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luceafarul-de-dimineata · 5 months

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ngl kinda curious what happens if mc gets shipped with one of the nobles more often than the kings instead?

You know the AO3 ship popularity chart? Let's say they did one of those for the "child of Solomon" fandom.

Mod Jjok: The most popular ship with Mc for this month is... Mc x Sitri! With over 20k words in the longest running fanfiction on the ship reaching peak popularity in the middle of the month!

Dantalian: Sitri? Isn't that his majesty Satan's blood bag?

Glasylabolas: It turns out he has a name.

Paimon: I think this must be mistakeeeeen. I just recently wrote in collaboration with Astaroth a 25k words fanfic about Mc x Satan

Eligos: Oh, I mass-reported that one. I would apologise about that, but demons can't lie

Paimon: You're so sillyyyyy

Paimon: You just lost cuteness session priveledgessss

Eligos: :'(

Eligos: It was for the greater good of Tartaros

Bimet: Very noble of you, Eligos

Dantalian: Bimet! You fucking bitch, where's my MC body pillow????

Eligos: @Dantalian please take this in private we don't vibe with this negative energy here

Dantalian: Speak for yourself, I vibe with it!

Gamigin: Guys, what happened????? I was asleep, it's like 5 AM in here.

Gamigin: HOLY FUCK

Gamigin: How did Sitri of all people win????

Paimon: I mean, he's not that baaaaaaad

Gamigin: 20k words isn't even that long! How?!

Gamigin: I think we all have to come together to break the two up

Gamigin: Sitri is a common enemy and we shall stop him!

Dantalian: I'm sharpening my knife as we speak.

Gamigin: His Majesty Lucifer said I'm not allowed to leave Paradise Lost :'(

Dantalian: And?

Gamigin: And ... what?

Dantalian: He's not your dad! Even if he was, you don't have to listen to him. Do you think I listen to everything his majesty Asmodeus tells me to do? No. He may be my dad and my king, but I am in control of my own future.

Glasylabolas: Preach brother, preach

Gamigin: But I don't want to go against Lucifer's orders

Dantalian: Pussy

Glasylabolas: Pussy

Dantalian: First! Suck it old man!

Gamigin: Wait, doesn't Paimon live in the same country as Sitri?????

Gamigin: @Paimon, dearest, could you please kill Sitri for us? At least tranquillise him or something. Make sure he doesn't move anymore.

Paimon: I'm not murdering Sitri over thisssss

Paimon: I'll just ask him if it's true he's dating Mccccc

Dantalian: I think we should vote on Sitri's fate

Glasylabolas: Absolutely. I am for democracy.

Dantalian: Knife or gun death?

Glasylabolas: I prefere knife. Gun's make everything messier. How am I supposed to get arroused by a pile of guts?

Dantalian: Ask Ronové or Phenix and they'll tell you

Dantalian: I once saw Ronové remove an angel's intenstines and fucking them

Eligos: That's why nobody wants to visit Abaddon.

Dantalian: In his defence, it was kind of hot

Glasylabolas: I can imagine

Glasylabolas: I should call Ronové again...

Dantalian: He charges for one night stands now cause Abaddon lost its health care recently

Gamigin: Yeah, Morax told me about how you started getting curious about his eye hole.

Dantalian: I don't even blame Ronové for that one. I'm also curious what happens if you cum down someone's eye socket.

Paimon: Ok guyssssss

Paimon: I talked with himmmm

Paimon: It turns out that he just had a lot of black tea recently and wrote 20k words in a dayyyyy

Paimon: And a lot of people read it because Asteroth recomended it on his bloggggg

Dantalian: ah, yeah, shipping

Dantalian: Asmodeus x Mc for the win

Eligos: In your dreams

Dantalian: Yes. I do dream about that often.

Dantalian: I don't even know why y'all care so much for Mc's sex life

Dantalian: Having sex with only one partner is boring

Gamigin: Keep your shitty opinions to yourself.

Dantalian: Only if you make me

Eligos: I'm going to mass report it

Gamigin: I already did <3

Sitri: All of you are so mean

[Mod Jjok stopped comments on this post]

#whb #what in hell is bad #whb gamigin #whb paimon #whb eligos #whb glasylabolas #whb dantalian #whb bimet #whb sitri #shipper au

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skyeslittlecorner · 9 months

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Belphegor brainrot...?

I wanted to put together all crumbs about Belphie just like I did with Asmo.

We know Nilfheim is a something like a military hive mind. Nobles use swords or other melee weapons (the scythe is somewhat included in this), and since consistency is usually maintained, plus Bathin has a uniform resembling a soldier (we will talk about uniforms later), let's very roughly assume that it is, to some extent, a knightly country.

Okay I'll be honest, I'm just amused by the idea of Belphie as a mixture of Sleeping Beauty and a knight on a white horse lol.

I don't have a screenshot unfortunately, but Satan during Halloween event said Beplhie don't like tedious work (even if it's just a signing.) Expected. He's embodiment of sloth after all.

Actually, I can relate.

It looks like Gusion and Bael could shake hands. But Belphie is there, he really does a lot when he's out of his cave. It is not without reason that it is said that lazy people are the best employees because they will get the job done in the fastest way.

Looks like his Majesty is flirty! A big point in my opinion, because for me he seemed cold and distant. I was afraid that we would be too similar to Leviathan, but I guess that's not the case.

He doesn't sound like this decision bothered him at all. I don't know how to interpret it, so I leave it here out of chronicler's duty. And to please the eyes, look at my pretty boy!!!

But... that's it. That's all. So, I have found a related topic to rabmle about.

Nilfheim boys what's wrong with you?

We only know two, only recently three of them. Gusion, Bathin, Andrealphus.

And I guess they have a different definition of military than us.

Two of the three are like, "hey, have you seen that unicorn in the green cloak? This one who is never in his country? Great idea!" and yeeted themselves from Nilhfeim.

He just. Randomly visited Earth. Because why not.

Honey, you don't. Although… you're the devil. *Hands AO3* Have fun!

We are fresh from Andrea's escapades to Avisos. We know that he spends a lot of time there and from the screenshot above we also know that he doesn't really need things like his king permission to be happy.

Considering that Bathin is friends with Stolas...

...aka his personal radio, I'm sorry I can't get over this lol, it is very possible that he also often visits Avisos. Beel, you are tempting nobles from the next country and you are not even in your own country.

Bathin? Andrea? I understand that in a sentence "The devils of Niflheim almost never move individually" you are the "almost". Two of the three known. A known majority. They are hopeless.

And you know what? The third one isn't any better.

Yeah. Who in a MILITARY COUNTRY would wear a uniform. Well, no one normal. Let's get back to those uniforms, this time for real.

We already know that Gusion doesn't bother with such bullshit, so we don't know if what we actually see is the one times he wears something he should wear all the time. (I guess we do and he just doesn't have a jacket.)

Bathin has a uniform, but it's from Paradise Lost. It is possible that his appearance refers to this and not Nilfheim, as we know that other devils associated with foreign countries, especially Buer, but also Sitri, have appearances related to the latter country.

Andrea seems to be the most reliable. But who knows? He wanders where he shouldn't, do you think he would care about his uniform? Plus… A wing? And a halo? Exactly.

Ultimately, I would lean towards uniforms of nobles that look like hitmans. Just like someone described Andrea in the event.

At least one thing is right. The devils of Nilfheim are unnaturally strong, even by their standards. We all remember how Andrea abused every angel in his path. Even the big guy who seemed to break him like a match. No, the big guy was shaking like an aspen under his feet as Andrea happily dismembered him. As we can see, Gusion's sword also proves his strength.

Even some of Nilfheim's lower devils seem to have great fighting skills. Not all of them, of course. One is a fish.

We have the least information about the countries of Asmo and Belphi, but we have some coherent idea about Abaddon thanks to the nobles. Nilhfeim? Nope! Funny country. I can't wait to visit it.

#whb #what in hell is bad #whb belphegor #whb andrealphus #whb gusion #whb bathin #whb theory #whb nilfheim #overanalyzing #I am impressed by everyone who reads this spam of mine #mwah a kiss for you

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dagondelrio · 19 days

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So I have been thinking about the Wisdom Saga, obviously. I had some thoughts that I wanted to share. Sorry for the angst. Spoilers for the Wisdom Saga.

So we all know that Hermes is going to be the one to get Odysseus off of Calypso's Island while Athena is recovering? dead?. After having begged Athena to help him at the end of Love in Paradise.

Odysseus must have some complex feelings towards that. No doubt, he is relieved to finally get the chance to go home or die trying after seven years of being trapped there, stuck with his own guilt and grief. On the other hand, he knows that Hermes is there only for his own amusement really. Yes, he helped with Circe, but he straight up told Odysseus that this might fail and he would die and made it clear he really couldn't care less. Not to mention, Hermes is a trickster god archetype. Odysseus likely will listen to Hermes despite all that because any chance, no matter how slim, is worth listening to Hermes. Also, he knows better than to piss off another god.

Odysseus also doesn't know that Athena got extremely hurt? killed? to free him as she didn't speak to him or any indication that she had heard and was going to respond to his prayer and help free him. Hermes might mention it to Odysseus, but based on what little I know about Dangerous so far, Hermes won't, and ultimately, it makes sense as Hermes has met Odysseus This isn't Apollo coming to help with a throw away line like "Oh, I wanted to see the mortal that Athena risked her life to help" that would at least clue Odysseus in on Athena being responsible for his freedom. Odysseus wouldn't even ask about Athena as, for as far as he knows, Athena is still pissed at him and ignoring him.

If Hermes did tell Odysseus, imagine his reaction. First, it will depend on how much he knows. Does he know that she went against Zeus for him or that she was just responsible. If he knew that she went against Zeus and suffered greatly? died? imagine what that would do to his survivors guilt. He has already caused so much pain to those he cared about. His son had to grow up without a father. His wife is running a kingdom and likely filled with grief. His mother died waiting for him to get home. He got his entire crew killed either directly or indirectly. Then his mentor, the one who scorned his friendship, put herself in danger for him and suffered/died for him. If Odysseus only knows that she was the reason but not what Athena did, he'll likely be both glad and hurt. He'd be glad that she had heard his prayers and that she chose to aid him. Hurt that she was too proud to face him and didn't come to him herself. I think this one would be the easiest version for their relationship to repair.

Now, if he doesn't know, he'll probably be mad at Athena for abandoning him when he truly needed her. Her would be resigned as he knows he screwed up by not listening to her and likely thinks that there is no repairing their relationship. There is also anger at himself for allowing himself to believe that Athena would come to his aid after she made it clear in My Goodbye that she didn't really care about Odysseus and wanted nothing more to do with him.

Now, in the Odyssey, Athena disguised Odysseus as a beggar so that he could kill the suitors. Epic of course, is its own work, and this moving forward part depends if Athena is dead. (I know Calypso says goddesses can't die but remember she is talking to a mortal who has no divine abilities or divine aid vs the king of the gods fighting hisi daughter) Hermes really could fit this role as he is a trickster god. If Athena helps well, that is where it gets interesting.

Odysseus wouldn't refuse her help. As he knows not to piss of the gods and he at least kind of knows Athena's intentions. I don't see Athena mentioning the risk that she put herself in for Odysseus. She is prideful. I doubt that she would be willing to admit that she had been beaten by Zeus for Odysseus. I don't see either of them bringing it up. I imagine that Odysseus would be bitter now that she is helping when he had previously begged her for her help, and as far as he knows got nothing from it. However, he won't have any allies, and Ithaca has changed since he has left, so he won't refuse her aid. I doubt their relationship would ever truly recover.

Now imagine when Odysseus finds out that Telemachus made friends with Athena. On one hand he would be relieved. He would be glad that at least someone was looking out for his son when he couldn't (also a little bitter that he couldn't be the one protecting Telemachus). On the other hand, imagine how it must feel to have his friendship with Athena dismissed, where as far as he knows, she only saw him as her student, not a friend. That his son got to have that relationship with her. That she was so quick to replace him with someone else. Imagine Odysseus wondering where he went wrong to not get that same relationship from her that he had wanted.

#odysseus #athena #hermes #telemachus #epic the musical #epic the wisdom saga

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libby-for-life · 5 months

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I wanna see more greek mythology au 🥺 also i wonder what happens if like at some point Charlie and the crew or like Sera and such meets him again😙

Read the other Greek Mythology au first.

Previously: The entirety of Hell shakes and splits open as twelve-foot-tall people radiating power and light storm in, all wielding weapons that, despite not being angelic weapons, are powerful enough to kill sinners.

They will find Persephone.

Meanwhile, Lucifer soon catches wind of these godly beings and goes to confront them. He sees Adam for the first time since the dawn of Eden and nearly has a heart attack. Adam. The First Man. He was back.

And he was PISSED

Adam spots the one he feels is in charge, pointing his scythe at him. "WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!"

Lucifer too stunned to speak for a moment just stares at Adam. Then he reels back.

"Wait...who?"

"PERSEPHONE! WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Oh dear gods, this place is a mess." A man with what looks like a war helmet says.

"I love war as much as the next person, but this seems...excessive..."

A man in black with a gold circlet looks disgusted. "Is THIS what they think my domain is?!" (Hades has always been salty about the miscommunication of the Underworld)

"I have much more class then this!"

"Please, focus you two." A woman with long blonde hair says. She carried a spear and looked wise beyond her years.

Adam just stalks up to Lucifer, radiating the feeling of a famine, a sweltering summer, wildfires started from his angry breath

He giveth mankind his bounty, he taketh is away just as fast

"WAIT! I don't know who this person is, but I can help you find her! Did her soul pass through here?"

This only made Adam angry. "A goddess doesn't die." His fury is controlled but Lucifer could tell that this...glowing new Adam wanted to pummel him.

"Yes. Besides, Earth needs her. Without her, Spring can't come." A man wearing a tunic said and...was he carrying a...lightning bolt? Interesting weapon choice.

Lucifer heard rumors of the Earth taking on sentient life of its own, but he didn't believe it. These were Primordials! They held just as much power as the Elders so long as they were on Earthly domain. They were literally gods.

And...Adam was one of them?

"Are you this realm's leader?" The female said, shifting the weight of her spear. "If what you say is true about you helping us, then you WILL provide."

Hades steps up. This may not be his realm, but he is STILL Lord of the Dead. "Speak, or I will have every soul here tear and burn this place to the ground before turning them up on you."

Lucifer shivered. He could tell that he wasn't lying. "Yes. I am their King. If Persephone is here and not a lost soul, I will help you find her and bring out of Hell."

Adam looked at the man. He seemed familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He supposed it didn't matter. If he didn't get Persephone back, then he was going to flood this place and then burn it into the ground. They didn't call him The Reaper for nothing.

"How about, while we search, I can offer you a place to stay? My daughter runs a hotel."

Charlie did not expect Dad to show up with the fucking Primordials

"Uh...welcome?"

Hades is beyond offended at the lack of structure in the afterlife. "Why the fuck isn't this place more organized?! So much chaos! Why aren't they on the reincarnation route?"

"Hu? Reincarnation?" Charlie asked confused.

"YES! If you're not an absolute beast of a human being, you reincarnate! Attain a good life three times and you get Eternal Paradise!"

Athena just shakes her head and gathers her brothers towards some open seats. A snap of her fingers makes them fit better so they can all sit down. They needed to know the layout of Hell. She knew strategies like the back of her hand.

"Now. You're the Princess of Hell?" Athena asked Charlie before a small one-eyed woman pointed a spear at her.

Athena tilted her head. "You will do well to lower your weapon child. Before I show you the power of a Goddess."

Ares laughs. "This one! I like her!" Taps Vaggie's spear, turning it gold and giving it a more wicked design. "This will draw more blood from your foes!"

Vaggie stumbles back and looks at her spear. Athena looked at her in the eyes and suddenly she saw her literal life flash before her eyes. This Goddess meant business....she shouldn't threaten someone this powerful. "You always did like the brave." Hades said.

"Brave or foolish?" Athena said with one more glance before turning to Charlie. "Well, are you the Princess or not?"

"I...I am. Uh, how can I help you?"

"My daughter, Persephone has gone missing. She was kidnapped and taken here." Adam said. "I can sense her here but I don't know where exactly....too many layers here."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Persephone... I've heard that name before."

"You should," Zeus said. "She's the Goddess of Spring. She's what brings that Earth beauty."

Some silence.

"....I thought Demeter was a woman."

Adam turned to what looked at what seemed to be a spider demon. "I've been depicted as such. I prefer the male form better." His form flickered and he turned into...well....a she. A well-endowed woman who looked regal and beautiful as she was angry. The form flickered and Adam was male again. "Demeter is one name I go by. Only my family calls me Adam."

Angel blinked. "So you're male leaning gender fluid. Cool."

Adam tilted his head. "If that helps you comprehend it better."

"No, that's Zeus, the God of Whores"

Zeus gasped at Ares.

"No, you're thinking of Apollo."

"What do you know of the layers here?" Adam asks.

Ares turns to Lucifer. "Anyway, shortsack, we didn't catch your name."

Adam glared at the interruption but looked to the King who was been...quite for some time.

Adam blinked. Something was digging at his memory. Something he wanted to forget...."The layers, Princess. What do you know of them?"

It's better to not dwell on the past.

Only, his family exchanged glances behind his back before they turned unreadable looks to the King of Hell. Adam might not remember chose not to but they remembered when Adam was young and innocent. Back when he would cry about how his two friends left him. Lucifer and Lilith. Two uncommon names that humans don't typically call their children.

#hazbin hotel #adamsapple #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel lucifer #send asks #greek mythology

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quietbooklion · 12 days

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What happened to Kings of Paradise?

Lately, I've been having some thoughts about Kings of Paradise mainly because how it just stopped updating for years. Aside from the manga adaptations and the NSFW stories that were recently released in the EN app, there hasn't been any kind of update in regards to the main stories for each of the characters.

When KoP was first released, I was honestly surprised by how very mature and sexy it was. Voltage really went above and beyond to deliver a story about an MC getting divorced and finding love again. Kiyohito stole my heart and of all the guys he's my favorite with Kaisei coming in second.

I stopped reading KoP stories after a while because I lost interest and when I found out the later season stories had this love triangle thing going on, I really couldn't find myself wanting to continue the title. Fun fact about me: I don't like love triangles. In the end, I haven't played the title in a LONG time. Not even Kiyohito could get me to replay it.

Even so, I was very much looking forward to the new love interests. Kaisei really was interesting and fun since he's so eccentric compared to the others. The one I was looking forward to the most was the doctor, Tsubaki. That man is so fine. I was eagerly anticipating his story thinking it could get me back into playing the title again.

And so I waited... and waited... and waited... and waited... and waited...

After literal years of no updates I started to wonder if it was dropped. My suspicions were confirmed when I looked at the JP app and saw that Tsubaki and Blood Moon were removed from the line up. Yes, you heard me, removed.

I was beyond disappointed when I saw that in the JP app. More so because this isn't the first time Voltage has dropped a title without giving it a proper conclusion, like how it was with Rose in the Embers.

KoP was fairly popular if my memory is correct, so I can't see why Voltage would all of a sudden just drop it and not give any kind of update. Now, I know that first and formost, Voltage is a company and if one of their titles isn't bringing in the money, it'll get dropped. That's just how it is even though I don't like it. Still, why KoP of all the titles if it was fairly popular to the point where Kaisei was added to the VIP room. It got a manga adaptation for christ's sake. Why drop it??

Also why put a lot of side stories inside the VIP room gacha? Now that really makes me mad that those stories are locked behind a gacha.

After seeing Tsubaki and Blood Moon getting removed and years of no updates, I think it's fair to say Voltage dropped it and has no plans to go back to it unless they announce something. Which is a shame because I know lots of people loved that game and the characters.

#Kings of Paradise #voltage inc #love 365 #otome #thoughts on #why was this title dropped #Voltage being Voltage #Genuinely disappointed

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grifff17 · 1 month

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Audio Drama Sunday 8/18/2024

There was so much new stuff this week. Midnight Burger, Worlds Beyond Number, World Gone Wrong, and Wanderer's Journal all release an episode every other Tuesday, and this Tuesday was that day. Then on Wednesday 3 actual play released new episodes. I didn't actually get through everything new this week, the rest will come next week.

NEW SHOW ALERT Starwhal: Odyssey, a spelljammer-inspired actual play from the cast of Skyjacks Couriers Call, is no longer Patreon exclusive! I really liked the first 2 episodes of this show, I love the way these people do collaborative storytelling. The little things like the rent collections robot and the streaming rat were so good. At the end of the episode, the mental vision of Saach teleporting into the gamer chair was so vivid. Also, I've never heard more revulsion in a credits sequence than them crediting Wizards of the Coast for the Spelljammer setting. I'm curious about the system they're going to move to for the later episodes.

In @midnightburgr I love the new set of characters, I bet the next spinoff series going to be the Paradise. However, they can’t keep ending episodes like this. I’ve never been happier to hear the sound of the diner jumping, but Ava and the Mucklewains are gone. At least this time Ava isn't totally alone in a jerry rigged space suit. And David is joining the main cast, at least for the rest of the season!

So much happens in every @worldsbeyondpod episode, and this one had even more than most. The audio design for the opening scene goes so hard, Taylor does such an incredible job. When listening to other APs, I can't help but compare them to WBN. The King of Night loredrop was insane, Orima is apparently sworn to him? I like how the core conflict - Witches and Spirits vs Wizards - is designed to create tension and strife between the PCs. I love the intrigue of this arc so much, but Ame lying to the coven was such a massive misstep. I still think my favorite part of the show might be whenever Suvi uses identify on something plot relevant. The smell of soap from Ursulon was so mean by Brennan, callbacks to the Children's Adventure like that always break me.

I didn’t realize the new season of @storiesfromylelmore was starting already, when I saw it pop up in my feed I went to bed early to go listen to it. Despite what Keryth says, her moms are super cool. Can't wait to learn more about them. Keryth’s parents giving her a magic item to make her quiet reminds me of a lot of my childhood. What my mom wouldn't have given for a silence bubble spell. There was so much worldbuilding in this episode, the quote “I don’t know what they do with them, but I think it’s better if they don’t have pieces of you” was terrifying. The final scene of the episode created such a vivid mental image, I could see the three of them in the backseat.

I also listened to ItMe's other show besides Ylelmore and InCo, Of Gods and Lanterns. It was short but sweet, with a total runtime of less than 30 minutes runtime. I really like the world, I would listen to 100 more episodes of this show.

I listened to parts 3 and 4 of the Spout Lore Critshow crossover. The Spout Lore cast on earth is so funny. The two shows really mesh so well together, this has to be the most "natural" crossover I've ever listened to.

The new season of Second Fiddles also started this week and woah the ending. I'm guessing that everyone forgot about Tammie, but Linus’s mom was unaffected because she was in the book. IIRC we've only met one character who can erase people memories, and she could only do it to one person at a time, not everyone, so I suspect 4th Wall/Macguffin shenanigans.

I also started The Cryptonaturalist this week. The tone of this show is so unique. I love the narrator. I also very quickly found that this is a perfect podcast to fall asleep to.

This post ended up really long this week. No judgement if people don't want to read the whole thing. Next week will be a lot shorter I think.

#audiodrama sunday #audiodrama #audio fiction #starwhal odyssey #midnight burger #worlds beyond number #stories from ylelmore #of gods and lanterns #spout lore podcast #second fiddles podcast #the cryptonaturalist

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2af-afterdark · 7 months

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I love sending headcanons cuz it lets my brain go crazy (in a happy way)

Mammon will always have a bias (I see shiny things, I’m sprinting towards it)

Anyways, let’s do some noble headcanons this time around :)

Paimon has a 6th sense of when AFAB’s MC’s get close to their periods, and he has everything to help

When in the human world, Stolas turns into his crow form and keeps an eye on MC from a distance away, pecking anyone who gets too close

Andrealphus probably paints in his pass time, creating stunning pieces of work (with angelic parts of course)

Valephor would be more than happy to take you on shopping trips, carrying you AND the bags (carry me plz teddy bear)

Foras has a hidden gemstone collection and will occasionally give some away to you

Orias has tried every Oreo flavor (his name is close to Oreo I couldn’t help it)

I start my chocolatier(?) job tomorrow so I’m both excited and nervous, mainly excited cuz I might become 🍫anon instead (I won’t)

🦩

Mammon is a crow, confirmed... wait, no. That's OM Mammon... Uhhh... *tosses shiny aluminum balls on the ground to distract both Mammons while I flee*

Is it a sixth sense, or is there a specific section of his brain that subconsciously tracks their symptoms and how many days it's been since their last cycle? He notices when they are bloating, when they suddenly have more cravings, when they don't even want to stand up. He probably even notices for the AFAB MC's who are irregular, which... Personally, I wouldn't mind a timer like that.

A random crow throwing a tantrum and pecking someone? Sounds about right? Did you crows can recognize people? They will be kind to their friends, but they and all their crow friends will shank a bitch who messes with them. Stolas would have a crow army. Finally, he is king (of the crows).

A regular Eserf Armagan, huh? I could see Andrealphus doing something like that. Although, I kind of feel he'd have more fun sculpting since it is more tactile and he can add all the decorations in specific places. Like... Making a life-sized statue of a Power he killed and including all the pieces he ripped off of that guy. Donates it to a charity auction anonymously.

Can I get a Valephor, please? I need someone to treat me like that too.

*stares at my own gemstone collection* The man does not know what he has done. He has made a grave mistake.

Orias... some of those flavors are so cursed (waffles and syrup, jelly donut, berry burst ice cream) that I cannot recommend them. There is no soul there for you. Turn away now while you still can.

Some random headcanons of my own:

While the devils of Paradise Lost are incredible healers who could make you better in 10 seconds flat, they also know the importance of sometimes needing a good mental health day and will write you a doctor's note for anything. Not that the devils of Hell will push you (except maybe Leviathan), but they'll do it anyway, no matter how small the request. Need a day off for extra sleep? Take the entire week! They'll give you the note no questions asked!

Eligos played Neopets back in the day. You know he was endeared by the adorable little creatures. He would even dress them to match.

Valephor can't draw for shit. Sorry. He just can't. He can't even form a circle.

#❖ 🦩 anon #love letters ❤️#talkin' whb

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anixknowsnothin · 20 days

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I've listened to the wisdom saga a few more times now, and it's gotten even more amazing, i think it's my favourite so far, all the songs are bangers. I love how silly telemachus is and legendary is such a pretty song. I get chills every time athena appears in little wolf and this song is also so amazing. We'll be fine is so sad with the "i could sleep at night" etc. and the rewinds at the end (i said it wrong in my first ask, mean this one). Love in paradise is also sooooo pretty and i absolutely love the "you're adorable, bow down now to the immortal calypso" part snsjsbdjs. God Games is just crazy, i especially love Hera's part, it's so satisfying, Zeus is being such a petty bitch at the end but last i checkex goddesses can't die so it's okay? (No it's not, i hate him)

Oo i forgot to say I HATE ANTINUOS (not the guy who voices him, he's amazing ofc) ofc this makes sense since he's the bad guy but still

And also i think the beginning of ares part in god games is the snippet we once discovered in one of the puzzles you made for us? I could be wrong tho, it was also feally long ago so maybe you don't remember

That's it for now <33

I agree, the Wisdom Saga is really well done. I love how it feels like a video game, with so many battles and especially in God Games, where it feels like Athena is levelling up from god to god.

Also yes, We'll be fine is such a sad song but it's also so beautiful because of Athena's character development and Teagan's beautiful voice.

The end of Love in Paradise haunts me, because when Calypso mentions "open arms," Polites voice is in Ody's head and I just love Polites so much, why did he die?? God I can't stop thinking how it went from "This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms" -> "Captain" -> "Everything has changed since Polites" -> Polites in The Underworld -> Polites in Love in Paradise. It's so clear how Polites' death haunts Odysseus so much, and their friendship meant so much to him. I was discussing with @thebestieyoureinlovewith (sorry i hope you don't mind the tag) about how interesting the reunion in the Underworld would be between Ody and his crew.

Barbara Wangui has such a gorgeous voice, the casting could not get any better. As someone who's friend loves MICO, both him and I were going crazy about the fact that he was playing Telemachus.

Zeus is the reason why the term 'petty bitch' was coined Red, a scary 'god king' is also a whiney proud bitch lmao

YES WE HATE ANTINUOUS!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT FOR HOLD THEM DOWN.

and lastly, omg i can't believe you remember <333 yes i did do that heheheheheheh

#epic the musical #anix answers asks #anix seriously knows nothing #rw posts

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chidoroki · 1 year

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182 Days of TPN - Day 159

Chapter 159: "Thank You"

C'mon now, which one of you three idiots asked if this child was in pain? Did y'all not see him get smacked hard across the room a couple chapters ago? The trio is lucky they're all cute so I'll forgive them especially since their smiles are precious.

They are pretty incredible, as one would imagine from a couple fullscore kids, though this kinda makes me wish Ray had a big moment like the other two. Don't get me wrong, I love him and my boy definitely put in a lotta work back at GF, even way before the series began, not to mention all the assistance he provided to Emma & their family after the escape, but destroying the entire demon nobility and making a promise with the demon god are pretty huge, ya know?

To be honest, I thought Sonju was on the verge of snapping here. We've known for about hundred chapters that he still craves human meat and was waiting patiently for his chance to eat it once again and now he's coming to the realization that wish of his won't be fulfilled. Due to his beliefs, he of course wouldn't eat our trio since they aren't wild humans, but just imagining the possibility of him turning on them here would've been kinda exciting to witness. Surely the conflict would be solved by talk-no-jutsu from both Emma & Mujika and I could just feel the tension of having him & Ray pointing their weapons at each other which would be so good since they sorta have that teacher-student relationship yet still respect one another. Norman would kinda be a little clueless in the middle, though definitely fearing for his life since he originally had the intention to kill Sonju & Mujika.

I understand why it would be hard for Sonju to be accepted as the next king, but ya could've still tried, dude. Even if he didn't want the position in the first place, he literally could not have been any worse than Legravalima. She set the bar pretty low.

Pfftt I like how we see Norman react a bit to Mujika's words here. The dude took several fans to create a whole inferno with that extermination plan of his.

I honestly would've been so sad if this was their true last goodbye but thankfully they make a last minute appearance in ch178.

Just let it happen, Sonju. You can't fight a protagonist's affection.

When Emma brings up all the demons she's met over the years and how they take lives to eat just as humans do, she eventually brings up death and I always loved the different reactions we see between Norman and Ray, with the former being far more surprised than the latter to even hear our optimistic sunshine child think about something so depressing, as Norman tends to always see Emma in a positive light. It could also be the short amount off time Norman's seen Emma since their initial reunion back at the paradise hideout so they didn't really get the chance to indulge in their own personal struggles with everything else going on, which could also explain Ray's expression. He seems far more understanding since he's been at Emma's side ever since the escape (minus the three weeks after GP) so it's safe to say he knows her worries firsthand and can even empathize about the similar thoughts, even if we as readers never saw such a conversation happen between them regarding death before. (also really love that group shot of their whole family. a nice attempt to lighten the mood here.)

Okay, now this scene of Emma imagining her death has fascinated me for the longest time. The main reason being because it's uncertain when and where it takes place, but as I had rambled on about three years ago, I still believe this moment happens right after Emma made the promise with the demon god. To give as brief summary of that post as possible, I started off by wondering how Emma seemed relatively fine upon her return from the Seven Walls in ch144, despite learning that she was gonna lose her memories and be separated from her family, even going as far as to say "Oh. That was okay too. I'll tell you later!" when Ray had asked the requirements of the reward. Of course her response is sorta deflecting, but in all fairness, they did have to rush to capital to stop Norman's plan. It's also understandable that she kept the reward a secret to prevent her family from worrying about her, since no matter what they would say, the reward couldn't be refused. Demon god was cunning with his choice and wouldn't change His mind, so Emma had no choice but to accept it, so how was it that our girl, who is known for having such a huge heart of gold, seemed "okay" with the fact that she would lose everything that's so important to her? Well, for one, she's a brilliant actor, as this series has demonstrated several times in the past, so chalk up that quick conversation as another successful performance by her. I think another reason behind her "good' mood is that Emma had already taken time to herself to grieve about her future loses and it's this flashback right where I think that moment of reflection takes place. Once again in ch144, Ray informs Emma (& us) that it's been three hours since he first returned from the Seven Walls, which leads me to believe that Emma gave herself that much time (though probably a bit less, depending on how long the conversation with demon god actually took) thinking over the price of the reward, what would happen to her afterwards, if she could've worded the promise differently to prevent all that, etc. This girl adores her family and would do absolutely anything for them, but to live a life without them has gotta be the worst kind of punishment for her that she'd rather die than to experience it, so she eventually wonders what could be the best possible way to make that happen, if it truly had to, and remembers Sonju & Mujika.

Now, obviously, I could be completely wrong about that panel (& im splitting up these thoughts in half because i know long blocks of text are intimidating), but as I brought up in that same post from 2020, I'm still certain it happens sometime after GP, if her hair in the braid is anything to go by at least. The way she's laying down is also similar to how Ray shows up at paradise hideout once he was kicked out of the Seven Walls, though one could argue why did Emma appear somewhere outside instead of inside the base as well. Maybe she asked demon god to transport her there, I dunno, He works in weird ways. Anyways, another detail to take note of is the full moon, which is kinda important since she & Ray left for the Seven Walls during a full moon, as shown in ch130/131 since the ritual to arrive at the entrance requires one. The only nitpick about the moon however is that Anna mentions in ch144 that it's the afternoon when Emma returns, so it might not have been dark enough to see the moon that clearly in the first place, unless the demon world works differently. Who knows. (& random, but in that old post of mine, i wondered if the kids were in the southern hemisphere due to how moon phases work, but Ray literally confirms in ch5 they're in the northern hemisphere due to the way the sun rises, so just ignore that little bit on nonsense if ya choose to read that original post back.) To this day I'm not entirely sure about when & where that panel of Emma contemplating death happens in the story, but I like holding onto this little headcanon regardless. Also, I didn't mention this in that old post since I only thought of it recently, but the shadows on her neck cover her number, so if this moment does take place after Emma learned the reward, then I say keeping her number hidden is a nice, little foreshadowing moment.

...Anyways, sorry not sorry about all that. I'll keep the rest short, like how Mujika finds Sonju's brief freak out over his lost meat amusing and how discouraged he becomes when she admits she has no idea how to fix their broken demon society situation.

Favorite panel/moment:

I mean.. I would hope my favorite moment was obvious enough with all the nonsense I rambled on about it, but aside from that and Sonju's silly, little breakdown, here's some cheerful kiddos. Look at how happy they are that I'm finally shutting up.

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

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callgespenst · 2 months

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Berserk Omnibus vol. 4

What do you MEAN this collection leaves off in the middle of the Advent. Fuck! I mean, I was probably going to have to get the next volume as soon as I could anyway, but this makes it even more critical.

He hasn't done a lot yet but Skull Knight is so fuckin cool. This is absolutely where every other cool skellington with a sword I've ever seen has gotten it from, isn't it? I'm sure he'll have more to do later so I'm looking forward to that.

From the outcry I've heard from Berserk fans for...decades, I figured that Griffith had this big plan from the very beginning. He's gonna get some boys together, grab himself a kingdom, cash them all in to be King of the Demons. But as it turns out (at this point I'm at, at least) that he really had no idea that the fucked up egg he's been carrying around for years had that kind of trade-in value.

Guts isn't even a full time demon hunter yet, but has already left humanity's limits far behind through the power of daily dedication and a full platoon's capacity for rage. If his sword wasn't broken during the lead in to the Eclipse he coulda just handled all that.

This omnibus goes from "oh no, Charlotte's totally going to bite it during this rescue operation" to "oh wait, maybe she'll be okay" to "what the fuck does Zodd want with her". It was neat to see her stand up for herself and even Guts had to respect her. Poor girl's only mistake really was just, falling for Griffith.

Once again, that you almost /never/ get to see Griffith's internal monologue or what he's actually thinking is fascinating. Especially when he's rescued and well, can't communicate anymore. Once or twice per chapter you just see his eyes pierce through his helmet and the page. What's he thinking? What part of what just occurred is he reacting to? It's impossible to know for sure! Haunting, and intriguing.

I love Phantom of the Paradise (1974).

I wouldn't call what's going between Guts and Casca and Griffith a love triangle, but at the same time, what other term is there for when three characters have such unique dynamics with each other? It's neat how Guts and Casca are at a very early point in their relationship, where it's readily apparent to everyone around them that they're A Thing now, and how that makes things a little awkward, as if they weren't already awkward enough around each other! And what makes things the weirdest is having Griffith back, who both of them, for different reasons, would kill and die for. And yet, what seems to catch Griffith's glare the most is the moments of vulnerability that Guts and Casca show each other during and shortly after the rescue operation. These two, both of them were supposed to be His. Griffith rescued one and defeated the other, and from that point on, they were meant to be his soldiers, possibly his friends, maybe his pawns. And yet! While you're out being tortured for a year, these two now seem to have become each other's. To Griffith, this possibly has to be more infuriating than anything else.

Excited to pick up volume 5 next time I get paid. On one hand, I desperately want to know what happens next, but it's also nice to be able to ruminate on things for a while.

#gespenst media

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omentranslates · 1 year

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Owari no Seraph chapter 128 english fan translation

Howdy welcome pls read and refer to the official at here this is just for fun sorry for the lateness i was outside all day also thank you for leaving nice comments last month it made my day ok thanks for reading

The angel Mika who decided their own end in order to save the First....

Shikama: ...it can't be...Paimon...Mikaela...

Yuu: ...suicide.

Mika: ...just the worst.

Shikama: This can't be happening....

Owari no Seraph 128: Icarus and His Wings

The newest Volume 30 just released from JC to high acclaim!!

Bael: My King!! Paimon!! What on earth was all that.....what is this...

Bael: You idiot, how could you-....why did you go ahead of....

Bael: *breakdown noises*

Bael: .....my King. My King, Paimon surely didn't...commit suicide, right?

Shikama: .........

Bael: God does not permit ending one's own life. Paimon's soul will...

Shikama: Stop talking.

Bael: My King. Paimon loved you more than anyone. Wanted you to return to God's side more than anyone. You know this without me telling you, that this is all part of God's plan. This is all a trial, so...

Shikama: And because of that you'll expect me to just accept it? All of this? This...this...this miserable story...

Bael: My King, you're halfway there. Arrogance like this in the middle of the journey will not be taken lightly...

Shikama: DON'T EVEN! DON'T EVEN GIVE ME THAT!! THIS ISN'T ARROGANCE!! WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS DESPAIR. THIS IS FUTILITY. IT'S POWERLESSNESS.

Shikama: WHY AM I ALIVE JUST TO SUFFER TO THIS EXTENT!!? WHAT AM I GOING ON FOR!? HALF THE ANGELS HAVE SUCCUMBED TO DISEASE. WHAT PARADISE CAN WE REACH BY IGNORING THAT!?

Bael: *cough*

Shikama: No....not you too.....

Bael: I am truly sorry....for not being able to fight to the end together...but please don't worry, my King. Head towards paradise.

Shikama: This is such bullshit, from all of you. You'd really have me go alone?

Bael: That was Paimon's desire.

Shikama: Then what the hell do you plan to do? Just die here?

Bael: ...since I can't leave him alone. We might as well hold down the fort here for a bit.

Shikama: Bullshit. All of it.

Shikama: I....the hopes you all trusted me with....

Bael: I'm not like Paimon. I never had any high expectations of you, my King. I have no expectations regarding God. Or paradise. Or you.

Shikama: What DO you want out of living, if you hope for nothing in this world, then?

Bael: That's already gone. I'm just waiting.

Shikama: For what?

Bael: For instructions. For the coming of my death, to see the fruition of God's plan, to see how you oppose it. Whatever comes first.

Shikama: I'm......I'm not as strong as you all think I am.

Bael: Please, free yourself. I will support whatever my King decides. Or, well, that may all be already set in God's plan as well.

Bael: *coughing*

Shikama: What do I do? Mikaela...

Shikama Narration: Bael committed suicide soon after. So that his soul would lay in the same place as Paimon's.

*Paimon grave*

*Bael grave*

Shikama Narration: In Hell.

Shikama Narration: Suicide is a grave sin. The two of them will forever be bound to this land. To this...

Amon: My King. Everything's set in place. All the power we'll need for our return to paradise has gathered in the tower.

Shikama: With so many already dead, is there even a point in us being able to go back?

*Belial grave*

Amon: I don't know what you're saying. Isn't this the day everyone's been working so hard for for however many tens of thousands of years?

Astaroth: Let's go! This is for our lost comrades too, we will be the first to return to paradise!

Shikama: Yes, you're right. Let everyone know, then. We return tomorrow.

Shikama Narration: The source of both God's power and angels' lives is here in "Light." Miracles are possible because of this "Light."

Shikama: O, Light.

Shikama Narration: That's why we've been so fervently gathering up all this "Light" into the Tower of Babel. To return to God's side. To return to paradise. That's "Light." However, because all this "Light" is connected to God's power, we are not able to bring about miracles so freely. There are some things forbidden by threat of punishment. There are three most dire of these: Resurrection of life, prolonging of life, creation of life.

Shikama Narration: Thus, the "Light" will not be used for miraculous resurrecion, and it will not be used for miraculous healing, and it will not be used for miraculous creation....but...

Shikama: Combine.

Shikama Narration: I stumbled upon something. A way to use the "Light" without it reaching God's eyes. After many such experiments in conducting miracles unknown to God, I first dared the creation of Mikaela. I created an angel, unobserved.

Shikama: Mikaela.

Shikama Narration: Your creation was successful, and yet I bear no punishment. But this...

Shikama: Is this your lenience? Or just a test upon the bounds of my arrogance? Maybe you're not even watching us at all. If I don't recieve an answer, I'm going through with it. I'm going to convert all the Light gathered in Babel...

Shikama: First, I resurrect Mikaela. Mikaela has enough Light to resurrect and heal all of the angels, and I've gathered it all into seven keys. With that power, I'm going to perform it on all of them. Everyone will return to paradise together, alive. That good?

Shikama: I cannot go back alone. We'll be coming as a group.

Shikama: You never do answer. Well then.

Shikama: O, "Light."

Shikama: Hide from God's sight, change into Darkness.

Shikama: Yuu, I'm going to resurrect Mikaela and save everyone. Convert all the Light stored in Babel to Darkness.

Amon: What is THAT??

Astaroth: What's going on!?

Shikama: So there really is no punishment. Then am I forgiven? Or are we just that completely hidden? Which is it?

Shikama: Ah, Fuck. No good.

The hammer slams down on the First and his accumulated sins...!!

#owari no seraph #english translation #bad spacing/not paying attention to page breaks again im so sorry its like midnight and i am dead and my panel notes are messed up #i will be extra diligent again next month promise #its important to me that at least someone knows that every time i wrote “Shikama Narration” in here it is shikamarration in my notes

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worm-death · 1 year

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Good and Bad Anime Backstory Integration

I'm writing this blog post to discuss in length something I'm really passionate about: making good, relatable characters. And through the many anime I've seen, it's done both good and bad. And so I wanted to write this to give my take on the subject. Fair warning: I will be spoiling certain anime series. I will warn again when I am about to spoil something (Demon Slayer Season 1, Hell's Paradise Season 1, One Piece, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Lupin III Part 6, Galaxy Express 999, The Wind Rises). These are also just my opinions. I'm not demanding you to write stories like this; simply my thoughts on the matter.

This is by far my least favorite way to tell a character's origin story. Right as they're dying, or even if it's the last time we see them on screen. Why? Because you don't have any time to let that sink in. I will tell you, nothing is worse than watching a character die just to have the wade to white and the BOOM flashback, no thank you. This is mainly in regard to villain characters.

Demon Slayer was a constant notorious example of this, and my main conflict with the entire franchise. It made every villain a complete sob story. And that's not even necessarily a bad thing, but it's the execution that is faulted every time. (No explicit spoilers since I can't remember Jack about that show, but season 1 spoilers, I guess. Skip this next paragraph if you wish to avoid any).

An episode starts out introducing our new demonic villain. Simple enough. And it's pretty straightforward: evil person does evil things. And it remains that way until Tanjiro has the final fight with the episode's villain, cutting off their head and whatnot. And as we see them fall back in slow motion, blood gushing everywhere. The origin story jumpscares me.

Why should I feel bad for a character who has only been presented as evil with little to no redeeming qualities? There was never a pre-established reason for me to feel bad for this character. They have only been presented as a bad person I should want dead.

I want to put this into perspective in the real world. There are plenty of deplorable people out there, the real-life villains. And aside from those few individuals born into this world truly evil. The majority of the time, there was a significant event in that person's life that brought them to the point of committing heinous crimes. And what does the public do when they find out these people are put on death row or sentenced to life? We are happy. We are glad that this evil person is gone (the sane ones of us, anyway). So, I see fictional villains the same way. "Oh good, the hero killed the villain! Wait, now I have to feel bad for them?? Uh..."

What it boils down to is the inability to form connections. The human mind does not work like: villain (I hate them) -> backstory (THEY WERE AN ORPHAN?!?!?) -> villain (OMG I LOVE YOU!! you were just misunderstood....) No.

When I say this is my least favorite form of backstory delivery, I have seen more of them fail than succeed. But that is definitely not the case for all stories. In fact, there are some simply amazing stories. I will be spoiling One Piece twice here (Dressrosa and Wano, please skip the next paragraph).

I think the smarter thing to do when creating a backstory like this is not to make it a sob story. In episode 1062 of One Piece, Zoro fights King, someone we practically knew nothing about, and gets his backstory revealed. It was great. And it's the tone that makes it great. It is an info drop, not a sob story. Simply informing the audience on how King and Kaido met. In turn, the information from that flashback also plays into Kaido as a character and adds more depth to him. There are practical things to take away from the flashback, even if the central character is no longer going to be relevant.

If you can make a backstory practical and give them a takeaway, then it's worthwhile. Something other shows fail to do. We may see a character's connection to another relevant character, but that's it, just a connection and doesn't actually say anything about them.

Again, back to Demon Slayer. All the demons were turned by Muzan Kibutsuji. We see how they met, and aside from literally turning the character into a demon, that is it. Each interaction doesn't give us a hint into Muzan's mind. He's simply there to serve the plot device.

With One Piece (yes, more spoilers), even though the central focus is on King, we get a bit of inside into Kaido. Although portrayed as a completely standoffish, cold monster, here we see a caring side of him. He lends a hand to someone who needs help. We aren't meant to feel bad for these characters in this flashback. We are simply having information being established. I call it a footnote in the middle of the fight because it is additional information not strictly required but adds further information.

Can an emotional backstory before death be done right? Yes! It's hard to pull off; again, I will use One Piece, Dressrosa, this time as an example. (Skip next paragraph)

Senor Pink is meant to be seen as obscene, pervy, and not a good guy. There's no reason to believe he isn't all of that until they reveal his backstory, as he's losing his fight against Franky. It clearly explains why he dresses like a baby to this day. It is genuinely tragic, even though I hated this guy mere minutes ago. Why can this strike a chord with me while other shows can't? Okay, sure, there is bias because One Piece is already awesome, but there are others! I may have hated Senor Pink until then because he presented himself as a horrible person. BUT I knew who he was. I understood what he did on a surface level, and that is crucial to establishing an origin story. I felt bad because it was relatable and tragic and explained why he acted the way he did. It left me thinking and reflecting. It gave me something to chew on.

This is still risky territory to deal with. You have to put a lot of faith in yourself as a writer that you can engage an audience with your characters without them having any idea who they are. Sometimes it's done well, and sometimes it's done poorly. And unfortunately, I see it done poorly a lot. It's definitely more of a mixed bag than final-moment backstories. I've seen more cases of it done well considerably, but it definitely doesn't mean it can't be screwed up. I will now spoil Hell's Paradise Season 1 (skip the two next paragraphs).

As characters start arriving in Paradise, they give some of them character introductions (or, as I like to call it, padding). Of those are characters named Tenza and Nurugai. In their introductory episode, or at least the first time we spend time alone with them, we are given both their backstories. Nurugai's village is completely destroyed, and she is blamed for it. Tenza was a child who never received love from anyone growing up and did whatever he could to survive, learning to kill people. Then, he's adopted and trained to become a swordsman. Learning to have respect and have someone to look up to and want to achieve goals for. Except, I don't care.

I think the trope of the characters' villages being burned down is overdone. The troubled child turned hoodlum trope is overdone. I couldn't care less about these characters because I've seen it 100 times before. There needs to be something that can engage me and allow me to feel bad for these characters. Tenza is a boring character through and through. I don't care how many times they show me his flashback. He's overdone. He fights valiantly and finds purpose in himself, fighting the monsters he faces to protect someone else. Then he dies, so it's like, ok, cool. Even if I liked his backstory (because, let's be honest, there's heavy bias because I did NOT like Hell's Paradise in the slightest), it didn't have any time to simmer with the audience. HI, CHARACTER YOU DON'T KNOW -> DEPRESSING BACKSTORY -> YOU LOVE HIM NOW -> HE'S FREAKING DEAD. Stop it. Don't do that.

Watching that episode felt like a waste of time. Why did I have to sit there and learn about this character's backstory, expecting they would be a bigger deal, just for the end of the episode to punch me in the face and laugh at me for how I just spent my past 20 minutes ingesting information that will not matter.

I'm happy to say I have more examples of how this can be done well. All of which cover different moods. The key to making a good introductory backstory is to have all the events surrounding the character be intriguing. We should be engaged and curious about the situation at hand, not just the character.

Since many backstories try to be tragic, I'll start with the first episode of Galaxy Express 999. We are given some world-building and then introduced to our titular character, Tetsuro. Immediately, we are already captivated by the world in which these characters live. We are now just following the life of one individual. I will forever praise Leiji Matsumoto for this and his ability to attach you to characters you've just met. There's something that comes off as just so human there's an immediate connection to be found. When we watch Tetsuro and his mother struggle through the cold, barren snow, you can feel the love they have for each other and their desperation for a better life. We understand their struggles. When Tetsuro's mom is killed, we feel bad for him. We don't even know him yet, but it's just the reality that this poor 10-year-old boy just lost his mom, and now he was to brave this harsh, cruel world alone, a world where humans are treated like dirt. This backstory sets up the motivation for his entire character as well. It's perfectly executed, and we can perfectly understand why he wants to get a robotic body to make up for the time his parents didn't get to live for.

The way Leiji Matsumoto executes backstories can be seen in practically every episode of Galaxy Express. In every episode, Tetsuro and Maetel travel to a new planet and encounter someone new and the life they struggle with. A part of the beauty in the message with Galaxy Express is no matter where you go or how distant you feel from other people, there's an inherent connection between us all. It's illustrated so well in this show that even though half the characters aren't even human, we understand their pain. Some characters don't even have backstories, all we see is the oppressive world they live in and feel immediate sympathy. This could be me being a major Leiji Matsumoto simp, but I think that there is so much care and consideration poured into that story. The difference between Demon Slayer and Galaxy Express is one says, "I want you to feel bad for this character," and the latter says, "I want to create something that's human."

Now, there are two other examples of good introductory backgrounds I want to bring up because they both show how this can be done to completely different genres.

I would first like to mention the start of Cowboy Bebop. At the start of the first episode, we are given a greyscaled noir-esque opening. The only sound is a singular music box as we see guns firing, a red rose, and a grenade, and then BANG, the opening starts. For anyone who's seen Bebop, you know very well that the intro sequence shows how Spike faked his death to escape the syndicate. It's something to be appreciated in retrospect, but this is gripping for newcomers watching the show for the first time. It's whiplash, this quiet scene, and then the loud booming intro. When I watched this show for the first time, I was excited. "Whoa, this is gonna be a wild ride," I thought. You want to find out what the backstory was about, however, and the pieces are put into place over the course of the show. The thing I love about Bebop is it's made to be rewatched. We understand the true meaning behind that first scene only by re-watching it. It's gripping with action, even if we have no idea who any of the characters shown were. That's not the point of introducing the characters. It's just meant for you to be curious.

As a final example, I want to talk about the first scene in The Wind Rises. The film starts out showing Jirou's childhood, but this is just a small part of the movie. The movie has a fantastic way of engaging us with the character. The first scene is Jirou's dream of flying a plane across the countryside of Japan until he's shot down. We don't know anything about this guy, but we can tell he loves flying, and it's done in an exciting way where we want to see more. His childhood is meant to show us where he is now, and you already have a great idea of who he is before we even reach the present day. It's done in such an engaging way, especially when he first dreams about Giovanni Battista. A kid so deeply rooted in this passion for planes, you want to see his story unfold.

And finally, my favorite way to integrate a backstory. It is in the middle of a show's runtime or after we've already established a character. I think that this is the perfect way to show a backstory because you've already gotten to understand and like the character, and you still have plenty of time before the show ends or the character dies for that backstory to truly feel like a part of the character that they carry with them and so when the show does end, or the character dies, the gravity of their whole story is felt that much more. However, there still is a way to mess that all up.

One glance at my profile, and it's obvious I really like Lupin, but any sane fan will tell you Part 6 was not it. It suffered from a lot of problems, both technical and in the show itself. It's obvious that the whole thing got thrown together quickly, and that goes for our main antagonist, Lupin's "mom." Hearing Lupin mention his mom was just a "nuh uh, no, we are not doing this." Did it have the potential to be presented in an interesting way? Yes, but that's not what happened.

For those not well-versed in the Lupin universe, there is basically no canon outside of the very, very few established things. Lupin's grandpa and dad were both master thieves; Goemon is the 13th descendant of Goemon Ishikawa, and Inspector Zenigata is the descendant of Heiji Zenigata. That is literally it. Characters' pasts are changed constantly, and even within the same show. Really, a "canon" event is only canon for that singular episode. I preface Part 6 with this because, obviously, bringing up a new character that is a massive part of Lupin is a big deal.

As it turns out, this character, Tomoe, was not actually Lupin's mom but his mother figure who helped train him to be the thief he is today. She was the one secretly pulling the strings behind every episode. That's why all these girls started appearing in Lupin's life. Ok? So yeah, you suck? Tomoe's character is confusing at best, but it is such a slap in the face to anyone invested in the show. That is why I use it as a perfect way to NOT integrate a backstory into a pre-established character, because the way part 6 was handled feels like fan fiction.

To compare, Lupin Zero which came out just a year after Part 6, was a 6-part series solely created to show the origin story of Lupin and Jigen. In that series, it includes Lupin I and Lupin II. These are characters we've only heard talked about, so seeing them was very exciting. Their existence and influence on Lupin are believable and add to his character because this flashback doesn't come out of nowhere. "Oh we've heard of these guys, and now we finally get to see them!!" See that's how to do that right. Not just "Haiii guys~~ So I have a mom now~!!☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆ She is also evil now and you have to believe this is extremely important!!!"

In summary, characters like Tomoe feel like someone inserted their OC and we had to sit there for 24 episodes and actually believe that she was someone we should care about. (This is why I don't read fanfics with OC's). If you're going to throw in a backstory, make sure it doesn't come out of literally nowhere.

There are two different types of middle backstories, one is leaving hints and only getting glimpses into the past, and the other is dumping the whole thing. And both can be done really well.

My favorite example of just leaving little hints, is Evangelion. Practically all the characters follow this type of progression where we're giving a lot of hints where we're meant to put the pieces together. One I want to give special applause to is Asuka. Until the episode where her backstory is revealed, we don't really know much. Like Bebop, Evangelion is a show that demands rewatch in order to understand where everything fits into place. Initially watching Evangelion, Asuka comes off as annoying and narcissistic, and she is, but through her backstory, we find out why she acted the way she did throughout the series. The clues were all there, we just didn't fully understand until we got the main reveal.

As a kid, the one person she ever cared about was her mother, and the only thing she truly felt accomplished in, becoming an EVA pilot, she was never able to tell her mom before she hanged herself right in front of her daughter. This is why she comes off as so high and mighty because she needs to reassure herself that she is because she never had anyone that mattered to her, tell her that.

The way we perceive her actions is now understood because of her past. We needed this story to take place in the middle because we needed to form an opinion on Asuka and pick up on her character traits so that her backstory would explain all of that. The final two episodes speak a lot about her past and why she's like this, without this prior knowledge, we would not understand why she is such a troubled character and after we are allowed to see her express herself, why she is feeling insecure.

One final example. Luffy's backstory is almost as iconic as the character himself. Something I like that the anime does is put his backstory 4 episodes into the show, a change made from the manga, where it's the first chapter. I think that allowing us to spend 3 episodes with Luffy and getting to know his character so his backstory has all the more impact. I instantly fell in love with Luffy's character, so seeing him be so different as a kid and the emotional connection he has to Shanks, has all the more impact to me. I now understand why that hat is so important to Luffy. The little bit of context to Luffy's character before getting to know his past I think creates a deeper connection than starting out with it (I am not dissing the manga at all, I just prefer the anime in this one instance).

I think I've been able to explain my thoughts on how each type of backstory integration can be handled, and again I would like to reiterate, that this is all my opinion. This is something I find very important to me still, so I wanted to share the ways in which they are executed properly and improperly in all different forms. This part of a show is a make-it-or-break-it for me, so I think it's good to have high standards for how to execute a backstory properly. I hope whether you agree or disagree with me, you at least found this interesting. If you do have your own opinions I would like to hear them.

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