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[teumessian-fox]

Some Gil x Saber fic recs... take 2

So, for all Gil x Saber enthusiasts, I’ve a couple more fic that are worth checking up, WIPs this time round. (for one-shot recs you can check out my previous post)

Firstly, there’s Empty Gold by FutureMagicLab

Summary: At the end of the War, Artoria finds herself in the company of enemies. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, believes he is in the company of friends. The aftermath of any tragedy is what you make of it.

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11857611/1/Empty-Gold

Why do I like this: first, the writing style, it’s wonderfully descriptive and the author does her best to stay true to Arturia’s and Gil’s characters - quite successfully too. The plot is interesting and there’s quite a bit of it written, a prologue and three nice, long chapters, perfect if you feel like reading something lengthier.

Then there’s Throne of Lies by KatStorm 

Summary: When the kingdom falls and the king's murderer must be held accountable, royal knight Arturia Pendragon must escort the now-powerless prisoner across feudal lands to the execution grounds. If only he would be a little more cooperative.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11747385/1/Throne-of-Lies

Why do I like this: this puppy is an AU, basically GoT meets Fateverse... I mean what more can you possibly wish for? The writing style is nice and easy to follow, characters are colorful and well portrayed and did I mention the awesome setting? Only one chapter so far, hopefully we’ll get more soon.

Well, that’s it for now.... wellll, I did come across some darker fics that could prove to be... interesting, if handled right. The basic premise of them all is the same - Gilgamesh has Artura at his mercy...  yeah, it does not bode well for poor Saber. Not really true recs, but if you like these types of scenarios you might find something to your liking here.

This one I gave up on being updated as it was posted way back in 2012, but I guess it could be read as a oneshot.

Breakdown by Aristeia de Luca

 https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8325117/1/Breakdown

Love Without Hope by Mrs-Doitsu

Only 2 chapters, one of them a short prologue... interesting premise, with nothing too graphic as of yet.

Summary: What would happen if somehow the King of Heroes had obtained the seal of command for the King of Knights?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11828641/1/Love-Without-Hope

[teumessian-fox]

Heroic Legend of Arslan

Well, it’s been about time I found another character to fawn over... I recently got into the new Heroic Legend of Arslan, I’ve seen the first series waaay back (long enough to forget 95% of the story, good for not being bored by the current incarnation) and remember liking it, but also being somewhat disappointed by the eventual dip in animation quality as the show switched studios and was then left unfinished. So I was really happy to see the story got picked up again and the lovely character design by Hiromu Arakawa doesn ’t hurt either.

I’m in the middle of the first season and I definitely found my favourite character - sorry Daryuun, you’re awesome, but Silvermask’s got sooo much angst on his side, plus I have a weak spot for tortured antagonists with antiheroic characteristics.

How could I not love him, he’s basically an anime equivalent of the Hound from Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. <3

What can you say, the man loves his chicken. You go Clegane, save a wing or two for Hermes!

Now if only there was any fanfiction... srsly, I checked out FFN and found only 20 fics, what’s going on here? O____o

[teumessian-fox]

Big Hero 6

So, I finally got around to watching this one and it’s been a while since I’ve had such conflicting emotions about a Disney flick. It’s good, but far from perfect.

Spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t seen it by now, beware. ;)

Stuff I liked...

Animation - it’s Disney, nuff’ said

Setting - I liked the city of San Fransokyo, it’s modern, colorful and I loved how alive it felt.

Characters - I really did like pretty much all the characters, each had an unique feel to them with their own personality and a very nice character design to help telling them apart.

Hiro - I enoyed Hiro’s character, instead of making him a stereotypical always happy, perfect heroic type, he’s instead portrayed pretty realistically - just a kid (albeit a very smart one) who doesn’t always make the right decisions, a bit bratty and self-adsorbed, but good at heart. Thankfully he has friends and family to help him in his hour of need.

Baymax - it a mechanical marshmallow, sweet and very lovable, makes me want to have his plushy so I could hug it whenever I wish.

Tadashi/Hiro and Baymax/Hiro relationship - scenes between these characters were by far the best parts of the movie.

The topic of loss, grief and coping with it - I enjoyed how they portrayed Hiro during his period of grief, they didn’t do anything too graphic or upsetting as their primary audience are children, but they still managed to convey his feeling of loss and make me feel for him.

What I did not enjoy so much...

Side-characters lack of development - yeah, yeah, the emotional core of the film is the relationship between Hiro and Baymax and it makes sense that the movie’s limited running time would focus on that. But it doesn’t change the fact that we hardly got to see how the very deep bonds of friendship between Hiro and the rest of his team developed, save for a very quick montage. They almost literally went from ‘hey, it’s Tadashi’s kid brother’ to ‘we’re BFF’s forever’ - again, I know it’s due to time restraints, but it was still more tell then show approach.

Plot - I liked the first... third of the movie, basically everything before the superhero stuff kicked in, then it became generic and painfully predictable. I’m a big fan of Marvel movies and I normally love superhero plots, but in BH6′s case I could guess what was going to happen pretty much every single time... identity of the villain? Yup. Motivation behind what he does? Check. Heroic sacrifice/fake important character’s ‘death’? Yah. Hidden disk in the glove? Really? The first third was really nice, focusing on Hiro’s search for his place in the world, using his intellect to get into the school for the gifted, dealing with his brother’s loss and finding a friend in his creation, all wonderful stuff. Too bad the rest of the plot couldn’t keep up and the opted for the most generic of superhero tales instead.

Villain - oh Callahan, what have they done to you? He’s a typical example of a character being made into a baddie because the plot demanded one and writers not really knowing what to do with it. At the start of the movie he’s presented as a kind mentor/father figure with strong morals, who is also a genius inventor who pretty much everyone admires, and then does a complete 180 and turns into a self-absorbed a-hole without a single redeeming quality (they must have gone to Frozen’s school of writing villains). Also, his way of obtaining Hiro’s nanobots must be a single most stupid and forced plot-points in the movie - Hiro already applied for his academy, where he could be the boy’s mentor if he chose and Hiro would happily show him all his research. So, with so many opportunities to obtain access to this technology quietly and with ease just a little while later why blow up the entire building and risk lives of innocent bystanders? I guess I wouldn’t be bothered by this incredibly stupid plot gimmick if his character wasn’t presented so flatly... yes, he does have a reason why he does what he does (his daughter), but he hasn’t shown an ounce of regret over his protegee’s death and he seems pretty happy to try and slaughter his students, all people he’s known and worked with for a long time... with Hiro being written well, I really don’t know what went wrong with Callahan. Having a good villain is essential for any movie, especially a superhero one, and they really dropped the ball here. The sad part is he could have been a really great villain, all the ingredients were right there... what a waste of potential. The single good thing about him is his presentation - he’s menacing and the nanobot tech he uses is cool and creative.

Callahan’s daughter liiiives! - this is a very small gripe mostly because I find it unlikely that they would install cryostasis tech in a test pod meant to fly for a few seconds. Also, it kind of feels like another cheap plot point so we could have the predictable self sacrifice scene.

Ending’s emotional manipulation - come on, did anyone not see the Iron Giant ending here? Like anyone (save very small children, who haven’t seen this in every movie ever) bought for a second they would kill off Baymax.

So, there’s plenty of things to enjoy in Big Hero 6, like beautiful animation, likable characters and a heartwarming relationship between Hiro and Baymax. I cannot call it a great movie though as there are simply too many things dragging it down, mostly the uninspiring and cliche plot in the final half of the movie with a flat, badly characterized villain. Despite its flaws, Big Hero 6 is still a pretty enjoyable family movie (if you try not to think about it too much), a solid 3/5.

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 8

Favorite Male and Female Character with Brown hair

Captain Harlock (Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Arcadia of My Youth, Gun Frontier, tons of stuff really)

A pirate must live a pirate's life, and this is the way of life we have chosen.

- Harlock

I’d feel kind of bad if I placed anyone else in place of this anime legend. Harlock is a behemoth among anime characters and he’s been in bunch of series, movies, manga and whatnot. I haven’t managed to burn through everything he’s been in, my favorite work being an OVA, Endless Odyssey, but there’s one thing that stays the same in all reincarnations of his mythos. And that is: Harlock. Is. Pretty freakin’ awesome. He’s a romanticized hero, a space pirate with an unique philosophy on life, who fights the system, stoic, noble and all sorts of badass.

But he’s not completely stoic at all times, he has one weekness...

You just know he’s cracking a goofy smile on the inside.

Akane Tsunemori (Psycho-Pass)

Society doesn't always do what's right. That's exactly why we ourselves must live virtuous lives.

- Akane T.

Take notes folks, here’s how you do a strong female character right. Since she’s the protagonist and our point-of-view character, we learn about the fascinating dystopia that is the world of Psycho-Pass, where nothing remains hidden from Big Brother, not even your most hidden feelings, together, and follow her throughout her journey from a rookie to a seasoned inspector. She’s intelligent and insightful, but also compassionate, optimistic with a strong faith in humanity, enabling her to face everyday hardships her job brings.

And as always, here’s some more awesome brunettes for your viewing pleasure. ;)

Kurotowa (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind)

She's alive. There goes that dream.

- Kurotowa

Wut, no gif love for poor ol’ Kurotowa? Oh well, here’s an image of him chilling on the tank and totally checking out Kushana’s ass

Casshern (Casshern Sins)

If you’ve forgotten death..then you’ve forgotten what it truly means to be alive.

- Casshern

Syaoran Li (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle)

No matter how painful it might be...I'll do everything in my might! So please, you too, act according to what you believe in!

- Shyaoran Li

Itaru Hashida (Steins;Gate)

Balls or not, man, I’d so hit that.

- Daru

Princess Sakura (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle)

Because I wished for everyone to live, I did everything I could.

- Sakura

Sakura is a wonderful character and the main reason she’s not up there is that TRC desperately needs the FMA: Brotherhood treatment and get a nice fat reboot now that the manga is completed. She truly comes into her own beyond Tokyo Revelations story-line and that’s in the manga - but since this is an anime challenge, she’s stays a strong contender for the top spot.

Nausicaä (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind)

There's nothing to fear...

- Nausicaä

Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)

Rich Bastards.

- Haruhi F.

Rin Toshaka (Fate/Stay Night: UBW)

Look, Emiya-kun. People normally die when they are killed.

- Rin T.

And last, but certainly not the least...

Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged)

Screw the rules, I have money!

- Kaiba S.

Sorry, sorry, had to do it. XD

[teumessian-fox]

When you find something great on DA...

So, I was browsing DA’s gallery today after a good long while and since I’ve slowly been easing back into TRC fandom after being AWOL for a couple of years, I figured I’d check out if there was any decent fanart there. And boy did I hit a lottery this time.

Take a good look at this and tell me it’s not a fanart dream come true!

Drawn by chansiufa - http://chansiufa.deviantart.com/

So, if you’re interested in some good TRC fanart, with a lot of KuroFai sprinkled in it, I cannot recommend this artist enough.

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 7

Favorite Male and Female Character with Pink hair

Renzo Shima (Blue Exorcist)

So.. you’re telling me to go through that river of bugs with Shiemi on my back? ...I’m gonna die.

- Renzo S.

Hmmm, by doing this challenge I came to a realization that I haven’t really seen all that many anime that had guys with pink hair (totally my fault for not watching Fairy Tail) and after really thinking about it I came up with a whooping two characters, none of which really caught my attention. But since I had to put someone up here... uhm, congrats Renzo? ^^; He’s one of our protagonist’s friends and suffers the curse of most supporting characters, which is getting left on the sidelines and not really be given a moment to shine. Save for a few humorous scenes there wasn’t that much going on with him - he got more development in the manga (that I picked up out of curiosity, since I really like the Hellboy/Harry Potter vibe this show’s got) and gets more interesting (which is why he’s here, really), but in the anime, he’s just a friendly, laid back goofball, a nice, fun friend character for the show, but little else. Maybe if the show gets another season that will change.

Euphemia li Britannia (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)

The stars haven't changed, have they? They were the same back then. Long ago, we all used to gaze up at the stars together... wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live like that again? I'd be so happy then. Can't we go back to that?

- Euphiemia li Britannia

Fortunately, the female category proved to be a bit easier the the male one and so here she is, the Third Princess of the Britannian Imperial Family. The political background of this show is quite interesting and it is a big part of who she is, so I’ll talk a bit more about it (the show’s intro does it too, so no real spoilers here) - basically, her whole family is in a business of conquering and enslaving foreign nations and are pretty good at their job, owning a good chunk of the world, among it also Japan aka Area 11, the stage on which this war/political drama unfolds. The people in conquered provinces are treated like second class citizens, since Britannians see themselves as a superior race, but despite her upbringing, she is a firm believer in equality of man and when she is given a chance she gives her all in order to try and change the system from within. As one can imagine, such ideology is not a popular one, but Euphemia is nothing if not determined and will stop at nothing to achieve her dream.

So, does she manage to fight the system and win? Wheeeeeel... go check out the show and find out. :3

So as always, here’s some more pink haired girls that caught my attention... wait, that didn’t come out right...

Lyuze (Casshern Sins)

Crying is sadness as you bid farewell.

- Lyuze

Yona (Yona of the Dawn)

I know that I have no strengths to offer. It irritates me how weak I am. But let me protect them!

- Yona

Yuno Gasai (Future Diary)

I'm selfish, I know. But to keep you only mine, I will do everything I needed to do, even if it's illegal. 

- Yuno G.

I rarely bother with characters that don’t appeal to me, but this one? Ooooh, I hate her with a passion and I don’t care about any tragic pasts and what-not’s, I spent 4/5 of the anime hoping she’d bite it one way or another - can’t deny that a character that can coax such an intense emotion out of me is not a good one (and she was still the best part of the entire show, hands down). XD

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 6

Favorite Male and Female Character with Blonde Hair

Archer/Gilgamesh (Fate/Zero)

If I shied away from all the curses in the world, what sort of Hero would I be? "Suffer all the worlds evil"? Ha, they think they can ruin all me with a mere curse? They should have tripled it's strength! An epic hero is someone who bears the burden of every human in his sight. I've been carrying that weight on my shoulders since the beginning of time!

- Gilgamesh

Oh boy, oh boy, here we go! How could I have picked anyone but the King of Heroes in all his glory. Like Rider I talked about a few posts back, he is a spirit of the hero Gilgamesh who was summoned to participate in a battle-royale for the grand prize, the wish fulfilling Holy Grail. Hardly a goody-two shoes, he’s arrogant, pompous and likes the sound of his own voice waaay too much. What, you wonder why I like this character? Can’t imagine why... :P But there is more to him then just that being a big golden douc** (although he does excel at that beautifully XD). Yes, he’s arrogant... but this is hardly without cause. With divine ancestry, being two-parts god and one part human, he is mankind's first hero and in TM’s canon, the origin of all the world’s myths and legends - hence the title King of Heroes. He is also ridiculously overpowered and can back up his claims of supremacy against any who would challenge him with relative ease. In a show brimming with epic heroic characters, in terms of sheer power, he stands above them all.

There have been a few takes on his character as there have been three anime series and a couple of spinnoffs so far, but my favorite portrayal of him was in Fate/Zero (this was also my first Fate anime and still the best of the bunch by far), which due to a distinct lack of a main character allowed everyone who participated a moment to shine and added an additional level of complexity to the King of Heroes - here, he took on more of a role of trickster and observer of human nature rather than just a final boss our hero needed to defeat. And that made him interesting and makes me look forward to any new Fate show featuring him.

Ahiru Arima/Duck/Princess Tutu (Princess TuTu)

In the end, everyone’s a marionette.

- Princess Tutu

At first I wanted to place her under pink-haired heroines, but it says on the wiki that her hair is officially strawberry-blonde, so here she stands. While this show can boast with having the probably girliest title in anime history, TuTu is no Sailor Moon, and while it is a magical-girl anime and does have a transformation sequence (thankfully short and tastefully done), this show at is a fairy tale at heart and like all good stories, it starts small and then grows into something special. And so does Ahiru, a young duckling who gets turned into a human girl because she wishes to bring happiness to someone she loves. Ahiru is simply adorable - a kind-hearted, but somewhat quirky and klutzy ballet student (ducks are not exactly known for being graceful), she will have to face impossible odds to save those she cares about. Like in my previous posts, I won’t spoil anything and just say she passes all her tests with flying colors and that her story and development is a joy to witness.

Here’s some more cuteness...

Dawww, she’s shy! <3

This was another hard category - I guess Japan has a thing for blondes, because there’s a ton of awesome anime characters here and each deserves his/her place in the spotlight!

Edward Erlic (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Like I always say, if you can't find a door... make your own!

- Edward Elric

Jack Simon/November 11 (Darker then Black)

Secondhand smoke kills, you know.

- November 11

Worick Arcangelo (Gangsta)

I’m sorry, but Barry won't ever be coming back.

- Worrick Arcangelo

Viral (Tegmen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

I don't understand the crap you say but that is crap I can get behind.

- Viral

Vash the Stampede (Trigun)

Love and peace, love and peace, love and peeeeeeaaaaaace!

- Vash the Stampede

Mikaela Hyakuya (Seraph of the End)

Solitude. Horrible, crushing solitude. Blood. I want blood. That thought... that need... means I'm no longer human.

- Mikaela H.

Fai D. Flowright (Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE)

But then, crying when you need to cry is another way to show strength.

- Fai

Shizuo Heiwajima (Durarara!!)

Listen. Looks can kill. There's at least a 0.00000000000000000000675% chance that a curse or a stare can kill someone. So if you glare at someone, you can't complain if they kill you!

- Shizuo H.

And there are plenty of awesome blonde females too!

Saber/Arturia Pendragon (Fate/Zero)

Of what worth is a king who fails to protect the powerless?

- Arturia Pendragon

Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist)

I will follow you into hell if you ask me to.

- Riza H.

Seras Victoria (Hellsing Ultimate)

It felt like if I drank the blood, it would mean the end of something important inside of me.

- Seras V.

Balalaika/Sofiya Pavlovna (Black Lagoon)

In the grand scheme our lives are insignificant. They're light as air, much like a candy wrapper... 

- Balalaika

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 5

Favorite Male and Female Character with Orange Hair

The Hitachiin Twins (Ouran High School Host Club)

 ...the "Which One of Us is Hikaru" game. You in?

- Hitachiin Twins

I know, I know, one character only - but how could you possibly pick just one in the case of the Hitachiin twins? The answer is: you can’t. This pair of mischievous troublemakers, Hikaru and his younger brother Kaoru, are one of the Host Club key members, luring in female members by carrying out twincestuous schticks. But there’s far more to them then just eye candy and wacky hijinks. Each twin has his own personality and it’s interesting to see the dynamic between the members of the club, the show’s only female protagonist (reverse harems are so much fun ^^) and each other.

Kushana (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)

Nice valley. Think I'll keep it. 

- Kushana

I’ve been introduced to this character in H. Miyazaki’s 1984 animated movie Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Her role there is fairly simple, she’s the movie’s main antagonist, a commander of the aggressive neighboring country, who takes over the Valley of Wind for... lets just say she basically brings plot into the movie (not going into further details, because spoilers). She’s cool, competent, seemingly cruel and only focused on achieving her objectives, but the movie showed just enough humanity in her to peak my interest and made me want to learn more about her. Fortunately, there is a way to do that and that is to read the Miyazaki’s epic 7-volume manga, the best manga I’ve ever had the pleasure to read (totally not necessary for enjoying the movie).

I liked her in the anime, but grown to truly love her after reading the manga, which expands on the story (seriously, it gets sooooo good!) and shows in greater detail just how awesome a character Kushana is, delves into her past and shows how she manages to earn the unflinching loyalty of those who serve under her command. Among a cast of brilliant and relatable characters in this wonderful sci-fi/post-apocalyptic saga, she is hands down my favorite!

And as in previous post, here are some runner ups for the throne:

Shirley Fenette (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)

Nothing is unforgivable. So if you cannot forgive him, it means you do not want to.

- Shirley Fenette

Petra Ral (Attack on Titan)

Making the right choice isn’t easy.

- Petra Ral

Holo (Spice & Wolf)

I am Holo the Wise Wolf. I know that there are things in this world that I do not know and that makes me wise!

- Holo

Wait, where are all the guys?! O_o

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 4

Favorite Male and Female Character with Blue Hair

Kamina (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

Just who the hell do you think I am?

—Kamina

Daaaang, Gurren Lagann is overflowing with manly men, but there is none as manly than the man himself, Kamina! Seriously, he’s so awesome in his manliness the show itself can’t handle him. I’m not going further into spoilery waters, those who have seen the show understood what I meant (probably) and as for those who haven’t (seen the show, not understood me... kind of feel it’s important to differentiate that :P)... what are you waiting for? Go see it! Kamina is an immensely fun character, possessing a larger then life persona, drawing others to himself, forging bonds that echo throughout the entirety of the show and becoming an inspiration to others in their darkest moments. Gurren Lagann’s world is crazy in its completely over-the-top fun (physics, pffft what’s that?) and so is Kamina, truly a match made in heaven!

Rayneshia El-Arte Corwen (Log Horizion)

Adventurers are free. They are more free than we are. It's true that we may be weaker than they are. But that doesn't mean that, in our weakness, we can become aggressive. We don't have the right to take advantage of our weakness and use them as tools!

- Rayneshia

To be frank, when I first saw Rayneshia I expected to be ambivalent about her at the very best, she just looked like one of those ditzy airheads who serve for little more then padding and comic relief... and was very pleased the show almost immediately started to prove just how wrong I was. Yes, Rayneshia can be a comical character at certain points as the show doesn’t take itself in a 100% serous tone, poking fun at pretty much anyone, but there’s more to her then just that. To understand what makes her interesting I have to talk a bit about Log Horizon’s premise - it’s basically a ‘players get trapped in a MMO’ tale, but unlike any other anime of this type (that I’ve seen so far), Log Horizon goes out of its way to present just how players (or adventurers as they’re called here) and NPC’s, the native people of this world, would interact and what impact these two vastly different cultures would have on each other. Rayneshia is a princess of a neighboring kingdom and as in most medieval cultures her role as a woman is basically to get married off to further her family’s ambitions, something she doesn’t approve, but has grown resigned into accepting. Introverted and seemingly lazy, she is inspired by meeting the adventurers, finding inner strength that nobody, not even herself, knew she possessed. What’s not to like about that?

And for your viewing pleasure, here’s some more blue-headed hunks contenders for the throne:

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Bleach)

They're all cowards, every damn one of them. Whatever. I'll just consume them. As they become my flesh and blood, they will see beyond. I... I am the king!

—Grimmjow

Seriously, I’ve never even watched Bleach (save for a few clips featuring Grimmjow) and it still doesn’t stop me from loving this character. Makes perfect sense!

Lancer/Cú Chulainn (Fate/Stay Night: UBW)

Get lost. I might be almost dead, but I could still easily kill a thousand of you.

—Lancer

Shiroe (Log Horizon)

Being strong on your own is meaningless. To have power you need other people, and they need a world where they can be at their best.

- Shiroe

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 3

Favorite Male and Female Character with Red Hair

Rider/Iskandar/Alexander the Great (Fate/Zero)

To win, but not destroy… To conquer, but not humiliate… That is what true conquest is!

- Iskandar

Summoned to battle for the wish-granting Holy Grail, the heroic spirit of Alexander the Great aka King of Conquerors is one of the most memorable characters that came out of this show (and anime in recent years in general IMO). A giant of a man, his presence (and nice, eye-catching character design) attracts attention in every scene he’s in, but what truly makes him shine is his personality. Noble, friendly and outspoken, he’s pretty much instantly likable and his fascination with our world brings some great comedy into this somber show.  He values friendship and camaraderie above all else and one of the anime’s finest moments are the interactions between him and the young wizard who summoned him and seeing their friendship evolve as he becomes the boys mentor and confidant, helping him to grow as a person. Plus, he is a 100% badass, boasting with a variety of awesome attacks and has the most pimp ride in the whole show - the advantages of Rider class are great indeed. In case I wasn’t clear, I freaking adore Rider! Twas was a love at first scene and it hasn’t let up until this day. A truly epic character!

Here’s some more of Rider ladies and gentlemen, take it in...

...admirable indeed.

Lina Inverse (Slayers)

Darkness beyond twilight Crimson beyond blood that flows Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess... DRAGON SLAVE!

- Lina Inverse

Ah Slayers, what fond memories I have of thee... I watched a ton of anime since I first saw this show but who could forget this genial, noble and lovely sorceress. At least this is how Lina sees herself. Energetic, hot-headed, with a love for all things golden and a good hot meal, she is the leader of the merry band of misfits, constantly getting in and out of trouble in the fantastical world of Slayers, spending her days battling bandits, dragons and demon gods, and despite not really being the typical hero type, somehow still managing to get herself neck deep in cataclysmic events and ending up saving the world (on multiple occasions in fact). Armed with a very short temper and powerful magic, she doesn’t hesitate when it’s time to use her quite substantial power to punish those who slight her (resulting in many humorous overkill scenarios). A fun character for a fun show!

And here’s another awesome redhair that I adore, but... there can be only one! Ughhh, bad jokes are bad...

Kurisu Makise (Steins;Gate)

It feels like time is passing so quickly. Damn you, Einstein! Your science is crowding in on our kiss! He was right. The passage of time depends entirely on where you're standing. Relativity Theory... it's so romantic. But it's just so tragic too.

- Kurisu

[teumessian-fox]

Gilgamesh fic recs (with some Arturia x Gil thrown in the mix)

It’s funny, but for all the popularity of the Fate franchise it’s actually really hard to find well written Gil-centric fanfiction. So, here’s a couple of recs of stories that I really liked. They’re all one-shots, so no WIP’s and wondering about whether the next update will ever arrive, just read and enjoy!

Gen fiction

To start off, here are two wonderful fics written by the very talented Renflower21 - both feature Gilgamesh and dream!Enkidu and serve to delve deeper into our beloved Kind of Heroes psyche to manage to catch a glimpse behind his motivation and see what makes him tick. They’re very well written character pieces, enjoyable to read and their interpretation of Gilgamesh is some of the best if not the best I’ve read so far.

Dreamscapes (by Renflower21)

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8822120/1/Dreamscapes

Worthy (by Renflower21)

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8760238/1/Worthy

Onward, we move onto an interesting one-shot by Madam Callisto, set in the post apocalyptic ‘bad end’ scenario where Gil managed to win and have the Holy Grail destroy the world. There is a teeny tiny dash of Gil x Arturia (if you put on your shipping glasses), but it reads more as a gen story featuring the two characters pulled together by the string of circumstances. With a bit shot of 7k words, it’s a nice, lengthy read, perfect if you’re feeling like reading something a bit more substantial.

Black Mud (by Madam Callisto)

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9431973/1/Black-mud

And now onward to more shippy fics! ^^

Gilgamesh  x Arturia fiction

drag me down (it's warm in hell) (by appl3cookies)

Whaat, a fic where these two seek solace in each other without being incredibly OOC - surely you jest! Well I’m not, this story is well written, with great characterization and I cannot recommend it enough. So go check it out.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5277563

Interest (by Religion0)

A string of 4 drabbles focusing mostly on Gilgamesh’s musings on Saber and Enkidu (the ‘off-screen’ bits featuring Saber and Enkidu who are somehow privy to his thoughts are hilarious).

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7635567/1/Interest

Caged Flower (by Lulu-Prints)

Some more Gilgamesh’s mussing as he observes the fight between Assassin and Arturia.

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7460848/1/Caged-Flower

Beyond Coherent Thoughts (by KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga)

Mmmm, tastes like lemon...

Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5664598

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Day 2

Favorite Male and Female Character with Black Hair

Rintaro Okabe/Hououin Kyouma (Steins;Gate)

I am mad scientist. It's so cool! Sonuvabitch.

-Hououin Kyouma

Oh my, where do I even begin with this guy? You see, I have a thing with protagonists - I don’t know what it is about them, but they rarely manage to catch my interests and I usually end up obsessing over side characters who do not get nearly as much screen time and development (no girl either, sinking all my little battleships - horrible pun intended). But not in Steins;Gate, no siree!

You see, Steins;Gate bestowed upon us one of the quirkiest, most lovable dorks I’ve ever had the fortune to come across in all my years of anime watching. Rintaro may seem like just another Uni student (not really), but in reality he’s a mad scientist extraordinaire Hououin Kyouma (always shouted out for dramatic effect) intent on taking over the world, battling the evil ‘Organization’ that dodges his every step! Sounds like the ravelings of a madman? Well, Rintaro is a bit eccentric like that. Oh yeah, he and his friends also invent a time machine (long story, involving many unlucky bananas and a microwave) and you get to follow him on his time traveling adventure through thick and thin. And it gets very thick as Steins;Gate’s plot pulls no punches, taking our hero on a journey to the edge of time and sanity.

Amazing male lead for an amazing anime, Rintaro is the heart and soul of this show and I never tire of watching his antics.

Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)

I am strong. Stronger than all of you. Extremely strong. I can kill all the titans out there. Even if I am alone. 

- Mikasa Ackerman

Coolheaded, determined and freakishly strong, Mikasa is one of humanity’s finest warriors, battling the enormous man-devouring creatures known as titans, which infest the bleak fantasy world of AoT and have brought mankind to the brink of extinction. What made her interesting for me is that they decided for a small role reversal and decided to make her the ‘muscle’ of the group instead of the expected supporting fighter or a healer. Incredibly brave and competent she is one of the first to go into battle and eliminates her opponents with apparent ease and will stop at nothing to protect her loved ones. Just badass.

Whew, the competition in the male category was fierce indeed and the final call was not easy. At all. Sooooo, here are some more awesome raven-hairs who deserve to be in the spotlight too!

Arsène Lupin III (The Castle of Cagliostro and tons of other stuff)

Oh, what a terrible thing. The girl believes in the power of the evil magician, but she won't try to believe in the power of the thief. If she would only believe, the thief would be able to fly through the air, and even drain a lake of its water.

- Lupin III to Lady Clarisse

Guts (Berserk)

I don't want to die. For me, that is the only reason to keep fighting. There is nothing to save myself for or give myself to. I fight because I know nothing else.

- Guts

Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist & FMA: Brotherhood)

That day all female officers will be required to wear tiny miniskirts! 

- Roy Mustang

Alucard (Hellsing Ultimate)

If I'm a dog, then you're dog food.

- Alucard

Fuuma Monou (X)

If no one has the right to kill, to take a life away... then, why do people so easily forget what should matter most?

- Fuuma

Roger Smith (Big O)

Big O! Show time! 

- Roger Smith

  Kurogane (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle)

For all my life... I've wanted strength. I didn't want those things precious to me to be taken away from me anymore. But, to have strength means to invite disaster to come to you. And strength alone can't really protect you.

- Kurogane

Nobuchika Ginoza (Psycho-Pass)

They say that fools learn from their experiences, while the wise learn from history.

- Nobuchika Ginoza

Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z)

It’s over 9000!!!

- Vegeta

Third (Planet of the Beast King)

Decide your own fate on this planet? You honestly think such a thing is even possible?

- Third

And I even had a extra female contender for the throne - it’s funny, but there really aren’t that many blackhaired women in most anime I’ve watched. But I have to give some love to the great character of:

Yuko Ichihara (Clamp-verse)

There is no such thing as a coincidence in this world. There is only the inevitable.

- Yuko

[teumessian-fox]

10 Days Colorful Anime Challenge

Yes, I’m doing this. Because the world needs more fangirling about anime characters. XD

Day 1

Favorite Male and Female Character with White hair

Dilandau Albantau (The Vision of Escaflowne)

Burn . . . burn . . . burn! 

—Dilandau

With a name inspired by a cursed legendary sword Durandal that supposedly causes its would be wielder to go insane, you can kind of predict what type of character we’ll be dealing with. But there’s no way to predict just how much fun he brings to this series! As a leader of Zaibach’s elite squadron, the Dragon Slayers, he is one of the series main antagonists. Narcissistic, sadistic, excessively violent aka a complete and utter psycho, he owns every scene he’s in. And he comes with a dark and tragic past to boot.

What is it you ask?

Watch the series, it’s an oldie, but a true fantasy classic!

Moro (Princess Mononoke)

The trees cry out as they die, but you cannot hear them. I lie here. I listen to the pain of the forest and feel the ache of the bullet in my chest, and I dream of the day I will finally crunch that gun-woman's head in my jaws.

—Moro to Ashitaka

What, the challenge didn’t specify all characters needed to be human.  :3

Besides, Moro is awesome! A 300 years old Wolf God, she is tasked to guard the forest realm of the Shishi God and she is not taking her duty lightly, defending her home and children with tooth and claw. In all her years of fighting she has grown to hate humans, but still couldn’t bring herself to kill an infant, deciding to raise her as her own instead. So basically, without Moro, we wouldn’t have a romantic subplot between our two protagonists. XD

At least this she’s not a villain... kind of, the movie is delightfully complex about themes of heroes and villains and if you haven’t seen it yet, I warmly recommend doing it ASAP.

And just a quick shout-out to my other favorite white-haired boy-toys men. It was a very tough call though!

Griffith (Berserk)

In this world, some people born are like keys that move the world and exist having no connection to the social hierarchy established by man.

—Griffith 

Franken Stein (Soul Eater)

I have a simpler motive. Experimentation and observation - that's all a true scientist cares about. And I am a scientist. Everything in the world is an experimental test subject, of course, that includes myself as well.

—Franken Stein

Archer (Fate Stay/Night: Unlimited Blade Works)

Fighting for others, but not yourself, is nothing but hypocrisy.

—Archer

Kyōsuke Hyōbu (Unlimited Psychic Squad)

[teumessian-fox]

F/SN: UBW Finale Mussings

So just saw this one the other day... and I didn’t care for it, not one bit. And I really wanted to like it, I wanted to like it so very much.  The episode finally gave us another epic battle, which would have been awesome... if only it didn’t feel so contrived.

Spoilers ahead so if you haven’t seen the anime beware, here be dragons. Rawr! :3

You see, I like my heroes overcoming their hardships through hard work and dedication, using their brains and brawn to face overwhelming odds and come out on top. What I really dislike is when main characters develop sudden convenient superpowers just because there is no other way for them to save the day. Sadly, this is exactly what happened to Shirou and why I hated the final showdown between him and Gilgamesh.  

Sorry, but I don’t really buy it that Shirou or even Rin with her years of preparing for the Grail War could defeat any heroic spirit on their own - keep them distracted for a bit, sure, but defeating them completely? No.

Now, I admit that I haven’t read the VN past the Fate route (still playing through that one) and am heavily influenced by the events of the F/Z anime, where masters did everything in their power to avoid any sort of contact with an enemy servant, knowing it would most likely cost them their lives. It’s even been stated in the anime that you needed a servant to defeat a servant as they are simply too powerful to face them alone.

Now, I know the showdown between Shirou and Gilgamesh is what happened in the VN, but it feels just like plain old bad writing. Shirou is the main character so of course he has to be the one to defeat the baddie! Wait, he’s low on mana and has pretty much no battle experience? No worries, we’ll give him a nice thick set of plot armor and send him into the fray. He’ll borrow mana from Rin (nothing wrong with this as it even gave us a sweet little scene between them) and he’ll gain battle experience by clashing swords with his future self (on which I call BS - that’s just lazy). How he’s suddenly managing to pull off all those crazy jumps isn’t even addressed - unless UBW reality marble is set on John Carter’s Mars and gravity there is funky like that. Pretty awesome animation though.

Why Gilgamesh didn’t don his armor or use Ea/Enkidu didn’t really bother me as this actually fits his character. In his eyes, Shirou is a mongrel and so unworthy of treating as a worthy adversary  - overconfidence in his supremacy is Gilgamesh’s biggest flaw and the main reason why he loses his battles.

Basically, at this point in the show I just wanted to see Saber whoop his ass and the show did cruelly tease with this beautiful moment:

But alas, instead of an awesome faceoff we’re again cruelly reminded that Arturia apparently doesn’t have anything of consequence to do in this show.

Other to look pretty in a white dress, while being tied down in an abandoned church that is. 

Ahh, good old times - funny, I didn’t notice her skirt being hitched up when I watched the anime, what’s up with that? Why UBW, whyyy? She really doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. Reanimate this, now!  >:S

But to be fair, her battle with Assasin was pretty sweet and her using Excalibur is always a joy to watch and I loved it. <3

And this was still pretty awesome:

Love you Gil, but you’re completely off the rails here (maybe from taking a dip in the HG goop) and had it coming. I’ll suspend my disbelief that Archer could somehow survive being skewered like a shish kebab, because he’s a heroic spirit and all that (even if Alexander didn’t :3), plus this moment was simply hilarious. 

Also, why the sudden concern about Shinji of all people? WTF Rin? O_o And after removing him from the Grail, why didn’t it reclaim him, but instead went after Gilgamesh? I mean, the little dip**** was right next to it... I suppose I’ll have to read the VN to understand.

So how do I feel about F/SN: UBW? Meh, it wasn’t too bad, I’ll probably re-watch it later on, maybe when the the dub comes out. Despite disliking the final battle, I don’t hate the show as a whole, the animation and music were definitely top notch, but unfortunately, the same can not be said for the story and characters. There’s been a couple of nice scenes, but all in all, UBW lacks the wow factor many episodes of Zero had.

So, did I expect this to be Fate/Zero 2? Maybe to some extent... I definitely did expect an engaging story with a variety of memorable characters and this is where the show failed IMO. By focusing too much on Shirou and Rin’s budding relationship and leaving other characters, who were just as or even more interesting, standing on the sidelines without enough screen-time, the show failed to make me invested and so care what happened to them. If among all the people that perished during the run of the series, I only felt something for Ilya and maybe Lancer, the show is doing something wrong.

There’s still the epilogue and I’m hoping it will end the show on a higher note and I’m definitely still looking forward to Heaven’s Feel.

[teumessian-fox]

Agent of Asgard #14

I’m a big fan of this series, the previous couple of issues hurt in the best kind of way, but this latest issue left me kind of cold - frankly, there’s just too much going on. As a reader that’s only been following the Agent of Asgard storyline and not the other comics I know next to nothing about all this Secret Wars business, so I was a bit let down that they decided to bring us a brand new Loki and apart from showing how he/she looks like failed to deliver on anything substantial and chose to dedicate pretty much all of their time on the overarching Secret Wars storyline. I feel that a vast majority of this could have waited until the next issue and that they could have taken an extra panel or three to introduce us to this new God of Stories. I do however remain hopeful that the following editions will give some more insight into this latest incarnation of Loki.

[teumessian-fox]

When a friend asks me for an anime rec

Friend: I want to start a new anime, what do you recommend?

Me: Well, there’s a ton of good anime shows out there like Steins;Gate, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fate Zero, Psycho Pass, Steins;Gate.... You know what? Just go watch Steins;Gate.

Sheesh, talk about having a one track mind. :P

[teumessian-fox]

One does not...

So this happened today....