#man the adults in this manga fucking suck

[inkyriot]

has anyone done this yet

[keikiri-kitten]

first time for everything  ꙳⸌♡⸍꙳  k. bakugou

warnings: +18, smut, oral (m! receiving), prohero! bakugou, adult bakugou, virgin bakugou, nb reader

a/n: this is my first time writing an oral sex piece -- especially fucking bakugou ;-;, so i am open to criticism. i tried to write this with the sensation and thoughts that bakugou was feeling rather than the reader just because i wanted to lmao. this is also not properly proofread, i will come back to fix that! enjoy!

word count: 1.4k

“i’m assuming you thought you’d never get this far.”

you both never thought that you would get here. both of you posted in his kitchen in the wee hours of the morning with only a pale white light above the stove to help you see. while you never thought you would be giving a blowjob to prohero dynamight (who you also somehow bagged as your boyfriend),  he never would have thought he’d have anyone who would genuinely want to. 

thinking about a virgin, prohero katsuki who clams up now that you’re kneeling down in front of him. a katsuki whose eyes are wide and still as they stare into yours for some sort of permission. maybe he wants permission to be vulnerable? you’re right underneath his nose yet he’s running over how he got this far when he was used to shoujo mangas and porn. this is a different playing field and he is absolutely a rookie. the vermillion in his eyes is practically glowing as he’s overheating from the inside. he’s standing tall and tense and at this point, he can feel his heart beating in his chest and his skin burning in anticipation. there you are; patient and willing to go at any pace that katuski’s ready to take. your hands trail up his thighs over his gray sweats slowly, spotting the firm cock in his hand twitch. 

katsuki swears he’s never been more flustered in his life, “no.” his voice broke out into the atmosphere of the room, cracking and forcing his cheeks to go red. you can tell by his response that the typical rose tinted glasses he had on around you were now red and tinted with lust. “I didn’t.” while his voice is calm, he isn’t in the slightest. you can tell because every time he gets flustered around you, his voice loses that rough scratch and becomes smooth and quiet. it’s captivating, honestly. 

his breath hitches while he breathes in and only comes out in short or weak puffs. there’s a sudden sharp breath that he sucks in as his eyes dart towards your hands. “of course you didn’t.” you could spot his tongue quickly graze over his chapped, rosy lips. 

“shut up.” 

“you know you can always make me, right?” he brushes your comment off with an eye roll. the hero’s jaw relaxes for a brief moment before he grips his cock a bit tighter in his hand. anything he was ready to do, you were ready to do.  choking out a groan, the head of his heavy cock runs along your lips. this scene was erotic enough for him. tapping it along your lips, his head nudges up subconsciously while his jaw falls. you to part your lips for him. the hero cracked out a hum as the blushing, sensitive head of his cock ran along your skin. the slit was already glistening with excitement. “i would love it if you could make me.”

allowing himself to sink into your mouth builds up this feeling of anxiety that no villain could even get out of him. his nose turns up at the feeling of your warm, wet mouth. he never felt anything like it. sending his back against the wall, his eyes flash to the ceiling before his fingers slide in your hair. katsuki tries so hard to breathe correctly. he thought he had this. if he could handle the palm of his hand or his trusty fleshlight, why wouldn’t he be able to remain calm in your mouth? that would be ridiculous! however, you can spot his chest rising and falling through his hoodie. he doesn’t pick up on full he just might be in your mouth until you gag. you gag and that feeling can’t end for him. a thick hand slips from your hair and behind your neck to keep you there. katsuki’s a selfish man who simply doesn’t care or even think about your need to breathe. neither did you. not when your boyfriend’s breath picks up and every exhale includes a moan. you love it. you live for it.

you also love the way he suddenly pulls your hair, yanking your head back. it allows you to gently graze your teeth under his shaft. if he wants to play, you both could play, yes? katsuki chokes out broken whine. “fuck,” he bites, eyes shutting tight with his hips jutting closer to your face. he likes it. for a moment his life falls into a blur. there’s no need to think if you were willing to do the work for him. ‘just take it and don’t cum too fast’ is the motto. he admires you with his hands carefully brushing any hair from your face. dynamight loves to chase your mouth; rolling his hips and pushing his cock deeper because a second away from you is a second too long. 

there’s so many things you’re doing to him that he can’t even try to comprehend. he can feel your tongue toy with the head of his cock and his whole body twitches. when you start gagging his toes start curling. and he’s begging for it— physically. you can see it in the way his face twists in pleasure and frustration or feel it when his hips become more erratic while trying to work with you pace. 

the blond finds himself struggling for a solid breath. one thing about katsuki was that the heat never really bothered him. until this moment. his body is getting warm and his skin is clamming up under the fabric he’s wearing. it’s an uncomfortable feeling but he doesn’t want it to end. his cock twitches between your lips and of course you aren’t letting up in the slightest. it’s almost aching at this point for some sort of release. that familiar tense feeling is creeping up all over his body. katsuki’s breaths are harsh and sharp as he looks down at you with the most pitiful eyes. “fuck,” he grumbles. red eyes are chasing all over your face when he realizes that the feeling is getting far too intense to sit by idly. his mouth is open and he wants to speak. he wants to tell you that he’s about to cum but he can’t. you wouldn’t be able to make out a single thing he said even if he tried. 

you can spot his lip quivering before tightening his lips together. the hero is scrunching his nose and trying not to explode but looking at you makes the task difficult. lifting his back off the wall, one hand gripped the counter while the other covered his mouth. each exhale came out in a string of grunts and groans. he was pitiful— simply miserable being so vulnerable but he also never felt as good as he does at the moment. watching him, you can see his eyes cross. then you could feel it. katsuki’s body stiffens up so much you assume he lost all functioning of it as he filled your cheeks. the only thing that’s moving on him is his thighs that are literally shivering. 

in all honesty you don’t know what’s supposed to make his cum so much different than any other you’ve experienced. it’s hot and thick. the only exception? it tasted far better than what you’ve had before. 

the more you think about how he tastes, the less you actually realize that his body has already calmed down. not until his cock lazily fell from your mouth. he lowers his body to the ground to rest on his knees and get a good look into your eyes. stealing glances of one another, katsuki can see how messy your face really is. you notice how red his face is. he refuses to properly look you in the eyes. “don’t swallow—“

katsuki’s face loses all expression as he watches you do exactly that simply because he told you not to. it was a nice way to measure to see how out of it he still is. saying nothing, he cups your cheeks with his hands that are actually burning before feeling his lips melt on yours. he wants to take in everything; your swollen lips, your weak kiss from your exhausted jaw and the taste of him left on your tongue. pulling away from you always feels like a crime after kissing you, but if there was one thing the blond didn’t have, it was a proper breath. 

“how did that feel? did you like that?” 

“it sure as hell wasn’t bad.” he snaps, which only makes you laugh.

[dr-spectre]

I just read through a small portion of the splatoon manga because im feeling a little sleep deprived, and i was bored, and dude. It is AWFULLL!!!!!! They somehow made the splatoon 2 story mode EVEN WORSE?!?! LIKE A TRILLION TIMES WORSE THAN IT ALREADY IS?!?!

How would I even describe the writing of it... it's like, imagine you write something at age 13, and then you come back to it as an adult and you look at it and you go "what the fuck is this?" ITS THAT LEVEL OF BAD IM NOT PLAYING AROUND WITH Y'ALL! PEOPLE WE WERE RIGHT! AND I AINT EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE NAKED INKLINGS CAUSE WHY THE HELL IS THAT AN ACTUAL RUNNING GAG IN THE MANGA APPARENTLY?! WHY?! WHHHYYYYY?!?!?!?!

Like, man. They could have really gone deeper into the lore, the characters, clear up misinformation, and fill in the gaps. Could you imagine if the manga was like the Squid Sister stories where it takes place between games and fleshes out certain elements and you got to look at nice art on top of it? That would be fire, right?! Or maybe it could be about actual compelling characters that go through arcs and grow and learn from mistakes and stuff like that. Or maybe it could be a cute slice of life manga about an Inkling going through day to day life, and we get to see the smaller stuff in the Splatoon universe we don't normally get to see.

BUT NO! IT SUCKS! ITS ASS!! AND NOT THE GOOD KIND OF ASS!

[halliescomut]

Love Sea Ep 2 Watch Along

I am a couple days late because migraines suck, but I'm finally sitting down to watch ep 2. I'm gonna try to gives some first inpressions here, but we'll see how we go.

-Opening shot and I accidentally caught crew in the back of the boat. Hehe...whoops. Can't always catch that.

-When he says "what this man's sex taste like" does he mean literally or figuratively??? Like...I'm just not sure if it's wonky translation, or ???

-Okay, but the way Mut put's their legs together, but keeps their torso's apart....like touching, but not invading Rak's space....that's kinda hot.

-I do come from a seafood family, literally my maternal grandparents ran a seafood restaurant for over a decade, but I'm not a seafood person, so I kinda feel like the food stuff is going over my head.

-Like...I knew it was gonna happen, but I'm still blushing so hard. That eye contact is DANGEROUS.

-Peat's muscles!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!

-Literally Rak is so cranky that he hurt himself and cut off sexy time. His grumpy face.

I love Mook so much. I would die for her, she's so precious.

Are those generic baby shark bandaids??

I love how quickly Rak takes advantage of the loophole Mut presents him with. He immediately is like "you are correct, this is not my bed, let's bang!" (Also I fucking loved this line in the trailer. It's quippy, it's clever, Fort delivers it so well. Perfection.)

I mean...if your gonna engage in sexy time on the beach...oral would be your best option, so....

Jesus with the leg over the shoulder....goddamn.

Those hips are moving quite a lot Rak, be careful with Mut, you don't want to break him.

The mouth wipe.....I'm dying. I will say the timing was a bit fast there at the end, but like...legit portrayal of oral, and not just vaguely refering to it is new in Thai BL, so props for that. (Also it was one of my bingo squares. Yay me.)

I was predicting the whole "I'm inspired, we gotta go back to my room right now", but that did not stop it from being funny as hell.

Is Tongrak basically Mame's self-insert?? I just thought about this, bc they used the MMY logo for the fake website, probably just so they didn't have to bother with getting a non-copywritten one, or pay to use a real one, but like I just thought about this, since he's a writer who writes Y-Series, and part of what P'Vie does (I'm pretty sure) is make them into shows.... fascinating to consider.

We do see the cover for The Boy Next World, both the BN one and the orignal manga-style one...interesting.... As well as the cover for Love Director, which is one of the novels directly related to the LITA side of the Mame-verse....also interesting.

Rak's fake insta is hot. I tell you what, Mame shows got their issues, but costuming is pretty much always on point.

Okay so P'Vie is an actress...still involved with Rak's shows, but not the director I guess.

I really do get distract by how pretty Peat's eyes are.

Okay, Though he was just showering, but then I saw the motion... the blushing begins again. (Look I know I've written smut, and I watch BL, but I'm still Ace, so a lot of times my reaction is very Edwardian noble lady. I'm sorry!)

No, but I paused it to write that last sentence and the look on Rak's face!!!!

Rak is very bite-y. It suits his character, really. I Like it.

That was....very athletic.

I have thoughts about the sex scene. I'll save those for the 'Thoughts' post though.

I do think it's funny that Rak is so disturbed because the sex was good. That's funny.

Side note, I know this is an adult show, it includes a lot of adult themes, but somehow the Hallmark Movie-ness of Mame's shows makes it feel very weird when people cuss. Like, it feels odd for Rak to say Fuck there. It somehow just gives the vibe of 'see how grown-up we are with the cussing'. IDK if that makes sense, or if anyone else feels that way.

Mook's reaction to the forehead kiss is so cute, but P'Vie's got two episodes to get her act together, or I'm gonna start to dislike her.

I still don't remember the name of Mut's friend (I'm sorry) but I do think he's very funny. The actor is doing a very good job.

I know IRL, I would hate the entitledness/possessive-ness of Rak, but that was kind hot.

I love how amused Mut is by Rak. It's one of the things that feels like Fort peeking through tbh.

Oops...none of us did consider that a considerably long motorbike ride the day after some pretty vigorous back door sex may not be the best idea. But also, I feel like this is part of why prep/aftercare is important, and they (meaning BLs) should focus on it more. Like it's wouldn't fix everything, but it would help.

Oh, I really do like Mut's friend...who's name is Palm....I will try to remember.

I doubt this was Mame's intention, but I do appreciate the discussion of how franchised tourism can be harmful to local residents.

Sweet Mut so shy about taking genuine compliments. That's so cute.

Oh I'm familiar with that kind of manufactured flippancy when it comes to speaking about family ties that have been broken.... there be trauma there mateys.

God I have a lot of incomplete thoughts about this scene. I'm gonna have to rewatch and break it down later.

Oh, Rak is 100% a self-insert.

I do wonder when we're gonna get more info regarding that first thought about escaping though. It feels like Rak is trying to keep things surface level, but is accidentally revealing more than he intends.

I respect the attempt to get info out of Kom. I also respect Connor for not giving any.

I'm excited for the diving and underwater shots, but Rak--why the fuck are you wearing a small fortune in high-end designer jewelery for that?? like, leave that shit in your room dude.

Also, I've officially decided I love Palm and his doofus-energy. I will now protect him with my life.

God Bless Wetsuits! Amen!!

Sir what the fuck are you doing???? If this were a different couple I'd say Rak is well on his way to a spanking.

But also, this is so pretty,

Flashback!!! Yes, another bingo box, but also...why do drama parents always break up directly in front of their kids?

There's a metaphor happening about not diving alone and the flashbacks and reconciling his traumas in relation to love/trusting men (in a romantic way)....my brain is too stupid to make a cohesive explanation, but it's there.

I love the way Mut just looks at Rak... like it's fascinating how much Fort is able to portray with his gaze. I thought that during LITA, but it's confirmed here. Because, yes the longing/loving gaze is alive and well, but you can see the concern, the confusion, even the questioning that's happening. It's wild.

Well that's all for the episode. I'll probably rewatch tomorrow and thry to organize my thoughts into something vaguely cohesive, but no promises. Despite the very swift jump into the sex, we got a lot of insight today, into to both of them really.

[marunalu]

Bkdk is canon bitch, there's a new cover to proof it

Oh? I guess you mean this picture here, right?

What a coincidence that shouto is also on the picture and has his hand on izukus shoulder, I guess that means tododeku is confirmed canon now too! 🤔

So tell me what exactly about this picture confirms bkdk as canon, espicially since shoto is also there? Dont tell me, its because izuku and bakugou are standig side by side or because you are one of these idiots who believes izuku pulling bakugou by his tie to make him look into "the camera" like he and shoto do means he has romantic feelings for him?!🤦‍♀️🤣🤣🤣

If that isnt the cover you are talking about, dont shy away from sending the right one to me, I want something to laugh at. And next time have at least enough balls to not go anon you pathetic coward! 💋

So and even if izuku pulls bakugou by his tie (by literally trying to make him look into the camera izuku EVEN IS POINTING TO), do you want to know some great news in return? That both bakugou and izuku debunked any kind of romantic bkdk a long time before this cover even came out, in one of the light novels which are canon.

In said light novel todoroki asks bakugou why he and izuku dont get along despite knowing each other for so long and bakugou replies with: "just because you know someone for a long time, doesnt mean you get along" and right afterwards he compares his relationship with izuku with the one between shoto and HIS ABUSIVE FATHER!!!! Duuuuhhhhhh!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

And izuku replies with that he cant even call bakugou a "childhood friend" since bakugou always treated him like shit!!! Do you SERIOUSLY believe that horikoshi will let his main character end up with the guy who abused him for 12 YEARS in a manga directed at 9-13 year old boys?! In a country that sees homosexuality still as something shameful and dirty and whos government keeps a strict eye on everything related to it?! At this point thats just wishful thinking and even the bkdk shippers in japan (who are for the most part adult woman this manga isnt even directed to) know it has no chance for ending up canon 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

And here is an other nice fact: two years or so ago there was a bkdk fanart contest with a lot of fanarts who showed bakugou and izuku in a romantic light and do you want to know how horikoshi reacted to that? While he praised the talents of the artists he made clear that THIS is NOT what bakugous and izukus relationship is like (romantic)! Man, it must really suck if even the author debunks your disgusting toxic ass ship and makes clear how problematic their whole relationship is!

And how mature of you, calling a person you dont even know a "bitch" just because that person doesnt like your ship which has ZERO chance of ending up canon anyway! Get a life, touch some grass and maybe stop fantasize about two teenagers fucking each other!

[dazed--xx]

Having someone complement your work and wanting to see more from you about a certain scenario and then replying saying that it's a "tired ass scenario" is crazy to me. I'm genuinely not trying to be mean, but... damn I'd never ask you to write anything if that's how you're gonna respond.

Not that you probably give a fuck, but this is the kind of thing that makes people talk about you in the various stay group chats. It's not that hard to just take a compliment and move on without trying to downgrade others' request... Fucking hell.

Well not to be rude or anything at all legit saying this with a neutral stance right now. I never downgraded it and I also don't particularly care that people talk crap about me I'm fine with that im an adult and not everyone is gonna like me 🤷‍♀️ (also I don't feel like I'm important enough in anyones life nor the stay group chats to be a topic of discussion y'all got WAY more important things to talk about than my dumb ass 🙄)

What I did say is that from what I've read in manga/manhwa i don't like the scenario but ill give it a shot. I just don't like the awkwardness of the female lead putting herself through so much pain just to be considered a ‘good’ friend. I also just posted not too long ago saying that I was wrong for not liking it because the challenge its giving me as a writer is improving my writing so I've even acknowledged that I was wrong.

Also this is the first time I've said “yeah I don't really like this prompt so I wasn't gonna do it at first but I decided to challenge myself” so I don't really know what you're talking about like I do that often? I'm usually rambling about my fics and where my perspective came from when I get compliments on them and say thank you?

I'm just saying… I'm like rude but in a joking way I'm not being serious at all and you probably just don't get that cause its through like texting type stuff so it could come off that way Ugh I just wish I knew who you were cause like if you'd have a conversation with me you'd know I'm actually not a mean person and I try to make all my readers happy 😔 this fucking sucks man

[edai-crplpnk]

Torune or Kakashi (character list)

For this character ask game

I'll start with Kakashi cause he will probable be easier 😆

favorite thing about them: ... Gai? More seriously, I like their plotline of self destruction and martyrdom and being forced to overcome that, but I don't think I like it so much each individually as I like them together.

least favorite thing about them: Don't touch children's butt even in a fight, Kakashi.

favorite line: chose between "I need to protect him." in Shippuden 288 or "He's nice, isn't he?" in Konoha Shinden (he's a simp)

brOTP: Idk if that really answers the question, but I like his relationship with Team 7 when they are more grown up and he is less their teacher and superior, and more like an older friend to them. I'm soft about teens becoming adults, and I like their dynamic!

OTP: KakaGai ofc, we all know the truth

nOTP: outside of the obvious Kakashi/any Team 7? not much tbh. But there's also not really any ship I'm enthusiastic for outside of KakaGai

random headcanon: I'm not sure the man can read. He left school at 5. I think 10yo Kakashi thought if he held a book in public at all times no one would realise he's barely litterate, and by the time he realised what the content of the book was, he already had a reputation made and so he's been "the guy who reads porn in public" for the past two decades because there was no coming back. His writting is that of a 6yo kid and someone has to write all the official paper for him once he's Hokage.

unpopular opinion: He works paired with Iruka but only if you acknowledge his inherent patheticness. KakaIru sucks as long as it's "cool and strong and mysterious military man and his soft and nice teacher boyfriend". But I can get behind "overworked and tired middle school teacher has no patience left for whiny boyfriend who has forgotten how to interract decently with other human beings".

song i associate with them: I'm not very good at songs but I'm thinking maybe Veux-tu danser ? by Gris. For the lyrics much more than the song itself. "You cannot touch me because I carry the worst of infections. I spread it to the ones I love at the whim of impulsions. I never wanted to propagate this heineous bacteria. Plese forgive, I should have staid stuck in your lives. Why do I have to bear this terrible curse? And most importantly, why did you have to love me back?"

favorite picture of them: I have to give a shout out to Kishimoto's iconic double pages

The details in the eyelid and lashes? The concept of him only crying from Obito's eyes and never his own? Excellent.

Now Torune!

favorite thing about them: His sacrifice for Shino is obviously touching, but it's also pretty fucked up and sad too. It makes mewonder about his father and their relationship. Presumably Shikuro died when he was little, if he was raised alongside Shino by Shibi? I wonder how much Torune got to know him, if he's grown up at least for a while with someone who had the same type of hive as him, what their place was inside the clan and how he's been raised to come to think of himself that way.

least favorite thing about them: Too little screentime 😔 and also tbh not the greatest fashion sense of all Aburame, but he gets a pass for being naked half of the time

favorite line: He doesn't have much lines in the manga, and while he may have some nice ones in the anime episode with the flashback of his childhood with Shino, I don't have access to it and I don't know it very well.

brOTP: Shino seems like an obvious choice! We need a "Danzou doesn't exist and all is well" AU

OTP: It's gotta be Fuu. I can happily see them as friends to but if he had to be with someone it'd be him.

nOTP: I think the truth is, I never really have any big nOTP

random headcanon: I assume Torune isn't his birth name. Loosing your name when entering the Root is shown as a big thing for Sai and Yamato. I like to make myself sad thinking about Shino only knowing his birth name, and not recognising it when people who have seen him, for example at the Gokage Summit, mention him by his Root name. Maybe Shino calling him his birthname when they meet during the war and Torune hearing it for the first time in over a decade.

unpopular opinion: I don't think there's enough fandom opinion about him for any to be unpopular haha

song i associate with them: I'm not sure it makes any sense but I thought of Isara by Eluveitie

favorite picture of them: Him carrying Fuu in piggy back just makes me soft. More generally they seem to have a love of trust and affection for each other. I like it.

[r8kirani]

qamar's comic recs: an unsorted list of a few comics I've read this year that I'd like to share my thoughts on (midlate 2023)

Insomniacs after School

A slice-of-life manga that centers around two highschoolers with insomnia, Ganta and Magari, and their relationships with each other, the people around them, and the way they navigate through life. In order to preserve the shared space they take naps in during school hours, they refound the astronomy club.

Slice-of-lifes aren't usually my first go-to, but this caught my eye purely through being related to space. While it isn't that focused on the actual science of stars and such my autistic ass would love, they still center plenty on the art of astrophotography. The way the story balances this and the interpersonal drama of the characters is absolutely great, and what I found in this series was a genuinely very smartly written and heartfelt story. I can't understate how easily loveable Ganta and Magari are, and how invested in them I have gotten. The manga is finished now, so if you're looking for a binge, here ya go!

The Sculptor

Scott McCloud may or may not be a name that stands out to you. As the creator of a trilogy of books that center all around the art of comics (the likes of which I also highly recommend lol), I'd hope that an actual story by him would cement the idea that the man absolutely knew what he was talking about, and boy was I blown away.

The Sculptor is about a man who makes a deal with Death, gaining the power to sculpt anything he desires by the whims of his bare hands, in exchange that he dies in 200 days. It is a love story, in more ways than just one. I sort of hate to give anything more about it away no matter how much I'd like to sell you on it, so if this premise interests you in any way, please give it a try.

The Eltingville Club

Do you want to read a comic about some guys who just really fucking suck? If you're on Twitter you might've seen these guys flying around from a clip of the pilot that was pitched to Adult Swim (but never picked up). That's certainly where I discovered them from.

The Eltingville Club is a scathing examination and satire of the real nasty side of fandom culture, and while is concerned with an older era, still connects very well with the culture of today. It honestly kind of gutpunched me in a way that I never expected, having figured that such a topic wouldn't be something I'd find myself very emotionally responsive to, but it found a way.

This comic really isn't for everybody. Being about the topic that it's about, there is a lot of uncensored bigotry (misogyny and fatphobia being big ones) and generally vile behaviour on display. It's also just sometimes disgusting. People throw up and jack off in it. I also don't think it's that perfect in of itself and has its >_> moments. If that doesn't shy you away from it, then by all means, try it out and see what you think.

Ducks

If you've seen that one Edgar Allen Poe reaction pic, or the strip it's from, you are already familiar with Kate Beaton. Ducks is an autobiographical comic by her, recounting the part of her life spent working in the oil sands of Alberta in order to pay off school fees.

It is an extremely harrowing and uncomfortable read, marked by the desolating effects of the oil sands on Kate, the people around her, as well as the larger world. It delves deep into the misogyny and sexual violence she'd encountered in such an isolating setting, as well as the bombardment of complicated feelings and thoughts she'd come to have from these experiences, from the destructive oil sands themselves. It is not light. It does not resolve itself on an uplifting note. I don't know if I'll ever read it again, but I feel like it was worth it to have read it at least the one time.

Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise

Whether you love, hate, or have no opinions on Marvel, it doesn't matter. This is a damn good comic. And you don't need to know anything about Dr. Strange to read it; I don't! I don't even like the guy!

This 4-issue series works as a completely stand-alone story with its own world-lore and characters. It is a colourful and psychedelic feast for the eyes, and is drop-dead gorgeous. The story matches this too, toying with concepts like identity, physicality, and more. In combination, this makes for an extremely experimental and mind-churning fuckery of the comics medium.

It's not the most easily followable narrative in the world, but that's not necessarily a negative to me. Even if you're not all that into thinking hard about its existential poetry like I am, it still works as a great read when tuning your mind out to its ebb and flow.

Krazy Kat

Not exactly something that's wholly contained in a compressed comic series but I thought I'd include it nonetheless. Krazy Kat is a comic strip from the 1920s that centers around the eponymous Kat and the love of his life, Ignatz the mouse, as they both live out their lives in a fictional rendition of Coconino County, Arizona. Ignatz likes throwing bricks at her head. Kat thinks of them as love letters. Maybe you'd think this to be a bit unconventional, but I think it's very sweet and funny.

Something that you might find notable about it is that it's about a relationship that is seemingly homosexual/LGBT in nature. When asked about Kat's gender, Herriman remarked that he was something of a sprite, a spirit that's free to butt into anything, neither male not female, paralleling Herriman's own feelings about being a biracial man.

The strip itself is really lovely, with panels that are very pleasant to look at and that are laid out in very interesting ways. The flow of action and linework is very beautiful and lends to the humour very well. You can read Krazy Kat on the web through archival efforts, or through book collections.

Until I Love Myself: The Journey of a Nonbinary Manga Artist

It's a travesty I haven't really read more memories from nonbinary people, so I think this was a great gateway into that. Until I Love Myself is about what it says on the tin, Pesuyama's journey of unravelling their internal strife with gender at different stages of their life, and the complications that misogyny and sexualization, and their combined trauma, brings to that. It's somewhat of a metacomic, being concerned with the comic's own creation itself and the discussions Pesuyama has with their editor, and thoughts on what to include within it.

I think I'm both relieved and saddened to know how intimately someone who lives several hundred kilometers away from me could feel the same ways that I've felt throughout my life. It really helped me feel more at peace with myself, even when upsetting. Being a person who is alive is very messy and full of regrets and mistakes, and Pesuyama is very familiar with that. It deals with some really heavy things at certain points, such as pedophilia, so I would highly recommend steeling yourself before going into it.

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Ok that's my list thank you so much for reading and if you'd ever like to talk to me about what you thought of these comics or comics in general or if you'd like a recommendation specific to you you can always shoot me an ask or DM me bye bye

[socalledsomethingorother]

weekly bullying of caleb because he just sucks and i honestly don’t feel bad anymore because he’s ruining the experience and i feel like i need to just fucking learn japanese in order to enjoy this manga.

i’m assuming that this is current shigaraki speaking through a memory of his child self. if this is supposed to be tenko shimura speaking as 5 year old tenko shimura, kotaro should’ve appreciated the fact that his preschool-aged son is smart enough to know what “validate” and “existence” means. even if it is adult shigaraki speaking, that dialogue reads like one of my university papers when i’m trying to make myself sound smarter.

a lot of this chapter uses lot word when few word do trick.

that’s my only complaint this week actually. not a horrible chapter, but i need someone to do quality assurance on this man.

[gods-no-longer-tread-here]

something I really appreciate about Jujutsu Kaisen is that it takes directions I never expected from a Popular Shonen Story inspired by such series as Naruto and Bleach.

Yuji's surface reason for joining Jujutsu High is because his grandfather told him to save as many people as he can, in whatever way he can. Honoring his elders, specifically the man who raised him, which is a Big Deal in many Asian societies. The principal tells him to his face that that's not good enough. The reason Yuji is allowed in is because of his own personal ideals and convictions, not because his grandfather told him to.

Gojo, the arrogant young rebel who is the undisputed Strongest Man Alive and is actively plotting to destroy his superiors, is unfailingly loyal to his students and loves them deeply, and demonstrates that repeatedly. For all that his students think he's silly and an idiot, they have unwavering faith in his abilities, and would defy the very structure of their society for him simply because he showed them unconditional support first.

Nanami gave up life as a salaryman, something he's quite suited to, simply because he realized that helping people is a nicer thing to do. He doesn't enjoy his work, he doesn't take pride in his skill, he doesn't really care much about sorcery, but curses hurt people who have done nothing wrong and he can't just not fight for the innocent. (autistic king I see u <3)

Nobara is a tough country girl who doesn't take shit and is often rude and abrasive, but she deeply enjoys "girly" things like fashion and makeup and shopping, and her reaction to Toxic SadGirl Feminism is "Wow, you define yourself by your struggles against men? You base your entire life around what dudes expect from you, but you don't ever even ask men to change or treat you like a person? Loser. Anyway I'm gonna beat the shit out of you now." Nobara looked at the girls wailing about "womanhood is pain!!!" and said "Damn, sucks to be you, womanhood is neutral for me because my gender does not define my status in life."

Junpei is, essentially, a victim of ecofascist propaganda and grooming as well as abuse. And Yuji manages to break through this conditioning, this abuse, by empathizing with him, and begging to help. Junpei's story tracks how a victim can become a puppet, and is, in my opinion, an incredible cautionary tale about bullying and how adults fail children in horrific ways. It was super fucked up what happened to him, though. I can't forgive Akutami for what he did to my baby.

And there's so much love in this story. So much loyalty to people who actually earned it. Compassion for victims, doing the right thing even if it kills you, supporting your loved ones in crisis and helping them through suicidal episodes, radical acceptance of grief and guilt. This is an incredibly depressing and painful story, but there is so much LOVE, and it's so HUMAN. I never expected it from a modern shonen manga.

also Yuji collects brothers like a pair of fuzzy socks collects dustbunnies and I love that for him <3

[makima-s-most-smile]

Trigun Ultimate 1 (Part 2)

Trigun Ultimate: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 Trigun Maximum: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.

09 Chapter. Between Wasteland and Sky

Yeah, Vash! Are you even human? Or are you maybe… A SHONEN PROTAGONIST? Really, peeps and their pain tolerance!

Masking, are you? Or did you just remember that people voice their pain?

No, no, you don’t, Kaite! You are a fucking kid that was trapped between rock and a hard place! Sorry, but you literally had no agency to really decide stuff. You tried to survive. Now you are in a better place, but leave the fucking martyr complex at the door! We have enough of those already in the story. The adults and the world failed you. Yes, you can do better now, but that’s all. I have it up to here already for kids having to take responsibility for actions the adults forced onto them. Parentificiation and growing up too soon is surely a theme in the manga. But damn, I hate this and that Vash does not correct him. Sure, he is in a similar position, but damn, this sucks to read. Someone take those kids and adults that were kids when shit has happened and protect them!

I’ve already seen so many takes on this. It shows that humans are unable to communicate with the plants while being completely dependent on them, but also that Vash has a very different opinion on them than the average man. Humans say delicate and Vash calls her selfish, little girl. Is she selfish? Or is Vash just exhausted at the point and takes it out by talking about her (not on her!). He is in a frustrating position, but the plant is really not an active participant. Things are done to her and done to her body. 

Plants need UV, water or oxygen. I still think that Nightow was still forming the lore, because if the plants need water, there isn’t much to go by and it would be a much more sparse ressource!

Kaite trying to sing 21th century dubstep!

Chapter 10: Little Arcadia

Aw, Milly and her family is so cute! I love her stamina to write all of them!

Gun safety is something only Vash seems to do in those lands. How many of the murders in the first chapter where done accidentally by babies handling guns?

I mean, Meryl is not wrong, but that is nothing that would make Vash angry. Poor dude.

And then capitalism came

Chapter 12: River of life

Meryl lost her father, most likely due to illness? But for many, closing yourself off can be part of growing up. 

Nope, just our woman having problems communicating. Nice, that she reaches out in the end, though I’d disagree with the notion that the bonds of parents and children are inseparable. Our parents make us who we are, but that does not save us from their abuse and/or neglect, be it done by intent or accident. There are many families that work and are healthy. Milly, Meryl and even Badwick's families are examples for healthy ones. So the words coming out of the mouth of one of a healthy family should be taken with a grain of salt. We will meet other characters that are examples of the opposite.

[dekusleftsock]

I am begging you and every other MHA fan to raise your standards cause Kohei gave everyone a yuri couple only to immediately kill one off.

…how many times has horikoshi faked deaths in this series. Because it’s A LOT. Afo, allmight, izuku losing his arm, bakugou, touya, Ochako literally last chapter, like… the story isn’t done yet my dude.

BUT HEY IF YOU WANNA ACTUALLY CRITIQUE HORIKOSHIS WRITING THEN IM ALL FOR IT HAHA

So how do I think horikoshi has seriously failed mha… hmm…

1: her

Her entire character. Well, not entire character. She GOT a lot of screen time and development don’t get me wrong, especially later in the series, and yes I love the fact that bakugou and dekus relationship was more prioritized than Izuku and Ochakos, but does that mean he prioritized her character? No! Nope! NADDA! Ochako is repeatedly sidelined throughout the story, and is also somehow excluded from a lot of arcs that SERIOUSLY RELATE TO HER CHARACTER.

Imagine if ochako was a part of the stain arc at all. She joined for selfish reasons like iida, he has a blood quirk like toga (which could’ve EASILY been foreshadowing to her not being freaked out by blood like most people), could’ve been a great way to show some nuance to her character….

And yet… AND YET…

That brings me to mistake number 2: Shoto Todoroki

Do I think shoto’s character is written badly or wrong? No! Of course I don’t! The entirety of the todoroki storyline, especially with its connection to hawks and the dirty parts of heroics, is really really good! I think it’s one of the most well handled abusive families in all of fiction. It understands EVERYONE in the family, and horikoshi is still able to show so much character and development in just a few scenes, like Natsuo or Rei.

So what IS my problem?

The fact that Ochako, her story, her CHARACTER AS A WHOLE… becomes sidelined due to horikoshi’s choice to prioritize his character over her’s. Again, it’s a great story and I wish he could balance both of them in mha, but he COULDNT, and he made the choice to sacrifice a woman’s character over a man’s.

Though I will say, a note on how ochako could’ve been in the stain arc: toga as a concept was created later and for ochako specifically, so it does kind of make sense as to why she wasn’t involved. Plans change and writers change, their ideas for their characters and what direction they go will ALWAYS change, and sadly you can’t predict that you won’t change a character or it’s direction at any point. It sucks! But that’s how a lot of these really long manga’s go. They have to write and then draw it pretty fucking fast.

And tbh I don’t really know what id do in horikoshi’s shoes with ochako and shoto! But it is definitely a critique we can acknowledge. It would take some seriously extraordinary writing skills to be able to balance, what, 3 deuteragonists? Katsuki, Ochako, AND Todoroki? Especially since one of those characters has a very complex trauma storyline that involves like five other characters? I honestly wouldn’t know what to do in his shoes!

I just wish he had picked the woman out of the two of them, but I think everyone knows that his manga wouldn’t be half as popular were he to have made it focus on two guys and a girl, instead of three guys, one of which is conventionally attractive and has major main character energy.

Anyway number 3: the overhaul arc

Ugh I have such mixed opinions on this arc. On one hand it has some really interesting storylines… when they’re on their own.

From what I understand, horikoshi did this arc because he wanted to try his hands at a longer arc and he had never really done that before. And while it’s great and very obvious he learned things from this arc, it just… takes up so much god damn space and gives us absolutely nothing long term.

Like yeah it makes a few points, like how high schoolers shouldn’t be involved in all of this and kinda sets up the ending rn where the actual adult heroes are sacrificing themselves for the next generation (ex: the guy that I forget the name of who’s now bakugous heart, allmight for deku, midnight for Mina/all the other kids, Mount lady, Aizawa for deku and all the other kids, Mirko for bakugou, etc etc), where as villains sacrifice the next generation for THEMSELVES (ex: afo and shigaraki, overhaul and eri, the gun arm girl for deku, also afo for dabi, etc etc) which is really good to do!

It’s just. Yk. Done by basically every other arc.

AIZAWA REPEATEDLY SHOWS THIS, ALLMIGHT REPEATEDLY SHOWS THIS, ENDEAVOR REPEATEDLY SHOWS THIS. Like it’s the entirety of Mount ladies arc, learning to be a hero and sacrifice for the next generation. Sacrifice and the fact that we forget 1-A are high schoolers is constantly shoved down our fucking throats; we don’t need this arc that takes so god damn long, only adds more characters that aren’t that important, TAKES AWAY FROM YOUR MAIN CAST OTHER THAN DEKU AND ALLMIGHT, JUST for it to tell you explicitly that “kids shouldn’t be fighting the battles of the previous generation, but they have to”. It just. Ugh.

There’s so much time in that arc fucking WASTED on nighteye or mirio’s character. Do I think the big three are really interesting? Of course! The contrast between mirio to deku is fascinating! It really shows how much deku can’t become allmight.

But you know. We talked about that a season ago mha. Yk. When he learns to use kicks instead of punches. Or yk. Gran Torino’s entire arc surrounds that. Everything about deku is nothing like allmight. That’s the entirety of their characters together. It’s repeatedly shown to be dekus biggest insecurity. He’s not allmight. YOU DIDNY NEED THIS ARC TO TELL YOU THAT AGAIN.

It’s like, everything that matters in this arc has already been shouting at you throughout the entire show, and everything else is never really used again outside of a mention here or there. It’s REALLY CLEAR Horikoshi was just doing this arc to try doing a long arc, not thinking about the long term of said arc.

Hmmm what else is there to complain about…

Eh, I guess the fan service? Which is, yk, in every other shonen anime/manga out there. Sometimes with people far younger than anyone in mha.

Ugh it’s like people like you just want me to be screaming “horikoshi did this! Horikoshi did that!” Every five seconds. I read the manga, I’ve talked about these flaws before on my account. Sorry if I… enjoy the manga???? Wait… omg!

It’s almost like I’m an mha account and it says RIGHT HERE IN MY BIO! Crazy!

Like seriously, what was your point? You were mad at drawings on a screen and someone enjoying that story and just… wanted to make someone’s day worse?

Did you expect me to heave over and be like “yes master anon! Toga is the worst written character in mha and horikoshi is a bad writer!” He’s a capable writer who understands his audience more than people give him credit for.

EVERY story has flaws. Every. Single. One. And because mha is literally everywhere and the fandom can get annoying because, it’s literally everywhere, I can understand getting annoyed sometimes. But you can’t sit here and expect me to solely focus on how bad horikoshi’s writing is because you’re mad at one thing. Toga SHOULD be selfless for ochako, sorry that it means thinking that she’s going to die???? What do you want from me?

I don’t have to “raise my standards” because horikoshi uses a lot of subtext and symbolism. I have other gay media I watch or read.

But like every single lgbtq movement that’s ever happened, it takes BABY STEPS. There aren’t many, if any, gay shonens out there, and if mha wants to be the first one it has to play by the rules. It has to make you think this is every other heterosexual shonen ever.

Shojo didn’t just become gay, it had to have shows like sailor moon censor a lesbian couple to be “cousins” so that other shows could exist. Madoka had to be at least semi subtle about its queer coding.

That whole meme where it shows one show saying “x show walked so that y show could run”, yeah that’s how every gay genre was made. Horror didn’t just become gay, it had to have community and relatability build up over the years, along with those new gay writers remembering where they came from, who paved the way.

My point being: I don’t give a shit if you think horikoshi is an awful writer who you think I can’t criticize. However I DO KNOW that if toga and ochako fully get together you’ll NEVER be able to avoid mha. And that thought makes me smile so much more than just the fact that they’re canon.

[suckmybussy]

okay i got interesting take

in my opinion, like 90% of straight romances/ships are FUCKING BORING, and usually try to spice it up, by adding more girls, this opinion i hold so dear, that i was on verge from.trying to strangle my friend, for saying <insert harem name> was really good romance.

But why could that be so? because lots of straight romances just follows base line of, "cute/shy" or whatever girl, and more dominant than her guy with interests like "i literally just exist in this series with no other purpose than wanting gf", and follow most basic set gender standards, and most basic made up relationship dysmorphia where girl is clearly bottom, and guy is the top/he "leads" the relationship, you get what i mean? 100% not, it wont stop me tho.

While yuri/yaoi ships always derive from most boring version of relationship that church people gaslit us into thinking is only valid way, by sheer fact that either both character fill same role or one of them has to not follow the most basic made up gender rules, like bottom.guy, or maybe huge girl who searches for little bunny girl etc. Like, just taking most basic romance plot ever, and genderbending one of characters by itself changes whole vibe so much!

But ofc, not all straight romances are bad, that would imply any romance is bad (i mean, there are few bad romances, like wanting to date children, but for sake of this ride of a post, we are talking about 2 consenting people of either similar age for teenagers, or just 2 consenting adults ok?), but the only good straight romances i saw, were the ones that just didnt really gave much fuck about being the most generic romance plot, and doing that would make any romance good (m/m, m/f, f/f etc), one of my favourite examples, would be violet evergarden! yeah, it does for the most part follow the rules of strong protective man, and small fragile girl (except for the fact that violet absolutelly kicks ass), but series itself isnt about 2 charcaters dating, Its about violet learning what love is, and not just romantic one, she learns about sibling love, parent/child love, love for world, love for work and many more! What makes it good is not us seeing them dating, its how we togehder with Violet slowly learn more about love, slowly growing attached to him, this love story is very beautifull, because its not focusing on that part.

(at this point i had hard time finding more proof of good hetero romances, so i had to dig throught list if stuff i watched etc) Also, one of my fave mangas of all time, was domestic na kanojo, where the romance being interesting, was enforced by, lemme check my notes, 2 sisters competing for their step brother, where 1 is his teacher and other is girl he lost virginity with. You can see im streching my arguments at this point huh. Whatever, in this series, what makes it actually interesting love story and not easy porn material, is all the hardships charcaters go throught, and questions it gives! Natsuo wanting hina, but knowing its just some stupid kids love, constantly hurting rui as resoult of his inner conflict about hina, wanting to get close with rui, and suddenly cutting it off because he is just a kid who is scared, of what might be, as i used to be kid, i very much know the feeling od wanting to do something, but being scared to commit, constantly swinging between wanting it, and being afraid, only hurting other in process.

okay this one is quite boring romance, but in interesting way so as per last argument, lets talk about "Rascal does not dream about bunny girl senpai" where mc gets the girl after like 2 episodes, and then we just see them, chill like cute couple, or get a bit jealous, its not much, but i find it interesting to see quite realistic (from standpoint of someone who's longest relationship lasted 2 months, including 1 month breakup), but she anime isnt about it, so seeing them being nice, realistiy behaving couple is nice addition

In conclusion, straight romances fucking suck and dont recomend them to me without 3 pages explanation why it doesnt suck, harems get instant no-no tho

[peaterookie]

Lupin III Chapter 39 Review

I had this thing going on in a discord server where I would try to cover every single lupin manga chapter every day (sometimes i take breaks)

It wasn't until now that i realized that it would be funny if i posted these on tumblr so here we go :) I'm too lazy to post all 38 chapters since who the hell would do that but if there's demand then sure

beware i am not normal this isn't a formal review by any standards

but lets get on with the chapter WOOOOOOO kid lupin is going to FUCK UP SOME SHIT!!! in this chapter he manages to fake his own disappearance to transport 7.2 billion dollars out of the city thats insane if you ask me

sorry to use the crusty english print but im not gonna translate one piece of text he enters the car of his subordinate and they drive back to his mansion, in which lupin decides to not work with the man anymore since hes too boring for him

Panel 1: "What's this?" "Your reward, ten thousand dollars." Panel 2: "You're done with me?" "Quite." Panel 3: "I told you when I met you..." Panel 4: "If you want to work for me, don't ask me questions." "Right.." honestly what a boyboss he was forced to be a crime employer at the ripe age of 15 then the dude gets sick of his attitude and decides to attack him!! he threatens lupin that hell call the cops about his status but lupin kills him!!

SLAY!!!

he is speaking facts dead men indeed dont talk meanwhile the police is like WHERE THE FUCK IS LUPIN then this lady is like we should save lupin since hes worth 7.2 billion dollar (holy shit thats a lot) then they're like ....stfu i wonder how much he is worth as an adult at this point it'd be funny if it decreased kid lupin does look more menacing than older lupin the woman then has a plan to capture lupin since shes also works for him as a ploy, she decides to drive lupin out of the mansion and try to find the 7.2 billion along with capturing him lupin finds out immediately but he still gets captured by the police who was following the lady honestly skill issue if you ask me

also this lady's boobs are astronomically big in this panel holy crap

also about the skill issue sorry i take it back lupin you're pretty cool

nevermind he is skill issue i bring back my previous statement

why does this keep happening anyways the police is like WHERE THE FUCK IS THE MONEY!?!?!? lupin points to the woman surprisingly and says that he slipped the map to the money in her the police end up undressing the woman (average cop behavior) and while theyre distracted lupin prepares this machine gun mcgee lookin' thing idk what it is sorry i may know i lot about lupin but i dont know a lot about guns

also that shot looks BADASS why is kid lupin so cool in addition these cops fucking suck dont they know that in the manga when lupin says something is somewhere he is indeed lying??? they should catch up more on my reviews then lupin reveals that the 7.2 billion is in this truck the ENTIRE TIME (it is filled with rocks as a trick)

you can actually see the truck somewhere in the earlier panels

i have a funny idea that monkey punch just smacked that truck in that panel which was previously empty to show like yeah im so smart see foreshadow mmm big brain anyways lupin drives???? the truck???????????? DOES HE HAVE A LICENSE????????????????? the answer is no. its always no. lupin gets away with the money, and the cops are tied up i guess? i dont think i get how that happened but it happened

And that's the end!

One day thing though i couldnt mention this in the middle of the review but i find the detective guy interesting

considering this was way before zenigata became lupin's archnemesis i wish this guy got more backstory n such bro had to deal with kid lupin back then thats a big deal!!! how did he get that job!!! was he the og zenigata before zenigata???????????? and it would be kinda cool if this guy ended up being zenigata's mentor or something idk just a fruit for thought i lowkey want more about him in lupin zero now, along with the maid in ch.38 and arsene lupin anyways next chapter is going to be HUGE IM SO EXCITED YOU WILL SEE WHY TOMORROW GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

[remyxavier]

While I was at work yesterday, a 17 year old boy told me he made $800 the day before on a pack of pokemon cards, then I heard him complaining down an aisle to his friend about how $40 for a hardcover Junji Into manga was expensive and he couldn't afford it. Interesting. Then an adult man walked into the manga aisle to look for manga for his nephew and the 17 year old stepped in, instead of letting me do my job, and said that manga was like comic books, but Japanese and for kids. First of all, what the fuck, you little shit. And then he said that Dragon Ball Z was "okay" and the adult man asked what year this kid was born and he said "2007, I'm 17!" And the adult man said "Dragon Ball Z has existed for longer than you've been alive and is still sold in stores, so I'm gonna guess that it's better than 'okay' but thank you for your recommendations." And then the adult man left, without buying anything, likely because of that dumbshit, cocky 17 year old fucker who doesn't know a damn thing about anything. >:(

Teenagers come into my store and bother my customers, throw merchandise around, and are generally messy and loud, and I just can't understand what changed. As a teenager, I was definitely loud, but I 100% was respectful to employees and merchandise that I had not paid for. It just feels like basic respect and these kids definitely do not have it, if the amount of pepper spray incidents at the mall by teenagers is anything to go by. It makes me feel very hopeless for our future because what kind of adults are these disrespectful teens going to become? I feel so old saying things like this, and maybe my respect came from being raised in such low-income situations my whole life, but the amount of times I have to scold or kick out teens because they're throwing shit across the store or taking stacks of books and putting one here and one there and basically making a game of me having to clean up after them, it sucks.

Also, whenever they spill their drinks, which I am aware of is an accident, they don't tell any of the employees and they leave quickly, and we find it later and by that point it's dried and sticky and seeped into merchandise around it which has to then be discarded as damaged and it really sucks. I feel so bad for it, but I really hate teenagers. (Also we're right next to a high school, so it feels like hundreds of them descend unto our mall at noon and the group theft and destruction has gotten so bad that some stores just close for the hour from 12pm-1pm) ://

[intrepidradish]

Media: Dragon Ball Z

Year/my age: 2002/12

What drew me to the media:

I came home from highschool everyday and had a small tv with a built in vhs in my closet. It was 4:30pm and toonami was on Cartoon Network. I watched the entire Cell Saga and Majin Boo like a fiend. It was a shitton of episodes! Ugh. It's almost impossible to watch all the way through now, but maybe because as an adult I want like...more plot motivated writing. One of the best fanfic foder aspects of DBZ is that so much is left open to interpretation. I didn't question the filler episodes as a kid. I just liked all the muscles and screaming. The animation/manga style remains super duper fun. But mostly I found DBZ memorable because of Vegeta. I got truly invested in him as a character, because for most of DBZ, he really lets you down. I think TV shows love to harp on tropes for children, ie the bad man becomes a good man and all his values change to match the good characters *sparkles*, because they think morally those are the stories that should be told to children. Which is sad, honestly. Vegeta doesn't fall into that arc. He remains...kind of a bitch... and his character arch is fantastic and long and hard and he fucks up a lot and he doesn't really apologize for any of it. This was amazing to see as a preteen. Teaching failure to a child is really hard, and I think that America's school system is really bad at even attempting to. But failure is super important. Because all of life that child cum adult is going to fail, and its going to suck.

What made me a fan:

In college, I did another pass of DBZ, and whoa, developing adult horny brain really went into spiral knots wondering...so what the fuck... Bulma and Vegeta... had sex? They made a child. They made Trunks. So they had sex, right? I think this is pretty common a reaction. And as soon as you think that, well... the next step is... 'wait wait wait, how did they have sex? why did they have sex? what did that even look like?' And that's what sends you scouring the internet at 1am in your underwear (covertly, because you're in a dormitory with three other roommates).

I wish I could put to language what is it about romance that sends people into fandom holes. Romance is really important to fandom. I think it has something to do with how regimented relationships are in mass media. They aren't diverse. Most main stream romance is very streamlined and never gets into the messy odd bits without being labeled as some kind of edgy cusp drama. I don't know. But relationships seem to be the spring board for fandom hijinks. I'm all about it. I'd rather have fake blorbo relationships in my brain to obsess over than the real world. That shit gets you into trouble.

Oh god, and what an indicator of future dispositions. If you get into the Vegebul fandom, a lot of them are rape stories (because god forbid, a woman could want a shitty asshole alien man to bone at night. Bulma has her own set of problems, specifically with vanity being high up there). But yeah they were hot and I was pretty ashamed about the whole thing.

I was such a baby then.

Have I written fanfiction for it?

YES. One winter vacation, I wrote a 40 page fanfiction. This was probably in 2010? It was UNFINISHED, but I was incredibly sweaty the entire time, trying to build up to a spanking scene. (Yes, 40 pages of build up for spanking. I'm embarrassed for myself.) My computer crashed and the entire document was corrupted. My first fanfic was lost. RIP

Opinion on the fandom:

Pretty chill. I didn't interact with it much besides reading secretly. Originally, I was reading on fanfiction.net. When I came back to it years later (once again after college, I got my husband into it) I was reading fanfic for it on Ao3. I run into other Vegebul's periodically. They are all in their late twenties, early-late thirties. I follow someone here on tumblr that wrote this fantastic long series (100+ chapters) called Pillow Talk which is on Ao3. It's fucking incredible about showing the ups and downs, ins and outs of their relationship, because they do wind up together in canon (which is wild).

The most recent interaction I had was in the kink community, which was like *sigh* 'god, we are so fucking predictable, aren't we?' We had a good laugh! But he was trans masc too, chilling in a femme body, so we clicked right away about it.

I also remember I had an annoying conversation with my stepbrother once about tattoos. I don't have any, so they were asking why I don't. I said "If I started to get tattoos it would be a slipper slop before I start making bad decisions like getting a full Vegeta arm sleeve." Their mouths twisted in that judging you face and said "yeah don't do that." Like...ahem. My point exactly.

I think people get pretty judgy in general about Vegebuls because its a 90s kid's show, and its not a very good one. But being a Vegebul is kind of like... realizing your parents have sex. It's part of 'coming of age'.

Would I participate again:

Hell yeah, I would. Once a Vegebul always a Vegebul. The biggest hurdle for me would be catching up on all the new material. I watched Dragon Ball Super and found it lackluster. GT was so bad, I cannot. Something that's commonly an issue for me is the amount of subject material required to understand a story in fanfiction. I'll get into it later with other fandoms, but if the lore gets too big, I suddenly don't know how to participate.

Master post