#the best hint I can gleam for the two bits of dialogue she has in total is ''archaic'' so I tried to run with that

[moved-to-void-kissed]

roller coaster and pick-a-duck for pavo?

Pavo: "I am content to acquiesce. Thank you for enquiring.”

(question source: “Joyful July Ask Meme” by joyfuljuly-circusevent)

Roller Coaster - Are you, or those you’ve come to the festivities with, fans of roller coasters? How well do you handle them? Is there a certain limit to what you can take? - “Neither of us have any qualms with these attractions. In fact, Celestrian’s typical travel between the Protectorate and the Observatory is likely to reach similar speeds to those of a rollercoaster; in addition, we are both well-acquainted to travelling upon the Starlight Express, which.. has a tendency to be driven in a disorganised fashion when the faerie is the one piloting the craft. So, it would not be incorrect to state that both myself and Ardea are used to the nature of rollercoasters and can handle any kind of them with relative ease.”

Pick-A-Duck - Do any of you tend to be competitive when you’re at a carnival? Or would you rather just sit back and relax? - “I do not concern myself with competition, and Ardea is of a similar ilk, though I have witnessed a notable exception to this - namely, that my partner will always seize an opening to demonstrate her skills whenever they are, incorrectly, deemed to be inferior. Whether through following her chosen vocation or vestiges of her Celestrian abilities remaining, I am not certain - but there is one thing that cannot be disputed: in any circumstance where Ardea’s abilities are called into question, as opposed to a well-intentioned challenge offered by another, she will always put the perpetrator firmly in their place. In truth, she can be quite savage in doing so.

..It is my hope that those responses were sufficient. I thank you once more for your inquiry.”

[itsthemoofacewriting]

A postcard home

This is for the Tumblr event the wonderful @zonamievents organised, today’s prompts are postcard and hot cocoa. I picked the former.

Summary: Nami thinks she’s so smart and cunning, but she can’t pull the wool over her own sisters’ eyes. Rating: K.

This can also be found on AO3 and FFN.

I’ve never written a no dialogue story before and I wanted to try it.

Enjoy.

Snow had finally settled over Cocoyasi village. It was late this year and everyone in the village had wondered if this would be the first year that they wouldn’t have any before Christmas. It was a big topic for weeks and Nojiko was slightly relieved when it did arrive so everyone would stop talking about it. Although, it certainly did highlight a change for the better. Gone were the times of discussing Nami or hiding from Arlong and his crew when they rampaged or banding together when someone was short on money.

It was a lovely, mundane difference.

The only issue with the arrival of snow, other than villagers now moaning about how hazardous the snow was, was that it was a tough season for Bell-mère’s mikan orchard. Don’t get her wrong, it looked beautiful, snow settled on top of the trees and hints of orange poking through the white, but it meant smaller than usual mikan’s.

Nojiko’s brought out of those thoughts when she heard the crunching of shoes against snow and it’s the mailman looking slightly out of puff. It wasn’t really a quick trip to her house from the village and the snow only made it harder. But she doesn’t dwell on that, because seeing him meant that it could only be one thing being delivered and it had her skipping towards the door to meet him there.

The door’s shutting quickly after his first knock and it’s probably a bit rude, he had clearly wanted to chat, but they can do that anytime, she wanted to look at this as soon as possible. Her fingers are itching.

It had been a while since she’d heard from Nami.

The envelopes open and she’s greeted by the picture of a large Christmas tree, decorated to the nines, on the front of the postcard. It’s a generic picture but it’s normally whatever Nami can get hold of but Nojiko’s still slightly impressed she managed to predict when it’d get here and find one to match that. Their postcards could take anywhere from a month to six to get to the other.

Flipping it over, she scanned the message:

       Everything’s good. Nothing new.

Nami’s messages were always short and to the point. It was hardly like Nami could go into great detail. Firstly, where would she find the time? And secondly, information was brief so nothing could be traced should the postcard be intercepted. And that was fine, it was enough just to know her sister was okay. Also, it meant if information was brief Nami would send photos along in an envelope with the postcard and she loved those.

And low and behold, there they were behind the postcard.

They were hardly ever works of art, but they were always fun and just from those still images Nojiko knew Nami was having the time of her life. Like she deserved to. Also, it was nice to see her sister, even if it wasn’t in person.

But the photo she’s currently looking at is a stark contrast to her sister’s words on the postcard. It’s a group shot of the crew and its chaos, some looking at the camera like good models, others laughing or bickering or extra limbs were sticking out of them, but that’s not what caught her attention.

It’s the man standing next to Nami.

Roronoa Zoro.

She remembered his stern expressions well from back then, always ready for the worst and, she reckoned, hoping for it at times if the blood thirsty gleam in his eyes she’d seen briefly was any indication. But she’d seen first-hand how all of that would melt away after victory or when he was offered alcohol and would laugh at the antics of his crew. A brute with a soft heart, it seemed.

To an average person, with no knowledge of the people in the photo, it would look like nothing, but call it a sister’s intuition… and, okay fine, the trashy gossip magazines she’s been buying to keep tabs on her sister between postcards, it’s certainly not an accurate description of Nami’s words ‘nothing new.’

They’re stood close together in the chaos, much closer than what one would deem friendly (Maybe she’s being over critical, sue her), neither facing the camera as they looked to be arguing. Nami’s finger is pointing at his chest and their faces are close as they exchange words, Usopp’s next to them looking exasperated. So nothing new apparently.

She’d seen the way those two were around each other before they’d left the village and she’d quietly hoped there would be some development. She had to play it cool with Nami though, show too much interest and she’d never find out without a face-to-face conversation. But with how brief their postcards are, she’s left analysing photos and trashy magazines with blurry photos of the two of them together. One time, it looked like they had been kissing off in the distance, but the quality was so poor most people didn’t believe it. But Nojiko could spot her sister anywhere.

Was it too much to ask for photographers to focus their damn snail before taking photos?

Nevertheless it was enough for Nojiko. Flicking through the rest of the photos she was disappointed that there was no more of the two together. Nami was such a tease, dangling a carrot in front of her just out of reach. But she couldn’t be too disappointed when she came across the photo of Nami with her mikan trees… and if she squinted, was there a splash of green hair she saw hidden in the trees?

Nojiko wasn’t born yesterday, Nami’s definitely playing with her. She’d spent her childhood growing up with Nami, she knew her sister like the back of her hand. But it still amused her that Nami tried to trick her, make her work for the information. It’s so like her.

A real witch, you might be tempted to say.

Quite fitting really. A brute and a witch, both too soft for their own good at times.  

In the quiet of her little home, she went back to the first of the photos and was still as she gazed down at the photo, almost like she was trying to soak it all in. Her gaze occasionally taking in the rest of the crew, but ultimately it stayed on Nami. Taking in her long orange hair playing in the wind, eyebrows furrowed and mouth open like she’s in the middle of a lecture. Despite the expression, there’s no weight to Nami’s expression, like there used to be back then. It made Nojiko happy. That was what she’d always wanted for her, wanted her to be where she belonged- at sea, even if it split them apart.

And it seemed Zoro had a part to play in that now, even if it wasn’t one hundred percent confirmed (To Nojiko it was but try telling that to the other villagers).

With one last long look at her sister, Nojiko was opening the envelope again to slip in the postcard and photos, ready to venture down to the village to show the others. However, as she did, the items were met with resistance and when she peered in, she’d missed something else.

Another photo.

With the new photo in hand, Nojiko’s serene smile curled into something much sharper. A mixture of glee and smugness that screamed ‘I knew it!’. It was probably for the best Nami wasn’t here, because that look alone would have her back up, like a cornered cat.

There was less of the crew is this photo, only the five that had been at Arlong park and it looked like they’d finally got their act together. All of them looking at the camera, Luffy’s arms stretched around to bring them all in and even with less of them, it still managed to be just as busy.

But that’s not what caught her eye, no. It’s the arm that’s wrapped around Nami’s waist and a Nami’s head resting on a shoulder. An arm that belonged to Zoro and Nami’s head on his shoulder. Both of them are smiling at the camera, leaning into one another and Nojiko doesn’t have to read between the lines this time to have her confirmation that they are indeed together.

She doesn’t stop to stare at it like the others because she’s too giddy and excited to stand still.

With a skip in her step, she’s shoving the photos and postcard into the envelope and slipping on her coat as she made her way towards the door. All the while thinking about how she wanted to play this with Genzo, so she could get the best possible reaction from him. He’d be horrified no matter what, but she really wanted to milk it. She had to get her kicks somehow.

And, she had some money to collect from some villagers. She was Nami’s sister after all, she’s always down for some easy cash- she just has no idea why they bet against her.

.

.

.

Two months later

It’s warm, the sun’s high and they’re making good progress towards the next island. For the time being, it’s something that doesn’t require her attention and she’s just about to walk across the deck to join Robin for some sunbathing when she heard the familiar cry of the News Coo.

Looking into the sky, it circled a few times before starting its descent and Nami was walking over to meet the bird at the railing.

Unlike the normal newspaper she bought weekly, it was a sealed envelope and Nami was quickly paying off the bird, barely taking notice of the price increase, so she could quickly open her letter. There was only one person this could be from.

The postcard was simple, just a picture of an orange cat, but based on the photos that slipped out of the envelope, it’d been sent around Christmas. Nojiko and Genzo were in one of the photo’s surrounded by snow.

She looked at it for a moment longer, thinking about where she would frame the photo before turning her attention to the letter. Nami had thought it was hilarious when she’d sent her postcard off to Nojiko, just leaving enough crumbs for her to figure it out so when she flipped the card to read the message, she gave a short, sharp laugh.

Nojiko had figured it out alright.

       Nice try. Since when did you take an interest in plant life?

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

By plant life, am I referring to Zoro’s nickname Marimo? Yes, yes, I am.

I love the thought of Nami and Nojiko sending little postcards and photos to one another.

As always, please forgive any errors (especially as I rushed this to post on time).

Thanks for reading.

[julia-highstorms]

When You Were Young (Bryce x Rei (F!MC))

Author’s note: I loooove "what if" AUs where they have met before and all that talking about if Bryce and MC would have gone on a date if they had met when they were teenagers plus the softball training scene with Raf, Elijah and Bryce talking about their young selves in high school got me inspired. I've always head-canonned Rei as that super serious nerd girl and wanted to write a bit more of her background. This takes place in Bryce's diamond scene in Book 2 Chapter 8. Read more about Bryce x Rei here!

Song: When You Were Young - The Killers (I just love them and this song lddkdldld)

Disclaimer: Characters and dialogues belong to Pixelberry Studios.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Rei Sato (F!MC)

Word count: 1.3K

_______________________________________

Rei watched as the snarky teenage girl headed toward the bookstore, when she heard Bryce letting go of Keiki's bags and flopping onto a bench. She turned to face him, the scalpel jockey grinning at her, patting the seat beside him. The young resident sat down, putting a stray strand of her long dark hair behind an ear, smiling back at him.

"You did a great job back there." - she playfully nudged him.

"Thanks for pushing me to try." - his smiled gratefully. - "If that's what she's going through back at home, then I'm glad she came to me. It's good for her to get away from all of that for a while."

She nodded.

"I'm proud of you, party boy." - his grin widened, his eyes lingering on hers. 

Rei shyly brushed her hand lightly against Bryce's, who immediately took the hint, his fingers tangling in hers. His hand was warm against hers. She giggled.

"This feels kind of like a date."

"Maybe in a past life. I haven't asked anyone to go to the mall with me since I was Keiki's age."

"Would you have asked me to the mall if we'd met when we were her age?"

Bryce smirked.

"In a heartbeat. Would you have said yes?"

He watched the corners of her mouth quirking up as her dark eyes shined playfully.

"Nope." - and then she laughed to the surprised expression on his face.

"Wow. Ouch." - but he couldn't bite back a smile to Rei's laughter.

"It's just that high school me would have been way too good for you."

"Oh yeah? And how was fifteen-year-old Rei?" - he scooped closer, his fingers tightening around hers.

"Well…" - she started imagining how things would have turned up if they had met when they were younger. - "To be honest, you probably were that type of genius that I hated."

"I'm no genius, Rei." - he smirked. She narrowed her eyes as she looked back at him.

"C'mon. You so look like that type that barely had to do anything and still aced all classes." - Bryce chuckled. - "I'm right, ain't I?"

"Well, you got it. And you… let me see…" - Rei felt her cheeks softly getting hotter as Bryce's eyes looked deeply into hers, studying her. - "High school freshman Rei Sato certainly didn't have time for crushes or anything else beside studying. All that mattered was books and good grades to her, and she probably was one of the best students in her class. Her parents weren't even that hard on her, actually. She was the one who always pressured herself to be the best."- he concluded. - "Did I get it right?"

Rei nodded, not wanting to admit it out loud, her cheeks a shade pinker.

"Sometimes it feels like you can read me like an open book."

"It's because we're close." - Bryce winked. - "What else? Tell me more about you in high school. Why would you have rejected me? You got me curious."

"First, young me knew that, if I wanted to become the best doctor out there, I'd have to be on the top of my class. I've always tried to be between the best of the best in my school. I was somewhat smart, but I've never been a genius, you know? I had to study hard to get good grades in subjects that I sucked, like geography. Unlike you. Truth be told, you were the exact type that I hated the most in high school." - Bryce laughed loudly, throwing his head backwards. - "Gifted with good looks and good grades without even trying. So unfair."

"So this is why you probably would have dumped my ass? If this isn't a high standard, then what was your standard, Rei?"

"I've never had one, I guess."- she shrugged. - "I honestly didn't have any interest in crushes or whatever in high school. I've never noticed if someone was interested in me that way, I was too competitive to care about anything else."

"Whoever sees you now can't imagine you were that competitive. I remember how you dreaded the competition for the diagnostic team spot last year with your fellow interns."

"Yes, high school, undergrad and med school have been enough competition to me. I didn't want anymore of it." - she sighed. - "But I guess there will always be competition anywhere you go, huh?" - she said, thinking about the feud between Edenbrook and Mass Kenmore.

"A bit of healthy competition is always good."

"The problem is that they rarely keep healthy." - Bryce noticed the sad frown on her face. He decided to change the subject. He knew Rei's been upset about her patient turning to their rival hospital to get a treatment and with Edenbrook's current situation. He didn't want her turning sad nor overthinking it all over again as he knew she would constantly do. - "But as you were saying…" - he squeezed her hand lightly and she turned to stare at him. - "...so this means that current you aren't too good for me?" - he smirked playfully.

He watched a grin going back to her face.

"Current me has lower standards." - Bryce laughed. - "But thinking about it now… I guess you are exactly like I imagined when I was young." - she smiled fondly at him. - "Someone good. And good to me especially."

"Ah, I see. 'You sit there in your heartache, waiting on some beautiful boy to… To save you from your old ways… You play forgiveness, watch it now, here he comes'" - Bryce sang an excerpt of The Killers' song, making Rei giggle. - "'He doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman, like you imagined when you were young'..." - his eyes gleamed at her as he leaned closer, his voice dying.

Rei smiled broadly, leaning over, and pressed her lips to his, softly and sweetly, feeling him smiling against her, and his arm wrapped around her waist, sliding her across the bench until their thighs pressed tight against each other.

"Would teenager Rei be caught making out in the mall with a surfer in front of everyone?" - Bryce murmured, his lips brushing against hers.

"Not a chance in hell. But lucky you teenager Rei is long gone." - she trailed her fingers through the long, soft strands of hair at the base of his neck, sighing as his lips found hers again, hungrier this time.

They could both hear a scandalized grumble as shoppers passed them by, but none of the residents paid them any mind. They were too focused on each other and all that mattered was that Rei was in the arms of one of the most beautiful men in the world - even though she knew her teenage version would probably be condemning her for kissing an ex-surfer who got good grades doing nothing -, and Bryce was in hers - fully aware that young him would have never had a chance with her if they'd met when they were younger...

"Do you two maybe need a room?" - Keiki's sudden voice startled them both and the couple of residents sprang apart, smiling ruefully at each other, feeling their lips tingling.

"Oops." - Rei murmured, her cheeks blushing deeper, but that cheeky smile she would always have after kissing Bryce back on her face.

"Um." - Bryce passed his hand through his ruffled hair, smoothing it down, as he turned to his younger sister. - "Sorry." - he grinned innocently.

Keiki smirked at both of them, before sitting on the other side of her brother, brandishing another shopping bag, proudly showing off her new books to them, one of Bryce's arms still around Rei's waist, comfortingly.

It was nice thinking how things would have been - or not - if they had met each other when they were younger, but what really mattered was the present. And that they had each other now. 

______________________________________

Tagging: @brightpinkpeppercorn @pixelburied @nyastarlight @endlessflame @awkwardalbatros @choicesarehard @strangelycami @stillafictosexual @queen-kass-the-writer @indiacater @worldofchoices @radlovedreamer @fairydustandsarcasm @choicesthot @blackreddish @lilyofchoices @fluffywhitehair @weaving-in-words @eileendannie @hellooliviaolivia @professorortegasstudent @bucket-harrington @god-save-the-keen @choices97 @camcantarella @sawyer0akleyscowboyhat @thequeenchoices @hellomynameisdevi @dreaming-of-movies @maria-lahela @zodiacsign1 @omgjasminesimone @miss-raleigh-carrera @lahellacute @soft-for-drake @simplymissjulia @simsvetements @wolverinesbeer @virtuallytakenby (if you would like to be tagged in upcoming Bryce x MC fanfics, tell me!)

[chippa-thoughts]

Felix is a Metaphor

Just like the Bakerix episode was a metaphor for interracial marriage, a lot of people picked up the fact that Felix is a metaphor for harassing/mistreating women. So let’s dive into it, shall we?

*SPOILERS FOR FELIX AHEAD, PLEASE WATCH THE EPISODE BEFORE READING THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS*

⚠️ Also, I understand this may be a sensitive topic for anybody who has been a victim or knows somebody who has gone/is going through this sort of thing at the moment. So please be wary of this while reading. ⚠️ Also please note, whenever I say “women” or “boys” or “men” it’s just a generalization. The terms are fluid for everyone, but because Felix is a boy and Alya, Rose, Juleka and Ladybug are girls, my terminology is mostly stemming from that. None of the terminologies are meant to be malicious.

PRE-THOUGHTS: AS SOON AS the episode synopsis for Felix dropped all those months ago, I had the biggest hunch it would be taken in this direction because of who gets akumatized: Alya, Rose and Juleka. It said they were coming after Felix which meant he did something to upset them and I could only assume it was going to be a metaphor for mistreating women.

THEN THE TRAILER DROPPED and my suspicions were only moreso confirmed.

------------------------------------------------------------ ALRIGHT, LET'S DIG INTO IT. ------------------------------------------------------------

1. THE "VICTIMS"

Alya, Rose and Juleka are our beautiful, personable and lovely women who are akumatized as a result of Felix being manipulative, a liar and verbally abusive.

These are all the traits of the type of guy (and there are women who are like this too) who see women as objects, or as trophies to "conquer."

They start off looking like a nice guy - saying all the right words to make you feel good about yourself. Quite literally, they may be pretending to be somebody they're not. They may be impersonating someone else and lying about who they are just to impress you or put you at ease.

Only to reveal his true colours later on.

His words hurt them and they are left feeling disappointed and betrayed.

The fact that all 3 of them are akumatized could represent a situation where a guy has played multiple girls at once.

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

2. HAWKMOTH'S WORDING

The words he uses to akumatize people are usually a hint to the meaning of the episode.

In this case, 'the boy you thought was your friend' could be switched out with 'the boy you thought who liked you/flirted with you,' again, tying back to the description that boys like these always come off nice, or seem like your friend at first... until they cross the line.

Then this was their reply:

This is the kind of thing you would say to a boy who's played you or used you - otherwise, I don’t believe Alya, Juleka and Rose would get so easily akumatized over one mean video. I believe they were specifically akumatized as a demonstration to fulfil this underlying message.

Imagine a group of exes getting back at their abusive ex-boyfriend together.

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

3. NAUGHTY GIRL

I believe this was intentionally a piece of dialogue to represent when guys like these make promiscuous comments towards women such as referring to them as a "bad girl," in need of "punishment" (if you understand that innuendo).

Many people have come to critique this as ‘toxic phrasing’ which implies that the boy will assert his dominance because the woman is ‘asking for it/she deserves it.’

It's a common phrasing guys like these will use to flirt and 'get in,' but as the Trio of Punishers express: this is just terrible.

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

4. NO, MEANS NO!

And finally, this scene perfectly and ultimately captures their underlying message:

Let's go through it frame by frame:

Firstly, Felix grabs LB's hand in a manner she is startled and uncomfortable with.

Guys like these will often touch you or hold you unexpectedly or without permission, or, in ways that may make you feel uncomfortable. They often just help themselves to it, usually under this twisted mentality that 'you want it' or 'it must feel good.'

Ladybug in this scene represents women who face this situation and are startled, shocked, or taken aback by the sudden affection.

Look at the way she has clenched her fist - she's being protective of her hand now.

And this part:

Again, reiterating the idea about how guys like these tend to say things you want to hear. They'll seem nice, they'll seem like they care... but all they 'care' about is getting your guard down so they can slide in.

In more specific situations, guys might actually say they 'love you' because they know it works.

And Ladybug lets her guard down for a second because, in reality, it does sound nice at first.

And she has a bit of a gleam in her voice.

Then ooof Cue this twisted music, to match his twisted mindset.

The fact he trails off after "let me..." is to insinuate that real-life situation where guys want what they... want 👀

Then he starts advancing on her.

Look how uneasy it's making her. It's to simulate these real-life situations as I keep mentioning.

And backs her up into a wall.

Years ago, this was seen as the 'classic' move in shows, films and even cartoons to 'get' ladies. In fact, there's even a name for it in Japanese media called "kabedon" - the ‘wall push/wall slam/wallpin’ whatever you call it. 

But in this day and age, we realise it is showcasing some sort of ‘toxic masculinity’ where the guy is advancing dominance over a woman who:  a). does not ask for it b). did not give consent.

But many new media forms are also using it ironically or satirizing it as a way of being subversive.

To heighten her discomfort, Cristina Vee adds these sounds and mumbles of discomfort.

And this frame is given a second or two for us to soak in.

The diagonal angle reinforces how twisted this is, Ladybug is shown to be helpless, startled and her limbs are spread against the wall, overshadowed by Felix's body.

This is how it used to be. The show is making a statement for how wrong this is.

She expresses her first "no."

And look at how disgusted and uncomfortable she looks.

But he ignores her refusal and keeps going, signifying men who don't respect other’s wishes.

And then our favourite moment:

punches him

Because Ladybug represents this forward movement with women.

This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated and no woman (and even man) deserves to be treated this way.

The staff behind Miraculous express their attitude towards this through Ladybug when she exclaims:

They want to tell you that "boys" like him are not worth your time. You should not have to put up with people who cannot respect personal boundaries and try to violate yours. Ladybug represents the idea that you deserve so much more than a guy who is manipulative, shallow and tries to weasel their way into your affection with cheap tricks.

The best part is, Cristina's comment about all this:

Felix is meant to represent the "bad boy," who thinks he's so suave with women when in reality, he's just a player, a cheat, and as Cristina says: not worth it.

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

5. ENTITLED

One extra thing!

This line reveals one of Felix's key characteristics: he always gets what he wants. He thinks he's entitled. He gets away with everything. Hence why he thinks he can treat women the way he does.

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

Let me know your thoughts on this!

[recentanimenews]

Toppu GP, Vol. 1

In a week when The Fate of the Furious is barnstorming the globe, it seems only fitting that Kodansha is releasing the first volume of Toppu GP, a manga that extols the virtues of “family values and hot rides” almost as doggedly as Vin Diesel and the rest of his car-boosting gang. The similarities don’t end there, either: both series boast cartoonish villains, pretty girls in skimpy outfits, and dialogue so ham-fisted you could serve it for Easter dinner.

I love them both.

While Fate of the Furious gang race cars, Toppu GP‘s main characters prefer motorcycles. The manga’s hero — the fortuitously named Toppu Uno — is an eleven-year-old nerd who eagerly follows the exploits of Myne, his next-door neighbor and local racing champion. Toppu is a classic shonen type: he’s sullen, brilliant, and reluctant to try anything outside of his comfort zone. Our first hint that he might be suited to racing comes on page eight when he accurately guesses Myne’s qualifying time just by watching her circle the track. Toppu demonstrates a similar level of intuition in his first race, countering a bad turn with a timely application of the throttle — something he’d only observed Myne do on the track. That Toppu has a few setbacks in his first two races seems less a realistic storyline than a stalling tactic for the inevitable day in which Toppu surpasses his comely teacher.

Myne, too, is an all-too-familiar type, the sexy “big sister” who squeals and fusses over a smart, promising boy a few years her junior. (Toppu even calls her “Big Sis,” emphasizing the degree to which she’s part of his “family.”) Though Myne is clearly too old for Toppu, she teases and cajoles him into entering his first race by flirting with him. And just in case we didn’t find her adorable enough, she’s pathologically clumsy when she’s not on a bike; she inadvertently punches and slaps Toppu’s dad on at least three separate occasions, mostly when she’s expressing her excitement over Toppu’s riding skills.

If the characters are stock, the artwork is not. Kosuke Fujishima, best known for Oh! My Goddess, drops us into the action by showing us what Toppu sees as he grips his handlebars and scans the track. Through his deft use of perspective and speedlines, Fujishima captures the bikes’ velocity, the riders’ positions relative to one another, and the sheer danger of high-speed maneuvers. Fujishima also finds clever visual analogies for the G-forces that riders experience when accelerating or banking a turn, drawing a faint human hand to suggest how the mass of the bike is both an asset and a liability:

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Fujishima’s layouts is their economy. While many of Fujishima’s peers would be inclined to spread Toppu’s first race over several chapters, Fujishima uses just a handful of artfully constructed panels to show us how Toppu succumbs to the pleasures of competition. This transformation is bookended by two suggestive images, the first of Toppu’s terrified face as he pulls back on the throttle for the first time, and the second of Toppu’s gleaming eyes as he makes eye contact with Myne in his fifth lap of the track. We see just enough between these two moments to grasp the disparity between how quickly the race is unfolding and how slowly time passes for Toppu as he struggles to control the bike, and begins realizing how much he’s enjoying himself.

In a nod toward gender parity, Fujishima dedicates an entire chapter to showcasing Myne’s tenacity on the track as well. Though Fujishima employs many of the same strategies for immersing us in Myne’s race as he does Toppu’s, Fujishima periodically interrupts the competition with goofy, arresting images of Myne as tracksuit wearing, sword-wielding avenger and as a fiery, Medusa-haired biker . These fleeting visions are a nice bit of comic relief, echoing iconic scenes from Kill Bill and Ghost Rider, but they serve an equally important purpose: showing us how Myne’s rivals see her when she’s vying for pole position. (In a word: scary.)

Much as I thrilled to the racing sequences, I’d be the first to admit that the soggy dynamic between Myne, Toppu, and Toppu’s dad feels almost as perfunctory as the introduction of the series’ first villains, the sniveling, scheming Niimi brothers. (They resent Toppu’s meteoric rise in the standings and his warm relationship with Myne.) Myne, too, seems more wish fulfillment character than real person, swathed in a snug tracksuit as she coos encouragement to Toppu. But when Toppu or Myne jump on their bikes, the series roars to life, offering the same kind of kinetic thrills that The Fate of the Furious does when it focuses on cars and racing rather than family and loyalty.

Word to the wise: Kodansha is simultaneously publishing Toppu GP with the Japanese edition; readers can purchase new installments through Amazon and ComiXology on a weekly basis. Folks who prefer print will find the first volume available in stores now, with volume two to follow in September.

TOPPU GP, VOL. 1 • BY KOSUKE FUJISHIMA • KODANSHA COMICS • RATED T, FOR TEENS (13+)

  By: Katherine Dacey