#Re:Zero Ex

[thecolourpurple123]

Fourier Lugunica ramble (with excerpts from Ex 1)

Fourier is, much like all the members of the Lugunican royal family, somewhat airheaded but charming in nature. The Lugunican royals are all genuine and good people, but not particularly skilled stewards―which is pretty much the exact description the LN uses across all the side content I've read recently including Ex 1, 2, and 3.

In his normal state, he's prone to being incredibly impulsive and needy. He rolls up to the Karsten estate at random to bother them with whatever he's fixated on at any given moment and is very good-natured about the teasing he is subject to―not being particularly aware of the depths of Ferris's wit, but always rolling with whatever punches he does see. Fourier's obviously a bit pampered considering how he whines about the cold to the degree that he never goes anywhere without his fancy red coat, but he's not totally adverse to hardship or pain seeing how readily and regularly he challenges Crusch to duels for years of their youth despite never really standing a chance.

Generally, he does not concern himself with his own status, and readily waves it off in pursuit of whatever he's fixated on because he's just that kinda silly goofy guy. At the same time though, he's keenly aware of his status as the fourth prince, and while he does know the kind of effect he can have on people―as seen in how he stalls for time when Crusch is fighting the rabbits by distracting the people at her party with improvised songs and sword demonstrations―Fourier is not one to care for the fact that he's royalty in any ambitious or grand sense. However, as seen in Ferris's unusual appointment as a royal knight, he does know when it can be used to get what he wants/thinks is right and necessary.

Further, Fourier is very much one for bravado and putting on a brave face. He wants to be strong and look cool, especially for Crusch, and in all matters Fourier is one to throw himself headfirst into situations with a high degree of overconfidence. It's actually noted as being part of his charm, the fact that he so readily pretends that he's better than he is and is princely, while also not really caring for being seen as princely and competent, which ends up making those times where he's princely and competent all the more impactful to the people he interacts with.

(here we see Fourier and Ferris discussing after the duel with Crusch to make her wear a dress, for a more relaxed example of Fourier being both overconfident and not caring for how he appears which Ferris takes advantage of to tease him)

(this one is of Crusch talking to Fourier about Ferris's family history that he pretends to already know about and lies to Crusch about blatantly to save face, only to prove himself unknowingly in her eyes in the next breath)

(and this one is Julius talking to him later in Ex 1 for a more serious example of how Fourier views other's views of him)

Ultimately, Fourier is a bit of a walking contradiction. He's oh! so jolly yet still respectable and competent when the need arises. He doesn't care for status yet walks around with overconfidence. He's keenly aware of social dynamics at times when it counts, yet often blunders his way through conversations in a way that's disarmingly absent-minded.

It's a contradiction explained by the fact that Fourier is one of a rare few of his family to be a "master of the blood" as Miklotov puts it, or the Lion King's Blessing as the fandom has come to call it. He's able to just… intuit things, a lot of the time. He knows what moves to play to win at games, knows answers to obscure questions his tutor asks without knowing why, is able to only ever show up to the Karsten estate when Crusch and Ferris aren't too busy to see and hang out with him, and of course is able to coordinate several royal knights to rescue Crusch from Ferris's dad while also setting Reinhard as insurance for stopping Miles (a spy he doesn't know exists, just has a hunch exists based on pretty much no evidence at all) from escaping back to Vollachia all without ever knowing the full scope of his own machinations.

I think the most iconic moment of Fourier is this:

In one move, Fourier pushes Crusch to accept her dual roles of being a Lady and being the martial heir to house Karsten, thrusts Ferris into knightship in a way that doesn't leave him insecure or gives him any room for doubt, and saves Crusch's dad's life from the rabbits―only to after Crusch and Ferris leave, tell a servant Crusch tied up that he has no idea what's going on and that they should probably figure that out.

Fourier is effortlessly foundational to Crusch and Ferris's entire worldviews, and he doesn't even know how or why he just follows his instincts and garners their total respect and admiration. He's humble in an unspoken way that leaves his dramatic overconfidence as endearing instead of irritating. He's a royal with once in a generation blood, yet all he cares for is to see the buds in the garden that are those he holds dear in his life bloom into their own.

The only time he ever really cares for his station, is because Crusch is a little obsessed with the legacy of the Lion King, and Fourier wants that attention on himself (all the while not knowing that he already has it). He makes giving his everything feel like nothing yet still everything―which is all the more tragic, all the more foundational for Crusch going forward, because that very essence of Fourier is exemplified in his death where his very memory is but a footnote in a wider chapter of the nation's history. Everything to Crusch and Ferris, but nothing to a nation in mourning.

This is why, after finishing Ex 1, I have gained an appreciation for Crusch who I'd thought as a very boring character having only experienced her presence in the main series. For years now, I've always looked down upon that short-sighted selfish goal of hers to break the covenant with the dragon, just because she can't get over Fourier's death. But it's deeply understandable if you come to know Fourier, and see it from Crusch's perspective.

Crusch started with this chip on her shoulder regarding needing to be worthy of inheriting this mantle of the lion, and then by the end of the novel she inherits this impossible dream of Fourier's too―where he pictures this future together with Ferris and Crusch as he dies in her arms, not even able to finish telling her that he loves her before he goes.

Fourier was her Lion King, he always was, and in his absence, given this singular opportunity through her candidacy and in the context of the seemingly callous attitude of the Sage Council and the gathered nobles… to me, it just feels so earned that she would despise the Dragon, whose mere promise of protection overshadows the deaths of so many royals who were amazing in their own rights. Ultimately, Crusch's ire does come from misplaced grief, but it's one I can't help but respect now. The path Ferris and Crusch walk is not one that is kind to either of them, but it is one that is quite fitting. One that is lonely by necessity, because even though Fourier told Ferris to rely on his friend Julius, he was unable to finish telling Crusch his full feelings for her, leaving Crusch with an impossible dream and shoes she can't fill even with Ferris at her side.

So basically, all of this is to say that my favorite ferret man Ferrier Lugunica haunts the narrative and after reading Ex 1 he lives in my head as rent free as he does in Crusch and Ferris's.

[cactusjaz]

hes everything to me. just a cutie…

[abyssalstrike]

Fourier Lugunica is like Subaru if subaru was a prince and had better social skills and was 90% less mentally ill I think

[mishy-mashy]

Fourier never appeared in the main series, but man, he's actually really funny. Absolutely like Subaru in his behavior but less cringe that stems from realism and second-hand embarrassment. Just friends being friends

Since I got my hands on that EX novel, I'm gonna pitch some moments of him so he's at least remembered if his name is brought up. I'll include some pictures for reference, and won't include the whole thing to avoid spoilers

1. This one can be found on the wiki as is: he fell in love with Crusch at first sight, but the moment she saw him, she threatened him with a knife in his own house—she then proceeded to almost attempt suicide for her mistake

2. He's so much like Subaru. He's loud, brash, in love with a girl at first sight, has small worries that he blows out of proportion unless they're absolutely important and life-changing like impending death, falls to his knees in anime-style sulking when told he's not as manly/strong as he wants to be to the girl he likes...

3. After seeing Crusch, you see how there's a guy chasing him in the first picture? That's his tutor. Fourier proceeded to slap him in the face ("MY EYE!!" screamed in comical fashion), drag him down a hall, and make him hit his head on every column and wall in existence

4. In the second picture, where Crusch holds a dagger, Fourier backtracks over it a lot like Subaru would

Fourier: Who would give their daughter a dagger on their birthday? They've no sense.

Crusch: Your Highness, I asked for this dagger from my father as a gift that day.

Fourier: Yep! Your father's the most sensible man ever! Daggers, wonderful gifts to young girls, they are!

5. That illustration of him and Crusch in a sword fight? He did that so Crusch would wear a dress.

Crusch sees him about to fall over like a shaking fawn, pathetic with trembling legs and supporting himself on his sword. He's exhausted and wanting to pass out or cry, and Crusch is like "Should we stop?"

And Fourier is all "NO!" and charges in with war cries the entire time.

"YAAAAAHHHH! CRUUUSCH! WEAR A DRESSS!!!"

I crap not, that's all he shouted, and it kinda scared Crusch.

"Wear makeup! Like flowers! Wear jewelry! Show me that beautiful smileeee!!! Uwaaaaaa!!!"

That's his motivation. It's hilarious and also sad, because he knows he probably hurt Crusch a lot for not letting her wear dresses. He's so exhausted by the end of it that he literally passes out on the ground after Crusch cedes it's her defeat

6. He didn't know Ferris was a boy. So when he had Ferris pose as his fiancee after Crusch couldn't so he could turn down his marriage prospect,

He did so, thinking Ferris was a girl. He only found out afterwards.

Also, before they actually went through with the plan, Fourier was raring to pretend being Crusch's lover, and getting all flustered at the idea. Imagine servant Subaru being all blushy over going on a date with Emilia and wiggling around. Not very different

"M-Me... and Crusch..!!"

"Compose yourself, my prince!"

- Fourier and Ferris, off of memory

7. The castle rumored that Fourier was gay, because he declared he loved Ferris, no matter his gender.

"As long as you're you..!"

Which is really sweet (how Fourier loves him). Still, Ferris worried he hated him after the reveal.

Ferris and Crusch are discussing this new rumor as Ferris is afraid of confronting Fourier after he learned he was a male... then His Highness comes barreling in, basically screaming and crying

"Crusch! Ferris! It's horrible, oh so horrible! I need you two now through the worst struggle of my life! Where are my two trusted people?!"

Because he literally just heard the rumor himself.

I think he was afraid that Crusch wouldn't love him if she thought he was batting for the other team, and that's why he stressed over the rumor? He also feared Crusch not liking him if he got fat

He's so fricken funny and this is just from me skimming the book. I haven't sat down to read it through, but just by skimming, Fourier and Subaru behave so similarly that it's just- my gosh.

Do Ferris and Crusch look at Subaru and think of the prince? When Subaru shouted and disrupted the Royal Selection gathering, and Julius probably saw Joshua, did those two see Fourier?

Granted, Fourier is more wise and composed than Subaru, and probably would've been more graceful about his interruptions, but the shouting of what he wants and thinks when riled up? The "wisdom" (knowledge) that comes out of nowhere, which both Fourier and Subaru have? (Fourier from instinct, Subaru from Return By Death)

Fourier wanted so badly to let Crusch be a woman, and fawned over her beauty and just wanted her to enjoy typical things of women. Subaru kicks his blanket like it's personally assaulting him, just thinking of multiple Emilias as he tries to sleep, and isn't afraid of showing his affection throughout the entire series

On the point of affection, neither of them are afraid of showing it to people they care about. Subaru braids hair, plays with kids, compliments outfits and smiles, Fourier hugs and tells his dreams of futures with his friends and has dances with them, etc.

(They even have the penchant of acting like things are fine to Julius by not telling him anything before they literally collapse in front of him [Fourier in a carriage, Subaru being possessed], leaving Julius to deal with them when things go south)

(On that note, it's sweet that Julius always calls for Ferris when someone is hurting, because he knows who can help best)

Anyway, Fourier? Funny kid. Resembles Subaru. Parallels can probably be drawn from them. Is important to the development of Crusch and Ferris, so it's not bad to remember him. The history of the royal family should come into play when regarding the Archbishop of Lust and Felt, too.

[ottosuwuen]

[suffarustuffaru]

Vincent for the asky thing! He's my lil blorbo

SORRY ANON FOR TAKING SO LONG WITH FHIS ASK it got lost in my drafts oops. and also again another disclaimer—i still havent gotten to reading the ex novels but i will someday i promise 😭😭 and i do not have the attention span to read 100% of arc 7 rn but i will do my best with what i know about vincent <3 ty for trusting me with ur blorbo 👍

Sexuality Headcanon: 🏳️‍🌈👍 gay. 100%.

Gender Headcanon: ok so i do know that like hes been crossdressing since he was younger to save his life and thats why hes so like chill with crossdressing and ALSO LIKE i like the idea that hes just Super Chill with playing with his gender presentation more and he likes doing it a bit!! and like will do traditionally feminine stuff??? makeup?????? idk smth along these lines. gender nonconforming king.

A ship I have with said character: VINCENT/CHISHA 10000%. like theyre one of those pairings where its like. platonic or not they WERE super close like. insanely close. but also if u read into it as being Gay it also makes So Much Sense. like?? yes ok @ottosuwuen has that hc that vincent learned makeup or something from chisha (who clearly wears eye makeup 24/7) and like. urhgh gh the image of them doing each others makeup. OK but canonically speaking vincent/chishas relationship makes me soft. LIKE YES its partially the ottosuba shipper in me bc the obvious parallels are obvious but sometimes i just really like two mansplain manipulate malewife manwhores okay. and like the way chisha does ALL OF THIS (*insert chishas bonkers plan here*) TO SAVE VINCENTS LIFE……….. and the way they met being like vincent deciding to hire chisha wkfndn…. like……… they bend over backwards for each other i feel. theres something so sweet about it and like that Intense Loyalty there….. oh to be chisha and be loyal to your emperor Like This….. and then of course the tragedy. vincent grieving chisha broke my heart :(( their relationship just really intrigues me. its so heartfelt with a clear beginning and end and it ends so SADLY but chisha did all that to save vincent!!! chisha would want vincent to move on and be happy!!! chisha and vincents relationship didnt end happy necessarily bc chishas gone :(( but their love mattered okay it matters so much to me. and vincent. and its just crazy to me how chisha can Perfectly Imitate vincent like it shows how deep their connection was. along with of course chisha doing All Of That, as ive said.

A BROTP I have with said character: subaru and vincent + vincent and prisca/priscilla 1000%. like as for subaru and vincent like. the development of their relationship over time is really interesting to me. like they foil so well—they embody these different morals and ideals and vincent really emphasizes like cunning and ruthlessness and how you just cant be a hero or save everyone or solve things bloodlessly. and then subaru tries to do shit like his bloodless siege plan and that DID work. like i think the direction for them seems to be to have moderation with these two ideals? bc of course….. subaru cant be a hero. sometimes you cant save everyone. thats just being realistic. and on the other hand, by arc 8 vincents gone and REQUESTED the emilia camps help. which is a MONUMENTAL step given vollachias viewpoints on strength and weakness and of course the fact that vincents the emperor. like i just think subaru and vincents relationship and development together has been super fascinating. vincents not mean about natsumi (unlike rem or al…) bc why would he? crossdressing has saved his life. and vincent Has learned to trust a bit and turn to others for help by arc 8 which is super interesting i think. that and well. vincent and chishas relationship and their End to it (chisha dying :<<) got subaru thinking about how sad he’d be if otto died which…… well ig vincent and subaru gonna foil some more if otto dies 😭😭😭😭😭 LMAO… but yeah anyway i love the way vincent and subaru really emphasize and symbolize the whole themes and Contrasting Ideals of the vollachia saga. it seems like theyre set up to learn from each other some more :o

AND OF COURSE vincent and prisca. i dont know much yet but <3 like they were close!!!! they cared for each other!!!! he took the time and effort to make a plan for her to fake her death and make her new identity as priscilla!! LIKE he didnt have the heart to kill her….. in an all out fight to the death brawl with his gazillion other siblings for the throne…. like that means so much. im very interested in reading their interactions sometime <3

A NOTP I have with said character: i will probs find notps im more passionate about once i like. actually read more rezero. but like the big notp rn is like. vincent/priscilla aofndndnd PLEASE. THEYRE SIBLINGS.

A random headcanon: like okay theres the makeup headcanon but also in general i like the idea of chisha also doing vincents hair when hes crossdressing and stuff. bc chisha has Long Hair so he must know some things right?? i just love the quiet intimacy of it all……. and like u could have like. u know those moments in period dramas where the assistant to royalty is helping them dress…… yeah yeah pls i need it to happen with chisha/vincent.

General Opinion over said character: im gonna be so honest rn pls dont kill me………. but tbh for a moment when i learned the arc title for arc 8 was vincent vollachia i wanted to throw hands at first. like that was my gut reaction. not because i hate vincent but like it was me just going “URHJFGHH THE TITLE DOESNT MATCH THE OTHER ARC TITLES UNTIL THIS POINT….. NOOOO…. IT DOESNT MATCH…..” like you have arc 5 for example and its called the stars that shape history or something. and its like yeah snazzy title, fits how arc 5 revolves around such a large cast of like the main players for the royal selection. arc 7 is called land of the wolves and yep makes sense. snazzy. fits pretty well. AND THEN YOU GO TO ARC 8. AND ITS CALLED. VINCENT VOLLACHIA. A WHOLE ARC NAMED AFTER A CHARACTER??? IM SORRY BUT I STILL THINK IT DOESNT MATCH WITH THE OTHER ARC TITLES…. SORRY VINCENT BUT LIKE……. UR AN AWESOME DUDE BUT………. IT COULDVE STILL BEEN A FUN TITLE THAT REFERENCED U BUT NO ITS JUST UR NAME…… SORRY MAN BUT I JUST THINK…….

otherwise like. i was mostly neutral on vincent for a while—like ive always thought he was interesting but mostly i was only neutral bc i was more distracted but whatever the fuck my blorbo subaru has going on in arc 7 aodndnd yeah i was just distracted HAH. well that and arc 7 WAS my intro to vincent (and literally everything going on with vollachias politics) so like i didnt have much interest for most of the ex novels until i got to arc 7 and suddenly gained a bunch of side character blorbos along the way. and like admittedly arc 7 is. i feel like its chaotic which—ok yeah obviously its chaotic but i always felt like arc 5 was like more tightly knit with it? like more purposeful, and it was easier for me to get invested in everyone there bc royal selection stuff has been established since the beginning and the main storys been in/around lugunica…. until arc 7. for me it was like jarring at first. especially since like. littol old me with my lack of ex novel knowledge at the time was left floundering a bit bc WOAH VOLLACHIA THINGS ALL AT ONCE…. NEW CHARACTERS…. ANOTHER NEW CHARACTER… NEW CHARACTER NUMBER 1000… and tbh i was like. it felt so sudden all at once to me so i found it hard to be super invested in SO MANY PEOPLE all at once HAH. which i get was like. it was pretty understandable to have so many people. but it took me a WHILE to get warmed up to the vollachia drama for these reasons wkdndn so yes i warmed up to vincent even more over time <33 i think the final nail in the coffin for me caring about him was like. seeing his facade crack after he gets beat up by subaru in arc 8 and he just. Cracks. and he collapses to his knees and sobs over losing chisha and its such a human moment—like i think its easy to forget vincent is still human (ESPECIALLY when vollachia loathes weakness so much!!) bc he’ll do shit like only blinking one eye at a time bc Understandable Paranoia from being Vollachia’s Emperor and he’ll be like ruthless and cunning but like in that moment hes just. crying over losing his dearest friend bc said friend made this elaborate plan to sacrifice himself to save vincent. and when vincent just asked “why did you leave me?”…… like that survivor’s guilt and distress and despair and grief is so universal and understandable…. so YEAH HAH i really softened up some more to vincent bc like i said. its such a human moment and that moment with him and subaru is like tjis big step in vincents development. its fascinating!! im interested to see what happens next in arc 8 and im interested to learn more about him <3 i took a while to get used to the vollachia drama but now i am Very intrigued. and also i know way more lore now compared to when arc 7 first started so yayy!!!!! everyday i become even more of a nerd for rezero. 😭😭 im coming for those ex novels someday. like i said.

also his names are badass ngl. vincent abellux…. vincent vollachia….. now those are names i imagine an emperor would have HAH. good stuff.

[meowicule]

it’s not a mistranslation, mori ogai likes kids: an look into anime translation and the bungo stray dogs fanbase

tldr; yes mori is a pedophile, he is not a “doting father”, this is a key point to his character

4/8 people voted that i should make this post and mg boyfriend said that if that won, i then was essentially obligated to make it. so i am making it. before i begin i just want to state a few things:

1. i’m not saying “We need to CANCEL!!!! fictional character MORI OGAI!!!” i’m just trying to elaborate on a common misconception regarding his character.

2. at the same time i’m also not saying that this is a good aspect of his character. obviously. this is bad. mori is a villain.

3. this is mostly about translation and less about mori so if you’re looking just for him and don’t want any context, section four discusses him.

this will be seperated into sections to hopefully make it easier to read but overall i’m just kind of rambling and i didn’t edit this so if it’s disorganized feel free to ask questions

PART ONE: translation overview

contrary to popular belief, the process of officially translating manga or anime from japanese to english is not typically the work of one person, especially when we’re considering anime/manga published and produced by major companies (anime: bones, manga: kadokawa shoten*). at its core (though processes and the nitty gritty is dependent on tons of factors), a translation will go through at least one translator, a typesetter/subtitle timer (manga/anime), and editors. for official translations, it is REVIEWED by typically multiple editors and revisors before being sent off to the public.

i feel many people talking about mistranslations assume incompetence and that it’s just one guy doing whatever he wants with the original text while the original creators are none the wiser (this is not true). generally this is born from the common belief among anime fans that japan is full of incompetent and naive people who have been isolated from society their whole life (ex: arguments on how japan doesn’t know what black people are, “legal age of consent” debates, etc). japan is not a magical land where everybody cannot do wrong and is simply misunderstood; you are just fucking insufferable.

this isn’t to say that mistranslations don’t happen but rather that they aren’t as common as a lot of anime fans like to claim.

*kadokawa shoten is a major publisher. repetoire includes: cowboy bebop, lucky star, mirai nikki, re:zero. their videogame section also did lollipop chainsaw, fun fact.

PART TWO: translating for understanding

the intent of a translated work is not to copy the text word by word but rather to communicate the core messages and ideas to a different audience. as i’m sure you’re aware, japanese and english are two different languages. going beyond just cultural understandings, the languages themselves utilize two entirely different alphabets. with that, english and japanese have different abilities in what they can communicate with the alphabet provided! a great example of language barriers are PRONOUNS.

in a very boiled down version, english pronouns are categorized by relation to the speaker, gender, and possession.

she = girl that is not the speaker

me = speaker

his = owned by boy that is not the speaker

your = owned by the person being spoken to

our PRONOUNS are not hierarchical. an old man and a young boy will both be referred to as “he”. titles such as “mr.” and “doctor” can elaborate on status and respect, but generally, a male doctor is going to use the same pronouns as a male farmer.

pronouns obviously go a lot deeper than that and i’m glossing over a lot of stuff but if you can read what i’m saying here then you know enough english to comprehend pronouns.

on the other hand, japanese includes multiple levels of formality in pronouns. this means that their pronouns are heavily based in context and can be considered hierarchical.

in english, the sentence “he is over there” only tells us the relative location “he” is to the speaker and the area. we know nothing about who “he” is and require more information to understand his place in the world.

in japan, however, the sentence “he is over there” would be translated in a way that would either formalize or deformalize “he”, providing us information on who he is and his place in the world as well as the personality of the speaker (are they more laidback or are they polite?).

all of this is to say that if you directly translate from one language to another, you lose a lot of the original meaning. that is why meaning is more important than exact translation. so, using the “he is over there” example:

if the japanese phrase uses formal pronouns, the english translation may look something like this: “dr. lastname is over there” or “the old man is over there”. instead of just saying “he is over there”, words are changed to replicate the formal intent of the japanese dialogue.

going beyond this, certain cultural references may be added or changed to resonate better with english audiences. using a more infamous example

4kids changed dialogue that likely originally referenced an enjoyment of onigiri to revolve around food that american kids are more likely to be familiar with. though in this particular instance the translation feels silly and unnecessary (since brock is obviously not actually talking about jelly-filled donuts and the onigiri staying in the visuals of the scene just creates confusion), the intent carries over. brock likes a food with flavored filling that is easily transportable. this scene was translated with audience understanding in mind and that is the point!

PART TWO POINT FIVE : why understanding matters

if you’re thinking, ‘well hey, i think understanding is stupid. why can’t anime just carry over japanese phrases and terms and just explain them later???’. well first off, they do. to avoid jelly-donut incidents, foods and places are often left romanized rather than changed and translator notes are utilized to explain these things to english audiences. HOWEVER, if you keep every word that doesn’t have a direct literal/cultural translation, you end up with this:

this specific example comes from a fan translation of death note. by prioritizing keeping the original work intact, the translator created something that would be mocked on the internet for years. they did not need to explain what keikaku meant, they just needed to put “plan” in the sentence in the first place. “all according to plan” is more understandable to audiences than “all according to keikaku (btw keikaku means plan)”. it simply distracts from the point of the scene rather than adding to it.

PART THREE: actual mistranslation

as mentioned earlier, mistranslations DO occur. however, most mistranslations happen intentionally. whether it be for censorship purposes or a miscalculation from the editors, a lot of the most famous mistranslations happen for a reason.

sailor moon is the best example of this. despite being produced by a major company and generally having the resources to create a good translation, the examples of mistranslations in the anime and manga have warranted hundreds of their own articles and thinkpieces. why were the translations so fucked? it wasn’t by accident but rather shoddy attempts at censorship.

most famous would be how in the original english version, sailor neptune and sailor uranus were said to be cousins. they are not. they are girlfriends. and it wasn’t until the show was retranslated by viz media in 2016 that they were allowed to be girlfriends!

some other intentional mistranslations in sailor moon include

- changing a gay man to be a straight woman

- cutting out/toning down violence and death

- fully cutting out episodes or scenes and reversing scenes that were kept to make them longer

- different names

- more slang (this is a pretty common mistranslation and generally the editing of dialogue to be more #cool with the kids is the most prevalent type of change in translations. such as atsushi saying bruh)

- moral recaps of episodes

PART FOUR: what the fuck does this have to do with mori.

i really did all of this explaining to showcase how there is literally no fucking way that mori was poorly translated in english. it is literally impossible for his behavior to be an accident and, unless we need to put the editors and translators in jail, there is no way somebody would add that character trait to him if it wasn’t involved in the original.

here is just one example of so many. but pay attention to fukuzawa’s word choice. do you still LUST after young girls. lust, as a word, refers explicitly and solely to sexual desire. if the translator wanted to show a nonsexual relationship towards young girls, the word lust would not be used. the usage of lust is intentional and, again, unless somebody needs to be put on a fucking registry, not a word you can use by accident.

it’s also really important to consider his ability. and before you say that the real mori ogai was asexual so that means bsd mori’s ability doesn’t refer to sexual desires, be serious. no longer human isn’t about how osamu dazai can cancel out other people’s abilities, it’s a fictional autobiography about a guy named yōzō who is the bojack horseman of japanese literature. their abilities tend to relate pretty loosely to their namesakes and the characters themselves aren’t 1:1 representations of their authors.

with that being said, the book vita sexualis was banned at the time for being an affront to human nature. all mori said was that he doesn’t think he feels sexual attraction. asexuality doesn’t matter in our society like nobody gaf the way they did when the book was released. does it not make sense for asagiri to adapt the impact of his work as opposed to the work itself. we do not see asexuality as a taboo crime but liking kids is something we all agree is an affront to human nature. so it makes sense that his ability reflects sexual attraction that horrifies us. odd writing decision but you can see how he got from point a to point b. his ability is a reflection of his sexual desires and as you can see from the yosano flashback, he is able to change elise’s temperament and appearance (as during the war, she was taller and more obedient) if he so chooses. her existence as a petulant child is deliberate.

so it is with all this being said that the original intent for mori was to be a creep and that is carried over in meaning by the english translation.

[spiegelgestalt]

E-EX Memory Snow makes me wish there was more slice-of-life Re:zero

Still on my re:zero rewatch and still enjoying it immensely

Random thoughts under the cut

so this was pure fan service but I am a fan and I was serviced (yes I'm always this funny)

Everyone was so soft

Drunk Emilia and Rem were soooo cute

The hint of the backstory of Roswal and Beako, ( these two are kinda like Gothic siblings who got fucked up by their mother/teacher and now are miserable together in a big empty house - thank God Subaru came along)

Subarus true strength is really support, he is in fact a waifu ( giving people pep talks, good at raising kids, good in including everyone, extremely loyal to a complicated hero, surrounded by obsessive yanderes, canonically a tsundere, perpetual damsel in distress..., he would be so much happier if he just accepted it)

Speaking off: Subaru is now the third male character in a feminine coded role that I encountered and liked - I guess I have a type...

Rem is just Bing-mei. She is extremely entertaining. (after I finished my rewatch I will redo my yandere alignment chart)

She's also sliding into old habits - like with Ram she just idolizes Subaru.and is happy to let him do all the thinking/ordering. In a way she doesn't see him for himself. He is now a hero like Ram is a perfect older sister (both of those views come from her low self esteem and her guilt about bad feelings she had in the past - jealousy towards Ram and distrust/anger towards Subaru

Beakos and Subarus relationship remains my favorite Brotp. They are just a perfect younger sister/older brother. They also cover for each others flaws very well

Emilia being able to channel her magic into something nice and happy instead of something scary and destructive makes me really happy

The only two people who didn't accept Roswals offer to drink were Subaru and Beako

I saw the decapitated snow Subaru and I find it rude!!!

I just wish they could've been happy for longer

[artbyfinnbrown]

Screenshots of my favourite moments of Re:Zero Ex5 (It's mostly just Al)

If I had a nickel for every time Priscilla put her lips on another women's lips in order to save them, I would have 2 nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

Just. Cecilus's face.

Al, king of not caring about other people's problems.

Al, continuing to be the king of not caring about other peoples problems.

Eyyyyy finally getting confirmation that Al has a Return-By-Death-equivalent ability!

AL WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN. There are two very specific characters in Re:Zero who are known for having silver hair. You being connected to either of them would have very serious implications. I have no idea what those implications are, but they would defiantly be there.

What's with your face? What does that mean? What are you hiding????

Wait... So presumably Al is talking about Reinhard, right? At this point in the timeline, he would presumably be a child, and in Lugunica. But that begs the question HOW DOES AL KNOW ABOUT REINHARD??? Earlier in the story it said that Al was on the island for 10 years, so how would he even know that Reinhard exists? What do you know???

So interesting reveal here - It seems like Al doesn't have anything like the Taboo where he can't tell people about his ability to rewind time upon his death. Nobody seems to believe him, but still. Interesting.

This moment is just very cool to me. The visual of Al just standing there, not even willing to approach the Hornet to give her a quick death because of the slight chance of him having to do this all over again, is very compelling for me.

WHO DID YOU KNOW WHO HAD SILVER HAIR??? HOW WERE THEY IMPORTANT TO YOU??? WHAT HAPPENED?? I NEED ANSWERS GODDAMMIT!!!!

This is another interesting thing, because at some point Al does decide to leave the island, so something in the future causes what his goals are to change. But I guess I'm not going to find out what that is either.

So two things: Firstly - Yep, I'm sure Ubrik's dead. The fact that there is an arc 8 interlude named "Ubilk", which looks like a differently translated version on Ubrik's name is probably a total coincidence. I'm sure he will never be relevant to the greater story of Re:Zero again. Secondly - YOU HAD A TEACHER??? WHO WAS IT?? WHAT DID THEY TEACH YOU???? I WANT YOUR SECRETS AL!!!!!!

Well, that was Ex5. I was hoping get some answers rearing Al's whole deal, and instead I just got many more questions. Still a fun read though. More importantly, with the Ex novels finished, it means I can start reading Arc 7.

[fruitycatdemon]

I caught back up to Re:Zero!!!

BASICALLY, (as I will include Arc 7 and 8 since they kinda just go hand in hand- although it was reasonably split up with how long it was) ANYWAYS- Arc 7 was one the most flawwed thing I have EVER read, but I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Although there were flaws, I won't even get into then BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY GOOD MOMENTS!!!! I really liked Subaru's horrifying death loop in Chaos Flame, especially the entire Natsumi Schwarz segment in Arc 7! Also, when Subaru met back up with everyone I WAS SO EXCITED.

In regards to Arc 8, at so far only 58 chapters it's AWESOME. I loved the named chapters for Todd, not to mention the entire beginning to the arc. I was also really excited to see a bunch of the stuff from EX 5 really come into the main story!! I loved seeing Roswaal come over and fight with everyone (as it IS rare to see him fight AT ALL)

And finally, the climax that is the current state of Arc 8 has the craziest shit ever and I LOVE it. I really loved seeing these odd pairs work together, and seeing Betty and Subaru teaming up against Sphinx (also, in regards to Sphinx-- I REMEMBER THE SIDE STORIES ABOUT THIS CHARACTER AND I WAS SO EXCITED FOR THE INTRODUCTION RAHHH) I really liked the talk with Rem and Ram, as well as with Subaru and the renaming to Spica. I also found it really interesting to find out that Cecilus and Reinhard are basically cousins ???? ALSO I MIGHT BE FREAKING OUT BUT LIKE-- I absolutely HATE Heinkel. Not because he's an inherently bad person, because he isn't. I just really like Reinhard so it upsets me (knowing that he chooses to treat his own son that way) anyways, tiss a beautiful arc, especially elevated by Otsuka's illustrations for these last few volumes!!!

Finally, the entirety of chapter 58 + The Interlude were amazing. Seeing Subaru and Abel's interactions, Subaru declare that he'll beat Sphinx, especially Spica and Subaru successful breaking free of her grasp and Abel getting the Yang Sword (the illustration for this IS SO PRETTY)

Thank you for reading my rant. I really do love this series. 🧡🧡

[cactusjaz]

im a MESS. a sobbing mess. tappei nagatsuki you will pay for your crimes.

[anzuhan]

Could I ask about the re:zero knight (assumed) oc, I wish to know more about them :3

he's not an oc !!! he's a canon character 😭😭 im just like. the only person ever to draw him. i guess. he's pivot arnancy from the ex volume 2 novel ; that novel series also getting a manga adaptation in which he appears chapters 1 to 8. you can read briefly about him here , though i absolutely 100% recommend you'd read the novel or the manga. the novel also has some side illustrations, and we see him in 4 drawings from those, and he appears a total of 34 times in the manga . below is a lovely collage i made of all of them from the manga (bar the ones where. he dies)

[mishy-mashy]

I lost the OG post where I was talking about the EX novel 4

Anyway, I got the book and haven't even read it straight because I'm too excited to do that, and

Spoilers.

- Reinhard really just had to blink and everyone died, huh...

- Groovy Gumlet is cute

- Julius is cute. He's also the MC here

- I thought that when the wiki said they didn't show Reinhard VS Cecilus, but cut to the aftermath, they were exaggerating for the sake of the wiki summary... they literally did this. Just said something like 'Begin!' and we cut to Cecilus covered in cuts

- Translations are a bit strange (Cecilus = Cecils, Ia = Ire, In = Innes, Vollachia = Volakia...)

- Cecilus is good at blending in to the point Ferris (a demihuman) didn't notice him, but Julius still happened to through magic

- Groovy makes an appearance screaming and flying through the sky and I like it. There's just a distant "YAAAAAAAHHHHH" from the forest

- Julius is really kind and compassionate here. He's also extremely perceptive of everything that I was surprised and half-scared because how???

- Cecilus is literally that guy who comes into work late, a disheveled mess

Vincent: Where are your two swords?

Cecilus, who arrived late: At the blacksmiths. I was late, so when I got out of bed, I just grabbed the two first swords I saw, and—

Is literally the gist of one of their conversations

- Julius is cute

- Cecilus almost got mistaken for a woman at first glance

- I like Groovy a lot. He swears like a sailor, is super cute, walks around with weapons galore, and his name is GROOVY

Like. Awesome puffballs.

- Vincent refers to Cecilus as a thing, talking about how he had absolutely no situational awareness from the start, being completely out of the loop the ENTIRE TIME

- Is Bordeaux buff or something under those old clothes??

- THE ART.

- Ferris's feminine appearance is commented on

- Reinhard wears a Collar of Submission for those who are into that

[ottosuwuen]

Re:Zero has blessed us with many wholesome sibling dynamics and I'm grateful for that. My favorite is Vincent and Priscilla, in fact.

BUT!

Can we also appreciate what Prisca and Lamia had going on? We have these two sisters in a toxic relationship based on pure hatred, yet despite the sentiment they're both well aware that the other is a force to be reckoned with. And it's just exquisite to read.

The way Lamia is one of the few people who can truly get on Prisca's nerves is admirable on its own.

They're so different from every other sibling duo in the series and I love every bit of dialogue between them.

[best-anime-tournament]

Here is the list of all the participating anime you proposed so far:

Komodo no Omocha

One Piece

A Centaur's Life

OreImo

Sword Art Online

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

Dr. Rin ni Kiitemite!

Babylon

Mirai Nikki - Future Diary

Ouran High School Host Club

Hetalia

One Punch Man

Assassin's Pride

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Eiken

Samurai Jam Bakumatsu Rock

Akame ga Kill!

Clannad

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo

Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle - Rhyme Anima

Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou!

The Seven Deadly Sins

Redo of Healer

Skelter Heaven

In Another World With My Smartphone

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

Kämpfer

Diabolik Lovers

Handyman Saitou in Another World

Bakuon!!

Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid

Hajimete no Gal

Masamune-kun no Revenge

K

Handa-kun

A Sister's All You Need

Uncle from Another World

Kakegurui

Black Butler II

Puraore! Pride of Orange

The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest

Record of Ragnarok

Shuffle!

Working!!

7 Seeds

Gosick

School Days

Shinkon Gattai Godannar!!

So I'm a Spider, So What?

The Lost Village

Death Note

Berserk (2016)

The God of High School

The Promised Neverland 2nd Season

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru

My Life as Inukai-san's Dog

Ex-Arm

Goblin Slayer

Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Hand Shakers

Agent AIKa

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Joker Game

Attack on Titan

Dangaronpa: The Animation

My Hero Academia

Naruto

The Marginal Service

Bungou Stray Dogs

Happy Sugar Life

Conception

Naruto Shippuden

Vampire Knight

Yuri!!! on Ice

Eromanga-sensei

Blood-C

Elfen Lied

Toradora!

Demon Slayer

Dragon Ball Super

Fire Force

Fairy Tail

Darling in the FranXX

Highschool of the Dead

Gakuen Handsome

BNA: Brand New Animal

Assassination Classroom

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Wonder Egg Priority

The Wallflower

The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace

The Legendary Hero Is Dead!

Blood Lad

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Seisen Cerberus: Ryuukoku no Fatalités

Gantz

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Souma

No Game No Life

Monster Girl Doctor

Jujutsu Kaisen

Citrus

Ao Haru Ride

Suki tte li na yo.

Kuroko's Basketball

Tokyo Ghoul

D.N.Angel

FLCL

Mekakucity Actors

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World

Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!

Tonikaku Kawaii

Ro-Kyu-Bu!

Ange Vierge

Love Stage

The submissions are still open, keep sending proposals!

Every time there are new requests, I will update the list.

[tournamentdirectory]

some tournament ideas that i have been clinging to but don't think I'll ever have the time to run:

"echo" tourney, for characters that only/mostly speak using snippets of things they've heard/seen before (ex. Lapis from Steven Universe, Bumblebee from Transformers (in some iterations at least), relevant to me as an autistic person who regularly loses speech

conceited loserguy tourney, for characters that act like they think they are hot shit but are secretly really pathetic and/or sad (NOT derogatory. this is said with love), need a hug, and/or have deep-set self loathing (ex. shintaro kisaragi from the kagerou project, leon fou bartfort from the anime "trapped in a dating sim: the world of otome games is hard for mobs", natsuki subaru from re:zero)

the unpredictable tourney, in which submitters submit pairs of characters that they want to see matched up with one another, along with the topic they want their matchup to be for (ex. a submission could be "hoshino ai (oshi no ko) versus pinkie pie (my little pony) for the title of Most Depressed"); a preliminary round would be run with as many of these matchups as desired, and then the victors would go against a randomized opponent for a randomized matchup topic (so you could get something like "pinkie pie versus entrapta: who is the most morally reprehensible?"); rinse and repeat as many times as interested or until only one victor remains! the way I'm picturing this one, the first preliminary round could have duplicate characters which would then be removed for the second and future rounds

@ me if you make them!