#have not been following the manga at all but i am GUTTED

[animaymay]

SxF 96 Analysis: Some Small Details About the Reveal

Ok, hear me out. I haven't even read the manga for Spy x Family (yet); I've only watched seasons 1 and 2 of the anime, but I've somehow stumbled upon spoilers for the last two chapters (ch. 95 and ch. 96), and other small bits here and there.

And since I am not totally caught up on the story, I hesitate to call this a proper analysis since I'm mostly going off of what I know from the anime at this point. But!

I've been following the chatter and excitement following chapter 96 and I just wanted to throw this quick analysis out there, since I haven't seen some of these details mentioned yet.

So, I'm going to focus on this particular moment, just for what it is. Down the line, after catching up and having all of the character and story details, I might revisit this scene again with additional insight.

Of course, I'm sure we've all seen this panel at this point.

At first glance, this panel is beautifully drawn. You can tell that it was drawn with a lot of care and attention to detail. Typically, such manga panels are used to emphasize the fact that this is an important moment for these characters and/or the story.

There are even bits of confetti(?) flying around them, reminiscent of cherry blossom petals; this is another known technique used in manga to indicate the emotional importance of a scene for the characters featured.

That all feels pretty obvious, I'm sure. But I also wanted to point out other small details given here, which could potentially add another layer to this scene for folks.

I've seen a lot of discussion around how Anya's admission here is a big deal (and it is). But I haven't seen anyone mention the small detail here that she whispers, "I can read people's minds."

I believe that is also why we see that speech bubble transparently -- to visually show us the softness of her voice in that moment (in addition to representing Anya's willingness to be transparent about herself).

However, let's consider the conversation up until this moment. Right before, Damian had jokingly asked her, "How did you know about my dog and the pond, anyway? What, did you read my mind or something?!"

Of course, he was not expecting Anya to say, "Yes". But it's not the fact that Anya said, "Yes" that makes this scene impactful. Anya could have easily said the exact same words, at normal volume, with a smirk on her face, and nobody would think twice about it. Damian would have immediately understood that she was teasing him. And anyone overhearing their conversation would have thought the exact same thing.

But that isn't what happened. Because Anya was serious in that moment. With a genuine expression on her face, she says, "Yes" and then she whispers her secret to him.

And that is what shocks Damian. That is what causes him to freeze.

In that moment, he's able to sense her sincerity and hear the truth in her words.

His gut reaction is to believe her, whether it's because it's Anya or because of how she said it. It isn't until he has a second to think and his brain kicks into gear that he starts to notice the disparity between what he knows to be true and what Anya is telling him. In a split second, he questions this, and then ultimately rejects the notion that she could be telling the truth.

Why?

The obvious answer would be that what she's told him does not line up with what he knows to be true of reality. The rational and logical part of his brain overrides his heart and his gut, ultimately recognizing this disparity and forcing him to reject Anya's claims.

However, they are at a young enough age that it wouldn't be uncommon to easily believe in "impossible" things like magic or superpowers. So, there's also a chance that it goes a bit deeper than this.

Perhaps this sudden display of sincerity and truth from Anya didn't line up with her typical behavior with him. He's not used to seeing that side of her, and as a result, his mind resorts to him thinking that she's lying to him. He thinks that she's just teasing him. Not only because that's what he expects from her, but also because the only other alternative would be for him to admit that they've just shared a true moment of openness and transparency between them.

Anya's whisper implies, "this is only for you to know." As a defense mechanism, Damian's brain decided that it was more likely that Anya was teasing him than it was that she was being vulnerable with him in that way.

Another detail from this moment stems from the fact that this reveal takes place while they are dancing together. Partner dancing is an activity that requires cooperation and teamwork. At first, we see Damian and Anya struggle with getting the hang of it, but eventually they start working together.

That, in itself, seems to be a fairly good representation of their relationship with each other. However, even more so, it follows the flow of their conversation in this moment. It isn't until they start cooperating that they start to open up to one another.

And the pinnacle of the conversation -- the reveal -- happens at the exact moment when Damian dips her. Not only does this make for a picturesque panel, but it is also a symbolic visual of what's happening.

Dipping your dance partner inherently requires a level of trust. The person being dipped has to literally put themselves in their partner's hands. Depending on the dip, they are giving up varying levels of control and safety over to their partner. They have to trust that their partner won't drop them, or bring them too close to the floor; they have to give up their balance and trust that their partner can hold the weight that they're giving up. And their partner takes on the responsibility and burden of that person's trust (as well as trusting that the person that they're dipping does not throw themselves around carelessly).

And here, in this scene, despite the bickering we see Anya and Damian do, we see that there is at least that small amount of trust between them. Anya trusts Damian to dip her, and Damian trusts Anya to be dipped.

But underneath the surface level, the fact that Anya whispers her secret to Damian while he's dipping her reinforces the idea that she trusts him with that knowledge. In that moment, she gave up some of her own control and safety, and placed it in Damian's hands. Only his. Her whisper implies, "this is only for you to know." And he's been given the responsibility and burden of deciding whether to hold it, or drop it.

[ghostyolive]

I will always be so mad that FMA:B gave Greed a different dialogue with Bradley after the Devil's Nest massacre than in the manga because it feels like it just changes his characterization to be so much plainer and more cartoonishly assholish. Like they really wanted to rope you into thinking he was a bad guy so that his twist of caring about people would feel stronger, but it just makes me sad. In the VIZ Media Fullmetal Edition translation, the exchange goes:

Greed: "Whoa there Bradley. How could you do this to them? They were my people."

Bradley: "Feeling pity for your pawns? How pathetic."

Greed: "Pity?! Do you forget who the hell you're dealing with?! I am greed incarnate!! Money, women, henchmen, everything-- they're my possessions! They're all mine! I won't let you take away what belongs to me!!"

...And the exchange in the English dub of FMA:B goes:

Greed: "Whoa, that was a little excessive. Killing me is one thing, but they're not coming back."

Bradley: "Pitying the lost lives of your pawns? Pathetic."

Greed: "Excuse me, are you senile? Did you forget who I am, old man? I'm the living incarnation of greed! Those weren't my friends, Bradley. They were my possessions! Money, women, henchmen-- They're all possessions!"

And that difference is absolutely insane! His manga version is in some ways more obvious and in some ways more ambiguous about his care for his friends. On the one hand, he staunchly refuses to pity them. (I would say that this is because he respects their right to self-determination and what they signed on for when they followed him, but that's almost pure speculation.) But on the other, he specifically refers to them as "[his] people." This really effectively toes the line between multiple meanings-- "[his] people" colloquially would refer to friends, but it also emphasizes ownership. It sets up his arc of acknowledging friendship while also not detracting from his care for the Devil's Nest gang.

The anime just makes him... indifferent and snarky? On a surface level, it makes his character arc far more clear as somebody learning to love and care about others, but it also really devalues his experiences with his gang. I guess I can almost understand why people just forget about them aside from the bit with Bido when they only watch FMA:B considering that it absolutely glosses over just about every part of the manga that makes you care about them. Why should people consider those random guys in the beginning when he makes it clear that he never cared about them? /s

And it's more than just the writing that I have a problem with. Even the animation is so distinctly different from what's shown in the manga that the tone ends up absolutely flipped on his head.

(Note: this online scan doesn't use the official translation) Greed's expression here can best be described as one of pure rage. I think you could maybe loosely interpret the first panel as a grin, but the second panel clears up how he's feeling pretty well. It's especially poignant since the three panels preceding these two entirely obscure his expression. Any calm and collectedness has been shed in the face of his gang's massacre and his eyes are bulging and furious in a way that they haven't been drawn before. And how does the anime handle this absolute gut punch?

Um. Not good, frankly. It's definitely got the wildness of his original expression, but it conveys none of the anger. It throws off what's essentially his greatest display of hypocrisy-- That he only gets angry when his gang is hurt, just like how Ed only gets angry when Al is hurt. Absolutely nothing about his reaction properly conveys rage or frustration, and that honestly just sucks. While episode 13 served as a pretty decent and streamlined recap of chapters 25-28, episode 14 really screwed with some of the moments that made Greed's arc feel so powerful and bittersweet.

Tl;dr Please oh please go read the manga version of og Greed's arc <3

[justxtalking]

my thoughts on this hxh ABCD mess

Being a Togashi fan is such a roller-coaster of emotions. I think I went through all the stages of grief in only one day.

Half of me believes he's trolling.

To be honest, it's better to just take it with a light heart. Togashi is known for joking around about himself, his health and his own story. (I wasn't in the fandom at that moment, but I wonder how everyone reacted when he said everyone was going to die). I consider ending D to be so uncharacteristically him for so many reasons I could talk for hours about it. I find it ironic how he gave a stereotypical-shonen-like ending when he talked several times (even in this interview) about how he likes to surprise himself (and his readers) when he writes. Some other times he explained he likes to play with these shonen stereotypes and just do something different. I mean, he's been doing it since the beginning of his career.

And I'll be honest, ending D sounds like a mockery of shounen.

(And I feel a bit dumb taking this so seriously if he's joking.)

(Though, this also may be the case of "the boy who cried wolf" and he's actually saying the truth this time.)

The other half of me thinks he's being honest.

If he is actually giving us a back-up ending, I find it incredibly sad. Not only because of his health, but also because he felt pressured enough to give us an ending, no matter its form and no matter if it's an ending he doesn't even consider anymore. He shouldn't have been on that position.

It is important to take into account that this is not an ending he wants or even considers anymore, it is an ending we can take if he's not able to finish HunterXHunter. We need to realize there's a lot of circumstances we don't know about or may not be considering for him to give us this ending as an option at that moment. And what type of ending too.

I seriously want for him to be able to finish Hunter X Hunter the way he truly wants, not worrying about anything else. He's thinking about three plausible scenarios that may see the light of day or not. And no matter what he ends up choosing, he should choose whatever he wants. It's his story, no ours. And it may even be his last story (I know it's sad, I want him to keep on writing forever, but it's true). Honestly, a part of me wants him to choose the A scenario because that's where seems to be less drama, but actually I want him to choose the C scenario. Even if that ending is Gon married to a lizard with beautiful lizard-babies in the Dark Continent. And that's because that ending is what he would actually want to do with the story.

(I really am curious about it, though. I know I wouldn't be able to guess even in a million years, but I'm still curious. And I so want to read the whole interview and see the whole episode, since there were more questions about other things.)

For the shippers

I know this feels like a punch in the gut or something even worst. I felt it too. And it's totally valid to feel like we do and not agreeing with ending D. Even as a non-shipper because what do you mean, Gon did what?

Everyone who follows me knows I'm a proud Killugon and Leopika shipper. And I will keep on being one even if Hunter X Hunter transforms into Boruto and I have to see Grandpa Gon (the more I say it, the more it sounds like a joke).

Honestly, I always considered the gay ships were never going to be explicitly canon.(Kishimoto traumatized me). Not because of lack of material, but because there's a whole context and a lot of external circumstances we sometimes forget about (and Kishimoto traumatized me). There was a reason why Togashi couldn't make his queer manga in the 90s, which, I'm sorry, I don't consider it to be that long ago. And there is a reason why he can't explicitly say that characters like Pouf or Hisoka are gay (despite being totally obvious and them being villains).

I still find it admirable how Togashi included so many queer elements in his stories and got away with it. And he's a mangaka that does shonen. And not just any shonen, a battle manga in Shonen Jump. (He included a trans man in Level E and made him transition. The way Togashi explains some things about this character may be a bit problematic, but Togashi still did this). And those queer elements are still there and are still as canon as when he wrote it the first time. Pouf is as gay as he is dramatic. And Ging and Pariston still have that sexual tension (and I'm 100% sure they fucked or they are going to fuck in the near future or both). And Killua is still the queerest boy I've seen in the longest time.

Sometimes, I think there's a possibility of Killugon being canon. But only because of Togashi's history and tastes. He may feel a bit rebellious and just go with it, he's so unpredictable that I'm always expecting anything and everything from him (I mean, he did what he did with Hisoka and Illumi and so many other things). However, he's an introvert, I'm not sure if he actually wants the attention he would get if he actually goes with it. And that is something we should also respect. (I do think the most plausible option is Killugon to be as ambiguous as they are now.)

In relation to ending D, I don't think we should worry that much. At the end of the day, it is an ending he doesn't consider anymore. (At least we can sleep well knowing that the ending he wants to do doesn't have to do with Grandpa Gon). What's important is what he writes and does in the manga. That is what speaks louder than anything.

Though, I do think it's going to be a pain in the ass interacting with other fans. I'm not looking forward to it. (At least they are going to stop saying that Kurapika will die, I hope!). What I'm looking forward to is the new Killugon content in the fandom.

My personal take

Gon =/= Ging. I could say a lot about this, since one of the things I love the most about Hunter X Hunter is what he did with these two and Gon's arc, but I think this is clear enough.

So!

After saying all of this, I think the only thing we should consider as canon is the manga. If he doesn't write it, it didn't happen.

If he's saying the truth, he may be thinking about how to finish Hunter X Hunter sooner or later. Even though so many fans say that they want an ending, I feel like we are not ready. Not even for Gon marrying a lizard and having beautiful lizard-babies in the Dark Continent.

I hope I was coherent enough. I have no answers, only thoughts and thoughts! I feel like we can only speculate and ending D is so confusing because how did we even get there?

I may be going through all the stages of grief again tomorrow, but I wanted to share my thoughts (at least partially). I may erase it if I feel too uncomfortable, but yeah!

Conclusion: Let's just take it with a light heart and wait to see what happens! (I know it's hard).

[crazymadredfox]

DCST S3E10 Dub: A genuinely impressive feat of adaptation

As I tend to be late with most dr stone stuff someone might’ve already talked about this but whatever i had to make my own post. Last year when i watched this ep and the dub wasn’t out i didn’t give the scene where Gen interprets the note sent by the spy team much thought; but as i’ve since then had some more translation work at uni, and am currently rewatching some episodes, i immediately went to check the dub cause i was ridiculously curious what they did with the scene 

Dr stone dub has always been great, but how they handled this challenge legit made me gain so much more appreciation for it

So under the cut, some of my observations and gushing about it:

Ok, as it goes science team gets the message written with pictograms and work out how to interpret it 

All the versions of the manga i could find just offer the literal translation of this scene, with all the necessary translator notes and romanizations so the reader can understand what is being written in japanese, which is of course fine, especially in this written, static format that makes it easy to follow and understand

Subbed episode also uses this form of translation (although without spelling out most of the japanese words in brackets or something similar - which is honestly not that important so i fully understand the choice to omit it as to not crowd the subtitles), and carries the exact meaning fine, especially with the graphic representation on the screen 

But the dub… 

The dub opts for something completely different and gives us a brilliant example of adaptation in translation (which means it changes the original text in some creative or innovative way to better express the meaning it’s supposed to convey, taking into account the context of its audience) 

This is oftentimes (as is in this case) necessary, but it’s always a brave thing to do and takes a lot of thought and creativity to pull off, but dr stone exceeded all my expectations!!! Twofold: gives an articulate, completely cohesive english solution to the riddles; AND arguably (in my opinion of course) offers a more plausible way for Gen to interpret the last drawing 

So let me get a bit into that, i transcribed the dub segment (contrasted by the manga/sub version in the pictures above) to show why i like the choices made so much: 

Plastic -skipping this one cause it stays mostly the same

Splotch

[Next up we have some sort of splotch. It isn’t there by accident; the shape is too specific. It looks to me like tinder you’d set up for a fire.]

In the sub, Gen interprets it as blood, because it’s an intentional blood stain. And that’s fine, it’s true, but taking into consideration that all other elements of the message are drawings, it makes sense to try to see it as also a drawing. Likewise, it makes sense for Gen to consider ‘tinder’, cause Senku himself also associated it with ‘melting’ earlier when he tried to decipher it. While he does consider it a puddle, it’s the same area of association, and gives the choice to use ‘tinder’ more credibility. 

Hyoga

[The drawing of Hyoga emphasizes his spear, which would normally represent something that inspires fear. Perhaps “strong,” “long-ranged,” “scary.” Though I doubt Ginro would have the guts to cut his finger, so if we’re thinking from Kohaku’s perspective, the spear is a nuisance at best.]

I really love Gen’s logic in this. 

In the manga, by establishing that Ginro is too cowardly and it must’ve been Kohaku drawing with blood (which is information necessary for the last drawing’s interpretation), that assertion is used only to discard the possibility of ‘scary’ as the thing the spear is meant to represent. Additionally, what caught my eye is that while the necessity of taking into account Kohaku’s perspective, the word used in japanese ‘nagai’ (long) - which is the literal presentation of the drawing: the spear Kohaku drew is long, and her intention might’ve been literal in that sense (she could’ve circled the spear to show it’s meant to be emphasized, not draw it long). But then it kinda neglects Gen’s own rule about the specific perspective by using the actual literal characteristic of the drawing 

While in the dub it serves all those functions of establishing who is drawing, then why it disregards the notions that inspire fear (and by association all the following words Gen thinks of, that Kohaku wouldn’t use) AND gives a very believable word (‘nuisance’) that makes sense when paired with Kohaku 

Engine

[And finally, an engine. Or so it looks, but Kohaku may not remember every single invention. It could be a furnace, or a refrigerator for all she knows. With that in mind, perhaps it’s supposed to be something more generic like “machine,” which is my bet.]

But this I think is my absolute favorite choice and where most elevation from the source material can be seen. The idea that Kohaku didn’t mean engine is essential in both manga and dub, but they take it in completely different directions. In the manga Gen uses it to decipher that Kohaku means furnace instead of engine, because by drawing engine she just means invention, and the most important invention for her is the furnace. And then through her associative net, she uses it as a substitute for one of the characteristics of a furnace. This is fine, it makes sense, and it’s impressive that Gen gets it. 

Sounds they decipher from this are from ‘attakai’ (warm) that will fit within the sentence Kohaku wrote in the form of additional words besides platinum (I’ll elaborate on this a bit more soon)

But the way dub tackles this completely differently: Gen assumes the same thing, that Kohaku doesn’t mean engine specifically, because she doesn’t remember all the inventions, but rather than zeroing in on a specific assumption of the furnace, Gen concludes it’s any, more complex, mechanical invention. And I think this is absolutely brilliant. It follows a much more sound logic with less logical leaps:

Engine -> Kohaku doesn’t remember all inventions -> it could be any of them so it must be general -> machine 

Rather than: 

Engine -> Kohaku doesn’t remember all inventions -> invention she and the village gained most from is furnace -> she must mean furnace -> warmth

Here it makes sense considering Kohaku’s character, she is sentimental and cares deeply about the village, and Senku does kinda brute-force his way to deciding it’s warmth BUT my point is that this is more convoluted than dub’s solution 

(Again, to reinforce: both of these are great and they make complete sense, and manga makes Gen more impressive for being able to string that path of thought, but dub is more logical)

And on a more general note but still tied to the last drawing the most: dub makes the choice of having Kohaku spell just “platinum”, while manga goes for a sentence, which of course means it uses more characters ergo it’s harder to guess. But solely based on the efficiency they know how to exhibit, I truly believe just spelling “platinum” is enough to carry the meaning to Senku (it’s not like he has any platinum to send them; they came to the island searching for platinum). For this dub just needed the m from ‘machine’

Manga goes for a sentence, and most of the word for warmth spells out the verb, which I believe to be unnecessary for Senku to get the picture 

ANYHOW, this has been going on for too long: the point of this is to try to convey how impressed i am with the way the translation team handled the very difficult challenge of depicting such a complex logical and linguistical problem to the viewers and maybe inspire appreciation for this commendable work, because as i’ve learned, trying to make it believable and natural for something that is already so complex in the native language is hard, and all the choices the translation made are sooooo well suited for the audience

I love this scene in all its reiterations and I love Gen <333, i just wanted to put these thoughts i had into a post or they wouldn’t leave me alone

[swallowerofdharma]

What Guts is for Griffith

a dispassionate analysis written for a better understanding of both characters and of Berserk

Part 8: You were the only one who made me forget my dream

Image: Berserk, chapter 366

Last year I started writing down my thoughts about Berserk, with some difficulty I must add, in part because I am writing in my second language. Clumsily, I started putting out some ideas in a series of meta, a work in progress for a manga that isn’t finished. I was rereading Berserk because, after Miura’s passing, when publication restarted, I decided I really wanted to know how the story would have ended. Devilman without its final chapter would be a very different manga. I am fully aware that every assumption I have made about Berserk could be completely rendered false by its ending, but nevertheless by trying to understand better what is going on at the moment I hope I will able to understand any eventual ending [and I have some predictions, but today I am just lying down a little bit of ground work].

The character arc most developed at this moment seems to be Griffith’s story:

The Golden Age saw his rise and fall as a remarkable but ultimately common man that was chasing an exceptional dream;

The Eclipse saw his transformation into something no longer human but existing on a separate plane, let’s call it the dream reality, that will progressively begin merging with the reality known to the other human characters, let’s call it historical reality (or material reality);

The Conviction arc brought Griffith back into the historical reality as a reincarnation, able to interact again with the world from inside and outside the dream reality, the separation between planes becoming thinner and thinner;

The Falcon of the Millennium Empire arc saw Griffith carrying out the dream he had when he was human to its completion, causing the merger of the dream reality with the historical reality into a new world called Fantasia.

This is where we are at now, and any analysis becomes more difficult because we don’t know which direction the story will take from here.

What can be noticed about Berserk is that Griffith’s ability and his willingness to dream has been the driving force all along, transforming him into a demiurge, responsible for the reshaping of reality itself.

I believe that every time an Eclipse happened in Berserk, the same reshaping and recreation of the world followed: but the dreams and the will, that were the motor of the shifting reality, have always been arbitrary and tied to the particular, egotistical and impulsive nature of the dreamers that came before Griffith. His predecessor could either be Void or Skull Knight: many people have said it’s Void, but that would mean that, in the millennium previous to the start of our story, none of the members of the God Hand was reincarnated. I prefer the hypothesis that Skull Knight is a reincarnation of one of the God Hand like Griffith is and that he went rogue, going against the God Hand and the laws of causality connected to it.

In this hypothetical scenario, Skull Knight isn’t a sacrificial witness that survived Void’s Eclipse ceremony, like Guts and Casca, but he was the one who sacrificed the people at the bottom of the Tower of Rebirth in Midland, or he sacrificed his beloved, the Lady Priestess of the Cherry Blossoms, among them. He was part of the God Hand, in the dream reality, until, like Griffith, he was imperfectly reincarnated as the ambiguous being of today, able to interact outside of the dream reality the Hand of God is normally confined in. His interactions with the historical reality could have been limited in scope, if we consider Griffith’s achievements, or he could have built his empire after his ceremonial, until Void became a new member of the God Hand. We don’t know how it went, how Skull Knight’s reincarnation happened, only that Flora was involved in a ritual and she had to break fundamental rules to do it. At the Conviction Tower many elements have converged to remake Griffith as he is now, including the dream, the will and the body of an Apostle, Egg of the Perfect World, and the corrupted fetus born from Casca. As arbitrary the dreams of the people who used a Beherit are, the circumstances of Griffith’s reincarnation have a degree of abnormality and risk outside of the control of the God Hand’s domain. That could be why only one of five members of the God Hand goes through a second ritual.

But if the Egg dreamt of a perfect world, Casca’s baby would have a dream too, probably of being a normal child and be reunited with his parents. Consider how Casca and Guts are also anomalies in the world post Griffith’s Eclipse: they are surviving despite being marked by the brand of sacrifice. The protagonists of Berserk since the early chapters are those who are exceptions to the rules of causality, those who are doing something outside of the control of the Hand of God.

I have said that I think that Skull Knight has gone rogue at some point after his reincarnation: he is facilitating a series of abnormalities and diversions in order to unmake or divert the course of causality as dictated by the darkness of human desires and fears. I am interested in his motivations, since something similar might happen to Griffith. And Skull Knight is shown to remember and maybe have regrets about losing his beloved.

A detail that immediately caught my attention: before Skull Knight could take Guts and Casca to safety, from inside the dream reality of the Eclipse ceremony, Griffith had a chance to kill them or to try to get to Skull Knight, and stop him. He raises his hand but doesn’t do anything.

Having Casca and Guts alive isn’t irrelevant at all to Griffith. They are the two people who were the most important for him before and we know that he isn’t indifferent to them. After his reincarnation, Griffith’s heart beats heavier in front of Guts and he is unable to stand Casca’s touch after their reunion on the Hill of Swords. Whether the new connection with Casca is built around her having mothered a part that is in him now or guilt or regret raising from underneath a careful construed detachment, whether other feelings for Guts are still there, it is still interesting to see that the survival of the people marked by the brand isn’t of little consequence.

Image: Berserk, chapter 180

With the creation of Falconia, Griffith seems to have succeeded, but since the beginning of the story, his dream was nothing more than an illusion: the illusion of equality, the possibility of scaling up the social hierarchy. And Falconia seems to offer the same kind of illusion, of opportunity, of wealth, of progress, for those who inhabit it, but not for those who are outside of it. [I’ll leave the multiple parallels to the real world outside of this analysis, but they aren’t difficult to see].

When Griffith was alive and human, he was able to doubt himself, almost forgetting his dream: jumping into danger to rescue Guts, asking for a second opinion, uncertainly and unsuccessfully looking for warmth and human connection. Until the most recent chapters, that ability to feel, doubt, regret, anything at all, was seemingly gone or hidden and buried so well that those residual emotions wouldn’t have mattered. But Griffith indulging the Moonlight Child - voluntarily or not doesn’t make a huge difference, because he is the Moonlight Child - going back to spend time with Casca and Guts: those actions that occur during the Full Moon, imply that a part of Griffith is still vulnerable or reachable. [At a later time, I’d like to write about all the symbolism of the Moon in Berserk].

I started this article with the images of Schierke trying to look at Griffith’s projection in the astral plane: a dimension that exists outside of the dream reality and outside of the historical reality [all things are projections, remember Skull Knight’s speech to Guts?]. That sequence, that came out after Miura’s passing, is one of the most interesting of the Fantasia arc, in my opinion.

Griffith’s image of impassivity and detachment is contradicted by his astral projection, as Schierke and Farnese note: Such terrible power. Its very being is like a maelstrom, consuming all. All Griffith’s human emotions are part of the raging vortex. This opens up a world of possibilities for Griffith’s further development, that in my opinion hasn’t reached a conclusion. And he certainly hasn’t achieved anything of value: Griffith’s story is one of the most appalling tragedy I have read. It is inevitable that it continues to hold up and is the most powerful force driving the manga. He has never been a god, or a devil, and only the readers able to see and keep in mind the full humanity of Griffith, can maybe agree with my interpretation of this complex world of illusion and delusion that is in Berserk. I am open to the possibility that a part of Griffith is aligned with the original dream of the Moonlight Child, to be reunited with Casca and Guts in a warm embrace, that when he was alive he had longed for too.

Concepts used:

[The dream reality is a vast landscape born of human emotions, fears and desires].

[The astral plane is the level in which all things interact and all energies are moving and there isn’t a substantial difference between humans and all things and creatures of the natural world].

[The historical or material reality is the world where humanity operates and that humans shapes for themselves].

Image: Berserk, chapter 372

This panel showing Zodd in Fanconia is impressed in my mind for a few reasons. One being, has he always been attractive? Another, I wonder if he is starting to get suspicious or doubting Griffith’s reasons for bringing Casca back with them.

Casca in Fanconia is shown as living in a dreamlike state. But Falconia is the result of the Griffith’s dream reality merging with the human world. The mark of sacrifice might let Casca and Guts see the interstices.

[h0estar]

catching up to bnha (contains spoilers for chapter 362)

BAKUGO REALLY DIED I'M GOING TO COMBUST

i saw the spoilers years ago, and let me tell you, i was livid. some MHA fans are genuinely incapable of having basic human decency and think it's edgy to just post whatever on social media. WITHOUT WARNING. tumblr gets a pass because at least it has spoiler tags, even if i follow them anyway, lmao. but, i was definitely going through it! dark days, man.

you see, i would've absolutely grieved this moment had i read this weekly. i would've cried, despaired, and cried some more. i would've been absolutely devastated. but because i knew it was coming, all i could do was stare in shock. heartbroken? definitely. but the emotional impact was definitely lessened. rip to the feels i could've had.

ANYWAY

i know he's alright 🙄

and this "death" feels like a slap in the face to Bakugo's entire character arc. i mean what was the point of him working his hardest to be number one? to have his goals on full display for the readers time and time again? to have other characters rooting for him? to display his determination and drive? to develop his character so well? it would be a huge waste to just throw him away as a plot device for another one of izuku's rage-fueled power-ups. he's more than that :(

i mean, sure... his heart exploded or whatever... and i mean yeah sure there was a bit of flashback. but he's had a such a great development, it'd make no sense to just take him out so early in the game. right? RIGHT?!?!!!!

also, not to mention the multiple death scares this mf had. therefore, i am definitely not buying it 🙄 (even if it looks real this time but whatever!!!! i know he's alright!! he's alive and well. i know it because of the spoilers, okay? i think. i dont know. was that him? crazy. i think it was. maybe. i hope? hahhahhdaidjkssk)

anyway, i'd have to brace myself for the next volume. this volume was hell on earth with toya vs shoto, endeavor vs afo, shigaraki in the sky, etc. i sense pain, pain, and more gut wrenching pain in the next volumes so @h0estar, be prepared.

honorable mention to horikoshi's art. i love love love love bnha's art style so much. see, as much as i love the anime, i'm always a sucker for some godtier manga art because you can see the artist's improvement and emotion in his works. horikoshi is so passionate about the details and i love how he goes beyond (plus ultra?!) with his works, considering this is a weekly shonen. in all his years, his work's quality never deteriorated 👏🏻 it's one of the reasons why i'm a manga > anime girlie for MHA. note that i'm not artist so i could be yapping about things i don't understand, but i'm sure you get me! ha ahaha

[voxofthevoid]

JJK 213 💀

If 212 stabbed me in the heart, 213 has ripped out my guts and poured acid on them. Mother of fuck.

I say this with a measure of glee because I do love a narrative that emotionally eviscerates me.

Spoilers and thoughts under the cut

It’s long and rambling because I’m basically sorting my thoughts out.

The chapter felt pretty short this time, but there sure were some mindblowing developments: Confirmation that Sukuna can use Megumi’s cursed technique (and dial it up to eleven WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT MOTHRA-NUE); Megumi’s ideal vessel status (rejoice, sukufushi shippers, it’s now canon that Sukuna always wanted to be inside Megumi! Too soon? Sorry.); the Angel’s cursed technique in its full glory (I cannot wait to see that animated...eventually); and my boy Yuuji being made into a slightly mashed donut (I joke, but I’ve been nail-biting worried about this since I read the chapter and this will continue till we see confirmation of his survival).

The vessel business

Megumi cannot catch a fucking break, can he? I’m not convinced he’s truly gone, especially because Gege did leave that breadcrump about Megumi having the potential to suppress Sukuna. But that brings me to my major issue with this recent development: if Megumi can suppress Sukuna, it implies sorcerers who can eat his fingers and not only survive but also prevent him from incarnating exist--because what are the chances it’s just Megumi and he just happened to get embroiled in all this? And despite calling him a potential cage, Sukuna doesn’t seem surprised that this is a thing Megumi can do, the way he was with how thoroughly Yuuji caged him. In fact, he seems to have settled on the formula to get into Megumi right after realizing this. All that’s fine, but it raises the question of what, exactly, makes Yuuji special.

I don’t mean it in a “why is Yuuji the MC kinda way” because (a) I love that dude to death and am following the story mostly for him and (b) Yuuji’s emotional arcs have always been a lot more compelling than his powers (or lack thereof), and I think having Sukuna out of him, possibly permanently, is an excellent development as far as his character arc is concerned (more on that later). My issue here has more to do with Kenjaku and the implied alternations they made to Yuuji in the womb: I’d say it’s a fair assumption that Yuuji’s superhuman physical capabilities and unusually powerful ability to constrain Sukuna aren’t natural, and as much as I love the “they just wanted some dick jokes,” I’m pretty sure Kenjaku didn’t conceive and deliver a kid for shits and giggles. Granted, it would kinda suit their personality; however, plot-wise, it’d be a waste.

At the moment, it looks like, while the degree of Yuuji’s ability to suppress Sukuna is unusual/unnatural, other sorcerers are capable of hosting and even caging him. So what exactly is Yuuji’s purpose, at the narrative level and in terms of Kenjaku’s plans? Did they account for Sukuna potentially breaking free, and if they did, what was the point of making a custom vessel for the guy? And is being Sukuna’s vessel all there is to Yuuji (not as a person or character but from Kenjaku’s perspective)? I have a feeling that’s not the case, but I’d need to go reread the manga to try and see why I’m so sure Kenjaku’s interested in Yuuji beyond his potential to contain Sukuna. Either way, I’m curious how the narrative will handle it. Which brings us to--

Yuuji’s survival and future arc

Gege, please.

I am fairly sure protagonist plot armor will kick in and Yuuji will survive (and honestly, him dying at this point would feel pretty damn pointless--I’m all for major character death, but if you’re killing the main lead, make it worth it, ya know?), but fucking how? He’s naturally a lot sturdier than most people, but dude’s got a fist-sized hole in his stomach and got punched through, what, three buildings? He’s got to be on his last legs there. Yuuta isn’t anywhere in the vicinity either. Lowkey hoping for Mumjaku to pop out, but that’s mostly because I have been dying for some interactions between these two since the big reveal about Yuuji’s parentage.

Assuming he survives (he better, GEGE), I’m honestly pretty excited to see how his story will progress from here. Yuuji’s whole thing since the start has been to save as many people as he can and die a good death as a martyr, and with every new trauma the narrative has piled on him, that desire has only increased to the point that it’s now a fixation. The guy seems actively suicidal after Shibuya, and the only thing keeping him from killing himself is the fact that he can’t allow himself to die meaninglessly after all the death Sukuna caused and all the people Yuuji himself failed to save. If the plot had progressed in the direction it had been taking before Sukuna used that binding vow to fuck everything to hell, Yuuji would happily have let the Angel erase him and Sukuna. And he could have called it a good, noble death because he was dying to save Gojou and eliminate a good 75% of Sukuna’s power.

And now he doesn’t have that. His death would no longer serve any greater purpose (...assuming Sukuna doesn’t somehow hop back into him, but that’s starting to look unlikely). To make a difference and help people like he so desperately wants, Yuuji will have to live. I am dying to find out how he’s going to reconcile that with his current mindsent.

Assuming he survives.

Hana and the Angel

I’ve been seeing a lot of hate for Hana after this chapter came out, regarding her decision to rush to Megumi, but honestly, it’s perfectly coherent characterization. It’s certainly a foolish decision, but it’s a completely emotion-driven, considerably panicked one that is in line with everything we’ve seen of Hana so far. She is in no way any more well adjusted than any of the main cast. Her childhood was Trauma Central: Eldritch Horror Edition, and she fixated hard on the boy who saved her despite their paths crossing for a grand total of five seconds. Megumi clearly registered her, since that’s the only way Sukuna would know to use that memory to manipulate her, but he doesn’t even acknowledge her. And there’s no indication they’ve ever interacted since; in fact, I’m rather confused on how Hana even recognized Megumi. Or whether/how she kept track of him all these years, given there’s no indication she was a sorcerer before getting Kenjaku-ed into a coma (presumably) and then hosting the Angel. Yet, she’s convinced she’s in love with him and they’re fated. Hardly a healthy coping mechanism, but it is what it is.

If Hana had a random crush on Megumi and ignored the Angel to fall for Sukuna’s trick (which seems pretty transparent to us readers, but Hana really doesn’t know the actual Megumi enough to tell that he wouldn’t be caught dead doing that pose, sweet fuck, my eyes), it would be some shit writing, but Hana isn’t acting out of infatuation or puppy love but a nearly lifelong fixation.

And it’s probably going to get her killed. I don’t see Hana getting out of that on her own; she hasn’t noticed Stretchy Headman there, and the Angel’s warnings clearly aren’t reaching her. The only way I see this moving forward without them both dying is for the Angel to take over completely--and we know she’s opposed to that, but would she make an exception with death imminent? I hope so. Because losing these characters, especially the Angel, at this juncture would just be a waste.

Now excuse me while I go scream into the void for the next two weeks.

[otaku-tyriq]

Because someone already asked those questions about your fav anime/manga, can I ask your top 5 favorite western animations (can be movies or series)? Why love them?

Certainly you can dear anon ^7^

So some of my favourite western animations of all time include

1) Tangled

Why do I love it so much? Well it has been my absolute comfort movie since I was like 10 years old and watched this movie in theatres with my older sister. I also highly relate to Rapunzel, both due to her personality and her experiences with Mother Gothel. Also to this day I fully stand by the believe that Flynn/Eugene and Rapunzel’s relationship is the single most romantic and beautifully written Disney couple in this studio’s entire history. Lastly: THE ANIMATION IS GORGEOUS! And I think few people understand just how ground breaking this movie was in terms if 3D animation as back then animating hair, and most importantly that amount of hair that Rapunzel has, was a nightmare to animate in 3D, so the Studio had to essentially come up with an entirely new animation program specifically for the protagonist’s hair to move around in a natural way.

2) Lego Monkie Kid

Created by the Australian Studio Flying Bark Productions, the same Studio behind Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this show means EVERYTHING to me. Because one thing rarely talk about on Tumblr: I am OBSESSED with Mythology. Greek Mythology, Roman, Mythology, Yoruba Mythology, Chinese Mythology, Norse Mythology etc. you name it. Like my bookshelf is nothing but Manga, history books and an astronomical amount of mythology and fairytale books. The show follows MK a hyper and optimistic boy as he is chosen to be the Monkey King Sun Wukong’s successor and learning to be a hero. So as you may have gathered this show is not only inspired by chinese mythology but essentially it’s equivalent of what Percy Jackson is to Greek Mythology. What I adore the most about this show are its characters and the GORGEOUS ANIMATION! I swear the fighting animation especially in this cartoon is smoother than butter!

3) The Owl House

Aka "What if Harry Potter was not written by a biggot”. If you’ve seen the pinned post on my blog, you know that Lumity is one of my absolute favourite sapphic ships. But honestly this ship is only the peak of the iceberg for why i adore this show. The beautiful artstyle, Luz’s character arc over the course of the show, EDA SIMPLY EXISTING AND BEING FANTASTIC, the beautiful world building and magic system, Emperor Beloz being an absolute irredeemable asshole in the most entertaining and bone chilling way. Srsly if you can dear Anon, give this show a watch.

4) Infinity Train

An Anthology Series who up until recently you could watch on Max HBO. This show is both delightfully funny and absolutely gut-wrenching and dark. The show essentially follows on a new set of characters each season who all end up getting trapped on a train with an infinite number of cars and they cannot leave the train until they essentially come to terms with and/or face some sort of trauma or other psychological issue they may be struggling with.

And as you may have guessed those themes of working through psychological issues is something that my mentally ill ass highly relates to. Not to mention these are some of the most well handled depictions of mental illnesses in animation i have seen in years. Especially given the show was originally targeted towards children and teenagers. I cannot recommend this show enough.

5) Nimona & Over the Garden Wall

I know you asked for only Top 5 Favourite western Animations but I seriously could not decide which one I prefered so they gotta share the spot. Hope you don’t mind 😊.

Starting with Nimona: I mean what else is there to say about Nimona that has not been said before? Fantastic and unique world building? Check. Absolute comedy gold? Check. Openly Queer characters? Check. Said characters also being absolutely loveable? Check. A heartfelt message for both adults and children? CHECK. Seriously this movie is just gorgeous and on Youtube FOR FREE! Like there is nothing stopping you from watching it right this instant.

Now onto Over the Garden Wall: I come from a country where we don’t typically celebrate Halloween. So due to a lack of direct cultural ties to Halloween I never truly had any super strong interest in Halloween movies and never had the urge around October to bundle up in a blanket and watch those classic Halloween movies and shows, like some of my friends do. The most I did was carve pumpkins with my sister and drink hot cocoa cuz it’s genuinly fun. Until this Mini Series came along. The atmosphere just absolutely perfectly manages to capsulate the feeling of autumn and the eeriness of that season. Far more than any other Halloween Classic in my humble opinion. Also again I’m a huge mythology Nerd and this show is basically Dante’s Inferno for children in very weird way. But yes ever since this show had come out I instantly rewatch it the second the leaves start to fall outside.

[the-crow-binary]

Thinking about the very scene where Hector "betrays" Dracula, at least, in Dracula's mind. :) (i wanted to put images but Tumblr won't let me because Tumblr sucks ass)

In the PtR manga, we don't have a direct dialogue between the two, but what Hector might have told him is implied, as he thinks with horror (after seeing Isaac's devils bring him human hands, and especially the hand of potential a mother holding the one of a very small child) "Forgive me... It's not your sin. Was it for such a purpose...? Please, please I'm human too". During that last line, see Dracula pierce through him with his claws, saying, directly this time "My food is human lives and humans faults. I will disappear only when humans are destroyed...". So we can assume Hector told Dracula about his doubts, putting emphasis on the fact he was a human too, and for Dracula that's betrayal enough. 🙂 We then see Hector, actually outside (on top of one of the Castle's tower?), being pushed into the void by demons, not Dracula. Wich my imagination fills with the images of Dracula letting Hector go after stabbing him, with devils following him, eventually pushing him. Dracula then laments to Isaac about this betrayal, unable to understand Hector. And that's how it goes for the PtR manga.

In the MF manga, things are a bit different, and we see it in a little more details. Hector is on his knees, calling out for Dracula, frantically asking "wait' please wait!! Why!? Why do you kill humans!? The reason I wanted power is because... I am a human, too...". And what does Dracula does? He ignores him. ❤️ Looks at him with disdain, and then walks away. ❤️

Now, what is interesting to note is that, in the MF manga, the scene we witness is not the actual scene... it's a memory shown to him by a crow that is very probably a devil itself (or at least possessing some kind of surnatural powers from coming from the Castle). Meaning it could totally be deformed to not represent what actually happened, but how Hector perceived it/how it made him feel. After all, we also see a little Hector telling him to just become a devil, so there's clearly some things that have been added or changed in his mind here. Wich means... the PtR version of this event could totally be the real version. 🙂

It matches. Dracula stabbing Hector with his claws (sounds very personal ngl) because he dared question him and reclaim his humanity. Hector seeing this as Dracula literally abandoning him, ignoring his concerns, denying/not even caring about his very humanity. Turning his back on him. Being literally disappointed in him. 🙂

We don't see Dracula stabbing Hector because the physical wounds did not matter here. It's not about what the claws do. It's about what they represent.

Dracula doesn't say anything either because he doesn't need to. It's barely if Hector remembers what the words were, but he does remember how they made him feel. Dracula could have stayed silent in the PtR version it would've been all the same to Hector... it would've been worse, actually. That's why he doesn't say a word in the MF version ❤️

The devils pushing him over the edge were nothing but an extension of Dracula, who left him to rot like he didn't matter. (A hard punch in the guts for Dracula's favorite. ❤️)

Now there is one problem with this interpretation... it's that Dracula literally tells Isaac he sent Hector after Trevor, and then Hector disappeared and might have betrayed them. (Note that I am mostly going with the MF manga version of events, though the biggest difference with the two mangas is the Isaac VS Hector encounter). So multiple possibilites:

Either Dracula straight up lied to Isaac (idk maybe he wanted to preserve Hector's image somehow, or that's just another way to bully Isaac by making him think he chose Hector once again and WITHOUT EVEN TELLING HIM. CHEH.), or... well, he did say he sent several devils with Hector... So either they're the same devils who threw Hector off a roof (lol) and Dracula doesn't know that (lmao), or this part did not happen in any other place than Hector's mind. Or it did happen but it wasn't the same devils who pushed him. Look I can't find perfect answers for everything alright, I just thought I had neat ideas. 😔 Well, there is also the possibility he did not lie to Isaac. He truly sent Hector after Trevor (right before Hector starts telling him about his doubts 🙂). And Hector truly disappeared. He just omitted the rest. ❤️ Forgot about telling Isaac, haha. ❤️

Anyway, to end this, have a nice little idea: the first time we see Hector in the MF manga, he got hurt and was found by Rosaly offscreen who healed him. By continuing reading, we eventually assume he was hurt when fighting the devils who were sent with him. But if we keep the idea i just talked about... Rosaly had to heal Hector from wounds inflicted by Dracula himself ❤️ No wonder he needs time to heal and eventually falls unconscious after leaving Rosaly's house ❤️

[hopeswriting]

HI HELLO, I FELT BAD CONTINUING THE CONVO IN THE POST BUT OOOOOHHOO YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE FEELING UNWELL ABOUT TSUNA HOPE. I AM INSANE ABOUT HIM.

FIRST OF ALL, I checked the link you sent and oh my god SAME "The Truth Revealed" is an INSANE CHAPTER TO ME. Tbh Future arc is one of my favorite arcs in KHR all together. I don't think I ever recovered from Tsuna waking up in a fucking coffin. Like I think that irreversibly altered my brain chemistry I havent been the same. My brains been spinning since i saw that. To find out that TYL Tsuna planned it in the Truth Revealed??? Like WHO is TYL TSUNA. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM. Like you pointed out that Lal yelled out at Tsuna wasnt like that, but to find out he was?? oh my GOD. Like it makes me wonder how much stress TYL Tsuna was under or how he came to the point that he felt like this was the only solution they could pull off. I think there's an addition that Irie did say that Byakuran would've found a way to bring the younger gang to the future anyway must have absolutely added to TYL Tsuna's stress and desire to get his younger self ready before Byakuran decided it was time before he was. Like I need to know IS HE HAPPY LIKE YOU SAID. I HOPE THIS MAN FINDS PEACE GOD KNOWS HE DESERVES IT. This is more of a headcanon than any solidified proof, just a GUT feeling. But I have to feel as if TYL Tsuna's actions being so... like that had to do with TYL Reborn's death. We know that they're close and Rainbow arc shows us that Tsuna would lift the entire world on his back if it saved Reborn. I can't help but theorize the mental state TYL Tsuna was in, after losing Reborn. Seeing how..hotheaded Tsuna can get about Reborn in Rainbow Arc and how he willingly goes to the Inheritance Ceremony for Yamamoto.. I can see him conjuring a plan like this to fuck the shit out of Byakuran post Reborn death, or even just for the possibility of getting Reborn back. But this is just a headcanon again. Either way?? Im FOAMING at the mouth with you.

As for the rest of our discussion, first of all I lost my shit when you sent the manga panel of Reborn looking shocked but holy shit i didnt connect those dots that Reborn was ?? shocked?? that Tsuna was going along with it. And that its coming from a place of anger and vengeance from Tsuna, which isn't usual for him but fuck they attacked his family. As you mentioned, they crossed that firm line drawn in the sand and Tsuna was going for their throat this time bc how dare they? When, in Tsuna's eyes, Yamamoto was done NOTHING wrong to his attacker. As for Tsuna becoming Vongola Decimo and how he would've been shackled, this is actually something we discussed in our server as well. The conclusion I ended up coming with is that in the end it didn't matter to Tsuna. He was seeing red. He was furious. He was willing to sacrifice everything, even his own freedom from the Mafia to avenge Yamamoto. It's either that he was so blinded by rage that he didn't consider the consequences of his actions, or even worse he was willing to take up the mantle of Vongola Decimo if it meant catching the person who did this to Yamamoto. For Yamamoto's sake, he would be Vongola Decimo. AND THAT IDEA??? OOOHHHH. UGHHHH. THERES SO MUCH TO TSUNAS CHARACTER AND IT DRIVES ME MAD BC HE SEEMS SO SIMPLE AT FIRST LOOK. AND IM??? IM AAAAH YKNOW??

[follow up to this post]

the future arc isn't personally my favorite, but i totally get the people for whom it is. the writing for it is really solid and really steps up from what we had so far, and i DO love so much that first part of the arc up to the end of the merone base raid.

you know, at times like this i wish i'd remember what my reaction was to it the first time i read it too, but my memory is shit lol. but i don't need to to agree it was so iconic and insane of amano to make tsuna appear in the future in a coffin. like not only it's the first thing we learn about the future, but also the first thing we learn about his future. that ten years later he's dead. absolute fucking power move from amano, like hello??

but also, while we're on the subject... this literally just came to me so idk if i'm going to be articulate about this lol, but i think there's something to be said about how the first thing we learn about tyl tsuna is that he's dead. and then he stays dead throughout the arc, mentioned and talked about, judged and defended, praised and blamed, but it all happens through other people. everything we learn about him, every choice (or lack thereof) and decision attributed to him, every glimpse into his personality and what kind of man he was, we learn all of it it through someone else's words. through someone else's eyes, and tho we're given no reason to doubt they're saying the truth, they can only be biased as they say it. like, amano could have made him appear through flashbacks, but she didn't. she gave him no physical appearance, no face, no voice. and then when she does do that (tho even then she still gives him no face), he only talks about his present self. has only words for him. and idk what is there to say about all that, but i know it's relevant to the themes of the future arc.

I think there's an addition that Irie did say that Byakuran would've found a way to bring the younger gang to the future anyway must have absolutely added to TYL Tsuna's stress and desire to get his younger self ready before Byakuran decided it was time before he was.

you're right! i tend to overlook that bit of information, but it is canon that either way, the present 10th gen would have found themselves in the future. so for tsuna to decide he'll be the one to make it happen and have control over it instead of byakuran, was of course the right choice to make. the safest one, both for them and their present selves. as well as the kindest one, because of course, tsuna didn't just bring them to the future to leave them to die in it, the way byakuran would have done. he came up with a plan to make sure they were ready to face the future like you said, and would be strong enough to see it through. and the plan was still harsh and painful and arguably cruel on them, but it still was kindness from tsuna at the same time. consideration for the situation he had no choice but to get them involved in. it was him taking responsibility for it and sparing them the worse of it as much as he could and as much as realistically possible. and maybe it made little difference, but it's still more than byakuran would have allowed them for sure, and it did play a non-negligible part in them not only surviving the future, but coming out on top of it.

you know... for some reason i've always thought tsuna was level-headed when he agreed to go along with the plan. like of course his hands were being forced as he was backed against a corner, facing a hopeless and desperate situation, but in my head he still had himself together somehow. sat and considered the pros and cons of the plan with a cool head, before deciding it was worth the gamble.

but like. knowing tsuna, it's much more likely he hadn't, you're right. that he was standing on the brink, and maybe had already fallen from it. i mean, yamamoto's dad got killed, his parents were unaccounted for, vongola's hq fell and vongola was hunted, namimori was invaded and every people there connected to him hunted too, forcing kyoko and haru to be on the run, with lambo and i-pin after them to keep them safe when they were just fifteen but still forced to take part in a literal war. tsuna had already lost so much by that point, while still being at risk of losing much more. and at the same time, he had already lost the worst thing he could lose, because of course, there's also reborn. reborn who also died, who also got killed when he's the one person who's always been by his side, who's always been his rock and anchor, who's always known how to give him strength again when his own failed him. and MY gut feeling headcanon is that reborn died not too long before tsuna put the plan in motion. maybe even died only just a couple of days before that, and that was the last straw, the deciding factor that made tsuna go along with the plan.

so like. maybe tsuna was heartbroken and crestfallen when he made that decision. maybe it was an entirely emotional one, one he made out of spite and vindictive feelings for byakuran like you said. out of fear he'll end up with nothing more left to lose, and out of his guilt for letting things come to that point and not being in a position--not having the power to make things right again. a decision he made out of his grief and the desperate hope he could get back everything he lost. the hope he could get reborn back. and okay, consider this, but independently of whether it was the right thing to do or of the chances of the plan to be successful, maybe he simply agreed to it too out of the certainty it's what present tsuna would have done too. that it's what he'd have wanted too, that he would have taken any chance that might bring reborn back to him. because it's reborn. oh i'm soo normal about this and their bond.

For Yamamoto's sake, he would be Vongola Decimo.

YOU CANT JUST SAY THAT TO ME LIKE I HAVENT THE SOFTEST SPOT FOR YAMS AND TSUNA. oh my god. oh my god??? for yamamoto's sake... for yamamoto. and i mean, i know tsuna would have done the exact same thing for any of his other guardians, but that amano chose to go along with yams instead of any other guardian... like again, i do very much believe tsuna would have reacted the same way were it anyone else, but at the same time i really do very much believe the fact it was yamamoto played a part in his anger and resolve to avenge him. i really can't explain it, but like. it's yamamoto, you know?

NO I KNOW!!!! tsuna is... he's so easy to overlook and deem unworthy of a second glance, but if you DO look back at him, and then really look at him, you can't stop and can't look away. and the longer you look, the more there is to look at. which is even more insane because at his core tsuna still is truly, really just some guy. he's just a complex character in very simple ways i guess??

anyway yeah, i need to LIE DOWN now, thanks.

[redrocketpanda]

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

Hello again - thanks so much for all of these questions!

Hmmmm, I have so many favourite things across so many different forms of media that choosing a top 7/10 is super hard. I've gone with my gut of the first things I thought of that I love, but the list could easily be wayyyyyy longer. I'm sorry - I tried to keep this as short as I could... In no particular order:

My Hero Academia (anime + manga) MHA is the first anime that I think I ever really properly enjoyed. I watched it in 2021/2022, immediately fell in love with it, and proceeded to devour both the anime and almost all of the manga. I obviously adore all of the characters, but I also love the way that MHA portrays superpowers - both in terms of how they function (w/ there being unique limitations to them) as well as how it depicts/explores superhero society. I don't normally go in for superhero type media anymore, but the combination of all of the above (plus literally the sickest soundtrack from Yuki Hayashi) easily makes it one of my fave ever things

The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers (books) I could write an entire dissertation on why this is one of my favourite series of all time, and why Becky Chambers is one of my favourite authors. But the shorter answer is: literally everything about them. Chambers' writing is beautiful, her narratives are full of love, hope and community, and her characters are incredibly diverse and well written. My fave book from the series is Record of a Spaceborn Few.

Dragon Age series (video games) I first came across Dragon Age at a fan convention back in 2016/2017 during a panel on queer media (I think). In addition to the panel discussing the general queer relationships/characters in the series, they specifically highlighted Dorian and Krem in DA: Inquisition. The following day I went out, purchased all the games, and then played them through from the first game. IThe games are super fun to play, the writing is *chefs kiss*, and I love the themes that the games explore. I love them so much I've even written an article and done a podcast episode about them!

Jurassic Park franchise (films, books, games) Jurassic Park is one of the franchises that I was raised on (along with Star Wars) and I have been obsessed with it ever since. I've seen all the films (up to Jurassic World), read the books, own books about JP, played a bunch of the games, and even have a poster map of Isla Nublar on my wall. Dinosaurs are one of the big reasons I love them, but also I think the films have always been very interesting to me for how they give us a lens in which to think about animal rights + conservation in a science fictional setting (something else I have also done a paper on!)

Final Fantasy XV (video game) I'll keep this one short and sweet: best boys on a roadtrip that will both make your heart full of joy but will ultimately leave you a sobbing mess on the floor (Honestly I didn't play FFXV until the end of 2022 and I am still !!!!!!! over it)

Haikyuu!! (anime) sksalkkljsa. I don't even know what to say about this. HQ is just the fucking best.

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (video game) I don't talk about it so much anymore, but Exocolonist is still one of my favourite games and it makes my heart feel so much whenever I think about it. I love the entire aesthetic of it. I love how impactful your choices feel and how many different routes you can go down. I love how inclusive the game is, not just in terms of gender, race and sexuality but also with polyamoury + family/community dynamics. The worldbuilding is beautiful, the soundtrack is *cries*. Just...it's such a wonderful game.

Manic (film) There are a lot of films I could choose for this list, but if I can only choose one (bc space) then I think Manic is a good pick. It's the 2001 indie film with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Don Cheadle, etc, and is set in an adolescent psychiatric ward. This film means a lot to me personally, I'll just leave it at that.

Xandri Corelel series (books) I spoke a bit about why I love the series so much in response to your favourite characters question but to summarise: cool as fuck science fiction series where cool as fuck autistic bisexual polyam protagonist, Xandri, is the head of the xeno-liaisons team. It's got stellar worldbuilding, excellent characters, and explores lots of interesting issues. Also, my favourite book is Tone of Voice (2nd in the series) partly bc its got space whales in it.

Mass Effect (video games) I think by now its pretty clear I love science fiction, so Mass Effect was always gonna be a big hit with me. I actually played Dragon Age first, and then a friend told me I had to play ME. The entire series is just sooooo good for very similar reasons to a lot of my other favourites: well-written, beloved characters, cool ass narrative/s, choice-based, fun FPS moments, cool worldbuilding, sick soundtrack!

[missnobodymadness]

Welcome to my place, any similarities with an asylum are pure coincidence.

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I'm Miss Nobody, a 32 years old person who loves creating, sharing and read about original characters, with a strong preference for fan characters. English is not my first language and I am far from having a perfect grammar, I feel like this is important information considering that I write a lot about my characters. I consider myself a non-binary person and I feel comfortable with any pronouns.

⚠️ This blog may contain mature content occasionally and while never visually explicit I still feel like this deserves a warning, especially if you don't like cussing, I cuss a lot! Proceed with caution, you have been warned.⚠️

✔ Things I like ✔

❥ Art ❥ Anime ❥ TV shows ❥ Music ❥ Wajas ❥ Sharks and orcas

✪ Fandoms ✪

They are too many to list but I'm listing the main ones here, no order of preference.

➤ Attack On Titan* Favorites: Hange, Reiner, Pieck, Gabi ➤ Naruto* Favorites: Madara, Obito, Shikamaru, Jiraiya ➤ Spy x Family Favorites: Yor, Anya, Sylvia, Twilight/Loid ➤ Chainsaw Man Favorites: Makima, Himeno, Power, Kobeni ➤ Jujutsu Kaisen Favorites: Suguru Geto, Maki, Toji, Mahito ➤ Pokémon Favorites: Cynthia, N, Team Rocket, Gary ➤ Berserk (Manga only) Favorites: Serpico, Skull Knight, Guts, Farnese ➤ The Walking Dead Favorites: Michonne, Ezekiel, Tara, Alpha ➤ Game Of Thrones Favorites: Tyrion, Daenerys, Sam, Arya ➤ MCU Favorites: Loki, Tony Stark, Hela, Jessica Jones ➤ The Lion King* Favorites: Zira, Scar, Vitani, Nuka * = Main obsessions.

♥ My ships ♥

I enjoy shipping a lot and think it is an important part of my blog as I reblog these a lot, before following, please, check this list, I don't have time for drama and I won't start any over ships I don't like either, I'm here to have fun.

❥ Levi x Hange (Attack on Titan)* ❥ Levi x Hange x Erwin (Attack On Titan) ❥ Ymir x Historia (Attack On Titan) ❥ Loid x Yor (Spy x Family)* ❥ Hashirama x Madara (Naruto) ❥ Nami x Vivi (One Piece) ❥ Re-L x Vincent (Ergo Proxy) ❥ Jiraiya x Tsunade (Naruto) ❥ Kazuki x Rei (Buddy Daddies) ❥ Haruka x Michiru (Sailor Moon) ❥ Cara x Kahlan (Legend Of The Seeker) ❥ Jon Snow x Sam (Game Of Thrones) ❥ Daenerys x Tyrion (Game Of Thrones) ❥ Sam x Eileen (Supernatural) ❥ Linda x Mazikeen (Lucifer) ❥ Jesus x Aaron (The Walking Dead) ❥ Tara x Denise (The Walking Dead) ❥ Abraham x Eugene (The Walking Dead) ❥ Alicent x Rhaenyra (House Of The Dragon) ❥ Stede x Black Beard (Our Flag Means Death)

* = Currently obsessed with

♥ My OC X Canon ships ♥

Warning: This blog contains OC x Canon ships and loves these, if you don't like these, don't follow.

❥ Myline x Itachi Uchiha (Naruto) ❥ Evelyn x Reiner Braun (Attack On Titan)* ❥ Evelyn x Pieck Finger (Attack On Titan) ❥ Aisha x Tony Stark (MCU) ❥ Jiyū x Suguru Geto (Jujutsu Kaisen)*

* = Unrequited love, I have a thing for tragic love stories. :C

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✎ My characters ✎

I have lots of original characters, from original stories to fandoms, all of my humanoids are fan characters, while all of my ferals are from my original story called "Cursed Scars".

I've listed most of my characters on this page and each one of them has a hashtag on my blog where you can see and find out more about each individual character of mine, I tried my best to make it easy to navigate!

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Important notes:

• No DNI as I find these very useless, at most they will make you an easy target for suspicious people.

• I do not answer private messages, these make me extremely uncomfortable as I suffer from social anxiety.

• I don't draw often as drawing makes my mental health decline a lot, I don't consider myself an artist, I draw very occasionally only.

• Some of my fan fics and original stories have very sensitive topics, it does NOT mean that I am okay or support any of these in real life, I'm not a murderer for writing about a murderer.

• I don't support or tolerate any kind of bullying or harassment over fictional ships, I couldn't care less if you ship the opposite of what I ship, you are free to and no one should be treated like shit for that, I have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and I'd probably kick your face if I could. I ship Levihan but I ain't getting mad at Eruri, it's that simple, thank you.

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Working on a page for my characters, I shall edit this post to add the link to it once I am done.

[lyranova]

For you follower event (and this can be a rapid fire answer thing if you like but): opinions on all the Wizard Kings that we know of (from Lumiere to Julius)?

———

Hiya Erika 😁! Ooo so I’ll go from my favorite to least favorite, first thing that comes to mind, and then expand on it! Also I apologize, but in one of these I’m gonna be very blunt and firm reminder that this is MY opinion 😅:

Julius: “You sit on a throne of lies!” and “I knew you were trouble when you walked in!” (Wonder how many will know the references 😆!)

Lumiere: Sweet Marshmallow that needs to be protected!

Princia: Scary badass who reminds me of a combination of Erza Scarlet and Mereoleona!

Conrad: Interesting magic, could be considered overpowered, sad background. Reminds me of Levi from AOT…for some reason??

Edward: Don’t have much thoughts, didn’t know his name the entire movie, but is the adopted grandpa of the Black Bulls!

Jester: Annoying punk that wore out his welcome, and I just couldn’t wait for him to die and go away (I am so sorry to all those that like Jester it’s just my opinion 😭!)!

Okay, now that’s out of the way I’ll get a little more “in depth”:

Julius: Even though all the stuff in the manga I still love him 😔. Now funny enough, when he first appeared in the anime, I just had a gut feeling he was gonna be the ultimate bad guy or would somehow betray the kingdom, so I was weary of him/of liking him. But then the anime went on and nothing happened so I thought he was going to stay a good guy…until i started reading the Manga and that big twist with Lucius happened 😆! Now I feel like I’ve been lied too ahwkwwksi!!!

Lumiere: I adore him so much 🤧, he just makes me think of Deku from BHA and Asta but a little more…calm 😆! I like how, desipte being a Royal, doesn’t hold any prejiduce or hate towards elves, commoners, or peasants. He believes everyone she live in a world where they’re happy and respected and can live in peace. While also having the same chances and opportunities as the Royals/Nobles! Honestly I wish we got to see him more 😭!

Princia: She reminded me a lot of Mereo, but at the same time reminded me of Erza from Fairy Tail (maybe because of her magic and her armor 🤔), but I thought she was very cool and wish they had expanded on her background a bit more in the movie instead of in a magazine 😭. Because her background seemed so interesting!

Conrad: I liked his magic, and it seemed very cool and interesting. It did seem a little…overpowered, but that’s fine, because Asta was able to cancel it out! Again, I wish they had expanded on his background and what happened to him in the movie, but from what I read I can’t help but feel bad for him. Especially after what happened to his wife 😔!

Edward: I honestly had no idea what his name was until someone said it after the movie released, and he felt kind of…forgetable 😅. But I loved his spells and their names, and after reading his background I understood why they were themed/centered around the church/religion because he used to be a Father of an Orphange like Father Orsi! But I prefer him in Fanon where he becomes the adopted grandpa to the Black Bulls 😆!

Jester: Oh boy…I’m gonna be extremely blunt and again, this is my opinion: I could not stand him. At all. Period. Dead stop. He was extremely annoying during the entire movie and was just…not a fun character to me (if he’s your favorite then that’s fine! I’m glad you like him and fully support you 🥰!). His magic was so-so to me, and the only good/interesting things about him were his background and the way he got all of my faves to team up against him. But otherwise…he was my least favorite character in the movie, and possibly the entire series 😅!

[seven-ivy]

About me!

┌────────── ・ ・ ・ ・ ✦

│⁻ ˏˋ꒰ Basics ꒱ ˊˎ⁻

✧ Nikki ♡ 21, she/her, INTJ

Hello! I'm Nikki, the author of Seven (a JJK fic) and this is my page to share my work and other interests and finally start interacting on this platform with other users.

Seven will be slowly updated on AO3 as I have already pre-written some chapters but these chapters are lengthy and take a while to write and read over. Mind the tags!! There will be violence, trauma, and gore in this fic so I will do my best to display trigger warnings.

My ask box is always open, so feel free to ask anything, or just leave a message on whatever you like. At the moment, I don't take requests but that might change in the future.

I will continue to update with my latest work(s) as well as what I'm currently writing.

More about me and my work(s) below the cut! Happy reading!

│⁻ ˏˋ꒰ Writing Q&A ꒱ ˊˎ⁻

✧ Why did you start Seven?

Seven, like all my other writing endeavors, started as a little fantasy in my head as a way to self-insert into every piece of media I consume. I didn't ever think to seriously write it until Gege started upping the angst and breaking my heart in gut-wrenching scenarios when I decided to give into the delusion and finally write something that would distract me from what was going on in the manga.

Being said, as you read Seven you will start to see that it doesn't exactly follow the plot. This is mainly because I wanted to exercise a little creativity with the plot and Gege's mind, though tortured, is genius that I could never try to imitate.

I also feel like there is a lack of OC-driven multilength JJK fics in the fandom (that, or I don't know where to look) so I wanted to try my hand at filling that niche.

✧ How long will Seven be?

... I don't know? Certain parts of the plot have been running through my head over and over for months, but some things I just leave up to the madness that consumes my brain when I'm writing at 2 AM.

Like Nana, even though is an independent original character, I haven't planned out fully what she looks like (just vague references that she resembles Gojo). As I write more, I get to know more about her character, and even though it isn't a very author-like thing to do, it keeps things exciting for me as well.

But don't worry, I have some arcs briefly planned out, and the manga is still ongoing so there will be lots to keep writing about.

✧ What do you write on?

Google docs. Just one very long Google doc that I keep updating. Maybe it's not the best loading wise but I like to keep it all in one place so I can re-read everything in one go to make sure I eliminate any plot-holes that arise.

I also enjoy Grammarly a lot (my savior) and without it there would be many times Nana would become Naan :(

✧ Writing inspo/tips

This isn't my first go at writing a long (40+) chapter fic so I have experienced an immense learning curve during this writing journey.

The first is one that I used to groan at too but it's honestly the best advice. If you want to be a better writer... read more. And I don't mean on tumblr/wattpad/AO3 (how I wish it could be) but actual published novels.

And read from many different genres from many different origins from many different periods. By doing so, you will diversify your vocabulary, your knowledge, and learn the nuances of writing that can only be learned from reading a really good book.

The second is to take the time to find what works. Writing isn't going to look the same for all people. Some people can only write in the early morning, some at night, and a lucky few aren't constricted by the silly hours of time.

Some writers can listen to music, others can't. Some need to plan everything out in obsessive detail, while others just go with the flow.

Take the time to figure out what works best for you and make use of it.

The third is to write more. Simple, but to improve your writing, first you need to get all of the shaky, baby lamb trying to stand on its own, in other words, "bad" stuff out before you can start to see progress. Looking back at my first attempts at writing... I am appalled but grateful that I got through it to get to where I am now. you don't necessarily need to publish it on a platform, but just get it out. Like letting the murky water run out from a tap first before you get it clear.

✧ My recs

Don't know where to start? I'll help you out. Here are some of the media I consumed that put a passion in me to write.

JJK (obvi), old poetry classics, Greek myths and tales, research into Buddhism and Shinto, Madeline Miller novels, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie novels, Secret History by Donna Tartt, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

There are many more, but these have stood out to me particularly.

│⁻ ˏˋ꒰ Other fandoms ꒱ ˊˎ⁻

If you've made it this far I'll let you into some other fandoms/communities I enjoy besides JJK:

Mob Psycho, Saiki K, TWST, Demon Slayer, MHA, Castlevania, Mystic Messenger.

I'm not always active in those fandoms and I'm def forgetting some but at some point in my life I'd been very obsessed.

[doyouevenshipbr0]

big rant incoming. about naruto/boruto and misogyny.

so like. i dont read/watch boruto or naruto. that right there probably discredits everything im about to say. feel free to keep scrolling. i just kinda casually look at whats going on sometimes bc ill see stuff on tik tok or whatever. so i may be completely incorrect here and maybe i don’t know what im talking about. but this is a feeling in my gut ive had for a long time.

the older i get, the more angry i get about female representation in shounen anime/manga. it is severely lacking. all my time ive spent as an anime fan, i have been DYING to see a girl that can even hold a candle to any other of her male counterparts in strength. im not saying its never been done, but i am saying i have HARDLY seen it.

even though i don’t really watch naruto, it is one of the most popular anime of ALL TIME, and its most famous aspect has to be the naruto v sasuke feud. the fact that they are both so strong and that by the time they are adults their power is unparalleled to literally anyone else in the verse is definitely a huge plot point of the show.

so when i heard that with the new naruto gen, sasuke has a DAUGHTER, and NO SONS, i was so excited.

that’s when i decided to follow the series more closely, because i was so excited to see a franchise this huge put a female supporting character with THIS much potential on display.

and while i do love sarada and think the stuff she’s accomplished is pretty impressive compared to the girls of naruto (i am a sakura supporter but u know what i mean), the overall treatment that she is getting compared to her male counterparts is pathetic.

maybe you want to argue that the uzumaki vs uchiha feud is already played out. they don’t need to do it in boruto because they’ve done it already. we dont need to see the plot shaped around boruto vs sarada because it’s already been done, but honestly, i don’t believe that at all. from what i’ve seen, boruto is practically a carbon copy of naruto in looks, personality, and ability (with the exception of some added brattiness), and the same can be said for a lot of the kids (cho cho, shikadai, probably more). so if the kids are already emulating their parents already to a t (not to mention they are copies of their FATHERS, not their mothers), i dont see why the same can’t be done with sasuke and sarada in terms of ability. im gonna move on from the kids copying their parents because again, as someone who is not an actual watcher, i could definitely be wrong about some stuff here.

so now, instead of developing sarada’s character, they have to introduce kawaki (a boy) to be boruto’s foil. kawaki is now meant to be the character to challenge boruto. kawaki is now meant to be the only person who can parallel boruto in strength. kawaki is the rival/best friend.

and where does that leave sarada? crying and pleading for sasuke to save boruto.

sarada doesn’t have to be sasuke. thats not what im saying. i actually don’t want that at all. i want her to be her own person with her own dreams. i want her to reach the incredible amount of potential she has as a ninja. due to her lineage, she has the ability to not only become the strongest kunoichi, but one of the strongest ninja in the verse. she’s an uchiha with monster strength like her mother, and i don’t see why she wouldn’t be able to unlock the 100 healings either. genetics aside, she is smart and deeply determined. sarada does not have to be her parents, but if all of the other kids are already doing it, then there is NO good reason for sarada not to be one of the strongest, if not THE strongest ninja of the new gen.

i’m sorry but it is just SO sad to see. i can’t even be happy for her unlocking her mangekyou sharingan because i DOUBT its power will ever come anywhere CLOSE to the level of any of the previous uchihas thanks to kishimoto’s blatant misogyny.

also, her outfit in the manga. i don’t really know how much kishimoto has to do with this but come on. be better. she is a NINJA.

sarada is such an interesting character and her potential is being wasted with each passing moment.

k thats it bye!!! <3

[bthump]

I saw that one really long tumblr ask involving Casca and Griffguts so I wanted to add a different perspective. At this point from a narrative standpoint I am personally more annoyed with how Casca was treated after the eclipse than during the eclipse. The eclipse was an event specifically designed to put the band of the hawk through the worst suffering possible so the horrible stuff that happened to Casca had a purpose. What I don't like is that Casca's regression was never used as an opportunity to explore more of her character. Even if she had regressed to the point of a two year old she would've still had noticeable personality traits. Something as simple as giving her a favorite color or an object she really likes would've made so much of a difference in that regard. It would've made people reading the manga after the eclipse a little more sympathetic to Casca because they truly got to see bits of her. She clearly had basic emotions and instincts during her regression but it sucks that was never built upon.

Although I enjoy Gutsca, Golden Age Griffguts and Golden Age Griffgutsca I think Gutsca would be the best one to make canon. At this point I think Griffith has destroyed too much of himself to get the love he had wanted from Guts (and especially not from Casca if some interpretations are to be believed). In the canon of Berserk it wouldn't be fair for Guts to be with a man who traumatized him so completely unless the writers wanted to make a dark character study. At least with Casca they can mutually heal from the scars the sacrifice left. And even then Guts still has more growing to do if he doesn't want to destroy himself like Griffith did. It's honestly quite sad.

Also I really don't understand why people discredit the female characters of Berserk so much??? Even if there are hiccups in Casca's story she, Farnese and Charlotte are like my favorite characters in the series. They're all so well designed from a narrative perspective and they're also all just pretty neat. It's just sad that people in the fandom victim blame Casca. Or define her based off of Griffith or Guts. If anything her potential personal arc should culminate in her gaining more self esteem.

Yeah I get that, I think Casca's "character" post-Eclipse has been absolutely dismal writing, and honestly those are some good ideas for how the writing could've been imporved. I hate the regression concept in general, but it's true that it doesn't mean Casca needs to have absolutely no characterization beyond generic sexy baby and maternal instincts lol.

And tbf I don't think very many griffgutsers expect Guts and Griffith to end up together in a romantic capacity - a homoerotic emotional revelation followed by death seems to be the going theory in my circle at least, and that's what I'm pinning my hopes on. But when it comes to fanfic and headcanons, griffguts is straight up a lot more fun to me, so that's what I focus on.

Plus for me personally I'm not super interested in what the characters deserve, so I like the love still irrationally being there regardless of the Eclipse and Griffith's transformation, and I do think that's canon - platonic love at least. Guts' feelings are mixed, and the Beast of Darkness taunts him for longing for Griffith, and he still misses human Griffith, etc, and I think that suits the tone of the story very well. I don't think a happily ever after is likely to come from it, but a moment of catharsis where those feelings are untangled and likely still requited to an extent before a climactic death scene sounds right up my alley.

But yk, to each their own, there's room for a lot of different takes in the fandom.

As far as the female characters go, I think they're better than a lot of female characters in similar stories tbf, and I definitely love a lot of them, but I do think they're sometimes awkwardly written, and sometimes in misogynist ways (eg Casca's retconny suicide attempt, Farnese's total 180 from complicated fucked up pyromanic to caretaker after one montage, the vast majority of Berserk's women being motivated by crushes on men, etc). There's lots to love, but also lots to feel annoyed by imo, depending on what you're focused on, so I can't blame anyone who wants to complain about how Miura writes women, and I can't blame anyone who wholeheartedly loves the female characters either.

Anyway thanks for sharing your opinions as a counterpoint, it's good to hear different + thoughtful points of view, whether I agree with everything or not!