#but the way his arc was in the series was sooooo good and i don't want them to re-open that can of worms and potentially fuck it up

[pandora15]

i really miss obi-wan right now

[markantonys]

Reading Lord of Chaos now and there's SO much good Gawene content. "Rare was the man who wanted to marry a woman who, with the Power, could handle him like a child if she chose." Well this man likes it!!

It feels weird to me that people hate him, because malewives are such an important part of the Wheel of Time world of gender relationships, and Gawyn is the Ultimate Malewife.

LOC was the book that first got me truly invested in gawyn and in gawene! and what a top-tier line that i'd forgotten!! rare is the man who wants to marry a woman who could handle him like a child but gawyn is over here going "mommy? sorry. mommy?" god bless him. he IS the Ultimate Malewife! he's crucial to the ecosystem!

it truly is baffling that he is the #1 Most Hated WOT Character. he doesn't do anything! at most i could see people finding him boring or annoying, but the level of hatred directed at him just makes no sense. most of the Reasons Why Gawyn Sucks posts i see are just people deliberately interpreting everything he does in the most uncharitable light possible, or hating him for things that they straight up made up and that did not happen in the text lmao

but also, getting briefly into a couple instances of Narrative Malpractice (to use @butterflydm's recently-coined phrase) re: gawyn later in the series. if i'm remembering correctly, you know most/all spoilers but this is your first time reading the series, so i'm putting a cut here to be safe - i don't mention any big spoilers though, just a few things that may not make total sense if you haven't read the book in question haha (mostly with TOM and point #2)

i feel like the biggest actual, not-made-up-by-haters issues are 1) gawyn was sooooo slowburned because his storyline can't move forward until egwene's does and hers can't move forward until the ta'veren boys' do and mat is busy getting walls dropped on him and fucking around in a circus for 4 books and killing the pacing, and so the ripple effect out from that makes it feel like gawyn is sitting around stewing in indecision for way longer than he actually is.

and 2) when sanderson took over, he brought with him a hell of a lot of real-world patriarchy-rooted assumptions of what it means to be a prince, and applied those to gawyn in a way that does not make sense since gawyn is a prince in a matriarchal society (or rather, in a country with matriarchal royal succession; culturally, andor is definitely not a full matriarchy despite what reddit believes). so he invented this whole arc of "gawyn needs to learn how to be a warder instead of a prince aka how to step out of the spotlight and live in a woman's shadow" but as the son of the reigning queen and brother & protector to the future queen, gawyn was literally raised from birth to be in a woman's shadow instead of holding the spotlight himself. this is not an issue for him. he literally swore the oath "my blood shed before hers, my life given before hers" as a toddler and was raised with that mentality, which translates pretty fuckin directly to being a warder and being in the shadow of a woman who's more important than him!

but sanderson assumes that a prince would struggle to play second fiddle to an aes sedai, because that would be the case for a prince raised in a patriarchal royal family. which is a shame because it leads to takes like "gawyn hates that egwene is more powerful than him" which is patently untrue for his original characterization, as you point to with this line straight out of RJ's mouth! (and even for his sanderson characterization it's patently untrue since the conclusion of that arc is that gawyn DOES happily step into egwene's shadow.) it's also a shame because that struggle between his identity & duty as a prince vs. as a warder could have been really interesting, but sanderson approached it from the wrong angle. alas!

in conclusion, the only things wrong with gawyn are things that are the authors' fault, but gawyn himself has done nothing wrong ever in his life <3 i have faith that the show can bring more people around to him! especially because galad will be there being so rancid in comparison as a show!whitecloak.

[damian-lil-babybat]

So what do DC fans do when they are six-feet down frustrated with DC's decisions..they make fix-it headcanons and fanarts! (Only Wayne Family Adventures can save us, apparently...huhuhu, I was so hopeful for DC Dawn but it has to happen)

Sooooo, here's a suggestion, one major problem of DC is the Robin Mantle.

We have Tim Drake, who with the ambiguous ending of his Robin run '(2022) Tim Drake: Robin', he said he doesn't want to be Batman, nor Robin?? So is this a call out of his possible new path? But come on, he is still very active in Batman donning his Robin Suit, so maybe it's just the usual 'finding your own path' narrative of a Robin while still doing the status quo.

Aand Damian Wayne has just finished his Lazarus Tournament Arc phase on the '(2021) Robin' series, and has made up with Batman (in Lazarus Planet Event), and has rightfullly refused the offer of both his mother and father to follow their footsteps.

So now having known what we know...it is simple. DC should just hammered in the difference of the two, coz they are very very different strengths and flaws NOW. (It has always been, but their skillsets were practically interchangeable, with Tim having the edge of experience, wholistically-trained with a cool head but is insecure, and Dami having talent for the job but is overconfident and has a temper and trust issues).

But now, Dami has been hinted heavily to have 'magic' in his blood. This should be a big deal.

I mean, what is stopping DC in making Damian the Robin who focuses on the magical and voodoo cases of Gotham?

It would not only let the two Robins continue to operate with Batman, it would make them have separate jurisdiction on Batman's case files, with Tim helping Batman on his usual detective work, and Damian learning more of his powers, building immunity (coz how many times has been that he was used by demons, devils, and dark forces of the multiverses, like srsl? Batman, this is a literal threat to everyone and this is not even a discussion in your training book?). Also different specialization makes it easier for the two to find and ground themselves again. Like, it has been high-time to have one resident-batfam who focuses mainly on THAT, aside from Azrael. And with Azrael being the Angel of Death, and Dami being the grandson of the Demon Head, the tandem and potential is there?? Hopefully, it is still Michael Lane, coz having an underground trained-to-be-Batman's-replacement who eventually got insance and became Bat-Devil only to convert into a lliteral incarnation of an Angel....the parallel>>>to DAMI? So good. The resurrection and salvation bit for the two would be so nice to put in comics.

Hecck, Dami training under Constantine and Zatanna woould be sick.

And it doesn't have to make Damian more OP with magic on his arsenal. It could simply just his magical powers are limited to immunity from the dark arts (coz he trained the fuck out of it, *intro, training montage). So he is still a badass mini-Batman but just highly trained against the supernatural. (IF this happened, please don't let this be his whole personality coz it'll boxed Dami in a one-trick pony, that's why it should be just immunity/dispell skills...or a one-off channeling of his superpowers when he resurrected before...the possibilities are nice to play with. Just give him a flaw...like he can study on academic levels the magics but he cannot sense them the way a magically-gifted person could).

And this is only until Tim Drake finds his own superhero-persona. Coz 'til now, there's no organic way for Tim to move forward to.

So we have the colorful Robin, and the monochromed Robin. I say, let's return Red Robin to Tim, and make Damian the White Robin...

...or Dark Robin, or Bat Robin...but they all sound like the DC Metalverse Robin Versions, so I still lean in to 'White Robin' coz they are rare and is good call-out when he got resurrected and was in all white clothes.

Also when Damian first appeared, he was in a black and white overall which could easilly be interpreted how he is blanced on the weighing scale on good and bad. Now, he is good, just that, he does not let his father, or anyone at that matter, dictate the colors he would wear...he is still figuring it out, after all.

[potahun]

(Same anon whos watching midnight hotel)

Actually, for someone getting into the mxdzt series but unfortunately doesn’t have the time to watch every episode, do you have suggestions for best episodes if you had to narrow it down?

My favorite things are a good ol story arc and clever set design/mysteries :)

Hi anon!

You have come to the right place to ask about MXDZT!!! <3 The set design for Midnight Hotel was indeed spectacular and so clever :) I love those episodes to the moon and back.

Good news is that there are many other sets in MXDZT with beautiful and clever designs, secret passages, etc as well as sooooo many genuinely poignant stories and cool mysteries (while being a hilarious show). the bad news is that not all of MXDZT is subbed :(. S2-4 and then part of S8 are not subbed. I don't know if you need eng subs?

If you don't need Eng Subs, I highly recommend watching next:

S8E1, S8E2 (Sunset Mansion); S8E5 (Echoes of the Past), S8E7 (Black Gold Heist), S8E10 (Legend of the Blue Sea), S8E11, S8E12 (Battle for Tomorrow) -> all of these were part of One Big Story following Detective He Hehe as the protagonist as he eventually loses it all and fights to regain it, a story taking place in a huge, complex universe bigger than him, with touching characters, cleverly explored themes that have made me go through rollercoasters of emotions, and complex mysteries... The first two episodes, in particular, have an incredibly gorgeous + clever af set that gave me chills at times (that clock!!). It was the first time MXDZT linked so many episodes together, too, dropping hints in S8E5 of a huge mystery beyond the mysteries of the day, and it worked beautifully.

S3E11, S3E12 (Beauty is to Blame Again) -> A case in two episodes set in a vintage-looking hospital for comestic surgery, but every now and then, a nursery rhyme resounds...S3E12 therefore has both a murder to solve and the mystery behind the hospital to solve. And what a mystery it is! HAH

S2E7-S2E8 (Nursery Rhyme of Horror) -> The set is a lot more low-budget (early seasons)! However it more than makes up for it in story and the way the mystery unfolds. A murder in a mansion reveals a lot about the ppl involved in it, and the complex past they share...

If you do need Eng Subs, these are my recs:

S6E5 (The Village of Forget-Your-Worries): A poignant episode (I teared up) that explores depression with its deserved seriousness, while being hilarious. The quaint Village of Forget Your Worries is known for a mysterious letterbox that responds to you with solutions for your worries if you put a letter in it... Murder ensues. Again, clever set, clever mystery, touching stories.

S5E1-S5E2 (Pianists on the Sea): This is. My. Favorite. Set of Episodes. In All 9 Seasons. Set on a real cruise ferry, S5E1 follows a simple (?) story of a murdered pianist in a competition. But rapidly, facts in the case start to confuse the ppl involved as they indicate that something is wrong with the boat...and that their perception of some personal things conflict...S5E2 has the players solve that mystery and OH GOD.

S9E4 (Strange Night in the Art Museum): This case is so clever, I don't know what to say about it. It's just so, so much. I cannot. A woman who declares wanting to kill everyone is found murdered in a museum, the only ppl there try to solve the murder, and at the same time, need to reckon with some bigger problems. The plot twists in this had me yelling. It's such a great time.

S6E9 (It's STILL the Fault of Beauty): Again, the return of the cosmetic surgery hospital that will have your life (it's one of the show's running gags). But this time, it's more complex than ever when a corpse is found dissolved in a hospital tank.

S7E5 (Leap over the Meridian): Such a clever use of a seemingly simple set. A highly esteemed scientist is stabbed to death in the first class section of a very futuristic plane that also got hijacked and diverted from its course; the captain solves the murder as well as the mysteries behind the passengers. Includes a very emotional storyline and conclusion.

S9E5 (Past Stories of Xihui Town): Double murder in two neighbouring towns. Are they linked? Detectives He Hehe and Zhang Gongzi are on the case(s). The towns are very pretty, the stories poignant. This case leans on the serious side, but the stories are quite riveting and heartrending. Same universe as S8's He Hehe universe, but it's its own story.

S9E10 (Decisive Battle For the Top): Very clever murder mystery that involves the set too. Set in fantasy old China, with sect feuds, old grudges and people who are not what they seem. Quite story-focused too.

S9E11-S9E12 (Dark Side of the City): Double case that follow the slow rise of the rumored "Rat King" on the dark web. Very dark themes explored. generally not very funny, but extremely cleverly knit mysteries, with an interesting format and a big focus on individual stories (but not necessarily those of participants).

I definitely have more, but this list is already long...Also a general note that usually, only the starting two episodes and final two episodes of each season will take place in a set that looks bigger than a studio! That is the case of Midnight Hotel, as the S6 starter. Before S8, it was also those cases that tended to have a "double mystery" one on the place, and one for the murder-of-the-day. But this is now no longer the case, as the cases grow more complex. Generally speaking, after S2, even when a case looks like it is in a studio, the set is still quite beautiful. S9E5, for example, visibly takes place in a studio but it's composed of three sections, for the two towns and the Hey Hey Hey Detective Agency, and each one is intricate.

Don't hesitate if you have questions! Hope you enjoy your MXDZT journey!

[imagonista]

MOTH finale rambling: warning, this is long, and basically a brain dump. Proceed with caution

Oh gosh. I'm may not be physically crying, but mentally, I'm kind of numb. Not in a bad way, I want to be clear, this is just how I process certain types of emotional stories, and it may take some time for me to recover from the finale. Also the fact this is probably the first time my emotions have made me feel like I'm going to throw up, which is good in the sense that it means the storytelling was effective, but bad in the sense that I have emetophobia, the fear of vomiting, sooooo XP

If there was a word to describe the ending, it would be catharsis. Every character, both the speakers and the listeners, experience some form of catharsis, and get closure after all their trauma. Amazing storytelling.

I have so many thoughts, so many emotions, but I don't have the words to describe them (and I don't think *unholy bird screeches* count). There's so much to talk about...

The realization, adding from the previous episode, that Makkaro and Zed aren't that different. Both of their arcs revolve around them putting their respective listener on a pedestal, and all the harm that caused.

That the Guardian is GONE gone, and the effects that will have on the world. On one hand, the Guardian didn't do their job in the first place, mostly just staying alone in their arch angel until Zed showed up. But in the AU where the Guardian dies, it was stated how while magic doesn't go away, things start to feel less...magical, if the Guardian were to die. Does the Guardian leaving from the world in general mean the same thing? I'll guess we'll find out with Nosferatu (which took until actually spelling out the name to realize the importance of that name and its association with the original Dracula book. And since he was turned into a vampire... very clever!)

As much as I was hoping for Zed and the Guardian to end up together, it wasn't much of a shock when they didn't. Neither of them were ready for a relationship, and the Guardian just has too much emotional baggage to ever love again. And I'm glad it was Zed who did it; it really shows his character growth, his realization that it wouldn't be a fair or healthy relationship.

But my emotional juxtaposition:

*Darlings POV switching to Guardians POV*

Me: YES!!!!!

*Section titled "Shy Wizard let's you go")

Me: NO!!!!!!!

The title of the series being the title of (probably) Y'narri's favorite romance novel?!?! Genius! I'm also honestly glad that the meaning of Magic of the Heart wasn't the whole "you had the power inside yourself all along" type of story. Basically, that Zed would find the magic inside himself and then not be weak anymore, yada yada. I think it was only recently (probably within the last few years) I discovered how ableist that narrative can be. So having "Magic of the Heart" be about love, not "magic" magic, works a lot better.

Makkaro and Darlings ending was just beautiful! On one hand, it does kind of feel like Makkaro is getting off a bit too easily for murdering thousands (or had it gotten to millions?) of innocents. On the other hand, he did lose his necromancy, and had severe emotional trauma from the entire experience. But either way, I love how he and Darling are just gonna live happily together, and while they may be secluded/hidden from society, they finally get the peace they deserve.

Mini musical theater thoughts because of course my brain thinks about musicals; "That Would Be Enough" from Hamilton, Eliza's lines are so Darling coded

"I don't pretend to know, the challenges your facing,

The world's you keep erasing and creating in your mind.

But I'm not afraid,

I know who I married,

So long as you come home at the end of the day,

That would be enough."

And

"If I could grant you peace of mind,

If you could let me inside your heart.

...

Let this be the first chapter,

Where you decide to stay,

And I could be enough,

And we could be enough,

That would be enough."

I could probably write an essay about how Makkaro is both Hamilton and Burr, but nobody needs that.

The animation walk cycle at the end with the fanart?! It's basically an anime ending credits sequence, and I loved it! Magic of the Heart anime when?

On a lighter note, Zed calming himself down after going off about how the heck he was still alive, I couldn't relate more to him. That shock, the surprise, then mini celebration (and then realizing he was celebrating a bit too much); so relatable.

Now thoughts on the future: I am both nervous and excited to see what happens to Zed. I know if that he's gonna be more grown up in the future, he may lose being "shy," and "smol," which I selfishly don't want him to lose. To sum things up, my favorite male archetype is the nervous, shy, bumbling type; ever since my brain was able to accept that even as a female, I was allowed to have male favorite characters, that's always what I drifted to. Why? I don't know; probably something about vulnerability and having men not being jerks. It seems silly, but I struggle with characters changing (which is probably why my two favorite shows, The 7D and The Cuphead Show are my favorites; since they aren't crazy plot heavy and focus more on comedy, the characters are consistent). That's not to say I'm against character growth; I love character growth! And I want Zed to realize his own personal strengths and worth (which as we can see, the process has at the very least started). I don't know. While I hope Zed grows, I hope he's still, himself, for lack of a better term.

All in all, congrats GBA for an amazing series finale!!!!! And Im very excited for Gen 3!!!Apologies for this long ramble, for those who lasted this long

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

for the character bingo maybe the perfect crime trio? it's three characters so it's cool if you choose to do just one of them :)

Yes!!! I love them all so much :)

Ranpo:

They are sooooo cool looking: I mean, Ranpo does look pretty cool. It's a good look for him. :)

Everyone but me is wrong about them/They're deeper than they seem: Ok, so actually this isn't totally true since I know some people here really get him... but I've also seen some weird takes and it's a shame because Ranpo is an excellent character who is a lot more than "really smart" and "likes snacks and praise". In fact, I've been writing a post about how Ranpo has a cohesive and consistent character arc in the story that I think kind of gets overshadowed by the major events of the plot, but it's still there, and Ranpo has done a lot of developing over the course of the series. It's just that not as much obvious attention is drawn to it as, say, sskk. Ranpo isn't the Agency's strongest for nothing. He's more than just a silly little guy.

Not as deep as they seem: ...at the same time, he is absolutely just a silly little guy who really just wants to do silly little guy things like eat candy and tease Poe and solve brutal murders and be praised for it. Ranpo is a complex character with simple needs I think... which might be why he can be a bit difficult to characterize.

I like them enough to project my own issues onto them/I'm mentally ill about them: Untold Origins... okay. So, I don't think I'm like Ranpo necessarily. But god if untold origins didn't hit a certain way. I spent a lot of my childhood being built up as a gifted kid then torn down for not being smart enough, often by the same people within the same day. It was confusing. Am I smart or not? Do you like me, or not? I was also that annoying kid who would correct the teacher's mistakes in class... except I wasn't doing it to be a showoff. It was wrong, and it does no one any good to be taught something wrong when it can be fixed right away, yeah? Well, my teacher didn't like that. Ever been bullied by your teacher as an elementary school kid while having no idea what you did to have someone hate you this way? Not fun. Do not recommend. So Ranpo's story brought a lot of those feelings back. Ha. I also have a lot of thoughts about a kid who grew up in a sheltered environment, suddenly left with the grief from the loss of his parents and no support, lost in a world he does not understand that terrifies him, and the way he is given the means to build a life for himself in spite of it all (even if it is based off a lie). I can't wait to write more about Ranpo. I really do like him a lot and I don't talk about him nearly enough.

I want to carry them in a handbag like a tiny dog: Not in the usual deranged way; I actually think Ranpo might like this tbh. He wouldn't have to walk lol.

Poe:

They are sooooo cool looking: Yeah. I have no idea why he dresses like that, but yeah.

Everyone but me is wrong about them: ...ooookay. So, maybe I'm just not looking in the right area. But, and this might be a bit surprising to hear given that I'm a fan of Chuuya, it's actually Poe's mischaracterization in fics that irritates me the most. He's not soft. He has anxiety. There's a difference (please don't write all socially anxious people as soft little beans, please...). Poe doesn't do things "just because", everything needs to be framed as an intentional challenge. He spent 6 years writing his vengeance. I know we all laugh at the "for some reason I can't say no to Ranpo" bit (who are you fooling man?), but like. He continues to rationalize his affection as traps and challenges. Poe isn't soft. He does still harbour some feelings of jealousy towards Ranpo - it's just that it's vastly outweighed by his (completely oblivious) fondness for him. He brings up how he feels he's "just being used" a few times by several people, but I've rarely seen this talked about. He's an easily startled goof but also more than capable of being very pushy when he thinks it's necessary - think of his placing blank pages in every room to try and get Mushitarou to write lmao. He's a drama queen, only just barely held back from full-blown theatre kid by his crippling anxiety. And he knows full well the value that lies in writing a memory (his softest moment is when he is in his element!). Poe is a complicated character in his own right, and while it is not explored nearly enough in canon - isn't that what fic is supposed to be for? I'd love more fics that explore him, and especially his conflicting feelings towards Ranpo, who he is very attached to and fond of (it's borderline a canon crush to me). He feels envious, but he wants to impress him, but he wants to beat him utterly, but he would do anything for him, he is his perfect partner in (solving) crime, etc., etc. Poe fears disappointing Ranpo and it's for a mess of reasons that are not just all "because he likes him", though that is, undeniably, a big part of it. It's implied he may even fear being replaced or seen as not very important to him, and, as is typical for Poe, he doesn't shy away and retreat - he immediately turns quite internally poisonous towards the "threat". Poe is full of strong, sometimes ugly, conflicting feelings that he rarely actually acts on, and I'd love to see these explored more, both in canon, and in fics. He's a silly guy too, but... you know.

Wasted potential (?): Well, I want to wait a bit before making any judgements here, but if Poe stays a comic relief character who only creates books for Ranpo to use, I'll be a little disappointed. His ability is so powerful. Unbelievably so. It also requires him to write, and with a Book being such a core part of the story, and authors tending to have strong influences on the plot (Odasaku, Natsume, arguably Yokomizo), I think it'd be really weird if Poe went nowhere.

They work better as part of a dynamic: Ranpoe my beloved <3 (I also love his kindness towards Mushitarou :') )

Mushitarou:

They're like a blorbo to me: I mean. You guys saw my deranged rambling about him already. You know I am not normal about him.

I'm mentally ill about them: You KNOW I am NOT NORMAL ABOUT HIM. I've written all my thoughts before. His story will never not make me emotional. I think he's one of the best written characters. I personally place him up there with Kyouka and Akutagawa for quality of writing and overall themes.

Why do they look like that: onceler looking dude...

They've never done anything wrong in their life: Well. He very much has done things wrong. But, much like Ango, circumstance and a lack of foreseeable alternatives pushed them into making a set of horrible choices that they will forever be haunted by. It's why I think they should hang out about it... maybe kiss...

[eurydicees]

Random ask, who are your top 5 (or top 3) fav characters from Haikyuu? And why do you love them? Also, what are your top 5 fav moments from the series? Thanks if you want to answer....

oh i would LOVE to answer !!! sorry it took so long to get to this!! this was sooooo hard to do. it's not in any particular order because i can't bring myself to do a favorites list like that, as i have so much love in my body to give to the world and also haikyuu specifically. under the cut because this got long!! there ARE manga spoilers in this post!!!

top 5 characters

oikawa

yeah we all say this one coming let's be honest with ourselves here. his growth as a person genuinely makes me crazy. he's so well developed and he's truly such a fascinating character. his arc is beautifully tied in with the MCs and beautifully ended. the way it all ties together and comes together with him at the end...chef's kiss. i have a whole theory about the way it all comes back to oikawa that i have ranted about on discord but i have not posted it...oops.

bokuto

my beloved............he means so much to me. he's so special in my heart. adhd representation fr. he's so much smarter and has so much more depth than people give him credit for--which drives me crazy and i hate it--and he genuinely has such an impact on the narrative that doesn't get appreciated enough. i love him so much.

atsumu

i really don't know how to put this into words but i'm so obsessed with him. he's so important to me. it's smth about the drive and hunger to get better at what you love, the absurd confidence in yourself that is earned rather than a facade, the way he never sees another option but putting all of your heart into what you love and want to do....he means everything to me.

akaashi

i don't know if this one will come as a surprise to people, but he's fr one of my favorite characters. he's so interesting. his mindset is really interesting and i absolutely loved seeing him in the fukurodani v mujinazaka game--it's about how he recovers, how he learns to keep trying as best he can no matter if he's worth it or not or strong enough or not, how deeply he loves his team and how deeply they love him, how he learns to love them rather than try to control them. it's just like. you and those you love being the most important people in the world, the protagonist of your own story and life, but also not being afraid of losing. not being afraid of trying, even if it means you may fail. give me your 120%. i know you can. man. i don't even know. he makes me crazy.

kenma

oh man. his journey and arc makes me...i don't even know. it means so much to me. the promise to make him say something was fun or frustrating--then nekoma's loss, and him saying it was fun anyways. oh my god. crying about it tbh. his development as a character: not particularly remarkable at first sight, but cunning and smart underneath what he looks like, learning to put every piece of himself into a game, learning to have fun while playing even if he loses. man. yeah. kenma.

top 5 moments

tanaka's mediocre me monologue (chp 263)

aaaaaaaa. this idea that you may be mediocre but that doesn't mean you can't risk it all and push yourself further and be the best. it's the whole POINT of haikyuu. don't limit yourself because of your insecurities or because someone tells you that you can't do something. you don't have time to waste by giving up or doubting yourself, because there's so much you can do. this is the moment that solidified tanaka's character for me; i hadn't super loved him before this moment and then i got to this and went. oh. yeah. ok. that's really good actually.

nekoma's loss to karasuno (chp 324)

oh my god. this makes me crazy. i don't even have words for it. don't make me think about it. i'mc rying.

kiryuu's monologue (chp 334)

it's just. the idea of this top 3 ace who doesn't have enough confidence to believe in himself learning to "channel your inner narcissist." AND ITS BOKUTO WHO INSPIRES IT. CRYING. and like just this idea that well, you may not have confidence in yourself, but other people believe in you and you believe in them, so don't let them down by talking down to yourself. and like..."it takes everything i have to keep up with this man, it takes everything i have to play volleyball" and playing anyways...i'm biting things .

oikawa's volleyball is fun moment (chp 373)

oh my god ok. this moment means everything to me. it's about the burn out it's about the passion it's about the rediscovery it's about the fun it's about the love it's actually the point of everything it's what matters it's one of the best chapters in the manga, one of the best pieces of development for oikawa, one of the best pieces of development for hinata, i'm going crazy i'm so insane about this moment . i actually cried reading this for the first time. tears streaming down my face. i have a more in depth post about this moment here!!! but like genuinely as someone who experiences artistic burnout so easily and so often, the reminder that what you love is fun is so important to me. easily one of my favorite moments in any piece of writing ever.

the ending (chp 402)

i'm not gonna include the whole monologue but it makes me fuckign wild. i just. yeah. yeah. yeah. haikyuu. it means so much to me.

honorable mentions for top moments:

"if i'm here, you're invincible" don't touch me i'm crying

NISHINOYA FOOT RECIEVE

yamaguchi's failed serve and the way karasuno recovers & yamaguchi's six points & tsukki and yamaguchi's serve and block panel with the shield and spear. going insane.

"when oikawa is backed into a corner, he'll set to iwaizumi" i'm actually crawling up the walls about this

the last point in the second aoba johsai game. enough said.

tsukki's Moment TM . you all know exactly which one i'm talking about.

kenma calling yamamoto tora

"volleyball is a sport where you're always looking up".......garbled screaming at this

HINATA PERFECT RECEIVE

tsukki's "if i could stuff this now i'm sure everyone would go crazy, but i can't, so...you better be there hinata" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the last inarizaki point. the reflection in kita's eyes. the flashes of we don't need the memories. this angle, this position, it's perfect. the parallels to the last aoba johsai point. speed isn't invincible...those two understood that a little better than everyone else. oh my god. shaking.

can you tell that my favorite game is the inarizaki one. because really i should just say my favorite moment is that entire game.

kenma's "it hurts. it's painful. i don't ever want this to end." & "don't give up on me now hinata"

the kenhina knife fight. oh my god. i feel deranged with the way i talk about this panel.

"someone even better will find you" oh my god kageyama my sweetheart

[nin-jay-go]

HIIIIII

Do you read fics? If so, you got any good Jay fics to share? (Better if there are no ships, but I don't mind ships :D)

(If not, may i suggest 'Illegal Elemental Masters' series by Universe_Traveler on AO3?)

oh i read fics ALLLLL the time :0 ive got some good ones for you >:3

*notes down your recommendation* tytyty this looks fun 👀

first off. i have have HAVE to give a glowing recommendation to once bitten new life by northamericanjaguar for all snake jay fans!!!! it is fantastic and VERY VERY good :D it does have jaya, but its early season jaya, so take that as you will

while this one isn't on ao3, i'd be remiss not to mention the fantastic mr walker by shinyshiny9. while it's uh. on hiatus, let's call it, it has one of the best character writing i've seen in a while. reader discretion is advised, as it touches on some pretty heavy topics, but it is worth the read if you can handle it

if you're looking for dragons rising jay, here's strength and survival by orange_sunsets! spoilers up to s2p1, so none of the recent leaked stuff, as it takes a divergent path. amnesiac jay just trying his best out in the world ✌️ and getting adopted by dragons

PLAY TO WIN BY SADISTHETIC. i love this one SO MUCH. if you want skybound angst and jay and cole beating the shit out of each other, read play to win it makes me SOOOO UNWELL <3 it is tagged as cole/jay but it can be read as gen just as easily

been a while since i last read this one, but i really liked enchanted opportunities by arco_harrison03. jay gets the powers of a djinn and has a BAD time about it. it does have jaya as it's directly post skybound, but its more focused on jayngst than jaya. oh also pixal's there because she can be <3

if you want a bit of a fucked villain jay arc, take a bluejay in an electrical storm by internallyscreamingdaily. it's not done (and unfortunately might not get its last chapter :[ ) but it tickles my brain juuuuuust right with all the tasty tasty angst >:3

and to finish off my list of recs, current hunger by achillightning. also a darker fic, soooort of a villain jay, but, in the words of the tag, "villain arc but in a kinda pathetic kinda whumpy cringefail way." it has jaya (a lot of fics do end up being shippy) but i also dont remember there being much ship content last i checked? it's been a while though aaa >_>

actually i lied bc i realized that most of these fics are heavy angst SOOOOO here's a funny fluff fic of kai and jay bodyswapping. walk a mile by storiesaremagic is short and cute if you like bodyswap :0 completely gen

there's probably more that i'm just forgetting rn but this is a pretty solid list of recs! have fun :D

[legallyhermione]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Ooooof this is such a hard question!! Thank you for the ask, I love this kinda stuff!!

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are!

1. Any of MXTX’s content (I’m counting them as one because I love too many things 😭): For me, these novels and adaptations were my first foray into danmei and Chinese media. I also discovered them at a time when I was questioning my identity and coming to terms with the fact I’m queer (which is…not really accepted in my family). I watched The Untamed first, then read fan translations of the novels before they started being officially translated, and I keep coming back to them because I find them so thought provoking. I like that none of the characters are presented as perfect people; they’re all flawed humans, but we love them anyway.

2. Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty: found family, Sherlock Holmes-like detective skills, spies, political machinations, food as a form of love? What more could I ask for! I just love this show. Haven’t gotten to read the novel it’s based on yet, but I’m hoping to soon!

3. Yuri on Ice: one of the first anime I ever watched, and it’s just so sweet and lovely. Definitely one of my comfort shows! Plus there are some crazy good fics. Still hoping one day we’ll get the movie!

4. Harry Potter: I struggle with this one a lot, because I very much dislike JKR’s transphobic rhetoric. But the fan spaces of Harry Potter provided me with support and escape I needed many times throughout my life, and for that the fandom of Harry Potter will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s been a part of my life nearly as long as I can remember.

5. Thousand Autumns: another one with some very morally grey characters! I love thinking about who and what is right and wrong, and this novel definitely makes you think about it. Lots of political world building as well, which I love.

6. My Cousin Vinny: a fantastic movie that I have many fond memories about. The jokes and digs about the south vs the north in the US always make me laugh, and as someone who has lived many years in both of those areas, those scenes make me giggle.

7. Haikyuu!: another one of my comfort shows! It’s just happy and fun and adorable. I love this one. I watched it sooooo many times during lockdown.

8. BBC Merlin: was morgana my bi awakening? I shan’t tell! Suchhh a good show, I miss it so much. Another fandom that has some incredibleeeee fanfics. Y’all writers are so talented.

9. Our Flag Means Death: I think this was maybe my first piece of media that explicitly included multiple queer characters but the entire storyline wasn’t only about the otherness and pain of being queer (or just a stereotyped role). This show made me feel seen in ways no other media had before. Plus, the show is gay pirates. It doesn’t get much better than that!

10. Avatar the Last Airbender: me and my siblings all loved this show, and we still watch it together often whenever we’re together. It’s so good. Zuko’s character development is still quite possibly the best redemption arc I’ve seen. I love it.

Phew. It was so hard to choose 10! I’m glad you didn’t ask me to pick one because I’m afraid that would’ve been impossible for me! What are your favorites???

💚

[theimperiumchronicles]

Hi there buddy, my name is Athena. I'm coming to say hi, see how you're doing and this is a chance to ramble about your wips. Have any of your wips been influenced/inspired by podcasts or any other media?

Hi Athena :)

YES! Thank you for asking <3

All of them!! So...let's start at the beginning...take a seat...get a drink and a snack...this will...you know what, get that drink and a snack and I'll break this down so you can go potty in between WIPS. Otherwise you'll be doing the potty dance and trying to read faster and you might skip something...and no one wants that. *grins happily* We'll start with The Imperium Chronicles (@theimperiumchronicles )

Okay - the original concept started as an RP a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago with some super cool and super good friends of mine. We used Cassandra Claire's Mortal Instruments book series as kind of inspiration, but there were parts of her mythos we thought were crap and her characters were too young and we HATED the whole chalice thing....so we kept a little and threw a WHOLE LOT out...and came up with the original crew - Abriella (who was an existing char of mine that I tweaked and was known as Brie then), Cruz, Dez, Talon, Talia, Raguel, Arioch, Char (she's dead and we're gonna leave her that way), and Deacon. Some people wrote more than one. None of the characters were actually based on characters from Claire's stories, we more based it one her setup and if you saw our stories then and some of the old stories I wrote for Brie, you'd recognize it. It's been almost 20 years now...she's evolved some.

NOW...the obvious inspiration for the current arc is kind of the Bible - 4 Horsemen and all. But again, there is a twist on it. Mainly because having done some Biblical study, I am aware that what we have today is at best the English translation from the Latin from the Greek from the Aramaic...or something along those lines....there may even be a few other translations thrown in there. In some cases there were multiple meanings for one English word. For instance when Jesus is walking on the water the more accurate translation is NOT "Fear not, it is I". It IS "Fear not, I AM." Why does this matter? Because God was know as The Great I AM. He was declaring his divinity within the statement but what seems like a minor translation issue is a HUGE one in context. Sooooo....I've used this to my story's advantage. In no way is my story related to reality or religion in any way, I'm just using something that is real in my fiction.

ALSO...Leandre, Andronicus, Orpheus, and Thenasus are completely and wholely based on the BBC Musketeers series, save the last season which IMO sucked balls. They are even based on the characters that share their FC. Leandre is my blorbo baby...Tom Burke *swoons*. ANYWAY...completely inspired by...blorbos were born watching the series while writing Abriella stories. Demanded they be born and allowed to participate. So, here we are.

Thinius...yep...he is alive and kicking because Imagine Dragons seems to write songs that just inspire the fuck out of the entire The Imperium Chronicles gang. And they demanded Dan Reynolds be a FC of a character as such. Don't ask where his personality come from other than when I saw them live in NOLA, it came to me watching that man literally bounce around for over 4 hours on stage like the Engergizer Bunny.

Kellen got his FC before I saw Shadow and Bone, but he became more formed and his character changed some afterwards. The plot didn't but he absorbed some of the elements of Kirigan that Ben played, elements that I had been struggling to figure out with Kellen. It was tied into the world building for Uffern, and as soon as he grabbed onto those tiny details, everything fell into place for Uffern and all the others who live there...including Korben's curse. z

POTTY BREAK...I'll start @bendingthelaws after I finish eating my lunch

TAG LIST - @ceph-the-ghost-writer @saltysupercomputer @careful-pyromancer @late-to-the-fandom @autumnalwalker @perasperaadastrawriting @fearofahumanplanet @jessica-writes22 @dogmomwrites @mjjune @verba-writing @blind-the-winds @shipping-through-eternity  @outpost51 @inkspellangel @blind-the-winds @sunset-a-story @writingmaidenwarrior @clairelsonao3 @toribookworm22 @there-goes-thefighter

Please let me know if you would like +/- From the list

[linkspooky]

Sooooo ya planning to create any more OCs for your future jjk fics?

Just wondering, totally not because all your OCs in your jjk have been interesting, human, complex, and emotional touching to me… 👉👈

Just kidding… they totally did. I loved them!

Thank you so much for sending this anon your positive feedback means the absolute world to me and encourages me to write. Sure, anon there are two OCs I am planning to either introduce or give more screentime in future fics.

One thing is Ocs are primarily there in my fics either to provide perspective on the main characters, foil them in some way, or serve as rivals / antagonists because I like to write fics that are like self-contained arcs that could appear in story or revisions of arcs that already happened. So like a lot of my ocs are formed around canon characters in order to contrast them which is why they are going to show up in future fics that choose to focus on those specific characters. So, ummmm!!! Here is a guy.

Commission by @ / Moedredd

He has technically already made an appearance in Three's Company, which is the fourth fic in the series and the prequel to werewolf. Uh, if Exponential Decay -> Exponential Growth -> Butterfly Curve are a set of three then it'd be Three's Company -> Werewolf -> Zenin Massacre Rewrite.

His name is Sigma (full name Shigema Kamo). His cursed technique is the ability to switch left and right, which is why he fights with two swords. He uses that in conjunction with new shadow style simple domain in order to counter domains. He has an innature cursed technique, but no cursed energy to use that technique. The reason why is because he was born with a heavenly restriction, he and his sister share all of their cursed energy. He can't use any cursed energy unless his sister supplies him with some. If his sister isn't there he may as well be fighting with cheap swords he bought at walmart.

But, eleven years ago his sister died. She only exists now as the remaining cursed energy she left behind as a gift for him (similiar to Rika and Yuta / Maki and Mai) so he is wielding his literal loved one as a weapon. He was also apprehended by Geto / Gojo / Shoko after he went rogue but instead of being executed he was passed onto Tsukumo Yuki who wanted to study his heavenly restriction.

Basically, he is going to make a reappearance in the first part of the Zenin Family Massacre arc fic where Yuta and Maki go to recruit Hakari while Megumi is sent to negotiate with the Zenin Clan. He is a foil for both Maki and Yuta, both as a bad end for Maki (what if there was nothing remaining of your sister in this world but a weapon and a desire to avenge them) and also for Yuta as they are both the nicest guys in the world until they lose their loved ones.

He's also connected to Choso which is why his last name is Kamo. I don't want to spoil anything, but Noranso is also going to make a reapparance in the first part of this same fic.

Commission by @ hollycircling

This Is Lio/Li/Lia, they're not nearly as developed as Sigma because they are meant to exist post Zenin Massacre arc and they are an oc for the culling games

The idea behind them is that they are the sole survivor of the Zenin Massacre besides Maki who is the killer, and Mai who gets revived basically by mistake. Maki didn't notice that they were still alive and didn't bother to finish them off. They're based on the idea that the Zenin Family Massacre is in fact a massacre, not everyone Maki killed was culpable for her abuse. It's like Geto slaughtering an entire village not everyone in that village made the decision to put kids in a cage even if Geto was rightfully angry at the perpetrators.

Like the protagonist of one story, can be a villain to another story. Li's life was not particularly good either, but they're feelings for their parents were incredibly complex and they didn't want them to die but it wasn't just their parents it was also their little siblings. (I am going with like Geto levels with Maki's massacre, she was thorough she wanted to erase them.) Li wasn't an especially hateful to begin with they were just a funky little closeted trans dude. In fact I'm floating around the idea that Maki, and Mai actually got along with them slightly better when they were children. Basically, they don't like the Zenin family either. And some part of it is liberating that they can finally start presenting themselves the way they want to now that they don't exist inside of the repressive structure of the Zenin and are no longer pressured to become a sorcerer and yet given this chance to live their own life the way they want they can't let go of the desire to see justice for their siblings. At the same time literally everyone they knew in their whole life is dead including their little siblings (they were the eldest) and that essentially turns them into Sasuke Uchiha.

Cycle of revenge stories fascinate me when you take a neutral view on it, instead of centering justice around the main character's POV. LIke, what if the person who wants revenge against you, has just as much reason to want revenge as you did? What makes your revenge more valid than their revenge? In this case Lio is after Maki for taking their little siblings away and Mai was the catalyst for Maki exterminating the Zenin. All of this is also kind of based off the idea that Quentin Tarantino originally planned a sequel for Kill Bill where the girl who's mother was killed right in front of her by the bride spends the whole movie hunting down the bride.

[protagonistheavy]

I dont have time to rant much about it but JCA season 5 is off to a sucky start. Im glad there's only a handful of episodes left because man it's really lost the charm at this point.

First off, maybe most important even... why the fuck did they straight up ruin the theme song???? For WHAT reason!! They removed the first few measures of build-up from the song so the intro just BEGINS right in the middle, but the animation still plays from the beginning, so you have this intense music replacing what used to be a snippet of "urgent mystery." And seriously, for WHAT REASON? They don't add anything to the intro animation!! In fact it's actually shorter because they put Jade and Uncle's animations side-by-side rather than separate. Yet not only does it play the whole song, but it has to awkwardly loop one of the parts because it isn't long enough! I think they did this so the intro credits could have a few more seconds to show off a few more names lmao, which is just terrible. It's not like JCA had a boppin theme song but it got me in the mood! And now it just looks and sounds so bad, the action doesn't line-up, ugh.

Drago is an interesting concept for a villain but his ineptitude and attitude as a child/teenager makes him unimpressive as the main villain. Honestly the series has a had hard time since season 2 making new villains feel like proper successors; the move from Shendu to Shendu and his demon siblings was an AWESOME transition of power/stakes, but Daolong and Tarakuda were lackluster. Drago has way too many one-liners for a guy that gets kicked into walls by Jade.

That last point is another problem, which is that the action went back to being lazy again lol. It picked back up in season 4, but it's returned to season 3 levels of "just guys hitting each other," with not enough circumstance and environmental fighting. Jade doesn't have to do any tricks or kiddish maneuvers, she just kicks people around; Uncle zaps people with his magic fish while Tohru becomes less and less competent.

And oh Tohru, god they've made him a giggling child. It's honestly disturbing how little of his old self still seems around. I legitimately wondered if he went back to having Jade's chi like in that vampire episode lol, he's just so childish and naive now. A real bummer since Tohru was for sure one of the most compelling characters.

The Enforcers aren't around : ( Bad move, these are just such good and funny characters, and their replacements are simply not worthy. It IS funny to see Strikemaster Ice make a comeback, I wasn't expecting that lol, but him and his two buds are nowhere near as interesting as the Enforcers. Additionally, their Drago-given dragon-forms are just sooooo ugly, oh my god. Considering we already did the "turning henchmen into super-henchmen" thing once before, this is pretty hard to look at, clearly the inferior take on the idea. It's taken lifeless characters and made them look even more lifeless, harder to tell apart, and with nothing making them unique; when the Enforcers became Dark Chi Warriors, they had individual weapons that made them varied as fighters, but these guys are all just dragon things with fire powers, it's a real downgrade and just straight-up looks worse.

So this might be a disappointing end to JCA. I think what's unfortunate is that the series had so much innate charm that the writers didn't capitalize completely on, I genuinely think they just didn't have the creativity to make strong and emotional episodes that an adventure series like this needs. I think A LOT about one particular quote from Alex Hirsch... a show ten years ahead of JCA lol but still relevant. Alex explained that when writing an episode for Gravity Falls, the episode couldn't just be "evil tooth fairy," it had to be a compelling plot about, like, Mable loosing her teeth, or going to the dentist -- there had to be a human character arc that made the evil tooth fairy aspect have context and relevance. JCA badly needed this sort of emotional touch and thinking, because they clearly understand what COULD make the characters more compelling, but they failed to weave that into the episodes themselves. Take the episode about Jade's birthday -- which has NOTHING to do about Jade's birthday, other than it's something she keeps complaining about while they do typical episode stuff. In a better written version of the episode, the plot of Jade's birthday would be interconnected with things happening, it would serve a purpose -- but it's just a random element here, a random point to put pressure on the characters, that ultimately goes nowhere related to the rest of the episode.

Anyway I do love this show but after watching it almost completely, I suppose I do understand why this show didn't retain popularity. The first two seasons are great, but not so fantastic that it shines through its later, less impressive seasons. My brainrot tells me so many ways this series couldve been way more interesting lol, but something like this is super unlikely to inspire any remakes or reboots, so, it is what it is. A cute toon. The ultimate question I have to ask is: is it better than Kim Possible? It isn't. Kim Possible claims another head.

[kylewalker-peters]

thinking about your bake off AU....... me and claudia were discussing an F1 version i would personally love ur thoughts on this

this is genuinely the best au ever and i can never do it justice but here's some ideas i have

this is so hard because there's like 50 million footballers and 20 spaces in this god awful sport. and i also don't wanna do like just a straight comparison either cause the idea of comparing any footballer to lewis... i'd throw my own self in jail

right so i dont care about taa at all but you do so in light of the southgate news he's giving the vibe of "guy who won junior series in his rookie or second season, got to like alpha tauri and then was overlooked for a promotion to one of the big teams in favour of everyone else" despite somehow winning a race in a shitbox of a car and if southgate was in charge would probably be sent off to fe or indycar or something to free up a seat.

okay i know i said i wouldnt do comparisons but sadly i DO think though not at all equal deccy would end up being the danny ric of the grid like un four chew nat lee he does have the charismatic appeal and also the glow up. outside of that comparison i think he ends up being a solid midfield driver, there's always rumours of him making the step up but everywhere is already taken and the contracts never align and people just don't want to spend money buying him out because it'd be so high because he's so key for said midfield team so he gets a couple wins but he never challenges for a championship. OR i'd argue grealish could fill that danny role but i truly truly do not think that man would be smart enough to remember what all the buttons on that steering wheel do. like it's just not happening is it... i can suspend disbelief in an au only for so long. he'd crash trying to push one button cause he'd look down trying to find it rather than remembering to concentrate on the bloody track

if i give spurs players past and present some championships the way i cannot give them trophies at spurs erm... look away. but also dembele wins like 1 championship but is forever an underrated driver and people don't appreciate his racecraft but other drivers on the grid hate to battle him because they know he's sooooo good. wait jan and mousa teammates yeah!!!!!!!!! they win a championship each. gonna say harry and son are teammates at some point and absolutely DOMINATE because the work SO well together and helping to develop the car. dele and eric ARE teammates when dele first breaks into the sport like they WERE the blueprint back in the day we cant ignore. would have dele and son as teammates but it'd only be for like half a season and then dele's arc gets DEPRESSING!!!!!!! it's like if pierre had been demoted to alpha tauri and then flopped there too and been demoted out of the series altogether. i do think richy and romero as opponents but also actual teammates era would leave them like ocon and perez bitchy tweets and all because there wouldn't be the need for getting along that they have rn and that's important to me.

sissoko is a FLOP like nicky latifi but arguably maybe worse, has one good season but just fully is not a good use of a seat but then he goes to a different obscure series i cant think of and does well because i said so and also i'd be sat at home rooting for him even as he finishes 3 laps down and calling him the GOAT. no wait it's like when he scores he gets a podium and i'd have passed out and filmed the ceremony like i was literally there.

winksy and international baby girl kinda scream "i was ripped off with the promise of an f1 seat by zak brown and all i got was this stupid t-shirt" and then stay in indycar or something

maguire drives for like fucking haas or something and you genuinely do not know what he'll do. he seemed fine, decent, good even in junior formula and got his big move to f1 and just lost the plot. he's either anonymous in races or is being a Menace but even in his quiet races there's always the anticipation that he'll smash into another driver just to make himself feel better. like there is Always the chance of a safety car or a red flag if he's starting either because he's crashed into someone else or just decided to take himself into the barriers. you don't want to drive against him because you don't want to blink and suddenly have DNF-ed because of him.... but he also might get a penalty that boosts you up the grid without puncturing all 4 of your tyres somehow so... swings and roundabouts

marco reus is one of those goated goated goated drivers maybe we'll say he's like a lifelong ferrari fan like he is bvb and he signs to their academy and does well in junior series and spends the odd season at sauber/alfa and when he gets to ferrari everyone's like oh shit here we go and then the car is absolute CRAP but he simply wont abandon ferrari. like he's there forever he's the ride or die for that stupid team and instead of injuries we'll say it's constant DNFs and so he never wins a championship but he's hands down one of the biggest what if drivers. he's also so kind to younger drivers and if he can guide them in any way to make sensible contract decisions and help them mentally not pin everything on winning championships then he will.

like i hate ferrari but dare i say then here comes jude bellingham starboy?..... no i shall. he wins f3 and f2 as rookies at a super duper young age (rather than skipping junior categories like a certain dutchman) and ends up in the sauber by the time he's 17, in the ferrari by 18 and teammates with marco. if the ferrari garage was competent and the car wasn't a pile shit it'd be embarrassing for other teams... sadly that isn't the case. they make the best out of a bad situation and the genuine talent both of them possess drags that team to places it shouldn't be. marco is coming to the end but still got it and while still competitive he'll retire before he has to find a lower team. very much a mentor to jude as he progresses in as much as you can be in an individualistic yet team based sport. think we still see jude's temper sometimes flare up though over his career he deffo gets a hold of it and he deffo calls his engineer fucking shit at one point for a bad strategy but i also think he's not content to stick with ferrari if they're going to be rolling the circus into town every week and unlike marco WOULD jump to merc if they suddenly started outperforming (anyway this got too close to real life so let's leave that there)

as much as i hate to say this about my best friend erling, he's giving me red bull driver vibes I'm so sorry to myself and also him.

WAIT i've only made players drivers lemme see if any would be good engineers. maybe it's just because every tom dick and harry says he's smart but like i DO see ben davies being a good engineer maybe he can be sonny's. or wait hang on maybe i make dier dele's engineer rather than teammate hang on wait no hang on let's do that instead. i know there's nothing but hot air and joe rogan quotes up there but i think that would actually be soooooooooo perfect.

conor coady and tyrone mings are absolutely engineers and they work on the same team just managing a driver each and the social media/marketing team is constantly bullied into releasing footage with them after people clock they're not only fit but also good mates. so it'll be a video with drivers being silly and then INSTANTLY the exact same video concept but with those two.

jordan pickford either engineer or deranged team principle that is good at his job but also calls someone the c word over the radio and causes the PR team a sleepless week trying to deal with it.

dare i say hugo is the dilfy team principal who leads his team to like 10 championships in a row? yes i will.

[elegyofthemoon]

4, 5, 6, and 15 for the ask game :)

HELLO HELLO ANN !! thanks for the ask :> this ...also got pretty long sooo

female character asks

4. A heroine you love?

I need to stop bringing FF13 in here all the time but I !!!! LOVE!!!! VANILLE!!!!! SO MUCH

With the way FF13 is written, it makes it seem as though Lightning is the true protagonist, but really the protagonist of the story is Vanille and her whole story is all about running away from the wrongs she had done and eventually facing it head on with the power of emotional support and friendship. She's the one who provides all the narration in the game, even if she isn't present in the scene itself, and she is the very cause of all things gone wrong in the story as well.

AND THE THING IS she also sits as one of my fave character types "bubbly front to mask how absolutely anxious she is deep inside". She tries to be super positive and keeps trying to solve things with 'let's run away!' but running away doesn't get her too far and all things of the past come back to get her in the end. Her story -- just as everyone else's is here -- is all about growing from that self-hatred, leaning more into 'how do you forgive yourself?' and it's just sO good and I love this liar so much. She deserves so much good

Also she's wlw so that's also my plus on that.

5. A female villain you love?

It took me a while because I had to sort out between villain and antagonist BUT I finally remembered Delilah Briarwood from Legend of Vox Machina :]

You know that trope of a guy goes nuts after his wife dies? okay thats her :) Except she takes death and chokes it by becoming a necromancer to bring her husband back and now she has a hot vampire husband. She also fucks up one of the protagonist's lives (my fave character from the series LOL) by taking his whole estate and killing his family and keeping his sister captive all these years and terrorizing the entire city.

But also shes happy with her dead husband being alive. Power couple but the absolute worse (I love them anyways)

6. A female character who got done dirty by the narrative?

SIGNORAAAAAAA. I'm still pissed about it tbh and I miss her everyday my wife :(

The thing is I knew her story as the Crimson Witch beforehand, and I knew her story with Rostam as well (one of my fave stories actually heheh)! So I knew a lot of her background and just.... her death was so.... sooooo done dirty. Or just her general treatment altogether was just a mess. It really sucks that you don't get to know her unless you really dig, and she got built up to be such a ruthless character only to perish in an instant ;; It makes me so sad...

...I'm still lowkey pleading they maybe. idk. somehow. give us. playable.... signora....? I mean, I don't play anymore, but god, the power of Fatui Harbingers have a hold on me can bring me back

15. Female character you would defend with your life?

I was trying to think about this because I just knoooow there's a character out there that I didn't care for until the fans made it my business and then now I love aggressively... I think if there's any character that kinda fits that bill... I tuink it might be Lightning (ANOTHER FF13 CHARACTER HAHAHA-)

Maybe this is just extended from the fact that people didn't like FF13 as well back in the day and I came into the series very very late with this actually being my first FF13? So maybe because of how special it is for me, I defend the game and the characters like my life depends on it lmao But Lightning is just a great character. I love that she eventually learns that 'fighting is not therapy' (that meme thats like 'fight therapy im becoming a knight wait what do you mean thats unhealthy?' yeah thats her whole character arc in a nutshell). I'l never forget how she was like 'You just have to fight your way through it' to a 14 year old kid and then nearly got her sister's fiance killed as a result of the very very bad lesson she learned and you can see the instant regret on her face like 'oh.....i fucked up bad.'

She's a very very awkward dad character. But damn does she try her best and damn does she love her sister so much she's just ass at showing it because she's too worried about trying to be the strong and reliable older sibling after the two got orphaned.

Anyways. I love FF13 so much I think more people should discover the game (and talk to me about it)

[oivsyo]

I'm so happy!! I thought I wouldn't recieve an answer, nevertheless this soon! I've written to other shippers before but they seem not active anymore.

I'm looking forward to December then! I NEED more on NejiHina haha I started shipping them when watching the war for the first time, like, the moment exact that I realized Neji's feelings for Hinata (and around the same time Neji became my fav character, even above Hinata... I first hated him, then liked him and then loved him). Tbh, I watched the war arc and end a lot of time later, like, I stopped al 14 and ended it at 19 YO. Then watched it again with my husband, and this time at 26 I'm watching again just focusing on Neji. So, I was not a shipper before 2015 but I'm one of those "old" ( in age) shippers. It justs makes more and more sense the more adult I am, I feel haha also, I'm very Canon strict to establish the relationship (though I do enjoy the fillers that shows it), it makes absolute canon sense that Neji loved Hinata, it's actually impossible IMO to separate him from that fact.

Aaaand, since I'm very logic/factual, I decided not to only do a fanfic to have them together but to give them logic enough that it could have been canon. Like, I decided to rewrite the story since the war to avoid his death without taking the emotional impact. In the midst of it, I decided to make justice to all Konoha 11 + Sai (even Sakura, just no more Naruto and Sasuke pls) and rewrite parts of them too, so I have a lot in my plate right now. I'm working hard to fill all the wholes I see the best I can, both in the main story and in my AU. I'm working hand to hand with the OG material (canon and anime only), so I'm simply "coping" some parts as it is, changing minor things on some parts and major things on others, and then, in postwar, I'm going to finally lead the story on my thoughts mainly. But it's taking sooooo long. I'm doing the first script by hand on english, but I intend to do the final one on Spanish since is my main language and I want to go as in deep detail as I can. Maybe I'll translate it back later.

Does this makes sense? Does it sounds like something worth reading?

I also wanted to tell you that here in Mexico NejiHina seems to be in the rise, kind of. It's more like it has become really popular on TikTok, many many fans loving Neji, and it leaded to 2 memes: Neji Chiquito (Mini Neji) and Neji Norteño. The later refers to the fact that Neji is in love with/ attracted to his cousin; it's a meme but is a huge one, and it implies people recognizes and accepts the fact that Neji was in love with Hinata. Some leave it at that, but many others wished they could be together or state that Neji was a better option for Hinata than Naruto, that also being because a lot of people was upset about NS ending and hate Boruto series.

I'm sorry about the long post 😅 I needed out, I feel like I don't have ppl enough to talk about this haha I also wanted to know your opinion on my project and to let you know that in spite of how things turned out, NejiHina do is getting more recognition on some places.

Good day once again, anon! I'm sorry for making you wait for so long. I read your message right after you sent it but I didn't have enough time to reply properly. As far as your message was full of passion it deserved a thoughtful reply.

I understand you so well about writing to other NejiHina shippers. That is what I did when I returned to NejiHina and started to draw again after more than a decade long hiatus. I didn't know anyone, most accs looked dead so I just started to post my pics. And I'm endlessly grateful to @cyanis-art @nyxvoidart @incensuous @nejihina-and-mlb @nejihinata @toonamifaithful and other people who noticed and liked my arts, wrote comments and supported me in many ways. In the beginning support is needed as air, so I have no idea whether I would continue to draw NejiHina if not their support🙏

I'm looking forward to December then! I NEED more on NejiHina haha I started shipping them when watching the war for the first time, like, the exact moment that I realized Neji's feelings for Hinata (and around the same time Neji became my fav character, even above Hinata... I first hated him, then liked him and then loved him). Tbh, I watched the war arc and end a lot of time later, like, I stopped at 14 and ended it at 19 YO. Then I watched it again with my husband, and this time at 26 I'm watching again just focusing on Neji. So, I was not a shipper before 2015 but I'm one of those "old" ( in age) shippers. It justs makes more and more sense the more adult I am, I feel haha also, I'm very Canon strict to establish the relationship (though I do enjoy the fillers that shows it), it makes absolute canon sense that Neji loved Hinata, it's actually impossible IMO to separate him from that fact.

Thank you for sharing your story! It has always been interesting for me to know how other fans came to NejiHina. I've discussed it with quite a number of people and there are some similarities in their stories. Many of my NejiHina fellows say that 'once you feel the chemistry between them you will ship them without turning back'. Also there are many fans who are older than 25 y.o. Most of them agree that NejiHina is a mature ship that goes beyond plain romance. Many ppl started to ship them when they were teenagers and returned to this ship as adults.

As for me, I started to ship them as a teenager after watching s1 and the beginning of Shippuden but I didn’t look in too deep back then. I rewatched Naruto, watched the rest of the series and Rock Lee SD only 1,5 years ago and I was surprised how many NejiHina moments there are and started to love them even more. There is also more info about Hanabi and the Hyuga clan, so I crushed into the clan too.

Aaaand, since I'm very logic/factual, I decided not to only do a fanfic to have them together but to give them logic enough that it could have been canon. Like, I decided to rewrite the story since the war to avoid his death without taking the emotional impact. In the midst of it, I decided to make justice to all Konoha 11 + Sai (even Sakura, just no more Naruto and Sasuke pls) and rewrite parts of them too, so I have a lot in my plate right now. I'm working hard to fill all the wholes I see the best I can, both in the main story and in my AU. I'm working hand to hand with the OG material (canon and anime only), so I'm simply "coping" some parts as it is, changing minor things on some parts and major things on others, and then, in postwar, I'm going to finally lead the story on my thoughts mainly. But it's taking sooooo long. I'm doing the first script by hand on english, but I intend to do the final one on Spanish since is my main language and I want to go as in deep detail as I can. Maybe I'll translate it back later.

Does this makes sense? Does it sounds like something worth reading?

“to fill all the holes” is exactly what I have been doing for the last 1,5 years 🥲💪

I’m not good at writing, so I draw to show my headcanons and write short notes on twitter and here. Gladly there are NejiHina fellow artists around me to discuss our ideas with. And we are happy to wellcome new people to discuss NejiHina with.

I can’t speak on behalf of all the community but personally I’m a sucker for canon compliant + canon divergent stories. It seems I will never get tired of the multi-chapter slowburn stories about Neji and Hinata and the Hyuga clan.There is a NejiHina fan-novel in my language that is written with this approach and when I’ve read it I understood that this is the type of fan-fiction I like the most. I like it when the story begins as in the canon but gradually diverts from it. This appoach provides numerous opportunities to develop side characters making them MCs, adding original characters, developing the lore. This is exactly what I do for my own headcanons so I fully support you. I wish you good luck in writing what you’ve started! Take your time and I’m looking forward to reading your story in English some day!

I also wanted to tell you that here in Mexico NejiHina seems to be in the rise, kind of. It's more like it has become really popular on TikTok, many many fans loving Neji, and it leaded to 2 memes: Neji Chiquito (Mini Neji) and Neji Norteño. The later refers to the fact that Neji is in love with/ attracted to his cousin; it's a meme but is a huge one, and it implies people recognizes and accepts the fact that Neji was in love with Hinata. Some leave it at that, but many others wished they could be together or state that Neji was a better option for Hinata than Naruto, that also being because a lot of people was upset about NS ending and hate Boruto series.

Oh, I saw Neji Chiquito pics on the net! I guess there are many ppl who like him, mini Neji is so cute! I would like a t-shirt with him!

I also came across ‘Norteño’ comments to NejiHina pics on pinterest and on Twitter but I thought that it was some kind of sly insult. Like ‘sweet home Alabama’. Anyway, thanks for telling me about it! I would be very interested to know the origin of this meme. Why northern? 🤔 I also remember comments about Santiago-something, are these things connected?

I'm sorry about the long post 😅 I needed out, I feel like I don't have ppl enough to talk about this haha I also wanted to know your opinion on my project and to let you know that in spite of how things turned out, NejiHina do is getting more recognition on some places.

That’s ok! It seems we have a lot in common, I also like to write very long texts if the topic is interesting to me XD

You can write me so that we will discuss Neji & Hinata, the Hyuga clan and so on =3

[makeste]

i don't get it tbh. the apology shouldn't have been here. it was in the middle of everything and it had basically no impact on deku whatsoever? this was sooooo no what i was expecting and tbh i'm kinda mad about it ngl lol also ngl times twice but if whatever ochaco says does reach him instead of the kacchan apology that's been built up as the emotional climax for the entire series i'm just flat out gonna drop this manga lmao. but this was barely an emotional climax at all, i really don't get it

2/2 like we get just a few pages? shoved in there like "okay everyone talked now kacchan disappears from the chapter, that's over and done with, moving on" the apology itself was great, but the placement and brevity undermined its emotional resonance. deku remains the exact same after hearing it, doesn't think about katsuki at all. just about his earlier "can't keep up" words? then we go on to ochaco whose "saving heroes even though that's what everyone has been doing" i guess is more important?

3/3 (last one promise) like i'm sorry but there was time for several chaps of endeavor ugly crying, for mineta's anal beads and pervy romantic trope non-confession, for overhaul to pop up being his usual piece of shit self for no plot-relevant reason, for adult top heroes to stand around for chapters like "huh everything we're doing is awful. let's keep on trusting this smelly kid" and. a few panels for kacchan apology. no reaction. shoved among "idk u well mido but stay!" + ochaco making faces

4/4 (i lied) and all this after katsuki's distress and emotions were once more made into jokes at the hospital, emotional consequences of the war ignored, w all might probably dying and the last thing he did to this kid was ditch him leaving us to guess he maybe gives a shit abt him and maybe he bothered to visit in the hospital cuz they sure didn't show shit. i honestly feel like all katsuki stuff was shoved into the background: krbk friendship for mina, dkbk for ofa, name reveal for jokes...

okay, so I have talked in the past about fandom reacting like Miette whenever this stuff happens, and tbh this is basically what I mean by that anon. there is no reason whatsoever to assume that this is the one and only reaction we'll ever get from Deku regarding the apology and that it will never come up again. this is 100% going to be revisited. and tbh I think it's a smart move on Horikoshi's part, because if he gave us everything in this one chapter then what further development would there be to look forward to? he's gotta hold something back so that we have that one last milestone to anticipate in the rebuilding of their relationship. I've often said that for me me, Deku and Kacchan's story is the most important part of BnHA. and so it makes sense to me for Horikoshi to not completely resolve it until close to the end of the series, if not the very end.

I think this is a pretty good compromise honestly, because I wasn't even sure if we were going to get the apology itself before the finale. but this way we can head into the final battle with Kacchan having put all of his character development out there and not holding anything back, and it's nice to have that, and to have that reinforcement of just how far he's come, and how serious he is about his atonement. and so his feelings are finally all on the table now, and now it's all Deku.

and he deserves to have some time to work out how he feels about this and not be put on the spot to deliver a reaction, honestly. but to say it had "no impact whatsoever" is a huge overreaction imo. first of all, we saw the shock on his face -- he was absolutely floored. this was something he clearly never expected from Kacchan (which is why it was so important for Kacchan to actually say the words, in addition to taking action as he's already done -- because Deku needed to hear them, because he genuinely had no idea that Kacchan actually cared. and he deserves to know that, because Kacchan is one of the most important people in the world to him). not to mention that Deku kind of has a million other things on his mind right now. like we just had a whole entire arc about that lol. the apology isn't supposed to be for Kacchan's benefit; it's supposed to be for Deku's. so let him have the time to absorb it before he settles on what to say. Kacchan had all the time in the world to figure out his part of it, after all.

to me this is like a promise that there will be at least one last great, emotional, and deeply personal moment between the two of them. because when Deku finally does forgives him -- not that he hasn't already, imo, but once they finally have that conversation -- that shit is going to be so fucking cathartic, and tbh I'm glad Horikoshi didn't try to cram that into this chapter along with everything else that's currently going on. besides, I'd rather see that part of their reconciliation happen once Deku is more back to his normal self again; I feel like it would be more meaningful that way. right now he's too exhausted to be able to come up with any words. but he already has shown the best possible reaction I could have ever hoped for -- complete and utter relief and trust. Kacchan is the person he trusted enough that he could finally let go of his fears and anxieties -- if only for a moment -- and give into his exhaustion at long last, and that moment where he collapses and Kacchan runs to catch him has instantly become one of my favorites in the whole series.

so yeah, my apologies anon, but absolutely nothing is gonna spoil that for me, and I can't join you here in being even remotely disappointed with this chapter. well aside from the lack of hug lol (but I can be patient for that as well).