#aoi x spectre

[pico-farad]

vrains season 1 reaction pt. 2 - going off about aoi

I had to give this one its own post because I had... a lot to say.

Part 1

Aoi

haha... goddamnit.....

What's frustrating is that all the pieces are there for her to be a good character. Of all the characters in S1, she's the only one who is given a dynamic internal conflict. Every duel she has is about more than just the duel, it's about her, and that's the heart of Yugioh. That's what's missing in Yusaku.

Her duel seeking out Playmaker is in direct response to her brother telling her to stop going into Link Vrains. Her duel against Baira is about reconciling being put in a coma, and developing her own resolve to fight Hanoi, to protect others from the same fate. And her duel against Spectre is about their clashing ideals, mirrored in their dueling styles (healing vs. burn). Even her throwaway duel against a literal NPC robot furthers her character, as she rebels against her brother who's forbid her from even leaving the house.

The problem with these duels... is that the writers don't actually care about her character growth. 

So, I think a lot of discussion by Yugioh fans about whether X character "deserved better" tends to centralize around "X should have gotten that duel" or "X should have won that duel," which really comes up a lot when it comes to female characters, but I think often misses the point of how duels are devices for storytelling in Yugioh.

Aoi was not shafted because she lost against Yusaku and Spectre. Yes, the virus corruption and falling on her head scenes sucked and were gratuitous. But losing duels is good for characters. Losses are where we see major turning points in their arcs. That's the basic modus operandi for a Yugioh rival, and the same logic can and should apply to the Yugioh girls.

The problem is that the reason Aoi loses those duels has nothing to do with Aoi. She is put in a coma during the Playmaker duel because the writers needed to engineer a conflict between Playmaker and Akira (in other words bring SOL Technologies into the picture). She loses to Spectre because the writers want Yusaku to go into the final battle alone.

Even if they really wanted to contrive these scenarios, they still could have given Aoi something to work with story-wise. They could dwell on her self-doubt, after her brother is proven right that Link Vrains is dangerous. They could have her question her beliefs after the duel with Spectre, perhaps a parallel with her brother, whose duel with Yusaku similarly has him extending what he thinks is compassion toward Yusaku, but which falls flat because he's failing to understand Yusaku.

Even though Aoi has a repeated story beat of trying to prove to her brother that she's autonomous and capable, the actual writing tries to stomp it out at every turn. Either she loses, which reinforces her brother's belief that fighting is too dangerous for her and she needs to be coddled. Or she wins, but her brother continues to think she's incapable, and neither of their characters develop.

Which brings me to what I think the biggest flaw in her writing is -- Akira.

The show romanticizes Aoi and her brother's relationship, but it's SO obvious the toll that Akira's overprotectiveness takes on Aoi, how it's led her to be isolated and insecure, and how the Blue Angel persona is a form of release for her.

Akira cares about Aoi, but he doesn't respect her, and it's damaging to Aoi's sense of self.

This is what aggravates me, because I think that would be a great story to tell with her character, but the writers cannot see what's right in front of them.

And this would strengthen Akira's character too. It is good that Akira is a controlling, flawed person. It is also consistent with his duel with Yusaku, where he's also very patronizing, and misguidedly believes he's doing the right thing by sheltering Yusaku from the truth about the Lost Incident. In which Yusaku rightfully tells him to fuck off, Akira has no business prying into his trauma and telling him what he should do about it.

Which would have been a great moment for Akira to connect some dots about how he thinks he knows what's best for other people and how he infantilizes his sister. But instead the duel ends with Yusaku saying some real bullshit about how Aoi and Akira deserve to stay together and protect each other.

Anyway... there are still two seasons that I'm going to watch, but I have my doubts that they'll pick these particular strings back up. I'll just have to hope that they don't fumble whatever new thing they give her... but things tend to get bleaker for female Yugioh characters as the show goes on and whatever initial involvement they had in the story fizzles out.

A few positive notes to end on...

I like both of her designs, she's the only character who takes advantage of contrasting the expressiveness of the Vrains avatars with her plain real appearance. And it's a little funny that Blue Angel is... just Hatsune Miku. 

I like her Blue Angel voice. It's still an idol girl voice, but it's very unique. The Trickstars are aesthetically kind of boring (they're too similar to Yuzu's Melodious cards imo) but seeing a burn deck is cool, since anime duels tend to distill to Attack With Big Number. Even though it's a crime that she doesn't win her duels in a 4000 LP format.

I think ultimately, I still do like Aoi even among the Yugioh girls, because of the missed potential I talked about. I've got one more planned Vrains post coming, which goes into that.

But also, at the time of writing this, I just finished the Soulburner vs. Blue Girl duel in season 2 and holy moly was that the biggest bullshit I've ever seen. So maybe the Vrains thoughts will continue.

[higuchimon]

Ok, I am seriously considering taking part in the upcoming YGO Rare Pairs Week. I have all but one ship decided, and the final slot, I'm waffling over. So I decided to ask advice. In a poll. Whichever it ends up being will be written & posted late in the week.

[number-1-kuaidul-fanboy]

My Opinions on Every VRAINS Ship

Well, every VRAINS ship that has an official ship name here on Tumblr, plus three bonus ships at the end that don’t have names but I’m familiar enough with to talk about. Gonna go in alphabetical order by their ship names because that’s the easiest and most unbiased way to do it. Gonna be rating them on a scale from: NO, not my thing, funny or cute idea, like, and love.

Because fair warning, I really don’t like some of these ships.

Abyssalshipping (Ai x Aqua)

NO. The one thing I dislike about Manjome in GX is his weird, sometimes creepy crush on Asuka and… yeah, it’s the same thing here. Not nearly as bad, as it’s less focused on and Ai doesn’t try to make her be with him or anything, but still, really weird and unappealing ship. I much prefer them platonically, which is what they are in Flame of Life.

Aiballshipping (Ai x Yusaku)

This is my OTP of VRAINS, and probably in all of Yugioh if I’m being honest with myself. I love their dynamic, their back and forths, all the build up and little moments throughout the series leading up to that gut punch of a finale. Their relationship is also the one thing keeping the VRAINS storyline of Duel Links afloat for me don’t @ me.

Algorithmshipping (Kengo x Shoichi)

Honestly, I had never heard of this ship before I read the list so I have no real opinion on it. Not really sure how it would work but I don’t mind its existence I suppose.

Altarshipping (Aoi x Ema)

NO. I always saw Ema as more of an older sister figure to Aoi, emphasis on “older” because Aoi is a minor and Ema… never had her age confirmed to my knowledge but watching the show, I always interpreted her as in her twenties. Early twenties sure, but too old to be with a minor.

Almondshipping (Aoi x Miyu x Yusaku)

Each of these individual ships are coming up and I have wildly different opinions on each of them so for now I’ll say I’m indifferent to this specific throupple, but throupples in general are nice to have.

Angelmakershipping (Aoi x Yusaku)

No. Out of all the ships here that aren’t like… illegal or messed up on this list, this is the one I hate the most. Because it feels so obligatory. Like in the blissful days before the god awful VRAINS dub, it was only a ship because “he was a boy she was a girl can I make it any more obvious” when they don’t have that kind of relationship at all. I think it’s actually novel and really nice that despite some pointless teasing early on, they were only ever friends and Aoi had a character arc and development completely separate from Yusaku. I feel like making their relationship romantic would’ve just ruined that. It’s not my bias to Aiball, trust me, I ship both Yusaku and Ai with other characters as well (as you’ll see coming up). This ship just really rubs me the wrong way, especially because the dub warped the text of the show to push this ship more, which coupled with their gay erasure, comes off as gross to me.

Blueghostshipping (Aoi x Spectre) NO. Even harder NO than the last one, jesus christ. Spectre is a huge creep to her, psychoanalysing her out of nowhere, manipulating her, and then beating her to death… in a card game but that’s basically assault in the YGO universe.

Blackholeshipping (Jin x Ryoken)

Really random (with only one canon interaction that is not good) but I honestly really like this ship. It has some really fun content here on Tumblr and the way I personally characterise Jin is this really cheerful upbeat person, who isn’t fazed by others’ rudeness. So Ryoken’s bluntness wouldn’t faze them at all. I just really like the whole “the sunshine one lifts up the grumpy one” trope and this ship, and really any Jin ship for that matter, is that dynamic to me. Plus I love Ryoken so putting him in that dynamic is really fun.

Braveangelshipping (Aoi x Shima)

No. I don’t have a strong take on this one like I do some of the other no’s, it’s just… no. He certainly has a crush on her, but I can’t see her ever requiting.

Bulletstormshipping (Ryoken x Windy)

Okay so this one’s tricky. I enjoy shipping Ryoken with Ignis and I really love both of these characters. There’s also pretty good content for this ship out there. But… the way I characterise purple eyes Windy (aka: Windy’s true personality) is really sensitive and kind of clingy, and he would be especially emotionally vulnerable after finding out that after his data was rewritten, he killed his origin. And blunt Ignis racist Ryoken would not be a good match for that. This is why the only WindRyo piece I’ve written is set at a point where they’re far into their relationship for the record. Ryoken taking in Windy as his partner (in the Ignis way but potentially the human way eventually) is a very cute potentially funny concept as long as one or both of these sides of them are scaled back. So while I like this ship, it’s not one I can see myself writing much.

Canineshipping (Akira x Kengo)

Like the ship name, don’t care for anything else about it. Okay come to think of it, maybe I just don’t care much about Kengo, because his ships are the only ones I’ve had virtually no opinion on so far…

Cauterizeshipping (Flame x Takeru x Ryoken)

My most recent currently ongoing fanfic, Flame of Life, is about this throupple. I love every individual ship in it, and I love the dynamic the three of them have. (Especially Flame and Takeru teasing the hell out of Ryoken, last week’s chapter was probably my favourite to write in the whole fic.) This is my favourite polyship in Yugioh, by a landslide. It doesn’t have any basis in canon, but the potential was enough to suck me in and write my own narrative for them that I’m really in love with.

Celebshipping (Go Onizuka x Yusaku)

I don’t really like Go Onizuka because he’s a different person every time we see him so it’s hard to get invested in him but this ship is fine. Go is a bit old for him but three years isn’t as bad as some of the other ships’ age gaps. It is a ship that exists I suppose.

Charismashipping (Aoi x Go Onizuka)

Same as above. This is indeed a ship that exists.

Chatshipping (Shima x Yusaku)

Similar to Braveangel, I think Shima has a crush on Playmaker, but I can’t see Yusaku ever requiting that, especially since he canonically finds Shima stupid and annoying. So no.

Chesspieceshipping (Go Onizuka x Queen)

No. She was willing to let him die with that AI chip implant stunt. Also, I don’t like either of them, but I hate Queen far more.

Cobrashipping (Go Onizuka x Ryoken)

I love Ryoken and am not attached to mister Go so this ship is not my thing. Their duel was pretty good though.

Coexistshipping (Ai x Pandor)

Uuuuuuuuuuh.

I mean, I see Ai as gay (or attracted to men I guess) but if I had to ship him with a girl, Pandor is probably the best option? So I don’t ship it but it’s fine. It’s harmless.

Conduitshipping (Akira x Ema x Shoichi)

No. I’ll elaborate on why in the Ema/Shoichi section.

Crystalheartshipping (Aqua x Earth)

Finally another ship I like. Earth’s crush on Aqua was cute, as much as I make fun of the whole “pushing Aqua off the hoverboard” thing. Still, it’s cute. Basic, but cute.

Cybersedragonshipping (Firewall Dragon x Topologic Bomber Dragon)

I have no idea why this is a ship, but I’m glad it is because it’s really funny. I don’t like Datastorm, but I can get behind this.

Darkcrystalshipping (Ai x Aqua x Earth)

Normally, I would say/joke that the best solution to a love triangle is polyamory but in this case… Aqua does not like Ai, and I do not like that ship. So I don’t care for this one.

Darkfireshipping (Ai x Flame)

Meh. I only ever saw this as platonic but it’s perfectly harmless. Would make a funny enemies to lovers fic honestly.

Datastormshipping (Yusaku x Ryoken)

I never saw the appeal of this one. I still don’t get why Yusaku was so desperate to reform/reach out to Ryoken after Ryoken said to his face that he regretted saving his life and the fact that this ship is just… everywhere and often characterises these two in ways I don’t personally agree with makes me really not care for it. I don’t hate it like I hate some of these other ships but I do feel nothing toward it. So it’s a no.

Daybreakshipping (Yusaku x Jin)

Nah. I always think of these two as siblings so I can’t see a romantic relationship between them.

Any Haru ship

I have this opinion for every ship involving Haru: I know he’s an AI, but he looks and acts like a little kid so I don’t feel comfortable shipping him with any of the teens or adults. So all of his ships are a no.

Dischargeshipping (Jin x Lightning)

This one’s weird for me. I really ship my version of it in Blissful Ignorance: where Lightning isn’t a human hating serial killer that tortures children, they’re just kind of a jerk and Jin has no memory of them so their dynamic is essentially a “tsundere/deredere” and “the cheerful one lifts up the grumpy one” dynamic and also Jin is getting revenge without either of them realising it. And that’s how I like the ship. Other renditions of the ship… vary because the canon foundation is just awful and fucked up. So this ship is a yes in very specific circumstances.

Disastershipping (Ryoken x Takeru x Yusaku)

Really funny name and throupples are fun but I really only care for one of the pairings in this set romantically so it’s not my thing.

Elfinshipping (Ema x Hayami)

I hate Hayami so no. Ema is a lesbian probably, but Ema also deserves better.

Embershipping (Ryoken x Flame)

My favourite Ryoken/Ignis ship. Not really for anything canon (although I do like the scene where Flame tells Takeru that it’s possible Ryoken was trying to apologise to him) by throwing their duel but because of how I wrote in my story, Flame of Life. It’s just both precious and hilarious.

Emissaryshipping (Yusaku x Playmaker)

…what? No.

Entrustshipping (Takeru x Kiku)

Confession time: the first time I watched VRAINS, I thought Takeru and Kiku were brother and sister. Now that I know they’re not, I just find it really odd that Takeru asked this random friend of his to look after his grandparents while he fucked off to another city with no indication he intended to ever return until the very end of the series when he’d already been gone for a long time. Maybe Kiku was just his only friend at the time, the only person he could trust with something as big as this, which… sure, okay. But still, not telling her he intended to return and just taking off like that? That’s weird.

So I never really got into this ship. It feels like another obligatory “he was a boy she was a girl,” though I don’t vehemently hate this ship like I do Yusaku/Aoi. So it’s… fine. It’s a ship that exists.

Extinguishshipping (Flame x Windy)

Again, I really like these two platonically, and I can see where the ship comes from, but I don’t quite see it romantically.

Fireballshipping (Flame x Takeru)

Yeeees, love these little beans. I’ve always loved their canon dynamic and I always love reading fics about them. I love that Flame supports him but also isn’t above roasting him.

Firestormshipping (Takeru x Yusaku)

…yeah, I never got into this one. I honestly expected to ship it more than I did, but I vastly prefer it platonically than romantically. Nothing wrong with the ship, it’s just not my cup of tea.

Gateshipping (Ema x Ryoken)

No. She seems a little too old for him. I know Ryoken is 18 but that still seems too young to be dating someone who’s seemingly in her mid twenties.

Hireshipping (Ema x Akira)

I mean… I admittedly shipped this a bit on my first viewing, despite my meme about Ema being a lesbian. But like… I can kinda see this ship and her being bi instead. So, this is a very light “I ship it” but… yeah, I kinda do.

Hotdogshipping (Yusaku x Shoichi)

No. They’re stupidly far apart in age (with Yusaku also being a minor) and I always interpreted their relationship as more of a brotherly one.

Hydrogenshipping (Lightning x Aqua)

Absolutely freaking not, I might like Lightning as a character but Aqua deserves way better than them!

Ignisshipping (Ai x Aqua x Earth x Flame x Lightning x Windy)

…okay, I don’t particularly ship any pair in this romantically (besides Aqua/Earth) but I’m gonna say I ship it out of the humour and chaos factors alone. This is hilarious.

Infectshipping (Aso x Kyoko)

Yeah sure. I get behind this. I can especially get behind these two being a couple and also acting like parental or older sibling figures to Ryoken. That’s cute.

Lieutenantshipping (Aso x Genome x Kyoko)

I don’t like Genome. This ship is better without him.

Manipulateshipping (Ema x Kengo)

HARD NO. THEY ARE SIBLINGS.

Yes, half siblings, but they’re still related by blood and know they’re siblings. If this ship came about before it was revealed they were siblings, then I get it, but they’re siblings now so this ship is a hard no for me.

Mascotshipping (Ai x Shoichi)

Nah. Although the reason behind the name is funny.

Monkeyshipping (Ryoken x Shima)

Again, really funny ship name but I don’t particularly ship it. I wouldn’t be adverse to reading about it though. I have plenty of ships that revolve around the concept of annoying the shit out of Ryoken and honestly? The more the merrier. It’s what he deserves.

Monopolyshipping (Poly SOL executives)

…okay this is the best ship name out of all of them. It’s funny as shit but also legitimately clever. I’m won over to it by that fact alone… even though I don’t know exactly what the ship entails XD

Moonlightshipping (Miyu x Yusaku)

Wow. What a pretty ship name for a ship I give absolutely no shits about. I’d take it over Yusaku/Aoi, mostly because I can imagine Miyu’s adult personality to be whatever I want it to be (which for me is very positive and extroverted, so a good contrast to Yusaku’s introverted pessimism) so I can see them having actual chemistry beyond friendship. Plus Aoi and Ai acting as wingmen to Miyu and Yusaku respectively is a really cute idea, especially if it’s with the intent of inducing them into a polycule.

…actually you know what? I take it back, I can actually get behind this ship. It’s obviously not one of my favourites or anything, but I could see it being potentially cute.

Motherearthshipping (Earth x Spectre)

Yeah, I ship it. Spectre needs someone in his life he can feel close to who doesn’t have power over him in some way. Uh… spoilers for a later take I guess. This ship is good though.

Pathwayshipping (Ema x Shoichi)

No. I’m pretty sure the only reason this is a ship is because of that dub exclusive scene where Kusanagi… really crosses the customer service line and flirts with one of his customers. Gross. No. Bad.

Patronshipping (Ryoken x Shoichi)

Speaking of shipping Kusanagi with his customers! Yeah, I don’t like this one either. I’m sorry, the art is really pretty and some of the concepts are neat but Kusanagi is waaay too old for him. An 8 year age gap might not be a big deal for people who are 30 and 38 or something but Ryoken is 18 and Kusanagi is 26. You can argue Ryoken acts older but within the show, it is plot relevant that he is around the same age as the lost incident kids, one of which is Kusanagi’s little brother. Ryoken is closer in age to Jin than Kusanagi, who is also a lot older than Jin. So it’s uncomfortable.

Perennialshipping (Aoi x Kiku)

Huh. I didn’t know Kiku was shipped with anyone other than Takeru to be honest. Blue Maiden and Swift Storm should duel. Maybe date I dunno. Cute idea.

Phoenixshipping (Aoi x Takeru)

Okay, super dope ship name, don’t really care for the ship itself. Though that being said, out of the “Superhero” throupple (which I’ll get to) this is probably the pairing I can most understand. Takeru’s fanboying over and admiration for Blue Girl could easily turn into a crush and post canon they could comfort each other over the losses of their Ignis. And maybe bond over them if they ever got them back. I like that better platonically since I prefer other ships, but I can understand this ship.

Pistolshipping (Kengo x Ryoken)

Great ship name but like Kusanagi/Ryoken, Kengo is too old for him. Actually, I think it’s even worse in Kengo’s case because he’s quite a bit older than Ema, who’s also too old for Ryoken, something we learned was the case before these two even met. I’m sorry but a character being “legally of age” does not make large age gaps like these less uncomfortable for me.

Piushipping (Ai x Ryoken)

Ha. And I thought TakeRyo was a hate ship before this ship made its way into my life. I just think that the funniest way for Ai to get his revenge on the Ignis hating dirtbag would be for Ryoken to catch feels for him. Especially if Ai… well, I want to keep this post SFW so let’s just say that while I do ship this, it’s mostly for the memes and *clears throat* NSFW reasons.

Poltergeistshipping (Ema x Yusaku)

No. She’s too old for him. Moving on.

Proveshipping (Aoi x Akira)

No. That’s incest and has a stupidly large age gap of ten years, not to mention he sort of raised her. That’s gross. Moving on.

Rainwatershipping (Aoi x Aqua x Miyu)

Yes! Water throupple! The two water ladies should absolutely have shared custody of the sweet water bean!

Respectfulshipping (Spectre x Ryoken)

I am so sorry, MerryFortune, I love your work, but uh… Ryokie here has too much power over Spectre and recently (while writing Flame of Life especially), I’ve been thinking of these two like siblings. I’m not gonna cry incest or anything, as that’s just my interpretation of their relationship but that and the power imbalance make it really hard for me to see this as a romantic pair like I once did.

Yeah about that… this is actually the only Yugioh ship I’ve ever fallen out of love with. I shipped it when I first watched late season 2, as I disliked both of them at the time and those episodes made me take notice of the fact that despite everything, Spectre and Ryoken actually cared about each other, which I thought was really cute. And I still do, it just… doesn’t work romantically for me. I’d take it over Datastorm though.

Recoilshipping (Takeru x Ryoken)

Damn. Going right from my first Ryoken ship to the one I dropped that ship for. Well, okay, it’s not that simple, but I did start getting into TakeRyo around the time that SpecRyo began falling from grace in my mind. So TakeRyo is like the foundation of what I want out of a Ryoken ship: someone who’s his opposite, who’s willing to call him out on his BS, and be forward enough to annoy/fluster him. Well, in my writing at least, Ryoken was the more forward one at first, and for this particular ship, both work for me but yes I do have a preference for Takeru being the more forward/confident one, at least when they actually start dating. So yeah anyways I ship it. I like how they went from hating each other to being actually kinda okay with each other by the end of the series and damn is their second duel one of my favourites in the whole series.

Roboaishipping (Ai x Roboppi)

No. The jokes about them uh… being intimate in early season 1 feels like early series weirdness with their relationship in season 2 and especially season 3 shifting to more of a brotherly bond. And unlike SpecRyo, that is actually canon: at least to an extent, Roboppi calls Ai “big bro” and just generally looks up to him like an older brother. Even if they aren’t blood related, that is still the relationship they have so I can’t bring myself to ship it. Plus like Haru, Roboppi is baby, he is my son, I can’t ship him with someone who’s far more mature and just older seeming!

Wait a minute… Haru and Roboppi… Haru and… Roboppi… okay, new ship. Haru/Roboppi, Robobroshipping, named so for them both being robots with older brother figures, who’s with me? :D

Rockdustshipping (Earth x Ryoken x Spectre)

Merry, is this ship name your handiwork? :) I know you ship it and as much as I don’t like SpecRyo, I can actually kind of get behind this. Because shipping Ryoken with Ignis is a fun pastime plus EarthSpec and polyamory are certified bangers.

…I just realised it might have been important to note that I’m polyamorous earlier in this post.

Royalghostshipping (Queen x Ema)

No. Ema deserves better. I don’t ship her with Hayami either but even that would be better. Although the most ideal outcome from this set of characters would be the two mean girls getting together and creating the most toxic workplace on earth… okay I probably shouldn’t have described that as ideal. Oops.

Safeshipping (Akira x Shoichi)

Uuuuuuuuugh. Soft nah on this one. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just don’t see the appeal.

Saviorshipping (Ryoken x Spectre x Yusaku)

I don’t like either of these two with Ryoken because he has too much power over both of them, Spectre more so but Ryoken/Yusaku also has the problem of Yusaku putting Ryoken up on a pedestal, just to a lesser degree. And, it’s an issue that would probably be exacerbated by putting the three of them together. So this ship is a no from me.

Scytheshipping (Ema x Kyoko)

Yay! A decent lady for Ema! I ship it!

Yeah, she was a cyber terrorist I guess but she eventually did the right thing :)

Stauroliteshipping (Earth x Aoi)

I am confused why this is a ship (because Aoi took in Aqua maybe?) Cool ship name though, really creative.

Subservientshipping (Jin x Spectre)

Back when I disliked Spectre I hated this ship. Now I’m pretty neutral to it. I can’t think of a particular reason to dislike it but I can’t say I care for it either.

Superheroshipping (Aoi x Takeru x Yusaku)

I love these three as a group of platonic friends. These three plus Ai, Ryoken, and Miyu are pretty much a clique in my VRAINS long fics but I don’t particularly care for it being romantic.

Teardropshipping (Aoi x Aqua)

I mean as you could probably tell from my cheers of “water throupple! :D” earlier, I ship this. I think it’s cute how Aoi took her in and how supportive Aqua was of her in their duels. I wish we could’ve seen more of them together. Duel Links, I’m still pissed at you for fucking up Revolver so badly, but make this happen!

Tornadoshipping (Windy x Lightning)

No. Lightning is so bad at making friends they have to either create them or brainwash them. Sweet lil Wimdy would never have gone along with Lightning’s plans if not for them brainwashing him! Which is 100% canon, rewatch Lightning vs Revolver, they explicitly say this.

But yeah anyways my point is Windy deserves better.

Trickmirrorshipping (Ryoken x Aoi)

Eeeeeeeeh. Ryoken did try to kill her back when he was evil, but I ship pairings who’ve done far worse to each other. And having another character on team Ignis punching Revolver in the face with their lips is always a good thing…

Wait, am I only considering this because I ship Ryoken/Aqua?

Okay, well, uh, I’d never write this (because I see Ryoken as a gay man who only initially made an exception for Aqua cuz tentacles) but this is honestly a decent ship. Like, if I was tasked with shipping Ryoken with a girl, and it had to be a ship with an official name, this would be my pick.

Vaporshipping (Flame x Aqua)

Meh. They get along pretty well so I can understand where this came from. Not my thing though.

Vestashipping (Ema x Flame)

I’m not surprised this ship exists since they’ve canonically flirted. But uh. No.

Wildfireshipping (Takeru x Spectre)

This seems like it would be very messy. Could work I suppose, though it’s not a ship I’m all that drawn to.

Wisteriashipping (Yusaku x Spectre)

One of my newest ships. I got into this one while straight up searching for characters to ship Spectre with and out of the human pairings, this one stuck out to me the most. So I read a fic about it and… yeah I really like it. I’m very into opposites attract narratives if you can’t tell and these two had the exact opposite reaction to the Lost Incident. Interesting drama :)

Zinniashipping (Aoi x Miyu)

More flowers. Guess these two are water girls and flower girls. Maybe they’re mermaids? :D Anyways, Aoi/Miyu is a yes. They were the tertiary ship in The Lost is Found (even in the bonus chapters) and are featured again and Flame of Life so I think that was obvious. Maybe childhood friends to lovers is also just a favourite trope of mine because I started shipping it pretty much as soon as it was introduced. Maybe it’s the Lion King fan in me.

Okay, bonus ship time! Disclaimer: these are all Ryoken ships, he’s probably my most shipped character in anything.

First off, Ryoken/Miyu. Aka: a rarepair I respect enough to not steal its name, Watergunshipping, after I realised it was being unofficially used for them. Like Ryoken/Aoi, it’s not my thing at all due to my preferences/headcanons but like if people wanna make it an official ship I’d vote in the polls for its name.

Next, Ryoken/Lightning. I suggested a ship name for them but it was generic and I didn’t care enough about this pairing to come up with a new name or push any harder for it to have an official name. Because the only reason I wrote about it was to complete a set, it is not a functioning pairing in the slightest for many reasons. They cannot stand each other. And between the two of them, I actually root for Ryoken more than Lightning so the concept of Lightning getting revenge isn’t even particularly appealing.

Finally, Ryoken/Aqua. My one true exception to Ryoken being exclusively into men. Came for her tentacles, stayed for her cute, beautiful, wonderful soul- I have a crush on Aqua, I admit it. But also pairing the lying gruff tsundere disaster man with the sweet gentle living lie detector Ignis is just a hilarious idea to me. Some of the other Ignis might openly flirt with and try to seduce him, Aqua would just exist around him and watch with a smile as he falls further in love. This is probably the reason I’m a little more okay with Ryoken/Aoi and Ryoken/Miyu. I don’t ship either of them but if he’s with them, Aqua will be close by. Neeheehee :)

[arkadiaasks]

Thoughts on Blueghostshipping (Aoi x Spectre)?

... Wouldn't this be essentially really REALLY weird hate sex?

[kusanagistan]

part 1 out of who even knows, these are fun

[recentanimenews]

In/Spectre Season 2 to Now Premiere in January 2023

    The official website for the In/Spectre anime series announced today that In/Spectre Season 2’s broadcast date will now shift to January 2023 from the originally scheduled October 2022. Future updates on the series will be announced on the series’ official homepage and Twitter, as well.

    放送延期のお知らせ 10月より放送を予定しておりました『虚構推理 Season2』は、諸般の事情により放送を延期させて頂くことになりました。 現在、2023年1月からの放送を予定しております。 何卒ご理解いただきますよう、宜しくお願い申し上げます。 虚構推理２製作委員会https://t.co/RA82xfYLYn

— 「虚構推理」TVアニメ公式 (@kyokou_suiri) May 2, 2022

    Season 2 teaser trailer:

    Season 2 key visual:

    The series announced on March 3 that Yuki Aoi (Madoka Kaname in Puella Magi Madoka Magica) would join Season 2 as the character Yuki Onna and Makoto Furukawa (Saitama in One-Punch Man) will play Masayuki Muroi.

  Season 2 was announced on November 26, 2020, with Crunchyroll announcing the new season would come to the service for members in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and CIS.

  Based on the light novels by Kyo Shirodaira, the first season of In/Spectre streamed on Crunchyroll as it aired in Japan as part of the Winter 2020 season. Kodansha releases the manga in English. Crunchyroll describes the series as such:

    Iwanaga Kotoko became the god of wisdom to the supernatural beings and spends her days solving problems for them. However, the boy who she fell head over heels for, Sakuragawa Kuro, is someone that is feared by all supernatural creatures. The two of them face various mysterious incidents involving the supernatural in this love x romance x mystery series. Where will these fantastical incidents lead them and what will happen with Kotoko’s crush?

  RELATED: In/Spectre Season 2 Announces October 2022 Premiere, Unveils New Key Visual and Additional VAs 

    Source: TV anime "In/Spectre" official website / Twitter

  ©Kyo Shirodaira, Chasiba Katase, KODANSHA/"In/Spectre 2" Production Committee

  By: Mikikazu Komatsu

[medea10]

My Review of Rent-A-Girlfriend

How did I get into this anime? Let’s just say due to a few websites I frequent around decided to be little whore-ish, I became curious by this particular title. Let’s just say they were mentioning this one at least every other day prior to the premier. So out of natural curiosity and knowing nothing of what I’m getting into, I decided to add another Friday anime to my watch list. I guess Fridays are my busy day for watching anime!

Kazuya Kinoshita is a 20 year old college student. Life seems to be going well for him until his girlfriend decides to dump him.

Not even 30 seconds into this anime and this sad-sack gets dumped!

SERIOUSLY! 18 SECONDS! NEW FRIGGIN’ RECORD!!!

So after Kazuya gets dumped, he ends up on a website and before you know it, he’s made arrangements to go on a date with a rented girlfriend! Yes, these are very much a thing. You can go to a website and pay a woman to go on a date with you. Apparently, Japan has a lot of these services and it does get a little ewwie with it so I’m gonna move on with the synopsis.

The girl he ends up going out with is named Chizuru Ichinose. The first date seemed to be going well, but Kazuya felt off by this girl. He just thought Chizuru was just playing with her clients hearts, plus he’s still a little heart-broken from his previous girlfriend, so he gives her a bad review. So when they go on their second date, Chizuru’s cutesy, sweet act is replaced with someone who is tempermental and sassy.

Just then, Kazuya gets word his grandmother collapsed!

I know it’s weird in the synopsis, but just go with it!

With word of his grandmother in the hospital, Kazuya ends up taking Chizuru to the hospital with him. Turns out Kazuya’s family jumped to the obvious conclusion that this girl is his girlfriend and they went nuts. Mostly at the fact that their son actually got a cute girlfriend! Add another layer of WTF to this cake, Chizuru’s grandmother is in this exact, same hospital as Kazuya’s grandmother. And both ladies are over the moon that these two are dating (even though that’s far from the truth). Chizuru hasn’t even told her family that she’s working at Rent-a-Waifu! Well, let’s just break things off and let the family down easy.

Oh, look! They both go to the same university. Oh look! They’re also next door neighbors. I smell shenanigans!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: At this moment, the only one streaming this series is Crunchyroll. A few weeks into the premier, Crunchyroll started airing a dub. As for the sub, this is my first time really listening to the main lead’s seiyuu, Shun Horie. But the rest of the cast has a nice mixture of memorable voices like Aoi Yuuki, Rie Takahashi, Sora Amamiya, Gakuto Kajiwara…oh fuck!

DAMMIT ASTA, STOP HAUNTING MY EAR-DRUMS!

As for the dub, Crunchyroll is currently publishing an episode once a week. The dub is just okay in my opinion, really nothing to write home about. The only thing I can say is that Aleks Le did a fairly-decent job voicing Kazuya. After voicing Zenitsu last year, he’s got a knack for voicing wimpy twats. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Kazuya is played by Shun Horie

*Chizuru is played by Sora Amamiya (known for Toka on Tokyo Ghoul, Aqua on Konosuba, Miia on Monster Musume, Akame on Akame ga Kill, Elizabeth on Seven Deadly Sins, and Yachiyo on Magia Record)

*Mami is played by Aoi Yuuki (known for Iris on Pokemon BW, Madoka on Madoka Magica, Kayo on ERASED, Yuuki on SAO II, Tatsumaki on One Punch Man, Tamaki on Fire Force, and Kinako on Inazuma Eleven GO)

*Ruka is played by Nao Touyama (known for Chitoge on Nisekoi, Koga on Bunny Girl Senpai, Nii on Blue Exorcist, Akira on Kono Oto Tomare, Momo onAi Tenchi Muyo

ENGLISH CAST: *Kazuya is played by Aleks Le (known for Zenitsu on Demon Slayer and Ake on Shield Hero)

*Chizuru is played by Lizzie Freeman (known for Cardinal on SAO: Alicization, Iwanaga on In/Spectre, Trish on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Pt. 5, and Felicia on Magia Record)

*Mami is played by Laura Stahl (known for Ray on The Promised Neverland)

*Ruka is played by Sarah Williams (known for Sayaka on Madoka Magica, Felix on Re:Zero, Nonon on Kill la Kill, Mirai on Boruto, Lisbeth on SAO, and Puck on Berserk 2016)

DISLIKED CHARACTER: And now, a poem…

Roses are red Mami’s a cunt…

That’s the poem.

SHIPPING: I can honestly say I didn’t expect the Rent-a-Girlfriend and the Ex-Bitch to meet each other in the second episode. Even after going on a few dates with Chizuru, Kazuya still finds himself “beating his meat” to the thought of his ex, Mami. Only for the girls to beat your meat to change places just a few episodes later!

Oh yes, it’s that kind of series! Kazuya jacks off quite a bit.

Kazuya x Chizuru: At times it feels like Kazuya is really falling for Chizuru for who she really is and not the façade she puts up as a rental girlfriend. But I guess the number of awkward setups and situations these two have been thrown in throughout the series can do that to Kazuya. I mean, how else do you expect Kazuya jacking it off to Chizuru when he’s trying to think of his ex?! Yeah, he’s lied to his family, Chizuru’s grandmother, and all of his friends about this relationship and this relationship is as fake as a three-dollar bill. But there are a few genuine moments that show these two care for each other. Kazuya was ballsy enough to jump off a moving boat to save Chizuru when she fell overboard. And Kazuya felt concerned when Chizuru was thinking about leaving the rental girlfriend profession. Though that could be Kazuya being a pathetic sack of shit and wanting to continue this farce relationship and paying a girl for some attention! It’s so hard to say something kind about Kazuya wanting this relationship to work. But for what it’s worth, I like the farce ship better than the next thing I’m going to speak about.

Kazuya x Mami: I don’t like this bitch and I hate this ship. From the get-go you go in hating this succubus. And when we see her again in episode 2, bitches be bitches! Getting drunk in a public setting and making fun of Kazuya not being man enough for her (in the sexual sense). Then, we get Mami trying to go home with Kazuya when Chizuru is gone. But we don’t stop there, she’s trying at every opportunity to make Kazuya drop everything and fall in love with her again. She’s the one that dumped him, but can’t stand seeing Kazuya with anyone else (no matter the awkward circumstances). It’s clear that Mami has severe jealousy issues. I mean, Chizuru is prettier and nicer than Mami. Meanwhile, Mami is a manipulative scum-wad with the charm of a poisonous snake.

Kazuya x Ruka: Ruka was a rental girlfriend from a different agency and was on a double date with Kazuya, Chizuru, and Kazuya’s idiot friend that sounds like Asta. But due to several misunderstandings between Kazuya and Ruka, turns out Kazuya is the only man to get her heart rate up. So Ruka cuts ties with the idiot friend who hired her and has set sights on Kazuya. And she will fight for her man no matter what. She’s even ballsy enough to interrupt Kazuya’s family celebration of New Years by coming in like an asteroid to fuck things up. At this point in the series, Kazuya’s grandmother is dead-set on him marrying Chizuru. Any other girl is shit compared to her! But Ruka will continue to do her thing. Even applying to the same job that Kazuya works at!

Kazuya x Sumi! You expect me to say something about this? They had one bleeping date! And she’s barely seen outside of the opening and ending themes. If there’s more interactions in season two, holla back at me because this ain’t happening. Although, I’ll support the fuck out of this ship over Kazuya x Mami!

BIG SIMPIN’: So being an older millennial (or X-ennial as I’m currently classified under), I am not hip to the lingo of these youngins. Because of Kazuya, the internet uproared by calling him a phrase known as a “simp”. Well, I don’t want to seem like some out-of-touch boomer. So I’m just going to look up this “simp” term and see if this is legitimate. Let’s see what the Slang-tionary says.

“Simp is a slang insult for men who are seen as too attentive and submissive to women, especially out of a failed hope of winning some entitled sexual attention or activity from them.”

Okay. I think it’s time for the rap interlude of this review.

I don't know what you heard about him But a bitch will get every dollar out of him No cherry-poppin’ as you can see That he’s a motherfucking S-I-M-P

ENDING: Being a rental girlfriend isn’t something Chizuru wants to do, but this gives her practice in what she really wants to do, which is become an actor. And as of recently, Chizuru has been thinking about quitting the rental girlfriend agency. So what would happen if Chizuru quit being a rental girlfriend? That’s a question for another day and another season!

So only a few people have learned about Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship being the most complicated farce in anime history. Halfway into the series with Ruka’s introduction, she caught on about Chizuru being a rental girlfriend. And because of that incident, Kazuya decided to come clean to his idiot friend, Shun. When Shun hired Ruka to be his rental girlfriend, dude was on top of the world. But when Ruka exposed what he did in front of Kazuya, Shun got severely depressed. Kazuya decides to pay for Chizuru to take Shun out on a date. That’s when Shun finds out that Kazuya hired Chizuru after Mami dumped him.

You know what? I have to spring this up! How long did you think Kazuya was going to hide the rental girlfriend thing to his friends? He’s friends with a bunch of stinkin’ virgins. Lonely, stinkin’ virgins! Plus, if Chizuru is rated #1 on a Google search for top rental girlfriends (as it was established in episode 10), I’m surprised no one else caught on, including the grandmothers. Kazuya’s grandmother is constantly playing on her smart phone. Shun is on the internet all the time. I’m surprised there isn’t an annoying pop-up ad in Japanese Google that would flash at them at any point saying, “Meet legal Japanese chicks in your area” redirecting them to the rental girlfriend website. Followed by giving you a gnarly computer virus!

Well, we’re 10 episodes in a 12 episode series. Why not finally introduce the fourth girl that we’ve been seeing in the opening and ending themes all season?! Chizuru asked Kazuya for a favor to go out with the new rental girlfriend at the agency to help boost her confidence. Enter, Sumi! The best way to describe this silent, moe-blob is a less busty version of Mikuru Asahina. Kazuya and Sumi’s date went over somewhat okay. Kazuya saved Sumi from a bunch of thugs. And while Sumi was silent throughout the entire date, she managed to squeak out a thank you at the end. So not a bad date, right?

Unfortunately, during the date, Mami saw them and trailed them. And it went down just as you would imagine! Mami confronts Kazuya, Kazuya comes up with some bullshit lie to Mami, Sumi is still silent, and Mami is up to no good after she leaves.

Because Mami learned Sumi’s full name, she went to the internet to find a profile or something on a social network. That’s when Mami learned that not only Sumi was a rental girlfriend, but Chizuru as well. It’s not so bad that Shun knows about Chizuru, but if Mami finds out, game over. Game over, Kazuya! So what happens next?

Mami catfished Chizuru by calling her out for a date using the rental girlfriend website! Then they go to the karaoke bar Kazuya works at for their “date”.

GAME OVER KAZUYA! GAME OVER! You lost all 5 lives. Please return to world 1 and may God have mercy on your simpin’ ass!

Kazuya watched their date from a distance (and this time he didn’t get caught eavesdropping like the last time he followed Chizuru). And after a cute mention of the singers to the opening and ending theme to the series, Mami and Chizuru end their date with an exchanging of words. All this proved is that Mami is still a jealous bitch with a dead look in her eyes and Chizuru likes Kazuya. We think! Either Chizuru meant what she said to Mami or she’s a really good actress. When Chizuru came back to the apartment complex, Kazuya met her outside and thanked her for what she said to Mami followed by a confession.

Ah yes, a confession of love! As the credits roll, we see flashbacks of the past 12 episodes and end the series on a cute note and a possible opening to an OVA and we can end from…

Oh wait, there’s more!

Kazuya says he wants Chizuru to continue being his rental girlfriend. Because he knows she’s planning on quitting the rental girlfriend business! So he smooths that over! Both played this off with a wary poker face, but behind closed doors, they are sweating bullets.

OH, and season two has been green-lit. Fabulous!

This anime was addicting to watch. I don’t know if it was as addicting as Uzaki-chan. Then again, I picked to watch Rent-a-Girlfriend over Uzaki-chan. But this was an addicting train-wreck! Watching this dumbass try to fool his family and friends that he really was able to get a cute girlfriend for a full year! How the hell could anyone fall for that mess? People still watched this dumpster fire of a relationship right, so why bitch about the stupidity of Simpy McSimperson over here? I am glad we’re getting a second season because we really didn’t get a chance to see much of Sumi. I know she’s no contender when you put her next to the great Chizuru, but good golly, give this girl some screentime aside from the one episode she got. They made her seem like she was going to be a big player in this anime, but only getting a bit role. I also want to see if Mami is going to redeem herself from the cunt we saw since 18 seconds into the series. I seriously doubt it, but it just gives me more reason to cuss at the computer, calling her every horrible name in the book. And as for Ruka…there’s nothing to say. She’s just gonna be second best no matter what the fuck happens.

As addicting as this anime was, I can’t ignore how many times I had to facepalm at every, stupid action done by Kazuya. I mean, several times per episode, butt-for-brains does something stupid that makes us say, “Dude, WTF” or “Bruh”. Lying to your family, lying to your friends, giving a bad review to your rental girlfriend for giving you great service, jacking it to your ex when you’re clearly hot for Chizuru, following a guy around because he spends the day with Chizuru, and it just goes on and on! You want to root for this twerp in hopes he gets the girl of his dreams in the end, but at the same time, you’re like, “This guy is a total dink.”

Oh, let’s see what season two has to offer…whenever that comes.

In the meantime, if you’d like to check out Rent-A-Girlfriend, Crunchyroll has all 12 episodes available in both sub and dub.

[incorrect-vrains-quotes]

Aoi x Miyu

General:

Rate the Ship Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? long enough given the likely circumstances of Miyu’s longterm health as impacted by the lost incident

How quickly did/will they fall in love? Miyu fell very quickly in love with Aoi after reuniting but she needed some time to adjust first but it was mutual

How was their first kiss? romantic and bubbly

Wedding:

Who proposed? Miyu

Who is the best man/men? Akira

Who is the bride’s maid(s)? Aqua

Who did the most planning? Aoi

Who stressed the most? Aoi

How fancy was the ceremony? -Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? Spectre lol

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? n/a

How many children will they adopt? I can’t see them having children at all

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? -

Who is the stricter parent? -

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? -

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? -

Who is the more loved parent? -

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings?

Who cried the most at graduation? -

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? -

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? Aoi

Who is the most picky in their food choice? Aoi

Who does the grocery shopping? Miyu

How often do they bake desserts? frequently enough

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? salads.... maybe

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? Miyu, she holds onto those sorts of things very preciously

Who is more likely to suggest going out? Miyu

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? Miyu

Chores:

Who cleans the room? Aoi

Who is really against chores? Miyu

Who cleans up after the pets? Miyu, I hc her as having pet fish so she takes the time to scrub their tanks like biweekly or whatever

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? Miyu

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? neither but probably Aoi

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? Miyu

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? Miyu 

Who takes the dog out for a walk? n/a

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? not overly frequently 

What are their goals for the relationship? honesty, comfort

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? Miyu

Who plays the most pranks? Miyu

Mod Playmaker

[chibicrow]

what are you wishes and maybe even predictions for tomorrow's episode?

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS QUESTION TO ASK ME FAM B/C BOI DO I HAVE.

A LOT.

Predictions:

Zetsubou, Kibou, Nakama, Kizuna. x 100000. B/c of course. And it’s all gonna be Playmaker saying those words b/c he’s gotta channel Yusei-senpai. 

Playmaker saying something about the Lost Incident and being alone but then something about how he’s not alone anymore and “Ai, it’s because of you.” 

(I BET YOU!!!! IT’S COMING!!! THE SAPPY SPEECH!!!)

Heck, probably lots of Lost Incident references.

So I don’t even want to think of what’ll happen to Ai after the duel concludes, but I can’t shake off the feeling that all of the Origins are gonna get something that reminds them of their Ignis by the time this episode is over...... 😭

But I mean considering Shin Yoshida is the series composer and there have been a lot of ZeXal plot references, I’m kinda hoping this means we get a super sappy moment between Ai and Playmaker and also Ai gets “redeemed” somehow. 

(also maybe a repeat of when Flame was all “we’re always with you” except with Ai in regards to like the Ignis and their Origins??? I dunno)

ok, so I guess that’s all the predictions I can think of that aren’t blatantly “I just want this to happen” so here are my wishes for the final episode dlakfjdsljfa:

Wishes:

Please. Let Ai or Playmaker or both call the other aibou. I BEG YOU, VRAINS.

LET FUJIKI YUSAKU CALL HOMURA TAKERU “TAKERU” YOU GOT DAMN COWARDS!!!!!

ALSO LET KOGAMI RYOKEN JUST CALL YUSAKU YUSAKU YOU COWARDS!!!!!!

Please . . . I just need to know Windy’s Origin’s name . . . VRAINS pls . . .

if human Ai doesn’t do the Caramelldansen I will riot. actually I won’t but he’s literally called back to EVERYTHING else like come on.

so apparently BS gets rights in this episode (but Miyu and Pandor don’t??? sounds sketch) so he’s gonna apologize to my sunshine boi since he apparently has Development(tm) now or else

So Kiku speaks in this episode which I hope means she gon tease my boi about his fear of ghosts. come on VRAINS we need to bring that back if only for the last episode.

(i just realized tho where are Takeru’s grandparents oh no) 

Also Jin speaks so . . . YUSAKU AND TAKERU AND AOI AND JIN MEETING 2K19 COME ON!!!!!

For Spectre to speak more than a sentence ADLKFJASDLFKJASF.

Oh wait speaking of the Knights since Takeru was like “y’all can’t go to jail lmao”

I NEED

I NEED A SCENE

WITH ALL THE KNIGHTS

AT CAFE NAGI

HOLY SHIT THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.

(even tho Ryoken was like “Farewell, Fujiki Yusaku” but I don’t trust him.) 

And then Hot Dog Man’s like “why tf are there so many people here.”

Actually if everyone could show up at Cafe Nagi that’d be great.

Or Stardust Road.

OR BOTH!!!!!

Also if With the Wind could be a final insert song since we haven’t had any insert songs in the series that’d be awesome.

OR IF THE SERIES ENDED W/ PLAYMAKER’S MAIN THEME. THAT’D BE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. 

yeah that’s all I got lmao. let’s see how much of it actually happens tho. 

[authoratmidnight]

Love me - Aoi x Spectre x Miyu

Leave a “Love Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a fluffy drabble about two (or more) characters.

This ended up with a side helping of Crystalheartshipping on the side.

Also since the wordcount IS over 500 here’s my blanket permission for it to be used as ship proof should anyone ever decide to name this trio.

“Miyu-chan, why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” asked Aoi as Miyu all but dragged her down the road, their hands clasped together. 

Ever since being discharged from the hospital Miyu had all but become an unstoppable force, once she decided she was doing something or going somewhere by god she was doing it and not even Aoi could change her mind.

“Because Aoi-chan, it’s a surprise,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Now come on.” 

Aoi sighed and followed after her, at least since it was Miyu she knew she was sure to enjoy wherever they were going.

Aoi was so very wrong. 

“Miyu-chan…are you sure this is the right place?”

“Yeah, of course, why?”

Aoi gulped. Miyu had dragged her down to the beach side, even though neither of them were dressed for the beach, and off towards the boardwalk. And it seemed that someone else had the same plan, as there was another person already waiting there, arms resting on the railing and gazing out towards the sea. A someone that was very uncomfortably familiar to Aoi. 

“Specter!” Miyu called out and the teen turned to face them, straightening up and away from the rails he’d been resting his forearms on. 

“Ah, Sugisaki-san nice to see you again.”

Miyu rolled her eyes, “I’ve told you before just to call me Miyu, Spe-chan.”

He grimaced as his cheeks dusted a light rose and Aoi looked between the two of them in confusion. 

“How do the two of you know each other?? And why are you here?” she asked, pointing at Specter. 

“Because I invited him silly,” said Miyu. “We met while I was in the hospital. He and Kogami-san came by, said I deserved answers about what I went through three years ago. Specter and I have been meeting up since then because of these two,” she gestured to the duel disks on their wrists. “Seems they’re something of an item. So we meet up so they can hang out. I guess we’re like chaperones in a way if you think about it.”

“So, how come you brought me along?” asked Aoi. “You know how I feel about him.”

Miyu sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Well, I like the both of you and I like spending time with you, and I really want to be able to spend time with the both of you, at the same time,” she said. “So I guess,  just want you to try and work out your issues. I’m not saying you have to like each other, but maybe, at least tolerate each other?”

Aoi looked from Miyu to Specter, who for once didn’t seem to be sporting a haughty and arrogant look but actually seemed somewhat humbled. 

Despite having been allies IN Link VRAINS and having to deal with him there, Aoi had made sure to limit her contact with him in the real world, which was fairly easy as it meant simply not going anywhere near him or talking to him. But now, if he was friends with Miyu, that was going to be quite tricky. 

“Zaizen-san, if I may,” began Specter, clearing his throat with a slight cough, speaking before Aoi could say anything. “I…am sorry.”

Aoi blinked in surprise as she looked at him. He was sorry? That was unexpected to be sure. Sorry was not something she thought he could ever be, especially with how he acted. 

“I know that’s not going to make up for what I did to you. I’m not sure anything could really, I suppose a rematch, or letting you hit me could.” He caught himself beginning to tangent and coughed awkwardly. “And, I don’t expect you to forgive me either, I know I don’t deserve that. But I wish to apologize nonetheless.”

Aoi was quiet. What could she even say to that? He was right, she couldn’t forgive him, not now anyways. And we he even being genuine? He was a hard read so for all she knew he was blowing a lot of hot air, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d lied to her face.

“He is telling the truth you know,” said Aqua, now seated on the screen of Miyu’s duel disk. “He really does want to make up with you.”

“Well, you do owe me a rematch at least,” said Aoi after a minute. “And this time I will beat you, right into the dirt.”

Specter chuckled lightly, “Then I await this rematch. In the meantime,” he indicated to his duel disk. “I think we have a date to chaperone. I do promise to be on my best behaviour.”

As if on cue, Earth peered timidly out of the duel disk to look around. 

“Is that a bow tie?” squealed Miyu and Earth blushed a little bit. 

Sure enough, affixed to the area where a neck would be on the earth ignis, was a very tiny black bow tie. 

“It…is,” said Earth after a moment. “Specter made it for me. He said it would make me, dashing.”

“Well, I think it looks very nice. Very charming.” said Aqua with a nod, causing Earth to blush even more.

Aoi sighed, if Specter could play nice she supposed she could deal with him for the day. After that, well, it all depended on him. After all, if he was truthful about his apology maybe there was hope for him yet.

Maybe.

[yugirl-with-dragons]

I actually love Spectre’s duel with Aoi the way he plays with her showed him as such a cool villain. I think it would have been interesting if Aoi had kept the idea of wanting to save him but oh well. It is disappointing though she has no reaction at all to him after what he did. I feel like they have a lot of potential but nothing came if it. I could see them in an Au having a relationship like Aki & Yusei but flipped with her playing Yusei’s role.

Yeah!! This is why I’m so afraid of him x°D

Spectre didn’t seem to need a savior at all, and that was the funniest thing to me hahahah- I mean, Aoi straight up assumed he wanted/needed to be saved, but he was like “you fool. I never was a victim in the first place. I went through what I went through, but who are you. You better be tougher than me, bish”. How wasn’t that hilarious lol

I mean, it is true that after that disastrous duel nothing came out of it, but I think it’s because Spectre didn’t really need to be saved (he had Revolver, and that was enough). It was just a tough lesson for her. I am surprised that she showed no reaction at all too, but I mean, it’s Aoi, she isn’t famous for her emotional displays XD if there’s been any change, she might hate trees now lmao

Idk, actually? I wouldn’t be so sure. It’s as if she tried to be the hero, but failed miserably… this makes it very different lol (I cannot forget how hard she hit the ground sdfghjsdfghj that duel was an utter defeat)

I mean… compassion itself isn’t wrong. It’s the savior mentality that is tricky (Yusei did say to Aki that he couldn’t save her, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye while one of his friends was hurt anyway)

[fxrta-pxellae]

@moon-ygomuses said: For the ship meme, 1 3 7 12 !

:// ship and well met, my dudes / OPEN

1. Favorite platonic ship.

Ho boi, y’all know I’m a huge sucker for anything friendship related! There are so many good platonic ships, but my fave is either Ai and Yusaku or Takeru and Aoi. 

3. Favourite romantic ship.

I really love Yusaku x Takeru as of late actually! I think they suit each other really well, I feel like their personalities compliment each other in an interesting way.

7. A ship someone else writes that you really love.

I don’t have a ship that is really coming to my mind right now, sorry ;;

12. A ship you never cared for before but have grown to like.

After talking to @scmnixm and watching the duel between Blue Angel and Spectre, I REALLY loved their enemies dynamic! I have a feeling it won’t be addressed in the anime ever again, but I’m HYPED to try and write something with this ship.

[tarashima]

if Miyu comes back which one would you choose, Miyu x Ryoken , Miyu x Spectre or Miyu x Yusaku ?

I would like to get to know Miyu more before pairing her with a character, but spontaneously, I would love to pair her with Aoi, rather than one the boys. 

If I still have to pick one of the boys, then anything goes, since Miyu and her personality is in my hands and I can make her work depending on who I pair her with ^w^

(though, I think Yuusaku is my first choice, really) 

[autismgirl4998]

Things I want in season 3 of VRAINS

A Link 5 and a Link 6 monster - I think we need to see a Link 5 and a Link 6 monster whenever Playmaker and the others use Link Summon, I don’t want to be just a Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, and Link 4 for the rest of the show, so prays to see a Link 5 and a Link 6

Miyu helping either with Yusaku and his friends or Aoi - I think I wanna see Miyu to help out either with Yusaku, Takeru, and Kusanagi in the Hot Dog Truck or either Aoi at Emma’s apartment, but I don’t think she would log into Link VRAINS, I think she might be useful for the computer like Kusanagi is doing

Windy’s Origin - I really want to see Windy’s origin as much as everybody else does, and Windy is an asshole, so I wish he would go to hell, so I want Windy’s Origin to appear in season 3 of VRAINS, but maybe as a supporting character or something. And I don’t want a flashback of him or saying that he died from that car crash, I want him to be alive and well, or pretty much in a wheelchair, that is all.

Spectre’s real name - As much as I hate Spectre really much, I am curious to know what Spectre’s real name is, because basically, his actually name is really his Link VRAINS name, to be honest.

Yusaku’s parents - Like with everybody else, I’m curious on who Yusaku’s parents are and where they are now. They could be looking for Yusaku right now. And I want Yusaku’s parents to be original characters of VRAINS, not Yuri and Celina from Arc-V because Yuri x Celina doesn’t make any sense at all.

Ryoken’s mother - I must be the only person that wants Ryoken’s mother to appear in VRAINS like in a flashback or something because I think Ryoken’s mother died after he was born or when he was very young.

King and Pawn - Well, we already have Knight, Bishop, Rook, and the evil and horrible Queen working at SOL Technologies, so we just need a Pawn and a King, but the Pawn should be a chess piece while King is human like Queen

The Ghost of Dr. Kogami - I might be this nuts and I’m already writing Father Thy Blood as a fanfic story where Dr. Kogami comes back as a ghost and only Ryoken can see him, but it might be possible that could. Just saying.

Go’s Redemption - As far as I know, I really hate Starve Go, but I do believe that Go might be redeemed in season 3 of VRAINS, so let’s just pray on that. I hope…

Lightning’s Redemption - A lot of people keep saying that Lightning doesn’t deserve redemption because of what he did, but I might say that he could redeem in season 3, maybe when SOL Technologies tries to capture him and they plan on dissecting him like they did with Earth. The only Ignis that doesn’t deserve redemption is Windy because HE IS A FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!

No more so call deaths whenever they fight the boss - I seen a lot of memes of some VRAINS characters saying “I don’t feel so good” because of the ending of Avengers: Infinity War, and now they’re doing the memes of “Avenge the Fallen” because of the pictures of the upcoming Avengers: Endgame and it’s annoying, so no so-call deaths in VRAINS whenever the characters lose.

Yusaku finally saving Ryoken - I seriously want Yusaku to save Ryoken from the pain and sadness he is suffering, so probably by the end of season 3 of VRAINS, so I pray to see Yusaku saving Ryoken. Please, please please let me see something like that!

The Spirit of Atem - I can’t be the only person here that wants to see a spirit of Atem coming to VRAINS because of opening 1 of VRAINS of the Eye of Wadjet! Seriously writers of VRAINS, so me a spirit of Atem approaching to Yusaku or something! PLEASE!!!

That’s pretty much it, and no, I don’t want to see a Yusaku vs. Ai duel in the end of VRAINS. Sorry.

[3w-writer-with-wings]

For the 40 Questions meme - 3, 4, 17, 31, and 35 for vrains.

3) What’s your current OTP?

Tbh I don’t know since I ship VRAINS characters more or less platonically. But if I have to pick one, it’s firestormshipping aka. Takeru X Yusaku. It’s a very wholesome relationship and whenever the two of them are together, I can’t help but feel warm inside (not because of Soulburner XD). From the start of VRAINS I wanted Yusaku to have a friend, not that anything was wrong with Kusanagi or anything - Kusanagi is more of a big brother figure to him (which makes the current episode that much worse), I just wanted him to have a relatable friend on which Yusaku can count. And boy is Takeru perfect for this job! He is like Crow of VRAINS, rushing to his friend’s aid at any given moment, not that bright but he always does his best and most of all, he wants to help Yusaku for the right reason. True it started only so Flame and Ai could meet, but Takeru brings out the best of Yusaku. And it shows! Every time he is with him, Yusaku appears to be more talkative and honest about his feelings. Even though Takeru has his own issues, he never brings them out on Yusaku and rather deals with them on his own. Their relationship is as pure as it can be and I have a feeling I’ll feel that much stronger once episode 94 is up (when he will literally be his knight). Also, this scene only made me ship them more from the start XD

(Ferris wheel???? seriously??? I saw enough shoujo to know where this is going!) To conclude, this ship is amazing and deserves all the love in the world.

4) What’s your current NOTP?

I might get hate for this, but I really dislike canon datastormshipping aka. Ryoken X Yusaku. I wrote canon because I don’t like how it is structured in VRAINS anime, though several fanfictions and comics can make it work - just not in canon way. I think I made a whole post why I don’t like that ship but I guess I could explain it again. Well to start off - it is dysfunctional as hell. The two of them hardly had any interaction throughout season 1 or even season 2. While they do fantasize about each other a lot, that’s really all that they do. Yusaku sees Ryoken as a desire, that one person that saved him years ago and that needs saving now. I’m sure Yusaku is willing to sacrifice himself for Ryoken just as much as Spectre (well not that much but you know what I mean). Ryoken on the other hand... he has tons of issues to deal with himself, from his daddy issues to his unwillingness to reconsider different alternative for his well-constructed plans. Both of them are broken people and whenever they interact with each other is never really for the two of them to get to know each other. Ryoken can also be manipulative and Yusaku is extremely forgiving - which is a big no-no for a serious relationship. I don’t really know why people ship them in a canon way (like I said I have no problem with non-canon way) but all I see is dysfunctional communication, lack of interaction and interest to know each other better (instead they both claim they know the other already) and they tend to bring out the worst of each other. In other words, I see it as dysfunctional if the toxic relationship and I really hope Ryoken gets necessary development and finally understands why Yusaku is trying to help him so much.

17) Talk about a pairing you’ve stopped shipping romantically.

I didn’t really stop shipping any ship romantically, so I’m not sure how to answer this. I guess Yusaku and Aoi looked cute at first, but it didn’t last long since neither of them looked interested in each other.

31) Talk about one of your favorite headcanons for a ship you love.

I guess I love the idea of Takeru wanting to be that friend to Yusaku that he himself always needed while he was recovering from the Lost Incident. The “thug life” persona he was using during this time in a way reflects his inner turmoil - “Get away from me, I can’t be your friend, don’t get involved with me.” making him look almost like Yusaku. No one could understand his pain, not Kiku or his grandparents. But then he realizes there’s another person who went through the same ordeal and knowing how lonely he was feeling for the past 10 years, he decided to be there for Yusaku. He most likely has never been to Den City or big city at all, but he went anyway for Yusaku. Flame must’ve helped him find the school that Yusaku attends and the rest was up to Takeru. I imagine he spent weeks training speed duelling in VRAINS and building his avatar just to make a good first impression on Yusaku (I refuse to believe that fire tornado entrance was improvised). Also, he must’ve known where Yusaku goes to school before his first appearance, but still he waited for Yusaku to come to VRAINS on his own. He was patient and constructed the whole plan how to look cool and confident (and yet he still hid in the classroom once he finally got a chance XD). Also, I believe Takeru was singing that one line in the opening.

He’s been there, he knows first hand how painful it was, but still, he wants to take the very same pain from Yusaku and carry it for him. I don’t know why people keep addressing Ryoken as Yusaku’s knight in shining armour when he has his most trusted knight right by his side. Ryoken maybe made that new knight-like avatar and made a super-hero landing when Lightning kept Yusaku and Ai captive, but do you know who actually released Yusaku out of that cage? Takeru!!!

35) Recommend 1-5 shipper blogs.

I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t know or follow any shipper blogs. I just randomly find them from time to time and reblog stuff that I like.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: The Anime Stars of Genshin Impact

Image via miHoYo

  Genshin Impact has lived up to its name in that it has indeed made an impact upon the gaming world. Launched on September 26, the free-to-play open-world game has amassed $245 million in only its first month, and that's from Android and iOS alone. I'm not ashamed to say that I have sunk an unholy number of hours into this game. Why do I like this game so much? Perhaps the biggest reason Genshin Impact is so appealing to me is that I am an anime fan.

  Voices from all over the world of anime can be heard in Genshin Impact, from Naruto to My Hero Academia to currently airing seasonal anime. Being able to "hear" your favorite anime character in-game is part of what makes this game so great. Let's take a look at some of the talented people from the anime industry whose voices bring the characters of Genshin Impact to life.

  Paimon (Aoi Koga)

    Paimon is the face of Genshin Impact. No, literally, her face is on the launcher icon. Imagine my shock when I found out she is voiced by Aoi Koga, the voice of Kaguya Shinomiya from Kaguya-sama: Love is War. The intimidatingly smart rich girl Kaguya and the squeaky and energetic (and kinda stupid) Paimon couldn't be more different. Props to Koga for making both work. Koga has also voiced Elulu from Cautious Hero, Yuri Miyata from TWOCAR, and Sora Kaneshiro from Angel's 3Piece.

Male Traveler (Shun Horie) 

  One of the first actions you take in the game (in most games, for that matter) is to choose your character. In Genshin Impact, you choose between two world-traveling twins, who the other characters simply refer to as "Traveler." The male Traveler (whose official name is Aether) is voiced by Shun Horie. I personally recognize him as Enta from Sarazanmai, but most would know him as Kazuya ("Kazuya-kuuuuun!") from Rent-a-Girlfriend. Some of his other roles include Ichiro Suzuki aka Satou Pendragon from Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Rat from Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, and Hacker from this season's Akudama Drive.

Female Traveler (Aoi Yuuki)

    What about the female Traveler (whose official name is Lumine)? Turns out she's voiced by Aoi Yuuki, who voices ... Mami from the same show. The irony of this coincidence is not lost on me. Yuuki is probably best known for voicing Madoka Kaname, the protagonist of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. To me, however, her most memorable role was as the titular Boogiepop in 2019's Boogiepop and Others; an unforgettable performance. She's voiced a number of other notable roles, including Tamaki from Fire Force, Tsuyu Asui (Froppy) from My Hero Academia, Tanya from Saga of Tanya the Evil, Tornado from One-Punch Man, Kayo from ERASED, Yuuki Konno from Sword Art Online II, and Hachiman's sister Komachi from My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. 

Amber (Manaka Iwami)

  Image via Madman Entertainment

  Amber is one of the game's most popular characters, owing to her cheerful and optimistic personality. She is voiced by Manaka Iwami, the voice of Teresa Wagner in Tada Never Falls in Love, Lykos in Children of the Whales, Mizuho in Wave, Listen to Me!, and Maquia in Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.

Kaeya (Kohsuke Toriumi)

    The cool and charismatic Kaeya is, surprisingly enough, voiced by Kohsuke Toriumi, known as the voice of the hotheaded Kiba from Naruto. He has also voiced Shunsuke Imaizumi from Yowamushi Pedal, Mista from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and Cecil from the Uta no Prince-sama franchise.

Lisa (Rie Tanaka)

    A lazy and flirtatious scholar with electrical powers, Lisa is voiced by the experienced Rie Tanaka, who one might easily recognize as Lacus Clyne from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. The gentle, "sisterly" voice of Lacus suits Lisa's personality to a T. Tanaka has also voiced Yomi from Azumanga Daioh, Chii from Chobits, Sammy from Time of Eve, Maria from Hayate the Combat Butler, Chizuru from Squid Girl, and Suiginto from Rozen Maiden.

Barbara (Akari Kito)

    The first Akari Kito role that catches the eye is her performance as Kotoko Iwanaga in In/Spectre; both she and Barbara have a near-identical dressing sense, with their frilly white frock and cap. Kito has also voiced Nezuko in Demon Slayer, Nene Yashiro in Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, Kaho Hinata in BLEND-S, and Suzune Horikita in Classroom of the Elite. You can also look forward to hearing her as Tsukasa in TONIKAWA and Adachi in Adachi and Shimamura this season.

Beidou (Ami Koshimizu)

    Beidou is voiced by Ami Koshimizu, voice of Ryuko from Kill la Kill and Kallen from Code Geass — two popular characters from two of the biggest shows of our times. Some of her other roles include Holo from Spice and Wolf, Tenma from School Rumble, Nodoka from Saki, and Shizuri from A Certain Scientific Railgun.

Bennett (Ryota Osaka)

    Bennett's design coupled with his "passionate" and "righteous" personality screams "protagonist" to me. And that's exactly what his voice actor Ryota Osaka delivers, being the voice of Eijun Sawamura from Ace of the Diamond, Nariyuki Yuiga from We Never Learn: BOKUBEN, and Ryu Yamada from Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches. His other roles include Zen Wistalia in Snow White with the Red Hair, Keiji Akaashi in Haikyu!!, Yuki Sanada in Tsuritama, Nagate in Knights of Sidonia, Ikki Kurogane in Chivalry of a Failed Knight, and Sadao Mao in The Devil is a Part-Timer!.

Chongyun (Soma Saito)

    Chongyun is voiced by Soma Saito, perhaps best known as Yamaguchi from Haikyu!!. However, his breakout performance was as young Twelve in Terror in Resonance. Other notable roles include Tatsumi from Akame ga Kill, Adlet Mayer from Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers, Doppio from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and William James Moriarty from the currently-airing Moriarty the Patriot.

Diluc (Kensho Ono)

    Diluc is widely considered to be the best character in the game from a gameplay perspective. He is voiced by Kensho Ono, whose most famous voice performance is undoubtedly Giorno Giovanna, the protagonist of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind. Ono is also known for his performance as the titular Kuroko from Kuroko's Basketball. Other roles include Canute from Vinland Saga, Arata from ReLIFE, Mikazuki from My Roommate is a Cat, Slaine Troyard from Aldnoah.Zero, Tanaka from Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, and Akutagawa from Bungo Stray Dogs. 

Fischl (Maaya Uchida)

    In what has to be the most on-point casting in this game, Maaya Uchida — best known as the voice of delusional eyepatch-wearing chunibyo (middle-schooler) Rikka from Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions — voices a delusional eyepatch-wearing chunibyo in Fischl. Well done, miHoYo, well done. She also voices Hiyori from Noragami, Norman from The Promised Neverland, Catarina Claes from My Next Life as a Villainess, Yoshioka from Blue Spring Ride, and Rui from Domestic Girlfriend. 

Jean (Chiwa Saito)

    Chiwa Saito (the voice of Jean) went on to become one of my favorite voice actors after I heard her as Hitagi in Bakemonogatari, Yona in Yona of the Dawn, and Homura in Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Some of her other performances include Aika in Aria the Animation, Chloe von Einzbern in Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei, and Schierke in 2016's Berserk.

Keqing (Eri Kitamura)

    The energetic and hardworking Keqing is played by Eri Kitamura, known for voicing such energetic characters as Mina Ashido in My Hero Academia, Yui in Angel Beats, and Sayaka in Puella Magi Madoka Magica. She also voices Ami in Toradora!, "Chief" Yachiyo in Wagnaria!!, and Bea in Pokemon: Twilight Wings.

Klee (Misaki Kuno)

    Klee has quickly become a fan favorite, partly due to her short stature and childlike demeanor. She is quite appropriately voiced by Misaki Kuno, known for voicing "childlike" characters such as Hawk from The Seven Deadly Sins, Momo Kawamoto from March Comes in Like a Lion, Shio from Happy Sugar Life, Serara from Log Horizon, Niko from Kiznaiver, and Akane from Durarara!! x2.

Mona (Konomi Kohara)

    Is it a coincidence that this game has both Aoi Koga AND Konomi Kohara (who voice Kaguya and Chika in Kaguya-sama: Love is War)? I think not. Kohara's other notable roles include Akane from Tsukigakirei, Kasumi from Asobi Asobase - workshop of fun -, Mina Hibino from Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san, Shamiko from The Demon Girl Next Door, and Tsukasa's sister Chitose from TONIKAWA.

Ningguang (Sayaka Ohara)

    Sayaka Ohara is known for her deep, "mature" voice — an apt fit for Ningguang. While Ohara's best-known voice role is probably as Erza Scarlet in the Fairy Tail series, she has also delivered iconic performances as Beatrice from the Umineko When They Cry visual novels and Yuuko in xxxHolic. Other well-known roles include Irisviel from Fate/Zero, Alice from Aria the Animation, Milly Ashford from Code Geass, and Mrs. Yuigahama (Gaha-mama) in My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU.

Noelle (Kanon Takao)

    Kanon Takao has not done a whole lot of voice roles but there are still some recognizable titles on their resume, such as Hina Tsurugi from the recently-aired Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater, Latina from If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord, Aku from Demon Lord, Retry!, and Linnea from The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar.  

Qiqi (Yukari Tamura)

    Qiqi is voiced by Yukari Tamura, who shot to fame as the voice of protagonist Nanoha Takamachi from the influential magical girl franchise Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Her other significant voice roles are as Togame in Katanagatari, Tenten in Naruto, Rika Furude in When They Cry, Io Euclase in GRANBLUE FANTASY: The Animation, Mai Kawasumi in Kanon, Yamada in B Gata H Kei, and Jibril in No Game No Life. 

Razor (Kouki Uchiyama)

    Kouki Uchiyama is known for his soft-spoken roles, especially villainous ones like Meruem from Hunter x Hunter, Shigaraki from My Hero Academia, and Rui from Demon Slayer. Even his non-villainous roles have that serious, soft-spoken nature to them — Tsukishima from Haikyu!!, Smile from Ping Pong the Animation, Natsuno from Shiki, Yu Otosaka from Charlotte, and Toi from Sarazanmai. He is a perfect fit for Razor, a menacing wolf-boy of few words.

Sucrose (Akane Fujita)

    Akane Fujita (the voice actor for curious bio-alchemist Sucrose) had her breakout year in 2017 when she played Sagiri Izumi in Eromanga Sensei and Sistine Fibel in Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor.

Venti (Ayumu Murase)

    Venti's naive and mischievous personality makes him the perfect fit for Ayumu Murase, best known as the voice of the cheerful and simpleminded Shoyo Hinata of Haikyu!! fame. What interests me most, however, is the fact that Murase also voiced protagonist Kazuki from Sarazanmai — between Venti, Razor, and the male Traveler, it looks like we have the entire Sarazanmai main trio assembled! Murase has also voiced Shun in From the New World, Iruma in Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, and Ryo Asuka in Devilman Crybaby.

Xiangling (Ari Ozawa)

    I was very excited to hear that Xiangling would be voiced by Ari Ozawa, whose performance as Chiyo Sakura in Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (her first major role) is one of the finest I have ever seen. Ozawa has also voiced Hina Hikawa in BanG Dream! S2, Kirin Todo in The Asterisk War, Mao in Hinamatsuri, Papi in Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls, Benitoite in Land of the Lustrous, Lynn May in Plunderer, and Conny in The Promised Neverland. 

Xingqiu (Junko Minagawa)

    It is quite common in the voice acting industry for male characters, especially younger ones, to be voiced by female VAs. Such is the case with refined bookworm Xingqiu. This is not the first time Junko Minagawa has voiced a male character — her first role came as Ryoma Echizen from the long-running The Prince of Tennis. Her other roles include Oz Vessalius in PandoraHearts, Cornelia in Code Geass, Sailor Uranus in Sailor Moon Crystal, and Jeanne d'Arc in Drifters. 

  As more characters are added to the game, we can expect more talented voice work from the people behind the scenes. Further updates have teased us with the possibility of such giants as Saori Hayami and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka joining the cast. Can't wait!

Who is your favorite Genshin Impact character? Let us know in the comments below!  

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By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com