#for twewy characters when i'm done!!

[shadowedresolve]

ALSO HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE PLAYED TWEWY/NEO TWEWY. LIKE THIS POST! SEND A MESSAGE. I WANNA TALK P5/TWEWY CROSSOVER IDEAS.....!!

[pierroettie]

GUYS IM STILL A TWEWY FAN I PROMISE

I did a bunch of sprite edits for an au I'm working on but I was waiting til I did some writing for it to actually post but I'm taking forever to do so lol....

so anyways it's a simple roleswap au! the swaps being neku<>josh beat<>shiki and rhyme<>eri (and ofc the rest of the cast I haven't drawn yet... minamimoto and hanekoma swap will be real... )

the general premise is that all of their personalities and entrance fees are the same, their characters just would be written differently in accordance to their roles and positions in the story

I'll post the full sprites when I get the writing done <3

[chilchucks-timbs]

What do you think of the sequel of twewy then? You talk a lot about the original but I'm interested in your opinion of the second part because I saw a few fans disappointed :o

OKAY. Omg.

So first of all? Soundtrack? SLAPS. We won. We won with the sequel soundtrack. I actually prefer some of the new remixes to the original!

The artwork? Stuck to the original style. Can’t complain at all. The new designs? PEAK. They’re so cool. There’s new shopkeepers- who look AWESOME- who have LORE. We can access NPC LORE. I read about one who is married to one of the players? Catch me eating popcorn at that story.

Shout out to the sprites you get when you’re feeding your party members? They’re so cute. In original TWEWY we just had a voice telling us if they liked it after I’ve fed them. NOW we get to know via their face going 🤢 or 🥺 BEFORE they eat so I can give them something they definelty like! and I think that’s fun and funky fresh.

Gameplay? Fantastic. Absolutely brilliant. - the original game had a switch port and honestly? I really think they should’ve done better with the controls. What worked and was beautiful for the ds- felt very clunky on the switch. Especially when playing console? I mean what in the Wii controller buLLSHIT. I need my attacks ACCURATE and on tv that’s very very hard. My friend managed it but? Maybe I just need to get good LSLGFSPALDL. But NEO twewy? beautiful. Perfect. Great for the switch. no complaints on the new battle system.

The story:

edit: THE HUMOUR IS THERE. I FORGOR. I forgot how fucking funny it is. The amount of screenshots I have? Hilarious. Not any like quotable moments like there is in the original game. But there’s so much silly billy shit going on. Bunch of CLOWNS I swear.

Its messaging is not driven home as much as the original twewy is. Like my friend had to explain to me what they were doing because it’s very very subtle. The characters are changing but only just a little. -unlike the first game which, like? At the end of the game? These guys are CLEARLY not the same people who entered the game!! These are Zuko ATLA level transformations!!!: whereas Neo twewy game says? Hey. Your actions are kinda sucky bro. Ever thought about changing up your style? Like it’s THERE. But it’s clearly not the CORE of the game like the first one. And that’s where it falls flat FOR ME. I LOVE and ADORE character development and it’s just not the focus of NEO twewy. But that doesn’t mean I hated the game. I just don’t prefer it over the original.

What NEO twewy DOES focus on is world building which. I think they’ve made some super cool and interesting choices. Even if I, and many Joshua kiryu fans don’t agree with them. 💛 we just straight up ignore the new lore because we don’t like it- the one around Joshua anyway. They bring in some new reapers and some new plot line surrounding shinjuku. That’s fine. That’s fun. But. Joshua? MY MAN? No square enix, you don’t know my blorbo of 10 years better than me :))

So. In conclusion. I was not DISAPPOINTED. I just think they lost the core of what twewy meant to people for the sake of focusing on the new details theyve added. I think rindo and fret and nagi deserved better development.

ALSO IDK HOW I FEEL ABOUT TEAMS? I MISS PARTNERS. LIKE TEAMS IS FINE I GUESS BUT. PARTNER WAS SPECIAL.

Okokok real conclusion is that I was not disappointed. I had fun. I loved a lot about this game. But the original hit home so hard, and the sequel was just a good game.

[scramble-crossing]

2 3 10 12 13 for the ask game!

2. A headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like! Ok this is hard to answer because I forget what's canon and what's intricately-woven-into-my-brain headcanon but I'll say the "Kariya was an Angel" theory! I never disliked it, but I never liked it more than the simpler explanation of "Oh he's just been around the block a couple of times, that's why he knows more than the average Reaper but still couldn't pick out Joshua as the Composer-that stuff's above his paygrade." Even now it's not "canon to me" level of headcanon, but I can see the appeal and really I appreciate anything that inspires people to look a littler closer at characters like Kariya or Uzuki. Also it's really good when played for comedy. His ass is showing up at the Angel convention, stealing as many appetizers as he can, and bouncing before anyone can point out that he got fired 30 years ago for skipping meetings to go play Tin Pin with random Wall Reapers.

3. A character that fandom has helped you appreciate It's too easy to say Coco so Beat! It's embarrassing to admit but I kinda had a bone to pick with him when I was first getting into the series for sorta "replacing Sho" in neo. I didn't think he was as interesting (and to be fair he really isn't in neo until you take his relation to Rindo's arc into consideration; he works wonderfully as a back for Rindo to hide behind even if his own story was very much concluded by the end of the first game. Then there's also his dynamic with Neku, which is very very good, but he didn't need to be a player character for that. Anyways). Beat analysis posting made me actually pay attention to him while replaying the games and realize how much I'd missed skimming over him in W2 (the poor guy's really gotta try to compete with fan darling Joshua and Sho, aka the loudest fucking man alive, for screen time). His stint as a Reaper is incredibly fascinating. I forget who, but I always distinctly remember someone talking about Beat getting prepped to try and deaden his heart and become as brutal and merciless as a Reaper is supposed to be before ultimately choosing kindness in both his siding with Neku and sparing Kariya and Uzuki in W3 and man.....yeah. He's just such a good guy. He's easily in the top 10 favs now, if not the top 5

10. A blog (mutual or one you follow) that has made your fandom experience brighter Well....yknow....

There are a LOT of others and I'm too shy to tag but goldensunset (incredible analysis) playtwewy (fav fics ever) sho-minamimoto (awesome art + sho headcanons) dj-of-the-coven (made me love beat) purplelea (also incredible analysis) bitternami (very kind and wow I read a fic of yours once and it blew me away...I will remember to find it and leave a comment soon) leonvilasi (always leaves fun and interesting comments in my notes) off the top of my head and a whole bunch of people who aren't as active in the twewy fandom anymore or whose art I love and the people I always see leaving funny tags in my notes you're all awesome <3

12. Compliment someone else in your fandom AUGH HELL ON EARTH!!! dandelion2302 I absolutely adore the way you draw Sho your art is amazing.................

13. Your favorite type of fandom event (gift exchange, ship week, secret santa, prompt meme, etc) Yknow I've never actually done any fandom events before twewy! I had a blast during the twewybang and while I probably won't participate again for a while (I'd rather finish the fic I wrote for the 23 one first) it was a wonderful first experience with this sort of thing :]

[dj-of-the-coven]

currently playing: Stardew Valley

currently listening:

What's up, I'm DJ. That's not my real name so don't try to look it up ya weirdos. I'm 20 years old... for now. (til next december)

I like getting asks about random stuff. obviously don't go telling me about your medical history or some shit, but questions about my interests and hobbies are always welcome. I tend to answer asks more than dms.

my post "schedule" is entirely dictated by whimsy. a lot of my original posts are picmixes and meme edits but I have a couple of essays floating around for twewy fans. if anyone has a picmix request I'm basically always taking those.

do I art? I... uh... write. I paint. I make clothes sometimes.

I made a personal website to test my coding skills, but it hasn't been updated in a long time. Feel free to take a look at it if you like that kinda thing.

kingdom hearts was my biggest fandom for a long time, but it's been just barely nudged out of first place by the world ends with you. I still have mega brainrot for both so don't hesitate to talk to me about them.

I'm unfortunately a bit of a gamer. Some other game fandoms I'm into are legend of zelda, sonic, final fantasy 7, undertale/deltarune, various pokeymans (mostly the pokepark games and pokemon mystery dungeon but I've played like 5 mainlines), ace attorney, and okami.

Don't try to fit my aesthetic in one box. I like girly, glittery media as much as I like dark & edgy bullshit. In real life, my wardrobe and personal effects are a total mix of both. I also switch between feminine and masculine presentation by the day, though I always identify as a dyke. I'm only a woman when I say so.

Use whatever pronouns fit the bit when you talk about me. (why are you talking about me? lmao)

TRIVIA

fave colors: black, pink, red, white

drink order: iced latte with simple syrup

hair color: pink!!

current fave bands: Destroy Boys, Deftones, Mom Jeans

major (before dropout): japanese

minor (before dropout): queer ethnic studies

things I collect: cds, vinyls, cassettes, old tech, dragon stuff

fave season: winter

fave time of day: sunset to nighttime

instruments I play: ukulele, electric guitar

favorite pokemon: midnight lycanroc

fave music genres: punk rock, nu metal

fave sanrio characters: little twin stars, kuromi, my melody, cinamoroll

sports I've done (2+ years): skiing, kickboxing, wrestling

[derekscorner]

Random KH Ramble

Just as the name implies this is a bit of a random shower-type of thought. It's not me complaining or trying to rewrite KH either, what I'm about to describe isn't even a problem objectively.

The thing I'm about to explain is a very much "me problem" that extends to any story I invest in but if you're bored like I am let's indulge a bit.

Kingdom Hearts: Gods & Angels

You see, I have the type of brain that tries to understand the lore of something. I do not need every answer given since a story should always retain mystery but there will always be some aspect of a world I can't help but hype focus on.

In KH's case it's the way life & death work. Initially it was easy to assume that Hades was the de-facto end point since the Disney version of the Olympians are very much godly.

Even in their source film the gods are depicted as immortal and omnipotent over their domain. Even Hades is actually a very powerful threat both in the movie and KH series.

Sora always wins with the power of friendship and Hercules has literal god-tier strength so Hades isn't that threatening but to the average living being he's basically a force of nature.

Even Sora with his keyblade and otherworldly magic can't actually kill Hades. He's legitimately immortal, there is no death for him.

Then later I assumed that each world essentially had it's own afterlife. Which may still be true to some extent at the time of me writing this. The presence of Joshua in DDD solidified this idea for me for a while.

I do keep in mind (as should you) that any Square character that cameos in KH is not the same one you see in the game they appear in. Squal isn't Squal, he's Leon. Cloud isn't Cloud, he's emo Cloud in Vincent Valentines outfit. Their backstories are rewritten entirely.

Even Zack who appeared in BBS was from the world of Hercules rather than having a history shared with Cloud. The closest being we seen to having a backstory hinted to be similar was Auron but the very fact he was in Hades underworld means some obvious variation has happened there as well.

This is very important because that means the same level of alteration exists for Joshua, his reapers, and the Shibuya that Neku calls home. We know the reapers game exists, we know that a Composer exists, but the actual accuracy to TWEWY isn't guaranteed.

If anything, you should assume that the Shibuya that Neku calls home in KH is basically its own thing entirely. Especially now that Verum Rex exists with a Shibuya of it's own.

The Final Headache World

But this all changes with KH3's Final World- hell, it all changes with Dark Road from the mobile titles.

In KH3 we're shown the "Final World" the place you supposedly go when you are done. There is no tricks, there is no miracles, you are as dead as you can be.

Sora literally broke time twice to save the day and still wound up here...or you're supposed too? See thanks to Dark Road or KH4's premise it's confusing.

We know you go to this Final World if you die both in heart, body, and soul. A total demise, KH3 tells us this in-game.

We also know that "Unreality" functions as a type of afterlife for people like Sora too since Strelitzia tells us as such in the KH4 trailer.

So...where do Joshua and Hades fit into that?

According to Hades here, according to what we've actually seen, the Underworld is your death. A Kh wielder or two die (okay more) in KHDR and they do go here.

The protagonists make a deal with Hades to speak to the spirit of one such dead key kid. Soooo that just makes my brain question "why?".

What dictates these differences. On a surface level you can assume Sora and Strelitzia are in Unreality because they were kicked out of "reality". We know this is true for Sora at the very least, the world at large didn't kill him it flat out removed him from reality as he knows it for breaking time.

But the first time Sora died he went to the Final World not the Underworld. The excuse the Kairi was keeping his heart clinging to life is also a stretch because Sora still went to the Final World.

She offered a way back but she did not stop the travel.

So where does the Underworld fit into that? How does Joshua's reaper game fit into this set up? Is there even a common denominator at all?

It's possible that every afterlife is connected to the Final World but that's conjecture on my part not a fact. I only offer it because Hades is shown fully capable of summoning dead people (like Auron or the Key Kid) and Joshua has shown that he's fully capable of retrieving dead people and moving them to worlds not within his domain.

He took Neku's group to the Realm of Sleep, he left his world behind to help reconstruct them. We don't know why he did but the point is that he could.

Hades and Joshua are literally two beings that you witness working on a cosmic scale. They clearly have power over death even in worlds they don't physically live in.

Kingdom Hearts: Gods & Angels???

And you want to know the real kicker? This bothers me personally not just for these questions about death but because my brain jumps the shark to the divine.

Death is always governed by something in any religion and what I have just described is an angel based on monotheistic religion and a pagan god working on a cosmic scale.

(technically composers are more like super-reapers or lower ranked angels than angels but Joshua has the wings so semantics)

What is bothering me is that I do not comprehend how the cosmic landscape works. I know Hades is the god of death for everyone thanks to Dark Road, even Xigbar pokes fun at Hercules for having help in "high places". The Olympians in KH effect the universe as a whole.

But...Joshua exists and so does he. Do the gods just pick worlds to personally run? Do they make them? Between Joshua and the church in Notre Dome how do pagan gods like the Olympians or even Calisto from Pirates of the Caribbean fit in?

It's these kind of questions that my mind wanders too in KH and any story. I want to know, it bothers me that there's no concrete law.

Hell, I bet you even forgot that Davy Jones Locker was in KH3, it's an after life as well! Calisto is barely shown in KH3 but she's there, she's a sea goddess.

I didn't forget but I don't know where they all fit.

There is no answer for this and honestly it would be wiser from a writers standpoint to not try and do so, I just needed to rant about it for a bit.

Now I'll sleep and torture myself wondering about the cosmology of a fictional world. A very me problem.

[haus-mom]

1, 10, 20, 30 and 40! And 9!

aaaa thank you mar!!!! you better believe i'll ask you back! though when this gets posted the questions will already be on your askbox but anyway

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

AUGH I HAVE. A LOT ACTUALLY but if i had to choose a few hmmmmm

first there's ninten!!! yes that's actually his name. or ken. he's named ken in the novel. any mother/earthbound character would fit but i'm specially attached to ninten because Back Then he used to get characterized as this super silly guy with millions of penguin plushies in his room and he's just. he's a cool dude! his first and only quote in the entire game is at the end, when the adventure is over, he just plops into his bed and falls asleep mid sentence. the penguin thing is kinda canon btw. he loves penguins <3

then there's neku from twewy!!! i'm trying to go chronologically or i'll get irrevocably lost. met him through kingdom hearts and seeing as his game was on the ds i was like "eh why not" (<- this later led to a life changing experience)

he's such an idiot and i actually hate him a lot <3 (affectionate. like, really affectionate) he's the definition of a closed off edgelord but he grows so much and learns so much and dhsbhdabhjhjbhj

there's another reason why he's here though!!! twewy is played with both screens on the ds, neku being on the lower and his game partner on the upper. but i absolutely sucked at keeping track of both screens so my brother would control the partner so when i see him i smile remembering everytime my brother and i almost broke my ds in half trying to beat sho <3 it was christmas too! yay!

the fun part about being a fan of this game is that the only official art that came up when i looked him up were a super close up of his face and a spoiler. so i had to go into the game files and get this pic myself.

anyway.

this is yuuichi mizuoka from re:kinder, he's the last character someone would consider a comfort character, and he basically invented being a princess with a disorder (sort of. heart did it first)

this is also the little guy who went around biting people (like chibita!) and telling you why he's a comfort character would both be extremely spoilery and extremly sad, because i already showed you his introduction and he's just. he's a murder baby, what else do you need? the things that this li'l fella has both gone through and done are unspeakable. he's unfixable. he's also 8 years old.

honestly every parun character (that. that i know of (?) is a comfort character in the sense that if i see them i get all happy and [FLAPS HANDS]

some more than others, like, i can highlight tokimeki, gote, ramu, and if you show me a picture of handa i will actually do the 🥺face irl. does that make topema from henderland no daibouken a comfort character? wait, she actually kinda is, isn't she?

i have some more but this ask would never get actually answered if i listed them all, have the ones from my formative years (11-13 y/o, everyone's formative years, right?) honorable mentions are the second year trio from inago, kasane teto, ryuunosuke naruhodou, minori hanasato, sora kingdomhearts (that's his actual name), takane enomoto... see, this is why we go chronological, otherwise we get confused and forget characters </3

9. which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

neither, actually, i don't like coffee and caffeine makes me sleepy, so i normally don't drink any... i don't like tea either, so i'm team third option: chocomilk :D!

10. would you slaughter the rich?

not realistically, because i'm hilariously weak (physically), but i'd gladly watch others slaughter the rich! i'd feel bad doing nothing so i can offer emotional support! i can even dress as a cheerleader. or the cheer squad from osu tatakae ouendan. hell yeah.

20. do you say soda or pop?

les digo FANTA y COCACOLA porque creo que aparte de "bebidas gaseosas" no tenemos ninguna palabra así cortita para definirla, así que en españa (no sé si en alguna parte de latinoamérica tenéis alguna) siempre les decimos como las marcas. creo que rebloggeé hace poco un post sobre marcas teniendo que ceder derechos porque la gente empieza a decirle a los productos como las marcas y me resulta hilarante

when speaking in english i say soda because, despite my (british) teacher's best efforts, i was raised by american youtubers and that cannot be undone. pop is a hilarious word to me because it is what it is. it goes "pop!" when you open it, so it's called pop!

30. is there dishes in your room?

there were two (2) dishes in my room when you sent this ask, but i decided to be a responsible adult and wash them before having dinner. there's a cup here though. from dinner. because i don't feel like leaving it in the sink just yet.

40. did you have any snacks today?

uhhhh, do chewable fruit candies count? when it's exam season i usually have a bag of snacks nearby because the sugar does wonder to my concentration ✨ might be placebo, might be me doing better because i get to have A Little Treat, who knows

(these candies have the flavour written in portuguese, i think, and i was so confused like 'what the fuck is a mirtilo 😭'

cuando vi el limón, que pues, es literalmente limão, quedé como así

[eriyu]

Okay but I do need you to be thinking about twewy aus 👀

OKAY....... OKAY.............

we have a lot more options now if you include NEO worldbuilding, but i've always thought of AUs in terms of adhering to Shibuya's rules from OG twewy, because it's basically the perfect formula for examining a character (which is exactly the point, after all).

what's the most important thing to this character? and what happens to them when you take it away?

who is their partner? how well do they work together? what partner could you give them that would stretch them the furthest?

what kind of psych(s) would they be able to use? what's their Imagination level?

what do they choose if they win? might they rather become a Reaper than come back to life?

literally just: what are their biggest character flaws and how would you hammer them out in the span of a week?

my first instinct for Ehryu in particular is to make her voice her entry fee and then stick her with Zenos. 8') her voice is also the obvious choice for her psych though, so i'm not sure what direction to take it!!!

but Zenos is really the one person it would kill her to work with. even though yes, the end of Endwalker happened, that was just fighting. having to actually talk to him and spend time with him would definitely challenge her impulsivity and stubbornness. not being able to talk to him would actually mitigate that challenge though lol, so maybe it wouldn't work very well with her voice as entry fee?

i'll have to take a lot more time to figure out the best combination of circumstances!!! the one thing i'm absolutely 100% sure of is that she wants to come back to life. she's nowhere near done yet.

[kimium]

I asked @m34gs what she thinks the Twisted Wonderland house warden's favourite video games are. She answered in this ask and prompted me to give my thoughts. So, here I am!

Here are a few ground rules: I'm going to pick games I've personally played or had experience with. Also, if a game is in a series and I think they're very similar, I'm listing them together.

The House Warden's Favourite Video Game

Riddle - Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland

Wow, I'm really outing myself with how many Kirby games I've played, huh? Well, I'm not sorry. When I was a child I LOVED Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. I loved the simple world design, the fun, easy mechanics, and the bright colours/music. It's also a fast game. Even as a child I think I beat it in like six hours. Anyways, I think Riddle would enjoy this game for those reasons. It's something he can lose himself in briefly and have fun. I know there are probably better Kirby games out there and newer ones at that, but the childhood nostalgia wins in the end.

Leona - Tetris

I really love your pick of Mahjong for Leona. Honestly, the desire to just go "yeah, what M34GS said" or pick another tactical game like Chess, Checkers, or even Go. But, I decided Tetris is also a good pick for Leona. As you said, Leona isn't one to care too much about video games, so he isn't going for one with story... like I do. He needs a low risk game with just enough puzzling. So, Tetris. It's fun to arrange things, does require some level of strategy, and is very satisfying when you win. Leona can also put it away at any time, so this means he can nap when he's bored or done.

Azul - Don't Starve Together

While I sort of wanted to pick a murder mystery game with Azul, Don't Starve Together has resource management. Which, I think is right up Azul's alley. Sure, the game has a "survive in the wild" vibe, but Azul is there trying to optimize his strategy, gather everything, and not die. He can also play with Jade and Floyd if he wishes, but there is a high chance those two would sabotage him. Azul will take that risk though, and I think those three would have a lot of fun. It's also a casual game, so he can put it away without worry of story or progress.

Kalim - Harvest Moon (any of them)

I agree that Kalim deserves a relaxing, slow game, without much conflict or objectives in it. While I think a game franchise like Animal Crossing also works, since I've never played an Animal Crossing game myself, I'm picking Harvest Moon. I think Kalim would find it very fun to build his farm, befriend the locals, solve whatever problem is occurring, and marry his favourite NPC. I didn't pick a specific Harvest Moon game simply because I only have experience with two: the original and The Tale of Two Towns (I think... I can't check right now). Besides, Harvest Moon all has the same "flavour" so to speak, so I don't think me specifically stating which game is necessary.

Vil - Super Smash Bros (any of them)

I agree that Vil would love a co-op game that he can play with his close friends. I also agree it has to be easy and with low stakes. Sure, SSBs has "meta units" and an entire competitive video game scene with the game, but I think Vil would play this as a party game. It's casual with everyone just picking their favourite characters and stage. There may be some sabotage (a must) and items on (deadly) but in the end, everyone is just playing to have a good time. Who Vil mains is up to you.

Idia - TWEWY/Neo TWEWY

The urge to pick a mobile game like Genshin Impact or an open world game like BoTW or TotK is high, but I want to avoid gacha games in my list and... I've never played BoTW or TotK. Sorry. So, I picked a personal favourite of mine: The World Ends with You and the sequel. I picked this because I think Idia is the kind of person who gets into the story of a game and enjoy the characters. TWEWY has some amazing characters, great story, amazing music, and of course, the essence of Shibuya packaged into the entire game. I also think Idia would love the game play, enjoying swapping his pins out for better ones, and enjoy the extra challenge modes.

Malleus - Pokemon Yellow/Red/Blue (or Green)

Okay, here is the problem: I think any sort of pet simulator game is great for Malleus, however, I dislike pet simulator games. I'm here for story and lore... which I think is the opposite for Malleus. But here is the thing while Pokemon has a narrative and many components it started off super simple: go around and catch Pokemon and go to the gyms. While newer Pokemon games have introduced so many things like Beauty Contests or an open world design, I think the old games are perfect for Malleus. He'd enjoy creating his team and nicknaming them. I bet he'd be delighted to learn that there are dragon type Pokemon in the world too. Sure, he may struggle with some more "meta" components but at least in the older games we didn't have Mega Evolution or newer Gens and BST to worry about.

There you have it! I hope you like my list! I had fun picking the titles while also trying to keep in line with the characters!

[voicefromthecorner]

When it comes to voices, I love literally all of them so much, especially Miranda Parkin! She even has her own YouTube channel and reacted to some Nagi memes! Shoutout to Paul Castro Jr. too, since he was one of the OG TWEWY fans and geeked out so hard when he learned that the role he got was for a TWEWY sequel!

I'm also glad they managed to kidnap Aaron Spann from Darbeevision HQ. I know his original JP voice is more silky and all, but Joshua isn't the same to me without Spann's squeak. It adds an extra amount of bubbliness to Joshua's character that I find charming (and kind of adorable).

Aww, really? That's awesome! I love it when VAs have a personal passion for the work and engage with the fans and things like that! Especially given that attention like that must be so demanding. It's so amazing to know that PCJ is a fan and was so hyped for it! He absolutely brought his A-game!

I went a hunting for Nagi videos and I have to link to some of the stuff I saw:

The aforementioned meme reactions: One and Two

Parkin's reaction to the cinematic opening

An interview with Parkin by StarChases

I love her enthusiasm for the character and it sounds like she had a really good experience recording for the game!

And YES, Aaron Spann's voice is honestly so iconic and I'm so glad he's continued to lend it to Joshua! It's honestly quite a unique pitch and tone that is truly an excellent cast for him. Both TWEWY games have really done well to find voice actors that just are their characters, vocally.

[eternal-dawn15]

First of all I'm gonna preface this with the admittance that I have not played NEO TWEWY yet so if any of this is addressed in that game then please don't spoil it. Also this is just me rambling so I'm gonna repeat myself a lot.

One of the problems in the first game that is never really addressed is that Neku was ready and willing to kill Shiki to come back to life. She begs him to spare her ("Please don't kill me") and his only response is "I have to". Neku is cold, calculating, and self-centred to the point that he would rather kill his partner under the instruction of untrustworthy reapers than spend a week in the Reapers' Game. If Mr Hanekoma hadn't stepped in, I have no doubts that Neku would have gone through with it and killed Shiki, erasing himself in the process.

In the anime this event loses its meaning; Neku is possessed by noise and doesn't know what he's doing, evidenced by his confusion and remorse following the event. In many ways, it is far easier to forgive and forget what happens. In the anime Neku is generally cares much more about those around him; he shows compassion and a willingness to cooperate with others much earlier on in the week, and as such, it wouldn't make sense for him to willingly kill Shiki. It makes sense for the narrative the writers chose in the anime.

In the game, whilst Shiki quickly excuses Neku's attempt to kill her, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Neku tried to kill her of his own free will, and he shows no remorse for what happened, only anger at the reapers for tricking him. No matter how much he opens up to Shiki and his friends after the event, Neku's actions stick with the player. We are the only ones who know Neku's thoughts and feelings, the only ones who know what he has done.

Neku is a bad person.

Not because he's an introvert, not because he doesn't trust others. But because he tried to murder Shiki.

This is very important in the second week, when we meet the very person who murdered Neku. Joshua is annoying, speaking of death nonchalantly in a way that angers Neku. The hypocrisy is stifling and seems to amuse Joshua. They are both killers; Neku has no right to take the high ground. Neku's reaction to finding his killer is visceral anger, whilst Shiki's reaction was compassion and forgiveness. Joshua and Neku are paralleled in many ways- Neku is Joshua's representative after all- but their willingness to take lives is an approach that is rarely considered. Joshua killed Neku, yes, but he did so because he truly believed Neku was the key to winning the fight for Shibuya. Neku merely tried to kill Shiki for his own selfish gain.

The player can forgive Joshua for what he did to Neku by the end of the game, but Neku cannot. Perhaps in a way, this is because Neku recognises that what he himself did was unforgiveable. Perhaps it is easier to blame a God than to blame himself. Perhaps he is clinging on to the fact that he didn't technically kill Shiki. Perhaps he must forgive Joshua to forgive himself.

I used to wonder why Joshua chose Neku to represent him in the game. Sure, they both believed that the people were too egotistical to ever understand each other, that differing values and beliefs prevented people from ever truly caring for each other, but beyond that, they have little in common. Neku's journey of self-discovery brings their ideals and beliefs further and further apart, to the point where Joshua has to sacrifice himself to give Neku a reason to keep playing ("But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose this game? Give up on yourself, and you give up on the world").

Even when we find out that Joshua didn't sacrifice himself for Neku, that he killed Neku and forced him into the game, it's hard not to forgive him. Joshua cares about Shibuya and its people, he cares about Neku, and his benevolence is what allows Neku and his friends to be reborn again. He is a morally ambiguous ethereal being who has chosen to spare the characters we have grown to love. When we see him stood by Mr H, watching Neku and his friends meet up in the RG, Mr H comments that Joshua seems jealous of them, and we are reminded of Joshua's loneliness. Why should Neku get his happy ending and not Joshua?

Neku tries to kill someone, shows no remorse, and yet is deemed worthy to return to life by Joshua. Joshua forgives him. Neku does not.

The game tries to redeem Neku for what he has done and yet villainise Joshua's actions, and it leaves the player with a sense of injustice, of unease.

Because under it all, Neku is still a killer.

The end :)))

[remmammie]

i haven't see any twewy work here.. So let's change that :D Beat x gn!reader? just dating headcanon + cuddles?

feel free to ignore or to delete this request

I've only had one TWEWY request in the past and I love this series so much that I'm super glad to get more, about one of my favourite characters nonetheless. I relate to Beat a lot so maybe this will be easy for me, who knows? I'll do my best, enjoy! (And I would never delete or ignore such a lovely request, shush~)

Beat x Reader HCs

Let's get one thing straight right away: if you don't have Rhyme's approval, you may as well kiss any of your chances with this boy goodbye. She is everything to him (even if he didn't know it for a lot of the first game,) he trusts her and her opinion really matters to him so, if you give Rhyme the wrong vibes, sorry, you're done.

But, let's assume you got past the little sister wall and she loves you almost as much as her big brother does because these are dating HCs!

Wow, are you in for a wild ride of emotions with Beat. From his outside demeanor, anyone would assume Beat would be super outwardly affectionate and boastful about you as his partner, and he is!...just in private. I can't see Beat as the kind of man that has the public confidence to go screaming about dating someone all the time - maybe it's because he'd just get teased for it.

However, if someone close to him does get him talking about you, then it's over for them for probably the next few hours. Beat strikes me as the kind to have so much love for someone but keeps it all bottled up until he's around his you or someone prompts him to talk about you. Then he can talk for ages.

Definitely someone who's super protective over you, 100%. If you met during a game, then that increases tenfold. You're his moral support! How is he supposed to go on if you get erased?! ...you're also someone he really treasures and adores and wants to squeeze until you pass out but...y'know, he'd never say that in the middle of a fight.

Beat's really not afraid to step in front of anything or anyone for you, offering to square up against the Composer themself if he had to! - you beg him not to.

Now, dates with this endearing clod. Unfortunately, during the game, it won't amount to much besides maybe paying extra for you to eat something nice at a restaurant or buying you something he thinks would look amazing on you at a clothing store because, let's face it, he doesn't really have the means to do anything special at that point.

On the other hand, when you both get back to the Realground, Beat's mind is buzzing with ideas. He's a homely man, so I reckon your first date would just be a comfortable, warm home setting with candles and dinner, then blankets, cuddling, a random movie, and falling asleep on the sofa together (Rhyme took plenty of photos for blackmailing you both.) From then on, though, Beat makes it his dang mission to treat you like the royalty he sees you as: yen spent on brilliant days out to beaches, arcades, or restaurants and parks and cafes; yen spent on new clothes; yen spent on any funky little gift or knickknack that takes your interest; yen spent on vinyl records of your favourite artists.

Tell him to slow down! Beat is so eager to impress you and convince you of just how much he loves you that he forgets he...doesn't have any more money. Ah. But it's fine because home dates are just as good as outside dates, and he makes a killer home-made dinner.

In private, Beat probably has two moods: his usual loud and abrasive self or he turns into someone all flustered and quiet, silently admiring. If it's just a normal day and you're not treating him any differently, Beat feels free to sling his arm over your shoulder and hold you close or even pick you up and carry you around in public if you're okay with it - he acts how everyone expects him to with you and it's genuinely really sweet how people can practically see the stars shining in his eyes when he sees you. But, if it's completely in private or just you, Beat, and his friends, he tends to be a little quieter. He's a man with taste; he likes to admire you from afar (like before you started dating) whether you're fighting Noise like a complete monster, thrashing everything in sight with immense Psyche powers, or you're simply laughing at something cutely teasing Rhyme said. He's entranced by everything you do and it takes someone waving a hand in front of his face or clicking their fingers or a swarm of Noise appearing to snap him out of it.

He'll always deny he was staring if it's someone else that asks. If it's you, though, he'll happily tell you he was admiring from afar. A real romantic, this one, in his own quirky way.

And hugs with Beat? Don't get me started! He's really too big to give up the domineering position in a hug unless you catch him off guard. If you want that, wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him before hugging him - skaterboy'll be completely stunned and you could probably tackle him before he'd snap out of it. He'll blush a bright red then immediately attack you with a strong hug out of retaliation, smiling like a complete moron: bless.

Either way, cuddles with Beat are always warm because, of course, the muscles, but also because of his tendency to fluster easily. Simple physical affection can really stir up all those pesky butterflies in his stomach! They make you feel extremely protected, safe, and secure - it's just the aura Beat emanates~

[generatedreflection]

Watching the TWEWY anime (quite late) and...I have Thoughts

First off I can see why people might've not liked it, but I think it's an impressive adaptation. It's absolutely gorgeous, and a number of things were done really well in a way that the game couldn't (not being animated and all) Like Neku's memories? Exqusite. Shiki is absolutely delightful. The way scanning is implemented. And just some clearly thoughtful condensation of the important bits in general.

That said--I feel like Joshua's week really didn't land for me. Like, I do think it's difficult to condense, because what's important there is more of the little moments than the plot stuff, but you can't tell the story at all without the plot stuff.

I was having trouble putting my finger on what felt wrong, and then I went back to Week 2 on my Secret Report hunting and realized what it is.

Joshua in the anime doesn't seem to be...having much fun? Like they really leaned into the sinister aspect of his character--which makes sense because Joshua is meant to test the limits of his trust--but in the game he's really not *threatening* in that way, usually. Part of what makes that week intriguing is that it's genuinely hard to gauge his threat level. He's just annoying and deliberately enigmatic, especially how he seems to be finding amusement in everything. But he's not exactly ~above it all~ the way that anime Josh is. It's more like he's just having his own fun his own way without any concern for how it affects anyone else.

(Neku: WE HAVE TO DO THE MISSIONS AND SAVE SHIKI

Josh: i came out to have a good time and i'm feeling so attacked right now)

And amusement is really Joshua's greatest shield and weapon. It helps him not take anything seriously, not be affected by anything, while it also keeps Neku too riled up to notice that Joshua might *gasp* have an Emotion(tm) from time to time. And if he doesn't take Neku seriously, he doesn't have to be Known. His sense of humor is part of how he creates his illusion of invulnerability.

In the anime, Composer!Joshua is very obvious. He still has a hint of that playfulness, but he maintains distance in a way that's more godlike and vaguely stoic? This is closer to how I might see him when he's more uptuned, perhaps. On the other hand, to me game!Joshua is very childish, but in the way of a frustratingly smart child who runs circles around everyone else. He's trying to be Above It All, but he's more human than he might realize.

And that's something that's kinda lost in the anime in general (again, because of the necessity of hitting the highlights), the *fun* of it. Like yes, dead children and trauma, but also Shiki telling Neku to take his pants off and Tin Pin Slammer. Stuff gets kinda silly and genuinely fun. And for me that's what'll get me invested faster than anything else. (Neo is also clearly having a lot of fun in the demo, too)

Anyway, this isn't meant to be a complaint because I am enjoying it, and the change makes sense for expressing the theme of the week in like four episodes of anime; it was just something I noticed. It always feels like fun is the first thing that gets forgotten in adaptations.

[the-twewy-sequel]

NEO: The World Ends With You - Review - Part 4: Story/Characters

Last but not least: the story/characters. I'm guessing anyone reading this (thank you!) has finished the story, but beware of spoilers if not!

---

I'll admit I was a little worried about the story taking place in Shibuya with the Reapers' Game again, but turns out it wasn't so bad—having multiple characters with different personalities interacting with each other kept things fresh and interesting, especially with Fret being kind of a goon, Rindo being a bit sarcastic, and Nagi having her own types of interactions with the two.

Of course, Minamimoto added his own little spice/flavor, and Beat his own, and the trend continued to the end, ultimately ending up with a dynamic cast that held my interest throughout. However, it's far more than just the main characters: the enemy reapers, the ones that help you, the other teams and their quirks... they weren't necessarily all likeable, but each one expressed a tiny bit of character when given the chance, and sometimes that "character" led to interactions that affected the game.

Of note, I like that the other teams weren't always in direct conflict with the Wicked Twisters, and the relationships were a bit more dynamic—they're all players and fellow human beings, so while they all want to live and that's important, I appreciate that they didn't immediately dehumanize these characters either. You can see that even with the followers, they had their own little bits of story or quirks that sometimes played a role in the main story or side quests, and there are lots of little connections between characters that pop up through the "Social Network" as well, which I also thought was interesting. The game's cast definitely felt bigger and more varied than the original TWEWY!

For the story itself, I thought it did its job and was fairly interesting throughout. Using the rumors of Neku, the futility of trying to beat the Ruinbringers, and other aspects to keep the mystery going and interest gauged was done well, and it was even a bit of a struggle not to spoil myself to find out what happened next, just because there was so much to be curious about.

Where is X character and what are they doing? Why is Minamimoto tagging along? What are the little bird-like noise that the game keeps showing us? WHO IS SWALLOW?!?!?!?! The game offers a lot of questions and an occasional hint or answer so that it doesn't feel like we're not making any progress, and I appreciated that.

Regarding the time travel aspect of the story... I don't usually like stories about time travel because my standards for execution are a bit higher than most can meet, I also felt the time travel in NEO: TWEWY was usually well done enough and didn't suffer from getting too out of control or having major plotholes, which is really important to me.

Overall, I'd say the story was exciting, full of intrigue, sometimes a bit sad and tense, and in general just a bit of a rollercoaster. Did it change my life like the original? No, but I don't think that would have been a fair expectation—how we relate to and appreciate stories can have a lot to do with us at the time we experience them. And so I'd like to look at NTWEWY's story for what it is, and say it was certainly both enjoyable and memorable.

Overall Story/Characters Score: 9.5/10

[anime-onlys]

Spring '21 anime list: What I tried, what I'm watching, and first impressions!

Shaman King (2021)

I hadn't heard about this show until the reboot was announced, and it seems neat so I'll give it a shot! Hesitation isn't quite the right word, but I am watching cautiously because there's a lot about early 2000's anime that should stay in the early 2000's. I'm prepared to take a certain amount of product-of-its-time-ness, but only so much.

I really like its unique visual style. It feels like it's got a similar vibe to Soul Eater and TWEWY with its chunky proportions and face design, and the squash-and-stretch animation really lends itself to comedic moments. I feel like there are some eminently cosplayable designs in my future.

Character-wise, it's only been one episode but I'm taking a liking to Yoh. Based on the OP I hope that Ryuu will be an early-antagonist-turned-loudmouth-friend like JJBA's Okuyasu or Sk8's Shadow. That's one of my favorite character tropes.

The World Ends With You the Animation

My friend is a huge TWEWY fan, so our group was really looking forward to this anime. I saw a little of the gameplay when the Switch version was released, up to the end of episode 1's plot. I know it's going to be excellent story wise, and I already may be planning on making cosplay of that Reaper with the skeleton hoodie.

I love a unique visual style and an awesome soundtrack, of course TWEWY already had that coming in. The CGI Noise are a little clunky, but allow for some really great fight sequences. The characters' CGI models are nearly seamless with the 2D. It feels like the plot is moving fast, but according to my friend they just skipped some fetch quests and puzzle solving that wouldn't have been interesting to animate.

I'm really looking forward to this one each week!

Dragon Goes House-Hunting

One of those "eh, we'll give it a shot" shows. A bunch of us have been eyeing real estate lately, so at the very least it's topical. If done right, the concept could be fun!

We spent most of the episode HATING the dragon's character design. Its proportions are just...awkward in every way. The neck is extremely short and thick and leads into a human-muscled torso, the arms are tiny twigs, and the legs are a little too human and a little too thick to be anything but unnerving. It's bad.

Oddly, except for the dragon, the rest of the creature designs are pretty great! In contrast to a lot of anime, they let them be really non-human and had a good design sense. The humor was solid, the Monster Hunter references were on point, and the character interactions were fun. The OP is GREAT, too!

We'll be continuing this one! If you can make your eyes stop hating you for forcing them to look at the Monster Factory reject of a dragon, I'd say give it a shot.

You Can Make A Mug Too

Now that Yuru Camp is over, we wanted another lighthearted anime that might teach us something while it's at it. You Can Make A Mug Too was one of our picks to sample because one member of anime night has recently acquired a kiln.

My impression is an approving but unenthusiastic "Fine, really." You can definitely tell it's an anime made to bring in tourism to the town it's based in. The characters don't really grab me, but they set up a solid emotional backbone for the story. The production quality isn't stunning, I was hoping for some nice pottery wheel animation but didn't get any.

It's probably a decent show, but we won't watch any more because of the next one on the list.

Supercub

Going straight from You Can Make A Mug to Supercub was like going from store-brand ice pops to fresh gelato. I can already tell this is my favorite anime of the season, hands down.

First, the production quality is excellent. The backgrounds are beautiful, the score is understated but well done to the point that Debussey's Clair de Lune felt like it had been made for the scene it was used for.

More than the production quality alone, this anime's direction is exceptional. It takes 'show don't tell' and uses it perfectly, using body language and soundtrack and shot composition to communicate as much or more than the sparse dialogue. Like, they made my heart skip a beat with nothing but color grading. THAT kind of exceptional.

I haven't spoken much about the plot because I really have no idea where it's going to go. Will we fill in why Koguma is so alone, or will we only move forward to seeing her connect? Will the past of that Supercub come back to haunt her? This feels like an anime that can and will absolutely wreck me, but at the starting line all I can say is I'm READY.

If you only watch one thing this season, watch Supercub.

Continuing anime:

My Hero Academia Season 5:

This season is interesting because for the first time, I think I'm going into it with almost zero spoilers (Dabi's real name is the only one I have). The only plot spoiler I thought I had, that Hawks was somehow working with the League of Villains, was revealed at the end of episode 1. I really enjoy going into things blind so I'm looking forward to this season!

However, the OP is the most disappointing thing out there. Nothing about the song, animation or composition is memorable or even noteworthy. Bones and MHA have access to all the money and talent in the industry and they best they can do is "Fine, I guess".

Yuukoku no Moriarty season 2 (Split cour):

I really enjoyed Moriarty's first season, but the second part of a split-cour always has the risk of running off the rails. What I enjoyed most about the first cour was the reverse-whodunit formula: Here's a terrible noble and the people they hurt, how does Moriarty get rid of them while making it look like an accident? The end of cour 1 started to focus heavily on Sherlock and I don't want the show's namesake to end up sidelined.

Knowing Irene was coming, I was really hoping for a Scandal in Belgravia that follows the books...at all, where the end of the story is that Irene escapes with the photo (except this time aided by the Moriarty brothers). Few or no Sherlock adaptations actually want to engage with the sexism of the era or today's, and just want to paint her as a blackmailer or temptress instead of a woman holding onto the power to protect herself. The beginning was extremely promising, but that went off the rails pretty quick. I still haven't yet seen an adaptation of Irene Adler that I like.

Zombieland Saga: Revenge

I watch this show because it's fun and ridiculous, and I get to hear Mamoru Miyano having the time of his life in the recording booth. I love this show because it always ends up surprising me with its solid emotional backbone. It looks like this season is shaping up to be more of the same!

What blew me away was this episode was the first time I saw a CGI dance sequence that I LIKED. Ever. The characters used different mocap so they weren't eerily in sync, the song and dance itself was well made and supported by excellent camera direction and shot composition, there were 2D cuts to closeups of the dancers as well as audience, and they actually pushed facial expression!

It's a good time. Give it a shot.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

The Neo TWEWY scenario writer being involved with KHIV could even help with SoKai, perhaps. If we even get any SoKai in this game (though I'm assuming we will? Since we do in every numbered game. But I also feel there's a chance we might not, since it seems like it's going to be super hard for Sora to get home. There's a part of me that thinks Sora might not even make it back to the Realm of Light this game [then I also think not]. But even if that does happen, I think we'd still get SoKai, but in the form of them thinking of each other a lot, and maybe talking telepathically like on that one KHII Roxas scene and things like that. So no matter what, I imagine we'll get SoKai in some regard).

But, anyway. SoKai is my ultimate ship of all-time, so obviously I think they've done a lot right with them and don't want them to completely change them or anything like that. But I know a majority of the fandom also has issues with the ship, which is why I think a fresh pair of eyes on it COULD also help it. Especially since Rindo/Shoka, the Canon ship from Neo TWEWY, is so well-loved.

If we're being honest, I think the biggest issue with SoKai is we don't see them spending much time together. And make no mistake: them loving each other even though they're always pulled apart by fate is a big part of why I love them (and I don't want that entirely messed with. At least not yet. If Sora's speech at the end of KHIII is anything to go by, part of this saga might be them trying to find a way to finally be together). But I also think they CAN have more moments together than they've been allowed before. And, truthfully, maybe some better written ones at that? Because I've also seen people criticize that the few moments they do get together when they can talk and stuff, often seem to be about how they want to protect each other an stuff. But we can give them so much more to speak about than that, to see just why these two gel together and love each other.

Another problem people have, of course, is Kairi herself. One, with her lack of development (they find it hard to get into the SoKai ship if they don't know much about one side of this puzzle, which I'll admit is fair) and also in thinking that what little character Kairi does have seems to be "all about Sora" more and more. And while I don't really agree with that, I do understand where people are coming from, and I want to feel like Neo's scenario writer can maybe fix this, too (if Nomura allows it/helps with his story ideas, since the ball is still mainly in his court. He's still coming up with the broad strokes of the story and the scenario is written from there), with how wonderful Shoka and Nagi in Neo were.

So, yeah: I want to believe this change COULD mean some good things for SoKai, too.