#and now i have a full on story about akira watching star wars for the first time (4-6) bc goro insists on it but goro is.. very excited

[salmalin]

My sincerest apologies and warmest welcome to my rant about FF7: Crisis Core. Or, as I like to call it,

Propaganda: The Video Game

I say this with the utmost affection. Crisis Core ranks really high up there in my favorite Final Fantasy 7 installments. I played it when it first came out, borrowing it from a friend to play on a borrowed PSP. And, the more I learn about the game and the more I replay it, the more everything lines up.

This game is not about Zack Fair.

This game is about how Capitalistic Propaganda can sink into every aspect of life to the point where it is entirely indistinguishable from reality. And it’s very overt about it. So…

Here we go.

My treatise on Propaganda’s starring role in Crisis Core.

Part One: The Timeline

Something that a lot of people gloss over due to decades of Child Heroes in media—Japanese Shonen and Shoujo series in particular—is how young these protagonists are. We’ll hand-wave a lot of stuff in non-live-action series with just a little bit of suspension of disbelief. And that’s honestly just accepted these days. But here’s the thing about those hand-waves.

Final Fantasy 7 doesn’t do that.

Now, FF7 hand-waves a lot of stuff. For example, how far you can travel in a day by foot, the distance a man weighing approximately 165lbs can jump after being genetically fused with what might as well be a cocaine demon (Jenova), and how much hairspray one can reasonably carry on a cross-country journey while on the run from the feds.

Age is not one of them.

Exhibit A: Yuffie Kisaragi.

Do I really need to say more? She acts her age. So does Zack. And Aerith, even. Most of the characters in the original lineup were over twenty for a good reason. We see several kids in the series, and they all act their age, too—both the OG and the remake. Age is not a thing that FF7 really grapples with. It’s something they take relatively seriously.

Now, to the point.

Zack is 16 when Crisis Core starts…

… and he was 13 when he ran away from home without his parents’ knowledge to join the military.

Which accepted him.

At 13.

Without a parental permission slip.

Think about that for a second.

… Or for the next several parts of this breakdown.

Part Two: The Main Character

As I mentioned in the introduction, Zack is not the main character of the events of Crisis Core. Instead, he is the focal point of the second person POV. This is not the first time Square has done this. It was done most notably with FF9, FF10, and FF12. (I’m not going to go on an Akira Kurosawa rant right now, but please check out his film “The Hidden Fortress”. FF12 and Star Wars episodes 4-6 borrow heavily from this film.) The purpose and position of this character is such that they might best witness the effects the other characters make on the world as their stories unfold, usually in the role of a love interest. For Akira Kurosawa, it may have been told this way because these people are most effected by the decisions being made.

“Well, then, Sal,” you may be asking, “who would you say is the main character? Would that be Aerith, since she’s the love interest, like in the other games?”

No, actually.

It’s the antagonist.

And by that, I mean Genesis.

Hear me out. I used to hate Genesis, for I was once young, full of judgement for flamboyancy (thanks, internalized homophobia), and was led by the narrative to believe he was mean to his friends. Then I met my Lovely beta who loved him, so I wrote a fic for her as a gift. So for that I kinda just… read stuff. Because that’s the thing about Propaganda—you gotta read stuff to navigate it. I read the in-game emails. I re-watched all the scenes I could get my hands on with him. I read his wiki and tried to track down more information about him. Then I watched the scenes in Japanese and gained a better understanding of not just Genesis, but Sephiroth’s character. And I realized that Genesis was put on this road from the start. In fact, a big part of the fact that he’s seen the way he is in Canon—only at his most hostile and lowest points—is because the story is told through Zack’s point of view.

So before we get into the breakdown, here’s the hard facts about Genesis.

1. He was a test tube baby who may or may not technically be Angeal’s fraternal twin brother, which we are not going to unpack right now.

2. He was adopted by a relatively rich family.

3. He was a child genius (which requires not only resources, but drive to achieve), and at a tender young age of like… ten or something? He decided to mess around and literally invented pasteurization. Which is incredible, and really speaks to his knowledge of the world and ability to grasp complex concepts even at a young age. But, again, this is not the time or place to unpack that.

4. He was best friends with Angeal, who might as well have been the sweetest, kindest boy to ever walk the Planet. (I’m biased. I love him.)

5. As a teenager, he became fixated on Sephiroth, who had gained national acclaim as a SOLDIER despite them being the same age. (Please see part 1 and think about that for a second.) He then goes to join SOLDIER and brings Angeal with him. And Angeal brings his step-father’s puritanical “hard work is honorable” mindset with him. (On that note, Angeal and his father’s arc really are a wonderfully scathing letter to companies that overwork their employees and how toxic/unhealthy that line of thinking is. But. Again. We are not unpacking that right now.)

6. At one point he became consumed with LOVELESS, a series of poems with heavy prose and symbolism thicker than syrup. It got to the point where he was so well known for it that there was an entire fanclub dedicated to both him and analyzing the text.

7. While he was in SOLDIER, he repeatedly had his achievements publicly accredited… to Sephiroth.

Over and over and over again.

Everyone did, really. They mention it in the beginning of the game. Sephiroth even got public credit for Zack’s raid on the castle when he wasn’t even there. How much of his legacy is real? How much of it is made up? How much of it was faked? We don’t know. No one knows. But he keeps getting credit, anyways. And when Genesis confronts him about it, Sephiroth doesn’t care. In the Japanese version of their fight scene, you could even say he indirectly implies that he wants Genesis to take his place as the “hero”. In the English, Sephiroth’s line is, “Come and try.” But in the Japanese the line is closer to, “Wouldn’t that be nice?” Which, depending on how you take his tone, can mean wildly different things—from mocking, to earnest, or even admiration—which is especially to tell because he might be annoyed with Genesis at the moment.

Fun Fact: In Ever Crisis, Sephiroth explicitly says they are making up his achievements in the press to target boys his age for recruitment. (Thus why they accepted Zack at age 13.)

My theory on this line is that he is being cynical; that Genesis doesn't understand just how harrowing and even humiliating his experience has been. This only enforces my theory that the "come and try" translation in the English not only does a disservice to a line as wonderfully heavy as, "Wouldn't that be nice?", but fundamentally misunderstands Sephiroth as a character.

8. Genesis then took the fight to Shin-Ra. Inspiring a good chunk of their staff to leave the company, he then staged multiple attacks on facilities, staff, and the main building—which also spilled out into the city of Midgar. He murdered his parents, buried them, killed everyone in town, and… Yeah. It wasn’t pretty. A lot of innocent people died simply because they were vaguely associated with Shin-Ra. These are the actions of a villain. What’s more, this is clearly a sign that he has been acclimatized to death and violence by Shin-Ra to the point where he doesn’t even consider taking hostages.

Except.

Except the entire town was a Shin-Ra town.

Banora, canonically, was a Shin-Ra built town, which means everyone there was basically an employee of the company. No one was safe. Everyone was a threat. And that…

That was how he was raised. And he finally knew the truth—that every moment of his life was touched, controlled by Shin-Ra, all the way down to his very conception. He has never known freedom. He has never known his own identity. And now that very cage was killing him, slowly and painfully, and turning him into something that couldn’t even be recognized as human. He was watching himself rot in the mirror, and it was all because of Shin-Ra’s greed. And as he searched for salvation, he sunk into LOVELESS as he always had, hinging his entire life on Minerva’s Gift because he knew he was dying and that was all he had.

9. And then he died…

10. … but then it turned out LOVELESS was actually kind of a blueprint, and he did meet the Goddess, and he did get reborn without his degradation so he was rewarded for his journey in the end.

So why wasn’t Genesis the main character of the game?

Simple.

His actions challenge the status quo without being about the status quo. It’s a story about revenge. It’s a story about retribution. It’s a story about answering mass violence with mass violence and ultimately being rewarded by it. And while, yes, the series is an action-based violence simulator, the violence in the original FF7 was a guided, tactical effort. (For all that the characters aren’t the brightest bulbs in the sun lamps.) But the biggest, most obvious shift in the narrative happened when they realized their role as terrorists—bringing mass violence to the company via bombing and open aggression—was just resulting in increasing levels of retaliation against uninvolved people. They might as well have been a child beating the ankles of a giant. The goals and themes of the game fundamentally change when they realize that answering mass-scale societal violence with mass-scale physical violence was not only unsustainable, but also wasn’t going to solve their problem.

FF7 is about change and learning when violence—and what kind of violence—is appropriate in the face of different threats.

Genesis’ arc undermines all of that, and making him the main character would contradict the very heart of the OG game.

So, instead, we are positioned as Zack, connected to him through a mutual friend. From there we see all the damage and horror this vengeance brings to those living under the status quo.

But also, that plotline’s a major downer in a lot of ways, so they needed to lighten things up a bit to keep audience involved. And that’s why Zack is, well…

Part Three: Zack is a Himbo

Please, for the love of all that is holy, keep in mind that everything I say here is with the utmost affection.

Zack is dumb as a rock.

He is a charismatic, enthusiastic sixteen year old jock who ran away from home at thirteen years old to join the military. Which, please know, why I say “military” I mean “private security guard force with a standard-issue Death Baton and a license to kill”. The first scene in the game is him being excited that he gets to murder a bunch of people in a simulation, which he is immediately scolded for by his mentor. He is a glorified, souped up private security guard who is canonically only in it for the glory at first. He wants to be a “hero”, but doesn’t seem to fundamentally know what that means. And, over the course of the story, the definition of that clearly changes for him.

Which tracks, because the story takes place over a period of time with high stress.

Occasionally I see people saying they wish that Zack had more complexity to him, and honestly? The game. Would be. SO. BAD.

Full Disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of Zack specifically because he lacks a lot of nuance. I wish he was a bit more complex, too. But I also know that would break the game. What’s worse, if he was still on Shin-Ra’s side because he understood Shin-Ra’s mission… Well… That would make him a villain, or a cog at best. That’s not main character material. It would make the ending more messed up, though.

Anywho, Zack was thirteen when he left home. He had no formal education. He didn’t tell anyone what he was doing. He even joined without a permission slip from his parents. This means that Shin-Ra was accepting thirteen, possibly fourteen year olds into the military. (Some people will say this tracks because you can get a job at fourteen in many parts of Japan. But, and this is important, you aren’t allowed to be a security guard until you’re quite a bit older, and you need a specific license for it, much like in the US.) Clearly they didn’t teach this boy critical thinking skills. Not because he’s a himbo, but because having their Super-Powered Private Security Force With A License To Kill think independently would explicitly go against their interests. (EX: Genesis.)

Shin-Ra needs SOLDIERs to follow orders or the company would no longer be able to function. Seconds and Thirds aren’t even allowed to reject missions. (One could argue that sending certain someone on back-to-back missions would be a good way for them to eliminate undesirables within the ranks by sending them to their deaths, which… would make an incredible fic idea, actually.) We already know that First, Second, and Third Class rank assignments do not actually reflect the power of the SOLDIER. This is canon. I would instead argue that those who make the rank of First Class aren’t necessarily the most powerful, but are instead the most visible in the media, thus the easiest to market, and/or the easiest to manipulate and control. (For a great example of this, see The Umbrella Academy.)

The point is, Zack may have been elevated to his position as a first specifically because he is malleable and single-minded. Even after all he saw with Genesis, he stuck by the company to the very end, with the exception of the time Sephiroth was literally guiding him to fail a mission. Zack allowed himself to take Shin-Ra’s side every time, taking down their enemies and following their orders, preserving his “honor as SOLDIER” as he had been taught. The only thing that made him stop…

… was literally getting put in a jar.

It was when he was no longer a SOLDIER.

Part Four: Honor

There is no such thing as SOLDIER Honor.

I repeat: There is no such thing as SOLDIER Honor.

It is a fictional thing that is borne of an ideology based around hard work. It only has power because it is believed in. It is an intangible social construct similar to the law, mathematical order of operations, and gender roles. So why are Angeal and Zack obsessed with it?

Pretty simple.

Angeal’s step-father followed it.

Now, we know three things about Angeal’s step-father.

1. He was chill with the fact that Gillian was already pregnant when they started dating.

2. He was a very good father.

3. He worked himself to death trying to pay off the sword he bought Angeal.

This, of course, says a lot about Angeal considering he rarely uses the sword. He essentially sees that sword as the symbol of his step-father’s life. Everything he uses it for, he sees as more important than his step-father’s life. That thing is usually Zack.

Zack, who is the child who joined the military based on stories of heroes.

Zack, who rises against Angeal in the name of his own step-father’s ideology and tries to talk him down, even at the very end. But Zack fails because he fundamentally doesn’t understand what’s going on, partially because “Soldier Honor” is just one more aspect of this narrative he was given. It is a narrative that Angeal has had to step away from, even though he doesn’t want to leave the memory of his step-father behind. He was a good man. He was a good, hardworking man.

And that is why he died.

Corporations will use you up until there is nothing left, then honor your memory/sacrifice. Shin-Ra was doing the exact same thing the company his step-father worked for did; using up SOLDIERs until they outlived their usefulness. And Angeal was horrified to realize that his “SOLDIER Honor” wasn’t honor at all.

It was willingly submitting to control.

But, unlike Angeal, over time, this meaning changed for Zack. Partially because he didn't understand it fully in the first place. It became about acting with integrity. It became about helping people. It became about not lying down and watching the abuse Shin-Ra handed out in exchange for literal money; for maintaining the status quo.

At the very end, Zack understood what it meant to be a hero.

Part Five: The Conclusion

To sum up, Zack believed in and idolized the propaganda spread by Shin-Ra at such a young age, and was so convinced by it, that he ran away from home at thirteen to join the military.

He was their target demographic, so they happily took him into their ranks. What’s more, people think this is normal enough that we see no one opposing this, because the only people who oppose Shin-Ra are “extremists” or “violent terrorists”.

Zack then became their loyal puppy, groomed to fill his role as super-powered attack dog to sick on anyone they deemed appropriate, and he filled the role. He believed he was doing good. He didn’t think they were invading another country, because that’s not what he was told.

He went after Genesis, because that’s what he was told, and he wouldn’t let Genesis’ actions shake his faith in the company.

Then he went after Angeal, hoping to get answers, only to become more confused. Angeal taught him about SOLDIER honor. He taught him about a higher calling. He was the one who made Zack truly loyal to the company. This challenged everything Zack knew.

He went with Sephiroth, planning a small rebellion of their own (a white lie on paperwork) to get answers, only to find things he wasn’t ready for and couldn’t fully understand.

Zack is shaken by each of these events. Horribly. At times, we even watch him grieve. But time and time again, he doesn’t leave the company. He sees the damage they do first hand, and he doesn’t leave the company. The company isn’t the problem, to him. He reads their emails, does their dirty work, and “maintains his SOLDIER honor”.

Zack swallows what they give him right up until what they give him is torture.

Zack swallows what they give him until he becomes their victim.

Every step of the way, Zack is fed a story of how the world is. He was raised on it. He lived it. He became part of it. He was paid peanuts to enforce the status quo Shin-Ra installed in the world by force, and he was proud of it because it was, to him, something to be proud of.

Zack believes the propaganda whole-sale, and we get to watch, from the point of view of an outsider, as it slowly destroys his life before killing him.

Propaganda has the power to make suffering normal. Propaganda has the power to make murder righteous. Propaganda has the power to take a thirteen year old boy out of his home so they can give him a sword, and when they point him in the direction of their enemies he charges of his own volition, because they made him believe in their cause. And he believes in their cause because he believes that it makes life better for everyone.

But that’s not what’s actually happening.

That’s just what he was told.

Crisis Core is about propaganda, and the depths to which it can affect our lives. It changes our belief systems. It changes our perceptions of reality. And when it’s torn down around our eyes, it can make us go insane. It can make us violent and unreasonable as we realize just how much violence is being forced upon us—violence other people just plain do not see. It's just a a piece of paper. It's just a law. It's just a job.

It's just a war.

Final Fantasy 7 was about Fascism.

Crisis Core is about the propaganda that built it. It is told from the point of view of a boy, then a man, steeped in it. He watches until the people suffering around him—Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal—are twisted into villains by the truths and lies around them. Genesis and Angeal are tortured by truths, Sephiroth is transformed by lies, and Zack is subsequently hunted down to conceal them.

Crisis Core is Propaganda: The Video Game.

[dreadreverendryan]

I can't believe Akira Toriyama is gone. I know everyone's going to be more upset about Dragon Ball, and I'm sad that Daima will be his last work, but Chrono Trigger means so, SO much more to me. I didn't get it at first: I'd never played a turn based RPG before and didn't understand the menus. I could have read the manual, but I only looked at the character section because the designs were fucking awesome. Hell, the only good memory I have of my great grandfather was him flipping thru the manual and saying Lucca's name. I have no context as to why he was reading it, I was fully capable of reading it myself and he had no interest in video games, but it's something. My best friend, Justin, saw my copy of the game and asked if he could borrow it. I was so annoyed with the menus that I told him he could HAVE the game, but he gave it back after he was done and he'd shown me how the game works. Once I got it back I was HOOKED, but stuck on the first boss, Yakra. We didn't have dial up internet yet, so I just threw myself against that wall so much that when my sister decided to literally sit on her controller and bounce on it to randomly select commands I was all for it (no clue why I didn't just ask Justin). It worked, somehow, but her controller... Well, let's just say that I have *my* original controller and had to replace hers many, many years ago. Luckily we got dial up not too long after that, so if I needed help I could go to GameFAQs, and I found Icybrian's RPG page, which had fanart and fanfics for Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. The message boards there became my first online community and the older members of the forums mocked my typing so hard that to this day it pains me if I don't type properly. It was still fun, and I was pretty annoying so I don't blame them for it. My other early internet community included a Star Wars RPG forum, the Star Wars Council (SWC for short). Everyone made their own OCs and I really liked Frieza (but just him, I wasn't into the show enough to care about anyone else yet because I had no consistent way to watch it), so Frieza Omega (shut up, I was like 11 or 12 and it was cool back then), leader of the Bounty Hunter's Guild was born. A bit after that I also joined an actual DBZ RPG group with my cousin and his friends as Trunks. That group was less fun because the fights were judged by other people, not co-written like the SWC. All those little interlinking pieces of my life (and other bits I left out) started with Chrono Trigger and I can honestly say I wouldn't be the person I am today without it. And while the music, mechanics, and story were all amazing, the art Toriyama did gave the game so much charm. I honestly don't know if I'd have gotten into DBZ without Chrono Trigger. Even when I saw Super Sayin God for the first time my brain immediately went "that's literally just Crono!" It's kind of funny to imagine the silent protagonist Crono screaming before doing his techs, or Goku losing his voice from all the screaming and becoming a time traveling mute stuck in Super Sayin God. I'm also really surprised that I've got more to say about Akira Toriyama than I did about Kentaro Miura, the author of Berserk. I mean, I have a Berserk tattoo because of how much the story resonated with me, but then again I also have a clock tattoo because of my time obsession that started with Chrono Trigger. It's like... Berserk changed me and has an extremely warm place in my heart, but Chrono Trigger is in my bones, my veins, my DNA, and my soul. Also, I do have one piece of DBZ merch: the Devil card from the Dragonball tarot deck, which has first form Frieza on it. Now I'm thinking about buying a copy of the full deck when I can afford it, but anyway...

Rest easy, Toriyama-san; you will be missed dearly and remembered fondly.

[theoldkyokodied]

and the rest of my shuake stuff from twitter, including lipstick goro (frances got me into this idea with their art, go follow t0birooo on twitter (threat)), the akira kurusu emotional moments collection (rare) and star wars related 'goro cutting his hair' comics

[ariainstars]

Ben Solo - A Sad Star Wars Story

Warning: longer post. (And possibly, a few unpopular opinions.)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a start: I’m not here to say I like how the sequels ended with Episode IX, in particular the way they handled their protagonist.

It sucked, to say the least.

I am writing this because looking back now, I can hardly imagine how the authors could have wrapped up the sequel trilogy with the happy ending we expected.

Let’s start with that word: happy. Honestly, did anyone want Ben to be “happy” with what Rey has become? I did expect her to fall down the rabbit hole. We repeatedly have witnessed how aggressive and judgmental she is; and by all logic, she had to meet her own Dark Side in order to realize that she has no right to judge the man she first knew as Kylo Ren. The moment I heard Palpatine’s evil laugh in the first trailer, I figured he had come to pursue Rey, not him. Unfortunately, her moment of shock was short and she hardly learned from it; if anything, since Luke sent her right back into the battle. This scene may have been what fanbros expected from Luke, but honestly, it was ridiculous. It did not fit to The Last Jedi’s Luke and it did not do Rey any favor.

And: had Ben emerged victoriously, found his happy ending, how would the title “The Rise of Skywalker” be justified? He is a Skywalker by blood, but in fact he is a Solo.

  Wrapping Up the Saga

The sequels were received with mixed feelings from the start. Fans of old were angry at The Force Awakens since it seemed to say that history was repeating itself; that the heroes or the original trilogy had brought down the Empire but not managed to preserve peace. We saw them separated from one another as they once had been, disillusioned and worn out. Not the mention the wasp’s nest that was raised by The Last Jedi! If the Prequel Trilogy dismantled the illusion that the Jedi were perfect, the Sequel Trilogy definitively does the same with the Skywalker family. Both messages are clear for everyone to see, provided one is ready and willing to see them.

If Star Wars is a tale with a moral - and given its approach and the fact that it was handed over by Lucas to Disney of all studios it is - then the authors are trying since the 80ies to teach our minds to a compassionate approach on both villains and heroes. One of the main reasons why many fans dislike the prequels is that they expected to see the Jedi and Anakin / Vader being cool; they felt let down by witnessing the Jedi’s narrow-mindedness and Anakin’s strong emotionality. The affronted reactions to The Last Jedi were on the same line of thought. The prequels showed that the Jedi were not the good guys, and for the observant viewer this is already clear enough in the original trilogy. But it was only with The Last Jedi that the elephant in the room was finally approached.

Through Rey, The Rise of Skywalker makes clear that wanting to be a Jedi does not entail actual heroism but the conviction of being a hero. And Rey’s dyad in the Force, the tragic figure of Ben Solo, warns about the dangers coming from a child and teenager no one believed in as a person because everybody only saw his powerful potential.

The Jedi’s Failure

Neither Luke nor Anakin nor Rey needed the Jedi in order to become heroes. They already were good-hearted, brave and idealistic when we first met them. The Jedi ways did not make any of them happy; they learned to use their powers and employed them for short-lived “victories”, but they never found lasting peace.

Not a few fans have wondered how Luke Skywalker, who believed in his father despite all, could give up on his nephew that fatal night (even if it was only a moment of panic). Simply put: as strong and mature as he is by the time of Return of the Jedi, Luke suffers from a father trauma, and he desperately wishes for Vader to become Anakin again, his father, who used to be a hero. When he asks Vader to leave and come with him, it is not out of pure idealism but also a personal request. But Luke did not need his nephew. The moment he had at the temple was a personal issue, it had little to do with Ben’s strength in the Force or his status as Luke’s model student: Luke was afraid that Ben would be the end of everything he loved. Luke, Leia and Han were thrown together by a trauma bonding; Ben had no place with them because he hadn’t been through the same.

The actual tragedy in Ben Solo’s life was the bitter realization, over and over, that he was not needed by anyone (except for being abused, e.g. by Snoke). Ben desired Rey even before he had met her because she was powerful but unexperienced, and he hoped to find sense and belonging by protecting and instructing her. No wonder Rey’s rejection in the Throne Room drove him out of his mind with rage: it was another confirmation of what he had experienced all his life - that people can do without him. So he decided, bitterly and sullenly, that he could do without others as well. But over and over, he had to realize that he could not escape his want for connection. He kept hunting for Rey; and he was very conflicted both when it came to his father and his uncle, letting on that he did have an emotional connection with both of them although he didn’t want to accept it.

Ben’s tragedy was that he did not want to be special at all, and that contrarily to his uncle and grandfather he was aware of it. Ben simply wanted to belong somewhere.

It is an intrinsic part of the saga that a hero is never a hero “because he is superior to others for… reasons”: Star Wars does not bow to that cliché. Some people are born with the capacity to tap into the Force, but not all of the saga’s heroes have it. The morally good qualities a person has, the right decisions they make are not inborn but passed on, learned, communicated. In A New Hope Luke was saved by Han, to whom he had offered companionship and set an example by trying to save Leia. In Return of the Jedi Vader was won over by his son’s loyalty and sacrifice. For an average action film hero, this kind of attitude or outcome of his adventures would be unacceptable: a hero is expected to be triumphant, not saved by someone else. And I know enough fans who don’t understand Luke and prefer Han or Vader to him, who are both cooler and more predictable.

In film, where characters need to be introduced to the audience within the scope of minutes, narratives are applied in a way that the general audience gets them quickly. The downside is that this goes at the expense of nuances. Fans don’t like to see Anakin being passionate and stormy because as Darth Vader he was coded as brutal but cool; they don’t get Obi-Wan’s many mistakes because he was coded as a hero, or Yoda’s arrogance due to his status as a wise old mentor. The sequels brought this dichotomy to a new level coding Rey as the heroine although she has a bad attitude and comes from bad blood, and Ben Solo as the villain when his attitude is conflicted at worst, and who is the offspring of the original story’s heroes. The difference lies in their intentions - hers are good, his are bad. This is interesting because it makes us, the audience, question ourselves as to how and why we believe we can tell good from evil.

You could probably say into a megaphone that the Jedi are not the good guys who always win, that the Force is not a superpower belonging only to the Jedi and that there is no simple Dark and Light but that the Force needs balance: some viewers will never get it. I guess everybody feels the saga’s subtext on a subconscious level; but woe betide if someone like Rian Johnson brings it up to the surface for everyone to see.

  Narrative Key

One of the main reasons why The Last Jedi is so divisive is, I think, that its major theme connecting all of the others is communication. While the prequels told much about miscommunication or lack thereof, Episode VIII is packed full of beautiful examples of what happens when people actually manage to communicate; and even when they do not, they learn from their misunderstanding one another (e.g. Poe with Admiral Holdo).

It is a common but major mistake not to question the narrative key to a story. Many Star Wars fans believe the story is simply about the good guys defeating the bad guys, so they overlook the deeper themes of the saga and respond with outrage when the authors try to humanize their heroes, bringing them down from their alleged pedestal. It is e.g. helpful to know Joseph Campbell’s monomyth theory; to consider that a film saga is not the same as a TV show and that therefore if the characters go through changes these must be significant from one instalment to the next due to the time limitations; to watch a few films by Akira Kurosawa, in particular The Hidden Fortress, to understand the significance of a major event seen through different eyes; or consider the prequels’ parallels with legends, classic literature, or the Bible - Lucifer’s fall, Romeo and Juliet, the tales of King Arthur. Star Wars is a conglomeration of many narratives, from Western films to the Japanese to French fairy tales to Greek mythology to Shakespearean drama. Who approaches these films expecting mere “action” is bound to be disappointed. It is understandable, however, that if you are used to certain kinds of stories, you will assume that every story should basically follow the same lines, and you will have difficulties accepting anything that is different, or believe it’s just badly made.

I still remember the (sometimes vicious) quarrels I followed in an online forum a few years ago about a Japanese mecha anime who some fans by hook or crook wanted to fit into the structure of a French novel. Of course, those two narratives don’t fit together: no wonder most of the other fans didn’t accept that kind of interpretation.

The Phantom of the Opera’s film version of 2004 was largely a failure both with regard to quality and audience appreciation because it made a tacky Byronic romance of a story that actually is a mystery thriller, probably expecting that it would be more appealing that way. What the filmmakers accomplished was making the story flat and the characters annoying by stripping them of the drama behind the original story.

Filming Rebecca’s film version from 1940 Hitchcock managed the transition excellently maintaining the storyline of the original novel; but Daphne duMaurier’s book is a coming-of-age story, and who expects a crime thriller may feel irritated by the narrators’ meandering and detailed inner monologue.

Game of Thrones also could not culminate in “all’s well that ends well”. The last season was not well-made, but I think now that was not the whole reason behind the audience’s disappointment. The show always was very crude and included loads of horrific events; even the worst victims of the war, who seemed to have a justification for their actions and seemed well-meaning, at times did terrible things. It would be a misfit to apply a happy ending to a “sex and violence” narrative as with another martial epic, like Aeneid and Iliad. Who waits for happy endings ought to avoid this kind of story from the start. (Yes, I know, I should listen to my own advice - had I imagined how depressing Rogue One is, Star Wars fan or not, I would probably have skipped it.)

Stories of this kind can be dissatisfying because as an audience, we follow our heroes’ adventures, sometimes for years, and we usually want to see them to find their happiness in the end. But in all honesty: we should have imagined.

That is why I think it was naïve to believe that the sequel trilogy would lead Ben to a happy ending with Rey. I have read more than one fanfiction which irritated me at first, until I realized that they were told on the lines of Fifty Shades of Grey, or Pride and Prejudice. That may work well for a fanfiction, but Star Wars is not a mere romance. Even if there was a hint of the overture to Romeo and Juliet during the abduction: couples based on that trope are not destined to end well. I myself was hoping for a happy ending due to the fact that the saga’s rights were in the hands of Disney of all production companies; and giving that the Skywalker family is one of the most famous in pop culture, I was certain they wouldn’t wipe them out. However I was not quite sure how they would do that and make it convincing, and I was wary when it came to the assumption (which many Reylo’s took for granted) that the love between Rey and Ben would be strong enough to save the galaxy and give them a happy ever after.

When a guy is introduced by murdering a defenseless old man, letting an entire village be wiped out with practiced ease, going on with torturing another guy both physically and mentally and climaxing with the horrible crime of patricide, one can hardly expect a happy ever after for him; even less since so very little was explained in terms of his childhood and adolescence. Some viewers identified with Ben Solo and saw his abandonment and abuse issues; many others didn’t, and none of the sequel films really thematized them. That he made peace with his parents and died to save the girl he loved is sufficient for a convincing redemption arc, not to offer him a happy closure.

  The Trope That Comes Closest

There were a lot of speculations with regard to the trope Ben (Kylo) and Rey were actually modelled on. Romeo and Juliet, Hades and Persephone, Pride and Prejudice or Beauty and the Beast, and there were probably more. Rian Johnson is known for loving The Phantom of the Opera more than any other musical. I don’t think that’s coincidental.

- The phantom is disfigured by birth, Ben is extremely powerful by birth; and Ben also gets disfigured by Rey during their duel. (Vader’s sunken, charred face under the mask was, for a long time, how I imagined the phantom unmasked by the way.) - The phantom is highly intelligent and has huge musical talent. Ben was born with a strong power in the Force. - Both wear masks and look much less threatening without them. They also wear a cloak, and black clothes. - The phantom had committed terrible crimes both to protect himself and to punish a world which would not accept him. Sounds familiar? - In the musical we do not get to know how he became a ruthless monster in the first place. Ditto. - The phantom dies (or disappears, in the musical) because only the girl knew that he was lonely and unhappy and that he still had goodness inside him. She had forgiven him, but the rest of the world wouldn’t have believed her or forgiven him.

Both Kylo Ren and the Phantom are creatures who are at the same time terrible and wonderful. The normal world, populated by average people, cannot accept them because they are both too fascinating and too terrifying. In order to find lasting fulfilment, Ben ought to have found back to humanness. The phantom couldn’t due to his disfigurement and his criminal past; and though Ben loses the scar on his face, the Cain’s mark of the patricide he committed, his deed and his former status as Supreme Leader of the First Order never would have been forgotten.

“Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world Those pleading eyes that both threaten and adore…” Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (on the rooftop)

  Heroes: Dynamic and Static Characters

A general rule of storytelling is differentiating between dynamic and static (also called “impact”) characters. A static character is like an anchor for others: while they live through crises, learning and maturing, this character always remains his old self and always stands for the same values. He may be misunderstood, opposed and belittled, he may lose the battle, but never the war; and after having helped others through their troubles, he usually is on his own. (Cue: cowboy riding into the sunset.)

Superman stands for peace and justice, Jack Sparrow for freedom, Peter Pan for the innocence of childhood, Paddington for faith in people’s goodness. No wonder they are so popular: it is familiar and reassuring to follow the adventures of someone who is always like a rock in a storm. Static characters are in essence childlike, two-dimensional; which is probably why our child self easily gets attached to them and may be outraged at the idea of them changing, or maybe (gasp) being wrong about something.

But George Lucas developed his saga along the lines of personal growth, and by exploring its themes: thankfully, otherwise it would have become as boring and repetitive as so many other franchises. To continue a story you can either make it dynamic, or press the repeat button over and over. The Skywalker men with their strong emotionality may be unusual heroes, but much more interesting than other, “cooler” guys whose actions are more or less foreseeable. So, I can understand the Disney studio’s choices. On the other hand, it is not surprising when fans of old get angry when their supposedly unalterably perfect heroes make mistakes: everybody wants to know that some things (or persons) never change. Even if on the long run, change might be for the better.

I think one of the sequels’ most important messages was that the Skywalker-Organa-Solo family failed their heir precisely because their mindset did not change. Ben grew up in another world than they did; obsolete political structures, dictatorship or rebellions did not matter to him. But his family wanted him to adhere to the ideals that had gotten them through the war against the Empire, discouraging him from searching and finding his own place in the world, a world that now was very different both from the old Republic and the Empire.

Whether a static or dynamic character is more relatable to the audience is a personal matter. Many fans adore Darth Vader, Leia and Han Solo etc. precisely for the fact that basically they always remain their old selves. Padmé also is a favorite, probably due to the fact that she does not change considerably. Anakin changes a lot, which is perceived as a sign of weakness. Some fans may relate more to Luke, who undergoes serious trials and emerges from them stronger and wiser, far away from the greenhorn he was in A New Hope. And yet Luke’s final decision to throw his weapon away before Palpatine is often perceived as weird to this day. It’s not “heroic”.

The outraged fans who ranted at Luke’s portrayal in The Last Jedi did not realize that Luke was doing something both Obi-Wan and Yoda, or the other Jedi for that matter, never had done: he took responsibility for his actions. In this context Ben was the audience’s self-insert, he was as appalled at Luke’s misstep as we were. Such a blow is enough to send someone on a lonely island to meditate about his mistakes for years, convinced that the world is better without him.

But for the action film audience, that is not acceptable. If you have a light sabre and the Force (an alleged superpower), what do you need responsibility for? You can’t do wrong if you’re the hero, right? Luke also was the only character from the original trilogy who underwent character growth, which makes it all the more ironic that the many, many critics who tear the sequels to pieces are fuming at how Luke could be so “defiled”. Luke grew beyond the person he had been in A New Hope; these fans obviously did not. Which is why the studios thought they had to produce The Rise of Skywalker in order to “appease” them and to give them the Luke Skywalker they wanted.

  Where Does the Galaxy Go From Here?

A conversation between my husband and me, about a year before The Rise of Skywalker came out.

Me: “I hope Ben Solo will survive at the end of the trilogy.” Him: “I do hope that, too. But they won’t give him a happy ending.” Me: “Why?” Him: “He killed his own father.”

I hate to admit it, but he was right. I’m not aware what ethics code is under use in the film industry now, but in any case, the horrible crime of patricide was done; even if it was under coercion, the son traumatized by it, and it ultimately brought him back to redemption. You can’t make a patricide, the former right hand and for a time leader of a terrorist organization a hero and give him a happy ending; in particular when you are Disney of all film studios. (Not to mention that he killed Han Solo, a very popular character.) And from exchanges with other viewers I am aware that many do not understand how Ben killed Han under Snoke’s coercion, and the implications that led him to kill Snoke: they believe he simply did it because it’s something an evil, power-hungry person will do.

Ben dying without anyone knowing that he was not a villain at heart and worse, leaving the fates of the galaxy in the hands of a young woman whom we often saw giving in to evil influences again and again within the scope of minutes was a dangerous turn. If he was but “a child in a mask”, Rey is a child who believes to be a Jedi. How is Rey supposed to be a heroine, with the other half of her soul gone? She and Ben fitted together perfectly because she had the good intentions but a violent attitude, while his intentions were bad but his attitude desperately conflicted because inherently good. Rey came from evil blood but was kind-hearted because she believed in her parent’s love. Ben was the heir of a family of heroes but did not feel loved by them, which made him lonely and bitter. What good is Rey on her own, even more so when at the end of Episode IX she deliberately leaves her friends and goes to a literal desert? The little girl inside of her is still starving for connection, and neither being a Jedi nor a “Skywalker” will appease her. She had to meet Luke to realize that he was a good man but still just a man; a lesson she didn’t quite internalize yet. The sequel trilogy wasn’t her story because her personality hardly developed. It was Ben who went through hell and back.

Films (and film sagas) have a determined length and as a film studio you need time to explore all themes, which in Star Wars are quite complex. The worst mistake I found with Episode IX was that it broke the Campbellian monomyth in favor of a Marvel type B-movie to appease the fans of old who had hated The Last Jedi. Which is understandable from their point of view, but went at the expense of quality. The Rise of Skywalker may have quenched the fire a little, but as a film, it’s frankly forgettable, and compared to the other films from the saga, I doubt that it will age well. Had the sequel trilogy continued Rian Johnson’s approach instead of putting a band-aid on The Last Jedi, it would have been good enough to make a cultural impact the way the classics did. If the sequel trilogy was meant to follow The Hero’s Journey, no one completed it: Ben died and Rey went into exile, and no one brought any kind of elixir or salvation into the world.

All of this is not to say that I have grown to like The Rise of Skywalker and that I am not disappointed about the ending, or no longer sad about Ben Solo’s death. I hope that the next trilogy will give him a second chance: I am still convinced that his ultimate fate should have been to bring lasting Balance to the Force. If I am wrong and his existence practically cancelled the past without improving anything, the whole saga loses its sense. I think that by now he atoned more than enough for his sins.

When I learned that Rian Johnson had negotiated his own trilogy after The Last Jedi, I remember wondering what it would be about. After all, almost everything had been said about the Skywalker saga, hadn’t it?

It hadn’t. I had naively assumed that like with Episodes III and VI, the final revelations were preserved for Episode IX. By now it seems to me like The Rise of Skywalker is meant as an appetizer for the next sequel. It can’t be that the studios unlearned how to make good films in so short a time after The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, also considering that everything else they made about Star Wars in between (Rogue One, Solo, The Mandalorian) is solid work and not by a long shot as flat as Episode IX.

The studios assuredly will keep their secrets as long as they can. The Mandalorian was met with huge expectations, yet nobody knew about Baby Yoda before the first episode was aired. Due to their depth and love for details, Star Wars films can be watched and discussed over and over, and the message regarding the necessity of Balance is still widely unknown or not accepted by the fans. If this is supposed to be not only an entertaining but also an educational tale, authors must give new fans room to get to know the saga, and old fans time to let the new ideas sink in. Lucas and his collaborators have taken decades trying to teach us that morals are not black and white. But still when The Last Jedi came out, the message was utterly hated.

Whatever Johnson’s trilogy will be about, it can’t be a part of the Skywalker saga any more: they are all dead. Even if Ben is brought back somehow, he is a Solo, so this time it would be the story of his own family. The Skywalker saga was basically Anakin’s, and by reconciling with a Palpatine and giving his life to save the woman he loved his grandson ultimately made up for his sins. The Last Jedi was a bold move; but what are “bold moves” supposed to be good for if they are not followed through? Apart from the fact that the sequels weren’t even exactly bold but drawing sums from what we already could see in original trilogy and prequels about the Jedi and the old Republic.

  Family Is the Key

Star Wars is a family tale. It is for families and it is about families. One of the most frustrating things about The Rise of Skywalker was, for me, that the “new” heroes didn’t make any kind of home or family of their own; and a Star Wars film or series never works without a father figure at its heart. I am sure Ben Solo was ultimately meant to be a father figure; the sequels couldn’t work without even giving him the chance to be one. Anakin and Luke both founded a family - one through marriage, the other befriending many different people. The third generation did not even get a chance either way.

“I believe that you are redeemed by your children.” George Lucas

In Star Wars, children always have to pay for their parent’s sins, and only they can make them atone. Which makes it all the more tragic that Ben is not a father; by this logic, only his child could have saved him, or an adopted one. On seeing the enslaved children of Canto Bight, of whom one is Force-sensitive, I was convinced that the sequels would be the children’s trilogy. (I might have accepted Ben dying had he saved and left them with Rey, who also is an abandoned child and so would have found a meaningful task.)

What the galaxy needs most are not heroes but people. Heroes exist to save desperate situations; lasting peace can only be made by normal people. With Luke becoming a hero in the original trilogy and Anakin a villain in the prequels, I was expecting Ben to find back to humanness. Since we have another trilogy to look forward to, I do still hope Ben will get another chance and this time he will find his happiness; but I also believe that he will have a long way to go before that. By the end of The Rise of Skywalker he is a hero, but in order to be happy he would need to learn how to be fully human, realigning both sides of his personality and healing the gap between them (the way Anakin couldn’t). And you don’t learn how to embrace your humanness quickly after having lost it within the scope of years and years. Ben wanted Rey because she was the only person in the galaxy with whom he could be completely honest. But being human also entails bonding with other people, not only with one’s significant other.

Ben tried to pull off the “bad guy” role and failed because it’s not in his nature. A lot of fans see him as a loser, because whether good or evil, a male protagonist is supposed to be always unfazed. The gentle, nurturing and emphatic personality that comes out in Ben when he is balanced is not that of a warmonger but of a peacekeeper: I see nothing inacceptable or emasculating in that. Unfortunately, who has Luke, Anakin or Han as blueprints for “real” men, won’t accept someone like Ben Solo. I hope that in time, he will be more appreciated, and that his life story will be a warning both for the audience and for the saga itself, i.e. that it is more to the point not to punish a criminal but to prevent him from becoming that way in the first place. Which brings us again to the topic of children and a better way to raise them, Force-sensitive or not.

Rey and Ben both are children with unhealed wounds. Their brief moment of harmony during the Force connection on Ahch-To was so powerful because both were speaking to each other’s inner child: Ben saying to Rey that she was not alone, Rey offering Ben an understanding he had not known before. Padmé also always saw in Anakin the good little boy she had first met; one of the reasons of the unbalance in their relationship was that he felt powerless to do something for her in return.

I think that the sequel trilogy of the Skywalkers wanted to tell us is that even if you save the whole galaxy, it’s not sufficient if afterwards you can’t support and protect your own offspring. When we met Han, Leia and Luke again, their personalities were pretty much as we left them; their mistake in handling Ben can’t have been something they actually did to him, the blunder must lie somewhere in their attitude. All three of them were traumatized by cruelly losing or never having known a healthy family life, so we must assume that after the war against the Empire, they tried to build a new world that would fit to their needs. But if adults build a home, they must do so thinking first and foremost not of themselves but of the ones who need it more than them. Children shape the future, not a victory of “good” over “evil”. And I find it interesting that the codebreaker DJ, who had such a pragmatic view of war, was also someone we met on Canto Bight, like the children. He was a traitor, but as everyone in the saga, even he had a point when he said that ultimately, wars are useless because they always flare up again.

“Good, bad, made-up words. You blow them up today, they blow you up tomorrow.” DJ in The Last Jedi

The last scene of The Last Jedi showed us a Force-sensitive boy sweeping an open space before looking up at the sky and dreaming about being a Jedi. I still believe that this scene’s meaning was “Clear the stage, it’s time for us - the children.”

The Jedi, respectively Force-sensitive creatures, must find new and better ways if they want to be advocates for peace and justice. No institution can claim to have a moral standard if it does not protect, nurture and encourage their most vulnerable and needful members, i.e. the children. Watching the prequels it is shocking to follow how the intelligent, brave and affectionate child Anakin could become the most hated man in the galaxy, crushed in the powerplay between the “good but narrow-minded guys” and the “bad but not always wrong” guys. Both his and his grandson’s dark fate could have been avoided, had it not been for the Jedi mentality based upon the conviction of having the right to destroy everything that does not (or does not seem) to line up with them.

The Star Wars saga told us over and over that power is not what it takes. The Jedi lost the Clone Wars; Vader was a lonely, bitter guy (not to mention Palpatine); Kylo had all the power his grandfather never had and it did him no good. Anakin, Han and Ben all were loved most by their women when they were at their weakest. And this brings me back to what I stated above: stories can be interpreted in different ways, but what about the message the author actually wanted to convey? If I am not getting it all wrong, it’s that compassion and not power is the key to everything good.

Episode VII and IX mirror one another, only VIII hints at a possible balance. Star Wars has a cyclical narrative; Anakin / Vader had his happiest moments and successes in his youth, while his grandson in his own youth hit rock bottom and committed his worst sins. If Kylo Ren’s destiny, as per Adam Driver’s words, is supposed to be the opposite of Darth Vader’s, how can The Rise of Skywalker really be the ultimate ending for him?

  P.S. What do you think, could baby Yoda and Ben meet? Then Obi-Wan and Yoda would be together again in a new way. P.P.S I would also like to see the Force, for once. I’m sure it’s not black and white at all. How about a rainbow? (Does anyone have Rian Johnson’s e-mail…? 😊) P. P.P.S. On the other hand, if the next film starts with Rey being pregnant and not knowing how, I might be sick… ☹

[houseisekai]

House Isekai: Shadowbringers - Act 2 Finale: God Shattering Star

House Isekai Shadowbringers AU Masterlist Here

—

Time is running out for everyone in Fodlan and House Isekai. They must act now and destroy TWSITD and Rhea before their worlds merge. No matter what, they cannot stop. No matter who they lose on the way.

[Spiderweb - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Byleth swung open the door to the capital building, looking for Lahabrea.

(Edelgard) “Professor?”

(Claude) “Everything alri-?”

(Byleth) “Where is that son of a bitch, I want answers NOW.”

(Yuri) “You mean Lahabrea? Pretty sure he’s upstairs-”

Byleth stormed past them, leaving everyone confused.

(Dimitri) “Perhaps we should get everyone else to follow as well.”

They nodded and gathered their respective classes and the members of House Isekai.

Sitri and the School-Living Club members were the first to arrive, seeing Byleth in a nearby room to confront Lahabrea and Sothis.

(Lahabrea) “Is something the ma-”

(Byleth) “What the hell is going on with me and Sitri?! Why are we seeing other people’s memories?!”

(Lahabrea) “...”

Sitri stepped forward as well, pressing him further.

(Sitri) “And you never said why you brought me back. How am I important to any of this?”

The house leaders and representatives came into the room, seeing the interrogation happen.

(Lahabrea) “To the first question, the Zanado Tower is what’s making you remember.”

(Claude) “When we were inside it, we could hear and access past memories, ones we didn’t experience in this...timeline? I think...?”

Lahabrea nodded.

(Lahabrea) “Correct. Every single voice you’ve heard of yourself, it is a memory, something that happened before in a previous timeline before it was wiped out. As to why you and Sitri have access to House Isekai’s memories...is because of me.”

Lahabrea turned to face the House Isekai representatives, and only found eyes that viewed him as a stranger. Shaking his head, he continued his explanation.

(Lahabrea) “The voices you have been hearing, were times I spent with them. Each loop caused their memory to wipe, no matter what we did to prevent it. When Sothis and I reversed time ourselves, we must have caused some catastrophic damage that...well, made you.”

(Rean) “Are you calling Byleth a mistake?”

(Sothis) “Not a mistake. An accident. If things had gone to plan, we would be the ones in this situation instead of him. Though, it is a blessing that he does not have full access to what we’ve been through...”

(Lahabrea) “We’ve been experiencing the same memory flashes as well, and our guess is because the Tower is failing and merging all of our worlds together is how we’re able to see their memories. I don’t expect that to go away anytime soon.”

(Yu) “The Tower has already shown up in our world. How much time is left for the others?”

(Sothis) “We have no idea. That being the case, we should NOT allow it to merge any further, the Tower is barely holding itself together as it is. Who knows what will happen if it is allowed to continue.”

(Yuuri) “More importantly, some of our worlds should NEVER be allowed to merge...”

Yuuri stiffened while Doomguy looked around the room and shook his head.

(Kazuma) “Yeah, we’d be downright screwed if either of theirs merged with Fodlan. Hell, any of ours, really. So, what’s the plan on stopping it exactly?”

(Lahabrea) “Before we were attacked, I mentioned a plan to wipe out Those who Slither and the Church. Our reasoning is this-”

Lahabrea pulled out a crystal and tapped it, displaying a small light of two spheres that were side by side. He pointed at the sphere on the left.

(Lahabrea) “This sphere is the Tower. It represents what our past self did to cause the events happening now.”

He pointed at the second sphere.

(Sothis) “The second sphere is the timeline that should be separated, what should have happened without any intervention.”

The two spheres merged together.

(Lahabrea) “The two merging is what’s making us even have this conversation.”

(Sitri) “So...if we remove the first sphere, the second sphere will be fixed?”

(Sothis) “That’s our best guess, yes. If we kill Rhea, her angels should be at a complete loss. And if we kill Those Who Slither, than we can rest assured the Javelin of Liberation will not be activated.

(Dimitri) “I don’t believe we’ve seen that Javelin but...it sounds familiar.”

(Edelgard) “Indeed, and it wasn’t because of the message in the crystal.”

(Lahabrea) “Everyone excluding House Isekai has had experience with it...It’s what caused us to be here to begin with.”

(Kazuma) “So we’re dealing with a buncha nutjobs with a nuclear bomb, fuckin’ fantastic.-”

(Sothis) “-And as to why we brought Sitri back.”

Sothis turned to Yuri.

(Sothis) “You recall your time in Abyss with Byleth during the school year?”

(Yuri) “How could I forget? First time I had met them and House Isekai...Ah, I see. You’re referring to the incident with her body.”

(Sitri) “M-My what?”

(Ainz) “Long story short, Aelfric wanted to bring you back to life, while Rhea originally tried the method to bring Sothis back. That’s what we were able to gather.”

(Sitri) “I...remember somewhat Rhea mentioning that. I sacrificed myself to make sure Byleth survived. And Rhea always did treat me as one of her own...”

(Minako) “That’s how she treated Byleth too, until she realized he wouldn’t cooperate.”

(Akira) “We wanted to bring her to justice until, well, all of this happened.”

(Edelgard) “It was part of the reason why I wanted House Isekai to join us in the war. Though it seems what I did had been unnecessary...”

Byleth looked away from Edelgard. At the beginning of all this, he wanted her dead as much as Rhea. Now, he had no idea how to feel, having access to all of Lahabrea’s memories. Or, his memories. He didn’t really know which one was right, or if there was a right answer.

(Sothis) “The reason why we brought you back, is because you CAN channel this loop’s Sothis through you.”

(Byleth) “What?!”

(Sitri) “Is...Is that why I’ve been able to see the past memories too?”

They nodded.

(Lahabrea) “What I went through, Sothis was with me every step of the way. So what she remembers by being with Byleth, you remember. After all, she’s a part of us.”

(Yu) “So she’s still alive for us after all.”

(Sothis) “As I have said, though I am not seen, I am always with you.”

(Sitri) “But h-how will I be able to? What can I even do?”

(Lahabrea) “...We don’t honestly know, other than its possible. We just have you as a trump card to use against her, more than anything.”

(Edelgard) “That’s...reassuring.”

(Minako) “Not like we have a better plan.”

(Lahabrea) “Anyways, about stopping Rhea and Those Who Slither...That’s not going to be an easy task. They are both using technology they should not have access to, and you’ve seen how lethal angels and inquisitors are.”

(Minato) “And how fast the Agarthans converted the dead into that...thing.”

(Yuuri) “Both of them want each other dead, with us caught in the middle.”

(Sitri) “And we’re the only ones who can stop it.”

(Kazuma) “Not like we can exactly wait for them to kill each other and let them sort it out either...”

(Lahabrea) “Well, all we really need to do is kill the leaders and the rest should scramble...We hope.”

(Sothis) “In the past, killing the leaders effectively put the factions out of the picture. So that part is consistent every loop at least.”

(Rean) “Then, who do we go after first? We can have Valimar teleport us the-”

(Lahabrea) “No. Valimar takes too much energy, and we’re going to need him at full strength. I have an idea to have both of them show up at the same time.”

(Sothis) “But we will not depart unless everyone is ready. Once we go through with this plan, there’s no coming back.”

Everyone stiffened their backs.

[The King of Lions - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

(Lahabrea) “We will be using the Tower to teleport and attack the Church head on. A massive energy spike from it will catch Those Who Slither’s attention and cause them to teleport to us. We will be dealing with a two front battle, and it will NOT be pretty.”

(Sothis) “Some of us may not be coming back alive.”

(Everyone) !!!

(Minato) “...”

(Minako) “...”

(Yuuri) “We can’t just teleport in front of Rhea?”

(Lahabrea) “Over the last 5 years, we have no idea what she’s done to herself, nor what it will do to Byleth. The angel blood is still infecting him after all.”

Everyone turned to Byleth.

(Byleth) “When’s it going to fully take over?”

(Sothis) “Our best guess is if the Tower collapses. What we did only stalled it anyways.”

(Dimitri) “So our only options are to wait around and die, or charge headfirst into danger.”

(Yuri) “...There have been worse ideas.”

(Claude) “So this is the point of no return, eh? Guess we better hurry, unless ya know, we wanna watch our world burn down in front of our eyes.”

(Rean) “Let’s get going. It’s time we end this.”

Everyone left the room, except for Lahabrea, Minato, and Minako.

(Minato) “...You’re really the Byleth we spent our time with in those memories?”

(Lahabrea) “...Yes.”

(Minako) “Then you must already know what happens to us.”

(Sothis) “We do.”

(Minato) “In that case...thanks for everything.”

That was the last thing he said before they walked out the door.

Lahabrea walked outside to the plaza and waited patiently for everyone to gather.

...

As Sitri walked down to the Infirmary to gather any medical supplies for the upcoming fight, she could hear a voice call out to her.

“Stop...!”

She quickly spun around to see if anyone was in the room, but there was nothing.

(Sitri) “Huh...?”

“Stop...them...!”

The voice sounded like a young female’s but...it wasn’t familiar to her. 

Byleth came into the room and found Sitri looking confused, her head constantly shifting side to side.

(Byleth) “Are you okay?”

(Sitri) “O-Oh I’m fine. I thought I was hearing someone...”

“...”

[Return of the Night - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

(Byleth) “This is the first time we’ve spoken in length, isn’t it?”

It had just dawned on Sitri. It was.

They didn’t say anything at first. They weren’t sure what to talk about.

The first time they could actually speak to each other as mother and son was right before they were going to march into death’s door.

(Sitri) “...I’m proud of you, Byleth.”

(Byleth) “For what?”

(Sitri) “For...For becoming the person you are. Jeralt raised you well.”

She smiled.

She was worried how Byleth was going to turn out when he had no emotions being born. 

(Sitri) “Look at you. From what the others had told me, you went from a mercenary with a stone face to a beloved teacher loved by everyone. You’ve led and unified people from different worlds under your banner...And now you’re going to save everyone too.”

Byleth smiled. It nearly sent Sitri into tears. She ruffled his white hair and hugged him.

(Sitri) “I’m so sorry we couldn’t get more time together.”

(Byleth) “That’s not your fault, Si-...Mother.”

Mother. That was the first time Byleth had called her that. She had been waiting so long to hear herself called ‘Mother’ from her son. Not that she was ever expecting to anyway.

(Byleth) “Jeralt would’ve been so happy to see you again.”

He let go and clenched his sword.

(Byleth) “I can make him proud by finishing this at the very least.”

She shook her head.

(Sitri) “Nonsense. You’ve already made him proud, my son.”

The two smiled at each other before there was a knock on the door.

(Sara) “Hey, we’re ready to go.”

Byleth nodded and headed out first. Sara was about to follow before being stopped by Sitri.

(Sitri) “You’re...Sara, right? Sara Valestein?”

(Sara) “I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Eisner.”

Sara formed a smirk on her face as she held out a hand.

Sitri firmly shook it before bowing.

(Sitri) “Thank you for taking care of my son.”

(Sara) “Psh, being honest, he was keeping me in check most of the time during the academy. I was a whole mess for him and the other staff. Hah, him and Megumi would have to rope me in from strangling Sete-...”

It was then Sara realized she hadn’t seen Seteth or any of the other Church staff. Were they going to have to-

Sitri realized what was going through her head and put a hand on her shoulder.

(Sitri) “It...may be a bit strange coming from someone you barely know, but you’ll get through this.”

(Sara) “Hah...Thanks. Once this is over, remind me to get you a drink.”

Sara winked at Sitri before pulling out her pistol.

(Sara) “Now, let’s going.”

[Dangerous Words - FFXIV: Shadowbringers]

Sothis prepared a portal as the four houses and House Isekai all got their weapons out.

(Lahabrea) “This is the plan, we go in and strike as fast and hard as we can.

Ainz, Slayer, your groups will cause as much chaos as possible to distract the strongest members. We have no idea where we’ll be teleporting in.

Akira, you and the Phantom Thieves will scout out ahead for Rhea and try to estimate their fighting strength.

Class VII and the four houses will take care of the grunts as everyone advances, giving support to Nazarick and Slayer.

Yu, Minato, Minako, Kazuma, your teams will provide backup and scans when you get the chance.

Sitri, Yuuri, your groups will be helping any survivors, if there is any. If there aren’t, keep your head down and pick your targets carefully.”

Slayer nodded and brought out his pistol and gave it to Yuuri. Miki and Yuki got a bows from Alliance soldiers.

(Lahabrea) “Myself and Byleth will be taking on Rhea ourselves. We’ll no doubt be attracting the attention of the Agarthans, and they’ll teleport in when the moment is right. We cannot afford to let them take us off guard again.”

Everyone nodded. They understood their roles, but whether they were confident or not was an entirely different story.

The Persona Users looked determined but nervous. Some of the user’s legs were shaking.

Ainz nodded to his subjects and they all got on one knee and nodded.

Slayer pumped his shotgun and checked his ammunition.

Class VII activated their Arcus units and readied themselves to run in.

Sitri and the School-Living club members looked extremely nervous, but they refused to hesitate when lives were on the line.

The four houses had a mixed reaction of all the above.

(Sothis) “Opening the portal, get ready everyone, we have NO idea where we’re landing!”

Sothis’ hand gently waved over the air, slowly opening a massive portal, similar to Valimar’s spirit portal.

The ground around them shook ever so slightly, since it was using energy from the tower.

Doomguy and the denizens of Nazarick were the first ones to jump in...

...

Gates of Enbarr, Adrestian Empire territory...

Catherine finished cutting down the last of these glowing orange soldiers.

The last one she split apart exploded into light particles, just like all the rest.

They had been sieging this city for months now, but it seemed like they were finally breaking through to get to Edelgard.

She sighed as she sheathed Thunderbrand and looked to the skies. It was a bright white, and at this point she was sick of looking at it.

It made the area around them freezing, despite the fact buildings and debris directly next to her were on fire.

And the skies reminded her of...

She reached for her head. These flashes of voices were getting worse by the day. It was a mixture of her voice and...strangely enough, her fellow Inqusitors and the former students.

Just what the hell was it? Even Rhea didn’t seem immune from this, yet she refused to comment everytime it was brought up.

She heard footsteps behind her and saw several knights approach. Catherine frowned.

These weren’t the knights that she served with back then. They were “blessed” by some form of magic to turn them into “angels”. Part of her wondered if it was some cruel joke to call them that, since she had seen their true forms.

Not to mention her and the other Inquisitors had been given this “blessing”, though it seems they could at least control it. 

Shamir, Seteth, Flayn, Cyril, and Alois were currently elsewhere, so it was just her for now.

Shaking her head, she motioned behind her.

(Catherine) “Clean up this mess. Lady Rhea and I are to make our way to the throne room.”

As if on cue, a brighter light shone behind Catherine, which she immediately dropped to one knee.

(Catherine) “Lady Rhea! We have been waiting for you-”

(Rhea) “Rise. For this day is a glorious one. We have finally broke this long siege, and will kill that girl for her insolence!”

Rhea was wearing some form of ritual combat armor, though it didn’t look to protect her that much. Not that it was an issue for her, however.

More of the orange glowing soldiers teleported in behind and tried to swing at Rhea, which she effortlessly blocked with her shield hand, turning around batting them all away as if they were flies.

They were shot into the wall, breaking through solid concrete and exploding into light particles.

(Rhea) “Hmph. Whatever these are, they have done well to defend Enbarr for this long. But now that we have arrived, they are destined to fail. Come, Catherine. Nothing stands in our way now.”

Catherine nodded and followed Rhea closely behind.

...

Several of the knights had finished the skirmish in the city plaza, killing off the last of the phantom soldiers.

One of the knights turned to the commanding officer and sheathed his sword.

(Knight) “Sir, this area is clear.”

(Knight-Captain) “Understood. Inform Lady Rhea-”

A portal interrupted the Knight-Captain as it formed behind him, making everyone unsheathe their swords.

(Knight) “What the hell?!”

(Knight-Captain) “INFORM LADY RHEA THE AREA IS NOT CLEAR, REPEAT NOT CL-”

The Knight-Captain’s torso exploded into bits and pieces as Doomguy emerged firing his shotgun.

Before any of the other Knights could respond, the entire squad was taken out by a mixture of lightning magic, knives, and sharp claws.

Ainz emerged behind Doomguy, followed by the rest of Nazarick, donning battle equipment.

(Cocytus) “SHALL WE MAKE A BET? I CAN KILL MORE OF THESE DISGUSTING CREATURES THAN YOU.”

Doomguy smirked and took out an assault rifle in response before noticing the Knight-Captain’s legs were twitching.

As he unloaded his rifle into the legs, the rest of House Isekai began teleporting in, immediately rushing to their roles.

Byleth and Lahabrea rushed to the Throne Room with the Phantom Thieves hopping on the rooftops above them.

As the Black Eagles rushed in, their clothes changed once more, similar to the Phantom Thieves.

(Edelgard) “Hm, I could get used to this outfit.”

(Bernadetta) “M-Mine looks embarrassing! It feels so light like I’m wearing nothing!”

(Caspar) “I’m a little jealous, you got nothing to restrict your movement, meanwhile I’m in such heavy freakin’ armor!”

(Linhardt) “...Come to think of it, did we ever get an explanation of how we could suddenly start-!!!”

Linhardt was cut off as he tripped over onto the floor, reaching for his head in pain.

(Dorothea) ?! “LIN-”

Dorothea was the second to follow, and eventually the rest of the Black Eagles fell to the ground.

S.E.E.S ran with the Blue Lions before they fell over as well. The same thing happened with the Golden Deer.

(Petra) “W-...What is?!-”

(Edelgard) “Goddess, my head! Why now?!”

...

(Minako) “Hey, what’s wrong?!”

(Minato) “Shit, not good, knights incoming!”

Squads of knights closed into their position before Valimar stepped in front of them.

(Rean’s voice) “We’ll take care of them, get moving towards the throne room!”

(Junpei) “What, but there’s too many of them!”

(Sharon) “Not to worry, we can fix that!”

Class VII moved into defend the Blue Lions, Minato and Minako nodding at each other.

They ran first, and the rest of S.E.E.S quickly followed.

...

Sitri, Yuuri, Kurumi, Miki, and Yuki ran through the streets and found the Golden Deer and Investigation Team engaged with the enemy.

Yuuri took aim with Doomguy’s pistol and pulled the trigger, the recoil almost hitting her in the face and scaring her.

The shot narrowly missed a knight which caused him to look over to their direction.

That distraction cost him his life as he was split in two by Yu’s Persona.

(Yu) “Thanks!”

(Hilda) “R-Really...hard to fight with this...damn headache!”

(Claude) “Ugh, it’s like the tower...only a thousand times worse!”

The Golden Deer toppled over in pain, trying to fight through the voices in their heads.

(Kurumi) “Come on!”

Kurumi ran into the fight with her shovel, going for the Knight’s legs while they were distracted fighting the Investigation Team. Eventually the rest of the group joined into the skirmish.

...

As Lahabrea and Byleth got through the streets unscathed, they heard Futaba’s voice.

(Futaba) “Oracle here, nothing detected on the way in! Heck, I think they’re expecting you two!”

(Lahabrea) “Any signs of soldiers fighting the Church?”

(Futaba) “...No, we’re the only ones here, aren’t we?”

(Byleth) “Lahabrea?”

(Lahabrea) “Understood. Keep your eyes peeled for the Agarthans, we’re moving in to engage Rhea.”

Lahabrea turned to Byleth.

(Sothis) “We use the Tower to spawn...let’s call them Phantoms to keep them occupied at Enbarr as we gathered House Isekai.”

(Byleth) “And what are the consequences?”

He didn’t answer, which made Byleth angry, but he had no time to press him further. They were right on the doorstep of the capital building.

Catherine and Rhea stood outside on top of the stairs, waiting for them.

Catherine saw them approach and drew out Thunderbrand.

(Rhea) “They’re mine.”

(Catherine) “L-Lady Rhea?”

(Rhea) “You will keep our guests occupied.”

She pointed to the right as Agarthans teleported near the stairs.

(Catherine) “...Understood.”

[Insanity - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

Lahabrea and Byleth stopped at the bottom as Rhea walked towards them, dropping her sword and shield.

(Rhea) “You...!”

Rhea started glowing into a bright white as her voice grew deeper.

(Rhea) “I should have killed you when we first met, seeing how you turned out. Another DISAPPOINTMENT.”

The two unsheathed their swords, Sothis appearing behind them.

(Rhea) “M-Mother...?”

Sothis prepared spells in her hand, making Rhea’s eyes twitch.

(Rhea) “No...NO! THIS IS AN ILLUSION. HOW DARE YOU MAKE A MOCKERY OF MY MOTHER...!”

Her figure began growing into colossal size, wings sprouting from her back as her limbs grew longer and longer.

“I WILL TEAR YOUR HEART OUT!”

The Immaculate one leapt forward, roaring as the claws swung wildly trying to hit them.

Byleth and Lahabrea rolled out the way on opposite sides, narrowly dodging the attack.

While the two ran towards her, on the rooftops, more Agarthans teleported in.

(Agarthan) “Lord Thales, do we make our move?”

(Thales) “Not yet. Our enemies seem prepared for us this time. For now, we observe.”

The Immaculate One spun around and flew into the air, blasting fireballs from her mouth at the two.

Lahabrea activated the whip function of his sword and absorbed the attack as Sothis helped negate the attack with a magical barrier, while Byleth hopped into the air.

He swung at her wings, slice getting deep enough to make her fly unbalanced, and forced her to fight on the ground.

When the Immaculate One landed, Sothis fired Thoron from her hands, aimed directly at her head. Another fireball cancelled the attack out as it exploded into a dust cloud.

Using the dust cloud, Lahabrea charged in, deactivating the whip and moved to gouge out one of her eyes.

Digging her claws deep into the floor, the Immaculate One scraped across the floor and fired massive chunks of debris at Lahabrea.

Diving onto the floor, he managed to dodge in time, but left him open to attack.

Instead of going for the kill, the Immaculate One swung her claws to her left, catching Byleth’s sword in time and knocking him away.

(Immaculate One) “HERETICS! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR TREASON AGAINST THE CHURCH!”

(Lahabrea) “Rhea, listen to me, why are you doing this?!”

(Byleth) “The hell are you doing?-”

(Immaculate One) “SILENCE!”

Byleth swung his sword at her once more, which she stood perfectly still, her skin hardening before the impact came, making it bounce off.

Her jaw swung open and caught Byleth’s leg before he could run, slamming him to the wall of a nearby building.

Before being able to make the next move, Sothis teleported in front of her and casted several ice spells, all of which shot into her face.

Most of them bounced off, but one pierced through her nose, making her stagger backwards, and giving enough time for Lahabrea to get up and run over to Byleth.

(Lahabrea) “What are you doing lying around?!”

Thales and several Agarthans teleported in behind them readying a spell before Byleth sprung to life, both of them deactivating their whips.

(Byleth) “GOT YOU!”

Thales barely had time to react as he activated his barrier, blocking the whip.

His subordinates were not as fast, as the three that teleported with him were decapitated, their heads rolling onto the floor as their bodies collapsed into the debris pathetically.

(Thales) “Hmph, expecting my trick to work a third time was on me.”

He floated into the air and fired a spell at both Byleths and the Immaculate One.

Sothis tanked the spell by activating her barrier while it didn’t seem to affect the Immaculate One.

He tried to attack again before several bullets made their mark in his arm, before he could pull his shield up to block all of them.

(Akechi) “REMEMBER US, ASSHOLE?!”

(Kasumi) “This is for Jeralt, you bastard!”

(Akira) “OPEN FIRE!”

The Phantom Thieves unleashed a hail of gunfire, causing Thales to go on the defensive, and drew him away from Byleth and Lahabrea’s fight.

(Lahabrea) “Rhea! Stop this madness! You and the others have been seeing the memories too, haven’t you!”

The Immaculate One roared in response, gearing up for another attack.

(Byleth) “She’s too far gone to listen!”

(Lahabrea) “Is this the legacy you want to leave for Sothis, nothing but blood and destruction?!”

(Immaculate One) “DO NOT SPEAK TO ME OF WHAT SHE WANTS! YOU HUMANS WERE THE ONE WHO SPAT ON HER KINDNESS! WHO MURDERED HER IN COLD BLOOD!”

She jumped into the air and landed near them, sending debris flying towards their direction.

Lahabrea and Sothis cut and blasted them apart while Byleth slid underneath them to get closer.

The Immaculate One tried to attack Byleth, with Lahabrea seizing the opportunity and wounded her arm by cutting deep into it, with Sothis firing fire spells into the wound.

She roared in pain as she tried to harden her skin, leaving herself open again to Byleth.

He activated the whip function and took out one of her eyes by slicing across it, making her blind on her right side.

She opened her mouth and shot out fireballs wildly, hitting Byleth and Lahabrea.

(Sothis) “Tch, Byleth is right, we can’t reason with her! We have to-AGH!”

...

Thales kept taking hits, more than he was able to. The bullets in his arms weren’t doing him any favors.

Akira, Makoto, and Kasumi, Morgana, and Yusuke were relentless with their attacks, never giving him the chance to breathe.

Ryuji and Ann’s Persona forced him to expel more magic than he had to in order to combat them and block their attacks.

There were too many of them to keep track of, not to mention that one in the floating object giving tactical support.

(Thales) Wait a minute, there were ten of them, where are the other tw-

He wasn’t able to finish his thoughts as he felt something sharp hit his back and another bullet his his leg, making him fall over to the ground.

(Haru) “Nailed it!”

(Akechi) “Slippery little bastard.”

Everyone pointed their weapons at him, Akira doing the talking.

(Akira) “Surrender, it’s over!”

(Thales) “N-Never! IF I AM TO DIE, THEN YOU ALL WILL GO WITH ME!-”

Thales raised his hand and it glowed for a moment before Akechi shot him several times in the head.

(Akechi) “Shut the fuck up already!”

(Kasumi) “W-Wait, what did he-”

The white skies suddenly had a massive cloud of darkness appear above them.

(Ryuji) “Oh SHIT!”

The Immaculate One was about to make the killing blow before being driven to the floor by voices flooding her head.

Lahabrea and Byleth were forced onto the floor, and realized what was happening.

(Lahabrea) “No...NO!”

...

Everyone stopped fighting and saw the dark cloud begin to brighten up.

(Ainz) “What is that...?”

The three houses’ headaches grew worse as they saw the skies.

(Claude) “N-Not...good!”

(Dimitri) “Is...that?-”

(Edelgard) “Damn it all, THE JAVELIN!”

Doomguy was the first to respond, grabbing his most powerful weapon: the BFG-9000 and fired indiscriminately into the air.

(Rean) “I-Is attacking it even going to do anything?!”

(Yu) “Better than not trying anything at all!”

Yu sheathed his katana and crushed a tarot card, summoning Izanagi and fired several spells. The rest of the Persona Users and Denizens of Nazarick did the same.

(Sitri) “What can we-AGH!”

“STOP...!...THEM!”

That voice again. Who was-

(Emma) “Wait a second, was that Sothis?!”

(Kazuma) “You heard that too?!”

The voice was...Sothis? Why was she telling her to stop them, it’s not as if she needed that pointed out to her.

...Unless-

Sitri didn’t have time to think as she was driven to the ground.

(Minato) “...Hey sis.”

Minato calmly walked over to Minako.

(Minako) “Yeah, it’s time.”

She cracked her knuckles and threw away her Evoker. Minato did the same, catching Aigis’s attention.

(Aigis) “W-Wait what are you?-”

(Minato) “Don’t worry, you’ll remember.”

Thanatos formed behind them, roaring into the air as the skies began to grow into a blinding white light.

(Aigis) “WAIT, MINATO, MINAKO-”

S.E.E.S was about to move towards them before Thanatos blew them back into the ground.

(Rean) “Uh, what are they doing?!”

(Ainz) “They’re just summoning their Persona, now keep focusing and-”

(Kazuma) “HEY, INCOMING!”

The Javelin began to fly downwards, but Thanatos flew up and caught it, breaking apart and roaring in pain.

Minako and Minato were brought to their knees, their body parts slowly disappearing into light blue particles, just like Megumi.

(Yuuri) “What the- THEY’RE GOING TO GET KILLED!”

(Yu) “Wait, is this how they...?-”

(Aigis) “PLEASE, DON’T LEAVE US AGAIN-”

Both of them turned to her and smiled.

(Minato) “See ya around, Aigis.”

(Minako) “...Goodbye, everyone. It’s been fun.”

Thanatos roared a final time as it absorbed the blow, exploding into light particles.

Minako and Minato followed suit, and shattered before everyone’s eyes.

The three houses finally had the pressure released from their heads, and struggled to catch their breath.

Byleth, Lahabrea, and the Immaculate One were getting up, completely dazed.

Sothis teleported in front of the Immaculate One, arms outstretched.

(Immaculate One) “...M-Mother...Is...that you?”

The one eye had caused her vision to go blurry in combination with the voices finally stopping.

Sothis embraced her, caressing her head.

(Sothis) “...Sleep, my daughter.”

Bright lights formed in Sothis’s hand, Thorons firing from both palms, one hand impaling straight through the Immaculate One’s eyes, and another through her brain.

Her body fell completely limp, and the pale white skies vanished into night, the only light being from the fires in Enbarr.

The battle was over.

[Song End]

(Catherine) “LADY RHEA!”

She tried to advance further, but saw Knights collapse to the floor left and right, with Agarthans retreating upon seeing that Thales was dead.

Those voices in her head had completely stunned her, making her fighting capabilities reduce to almost none. If she stuck around any longer, she was going to get killed.

Swallowing her pride, she grabbed Thunderbrand and retreated.

Byleth and Lahabrea slowly got up, looking at each other.

(Byleth) “The...The voices stopped.”

(Lahabrea) “That they did...”

The rest of the group reunited where Lahabrea and Byleth were.

(Kazuma) “So...we won?”

(Sitri) “We did but...Minako and Minato.”

Everyone quickly realized that they were nowhere to be seen.

(Aigis) “...They’re gone.”

S.E.E.S looked down, not in the mood to celebrate their victory.

Many of them were reaching for their heads, their memories coming back in full force.

(Aigis) “They’ve been gone just...just like Megumi.”

(Rean) “What...?”

(Ainz) “...So their fates were sealed from the start.”

(Akira) “No...!”

Aigis turned to Yu.

(Aigis) “You all knew, didn’t you?”

The Investigation Team looked at each other, then back to S.E.E.S.

(Yu) “We...didn’t know how to bring it up. We had met you when you came to Inaba and...you told us of their passing.”

(Yuki) “Even more of us are gone...”

(Everyone) “...”

(Lahabrea) “What matters is that we all survived and-”

(Everyone) !!!

[Paradisaical Predicaments - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

Everyone had to reach for their heads as the world began to shake violently.

Sothis’s voice was loud and clear for everyone.

“No, NO!”

(Kazuma) “The hell, there she is again!”

(Lahabrea) “Wait a second, Sothis?!”

(Yuri) “You mean THAT’s the goddess?”

(Sothis) “This loop’s Sothis right, what is she talking-”

She was interrupted as multiple people dropped to the floor. First was Class VII, then Ainz’s.

(Akira) “What the hell is happening now?!”

(Yu) “Wait a second, i-is it?!-”

(Ainz) “A...A tower?!”

Lahabrea and Sothis’ eyes went wide.

(Lahabrea) “It can’t be...”

====

Great Tomb of Nazarick...

(Guard) “A TOWER HAS EMERGED IN THE DISTANCE, EVERYONE, ASSUME COMBAT ROLES!”

Several skeletons and demons scattered around the area, preparing for an assault on the tomb.

Without Ainz and the Floor Guardians, this was going to be an extremely difficult battle for them.

Thor’s Military Academy, Branch Campus...

(Juna) “WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!”

(Kurt) “A-A Tower?! Where did it even come from?!”

(Altina) “The materials do not match any known signatures we have in our world.”

(Ash) “Well, it oughtta be interesting at least.”

(Musse) “H-Has anyone seen Instructor Rean, I haven’t found him anywhere!”

====

(Kazuma) “I THOUGHT YOU FUCKING SAID KILLING THEM WOULD BE THE END OF THIS!”

(Sothis) “This can’t be right!”

(Lahabrea) “H-Hang on, I’m thinki-”

The skies suddenly turned back into a pale white, the temperatures dropping rapidly.

(Rean) “The Javelin didn’t hit, right?!”

(Ainz) “We’d be dead if it did!”

“Stop them...!”

(Sitri) “S-Sothis...?!”

“STOP THEM!”

PART 4: END

—

[Escape - Darling in the FranXX OST]

The forecasted rain wets us

What should I say to you, as you tremble? My soaked blazer is cold and heavy

I feel as helpless as a chick who’s left its cage. I felt that my dreams were on the other side of the heavy clouds

I digested only the sweet pain that spread in my chest

I wonder if it’d be better if I’d never met you

Hey, I can’t even see the stars

Hey, my tears won’t fall either

—

ACT 2: ENDED

[classtheater]

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SCHAU JETZT >> https://classetheater.com/movie/635302/

Veröffentlicht: Oct 16, 2020 Laufzeit: 117 Protokoll Genre: Animation, Action, Historie, Abenteuer, Fantasy, Drama Sterne: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kitō, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Satoshi Hino, Takahiro Sakurai Crew: Yuki Kajiura (Original Music Composer), Makoto Nakamura (Key Animation), Mitsuru Obunai (Key Animation), Tomonori Sudō (Animation Director), Akira Matsushima (Animation Director), Akira Matsushima (Character Designer)

INHALTSANGABE & DETAILS Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train (2020) - Animation Filme 117 Protokoll. Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-hen, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Train, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-Hen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, Demon Slayer: Le train de l'infini, Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train, 鬼滅之刃劇場版 無限列車篇, Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - Le film : Le train de l'infini. Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha Hen setzt nahtlos an die erste Staffel an und führt die Geschichte um Tanjirou, Nezuko, Zen’itsu und Inosuke fort. Nachdem Tanjirou und seine Gefährten sich in der Kochou-Residenz unter der strengen Aufsicht Shinobus und Aois von ihren Wunden erholt haben und sich Aois rigorosem Training widmeten, steht ihnen nun eine neue Mission bevor. Gemeinsam mit dem Hashira der Flammen Kyoujurou Rengoku sollen sie den mysteriösen Geschehnissen und Toden, die sich auf einer Zugfahrt ereignen, auf den Grund gehen. Das kommt Tanjirou auch ganz recht, hat er doch einige Fragen an den Hashira der Flammen, dessen »Atem der Flammen« der Technik seines eigenen Vaters so ähnelt. Lange bleibt ihnen jedoch nicht, um die Verbindung zwischen dem »Atem der Flammen« und Tanjirous »Atem des Feuers« zu diskutieren, denn die ruhige Zugfahrt nimmt ein jähes Ende …

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Definition and definition of film / film While the players who play a role in the film are referred to as actors (men) or actresses (women). There is also the term extras that are used as minor characters with few roles in the film. This differs from the main actors, who have larger and more roles. As an actor and actress, good acting talent must be required that corresponds to the subject of the film in which he plays the leading role. In certain scenes, the role of the actor can be replaced by a stunt man or a stunt man. The existence of a stuntman is important to replace the actors who play difficult and extreme scenes that are usually found in action-action films. Movies can also be used to deliver certain messages from the filmmaker. Some industries also use film to convey and represent their symbols and culture. Filmmaking is also a form of expression, thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings and moods of a person that are visualized in the film. The film itself is mostly fictional, though some are based on actual stories or on a true story. There are also documentaries with original and real images or biographical films that tell the story of a character. There are many other popular genre films, from action films, horror films, comedy films, romantic films, fantasy films, thriller films, drama films, science fiction films, crime films, documentaries and others. This is some information about the definition of film or film. The information has been cited from various sources and references. Hope it can be useful. ❍❍❍ TV FILM ❍❍❍ The first television shows were experimental, sporadic programs that from the 1930s could only be seen at a very short distance from the mast. TV events such as the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, the crowning of King George VI. In Britain in 19340 and the famous launch of David Sarnoff at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in the United States, the medium grew, but World War II brought development to a halt after the war. The 19440 World MOVIE inspired many Americans to buy their first television, and in 1948 the popular Texaco Star Theater radio moved to become the first weekly television variety show that hosted Milton Berle and earned the name “Mr Television” demonstrated The medium was a stable, modern form of entertainment that could attract advertisers. The first national live television broadcast in the United States took place on September 4, 1951, when President Harry Truman’s speech at the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco on AT & T’s transcontinental cable and microwave relay system was broadcasting to broadcasters in local markets has been. The first national color show (the 1954 Rose Parade tournament) in the United States took place on January 1, 1954. For the next ten years, most network broadcasts and almost all local broadcasts continued to be broadcast in black and white. A color transition was announced for autumn 1965, in which more than half of all network prime time programs were broadcast in color. The first all-color peak season came just a year later. In 19402, the last holdout of daytime network shows was converted to the first full color network season. ❍❍❍ formats and genres ❍❍❍ See also: List of genres § Film and television formats and genres TV shows are more diverse than most other media due to the variety of formats and genres that can be presented. A show can be fictional (as in comedies and dramas) or non-fictional (as in documentary, news, and reality television). It can be current (as in the case of a local news program and some television films) or historical (as in the case of many documentaries and fictional films). They can be educational or educational in the first place, or entertaining, as is the case with situation comedies and game shows. [Citation required] A drama program usually consists of a series of actors who play characters in a historical or contemporary setting. The program follows their lives and adventures. Before the 1980s, shows (with the exception of soap opera series) generally remained static without storylines, and the main characters and premise barely changed. [Citation required] If the characters’ lives changed a bit during the episode, it was usually reversed in the end. For this reason, the episodes can be broadcast in any order. [Citation required] Since the 1980s, many FILMS have had a progressive change in the plot, characters, or both. For example, Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere were two of the first American prime time drama television films to have this kind of dramatic structure [4] [better source required], while the later MOVIE Babylon 5 further illustrated such a structure had a predetermined story about the planned five season run. [Citation required] In 2020, it was reported that television became a larger part of the revenue of large media companies than the film. Some also noticed the quality improvement of some television programs. In 2020, Oscar-winning film director Steven Soderbergh declared the ambiguity and complexity of character and narrative: “I think these qualities are now being seen on television and people who want to see stories with such qualities are watching TV. ❍❍❍ Thanks for everything and have fun watching❍❍❍ Here you will find all the films that you can stream online, including the films that were shown this week. If you’re wondering what to see on this website, you should know that it covers genres that include crime, science, fi-fi, action, romance, thriller, comedy, drama, and anime film. Thanks a lot. We inform everyone who is happy to receive news or information about this year’s film program and how to watch your favorite films. Hopefully we can be the best partner for you to find recommendations for your favorite films. That’s all from us, greetings! Thank you for watching The Video Today. I hope you like the videos I share. Give a thumbs up, like or share if you like what we shared so we are more excited. Scatter a happy smile so that the world returns in a variety of colors.

[classehater22]

@GANZER_FILM Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Mugen Train Streamcloud Deutsch Kostenlos HD

@GANZER_FILM Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Mugen Train Streamcloud Deutsch Kostenlos HD

Description [HD] Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train ~©2020 | Ganzer FILM[hd], Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Complete Film Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Online Kostenlos Ganzer Film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Complete Stream Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Ganzer Film Deutsch

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Veröffentlicht: Oct 16, 2020 Laufzeit: 117 Protokoll Genre: Animation, Action, Historie, Abenteuer, Fantasy, Drama Sterne: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kitō, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Satoshi Hino, Takahiro Sakurai Crew: Yuki Kajiura (Original Music Composer), Makoto Nakamura (Key Animation), Mitsuru Obunai (Key Animation), Tomonori Sudō (Animation Director), Akira Matsushima (Animation Director), Akira Matsushima (Character Designer)

INHALTSANGABE & DETAILS Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train (2020) - Animation Filme 117 Protokoll. Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-hen, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Train, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-Hen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, Demon Slayer: Le train de l'infini, Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train, 鬼滅之刃劇場版 無限列車篇, Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - Le film : Le train de l'infini. Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha Hen setzt nahtlos an die erste Staffel an und führt die Geschichte um Tanjirou, Nezuko, Zen’itsu und Inosuke fort. Nachdem Tanjirou und seine Gefährten sich in der Kochou-Residenz unter der strengen Aufsicht Shinobus und Aois von ihren Wunden erholt haben und sich Aois rigorosem Training widmeten, steht ihnen nun eine neue Mission bevor. Gemeinsam mit dem Hashira der Flammen Kyoujurou Rengoku sollen sie den mysteriösen Geschehnissen und Toden, die sich auf einer Zugfahrt ereignen, auf den Grund gehen. Das kommt Tanjirou auch ganz recht, hat er doch einige Fragen an den Hashira der Flammen, dessen »Atem der Flammen« der Technik seines eigenen Vaters so ähnelt. Lange bleibt ihnen jedoch nicht, um die Verbindung zwischen dem »Atem der Flammen« und Tanjirous »Atem des Feuers« zu diskutieren, denn die ruhige Zugfahrt nimmt ein jähes Ende …

Etikett Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train 2020 Ganzer Film Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train 2020 kostenlos sehen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Anschauen Film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Complete Film Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train komplett online sehen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Online Anschauen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Online Kostenlos Ganzer Film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train 2020 Complete Stream Deutsch Ganzer Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train (2020) Deutsch HD Stream Online anschauen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train stream Deutsch kinox Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train kinox Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train ganzer film Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train online stream Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train stream kostenlos Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train hd filme Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train stream kkiste Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train kinostart Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Ganzer Film Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch kinox Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film HD Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film online Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film voll kostenlos Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Kino Deutsch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Filmkritik Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film ansehen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film herunterladen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film Stream Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train Deutsch Film Full HD online

Definition and definition of film / film While the players who play a role in the film are referred to as actors (men) or actresses (women). There is also the term extras that are used as minor characters with few roles in the film. This differs from the main actors, who have larger and more roles. As an actor and actress, good acting talent must be required that corresponds to the subject of the film in which he plays the leading role. In certain scenes, the role of the actor can be replaced by a stunt man or a stunt man. The existence of a stuntman is important to replace the actors who play difficult and extreme scenes that are usually found in action-action films. Movies can also be used to deliver certain messages from the filmmaker. Some industries also use film to convey and represent their symbols and culture. Filmmaking is also a form of expression, thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings and moods of a person that are visualized in the film. The film itself is mostly fictional, though some are based on actual stories or on a true story. There are also documentaries with original and real images or biographical films that tell the story of a character. There are many other popular genre films, from action films, horror films, comedy films, romantic films, fantasy films, thriller films, drama films, science fiction films, crime films, documentaries and others. This is some information about the definition of film or film. The information has been cited from various sources and references. Hope it can be useful. ❍❍❍ TV FILM ❍❍❍ The first television shows were experimental, sporadic programs that from the 1930s could only be seen at a very short distance from the mast. TV events such as the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, the crowning of King George VI. In Britain in 19340 and the famous launch of David Sarnoff at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in the United States, the medium grew, but World War II brought development to a halt after the war. The 19440 World MOVIE inspired many Americans to buy their first television, and in 1948 the popular Texaco Star Theater radio moved to become the first weekly television variety show that hosted Milton Berle and earned the name “Mr Television” demonstrated The medium was a stable, modern form of entertainment that could attract advertisers. The first national live television broadcast in the United States took place on September 4, 1951, when President Harry Truman’s speech at the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco on AT & T’s transcontinental cable and microwave relay system was broadcasting to broadcasters in local markets has been. The first national color show (the 1954 Rose Parade tournament) in the United States took place on January 1, 1954. For the next ten years, most network broadcasts and almost all local broadcasts continued to be broadcast in black and white. A color transition was announced for autumn 1965, in which more than half of all network prime time programs were broadcast in color. The first all-color peak season came just a year later. In 19402, the last holdout of daytime network shows was converted to the first full color network season. ❍❍❍ formats and genres ❍❍❍ See also: List of genres § Film and television formats and genres TV shows are more diverse than most other media due to the variety of formats and genres that can be presented. A show can be fictional (as in comedies and dramas) or non-fictional (as in documentary, news, and reality television). It can be current (as in the case of a local news program and some television films) or historical (as in the case of many documentaries and fictional films). They can be educational or educational in the first place, or entertaining, as is the case with situation comedies and game shows. [Citation required] A drama program usually consists of a series of actors who play characters in a historical or contemporary setting. The program follows their lives and adventures. Before the 1980s, shows (with the exception of soap opera series) generally remained static without storylines, and the main characters and premise barely changed. [Citation required] If the characters’ lives changed a bit during the episode, it was usually reversed in the end. For this reason, the episodes can be broadcast in any order. [Citation required] Since the 1980s, many FILMS have had a progressive change in the plot, characters, or both. For example, Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere were two of the first American prime time drama television films to have this kind of dramatic structure [4] [better source required], while the later MOVIE Babylon 5 further illustrated such a structure had a predetermined story about the planned five season run. [Citation required] In 2020, it was reported that television became a larger part of the revenue of large media companies than the film. Some also noticed the quality improvement of some television programs. In 2020, Oscar-winning film director Steven Soderbergh declared the ambiguity and complexity of character and narrative: “I think these qualities are now being seen on television and people who want to see stories with such qualities are watching TV. ❍❍❍ Thanks for everything and have fun watching❍❍❍ Here you will find all the films that you can stream online, including the films that were shown this week. If you’re wondering what to see on this website, you should know that it covers genres that include crime, science, fi-fi, action, romance, thriller, comedy, drama, and anime film. Thanks a lot. We inform everyone who is happy to receive news or information about this year’s film program and how to watch your favorite films. Hopefully we can be the best partner for you to find recommendations for your favorite films. That’s all from us, greetings! Thank you for watching The Video Today. I hope you like the videos I share. Give a thumbs up, like or share if you like what we shared so we are more excited. Scatter a happy smile so that the world returns in a variety of colors.

[socialyawkdude]

Top 10 animes for first time viewers

Hello, my socially awkward friends,

I’m back after a much-needed vacation to bring you the content, which you crave. In recent weeks, I’ve been approached by friends and colleagues, about what amines they should watch. To say that it was a loaded question is an understatement. With the world of anime and manga being so vast, it's hard to know where to start.

After thinking it over, I’ve decided to follow suit of my supernatural top 10 and do a top 10 for anime for beginners.

Today's post will cover amines for first-time viewers. Let me start by saying that, This Is my Opinion! Please do not jump my bones because of the line-up. Now with that being said, let get this party started.

 (10) Sailor Moon/Sailor Moon Crystal

Written by Nanoko Takeuchi

Genre/subgenre: Magical girl, action, romance, shoujo, superhero

Manga original run: (December 28, 1991, to February 3, 1997)

Anime Run: Sailor Moon (1992-1993) 46 episodes

   Sailor Moon R (1993- 1994) 43 episodes

   Sailor Moon S (1994- 1995) 38 episodes

   Sailor Moon Super S (1995- 1996) 39 episode

   Sailor Moon Sailor Star (1996- 1997) 34 episodes

The series follows the adventures of the protagonist Usagi Tsukino, a middle school student who is given the power to become the titular Sailor Soldier. Joined by other Sailor Soldiers, they defend Earth against an assortment of evil villains.

 Let us start with a classic, remade for the modern-day. For quite a few of my generation, Sailor Moon was our introduction to the world of anime. I can remember watching sailor moon, in the early morning before the school bus came. Sailor Moon was the beginning of my love affair with anime.

 Now here is what I got to say on sailor moon. It is a bit wonky, timeline-wise. Sailor Moon's overall timeline can be a bit hard to follow. That is if you are going in-depth with it. As long as you stay away from the headache inducing timeline, you’ll be ok.

 (9)Bleach

Written by Tite Kubo

Genre/subgenre: Action, Adventure, Shonen, Supernatural, Comedy

Original manga run: August 7, 2001 - August 22, 2016

Original anime run: October 5, 2004 - March 27, 2012

366 episodes 

 What can I say about Bleach? It is one of my favorite anime’s of all time. It's not perfect but what is? You have a diverse cast of characters, a good story and plenty of action. In my opinion, that makes a great anime for beginners. For me, Bleach was my return to anime, after years of not watching. I think that I've watched this anime from beginning to end, one too many times. 

 I'm talking watching the U.S. airing up to the point that I had the watch in Japanese. I finished the anime a full 2 years before the finale aired in the U.S. I would highly recommend this anime to any beginners.

 (8) Restaurant to another World

Written by Junpei Inuzuku

Genre/subgenre= Fantasy, Isekai

Manga Original Run: November 18, 2016, to June 25, 2019

Anime original Run: July 3, 2017, to September 18, 2017

12 episodes

 I was recommended this anime by a friend of a friend. I am going, to be honest; I didn't know what I was getting into. This would be my first experience with isekai anime. Looking back on this anime, it is quite an anime. Not much action, but at a great story. I would not recommend watching after a 420 session, you will get the munchies.

 (7) Sword Art Online

Written by Reki Kawahara

Genre/Subgenre= Isekai, Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Light Novel Original Run: April 10, 2009, to present

Anime original run:

Sword Art Online = July 8, 2012, to December 23, 2012

Sword Art Online II= July 5, 2014, to December 30, 2014

Sword Art Online Alicization = October 6, 2018, to present

  And here we go again with another isekai. The genre in itself is pretty much the same across animes. Someone dies and is sent to another world, but Sword Art Online is different. Instead of dying and going to another world; our main character is trapped in a virtual world and if he dies there, he dies in the real world.

In general, I've been pretty hard on SAO because of its a little too real world for me. It deals with some very real-world issues. To give some examples: Death, rape, incest, and other issues. To top it all off, with it being 2019; we are only months away from when the anime begins. (Where is my damn nervegear?)

If you can get past all of that it's a decent anime. The first arc is by far the best. The second arc is OK and the third I haven't finished yet. Sword Art Online is a good anime for beginners, in my opinion. Plus, Sword Art Online always puts out a beyond great soundtrack.

 (6) The Saga of Tanya the Evil

Written by Carlo Zen

Genre/subgenre: Isekai, fantasy

Manga Original run: April 26, 2016, to present

Anime original run: January 6, 2017, to March 31, 2017 

12 Episodes

 Here we are with the last isekai on our list. I understand that there have been quite a few listed, but besides the honorable mentions, there are no more. The Saga of Tanya the Evil is the perfect end of the isekai on this list.

Following the usual isekai tropes, Tanya the evil can best be described as a fantasy, historical alternative reality anime; taking place in a world similar to World War 1. As of this post, I'm only eight episodes in and quite enjoying it. I highly recommend checking it out.

 (5) Fairy Tail

Written By Hiro Mashima

Genre/Subgenre: Shonen, Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Manga Original run: August 2, 2006, to July 26, 2017

Anime original Run: October 12, 2009, to Present

328 + episodes

 It was around 7 years ago that a friend recommended fairy tail, to me. At the time, it wasn't my cup of tea. I was following Bleach, at the time, and hadn't leaped into the world of anime. Fast forward several years and it is still not my cup of tea. Now here is the thing, even though I may not be into fairy tail, ii know a good anime when I see it Given that fairy tail is entering its last full season; it a great choice for beginners and old alike. This is why I’m giving it the number 5 spot.

 (4) Attack on Titan

Written by Hajime isayama

Genre/Subgenre: Dark fantasy, post-apocalyptic

Original manga run: September 9, 2009, to present

Original anime run: April 7, 2015, to present

 Attack on Titan is one of those manga/animes that is a hit from day one. With a post-apocalyptic feel straight out of someone's worse nightmare. This isn't the zombie apocalypse folks; this is something far worse. The following that Attack on Titan has garnered is on par with American shows like The Walking Dead. 

Along with the manga and anime, Attack on titan has spawned a live-action movie in 2015. In my opinion, the movie was just as gory and the anime, but a little toned down. If your a fan of post-apocalyptic shows like The Walking Dead, this is one that you have to check out. 

A little piece of advice, do not watch the movie until you have seen the first season.

 (3) Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

Written by Coolkyoushinja

Genre/Subgenre: fantasy

Manga original run: May 25, 2013 to present

Anime original run: January 11, 2017, to April 6, 2017

13 episodes plus OVA

 If there was ever an anime that should be the official anime of this blog, this is it. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has been one of my favorite animes that I've seen in recent years. This is not the usual action-pack thriller, that you'll usually see from animes that make there way west. It the cute and funny story of Miss Kobayashi and how she ended up with a dragon maid and the adventures that follow. I would recommend this to anyone, anime watcher or not.

 (2) Fullmetal Alchemist/ Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Written by Hiroma Arakawa

Genre/Subgenre: Adventure, dark fantasy, science fiction, shonen

manga original run: July 12, 2001, to June 12, 2019

Anime original run: 

( Fullmetal Alchemist) October 4, 2003, to October 2, 2004

51 episodes plus the movie Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)

( Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood) April 5, 2009, to July 4, 2010

64 episodes

 Here we are at the number 2 spot. This was a toss-up for number one, but I decided against it. I would suggest watching Brotherhood because it follows the manga beginning to end. Fullmetal Alchemist ends at episode 51 and it is up the movie, Conqueror of Shamballa to bring an end to the story. I saw Conqueror of Shamballa and overall the movie was great. Well deserving of the praise it got from film festivals around the world. Do yourself a favor and check out this anime.

 (1) Dragon Ball /Z/GT/Super/Heroes

Written by Akira Toriyama

Genre/Subgenre: Action, Adventure, martial arts, shonen

Manga Original run: 

Dragonball= December 3, 1984, to June 5, 1995

Dragonball Super= June 20,2025 to present

 Anime original run: 

Dragonball(1986 to 1989)

Dragonball Z( 1989 to 1996)

Dragonball GT( 1996 to 1997)

Dragonball Super( 2015 to 2018)

Super Dragonball Heroes(2018 to present)

 And here we are at the number one spot. Come on, everyone should have seen this coming. Anime lovers and non-anime lovers have heard of the Dragonball series. While I was fighting for Fullmetal Alchemist to be in the number one spot; it wasn't going to happen. The Dragonball series is perfect for new anime viewers fro many reasons. One of the main reasons is if you get confused, there is plenty out there to help you understand what’s going on. The Dragonball series has been around in manga form since 1984 and anime form since 1986. There is plenty out there to help newbies and confused them, at the same time. Just don't watch the shitty American made live-action movie.

  Honorable mentions: Konosuba, Ghost in A Shell, Food Wars and Naruto

   Like always my friends, don't forget to like/share/reblog and follow. To get more of an idea of what's coming, you can follow me over on twitter at @socialyawkdude. 

[hjdgchb4r]

GANZER Film DeuTscH Kimetsu No Yaiba - "Kyoudai No

▶▶ Film ansehen oder herunterladen ☛☛ https://bit.ly/3mbqr4p

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Veröffentlicht: Oct 16, 2020

Laufzeit: 117 Protokoll

Genre: Animation, Action, Historie, Abenteuer, Fantasy, Drama

Sterne: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kitō, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Satoshi Hino, Daisuke Hirakawa

Crew: Yuki Kajiura (Original Music Composer), Akira Matsushima (Character Designer), Akira Matsushima (Supervising Animation Director), Haruo Sotozaki (Director), Gou Shiina (Original Music Composer), Masaru Yanaka (Concept Artist)

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Handlung:

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train (2020) - Animation Filme 117 Protokoll. Demon Slayer: Le train de l'infini, Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-hen, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Train, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-Hen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train. Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha Hen setzt nahtlos an die erste Staffel an und führt die Geschichte um Tanjirou, Nezuko, Zen’itsu und Inosuke fort. Nachdem Tanjirou und seine Gefährten sich in der Kochou-Residenz unter der strengen Aufsicht Shinobus und Aois von ihren Wunden erholt haben und sich Aois rigorosem Training widmeten, steht ihnen nun eine neue Mission bevor. Gemeinsam mit dem Hashira der Flammen Kyoujurou Rengoku sollen sie den mysteriösen Geschehnissen und Toden, die sich auf einer Zugfahrt ereignen, auf den Grund gehen. Das kommt Tanjirou auch ganz recht, hat er doch einige Fragen an den Hashira der Flammen, dessen »Atem der Flammen« der Technik seines eigenen Vaters so ähnelt. Lange bleibt ihnen jedoch nicht, um die Verbindung zwischen dem »Atem der Flammen« und Tanjirous »Atem des Feuers« zu diskutieren, denn die ruhige Zugfahrt nimmt ein jähes Ende …

Etikett:

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Definition and definition of film / film

While the players who play a role in the film are referred to as actors (men) or actresses (women). There is also the term extras that are used as minor characters with few roles in the film. This differs from the main actors, who have larger and more roles. As an actor and actress, good acting talent must be required that corresponds to the subject of the film in which he plays the leading role. In certain scenes, the role of the actor can be replaced by a stunt man or a stunt man. The existence of a stuntman is important to replace the actors who play difficult and extreme scenes that are usually found in action-action films.

Movies can also be used to deliver certain messages from the filmmaker. Some industries also use film to convey and represent their symbols and culture. Filmmaking is also a form of expression, thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings and moods of a person that are visualized in the film. The film itself is mostly fictional, though some are based on actual stories or on a true story.

There are also documentaries with original and real images or biographical films that tell the story of a character. There are many other popular genre films, from action films, horror films, comedy films, romantic films, fantasy films, thriller films, drama films, science fiction films, crime films, documentaries and others.

This is some information about the definition of film or film. The information has been cited from various sources and references. Hope it can be useful.

❍❍❍ TV FILM ❍❍❍

The first television shows were experimental, sporadic programs that from the 1930s could only be seen at a very short distance from the mast. TV events such as the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, the crowning of King George VI. In Britain in 19340 and the famous launch of David Sarnoff at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in the United States, the medium grew, but World War II brought development to a halt after the war. The 19440 World MOVIE inspired many Americans to buy their first television, and in 1948 the popular Texaco Star Theater radio moved to become the first weekly television variety show that hosted Milton Berle and earned the name “Mr Television” demonstrated The medium was a stable, modern form of entertainment that could attract advertisers. The first national live television broadcast in the United States took place on September 4, 1951, when President Harry Truman’s speech at the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco on AT & T’s transcontinental cable and microwave relay system was broadcasting to broadcasters in local markets has been.

The first national color show (the 1954 Rose Parade tournament) in the United States took place on January 1, 1954. For the next ten years, most network broadcasts and almost all local broadcasts continued to be broadcast in black and white. A color transition was announced for autumn 1965, in which more than half of all network prime time programs were broadcast in color. The first all-color peak season came just a year later. In 19402, the last holdout of daytime network shows was converted to the first full color network season.

❍❍❍ formats and genres ❍❍❍

See also: List of genres § Film and television formats and genres

TV shows are more diverse than most other media due to the variety of formats and genres that can be presented. A show can be fictional (as in comedies and dramas) or non-fictional (as in documentary, news, and reality television). It can be current (as in the case of a local news program and some television films) or historical (as in the case of many documentaries and fictional films). They can be educational or educational in the first place, or entertaining, as is the case with situation comedies and game shows. [Citation required]

A drama program usually consists of a series of actors who play characters in a historical or contemporary setting. The program follows their lives and adventures. Before the 1980s, shows (with the exception of soap opera series) generally remained static without storylines, and the main characters and premise barely changed. [Citation required] If the characters’ lives changed a bit during the episode, it was usually reversed in the end. For this reason, the episodes can be broadcast in any order. [Citation required] Since the 1980s, many FILMS have had a progressive change in the plot, characters, or both. For example, Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere were two of the first American prime time drama television films to have this kind of dramatic structure [4] [better source required], while the later MOVIE Babylon 5 further illustrated such a structure had a predetermined story about the planned five season run. [Citation required]

In 2020, it was reported that television became a larger part of the revenue of large media companies than the film. Some also noticed the quality improvement of some television programs. In 2020, Oscar-winning film director Steven Soderbergh declared the ambiguity and complexity of character and narrative: “I think these qualities are now being seen on television and people who want to see stories with such qualities are watching TV.

❍❍❍ Thanks for everything and have fun watching❍❍❍

Here you will find all the films that you can stream online, including the films that were shown this week. If you’re wondering what to see on this website, you should know that it covers genres that include crime, science, fi-fi, action, romance, thriller, comedy, drama, and anime film.

Thanks a lot. We inform everyone who is happy to receive news or information about this year’s film program and how to watch your favorite films. Hopefully we can be the best partner for you to find recommendations for your favorite films. That’s all from us, greetings!

Thank you for watching The Video Today.

I hope you like the videos I share. Give a thumbs up, like or share if you like what we shared so we are more excited.

Scatter a happy smile so that the world returns in a variety of colors.

Scatter a happy smile so that the world returns in a variety of colors.

[huntress-of-stories-and-dreams]

Shokugeki no Soma: Fifth Plate - OP analysis

Hi guys! 

Since this week’s episode will be the last before the delay that has touched half of this Spring Season’s aired shows, let me present you the analysis of Shokugeki no Sōma’s last opening, “Last Chapter” by nano.RIPE. Keep in mind that this analysis will contain spoilers, so...

If this doesn’t stop you, then let the fun begin.

The OP starts with a purple curtain with Tōtsuki’s emblem, showing that the story happens in the theatre called the Tōtsuki Academy. It’ll be important a bit later.

This shot (and some smaller ones concentrating on smaller groups) presents the established after the Regiment de Cuisine Elite Ten Council and new Headmaster. From right to left, it shows them in their seat order:

10th Seat: Megumi Tadokoro playing plates, which represent her famous hospitality

9th Seat: Nene Kinokuni playing a roller used in soba preparation

8th Seat: Etsuya Eizan shaking expensive wine bottles, showing his “Alchemist” side

7th Seat: Takumi Aldini holding his mezzaluna

6th Seat: Alice Nakiri dancing with a fork and a spoon, used in eating her molecular cuisine

5th Seat: Ryō Kurokiba with a pot used in cooking sea food

4th Seat: Akira Hayama playing on a frying pan with cinnamon

3rd Seat: Terunori Kuga playing his wok

2nd Seat: Satoshi Isshiki with chopsticks and a plank to serve his signature Japanese food

1st Seat: Sōma Yukihira holding his knife

Dean: Erina Nakiri conducting them with a ladle

The lyrics in this sequence is worth noting (source: https://www.animesonglyrics.com/food-wars-the-fifth-plate/last-chapter):

How beautiful the melody has to be To be able to reach that girl who's been hurt The girl is obviously Erina, hurt by her father’s ‘teaching’ and people’s attitude towards her becasue of the God Tongue, who, thanks to Sōma’s and their friends’ (but mostly Sōma’s) cooking, starts to enjoy cooking. This is the beautiful melody - sincere cooking.

One last note about the lyrics, because if I analysed it in its entirety, it would take me ages - the song is sung most likely from Sōma’s persperctive.

The next shot shows Tōtsuki Academy hill on spring, sigifying the new year (most of our chefs are second years now) and new beginnings. At the front are the three Headmasters, though from Nakiri household, each of them is different. Senzaemon stands tranquil and firm, looking at the Jewel generations students, Azami looks as if he was trying to convince the world to change their ways - both of them are sure of their work, unlike Erina, who’s hands hugging her body and darkened eyes show her uncertainty.

Next is the title panel, swiftly transitioning from fire to snow to finally sparkles and cherry blossom, showing Sōma’s path from conquering (usually he was the one to bring fire) to protecting - this will be important later. Also, Sōma seen in this frame has just begun to cook his dish.

After the title, let’s skip to the big character exposition panels! First we have the peach themed frame with Nakiri girls: Erina, Alice, Ikumi (who, at the beginning, was working for the God Tongue) and Hisako. The peach may represent feminity, as there are only girls in here, and luck.

Next one’s the Polar Star Dormitory group shot with all of its residents present, with apples in the background. While apples may refer to various dishes cooked by Sōma and Megumi that included these fruits, apple symbolises youth, which is often brought up by Isshiki, Madame Fumio and Jun Shiomi. 

Then we have a lemon-themed shot with Sōma’s “rivals” (apart from Isami, he never was battling Sōma on his own - it’s a reference from their first encounter during the Hell Camp). One of lemon’s symbolisms is freshness, which perfectly fits each of their meetings, bringing freshness into their lives.

Finally, with cherries signifying maturity, we get to see the original Elite Ten Council members. 

Each group pannel is separated by a dish frame. It’s important that only the white backgrounded frame has dishes prepared by various cooks - the rest were cooked by (from upper left to right) Sōma, Erina, Megumi and Takumi. This shows their strong connection forged in the Tōtsuki Train arc, where they were together, and predicts all of them participating in BLUE.

Until now there was no clear shots focusing on strictly Sōma - now’s the time they are here. We get shots from his early past, reminding us also of the Karaage Wars arc, and from Stagiaire. Each time he’s standing in the bright light, surrounded by cherry petals, symbolising him being ‘spring’, beginning of the new era. The light here is very bright and yellom, as if he was standing on a stage - remember the opening shot with the curtain? Sōma is this story’s main hero, the one that iniciated the whole process of change in Tōtsuki.

The contrast between Eishi and Sōma in this frame is spectacular - gourmet cuisine vs family diner, autumn vs spring, showing how Sōma became Eishi’s successor to the First Seat in the Elite Ten Council. Look at how gorgeous they look with flying maple leaves and cherry petals flying around them!

(keep in mind Tsukasa’s red kerchief/tie, this will be important later)

The sequence right before the chorus is so full of hidden meanings! The first frame of this sequence is Sōma, standing in the light, probably on the top, reminescenting. His signature headband, now on his left wrist, is connected to...

... his late mother, Tamako Yukihira! This is the first time we actually get to see her, besides the covered in light family photo from the very first episode. I love the gentle difference of colour shades between Sōma and Tamako - Sōma is bright as the light around him while dim shades of Tamako imply her being already in the realm of shadows, however she returns for a brief moment to life everytime he starts cooking. The frame is full of love and support Sōma got from her, showing how important she was in his life. His signature headband is most likely a memento of her - it’s the thing that keeps them tied after all these years.

It quickly changes to Erina tasting one of Sōma’s dishes, seemingly taking pleasure from it. This screen (and two others, each getting closer to Erina’s blushed face) indicates Sōma’s desire to make Erina say ‘delicious’ - she’s the one he wants to make happy with his cooking. His mother was first btw :)

Sōma’s knife is brightened by cherry petals - it shows his power coming from his cooking, cumulated in the cutting edge. This is the blade of change.

Finally, Asahi Saiba appears! As you can see, he’s the one surrounded by flames, it’s not Sōma anymore. The leader of Noirs is the one who wants to disturb the balance. There is also some similarities between him and Sōma - their cooking look is similar, probably because both of them were raised (though differently) by Jōichiro. Also, he has a signature red kerchief around his neck, similarly to Eishi, however his kerchief isn’t loose on his neck, it’s tight and Asahi used it to cover his face, also covering his true intentions.

This shot presents the famous BLUE fortress where the contest takes place. The frame shows the entire building, particularly the final building where the Bookmaster is staying, in the fantastic blue light, not calming as it may look like, but giving the one looking at it chills of excitement. The moon also reminds of the Autumn Selection and the Moon Banquet, taking place at approximately the same time as BLUE.

Erina, held by Asahi surrounded by Noirs, is clue to one of this arc’s plot, as her freedom depends on Sōma’s ability to win against Asahi. Yes, it looks like she’s the damsel in distress - it’s direct parallel to Erina being ‘imprisoned’ by her father.

There’s also a group shot of all of the WGO judges that we have met and the ones that we’ll meet during BLUE, of course on a blue background.

This frame is very intriguing. There is a silhouette visible behind the two fighting cooks - it’s Mana Nakiri, Erina’s mother and the Bookmaster, the one behind all of this. There is an astonishing contrast between Asahi and Sōma - Yukihira wields a single, pink (like the cherry petals) blade while Saiba has two, which refers to his special ability, the Cross Knives.

Finally, FINALLY Sōma gets his presenting shot. It’s worth mentioning that Erina was the first one to be presented - this is yet another way of showing their connection. She’s the beginning, he’s the end. Or maybe the other way? 

In both this and the following frame we can also see Sōma being on the top/looking at his opponent from the top, foreshadowing his victory against Asahi in BLUE.

This screen presents the two possible destinies of Erina: the upper is with Sōma by her side - most of their bonding moments take place under the starry night, so this shot is really meaningful, the nether - Erina as Asahi’s bride. While they both stand in the same place, the upper destiny seems more realistic, as the nether looks like a mere reflection of what could happen and the duo from the top is the one that moves a bit the water.

Note: Sōma and Erina were supposed to get married at the end of the series, but creators didn’t have enough space. The couple however has been claimed as canon.

This is the final group shot of all Tōtsuki students we came to love, watching sakura blossom at night. It’s simply beautiful, watching their silhouettes near the bright water, cherry blossom and Tōtsuki Academy. This frame is full of love and reminescense...

The penultimate frame is a direct continuation of the ‘destiny’ shot. Sōma and Erina are standing here, together. It’s gorgeous, beautiful, showing how close they have become and that a bright future awaits them, written in the stars. The lighting of this frame, warm and delicate, gives us a sense of intimacy and fondness.

The last shot presents a dim silhouette of Sōma who ended his cooking (it’s the position we often got to see either on the episode’s numer frame or at the end of the episode) and, most importantly, Sōma walking away in the sunlight. It predicts Sōma’s parting from Tōtsuki to travel around the world, just like Jōichiro once did, but with a difference.

There is no storm to swallow chefs who want to reach the top.

Sōma and his cooking dispersed it, saving himself, his friends and Erina from it.

[yabookers]

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her. Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Princess Hesina’s father dies, she is suddenly thrust into power. She is now the ruler of an unstable country, nearly at war with its neighbouring country, full of political corruption, and a country that has outlawed and oppressed soothsayers, magic users, for centuries. While others think her father died of natural causes, Hesina believes he was murdered. A trial ensues but her entire court is filled with deceivers and those using her father’s death for political gain. In order to find out the truth, Hesina commits a treasonous act, punishable by death – she enlists the help of a soothsayer.

Descendant of the Crane is a Chinese-inspired fantasy that is by far one my favourite reads so far of 2019 – and will probably stay as one of my favourite books, especially fantasy, of all time. If I could, this would get far more than five stars from me. It has everything you would want in a fantasy – an immersive and descriptive world, a thrilling court of politics, lots of betrayal and deception, and intense mystery, a masterfully crafted story, and a brilliantly complex and flawed protagonist.

It is a slow-paced book, which doesn’t always work for me but Joan He managed to create such a turbulent atmosphere where one wrong move by our characters could have drastic consequences which made this a thrilling and suspenseful read.

What I loved most about this is that finally, we have a ruler that really understands power and rule. Hesina also truly grapples with what it really means to be a good ruler too. Placate the majority and continue with the status quo in order to protect your own rule or commit to change and progress and challenge that oppression and hatred despite the consequences? She questions everything she does and, frankly, it is refreshing.

“What is power? Hesina had thought it was wielding the knife, or getting someone to wield it for her. Now she realized it was neither of those things. Power was yielding. It was taking the bloodstained knife out of a thousand frenzied hands and making it her alone.”

The political intrigue in this book is masterfully done. I adore books that feature political intrique, it is a surefire way to make me love a book. I loved how Hesina handled the politics, the deception, and the dangers of court. It was truly invigorating and kept me fully invested despite the slow pace. Descendant of the Crane featured so many twists and turns, morally ambiguous characters, betrayal and deception, and so much conflict. You think she’s done with the reveals and THEN YOU READ THE EPILOGUE. shit.

Hesina is right up there with some of my all-time favourite characters. She is a brilliantly complex and flawed character. She is a ruler but also an oppressor. She makes hard and sometimes wrong decisions that tend to have disastrous consequences. While she wants to change her country for the better, she fears her own people’s resistance to change – she feeds their hatred and prejudice because she is scared to confront them and their prejudice. I loved watching her learn and grow throughout the book.

Also, the romance is so lovely.

Overall, Descendant of the Crane is an impressive and powerful debut, and I will read ANYTHING Joan He writes. Listen to the hype, this book definitely delivers.

[ravenchaitea]

Hello out there! I don't know how many of you followed this blog just for the P5 content itself and how many followed it because of my fic writing. Either way, I'm flattered! For any of ya'll that are interested, I've started a new P5 Pegoryu fic and I'll be posting a preview of the first chapter here. Eventually it'll move to Archive.

Summaries are not my thing, but here goes nothin’: 

Ryuji's two years out of graduating from the Colony Defense Force program when he gets his first real assignment in deep space. It's not something in his field as a fighter pilot, he'll basically be acting as a glorified ambulance driver. If he can pull it off, in a year he can put in for a transfer. It might be his only chance. He's never been good at following the chain of command and he doesn't shine academically, but he knows ships. He knows how to fly them, build them, repair them. It's the only reason he was able to get into the program in the first place. It's the only thing he's good at.

He’s surprised when someone takes notice, especially when that someone is Commander Akira Kurusu. The man is the youngest war hero in Earth Colonies history. He was there during the fall of Shido, when the entire planet was wiped off the map. Now he’s a walking poster child for the Alliance of Emergency Medical Services, AMES. He leads a specialized team that travels from planet to planet, offering aid when needed. It’s the complete opposite of everything Ryuji was trained to do, but he’s finding it impossible to say no. Especially when he’s going to be serving under such an attractive commander. 

Act. 1.1

On the Earth colony planet of Kamoshida, the sun is going down, bathing everything in a honey-orange glow. Acres of tall yellow grass grow up from the ground. The stalks roll like waves, stirred up by a mild evening breeze. Ryuji Sakamoto sits on the hood of his silver hover car, hands folded neatly behind his head as the last light of day bakes heat into his skin. He strains to keep his eyes open, drifting in and out of a lazy afternoon nap. It's one of the few moments he's had to himself since spring ended.  

They say Kamoshida is the closet of the Earth colony planets to resemble Old-Earth. It's the only planet in the sector to have a true four season cycle, making it ideal for growing most Earth staples. The planet's major export is its crops, providing more than half of the colonies' food supply. The entire population of the Kamoshida colony is involved with the farming efforts, growing, selling, or packing. Ryuji's family happens to be fifth generation bean growers.  

He opens his eyes and lifts his hands up in front of his face, studying his oil-stained fingers. He's supposed to be working on his hovercar but he can't muster up the energy. Between school and chores, his free time has been limited. This is to say nothing of the spring sowing and all the extra chores that came with that. Their farm is one of the smallest in the area and he's always been expected to help wherever he can. His father won't tolerate laziness. Any time spent working on his car definitely falls into that category.    

He's been putting on the finishing touches for weeks, pushing himself towards the goal of being able to take it out. Although 'out' is a bit of an overstatement. He won't legally be allowed to take it anywhere besides ground streets for two more years. Air flight is restricted to the eighteen and up crowd. Despite that, he figures two years is nothing compared to the four it's taken him to get it all put together. It was little more than an empty chasse full of scraps when he brought it home from the junkyard. A fact his father continues to lord over him every chance he gets, even with all the progress he's made on it.  

He's poured all his monthly allowance into buying parts and making needed repairs. What he couldn't afford, well-... He figures it's all stuff that won't be missed. It needs fresh paint and to have the chrome touched up, but there's time for that later. Having a ground vehicle will at least get him away from the house on weekends. Plus there's a point of pride to be had in being the only one in his circle of friends with a car.  

His hazy mind is busy going over possible paint combinations when he catches himself dozing off for real. He allowed himself to be lulled into sleep by the darkening sky and the warm pre-summer air. He forces his eyes open and glances up, able to see the beginning of stars among the pale pink hues of atmosphere. His body is bone tired and for a few more minutes he lies still, fatigued from weeks of not getting enough sleep. He thinks it odd that someone of his age should feel so run down. There's no time to dwell on that though. His mother will be finishing up dinner and he's expected to be home to set the table.

He slides down off the hood and begins the short walk through the fields to get back to the house. When he emerges from the sea of tall grass he sees his father's truck in the driveway. It's an instant disappointment. Friday nights are usually the night his father stays in town after work to have a drink and 'catch up with the boys'. It's a rarity for him to forego bar time for family time. Ryuji crosses the yard at a slow pace, dragging his feet to stave off the inevitable. The thought of sitting down to eat with his drunkard father is more than he can stand.  

As he's approaching the house his wristwatch display lights up, receiving an incoming call. He pauses just off the porch to answer it, waiting for the video connection to buffer. The eager expression of his longtime friend and classmate Takeishi appears on the screen.  

"What's up?"  

"We still on for tonight?" Takeishi asks and the question throws Ryuji for a moment. Had they made plans? He thinks they might have made plans. "Y'know. Captain Kidd's ship. Parked at the shipyard."  

"Oh shit," Ryuji breathes as his chest lights up with excitement. "Man, I totally forgot about it."  

"How the hell did you forget?"  

"Spring sowin', remember? We've gotta get the fields resown before summer rolls around. I've been busy."  

Takeishi studies him for a moment, eyebrows furrowing in concern, "You good?"  

"I'm okay," Ryuji assures him. It's not exactly a lie, at the moment he's fine. He's tired. Worn down from weeks spent working in close quarters with his father. From trying to meet the man's impossible expectations. "We're meetin' at midnight in old man Iwai's cornfield, right?. Hope you and Nakaoka don't bail on me this time."  

"I wasn't the one who bailed."  

"I'm serious, man. If you guys don't show I'm goin' in alone."  

"We'll be there." Takeishi insists though it does nothing to diminish Ryuji's doubt. "See ya."  

"Yeah." Ryuji sighs, tapping the end call button. Inside he can hear his father's voice. It's more the tone than actual words and he already sounds riled up about something. He ascends the porch stairs and presses himself against the wall beside the front door. He's trying to give himself a moment of composure before he goes in.

He doesn't want to deal with this right now.  

"Hey," He calls out as he pushes the front door open. From his vantage point, he can see into the kitchen. His mother is standing with her back against the counter and her arms crossed over her chest. She widens her eyes at him, a silent warning for him to tread cautiously. He kicks his shoes off and nudges them into neat alignment by his father's work boots. He crosses the living room and turns the corner to his father seated at the dining table.  

"The hell you been?" The older man demands, swinging one of his worn hands towards the table. "I come home from bustin' my ass and your mother can't even get dinner on the table because you're off god knows where."  

"Yes sir," It's less of an agreement and more of a neutral answer. Ryuji knows he's already on thin ice and he's not about to make things worse by arguing.

"Welcome home," His mother offers, a subtle change in the conversation. He hates this. Friday night dinners are usually their thing. It's the one night of the week they don't have to tiptoe around his father.  

"Go ahead and sit down, Ma," Ryuji insists, guiding her towards the table. He washes his hands clean at the sink and gathers the plates from the cabinet. He has to reach around his parents to set the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see his father watching him. He's looking for a reason to yell at him again. Wordlessly Ryuji serves the food and grabs his father a bottle of beer from the fridge. On his way to his chair, he sets a light hand atop his mother's shoulder hoping to reassure her. She pats his fingers lightly in acknowledgment. The whole exchange is missed by the man at the head of the table as he pries the lid off his beer and takes a long drink of it.

Ryuji watches in silent disgust as some of the foamy liquid pools at the side his father's mouth and runs down his chin. His entire face looks like well-worn leather. It's creased and tanned by his many long days working in the fields. He runs equally aged fingers across his spotty stubble covered chin, wiping the beer away in an almost thoughtful gesture. He sets the bottle down and clears his throat before taking up his utensils to begin the meal. Neither Ryuji nor his mother dares to start eating before he does, lest they affront him.  

"Spring harvest was profitable this year," He announces, sounding almost on the verge of pride. There's no doubt in Ryuji's mind that his father spent most of his day in town stroking his own ego. Beans are not a big spring crop and their farm has been mostly dormant since winter. That doesn't stop Ryuji's father from acting as if the entire town's spring harvest is his own personal success story. 

"Ryuji,"  

"Yeah?" He's surprised by his father's calm use of his name. He sets his fork down beside his plate and lifts his eyes up to meet the older man's. They're the color of a stormy ocean and dark, cold, and dimly glazed over from the alcohol. Ryuji's always been thankful that he got his mother's brown eyes. He hopes that they somehow make him look more like her and less like his dad.    

"Y'worked real hard these past couple months. Don't think I didn't notice."  

"Uh, thank you," Ryuji replies, feeling his guard go up and his hands curl into fists on reflex. It's not often that the man offers him praise and it usually doesn't come without strings attached. His father rises to his feet, his body swaying under the effects of the alcohol. The half beer that sits on the table is a pallet cleanser for whatever hard stuff he drank before coming home. It's a wonder he was able to drive without causing an accident. Sometimes Ryuji wishes he would crash. It's not malicious but out of a desire to keep him off the road and away from other people. It's easy to picture his father drunkenly swerving in front of somebody else's family.  

His stomach lurches at the thought, the feeling intensified by the sudden approach. The man stands over him like a tree shadow, blocking out the kitchen lights. It casts darkness over him. He turns his head upwards to meet his father's eyes. He strains to keep a straight face as the scent of alcohol on his father's breath wafts down over him like a heavy fog. The older man smiles a grin of yellowing teeth and brings his hand down to clap over Ryuji's shoulder. He flinches away, a sharp jerk of his muscles that's more memory than anything else. The reaction doesn't go unnoticed.  

"The fuck, Ryuji?" His father breathes, training his callused fingers up the back of Ryuji's neck to grip a handful of his hair. Across the table, his mother sits up straighter in her chair. He body is tense with nerves as she prepares to intervene. Ryuji prays that she doesn't, wills her to sit still and stay quiet. "I'm not gonna hit you."  

He definitely would, and has.  

"I was gonna say," He continues, gripping his hair a bit tighter, bordering the point where it becomes painful. Ryuji takes measured breaths to force his body to relax and like a cue, it eases his father's hold on him. Almost affectionately he runs his weathered fingers up through the top of his hair to tussle it. "-that since you helped out so much, I'll give you a bigger allowance this month so you can get your car fixed up."  

"Really?" Ryuji forces enthusiasm into his voice because he needs to act accordingly. "Thank you. I appreciate that."  

"I've never been prouder. Makes me think you've got more than shit for brains after all. Might have someone worthy of passing the fields down to someday."  

Ryuji pointedly ignores the insult.  

His father turns unsteadily on his toes and almost falls over in an attempt to seat himself. He shakes it off and returns to his food. Ryuji and his mother follow suit and for the rest of the meal, he's forced to avoid his mother's concern filled eyes. His father continues to ramble, making small talk and bad mouthing his bar friends. It's a one-sided conversation. He's too drunk and too into his rant to notice that no one's paying attention to him.  

Ryuji continues to mindlessly force food into his mouth, though he can't taste it anymore. Twice he has to pause to keep it from coming back up, his stomach so tied into knots that it's making him nauseous. He doesn't have to suffer for very long, his father begins to doze in and out of consciousness at the table. His mother stands and coaxes her husband to his feet. She leads him down the hallway to their bedroom, guiding his wobbly footsteps the entire way. Ryuji turns his attention to clearing the table and putting the leftovers away.  

It's half past ten when his mother emerges from the bedroom, looking exhausted and frustrated. She enters the kitchen and makes a beeline for the fridge. She almost rips the handle off the freezer door as she yanks it open. Ryuji grabs two spoons from the silverware drawer and waits while she chooses a flavor of ice cream.  

"Feels like a mint chocolate chip sort of night," She mumbles, to herself more than anyone. The two of them sit side by side at the table, sliding the pint back and forth, eating in silence. Ryuji thinks it would be comical if it wasn't also so damn sad.  

"Hey," Ryuji begins, watching as she carves out a large spoonful of ice cream for herself. She glances up at him, prompting him to continue as she tries to find a way to fit the entire oversized scoop into her mouth. "I'm gonna go hang out with Nakaoka and Takeishi tonight."  

"Mmm," She muses, raising her eyebrows in a clear question of 'Oh yeah?'.  

"It's not a school night and I'm pretty sure that he," -the drunken idiot in the bedroom, "isn't going to wake up anytime soon."  

"It's getting pretty late."  

"You really gonna try and pull the curfew thing on me?"

Narrowing her eyes, she points her spoon threateningly in his direction, "It's my right as a mother."  

"I have to get out of here. At least for a little while," He presses, glancing over his shoulder towards their bedroom door. "If you let me go out, you can lay down in my room and get some decent sleep. We can swap beds when I come back." 

"Where are you going exactly?"  

"We're gonna troll around old man Iwai's corn field. Might go down to the lake or somethin'."  

"I hope you realize you're going to have to learn to lie better," She sighs. She takes her spoon and begins to scrape at the bottom of the ice cream carton, hoping to get one final bite out of it. "Fine, but you need to be back before sunrise. And I mean before sunrise."

"I will be," Ryuji swears, leaping to his feet with a sudden surge of new energy. He takes the stairs up to his room two at a time, though his footsteps are measured and quiet. He's not about to risk waking his father up, even though he knows that the man is out for the night. He gathers his backpack and throws his tools into it. Screwdrivers, wrenches, portable laser torch, he runs through a quick mental inventory to make sure he has everything.  

He grabs his ComTab off his bed and sends a quick text message off to his friends to remind them of the time and place. He tosses the tablet into his backpack and tiptoes rapidly back downstairs. His mother gives him an uneasy look as he brushes past her on the way out the door. Despite himself, he can't stand for her to be disappointed in him. As an act of good faith, he doubles back for a hug and promises once again to be back before sunrise.

He slips out the front door and sails over the porch steps and down the driveway. Old man Iwai's cornfield is a few miles down from his house. The night air is crisp and clear, it's temperature situated in the middle of warm and cool. It's the perfect atmosphere for a run. Sometimes Ryuji thinks he was born for it. He should have joined the track team with Nakaoka and Takeishi, but he knew it would be one more thing for his father to play against him. Still, it's a favorite past time to turn to when things get bad at home.  

It doesn't take him long to fall into a steady rhythm of feet on dirt road. The roads are from the early days of the colony, back when vehicles had actual wheels. Once hover crafts became the norm, the roads became more of a guideline for those who preferred to drive closer to the ground. Ryuji himself can't imagine wanting that. He's been dreaming of air flight since he was young. This is due in part to his admiration of Captain Kidd.  

Captain Kidd, like Ryuji, is from the colony of Kamoshida. Something of a local celebrity, he started his career as a well-known stunt pilot. Later he joined up with the Colony Defense Force and within a few years became captain of his own crew. They traverse the galaxy to fend off threats from hostile planets. Ryuji's been obsessed with him ever since the first broadcast of his trick flying. He's collected every holo-vid he could find and has spent hours watching them. The flips and spins are burned into his memory. Even as he jogs he can visualize it.  

It's the reason behind his meeting with Takeishi and Nakaoka. There's a rumor that Captain Kidd is in town visiting his family and that his famous stunt ship is with him. According to the rumor he's even parked it at the local shipyard. Ryuji isn't sure if he believes it, but he's not about to pass up an opportunity to find out. He's broken into the shipyard before to collect discarded parts or to look at the ships and cars. It's almost a joke that Captain Kidd would want to store his trick craft there.  

Their meeting place is on the far end of the Iwai cornfield, where the crops end abruptly and give way to an open flatland. He glances at the time on his watch, ten till midnight. He's the first to arrive, that is if his friends decide to show up. The last time they planned something like this the two boys bailed out, leaving Ryuji waiting for hours. Although, the mission to sneak into Ann Takemaki's sixteenth birthday party was a little less dire than their current plan.  

It's almost midnight on the dot when Takeishi and Nakaoka arrive, stepping free of the tall corn stalks. Takeishi is full of smug arrogance, hands tucked casually into his pockets, head held high. He's always been a bit full of himself, though it's a facade that always seems to crack when things become dicey. Nakaoka is reserved and somewhat nervous. He tries to be the voice of reason for the other two, but his words often fall on deaf ears. He frequently gets dragged into Ryuji and Takeishi's schemes. Although on this particular night, even he seems to be somewhat excited.  

"Told'ya we'd be here." Takeishi steps over to Ryuji and the two of them bump fists. Their knuckles crack together in a way that feels very manly.  

"I was about to go without you," Ryuji shoots back, hoisting his backpack further up onto his shoulders. "If I had any sense I would'a."  

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and start walking, Sakamoto."  

Ryuji is all too happy to fall into the role of leader, moving with confidence over the large expanse of flat land. Kamoshida's twin moons gleam overhead. They light the way as he guides them along a well-memorized path.  

Before they can get to the local shipyard they have to pass Kamoshida Commercial Shipyard. It's a literal metal city where all the off-world space ships dock. It's one of the larger ones on the planet, a center of commerce for all imported and exported goods between the colonies. Twice a month huge ships dock there to load or unload, staying only a few brief days before departing again.  

As they near the yard, bright overhead beams of light come into view. Steel rafters rise up like metal giants, dotted with high rising staircases and elevators. Skyscraper buildings intermingle with the docks, full of places for ship crews to spend their shore-time. It all feels very exclusive, surrounded all on sides by thick metal walls. They're designed to keep foreigners inside and locals outside. A huge impenetrable fortress in the middle of miles and miles of farmland.  

It's not their destination, but every time Ryuji passes by it, he has to stop to take it all in.  

"Wouldn't it be badass to go off world?" He breathes, turning his head around to look at Takeishi and Nakaoka. The two of them look just as awestruck, maybe more-so, since this isn't a common sight for them.  

"Those ships are huge," Nakaoka says, stepping up next to Ryuji. "I mean, I knew they were huge. They have to be to carry so much stuff, but I guess I didn't have a scale for it before now."  

"My dad works down on dock 37. He says that they're even bigger up close. Bigger than the buildings in the capital." says Takeishi, then adds as an afterthought, "I think about leaving this shitty planet all the time, but let's get real here. The only way any of us are going to make it off is if we join the defense force or the medical brigade. We're all too stupid for that."  

"Maybe you're too stupid. I bet I could get in. Sakamoto could get in if he got real good at fixing ships."  

"Yeah, you're probably right. He'd get himself a job doing custodial work or something."  

"I would not!" Ryuji protests, although they might be right. The only way he'd ever get off Kamoshida is if he got a crappy job on a transport ship. Although the alternative as a bean farmer isn't exactly appealing either. "Maybe I need to become a trick pilot like Captain Kidd."  

"What? You'd never be able to pull that off." Takeishi laughs the words into his face and Ryuji feels his blood heat up under his skin.  

"Why not?"  

"Sakamoto, you got beans for brains? The only thing you've ever piloted is a wheel-tractor. You don't even have your car up and running. What makes you think you're going to be able to do flight tricks?"  

"Guys, let's just go." Nakaoka intervenes right as Ryuji opens his mouth to reply. "If you guys get into a fight we'll never make it to the shipyard to see the ship. So let's just go."  

"Fine," Ryuji concedes for the moment, knowing that Nakaoka's right. He ignores Takeishi for the rest of the trek.  

The local public shipyard is a much less impressive sight. It's a large flat patch of concrete surrounded on all sides by a well worn and rusted chain link fence and an unfathomable amount of weeds. It's mostly a glorified parking lot with a few hangars on the far end. There's even a small collection of Old-Earth style vehicles, camper trailers, and trucks. Most of them are covered in thick layers of dust and surrounded by grass that pushed up through cracks in the concrete.  

"Where do you think he parked it?" Takeishi steps up to peer through the fence, or rather over the fence. It's so old and weak that it halfway hangs off of its support poles. "Inside one of the hangars?"  

"If it's in a hangar, there's no way we'll be able to get in to see it," Nakaoka mumbles, giving into defeat before they've even made it inside. How very typical of him.

"I've broken into this place to collect parts for my car," Ryuji says, stepping up to the fence beside Takeishi. He shifts his backpack around to the front and digs through it until he finds his portable laser torch. "Security is an old guy who falls asleep watchin' the monitors and outdated patrol robots. I don't think the keypads on the hangars work and even if they do I'm sure I can disable them. They're simple coded panels."  

"Since when did you become a hacker?" Takeishi challenges, though there's a touch of admiration in his voice.  

"Not that kind of code, like a number combination. It's less hackin' and more... Cuttin' wires."  Ryuji grabs hold of one of the fence supports. He flicks the torch on and cuts through the small pieces of metal holding the fence up. The panel collapses the rest of the way down into the grass and the three boys clamber over it. Ryuji breathes a sigh of relief. They're finally in, all that's left is to find the ship. "Stay close to me and keep your voices down."

The three of them make slow but steady progress through the shipyard, avoiding motion sensors and cameras. Ryuji knows the layout of the complex like the back of his hand and he continues to lead his friends onward. They've almost reached the long line of hangars when Ryuji hears the unsteady approach of a security robot. He motions for the other two to get down and follow him up under one of the Old-Earth vehicles. They're packed together like sardines and every time Ryuji shifts he's poked by bramble weeds that grew up under the truck's front end.  

Nakaoka's nervous breathing stirs the hair on the back of Ryuji's neck. It's the only sound outside of the approaching patrol robot. The tread on its tires is almost non-existent and it bounces violently over every crack and dip in the concrete. It stops beside their hiding place and begins to run it's scanner down over the side of the vehicle. Blue light beams down into their eyes and Nakaoka stops breathing entirely. The robot lets out a soft crackle of static before turning to wheel away.  

"This is a bad idea. We should leave." Nakaoka insists as the three of them crawl free of the undercarriage of the truck.  

Ryuji resists the urge to roll his eyes, instead offering words of encouragement, "We're almost there. It'll be another half hour before the robots make it back over here."  

"We can't go back," Takeishi adds, though his words are anything but soothing. "You can't wuss out on us now. Not when we're this close. Grow a pair already!"  

"Come on," Ryuji is tempted to ditch them both, tired of their theatrics, but Takeishi is right for once. They've come too far and there's no going back. They begin scoping out the hangars, peering in small side windows to check the inside for the ship. They're almost to the last one when Ryuji finally spots it, an unmistakable outline. Grinning ear to ear, he waves to his friends and they join him at the window. "In here!"

"No way," Takeishi laughs, slapping Ryuji jovially on the back. "I didn't think we were gonna find it."  

"Kinda pissed that you two doubted me."  

"Let's get in there to get a closer look."  

"I'm on it." Ryuji slips around the side of the hangar to the entry door while Takeishi and Nakaoka keep watch. It doesn't take him long to pry the panel off so that he can access the wires. He snips through the alarm wires and then gets to work on the ones that control the lock. He shifts them from connection to connection until he hears the lock click open inside the door. "Guys, come on."  

"Sakamoto, you're such a badass." Takeishi raves as they enter and the compliment fills Ryuji's chest with pride. He's the first one who approaches the cruiser. He runs his fingers admiringly over its sleek navy blue paint. The chrome accents along the front and sides are gleaming, perfect mirrors that reflect Ryuji's wonder-filled eyes. The other boys join him and the three of them circle the cruiser like sharks, drooling over every last detail. "Alright, now that we've looked at it, let's start it up."  

"Whoa, what?" Ryuji glanced at Takeishi, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "What do you mean start it up?"  

"Well you're good at hot-wiring things, right? So get in there and start it up."  

"For real? I can hotwire the crappy hover cars parked in town, but this is a really high-class ship. It's got to have a whole computer devoted to an alarm and protection system," He says it as if he doesn't already know. He does know. He knows everything about it.  

"C'mon, Sakamoto. I know you lay in bed at night fapping to ship schematics."  

"The hell?!"  

"Jerkin' it to all those Captain Kidd posters you've got.”

"Takeishi, I swear-..."  

"Moaning his name when you cum."  

"I'll do it if you shut up," Ryuji growls. He swings his backpack down to the ground and kneels over it. He knows there's nothing in his bag that could possibly work on such an advanced ship. He's got to at least try for the sake of his dignity. It isn't enough for Takeishi that Ryuji brought them to the shipyard and broke into the hangar, no, he's always got to push things too far.  

"Ryuji, don't." Nakaoka implores him. "Guys, this is stupid. We should go. There's no way Ryuji could hotwire a craft like this."  

"Let him work." Takeishi snaps, beginning an argument between the two. Ryuji ignores them as he approaches the stunt ship, heart pounding with nervous anticipation. He never dreamed he would ever see it up close and in person and it's better than any photo he's ever seen. He lightly runs his hand over the lock panel, surprised when it opens up to reveal-... An Old-Earth style key lock? This isn't what Ryuji's expecting.  

Most high-class ships and cars are programmed with fancy identification software. Usually, that means voice recognition or palm and iris scanners. To see something so archaic on Captain Kidd's stunt ship is both amusing and fortuitous. Ryuji can pick old style car locks without even having to think about it. He pulls his tools from his bag and gets to it. He presses his head against the hull, listening for the pins inside the lock.  

"He's got this," Takeishi whispers, earning a sharp look from Ryuji.  

"Don't talk," He commands, straining his ears to move the final pin out of the way. The lock clicks and then turns and with a soft whoosh of air, the door to the ship begins to fold down. Ryuji's eyes bulge inside his head as he realizes what he's done. The lights inside the cruiser flick on, bright white LEDs that make the interior shine like the gates of heaven. Without even thinking about it, Ryuji steps forward to climb the stairs and enter the craft.

Takeishi and Nakaoka bumble up after him, but he hardly notices that they're there. His wonder and excitement have dimmed upon seeing the craft's interior. Although the outside of the ship for all the world resembles the trick craft, the inside is that of a basic hover car. It's even got cup holders and a console. It dawns on Ryuji that Captain Kidd's trick ship likely isn't street legal. The vehicle they're sitting in now is either his civilian car or a really really good fake that someone made.  

"It's not the right one," Ryuji explains lamely, turning to glance over his shoulders at his friends. Nakaoka is wearing a similar mask of disenchantment, but Takeishi on the other hand-... Anger flares to life inside of Ryuji's chest, he realizes he's been baited. "You knew."

"C'mon Sakamoto. You didn't actually think that Captain Kidd would drive his stunt ship into town, didya?" Takeishi gloats, his grin wide with amusement. Sometimes Ryuji wonders why they're friends. Why does he even bothers spending time with someone who acts the way Takeishi does? It's likely all close proximity, they certainly wouldn't have met by any other means. "My dad says Captain Kidd's got a regular hover car made up all nice like his stunt ship. I knew he'd probably park it out here."  

"You're such a friggen asshole."  

"I never said it was the actual ship, you just assumed that."  

"You brought us out here for this?!" Even Nakaoka's upset, a rarity for him. Normally he's immune to all the usual bullshit that Ryuji and Takeishi drag him through. It makes Ryuji feel even worse knowing that his own anger is justified in Nakaoka. "Come on, Ryuji. Let's go."  

"Yeah. Right behind you," Ryuji says, following Nakaoka down out of the ship, or rather, the hover car. He gathers his tools and throws them back into his bag with a satisfying use of force. They clink together as they hit the bottom of the bag and settle. "C'mon Takeishi. Get out of there. We're leaving."

"You're not gonna try to crank this thing up?" Takeishi asks, oblivious to the sour mood of the other two.  

"No! I'm not! Now get outta there!"  

Takeishi pouts as he climbs down the stairs. Ryuji ignores him. He seals the car door back up and starts for the hangar exit, eager to be out and on his way back home. Once they're outside again, he can breathe better. The cool night air calms his nerves a bit. Overhead the stars glimmer and the twin moons shine like the eyes of a cat. It's beautiful in a way Ryuji can't always describe and looking up at it takes the last bit of the edge off. He's still disappointed but it's less biting than it was inside the hangar. That is until Takeishi opens his mouth again.

"You're both being a couple of little bitches about all this," He goads. Ryuji bristles with newfound anger. He tosses his bag onto the ground and brings his hands up to slam against Takeishi's chest. It knocks him against the side of the hangar. The metal rattles and echos across the shipyard.  

"Find your own way home," Ryuji seethes, hissing the words through clenched teeth. Takeishi opens his mouth like he's going to say something else, but Ryuji doesn't allow it. He slams his fist against the hangar, knuckles making contact with the hard metal. It sends a shockwave of pain up his arm but he doesn't care. Takeishi flinches away from both the action and the sound, his eyes wide with disbelief. Ryuji shoves away from the wall and snatches his bag up. This time when they turn to leave, they're not immediately followed.

"Should'a hit me like your daddy hits you!" Takeishi taunts, but the two of them ignore him. The vein in the side of Ryuji's forehead is pulsing and he feels lightheaded. When they're out of sight of Takeishi he stops for a moment to catch his breath.  

"Sorry. You shouldn't'a had to see that," Ryuji apologizes, glancing sidelong. Nakaoka offers him a worn smile.  

"He deserves it," Nakaoka concludes, shrugging his shoulders. "For real though, let's go. I don't want to get caught in here. My mom'll kill me."  

"Mine too."

The two of them set off together in comfortable silence, following the same path they took to get in to get back out. They're almost to the fence line when they hear approaching footsteps. It's followed by the sound of tires bouncing over the cracked concrete. Ryuji throws his head over his shoulder to see Takeishi barreling after them. There's a security robot hot on his tail. Only once has Ryuji ever found himself in a similar situation. He knows from experience that the security bots can outrun a human. There's no way Takeishi is going to make it to the fence in time.  

He knows he's going to regret this, but-...  

"Take this and get outta here," Ryuji snaps, tossing his bag into Nakaoka's arms. He gives the other boy's shoulder a firm push. Nakaoka does what he does best and takes off. Ryuji spins around in the opposite direction to go back for Takeishi. He's doing a fair job of throwing the bot off, ducking between hover cars to cut off its straight forward path. Despite that, the machine is still closing the distance between them. Ryuji sticks his fingers in his mouth and whistles, catching both the bot and Takeishi's attention.  

"Go long!" Ryuji calls out, gesturing towards the far end of the shipyard.

"There's another downed fence that way!" Takeishi throws up a fist in acknowledgment and breaks out running. He's a few aisles down from Ryuji, zigzagging a path through the parked cars. It's a good method to prevent the bot from gaining distance on a straightaway. So far it's working, the bot only has ground capabilities and it can't keep up with Takeishi's random changes in direction. Ryuji for his part races ahead, keeping his eyes out for more security bots. They've almost reached the fence line again and the opening that waits there for them.  

Takeishi's been doing track since middle school and it shows in the way he runs, his stride long and practiced. He catches up to Ryuji and the two of them push on towards the fence. For a moment they catch each other's eye and share twin smiles of amusement. This is easily the craziest thing they've done to date. This Takeishi is the one Ryuji is friends with. He's briefly reminded of that as they come upon the end of their shared row. They dash around the side of the last hover car and almost crash into the fence.  

"No effin' way!" Ryuji curses, staring incredulously at the brand new panel of fencing. "This thing's been down for months! When did they replace it?!"

"Worry about that later! Where else can we get out at?!" cries Takeishi as he checks over his shoulder for the bot. "Shit, Ryuji we gotta go, man! There's two of them back there!"  

When Ryuji looks, sure enough, two security robots are coming down the aisles towards them. In the distance, Ryuji can make out a third. He turned to Takeishi, his stomach clenching nervously at what he's about to do.  

"Takeishi, climb! I'll help you over. Then I can go back down to where we came in," Without thinking he kneels down and offers himself as a foothold to his friend. Takeishi stares at him for a heartbeat, eyebrows furrowed with indecision. They both know its unlikely that Ryuji will be able to make it out. "Please man, just go."  

"I'm sorry," Takeishi apologizes as he steps onto Ryuji's back. He hoists himself up and over the fence, turning around in time to offer a mournful look. Ryuji doesn't have time to do more than wave him off, the bots are closing in around him. As a last-ditch effort, Ryuji takes off back towards the hangars, hoping he might be able to get inside of one to hide. He's almost there when his foot catches in a crack in the pavement. His body shoots forward and lands against the hard ground, skinning his palms and forearms in the process. For a moment he lays winded, trying to will himself to get back up.  

The security bots surround him, having picked up a fourth on the way. They began to run their scanners over him, bright blue beams of light that shock the back of his eyelids. He raises up a hand to cover his eyes against their glow. There's a soft crackle of static that passes between them like they're having a private conversation in robot. One of the bots scans him a second time for good measure and then it begins to speak.  

Ryuji Sakamoto, age 16. No prior offenses. Citizen, please remain where you are. An officer has been dispatched to this location and will arrive shortly. Please do not leave the scene, as this could be taken as a sign of an attempt to resist arrest. There are no charges currently being brought against you. However, I will begin the Mirandizing process should this incident be taken to court in the future. In accordance with local laws, you have the right to remain silent-...

Ryuji pushes himself up onto his knees, listening to the security robot's electronic voice. His pulse pounds at the side of his forehead and he thinks for a moment about how fucked he currently is. He's going to be arrested. The moment that gets back to his father- Ryuji isn't sure what will happen then, but it knows that it won't be good. He debates on trying to run again, but the bots have already logged his identification code. There's a slim chance that they haven't yet transmitted it, but it's a long shot even then.  

In the distance, he can hear sirens.  

[marshmallow-fireside-keith]

Pregnant Keith Fic Catalogue

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About this list:

This list is meant to be an exhaustive, one-stop-shop for those looking for pregnant Keith (in the Sheith pairing, for now. I am open to other pairings if people would like this) fics. This is NOT a recc list. This is a catalogue. The works on this list are not sorted by taste, nor user, nor bias. Like a library catalogue, every fic (that I have been made aware of/ found) that contains the premise ‘pregnant Keith’ in some fashion is included. This list took hours sorting through multiple tags, so that you, the reader do not have to. If a fic is missing, please let me know, as this is meant to be an updated post. The ONLY reason it would be missing would be me not finding it, messing up, or not knowing about it. Any and all fics are welcome here, as long as they meet the basic content requirement of pregnant Keith.

If you see your fic on here and want it taken down, or edited, please also let me know!

Thank you all! Let me know if you’d like an Omega Keith version of this. That will take considerably longer, but if y’all want it, I’m happy to put it together.

Current as of: July 9, 2018

Omega-Zero by PackThePack @packthepack

It’s not easy, feeling like a stranger on your own body. It is confusing and throat-tying. It makes you want to crawl out of your skin, while wanting to crawl inside as much as possible. Small enough so you would almost disappear. It is hazy and cold, and it is shallow. The feeling of being left alone with yourself without a way to escape was no tender company. But right now it was the only company Keith had.

The Moon Hangs Low by newtype @?

While traveling with the Blade of Marmora recovering Zarkon's former territory, Keith reaches the cusp of Galran maturity as soon-to-be fertile omega. Concerned for his well-being, Ulaz sends Shiro with Keith to an isolated sanctuary bathhouse to observe his heats. Accepting the offer, the two finally find themselves with the privacy they've been long waiting for.

Skip the Pleasentries by FullmetalReborn @omggiogiothings​

Staring at the cow on the other end of the pregnancy test, giving him a creepy smile with white luscious hair, (Pidge had some damn weird tastes but the saint actually went to purchase them for him so he couldn't complain) makes him want to strangle past him. Pidge sat down by his starfished body and looked at the stick (‘I peed on it. Please don't put it so close to your face.’) “Looks like you have a little gremlin.”

Within These Final Hours by orphan_account

Okay so, I've been writing this for the past three weeks and now that it's done I can finally start posting and writing my OTHER Voltron fic. As someone who has watched the old Voltron series, I was both excited and slightly unnerved when I heard the show was being remade. Remakes tend to be pretty awful... But thankfully, this one is pretty damn awesome. The second season is making me nervous though...Swear if anything happens to Shiro, I'm gonna lose it.

Anyway, I'll post chapters twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pretty standard Omega!Verse fic, as well as some Galra!Kieth stuff... But yeah, I can't promise any specific time, probably going to be around noon usually - Chicago time zone -, but I just finished proofreading chapter one - with some slight revision - and I decided to post it now. But here, take this sin, there will be smut in later chapters. This entire fic will be completely posted by the 20th.

I should have the next one finished and I can start posting a new fic. I hope you guys enjoy, constructive criticism is welcomed but please be kind with your words. I tend to react badly to cruel words.

I am also in dire need of a beta! If anyone is interested, please contact me at BaoziiBoi@gmail.com

Thanks everyone, I'm excited to finally start sharing my works. Remember, I am but a smol 16 year old, so my writing style is sill in development. I am by no means a professional and I do not intend on chasing a profession in this field. This is for fun and I would like to keep it that way.

Bearing by Jibbly @jibblyuniverse

Maybe the pressure of being leader of Voltron is getting to him.

All of these thoughts are in the back of his mind, when Kolivan calls for help.

His resources are thinning out, and he asks for a lion. Keith offers himself instead. Much to the surprise of the team. Shiro standing in the center of the control deck with a look of disappointment in his eyes.

Kolivan hesitates, before agreeing to letting Keith come to train at the Blade of Mamora.

Day Eleven: Peridot by bandgeek1stbassclarinet

Peridots are traditionally given to celebrate 16 years of marriage.

He can't bake, but he'd be a hell of a dad. by Golden_Asp @?

Keith and Shiro have been trying for a baby since returning to Earth. Maybe this heat will be the one that it finally happens.

ABO AU, post saving the universe.

Lonely Star by keithyourpal @keithyourpal

Takashi's death brings Ryou and Keith together, and in the following year they help each other make peace and rebuild their lives--until Keith goes missing.

Two Plus Twins by NoNotThat

Prequel to Twins Plus One!

Shiro and Keith are going to be parents and Shiro has to deal with mood swings first hand.

Akira by Tay (erentitanjaeger) @?

Shiro returns home to his mate and one-day old child.

Cursed by Al_D_Baran @?  

Keith investigates to find the Beast that terrorises his husband's lordship.

Miracles and Blessings by Gootbuttheichou@?

My Sheithlentines gift for Pinfuyu/XuanPinku!

If the Silence Takes You by keithyourpal@keithyourpal

Sven recovers after helping Team Voltron secure the trans-reality comet. Desperate to get back into the line of duty, his recklessness leads to his capture by the Alteans.

You Fight with a Galra Soldier by laterie @babe-in-red

Keith is not able to fight, but Shiro certainly is.

The Reasons I Scream at Night by ThirteenSocks @safeautistickeith

Shiro is a veteran returning from a year in captivity and trying to piece his life back together. Keith is an immigrant from the stars. They meet at the café Keith works at. But no sooner have they fallen in love does Shiro accidentally get Keith pregnant.

Between Shiro dealing with his PTSD and Keith with his adjusting to the new culture, the two find they must lean on each other to navigate having a baby on the way.

But life is never so simple, as their pasts come back to haunt them, and the war everyone thought was over was only just beginning.

Arc: Sine: Chapter 1-29 Complete

Arc: Cosine: Chapter 31-?

Reasons .5 by ThirteenSocks @safeautistickeith

Shiro curved his left palm around the jut of a hip. His thumb nearly reaches halfway across the small back, the rest of his fingers getting brushed a heavy cock that bounces with his thrusts. He took another risk that ”mentally present” him would soon enough chastise himself for. He threaded metals fingers through the base of Keith’s thick, silky braid, and jerked back. Keith cried out again. Using the new leverage, Shiro drew him back like a bow; hauling his hips upwards as far as they would go, and creating the dip in his back by the grip on his hair.

Strip Me of Shame by laterie @babe-in-red

"Don't do this to me."

Keith’s anger launched a disaster. His need to find the answers is rising to the point, where Shiro is losing his control over the Red Paladin and their lives. A whole new universe is opening for Keith. Will he find his real home?

Aurulent by drrkrbbt @?

An "accident" in the middle of the night turns a lot more interesting than Keith had expected.

The Long Way Back by fio @?

As a gladiator, and now Champion, Shiro has given up hope of ever returning to Earth. But when his captors deliver his 'prize'—an omega, a descendant of both Galran and Altean blood used by the Galra to breed with the strongest aliens they capture—he's offered a chance to escape.

There's just one catch: Shiro has to get him pregnant to do it.

Happy Accidents by ShirosRedKnight (SweetFanfics) @shirosredknight

Keith’s never understood the term ‘happy accident’. It’s too much of an oxymoron because how can an accident be happy? It just didn’t seem possible.

But that was before now.

Weekend at Pidge’s by chocolatemoosey @chocolatemoosey​

Keith took Shiro gently by the jaw and pulled him into a kiss, “She’s fine. Hunk and Lance are there with her – between the three of them, I think things are gonna be okay.”

Meanwhile, at the other paladins' house: “THINGS ARE DEFINITELY NOT OKAY."

Pidge, Lance, and Hunk have offered to watch Keith and Shiro's toddler for a night while the couple celebrates their anniversary. Add a hostage situation to the mix and things go about as well as expected.

Inherit the Stars by Masrrkan @souais

It's time that Keith moved on with life, one that was full of happiness, his husband, and his son.

(Fic was originally posted before s5. So no Lotor or Matt. This is canon divergent past s4 and doesn't fully mesh with the current story in the show.)

A Single Step by bouquetofwhoopsiedaisies @bouquetofwhoopsiedaises

After the war with the Galra Empire finished, Keith and Shiro settled down on a nice planet together and started a small, happy family. Then, their daughter was kidnapped, and they spent years searching for her. When they find her, she is scared and volatile, a feral creature that needs to be taught how to trust again. Luckily, her dads are ready to help her every step of the way, even if those steps are slow to come. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Gredelin by AccordionOwl @accordionowl

A story about how Shiro and Keith deepening their relationship and Keith realizing something about his galra heritage as things starts to happen to his body.

The Beast That Eats Its Tail by kittypox @kittypox

Retiring from the coalition is easier said than done, even in Keith's condition. Even with his mighty alpha mate protecting him, he somehow still manages to get caught in the midst of the coalition's war with the rebel group, The Hand of Krell. Time is not on the coalition's side as they struggle to squash the power vacuum and discover how the paladins are linked to the mysterious beast the rebels worship. Keith does not know what this 'Beast That eats It Tail' is and why the rebels are so keen on feeding him to it, but he does not intend on finding out.

Leaving It All Behind bykittypox @kittypox

There are reasons to turn from war. Settled in his stomach, Keith finds his one reason to not only turn from the war effort, but to abandon Voltron and his mate.

[avidbeader]

Voltron Season 6

Okay, now that I’ve seen the season (and that was much harder than it needed to be, but I’ll save that for another post), I will try to get some initial thoughts down. I’m sure I’ll have more as I rewatch.

TL;DR version - I loved this season.

If you follow me, you know I ship Sheith and ship it hard. And S6 makes me feel like I won the lottery there. I was hoping that the Operation Kuron thing would be settled. I was hoping Keith would return to the team, be the one to discover the clone plot, and find a way to rescue Shiro. I was hoping there might be another hug. I was hoping for some flashbacks to how Keith and Shiro got to know one another.

I was not expecting a scene that I have seen a dozen variations of in fanfic. I was NOT expecting a battle of “Akira”-level epic-ness, a crossover fic of “Winter Soldier”, and the clear declaration of “I love you”. I think I would have legit screamed if my husband hadn’t been watching with me.

(And miss me with the “brother” thing. Thanks to the flashbacks we see that other than his dad (because he didn’t remember his mom), Shiro is the only person that Keith cares about. He has no frame of reference for when the affection and friendship from his side slides into romantic love. I’ve seen plenty of posts from gay people who verify that yes, calling that person for whom you have all these new messy feelings a brother or sister at first is actually something that happens. And *because* JDS started with “brother”, he could finish with “I love you” and not have the toy company execs try to censor it. I look forward to seeing how much more they are able to do with this.)

I’m trying to decide whether I’m surprised or not that they killed Kuron. On the one hand, we’ve already had the brother variation in GoLion and the melding of both those characters into one in DotU. On another, my understanding is that Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos originally planned to either kill Shiro off permanently or have him be gone until nearly the last minute in order to have Keith grow into leadership. But for once the toy execs were useful and insisted that they weren’t going to create toys for a character that was only around for the first two seasons. (Boy, the philosophy has changed from my childhood, where two seconds in the background was enough reason to make yet another Star Wars action figure...)

My interpretation is that Kuron’s consciousness died the moment his connection to Haggar was severed, leaving behind a body running on minimal brain activity. That’s the most moral way to have Allura recover Shiro’s consciousness from the Black Lion and infuse him into Kuron’s body, since his own is nowhere to be found. It’s rather sad, since Kuron was certainly trying his best when he wasn’t being pushed by Haggar into doing her bidding. I will be interested to see whether Shiro has access to or retains any of Kuron’s memories, or how much Shiro knows - if his essence was tied to the Black Lion, he may only know what the Lion was there to witness.

At the moment, I’m not a fan of the all-white hair. I really grew to love Shiro’s look in S1-2 and was only putting up with the look of S3-4 Shiro because I figured we’d see Original Shiro back once the Kuron plot was done. But that’s just my personal opinion and I’ll try to make myself get used to it - even though it reminds me of those horrifying edits where people just removed all the hair from the characters’ heads.

Non-Sheith stuff:

I was SO immensely relieved and happy when I realized that the time-skip was (1) on Keith’s side and (2) he was with his mom and got a pet in the process. I was legitimately pissed off in advance at the idea of Keith being stuck alone or just doing Blade stuff while the rest of the paladins were in the semi-leaked long sleep that came from a cast interview. Instead, it seems like he and his mother had the time to get to know one another again forced upon them. (The fact that it makes the age discourse even more irrelevant than it was already? That’s a bonus.)

I was not surprised that Lotor had some really nasty skeletons in the closet. I may find some more to think about, but I do feel that the story was written fairly, showing through Zarkon and Honerva the effects of being exposed to the rift, and telegraphing that same effect onto Lotor (such as reverting to “Victory or Death” when facing the white lion of Oriande). Whether or not he might have overcome it given enough time and support...that’s for fanfic to explore. And when you contrast the fact that Lotor chose to sacrifice others (the Alteans he took to the “colony” in his quest, Narti back in S3 or S4) while Allura tended to sacrifice *herself* from early on (healing the Balmera, getting Shiro out of the Galra ship)... I think that draws a pretty clear line between their characters and the paths they were destined for.

In general, I wasn’t wincing near as much through the “comedy” episode and didn’t have to fast-forward at all. (Which I do with parts of “Space Mall” and I do not intend to watch “The Voltron Show” ever again.) I was delighted to see Pidge uncover a little Blade of Marmora when her dwarf was smashing pots and looking for treasure “Zelda” style. Yes, it would have been fun if Coran had chosen for Keith to turn up as an NPC, but I can understand why they decided to keep it simple.

I also liked that, although this was a Keith-heavy set of episodes, they did give plenty to the other characters. Hunk got to shine with leading the repairs on the shield. The revelation that Pidge had created something to take out Shiro’s arm? Logical and devastating. And I don’t think I rolled my eyes at Lance even one time this season, which is quite an accomplishment. I loved seeing him be honest with himself about his feelings for Allura, and even examining them with a maturity that has been slowly developing over time. I love how Allura went all in to save him in the first episode - I hope that’s pointing toward an endgame ship, because those are two characters that I think would be good for one another.

I liked the use of what few background characters we had, although I was getting dizzy from all the twists and turns from Axca’s loyalties and (until the last time) impatient with how quick to accept said turns Ezor and Zethrid were. I am very curious to see what Haggar/Honerva is planning next - I expect her to be the final big bad to defeat in the last third of the show.

And while I need to go back and watch S5-6 back to back to be sure, I get the feeling that the entire team went full throttle here. The writing was tight overall, the characterization mostly logical, the animation incredible, the music fantastic, and the voice actors had some tour-de-force moments in what was already a set of strong performances.

And now we’re going back to Earth, something that was legitimately deflected by the showrunners when asked several months ago. I was not expecting that - I figured Pidge was about to say they needed to go to Olkarion to get a new castle built. But now we’ve got Earth in the picture again, and my husband is letting himself hope just a little for Vehicle Voltron to make an appearance. I am pumped and eager to see what happens next even as I savor everything that this season gave us.

[aion-rsa]

How The Animatrix Set the Bar For What If…? and Star Wars: Visions

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Long before What If…? or Star Wars: Visions, there was The Animatrix, a collection of nine animated short films set in the world of The Matrix. Released in 2003, between The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, The Animatrix told nine (mostly) distinct stories only tangentially related to the ongoing plot of the Matrix series proper, and Lana and Lilly Wachowski did it by collaborating with some of the best directors working in Japanese animation at the time. I would say that The Animatrix walked so What If…? and Star Wars: Visions could run… except for the fact that The Animatrix fucking soared.

What is The Animatrix?

The Animatrix is comprised of nine short films, with stories ranging from a “historical file” of how the Matrix was created out of the war between humanity and machines in two-parter “The Second Renaissance” to the minimalist black-and-white noir of “A Detective Story” to a Westworld-like feudal fighting exercise that takes place in a Matrix-like construct in “Program.” The Wachowskis came up with the ambitious premise for The Animatrix when they were in Japan doing promotion for the first Matrix film. While there, they visited some of the Japanese animation studios that inspired them, and the idea for The Animatrix was born.

While the Wachowskis are main creative forces behind The Animatrix, having written four of the nine films, they collaborated with seven different (mostly Japanese) directors for the project, including Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe; Koji Morimoto, who has worked on classics like Akira and Kiki’s Delivery Service; Studio Ghibli alum Mahiro Maeda, who has also worked on live-action movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Kill Bill: Vol. 1; Avatar animation supervisor Andy Jones; Ninja Scroll director Yoshiaki Kawajiri; Madhouse studio co-founder Takeshi Koike; and Aeon Flux TV series creator Peter Chung. The collaboration resulted in a variety of different, striking visual styles that give each of the Animatrix stories a distinct look, despite being set in the same fictional universe.

When The Animatrix was released in 2003, the American and global media distribution models looked very different. There was TV and there was film, and there was very little blurring between the two. While TV was obviously the format more comfortable with a series of short installments, there were very few examples of more experimental anthology series in the TV industry at the time, especially one presented partially in a language other than English: Japanese.

Still, the Wachowskis got creative with their release strategy for The Animatrix, which existed somewhere between the world of cinema and the world of TV. Four of the nine films were released on the Matrix series’ official website. One of the films was shown in cinemas alongside the feature Dreamcatcher. The collection was released in its entirety on VHS and DVD, alongside special features that included a documentary on Japanese animation, director profiles and interviews, and behind-the-scene footage of the films’ making. For some cinephiles (like this one, growing up in rural New Hampshire without cable), The Animatrix was an introduction to anime, which was much less accessible in 2003.

The Animatrix did get a TV release. In the U.S., censored versions of the films were broadcast on Adult Swim in 2004; in Canada, they aired on Teletoon in 2004; and, in the U.K., Channel 5 aired several of the shorts before and after the DVD’s release. The Animatrix had a short theatrical release in select cinemas globally in the lead up to The Matrix Reloaded—more of a promotional event than a commercial strategy specific to the collection of animated shorts. If you need any proof of just how much the media landscape is changed, The Animatrix is now available to stream instantly and from the comfort of your own home for anyone with an HBO Max subscription.

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How What If…? & Star Wars: Visions Compare to The Animatrix

Though both falling under the ever-expanding umbrella of the Disney conglomerate, Marvel and Lucasfilm are taking very different approaches to their Animatrix-like collections of animated short films. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the aesthetic of the MCU, Marvel is using the same visual style for all installments of its What If…? anthology series. Director/producer Bryan Andrews told Screen Rant they considered using a different visual style for each episode before settling on a more consistent look both because it is easier to produce and because it creates a cohesion with the larger MCU.

“We need to make it feel like these are all subtle variations of a universe that we can all see, which is the MCU,” said Andrews. “The MCU looks a certain way, right? Because it’s all live-action. So, we needed something.” The look was inspired by “classic American illustrators, mainly J. C. Leyendecker, from the 20s and 30s.” Andrews calls the style “live-action adjacent,” intended to help the audience “buy into this as an animated telling of these movies I just watched.”

Meanwhile, Star Wars: Visions is going a different route, much more akin to the strategy of The Animatrix. While What If…? is firmly situated within an American animation tradition, the Visions stories have been created across seven Japanese anime studios, showcasing a variety of visual styles rooted in the Japanese animation tradition.

In a statement (via THR), Visions executive producer James Waugh said of the project: “Their stories showcase the full spectrum of bold storytelling found across Japanese animation; each told with a freshness and voice that expands our understanding of what a Star Wars story can be, and celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers.”

Neither strategy is inherently better than the other, though it’s hard not to see Star Wars: Visions as the more creatively ambitious of the two, given the breadth of its visual styles and the diversity of its chief creative creators. Regardless of how you feel about the latest additions to the MCU and Star Wars universes, the two series highlight just how ahead of its time The Animatrix truly was. Twenty years ago, the Wachowskis created a strange and beautiful series of tie-in shorts in collaboration with some of Japan’s best animators. They did this in a world that was much less globally-connected and in an industry that was much more formally rigid than the one we know today. Pour one out for The Animatrix.

Star Wars: Vision will premiere Sept. 22 on Disney+. What If…? drops new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+. The Animatrix is available to stream on HBO Max.

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