#no more than izumo's arc was

[everyryuujisuguro]

[tonguetiedraven]

Season Three Episode One Thoughts

-Starting in the classroom is a brilliant idea. It gives a good reason for Rin to be reading, makes it clear we're out of summer break, and leads perfectly into Godaiin and doesn't make them have to set up a friendship for those two. We just dive in.

-The Kyoto's trio intro was perfect and the letter was entirely the way I wanted it to look, over the top reactions and all.

-I'm glad we didn't have to see the Amaimon brutalization of Rin. That would have been a bit rough for the first episode back and not having it will make some of the coming violence and gore with the zombies and lab more intense.

-Mephisto's clothes and room made my eyes bleed. Perfect. No notes. Everything is exactly as it should be.

-Liked the color sap of Gehenna and that they used the cgi heads to connect that to the gate for people who don't know about the manga and don't know that's Gehenna.

-The portraits fight was fantastic and I like that they had the same demons in there be the one that attacked Sei earlier. It makes it feel like there was a reason they were doing that mission and is a great setup to allow them to do the mysteries in any order they want. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some of the others pop up later. The bathroom ghost is perfect for closer to the festival with that stuff.

-I like how they didn't spend a lot of time on Yukio withdrawing. They had Rin and Shura both point it out in different ways, and it's a good setup for the stuff later.

-Kuro napping on the table gives me so much joy.

-Hair clip. Just Hair clip.

-The outside eating lunch scene was everything I wanted. All of them hanging out and chatting and Izumo being entirely embarrassed and everyone looking at Rin after the demon shout xD

-The ending with Godaiin taking a moment to show him actively thinking about what demons really are and halflings, and how those drops might change how he sees Rin and whether he should use them and that leading directly to the rest of the group waiting on him and teasing him and wanting him to come for food.

-Mephisto echoing the opening narration with a more cryptic twist.

-The credit shot of the girl's bathroom. The ghost? Or just a nod for us?

All in all, I'm impressed they got that much and they set up so much for later. I really thought they were going to skip all the mysteries and I'm delighted they gave us Konekomaru's moments because honestly, the Illuminati arc and the portrait fight are both huge for him, and he doesn't have an arc of his own and rarely gets the spotlight.

I like the animation and think the palette and style suits Izumo and Shima quite well. I like the strong focus for friendship in the start and the questions about demons and humans they're setting up for later on in this arc. I am very hopeful and I've heard the Japan fans who got to see the first three episodes said the pacing gets better, so I am ecstatic.

It still doesn't quite feel real that we got it after all this time xD It's more than I ever expected and I'm on cloud nine.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.210 thoughts

[Happy Father's Day]

(Contents: world building - souls and vessels, speculation - Soul's plot, character analysis - Kururu, thematic analysis - Friendship)

Oh man! I was pretty close, but I was looking in the wrong direction! I said that Fuuko's fading body was a result of her awakening to her soul, so I was right about that, but I suggested that it was a sign that she wasn't used to using her soul properly. Instead, it's that her body is reaching its limit, like...a disposable water bottle that you've refilled too many times

They're made of really thin plastic, so they get banged up easily and aren't meant to be reusued. Sooner or later, the plastic is going to crack or tear and the water's gonna leak out. That may not be the best metaphor, but it explains why Fuuko's feeling these effects and no one else

Top, Haruka, Nico, Ichico, they're all still young physically, so their bottles are still new and intact. Feng has Unfade and Andy has Undead, their bottles are literally designed to stay unblemished (though L100 Feng may have been past that point going into Unfade, making his youthful upgrade even more potent)

The big question mark here is Juiz, who lived FAR longer than a mere 200 years but never showed that kind of wear and tear. My first assumption is that her vessel was created by God in Loop 1 rather than by the parents she never had, and thus the vessel is "perfect," or at least doesn't have the flaw of needing to be repaired, but I don't think that's the case. Instead, I think it's related to the fact that Juiz never gained access to her soul in the first place

Juiz never opened her bottle, so while it got dinged up, she never had to worry about refilling it. The pressure outside of the bottle was keeping everything in, no leaks, but once the top gets taken off, the damage is abundantly obvious. Again, not a perfect metaphor, but I hope it helps illustrate the issue at hand

The metaphor definitely breaks down at the next bit, since conventional wisdom would be that the solution is to get a new bottle, and based on what I've seen on twitter, that seems to be the expectation from the fandom - Fuuko needs a new body to be made by her parents boning down. However, that is not what Soul said needs to happen

"In order to restore a vessel, you need a soul that matches that vessel. Fuuko Izumo's vessel needs the soul created from her parents' union, or it can't be repaired."

She doesn't need a new body, she needs to fix her current body by reinforcing it with additional soul. Whether or not intercourse needs to occur is undetermined as of now, but the implication seems to me that a new soul is created when two (or more?) people unify their souls. Under normal circumstances, that soul probably dissipates if the parents don't create a vessel before they split up or die, but in Fuuko's case, she either just needs her parents to commit to each other OR she needs them to gain access to their souls and literally glue her body back together with the resulting soul of the same wavelength

Ultimately this means that the goal for the arc is the same as it always was: get Fuuko's parents together. Not knowing the real root of the problem is barely an issue when the solution is completely identical, but it does change the gravity of the situation. If it was a time paradox, Soul probably wouldn't have had anything to do with it; he might not have known it was an issue, and therefore might not have bothered trying to intervene. Because it's a soul issue, though, Soul himself deeply understands the scenario and was able to not only see it coming, but orchestrate its outcome as well

"That's why I set things up so that her mother would be an idol. Because in the previous Loop, I found just the right Negator."

Some folks have taken this to mean that Kaede wasn't an idol in L100, but based on Fuuko's memory in ch.208, that really doesn't seem likely. Kaede kept talking about "dying of embarrassment" if Fuuko "saw any of the videos," it's pretty blatant that Kaede was always an idol. However, there was always the possibility that this time around, Kaede wouldn't become an idol, and that she and Raita would inadvertently repair Fuuko's vessel without either the Union or Master Rules being any the wiser. That is what Soul went out of his way to prevent

To ensure that Fuuko's parents wouldn't get together, he didn't simply ensure that Kaede would continue on the same path and become an idol like before - he ensured that Kaede would continue on the same path with Kururu on it. We already know that the Negators' souls had some sway on when they were reborn in this Loop, so I assumed that Kaede and Raita chose now to be reborn for a similar reason, but now it's pretty clear that's likely not the case. Instead, it appears that Soul is the one responsible for Fuuko's parents being born later specifically so that Kururu would become their enemy

After all, if the goal is to keep two soulmates from getting together, then there's no sense in trying to keep them apart as they'll always find a way back; what you should do is find a way to break them up. And who better to break up a couple than the Negator of Chastity?

In the previous Loop, Kururu's weaknesses were people who had never known love or people who currently had it. This would pretty squarely make Raita and Kaede immune, but with Soul's interference, it's very likely that Kururu has access to her soul and has found (or will find) a way around that limitation. In other words...

Soul's plan...is for Kururu to cuck the Izumo family

Now the real question is, is Kururu going to try to use Unchaste on Raita...or on Kaede? Cus it seems pretty clear to me that the one Kururu has her eye on isn't Raita

I'll likely come to regret speculating on this so early since it's going to be elaborated on in the next chapter or two anyway, but I'm so excited at the prospect of Kururu actually getting characterization that I simply cannot wait

The only thing we really knew about Kururu before was that she considered Unchaste to be unfair, that it forced people to be her fans instead of allowing her to prove that she earned them herself. Knowing what we know now about Kaede tailoring her performances to her audience, it's not hard to extrapolate why Kururu is fixated on her

When Kururu was scouted, she wanted Kaede to come with her, but Kaede refused as she thought she would hold Kururu back. Imagine being told that someone who rivals you is holding you back. She either heard that as unwarranted self-deprecation, or as a declaration that she'd never be able to surpass Kaede's skill if they were together. What Kaede certainly meant as a way to help her friend reach greater heights, Kururu almost certainly took as a grave insult, no matter which one of them it was directed at

In the same group, Kururu could compete directly with Kaede, selling more character merch or getting more fans waving her color in the crowd, and in separate groups they could compete based on sales...but only if they're on the same level. As it stands, Kaede is fading into obscurity, getting fired from park performances that only had two or three attendants who could barely even hear it. That's not a matter of skill, it's a matter of marketing

No money to advertise, no money to build a group, no money to invest in merch...compared to Kaede's lack of resources, how is Kururu's financial advantage any different from her Unchaste advantage? It's easy to beat a strong enemy in a popularity contest when no one's ever heard of them. To beat Kaede properly, Kururu needs to be on the same stage as her

The really fun thing here is that Kururu's going the opposite direction of the other members of Under in this Loop - whereas the rest were squarely anti-villains, Kururu's moral code was actually quite admirable, refusing to use her ability to cheat. Even during their respective arcs here, pretty much none of them were actually villains this time around, but Kururu is being set up quite definitively as the antagonist. With that in mind, I have to wonder if Kururu will be able to hold true to her previous morality

Will she embrace her ability as a part of herself? Will she give into temptation out of desperation? Or, when push comes to shove, will she prefer to lose with dignity than to win dishonestly?

I mean, obviously, she's going to be good by the end, it's really just a question of whether she'll need to be convinced to or if she'll come by it naturally. Either way, she's definitely going to end up using Unchaste on the crowd, Raita, or Kaede, and her character arc will be completed with the role she plays in resolving whatever situation she creates

Speaking of, I really appreciate that we got some development for Raita this chapter, especially since it came out on Father's Day and Kagurabachi said "Dads is Bads" this week. His dynamic with Kaede is so much stronger now that we know he's not blindly ignoring Kaede's clear lack of talent, but rather that he's keenly aware of how fantastic of a performer she truly is

His willingness to let her go and live a life of success without him, the idea that she's too good for him, really hammers home their compatibility, as that seems to be exactly what Kaede wanted for Kururu. They're both deeply beloved people, but neither of them can see their value, and assume that they would hold back the people they care about most, so instead they try to distance themselves from them

The way that Kaede would feel if she learned that Raita wasn't attending her big show? That's almost certainly how Kururu felt when Kaede didn't come with her when she went pro. I'm willing to bet that, rivals or not, jealous or not, Kururu loves Kaede, just like Kaede loves Raita

"To her, you're already more precious than any dream."

Going pro, becoming number 1, proving that she's better than all of the competition, none of that really matters to this Kururu; just like Kaede wants to be with Raita, I would wager Kururu just wanted to be with Kaede. Now that they can't perform together as friends, all that's left is to perform against each other as enemies, and Kururu's going to take that chance no matter what

If last chapter was all about Effort, then this chapter (and likely next) are all about Friendship; the romantic relationship between Kaede and Raita, the rivalry between Kaede and Kururu, both of these opposing yet identical forms of love are the driving force for this section of the story, just as love has always been for this series

Again, I may be getting ahead of myself, but love has been at the forefront of every other conflict and resolution in this series so far. It's near certainly what's causing Kururu to ally with Soul, and it's going to be what allows Kaede to overcome whatever Kururu throws at her, and I can't wait

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

[azathothweirdo]

I will be the first person to defend Kato's writing to the death, but if there is one flaw I do think she has. It's that she has shoved Izumo into a corner a lot and she hasn't done anything big since the Illuminati arc. Maybe it's a bit more obvious to me since I am such a huge fan of Izumo, but it's kind of sad that nearly every character has had more time and space than she has.

Konekomaru, and even Paku has had more of a influence directly on the plot as of late outside of some pushing Shiemi towards romance. It's not the worse, but it's disappointing after what a ride her arc was. She didn't even really fight during the last big battle with Satan before things went nuts. It's just been side stuff.

Izumo isn't the only one, Shiemi got a bit of this too for a couple of years. It's not the worst writing ever, and I can see where Kato is going with things and why they were sidelined (the story needed to focus on the brothers after all). I think it just stands out to me since Izumo's literally hasn't been involved in the direct action since the Illuminati arc. Shiemi at least got to fight her fears in the form of Amaimon.

That isn't to say fighting is the only thing that can make a character important. it just kinda feels like compared to the others Izumo's been in the corner than the actual plot. It's still a great manga, I think it's one of the best written series out there and I'll fight for that. Kato's writing is amazing and this series means a lot to me.

Kinda just sad Izumo's been kind of shoved off.

[meowunmeow]

Undead Unluck Chapter 209 Spoilers!!

Babe wake up a new negator just dropped!! Kaede, Negator of Popularity!

Poor Sean having to keep Fuuko's word, he can't even open his eyes to witness the barren audience

Cute excited Julia in the back!!

Bro?? me next I wanna be a human glowstick and hear my joints pop like firecrackers

I genuinely can't tell what's going on in the third left panel... Is Sean pushed back by her singing voice that he's lying flat while trying to hold onto both Fuuko and Julia?

I know the wobbly notes is meant to show that she sings off key but I like to think she sang heavy metal (the OG solo Babymetal basically)

Fuuko's existence erased by lesbianism confirmed 🙂‍↕️ her parents couldn't fall in love so Kaede x Kururu becomes canon instead hence Fuuko's existence goes poof 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Her side profile looks so much like Fuuko wehhh

Would be absolutely hilarious if this is exactly what happened in L100, considering that Fuuko only found out in L101 that her mother's an idol. Kururu threw away her individuality for the idol life so we never really find out much of her personal info. Who's to say she's not Fuuko's mum's age even then?

the fuck kinda gay torture is happening in the background 😁😁 WHY ARE THEY SCREAMING

Nico, I can excuse the previous arc because you were fighting for your life and couldn't bother buttoning your shirt. But holy shit there's no stakes anymore cover them up you slut 😭 (or don't 😈)

Ain't no way 😭 he's microdosing these unwilling men with his traumatic ability wtf

Pain so strong Tella starts talking again (let's assume he actually got that same tech that lets him speak in L100 but the fact that he hasn't been talking this entire time means that he chooses not to... and yet the torture Nico is giving them all is enough to make him speak 💀)

This is so brutal this isn't a battle shoujo manga anymore this is a psychological shoujo manga

That's amazing and everything Fuuko I admire you so much and all that jazz but uh... YOUR LEFT ARM IS FADING AWAY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! PARADOX OR NOT!!

There we go, he is Papa Izumo! But Raita, huh... Is it that her name is Kaede Izumo and he took her surname? Or is it that neither have the Izumo name in the first place... Or maybe I'm an idiot and his name is Raita Izumo and I made it more complicated than it is by assuming Raita is his surname (still have no idea how to find the raws outside of stumbling it by chance)

Goodness fucking gracious Fuuko's mum is just Niclone at this point

Crack theory (a.k.a pulling this thought straight from my ass): The reason Fuuko is fading isn't because of timey wimey "oh my parents never got to bang" paradox bullshit but because Kaede is also Unluck (her interpretation is self-targeting because she has low self-esteem compared to Fuuko being very hopeful and optimistic as a child) and the existence of two Unlucks makes Fuuko fade away because negation abilities are tied to the soul (watch this age like milk 🙂‍↕️)

[ilikeyoubetterthisway]

The Kyoto Arc - A Ryuumo Analysis

Hellouuu

I wanna talk about the Kyoto Arc (and later the Beach Mini Arc and Festival Arc), in relation to Izumo and Ryuuji.

The Kyoto Arc starts with Rin being revealed as the son of Satan, everyone is feeling conflicted, specially Ryuuji, Shiemi and Yukio. They get tasked by Mephisto (as always), to go help at the Kyoto field office and we are shown Ryuuji feeling even more conflicted and stressed by the fact that he's returning home.

We know that he had a fight with his dad about the whole Satan and rebuilding MyoDha thing, which is the reason why Ryuuji wanted to become an exorcist, to bring everyone back together. Tatsuma clearly didn't agree with Ryuuji's decision of becoming an exorcist so Ryuuji feels even more determined to achieve his 'ambition'.

With this we know that Ryuuji's mind is going to be all over the place but still with some space for special moments.

The Arc starts on ch.16 but we will start talking from ch. 17.

Here everyone is boarding the train to Kyoto and the tension is high. Everyone is ignoring Rin and feeling scared and wary of him, as well as annoyed and conflicted with everything that happened.

Izumo arrives to the train wagon and sees the whole melodrama and after ignoring Shima's suggestion of sitting beside him, she decides to sit on the same seat row as Rin. He is confused by this and asks her if she's not scared of him, she simply mocks his question and explains that there are many people that have demon blood in them, but everyone's problem is that he is the son of Satan because they don't know if he will be a threat or not.

Then she proceeds to call everyone out on their idiotic behavior for making the problem bigger than it really is and we get a panel of the Kyoto trio sweating nervously, but we have an emphasis on Ryuuji with him being the only one with a speech bubble of a little "...".

Izumo is calling everyone out but Ryuuji is the one that has the main reaction. (Ryuuji and his habit of taking all her words personally).

Rin gets happy that not everyone is scared of him and he thanks Izumo as he switches to a first name basis with her. Izumo is annoyed and embarrassed by this, telling him to not get too casual with her and she proceeds to exclaim how much she hates cowardly people that proclaim something but back out when it counts, having focused panels of Ryuuji and Shiemi with conflicted expressions.

(This is funny since Izumo is calling (him) them out on the same reason Ryuuji called her out during their surprise exwire test, back in ch. 6, and he's the one that reacts the strongest to her words (Again... did you feel it a bit too personal, dear Ryuuji..?).

Anyways, Ryuuji immediately flares up, raising from his seat with his hand curled up in a fist and hitting the train seat, shouting at Izumo that he's done listening to her stuff, asking her who is she calling a coward? Izumo smirks and mocks him by asking him to take a guess (meaning that he was one of her main targets) (also, her smirking satisfied when Ryuuji reacted to her words, she rlly enjoyed that).

So, when the gang is starting to break apart, Izumo is the one that reminds them of the words they repeat over and over, about friendship, bonds and nakama power, she is one of the main people that keep the group stable (acting like the mom already).

Coming back to the main plot.

Ryuuji gets mad and shouts which only leads them all to get the Bariyon punishment, again.

Shima comments that the moment feels like déja vu, and that it was thanks to Izumo and Ryuuji that everyone got punished again, mentioning that they haven't made any progress.

Ryuuji and Izumo both proceed to blush in embarrasment as Izumo tells Shima to shut up. They got caught in a heated argument and got everyone punished just like last time, for the top students to be caught like this twice in a row and causing everyone to get punished on their behalf, this is becoming a common (and embarrassing) incident.

After the Baryon incident with Shiemi realizing that Rin's flames aren't hot but warm, they arrive in Kyoto. Everyone is feeling annoyed with the tension high once again during the bus trip towards Toraya Inn.

When they step inside the inn, on ch. 18, all becomes chaos: everyone starts happily greeting Ryuuji, as he embarrasedly tries to explain that he's there for a mission and not for a visit, but that's when they call his mother.

Torako comes running to the front door and after looking at Ryuuji with almost joy, she snaps at him in anger for having dyed his hair. They start bickering and Torako embarrasses Ryuuji in front of his friends, total mom behavior. As she explains how the Inn helps with the financial issues, here comes a short but at the same time big Ryuumo moment:

Izumo proceeds to tease Ryuuji (while she blushes), by calling him Bonbon and Ryuuji snarls at her in total embarrasment, nervousness, and blushy cheeks, by calling her out using her last name.

Lemme rephrase this again:

Izumo (the girl that doesn't want to get close to anyone), went out of her way, to tease Ryuuji by calling him Bonbon, an actual flirty nickname, in his own house, in front of his mom, all their friends and a big part of MyoDha, causing him to blush and answer her in total embarrasment by using her last name, all this while she is also blushing, o sea, this was a huge decision made by Izumo.

And, I don't know if this is the same for you in your country but at least in mine and in some movies I watched, when people use bonbón or bonboncito to refer to someone (usually a guy), is because they see them as an incredibly attractive person, is a nickname you use to flirt. Also, a bonbón is a marshmallow, a candy (the ones you roast with fire just like how Ryuuji looked when having Karura on top of his head jaja). And, if all those weren't enough, Izumo of course called him like that for his title 'Bon' (Young Master). She really went and made this elaborated joke that Ryuuji noticed and most likely was the only one who understood it, just to tease him and make him blush, which she succesfully accomplished.

For them to supposedly be at each other's throats minutes ago, Izumo completely changed the dynamic between them by teasing Ryuuji with a flirty nickname instead of the (you could say), mean nickname (gorilla). And Ryuuji answered with a positive but still embarrassed reaction by blushing and calling her by her last name for the first time in the manga.

(Also, funnily enough, Ryuuji started calling her on last name basis the following chapter after Rin started calling her on first name basis, hmmm... sudden change, don't you think dear Ryuuji..?)

This is the moment that made a shift on their relationship and it was started by Izumo and positively answered by Ryuuji.

Izumo took a huge step forward by teasing him like that, when we know that she's hellbent in not wanting to make friends or close bonds. Izumo will totally make the exception for Ryuuji, take time out of her schedule to tease him with a flirty nickname in front of his mom, all their classmates and the entire welcoming party of MyoDha, being the one to take the initiative towards a new and different dynamic between them.

A small moment that I think is funny to add, is this one where Rin is trying to fix things up with Ryuuji, and he's probably thinking of a way to make him less annoyed so he tries using the nickname "gorilla-boy", but it only causes the opposite effect with Ryuuji now getting more pissed jaja. (Sorry Rin, sweetie, only Izumo can call him gorilla, also him being all shy and nervous when asking Koneko to eat with him, cute).

After this moment, is just plot stuff, everyone is distressed by Todou and the Impure King eyes thing, so we will skip a lot of this. Rin is still trying to talk to his friends and do his training, Ryuuji is dealing with his issues with his dad, Shiemi is feeling with low self steem, Koneko is sad and stressed, Shima is tired of everything and Izumo is annoyed and troubled by everyone's stupidity, etc etc.

We are also introduced to the other canon ship that shares a lot of similarities in personality and appearance to Ryuumo: Juzo x Mamushi, or as I like to call them, Jushi, jaja.

Also, we get Uwabami getting Ryuuji to feels suspicious of people from MyoDha, (they are already training him to be the bearer of Karura, jaja, pls, give him a break).

Anyways, we jump to ch. 23, after everyone finds out that Rin is Satan's son, Ryuuji shouting at his dad, Rin punching him while flaring up, and the gang (minus Rin, Yukio and Takara), gather in the kitchen to heal Ryuuji and talk.

Now, this may be a short moment but many things are happening here, and this is the summarized version:

We get Izumo being the one to ask him what happened and Ryuuji explaining the situation.

And this is the detailed version:

Ryuuji arrives to the kitchen, completely defeated and exhausted, he has no space of mind to get into defensive mode against anyone, specially Izumo, since we know how much he reacts when she or anyone questions him or calls him out on anything.

As highlighted by the sketch at the end of the chapter, all the energy he had has been depleted. He's done with everything and is currently vulnerable and exposed.

And is the same thing with Izumo: she just came out of the shower, she's feeling refreshed and new, her mind free from any disturbances from her surroundings, and we see how this clearly allows her real self to show up: by having a nice conversation with Shiemi, noticing the improvement on her demeanor and also about to ask if they (Rin and Shiemi), were having a thing; her behavior towards Shima is still the same and when Ryuuji comes to her, completely defeated and exhausted, her first reaction is to ask him what happened for him to be in this state, her reaction was getting worried about him. Just what the real Izumo would do.

And while looking into each other's eyes, Ryuuji answers her truthfully and openly. And a surprising detail here is that it seems he didn't say anything about what happened to Shima and Konekomaru, judging for their surprised reactions to his words. This means that Ryuuji only talked after Izumo asked him about it (The Kyoto trio walked all the way to the kitchen together and Ryuuji never said a word until Izumo asked him about it).

(Also, it makes me laugh how the panel of Shima being excited to see Izumo in a yukata is immediately followed by a panel of an angry Ryuuji, I know they are in different moments but it was still super coincidental, ksks).

Anyways, here Izumo is the one asking Ryuuji what happened for him to be in this state (she's worrying about Ryuuji), while looking at each other during these panels, ugh dying. Ryuuji finishes explaining the situation and Izumo notices that Shiemi is getting worried about Rin. (Ryuumo supporting Rinshi, lessgo).

This moment feels so different from all their past interactions since Ryuuji is feeling defeated and exhausted from all the discussions with his dad and Rin, he's finally answering Izumo's questions in a calm manner, as well as Izumo just came out of the shower, she's feeling relaxed and fresh, so she will take her time to put up her walls and boundaries.

This is how they react to having a mess around them, they are the ones that get things under a semblance of control, trying to make sense out of it by setting things straight and explaining the situation. They are the top students who just recently caused a ruckus and got everyone in trouble, but when things get messy they are the ones that decide to take responsibility, to bring back some sense of order and stability by whether explaining the situation or looking for answers, they become the parents of the squad~.

He arrived vulnerable in front of Izumo and she proceeded to worry about him. The only one to whom Ryuuji has finally answered in this calm manner, looking remorseful and defeated, is Izumo.

Anyways, Rin gets his death sentence and Shiemi immediately tries to convince everyone to help rescue him (on ch. 26), Ryuuji accepts, followed by Koneko and the next one to do it is Izumo, and then Shima follows them by force.

When they go up Kongo-Shinzan, on ch. 27, Izumo is the one that finds Ryuuji's dad, Tatsuma (mah girl was already scanning the entire forest and risking everything for him).

Like, really? The girl who wanted nothing to do with them proceeds to find the missing person in the middle of the night in a huge forest with no illumination device almost instantly. Now that's dedication.

Then Ryuuji asks Shiemi and Izumo to take care of his dad, and later we get moments of Izumo wanting to keep the promise she made (cough to Ryuuji cough), and wondering why she's doing what she's doing (because she cares about everyone).

No because, again, really??

Izumo is behaving so different from her usual tsundere behavior: she worried and acted angrily to the group for being idiots, she teased Ryuuji, worried about him, scanned the entire forest to find his dad and then proceeds to tentatively agree to take care of Tatsuma with the Impure King releasing its deadly spores a few meter away from them.

But the most interesting thing is that she made it a promise. On the upper right panel she just says "sure." It wasn't a full confirmation nor a 'leave it to us' or something serious like that, it was a simple casual word and later we see Izumo refer to it as a promise.

This is what the real Izumo would do. What her heart wants to do, that is why she is feeling so conflicted and confused because she is going against the promise she made to herself about not trusting nor getting close to anyone because she can't lie to her real self, the one that actually loves and cares about her friends and their goals.

And we also got several panels of Izumo worrying for Ryuuji.

(Just look at the lower left panel, Izumo with that soft but worried as heck face, which she makes just before the Impure King awakens completely and Ryuuji gets in real danger, ugh cutie).

(Also, I like how Izumo and Shima are the ones with actual worried faces when Ryuuji inherits Karura because they are the ones that know what it is to have familiars that are powerful enough they can turn against you at any moment if you show a glimpse of weakness or wavering heart. Izumo having Uke and Mike and Shima with Yamantaka, Rin is still unaware of his demon side and Nee is too innocent and good hearted to want to hurt Shiemi at all).

Anyways, Rin manages to defeat the Impure King with the help of Ucchusma. Shiemi and Izumo, as well as Rin and Ryuuji, share very wholesome friendship moments and everyone is safe and sound back in Toraya Inn.

This concludes the Kyoto Arc, which emphasized Izumo having the initiative, giving and wanting attention from Ryuuji, and him answering back with positive reinforcement, as well as many instances of Izumo worrying about Ryuuji, showing how much she cares about him.

Thank you so much for reading this far!! See you in the next one~!

[madraleen]

blue exorcist: shimane illuminati saga - season 3, eps 1-12 general thoughts on the season. but first: 1) YAY, THE ANIME'S BEEN RENEWED FOR ANOTHER SEASON, YAY YAY YAY

2) blue exorcist is pretty much the reason i dropped solo leveling mid-watch of ep8. i'd watch them on the same day, and my enjoyment of blue exorcist was so in contrast with my non-enjoyment of solo leveling that it just became cumbersome to try to keep up.

3) i haven't read the manga

-i loved the gang's interactions. i loved their dynamics and i loved their personalities.

-i thought izumo's arc was very interesting and very well-executed. it took time to bring her to a point that she could accept change, and it all felt so earned and delicate and grounded.

-i found some parts of the overall story a bit rushed, but not enough to deter my enjoyment. it was just a bit like "oh, we're past this already?"

-i screamed when shima turned out to be a spy and i kept hoping that he'd turn out to be on our side, and, well, he is, so yay, but also is he? XD can we trust him, truly? i trust konekomaru's view on shima more than i trust shima himself, you know? and it goes past the "is shima actually betraying us as we speak?" issue, it's the matter of shima's character. NOW he might not be betraying us, but can we actually trust that he won't betray us for one reason or another? idk idk like yeah sure, we can't fully trust mephisto because he's mephisto yada yada, but at least we know we share the same ultimate goal with mephisto, whereas shima is just. a complete wild card.

-i loved seeing the girlies come closer

-i wish yukio would talk to rin, man, i wish he would -.-

-i teared up during the credits of the last ep, that's how much i was enjoying being with the gang

[soul-dwelling]

I also take some snide satisfaction, hearing recent comments from Micah Solusod on last night's livestream, where he was open to the idea of a reboot--but he also cautioned how difficult it would be to make a series as good as the original, with performances as good as the original. He was open to a reboot--but he pretty much said it'd have to be like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

That was a far more open approach than I have, which has been the argument that it is pretty insulting to the original to insist that a reboot is needed, when so much good work was pulled off in the original when it comes to the acting, animation, and music. It is more than fair to justify a reboot for the sake of getting closer to the original manga, as that is a detail of writing--but it feels so insulting to the good work done on the original. It's not quite the same as, say, insulting Avatar by insisting it needs a live-action remake, or all the Disney live-action remakes, but it's close.

Also, while I'm rambling: I hold up Blue Exorcist as a cautionary tale for what a Soul Eater reboot could be like. Granted, Blue Exorcist didn't quite get a reboot: it just ignored most of the anime and kept going by adapting the manga directly. But the slow drip of getting that anime done has now caused so many delays between seasons, new studios, new character designs, but still the same music and actors, that it feels super awkward. Maybe I'm just not happy with Izumo's arc (which is a "shaggy dog" story that is going to go nowhere), but the more recent seasons just don't look as fun as the original anime.

[youkaigakkou-tl]

I was wondering if you have any thoughts on Sano’s (and by extension Ebisu’s) past? Like our boy is so mysterious~ There’s so little info that, even though I can get a general timeline, his past just leaves me with more questions!

Oh boy Sano where do I start.

We actually get most of the interesting details about his past very early on. (btw most of these details are stuff other ppl noticed and brought up. i am very unobservant)

Sensei drops this in chapter 5 and has not elaborated since.

What Ebisu says in chapter 54 is helpful here, this happens in September, which means Sano and Mame met in their last/2nd last year of middle school. And this is their middle school, which you can see from the blazer uniforms. It makes sense that they would have ended up at the same middle school, because Sano is from Izumo, which is in Chugoku, which is also where Mame is from.

I actually came to the wrong conclusion about this scene in chapter 53 for a while. Ebisu sees Sano and is shocked, and then a few pages later tells Mame he knows all about the class he was assigned to.

I thought that he was shocked at the presence of Sano, which wouldn’t make sense, because even if he was lying about having “heard all about the class”, he WAS going to have himself assigned to Sano’s class no matter what.

I only really realised later that, like Ebisu himself points out at the end of ch 54, he was shocked that Sano dyed his hair.

It would make sense that Ebisu didn’t know Sano dyed his hair, because his hair was already dyed the first time we see him in yoseito, so to whoever Ebisu’s spy is, “Sano has blonde hair” simply isn’t something to report on.

Sensei also drops this in chapter 7 and hasn’t elaborated since. Well actually kind of. Maybe. This uniform has appeared exactly 2 other times.

Chapter 1 and chapter 26. Sano and Ebisu wearing it confirms its the god school’s uniform, but does that mean that’s where Haruaki taught at previously? And who’s the guy Sano accidentally hurt, is that Haruaki as well? (sure looks like it innit) Plot wise it would make sense and tie it all together, but like, wouldn’t Sano recognise Haruaki if he’s seen him that recently

Also, the timeline doesn’t make sense, since Haruaki was at that school at the start of yoseito, when Sano’s thing happened 1-2 years before yoseito. Unless that detail gets retconned (or, more likely, the original plan was that Sano’s thing happened at the start of high school year 1 before he transferred to Hyakki, which would line up with Haruaki saying he was at that previous school last year, and we are already living in a retconned timeline where Sano transferred before Hyakki) (But wait that also doesn’t make sense because in yoseito sensei is very clearly still going with the detail that “Haruaki tried that other school 1 year before main story”) (Damn idk)

Just realised something rereading these chapters. Ebisu is outright lying here.

(Ok maybe he had other “school stuff” other than a class trip. sure Ebisu whatever you say)

We also don’t know how old Ebisu is specifically, but I do think he is actually around mid-20s and not hundreds of years old, since he was in school the same time as the teacher trio, and looked like a kid when Sano was born)

(Actually wait, if that’s a god middle school uniform, doesn’t that mean Ebisu was in middle school in that flashback? I mean I guess it could line up if he was around 2 years younger than the teacher trio, or if the god middle and high school were combined)

It really is super hard to figure out Sano’s past, considering he’s purposely hiding it and Haruaki said he wouldn’t pry. Sano arc is pretty inevitable, what causes it would be the interesting part I bet

Im super sleepy so this isn’t very long and it’s probably pretty stupid but I’ll just end this with the panel right after the first image in this post:

[curried-mermaid]

Special Edition - A Review: Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes - Hide and Seek in the Wintry Mountains (Vol. 2)

Author: Yoshiko Utamine Publishers: Cross Infinite World Age Group: teen Genre: Shojo Mystery Type: Light Novel

Content Warnings: Taboos, child abductions, small amount of violence

Spoilers ahead

Plot

The two otherworldy friends, Misato Miyazawa (our pale pretty boy with long black hair) and Ryouji Karino (our 90s flashy gangster wannabe), find themselves in the midst of a strange, supernatural mystery—and this time, demons are involved!

After defeating the Inugami, Misato’s team at the Abnormal Disaster Unit entrusts the good-looking onmyoji with the resolution of a new enigma. At the same time, hot-blooded freelance monk Ryouji is discreetly tasked with a missing person case in Izumo: Katsuki Narukami, Misato’s beloved younger brother, has vanished. 

As their respective investigations progress, uncanny similarities between the two cases begin to surface and the more it seems like Ryouji and Misato are the latest players in an increasingly sinister game of tag. 

Character Development

From the first volume, Misato has grown quite a bit. He’s learned to accept the spirit snake attached to him (mostly). He’s not a doormat of a person and learned to hold his own (within reason). We see more of his personality in this volume. While he is a soft spoken person, it’s a defense mechanism. He’s not afraid to share his opinions and offload his stress to Ryouji and Hirose (his childhood friend who has a job at Town Hall and visits the Abnormal Disaster Unit). In this volume, we learn a lot more about his relationship with his brother and get a glimpse of his family life before he left. There are some scars from his youth of betrayal, guilt, and self-deprecation. 

Ryouji is the same as he always is. We get a lot of growth from him in this volume that expands on the ending of the first. He’s learning to rely on Misato a little bit more and goes through a great emotional arc of wanting to repay the favor (Misato saved him from the Inugami) by helping find Misato’s brother. 

It’s safe to say that the bromance is blooming nicely. 

The characterization is a lot more compelling than the first volume. There are several different emotional arcs happening in this volume. Misato and Ryouji go through their own arcs as do a couple of secondary characters. This characterization is compelling because the audience can relate to the emotional journeys more than in the first volume. I think this comes from having a complex plot that is more coherent than the first volume was. 

The audience can relate to Misato and Ryouji better than the first volume. We also get a few secondary protagonists in the Sugihara family, the family cursed from eating Adzuki beans. The legend of the area says if you eat adzuki beans you’ll be cursed with a rash that turns to adzuki beans and pus before it kills you. If a child is under 7, they’ll be lured to the mountain to play hide-and-seek never to be seen again. 

The mother particularly goes through her own character arc from disbelief, to grief and blame, to realizing what’s happening to them is not their fault. While they did eat the adzuki beans, they’re new to the area and didn’t know the superstitions. We find out during the novel that the villagers fears and guilt from sacrificing and trying to appease the little girl (the one who lures children to play hide-and-seek) created this very curse the mother suffers from. 

The creation of supernatural phenomena is always random. Sometimes it creates entities, curses, negative encounters, etc but not always. Otherwise this world would be overrun a long time ago. The book explains this very well. 

Katsuki goes through his own arc that helps him to grow from a child mindset to more of an adult (remember those growing pains in teens and your 20s). He dearly misses his brother and follows the spirit paths towards a shikigami that’s keeping the children from being lured by the spirit girl (demon). The shikigami acts as a substitute.

Katsuki learns that he can’t always have his way. While he wants Misato to come back to the clan and he’ll do anything to make that happen, he learns he can’t force the issue. In fact, he needs to create a future for himself that doesn’t include other people that may leave his life. He cannot create his entire life plan based on having certain people always around him. This is an unsustainable life and he must face that people come and go. This very mindset helps him to connect with the demon eventually sending the girl demon to paradise by making her remember who she is beyond being a sister and the demon in hide-and-seek. 

World-building

The world-building is contemporary with a merging of old town versus newer development in Tomoe. There are a lot of restless spirits which makes it easy for Misato to have a job. On the flip side, Ryouji works for the local real estate agency dealing with stuff as well. It’s an interesting difference in dynamic. 

We get some expansion on the differing spiritual practices in this one; Shegundo, buddhism, Onmyoji, and a little Taoism. It’s fascinating to experience all of these differing beliefs, their similarities, and how each of the characters that focus on those use their spiritual abilities and training to help Misato and Ryouji as their respective investigations cross. 

Themes

There are a lot more themes in this one! 

The first theme continues from the first volume about finding your tribe or those you vibe with. 

“They were both living in the same ghostly, gloomy place; that was all. They gazed at the same distant sky from their dim position in existence, the darkness unchanging whether twilight fell or dawn arrived. It was comforting to be with someone who was must like him” (p. 81). 

This is a really important inner reflection from Ryouji as he’s talking with Tsugawa, one of Ryouji’s co-workers at the bar. It shows us how Ryouji feels about Misato. Knowing Ryouji’s background, this is a big reflection coming from him as he keeps people away from him, but Misato has broken through. 

The second theme is about the ties/chains that bind us to each other. This theme is great because it shows the dichotomy connections have. Ties can mean a tight/close-knit connection between individuals that cannot be severed. It also refers to the chains used to restrain. The connections we encounter that become ties is both a comforting thing but can also be stifling. It’s how we choose to react to these connections that makes relationships dynamic, engaging, and worth the effort. Sometimes, things don’t work out and severing a tie is the only option. I don’t believe that ties can never be severed but it does take a lot of effort, boundary setting, and reminding yourself why you did it in the first place. We see this very thing with Misato as he thinks about his past with his brother. 

We see more evidence of this when Ryouji contemplates pratityasamutpada, a key doctrine in Buddhism based on chains of causality. No one lives only according to their will because each action/causality has consequences/ripples into other people’s lives. The example for this volume is if Kasuki decides to continue to live in the spirit realm on the mountain (as the next head of the Narukami clan) this action ripples through other’s lives. The entire clan will have to find someone else to become heir, his tutor will lose his position in the clan, and his brother, Misato, will be forever worried about him. 

The third theme builds on top of the first two but also goes in an inner direction rather than an outward direction. It’s a perfect theme on looking within. It’s remaining true to yourself by accepting all parts of you. In my circles there are a lot of people that are all ‘love and light’ and those that are all about ‘trauma (shadow) work’. Two separate ways of looking and dealing with things. 

After Misato has a bad dream caused by a spirit that’s latched onto him, he rejects Shirota (the snake spirit that’s become part of him). When Misato comes back to his normal mindset, he says the following: 

“…to ignore Shirota was to turn his back on himself. No wonder he’d lost sight of himself and been readily possessed by a malevolent entity” (p. 152). 

We cannot come to terms with ourselves and our experiences if we are not willing to accept all parts of ourselves, the light and the dark. Everything must be in balance, not all light or all dark. Humans are complex beings that contain both. As such, it gives us the unique perspective to create right and wrong, to have beliefs, and develop a sense of self that interacts with other ‘selfs’. How we treat ourselves shows outward to others. We reject or accept others based on how we accept the many facets of ourselves. To ignore the darkness or the light within, is to ignore and reject the full self that makes you who you are. 

Observations & Predictions

As I said in the characterization portion, the plot is more coherent which creates great emotional relation between the characters and audience. The waves of sub-plot come together with the main plot nicely, like diverging roads that all come together to create a merging highway towards the end. 

The writing is also tighter than the first volume. This made me want to read it more than the first volume. It took me about a month to get through the first volume while this volume was about a week (distractions are fun). The tighter writing allowed the characters and themes to shine in this volume. While this volume isn’t perfect in pulling you in to read non-stop, the author and their team of editors did an excellent job improving upon their faults in the first volume. 

One observations I want to go into is the bromance between Misato and Ryouji. When Ryouji thinks about their relationship, Tsugawa thinks they’re a couple. He vehemently disagrees saying they’re just friends, not even best friends, though he’s never had one so he doesn’t know if Misato qualifies. Ryouji has strong feelings about friendships and romance. 

“All friendships are like toilet paper once romance gets in the way” (p. 81). 

At the same time, we get a different reaction from Ryouji later in the book. During the final fight Misato calls Ryouji his partner. Ryouji reacts by blushing and stuttering over his words. Misato takes it back seeing Ryouji flustered. Ryouji says not to mind, he just never thought about it (p. 264). (If you’re a fujoshi then this little interaction is gold). 

Later during the same fight, Ryouji calls Misato his partner. It’s then Misato realizes why Ryouji was so flustered, as it gets him flustered as well. 

I can see the series going one of two ways based on the interactions between Ryouji and Misato. The first is that a romance will blossom between them. Ryouji will reject his feelings because he’ll want things to stay the same. He won’t want to lose the intimate friendship he and Misato have. Misato may also be a little like this, but it’s more likely he’ll try to reject it in turn because he doesn’t want to be betrayed again. He’s also still dealing with his emotions from this second volume so they may resurface from a different perspective. 

The other way is that it remains a bromance with hidden gems that tantalize the fantasy of them eventually getting together. I think this route is more likely. 

Recommendations

More “friendship”: The Night Beyond the Tri-cornered Window By: Tomoko Yamishita

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard By: Nanako Tsujimura

More Supernatural Action: Bureau of Paranormal Investigation By: Er Dong Shui Shou

Jujutsu Kaisen By: Gege Akutami

Same Vibes: Dark Gathering By: Kenichi Kondo

[dumbegglife]

blue exorcist little complaints

re-reading/rewatching blue exorcist kyoto arc and beyond. even though i adore the series, i always have some kind of complaint about everything, whether it's just personal taste or what, i'll just dump them here:

i think "Satan" is lame lol. seems like he's kinda supposed, but idk, i feel like satan, being the king of demons, should be way more threatening/cool? or more abstract and less defined? he throws tantrums and is a brat, wears that...interesting illuminati outfit (credit to Kazue for designing whatever tf she wants tho) and i just can't feel intimidated at all by the big bad or suspend my disbelief. but whatever, that's okay, because im here for the character drama.

i hate shura's design soo so so so much, i hate the excessive fan service in general (shiemi included), but what am i gonna do.

while this shounen does treat its girls much much muuuuuch better than the standard, the action with shiemi and izumo is mostly disappointing. shiemi ascending to the shemihaza and taming amaimon was very underwhelming. it's cool that she got to flip him over martial arts style, but i wish we had a BIG fight because it was a big moment. and most of izumo's action/comitting physical violence is her using her familiars. she did stab that one guy in the eye with a pen tho. would've liked more of that.

more characters should straight up die or get horrible injuries. thinking to the kyoto arc, the impure king should've done some terrible rot damage to people.

[leportraitducadavre]

Naruto re-read XXIII

Chapters covered: 181 - 190 Twentieth Volume of the manga

Site used: https://manga4life.com/manga/Naruto (VIZ translation of the manga)

Disclaimer: This is intended as a list and simple observations of the topics that particularly interested me in the aforementioned chapters, in that sense, do not expect a linear -or totally deep- analysis.

Tumblr’s update doesn’t allow me to attach more than 10 pictures, therefore, all of them will be LINKED. Apologies.

266) Panels corresponding to SasuSaku’s interaction had been added to the main post.

267) Once she wakes up, Sakura tells of Sasuke’s escape to Izumo and Kotetsu, who are passing through to deliver papers to Tsunade (also, they say Tsunade is a slave driver for making them work at 4 am, so Konoha has a very specific negative definition of slaves/slavery, meaning that the Hyüga clan’s practices aren’t considered negative by the narrative simply because it’s performed by someone living inside their borders. Also, the notion of slavery is only brought up “negatively” in order to use it exaggeratedly as build up for a later joke, when they find Tsunade asleep in her office). Sakura was left by Sasuke on that bench during the night and she’s found in the morning, so Sasuke and the Sound Four have an advantage of at least a few hours.

268) Sasuke’s escape is taken by Tsunade as Orochimaru “already making his move” (x) to destroy Konoha by using the Uchiha’s power. Funnily enough, Konoha also wants to use Sasuke’s power but in favor of Konoha.

269) Not completely sure but, as of now, Yoshino is the only mother we saw interacting with their children and the only one canonically shown to be alive. Shikamaru asks his dad what he saw in his mother that attracted him.

270) Tsunade doesn’t know the reasoning behind Sasuke’s decision to escape Konoha. Or is she just lying for the sake of secrecy? She just arrived, so maybe she isn’t sure, although considering she awoke Sasuke from his comma (induced by Itachi’s Tsukuyomi), it’s weird for her not to have such information -more so considering Sasuke was attacked by Orochimaru who forced a seal onto him; surely Kakashi spoke to her about the seal/counterseal he possesses before she visited him at the hospital…

271) Shikamaru’s sexism regarding this specific arc and his actions has been updated. -Go read it please as I’ve changed substantially the initial response.

272) Shikamaru admits Sasuke’s superiority in every respect despite him not liking him (it’s not explained the exact reason why he doesn’t like him).

273) “Naruto, this… this is my wish of a lifetime, please, please bring Sasuke back” (x) This is the promise that is later referenced after the Kage Summit.

I don’t understand why the anti-sakura fandom is so harsh on Sakura for making Naruto promise to bring Sasuke back. She’s emotionally distressed as the boy she likes not only rejected her but also escaped, and has been turned down by Shikamaru to help them retrieve him. Shikamaru tied her worth as a woman and kunoichi to her attempt to emotionally influence Sasuke, which failed, so her “role has ended” (x), she’s being told twice (Sasuke and Shikamaru) that there’s nothing she can do for them, so she relies on the second person that she’s the closest with and who, she considers, cares for Sasuke in equal measures as her. I don’t see anything selfish as she’s desperate -why ask such a distressed girl to act like an emotionally detached adult?

Furthermore, while she tells him about her “Wish of a lifetime”, is Naruto the one who makes the “Promise of a lifetime” to her (x)

Plus, this is the only moment Sakura canonically "remembers" the conversation with Naruto!Sasuke (no indication she knows it's Naruto) and it's in order to dispute her preconception (this is not to say he understands her now, rather, she acknowledges Naruto's capability to comprehend her feelings) as he verbally acknowledges Sakura's feelings for Sasuke.

“You saw all along, and still you always helped me…” (x) what does that mean? I’m sure is Sakura the one who thinks this. Does that mean that Naruto always “saw” Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke and still helped her (?) regardless?

274) Seishingan pills (x), apparently, the Curse Mark Orochimaru gave his pupils (including Anko, likely she never took Seishingan pills and that’s why we never see her transformed into a “monster-like” figure like the Sound Four or Sasuke) boosts their strength but it’s only in the First Stage. This medication awakens the Seal’s power, raising it to its Second Stage, but the moment the Seal develops, the Curse eats away the user’s body, which if left unattended will surely kill them. To prevent this from happening, the user must acclimatize their body to the Seal’s power and Cursed effect for an extended period of time; the Sound Four want to prevent Sasuke from dying using a barrier Jutsu to control the side effects -inducing him into a comma of sorts. 

Sasuke’s primary reason for both eating the pill and claiming he “can’t die yet” is Itachi.

This is the Sealing technique the Sound Four use to help Sasuke and prevent his death. (here is in the manga)

Dark Sealing Method (Fuukoku Houin)

Fuuinjutsu, B-rank, Supplementary, Close range

User(s): Sakon

Black mist, sealed behind the talismans’ bloody red letters…!!

One in a series of Fuuinjutsu used to take Sasuke to the cursed seal’s Level 2. Sakon performed it in order to bind the Four Black Fogs Formation into the coffin, the sealing formula on the five talisman sheets written in his blood.

Sakon has the high skill in Fuuinjutsu that only Orochimaru’s bodyguards can claim.

Even with Byakugan, it’s impossible to see through the talisman-protected barrier. A tenebrous seal indeed.

(Source)

The second sealing technique Sakon uses to seal Sasuke alongside the black fog technique inside the coffin.

275) Agreed to disagree (x)

276) Shizune seems to be the medic-nin of the cell yet she didn’t go with the rest of the squad when they went to intercept the Sound Four. Maybe she stayed behind as medical support? (Note to self: she did). The sound four defeated, with the help of their seal, two Jönins. Not only does this means that they’ll be more guarded (as Shikamaru states), but also more tired, as the team finds them resting after their combat (Neji is both incredibly smart and the best asset in this group).

277) I literally laughed at loud at Shikamaru using Chöji as a counterweight so as not to fall and him not moving an inch nor reacting to it.

278) Shikamaru’s sassy pose. (x)

279) If you want to read an analysis of Shikamaru’s first plan during this arc, please read the aforementioned post.

280)

Earth Release Barrier: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness (Doton Kekkai: Dorou Doumu)

Ninjutsu, B-rank, Offensive, Supplementary, Close to mid range

User(s): Jiroubou

The nigh-inescapable barrier that consumes the vitality of those it ensnares!!

A half-spherical kekkai prison made of earth, causing a protuberance onto the ground!! Its walls have copious amounts of chakra spread across their entire surface, which means the occasional damage done to them may be repaired in a matter of seconds.

But the one thing that make s this technique truly dreadful is that the caster can absorb the chakra of those trapped within. Their strength gone, they aren’t even in any shape to put up a fight…

Trapping his prey into the earthen walls, Jiroubo devours their chakra…! A situation much like that of a stomach digesting food and absorbing the nutrients.

(Source)

This is the technique that Jiroubou uses against the group. The technique seems to rely on the presence of the caster, as the user needs to stay close in order to “eat” those trapped inside the barrier -the barrier consumes their vitality and gives it to the user, it also heals from any attack (as we see Kiba’s Tsuuga tunneling fang fading).

How does Jiroubou consume so much chakra? How is he able to withstand such quantity -does the seal allow him to store so much energy and that’s why he doesn’t collapse from chakra poisoning?

281) Neji was able to realize the entirety of Shikamaru’s plan to escape by only seeing the barrier’s weak spot. (x, x). While Naruto claims that Chöji “understood Shikamaru’s plan from the start which is why he replenished his chakra -I’m not sure, it’s more than likely that he trusted Shikamaru enough to know he was planning something that involved breaking the barrier -and he already was told he had the most “destructive power”, so it isn’t far-fetched to think he knew he was to be asked to attack.

Furthermore, if Chöji eats because that’s how he replenishes his chakra, why is no one else using the same technique? Is it because Akimichi, due to some biological condition, can transform calories into chakra faster?

282) Neji points out their chakra has been significantly drained, this is important as it means all of them but Naruto (who has Kurama’s chakra) fought the Sound Four with less chakra at their disposal (and they aren’t able to replenish it). Furthermore, Kiba also “used” Akamaru whilst trying to break the barrier, and Neji used the Byakugan for almost all of the pursuit and inside the barrier. (Note to self: Chöji gives them military pills -is the Akimichi responsible for producing them or do they have more at their disposal due to their technique?)

283) The Akimichi clan’s secret triple threat: Green, Yellow, and Red (Shanshokugan) give the user explosive power, but entail serious side effects. I know it’s a resource Kishimoto uses to explain such a tool, but why is Shikamaru disclosing Secret information from an allied clan? I know Neji, Kiba and Naruto are from Konoha also -but nothing exempts them from becoming traitors at some point and using such knowledge to their advantage.

1- Horengan: Green speenach pellet. Side effect: Physical pain (x).

2- Karêgan: Yellow Curry Pellet. Side effect: Physical pain.

3- Tongarashigan: Red Chili pepper Pellet. Gives him a hundred more times his strength. Side effect: Consumes his fat deposits changing him physically. Probable death.

284) Akamaru can judge an enemy’s strength by their scent.

285) Shikamaru is pissing me off because he’s being so freaking dumb in this arc -how is he considered a genius? (read the post!)

286) Shikamaru states that Chöji is (physically) the strongest. He forced Jiroubou to use the Second Stage of the Cursed Seal to counteract Chöji’s second Shanshokugan.

As a side note: “The Akimichi clan is fat and dumb, that’s what everyone says…” (x), it’s incredible how even Chöji’s character is often portrayed in fanfics and arts eating -this is exactly what Kishimoto is criticizing through Chöji’s character and the “woke” fandom simply don’t get. Also, why didn’t Shikaku and Chöza introduce their kids to one another? (x). Perhaps they aren’t friends but simply teammates.

(previous post) - (next post)

[tonguetiedraven]

(Alive Yuri anon) Would Yuri be extremely protective of Rin? Like doing his revile do you think she would've tried to shelter him from the other students more?

On a side note... I can see Yuri and Bon's mom being best friends lol both of them telling all the stupidity their husband's get up to (she would totally be married to Shiro at that point)

Torako and Yuri would be such a badass bestie duo and Tatsuma and Shirou would be the chaos duo, and god help poor Bon and Yukio who would try and corral all of them while Rin revels in the chaos that entire group would get in.

Now, to answer the questions.

I don't think she'd be extremely protective of him. I think she'd be protective because he's her child, but not in a too wild way, and I think she'd be more worried about what the reveal means as far as a tie to Satan. I also don't see her being around the school to really do more than offer support. Shirou might be a teacher, but I don't I don't think the kids would have had any reason to be startled by him because I don't know that Shiemi would be in the school (Yukio wouldn't have had a reason to join True Cross young and they wouldn't have been on the mission where she decided to join the Cram school,) Izumo is still strongly in her 'I ignore everyone and pretend not to care about anything' arc, and the Kyoto trio would have theoretically grown up friends with Rin and Yukio, and depending on how the whole Myodha merge with True Cross went down, might not even be there to have a care one way or another.

(Also, nothing to really do with the question, but none of the kids reaction to Rin's reveal in canon was particularly bad or over blown. They were shocked, alarmed at how out of control the dangerously powerful son of Satan was-- who they'd been in class with for an entire semester and watched have no idea what the hell was going on with anything--and didn't really have any time to absorb any of that before they were thrown into the Impure King Mission where Ryuuji, Shima, and Koneko continued to be extremely busy with mission/temple work and mostly just ignored Rin while they worked on that until they couldn't.)

I do think that Shirou and Yuri would have probably ended up leaning more on Tatsuma and Torako, and as such, I could see the trio and the twins being pretty close. And rip to all those bullies when Rin and Ryuuji team up on beating them up. (Double rip when Yuri and Torako hear that their kids were being bullied.)

[flower-of-assiah]

How are you handeling the hiatus?

I'm so curious about what will happen in the future.

I, for myself have so many questions, maybe they'll inspire you, too:

What is with the war going on? Will it be the last? The final? (Pls dint be i need more of aonoex)

Shiemi, my baby, are you okay? Will the other's come for her? Will she come to the war?

Will there anything happen in Koneko's story? I mean Bon hat his, Shima's soy story is on-going, but will anything happen to Koneko?

Yukio's and Rin's full ancestory? I didn't quite get it. Aren't they also son's of Azazel? (Because technically Satan used a clone of his).

Will there be a point in the story where Izumo's sister remembers everything?

Who shot Mephisto?

What even is Jeremiah's deal and the whole "kidnapping" Shiemi thing?

hey! :D I'm handling the hiatus okay, sometimes it's harder than others, has been weird not having new aoex chapters to read each month that's for sure tbh been spending a lot of the hiatus drawing and just chilling in my RinShi server to keep company, feel we've done good still enjoying the series as much as possible even with lack of new story progression plus Kato's new art she posts often on twitter has definitely helped as well! ooooh! all good questions! I'll share some of my thoughts regarding them if that's alright!

1) What is with the war going on? Will it be the last? The final? (Pls don't be I need more of aonoex)

tbh the war feels kinda like that battle in the middle of a story that'll be a fake-out! it has that "vibe" of what you might get during the last battle, but usually this type you got all the good guys thinking they'll win, just for things to go wrong and need to make a technical retreat

at the moment they think things are switching in their favor, but anything could happen (plus have a lot of unanswered questions I feel more arcs are needed to happen before the end!)

2) Shiemi, my baby, are you okay? Will the other's come for her? Will she come to the war?

gosh I'm always wondering the same! because Kato has it sent up so many ways! part of why I'm worried for her is that little flashback to Jeremiah when she was a child looked hella traumatizing (and setting up the fact Shiemi was likely mentally abused by him growing up, which subconsciously also explains a lot of her self doubt she's always had and feeling like she wasn't good enough) I think Jeremiah is gonna be her big bad villain in her story, and she's likely to go through a lot emotionally/mentally because of it, we are likely in for a feels train for her ;o; this actually goes with my thoughts on the other thing you said!: I think Shiemi is gonna join them in the fight/war but I also think when things start falling apart (my theory) she'll be big in helping in retreating, she's done huge barriers before (which the forest she made DID actually hold Demon!Rin at bay!) so in a similar scenario with Satan I see that helping for injured people to get out of there, I don't think that would be all she'd do ofc and Kato can always prove me wrong, but that's the fun of theories! I do think they will go to help her! not sure when/what would finally happen so they can, but I especially feel Rin and Izumo will be big in Shiemi's arc, as they both I feel are the closest with her (Yukio is too, but I think he's also recovering from a lot/still has his guilt he might struggle with from their last interaction so he's kinda complicated for me to think on as much) Rin I've noticed has a tendency to worry about overstepping where he thinks he shouldn't, so while he was upset when Shiemi quit cram school and could tell this wasn't like her/not what she wanted, and she wasn't telling them what's going on, he wanted to respect Shiemi's space even though he's been worried too, it took til the Christmas party for him to express truly how he felt and he was worried/upset at her seeming to give up her dreams out of the blue we did get to see him after she said she was okay and all that him start trying a new approach with bringing up how he kept a secret and how it affected everyone, and if she wanted to she can trust him which is good! but I have a feeling come more of her arc he’ll have to take stronger initiative in the situation and follow his gut and be a bit less apprehensive about overstepping and speak his heart if it can help

and Izumo well you can see how much everything has been affecting her ;o; ever since Shiemi was taken by the Uzai she’s been worried, heck even before that like Rin when Shiemi quit cram school! I think both in particular will be pivotal to whatever happens in her arc, especially potentially regarding destiny/responsibly and also choosing your own dreams and those you care about and not having to give up one for the other.

3) Will there anything happen in Koneko's story? I mean Bon hat his, Shima's soy story is on-going, but will anything happen to Koneko?

gosh I hope so, I keep hoping he has more of an arc but I’m not sure what Kato’s planning, but hey we’ve seen her delve into more background on each character in ways we’d never expect so anything is possible!

4) Yukio's and Rin's full ancestry? I didn't quite get it. Aren't they also son's of Azazel? (Because technically Satan used a clone of his).

Rin and Yukio’s ancestry is such a complex thing it seems lol but I think yeah they are kinda related! physically you can see the resemblance between Goro (the clone Satan possessed) but also genetically obviously Satan’s and Yuri’s sons too! so I think that makes them definitely related to Azazel too! also being as Goro and Shiro were clones/brothers Shiro is legit related by blood to them their uncle (though regardless of the crazy family tree Shiro will always be their true father)

4) Will there be a point in the story where Izumo's sister remembers everything?

I hope so, I have no idea if Kato will explore that more again since Izumo’s arc ended, but I would love to see anything regarding her and her sister getting the chance to reconnect

5) Who shot Mephisto?

I always forget about that lol my guess? probably someone from the illuminati since they were trying so hard to push Yukio to join their side

6) What even is Jeremiah's deal and the whole "kidnapping" Shiemi thing?

that part we are yet to find out, whatever his goal is it dos not give me a good vibe, especially with Shiemi whenever she sees him mentioning he makes her uneasy to be around and scares her, and that flashback in chapter 131 leaves me believing her uneasiness isn’t wrong, and in fact will be given more reasons he’s scary 

I look forward to what’s to come and finding out Shiemi’s whole story! 

thanks again for the message! sorry this got so long though lol

[haleigh-sloth]

I dont read blue exorcist anymore but izumo was such a great character and her arc was so good. Her relationship with shiemi was one of my faves too. I got emotional with those panels again lol What are your fave characters so far?

AhhhGHHHHH

I love so many of them

But my favorite favorites are:

Mephisto is easily number 1

I like how unnecessary he is.

But he's probably the best character so far. He reminds me a lot of Shigure from Fruits Basket, in that he's obviously "good", but that he's sketchy af because he's manipulating both sides, and it's unclear whose side he's trying to benefit on sometimes. But ultimately he's a protagonist, and I love that. He's definitely my favorite.

Rin

I usually don't favor main characters but, I love Rin!!!! I love him so much!!!! He reminds me of Ed Elric and Naruto, like a combo of the two. He doesn't have the protagonist halo that a lot of shounen MCs have so it's kinda refreshing. He's kind of a fuck up, like from chapter 1. And it creates conflict with his twin brother.

Yukio:

This is my favorite Yukio moment ⬆️. I love sibling relationships in manga. Usually they end up being the strongest emotional draw in stories, and it's the same for BE.

Unfortunately, I had a gut feeling about Yukio have a negative arc, and I recently was spoiled and found out I was right. I'm glad I was right though, because my other gut feeling is that he and Rin will end up both alive and happy in the end. So, I'm not too worried. Especially because there is already another character who went "rogue" that I think will end up coming back also.

Shura:

Listen, I hate her outfit. Her design is great. Her character is great. She is badass, and she isn't anyone's love interest (that I can tell so far) and she's a good mentor to the kids. But I hate that the author made her into sex appeal, in a very unnecessary way. I think I saw somewhere that her outfit changes down the line and if the panel I saw was legit and not fan-made, then I'm excited to see that change happen. Because jeez. But other than that, SHE is fucking awesome.

Shiemi:

Idk WHOSE love interest she is yet....but she is one. For one of the brothers no doubt. But she's soft-natured, and I love that the story puts that skill to use instead of making her a character that always needs to be protected in lieu of joining the fight. She is great.

Honorable mention:

I love Izumo now a lot more too! But I just narrowed the list down to these guys.

Amaimon, the other goofy little demon king. I hope he shows up more. But god damn Mephisto is so cruel to him....the clock….was jarring lol

So far I love Blue Exorcist. It's right up my alley. I started collecting the volumes today so I'm planning to have the whole series for my shelf!

[2-bdamned]

in regards to the aoex pride post i made last month, here are my personal headcanons as to why i think those are their sexuality’s! ( also thank you to @johnannepeterric for asking about this as i’ve been waiting to share these for a hot minute!!)

rin:

sexuality + gender identity:gay and trans(ftm)

reason: i don’t think he exactly cares for the concept of gender and sexuality but just thinks people should be allowed to like and be whoever they want. he knew he was in the wrong body since he was a little kid but never knew how to phrase it till later on in life. as for on screen reasons, he tends to cover up quite a bit before and after becoming a demon as well as tending to wear baggy clothes to hid his form. not to mention he has very poor posture which most transmasc people (myself included) tend to do when we can’t bind or don’t feel masculine enough. and i think he’s gay mostly due to the fact that he’s never really shown to have any friendships outside of the exwires and tends to get his platonic and romantic affections mixed up quite a bit (as to explain why i still headcanon this after the manga and his confirmed feelings towards shiemi)

yukio:

sexuality: bisexual

reasoning: he seems to show and equal amount of emotions to his colleagues and to the exwires and im like 90% sure he doesn’t really talk about romantic through the manga/anime at all. i think he’s always known he’s liked both genders since he was young. shiro seems like he was very accepting and i honestly think he would’ve helped both the boys with their sexuality’s and gender since he didn’t get the freedom to express that stuff when he was younger due to you know ‼️‼️(SPOILERS) ‼️‼️ literally being a clone made in a lab. yukio seems the type to not really care about gender when it comes to romance and instead look for traits like personality and motivations. his friendships are most based on him genuinely liking the person rather than keeping up with his appearance as someone who’s quite popular. this could possibly lead to the same being transferred over to his romantic bonds.

shiemi:

sexuality: lesbian

reason: like rin, she tends to get romantic and platonic affection mixed up from not having friends till high school. there’s a bit in the manga where izumo brings over some romance novels to try and help shiemi out with figuring out her feelings. we all know most romance novels don’t exactly have the best explanation for feeling so i think that’s where shiemi got mixed up. she gets her admiration for rin mixed up with romantic feelings when in reality, she’s not into him. we can also use the garden scene from kyoto arc as some reasoning to this headcanon. izumo called shiemi a weed and she surprisingly takes this “insult” very well and even thanks izumo for the interaction. even later in kyoto saga, we see shiemi use even more of her power to save izumo from the miasma. she clearly cared a lot about izumo and basically wore herself down to the the brink of exhaustion trying to dave izumo herself when she could have easily run and got help from another exorcist. sheimi seems to care deeply about her friends but shows more concern to izumo than any other exwire (minus rin and yukio).

shima: ‼️‼️ HIS WHOLE HEADCANON REVOLVES AROUND MANGA SPOILERS SO THATS A HEADS UP‼️‼️

sexuality: gay

since he found out about izumo from the illuminati, he never really had a “crush” on her per say, but showed an unromantic interest in her due to her past and just wanted to know more about her. since he had kinzou around him as a kid, i think that played a huge part in him hiding that he was gay (just bc kinzou is a huge perv and probably pushed some of that onto him). that could also lead to the reasoning as to why he’s so pushy with izumo. he’s trying to convince himself he liked women by trying his hardest to like izumo. the kinzou thing is the only thing really leading to me believing this but an alternative reason could also be a fear of changing his personality this late on when both suguro and koneko have known him to be a certain way since he was young. he’s shown to have this perverted personality since he was quite young and it’s even mentioned in an extra concerning why suguro and koneko use his last name and not his first. these two factors lead me to believe his attraction to izumo and subsequently, his attraction to women, is just a lie he’s putting on.

koneko:

sexuality + gender identity: pansexual and genderfluid

reason: koneko is shown to have a deep love and care for the people around him and i think that not only applies to him with friendship, but with romance as well. like yukio, he tends not to focus on the gender of the person perusing him, but rather their intention, personally, and motivations. he wants to know if his partner is a good person rather than their gender. gender wise, i just don’t think he cares. it’s not explicitly shown but it can be heavily implied when he talks to rin about why he has a hard time trusting him after the “son of satan “ reveil happens. for gender identity, i think i as a kid, he was commonly referred to by most pronouns since he wasn’t exactly the most “boy looking” when he was young. later on he learned he didn’t exactly mind what gender people perceived him as but rather how they perceived him as a person. there’s no canon information for the genderfluid headcanon but again, these are my personal headcanon, they don’t exactly have to make sense.

suguro:

sexuality + gender identity: gay and trans (ftm)

reason: this one is mostly me projecting onto this man so if it doesn’t exactly make sense, y’all know why! but he’s shown to be quite affectionate to rin in both the manga and the anime. he doesn’t really tend to do that too much to other people, especially the women that are around him. he probably has some sort of crush on rin or at least some form of admiration to him. as for his gender identity, this is literally just me projecting. that’s it. but i think he does show some signs that i tend to show as a trans person ( the one example i can name off the top of my head is that he seems pretty insecure when shima and koneko brought up his body before he started working out and hates mentions of his body in general ). like rin, he tends to have very poor posture and also doesn’t wear form fitting clothes and this is especially prominent in official art.

izumo:

sexuality: lesbian

reason: she has a very deep relationship with paku and shiemi after the events of the manga take place. she never shows this same connection with any one else throughout the series. she gets severely worried once paku leave cram school and is shown to be quite empty after this happens. ‼️‼️SPOILERS‼️‼️ the same thing happens once shiemi leaves cram school as well and is taken by her family to go train. she seems to be deeply affected by these two events and even goes as far as to show the others her concerns after the thing with shiemi happens. after she ‼️SPOILERS‼️ gets kidnapped by the illuminati and winds up the the hospital, shimei is the first person she lets see her true emotions and feelings and doesn’t once make a comment on her being some kind of hindrance. we also see her show quite a bit of empathy towards shiemi when in kyoto. there’s a scene where they two are gardening and she calls shiemi a weed. she’s very much plays into a tsudere type roll in the beginning but this seems more like a backhanded compliment rather than trying to be a jerk to her. both of the girls receive this interaction in a positive way. we also can use the scene where shiemi saves izumo as a reason for this as well. izumo shows a genuine concern for shiemi both during and after her being stuck in the miasma. even when they go to the hot springs, she seems to have this perpetual blush while looking at shiemi. these all lead me to think she has some sort of feelings toward both paku and shiemi, leading me to headcanon her as a lesbian.

shura:

sexuality: lesbian

she was basically born just so she could produce a child to fuel some demons deep desires. her unhealthy attachment to shiro can be explained by this. i think this is the case for all the “attraction” she showed towards him as a young girl. all her life she’s been told she has to have kids with a man and that’s was her purpose for a long time. thus why i think she’s a lesbian. she never shows any real attraction to a man throughout the entire series besides the man who saved her as a child. she never talks about men till after her character arc in the manga and even then, it seems she just wants to live the rest of her life differently than before and doesn’t exactly seem too enthusiastic about finding a husband as it’s never mentioned again after that point. she really only seems to show an “attraction” to men when it’s useful to her. she uses her looks and charm to get what she wants when it comes to men. she has this facade she puts on where she acts innocent and cute and uses her looks to her advantage. she never truly shows an actual attraction to a man.

mephisto:

sexuality + gender identity: gay and genderfluid

reason: i don’t think any of the demon kings are cis. like not even remotely. they all have to take on different forms and have taken on many in the past. as long as it’s a body, they’re basically fine with whatever. mephs past forms are never shown but we can assume he’s taken on many different body’s in the past as well. after all this body hopping and the fact that gender is literally a thing made up by humans, i don’t think meph really cares about the forms he takes and how his gender is perceived. he knows he’s a powerful demon and could easily destroy the knights of the true cross if he wanted too so gender is the last thing he really cares about. as for sexuality, nothing on screen really points to anything but he tends to show more affection to the men on screen than the women. in fact, the only women we see him really interact with (that i can remember) is shura and we all know how they feel about each other. even though those two both “flirt” with one another, these seem to be more so parts of their personality’s rather than them both having an interest in each other. his “flirting” with shura seems to be more taunting her and displaying his absolute discard for human problems.

amaimon:

gender identity: agender

reason: just like meph, amimon had possessed(?) many different forms over the course of their existence. we even see him take on a rather feminine presenting form when they were destroying the earth. but unlike meph, he is less fluid in terms of gender and instead, prefers to not identify with one. she does use all pronouns and doesn’t exactly care on that front but i think there’s certain terms and compliments they don’t exactly like. meph does use gendered terms with amimon, but these two seem to be very close and have probably communicated this before as well. like koneko being genderfluid, there’s no definitive evidence to support this claim other than these are my own headcanons and i can do what i want.