#volume 15 chapter 137

[hourly-yugi]

[aihoshiino]

chapter 152 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 9

Aqua Hoshigan Status: White??!???!?!?

WELL DAMN. OKAY. LET'S FUCKING GO I GUESS.

With the End Of The Play… miniarc? interlude? wrapping up, Oshi no Ko officially confirms we're in endgame territory and slams down on the gas to barrel full speed towards its conclusion. This chapter was definitely a mixed bag, but I didn't dislike it and I SURE CAN'T SAY IT WAS BORING AT LEAST………….. It reframes a lot of things that lead up to it - I suppose that makes 'recontextualization' the keywork for this chapter, then.

The return to the volume 1 interviews in this chapter were kind of a surprise LOL. Given that the anime trimmed all but Ai's, I kind of took that as an implicit confirmaton that they weren't really that important so it's a bit of a jumpscare to see Gotanda (& Aqua's) revisited here. That said, revisiting them here is more about clueing the viewer that we're caught up chronologically with those flashforwards and thus that everything from this point on is officially uncharted territory, so I still do think cutting them from episode 1 was the right call to make. I don't think it causes any plotholes or incongruities since these interviews are really kind of incidental in the grand scheme of things… also let's be real I don't think any of us are expecting the anime to get that far into the story, even if I would give my left leg to see the anime team work their magic on chapter 137………………………….

That said, it's pretty fucking rich for Gotanda to try and talk big about the movie not being fictional when we heard from the horse's mouth that Abiko and Yoriko just fucking made up the dynamics of one of the most central and pivotal relationships in it out of thin air lol. Not only that, but like…

15 Year Lie is a movie with a pretty clear narrative. This by itself is natrual and expected. Narrative is the shape in which the human brain most readily accepts information but to create a narrative about something is to fictionalise it. Even when it's a narrative about real events - because narratives are, themselves, fiction. They have cleanly defined beginnings and ends, arcs and the promise of neatly packaged payoff and catharsis that is impossible to achieve in reality. To create a narrative about Ai's life in any form, let alone in a movie made for mass general audience consumption, unavoidably necessitates reducing her to a fictional character to observe rather than a fellow human to understand.

Which is… you know, horrifying! Fucked up and ghoulish! It's exploition of Ai in death just as she was exploited in life and I really wish the Movie Arc had actually focused on that uncomfortable undercurrent. This was, after all, supposed to be a movie about Ai.

BUT ANYWAY, CAST SCREENING OF THE MOVIE… we get some detail about reactions to the content but even as characters are literally talking about the movie and Ruby's extremely important role in it they just conveniently avoid discussing the content of it. But surely with all those important scenes that were set up and with the public release of the movie and Kamiki's side of the story to tell, we'll get some more details, right??? [audible copium huff]

Akane's tearful reaction is interesting, though. They're specifically singled out as not being to do with the content of the movie and her expression is a bit ambiguous - you could read is as resigned or relieved just as easily. I think she has clearly recognized something about Aqua's revenge in the movie which prompts that reaction but who even knows what's going on with akane at this point lol. sure not akasaka.

The girls all ragging on Ruby's acting was also kind of… like, yeah, remember when Ruby not being a good enough actress to carry a whole movie was kind of a huge issue??? The fact that this is resolved by everyone saying "yeah it was bad but idk aqua made it good somehow" was kind of silly lol.

I do really like Melt stepping in to stick up for Ruby, though - because yeah, of course hearing that would probably bring up some bad memories for Melt…! I also like that he doesn't try to shallowly flatter her or butter her up - he's frank about where she still needs to improve but hones in on the part that really matters. He really is a good kid.

That said, him sticking up for Ruby and her glomming onto him and calling him 'Master' (ししょ/師匠, shishou, as in the master of a craft addressed by their disciple, in Japanese) does kind of highlight that the MLRB mentorship that got set up in 144… went nowhere??? We can assume by Ruby's response to him here that it happened offscreen but it really does feel like a total waste of time to have spent what was effectively an entire chapter on setting up a new character dynamic that just didn't happen. Like… really, in hindsight, what was even the point of that chapter other than to establish that Melt… was also here??? I guess we still have the final arc for that to resolve into something but.

It just kind of sucks because I think a MLRB friendship could be really fun! I think they have the potential for a good dynamic and there's some really interesting parallels between them both that are ripe for farming. At this point, it's probably way too late for us to expect anything to come of it, so I can only daydream……..

tho it is really funny to me that at this point, since 143, ruby has had more meaningful on panel interactions with melt than she has aqua. What Did They Mean By This.

Gotanda and Kaburagi's talk that followed also left me with pretty mixed feelings. As expansion on/closure for Kaburagi (and Gotanda to an extent), I think this was fine… there's just a few little details that bother me, I guess.

On the one hand, I really like Gotanda's frank admission that there's no way to know whether the movie really captured the 'real' Ai. This is another thing I've talked about over and over during the Movie Arc but nobody making this movie is really in a position to be making that call - the only person who really could is Ai and… well, she's not here anymore to advocate for herself. Seeing Gotanda acknowledge that does scratch some of what was left unitched by this thread but…

Eugh. I don't know. Something about this movie, which is about Ai's life, Ai's tragedy, Ai's final push to be shown to the world as she was and to potentially be accepted being made to be about Gotanda's regrets just feels kind of icky to me. Maybe it just feels especially bad because it feels like 15 Year Lie has become more about every other character involved than her. I'm sure people are sick of me complaining about it, but it really does feel like Ai as a figure of emotional importance to this story is getting increasingly downplayed and dismissed and…… just feels bad, I guess!!!!

Kaburagi's side of this conversation is a lot more engaging, at least. This does tragically represent the end of my Secret Villain Kaburagi Theory and I feel decidedly mixed on the story choosing to frame him so sympathetically… but on the other hand, I do like how this implication of guilt and sense of responsibility reframes basically all his prior actions in the manga. It seems to confirm that he clocked Aqua (and thus by extension, Ruby) as being Ai's child right from the start and explains why he was willing to go so far in pushing their careers along at little benefit to himself - it was out of atonement to Ai.

that panel of young kaburagi and baby ai having lunch together. fuck, man. the fact that she took the burger out of the wrapper like she does in viewpoint b………….. babygirl i loev u so muuuuchchchchchchhchchchchsjsjsskasklsndkdkd

and……………………….. now it's time for aqua's interview. Jesus Christ.

I like the recontextualization of Aqua's interview here and the way we see This Mysterious Interviewer gradually pick apart his responses. I especially got SUCH a thrill out of his 'I won't love anyone' schtick being called out as the bullshit it is - one of my first really meaty OnK metas was of Aqua's interview segment specifically and I zeroed in on this sentiment specifically as being a lie that Aqua was trying to project and seeing the text back that up makes me a very happy Claire

But more importantly though… what Aqua has to say after that makes me particularly excited.

First of all, let's get it out of the way: KAMIKI JUMPSCARE!!!!!!!!! It seems implicit that he was the one doing all the interviews which is very fucking funny considering his presence in the movie itself, but I'm not entirely sure it changes or adds much other than giving Aqua the opportunity to death note speech his ass.

What is fascinating to me about this talk is what it implies about Aqua. Every time we've seen his revenge play come up before this, the very strong implication is that Aqua intends to die at the end of it, either by Kamiki's hand or his own. But here, face to face with the man he's dedicated his entire life to ruining, Aqua doesn't just state his intent to get revenge but his intention to reclaim his future by doing so. We've gotten some pushes towards this since 150 but this is the clearest declaration of his intent to finally seize hold of this second chance and fucking live it that we've gotten out of Aqua… honestly, ever!

And accordingly, we see Aqua return to his white hoshigans here. I don't necessarily know if I want to call this slam dunk confirmed but this WAS really exciting to see given how it falls in line with my interpretation of "white hoshigan = hope = future" and "black hoshigan = despair = futurelessness". Everybody has been spending the last few chapters basically begging Aqua not to throw away his future and hurt the people he loves just to chase his revenge and it does seem like they're starting to get through to him.

Is this development kind of rushed? Honestly, yeah! I would've loved to see this explored more from properly inside Aqua's POV and it feels especially abrupt given how hard he got ignored all during the post-123 section of the Movie Arc. But at this point, it just feels so fucking good to see Aqua say out loud that he wants to have a future, that he wants to finally move forward and live that I can't bring myself to care. I just want him to finally be happy!!!

that said how fucking funny is it that the closest thing aqua has gotten to therapy in years is from his estranged father, a serial killer

break next week…!

[everyjirou]

[everyamajikitamaki]

[yyh4ever]

Yu Yu Hakusho Konbiniban (9 volumes, 2021-2022)

Shueisha Jump Remix (SJR)

The konbini edition, as the name states, are volumes sold in konbini, japanese convenience stores. This edition is published by Shueisha under the brand of "Jump Remix". It is known as a low price edition, with no color pages, no dust jackets, and they feature several chapters in one volume. It's closer to what english speakers call "omnibus". The Yu Yu Hakusho Jump Remix has 9 volumes, in contrast to the 19-volume tankoubon.

This is not the first time Shueisha publishes this version. This is a reprint, thanks to the Yu Yu Hakusho huge popularity. The first YYH SJR came out in 2009 and the second reprint, I think it was in 2012.

Yu Yu Hakusho Shueisha Jump Remix, 9 volumes. The first and second prints.

Unlike those older prints, in which they just reused some of the tankoubon art and covers, this time, they printed new covers. Although the art is the same Togashi drew to the 2004 kanzenban edition, they added a new design and included some of characters' famous lines in the covers. Here they are:

► Volume 1: Yusuke's Ordeal Arc

Yusuke: "I'll definitely come back! Believe it...and wait for me." (Yusuke talks to Keiko in Kuwabara's body)

Release: December 17th 2021

Chapters 1 to 17 (404 pages)

Chapter 1 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 2: Spirit Detective Arc - Part 1

Kurama: "I guess I wanted someone to hear my confession." (the first encounter with Yusuke)

Release: January 7th 2022

Chapters 18 to 32 (324 pages)

Chapter 18 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 3: Spirit Detective Arc - Part 2

Hiei: "I don't wanna see your mug ever again." (after killing Seiryuu)

Release: January 21st 2022

Chapters 33 to 51 + TWO SHOTS (420 pages)

Chapter 33 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 4: Dark Tournament Arc - Part 1

Kuwabara: "Wouldn't be cooler to beat those filthy guys by following the rules, captain?" (before Rishou's fight)

Release: February 4th 2022

Chapters 52 to 75 (500 pages)

Chapter 52 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 5: Dark Tournament Arc - Part 2

Genkai: "If you get older, I'll get older too. Isn't that fine?" (Young Genkai to Toguro, 50 years ago)

Release: February 18th 2022

Chapters 76 to 93 (372 pages)

Chapter 76 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 6: Dark Tournament Arc - Part 3

Younger Toguro: "Perhaps, you still think you won't die, don't you?" (Toguro VS Yusuke)

Release: March 4th 2022

Chapters 94 to 112 (404 pages)

Chapter 94 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 7: The Chapter Black Arc - Part 1

Koenma: "The fact is that I didn't have any proof, but I guess the truth is that I didn't want to believe." (Koenma talks about Sensui)

Release: March 18th 2022

Chapters 113 to 132 (420 pages)

Chapter 115 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 8: The Black Chapter Arc - Part 2

Sensui: "I like flowers and trees, insects and animals. The only thing I hate is human beings."

Release: April 1st 2022

Chapters 133 to 153 (436 pages)

Chapter 137 preview: SJR Official Site

► Volume 9: Makai Tournament Arc (END)

Yusuke: "Let's just fight, and put aside all this country thing." (proposal to Yomi)

Release: April 15th 2022

Chapters 154 to 175 (452 pages)

Chapter 155 preview: SJR Official Site

Read a little bit more about the other editions of the Yu Yu Hakusho manga:

Kanzenban (15 volumes, August 2004 to March 2005)

Bunkoban (12 volumes, November 2010 to October 2011)

Digital Colored Comics (19 volumes, August 2015)

eOneBook  (One volume, December 2020)

[thena0315]

Attack on Titan: The Final Season will be in 2 Parts

Episode 1: Chapters 91 & 92 Episode 2: Chapters 93 & 94 Episode 3: Chapters 95 & 96 Episode 4: Chapters 97 & 98 Episode 5: Chapters 99 & 100 Episode 6: Chapters 101 & 102 Episode 7: Chapters 103 & 104 Episode 8: Chapters 105 & 106 Episode 9: Chapters 107 & 108 Episode 10: Chapters 109 & 110 Episode 11: Chapters 111 & 112 Episode 12: Chapters 113 & 114 Episode 13: Chapters 115 & 116 Episode 14: Chapters 117 & 118 Episode 15: Chapters 119 & 120 Episode 16: Chapters 121 & 122

The Final Season Blu-ray/DVD Volume 1 will be released on May 19th, 2021

Chapter 123 - Chapter 138 (most likely last chapter) will be animated once the manga is completed early next year. 

Then the remainder half for Part 2 should be: 

Episode 17: Chapters 123 & 124 Episode 18: Chapters 125 & 126 Episode 19: Chapters 127 & 128 Episode 20: Chapters 129 & 130 Episode 21: Chapters 131 & 132 Episode 22: Chapters 133 & 134 Episode 23: Chapters 135 & 136 Episode 24: Chapters 137 & 138

*There are rumors stating that the final chapters will be put in a movie rather than episodes. But take that as a grain of salt, nothing is confirmed. What is confirmed is the ENTIRE finale chapters will be animated.

[asdeadasasquirrel]

I posted 15,622 times in 2021

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For every post I created, I reblogged 102.5 posts.

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Longest Tag: 139 characters

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My Top Posts in 2021

#5

This is simultaneously a chirin no suzu reference/joke about that animal character page in the newest volume and a very sad pokemon evolution of my favorite hero student.

361 notes • Posted 2021-04-21 02:27:33 GMT

#4

The new 306 chapter colorspread got me feeling really hyped

992 notes • Posted 2021-03-20 04:36:56 GMT

#3

Dad for One Week: Day 4: I’m not like you.

“ I chose my path, you chose the way of the hero. And they found you amusing for a while, the people of this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you.

Why bother?”

1393 notes • Posted 2021-07-15 16:13:23 GMT

#2

Dad for One Week: day 2: “ Are you done playing heroes and villains, son?”

The answer is no, never

2053 notes • Posted 2021-07-14 02:23:44 GMT

#1

the ship name for Inko/AFO should be ✨All for Inko✨ just sayin

5393 notes • Posted 2021-06-05 09:18:32 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Fridays—Chapter 171: The Analysis, chapter 4

Fridays—Chapter 171: The Analysis, chapter 4

Pairing:  Captain Swan

Summary:   A series of unrelated, fluffy one shots featuring Killian Jones and  Emma Swan and the relationship that makes us all swoon. Will contain  both canon and AU stories. My contribution to Operation Rainbow Kisses  and Unicorn Stickers (aka, my attempt to drown out the season 4 finale  angst with ridiculous levels of fluff.)

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31) (32) (33) (34) (35) (36) (37) (38) (39) (40) (41) (42) (43) (44) (45) (46) (47) (48) (49) (50) (51) (52) (53) (54) (55) (56) (57) (58) (59) (60) (61) (62) (63) (64) (65) (66) (67) (68) (69) (70) (71) (72) (73) (74) (75) (76) (77) (78) (79) (80) (81) (82) (83) (84) (85) (86) (87) (88) (89) (90) (91) (92) (93) (94) (95) (96) (97) (98) (99) (100) (101) (102) (103) (104) (105) (106) (107) (108) (109) (110) (111) (112) (113) (114) (115) (116) (117) (118) (119) (120) (121) (122) (123) (124) (125) (126) (127) (128) (129) (130) (131) (132) (133) (134) (135) (136) (137) (138) (139) (140) (141) (142) (143) (144) (145) (146) (147) (148) (149) (150) (151) (152) (153) (154) (155) (156)  (157) (158) (159) (160) (161) (162) (163) (164) (165) (166) (167) (168) (169) (170) (172) (173) (174) 

(ao3) (ff.net)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: Big thank you to @jrob64 for making the above art for this story!

Emma took one last look in the mirror, fluffing her hair and touching up her lipstick.  She nodded, pleased with the look she’d managed to achieve.  She’d taken far longer than she’d like to admit choosing her dress for tonight’s date with Killian.  She wanted to look nice, but keep it a touch on the casual side, not wanting to scare him away anymore than she no doubt already had with her paper.

She’d landed on a yellow, thigh length shirt dress with tiny black polka dots, black buttons down the front and a thin black belt.  During class, she’d caught him looking at her hair more than once, and so she’d opted to leave it down, beach waves teased the slightest bit for some extra volume.

She imagined him running his fingers through her tresses, letting the hair slide gently through his fingers as he brought her toward him for a kiss.  Would he be that bold on a first date?  She rather doubted it, but she wanted it.  Oh, how she wanted it.

There was so much she wanted, and she hoped, given enough time and enough dates, she’d get all of it.

Emma supposed she should be a touch freaked out that she was already thinking about long term with Killian, but she wasn’t.  All of this felt right, and she couldn’t wait to begin the relationship that she hoped would span many, many years.

With one last tossel of her hair, Emma turned off the bathroom light and stepped into the common room of the apartment.  She couldn’t help but chuckled as she came face to face with Mary Margaret and Ruby, huge smiles plastered across their faces.

Mary Margaret raised a camera to her eyes and snapped away as Emma came fully into the room.

“What are you doing?” Emma asked with a laugh.

“Somebody has a big date tonight,” Mary Margaret said in a singsong voice, “and I thought it needed to be documented with photos.”

Emma rolled her eyes good-naturedly.  “Don’t oversell it.  It’s just a first date.”

“It is not just a first date, and you know it,” Ruby countered.  “You’re head over heels for that man already, and if what I saw at lunch this afternoon was any indication, he’s just as far gone as you.”

Emma felt her stomach swoop.  She couldn’t deny it.  She was far gone for Killian.  “Yeah, well, don’t you dare scare him off or there might not end up being a second date.”

“I don’t know, Emma,” Mary Margaret said, snapping another picture from a different angle.  “Ruby’s right.  Killian does seem to be really into you.  I have a feeling it would take a lot more than our good-natured ribbing to scare him off.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a tentative knock at the door, and Mary Margaret squealed, clapping her hands in delight.  “He’s here!”

Emma shook her head, smiling at her friends’ antics, feeling her heart begin to pound in anticipation of the night ahead.  She opened the door, and promptly lost any and all train of thought she might have had.

Killian looked amazing.  Dark, black jeans, royal blue button up, black sports coat, hair artfully mussed.  He grinned a touch self-consciously as he held a single, long-stemmed red rose out to her. Emma felt a rush of desire, the strongest urge to simply pull him toward her and kiss the holy hell out of him.

Probably not the best way to start the date, although, if she had anything to say about it, that urge would certainly play itself out at some point during the evening.

“Swan,” he breathed, “You look…”

She grinned at him.  “I know,” she said cheekily.  

He chuckled, stepping forward to offer her the rose he carried.  She took it, bringing it gently to her nose and inhaling the luscious aroma.  “Thanks.”

After taking a moment to put the rose in water, Emma grabbed a coat .  “Shall we?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” he answered, guiding her from the apartment with a hand to the small of her back.  

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Ruby called from her perch on the sofa.

“Pretty sure there’s nothing you wouldn’t do, Rubes,” Emma answered with a laugh.

Her friend winked at her.  “Exactly.”

With another laugh, and a shake of her head, Emma stepped out the door, sharing a smile with Killian.

“Sorry about them,” Emma said as they walked down the flight of stairs and Killian gestured to a black chevelle.  He led her to the passenger side, gallantly opened the door, and helped her inside.  “They mean well.  They’re just a little…much…sometimes.”

He smiled fondly at her as he slid into his seat behind the wheel and started the engine.  “They only want your happiness, Swan, and I certainly can’t fault them for that.  I…I only hope I can provide that for you.”

He was so self-deprecating, and had such a low opinion of himself.  They’d need to work on that.  One day she hoped to show him how very much he mattered.

“You’re already succeeding on that front,” she reassured.  His resulting smile was utterly delighted.

“So,” Killian said, turning toward her.  “Where are we headed, Swan?”

“I booked us reservations at that little Italian restaurant downtown,” Emma said.  “Belle Notte, I think it’s called.”

“Never been there,” Killian said with a nod, pulling away from his parking spot on the street and heading in the direction she’d indicated, “but I’ve heard it’s quite the romantic spot.”

“I hope so,” Emma answered.  “I was hoping to pull out all the stops and really make an impression on this date.”

The smile he gave her was nothing short of absolute adoration.  “Emma, I assure you.  You can’t help but make an impression.  I’ve no doubt the smile wouldn’t leave my face even if you’d planned on staying in and eating cold left-overs whilst wearing sweats.”

The drive to the restaurant was short, only a few minutes, and they filled the time with small talk.  Once parked, Killian hurried to her side of the car to open the door, and after he’d shut it behind her, she reached out and took his hand, lacing their fingers.  He looked startled for a moment, but he didn’t pull away.  Indeed, after a moment, he squeezed her hand, a delighted grin joining the twin spots of color on his face.

A smiling hostess showed the two of them to their table, and true to form, Killian held her seat for her before taking his own.

“Such a gentleman,” she murmured, reaching over and taking his hands in both of hers as soon as they were situated.  She couldn’t help herself, just wanted to touch him, be connected to him.  This pull she felt between them was so strong, so irresistible it almost scared her.

Almost.

But she felt so good, so utterly and incandescently happy being here with him, that there was no room for fear or any other negative emotion.

“I strive to always be a gentleman, love,” he said.  “My brother taught me the importance of treating a woman with respect.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother!” Emma said, caressing his hand with her thumb.

He glanced aside, the shadows filling his eyes for just a moment.  “He passed some years back.”

She felt like an absolute heel.  “Killian, I’m sorry,” she said.  “If I’d known, I’d never have brought it up.”

He smiled gently at her, waving away her concerns.  “Not at all, Swan,” he said.  “It was long ago.  The pain has faded enough that I can remember him fondly.”

A waitress stopped by their table, giving them menus and listing the specials of the night.  As soon as she’d walked away, Emma turned toward Killian.  “Should I order us some drinks?”

He glanced aside, scratching at the back of his ear.  “No, I…I don’t think so.”

“Afraid you’ll find me even more irresistible after a few libations?” she flirted.

He reddened further, even as he grinned.  “No,” he answered. “I’m fairly certain it’s not possible for me to find you any more irresistible than I do right now.  You, love, are extraordinary.”

This time Emma’s cheeks reddened as she smiled at the compliment. 

“It’s just…” he went on, looking uncomfortable again.  “I’m sort of…allergic…to alcohol.  Never touch the stuff.”

It was odd.  He seemed beyond embarrassed to admit the fact, perhaps even ashamed.  She shrugged.  “It’s no big deal.  We don’t need booze to make for an enjoyable night.”

“Really?” he asked, eyes widening.  “I’ve endured more than my fair share of mockery for my preference for goats milk over hard liquor.”

There it was again, his low opinion of himself.  It was long past time to begin moving him past that.

“Killian,” she said, lacing their fingers and squeezing his hands.  “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.  You are…honestly, you’re kind of amazing.”

He colored even more.  “I’m not so sure about that…”

“Well, I am,” she said firmly.  “So how about you take my word for it?  Whoever it was in your past that made you feel less-than was an idiot, and they didn’t have a clue what they were missing.”

His eyes softened at her words, something big and overwhelming–gratitude? Hope?--shining from them.

“I have to admit, goat’s milk is kinda a weird substitute for alcohol,” she chuckled, “but hey.  To each their own.”

Dinner was an enjoyable affair.  The food was good, and the conversation was even better.  As they talked and laughed, sharing tidbits about their lives, their hopes and dreams, Emma found herself enjoying everything about Killian.  It was more than just the animalistic attraction she felt toward him.  She genuinely liked him; enjoyed his company; felt that above and beyond the romantic feelings they might have for each other, they could become deep and lasting friends.

Emma knew that regardless of what their relationship might bring–whether it worked out or didn’t–she wanted to keep him in her life.

When dinner finished, neither of them wanted the evening to come to a close, and so they opted to go to a local park, holding hands as they strolled through the nature pathways under the stars.  It was a magical night, with romance in the air, though Emma suspected there was truly nothing special about the night or the air.  It was the man she was with.  He brought the butterflies just with his smile.

When had she gotten so cheesy? She was so into him it was ridiculous.

By the time the evening chill began to descend upon them, they returned to his car, knowing the end of the date was fast approaching.

He didn’t start the car immediately, instead gazing sightlessly down at the steering column, looking like he was warring within himself.  Finally he turned to look at her, and there was trepidation in his eyes.  He seemed to be girding up his courage to say something to her, and Emma felt a hint of unease.

Didn’t he enjoy tonight as much as she did?

“Emma…:” he began, drawing out her name.

“Killian, whatever it is, just tell me,” she said, feeling the unease grow at his strange behavior.  “If you aren’t into me or whatever, it’s okay.  I can handle it.”

His eyes widened.  “I’m making a right mess of this,” he said.  “Of bloody course I’m into you.  This has been…well, it’s been the most enjoyable evening I’ve spent in years.  It’s just…remember how I told you I don’t, um, pillage and plunder on the first date?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, it’s…um…it’s more than that,” he admitted.  “I’ve actually…well, I’ve never slept with a woman.  None of my past dates have ever gotten that far.  And…I just hope it’s not a problem for you if we take things slowly.  It’s not that I’m not attracted to you.  Gods, but I am!  It’s just…”

He broke off, shrugging self-consciously.

Her heart turned over, the tenderness overwhelming her when he glanced aside.

She reached up, turning his face toward her, meeting his eyes.  “Killian, trust me, it’s not a problem.  I’m not exactly all that experienced either.”

“You’re not?” he asked.  “A woman as beautiful and desirable as you?”

She smiled gently at him. “I mean I’ve had long make out sessions, some heavy petting, that sort of thing, but I’ve never, you know, given all of myself to any man.”

He looked surprised, but he reached up and took her hand, squeezing gently.

“It’s not that I’m some sort of prude or something,” she said.  “It’s just…”

How did she explain this?

“Aye?” he prompted.  “It’s just what?”

“Killian, I told you I grew up in the foster system, right?”

He nodded.

“I never met my parents.  Have no idea who they are or why they gave me up,” she said, “but I like to imagine they had this epic love story, that they were like, I don’t know, Snow White and Prince Charming or something.  I like to imagine they didn’t want to give me up, but something–some outside force or curse or something–separated us, and one day I’ll find them again, and I’ll be inspired by their love for the ages–both for each other and for me.”

He cupped her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

“I know it’s stupid,” she said, “and I’m not naive.  I’m sure the truth is nothing like that, but…I wish it could be.  When I think about having sex with a guy, I want it to be like that fairy tale I imagine for my parents.  I want it to mean something, not just be the scratching of an itch, not just something you do because you’re dating somebody or because you find the other person hot.  When I sleep with a guy, I want it to be because I am truly, genuinely in love with him.  So no. I have no objection to us taking this thing as slowly as you want.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They stood awkwardly before her apartment door a few minutes later.  Emma had never wanted a night to end less, and yet she knew if she invited him inside she would find it very difficult to abide by his desire to take things slowly.

The question was, just how should they bring this evening to a close?

Killian shuffled his feet awkwardly one to the other, looking aside, and Emma could read him well enough by now to know if anything more was going to happen tonight, she’d need to be the one to make it happen.

Every fiber of her being wanted something more, and as she’d never been one to stand on ceremony, she went for it, grabbing him by his lapels and dragging him to her.  She’d surprised him; she could tell, and for the barest fraction of a second, he froze, but then he was kissing her back, tentatively bringing one hand to the back of her head and holding her to him, wrapping the other arm around her waist and pulling her close.

From the first touch of her lips to his, it was like a fire erupted within her.  This was bliss.  This was heaven, but she needed more.

Opening her mouth, she swiped her tongue against the seam of his lips, and he gasped in response.  She took full advantage of the moment, plunging her tongue within the confines of his mouth.  His resulting moan was the single most sensual thing she’d ever experienced in her entire twenty-two years of existence.

She pulled him even closer, so close that she could feel the rumble of his moans against her chest, could feel the evidence that though his mind and heart wanted to take things slowly, his body very much did not.

It was time to end this–unfortunately–before they both completely lost their heads and started going at it right out here in the open.  With great difficulty, Emma pulled her mouth free, resting her forehead against his, because she needed a minute. 

(More than a minute, really.  More like a lifetime, but it was far too early in the relationship to have those kinds of thoughts.)

For several moments, they merely stood there, foreheads pressed together, both breathing so heavily they sounded as though they’d sprinted up ten flights of stairs.  Finally, Killian took a step backwards and smiled, looking into her eyes with awe.

“That was…” he began.

“Even better than I imagined when I wrote about it,” she said with a delighted giggle.

“Aye,” he agreed, his smile, if possible, widening even more.

She reached over, ran her hands from his shoulders down to his hands, linking their fingers, and stepping back into his space.  She wanted nothing more than to surge up and take his lips again–kissing Killian Jones was addicting as hell–but with restraint she felt she really deserved a medal for, she resisted.

“May I ask you something?” she murmured instead.

“Of course.”

“Will you go out with me again?”

His smile grew, and really, what more answer did she need?

After murmuring goodnight, Emma slipped inside, leaning back against the door, closing her eyes and smiling in utter rapture.  She’d told him she wanted a fairy tale, and this evening had been as close to one as she could ever imagine getting.  Her heart was so full, she doubted it could contain another drop of joy.

Perhaps this was the infatuation stage of the relationship.  Perhaps things would eventually cool down to something of a slow burn between them, but she was determined to bask in the joy of falling in love for as long as she was able.

“Looks like someone had a good date,” Ruby said from her spot on the sofa.

Emma looked over and barked out a laugh.  Both Ruby and Mary Margaret sat on the sofa, excited smiles on their faces, looking every bit like parents waiting up for their daughter after her prom.

“Nah, it wasn’t a good date,” Emma said with a happy sigh as she plopped herself down on the couch in between her two best friends.  “It was quite possibly the best date in the history of dating.”

“Tell us everything,” Mary Margaret said excitedly.  “I want all the details.”

And that was a request Emma was more than happy to agree to.

 Notes:

–I accept no responsibility for the cavities you may have gotten from the ridiculously sugary fluffiness of this chapter.  I just wanted to try to capture the joy and euphonia of the very beginning of a relationship.

–In canon, I loved how supportive Killian was of Emma, how much he believed in her and built her up at every turn.  But at the same time, I kind of hated that we didn’t get as much of Emma building up Killian.  I get it; I really do.  Her walls being as high as they were, it was very difficult for her to let her guard down enough to do so, but I wanted to kind of reverse the roles in this au.  Killian was the one who needed to be supported and believed in and built up, and Emma was more than happy to do it.

–BTW, in this universe, there is no Neal, because 1. In my opinion any universe where Neal does not exist is a good universe and 2. While this version of Emma has some walls, she doesn’t have as many as in canon.  In my opinion, in canon Emma’s difficult upbringing in the foster system of course scarred her, but it was what Neal did–not only leaving her but framing her for his crimes–and its subsequent consequence–being forced to give up her son–that truly cemented the walls around her heart.

–I have an exciting announcement for you!  As you all know, smut is not my thing, and I don’t feel comfortable writing it, but jrob64 has agreed to take up this story universe and write a companion piece in which we get a glimpse of just what it was that Emma wrote in her mistaken paper–and we get to see Emma and Killian act them out.  You can find her story here

                                                                                  NEXT CHAPTER-->

[whitecatlegend]

Master Post

This is the master post of all the chapters translated so far. You can also find all the translated chapters here on Mangadex

UPD: The list started getting long, so I’m grouping them 10 chapters in a line, sorry if it’s less convenient for navigation.

UPD 2: I now have the printed version, so I’m going to organize the chapters by arcs as per the printed volume (the names are just my own invention to distinguish the arcs somehow).

Donghua

Complete season 2 hardsubs

Season 2 soundtrack

Bonus content:

What is the Dali court?

FAQ:

History of the manhua | Story timeline (as of s2) | s1e03 document | Li Bing’s title |

Spring Festival Special

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Alternate Universe stories:

| 4 (Ace Attorney p.1) | 5 (Ace Attorney p.2) |

Main story:

Arc 1 - Meeting the Dali Court

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10  | 11  | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |

Arc 2 - The Black Cloud (Yi Zhihua investigation and Cui Bei’s curse)

| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 |

Arc 3 - A Series of Unfortunate Events (Li Bing’s Medicine and Alibaba’s Exam)

| 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 |

Arc 4 - The Birthday Banquet

| 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 |

Arc 5 - The Aftermath

| 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 |

Arc 6 - The Bozhou Massacre

| 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 |

Arc 7 - The Case’s Conclusion

| 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 |

Arc 8 - The Truth of the Past

| 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 |

Arc 9 - Lies Uncovered

| 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 |

Arc 10

| 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163 | 164 | 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 |

[hourly-yugi]

[aihoshiino]

different anon! but i 100% upvote other anon's comment of you being the professor of hoshino-aiology 😎👍 your posts about her give me a newfound appreciation for her and imo you should be the one writing 15 year lie frfr 🤧👏✨️

and if you haven't written anything abt it, could you share your thoughts abt the spica ai chapter? i liked ai and saitou in it but i was shocked at how intense the b-komachi bullying was :0 poor ai 😢

THANK YOU ANON…….. god can you imagine what this manga would be like if i had been given that kind of creative control. you're going to read my 15 volume hoshino ai backstory flashback and you're going to love every single chapter of it!!!

When it comes to Spica, I have pretty mixed feelings on that first chapter. For transparency's sake, I broadly dislike the novel overall and I think it takes away from the relationships it depicts more than it adds. Like I mentioned in a previous ask, my issue with Spica (and its depiction of OnK's world and characters) is its tendency to flatten and simplify many of the interesting interpersonal wrinkles that characterize these central dynamics in the main story. This is much more evident in the GRSR chapters (as outlined in that post) but you can absolutely see it in Ai's chapter as well.

POST-WRITING CLAIRE EDIT: So while this post initially started as me broadly skimming some of the issues I had with chapter 1, it has ballooned into a much, MUCH longer essay about what it is about Spica that I disliked and why, broadly, I think it fails to work both as a standalone piece and as an addition to OnK as a canon. I'm pretty negative about the book in this post and very critical of the writing so if you really liked Spica and it would bum you out to see me take it apart, feel free to skip this post.

On the surface, Ai and Saitou's dynamic is pretty true to the main story and I will admit that I do enjoy their rapport in this chapter and just that we got a chapter focusing on this relationship full stop. Ai and Saitou's relationship is one I've always been particularly soft for and getting a whole chapter that was basically just exploring its early days was really nice. But it's also a very rose tinted view of that relationship in a way I think does it a bit of a disservice. I discussed this in my OnK anime rewatch but Spica's take on Saitou (and thus on his relationship with Ai) frames him as a wholly positive and supportive figure whose desires for money and success in the entertainment industry are explicitly, textually said to be secondary and unimportant to his uncomplicated kind desire to support them as they succeed. There's almost this sense of "wow, isn't it so noble and cool that saitou is kindly allowing these tweenage girls to work themselves ragged making money for his company!!!" that's a bit icky to read.

This is in line with the bizarre ways Spica portrays idol culture, in particular the 'oshi'/fan dynamic. This is another thing I've discussed before, so I'll borrow my previous words on the topic:

The Japanese text of [chapter 137] takes this dehumanization a step further: Rather than the wasei-eigo term アイドル (aidoru), when calling [Ai] an idol, Gotanda uses the word 偶像 (guzou) - an idol by its original definition. It goes beyond just reducing her to an animal - it’s objectification in the very literal sense. Ai is an idol, a ceremonial object of worship, an inanimate vessel for the dirty desires of the people around her. [...] Spica [...] depicts the moment that Ai starts down this road, committing herself to being an idol who will love and support everyone, even people who hate and scorn her. This is framed by the novel as being something of a breakthrough for her and being liberating for it but I came out of it feeling deeply unsettled in a way I don’t think the novel wanted me to be. [...] Spica depicts the moment that Ai goes from アイドル to 偶像 without seeming to realise that’s what it’s doing and thus does so in a way that is not just uncritical but wholly celebratory. In a lot of ways, this makes sense - Spica, broadly speaking, is about the “oshi” part of Oshi no Ko: the emotional fulfillment of not just receiving support but in the act of giving support yourself, in cheering someone on and seeing them succeed. Spica depicts these sorts of relationships in a straightforwardly and uncritically positive light, even in cases of parasocial relationships between fans and celebrities.

There was a lot on that topic that I left out just because that chapter review was already getting so fucking long and unhinged but Spica's entirely uncritical and celebratory view of idol culture in general always leaves me feeling deeply uncomfortable every time I engage with the text. There's a degree to which this can be excused, because Spica takes place in the POV of characters who have drunk the industry kool-aid and thus would not necessarily interpret some of this stuff with the same critical lens as a reader. A charitable interpretation of the material is that, like Viewpoint B and 45510, the story is choosing to refrain from commenting on these troubling elements for the purposes of allowing the reader to have their own take on it.

This would be nice… except it's just not how Spica handles emotional beats at all!

When talking about Spica in the past I have jokingly referred to it as being written like 'the emotional equivalent of the Superdictionary' and by that I mean that it has absolutely no restraint or subtlety when it wants you to Feel Something. When Spica has an emotional beat, it hammers it in until any organically resulting resonance with the material has been reduced to a fine paste. When it has Thoughts and Opinions about a topic, it will explain them to the reader in excruciating detail so there is no risk of the reader taking away anything that wasn't intended by the author.

My point is that there is every indication that Spica's straightforwardly celebratory portrayal of idol culture and the way fans respond to idols is something intended to be taken at face value with no further interrogation. Spica is, by and large, entirely uninterested in acknowledging the ugly underbelly of exploitation, dehumanization and misogyny that drives idol culture and idol fandom.

I think the best way to illustrate this is to look at the scene near the end of the chapter where Ai finally sits and reads her fan letters. The first two are genuinely warm and sweet but the third always jumps out at me in a way I don't think was intended by the author;

“Hello, Ai-chan. I'm a devoted listener to your streams. B-Komachi's songs and talk shows have honestly become my sanctuary. I'm currently stuck working to the bone at a terrible company. They hardly pay me anything, and every day I just want to die. But what keeps me going is knowing I have your streams to look forward to every week. I’m not even kidding. Ai-chan, you're my reason to live!"

The story does not for a second pause to linger on this letter but I want you to stop and really take it in. While we know nothing about this letter's author outside of what's written here, but given that they have a job they can be presumed to be an adult. In addition, the final line of the letter in Japanese is 『アイちゃんは俺の生きる希望！』, using the masculine first person pronoun 俺 (ore), implicitly gendering the writer as a man.

An adult man writes to Ai to traumadump on her uninvited about his suicidal ideation and telling her in no uncertain terms that she is the sole, singular reason he is alive. Ai is a twelve year old girl.

Spica frames this as an entirely good, wholesome and affirming moment for her. It's one of many similar moments where Spica's celebration of idol culture clashes so strongly with the main story's that trying to make them tonally cohere is almost impossible. In fact, mild tangent, but I was working with the Spica TL team on chapter 1 right around the time chapter 137 dropped, and reading the ending of this chapter back to back with 137's tearing down of Ai's exploitation at the hands of the idol industry was some real injury-worse-than-whiplash inducing shit.

To be clear, I don't need Oshi no Ko to have a huge UM ACKSHULLY THIS IS WHY THIS IS BAD!!!! digression every time characters have positive interactions with the concept of idols. It is fundamentally dishonest and lacking in nuance to portray idolhood as something entirely and unrelentingly negative or to act like idols hate every single second they spend as idols. Sarina and Gorou's POV chapters do a very good job of highlighting what I talked about earlier - Spica's ruminations on the 'oshi' part of Oshi no Ko and how a relationship of support can be emotionally fulfilling both for the person being supported and the person unreservedly providing it. But that's purely from a fan perspective and I think it would be really interesting to Spica to take the opportunity afforded to it by being in Ai's POV to properly interrogate what Ai enjoys about being an idol.

But the way it chooses to do so just feels atonal both with Ai's arc and relationship to idolhood as portrayed in the main story and ways the manga has talked about 'oshi' culture in chapters published before and after Spica's release. It clashes with Oshi no Ko in ways I find difficult to satisfyingly reconcile.

This sense of clashing with and contradicting Oshi no Ko is an issue Spica has more broadly, in big and small ways. Some of this is just small, incidental details but other issues are larger and added all together, it results in a sense that Spica was not written by a person fully keyed into Oshi no Ko's world and characters. Like, just off the top of my head, here's some things that stuck out to me just from chapter 1:

Ai notes that she was separated from her mother a long time prior to the story's timeframe but given the ages give for her in 131 and here in Spica, it cannot be more than three years max since she was removed from Ayumi's care.

B-Komachi's formation and Ai's joining the group are both said to have happened 'three months ago' as of chapter 1's timeframe and thus to have happened more or less at the same time. This contradicts the Akasaka written material that consistently frames Ai as being one of the senior members, yes, but as having joined the group after Nino, Takamine and Watanabe.

The portrayal of Ai's bullying by the other B-Komachi members in no way matches Nino's account of it in 45510. This isn't even in a way you can put to Nino being an unreliable narrator. The details are so different that the only way to reconcile them is to assume these are two separate instances of bullying and that Nino just. Didn't mention the first time it happened for no reason.

On the subject of the bullies, the two girls targeting Ai are implied by their physical descriptions to be Takamine and Mei. While we don't really know anything about Mei yet, the vicious and unapologetic hostility Takamine displays clashes with her 'tough love' roughness that we are shown in the main story. In addition, this contradicts 45510's very explicit statement that Ai's bully was IMMEDIATELY fired from B-Komachi, no questions asked, the instant Saitou knew who she was. There is no indication in Spica that Ai's bullies so much as get a slap on the wrist for their behaviour.

Spica attributes B-Komachi's current success almost entirely to Ai and portrays her as working very hard on set and communicating with every other member of staff almost excessively to the point of annoyance. Not only does this contradict the early manga's portrayal of Ai as being antisocial and uncommunicative on set prior to her being sent to Lala Lie, it also contradicts chapters that were released following Spica that explicitly credit Nino as the key figure for B-Komachi's initial boom of success and states that Ai joined the group after Nino had cemented their popularity.

There are absolutely ways that you can handwave these contradictions and sew up the internal logic but to me, the nature of these contradictions matter to me less than the fact that they exist in the first place. This implies, especially given that some of these are in material written by Akasaka after Spica was published that he and Tanaka were, to some degree, not on the same page about the book's material.

There's some other things scattered about that aren't necessarily direct textual contradictions but nevertheless feel really out of step with OnK's takes on these characters. And like… I have tried to be relatively measured and good faith in my critiques so far but there is a part of chapter one that makes me so just bees buzzing around in my brain flames on the side of my face blood boiling in my veins insane that you must allow me to just uncharitably tear into it.

[Ai:] “Ah, now I get it. Are you buying a gift for your girlfriend, President? You like them young, after all…“ Finally, it clicked. The president, being considerably older than his girlfriend, needed the insights of a girl closer to her age in order to pick out the perfect gift. If that was the case, that explained why Ai had been roped into this. [Ai:] “Well, not that I should be getting into your business or anything, but…President, be careful when you mess with underage girls, okay? Nowadays, you’ll seriously end up in jail.”

I'M SORRY. WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING RIGHT NOW. SHE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This moment actually makes me so angry that it is difficult for me to clearly and calmly articulate what I find objectionable about it. I understand that it sounds very dramatic, but this is the first in a very consistent line of Spica bringing up the idea of adult men engaging in romance and/or sex with underage girls with this blithe, jokey and dismissive tone that entirely undermines everything Oshi no Ko itself says about CSA. The fact that it starts off this trend by putting these words in the mouth of Ai, WHO IS HERSELF A FUCKING CSA VICTIM, and treats the entire exchange as a throwaway joke honestly makes me feel a little bit sick.

This is part of a much broader and more troubling trend in Spica of Hajime Tanaka simply not being able to write young women in a naturalistic and human way. It's difficult for me to express exactly what it is that feels so off other than to say that it's Covered In The Fucking Ooze in a way typical of Men Who Can't Write Women. Ai's bullies in chapter 1 are so cartoonishly and stereotypically catty and mean that they barely feel human and they are written with all the distinct individuality as Thing 1 and Thing 2. The more complicated, two-sided conflict between two flawed people as seen in Ai and Nino's relationship is totally absent here. It's just the most vapid, stereotypical depiction of Teenage Girl Bullying you can imagine.

On top of that, there is a consistency with which Tanaka puts the topic of sex into the mouths and minds of these young women that fees… icky and offputting to me in a way I find difficult to articulate. In general, the voices of these young girls feel off and inauthentic in a way the main series never struggles with. For all I've criticized Oshi no Ko for in the past, something I think Akasaka is consistently and surprisingly good at is writing female characters who feel just as distinctly well realized and fleshed out as his male characters and that he does so in a way that does not rely on completely degendering them - their experiences as women are important to and inform that their characterization but does not entirely rule it. Despite overwhelmingly centering girls as the heart of its narrative, Spica barely feels capable of writing them as people.

All this together gives Spica this really strong sense - to me - of not really fitting in with the spirit of Oshi no Ko as a story. It's not just that the narrative voice is different but that there is an underlying flavour to Spica's takes on this world and its characters that clashes with the original. The cast as a whole just feels off, not blatantly OOC in a way you can directly point to but just enough to feel uncanny and give me a THEY WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT!!!!! moment for almost every single person with a speaking line. It feels, as I put it on the Oshi no Brainrot server, like a thing that exists not because there was a part of the OnK narrative that worked best as a light novel but because somebody, somewhere thought a Oshi no Ko light novel would make some money and decided to have one churned out.

oh my god anon I'm so sorry lmfao you did not ask for this GIGANTIC ODYSSEY OF A POST!! This was just one of those asks that tapped into a topic I had already been having extensive conversations with myself about in my brain (I have a very boring job with a lot of time spent alone lol) and the more I typed, the more of those thoughts spilled out. I think a big part of why I am so compelled (derogatory) by Spica's missteps and mishandling of its material is that there is so much potential here and so many points where the material really comes close to just being flat out good.

A moment in chapter 1 that I think about a lot is Ai thinking about why she hasn't been reading any of her fan letters - because the last letter she got was her mom's lawyer telling her that Ayumi had gone missing after her release from custody, thus confirming for Ai that she had been abandoned to the system by her. Because of her association between those emotions and the act of reading a letter, she simply can't bring herself to open any of her fan letters because of the lingering anxiety.

Not only is this an entirely human and believable traumabrained anxiety kid fear for her to have but it's totally in line with Ai's flaw of avoidance and unwillingness to engage with or confront things that make her anxious or uncomfortable. It's also paid off wonderfully and in spades when she does finally confront that fear and is rewarded for it by an avalanche of love and support from her fans. It's one of the few moments in Ai's chapter where I think Spica really does well in conveying what a person like Ai gets out of being the 'oshi' in the oshi/fan relationship.

But this otherwise great moment is ruined by like… all that shit I said up there lmao. Spica is just laced through with this issue where moments that come so, so close to working and being really good are just marred by other issues in the text around it or trip themselves up in other ways. It's frustrating both because it comes so close to doing fresh and interesting things with the characters and because… I didn't want to dislike Spica! I was so, SO excited for it to come out and so willing to give it the BOTD even as summaries leaked and I was put off by the plot beats. But the more time I give to it in my brain and the more I try to engage with it in good faith, the more I come away frustrated and feeling like my time has been wasted.

[asfaltics]

un going aside

  —Sound, instead of take an un going through the Narrows, the most usual and       1 If it be otherwise, I, an unlearned, an un going to       2       and an un going on, at the bottom of which       3   imagine an un going into       4 an un going at eventide to their narrow       5 sonnets he claimed; and there is an un going aside, says : doubted difficulty in understanding how a       6 book issued under such auspices would meet with an un   going, singing       7 without going at an un going to the Convention       8 Secret drillings are the office, is it because I had an un going on there       9   and proved an un going by       10 and a steamer coming down the river, and An ungoing boat on the Ohio [   ] may attempting to cheer across [   ] the signal which side of the down boat she will tug       11 conscious of an un going to       12       Boole   miles, [   ] almost an ungoing 20 or 25 miles to the port. If the line       13 if you are history I think we have to depart from an un going to assume       14 A trapper may suffer from an un going       15   style of play, for he is an un going along blithely figuring       16 an ungoing of the ships, but mostly intent       17 And then ensued an ungoing — ’m, if you’ve decided to jump emptory Again she thrilled him. Yet socially silent hour or       18   sanction, is not only an un going authorities are sound and should       19 an un going to the bow       20 no doors and windows. An ungoing in . It was       21   and closed the door behind her An un going to be       22 In this case, I hoped to mainexplain anything that did not pertain this reputation of getting results, fectly clear to me [   ] was an un going       23 be an un going       24   and a mystic intuition of an ungoing splurge be a poor substitute for the detailed work       25   in this city that was reported as an un going to make up       26 un going paragraphs       27 versial therapy and there is an ungoing       28  

sources (nearly all cross-column misconstruals)

1 ex Willard Phillips. A Treatise on the Law of Insurance (1823) : 195 (Chapter 12, “Deviation and Change of the Risk”) unconnected errata (at p538, same volume) — Page 392, line 21 from botton, after ‘does’; read ‘not.’ 2 ex The History of Clarissa Harlowe, Letter 53 (To Miss Howe, containing a draft (from which this passage) to Mr James Harlowe), in The Novels of Samuel Richardson... in three volumes. (Ballantyne’s Novelist’s Library; London, 1824) : 634 3 ex “Reminiscences of a Tempest-tost Life” in Putnam’s Magazine 6 (October 1855) : 416-424 (419) 4 ex “Ground Game and Game Laws,” in The Farmer’s Magazine (London; December 1869) : 522-524 (523) 5 ex “On Gardening,” by “An Optimist,” The Living Age 115 (November 2, 1872) : 303-313 (310) (from The Cornhill Magazine (October 1872) : 424) 6 ex J. V. P., “Who wrote ‘Shakspere’?” in Fraser’s Magazine (August 1874) : 164-178 (167) 7 ex (via chaotic cross-column misreads), W. J. Patten (Bangor, Maine; June 10th, 1878). “A National Church Music.” In [John Sullivan] Dwight’s Journal of Music 38:6 (Boston; June 22, 1878) : 251 8 three-column OCR chaos involving a description of the upcoming The Cleveland Convention, and a report of a quick passage of an English troop-ship through the Suez Canal (fourteen hours, between the hours mentioned above), ex Engineering News (June 7, 1879) : 177 9 ex Mister Harrington’s address to the House (May 28, 1883) on the matter of Prevention of Crime (Ireland) Act, 1882—Seizure of the “Kerry Sentinel,” involving Messrs Parnell, Trevelyan, and (Edward) Harrington owner of “The Kerry Sentinel,” in The Parliamentary Debates (Authorized Edition; Great Britain, 1883) : 969-70 on Edward Harrington (c1852-1902), consult wikipedia; DIB (Dictionary of Irish Biography); and, for (fascinating) context, wikipedia on the Land War 10 ex Charles E. Clay, “History of the State Island Athletic Club,” in Outing (An illustrated monthly magazine of recreation) 11:4 (January 1888) : 340-351 (343) followed by C. Bowyer Vaux. “Aerial Messengers” (on use of pigeons in yacht races) 11 ex index (bottom of page), in The Federal Cases / comprising cases argued and determined in the Circuit and District Courts of the United States. Book 21 . Runaways—Shore, Case No. 12,137—Case No. 12,805 (St. Paul; 1896) : 1351 OCR misread of “upgoing”, “cheer” for printed “sheer” (which is likely a typographic error for “steer”) + OCR cross-column misread 12 ex Julie M. Lippmann (1864-1952), “Mrs. Chisholm’s Companion,” in The Smart Set : A Magazine of Cleverness 8:1 (September 1902) : 135-139 (137) author at wikipedia 13 ex South Australia. Parliament. Debates in the House of Assembly (First session of the Eithteeenth Parliament of South Australia) Booleroo Centre Railway Bill. (October 19, 1905) : 438 14 from preview snippet only (nothing on landing page), The Parliamentary Debates (official Report).: House of Commons, Contains the 4th session of the 28th Parliament through the 1st session of the 48th Parliament. Great Britain. 15 ex Raymond S. Spears. “Opportunities for Trappers Incomes, No. 1,” in Hunter-trader-trapper 22:5 (August 1911) : 27-30 (28) 16 ex Ed. A. Goewey. “An Old Fan Says:” (illustrated by “Zim”), in Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly Newspaper 118 (April 30, 1914) : 418 which led (on following page 419) to Chief Red Eagle (1885-1972) his “Chased by a Moose, A Vacation Story.” on Chief Red Eagle (Henry Perley) consult wikipedia 17 from preview snippet only (nothing on landing page), The Sunday at Home (Religious Tract Society, 1914) 18 snippet (nothing on landing page), Collier’s 56 (1916) : 23 the whole — “Will I ?” she retorted with mocking awkward reluctance at last , “are you manner were both pleading and per- curtness . And then ensued an ungoing — ’m , if you've decided to jump emptory Again she thrilled him . Yet socially silent hour or ...” 19 ex “Memphis St. Ry. Co. v. Rapid Transit Co.,” Supreme Court of Tennessee. Oct. 23, 1915 (appeal, finding reversed); in The Southwestern Reporter 179 / November 3 — December 15, 1915. (St. Paul, 1916) : 639 20 ex (preview snippet only, but found in different scan linked here) “Discovering the Union Label,” by P. J. Doyle (from The Carpenter), in The Shoe Workers’ Journal 18:8 (August 1917) : 8 21 ex Gertrude Henderson (with illustrations by O. F. Howard), “Scheherazade of the Factory,” The Century 99:3 (January 1920): 427-31 (428) 22 ex preview snippet, nothing on landing page (and title suspect), Heart’s International (1920) note — this magazine seems to have been a predecessor to Cosmpolitan 1911: Hearst’s International: “World To-Day”, a middling monthly magazine, was acquired to attack politicians against whom Hearst waged war, namely Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and William Jennings Bryan. He renamed it “Hearst’s magazine” in Apr.1912, shortened it to “Hearst’s” in Jun.1914, and finally entitled it as “Hearst’s International” in May.1922. from wikicorporates timelines for Hearst Communications. scans of several numbers (as well as books published by a related entity) available via archive.org 23 ex “The Battle of Booby’s Bluffs,” By Major Single List, in Infantry Journal 19:4 (October 1921) : 427-433 the whole — “In this case , I hoped to mainexplain anything that did not seem pertain this reputation of getting results , fectly clear to me . and I felt that I stood an excellent I promptly saw that my battalion was chance , because Colonel R was an ungoing to [have the hardest nut to crack]” 24 ex Charles F. Howell, “Marine Insurance / Cuban Conditions Bad,” in The Weekly Underwriter 104:11 (March 12, 1921) : 428 aside — first page of each number features a spectacular photograph of a disaster (e.g., grain elevator explosion; train wreck; fire), together with monitory details. 25 misprint in this edition (corrected in later), John Dewey, Human Nature and Conduct: An Introduction to Social Psychology (1922) : 74 26 ex discussion following John J. Moren (Louisville), “Diagnosis and Treatment of Encephalitis,” and cross-column misread involving G. A. Hendon (Louisville), “Cancer of the Large Intestine,” in Kentucky Medical Journal (March 1922) : 204 27 ex High Egg Production by Individual Hens, Pens and Flocks (Reliable Poultry Journal, 1922) : 91 specifically, ex Part II, Chapter III, “A high-producing strain of barred rocks and how it was bred / Methods of breeding that have enabled J. W. Parks of Altoona, Pa., to develop a remarkably productive strain and to win financial independence — interesting examples of pen and flock production — Methods of line breeding and “Tracing Back” by pedigrees.” By Grant M. Curtiss, Editor of Reliable Poultry Journal 28 ex confused snippet preview (nothing at landing), Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica: Supplementum (most definltely not 1922, though so dated) in full : “of these facversial therapy and there is an ungoing debate tors .”

—

all tagged ungoings  

[everyamajikitamaki]

[yyh4ever]

Yoshihiro Togashi Exhibition - GOODS (Part II)

After Part I, more merch have been unveiled on the official site of Togashi's Exhibition. I am only introducing the products related to Yu Yu Hakusho, but by all means, take a look on the site for HunterxHunter and Level E goods as well. There will be a purchase limit during the sales to prevent the items from selling out before the end of the Exhibition.

Stationary

"Yu Yu Hakusho" Memo Book

Price: 990 yen (tax included)

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama. Illustrations of the four guys and the group photo are used in this easy-to-use memo book, that includes 20 sheets in each one of the five types.

Purchase limit: 5

Hiei's "Happy Birthday" Mini Letter Set

Price: 770 yen (tax included)

A mini letter set that comes with stickers. Famous scenes of Hiei that are etched in everyone's memories are printed on the envelopes:

When he celebrated Mukuro's birthday. (T/N: from Chapter 172. "Special Day")

The moment when he showed his sleeping face, that makes you want to doodle it. (T/N: this was during the Dark Tournament, after the fight against Bui. Hiei fell asleep, and Kuwabara wanted to scribble his face. From chapter 99. "Eat or be Eaten!!")

A past when he was happy to have a purpose in life as soon as he was born. (T/N: When he was born, Hiei's goal was to kill all the ice maidens. From chapter 159. "How They Spent Their Year: Hiei, Part 1")

Purchase limit: 5

Accessories

Double Acrylic Keychain Collection (14 types in total / blind: 1 type at random)

Price: 990 yen each (tax included)

Each keyholder comes with a character illustration and their famous lines.

Purchase limit: 10

The famous lines are:

Yusuke: "I will destroy you entirely, and win."

(Yusuke VS Toguro; chapter 109, volume 12)

Kuwabara: "Are you really a human being? Is this something a human would do?"

(Kuwabara & Yusuke VS Toguro Brothers, after Kuwabara sees Yukina's memories and the bodyguard being killed in front of her; chapter 50, volume 6)

Hiei: "If I'm gonna die anyway, I'm gonna die fighting ... with that guy."

(Hiei and the others trapped inside Ura-otoko. They want to join Yusuke and fight Sensui; chapter 109, volume 16)

Kurama: "You don't even deserve DEATH."

(Kurama VS Gourmet/Elder Toguro; chapter 138, volume 15)

Koenma: "In case of an emergency, I will remove this pacifier."

(Koenma talks to Botan before entering the Irima Cave; chapter 137, volume 15)

Yukina: "Somehow, I think my older brother would say the same thing."

(Yukina talks to Hiei before his departure to Makai; chapter 158, volume 18)

Genkai: "Really … You're really a complete fool."

(Genkai last words to Toguro at the Spirit World; chapter 112, volume 13)

Younger Toguro: "Sorry for being nothing but trouble..."

Toguro last words to Genkai before going to Hell; chapter 112, volume 13)

Sakyo: "I bet my life."

(Sakyo bets his own life before the fight between Yusuke and Toguro; chapter 102, volume 12)

Sensui: "I like flowers and trees, insects and animals."

"The only thing I hate, is human beings."

(Shinobu Sensui VS Yusuke; chapter 144, volume 16)

Itsuki: "You guys should find another enemy and keep fighting."

(Itsuki addresses Yusuke and the others for the last time, before leaving to another dimension with Sensui's body; chapter 151, volume 17)

Raizen: "You are very similar, though you think differently."

(Raizen compares Yusuke with his ancestor mother; chapter 163, volume 18)

Mukuro: "Now, this right half of my body is my pride. I have no intention of repairing it."

"If it's you, I can show you everything. Now, it's your turn to touch my consciousness."

(Mukuro heals Hiei and touches his past; chapter 160, volume 18)

Yomi: "The second-in-command holds the key to the organization.

"That's your pet theory."

(Yomi talks to Kurama; chapter 161, volume 18)

Hobbies

All-Star Playing Cards (with foil-stamped box)

Foil-stamped playing cards with plenty of illustrations from Togashi's three major works: "Yu Yu Hakusho", "Level E" and "HUNTER x HUNTER".

Price: 2,530 yen (tax included)

Purchase limit: 5

Miscellaneous Goods

Youko Kurama Pouch (can be worn around the neck)

This pouch is the Youko that Kurama wears around his neck in the 2nd Character Popularity Poll, included in volume 12 of the comics (tanko edition). Comes with a string that can be worn around the neck.

Price: 2,420 yen (tax included)

Purchase limit: 5

That's the inspiration for this pouch (from the 2nd Character Popularity Poll, volume 12):

*Edit: Some fans have complained that Youko does not have human years. The product has been updated and more hair was added to fix the mistake*

Full Color Art Board

Price: 3,850 yen (tax included)

This is the cover illustration of volume 16, depicting the fight against Sensui in great detail. Come enjoy to the utmost this simple (pale colors) yet powerful visual on a textured canvas.

Purchase limit: 5

“VS” Card Case

Price: 1,980 yen (tax included)

A card case with "VS" illustrations of the cute chibi characters. They were drawn at the time of the announcement of the "Yu Yu Hakusho Ultimate Famous Scene Contest", in celebration of the 3rd Anniversary of the serialization.

Purchase limit: 5

The 3rd Anniversary of the Yu Yu Hakusho serialization was celebrated in the Weekly Shounen JUMP N°3+4, 1994, when the "Yu Yu Hakusho Ultimate Famous Scene Contest" was announced (the results of this poll were published in the WSJ 13, 1994 and also in volume 17 of the comic edition).

Art Coaster® (45 types in total / blind: 5 random types included)

Price: 660 yen (tax included)

Art coasters that combine attractive characters with pop and cool designs!

Purchase limit: 10

Art Coaster® All Types Set (45 Types + 3 Bonus Types/48 Types in Total)

Price: 5,940 yen (tax included)

The box contains the 45 types mentioned above, plus 3 coasters as bonus.

Purchase limit: 1

Embroidered Mini Towel

Price: 1,100 yen (tax included)

A cute embroidered mini-towel with the four chibi characters. Yusuke and the others are painted in light colors!

Size: approx. 250mm x 250mm

Purchase limit: 6

➜ GOODS (Part III)

➜ GOODS (Part IV)

[fataliitea]

Yu Yu Hakusho -- Volume 15, Chapter 137 "The Grim Decision!!"

Buy me a ko-fi!

DO NOT DELETE CAPTION!

[completeoveranalysis]

TRC Translation notes Volume 18 (Chapters 133 - 140)

Even more incredible translation notes from the wonderful @giniroangou? I got you covered!

Highlights include: acid punk chapter cover mysteries finally solved, soul/body separation foreshadowing, oaths!, Lantis and co. actually becoming competent, character motivations making sense, intentional ambiguities, fun chess vibes, and Sakura’s heart breaking in slow motion.

Chapter 133

Cover page - Per the art book commentary, the panels in this picture were intended to be things the characters either threw away or decided they no longer want.

p.8 - The word “kokoro” comes back here, this time translated as “mind.” The description of Sakura’s body as a “vessel” is from the original text. There’s definitely been a theme of the mind/heart/soul being a separate (though not necessarily unconnected) entity from the body running through both the plotline and the language the characters use.

p.10 - As in previous scenes, the original text preserves the distinction between the two Syaorans by only placing Lava Lamp’s name in quotation marks.

p.14-15 - There were no exclamation points in these lines originally, which I feel implies more of a defeated tone.

p.19 - Yuuko’s line here isn’t necessarily about creation, though it could be interpreted that way. In the original text it’s, “For the sake of two futures.”

p.20 - Yuuko says that it is both the price Lava Lamp and the others paid, as well as their hearts (“kokoro” again) that will ensure Watanuki doesn’t vanish.

p.24 - The wording in the translation was a little confusing, but I think the concept got across. Just in case, Yuuko explains here that worlds are able to endure precisely because everything maintains a balance. If a world loses that balance, it will fall apart.

Chapter 134

p.35 - Sakura’s lines have been mistranslated here. She’s asking if Fai is hiding what he really wants to do because she said she was going to go. Essentially she’s worried that Fai is prioritizing her desires over his own, that he would have made a different choice without her influence.

p.36 - The original nuance is a little different in a couple of Fai’s lines. He says to Sakura, “I’m a wizard who can’t even heal your wounds, but will you allow me to stay with you?” As a side note: the English “wizard” is the actual word Fai uses to refer to himself - it’s written in katakana as the reading above the kanji for “majutsushi”/“mage.” (I feel like this has come up before, but… it’s been a while.)

p.37 - Just to clarify how this line appears in Japanese, “My only Princess” is written in kanji in a much more formal manner than Fai would normally use (我が唯一の姫君) with the reading above in katakana as “Vi la princia” (ヴイ・ラ・プリンシア). Additionally, the entire phrase is in quotation marks, enhancing the impression that it is an established oath of some sort.

p.38 - Kurogane could be referring to one thing or to multiple things that have changed - the word in Japanese is non-specific.

p.39 - I’m not sure why there’s a “But” in front of Kurogane’s line in this translation, since this follows directly off of his line from the previous page. It should be more along the lines of, “I guess it’s okay to make more than one promise.”

Chapter 135

p.51 - Sakura’s thank you feels super extreme in the official translation, but originally all she said here was, “Thank you.”

p.53 - The promise Fuuma mentions is presented in contrast/in addition to the jobs he does for Yuuko - after describing his payment process to her he says, “Well, I made another promise too, though.”

I interpreted Fuuma’s last line here not as a reference to the needs of the group, but to the fact that they’re probably going to have a hard time getting Sakura’s feather back from Seishirou.

p.62 - Yuuko says she’s going to purify the egg before she passes it on.

p.65 - Yuuko isn’t talking about a single unchanging feeling here, but saying that people’s true feelings cannot be changed.

Chapter 136

p.74-76 - Fun fact: The “READY…. GO!!” on these pages was originally written in English.

p.79 - Eagle remarks that BOTH Sakura and her pieces are incredible. The word for piece is written with the kanji used for shougi and chess pieces and the like (駒) but the reading is given in katakana as the English word “piece” (ピース).

p.81 - The point Geo’s making here should be that all three “pieces” DON’T seem to be amateurs.

p.82 - After pointing out Fai’s defensive technique, I’m fairly certain Lantis is saying that it seems unlikely Fai has always fought in that style.

P.84 - Lantis doesn’t describe them as “useful,” but as “masters” (of fighting).

Chapter 137

p.97 - The translation covers this up a bit, but Fai’s first line here is expositional - he’s just saying that they know there’s a feather in this world, not really asking about it. He is also still referring to Syaoran as “Syaoran-kun,” they just missed the honorific in the English version.

p.110 - I just want to drop another quick reminder here about Lava Lamp’s speech style, because the translation doesn’t do it justice at all. What’s been translated as “You too. Please get some sleep yourself,” was not actually a polite request. Lava Lamp refers to Kurogane directly as “you” (“anata”) and ends his sentence in a casual imperative (“yasundekure”). Despite the father/son vibe in the preceding scene, he speaks to Kurogane as an equal.

p.111 - Once again, there are quotation marks around Kurogane’s name when Fai says it, so it’s even more in-your-face in the Japanese version than the italics of the official translation.

Chapter 138

p.115 - Fai’s line is a bit less clear-cut in the original text. This is another case where there are no pronouns used, so from the line itself you can’t tell whether he’s speaking for himself alone or not and you also can’t tell whether he’s vowing to keep the whole group from getting hurt vs, say, just Sakura. However you choose to take this line is up to the context of the scene and how you view Fai as a character in this moment.

p.116 - Clow doesn’t ask if Sakura is looking at the ruins - she offers that information herself.

p.117 - Sakura’s description of the ruins is a little different in her original line - she says that there may be precious items from the country’s past buried there. (The word she uses for what might be buried is “mono,” which could be either singular or plural, but plural seems the most logical in this situation.)

p.118 - The word that’s been translated as “that special someone” is “daisuki na hito” in Japanese, which can mean, “The person you love,” but also alternatively, “Someone you love.” It doesn’t necessarily imply a romantic partner.

p.121 - A couple little tweaks here: The word “eye” has quotation marks around it in the original text. It could potentially be plural or singular, but given the context and the quotes singular seems more appropriate. Clow doesn’t specifically say anything about a message, just an inability to reach (so this could refer to a message, but also to feelings, to someone reaching out for something, etc.) He speaks only of a desire to protect, rather than a need or the actual act occurring: “But even so, you want to protect (insert missing pronoun here).” Basically, Japanese is the ideal language for a scene like this, because its ambiguity gives many of these lines a versatility they don’t have in English and allows them to apply to multiple situations at once, as you discussed in your liveblog.

p.123 - Again, the implication that protection is an obligation wasn’t in the original text. Lava Lamp is stating what it is he’d decided: To protect no matter what.

p.124 - Another punctuation tonal shift here: instead of “Sakura!” this was originally “.... Sakura.”

p.127 - Fai’s original line is a bit less flippant than the translated version, just, “Those look like they’d be painful if you hit them.”

Chapter 139

p.141 - “Becoming lost” is one way to translate this line, but it might be more natural to say that Sakura is hesitating or wavering.

Chapter 140

p.161 - Just for fun: the original text on this page is kind of wild aesthetically. “Checkmate” is written in katakana, what’s been translated as “black team” is just the word “black” written in kanji with katakana above it giving the reading as “black” in English, and then “WIN!” entirely in English.

p.162 - Fai’s lines on this page are spoken with more certainty - he’s not supposing, just stating facts. He describes Lava Lamp’s experiences as, “He’s lived through the same days as Syaoran-kun.”

p.169 - Significantly (maybe?) there shouldn’t be any quotation marks when Mokona says “Syaoran” here. It feels less alienating this way.

p.170 - Kurogane actually asks if Mokona is planning to drink the whole thing, bottle and all. I-is she trying to send it to Yuuko?

p.171 - Sakura’s line here isn’t, “I know!” but “.... I know.” (Once again, I’m not mentioning nearly all of these punctuation differences, but when they seem to drastically change the tone I can’t help pointing them out.)

p.172 - A couple of Sakura’s lines were changed in the translation. She originally says that even if Lava Lamp served as Syaoran’s basis, she knows that “just like those we’ve met in various worlds up until now, his appearance is the same but he’s a different person.”

p.173-174 - Since this was apparently confusing (and partially mistranslated) Sakura says here that each time she sees similarities between Lava Lamp and Syaoran (and there are many) she can’t handle it. Each time she notices these things she can’t help lamenting that the person in front of her isn’t her Syaoran.