#again tho The animation and overall presentation is really really good.

[moonsidesong]

really want to like the nightly manor more because artistically it's Gorgeous but man the writing really just doesn't grab me at all after they leave the mansion >___<

[as-i-watch]

Episode 6 Veredict:

3/5 Straw Hats 👒👒👒

The Good:

Zeff and Sanji. Just individually but also together. I knew the actors had a mentor/padawan relationship (mentee i think it is the right word) but holy shit it translated so well to the screen

Craig Fairbrass stole the show for me with his Zeff, for real. I want to rewatch and study every scene

I liked the delt with Zoro's injury. In anime/manga (except for very serious cases *ahem*) usually they dont deal with it at all. They give Zoro or whoever some bandages and good to go. I liked they presented them with this challenge. Specially the crew not knowing if Zoro was gonna make it or not. We all always trust they are gonna be ok no matter what. It was interesting and presented new dynamics

This an amend, last veredict i complaint about Nami not leaving. I like she did and it made sense for her to leave bc she was pushed to it and wanted to save her friends

I also liked that Zoro and Sanji had like no interactions prior to Sanji joining. I'll wait to see how that developes but it present an interesting atarting point for their dynamic.

Fuck Yeah Buggy

Ehh could've been better

The overall ep felt a bit flat. Nothing really happened...

They saved it with the acting but the last goodbye with Sanji and Zeff could've been very flat. I found it not very memorable (again the acting was great and saved it for me). But its honestly one of my fav moments of the whole anime so im not unbiased

I really dont really quite like Arlong. Sorry. And its not like 'love to hate' i just dont like where they went with it. The fishman costume is ok (it was a hella tricky concept tho) but i found him more annoying than anything. But im open to change my mind next ep

[spacehostilityy]

Okie well I can't shut up ever so I'm going to compile my thoughts here on Tumblr as I rewatch nnt fom the beginning !! Also pls feel free to scream and/or rewatch with me👉👈👀

Kinda long so more thots below the cut

Season 1, episodes 1-6

I forgot how good the writing and animation are in the first season, like they truly thrived under aniplex😔 the brief white blood period in I think season 3 shows us just how good we had it

I love seeing Hawk and Meliodas's relationship, and his star Boar earring😭 plus having the Boar hat as the main location is just so comforting !!

Also I JUST realized his name is hawk because of a ham hok😭😭 this is like when I realized toe mater's name was tomato at the ripe age of 18

I miss the holy knights being powerful. Like I get that the Sins are always more powerful than them, had a long way to go in terms of power ups, and meliodas straight up had most of his power sealed but like DAMN. They were so cool in season 1 !! Gil was such a badass😭 I guess I just wish that the holy knights powered up along with the Sins

Seeing the very first episode got me thinking about the original pilot Manga (chapter 0) and how cool it might have been !! Like I love the story we got, but I do think those versions of Mel and Elizabeth maybe would have been better than the ones we got😳 like I just really like Meli's original design, I feel like he looks a bit older, and chapter 0 Elizabeth is simply superior ngl. She's funny, brave, and assertive - a lot more like Liz and goddess Elizabeth, except funnier

The first half of season 1 has one of my fave intro and outros like damn I forgot how fucking cool they were. Some of my fave songs to !! (my all time fave is def howling from season 3 part 2 (i think lol) tho)

Like look how cool this is !!! It reminds me of this pic from the manga

Speaking of intros, I miss the title cards !! Like look how cute this is !!

Everytime the fiddle (?) Music plays I get SO FUCKING HYPED BRO like damn Ik it's through all the seasonal and I'm so glad it is because it's rlly the perfect hype song - here it is on Spotify

Also Gil is such a badass in early episodes, I love his strength !! This moment is the fucking coolest and you can't convince me otherwise

Overall, I think the attention to detail is just better, the sounds the armor makes, the animation and drawings (esp background characters), Meliodas just sounds a bit older too (and I have theories on his voice here if u want them 👀)

The whole perv thing is really exhausting really quickly. Almost surprised 14 year old me made it through this as the 2nd anime I ever watched and the 1st I watched alone

I feel like Diane got shorter through the seasons. Like she doesn't compare to Hawk Mama like she did in season 1, and I think that's a damn shame. Let my giant girl be giant !!

She's also a decent bit more violent and I enjoy that thoroughly. She's just a silly goofy kween😌

Also her original costume is superior, her boots are just👌

Just realized that Meliodas was like an older brother/mentor to Gil and now they're brothers in law 😭😭

Also young Elizabeth and Gil are so cute😭 I always forget that they grew up together too

I love Hawk, but I feel like kicking him would just be so satisfying 😔

HOLY SHIT I forgot how badass Ban is when weren't first introduced to him !!

The humming while impaled and bleeding out he really is that girl tm

He's such a masochist. A damn if it isn't kinda hot.

Wow they really introduced Diane's body issues and then almost never bring them up again

Also my plus size Diane headcanon is so real like damn. Body issues girlies are being represented by her fr😔

Ban's slutty waist. That's it. That's the thot.

Also his pre series hair. First season reminding me why I love Ban sm

Lowkey miss the dragon handle sword. The broken blade was so cool:( Lostvayne still cool tho

I think it's so funny how they always wore their armor as holy knights, and yet anytime they wear armor in the present time line, it just immediately cracks off😭

Really anything except pants is going to be blasted off🤪

Okay SO in episode 5, when Ban is about to get his scar from the dragon handle sword, he tells Meliodas "you and me have been hanging together for a lot of years now." This scene takes place 12 years before present (bp). Does this mean Ban and Meliodas were friends before the formation of the Sins? Or was Ban the first after him and Merlin? Ban has been immortal 20 years BP, leaving 8 years in between present and the flashback. 8 years before this scene, Meliodas was still in Danafal/Danfor and would be for another 4 years. What does any of this mean? Idk, just thot it was intriguing lol.

Also how did I not notice this is the first time we see demon!Meliodas !! Baby's first sighting as an unnatural creature with otherworldly rage🥰🥰

Also the fact we never see the scar Gil gave him again lol. Plus him presumably needing to do demon mode so hellfire can heal him is actually rlly cool

Just thought about how Elizabeth laying her hand on his chest to check the scar was the first time in years his love touches him with gentleness or concern🥲🥲

The fact that it took me 6 years to realize that when Meliodas says he'll keep the promise he made to Elizabeth, even if she should die is referencing the promise he made to her originally to break their curses🥲😬😤😭😭😭😭

6'11 Ban thinking that he even had a chance in fitting in Jericho's armor is just so... him

Diane calling Elizabeth kiddo is so fucking cute🥺

Also they definitely get away with a lot more innuendos and swears. The words badass and foreplay in the same episode? Impressive

[wifegideonnav]

alright day 3/6 down!

im so mentally drained lol, though in a very good way. i am so glad i have the next few days off for sure. honestly don’t have too much to say today? each successive trip has been less and less “logical” or “explicable” in words. if i had to summarize it tho, today was about learning to spread love outwards, to reflect that which i feel like has been flowing into me for the previous two trips. i just felt like i had so much gratitude and love for my people, but in this sort of deep/primal sense that i can’t capture in words. I guess the way to describe it is a feeling of being connected on a soul level. i came out of it with strong messages for several people in my life, and a desire to uplift my loved ones. i also feel more connected to nature, especially animals of all kinds.

they told me at the clinic that day three is when people really start turning a corner, and i definitely feel that within myself. i was saying to a friend, it’s hard to know how this new attitude will translate to my interactions out in life, as all ive been doing for the last 3 days is tripping, sleeping, and processing 😅 so not exactly representative of normal life. it’ll also be interesting to see how the changes im feeling develop or last over the long term, when im further away temporally from this experience. but as for now, i simply feel full of love and grace and gratitude.

this treatment is in no way a mental health panacea, and i know there’s so much more work im going to have to do. but in a way, for the first time that work feels… accessible in a way it never has before. ive pretty much always had the sense, ever since i started therapy, that talking, going through my logical brain, is not the way to healing for me. my brain is way too good at like. dodging attempts to logic itself out of depression, unhealthy thoughts, etc. so ive always had this sense that in order for the real work to begin, i need to access the deeper parts of my brain that run on emotion, not logic. the best way i can describe it is the difference between knowing or being told that i am loved and worthy, and actually feeling that in a visceral, all consuming way. it feels like i am unlocking the piece of me that was missing, or hiding, or starved. it’s accessing a part of me that i haven’t had access to, precisely by more or less shoving me into it, but in the most beautiful and gentle and teaching-based way.

really, the biggest shift ive felt mentally is this move away from anger, resentment, and the pain that comes from that. im now able to look back on past events with a sense of dawning peace and compassion, both for myself and the people who have hurt me. again, this is still just the beginning of the work, and im sure ill continue to be unpacking this for a long time to come. but for the first time, the dominant emotions ive been feeling are peace and contentment with being in the present moment. and even if this feeling doesn’t last, i know ill have the memory and experience of it to draw on in the future.

overall, im feeling good, im making strides, and im growing. i cannot articulate how grateful i am to have this opportunity; it’s horrific bullshit that not everybody has access to the same treatment. thank you all for being so supportive and respectful of my journey 🥰 ill be back with another recap on monday!

[tharizdun-03]

I was thinking that the series looked a bit Gainax-y, so I looked into the staff, and it turns out that Sushio, for one, animated this cut. Sushio.

It looks fantastic, honestly. A lot of really great layouts too, and I really like the silent interview/documentary style they used to open the series with.

Content wise, it's a bit pandering to the otaku audience (a lot of girls all at once, some boobies, not much happens so if it wasn't for the presentation it'd be pretty boring), but if it can match up content wise to the presentation, I'm in for a treat.

I'm making a lot of Love Live parallels (yes, Umi above), but I noticed that the girls in general seem younger here. Middle school mostly? Not all, of course. I don't think that's a problem necessarily. Younger girls tend to lean into goofier comedy, which I like.

But the series also makes it clear it is about IDOLS. There's already talk about appealing to guy fans and talking to boys, etc. I guess it depends on how sexually exploitative the series will be (don't imagine it'll be much, but the older the girls, the better if it's the case)

But, we'll see. It's a much more grounded series than Love Live so far. A lot of balancing work and personal stuff, etc. But with so many girls I'd like for a lot of comedy, but it's making clear it will also dig deep into what actually being idols mean to these girls.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

an ed just for iori gives me the impression that we'll get one for each girl? would like that.

still some initial impressions to the show, but it's not as funny as love live and it's leaning a lot more into its archetypes. but i think this is one of those shows that need to grow on you. it's not as high energy right from the get go. always looks great tho.

we got a nice, down to earth conflict here tho which worked much better at giving the characters some texture. feels like the series is gonna be like that. more so a collection of smaller stories than an overarching plot.

my faves so far.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The conflict here being very much just "girl afraid of guys for no reason" feels very pandering so the male producer can "protect her", but damn if the execution doesn't sell it as hard as it can.

And we are continuing the solo EDs for each girl, which I am happy about.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know, it's as expected. I'm having a bit of a difficult time swallowing Idolmaster. Cause they do show that the camera man at the cooking show explicitly leers at the girls, but then don't comment on it any further, so that makes it okay then??? It's just pandering, I think.

They included a joke at the beginning where the girls can't change because the (male) Producer is there, and when they fall on their butt the camera (of the anime, not cooking show) sets up the angle real nice. It's exploitative in the show and fan-service for us.

This was always gonna be difficult for me. Because, once again, I don't actually like idol shows as a genre. Love Live was an exception for several specific reasons we could get into, but Idolmaster is about the industry and doesn't seem interested in criticizing it at all.

I still feel that the characters are much more adhering to their archetypes and it all feels very stereotypical idol (as in what one would imagine how a typical idol anime portrays its characters), but it's overall still charming? I prefer Chihaya's demeanor more so to LL's Umi.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Idolmaster is a good show.

I'm really liking the much more mundane portrayal of an idol’s life. Not just in how stuff like the “765” on the studio window has been written in duct tape, but how we get to see the girls "off-camera" and how they work there. And we actually spends a lot of time in that space.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, Idolmaster has hit its stride now. Very silly episode that had very little to do with the actual idol work. Just spending time with these characters in goofy scenarios. It's fun.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

idolmaster is having such fun jumping genres lol

[darabeatha]

@holymost​ said ; ok listen I know they're fictional characters named/based on but every time I see an aztec god's name pop up on ur blog I'm like "??? WHY ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT AZTEC MYTHOLOGY?" and then I remember JHSDGFSJHDFHDS my hispanic ass got my ass once again I simply know nothing abt fate

/  AOAOAOOAOAOOAOO IORYTOIYUTOY IT- REALLY DO BE LIKE THAT! it’s so cool! and I can’t imagine how funny it must be to see one day greek mythology and then boom; Aztec and Maya mythology,,, and then Indian mythology and so on so forth; and to someone who isn’t too familiar with f.ate, i can imagine how funny it would be to look at someone u’ve read about in books and look at their anime version OITRUTIUORT LIKE;; what do u MEAN Achilles has bright GREEN hair?!?! it’s so silly sometimes, and it has its good and bad things, but i’ll always be grateful to f.ate for helping me discover more about history and mythology from all around the world which i love love love reading about!. But talking about my mesoamerican muses, I currently write five (5)!! 

Moctezuma II: in game they gave him a different name (Izcalli) but that’s more of a f.ate lore thing and a specific kind of situation that doesn’t really have anything to do with Moctezuma’s story so in my portrayal he is directly Moctezuma II the ninth emperor of Aztec empire or more commonly known as the last Aztec emperor (even tho after his reign there were two other more emperors but their reigns were very short so usually its default like that). He was the one who had the first official contact with the europeans amongs more but i won’t get into details because then this will get super long but yes- There are a lot of misconceptions and myths around his figure and quite frankly, not as much information about him, or well; objective information about him; f.ate wise, I got too attached to him and he shakes something in my heart;; maybe something along the lines of being misunderstood, rage, impotence, his story in overall being kind of put to the side, the strong emotional side of humans, expectations, fears and how these affect us all, etc etc. I think his character was not explored much in detail in f.ate and was a little rushed, which in exchange brough a lot of bad opinions about him and as a result, increased my curiosity over him. There’s also this thing where in fiction its often discussed the ‘negative’ traits a character has but these tend to linger on the usual ‘not too disliked’ traits, so when a certain side of a character is explored that doesn’t really match what we are used to see, it tends to create some sort of rejection towards it. In this case, i think his rage was seen as something petty and only that, which i can understand since not everyone will enjoy all characters but,, that limits his character a lot u know? There is something that hits me when a character has a big dislike ratio (like with constantine) and it made me feel more curious about him and to try to understand him further than what we were shown, which in return has made me grown more attached to him. Its me and mocte against the world frfr 😤✊ /OK JKJKJKJK! For some reason he lives rent free inside my head and by god there should be more art of him so i’m always drawing him nowadays. I could ramble about his f.ate design endlessly and talk much more about him but i’ll cut it here before i go overboard.

Tezcatlipoca: one of the central deities in Aztec religion! he is the god of darkness and night, of conflict, war; characterized by his duality as a desctructive god and creator, the enemy and the merciful of duality itself; associated with hurricanes and obsidian, jaguars. He is an omnipotent, ( the definition being: '(of a deity) having unlimited power; able to do anything’) omnipresent, (that can be present everywhere and anywhere at the same time, making him something akin to an invisible being that you can’t see but that he is there regardless) and omniscient god (that knows everything; he can see the truth in human’s hearts). He can also see through the hearts of men! he is also the brother of Quetzalcoatl in some Aztec tellings and the two of them are central to the creation myth, and there is s o much more! very facsinating god. In fate he’s a silly guy, i think in terms of personality; his character was portrayed wonderfully; the duality of Tezca truly shows and its just -chef kiss-

Tláloc-Huitzilopochtli-Tenochtitlán: now this character is kind of confusing if you are not too familiar with f.ate, and even to me it’s still kind of ??? as her spirit origin’s story is mostly tied to f.go lore, but basically, in fate she is the personification of the city of Tenochtitlán but she presents herself as Tláloc or Huitzilopochtli, as she mentions that by enshrining these two gods, Tenochtitlan (the city, aka her) thrived, and I can kind of understand the general idea they might have tried to go with as it -is- true that these two deities were incredibly important; from the side of Tláloc, he was the god of rain and was turbo mega important and venerated in mesoamerica particularly with the agricultural towns, as he had a crucial role in favoring the prosperity of harvest. He was so important that there were a lof of festivities and ceremonies held in order to receive his favors (their economy on the side of agriculture demanded for a lot of rainy days as there were long dry seasons so Tláloc was highly praised) and we still have a lot of items related to him in museums! I wish i could emphasize more how important Tláloc was but I’m gonna cut myself here and introduce Huitzilopochtli real quick;; he is the solar deity in Aztec religion and he’s tied to war and sacrifice as well (like tezca as well) he was like the patron god of the capital city of Tenochtitlan so you get the idea of just how important he was as well

Kukulkán: in fate, kukulkán also has some kind of odd story tied in that takes place in the f.ate universe, but my kuku is mostly- well; kukulkán, or known as the plumed serpent who’s origins mostly trace back to the Maya most specifically around the classic period. To some researchers, Kukulkán is the same as Quetzalcoatl which is why in f.ate, Kukulkán and Quetz are more like sisters to say; kuku being technically the eldest between the two even though she looks up to Quetz a lot. Kuku was considered a creator god and was associated with the winds and rain as it was said they brough them in the first place. a lil curious note; when the weather gets moody, clouds tend to have this sort of serpent-like shape which is from where the association comes from. Funnily enough, in f.ate she claims to be quite an airhead which im not sure if its a reference to her ties with the wind or not but if that was the case, it would be indeed a funny lil detail.

Camazotz: the Maya bat god from Popol Vuh! a god that dwells in the underworld (Xibalba) and is at the service of the lords of the underworld. Xibalba is packed with tests and trials, and if attempting to enter the underworld in the first place wasn’t already difficult, it keeps getting even more tricky! there are five houses and Camazotz rules over the house of the bats, where there is constant squeaking and shrieking. In the Popol Vuh, the hero twins must be able to spend the night in the house of bats (whose snouts are like blades that they use to attack) in order to pass the test, and they almost do it flawlessly until Hunanpu, (one of the brothers), by attempting to take a peak from the blowgun they were hiding inside of, tries to see if dawn has come, which ends up with his head getting decapitated by a bat. To this, other events pass by and he’s able to come back to life and with his brother they defeat the lords of Xibalba at the end. Popol Vuh aside, the bat as an animal had a lot of associtations such as with death, decapitation (from observing bats flying and snatching fruit from trees), night (even day! as they linger in caves but can also be seen flying in daytime across the skies), sacrifice (linked to the previously mentioned decapitation + blood), the underworld (as caves were a gateway to the underworld), etc, etc. Not to mention how important they are for agriculture as they help pollinate crops as well as help in controling over abundance of insects like mosquitoes. In any case, Camazotz is really cool and i love his design in fate!

[fortunefavorsthebrave-dude]

opla thots through eppie 5 so my brain don't explode:

i'm actually very pleasantly surprised. largely the stuff that is bad is stuff i expected and a lot of things are much better than i expected so like helleth yes we win

kobyyyyyyy perfect 100% i get why they're tying the marines in more for story purposes and idc honestly bc i get to see koby

helmeppo also good tho i could have done without seeing his full cheeks

as a fan there are a lot of small moments that really don't impact the overall story much but i did miss. like toppling the morgan statue. or sanji being present for the mihawk fight to see that devotion to a dream that motivates him to get on the sea. or the catboy being changed to a catgirl that one made me mad. but again does not affect the overall thing so w/e.

casting is so stupid spot on perfect and i've been saying that the whole time but good lord every new character is so insanely good

that said. they really desexied benn beckman. rip king.

why are luffy and usopp the only characters allowed to be fun. where is weird fun hardass grandpa garp. where is any major zoro dumbass moment. he's had a few but we can do better. oh my god i just realized jango wasn't here WHERE IS HE FUCK YOU. THE MENTION OF MIRRORBALL ISLAND IS NOT ENOUGH.

they did largely forget one piece is a comedy which i literally voiced as a worry out loud with my human mouth like an hour before i started watching. pain.

the design is largely extremely good. the costumes fuck every single time. cgi looks better than expected so i'm pretty pleased.

that said. the fishmen look like fucking dogshit i cannot take them seriously. i appreciate that they're using practical effects but my god they're so so so bad just for the fishmen.

on the other hand. enamored with the dendenmushi. they're real and they're vile and i want one soooooo bad

impressed that luffy's fx don't look way worse the only one i think looks bad is balloon and that's. tough.

kuro was very good what a little freak

buggy was. fine. i didn't love him like everyone else seems too i just think they took him in the wrong direction a touch

mihawk looks so good but i hate his accent he sounds bizarre to me

lotta brits in here i was not expecting. not the worst but like. huh.

i keep seeing folks in the tag praising the colors and how it's not dark and muddy and i don't think we were watching the same show. the clothes pop and sometimes they'll light a scene but any scene in the dark even a little bit is so washed out and bad looking it's got that netflix stank all over it like most of the circus tent and garp's ship and the final syrup village fight are dark jumbles

also why did we need two goddamn episodes for syrup village. that seems excessive. i feel like they could have cut things differently and ended up with more time for like. actual adaptation stuff.

zoro crying on the dock was so perfect no notes iconic moment

i did tear up when sanji first appeared so. there is that.

also when zoro one handed lifts that big safe. okay king!

zoro is too smart also in ways that he shouldn't be it's bothering me so much. like when he translates usopp's big wordy bullshit he does not know what those words meannnnn

that said. which way is port. it's to the left. ah okay. stands there and does nothing because he doesn't know which way left is either. also gets lost on his way to a house that's ten feet away and visible. more of this we need more of this so bad.

easter eggs so good so fun. cavendish wanted poster. island of weird animals in the end credits. certainly more i didn't catch. mwah we love it.

dialogue sucks shit also the worst element of the show is by far the writing where like the plot is fine the way they rearranged things doesn't bother me if i wanted the exact story in order i'd read it again but the actual lines they write are mostly so stupid bad and generic. every so often they hit on a good one but it's generally lifted straight from the manga.

they didn't even get gold roger's speech right. he didn't say he left it all in one piece. that's the fucking. it's the whole thing of it innit.

oh i need to mention cabaji specifically weird they gave him so much focus and backstory but he looked PERFECT i was hollering

i miss reggie tho

usopp asking a gay man and an aroace man if they think a girl likes him. they do not know bro.

also i love every shipper being like WE WON listen man i'm a shipper too and the only folks who won were the usokaya hets out there everything else is just as canon as it's always been (read: not even a little bit lmao)

now that said. opla usolu is Something which is wild bc i have never once been on this train but it hits different. not enough to make me abandon aroace luffy but still.

okay one more thing. zoro being in the stocks for 0.5 seconds to keep his job that he abandons immediately anyway instead of being there for weeks in exchange for the safety of a little girl sucks. it takes away so much of his character and feels like such a critical misstep to me but i'm also the zoro guy so idk.

anyway. overall very excited to finish the season and hoping we get more. it's surpassed my (admittedly low) expectations despite my issues with it and it's worth sticking with for sure.

[bellarosethefangirl]

Ooh Abella this looks fun! Guess I'm finally giving in and trying the online dating thing 😂

1. I'd love dates with someone from Yu-Gi-Oh (Duel Monsters) and sailor moon please!

2. I like both men and women, though for full transparency in my answers, I will admit I have a preference for men 💖

3. Picrew:

4. I'm a Virgo (though Leo is strong in my chart) ♍♌

5. Hm, for sailor moon, I'd prefer to not be paired with Usagi. And for Yu-Gi-Oh, you know me, please don't set me up on a date with Kaiba, there will be hands thrown if that happens XD

6. For Men: I typically like "soft" looks. Tall/burly men often make me feel uncomfortable, so a shorter build would be nice (weight doesn't matter, it's mostly height that gets to me). And I know it sounds weird but…I actually like it when a man has some "fem" looks to him?? Like men with long hair make me foam at the mouth lol other than that, dark (or red!) hair that’s curly/wavy is extremely attractive to me. Overall tho, I really like a cute, nerdy look.

Women: honestly with women, they're so beautiful that I don't care if they're more fem, more masc, or anything in between. Though again I find dark or red curly hair very nice. A cute smile is a bonus, and a nice voice would make me swoon hard 💕

7. I love sweet, gentle personalities in both men and women. They don't necessarily have to be bubbly, I just love gentle hearts ❤️ also intelligence is a big thing, I love having nice, long conversations with people and I might get bored with someone who doesn’t like to talk. Having a bit of an adventurous side would also be nice, that way we can go do new things together sometimes!

8. Both men and women: Loyalty, compassion, a sense of humor would be nice, and sharing similar geeky interests.

9. Oh nicknames? Uh, honey, sweetheart, my love, all those are fine. The only nicknames I hate are infantilizing ones like baby girl.

For the aesthetic board

1. Disney for the other theme (hocus pocus to keep it halloween themed)

2 . Chocolates are always a good present!

3 . Blue and purple 💙💜

4 . Lilies!

5 . Chocolate and caramel cookies, and Dr pepper.

Thanks so much Bella! I hope you're not getting too over run with these, if so make sure to take a break, and close the request if you need too! Love ya 💖

Awe I’m so happy you sent yours in! Lol guess you are trying online dating after all 🤣 I did take a break with these, definitely do thank you. Sorry about the wait. Been busy and my mom got covid 😷 she’s better now.

Halloween Café Blind Double Dates 💜🎃 Anime Online Date Matchups

I’ll be sure to get all the matchups done as soon as I can. Thanks for the patience everyone.

“Good evening I do hope you enjoyed yourself at the Hocus Pocus café. It looks as though your dates also enjoyed themselves especially the king of games.”

“I must admit how lucky you are. Your dates are cuties. It’s up to you who you choose.”

Matchup Applicants:

Profile:

Name: Atem

Gender: Male

Description: Noble, serious, friendly, honest, loyal, geeky, loves games, intelligent

Moral Alignment: Neutral Good

Appearance: Short, slightly muscular, red eyes, red hair, spiky hair, multi colored hair, sharp eyes

Occupation: Duelist, King of games, Pharaoh

Zodiac: Leo

Dating Survey Results: Compatibility 90%

Communication 💌 100%

Emotions 💗 94%

Similar Values 🏡 100%

Passion 💘 100%

Profile:

Name:  Hotaru Tomoe, Sailor Saturn

Gender: Female

Description: Shy, Introverted, kind hearted, gentle, intelligent, light hearted, loyal, loving

Moral Alignment: Lawful Good

Appearance: Short, petite, bob haircut, black hair, long lashes, rosey cheeks

Occupation: Student, Sailor Scout

Zodiac: Capricorn

Dating Survey Results: Compatibility 93%

Communication 💌 100%

Emotions 💗 87%

Similar Values 🏡 100%

Passion 💘 100%

Love Meter 💗💓

Atem

Hotaru Tomoe

Zodiac 💫💖

Atem

Hotaru Tomoe

Dating Results 💖

Percentages Matches: 0-25%= Bad Match, 26-50%= Poor Match, 60-70%= Decent Match, 70-80%= Good Match, 80-90%= Excellent Match, 90-100%= Perfect Match

1. Atem:

Survey Results: Perfect Match 90%

Love Meter: True Love 92%

Zodiacs: Virgo + Leo Compatibility 53%

Over all Results: 90% Perfect Match

2. Hotaru Tomoe:

Survey Results: Perfect Match 93%

Love Meter: True Love 96%

Zodiacs: Virgo + Capricorn Compatibility 93%

Over all Results: 98% Perfect Match

[onyx-roses]

I finished re4r awhile ago and it was FANTASTIC.

I feel they really did the original justice. I enjoyed the QOL improvements that were made. Having your knife being able to parry is awesome and very satisfying. It's quite the game changer! The fact that you can use it even against one hit kill bosses like dr. salvador is so neat! While I don't like stealth typically, it's a welcome addition since the game doesn't force it on you. Having the option to pick off a few enemies silently is nice although I feel doing this made little difference in terms of making taking down the rest of the enemies easier tbh. Being able to simply kick and elbow barrels and crates instead of painstakingly having to shoot or knife them is probably an afterthought for others but i highly appreciated this. Crafting ammo and grenades is new feature that saved my ass a few times so needless to say love it lol. And next up the biggest change in the game, you can move and shoot now! Lol. Something I never quite got use to however was the 180 degree turn. In old RE, it was down + x (on ps at least). Now it's down + R1, which feels very unnatural to me. I dealt with it but eh, not very comfortable with this change. Leon overall controls pretty well despite this. I love that you can change weapons on the fly now instead of always having to go into the attache case. I do kinda miss seeing Leon on the side in the attache case menu lol. The merchant returns! With a nice little bonus, side quests! They are completely optional but doing them can net you extra rewards. The shooting range is back and I LOVE that they used 'The Drive' song and remixed it! Especially the way it amps up during bonus time, ugh so good. The fucking nostalgia man. Going on to story and characters now. I love that Ashley feels like an actual character and more realistic this time around. Her redesign is rly cute too. Luis being more present and fleshed out was great too. I have to say I think I actually prefer how his death was handled in the remake. It felt more emotional and impactful. Ok so with Leon. First off, I admittedly am always nervous with how characters are going to look because I'm not always crazy with how capcom handles redesigns and characters' faces. But holy crap, LEON THO. Every version of Leon can get it but Re4 Leon is my fave Leon so needless to say when I saw him for the first time in that reveal trailer, Me = deceased. He looks so goddamn good. I thought I had it bad for him back then, nah. Now, I'm fucking embarrassingly OBSESSED with this man. I want to devour him. It was hard to not stop every two seconds when playing to admire his....assets lmaooo. I think some ppl didn't like that he seems more grounded this time around but I actually don't mind it at all. They found a nice middle ground where Leon is def more serious than before but he still throws out one liners here and there. So his corny side is still very much present but he doesn't seem as cocky as before. Ada looks great and is as mysterious as ever lol. Story beats were mostly the same, a few things tweaked of course but I was satisfied with how the narrative was handled. And omg, was so nice to see certain costumes and weapons plus easter eggs make a comeback! The freaking gangster suit, armor for Ashely, the chicago typewriter and the reload animation, him sitting down on the chair and posing fabulously, etc. I'm just so over the moon for this game. It's one of my favorite games of all time and I couldn't be happier with the end result. I remember hearing when this was getting a remake and being like but why? Re4 doesn't need a remake. But now having played it, it's so well done and I'm so glad Capcom didn't screw it up lol. It was a blast reliving this masterpiece all over again 🥲.

[dominijoyce]

For the ask game - 7, 24, and 29 :)

7. What animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium?

Okay, the thing is. I'm not even sure where is the closest aquarium here. Like I know they exist but they also sorta are not as common here [Poland] as they seem to be in USA and other countries where I hear every major city having one.

But! Back when I was in middle school, that was when we took a trip to Germany and one of the places we visited was this huuuuuge Sea Animal Aquarium place. I loved it, I was younger so it was easier to make me go in awe but it was just amazing.

But my favorite thing was this section that had lights turned off except for the aquariums itself and the animals were those jellyfishes I think and some other non-fish shaped animals. It was, breathtaking. I felt like I was on a different planet with how it was presented.

24. Which do you find yourself using, american or british English?

Not gonna lie, I don't know. I often forget which is which anyway :P

In Polish education they teach you British English and they keep repeating that no matter which you end up using in the future, your exams and high school finals are going to get downgraded if you use American one.

And it is true, sometimes. Though I think nowadays teachers and examiners are more laid back, as long as grammar is correct and overall spelling is good, they know you get English [tho I had few teachers who were very strict about using only British, lol]

But like, because I watch both American and British media and am friends with both British people and American people, my English just got mixed into whatever.

Again, I barely remember differences of the two, you all sound the same to me, sorry not sorry :P

29. Preferred pasta noodle?

When I say I love all pasta, I love all pasta.

But if I really had to choose one... Might be basic but spaghetti because it just makes me feel nostalgic

Plus not gonna lie, I love swirling fork into spaghetti pasta and have this big chunk of it just be bite-size, ehe~

[castorochiaro]

💔 📢 🔔 and 📝 for Scratch because I just enjoy hearing you talk about him :D (This is also a excuse for you to do all emojis if you want, no pressure!)

character ask game [ x ]

aaaa chy you're always so sweet, thank you for once again enable me to ramble about my favorite dead guy. i accept your challenge to do 'em all!

🏳️‍🌈lgbt+ headcanon - bisexual icon babeyyyyy. toyed with the idea of him being intersex at one point, just would hafta be something i did more research on before i would feel comfortable exploring it in more depth.

💌fluffy headcanon- he purrs. i don't care if it makes no sense i love it so i'm holding on to it.

💔angsty headcanon- scratch was placed in foster care from birth, and has never met his birth parents or learned anything about them. he idealizes being part of a family so much because his experience bouncing between foster families wasn't good. even if he doesn't actively remember his life anymore, those feelings of never quite belonging remain.

🧸 hurt/comfort headcanon- it's common practice for ghosts to honor their death anniversary. i think that's one of the few tidbits of his previous life he recalls, even if he doesn't know when or where or how he died (or "died", in the case of wraith!scratch tho he doesn't know that's what he is). he doesn't know his name, so there's no grave to visit. i think he just lights a candle and is still for a while, letting himself feel those feelings of mourning for a single night out of the year.

🪀silly headcanon- he sings to himself when he's SURE nobody is around. he loves showtunes, and gets musicals stuck in his head all the time.

💤sleep headcanon - wraith!scratch related, but i muse on this headcanon sometimes where while he's sleeping he can briefly end up back in his body again. but it's always such a weird experience, he assumes they're simply dreams and forgets about them. it doesn't happen every time or even most of the time, and occurs less and less the longer he's separated from it.

✨a ship i like with this character - there's quite a few, because he's my favorite and therefore everyone is mandated to love on him. BUT the top faves right now are him with sally, jinx, and alister. my gf and i have this whole headcanon canon-divergent backstory that involves some OCs of hers that i ship him with. and of course, your selfship always makes me feel all warm and smiley!

🔪a ship i Don't like with this character - uHH i mean outside of the obvious no-no stuff, i can't think of one?? i guess i don't really ship him with geoff, but i don't dislike it or anything. just kinda neutral on it?

🎃something i think they're afraid of - ok this is another headcanon-based one, but i've noticed scratch cringes very strongly at the idea of being punished by the ghost council (and by THEM specifically, not anything to do with being thrown in the flow since he mentions being yelled at being the thing he's worried about). so i think he experienced some amount of corporal punishment when he was alive, such that the instinct to brace for impact so to speak is still present, when dealing with authority figures.

📦overall feelings about them - it really takes a special kind of character to strike the spark that scratch does in me. he inspires me, he brings me immense comfort and happiness, and i just! really super appreciate the fact he exists. i get embarrassed about how crushy and silly i get over him, because i genuinely do find him loveable, so...it's nice that people enjoy hearing what i have to say and like the things i write and make about him. he's so special, he deserves all the love!

📢favorite thing about them in canon- it's a tie between his voice and his design/animation. i just have this THING with characters where if they have a unique voice and design, my brain hooks on to them and obsessively studies them. their vocal tics, little bits of animation i like, just...the LITTLE things, y'know?

scratch got me right off the bat because i've been a fan of "aqua teen hunger force" since i was a teenager (and it's a popular source of references in my family because we used to watch it together). but the more i watched how he moved and emoted the more entranced i was with him as his own character.

🧨least favorite thing about them in canon- DEALING WITH HIATUSES I MISS HIM SO MUCH

💬favorite line they've said- oh god i'm horrible with picking favorites on stuff like this. i guess when i think favorite lines, i think of stuff that i come back to a lot in writing/analyzing a character, and for scratch that's him awkwardly explaining to molly why he lied to her about knowing lincoln personally. you can hear in his voice that he's trying to sort out his feelings into words, and that's very new for him.

also really like his speech at the end of the s1 finale. it sums up what makes him work so well as a character: he doesn't look down on molly for caring so much, he finds it greatly admirable! even if that's not the way he is, he loves her personality and is proud to be her friend. his avoidance of caring and commitment stems from a fear of being hurt, rather than him just plain being an apathetic jerk.

he IS a bit of a jerk but with a soft and squishy center

ok one more him bein' a l'il bitch in "friend off" is also fantastic he's so pretty when he's mean

DID I MENTION I'M BAD AT PICKING FAVORITES

🔔unpopular opinion- i want the wraith!scratch theory to be canon and don't think it diminishes anything about his sadness or loneliness. hell, i think it's even SADDER to imagine he just plain gave up on being alive.

🔊a song that reminds me of them- "love like you" and "i'm still here" always give me big scratch vibes. would love to do an edit to one of them at some point!

📝misc thoughts/headcanons - i LOVE the aspiring actor headcanon! i like to think he always wanted to get into it, but was so terrified of failure he just never went for it. he'd memorize monologues (that he still remembers, even post mortem, and can recite very easily) and get all prepared, but...just end up sitting in the audience, too petrified of making a fool of himself to get on stage. just love the symbolism of him always being part of the audience, but never the show. feels like a good way to sum up how he lived his life, allowing it all to pass him by in order to avoid being hurt by caring too much.

[swallowtail-ageha]

Do you have favorite anime shows?

Yes! I used to be super into anime a few years ago, but now my interest and attention span has kinda dwindled so i'm not exactly up to date to the new hot animes (i do plan however on starting both Frieren and Dungeon Meshi)

If i have to make a list of my favourite animes, those would be (putting them not in a [most favourite-least favourite] order)

1- Shingeki no Kyojin. Hooly shit i think it was the first anime i seriously watched. The SnK manga was also the first one i ever purchased at like ~11. I just have so many good memories related to that manga

2- DOROHEDORO. God i. I think that animanga was tailor-made for me. It is extremely gorey, but also in a non edgy way. The tone is very lighthearted and the entirety of it's cast has it's spotlight. Also the character design is top notch and the ost makes me go insane

3- Tokyo Ghoul! Another childhood classic of mine (but that's more the manga than the anime) again i have so many memories about it including me doing my ghoul sona again at age 11/12. Good times

4- Pluto! I have never ever watched Astroboy in my entire life BUT i was also a huge fan of Urasawa's 20th Century Boys and Billy Bat so i decided to read it and when the anime adaptation came out i was "oh. They couldn't make it more perfect". Seriously tho, the animation, the story, the characters, the critique of the gulf war (since it was first released in the middle of it)... it couldn't be more perfect. Also Atom looks like my cousin so he's my special little boy

5- Shinsekai Yori. This is a weird one. I don't think that like. I'd actually recomend it to someone else. It's extremely slow paced and the whole subject matter is heavy. It's a dystopian novel-turned anime and i think that the pacing does get affected negatively by this. But if you're in for an heavy watch. Watch it. Please. The finale is one of the most poignant finales i've ever seen in an anime and i still think about it years later

5- Akira! While again this is one of those adaptations where the story had to be cut due to the rest of the manga still not being written, it holds up extremely well. Also the animation is gorgeous and last year i traveled to Rome to watch it at the Space Cinema for it's 35th anniversary and it was a spiritual experience. I do not think i ever looked away from the screen, even if for a split second

6- Vinland Saga! I don't have much to say about it especially to avoid spoilers since the anime is not over yet, but god. Thorfinn. I thought people were exaggerating when talking about his character development but he is genuinely wonderfully written. Also i loved the way season two ended with the poem being played while showing the characters of both the past and the present (and i don't remember if it was there in the manga? I think it was? But also the anime version is more cinematic for well. Obvious reasons)

7- Re:Zero! One of those things that i definitely shouldn't have watched as a preteen lmao. I am not a coneisseur of isekais, so i can't really fully appreciate the subversion aspect of it, but i love Subaru's character and the witch lore intrigues me so much, so if i ever get my hands of the novels i'll read them

8- Higurashi I do know that the anime compared to the novels absolutely sucks (iirc they cut a lot of content?) but i think it upholds very well on it's own (not like the umineko anime lmao). Also i had watched it when i was going through a very hard period of my life, so it's extremely dear to me

And that's it for now! Probably if you'd asked me this a few years back i would have replied with more shounens a la jjk and bnha, which i do still like (jjk way more than bnha) and for whom i had a hyperfixation on it, but again my tastes have immensely shifted and i think that overall these animes have made way more impact on me. Other two animes i really enjoy are FMA and HXH, but again while i recognize that FMA is a wonderful story and i do rank it quite highly it doesn't quite scratch my itch, and i constantly switch forth between loving and hating HXH (mainly due to the fandom's obnoxiousness in treating it like a piece of russian literature)

Have a nice day anon!!!

[lostplay]

Game 37: Blue Reflection: Second Light Gust has been great at queer representation in games, especially with the likes of Nights of Azure and Atelier. Blue Reflection Second Light continues that thread by having a factual lesbian couple in it that addresses them as such. Sure, a lot of Gust's queer rep could be considered more so pandering, but the way they handle this relationship is absolutely one of the best representations in gaming history. As well, the game never strays too far from giving your main character some romantic action, and cute character growths between them and the rest of the cast. Second Light isn't all just cute shappics doing cute lesbian things tho; the game is a continuation of the Blue Reflection series and helps world build on the previous game and anime that came before it. I say this not to deter folks that haven't played the previous game or seen the anime, but merely to encourage further looks into the respect property as this game can absolutely be played as a standalone title. While I'm not exactly happy with collective amnesia as a main plot point (see Glory of Heracles); the way Second Light uses emotions and certain lore reveals helps impact the story far better than a simple "I forgot I was this". Second Light does an upstanding job of helping you relate and learn about their characters through dating activities and cutscenes, and the only real shame this game has is that you simply can't experience it all in one playthrough.

Blue Reflection Second Light also uses, and expands the battle system it had previously, but also cuts out some more challenging parts. While I wouldn't call regular battles themselves particularly challenging, the boss battles in the previous game were absolutely a wonderful mix of challenge and preparation management that sadly is lacking in the sequel. Instead what we get is an odd mix of focusing on a combo system, active timeline based combat, and occasionally 1 on 1 matches. The problem here, however, is that there is too much weight on holding your combo over knocking the enemy off your timeline to attack you. While it doesn't seem like a big problem at first, the further you go into the game, the more apparent it gets that having faster characters and reactions leads to bigger combos and therefore damage. This makes faster characters, and maximum button presses to be the overall focus over something more nuanced like causing super effective damage or knockback. This means that the majority of the time you're just using the same attacks over and over again without going into further tactics; this sucks because there are new mechanics that get underutilized because of it. One on One battles are largely absent from any challenge as further in the game you are just too stacked against enemies that you either beat them before a one on one fight can happen or bosses are already on the brink of death. As well, the super attacks that you acquire later on require a hefty 15 turn combo to be acquired, and sadly combat just doesn't last that long in regular battles or boss fights. There is clearly a lot of thought going into the combat system, but the game allows you to be busted to quickly to sadly make any real use of it, and due to the lack of the hefty boss battles we had in the previous game, there simply isn't any challenge to this game. I'd be remissed if I didn't talk about more of the games good points, and I assure you that Second Light has a lot going on visually. From the way they present overworlds, to the imagery in each dungeon, and the way they present some of the games cutscenes. It really works well with it's dreams and memory elements that really help sell how this can be a person's mind, feelings, or desires. Add on the fact that this game has literally the best version of in game camera I have seen. The fact you can add certain characters or enemies, pose them in certain ways, move the camera in any way you want, and the many filters they have for you. Honestly, you can spend hours just making a bunch of fun scenarios with the camera that I just don't see in other games especially being as easy or having as many options as Second Light has. Plus the soundtrack for both Blue Reflection games has been absolutely stellar with it's way to present emotion and calm moments mixed together to form a soundtrack that just feels like something you listen to while trying to study for that big test tomorrow. Absolutely nothing in that soundtrack is a miss, and the way this game kinda just blends into the background for Second Light really help the overall atmosphere for the game. Unique, I think is the best way I can describe the Blue Reflection series. The way it handles it's elements, characters, and lore are all fascinating and really make me wish more would come from this series. Second Light is certainly a step back when it comes to combat, but it absolutely nails everything else it has going for it. The story is wonderful, the soundtrack is relaxing, and the visuals have only gotten better. If you haven't played Second Light yet; please do, it's apart of a wonderful series that deserves more praise.

[recurring-polynya]

Friends, it is time. After a three year hiatus, I present to you:

Renji Fashion Round-up, Part 4a

What, you say? You don’t remember the original Renji Fashion Round-Up posts? They are here: (Part 1: Canon) (Part 2: Filler) (3: OPs and EDs) 

This edition will cover Colorspreads and Promotional Materials, and it’s so long that I am spreading it out over two posts. (Yes, I realize I could have further filtered it into Colorspreads AND Promotional Materials, but I found a big folder of these on Reddit and it’s too much work to further sort them. Also, I think it makes more sense to do it this way). I’m going from worst to best, so this post will be covering #20-#10. You may see a few outfits from previous editions, because the openings and endings sometimes used some of these looks, but they didn’t always do them justice, so they are getting a re-rating. I have also grouped outfits that I felt went together thematically, to keep this from getting even longer than it already is. I also left out a handful of ones that just weren’t that interesting/I didn’t have much to say about.

Additionally, I just want to say that I didn’t even know these existed when I made the original posts, and I have since learned that Kubo actually hated the outfits that the anime put Renji in, because he felt like Renji was a great dresser. So even though these is the bottom half of the list, this whole section is a tier above the other ones, and there’s some real gold here.

Anyway, let’s get into it!!!

20. Vampires!

I’m just not into vampires generally, and you can barely even see his outfit. Also he definitely looks like he’s only pretending to drink that...blood alcohol, whatever it’s supposed to be, but, like, the cap is actually still on. (There’s also a fake ad for Pigeon Ruby in Color+ Bleach? Stop trying to make Pigeon Blood happen, Kubo!!)

19. Big Pimpin’

I will admit that he’s got major drip and is very slutty overall, which I normally love, but this is just not my preferred aesthetic. If you love this one, I support you, but I just do not care for it. Also, the fit itself is just not that interesting. I do like his lil braid, tho.

18. Mummy, again

I rated it low in the Filler Round-up and I am rating it low here. I do like the way he’s smoldering at the viewer, and as sexy mummy costumes go, he’s really working it, even without showing skin. That being said: it’s bandages.

17. Cravats, I guess

These two outfits seem sort of fundamentally similarly to me-- low-saturation palate, bit of a slouchy, grungy texture, cravats. I don’t love it, friends. The second one is definitely far superior to the first (the fedora! why??), especially because I loooooove that hairstyle for him and the scarf is tied a little more like a scarf, but he can do better than this.

16. Vampires, again.

I initially rated this one very low, but the more I stare at it, the more I am charmed by it. I mean, this outfit is legit awful. The fedora. The shorts (ft leg stubble). The one pulled-up sock. Ichigo has gone for a more classy all-white vampire look and he can’t even bear to get out of his coffin to be seen with this man. The boots are good, actually and I know I have criticized Renji for wearing white shoes after Labor Day in the past, but it’s working for him here.

15. Oversized sweats

Kubo sure loves to put some dudes in matching sweats!! I have to admit, it’s not my favorite, but maybe I just prefer a more put-together look. I mean, that third one, in particular, is iconic, but it’s because he’s manspreading and his abs and tits are out, but it’s not because of the outfit. The red-and-white tracksuits are notably a step up from the plain gray hoodies, although that scorpion brooch is, uh, something.

14. Military uniforms

So, to be fair, Renji looks really good in a uniform! Even in an anime about career soldiers, the guy is a career soldier to the bone. I think the problem I have with these is that he looks so natural in this sort of thing that it’s just not all that remarkable, in the way that, say, Rukia in a military uniform is just...phew!! Anyway, the fact that this is #15 says more about this list than it says about this look.

13. Workout-gear

See, I like this sort of form-fitting workout gear much more than I like the sweats from earlier. This gets a lot of bonus points for being sleeveless: Renji’s arms are incredible and it shows off the tatts. He should just be sleeveless a lot more often, imo!! Anyway, I wish we could see this better and also, is he wearing gloves? I do really like this bandana, although I am distinctly not sure how I feel about the braids.

12. Men in Black

This is a classic look, and I love whenever how whenever Kubo draws Renji in a group of people with very similar outfits, he always manages to look the best (it’s because he’s tall). Anyway, he’s working it, but unfortunately this look is irrevocably linked to Reservoir Dogs to me, and I am done with Tarantino, so this only makes #12.

11. Beach breeze

Speaking of movies from my formative years, he’s got big Pierce Brosnan-as-James Bond-when-he-has-to-go-to-a-tropical-island energy to me. I wish we could see this from the front. I feel in my heart that he looks very handsome in it, but to me, the vibes are wrong. Renji is just not a man who puts on linen to go to the beach. It’s good, but just slightly off to me. I like his WIlliams-Sonoma $300 watermelon carrier, though.

10. Lamp Society, but make it classy

This outfit appeared, briefly and out-of-context during the very end of OP4: Tonight, Tonight, Tonight. I liked it then and I like it now! It’s tight, even though it probably shouldn’t be and it’s got sort of a modest tit-window. I’d probably rate it higher if we could see more of it. It looks like he’s wearing black pants, which doesn’t seem very practical for the desert. It’s worth noting that everyone looks 1000x times better than when the anime recycled these outfits for the Lamp Society episode.

That’s part a! Read part b here!

[tharizdun-03]

Kyousougiga Watchthrough

Episode 1: A Family's Circumstances and its Background

uhm... holy shit

Obviously, the first thing here is that the show feels very FLCL. Same kind of sporadic style of storytelling, with Gainax (like) visuals, lots of hints for stuff to be explored later that have few explanations now, and awesome music (tho obviously not the same type of music).

I'll admit, it was a bit difficult to keep track of everything that was going on, cause a lot happened very fast, but I think I followed along pretty well.

Visually, it is just gorgeous. Narratively; super fun concepts, already got some solid emotional hooks, and all around just felt like a fairy-tale come to life. I'm not sure what I'm getting into here, but I'm here for it.

Episode 2: What Came Was a Little Sister

Kyousougiga continues to be one of the most stunningly directed series I've ever seen with its second episode. Watching this show is like magic.

Narratively, it's still a bit difficult to keep up with, but I think it's more of an experience rather than keeping up with the plot specifics.

It seems like the show is structuring this with each episode centering around one character's PoV and then we'll pull it together in the second half.

I think it did a good job of tying us into Koto's backstory and motivation, but it's really just the gorgeous art direction, Shiina Gou's orchestral score, etc, which makes it so special. I can't tell if the story yet will come to match, but I'm here for it. 

Also, great opening. Awesome visuals, but I really love the song too. 

Episode 3: The Eldest and his Happy Science Team

Not much to say about EP 3. It continues to be a beautifully directed show, and while I'm not blown away by the story or anything yet, I am interested in seeing where it'll go, as it's obviously still laying out the groundwork, establishing our character motivations.

Episode 4: The Second Daughter and her Wonderful Monsters

EP 4 is Yase's episode, who doesn't care as much about going to the outside world, but just wants her Mother back. Like all the siblings really, it's about their love for their parents and the desire to be with them again. It's a very emotionally warm theme.

Episode 5: The Worries, Beginning, and Ending of the Young Third Son

I'm not resonating overtly with Kyousougiga or anything, but presentation-wise, it is just the best anime has to offer. Solid, emotionally based themes as well, so might pull something together for me a bit later on. Had a good time with EP 5 as well either way.

Got Penguindrum vibes from the cardboard cutout-like people. 

Episode 6: A Story Where Two Plan and One Worries

EP 6 confirms that Myoue is suicidal because he never got over it the first time. He loves his "parents", but at the same time, they brought him back and made him unable to die, without his consent. I'm expecting their reunion to not just be a jolly good time.

A lot of previously unspoken resentment rising to the surface all at once between the siblings here. 

Episode 7: Mom's Back, and Oh, Dad's Back, Too

EP 7 has their mother returning, and the siblings react perfectly in character. Yase is overjoyed, Kurama is a bit distant as he's suspicious, and Myoe is distant as well but because of his personal resentment. Good stuff.

Episode 8: Troublesome Talks Here and There

EP 8 introduced a bunch of world-building drama with all the planes at the risk of being destroyed, which I don't really care about as much as the family stuff, but still some good stuff there and I'm not too worried about it or anything. Looks nice as usual.

Episode 9: Let's All Think about What We Can Do

It's sweet how the fake siblings Inari created to keep Myoue company were the ones that ended up helping him more than their dad ever did. They might've been created to comfort you, but that doesn't mean their feelings aren't true.

Episode 10: A Manga Movie About People Who Have a Fun, Busy Life!

Kyousougiga's finale wrapped everything up pretty much perfectly.

Overall Thoughts:

What a directorial debut Kyousougiga was for Matsumoto Rie. Can't say the narrative resonated with me especially, but it's still a good story about family love. Its gorgeous aesthetics, rich direction, and spectacular soundtrack make it that much of an experience either way.

[some-french-asshole]

My (totally irrefutable) opinion on Ingo and Emmet's different Voice Actors that nobody asked for:

(Sources: Pokemon Masters EX and the Pokemon anime season 14 episodes 48 an 49 as well as some random clips from what I can only assume is the 15th season)

Japanese VA anime

Ingo: 9/10, SUCH A SOFT AND GENTLE VOICE (a very breathy voice at times too), fitting for his more reserved personality but there's a real lack of energy, that Oomph that is oh so present when he's more enthusiastic

Emmet: 50/10, IT'S SO ENERGETIC AND DYNAMIC!!! THERE'S SO MUCH PERSONALITY EMANATING FROM HIS VOICE!! I would have expected a calmer one for him tho, it would have been perfect if his and Ingo's voice had been swapped in the anime

Japanese VA PM EX

Ingo: 8/10, sounds like Yuichi Nakamura but with a higher pitched voice, LOUD, very enthusiastic, AGAIN VERRRYYYY LOUD (but in an endearing way)

Emmet: 7/10 sounds like a hentai protagonist with a very slight lisp... listen to it, you'll understand), overall REALLY cute, pretty fitting, I do wish he didn't sound so young

English VA anime

Ingo: 1000/10, PERFECTION, AMAZING, GOD HE SOUNDS INCREDIBLE, beautiful stoic man with a deep voice, YESSSSSSSSS (in some scenes it does sound a bit forced, like the VA was clearly trying to make his voice as deep as possible which kinda broke the illusion but shhhhhhh)

Emmet: 999/10 EXTREMELY GOOD TOO, very sexy voice sir, tho I feel it doesn't fit him all that well? That voice is amazing but a slightly higher pitched, softer voice would have suited him better I think. It really is a shame since the VA is so great, he sounds so naturally cartoony (if that makes sense?)

English VA PM EX

Ingo: 7/10, sounds good but a bit generic, it lacks in sincerity, could be louder

Emmet: 10/10 very cute, very fitting, sounds slightly ominous and menacing, overall very robotic so it's perfect for him!!

(Bonus) French VA anime

Ingo: -19364820/10 WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE THIS, WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE A 16 YEAR OLD TRYING TO SOUND LIKE A 30 YEAR OLD DUDE, I AM CRYING, WHO WROTE THAT SCRIPT

Emmet: -19364819/10 WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE THIS, WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE A 16 YEAR OLD TRYING TO SOUND LIKE A 30 YEAR OLD DUDE, I AM CRYING, WHO WROTE THAT SCRIPT, a little better than Ingo tho

(Other Bonus) Italian VA anime:

Ingo: 9/10, a gentle but firm voice, so soothing!! This is probably the one that sounds the most like an actual 25+ y/o man (CURSE THE SUBMAS FOR NOT HAVING A CANON AGE)

Emmet: 8/10 very good too, slightly higher pitched and more breathy, not a bad performance at all!! However I find it a little... unremarkable? Idk, I sounds quite generic to me. Still very soothing to listen to!