#i feel kind of conflicted about peacemaker???

[toadslug]

Peacemaker!! Color-picked from my Darkstalker design a little 👀

+ Bonus Hailstorm doodle:

[guhmshuda]

DESI JAMES POTTER HEADCANON

Disclaimer: this is not era-typical. this is strictly subjective, this is my way of projecting my delusions and hoping I meet someone like James Potter some day!!

James craves parental and academic validation.

Now before I get jumped, lets all be real for one second. You are telling me James Potter is a desi first gen NRI and he does not crave validation? I refuse to believe that!! And it was not that Effie and Monty pressurized him... it was the opposite actually. they did not say a thing and my boy just felt he had to be the best because he has such nice parents who never ask for anything how can he ever live up to it??

He was the kind to lose sleep before important days. Right before the big matches and papers you would find James F. Potter roaming the halls of the school in the wee hours of morning, hands tightly clutching onto a mug that says, "You are ENOUGH" (his parents gifted him this in 3rd year when they noticed he was not doing well). The mug is obviously filled to the brim with either masala chai or cold coffee (the indian one).

2. He smelled like cloves

now this is something I have observed in my day to day life and feel like James too, would partake in. He would be the kind to use "spicy" toothpaste. simply because he thinks they last longer or smth. Effie also makes him homemade oil that has cloves (idk what they do I just associate the spice with him OKAY?) So basically when his partner(s) kiss him, they taste and smell clove. And it is not a comforting spice like cinnamon but imagine a whitewashed Regulus getting used to the sting of cloves and the horrible dant kanti-esque taste because the boyfriend uses them. There is a point when Regulus just starts carrying around a small bottle of clove oil or a box of clove and elaichi daana because James smells like cloves and Sirius like cardamom (FIGHT ME.)

3. Resident Problem Solver

Was he mischievous? Hell yes. Did he still make efforts to make sure everyone was okay? Duh.

James would be the kind to ask everyone about their day at the dinner table and be actually interested in what they have to say. He would notice when one of his friends were having a hard day and just drop a ladoo on their plate or ask them if they would like "non-spicy" chai. He would be the peacemaker. ALWAYS. He DID not like conflict. It hurt his soul to watch his friends fight or give each other a cold shoulder.

4. He LOVED being Desi.

he had the diaspora issue, obviously. But Effie and Monty came from the pre-partition India and tried to hold onto their country as much as they could. So James was super used to all the desi things. He had a head full of thick luscious curls because his mother massaged oil and gave him champi every week. When he moved to Hogwarts his hair suffered a little before the Summer when Sirius visited the Potters. Effie taught both of them how to apply oil onto each other's scalps and then it became their tradition at Hogwarts.

5. When Sirius returned bald.

there is a very popular HC that one year Walburga shaved Sirius' hair off because he was being disrespectful or smth. That year, James developed a variant of Indulekha x Parachute Coconut Oil (come on Desis i know you know what I mean) and made sure Sirius had his long hair back before Christmas. He would personally look after his diet, forcing amla tea down his throat or making sure he is eating 3-4 meals that consist of healthy things and not just meat as Sirius would otherwise have it.

Regulus fell in love with James around this time because he did smth he could not, protect Sirius. He went as far as daring Walburga to try to do it again, James would make sure Sirius grows his hair longer than ever.

ps. he was the one who came up with curl-care routine for the marauders and all of them had PJO cast like hair it was so cute jadfiqgfuiwgiuu okay

6. He did not practice any religion

James was not religious, he was spiritual. He did whatever his mum, who herself practiced two religions, told him to do. Both Effie and Monty believed in giving back to the society more than giving to some religious institute, so imagine a first year James rushing into Poppy's wing with an injured bird in his hand begging her to save it.

7. He was the people's princess.

fight the wall. everyone, even the slytherins, secretly LOVED him and the gulab jamuns he would give out on Diwali every year.

8. Enjoyer of classical music.

I have said it before, I will say it again. MY MANZ LISTENED TO GHULAM ALI. idc if he was muggle or what, he loved his music, language be damned.

he enjoyed urdu ghazals more than anything else tbh.

9. TRAINED CLASSICAL MUSICIAN

he was trained in sitar and he could sing as well. he was basically an in house singer. He learnt electric guitar in his 2nd year and then there was no looking back. If he would not have been a professional quidditch player he would have been a musician or a music teacher or smth.

10. he was a STEM student.

okay this is non-canon but comp sci major James? who also happens to enjoy botany? yes. just the best.

11. James who would slip into Urdu when he was overwhelmed, who loved when people played with his hair. James who wrote letters in Urdu or Hindi or whatever regional language his parents spoke and wrote.

12. James potter who hated how his eyes were brown, just brown, growing up. but then one day his mother told him it is what she loves the best about him.

13. James Potter with bitten lips, he does that whenever he is nervous.

14. James Potter who was born during sunrise, his mother believes he is the sun.

15. James who would lay his life for his friends. James who loved hugging Peter, James who committed crimes for Remus.

16. James who adored and admired Minerva so much that he would try everything to get her attention, except he was her favourite student after Lily and Remus (Sirius was her son, let us all be honest).

17. James who played Carnatic Music while studying.

18. James who would wear short kurtas. james who is obsessed with shawls.

19. James who carried a bag full of supplies his friends might need. Like imagine a pouch filled with hair elastics for Sirius and the girls, painkillers for Remus, fidget toys and stress ball for Peter, and cloves for Regulus.

20. James WHO FOUGHT THE AUTHORITY!!!

-- I WILL ADD MORE DW LET ME THINK--

ADD YOURS TOO BTW COME ON HELP A DEMIGIRL OUT

[melisshivering]

Yone Skins Scent Headcanons

A/N: Random little scents I think each Yone would have because I'm OBBESSED :DD

Base Skin:

I don't think he has a particular scent, nothing too distinct. Traveling around while hunting demons makes me think he tries to keep himself hidden, any possible way. He may have a scent specifically due to the azakana mask he adorns if there was to be a scent at all.

Spirit Blossom:

”AND WHY DOES IT SMELL LIKE JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOMS.” Is it too on the nose to say he smells like flowers? It's a calm and light smell. The kind of scent that if you smell it somewhere else you begin to feel warm inside at the thought of moments shared with Yone.

Battle Academia:

He’s a pretty introverted guy in a campus of fighters. If you manage to get to talk to him for a moment you are pleasantly surprised with smells of vanilla. It’s rich and feels unfitting for him as an assassin to be smelling so good.

Dawnbringer:

It's difficult to fit it into a signature scent. Instead of something that would clash together it works miraculously. Almost too well. A weird mix of sweet and bourbon. Conflicting similar to his heritage but somehow works hand and similar to himself. 

Ocean Song:

Kinda hard to say he won't smell like the ocean but he also smells sweet. Whether it's a citrus sweet from the sheer amount of fruit around the parties he will be performing for or sweet of the flowers and other pretty foliage that decorates the venues. He just smells refreshing.

Inkshadow:

An alluring oaky smell. Maybe a little smokey but not the regular kind smoke. The kind of woods used to infuse with foods that make things taste strangely sweet. It's something that makes you wonder if he should be smelling that good. He's very mysterious so the scent ends up fitting with him well.

HEARTSTEEL:

The other heartsteel boys always joke about Yone acting like a mom. I think it's a given he smells of fresh laundry. And sometimes you can also get a hint of the natural scented shampoo he uses on his hair. Yone does his best to take care of his hair because there is so much and he treats it with the utmost care.

Prestige HEARTSTEEL:

Honestly I feel like he would have some expensive or just really nice smelling cologne even if he isn't in the spotlight much. He would choose a scent that has pretty good reviews, something he's able to try in store. He wants to spend his money on something he himself enjoys as well as something others will enjoy.

High Noon:

The west isn't really stocked up with luxury items. I don't really think he would smell like much besides what would be his natural smell and alcohol. I don't think he would allow himself to smell so much like the devils he kills because he finds them filthy.

Peacemaker High Noon:

There isn't much of a change but he smells slightly more earthy. Most of his time is spent out making sure the wild west is a safe place for anyone to traverse without being put in harms way. Its definitely lighter and more refreshing than High Noon.

[atdawnweryd]

Lucia Appreciation Post

I wasn't in the fandom when S1 came out so hopefully this isn't something that everyone has already rehashed to death, but! I want to give some love, and my own interpretation to the S1 Lucia scene.

First of all, I know we can all agree that it is a thing of pure beauty artistically! But beyond that it's such a great scene because of how it shows a very critical moment in Simon and Wille's relationship:

We know that Simon is a caring person. This is one of his core characterizations that comes into play over and over again throughout the series (eg taking on the role of protector to Sara; playing peacemaker for his mother and Sara when they are not understanding each other well, and then working hard to make sure Sara keeps in touch with their mother while she's living at Hillerska; giving Wille 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances after he gets skittish and pulls away in S1, then not allowing Wille to believe he and Marcus are dating because it will make Wille sad. The list goes on!). Seeing someone he cares about hurting or needing help is something that Simon cannot turn his back on, he truly believes in giving people chances to grow.

So, as the scene starts there is a big conflict happening within Simon, and you can see it clearly in the amazing acting by Omar. When they walk into the classroom, he has already calmed down significantly from the anger he was previously feeling- now that he knows that he's not going to get expelled - but he's still upset. He's not shouting or defensive anymore like he was in the music room, he's listening, but still skeptical of Wille's intentions. He maintains a physical separation between them that shows clearly that all is not forgiven yet.

Wille has really hurt him here by allowing Simon to be put into a position where he might be expelled. Where the rich kids would get away with it while the outsider feels all the consequences. More importantly, Wille showed Simon that he didn't understand or anticipate how upsetting that would be for him during their argument in the music room.

But now Wille responds with honesty and sincerity. He doesn't try to beg, plead or excuse his actions, or worse - try and convince Simon that it wasn't a big deal, minimizing his feelings.

And you can see how much that resonates with Simon here. You can see his defensiveness melt away, leaving him feeling a little lost on how to proceed. Does he just forgive Wille right way? Is it enough? Is this relationship even worth it if this is the kind of B.S. he's going to be exposed to around Wille?

But Wille continues. He opens up and makes himself vulnerable to Simon, revealing how important Simon and their relationship are to him.

He tears up, showing just how scared he is of losing Simon. And Simon, who is a caregiver at heart, can't help but respond to that.

(Me too fr, let's have a brief moment of admiration for Edvin's acting and unreal kicked puppy eyes!)

This following moment right here is so important!! The emotional climax of the scene in my opinion.

You can see it in Simon's eyes, the exact moment when he gives in - when he realizes that his feelings for Wille and his need to comfort Wille overpower his own feelings of hurt and frustration.

But it's not an easy decision for him - he looks almost pained, like he has fought a battle with himself and lost. Like maybe he had no choice at all, this was only going to end one way....

He pulls Wille into an embrace, and it's forgiveness, emotional release, and relief that this is not the end of them. Relief mixed with a very strong feeling on both their parts that their relationship has taken on a new dimension.

Before, they had admitted to liking each other, but their relationship was limited to lighthearted (and sexy) hookups, teasing, and generally enjoying each other's company. The honeymoon phase.

But this is the first time their relationship has been affected by external influences outside their control. It's been put to the test, and although they choose to overcome it together, it leaves them shaken.

Wille gets his first taste of reality - that Simon comes from a different world and does not see things from the same perspective, nor will he put their relationship above his family or his morals (ok yeaaa it's going to take a few more lessons for this one to fully sink in, but I said first taste!). Simon is not a sure thing.

And Simon realizes that being with Wille is not all fun and games, but it's something he wants anyways.

This conflict is unpleasant and jarring for them, but ultimately leads to a better understanding of one another, and new depth in their relationship.

They end this scene with a kiss that is pure comfort. Wille, who craves touch from Simon when he needs reassurance of closeness, goes in for one quick kiss before he pulls back slightly, and they just breathe each other in, Simon lightly stroking Wille's hair and cheek. We very much get the sense that there is an intensity between them that wasn't there before.

This scene was necessary to have before their video was leaked and everything went to hell. I don't know that Simon would have been so certain about sticking it out with Wille, or that Wille would have tried defying his mother for Simon if they hadn't gotten this taste of being apart first, cementing their desire for this relationship.

Because Simon is a very good, caring person, yes. But - he's not a bleeding heart who will stick their neck out for just anyone (for example, he doesn't exactly seem bothered that Alexander's going to be thrown under the bus instead of himself). He's the kind of person who generally prefers to mind their own business unless he or a loved one is involved.

I think that this scene is the first time Simon consciously realizes that he's in a bit over his head with Wille, that the depth of his feelings for him far surpasses what he had believed. Because Wille is now one of those people whose needs Simon will put before his own. He has become a loved one.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Summer 2024 Anime Overview: Suicide Squad Isekai

The Suicide Squad from DC Comics meets isekai….as both a (former) DC Comics nerd and an anime fan, I’ve been training my whole life for this.

So…was this series good? I wouldn’t call it that. Was it accurate to it’s source material? Nope. No way in hell. Was it still pretty fun to watch? Yeah, it mostly is!

This is a series that embraces how goofy it is. Not all the humor hits, but much of it is at least endearing. It’s an anime about watching a bunch of assholes cause chaos and fail hard, and it shines at doing that.

Probably the character I’m most disappointed with, despite the fact she gets the most screentime and is clearly the main character, is Harley. It’s easy to tell this anime started production with only the first Suicide Squad to go off of, because Harley and the Joker’s relationship is framed as positive and not abusive at all. Also, hilariously, the Joker is now full bishonen with a seductive voice and Hot Topic aesthetic.

Rather the chaotic, cheerfully murderous, and full of uncontrollable rage guy from the comics, he’s like, a pretty laid back mall goth and talks a lot about how the world is filthy (dude since when do you care).

He also doesn’t mention Batman once, which might be a copyright thing but adds to it all. He's less like the Joker and more like one of the many Joker-alike characters in anime: Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter, that guy from Metallic Rouge, the way he’s played seems so familiar.

Making the relationship with Harley healthy actually flattens her a lot as a character. Now she really was saved from her dull life by a man, her obsession with him is just annoying rather than sad, and she isn’t struggling with anything. There’s no conflict withing her. What really doesn’t help is the show frames her as “SUPER EMPOWERED” and the empowering thing is that a man showed her how to “be herself” (aka be just like him) and now she can’t go five minutes without talking about him, and she gets almost every creative thought and good idea she has from him…girl power, y’all!

On the other hand, she is incredibly fun to watch, with her boldness, her love of violence, and carefree attitude. It’s cute to watch her slowly form friendships with the team (and always adorable how Harley forms a friendship with King Shark in every continuity. She calls him Nana-chan!) She does things like randomly adopt a dragon and team up with orcs. She has a wonderful moment when attacked with mind control. She’s a character I like outside the stuff with the Joker, even if she isn’t really Harley.

And speaking of female characters done dirty, Amanda Waller does a lot of bad things, but I really can’t picture her getting behind colonizing another world and taking their resources. Yet here we are. She also has very little screentime in this, despite being so famously prominent in the end credits.

All the other members of the Squad basically have one trait we return to again and again, but the one trait is usually pretty fun (except for Peacemaker, who’s one thing is mentioning PEACE and AMERICA and boy does it get old), their team dynamic is fun and boy are they causing carnage. Again, they lack the depth of their comic counterparts and just kind of feel like their own thing, but while they’re shallow as hell, that doesn’t make them boring. Especially when the commit so much bombastic animated violence. The show has a ton of fun with its fight animation, and the effort really shows.

The isekai world is fairly generic, which seems to be part of the point, and the plot is paper thin, and this includes a villain who’s introduced late in the story, with no explanation of where she came from, why she’s doing what she’s doing and one of the dumbest designs I’ve ever seen...and the whole climax is built around her. It then pulls off a plot twist so brazenly nonsensical that is wraps around to being kind of impressive in its ridiculousness.

There is an effort made at character development in one respect- there's this whole character arc with the Generic Isekai Princess where Harley inspires her to speak up for herself and she decides to become as much like Harley as she can. Soooo I think this show really does think “empowering yourself” is actually copying another person and trying to become them, but hey, at least that other person is a woman this time. And there were a couple shippy moments with her and Harley, so that’s something.

(oh and on the topic of unfortunate implications, at one point Clayface makes fun of Deadshot's short dreads, saying his hair looks like "broccoli" and I have no idea why anybody let that through, especially on the DC side).

But at the end of they day, the one thing I wanted to happen--everyone getting magical girl transformation sequences--did in fact happen and it was great, so I can’t complain.

So yeah, this is a fine show to watch if you want a shallow, utterly brainless good time. It’s here to be goofy and action packed and nothing else. But if you really need these characters to resemble the comic characters, it’s not gonna be for you.

[littleoanh]

I would love to request Black Dragons Taiju (Tokyo revengers) with fem reader who is Mikey’s twin sister who is second boss in toman but is dating Taiju so Taiju came to pick up his girl from Toman meeting with Koko and Inui and everyone were in shock bc nobody knew about them not even Hakkai. I hope you are comfortable to write this TwT💖

A/N: Hi darling! I am okay to write this request since it does not involve smut or dark content :) And this is such a cute idea!

Thinking of You

Characters: BD!Taiju Shiba x SanoFem!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, established relationship, Mikey calling reader “dummy” (in a loving familial way), Mikey and Reader having their sibling banter, Taiju calling reader “Sleeping Beauty”, Draken’s cursing, crack humor, and smau

A/n: Thank you @mekiza for beta reading!!

Like, reblogging, and kind comments are appreciated.

“Do I really have to be at the meeting?” You can barely keep your head up, your eyes are half open and yawning tirelessly while holding onto Mikey, your twin brother as he drives his motorcycle through the night traffic. You were in the middle of your second nap when he barged into your bedroom and practically dragged you out of bed. He didn’t give you time to change out of your lounging clothes.

“If I have to be here, so do you. You are Toman’s second in command.” He reminds you of your position. Mikey didn’t give you this title because you are his twin, but because of your matching and formidable skills. No one except for maybe Mikey can take you down. The only difference is … you don’t care about gangs as much as he does. 

“Just go on without me and tell me the details later.” Laying your head against his back, feeling the nice cool breeze, and listening to the sound of Mikey’s roaring motorcycle engine. 

“[Y/n], you need to take this more seriously! Toman isn’t Toman without you.” You are one of the founding members and the only female member. 

“Then don’t make the meetings to be out in the middle of the night.” 

“It’s only 9 o’clock!”

“That’s still considered night time and I’m sleepy!” You despise doing anything while you are drowsy and knowing in this meeting, you are not going to be speaking and you are better off sleeping at home. 

“You slept majority of the day, dummy! How are you ever going to find a boyfriend if all you do is sleep!” You tense up a little bit but you must act natural to not bring suspicion to yourself. 

“How are you ever going to find a girlfriend if all you ever do is have meetings at night!” Mikey and you continue your childish banters all the way to Musashi Shrine. The captains are shaking their heads or laughing when they see you two having your usual quarrels. This is nothing new to them, it would be strange if you two weren’t playfully fighting. 

“Cut the shit, you two.” Draken, the peacemaker, breaks your silly and pointless arguments. “Meeting is about to start and you two need to pull your shit together.” 

“She started it.” Mikey grumbles, he crosses his arms while looking away with a big pout and before you can counter, Draken quickly notices your lounge attire and asks.

“Why didn’t you change into your uniform?”

“I couldn’t because Mikey dragged me out of bed and didn’t let me change.” Draken sighs deeply before taking off his Toman jacket and handing it to you. Knowing Mikey, he won’t give his to you.

“Here. I’ll have Mitsuya bring an extra jacket for you next time.” Feeling a bit strange and conflicted to wear another guy’s jacket, however you need to keep your relationship with their rival gang’s leader, Taiju Shiba on the down low. It will cause chaos if anyone finds out.

“Thanks.” You accept his jacket, wrapping it around your shoulders just like Mikey. Draken’s jacket is quite long, it reaches your calves. 

“Alright, gather round everyone! Meeting is about to start!” Draken grabs everyone’s attention, the captains and their division group form up and bow as the three of you make your way to the top of the steps.

“Greetings Commanders! Welcome!” They respectfully welcome the top leaders of Toman. Mikey commences the meeting and talking about trivial topics about other gangs. Ugh, I don’t even need to be here for this. Your phone suddenly vibrates in your pocket, you turn away to discreetly check who is contacting you.

Bringing a small smile on your face, you gave him this phone nickname for two reasons. One, you can’t have anyone knowing you’re dating Taiju. Two, you made it ridiculous enough so no one can question you.

You quietly laugh for sassing Taiju, you are brazen enough to talk to him this way. Your phone vibrated again for you to read his next message. Your eyes widen, uncertain if you are reading this right.

Oh no, you frantically message him back to tell him to stay put but he is not responding. He completely made up his mind to let your relationship be known. Thinking of a way to get out of the meeting, you discreetly grab Draken’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” He quietly whispers, not wanting to interrupt Mikey.

“I need to leave to take care of something personal.”

“Are you in trouble or-?”

“Nope, not in trouble. I really need to-” A loud commotion interrupts the meeting and everyone’s attention is redirected in the back. I’m too late … accepting your fate once you see a familiar bright red jacket from the distance. Taiju’s magnetizing smile, heavy boots and humming drawing awareness of his powerful and confident presence. 

“What the hell are the Black Dragons doing here?!” Several members are panicking and flabbergasted by their surprise appearance. Mikey and Draken remain calm but you can feel their anger for showing up unannounced. Taiju is never alone, he brought his two most trusted members. Koko and Inui. 

“You have some nerve to be on our turf.” Muto glaring at them, he is prepared for a throw down. 

“Guess they want to break their agreement and want to die tonight.” Nahoya smiles while cracking his fingers. 

“Do you know why he is here?” Mitsuya quietly asks Hakkai, who is breathing heavily in panic and unable to answer.

“Well, well, well!” Kokonoi smiles playfully and enjoys their panicked state, “Isn’t this a cute little gathering?" Several of the members are scowling at his comment. “You can all relax, we are not here to fight Toman.”

“Then why are you here?” Draken steps forward with a commanding stance. Taiju’s golden eyes find yours, his lips instantly frowning. You are not wearing your Toman’s size jacket, it is much bigger than your body proportion. He walks up the steps with the sound of his heavy boots echoing and his eyes never lingering from yours. “Oi!” Draken is trying to block this muscular man to prevent him from stepping any further.

“Whose jacket is that?” Taiju asks in a gruff tone, revealing his little jealous side. 

“Hah?” Mikey and Draken are confused about who Taiju is talking to, until you let out a sigh.

“Calm down tiger, I didn’t have my uniform and I borrowed Draken’s jacket.” Sliding his jacket off your shoulders and handing it back to Draken. “Here.”

“Is this the personal thing you were referring to?” Draken stares at you like an overprotective brother.

“What personal thing?” Mikey steps into the conversation with an unreadable expression. 

“What is going on?” Everyone starts whispering amongst themselves, Hakkai is staring at you filled with confusion. 

“I came to collect Toman’s second in command, [Y/n] Sano!” Taiju boasts loudly, everyone’s eyes widen and Mikey is now glaring at him. “We have dinner reservations.” He grins at you, “As I said before, I am not a patient man Sleeping Beauty.”

“[Y/n], what is the meaning of this?” Mikey is staring emotionlessly at you. “Are you hiding something from me?” Taiju let out a roaring laughter, disrupting a serious conversation. Oh my god, he is so embarrassing… mentally shaking your head with your hand on your forehead.

“Alright fine, I’ll tell the truth.” All eyes are now on you, Taiju’s smirking, Koko enjoying the unraveling scene and Inui staring blankly. “Taiju is my boyfriend and we have been dating for awhile.”

“WHAT?!” Majority of the Toman members fell to the floor in shock, Mikey is dumbfounded while Draken is speechless. 

“Are you kidding me?” Hakkai mutters to himself, he almost couldn’t feel his jelly legs. He has no idea you had a secret relationship with his older brother. Toman are utterly confused on how to react to this. You are their second in command and you have a relationship with this brute? They turn their attention to Mikey to follow his lead but Mikey still hasn't said a word. 

“Cat got his tongue.” Koko snickers and Inui nods his head. 

“Mikey?” You are concerned that he hasn't blinked for the past 5 minutes. “You okay, bro?” He stayed silent for another minute or so.

“Is he ‘Beefy Toes’?” Mikey asks, throwing everyone for a loop of even more confusion and your cheeks are heated because you never told Taiju that’s what you called him on your phone.

“ … ‘Beefy … Toes’?” Taiju is not amused with your nickname for him, Inui stifled his laugh while Koko couldn’t contain his. 

“Alright time to go!” You nervously brush past Draken and pull Taiju away from everyone. Not wanting to accidentally embarrass Taiju more. However, Mikey has other thoughts.

“Beefy Toes, make sure you have her home by midnight! We have lots to talk about later!” Ugh Mikey!!! Taiju’s hand grips yours tightly, knowing he is about to explode.

“Koko for the love of god, place our usual order!” Quickly pulling Taiju away, Koko’s laughter isn’t helping and Inui uncertain if he should beat up anyone who dares make fun of his boss.“Mikey, you are so annoying!” 

“[Y/n], you are not off the hook yet! You are in big trouble with me!” 

“He’s not the only one you’re in trouble with.” Taiju growling lowly only for you to hear. I really shouldn’t have come to this meeting … knowing this is going to be a long night of lectures. 

[End]

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[atla-confessions]

I can't stand Zutara but something about Zutaraang makes me so happy.

I'm convinced every zutara problem could be fixed via zutaraang. (Before I move forward, while I understand if this is tagged anti zutara, I am not anti zutara, I quite like zutara, when I speak of 'problems' it is because there are problems and conflicts in every relationship. There are also plenty with kataang and zukaang but this ask wasn't abt those two.)

So one of the biggest things I think they'd struggle with is they're both so strongwilled, you just KNOW they're gonna bump heads sometimes. Both of them have a tendancy of lashing out with harsh words when they get angry or frusterated. That combined is a recipe for disaster.

Enter Aang, who is repeatedly shown to be a peacemaker. Enter Aang who is repeatedly shown to be able to take bad bahavior and just shrug it off. Enter Aang who'd be the number 1 zutara shipper whether or not he was in that relationship lmao and would be estatic to scheme to set them up toward getting along. (A lot of locking them in a closet tbh)

I also think zutara just tend to make bad decisions together, namely going to kick people's asses (which is also something I love about them lmao, you cannot leave them alone for five minutes before they're plotting some raid on an asshole)

Enter Aang who's literally that meme of the person holding the leash with the gremlin only there's two kwbdjsdbb one of my favorite zutaraang ideas is Aang having a set of rules like, sure, go off and kick ass, but don't get caught and no more than three broken bones please. I think it's a good compromise.

Zutara are neither very subtle. They'd be causing drama and political problems All The Time lmao, collectively the thorn in everyone's side.

Enter Aang who can lie like a snake and be like "that doesn't sound like my Katara and Zuko :0 besides, they were with me that night :) you trust the avatar don't you? :)" And like, who's gonna disagree? That's the avatar. This works almost every time but they're all aware that EVENTUALLY he's not going to be able to pull that off, which is why "don't get caught" is one of the rules ksnfnsndnd

Also, Zuko and Katara have shown to have a tendancy of giving a certain kind of attention that the other would struggle with. Zuko has his severe possesive issues, and Katara gets a little Too determined to help everyone even when they make it clear they want to be left alone. Katara would not react positively to someone trying to control what she can do or who she can talk to, and Zuko tries to fight anyone who dares make him feel even slightly vulnerable when he's not in the right mindset for it jsbdnsndnd

Enter Aang, who would be a fatastic distraction. Zuko's trying to be possessive? Well he can't be posessive over Katara AND Aang at the same time now can he, Aang's probably perfectly happy to let Zuko scare people off sometimes (being the avatar has got to be socially draining.) Katara's prodding at Zuko a little too much? Aang's perfectly happy to have deep conversations about emotions to quell her need for that until Zuko's ready.

I'm just saying, Aang is the perfect bridge between them. I love zutaraang so much. I love these trigger happy idiots and their long suffering pacifist nsbfnsndns

X

[nightlight-rising]

scrolled a bit so hopefully this isnt super late, buuut heres this!

🥭Share a snippet (3-5 sentences / 1 paragraph) of lore you wrote and give us the author's notes/director's commentary!

this answer is so late im sorry ToT i had a hard time deciding what to share bc honestly i kinda just.. dont write lore lol (most of it is just kinda basic/straightforward descriptive stuff) BUT HERE !! :

"Forgotten legend tells of an ancient minor deity; a God of Flowers known as the Darling of the Glades, whom the Gladekeeper loved dearly. The God was a peacemaker and entertainer known for her kindness and carefree nature. In a conflict between the plague and nature siblings, the God of Flowers stood before the Plaguebringer and sacrificed herself to save the flora and fauna of the Viridian Labyrinth."

- Exerpt from my Clan progenitor Anemone's lore

i've had the idea of Anemone being a shapeshifter with a special connection to the Gladekeeper for a while now, but haven't written her any actual lore until recently. A really long time ago (back when I first joined in 2016) i wrote a little bit about how Anemone and her mate Bacarra met, but I didn't really feel attached to that story at all and basically haven't thought about them until a month ago.

The concept of doomed relationships in general had been stewing in my brain around then, but for Anemone and Bacarra, I went with a more "i will find/love you in every universe" type thing, which for me made their relationship feel 1000% more compelling. From there I took elements like a sacrificial deity relationship and worldly memory loss (which i admit were both inspired by genshin impact iykyk) as well as a deity/worshipper relationship turned romance for Bacarra (which is also definitely not inspired by tgcf). What can I say, my favorite straight relationship troupe is "GOD I LOVE MY WIFE!!" (<- not to say their relationship is entirely straight when one is a genderless shapeshifting ex-deity)

Putting this into lore also helped me connect Anemone to the Gladekeeper more intimately and give her a more solid/direct reason to have beef with the Plaguebringer

anyway I think I rambled enough about this and tysm for sending the ask!! Someday I will be inspired to write more storylike lore for my Clan...

[ryuseitai]

i want ryuseitai halloween event But also i dont, but i do really really bad. okay i do. just completely. My favoritest holiday ever. an d just imagine a ryuseitai halloween Song.. i could die just thinking about it. and shinobu halloween 5*. hed be so so so..!! so!!!! BUT i dont want first shinobu official leader event to be JUST silly, which i feel would be easy to happen if it is halloween?.. nothing against the silly and sweet ryuseitai events.. but.. i feel like shinobu in particular doesnt get taken seriously very often. compared to the rest of ryuseitai. and ninja clan was quite short and casual.. i do love ninja clan though dont get me wrong. let me be clear. But i think shinobu deserves a spot in the center of a meatier ryuseitai story.. u kno.w... is his turn now. i think, it makes sense this happens to shinobu anyways, within ryuseitai stories especially, because when there is inner ryuseitai conflict he is a peacemaker or voice of reason.Because thats just who he is as a guy. And i love that. He has an important role. But it makes him be overlooked at times i think. i dont think, and hope that, there wont even be that kind of conflict in next ryuseitai event, intra-unit conflict i mean. i dont see how it would fit... there cant even be much conflict of shinobu learning to be leader either because he already has been.. in stella maris it said he already had a turn, and kanata was the last to get a turn as ryuseitai leader.Ghey fr just didnt even show us shinobus debut as taichou. just fuck off. WELL, anyways, my point here is i dont really know at all what they are cooking up for next ryuseitai event but thats Ok bc im not the writer. but either way i just dont want shinobu to have a nothing burger event. okay?

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Mikan (pt. 10)

I know it's been a while. I've been a little emotionally and physically drained these days. I've been frustrated with myself for not posting. I need this essay to keep up a sense of structure in my void of a life and I've been neglecting it, which is UNACCEPTABLE!

Anyway, we left off with the beginning of the Z Arc. Natsume has been ignoring Mikan and when she finally gathered the courage to confront him about it, he told her he hated everything about her. Today, we will discuss the aftermath of that confrontation. We will also explore Mikan's smiling complex and her story-long desire to become stronger and "useful."

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Chapter Thirty-One

Natsume starts to run first. Mikan and Ruka only follow as an afterthought, but they’re all quickly stopped in their tracks by Hotaru, riding on a goose-invention, who invites Mikan to hop on. This is personal for her: they’re gonna confront the people who stole Yuu’s alice. There’s a moment where the teachers are calling after them, where Yuu protests that they’re supposed to stay inside, and where Natsume stares in shock at this development.

Mikan focuses on him, remembering the cruel thing he just said to her. Though Hotaru’s arrival cheered her up, she’s obviously still hurt by what he said. So instead of listening to Yuu or the teachers, both Hotaru and Mikan basically tell them all to fuck off. 

He thinks he can just be mean and get away with it? No way!

This moment is Mikan’s chance to actually respond to what he said in a meaningful way. She and Hotaru can abscond from the scene, leaving him in their dust, and it’s the best chance she has to communicate how he made her feel. She still doesn’t hate him back, and it still hurts, but hey! He wanted to run after the Z intruders and she actually gets to! Beat that, jerk!

The rest of this chapter is mainly about Hotaru and Mikan. As they fly away, Mikan exclaims that she already feels so much better (presumably after having her feelings crushed by Natsume earlier), and Hotaru explains that the announcement about an “invader” is just a rumor; in fact, a Z member is being escorted onto campus. What she doesn’t know is that two other Z members have invaded campus to retrieve him. 

Mikan tells Hotaru she’s happy that Hotaru is the one most concerned about Yuu, that the girl who is always cool and collected is breaking the rules and acting boldly for a friend. Hotaru explains that Yuu is the “oasis” of Class B, one of the people who keeps her human. We saw before that she was concerned she’d become like her older brother, become twisted and cold because of the nature of the school. We also know that Hotaru was relieved, not just by Mikan’s friendship, but by Yuu’s as well. The trio keeps each other in line. I’d mentioned before that antics like the dodgeball game (and getting Class B to get along in general) work because all three of them are involved. Mikan might be the outgoing one, but Yuu has been working desperately to have Class B come together for years. He’s kind too, and reasonable, always prioritizing peace and friendship. Hotaru makes a good point that his absence would create a gaping hole in the class. Mikan might have helped get them all together, but losing a peacemaker would no doubt spur conflict in the class again.

Hotaru recalls a moment when Yuu told her that all the kids here are separated from their families. Even if they don’t say it aloud, they’re all scared and lonely. If they get along and become friends, then they won’t have to face this life entirely on their own. Mikan is naive; she still thinks of this place as a wacky school with a few unfair rules. Yuu, who has been a student here for almost his whole life, understands that there’s corruption and unfairness. He doesn’t just want to make friends, he wants to make sure that the students in his class--all of whom are suffering in the same ways--can support each other and become stronger as a result. 

They will always be a trio to me.

The fact that the trio of Yuu, Mikan, and Hotaru stops being as central after this arc makes some amount of sense since Mikan gets closer to other classmates, but it also makes me sad. They’re a trio that perfectly balance each other: Hotaru may be cold, but she knows when to dish out unpleasant truths and is logical when the other two aren’t; Mikan may be loud and annoying, but she keeps things positive and friendly; Yuu may be shy, but he keeps the peace and does his best to mediate conflicts. They get along really well, and it’s their combined efforts that brought unity to Class B. Hotaru loves Yuu and doesn’t want to lose him. Mikan also loves Yuu, and seeing that Hotaru also cares so unabashedly reminds her why she loves Hotaru too.

Hotaru is cold and calculating, an enterprising and apathetic inventor with a capitalistic mindset. Mikan doesn’t focus on those traits, though, even though they seem to be the most obvious parts of her. There’s also a hidden kindness and appreciation for the people she loves. There’s ingenuity and creativity. Mikan isn’t a masochist (I’ll say this a thousand times) because the coldness isn’t what draws her to Hotaru; it’s the parts Hotaru would rather keep under wraps. That’s why we see Mikan gushing about Hotaru the most when Hotaru does something clever, shows off her accomplishments, and (most of all) when she does something kind.

Mikan, being an optimist, is someone who focuses on the bright sides of people after she’s been shown them. After she met the “real” Ruka, the act he tried putting on didn’t faze her at all; she already knew who he really was inside. Once she realized what kind of person Sumire could be, she was able to tolerate Sumire’s bad qualities better. Once she saw that Natsume was capable of kindness, she couldn’t hate him anymore. The goodness of people is what stands out to her, which is why when she sees that there’s good traits in somebody, it’s hard for her to stop seeing them.

Which is why even now, she still likes Natsume. He hurt her, and he has very obvious bad traits, but because she’s seen the good ones, that’s what stands out to her. That’s why she’ll still like him going forward even if he never actually apologizes for what he’s said.

And she’s happy to see Hotaru be so open with her, to finally say out loud all the things Mikan already knew. Mikan is touched, especially to be included among the people Hotaru likes, and gets even more excited about saving Yuu’s alice.

One chapter, Natsume closes himself off, crushing her. The next, Hotaru opens up, and Mikan is incredibly happy as a result. 

But things go sideways very quickly: Hotaru is hearing commotion on her spying headphones, so she calls off their plan. They’re going to head back.They start to leave, but they’re encountered by the Z members, including the one who’d previously been captured by the academy. Hotaru freezes, but Mikan points out that she can see some teachers who might be able to help, bringing attention back to them.

Family reunion!

(Hotaru called her “Mikan,” which is why Yuka pays attention, because of course she knows that name, and which is why she approaches her. Yuka, who did everything in her power to make sure her daughter had a safe life away from the academy, has just discovered that Mikan somehow ended up at Alice Academy anyway. It’s only natural she would step closer.)

The woman reaches for Mikan, a Z member spots a security guard behind the kids, and Hotaru takes a bullet for Mikan.

I don't know how long the list is, but add another trauma!

It happens so quickly that it takes Mikan a moment to understand what has even happened, but it’s safe to say that when she processes that Hotaru has been shot, she is no longer over-the-moon happy.

Chapter Thirty-Two

When we see Mikan again, she looks unlike anything we’ve ever seen from her: she’s in a state of shock, frozen from witnessing her best friend take a bullet for her. Mikan is usually good at smiling and staying upbeat, but as I had pointed out at the beginning of this essay, she quickly starts experiencing traumatic events in rapid succession. She may be the most childish and cheerful girl around, but even she has her limits. 

Poor Mikan :(

So she doesn’t chat with the others when they come by, she doesn’t light up. She just calls out for Hotaru when she comes out of surgery. But even when the kids are allowed a few minutes with Hotaru before she’s put in an isolated room, Mikan doesn’t say much. She just stares, gloomy and dark, very much unlike her. She is blaming herself, aware that the bullet had been meant for her, aware that Hotaru sacrificed herself for her one more time. Hotaru, asleep, calls out for her parents, shocking Mikan even more. 

I like picking panels that include Natsume if I can help it.

Subaru coldly tells them to leave, that their presence isn’t helping, and that the virus she got from the bullet might kill her if they don’t find an antidote.

The hospital is full of Hotaru’s fans, and everyone around Mikan is crying. Even though she is obviously shocked, she doesn’t shed any tears or say much of anything. When Tono and Noda come by, she lets Tono pick her up and lets herself be comforted, but she still doesn’t cry or reply to anything that's said. She turns for a moment only when Noda tells Natsume that he’s been summoned for a DA meeting. She watches him leave and they share a look.

I analyzed this look from Natsume’s POV, that giving her a meaningful glance is really all he can offer in her time of need, but it’s also interesting from Mikan’s POV. He told her he hates her, and he obviously doesn’t care about Hotaru, so why is he even here? Why is he giving her a look? 

Mikan will continue to be confused by Natsume’s endless back-and-forth behavior for a long time, and this is only one example. If you’ve ever wondered how somebody could not see that Natsume was head-over-heels for her, all it takes is seeing that, from Mikan’s POV, this guy is anything but consistent. One minute he’s hanging out with her at the festival, the next he’s making fun of her, then he’s all soft and saying her name, then he’s ignoring her for weeks, then he’s telling her he straight up hates her, then he’s giving her meaningful looks. It doesn’t make any sense! Natsume has always been a conundrum to her, a puzzle with almost all the pieces missing, and it’s still the case now.

The scene moves on quickly though, because Hotaru has woken up, and she has something to say to Mikan: telling her she’s ugly, to wipe that look off her face, to not worry about her. To smile.

I can see a complex forming fast...

We join Mikan again outside, with Ruka and Yuu catching up with her, and we finally see her say what she’s been thinking out loud. Hotaru doesn’t talk about the things that bother her. Mikan is loud about wanting to see Jii-chan again. She complains about things and makes sure everyone knows what she’s feeling. But Hotaru keeps that to herself. She wasn’t only trying to get the best student award to see Mikan after all; she loves her family too and now that she’s on her death bed, all she wants is to see her parents. Hotaru is cool and confident, usually blank-faced, but she’s still a little girl, and little girls cry out for Mommy and Daddy when they’re hurt. Mikan has never seen that side of her before, and is shocked. 

That’s how bad things are, Mikan explains, that Hotaru (who never complains or lets on that she’s in pain) is crying out for her parents. And EVEN WITH THAT, she’s more concerned about Mikan than herself.

Mikan finally breaks down, crying for the first time since Hotaru has been shot, and she feels guilty for it. Hotaru tells her to smile (out of good intentions), to not worry, because she finds strength in Mikan’s positivity. If even Mikan can’t smile, then the situation seems all the more dire. And she wants Mikan to be able to smile, to not be sad. She is worrying for Mikan, but Mikan can only think that she’s messing up somehow by crying, that she’s weak for shedding tears. She wants to be strong, like Hotaru is.

I’ve mentioned this before, in the introductory arc, where Mikan started developing complexes about being useless, about being weak. When she first ran away to the academy, she was trying to be selfless, to sacrifice something, but she ended up (in her own view) putting her friends in danger and inconveniencing everyone. She doesn’t ever recognize her own strength, her own sacrifices that she’s already made. She views strength as eternal smiles and no shed tears, but that’s not what strength is. She berates herself for crying when Hotaru is going through worse, but pain isn’t a competition. Hotaru might be in pain, but so is Mikan. She should cry if she wants to. 

Not only is this not right, but also Hotaru being blank-faced isn't what makes her strong. I think Hotaru could probably afford to be a little more upfront about her feelings, sure, but she seems to know when to be serious and when to tease. She thinks of other people, the ones she cares about. She is confident and sure of herself and her abilities. Her lack of tears isn't what makes her strong, in other words. Mikan has her own strength to, but struggles to see it. Additionally, she seems to think she can be as strong and secure and mature as she wants without going through the necessary life experience needed to reach that level. We'll get into that later.

This is further evidence of that complex she will only continue to develop. Just like Natsume has a martyr complex, a trait that seems noble on the surface but is in reality dangerous and unhealthy, Mikan also has a trait like that. Mikan sees herself as useless. The only thing that seems to have value is her smile. People find strength from it, so if that’s all she can bring to the table, then why would she ever let it leave her face?

She’s told (I think by Tono) that she’ll be strong like Hotaru some day--which is kind, but also missing the point a little. Ruka comforts her, hugging her. They are like souls, too. Mikan wants to take on all of Hotaru’s pain as her own. Ruka wants to do the same for Natsume. Mikan doesn’t want to be a burden on Hotaru. Ruka doesn’t want to be a burden on Natsume. Mikan wants to smile for Hotaru, to not cry anymore. Ruka promised Natsume that he wouldn’t smile if Natsume couldn’t smile. So he understands better than anyone what she’s struggling with right now.

And maybe that makes them a little bit of a bad influence on each other (again, they are kids; so I’m not calling anything problematic or toxic because all kids are messes learning how to live). They see their friends suffer and they want to be stronger for them, which is good, but both Ruka and Mikan are selfless to a fault too. They don’t value their own pain as something worth crying over. They make promises they shouldn’t keep (to always smile, to never smile) which will only cause unnecessary guilt in the future. 

I love this moment of connection between them.

But they’re also good influences on each other too. They’re able to support each other because they get it. So there’s really nobody better to comfort Mikan now, because every word out of her mouth is something Ruka has thought about Natsume, because he’s been in her position before many times. 

Chapter Thirty-Three

Mikan isn’t taken to her dorm like she’s supposed to be; instead they all go to the SA classroom. Tono puts it best: she shouldn’t be alone right now when she needs support. Misaki is most supportive, making her a hot drink and sympathizing with her plight. Mikan is still in tears, still crying over her friend. Tono muses about a tunnel in the senior division that might lead to a wormhole (in other words, a possible key to saving Hotaru and getting Yuu’s alice back). Mikan clings to this hope, suddenly cheered up with the idea that there’s something she can do to help Hotaru.

Tono tries to backtrack, but when Mikan starts crying over the fact that he would like in her time of need, he finds he can’t. Her classmates come in too, and the issue of this tunnel is suddenly the subject of debate. They argue back and forth on how reckless the idea is, but Mikan holds firm: she and Hotaru promised that they’d save Yuu’s alice, and Hotaru is in trouble now, so she wants to do something to help. Mikan, who always feels useless, wants to prove herself. She wants to be strong like Hotaru. So far, Hotaru has been the one breaking the rules to help Yuu (controlling Narumi, ditching the teachers, etc.), something Mikan admired. Now it’s her turn to break the rules and save the day. 

Ruka can connect to Mikan's speech because he's been there, but there's a sentiment that also connects Mikan to Natsume in his eyes as well. With that in mind, he has to support her.

And Ruka is touched by her speech, because he’s always felt that way about Natsume, so it makes sense that he’d be the first person to volunteer to help her. Mikan is moved, because support means her plan might make sense to somebody other than her. But then Natsume volunteers too, and that’s entirely out of left field.

Natsume, who is always cynical and jaded, who seems to think that everything is stupid or a bad idea, is on her side. Remember that the last thing he told her was that he hates everything about her, that he wants her to stay away. Here he is now, volunteering to spend more time with her, saying that he prefers her plan to sitting around and doing nothing. WISHY WASHY MESS.

Mikan's like "????????"

Mikan is understandably surprised, and they share one more look. Sure, he’s not smiling. Sure, there’s no apology or sweet words. But he’s picking her side and that means something. Even Mikan can tell this means he must not hate everything about her.

So Tono gives in and the plan takes off. The kids are gonna sneak into the high school division to find the tunnel by eating Gulliver candies.

Chapter Thirty-Four

They create substitutes and alibis for their absences going forward and then it’s done. The plan is already in motion, even if Tsubasa is against it. 

Mikan is the first to join Tono and Tsubasa after eating the candy, suddenly fifteen! But just because she’s fifteen on the outside doesn’t mean she’s any more mature on the inside. She still doesn’t understand Tono’s perverted comments.

She’s awestruck to see how Natsume and Ruka have changed, though. It’s so bizarre to see them grown up that she feels like she’s going crazy. We can assume that she thinks they’re cute, because she’s blushing and freaking out, which is fun to see because Mikan didn’t seem to really understand why someone would have a crush on Natsume after finding out he’s a jerk. She knows he’s a jerk, and yet!

Mikan and her weakness for beautiful people...

Then she trips and he catches her, and the moment is sweet for a bit. First, he tags along to the hospital to see her. Then he joins her team. Now he’s catching her! It seems like he really wasn’t telling the whole truth when he said he hated her. The pieces don’t fit properly, but she’s happy that he doesn’t seem to really hate her. So she blushes again! Because she really hadn’t been expecting kindness from him after Chapter Thirty. Plus he’s not bad-looking as a teenager--

And then he feels her up. Nevermind!

They bicker and fight (and Tsubasa points out that all three of the kids are completely unchanged on the inside even if they look grown up) and it’s the first time they’ve really done so since the culture fest. I said in Natsume’s essays that he must be relieved by that because it’s all he can reasonably expect from her at this point, but I think she must be relieved in some way too. She’s bickered and argued with Natsume plenty in the story so far. She started liking him, but they were still bickering. Then all of a sudden he was ignoring her. They weren’t even fighting--they weren’t talking at all. Being able to argue with him and having him bicker back must be a relief. It’s a sign, along with all the stuff I mentioned above, that Natsume might be back to normal.

It's so funny that Mikan only pauses fighting with Natsume to climb up the pothole and then she goes right back to it. She must have really missed this!

They sneak onto the high school division campus and instantly face obstacles like angry, sentient statues with violence issues and annoying hall monitors. They’ve been doing a good job blending in, but then Mikan swallows her candy. 

She calls out to Ruka for help. He’s the nicest guy among them really, and the least likely to yell at her or call her an idiot for messing up. She’s right (and wrong) to ask him for help. He’s only concerned and immediately tries to help, telling her to hide out of sight while he asks for assistance. But Ruka doesn’t know the high school division any better than she does, so he messes up too, getting them trapped in a zero-gravity chamber. Mikan cries out for help from her senpais, and they do, Tono amplifying Tsubasa’s alice so he can yank them out of the chamber. 

But both Mikan and Ruka appear in front of the high-schoolers as children once more. They get caught by a hall monitor with the ice alice and now all the kids are stuck and even Natsume has swallowed his candy (they are all so cute with their baggy clothes ;-;). Mikan calls for her senpai for help, but it’s surprisingly Natsume who saves them, using his alice to melt the ice.

You’d think that, being stuck in ice, she’d first think of Natsume, the fire Alice, for help. But she’s still angry at him, and he’s so rarely kind, especially lately, that asking him for help doesn’t even occur to her. He’s so far not given her much of a reason to.

But he does save them, and Mikan looks at him differently. He was saving himself too, but he also saved her. Not to repeat myself for the nth time, but he keeps acting contrary to what he’d said before, and she keeps being surprised. 

Always pay attention to sparkly panels!

It would be one thing if he suddenly changed and was nice after claiming he hates her. That’s not what happened. He’s not nice. Everytime he does something kind, he balances it out with something mean. She doesn’t know what to think of him, but so far on this trip he’s been more helpful than antagonistic, and she has been keeping track.

Chapter Thirty-Five

There is so much PLOT and INFO and LORE here in this arc that I’ll either skim or skip, depending on how relevant it is for character and relationship growth. Just keep that in mind.

The group manages to find the only people who might know about the tunnel: Sakurano and Subaru, who are never seen apart, like life partners or boyfriends or something. Mikan pleads with them to help, taking responsibility for all the broken rules. Natsume might be a good talker, somebody who knows exactly what to share and when to hold back (an excellent negotiator), but Mikan is all heart. She’s not smart, but she feels immensely, so she interrupts with an emotional request that they help out of the kindness of their hearts, because Yuu and Hotaru need it. 

When Sakurano rejects her, she gets angry, asking Subaru how he could watch his sister struggle and not do anything about it. Usually, these emotional requests aren’t as successful in bargains as Natsume’s approach of playing with power imbalance. But Mikan isn’t trying to manipulate anybody; she’s sincere and earnest, and that’s why her approach works. She wants Subaru to care about Hotaru, so she says it out loud. She wants Sakurano to help because it’s the right thing to do, so she says so.

"I want to believe you care, that you're worried about her too." Don't mind me. I struggle with not talking MORE about the Imai siblings. I'm holding back, I promise.

Sakurano concedes that he’ll help them, even though it could get him and Subaru in trouble, but only if this isn’t just a bare-bones move of desperation. Natsume boasts about his credentials, that the plan will go smoothly because he’s part of it--and also Ruka. He turns to Mikan, because this is her idea, and he asks about her. 

This is maybe the first time that someone has looked to Mikan and asked what she would contribute. People chat with her, sure, and how she feels has weight and all that. That’s not what I’m talking about. People underestimate Mikan (and have been this whole arc, actually), with Tono and Tsubasa dismissing her idea to save Hotaru, Sumire shutting her plan down, and her own self-doubts putting into question whether she can actually help anyone. It was only when Ruka and Natsume signed on to her plan that she was taken seriously. Sakurano and Subaru had up to this point dismissed all of them as naive little children. But Natsume is looking to her now, because this was her plan from the start, and whatever ideas she has should be heard. This is her mission. She should have a say. What role does she want to play here?

Something something viewing her as an equal with something to contribute or whatever.

I talked about how Natsume stressing that Ruka would be just as instrumental and beneficial to the cause as him was a way of calling Ruka his equal. But he’s doing that now with Mikan too. This is important! Natsume, who has just shown off how instrumental he'll be to this mission, expects she'll be helpful too. It means a lot, especially coming from him. Mikan hasn’t really ever had people expecting things from her before, so she’s taken aback, but she eventually concludes that what she can do best is use her alice to protect her friends. She’s expected to participate equally, so she puts herself on the line. She still doesn’t value her alice as much as she should, but she knows that smiles won’t help here, and nullification is the only other thing she feels she can offer.

So that’s that. They go to the tunnel and somehow all her teammates go in before her. That’s how committed they all are to her cause. Natsume goes in without question, and Ruka follows after, determined. Tono gives Mikan his alice stone right before she can disappear. 

In the final seconds before she goes through the tunnel, she can see Subaru looking at her, like he wants to say something. He doesn’t know much about his sister. So far, he’s spent more time healing her unconscious body in the hospital than he’s spent actually talking to her. He wants to see her get better too. Mikan wanted him to be more than what Hotaru had assumed, that he wasn’t just a cold robot devoid of all humanity, that he cared for his sister somehow. He does want her to save Hotaru, to find the antidote. (Subaru is a lot like Natsume in that way; acting like he cares could put Hotaru in danger. And he’s also like Hotaru, since he acts aloof around her even once they start getting closer.) This is not relevant except that I love Subaru and Hotaru’s sibling bond so I wanted to ramble. Moving on.

Conclusion

Or... I'll be moving on in the next part, which I will probably post tomorrow! These chapters are very exciting, but heavier in lore than in relationship analysis.

In this part, we discussed Mikan's new mission: not just to save Hotaru and Iinchou, but to become stronger. Additionally, Natsume had been backtracking from his insistence that he hates everything about her. He has so far, right after saying he hates her, been on her side all day.

In the next part, we'll see the Z Arc continue and be able to compare how Mikan imagines this mission to go and how it really goes down. She'll see a little bit more of how different Natsume is from the rest of them, and her feelings will only get stronger!

ALSO, happiest of birthdays to @crimsoncitrus , a very good friend and an awesome person to know!

Anyway, I'm gonna go earn $100 now. :)

<- Prev Next ->

[darsynia]

Free Mom/Adult Advice

This will likely go unnoticed but, like... I turned 44 yesterday. I'm a mom of 3. My husband is a software engineer. We're homeowners and have had our fair share of crazy 'you're an adult now! GL!' situations we've had to figure out.

If you have a question that you're not comfortable asking someone who knows you personally, if you're not sure you can trust google results, feel free to send me an ask. I'm a natural peacemaker and have a lot of experience hearing about a situation and coming up with kind, self-protecting ways to solve conflicts, too. If I'm not in a place where I can help at the moment, I'll be honest and encouraging.

Oh! And writing advice/specifics, whether it's actual writing stuff or about things I might know about due to decripit age experience.

Important: IF YOU REFERENCE THIS POST I PROMISE I WILL KEEP MY ASK RESPONSE/DM RESPONSES PRIVATE UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY REQUEST OTHERWISE

Some suggestions on what you can ask:

how to handle spiraling negative thoughts (look, I can GIVE the advice, I can't always TAKE MY OWN ADVICE)

roommate struggles

you've set a story in the 80's, 90's, or 00's and want to ask something

You/your friend/a family member is pregnant/just had a baby, any advice for pregnancy/new baby issues? (sleep advice, behavior advice, gift advice, how to handle emotional stuff.)

ways to phrase a hard conversation you know is coming up

you want to leave a review/write a summary/title your story and want a second opinion

you're writing children and want to know if something you want them to do sounds realistic

you have a 'mom' question but don't have a 'mom' kind of person around

you're writing Tony Stark and are having trouble coming up with nicknames (I fucking LOVE that stuff)

I dunno, I just thought I'd offer. It's fine if this ends up languishing or whatever, it's a weird thing to suggest, and I get that :) OH and if you want to reblog that's fine, I'm happy to speak to people I'm not following/who don't follow me.

[ecargmura]

Dog Signal Episode 19 Review - You Can Do That, Can't You?

The penultimate episode revolves around Miyu and Singe and it seems to be a two-parter as it focuses on Miyu on a deeper level. Come to think of it, Miyu is the main character and he’s been here since episode 1 yet we never learned much of Miyu until now. All we knew about Miyu was that he had dated Yuko; they broke up after she dumped him; she then dumped Singe onto him and he was forced to live with a dog he didn’t want until he learned to love him. Who was Miyu before Yuko? Who was he before Singe and Niwa shaped his life? This is where his backstory comes to play.

Throughout the show, Miyu has shown to be kind of a pushover and naive. There are instances where he can be serious and emotional too. However, his biggest flaw is that he’s very impatient. When Singe doesn’t listen, he gets frustrated and upset. He sort of behaves like a stressed parent at times—and that’s where his backstory comes to play. I’m not a psychoanalyst, but it seems that he suffered through parentification growing up due to his toxic parents. His mother had a bad habit of spending her money and focusing her attention anywhere but her kids. His father couldn’t control that behavior, so he just gave up on her.; he expected Miyu to care for her when he couldn’t. Because of this, he practically had to be the parent to his family growing up. He was over-relied upon from his parents and had to be his younger brother Saki’s parent growing up; he’s also seen as the sort of “peacemaker” of the family whenever there’s an issue. He was given way too many expectations and he had to believe he had to be this way growing up.

As an adult, it resulted him in being a bit of a pushover because he wants to be seen as reliable and competent. If he’s not reliable and competent, then what is his purpose in life? Unfortunately, this upbringing has been so ingrained into him that he is slowly becoming his mother with the way he is behaving towards Singe in this episode. He hasn’t realized until Singe was taken away from him that he was behaving just like her. I think that becoming the people we don’t want to be is a scary feeling.

Singe’s tantrums stem from Miyu not giving him treats and pampering him like he usually does. All the dog wants is to be loved, but with Miyu’s behavior, it does make sense why he started misbehaving. Singe has a strong personality, so Miyu has to be on the same wavelength and not treat him like a human child. Miyu got a bit cocky, so this incident is a process of humbling him.

I find it hilarious how Miyu’s terrible mom is voiced by Ai Orikasa, who has voiced another crap mom in Ren Sohma from the Fruits Basket remake. The amount of well-known guest voice actors is crazy and they’re ending off with another big name. I don’t know who Miyu’s dad and brother are voiced by.

I just hope that this conflict gets resolved beautifully. I do like how unlike Niwa and Ritsuka’s issues that were centered around dogs, Miyu’s issues stems from humans and how it affects his behavior towards his dog. I can’t wait to see how the finale will be. I know for a fact that I am going to bawl my eyes out at the ending. What are your thoughts?

[sunycartoons]

Rattlesnake is a Southern Rock band that becomes rivals to The Wandering Cryptids. Their story is rife with success, controversy and tragedy, all of which leads them to legendary status.

The band's heavily inspired by The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mountain and Molly Hatchet. You can listen to their playlist here! You can read more about the band under the cut:

Dale Gator-Dale is the oldest of the Gator brothers, and is the band's rhythm guitarist. He's a gentle giant with a big heart, and he tends to be too trusting and naive. He often serves as a peacemaker.

Doug Gator-Doug is the second oldest brother and is the lead singer/keyboardist. He's hot headed and strong willed, which often gets him into trouble. He's subconscious about his small stature and gets mad when people bring it up.

Rory Gator-Rory is the youngest of the Gator brothers and is the lead guitarist. He's very creative, optimistic and hyper, and tends to get himself into mischief. Rory is socially awkward, but he can be very friendly when he's comfortable enough.

Daniel Blackstone-Daniel is a close friend of Dale's and is the rhythm guitarist and sometimes lead guitarist. He's a stoic and reserved guy, often coming off as unfriendly. Really Daniel can be very nice, but he has a hard time trusting people.

Statch Walkman-Statch is another friend of the brothers and the second bassist. Statch is a moody guy who acts like he doesn't like or care about anyone, even though he very much does.

Bill Rommer-Bill is a friend of Daniel's and Statch's, and is the band's lead bassist. He's a quiet, chill dude that rarely talks and has a fascination for cars and motorcycles. He's the smartest one in the entire group.

Mojo Lerezzo-Mojo is the band's leading drummer and percussionist. He's a very extroverted, bombastic guy who loves to party and have fun. He can be gruff sometimes but he's also a kind-hearted man.

Lamar Williams II-Lamar is the second drummer of the band. He's one of those guys that's way too nice for his own good and is pretty much a golden retriever in human form. Lamar is very passive and tries to avoid conflict as much as possible.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I really love these guys. For the first time in forever I actually feel inspired to work on these dudes and their story, thanks to their redesigns. Sometimes you gotta fix characters several times before you get them right. :D I'll upload their Toyhouse pages once they're done.

[therese-lokidottir]

The Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes series watch

The Casket of Ancient Winters written by Paula Giacoppo

The episode begins with a group of men led by a hooded man traveling to a cavern located in the icy north. Upon reaching the cave, they discover that it contains frozen vikings and an ancient artifact called the Casket of Ancient Winters. Soon after their arrival, Amora and Skurge arrive to meet with the mysterious man, who is later revealed to be Malekith the Accursed. He betrays their agreement to give them the casket and instead unleashes its full power covering the entire world in winter.

It's a warm, sunny day in New York, and Hawkeye, Wasp, and Hulk are enjoying the weather. They are hesitant to leave and help Iron Man, Thor, and Black Panther, who are engaged in a battle against Radioactive Man. Radioactive Man tries to drain power from the Stark Industries building's Arc Reactor but is stopped by Iron Man and Thor. Thor subdues him with water. Meanwhile, snow starts falling over New York City, which Thor recognizes as magic caused by the Casket's power. The artifact was hidden on Earth by Odin long ago.

During a conversation, Tony confronts Thor about the damage caused by a magical artifact, pointing out that it is just as dangerous as human science. T'Challa then suggests that the Casket is located in Norway, despite Stark's earlier inability to identify any patterns in the magic's effects. The Avengers find themselves in a dire situation as the frigid landscape becomes increasingly treacherous. To make matters worse, monstrous creatures made of ice begin to emerge from the snow, threatening their safety. However, with the aid of the Fantastic Four and the Ultron bots, Captain America and the other Avengers can push back against the monsters.

Iron Man, Thor, and Panther journey to Norway to tackle the root of their problems. Iron Man and Thor bicker over the magic and technology.

The trio battles Malekith, who freezes Thor and aims to make Midgard a new home for the dark elves. He unleashes his hounds on Panther and Iron Man, then uses the Casket's power to become unstoppable. Panther tells Thor and Iron Man to combine magic and science to defeat Malekith.

Thor strikes Iron Man's armor with lightning, thus supercharging it. This enables Iron Man to overpower the dark elf and emerge victorious. With the dark elf defeated, the team can proceed to close the Casket, which in turn banishes all the spirits and ice monsters back to where they came from.

Iron Man and Thor manage to settle their differences, but they are suddenly attacked by Amora and Skurge who take the Casket. Thor tries to return to Asgard and warn his father Odin and the other gods of the Enchantress' treachery, but he finds that the path is sealed and he is unable to go back.

I mostly liked this episode alright but the conflict between Tony and Thor was way too rushed. Like, both characters have a reason to be annoyed but the fact it is only now just brought up this episode and revolved this episode make it seem hardly worth it. It feels like something that should be an arc for the two.

Malekith was also pretty lame in my opinion. I feel like so far EMH has done a pretty good job with having at the very least charismatic villains but Malekith was just kind of annoying. Maybe that's just disappointment from me hopping for more Amora this episode.

T'Challa gets to be a bit of a sassy bitch and I'm personally all for that. Him being the peacemaker between Thor and Tony does work.

Seeing a little bit of the fantastic four was fun. I like the reminder that it Marvel New York and all the heroes just live here.

Also one of the mooks at the being presumably just dies. There's so much death in this show but they're not to use realistic gun sounds and so hilariously misguided by the censors.

[antigonewinchester]

15x20

And we come to it... The End of Supernatural.

But we’ve got a double feature this time: because I watched 1x20 too. With 15x20 calling back to that ep so specifically, I thought I’d see what the finale looked like in its context.

There’s a lot of talk of how the early vs. later seasons differ visually in terms of lighting, cinematography, etc., but I was also struck in their difference in tone. There’s a sincerity to 1x20, not just in what’s happening but in how the writing takes itself & the situation seriously, while 15x20 is much lighter and humorous, verging into bathos at points. It’s exactly the same as the contemporary MCU/Disney blockbuster humor: never letting the tension build for too long and breaking it was jokes. Maybe I’m just a bit too earnest but this kind of humor rings really hollow to me. It often feels self-defensive, like the writer(s) are hyper aware of their audience & its reaction and so they make fun of themselves before the audience can make fun of them.

I’d forgotten The Twilight Zone reference early in 1x20; love that. All of the John - Sam - Dean family drama is so compelling -- Sam still hotheaded & angry, John caring but not willing to give up his authority, Dean the peacemaker in the middle of it all. (The rest under a cut because it got long.)

DEAN: What happens if you die? Dad, what happens if you die, and we coulda done something about it? You know I been thinking. I ...think maybe Sammy's right about this one. We should do this together. [SAM nods.] DEAN: We're stronger as a family, Dad. We just are. You know it. JOHN: We're running out of time. You do your job and you get out of the area. That's an order.

Kripke’s idea of ‘family as everything’ is the foundation of this ep. It’s also obviously about healing the original family estrangement in Sam leaving and John rejecting him for it--John has to relearn how to “believe” in family again, which first starts to happen when Sam & Dean rush into save him, and then he saves Sam, using a bullet from the Colt to kill Luther holding Sam hostage, even though it means one less chance to get the YED. If, as SW analyzed, Dean takes on John’s narrative role in S4/5 with Sam, then Dean is in this narrative position thru the entire rest of the show. For ex, in Dabb’s seasons, so much of the writing focuses on Dean not “believing” in or resenting/rejecting family, which drives almost all the emotional conflict. And then cue Dean’s heartfelt deathbed speech in 15x20 about how much he loves Sam & thinks Sam is such an amazing guy, right? The ultimate “I believe in family & love you so much” speech. Dean’s speech even parallels what Sam’s son tell him as he’s dying, so framing Dean in a parental role to the end: (”SAM No. / DEAN (softly pleading): Look at me. Look at me. I need... I need... I need you to tell me that it's okay. I need you to tell me... Tell me it's okay. / SAM (through tears) Dean... it's okay. You can go now.” versus “DEAN II: Dad. It's okay. You can go now.”)

With the Colt, what stood out on this watch was how even though it’s a weapon that can “kill anything,” it’s not divine or blessed or anything like that; it was just a gun made by Samuel Colt for ordinary human hunters. Given how fantastical the show gets by the end, the Colt is grounded in a satisfying way. In order to fight creatures stronger than they are, people will make a tool that’ll allow them to overcome all that, just through sheer human ingenuity & stubbornness.

Jenny is the obvious throughline between these two eps, but there’s also John being integral to both (returning in 1x20, Sam & Dean figuring out the case thru his journal in 15x20) and both eps dealing with vampires. In 15x20, the situation is clearly meant to be a mirror reflection of Sam and Dean’s family tragedy: vampires invade a house, kill the father instead of the mother (but leaving her traumatized and unable to speak, literally & metaphorically) and steal the 2 kids away, but ending more happily with Sam & Dean saving the kids. There’s also again shades of sexual violence against children, in the vampires not just killing the kids but keeping them alive for years, both to feed and feed on them. If it’s more alluded to in 15x20, then it’s literal in 1x20, with vampires intertwined with sexual violence all over the ep: Kate & Luther making out / getting ready to have sex while Jenny watches, with Kate then turning Jenny by assaulting her with a kiss (complete w/ incestuous undertones in Luther then saying “Welcome home”); John looming over Kate and Luther like a creepy stalker when they all invade the vampires’s nest; Dean playing bait and drawing the vamps out, with Kate assaulting Dean very similarly to how she did Jenny. The ‘Dean playing bait’ scene was also interesting in that Dean is very much vulnerable (what if Kate had just gone for his neck?) while the masculine violence of the Winchesters is highlighted as well... John & Sam shooting Kate and the other vamp, John coming in with “sweetheart” to Kate when he confronts her, Dean taking Kate off in a bridal carry, a parody of the real thing. They’re both the hunted and hunters.

SAM (crying) Then don't leave me. Don't leave me. I can't do this alone. DEAN Yes, you can. SAM Well, I don't want to. DEAN Hey. I'm not leaving you. I'm gonna be with you... [DEAN is crying as he places his fist over SAM’S heart.] Right here... every day. ... DEAN Goodbye, Sam. Goodbye.

Telling that it was Jackles and Jarpad who added in those callbacks to Sam & Dean’s dialogue in the pilot, not Dabb. Good for them, tho.

I’m surprised I’ve never seen a comparison made between Dean’s death and Jack’s departure in 15x19! If Jack is a Christ figure, then Dean is a messiah figure, and those figures very often die; both Dean and Jack gave up a chance at a normal life to save the world & protect the people they love, Dean as a hunter & Jack as God; they both do the “I’ll still be with you, in your heart” gesture; it ends with both Jack and Dean saying goodbye, and they both then go onto to ascend to Heaven or a heavenly place. People talk about how Jack’s ending is messed up because he’s just a kid with too much responsibility put on his head, but the show idealizes / does the same thing with Dean, in how much it valorizes Dean’s protection of Sam. I think back to Jarpad’s quote talking about the finale that got people in a huff (“It was a success story — it was Dean’s success story,” Padalecki reflects on the “Supernatural” series finale. “This guy gave his life for years and years and years and ultimately gave his life to have his No. 1 on the planet live as normal a life as possible.”) but like? Doesn’t this attitude seem exactly how the show viewed Sam & Dean at this point?

I’ve also seen people talk pretty cynically about Dean’s death and as much as I’m not a fan of Dean dying I also just cannot read it as cynically as some people do. Dean didn’t die because he “couldn’t live a normal life,” he died because the show set up the “Dean = chooses the hunting life, Sam = wants a normal life” framing back in S12, Dabb’s first season, which culminates here in Dabb’s last, with Dean dying on a hunt after saving 2 kids from something horrible, and Sam going on to live without Dean and having a ‘normal’ life, wife, a son, even if he deep down he longs to be with Dean again. If Dean most represents “the family” in the narrative, then of course he couldn’t get a wife and kid like Sam could; that would be Dean choosing to have another family over Sam, and that wouldn’t work with Dean’s narrative role. In S15 too, Dean’s death also fits thematically with the emphasis within the last season on making sacrifices and dying for what you love and the people you saved living on after that sacrifice. Ketch, Rowena, Cas, Jack (sort of), Dean, to name some major ones. There’s also that Sam dying & Dean living on would be a repeat of Swan Song, so I can see why they would’ve wanted to avoid that plot beat because they’d already done it once. If anything, I’d say Dean’s death echoes his one in 3x16: telling Sam to carry on without him, Sam being unable to prevent his death, but this time instead of going to Hell, Dean ends up in Heaven. And Dean gets narratively rewarded with the perfect, best Heaven ever! The one that is stated he deserves!! I just don’t see how that translates into the writers seeing Dean as not normal or having something wrong with him?

OKAY last few things: I actually like the regular “Carry On Wayward Son” and then the cover version, what can I say. Despite ppl saying Dean spent however many odd decades in Heaven waiting for Sam, it’s clearly implied he only waited a short time in Bobby saying “Time up here, it's... it's different,” which is calling back to Hell’s time dilation, Dean’s 40′s years, and his now only spending a few minutes separate from Sam in comparison. And while I 100% understand not liking the finale, it’s kind of fascinating to me that the finale basically framed it as a final, fantastic Happy Ending for Sam & Dean, they are at peace for all eternity, isn’t that so nice, and parts of the fandom somehow read it as a tragic or unhappy ending. It’s just... so clearly not. It is if you wanted to the story to end another way, but c’mon, the story wasn’t going to end another way. It ended as it started, the Epic Love Story of Sam & Dean.

[pmkscanlations]

PMK DVD Booklet Interviews 1

Thanks again to @/pmkloveadmin and their kind friend yuunsoba who provided the raws for this booklet! I’ll be posting the interview translations in parts over the next few days. Please note that I’ll just be doing text posts due to the newer, stricter restrictions re: posting magazine images & the scan donator’s request! Thank you and please enjoy the first set!

INTERVIEW 1: ICHIMURA TETSUNOSUKE (Voice actor: Kaji Yuki)

Please tell us your genuine reaction to the announcement of the movie project.

Peacemaker was a project I took on along the way while auditioning about 4 years ago. It was a great honor to portray an older Tetsunosuke, who showed great growth even in the original work. At the same time, I was very nervous. I was involved with the drama CD initially, so this was my first time doing post-recording for the anime side of things. I dreamed of working as a voice actor when I was in school, so being able to do this was deeply moving for me.

Please tell us your genuine reaction to your first read-through of the script.

This makes me sound like a total newbie, but I just thought, “Uwah! It’s a Peacemaker Kurogane script!” (laughs). The drama CD script was just paper, so I was delighted to see a fully bound script with a picture of an adolescent Tetsunosuke on the cover. While Kobayashi Yumiko kicked the whole thing off with a line from a young Tetsunosuke, there are plenty of heroic scenes between then and the main storyline, so I felt like making the tonal change would be quite difficult. There are scenes of tragedy and scenes that make you laugh, and throughout it all, I was reintroduced to the variety of expressions these characters wear. As Tetsunosuke, I was also left thinking “what will happen next?!” because of how it ended. I’m sure everyone who watched felt the same, but I’m just excited for the continuation.

Quite some time has passed between the drama CD and the movie, but please tell us if you carried over any impressions from then into your acting this time.

When I played Tetsunosuke in the drama CD, it was the Hokujou Arc, so I didn’t have a chance to play the lively Tetsunosuke that everyone thinks of until now. Because of that, it was a really tough place to start, and I had to overcome my concerns and anxieties that I wouldn’t match up with the mental image everyone had. The “Tetsunosuke” in me is energetic, bright, and able to face any conflicts head-on, just like the version depicted in the movies. So I was happy that I got to play both the young version and the adolescent version that I imagined. With these fresh feelings, I was able to take that along with the “Tetsunosuke” created by Kobayashi Yumiko and really dive into the character.

What scene do you think has the biggest impact, and what scene do you want people to pay attention to?

I was happy to see a young Tetsunosuke at the start. It paints a good picture of the events that led him to the current story arc that the movie covers. After that, I very abruptly went into a montage of famous lines and scenes, so I got to say a lot of high-impact things in every way (laughs). I think that’s how I was able to manage the switch to the energy of the Shinsengumi’s sharpness and the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

I think the most notable scene is where Tetsunosuke goes to buy Saya’s freedom! Naturally, the story is full of tons of interesting drama, but I think that stories about pure love are universal regardless of era or rank. I think this will become particularly important to Tetsunosuke, who will surely be embroiled in battles from here on. Even the flashback scene between those two in happier times reminded me of just how big of a presence Saya has in Tetsunosuke’s life.

The scene where Hijikata talks to Tetsunosuke about Saya’s miuke* is impressive, isn’t it? To Tetsunosuke, what kind of person is Hijikata Toshizo?

From Tetsunosuke’s childhood, Hijikata has been an overwhelming presence. As a man, human being and warrior, he’s unbeatable, you know? That’s why I think there are both parts he admires and parts that he can’t understand. I think Hijikata is a lot like a father to him in that respect. Tetsunosuke didn’t carry out his orders with full obedience and backtalked instead of respecting him. I’m sure that Hijikata will become an even more important person in the future, and Hijikata will likely undergo changes himself, but I hope their relationship will carry on as-is.

This is a story about the Shinsengumi’s great ambitions. After this, what sort of challenges do you want to tackle?

2017 was the year of climbing Mount Fuji and having unprecedented peach wars. With that all done, I’m mostly focusing on myself and my daily life again. I want to handle each job as a voice actor with precision and care.

Also, I’ve been saying this for ages, but someday I want to master conversational English. I like to travel, and learning English would help me expand my circle of communication and enjoy the world even more fully. So I’d like to study when I have time.

Finally, please leave a message for the fans who watch this series.

Thank you for viewing the show! It’s delightful to see that a work I have such strong personal ties to has made it to theaters, and that so many people have come to see it.

Many dramas cover the history of the Shinsengumi. With the amount of time they’ve spent together and all of their meetings and partings, it feels like they’re really here, and I hope you can enjoy this first part of the movie set.

How will this Tetsunosuke, with all of his growth, handle the conflicts that may appear with Suzu, Saya, and the Shinsengumi that he views as a family? Fortunately, the development will continue, but I think the glimpses of their will to live and hope are charm points of the series. Please watch over us until the end. Thank you!

INTERVIEW 2: YAMAZAKI SUSUMU (Voice actor: Sakurai Takahiro)

Please tell us your genuine reaction to the announcement of the movie project.

Even though it’s been a long time since the anime, my first thought was that I’m happy to be involved in the franchise even all these years later. I still remember the original TV series, so seeing Tetsunosuke grown up gave me a sense of time passing by in both the show and also real life. Because of that, it all feels fresh even though it’s a continuation of an old story.

Please tell us your genuine reaction to your first read-through of the script.

It was really nostalgic (laughs). The cast’s feelings toward the work is strong, and I was reminded all over again of how this story has the power to connect people. Even though about 15 years have passed since the anime, I didn’t feel the gap. Despite the strong nostalgia, there was no confusion or stumbling. I think it must be because Kobayashi-san and Kaji-kun are there supporting the foundation.

Quite some time has passed between the drama CD and the movie, but please tell us if you carried over any impressions from then into your acting this time.

Yamazaki’s really grown, huh? It feels like he climbed a mountain with his older sister, and from his line about retiring, you can guess that he’s peeled away his old veneer and done some growing up. Since he can see so many things and people around him clearly - including Tetsunosuke - and is someone with many connections, I was struck once again by his importance as a character.

The gap that changed moment by moment and developed into something serious was also deeply impressive.

What scene do you think has the biggest impact, and what scene do you want people to pay attention to?

Okita’s line where he says, “If there are extra rifles... could you give one to me?” really left a big impression. I was wondering what he meant... Whether they’re aware of it or not, I think most characters in this series are desperately trying to live. But among them all, Okita, who gave off a feeling of loneliness, caught my eye. Even though Yamazaki wasn’t in the scene, I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of words he’d have for Okita if he had been. I was also impressed by the unchanged parts, like the Ichimura brothers using Tatsunosuke’s loincloth for target practice, and the way that things shifted bit by bit toward more serious developments.

The Shinsengumi members are all fascinating people, don’t you think? What’s your impression of Saito Hajime, one of the key players?

I used to think that even among the Shinsengumi, Saito Hajime stood out as particularly manic, but he’s really gained a lot of popularity through these stories, hasn’t he? In my mind’s eye, I associate Saito Hajime with Takashi Matsuyama-san’s take on him, which involves the strong image of a slight downer who’s very mysterious. I think that in this story, Saito’s humanity – or backbone, rather – became visible.

This is a story about the Shinsengumi’s great ambitions. After this, what sort of challenges do you want to tackle?

To be honest, I can’t join this challenge... (laughs). I guess I want to play a role I haven’t before. It’d be nice if I could see a version of myself that I haven’t yet. Rather than trying to master something in a totally new field, I think I’d do best with deepening my own strengths.

Finally, please leave a message for the fans who watch this series.

I think that the shape and depth of the story will change depending on who’s viewing it, but if you feel something when you watch it, I hope you can cherish those emotions. There’s also a sequel, so please keep an eye out. Thank you!