#merlain

[tired-reader-writer]

I really have to wonder what Merlaine's name means.

[daryun]

Akakkoko bringing back some older art in preparation for the latest chapters.

There are a few more pics if you want to have a look. I really love their work.

[innerchorus]

Colour illustration by Yoshitaka Amano from Arslan Senki Book 4: Road of Sweat and Blood. The character depicted is Merlain.

[glassbead-xx]

Arslan reread pt 5

So I haven’t been feeling well so I haven’t been reading anything, but I’m making my way through everything, slowly

And then I got to this part and is it bad that I found this Merlain to be so cute? 😂😂

Look at him pouting, also because you’re charmless, a punch would hurt less

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

Trick or treat :3

Your blorbo is NOT Pacman. It is Merlaine (Arslan Senki)

[another-kiraidesunosekai]

The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Against All Odds (vol. 20).

I just need to make a post about this volume 20 story since it's really exciting, thrilling, and surprising! Battle has been won and secrets have been revealed! Secrets that I never thought of.

Here are some highlights from this volume.

Note: I really despise the character on the front cover.

Volume 20 started with the on going battle between Arslan's troops and Guiscard's at Atropatene. The situation gets worst with the arrival of Bodin. His stance was to defeat both Arslan and Guiscard. Arslan's troops was stucked since Bodin's men were coming from their back. Luckily Daryun was there to save the day.

Beware of chopping head ....

Well, if Daryun was there at the first war, then there will be no story of Arslan. XD

I laughed really hard at this scene. XD

A satisfying ending for Bodin. He was burned to death just like the way he has burned books at the capital. Narsus finally get his long time revenge on Bodin. Bravo!

Narsus was so surprised and delighted to see Elam has made a direct request. It's Elam's good progress.

Merlain: No way, I don't do orders, especially from royal blood ...

Arslan: Please? :)

Merlain: O ... okay ....

XD

Arslan: We were just passing by. :)

Me: With the whole team??? XD

It's not really a surprise to finally know that Arslan isn't the true child of Andragoras and Tahamenay. The secret has been revealed since early stories, although not that clearly. It's still sad, but in the other hand it was joyful since Arslan truly doesn't inherit the royal bad blood. It's understandable that his way of thinking and attitude towards other people (especially those with lower status than him) were so different with Andragoras.

But, what truly surprised me is this secret ....

Hilmes is Andragoras younger brother ....

I forget did I read the spoiler before ... but this revelation truly shocked me. Osores, Andragoras, and Hilmea are brothers. Hilmeas was born from the late king (Osores and Andragoras father) with Osores's wife ....

The royal blood was really fu*ked up. That's why I'm really happy Arslan didn't belong to that bloodline. And even after knowing this fact, his loyal aid still acknowledge him as their king.

I can't wait for the next volume!!!

[nanonougat-blog]

I take pride in being the number two archer in Pars.

[evergardenwall]

so many arslan characters read as transmasc to me and i love it

[toryburch]

M is for McGraw Bag

Our McGraw Bag in the September issue of Vogue. Thank you @vogue Photographed by @TheNaomiMerlain of Howard University 

[965cchikudasai]

The title of the final book of Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) was revealed just now and I’m relieved because it doesn’t sound that ominous as a lot of fans had feared.

「天涯無限」 (”The endless heavenly shore”).

Hmmm… it actually sounds somewhat hopeful? but it’s Tanaka Yoshiki the annihilator we’re talking about so I won’t keep my hopes up (I’m still 99.9% sure Arslan will die in the end).

[tired-reader-writer]

Some very, VERY shitty concept sketches for potential redesigns of the Zott siblings. I kinda sorta based their clothing on that of the Baloch people, and though my logic isn't so solid, I'm gonna lay it out anyways:

Where Tanaka likely got the name Zott from:

Zott (Arabic: زط; singular Zottī) is the Arabic term for gypsies, Romani people, and Dom people. The Zott were musicians who migrated in great numbers from northern India to the Middle East about 1000 years ago.

Wiktionary entry of “زط”:

A tribe of Jat migrants from the Indus Valley (note: modern-day Pakistan and northwest India) who settled in the Middle East in the mid to late 1st millennium AD.

Wiktionary entry of the Jat:

A member of an Indo-European ethnic group of people native to Northern India and Pakistan that have attributes of an ethnic group, tribe and a people.

×

A member of an Indo-European people living in the Punjab, northwestern India, and Pakistan.

Why the Baloch?

The Baloch are an Iranian nomadic, pastoral ethnic group [...] and is native to the Balochistan region of South and Western Asia, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

×

Balochi(بلۏچی, romanized: Balòci) is an Indo-European language, spoken by the Baloch and belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family.

It's quite a bit of a logic leap, the word Zott likely did NOT refer to the Baloch irl, but this is what I chose, partly also just because the men's headwrap is the closest I could find that matched Merlaine's style that didn't come from the wrong direction (I found Tuareg head-wraps, which looked dope, but they would be from like, the west of Pars, not the east, so they're out)

Am I satisfied w the designs? Nope. But I'm allowing myself to be shitty for now. I think I wanna do a proper character redesign sheet for these two next. So y'all have smth to look forward to in the character redesign sheet saga thing?? Yay??

Mainly tried to give them some protection from the sun, they're said to be from the desert and uhhh I do not want them to get skin cancer from excessive UV exposure so. Sleeves.

Also some armor. Because while they're bandits yes the novel also said they do mercenary work for even foreign countries and they must be kinda like well-known and well-employed. Even outside that context, they're arguably the most powerful bandit clan in Pars. They gotta be well-equipped, don't ya think?

[daryun]

volume 17 sketches

From the German edition

[innerchorus]

Parahuda, Merlain and Daryun in Soleimaniye, Arslan Senki Book 13: The Return of the Serpent King (illustration by Shinobu Tanno).

I was going to say 'pretty rude of Shinobu Tanno to illustrate a scene from the attack on Soleimaniye and not draw wet Gurgin for me' but perhaps there's a tiny chance he's the little black figure in the tower on the right?

?

Gurgin departing the scene? (There's nothing in the novel to make it clear, and it could just be another Parsian soldier or someone from the Zott Clan, but I think it's possible that it is him.)

Also this illustration makes me laugh every time I see it because I have such a hard time seeing Parahuda's face because of the angle, I'm clearly not processing it right because all I see is a sad bear

[faraneti]

Merwaine? Gawerlin? Merlaine? Anyway Not Arthur 2020

Part two

[glassbead-xx]

Arslan reread pt 6 (last one)

So I’m finally done and I remembered how much I love this series

I started reading almost 10 years ago and I’ve gone through periods of reading it monthly and then not because of app change or stuff (if only Kodansha could put their app in Latin America but nooooo)

I have thoughts that will go on bullet points, tons of them, so yeah (also spoilers)

The last time I reread the story before I lost it was when they were in Gilan (yes that long ago)

I knew a couple of things because of novel spoilers but I assume things are changing from the source material (and Arakawa is the one who made one of my favorite stories of all time, Fullmetal Alchemist, so I trust her)

Also, from the spoilers I gathered from the novels and the changes she made, I’m sure Arakawa has something specific planned for Estelle, what it is I don’t know

18 year old me shipped Arslan and Estelle so hard and I still do but now I know that the chances of it actually happening are astronomically low

Andragoras annoyed me more now, probably because I had no patience for his arrogance now

Also Hilmes has issues. The guy is so obsessed with the throne he made it his entire personality to the point finding out the truth broke him. Literally his only redeeming qualities are his relationship with Irina and maybe Zandeh

Also there are several characters I thought were strangely endearing this time: Zandeh, Zaravant, Jimsa, Merlaine, on top of the one I always loved like Jaswant, Alfreed, Estelle

And yes, I still have a crush on Daryun, I shouldn’t have giggled as much as I did whenever he was fighting someone (Serica flashback when)

If you want a good telenovela look no further than Pars’ royal family

Really what is it about people trying to prevent prophecies from happening, don’t you guys know that the more you try to prevent it the crueler the outcome? Look at Oedipus

Guiscard was so done since the beginning, like really when Arslan told him to go home I was so relieved, like he’s finally free from everyone’s shit

And Bodin died, in your face bitch

But I guess since Innocentis is dead Guiscard can finally have the throne like he wanted

Also, Innocentis and Andragoras’s death wtf was that I almost cried (not for them, but their death was too brutal I know it’s a drawing but their state was too upsetting for me especially Innocentis)

And Tahamine killing Andragoras at the end because she’s pissed he took their daughter away (I have so many theories and questions regarding this girl)

Also is it me, or is Arslan relationship with Elam, Alfreed and Jaswant the cutest thing ever?

I haven’t mentioned Farangis and Gieve but I love them, always did always will

Also Narsus is way too smart, should I be scared

I’m scared for everyone obviously, I know what happens in the novels but if Arakawa is changing things then I don’t know what to expect

Also I hope going for the sword was worth it dammit Hilmes this is why you don’t take from graves, I hope y’all enjoy the flying monkeys (Oz/Wicked reference much)

I’m going to read Yona next, since Yona and Arslan are very similar (they basically have the same inciting incident) I know they’re not the same story but I’ve been wanting to read Yona again for a while so yeah

Also, is no one going to talk about how Arslan and Estelle’s Japanese VAs got married on New Year’s Eve??

[caeboa]

Doodle dump, featuring some doodles of Laine, a few of Laine’s backstory's characters, and some other folks’ characters in the RP I’m using her in.