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itashui · 18 days

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So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.) Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results:

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory)

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.)

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.)

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.)

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itashui · 1 month

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WIP for a new Itachi fanart

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itashui · 1 month

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There are some Itachi "fans" who love to fetishize Itachi's "pain" as a means to grow more popular in the fandom and who only focus on Itachi as a character full of "pain", more "pain", and even more "pain". When only one aspect of a character is focused on and said "fans" insist that Itachi is only one aspect of his whole, this becomes gatekeeping. Itachi isn't JUST a broken, depressing, SAD, miserable, blind as a bat, heartbroken and whimpering character who cries 24/7. He does have a tragic life, a villainous backstory that was never his fault/his doing, he's the opposite of say, Sakura, but, Itachi should NEVER be defined by his pain. I've seen this happen in other fandoms with a certain eyeless character, fans tend to zero in on one aspect of a character that is less than savory, in this case Itachi as a tragic hero, and make that their ONLY defining aspect and never allow other fans to discuss Itachi in a healthy manner that is a wholesome to a healthy fandom, while making a million posts pinpointing the same aspect repeatedly, this becomes fetishizing and gatekeeping. It's a pattern, a means to hold the only authority on Itachi a 2D drawing. This is a method many fans seem to draw on so they can integrate themselves as the leader of any given fandom.

Yes I know what fetishizing means. Trust me I've seen it worked and reworked among these so called "fans" of these fictional characters. Pay attention to who tells you you're interpretations are wrong and only theirs is right. You have EVERY RIGHT to make posts about Itachi, discuss his character as YOU see fit. Don't ever rely on "fAnDoM aUtHoRiTiEs" to be your ultimate decision makers of 2D drawings.

There are so many other aspects of Itachi that are just as worthy of focusing on and also repeating: his intellect, his kindness, his likes and dislikes, his relationships with other characters (Kakashi for one), HIS HUMOR!!! Itachi can be funny??? I've smiled at his scenes in the anime and manga, I've chuckled and mentally gave him a headpat at times. Itachi is caring, lovable, or even impatient and stern. ITACHI CAN BE ADORABLE. THERE ARE SO MANY ASPECTS OF ITACHI TO FOCUS ON but some of these "fans" love to INSIST Itachi must ONLY BE SAD, DEPRESSING, MISERABLE, TRAGIC.

No one has any right to be the sole authority on any character in ANY fandom. Don't let your enjoyment of a character be based on any one "fan" or a group of fans. You want to write Itachi as humorous? GO FOR IT BESTIE. You wan to write Itachi as HAPPY?! I SUPPORT YOU.

Because there are some Itachi fans who will rip you a new one for daring to GO AGAINST ITACHI AS A STANDARD CREATED BY THEM AND THIS IS A PATTERN THAT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN. NO ONE HOLDS THE AUTHORITY ON ITACHI AND HE BELONGS TO YOU AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE. YOU are worthy of writing Itachi to be happy. As your blorbo.

EVEN WRITING ITACHI AS EVIL, JUST FOR KICKS, IS PERMISSABLE. IT'S CALLED YANDERE. YEAH NO SHIT. WRITE ITACHI AS YOUR SEXY YANDERE I SEE YOU GIRL (gn).

There are some blogs who will tell you this is wrong. They will snap at you, refer to themselves as the one who's only right, they would never write Itachi as happy or evil *GASPS* HOW DARE! THIS CANNOT BE!

Gatekeeping. Fiction is for fun and there are some fans who exist only to bleed fandom dry of any fun. Toxic AS FUCK. Itachi should be free for everyone to analyze. Otherwise it's not a fandom it's one fan or a group of fans being dictators to an entire fandom.

You matter besties. Your interpretation of Itachi matters. YOUR THOUGHTS COUNT. IN A FANDOM THAT TENDS NOT TO BE KIND AND CUTTHROAT WHEN IT COMES TO CHARACTER METAS AND SHIPS AND PLACING BLORBOS IN SITUATIONS, REMEMBER I GOT YOUR BACK.

Don't let any "fan" talk down to you. Don't let any "fan" tell you Itachi is just a miserable sorry piece of ass. How depressing jeez. Itachi ISN'T my favorite because of how "unfair, unjust, SAD SAD SAD SAD SAD A MILLION TIMES SAD" his arc is, I love him for a million reasons!

It's why I've started to make more posts on Obito, the Itachi fandom was stifling. DON'T ANYONE STIFLE YOUR CREATIVITY, YOUR LOVE FOR A CHARACTER, YOUR NEED TO WRITE. ITACHI IS YOUR BABY BOY YOUR BLORBO FROM ANOTHER MOTHER YOUR SILLY RABBIT.

You get my point. Let's not pigeonhole the man. Let's not fetishize his pain as his one redeeming quality. I've seen so many creative fanarts, read so many amazing fanfics, discussed other aspects of Itachi with creative fans who deserve so much more uplifting.

Let's give others with voices who aren't heard as loudly, more of a chance. Otherwise it becomes a toxic cesspool.

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itashui · 1 month

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hello world! here are the covers i made for messermoon’s (aka @little-shit-soph) choices, based on the penguins classics format! i’ve made book pdfs that go with each cover, and all the necessary files (+a printing tutorial for those who are first-timers) to print can be found in this gdrive folder.

feel free to use these at your own leisure and if you do end up printing my covers, please send me a picture—i would love to see how they turn out <3

happy printing!

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itashui · 1 month

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Here are the Just Lovers typesets and covers, do take note that this isn’t the full just lovers fic, i cut out the parts after hogwarts because it would make it into 3 books rather than two and i pretty much only wanted the hogwarts chapters.

For example, this is the last page:

I didn’t make this typeset (i did make the AHB ones), but i have no idea who made them so 😭 im pretty sure if you search up just lovers typesets on google you’ll find it but im not sure.

ALSO for these covers, I pretty much just took the choices covers that someone else made and made little modifications to it, so if you have the choices books this is probably not the best covers for u 💀

ALSO i only have the Barnes and nobles sizing for the covers, if you put these covers into lulu it’ll say the sizing is wrong, I might make them if enough ppl ask but as of right now this is all i have <3

Anyways, here they are:

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itashui · 1 month

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Art heist baby typesets and covers!!

i have the Lulu version and the b&n versions of the covers

they have different dimensions so make sure you get the right one <3

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itashui · 1 month

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(4-7) Sasuke week (extended) ><

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itashui · 1 month

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"Sasuke I'm... at least 5 years too small for this shirt."

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itashui · 1 month

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itach ･ shisui

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itashui · 1 month

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Okay, sorry if this was asked before but I'm curious and I'd really like to learn more. You've mentioned in a couple of posts now that Itachi wasn't retconned. Could you please elaborate further?

Hey! No, this wasn't asked before. I was thinking of making a separate post for this, but procrastination is evil. So, I am one of the 'Itachi was meant to be a good guy/was not evil/had more to him than he let on' people. Watching the anime, it was the feeling that there was more to him. His reveal was along the lines of devastation and shocking for me than surprise. Detailed post is below the cut.

First thing first.

This was Itachi's first look that Kishimoto had planned.

Itachi was originally conceived as the leader of Konoha's Special Assassination and Tactical Squad called the "Anbu", dubbed the Itachi Squad (イタチ隊, Itachi-tai), which would have been a 70-man group divided into four teams, specializing in assassination and other illicit operations. However, this idea was scrapped in favour of the current Itachi working for the Akatsuki.

The above paragraph is from Itachi's wikipedia that cites a couple of interviews as sources. People can't be too blind in their delusion to think the author who wrote the story had no idea what he was writing.

Next is the Naruto Databook that has some fishy things if we look closely. In the first glance it's not very obvious, but after learning the truth it seems very much obvious.

It says, "the ones who know the reason of its downfall are very small". Go back to Obito's words about only four people being aware of the reason of the clan's downfall.

Additionally, Itachi carried out 134 B-Rank missions. Zero A Rank. And one S-Rank. The S rank mission being the Uchiha massacre. It's very fishy that he was given one s rank mission without any A tank mission. Suspicious? We know later on why.

It's also interesting because the first databook was published in 2002 and Itachi first appeared in 2003. If his twist wasn't planned from the beginning this databook is very telling.

Since I mentioned how he looked, here's him in Sasuke's flashbacks for the first time.

He looks far from evil or sadistic. You want to know who enjoys killing for fun? Hidan. Itachi, on the other hand, on the day of the massacre itself, looks miserable and lost.

In chapter 7, he in a haze-like manner he talks about crying. In many English translations it's translated as 'he made me cry' and in many it's this. It's very, very vague, but his statement is complimented by Sakura's question, to which he still responds in the similar way 'My..' Maybe he was trying to say 'My brother', but he instead finishes his speech with 'my goal is to take revenge' etc., Since it's still very early so it might not be the strongest evidence, but a few chapters later in chapter 27, during their fight against Haku, when Sasuke awakens his Sharingan, he has two tomoe in his right eye.

Yes, he might have awakened it this way, but it also suggests that maybe already had his Sharingan and that's why this is 'asymmetrical' awakening? In the later chapters we find out he actually did have his Sharingan he awakened after the massacre.

This flashbacks in chapter 127 most firmly establishes Itachi's twist. The tilted head-protector. Sasuke remembers it vaguely, but he has no recollection of Itachi crying that night, because his mind is still hazy from the "truth" Itachi wanted him to believe. We know later on the significance of this scene.

There are three moments before Itachi was even introduced that give away what we see right after his truth reveal and connect to the chapter 403.

The 'Itachi was retconned' camp also uses 'Itachi was meant to be older (than 13) but Kishi made him younger later on' as an excuse to justify their retcon bullshit.

Kakashi, in chapter 142, states Itachi was 13 when he was made the Anbu captain.

Itachi graduated when he was just seven. Sasuke is the same age as Itachi was when he graduated from the Academy. Itachi is 17 at the time of his first appearance and Sasuke is 12. It is enough to tell lies were spread about Itachi. We, obviously, learn later on why.

Some more obvious hints were his interaction with Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi.

The criminal infamous for annihilating one of the strongest clans refuses to indulge in fight?

He also asks Kisame to keep things low key and not get too much attention. That's an excuse. He's not here to wage war. Yes, later on he does ask Kisame to go ahead. But that's because he's a spy. He cannot let Danzo know he dropped his guard. One single mistake from his side that could unearth the truth of the massacre and Danzo would lay hands on Sasuke. Plus, while he's strong, his opponents aren't just fragile saplings who couldn't stand any blow he or Kisame cast. He knew reinforcements would be on the way.

Kakashi also wonders why Itachi didn't just kill him. Again, yes, the torture was brutal, but they're ninja who are meant to do and endure cruel things. Itachi had to look like he was a menacing criminal reputed to have killed the Uchiha singlehandedly.

So, he completely avoids fighting Asuma and Kuernai, takes on only Kakashi because he's strong and can take it, also has Sharingan. But he completely refuses to go against Jiraiya. Jiraiya may or may not be stronger than him. Maybe they were equal. However, recalling Obito's words again: Itachi devoted himself to fighting Sasuke to death.

Two conclusions come from this:

He didn't want to fight Jiraiya because it would result in a massive bloodbath and killing a leaf Shinobi is out of question for him. He's not a coward. He just doesn't want to fight him.

As we know from later on, he wanted to fight and die at Sasuke's hands only. Killing a Konoha Shinobi or dying at the hands of someone that isn't Sasuke isn't a part of his plan.

This can also be tracked further when Kisame captures the Four Tails.

Kisame most likely knew about Itachi's illness, knew Itachi wanted to die at Sasuke's hands. The reason Itachi didn't fight Jiraiya and Rōshi was most likely the same.

Kisame comments on Itachi's 'lingering affection' towards the village. The Akatsuki pairings' dynamics are quite opposite. Deidara and Sasori love art but have differing opinions on eternal vs explosive. Hidan and Kakuzu represent religion vs materialism (money). And Itachi and Kisame represent treachery vs loyalty. Itachi isn't loyal to Akatsuki, Kisame is.

They also wonder why is Itachi taking the matter of kidnapping Naruto so lightly. He could have done it very easily. We know now that that wasn't his intent and his objective to visit the village was something else.

As popular as 'Itachi knocked on the door before kidnapping Naruto' meme is, the truth is, he wasn't there to kidnap him at all. Replace Itachi with Kisame alone for a moment. Knock on the door? No, sir. Naruto would be half-dead. Or replace him with Hidan and Kakuzu. They're sadistic bastards and would have damaged Naruto in the worst possible way.

Furthermore, when you think of it, he revealed 'Akatsuki are after jinchuriki' years prior to the Akatsuki even began collecting the tailed beasts. It was a message he left because it was important. His job in the Akatsuki wasn't to "pass on the info to the village." It was to keep tabs on them so they don't attack Konoha.

After the massacre, Sasuke's unwavering faith in Itachi despite being put in Tsukuyomi. At first it doesn't seem too much, but we later discover that Itachi used to be a kind and gentle boy. So this bit isn't just Sasuke is blind, but also that Itachi was a kind child before the tragedy happened.

Sasuke's flashbacks in chapter 220 also hint towards Itachi being trapped in the politics of the village/clan. Fugaku is speaking to his own son but the discussion is so intense that he has to activate his Sharingan to convey the message to Itachi.

These are the flashbacks from the chapter #221 that further shed light on Itachi being a spy.

He's the "pipeline between the clan and the village" - a spy. Later Obito says Itachi was callously used for his devotion towards the village, this is an example of his clan doing this to him.

This is Itachi right after being accused of Shisui's murder. He looks in grief, while also processing the news. Once the narrative delves deep into Itachi's story (through Sasuke's eyes) in VOTE1, he continues to look miserable, lost, in pain, and in dire need of help. And once we begin to see more of him before his death, he is quite human. But again, Kishimoto had his whole story figured out by that time, knew what he was to do with Itachi's arc and Sasuke's future there.

In the chapter 224 (during the battle between Sasuke and Naruto), the flashback goes to this moment: Itachi tells Sasuke that he'd be one of the three people to awaken Mangekyo.

This connects to the chapter 385 when Sasuke vs Itachi happens. Sasuke asks him about the third person who had the MS.

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Kishimoto isn't a terrible writer because some people choose to ignore what's written right there or cannot accept happened. Usually the deniers of this are those who question his morality. His morality is never the subject of the debate because Itachi isn't exonerated for his crimes. He's a part of a world that's cruel and violent and his actions align with it very much. The ones who "praise" him have their own bias, and that gives him nothing in return. Characters in fiction always, I mean, always respond to the information based on their morality. When Hashirama praises Itachi, it's because he grew up in the warring era and lost all his family. He learns there's this kid who chose a path with the least damage but at the cost of his life, he's a good Shinobi. Hiruzen also has his bias as well as his guilt. Naruto's praise for Itachi is not only because of stopping a war, but also for loving Sasuke. No one other than Sasuke sees him as a person whether anyone likes him or hates him. He's praised by other Shinobi for doing things that are expected from a Shinobi.

Either way, at the end of the day, Itachi himself doesn't see himself who is worth forgiving, worth loving, worth being remembered. That's his whole arc.

Some things above in the post I took from this thread. Some information I ommited from it, so feel free to go through it, please.

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