidenote, the Mouse also mentions a poem that really fits as foreshadowing for the trial and I can imagine Queen Shanks being like this to Buggy 🫣) (another sidenote, ch.5 has a poem called Father William and I thought it fits Garp 😂)), but I didn't have the plot follow the same events because I'd get bored if everything has to be exactly the same story and I wanted to throw in my own ideas (merging some roles/titles, the pawn/queen candidacy, etc) + I gave Mugi (the fic writer) a lot of creative freedom on what happens in Buggy's adventure

The part where Buggy comes back to wl is based from the 2010 movie but other than that I can't remember anything else since I last watched it when it came out 😂 so I cant claim that as my main inspo

I made this AU because I really love wonderland themed stuff!! I've read so many alice inspired manga and games too (HNKN my beloved 🫶) so I wanted to draw Buggy in Alice's outfit (someday,,) and at first I planned for Shanks to be Bill the Lizard and that he's secretly the Jabberwock but Red Queen/Queen of Hearts worked out better

Your idea for a sequel sounds interesting! Unfortunately I'm not really into Shanks/anyone-that-isnt-buggy even if it's unrequited so I don't have any thoughts on this 😔

Mugi and I do have some ideas for more fics of this AU and it's mostly going to be about their past since we haven't really touched upon most of the world building I mention in the asks because the main fic was in Buggy's pov 😂 though it might be a while before I start bugging Mugi again into writing this

Here's the poems:

[tamamatango]

Unplanned character analysis I should’ve saved for 6/23 but I need instant gratification whenever I have a thought or I explode

Sup nerds, thanks for reading my master’s thesis completely overanalyzing what literal scraps we have in relation to the new anime. Unfortunately no updates yet on that front but I’m starting to go a little Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs in anticipation so fingers crossed they drop something soonish. I have a couple of longer form posts in my back pocket that may or may not happen in a nearish timeframe, we’ll see what I get around to.

I was going to not do any more posts until one of those materializes but I’m detouring from that for a bit because I had an epiphany about Saburo now that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this series again. Those if you who know me and/or were around for when I was most active here know he is my favorite character behind Kururu and that’s still true. So here’s like. A reading of him that I think completely changes the way you will look at this character. If you don’t see him like this already.

Saburo(/Mutsumi since this goes equally for the manga side) is not actually cool. Like this kid is totally cringe and a weirdo right. Literally thinks of the most unnecessarily extra solutions to things, wardrobe that gets increasingly bizarre over time, writes poetry that is usually either obnoxiously cheesy or just doesn’t make any sense. Spends his free time doing stuff like talking to cats and collecting shitty kids’ meal toys. His drawings aren’t even that good most of the time. Unironically Momoka has more swag than Saburo does (granted Momoka has more swag than most characters but that’s besides the point). Yes he is a super genius and athletically gifted and conventionally attractive to other people his age, and (for manga Mutsumi only) it’s later implied he was modified by the N326 in some way. But here’s the thing—a lot of his peers either think he’s a smarmy ass show-off little shit (manga) or just completely inaccessible to the average person so why bother (anime).

The reason why he’s such a celebrity is because the only people who think he is really cool are children and preteen girls (and secretly Giroro but the whole reason that’s a funny joke is because Saburo is totally not appealing to adults at all let alone hardened super serious soldiers). But this is a very profitable and exploitable audience so he is really successful. He is the equivalent of a Disney Channel teen star. He’s like what Justin Bieber was in 2010 or whenever. In the manga Mutsumi gladly eats up this attention, but the anime pretty heavily implies especially toward the (until this year tee hee) end of the series that Saburo kinda dislikes being under the celebrity microscope and having producers who want to milk their child star as much as possible; he just wants to create and entertain and express himself freely which is why he does everything anonymously.

I think the anime tried a little too hard to make him unironically cool and my guess is that this is for a couple reasons. One, he has Akira Ishida’s voice coming out of him which yes was obviously chosen primarily because lol Kaworu but also his voice is just inherently associated with “we want you to think this character is a mysterious ikemen” most of the time. Two, compared to the manga there’s a lot more fillery stuff revolving around Natsumi idolizing him and because so much of the show is from Natsumi’s perspective, that’s the perspective the viewers (who were also intended to be children then, though I think now that it’s a 20 year old series they’re going more for the nostalgic adult audience) get as well. Don’t get me wrong though the VERY few serious moments he had were fantastic, 229 best episode movie 3 best movie etc etc.

You could also argue Kururu thinks Saburo is “cool” but I think he respects him more in the way that he’s kinda like him but younger so they understand each other intrinsically and that makes Saburo more reliable in fulfilling Kururu’s specific needs than most other characters. Saburo’s a lot kinder ostensibly but unlike the rest of the cast, who recoils at Kururu’s mannerisms and psychological torment of everyone, Saburo usually just thinks it’s funny. Kururu is much of a freak as he is but is very particular about his image and actively micromanages almost every aspect of his personality to get people to see him a certain way and avoid showing too many of his vulnerabilities (it’s all but confirmed in the anime that his entire cadence and vocal tics are an elaborate act and his normal voice is totally different). We don’t see it much on screen but it seems he can kinda relax a bit around Saburo who himself is totally out there but in a more genuine and unabashed way, like even in the anime where the radio persona is a secret it’s not like he acts that much differently on the air than he does in his personal life. Besides maybe the early manga Kururu is not really a romantic and probably thinks Saburo’s sappy wappy poetry is cringe too, but he likes Saburo enough that he supports him being himself no matter what bullshit that entails (besides getting himself killed of course). Sorry had to shoehorn best partners talk for a bit longtime Kirb readers know how it is.

So there is actually a specific thing that made me decide let’s do a fucking character analysis for the first time in like 5 years or something, and that’s that I was browsing through raws of the one 4koma book I don’t physically own (shoutout to @kagender for those scans along with some other cool stuff like Keroro Land issues, storyboards and ref sheets!), and it was these strips:

This is a 4koma series in which Meru and Maru from Movie 2 hang around with the main cast for funny shenanigans. Not super relevant because these two strips don’t have them pictured but anyways. They’re having a beach day and Natsumi runs into Saburo who is there to “surf” but actually there are no real waves and he is just pretending. Because he’s copying the 1978 film Big Wednesday (it is Sunday in the comic). In other words teenager larps because he saw it in an old movie once. I know this is not really a pertinent example because the Keroro Land 4komas are all very silly and non-canon (a lot of the artists are actually former doujin artists) but look. This is peak, okay. This is my ideal Saburo outside of serious scenarios. I’ve seen the vision.

I swore I was gonna make this a short post but it’s not I guess. Can’t resist turning these into goddamn essays. So to wrap it up: Saburo is some dorky kid who thinks he’s way more of a hotshot than he really is and totally owns it with no shame. This is adorable. I will defend him with my life. I need Anikero The New to agree with me here. In like 85% of cases I prefer the anime’s takes on everything but Yoshizaki cooked with the ideas behind this guy so listen to word of god. Give us more Silly Saburo. The TikTok teenagers of today deserve this representation.

[nyxdelanuit]

"If I were to suddenly disappear, would you notice?" With Mammon or Levi :3c

Haha, I think I may have gotten a bit carried away by this one. But here is my first "mini"-fic of the season~ To request a mini-fic, submit an ask with a character along with a word or phrase!

If I Disappear

Levi x GN MC, some sad language, cuddles and stuff <3

You were attending yet another event in the Devildom, and honestly… you were getting a little tired of it all. You loved spending time with all of the boys, of course! You just didn’t understand why it seemed like there was some big event every other week! It was all a bit much, and you started to miss just hanging around and being lazy for a weekend.

It seemed like someone shared your feelings as you watched Levi slink out of the room and down the hall. Probably going to unwind before you snuck in for a late-night gaming and anime sesh. Maybe it was another one he wanted to prepare for! Get his room settled just the way he wanted with lights and decorations, prepare some snacks that were featured in the anime, or something like that. You loved it when you got to see him shine so happily and explain in minute detail what made each thing relevant. 

You had half a mind to follow him now, all the bodies filling the room and the endless chatter was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic. Unfortunately for you, every time you found yourself turning to the exit, another pair of excitable eyes fell on you. It seemed like an endless loop of getting dragged into conversations and dancing before you finally were able to slip through the heavy doors. 

With a relieved sigh, you scurried off to your home away from home and into your room. After an event like this, you knew it was unlikely that Levi would let you leave after a few mere hours, so you had to change into something a bit more comfortable. 

By the time you left your room, the sky was dark and the house was still silent. The rest of the boys must have found something that sparked their interests. You doubt they’d be back any time soon. Perfect for a lazy night with arguably the most jealous of the boys. It put a pep in your step you had been severely lacking earlier in the day.

You stepped up to Levi’s door, confused that the silence had followed you all the way here. Usually, he had something on as he got ready, and he had never once forgotten when the two of you had plans like this. You thought on it for a moment before quietly knocking, just letting him know that you were about to peek in.

You opened the door slowly, giving him time to say something if he needed to, but the room was pitch dark, only letting in the glow from the hallway and the ambient light scattered by the large tank making up the back of his room. 

It was just enough light to let you find the outline of Levi, sitting in his bathtub. It was a rare sight to see, him just sitting there. No controllers or manga in his hands, no catchy theme songs or bubbly character voices filling the air. It was an eerie scene, and if you weren’t so concerned, you may have just left Levi to his brooding. 

“Levi? It’s me… I’m coming in…” If he had responded at all, you didn’t hear it. You closed the door behind you, letting the softly tinted light of Henry’s tank lead you forward. 

“Levi?” You reached out carefully, trying to see in the low light if maybe he had his headphones on… but no, you swore your hand just brushed by them as you knelt next to his bathtub-bed. 

He gives a soft hum in acknowledgment this time, not looking your way. 

“What’s going on? Did you forget our plans? I’m surprised you’re not halfway through the TSL special again~” That usually perks him up, and you were down to watch it again if that meant it would get Levi out of this funk. 

“Would you…” his words start softly and fade so quickly, you can only catch a few words.

“What? I can’t hear you…” You lean in, trying to show him that you want to listen. 

“Would.. I-if..” he suddenly looks over at you, his eyes half-lidded and brimming with emotion. “If I were to suddenly disappear, would you notice?” Gone was your sweet, jealous boy with wide eyes that sparkled at the slightest mention of his interest, and left in his place was insecure, fearful Levi. It just about broke your heart, seeing the vulnerability he hides behind his otaku armor. 

“Are you serious? Of course, I would!” You follow your urge to climb into the bathtub with him, ignoring the way he tenses and sputters.

“W-what are you doing?! I sleep here! T-This is like climbing into a normie’s bed, you know!” The sad look hadn’t left his eyes, but color flamed on his cheeks. 

“Quiet!” You had tried to find a way to fit the both of you, but the positioning was awful. Luckily, Levi was so nervous about accidentally touching you that he raised his hands up by his face, giving you more than enough room to arrange yourself on his lap, looking straight at him. 

“I-I don’t understand! Why w-would you! You’re on my lap! On purpose?” Poor boy can’t keep up with all this, especially not with the way you’re grabbing his hands to lower them. You ignore all of that anyway and keep moving forward, wanting to make sure you address the question before anything else.

“Of course, I would notice. I did notice! I saw you leave earlier and I wanted to follow you. I tried to follow you, actually.”  His embarrassment was slowly morphed into confusion. 

“N-no, you didn’t! It took you forever to get here! And you were having so much more fun with everyone else than you do here!” You laughed, not realizing how mean that could come off. But it’s Levi, and he knows you. He’ll wait for an explanation, even if he feels his face heating up even further.

“I spent all day looking forward to this! I’m a little offended that you haven’t gotten anything ready… Seriously, I would have followed you out if I hadn’t gotten stopped like a thousand times.” You smiled as you watched him grow quiet. He needed to process what you had just said, and the way he was searching your face was letting you know he wanted to believe you.

“You really mean that? You’d rather sit in here with a stinky otaku than party with all those normies?” You pretended to think about that for a moment before sighing. 

“Yeah. As long as you stop talking like that, I thought we were past the whole normie vs. otaku thing. And if you get too stinky, I’ll just ban you to the tank~” You gave him a good-hearted laugh.

“Even if all we do is play dumb games and watch the same shows all the time?” You sighed and leaned forward, wrapping your arms around his neck. He didn’t know just how good that sounded to you.

“Especially if we play dumb games and watch the same shows~” You could almost feel him growing warmer underneath your touch.

“Did you mean to do that? Did you fall? Or slip?” His panic only makes you giggle, tightening your hold on him when you feel his hand brush against your back and pull away again.

“Yeah, I meant to. I want to cuddle with you. Maybe we can watch something too?” His hands finally settle on your back after he takes a deep breath. 

“Y-you can pick this time…” His voice shakes, but his touch becomes more confident, sliding his arms around you to hold you close. It gives him hope, being able to hold you like this. He knows for sure that not a single one of his brothers can take you from him as long as you keep this close. 

[phantasmiafxndom]

Out of all the animes you’ve watch what ones are your favorites

...you know what, you get the serious answer. I used to track my anime watching, so out of the 450+ completed ones on my list, here are some of my top recommendations! (In terms of quality, more so than what I've spent the most time dwelling on.)

. . .

One Piece — I haven't technically watched all of this one, but after falling back into the fandom after an 8-ish year break, I really can't understate the quality. One Piece's story is amazing, and I'm consistently impressed by the author's characters/worldbuilding.

Dominion Tank Police (1988) — I have FEELINGS about the villain in this one... Overall, 80s sci-fi vibes mix with themes of ethical responsibility and societal peacekeeping, and the "don't you just want to go apeshit? :)" protagonist (who's also extremely aromantic-coded) is a hilarious, yet wonderfully earnest little menace!

Kyousougiga — I've been rewatching this one recently, and the sheer detail in every scene is STUNNING. I keep having to pause to mentally scream about the symbolism, and tbh, knowing the plot from my original watch is only improving the experience.

Tekkon Kinkreet — This one's a movie, not a series, but SKLJKHS IT HAUNTS ME. Absolutely chilling, by the time the big plot twists roll around... Beyond that, the overall aesthetic/vibe is impeccable, and the exaggerated, messy art style only adds to that.

Kemonozume — Monster/human forbidden romance with stunning art and a great soundtrack. The plot started out a bit confusing, but all of the scattered story elements came together nicely in the end!

The Tatami Galaxy — The "get your shit together and start enjoying your life" anime. It's plenty good as just a story, but I got some excellent life lessons out of it too. Solid mix of comedy, drama, and charismatic-yet-extremely-bizarre characters interacting.

Monster — Excellent slow-paced, psychological horror packed with ethical dilemmas, traumatic backstories, and so many Extremely Depressed Men. In other words, there's a very good reason why Johan Liebert used to end up on so many "best anime villains" lists.

Paranoia Agent — I have nothing but praise for Satoshi Kon's work, in general, and Paranoia Agent has been my favorite of the ones I've seen so far. Compared to his movies, it really benefits from the extra space for plot development, and the big emotional twist hits hard.

Revolutionary Girl Utena — A true classic. <3 There are enough tumblr essays about this tragic yuri masterpiece that I won't go into detail myself, but yes, it's every bit as good as you've heard.

Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail — The entire Black Lagoon series is excellent, but Roberta is my special girl. Unfortunately, the OAV adaption compresses the manga's version of her arc pretty heavily (and the altered ending is kind of dumb), but I still have to recommend it. Babygirl's breakdown is a REAL mess kjshghs

Claymore — Excellent pseudo-medieval fantasy with badass female characters, lots of body horror, and top-tier monster design. The manga is MUCH better than the anime after a certain point, however.

Kuuchuu Buranko — An episodic series about an eccentric psychiatrist interacting with his troubled patients. The mixed-media animation style and bizarre characters are what sold it for me, along with the exploration of mental health through storytelling tropes.

Cannon Fodder — An artistic short movie that's twenty minutes of aesthetic experience and fascinating worldbuilding implications. I love the vibe, and the "one, long horizontal frame" style is neat.

Flowers of Evil — The art style. The VIBES. The whole thing is incredibly eerie and off-putting, with a plot that's pretty much: "congrats! two shitty teenagers are tearing each other's lives apart!".

[deaddee-anime-brownfanlady]

TOP 10 personal Favorite Manga.

Here's just a couple of manga that I love & just think are top-notch.

NUMBER: 1 : TOKYO GHOUL

A series that means a lot to me in many ways. When I first got into Tokyo Ghoul it was by the very first season of the anime during 2014 and upon hearing the opening theme of Unravel and seeing the first episode, I was hooked and went into the manga series right after. A nuanced morally compelling storytelling with an array of so many cool and great characters and narratives, incredible art progression from Ishida Sui, and overall just a satisfyingly great conclusion to boot.

NUMBER: 2 : J NO SUBETE

On the surface, looks like a regular BL series, but underneath an emotional-roller-coaster and pretty heavy story about a transwoman named J. Set in the 40s /50s, you fellow J childhood and the awful, rough bullshit she deals with in life as well as her love & massive admiration of Marilyn Monroe. Really such a good story that deals with some real heavy shit...but still so good.

NUMBER: 3 : MONSTER

Not only one of my favorite anime adaptations but also equally as wonderfully engaging & just as well done as a manga as well. Monster is such a captivating, intense story and truly one of my favorites from Urasawa's works. Following Dr. Tenma, a talented neurosurgeon who has grips with the moral dilemma of either saving the Mayor or saving a young boy who was shot in a murder. Tenma chose to save the boy instead and while it costs him being demoted he still believes he did the right thing. Unfortunately years later discovering the boy he saves...turns out to be a killer. This series is such a banger from its storytelling to the characters and just one of the best from Urasawa's.

NUMBER: 4 : GOODNIGHT PUNPUN

At first glance of this manga, you might think of it as something of a cute slice-of-life story about a cute cartoony bird. But actually when reading it...IT'S WAY MORE DARKER and GETS A LOT MORE FUCK UP! For real Goodnight Punpun is one of those series that's start-up pretty light-hearted and a little bit goofy with Punpun being a cartoony-drawn bird amongst very average-looking humans as a young kid in the first volumes of the series. But as things move forward within the story as Punpun gets older and his family situation gets more unstable as well as his life, the tone gets more depressing as a whole. Love the dark psychological storytelling, although it definitely the type of story you can only read once in awhile or in a good headspace because it definitely can be a hard read.

NUMBER: 5 : BERSERK

Seriously, what can I say about Berserk that already hasn't been said on some level. But this manga is seriously, I feel one of the most top iconic series within manga as well as one of the most engaging, moving, fantastic, epic storyline I've read thus far. I know the series itself is still ongoing, and I've been keeping up-to-date with this story since reading the very first chapter. Hearing about Kentaro Miura death....was tough, I knew he had serious health issues, which is why volumes would tend to go on pretty long hatiuses... but man. Another influential iconic figure in manga gone, Berserk is definitely a series any manga-lover or anime fan should read once in awhile.

NUMBER: 6 : SHOUWA GENROKU RAKUGO SHINJUU

Not only one of the most beautifully mature, well-written, compelling storytelling I've seen thus far in an anime series. But as a manga, even more so, a well-crafted story on the life and times of a sad, burden-ridden, slightly bitter, depressed, old man known as Yakumo Yurakutei, who is a highly skilled and experienced master of Rakugo, which for those who don't know is an traditional Japanese verbal form of entertainment. Think of it as something like a form of Improv done by only one person playing different characters to tell a story, This series has many layers to its storytelling that's is done so well dealing with Yakumo and those in his life that has impacted him as to the type of pained almost broken old man he is within the present time. Just a overall good & bittersweet but fantastic story that's deserves to be check out more.

NUMBER: 7 : INNOCENT

It is one of the most beautifully drawn manga series that I have read so far while also being equally gruesome as well. Innocent is a fictionalized historical manga set during 18th century France about the story and legacy of Charles Henri Sanson (actual real historical figure), who is the fourth generation of a family of Executioners known as the Sanson family who are the royal Executioners of Paris. The story follows Charles rough journey towards his path of becoming the Monsieur De Paris. This absolutely such a fantastic piece of work, both in terms of the visually amazing stunning artwork and along with the historical storytelling of Charles coming to terms with his hated lineage and becoming Executioner of Paris but also showcasing the societal/political chaotic changes and upheaval of France slowly leading up to the French revolution. Although some historical aspects are obviously fictionalized, but still such a good series.

NUMBER: 8 : THE PROMISED NEVERLAND

While my feelings on the anime are highly mixed due to really, really, really not caring for the way they handled parts of the storytelling from season 2 of the anime series. But the manga, on the other hand, is a totally different story. Seriously, reading this series was a blast and just an enjoyable experience from beginning to end, as well as seeing Emma and Ray also Norman grow & and develop throughout each arc was great to witness including seeing the rest of the kids thrive and survive the outside world. For this manga was a great read, and definitely, I'll say at least personally to me was done far better then the second season flimsy adaptation.

NUMBER: 9 : HOMUNCULUS

Truly an mindfuck of a manga in more ways than one. But still a pretty damned good and wild story, Homunculus is a story about a homeless man named Susumu Nakoshi who ends up meeting a seemingly antagonistic young medical student named Itoh Manabu to do a little experiment on him by drilling a actual hole in his skull for a total of 700,000 ¥en. Itoh, who is very fascinated with studying the human minds and amongst other things such as ghosts and the occult, but ultimately he thinks he can unlock the hidden psychic potential of Susumu brain. Nakoshi goes through the process, and at first, nothing seems to happen after going through the the operation. Until he closes his right eye and starts seeing otherworldly nightmarish monsters and shapes with his left eye when he looks at other people. This series is truly a weird but also such a highly intriguing and fascinating psychological read while at the same time being a bit of a downer, but still an excellent but messed-up good story.

NUMBER : 10 : ATELIER OF WITCH HAT

Okay, so I just recently started reading this manga series not that long ago, about a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm so freaking hooked. Atelier of Witch hat has truly captured my heart and mind with its engaging and creatively fascinating world-building involving witches and magic to the just as highly interesting characters and storytelling. Which centers around our young protagonist Coco ( the girl on the cover) who is this super adorably passionate girl who has such a huge love for all things magical /witches and deeply wishes she could become one as well, but unfortunately normal people or "outsiders" can't become witches, you have to be born into it, but that's doesn't stop Coco from trying her hardest to still wanting to be a witch. One of the things I love most about this world and how it handles dealing with magic and witches is that magic is really normal within this world and how witches tend to uses it to help and serve regular people in need or even for lighting up a cobblestone pathway also I really like how the magic system is structured in this series, such as instead of casting spells or any from of magic with words or a phrase, magic is casted by drawing, Coco here ends up in a pickle with accidentally casting magic that ends up turning her mom into stone & thus Coco journey towards witchood begins.

Seriously, even though I've just recently gotten into this manga & and its ongoing tale it's already has captivated me on so many levels and I just can't get enough of it so far wonderful storytelling and amazingly beautiful drawn artsy apart of it which really adds a lot of this series fantastical elements. Definitely a must to check out!!

Wanted to do a list of a couple of some of my most top favorite manga series and ones were I feel other's should give them a shot at checking out if there into any of these stories. (^ _ ^)

[yandereinc]

Isekai - Yandere!ShalnarkxFem!Reader 05

All chapters Previous chapter Synopsis: You have an unfortunate encounter with Truck-kun which leads you to wake up in the HXH universe.

"So, let's get to know each other, Y/N."

Those words brought a grimace to your face. You already knew too much about Shalnark and you weren't interested in him getting to know you better. He and the troupe could abuse your powers and you did not want to help a bunch of mass-murdering thieves,

"Alright, I suppose… How about we take turns asking questions?" You suggested. You really didn't want to but you doubted that you could make Shalnark change his mind. The only comfort was that wasn't Pakunoda, he couldn't tell if you were lying or not.

Your suggestion pleased him immensely, as evident by the smile he wore.

"I would say ladies first but since you know so much about me already I think it's only fair if I go first," Shalnark smiled.

He didn't even wait for a response from you to ask his question.

"Where are you from?"

You expected a question like that. While you could just reply with your hometown you were sure that would bite you in the ass sooner or later. Seeing as this world was different from your own the change that your hometown existed in any shape or form was small.

You did your best to think of a place they mentioned in the anime. But the only two places that came to mind were Whale Island and Kukuroo Mountain. You didn't want to drag Mito and the other residents of Whale island down with you if things went south but Kukuroo mountain wasn't an option either. That's where the Zoldycks lived and a Zoldyck you were not.

You wanted to say York New but he would question why you were staying at a hotel if you really came from here. Not to mention since he looked you up already he knew you had no history of living anywhere.

"Pass." You ended up saying, realizing you were lost in your thoughts by the way Shalnark smiled at you.

"Pass?"

"Yeah, how about we each get 5 passes? Dates might be for getting to know each other better but this is still just our first date." You tried to reason with him.

He responded with a sigh before resting his cheek on the palm of his hand. "Only because you're so cute." Shalnark grinned.

"Great. That makes it my turn now. Why is Phinks here?" You asked as you looked at the other blonde.

He was currently sitting alone at a table. Having dinner by himself. You wonder why nobody joined him. While Uvogin would stand out too much in this crowd another spide could surely join him.

"I asked him to join as backup."

You were surprised the spider would admit he asked Phinks to join as backup. Almost a little flattered that he thought he needed reinforcements to deal with you.

"My turn again! How much do you know about the phantom troupe?"

That question almost made you grin. You were glad he didn't ask any personal questions. On top of that, you knew a lot about the phantom troupe. While you didn't read the manga you have read too many wikia pages.

"Enough. But if you want me to tell you everything I know about you guys I want another three passes." You figured trying to bargain with him could help you avoid his questions about yourself. Five passes seemed like a lot but you didn't know how long this date would last.

This clearly intrigued him and he took a few moments before he nodded. "That sounds good to me. Now tell me what you know."

Glad that he agreed you took a sip of your wine before speaking up again.

"I know that you all have spider tattoos. Your rank is on the spider's back. I know that you're number 6 and that there are 13 members in total." You paused to get a good look at him. So far you haven't really said anything that was too important but he still looked fairly impressed with you.

"I know the names of everyone in the troupe. Your leader is named Chrollo and has number one. Number one is Nobunaga. Number 2 is Feitan. Number 3 is Machi. Number 4 is Hisoka. Number 5 is Phinks. You're as I already said number 6. Franklin is number 7. Number 8 is Shizuku. Number 10 is Bonolenov. Number 11 is Uvogin and number 12 is Kortopi."

As you numbered the members his smile only seemed to widen. He was about to say something but you cut him off,

"And yes I do know your nen abilities."

The moment you said that you regretted it. Panick covered your features as he looked at you in delight.

"Do you now?" He asked, excited to know that you knew about nen. Eager to learn your abilities because again you had a leg up to him.

"If you want me to name them all you'll have to give me another three passes," you told him.

"It's fine. I think it's time to end this date anyways."

His words surprised you but not as much as the antenna that was flung your way. Only to have it ricochet off of your skin and onto your lap.

"You should've let me finish speaking. I could've told you that your antennas won't work on me, Pretty boy," you grinned at him. Holding up the antenna as you rested your cheek on your free hand. Mimicking the position he put on earlier.

You expected a lot but he surprised you yet again.

"You think I'm pretty?" He asked with a very enthusiastic smile. Making you blush from embarrassment.

"I mean yeah, but I mostly said it to taunt you," you admitted sheepishly. Your previous cool demeanor melted away like snow on a hot winter's day.

Your shy demeanor made him chuckle. "I was hoping to do this the safest way but that's alright. It would be a shame to turn you into a puppet anyways. And this way we can talk on our way," Shalnark smiled.

You just raised your eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, I was getting ahead of myself." Shalnark chuckled. "I was going to use black voice to take you back to our base. But since that won't work on you you'll just have to come willingly," he explained.

While you were sure as hell didn't want to join them to their base you had no other option. "Just so I don't jump to conclusions what will you do if I don't?"

"Phinks and I will kill everyone here." Shalnark smiled at you as if he didn't just say he would commit atrocities if you didn't join him.

You closed your eyes and sighed. "Fine." You wanted to say that he owed you dinner since you were hungry but that wasn't true.

You don't feel hungry at all despite the fact that you hadn't eaten lunch. You realized that godmode must stop you from feeling hungry too. Nor did you feel the need to go to the bathroom. You wondered what else godmode did. But unfortunately, you weren't allowed to ponder for long.

Shalnark stood up and walked towards you. Helping you out of your seat and making you cling to his arm the same way as before.

You saw him nod at Phinks who nodded back. The blonde got out of his seat and left the building. You and Shalnark soon followed him. You noted that they didn't pay but nobody stopped them.

The car you ended at was a lot less flashy than you thought they would drive but you didn't care.

Ever the gentleman Shalnark opened the door for you. Carefully you climbed into the car. Once comfortable you noticed that Phinks was in the driver's seat while Shalnark joined you in the backseat. His arm around you to pull you against him.

When you looked up you realized that Phinks was looking at you through the rearview mirror. More precisely he was ogling you through the rearview mirror. When he finally did look up at your face you raised his eyebrow at him. Almost giggling when you saw him blush before looking away to focus on driving out of the parking lot.

Feeling a bit out of place now in your fancy dress you turned to Shalnark who was surprisingly quiet for a guy who only minutes ago implied he wanted to talk to you during the ride.

"Would you mind if I changed?" You asked him. Your regular clothes were in your inventory and you'd rather not have anyone ogle at you like Phinks just did.

Shalnark looked at your face before turning his gaze at the small bag you were holding. Probably wondering what could possibly be in that bag. Feeling intrigued he nodded.

"Of course," he grinned. A sparkle in his eyes. You wondered why he seemed so excited until you realized why. He probably thought you would undress.

Well, he was in for a rude awakening. Just like in a video game, you could instantly equip clothes. No undressing needed. So you opened your menu and made your way to the inventory. Your hand movements confused Shalnark but he didn't comment on it.

Within a blink of an eye, you were changed back into your regular clothes. Your purse and fancy clothing now safely in your inventory.

Once you closed your menu again you noticed Shalnark staring at you. Smiling as always. He was about to say something but you cut him off.

"How long until we get there?"

Surprisingly it was Phinks who replied. "Twenty minutes," he said, making you sigh. Since you'd rather not talk to Shalnark you had to find another way to kill some time. Luckily you still had all those game guides in your inventory.

Since you already showed them you could make items disappear and appear at will you decided it wouldn't hurt. So you once again opened your menu to retrieve a game guide.

This time however Shalnark gasped. As quick as lighting he grabbed your wrists in one of his hands. Making you raise his eyebrow at him. For a second you were confused until you remembered Chrollo's ability.

"Relax, it's just a game guide." You held the book up to show the cover to him. "It's nothing like Bandit's secret, just an ordinary book," you explained. Hoping both of them would calm down. Both as you saw Phinks flinch when the game guide appeared.

They did. A little bit.

Phinks glanced at you through the rearview mirror. Deciding to let Shalnark handle things. Shalnark's smile was still there. He didn't say anything. Instead, he used his free hand to take the game guide from you. Looking through it to confirm that it was in fact a regular book.

A delighted smile broke out on his face. "It's just a game guide," he said excitedly. Letting go of your hands so he could properly read the book.

Glad that he let go of your hand while simultaneously annoyed that he stole your book you contemplated opening your inventory to get another guide out. But since you didn't want either of them to panic again you decided against it.

Luckily Shalnark handed your book back only a few moments later. You didn't thank him when he handed it to you. Which made him pout.

"You know, you haven't been a very good date this evening," Shalnark teased. "You daydream, you don't say thanks, you don't answer my questions. Not very nice of you Y/N."

Shalnark was clearly just teasing you but it annoyed you nonetheless.

"That's rich coming from a guy who tried to mind control me."

This just got a laugh out of both Shalnark and Phinks. Making you sigh before you decided to focus on your book. Hoping to find some useful cheat codes that you missed or deemed unnecessary before.

You found some cheat codes that seemed useful. But with godmode on you figured you were fine. Not to mention that Chrollo couldn't steal your abilities.

Not wanting to be caught off guard however you came up with a plan. It was a simple one too. Godmode would protect you and it would show them that they couldn't hurt let alone kill you. Obviously, you couldn't kill them either. Which left you both at a stalemate.

So your plan was to appeal to Chrollo. Show him that you weren't a threat to them. Hopefully, that would make them let you leave.

After a while of reading you were suddenly interrupted by words filling up your vision.

Level up!

The words were quickly replaced by a bar that rapidly filled up. Showing you that you were level 2 now. It confused you immensely. Especially when suddenly two text boxes replaced the bar. One had the words 'save states' and the other had the words 'pause button'. You were about to reach for one of them when once more Shalnark grabbed your wrists. Making your book fall onto your lap again.

"Hey!" You cried out indignantly. Wondering why he did that.

"You should be more aware of your surrounds, Y/N," Shalnark chuckled. You wondered what he meant by that until you realized he must've been looking at you the entire time. He knows now that your 'weird hand movements' made things happen so he must've grabbed you to stop you from doing something else.

"Are you really going to keep holding my wrists for the rest of the ride?" You asked him, clearly frustrated. Not just by Shalnark holding your wrists but also because now the words were still in your vision. Luckily they were transparent but they were still annoying.

"Yep!" He said, picking up the book you dropped. Clearly happy that you bought some game guides as he was weirdly fond of them.

You could only watch as the words disappeared in front of you. You panicked, wondering if you missed your chance now. When you noticed two new things in your vision you calmed down. Your level indicator showed that you were level 2. And the menu button had an icon that showed you had a notification or message.

Hopefully, that meant you could still make a decision later.

You calmed down again, closing your eyes. Just in time for the car to stop. Causing you to immediately open your eyes.

"We're here."