#do you even care about this story or do you just want another shounen that easily kills off characters

[scarlettcryptid]

i know there’s some issues but i feel like the people who complain specifically about the villain trio and redemption are lacking reading comprehension since these topics/themes of corruption and hero society’s failings have been a part of the story since the beginning. they’re completely missing the point. what does it mean to be a hero? sure as heck not mercilessly killing villains, even if they are guilty of murder. 

i always found uraraka’s “who saves the heroes?” thing interesting because this series has shown the ugly and the good sides of heroes and villains, right? and then the togachako events of the 290s was frustrating to see because of uraraka’s response, but it still felt like there was still more that needed to happen for her to truly understand. the things toga was saying before she hopped off of gigantomachia made it feel like it would also swing in the other direction, a direction where villains could be seen in a human way.

ALSO do the people complaining not realize that the villain trio were literally affected by the quirk singularity. lmao?

[uriekukistan]

JJK 261 ANALYSIS: What happened, how, why Yuuta made the choice he did, and a discussion of tragedy & major themes of JJK

MAJOR spoilers below the cut so please read at your risk.

i wanted to dissect what happened a bit, and address a few points i saw floating around since the leaks dropped. of course, these are all my interpretations, so feel free to disagree, i just had a lot of thoughts floating around that i wanted to put out for discussion.

I. Gojo was never coming back

first of all, i don't know how you guys expected him to survive bisection. i said this earlier in the day as my justification for why i didn't think gojo was coming back, prior to leaks, and i don't think i can say it any better now.

and this is just my interpretation of reverse curse technique, but if anything, yuuta in this chapter supports my theory. in the scene where he's on shoko's table and arata nitta says that he's used rct to keep the wounds from getting worse, but it might be too late for yuuta to recover. in that case, gojo wasn't coming back from being sliced in half. it's just not possible.

additionally, and this is another thing that i've said for a long time. he says right in episode 6 (i forgot the chapter) that his dream is to reset the jujutsu world raise up a generation of strong students that work together. that is why he became a teacher. this very clearly comes from his relationship with suguru, and it's one of gojo's clearest motivations from the beginning.

the problem is, in order to achieve this, he has to die. so long as satoru gojo is alive, he will have to carry the burden of being the strongest alone. his students won't have to work together, because gojo will just take care of everything. this is already in the works, with how many people have come together to stand against sukuna. if gojo lived and defeated sukuna on his own, this wouldn't have happened, and bringing him back would, again, reduce the need for his students work together.

unfortunately, gojo has been doomed by the narrative from the start, and his primary goal as a character basically requires his death to be realized in its entirety.

II. They're not heroes, they're jujutsu sorcerers.

yeah, i'm stealing megumi's line because it's true. he literally said it twice for a reason, and then yuuta said a repackaged version of it in this chapter ("we're about to fight history's strongest jujutsu sorcerer. if we can win by throwing away our humanity, we shouldn't even be arguing about this").

trust, all the characters are well aware of the ethical issues with taking gojo's body after he's dead, both with what it means for gojo, and with what it means for yuuta. but this isn't a story about heroism, this isn't a story about the power of friendship. if it was, yuuji would have saved junpei all the way back at the beginning of the series. it was pretty clear from the start that this wasn't going to be the typical shounen manga like that.

in fact, expecting it to be is unrealistic. it's unrealistic in real life too, if i'm being so honest. everyone wants to think they'd take the moral high road in this type of situation, but the reality is, when you're fighting tooth and nail against an opponent that is fighting dirty, you have to fight dirty too if you want to win, and i think that's what yuuta is trying to point out in this chapter.

this happens in real life wars which im not gonna get into examples because i dont want to start that kind of discourse, but like...it's so great to be idealistic and hope that virtue will triumph simply because it is virtuous, but i think if you take a look around, you'll realize it's true that good people do not get what they deserve simply because they're good (that's so megumi of me to say...). or if you think of it like a board game, if a player is cheating, it is infinitely harder to win without cheating yourself.

maybe this is a bit pessimistic of me to say, but you will not win a dirty fight without getting dirty yourself, and i think it's pretty clear that sukuna fights dirty.

additionally, it's shitty to see gojo be weaponized, and i understand that, but it plays into the themes about strength in jjk, which i will get into.

III. This was not an "ass pull."

i don't really have much to say to this. did you think yuuta wouldn't take kenjaku's technique? plus, kenjaku being eaten by rika is probably the only surefire way to ensure that they're dead and won't just hop to another body. i've already said why gojo wouldn't come back, but it makes sense that if yuuta were to copy kenjaku's technique, who else would he body hop into, if not gojo? there's already narrative evidence to support this action, from the guidelines of yuuta's technique, kenjaku's technique, and gojo's technique, to the character of yuuta okkotsu, which i want to do an analysis in a separate post for him, so i won't get into that right now.

idk...to me, all the threads connect, plus i felt like yuuta's return was foreshadowed pretty heavily in 259 & 260, with the mention of yuuta's plan that yuuji couldn't know, and then on the last page of 260, the comparison of sukuna and yuuta, so for me, i always thought that it was not actually gojo, but yuuta at the end of 260.

IV. Themes of JJK: The burden of being "the strongest," or even just strong

even many jjk fans see gojo as "the strongest," and nothing more, doing exactly what the narrative sets up as one of the chief problems of jjk. a lot of gojo's actions are spurred on by the burden he feels from being the strongest modern sorcerer. his entire character is built around this problem of the responsibility and burden that falls on someone who's considered to be "the best" at anything.

in fact, this is also a driving point for geto too, and the conflicts geto and gojo come into with each other, as well as geto's inevitable fall from grace. it all comes from this issue that's at the core of jujutsu society. gojo recognizes that, and, as i mentioned, that is why he became a teacher. so that no young sorcerers will feel the burden of being the strongest alone.

the problem is this is easier said than done. after gojo dies, this burden gets passed down to yuuta, and he feels that immense pressure, which is why he decides to do what he does. he says "haven’t we been pushing the burden of being a monster onto gojo-sensei alone? if gojo-sensei is gone, then who else will be the monster? If no one intends to become one, then I will!" and i think this really powerful evidence of the pressure and burden of being the strongest, and i think the word monster is really important here. the burden pushes people to be something they're not, a shadow of their true self.

it distorts morality, like with geto. it isolates people, like with gojo. it forces people to go to unspeakable lengths to uphold their burden, like with yuuta. it leads people with immense power to doubt themselves, like with megumi. it leads people to feel like a cog in the machine, not a human, like with yuuji.

this is sooo so important and a key theme of jjk, and this chapter in particular, and the driving force behind yuuta's actions.

V. Themes in JJK: Loneliness and Isolation

this one has, in my opinion, a bigger role in the story overall than just in this chapter.

as i mentioned before, gojo is lonely. the only person who could understand him was geto, and he turned away from him, and then died. he seems like a silly guy or whatever, but it's just a mask.

but geto also felt alone and isolated, and that's why he turned away. between gojo and geto, neither of them were able to put share the burden of carrying their strength alone, and it's what kept them apart and made their relationship so tragic.

arguably, and though he would never admit it, sukuna is also lonely, though it's buried deep within him and something he will likely never acknowledge, despite it, and his lack of understanding of love (arguably a symptom of his loneliness), are major reasons for the way he acts.

yuuta, though supported by maki, inumaki, and panda in a way that the previously mentioned characters are not, is still isolated. he alone carries the burden of his strength. he was also alone his whole life after rika died, and then again when he was shipped off to africa, away from his friends (yeah he had miguel, maybe i'm missing something, but i dont see them having that type of relationship.

not only that, but yuuta recognizes gojo's loneliness, and reaches out to tell him not to try to stand by himself once again, and gojo admits that's something he can't do, the reason being his relationship with geto.

even further, yuuji and megumi, the parallel to satosugu, are both deeply lonely, except for when they have each other. i mentioned in this analysis that the reason megumi can't just get up and keep going is because he's alone and has been for over a month. i want to get into this more in my next point.

VI. Where I think (hope) this leads for JJK

a satisfying ending for jjk, in my opinion, would be the resolution to this loneliness and burden of strength issue that has been present throughout the narrative. something like yuuji being able to save megumi and them being able to correct what went wrong with satosugu in their own relationship.

personally would like to see satosugu reach the ending they should have had through the itafushi parallels - let them save each other! but i do know gege said only one of them (the trio + gojo) will die, or only one will live....that was years ago maybe he changed his mind :D

we all want to see yuuji take down sukuna himself, but i think it would be a great resolution to see everyone take down sukuna as a team. no one person is alone, no one person has the burden of the strongest. i know i said this wasn't a "power of friendship" manga, and i stand by that, but i think this would be the perfect ending. yuuta throws his humanity away to do what he did in 261 because he felt like it was the only choice and it was something he alone could do, but yuuji represents unwavering humanity (literally his name), and i think to preserve that, they all need to share that burden. let them realize they need each other.

this is what gojo died for, and this is what he lived for. this is why he became a teacher in the first place- to raise a generation that can be strong together, that can support one another.

VII. "It's poorly written torture porn!" "There's no point if there's no happy ending!" etc

i said this in a separate post but tragedies have existed in literature since the 6th century BCE, 2600 years ago. many of the most popular stories throughout history have been tragedies, for example, orpheus & eurydice, romeo & juliet, even things like the fault in our stars and the titanic movie. here's a quick explanation of what it means for a story to be a tragedy (yeah it's from wikipedia but they want me to pay to access the original source and im not doing that for a jjk analysis)

one of things i like most about this definition is the use of the word "catharsis," which is to say that the expression of strong emotions is a way of bringing about renewal and relief. in literature, it's used to say that with the arousal and following release of negative emotions relieves suppressed emotions for the viewer. im not gonna get too personal with it, but i know i've experienced this with jjk.

additionally all of the aforementioned tragedies, they have a message, no matter how sad they are. orpheus & eurydice inspires perseverance and faith in the gods. even something like titanic has messages about everlasting love that overcomes all boundaries. jjk has its message too, and it's long underway. we just have to wait for it to reach its conclusion.

it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we only get one chapter a week, and the fact that the pain is so dragged out is a bit tiring, i'll admit. but that doesn't mean it's bad. having negative emotions stirred by a story doesn't mean bad writing. i mean, i would hope you feel sad. i would hope you feel angry. i would be concerned if you didn't. but given that jjk is a tragedy, that just indicates good writing. especially these last two chapters, i've felt moved in a way nothing else has done for me in a long time.

as always, these are just my thoughts!!! im happy to hear from anyone what they think :D

[mcrololo]

I've thought more often recently that Bleach really deserved more recognition from the shounen community, especially back in the day. Shounen fans loved to say Ichigo was a boring protagonist and that the story sucked in comparison to more beloved titles. But the first arc alone is about dealing with death and the loss of a loved one. Arguably the entire series represents finding connection with others, even through death, and isn't it beautiful that for the brief time we got to know each other, we left a mark in both our lives?

Regardless of ships, meeting Rukia was the greatest turning point in Ichigo's life. She was death in a different way than he has dealt with before. Death isn't just an ending, death is also the beginning of a new cycle, and after meeting her we see Ichigo connect more with his living friends.

Orihime, who had lost her brother to a car accident when she was younger (and no living family left). Ichigo helped both her and her brother make peace with it, and ever since, Orihime and Ichigo are connected. Without Rukia (death), none of that would have happened.

Sado, who reflects Ichigo in some way; both having lost a beloved family member and are willing to go the extra mile for others. He helps Sado help a spirit to the beyond. Without Rukia, none of that would have happened.

And even in other arcs, Ichigo leaves his mark on powerful souls! He reunites the gotei captains even when some of them aren't fond of each other. He brings Renji back in contact with Ikkaku, an old squad mate before he ranked up. He closes the gap between Rukia and Byakuya. And for most of it he doesn't even need to be the powerful protagonist... he just needs to be himself.

Which brings me to another point; his relatability. This is where he kind of suffers in terms of appealing to a fanbase which is used to high fantasy-like stories. Main heroes in shounen always dream of something bigger, whether it's a rank or a power they can unlock or something else entirely, like a treasure to find. Ichigo doesn't have a dream. He has a goal which keeps evolving. He wants everyone he cares about to be safe, and will do anything in his power to protect them.

Isn't that incredibly human? We all want our loved ones to be safe and happy. Sure, he could have dreamt big and become a captain of a squad in the living realm. But that doesn't make sense for him or the story, because we get introduced to captains in the second arc, and at that point they are the villains. It would be in the start of the third arc if we were to discover such a desire, and at that point it's kind of too late to establish.

Not to mention he would lose the simplicity of his humanity. Sometimes all you have to do is your best. Sometimes you only have to care. And that, to me, is what Ichigo represents as a main character. Even when the world spits you out, even when it seems the whole world is against you: never forget to care. Never forget to be kind. You never know who needs it the most.

And my last point on Ichigo himself and what makes him relatable: his ever evolving powers. At times it gets boring when a hero keeps receiving power up after power up, especially when there were no hints prior. But in Ichigo's case, that kind of has a purpose. He goes from human to shinigami to vizard to fullbringer to half quincy as well, and you might sigh deeply and think to yourself "really? This guy gets ALL the special powers?" Yes. Because his story is also about identity, and in turn, the struggles that go with it.

From the very day we meet him, we never learn Ichigo's desires in life. What does he want to be when he grows up? What drives him? What is he scared of? Who is he? And the truth is... he doesn't know. He's 15, and suddenly the weight of not just his friends but the whole world lies on his shoulders. He doesn't have time to pause and think about irrelevant stuff like a future career. His power ups reflect this. Who IS ichigo if he falls in every category?

And personally, I believe that is the most realistic way to write a guy stuck between worlds. Maybe it wasn't entirely deliberate, but the metaphor is there. The narrative even emphasizes it! And yes, repetitive plot points will become boring if you keep using them. However, just like his power ups, it serves another purpose.

The pathway of life. We all have lessons we need to learn to work through challenges we face, and if we don't learn them the first time, the problems will just reappear in a different manner until we find the solution to navigate. Ichigo needing to save a loved one from the clutches of evil is, in and of itself, the lesson he has to learn, as well as a challenge to face head on. He is the protector, and until he fully embraces it, he will always run into a problem like this. And we see him gradually pick up the burden of being a hero: from refusing to fight hollows to help random spirits to protecting the whole of Soul Society.

Tl;dr: Bleach's narrative is way more functional and reflective of ourselves than the anime community gives it credit for. From dealing with death and connecting to identity struggles. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk

[alovelyburn]

Why do you ship Griffith and Guts, considering they will never be canon?

The glib answer would be "because I read the series." But let me not be glib.

Okay there are different definitions of "canon" when it comes to pairings.

If the question is "why do you ship them when they're never going to ride off into the sunset together," the answer is "because it's a fascinating dynamic and I don't have any investment in relationships I enjoy working out or characters that I like being happy."

If the question is "why do you ship them when they have no canonical romantic interest in each other," the answer is "because I disagree with that statement."

And like I said yesterday, I always back my perspective up, so here we go:

In the Beast of Darkness scene where the Beast in question suggests that Guts only keeps Casca with him as an excuse to keep longing for Griffith, the use of furigana over the kanji on "yearning" or "longing" is specifically chosen to modify the meaning to reflect romantic love. [Link 1] [Link 2]

Miura had stated that in manga androgynous characters typically favor their feminine side and fall in love with men, and he felt that he couldn't write an androgynous character without being committed to portraying that. He was talking about Duranki, but it's interesting in light of Griffith's design and how much more andrognyous he became even at the same time as Miura started talking more about having been heavily influenced by Shounen-Ai. [Link 1]

Also he stated that Griffith was inspired by people he knew who could not love women and instead focused their affection or friendship on men. Then, on another occasion, he referred to Griffith as having fallen in love with Guts, which is the reason for his extremely unGriffithlike behavior. [ Link ]

Miura once said that Griffith provides the fuel that Guts needs to continue living. Before someone says that's because Guts is so mad at him, I agree with that, but also bear in mind that his feelings about Griffith are specifically lampshaded described as complicated and conflicted and not just hate. [ Link ]

The writer of the OVA also stated that Guts and Griffith's feelings for one another are complicated and involve many different feelings, including romantic love. [Link 1] [Link 2]

Now mind you I did genuinely think the story itself, the staging of panels, the tropes evoked, the narrative choices, the visual cues and the language used already implied all of this. Compare some of the Golden Age scenes with them to pages in a romance manga, for example. But for people who don't see it that way, perhaps these things will contextualize the perspective of those who do.

Anyway, long story short, I do think they canonically have romantic feelings for each other mixed in with all their other complicated positive and negative feelings, and I don't care about couples getting together or being happy, I just want interesting stories and relationships.

[exo-raskreia]

you'll probably won't see this message but i'll send it anyway lol.. i love you speak your mind about how the ichihime ship isn't that great and has all the facts to bring it show that you're right. i always felt scared to say i don't ship ichihime cuz they're are alot of shippers that can get so intense about it. i always say that ichihime is a cute ship and they have their moments(i don't feel that way at all lol) cuz i don't want to be attacked for not liking how their story played out. twitter is a scary place oml💀 and they made me sorta believe that ichiruki doesn't have any chemistry and they're just siblings when i knew in my heart like yes they do have chemistry and are the superior ship. like ichigo cares more for chad and uryuu then orihime. but since their canon, i guess their love for each other is supposed to be legit. apparently ichigo sees his mother in orihime so i don't understand why that's not a turn-off for the shippers😭so yeah thanks for making me go back in my bleach fangirl era and making my 10-year old self to not feel guilty and stupid shipping ichiruki

Wow, thanks so much, anon! And ur welcome! I will forever be on IchiRuki's side no matter what anyone says 😤.

You don't have to be scared to support what was, and still is, the most popular ship in Bleach (and rightfully so). There was no real ship war during its run (despite what the antis try to claim now), as IR was shipped by most of the fanbase. IR had everything you could hope a M/F ship to have in a battle shounen, the most solid basis for becoming canon with just one more step...and yet... (Kubo fumbled 🙄). The theories on that are interesting...

While more than half the IR fandom is no longer active after that disastrous ending, it doesn't mean they're not still out there. I've seen even non-shippers still praise IR & see it as wasted potential & whatnot (triggering antis in the process 🤭). Not being canon doesn't take away from the fact that it is still the superior ship. Anyone with reading comprehension who reads the manga will see it & wonder why they didn't end up together.

IH was never popular in Japan. It was always far below IchiRuki & UlquiHime (Ori's most popular ship 👀. Kubo achieved in ONE arc what he couldn't achieve for IH the entire manga, like-). To this day, those 2 ships get more content than the canon ships 😌.

The antis are just triggered that despite becoming canon, their ship is still. not. popular. IH doesn't have nearly as much content (both canon AND fanon) as IR & UH despite being canon for almost 10 years. Yes, Kubo himself doesn't care enough to give them even one family sketch 🫢.

Compare that to the Naruto endgame ships (mainly NaruHina & SasuSaku), which have way more official AND fan content. Those were always popular, & still are, 10 years later since becoming canon. Pro-Bleach ED fans love to compare their ships with Naruto's yet are nowhere near as popular.

The IH's really thought they would get the NaruHina royal treatment after the ending (you know, like a movie, official drawings from the creator, interviews saying they were meant to be, merch, etc.), but instead only got a novel that wasn't even focused on them (Ren/Ruki is more popular than IH but mainly because of Rukia 🤣), which vaguely went over their so-called "development" & had chicken scratches a rough draft of a sketch for their ship 🫢. Kubo also invalidated the IH's claims that Ichigo always liked Ori, by saying in the JET interview that "vague feelings" began in COLLEGE 💀 (and AFTER Rukia's wedding, mind u). So, whatever the IH's claim is a romantic moment between them meant NOTHING to Ichigo in the ENTIRE manga 🤣.

The WDKALY novel has such OOC content on there, like it can't be taken seriously. Apparently, Kubo barely had any involvement with it anyway? Those sketches he drew sure are telling, esp if he calls his drawings here as a "rough draft" 💀

"Chicken scratches" for the canon ships, fr 😭.

RR is another dumpster fire but also more meh for me so I don't have to delve into that one, however, here's a post I once made where I go over why I don't truly believe Renji had feelings for Rukia. Meanwhile, Rukia's sad expression on the novel cover & the sketch of heading to the altar with a scared expression (not even when she was headed to her own execution did she look like THAT) say it all anyway 🫢.

Oh, man, there's just so much to make fun of for the canon ships. Even when we lose, we still win. IH's have no content, so maybe that's why they're so bitter & IR & its shippers still live in their minds rent-free despite them calling it a "dead ship". You would think they'd happily enjoy their canon ship & yet... They get triggered whenever IR fanart garners thousands of likes on Twitter 😩...

So, anon, I suggest not to engage with antis, esp on platforms like Twitter & Reddit. They're cesspools full of dudebros & loud IH's. Ignore, block, &/or mute them. No need to try arguing with them & please do NOT cater to them. Do NOT give them the validation they don't even get from Kubo himself, nor his affiliates (LMFAO). Use that energy to look for other fellow IR's & enjoy IR content (and maybe anti-IH content in the right places; you can explore that tag on my blog if u wish 🤪).

As an old saying in this fandom went, "Keep Calm & Ship IchiRuki."

[pikahlua]

Katsuki is special in that he's very relatable and interesting even though a character who is synonymous to the very concept of victory, who always 'wins' and never 'loses' (according to everyone else, that is, himself is another matter) is hated on principle by most people. I think part of it is that we see him through Izuku's perspective that is heavily shaded by his Kacchan Complex™, but also that he is a deuteragonist who gets equal and at times even more focus than the protagonist, and that Horikoshi treats his character with very delicate care and portrays all his little moments for us to see.

Do you think this can be accomplished in the same way or better if Katsuki himself was the protagonist, and the story is seen from his eyes, or is being the rival and Izuku's ideal that he admires and wants to reach (and thus being set on the metaphorical pedestal by him) sort of his charm?

I think the whole POINT is that Katsuki is a standard shounen protagonist cast in the deuteragonist role. And that what makes Katsuki engaging (and what makes MHA most engaging if you ask me) is the fact that we don't get to hear his thoughts all that often. The mystery of his thoughts means that you spend much of the story TRYING to understand him. That's why each time we do understand him, it feels so rewarding.

A big part of Katsuki's charm, in my opinion, is that he has to explicitly learn the moral of the story that other characters seem to just accept without really thinking about it from an early age. I don't know how well the story would hold up if the protagonist started out that far off the mark when it comes to rescue as a hero, but for all I know it could be just as fascinating.

The rival thing, however, is very standard fare shounen. That close relationship where two people push each other to be better constantly? Very big Japanese story concept.

[radically-bitter-coffee]

I don't mind spoilers about CSM (I've already been spoiled and I don't care about spoilers that much anyway, I think good stories can't be ruined by them) so you can say your thoughts if you want!

Alrighty then!

The thing that would irk most feminists watching CSM is probably this one character in particular: Himeno.

Himeno's character is, when boiled down, very "manic pixie dream girl". She introduces and/or encourages other characters to do "bad" things like smoking cigarettes, drinking, and hooking up whilst drunk. She has her reasons for being the way she is, and I would not say her character doesn't make sense or that these traits and actions come out of nowhere, but you can clearly tell after her death that she was written specifically for a male characters development.

Now, CSM is Not above killing off characters for character development in backstories, male Or female. In fact Himeno's backstory involves lots of men dying.

Himeno's death is definitely written to factor into a male character's development, and even slightly for the protagonist's, but I do think it was a suitable end for her.

Onto the whole hooking up whilst drunk thing though... that was gross, I'll admit. Episode seven is when she encourages Denji (who I think is 16) to drink at a gathering with their coworkers. She gets drunk, makes out with him (it's a gross scene, emeto is involved), later takes him back to her apartment when he passes out (probably due to drinking too much as he's still dizzy/drunk when he wakes up) where they proceed to sleep on the same bed, with her in her underwear and a tanktop. After she asks if he wants to have sex with her but he refuses, he goes back to sleep but on the floor instead. She sleeps on the bed.

In the same scene, right before asking to have sex, she calls another woman a bitch because she finds the protagonist and that other male character I mentioned earlier stupid for crushing on her when she won't love them back. It's a bit reminiscent of reddit nice guys.

This all makes sense with her personality and backstory and all but I do think they were overall... not needed at all. They're so gross that I can't even say they're particularly fan service. They aren't drawn in the typical "huge tits huge ass very saturated blush" way either, it really is just not a nice scene. One could argue they are for her character, and they are, yeah. I don't think it truly justified it though.

Now besides Himeno, I should also not fail to mention that Makima, the character everyone talks of as a femdom, is also not the best. Clearly written for the manga authors fetish, Makima is also definitely grooming the protagonist, even though she doesn't exactly have romantic or sexual intentions with him. While Makima's lack of attraction does change things in terms of whether this would be called pedophilia or not, she does encourage his attraction to her, and promises things like letting him feel her up in exchange for doing things such as hunting a specific creature, and says that she'll let him do more for bigger accomplishments. Her strength as a character comes from being very manipulative, mentally strong, and having Some Sort of Magic.

Again, I have all this to say about Himeno but overall I did enjoy Chainsaw Man a lot. The animation is pretty, the characters both male and female are likable, the world building accomidates the added fictional creatures nicely. The protagonists want to get with a woman is not in the typical shounen perv way, as he wants an actual genuine connection (which is why he refuses Himeno's advances) but finds sex to be a physical representation of that as an emotionally halted teen.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Do you read manhwas ?? If so then which one?

Yeah, I read webtoon/manhwa and manga a lot.

I am not really fan of manhua but there are exceptions for that one too, for example; 'Your Dream is Delicious' was one of my exceptions for me because i love characters. I love it.

I dont have specific genre to read one because you can never know which story has good characters and well written plotline but i generally prefer to read;

Yaoi- But i cant enjoy the story, if sex is only thing or main focus.

Romance- The reason i love romance because i love series that focus on relationships the most, though i hate when 'romance is the only focus' or when lovers act like they only care about each others but still, at least, story explores the interaction between characters.

Fantasy- I dont mind slice of life but sometimes its fun to explore supernatural or fantasy world.

Psychological- What can i say, psychology is my favorite thing because i dont enjoy shallow-typical characters, i want to know more about them, thats how i can get into story and enjoy from it. Though, its hard to find well written one.

Horror- i think every story needs a little/small horror element.

Shounen ai- Unlike yaoi, slowburn romance when characters get to know each others first works better because two strangers having sex and magiclaly falling in love is so unrealistic to me. Not to mention, most of them are romanticized toxic relationships without consent, i hate it.

Shoujo ai- I mean, there is no difference for me between shoujo ai and shounen ai, if its well written. Though, its hard to find good yuri too.

This doesnt mean i dont read other genres but i usually read those ones the most. I read reencarnation stories too but most of the mare cliche, its hard to find good one.

The thing is; Its been years since i start reading manhwa, I dont remember which ones i read because i read a lot and i still read.

But i have a few favorites, unfortunately i dont remember everything i read so just a few faves of mine.

Bastard;

Genre; Crime, mystery, psychological, horror.

I enjoy this story a lot.

A Joyful Life;

Genre; Slice of life, shoujo ai, romance, drama

I love main characters and the interaction between them.

Stagtown;

Genre; Horror, mystery, supernatural.

Recently, it has finished, i really enjoyed the horror elements of the story.

Pyramid Game;

Genre; Psychology

Both story and characters are good. Another 'win the game/war' type of story but its about more mental struggle than psychical one. If you love stories with tension, you might like this.

King's Maker;

Genre; Shounen ai, yaoi, history.

Main focus isnt romance. Its about changing the kingdom they live in.

The Best Smell;

Genre; Shounen ai.

Just adding here, cute shounen ai story, though art c/should've been better. Not necessarely my fave but i am just adding here because i dont remember other stories i read.

Her Shimchang;

Genre; Shoujo ai, romance, history, supernatural.

I keep rec.ing shoujo ai, even though i hardly read one, (i usually read yaoi/shounen ai). I often end up hating most the things i read so its rare to find a story i love from beginning to the ending and this one is one of them.

Hooky;

Genre; Fantasy, adventure.

It has very cute art, and storyline. I love when characters go to adventure, discover the world around them, interact with others. Though i didnt enjoy the second part os tory, still worh it though and i love the twins and their relationship the most.

I Love Amy;

This one isnt necessarely my fave because story is new to me but i find the story, characters and art interesting enough to mention it. Its about yandere girl who fall in love with the girl she considered love rival, lol. I love the fact that they actually give yandere girl a character and story and allow her to learn true love.

I read so many good stories, especially romance, yaoi but these ones are the ones i remember right now.

Bonus; I also read Dr Frost, The Guy Upstairs, Like You Maybe, Sugar & Spice, High Class Homos, Fictional Skin, Tower of God etc on webtoon app. Others i read on random websites, there are too many to write it here so for now, thats it.

[troperrific]

/ ekuoto chapter 53 spoilers and mild rant/

Mild bitch and moaning under the cut. If you wanna know why I had mixed feelings about this chapter, here you go. You've been warned.

Now, it’s time to bitch and moan about my worries over how the story will go. If you don’t wanna see that, you’ve been warned.

So. First of all. No “Masses of Trash- Part 2”. Meaning it’ll be in a future arc.

It could be a good thing. I understand that letting Mr. Priest fall to his anger this soon could not be the best writing decision. Maybe we will see him snap and, as it’s been often discussed and “foreshadowed” within the story, lash out against innocent people or even people he cares about.

Or… it could be a bad thing.

Meaning, Mr. Priest will never commit any “sin” and will remain the pure shounen protagonist who doesn’t really have any flaws.

…Sorry, did that sound salty? Because I’m trying to hold back, but it is what it is.

Let me explain.

The biggest fear I have regarding this manga, is that the author will go with the safe route and never have Mr. Priest have any serious flaws or commit any “bad actions” for the sake of having a “likeable” and “relatable” protagonist in the form of a “perfect, innocent victim”, while (slightly) demonizing characters that are traumatized but comparatively flawed, like Dante or Leah or even Virgil.

(Points at Mr. Priest and Leah's narrative parallels and being slowly built as foils. Also points at Leah sitting in Judas' position at the "Last Supper" panel during the Leviathan arc. Points at Dante being lumped with Abott Nicholas and *probably* Belphegor in Mr. Priest’s “flashbacks” when Aria told him a kid shouldn’t be fighting a Demon Lord. Begs the reader to dissuade my fears.)

And that would, inadvertently, create a “Good Victim vs Bad Victim” message within the story.

In a fucking manga about Christianity.

You can understand why I don’t want that.

For example:

The difference on how Mikhail treated the Witches and on how he treated Mr. Priest.

One has his destruction likened to a child’s tantrum and a call for help. Which it is, and I’m so glad it was treated with this amount of empathy.

The others, however, were basically told “cool story, still murder” and “hmm, maybe you should try harder to be happy?? I mean, look at Mr. Priest, he suffered more than you and he’s not evil, he’s a good victim, maybe you should be more like him???”.

Yeah, yeah, I understand that the two situations are different: the witches have been killing many people and serving the Demon Lords for who knows how long, while Mr. Priest hasn’t killed anyone so far, he even held back at the end of the Asmodeus’ arc and didn’t hurt anyone innocent, a sad past doesn’t justify blah blah blah

It’s not about justifying this or that, but about the empathy the narrative gives to its characters.

It has, so far, given all the sympathy and empathy it could towards Mr. Priest. Even when he gets overly violent. Which is great!!

But sometimes it feels like it’s less so towards other characters. Mr. Priest’s violence can feel very dismissed sometimes as something that can be easily forgiven or that is very justified, while the violence of others, even more sympathetic ones like Dante or Leah or even Leviathan will be called out, even if briefly, by the narrative or another character.

Of course, maybe I’m worrying too much. Most of these examples could be (and probably are) just the opinion of other characters, like Mikhail treating the witches and Mr. Priest differently or Imuri and other characters often excusing Mr. Priest’s violence as righteous, justified and utterly forgivable.

I really do hope that’s the case, because after so much talk about systemic violences and the effects of trauma, pushing the sort of narrative where characters like Mr. Priest and Imuri will get a happy ending (possibly without acknowledging any of their flaws or where all the acknowledged morally questionable actions will be done by other characters) just because they’re “innately better” than the rest of the cast (the sinners) will really, really upset me.

This might seem a tad emotional overreaction (and to an extent, it is) but Shounen manga, especially action ones, are infamous for their mediocre writing. Hopefully that’s not the case with ekuoto.

If I had to summarize, I guess, I’d be:

Let Mr. Priest go apeshit and fuck up for real, sensei, you coward.

And then let the narrative continue to give him the empathy it’s given him so far. And let it be given to other characters as well.

Because if it’s just going to be yet another story about how only the “Sinless” get to be loved, who get to be happy…

Especially after all this talk about how we can't always make the perfect decisions in life... how no one is free from making mistakes and hurting others...

Then what was the fucking point?

[hiranospiercing]

back in 2022 i made a post recommending my favourite bl mangas and it's probably one of my most popular posts on this blog like people still reblog it and whenever i see a notification reminding me of the existence of that post i'am instantly filled with such embarrassment because how could i have been so media illiterate back then, i made that post to encourage people to read more non-smut focused bl mangas as i believed that it was fetishising and disrespectful towards gay men not realising that i was not in a place to decide what is fetishising or not, smut or not, yaoi or shounen ai, at the end of the day they are stories marketed towards straight women and you are not a saint just because you don't read the porn side of the things, honestly i have realised that there shouldn't be a sense of moral superiority just because you read something specific, i did not save gay men by making that post honestly i don't even think actual gay men care about yaoi they have actual lives to deal with, another thing is how i was actually not well read back then, i mentioned how i shifted towards bl as a genre because I found shoujo repetitive which IS SO INFURIATING TO ME NOW BECAUSE IT'S NOT. IT WAS ME WHO DID NOT READ ENOUGH. okay i was like 16 when i made that post but it's totally on me. please bully me for that post. back then i only read highschool adjacent romance shoujo mangas and never explored outside of that, did not do my research and reached the conclusion that shoujo is boring, i have read such great shoujo/josei stories in the last 2 years that it makes me feel so bad that there might be some people who will read that post and agree with that sentence. honestly i've reflected and learned two things: a) read whatever you want and be chill about it, you are not morally superior for liking or disliking something

b) if you think something is repetitive, it's probably because that's all you read and you haven't expanded your horizons towards multiple sub genres and authors in general

bonus: c) good shoujo will change your life. please read more shoujo.

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

How do you feel about the magazine switch? Personally, I'm glad Tabata took this step. Having him focus on his health and his family, as well as having more time for his story and a better work evironnement, is more important than having chapters weekly.

Alrighty! I'm getting back to this as promised

We're on the same wavelength about this flamelet

If I'm completely honest (about my very personal opinion), I haven't been excited about BC for a long time. Even the movie did nothing for me, if not for the Vermillion scenes and how they contributed to Mereoleona's characterization as someone who isn't just a "violent woman" as I think she was described in the wikia in some point. She is a caring individual too. But that's beside the point of the ask.

And the manga hasn't been much better. Just one fight after another with no real character development. While I understand that BC is shounen, and a very heavy plot would make it something else, I think that it having been "nothing but flashy fight scenes" have evoked a "blah blah blah" reaction in me. I just haven't cared for it. Which is sad because I've known, I've known, that Tabs can do so much more. He's the master of foreshadowing and he has so much to put into the plot. He hid so many things in there, and even with the JuLu (JuliusLucius) reveal, pieces have fit together so well. So he very much has the ability to create such a plot that will bring new, intended, twists into light in a manner that can keep the reader on their toes in a good way! And not a mere death scare from a fight scene.

A part of me thinks that the reason why the plot has been lacking as of late, has been because of the pace at which he has been expected to work. Which is inhumane; the pace, that is. He has been just on a tunnel vision to "just get another chapter out", because "that's what they expect me to do". Which means that the quality suffers.

I know that 3 months is a long time for many, but I personally don't mind waiting at all, if the wait is worth it. And I think that the pace being slower with this, as the number of chapters per week will be less than it has been, will only have a positive affect on him. He doesn't need to be "in the zone" all the time, but he can get excited about his own work again.

And a part of being excited about your work, includes having time for yourself and your family, which I'm sure he wishes to have. He has a wonderful wife and a daughter who he adores, and who I'm sure want their husband and father to be around.

I personally wish nothing but good, and health and wealth for Tabs.

I've been sticking with the series because I have hopes for it, and I will have hopes for it after this change. Actually, my hopes have dared to lift their heads high again because of it.

Honestly, I see nothing but positives with this. And I hope other people will continue to support Tabs with this change as well ^^

[medicallista]

So I made some realizations about Helio and Helidea and I'm not sure if I like them or what to do with them. So I'm dumping these thoughts and opinions here

I really did not like Helio and Helidea for a really long time. Like among the main five characters, Helio was my least favorite, and his relationship with Medea was my least favorite between any of the five.

My opinion of Helio was "just another case of shounen love interest syndrome". Basically the thing with het romances where the love interest sucks ass and the mc's friendship with another character of the same gender is honestly way more romantic and meaningful? Cuz heteronormativity and gender roles and misogyny (for male mcs) and blah blah. He spends most of his screen time being a Medea simp, being Medea's right-hand man/assistant/servant/dog?? We're given hints of his backstory but it felt like most of it was just to support the Medea simping. I found him really boring and bland compared to the other four main characters.

And his relationship with Medea? It's toxic, which was pretty obvious way before the story started spelling it outright in chapter 100+. The relationship was stalling his character development in favor of what... some mid one-sided romance? (See, shounen love interest syndrome) His entire character was just his devotion to Medea, and we barely see Medea give a fuck about him. I lost all respect for him at that one scene where he kissed Medea's foot and called her his god. Like, gurl get the fuck up??

However, I did recognize back then that Helidea actually had tropes that I really like if they were handled differently. Even more now, that my taste has changed a bit from when I was reading Your Throne back in 2020-2021. I'm a sucker for devotion and loyalty actually. I fucking love "I'd do anything for you, I'd die for you, I'd go to hell and back for you." Dependency and toxic relationships are actually things I'd sometimes enjoy. So there was an inkling of "maybe in a different world or handled differently" even back then.

I said I enjoyed those kind of relationship in fics because usually the ships/characters I like are the ones where I'd root for them to be in a healthy relationship over a toxic one, cuz usually those are the type where you're rooting for what's "good". I do enjoy them outside of fics and headcanons, but it's usually when the story actually is the kind of story that tells and explores a toxic relationship. But with Your Throne, I didn't think it was that kind of story. Given Medea's development, I was rooting for her success and happiness and for her to end up in a good relationship (if there is an endgame ship). So whenever I looked at Helidea I was like "this is supposed to be canon???"

I do want Your Throne to break the norms, not just in terms of tropes but also societal norms (like a not heteronormative romance or queer characters), but I didn't really expect much from it. Even if I didn't want Helidea to be canon, I still judged them through the lenses of "this is supposed to be canon???" cuz I expected it to be, and that was my mistake.

Yes, Helidea's kinda fucked up. They're pretty ass if you judge them on the basis of a good healthy romantic relationship. But as a toxic fictional relationship between morally dubious mentally ill characters, they're great actually. That's what the author intended to portray (I think so anyways), they're doing their job? They're interesting as a concept, something I'd wanna poke around at when I have brain worms. Kind of similar to how I feel about Medea x Eros (Mederos?). I never wanna see them in an actual relationship though, unless there's some huge development at Medea's end.

Speaking of Medea's end in their relationship: one of the reasons why I disliked it was because Medea never treated Helio like an equal. She cared for him to an extent, but that's more of how a master would love their favorite servant, nothing like the devotion Helio had for her. I would've been fine with that toxic master/servant dynamic if that were the point. But seeing how Medea treats Psyche, how she treats her like an equal and encourages her growth, while with Helio she just enables that toxic behavior and let him worship her? It really just didn't feel like she cared for Helio at all. But with rereading, and the more recent chapters with Helio's backstory (i havent caught up to it tho), I can see now that that behavior wasn't just a "she really don't give a fuck", but something more complicated. I don't think Medea could ever love Helio back the way he loves her, but she does care?

Anyways, as frustrated I am about Helio's backstory being way too long, he kinda needed it. He hasn't developed much for nearly the entire story, so like thank fuck he has an arc? The fact that it's so late tho?? I've had a negative opinion of him and Helidea for such a long time that idk what to feel about them even when my views are kinda changing.

[okayto]

Mini-Review: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Kusuo Saiki is a psychic. And a telepath. And a telekinetic. You know what, just assume that any psychic power you've ever heard of is available to him. But apart from that, he's a regular grumpy sixteen-year-old boy who just wants to be left alone to enjoy his coffee jelly. Unfortunately for him, that's not likely to happen – with the school's hottest girl crushing on him, friends who either can see ghosts, think they're superpowered, or are too dumb to live, and parents who can't quite keep it together, Saiki's life is anything but calm as he finds himself using his powers to keep the world functioning.

The first time I watched Saiki K was several years ago, before I was even logging all my viewing via these reviews. I was just getting back into anime, after a combination of first college busyness and then a soul-sucking job saw the time and energy I had for fun things dwindle. After a couple years at a new job, I realized that I was doing a lot of work that left one of my monitors open, and that no one was nearby to care, so I pulled up Netflix and was immediately distracted by a pink-haired cartoon boy.

Saiki is a comedic mashup of school and shounen tropes, and keeps its tongue firmly in cheek as it follows Kusuo Saiki (Saiki being the family name and what most characters call him, as is normal in Japanese culture) as he deadpans and snarks his way through life, just trying to get through high school without getting discovered for the immensely-powerful psychic he is. Unfortunately, a bunch of annoyances (his view)/friends (their view) hang around and hijinks ensue.

This is a series that just wants to be silly. The first episode helpfully explains not just that Saiki is super powerful, but that he has affected the world so things like brightly-colored anime hair are normal (so no one questions his naturally-pink hair), among other things. It's explicitly "anime logic works because we want it to," which was fourth-wall-breakingly hilarious the first time I encountered it. (It's still funny, 3 or 4 watches later.)

Saiki is, of course, the star of the show, reluctant as he may be. His deus ex machina powers mean he can fix pretty much anything, but his desire to hide said powers, as well as a (however-reluctant-he-is-to-admit-it) kind personality lead to involvement in everything from deadly stage magic to Santa Claus impersonation to saving island castaways.

And really, all the guy wants to do is eat coffee jelly, and occasionally watch media or play a game without getting telepathically spoiled for it.

His dry, sarcastically deadpan voice drives the show as he narrates straight to the audience. You often can't tell whether he's speaking to himself/the audience, or to another character, putting him in the position of a narrator unwillingly drawn into the story itself. (Fun game: try and spot how many times Saiki visibly uses his actual voice, based on whether you see his mouth move when he speaks. It's not often!)

(Incidentally, other people on this site have brought up the personality similarities between Saiki and Murderbot of the Murderbot Diaries books. Both protagonists would like to be left alone to their hobbies, both are unwillingly befriended and acquire a group of people they care about and also have to keep rescuing. If you like Murderbot, Saiki is personality-wise a very similar mood.)

The extended cast really makes the series. While there are episodes that focus on just Saiki (Saiki and multiple quests to obtain coffee jelly, Saiki vs. cockroach in his house, etc.), most involve his family (odd), preexisting friends (rock-brained Nendo, fantasy LARPer Kaido), and classmates that attach themselves to their expanding group through the series.

My favorite was a character who showed up in season 2, Mikoto Aiura. She's a fortune-teller and while she doesn't have Saiki's prodigious talents, she could potentially be a threat...or an ally. Truly, one of the most fun things through the series is not just seeing Saiki's reluctance to calling his friends friends starting to wear down, but the two other characters with specialized powers themselves. They give Saiki a way of being known that he doesn't usually get outside his family, and it's fun to see him realize he can enlist others to help on occasion.

Verdict

English Dub? Yes for the first season, and the fourth (6-episode) season, although the latter had a different cast. Both casts are fine, and I can't be entirely sure that my preference for the first season's cast isn't mainly due to the fact that I had more exposure to them, but Jerry Jewell's Saiki is so dry and sarcastic it wins me over. The second dub cast was good in its own right, and the cast did an excellent matching voices. There are several in the second dub that I prefer--Saiki's rock-headed friend Nendo sounded more like a person and less like a cartoon the second go-round, and several female characters were less high-pitched in ways I preferred.

So really: the dubs are great. It's sad that the entire series isn't dubbed, especially because the rapid-fire snark means subtitles sometimes go very quickly.

Visuals: Meh. It's not bad, but no one is going to watch this for the art, and it's often pretty simple.

Worth watching? Oh HECK yes. It's incredibly fun--I have watched this at least three or four times. It's silly and comedic, perfect when you want something lighthearted. Each normal-length episode is also broken up into five minisodes, so it's perfect for when you won't be watching for a long time, or if you get interrupted frequently.

Important to note that despite there being four "seasons," only the first two are normal-length (24 episodes each). The third are two extended-length specials, while the fourth consists of 6 episodes.

Where to watch (USA, as of June 2023): Funimation (season 1 only; sub & dub), Netflix (all), Tubi TV (season 1 only; sub), BR (season 1 only; sub & dub)

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

[rebellionbeach]

SIHJR Crack Ships

Inspired by @nutton-of-tata​

- Kisa x Ritsu - 7/10 they’re work buddies and having an workplace relationship is not cool!  No, but they both like dorayaki and that scene where Kisa was grabbing him at the onsen is cute and Takano honestly getting jealous means he’s insecure and afraid that Kisa will steal his man.  Cute relationship, I know this one has a lot of fans.

- Akihiko x Hiroki - 5/10 this one is hard and even isn’t really a crackship at all but if Junjou Romantica was a shounen ai series released in the 70s and Akihiko and Hiroki were at an all-boys boarding school in the countryside of France and the story revolved around Hiroki helping a young Akihiko resolve his past trauma then it’s a 10/10.  Right now though, I don’t think they’re necessarily good together, the beginnings of Egoist and Minimum really hit home how much Hiroki loved Akihiko and that’s really sweet but I am an ardent Romantica fan + Akihiko doesn’t see him that way so in the end I just can’t really see it.  I know some people really love this one too though and I can definitely see the appeal.

- Ijuuin x Akihiko - 8/10 so this one would have been a 2 or a 3 had it not been for a certain fanfic and even though Akihiko ends up dumping Ijuuin in that story I still kinda get the appeal.  There’s also REALLY nice fanart of these two together and I’m always inclined to ship two rivals together since that tension makes for a very interesting dynamic.  Not only that but having two artists share the dilemma and toll of making art together would be cute and they both live together in their hoarder apartment, their editors screaming at them to finish their manuscripts, cute!

- Ijuuin x Misaki - 4/10 I really think that the only reason this pairing has any points from me is because the toxic-ness is kinda appealing.  I cannot see ANY situation where these two would have a loving and caring relationship but the idea of Ijuuin and Misaki being a toxic presence in each other’s lives and slowly eating away at their ability to love other humans is kinda interesting.  Yes, I know it’s toxic and I’m not romanticizing it, I’m sexualizing it :/

- Haruhiko x Misaki - 8/10 this is cute and I could definitely see a very interesting dynamic between these two.  This pairing definitely divulges into two routes in my mind, either the loving and caring one where they heal each other’s broken family issues and become a stable pair or Haruhiko becomes Misaki’s sugar daddy and either way sign me up.  On a more serious note, since both have a parent dead (or parents rip misaki) it would definitely be a cool way to develop each character’s trauma in being able to confide in that sorrow in one another.  The idea of Misaki making Haruhiko pancakes because he knows it reminds him of his late mother is also a tear-jerker...

- Tsumori x Hiroki - 3/10 it’s kind of boring.  The blame is on me on not being the biggest Egoist fan and Tsumori is supposed to be almost of Sumi-senpai like character (scoff) but he just isn’t as big as him.  He shows up a lot for sure and he definitely does things to mess with Hiroki and I think the idea there was that he did like Hiroki a bit but he also wanted to make sure Nowaki was taken care of properly but it’s like, I really don’t care about Tsumori.  Idk enemies to lovers or something more confusing but the character had gotta have depth.

- Nowaki x Misaki - 1/10 this is the definition of bland.  I’m sorry but if these two got together I’d pack my bags and leave to nostalgia land cause holy shit I can’t.  Really, no hate to people who do like these two but sometimes I feel the only reason why people pair these two is because they think the regular pairings are too problematic and they need a “unproblematic” pair.  Vanilla just doesn’t appeal to me, at all, and these two are as vanilla as you can get.

- Akihiko x Takahiro - 3/10 I can’t see it, at all.  Not to mention I honestly think when it comes to romance that Takahiro would be a very boring character.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Takahiro and I think he’s one of the most important characters in JR, but he’s important because he’s Misaki’s family and he shines in that role, if JR were about Manami and Takahiro’s relationship then I don’t know if it would be that interesting.  Also their dynamic was very much a one-sided thing where Akihiko treated Takahiro like a gem and just went along with whatever he wanted, I don’t necessarily think that’s a great thing for a relationship.  I don’t know, I know this pairing has it’s fans and all the fanart and fanfics you guys make are awesome but I just don’t personally see it.

- Takano x Yokozawa - 1/10 again this is like Akihiko x Hiroki but much worse.  It didn’t seem like Nakamura really fleshed out the relationship these two as much and what we did get really was just Yokozawa taking care of Takano during university.  Hiroki did somewhat of a similar thing, but there was definitely to me a more established bond between the two.  I really enjoy the scene between the two of them in Yokozawa’s movie and it really fleshes out Takano’s character quite a bit but as a romantic pair these two would probably end up in a domestic violence episode.

- Yuu x Chiaki - 5/10 I don’t really mind who Chiaki ends up with.  I mean, obviously he only like Hatori that way, but the relationship between Yuu and Chiaki is cute and they share many similar hobbies.  That scene where Yuu comes to help Chiaki despite their argument and Chiaki’s idea that he wouldn’t come is sweet.  You can tell Yuu cares deeply for him and I’m not too sure about Chiaki, but I’m pretty sure he cares for him a bit as well.  

- Hatori x Yuu - 6/10 one point higher only cause I really like the idea of rivals ditching the main person and just getting together.  I don’t really like Hatori, but having these two together would definitely be a somewhat fun dynamic and I think they really respect each other professionally so maybe that could blossom into something more 0//0

- Tanaka x Fuyuhiko - 7/10 I’m honestly worried that this isn’t going to be a crackship soon.  I’m sorry but the latest chapter just gave me the feeling.  I feel bad for Tanaka in this situation BUT having Fuyuhiko confide in Tanaka and trusting him more than anyone is kinda cute ngl.  This trope is somewhat common in stories where there’s a very rich family and having two old men be in love with each other would be great since we don’t see a lot of it in BL.  Just the way that Tanaka laid it on Fuyuhiko straight gives me the feeling that they’re somewhat closer than expected.  Would Tanaka also love Fuyuhiko back?  Probably, in a loyal sense I suppose.  It’s kinda twisted because he’s obviously the butler, but it also makes it more interesting.  Maybe Tanaka knows how much of a fuck-up Fuyuhiko is but still feels a sense of loyalty to him, seeing him go through everything and being by his side the entire time.  We’ll see, I put the decision in your hands Nakamura.

- Miyagi x Hiroki - 6/10 I don’t hate it and a relationship like this seems something straight out of a slice-of-life comedy manga.  Two classical Japanese professors dating each other I mean, that’s hilarious.  Plus Miyagi loves to tease at Hiroki cause with his type of personality he finds it easy to play around with them.  But honestly, I want a character that challenges Miyagi’s view cause if he doesn’t have that then I don’t think that he can truly love since he’s all strung up over his past love still.  That’s the whole point of Shinobu’s characterization I think, but if they could find a hurdle around it then these two would be cute.

- Shinobu x Hiroki - 8/10 It’s really cute ngl.  I’ve thought about these two a little bit and I could definitely see an almost similar situation with how Shinobu became so fascinated with Miyagi.  It would be like Shinobu trying to get with Hiroki and Hiroki getting more and more annoyed only to see that this kid can match his level and he’s like oh shit.  They’re both kind of hot-headed so it might be a bit volatile but if Hiroki had someone who loved him unconditionally (which I mean he does) then it would definitely be a cute way for him to get over Akihiko.  Plus I think he would admire the intelligence Shinobu has and would tell him to foster it properly so he can be successful too.  A cute dynamic, I love when the rivals become lovers (even though they weren’t really rivals)

- Ritsu x Yokozawa - 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10 I feel very passionately about this relationship and I’ve thought about it A LOT.  I’m sure you can tell by now I love rivals to lovers, but especially in this case because Takano had such an effect of both of their lives and maybe not the most positive as well (I’m sorry I think Takano is a neat character).  It seems almost as if they were supposed to be together (but that’s just me deluding myself) since it would make such a nice way to fully develop Ritsu and Yokozawa’s characters in how they realize that Takano wasn’t actually what they needed.  They both let his presence hold them back emotionally and only until they can see a mirror of themselves can they realize that and maybe heal through each other and fall in the love somewhere in that process.  Yokozawa is probably my favorite SIH character just because of how caring he is and I think if Ritsu had someone like that in his life it would be beneficial.  I mean, obviously his life is kinda of a mess but he also needs a stable emotional support because man is not really getting it.  His family puts pressure on him and An is only around sometimes to encourage and honestly so far with Takano it’s sort of up and down.  Yokozawa too would realize to move the past behind that dragged him on and that’s basically what Trifecta is and it sucks that Hiyori wouldn’t be a part of his life but idk they could adopt a kid.  100/100 one of my favorite crackships and would make such an incredible story.

- Yukina x Yokozawa - 8/10 I know they only have like 4 interactions but I mean that’s the whole idea of a crack ship right?  Yes, okay, I like the exicted x grumpy dynamic and I’m not ashamed of it.  What’s good about these two is that they’re more than just that (at least Yokozawa is).  I’m pretty sure it was shown that they’re went out to drink together at least once so I’m pretty they’ve hooked up at least.  Yukina x Yokozawa would just be like erotica except with a grumpy salaryman.  Maybe Yukina would fall in love with how dedicated Yokozawa is or how caring he is to people he likes.  Or maybe he would have noticed how much he’s still pining over Takano and becomes the person to pull him out of it.  Kinda of manic pixie dream girl-esq but we make due with what we can.  Yokozawa would take care of Yukina and maybe encourage him towards his art career and become his muse and honestly it would all be cute.  I love the idea of Yukina rejecting girls and being like “sorry I already have a sweetheart <3″ and Yokozawa is just next to him.

- Kirishima x Takano - 10/10 it almost seems too good to be true.  I mean, you got a man who has no family and a man who had a family missing one member, can I make it any more obvious?  On the same vein with Ritsuzawa, after seeing those two get together Takano would probably be in a TERRIBLE place and Kirishima would want to help him cause he’s just that type of person.  In the actual movie I remember Kirishima saying how Takano had a lot of problems and I think he sees him as not so easy to toy with as Yokozawa, but dealing with the loss of Ritsu would put him over the edge of Kirishima would see this and maybe feel a bit of resonance of when he lost his own wife (though it’s a little different) and want to help.  I think the best part about this dynamic is that Takano would become a dad.  Takano has no family and it’s really tragic how his parents really just left him behind so being with Kirishima and Hiyori, he would finally feel that void in his heart.  I’m not saying that people can’t live by themselves, but to really not have anyone is super hard and I think Takano would feel strongly for Hiyori, not wanting her to go through anything he had to go through.  Seeing this fondness he has for her, I think Kirishima would also fall a little bit in love cause he realizes that maybe he had also been holding on to his lost love and has let it hold him back as well.  Something like “I don’t want Hiyori to go through the same thing as I did,” and Kirishima is like “Okay wanna get married then?”  The more and more I write about them, my score slowly increased from an 8.5 to 10 so yeah, great relationship I would pay for Nakamura to write something like that.

- Misaki x Hiroki - 9/10 this is really hot, idk.                                                           I’m kidding, but I’m not.  I mean, it’s not the only reason I like this pairing, but it a certain dynamic that I am once again romanticizing :/.......but I mean think about it.  Lost student Misaki, not wanting to get hit by Kamijou again actually goes up to ask him and Hiroki realizes that he’s actually a hard-working student but just needs a certain push in the right direction.  Once they start working together, Misaki realizes that Hiroki actually isn’t a demon professor and just feels very strongly (violently) about classic Japanese literature.  Not only that, but his pining for Akihiko almost mirrors the pining that Akihiko had for Takahiro so it’s almost similar to Romantica’s plot in that Misaki feels for Hiroki and how his feelings will never return.  Maybe Misaki even forms a love for classic Japanese literature and they can share that between each other.  I just see a lot of opportunities and the actual interactions that they have in the manga while limited are pretty sweet.  They both care deeply for Akihiko so why couldn’t they care deeply for each other?

- Misaki x Shinobu - 8.5/10 okay so any ship with Misaki besides Nowaki kinda works.  This one though, I mean I’ve already seen a few fanfics and they’re great.  I love Shinobu, he really is such a fun character.  I also find him somewhat relatable (don’t worry I’m not in a relationship with a classic Japanese literature professor who is 15 years older than me).  Instead, he says that he’s gone by life without a passion in the world until he met Miyagi.  This is cliche and done so many times, but it still resonates to that certain dullness of everyday life that seems to creep up every now and again.  His passion for Miyagi stems from his passion for life itself, he is that catalyst I believe.  So basically, Misaki is the one he’s passionate about this time.  Shinobu is a very sporatic person imo so I feel like this is the only way he’d fall in love.  I think Misaki dealing with Shinobu’s antics would also be funny.  It’s just an overall fun dynamic with two characters who are some of my favs.

- Misaki x Miyagi - 7/10 and that’s the final character from the main three couples shipped with Misaki.  Miyagi and Misaki seem a little strange at first, but I’d imagine that Misaki, being too scared to ask Kamijou for help, goes to the other professor instead and they slowly get acquainted from there.  The most appealing aspect of this relationship to me is the shared bond they have from losing very important people in their lives.  It’s obvious that Miyagi still hasn’t moved on and while Misaki has fared better I’m sure the incident still haunts him so I think it would be very cute to see these deal with their issues together.  Mostly Miyagi though, I think Misaki would really help him deal with the loss as he’s dealt with himself and Miyagi slowly realizes that he’s in love with this person.  Bottom line is that I love the Romantica and Terrorist couples and I think they should just become one big couple.

- Akihiko x Shinobu - 6.5/10 it’s continuing on and this is a pairing I’ve discussed with some people before and I think that it would probably be the fastest couple to get together ever.  Shinobu being Shinobu would fall in love with this gorgeous millionaire author and still shoot his shot because he’s that guy and Akihiko would be like “why not?”.  Okay probably not but it would be easier to imagine Akihiko after Takahiro’s whole engagement is a severe mess and Shinobu finally comes into his life after stalking him a bit and confesses to him.  It would take some time but I think Akihiko would very much appreciate a presence like that in his life, I mean someone to love him that much openly, it would definitely be a pda relationship.

- Nowaki x Akihiko - 6/10 this is another case of rivals getting together cause obviously Nowaki is somewhat hesitant about Akihiko’s presence in Hiroki’s life.  What I think is interesting is that Akihiko doesn’t really feel the same way to Nowaki, if anything he uses him as material in his BL novels.  He’s just always somewhat surprised when Nowaki is there and idk maybe he’s just attracted to the tall muscular doctor.  I could definitely see these two being a very dysfunctional relationship, maybe Nowaki not liking Akihiko at first, but then slowly coming around to him and maybe they can even bond from their somewhat troubled upbringings.  

- Todo x Misaki - 2/10 I really don’t see the appeal.  I’m sorry, I also know this one has a lot of fans but they don’t give off any romantic vibes at all.  They both like Za Kan and Todo is more proactive when it comes to his life decisions while Misaki is better at taking care of others, but together they just don’t really pose an interesting dynamic for me.  Throw in Sumi though then we’ve got something.

- Sumi x Misaki - ∞/10 so this is my crack ship.  I think it’s obvious but I’m a Romantica fan at heart and that hasn’t changed, it’s only widened to include Sumi in the mix.  I honestly think that a relationship between Akihiko, Misaki and Sumi would be viable....no I don’t.  However, it definitely would be an interesting thing to read about.  Sumi is just my guy, he’s manipulative, he’s toxic, he has long hair, terrible sense of humor, he’s perfect.  And with Misaki, the ever pure-hearted boy that can’t do no wrong, they’d be perfect together.  Again, this a pair that can go two ways for me, either Misaki and Sumi form a natural relationship throughout college and Sumi is able to get over Akihiko and Misaki is able to get over his fear of being selfish or Sumi can take advantage of Misaki and be a parasite.  Again, either way sign me up.  I do really think though that even at the start, Sumi was a good character.  It seems to me that Nakamura was almost unsure of what to do with him and saw that Akihiko needed a rival and just put him in that role.  But the way she sets him up just seems to me that he’s supposed to be so much more.  He’s a rival in the sense that he tried to steal Akihiko once and after that was never seen again.  It’s just strange because he had such a large presence before that and to see his role be so small and then disappear seems like unfinished characterization to me.  Well, you know what they say, if it isn’t finished then do it yourself.  Bottom line, I think that Sumi and Misaki have a lot of chemistry and I know that it’s just me so just leave me be in my Sumi corner alone thank you.

- Sumi x Akihiko - 7/10 is this a crackship?  Maybe not, they were about to get in on, with Misaki under the same roof no less, do they have no shame!  No, they really don’t.  Obviously, these two shouldn’t be together, it would be a parasocial fan’s dream.  It’s just the idea of Sumi and Akihiko together is an interesting idea only in the drama that it creates.  It would be potentially the most toxic couple ever, I know, even more than Romantica, so please stop reading if this is getting too much for you.  However, it would just be an interesting story to read.  You have Sumi, the parasocial fan who has read everything that Usami Akihiko has written and Akihiko, the lonely author who has no one to love him.  If they got together without Misaki in the situation I could maybe see a yandere thing going on which might be some people’s thing.  I could personally see a relationship where Sumi puts down all that Akihiko writes and Akihiko stays with him only because it reminds him of the harsh words his mother used to say to him therefore a familiar habitat.  You know, all that mushy stuff, but would probably make for a pretty dark BL.  If Misaki was in the picture it would definitely be a little different, I mean what if Misaki really wasn’t in love with Akihiko (and I guess that’s the truth since everyone thinks he’s got stockholm syndrome so) and he’s unable to stop those two.  What a mess, sign me up.

- Onodera x Misaki - 8/10 the main characters of each series meet each other at last, the purest, number 1 first romance if you will.  Half the reason why I think these two would be cute together is that train scene in SIH.  Yeah, that one where Onodera decides to sit on the only seat where a certain somebody is sleeping.  A little creepy but maybe he just has a crush.  If you think about it though, I really think these two would be good for each other.  Both have a lot of issues they struggle with, but I think they compliment each other well, fill in the missing gaps that they lack in each other.  Misaki, with his homemaking expertise, would make sure Onodera lived a proper and healthy life and Onodera would help Misaki on his independence.�� I mean, it’s not perfect but it’s cute.  Onodera obviously feels that his accomplishments aren’t worth anything, but I think having an outside party look at him and what he’s doing would help in him understanding just how hard-working he is.  Ritsu would also see how selfless Misaki is and help him in understanding that he shouldn’t be afraid to be selfish sometimes and maybe get settled into the working world having experience of his own.  Also the illustration between the two of their chibis is cute, the most recent Emerald one not so much.

- Akihiko x Takano - 7/10 now lets pair together the other main characters!  Personally, I don’t find it as appealing as Onodera x Misaki however there are definitely certain characteristic to be of note here.  First, Takano has read Akihiko’s novels and maybe in a certain way the loneliness that ponders those works maybe resonate to his own sense of isolation.  So basically this is the most emo couple on this list.  I could see a very melodramatic, but beautiful, story between these two and how they slowly fall in love through each other’s understanding of what they’ve each been through.  While not completely the same, there are very much similar aspects that they share such as a bad relationship with family (or no relationship) and romantic troubles.  Honestly, they might be pretty good at understanding each other and sorting out each other’s problems to become better people.  Also lead shoujo manga editor x best-selling author of the publishing company, now that’s a power couple.

- Takano x Misaki - 3/10 no.  Well, it’s more complicated then that and I’ll try not to let my biases get in the way, but the only depiction I’ve read of these two getting together was definitely...disturbing.  What’s interesting is that they both don’t really have parents, but Misaki does have Takahiro which makes a world of a difference when compared to Takano who practically has no one.  The fact that they’ve lost their parents in one way or another though would make for a compelling narrative of how they each heal through each other’s loss.  I feel though that Misaki would be more encouraging to get Takano to reunite with his living parents.  I’m not really sure, but I just don’t really see these two having any other relationship besides that.  They have completely different personalities and hobbies and I don’t think they’d necessarily mesh well but who knows, maybe there are some fans out there who can say otherwise.

- Akihiko x Onodera - 5/10 this is the rich boy drama that I wanted.  Is this even a crackship?  Yes, it is because Onodera was only his editors despite what some people may think.  Then again, maybe they did hook up, but I’m not sure whether Nakamura would write that in her stories.  What is interesting about them is of course a sort of similar background of having been born in a really well-off family that owns a company of some sorts that they are being pressured to inherit.  It didn’t seem so in Onodera’s case, but with the newest chapters it really seems that’s the narrative Nakamura is going towards, so there is definitely some tension there.  These two have more potential than TakaMisa imo because they almost seem to be foils of each other’s characters.  Akihiko doesn’t seem to have any confidence issues on how his family name has brought him success and knows what he wants to do with his life without his family’s interference.  Onodera however, well, he definitely has more issues with that and I could see how Akihiko could help him overcome that with his own experience.  They also both struggle with loving people so it would be a story of learning how to be your own person and love again, in a private boarding school in England.

- Onodera x Isaka - 6/10 more rich boy drama.  This is the nanahikari-doushi couple that I think works better than Akihiko and Onodera only because this time the situation is basically the same, but just approached radically different.  I mean think about it, Isaka and Onodera both of sons of the leads of big publishing companies and are set to inherit that top position.  I’m not sure of the age gap between the two, but maybe if they met when they were younger and slowly grew up together (idk rip Asahina), then Isaka could help Onodera with his whole issue with feeling inadequate.  It would seem like Isaka would be the best person to help him, seeing as he just worked his way to the top of Marukawa without worrying what other people thought.  I think that Onodera is just more overall sensitive when compared to Isaka so it would be interesting seeing those two get along, either way dating the CEO of the company you’re working for, that’s gotta be an OSHA violation.

- Haruhiko x Sumi - 4/10 not as big of a fan as I thought I would be honestly.  There are definitely some works out there involving these two, mostly because people just wanted to pair together the rejected rivals (better Sentiment) but it’s just not the same...  Haruhiko and Sumi don’t really have anything in common, and I really can’t see a scenario where Haruhiko would be attracted to him.  The only common thing they really share is that they were both rejected by the people they wanted.  I mean, even Sentiment had more than that.  But I do like Haruhiko and Sumi’s characters individually and a story where Sumi just gets with Haruhiko to mess with Romantica sounds funny so yeah, not terrible.

- Haruhiko x Todo - 3/10 I don’t know, I just don’t find Todo that interesting.  I know that this one is pretty popular, shout out to the Junjou Acceptance fans, but I feel like if Nakamura actually does this it would just be too much.  Todo really doesn’t have that much of a developed character as many other characters and pairing him up with Haruhiko really just seems like forcing someone to get with Haruhiko for the sake of him not being alone.  However, the idea of Todo and Misaki becoming brother-in-laws is sort of amusing so it’s not all bad I suppose.

- Aikawa x An - 5/10 I don’t think Aikawa isn’t given as much characterization as many other characters.  It’s strange since she’s such a staple of the JR cast, but I also don’t think Nakamura ever intended her to be a deeper character unfortunately.  An on the otherhand definitely has more going on, but even then I’m not sure how far you can go with these two.  I think if anything it would almost be like erotica with a stressed out Aikawa and more relaxed An telling her to take it easy.  She might even go over and kick Akihiko in the balls for always turning in his manuscripts late and stressing out her girlfriend.  Points for that, so overall a pretty cute relationship.

- An x Kaoruko - 7/10 now this is the shoujo power couple I need.  An and Kaoruko definitely share a lot of similarities in being rejected by the person they like and being from more wealthy backgrounds.  Kaoruko probably struggles more with the fact that her family is so pushy on her since it really isn’t stated with An whether or not that’s the case, however I think these two would be cute together.  Two women trying to carve out a future from themselves away from the pressures of their overbearing households, I mean it’s kinda giving Tamaki and Benio vibes.

- Shizukuishi x Misaki - 7/10 Shizukuishi basically disappeared, but for the 3 moments that he appeared in the manga, he really made an impression.  There’s some tension on how much Ijuuin dotes on him, but they both respect each other’s passion for Za Kan and I just think that he’s a more interesting character than Todo.  I mean, he’s an overworked little guy that needs a break, what’s not to love.  Plus, their personalities are a little more contrasting which is a bit appealing, love a good serious x sunshine trope.  Not bad, I wish there were more than 4 panels of him though.

That’s about all I can think of right now.  Anyway if there’s anything to take away from this, it’s that crackships are the backbone of JRSIH and draw Sumi x Misaki fanart!!!!!

[hanabeeri]

i have a lot on my mind. well it isn't a lot it's just two thoughts that are spiraling TT

I. i don't like the way my sisters husband (and she herself too) restrict my nieces usage of media and the internet in general. the day before yesterday she asked me whether i could give her extra lessons in english because she failed her exam and needs to pass in order to be able to attend the next grade. and i wholeheartedly believe that she wouldn't have failed her exam if her parents would have allowed her to browse the web where she be confronted with english pretty much everywhere. or even play games! my other niece and nephew learned english by playing minecraft! i personally learned english by watching pewdiepie and scrolling through tumblr. besides we're not living in the 90s anymore where the internet was just a nice thing to have, we are living in the 20s of the 21st century and people rely on the internet a lot more and incorporate it more into daily activities! how do they think she will manage in the future? she once came to me because she didn't even have a clue on how to make a powerpoint. i mean yeah at her age i didn't know how to make complex and pretty looking ones either, but most could do a simple one: black text on white slides, consisting of either way too many bullet notes or walls of text. it's so frustrating. also i gave her my phone number and told her to please read the books that i gave her and if she needed any help to ask me. and she still didn't text me. girl, i know you are struggling i tested you two days ago and skfkskdksks anyways. i hope she will pass despite her parents being too restrictive. i'm pretty sure my niece in 2nd grade knows more on how to navigate media.

II. recently i was talking about bl and gl anime and manga with my friend from university, but i was so tired that day that i couldn't properly explain myself. and since i had a small breakdown over it at breakfast earlier i will try to explain myself now. it's not that i don't like to watch anime or read manga (i wish there would be a word like kana, hiragana&katakana but for anime&manga) that have bl/gl couples inside, it's just that i don't like it when shows are reduced to just that when they have a complex story or at best an entertaining one. i also don't like joining fandoms anymore for the very same reason, because everywhere you go there are only ships, and while it's fun to indulge yourself sometimes i'm not that big of a fan of it anymore; i used to be but nowadays i prefer to watch the series and discuss the lore or characters. another reason why i don't like to watch bl/gl anime is because more than not it's bl, and even more often than not they aren't even canon, which usually leads to the creation of a fandom that solely builds its likes and dislikes on fetishes. sometimes it's not even the fandom per se, sometimes it's the mentality of so many people that see two guys hugging each other and immediately stamping them off as gay. people however do not do the same to girls. this just shows how messed up some beliefs still are. i would like to enjoy series without being shoved pornographic art or written work in my face that scream 'i don't care about the series i'm a porn addict that found a bl ship and will not use it to let my mind go wild', good for u, but i personally don't want to engage with that. at least make it worthwhile and have an interesting plot. when im watching or reading a shounen or seinen im there for the series, not the ships, it's just so tiring for me. if there is some bl romance involved (eg banana fish) i don't mind, i like it, too. but again, more often than not those series get reduced to traumatic romances and people forget the rest. (i will continue later i have to catch my bus)

i'm back. anyways. continuing. not every series will obviously be about romance which is why it's of course not necessary that relationships are explicitly made canon. i'm fine with that, but i don't like bait. and yes i do think of many things as bait. i don't care if japan has a different society and culture because YoI was still published and the relationship between yuri and viktor has been so wonderfully displayed and showed even without direct kisses or proclamations of love. i'm just not the biggest fan when a series has a male cast only and fans reduce it to: yeah they're all gay. all of them. they fuck and friendships suddenly aren't a thing anymore. i'm the embodiment of yes i'm gay yes i'm homophobic. that's that. during the discussion with my friend i brought up LOTR because i had no clue that people even shipped sam/frodo or aragorn/legolas until i dipped my toe in the fandom. and then i ran. aragorn has the most gorgeous wife so, no. and sam and frodo wouldn't have been shipped as much if they were female. let's be honest, people ship them because they are male. even in fetishes women or female presenting people are not welcome. i'm not crying about it btw i'm glad gl isn't fetishized to the point where it's uncomfortable, it's usually very childish sjfksksks. i'm simply putting it in perspective. and that's where i will draw the line, and my conclusion is: i will watch the great pretender but i doubt i will see anything more than two guys that are close.

do not mind the text below because i came back to finish my thoughts. my train is late and i don't want to wait until the next class starts so i'm just going home, i'll revise the material on my own sifksksksk

ok nevermind im tired of this discussion with myself maybe i'm just a hater. just kidding i'm simply not in the mood to write out my thoughts anymore. here are the vibes do what u want with them. i was bothered but i found my inner peace again and now i'm unbothered again.

[cringeyvanillamilk]

Not really a request but I just want to know why you like Black Clover and who is your favorite character?

Hello! It’s nice to meet you! Those are great questions! I’ve actually mentioned my favorite characters in an older post, but I’d like to reiterate in this more recent post since many chapters have passed since then.

In regards to why I like Black Clover, there are many reasons why I find this anime so enjoyable. If I were to summarize my reasons into three points, it would be the attention and care for multiple characters, the likeability of the main protagonist, and the overarching themes of the story.

Before I got into Black Clover, there was a lot of negative reception of the show. Many criticized the anime for being so “basic” and just a “Naruto rip-off”. This made me very curious whether what people said were true or just dramatic and so I decided to check Black Clover out. And to my surprise, Black Clover was a fun watch! On the surface, I can understand why people viewed the anime as a typical shounen given the tropes that were used. We got the loud protagonist, the rival cool guy, tsunderes, fanservice characters, and many other tropes that are common to see in anime. But what makes Black Clover differ from the rest is how they simply give attention and layers to these characters. Tabata did something as simple as give each character a moment to shine and even backstory to explain why they are the way they are. For example, we could easily have a character like Vanessa be there for just fanservice and maybe a little bit of support, but instead we get to see her team up with the main character in battle, get her own arc in the anime, and become a huge asset to the squad. Vanessa wasn’t the only one who got this treatment. There are plenty of other characters who got the spotlight and showcase a lot of their motivation and development. The fact that this becomes consistent for most of the cast and throughout the story is honestly impressive. Even the typical beach or hot springs episode ends up being significant to the plot. What I like about Black Clover is that it doesn't try anything new in the Shounen genre, but instead takes inspiration from its foundation and makes it better. 

Now when it comes to main characters, Asta has to be one of the best main characters in Shounen. He also happens to be my most favorite character in Black Clover and for many reasons. Many complained about Asta being “annoying” and “generic”, and to that I say “You must be watching a different anime”. Asta has to be the most charming MC I’ve seen in a long time! There are many traits that Asta holds that makes him distinct from other main leads. That being his bond with children, fairness towards most villains, and selfless goals and aspirations. I don’t think I’ve seen another MC that is so natural with children like Asta is. It’s honestly very endearing! Another thing that I like about Asta as a main lead is how he deals with the antagonists of the show. He is very balanced in how he serves justice for most of the story. By giving his opponent a chance to be held accountable for their actions, he avoids taking extreme actions such as killing an opponent or just forgiving them because of their tragic backstory. Asta will not be swayed by your tears! He will make you pay for what you’ve done, whether you like it or not. And that’s cool of him to do! And lastly, the most significant part of Asta’s character is his selfless goals and aspirations. Despite being a peasant orphan and facing discrminiation wherever he goes, he refuses to be jaded. Instead, he works for a better future not just for himself, but for his family in the orphanage. A common critique to Asta is how he’s just like Naruto, but while Naruto initially wanted to be Hokage to prove himself, Asta wanted to be Wizard King to prove that no matter where you come from, you can achieve anything. And that’s what makes those two different in my eyes. No hate towards Naruto, but I prefer Asta’s ambitions and dream. His positive view of life and genuine work ethics are very inspiring to me. I think because I connect well with Asta that I view him as one of the best things about Black Clover and my most favorite character.

And lastly the overarching themes of Black Clover are very optimistic and relatable. I like how they made it very clear that you are capable of overcoming many obstacles that come your way. You can’t really change the past, but you can definitely work for a better future. And this theme really hits home to me. The message of hope and hard work is what makes this anime very enjoyable for me to watch!

Overall, there are plenty of reasons to love Black Clover! The characters, the story, the openings, and visuals-- they are all pretty top tier! Not to say that Black Clover is perfect, but I think that even its weaknesses are overshadowed by its strengths!