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tentenarchive · 2 months

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In Defense of Tenten - the Chunin Exams' Written Test and Her Mirrors

A common joke made about Tenten is how obvious her mirror and line contraption, used to share answers with Rock Lee during the written exam, is. In this post, I'll show how her solution is perfectly reasonable and why she wasn't disqualified by the ninja proctors.

Firstly, we have to stablish what the objective of this written test is: to cheat. The written test was designed to be too difficult for ninjas of their level to be able to answer, forcing them to cheat from each other. Such is stated by Ibiki in the end of the First Phase chapters:

Next, the proctors are all higher level shinobi, better prepared and used to seeing various tricks and jutsu. It's not an stretch to suppose they're aware of EVERY cheating attempt made by those Genin, but were responsible for judging if their technique is too sloppy, obvious or ineffective.

My theory is supported by this scene, where Izumo eliminates one of the ninjas doing the test, claiming he took "five strikes".

It implies the competitors are allowed five errors before being disqualified, and one of the eliminated Genin makes it clear to the reader the "five strikes" are five times being caught cheating.

Naruto is also implied to be caught almost cheating when Hinata offers him her test answers (it can be interpreted either as Naruto being closely watched or Naruto's nerves making him think like that, half the proctors' job is to scare the Genin) and even then he is not automatically removed.

Tenten's technique may be obvious for us, as readers who have been shown by the author himself how she did it, but it's a single and successful attempt, and it's not commentated by any other characters, meaning no one caught on her besides the proctors, and they would only disqualify her if she did it more than once (which wasn't needed, she found the mole with all the answers!).

A pettier criticism i've "how isn't anyone seeing the lines?" to which the answer is very simple: manga is a visual media and the author needed the audience to understand how she was manipulating the mirror. If you take in consideration Tenten's fight with Temari in the anime - which is filler, btw, and it's up to you reading this to decide if it's a fair assessment on their abilities or not - she's shown using invisible lines to manipulate her weapons after throwing them. The lines are, conveniently, only visible when the animation needs us to understand how the weapons are moving backwards. Any other frame they're invisible.

You can see in the panel how the lines fade out towards the bottom and only show where they're attached to the mirror.

Finally: that's exactly what Ibiki expected the genin to do. There have been a few posts, specially on twitter, asking "how are you supposed to pass if you don't have a kekken genkai??". Like Tenten. That's how.

Kankuro and Tenten are the only characters which Kishimoto showed us cheating that didn't use an exclusive DNA super power. Kankuro and Tenten both use hidden threads, one uses chakra lines for puppetry and the last manipulates mirrors. They also pass their answers to their teammates, Temari and Lee.

(Sakura is the only confirmed character to do the entire test without cheating. Congrats Sakura!! You could argue Hinata used her byakuugan to cheat like Neji, but if you think she did it by herself, I will give you the pleasure of congratulating Hinata too. Congrats Hinata!)

Tenten's method was practical, and used her specific skill set: summoning and kunai work (where do you think the mirrors came from? a scroll, that's for sure). It was probably set up before the test started, during the commotion Team 7 created with their arrival. We're not shown it because Tenten is a tertiary character and Kishimoto wouldn't invest 2-3 panels of set up for a 3 panel sequence pay-off that works by itself very well. She is smart, did great and made sure her teammate was not left behind.

Tenten is not even the most absurd method used in this exam, so, as a treat, i will show you, in order, the most obvious cheats shown in the manga from least to most!

Sasuke's Sharingan If you're a ninja from the Leaf Village, you know who Sasuke Uchiha is and what a Sharingan is capable of. Unfortunally for him, the Exam is being held at the Leaf Village and all the jounin and chuunin there are from the Village. Any proctor looking at his direction in a position in front of him could see clearly his eyes and know exactly what he was doing.

Neji's Byukuugan Like the Sharigan, you can physhically see when it's activated, with the downgrade of being noticible by people sitting at up to 95º from him, as the veins are visible on the sides of his face too. A fair trade for the ability to see better than the Sharingan, even if you're not able to copy, in my personal opinion.

Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu The jutsu's hand signal is simple and can be missed, but it's still obvious for any Konoha ninja watching, it is a very recognizable ability. There's also the higher chance of Ino being caught since she needs to do it three times (once for getting Sakura's answers, twice to pass them to Chouji and Shikamaru). Besides, the "dropping dead on the table" thing can be disruptive in a mostly silent classroom.

Akamaru and Kiba's communication Akamaru is barking all the way through the exam, and while the balloon used for the text is the one for thoughts, it's also the same used for whispered conversations up to this point in the manga. The anime makes the barks happen in the real world, and not in their thoughts, and as far as i could find, Kiba can understand dog language but there's no psychic talk between them. By the noise alone he could be caught. I think he wasn't expelled just because a full conversation between dog and human is a novel enough ability to not be considered by most ninjas unaware of the Inuzuka clan's special abilities.

The Most absurd one: Kakuro and his Puppet He put an entire guy no one knows and has never been seen in a room where all the authorities are from the same village and have, at least, a vague knowledge of each other's existence. To increase the absurdity, somehow everyone let Kankuro use his own puppet to guide himself to the bathroom. I cannot express enough how unlikely it is that, in a real info gathering mission inside a single room where all the higher rank ninjas are exclusively from the same village, Kakuro's plan could work. Most decent sensors could also catch the chakra line's signature.

I'll give it to him, making the puppet talk helps with the disguise, but it only fools his fellow attendees, not the proctors. He's too confident that he didn't raise any alarms.

But Ibiki goes as far as insinuating he knows (and has known from the start) about the puppet's existence when Kankuro comes back from the bathroom.

If Kankuro was able to finish the test and not get disqualified, even if he had what I consider the most obvious cheating attempt from the named characters shown, it's fair game for Tenten and all the other important cheaters. Besides, it's a single attempt at cheating, even if it required an entire prep work for it, so it doesn't matter if all the high level ninja's are aware, that's not enough to kick him out.

I cannot leave out the meta reasons why these characters weren't removed from the class: they're important to varying degrees to the story and they need to advance through the first phase to keep readers engaged.

Regardless of how absurd I think Kiba's and Kankuro's methods are, they need to go all the way to the fight tournament after the Forest of Death, where they have important roles to fill: Sasuke and Naruto are main characters and are prioritized by the narrative; Ino and Sakura will have an important character developments and flashbacks during their fight; Neji has an entire arc that only concludes all the way in his fight against Naruto; Kiba is the rival for Naruto in the surprise fighting tournament and he is one of the few characters able to match Naruto's silliness so he can win in a silly way; Kankuro and Tenten are both part of the two strongest cells present in the event, the Sand Siblings and Team Gai, both introduced as real threats to Team 7, and having anyone from these cells lose would undermine the narrative created around then. All of them would get through anyway.

Tenten losing against Temari in future parts of the Chuunin Exam has narrative importance too, a fight I will cover in the next In Defense of Tenten, but in short Tenten was introduced as a threat alongside Neji and Lee, her abilities and experience surpassing Team 7's. Having her lose against one the Sand Shinobi serves to show how big their gap in power is: if someone more experienced and well trained than them can't win against them, Team 7 has no chance. It's part of the build up for the future Naruto and Gaara fight, and the suspense about their real strength (since the fight doesn't exist in the manga, only the result is shown).

Conclusion: people are overly critical of Tenten because she's seen as a "lolcow" in the Naruto fandom, in part by the bad adaptation of her fight with Temari to the anime, which poisoned any feat of hers before and after it; but also because Naruto and Boruto don't give satisfying ends to any of the original female cast besides Hinata (she marries the man she loves and becomes a housewife away from the battlefield, an honorable decision i will never shit on, she never wanted to be a ninja and is a kind mother and wife, good for her!) so all female characters are seem as weak and useless when compared to their male peers. Naruto is a work riddled with undercover misogyny, never out right stated but always preventing the girls to achieve any meaningful resolution or permanent development.

That added to the ever expanding powerscalling abilities and fights make characters with simpler and down to earth abilities and feats outdated by its own universe. Knowing how big the Naruto fights and jutsu get in the future make people look down on crafty solutions like sealing scrolls, kunai and mirrors, when that is a perfectly respectable solution within the series and matches the powerlevel presented this early in the story.

Tenten is not weak, or bad, or useless. She's misrepresented by the most popular media consumed: the anime, and further misunderstood by the fans of said work. Large fandoms can be allergic to text interpretation and infighting is stimulated to the point fans of smaller characters are bullied off social media and forums (i.e. the forum where I got the list of all chapters Tenten is in is filled to the brim with comments about how OP should move the topic to "fan works" since no one would want to read about it in the canon work page, or how the mods shouldn't allow him to have a thread). I respect Tenten's feats, as well as other small characters', and refuse to be fed the same "uselessness" narrative this fandom always had, because i actually enjoy Naruto, even if i have many problems with it, and I take it seriously.

She did great.

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juanarc-thethird · 9 months

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Jaune has gone Rogue.

Ruby: *Reading her manga*

*SLAM!* The door burst open

Ruby: What the heck?!

Blake: *Dressed like the terminator* Ruby you are in danger.

Ruby: In danger? from what?

Blake: Jaune has gone rogue and is eating everyone's ass. And I came to protect you. He already got to me

Ruby: *Blushing* He what?!

Blake: Come on, there's no time to waste.

Ruby: *Trying to waste time on purpose* I mean, how do I know you're not lying? I need more information before I decide to go with you or not.

Blake: There's no time!

She grabs Ruby by the waist and they jump out the window.

Ruby: But I want him to eat my ass!!

----------

Weiss walks back to the dorm building and sees Blake falling from the third floor while carrying Ruby.

Weiss: What are you two doing?

Blake: No time to explain! Run!

Ruby: Help me!!!

Both girls scream as they run past Weiss.

Weiss: What's wrong with them?

Jaune: *Behind her* Today is going to be a busy day

Weiss: Huh? *turns around*

In the distance Ruby can hear Weiss moaning.

Weiss: Ah yes!~💕

Ruby: *Gasp!* It should've been me!!

----------

Some time later, Ruby was able to free herself from Blake and escaped looking for Jaune. Without paying attention to her surroundings she collides with her sister.

Yang: Ouch. Ruby, why the rush?

Ruby: Have you seen Jaune?!

Yang: No. Are you looking for him?

Ruby: Jaune has gone rogue and is eating everyone's ass!

Yang: *Gasp!* No way!

Ruby: Yes, and if he finds me he will-

Jaune: *Shows up* I came to do two things, watch anime and eat ass.

He puts on a bib that says, "I eat ass"

Jaune: And I've already finished One Piece.

Ruby: *Excited* He's here!!

Yang: *Gets in front of Ruby* Don't worry sister, I'll distract him!

Ruby: What?! NO!

Yang: Just run! Forget about me!

Ruby: No! I want him to-!

Blake: Ruby! I finally found you. I'll take you to a safe place.

She grabs Rube by the waist again and they run away.

Ruby: NOOOOO!!!!

Yang:*Watching them run* Don't worry sister, everything will be fine.

Back with the two girls. They hear Yang scream in the distance

Yang: Oh FUCK yes!!~💕

Ruby: *Cries*

Blake: I know it is difficult but I assure you that her sacrifice will not be in vain. I promise you that Jaune will never touch you.

Ruby: *CRIES LOUDER*

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yuseirra · 20 days

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A full commentary on what Oshi no Ko intends to show/the direction where it's heading/Major character motives.

This was an analysis I wrote on August 13th, back when chapter 157 was released (and the most recent chapter will be 159; wow the work has been on such a long hiatus:

I read it over again today, and I think I did a pretty good job piecing things together. Some of the things I predicted immediately came to light in the chapter that followed. I'd like to share it, before the new chapter gets released today :)

There is a lot of analysis? Commentary of how I feel about Ai. She's definitely become my fav and I hope everything she wished for will come true in the end, she IS indeed the brightest star in the sky after all!

The following has been translated in bulk with the help of chatgpt.. It's my savior these days.. It's SO convenient wow, I've been putting it to good use!!

The title and subtitle are quite grand, but I feel that if I start writing, a lot will come out, so I wrote down the title and wanted to give it a go. Everything from here on is a very personal impression.

The manga is almost coming to an end, right? Since it’s being called the final chapter. The latest chapter is either 157 or 158, right? It's 157... I’ve checked up to the point where Aqua and Ruby are spending peaceful days together. Isn’t this episode like the calm before the storm? As I watched it, I thought, "Ah, this peace is bound to be broken." Even though nothing happened, the atmosphere is so quiet that it feels more ominous than peaceful.

At this point, I thought it might be good to think about what exactly this manga wants to convey and what the central narrative is. It seemed like a fitting time.

I first learned about this manga last year when the first season of the anime aired. The impression I got was that the creators had planned the ending from the start, as it seemed to have a clear trajectory. This manga might be more suitable for readers who prefer to follow it in volumes rather than chapter by chapter. When viewed individually, some parts might make you wonder, "What is this?" but when you see them in volumes, there seems to be a flow. So, when I was reading the manga in volumes, I thought, "Oh, the structure of this manga is well-organized and solid." That was around the time when about 10 volumes had been released, and I confidently bought all the volumes to keep as a collection.

Then, when I looked at the portions being serialized afterward, I started to get a little confused and thought, "Hmm, what are they planning to do with this?" But after watching the movie arc, I thought, "Oh, this is pretty good," and I realized that I wasn’t wrong in my initial judgment, so I returned to the manga, lol.

This manga’s structure seems quite complex. Each character has their own goals, and while Aqua seems to be the main hero who strongly drives the narrative, the focus isn’t solely on Aqua; it feels somewhat dispersed. In the end, if we consider what this story wants to convey, it feels like a composition that might be somewhat confusing.

In my opinion, the overarching framework is about various stories that unfold within the entertainment industry. It’s about the impact this industry can have on various people, both the light and the darkness (not delving too deeply, just enough to get a taste and see it from an entertainment perspective, plus throwing out questions about very serious topics). But then, is it saying that the entertainment industry is full of darkness and that we should escape from it? Not really.

As I described in the first post I wrote about this manga, it seems like the main theme is the depiction of various character types trying to survive in the entertainment industry.

Being a celebrity is a job that requires one to present oneself to far more people than an average person would, and even if we assume an entirely ideal situation where only goodwill comes your way, you can’t help but constantly be conscious of the image you need to show to those watching you. It seems like a very strong persona is necessary to endure that.

The loneliness that comes from being in the crowd, the internal dilemma of wanting to be understood and truthful as a complete individual, even though you can't fully expose yourself to the public, and yet, because of the appeal of the spotlight and wanting to show something, you step forward, deciding to live there and survive there.

Whether the work perfectly expresses those aspects might differ depending on the person, but at least it seems to have made us think about those points.

So, what are the motives driving each character?

Aqua wants to avenge the person that's hurt Ai, the one precious to him, in some way.

Ruby wants to surpass Ai as an idol, following in her footsteps.

Kana wants to be Aqua’s favorite.

Akane seems to assist Aqua, and in her case, she felt like she provided many shortcuts throughout the entire story. She played a role in significantly shortening the story’s length... Honestly, it might have been better if Aqua had done the things Akane achieved himself, lol. But from the author's perspective, she’s a reliable helper who aids in condensing the narrative. She also served as a good helper to Ruby as well. What I personally feel.a bit disappointed about the character Akane is that while she supports others a lot, that seems to be her entire narrative. She succeeded as an actress, and her personal goal or story seems to have ended around the dating program arc or the tokyo blade Arc, so apart from helping the twins, it's disappointing that her individual direction and desires are less visible. However, as long as she’s not entangled with the main characters, Akane is thriving and living a smooth life. She only becomes endangered when she gets involved with them; so, to give her more story, she may need to get more entangled.

Among the other main characters, Ai is a fresh character in that she wants to properly give love to others (although she also had the desire to be loved, it was more about “giving” than “receiving,” which I found refreshing).

As for Ai's boyfriend, it seems like he has something he wants to do, but it hasn’t been clearly revealed yet, so it’s in the realm of speculation. Setting that aside, what he wants to do now is something for Ai(in his point of view).

Nino has been highlighted a bit more, and while this character seems important, it’s still not clear what their exact goal is. The clear desire that has emerged is that they can't forgive even their daughter if she surpasses Ai.

Aqua, the character who drove the plot the most (with many things revolving around him), had the motive of “avenging Ai's death,” so that was a significant focal point. Much of the story’s development seemed to revolve around that.

However, I didn’t think Aqua would go for revenge in a violent form, because it would be something that would make the character unhappy and wouldn’t fit his personality. I didn’t think this “revenge” would be the typical, satisfying sort of retribution where justice is served.

Moreover, the “revenge” Aqua seeks ultimately requires Ai’s boyfriend (the twins’ biological father) to genuinely love Ai for it to work. If he didn’t love her, it wouldn’t be effective.

When looking at the hints about the relationship between Ai and her boyfriend, I often thought they must have had a good relationship at one point. I kept wondering if this person really bears full responsibility for Ai’s death. The idea of someone they once had a good relationship with turning into a stalker who kills them... even in a manga, it’s something I really don’t want to think about. I really hate it. But if the manga were to handle such a storyline, then it is what it is, regardless of my preferences. What the boyfriend character went through in his past is quite horrible and complicated, and my intuition, based on the bits and pieces I’ve seen, is that at least when they were together, Ai and he were two young people who relied on and supported each other. And that turned out to be correct. I liked how the character was portrayed in the movie arc, and there wasn’t any chance of it being depicted very differently. The idea of pushing this character, a psychopathic serial killer, off a cliff or punishing him harshly just didn’t seem to align with the established setup. Even though you might think he twisted into that kind of person because of some bad experiences, it didn’t seem like that was the direction this manga was taking. I wouldn’t have liked it if the character had been designed to be twisted that way because of bad experiences. It feels more consistent to see the character behave as they did in the past, which makes me believe it’s a well-written character. I had the sense that the story wouldn’t take the approach of having one character be absolutely evil and then punishing that character to neatly resolve everything. That doesn’t seem like a good story to me either. I don’t think the issues tied to the themes this manga deals with can be resolved in that way. The more I think about it, the more I feel like the content related to Kamiki is actually quite solid. I don’t want that character to be a bad guy. And it seems like he’s not?

The psychological depictions of the characters in this manga are very complex and well done. Because of this, I’m still not sure what to make of Nino. I think it’s fine to consider Ryosuke as an absolute evil since there’s nothing redeeming about him. Kamiki is out if he intended to scare Ai. But I feel like it was Nino who tried to scare her... When I consider the circumstances, it’s not impossible for Kamiki to have done it, but it feels too out of sync with his behavior. It’s very confusing.

I’m not sure how they’ll wrap up this “revenge,” but I think they might bring it to a social level regarding the responsibility for what happened to Ai? That’s why Aqua chose the medium of a “movie,” something that is “shown to the public”? Ai gave love to everyone, but it wasn’t properly received, right? So, there’s a desire to convey that correctly. And seeking understanding and respect for Ai as a personal individual? In that sense, I feel like Aqua’s revenge isn’t over yet. It feels incomplete as it stands. I think it’s not finished yet. Ah, regarding Kamiki, I think he’s been properly “avenged,” as he would be truly tormented by watching the video Ai left behind. However, I'm still unsure if this character truly deserves to be on the receiving end of such revenge... I plan to criticize properly once more of his actions are revealed. Every time I think about it, based on the reactions, it seems like he genuinely loved Ai, which is really evident. It makes me wonder if the author wrote it this way for a reason. Examining these details is truly fascinating about this manga.

So, I started thinking about what the core theme that ties this entire story together might be, and what the author really wants to convey through this story. I think we need to start with Ai's story. I believe Ai is extremely important to this narrative.

When I look at how this work portrays Ai, my impression is that she was written as a character with incredibly realistic psychological depth. She wasn't just a sensational character who was simply a very pretty girl who suddenly gets murdered to create shock value. In my view, Ai is one of the top three most well-written characters in this manga. She's a key person in this story, and I believe this character is the central figure that completely penetrates the entire narrative, even though she exits the story quite early, her influence is very strong.

I wish I could express my feelings properly... Ai feels like someone who could really exist... I talk about this a lot, right? To write a character like this, I think the author must have a lot of affection for her. Although I wouldn't dare say that I fully understand other people's feelings or possess a lot of information, I do think that Ai is a character who very well expresses the psychology of a young child with a difficult family background—a runaway teenager. But even with that experience, she didn't get trapped in it, and instead, as an individual, she made various choices and lived earnestly... and that's why I like her. Because that's how real people live. Strong, extraordinary, and yet ordinary—ordinary in a way that makes you realize how truly precious and extraordinary the ordinary can be.

But the story starts with Ai dying in such a horrific way, right? This makes me think about what the story is ultimately trying to say. However, this doesn't mean that Ai's life was a failure. Ai really lived her life to the fullest. In the end, she was probably happy, which makes her story even more heartbreaking... She was such a good person. If we're talking about her nature, Ai was definitely a "good person."

What I took away from this... is that it gave me an opportunity to once again reflect on the fact that even those who are considered shining stars are still just people. Personally, it also made me more interested in the subject of child abuse. I find myself drawn to related news articles... The early Akane episode, for instance, made me reflect once again on the issue of online harassment. No matter how this manga ends, I feel like it has had quite a positive impact on me, so I'm grateful for that. Perhaps what one takes away from this work depends entirely on how they interpret it... There are certainly some valuable psychological insights in this work. I'm definitely envious of the talent of the creators.

If you look at it broadly, I think the core message of this manga is something along these lines. Aqua's revenge and Ruby's dream will somehow be realized in their own ways, and I also think Kana's goal will be achieved in some manner (but then wouldn't that mean Kana can't end up with Aqua?;; It feels like this manga is trying to say that the feelings one has for a favorite person and the love one has for a romantic partner are different things. Judging by Hikaru's words, it seems like the story is saying that love without illusions about the other person is actually the more genuine kind of love... But more than that, I think the point to focus on when watching this work is something along these lines, based on how the story is unfolding. Even celebrities are just people... Ultimately, that's it.

I understand that some people might find this annoying at certain points. You might think, "I've never done anything like that. I've never contributed to those problems, and I've never treated celebrities poorly. Doesn't the saying 'those who wear the crown must bear its weight' apply here? If they wanted to be a celebrity, shouldn't they be prepared to handle some negative reactions?"—these are thoughts that might cross your mind.

I've also never been a fan of any celebrity myself... lol. I don't think I've ever done anything particularly wrong regarding the scandals or various issues that happen to celebrities.

But still, no one deserves to go through something like that... no matter who they are. Celebrities, because of the nature of their profession, often enter the industry at a very young age.

If I had to step in front of the public at that age, would I be able to handle it so well...? Just as everyone in their own life has their own burdens to bear, celebrities too have their own challenges, and it made me realize how difficult it must be to deal with public scrutiny...

In Ai's case, she had children at a young age, and there must be a lot of things people could say about that. When I first discovered this manga, I encountered that scene in a clip, where she says she will give birth without making it public, and it made me think a lot. But even in that scene, I didn't feel like Ai was a thoughtless character. If someone is going through such an experience, they must be the one who thinks the most about it. When I heard her say that the twins would make for a jolly and happy family because she didn't have one, I immediately thought that this character must have gone through something and found it difficult to judge her actions right away. Am I overthinking? lol. It felt like there was a lot going on in her mind beyond what she was saying. It’s easy to say, "I wouldn’t do that," but everyone has different experiences, different lives, and different personalities. Of course, there are things that are undeniably wrong, things that shouldn’t happen.

From what I felt, Ai has a layer of underlying psychology beneath the surface. She always has a smiling face, and I often draw her that way in fan art, but there’s likely a lot hidden beneath. I feel a bit sorry when drawing or creating fan works about her because I can’t touch on that depth—I can't depict it well because there's not much revealed. She might have been smiling and acting beautifully even in front of her own children. This nature might be a good expression of the traits of the entertainment industry. That’s probably why they call her a true idol. But there must be times when she wants to be honest, too, right? She might feel lonely and isolated. These are the kinds of thoughts I have when thinking about her character.

I’m writing all of this without much organization... Another thing, I sometimes feel that the story has metafictional or divine elements that could potentially tie the work together.

For instance, the introduction of the Tsukuyomi character, the starry eyes, the statement at the beginning that this story is fiction, the crow leading Ruby, the starry visuals scattered throughout.

I think using the "star" motif was a smart choice, because stars are literally "stars" in the sense of celebrities, and they might actually be stars or influenced by stars in some way. We also make wishes on stars, right? I can imagine that these elements might have been integrated into the story to bring a fantasy-like aspect to it. The lyrics of the songs strongly convey this atmosphere as well. So, I think these elements might be what ties the whole work together. The lyrics constantly talk about the stage, and the overarching stage for the story might be related to stars or gods. The more I examine it, the more things seem to appear.

But this isn’t something that’s very obvious. The foreshadowing is mostly in the dialogue, and there hasn’t been much that’s directly visible... If this is something important, I wish they would make it a bit more obvious. There’s a comment about how Ruby’s success feels as if she’s being helped by the gods, and there's also talk about Aqua’s soul being fractured and breaking. I think it’s worth paying attention to these elements, but I haven’t seen many people discussing this aspect. Of course, I don’t really read other people’s interpretations! When I get into a work, I dive deep and try not to let anything come between me and the story, so I tend not to read other people’s opinions while I’m fully immersed. And it’s a field that’s really hard to predict. It’s so far-fetched. But if they've been dropping hints like this, I feel like something should come out of it by now. It’s built up too much to just be a MacGuffin.

I like stories that feel like fairy tales, so I wouldn’t mind if the story takes that turn, depending on how it’s done... I don’t know if it will happen, but if it doesn’t, why are the lyrics like that? I’d like to see something that explains this before the story ends.

The starry eyes are important. There’s a kind of will in those "stars." There’s a "god" in this manga too. But will it be explained before the story ends...?

If they want to address it, I’m sure they’ll do it well! And if they don’t... Well, it’s all up to the creators.

Am I understanding this story correctly? Suddenly, I started to wonder, so I wrote down whatever came to mind.

If you can accurately grasp the individual characters' goals and the core theme that the work aims to convey, then following the story shouldn't be too difficult. It's always helpful to have a good understanding of those aspects, no matter what story you're watching. As for the motivations and objectives of the characters mentioned above, I believe they will all be achieved in one way or another (except for Nino's, since Ruby will surpass Ai... Now that I think about it, since their goals are opposites, there will likely be a clash between them).

LOL, but when it comes to plot development... Even though I've managed to predict the characters' psychology, I haven't been very successful in predicting the events themselves.

So, we'll just have to wait and see!

#oshi no ko #ai hoshino #oshi no ko spoilers #oshi no theories #spoilers #I actually did get quite a lot of things right(it IMMEDIATELY happened in the chapter that followed)#so point should.. stand.

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animereviewsbykyranskye · 1 year

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My current top 15 Anime and why

Because why the fuck not. I'm doing top 15 so that I have some variety behind it. Otherwise I would just be gushing non stop XD

Apparently numbers go big now - AND THEY GO SMALLER IF YOU TRY TO TYPE IN THE SAME LINE AS THEM???

comparison:

15 -

DA HECK????

(Edit: I was going to colour all the numbers because I wanted a rainbow. WHY THE FUCK FOR THEY CHANGE TO SMALL WHEN YOU COLOUR THEM??????)

Guess the titles of the anime get a small heading. Anyways. Onto the actual list!

Technoroid OVERMIND

Ayo. Starting out with a really random one. So if anyone were to look at my Anilist then they might be a bit confused. I decided I'd keep movies out of here as well as anything I haven't specifically finished. Also takt op. Destiny needs a re evaluation.

Anyways. This premise is so sick and I feel like they managed it really well. The characters were all really fun and the music was fantastic which is honestly the most important thing about Idol shows. I really like idol shows but often struggle with the stupid drama in them that just leads to seasons upon seasons that didn't need to happen or wouldn't actually happen.

In this they're just androids. The fantasy twist works so well for the genre and I honestly don't know why it isn't done more often. This way they can bullshit the drama and it actually makes sense.

Honestly my favourite character was Kite. He was great and his voice always gave me shivers. Especially his piece in the closing. Damn.

I don't want to go into full reviews with this, rather just gushing about things I like and stuff. I really don't think this got the recognition it deserves - probably because of it's deviation from the norm - but it would be cool to get some sort of sequel.

(Edit: There's a manga releasing apparently. Imma check that out.)

UniteUp!

Continuing on with the trend of idol animes apparently. UniteUp! was so good. As I mentioned in my Reviews while I watch of the show, it felt so grounded and real that other idol shows just don't seem to capture. These were all real people with real problems dealing with real life.

I also like how we had such a large cast of characters but it never really felt overwhelming as they focused on group dynamics and specific individuals rather than trying to cram every single person into their own arcs.

Once again the music was fantastic and by god was this show pretty gay. Honestly I don't know what the sentiments of others are, but the Anela duo definitely weren't straight and neither were Akira and Daiki. That bath scene says it all.

Anyways. If you want a fun time with a really solid idol anime, please check it out. I saw earlier that we're getting a season two soon. I am so looking forward to it.

Trigun Stampede

Damn! I don't even know what to really say about this one. The visuals are absolutely stunning - there is no doubt about that. The score and the characters are excellent. And how dare they leave us on that cliff hanger.

I have absolutely no history with this story and still need to watch and read the originally but I am really looking forward to seeing how the story adapts between the three.

You can ask my partner. I've already said we're watching everything trigun related as soon as we are done with our current show.

I'm really looking forward to season two. And especially seeing how this all pans out. Apparently there will be tears according to the fandom. Concern.

Re-main

Damn this show came out of nowhere for me. I watched it quite awhile ago and have been meaning to rewatch it again.

The premise is definitely a sports anime but honestly so different. All because of one thing. The fact that he is an amnesiac is such a fascinating concept to work with - especially with how he was before (trying not to spoil - can't remember when this comes up in the anime)

And then the ending?? Damn. They seriously set up that cliff hanger and I really hope this show gets a sequel.

I really can't say too much about it without giving away some spoilers but damn does it change up the formula and do it so fucking well.

Given

Given is great. Such a pure but heartbreaking portrayal of love on one side with such conflicting but also nurturing views on the other. Having the different realtionships throughout this is really well done how they all bounce off of each other. Especially when they entertwine it with the music.

As it is said. That is how they communicate - through the music.

I'm busy catching up with the manga and really hope the anime continues with it.

Also the fucking is just fucking gorgeous. It has no write to hit you that hard.

Also - something else that shouldn't be allowed to hit you that hard. Damn Mafuyu has had a difficult past. We love how he learns to heal and grow with Uenoyama at his side.

Anyways, moving on.

Bakuten!!

Okay. Who said a sports anime could be this pretty.

I love the art style and the music throughout all of this. I love the portayal and the evolution of these character - seriously all their arcs are great. The interactions of the team is so tangible and real.

I watch a lot of sports anime and I often struggle with some of the drama used within the sports - it feels like the only thing that ever fuels the story is the matches. Whereas in Bakuten - the character seriously fuel the story. You can understand their motivations much more than just - I want to play this sport and be the best!

I also feel like they really captured everything really well in the movie. The whole concept of wanting to sore is great and really well executed.

I also love the interactions they have with the other team. It's not just a once off competition or practice match that they face each other. We actually get tangible characters for the whole team and see how much they two teams are similar to one another. It's a very healthy rivalry that isn't normally this expanded on in sports anime.

Sasaki and Miyano

Yesssssss. These two are just absolutely amazing. Their whole story arc and relationship is just tooth rottingly sweet. They bounce off of each other so well.

And I love the fact of how slow the actual story is. They meet at the start of Miyanos first year (from what I know - I still need to read the novels) and sasaki's second and they only end up confessing just before graduation happens. It really plays out well and is so healthy.

There is no problematic elements like in so many BL stories which is such a breath of fresh air. And the fact that sasaki is very specific about making sure to maintain boundaries to ensure that miyano is comfortable is also excellent.

On a slightly different note - I still need to see the Hirano and Kagiura movie. Been dying to watch it. I've been keeping up to date with both manga and both of these stories are amazing. I love the dichotomy of the two stories and how they are coming to their own realisations of their feelings in honestly very different ways.

I also recently watched the dub of the anime due to some videos on tiktok. Fucking hell it is absolutely hilarious. Kellen Goff as Sasaki has no reason for being that good. Seriously. Damn.

Link Click

On a completely different note. Damn this one makes you questions your own morals and reality as you know it.

I really don't want to get into this one much as I do believe watching it blind is the best way to go.

The art style is fantastic and that opening hits like a truck it is so good. The characters just click (pun not intended) and you just understand their motivations and don't know which side to side with most of the time. It brings about such high moral dilemmas that will seriously mess with your brain sometimes and there is one episode that will likely make you cry.

Anyways. Season 2 has just started airing and I am so ready for it.

Buddy Daddies

Why did a show about two queer platonic dudes who adopt a child while beings assassins hit so damn hard.

The show jumps between episodes with backstory and episodes with them just being good dads and it is balanced so well. This anime won't end up getting a sequel most likely with how it ended but damn I wouldn't say no to one.

Rei is my favourite character and I relate to him far too much. His interactions with the world are so fascinating and his whole arc with Miri is honestly some of the best media I've seen.

I absolutely loved watching this show weekly and it always brightened up my day when I realised a new episode would be up.

If you would like further thoughts on this one then check the Reviews while I watch on it for more chaos.

No Game No Life

So. This was the first ever anime that I ever watched. It was a random recomendation from a friend. Look at where we are today.

This show is honestly just so fun. The characters are silly and the whole plot is just absolute chaos. I really enjoy the games aspect and how it was all incorporated into the world.

I can't even really say much about it. It is just a guilty pleasure of mine and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also. Please can it just get a second season already.

Assassination Classroom

So. Unlike everything else on the list - this one I only finished really recently. My partner and I were watching it together. And to put it out there straight away. I cried. That ending was far too emotional.

I really enjoyed the humour throughout the whole thing as well as the constant underlying dread of the whole situation.

They also really played out Koro-senseis backstory really well. The teasing to it was excellent. I must say though that one of the twists seriously came out of left field. Like damn.

I've just recently bought the boxset and am reading through the manga. Once again. It's absolutely amazing.

Also the openings of them all jumping are absolutely fucking hilarious and you can't tell me otherwise.

If you want to know what officially sold me on the show was just in the first episode. (Note we watched in dub)

Don't ask me why but I found this to be the most hilarious thing ever. The absurdity and the line delivery was magnificent. I annoy my partner by quoting it atleast once a day.

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

Speaking of comedies. This show has no right to be this good. The absudist dead pan comedy in the middle of whats meant to be a TV show is such a random premise but just works so well.

Due to the nature of the show, the characters are extremely relateable. I especially love Kumatani and Kikaku.

If your on the same side of anime tiktok that I am then you have definitely seen/heard snippets of the dub.

I think this was the first anime that I originally watched in sub and then tried it in dub and actually enjoyed it. (I often find that whatever I originally watched it in is the only one I can watch it in - it's very difficult for me to change it)

The voice acting on both sides just works perfectly for the show. And that final episode and how they did it was the best thing ever.

Please just give it a try.

Angel Beats

Okay. Time for a hard hitter. This comedy like assassintaion classroom is fucking excellent but will make you cry, like damn.

In complete and utter contrast to No game no life, this was the second anime I had ever watched. I had found a video that gave some suggestions and thought I would give this one a try. When I say it destoryed me, I mean it literally. I constantly think about the end of this and I absolutely love revisiting it.

The twist and turns along the way are fascinating and I love how each one alters the characters and the narrative. Each of the characters feel unique - even the lesser developed side characters - with fascinating and complex backstories.

The whole thing just makes you question your own place in life.

Moriarty the Patriot

Another one I just randomly tried because I saw a video on tiktok. The first episode immediately pulled me in. I thought it was just going to be some simple detective story (At the time I didn't know much about Sherlock Holmes and who Moriaty was so I didn't have any of that to guide me into this story.) But nope.

I keep saying this but in this one I really mean it. The characters are built so well. The dichotomy between William and Sherlock - as the fandom would probably agree - is just amazing. How they bounce off of each other - i don't even know how to really descirbe it.

Honestly just go watch it.

And if you enjoyed the anime - please go check out the manga too. If the anime was done well - then the manga is done to lamost perfection.

This show was what got me into reading and then eventually buying manga. I now have every single one that is out.

Yuri!!! on ICE

Did I make the title gay? Yes.

Okayyyyy. This is just going to be me going on about how much I love this show. Bare with me.

So I was in an anime watching slump just before I picked up this show. I had been seeing some videos popping up talking about it and decided to give it a try (this was in 2020)

I immediately fell in love with this show. Literally everything about it. I ended up rewatching it three times over the course of a week. It got to a point where I was so upset that there wasn't more content for it that I just cried for half a day. (Ask my partner - it was chaos)

This show is the reason I now read fanfiction - all because I found a way to technically have more content for it.

This show holds such an important place in my heart that I sincerely cannot express it properly.

If you've never watched it - go give it a try. It would mean a lot - and hopefully one day we might get a season two.

----

Thanks for reading, if you managed to get to this point. I find it interesting how my explanations managed to slowly get shorter throughout the list as I just started becoming more emotional than factual.

I hope you enjoyed it and maybe grabbed a recommendation or two. If you'd like to know more or hear me ramble on more about anything in particular then please let me know.

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thelovelybitten · 9 months

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more loonatics headcanons / shenanigans...

i've been on such a binge watch of lu that I just need to post abt it okay leave me alone

BUT I'VE NOTICED THINGS !!! (this is s2 ep4) !! you kind of get an insight of what they all like to do and things they enjoy with these bedroom stills.

ACE:

obviously: likes carrots, cute lil bunny.

HIS LIL DOORMAT DJSNGJSDNJK

i couldn't zoom in enough to see what's on his monitor but you know he likes to watch shows before bed. relatable content.

the fact he's got two side tables as well gives me eating in his bed vibes but also he'd be clean abt it. i also think he'd be a big comic book reader. not sure what, but he would be. I'll let y'all decide.

speaking on that, there's a shelf with books on the far right so yeah. i think he'd also read manga bc of his anime complex. he may also keep some sort of CDs ? maybe vinyls ???

i know this man keeps katanas and a dartboard in his room.

he's a snowboarder !!!! THAT'S SO COOL. he must be a god bc this man is AGILE.

he's got a skyline view PHEWWWWW rich ass mf

also. an aquarium on his right (our left) which is so fun I wonder what kinds of marine life they'd keep!!!

I'm also not sure what the compartment behind his head is for but I think its a closed-off bookshelf or space for his knick-knacks. i also see a fireplace too but idk how logical that is lol

LEXI:

NOW WHY SHE SLEEPING IN A HAMMOCK WHEN THE GIRLIE COULD HAVE A QUEEN SIZED BED ??? she's quirky like that ig. whatever makes her comfy. (I know she'd upgrade, I just know. just bc she can sleep anywhere doesn't mean she's always comfortable.)

a phone/pager by her bed is so real

THE WALLPAPER IS BEACHY IT'S SO CUTE

she's a SKIIER AND A SURFER. WHAT CAN'T SHE DO. (seasickness who)

cabinet obvi for storage, idk why she'd have anything important in there besides old childhood items it's so high up???

lower shelves are for books and things maybe. or video games.

AND DO YOU SEE THE AQUARIUM ??? THIS CONFIRMS THAT LEXI AND ACE HAVE NEIGHBOURING BEDROOMS AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND. there has to be some type of barrier/wall between the two tanks for privacy reasons but I'M DEAD GNFDGNDJKFNJDFNKHK MY BABIES

opposing skyline views so iconic... i know she takes mad insta pictures (or duck takes them) to get good sunset shots

i believe the items on the table are her laptop, a makeup bag andddd maybe a clutch purse? just a guess bc they're so tiny.

laptop makes sense. it'd be hard but she could still try to get an education on the side??? lots of work for a girl but she's a boss like that.

makeup for obvious reasons

clutch purse for nights out

SLAM:

THE WAY I'D BE SO SCARED FOR THAT WEIGHT TO DROP ON MY HEAD. SLAM IS A TROOPER WTF

I remember sumth abt that cylinder thingy on the left but I can't remember what it's for yet. will update when the ep comes.

MANS IS AN INTELLECTUAL !! those are all comic books (like ace, they bond) and language workbooks.

the poster of pizza is SO REAL OF HIM

there's a teeny tiny chute beside his door and I wonder what it's for. maybe it's a scanner? idk

light above his head is also...a choice.

i'd like to think that the things at the end of his bed are air purifiers and that slam has some sort of breathing issue when he goes to sleep. maybe he grinds his jaw or is a mouth breather;;;

computer for gaming tings and other endeavours

A WHOLE ASS TREADMILL YEAH BUDDY U STAY IN SHAPE.

i know this man doesn't have a WHOLE ASS DRUMSTICK IN HIS BED. but makes sense. he totally eats in bed BUT IS MESSY ABT IT. duck and lexi HATE IT IT'S NASTY HAHAH they ask him to switch his sheets and vacuum almost everyday

DUCK:

THIS MAN IS SO CONCEITED I CAN'T Y'ALL.

but like ace, he also has a tv by his bed I know he and lexi would watch romcoms together

K-DRAMAS???? SPECIFICALLY SINGLES INFERNO (only bc s3 just came out, it's on the brain) duck just boasts abt how he's better looking than all of the other males while lexi is very much about the relationships/drama

his little peek-a-boo window behind his head is so cute :"))))

I have no god damn clue what that thing is beside him on the left but I'm sure it's important

but he wears headphones to sleep !!! must need white noise or rain to sleep

control panel for his lights and other digitally controlled shit in his room

THIS MAN HAS SO MANY MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT HIMSELF AND THE LOONATICS (but only bc he is in them, thank yew) I also think he'd carry a lot of fashion magazines too. things that are in. the second a fad ends he's done w it

I'm assuming this is an arcade game setup, but i think he'd love Mario kart :) him and tech love to battle on this but move it to the main room bc duck thinks tech is cheating bc "the screen is two small".

i know this man would sleep with mf silk sheets and a fleece comforter he's a bougie bitch

computer for obvious reasons

REV:

i had to include all four shots bc he is a sleepwalker/runner LOOK AT HOW CUTE HE IS ;U;

it looks like he sleeps in a casket-like bed (hence, the lid is open top centre) I believe he only has this open when he's awake so idk who forgot to close it. it needs to be closed so that when rev does actually get up and sleepwalks, he's contained. the last thing the loonatics want to wake up to is the house completely trashed bc rev had a dream he was running from something. so casket bed it was.

that's also why. he doesn't sleep with sheets. if he trips and falls oh lord. therefore he wears super warm pjs in the winter to not freeze to death

he's got a ton of books, rightfully so, I think he and tech would share this bookcase because it would have different manuals, blueprints and miscellaneous mechanical guides. robot guides. that too. i also think rev would be that person who re-reads his childhood books over and over again and not get sick of them ever

there is also a treadmill in this room I just know it

a tv as well. idk where, but I hc it's there.

TECH:

thanks for giving me nothing to work with here

I kind looked forward into the ep and there's a smidge of the bedroom in a frame but idk what the other shit could be

but I know his room is very clean. it's SPOTLESS. everything is organized and well put together.

I'm going to ignore the fact he suckles his thumb bc this man is 24 years old BYE

there's a whole bunch of ai robots in there to do anything he wants.

he is also the other loonatic who has their own bathroom. he only got it bc he won the straw draw. well, ace won technically, but gave it to tech bc he was the oldest and would keep it in the best shape. duck still hasn't forgiven him for it.

he shares it with lexi since she's the only lady in the house :) ain't no way she shares with the boys.

the others share the other bathroom. one more gets installed later but the other four are SOL

tech also has a nice walk-in closet

he needs to take melatonin b4 bed bc this man is noctournal

has drones scattered on shelves, ones he's built and ones he's collected from professors and other inventors

AAAAND THAT'S IT. THANKS FOR COMING TO ANOTHER TED TALK LOL I'MMA GO FINISH S2 XOXO

#faves: lu #loonatics unleashed #viv speaks #looney tunes #loonatics headcanons #nah i popped off #i love my kids to BITS IDC.#i have so many more hcs AAAAAA #my brain is a wormhole of knowledge #i hate hyperfixating on things but i love them at the same time lol #anywayyyys i'll be back most likely haha #xoxoxo

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alonelystargazer · 15 days

Note

13, 19, 26 for the anime ask game 🫶🏻

Hi jinx! Thanks for the ask! :)

13. Funniest anime you have watched?

I think that would be Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan! It's about this 30 y.o. guy who works on a kids show and talks about how it sucks being an adult and he is so blunt about it.

19. Favorite anime ships?

JJK: ItaFushi (Itadori Yuuji/Fushiguro Megumi) and HaiNana (Haibara Yuu/Nanami Kento)

Spy x Family: TwiYor (Loid Forger/Yor Forger)

JJBA: JolyMes (Jolyne Cujoh/Hermes Costello) and JotaKak (Lujo Jotaro/Kakyoin Noriaki)

Cherry Magic!: KuroDachi (Kurosawa Yuichi/Adachi Kiyoshi)

Buddy Daddies: KazuRei (Kurusu Kazuki/Suwa Rei) (I go back on forth with them whether I see them as a qpr or romantic couple)

I did watch Attack on Titan a while ago but never finished it, but I did kinda like Erwin/Levi (idk the ship name for it)

There are other ships from these series and other series that I like but I'm just a casual enjoyer of them. Like Senshi/Chilchuk from Dungeon Meshi, for example. I'm also not including ships from manga that don't have a current anime adaptation since the question is about anime ships.

I don't wanna make this post too long, so I won't go into detail about why I like these ships, but maybe in another post if anyone is interested!

26. Manga you have read all the way through?

I'm gonna be honest, the only manga I've read all the way through are Jujutsu Kaisen and Kagurabachi. I caught up with JJK before season 2 of the anime came out and I instantly fell in love with Choso. And I've been hooked on Kagurabachi for months now and I read the new chapter every week, and I've been mildly successful in getting some of my online friends to read it!

I'm currently reading several different manga, I'm just not caught up with them because I read really slow.

Send me anime asks!

#ask game #answered

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jinnaizaemon · 1 month

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Nintama Rantarou: Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudou! no Dan commentary

I've been wanting to write about this movie for a while because it was my entry point into the franchise, and since I've been neck deep into the script recently after translating it, I thought now is a good time. However, I wasn't sure how to articulate my post, and what direction to give it... So in the end, it looks like a collection of my own thoughts, mixed with some trivia, notes about the script and how I translated some things, in my best attempt at following the movie chronologically. I hope it doesn't come off as too messy and that it is at least a little bit of an interesting read to you. Let's begin under the read more! Beware of spoilers, and forgive my broken English.

(by all means, have a snack while reading)

A little background first of all: The first Nintama Rantarou movie came out in 1996. This one, Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudou! no Dan, came out 15 years later, in March 2011. And 13 years later, in December 2024, we will get the third movie in the franchise... the gaps are too long, I don't want to wait a decade between each movie >< More precisely, this movie came out in theaters on March 12 2011, that is to say one day after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11 2011 ; it resulted in promotional events related to the movie being cancelled, and in general theaters in Japan shortening screenings or closing entirely. As a consequence of this, the movie is a box-office failure, despite having extremely positive reviews.

The movie itself adapts the contents of volume 37 and 42 of the manga, which had already been animated in the 16th season of the anime series, making the movie a remake of sort, with movie-only original scenes, and an adaptation of the plot so that it includes every member of Ninjutsu Academy.

Personally, I only watched this movie recently at the recommendation of friends, and while I've felt a bit overwhelmed by the HUGE cast of characters, I've been charmed by the colorful palette, cheerful characters and positive, optimistic tone contrasting with the setting of the story - the Warring States period in Japan not being an obvious background for a fun children cartoon... It's a strange mix Nintama always does brilliantly and it's shown at its best in this movie I think, daring to show actual battlefields (as opposed to the usual dust clouds of the TV anime version) and wounded soldiers as explicitely as an anime for children can allow, while giving the spotlight to the Health Committee, most importantly to Rantarou as he finds his role and what he's best at in battle. The movie isn't about Tasogaredoki VS Oomagatoki, it actually opposes war and healing at many scales ; Tasogare Jinbei and Oomagatoki Magatoki's abusing villagers VS Ninjutsu Academy protecting them and giving them their freedom and independence, the great ninja Zatto covered in wounds and his mirror opposite clumsy Isaku the healer, and finally Rantarou who offers to heal (free of charge!) soldiers and let them go when the expectation at the time was that surrendering meant death. It's like, in an era poisoned by war and death, Ninjutsu Academy is a little pocket of optimism where children grow to make the future a little bit kinder, here shown most explicitely in the Health Committee and Isaku's good influence but not only ; and I found that surprisingly sweet. I also have an interest in historical settings and anime so... yeah, that movie left a good impression on me!

Anyways, now to follow the movie chronologically! Iza~

Opening scene

The movie opens with a flashback scene involving Zatto and Isaku, introducing the big themes of the movie I mentioned before. According to Amako Soubee, the original author of the manga Nintama Rantarou is adapted from, cloth was expensive at the time, hence the recurring use of flags, clothings, underwears, etc recycled as bandages.

Isaku is dressed as yamabushi, practicioners of shugendo, known for retreating to the mountains for ascetic practices, rituals, etc. In the context of nintama, the outfit permits to hide Isaku's affiliation, making him an enemy of no one, and signify a knowledge of herbs and medicine giving him credibility to care for the wounded.

if i had a nickel everytime i wrote on tumblr about yamabushi because of anime I'd have two nickels etc etc...

Ninjutsu Academy

The TV anime seems to go back and forth with this, sometimes showing background students in classrooms, sometimes showing very small classrooms (like how 1st year i-class and ro-class each have 4 known students, and they are sometimes the only ones in their classroom while sometimes there are more desks occupied by nameless mob characters), but the movie features a BUNCH of unknown, nameless students appearing in the back. It's probably an effort to give the school a feeling of greatness to fit the grand scale of the story, but it's a bit weird to see unfamiliar students especially in older years haha.

The 名物 meibutsu, or local specialty of Sonoda Village. It's a flower tha is never named, and despite showing up multiple times throughout the movie no big attention is brought to it, apart from it being mentioned that while it can be used as a painkiller, a wrong dose is poisonous. It finally gets a significant role at the very end, though, when it's used by Tasogaredoki to halt the Dokutake army. I think I could write a lot about the symbolism of this flower and how it relates to Isaku but it may border on crazy fan rambling so it'll be for another time. (maybe)

(They appear in numerous scenes taking place in Sonoda Village!)

Komatsuda was probably too busy thinking of his big brother, owner of a fan shop, to notice the pattern on the floor spelling へっぽこ heppoko, "useless", "incompetent".

When the ha-class is discussing the mixed-up homework, Chouji is shown growing asagao, Japanese morning glories. Because these flowers grow fast and easily, they are often used as teaching material in lower grades of elementary school where students have to care for them and report on their growth as homework.

In the same scene, while all of ha-class is laughing, only Shouzaemon and Kingo stay serious, Shouzaemon being well, Shouzaemon and Kingo being Kisanta's roommate.

Before the Headmaster enters, there's a sheet of paper on the floor with every student's name and the homework they received. If they got the right homework, it's marked with a O. Flipping and zooming on this frame reveals whose students got the wrong homework, and what the assignment they got was. Sadly, since the text is blurry I couldn't decipher everything, and putting the whole list will make this post even longer than it already is. But I can tell you that apart from Kisanta, Monjirou, Chouji, and the Rescue Team... Heita, Kyuusaku, Shirobei, Sakubei, Kazuma, Takamaru, Heisuke and Hachizaemon got the wrong homework too.

...Takamaru's summer homework was "crossdressing".

Kisanta Rescue Team's introduction scene has a LOT of interesting details, so I already dedicated a post for it.

Talk with Tegata Kessai

Tegata Kessai explains how he wants to get a 庇いの制札 kabai no seisatsu from Tasogaredoki's lord, which I translated as a "protection decree" for ease of reading, but it's actually a little bit different. In the words of Doi-sensei: "Don't burn, steal, and kill. Basically, a document prohibiting the army from committing violence." kabai means protecting or sheltering, while seisatsu refers to an edict publicly displayed on a wooden board in a specific place to make the public aware of a law in place in the area, a recent proclamation of the local lord or of the shogun, etc.

Danzou misunderstands kabai no seisatsu as kaba no keisatsu, literally "a hippo policeman" - I don't know if the average Muromachi child would be knowledgeable of animals in Sub-saharan Africa, though!

I think the people behind him are Maasai people, but I'm not very knowledgeable so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

In this post, under the read more, I wrote about the meaning of the words "Tasogaredoki" and "Oomagatoki".

Kousaka makes his only appearance ever in civil clothes in the next scene. I have to point it out. It's important., okay. By the way, badminton only became a thing in the 19th century. But feudal Japan already had a similar game called hanetsuki, which started as a game reserved for nobles, but grew in popularity during Muromachi and became a New Year tradition by Edo. He's not being anachronistic... just a little bit avant-garde.

Opening theme and to Sonoda Village

The noodles they are eating is a dish called kuzukiri, a popular, refreshing summer dessert from Kyoto, so it's a local snack for nintama. It's made by mixing kudzu starch with water, and once thickened, cut in the shape of noodles with the tool seen above. It's then served with black sugar syrup traditionally, and with a variety of others toppings in modern times.

Given Sanjirou, Isuke and Heidayuu's reactions, looks like there wasn't enough for everyone.

What I translated as "hand", as in a manual worker, is 夫丸 bumaru in the original script, and is a word specific to Muromachi-Edo. The bu part means male and maru is a suffix for names used at the time for children (like Kirimaru!) or lower-class workers. Shinbei explains that they are "the people carrying supplies to the battlefield", which is true, but it seems that the word refers to lower classes laborers in a more general way.

When Kirimaru explains how he traded his lunchbox for a bunch of things until he got the Oomagatoki hands' uniform, Rantarou tells him it's just like Warashibe chouja, or the Straw Millionaire story. It's a folktale that became popular during the Muromachi period, about a poor man who starts by trading a piece of straw, and after a series of trades, meets with a rich man who offers him his daughter in marriage, making the poor man a millionaire.

Rantarou misreads the tag as "Size rerere" because the roman letter L looks like the katakana character レ, which is read re. So レレレ is read rerere.

When Kirimaru first tries to carry Shinbei on his shoulders, they both talk in a very theatrical, over the top way, and wear red make-up. You can also hear a nohkan flute, hyoushigi wood clappers and tsuzumi drum in the background. This is all typical of Kabuki theater.

Just a cute detail, but Rikichi was carrying Shouzaemon on his back in this scene.

Okay.. that's a very poor attempt at adapting Rikichi's joke, I hope we find something better by the time we release it publicly hahaha. In the original script he says 斯く斯く然々kakukaku shikajika, which simply means "this and that", "such and such"... while holding a puppet of the bishop shogi piece, called kakugyou or kaku for short, and a puppet of a deer, or shika in japanese. So the joke is that as he says kakukaku shikajika, he shows a kaku and a shika... hm...

Lord Oomagatoki, in hiding, wears a raccoon dog mask to conceal his face. Raccoon dogs with the ability to shapeshift to conceal their true identity and play tricks on others are a common motif in japanese folktales and they are known as bakedanuki. They are usually portrayed as goofy and fun characters, with um, large testicles reminiscent of Oomagatoki's chin under the mask lol.

Zatto turns his head to listen to lord Tasogare from his right side, since he's deaf in his left ear.

Sonoda Village

Everyone is here! This is the part where you point in excitement at your fave getting two seconds of screentime.

Chouji is shown with the 震天雷 shintenrai, or thunder crash bomb, which will play a big role later in the story.

There are a few words used related to Ninjutsu Academy's whole defense tactic that are a bit specific, either to warfare or to the period, which I swapped for ease of reading. For example, 逆茂木 sakamogi is "abatis", as in a fortification made from stacking wood. I left it as simply "barrier" for ease of reading.

The rabbit design of the telescope is explained in the manga and TV anime, but not in the movie. According to Shousei-san, it's a common motif on telescopes, but when I tried to find pictures of real telescopes with a similar design I only found Nintama Rantarou related webpages. So. Okay stay with me this is a little look into how tricky nintama can be to translate sometimes hahaha... The design is a pun based on the 12 animals of the zodiac, ordered like this: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. If you count ten animals starting from the rabbit, you end up with rat. Rat in japanese is nezumi, or "ne" for short. "tenth is rat" is 10番目がね juubanme ga ne, which you can also read as 十目がね toome ga ne, which is itself an homonym of 遠眼鏡 toomegane, "telescope". ...Phew!!!

When the Explosives Committee destroys the bridges leading to the village, Takamaru and Saburouji, being newer additions to the committee, have to cover their ears while Doi and Heisuke are okay.

While most soldiers in the Tasogaredoki army simply wear the skull kamon (emblem) of their lord, higher ranking members wear kabuto helmets with... interesting designs, like a crab, squid, or a banana design. In the Muromachi period, when the tanegashima matchlocks were introduced, armors had to be redesigned to become thicker and bulletproof ; as their design evolved, so did the datemono, or crests on helmets. Initially U shaped, these crests got a number of designs, usually one's kamon or fortuitous animals like rabbits, dragonflies, etc. Yes, samurai walked around with cute rabbit ears. The country of moe, truly.

Here, Isuke and Shouzaemon call Hieta Happousai 冷えた発泡酒 Hieta Happoushu, hieta meaning cold and happoushu refering to an alcoholic drink similar to beer. Unless I find something better, it's Hieta Happousoda in the translation.

Look at how cute Hikoshirou dozing off is. Yes, that's all.

This scene puts a lot of focus on the two tins containing the leaves from Sonoda's local flower ; it can be used both as a painkiller or a poison depending on the dose. When Zatto enters the room, Fushikizou throws a bunch of stuff at him, including one of the tins. Just after, Fushikizou notices that Zatto took one of the tin with him... but doesn't seem to have told anyone about it. I guess that makes the first time Zatto and Fushikizou work together!

Tasogaredoki's assault

The tactic used by Ninjutsu Academy... well... Torawaka to defend the village against Tasogaredoki is very reminiscent of the battle of Waterloo, where Wellington's army was posted on a slope made muddy by bad weather, slowing down French troops.

The shintenrai, or thunder crash bomb, is just as Senzou explains in the movie: "Ordinary cannonballs don't explode on impact. But this thunder crash bomb has a timed fuse, and its shell itself explodes." It comes from China, and is one of the first bombs developed in history.

I love this scene so much... well, I already explained the reasons why above. But even though he's the titular character, Rantarou rarely gets the chance to shine like this, doesn't he? After this line, you can hear hyoushigi again, as Kirimaru and Shinbei cheer for Rantarou. This evokes Japanese theater again ; what they are doing is called kakegoe, shouts from the audience to encourage performers. When a kabuki play reaches its climax, when an actor does something really impressive, he will often strikes a pose and the story will stop for a moment just for the audience to shout such kakegoe.

I don't know if it's intentional, but there's a scene earlier in the movie where Tasogare Jinbei repeats multiple times "Nine for me, one for Magatoki-dono", referring to their respective share at dinner but obviously to the taxes taken from Sonoda Village, too. Yuki wasn't here to witness it, I think, but I find it ironic that she specifically goes "One for my lord" here as he hasn't realized yet his scheme has been found out.

Tasogaredoki ninja corps used the leaves taken from the Health Committee earlier to stop Dokutake.

Credits

It's more explicit in the manga but Monjirou is bonking his head because he's frustrated he didn't get to fight haha.

And Kisanta isn't the only one who completed his summer homework in the end, Isaku did too!!

Finishing with one last pic because Doi crying for Kisanta is just way too cute.

And now I think I'm done! There were so many things I wanted to mention, I know that the moment I press publish I'll realize I forgot something important... oh well!! That means I can write another post later. If you've read this far, thank you! I hope it wasn't too boring ^^ Now I can't wait until the next movie...!!! Tenki...!!

#nintama rantarou #meta #among other things

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rukimakino-heirofheart · 5 months

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🔥Puella Magi Madoka Magica

🔥Renaruki

🔥 MadoMagi:

The original anime was pretty mediocre and had a mediocre soundtrack. Its fatal flaw is that it tries to center itself around a single main character (Madoka Kaname herself) whose viewpoint we see the world through, but her characterization physically cannot get focus in this format in an anime, because you just don't get to see how deeply screwed up her worldview is if you never know what she's thinking. Consequently, you actively lose information by telling the story in a format other than a novel or VN. (Observant viewers may recognize this as the same ultimate problem behind why adapting FSN for the screen inherently requires getting more exposit-y about Shirou's deal.) Ultimately, I wholeheartedly recommend skipping the MadoMagi TV anime entirely; most of the best parts of the Puella Magi Series are elsewhere and don't expect familiarity with a disappointing TV anime. (The Different Story, Rebellion, and Wraith Arc escape this curse by not being Madoka-centric, instead focusing on more conventional protagonists in Kyouko and Homura.)

Rebellion was a perfectly fine ending in and of itself, and it doesn't need a sequel. The only reason I'm interested in Walpurgis no Kaiten's existence is that it seems to be going so far out of left field that I kind of have to entertain it and find out what the cook is.

Of the "classic" Puella Magi titles (pre-2017, i.e. before Magia Record), I'd rank them like this:

Puella Magi Tart Magica - Masugitsune

Puella Magi Oriko Magica - Kuroe Mura

Extended Puella Magi Madoka Magica Series - Gen Urobuchi (TV, Rebellion, Wraith Arc) & Masaki Hiramatsu (TDS) & Hanokage (Wraith Arc)

Puella Magi Suzune Magica - GAN

Puella Magi Kazumi Magica - Masaki Hiramatsu

Rankings of Tart and Oriko may be swapped depending on how I'm feeling that day.

This is not to say that Suzune and Kazumi are bad manga, but the former quite infamously ran into production troubles and the latter bit off way more than it could chew, and it shows. Kazumi has a lot of cool plot ideas and themes in play but reading it for the first time can feel like being subjected to a plot point firing squad. The original manga run of Suzune was good but not spectacular -- it didn't truly get to shine until the MagiReco crossover events started happening. (It has been 1200 days since the last Suzune event...)

MagiReco fans often describe Arc 2 as "when it gets good," and it's common to write off Arc 1 entirely as an extended prologue, however I do still maintain that Arc 1 is a good story on its own terms. You can feel the weight of the production issues (there's a very noticeable midpoint shift where a major rewrite happened) but it's still a perfectly fine and coherent story. Most of what the fandom writ large likes to call "flaws of Arc 1" are just, intentional foreshadowing.

When AniReco (the companion anime to MagiReco that tells a completely separate story)'s final batch of episodes originally came out that fateful April 3, I gave the production as a whole a massive side-eye (I distinctly remember logging on and asking a chatroom I was in "what is even happening?? Why is the anime Folklore of Zero propaganda all of the sudden?? Wait, Neo Dorothy Motherfucker???? Huh??????"), but I've since warmed up to it. It's its own thing, and you have to have its place in the series' cosmology and the showrunner's goals in writing it explained to you first before you start watching, and it makes some writing decisions I find to be questionable, but it did a remarkably good job for a series that was slashed from 39 episodes down to 25 halfway through.

Apparently this is a hot take now: I like Nagisa Momoe's actual backstory as detailed in MagiReco a hell of a lot better than "dumb idiot child wished for cheese instead of healing her ailing mother." The collected Nagisa cycle of MagiReco stories makes her arguably the single most interesting member of the Holy Quintet.

I want more Kyubey worldbuilding, goddammit! We know precious little -- the Incubators were created by an advanced alien civilization (local expert Touka Satomi, A1C9), and their tissue is analogous to stem cells and can be reconfigured on the fly (Kosane Kiriha, NMG) -- and I need to know more! What were the progenitors like? Did they wipe themselves out? Actually, now that I think about it, are Incubators like Touhou's shikigami where you take fleshy hardware and flash it with your own artificial intelligence? We know a human can control one (Madoka uses LoC-branded pink Incubators for surveillance purposes) and we know a human can have their soul shoved into one losslessly (mokyu!), so like, what are the limitations here? Hell, the Pleiades made their own once! It sucked at its job, but it existed! How did they do that? Tell meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I think that even in the absence of the Automatic Purification System, being a magical girl is just kind of objectively better than being human. You get to opt out of mortality, you get private(-ish) telepathic communication for free, you get a shrunken hitbox -- no more worrying about workplace safety hazards as long as you protect the gem! -- you get a weirdly specific personal magic that varies in effectiveness from Konomi's baton pass to Iroha's localized time reversal, and even if you don't get something useful you still have a magical weapon that you can spawn on command. That's even before we get into the existence of Coordinators, and the logical applications of their Adjustment magic in gender-affirming care. To be quite honest, if Kyubey ever had reason to approach me, my wish would probably just straight-up be "immediately megucify every human who exists right now and every human who will ever exist in the future regardless of energy cost."

I'm scared of the new Magia Exedra mobage's existence because (1) it's very prominently advertised as being Quintet-centric and I'm sick and tired of the Quintet, and (2) there's a nonzero chance it will take resources away from Magia Record to focus instead on what seems, if the credits on the website are to be believed, to be a shitty autobattler. MagiReco is the best thing the Puella Magi Series has ever done and I want it to survive well past its tenth anniversary.

🔥 RenaRuki:

Okay, seriously, did the entire Tamers fandom collectively forget that, past a certain part of the D-Reaper arc, none of the Primary Colors are actually human anymore? Because it feels like I'm the only one who's acknowledging this, despite the fact that "Ruki, alienated from humanity, voluntarily gives it up, while Renamon, aligned with humanity, is a trans woman" seems like a pretty obvious thread to work with, and being turned into a digital life-form offers plenty of opportunities for neat body horror, not even to mention how this affects the ways in which Ruki's Candy timeline counterpart has steadily been getting worse for two decades.

[Side note: I really need better names for the "more canon" movie timeline that's relevant, essential and true, and the "less canon" drama CD timeline that isn't. If I keep calling them Meat and Candy I'm going to get weird looks from the non-Homestucks.]

I swear I had more observations I was going to put here but I got sidetracked. Might add on a reblog later.

#ask game #renaruki #digimon tamers

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buttercupshands · 4 months

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So... Ch 423 spoilers huh...?

Just read them... since, yeah, they just appeared and stuff

I... don't really have much to say other than.... I guess this is over? The battle, the arc... basically everything?

I'm... glad that it is, since it was really slow from all of the breaks, but at the same time it's... a little sad, or, actually, just... nothing

I think it's time to... reflect on... whatever happened in this arc or just in general, so... a personal story tie ig

I've been following mha for almost 5 years since I first watched and read it as my first "real" anime and have been following stuff ever since ch 240-241 came out and I caught up with manga, so it was pretty obvious what characters were the most interesting ones

Ever since the volumes became available to buy in 2019 I've been collecting them all up to the very recent ones and it was fun to do even if calculating how to buy them was a challenge for 'I just graduated high school' kind of person. But it was worth it every time with how LoV appeared basically in every single volume since they used 2-in-1 way of publishing so since LoV appears ever so briefly sometimes every 2 volumes it was a win-win situation

I took a break from buying them last year after the exams and stuff and after chapters of Toga's death came out I just took a break from mha in general, focusing more on other stuff like hsr, genshin or just my life while helping with stuff

I still followed the spoilers every week they came out just to see how Horikoshi wants to end the LoV story or at least how would Izuku fight Tomura in the end

And... it's the last chapter of that. After 2 years since the Final arc started and a year since Tomura actually started fighting Izuku inst

It feels right in a way, even if I'm a bit sad how... this is it? AFO just dropped info in ch 419 for it to be irrelevant in the end just for AFO to have control for 4 chapters and Tomura yelling to say that he's still alive in there

It was odd to actually read the spoilers one by one this time since I sometimes wake up too late so I just go through them quickly and that's it

I wondered halfway into the chapter that Tomura would just die soon but I didn't expect it to happen this chapter even more so at the end of it

It's... really is over now?

Defeating LoV was literally just finding a way for them to self-destruct instead of making Class 1-A be the ones who kill them showing that they're still good in the end. It's not like I'm complaining - it's the way I wanted them to be defeated because them staying alive in the end felt unfair, especially when fans were the ones who wanted it. Just leaving them in Tartarus for a way to say that Izuku can't save villains or changing the story so the LoV is left alone is not the way this manga would deal with it, I thought

And I was right in a way, even if it took Toga's monologue to actually be more sure that this is where it's going

It felt too much like how Twice's death was done - without any regret from him

Maybe it made me a bit... off from how other people wanted it to end with heroes "getting what they deserve" or something, but it would've stopped being MHA after something like that happened, especially in a final arc when all of the LoV (except maybe Compress who is not on the battlefield) is literally wearing death signs with Dabi being the most loud one with it - and we still haven't seen him have this "alright, goodbye" moment like Twice, Toga and Tomura now had

And I don't believe that Dabi will survive this arc - he's literally too far gone with his body less alive than before and with him living only to be angry at Endeavor I guess it's a matter of time we get a goodbye from him too

With how this chapter handled it it seems that Spinner might survive this arc after all, but again - it makes it all the more sad since Horikoshi did remind us that Tomura befriended Spinner, in a way making it... a bit sad that it means that Tomura didn't expect others to make it or at least since they were more focused on their own goals Spinner was caring more for Tomura's goal than for himself.

Which is... even more sad considering that Tomura literally tells Izuku to say that he was destroying until the end instead of telling how Tomura lost everything and couldn't do anything anymore even before dying from basically decaying from the quirk that AFO gave him

And that's... Not dissapointing, no. It just makes me sad that his arc ended like that after all those chapters ever since he debuted 10 years ago.

Is you want it to be correct, since Horikoshi based Tomura off his oneshot about Tenko - it's been 17 years since the concept of his character first gained form and only now he's gone

Like... really gone. Nothing else left.

You can probably tell that I didn't take it well even if I wanted this ending to be this way not the "everyone survives way", but it still hurts to see the character that clicked ever since first watching and reading MHA and the character who is basically responsible for me even trying to check first the anime then wiki and then manga just... dying like that

Granted Kurogiri was the one who showed up in the end and I'm just glad for this because ever since ch 419 came out and even before that I just hoped for it to matter in some way and it did

I remember reading some fics that dealt with this arc in a way that was satisfying for me, but I still crried a lot and I still am crying now from thinking that Horikoshi did in fact give LoV a break instead of leaving them in jail.

I do need a break tho. Not in a "I leave and no more sketches or anything from me", no

I need a break from this manga, thankfully next volume isn't close so I'm free to not buy it right after that, especially since it's Toga's volume and I'm not ready to read it again but this time as "read every volume" way

I also can't leave Ultra Impact since I suddenly became a leader for a club I was in alone after everyone left, it's now full with 30 people appearing from s7 starting ig, but it gave me some responsibility to support the new players who decided that a weird club which name I can't even change from what last leader called it, so I might continue playing just to, at least, have all or the LoV characters fully leveled up just for fun

But in a way a need a break from Tomura. I had one or two when it was becoming unberable with how manga was going and with how things are... yeah

I have some sketches ideas but other than that... it's a bit hard to touch something LoV related right now.

I also don't think that doing something like this again is a way I want to cope with what happened - it happened and I already have two different posts about both how depressing and hopeful ch 419 is, and in the end both were true.

Nothing changed what happened in ch 419, Tomura just decided to destroy AFO when the plot wanted with Izuku and OFA together which is definetely something that people made theories of

He didn't get time to get at least something before he's gone and whatever happened with Nana was happened off-screen so we might as well see it as Tomura dying with his life never meaning anything, never actually having any purpose and only by helping to destroy AFO did he do at least something that helped others and was his own choice, but was it? Did he ever have a choice at all?

As it is now and will be for the end for MHA Tenko Shimura or Tomura Shigaraki never really had a choice in anything he did, not in a "I didn't have a choice!!!" dramatic way of how Nana Shimura left Kotaro. No. He didn't have any choices to choose from to begin with.

But with how Kurogiri still wanted to protect Tomura and reminded him of his friends at least it's not just the first part of the post that was right, in the end last words that Tomura said were connected to LoV and what he wanted to do for them, not that AFO was to blame for everything which is true still, but that LoV, even as broken as it is, is still a priority in Tomura's head after all this time of having AFO's quirk twist his mind and anything Tomura said outside of that headspace should've been carefully checked since it could've been AFO who's talking

It's not the ending for Tomura that people were hoping he'll get nor is it something that everyone will agree on, I can feel people arguing from here even if I didn't check Twitter or tags here on Tumblr to be sure. I don't need to.

So... those are my thoughts, a bit emotional in some places a bit chaotic in other, since my head is a mess right now and this was a way to say "this is it... are you happy?" to myself and answering it.

And the answer is no. I'm not happy. This arc, Tomura's personal arc and the way Izuku "helped" Tomura is still some of the worst things, even if I'm glad that this is over and I'm not obligated by myself to wait every week nervous that Tomura would suffer, and he did suffer, a lot.

From how his only way of getting his memory back was to suffer again to the fact that he had to suffer to get rid of his hate that AFO so carefully nurtured for 16 years. It wasn't great, especially since I joined after MVA was over and nothing after that was good to LoV getting worse every chapter from Twice dying and Toga learning that she'll probably die too, to Tomura never actually meeting LoV again as himself after he got AFO's quirk basically making him oblivious to the fact that Dabi is Toya or that Spinner followed what AFO wanted just to be useful, that Toga gave away her blood to save Ochako or that Dabi burned himself to death probably and Mr. Compress compressing parts of his own body. And the only person he saw before talking to Izuku was Kurogiri who was literally melting away at that very moment.

It's... a bit unfair.

Yes, villains lose at the end since we're reading a manga even if the manga itself isn't sure if it wants to go "no this is REAL" or go the way every shonen goes with the main character getting what they want. LoV lost at the end just because the manga needed them to lose, even if the way it was shown wasn't disrespectful to their character arcs, all of them making sense in the end.

It's still unfair that their only choice was to die and in a way bring everyone with them if they can, it was the way Dabi almost did it, it was the way both Toga and Tomura did, only for their respective Heroes - Shouto (and Todoroki family as whole), Ochako and Izuku being saved from dying from something that would've worked ONLY there and then. While the villains are not in the My Villain Academia version of manga anymore, so they don't have a way to survive anything like they did in MVA. For Toga, Twice and Tomura it was the only way to survive, if they weren't the main characters of that arc they would've died.

So, in the end it's miracle that we even had that arc in the first place with how Horikoshi wasn't planning for the villains to become the sympathetic characters for the fans - they were supposed to be just scary, and it's clear when you read stuff before volume 23 comes with MVA - they were always just evil and scary without any hope for us to get something out of it. You may say that the chapter with Toga helping Twice and having Tomura talk to them after the conversation with Overhaul was the first sign of Horikoshi not just showing them as those evil villains, and in a way it's true.

Nothing from before that arc actually helped LoV aside from showing some poins of "Dabi might me Toya" or first points of AFO and Tomura talking face to face. In the end everything important was in Overhaul arc and MVA tightly connected to each other.

I'm glad that for the 5 years of my life I've been analysing LoV and took my time getting every volume, I'll still hold them dearly. But aside from couple of chapters at the end showing us what happened to others... it's really the end of it.

With how long this post is I don't expect for people to read everything, since it was mostly just me talking about the new chapter for an hour and a half, sharing my thoughts, feelings and... whatever else there might be.

Because it was important thing in my life for a long enough time that I would miss it.

I can talk for hours more and just loop around this topic, but this is long enough post and I'm tired, but thanks for reading

I'm happy that this is over

#important #not art #bnha #bnha manga spoilers #mha 423 #personal post #personal thoughts #shigaraki tomura #I debated on do I want to tag him or not #but it is heavily Tomura related #tenko shimura #toga himiko #it's related to her too #for the past months I've been thinking a lot #what do I think of MHA what do I think of LoV and what do I think about Horikoshi and his writing #I enjoy it in a way #Izuku is still a good hero and I'm glad that he got what he wanted - he's a main character #but it doesn't make it any less sad that LoV were just obstacles for him and his friends even if they were just as well written #they would've had a terrible life after this final arc so at least they chose not to go through it #and I did read couple of good canon divergence or coping with canon fics for me to be okay with this like... they're probebly in the bar no #I wanted to add a screenshot from Ultra Impact at the end but I didn't it wasn't fitting there but I did rearrange some stuff #*sigh*#thank you #edit: fun fact I was listening to Might+U for the last half of this post this track is horrible for making me cry even more

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silvertsundere · 3 months

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Silver Talks AniManga (07/07/24)

didn't post yesterday cause was busy all day (against my will) new season starting tho so that's fun, even if I'm not watching a ton this time around, also the end of this new serialization round I'm on vacation for the next couple weeks so hopefully I find the time to catch up/finish some stuff but I also got the ff14 expansion I want to play through so we'll see

green - new series/new to me

Anime

Plus-Sized Elf Ep1

I completely missed the announcement that this was gonna be a short anime so I was surprised when I saw the lenght was only 11 minutes, it's fine tho, it fits the manga and makes it more easily digestible. Anyway, that was alright, nothing too impressive and a lot of still panning shots as you'd expect from an adaptation like this. I was surprised by the full on uncensored tiddies tho. What really carries shows like this is the voice cast and Itou Ayasa did a solid job I think. Not expecting a lot out of this, but since it's short it should be a nice little appetizer before I watch Samurai on fridays

The Elusive Samurai Ep1

wow wow wow WOW Like what else can I say but that? I wasn't too hopeful for the anime from the pvs we saw before, they looked good, yes, but it felt like something was missing, to me. All those doubts are completely dispelled now however. Ep 1 was nothing short of incredible, like it's hard to even find the words to explain just how good it was, you gotta see it to understand. Everything was great. Both OP and ED had good visuals and songs. The OST and voices were great, and the animation was really solid too. There was a chance to have some sakuga during a certain scene, and they didn't do it, but it still looked good, if they keep that throughout the whole show then it should be fine. My favourite part was the colours tho, it looked beautiful and there were a lot of great shots like the ones below, among many others. It's just refreshing to see such creative use of colours, like some shots looked good enough to be in a movie adaptation instead of a TV anime

But anyway, I've been reading the manga since day 1 so it's crazy to see it get such a great adaptation. Matsui truly is built different. Me and my buddy mega were discussing were the anime is gonna end, since it's confirmed 12 episodes, and I'm fairly sure it's gonna be on chap 58 for various reasons. We'll see how the pacing for the new few eps goes tho, it may not get quite that farhard

Manga

Hima-Ten! Ch1

That was... ok. As I mentioned before I read the author's previous work as it came out years ago, and it was a ping pong series. I figured this was going to be sports based too, so I was surprised when they released the synopsis and I found out it was going to be a rom com. I'll start out by saying I'm not too big on romance stuff. Like I love Blue Box but it took a while for me to warm up to it and even then it lacks a lot of the issues I usually have with that kinda stuff.

Back to this series tho, my biggest complaint about chapter 1 was setting up this secondary girl (the black haired one in the pic below) and making it clear that the MC even has a crush on her, just for the main girl to show up and, obviously, win him over eventually. I mean the damn summary for the series on M+ ends with "Say hello to some company president girl x house-cleaner boy romantic comedy hijinks!", so there's not much room to wonder about what'll happen.

Other than that it was a nice chap 1. The art has improved so much that it's like a completely different artist (tho there's still some recognizable bits from his old stuff) and this new style is super cute, I actually really like it. The interactions between the mains were fun and the expressions were good too, it really is just that nagging point I have with it. We'll see how the next few chaps go I guess but not expecting much tbh

Dandadan Ch159

while this was inevitable and I knew it was a matter of time til it happened it really took me by surprise to see it happen now. Ofc I could see the build up in the few pages before it but still I don't remember if I've talked about this arc so far but it's been pretty cool, basically jumanji but instead of the game coming out they go inside the game. It's had a buncha cool ideas and the new chara with powers is a nice guy too

#silver talks animanga

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petrichoraline · 1 year

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EIGHT SHOWS TO GET TO KNOW ME

tagged by @littleragondin mwah🥰 these are not all my most fave but they all represent a bit of me so i find them suitable

W.I.T.C.H - now i'm not gonna pretend to be the biggest fan but this used to be THE show for me before WINX came along and i'll always pride myself on being a witch girlie first and winx girlie second (the "not like other girls" syndrome began very early on for me); their powers, the visuals, the adventures combined with the daily struggles of teen girls, the boyfriends, the intro song omg, there is sm about this show, the countless books, the og comic.. good stuff <3

also those two >>>

Lovely Complex - my first anime iirc, i wish people would pay attention to it (but also i'm the only one who's allowed to get it, y'know); only a young romantic towering over her classmates could have the chance of understanding my feelings for it

also read the manga <3 but uh you can skip the live action lol

Hana Yori Dango - broooo- bro. this show was made for my basic romantic ass, it was my first asian drama (or one of the first), it introduced me to Matsumoto Jun, had me hooked for two seasons (though im pretty sure i binged the second season and movie in 24 hours, long after i had watched the first season..? idk what that was about)

i am of the opinion f4 thailand did best in many ways but this will forever be THE adaptation in my heart. the songs were unmatched, the drama breathtaking (there are so many cliches that i didn't know were cliches back then lol) and the experience surreal. i'll always treasure this questionable classic 💖

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - i enjoy this an unreasonable amount - my country's edition, that is; i just like having it in the bg and being a smartass, sometimes i run my mouth off so confidently and proceed to apologise to the tv when the contestant turns out to have been right lol

Weekly Idol - hear me out on this - aside from all of its issues, the show has always been my way of finding more about groups. especially back in 2015, those low quality episodes on yt helped me so much with getting into kpop; it can be very hit-or-miss but i have so many faves; many artists have been on multiple episodes throughout the years and yet show something entertaining every time. you can find new groups to stan through the mixed episodes and learn more about the members of groups you're already interested in (though for that i also rec individual shows like gose, wanteez, monsta x-ray etc.). i'm especially excited for eunkwang and minjoo as the new hosts, they are so funny on their own and i want to see their dynamic so bad

Pride & Prejudice - i've watched this just once but i can't not appreciate the accuracy to the book (except for the iconic lake scene lmao) and it covers british tv, 90s shows, austen books and period dramas all at once - all things i enjoy

Bridgerton - i had a whole piece written bout this but simply put - season 2 and kathony were a Thing for me. got me researching and binging a bunch of jonathan shows, reading most of the book and a bunch of tumblr posts..even looking through gifs now im going feral, i love them

New Girl - i usually play shows like this in the bg but i found myself paying a lot of attention and actually losing it laughing so many times, also nick and schmidt are the most precious intense bromance i've witnessed in fiction

#i told you it was near finishing so long ago im sorry <33 thanks for your patience #this was one of the most fun tags EVER #and the best part is i can do it so many times like i actually held back on mentioning so many shows #no show on here shows my love for murder mysteries though sigh #i want to see everyone's takes on this one so either do it or send me a link if youve done it pleasee #ppg

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anticidic · 2 months

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What are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media ever (can be anime/manga, tv series, books, movies, etc)? Why love them? Thanks ⭐

P.s

I've seen that ask a few times, and compare to other people, I think you have read the most books from the authors of BSD (that is so cool). As someone who grew up reading classic books and then got into anime/manga, I don't find many people in animanga fandom who also love reading books, so glad to find your blog. When you said, you've read from all Guild members, I got excited on my own (sorry).

I really love reading. 😅 I had to do a lot of analyses back in school on books like Of Mice and Men, Great Expectations, The Great Gatsby, and some of Shakespeare's works and it kinda just opened the floodgates to me enjoying all kinds of classics. Poe and Lovecraft were some of my favorite authors because I was really drawn to gothic horror and the cosmic elements of Lovecraft's works. I was also obsessed with horror for a hot minute and Stephen King still holds a place in my heart.

I legitimately got into bsd because of my love for books. Characters as real life authors with abilities named after their works? Sounds cool, I'm in! And I've been here ever since. It pushed me to read works beyond American/European authors. I just think some of the parallels are super neat, like the Nathaniel vs Akutagawa "Diablo" bit, and Dazai's frequent mentions of Dostoevsky in his works.

1. Bungo Stray Dogs

Self-explanatory, I think, after what I said above. I like the literary parallels and the foundation of the world is really neat to get into and think about.

2. Good Omens (show)

Angel/demon motifs? Hell yeah. I love religious themes in works, and I like the balance Good Omens strikes with that and its comedic aspects.

3. Scrubs

This is mostly from a comfort angle. Some of it is like black comedy? with the bleak jokes that are made in relation to medicine.

4. Haikyuu!!

I didn't think sports anime could get a grip on me, but here we are. I just kinda fell out of my hyperfixation with it a few years ago, but I still come back to it every once in a while. Really good character development, some legitimately tense moments in some of the matches like all the Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai, and I liked the Karasuno vs Inarizaki arcs the most.

5. Tokyo Ghoul

I actually completely forgot about how much I loved this series, which is both weird and concerning, but ANYWAY. It had really neat world-building and set a good precedence for an interesting narrative in Kaneki, but I think the ending is what eventually turned me away. Leading up to the first part of :re was a treat. Just a shame what happened to it.

6. Seraph of the End

Another old hyperfixation but still holds a place in my heart. I haven't read it in a HOT minute, I think I stopped catching up with what was going on a few years ago. But this also had a really interesting premise and the idea that kids were immune to the thing that wiped out most of the population was pretty cool. I liked the relationship between Mikaela and Yuichirou especially when they were on opposite sides of the war and Mikaela having to grapple with being a vampire and not wanting to feed on people.

7. Supernatural

Came for the story, stayed for the memes. Another old favorite of mine that I sometimes go back to now and then just because it's neat. The supernatural elements and, again, religious themes drew me in. A lot of the ideas I've gotten for plots I used in writing came from watching this. 👀 Paranormal themes is something I like exploring a lot and I still haven't gotten tired of it.

I was asked about favorite books before, so I decided not to include any of them. Thanks for the ask, anon!! ✨

#asks #cloaked

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weirdcat1213 · 2 months

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Hi....If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 7 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc) and your top 7 favorite (fictional) characters from any media? Why do you love them all? Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

Hello :D

omg i get to yell about things I like, exciting!

first im going to go with my top 7 in no special order cuz I would never be able to decide

Trigun (98, manga and stampede): I've talked WAY to much about this one but holy shit has impacted my life. The story, the characters, the pain THE SWEET SWEET PAIN MY GOD. It just mixes a lot of tropes/themes I really like. And we have 3 versions of it! How cool is that?

Steven Universe: again another classic. Discovered the show when I was young and it just grabbed my soul. Very formative and influential while I was growing up. So soft and p a i n f u l l as all thins should be :3. Plus the music is a banger. Like to this day ik songs from it. Favorite one is change btw.

Legend series (book series): no one paid attention to this series because it came out the same time as divergent and hunger games and other big titles. But I was! And it's still one of the best book series I've ever read. It totally has the 2013-2015 vibes (except for the latest one in the series, rebel) but it's....honest. not only because all the struggles in the book are real but also because the author really believes in her characters. She created them but also let them become people. Plus the writing is amazing and her description of specific moments and emotions UGH I have a huge post about it because of how cool it is. I still remember opening the first book and getting SLAPPED by the first line. Yes it's that good.

Signalis: newish game :D saw lesbians, saw violence and I was on board but I never thought the game would make me think and stare at the wall that much. So far I've played it 5 times and going for a 6th. It's so abstract and no one can decide on what's true or not but that's part of its beauty. Really clever and interesting game. Nothing is real, only lesbians with guns.

Our Flag Means Death: cool show that was about queer NOT IN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS??? IN THIS ECONOMY??? AND NOT ABOUT AIDS (sorry pose I still love you). Of course it won me over because of the queerness but also the characters themselves. It was nice to see myself in a lot of them, personality and racially wise. The fun gay pirates came to my house, destroyed my life and also gave me life. Easy as that.

Pose fx: don't like the main writer of the show too much but the rest of them ATE WITH THIS. A story about black queer woman PORTRAYED BY BLACK QUEER WOMEN. It deals with the aids crisis through the lenses of trans women and gay men but the thing in that show that blew me away was the love for femininity and the community they created around it. They actually took their abandoned and traumatized selves and became someone. They formed families that actual give support and I'm a sucker for found family. I've cried many times because I wanted Blanca to adopt me. 10/10 show about overcoming shit circumstances and the importance of community. What if I cried again.

Houseki no Kuni (manga and anime): weird manga that I've been following for YEARS because its so fucking good. The anime is beautiful and captivating af and honestly the whole thing needs to be analyzed by a Buddhist. it makes me want to learn about that religion so i can understand more. but yeah its sad, its hype, and once again its about gay rock MMM my favorite. you dont know the hours i spent looking for videos/animatic about it. hard to explain but i like to describe it as "human growth: the manga/anime"

Maybe it seems like I don't watch many movies and it's kinda true! I'm more of a shows person. but there are movies i like. maybe another day

Now onto my favorite characters but again I can't decide so this is in no special order. Also because I can't decide I'm giving the spotlight to characters that are not from the media mentioned above (for example if you dont see vash in here is because i yell about him enough like. 3 times minimum per month). Because I can. Because I'm normal about media and stories i like.

1.Steven (su): MY BOY MY MOON AND STARS. ok a lot of this list is about characters i relate to, but this one is the og. this mf is one of the kindest, awesome yet misunderstood characters of all time. theres so much rage and trauma in this little guy but there are many other feelings that get lowkey explored in the main show until BOOM the emotions explode in su future. its amazing how complex my son is. im so lucky that i got to grow up along side him in a way. and in another way it was nice to see myself kinda represented in him? fun times.

2.Tifa (ffvii): PRETTY RECENT BUT SHES THE COOLEST. ejem sorry. i love cloud, zach and the others from the game but tifa doesnt get the recognition she deserves. she survived so many tragedies and became stronger because of it. not only in body but also in mind. however she also became cautious and tries to not explode in front of others. she tries to be a safe place for people, even when shes scared. i think thats pretty admirable of her. i would say more but i dont want to risk spoiling the game but there are little moments and scenes where she just tries to be there for people because she has no one in her life anymore and fuck it makes me sad. also shes pretty hot-

3.Elektra (pose): MY QUEEN. shes just. evil sometimes. shes really a bitch to most of the characters but DAMN SHES COOL WHEN SHE IS. elektra knows she was born with a huge disadvantage in life so she grabs power like a mf and bites it. i kinda aspire to be that, to not let anyone get in my way. she just really speaks to the part of me that has bigger ambitions. but shes also smart and caring (when shes not being a bitch) and every time the world puts her down she stands up and kicks the world again. she's the power of femininity itself and yes i also think shes hot (i mean look at those cheeks of thunder) but shes like a fucking storm in a person and how i can not love that? We love poc people in power.

4.Phos (houseki no kuni): This fucking child (they're a child in my eyes) is so important to me for weird reasons. I got deep into hnk when I was in my sabbatical year. It was a time where I didn't know where I would go and phos seemed to be in a similar place. To this day it surprises me how ichikawa managed to create a "simple" character and then by all definitions made them human. I like their journey, the transformations they went through, the stages they went to cope or to confront their situation. Plus the design is pretty affff

5.Edward Teach (ofmd): I just.....really connected with this guy ok? The feeling of always being at the bottom so if you are going to rise your only option is to make people fear you but that's not true BOY HE LEFT NO CRUMBS WITH THAT WHOLE THING. he was just really cool when he entered the show and then it was "oh this guy is really fucked up actually" and he's so funny and MORE OLD POC QUEERS? FUCK YEAH. but i guess what puts him on top for me is how he explored himself and his needs. All that while being funny and tragic and gay. Really cool.

6.Anthy (revolutionary girl utena): MY DAUGHTER RRRRAAAAHHH. Anthy is a really tragic and complex character. to this day i cannot put together every reason why shes my favorite from utena. Shes tragic and my god the things she goes through break my heart every time I think about it but...shes also incredibly strong and funny and a weird keeping animals in her room. The creators did an excellent job showing her lack of agency and how she already had given up, but also showed her humanity and wish to retain things in her life that gave her joy. And movie anthy? That girl is a no nonsense girl. She will get her girlfriend no matter what from the people who abused her. She left that fucking school as a mature, smart and kind adult. We fucking stan.

7. Richard (requiem of the rose king): another recent acquired son. Idk why this one hit so much and honestly for how short the manga is (79 chapters) they did such a good job with him???? Banger themes and metaphors, banger character moments, banger GENDER moments. I've seen a few people not being able to take him seriously but idk, ir sounded honest and serious to me. A kid who has been told since birth they were a demon became one to survive but not really. Because no one with his wish can fully be a demon. Idk maybe it's cheesy but his quest for love and acceptance was a banger in my eyes (please read the manga. We can leave the anime behind). Also I like him cuz he's cool and is a character I CAN ACTUALLY COSPLAY THANK GOD-

AND THOSE ARE SOME CHARACTERS AND SOME PIECES OF MEDIA I LIKE :D IF ANYONE WANTS MORE PLS ASK.

#i feel like you weren't expecting a huge post #but yeah #it took me a while cuz #reasons #but thank you for asking! im always happy to talk about things i like #as you can see #sorry #maybe ill add the fandom tags later

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canmom · 1 year

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I was tagged by @baeddel and charged with the following questions:

Last song: Mephisto by Queen Bee. This is the ED for Oshi no Ko, and that is indeed the context I first encountered it. But I've kind of become obsessed with Queen Bee ever since I saw this video of Avu-chan:

youtube

There is definitely an element of "I want to learn to sing but I cannot sound like a cis women no matter what so I have to figure out some other sort of voice to aspire towards". Not that I could ever have Avu-chan's ridiculous range lol. But they are sort of the coolest person I've ever seen.

After that I learned that I'd been hearing Avu-chan a whole bunch. For example, Avu-chan voices Inu-oh! All the fantastic songs I enjoyed in that film...

youtube

And that's not even the first time Avu-chan worked with Masaaki Yuasa. You remember that amazing version of Devilman no Uta from Devilman Crybaby?

youtube

Yeah, guess who.

But that's just focusing on the anime link. Queen Bee is the shit. Like check out this duet between Avu-chan and Avu-chan:

youtube

Or King Bitch with all the martial arts. Or Inu-hime which manages to pack a whole gory jidaigeki story into a three and a half minute music video. I'm still working my way back through Queen Bee's videos.

Forgive me, this is way more than one song ^^'

Currently watching: Besides Animation Night tonight? ^^

I recently finished Tengoku Daimakyou - which was imo strong right up to the end, and there's a bunch to write about it. But this says 'currently' so...

I'm presently catching up on Oshi no Ko. (Hence the Queen Bee listening.) Which is the one where the gynecologist is reincarnated as the son of an idol alongside one of his patients; said idol gets murdered, and then as a highschool student our boy's attempting to solve her murder while getting caught up in all sorts of showbiz drama. I've written a bit about Oshi no Ko before; two eps further on, the story continues to have some delightful swerves and I'm fascinated to see where they're going with all this. I can see it steadily orbiting certain themes - falsehood, performance, self-identity and so on - but what the ultimate thrust will be, remains to be seen.

I ended up rewatching a few episodes with @footsteps-on-the-dance-floor a couple weeks ago. On the rewatch, I was struck by how, in this show about acting, just how much attention is indeed paid to the acting of the characters. Not so much flashy sakuga, just lots of carefully observed interactions that I came to appreciate a lot as I understood the characters better.

Currently reading: [whoops, forgot this one, editing it in] Ghost in the Shell for fiction. Shirow's manga is fascinating. In some ways you can see all the material that made it out into Production IG's various adaptations, but in some ways the tone is so different, way less dry, way more unabashedly nerdy, the characters much more emotional. I'm fascinated by all the little asides and margin notes by Shirow.

For non fiction, I've got this book called "Queer British Art 1861-1967" by the Tate that I'm steadily reading. It's fascinating, I didn't know shit about most of the people they write about in here.

Current obsession: What do I do that can't be characterised as an obsession really ^^'

But besides work, and writing long posts on here, and drawing pictures, I've been trying to learn music. I mentioned singing, but the other strand is trying to learn the zhonghu. So let me tell you about zhonghus.

This is a Chinese musical instrument, a close sibling of the erhu. Like a violin, it's a bowed instrument; unlike a violin, it's held upright on your lap, it has only two strings, and the bow is held in between them.

The bowstrings are very loose compared to a violin bow, and you use your fingers to press them against one or other string. There is no fingerboard, let alone frets, so pitch depends on how hard you press the strings as well as where your fingers are positioned. Not to mention a million other variables to do with your specific instrument.

The zhonghu and the erhu are almost the same instrument; the zhonghu is tuned slightly lower, similar to a viola compared to a violin. Also? The soundbox is covered by snakeskin, so if you import an erhu (or zhonghu) from China, you have to go to some effort to certify that the snake in question was from a farm and not a wild snake. And you have to be really careful that the bowstring doesn't catch on the scales.

Why am I learning the zhonghu? Well. That's a long story but the tl;dr is my friend suggested I should be a zhonghu player and I was like you know what sure. So now I have her old zhonghu.

I used to play the violin, but I think the way I learned the violin left a lot to be desired in terms of actually understanding music. I could translate sheet music into finger positions, and fulfill my role in an orchestra for kids, but I lost the thread at uni, where I tried to play with the ceilidh band and found I was completely at sea in a more improvisational setting. Add like a decade of rust on top of that.

So it's safe to say that right now I'm really fucking bad at playing the zhonghu. Nevertheless, I'm trying to persevere. In the month or so since I started, with very irregular practice, I've gone from 'can only make a horrible scratching sound' to 'can play an open string' to 'never hitting a note first try' to 'can mostly hit notes until I try to move my hand', so I'm inching forwards. It's a long way until I can make the kind of beautiful music that the erhu is known for, and I don't have any belief I'll ever be notably good at it, but there's nothing to be lost in trying to learn a new thing, even if it's one that is not coming naturally to me at all. Better to struggle than to go my whole life never picking up an instrument again you know.

Tagging - uhhh let's say - @mogsk @schizsune @sisyphication @catnumbers @argyrocratie @centrally-unplanned @hamiltonianflow @sapeami-scalps-whites [if you'd like, in each case!] The questions are 'last song', 'currently watching', 'currently reading', 'current obsession', answer in as much or little detail as you like

#Youtube #ask meme #chain meme

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lmskitty · 8 months

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Hi again......If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Hi!!!

Tricky!

1. Jujutsu Kaisen

2. Gorillaz

3. Sailor Moon

4. Outlast

5. The Last Binding Series by Freya Marske

6. Neon Genesis Evangelion

7. FMA Brotherhood

8. The Magnus Archives

9. Fake (manga series)

10. Digimon

1. It brought me joy and fandom and friendship again and made me feel like myself after a very long time. I know the narrative can be traumatic but it also has these incredible moments that just feel you with awe (like Todo turning up to help Yuji fight or seeing Gojo do hollow purple for the first time) it just reminded me of everything I love about anime.

2. My first real fandom, the first thing I wrote proper fanfiction for. The lore and the music and the animation just amazed me when I saw it when I was 11 and I've not been happy with decisions they've made recently (overpriced merch in a cost of living crisis, NFTs to celebrate Plastic Beach?!?) I'll still always love them and be excited for new content.

3. First anime love, first time seeing a relationship with two women helping me to identify as bi (now I'd say pan) I grew up believing that to be a strong woman you had to disregard femininity and seeing Usagi be the strongest with her bunny drawings and her focus on friendship and love just rewired my brain.

4. I love horror, I was brought up with it but for a very long time nothing has scared me and I found horror media repetitive. Outlast genuinely scared me and I was SO happy and I love reading the character notes and comics.

5. I've talked about this series a bunch but A Marvellous Light was the first book I'd read in years that made me cry and just stayed in my head for ages. Everything I'd loved about harry potter but done properly.

6. I was at a sleepover at a friend's and someone stuck this on and everyone was talking and I was just glued to the screen because what the FUCK WAS THIS?!?!? I've watched it since with my husband and it still hits me so hard every time. It's such a powerful portrayal of depression and nihilism and how relationships can fuck you up. It's beautiful and I think it's one of the best anime's of all time.

7. The opposite of neon Genesis lol. Love and family and forgiveness and what it means to sacrifice for the people you care about. Devoured brotherhood with my husband and we were both in tears by the end of it. I'd also been told I couldn't have kids and we had struggled with a miscarriage and Izumi and Sig just hit me so hard. (I have a bub now tho it came out ok in the end) but the characters still feel so real and there's so many amazing moments.

8. I listened to all of this and played Minecraft with my husband till like 6 am on weekends. We would discuss at length our theories and it just holds a special place in my heart. It's perfect horror and John and Martin's relationship just means a lot to me. I related a LOT to Martin and loved the series and I've super been enjoying the Magnus Protocol too! Also that first fucking recording of Nikola Orsinov?!?!? We both sat still staring at each other genuinely freaked the fuck out and we still quote it at each other! "I mean, you can if you really want to, but you’re not going to like it." CHILLS EVERY FUCKING TIME!!!

9. I read a lot of BL manga with my friends (*old lady voice* back in my day we called it Yaoi!!!) And so many of them had terrible tropes and big hands. This was the first one I ever read that I still adore that had an amazing love story and plot. It was revolutionary to see an LGBTQ story not just about them being gay or coming out but it had real detective cases and murders etc and I still wish we could get a tv show of it.

10. When Gojo talked about Digimon I fell even further in love. It's the fucking best. I wanted to be Mimi so BAD as a kid my mum made me a Halloween costume of her and I thought I was so cool. My next tattoo is gonna be Lilymon. I grew up with it in the dub and it established my sense of humour for better or worse. The Digimon film is still my comfort film of choice. Matt was such a big crush I had when I was little and I wrote little stories about being one of the digidestined.

Those are my top 10!!!!

#gorillaz #jujutsu kaisen #the magnus archives #tma podcast #fake the manga #fake!#digimon #outlast #fma brotherhood #neon genesis evangelion #sailor moon

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