#i love being the protagonist's best friend trope tho

[leeyanyanyaaan]

my bestie has a boyfriend....... my bestie has a boyfriend!! AND I HAVE THIS UNEXPLAINABLE URGE TO PUNCH HER BF BC THE THOUGHT OF THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WOOED OVER MY BEST FRIEND IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!(/says in affectionate and overprotective of my beloved bestie)

sigh... but honestly, THESE TWO!! LITERALLY WENT THROUGH THE MOST WEBTOON SLOWBURN ROMANCE EVER BRUH 💀 literally it went from just friends to doing hugs for emotional support comfort to even more intimate hugging borderline cuddles

and then them not having romantic feelings for each other despite everyone shipping them to being emotionally attached to each other and then being confused af abt their relationship (bc obv it was over the line of friendship at that point and then it went to situationship to "intimate relationship w no romantic feelings") and then NOW they suddenly decided that okay were finally calling it dating!!!

AFTER a long series of "why do people ship us we dont even like each other!" plus me helping them try to deny shipping allegations LMAO like idk if its the partially aro in me but if they said they didnt see each other that way then id just agree w them LOL

despite the fact that i, as her best friend, knew abt all their intimacies compared to most others who didnt know (bc the whole cuddling thing was a secret thing of theirs and still is) but still shipped them anyways LOL

although as a writer i did warn them abt how they were quite literally reenacting a typical slowburn romance and that if they were to be written in a story everyone would be shouting at them to kiss already LMAO so yeah even i acknowledged the romantic tension in a way but i just went along w everything and however their relationship developed

so was them starting to date and become a thing a surprise to me? no not at all. the moment my bestie told me she had smth important to tell me and the fact that 95% of our conversation revolves around him i immediately knew what the news was. but does that mean i accept it? NOPE 😃 I AM READY TO COMMIT MURDER AT ANY MOMENT and hes well aware of that too so hes been hiding from me AHAJSMDNMANSKS

but in all seriousness, i am friends w him (like friend of a friend type situation) and he is pretty chill. an honest (altho blunt) guy, so ik he wont be some bastard asshole that could break her heart any time, so im not like actually against their relationship (weve talked abt this before, me and him, when he still didnt think he had feelings for her he asked me the what-if question and if i would genuinely accept them and thats what i told him)

but still, as her best friend, i cant help but feel the urge to murder him because DAMN someone is dating MY BESTIE?! HE IS DATING MY BESTIE?!?!?!?

[somewhereincairparavel]

okay. So I've finished book 1 of keeper of the lost cities for the first time. And I'm loving this keefe dude already?? Like I never thought I'd like a fictional character so quickly. All it took was like one page for me to fall for him, I am aware that keefe is one of the most loved characters in the fandom, and I can see why (correct me if I'm wrong).

Also the book is a solid 9.5/10, the only thing I was frustrated about was probably the slight info dumping about the whole blackswan thing towards the end? because it took me like 3 reads to understand the whole situation, of course, we could just narrow it down to me being slow too, lol. But I'm VERY excited to continue reading the rest. So while we're at it, I'll put in my first impressions of the characters, so I can look back on it after I've read all the books, to see how much my perception has changed of them.

Sophie- i like her, she's really mature for her age, I keep forgetting that she's like 12 lmao. But she's well written, her emotions seem very raw and natural. Of course, she may seem overpowered but, I think that's the whole point of the story, she is supposed to be overpowered, so I don't mind and i wouldn't call her a Mary sue. Overall great protagonist, my girlie deserves a break tho, she got dumped in the hospital atleast 6 times lol.

Fitz- i actually think he's cool. I liked him better in the beginning of the story tho, I feel like afterwards, the dude kinda just disappeared a little? Keefe and Sophie seemed to have more private interaction than those two, and keefe literally only came by in the middle. But yeah, I feel like he had more of a personality in the start. Keefe and Dex, in my opinion had more personality in 5 minutes than fitz did the whole book, but I wouldn't judge so quickly, it's only the first book after all, Hopefully he'd have more page time in the later books. I still like him tho, just not as much as keefe.

Dex- Yeah he is such a typical best friend, I love him. His beef w the vackers is so funny lol I was relieved when Sophie stuck with him even after she became popular tho, also, he seems to have a crush on sophie right? It's kinda obvious, but overall friendship goals 10/10. I vocally "AWW-ed" after he said "are you kidding, i can't wait to tell everyone that you're my first friend" like I need a guy bestie like him :(

Alden- honestly, my heart warmed so much with his father-like dynamic with sophie tbh. He seemed to genuinely care about her well being, but I don't want to get too attached to him tho, just in case becomes a traitor or some shit later on, you can literally never tell with the adults lol. I've read enough books to back that up. But yeah, i really like him and della, the amount of reassuring hugs he gives sophie really heals me :(, They're like sophies 2nd (well, in her case, 3rd) parents. The amount of effort and lengths Alden put to get her out of trouble is actually sweet.

Elwin- This guy is such a W. He is like an adult keefe tbh. He is probably my favorite adult so far lol.

Cassius- I'm sorry, but Mr jerk face over here reminds me SO much of Lucius Malfoy??? Like ?? I feel so bad for Keefe, like poor baby leave him alone smh. I really wanna deck his royal highness in the face tbh.

Biana- absolutely loathed her in the beginning, she gave off such bad snob vibes lol but I love her now. I like the trope of two people forced to be friends w eachother by someone actually end up becoming friends. It's rather uncommon as far as I've read, atleast.

Grady and Edaline- is it bad that i thought they were going to be evil? Yeah I have so much trust issues, it's concerning. But yeah, they're both big W's, their backstory, their temporary contemplation to reject sophies adoption, everything aligned well with their backstory. Greatly written characters.

And last but not least, the king himself, Keefe- okay, he's like added to my list of fictional crushes now lol (along with Percy Jackson, Jason grace, Steve Harrington, chat noir, Eugene fitzherbert, edmund pevensie and Ravi singh ofc). How does sophie not have a fat crush on him, like- ma'am if you don't want him, I'll take him. But jokes aside, he feels like the most authentic character out of them all, tbh. Epitome of great writing. He was inserted to the story as this random dude that sophie runs into, and becomes an og in like 5 minutes. He is like a mix of Eugene from tangled, Kristoff from Frozen and chat noir from mlb all at the same time?? I cannot wait to see more of him and his backstory, especially with his parents. I know alot of people dislike the humorous guy with depression trope since it's overused, but I like how it played out on keefe, he uses school as an escape, which is very relatable.

Also, bonus, i LOVE the world building, the light leaping and all, very creative. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2

[oda-cipresi]

Hello, I saw your post about taking hobbit requests and I was wondering if you would mind writing something from the perspective of a dragon?

I love dragons and there aren't really a whole lot of things to read with one as the protagonist.

So maybe just something about a dragon helping the company on their quest?

It may be a little cliche but I also like the reincarnation trope so do with that what you will, incase you want to write something about this c:

Omg, first request! Thank you so much :D I love this and I have a few ideas in mind.

(quick disclaimer that English is not my first language. If you spot any mistakes, typos, etc... please let me know)

This is really poorly written and towards the end I started running out of ideas but I do hope you like it :) Any criticism/tips are well appreciated!!

The Company of Thorin Oakenshield with a dragon companion:

Okay, so starting with the fact that the dwarves do not like dragons, it would be doubtful that they would want/allow one on the team, and if they did, it was probably due to Gandalf convincing them, especially Thorin, that the dragon could be useful.

While travelling, they would all be very cautious around it, although I think the amount of cautiousness would also depend on the size of the dragon. They wouldn't be as wary and scared with a smaller dragon as they would with a large one/fully grown one.

Once they eventually warm up to the dragon, they will treat it like an overgrown dog. Thorin would be the last one to warm up, that is *if* he warms up.

Listen, while I know this is the furthest thing from what Thorin would do, I can’t get the idea of him being the ‘’I'm not a cat (dragon) person, I don't like them’’ but then becoming best friends with that very same cat (dragon). However, for that to happen, the dragon would truly have to prove itself to him.

Once they reclaim Erebor (and everyone survives), Thorin would probably have a special room that has an easy exit for the dragon.

The first to take a liking to the dragon would probably be Bilbo, following Gandalf’s judgement.

Fili and Kili would try to stay strong and not give in to the curiosity and amazement of such a creature being peaceful with them, trying to be like their dear uncle. They crack soon enough and start playing with it.

I feel like Balin would also be quite quick to warm up to the dragon once he notices that it poses no threat to the company.

Moving on to travelling with the dragon

They could ride it, yes, but then again, it would depend on the size.

I feel like they won’t use it to fly over to the lonely mountain as they do know it would bring more harm than good

They would still use it to carry their stuff tho.

Sneaking the dragon around in the woods was easier, but once they got to Lake Town there was quite a problem.

I doubt they’d bring it to the actual town, but maybe they’d send it off to come to the mountain from the other side.

The dragon would still need to use the main gate (front gate??). Again, it would depend on the size, in my mind, the dragon is about the same size as Smaug or maybe a bit bigger.

Now when it comes to the fight with Smaug, the company’s dragon would most likely have a dilemma

On one hand, it wouldn’t want to fight its kin, but then again, the dwarves did trust it for so long.

The dragon would probably fight with Smaug, but the people of Lake Town would be set on killing off both

I don’t have that many ideas as to what would happen between the company’s dragon and Smaug, nor do I have ideas for what would happen during the battle of five armies.

I do believe that if the dragon survived the fight with Smaug and Lake Town it would stay with the dwarves until the very end

Other than that, I can't think of anything else, but I might add a few if I remember anything new

[bunnybae99]

Honestly if bkdk doesn’t become even close to them being like duo partners, or like just being very close friends in the end, imma be so confused.

Like how will they explain the whole chasing thing, the constant keep your eyes on me, are you gonna be able catch up to me cuz I’m going ahead to the “can I ever catch up to you Izuku?”

Or the childish nickname that Bakugo doesn’t tell him to stop using, sharing OFA secret only to him bc Midoriya couldn’t stand the idea that Bakugo thought he was lying to him

Midoriya going savage after Bakugo getting hurt, to Bakugo waking up in the hospital and he is fighting to go see his childhood friend.

To the I know him better then anyone else.

Taking the AllMight card they got as kids together to war and thinking about it before he died!?? Reaching out to him, calling him by his name and ending up in the vestige world…

Like how are these not romantic? Honestly, Hori could’ve easily made Ochako be part of all of these tropes, as the love interest she could’ve had at least been the one to know OFA secret, or even a moment where they stranded somewhere or in a mission to defeat a villain.

I guess that’s where mangaka don’t know how to write female protagonist, but if Midoriya and Ochako do become canon, they had a lot of space to have almost similar plot but instead of Bakugo it could’ve been Ochako.

She is a smart with a powerful quirk, and if she is endgame then I will have to agree with the statement that Hori doesn’t know how to write female characters. But that’s only if Midoriya and her become canon, cuz there was soo much potential to give her more character development, instead of giving it to Bakugo.

Bakugo is one of my favorite characters tho, and it’s fascinating to see the relationship he already has with other characters.

The position for best friend is already given to Kirishima. He was in the hospital when Midoriya wakes up after Bakugo got kidnapped, and states that this must be harder on Midoriya than it is to him, which is why he wants to go looking for him. Best friend is asking the closest person to join him to save Bakugo.

His true rival is Todoroki, they are always in equal footing, from the beginning with their developing ideas of what is hero, to them failing the exams, all the way to the war.

Bakugo is the only one with no love interest, which is okay honestly and technically doesn’t have to mean anything, but how are you gonna counter the idea that he is obsessed with Midoriya.

I know MHA is not gonna end with a bkdk kiss, or like them pronouncing their love for each other bc this disgusting world is still very homophobic. But I want them to at least be the first people to they see when they wake up from the hospital or something. Probably like a Mustang and Hawkeye relationship, not official but obviously something.

¯\ _(ツ)_/¯ but I don’t know, this is just me ranting. If anyone wants to talk about MHA with me pls message me. I have bkdk brain rot but I’m not close minded, I love all of the characters. And I know how people talk about Hiro rushing the manga, but he is doing it at the same pace as always. For example from the very start you have Midoriya getting OFA and it’s just like a montage of him working out, not much of a full arc of him training. And it’s a lot of character growth. The important ones have the scream time and other have crumbs but it’s enough for me to understand the dynamic.

Hiro doesn’t hold hands with his writing. So if he is just writing a very close friendship with these guys and not make it anything else then I been played. Bc they have examples of caring friends around them, like Todoroki, Iida, Kirishima and Ochako. Almost everyone at 1A are fighting for each others smiles, but none of them go to the extent of the wonder duo!

Even Aizawa states that when both of them are involve, they change the dynamic in the class. They inspire others to try harder and have this thing about them that even All Might admires about both of them.

Ughh well anyone wants to rant with me pls message me, I need friends that want to talk about anime

[belle-keys]

I read your opinions about swordcatcher and I was curious about what you consider to be the light borrowing of tlh.

I see bits and pieces of both Grace and Cordelia on Antonetta (good god how I hate this name, I know it's a real name but it doesn't sound like one, why couldn't it be antonella? Idc it rhymes with salmonella, it still sounds more legit), and lady alleyne is sona and Tatiana's love child.There is also the matter of marakand being their equivalent of Persia and Conor and Kel (allegedly) being half Persian, but if I'm being honest I see this more as Cc having the opportunity to express her love for Iran than with tlh specifically. Cordelia and Alastair were white and French originally, after all. Besides that tho none of what I like to call "elements of a cc book" present in sw are really a prerogative of tlh.

I would even argue that it was a smart move on cc's part to bring them on this new universe.As much as she may want to cement herself as name on adult high fantasy, she's not starting from scratch and it is to her advantage to endear her enormous fan base, many of whom grew up with her books and now are adults themselves, to this new world by bringing familiar elements into it.

I would also argue that she repeats them not out of a lack of creativity, this rich new worldbuilding is proof that she has that to spare, but rather bc at this point she knows her public and what appeals to them.It may be controversial, but I think Tda is her least liked series precisely bc it lacks some of those tropes and subverts others

When I said “light borrowing”, I actually was just trying to be sarcastic in my original review, but I would now rather say that Cassie very heavily borrowed from not just TLH but the other TSC books. And Kel and Conor allegedly being half-Persian is the last thing that even crossed my mind when I thought of this.

Lin is so very much Cordelia personality-wise in my opinion. Shy girl looking for a sense of empowerment and independence in a male-dominated place. Dips her toes into high society/court and recoils from it. Does a public sexy dance as a means of embracing her sexuality and femininity even though the sensual element from her personality is very much repressed in the name of female propriety in regular daily life. Red hair. Fairly oblivious. Quite sheltered from society’s depravity.

I would also argue that Kel and Conor’s relationship is just James and Matthew’s relationship but on opioids laced with fentanyl. We have the more serious, obvious, trusting main character and his hedonistic, secretive, higher ranking best friend who is absolutely keeping things from him and vice-versa. Kel is the ground to Conor’s sky and whatnot. They love each other but miscommunication and, gasp, a girl is driving a wedge between them. Kel regularly has to slap sense into an inebriated, flirtatious Conor who can’t get his priorities straight. Sounds a little familiar!

Antonetta is very much aligned with Grace’s character as well. Pretty, dainty, blonde character who knows way more than she lets on to people and with an overbearing mother who has spent her life grooming Antonetta for high society and entrapping powerful men into marriage with her. Of course the simple boy at court (Kel) is obsessed with her.

I have a few more minor examples, but all in all I think I’d take the opposite view of yours in that Cassie gives 110% to worldbuilding and story arcs and layered plot and as a result, she uses up a lot of her energy and spark and focus when it comes to fleshing out her protagonists. Don’t take this post as hate towards Sword Catcher or anything - I loved it. I gave it four stars, and I didn’t minus any stars whatsoever because of the Cassie-isms I detected. But I think she needs to diversify a little more when it comes to character development, that’s all!

[meksters]

So...about the boys in Wednesday...Let's be honest they aren't that great. But i kinda think that's the point. Obviously, spoilers ahead.

Disclaimer: I was not in this fandom before yesterday so I love Enid but i don't ship her with Wednesday. Completely fair if you do but personally i don't dig that dynamic for a romantic pairing and i think Enid is too good for Wednesday 😭 I really thought we'd have more Bianca x Wednesday but alas

Now the "Love Triangle", was it is even one?

Let me start with Xavier. Besides the tortured artist boy being a least favorite trope of mine (ironic considering i am this trope) he just didn't have much depth. He doesn't get along with his dad, he's rich, popular, into Wednesday. What else? He's obsessed with Wednesday. Like i know he can't help seeing her in his dreams but the way he goes about his interest in her is icky and not in the fun way. Xavier is Bianca's ex bf (side note: can we get more Bianca love pls?) And broke up with her bc he felt she was hypnotizing him. Which is ironic considering he asks her to make him forget about Wed. Glad the show touched on how not cool that was.

Other than him just not really having much depth, he is also the "love interest" and i use the term loosely that Wednesday is the least interested in. She only ever entertains either boy when she has an ulterior motive (which y'know girl slay gas keep), but Xavier really never had a shot and I hope the end scene was more them becoming friends than anything bc imo they had negative chemistry. Wednesday doesn't care about Xavier's feelings. She doesn't care about his warnings. He is just of no importance to her until he seems like the killer. I really hope they give Xavier a glow up and keep them as just friends, we need more m&f friendships that don't turn romantic.

One to the other (more successful) love interest. Tyler.

Now i didn't put love interest in quotes this time bc he actually got a kiss. Lemme make this clear, Wednesday would have never gone along with Thing's shenanigans if she was interested in Tyler. She would have never gone on the date or kissed him if she didn't want to. Of the two dudes, Tyler is imo the only real love interest of s1. Xavier is just some guy who likes her. Tyler may or may not have been into Wednesday but she was into him. If you disagree with any of this that's fair but i think we watched different shows idk. Wednesday was definitely into Tyler in the end, but was he into her? Was any of it genuine or was it all an act? Idk for Wednesday Addams, i think a manipulative monster is probably her dream guy just saying

With that established, I need to admit that Tyler is my preferred love interest. Now lemme explain before you run away, Tyler is a manipulative POS but that's exactly why he's great for Wednesday. She's an Addams, they are a family full of manipulators, criminals, and altogether twisted people. Yet at the same time they're lovable and loyal to each other. Wednesday canonically tortures her brother, she's not called toxic for no reason, she's the most malicious Addams we know. Even Fester is mostly just a goof, a murderous goof but still. With the caveat of Tyler getting a redemption arc in next season, i can totally see the show overlooking his murders bc we still don't really know what being a Hyde entails and like i said, the Addams don't seem to care if you killed or kill people, just don't wear pastels. And honestly it's a bad look to just cast aside the traumatized, abused, and neglected kid as evil and leave it at that. With our protagonist being who she is, i hope the writers give Tyler some more screentime bc i can really see him being a great rival/frenemy to Wednesday and personally i think if she does get a romance, enemies to lovers is probably the best trope for her.

If you made it this far, damn sorry you did that to yourself. If you're a wenclair girlie, I'm rooting for you but it's just not my cup of tea tho I'd love to be proven wrong in subsequent seasons

[bluebunnyears-08]

An overwritten essay on why Cuphead is the best baby boi and underrated

Alright, so I love The Cuphead Show! It is one of the only good children's cartoons I genuinely enjoy because of how good it is. There are so many wacky and loveable characters on the no-so-normal-at-all Inkwell Isles. You can see fucking walking hamburgers and sandwiches, like, what the hell is this place?

Nonetheless, there are several titles given to many characters. Bon Bon is Crazy Queen, Briney is Pirate Simp, and Cala Maria is still the hottest of queens (that hasn't changed).

However, throughout multiple media, there is one title only given to those who are so small and cute you just want to protect them because they can't protect themselves:

The title of Best Boi.

Now I know all of you are probably saying who you think deserves this title. But I know who it is already. The truest of best bois:

Cuphead.

Now before you start shouting and yelling at my "stupid and untrue" (but totally correct) decision. Some of you are saying Mugman is, but I mean come on we all know that Mugman is the MVP, the crazy going-to-be-a-serial-killer, failed straight man (both in tropes and literally), of the show.

Now I have my reasons for this post. And I'm going to lay them down. So ladies and gentlemen, or fucking literally spaghetti and sandwiches, here are my many reasons why Cuphead is the best boi of this show.

So look my first reason is the fact that this kid is legit the only SANE one in the ENTIRE show. Like Elder Kettle is a fucking pyromaniac who tried to kill his grandkids on several occasions, and Mugman...which...

Jesus this mug needs some fucking therapy or anger management lessons.

And come on his friend is still a con artist (I still love her tho), the devil is the devil, Dice is fashionably vain and has an I want to be appreciated by my gay boss complex, and henchmen is...actually henchmen is cool, being the REAL straight man, but other than these two the other characters have fucking problems.

All this kid really did was neglect his chores to have fun and that's it (I know some of you are talking about the CRAPPY Lost in the Woods episode but I'll get to that). Unlike the other characters, he NEVER ONCE expressed any malice, aggression, or sadism towards ANYONE or anything. I know you all are saying henchmen didn't have that either but I'll talk about him later.

Going back to this, let me remind all of you that Cuphead is a CHILD, and so is Mugman but, he's too gone to be saved let's be real. This cup is a child, so of course, he's gonna be a brat sometimes. And even I roll my eyes when he does something. But I mean we were all little shits back then, that's a FACT.

Another thing, he's not a pushover. He WILL call people out or stand up to people who were being jerks, and that's actually one of the traits I like that he has. In most kids' shows, the protagonist is overly nice, shy, or overconfident, and just ORDINARY and BORING. In The Cuphead Show, Cuphead is NOT that. He's a troublemaking brat who constantly forgets to look where he leaps, but there is SO MUCH MORE to him than just that.

What I can appreciate about this show is that these characters show more and more depth as the show goes on (which is why this show needs to be renewed!). And the plot twists are actually good.

Cuphead is the troublemaker trope. He is a mischievous brat, but now that I rewatch this show he acts exactly like what he is, a KID. Not to mention the fact that there is more to him than meets the eye. He is scared of the Devil, not because his SOUL is in danger, but because this is a deity that can take away everyone he loves. He is surprisingly humble, accepting that he lost on Dice's show, and doesn't call himself a hero not ONCE, even after he freed souls from damnation from the devil. He can be cocky, but he doesn't ever rub these successes on ANYONE, not even the Devil, who he struck with his own pitchfork.

He has hidden talents, being able to play the piano like a fucking G and being able to be smart at certain things, like sparking back a show like he did for Dice (which was honestly so fucking nice of him, even after this guy from his perspective rigged his show, he still remained a huge fan of him). He can be dumb at times, but most of the time, that stupidity is more childish naivety when you look back on it (the only exception is when he couldn't guess simple questions on Dice's show).

He can have some self-control, being able to refuse Bon Bon's bitch castle. He was willing to give Chalice (who left him and his brother in jail) the benefit of the doubt and still considered her his friend, only getting mad at her when she reveals she lied about a fucking MOB (I'd be mad too).

Not to mention, he is a pretty brave kid. He WILLINGLY went into hell to get his brother back, I honestly DO NOT KNOW WHY PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT THIS MOMENT MORE and faced the Devil. He won, also freeing the captive souls. People need to comment on this moment more because it is awesome. And going back in season 2, he demanded the ghosts to release Chalice when she was stuck in a painting. So, he can be a coward, but when it comes to those he cares about, he toughens up.

Another thing is that he can be a total sweetie. He's not as polite as his brother, but he is a bit of a sweetheart. He constantly comforts Mugman and encourages his brother's confidence, he doesn't blame or hate Chalice even when she ditched them to the stony lonesome, he isn't really that antagonistic towards the Devil as Big D is to him, he frees the souls, he helps king dice, in the Christmas special he admits he hasn't been perfectly good stating it's hard to stay good all the time (which is understandable), just being grateful for Santa (the devil) showing up and being able to meet him, even apologizing for "misjudging" the Baronness (even though he was totally right), and (other than that bitch Jimmy) never really showed any grudges toward anyone.

Another is that he shows remorse and takes responsibility for his actions. Even when that psychopath Bowlboy was planning a double suicide (pretty much what happened in a nutshell), and he got out of it, he still showed concern for the crazy bastard when he got launched off in a rocket.

The other thing is that he is a very fun protagonist, and he actually makes things happen. Like, no offense I love Mugman, but if it was just him, all we'd see is just him doing boring chores and miaming ice cream men.

...actually, I'd be down to see that, but I like Cuphead's optimism and hot-headed self-balancing out Mugman's pessimism and...hot-headedness...

The last thing is that...

He's adorable! They did well with his design. A simple kid with simple clothes who likes risk and adventure, but has childish charm and cuteness. He's small, got those big cocky eyes, and has optimism and an innocent attitude that's undeniably endearing. He can be annoying, but his happy personality and tendency to look on the bright side of things make you just want to hug and squeeze him. Especially when he's sad. Because he doesn't get sad or cry often, it hurts when he does cry or make this face that'll break anyone's heart:

I'm sad now.

I wanna hug this sad boi.

Now, I know all of you are saying that Henchmen is the best boi, but not really, he's adorable and I love him. It's just the fact that he isn't hateful or sadistic, but he doesn't really do much about it. He does tell the devil that blowing up annoying ass elves is not something Santa would do. or something, and he has a bet with the devil (that he deserved to win). But that's really about it. He isn't really miserable or sad, so you don't want to hug and squeeze him.

Again, I LOVE henchmen, I just haven't really wanted to give him a big hug because I don't want him to be sad. He's a cute character, but not really one that you feel sad for. And that's good, I never want to see him sad.

Now, ALL of these traits that I wrote down that help explain why Cuphead is the best boi is EXACTLY why I HATE the Lost in the Woods episode because, WHERE THE HELL DID ALL OF IT GO? Mugmans is still the same, delusional, sociopath, MVP, but where the hell is Cuphead?

That's NOT my baby boi!

All in all, Thank you for taking you time to read this overwritten essay. Leave what you think in the comments or don't if you don't want to. I just wanted to write this out.

[acilykos]

Hello sorry I am the anon that just sent you something a few minutes ago and I am rambling more now HRJMSKKDKS SORRY IDK WHO ELSE TO TALK TO ABOUT THESE THINGS BUT YEAH. I think one of the things that is difficult to accept by the fandom about aroace Senku is that, see, Senku /is/ attractive, right? most of his friends and the people he've met throughout his journey that are not also on the acespec are definitely capable of being attracted to him 'cause, well, he is attractive! So the idea that in spite of him being, well, such a 'catch,' this idea that his friends respect him enough to not make a move on him and understand/respect that he's not interested and will never be, is such an insanely warm and heartening thing to watch as an aroace. HAHAHA Okay I'm done now have a good day pt. 2!

Yes!!! I completely agree hahaha And same, I love talking about Senku being AroAce!

None of his friends force a romance onto him, no one going "Ah, eventually he'll come around" it's the opposite! Even Luna who "crushes" on him respects his autonomy and doesn't do anything, no plot of trying to get romantic or physical, even she respects his decision on whether or not he actually wants a relationship with her.

Kohaku and Chrome both say "People don't know Senku at all" whenever there's a "Ohh you're into them?" comments, like about Homura. They all know and just respect it.

I thank Inagaki and Boichi everyday that there wasn't a last minute forced romance between him and Luna or Kohaku, also because I feel like shonen specifically doesn't value male and female friendships together as much as it should be, and always makes some weird romance happen between the (male) protagonist of the series and their closest (female) allies. Seems to be changing in recent years tho!

I'm actually glad we as a society kinda move on from having a forced romance for the protagonist trope in shows ajdjwjr

Also I ranted about this to @cosplayprincess21 but sometimes I feel like the reason why we have both Taiju/Yuzuriha and Chrome/Ruri as established will be couples in the series, is to divert from Senku like "Nooo, look at those romance plots, nothing to see over there, yes look away from the scientist" and even then their romance plots are very, very subtle and don't feel forced, they're very sweet and I like them!

To paraphrase myself from one of our convos, in a way, the series just feels AroAce-spec by having every other types of relationships, like family (Byakuya and Senku, Ruri and Kohaku, Ryusui and Sai, etc, etc...), friendship (I don't think I need to give examples for those hahaha but the best has to be Senku and Taiju), and alliances from mentor and student to enemies who become allies to fight the same enemy, be highlighted much more than the romantic ones.

Like yes, we have obvious romantic moments, but they don't feel overpowering, they just feel natural and like a side note.

Plus again, they're not focused on Senku hahaha He's like a bystander who has to roll with the punches lmao

I hope this makes sense, I don't know how else to explain it ajdje 💀 Just the fact that romance is a footnote, not a driving force for plot in the entirety of the manga. You could rewrite the entirety and have the romances be just friendships and it still works, even if some details change. Plus again, just two of Senku's closest friends (Taiju and Chrome) having the romance instead of himself as the protagonist just feels very "How to make sure people won't scream for a romantic main plot"

Also yeah, I don't really count Luna's switch over as a romantic subplot, because Senku gave it his all to trick her into joining his team lmao

Boy exploited romance for his convenience and then dropped it the second he didn't need it anymore hahaha

Sorry, this became super fucking long, but I love ranting with others about Senku being the perfect AroAce rep and how it just makes sense 😭

BUT YEAH HAVE A NICE DAY TOO, ANON!!

Drop by anytime you want to rant about it :D

[demonsfate]

should i really be talking more about bloodline? probably not seeing as it's old and probably won't get another season. but i absolutely will. i guess what annoys me most is that i actually had hope for bloodline despite its animation. like i already saw some red flags regarding jin in the trailers, but i was still hoping that despite it, it'll still be good. and like. it's not even jin's depiction that ruins the entire thing. like jin could still just be Protagonist and the anime could've been decent. but no. it's full of really bad writing and mistakes and jin's depiction is just a symptom of that.

ANYWAY, idc what anyone says, jin REALLY is JUST Protagonist in it. like the only really ""unique"" thing going on with him in the anime was that he gets a little too angry at times. LIKE I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS - jin was DEFINITELY meant to be the generic Self Insert Protagonist. one big give away was the fact he'd react to almost EVERYTHING by making this fucking face.

like he would do this or gasp so fucking much, i was watching it with my brother and we started SCREAMING and ROARING WITH LAUGHTER every time he did it. this is because jin's supposed to be like the audience, and he's supposed to be "reacting" the "same way" we do to the show's events. especially bc, like for example - the other adaptations, the 2010 movie and the tek3 manhua, i don't recall him "gasping" or having ":O" face nearly as much in those two things.

which really irks me that for a while there, there were actually people saying that jin was better in this anime than the games because he's more "emotional" and "sociable". and it's like... what are y'all smoking he's so fucking boring in this anime. his character was a dime a dozen. but i think that's because, for some reason, people think a character is boring if they're not expressive (especially exaggerated expressiveness) even though, how a character behaves or even their personality isn't always what makes a character relatable. you can be nothing like jin kazama, and still relate with him because of what he goes through. you can relate with the loss of losing a love one maybe. you can relate with not having many friends. you can relate with being mistreated by family. you can relate with doing your best to make the right choices, but still end up making mistakes regardless of your struggles. you can relate with fighting your inner demons, and so on. jin doesn't need to be gasping or having a goofy smile every five seconds for him to be "relatable" and a "good character".

but imo, bloodline, on top of its atrocious writing mistakes (exposition and pacing being some of the worst) - it was filled with other just Predictable Tropes. like, the english dub, for some reason giving heihachi more of a "generic sensei" voice. even tho... heihachi would not fucking sound like that.

[welcometogrouchland]

luz noceda for the ask game

Anon you caught me right before I was Abt to go to sleep but I can't not do this. It's for my girl (feel free to send me more while I sleep btw these r fun)

favorite thing about them: LITERALLY WHERE DO I EVEN START. She's one of my top ten protagonists of all times. I love the lessons she learns, the way she learns them, I love watching her grow and struggle and thrive. I love her so so so much. To keep things simple(ish) I will say that my favorite thing about Luz (which I've mentioned once or twonce before) is that she's an objectively cringey, very ND coded kid who's still given the utmost love and respect from the narrative. She gets to be objectively fucking uncool and this story still loves her. And it's nice it makes me feel loved by proxy

least favorite thing about them: I mean, I'd say in season 1 it's the tendency to flatten the boiling isles and it's people into 2 dimensional tropes for easily comprehension, but that's also one of my favorite flaws of Luz and the narrative always makes an interesting point out of this attitude. Maybe it's the suicidal ideation bc it really scared me the first time I watched thanks to them. I knew nothing bad was gonna happen (within reason), this is Disney, but I was like DAMN THEY'RE GOING THERE!!!

favorite line: okay I actually cannot in good conscious choose one bc my friend once informed me that me and Luz just. Talk the same. Same silly idioms and phrases same whimsical expressions and syntax same humour, etc etc. It's a chicken egg situation and do not know who started it but I know that it's frighteningly accurate. So I'll just go for the safe classic "the only thing I've ever really wanted was to be understood" bc. Y'know. Best moment in the whole show and everything

brOTP: LUZ AND HUNTER DREAM TEAM I LOVE THEM SO SO MUCH!!!! OH MY GOD. Close second is Willow tho

OTP: you guys already know I'm here for lumity but I will let you guys in on the fact that when I first watched the show and was still on the early episodes of season 1 where Amity is a dick I was firmly on team willuz. I still love them <3

nOTP: Luz and Hunter. It's just really not for me, even if I can see why it appeals to others. I'm too attached to the familial reading of their dynamic and the doors that opens up analysis wise. Also my irl brother is a hunter kinnie and I just outlined my credentials for being a Luz kinnie so /j

random headcanon: she played guitar when she was younger! The one in the basement belonged to Manny and he'd sit her on his lap and show her simple chords and riffs. She got a ukulele so she could practice. Then when Manny died she fell off playing it bc it felt wrong doing it without him, even though she still played uke sometimes. She picks it back up though during the season 3 timeskip and post canon! Also she was born in New York and lived there til she was 2/3, at which point she moved around a few states until landing in Connecticut at the age we see in the thanks to them video diaries (I wanna say 7 or 8?)

unpopular opinion: I also think Luz gets characterized as more bitter/vengeful/surly than she really is, especially in fics set around season 3. She wants to be happy, to have fun with her friends, she just feels like doesn't deserve it. Also I low-key think Luz is like. A genius. Just in an unconventional way. She rediscovered a lost form of magic and then taught herself it all on her own. She probably struggles with long division but I mean it when I say she is literally a genius imo

song i associate with them: TOO MANY TO NAME MAN!!!! LITERALLY!!!!! The ones on my brain rn are sweet hibiscus tea by penelope scott, underground and life on mars by david bowie, people pleaser by yet to bloom, towards crescent park by bad moves and fine, great by modern baseball

favorite picture of them

Tie between the iconic "to be understood" frame (boarded by Emmie Cicierga) or like. Literally any Dana art of her but specifically the "see you in 2023" gif cycling through all of luzs most iconic fits. I love both of those sm

[mishkakagehishka]

Oh that thing you said about the eccentrics fitting romantic novels seems so interesting! Which ones are you thinking 🧐🍵

Oh don't mind if I ramble.

Okay, first of all tho </3 when I say romantic protag, I don't mean just "protag of a novel written specifically during the romantic era", but rather the type of protagonist that was popular at that time - the misunderstood intellectual slash tortured artist. Werther is like thee romantic protag (and guy who specifically birthed the "wertherist" protagonists), but Hamlet also counts as the misunderstood intellectual trope, despite the fact that Hamlet was like. 2 centuries before romanticism, give or take. So, I'm talking about the protagonists that are characterised as outcasts of society, not for any "valid" reason, but rather because they stand out as intellectuals, artistic but sensitive souls, in an environment that doesn't allow them to be themselves, rather hinders them and pulls them into ruin because society doesn't allow extraordinary individuals to exist or step outside of premade boxes... or maybe just because their sensitive and artistic nature, love for intellectual pursuits, end up as their downfall.

Secondly, I've mostly read European novels so </3 I'll do my best to laconically explain.

Anyway. Shu-Leone parallel is the one I stand by the most, in short Leone, as an artist and philosopher, is the black sheep in his family of corrupt bankers, and if I get into the details of it, we'd have an essay here. Natsume to prince Hamlet, wherein the "responsibility" to avenge his father's murder becomes the "responsibility" to avenge the execution of the Eccentrics. Rei to Ćamil-efendija, in which Ćamil's leaning into his "crime" (of which he was innocent) is comparable to Rei's willingness to show himself as a villain. I could compare Kanata to prijan Lovro, though there is a lack of romance in Kanata's case, Lovro's tragedy lied in the fact that he was too smart - and got sent into priesthood despite his wishes. The Shinkai cult and Kanata's wish-granting, and all.

And Wataru!!! Listen, here's the switch. Here's where it gets meta (lol). Wataru is a misunderstood intellectual in the way that he plays a part of a different character. I've joked about Ugo/Melkior being Wataei for Croatian novel enthusiasts, but there's my analysis. In the novel Cyclops, Melkior is the misunderstood intellectual, and Ugo - his best friend - is almost a comedic relief character... until you get to certain points where you're able to see traces of the deeper layers in his character. Below the quoting of plays and playing a clown (do you see where i'm coming from), Ugo is just as much of an intellectual, fighting just as many demons - he's just keeping them well-hidden by playing his part. Wataru-Ugo. I'd sooner compare Eichi to Werther, though this isn't about him♡

[hamstermastersamster]

I finished Koudelka and started playing Shadow Hearts again and . . .

Well xD SH is not as great as I remember. The weird thing is, though, that it's sort of exacerbated by having played Koudelka first.

I totally understand why Koudelka tanked. It looks like a Resi Evil on the outside but it's a random-battle-driven slow, turn-based RPG that explains absolutely NOTHING about itself and is very prepared to trip players up on unforgiving things like breakable weapons, weird RNG and needing a hard-to-find item to get anything but the worst ending. The game mechanics really kinda work once you figure them out, but most gamers wouldn't have given it that chance, not in the era it was released.

And it's a damn shame, because I really, really love it. The dark horror atmosphere, the soundtrack and sound design, the creature design, and . . . the cast.

Like, don't get me wrong, the cast aren't characters you'd make friends with. They are deeply flawed individuals whom you will actively dislike at times, but they are meant to be grounded in a level of realism and they are incredibly fascinating and entertaining to watch develop. Most of the narrative scenes that aren't FMV are actually just character interaction scenes, and they are presented with a real sense of craft. A documentary on Koudelka that I watched described the aesthetic as 'stage play' and they were so right.

The voice actors are clearly professionals and they do a really good job (even if none of them have British accents xD), despite the recording sound quality not being the best. But they dramatise and project like they're on a stage, and in what MUST be mo-capped or at least heavily-referenced animation the characters themselves move around the set and gesticulate and interact with it in unique, scene-tailored animations that bring them to life - no stock hand gestures, standing still and stilted hands-on-hips poses here (cough RE cough).

So no, the game isn't perfect, but its vibes and aesthetic and sense of stagecraft are, as they say, immaculate.

Then we jump to Shadow Hearts and . . . the levels of infantile JRPG trope smacked me in the face almost as soon as I got past the first few scenes. And that jump from playing Koudelka, with characters expounding on matters of faith and sincerely quoting poets like Byron and the narrative itself riddled with detailed, respectfully-researched alchemical and occult history . . . to anime fanservice 'pervy men are hilarious' and 'all gay men are lecherous perverts' jokes is a LEETLE bit jarring.

I wish I could say it was a product of its time, but the gay men perv joke trope was present as recently as Persona 5 so it's still pretty common in JRPGs. Sigh.

I can't say I didn't REMEMBER that SH leaned into lewd 'humour'. Of course I did, it's part of the scenery there. But coming from Koudelka, where the closest it got was seeing too much of the protagonist's underwear because of her short skirt and her incredibly funny, witty remark about "that handsome carpenter's son' made specifically to rile up the bigoted priest of the party? The writing, aesthetic and the atmosphere of SH are a definite downgrade in retrospect.

And it sorta makes sense to me because I knew that SH got arguably worse, but certainly aesthetically DIFFERENT enough to be off-putting over the course of its 3-game run. By SH2 it had strayed further and further from its horror roots, and SH3 had almost no horror and was just a mess of 'quirky' silly JRPG characters and all-out fanservice with a butchered Native American female protag who spent most of her time in eyeroll-worthy transformation sequences stark-naked.

Beyond that, SH reverts to cheaper stock character animations, 90% text dialogue and anime emoticons in speech bubbles (think sweatdrops and hearts) for emotional expression, and again, just . . . such a downgrade, aaaaa.

Koudelka really was something very special. I guess I'm just retrospectively sad all the good things about it got totally nerfed for SH.

It's okay, though. Sometimes the nostalgia goggles are wrong, sometimes you are a different person to when you originally played and liked a thing. SH isn't BAD and I will probably warm up to the cast again as I play. A bunch of stuff in it just hasn't aged well at all.

Soundtrack still slaps though <3

[cielospeaks]

short review of g f

so sevil part 2 event!!!!! hoo boy this one was actually really surprising (in a good way). like honestly

so im just kinda gonna list things

-the new friend (galanthalus i think?) gosh he gave me the biggest turnaround. like his story started out with ??? narrator who is uneasily calm in a heckscape with gratuitous ultraviolence and 99.9 percent of the time in this game that means that ??? is going to be the stereotypical "ow the edge unhinged uncaring murderous nonhuman something from another world" (ie the imposter girl from the ninetales events, morgan, etc. you know the cringe gratuitous violence scenerey chewing and not in a good way villans that this game keeps having to try and stop ppl from liking them more than the protagonists but it never works). but then the turnaround reveal that it was just a kid who was trapped in the sword for being not human and had been tortured and overlooked by everyone for centuries just bc he suited their needs? the biggest turnaround. and that the ??? who was talking to him/answering his questions wasnt a condescending big bad but keral who stayed to keep him company out of kindness????? and that both her and krel kinda let him be their child they never had and want to let him go back and live in the world?????? bro......

anyways tldr galan was a very pleasant surprise writing wise and i support him. also he lowkey reminds me of idunn and i dig that so much

-the arc of the main trio! ofc it was very depressing but im glad they didnt go for an ending where "everyone survives everything is fine uwu!" bc i feel like that sort of thing, tho it could happen bc of how op the main cast is, it would make all their suffering and pain feel trivialized and thrown out, and itd make me hate the main cast more (they already made themselves dislikable enough imo, with them guilting sevil to stay towards the middle just bc they didnt want him to leave, with no thoughts abt how hed feel. and that being said i love that the reason he stayed was to help galan, not bc he was guilt tripped into it). like it is really sad what happened, esp to krel at the very end, but it did feel conclusive which was nice (please no sequel. this was a good ending. we dont need a sequel to ruin it, i am looking directly at the knights and perfetto events. and maybe a sideye at the robomi ones for the unnecessary prophecy stuff)

-the side character development! like despite the angst, it all felt very organic (with sevil's story already having that old timey gin tama-ey feel it all seemed to make sense in the setting and not come across as cringe or insensitive angst). esp bc we didnt know a lot abt the characters in the first event, as they werent playable and didnt appear that much (they didnt even get journal entries either smh). so hearing more abt their backstories made them feel a lot more fleshed out. it was sweet seeing them stay to help w galan also, i do wish they were playable tho but it does make sense theyd be npcs

-have not seen gacha sevils story but im hoping its good! itd easily put him with caro and main gacha sturm of characters id really want (not to mention limited studra too ofc)

-and ofc. from kisumiverse side, i feel like kisumi is trying to resist the urge to punch danchou and co. in the face the whole time, while trying to be supportive of sev. who, to be utterly fair, is so wrapped up in his problems he doesnt necessarily notice kisu until towards the end. kisu doesnt want him to apologise as she sees that it isnt his fault, just asks him to take care of himself, and he realizes that he has a genuine alive friend in kisumi. its just a fun "friends dealing with grief and loss and the cycle of grief together" story.

-and then theres also the ending trope which is actually like tooth rottingly cute. "my sister and brother in law died and left behind a child that i am raising alongside my best friend" for some like slice-of-life hallmark movie angst-with-a-happy-ending. like literally. i feel like the sevil + galan + kisumi (w the father daughter too bc theyre cool) could be the casts in some heartwarming family movie or something

anyways this event, easy 9/10. maybe even 10/10. like i dont think g f could have a better event. zodicas was eh (playable ragazzo was easily the best part), knights was really meh, dont talk to me abt the perfetto one, i honestly dont mind no robomi bc the last one had elements i dont care for, everything else was just really bad except the really middle of the road collab and the slightly not so bad but also not impactful one w the grimmir squad. but yea this event is easily the best that theyve had in the last few years

[abigail-nicole]

tgcf liveread part 6

moving my liveread of the perfect novel, Heaven Official's Blessing, Tian Guan Ci Fu, by MXTX, from the dying twitter (fuck u elon) to the shitposting haven of tumblr, which hasn't failed us yet. probably just a mtter of time tho. xie lian would understand. anyway, continuing with Book 3, just after the Best Dinner Party in All Of Literature!

originally live tweeted on 3/30/2020:

Xie Lian, baby taizi dianxia, who can now be threatened because he loves someone

HOMOPHOBIC GHOSTS AND THEIR HETERONORMATIVITY

YEAH GET MARRIED!!!! How many times will Hua Cheng have to propose before Xie Lian gets it lol

Yes because when someone normally asks “want to get married” while holding one another in a too-small chair, its a hypothetical

Xie Lian catching feelings

so virtuous so beautiful......makes me plow other people’s fields all day....

Xie Lian, staring at Hua Cheng’s throat as he swallows, deeply upset by the implication that Hua Cheng likes a girl, unable to keep working: Gay Panic

Xie DON’T LOOK AT MY HALF NAKED BOYFRIEND Lian

Hua Cheng, gremlin, delights in teasing him,

OHHHH SHIP SINKING BLACK WATER

now we have a nautical yarn,

Do i spy a Crimson Rain Sought Flower v Ship Sinking Black Water confrontation that will leave our magical girl protagonist scared and aroused

God this scene is so GOOD????????? I’m dying??????? This is the best adventure?????

I cannot WAIT to see this animated oh my god

MAGICAL GIRL XIE LIAN STRIKES AGAIN oh i love him crying emoji

Demon King Hua Cheng oh my god & his magical girl boyfriend

kiiiiiiith

why isn’t I Must Cross The Sea With My Beloved And We Have To Both Lie In A Tiny Coffin, Our Bodies Pressed Together, To Escape The Ship Sinking Black Water more of a trope

What If Our Coffin Boat Breaks, the trope

More like Crimson Rain Sought Flower Crown Martial Prince why did it take me so long to make this joke oh my god

hahaha sexy times in a coffin while floating in the lair of the black water demon ....just hualian things

oh my god these idiots WHY DIDNT YOU BUILD A BIGGER ONE IM SCREAMING

Hua Cheng telling Pei Ming to go kill himself........... legend

this is also gonna blow my mind when it’s animated. Spiritual detective boyfriends! we love to see it!

why haven’t I commented on qingxuan/ming yi romance before this????? Am I an idiot????

an earth god and his genderqueer partner? we also love to see it

oh wait I’m idiot

This plotting is incredible???? (except for the Go Have Sexual Tension In A Coffin which was plot unnecessary but everyone is happy about it anyway)....everything else is so well done?????

AHHSJDJDJSHAHHHHHHHH OH MY GOD I NEVER SAW THIS COMING I AM IDIOT

i wont post the spoiler bc its all mxtx wanted was to not share that spoiler.... but i reiterates this author note is pure evil

MING YI IS STILL HERE TO PROTECT SQX I STILL SHIP IT. HARDER

A FASTER, BIGGER SHIP. CHAPTER 124 ON MING YI/SHI QINGXUAN

listen I actually love the Ghost Kings being friends. I imagine them hanging out & playing cards together in Ghost City

Ming Yi CARES ABOUT SHI QINGXUAN

listen qingxuan & xie lian are gonna sit around & have dinner with their ghost king boyfriendOH MY GOD THIS ALREADY HAPPENED!!!!!!!! I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHEN I SAID THAT DINNER WAS A BLESSING!!!!!!

a) I ficking love He Xuan’s backstory

B) excuse me why do I now know more about He Xuan than HUA CHENG, OUR LOVE INTEREST, THE PERPETUALLY MYSTERIOUS CRIMSON RAIN SOUGHT FLOWER, I

The way Ghosts Kings (ghosts?) value Knowing Even When (Especially When) It’s Bad ..... excuse me while I pull up this “TERM PAPER Villains and Dumb Babies: the Fool, The Hero, And Moral Complexity In The Hero’s Journey.doc”

Ghost Kings Say IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE!

Did I think there could be an mxtx novel without Brotherly Self Sacrifice? The only thing I know about mxtx is that they’re not an only child lol

so, from another perspective, it makes zero sense that xie lian would even be there to see any of this in the first place, even though limited third person POV dictates that we must see everything through his eyes, but on the other hand,,,,KITH

They now make out all the time but never get any emotional mileage out of it!!!!!

aghahaha i take it back I like general pei “what the heck” god bless this translator i love them

Oh no I was looking up Crimson Rain Sought Flower characters (血雨探花) and spoiled something for myself oh no. Its not like i know even a single character in chinese why did I think “oh I should look at these characters”

wait I wanna stop & talk about Xie Lian doing a crushing kiss and then shouting his ultimate magical girl power move “SOUL SUMMONING SPELL!” as a real MOON PRINCESS HALATION moment

It’s a STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS! I know way too many of sailor moon’s attacks i should probably feel more ashamed but im just thinking.....meatball head Sailor Flower Crown Martial Prince....neo-dianxia xie lian....his transformation sequence....

I was wrong hes not a himbo he’s purebred Magical Girl. they share characteristics

There’s even a Millenium Silver Crystal.....clearly Hua Cheng’s ring....why did I spoil that for myself like idiot....i am fool.

Okay sorry I’m off my tangent & back to Mistress 9, I mean He Xuan,

He Xuan LOVES Shi Qingxuan and..... I’m just going with that

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, SIR,

lol i almost feel bad for qi rong but also....Bro You Can Just Leave.... except we need you for comic effect to interrupt the makeouts

okay this seems like the end of the black water arc and a good chance to break this archive of a livetweet. returning shortly

[translationandbetrayals]

How Haikuu! Made me a better person

When I was a kid, like 9 or 10 years old, i started to learn how to play basketball. And I remember how my stepdad would put on Slam Dunk for me. Dude, it was religious: Eating a big noodle lunch while watching the Latin America dub of the series, and after that, with all the hype, we would go play basketball. This anime had a massive impact on my life by motivating me to do sports and enjoy them by giving the training a story line.

Years later I learnt English and I was able to read the whole manga, and dude it was epic. Tho, after finishing it I was left with a pretty usual sensation after watching or reading something that leaves a mark: Void.... And hell of a lot of enthusiasm to find another spocon!!!!

And so it began, the search for the next Slam Dunk in my life. And it was awful. Of course this is just my opinion but, i found almost every spocon to rely on tropes that didn't make me excited at all. And I'm even talking about big old classics like Hajime no Ippo. I couldn't bear that, and I tried. It's just, the whole thing of Ippo constantly reminding everyone that he is a goody two shoes and that he's making his best to get better and ohh just look at him. I dunno, i can't stand that for whatever reason. A spocon should motivate you (not always by being hype, I'm not pretending that writing a story is easy) and make you BE there living the sport. That's the whole idea, embrace the sport. 

Years later a friend told me about a volleyball anime. Haikuuu! Volleyball? I wasn't really a fan but i gave it a try anyways, it was summer. 

And boy oh boy, it was exactly what I was looking for. The sport was the protagonist, everyone in the show breathed volleyball, and the way of communicating that was superb. I'm gonna take about some of the points that shone for me and the ones that stayed even after finishing the show.

First of all, I love the flow of this series (anime and manga), it just respects it's characters and gives them life and let's them go wild. I appreciate the idea of rival teams, not enemies to hate or be hated by. The respect for the sport it's emotive, from the character that don't even play like the trainers to the ones living every moment on the court. They were so into it in such a genuine way that i found myself feeling there, cheering the games, hungry of volleyball.

Hunger. That's a central topic in haikuu! And it's led by its two main characters: Kageyama and Hinata. The two most volleyhead guys out there. And one thing, and one thing only is persistent throughout the whole story: the desire to stay in the court for as long as possible, to be able to keep performing at that thing they love. To get better at it, to love it even more and to be the one that enjoys it the most. And it is so pure, so genuine, that it becomes and attitude that drags people, firstly the characters in the story and later, even me. Wheter it was sports or academia, With the latter being the thing I'm willing to dedicate my life to. I was going for that extra mile, to enjoy the most, to be genuine and get better just for the purpose of being better and to keep at stronger than before.

And it's not like the show is some kind of placebo or something, the main characters fail, a lot. They get stuck, they lose focus. They are human, not a bag of silly characteristics of a main character. And they went through the adversity. Haikuuu teaches how to ask for help, how to give help, how to take a step back and learn, how to thrive forward and how to relate with people with the same passion. And the most beautiful thing is, even if it teaches that with volleyball, it soon stops just being volleyball. You can apply that everywhere.

And when you surround that with some of the best choreography of sports anime, well, you've got a masterpiece right there. 

Nikolas Naranjo

[azurityarts]

Your Pmd OCs are really cool! I know one is called Skye and one is called Brooke, but what are all their names?

Daily Doodle #77

An Improper Proper Introduction

I spent. Way too much time on this.

MEET THE GANG!

Rescue Team

Arcas

Liselotte (Lilo)

I'm going in order of the games, but I actually played Explorers before Rescue Team! Gotta say, I absolutely loved the Friend Areas; they definitely made the world more engaging and expansive!

As for my team though, Arcas was actually an adaptation from a D&D character I made; a Dragonborn monk iirc. I don't quite remember where I got the name Lilo for a Cyndaquil from, though I recently retconned it to be a nickname of sorts. Names are fun!

In terms of playtime, Rescue Team is definitely the lowest for me. That being said, I've gotten more attached to these two little shits over the course of my doodles and shitposts than I ever thought I would.

Explorers

"Silent"

Arina

Explorers was my first ever Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game, though not my first exposure to the series. Specifically, I managed to pick up Explorers of Sky some years back, and that copy holds as my oldest PMD game.

And the fact that it's "old" helps explain my team's names; unlike my other teams where my initial goal was turning them into characters, my Explorers roster was just named after me and my old best friend. I just put our old usernames, but I still find it ironic that my old name is still appropriate given the "silent protagonist" trope PMD games usually run. Due to personal reasons though, both are now characters!

Explorers holds the title for the time I've sunk into PMD games, and it isn't even close. Incredible story, postgame, music, characters, and more; there's a reason why Explorers is considered the best entry in the series. Over 70 hours I've put into the game, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon!

Gates to Infinity

Brooke

Axdrew

Gates to Infinity was my first exposure to PMD? Is this a shocker? I'm not actually sure, but yep, the first time I had set my eyes upon this series was Marriland's playthough of GTI. I loved his voices as a kid, and I'm very happy to have finally gotten to play the game I idolized as a kid.

I had originally planned for Brooke to be another "quiet type" protagonist, but I noticed that the hero in GTI talks a lot more than in previous installments, and is also a bit sassier? Really glad I got the opportunity to give someone a more lively, snarkier personality that I don't often give my characters. Axdrew was a name given by a friend, and I've recently considered "Drew" as a hypocorism, but I'm still debating on that one.

Gates to Infinity gets so much flak, and maybe I'm just biased due to my history with the game, but it does NOT deserve the amount of hate it does. (There seems to be a theme with Gen 5 getting bashed before getting beloved tho...) I've sung the praises for GTI in old posts, so I won't be going on another rant (this is already the longest section here), but even if everyone pulls up with pitchforks and torches, I'll still hold this game close to my heart.

Super Mystery Dungeon

So, uh, this is awkward? I haven't actually played through PSMD yet. ^^; Between school, life, art, and other stuff going apeshit recently, I haven't had the time to start a new game. I'm excited for when I do though, since it apparently links all of the previous installments together. (Although I am still particularly upset that nicknames for recruits aren't a thing anymore ;-;)

Bonus!

Skye

Azure

Original OCs anyone? Yeah, I'm not too sure anyone's that interested in a random Absol or the 3817th Umbreon OC, but I've had these two for the longest time, even before I started playing Explorers! I guess it doesn't count to include them in this list, since they're not explicitly PMD-related, but I've been trying to write a story of sorts with 'em for a while now (though I've not got a clue if it's any good lol). Both of them have gone through a lot of changes and tweaks over the years, but they're definitely here to stay. :)

If you've made it to the end, thank you for reading! I've been meaning to introduce these fellas for a while now; my original plan was to showcase each of them individually through reference sheets, but that stuff takes way longer than I anticipated. ^^; I've always been nervous when it comes to really explaining the who for my OCs, but I'm really glad this ask came through to push me to make this. Thank you! If anyone's interested, y'all can ask my OCs things! I've seen a bunch of different PMD ask blogs and they're really cool- I'm completely new to this kind of stuff, but I'm willing to experiment! :D

Credit to Nicely Olo for the PMD Badges used in the background!