#Th Intro Arc

[c-kiddo]

↖️ he rewatched cr2 ep 28 and once again had forgor how absolutely scrambled cads brain n speech is

[connan-l]

Now that Season 7's first trailer is out, it slightly validated some of my theories about which chapters is going to be adapted — so I decided to make a prediction of what Seasons 7 & 8 could looks like (I mean, we still don't have any confirmation for Season 8, but there's no way we don't get it, right?) I'm probably going to be very wrong but it was fun to try and think about!

I'm going to make the assumption that we'll get 13 episode instead of 11 because of something fun I found out: so far there's been 74 episodes of NatsuYuu (OVAs notwithstanding), which means that if we add two seasons of 13 episodes we'll reach the 100 :) So I hope we actually do get 13 episodes this time (I've also seen some people wondering if we'll exceptionnally get a 22 or 26 episodes season because of the 15th/20th years anniversary, which could be fun but I doubt they'll do that sadly).

Season 7:

Episode 1: Chapter 84 (Mini-Nyanko) Episode 2: Chapter 80 (Yorishima intro) Episode 3: Chapter 77 (Hakozaki 2) Episode 4: Chapter 83 (Kitamoto bookstore) Episode 5: Special 17/84.5 (Teen Matonato 2) Episode 6: Chapters 95 & 96 (Isamu arc) Episode 7: Chapter 81 (Flower bed) Episode 8: Chapters 92-94 (Miharu arc) Episode 9: Chapters 92-94 (Miharu arc) Episode 10: Chapter 87 (Nishimura) Episode 11: Special 8/31.5 (Chobi special) Episode 12: Chapters 88 & 89 (Souko arc) Episode 13: Chapters 88 & 89 (Souko arc)

Season 8:

Episode 1: Chapter 71 (Ake & Shiro) Episode 2: Special 14/67.5 (Birds & Reiko) Episode 3: Chapters 106 & 107 (Yorishima arc 2) Episode 4: Chapters 90 & 91 (Tenjou-san/painting arc) Episode 5: Special 19/89.5 (Matoba station) Episode 6: Chapters 85 & 86 (Tanatsutaki inn arc) Episode 7: Chapters 85 & 86 (Tanatsutaki inn arc) Episode 8: Chapter 99 (Origami) Episode 9: Chapter 108 (Chobi) Episode 10: Chapters 100-104 Homura arc Episode 11: Chapters 100-104 Homura arc Episode 12: Chapters 100-104 Homura arc Episode 13: Chapter 105 (Post-Homura)

For Season 7: I know some people wish the season could start with the exorcist chapters, but I think it makes more sense we begin with a ‘normal’ slice-of-life Natsuyuu episode rather than the more heavy stuff. It’s been seven years, after all; they need to reestablish the series’ characters and world properly, and I think chapter 84 with the clay mini-nyanko is th best one for that. I mean, in this chapter we have: Natsume returning a name, mentions of Reiko & the book, cameos of Tanuma and the Fujiwaras (the anime could probably briefly add Kitanishi, Taki & Sasada too), and a bittersweet story about a yokai Natsume befriends — so I think it’s perfect for a new start to a new season. Then it makes sense to follow this up with the exorcist stuffs in episodes 2 & 3. I'm hesitating which one would go first though; if we follow the manga chronologically then it would be the Hakozaki one, but I think they'll likely choose to reintroduce Natori first... I do believe it's important to introduce Yorishima early on too so that they can later adapt the second Yorishima arc in Season 8, to really establishes him as this new important recurrent character. (Though I wonder if 2 exorcist episodes side-by-side would be too much, so maybe they'll adapt Yorishima intro for ep2, then have another slice-of-life episode, then have the Hakozaki chapter.... who knows)

After that I’m no sure on the order, but there must also be the Taki brother arc for a Taki-focused episode, then the Kitamoto & Nishimura chapters. I think it’d makes sense to adapt both of the Kitanishi chapters in season 7 so that then in season 8 they could adapt the Tenjou-san/painting arc in order to make it feel balanced (or they could do the reverse and adapt Tenjou-san arc before in season 7, but I think it's better if it comes after). And then have the flower bed chapter as another slice-of-life episode (which I think is important to have before the Souko arc thematically). Not gonna lie it really frustrates me that they decided to adapt the Tanuma & Misuzu chapters in a movie, because now Tanuma doesn’t have his own arc like Taki has :( At least he still appears more than her in other arcs, but they’re not focused on him so it’s not the same.

So the Chobi special from Volume 8 might seems weird to be in season 7, and admittedly I doubt it'll ever be adapted (maybe in an OAV?? But who knows) - but I thought about it because of Chapter 108 which is also centered on Chobi. Having the Chobi special before Chapter 108 seemed logical to me, though there's more chance we'll get another special like Special 14 or 18. (UNLESS they manage to adapt the Chobi special with Chapter 108 in a single episode... I dunno).

And there's no way they don't adapt the second teen Natori special, which has to be before Miharu arc. I think the Miharu arc will happens either in the middle or towards the end of the season, but I believe having Souko's arc as the final would be pretty emotionally impactful, with ideally 2 episodes. It’s the origin of the Book of Friends after all, so it’s important to really highlight it (though I doubt they'll do that unfortunately, I think they'll likely try to cram everything into a single episode as usual with the 2 chapters arcs -_-).

For Season 8: I think it makes sense to start with slice-of-life chapters with this season too, but admittedly I wasn't really sure which one. The Ake & Shiro or the origami chapters seems the more likely. Then there's still Special 14, which could also make a fun slife-of-life episode.

The Tenjou-san/painting arc and then the Noren inn arc in this season was more fitting than the last in order to balance the focus on Natsume's school friends - and like I said earlier, even though chronologically it happens later in the manga I think they will adapt the second Yorishima arc as well here. I think it’d make sense they decide to adapt the special with Matoba here too (It could be in Season 7 I suppose? But then it would a wayyy too exorcist-focused season).

What I’m the most confident in is that they’ll decide to end Season 8 with the Homura arc, and that it’ll take 3 episodes. This is such a long, important arc, and if they don’t mess it up it would make an amazing final; especially if after that we don’t get another new season until at least a few years.

(Hopefully we won’t have to wait 6 years for Season 9 afterwards… There was 2 years between Season 2 and Season 3, and then 4 years between Season 4 and Season 5, so if Season 8 is released in 2025 then I hope we’ll get Season 9 in like. 2028-2029. please.)

Anyway, just for fun I tried to imagine what a Season 9 could look like too:

Season 9:

Episode 1: Chapters 109 & 110 (Kaka arc) Episode 2: Chapters 117 & 118 (Occult salon arc) Episode 3: Chapter 112 (Taki Matoba tea party) Episode 4: Chapters 113-116 (Younger Cousin arc) Episode 5: Chapters 113-116 (Younger Cousin arc) Episode 6: Chapters 113-116 (Younger Cousin arc) Episode 7: Chapter 111 (Tanatsukitanishi beach) Episode 8: Chapter 120 (Hakozaki 3) Episode 9: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 10: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 11: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 12: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 13: Chapters 127 (Homura cats returns)

This would make for a super plot-heavy season, but well all the recent arcs ARE very plot-focused lol. I initially thought that maybe the Portrait of a Girl arc could make it more to a potential Season 10 while the younger cousin arc could the final for Season 9, but ending the season on such a personal, Natori-focused arc like that would be a bit... strange. So! If we have Portrait of a Girl as a final, I think it makes sense for the occult salon arc to be at the very start of the season to introduce Shinobu and Clara (I vaguely thought it would be fun if they introduced them in Season 8, but the idea of a whole season where we start with the looming threat of Matoba's mysterious sister only to have her identity revealed at the very end is really cool too). I think the beach chapter too could be nice after the Natori arc as a sort of break before we got back into the heavy plot stuff with the 3rd Hakozaki chapter. I gave Portrait of a Girl 4 episodes here because I think it's what it wolud need to be properly adapted (it IS the longest arc to date after all, with 6 chapters!) but because of that I had to scrap the Hinoe chapter (which could then be adapted into Season 10). However I think it's more likely they adapt it into a three-episodes arc sadly (same thing with the Younger Cousin arc, they'll probably cram it into 2 episodes rather than three...)

And here it is haha. Can't wait to see how completely false my predictions will be lol.

Following this, the still unadapted chapters would include: Chapter 119 (Hinoe/Natsume crossdressing), Chapter 128 (current arc) that would fit into Season 10, then Special 18 (Nyanko meets little boy), Special 20 (movie special), Special 21 (little traveling yokai), Special 22 (Ribbon Nyanko & Mana Kitamoto), all of which could either fit in Season 10 or in an OAV.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

WIP Questionnaire

Thanks @buffythevampirelover for the tag! This game looks fun!

Rules: answer as few or as many as you'd like!

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

TSP: Lexi was! TSP started out as a school project, and we had to create a character sheet for our first person narrator! That was "Alexia" who is now just "Lexi" (but her full name is still Alexia).

SOTL: The concept! "School for fairy tale characters" was basically it. I got discouraged a bit when I found out this concept already existed, but that didn't mean I couldn't do my own take!

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

My favorite types of intros for TV shows are original theme songs or very catchy instrumental music. 30-60 seconds is a good length. I'd hope that for TSP and SOTL. Hope this isn't a cop-out.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

TSP: My favorite characters to write for are Lexi, Gwen, Akash, Robbie, and Carmen. Lexi because the arc I gave her is an exaggerated version of something that speaks a lot to me. Gwen because I wasn't expecting her to be as interesting as she ended up being planned to be. Robbie and Akash because of how funny and sweet their dynamic is. Yes, I love them separately, but they're a package set. Carmen because she's just so damn interesting I love studying her under a microscope.

SOTL: I am barely into writing it, but it's Jack at the moment. Shocker, he has three chapters while Tierney and Úrsula have one each! But the reason is that he is average at everything, but he doesn't let that get him down! He's funny and relatable and a dork.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

TSP: Hm, good question. The only thing coming to mind right now is Young Justice (the cartoon). Starts out with this fun group of kids, becomes extremely dark. Ensemble cast. Sneaking around. Superpowers. Fight scenes. Drama.

SOTL: Insert fairy tale retelling here.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

TSP: Juggling everything. The world building, I guess. Making all the characters distinct was something I struggled at for a while, but I'm getting much better at it. Trying to figure out how the world works is challenging, but I am having fun. But juggling all the moving parts to make it cohesive is a challenge.

SOTL: What is plot?!! Also battling my ambition to do every fairy tale ever. I'm gonna have to make a lot of background characters that will get their own side stories separate from the main series to get all that I want. I probably will do that.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

TSP: Yep! Alium has a lot of fantasy creatures, animal hybrids, and fun things I just made up. Custos the dragon is the only truly prominent one right now. He's a blue fire dragon and is adorable. I also have kitsunes. Animal hybrids include unibison, ferretsnakes, cowyotes, beaverducks. Things I made up include the elemental foxes and blue hedgehogs.

SOTL: Hofiwi is an anthropomorphic bear! She was cursed to be anthropomorphic, this is not a normal thing in this world. I love her and she's just planned at the moment. Can't wait to do more.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

TSP: Hovercrafts, dragons, teleporting, trains, and some other power-based travel

SOTL: I'm still figuring this out no one has gone anywhere yet. Dragons or carriages would be cool. Maybe I can mix them with something modern to fit the setting.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

TSP: World building! Specifically the power database since that will be the backbone for everything.

SOTL: Reading fairy tales... I need to do that more

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

TSP: Powers, diverse cast, queer/disability rep

SOTL: same as TSP but fairy tales!

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

If I see one (1) fanart between either my life will be complete.

This was fun!

Softly tagging @mk-writes-stuff @jezifster @blind-the-winds @little-peril-stories @sleepywriter00 @mysticstarlightduck @sarahlizziewrites @writernopal @gottestod-writes + anyone who wants to join!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites - giving a slightly harder nudge than usual cause I really want to see what y'all have to say! Still optional obviously

Blanks below the cut!

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

[splatcat64]

i had a really long convo with my friends about this but it really seriously feels like ppl get rhys and fionas characterization switched up HARD. this is bc of the u choose the path thing but also a heavy hand in the misogyny and racism (and general way ppl tend to approach pandorans due to being effected by how jack talked about them . LOL) fiona is such a sweetheart whos working her hardest to protect the people she loves + imo shes the one who helped vaughn grow into someone who adores pandora as well. it makes me blow up. i have a few songs that have been making me go nuts about her . hai i got excited sorry

NOOO DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING EXCITED I totally get it my god,,, this blog is becoming so tales centric I’m sorry not sorry here we go. If you haven’t seen tales and want to be mindful of light spoilers. ⚠️

This has been talked about on my side a bit but I tooootally agree, Both of their characterization gets switched up BAD and it’s absolutely insane, both Fiona and Rhys are good people, but flawed. Flawed, but good people, and it gets constantly jumbled around in the fandom. I feel like a lot of people have a really hard time grasping that “choose ur own adventure” protags still have a core personality set, especially telltale. I always use Lee TWGD as an example, because sure you can portray him as either very very confrontational, or more soft spoken and sweet, but in the end of th edgy he still killed someone. In the end of the day he still ALWAYS cares about Clem. It’s not any different for those two idiots, they still have their respective arcs and the such.

I feel like Fiona gets a lot of shit specifically BECAUSE she’s snarky and she. speaks her mind. And god forbid a POC/Black coded woman do ANYTHING. Jack really messed up ppls views on Pandorans but the look into Sasha and Fi’s life is literally just more, HEY, they’re people!! Maybe don’t listen to the GENOCIDAAAAL [big arrows pointing to the word] MANIAC. It’s thrown right at your face. People take wtv the fuck Jack says way to seriously when he lies. So much. All the time. And I don’t get why no one takes it with a pile of salt constantly. When really she does just have a heart of gold, most of her being mean is literally just playful banter like hello. Sasha’s meaner than her by a mile but Fi still gets slaaandered for it. And even tho Sasha does have her really mean moments I will defend her to the grave with strangers bcus “hating her” without a valid reason gets veeerry racy really quick and as a black person it really does rub me the wrong way sometimes. So much mischaracterization everywhere. It’s a weird mix of a patriarchal, misogynistic, racist deal with EVERY character in The Group and I’m just… how do you manage to mischaracterize everybody from a game that’s all story.

And the point I made in a post somewhere about how Rhys is written differently than a LOT of men in borderlands and ppl have ran with it and decided hey this guy actually sucks. Or hey haha this guy can’t do anything. He’s completely out of his element on Pandora, of course he’s stumbling somewhat but bro is brave as hell for that shit. He’s a completely capable dude, yes he cares about Fiona and Sasha and Vaughn. Yes they care about him. I feel like people also get it twisted because of Fiona and Rhys in the intros, but people gotta remember that they’re acting like that because the game was episodic and we weren’t rlly allowed to know that they’re super buddy buddy. That’s one gripe I have w the game is that they made Fiona seem like she HATED his ass in some of the future settings in the beginning of episodes and people took it way too literally. Please I beg they’re besties,,, you’ve never boxed with a bestie before??? Either way it’s obvious that it’s blown out of proportion especially after Rhys’ whole arc concludes. You’re supposed to be like oooh he’s like that cause we couldn’t know. You look at Fi and you’re supposed to like daaamn she really cares about him/them they were all just split apart after extremely traumatic events. [I’m gonna stop here with this point cause it’s starting to be a run on but people do not talk enough about how traumatic both Helios’ crash, the wreck, and Gortys’ first fight was for all of them.]

I’ve talked extensively with a friend about this too but Tales had a looot of budget issues during its making cause of Telltale nuking itself, and the game was meant to have more time. ALL of them were!!! I always think about maybe if they all got more time they’d be treated this way less. But yknow,, whatever I guess.

AND THE VAUGHN THING UR SO CORRECT GOD. I think she really help him crawl out of his shell for a lack of a better term, both the sisters tbh I feel like they’re a very rare and cute friendship pairing and I need to see more of Sasha daring him to do shit like in the Chimera dome. They all care sooo deeply for each other and people even manage to miss that like god. One of Rhys’ core traits if you don’t make him abysmally evil is loyalty. LOYALTY. Fiona hasn’t had many, hell if any friends since tales started, She is SUCH a caring person of course she’s gonna ride or die for her friends. Like that one scene on Helios where Rhys can ask her not to leave, And she’s like “If I wanted to leave, I would’ve done it a looong time ago.” There’s so many points in the game I could,d bring up that show how great all of them are, Fiona, after knowing him for not too long at all, tries to convince Vaughn to be brave, and that he can survive Bossanova’s race. Yes, she had to do that so they wouldn’t die, but she went out of her way to say it in a way that was reassuring enough. That’s sweet. If she didn’t care about them she wouldn’t have played cards on the roof with Rhys, or play bunkers and badasses with the boys, or I don’t know, let them LIVE IN WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY HER HOUSE FOR A YEAR. /ref ep.3 of tales. I’m being dramatic, of course there are factors that didn’t let her kick them out. But, my point stands.

That wasn’t meaaan that was playful reassurance, she’s telling him she’s THERE FOR HIM. They all care sooosososo much. If none of the, cared about each other, any “betrayal” wouldn’t mean that much. People get hurt like that because of their bonds and yes, YES I’m being opinionated but they’re like the found family ever, god. Fiona is fucking amazing and she wouldn’t put up with anyone if she didn’t either have to, or care, and after a certain point it’s very obvious that it’s not the first one.

TLDR; Tales is great, stan Fiona, stan Rhys, Stan Sasha and Vaughn,,, my glorious queens and kings. Forgive any typos or grammar I wrote this on a passionate whim,

[ichorblossoms]

🫵 Get uno reversed. Tell me about Honeybee!! What's up with Grimm and Yarrow!!

HAIIIIII !!!! OKAY SO i did write about the general premise of honeybee and it's three parts before here. that's the basic "what the fuck are you talking about mintt" intro that i have locked and loaded now for if people ever ask me what the fuck it is i'm being so mentally ill about

AS a story itself, i envision honeybee as an illustrated novel of sorts, told in a semi-linear way. because i apparently cannot be a normal person who wants to tell stories in normal ways. the illustrations and whatnot will need to be decently worked out once i get a solid first draft of the story written, but i currently want to do something like this with the pages where instead of traditional illustrations it's something more akin to comic panels

(caveat that this is a mockup with first-draft unedited writing (with <placeholders>) and quick doodles. this is as not-final as it gets dshgklfdhlgh)

colors not final and this is definitely NOT the art style i'll be using for honeybee, i just needed to convey my ideas dhklghdflkg also i do want to get really fun and funky with the layouts but this was with csp and not like. indesign so it'll be a whole Process come time to actaully tell the final version of honeybee hdklghfdlg

basically i want to have the best of both worlds where i can get into grimm and yarrow's heads when i need to (it's written in third-person limited in both of their povs depending on the chapter/scene), while also showing things as they happen bc i feel like there are crucial moments in the story that hit harder when you see the characters reacting rather than what's going through their heads in the moment? this also is fully bc i'm a visual artist before a writer, but the nature of reading comics means people generally will consume the story faster, so i want to disrupt that a bit

like i said, i'm still on the first draft of the story, so i have a general arc of where i want things to go and land, but i'm still figuring out a LOT of the in-between details. the out-of-date thought-vomit outline is at almost 11k words, while the actual first draft is at 43.5k, which is…..mmmmmaybe about 1/3 of the way done…..? idk, there's a lot of stuff i want to say and do with the story that i haven't yet, so i truly don't know how long the full draft will be. i also think i'm gonna end up trimming a lot of what i currently have written and i also have scenes that have completely changed but. gotta get a draft down first

AS for grimm and yarrow well. god where do i start. they kind of have a different dynamic in each part of the story. p1 is about two strangers—one who gives without thinking and another who has received so little kindness—getting to know one another and learning about how the world is both kinder and crueler than they expect. p2 is about two people who knew one another but are sort of strangers again trying to open themselves up to trusting one another despite a number of personal issue on both ends, and how the process of doing that fucking hurts both parties, but, in the case of these two at least, results in both of them being the happiest they've been in a long, long time. p3 is about two people who are madly in love with one another trying to wreak havoc on the people responsible for getting in the way of that. they drive me bonkers fuckin yonkers for different reasons on their own AND together. yeehaw

briefly back to what i mentioned earlier abt the story being told semi-linearly: p3 is the "present day" of the story, so despite me calling it "part three", honeybee as a work opens with the beginning of p3. from there the story flips between the past (parts 1 and 2), as it is told chronologically, and the present. this is bc i want to make it abundantly clear from the get go that the two of them are so in love with one another and this is a story about both how they got there and what the fuck they're doing now

i could go on about a lot of things here for a lot of time bc i've been hyperfixating on trying to build/tell this story for almost a year and a half now, but i'm gonna call it with the post now bc if i don't, it will dissolve into even more rambling (but you are welcome to ask follow-up questions. no pressure though hfkghldf)

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Controversial Character Tournament Round 2: Jaiden from The DSCP, A 17776 Roleplay vs Rose Quartz from Steven Universe

(remember that these characters are fictional and your fellow tumblr users are real. i will block you if you harass others in the notes, please consider sending your unhinged harassment to my inbox instead)

Propaganda under the cut, may contain spoilers:

Jaiden:

HATE: - "OKAY SO. This is Jaiden. In a world thousands of years in the future where humans are immortal and spacecraft are beginning to wake up and become people on their own, Jaiden decides *she* wants to be the catalyst to wake one of them up. For years and years she tries and fails, until she finds CHIPsat, quietly shut down a while ago rather than decommissioned and.. well. taken out of the sky. CHIPsat isn't her first attempt at this, but they're her first *successful* one. She asks the newly-awakened satellite one thing: "Hey little buddy. How are you holding up?" The two are close friends for awhile, and I'm not about to spill ALL the details about EVERYTHING she did but let's just say: in a world where machines are literally people, hacking is NOT the most ethical skill ever. Jaiden's a BITCH nobody likes you jaiden (rusty if youre seeing this dont worry shes a VERY cool character. i just also want to crush her like a bug. hope this helps) also here's the image rusty used for the dani profile: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/783126743191519252/785258702188970014/unknown.png or the image rusty used for the jaiden profile: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/783126743191519252/914301198994116619/1306309_f0CiRxGx-1.png"

Rose Quartz:

LOVE: - "She was the example in the intro post I'm so proud of her. <3 I saw this bracket and I was immediately like "rose quartz my favorite character rose quartz" and lo and behold I was Correct. "UwU space mom victim" is a little simplistic, she has the range. She haunts the narrative. She taught me how hiding yourself because you're afraid that people won't like who you really are leads to continued self-resentment and avoidance. Loving her teaches me that even if you did do something completely irredeemable, even if you did do something worthy of all that hate you hold for yourself, people can still see the entire you and decide to love you anyway. I think even the other diamonds are better-regarded than her, which... incredible pr stunt from them tbh. I don't dislike the other diamonds but come on they made no independent effort to change w/o Steven—there's literally no question in the "who's the better person" department. Of course the "who's the better character" department will always be incredibly subjective but she is so complex, and multi-facteted, she screws up so so much and yet somehow her biggest mistake of all might be her own self-degrading. "What an incredible power... the ability to grow up," said with such longing. Girl look at Jungle Moon, you really think you're still the same gem? You grew so much and you never saw it. She's so selfish and selfless and self-destructive all at the same time and it's captivating. I want to put her in a jar and study her like a bug." - "did she do a lot wrong? yes. do i think she had good intentions at heart but just majorly fucked it up? also yes" - "she has so much depth oh my god" - "look idk I just want to make sure she gets submitted to the bracket because you’re so right that she belongs here" - "Rose gets a lot of shit because we saw her character arc in reverse. The situation is very messy but it’s also very nuanced, and regardless on how the discourse hammer judges her, I will always love her." HATE: - "Yeah" - "Anti : I'm not one her biggest hater but I can't forgive her for what she did to Pearl, and the other crystal gems. I've read some interesting defenses of the character but I can't get past all the lying, leaving and (accidental) abusing." BOTH: - "Is there a proper way to say that I loved her for a while in the show, but the showrunners kept piling blame onto her with less and less justifiable and more and more abuse of power things (without including counterbalancing reminders of how much she loved the planet and helping people) and so I kind of. Love early Rose Quartz, the complicated war leader with a messy past that she's escaping from, but hate Pink Diamond?"

[lokavisi]

*~Housekeeping~*

Hail and welcome! The intro blurb at the top of the page tells you a bit about me but I wanted to get a little more in depth about the blog. My goal is to make my little corner of the internet here as safe and welcoming as possible, so I wanted to make some disclosures and set some boundaries. (Please read, especially for personal policy regarding minors!)

-First and foremost, Heathenry is for everyone. No matter your race, gender, sexuality, age, or ability. Fascism has no place here or anywhere else in Heathenry. I will not tolerate any such ideologies being spread here.

-A newly ignited passion of mine is fostering future generations of Pagans and Heathens. For that reason, I am accepting of minors interacting with this blog with some caveats. These are to protect ourselves and foster healthy boundaries.

1. Please limit interactions to likes, public comments, reblogs, or asks; no private messages. This keeps us both accountable for the appropriateness and intent of our interaction. I do not have the option for anonymous questions for this reason (and to generally try to deter trolls). I ask that these interactions stay related the topic of the post being responded to, working with Loki, or things relating to Heathenry/my other religious identifiers. I do not want anyone to ever question my intentions in wanting to educate you or other youth, nor do I want to put your safety in jeopardy.

2. Speaking of safety, the only time I will respond to private messages from minors is for questions regarding gender transition. As a trans person, I fully understand the need to discuss those things more discretely if it is not safe for you to do so publicly. I understand how challenging it can be to find safe adults and accurate information about the process. I am here to educate as best I can. If you have questions about the transition process, I will do my best to help you get accurate information. Please understand, however, that I am not a therapist and I will not discuss personal details with you. This is for our safety. The most I will ever share about my personal life is whatever is relevant to getting you accurate information (such as the process I went through to change my name or pursue surgeries).

-Related to the previous point, I will do my best moving forward to either tag and/or indicate at the top of my posts what may not be suitable for minors. (This will be based more on content than things like language. I figure if you're old enough to be online, you're probably familiar with a few choice words.)

-A lot of what I share on here is related to my UPG (unverified personal gnosis), practices, and beliefs. It is absolutely ok if your UPG or beliefs do not align with mine. However, I will not tolerate anyone trying to discredit my, or anyone else's, experiences. Keep all discussion civil and respectful. I hate doing it, but I will block people if harassment and the like becomes a continual problem.

-Life is too short to have a stick up your butt about comics and movies that people enjoy, so we respect Marvel fans around here. This does not mean that we are equating the Gods to Marvel's interpretations of Them, nor are we equating Tom Hiddleston with Loki. I am under no delusions here. That said, some people came to these Gods through Marvel material and it is something that can be enjoyed in and of itself. I have made a few posts about how the Gods can sometimes sneak Their way into that stuff and that's just fun (for me, at least) to see. Sometimes Thor likes watching those movies with me. I found watching the Loki series to be a surprisingly devotional act because of the character arcs and material correlating with a lot of the work I've done with Loki. None of this has to be your jam. Just don't be a jerk about it. (Also, if I use a Tom-Loki gif as a reaction or to indicate a vibe Loki's giving me, that's all it is. No need to get worked up.)

Other general notes:

-I tend to refer to Loki with He/They pronouns because of how They generally present around me. Whatever pronouns you use to refer to Loki are absolutely fine.

-If you are curious, the meaning behind the name Lokavisi and my choice to use it can be found here.

-Loki and Their family tend to get the most of my attention, but I have had experiences with and some connection to other deities in the Norse pantheon and beyond. I am also looking to "shake hands" with more deities and spirits for my own edification and oracular practices. (If I'm going to be sharing messages from Someone, I feel like it helps to know Them at least a little.)

-My main blog is @bifuriouslyqueer. So if you see that blog following you or liking your posts, it's me. If you care to follow (and it is absolutely ok if you don't), that's a little more DNI for minors. It is full of my pop culture hyperfixations, mental health and political woes, and general trash memes.

-Banner art is "Loki's Children" by AnywhereButReality on DeviantArt. Profile pic art is from @jessiarts

-If you would like a tarot, rune, or oracle card reading, please visit my Ko-Fi! If cost is a barrier for you, please do not hesitate to reach out so we can work something out! While I am broke and need money, I don't want to be inaccessible.

Alright, enjoy the blog!

[greatwyrmgold]

With Jujutsu Kaisen wrapping up, I decided to put my thoughts on each arc into words.

Cursed Child Arc aka JJK Zero

I can certainly see why this short series earned Gege Akutami a spot in Weekly Shonen Jump. Unfortunately, I don't find it that compelling.

I don't consider Yuta to be a compelling protagonist. Maybe I'd like him better if his relationship with Rika was in any way interesting, but it's not, and it's also central to pretty much everything about him.

Suguru Geto is great, though.

Fearsome Womb Arc Chapters 1-18; Episodes 1-8

It's a much stronger start! Yuji's a step up in terms of protagonist interest. Gege also does a good job of explaining the basics of his worldbuilding and power system, and finding interesting ways to train Yuji.

It's also the arc that does the most with Sukuna. If he kept taunting or annoying Yuji from within the prison of his flesh, I'd probably like JJK better. Especially the last arcs.

It's mostly just the intro arc, though. It does a good job of establishing characters and themes and plotlines, and all of that is necessary, but it's mostly solid execution of an unexciting necessity.

Vs. Mahito Arc Chapters 19-31; Episodes 9-13

Mahito is a really fun villain. He's shallow, without any well-reasoned ideology or complex plans, but he has a clear personality and desires that make up for (and explain the absence of) that sort of long-term thought. And that personality is a ton of fun, pairing well with a borderline do-anything powerset.

Mahito hasn't reached anywhere near his true potential (that comes in the anime adaptation of the Shibuya Incident Arc), but this arc is a strong start for him.

But despite the name, this isn't just the Mahito arc. It's also the Junpei arc! Seeing an ordinary person getting dragged into the secret world of jujutsu sorcery provides an interesting new angle on both the world and Junpei's guide. And then Junpei befriends Yuji, and Mahito kills Junpei, and it's just a really good little tragedy.

Kyoto Goodwill Event Arc Chapters 32-54; Episodes 14-21

This is a relatively lighthearted arc. There's technically a threat to Yuji's life, but mostly it's just a game with a cursed spirit fight in the tail end. A bunch of characters are introduced, including the unforgettable Mechamaru and the inimitable Aoi Todo.

It's a functional arc, a lighter moment for pacing reasons and a chance to expand the cast, but it's enjoyable. Especially the baseball chapter.

Death Painting Arc Chapters 55-64; Episodes 22-24 & 30

Eh. It's also a functional arc, but I find both the function and the arc less interesting. It introduces one character who does stuff later and establishes the main trio's current capabilities and has a few fight scenes. Okay.

The most interesting thing I can think of about this arc is how the anime adaptation toyed with the order of events a bit.

Gojo's Past Arc Chapters 65-79; Episodes 25-29

A highlight of the series. We get to see the origin of the series's most interesting villain (Geto) and his tangled past with the world's most powerful man (Gojo).

We see a crucial mission for the young jujutsu sorcerers, one which plays a critical role in turning them from the boys we see at the start of the arc to the men we see in JJK0. We see them playing around together, reveling in their friendship and power and the certainty that they could change the world together. We see them realizing the limits of that power, we see their visions of the changed world diverging, we see the friendship fall apart.

We also see a couple important characters get introduced, and some cool action scenes, including perhaps the first time Gojo goes all-out. But that pales in comparison to the character work done here.

Shibuya Incident Arc Chapters 79-136(!); Episodes 30-47

Some people consider this arc to be Jujutsu Kaisen's peak. I have...mixed opinions. When it hits, it hits hard, but it has some serious flaws.

I want to start with some compliments, though. The fight scenes are cool, some of the character moments are good. Mahito is at his peak of both power and creativity; his fight with Yuji and Todo is a blast. Nanami's sacrifice is moving. And that's about all I can give unalloyed praise to, so let's move on to some big criticisms.

First and least profoundly, the arc is entirely too long. It's about 40% of the entire series up until that point, and over a fifth of the entire series. An absolutely comical length of time. Which wouldn't be too much of a problem if I liked all 58 chapters, but. Well. I do not.

Second, around this time I was starting to develop a profound distaste for shonen battle manga "war arcs". You know, the series tries to escalate its stakes by moving from little battles to really big battles with most of the significant characters. That's a topic for another post, but I don't like the plot structure.

One big problem that "war arcs" have is that there are entirely too many superfluous fight scenes. "War arcs" don't usually have larger or more complicated fights, or at least not for most of the runtime. They just have more fights, sometimes running simultaneously, occasionally interacting. And a lot of these fights are either between two minor characters with little to no pre-established relationship, or between one important character and one jobber. Filler fights.

Also, you know how I praised what a good villain Suguru Geto is? This is the bit where we discover that the Geto of JJK0 and Gojo's Past is a different character than present-day pseudo-Geto. Also, you know how I praised Mahito? He gets a great swansong, but then pseudo-Geto eats him and extracts his cursed technique. In the course of one arc, Jujutsu Kaisen throws away its two best antagonists. This doesn't cause problems until later arcs, but I'm still counting it against the Shibuya Incident.

Who's left? The boring shadow of pseudo-Geto, and Sukuna. Who also makes a showing in this arc, but it's kinda dull? Not visually, of course, but he doesn't do much. Sukuna kills some sorcerers who disrespect him, then a cursed spirit who doesn't respect him enough, and in the process kills enough civilians that Yuji questions whether his execution would have been a good thing. That's a good character beat, but Sukuna is just kind of a bad guy who does bad things.

...

Oh, right, the Mechamaru swansong was technically part of this arc. I liked that. It was a neat twist (we get why Kokichi made that deal and thought he could make up for it by beating the bad guys once he was healed), and made a pretty decent tragedy. It's not enough for me to forgive the arc throwing away Mahito and Real Geto.

Itadori's Extermination Arc Chapters 137-143; Season 3?

The setup is solid. The elites of Jujutsu Society are reacting to the Shibuya Incident, mostly by excommunicating people who could threaten their power. They order Yuta (the JJK0 twink) to prove his loyalty by murdering Yuji.

The execution...eh.

Perfect Preparation Arc Chapters 144-158; Season 3?

Wild that this is considered one arc. It feels weird to both combine them into one and exclude Iradori's Extermination. This is definitely my favorite post-Shibuya arc, though!

First, Yuji and company contact Master Tengen. This is an exposition arc, but it reveals a lot of interesting worldbuilding details and explains the interesting parts of pseudo-Geto's plan.

Next, the jujutsu elites execute Principal Yaga. They threaten him, try to make him reveal the secret to creating cursed dolls like Panda, making it clear that this was about nothing more than their power. Even in a time of crisis, that's all they're good for—seeking more power.

Third, Maki gets revenge on the jujutsu elites who happen to be related to her. It's awesome, both because of the cool fights and because it's a good peak for Maki to conquer. The family that shunned her for her weakness is ruined by her strength.

And it's one of the keystones holding up jujutsu society as we know it, the society that so thoroughly failed to do anything about obvious crises in favor of consolidating power. This arc alone does more to correct a rotten status quo than everything that happens in MHA combined.

Finally, the weakest part. Panda and Fushiguro convince some Jujutsu High student we've never heard of to help them. It's fine. I guess.

Culling Game Arc Chapters 159-221; Season 3/4?

Take everything I dislike about the Shibuya Incident, remove the villain shuffle, and turn it up to 11.

It's even longer than the Shibuya Incident. It has more fights, and the fights often involve characters who matter far less. It's also less structured than a "war arc," which can be good or bad, but here it means the plot often feels directionless—especially when one of those pointless fight scenes is going on.

The arc has a good concept. Setting up the Culling Game is the only interesting thing pseudo-Geto does. Some of the fights involve characters with interesting powers, and some of those powers are important to the last arc.

The Higuruma/Yuji fight does some interesting character work (and Higuruma has one of those important powers). Hana Kurusu seems like she should be a good foil for Yuji. But every good thing in this arc is drowning under a deluge of stuff, so Hana did not leave an impression on me. I can't even remember what her or the angel actually want.

Shinjuku Showdown Arc Chapters 222-271; Season 4?

Maybe I'd like this arc more if the Culling Game hadn't exhausted me. I doubt it.

Gojo is freed, and next chapter he starts a two-volume-long duel with Sukuna. It's supposed to be cool, and maybe it would be if it didn't take two volumes to wrap up.

Then there's the fight between the other good guys and Sukuna. It's arguably JJK's best "war arc," since it isn't a series of disconnected fights between minor characters. It's a semi-planned engagement between a bunch of minor characters (and a handful of important ones) and Sukuna. But it also goes on too long, and so much time is spent explaining the jujutsu mechanics of everything going on, and so many minor characters attack Sukuna and get wrecked, one at a time.

I think they beat up pseudo-Geto somewhere in there? Or was that

I actually dropped the series for a while in this arc, so you could argue I can't really judge its quality. On the other hand, it's the only arc that made me drop the series. On the first hand, that had as much to do with the Culling Game as the actual Sukuna fights.

Which JJK Arcs Did I Like Best?

My favorite is a tie between Vs. Mahito and Gojo's Past. Each of them explored one of JJK's two great villains, each told a recently self-contained tragedy, each moved major characters' arcs forward. If I had to pick, I'd pick Gojo's Past, but I don't have to.

Third place goes to the Kyoto Goodwill Event. It introduces some important characters, moves Yuji forward, and was absolutely essential for controlling the pace and tone of the early series.

Perfect Preparation is a close fourth. It's not really a cohesive arc, but I love some of what it does and like some of the rest.

In the middle are Fearsome Womb, then Cursed Child, then Itadori's Extermination, then Death Painting. They do what they need to do well enough.

Third-to-last is the Shinjuku Showdown. Out of my three least favorite arcs, it feels closest to being enjoyable. There's a lot of fat to cut, but nothing needs to structurally change about it. And it probably wouldn't come off so bad if the prior arc hadn't left me exhausted.

Speaking of which, the Culling Game is next-to-last. I like the concept, I like pseudo-Geto's plan (less than Real Geto's though), but there are too many filler fights and cul-de-sacs.

My least favorite arc is the Shibuya Incident. It had higher highs than anything below the top two, but it set the tone for the worst excesses of the Shinjuku Showdown and the Culling Game. Worse, it removed the two great villains headlining the old villain squad, while also gutting the B-tier baddies like Dagon and Jogo. It left the series in the hands of Sukuna and pseudo-Geto; Sukuna has many hands and Kenjaku has had many sets of hands, but none of those hands are as capable as those of Mahito and Geto.

If someone stopped reading JJK at Shibuya, if they never watched past season 2, their opinion of it would be way higher than mine. But I didn't stop. I kept reading. I saw the fruits it harvested turn to mold and lamented the potential it squandered. The Shibuya Incident isn't my least favorite arc because of anything in the arc, but because of its impact on the series.

[tiredspacedragon]

BIONICLE Retrospective

2002: The Bohrok Swarms

Part 1: The Bohrok Awake :REMASTERED:

Heyyy~

Hiiii~

Once more with feeling, okay?

You guys are sweet, y'know that? Anyway, I have elected to begin back at the beginning of 2002 to make this a proper fresh start. The original versions are still out there for anyone who wants to find them, but I'll basically be saying the same things here, barring some tweaks to align with any opinions of mine that have changed since then and any other thoughts I add.

But, re-intros out of the way, lets get back into this!

The first time I talked about The Bohrok Awake, I made a point of how the comic format results in the pacing of the story feeling somewhat rushed. Events happen quickly, and there's barely time to breathe between scenes, and that's when scene breaks happen at all. Most of this issue is one continuous sequence, from the Toa reemerging at Kini-Nui, to their encounter with the Bohrok at Ta-Koro, to Vakama's exposition dump. All directly one after the other. It is a little much, just a little.

But, that's all I'm going to say on the matter of pacing this time. I've complained before, and I'd rather be positive this time. It's 810NICLE Day, I'm feeling chipper.

So what does this comic do right? Well, quite a bit. Shocker, right?

Get it?

Shocker?

*ahem* So, what I wanted to bring up was the portrayal of the Toa here, their characterization specifically, because it's pretty good. That might seem odd in such an action-focused issue, and medium in general, but these are action-oriented characters, so I say it fits. Which is good, because like 2001 before it, 2002 is decidedly light on Toa-centric material, so it's fortunate that the comics, the one medium where the Toa have always been the stars of the show, does a good job depicting them.

On an individual level, we get to see both examples of character growth and lack thereof. Tahu has begun to show genuine compassion and concern for his villagers, rushing to Kapura's side at Kini-Nui and then to Ta-Koro to defend his people, continuing to show that secure OG Tahu command of the team as he does so. Lewa, meanwhile, continues to be reckless even after his experiences in the prior story arc, and it continues to cost him. His headstrong attack on the Kohrak gets him iced and pinned down in the time it takes to blink, and of course this time it's not just a character moment, but foreshadowing as well...

I will commend Lewa on his inventive use of the Hau's shielding power here though. Using the shield to break and push the ice off of himself is rather ingenious.

Perhaps more importantly though, this issue continues where Triumph of the Toa left off, showing the Toa as a formidable united front. Given that unity will go on to be a recurring issue, it's nice to at least see the Toa working so well together here. Tahu rushing to Lewa's aid, Onua watching Pohatu's back, Lewa and Gali combining their powers. Teamwork, communication, it's good stuff.

But of course, this is 2002! This year isn't about the Toa! This is the year of the Bohrok swarms! So does this issue serve as a good introduction to the central, well, not quite characters, but entities of the arc? Yes, I rather think so. Vakama of course gives us our rundown of all the different swarms and their abilities, but we also get to see some of the Bohrok in action, displaying their core features: their cold, robotic efficiency, and their trademark disregard for living beings. Though the Bohrok's mission remains a mystery, it's clear their objective is the destruction of the landscape specifically, not the people of the island. We don't know much about the Bohrok at this point, but that is A) par for the course with Bionicle, and B) all that the characters themselves know at this point, so even if it isn't much to go on, it is keeping pace with the plot, and it's an excellent introduction into this new force.

And that's exactly what The Bohrok Awake is supposed to be: an introduction. The Toa appear immediately, established as the heroes of the story, they show their powers and teamwork, and meet their new enemies, with a little extra info from helpful local mentor-expositor Turaga Vakama. It's by-the-book, entertaining, and gets readers up to speed on everything they need to know.

It also includes Pohatu's first "what's a" question, so I think that qualifies it as an instant classic.

Speaking of introductions, re-introductions specifically, I hope this was a good one! Feels good to get back into this now that I'm in the right headspace for it. Expect more soon. For now, I'll leave you all with this image, still haunting 21 years later.

Next up: To Trap a Tahnok :REMASTERED:

[ragnar0c]

Moved most of the first arc to Scriv... This is so good... I have no idea how to outline but having everything in one place is awesome....

The fact I don't have a name for chapters 8 and 9 😭 Th names for chapters 4-6 and 8-10 might change....

Terrible news for angst fans, but the premonitions are very spread apart and... I think... BIG ON I THINK... Hana only has 10 (???) of them. A few are reoccurring. The rest is Hana messing around and like forming bonds or something 🥰

Stuff I've noticed as I've compiled things.

CHAPTER 2 IS SOOO LONG. NOT DOING THAT AGAIN UNLESS I NEED TO

I tend to have a really short intro scene in most chapters, 500 words, then a long middle and end.

The intros are fun, kind of where I build things up and I hadn't noticed

Chapter 7 is the most completed besides the first 3 chapters 〒▽〒... I think it might be as long as Premonition II... so the first may be a lie. But like in a good way.

But scriv has inspired me to work on chapter 5... and inevitably 4 more... ! I have a lot of days off next week. I might work on it and read more.

SO far a lot of positives, but wait until I check how many times I switch to passive voice or contradict myself

[sindar-princeling]

actually! i have another question! i know you’ve said that ROP’s holistic reception was rather… :/ but how was the show’s true quality? was there any memorable/fitting music? was it plot accurate? was the film quality high? and a bonus, do you have a favorite scene?

not to offload all this on you at once, but i just want to know your opinion of its quality uwu

hi again! ❤️

I just wanna begin by saying I'm no expert on film- and tv-making, so I don't think I'll have much professional input, but. here we go!

(this is gonna be a spoilery review, just a warning)

overall, the quality was pretty uneven, I'd say. the show was advertised as the most expensive series ever made, and... I personally couldn't see that. especially regarding costumes and cgi, i feel like there was a lot of room to improve. some views and wide shots of locations were pretty nice (lindon, eregion, also khazad dum was just beautiful in some shots), but the scene where they were sailing to valinor looked really bad to me, especially those cgi seagulls.

the acting was a mixed bag. there are characters whose acting i really enjoyed (miriel in the second half of the series, elrond, arondir had his moments, adar was GREAT, elendil was pretty cool, durin was good even when the script wasn't), but it only made the rest look worse in comparison, i'm afraid.

I'd say the music was good. I'm not sure i'd call it memorable, because apart from the opening credits music i well. don't remember it, but that may just be my shitty memory jshkjfhjdk but I don't think there were any moments where music felt unfitting or jarring. it was fine.

about the writing... okay, that's a long one.

as for the plot - they didn't have many rights to tolkien's works, so their options were limited, plot-wise. even the intro with some information from the years of the trees and the first age was very general, and didn't even mention the kinslaying.

but while they had to invent a lot of plot, the characters were RIGHT THERE. all they had to do was do them justice, and in my opinion - they didn't. galadriel isn't wise or power hungry (in my opinion), and it's a shame. her arc is in most part just the writers screaming ISN'T IT IRONIC HOW SHE CAUSED THE THING SHE TRIED TO STOP, it lacks any subtlety.

(on this topic, why did sauron tempt her, and not celebrimbor? does it stink a bit of homophobia or...? it's like they were deadly afraid of even a hint of homoerotic subtext. like im sure that's what happened, but it still sucks)

it's a story about forging of the rings of power, and celebrimbor is barely there. i'm really baffled by some of the writing choices, because they clearly had the rights to the rings, celebrimbor and sauron, so why not tell the story that was written? there is enough material there to tell a compelling story, and in my opinion choosing to omit and overwrite it was a bad one. neither galadriel, nor the original plot benefitted from the writing choices, i think. they both ended up heavily flattened and less interesting than their original versions.

galadriel especially had many of her ambitions and stuggles taken away from her - by making her conflict with sauron central to the plot, the show takes away from the fact that galadriel's biggest stuggle has always been with herself - and in lotr, she wins when she resists the ring (NOT sauron - she resists her hunger for power and her huge ambition. it's about HER). it was one of the changes that made me the saddest, because they had a truly amazing, iconic female character right there, and they wasted her potential so painfully.

it WOULD feel wrong to say i wish they just hadn't chosen her as the main character, because we DO still need more female leads - many, many more. but i can't not be angry at the way they stripped her of her ambitions, best strengths and defining flaws.

there are also many changes to the lore, to which my reactions switched between "why add that?" (isildur's sister, the priestesses? witches? whoever they were), "why change that" (mithril lore (im still all "???" whenever i try to make sense of it)), and "oh my fucking GOD" (halbrand as sauron, mordor's on/off switch). especially the last one was... ridiculous. mordor is a country that's seeped through with evil because of the dark forces inhabiting it for ages, and you're telling me they decided to make it so that it was created within a few minutes because a guy put a sword into a keyhole? fuck off

the whole sauron thing is a material for a separate post and this is already long enough, but I'll just say. i don't get why they had to make drama around sauron. everyone and their mother knows who sauron is, you can just use the impact that this character has instead of creating conflict with a weak plot justification. of course it was going to be hard to create a character from someone who in LOTR is more a symbol than a person - but in my opinion, they didn't make any right choices regarding him. and they didn't even tell the actor he was going to be playing sauron until they were shooting episode three, which is a trend that seriously needs to stop.

all in all, if you're looking for bits of story and lore that tolkien came up with, they are not there. solid 90% of the show - maybe more - is something new or changed

the costumes are... meh, mostly. there is one thing in particular that makes my blood boil, and it's Numenorean armor, best visible on Miriel. take a look at her sleeves:

(id in alt text)

it's fucking. fabric with the scales pattern printed on it??? which is either a pretty bad costume idea/design, or THE cheapest, laziest, almost insulting execution I've ever seen.

also, many costumes are only like two layers of clothes, they usually have few details like jewellery and such, so they often look simply unfinished. especially elven costumes are underwhelming. I think as far as i remember, the dwarves' costumes looked best. I'd recommend watching LanaMarie's videos on youtube, I've stumbled upon them while looking for video essays on rop and it's clear she knows what she's talking about when it comes to costuming.

(also, I stand by what i said when the first promo pics came out - why would you get rid of long-haired male elves? I hate that they did that. are they THAT afraid of breaking gender norms?)

last but not least - i was seriously not impressed by the actors' accents choices. you got English elves, irish harfoots, scottish dwarves, cockney (? i'm not sure) orcs... it was a mess of really ugly stereotypes.

(EDIT: I worded this poorly - it sounds like I mean to say it's the actors' fault, but that's not what I meant. I wanted to say that the actors playing certain races seemed to have been assigned certain accents by the creators and along with some script choices it created a few ugly situations that felt very stereotypical and harmful towards real life people who speak with those accents)

HOWEVER, despite all that i'm gonna end on a more positive note and refer to your last question, my favourite scene. this spot is easily taken by the scene where disa and some other dwarves sing to the mountain to let go of trapped miners. it had amazing impact, to me it was a beautiful piece of lore, and it showed the love and respect and trust the dwarves have for the mountains. it was so short and simple yet so amazingly effective in conveying everything it had to convey. also disa's singing gave me goosbumps, the actress has an amazing voice.

okay, i think that's all i wanted to say (wow, that's. a lot). thank you a lot for asking, I hope that tells you what you wanted to learn! and i really enjoyed this opportunity to talk some more about my thoughts :)

[arkus-rhapsode]

So... I kinda miss FE7's 10 chapter long tutorial was structured

So like many people I've had a chance to replay FE7 on Nintendo's NSO program. FE7 is still a great game, even with nostalgia goggles off. But something that is of course legend at this point in the FE fandom is the 10 chapter long tutorial.

This serves as Lyn's story and essentially a prologue to the rest of the game that stretches teaching you a lot of mechanics for 10 chapters. Now I experienced this once before so I was ready to grit my teeth and bare it. And the crazy thing is as I was playing it, I realized just how much this 10 chapter prologue made me care about the characters in a way the recent FE hadn't.

Now look, I like modern FE. This isn't me saying everything was better back in my day. But something about them that just isn't like the GBA era is that they introduce characters to you as clusters that you control off the bat. This is something that really started around with Fates, you'd be given a lord and then their two retainers. Maybe you'd have to assist them after some space was put between you on the map, but for the most part, you were handed a bunch of units that would train you to use multiple mechanics on a single map. FE3H was probably more extreme with this handing you an entire class of kids before you really even get a chance to know even the lord character.

But then when I played through FE Engage, the Yunaka chapter had genuinely shocked me. Engage up to that point had basically done the same thing Fates had done. Hand you a bunch of characters with different classes and test you with the map. But with Yunaka, the chapter was actually narratively structured in a way where she was the primary focus and showed who she was, then you got to the map which utilized her abilities. And by the end of it, I had felt like I really got a taste of her in a way I really hadn't with characters like Chloe, Louis, Celine etc.

From a meta standpoint, FE is a game with permadeath, so only the lord characters really have plot shields and arcs that are overarching that builds throughout the game. But since this is a strategy RPG with a bunch of characters, a lot of those characters really only have their introduction to make an impression on the player. Even now with the support system to flesh them out, an average non lord character will really only one chapter for recruitment. Now the obvious reason modern FE is giving you three new units a chapter is to teach you multiple mechanics. To avoid another 10 chapter long tutorial. But the thing is though, if three characters are all being introduced at the same time, namely the cutscene before and after a map, there's only so much characterization you can spread between them. I talked about Yunaka earlier, but her whole chapter genuinely felt like an exclusive highlight of her. Then I think about one of my other favorite characters from Engage, Lapis, and her intro is really nothing. Most of her intro chapter is about Alcryst and as far as I knew she was just his serious retainer. But then I actually grinned out her supports and found her to be one of the best characters in the game. And the sad thing is I almost didn't do it because I felt like I didn't really find her endearing in her intro.

This is basically the same problem I had with Fates and to a lesser extent 3H. But, to be fair, 3H was structured in a way that the emphasis was on socializing so even though I got a bunch of characters I knew nothing about, the game encouraged me to learn more through social activities with them.

But then I look at FE7, while yes the pacing of introducing mechanics is more stretched out, the chapters of FE7 genuinely feel like they endear me to the cast to point I want to know more about them. The levels are structured in such a way that the narrative portion pre battle its usually only focused on one character, but then there is also a recruitable character on the map who is in the middle of their own story. They feel like a natural inclusion while not detracting from the new character just introduced this chapter's time to shine. And like all FEs, a lot of these characters aren't really plot relevant going forward. I never have to use Dorcas ever again if I don't want to and it really changes nothing in the narrative. But when I play chapter four, I feel for Natalie and Dorcas's stories. I want to see more of them.

Now look, Im not saying I want to go back to the 10 chapter long padding of introducing mechanics, but I feel like with how FE is going with trying to hand you a bunch of units and then wanting you to learn more about them through their supports and not narrative chapters like the lord characters, I would like for those introduction chapters to maybe get more focused.

Instead of a lord and their retainers, maybe have a different dynamic? I think modern FE has had a bit too many characters recently who are just a lord and those they trust most. We can have an intro like Celine, Chloe, and Louis, but maybe structure the map more to be like an interactive episode than just a barrier between my party and getting the three new units. And if the recruitable units feel too much like a hassle, I feel like PoR and Awakening were probably the best middle ground. Slowly dripping in multiple characters a chapter while building that chapter to characterize them like the Maribelle and Ricken chapter.

Just one of those things where I understand was changed to make for gameplay convenience and even developer convenience. But with FE, I always want that balance of character and gameplay so these are more than just functions. I'd have been happy if I spent longer in like Firene if it was just to get me to know the characters more. Or play levels with a bit more of a difficulty curve if they were structured to play out in a less straightforward and more narrative way.

[thesinglesjukebox]

TWICE - "ONE SPARK"

Needs more (less?) ska…

[5.82]

Kayla Beardslee: It’s a convenient microcosm of Twice’s recent career arc that their three English-language singles have been better than the Korean title tracks of their respective albums. “One Spark” is nice, but its English companion song “I Got You” bursts open with an “OOOOooooOOoooh” hook that’s simple and sweet in its immediacy, whereas “One Spark” delays its best melody to the back end of the chorus. Just on the strength of the hooks, I prefer “I Got You,” but this is still more engaging than Twice's last Korean title track, which was an overly serious take on ’70s retro that arrived years too late to the trend. There’s been a sea change with JYP girl groups recently: after a few years of muddled artistic direction, Twice, Itzy, and NMIXX are all barreling ahead with some of their most assured releases ever. “One Spark” isn’t even close to the best track on Twice’s most recent EP, but for once, it fits right in and lifts the whole project up. [7]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: The instrumental sounds like a yassified version of royalty-free music. Elsewhere the spark catches but develops into more of a clumsy ember than a roaring flame.  [5]

Alfred Soto: More like two sparks. This track never stops poppin'. [0]

Leah Isobel: Late-period Twice is so poised and professional, their songs gorgeous and modern; in their hands, the explosive breakbeats on this chorus come off like a tasteful accent pillow, the ascending synth counterpoint like a classy credenza. But what is that dry-ass Disney-ass guitar supposed to be? A cheap Ikea rug? [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: Boyfriend: Is this Pale Waves? Me: Is this ska? [5]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Sadly not the ska revival track the opening guitar strums imply — but this is almost as good, a pop song like a perpetual motion machine. Every hook has another, slightly catchier hook it wears as a hat, every slowdown is accompanied by a speed-up, everything is calibrated just so.  [8]

Michael Hong: Maturing in the West often means shedding some of the things you grew up with, whereas the opposite rings true in K-pop, where codependency in a group is its own form of currency. Songwriters Sim Eunjee and Melanie Fontana do an admirable job of balancing these incongruities, but there are traces of awkwardness in the ambiguity with which an “endless flame” can be an object of passionate and a lifelong friend. Despite some of the more awkward shoe-horned line readings, Twice inflect a sense of rush into the drum 'n' bass. It’s a way of turning the trends set by their younger cohort into an act of maturity, of transforming “One Spark” into a passionate dance, even if their lyrics aren’t forthright about it. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Pauline Cerrada, a songwriter on this absolute bop, has only one solo song, while Twice, assembled by the TV show Sixteen, have seven albums — three in Korean and four in Japanese, and this is a part of their thirteenth EP called With You-th. That’s the power of the K-pop industry: scooping up talent and cranking out fizzy pop bangers that the assembled musicians have to connect with, that the group members have to connect to. When it works, it produces this simpatico concept for each singer/rapper to link together, from intro verse to hook to trap breakdown to lily-white pre-chorus to nu-disco crank to drum 'n' bass and back again. It’s an electrifying mix. [10]

Ian Mathers: We have covered Twice over a dozen times, and I have either missed every single one of them, or I simply haven't retained a memory of any of those songs. Based on the perfectly fine "One Spark," it could easily be the latter. [5]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: An instructive K-pop single: the Atlanta bass and freestyle influence that informed Twice’s early work arrives alongside modish drum 'n' bass & stuttering club beats (their millionth trap breakdown is here too, but at least it’s subtle). The result is a song that’s effortlessly stylish to a fault, in constant search of a hook that can match the seamless genre blending. When they sing the chorus, it sounds like they’re losing their breath, chasing a high instead of delivering one. They finally get there when they bring in the handclaps. It’s only here that “my heart is burning” is delivered with the right balance of confidence and resignation. The production isn’t dizzying enough to conjure something epic, and so Twice are much more convincing when the passion is contained, like desire is swirling internally. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: On a per-second basis, the most effective use of handclaps in a song so far this year. [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[bearmemesreviews]

FotW: SDMI - Beware the Beast from Below

Welcome to Freak of the Week, where every Sunday I tackle something Non-Skylanders since that series has a billion characters I need to give their own individual reviews. Fotw is my way to get more content out on a decent schedule, tackling the Monsters, Villains, and Foes who take turns every week to harass the Hero of their specific media.

For these first few months we'll be covering a series dear to my heart, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Every episode covers a crook who, for reasons that will become known eventually, decides that the best way to successfully commit a crime is to dress up as a giant crab or Cthulhu while doing it. Luckily a gang of budding stoners and college dropouts are there to solve the mystery and do the job the police are too lazy to do themselves.

Points to realism.

Let's begin with our introduction episode, and first baddie, The Slime Mutant!

Backstory: Sewer Workers working underneath the town of Crystal Cove knock down a wall revealing a hidden cavern system that contains barrels of unknown, radioactive material. These caverns seem to run underneath the entire town and will come back in several episodes holding their own mysteries.

The Sewer Workers, playing into their roles as the pre-intro horror movie victims they are, decide to pop open one of these barrels to investigate further. This seemingly unleashes a mutant made of radioactive slime, who thanks their help by cocooning them in vibrant green goo.

Please appreciate how horrific these cocooned victims look and remember this when we get to the reveal.

Design: The Slime Mutant is a humanoid creature with exaggerated human anatomy whose skin is see-though. It's covered in a coating of iridescent green slime and has a muscular body type with a cinched waist. Its skull has needle-like fangs and glowing red pupils in its empty eye sockets.

While most of the anatomy we see through its slimy epidermis is bone, similar to a cartoon x-ray gag, some of its skeleton still retains muscle tissue around limbs, neck and lower jaw which gives the monster a really cool appearance reminiscent of someone who's been half-melted in cartoon acid. The muscles also seem to exist as a way to explain how the creature moves, as its body lacks the full viscous stretchability most slimes have. It instead lumbers around like a zombie, with muscle tissue remaining in places where they'd be needed for movement. This attention to detail is especially fun when you realize who the culprit is and why they'd include that detail.

Combined with the show's sharp art style, it turns a pretty simple creature concept into an iconic new monster. Its powers include the ability to petrify, and also mummify(?), victims in its green slime - which it blasts from its palms like a Dragonball character.

Reveal: Mystery Incorporated is hailed as one of the best interpretations of Scooby-Doo, taking the concept and allowing its characters to exist in a setting that changes every episode as it ditches the episodic formular of past series for a story-driven reboot with multiple arcs and an overarching mystery each season. It's still Scooby-Doo however, so every episode follows the same formula more or less.

You get two or three suspects (oftentimes just additional named side characters tied to the plot of this episode), whoever the gang settles on prematurely as the culprit is innocent, and the gang traps the crook and unmasks them at the end of the episode.

Our first suspect is Franklin Fruitmeir, a strange clown man who recently moved into town to sell his dessert product, which is neither ice cream nor gelatin, but something else entirely. Scooby ends up tasting the slime mutant's goo and discovers that its ooze is not radioactive waste, but radioactive frozen treats.

One can only imagine what it does to your insides if getting covered in the stuff turns you into a pickled corpse.

We never really get to see what happens to the sewer workers in this episode, so I assume they died.

Our first culprit is Professor Emmanuel Raffalo, who worked as a science teacher at the gang's school. Turns out that he was going to use the caverns to dig under Crystal Cover bank to rob it - framing Fruitmeir for the crime by using the dessert product in his scheme.

Yes, it is because a teacher's salary isn't cutting it anymore.

5/5 -Great Start with a unique execution of a classic monster, who doesn't love slimes?

[tsuki-sennin]

Wow, Adventure Heaven! What a good movie I totally just saw! I liked the part where Moffun showed up and ate an entire box of Milk Duds, cardboard and all~! And the part where Racules spelled his name out in Romaji on a blackboard and it wasn't "Rcules" because goddammit that is fucking bullshit~!

Anyways, time for Episodes 24-26~!

Spoilers, I guess...

-I don't know why you seem so surprised about Dezzy blowing up the planet, Jimmy. I mean, have you met him?

-Gerojim! I missed you, yo!

-Ahhhh, so Tikyuu's already got its core science down.

-Oh!

-Okay, apparently bedrock just doesn't exist in this universe.

-"I will be king! And none will challenge me!"

-Spiders Jeremy comes to play the game!

-Grandpa putting you to bed.

-Jeremy hijacked the intro entirely for himself this time, okay!

-The king is boiling alive, and he hasn't even been coronated for a few days!

-Holy shit, 90%???

-Damn Yanma, do you not have liquid nitrogen lying around?

-...Rita, is there some secret stash of Moffun and Me merch hidden somehwere in this castle that Racules had? Are there Moffun Chunkopops?

-Three cities! For three baskets of crops!

-Oh, Gira...

-Boone...

-"How can you people party when we're all melting?"

-Matsuri, matsuri da~!

-...Tarou-san...

-"I know all about your stupid planetary genocide plan~!"

-Goddamn, Jeremy looks great in that torchlight.

-One of the best staples of any JRPG~! The festival sequence~!

-Gira-sama~!

-Have fun, my beloved peons~!

-Oh my god, the plushie's got his own Akracing (TM) Gaming Chair.

-

-AN ENTIRE SKYSCRAPER

-Oh you motherfuckers hjlkh

-Stupid carnies!

-Lunch time~! Lay it on us, K-Man.

-Utage ja Ohger Jumpscare

-Rita's so adorable in that outfit, holy crap

-"Get out there, boy."

-Dezzy's insight is rather surprising. Forced to answer for crimes he had no hand in while those who put his people there party above them...

-Ohhhh, those are simply lovely parallel effects...

-"I will be the pen that writes my tyrannical legend."

-"Ehh... idk, maybe this whole tyranny thing isn't working out for me."

-Th

-Awww, Douga :)

-Man, looking at the green screen for long is fuckin' with my sense of perspective.

-It's like if George Lucas directed a season of Power Rangers.

-"Oh, hey Jeremy :)"

-Jeremy...

-All this time...

-Big crawfish!

-Po boys for everyone!

-That boy can dig.

-"Anyone got any bright ideas?"

-Fishing!

-Okay, that is smart writing.

-Can't burn somebody already boiling alive.

-Now to plug all these holes.

-Oh Dezzy...

-Oh, goin' full King already.

-Holy shit, he tanked that.

-Idomonarak??

-Ohhhhhhhh

-Family...

-He's just shuffling on...

-And yet he hears nothing.

-OHHHH?

-Everybody!

-"The man who done fucked up."

-Go even further beyond.

-Oh

-Okay, that simple.

-Twenty guys.

-Ah don't worry, I saw the preview, you guys'll find 'em.

-GEROJIM

-DUDE

-"I'll handle this one."

-OHHHHH

-That is devious.

-:O

-Holy shit

-Testing a man's resolve so hard.

-"Serve your king. As the first of the Bugnarok."

-Chosen by the gods.

-Kofuki's unprepared.

-"...I'm starting to regret this idea now."

-King Nerd and his posse ride on!

-I see Himeno's retinue are quite resolute.

-Last meal.

-"My nasty-ass hands ask to be taken! Kuroda! Suzume! I beg of you!"

-Hello, Morphonia~!

-Kabedon

-Ohhhhhh the hug!!!

-"The will to succeed."

-Kuwagon...

-Thump!

-No more sacrifice plays! Only the finest perfect run here!

-Damn

-Boone didn't hesitate for a second.

-It's time for your advent, God King-Ohger!

-That is one huge son of a bitch.

-Long-ass jingle too.

-God descends, and they are a chimeric arthropod!

-Removed.

-Ikuzo!

-This is simply marvelous.

-"On your call, Ant Boy!"

-Ohsama Sentai! King-Ohger!

-Goodbye, Emperor Dethnarak.

-We saved the world~!

-...kinda!

-One last episode for this arc, of course.

-Ah yes, the best solution for racism. Genocide.

-"All the Bugnarok will die too, you moron."

-"Let's meet somewhere nicer. You can even borrow this if you want."

-Sweet prince Jeremy...

-Oh?

-"Hey, Arbiter! Can't arbit with goosebumps?"

-Ohhhhh

-I see...

-Oh crap, Himeno.

-OHHHHHH

-Those're the locusts!

-A pile of dead flies.

-Jesus Christ...

-Oh, already revolting.

-That is messed up, man.

-Emperor Dezzy's got a stummyache.

-Gerojim's a force ghost.

-Oh!

-It's a little guy!

-"Can you help him?"

-Dethnarak...

-I never expected much from him, and yet...

-Goddamn, this is some tragic-ass theming.

-"Get out of here! You stupid dumb animal!"

-They fightin'!

-"Look at how bright and beautiful the sun is!"

-Gira...

-Yep. We would've done the same goddamn thing.

-And we would've kept doing that same goddamn thing over and over again.

-Let it fall, buddy.

-We're doing it good!

-Oh

-Oh fuck you Kamejim.

-"Two thousand years of planning! Stoking the fires of prejudice, killing, stealing, lying, destroying. All down the drain!"

-What the hell is that

-"Be king. Let our people see the beautiful shining sun!"

-Dethnarak...

-Returned to nothing but cinders.

-Jeremy's fucking pissed.

-Time for everybody to play their part once more.

-"Now, what to do with you kids~?"

-Clocked

-Even at his last breath, Kamejim refused to get it.

-Goodbye, stinkbug man.

-The Bugnarok are heretofore recognized as their own domain.

-There's no need for hatred any more. Never there was.

-Man and bug. Hand in pincer, hand in wing, hand in leg.

-No cheer or joy. Just a message made clear.

-"Now, let's make a beautiful new story~!"

-Ohhhhhhhhh

-Ah, yep. Planet.

-I forgot.

-Alienses~!

-Galactinsects, they're called.

-Oh wow, a timeskip.

-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH FINALLY!

-I'M CAUGHT UP!

-THE CURSE HAS BEEN LIFTED!

[diagonal-queen]

dia entirely forgot it was thungo thursday until mayoi reminded her and she dropped everything to watch the ep. here are all her thoughts, live-documented, in chronological order (apologies for this):

NOT RANPO CHILLING LIKE SHIT'S SWEET WHEN THE CAR HE WAS IN JUST FUCKING CRASHED LMAOOOOO

ranpo is so small next to minoura. he's so tiny and cute i just wanna cuddle him sm (and yes i am a little taller than him- height means nothing to me. we all know where the rest of his inches went YKNOW WHAT IM SAYIN YA FEEL ME)

'the police of this nation are idiots' yes minoura you're absolutely correct but consider this: the police of every nation on god's green earth are idiots

isn't it amazing how it was written in this magical reality-bending book that nobody would believe in the agency's innocence and in a couple minutes worth of running his mouth, ranpo just...undid it?? for like hundreds of police officers??? the sheer power of this man

god i forgot just how fucking fantastic this intro is. tbh this is probably my favourite intro of all of them. the colours and imagery and the chaos of it all MWAH (also kishow voice mm)

bones. was this panel too hard to animate properly?? did you read the fucking manga bones?? do you HATE US BONES??????

i could listen to ranpo talk for HOURS. literally hours, in a language i don't even speak, about anything he wanted, for hours, and i wouldn't get bored. his voice just...*kicks feet and giggles*

i missed you tecchou <3 please keep cooking for fukuchi. you're doing great sweaty xx

some loser: 'when do you suppose a life ends?' even bigger loser: 'when it becomes unable to adapt to change' fukuchi on his celestia ludenberg arc ok

IT'S BEEN LIKE ONE FUCKING WEEK AND THE UN IS ALREADY MAKING AN ANTI-TERRORIST GROUP??? THEY'RE FULLY READY TO FIND AND EXECUTE THE AGENCY MEMBERS IN UNDER A WEEK?? THE ICC LEGALLY CAN'T EVEN DETAIN CRIMINALS ON THEIR OWN IRL

i wish people reacted to seeing my posts on their dash the same way that the united nations reacted when fukuchi appeared onstage

congressmen will excuse mass shootings of gay ppl and then have shirtless fukuchi posters hanging above their beds where they half-heartedly fuck their wives and go to sleep before the thought of helping her also cum even crosses their mind

wait. *pauses and zooms in*. WAIT. YOU'RE TEL

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT

TH

THAT ABRAHAM STOKER WAS THICC?????? THAT HE HAD A DUMPY???? THAT HE HAD SOME JUNK IN THAT TRUNK???? ALL THAT ASS INSIDE THOSE JEANS???? CURSE YOU FUKUCHI OUCHI FOR RIDDING THE WORLD OF BRAM'S CAKES

thinking about it, doesn't the decay of angels sound like a really cool name for an operatic metal band??

fukuchi: *enters room* ranpo: YOOOOOO STEPDAD GUESS WHO'S AN ENEMY OF STATE :DDDDDDD

fukuchi really is like 'you havent changed at all, boy' ranpo is literally eight years older than me. if he's a boy i'm primordial soup

fukuchi also said that ranpo's title of 'excellent detective' is self claimed. the thousands of people whose lives ranpo's probably saved must all be like 'say sike rn'

ranpo trusting fukuchi solely because the president said he trusts him. crying screaming throwing up ranpo GIVE ME ONE CHANCE (that's right guys we're back to this again)

fukuchi thinks he's hot shit cus he can jump high?? well my ocs can also do that fukuchi. sucks to be basic huh

IT'S NOT RANPO'S FAULT HE WAS BORN LATER AND THUS MET FUKUZAWA LATER??????? FUCK OFF FUKUCHI (also i love the way they're sitting they're all so silly mwehehehe)

omg ranpo also commented on the 'boy' thing lmaooo he and i are so good for each other <3 if only he'd give me a chance... </3

i wonder what portion of atsushi's budget goes towards emergency ramune. also imagine someone caring enough about you that they always keep one of your favourite snacks on you in case you get hungry or something. that's so cute i can't <3333

imagine coming up with a complex plan, twelve or so years in the making, to end the world, all because u asked ur friend out like thirty years ago and he said no T-T

fukuchi: *tilts neck* *minecraft skelly noise*

oh atsushi. i know other people won't like me saying this but you're so hot and i want to do the sex with you <3333333

wow bones. you've outdone yourself. this has to be the best fisheye yet- maybe even beating lucy's fisheye for how terrifying it is. i'm genuinely speechless

AKUTAGAWA

omg atsushi's speech on how loneliness is his biggest fear and how much he cares about his loved ones (kinnie moment), and the one thing he needs, truly needs right now is someone to fight alongside him to save all that he has to lose and the world as he knows it, and then akutagawa appears? soulmates. i mean it's not even like this is a surprise to me as someone who read the manga but, like, it's different when i'm watching it. soulmates. soulmates soulmates soulmates

and that's a wrap for tonight's edition of dia's thungo thursdays!! be sure to tune in for next week and see them cry tears of hopelessness and despair!!