#honzuki no gekokujou

[nefertittythegreat]

What I love about this fandom is how we are all in love with Ferdinand despite him being the most unlikeable person ever. Like he is an anti-social, rude, cold-hearted, know it all snob and we love him all the more for it.

When he enters the story this is what we immediately learn about him, but he was kind to Myne. So we know there is more to him, but we have to wait till to get it. Until that moment in the Trombe subjugation we weren’t sure how to fell about Ferdinand nor how’d he react because he is always the first person to remind Myne of her place. She’s a commoner and despite guiding her he also doesn’t let her forget that. So when he backs Myne we finally know we can trust him like really trust him. And that he is someone to lean on.

And even before we learn his sad backstory(which again takes VOLUMES hell PARTS). We already love and trust him. His backstory doesn’t endear us to him, because we have long since had love for him. He doesn’t need a sad woobie backstory for us to feel for him and feel positively about him because like Myne he has long since proven himself to us. And while many people in story would liken spending time with him to torture, we know that despite all of that he is a good person, and loyal to a fault.

And honestly, he doesn’t really grow in that aspect, I mean he learns a little but the things I listed earlier are still very much his character flaws. He doesn’t grow past them, learn to be kinder, socialize more, or anything like that.

They’re still apart of his personality, they’re flaws but they are his.

And in keeping these flaws we retain the part of him the is undeniably Ferdinand.

We love Ferdinand despite the fact that if we met him in person many of us wouldn’t like him, and I think that’s one of the most fantastic things about AoaB

[yuyuisabookworm]

Rozemyne; the new Aub Arensbach ✨

[aubdrewanchel]

(If we count legal royalty)

[dailyfigures]

Myne ; Ascendance of a Bookworm ☆ Stronger

[soundlesswind]

Celebratory art for the last volume countdown. What a journey it has been! I drew so much artwork of this series over the last few years. It was exciting to see new designs get unveiled each time.

[yurgenschmidt]

[stinky-lizards]

just learned a character in the story I'm reading (ascendance of a bookworm) named Damuel was originally going to be named Samuel but the author mistyped his name and just went with it. that's the funniest shit to me. imagine if your parents named you Felix but mistyped your name as Gelix and now you're named Gelix for your whole life. this is exasperated by how Damuel is like the saddest most pitiable poor little meow meow. not even his name is right bro. holy shit.

[stardustizuku]

I love reading part 2 and realizing how, consistantly, when Myne’s first instinct always tend towards attacks and violence towards those who are trying to hurt her important people, Ferdinand ALWAYS deters her into a defensive role.

And it obviously makes sense, given his attitude towards politics in general. He’s the type to always value planning and scheming rather than direct attacks.

So it’s super interesting to see his ideologies shape the way Myne and eventually Rozemyne develop. Specifically when it comes to how she uses her mana.

Myne’s first use of mana are always attacks. Always the Crushing even when confronted by Bezenwast. But in part 2, when Rosina and Fran are in danger Ferdinand teaches her that using defensive magic is often times even more important.

That’s when she first created the Wind Shield.

And it ends up becoming her signature move (along with the Flutrane staff and healing)

Because that’s the role she was shaped into assuming. Her mana is so powerful that using direct attacks is extremely dangerous.

Many people in the royal academy AND the royal family assume that Rozemyne has a defensive and passive fighting style because that’s who she is.

But it’s the opposite!

She’s such a powerful hot head that she had to learn how to to protect - because if she ever tried to attack even those she cared would be blown up in the aftermath

Her defensive magic and healing abilities aren’t proof of how weak she is - they’re proof of how strong she is

[the-alexel-lucas]

On the topic of Myne's chronic illness I also want to talk about the magical cure trope and how the narrative subverts it. The magical cure is more times than not a very harmful trope and difficult to use properly, typically it involves a character who is disabled in some way and a cure of some sort that cures them of their disability. The problem with it however is the fact that for most disabled or chronically ill people there is no cure and that the narrative will typically imply, whether the author means to or not, that a person can only be "whole" if they are physically and mentally fit. With Ascendance of a Bookworm however this doesn't happen, of the three cures Myne receives throughout the story none of them remove the fact that she is chronically ill and the narrative never treats the fact that she is as a bad thing but rather something that she and the people around her have to cope with and work around. This is most telling in how her apprentice attendants lose points in their classes when she collapses at tea parties at the academy, it is seen not as her fault for not being well but her attendants for not being prepared enough to care for their lady.

[satire-please]

Things I liked about AOB Part 5 Volume 3:

How Rozemyne's and Ferninand's love languages are acts of service and NAGGING each other with things like:

Rozemyne creates a whole grand setup so Ferdinand can relax for one night at the academy.

Rozemyne and Ferdinand's little exchange of "Welcome Home" "It is...good to be back" in the Ehrenfest dormitory

She makes a soft comfy bench for Ferdinand to sleep on and in a previous extra she compared HIM to a BENCH because of how much he SUPPORTS her.

A delicious dinner with all of his favorites (with enough leftover meals to last Ferdinand for MONTHS)

What do they do for fun? They end up doing a science/alchemy project to make multiple recording devices/gem to be put into stuffed animals. Because you know, they're overpowered nerds.

Said recording devices are used to scold each other. Like the messages are reminders to eat, be mindful of your health and even *gasp* a bit of praise

Rozemyne shoves research documents at Ferdinand as 'reading' material to distract him from reprimanding her. It does not work, but Ferdinand still stays up all that night binge reading them anyway.

Ferdinand does two medical checkups, one when they first meet that night and first thing in the morning. He remains hyper observant about her health...to the point where Wilfried and Oswarld are even surprised by his thoroughness.

Ferdinand's sincere "Thank you, Rozemyne, Rihyarda." WITH THIS SOFT FACE!

THESE TWO JUST CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER SO MUCH and I am going to scream about it until my head falls off.

[nefertittythegreat]

When they take away your Emotional Support 24 Year Old™️:

[yuyuisabookworm]

God all I can think about is that one meme where its like, two characters wearing matching shirts but both say 'the bad bitch I pulled with my autistic swag' pointing at one another and its just... Rozemyne and Ferdinand

[pagoviart]

I had this in my head after the newest chapter, I had to do it. the true height of myne, according to ferdinand

[aubdrewanchel]

I don't mean it as that everyone has read both, but the ones I've seen so far did, or have it in their TR list ( Me included).

[salmalin]

"Ferdinand is so adult and so responsible and so mature—"

This barely-twenty-year-old-man who is canonically younger than the main character, at the tiniest hint of the possibility of free time, locks himself in a closet for days, skipping meals as he hyperfixates with a chemistry set so he can make different intensities of Monster Energy Drinks™️ without any flavoring.

He is not more mature and more put together than Myne; he is just better at faking it.

I love this man, but he is a Mess.

[soundlesswind]

World is Myne