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beneaththetangles · 1 year

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Reader’s Corner: Fly Me to the Moon (Vols. 12 and 13), Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible (Vol. 4), and Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (Vol. 1)

News of a second season of Banished From the Hero’s Party recently dropped, and coincidentally, we have a review of the newest volume of the manga to share with you today, along with volume one of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, also soon to be adapted into an anime! Today’s column also features reviews of several other romantic series, including the first bound volume of Shonen Jump favorite, Blue Box; the latest volume of Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible; and the outlier, volume two of that series with a suitably outlandish title, Crazy Food Truck!

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Blue Box, Manga Vol. 1

My most anticipated manga has finally released physically in English, and I’m absolutely thrilled! Blue Box has been a story I’ve been deeply interested in and excited for. It’s about a young badminton player, Taiki, who ends up having a huge crush on his upperclassman, Chinatsu, after seeing how hard she plays basketball. While he looks for chances to talk to her, he never imagines they’ll get a lot closer (after a certain event) than just catching each other at the gym! He hopes that maybe she’ll start to like him the same way he likes her, but until that time comes, he keeps giving his all in badminton and encourages her to follow her dreams too. When I think of the perfect blend of blooming romance and sports, this manga right here captures it all! Taiki is a precious little bean who is respectable, adorable, thoughtful, and charming in his own awkward way. Not only do I deeply love both Taiki and Chinatsu, but the art style is perfection! There is such a softness at just the right moment, and then an intensity with action scenes—I really love the superb balance of capturing both. This is such a wonderful story, and I’m so thankful for its release because I deeply love everything about it! A great supporting cast of characters, a fantastic hero to follow, and the subtle fierceness of sports mixed with soft “romance” is everything I could want. Highly recommend it! ~ Laura A. Grace

Blue Box is published by VIZ Media.

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Manga Vol. 3

I very much enjoyed reading this latest volume of Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke! This volume opened up with Claire finally being at the ball where Vik will choose his future bride, despite not receiving an invitation. Thankfully, the question of how things will unfold regarding Claire and her role in Vik’s life still are answered quickly. However, this volume had a new intensity that hasn’t been shown thus far in the series. Not saying there hasn’t been danger because that magical tornado in volume two was definitely a danger, but this time I feel the threat is more personal when Claire herself is in danger from two new villains. But Charlotte, Claire’s half-sister, is the real villain in this series. We’re finally seeing her true colors and just how horrible of a manipulator and character she is. I definitely dislike her a lot more than I did when I first started this series, even though I second the original creator’s comment in the afterword saying it’s hard to hate her because her character design is so cute. Ha! My only disappointment with this volume is how fast I read it. I felt so bummed at the end when I realized I had read all of it and couldn’t see what happens next in Claire’s life. As a result, I am eagerly anticipating the next volume’s release to see what will unfold! ~ Laura A. Grace

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke is published by TokyoPop.

READ: Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2)

Crazy Food Truck, Manga Vol. 2

For those who don’t know, Crazy Food Truck follows the adventures of Gordon, a food truck driver and former soldier, and Arisa, a super-powered, mostly naked female soldier and huge eater. They travel looking for customers in the food truck, while keeping Arisa safe from those trying to find her. Volume two kicks off where volume one ended and keeps these characters on the move looking for more food options and customers. They encounter ghost towns, giant animals, and danger along the way. We also meet Arisa’s sister, who is likewise super-powered and is controlled by some shadowy government agencies. Volume two continues to be wild and all over the place. It has action, food, and more action, making for a fast-paced story. I’ve been loving every moment of it, but I can’t necessarily recommend it to everyone given how it portrays Arisa, and while she’s less nude than in volume one, there’s a lot of skin shown. Those for whom that is an issue would be wise to avoid this series. That said, if you want a wild, post-apocalyptic ride with a food truck driver and a girl trying to stay safe while figuring out the mystery behind her own powers, check it out. ~ MDMRN

Crazy Food Truck is published by VIZ Media.

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Light Novel Vol. 1

After her mother’s death, Anne follows in her footsteps to become a Silver Sugar Master, in order to create a special candy that she can offer up at her grave. However, in order to make it in time to the royal capital where the competition that crowns a Silver Sugar Master is held, she must traverse the dangerous Bloody Highway. To protect herself, Anne does something she hates the thought of and buys a fairy slave to be her bodyguard. Anne wants to treat her fairy, Challe, more as a friend than a slave, but Challe is cold to her and refuses to do anything unless Anne outright orders him. And that isn’t the only challenge that awaits Anne on her journey… First, I was pleasantly surprised at how the slavery aspect was addressed. As much as Anne wants to befriend him, Challe makes it clear that there can be no sort of “friendship” as long as Anne holds control of him as her slave. While he does warm up to her over the course of the volume, it is clear that his enslavement is a huge roadblock in their relationship. There’s also a good look at how Anne is trying to deal with her mother’s death, and how that drives her desire to become a Silver Sugar Master. I’m not quite as much of a fan of the third major character in the story, Anne’s “hopeless suitor” Jonas, who is unpleasant in a lot of ways; but at least things involving him are wrapped up in the volume in a fairly satisfying way. Overall, this volume was enjoyable enough to recommend to those who enjoy shoujo-style light novels. ~ stardf29

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale is published by Yen Press.

Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You, Manga Vol. 1

I am so very thankful for manga recommendations from other people! If it hadn’t been for my friend Shae at ShaeGeeksOut on YouTube recommending Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You, I would have completely missed out on this super-cute read! This heart-warming story centers on a former troublemaker, Sota, and a prim-and-proper “princess,” Sakura. While it seems they are from two different worlds and potentially have nothing in common, that doesn’t stop them both from secretly wanting to get to know each other. But they can’t seem to find their footing and actually have a conversation! These two are so precious to watch as their romance slowly unfolds through a series of misunderstandings and attempts to talk to one another! I will be quick to say that I absolutely loved this story! However, as soon as it arrived in the mail, I pushed it off on my husband since I knew he was looking for a romantic comedy to read. I was completely thrilled that he enjoyed it too! We both laughed more than once when reading, and I personally couldn’t get over these characters’ attempts to talk to each other as they end up misunderstanding one another or start blushing. It was so cute! The art is also excellent, and I really loved the character designs and expressions. I would highly recommend this manga if you’re looking for a cute, drama-free romantic comedy! I know it’s going to be a great series, and I can’t wait for the release of volume two! ~ Laura A. Grace

Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You is published by Kodansha.

Banished from the Hero’s Party: I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, Manga Vol. 3

When you’re a person of consequence, it’s difficult to live a life free of the responsibility of your power. Rit, the princess, and Red, the brilliant brother of the hero, continue their attempt to live out an idyllic existence as village apothecaries. But the past is chasing them down in the form of a one-time comrade, a traitor, and a mysterious man who may be most formidable of all. Volume three of Banished From the Hero’s Party continues to put forth all those good vibes that come along with the blossoming, cottagecore-brushed relationship between Rit and Red, but tensions are quickly rising. A considerable part of these chapters are spent on the turncoat Dir, providing the mangaka an opportunity to give more context for both Red’s relationship with Rit in the past and for his camaraderie with his former party, including his sister, whom we learn much more about in these chapters. She is equal parts dopey and terrifying. The fantasy elements of the tale are becoming stronger, accompanied and strengthened by Masahiro Ikeno’s beautiful artwork. I’m still most compelled by the peaceful elements of the story, but as it turns more and more toward adventure, I’m hopeful that the story will continue on this upward trajectory. ~ Twwk

Banished From the Hero’s Party is published by Yen Press.

READ: Banished from the Hero’s Party: I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Manga) Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2)

Fly Me to the Moon, Manga Vols. 12-13

These volumes build on the previously introduced plot thread of Nasa’s job at a girls’ high school. There’s a discussion of whether Tsukasa is jealous—and should she be? We have some comedic encounters with specific students. In volume thirteen, we finally get a proper introduction to a mysterious student named Kaguya; her name implies a connection to the moon. Nasa has a mysterious dream about his wife. Oh, and now Aya wants Nasa to dig a pond, which leads to Tsukasa discovering how cool her husband can be. Later, thanks to Aya’s bullying, Nasa and Tsukasa get dragged out to a “haunted” mansion by the school film club (hilariously, the students actually recognize Aya as a content creator!). It kind of looks like we might be heading toward an encounter between moon-associated Tsukasa and moon-associated Kaguya. It is hard to know what to say about this series at this point. It’s still the sweet romantic comedy with nerdy references and hints of mystery that it’s always been. You probably know by now if you like it, so I’m not sure what else to write about. I still like this manga and plan to keep reading it. ~ Jeskai

Fly Me to the Moon is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Fly Me to the Moon Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11)

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Manga Vol. 4

Kubo and Shiraishi finally go on their first date! Of course, this being a romcom manga, it’s not like an “official” real date, but it might as well be. And the result? The date, taking place over several chapters, is equal parts cute and meh, the former because that’s what Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible excels at—”aww” moments between the leads when they watch a movie together, or compare their heights with one another, or touch each other’s hair—and the latter when the series tries to be more serious, such as when it sexualizes Kubo or tries to create a bit of physical intimacy between the leads. The artwork in this series is amateurish and, in fact, feels like it’s regressed somewhat over the volumes. The characters are cutesy but not detailed, and many panels appear half-finished. So when there’s supposed to be some sort of sexual tension between Kubo and the very comically-drawn Shiraishi, it feels out of place, as if the mangaka doesn’t know his own series. Those scenes, combined with the fairly dull early chapters in volume four, remind me that, by this point, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is what it is: A romcom with plenty of cute moments that’s good for filling time, but which won’t ever leave you clamoring for more. ~ Twwk

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3)

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“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

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three--rings · 2 years

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Okay fine, guess I’m gonna talk about Kinnporsche now.

This isn’t a review or a rec post so much as, My Thoughts on KinnPorsche, let me show you them. (Anyone? Appropriate extremely dated reference is appropriate.)

So despite my love of many danmei and danmei-sourced media, I don’t do a lot of BL series. I dipped my toe in the yaoi and BL manga pool a while (like a decade?) ago and just never got grabbed by it.

And BL series have several points that generally count against them for me: one is the amount of them that feature very young characters/actors and focus on school stories. Look, I’m in my 40s. That starts to feel creepy real quick, as well as just being boring to me. I don’t like a lot of modern drama PERIOD because it bores me, I much prefer historical/fantasy/etc.

Secondly, the style of humor that tends to be used in BL involves a lot of second hand embarrassment and that shit is LETHAL to me. Like I physically cannot watch it. So while I’ve been curious about various BL series, especially Taiwanese and Thai series, I’ve rarely actually decided to watch them. (Really the exception was Cherry Magic, which was fine but didn’t do a huge amount for me because it was so sickly sweet and also so embarrassing.)

Okay, but Kinnporsche had a huge amount of hype around it and I was like, what’s up with this and how is it different? And first of all, the fact the two mains are Entire Adults was a big draw. (The actors are 27 and 30, thank god for adults.) So I watched ep 1 (motivated mostly by a gifset of the fight scene cause yes, I’m that messy thank you). And I liked it a lot. Like, it felt a little like a guilty pleasure, a fantasy mafia fanfic world where all the men are allergic to shirt buttons but very compelling in its way.

I guess, if you don’t know, I’ll briefly talk about the plot. Kinn is the heir to a mafia family and his life is saved by Porsche, a bartender, who is recruited to be his new bodyguard thanks to him paying off a large family debt. Porsche is an entire disaster of a person, addicted to getting drunk and screwing women in alleys and fucking things up a lot, but has a heart of gold. Kinn is extremely gay and really pissed about how attracted he is to this dumbass.

So anyway, then the second episode dropped and I HATED EVERY SECOND OF IT and nearly quit the show entirely and also nearly posted a long rant about it. The second episode is pretty much entirely Porsche being embarrassed and embarrassing as he’s introduced to the EXTREMELY unrealistic world of Being a Bodyguard for Kinn’s Family. (I would just like to say that if I were going to adapt this story, I’d set it in a near-future sci-fi world because that would explain the amount that it resembles anything the least bit believable or realistic.)

But so I spent like a week wondering why everyone seemed to love this show so much and didn’t seem to have the same problems with it I did. Like, for real, I was in the tags like...Explain To Me, and I guess that’s why I watched ep 3. And..it wasn’t as bad. Part of what I didn’t like in ep 2 was the character of Kinn’s older brother Tankhun and getting into that would be a long conversation, but he’s...an extremely quirky, very effeminate apparently queer person who is “crazy” and....yeah. But he improved once I saw he wasn’t just a joke or meant to be an antagonist. (Cause he felt kinda like the “evil Wrong Kind of gay” to contrast with Kinn’s “right” kind of gay, but that’s not where it went really, so okay, fine.)

And to be clear, the show continued to have Moments. Like the chemistry of the leads is Insane and the nature of the relationship is totally My Kind of Thing.

Then episode four...well upped the stakes. By getting quite a bit more problematic, but also...in a way that...had my attention. (More on this a little later, I’m avoiding spoilers now.)

And episode five showed more skill in the way the story was told and ALSO telegraphed their intention to handle the problematic elements seriously, which made me tentatively back on the show’s side. (Okay, I was really enjoying it by this point, ngl.)

And then they dropped episode six on us. Episode six. In which, our two heroes are handcuffed together and lost in the jungle For Plot Reasons and have to Work Together to Survive and also Work Our Their Shit. And omg omg omg. It was literally the best thing. Like, tropey, sure, the whole show is, but omg it was done so well and so skillfully and beautifully acted. The whole episode is just...adorable and touching and moving and you get to watch these two really fall in love For Real and also I fell in love with them at the same time.

And episode seven continued to give me confidence in this show’s ability to both surprise and handle complicated material a mature and thoughtful way. There are so many episodes left, and wtf is this show going to do to us?

I will say this show is very much not for everyone. It’s pretty violent and not really ashamed of its violence. It’s a mafia story and gets fairly dark in that regard, not always condemning the violence either. It’s not gory or like Gross about it. But still. Must enjoy morally grey characters. (Probably ESPECIALLY since the main series villain is also one of the secondary romantic couple? Which I’m personally not looking forward to because I’d like him to burn in a fire, but we’ll see.)

It’s NOT a show for anyone who, say, finds the work of MXTX too morally impure. Like, do we have some consent issues? Yup, we sure do. But big trigger warning for sexual assault and impaired consent and the aftermath of those things. Which I think is actually handled pretty damn well ultimately, but YMMV so be warned.

Discussion of sexual assault below the cut, also spoilers.

So to get at my feelings about ep 4, etc. In ep 4, for anyone who hasn’t seen the show, Porsche is drugged by the villain character who attempts to rape him. Kinn finds him in time and insists on being alone with him, and no one else taking care of him. Porsche throws up on both of them, which leads to them getting mostly undressed, and is very intoxicated by the drug and comes onto Kinn STRONG. Kinn tries to resist but eventually gives in and they have sex. The morning after, he is pretty closed off about the whole thing. Porsche reacts like...someone who has been sexually assaulted, mostly. They don’t directly address it with each other until ep 6, when they explicitly do and it’s really well done, IMO.

This pairing is obviously messy and what happens in ep 4 was clearly crossing a line, but the narrative TREATS it as such. Porsche struggles with the aftermath, both being seemingly rejected by Kinn but also pretty clearly in the smoking the bathroom scene, with the fact of having been assaulted by Kinn. But so does Kinn, who very obviously KNOWS he did wrong and fucked up and is having a hard time dealing with it and honestly this all felt real to me. A lot of it is in the performances which, these two DON’T stop impressing me.

Ep 7 has a little bit of the same messiness. I don’t think Porsche is actually (that) drunk at the end, I think he was faking it. But there’s a little bit of toxicity in the beginning of the scene with him and Kinn, from both sides. (Understandably from Porsche’s part.) And working it out through sex isn’t top of the Relationship Therapy Guidebook.

But also, it feels Real to me. Like, real relationships, especially sexually intense ones, can be very messy at the beginning in just this way. And I’m honestly happy to see this kind of messiness portrayed because there’s so much out there that is sanitized into perfection, in which fictional characters aren’t allowed to do anything imperfect at all.

On the other hand I’m way less enthused about the prospect of Vegas getting a redemption/romance arc. And not very happy with the other romance with Chay and Kim, though I don’t know if that’s going to be a thing or what, but...err, it makes me squirm both for embarrassment reasons and for Kim being ethically dubious AF.

Like I’m enjoying Kinn and Porsche so much because they can take each other’s shit, yanno? Porsche, for all his sad puppy eyes, and Kinn for all his fragility, they can both take and dish it. I feel like they are on the same level in a great way. The other pairs? Not convinced, gulp.

#kinnporsche #threerings watches kinnporsche #please fans don't come for me #I'm writing this mostly for my followers and just sharing my honest reactions #honestly I'm In It now for this show RIP

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asphodelical · 2 years

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The Great Anime Rewatch of 2022 - Part XII

Macross 7

First watched: January 2013 Rewatched: August 2022

Original rating: 5 New rating: 4

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh okay. Macross 7 is the most universally hated entry in the franchise. It was my lowest rated and least favorite Macross, too. This was the last Macross on my list. My opinion on every other installment changed to some degree, mostly for the worse. I’m sorry to say that this one is no exception.

It has such Saturday morning cartoon energy, which would be fine if the story didn’t progress at a snail’s pace. I genuinely can’t tell if it’s self aware or not. I don’t care for Fire Bomber as a group, as individuals, or their music. My enjoyment peaked when Rex tried and utterly failed to seduce Basara.

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Code Geass + R2

First watched: circa 2007, 2008-original airdate Rewatched: August 2022

Original rating: 8, 8 New rating: 4, 6

It has been so long since I last touched Code Geass. Since it finished airing, so many other shows have taken to copying it, and mostly failing to recreate its success. (The biggest instigator being Sunrise themselves.) Going into rewatching the original TV show, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it.

First season - I was…bored. The school life sections were an absolute chore, and I don’t think the existence of the mechas was necessary. Clamp’s noodly character designs have never adapted well into animation. The only things I found joy in were:

-the music -Wakamoto Norio’s honey baked ham performance as Charles. -episode 19 because the bulk of it focused on just a few main characters and their relationships

By episode five, I was already over it. I only started getting remotely invested again after The Plot Twist. But not enough for me to score it above a four. Also, for a supposed genius, it takes Lelouch way too long to figure out the limitations of his powers, and he didn’t think to use something to alter his voice? Dumb.

R2 - This was so much better!!!! I mean, I still don’t care for a lot of it (like all of the politics), but I had a much more enjoyable time here. I love how the first episode parallels the first first episode, and throws all these new and crazy things at us without any explanation. Honestly, what a great choice. More memorable moments and story beats all around—you know the ones. (That moment when ‘Continued Story’ starts still hits so hard. Great directing.) But I really couldn’t wait for this to be over.

There’s a saying that goes, “my career plans were much more exciting when I was five.” For me, “Code Geass was much more exciting when I was fourteen.” Just like Suzumiya Haruhi, I have moved past Code Geass.

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Cardcaptor Sakura + Movie 1 + Movie 2

First watched: 2006 Rewatched: August 2022

Original ratings: 9, 8, 8 New ratings: 9, 5, 8

I’ve reread the manga multiple times and own a portion of it. But for the first time, I’m revisiting the very first anime I ever watched in Japanese in its entirety. Let’s fucking go.

First things first: the anime and manga are the same yet completely different entities. Aside from the fact the anime gives Sakura a whopping 52 Clow Cards, and the anime original character of Meilin, it also fixes the only issue with the manga: the weird relationships with unacceptable age differences. (I.E. Rika and Terada-sensei, and Kaho and Eriol. Rika’s is maintained as a crush, and Kaho and Eriol never state the nature of their relationship.) The thing that I wish they kept is Fujitaka’s connection to Clow, and Syaoran’s confession to Sakura kind of sucks here.

Also, Meilin. Her character trope is outdated: anime original girl who exists to be a “love rival” to the heroine. She’s pretty intolerable in her initial episodes, but gets significantly better as she gets less aggressive.

One of the first things I realized is Cardcaptor Sakura's episodes are slow. Because the show added so many things (characters, cards), not every episode (or card) is a winner. (Fight, Loop, Twin, Voice, uuuuugh. Not to mention the potentially story breaking cards that are almost never used, like Erase and Create.)

But. But. Cardcaptor Sakura is still fantastic. Despite its weaker aspects and padding, I love it to pieces. It absolutely nails the emotional moments, which transcends it from other series of similar nature. It’s also one of the cutest anime ever. (In a genuine way; Not a pandering, manipulative, obnoxious way.) I teared up on the final shot of the winged heart card like a fucking sap. It was great.

My biggest takeaways on this rewatch are:

1. Yue is still my favorite character. 2. Touya and Yukito are one of the few gay couples from 90s-00s anime that aren’t queerbait, or derogatory, or fetishized in any way. Their depiction is 100% wholesome and is absolutely acceptable all these decades later. I’m glad the anime didn’t shy away from the explicit nature of their relationship. Stan the queers, my dudes.

Movie 1 - It’s okay. Weaknesses of films like this one is when it focuses more on the original character than the legitimate cast. Madoushi was giving me Jon Snow in season 8 vibes, with her one constantly repeated line of, “Where is Clow Reed?”

Movie 2 - This is what I’m talking about! The Sealed Card absolutely holds up and remains a worthwhile continuation of the anime. I love how Meilin and Tomoyo have teamed up to get Sakura and Syaoran together. There were actual stakes this time, and it tested Sakura way more than the first film did.

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Kaiba

First watched: February 2012 Rewatched: August 2022

Original rating: 7 New rating: 5

The only thing I remembered about Kaiba was its opening song. I don’t think I really understood it on my first viewing. How has ten years shaped my perception of this show?

Kaiba’s core concepts are absolutely horrifying. The ability to separate bodies and minds with such ease, and then being able to monetize and manipulate both is just…yikes. It’s completely dissonant to its cartoonish art style, and I like that.

Its initial episodes are really good. Lots of strong emotional moments and slow expansion on its concepts and internal logic. After episode four, my interest spiraled downwards. A lot of my un-enjoyment of Kaiba was solely due to Vanilla. What an unpleasant and irritating fellow. I can’t say I was sad when he kicked the bucket. My interest sort of rekindled around episodes 7-8, and after that, well, I can’t really say I liked the direction the story went in—it turned into a basic good/evil story, and threw whatever remained of the gray morality in the trash. In the end I only enjoyed the first few episodes.

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Hataraki Man

First watched: February 2012 Rewatched: August 2022

Original rating: 8 New rating: 7

I watched this way too early. I wasn’t even a part of “the workforce” when I first watched Hataraki Man. Now as an active working adult person, this will no doubt change my opinion of the show. For better? For worse? Or the same of whatever I remember? (It’s not much.)

The sheer amount of relatable shit in the first episode alone hurts me. (As someone who is also very conscious of their “sex-free record,” I had to laugh because I’ve got Matsukata beat by YEARS. Three months? HA. THAT MEANS NOTHING TO ME.)

Aside from being about work and how work affects each person, Hataraki Man is about empathy and learning to understand other people’s perspectives. It lost steam in the last few episodes, and the subplot with Matsukata and her ‘boyfriend’ was unfulfilling—everyone knew they were going to break up. Dragging it out for the entire season was just…eesh. What did she see in him anyway? He sucks. It would’ve been more interesting and less stagnant if Matsukata dumped him in the first half, and learned to get over him in the second.

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Mouryo no Hako

First watched: I have no idea Rewatched: August 2022

Original rating: 8 New rating: 4

The things I remember about Mouryo no Hako include: high school girls being dismembered, a big device trying to perform all of the functions of the human body, and a bunch of men trying to solve the mystery.

Mouryo no Hako is fully committed to its atmosphere. It takes itself very seriously. The music is relaxing and peaceful for the majority of the run time; mostly comprising of songs that will lull just about anyone to sleep. The downside it that it robs the show of tension, with appropriate tension-y music not kicking in until episode nine.

One of Mouryo no Hako’s most defining traits is that it’s extremely dialogue heavy. Two consecutive episodes were comprised of three characters waxing mythological in the same room. Despite the non-stop talking, I honestly can’y say I know or understand who the characters are as people.

It’s difficult to be invested in the mystery when the show itself forgets it in the middle section, and the characters don’t inspire interest. I kept asking myself questions like: “why does this information matter?” and “what purpose does this character serve?” and kept coming up empty. There were some really strong visuals and shots, but it’s not like those few moments were able to save my opinion of Mouryo no Hako. Revisiting this one was a drag.

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Earl & Fairy

First watched: circa 2008, probably Rewatched: August 2022

Original rating: 4 New rating: 4

I can’t believe I rewatched this. I needed something easy that didn’t have a lot of screaming. Earl & Fairy feels like a relic from a bygone era of light fantasy shoujo. It’s thinly veiled wish fulfillment, unambitious, and the European setting is mostly a backdrop—it only matters when they need to travel somewhere specific. The dialogue is enough to fill a cheese festival. Yet I was still entertained in its mediocrity. To its credit, the story moves swiftly. Hardly a paragon of shoujo, but a far cry from the worst of it. It was also nice listening to Nana being an ingenue. She never gets roles like Lydia anymore.

#anime

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dereksmcgrath · 2 years

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Why is it the walking dumpster fire and his sweat-soaked fear that gets me back to this manga?

“Despite It All…” My Hero Academia, Chapter 360. By Kohei Horikoshi, translation by Caleb Cook, lettering by John Hurt. Available from Viz.

Yeah, it’s been a long time since I got back to writing reviews for My Hero Academia. I hate to admit it, but the story has not worked for me, not since Star and Stripe got fridged for the sake of making things more serious for the cast of characters, to explain why other nations aren’t getting involved, and to waste some deeper lore about All Might. I was hoping to see how things would turn out as the plot continued, but it’s taken forever for me to feel like I could jump back in.

But two things roped me back into talking about this series.

First, I decided to try doing a Twitch live reading of new manga releases for Sunday, July 24, 2022–which was a comedy of errors, from slow Internet, failure to record, failure to upload the portions of the recording I managed to get, typos in slides, rambling, and barely getting through manga chapters of three series at length and a few other chapters I had to rush through. But hey, feel free to check out my Twitch at this link in the future.

Second, what roped me into this chapter was what it does with one of my least favorite characters. I don’t dislike Bakugo necessarily because I think Horikoshi is doing a bad job at writing him–although, maybe his apology could have come far earlier in the tale, although that would diminish the impact it has on just how much he and Izuku have changed. Rather, I just don’t like Bakugo personally–he’s a dumpster fire of shit.

And yet, I read this chapter, and I sympathize with him, because it taps into a quality about the character I noticed (in this link) way back in the first season of the anime: he is frightened.

But before I get to that, I should address the major detail that it seems more fans want to talk about–and it’s a reason why I really need to stop reading spoilers before chapters actually come out, because those spoilers set the stage for what the fandom thinks is most worth looking at, and influences me to doubt myself whether what I notice is actually that interesting.

When I heard that we were possibly getting a Quirk Awakening for Bakugo, I was irritated. I tried to deny it, thinking the little starbursts around Bakugo in this chapter’s last panel was just his sweat exploding. And it’s not like I saw anything about his abilities somehow augmenting in the way we saw with Toga now able to not only impersonate someone but to use their Quirk as well.

But then I saw that wavering effect around Bakugo’s irises, and, yeah, we’re probably giving him this significant power-up so he can, despite the possessed Shigaraki’s teasing, catch up to Izuku.

I’m irritated, not just because this power-up is less believable. I know referring to a video game’s fighting options is silly when analyzing a manga’s narrative and world-building, but at least I can accept Toga assuming someone else’s Quirk, not only to level the playing field in her upcoming battles, but because that’s what the video game series My Hero One’s Justice already did with her, similar to giving Shigaraki certain enhanced abilities more akin to his newer powers in the manga than where he would have been at those moments in the story. So, with Bakugo, what power-up can he get that I can rationalize as, “Oh, yeah, that’s what a video game would do to have this make sense.” Basically, this is a reverse of how you make a Super Mario movie or a Sonic the Hedgehog movie: you imagine things in the movie that, once adapted for video game play, would actually look like something in a video game, whether why rings are the collectible or why blocks are floating over the platforms.

But as I said, I’m irritated not just because a power-up for Bakugo feels less believable. I’m also irritated because the focus on a potential awakening for Bakugo overlooks what I consider to be the real meat of this chapter: Bakugo’s Quirk is still fueled by fear.

Long ago, way back when I first reviewed Season 1 of My Hero Academia, I wrote at this link about how at the heart of Bakugo’s Quirk is his sweat, perspiration brought about not only by his excitement for battle and his hard physical labor to get ahead of his classmates. No, it’s also that fear that someone like Izuku could be just as good as him, or even better. As much as I dislike Shigaraki reducing Bakugo’s emotions to just feelings of inadequacy (as I’ll address in a moment), he’s not wrong that there is a fear in Bakugo that he may not be as good as he thinks he is.

And that all makes sense for where Bakugo started in this narrative.

Before he enrolled in UA, he was surrounded by students with Quirks–and Izuku–but since his first years at school, he was praised for how flashy, destructive, and powerful that Quirk was, making people think this hotheaded, violent, nearly sociopathic brat was as suitable for Pro Hero work as, say, Endeavor or Mirko. But once Bakugo is in UA, it’s not only Izuku, now empowered with a Quirk who risks outshining him, but so many other students whose Quirks are either stronger than his or have the potential to make those students the next Number One Pro Hero. Sure, Bakugo won the Sports Festival, but the fact that someone under-valued like Tokoyami, and someone more talented like Todoroki, came in third and second shows the competition is still tight.

But as I hinted, there is something about Shigaraki’s dialogue with Bakugo that doesn’t work for me. I’m not convinced that Bakugo only sees himself as second-best to Izuku, or, rather, that the story is not also showing that Izuku feels the same when looking towards Bakugo. I know it’s inappropriate to draw upon details not coming directly from the mangaka, but even the lyrics to the second theme for the anime, “Peace Sign” performed by Kenshi Yonezu, has a persona that keeps feeling inadequate by comparison to someone close to them–the repetition of feeling like you’re “number two” (...let’s ignore that this implies Bakugo is literally a flaming piece of shit and instead acknowledge that, if that lyric is not speaking to either Bakugo or Izuku thinking they are lesser than the other one, I don’t know what does). Give a listen at this link to an English translation of the second theme song performed by Studio Yuraki and consider how that portion of the song can be interpreted just as easily coming from Izuku as it could come from Shigaraki’s imagining of Bakugo.

(And I go through this whole post without once bringing up, “Oh, it’s all another Star Wars reference by Horikoshi: Yoda’s speech about what fear leads to. And now I get to sit with the uncomfortable thought that hothead bully Bakugo avoided a lot of the dark path Anakin took.)

Random Asides:

I’m really trying to give credit to the story for just having Shigaraki turn into body horror, with the excuse that the modifications to his body to take on so many Quirks means he can grow additional fingers, then hands, now mouths inside hands–and I give up trying to make sense of this, I’m just here for the visuals and the horror, I’m treating this as average to good science fiction where the fictional science explains what is happening and I just focus on plot and characterization.

Was Shigaraki actually blowing up that much blood from Bakugo, or does the black background in some panels serve as only a visual representation of what it feels like, not what we would actually see on the battlefield?

I wish I had more to say about the Big Three, because, as typical with long-running serialized narratives, the fans do so much more with characters to flesh out their lives–their friendships, loves, hobbies, families, biographies–that we just don’t get here. Nejire saves the day, we confirm more what Mirio was up to, and Amajiki doesn’t bother to correctly refer to scorpions as arachnids, not insects.

I also can’t say that I’m buying Mirio’s accusation that Shigaraki has no friends. The dude is traumatized, lost his family, lost his memories, was brainwashed, and was made into a tool for All For One’s ambitions. I’m not saying all of that should make us sympathize with him, but it makes us understand why someone doesn’t have friends. And it’s not correct. Maybe this, as with my thoughts on the Big Three, is my fault, for accepting fans’ headcanon over what the text shows, but Shigaraki, while not friendly to his teammates, has at least accepted them as individuals that he doesn’t treat as only cannon fodder–even as, yeah, they are still cannon fodder–but as people with feelings, motivations, and desires that he wants to understand and respect–even as, yeah, again, they are cannon fodder, he wants to know how to use them to further his agenda. But he’s far more honest about his goals. And at least he’s not Dabi pulling the strings on Twice and Toga. And at least Shigaraki gave a shit enough to avenge Magne.

Did Shigarki’s attack slice off Mirio’s head at the eyeline? I’m sure that’s just Mirio using his Quirk to become intangible, but, jeez, another death scare in this chapter.

#my hero academia #katsuki bakugo #manga review #spoiler #spoilers #long post

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lettuceflower · 3 years

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Alright, now that the episode has officially aired and everyone has seen the iconic Akito Flying Choke Slam™, here’s a compilation I would like to call:

Season 3 Moments I am Worried About

(aka moments that are already dramatic enough but the director is probably going to turn them up to an 11 because more intense = better, apparently. 🙄)

spoilers under the cut of course.

kyo’s dream

kagura SLAP

haru’s rage

ren shenanigans 🤪🔪

attempted stab

the actual stab

tohru’s cliff fall

kyo and yuki FINAL FIGHT

#fruits basket #tohru honda #yuki sohma #kyo sohma #akito sohma #LOL THERE ARE SO MANY INTENSE SCENES THEY COULD POTENTIALLY RUIN #it’s bound to happen to one of them #place your bets on which ones will get the flying choke slam treatment! :)#(im sorry im being very snarky right now but im doing this to cope)#god i really hate to say it but these moments are a big reason why i’m not as hyped for season 3 #i don’t hate these moments in the manga but knowing how this adaptation has been going i can’t help but go into every ep nervously now #i hate that i have to watch this anime like ‘oh man what emotional scene are they going to make over-the-top this time”’#i wish i could just sit down and enjoy the show but the director has tramped all my good will towards this adaptation by this point #this is why i watch the ep and then immidiately reread the equivalent manga chapters to cleanse myself LOL #i’m sorry for sounding whiny i just wish they didn’t feel the need to overdo moments like these #i genuinely think at the very least one of these is going to be botched #mark my words #probably anything with the knife is gonna be soooo bad #also tohru’s cliff fall is going to look real bad -_-#fruba posts

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vhenanshiral · 3 years

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On the Topic of Seiya Kou.

This is a Sailor Moon post rather than a Dragon Age post. Shocker, I know, but Sailor Moon is another one of my loves. This will focus on the 90s anime adaptation of the manga. So do not come at me with “but in the manga,” because the 90s adaptation and the manga were incredibly different in multiple ways. Seiya will be referred to as she/her because the male form was a disguise. That being said, any interpretation of Seiya’s gender is valid and I love them all! Anyway. I see a lot of shit talking about Seiya and it’s honestly ... super tiring. So many of the “negative” points against Seiya are misinterpreted, misunderstood, and misrepresented for the sake of making her look like a dumpster fire. 1. “Seiya is creepy towards Usagi and stalks her.” Except ... she doesn’t. They meet by accident numerous times, and in fact Usagi even seeks Seiya out. They develop a friendship, and it’s normal and natural for friends to seek each other out. Usagi and the girls actually, literally stalk the Three Lights more than once during the season. 2. “Seiya thinks Usagi is weak because she told Mamoru to take care of her when they left.” This honestly makes no sense to me. It is repeatedly shown that Seiya admires Usagi’s strength, both as Usagi and as Sailor Moon. It is natural to want the people you love to be protected, and that does not mean that you think they’re weak and incapable of protecting themselves. Seiya knew Usagi was capable and strong because she had seen her demonstrate these traits multiple times. Throughout the season, Seiya repeatedly lifts Usagi up with her confidence in her capabilities. This is even before she knows she is Sailor Moon. Let’s not forget that when Galaxia kills all of the Inners, they ask the Starlights to protect Sailor Moon, so saying that Seiya telling Mamoru to take care of her means she thinks she is weak ... that must mean everyone else thinks she is too, right? It’s absurd. 3. “Seiya can’t take ‘no’ for an answer, always hits on her, and is constantly pressuring her into a relationship.” It is true that Seiya repeatedly quips about “having a chance” with Usagi. It’s also true that Usagi repeatedly reminds Seiya that she has a boyfriend. But it isn’t true that Seiya repeatedly attempts to coerce her into a relationship. It also isn’t true that she does it all the time. While she shouldn’t have done it even more than once (when she was unaware of Usagi’s relationship status,) it’s obvious from the context that she isn’t being serious. Seiya repeatedly making quips is an issue, and while those kinds of situations can and often do mean someone is being a “Nice Guy,” a predator, an abuser, etc., we know from everything that we see that it is not the case with Seiya. Let’s take the “date,” for an example: Seiya throws it out there (literally, just time and place and walks off) and Usagi willingly shows up the next day and is even irritated that Seiya is late. Usagi is not forced or coerced into the date; she retains all of the power regarding whether or not she shows up. She would not have gone if she didn’t want to. Actually, let’s look at these instances of Seiya hitting/making a move on Usagi. - In the “date” episode, Usagi thinks that Seiya is going to make a move on her. Some suggest that Usagi thinks she is going to kiss her, but the language, Usagi’s expressions, and her reaction to the truth seem to imply that she thinks Seiya is suggesting something more intimate. - In the episode with the beach monster when Chibi Chibi opens up the door and pushes Seiya over on to Usagi, Usagi is the one who, again, assumes Seiya is up to No Good, despite it being a complete accident and innocent on Seiya’s part. - In the episode where Seiya spends the night at Usagi’s because she’s alone and Seiya very nearly confesses who she is to Usagi while they’re in her bedroom, it is Usagi who believes that Seiya is going to confess to having a crush on her. - Later in that same episode, when they are hiding in the cabinet and Seiya again thinks about confessing her true identity to her, it is Usagi who thinks Seiya is about to suggest something intimate. In fact, throughout the season, it is everyone from Usagi, to the other girls, to single-episode characters, to even Luna who think that Seiya is going to suggest or attempt illicit activities with Usagi, and not Seiya. It is all but explicitly stated that Usagi is attracted to Seiya. Not just because of the implications of her assumptions, but also because she is scolded over it. In fact, Rei tells her that she needs to sort her feelings out. Haruka and Michiru forbid her from seeing Seiya because she has Mamoru. She may not love Seiya the same way, but she is attracted to her and she does love her (and Usagi being attracted to other people is not a new thing.) Let’s look at the softball episode, because it’s ... pretty problematic and people often point to it as being one of the episodes that paint Seiya as some creepy stalker who can’t just take a hint and tells everyone that Usagi is her girlfriend. It is Rei who thinks that Seiya training Usagi in softball is inappropriate (let’s remember that it is Ami who thinks that something illicit is going on with Seiya and Usagi in the bodyguard episode...) because Mamoru is Usagi’s boyfriend, not Seiya. It is Sonoko who insists that Seiya’s “relationship” with Usagi isn’t acceptable, and it is her that places the bet that if Seiya’s team loses, she’s not to associate with Usagi anymore. Seiya agrees because she’s competitive, hates to lose, has confidence in herself and Usagi, and knows that Sonoko is wrong. When Usagi tries to interject about the actual nature of their relationship (that they’re not dating,) it’s the girls who shush her because they’re expecting Seiya’s team to lose and that will give them the opportunity to make Seiya feel better. I want to touch on the “Seiya knows Sonoko is wrong” part. I think what a lot of people don’t think about is that when Sonoko placed this bet and openly stated her disapproval of Seiya spending time with Usagi, Sonoko was attacking Usagi’s worth as a person. She was openly saying that Usagi wasn’t good enough to be hanging out with Seiya in any capacity. Seiya took issue with this because she obviously believes and knows differently. She values Usagi as a person. Who is Sonoko to decide who is and isn’t good enough to spend time with her? Seiya is not approaching the situation with entirely selfish motives, unlike the girls who fed into the Seiya/Usagi romance for the hopeful eventuality of them being able to comfort Seiya after a loss when she’ll be forced to stop hanging out with Usagi. She uses this situation to help bolster Usagi’s confidence in herself. That doesn’t change the fact that the bet is stupid to begin with, but it is what it is. Oh, additionally ... Seiya doesn’t tell the school that she and Usagi are dating. Them dating is an assumption that Seiya simply doesn’t correct. It’s worth noting that if she did correct that assumption, it would feed into Sonoko’s declaration that Usagi isn’t good enough to be with Seiya. 4. “Seiya tried to make the rooftop scene about herself and used it as a way to try to take Mamoru’s place in Usagi’s life.” This whole entire scene is consistently misinterpreted and has all of the context ripped from it, because that is not what that scene is. No, it 100% was not the best time for Seiya to ask that question (and no, it is not “can I take his place?” that she says,) but people tend to forget that Usagi is not the only vulnerable person in this scene and it isn’t just about her. It is Seiya who triggers Usagi’s emotional breakdown on accident, and in these moments she is watching the person she loves crumble into pieces. The rooftop scene is about both of them and the context makes that clear. Up until this point, the only person who knew that Mamoru wasn’t keeping in contact with Usagi was Seiya. None of the girls knew, none of them. Imagine the amount of trust Usagi had to have in Seiya in order to share that incredibly sensitive information with her and with no one else, not even her closest friends. Usagi had told Seiya a whole 13 episodes before this one, and since finding out Seiya tried her best to make Usagi happy and to keep her mind busy. It isn’t until a few episodes after this that everyone including Seiya finds out that Mamoru is dead. So Seiya spends all of this time believing that Mamoru ditched Usagi when he moved overseas and that he’s a horrible boyfriend who obviously doesn’t care about Usagi. This is naturally hurtful to Seiya, who grows to genuinely like and love Usagi through the season. She cares for her and doesn’t want to see her in pain, which is why she does her best to help Usagi feel less alone. There is no point in the season where Seiya’s intentions are to maliciously shove herself into Mamoru’s place in Usagi’s life. She has no idea who Tuxedo Mask is. She had no idea that throwing the red rose - her own personal trademark - was going to trigger such an emotional response from Usagi. So here they both are on this rooftop in the middle of the pouring rain. Usagi’s breaking down over how alone she feels, and Seiya’s suddenly faced with the realization that not only did she cause this breakdown, everything she had been trying to do to help her wasn’t working and she failed again. She couldn’t save her system/planets, 99.9% of her people are literally dead because she wasn’t strong enough to save them, and she and the other two members of her team had no idea where their princess was or even if she was okay until the episode before this one. Immediately after the destruction of everything they knew, the Starlights had to flee to an alien planet with alien people, disguise themselves, and pander to a bunch of complete strangers that salivated over, stalked, and harassed them, all while searching for their princess and fighting the minions of the person who ctrl+a ctrl+x’ed their home system. She had no time to process any of the unimaginable loss and failure she had suffered through. When people talk about the rooftop scene and about how Seiya “makes it about herself,” this is everything they’re forgetting. When Seiya is asking Usagi if she isn’t good enough, it isn’t Seiya trying to weasel her way in, it’s Seiya both coping with her own numerous losses and trying to remind Usagi that she’s there for her. In the end, Seiya is the one that Usagi credits with being able to get herself through everything she was dealing with.

#sailor moon #sailor star fighter #eternal sailor moon #seiya x usagi #seiya/usagi #seiusa #bssm #bishoujo senshi sailor moon #90s sailor moon #pretty soldier sailor moon #usagi tsukino #tsukino usagi #seiya kou #kou seiya #sailor stars #sailor starlights

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codenamesazanka · 3 years

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I feel like I can’t stress enough how important Spinner is to the ‘My Villain Academia’ arc, and how badly I need BONES to give him the attention and care in portraying him that he deserves. BONES have been pretty faithful to the manga, they’ve followed the story and brought each scene on the page to the screen... Except for some reason not when it comes to the Villains. Maybe it’s because arguably the Villains wasn’t the focal point of the show and they weren’t what most viewers watched the show to see; fine, but that was the case in the beginning and no longer.

Shigaraki Tomura, his exploits, his character, his story *is* the manga: the Heroes and protag react mainly to him and his actions, his past and motivations is one of the main factors that caused the current central conflict, and resolving his character arc is what will probably bring the whole series - to its end or near end. Yeah, imo I argue that everything about him moves the plot along.

Unfortunately(?), I think Horikoshi-sensei realized/decided/planned this a bit too late in his pacing. He said himself during the Stain arc or so that at first, he wasn’t planning on doing villain profiles - he wanted the villains to be scary.

But for the time being, I have no intention of writing about [the villains]. I do the introductions because l personally like those sorts of behind-the-scenes things, and also because I want my readers to feel a connection to the characters. But with villains, I decided I can't have them too likable. They're supposed to be terrifying.

Often it’s what we don’t know/understand/predict/expect (and therefore can’t get a grasp on) that makes things scary/uncomfortable/dislikable. The Villains were strange, seemingly erratic and incomprehensible in their behavior and motivations, malicious without rhyme or reason. Even now, I think a lot of people still think they’re just ‘completely evil crazy psychopaths’.

Anyways, the quote from him is from Volume 7. A whole bunch of volumes later in Vol. 23, he decided nvm: “The story has evolved beyond that point, so I'm ready to start doing villain profiles.” As he said himself, the profiles are to help the readers connect with the characters, make them relatable and likable. That’s what My Villain Academia is all about in the meta sense - to demystify Shigaraki Tomura and his ragtag chaos friends, to give them depth, and to induce interest in their stories, if not sympathy. Hype them up for the rather major roles they play in this ‘final arc’ of the series.

Enter Spinner, the lizard ninja guy.

Besides his unusual looks, Spinner is really, truly nothing special. He’s got a weak quirk, he holds no title of being the strongest or smartest or whatever member of the League, he’s not related by blood or thematically to any major players in the main conflicts, and his ‘tragic’ backstory is completely mundane compared to his allies - he was bullied as a child, and so is fueled by resentment. In the events leading up to the start of the arc, Spinner is the most moral and understandable of the Villains - has a ‘good’ reason for his crimes (eradicate corrupted Heroes), has standards on who he’s willing to fight (questions attacking the police and anyone with a ‘true heroic spirit’), and wants a concrete game plan instead of aimless discord the rest of the League seems alright with.

Once the arc starts, we immediately learn the basics of his character - he’s got a heteromorph quirk that makes his appearance a humanoid gecko and it’s something he was born with that he can’t control, and yet he faces discrimination from literal KKK-type cultists who refuse to see him as human. This was more or less his life in his small, rural hometown, harsh enough that his heart had become ‘completely empty’. It’s simple, it’s relatable and an realistic analogy anyone who has faced prejudice and harassment and been hurt by it can understand.

All this is so Spinner ends up being the most normal and typical sympathetic of the League of Villains, which sets him up to be a sort of ‘gateway Villain’. It’s why he’s narrator. He doesn’t understand at all the crazy All For One shenanigans, he’s thinks Shigaraki is an incompetent weirdo, and he asks what we were all thinking: “Shigaraki Tomura, what the fuck are you doing.” Quite obviously, Spinner’s meant the audience surrogate and so he is. That being a core of the way the story of My Villain Academia is told means it needs be followed by the anime adaption.

This core sets up the rest of the arc - sets up how we will come to view Shigaraki Tomura and his backstory, alongside the rest of the League Villains, their relationships and dynamics with each other, and who they are at heart. Shigaraki’s telling of his distorted origins in Chapter 222 is horrifying as it is already; but it’s Spinner’s worried-facial-expressions reactions littered throughout the chapter that adds to it by telling us one major thing: Spinner’s an empathetic guy, because he immediately feels a kindred spirit with Shigaraki when the latter talks about the hollowness he feels. So begins the audience surrogate’s change of opinion and us readers going along with it, and also: that Shigaraki Tomura now has Spinner’s concern and attention - and is deserving of it.

Pardon the sudden heavily edited quote, but CS Lewis says,

Friendship arises...when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common...which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique [burden]. The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What? You too? I thought I was the only one." ...And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude.

That’s almost word for word Spinner in that moment, suddenly realizing he’s no longer as alone as he thought. He’s no longer as alone, and this means perhaps neither should Shigaraki. Because established in that very chapter, too, is the hate in Shigaraki’s heart fueled by his grief and despair, the loss of his family, past, and faith in others, his misery of thinking he’ll never feel good again. Yet - there’s Spinner, willing to extend some empathy and care, the very antidote to all that Shigaraki had revealed. Because the desire for companionship (or at least the lessening of the pain of loneliness) is universal, even among villains - maybe especially among these villains - we probably love to see it. Want to see it.

On that basis - friendship borne out of empathy - Spinner puts his faith his leader, puts his trust and support, and the rest of the arc is us following the tension of whether he was right to do so. Whether Shigaraki would live up to what Spinner expects of him, whether Spinner will side with Shigaraki despite their earlier conflict. Whether they could become friends, or something like that. And once they do, the consequences of this as things spiral more and more out of control, beyond this arc - that Spinner would know Shigaraki well enough to do something crucial at the turn of a battle later, that Spinner would stick by Shigaraki’s side when he’s in danger, that Spinner is loyal enough to Shigaraki to help him as a friend should.

Through Spinner, we come to see Shigaraki, originally incomprehensible and terrifying, as someone beyond a Villain or a leader, but rather someone valued as a person, a friend, a fellow silly gamer nerd. He’s still scary, of course - just less so, with a seed of doubt of his doom that Spinner - and only Spinner, by virtue of his specific narrative and emotional role in this arc - planted in their characters and the story.

It’s because of Spinner that MVA works, by itself, and as a stepping stone towards the rest of the series. So he really needs to be everything he is, was, and more in the anime adaption please BONES oh my god please

#long post #nalslastworkingbraincell #shigaraki tomura #bnha #mha #heroaca #Spinner #Iguchi Shuuichi #my interpretation of course #but like #everything I said is right there in the text and can be convincingly argued for #so I’m right and it’s mandatory that BONES listens to me

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daim1812 · 3 years

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One Last Time

Levi Ackerman x Reader

Labels: Romance, angst, drama, mentions of suicide, blood, children involvement, pregnancy and death.

Warning: Some manga spoilers. Change of storyline for adaptive purposes.

Song of choice: Saturn by Sleeping at Last

As the sun went down so did his body, sitting down on the log with a perfect view to a hidden lake between enclosed tall trees. Rising up from the mountain, the moon made its way into the night sky.

Levi couldn’t stop himself to stare at the moon. He couldn’t stop breathing the air, feeling it hit his lungs with small fights. He couldn’t stop from repeating the same images in his head.

His squads death made him realize that death was always near. He knew that no matter how much he ran away from it, it was always going to catch up to him.

Mike’s death shook him slightly. He knew this man for his whole years of being in the Scouts, and consider him someone close to him.

Erwin’s death threw him in a verge of loosing himself, almost to the point of ending things. And yet... he found himself weak to the thought. He couldn’t do it, it was someone else’s job to kill him and end his agony. Even when Hange stood there with him and helped him realize that he wasn’t that alone, her sudden sacrifice pushed him into an unknown feeling.

And so he sat there, amaze by the scenery; amazed by the simple thought that he was still... living.

Without a care in the world, Levi closed his eyes and emerge into the swing of the wind. Hitting him softly on the face and pushing his hair back, he indulge in a new feeling he couldn’t describe before.

He was delighted.

He was enlighten.

Yet, he hated that. Everybody else died, leaving him alone to understand himself and hate himself at the same time. All he wanted was... for them to come back. Since Isabel and Farlan, Levi learned the hard way that life isn’t the way he thought it would be. Kenny’s death was another punch in his face. His mother's death since the beginning made him this solitary person filled with problems.

Levi wasn’t normal.

Two pair of hands took him by surprise, but not enough to act defensive. He already knew this hands.

She pressed her face on Levi’s head, her body slightly pushing to his back. Her hands collared on his neck, embracing him thoroughly to her own content.

“What are you doing, Captain?” Her voice swayed Levi’s ears, the melody in her voice making him subtle and nostalgic.

“I have never stopped myself to watch this place, Captain.” He mumbled, almost too low for her to understand, but she did. Levi felt her jaw tense and knew she was smiling.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? This is what we fight for, Levi. For this place, this scenery, for the wind, for the people, for the oceans, for the animals, for us.” She let go of Levi to sit beside him, looking at him.

Levi finally got rid of his bandages, half of his face with a scar that marked a battle in transition; his left eye was hidden over a patch. She wanted so much to contain herself from touching his face once again. One after the other, every time she saw him like this, her hands immediately moved to touch his face. Levi doesn’t care much, but at the beginning he prohibited her to do so.

“Can I...?” The whisper made Levi look down, slowly nodding, not wanting to show her that he needed her to touch him.

Her fingertips rolled on his skin and scars, slowly, and carefully, she continue the path from the chin to his forehead. She stopped the movement once she reached his eye patch, looking at him for confirmation. He didn’t say anything, still staring at the ground in front of him, how the grass moved with the wind.

“I love your eyes, Levi.” She smiled at him, continuing her path, her fingers sinking inside his hair.

He finally let go of a sigh, looking up at her with the most saddest eyes, the color of his eyes slowly fainting by the light of the moon.

“If you die...” He started, stopping her movements. She frowned her eyebrows, looking back at him with fierce.

“Don’t say that. I’m not going to die. I’m not planning on doing so. My plan is to finish this war with Eren and those idiots, and then... we’ll retire in a cabin in the woods. We’ll have lots of kids. I’m still young, I can have at least 7 kids. Don’t you think?” She chuckled, Levi loving so much her action.

When was the last time he felt so affected by the emotions of another person? She had him wrapped on her fingers and yet he couldn’t do anything about that. He didn’t know the feelings he was going through. He didn’t understood what this new emotion was.

Was it really love like the books in the library described?

Was it the love Hange so furiously told him about when they stayed up almost all night drinking with Erwin and Mike?

Was love the past arrangement Erwin had with Nile’s wife?

Or was it that anxious feeling of seeing someone for the first time and noticing how beautiful they were?

He couldn’t decipher anything even if they were together. He was confused with all those emotions flowing into him. From the beginning, in his childhood, he never got to experience love and affection. Farlan and Isabel gave him affection, that friendship, and he learned from that. From Erwin he went through companionship, same with his squad, Hange and Mike. He understood those feelings; he already battled those and lost. Levi knew death, despair, loneliness, sadness; he knew all of those and yet he never once understood love.

She changed those thoughts so easily it scared him.

“You would look so beautiful holding our baby...” Her smile made Levi weak to the knees. How couldn’t he have fallen for her? “My plan is for us to be together until we are old and we decay with time. I want this to be over so we can be happy. What do you think?”

“...” Levi couldn’t say anything. If something he learned from all those years of loneliness and misery, it was to never dream too much. He wanted to live in the present because every time he thought things were alright something ended up wrong.

“Levi?” She looked so worried for him, letting her knees touch the grass in front of Levi.

His hands immediately hold her elbows, not wanting her to get on her knees and get her pants dirty just for him. Yet, she didn’t cared, only pushing away his hands a little bit to not make him feel bad.

“Talk to me, Ackerman.” Her voice soothes him. How many times has he loved hearing her call his name or just say anything in general?

He didn’t wanted to admit it, but having her near him, breathing, laughing, talking, whispering, singing... made him sleep so good for the first time. He finally let go of the worries in her arms and slowly pacified his urges of ending thing. Whenever he could sleep with her, he felt like the world didn’t needed to end just yet. Sleeping with her seemed like the only medicine he needed for days full of regret.

Either way, with those thoughts in his head while he stared down at the girl he profoundly fell for, he couldn’t let himself be like her.

Levi was the opposite of her. Down to earth, cold, and with secrets nobody needed to know. She was an open book, imaginative and lovable. He just didn’t wanted her to feel bad for saying words that could hurt her.

“This is real life, Captain. We are in a fragile situation right now in where we don’t know if tomorrow we will be alive. We live our lives to the fullest imagining that at some point we will stop and notice we fought so hard for our freedom.” Levi’s eyes connects with her, noticing how the light faded a little bit. “I can’t live in a fantasy... not when everything around me is based in reality. You are the one thing,” He stopped for a few seconds, his finger grabbing onto some of her locks. “I can’t loose.”

“You’re in bad luck, Levi, ‘cause I’m going into battle tomorrow and I promise you I will live. I won’t die yet. I can’t leave you alone.” Suddenly she pressed her forehead softly against Levi’s forehead, both of their noses slightly kissing. She closed her eyes and Levi admired her fractions.

He liked her so much.

She was the only reason why he hasn’t indulge into the darkness and end his life right there.

His fingers pressed her locks behind her ear, some of the hair covering his face and hers. She giggled at the humble actions of the man she loved with all her life. He continues to push her hair behind her ears, slowly passing his fingertips on her earlobe.

“Don’t die on me, brat. Keep fighting.” His whisper made her eyes crystallize. She felt the feelings behind those words. He wanted her to continue living even if he didn’t made it through another day.

She shook her head, the hairs from behind her ear falling back on her face as she pulled away from him.

Her hands locked onto his, pressing them on her chest tightly, a little careful of Levi’s bandage hand missing two of his fingers.

“No. Don’t YOU die on me, Levi. I want you to live and fulfill my wish with me. I want you to wake up tomorrow ready to battle and do everything it takes to come back into my arms. Many will die; death is inevitable, yet I’ll be here always. I want you to survive because you deserve to. I know how much you await death. You’ve been waiting for so long to feel it. The grass on your fingers, the blood gushing out of your mouth and the pain. But, Levi, I assure you, nothing is better than living the moment. Nothing will be better than this moment. You and me... finally together. I won’t let you die, Levi. We will have each other’s back. But you will survive even if it means me saving you over and over. I won’t let you fall into a darkness you won’t ever go out. I’ll light up your path every time you see it darken. I’ll keep the light up every time the wind tries to blow it. I’ll be here for you... until death do us apart.” Her eyes quickly tried to gush out the feelings, but the feelings were already dripping down her face.

Levi couldn’t stop himself anymore. He grabbed her cheek, pulled her up a little to be at the same height as him and pushed his lips against hers.

Her lips danced slowly on his, taking almost all the control of the kiss. Even if they were together for so long, Levi didn’t know a lot of things couple usually did. He didn’t know how to kiss, how to compliment, how to touch, how to love. Yet, she didn’t care for those small details. Being near her lover solely made her live happily.

Their lips continued to stick together, Levi wanting so hard to not let go. Maybe he didn’t wanted to let go because he wanted to love the moment like she told him to do; or maybe he felt the need to kiss her one last time just in case something bad happened.

Her hands touched Levi’s cheek, rubbing her fingertips on his cheek. He felt the cold round of tears pressing on his face, sticking them.

Breaking the kiss with a subtle movement, Levi gazed at her up and down, taking a mental picture of his lover for future references. For when the battle came, he could keep calm and fight dedicating his heart.

“Don’t cry, idiot.” He rolled her tear off her face with his right thumb. She nodded quickly, wiping her face with her long sleeve shirt.

“Promise me, Levi... we will fulfill my dream? Just promise me that.” His hand pressing on her cheek, she shoved it even closer to her.

He couldn’t promise that. He just couldn’t. Levi didn’t know if he was going to survive. The situation was getting dangerous and if everything went south, he would have to sacrifice himself to save the others. He needed to give them a future, Levi already fought enough, lived enough.

But now he had her... Now he was supposed to live to keep her by his side. He needed to survive. Yet, he just couldn’t say that to her. He wasn’t very good with words. Showing actions and taking actions was his forte.

The moon shined on them once again, the lighting in his eyes finally shinning again, the back of her head being lightened by the moon as well.

He wanted to live for her.

“I promise.” He mumbled, watching her shriek and throw herself on him, almost pushing both of them back into the ground.

She flowered him with kisses all over his face, being extremely careful of his eye and scar.

“I love you, Levi. Thank you. I’ll keep you safe.” Those words brought him so much joy. An emotion he hasn’t felt at all in his life, yet he was purely in love with this woman and he was going to make her happy.

“Me too, Captain.”

————————————

“Papa, papa, papa!” A little kid, around 6 years old with short dark hair and beautiful grey eyes threw himself at Levi. He catches him almost in midair and makes him sit on his arm and waist.

“What is it, Teo? I’ve told you to not interrupt me while I’m working.” The little kid shrugs his shoulders and purposely hides his face on Levi’s chest.

Levi noticed by the corner of his eye the little girl standing near the door, half of her face looking at him and the kid.

“Alora doesn’t want to play with me and I feel lonely.” His voice makes Levi tremble gently. Who would have thought that the Captain of the Survey Corps was going to be swayed by the adorable side of his older child?

“Alora, come here.” He turns around to the door, the little girl holding onto a dark teddy bear that hanged on her right hand and kept being swept on the floor.

She walked in with her face looking down on the floor. Alora couldn’t lie about it, she was almost scared of her father. He was always so quiet and cold; while she was the opposite. She was curious, a shining sun wherever she went, and a beautiful, intelligent little girl. With only 4 years old she already knew how to do basic math (something her mother continuously felt proud of and mentioned every time).

Levi looked down on her and gently squatted down with Teo on his arms, leading him to stand up on the floor.

Pressing his hand on Alora’s black, long soft hair that fell until her lower back and was tightly put in a ponytail, he smiled at her. Alora looked at her father and smiled back, loving those moments with him.

“Alora, would you like to play with your brother for a little while? Papa has some work to do, but once I’m done I’ll play with both of you. Anything that you want, I’ll play it.” He kept smiling, watching the kids as they celebrated that their dad was finally going to give them some attention. “Go play, kids.”

The kids rushed through the door, running into their rooms to play and have fun with each other.

Letting out a small sigh, Levi got up and sat down on his chair again. He still couldn’t believe he was a father of two children that made his life a whole heaven and a living hell as well.

A knock on the door caught him slightly by surprise, turning his attention towards now the person standing at the door.

He stared up and down at his wife, and how the dress made her look so irresistibly gorgeous.

She smiled at him and entered the room without invitation. Holding on her back for support, or for pain, she finally stood next to him. A hand pressed on Levi’s left shoulder, making Levi close his eyes and sigh again, loving so much her touch.

“You must be exhausted, Levi. Are you sure you can’t just finish this later? I could really use a massage, you know.” She leaned down a little bit, rubbing her nose on his cheek and ear.

“I have to finish today. I’ll be done soon.” Sighing once again, he let go of his desire to stop working and just let her shower him in affection and love.

“You’re so tense, dear.” Her hands touched his shoulders and made pressure on her hands to make him feel at ease. Levi’s head fell back a little bit, seeing his wife enjoying giving him all the love and attention he needed.

“Go do something else, brat. You’re always trying to make me feel good. I’m fine.” Levi pushed his body upwards, breaking the contact of her hands on his shoulders. She chuckled, understanding that Levi didn’t wanted to feel vulnerable at the state of tension he was in.

“Alright, Captain.” She makes the old salute, making Levi tremble at the sight. Even so, she continues to smile, leaning down on him to kiss him on the lips real quick.

“Tsk... idiot.” As soon as he said that, his body lay back at the chair, resting himself on it as he watched his wife walk away with a smile.

As soon as he heard his wife say dinner was ready, his body immediately got up and walked to the living room, seeing how the kids ran to the table. Getting from behind Alora, he helped her get on the chair. Giving her a short smile, Levi sat down at his respective chair, not having any other option than watching his wife put the plates and utensils at the table.

Levi always loved watching his wife do housework. He was a clean freak, and noticing how she always tried her best to keep everything tidy up and clean, made him love her even more. It wasn’t rude or anything, Levi helped a lot in the chores, helping whenever he wasn’t doing his own work.

“You’re slacking off, Levi.” She smiled, putting down the utensils next to his plate. He looked up at her, and her eyes shined to him. God, he could loose himself with just a stare.

“I’m tired.” He said with a sigh, resting on the chair.

“You could finish up quickly, papa.” Teo’s small voice makes Levi smile. His ear rings to that voice and he just enjoy his son’s voice.

“Yes, papa. You have to play with us.” Alora smiles while her mother pours some food on her plate.

“I know, kids.” His wife presses her thumbs to Levi’s nape, slowly rubbing it.

“Papa will be busy, but I’m sure he’ll take some time to play with you, kids. Right, darling?” Levi lets his neck fall back a little bit and looks up at her staring into his eyes. A faint blush covers his cheeks and he tries his best to hide it, yet she already notices.

“Yeah.” Mumbles, staring down at the food that was being served.

After they finished eating, Levi went back to his studio, trying as fast as he could to finish his work.

With a loud sigh, he finally finished doing all the things he had to do. He got up the chair, stretched his back and walked over to the room in where the kids were playing.

Standing on the entrance of the room, Levi let his back touch the wall and just decided to stare for a little bit at the kids giggling and playing.

He never had a childhood like that. All he knew while growing up was self defense. He knew how to stab, how to kill, how to defend himself. Levi didn’t know what other feelings were. The emotions he was feeling right now while watching his daughter show him her doll and his son the little train he got for his birthday, he didn’t know what that was called.

Knowing well enough how to battle an enemy, Levi never thought he would have to be fighting himself over and over in the future. He thought, maybe, after marrying her and starting a new life he would stop all those thoughts. And he did stop those thoughts. The birth of Teo brought into his life a whole new meaning that he didn’t know he needed so much.

Levi found love.

“Papa, papa! Come! Play with us.” The little girl’s voice shook him out of his thoughts. Looking up and down at her, he smiled, walking over to them and joining their small party.

Levi tucked both kids into bed. He wore them out enough for them to be knocked down cold into a huge sleep. Sliding the blanket over Teo and Alora, Levi kissed their small little forehead. If Erwin saw him right now he would have been surprised at the sight of weakness Levi was showing. “What would he say about this?”, Levi thought while staring down at the little girl holding tight her small bear. Nevertheless, Levi didn’t care. All he cared about were those kids and his wife. Erwin was long gone and he knew that if he saw that, Erwin would have been so proud of him. Levi found exactly what Erwin wanted for him, and what he wanted as well. No thoughts would change his mind on what his ex-Commander and best friend would have thought in that situation. Erwin would have been happy.

Turning off the light, Levi closed the door to the room and walked over to the room he shared with his wife.

And there she was, looking over at the door in wait for her husband. She smiled, opening her arms so she could get Levi next to her.

“Tsk. You’re a needy brat.” He crossed his arms, but still walked up to her. She grabs his hand and detangle them from his chest. Bringing him close to her, making him sit down on the bed, she gently pressed his hand on her belly.

Levi felt a knock, a kick, that startled him a lot. A life was in there. His next child was there. Levi finally understood that feeling. He felt it when Teo came the first time and when Alora also came. The feeling of being alive.

“It keeps kicking. It’s so funny.” She whispers near Levi’s shoulder, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

“He wants to kill you. I’ll kill him if he comes out like the other two. Disorganized and dirty.” His comment makes her laugh and Levi has no other option than to enjoy it. He wanted to record that in his mind forever. Her voice and her laugh.

“You silly... They are only like that because you let them be. I remember when I was a Captain and every time I saw you, you were scolding the cadets for leaving dirt everywhere.” She makes him remember, and he just snickers. He really was a strict Captain. And still, he always got the job done.

“I lived so long in dirty and dark places... I didn’t wanted HQ to be the same.” After he finishes talking, he feels another kick, letting go of a small smile.

“The HQ was bland. It was colorless. It reek of death and broken dreams. I didn’t like that so much.” She closes her eyes and rubs Levi’s hand over her belly.

“We didn’t have time to be thinking of colors. We were always living in a die or live situation.” She nods on his shoulder.

“I agree.”

“We should head to bed.” Levi mumbles again, not wanting to take his hand away from her belly or the warmth of her hand on his.

“Mhmm... let’s stay like this for a little while more. I missed your scent.” Her whisper makes Levi shiver, yet he only lets a small grunt come out of his throat, responding to her.

The small shallow breaths she was taking, the thumb rubbing on his hand, her hair falling on his shoulder and her thighs pressing on him made Levi so renewed. At the end of the day, all the tiredness faded away when she was there with him.

He knew she had her eyes closed, she was just resting on his shoulder. Yet, he wanted to look at her, kiss her, hold her, do everything he could think of even if she had a belly growing up. She has done so much for him and continues to do so by loving him every single day of their lives.

Levi slowly pulled his hand away from her belly and her, but now press it on her cheek. She opened her eyes and leaned back from his shoulder, now staring at him with bags under her eyes.

She was fucking stunning even when she was tired.

Letting his fingers roam from her cheek to her ear, pushing the hair to the back of her neck and ear; Levi cut the distance between each other and kisses her. Slowly, shaking and almost afraid of being too aggressive even if he wasn’t. Her hand found Levi’s shirt and gripped it. He pressed his other hand on her cheek and hold her face steady for him to kiss her better. Licking on her lip slowly, he went back and devoured her lips once again, showing off his dominating side.

Hearing her small moan, he let go of her. Staring deeply into her eyes, the small faint blush on her cheeks made him smirk. He loved making her flustered.

Slowly, but surely, Levi pressed his nose against her nose and gave her a lovely Eskimo kiss.

“I love you, Captain.” She said first, leaving him speechless once again like always.

He stared at her up and down, watching her completely. She always had this effect on him. Not for nothing they were married. Even so, Levi couldn’t be so easily frank like her. He loved her, but saying it was so difficult for him. Yet, when seeing her eyes shine the same way it did when they kissed for the first time, Levi couldn’t let her be disappointed on himself. He loved this woman with all of his life.

The woman who saved his life.

“I love you, too, (Y/N).”

————————————

“I’M NOT LEAVING HIM BEHIND, JEAN!!!!” The small faint voices of a girl during a silent world, were being simply shouted against the noise.

“We have to leave. We need to help Armin and Mikasa. If you stay here, we’ll be loosing you too, Captain. Please, reason with me here. We already lost Connie and Reiner is seriously injured. We need you.” Jean tried his best to reason with the girl who fearlessly continued to cry and shout at the tall man.

“NO!!! I CAN’T LEAVE HIM!!” She cries out, her tears falling in Jean’s arms and onto the floor.

“I understand, Captain. But Captain Levi wouldn’t want you to stay here and do nothing. We must continue to fulfill his wish and save the world. Please...” He couldn’t hold her anymore. She kept screaming while trying to push Jean away so she could hold her lover’s body on her arms. “CAPTAIN, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!!”

He let go of her and she fell on her knees, scrapping them against the rocks and sand. Yet, it didn’t hurt. Her body was numb to the exterior damage. She just couldn’t react to any of that. All she could do was cry and cry and keep crying.

Her body crawled closed to her lover’s body and she grabbed his bloody hand.

When did that happened? How did it happened? Where was she? How did she let that happen?

She kept questioning herself over and over again into the smallest details. Levi’s death was upon her and she couldn’t help but blame herself.

Levi’s soulless body was laying on the ground, his left arm missing and his left leg. He was not coming back from this one and she knew it. After everything she promised. After everything she tried to do to keep him safe, she failed every and each of those promises.

“Wake up, Levi... Yo-You... you promised... You pro-promised we were going to live. You promised ME you were going to live. You promised, you promised, you promised... YOU PROMISED!!!” Her shouts could be heard all over the quiet ambient. Jean let some tears fall down as well, his head falling forward to not be seen weak.

She grabbed Levi’s body and got him close to her, pushing his face near her and sobbing. Tears falling down on Levi’s face, almost washing away the dirt and the blood. She just couldn’t believe that was happening. Levi was actually dead, his body resting on her arms.

“You promised... we were going to have kids... and live happy in a little house on the woods! We were going to raise our children the way they never raised us. Please... please... Levi, please, I love you. Don’t go... don’t leave me!”

The sound of her sobbing suddenly were muffled by extremely loud crashing sounds.

Jean looked over to where the sound came and his eyes became plates. He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her forcefully, making her shriek and cry harder.

“Captain, Armin is in trouble. We need you. I know it hurts. I know you and Levi had dreams. But right now, if you don’t stand and get your shit together, everything that Captain Levi fought for will be for nothing! DEDICATE YOUR HEART!” Her red face and covered with tears, dust and blood suddenly came to a halt.

Levi wouldn’t wanted her to be like this and not in that moment. She gazed at Levi’s body on the floor one last time, got closed to it, kneeled down and after crying out her last tears, she gave him a farewell kiss.

She wiped her tears off and got up, her face drastically changing to pure anger.

“Let’s save humanity, Jean. DEDICATE YOUR HEART, SOLDIER!!”

The End

Thank you so much for reading.

Have a good day or night, darling. 🥰

#levi x reader #levi ackerman #levi x y/n #levi angst #levi attack on titan #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #levi romance #couple #blood and death #levi death #self insert #levi x reader fluff #levi x reader angst

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cosmicjoke · 2 years

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Well, I finally had a chance to watch the final episode for Attack on Titan, until the third part debuts, and man oh man, I really don’t have the words.

First, I just want to take my hat off to MAPPA for doing an absolutely extraordinary job of adapting SnK this season. I never felt the criticisms were at all justified, and this 2nd part has only solidified that feeling for me. Everything, from the animation, to the music, to the sound editing, voice acting and direction, has been beyond superb, and truly captured the gravitas, drama, intensity, tragedy and poignancy of this final arc of what is genuinely one of the greatest manga’s I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. This last episode was no exception.

The entire final half, after the flashback, was intensely dramatic, and intensely heartbreaking, and the first half, going into the flashback, when the Survey Corps attempted to go to Marley to try and find some kind of accord through peace, only for them to slam up against their uncompromising, immovable prejudice and malice, truly laid the groundwork for the tragic and overwhelming destruction that the episode ends on.

All I could think, in those final seconds, when the millions of Colossal titans forced their way through the gathered forces of the world, and began to make landfall, and we’re shown the horrified, stricken faces of the soldiers as they can only watch their own, approaching doom, was “This is the destruction you’ve reaped with your own hatred.”. Seeing the callback to Eren, watching his mother devoured by a titan, and then his terrifying conviction as he states that he’s going to wipe them all out, all of his enemies, was truly heart stopping. This truly was the culmination, truly the consequence, of generational guilt, generational blame. Of holding accountable innocent people for crimes they didn’t commit. For continuing to hate others for nothing more than an accident of birth. This is the result of uncompromising ideology and prejudice.

We see Eren, and all of the Scouts, pushed to the brink, backed into a corner with no choice, and through, most tragic of all, no fault of their own. They came to Marley with genuine hope, even as logic told them that success was unlikely. But still, they held to that hope, only to have it thrown back in their faces, and dashed cruelly, as first they were faced with the hatred of the general populace, out in the market, and later, in the assembly, the futility of their mission driven home completely. And we see how it’s this moment, this hopelessness, and the uncompromising rejection against him and his people, which drives Eren to accept the future he saw, and embrace it. Which ignites in him that drive he’s had since boyhood, to fight, and win, at all costs.

I think what made this all particularly affecting was the juxtaposition of the flashback, with the present. The hopefulness and brightness of the members of the Survey Corps getting to experience the wonders of the outside world for the first time in their lives, their excitement and happiness, was genuinely moving. So to have those moments of hope and happiness contrasted with the despair of reality, the cruelty and unfairness of their situation, only made the tragedy of the whole thing that much more powerful.

The world condemned and shunned the Eldian’s of Paradis, and threatened their very existence, their very right to live, for the past one hundred years, showing no signs, no indication, of softening their stance, or rethinking their hatred. They left them no choice, and in the end, it was them who engineered the Rumbling themselves, by continuing to press their hatred upon a group of people who didn’t even know they existed. It was them who created Eren, the tool of their own demise.

What an incredible job MAPPA has done here. They’ve done true justice to this incredible story, created by an incredible artist in Hajime Isayama. Thank you MAPPA, for bringing this final arc so spectacularly to life, and for imbuing it with all the depth, weight, drama, intensity, tragedy, and important it deserves. It’s going to be hard waiting for part 3.

#shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #the final season

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hellyeahheroes · 3 years

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Robin(2021) #1 Review

Opening this comic with an assessment of a character that I have no choice but to agree with is a cheap way to score points with me.

Anyways, we caught heat for being unfair to this story since it was announced because all of us wanted it to be a Cass story since forever. And it became yet another thing Damian absorbs. I mostly ignored it because I’ve always been open about my disdain for the character and his fandom for nearly a decade. I never liked Damian because put these characteristics on a non-white passing character, they’d be dead inside of year. Then again I hate almost all of Grant Morrison monstrosities.

Regardless, new story who dis is in full effect here. We open this bad boy up with Damian gone missing and the Batfamily searching for him. Nightwing tried asking Damian’s old Teen Titans team and they obviously don’t know and probably hope Damian is dead. Tim checked Arkham Ruins(???) and Damian wasn’t there. I honestly don’t think Tim was trying to find Damian. Steph and Cass checked Damian’s farm and Steph concluded Damian has been there at least because while Damian may be a little shit, he loves his dog and pet bat dragon. Barbara checked facial recognition pings and his transactions and dude is an IRS nightmare.

Damian is missing. Bruce is worried that maybe making a violent murderous preteen Robin raised in a cabal of killers to be chief murderer was a bad idea and is worried. Barbara ensures him that they will find his son and we cut to Damian fighting Snake guy in some musty ass fight put somewhere. Because of course it’s a musty ass fight pit because while the story is well drawn, it never claimed to be not cliche.

Damian hands the scrub his ass and it turns out Damian is trying to earn a marker to participate in some tournament. I liked this panel.

Not because of the artist flex of changing the art style, but it establishes Damian with a relatable hobby, reading manga. And not just a Shounen as you expect him to read but a slice of life manga which kind of puts his life in perspective. Also the lesson in the manga is reflective of what happens in the comic. Damian’s mastery is reflective of how he sees Hana. Hana decides to go beyond what her masters taught her. She decides to innovate and make her art her own. And that’s indicative of another flaw of Damian: Damian leans of the prestige of his teachers. He is the student that replicates the style 1:1. He wants to inherit Batman’s mantle, but doesn’t want to shed his teachings that he is proud of. And it comes down to this idea that Damian refuses to innovate and adapt because he is hiding behind his masters.

This panel saved the story so good job.

And after a talk with dead Alfred, it’s revealed that Damian is on this journey as a way to mirror Bruce’s journey into becoming Batman. It’s his way to iron his resolve without a catalyst to find a need to. It highlights his naïveté. He thinks that he can just simply copy the steps and get the same results.

Regardless what happens next simultaneously undermines the story or the impact of it.

Okay, when you think of Martial artists in DC, you immediately think Batman, Shiva, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Bronze Tiger, Richard Dragon, and Shiva. Why I said Shiva twice? Because Shiva is the pinnacle.

So to reveal that three premier martial artists in the universe are not only not participating but they were paid off to not participate, cheated out, or were subbed in as an entry replacement, it undermines the promotion. It’s like going to a Beyonce Concert only to find out that between the words in small print Beyonce and Concert was ‘s Sister’s and now you are watching Grammy award winning Solange. Sure, it’s an unique experience but it ain’t Beyonce.

And also, there is no amount in the world that would keep Shiva away from this tournament if it’s as prestigious as it’s led to be. Let’s be real. If anything, it’s far more likely that she saw the roster of scrubs and decided to make some scratch.

There are two characters that I recognize: Connor Hawke and Rose Wilson. I am not familiar with Connor so I am not sure if he is out of place. Rose is fine but y’know, scrub. I’m sorry Rose Wilson got her ass handed to her by Cass in the previous universe. There is no universe where I take her seriously in a fighting tournament to crown greatest fighter because the ass stomp was so thorough that Cass was beating Slade’s ego by proxy.

Back to the comic, Damian interrupts the host and basically is the fighting tournament trope of overly confident disrespectful guy with too many accolades which he will proudly tell you about them. What I like about this is the nice nod to the previous manga panel. Damian is not a great fighter. There I said it. Damian’s ability hinges on the idea that he was trained by the greatest killers and Batman but the issue is that name prestige doesn’t make great fighters. Too many times, comic books overly rely on this idea of fighting being a what you know and not being a game of not getting hit and getting hits in. It does not matter if Damian is trained by the League and Batman and it’s questionable as to how much Batman taught him in the first place. Hence why we see Damian with a sword or staff to compliment his lack of range. Damian can’t read muscle twitches like a Cass or Shiva so he has a normal reactive response and comics never highlighted his ability. The most impressive thing I’ve seen Damian do is catch a Batarang which is something I’ve seen Tim do. Damian overly relies on the idea that his teachers taught him to be the best when they simply taught him to survive in a fight.

“But why does Cass get away with it?,” you ask. Cass has this broken hax that is reading muscle twitch and immediately knowing the instant of what you are going to do before you do it or decide to do. Cass doesn’t need range because to her, you are screaming your intentions. She doesn’t need to block an attack when she can just parry. She doesn’t need to step back when she can just step forward while slipping all attacks. She is an autistic savant at fighting with an absolute defense. Damian is just another badass teen in a world of badass adults.

And the humbling of Damian begins...again.

Pros:

-Damian’s new costume. I like that he is branching out and starting to own his own colors. It’s nice.

-Using a character flaw to make it a theme. I like Chekhov’s gun via teachable moment. In tournament arcs, what separates the good ones and the bad ones is the idea that the hero simply must overcome their opponents and not their own self. This is why Yuyu Hakusho is awesome.

- Great art and nice continuity. It’s nice that Damian’s past wasn’t ignored for once and they didn’t just throw his Teen Titans characterization down the tubes. Say what you want, but it was arguably Damian’s longest run in spite of his fans hating it. And contrary to what they believe, it was very much in character for him. My fear going into this that Damian would not face any fallout and lo and behold he ran away.

- it’s a good start for a Damian story. Say what you want, but it’s unique in that the little shit gets his comeuppance immediately. And not that just by losing, but by dying. Damian has killed before and readily justifies it because he never realizes the weight of taking someone’s life. He’s been killed before but those were painted in a way that he is valiant. Here, this is death caused by his own arrogance. He mocks a fighter for talking shit and gets murked while talking shit. He spouts names of his own teachers and expects people to care or be weary as if Rose Wilson and Connor aren’t there. It’s a tournament sponsored by the League of Assassins, Damian. They have been taught by the league too.

Cons:

-Look I get promotion. No promoter is going to undermine their product but the fact that this tournament reeks like ABA is killing my interest to give a shit. It’s a convenient caveat to say that, “Well, a character won this so they can have the title but the title doesn’t mean anything.” I know of regardless of whom wins this, they aren’t the best. Go ham or don’t at all.

-not enough emphasis of the importance of this arc. Why even have this tournament? What’s the prize? What’s even the point?

-While the art is nice, the action is framed poorly. I like physical action like this to be nearly choreographed in a way I can see and piece movement in my head. The two fight scenes we get are somewhat disjointed in that it’s just poses. For example, Flatline’s first kick makes no sense at all and I don’t get her follow up. Trying to picture the movement hurts my head and in an action concept like this, it’s best to frame action scenes as more than doing poses. Here is a good example:

This only emphasizes the action and gets the reader to acknowledge that this a tournament of great fighters or at least a great fighting story.

All in all, do I think this story is off to a good start? Yes. Is it going to change my opinion on Damian? Hell no. My reaction to Damian getting his ass handed to him was this.

The issue is that it never sticks. Damian can learn and be a better person but the development never sticks. It becomes a cyclical series of events because whoever writes him next will just keep writing him as this shitty entitled murder rich kid who never learns anything and gets validated somehow. It’s been over a decade and I’m tired of the same excuses of his shitty behavior. I am tired of writers validating it or excusing it.

Damian losing isn’t an outcome I care for because it’s wasted on him. Honestly I am more interested in Connor and Rose being there. I have no faith that it will stick nor does it undo the shitty idea of the character. I have never wanted to see Damian fight. It’s never been fun to read about nor has the impetus of his character emphasized the ability or style. Placing Damian in an Enter the Dragon style tournament lacks the pizzazz of Cass doing the same thing. For example, let’s try Marvel.

Let’s say someone pitches an idea of a tournament arc styled after Game of Death. Immediately you think Martial Artists non-powered. Danny Rand, Daredevil, Elektra, Shang-Chi, Pei and Colleen Wing. Okay, instead of giving those characters the honor, you give the story to Black Cat. Honestly, I’d read it because Felicia could sell me a documentary on grass and I’d buy it but the point stands, why does Damian have this Bruce Lee inspired Martial Arts story versus the actual Chinese or East Asian Martial Arts focused member of the Batfamily, Cassandra Cain?

But this has nothing to do with what could have been. It’s a fun beginning of a possibly fun arc. In that regard, it delivers but what’s the point?

Like I said, fun story.

@ubernegro

#dc #robin #damian wayne #batman and robin #batman #tim drake #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #batgirl #barbara gordon #oracle #dick grayson #batfamily

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the-musical-cc · 3 years

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What's wrong with the Twilight Princess manga? (Genuinely curious because I often hear it's good)

No, I mean, it's good! What I've read isn't really terrible (And take in account that because they aren't selling it here just yet, I've only read what I've been able to find online.) This is most likely about me putting something in the tags about how most fans ignore it, referring specifically to Link's backstory, but like...Bruh I'm biased, don't pay mind to my rambles XD

...

*rambles anyway.

I mean, it IS good. I like it enough that I want to buy the whole thing once it's completed, available in my country (In english because the spanish names are a fucking joke) and have enough money that I don't regret buying like 12 tomes that are like 120 pesos each. It brought some ideas that are gold, such as Luda and Shad coming with Link in the adventure for a short time, Midna helping Link beat the Gorons in sumo (Though it does sacrifice one of the most hilarious parts of lore of the game.) and the questionability of Hyrule's attitude towards anything that isn't 'Pure' or 'Bright'. I just disagree with a lot of the choices made in it.

Link's backstory. I had thought it to be a matter of personal taste at first, where I saw him as someone who maybe came from outside but grew in Ordon and was just getting stupidly offended over differing opinions, but as it turns out I just didn't remember why I'd had that idea for years now. Ilia mentions having been kids together with Link, and hilarious as the thought that she's referring to one year prior to events in the game is, it most likely means he's been there for years. Honestly? My impression is they wanted Link to not have too deep a tie to Ordon for whatever reason, and I Hate That. I'm certain I'm not the only one to say 'That's bullshit' and just go with something else there, which is why I say most of us ignore it anyway.

They highkey stole an arc from Hyrule Warrior Legends. Though tbf they also put a very blatant 'Empire Strikes back' moment in there and as much as it annoyed me... it was pretty cool. Still, this is the one game where Shadow Link had no business to be and they put it in there for an entire fucking arc.

Twilight Princess' cast is fucking HUGE why on Hylia's green earth are you putting OCs in there??? It's not even like they're filling a role no one else could have had! They've done it before in their previous Zelda works, and other manga adaptations have as well, but I like most of them because they had something to bring to the table (Even if it was romantic drama, in Ganthy's case.) here it's little to nothing they can contribute with that couldn't have been done by putting an already existing character there. It may be my theatre brain speaking but it bothers me when you have a huge cast and do NOTHING with it and instead bring out another character out of NOWHERE to get things done. Just use what's already there, damn you!

Zelda and Midna's backstory. Hear me out... I love it... but it doesn't work. I've spoken before about how much it annoyed me when the narrative had Zelda and Link respectively blame themselves for the invasion (Even though the guy invading is RIGHT THERE???!?!) for having 'Touched' the dark and made it so it could invade their world, and that's part of it. The other is: Having Zelda sacrifice for Midna not because it was the right thing to do, not because it's the one thing she can do for her people, for the Twili, for Link and Midna herself, and instead making it 'You're my childhood inter-dimensional pen pal, I just realized, welp, time to die.' kind of cheapens the impact it had on Midna in the game and what it says about Zelda as a character (We barely get anything on her in the game, but what we do get is powerful.) It's beautiful, but it misses the point completely.

Also Midna just randomly showing up in Link's dreams in her true form is stupid. YEAH, I SAID IT! I get it they're probably thinking 'Well, what's the point in building up anticipation? You know this is what she looks like already.' but one of the reasons the ship is so heart-wrenchingly good is Link knew her inside and out despite her warped shape. In the end, it didn't matter what she looked like so long as it was her. Link fell in love with her gremlin ass transformation AND THAT IS PERFECT OK??? Imagine like if on 'Beauty and the Beast' Belle just randomly kept meeting the prince in dreams, like they're waving a carrot in front of her to get things done with so she can smooch that freaky Habsburg mug. It's fucking awkward! (And it sort of cheapens their actual chemistry, it feels a lot like 'Oh, he has to see she's hot or it wouldn't be believable that he fell in love.' Get outta here with that.)

Shad.

OK, fine, I'll elaborate. Shad has a dialogue in-game about following up on his dad's life work, it is also implied that he's passed away. What does the manga do? Ignore all that and make it so Shad's dad is a 'Serious' investigator who disapproves of his son's interests. 'Shut up dad! It's not a phase dad! You go clean your room, dad!'. Why? No reason. It's not even interesting!

Shad is the friendliest fucking guy ever, rambling to Link about his hyperfixation on first meeting. Calls him 'Old sport' and stuff like that, seemingly befriends him immediately. What'd the manga decide to do with him? They're RIVALSSSS, and snarky to one another because Shad may or may not have a little crush on Ilia. UGH.

Look, you can't be a real Resistance if the members can't even look after themselves, so making Shad kind of a loser (Because he's a nerd. Hahah. Get it? Nerds are losers.) really took the piss out of the Resistance, tbh. Might have been the point, though, seeing how they needed to make space for their OCs in the final battle at Hyrule Castle... and, look, I've said this before but if you need to make a character look horribly bad for no other purpose than making another look more competent, you're not half as good a writer as you think you are. Link didn't need Shad to look pathetic to look more heoric, that's just sad.

Also take one look at that guy and tell me he doesn't drink his respecting women juice every damn morning and sometimes for dinner... well, in the manga, he's apparently kind of a leecher.

Srsly how is he friends with Ashei if he's kind of a leecher, she'd break his fingers.

There's probably more but I really don't want to come off like I'm trying to discourage people from reading it because I'm not! Like I said, it's a good manga! It has some pretty neat battle sequences, it makes Hyrule feel MASSIVE, it has some pretty horrifying moments that make the stakes feel more real, it takes things that are a certain way in the game for the sake of the mechanics and tries to make them more organic (In the specific case of Ilia's memory, it succeeds.) and Akira Himekawa never fails to make Zelda and every female character look gorgeous. It's just not great in terms of being an adaptation, but that's not necessarily a terrible thing, it just depends on taste. Still, specifically where Link's backstory concerns... I think most fans just ignore it because, really, it doesn't make sense.

#twilight princess #cc rant #cc wtf #look I am capable of liking something and yet realizing 'Yeah this doesn't work I'll ignore it'#and Link's manga backstory... is one of those things #also his broody characterization gets on my nerves but that's taste srry srry #you know which manga I DO hate? The Skyward Sword prequel one #nahhh jk jk #I just get annoyed at fans that just blindly accept it and get pissy if someone wants to do their own thing

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incorrect-mha-bnha · 3 years

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BNHA Headcanons once more

Villain Izy is amazing, delicious food to me. Love the complexity and the way I can make him utterly twisted in a severe way. However, I know it’s plausible for Bak to be the root of his hate... but I may have something else be the main source and leave him as collateral damage. Shouldn’t he hate the society he lives in? Wouldn’t he go bigger, broader? Forget Bak and his childish behavior. Where did he learn all of that from? What was the root of the discrimination? The societal set standard for acceptability? Yeah, sure, Bak was an asshole and out of line— but oh please, if you think Izy wouldn’t logically think bigger in his revenge. The discrimination comes from the messed up society and you better believe he is coming for it. It’s crooked out look on people’s worth based upon whether they posses a quirk or not. It’s idiotic, horrific. Personally, if I happened to be in their universe? I’d be a villain. No hero, no hero loving civilian or a vigilante. Hell no, I’d be a villain and fighting the system.

I personally like black Mina, blasain Deku, Latino Sero, Samoan Kirishima and people also have mentioned Latino/light skinned Bakugo which I don’t mind or see the fault in either

For Shigarakis birthday, everyone got together and made him hand shaped soaps. He opened the box, peered inside to see a bunch of different colored hand shaped soaps and glared at them all. Of course Shig uses them, but the thought was annoying yet thoughtful.

Personally I have many ships and groups I am behind. With that said, they have been given names (only a few so far since I’m focusing on the ones I have been/will be posting about the most). They range from friendship to actual ship which will be noted as ‘f’ and ‘s’..... Wonder Trio©️ (Bak, Kiri and Mina ~ f). Core Three©️ (Izy, Bak and Todd ~ either or). Fatal Four©️ ( todokiribakudeku ~ s). Forsaken©️ (Vil!Izuku, Dabi, Shigs ~ f).

Let’s get some normal teenage HCs going..... Kirishima, Bakugo, Izy and Ochaco have stretch marks... Kirishima has them from his quirk— it’s sudden development of unbreakable, Izuku from his intense fast growth for the quirk, and Bakugo as well..... For her quirk, Momo would need to store more energy which means she would be chubbier and that’s closer to canon in the manga (Ochaco is also not super thin like they showed in the manga).

Todoroki doesn’t wake up until the afternoon on some days, same can be said for half the others.

Kaminari moans in the back of class

Sero doesn’t talk much, he is more laid back. So I believe he’d walk behind the Bakusquad or in the grass.

When the Bakusquad goes out, Bakugo hangs towards the front. He says it’s because he doesn’t want to be near them, but in reality he wants to keep a lookout for any danger and protect them all first. It also is because of the LOV incident.

Kirishima notices that, how he is constantly looking around and staring after certain lingering figures until they check out as unthreatening. Kirishima would be the one to look out for Bakugo, as a second pair of eyes with everyone else in on it.

Also along these lines^ Bakugo likes the people he is with to be in his range of site. Same reasonings as above. Whenever they are in stores, he keeps them in his peripheral and scans for exits and entrances. Whenever someone leaves his site for a moment, he snaps at them and brings whoever wandered away back to the group. Everyone soon adapted to his constant need to check everyones position and started telling him wherever they intended to go. Mina: Hey, Im going to the shoes section. | Sero: I’m going with Kaminari to the games

Bakugo doesn’t like people behind him.. once again, same as above^ so I believe Kirishima would ease Bakugo’s nerves by touching his back as he leaves his peripheral and passes through his blind spots to ensure Bakugo is always aware of his position.

Denki is Mitsuki’s favorite. It just makes sense. He is the type to walk in and go “You have such a lovely home”, “You’re 35? Shut up, you don’t look a day over 22” “Bakugo listen to your mother”, “Let me help with the groceries”. Tell me I’m wrong. You can’t. Ugh. Also I semi ship adult Denki with Mitsuki, as well as hc him to have been crushing HARD in his teen years.

Bakugo was a leash kid

Midoriya was a stroller kid

Bakugo once owned a pet fish as a kid..... never again. Never. Again.

Denki got extra time during tests because he couldn’t focus

Bakugo, Izy, Aizawa and all the class girls would liberate Eri and teach her to never take shit from men or the hero society. That she is more than a gossip topic or someone to objectify. They would create a powerful hero that knows her worth and wouldn’t take shit from anyone.

Eri makes friendships bracelets with beads for Bakugo and Izy. The three of them match. Izy wears it whenever he can along with Eri and Bakugo has it hung up on his cork board.

Eri likes to do makeovers with whoever is unlucky enough to cave. The results of your makeover usually is determined on whether she truly thinks you deserve a makeover or if she just wants to mess your face up. For instance, Izy got a really nice face of makeup with complimenting colors. Meanwhile, Bakugo looked like a circus clown with lipstick in his eye and eyeshadow smeared across his forehead.

Todoroki has no filter. Everyone says it’s because he doesn’t understand social queues (cues?) — they are right... but that’s not the point. The point is Todoroki will say the most out of pocket things without taking a second to question whether it’s a good idea. Everyone had parent day at school and all the parents showed up to get a tour and shadow training. On first sight of seeing Bakugo’s mom, Todoroki just deadpans “milf.” And continues to blank stare like nothing.

Uraraka absolutely decks Bakugo in the face the first time they actually spar together. He isnt one to make it an uneven fight but she proposed the deal of “if I can land one good punch then you’re sparring partner for the week”. Bakugo doubted it would be that good, he’s been hit by Kirishima and Izuku for fucks sake but.. hey a challenge is a challenge. So he hangs his arms by his side and smirks cockily while saying “sure, give me a little love tap or whatever—.” And gets hit so hard he spins and face plants on the floor then doesn’t get up for a few minutes. Everyone collectively gasped then broke into laughter. And yes Izuku recorded it then posted the video everywhere

#dio bnha headcanons

#dio bnha headcanons #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #incorrect mha quotes #bnha incorrect quotes #incorrect bnha quotes #bnha headcanons #bakugou katsuki #bnhaedit #eijirou kirishima #sero hanta #mina ashido #denki kaminari #izuku mydoria #shoto todoroki #uraraka ochacho

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merry-kuroo · 3 years

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Top 10 2020 Anime

Hello everyone! Its the last day of 2020, and like with every year, here is my top 10 anime list. This list covers anime that aired this year only :) Hopefully you can use this list as a recommendation for something to watch. But tbh this list is for me to remember which wonderful anime made my year a little brighter :D I apologize for any typos lol.

1.) Tower of God

AHHH! I love Tower of God so much!! So, I almost dropped it at episode 1 because I was really confused. But I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. Tower of God gave me HxH vibes, but it was still different enough where I didn’t need to compare the two. The opening and ending by Stray Kids was amazing too.

Because I loved Tower of God so much, I made a Webtoon account and ever since then I’ve been hooked on Webtoons. I’m really glad they partnered with Crunchyroll to bring us this anime!

I read the TOG Webtoon and it explained things a lot better. I highly recommend going to read it after watching the anime!

I hope there is a season 2, but I won’t get my hopes up :( I’m sure this anime was just advertisement for the comic.

So, yeah, go check out Tower of God <3

2.) Great Pretender

WIT Studio has done it again. First with Attack on Titan, then Seraph of the End. They keep bringing me my favorite animes.

I love animes that feature a found family, and cons. Great Pretender brought all of that and more. Great characters, jokes, missions, and music. The music in Great Pretender is fantastic (I mean the ending song is a Queen song!)

I still stand by my opinion that Part 1 was better. I wasn’t a huge fan of season 2 and the ending as well. I think they dropped the ball. But I still won’t let that stop me from recommending it to you! It was still fun to watch :D

I’m going to miss Team Confidence <3

3.) Weathering With You

So, I have been a fan of Makoto Shinkai’s movies for a long time (5 Centimeters Per Second will always have a special place in my heart). So, when I saw that Weathering With You was coming to the movie theater, I immediately purchased a ticket. It was such a surreal experience watching in the theaters.

This was the last movie I saw in theaters before...you know >.> I’m glad this movie was my last too. It makes it even more special.

Everyone, please go see this movie. It’s beautiful. It will make you laugh and cry. I left the theater with tears in my eyes. It was such a amazing experience. I’m patiently waiting for his next movie!

4.) Kaguya Sama: Love is War Season 2

My favorite rom-com returned with a season 2. The opening is still stuck in my head. It always will be lol.

Anyway, this season was not only hilarious, but there was development between Kaguya and Miyuki <3

Miko IIno was also a interesting character. She is so different from everyone else, so I’m excited to see how being on the student council will change her. Maybe she and Ishigami will start to get long lol.

Another thing that made this season special was Ishigami’s backstory, and how Miyuki saved him. I just really love their bromance, okay?

Please go check out Kaguya Sama: Love is War if you haven’t! It’s funny and heart warming <3

5.) Jujutsu Kaisen

I’ve been hyped for this anime for like a year! When it was announced last November, I was like AFJAIOFJAOGLJMAPOGJ

I love the manga, and the adaption is doing a fantastic job so far. I definitely ended up loving Sukuna more due to the anime adaption though lmaooo.

Not a lot to say here except, go watch Jujutsu Kaisen <3 and read the manga!

6.) Moriarty the Patriot

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this anime or not. I only started watching it because people said Sebastian Moran was Daddy! Kuroo lmaooo

But I have to say...I do like that Albert was like “Oh yes lets bring William and Albert into our home” then William was like “Haha hey Albert do you hate the upper class and nobility too? You wanna murder your brother and parents, burn down the house, and reform society?” And Albert is like “DON’T MIND IF I DO!” (The Moriarty brothers are wild af, my God.)

I liked each individual case, and it got even more intense when Sherlock and John were introduced. Super excited for season 2!

The opening and ending songs are also fantastic. Go give them a listen!

7.) Digimon Adventure 2020/Digimon Adventure Tri/Last Evolution Kizuna

Tfw you go to buy tickets Digimon Last Evolution Kizuna, but all the movie theaters shut down :(

ANYWAY

I was super hyped when Last Evolution Kizuna was announced, and then the reboot of the 1999 anime. I finished up Digimon Adventure Tri...which could’ve been better tbh. I only liked the first three movies, so at least I got some good content out of them lol.

I like the new spin on the new Digimon anime, and I’m excited to see what they’ll do next. I kinda want a reboot of 02 Digimon...and Digimon Tamers and Frontier, but that may be pushing it lmao.

Last Evolution Kizuna was absolutely phenomenal. It was the perfect 20th anniversary movie :)

8.) Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

Another show I started at the beginning of the year! I read the manga in 2019, and I was happy to hear it was getting a anime adaption! I enjoyed this series a lot, and I really want there to be a second season. I feel like some stuff was left out. But the anime might have been created just to promote the manga.

The opening song, the different wonders of the school, and the art style quickly made this one of my favorites!

9.) Idolish7 Second Beat

Idolish7 is vastly underrated. It’s more than just pretty guys singing and dancing. Every character in the show has gone through their own hardships, and all the characters are fleshed out well.

The second season did not disappoint. It still served me with a good dose of angst, drama, and comedy.

And season 3 was announced!!! I wasn’t expecting that, so that surprise made me really happy <3.

I was really sad when Idolish7 stopped airing back in the spring, but I’m glad they were able to finish up the season this year :D

10.) Haikyuu!! To the Top

Alright, so my excitement deflated when Part 1 aired back in January. I hated the new art style and while Part 1 did have some good character development moments, I was really bored :/

The OVAs were really good though >.> I love Nekoma and Fukrodani so those were fun to watch.

Part 2 was a 100 times better. I accepted the fact that the art style wasn’t going to change and we wouldn’t have those cute breaks where the volleyball players would serve the ball and hit the water bottle. Once I got over that, I found myself enjoying part 2.

The two Nekoma episodes,the episodes focusing on the Miya Twins and Kita were my personal favorites. But overall, Karasuno vs. Inarizaki was fantastic and I enjoyed it a lot!

I need season 5 to be announced already!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!

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