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enbylesbianism · 4 years ago

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ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS: Simon Snow trilogy wrapped! (review)

Hi, there! It took me a while to finish this post, as I could talk about it for... a long time (not necessarily a good thing), but I got it! I like praise, so if anyone wants to tell me I did a good job... Also, I might edit this post later on. I don’t remember anything else I’d like to add, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did after posting. My brain does not obey me. Anyways, off to it! By the way, I won’t give this book a real rating.

While this is a review on Any Way the Wind Blows, I intend on analysing some points of the overall series too. The book starts where Wayward Son left off, the end of the road trip, Simon and Baz having problems in their relationship, Penelope helping Shepard with his curse... and the whole situation of the NowNext vampires. Rainbow Rowell only seems to remember the first part. That leaves us with the second book of the series ignored almost completely, with the exception of Simon and Baz’s feelings as well as Shepard’s existence.

Don’t get me wrong, aspects of the book are mentioned, but never in a truly important way. Lamb, the Vampire King, is mentioned by Simon, but only focusing on his and Baz’s relationship, never about the fact that there are a bunch of vampires (supposedly ‘evil’) in the U.S. but I guess what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? I could count on one hand the times the NowNext vampires were mentioned (like, literally, this isn’t an exaggeration, I looked up ‘NowNext’ on the e-book and only got five results), all of them either being one of them considering telling someone else about it, then not following through with it, or dismissing it as a concern for Lamb. Which makes the plot of Wayward Son completely useless for the trilogy. Now, that wouldn’t matter as much if everything else had been properly developed, but we definitely can’t say that.

We are introduced to a brand new, poorly developed villain, Smith-Smith Richards, whose character arc is as ridiculous as his name. He’s one of the fake Chosen Ones that started appearing after the events of Carry On (and the only one to be mentioned and/or defeated, for that matter). It becomes clear that presenting as Simon Snow-ish is part of his brand, especially when Baz describes him as looking like the Netflix adaptation version of Simon, and that he was raised and guided by his uncle, who’s just... there. I don’t think it would’ve been hard to make him manipulating Smith-Smith into believing he’s the prophetic savior of the Magickal World, which would not only make both of their characters more interesting, but it could also serve as a parallel of Simon’s relationship with the Mage. Richards also has some special powers such as increasing a mage’s magic for a limited amount of time, but taking it away afterwards, as well as making someone immune from spells. It’s worth saying those aren’t skills that are usual in the Magickal World, or else there wouldn’t be so much confusion and shock from people (specially Baz and Penny, who would definitely have heard of something like this before), but we get no explanation on why or how Richard has them.

Then, we have the Salisbury’s. We, as readers, already know Lucy and Davy are Simon’s parents, making Ruth his grandmother. It’s noticeable that Rowell builds up to that discovery, by making Simon get along with Ruth instantly, him thinking about Lucy a lot etc. It makes us excited to read the part where they actually figure it out, to know how Simon would deal with that, him dealing with the fact that he’s the Mage’s son and the fact that, technically, he killed his father. I suppose that’s the point, but actually getting to that part was incredibly underwhelming. The way they discovered about Simon—being able to lift a family sword—hadn’t been mentioned or hinted at before. One would’ve expected Simon, who’s particularly interested in swords as it’s mentioned many times throughout the series, to notice a freaking Excalibur at the Salisbury’s place before.

And speaking of noticing things: when it’s finally revealed that Simon is Lucy’s son and the Mage’s heir, Baz pointed out the uncanny similarities between his boyfriend and the deceased Watford principal. “Those narrow eyes. That tilt of his head. I thought... I thought he’d learned it. Was imitating it.” + “Merlin, Simon, you even look like him.” (Any Way the Wind Blows, chapter 86) Simon was the Mage’s protégé for years and I assume the Magickal authorities knew that he was the one to inherit all of his money and personal belongings, but no one, in the whole British Magickal community, thought about them being related? I refuse to believe there were no conspiracy theorist teachers at Watford or that Mitali or even the Pitch’s alongside everyone who was against the Mage didn’t at least check to know if there was something behind those characteristics. Baz literally said (chapter 88), “I think it’s undeniable. I’d cast ‘Flesh and blood’ on them, but it would bounce right off of Snow (...)”, so there is a spell for that. Plus, we didn’t even have one whole chapter of Simon dealing with this information! The chapters (no more than five, out of ninety-one) were divided between Simon, Baz and Lady Ruth’s POVs. He’s the main character, so one would think he’d get more development.

Another point that felt rushed was the romance. While Simon and Baz’s relationship wasn’t, as it’s been a topic Rowell has explored for three books (we’re not counting Fangirl here, as their ‘participation’ on it was minor and their personalities weren’t as consistent as in the trilogy. Not that it is that consistent there), the others just felt like she wanted everyone to finish the trilogy with a pair. I’ll start with Shepard and Penny. There were fans who liked them together before Any Way the Wind Blows, but it wasn’t hinted at—it was more like a fandom thing. I personally like them as a couple, but it could have had development and, maybe, foreshadowing in Wayward Son. I mean, they did fight monsters during a huge part of a road trip together.

The next one I’ll talk about is Agatha and Niamh. I love them, don’t get me wrong. Actually, it’s precisely because I love them that I wish they’d gotten a better treatment. Niamh wasn’t introduced before Any Way the Wind Blows. I get why she wasn’t introduced in Carry On—it was interesting to see a character who wasn’t caught up in Simon and Baz’s drama during the school years—but a hint of her existence could’ve been left in Wayward Son. Agatha is an important character on it, and a mention of her father training an aspiring veterinary could’ve fit somewhere, as a hint, maybe. (Also, Lucy, the dog, being absolutely forgotten during this book when a lot of Agatha’s time is spent in a veterinary clinic...) Besides, we could get the vibes from them, but after they kissed, there was barely any content. We didn’t get them calling each other ‘girlfriend’ (or if they even like that label at this point), or the aftermath of the kiss, or a POV from Niamh. Or Niamh appearing the epilogue? If Agatha was taking care of the goats, I’m sure Niamh would have a part in that too. Still on Agatha’s character, but not on Niamh’s, it felt like Rainbow Rowell was setting up for aromantic and asexual Agatha, specially because of this quote: “It was like she'd pulled the feeling right out of my heart. I could have kissed her. (I still wish sometimes that I wanted to.) (That would feel like an answer to... the question of me. Then I could say, 'Oh, thats who I am. That's why I've been so confused.')” (Wayward Son, chapter 4).

And I was leaving the best (I need to be sure everyone knows I mean this sarcastically) of the romance topic for the end: Fiona and Nicodemus. It’s just... so forced and undeveloped. Not even because, to me, they’re both gay as hell. There was just... such a lack of development! I don’t think we had any interaction between the both of them before Any Way the Wind Blows. There was no foreshadowing or why would Fiona, a vampire hunter from a family of vampire hunters, would marry... a vampire! I’d already find it weird to see fanfiction of them as a crackship, but it’s canon?! Like, canon as in they’re going to get married and use Fiona and Natasha’s mother’s ring? Seriously, nothing will take from me that this is a lavender marriage (as I’ve already discussed with my best friend, which inspired this post of theirs.)

I’d also like to speak about a topic that’d been hinted throughout the series, especially post-Carry On, which is the criticism towards the Magickal Community in the U.K.. That criticism is very much embodied in Shepard’s character. It’s explicitly said that the British mages have some kind of supremacy towards other supernatural beings, such as vampires for example, gatekeeping literal magic. Up until relatively recently, mages with weak links with magic couldn’t attend Watford (and that’s a major plot point in the final book) and there’s a denial towards any other kind of magic except the ones that are part of their craft. Even within the Magickal community itself, there are more important families that are more likely to succeed, like Natasha receiving criticism for marrying Malcolm, as a Pitch. It felt pointless not to tackle the issues you’ve set up yourself in your own universe. Penelope has very strict morals related to magickal law and beliefs, something that she could’ve deconstructed, especially considering Shepard, her love interest, symbolises that. Another point related to that is, the trilogy is very clearly heavily inspired by Harry Potter, where many of those points are very clear (e.g. wizard supremacy in relation to other species, such as werewolves and domestic elves and the status quo that makes some traditionally magical families more influential than others, like the Malfoy’s vs. the Weasley’s), so it’s not an easily forgettable concept.

The series also had a lot of inconsistencies. The one I’ve seen talked about more often is Simon and Agatha’s... intimacy status, let’s call it that. Simon’s whole thing in the first book was that he struggled controlling his magic when experiencing intense emotions, which makes it hard to believe that he managed to have sex withount an... accident. Besides that, though, there’s this quote, “She (...) presses a kiss into my temple. No one has ever kissed me there. No one has ever kissed me anywhere but on my mouth” (Carry On, Chapter 27), but in Any Way the Wind Blows, when Simon’s about to have his wings cut, Agatha says, “It’s a strange feeling to look at someone’s chest and know it’s nothing to do with you anymore, but still to remember kissing every inch.” (Chapter 14)

So, we have established that Rainbow Rowell’s work, both character and plot driven, is flawed. “But we got the characters interacting for the closure of the series, at least!” Well... we got interactions between the canon romantic relationships, yeah. But besides that, we didn’t get much. There were no interactions between Agatha and Penny, or Shepard with Simon and Baz. Or Penny and her mother figuring stuff out. Or literally anyone with a therapist. And not gonna lie, the interaction we got between Baz and Dev was underwhelming, to say the least. Niall is nowhere to be seen, too.

Rainbow Rowell’s writing is beautiful: she writes poetic lines that make the book seem perfect at first glance, if you don’t think about it for too long. Her words are very shiny, but once you get use to that light and see what’s behind them, what’s between one shiny quote and another, it has so many flaws and plot holes that it reads like a first draft. There are many concepts in there that are genuinely good: the rest of the trilogy focused on the protagonist dealing with the trauma of being a child soldier instead of being entirely an adventure, Simon being unlabelled, a fake Chosen One that gives mages fake hope... Those are all good ideas, but so poorly explored that, despite being an entire book/trilogy, it still feels like a writing pitch or something among those lines.

I felt iffy about other things during my reading of the series, but they aren’t exactly plot points, so I’ll just list them below:

Mitali, Penny’s mom, including ‘discovering your bisexuality’ as a mid-life crisis thing

As I’ve seen people talking about biphobia/bi erasure in the books, I’ll be including this post that features both unlabelled and bisexual individuals talking about the topic (it isn’t my place, as a lesbian, to talk about this, that’s why I decided not to do so.)

Romanticising of Baz’s suicide (a.k.a. chapter 61) in the first book. If you’re not in a good place mentally, like I was when I first read Carry On, I hope you know that a kiss or romance doesn’t help any mental illness you or others might have. Don’t let anyone use your guilt to manipulate you. Paraphrasing Alice Oseman in their graphic novel Heartstopper, love can’t cure a mental illness.

Any Way the Wind Blows was... very horny. I can’t point out how this makes the book bad exactly, but it wasn’t something I enjoyed. One of Rainbow Rowell’s strongest skills is that her quotes, when loose, are good. They tend to be poetic and just beautiful, overall. But in the... explicit scenes, these skills were barely used, and I felt like I was reading NSFW tweets off of someone’s private account on Twitter. Besides, the first two books of the series weren’t written like that, so the change was very sudden.

The older people could’ve been more explored. Penelope and Mitali’s relationship and how similar the both of them are compared to each other, Daphne and Professor Bunce’s insecurities and why they believed in Smith-Smith, Fiona, Nico, and Ebb... Also, the Mage and Lucy. We could’ve had more on them, y’know.

The pop culture references. They made the book read even more like Twitter’s feed. Honestly, if I wanted to read prompts and nice ship content alongside memes from Twitter with some horny thoughts sprinkled all around, I would’ve opened the Twitter app. Or Tumblr, Instagram, whatever.

The POV switching felt lazy to me at times. It’s nice to know how different characters are experiencing that situation, yes, but sometimes, like during the discovery that Simon is a Salisbury, it read as if Rowell wanted to create tension, but couldn’t think of any other way to do it except the switching around.

Narrative wise, I think Simon and Baz should’ve spent more time broken up.

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elliewan · 4 years ago

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Boom Boom - Behind the Scenes

Hi everyone! As hinted in Chapter 14th notes, here is a (long?) tumblr post for some behind-the-scenes trivia about Boom Boom! I’m sorry it took me some time, but I’ll probably develop my HC for Thermite and Ace in another post :]

So. Here’s a small table of contents for this post. And of course, massive spoilers incoming! haha

Origin of the Title

Chapter and Rhythm building

Thermite’s friendships

Interviews with Harry

IQ/Kali’s background relationship

HC Timeline

In a nutshell

1. Origin of the title

The initial placeholder title was “Norwegian Dynamite”, then “From Texas with Norway”, then… “Boom Boom”. I’m still not happy with the title, but I think it’s good enough. And funfact, it’s kind of a mistake, but not so much. In French, my native language, heartbeat’s onomatopoeia is “Boum Boum”, while I read that in American English (the English I tended to use for my fanfic), it’s supposed to be “Thump Thump” or something like that. But I also read than in most of Norwegian dialects, “Boom Boom” could be understood as a heartbeat too. So anyway, Boom Boom refers both to the beating of their heart and to the explosions of their hard-breaching gadgets. It’s also dual, meaning that each of them is a “Boom” haha And it’s also a cute Mika song about two people being totally in love despite what their families think, and making love everywhere haha (cause in French “Faire crac crac boum boum” [“doing crac crac boom boom”] means “having sex” haha)

2. Chapter and Rhythm building

Unlike most of my fanfics, Boom Boom wasn’t written “as it goes”, I didn’t “discover” the fic while writing it. In fact, I hadn’t contemplated writing a multi-chapter for them until some comments on my Siegetober Ace/Thermite one-shots where people showed interest in the ship and a potential multi-chapter or longer story for them.

So after the Siegetober rush, while I had several wips ongoing, I started working on it. The first blank page was basically: Ace/Thermite – how do they get together for real and a series of bullet points for potential scenes. Then, I opened a PowerPoint file and started filling the following diagram:

Though this is now a bit obsolete, this was the first foundation. Thanks to this diagram, and the several bullet points for potential scenes I had brainstormed, I started building the story in a (ugly) board. Once again, several things are obsolete and I never really updated it – it was more of a working document for the “pre-writing” of the fic, to see if the story really made sense:

And one thing that really didn’t help was Ubisoft releasing the cutscene about Aruni out of nowhere haha. At the beginning, I panicked a bit because I thought it changed several things in my Thermite HC, but it happened to eventually fit quite well and even help adding more drama haha

And once I was ok enough with the board, despite it having several plot holes, I tried to measure the intensity of “love” and “dramatics” to see what kind of rhythm the fic was going to follow and check if I found it entertaining enough:

3. Thermite’s friendships

In the initial draft, Castle had a MAJOR part as Thermite’s best friend. He would help him sort his feelings, see the evolution of his relationship with Ace, and even go to Texas with him to help him face his family. But when re-reading for the umpteenth time Thermite’s file, I realized there was not a single mention of Castle, contrary to Hibana, Twitch and Thatcher. Not to mention Harry’s board where it’s written Thermite has a “sibling” relationship with Ash.

And that’s when everything ticked: Thermite is surrounded by great women. Sisterhood is part of who he is, how he was raised, how he lives. And this is why those women should have a stronger place in the story. So Hibana, Twitch, Aruni and Ash became real sisters to him. Hibana and Aruni being more like the big sisters – they’re reliable, sturdy and coolheaded, they provide him with advice and comfort; Aruni especially is quite similar in temper to his biological sister in my HC. Twitch is more like his same-age sister (though she’s younger), they see eye-to-eye but there’s no authority nor “big sister” feels between them; she’s the confident. As for Ash, she’s more like that distant sibling that has evolved a lot in life to the point where they don’t talk as mush as they used to… but who could move mountains just to get to him if she hears he’s in trouble. This is what I tried to convey :’)

4. Interviews with Harry

Honestly, interviews with Harry were my ultimate cheat code to give more information regarding Ace and Thermite’s psychological statuses, and various hints regarding their mental health. Though I sometimes prefer to bring this sort of nakedness and vulnerability throughout conversations with close friends, it wasn’t very possible here because: 1. Ace had no close friends with whom he could be this vulnerable, and he’s still new at Rainbow. (and he’s not even aware of his coping mechanisms and insecurities) 2. I kind of wanted Thermite to be incredibly good at clouding his issues, changing subjects and rejecting any kind of help, meaning that only Harry could get him to openly talk (or so he thought haha) about his mental health.

As for Harry’s behavior, I tried to render him as this kind of smooth, yet not evasive, therapist. One that wouldn’t be in the judgement, and who could wait whole minutes for the person to take their time to open up, and slowly but gently poking at the aching spots, and providing various resources to help them :)

Also, since in most of his psychological reports he seems to be very aware of friendships at the base, and to push some operators to meet some others, I tried to convey this vibe too. Just like when he says that he finds similarities with Ace, Dokkaebi and Sledge. Or when he offers Thermite to ask Lion and Meghan about their tattoos etc.

Also, here’s a bit of HC on how each of them deals with Harry haha

5. IQ/Kali’s background relationship

I have to admit I may have accidentally mirrored a lot Ace/Thermite’s relationship with IQ/Kali’s. Thing is that I wanted Kali to change too! I wanted her to be this impartial and authoritative bossy businesswoman that would slowly change into someone, though still sharp and arrogant, more human. I wanted Jaimini to show up a bit more. I have given veeery small hints to offer some glimpses at her true self, at what’s behind that mask. For instance, there is that moment in the fic where Ace and Kali argue, and he tells her:

“Jai, you and I both know very well that you didn't take this contract just for the money.”

Which makes Kali pale a lot, because he’s hitting a good nerve. In fact, I kind of headcanon Kali having softened enough around him, throughout their collaboration, to have confided a tiny bit about why she created Nighthaven, and all the frustrations she had grown up with. And thing is, Kali created Nighthaven because she wanted to be a hero too, just like him. She wanted to be at the heart of the battle, to protect people, to save lives, and she dreamed of a soldier life, of self-sacrifice and heroism. She just slid the wrong way, and her childhood dream turned into a private corporation of which she became a ruthless tycoon. Just like Ace, I think things went out of control at some point for her, and she just lose connection to reality and morals.

And the thing with IQ happened quite naturally. At the beginning, once I was okay with the three main squads (especially Alpha and Bravo), the relationship just happened on itself. While Montagne and Twitch were just those lovely and patient sweethearts, IQ was the one that had the hardest time with the Nighthaven folks, whether it were Ace or Kali. Both because she didn’t trust them and their secrecy, and because she has very little patience for people with difficult tempers in general haha

So, Kali being that bossy and defiant puzzle, refusing to let her see Nighthaven’s gadgets’ blueprints, things were just meant to sparkle between them. And Kali just couldn’t resist teasing IQ and reminding her she was untouchable. And through the teasing, the premises of a relationship were born. But unlike Ace/Thermite, I don’t think it followed a Colleagues to Friends to Lovers progression, but more an Enemies straight to Lovers progression haha

So anyway. I wanted to give a little boost to Kali, so that she opens up a bit more with Rainbow, and to bring a truce between Rainbow and Nighthaven’s disputes. And love just happened, once again, to be the perfect last push <3

Another thing that could have helped her would perhaps have been some true challenging from an authority she does respect, but I found it difficult to stage and Kali wasn’t the focus of the fic anyway – perhaps another time ;)

6. HC Timeline

And here is the ugly timeline I worked with haha It’s still probable that there are some inconsistencies, but I tried to avoid them as much as possible and I’m sorry if you find some! I’m horribly bad with figures, years and stuff haha

I used most of the canonical dates, except for Jordan’s mother and sister deceases, which weren’t accurately dated in his biography and which I reinterpreted a bit to fit my story.

Also, isn’t it absolutely lovely that their birthday is only 1 day apart? u_u #ProudPisces!

7. In a nutshell

So, those were my major documents that helped me build the foundations of the fic. What happened next was some drafting and pure writing, following the publishing tempo. I think the gist of what I wanted to convey through the story is still there, even if I reworked some chapters entirely. The journey (and the destination <3) is still the same.

+ I want to once again give a proper shout out to all the wonderful readers of the fanfic, whether they’re anonymous or not! I had never received so much feedback, and so many sweet words on any work before, even back in my time on fanfic.net. I feel so grateful for that, and though I already answered to everyone who commented, and wrote many notes, I still can’t find the way to properly translate just how much it means to me. So once again THANK YOU :’D

And thank you for reading this post too, if you did haha <3

#long post #ace/thermite #iq/kali #writing fanfiction #r6s fanfiction #my hcs #my work

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soundtrack-scribe · 5 years ago

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Full House

Summary: Never a dull moment with 4 parents and 4 children

A/N: I’ve been plotting this idea for awhile, and it’s finally here! Time to get back to our favorite blended family.

Word Count: 3.1k

And away, and away we go!

After the twins were born, Vanessa was curious if Mason would question why Henry and Hope didn’t go with him and Bailey to Finn’s every other week, much like how he had done with Bailey in the first few months after she’d been born. It was an interesting dilemma because as a family they had chosen to not make those distinctions between Ashton and Finn as father figures to Mason, and then again with Bailey. But the twins shook that whole foundation.

During her pregnancy, all the adults had done their best to explain the biological differences to both Mason and Bailey. And after Ashton and Finn’s outing that resulted in a comedic teaching moment, both men were feeling better about Mason and Bailey understanding their complex family ties.

It took until Henry and Hope were about four months for it to finally click in Mason’s brain that they didn’t go along with him and Bailey to Finn and Mia’s.

“C’mon, sweet boy,” Vanessa instructed. “Find your shoes. Daddy will be here soon.”

“Henry, Hope, Mom?”

“Nope. Just you and Bailey. Henry and Hope stay here.”

Are they still too little?

“Something like that, yes.”

Oh. When will they get big?

“Soon, Mase. They’re getting there. But… sweet boy, Henry and Hope don’t have two homes like you and Bailey do. They just have one here with me and Papa. So they won’t go with you to Daddy’s. Not even when they get bigger.”

Why not? They’re my brother and sister. Bailey goes, and she’s my sister.

Vanessa thought on it for a second, trying to decide the best way to explain to the six year old why him and Bailey went to Finn’s, but the twins wouldn’t. “Sweet boy, do you remember how you went to the planetarium with Daddy?”

Yes. It was cool! Are we going there?!

“We’ll go back soon. But not right now. Do you remember the ladies that thought Daddy and Papa were gay? And how Daddy explained to you about DNA?”

Oh… Henry and Hope have Papa’s DNA, not Dad’s. Is that why they don’t go to Dad’s?

“Exactly.”

That makes me sad.

“I know. And it’s okay to be sad. Papa and I get sad when you and Bailey go to Daddy’s. And Daddy and Mimi get sad when you and Bailey come here. But hey! You just identified your feelings! That’s awesome!”

He gasped, hearing the front door open downstairs and Ashton and Finn exchanging a greeting of hello. “Dad!”

“Daddy’s here! Let’s go get Bailey!”

There was no need to get Bailey though, as she had already been downstairs with Ashton and the twins, and was already situated on Finn’s hip when they made their way down. “Dad!”

“Hey, bud! Where are your shoes?”

In my room.

“Can you go put them on for me?”

Yes.

“Go put them on for me, please.”

Okay!

As Mason scrambled back upstairs, Finn turned to Vanessa. “Hey, Ash was just telling me that it’s been another week of the same.”

“Yeah. Um, well we just had a conversation. But it’s no big deal. He just identified an emotion.”

Both men sputtered. “Wait, what?”

Vanessa beamed. “Yeah! He told me he was sad that the twins don’t go with him and Bailey to your place.”

Bailey gasped. “Henry and Hope come too, Daddy?!”

“No, sweet girl. They’re too little. Maybe when they get bigger,” Finn told her.

The little girl’s lip trembled, a wail working itself out, but Finn quickly cut that off too with a “Hey, you can be sad. But feel it for yourself. How do we do that?”

She sniffed, burying her face in his neck, crying softly.

“That’s my girl. And hey. It’s just a no for now. They have to get bigger first. And then we can ask them. Okay?”

“Otay…”

~~~

The issue of the twins staying with Ashton and Vanessa while Mason and Bailey didn’t get brought up again until Henry asked about it when he was around 2 years old. “I go too!” he screeched, flinging himself to the floor.

“Henry…” Mason said, covering his ears.

“Go where?” Hope asked.

“To Daddy’s with me and Mase,” Bailey told her.

“Oh… Tan we, Momma?!”

Vanessa looked over at Ashton. “What do you think?”

Ashton shrugged, not sure what to think. On one hand, a week with no kids at all sounded like a mini-vacation he could get behind. On the other, it would mean Finn and Mia were with all 4 kids and that seemed incredibly unfair given that only 2 of them were his responsibility. Even if Henry and Hope called Finn “Daddy” and Mia “Mimi” like Mason and Bailey did because that’s how they grew up hearing Finn and Mia referenced as. “If Daddy and Mimi say you can, you can. But if they say no, we respect that answer. Deal?”

“Deal!” was the agreement.

When Finn and Mia got to the house to pick up Mason and Bailey a few minutes later, it was a rushed greeting before all the kids started talking over each other- a mix of toddler gibberish, and spoken and signed English. “Whoa, slow down. 1 at a time. What’s going on?”

“Sleepover!”

“Sleepover? Who’s having a sleepover?”

“Dad. Mimi. Mason. Bailey. Henry. Hope.”

“Oh? And how do Momma and Papa feel about Henry and Hope sleeping over?” Finn asked, arching an eyebrow in Ashton and Vanessa’s direction.

“We said it was up to you because it’s your house.”

“Okay… We should… Kitchen?”

The 4 adults excused themselves to the kitchen to fully discuss the situation. “So Henry and Hope want to come to our place with Mase and Bai?” Mia started.

“Yep,” Vanessa answered.

“For like the whole week? A night?” Finn pressed for more details.

“I’m assuming the whole week. But the glory of it might wear off after the first night,” Vanessa continued to answer the questions.

“I- I mean, I’m not opposed to it. But this is kinda uncharted territory. Mia?”

“I know Henry and Hope aren’t ours the way Mason and Bailey are. But they’re all still siblings, and if they don’t want to be apart from each other, why should they be?”

“I love the way you think,” Finn admired dreamily. “Okay, so we take the twins too. Play it by ear. If they stay the whole week, they stay the whole week. If they want to come home, they come home. There’s just one problem. We don’t have beds for them. So do we go in there, and tell them next time? Or are Ash and I running out to IKEA, and assembling furniture all night?”

“We’re gonna have to go to IKEA anyway. Might as well go now,” Ashton said.

“Fair point. Alright, we’ll meet you ladies at the house.”

~~~

“Alright, so Henry, you’re gonna sleep in here with Mase. And Hope, sweetie, you’ll be with Bailey in her room,” Mia was telling the kids while Ashton and Mason carried in the IKEA bed furniture.

“Are you sure you guys are up for this?” Vanessa asked, chewing worriedly on her lower lip.

“Ness, I know how to be a dad,” Finn pointed out.

“I know. I’m just… 4’s a lot Finn. And you only signed up for 2.”

He shrugged as him and Ashton dumped the contents of a box on Mason’s bedroom floor to make Henry’s bed. “You and Ash do it all the time. Mia deals with more than 4 kids on a daily basis. So what are you really worried about here? Gonna miss your babies? Ness, we’re a block away.”

“Well sue me for being sad that my house is gonna be quiet. It hasn’t just been me and Ash in that house for a long time.”

“Baby, we’ll be fine. The kids will be fine. Plus, it’ll be kind nice to… ya know,” Ashton said with a hint of suggestiveness that had Finn rolling his eyes, and Vanessa slapping Ashton’s arm.

“Behave,” she scolded with a laugh.

“Hey, Henry, Hope! Why don’t you guys go pick a movie for us to watch while Daddy and Papa make your beds,” Mia suggested.

“Otay!”

“Great idea,” Vanessa said, watching all 4 kids take off downstairs.

“Oh, it’s not to keep them occupied. It’s to keep me occupied,” Mia laughed, her cheeks flushing as she looked over at Finn.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Vanessa giggled, looking at Ashton in the same fashion.

Both men looked up at their wives with curious expressions. Sitting cross legged had their jeans straining over their legs, and the muscles in their back and shoulders pulled at the fabric of their shirts every time they moved. “Hey, mate did I ever say thanks for watching the kids?” Ashton winked, knowingly.

“Ha-ha,” Finn deadpanned with another roll of his eyes. “One of us is getting laid tonight, and it’s not me…”

“Don’t sell yourself short there, handsome,” Mia said before glancing over at Vanessa. “The twins are sleeping through the night okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” Vanessa assured her.

“We should assemble furniture more often,” Ashton told Finn.

“Sleepovers are awesome.”

Finn changed his tune pretty quickly several hours later when he awoke with a start to the whispered call of “Daddy?”

“Huh?! Wha? Oh! Henry, Hope, what are you two doing awake? It’s not time to wake up yet. See? The sun’s still sleeping.”

“We miss Momma,” Henry sniffed.

“And Papa,” Hope added.

Finn sighed, pushing back the covers and sitting up. “Alright. Let’s go downstairs and we’ll call them. Huh? How’s that sound?”

They nodded, each of them grabbing one of Finn’s hands as they made their way downstairs. Once he got settled with them on the couch, flipping on the little side table lamp, he Facetimed Vanessa.

“Finn?” she yawned, the picture dark before a lamp switched on on her side, and the woman rubbed at her eyes. “Finn, it’s three in the morning.”

From beside her, Ashton rustled awake with a “Why’s Finn calling?”

“I dunno,” she yawned. “Finn, what’s going on?”

“Somebody missed you guys. Well, two somebodies. Say hi to Momma and Papa, guys,” Finn said, holding the phone out at arm’s length to get Henry and Hope on either side of him into the shot.

“Momma!”

“Hi, babies! What’s wrong?”

“Miss you.”

“And Papa.”

“We’re right here, see? Ash…”

“Hmm? Wha? I’m awake. Oh, twins! Shit, what’s wrong?”

Finn chuckled. “Nothing’s wrong, man. Kids just missed ya.”

“Shit, okay. Gimme like 10 minutes.”

“Oh, no, man. I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought I’d call in case it helped. We’re still good. Right guys?”

The twins nodded, consoled with seeing Ashton and Vanessa through the phone.

Ashton stopped, his legs dangling off his side of the bed. “O...kay… I’m so confused…”

“Me too,” Finn chuckled. “I’m not sure how all this is supposed to work. Was easier when it was just Mason and Bailey. Split custody made sense. Still does. But now with the twins? I dunno. Like what? Are Mia and I supposed to move in now, and we all live under one roof like some big ass family? Do people do that? Does that work?”

“Fuck if I know… worth discussing later at a time that’s not 3 am?” Ashton asked.

“Smart. Cuz right now I don’t think I’m making any sense. Park later?”

“Yeah. We’ll be there.”

“Okay. Say g’night to Momma and Papa guys.”

“Night, my sweets,” Vanessa cooed into the phone. “I love you.”

“Night Momma. Night Papa. Wuv you.”

“Night, my loves. We’ll see you later. Love you,” Ashton told them, blowing them a kiss.

Finn ended the call, and then looked down at the little bodies snuggled into his sides. “Alright, let’s get you guys back in bed.”

“Wif you n’ Mimi?”

He looked at the faces that peered up at him with those wide brown eyes, and dimpled and freckled cheeks. And he remembered how Mason and Bailey had used to look up at him with their own wide hazel eyes and freckled cheeks. And in that moment, he missed how little his own children had been; missed tiny bodies pressed into his as he slept. “Yeah, c’mon.”

~~~

“So, what are we supposed to do?” Finn started the conversation as they all watched the kids race around the playground.

“The idea you had about you and Mia moving in wasn’t half bad,” Ashton said.

“Dude, I was like half asleep when I said that. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s still a good idea.”

“Really? You know I’m still her ex, right? That wouldn’t be weird?”

Ashton shrugged. “It’s been six years and I’ve never once had a problem with you and Nessa. Not even when you two almost moved back in together when she was pregnant with Bailey. Like this dynamic we created, it works. We’re 4 parents with 4 kids. Why not live under the same roof? Plus, honestly, it would give me peace of mind knowing you’re around when I’m off on tour. That Nessa isn’t in the house alone. It’s always worried me.”

Finn gave a short laugh of disbelief. “So what? Me and Mia move in? Or are we going house hunting?”

“House hunting might be easier. That way we feel like it’s all our place.”

“Fuck it, I’m in. Beats feeling like I’m only a dad fifty percent of the time.”

Vanessa frowned, “I didn’t know you felt that way, Finn.”

“That’s because I don’t talk about it. Because I know it’s not true. Just my brain lying to me. But, it’d be nice to finally shut that part up for good. And Ash is right. This life we’ve created, it works. We’re just changing how it looks. Nothing we haven’t done before.”

Vanessa chuckled, remembering the last time Finn had told her those words with a mix of sad fondness. She’d never not be grateful for knowing him. While their romantic chapter of their time together had been short, it allowed for everything they had now: a healthy relationship with no animosity and two beautiful children who would never know what it’d be like for their parents to not stand each other. And in closing the chapter on their own romance, they had found their own separate happy endings in their spouses who not only supported the dynamic, but took part in it with no hesitation. It wasn’t any stretch of the imagination for Ashton to claim that they were 4 parents with 4 kids. “Alright. Count me in.”

Three sets of eyes went to Mia. “Oh, way to put on the pressure!” Mia laughed. “Of course I’m in!”

“Guess we’re house hunting.”

“And renovating. I’m not sure how many places we’d be able to find with 2 master bedrooms, a basement, and a pool. Might have to get our hands dirty,” Ashton thought out loud.

Mia and Vanessa fanned themselves. “Oh, no… that’s terrible…” they giggled.

“Keep it in your pants, ladies,” Finn said with a shake of his head, pulling Mia to him. “Any regrets?”

“Never,” the other three adults chorused.

~~~

“So, this is gonna be our new house! What do you guys think?” Vanessa asked the kids as they all stood in the empty living room.

All of us?

“Yeah, Mase. All of us. Me, you, Mom, Mimi, Papa, Bailey, Henry, and Hope,” Finn told him. “Now we’ll all be together.”

“No more Dad and Mimi’s, or Mom and Papa’s house?” Bailey wondered.

“Exactly, sweet girl,” Vanessa answered. “It’ll all just be our house.”

“And Mase, it has a pool!” Ashton said with a giant grin.

The young boy gasped, his arms flapping at his side. Can we see it?!

“Yeah, c’mon, let’s go see the house!”

The house was everything everyone wanted. The backyard was big enough to have the pool, and a large spot of grass for the kids to play in, with a nice porch that would be perfect for spending a day outside. Inside the house on the main floor, in addition to the kitchen, dining room, and living room, there was also a laundry room, a bathroom, and an office that the adults all agreed would be a perfect playroom for the kids. While there was no basement, the garage connected to the house via the kitchen, and with enough driveway space to not need to use the garage for the cars, it would make the perfect place for Ashton to have his studio. Lastly, upstairs held four bedrooms, and two more bathrooms. Ashton and Finn had already discussed how they were going to put a third bathroom into the largest of the three regular bedrooms for Finn and Mia, along with fixing up the children's bathroom to add in an extra sink. While they knew it would be a while for all the small renovations they wanted to do to be completed, the family couldn’t be more excited for what was to come. And Mia and Vanessa weren’t at all upset at the hands-on approach their husbands took at renovating the new home, watching them work becoming a more than pleasant way to pass the time.

The first night in the new home found the four adults sitting in the living room, the children tucked in their beds upstairs fast asleep. “So this is it, huh? How our new chapter starts?” Finn wondered aloud.

“I suppose so,” Vanessa said, leaning into Ashton. “No more splitting time. No more feeling guilty. Just all of us there for the kids 100 percent of the time.”

“As it’s always been to some degree. Just less complicated now,” Mia pointed out.

“Yeah. No doubt about it, those are some well-loved kids,” Ashton added.

“Yeah. And I dunno if I ever said thank you. To you and Finn for giving me those sweet babies of ours. To you both for loving each other’s like your own. Or to you, Mia, for loving all 4 like they’re your own,” Vanessa said. “Like, it really means a lot that we can be this. Cuz… I mean… I don’t exactly have the best example of a family. So the fact that we can be this… just really means a lot. I love you guys.”

Ashton’s arm squeezed around her, a kiss finding a home against her temple. Finn’s hand reached out to pat her stretched out leg, while Mia full on leaned in to the other woman. “We love you, too,” she said.

“So much, baby,” Ashton whispered in her ear.

“We did good for ourselves, Ness,” Finn smiled proudly.

“We really did, didn’t we?”

Tag List

@aquarius-hood1996 @creator-appreciator @philthepegacorn @myfavfanficsever @cxddlyash @youngblood199456 @stormrider505 @tarltongrl96 @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof

#full house #ashton irwin #ashton irwin fic #ashton&vanessa #ash&mase #mase&bai #henry&hope #finn&mia #calpal irwin

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badbookreviewclub · 5 years ago

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Compete Review - Stones to Abbigale, by Onision

Disclaimer: This review will contain spoilers… if you haven’t already watched the seven billion book reviews there are for Stones to Abbigale. I won’t be linking to where you can buy this book because I don’t want to support Greg… James… whatever the fuck he’s going by now. If you look hard enough, you can find it for free online.

Stones to Abbigale is the first book published by Onision. I’m sure we already all know about Onision and how horrible he is, if not I highly recommend going to Youtube and watching The Right Opinion’s videos on him. They’re very enlightening as to the kind of person that Greg is. Anyways, this review isn’t about Onision (kind of), it’s about his book. I couldn’t figure out where the book was published, aside from a small stamp at the very last page just saying it was published via Amazon.

The Summary: There isn’t one. Fuck. The Characters: James - Simp who likes to act like he’s the hero, but also the victim. Definitely Onision’s self-insert.

Abbigale (Abbi) - A very traumatized person who is written very poorly

Jason - The jock who’s there to make James look like the victim but also the hero

Davis - a character who has no impact on the story and could be completely written out. His presence affects nothing.

Ms. Robertson - The school counselor who could never actually be a school counselor Mr. Hanson - The history teacher

The Problems: Aside from a multitude of grammatical errors and some spelling errors, this book is just a mess. The characters are incredibly inconsistent to the point of being unrealistic (e.g. one moment Jason is the bad guy and the next he’s James’s best friend). Actually, in general, none of these characters are realistic. It’s really easy to read this story in Greg’s voice because it all sounds just like him. They speak with the same mannerisms that he does and like they all read a psychology book in fifth grade and now they think that they know everything about people and how they work. It’s annoying and incredibly frustrating, actually.

Another big problem that this book faces is that everything is written in big blocks of text, without regard for needing commas or periods. This makes reading dialogue incredibly difficult and at times can make it really hard to decipher just who is talking. I’m convinced after reading Stones to Abbigale that Onision doesn’t know what the enter bar is. Take this for example, “As we got closer to the gym Abbi was giving me a funny look, as I normally didn’t walk her that far, I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not stalking you, we have the same class now.’ She replied, ‘Manipulating your schedule to be with someone sounds like stalking Mr. Patrick.’ I said, ‘Not if you drop Mrs. Stanley.’ She pushed me playfully saying ‘Jealous!’” Let’s split the dialogue up now (and add in proper punctuation.

As we got closer to the gym Abbi was giving me a funny look; I normally didn’t walk her this far. “Don’t worry, I’m not stalking you. We have the same class now,” I said. “Manipulating your schedule to be with someone sounds like stalking Mr. Patrick,” she replied. “Not if you drop Mrs. Stanely,” I said. She pushed me playfully, “Jealous!”

This is a lot easier to read and aside from word choice, it’s not terrible. It could paint a picture a lot easier with better word choice, but this is Onision’s first book so I guess I can cut him a tiny tiny tiny bit of slack on that. Actually, no. This could use better word choice to paint a better picture and make them seem less like cardboard cutouts.

Another problem is the plot itself. The ‘climax’ of the book, if you will, happens almost at the beginning of the book, which is fucking absurd. It makes the rest of the book feel pointless and like it’s dragging on.

The Book:

Chapter 1

We meet our main character, James. Except we don’t know his name is James yet. We do know that he paints his walls, his ceiling, and even his bedframe a startling white however because he “likes to inflict mental torture” on himself. Not sure why he does this, but he does. I think I’ll be the first to say that in any white suburban neighborhood, you could walk into just about most children’s rooms and find white as the standard (at least, that’s how it is in my neighborhood). Why? Fuck if I know. White just looks nice with most furniture, I guess.

Anyways, our main character is late to school and rushes out the doors with a note he scribbled for an excuse as to why he was late. Yay, we finally get James’s name from Mr. Hanson, who couldn’t give less of a shit that James was late. He just wants to talk to him after class. James starts people watching to an almost creepy extent, trying to get into people’s heads and assuming what they were thinking. If you haven’t read any of my other reviews, you should know, I am not overly fond of when someone tries to assume someone else’s thoughts in this way. Where they psychoanalyze them without have a single hint of qualification. It’s annoying in storytelling. That’s not to say I’m not guilty of having a character do that at times, but I’m trying to be more aware of it and to stop writing like that. With how James is written, however, it’s clearly intentionally and gives off r/im14andthisisdeep vibes.

Anyways, James rushes off to art class so he can see Abbi. He has never talked to Abbi a day in his life but spends a lot of his time thinking about her and wanting to be with her and basically, just being a simp. He puts too much value on Abbi without ever having talked to her and having no reason to do it, his world revolves around Abbi and she has never so much as shared a word with him.

But he’s basically staring at Abbi, waiting to say something to her when his hand brushes up against some chewed up gum under the desk and he yells ‘EW’. This doesn’t stop Abbi from wanting to pair up with him however when the teacher gives them an assignment they need partners for. Abbi was originally paired up with Jason, who I guess makes Abbi uncomfortable. That’s understandable that Abbi would want to switch if that was the case, but Onision doesn’t lay it out like that. Instead, it’s laid out that Abbi wants to be paired with James just because.

Abbi has shown no care for James at the beginning of the book and seemingly before this even started she never seemed to care for or about James. Suddenly though, as soon as the story starts, she cares. She wants to, needs to be with and around him. Why? Because the main character always has to get the girl.

Anyways, Abbi gives James a piece of paper with ‘NISEONE’ written on it. Apparently, this is her phone number because, on a number pad (the ones with the letters), it is 647-3663. It doesn’t state this outright, so it took me looking at some other reviews before I figured this out.

We also learn in this chapter that the school is practically falling apart and is dripping with sludge or mold, or something, so I don’t know what kind of school James goes to, but it’s not a good one.

Chapter 2

James goes and talks to Mr. Hanson and it turns out that Mr. Hanson wants James for a TA position. Because ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? I guess James shows a lot of potential, even though he’s late like… all the time. Anyways, the night before Abbi and James decided to make, not a Frankenstein(‘s monster) teddy bear by combining two of their stuffed animals, rather, they’re making a zombie stuffed animal. And it turns out that Abbi wasn’t at class. For what reason? I don’t fucking know. The next day Jason comes to bug the class for some fucking reason because he got kicked out of his own class. There’s absolutely no reason for Jason to be there aside for James to stand up to him because Jason was ‘bullying’ Mr. Hanson. Anyways, Jason gets pissed off because of this and while James is on his way to the art class, Jason beats James up. I’m pretty sure this was only done to make James look like the victim (wonderful :P). James gets suspended for two days because he pushed Jason and Jason is suspended for nine days.

Before he can leave to go home, James sees Abbi and Seth having what I can only assume is a one-sided fight. Seth is yelling and being very aggressive towards Abbi, and Abbi is just taking it. So James walks her home after Seth gets pissed and leaves. I guess it was raining this entire time, so as they’re walking home, Abbi’s makeup runs and James sees the bruises on her face. When Abbi asks if James sees them, he says “I see a beautiful girl, who I very much enjoy walking with in the rain” (pg 31) (by the way I HAD TO NUMBER ALL THESE PAGES MYSELF). Anyways, cheesy romance, it’s clear Greg doesn’t read his lines out loud and I don’t think James does a single thing to try and help Abbi get out of her abusive situation. He just tells her that she’s beautiful. James is also absurdly upset about the suspension at this point. Like, ridiculously upset. Like you love school so much and the thought of not being able to go feels like the end of the world upset (I was that person in school). But… James has shown absolutely no reason for why he is as upset as he is? Like he genuinely is about to cry over this but he has shown absolutely no care about school before, so it’s just confusing.

Chapter 3

James has a dream that Abbi is being eaten by the ground. He wakes up and writes her a kind of creepy letter about how, despite having only had three conversations with her, he loves her and lives to be with her. He emails it to her and a few minutes later Abbi calls him. She wasn’t aware of the email but invites him to meet her at the Quick Shop. She says that she’ll read the email before she meets him there. She never meets him there (shocker). Chapter 4

James finally goes back to school and sees that Abbi isn’t in the art trailer still. But the mishmash stuffed animal bear thing is there. Under it is a note from Abbi asking James to meet her behind the church. Rather than stay for the class or anything like that, James bursts away to go to Abbi’s side.

Abbi tells James that the note weirded her out a little bit, but she was just nervous. She tells him that she has been absurd by Seth and that her mother abandoned her and that her father doesn’t care about her. The only comfort James is able to offer her is that every time he sees her, she’s more beautiful to him than she was before.

Chapter 5

James’ Mom has a boyfriend who comes out of fucking nowhere named Rick.

At school, James has his schedule rearranged so he can be Mr. Hanson’s TA and so he can still have a class with Abbi. Now he has gym with her. We meet Mr. Mack, who I guess is Jason’s uncle. He’s also the only teacher that James bonds with, I guess. Ms. Robertson, while reorganizing James’ schedule gives him an ominous warning that Abbi is no good and that he should stay away from her.

Abbi and James spend the rest of the night on the phone, talking to each other.

Chapter 6

A few days have passed. Rick and James’ mom announce that they want to move in together. James thinks his life is over and that he’ll never get to see Abbi again. Later that night James suggests to his mom that she just let him live in the house by himself with Abbi and she just agrees to it. Supposedly his mom doesn’t even have enough money to get him a shitty cell phone either, so I guess Rick must be fucking loaded.

Chapter 7

It’s the infamous school shooting. After figuring out that the school is being shot up by Seth, the bus driver does as any rational human being would do and drives away to get everyone to safety. Then he does something that nobody would do and lets James off the bus after James threatens to jump off (despite there being no way that he could?). James rollerblades to the school through the blur of his tears and bursts in. He sits in the puddle of blood in front of the school to get his rollerblades off before rushing in through his tears to find Abbi. He finds Seth first, but rather than being the one to save the day, it’s Jason who saves the day and beats the shit out of Seth. James finds Abbi after this and the two of them sit together while the paramedic patches up James’ feet because he ran through glass while looking for Abbi. Chapter 8

They’re back at school and a spokesman for the president gives a speech. They see Mr. Mack on a projector and he tells them in gruesome detail about how he tried to take down Seth and how Seth shot him. Definitely what a bunch of traumatized teenagers needed to hear and see. Chapter 9 James and Abbi go to her house, where Abbi’s father drunkenly stumbles out and starts threatening Abbi. A policeman who James claims probably sees too much of this on a daily basis stands to the side (because he just so happened to be nearby with is K-9 partner) and waits for something to happen. Something happens with Abbi’s father smashes James over the head with a beer bottle. The K-9 rushes forward and latches on to him and James claims that the officer is sadistic and likes to see people suffer. He then claims not even two paragraphs later that the cop is numb to what’s going on. Which is it? Is he sadistic or is he a dead-beat cop who sees too much of this shit?

Abbi’s father is arrested and James decides to press charges. This is how Abbi ends up staying with James.

Chapter 10

The president shows up and nothing comes of it. He promised that he would answer everyone’s questions and talk to everyone. He only talks to two people, James and another kid, named Chris. Chris just asked why the president was such a D-Bag and the president just says “that’s President D-Bag to you.” James asked what the president thought of what people said about him and the president goes on this long diatribe about freedom of speech.

Chapter 11

Abbi wants to talk to James but insists that they do it in the shower. For some reason, James agrees to this and Abbi comes out of the shower to show all of her self-harm scars. Once again, James does nothing than tell her she’s beautiful and that’s about it. They almost fuck after this, but don’t because James’s mom is home.

Chapter 12

James and Abbi stay home to help his mom pack. Later they go to the park to stargaze and affirm to each other that they want kids.

Chapter 13

Abbi leaves James a big long note for him to read in class about how she was raped by some boys. Mrs. Roberston helped to get those boys in jail, but after finding out that Abbi was pregnant, she insisted that Abbi keep the baby because she is very pro-life. Seth found out about the baby and punched Abbi in the stomach until she miscarried. James’ response to the note is to go straight to Abbi’s classroom and make out with her in front of everyone and on the desk. He goes back to history class and Mr. Hanson basically high-five’s him for doing this, despite the fact that he walked out in the middle of class to do it.

Chapter 14

It’s Christmas break. They fuck.

Chapter 15

James beats the shit out of Jason because Jason was groping Abbi. For some reason, when the principle comes out to confront everyone about this, Jason doesn’t rat on James.

Chapter 16

While driving somewhere with James and Abbi, Davis rushes out of the car into the middle of the freeway because he sees a man hanging from a rope from an overpass. Davis is killed. This is the only purpose that Davis serves in the entire story. It’s to die so James can be the victim once more because apparently if he was never born so he could never be in Davis’ life then this would have never happened. Survivor’s guilt is a thing, don’t get me wrong. But what Onision is using here isn’t survivor’s guilt. It’s James twisting the situation so he’s the victim still.

Chapter 17

Davis’s funeral. Nothing happens besides James playing the victim some more.

Chapter 18

Mr. Hanson and Mrs. Roberston confront James and they want him to become Class President. James doesn’t want to but it doesn’t seem like they’ll take no for an answer. A little while later Abbi, while walking with James, is pulled into the front office for some questioning by police. Mrs. Roberston shouts in front of everyone that Abbi was responsible for the school shooting. Because… you know… that’s a reasonable thing to do…

Abbi confronts James later that night and tells him that she wrote in a note to Seth, when she was in a really bad place, that she just wished everyone would disappear (not unreasonable and something I’ve done before). James, being the little bitchy drama-queen that he is, storms off to take a dramatic shower. While sitting in the shower though he realizes that Abbi did nothing wrong and comes back. Abbi immediately accepts him again and isn’t upset that he suddenly stormed off after she told him something rather hard for her to do. They make out (and probably fuck).

Chapter 19

Abbi gets a bucket of paint thrown on her while she’s coming into the school and James punches the kid who did it. The principle shows up and both intimidates and threatens the kid who threw the bucket of paint. He also calls Mrs. Roberston into his office after James tells him that she told everyone that Abbi was responsible for the shooting.

Chapter 20

Mrs. Roberstson was fired and burned down the entire school in retaliation. All the students get passing grades for the rest of the year (which is about 6 months of school left by the way). James ends off the book by saying “Well, I guess this means I won’t be running for President.”

The book drags and has a lot of pointless info in it. At one point it genuinely made me feel sick how he was using Abbi’s trauma throughout the book to write a very, very poorly conceived hero fantasy. All the characters are unrealistic and nobody means anything to the story other than Abbi and James. I’m just glad it was a fast read. There are huge info dumps in the beginning, but as you can see, the rest of the chapters can be summed up in less than a fucking paragraph. The climax of the book comes way too early (the school shooting) and in general, it’s just a poorly written plot. It feels like a first draft that should have been taken back to the drawing board to be reworked until the shooting could become the ultimate climax of the book. It was rushed, and because it was rushed, the rest of the book dragged on. 1/10 stars. I didn’t hate it as much as I’ve hated other books, but it wasn’t good by any stretch of the imagination.

#bad book #bad book reviews #stones to abbigale #onision #i'm numb #previous book reviews have numbed me to this pain #review #reviewblr #bookblr #complete review

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wondereads · 5 years ago

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Recommendation of the Week (07/05/20)

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Why am I recommending this book?

I just finished reading it a couple days ago, and in was a bit interesting. Although it’s classified as a YA book, it doesn’t follow the expected outline, and I believe any adult could read it and enjoy it.

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The plot is sort of straightforward. The story focuses around Alyss Heart, the princess of Wonderland, a world that thrives on imagination. On her seventh birthday, her power-hungry Aunt Redd leads a rebellion that results in the death of Alyss’ parents. Alyss escapes from Wonderland with the help of the family’s bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, and ends up in our world in the 1800s. She’s stuck there for thirteen years, during which Alice in Wonderland is based on her, until she can finally get back to Wonderland to defeat Redd. After Alyss returns to Wonderland, I felt like the story became very rushed. I’m pretty sure only a third of the book involves her quest to take down Redd. However, I don’t know if that was the point. The majority of the book is spent alternating between our world and Wonderland during the thirteen years Alyss is gone, but maybe that’s the point. Alyss spends so long in our world that it seems to drag by; she’s there for so long that the inhabitants actually convince her that Wonderland was a figment of her imagination. Meanwhile (spoilers ahead!) she defeats Redd in what I’d suspect is maybe a month at most once she returns. This may be because her experience in our world was incredibly long and draining since she does not belong, but once she returns to Wonderland, as the rightful queen, she has found her place and is able to adapt easily (spoilers finished). Also, I may just have not read any other books like this, but I appreciated that Alyss was very powerful, lost her power, but then retrieves it through her own strength and belief. It felt a bit fresh compared to the typical finding-out-about-their-power plot. Finally, as expected of a book about Wonderland, there’s a lot of imagination. I loved that Redd’s soldiers took the form of cards, as it is with the original story, and that the Hearts’ soldiers were chessmen (pawns, rooks, knights, etc. since they follow the orders of the king and queen). There were so many tie-ins to the original story, but it was very warped, especially under Redd’s rule, which really gave off the feel of a dystopian dictatorship.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The main protagnists, Alyss, Dodge, and Hatter Madigan, are all rather complex. Alyss starts out as a child. She’s very playful and irresponsible, and she knows she’s a princess. However, her character goes under a major change when she is stuck in our world. She becomes much more subdued and respectable, but she seems much more responsible. However, I get the feeling that Alyss is still much more restrained and ‘proper’ than before, which might pose a challenge in a world as unpredictable as Wonderland. As for Dodge, he was ten when the story began. His father was a member of the Millinery, the Wonderland armed forces, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps. As an adult, Dodge becomes very revenge-focused after Redd murders his father, and now sees Alyss as a tool for his revenge rather than a friend. Finally, while Hatter is sort of one-dimensional as Alyss’ bodyguard who is only concerned with protecting her, he is a very interesting character who trusts creators of headwear more than any other. I believe that he will face more development in the later books since it’s hinted at. These three are the focus of the book, and I greatly enjoyed their development and them as people. Unfortunately, as for the other characters, Redd, The Cat, Bibwit Harte, the Jack of Diamonds, and others, they all seem to be rather one-dimensional.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I really liked Beddor’s style. As previously mentioned, the book is overflowing with ideas and concepts that really impressed me. There were times I was reminded of Tolkien when it came to how he described things. Unfortunately, I really did feel like the latter half of the book was very rushed, and it seemed like everything fit into place all too easily. I was expecting much more conflict than I got.

Meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I believe the overarching theme of the book is belief and imagination, but there’s another message that caught my interest. Alyss receives the typical lesson of not allowing yourself to be consumed by anger and revenge, lest it twist who you are, Dodge being a prime example of this. However, Alyss later comes to the realization that her anger, while she shouldn’t let it overtake her, serves as a driving force for her, and it would be ridiculous to try and pretend she can be kind and benevolent all the time to everyone. Anger is an important emotion that provides her with the motivation and power to take action. There are so many magic-focused fantasy stories that emphasize how the main character must always be merciful, must always keep their emotions ‘pure’, and it was just so refreshing to see a book saying that anger, while not the best emotion, is an important part of people, and it would be unreasonable to expect someone to not get angry, especially someone in Alyss’ situation.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I enjoyed this book, but I enjoyed it as a standalone. The ending felt much to final for the first book in a trilogy; I don’t think I have the motivation to read the next book when (almost) everything is wrapped up in this one. Other than the pacing and some side characters, I loved it. It really felt ingenuitive despite there being so many Alice in Wonderland adaptations today. I would recommend this to anyone looking to transition from YA to adult fiction, or people who like fantasy, imaginative fantasy world building, or Alice in Wonderland.

The Author

Frank Beddor: https://frankbeddor.com/

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose, and you can learn more about me here!

#recommendations #reviews #books #the looking glass wars #frank beddor #alice in wonderland #ya #fantasy

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abigailnussbaum · 6 years ago

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The Boys - Good & Bad

Being an itemized list of the strengths and weaknesses of the first season Amazon’s superhero show The Boys, based on the comic run of the same name by Garth Ennis, which I haven’t read.

GOOD:

The show looks good. It’s not tremendously visually inventive on the level of, say, Legion or Doom Patrol, but it’s got a definite style, and not just in the action scenes. The stagings pop, the street scenes look crisp and interesting, the boardroom scenes take advantage of the set designers’ inventiveness. There’s the requisite loss of saturation once our two main characters lose their respective love interests, but it’s not color-graded out of existence, the way a lot of other shows trying to evoke masculine despondency do. A “gritty”, laddish superhero show conjures up certain expectations where visuals are concerned, and The Boys exceeds them at almost every turn.

There are actual episodes! With beginnings and endings and common themes! I had no idea streaming shows could still do that, but The Boys is really good at finding mini-stories within its overarching plot and structuring its episodes around them (which should be a basic implement in a TV writer’s toolkit and instead has all-but disappeared). Episode 2 is about the Boys realizing how screwed they are by having captured a nearly-unkillable superhero who has seen their faces, and trying to figure out a way to kill him. Episode 5 is structured around Annie and Hughie’s visit to a superhero-themed Christian revivalist festival. It gives the entire season a more engaging structure, and pulls you along with the story in a way that most streaming shows don’t even attempt.

There are some genuinely clever worldbuilding choices that emerge from the “what if superheroes, but awful” premise. The fact that superheroes star in their own movies, for example, or that their power competitions become major sporting events, is hilarious, and perfectly conveys the sense of moral bankruptcy that I think the show is going for. And the crossover the show posits between superhero worship and white Evangelicalism is an obvious and perfect fit, tying into the latter’s barely-concealed love of power and authoritarianism. Also, there are some inventive demonstrations of how combining superpowers, limited intelligence, and corporate greed can lead to horrifying results, some funny - The Deep trying to rescue a dolphin from captivity - and some genuinely gutting - the plane crash scene in episode 4 is the queasy highlight of the season, as the viewer realizes just a few seconds before the characters do just how badly they’ve screwed up, and how horrible their future choices are going to have to be.

The cast is uniformly excellent, and pretty much everyone gets a lot of different layers to play. The highlights are Elisabeth Shue, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, and Tomer Capon (bit of hometown pride here, but it’s easy to see why he’s such a well-regarded young actor in Israel), but pretty much everyone is good and interesting to watch. Even Karl Urban, who gets the show’s most thankless task - he has to carry most of the story while playing its least nuanced character - manages to infuse some humor and complexity into Billy.

There are a lot of interesting, complex relationships, the top one being Homelander and Madeline Stillwell. As a character says near the end of the season, it’s a relationship that is “hard to quantify” - does he want to fuck her, or kill her, or be her child? Does she want to control him or does she genuinely get off on his desire for her? Other relationships are less fraught - Frenchie and Kimiko are incredibly sweet together - but still a lot of fun to watch.

The show seems to understand that at the root of almost every villain, and certainly privileged ones, is childishness. You see this in the way The Deep sinks into self-pity after experiencing the consequences of his sexual assault on Annie, or the way A-Train becomes obsessed with blaming Hughie for his girlfriend’s death, even though he’s the one who killed her. You see it most of all in Homelander’s resentment of Madeline’s baby and the attention she lavishes on it. It’s simply stunning how openly envious this grown man is of a months-old infant, and it makes every scene the two share almost unbearably tense, because you’re just waiting for Homelander to snap and kill the baby. Which ends up much more effectively conveying the point the show is trying to make than the sudden shock of him actually doing it would have - the fact that this character would clearly feel themselves justified in killing an infant, and is only holding back because he knows there’ll be a fuss, is the sum total of the show’s criticism of absolute power.

(This emphasis also justifies the show’s insistence that Hughie is redeemable, because though he starts out quite immature, he does grow, unlike the superpowered villains. He starts the season killing a super who hasn’t really done anything to him, just for the rush of it, and ends it saving the life of the super whose selfishness destroyed his world, because he’s actually realized that his are not the only problems that matter.)

Someone seems to have realized that having a female (Asian) character whose name is simply The Female is an absolutely terrible idea, and the show gives her a name as soon as possible. There’s also hints that she may be regaining the power of speech.

BAD:

The use of violence - and particularly sexual violence - against women ends up privileging men, even when those men are the perpetrators. Both Hughie and Billy are motivated by the loss of the women they loved, and in both cases the show plumps for the classic approach of single scene featuring the love interest being angelic, and doesn’t bother to shade either of them in or give them a personality or a chance to speak on their own behalf. And even when the victim is a main character, as when The Deep assaults Annie, the focus is much more on him than on her. Annie processes her trauma in a scene and a half, and it ends up being folded into her overall dilemma over how to be a superhero. Whereas the Deep spends the rest of the season coping with the consequences of his actions and folding them into his general lack of self-esteem. While there’s the germ of an important point there - just because this guy has problems of his own doesn’t justify his assault on another person or make him particularly tragic or compelling - the show’s insistence on going back to that well, even as the season approaches its climax, is simply baffling.

This feels, in fact, like a smaller component of the show’s broader problem with sexual ethics, the fact that it seems to have no way of distinguishing between sexual behavior is depraved, and sexual behavior that is just weird or maybe a bit kinky. Like, the fact that the Deep has consensual sex with dolphins is not worse than, or even equivalent to, the fact that he assaulted Annie. The fact that Homelander prematurely ejaculates when he and Madeline have sex isn’t a worse reflection on his character than the fact that he may have raped Billy’s wife. And yet those cases are treated as equivalent by the narrative. It ends up feeling profoundly anti-sex, rather than anti-sexual-violence, an impression that is only intensified when Annie and Hughie - the show’s sole “good”, loving couple - have sex that is completely vanilla (and despite Hughie’s earlier assurances that he isn’t intimidated by Annie’s strength, he still ends up being the dominant one in bed, and she even lets him be on top). It also prevents the show from any serious discussion of the one aspect of sexuality that is unique to its setting, the possibility of supers inadvertently hurting their human partners. The scene in which Popclaw crushes a man’s head between her thighs is the nadir of the season precisely because it’s played for laughs, for that “aren’t we outrageous” vibe that everyone told me the comic was suffused with. When actually you could do something interesting and character-based with it, if the show actually cared to.

(Having said all this, I do think that the show is a lot better on the subject of sexual violence than it could have been, and a lot better than the source material might have dictated. It feels significant that - with the exception of the aforementioned Popclaw scene - we never see any act of sexual assault on screen. We see Homelander and the Deep scoping out their victims, Rebecca Butcher and Annie, and maneuvering them into a position of vulnerability. And we see the aftermath of the assault for both victims. But we don’t see the act itself, in a series that is otherwise perfectly happy to depict consensual sex, even if it judges anything resembling kink. I also thought the handling of Queen Maeve, as a woman who has lived for years under a sustained campaign of sexual harassment, was extremely powerful - again, the focus is on how the abuse twists the victim up and makes them feel powerless and alone, not on any overt act of violence.)

I really don’t get why I’m meant to care about Billy Butcher. It’s not even that I don’t like him - I just find him completely uninteresting. He works as an engine of plot and a way to inject chaos into the other characters’ lives (the repeated device in which he authoritatively promises to solve the team’s problems, only for the show to cut away to him alone, wearing an expression that makes it clear that he has no idea what to do and is about to make everything worse, is pretty funny and effective). But as a character in his own right and with his own story, he just feels too one-note and monomaniacal for me to care about. I care what happens to MM and Frenchie and Kimiku and Annie and Maeve. I even care a little what happens to Hughie. I simply can’t bring myself to give a fuck about Billy.

I don’t see why I should be rooting for Hughie and Annie to make it work. It’s great that he feels she helped him rediscover his moral compass, but in the meantime he lied to her, used her, and concealed the fact that he had murdered one of her teammates from her. Annie has the right of it when she hears his confession and replies “the thing is, I don’t care”. It would be one thing if their reconciliation at the end of the season was more of an ethical one, a case of Annie choosing to rescue Hughie and the Boys because she knows they don’t deserve to die, not because she forgives him. But I got the impression that we were meant to read it as a romantic reconciliation too, which Hughie hasn’t even come close to earning.

If you must have interchangeable Middle Eastern terrorists as your go-to, killable background villains, doesn’t it seem obvious that there should be at least a few positive, named Middle Eastern characters in the foreground? (I suppose Frenchie might count? But given Capon’s heritage, he could just as easily be a Sepharadic Jew, which doesn’t really avoid the problem of Islamophobia that the show cheerfully blunders into.)

The plot kind of loses the thread towards the end of the season, partly, I suspect, because of the need to set up characters and plot points for season 2. It’s a particular shame because the plotting had been so strong in the first half of the season.

The sound mix is terrible. It should tell you something that I even noticed this and worked out the right term to use for it, because I’m usually completely illiterate on these matters. But after the millionth time you’ve had to raise the volume during a dialogue scene, then immediately lower it during an action scene, you start to wonder if there isn’t something wrong.

Overall, this is a much smarter, more interesting, and more entertaining show than discussions of the comic had led me to expect, but I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t benefitting from the fact that we’re so saturated with superhero stories right now. There’s less pressure to be the one subversive superhero story, which leaves The Boys room to be more character-focused, and to use superheroes as more of a metaphor for the corrupting influence of power and the evil of corporate overreach. Its supers feel a lot more like generic celebrities - A-Train is an anxiety-ridden athlete; Annie is a pageant kid; Maeve is an aging movie star whose career and soul have been blighted by ubiquitous sexual harassment. Characters who are genuinely set apart by their superpowers, like Homelander, are in the minority (and even in Homelander’s case it turns out his psychopathy has more to do with having been raised in a lab).

Basically it feels like the people who adapted the comic saved it by telling a story that is much more generic than the original, which may be entirely to the good. But I do wonder whether the second season won’t veer further into exactly those parts of the show that I find least interesting. The final scene seems to suggest much more of an emphasis on Billy’s manpain and his conflict with Homelander, and the introduction of superpowered terrorists threatens to move the show away from the criticism of power that made the first season work.

#the boys #this was a lot better than i was expecting #while still having enough flaws #that i can easily see it falling apart in season 2 #still #if you were holding off because of the comic's reputation #the show is a lot smarter and more nuanced

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lunawings · 6 years ago

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King of Prism SSS episode 11 commentary (Shin...)

Thankfully at least the Crunchyroll subs weren’t so bad this time. I mean, there was the usual weirdness, but no major mistranslations that effect the plot like that time. So.... great!!

(After last week my standards are so low....)

But anyway. A reminder that the commentary you guys are getting on these episodes now is coming from the place where I am after having two months to digest things. After seeing this in the theater I didn’t really want to talk about anything to anyone. HOW COULD I COMMENT ABOUT ANYTHING REMOTELY CASUAL WHEN SHIN IS SUFFERING. Was my thought. But... eventually............

I should have pointed this out last week, but did you catch that they added Dorachi to the OP?

So yeah, there are a lot of little moments in this episode that it took me weeks to even begin to think about (what with everything else that happens) and this is one of them. Joji leaves Jin so quickly once he’s not cheating at prism shows anymore. Haha I know this is just a gag scene probably but really! When you think about it in the context of that line Joji had last week that was like “He’s changed....” it made me realize that maybe Joji really does love the “do anything to win” Jin.

And since Jin isn’t interested in that right now, here we have Joji kissing Sanada.

Jin doesn’t care about winning anymore. All Jin cares about is Louis.

The relationship between Jin and Louis is something I have a lot of questions about. Why is this a part of the plot? For what purpose?

My only guess is it’s here to show that Jin can still love? Because he seems to really, truly love Louis. (Could you imagine him cradling one of the Shuffle boys after they failed a jump....)

And this is all despite the fact that Louis also reminds him of his worst enemies, Hiro and Hijiri.................

All of my past comments about how Shin changed things for everyone and how much everyone loves and believes in him have all been leading up to this moment.

Even after what just happened, they all run to him without any sort of hesitation. They aren’t afraid of him. They all still love him. Edel Rose.

For people watching this on TV, the titles of the episodes are all spoiled in advance.

But for us watching in the theater, we didn’t know.

When I saw Part 4 the first time, I chose a bad seat in the theater on purpose. Front row, far right. Because I just wanted to be alone, and there was guaranteed to be nobody sitting next to me unless the theater sold out. The theater sold out. And there I was in the right corner craning my neck up at an angle to this GIANT screen immediately right before me. Watching this happen. Small and helpless. Terrible chills washed all over my body and I think it was the most horrified feeling I have ever gotten while watching fictional media. I will never forget it......

When I first watched this, I got the feeling that Shine had been floating in a void for a long time. (Maybe even the 1,000 years they always talk about.) But recently I realized, maybe it was just the amount of time Shin’s Mom was pregnant for? Since Shine wasn’t sealed that long ago (recent enough that Yamada-san knew him) it could be possible that he was sealed the instant Shin was conceived....?

One of my biggest questions about Shin for the longest time was whether he was actually..... born or not. Since the date 2/29/2001 does not exist. But he was. And I am glad about that.

This is the first time we learn Shin’s name is written 新.

Also Shin, when will you accept your megane destiny.

(I guess he did in the last episode lol. But really, does he wear contacts...?)

So this is our Young of Prism reference.

Shin did meet Louis on a night at his grandmother’s house when he woke up and saw sparkling light. But Louis didn’t exist yet at that time. It was Rinne.

FUTURE 4TH PLACE (technically should have been 3rd) IN PRISM KING CUP

....ahh Shin................ I love you......................

His childhood was just so normal..........

(Shine must have been so bored...........)

This answered another one of my long-time questions about Shin. Where was he going? Why would he be out biking at night in casual clothes (not school uniform or sports uniform) in the middle of the night far from home?

At one point I was so concerned about this (and his birth date not being real) that I wondered if he didn’t even exist before he was biking along the river. But he did. Shin had a normal, happy, real childhood. Ahhh........

Christmas live! I already talked about this in my post about Leo’s episode, but yes it’s both an analog for the real life Music Ready Sparking concert, and a big part of the main story on Prism Rush: https://prism-rush.tumblr.com/mainstory

I’m so glad it was confirmed to be canon. (Well, it was already briefly mentioned in Pride the Hero. But still.)

THIS WAS MY QUESTION

Well, we finally got the answer in the last episode: Because the prism gods found out and changed Louis’ mission.

But you can kind of understand why Shine was..... pretty pissed off at Rinne/Louis when he finally resurrected in the last episode...................................... to say the least........

So this was weird. Shine said “Rinne” before Louis said his line from Pride the Hero “we’re the same now”, but the subs make it look like it’s the same line....?

This is honestly the only thing in this episode which I think is flat out wrong though. There is some other weird/inconsistent wording of course but I mean seriously FUCK IT. THAT’S NOT IMPORTANT NOW.

Crunchyroll A++++++++++++++++++++++ job this time.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but.....

Subconsciously, in the back of my mind somewhere.... at that very moment when Ace says CHOU YABEEE..... he became my favorite member of the Shuffle.

Just like..... Look at them. They’re all so happy. They didn’t look like this when they were with Joji. The best part about this episode finally airing on TV is that I can finally watch the new Shuffle’s performance on its own (without having to be forced to also watch.... the suffering....).

I can’t wait for this full song to come out. Even though we only hear it for like 10 seconds it’s actually gotten stuck in my head before.

And I don’t know if it was intentional, but I think having Ace perform in this episode is very ironic and incredibly significant. Because here we have Ace at his highest point while Shin is at his lowest point.

Ace doesn’t know about Edel Rose and why they needed to win this. He’s on the top of the world. This is his moment. He’s finally getting to perform. The Shuffle is finally free from Joji. For the Schwarz Rose boys.... Ace is the hero.

Since I am already on a roll talking about them, I guess I’ll bring up something I forgot to mention in my episode 5 commentary. When Part 2 premiered in theaters, nobody knew what Ace’s color was. People were actually using red, which would make no sense because Kokoro is red. You can’t have two members of the same group with the same color. But gradually people realized, due to the light blue A on his shirt and the light blue wrist band he has in some official art, that Ace is actually light blue. And here it was confirmed.

The interesting thing about this is, up until very recently Tsurugi was light blue. Only since his art for SSS he suddenly became pink.

So when we first saw that SSS concept art.... was it hinting all along at this very performance? That Ace would become the new center?

I don’t know.

What do you think?

What?

No I’m not stalling.

Why would I be stalling?

Well okay.... I guess.... the next scene we have to talk about is......

..................

................................

Where do I even begin.........................

So, a little while after this was shown in theaters I made a vague post containing my raw emotions about a particular prism show in Part 4: https://lunawings.tumblr.com/post/184802787153/okay-i-am-ready-to-talk-a-little-bit-about-king-of

So if you read it at the time, I’m sure now you know I was talking about this.

If you were scared or uneasy about it while watching it on your computer screen, imagine what it was like in the theaters. This performance effected me to the point where I had nightmares for about a week. And I’m not making a joke either. They weren’t the kind of nightmares I could describe, it was just like.... seeing bits and pieces of this show over and over again. I’d wake up panicked and have to watch something on YouTube, anything else, to try and get my mind off of it so I could sleep.

And like I said in my original post, the thing is, I just cannot get over how good this prism show was....... at accomplishing exactly what it was supposed to do. Which I’m assuming is, to make you feel VERY VERY UNEASY. It is just...... I can’t even..... I......................

And of course. The worst thing. The worst thing was coming to terms with the fact that I.... liked..... it..... ?

Because if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t be thinking about it so much.

If I didn’t like it, it wouldn’t have been stuck in my head FOR 24 TERRIFYING HOURS after seeing Part 4.

MAKE IT STOP

GET OUT OF ME

SHINE

GET OUT OF MY HEAD

I DIDN’T EVEN FULLY NOTICE HIS SPOKEN LINES UNTIL THEY WERE SUBBED OH MY FUCKING GOD

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

It’s just it.....

This is so frighteningly real.

It actually worked.

I actually felt like Shine had some kind of power over me which lingered for days and days...........

I guess..... I can understand why Rinne loved him........................

........................

He meant like consecutive jumps.

Shin(e) is not doing a chain of consecutive jumps like Taiga, Yukinojo, etc. did. Instead he split himself and is doing a whole bunch of jumps at the same time.

DONT

So, I gotta take a moment to make this clear. Since, to my horror, people were actually referring to him as Shin in this scene in the livestream chat.

THIS IS NOT SHIN. THIS IS SHINE.

He used Shin’s body and Shin’s voice. But this was not Shin’s prism show.

Shin does not perform in this episode.

SHIN WAS ROBBED

OF HIS PRISM SHOW

BY SHINE

So, people who don’t actually follow me and/or just stumbled upon these posts may not know this. But Shin is (and basically always has been) my favorite.

After Part 4 premiered in theaters, I had multiple friends in Japan send me messages to check if I was OK. It was even the immediate reaction of a girl I just met in the theater after I casually mentioned that Shin was my favorite. Like practically grabbing my shoulders ARE YOU OK.

So.

Am I OK?

No, but..... yes.

By that I mean, I am not bitter that Shin does not get a new solo in SSS. In fact, I can recognize the irony, since up until this point Shin was the only Edel Rose boy to perform a proper show. And now he’s the only one who didn’t perform a new solo in SSS. So it’s even. Technically.

So that is not what upsets me about this episode. What DOES upset me is how this emotionally effects Shin the character, who now thinks this was all was his fault when it wasn’t.....................

I personally have known for a long time that something like this would happen, and have basically been emotionally preparing myself since the Pride the Hero era. No, scratch that, even since the first movie era when I suddenly noticed the dark moon mark on the back of his neck in Over the Sunshine (which took me months). I just had a bad feeling. Something told me that loving this character would someday bring me pain.

So if I truly loved him, I knew would have to be strong.

If you take the good, you have to take the bad.

King of Prism SSS premiered in theaters in Japan after Taiga’s episode aired on TV, and right before Kakeru’s. In that gap, I came back a changed person.

During the week of Kakeru’s episode I was just trying to feel normal again (while all y’all be sending me anon messages about whether we should pave over Africa or not FFS guys......). But from the next week onward was when I began to recover and was starting to want answers. You may have noticed, that was when I suddenly started talking about scores all the time.

Yes, part of it was trying to understand Taiga’s score and hoping it wasn’t lower for mathematical reasons since it later gets cut in half. But the truth is. The actual truth is. All that time I was trying to understand.... this.

This zero right here has been weighing on me for a long, long time. Every time I brought up scores, it was always there. Looming at the back of my mind.

For example, when I wrote “ I guess no matter what someone has to be last………………………….. ” in my episode 8 commentary, I wasn’t talking about Yu.

So. Let’s discuss this. How can someone perform, as actually get up on stage, but end up with 0 karats? Clearly the audience did have a reaction to Shin(e)’s show.....

But Kakeru said there wasn’t a system error. So it’s not that.

According to June, if I understood correctly, it was judged based on Shine himself. There was no heart in his show.

This lead me to question if this could explain some of the other character’s shows. How much does your own heart matter?

(According to this, it’s everything.)

No, I do not know why they still released a periodical update for a discontinued program. I guess there was a miscommunication in the prism IT department.

(But I suppose it’s possible other Shines still exist in other worlds....? But I really don’t want to touch that right now.)

So, in case you didn’t fully understand the gravity of this, with the way the score is now it is mathematically impossible for Edel Rose to win.

Even if they get a perfect score with their unit show.

Edel Rose has lost.

It’s over.

So this was the moment when I forgave my idiot son Taiga.

Even after Shin got a zero, he still blames himself.

And this may be a terrible way of thinking, but... I’m kinda glad they included this debacle with Taiga. Because it made it so this situation is not entirely Shin’s fault. (Technically it’s not his fault at all. It was Shine. But they don’t know that.)

They treat it like everyone’s fault.... oh Edel Rose.....

Also, my favorite moment in this episode and it has nothing to do with Shin.

Kakeru offers Taiga his support....

And Taiga actually takes it.

Also, I may be wrong but, I think this is the first time we have seen Kakeru cry. And not just in the main series, I mean like in ANY King of Prism media.

I find it interesting that he doesn’t mention Kouji here. He goes right to Hiro.

Despite their “rivalry”, he felt Hiro was counting on him.

I can’t believe y’all actually pointed this out in the livestream but it’s so true now that I think about it. There may be intentional symbolism with Hijiri’s hair here.

There are a lot of scenes where Hijiri is trying to pull his hair back. But in this scene he pushes it FORWARD.

He’s finally realized what really matters, and why he’s done all this in the first place.

Oh Shin. Baby. It wasn’t your fault............................

And that’s basically it. For now. We’ll talk about their gay unit outfits next time.

So to answer perhaps your most burning question: Yes, next week is the last episode.

Next week is the finale of King of Prism SSS. Yes. For real.

EDIT: OH MAN. Junta Terashima just confirmed in a Tweet that this is the outfit Leo originally made for Shin’s show. Ahhhhh.......

#king of prism #king of prism sss #king of prism shiny seven stars #shin ichijo #ichijo shin #kinpri

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flappy-spookster · 6 years ago

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Beautiful Crime by @icantwritegood (ao3) - (52,242 words) “Five years after the life-changing road trip. Things have simultaneously changed yet remained the same.”

Part two in the Road Trip series, this story is absolutely amazing. Things have gotten darker and more intense, and it’s amazing. This series has quickly risen to be one of my all time favorites and I cannot recommend it enough. The characters are incredibly vivid, the mood clearly comes through, the writing is interesting and detailed, and the plot is downright fantastic. Something about the story makes me want to create something in response to it, so as with the first part of this series, I made a playlist which I will be explaining here.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5i87J26S4j0tr0bUw3BhoB

All that being said, if you haven’t read it (go do it now) DON’T READ ANY FURTHER AS EVERYTHING BELOW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

All I can say is wow. This is such an amazing follow up packed with so much amazing content and character development and I love it so much. I have agonized over how this playlist works, and I’m still not sure if it’s perfect, but I’m content with it, and I hope it feels right to everyone else. Just a heads up, the pacing is everywhere so there’s some places with some blank space and some with five songs for a smaller portion. I leave out a lot of important events and include a lot that maybe didn’t need included.

I love listening to the songs/watching the clips you link to for inspiration for your writing, and I can’t help but take note that a lot of what you listen to is of a different genre than what I typically go for. So, as a challenge for myself, I tried to include mostly softer stuff like Jaymes Young and leave out artists like Bring Me The Horizon. I really enjoyed it, but you can be the judge of how well I did. I think I am a very bad judge of what qualifies as softer stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

1. “City In A Garden” by Fall Out Boy

This whole ep is about Chicago and how much the band loves the city, and I chose this song because a couple of the lyrics stuck out to me in relation to the story. Honestly though, my main reason for choosing this song was for the setting of the story. I live in the midwest, but I’ve never really seen the appeal of Chicago honestly. Regardless, both Shane and Fall Out Boy seem to really love the city so here we go.

“Feel the sorrow, hit the bottle Feel the rush of having no tomorrow, yeah She said, ‘You gotta find yourself something worth holding onto’”

These lyrics capture Shane’s leftover feelings from the previous installment and how even though they haven’t seen each other in a few years, he’s still holding onto Ryan.

“You charged me up, charged, charged me up I was something they forgot to label ‘fragile’ Now I'm stuck And you know too much, know, know too much You're the one true thing You're the one”

This pre-chorus bit changes a couple times throughout the song, and the next one is also applicable, but I chose this one because it holds a little foreshadowing. The whole “i’m stuck” and “you know too much” are all little things that could be used to hint at some conflict later in the story. The bit about being something they forgot to label “fragile” is in reference to the ending of the last fic and how it’s shaped him into who he is now.

2. “Sugar Burn” by Jaymes Young

This song is for when they first meet up again and how they both have pretty strong feelings and also what comes next. It captures a lot of their (chaotic) relationship and how they’re both sort of unsure of what to do now that they actively have access to each other. The word “still” is used a lot in the song which I think can be used to refer to how they have this history and can’t help but reflect.

“I tried so hard to escape you But I found out there's nowhere to run It's too easy to love and to hate you Oh my healing has only begun”

While they didn’t actively try to escape each other, Shane did leave Ryan there in an attempt to save both of them only to end up in a similar situation again. The lyric “it’s too easy to love and to hate you” is a pretty good summary for their entire relationship honestly. They both have very strong feelings for each other, but there are some definite swings in there.

“Every night you trick me into your arms But you never stay, when I awake, no Every time I feel your false alarm And it's such a shame you were gone so long”

The bridge sums up a lot of their situation from the point they meet, but also their thoughts throughout the rest of the fic. The lyric “but you never stay” is in reference to how Shane keeps leaving in the night. “And it’s such a shame you were gone so long” sums up how they feel once they meet up again.

3. “Oceans” by Seafret

Seafret is another one of my all time favorite artists and I’m really happy that I was able to fit one of their songs in here. This song captures a lot of the unspoken doubts that creep in as they work on rebuilding thier relationship. The whole “we don’t talk about work or anything that really matters” comes through in this song.

“It feels like there's oceans Between me and you once again We hide our emotions Under the surface and try to pretend But it feels like there's oceans Between you and me”

Did I take the entire chorus? Yes. But does it apply? Also yes. A recurring theme throughout the entire story is how they tend to be downplaying how deep their feelings for each other are which is reflected in the lyrics “We hide our emotions / under the surface and try to pretend.” Another thing that’s affecting their relationship is the distance created by both of them being unwilling to tell the other one what they’re doing for “work” and why they’re in Chicago.

“I want you And I always will I wish I was worth But I know you deserve You know I'd rather drown Than to go on without you But you're pulling me down”

This one is more for Shane than Ryan. Shane feels that he shouldn’t, can’t, be dragging Ryan down to where he is. He doesn’t want Ryan to end up like him, and he doesn’t want Ryan to ruin his life for him. He thinks that Ryan deserves better than him, but he can’t let him go. To be fair, that part, at least, goes both ways.

4. “Parachute” by Jaymes Young

They’re both really frustrated with the lack of information they’re getting from each other. This same tension and doubt is carried for a while and could fit a lot of places. A big part of the reason it took me so long to finish this is because I couldn’t decide where this song, the Paramore song, and the As It Is song should go in relation to each other. I’m still not sure if they are in the best place, but I think it’s alright.

“I see your skin turn red When you lie If you don't want to tell me nothing Then you can go straight to hell Now I'm gonna tell you something: You fucked this up yourself”

Personally, I think this best fits with the moment Ryan decides that the next time Shane leaves, he’s following. He is so fed up with all of the communication issues between them, and just really wants to know what’s going on. The last line is in there because he’s adament that Shane just needs to stop and (somewhat fairly) blames his manipulation and hiding things for everything going down. I could pull out more lyrics, but they all support the same point.

5. “Playing God” by Paramore

This is one I threw in relatively late and struggled a lot to decide where it belongs. This song brings in a lot of the doubts and how they definitely need to be voiced, and how perhaps voicing them in such a straightforward way is necessary but not great. I mainly chose this song to fit with the scene where Ryan sneaks out after Shane to see what he’s doing.

“Well, maybe you should tie me up So I don't go where you don't want me”

In reference to how Ryan literally goes where Shane doesn’t want him. I’m pretty sure he at some point mentions that if Shane really doesn’t want him to check things out for himself, he’ll have to tie him up. However, I may be wrong about that and I’ve just thought about it a lot, I can’t quite remember.

“This is the last second chance I'm half as good as it gets I'm on both sides of the fence Without a hint of regret I'll hold you to it”

How they’re both so. angry. at each other, but despite it all really don’t want to break everything. These are mostly from Ryan in my opinion. The whole “this is the last second chance” is in reference to how Ryan is so frustrated with the choices that Shane is making. The rest could go for both and how they both don’t want to be each other's weakness, but also don’t want to leave the other.

6. “Silence (Pretending’s So Comfortable)” by As It Is

It’s confrontation time. This song gives a much more calm feel than any confrontation that every occurs between the two of them, but it fits with the way they’ve been dealing with stuff.

“I breathe nervous and slow Well you're desperate for air My eyes sink to the floor Yours go bounce down the stair In my tears you know I meant all I said As every elegant word I said sinks in again [Chorus] The silence tells us all we need to know (need to know) Pretending's so comfortable But I have to go for the last time”

This is a hefty chunk of the song, but it all goes to prove the same point. In this song, Shane is “I” and Ryan is the person he’s talking to. Shane can’t stop killing, Ryan can’t let him get away with it. Ryan wants him to stop if only for the sake of what they have, in order to keep what they have Shane has to keep doing it. Quite the stalemate. The whole mood of the song fits pretty well as well. They both want to address it, but it’s not exactly easy to confront the issue so there’s a lot of silence and building and making everything worse.

“We won't just talk at all, we'll just wonder would we still swallow glass for each other“

Have they majorly fucked things up? Yes. But are the feelings still there? Well they really wish they weren’t, but guess what buddy. It’s not that easy. Things are really rough right now and things would be much easier if they could figure out how to just talk it out.

“As I stand to the moment Your four walls full of fear”

(bonus lyric! how fun!) They’re going to fuck shit up for each other. Shane will do anything to literally murder Ryan. Ryan will do anything to put Shane behind bars for the rest of his life/get him sentenced to the death penalty. Things are not great. They need to go to couples counselling.

7. “Far Too Young to Die” by Panic! At The Disco

This song is for the scene(s) with the press release and what happens after. They are both so fixated on each other that they can barely think of anything else which is reflected well in this song. I mostly chose it for the mood and sound of it, but lyrically it’s pretty nice too. Now that I’m actually looking at the analysis, it doesn't fit quite as well as I had originally thought, but the theme is there.

“I've never so adored you I'm twisting allegories now I want to complicate you Don't let me do this to myself I'm chasing roller coasters I've got to have you closer now Endless romantic stories You never could control me”

This relates to how they are both really struggling to hold onto this enmity because they’re both. so. enamoured. with. each. other. It also comes into play in the conversation between the two of them at the courthouse where Ryan is pretty much falling apart because it’s too much. However, if you look at it like the song is from Shane’s point of view (which was my original intent, but it works for both), “you never could control me” is in reference to how everyone, especially the media and Horsley, like to point out to Ryan every time he has failed at controlling Shane.

“Well, I never really thought that you'd come tonight While the crown hangs heavy on either side Give me one last kiss while we're far too young to die”

This bit refers how neither of them were really sure if they could go through with everything, and then here they are. The middle line is a reference to a Shakespeare play (Henry VI) but twisted a little and is meant to represent how the two people must choose the direction to take with their relationship which I think is pretty applicable here.

Sidenote: I literally never bring up how Shane blows up the courthouse???? Not sure how that happens, but like I said, pacing is nonexistent here. I feel like that’s a big enough event it should have been included though lmao. Also, the scene you linked to in the fic for inspiration on that was amazing and I 100% see why you chose that.

8. “Blockades” by Muse

This song is meant to represent the scene where Shane comes in to kill Horsley and everything that follows with the two of them. Things are pretty high tension.

“The truth is that when I am killing in order to survive I have never felt so alive I am always seeking to live and die on the edge Life is a broken simulation, I'm unable to feel I'm searching for something that's real I am always seeking to see what's behind the veil”

This is the first part of the song, but also the part that I think fits best out of the whole song. The first two lines especially capture Shane’s outlook on life for the past couple years. He feels he must keep killing because at this point there is no other option for him.

“I never sleep or rest But I'm still running out of time I have sacrificed all of my life The time has come to To prove to you what I'm worth”

Shane’s feelings on why he has to kill Horsley. He desperately hopes that this enough to show Ryan that he loves him and he has quite literally sacrificed any chance he had at a new life for him. However, he also needs to prove to Horsley that he will always have the last laugh.

9. “Infinity” by Jaymes Young

This song is for when Ryan actually kills Horsley, when he calls Shane, and when Shane comes to help ft. maybe a lot of the feelings attached. However, also a little for the lines “He could've pulled that trigger, and his list would be wiped. But he hadn't. Because he was still in love with Ryan, and deep down, Ryan knew full well that he was in love with him too.” In

“Baby this love, I'll never let it die Can't be touched by no one, I'd like to see him try I'm a mad man for your touch Girl, I've lost control I'm gonna make this last forever Don't tell me it's impossible”

I take this for the moments before Ryan pulls the trigger, even though we don’t actually see much of it in the fic itself. Horsley tries so hard to “discreetly” manipulate him into getting on her side and going against Shane, but Ryan can easily see through it now and he’s not going to let anyone take Shane from him now. I can Ryan (or Shane, for that matter, but at a different time) actually saying those last two lines in the moments before he pulls the trigger. He’s in so deep and I don’t think Horsley even understood until the very end.

“Meet me at the bottom of the ocean Where the time is frozen Where all the universe is open Love isn't random, we are chosen And we could wear the same crown Keep slowing your heart down We are the gods now”

This is a portion that you have to listen to in order to get. I chose it not so much for the lyric portion, and mostly for the overall feel of the bridge. It has the same sort of shocked, intimate, mildly comforting, and almost liminal space kind of vibe that I get from when Shane arives through the ride back to his place.

11. “Overtime” by Seafret

“‘Marriage, kids, all of it.’ He turned his head to look at the other man, feeling choked up already. ‘I think I would've done that with you.’” Aka, where I started crying.

“Time moved on, but nothing changed Different roads when we stayed the same Found a light that never fades You gave me hope on the darkest days How you came out of nowhere”

They were apart, they still had feelings. Things are really emotional right now and I want to give them a big hug and maybe need one myself after reading this scene. This song itself is actually pretty self explanatory in how the lyrics apply to this scene. Fun fact, I actually had the song “Overtime” (also by Seafret) and only changed it as I was typing this up, but it also applies. I felt like this one was a little softer.

“And I just can't turn away, feelings don't hesitate I'll be crushed under the waves, if that's the price I'll pay I'd offer all the more, love holds an open door Inside the world's on pause, what are we waiting for?”

They’re in love and I’m crying.

12. “Blackout” by Muse

This is the sort of calm before the storm song. Emotions are high and things are sad, and I am sad, and I cried through the entire rest of the story, and it’s just. Things are really rough for everyone in this moment. I chose this song almost totally for the overall vibe and there are only 12 lines total, but some of them apply. Especially for these lines:

"No, no, you don't-" Ryan ducked under the barrier, ignoring the yells of the closest cop as he skidded to a halt against Shane, arms around him, face pressed into his chest. He felt the taller man's cuffed hands go over him, felt the chin resting on top of his head. "Don't leave me again."

Shane bit his lip hard, closing his watery eyes. "I have to."

“Don't kid yourself And don't fool yourself This love's too good to last And I'm too old to dream”

There’s no other option at this point. Things have gone to far. They always knew that things could never truly work between them given their situation, and up until now they could still hope but by now it’s too late. Everyone’s crying at this point, including a couple reporters because it turns out heartbreak is painful for everyone involved, including those experiencing it second hand.

13. “All I Wanted” by Paramore

I’d originally had this at the beginning, but after getting to this part I immediately moved it. Paramore once again has created a song that fits perfectly and I am once again crying. This song is from Ryan’s point of view after Shane is taken. The entire month he’s at his parents house. Everything from the time Shane gets taken up until the call. This one’s a lot. Every lyric fits.

“And when the world treats you way too fairly”

This is just one little line, but boy oh boy does it fit. Things really came full circle and Shane is getting exactly what he deserves but man does it hurt.

“I could follow you to the beginning And just to relive the start And maybe then we'll remember to slow down At all of our favorite parts”

I really wish they were living in literally any other timeline where they could actually work. I wish they could be happy.

“All I wanted was you All I wanted was you All I wanted was you All I wanted was you”

Hayley really captures all of the emotion in these lyrics and it’s amazing. There’s one time where it’s just her voice with no backing music and. it’s a lot but it fits. Everyone’s sad, especially me.

14. “Something Human” by Muse

This is another one I chose largely for the mood, but upon reading through the lyrics, there’s actually some pretty good ones. I almost used the song “Pressure” (also by Muse) but decided this one was better. For the phone call and everything after. For Shane.

“My life just blew up, I'd give it all up I'll depressurize”

He’s once again restarting his life, but it’s worth it.

“The big picture's gone Replaced with visions of you Now life can begin, I've cleansed all my sins I'm about to break through”

He’s done killing for Ryan and he’s ready to live a different life. Preferably with more Ryan. Also better and safer. The third lyric I associate with how it’s mentioned that Sara is back with him because she felt that him confessing to the crimes was honorable and the right thing.

Bonus song! “Oh Glory” by Panic! At The Disco

I really wanted to include this, but turns out it’s not on spotify because it’s a demo that was included on some extended edition of Vices and Virtues. Anyway, I think it kind of sums up Shane’s character and a little of his motivations. I mostly associate the first few lines (which apparently is a trend through a lot of my picks).

“I can only hope it's true enough That every little thing I do for love Redeems me from the moments I deem worthy Of the worst things that I've done”

The clarity of the first line of the song really strikes me and immediately made me think “Shane” when I was listening to this song. This is one of my all time favorite songs, and I’m glad I could include it, no matter how loosley.

“If I wake in the morning I only need two more miracles to be a saint Everything I promised everyone I'd be Well, I just ain't”

Shane tries to be better for Ryan, but he can’t.

I really hope you like it! Once again, sorry it’s so long. (I saved my progress in a google doc as i went and according to the word count it’s almost 4k...... i have a 500 word essay i don’t have the motivation for and yet i wrote this with no problem) I spend a lot of time listening to this playlist just to get a good feel for what I was working with and I’m still not sure if it’s perfect, but I think I like where it’s at now. I absolutely adore this series, and I hope this shows at least some of my gratitude.

#icantwritegood #beautiful crime #road trip #recommended reads #mine #music #playlist #anyway #i worked a lot on this so i hope you like my analysis of stuff #i'm fried from all of the essays i've been writing in school so this flows really weird writing wise for which i apologize #my finals start wednesday #and i have so many things due that i don't have the motivation to work on #also sorry this is so late!#i was gone both weekends of break #and had family over during the week #and just took some time to read the stephen king book i've been like 1/3 of the way through forever the last few days #i just haven't had any motivation #i know this is like the 5th time but #i'm so sorry this ended up being so long

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oumakokichi · 8 years ago

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It seems like Kirumi is one of the savviest culprits to date. She revealed nothing during the investigation that could tie the crime to her, and the main piece of evidence linking her to the crime could have come from either of the two other main suspects. Really seems like it's the hardest case to solve pre-trial since Mikan, and in that trial, we specifically weren't shown Ibuki's body. (Komaeda was BS, but we could deduce a perfect locked room and Nanami's role)

She really is savvy, to be honest! I’ve thought so for awhile now, but Chapter 2 of ndrv3 is likely one of the cases in which theculprit had the highest chance of getting away with it. Her plan was absolutelybrilliant, she was extremely careful, and she’s a masterful actress, betrayingalmost nothing by her reactions until very late into the trial and capable ofseeming sincere and heartfelt, even shedding tears on cue.

Really, if it weren’t for the rules of the mystery genreitself (i.e. “mysteries have to be solvable for the reader because clues haveto be presented”), then realistically speaking she wouldn’t have left anything behind, not even the tire orthe piece of fabric from her glove. The tire and fabric are there because themystery would be entirely unsolvable and unfair without them.

The only other culprit in ndrv3 who stood nearly as much ofa chance at getting away with it in my opinion is Miu, if her plan in Chapter 4had worked. But Miu’s plan relied much more on her actual talent, which was far more useful than almost anyone else’stalent. Because Miu would’ve had full control over the VR world and as muchtime as she wanted to erase evidence and set Momota up, she quite likely would’vecompletely gotten away with things—but only because Ouma would’ve been dead andtherefore couldn’t have told anyone else about her plan.

Kirumi, by contrast, used a plan that had very little to dowith her actual talent. Instead, she relied on her sheer force of will and herability to maintain a straight face while lying to the other characterspoint-blank. Her emotional manipulation in the later stages of the trial and evenafter the trial, when they’ve already voted for her, is impressive to say theleast.

I agree that her trial is one of the hardest to solve, too!As you mentioned, sdr2 Chapter 3 was also somewhat difficult pre-trial—but that’smore because we weren’t presented with all the evidence we needed, which isunfair from a mystery perspective. Not only were we not given a chance to lookdirectly at Ibuki’s body, but Saionji’s murder weapon was never even found. Theevidence was rushed.

By contrast, all the clues are there in Kirumi’s trial, youjust have to know how to look at them. She doesn’t have an alibi for the timeof death, so she’s included within the list of suspects pretty early on. She’salso one of the only characters tall enough and physically fit enough to get inthrough the gym window, even using the ropeway. The piece of black fabricmatches her gloves, and, very tellingly, she slipped up pretty badly when Gontarushed up onto the stage during the magic show. She was the only character totry and stop him by yelling his name; no one else thought Gonta was in thewrong at all for trying to save Himiko from having the piranhas dumped in withher.

However, all of these clues only start to make a lot moresense in hindsight, when discussing them during the actual trial. Even thecharacters themselves have absolutely no solid insight as to who did it by thehalfway point in the trial—which is highly unusual in an early DR Chapter, asusually there are at least a few solid facts to go on. Were it not for Ouma steppingin and giving them all a huge hint, because he already knew who the culprit wasfrom the start based on Kirumi’s motive video and on the method to enter thegym window, I’m pretty sure they would actually have died.

In any case, quite a lot of people didn’t enjoy Chapter 2very much (or so I’ve heard), but in my opinion it was incredibly fun, althoughnot very plot-relevant later down the line. But between the body discoverybeing one of the most iconic in any DR game, Kirumi being so incredibly quickon her feet as a culprit, and the howdunnit being so much fun, I quite enjoyed it myself. Thanks for asking, anon!

#ndrv3 #drv3 #new danganronpa v3 #kirumi toujou #toujou kirumi #ndrv3 spoilers //#my meta #okay to reblog #anonymous

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daskpr01 · 8 years ago

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Spring 2017 Top 10/9

I think is pretentious of me to pretend I know what I’m talking about here, and I didn’t really watch enough this season to really do a fair comparison on what was the actual “best” anime. This is just me ranking the few I watched in order of personal enjoyment.

[WARNING: SPOILERS]

10. Nothing Sadly, I only watched 12 anime this season, three of which (Sagrada Reset, My Hero Academia 2, and Yugioh VRAINS), are continuing into the next season so I have nothing to put here!

9. Attack on Titan 2 Honestly, I just don’t care for this series in general. It’s enjoyable to watch, but lacks any real substance for me. I did like the second season a little more than the first. Though the first season was much better at telling the story, leaving each new episode on a dramatic cliffhanger, but season 2 was better in terms of character development. I finally was able to find myself being somewhat invested in the characters which was impressive to me. Plot wise, it didn’t really go anywhere, besides revealing things we had already speculated about (or had spoiled for us) long ago. Let’s see how things go in season 3.

8. Grimoire of Zero I was pretty excited fit this one quite a while before it came out. I really liked the idea of an inhuman protagonist that actually had s bestial appearance and I felt the concept was finally something different from typical fantasy anime. And for the most part it was. It was well paced with depth, emotion, some beautifully portrayed scenes and engaging plot developments. Up until the final episode… It suddenly felt rushed and seemed to me like the written fell back on predictable cliches just to quickly move along the story. Then we’re just with a surprisingly unsatisfying conclusion. [SPOILER] Mercenary’s motivation was to become human, so not being able to see his desire fulfilled was rather disappointing to me. I understand this an adaptation of a light novel so I assume the story goes well beyond the end of the anime, but with the possibility of a second season being rare, it feels rather incomplete. (Also, no kiss between Mercenary and Zero??) [/SPOILER] Everything else was great though, so it’s really disappointing that the ending wasn’t as good for me.

7. Anonymous Noise I think this one was good and any issues are probably more personal than anything. The protagonist’s, Nino’s, obsession with one of the love interests, Momo, could get pretty annoying especially when the better guy, Yuzu, kept getting the short end of the stick. I feel like the story was kind of unfair to his character, like they only tease at the possibility of him “winning” the affections of Nino, but not really giving him a fighting chance. I dunno, maybe feeling these emotions actually makes this show good! It was dramatic and enjoyable to watch, plus pretty good music as well. I’ll definitely reading the manga at some point. (P.S. I ship Momo x Yuzu LOL)

6. Starmyu 2 For some reason, I’m having a hard time figuring out what to say about this one. I don’t feel like it hit me as hard as the first season, but there was a lot of great things about this season. It sort of had a rather “romantic” concept (not the love kind). Seeing Hoshitani realize the truth and come to peruse and realize his dream is beautiful. There were also several emotionally moving moments that got me a little choked up. It delivered about what I expected, a nice conclusion to the only unresolved plotline from season 1 and drawing the final curtains on the series.

5. Natsume Yujincho Roku This is such a hard anime to talk about due to its episodic nature. To be honest, I end up liking some episodes more than others which make it difficult for me to really judge a season as a whole. Overall, I think I liked a majority of the episodes in this season. I really enjoy episodes about his past or about Reiko. We also get to see a lot of interaction between Natsume and Natori this season and a furthering of their relationship (as friends). Plus plenty of good feelsy story as per usual. We also get a pretty interesting “reveal” in the last episode that make me anxious for more. I hope they don’t stop adapting this lovely series, I would like to stick with the anime through it’s completion.

4. The Royal Tutor It started out as such a cute, funny bishie anime, but as it progressed, the hints of a more serious plot line that really sucked me in. Although the manga is still continuing, the series built up to a rather well done filler ending that was pretty emotional. In this day and age when anime rarely go beyond a 12 episode season, I really respect the writers decision to do a filler ending, especially one as satisfying as this. The characters were all likable as well, and there were a lot of good messages throughout which are both very important aspects to me in a story. I think this one surprised me the most in how good it ended up being, definitely enjoyed it a lot.

3. Berserk 2017 I feel like I’m one of the only people who like the new Berserk anime. Sure, the CGI is a little clunky, but the story of Berserk is still incredibly awesome. I’m not yet familiar with the manga, but from what I’ve heard, the adaptation was extremely accurate. Personally, I don’t find the animation to take away from the badass moments. I really enjoyed this season. Schierke was an interesting new character and it was great seeing more Serpico in action, plus I finally got my introduction to the Berserker armor. Berserk is just a great story regardless. Hopefully we’ll get a new season next spring as well.

2. Tsukigakirei I feel like the romance and slice-of-life genres have been overused in recent years, but here we had nice, more realistic portrayal of romance. It really illustrated the awkward and dramatic, as well as the innocence of adolescent romance. The interactions between the leads was very believable and much was relatable. I remember experiencing a lot of the same things the protagonists went through, bringing back feels and frustration (in a good way). I also feel like their relationship reflect a lot of modern romance with much of their interaction occurring through text. If I were to have one problem with it, it would be [SPOILER] that they get married in the end. I know, I know, blasphemy, right? But realistically I don’t feel that would happen. Long distance relationships don’t tend to work out, nor do people often stay with their first love or “high school” sweetheart. I dunno, perhaps I just have a cynical view of relationships in real life. Tone wise I think the ending was fitting, but personally, I would have left it open ended or give it a more bittersweet end were they just grow apart and eventually go their separate ways to reflect the truth of real life. [/SPOILER] Still a great romance story and worth watching.

1. KADO: The Right Answer Oh gosh, I wonder if I’ll get complaints for putting this as my #1… I’m truly baffled by how much hate this show is getting because I loved it. I was curious about this show because the synopsis alone sounded new and different, and I ended up being sucked in by the first episode. It did have a bit of a slow period in the middle, but (and I know this a minority opinion) it really picked up in the second half. I wasn’t all that interested in zaShunina in the first half, but he really developed into a fascinating and tragic character that I really found myself feeling for in the end. It utilized interesting sci-fi concepts as well as some spirituality. I really appreciate the blending seemingly contradictory ideas. The plot twists totally blew my mind too. I had a feeling from the beginning that this was going to be a great show and it really delivered for me, it’s sad that it didn’t for a lot of people though. Personally, I feel that has a lot to do with the fact the show kills the zaShunina/Shindou ship… Forgive me for not being a big shipper, so I wasn’t bothered by any of the plot developments in the series [SPOILERS] i.e. zaShunina becoming an antagonist, Shindou’s relationship with Tsukai, or killing off both protagonists. In fact, I really respect the boldness of killing off your main characters. It’s a refreshing idea you don’t often get to see and I feel like not every story needs a happy ending. [/SPOILER] I thought Kado was great and is my favorite for this season.

Welp, those are my opinions, so tell me what you think if you like.

#spring 2017 anime #spoilers #top ten list #attack on titan #grimoire of zero #zero kara hajimeru mahou no sho #fukumenkei noise #anonymous noise #starmyu #natsume yuujinchou #the royal tutor #berserk 2017 #tsuki ga kirei #as the moon so beautiful #seikaisuru kado #kado the right answer

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tayegi · 8 years ago

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Hii u lovely creature. First i just wanted to say i love ur work, this last chapter was...quite shocking since well how Jk was talking and reacting towards the OC. Im really not good with theories really and specially if i gotta write them down in english but i was thinking since u said this would have 3 parts that maybe...just maybe was like one part of each of the characters? Like one were we view in detail the feelings of the OC, then JK and the Jimin? Maybe? Idk sorry. Anyway love ur work :)

More equilibrium asks under the cut! I’m so sorry that I don’t have the time to respond to each and every one of your lovely messages, but seriously. My equilibrium readers are my fave people on earth AND I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH <3 THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SEND ME SUPPORT AND RENEWING MY LOVE FOR THIS SERIES <3

Anonymous said:Thank you for being able to find the time to write equilibrium, and thank you for being able to find the time to update it as well- and come on tumblr at all tbh. I know it must not seem like it but most of us really really appreciate it. Please don’t feel rushed to update and take as much time as you need. Thank you again for your work.

Anonymous said:hey! thank you SO much for continuing equilibrium. I’m really enjoying the plot and character development. its very interesting and you do a rly good job at weaving all the layers of meaning together. you’re one of my favorite writers 💗 hope ur having a great day!

Anonymous said:(3) I wonder what is it that jimin saw on jungkook as well, I don’t think that just good looks and the fact that he is good at a lot of things are enough to fall in love or accept being in that kind of relationship ¿ or maybe yes or I’m missing something. Anyways I absolutely adore this fic!! I love your detailed descriptions and how you put important little things and hints and how you think of every single word!! Really thank you for sharing it with us! You have created a huge masterpiece.

Anonymous said:(2)The days when jimin went away must have been the best days of his life, and I wonder now with Jungkook away how the dynamics between jimin and the oc would be, especially her. It would be really wow and not wow at the same time if she turned like kook. I doubt because she knows she doesn’t have a “connection” with jimin, and is more than aware that he wants jungkook. But maybe things will change like they did with him.

minsuguk said:(1) It surprises me how the oc feels about jimin, accepting jungkook’s possesiveness and mad terms in order to keep him in that crazy relationship which is the only way she can have a just little bit of jimin. But again, I’m not surprised because it’s kind of what Jungkook felt ¿ I mean he saw something in her, and she saw something in jimin. And jungkook was aware of her and jimins feelings and he proposed being together in order to be with her as well.

Anonymous said:I want to feel bad for all of them, but I feel bad for none of them. That’s a lie I feel slightly bad for o/c but shes doing it to herself because she wants to keep this tiny connection to Jimin and that’s the start of her problem! All in all this is gonna end badly. I knew that necklace was gonna come back and bit her in the ass.

Anonymous said:(part 2) You know how Jungkook is all fucking crazy in denial about having a connection with her could she be in the same denial except (but not crazy) I mean Jimin had to have noticed the reader was always with him in the beginning now they don’t even touch each other its all so fucked up because you cant feel bad for anyone at this point (I am scared for the reader though because how far will jungkook go if she let jimin touch her)

Anonymous said:Jimin CAN’T be oblivious to this whole situation if he was able to hear his name being called when Jungkook was fingering the mc he had to have heard something else. Could he be ignoring this situation to make sure he is able to stay with jk the same way jk and mc are using each other for the same thing? bc if it was obvious that jimin was in love with jk before anything happened did he have to “get through” 1 on 1 with the mc like she did with jungkook (part 1)

Anonymous said:oh dude the relationship in equilibrium is on the verge of becoming a huge trainwreck but i can’t stop reading it cos i want to see how big of a trainwreck it will become. can’t wait til we get to the point where the relationship just swerves off the track and just goes kablooey! rip.

Anonymous said:oh my gosh I absolutely adored reading the new chapter of equilibrium! I’m so amazed that you find the time out of your busy day to write so much! thank you so so much for the new chapter. i’m really curious to see how this story line will progress, and I do wonder what will happen with jimin and y/n over that weekend… hmm anyways thank you again!! this is my first time writing to you aha I’m so nervous and also !! I love you please take care of yourself

Anonymous said:I HATE YOU SM I’m kidding I love you lu 💕💕 I can already feel the angst approaching aghhssh I’m going to die

Anonymous said:The new update has me a bit fearful of jungkook. He seems to be a little bit to possessive-at least to me anyways. I wonder if jimin has noticed the change in jungkook as well? When he said that the oc was the only one who understood him it reminded me of the conversation they had in ch4 about his family not approving of his major. When i read that scene the first time, i kinda got the sense that that was why jungkook liked the oc.

Anonymous said:Shook again from Equilibrium updates @.@ Thanks as always!!

Anonymous said:omggggggg equilibriummmm the tension just keeps building and building up I AM SO READY FOR THE SHIT TO HIT THE FAN

Anonymous said:It’s really interesting because there are elements that show a legitimate fear the OC has when it comes to Jungkook. I can’t wait to see more (well I can obv and I will NO PRESSURE FJDKSKSKS but you know what I mean~). Also thank you for updating so often like. I have barely any work & a shit ton of free time and I still just can’t write so you’re??? Like how??? Thank u sm. 💕

Anonymous said:First of all - thank you for updating. You could throw a sentence of Equilibrium in my way once a year and I’d still cry of happiness. And second - I love this story so much you don’t even know. Their relationship has taken such a sharp turn suddenly and Jungkook’s motives are clearer and clearer while the MC still seems to be sort of oblivious? Ah I have so many speculations but there’s not enough characters in asks haha. Anyways it was amazing once again, thank you!

yaja-time said:Equilibrium is too my favorite writings of your.. probably one of my favorites out of all the fics I’ve ever read. But I love it so much I would wait 10 years for you to update. Shit I’d even be happy if you updated with only using 10 words. I understand you have a life and I for one am very grateful for your writings, because they are amazing. So thank you for writing.

Anonymous said:Poor Equilibrium OC :( Sadly this scenario hits close to home with her and Jungkook. But good job as always Lu! I appreciate the work you do, have me on the edge of my seat!

bluefullmetaltitan said:Lol. I’ve been waiting for you to say that!! Yayayay! I support you 100% cause like, it shouldn’t matter how long it takes. I’m in love with all of your writings!! Thank you!!

Anonymous said:bruh, equilibrium tho. i loves it like i loves you. but for real, its amazing and incredible reading smaller details from earlier chapters come back into play and seeing how everything slowly links together (how you have the willpower to write so much is incredible)

Anonymous said:I loved equilibrium babe it's so good keep up the amazing writing I loved the last chapter it's a very good storyline 👍🏼👍🏼 and please In the equilibrium let her end Up with jimin and more jimin smut please 😂😂 seriously loved it 💋💋

Anonymous said:When I first started reading equilibrium I thought it was about the three of them learning how to function in a polyamorous relationship. But in the first 4 chapters, you revealed the MC's feelings towards Jimin, & then showcased Jungkook and MC alone. Then, when Jungkook got possessive, & you wrote Jimin's and MC's back story, I was like, "she's not seriously trying to romanticize this relationship, is she?" BUT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE SHOWCASING LEGIT PROBLEMS IN A REALISTIC STORY. I AM HERE FOR IT

Anonymous said:Im living for Equilibrium rn🔥🔥🔥🔥, your such a good writer. Loving all your works 💖💖

Anonymous said:why do I feel like jungkook semi poisoned jimin so he couldn't go 😫equilibrium is so good rlly got me questioning everything lol

Anonymous said:Hello tayegi, i just want to say, you're the first writer I read in this bts fandom and im so thankful for that. And im so pumped for equilibrium jajajajajaAaaaa 🙏

Anonymous said:I have to be honest I was all for jungkooks protectiveness in early chapters cause I thought it was hella cute but after reading equilibrium chp 11... Im not too sure anymore. Like he actually made me kinda scared and trapped especially during the end (guess that's how good you're writing is). On a positive note, loving this series and I hope all three characters get backlashes for this messed up relationship lmao

Anonymous said:I don't get how anyone can complain about ch11 being "only 3k" like there was so much that happened in that chapter it didn't even feel like it was "short." I'm even amazed you can write such great quality stories despite being a phd student (do these children know what that is???) AND it's like midterm season rn like the quality doesn't drop despite this. And honestly I feel like these chapters have been getting updated pretty frequently these days I feel really spoiled haha

Anonymous said:EQUILIBRIUM IS SOME OF THE BEST WORK I'VE EVER SEEN ON HERE!!! LIKE I WAS AT SCHOOL TODAY AND I READ EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER AND I WAS SO OVERCOME BY WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AND WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT JUNGKOOK WANTED THE READER TO HIMSELF I GOT SO SHOOK!!!! LIKE I KINDA KNEW SOMEHOW THAT HE WANTED HER ALL TO HIMSELF. HE JUST WASN'T GONNA LET JIMIN HAVE HER ANYMORE HUH? BUT I'M SO EXCITED FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!! *sorry for yelling i was too excited for this series ily~*

Anonymous said:Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?! There was an Equilibrium update?! *runs to open tab so that it's the first thing I see after class* Bruh, I can't wait to dive in. Thanks for being a thug about all of those comments. Best part about creating works of art/expressing creativity is that you get to make people think, invite them to have an opinion and start conversations. If anything, Equilibrium provokes its readers to have a clear opinion. That's a success in my book. ;) Fighting always! - Happy Reader

yonggukssmolgf said:I love you. I love your blog. I love your writing. I love the equilibrium series. And I just love how you just take your time to update. Like you do things at you own pace and I like that about you. I followed you because you're an amazing person, you love your followers, and you never disappoint with your fics. Thanks for existing and I hope I made your day a little bit happier!🐼😙😀

Anonymous said:Excuse me young lady... yeah I'm talking to you Lu...Yupp.... you're being mad disrespectful, how dare ruin my nights peaceful sleep but updating equilibrium like that... do you not want me to graduate... it's senior year and I'm head deep into my writing... yeah thanks a lot for ruining my life... JK I LOVE YOU 💕

Anonymous said:I just read chapter 11 of Equilibrium and it made me want to CRY! I love the story so far and it's written amazingly well but it's tOYING WITH MY EMOTIONS! I'm super excited for the updates 💙💙💙💙

seokjinniemin said:oml I just finished chapter 11 of Equilibrium and boy howdy am I SHOOK. Equilibrium is by far one of my favorite fanfic series I've ever read! You're such an amazing writer, they way you convey the stress and anxiety of the oc is just phenomenal. And the small details you put into it like damn! I'm so anxious about this and how it's going to progress, especially with the oc and Jimin being alone. I feel like shit is going to hit the fan real soon o_o

Anonymous said:oh my god that new chapter of Equilibrium actually murdered me LMAO. i absolutely LOVE how every detail counts; like all the little small things that readers wouldn't think matter end up mattering the most. i love this series so much and ily Lu!!

Anonymous said:wtffff please ignore that anon i think you've been updating so quickly!! and i love the story sooo much it's so great no matter how lengthy it is. the content is what matters quality >>> quantity i really love it and know you work hard and appreciate it ❤❤

Anonymous said:Sometimes I think people are just plain dumb. Like, wtf, i am happy that you updated such an amazing story! You do not have the obligation to provide anything for us, you do it because you like it. People should be more grateful and learn to respect. Thank you for de update, you are straight up amazing

aichan11 said:I just read Equilibrium 11, it's so good! I sent you a message before, sorry if it was out of line. Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your writing :) of course I have my own wishes/hopes about how the 3 people in Equilibrium would turn out but I don't want to risk influencing your writing. I can't wait for the whole balance to just tip over and see what happens. Is that too evil of me? Hahaha

Anonymous said:The new chapter was intense! I wonder what Jeon is hiding.. I feel bad for both Jimin and OC. Poor jiminie doesn't know what that kid is doing, and OC is stuck cos of jjk. I love your work Lu, stay classy ❤️❤️

Anonymous said:ahhhhh!!! another amazing chapter babe!!! Love the dynamic,screwed up characters <3 I'm super excited to see Jimin's feelings and thoughts about the OC in future chapters, and see if he's as screwed up as the other two or if he does have some feeling for OC <3 Have a great day babe and thanks for posting and making my shitty day better :)

#sugarmartu #lu answers #equilibrium #beautiful ppl

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Bookshelf Briefs 1/16/20

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 18 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – Welp, I was wrong. Romantically, the final pairing is not what I expected. That said, romance, as always in this series, takes a back seat to the music, and musically the pairing is exactly what I expected. It’s actually quite interesting to see the basic “final volume” beats of a shoujo manga framed in terms of career and musical partner, while the heroine actually ends up with someone else. It’s quite a choice. Elsewhere, the book wraps up the one remaining unresolved pairing. But most of all for me, it goes back to its roots and shows what I loved most about it—Nino screaming the songs like they’re primal. I’ll miss this series, and am interested in what the author is going to do next. – Sean Gaffney

Bakemonogatari, Vol. 2 | By NISIOISIN and Oh!great | Vertical Comics – One thing about the artwork in this manga adaptation, particularly of its lead character, is that it does not shy away from how relentlessly creepy and sexually harassing Araragi can be. The novels made you question how much of it was a narrative device, the anime framed it as so over the top it was almost parody, but the manga makes you squirm at seeing Araragi’s face as he simultaneously beats up and pervs on a little girl. This second volume finishes Hitagi Crab and gets almost halfway through Mayoi Snail, and does a good job at making itself distinct—here the park is a normal park, not the grandiose wonder as seen in the anime. Provided you can tolerate Araragi, an excellent adaptation. – Sean Gaffney

Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 4 | By Mika Yamamori | VIZ Media – Believing that Shishio has gotten back together with his ex, Suzume tries to see it as an opportunity to forget him. It’s not true, though, and after her friends arrange for them to have an aquarium date, Shishio starts acting different around her. I certainly don’t want him to return her feelings, but it’s also pretty shitty that he treats her like she’s special and gives her false hope when he has already rejected her. At least he’s aware of this. There’s a great sequence where they both stop themselves from calling out to the other in the hallway, trying to avoid falling into their typical patterns, but by the end he’s rushing to rescue her from overbearing upperclassmen and falling pots. I really, really am enjoying this series, but continue to hope that she’s eventually going to get over him once and for all. – Michelle Smith

Dirty Pair | By Haruka Takachiho and Hisao Tamaki| Seven Seas – I was both looking forward to this and also dreading it, and in the end the dread won out. I suppose every generation gets the Lovely Angels it deserves. It’s not as if the original novels did not have Kei and Yuri walking around in Bikini tops and short shorts and cracking wise, and they do here as well. And the novels did indeed have the “we are psychically bonded and get hints about solving crimes that way” jazz as well. But this manga adaptation takes the fanservice to eleven, with the Angels making out and getting orgasm faces as they use their psychic powers. The plot of these is essentially very similar to the originals, and the basic “they solve the mystery, but everything is destroyed” premise is still there and valid. That said, the fanservice makes me recommend this only to hardcore fans of the Lovely Angels. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 8 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – I always enjoy the way that there is slow, methodical character development for Umaru in these books. She may still be incapable of taking care of herself without her brother around, but she’s beginning to grow up and demonstrate she might be able to function in society. Of course, there is also the usual Umaru humor, particularly when dealing with Hikari, who not only looks and acts like Umaru but is trying to occupy the same place in her brother’s life. (Speaking of which, we also get more shots of Kanau, Hikari’s older sister and Taihei’s boss, who also might have a thing for him, though I suspect if there’s any romance in this series at all it will be with Ebina, who’s had longer to develop.) Cute, cute, cute. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 36 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – After losing the first set to Nekoma, Karasuno wins the second. As Furudate-sensei elegantly shows through a series of panels comparing past scoreboards to the current one, this is the first time that has ever happened. Indeed, throughout the volume, Furudate excels at conveying the significance of things, particularly when the most reserved players on each team experience a moment in which they recognize how much fun volleyball can be. Tsukishima actually smiles when he’s finally able to score a point against his rival/mentor Kuroo while Kenma, whose predictions are usually correct, is happy when Hinata is able to surprise him with a trick shot. And, in turn, Kuroo is happy that the friend who’s been indulging him all these years is finally enjoying himself. It’s all about appreciating the people who get you and who challenge you. I love this series so much. – Michelle Smith

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 12 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – I get the sense that the author has figured out how many volumes he wants this series to be now, as the pacing seems to have become more rapid. Not in terms of the gags, but in terms of the plot—Shirogane’s desire to resolve his relationship with Kaguya by the Culture Festival seems to mean it will happen next volume or the one after, and for once he seems quietly determined—I think committing to Stanford lit a fire in him. Elsewhere, Chika once again tries to cheat her way to victory and is punished, and also tries to teach Shirogane something easy and is punished. And there’s a chapter advertising the We Want to Talk About Kaguya spin-off, which… we’re not getting here. A lot of fun as usual. – Sean Gaffney

To Be Next to You, Vol. 1 | By Atsuko Namba | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Nina Uemura is in love with her next-door neighbor, Kyosuke Tachibana, who has just started his first year of high school. She ends up witnessing the moment when one of his new classmates, Yuiko Asou, kisses him. This ultimately spurs Nina to confess, but when he goes in to kiss her, she freaks out. Meanwhile, Kyosuke and Asou seem to be getting closer. Because Asou is written so sympathetically (she’s genuinely a good person, and her once-kind boyfriend has become a jerk) and Nina comes across as quite immature comparatively, this manga so far reads like she’s the interloper onto Kyosuke’s love story. He’s moving ahead and she’s desperate to stay by his side, even if he’s entering a world that she’s not yet prepared for. It’s good stuff! I look forward to volume two. – Michelle Smith

Vinland Saga, Vol. 11 | By Makoto Yukimura | Kodansha Comics – It’s been a year and a half since the last omnibus volume of Vinland Saga was released. Somehow in that amount of time I had forgotten just how much humor Yukimura incorporates into what is otherwise an incredibly serious narrative. It helps keep the manga from becoming overwhelmingly bleak, but the balance of between the comedy and tragedy in the eleventh omnibus feels a little off—the jokes and occasional pop culture references (while entertaining) at times lessen the impact of the surrounding scenes. Even so, Vinland Saga remains an intensely compelling and powerful work. These volumes bring to a close the battle at Jomsborg. Throughout the conflict, Thorfinn repeatedly comes up against his decision to live without taking the lives of others. His resolve is severely tested when he confronts the man behind his father’s death and the warriors who likewise seek the deaths of Thorfinn and his companions. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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