#which is a pretty stark reaction to how he and mc were at the beginning of the game

[atoltia]

there's a certain boyishness in sylus' face whenever his expressions soften with mc. that widening of his eyes, the gentle smiles - it's nice. it's slight but it gives a pretty profound separation between Sylus, leader of Onychinus and Sylus, person that's in love with you.

this is honestly why I want to get Nightplumes so much. his eyes there are just so freaking cute and soft and I just want to hold him tenderly

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

Hello yes, could you elaborate on the Comte wedding event pleease. Crying and fangirling and dying are all acceptable. I missed it and I adore your rambles about Comte? Thank you either way.

!!! I’d be delighted to!! And awww, I’m so glad :D I love to write about him in any capacity, it makes me so happy to know people enjoy it when I do! Tysm for the full license to cry/fangirl/die because lbr it ain’t a Comte event if all three of those things don’t happen .Please don’t worry, I don’t mind talking abt it anyway! 💕💕💕

Okay my fellow Comte stans, you know the drill! I’ll be placing the details of the Wedding Story Event (jpn version) below the cut! Please don’t read if you want to wait for the official translation, and I hope you enjoy if you do take a peak! c:

AIGHT Y’ALL in fair Verona where we lay our scene-- This event begins on a lovely summer day with Comte and MC at a boutique picking out a wedding dress for their upcoming ceremony. As usual, she provides a bit of background as to how we got here. Comte doesn’t have a proposal event (as far as I know) like the other suitors because he actually proposes marriage in his MS. I won’t go too far into details just in case, but they essentially swear their love to each other in a church at night--just the two of them. (I’m not 100% sure, but I think this event takes place on the anniversary of the vow that they shared, what Comte called becoming “a vampire’s bride.” Yes it’s as hot as it sounds AND I LOVED IT). Now, despite their private promise to each other, Comte does specify that he fully intends to have a public wedding whenever she feels comfortable doing that. As such, this event is picking up from there.

With all the nitty gritty settled, it’s time to get to the fun bits. So Comte is weaving in and out of the dresses, trying to find the perfect one for his beloved. MC is equal parts exasperated but amused, and she notes that it reminds her so much of when she first debuted in high society (reference to the beginning of Comte’s MS). Back then, when she agreed to debut, he told her that he would immediately send word to his tailor to make the necessary preparations. It’s a kind of nostalgic moment; she remembers how thorough and excited he was (”I’ll be sure to show off your every charm”), and he’s effusing that energy in the boutique too. Eventually he settles on two of them and requests that they both be prepared, and MC sputters. She’s like Comte???? W H Y we only need one dress???? And he insists that, since it’s a special occasion, there’s no harm in it is there? He also goes on to say that it is in line with her culture’s tradition of “dyeing the bride in the husband’s colors.” MC shoots back that the tradition doesn’t entail several wedding dresses for the bride, but he pays the correction no mind. Y’all. I loved this part because it just emphasizes how much of a LIL SHIT he can be. Like he’s 100% harmless but I was like BOI IF U DON’T--I WILL KISS UR CUTE FACE. YOU STOP THAT.

I find it interesting especially because it remains in line with a trend about Comte that is so arresting for me, something that I find so endearing about him. I’ll note other places in the event I find it, but in this moment he is revealing something critical: for all of his capacity to play with the language and expectations that other people have/use, he only ever uses it for good. Here he’s purely being playful (with a stark note of respect and awareness); he has no intention of overwhelming her or undermining her cultural expectations of what a wedding means. Especially because MC, even in her monologue, isn’t truly upset--she honestly seems to find it adorable and funny more than anything. It’s also clear that Comte is working within her comfort zones. While he would buy the entire damn boutique if she let him, he settles on two because he knows it would stress her out otherwise (MC tends to be p pragmatic, not really about extravagance she is a mood).

And so they make their selection and exit the boutique, and they’re walking arm in arm back to the carriage. Comte laments narrowing it down to only two, but he’s happy they found something nice. MC thanks him for bringing her along, but he says it’s only natural--he wanted to pick out the dress the world would see together, he would never be happy with it otherwise. MC melts (WHO WOULDN’T) and says she’s really looking forward to wearing them, and he’s shook AF. 

(OKAY BUT I NEED TO SCREAM ABOUT THIS. DOES HE UNDERSTAND HOW TOUCHED I AM. DOES HE KNOW. His route hammers home this idea that for Comte, being with someone absolutely means being on the same page. It means being there for each other yes--but it also means making sure the other person feels wanted and included. He could have so easily just picked his favorite and been like “yeah this is what we’re going with.” But not only does he not do that, he refuses the very idea of a ceremony without it. He wants this to mean something for both of them, and he’s more than willing to put in the time and effort to ascertain that. I’M FUCKING TENDER OKAY. HE CARES SO MUCH AND I SOB)

He asks her if there’s anything else that she really, really wants for their wedding, and she thinks it through. It’ll be a reasonably sized wedding, with the men of the mansion in attendance and most of their closer high society friends. They’ve picked out a dress, the venue is set, the people closest to her will be there...she really can’t think of anything else? So she asks him if he has anything he really wants to do for the wedding, and he replies in the negative too, saying that “My only ideal wedding can be one in which I can see you at your most happy." ARE YOU KIDDING ME--Before MC can recover from that, he goes on: "Even now, I'm enjoying the preparations, and I want to do whatever I can for you." MC feels like she can never win against his sweet affection, so she nearly kills him with her answering line: "It’s more than enough. More than anything, being able to swear our love together again--to renew our vow--is the best part of it all." Comte is visibly shocked and is quiet for moment (MAN DOWN!!!!!!!!! VAMPIRE DOWN GET THE DEFIBRILATORS!!!!! LEONARDO PUT THAT LIGHTNING ROD AWAY I SWEAR TO GOD--) before he just replies with a “Is that so :>>>” And translating this nearly killed me [At the sight of his gentle smile, I smile back.] IM GOING TO SCREAM THEY ARE JUST SO TENDER IM SOFTE????????????

As they’re walking, Comte asks MC to tell him about weddings in her time. What were they like? He wants a reference point. She goes on to describe how ceremonies really range from formal to more informal affairs, and gets to a little custom that’s apparently held in Japan. When a groom intends to marry a bride, he will go to the bride’s family to ask for their approval. Comte visibly seems concerned about it, and I’m pretty sure he feels bad denying her that experience; not only did he propose to her without knowing any of that, her family isn’t within range to be able to honor it properly now. Even so, he keeps listening and comments now and again with a great deal of interest, paying close attention. He asks, what happens if the groom is rejected by the family? MC goes on to say that it’s a kind of test of perseverance: the groom is expected to ask/prove himself until he gets an answer in the affirmative. Internally, she notes that such a thing rarely ever happens irl--it’s mostly dramatized in movies and TV shows. She used to dream of how thrilling it might be to have someone do that for her, but it was mostly just a silly little fancy, nothing she was obsessed over. Comte, being a literal fucking legend, senses this emotional shift in milliseconds, and starts musing about something. When she tries to ask what’s up, he’s like not to worry leave everything to me.

PLEASE CUE THE CIRCUS MUSIC. BECAUSE THIS IS ABSOLUTELY GOING TO TURN INTO A CLOWN FEST.

So it cuts to them back home and Comte is asking Sebastian to give MC’s hand in marriage. Sebastian is utterly bEWILDERED and is like “I mean I understand I’m probably the closest relative she has right now but also WHAT!? YOU’RE MY BOSS/LORD I’M YOUR BUTLER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD”. Comte 100% is undaunted by this very normal reaction and insists that class/status has no place in matters like this, and Sebastian and MC are desperately trying to stop him from bowing his head/kneeling. MC notes she never expected him to take it to heart, tells him "Comte, you really don't have to go that far, it's a custom not a duty--" (IT’S SO FUCKING FUNNY????? YOU CAN FEEL THEIR MOUNTING CONCERN AND I CAN’T BELIEVE COMTE WAS STRAIGHT UP JUST “i am not above begging” AND THEY’RE LIKE YOU SHOULD BE YOU SHOULD BE ABOVE BEGGING)

The circus only escalates when Leo comes in LAUGHING HIS ASS OFF "damn...bahahahhahahaaaaa now THIS oughtta be good/interesting." MC (and I simultaneously) start yelling at him and he replies "What? Comte's already ready and willing, why stop him?" For whatever reason, this gives Comte an idea (NEVER A GOOD SIGN) and he’s like you know what? That’s actually perfect, get everybody in here I’m gonna ask them for permission too :D

Several things I want to say about this. 1. COMTE LITERALLY DOES NOT EVEN REACT TO LEO’S MOCKING HE JUST “omg ur face was useful for smth for once this gives me an idea” 2. META TIME. First and foremost, I seriously can’t deal. This man knows MC has nothing because of her traveling through time, no friends or family--he’s always so, so aware of what she’s sacrificing to be with him. It is never outside of his thinking. Not only does this decision solidify her presence as a member of their family (I’m just so UGLY SOBBING about the fact that he does not consider them all ANYTHING LESS--THEY ARE HIS CHIRREN AND HE LOVES THEM AND I’M SOFT) this is also such a brilliant, strategic move on his part. Not only is he doing this to fulfill her younger wishes of having someone be so confident in their love for her that they would insist on it in front of her family/loved ones--his doing this also solidifies her presence as his wife within the mansion from here on. There can be no mistake; this is an unquestionable statement as to how her identity has shifted in meaning, a powerful allusion to his possessive streak. (and WE LOVE THAT FOR US HELL YEAH) 

Furthermore, I continue to be fascinated by the way he keeps subverting traditional or expected forms of supplication. While many could see this as a yielding of his pride (and in some ways he undeniably is) this choice to acknowledge her culture’s customs yields much more valuable dividends for him. 1. MC--notorious for never betraying the things she wants, having trouble asking for anything--is have her dreams fulfilled even if they were just silly little fantasies from when she was young. He’s actively making her happy, and he gets to openly gush about how much he loves her (FOR HIM THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF A WIN-WIN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND--) 2. This is a way for him to make amends and do proper respect to the marriage customs of her place/time, and that’s infinitely important to him. He’s trying to set a precedent; that even if he ever does make a mistake or neglect something (even if accidental) he will do his utmost to make it right, pride and money be DAMNED. 

While it can be argued that he’s just being silly and over-the-top, when you look closely this is 100% a clever, very mindful approach to their future. While it may partially have been executed on an emotional/excited whim, he is also claiming MC as his own in the most clear and respectful way possible. And tbh that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen 

So, after Leo walks in on them everyone else starts filing in one at a time (OKAY YOU CAN’T CONVINCE ME THAT THEY WEREN’T ALL HUDDLED UP TO THE DOOR SQUIRMING TO HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON AND AT SOME POINT LEO SAID “omfg i gotta see this dumbass bitch on his knees” AND BLEW THEIR COVER/MADE THEM EVEN MORE CURIOUS):

Jeanne: "It's so noisy in here." 

Mozart: "What's going on?"

Comte: "Ah, excellent timing. I want to get permission from everyone."

Vincent: "?????? Did you do something wrong Comte?? What could you possibly need forgiveness for?"

Isaac: "A mistake made/wrongdoing by Comte?...Why am I dreading what it could be..."

Dazai: “Ah yes, yes I see, you are asking for a young lady's hand in marriage” (IM WHEEZING BC EVERYONE ELSE IS SO LOST AND HE'S JUST 100% ON THE BALL KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON THE NARRATIVE DISSONANCE IM CRYING)

Theo: Young lady??? The hell are you going on about

So things are getting increasingly chaotic and MC is just [jfc this is getting out of hand, Comte they don’t even know what you’re asking them to do]. She tries to explain but falters, and Comte puts an arm around her--signals that he’ll give  them the context. So he tells them "You all know that our wedding day is approaching. As such, I'm asking you all for your approval in taking MC as my bride. No matter what happens, I promise to make her happy forever--for every moment, every second of our time together. Please, forgive my taking her" (WHEN I TELL YOU MY HEAD WAS IN MY HANDS IDK HOW MC DIDN’T DIE ON THE SPOT S I R. SIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) MC: [...Comte...My heart melts at his confession, at his earnest plea. It feels like every single iota of our feelings are infused in every word he speaks, teeming with the love shared between us in overwhelming measure.]

For a little while silence falls until Napoleon speaks up, and honestly? It was so sweet ;-; I tear up every single time: “Forgiven. You know how much I dislike formalities anyway. And besides, who could say no to le Comte?” MC notes that everyone murmurs in agreement and a kind of warmth settles in the room. Arthur notes that MC will be a Comtesse very soon and MC just. I’m going to be a WHAT now (”C-c-comtesse??”). And it’s so FUCKING FUNNY YOU CAN FEEL THE RED EYE EDIT MEME ON COMTE WHEN HE GOES “Oh? Is there anything wrong with that? Everybody said yes, after all :>” MC internally accuses them of ganging up on her, but reveals that more than anything she’s a little overwhelmed by the outpouring of love in the best way:

MC: [Overwhelmed with feeling; touched, a little shy, embarrassed, but also full of joy--my eyes burn at the edges with tears] “I'm glad everyone approves c:”

Comte: Agreed :> your country/homeland has a nice custom. A v important step to inviting my loved one into my life as my wife :>>>>

So it then cuts to them in Comte’s room after the circus and MC thanks him for the sweet confession in front of everyone, tells him how happy it made her. He insists that it was only natural he would, and that it isn’t even enough.

Comte: “I am the one...your life, your time as a human being; I'll be taking all of it from you.”

MC: [...Comte? He took my hand with a very serious expression]

Comte: "As I said before, I will make you a vampire someday."

MC: “Don't call it that--a price. I want to live with you too!”

MC notes that while she hasn’t made the leap yet, she knows she’ll be ready for it soon enough. 

Comte: “Thank you. But the last thing I want is to take things from you, I want to do everything I can to make you happy, to make you smile. Whether that means weddings, requests--anything in my power.”

COMTE REALLY SAID "she is entrusting me with her future and that means I have the responsibility of not only ascertaining her happiness, but proving my unwavering devotion to it" AND IM HOLLERING????? LADIES GET YOU A FUCKING MANS. MC finally begins to understand this, and she’s like OMFG is that why you went off so hard this afternoon???? And Comte’s like :>>>> guilty as charged, though I think I'm also just still excited about the wedding too, haha! They hug it out (YESSSSSSS LET ME H O L D) and MC asks him again if there’s anything he wants for the wedding too. Aight y’all I would be irresponsible if I didn’t warn you beforehand, get fucking tissues. I’m still upset abt his answer and I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. He thinks about it for a bit, before kissing her forehead and saying “I suppose, can you pray for my happiness too? That's enough."

AIGHT IMMA GO BACK TO THE EVENT IN A SECOND BUT I GOTTA SAY. BITCH. BITCH ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????? COMTE THAT ISN’T OPTIONAL THAT’S A GOD DAMN PREREQUISITE?????????????????? OFC WE WISH FOR YOUR HAPPINESS WHAT THE FUCK??????????????? THE A U D A C I T Y. I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE INSULTED IN ALL MY LIFE. OKAY RANT OVER.

MC is surprised but naturally agrees to it, having wanted that for him even without prompting. She continues to think on it, insisting that she wants to do something for him too. An idea sparks but it only says that she made preparations without telling him anything for now, preparing a tangible sign of her love for the wedding.

The premium end begin here. She’s getting dressed for the wedding, and she’s--as usual--in awe of his perfect selection of accessories/jewelry to go with the gown. She’s about to put on her shoes when she notices something odd, and there’s a knock at the door. Comte enters to ask if she’s ready, and they both freeze and stare at each other. They both sheepishly admit to being completely taken with the sight of the other, and they laugh about it together. Comte tries to ask if she’s ready again, and she assures him that she is--just that she found something unexpected in her shoes.

He explains that the coin is an English six pence. Sebastian told him that they are no longer made in her time, and Comte explains he acquired it about three hundred years ago in England when he was living there (he says that he kept it back then because he liked the design on it). He explains that there is a tradition, that the English would put a six pence in a bride’s left shoe in the hopes of wishing her good fortune and prosperity in her oncoming union. MC has her understandable and customary (JESUS I FORGET HOW OLD THIS MAN IS SOMETIMES) and he places a hand over hers that’s holding the coin when she starts staring at it. 

Comte: "Hey, MC....Time goes by, and various things will continue to change. Among them, it is only vampires who survive without dying or changing."

MC: "Comte..."

Comte: "I used to think that made it--made us--empty. But...I don't think that's the case anymore. I'm proud of being able to keep this undying, unchanging love for you."

[He put the coin back in my left shoe, and offered them to me--gentle as though they were made of glass(Cinderella's)]

MC spends this exchange on the verge of tears, but keeps it together for the wedding. It depicts their loved ones all around them as they walk down the aisle, and skips to the end of the ceremony. The priest tells Comte he may now kiss the bride (WHEN I WAS TRANSLATING IT SAID “KISS YOUR BUSINESS” AND WHEN I TELL YOU I WHEEZED), but just as he’s about to lift her veil--she stops him in his tracks. He’s confused, and says her name, but she reassures him that she just wants to offer him a wedding gift before he lifts it. Hidden in her bouquet are two pins that she had made, and she pins them to his jacket. They were made from preserved flowers, encased in metal to render them undying/everlasting. 

MC: [Me too...I want to wish for your happiness...]

MC: “For you, things might feel fleeting--like they just pass you by, are lost before you can grasp them. But even so, my feelings won't change; just like this preserved/undying flower and the life of a vampire--dedicated to [Comte's real name] in everlasting love."

COMTE.EXE HAS CURRENTLY SHUTDOWN. REBOOTING.

MC notes that his eyes get misty and he leans his forehead against hers.

MC: [Comte's real name]? 

Comte: .................I want to hug you as tight as I possibly can, but I'd hate to ruin the flowers/your gift to me

BITCH WHEN I TELL YOU I SOBBED. WHEN I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1. I CANT GET OVER THE FACT THAT HER GIFT IS NOT ONLY CANON BUT ITS LITERALLY ON HIS WEDDING SPRITE, HER LOVE IS A VISIBLE MANIFESTATION ON HIS PERSON ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2. THE FACT THAT SHE ONLY ADMITS TO BEING THE HAPPIEST SHE CAN BE WHEN SHE SEES HIM SO HAPPY TOO. THIS IS SO MUCH. SO M U C H

And so Comte lifts her veil and kisses her gently uwu cover ur eyes chirren, the hall erupts in raucous applause and the crowd starts congratulating them!! Comte then encourages everyone to have fun, and the reception takes on the vibe of a kind of social gathering. MC notes that he seems to prefer this level of interaction, just relaxed and everyone chill, and she turns to tell him that it seems like it’ll be fun! Before she can finish her sentence, he kisses her fiercely before leaning back with a sigh, "It's still not enough, but I'll save the rest for later tonight." BITCH!!?!?!??!??!? HOW THE FUCK CAN ANYONE FOCUS ON A STUPID PARTY WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT, HELLO???????MC notes: [Everyone from the mansion that saw the kiss made fun of me endlessly, and I hid my face in my bouquet] SAVE HER. Once again, it skips to the end of the reception and they’re now in Comte’s room. (I will blink twice if I think you need tissues BLINKS TWICE) 

Comte: "Yup, perfect." [He places the flower pins I gave him next to THE hourglass in the room, looking pleased HNGNNGNGNNGGNGN MY EYE HOLES ARE SUFFERING

MC: "I'm glad you liked the gift c:" 

Comte: "It is proof of your unchanging love, of course I cherish it :>"

She’s just so happy to see him so delighted with it. He asks how she liked the ceremony, and she gushes about how much she loved it. He hugs her (AWWWWWWWWWWWW) and then he notes that while it was fun to celebrate, all he wants now is time with his wife (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA). He starts kissing her like the world is ending, and she says she needs to get changed--but he doesn’t care, says she’s fine as she is and that he wants her right now.

Aight usually I don’t get into epilogue territory, but honestly, this shit was JUST too good. Now this man made of magic asks MC if she’s wearing her bridal garter (you know, the one that usually comes with the whole bride ensemble in Western tradition). And she’s like ???? Uh, yeah, of course? Why... He says that he saw something interesting at a friend’s wedding reception once upon a time, and explains that the garter is usually removed and thrown to the bachelors (analogous to the bride’s throwing her bouquet, and whoever catches it will be the next to get married). PLEASE NOTE HE IS KISSING HER FOR LIKE 90% OF THIS IT’S AMAZING

MC: "So it's like the bouquet toss?" 

Comte: "Yes. Now then, how did he remove the garter...?”

HE DUCKS DOWN AND SHE’S LIKE COMTE!?!?

Comte: “...Ah yes, the groom removes it with his teeth >:D”

And so this man HAS THE TIME OF HIS LIFE tugging it down slowly under her dress, caressing her legs and loving every part of her. MC’s face is on fire, and she’s torn between being turned on and embarrassed. Eventually he reappears after teasing her MERCILESSLY and admits that he didn’t do it at the reception because he didn’t want anyone else to see her reaction. Blushing, shy, desirous--all of these feelings are his to keep and enjoy. (I!!!!! LOVE!!!!!!!!!! HOW SUBTLY POSSESSIVE HE IS AAAAAAAAAA) MC notes internally that she feels the same way about him, how he only shows this intensely passionate side to her. Comte is uncharacteristically impatient and frenzied that night, and they both go at it.

It skips to midnight where the two are cuddling in the aftermath, just being cute and happy. Comte, the absolute MADLAD is already thinking about how to celebrate next year--and she just giggles at him (he’s a wackadoo but he’s her wackadoo LMFAO MOOD) and he laughs with her. They essentially swear to promise their love over and over in the future, and it just ends on that wholesome note :>>>

Also can I just. The fact that he lived for so long alone, but was always, always paying attention to all of these little things that are done with a person’s loved one ;-; that he would remember his friend doing that at his wedding and be like BROOOOO I WANNA DO THAT IF I EVER GET MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!! I just. It’s so heartbreaking and touching at the same time, I just want to hold him forever ;-; the fact that he doesn’t seem to worry as much about his own happiness, seems absolutely floored that MC would do anything in return. I JUST LOVE HIM WITH EVERYTHING INSIDE OF ME 

THIS IS WHAT PEAK PERFORMANCE LOOKS LIKE

[chromsai]

Top 5 Arc V Moments.

OKay so this is very over due as hell I’m sorry like sincerely apologizing here. I don’t really have an excuse since I’ve known my definite favorite moments for a while, I just felt I had to… emotionally prepare myself to write all this out. And well

(it’s fucking June now…) as you can see it takes me a just a bit to become emotionally prepared for anything Arc V, especially so when it comes to deciding on JUST 5 Arc V moments but alright. Here they are:

5. Episodes 69 & 99 (tie): Melt My Heart

Yeah, I know I’m starting this list off with a tie just to emphasize how hard this is for me. Well anyway…

I’m choosing both of these episodes as a tie because my favorite thing about them both is, you guessed it!, fruitshipping.

Fruitshipping is, of course, my favorite pairing from Arc V (honestly, it’s my favorite in all of YGO in general by like… a really, REALLY long shot) and I’ve already talked about why episode 69 is my favorite fruitshipping moment from the entire show (tl;dr: it’s what made me go from casually shipping it to full blown “I WILL DROWN WITH THIS SHIP WITHOUT REGRET”) but the reason why I’m placing it tied to episode 99 in this list is of course because

this. Amazingly touching reunion. And although, yes it was short lived, nothing takes away how satisfying everything about this scene is, imo at least. Maybe you ship this, maybe you don’t. Either way, I’m not sure you can’t deny how heartwarming it is that Yuya isn’t holding back his feelings here. Okay, perhaps he is maybe slightly (goddamnit Yuya cONFESS ALREADY DAMNIT U DENSE BOY). Even the entire present cast finds it hella endearing:

Shingo’s satisfied look of approval pretty much confirms he ships it.Gongenzaka is beyond happy to see his best friends reunited, as they should be.Sora probably going thru the biggest sugar high of his entire goddamn life from how sweet this reunion is.

Look. At. Reira’s. Smile. Damn shoulda just shown baby Reira/Zarc a pic of fruitshipping… but then maybe Arc V would have ended 5 episodes sooner…Tsukikage, the cool stoic ninja, has been shipping this from the shadows but this scene was too perfect he dgaf about hiding it anymore.

Jack & Crow transcending shows just to show their approval of this ship.

Fruitshipping is all according to Reiji’s keikaku, and Shun seems glad he was awake to see this.

Not to mention my favorite part of this moment:

I get this is YGO and who knows if we’ll ever get an on-screen kiss but… the amount of time they stared directly into each other’s eyes without even blinking once, like… I know I wasn’t the only one who thought they were actually gonna kiss there for a moment… it’s symbolic of something, ya feel?

sweartogodithoughttheyreallywereandasiwatchediwasscreaming

This moment was too pure, too good, too heartwarming………

Anyways,,,

4. Episodes 31+32: A True ‘Entame’ Duel

Again, this is a moment I’ve talked about as being one of my favorite Yuya moments recently.

 There’s a lot I can add about why I love this duel (for example:

giving Shingo some character development as well as demonstrating that he actually really is a skilled duelist and a true entertainer in his own way, not just a follower or an imitator

Yuya using this duel to challenge himself and push himself to reaching for his father’s level of Entame Dueling which is his dream

the cliffhangers they left us off with at the end of ep 31, the one that happened at the beginning of 32 with Yuya diving into the collapsing castle (which, Idk about anyone else, but that legit got me anxious AF too cuz how unpredictable the duels in this show are sometimes) and of course the other one towards the end of the duel as he made his ‘destiny draw’ while calling for the audience to cheer him on, etc.

but what really makes this duel the textbook example of what makes Entame Duels so fun to watch is the flawless call and response (aka back & forths) between Shingo and Yuya and their absolute dedication to keeping the flow of their entertainment as intense and unpredictable (even for themselves) as possible.

Also, as far as YGO goes, there is always going to be moments where the protagonist has to rely on a ‘destiny draw’, but the way it was implemented in this show (pretty much always like this moment) was a really creative way that fits into the world and story-telling of the show extremely comfortably but also adding to the anticipation since both we AND the actual in-universe audience are expecting something BIG.

Another rewatch bonus here: the stark contrast between Yuya’s Entame Dueling vs Zarc’s vengeful, overpowering dueling- this duel is the prime example of everything that Zarc strived to achieve as an entertainer but was unfortunately ultimately swayed away from despite his true intentions.

Last note for this moment: this duel was will always hold a special place in my heart for happening at a time when I really needed it. It was a nice reminder to not be afraid to Take A Step Forward With Courage.

(Side note: this episode was also immediately followed by, without a doubt, the best written duel in Arc V: Shun vs. Sora, so that just added to this moment in retrospect due to the contrast between dueling for smiles & entertainment vs dueling for war & vengeance, which was brilliant considering these 2 duels perfectly showcase the 2 sides of of the single coin that is Arc V and its overall themes, so you could say that, yeah, MCS arc was fucking good.)

3. Episode 1 + 2: A Solid Intro that AWED

Alright, so I’m very aware that not everyone shares my opinion on this, but again this is a list based on my experience and perspective of Arc V so lol anyway,

Episode. 1.

I’ve told this story plenty of times before, I think, but I’ve left some details out. After watching + finishing Zxl (as it was airing, mind you) I was left feeling kinda… mostly… “meh” about YGO as a whole. The last few episodes of it, though, we got this a few times:

And I was kinda… also “meh” about it. *cries writing that*pastsaiyoufool Tbqh with you, my only reaction to him at first was “he’s riding a hippo while playing card games… does he even know what it means to be a YGO protag? Where is YGO going…” but it was also “eh, it’s YGO. Nothing’s changed probably.” Then, a certain someone was confirmed as “main rival” for Arc V and I was motivated to watch. “It’ll probably be just okay but I’m watching for Hosoyan,” I told myself, fucking clueless as fucking hell. “Plus this is the first time I get to watch a YGO RIGHT as it airs RIGHT from the start.”

So episode 1 finally came around and this happened

within the first… not even 2 mins in. And part of me was “ok” and the other part of me was nothatwasntcutethatwasnOTCUTEATALL*denial* (I am a known tsundere when it comes to the things I end up loving the most [see: Chrom, Shun, Zarc, etc.]). Then the next thing that caught my attention was:

. By now, I was internally being even more aggressively tsundere because Fuck that was cute… but he’s ridiculous! Dressing up like a clown?! NNNNO. though on the outside I just kept watching with a straight face like okay okay it’s the first episode, he’s allowed. I’m very dense too just like him.

My first impression of the duel was actually that it was rather okay & somewhat interesting for the most part and that the action cards seemed fun but oh boy a new gimmick but I continued watching, cuz again, I wanted to give it a chance.

My expectations, going into the show, were “this is just gonna be another silly, happy-go-lucky kinda theme, eh I already got thru Zxl so why not?” + no real expectations at all.

And then, 

this happened:

My first reaction: oH MY GOD LOOK AT THOSE EYESSS!!! (little did I know this was the beginning of my being zarctrash… yuuup… since episode. fcking. 1.)

I don’t know exactly why, at the time, and I don’t know about the rest of you but this was basically me right after:

Then the next episode continues the duel, Yuya wins, and again, I’m like

And to top that off, they give us this too:

First of all, that ending screencap of Yuya looking at the screen confidently right after he Pendulum summons for the first time and leaves everyone (including me) in shock… I’m sorry but, to me, THAT’S how you end a first episode. The animation. The soundtrack. The pacing and writing. Yuya’s sudden and mysterious (at the time) complete change of demeanor, along with the mystery of the Pendulum itself, is what left me in absolute awe, especially so seeing that even Yuya himself was not expecting it. It was all perfect. Then going on to the next episode and learning that Yuya suddenly had no idea what had just happened or where he even was… that got me hooked instantly.

But the ending to that first episode… haha… I started watching this show for Reiji Akaba and suddenly forgot he existed right after this moment happened. When he finally made his dramatic, opening double-doors + scarf flowing in the wind (in his office somehow?) debut, I was like “Oh sHIT there he is! Right… I was gonna watch this show for him… right…” Barely an episode in and I had completely forgotten why I was even watching anymore. I didn’t care. I just wanted to watch more. (And thankfully Reiji Akaba ended up also exceeding my expectations of his character like by a lot.)

I’ve seen this episode way too many times to count. I enjoy it thoroughly each and every time. But I honestly just really wish I could relive seeing it for the very first time. It was… such an incredible experience. To me, this is the best first episode of any YGO. I went in expecting nothing or even less than that and instead, fortunately, got everything I didn’t even know I ever wanted.

2. Episode 135: The Perfect Episode

I. Am an angst. Hoe.

Part of the reason why I enjoyed this show so much was because it gave me so much well-written angst that hit all the tropes I enjoy so much and then some.

This episode was and then some.

First of all, let me just address the fact that the duel between Yuri and Yuya was hyped and anticipated for 2 fucking years ever since Yuri was first revealed. Don’t lie, our first thought when we saw Yuri was “So WHEN are they gonna duel??!?” 

For 2. Entire. Years. This duel was hyped up, and I’ll even dare to say it was more anticipated than even the Yuri vs Yugo duel, honestly. Even up to the last minute. I can’t tell you the amount of polls and discussions I saw debating who would win the duel because not only was the duel hyped, after seeing the first half, (in keeping with the surprise nature of the show) the result was still pretty damn unpredictable (a lot of those polls I mentioned were split almost evenly half the time).

Then it finally happened.

And it delivered. My god did it deliver.

But alright, I know I titled this “The Perfect Episode” but yeah there was some flaws in the duel writing (Yuya, my boy, you forgot your monsters have Pendulum effects?, Yuri I get you were losing your shit too and just wanted to hitotsu ni but you also forgot to use your dragons’ effects or just didn’t bother, etc.) buuuut I’m going to call this off as somewhat realistic in the fact that when you’re feeling you’re going insane and panicking you just might not be able to think entirely straight and might miss a few card effects or so.

But besides that.

The animation for this episode, directed by Ebina, and the sound direction as well was spot fucking on. And the script throughout was…

Oh my god. The script throughout this episode…

Let’s just say, during the span of less than 24 minutes I

cried

and cried

and died cried.

A lot.

just getting those screenshots hurt… beyond words…

Major shout out to Kensho Ono for this scene in particular because. wow. 

(Side note 1: just in general, I thank the gods every day for casting Ono Ken as Yuya because I cannot think of anyone better to voice him ever. He left his own personal mark on Yuya’s character [Yuya’s “Ladies & Gentlemen!” was his own added touch and was not originally in the script, gods bless 🙌] + on the YGO series as a whole.

Side note 2: This is more of a personal one with regards to this scene in particular…I say often that I relate to Yuya a lot and let me just say that watching this scene was incredibly hard to watch through tears especially the first time around because, as someone who went through a terrible depressive episode that lasted months in 2014-2015, it just… reminded me… of that exact feeling… and I felt so. goddamn. horrible for Yuya… he never deserved that. Ever. This episode broke me so bad for a good while…)

Of course, I think the thing we all anticipated the most was… Zarc. We knew for certain that he would revive by the end of the duel. “How?” was the main question. Most speculation lead to the theory that Yuri would forcefully merge with Yuya despite losing, but that didn’t happen. Instead,

Zarc did it himself. Of course.

I think by the very end of the duel it was obvious but… that still didn’t stop me from spouting “no no they aren’t doing this tHEY AREN’T REALLY DOING THIS THEY CAN’T FUCKING DO THISSSS NOOOO!!!!” as he walked towards Yuri. And I knew exactly what was about to happen. And it still broke me anyway. And when Yuya’s Pendulum hit the ground

so did I.

*sniff* Fun times.

[Here is where I was gonna put some honorable mentions but the list was pretty damn long so I’m omitting it because honestly I’ll just end up listing like every single episode (besides episode 19 ofc well now y’all know my least favorite Arc V episode… wow… shocker, right?)]

1. Episode 37: Point of No Return

Welp. This is it. My favorite. Favorite. Arc V episode and moment.

The one episode I’ve seen like……. idefk how many times. I pretty much know the script by heart now. Yeah. In Japanese.

What is it about this episode? Maybe it’s the-

No! Stop we’re not there yet!

I think it’s the fact that this episode

is, imo, when shit TRULY. HITS. THE FAN. 

As I titled this entry, this is literally. The Point. of No. Return.

Nothing is the same anymore after this episode. The plot is completely, entirely on autopilot from this point on.

“Destiny Starts to Move.”

This fucks with me, man. How much so? Here look:

Yeah I know this was just 5 months ago, but my god. You never know what fate has in store for you. Look at this other thing that I just found again also:

haha “lol”. 

I can go on forever about the massive foreshadowing this episode is, or about how tragic it is, or both. OR. I can just… appreciate what they’ve done here.

I love Arc V because, as I said before, this show hits at like literally ALL of my favorite tropes, combines them with YGO and Arc V’s relatable AF characters, and then deconstructs those tropes immensely.

So for example, this episode alone:

A PLOT MAJOR duel NOT involving the main character/protagonist, yet still affects his life forever anyway.

“Kills” (ymmv) off a plot-important character within less than the first half of the show.

Said character STAYS that way (almost unheard of in YGO).

Said character’s dying words aka his last fucking will remains unresolved for pretty much the entire show until the very last episode. (FORESHADOWING WHAO)

You can’t. Escape. Fate. (The end result would be the same regardless of what happened this episode.) You can’t even change fate, in this situation. Not even slightly.

No. You won’t even fix your fate either. Hell, this is a trope that Yugioh usually actively avoids.

Yes, I know this episode is cruel in so many ways, and even more so in hindsight, but as I said before, I love angst. And I love deconstruction of tropes. And I love foreshadowing.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t just love this episode in hindsight. There are so many things going on

“Destiny Starts to Move” - yeah, after all of Ray’s bracelet’s struggles of keeping them away from each other, Zarc finally made his first definitive move sending Yugo here and now three of his four pieces are gathered in one spot, two of them misguidedly pissed at each other for extra hitotsu ni- dueling motivation, with not a single bracelet in sight. There’s no turning back now. Just another win-win Sunday night for Zarc.

And, oh yeah, this was Yugo’s debut. Just to emphasize the fact that their coexistence is unnatural.

Lmao no matter how you see it, their story is so damn sad fite me

Out of hindsight, though, I’ll admit that, besides Yuya, I still wasn’t entirely attached to the characters (or at least not to the extent I am today, even regarding Yuya), but this episode was, as I titled this, the point of no return for me as well. If I ever thought about quitting the show and just coming back to binge it later (which… never actually crossed my mind, I don’t think lol), this was the episode where I thought “shit… I’m definitely here forever now.” I mention the whole quitting and then binging thing cuz that’s what I pretty much eventually did with all YGOs before it, even DM, but not with this show.

Of course this episode is also where we get a hint of what’s been going on with the introduction of Yuri and Leo Akaba asking him to bring Yuzu to him, but doesn’t give enough away that it’s obvious at all. Pretty much all the mysteries gathered in this episode here quite nicely but the shock ending- Yuto dying- gave us all something even greater to ponder about… we knew when it happened that this was only the beginning…

“When the paper’s crumpled up, it can’t be perfect again…”

Honestly, I can continue talking about a bunch of other things regarding this episode for forever, but… talk about… otanoshimi wa kore kara da… so many things that came after this in the story were built upon this moment, it’s definitely one of the most important moments in this show. 

And it’s my favorite moment in Arc V.

[entergamingxp]

Like a Dragon, Project Sakura Wars Sales

January 28, 2020 12:17 PM EST

Toshihiro Nagoshi announces Yakuza: Like a Dragon sold over 300,000 copies, comments on the game and Project Sakura Wars sales, lack of full voice acting.

On this month’s SegaNama stream, Toshihiro Nagoshi announced that as of now, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, sold more than 300,000 copies, digital and physical included. The game is known as Ryu Ga Gotoku 7 Hikari to Yami no Yukue in Japan and launched there on PlayStation 4 on January 17. He also chatted about PS4 exclusive Project Sakura Wars and the game’s sales.

Toshihiro Nagoshi first mentioned that many players who bought Yakuza: Like a Dragon were buying a game of the series for the first time. He also mentioned that digital sales are higher than usual for the Yakuza series, showing some of the buyers are part of a different player base than usual. The fact that the protagonist changed also made it easier for newcomers to grab the game. Yakuza: Like a Dragon topped weekly charts at release, and I believe 300,000 copies sold isn’t bad at all considering the RPG and protagonists change.

As for Project Sakura Wars, it’s been over a month since it launched on December 12, 2019, and Toshihiro Nagoshi mentioned he wishes the game sells a bit more. According to Kadokawa’s sales estimates published by Dengeki Online, Project Sakura Wars sold 178,426 copies as of January 19, 2020. Note that these estimates don’t include digital sales. I believe this is pretty high considering the series didn’t have a new game for 15 years, meaning most young people in Japan have no idea what Sakura Taisen is. Moreover, certain older fans weren’t necessarily on board as Project Sakura Wars works both as a sequel and a reboot with new characters.

Toshihiro Nagoshi mentioned one of the biggest complaints regarding Project Sakura Wars is how the game isn’t fully voiced. I’ve personally played until the beginning of chapter 3 for now, and while most of the game is voiced, the fact that some scenes feature the characters being very well animated and expressive, but voiceless, is a real shame. Nagoshi added that fully voicing a game is difficult for a number of reasons, such as the game’s volume, but they do realize that maybe they should have steeled themselves and went with full voice acting. Nagoshi mentioned Sega will definitely consider developing more fully-voiced games in the future.

Fully voicing a game isn’t a simple matter especially with dialogue-heavy games such as Shin Sakura Taisen. And while the game isn’t fully voiced, most of protagonist Seijuro’s lines are voiced. Meanwhile, previous protagonist Ogami was almost never voiced in the past games. Having a game fully voiced can also mean fewer dialogues. For example, I’m perfectly fine with Super Robot Wars games not being fully voiced. If not, the games would definitely have fewer crossover interactions. Then you have examples such as Persona 5 Royal, and how I find disappointing it doesn’t add more voiced events outside of the new content of the game. And then you have games such as Fire Emblem Three Houses who are fully voiced despite its gargantuan dialogues. In my opinion, that might have been prioritized over other aspects such as the graphics, which is fine by me as I don’t care much about that aspect compared to story and gameplay.

At the end of the stream, Toshihiro Nagoshi mentioned he’s happy they made the switch to RPG. How it made him and the team grow and learn many things. He again mentioned that he doesn’t know yet if the next Yakuza game will be an RPG or not. But in any case, he’s particularly happy many players enjoyed Yakuza LAD, a stark contrast compared to the initial negative reactions when the RPG change was revealed. In multiple interviews after the Japanese release of the game, Toshihiro Nagoshi shared similar comments regarding the future of the series and on the game’s development.

PS4 exclusive Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be coming west later on in 2020. Project Sakura Wars, known as Shin Sakura Taisen in Japan, will be launching in Spring 2020 in the west. You can check out our translated let’s play if you’re too hyped to wait. Soon after the game’s release, Sega announced the cumulative game sales of the Sakura Taisen series in Japan since its debut in 1996 reached over 4 million.

Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation will also start airing in April 2020. A Sakura Taisen live stream will be held on January 29, with new details on the anime. We’ll cover it as always.

SegaNama are streams held monthly with Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi and MC Ayana Tsubaki. We covered the past SegaNama streams on DualShockers, and this month’s stream is included below. Toshihiro Nagoshi spoke about Yakuza: Like a Dragon‘s sales at the beginning, and about Project Sakura Wars during the game’s corner at 32:00. Kazuhiro Nakaya, who voices Ichiban, also joined the stream during the Yakuza: Like a Dragon corner at 46:00. He chatted about the game’s recording, in particular, so you should check it out if you’re a fan. I sadly don’t have the time to summarize this part.

January 28, 2020 12:17 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/like-a-dragon-project-sakura-wars-sales/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=like-a-dragon-project-sakura-wars-sales