#( regardless the two have a brotherly dynamic )

[risingscorchingsuns]

Hi Leon!! It’s princeblue but my main acc!! Dropping into ask what you think Genya’s and kyojurous, and maybe even senjurou’s dynamic would be like? You said you interested in being moots sooo I’m taking an opportunity to have a convo hehe

omg hello!!!! thank u for sending this i literally have no idea how to start conversations lmaoo

i think it depends on how much they know about each other/where Genya is in his character development! there’s a LOT of factors here so im gonna try and turn it into a formula because that’s my favorite analysis format lol

i don’t know if this is going to make any sense because I don’t know how to do actual math but breaking things into variables makes it easier to sort them in my brain

let’s say K = kyojuro and G = genya. x = how much kyojuro knows about genya, and y = how much genya knows about kyo. a = pre-tanjiro genya and b = post-tanjiro genya. (i assume this would make a difference bc tanjiro makes him less aggressive lol.) Going to leave Senjuro out for now because that’s too many variables for a post that I don’t plan to cross-reference 💀

There’s also the fact that canonically, post-Tanjiro Genya would never meet Kyojuro, but I didn’t think about that until I was nearly done with this post so I’ll leave that variable in as a hypothetical. aG in this scenario can be a control group I guess lol

let’s take (K)x + (aG)y as a base formula, and solve for the dynamic there. assuming x is “Kyojuro knows nothing except Genya’s last name”, and y is “Genya knows Kyojuro as a Hashira and nothing else”, it’s safe to say their dynamic would be mostly professional. Kyojuro, knowing Genya’s last name, would no doubt link him to Sanemi. But Sanemi fervently denies having any siblings, so Kyojuro would likely try to probe Genya for info, due to his brotherly instinct. He’d want to know if something was wrong, so he could help if possible. Assuming we’re dealing with aG, Genya would shirk away the questions, and Kyojuro would back off out of respect. I don’t think Genya would be too rude about it due to Kyojuro being a Hashira, but definitely a bit more irritable and snarky than bG would be.

bG would feel hurt at the mention of Sanemi, but I believe he’d be more open to talking about it. If Genya opens up to Kyojuro, I think they have high potential to form a brotherly relationship given enough time. Kyojuro would feel protective of Genya, and, whether consciously or not, may link him to Senjuro and begin to act brotherly and/or protective of him as well. If Kyojuro knows that Genya eats demons to make himself stronger at the cost of his own health, he’d probably be horrified- food is very important to Kyojuro and he would be mortified at the idea of eating a demon to gain its powers, especially if it hurts the consumer. I’m not sure if he’d try to stop Genya or not, but he’d definitely be concerned about him.

Either way, I think the key variable here is whether or not Genya lets his guard down long enough for Kyojuro to learn his story- then I think their relationship would evolve from professional to a lot more brotherly. Kyojuro can’t entirely help it- it’s in his nature to protect, it’s literally been taught to him since he was old enough to understand. He would want to protect Genya regardless, but learning his story, his sacrifices, and his actions going forward, Kyojuro would almost certainly take him under his own wing if given the chance. I believe Genya would remind Kyojuro of Senjuro- someone who doesn’t fight traditionally, but is so so strong in their own regard. They aren’t exactly the same, but they have enough similarities that i believe Kyo would definitely associate the two.

how knowing Genya would change his perception of Sanemi is also an interesting concept but I’m going to save that for another post lol

anyway pls feel free to plug in different variables for me to analyze???? id like to do them all here but unfortunately i am writing this post so i can procrastinate on my schoolwork so im gonna call it here lol

[sweet-beezus]

@khoc-week

Compared to the OCs that came before her, Myst doesn't necessarily have an extensive range of connections, however there are still some close ones she makes along the way!

Day 3 - Connection

Obviously, her first big connection is her mentor, Master Lugh!

The two grow pretty close over their time training together to the point where she considers him her grandpa!

The two have a slightly chaotic dynamic where her youthfulness brings out his almost long forgotten fun-loving side, and the two manage to get into all sorts of mischief along the way under the guise of learning.

Through him, she develops connections to Eraqus and Xehanort, and in turn Aqua, Terra and Ventus.

Xehanort gives her the heebie jeebies, she's not the biggest fan of him, but shows him respect since he seems to be friends with Lugh and Eraqus.

Eraqus is just another teacher to her, she doesn't interact enough with him to really get to know him unless it's for exams or something of the sort. He gives off the vibe of a man who should have retired ages ago to her.

Her time when it comes to visiting the Land of Departure is spent more with his apprentices, Aqua and Terra, and later Ventus!

She enjoys training with them whenever the opportunity arises, otherwise she hangs out with them and tells them stories of the outside world, much to their mentor's dismay.

Terra and Ventus carry brotherly vibes for her, though at times she and Terra butt heads about the different teachings they receive. She still respects them regardless, but something feels off about how Eraqus shaped their beliefs.

Aqua... well, that's something else. She is infatuated with Aqua. What starts off as mostly admiration for her talents and skills develops as a very solid crush. Their affections are mutually exchanged, but it's not until after all hell breaks loose that they ever really get into it.

Myst would tail her into the Realm of Darkness if it meant the two of them could protect each other, she's got a wild perspective on devotion but she's got the spirit.

Honorable mentions include Mickey and Master Yen Sid, she's familiar with them but only interacted with them on rare occasions. Lugh always went to The Mysterious Tower to catch up with them and rarely ever brought her, which meant she was usually babysat by Eraqus for short periods.

She's heard good things about Mickey, but doesn't really get to know him until later.

And that is all for day 3! See y'all day 4!!

[theesirenteller]

*•.¸♡ 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙘 ♡¸.•*

Neither of the two Mayan Members thought they'd have a loving brotherly bond, especially after Ez's passing. Nor did they think they'd fall for the same girl. Let alone be madly in love with her. she opened their eyes to a new kind of love.

Contrary to popular belief, they don't have her near the club or familiar with it's members. Angel having a shorter temper than Manny, Has no time for slick comments or slut-shaming their princessá.

Felípe is a respectful towards his son's woman but doesn't approve of the Throuple dynamic.

Letty is practically their child. She and the men's princessá have a mother/daughter relationship

Angel and Manny have two daughters outside of the relationship with their Amor but; with her they have three. Three boys.

No paternity test was done because they're their son's regardless but the boys have features that resemble their fathers individually.

Familía

They live in a large home in between Yuma & Santo Padre in a coastal town called Florentine. The home isn't a mansion by any means. It's an old colonial home that both Angel and Manny take time to repair.

Their princessá runs a small latin bakery shop in town just a few miles away from their children's school.

Due to Manny being a mechanic; he restored a Volkswagen van for their family. But, it's mainly for their Princessá & the children.

Despite Felípe being weary of the relationship his son has; He still comes over every Sunday for dinner and spends time with his grand children.

Manny's parents are much more stricter and religious so they don't come around as often as Felipe. But when they do it's for holidays and always bring Bella's mother.

Despite the men always telling their princessá not to wait up for them, she does. Majority of the time it's she and angel and other times just She & Manny. When it's angel, they'll sit on the porch with with beer & wine coolers. When it's Manny they'll share a cup of tea or coffee. When it's the three of them, it'll be spiked horchata because it's rare they all three stay up late together.

Caught up in the moment Angel always say he wants more babies and Manny isn't opposed to it either. Until oops, Their girl actually does get preggo again and Angel is the one freaking out and earning a smack on the back of the head from Manny.

[ratkingssillyboy]

So I’ve been wanting to read the rest of the royal ranger series and figured I’d reread the main series first as it’s been around six years since I first found them, after reading the first book I’m just so glad that it holds up to how fantastic it was the first time and I have ALOT to say.

-The way that Will and Horace grow so much in just the first book, I mean we have Will whose main defence is running and finding a hiding spot but is still witty and a fast thinker to a brave resourceful determined young man. The training my boy is put through is ROUGH but he doesn’t even think of trying to get out of it or wishing he wasn’t a rangers apprentice, we get to see as he matures and simply grows into himself just…the steadiness he has in him by the end of the book, he has a long way to go but we get a glimpse at the man he’ll become.

Horace has an even greater arc, we see him as a simple minded bully (which he absolutely is in those early chapters) but then we see that he’s a natural swordsman who has his own insecurities. We then watch as he’s confronted with the trio of bullies and still unsure of the traditions and usual ways of battle school we see as he soldiers through taking their shit and STILL managing to keep up to a degree, the way that it still affects his school work and social life was perfectly depicted like on harvest day where he lashed out at those he cares about was brilliant but also him not keeping up with school work which when the issue is taken care of becomes much easier for him. But through it all we get to see as he matures, now he isn’t that bully we saw at the start he is a talented loyal friend who is willing to try and take down a boar to keep someone he’s been awful to safe and then witnessing Will do the same for him, making a promise that he soon fulfils regardless of his own injuries

Just watching Will and Horace, these two boys going from school yard enemies to the mature young men who would absolutely die for the other by the end of the book was fantastic, there was no force behind it like it felt so natural and easy once they were able to actually see the other and how far they both had come since the choosing, and it isn’t perfect there’s still tension but they’re friends

- speaking of the boar attack, when Will shoved his face into halts chest and cried? I sobbed as well, absolute puddle of a mess because of course Will would cling to halt after such a terrifying ordeal, and halt just?? Comforting him??? Like the heart attack this man must of had watching his son apprentice facing down a massive boar with a bow and two knives, that hug absolutely healed something in halt John told me so himself.

- I remember originally reading the books at age 12-14 and not comprehending why Will asking so many questions annoyed halt but now at the age of 20? I get it, I finally understand this poor tired middle aged man. Though the absolute dead pan wit this Halt gives Will with each interaction made me wheeze.

- Can I just say, Will meeting Tug? Like he has no idea that he's just met one of his most loyal dedicated companions, just them meeting and growing such a strong bond so quickly I mean the way Will was TERRIFIED when Tug came to his defence during the boat attack and Will could only think of the injuries Tug could get, Tug would not have been Wills horse for long at that point maybe a few months at most and already Will is so attached.

- Gilan, it's wild to think about the fact I'm now around his age? Like he's actually so young????? I just love his dynamic with halt, the respect he shows him while also being the little shit he is is perfect, and the big brotherly way he is around will I just know he's so proud and impressed by this little 15 year old, he absolutely has asked himself if he was ever that silly as halts apprentice (the answer is yes)

-Old bob is a national treasure, I know that man has hit halt on the upside of his head at least once, feel it in my bones

- JUST WILL CHOOSING HALT OVER HIS LIFELONG DREAM I know Halt was holdin tears l just know it, like everyone knew just how much Will wanted to be a knight and yet when offered HE DECLINED because he loves his dad

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week: Day 7

Prompts: Gen / Team Fics! (IIIIITS THE GRAND FINALEEEEEE)

lloyd garmadon makes kai smith cry on his birthday- Has been recc'ed a couple times but *I* just read it and now *I* have to rec it too! The brotherly dynamic between the two already has me by the throat, but then both of their perspectives on birthdays just really helps drive the point home!! So pleased to have this fic shown to me!

Aftermaths: Lloyd and Kai post-MotO and oof they both go through it emotionally

Visionary- A fic jam-PACKED with introspective and dynamics with the main six, consisting of Lloyd getting a glimpse of what the other's went through prior to becoming ninja (and other hardships), while the other five use their experiences to help Lloyd move forward with his own troubles. That's...literally the barest I can break this fic down into, but there's soooo many emotions and moments and perspective and AAAAAA

An Endless Light: Made ME weep, man. WEEP I SAY. An immortal Lloyd just loves his family, man. AND GODDD THE ENDINGGGGG

the L-word: FIVE TIMES THE NINJA TELL LLOYD THEY LOVE HIM (and the one time he says it back) THE FOUND FAMILY VIBES ARE STRONG WITH THIS ONE!!! PLATONIC USAGES OF I LOVE YOU *throws flowers petals* LET THE PEOPLE LOVE OUT LOUD!!

The Sun Rises Every Single Night: TIME TRAVEL FIC of Lloyd contending with holy crap how much things have CHANGED but also, despite everything, he is still himself. Kind of a character study, but all entertaining and wholesome ;w;

Time Marches On: A fic that is lamentably not finished, but the chapter that IS there is a wonderful reflection by Wu on how his students have changed (I like time-reflective fics, I suppose) punctuated with a heart-wrenching conversation with Lloyd, which is something I will always love to see~ (but pls if for nothing else the Wu+Lloyd convo is so GOOD *rolls around*)

Thank You, For Giving Me Wings: Or, Five Times the Ninja accidentally called Wu 'Dad' (and the one time one of them didn't on purpose). Oh look, another time-reflective piece about Wu and the Ninja, but this time by me! And could be finished if the Nya chapter didn't give me such a writer's block on how to phrase what I want to saaaay *wails* Anywaaaay, lot of Wu and lots of family emotions and lots of the ninja being vulnerable and soft in their "father's" presence ;w;)/

Some Burn Hot, Some Burn Cold: A story about Lloyd, Elemental Powers, and the effects both those things can have on the ninja's emotions. Everyone's got a role to play in this one, though the parts with Cole and Lloyd hit me the hardest, man. Also may or may not have been my inspiration for Elemental Outbursts ;P

All I Want For Christmas is You: If I had a nickel for every time I recc'ed a Christmas fic in the middle of July, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's (about to) happen twice (aka Lloyd experiences Christmas for the first time and attempts to hide that fact and the ninja simply love him very very very much in the process).

All I'm Asking For- And last but most certainly not least, my other very favorite Ninjago fic ever, the masterpiece that inspired me to get back into writing to begin with ;w;

Kind of a (Christmas-y) AU the diverts from MotO but doesn't necessarily contradict it either, my mere meager description just cannot do it the justice it deserves! Everyone gets some form of closure after all these years of fighting to just be okay, even if for a little while, all sprinkled with marvelous character moments and interactions and holiday shenanigans that are guaranteed to warm your heart at one point or another. A great pick me up to dive back into year round regardless (as I do)

(this fic is technically and obviously about everyone, but the way it starts and ends with Cole's perspective on his team............ *bursts into tears* something about it just feels so perfectly right in a way I still can't manage to explain. But know I hold this fic so very near and dear to my heart and you should too <3)

And that is it! Woot, didn't think I'd make it every day, but turns out I read a lot more than I think! Shoutout to @21st-century-ninja for putting this all together!!

[haven-of-dusk]

for the ask game: headcanons for nico di angelo? (if you haven’t read the books, then ricky bowen 🤠)

Sorry this took me so long... I have indeed read the books, so I'll tackle both! Nico Di Angelo:

Sexuality - Gay

A ship - I actually do like Solangelo a fair bit, they're not my faves per se, but I don't have glaring issues with them (especially compared with say, Caleo).

However for the sake of fun, I also love Jasico (I hope I have that name right). Minor aside that I'm about 90% sure Jason is (he's fine, TBM didn't happen I promise) a closeted gay man based on a number of hints dropped in TBM, plus vibes plus he just screams internalized heteronormativity. So I really wish we could've explored more of Nico and Jason's dynamic. Plus they'd be incredibly adorable about one-upping each other's displays of "touch him and die" imo.

A BROTP - Percico, I totally get why shipping them romantically is a thing, but I also adore the dynamic idea that Nico completely got over Percy and Percy's a little salty about it, plus the level of trust they eventually displayed regardless of the definition of their relationship is very special to me. (End of MoA always gets me right in the feels).

A NOTP - I don't have any specific ones...so I guess I'll just say any ship that tries to get him involved romantically with a woman.

A random headcanon - Though he mostly put Mythomagic behind him, he has since become a massive D&D nerd, with multiple fully fleshed out characters and a couple campaign ideas that he badgers people to play with him. (Also the main cast of HoO playing D&D is a podcast I wish was real, Critical Role style...)

General Opinion - I love Nico, top 3 Percy Jackson Universe characters (I think, I haven't gone through and put together an exact ranking ever since I love almost all of them), not super happy when the writing leans too far into the 'edgy' side of him, but his dry wit is always a pleasure, and he's also capable of backing up the edge with badassery.

His original artwork will always give me nightmares though.

Richard 'Ricky' Bowen:

Sexuality - Bisexual

Gender - Cis Male, though he did experiment with they/them pronouns to see if they felt better to him. They didn't, but he's glad he tried.

A ship - Caswen. Obviously. I think my canon rewrite of half the show serves as adequate explanation of my love for them.

A BROTP - Redky. The friendship/brotherhood between Big Red and Ricky was something I really enjoyed in the first two seasons, it felt quite accurate to my high school experiences and I also find their interactions in fanfiction very endearing. Plus it provides more fuel to my fire that Caswen are NOT brotherly since we have a perfect brotherly relationship for Ricky right there and it looks nothing like his relationship to EJ imo.

Plus I'm still extra irritated that in addition to the rampant biphobia in how Big Red's storyline was handled, they also tried to shove him out of the picture and replace him with Jet in S4, with a scene in E3 especially feeling like the dialogue was written for BR and then they had Jet read it for...no discernable reason.

A NOTP - ...Rina /s.

In all seriousness the only answer I can readily come up with is Rily, because wtf was that subplot even supposed to be, but I struggle to think of NOTPs for Ricky since my brain is mostly Caswen or bust. I thought of the EJ alternatives purely because Tim is so militant about Rina, but I really don't know what Ricky would do outside of preferably Caswen or Tim's beloved 'canon' Rina. And while I do think Rini work better as friends, I also wouldn't call them a NOTP since I feel kind of bad for some Rini shippers (not the creepy ones, the normies for lack of a better term).

Idk, I guess I'll just say Rily and move on.

A random headcanon - Ricky loves the Spice Girls. Where did this HC come from you ask? I have no idea. But I feel like it fits.

The urge to write a mini-fic of Ricky and EJ dancing at their wedding to 'Spice up Your Life' is rising. (Totally not influenced by Doctor Who)

General Opinion - I love Ricky. Not quite as much as Elton, but that's a pretty high bar to clear since Elton rose to my top ten of all time list pretty easily. I have mixed feelings about S3 and S4 Ricky since I felt like they made him overly obsessed with Gina and lost a lot of the charm of his earlier plotlines centering on familial trauma and figuring out his own desires in life, but he's still high ranking for HSMTMTS characters, and I obviously love Caswen to death, so it's hard for me to say I don't also adore Ricky as a special little guy.

That spiraled into a bit of a ramble. Point is that I do really like Ricky, I just wish the writing for him later in the show was less...self-parodic...if that makes any sense.

[theblindinfidel]

Hey! Here are my Photobomb thoughts I posted as a response on Reddit haha!

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS

Hi! Nice to meetcha! I’m glad you posted this because I’m curious to see what others will say as well!

When I first got into OMORI, I was actually not into any ships outside HeroMari and Sunburn. Sticking to the game and whatnot. It all started when I saw the cutest little meme on Twitter that Shrimp had posted and it featured photobomb. I thought:

“Hmm. I have never thought about this.”

And thus, I went down the rabbit hole and began to really enjoy it, even through watching my friend play the game. I really enjoy the childhood to lovers trope and I can get behind an enemies to lovers trope, though I don’t really see them as enemies.

So we can see the parallels between RW and HS. Sunny depicts a somewhat accurate representation of how his friends were in their childhood- (Aubrey and Kel arguing, Aubrey standing up for what she believes is right regardless of the consequences, Sunny always being regarded as quiet, Kel being goofy and oblivious but still a great friend with good morals, and Hero being the level headed member of the group.)

That being said, I believe there are definitely some truths in how the members perceive each other and their relationships to one another.

I really enjoyed how Aubrey was so worried about him in headspace. Even when his memory was being erased in Sunny’s mind, she would continuously get sad at his absence and grew distraught the longer he was gone. This is, of course, before she forgot him, alongside everyone else. She lamented about how she missed how he’d brush her hair and always gave him positive feedback. From this, it’s clear she cares a great deal about him as her friend.

When we switch into the Faraway segments, we learn she was actually the one to introduce Basil to the rest of the friend group. She grabs his hand and brings him along to introduce him. They are seen in the calendar art to work well together and you learn about them running a lemonade stand together and making fake plant decorations for the treehouse.

He calls Aubrey cute more than once which is neat because it shows he was much more outgoing when he was younger, albeit a little insecure. Now it isn’t specifically a romantic “cute”, but cute nonetheless. He could have been trying to push Sunny to agree or maybe he did like her a little but wanted to support Sunny. When he called her cute at the beach scene, his sprite turned away from her which I thought was a small thing that could be missed. Almost like he was a tad nervous to say it.

Those are all cute little things, but their dynamic is also intriguing.

Something people often miss about Basil is he is actually a relatively mischievous. You can see this from how he plays poker in the flashback, taking pictures of people when they least expect it (like Hero giving Kel some brotherly love), and a general humor in the way he lightly pokes fun but you wouldn’t expect it from him because he’s Basil.

He tends to cheer his friends on and genuinely believes in the best for them. He supports Aubrey’s cause to dye her hair pink which is also sweet.

Basil isn’t an angel, he has his flaws and issues, and he certainly isn’t an UwU flower boy by any regards. He could hold his own, he just doesn’t, he’s more of a pacifist. He DOES get angry and he DOES have moments where he is spiteful. (Bedroom encounter)

Then we have Aubrey. Aubrey in her youth was always nice to Basil and was quick to try and make him feel better about himself and he was receptive to her. It can be assumed or theorized they knew each other for awhile before they met the gang because they were neighbors, separated by a street, and she felt good enough about him to have him meet everyone. Aubrey isn’t the type to drag along some random Joe if she doesn’t feel right about it.

She and Basil both grew up in broken or weird homes and that is something only these two can really understand as opposed to Kel and Sunny (tho later on Sunny will understand the concept.) This is honestly a big deal as a kid because you feel comfortable with people like you. This is more of an emotional thing, a bonding kids don’t usually talk about, only feel. So my idea is they had a pretty solid friendship as kids built on trust and understanding. There was no judgement.

As time went on and the incident happened, Sunny, Basil’s best friend, went incommunicado. Basil, as we know, stayed out and eventually got the photo album back from Sunny even though it was ruined. That had to of hurt really bad. Regardless, he kept it with him and Aubrey eventually found it and BAM, bullying.

Lots of people have wondered why she bullied him so bad over that, but I think there’s a reason and it ties back to their friendship.

Remember when I said a lot of it was trust? That trust was murdered that day she found the album. It was shocking because Basil is Basil, how could he do that? It had to of hurt because she seemed pretty confident he would have at least told her of any anger he harbored. She felt abandoned and angry. Now this doesn’t make what she did right, it was really crappy, but she feels a ton of remorse as shown in the bad ending and to be honest, it takes a lot to apologize to someone when you are in the wrong, in front of friends and a friend’s caregiver at that! This shows she isn’t some demonic force who wants to belittle everyone. Aubrey has a heart, it can be in the wrong place at times and maybe even a little selfish at others, but when she sees she had done something wrong, she is quick to be angry with herself.

In the official art book, she is shown to be crying at the Lake Scene. She didn’t mean to almost kill him, she only wanted to push him away. This of course, parallels Sunny and Mari.

Their dynamic is interesting because Basil is really passive and hides his emotions and tries to stay gentle, although failing at times, and Aubrey being more loud with how she feels and failing when she goes too far. At their core, however, they both care a lot about each other, Basil going as far as trying to talk to her repeatedly while knowing the outcome, and Aubrey breaking down when something terrible DOES end up happening to him. She is shown in the hospital room visiting him which further indicates she really cares and is worried.

Also, big note here. It was Aubrey who recommended to everyone that they stay at Basil’s house the night Sunny has an encounter with him.

To summarize, there is a lot of cuteness and closeness in their friendship. Aubrey and Basil both come from a childhood of turmoil and have the depth to really understand each other in a nonjudgemental way if they wanted to try. The game has shown countless times how much they care for one another, and despite all odds, they end up friends again at the end. (Depending on how you interpret the end, but as far as the themes go, I’d say they do. Basil has been known to forgive quickly, as per the headspace version and pretty much everything else.) She would always stick up for him and would be taken aback by his teases and he’d be flustered and a nervous wreck, but it would be really cute.

They’re both also very nostalgic individuals! (Basil keeping the album, Aubrey then keeping it and returning to the hangout spot often)

In my experience a lot of angsty people take their angst out on the people they’re very close to if they feel they’ve been wronged by then. Hence her reactions to Sunny and Kel as well. She feels alienated in the same way Basil does, as though there is something innately wrong with them and that people won’t like them for them. They go about it differently but I think that would make them more comfortable with one another.

I like the concept of Aubrey having Basil branch out into things that he normally wouldn’t do and Basil just being a gentle person who can help her chill out. I think they’d set each other off or maybe be bad influences on each other, but more so in an innocent way.

I’m more of a timeskip person myself, I don’t think it could happen immediately after canon, but that’s just me.

Sorry for the ramble I’ve been meaning to write all this down anyhow!! Also it’s very late where I’m at so if something doesn’t make sense let me know!

[acacia-may]

Hi Acacia! 💕

What about these three for the fruit ask game 🍇🍏🫐?

Hi Lola! Thank you so much for your ask!! I'd be happy to answer these for you 💖

🍇 Is there a particular scene/episode/book/etc that you want to just write a million fics about, over and over? Which one?

This is a difficult question for me because I think, in general, I'm more of a "missing scene" writer where I prefer to use my fanfictions to fill in plot holes and/or explore things that the canon didn't (i.e. how did certain characters react to certain events or how did these two characters even become friends with each other in the first place?). I also write a ton of post-canon fics resolving those loose ends that the endings of things left open to interpretation. For instance, I have written a lot about Finral and Langris repairing their brotherly relationship in the future and resolving to break the cycle and be better parents to their own kids someday.

I'm not sure I have a lot of fics that take place during a specific scene we actually got to see happen in the canon. I have written a few that take place during scenes we know happened/that were talked about but just happened off screen (i.e. "2AM" [OMORI]) or scenes that were (heavily) implied to have happened ("Faulty Wires and Empty Spaces" [YTTD]) but aside from a few brief moments (like the flashforward at the end of my Finral/Finesse fic "I'll Be Waiting") or "A Mixer Mix-Up" (which is a time-travel fic that takes place entirely during Finral's mixer at the beginning of BC) I don't think I've really written a lot of fics that take place during a specific scene, chapter, or episode of anything.

That said I think I'll just answer about what scenes have had the biggest impact on me and my writing and (totally showing my bias for my beloved Spatial Mage Brothers) I'd have to say Langris and Finral's face-off during the Royal Knights Exam and especially that extended flashback of their childhood is probably the big one for me (Shout out to Finral's childhood flashback in the Underwater Temple Arc too!!). Related to that is, of course, its continuation during the Elf Arc where the brothers face off again and, especially, that moment Finral finally gets through to Langris and we get to see how vulnerable and lonely he is.

Even though I don't think I've ever really written a fic that takes place during these events (at least not one that I've posted anywhere 😅), I think these two instances really shape how I interpret both Finral and Langris as characters and also how them and their relationship with each other.

🍏 Is there something you overuse, whether it’s a certain phrase, trope, or piece of punctuation?

I answered this here if you want to see the full discussion, but I certain fall into a lot of repetitive pitfalls as a writer. One I'd add to the list that I hadn't mentioned already is the characters "sigh" and "chuckle" all the time. 🤦‍♀️ It's in my quest to avoid dialogue tags, which I think I also tend to overuse, but yeah I need to get a little more creative in this category, I think.

Also, I think I've referenced the same song that reminds me of a particular ship in multiple different fanfictions about them. 😅 (But that's not for Black Clover so at least you are spared that one 😁)

🫐 What’s your favorite underrated thing in your fandom? (A ship that only you seem to write for, a character there’s almost no fics about, a trope that criminally hasn’t been written yet, etc.)

I answered this too, unfortunately (sorry about that 😅), but pretty much anything with Langris and Finesse whether as individuals or especially their dynamic with each other (regardless of whether it's in a romantic or platonic way) is a particular favorite but very underrated in my opinion. I think they're both really interesting and have an interesting relationship, and I feel like there is a lot of untapped potential there that isn't explored enough in the canon or in fanworks.

I'd also like to add Charmy in here too, and not just because Rillmy can be a little underrated as a pairing sometimes (though I certainly feel that way at times) but also because I feel like a lot of times Charmy is kind of just shoved into the background and played for laughs as a feral, food-obsessed gremlin and while she can definitely be a feral food-obsessed gremlin sometimes, I feel like there is a lot more to her and to her character than just that. I love exploring Charmy's friendships with the Black Bulls especially Vanessa and Finral and just kind of giving her a little more room to breathe as a dynamic, capable, surprisingly shrewd, and kind of snarky character who is honest but really loves her friends.

[themediamercenary]

The Family Game Blog

Covered with layers of slapstick, the Family Game is an important portrayal of the Japanese education system. Despite the serious topic at hand, there’s never a dull moment due to the film’s sense of humor. If anything, Morita could’ve toned down the slapstick to better convey the social commentary he seeks to present. As such, I thought the film ends on an absurd oner that feels like more of an afterthought than a closure on the film’s themes about the education system and family life. Regardless, it’s an impressive shot that has flair with its several hilarious standouts. In many ways, this one take is the thesis of the film’s slice of life aesthetic despite having little to do with the overall plot of achieving Shigeyuki’s grades. Amidst all the goofiness to be found in the final moments, there’s a portentious and abstract tale of educational and family dysfunction. The facade became too much to stand longer, thus the tutor was first to break and pull apart the vacuous sheet that commands the family. The film honestly reminds me of Ozu, but if he came from an inverted, Bizarro dimension.

This bizarreness extends over to the tutor and Shigeyuke’s dynamic. The tutor’s borderline predatory nature had me wondering if there was flirtatious tension between the two or if the tutor was chipping at Shigeyuke’s queerness implied by his disinterest in girls and magazines. Perhaps the tutor is very affectionate in a brotherly manner, but spooning and grasping legs is not something brothers do. I found it so interesting that the tutor has a relatively normal life outside of all of this, and even has a girlfriend. Considering his creepiness and knowledge of martial arts, I expected something terrible. Looks can be deceiving. Despite the problematic content, the tutors conversations with Shigeyuke highlights a genuine connection as opposed to one he maintains with his family. As a result of having an absent father, the family cares little about Shigeyuke’s overall growth and just his grades which reflects in their empty familial conversation. The tutor steps in to improve that, teaching him to fight too. More so, their conversations actualize Shigeyuke’s curiosity towards life in a manner where he learns instead of being distracted in his mind. It’s a shame that the tutor also had to be the weirdest freak on the planet. At the very least, Shigeyuke took lifelong lessons from this experience in a time where school was existed as a rat race to pass college-entry exams

[icyviv]

Anime I watched in Winter 2023

I haven’t ever done anything like this before, but I figured “Why not?”. I enjoy writing. So, my thoughts on the anime I watched in Winter 2023!

Loooong Post Ahead!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel The Northern War

I will start with the show I was most excited for heading into the season. During 2022, I picked up the Cold Steel games, and was in the middle of III(3) when this was announced. Which was awesome, as this event (The Northern War) was heavily referenced, but never explored. So I went into the show quite optimistically. 

Unfortunately, while the first episode, and even the second were quite good, the show ended up falling quite flat, personally. And I think that was because of a few key problems.

First, the show was focused on characters created specifically for the show. A group of mercenaries. While they are characterized well, and feel fine, they are completely new. When this show came out, Cold Steel as a series had been finished for a number of years, so I get that trying to fit this in might be odd. But Cold Steel is focused on Class VII, or more specifically, Rean Schwarzer. While Rean is in the show, and we get cameos from other members of Class VII, it feels very forced. 

Second, the show did not know its audience. The Legend of Heroes is a moderately large series at this point, with currently 9 games available in English, with the 10th capstone game coming later this year. And that does not include the early series games that are not in the canon of the Trails series, as well as the sequel series that has had 2 games released in Japan. So, getting an anime at this point is kind of weird. Especially focused around an event that is not covered in the games. Which brings me to my point. Who was this show for? I should be sitting right in the target audience, but this show felt like it was trying too hard to be accessible for someone unfamiliar with the series. At the same time, it used the political intrigue the series does well, but the intrigue is very hard to follow without a background in the series. 

So, overall, this series was a pretty big miss. Which sucks, because I love the Trails games.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

This series was pretty high on the list as well. It is a yuri, and I tend to bias towards those greatly, but overall, I think it did very well.

It is an isekai, which have absolutely flooded the anime market, but that was expected given the popularity of the genre calling for a certain publisher in Japan to blanket ban future submissions in the genre. Which is hilarious and sad, really.

Back to MagiRevo. The pacing and flow of the series does very well, balancing high action with the political intrigue of running a country. Especially given that the political intrigue is the A plot, regardless of how much Anis tries to avoid it.

I would totally recommend this one, mostly because its really nice to see a show where love wins sometimes. And I don’t mean that in a specifically yuri way. Or maybe I do.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World

Honestly? Honestly? Isekai trash without the Isekai. 

Main character OP as fuck? Check.

Bunch of girls randomly in love with him? Check.

School setting? Not technically necessary, but check.

Really buff dudes and a solid brotherly bond? Che… wait a second…

This show surprised me, if only a little bit. Definitely not enough to redeem it. But still. 

The main character actually makes a male friend! And they bond over being buff as hell! And join a club full of really buff dudes! I appreciate the attempt at fan service in the other direction, even if it fell a bit flat. But the male friendship was a nice touch. I just wish it had explored it a bit better.

So, overall, meh.

Tomo-chan is a Girl!

Wow, this show was fun. The dynamic between the two main characters for this romantic comedy was delightful. This show could have very easily devolved into something misogynistic, but I think it walked that line very well. Some will definitely disagree, but this is the internet, so whatever.

Jun’s struggle is shown super well. His issue is not with Tomo being stronger with him. His issue is not with Tomo being a girl. His issue is with what a relationship with her would mean, and how that would change them together. Which is actually a super interesting way to address what a relationship of “boyfriend-girlfriend” is. His entire struggle boils down to “if I date Tomo, will we still get to compete?” The idea of an irregular relationship like that seems impossible to him. But, eventually, he figures it out. Which is great. Good for them.

A fun romantic comedy. Totally worth watching.

Onichan wa Oshimai (Onimai: I am now your sister)

I personally really liked this one. A lot of people will have issues with this show. For that reason, I can’t recommend it for someone who looks for issues in media. Cause it has more than a few.

Obviously, the show is filled with Transgender themes and experiences. Specifically, the villainization of trans women in “female spaces”. 

Trans girls, you will probably like this show. TERFs, fuck off.

Trigun Stampede

Oooo, this one is spicy. 

Hot Take, fantastic show.

Hotter take, the 3DCG was really good and I think made the show better then it would have been in 2D.

I read somewhere that the director said the this was “not a reboot, not a retelling, merely another Trigun story of two brothers.” (I am really paraphrasing). And I think that really helps with the show. 

As someone who has not sat through the original Trigun, I went into this show only vaguely knowing who Vash the Stampede was. Yellow hair, red coat, gun. 

What this show did really well was the emotional storytelling of Vash. Throughout the first episode, I felt something… off about Vash. Which was weird to me, because I didn’t know the character. But throughout the rest of the show, you really begin to feel his sadness. This giant weight he carries. That his smile is so, so fragile. And I adore it. 

I loved it. Someone who dislikes 3DCG will hate it. Pretty straightforward.

The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague

Yes! Office romance and not high school romance! I will take it!

Also, a fun show. Typical slow burn romance. If you like that kind of thing, this should be right up your alley.

Sugar Apple Fairytale

A fantasy tale involving Fairies that are enslaved by humans. Has a large chunk of tsundere romance, and both characters involved are Tsun, so that is always fun. 

While the main plot is focused on the “Will they, won’t they”, I do think it makes a few good explorations into love in a slave society. When you hold someone’s life in your hands against their will, can you really expect them to love you?

A good time, and I will be watching part 2 in the summer.

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

More romance! High school this time, but that's okay.

I really liked this one. Immensely. It felt really nice. 

I think the main conflict of the series is focused on removing your preconceived notions of others and just talking to them. Which is great! In theory.

  Of course, things are never that easy. Even once you have talked about something hard, it doesn’t mean that the future will be any easier. Every tough conversation is tough for a reason, and there can be safety in silence. In just letting the status quo be. The status quo can be scary.

I mean, there is also the wish fulfillment of having a really cute girl cook food for you. Like, I can get why people might just assume its that and nothing deeper. 

But I don’t think those people have ever cooked something delicious for someone else. It is a truly wonderful feeling to see a boy’s face light up in joy at something yummy. 

A lovely romance. Totally worth a watch if you want something sweet.

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement

I… really don’t know how I finished this show. 

Its mediocre at best. The story is WEAK. The animation is basic. The characters are quite boring.

I think I just kept watching because I was hoping for the obvious to be addressed? And it wasn’t? 

The obvious is… When will the main character receive consequences for her brazen and kind of stupid actions? And the answer is… never?

Very bland and boring isekai.

I mean hell. They never even address why the fuck she fell off a cliff in the first place? Like, what? Moving on.

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire

Another mid Isekai that… wait… it’s not an isekai?

A fairly mid show following the genre that sprouted because of the above mentioned isekai ban. “Character already in a fantasy world gets reincarnated with op powers” An attempt was made at least. I guess.

Not ridiculously fanservicey. Definitely has a fair bit though. Some fun fights. Interesting world building that is probably explored much better in the source material (I hope). 

A miss. 

In/Spectre 2

I quite enjoyed this series when the first came out, so I was pleasantly surprised to see more of it. 

This Sherlockian series following mythological creatures of Japanese folklore is quite fun. If you like weird mysteries, I would recommend In/Spectre. Its a bit crass at times, though I believe that to be a choice by the author to offset the perceived upper class nature of the main character Kotoko. 

Worth a watch

Shows I did not finish (with one caveat)

The Misfit of Demon Academy: This show actually had its broadcast canceled due to “Covid Issues.” It will resume in June I believe, so I will finish it then.

The tale of outcasts: This show had some promise, and I quite enjoyed its first half. Very Ancient Magus Bride vibes. Unfortunately, I SUPER lost interest in the final arc. The introduced villain basically said “I am going to do bad things because I am bored.” Which is fine. Depending on the character. It did not do it for me.

The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World: I am surprised I made it as far as I did in this show. But overall more boring OP Isekai stuff without much variance.

And I think that does it! That covers the shows I watched in the 2023 Winter season, barring stuff that was not part of the season. This was fun, and I might do it again for spring! There are a few good shows I am looking forward to, like GWitch Part 2, Tonikawa Part 2, and Ancient Magus Bride Part 2. 

If you got this far, holy crap, thanks! Unless you are looking for a TL;DR.

TL;DR 

Anime good. World hard and cold. Titty soft and warm.

[genkooii]

   (Don’t repost  / remove the caption or use without permission).

So I got an anon on my sideblog asking about whether I was gonna make my own human version of Galahad (Arthurs hamster) and after receiving it I realised, I SOMEHOW FORGOT ABOUT THE HAMSTER!

I heavily referenced Arthur and Lance as inspiration for Galahad’s design. Galahad is Arthur’s loyal assistant, despite not knowing a lot about mechanics and robotics. He’s energetic but also a little forgetful. He really loves to help despite unintentionally causing things to fall apart at Kingsmen Mechanics.  I designed him with a age range of 11-13 in mind.

My interpretation of human Galahad is autistic (His special interest is aviation so he really likes model airplanes and everything about flying! Arthur helps him put together his model airplanes.) 

[the-black-bulls]

Liebe's seiyuu is 10cm shorter than Asta's - what if Liebe also ends up the shorter sibling... I mean, he is already 1cm shorter than Asta according to their canon info...

Asta would forever relish the fact he isn't the tiny one for his age any longer - not to mention, Liebe has rather dainty feet for a devil, with barely any claws in his toes, so he doesn't even get to give an illusion of height unless he starts wearing actual shoes.

I get the feeling that if Liebe ever tried to get shoes to stop Asta from lording over his superior height -regardless of the fact that Liebe can fly-, Nero would offer her help... and promptly hand him a pair of her satin ballerina shoes, just with added criss-cross ankle straps.

I think it's safe to say that Asta is 1cm taller and is the same height as Liebe now. His canon info came in the beginning of the series and it has been two years since then.

And I don't know, I really like how Asta and Liebe are a duo of two dumb brothers who are too much alike they can pass as twins. The equal height makes their brotherly dynamic more unique since we already have the height teasing thing between Asta and Yuno.

Don't worry though, Asta will still find a way to tease his skinny brother, for despite having the same height, Asta is the WIDER, muscle-heavy one, and he'll not pass a moment to tease Liebe whenever the later ask him to open the damned pickle jar!

Btw we need to talk more about Nero and her fabulous satin ballerina shoes because oh boy I'm digging this headcanon 👌

[risingmoonyue]

Horizon headcanon time!

I think I have like, three main Aloy, Avad, and Erend dynamics I like, and all of them include them being absolute besties regardless. They either are:

Purely platonic BFFs, and no one is particularly bothered with any romances between them. May have been Feelings here or there, but they are strong independent people who don't need no boo

Aloy/Erend with Avad the honorary brother-in-law watching from the side laughing at his idiots like they're from last week's telenovela as Marad fills him in on anything he misses.

Aloy/Avad with Erend being a snarky brotherly goof who can and will poke all the fun at either one of them at any given time. Would probably be the one to shove the two into a closet of he could get away with it. Isn't really sure who to shovel talk (that's a lie it's totally Avad). This one I find the most finicky and difficult to get right just because of the natural compatability issues between the two. I think there's only one or two fics of Aloy/Avad I actually like enough to actively go back to. It really does have to be written just right.

There are definitely others I like, but that's just what I like to imagine them as the most.

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket Manga Review , ch 110

The writer doesn’t need to rush to akito (antagonist) & give us quick background exposition & escalate her mentality to the exploding moment, simply cuz tohru (the protagonist) isn’t emotionally in her most vulnerable moment yet. Tohru’s issues will be presented deeper  with each pov chapter she’ll have. So what should the writer do now?

This is a connected plot, meaning the emotions belonging to the previous chapter are still lingering & needs to be dealt with. There is no stupid laughing & cooking or even dumber momentarily amnesia. Nope! There is this:

-The Art of Writing Slow-Burns: (Lingering Emotions:)

Last time kyo hugged tohru thro the sheets. sth he wouldn’t do if it weren’t for the heartbreaking moment of tohru’s tears & the reason behind them. Why wouldn he do it? cuz he believes he’s the reason of her pain & is setting his mind on leaving her & being imprisoned as a punishment. He  wouldn’t do it cuz he loves her but he did it cuz he loves her. why? cuz love is illogical. Kyo’s heart moved him effortlessly to embrace her & “ his tenderness covered her pain” as the writer put it at the end of ch109.

Last time tohru hugged kyo thro the sheets, sth she wouldn’t do if it weren’t for the comfort of his warmth enveloping her loneliness & providing safety & a home. A home can a person. Why wouldn she do it? cuz Tohru is someone who hides pain behind a smile, someone who thinks she’s ugly & unlovable cuz she’s grieving still after all this time. She’s thinks she’s a burden. But here she confessed to kyo unprompted or advised by anybody. He only asked a fleeting question. but tohru cant hide who she is friom him anymore. Still, he accepted her & tenderly held her thro the sheets & she threw her body at him, she initiated the hug.

The sheet hig is the biggest emotional moment between kyo/tohru yet. It altered how they feel for each other cuz in that moment tohru’s mask fell & kyo was the most honest with himself emotionally. That’s not sth you move from with the stupid ED song. They both try to carry out normally afterwards cuz they live together after all. The slightest touch brings..... sexual tension!!!  it was so bad poor yuki left the house running!!!!!!!!

The writer cleverly escalates the sexual tension as they awkwardly try to find a talking topic, then dissolves it a bit when kto asks if tohru wants to go out together & where, then escalates it when tohru suggests buying eggs cuz she’s awkward, then dissolves it when kyo grumpily agrees but this is just grocery shopping” not a fun going out”, the escalates it when tohru said she’s happy for just bring together with him regardless of the location & kyo looses it! sexual tension explodes!

The target of the slow-burn isn’t the characters... the target is the audience! the writer plays with their emotions & cleverly puts the audience in a place where they desperately want these two idiots together but still remember why they aren’t! that’s very important. Having the readers cheer for a romantic relationship includes the readers understanding the obstacles ahead & how big they are & still cheer. If the obstacles are meh~ the readers will find the couple unrealistic, if the obstacles are so big & the couples emotions aren't buildup properly, then the couple themselves will feel meh~. Glad kyoru survived such writing mistakes both manga & anime ( anime hurt their characters more than their relationship).

-Yuki wants to move on from the unofficial son third wheeling his mom & her man:

The writer jokes abt yuki admitting he felt as a son watching his mon & her bf. I love tha this joke becuz it cleverly addresses the following points:

it is cleverly weaved in with the kyoru incident from last chapter. Sth happen & yuki doesn't know what is & doesn't want to! Yuki represents the audience I talked abt in the slow-burn point above. He is us. He’ll cheer for them to be together & will be so frustrated when they can’t. It adds to yuki confronting kyo at the climax!!! You see in the anime kyo/yuki stopped interacting much in se03. Then tada~~ big fight when it’s a must! & can’t be escaped... Here we still have kyo/yuki moments despite each boy moving away from his issues being the fault of the other. Basically better writing.....

The writer cleverly used this to address that yuki still feels like tohru’s son sometimes despite being more independent now, which is natural as you cant switch ur feelings with a button. But also the writer doesnt stay in this moment long & use it to build the next moment.. yuki/Aya , yuki/machi & aya/mine.... sadly all there dynamics are shortened in the anime like kyoru’s.

-I don’t think yuki/Aya  moment suffered much from the cuts, the entire school parents meeting ep us enough to reconcile the brothers. Aya defended yuki that day & so did yuki. He completely accepted him & stood up to him in front of the mom.

- More aya/mine would’ve been good to see & I would’ve preferred it to yuki/motoko moments in the anime that served nothing. but aya/mine too are stand alone story. They’re the most alike couple in a healthy way. Aya is the guy who protected his woman the most. simply cuz he’s the snake. snakes are secretive. he kept her to himself, even from yuki!!! impressive.

- What I lament from the cut of this mini yuki adventure?

1- This: ( yuki’s facial expressions) This is sth the anime fears, either cuz (a) pretty yuki is 100% pretty all the time, so no expressiveness cuz it leads to showing eyebrows & hiding them under layers of hair is the A.B.C of pretty characters... (b) Yuki in the anime is a prince 98% of the time, except with kyo (they got rid of this in se03 & give them one honest/ugly moment together) & with kakeru (one tiny moment in se03 in match’’s focus ep & then quickly back to prince yuki!)..., ugh!!!!!! I hate how yuki is prince thro & thro in the anime!!that’s why they couldn’t get rid of any motoko content!!! he’s a prince there... heck! school girls float after him the graduation ceremony... what’s up with that!! lol.

2-. This: ( machi with the toy that tohru/kisa/kagura/momiji & kiro like! so cute!!! also, foreshadowing yuki’s future chosen extended family! (his bro & his wife), (yuki & his wife) & best friend/his brother in law! Also, yuki is so himself! no glitters, no bubbles & no pretending anger! <3

Side Notes:

The lovely @mizzraynelly​ made notice kto’s speech in ch109 abt not vising his mom’s grave! Even tho it’s such a minor line, it’s one of the biggest cuts that foreshadow the accumulation of kyo’s guilt towards his mom. Kyo’s thing is guilt towards ppl he loves & fear of hurting them, by keeping this feeling alive in readers’ minds, the writer is making sure that the climax will hurt like sharp knives cuz the readers are on the same wave liength as kyo!!! epic buildup consists of tiny subtle pieces!

 Luckily, kyoru as a ship felt so strong in both manga & anime despite the later cutting half of their moments. Why? cuz the chosen cuts didnt affects the romantic relationship...no... the cuts affects the characters’ own personal struggle... most precisely tohru. Kyo’s own character struggles had better luck in the anime despite the cuts, simply cuz (a) was drawn with very expressive emotions & the anime team lingered on them in his scenes. (b) His character design as a whole was very expressive, the anime team didnt give him constant wide eyes like tohru & didn’t fear expr4essivness will affect for his “beauty “ like yuki. (c) kyo was given one ep per season for his issues which altho not much but way better than tohru (d) most important: kyo’s issues are very universal & very relatable” feeling guilt, mistakes & choosing wrong. That’s sth we all do!!! Tohru’s thing is grieve: this is very personal & most ppl experience it differently. 

I love kyo’s oufit!!! we have a hint of this moment in se03, ep 10 when yuki was fighting kyo... but they made yuki see them shopping as opposed of him seeing them being sexually charged!

I’m so mad this kyoru moment is cut!!!!!! tohru as a woman with pending sexual emotions is so refreshing & underrated in the trope of “ girl saves guys”. Also, it contradicts the pure mom image that’s been suffocating her since se01 ep 1!!!!! oh now i know why it’s cut... That’s why! momma tohru is so pure for such things & only when it’s the last two eps, then will allow her to be a woman choosing to live away with her man by her own desire! Why the anime only allow things ti happen when there’s no escape!!! I’ve always felt tohru/kyo is the type of couple to be expressive emotionally & sexually with each other based on seeing that ALL of their romantic interaction involves body language & I’m so happy there’s a canon proof so early before the future glimpse in finale!!!!!! 

I liked the aya-story, but it felt like the typical “ lesson of the day” formula, so I didnt analyze it much, but I enjoyed the brotherly interaction so much!! It had a gold mine of yuki being himself & so nit a prince! Im so happy I saw it! <3.

Every time yuki looked expressive is a happy moment for me!

[im-still-watching-anime]

warning: this post is just me ranting about the writing of the naruto women for far too long

i honestly feel that one of the most frustrating/vaguely hilarious aspects of naruto is how naruto ended up being - and bear with me here - the best example of the extremely specific female archtype that kishimoto seemed to be obsessed with. 

like when you focus on sakura and hinata - arguably the most important female characters in the show as the two male leads’ respective end game love interests - you can break them both down into the same general mold:

- both devoted to the same boy their entire lives

- both are shown chasing after their crush in order to stand on “equal” footing (i.e. sakura’s “i finally caught up to them” and hinata’s “no longer chasing but standing by your side” mentalities)

- both suffer and try to overcome feelings of inferiority in their respective character arcs

and i want to be clear that while female characters who fit this mold aren’t usually my favorite thing it can definitely still work when written carefully and written well -  to be blunt i personally think both hinata and sakura are awesome character concepts and both had SO MUCH potential and i love their fanon interpretations but i feel that canonically they were poorly written, underdeveloped, and flat characters

most of their canonical character motivations revolve around their love interests - which really sucks because i would have KILLED for a deeper look at everything involving hinata and the hyuuga or even more about sakura’s development of her medical ninjustsu so much got skipped when it came to them which definitely didn’t help anything - that aside this is especially true in og naruto though to be fair - sasuke was still in konoha in og naruto and team seven was together for most episodes which made it especially prevalent in sakura’s case

the point is by the time shippuden came around it was extremely obvious that efforts were being made to improve the female characters - sakura now had much higher combat ability from the start of shippuden and, though she gets much less focus hinata is repeatedly shown doing brave acts and pushing herself to become stronger. and while i really loved the effort and it was definitely an improvement from especially sakura’s original character - it still fell flat to me.

sakura’s fight with sasori was perfect and a great way to revive her character but then she was pretty stagnant in a lot of the following arcs - i.e. injured in the reunion arc, not very important during the two saviors arc, her weird fake love confession during the assembly of the five kage arc, etc. - she constantly bounces between “now i’m strong” and “i still don’t measure up” making her character development - especially pre-war - virtually nonexistent because every step forward gets followed by a step back.

hinata is a bit more difficult simply because she’s such a minor character for so much of shippuden which is insane since she’s literally the protagonist’s future wife. regardless, looking at hinata’s big moments: her fight with neji in og naruto, blocking naruto from pain in shippuden, and the Smack during the war (there’s a few i’m missing i’m sure but those are really what constitutes her biggest moments to me during the meat of shippuden’s actual development phase - not the post war resolution phase) two of three of these moments precede her getting very heavily and soundly beaten which personally irks me - even if i don’t particularly like it i can see why and it makes sense to me she didn’t win the fight with neji or her pain confrontation and it definitely shows that she is brave and emphasizes the all-important devotion to her love interest aspect of her character BUT it’s also a little obnoxious that we never get to see her be REALLY victorious in her major moments.

so to sum up so far: sakura and hinata are both meant to be perceived as innovative and strong female characters but this perception doesn’t work in sakura’s case because she immediately repeatedly reverts back to the damsel in distress archtype and it doesn’t work in hinata’s case because the few strong moments she has are highlighted by failure.

and also the all important point that the majority of their “strong moments” are driven by their love interests - not a bad motivation except for the fact that that is one of their ONLY motivations

to the main point i’m trying to make: lets compare naruto (obviously take this with the understanding that naruto has a MAJOR advantage of having way more screen time and development as the titular character)

in regards to sasuke, naruto:

- is extremely devoted

- repeatedly chases after sasuke to match-up with him and improve

- and, especially in og, struggles with feeling inferior to sasuke

the context is a little different and the motivation behind some of the points changes between the two but it’s the exact same mold as sakura and hinata

the major difference between the two and the main reason that so many more people get frustrated with sakura’s devotion to sasuke and not naruto’s really boils down to development

sakura barely had her own character outside of loving sasuke and when she did, it immediately got downplayed in some way - just look at the war arc and her triumphant “i finally caught up to them” right before both sasuke and naruto essentially gain godlike powers, she then spends the war constantly distracted by sasuke even when fighting “sasuke isn’t worried about me at all” which really downplays her role.

on the flip side, even with his main goal of bringing sasuke back to the village, naruto has tons of motivation and character building outside of sasuke - ex. becoming hokage, gaining everyone’s acceptance, fixing konoha, living up to his parents/jiraiya’s expectations, bringing peace, protecting everyone he can, freeing the tailed beasts, etc. etc. you could go on forever the show is named after him after all.

we are told that sakura always chooses sasuke and nothing else about it but then we are told that naruto chooses sasuke despite everything else.

to sum up: the traditional female love interest that kishimoto wants to invent is the woman who is devoted. she puts the person she loves above everything else because she loves him. she’d do anything for that person even if it puts her at risk, etc. but at the end of the day there’s still the tired trait of still relying on the man in her life for certain things. and he doesn’t bother to expand characters like sakura and hinata beyond that. (great examples of characters who are almost completely separate from this mold are tsunade and temari - though one might argue about the way they were written designed to fit specific tropes for comedic moments - personally i think they manage to dodge that for the most part though)

with naruto and sasuke - naruto manages to fulfill every roll sakura is meant to in a much more elaborated and better way all without the curse of the female love interest that sakura and hinata bear. it’s hard to accept sakura and hinata’s “i’ll love you no matter what” when naruto is already actively outright doing that with sasuke. the roots of sakura’s feelings for sasuke, hinata’s feelings for naruto, and naruto’s feelings for sasuke are all exceptionally similar to one another which is what shoots kishimoto’s main romances in the foot - because it’s hard for them to measure up to the main “platonic brotherly” relationship he built between sasuke and naruto.

this post is obviously disregarding a lot of the Other really deep parts of sasuke and naruto’s relationship and some important points about the other women of naruto. also it’s important to think on the time period naruto and naruto shippuden were written in. we’re in a major incline period for improvement in how women are presented in fiction - just look at the difference of women between og and shippuden. obviously it doesn’t completely excuse anything but it’s a point to consider.

sorry for the rant and sorry if this is all really obvious to you or if it’s worded poorly, kinda just needed to word vomit my thoughts. i really like analyzing how women are represented in fiction and how the representations have developed over the years. i wrote a few essays about it for some of my courses and now i think about it all the time. obviously i’m not claiming this is how everyone should view these characters or anything i just had lots of my own thoughts about the entire situation and dynamics that i had to put SOMEWHERE. if you have any thoughts about it or points you wanna bring up feel free to do so i love fiction analysis a lot so i love hearing other people’s opinions

[botanicallyinclinednerd]

Moments that highlight the brotherly dynamic between Mordred and Arthur:

1x08: Arthur breaks Mordred out of his cell, telling him not to be scared, he was there to rescue him and return him to his people. He offers his hand and Mordred takes it. They flee through the tunnels.

1x08: Arthur reassures Mordred that Merlin will be there to help them. When it looks like they will soon be found, Arthur draws his sword to defend Mordred if it comes down to it

1x08: Arthur delivers Mordred to the druids. Arthur asks for his name. Mordred tells him his name and Arthur wishes him luck (with dread inducing suspenseful music in the background, gotta love that) Mordred gives Arthur a little smile.

5x01: Mordred keeps Radnor from killing Arthur and Merlin. Mordred helps Arthur to his feet and figures out that he didn't recognize him. He tells him that he saved his life many years ago and Merlin names him. Arthur looks shocked/ confused. Mordred smiles and says "Hello Arthur" the smile drops.

5x02: Mordred brings food over for Merlin and Arthur and Mordred tells Merlin that Arthur saved his life and he owed him a debt

5x02: Arthur does not kill Mordred because "he could not follow us" and "he showed us kindness"

5x02: Mordred stabs Morgana to save Arthur and he carries an unconscious Arthur out of the cave until he finds the knights and passes him over to Percival

5x02: Arthur knights Mordred. They smile at each other

5x05: Arthur and Mordred train. Arthur bests Mordred and helps him to his feet while praising his progress. He gives Mordred advice and seems very impressed and proud of him

5x05: Arthur includes Mordred on the patrol to search for Osgar. Mordred is very enthusiastic and eager. Arthur tells him he earned it and gives him a little slap on the shoulder. Mordred tells Arthur "You won't regret this. I promise." After he leaves, Gwen observes that Arthur has grown fond of him and Arthur confirms this.

5x05: Once Arthur is clued in to the prank the knights are pulling on Mordred, Arthur joins in and poor Mordred is so confused and has no idea he's being messed with.

5x05: Mordred laughs at Arthur’s jokes. Arthur toasts to Mordred and his first successful mission

5x05: Mordred requests that Arthur allows him to go with them to the white mountains. Arthur initially says no, for he has little experience, but Mordred convinces him.

5x05: Mordred jumps in front of the Disir's spear to save Arthur. Arthur is very upset and concerned for Mordred. He holds Mordred's head while Merlin examines the wound. Arthur removes a glove to check Mordred's pulse.

5x05: Arthur sits at Mordreds bed side and is upset when Gaius can't guarantee he will survive.

5x05: Arthur and Merlin return to Camelot and Mordred, alive and fully healed, walks down the steps to greet Arthur with a smile on his face. Arthur is very happy and relieved, grasping Mordred's arm and pulling him into a hug.

5x05: Arthur and Mordred train and Mordred finally bests Arthur in a fight. Arthur picks him up in celebration and Mordred grins

5x09: Mordred was one of two people (the other being Leon) that Arthur trusted with the new levy route. Arthur doesnt tell him why and just asks that he trusts him, which he nods at.

5x09: Mordred finds Arthur brooding and asks if there is any way he can help. Arthur is distracted and when Mordred reminds him that he is always at Arthur's service, he tells him "I never doubted it, Mordred."

5x09: Mordred appears at the top of the cliff with rope and calls down to Arthur. Mordred is smiling and Arthur laughs in relief.

5x09: Arthur fills Mordred in around the camp fire and he apologizes for not confiding in Mordred. Mordred brushes it off saying it was a good thing he hadn't or he won't have followed. Arthur says its good to have Mordred with them.

5x09: Arthur goes to get Mordred saying "I won't leave a knight behind" and Merlin convinces him not to go back because of Morgana.

5x09: Arthur is pleased to see Mordred and clasps his arm in greeting. He says he thought they lost him and Mordred agrees that he thought the same. Arthur questions how he escaped Morgana and he asks him to be serious after he gives a jokey answer.

5x09: Arthur asks Mordred if the Dolma looked familiar and Mordred agrees

5x10: Arthur puts around Mordred's shoulders and leads him away to give him the task of apprehending the sorcerer Gaius tipped him off about

5x10: Arthur isn't happy about the sorcerer getting away but he continues to direct his questions to Mordred, who headed the mission, instead of Leon, the experienced head knight. (Just something I found interesting and I think it points to Arthur still having faith in Mordred despite not catching the sorcerer.)

5x11: Mordred confesses to Arthur that he was the one that helped Kara. He begs that Arthur reconsiders her sentence. Arthur becons for Mordred to get off his knees and puts a hand on his shoulder after Mordred confesses to loving Kara. Arthur looks troubled and regretful as he tells him "you know there's nothing i wouldn't do for you. You're a knight of Camelot. Its a bond we share. But what you ask... this girl, she is a danger..." Mordred vehemently denies this and insists he can change this. Arthur says he can't risk the lives of his citizens regardless of who asks him. Mordred is crying and again begs Arthur to reconsider. Arthur’s voice is quiet and regretful as he tells Mordred that she admitted her guilt and it left him with no option. He apologizes. Mordred leaves, crying and looking numb

5x11: Mordred goes to Arthur's chambers saying he wanted to apologize. Arthur assures him there's no need. Mordred says he hopes Arthur would forgive him. Arthur tells him "I'd never let something like this ruin our friendship." Mordred smiles slightly at that and tells Arthur he will always remember that Arthur took him in and all he had done for him. Arthur says that Mordred has become Arthur’s most loyal of knights. Mordred thanks him, gives him a nod, and leaves. Arthur did not recognize it for what it was: a good bye.

5x11: Mordred begs Arthur to let them go, that he had Mordred's word they would leave Camelot and never return. Arthur remains silent and resilient as he stares back at Mordred.

5x11: Mordred is thrown in a cell and he asks Arthur what hes going to do with him. Arthur doesn't know. He turns and leaves

5x12 deleted scene: Mordred is not entirely comfortable at the prospect of killing Arthur and he says that he believes Arthur to still be a good man and there is still hope for him.

5x13: Arthur is poised to strike a killing blow but he falters when he recognizes his opponent is Mordred. Mordred takes advantage of this hesitation and stabs Arthur. Arthur falls to his knees and Mordred says "You gave me no choice" Arthur surges to his feet and runs Mordred through with his sword. Mordred gives Arthur a deranged smile and collapses to the ground, dead. Arthur looks upset.

Much of Arthur’s dynamic with Mordred through season 5 is very much big brother little brother which makes the fall out in 5x11 that leads to them killing each other in 5x13 so tragic.