#Thunderbolt Fantasy 2

[aptericia]

Commissions are open!

I'm currently opening 5 commission slots! All prices are in USD

You can DM me here, or through my payment platforms:

ko-fi: https://href.li/?https://ko-fi.com/aptericia19601 artistree: https://artistree.io/aptericia

***15% OFF COMMISSIONS FOR FANDOMS IN MY PINNED POST (Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fire Emblem 9/10 & 16/16W, Thunderbolt Fantasy, and Octopath Traveler)***

I will draw:

fanart

original characters

characters without visual reference (i.e. from a written description)

complex designs

mild blood/gore & body horror

I will not draw:

heavy gore

romantic or sexual acts

anything else that makes me uncomfortable

lineart-only style:

1/2 body: $20 full body: $30

flat color style:

1/2 body: $25 full body: $40

cel-shaded style:

bust: $30 1/2 body: $40 3/4 body: $50 full body: $60

fully-rendered style:

bust: $35 1/2 body: $50 3/4 body: $65 full body: $90

backgrounds:

transparent / flat color / simple graphic: $0 simple background: $5-$20 complex background: $20+

extra characters: +70% of listed price

What to expect:

Message me on tumblr, ko-fi, or Artistree for inquiry! Let me know what you’re looking for and I will confirm if I can draw it. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the details figured out—I’m happy to discuss with you! You do not need to provide references for characters who can easily found on the internet, however for OCs and characters from non-visual media, please provide me with descriptions or examples. Same goes for any specific poses, clothes, backgrounds, etc. you’d like me to include. Once we’ve settled on an idea, I’ll send a rough sketch and confirm the price. After I receive the payment, I’ll continue working and send you updates at various stages of the development (lineart, flat colors, etc). You may request changes at each of the stages (minor ones are free, however large or many changes will require an extra fee). When the last update is approved, I’ll send you the final version in high resolution. The amount of time a commission takes is highly dependent on the specifics, but most take under a week. If I expect your piece to take longer than that, I will let you know. By default, I will post the finished commission to all my socials and may use it to promote my services. If you would NOT like your commission to be used this way, please let me know.

Things you ARE allowed to do with your commissioned artwork:

post the artwork to social media

use the artwork for social media icons, banners, etc.

edit the artwork as you wish; however, if the edits obscure my signature then you must credit me

Things you are NOT allowed to do with your commissioned artwork:

claim the artwork as your own

sell or otherwise make profit off the artwork

input the artwork into generative AI programs

[chipsncookies]

Can I get a small synopsis of thunderbolt fantasy? It looks interesting

Okok I'll try to be brief. Our story is set in Dong Li, a country where in the past there used to be a war between humans and demons, so humans forged powerful magical swords that could ward off demons, and this results in demons being successfully banished from human realm.

In present time, demons are gone but the powerful swords still exist, and shrines are built to protect these swords from falling to the hands of evil. One guardian of such shrines, Dan Fei (green) and her brother (light blue) was attacked by an evil group (yellow) who wants to steal the sword they're guarding. Her brother sacrificed himself so Dan Fei could escape. During her run, she ran into Shang Bu Huan (red), a traveler who just arrived there, who decided to protect her after being convinced by Lin Xue Ya (violet) to help her.

Shang managed to drive off the mooks, but the evil group is still hunting Dan Fei, so she begged Shang to go on a quest to defeat them for good. Taking a pity for the poor girl and having his arm twisted being convinced by Lin Xue Ya, Shang agreed to help. They later assembled a team to fight the evil group, including a one-eyed archer and his plucky brother, a flamboyant assassin and and a demon(!) necromancer, each having their own strengths and quirks, they go on a journey together to defeat the evil group... But it won't be easy due to many difficulties and conflicts they would face along the way!

This is very brief spoiler free synopsis for season 1. It starts a bit slow but ramps up immediately halfway the season, and there are many plot twists and surprising developments. Gen Urobuchi, the guy famous for Fate series and Madoka Magica is the one who created the series and wrote the story, so if you're familiar with his works you might be able to tell things are gonna be crazy!

[rose-madder-gaze]

It's been a minute, but 2/39 episodes transcribed ✌️

[sealedsanctuary]

霹靂異數之龍圖霸業 Pili Anomalous: The Dragon Domination · 2001 - Feng Zhi heng vs Dugu Yihen

[ksantillus]

"'Justice' is a powerful and magical word, and if you repeat it enough the world will bend to your whims."

[glorioblog]

The GLORIO Chat Episode 171: Fall 2024 Anime Preview

We get nostalgic in both good and bad ways as we preview some of the big name anime airing in Fall 2024. Continue reading The GLORIO Chat Episode 171: Fall 2024 Anime Preview

[sambuckylibrary]

All TFATWS Anniversary Event 2024 Fills

Thank you to all who participated in this event! here are all the fills you created!

Week 5: No Powers AU by @funsized-loser | SamBucky Fic Rec List | Rated: N/A-E | 13 Fics + 7 Fic Writers Generally Recced |

[podfic] I Could Never Hold Your Heart In My Hand (my darling you already do) by @funsized-loser with original fic by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: T | Length: 1.5-2 Hrs | Snow White Fusion, Fantasy AU, Curse Breaking | AO3 |

Week 5: Ghost/Zombie AU by @funsized-loser | SamBucky Fic Rec List | Rated: T-E | 7 Fics + 1 Fanart |

The Romanian by @six2vii | Rated: T | WC: 5.4K | No Powers AU, Western AU, Fluff and Humor | AO3 |

Upon Faith by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: E | WC: 26.8K | Skrulls, Divorce Arc, Better Thunderbolts Ideas, Better Captain America 4 Ideas | AO3 |

Week 6: Didn't Know They Were Dating/Friends With Benefits | SamBucky Fic Rec List | Rated: G-E | 10 Fics + 1 Podfic |

Off Mission by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: T | WC: 2K | Hurt/Comfort, Better Thunderbolts Ideas, Bucky Takes Care of Sam | Off Mission |

Cheesecakes at Kitchen Tables by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: G | WC: 2.9K | Didn't Know They Were Dating, Matchmaking, POV Original Character | AO3 |

Hanging In There by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: G | WC: 3.4K | No Powers AU, Meet-Ugly, Fluff | AO3 |

Untitled by @onesmolangel | Art | Hurt/Comfort, TFATWS Episode 6 "One World, One People", Hug |

sixteen carriages driving away by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: M | WC: 3.2K | Western AU, Technically Better Thunderbolts Ideas Inspired, Hurt/Comfort | AO3 |

Very Casual by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: E | WC: 2.4K | Didn't Know They Were Dating, Friends with Benefits, Post-CATWS | AO3 |

Let Me Just Walk You Through a Hypothetical by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: G | WC: 1.5K | “Let Me Just Walk You Through a Hypothetical”, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Getting Together | AO3 |

You’re Just Gonna Set Me Up Like That, Huh? by @funsized-loser | Rated: T | WC: 986 | “You’re Just Gonnaa Set Me Up Like That, Huh?”, TW: Blood/Injury, Cute |

You’re Just Gonna Set Me Up Like That, Huh? by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: E | WC: 1.8K | “You’re Just Gonna Set Me Up Like That, Huh?”, Gay Chicken (Sort of), Actions Do Indeed Have Consequences | AO3 |

A thousand times yes by noe3489 | Rated: G | WC: 591 | Meanwhile… On the Boat, First Kiss, Love Confessions | AO3 |

Untitled by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: N/A | WC: 511 | “Let Me Just Walk You Through a Hypothetical”, Fluff, Established Relationship |

What We Want by noe3489 | Rated: G | WC: 1.6K | Divorce Arc, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sharing a Bed | AO3 |

“Fixing the Boat” by @thatmexisaurusrex | Art | Meanwhile… On the Boat, Gif, Domestic Fluff |

“Sam Finds the Note” and “Bucky Has Regrets” by @thatmexisaurusrex | Art | Divorce Arc, Angst, Thunderbolts Era |

Untitled by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: N/A | WC: 2.9K | “You’re Just Gonna Set Me Up Like That, Huh?”, POV Annalise (Darlene’s Friend), Tooth-Rotting Fluff |

Another Natasha by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: T | WC: 2.8K | Skrulls, Fostering, Established Relationship | AO3 |

Third Time’s The Charm by @exbex | Rated: G | WC: 3.6K | Reunite in Wakanda, Speculation for Thunderbolts, Temporary Character Death | AO3 |

Want to Live in Your Personal Space by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: E | WC: 4.4K | Laying Low, Getting Together, Bucky Barnes Takes Care of Sam Wilson | AO3 |

Soul Stone Fic Recs by @funsized-loser | Rated: T-M | SamBucky Fic Reclist | Five Fics |

Victory Party by @funsized-loser | Rated: T | WC: 1.3K | Victory Party, Bittersweet, Let Sam Grieve His Lost Friend |

and if you go chasing rabbits by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: T | WC: 4.5K | Soul Stone, Getting Together (Sort of), Bittersweet | AO3 |

Acting Weird by noe3489 | Rated: N/A | WC: 1.4K | “Can you move your seat up?”, Preslash, Idiots in Love | AO3 |

Never Hit Send, Never Called Again by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: N/A | WC: 3.2K | 6 Months of Ghosting, Post-Endgame, Texting |

Sam Gets Ghosted for Six Months / Bucky Loses His Nerve for Six Months by @thatmexisaurusrex | SamBucky Fanart | 6 Months of Ghosting, Bittersweet, Gifs |

“I don’t think he’s the kind you save.” by @thatmexisaurusrex | art | SamBucky Edit, “I don’t think he’s the kind you save”, enemies to lovers.

The Exact Kind of Guy You Save (And Who Saves You) by noe3489 | Rated: G | WC: 523 | “I don’t think he’s the kind you save”, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pre-Relationship | AO3 |

Sam Searches for Bucky by @funsized-loser | Rated: M | WC: 1.1K | Sleeping Together, Sam Searches For Bucky, Fluff But a Little Bittersweet |

Right moment by noe3489 | Rated: T | WC: 1.3K | Sam Searches for Bucky, Past Sam Wilson/Riley, Hurt/Comfort | AO3 |

The Kind You Save by @abarbaricyalp | Rated: N/A | WC: 1.2K | “I don’t think he’s the kind you save”, this one’s angsty y'all, “You’re the one who gets saved.” hits you like a ton of bricks |

Distraction Tactics by @thatmexisaurusrex | Rated: T | WC: 1.1K | “Can you move your seat up?”, crack treated seriously, fluff with light angst | AO3 |

Acting Weird by noe3489 | Rated: N/A | WC: 803 | “Can you move your seat up?”, Pre-Slash, Idiots in Love | AO3 |

Won’t Let You Fall by @exbex | Rated: T | WC: 776 | Team Up at the Airport, Feelings Realization, Getting Together | AO3 |

At the airport by noe3489 | Rated: G | WC: 1K | Team up at the Airport, Pre-Slash, POV Steve Rogers | AO3 |

Post-WS/Sam-Finds-Bucky fics by @abarbaricyalp | SamBucky Fic Reclist | Rated: G-E | Seven Fics |

[sylvestris123]

How Aziraphale and Crowley deal with stress

[Sorry, no gifs, this is my first Tumblr post and I don't know how to drive it yet]

There are big differences in the ways that Crowley and Aziraphale deal with unwanted feelings and stressful situations. They have both witnessed and sometimes had to participate in a number of horrible and traumatic situations over the millennia, and they’ve both had to develop coping mechanisms so as not to end up suffering the occult/ethereal equivalent of PTSD.

(N.B. these are not necessarily healthy coping mechanisms, though).

Crowley (to me) is a bottler. He experiences big emotions and then shuts them away deep inside.

(It’s the equivalent of when you find that you have visitors imminent and you haven’t tidied up the house. Sweep everything into a cupboard and shut the door on it. All clear, nothing to see here).

We see this most heartbreakingly in the final 15 of S2E6 when, having poured out his heart to Aziraphale and not got through, he puts his sunglasses back on and speaks in a totally different, flat calm tone.

This method of managing big feelings doesn’t always work. Sometimes the cupboard door gives way and spills everything out. Then you get shouting or thunderbolts and lightning in the street. Aziraphale gets to see it quite a lot (probably because he’s frequently the cause or catalyst), and then he gets slammed against a wall or a Crowley right up in his face. Judging by his reaction when this happens in both S1 and S2, the times we see it are not the only ones, as he’s singularly not bothered by it.

Aziraphale is an avoider. His coping mechanisms are more akin to tiptoeing across a minefield. There are warning signs (“Danger”; “Here be dragons”; Keep out”) and we just Don’t Go There.

(In the house metaphor this would be like there being whole areas of the house that are off limits).

What this means for Aziraphale is that there are great swathes of subjects that he can’t think properly about, and he ends up circling around in smaller and smaller regions of his own head.

When this goes wrong I think that he suffers quite an existential crisis (going back to the increasingly overworked house metaphor, it would be akin to going in to a room and thinking “What is this place? Where am I? I don’t recognise any of this…”). We see this in S2E2 (A companion to Owls) when he believes that he must now be a demon having lied to the other angels.

In the whole of Season 2 they are both pretty stressed (from even before the Jim situation). But we only see it indirectly, with Crowley being on a very short fuse and Aziraphale retreating more and more into a fantasy world.

[inimoose]

what's the pili(?) stuff you keep reblogging?

as far as i see, it's a stop motion doll story, set in china(?)

and it kinda looks like the modao zushi my sister reads

霹雳 or Pili is a Taiwanese glove puppet drama that’s been airing since the 1980s and currently there are over a thousand episodes. The plot varies across its many seasons but it’s basically about martial arts, sword fighting and lots of drama between the many many characters of the show. (It's not stop-motion btw, it's filmed live with the puppets)

There’s always some bad guys or groups stirring up trouble. But bad or good the characters always look damn good I mean...

Beautiful :')

Anyway its been a special interest of mine since I was about 16 Cartoon Network aired a horribly edited dubbed version of it before quickly pulling the plug on it (Wulin Warriors… only look it up if you want to cringe)

As much as I love the series it's rather hard for people to get into if you don't know Chinese. BUT if you are interested you have some options!

Thunderbolt Fantasy:

It's not Pili but a new series, a collab between Pili, Nitroplus, and Good Smile. If you like anime you'll love this! There are 3 seasons, 2 movies, and season 4 is in production I believe. You can find it on crunchyroll or any site that uploads anime.

Pili Fantasy: War of Dragons:

A remake of an early Pili series made to appeal to a global audience. It was on netflix, which was a dream come true for me.

Literally.

But since all my dreams are meant to die, netflix removed after a couple years. There's no legal way to watch the subbed version, but there are other ways if you know what I mean 🏴‍☠️

There's another 2 seasons of Pili Fantasy but they are sadly not subbed.

Lastly Studio886 on youtube is currently posting subbed episodes of older Pili series. I will post them in chronological order

Pili Totem:

Pili Anomalous: The Dragon Domination:

Pili Sealed Spirits Island:

Pili Military Conflagration:

Even though these are older series they're still very good! I'm working my way through The Dragon Domination currently.

I know this is probably way more than you wanted to know but if even one person watches Pili because of it I will be happy. Thank you for the question!

[dobadgerseatsnakes]

Thunderbolt Fantasy season 2 end credit-- LIn Xue Ya

[aptericia]

I commissioned @sazuka57 for these WONDERFUL pixel sprites of Shang Bu-Huan and Lin Xue-Ya from Thunderbolt Fantasy in the style of the Octopath Traveler series!

A while back, I had created information for them as if they were NPCs in OT2 (season 3 of tbf introduces interdimensional travel, after all!), and I was considering posting them when I decided I really wanted some visuals too. Sazuka did a spectacular job with them (their poses?? all the details on their incredibly complicated outfits?? aaaaah) and was super friendly and easy to work with!

Info below the cut:

Traveling Swordsman (Shang Bu-Huan)

Strength: 10

Skills: Formless Rogue Sword (1-3 highly powerful sword attacks on all foes), Qi Punch (strong physical attack, chance to lower opponent’s physical defense), Qi Healing (restore a small amount of HP to a single ally and remove their status ailments), Attack (Sword)

Information:

Age: 46 Details: After making one too many enemies in his home country, he fled with the intent to rid himself of his burdens. Unfortunately for him, he has so far only managed to acquire even more burdens, such as the enigmatic young man who followed him to Solista. Information Gleaned: None

Items:

Formless Sword (Sword; Phys. Atk +1, Speed +45, Evasion +45) Umbrella (fetches a modest price if sold)

Summon (x4):

Business Partners: Lucky Break (Have a 1% chance to receive purchases for free) Dance Session: Gentle Rhythm (Restore a small amount of HP to the target)

Battle:

Weaknesses: Dagger, Bow, Ice, Wind Shields: 7 Item Drop: Fool's Leaf Learned Skills: Formless Rogue Sword (consume all your SP, then unleash a sword attack on all foes proportional to the amount of SP consumed)

Path actions:

Inquire: Lv. 40 Guide: Lv. 65 Challenge: Lv. 30 Befriend: Stone-Roasted Rice x15 Soothe: Herb of Serenity x1 Ambush: Lv. 60 Hire: $65,000 Coerce: 5 shields Bribe: $5,000

Mysterious Man (Lin Xue-Ya)

Strength: 10

Skills: Misty Veil (cause a single foe’s next 2 physical attacks to miss), Smoke Pipe (Confuse a single foe for 5-7 turns), Empoison, Panacea

Information:

Age: unknown Details: Pretends to be a humble traveler, or whatever other role suits the occasion, but in reality is a master thief known as the “Enigmatic Gale”. Switching from villain to hero at the drop of a hat, his true intentions are impossible to know. He came from a faraway land in pursuit of a certain swordsman he has taken an interest in. Information Gleaned: None

Items:

Bottle of Befuddling Dust Herb Elixir Revitalizing Jam Herb of Serenity

Summon (x3):

Business Partners: Silver Tongue (Receive 20% off purchases) Dance Session: Bewildering Ballad (Cause a curious effect to occur 1 time)

Battle:

Weaknesses: Staff, Dark Shields: 5 Item Drop: Refreshing Jam Learned Skills: Misty Veil (cause a single foe's next 1/2/3/4 physical attacks to miss) (20 SP)

Path actions:

Inquire: Lv. 20 Guide: Lv. 30 Challenge: Lv. 40 Befriend: Octopath Bowl x3 Soothe: Herb of Serenity x3 Ambush: Lv. 60 Hire: $30,000 Coerce: 6 shields Bribe: $3,000

[plonkfolio]

Tried a fun art trade with fellow moot @tkwmatsu and in exchange for a lovely Xu Sheng fan art, I drew them Shang Bu Huan from Thunderbolt Fantasy! <3 He was fun to draw and it reminded me to catch up on Season 2 and 3 LOL Thank you again for the art trade <3

[atamascolily]

Thunderbolt Fantasy: In Which I Yap About Swords

(What can I say? Guilty as charged.)

Thunderbolt Fantasy is about a lot of things, actually, but it's first and foremost a story about swords. So many swords. Magic swords, ordinary swords, demonic swords, holy swords, swords that look like swords but are actually something else, things that look like something else but are actually swords... the list goes on and on.

Thunderbolt Fantasy also has many themes, but I would argue that a major one is that swords are tools first and foremost; whether they are good or bad depends less on the sword itself and more on how it's used.

In the wrong hands, even a holy sword created to fight demons with the purest of intentions can be misused; in the right hands, a demonic sword can save the day, as evidenced by Shang Bu Huan's and Lin Xue Ya's clever team-up using Night of Mourning.

But it gets complicated because swords aren't just tools--or at least not all the time. Season 2 introduces us to Seven Blasphemous Deaths, who blurs the established boundaries--she is a person who is also a sword. Then we have Lang Wu Yao in Bewitching Melody of the West, a person who is explicitly compared to a sword; the climax of the movie hinges on Lang's decision to take full agency for his actions instead of letting unscrupulous people manipulate him.

Bewitching Melody of the West ends with Ling Ya--another character who blurs the line between person and object, and who is sometimes, but not always, a sword--teasing Shang that the Sorcerous Sword Index itself might one day gain sentience. "Any object imbued with strong enough sentiment in time grows a heart of its own! Not that all of them are chatty like me! ... You keep dragging that batch of magic swords around and sooner or later it [the Index] might start talking, too!"

Shang is incredibly flustered by this: "Shut the hell up! Don't jinx me!" He's learned to accept both Lang and Ling Ya as friends and comrades, but the idea of anything more than that scares him. Then he catches himself, "Er, I mean..."

"Mean what?"

And for a moment it seems like Shang is going to tell him, and then he pivots to thanking Ling Y for his assistance earlier and changing the subject. Which is too bad, because I really want to know what he's thinking here. Would it really be so bad if the Index and/or the swords within it was no longer a tool, but a person in their own right? If they could make decisions about how they wanted to be used?

Okay, so maybe it would be bad, given that swords are weapons--they can protect people, yes, but they can also kill them, or turn them into puppets, or generate massive earthquakes. It's only natural they would want to perform the functions they were made for, and some of those functions are terrible. Even holy swords are dangerous, as evidenced by Wan Jun Po being burned alive from the inside out from wielding one of the Three Holy Relics. Good is not soft, to say the least!

Given everything we know so far, it would not surprise me if Shang can "hear" the swords in the Index, and has a sense of their personalities and desires. His restraint in using the Index is entirely justified because these swords are dangerous, even though he has the skills to use them (and this restraint is one reason he can wield them). My personal headcanon is that one reason Lin Xue Ya is such a natural at using Night of Mourning is that he is also incredibly skilled at manipulating people and thus their desires align; he might have more difficulty with a sword that makes other demands of its wielder.

But as we've established, a major theme of Thunderbolt Fantasy as a whole is that even villains can grow and change (cf. Xie Ying Luo's arc in S2) and that people aren't bound by fate--they can and should be able to make their own choices. So why not extend that to the Index as well, especially considering how many people are trying to control it?

And would a sentient Index really be so terrible if it was embued with Shang's feelings? The man who is the moral center of Thunderbolt Fantasy, whom Lin Xue Ya (a master thief) says is the safest place he can imagine? I think an Index that grew out of Shang carrying it for so long would inherit that strong moral center--and I think it would be fitting, given how much carrying it has transformed his life.

One way or another, Shang can't rest until the Index is dealt with. One possibility is that Thunderbolt Fantasy punts the final ending, by having him keep wandering with the Index, but somehow I doubt it--Shang may well continue to journey on, but if he does, I think it will be because he genuinely wants to, or has some other task he wants to do, not because he's still carrying out the same old one forever.

In order for Shang to give up the Index, he has to trust it will be safe from people who will misuse it. We saw how that went at Xian Zhen fortress; even an institution dedicated to preserving the world couldn't keep the Index safe for less than a day, and most of them are worse.

The Index could be hidden, perhaps, or chucked away into the void, but the reason Shang hasn't already done it himself is because the swords are humanity's one hedge against another demon invasion. The swords were created to fight the demons, and they will continue to exist as long as that threat remains. So peace with the demons has to happen first. This is likely for other reasons--see Lang Wu Yao's whole arc--so I feel pretty confident about this. Maybe the swords, most of which originally came from another world, will end up returning there in the end--and like I said, the void of space seems to be a favorite place for chucking stuff you never want to see again (eldritch horrors, Lou Zhen Jie, etc). So it's definitely a possibility.

We also know as of S3 that the swords came from another world, and it's possible that they'd lose their powers if they were returned to their home and be ordinary swords again. So that's also an option.

But given all of the hints and established themes, I'm rooting for a secret third thing: to neither hold on to the Index or to throw it away, but to let it grow up and come into its own. Maybe the Index would decide to leave of its own accord; after all, the swords inside it came from another world and maybe they'd be happier to return there after all. Maybe it'd stick around under the auspices of Dan Fei, Juan Can Yun, and the Hu Yin Shi, who are going to need something to do with their lives once the war with the demons is over for good. I don't know. But I want the Index to have the same freedom as any other character. I want it to be able to choose.

How exactly this would work, I don't know. Maybe the Index is a single entity, or maybe it's a collective intelligence composed of all the swords inside it. Given that Huo Shi Ming Huang's theme centers around this kind of "swarm", and that he seeks the Index, I can't help wondering if the two are connected. But if the Index has to choose between Shang and Huo Shi Ming Huang, I think Shang's influence will ultimately carry the day in the end, though it might get pretty dicey before the end. After all, he's the one who carried it for so long!

(Look, I am but a simple soul--all I want is to see all of the swords flying out of the Index all at once in the climactic battle, preferably under their own accord. Yes, I know that technically already happened in the S2 opening, and it was great, but can we have that as the centerpiece of the final movie instead of 10-15 seconds?? Bonus if that severed arm is still in there and smacks someone across the face.)

All of this is to say, I fully expect that this is going to be a major theme going forward, and I have "the swords unionize" on my personal bingo card.

[sealedsanctuary]

hi, sorry for the rando ask!! i've been interested in getting into older seasons of Pili for forever, but don't really know where to start or where to find them. do you have any tips for a new fan diving in? thanks!!

Dw it's fine! I'm glad to know that you're interested in getting into older Pili seasons \(^_^)/ You can start watching them through the Studio886 youtube channel, they've been uploading english subs of Pili since last year.

The oldest season they have is Pili Totem, which you can watch here:

Followed by Pili Anomalous: The Dragon Domination. They uploaded this first before Totem and this is what I started with.

Then Sealed Spirits Island:

And the latest one is Military Conflagration:

As for tips, uh, I also consider myself a new fan as I only actually got into Pili just recently even though I started watching since last year lol.

I guess if you're like me who has only watched Thunderbolt Fantasy right before diving into an older season of Pili, then you might need to prepare yourself a bit because the pacing and the lack of context may throw you off. Like I'm used with watching random retro wuxia movies where it sometimes feels like an entire season condensed in a 40min movie so I'm fine with the story pacing, but what I'm not used with is trying to get into a long running series by starting a season where the first half requires me to know everything that happened in the last 2 or more seasons.

I think once you realize that a lot of characters and story arcs come and go so fast you wouldn't then have to worry much about the context. A character who you might think has been around for a long time may actually be a newly introduced character and then that new character could just kill a character who's really been around for a long time. As for the pacing, just try to get the fun out of the chaos. There's always something new happening and more chapters to look forward to.

There's probably more I need to point out but uh, hope this helps for now ^^"

You can also check my links page for more info :) x

[callgespenst]

Acen Day 2: Literally Just Guest Signings and Panels

probably in chronological order:

woke up early to get to the 10 AM PILI/Thunderbolt Fantasy panel. They paraded around the puppets, showed some cool new footage and behind the scenes stuff, and I got an exclusive can badge! for telling everyone how much I love Rou Shinkai.

Went to the signing for SYNERGY, or, for me and most of the people in line, the signing for Bemani artists Ryu* and kors k. There were like, six other DJs there, but everyone just wanted the rhythm game guys, I kinda felt bad. I bought two CDs, one from each artist, and got them signed. They liked my itabag!

Side note, I was by myself in line for that signing, and the whole time the dudes behind me are like "haha I bet they brought CDs again, who even buys those" me, motherfucker, I like physical media! I also still have a car that only plays them, but that's just a nice bonus.

Went to Tomo Sakurai's signing, got a Macross 7 book signed for a friend. She had the Gubaba plush I made with her!!!!! I guess she really does like it.

Meandered around, went into the dealer's room again, bought Saint Tail on blu-ray and the Wave Tekkaman Blade kit. Met some new people and chatted with some old friends.

Went back to our lodgings at 8 PM because we were exhausted and had already done everything we wanted to do.

Skipped Sunday and just went home.

I only slightly regret skipping the last day (but not as much as I'm glad I got home before midnight), but I'm also glad I have the maturity to realize "I've done what I want to at this event, there's no need to stick around, spend more money, with no guarantee of getting to do anything else fun".

....but also, I promised the Chicago lads I'd play mahjong with them on Sunday. There'll be other chances.

[fictional-actors-bracket]

Matchups round 1

The round 1A will release 15th of May, at 5pm GMT. Next quarter will start at the end of the previous one.

Round 1A

LilyMu, Kappa Mikey vs Wacky Delly, Rocko's Modern Life

The Fatheads, Rocko's Modern Life vs Romeo and Jules, Degrassi

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Musical, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off vs Last Planet, A3!

No Dames, Hail, Caesar vs I Want To Be Your Canary, Final Fantasy IX

Nocturnality, A3! vs The Bloodening, The Simpsons

Rogers: The Musical, Hawkeye (TV) vs Spy Wars, Spy x Family

Barbeque Monologues, Nerdy Prudes Must Die vs The Duchess Approves, Gravity Falls

The Steel Samurai, Ace Attorney vs Darkwing Duck, Ducktales (2017)

Round 1B

Galaxy Quest, Galaxy Quest (1999) vs South. Hill. Prison, A3!

Single Female Lawyer, Futurama vs Crying Breakfast Friends, Steven Universe

Praying Mantis Joe, Zach Bell vs Kniroun, A3!

Nightless Night, Alan Wake 2 vs The Nice Man Giveth, The Simpsons

The Boy in the Iceberg, Avatar: The Last Airbender vs Starfarer, Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu

The Grey Ghost, Batman: The Animated Series vs Don Juan Triumphant, Phantom of the Opera

Santa Claus is Goin to Highschool, Hatchettfield series vs McBain, The Simpsons

Dangeresque 1: Dangeresque Too?, Homestar Runner vs The Adventures of Herbert "Daring" Dashwood and his Ghoul Manservant Argyle, Fallout 3

Round 1C

Hello Megan!, Young Justice vs Kill it Before it Dies, Charmed

MacKenzie Falls, Sonny with a chance vs Komedie Brute, Six of Crows

Reptar, Rugrats vs Sort Cinderella, Fruits Basket

Bolt, Bolt vs Camp Pining Hearts, Steven Universe

Horse in a Bookcase, Phineas and Ferb vs Joker (Theatre performance), Dungeons and Daddies

The Most Lamentable Comedy, and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe, A Midsummer Nights Dream vs Hail, Ceasar! A Tale of the Christ, Hail, Caesar!

Where are my pants?, The Lego Movie vs Musical Husbands, Merrily We Roll Along

Night Springs, Alan Wake vs The Thunderbolt Adventure Hour, 101 Dalmatians

Round 1D

The Adventures of Nuktuk, Hero of the South, The Legend of Korra vs Asteroid City, Asteroid City

The Rusty Venture Show, The Venture Bros. vs Los Dias y las Noches de Monsigñor Martinez, King of the Hill

The Mousetrap, Hamlet vs The Trial of Captain Hook, Arrested Development

Ducktective, Gravity Falls vs All My Circuits, Futurama

Ponce de Leon, Seinfeld vs Everybody Loves Hypnotoad, Futurama

Grolton and Hovris, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared vs Romeo Battle Royale, Project Sekai

Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E, Friends vs Hannibal, The Phantom of the Opera

Omlette: The Musical, Something Rotten! vs Scarlet Mirror, A3!