#this also goes for you trigun fans

[weirdcat1213]

honestly every fucking studio in the world should follow what orange does. Do they take +5 years on making a 12 episode anime? GOOD! cuz they fucking deliver and not only animation-wise. Their writing and directing team have time to actually get attached and care about the story, to think every scene by the millimeter. They take their time to let musicians compose what they think is the best score for their animes.

and most fucking importantly THEY DONT OVERWORK THEM TO DEATH

Animation is fucking hard but if every studio took the time and care like orange the industry would be so much better

"but they take too long" I hear you, houseki no kuni fan, and as a fellow fan, I can tell you QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!

capitalism has destroyed the industry so much because we rather have a long ass catalog of stuff we probably will never watch rather than wait for every fucking piece to be the best version of itself. I need you guys to open your eyes and think about our artistic legacy and how capitalism is making us leave a trail of corpses behind instead of completed pieces.

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 6

Propaganda:

Kiriwo -

"Seems innocent at first and he's just a guy with a special interest in magic items, but watch out."

Arjuna -

"MASKING KING!!!!!! ok joke aside one of his biggest things is that he's super scared that if anyone gets too close to him they'll notice he's not perfect/has a 'secret darkness' (that's literally just a guy) and overall a lot of his storyline is a strong parallel for being neurodivergent and becoming more comfortable with accepting it. he's also super strict and hard on himself for any sort of failure that isn't in line with what's socially appropriate but at the same time he doesn't always have a good grasp on what that is which is how you get stuff like him blowing up a forest to try and impress someone. it also runs in his family bc his brother is autistic as hell too."

Sherlock -

"God, where do I start? I mean what Holmes adaptation, even if he's not the main character, would this be if he were not autistic coded? And our combo of autism and ADHD is absolute perfection, all tied up with a pretty, excitable face. Hit him with the crime hyperfixation and do not make him wear socks."

Apollo -

"Not canonically autistic but he has ZERO volume control plus he scripts/repeats stuff (“I’M FINE!!!”), sometimes mimics other people’s speech patterns (like replying “ja” to Klavier), sensitive to loud noises (stayed backstage at a concert cuz it was too loud) and bright lights (complained about the stage lights being too bright at the same concert + screamed when opening the hatch to the bright stage at magic show), and has been really into space since he was a kid, which could definitely be a hyperfixation (not to mention how he read every single one of Phoenix’s old case files back when he admired him). Plus he’s a little TOO normal, to the point where it circles back around to making him the odd one out, which is absolutely what masking feels like for me. Even when he tries to be fun and weird he gets strange looks/made fun of for not being weird in the right way. The list of autism symptoms is just a checklist for him at this point."

Heiji -

"90% of the cast in detective conan is autistic but heiji is the most autistic of them all."

Urara -

"Another alien who is so excited to dance with everyone that he does not understand that his intended purpose of inviting people to dance via water communication is brainwashing them into dancing and is causing extreme chaos. He nearly causes an apocalypse by being so excited about dancing but he apologizes and tries to make friends with Yuki at the end of the story. He is extremely soft spoken and try, finding it difficult to begin conversations and fidgeting."

Shu -

"speaking specifically about the first season but he was the "explains everything so the audience knows whats happening" guy. he was pretty antisocial (not sure if thats just how he was or if he lived alone [which was fucked up cause he was 11]) . im trying to think of more but my brain goes hghghhhggggh im just a big fan of him."

Vash -

"ain’t no way i’m the only one who’s submitted him. go look at the gif of him crawling in the dirt like a bug while he dodges bullets and get back to me."

Hyakkimaru -

"Due to a terrible curse he has lived his whole life without several body parts including his eyes and ears. Because of this he is often overstimulated and awkward in new situations (when he doesn't do what he does best, killing monsters and samurai with his sword arms) He can't say or express much, and often comes off as strange and creepy, but he is actually a cutie patootie full of emotions, has a big heart, a keen brain, endless inner strength and loves the people close to him! This adorable, cursed, demon slaying boy deserves everything!"

Kei -

"He has the tbh face. Also he canonically has sensory issues and gets sensory overload. He constantly wears earbuds. He has an extremely rigid sense of morality and considers himself a savior figure. He has a hard time relating to other people and is a bit awkward in his interactions."

[honey-milk-depresso]

Batboys watching anime with reader

You know my ass went FULL ON LOCK MODE with Tim. I went crazy- 💀

***S/o is above 18, which means characters below are also aged up!

Doing requests until 1 Feb! Please see my pinned post and read the request rules on the navi! Thank you!🩷

Batbros watching anime with you

Dick Grayson

He’s watched a few 90s anime before, more the basic ones like One Piece and Pokémon, and he probably still watches them to this day. Boy has old CDs he has and you should probably try finding a Blue Ray (or use his if he can have Tim help fix it because it’s good as dead 💀) because he’s popping in every CD of old anime’s he have lying about.

“Wow, I didn’t know I had cowboy bebop! Or Slam Dunk!” He got a few rare gems, which makes it all the more fun to sit down on the couch under a blanket as you huddle and watch the nostalgic 90s anime shows together while eating popcorn.

He doesn’t mind watching new, modern day animes, just be prepared for when you two watch sad anime shows because he will sob like it’s the end of the world.

“NO, WHY WOULD KAORI DIE LIKE THIS?? AND SHE LOVES ARIMA- OH MY GOD IM SO—”sobs even more. He gets emotional while watching them because it’s so sad that it’s sO GOOD-

Loves dancing to those danceable anime music with you. He goes ALL. OUT. He even sings all of it in Japanese like wow-

I would love to hear him sing Cruel Angel’s Thesis in his Discowing suit and with goth makeup on it because it “sets the mood”, PLEASE-

Overall, great time watching with Dick. <3

Jason Todd

You expect someone like him to like Chainsaw Man, Trigun or something like those grunge-y, guns and knives animes, right? I mean, he does, but only with you and ONLY with you will he let his inner Magical Girl enthusiast ass shine. Because he LOVES Magical Girl animes. That’s probably the reason and one point of time why he wore red ribbons around his arms, he wanted that Sailor Moon experience and Tim might’ve just teased him about that era without knowing his love for Magical Girl animes and Jason might’ve flipped and freaked the fuck out and started chasing him down the manor.

Jason watches Sailor Moon, Madoka when he feels edgier than usual, Cardcaptor Sakura, every Precure series, Tokyo Mew Mew, man has all these shows somehow. He swears they weren’t through illegal means and he just worked very hard to gather all of them. He also might be a shoujo anime fan because if he loves Jane Austen books, you bet his ass would be reading Fruits Basket, Maid Sama or something because of course he would.

Also a Studio Ghibli fan, although watching the Tale of Princess Kaguya might make him feel too much, especially getting pissed off with the dad who forces his daughter into a wealthy life without her input and- yeah, you gotta calm him down as he cries bitterly and sourly with a pout on his face.

The two of you can go on and on about debating about unclear endings of animes all day long. You know the “AND SHE WAS A PRINCESS” video? That’s Jason.

Great man to watch anime with, and he’ll gladly be your Tuxedo Mask to your Sailor Moon (and not the “But you did nothing meme- or the other way around- he don’t mind being the Usagi-). <3

Tim Drake

I’m very convinced this man got into his whole detective shit because he watched Detective Conan and honestly I can’t blame him. Tim has probably the largest vessel of anime knowledge out of all of them. He doesn’t really have a specific genre he likes but he’s pretty fond of old 90s and 80s animes. He can explain the whole lore of One Piece, Fairytale, Pokémon like Jesus Tim, calm down- 💀

I can see him watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain or Key the Metal Doll because he likes that little bit of horror nature and mystery and thriller in his animes although he really doesn’t mind watching Haikyuu all over again if you want to.

Might introduce you to underrated and/or old animes like Revolutionary Girl Utena, Nadia the Secrets of Blue Water, every Studio Ghibli movie, those kinds of animes that give off the really pretty and aesthetic old anime animations that is just so pretty to watch and with really good storylines that both of you can cuddle on a couch together and watch. I bet he even watches anime with you even before you two got together, so you guys pretty much have “watching anime together” as part of the foundation of your relationship. Owns so much manga that you can’t even count, too.

Just… don’t make him watch those really slow burn, comedy love animes, specifically Love War. Not that he don’t like romance animes, he watches Ouran High School Host Club and Your Name, trust me, but Love War? He is going absolutely insane because of it.

“OH MY GOD- PLEASE JUST KISS ALREADY. ME AND S/O ARE ALREADY TOGETHER FIVE MONTHS AGO ANF YOU TWO ARE STILL TOO PROUD TO ADMIT YOU LOVE EACH OTHER WHILE BLUSHING- JUST KISS ALREADY-” <3

Damian Wayne

Damian likes anime. Would 100% go to an anime convention with you as a date if you’re up for it. He doesn’t mind (surprisingly- just for you only-).

He doesn’t necessarily like showmen animes although he has enjoyed a few, but he really loves slice of life, I feel. It just feels like he wants to put himself in a normal life and with a tad bit of drama in it like what the characters go through. The touching ones like Hyouka or Natsume’s Book of Friends.

Also animal related anime maybe except Beastars because he didn’t understand shit-?? He calls that peak anime. Aggretsuko, Chi’s Sweet Home and My Roommate is a Cat?? Damian loves this shit, he watches it intently with his arm around you. Even if he doesn’t smile, you know he loves it by the way his eyes sparkle.

Just don’t tell his brothers. He will seriously feel betrayed if you do so because he only watches these kinds of shows with you: the cute animal ones that are actually wholesome and/or funny.

The whole family is into Studio Ghibli, and he is no exception. He feels like it’s the best kinds of anime to watch with you when you guys just want to turn in for the day and huddle up on the couch. It’s one of the rare times he relaxes and softens and he’s glad to have quality time with you. <3

Duke Thomas

He likes anime! Studio Ghibli is definitely a favourite of his and he would gladly watch it together with you! He also love a fair bit of Shounen animes, the more popular ones like Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, Haikyuu, or Spy x Family. He likes them a lot!

A big fan of romance animes too: Ouran High School Host Club and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (if you two are in the mood to huddle on the couch together and cry).

Duke doesn’t mind any kind of anime so long as it doesn’t have too much horror or gore like… Higurashi. He gets chills when that anime is mentioned. D-Don’t watch it for your own sake if you don’t know. And if you do, avoid it with him at all cost because he will.

Duke also like singing some good anime songs with you and you guys can go crazy and dance around, just not as dramatic as Dick.

He would be super excited to spend a date with you watching shounen anime movies like from Jujutsu Kaisen and he would be so hype to spend time with you being a fanboy while also sharing that romantic air for the shared love of anime between you two and the love that you two share, although that love is far stronger. <3

Reblogs help! ^^

[springnote]

How Submissive or Dominant They are

Includes: Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Meryl Stryfe, Million Knives, Livio, Legato, and Milly Thompson

warnings: nsfw minors dni, gn reader with a vagina, oral (m and f receiving), piv sex, nipple play, anal fingering, teasing, face sitting, thigh riding, bondage, pegging

Note: may have gone overboard but I hope this feeds the fellow Trigun fans!

Milly

• Milly is honestly the most vanilla and submissive of all of them.

• She’ll do whatever you like, letting you eat her out or her go down on you, but she wants to be told what do. She’s eager and loves making you happy however she can.

• Not the most adventurous, but if you really want to try something new, she’ll always try it at least once! Nothing too rough though, she’s overly wary of her size and strength and worries about hurting you.

• Overall a big sweetie teddy bear, she loves being with you and making you happy and having fun with you.

“Hey baby, you feeling up for another round?” She chirps from under your thighs, the movement making your overstimulated clit tingle. “I can eat you out again!”

“Milly I can’t do another,” you groan, but before a cute pout settles on her face, you slide down her body to her thighs. “But what if I eat you out and you play with your chest?”

A shy look goes across her face, but she quickly rearranged the pillows to lean back, looking down at you reclining between the soft pillows of her thighs. A big, somewhat sheepish smile spreads across her face as she cups her sizable chest, shifting a little as you look at how wet she is.

“Like this?” She asks, pinching nipples as you smirk at her proudly.

“Just like that pudding cup, just like that.”

—

Livio

• Also a big teddy bear, he’s also fairly vanilla.

• He’s been through a lot and is already a big softie, so when he’s not letting you take the lead and following your guidance, he’s the softest, cuddliest dom there is.

• He loves cuddle fucking, especially after rough days, and sometimes on those rough days he wants nothing more than to be your good boy and have you order him around. Be gentle though, he’s still a very sensitive guy.

• Top tier cuddle partner, prepare for lots of sleepy hugs and slow love making with him.

“Is this okay?” Livio’s deep voice rumbled against your chest, honey colored eyes blinking at you half-lidded from where he lay next to you, your chest covered in wet kisses.

“You’re doing wonderful,” you smile softly, stroking his soft hair, leaning forward to kiss him again.

“D’you wanna go further?” He asked softly, one of his large hands trailing down to knead your ass.

You nod as you slowly grind your bare pussy against his cock, feeling it twitch when your lips caught on the head. “Yes…can I just sit on you for a bit though?”

His cheeks flush at your question, and he slips inside you, getting little resistance after having fingered you for half an hour earlier. Keeping you flush against his hips, his eyelids hang heavier as he lets out a sigh. “Yea, jus’ please don’t move too much. ‘M so close already.”

—

Meryl

• Meryl is definitely a switch, and she’s not super kinky but she’s definitely not vanilla.

• She likes being a pillow princess and getting pampered, but she also loves being in charge. Just because she’s small doesn’t mean she can’t take charge and be damn good at it.

• She likes mild brat taking sometimes too, and does enjoy using big strap-ons on her partner, but she also just enjoys taking things slow and gentle. It depends on her mood and yours honestly, but most of the time she would like to stop thinking so much and let you lead.

• Meryl is a firecracker though, so she might get a little bratty with you too.

“Hold still a second Meryl,” you huffed, the the little vibrating end of strap-on you were wearing making you feel a little shaky. “Lemme catch my breath.”

Meryl huffed, but stayed still, the large size of the toy making her shiver. It was one of those days when Meryl asked to be treated, and she’d been dutifully laying still and letting you lead, but you could tell she was getting impatient.

“Just a minute more—hey!” You gasped suddenly, the toy pressing harder against your clit without warning. Looking up, you saw Meryl leaning on her hands, using all of her strength to propel herself forward onto the strap. “Meryl!”

“Sorry I just need,” she stopped to let out a drawn out moan as she pulled back and thrust herself forward again. “Need more. Now.”

Huffing, you leaned over to press her into the bed, watching her eyes go wide as you started thrusting into her, both of you moaning. “Alright, I’ll give you more~”

—

Vash

• If Meryl is a switch, then Vash is a super-switch.

• Vash loves pleasing you and topping, watching you come undone under him and seeing your pleasure-filled face makes him the happiest man alive. He may not always be the most confident in himself, but his determination to make you happy overrules his insecurities.

• Sometimes though, he likes just being your sweet boy, letting you collar him or spank his ass if you like. He likes a little teasing and sometimes edging, or just being doted on while you finger him if you want, just give lots of cuddles afterward.

• He’s pretty needy all around, a need to please, need for affection and needing to give and receive love all around, be sure to indulge him.

He looked angelic under you, flushed skin glistening with sweat and his expression pleading as he looked up at you with puppy eyes. You almost felt bad for making him wait. Almost.

“Shhh just wait a minute baby,” you cooed at him, petting his thigh lovingly. “Can you hold out just a second more?”

“Yes, yes,” he gasped, trying to stay still as you kept two fingers inside his hole, his mouth trembling as he looked at your glistening folds above him. “Anything for you I can do it. I can do it.”

You shushed him again gently, waiting for him to quiet down a bit before speaking. “It’s okay, you don’t have to wait much longer okay? That’s my good boy.”

You moved your fingers suddenly, making his awaiting face surge up to lay his open mouth on your folds, making you whine out at his intensity. It didn’t take long for you both to come hard, Vash pulling you down to kiss you reverently as you still shook from your orgasm.

—

Wolfwood

• Nicholas is a bit of a switch, but leaning more towards a dom. Either postion, he loves to tease.

• He just can’t help himself if he’s the one being more submissive, he’s gonna be a brat and might try to turn the tables on you. One minute he’ll be shaking his hips as you peg him, urging you to swat his behind, and the next he’s flipping you over to ride the strap like his life depends on it.

• When he doms, he still teases, but instead he’s edging you or manhandling you playfully while he’s saying absolutely sinful things in your ear. Sometimes he’ll even just make you do all the work while he smokes a cigar or sips some whiskey.

• He’s absolutely filthy when he wants to be, but also playful, and he’s pretty good at aftercare.

Wolfwood rotated his hips against yours, making your insides flutter as he held you in place. One of his hands gripped one of your thighs, while the other held your wrists above your head, preventing you from grabbing him like you wanted to.

“That feel good babe? The way you’re squeezing me sure makes me thinks so,” he smirked, a playful gleam in his eyes as he leaned down, his nose touching yours. “C’mon, tell me how it feels and I’ll get started, ‘kay?”

“You feel so good Nic,” you whined, unable to stop yourself as you squirmed under him. “Please move, I wanna touch you.”

That did the trick, as he released your wrists to instead cup your face in both hands, chuckling as your hands scrambled to grab him. “That wasn’t so hard, huh?” He smiled, groaning a bit when your palms passed over his nipples.

You were about to tease him, but he quickly started pumping into you, making you both moan. Your arms wrapped around his neck as he moved at a rough pace, his hands staying on your cheeks as he gave wet kisses.

—

Legato

• Legato isn’t really into letting someone else take the reins. When he does, he prefers it involving lots of praise.

• He can be pretty mean at times, degrading and teasing you when he doms, but he’s not always super rough. Don’t expect him to be super touchy feely though, he’s got some issues and that’s a lot to unpack.

• He gets a bit more agreeable if he’s subbing, he doesn’t want to be dominated per se, just given some orders and told he’s doing good for once. Actually if you praise him while he’s domming, he’ll still be smug and a bit rough, but you might notice him soften a little.

• Overall, don’t be rough on him if he gives you the opportunity to lead, but try to be soft to him when he’s in charge, and he’ll do the same.

“Look at you,” he looked you up and down as you lay there tied to the bed posts, making you whimper at his dark gaze. “You look so…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, opting to let out a huff instead, tracing a finger down your naked torso to the puffy lips of your cunt. He appraised you for a moment, running his gloved thumb over your folds before pulling his pants down to free his dick.

“Tell me what you want,” he ordered, giving his dick a few lazy pumps. You shivered at the sight of him, closing your eyes as you tried to clear your mind enough to respond. “Hurry and I might give it it you.”

“I want you, Legato.” You whined desperately. If your eyes had been open, you might have seen how his eyes widened and face softened at how your voice lingered on his name. A feeling he’d never felt before spreading in his chest before he refocused.

“Well since you asked so nicely,” he growled, pushing into you slowly, trying not to focus on the funny feeling blooming in him. “Let me indulge you.”

—

Knives

• He’s a full blown dom full stop.

• Maybe if you had been together a really long time and talked and planned it out very carefully, he might let you fuck him, but 99% of the time he’d only feel comfortable going as far as to let you lead him a little. He’s just a little scared to trust that much or give up being in control, he’s got some stuff he doesn’t wanna unpack.

• He enjoys being in charge, not just to get praise and have you treat him like a god (which he totally loves), but he likes watching you under him, especially to know you put so much trust in him, knowing how dangerous he is. He may get rough or be mean depending on your relationship, but he’d never hurt you.

• Sometimes what he likes doesn’t sound dominant to a lot of people, but he makes it work. He’s very bossy/commanding so you definitely can’t call him submissive that’s for sure.

“Suck harder.” He commands above you, his tone quiet but a little sharp, keeping you at attention as you bob your head on his cock.

You knew he was close from the way his brow furrowed, but you were still caught off guard when he came down your throat, barely giving you time to relax before his tentacles were lifting you up. You gasped as he sat you on one of his muscular thighs, keeping you facing away from him to stare at yourself in a full length mirror.

“I saw you rubbing your thighs together,” he hummed in your ear, gripping your hips. “If you want to come, you’ll come on my thigh.”

“Y-yes sir,” you panted as he moved you back and forth, your hips bucking at the friction of skin on skin. When he flexed his thigh, you nearly looked away, but he bit at your neck to get your attention.

“Come now pet,” he gave a small smile, enjoying at how you whined. “Eyes on me. Don’t look away.”

[totallynotsilversora]

Hey nerds guess who made another thread about Vash's shooting skills during the finale of Trigun Stampede?

This nerd right here!

(( AGAIN! ))

Because Studio Orange has been driving me insane with how great Vash is as a gunman not just cinematically but realistically! I am NOT getting over this for a while my friends.

Of course, if you hadn't watched the finale yet and want to avoid spoilers, just know this post is gonna be filled with them and if you'd like to see my first analysis on Vash the Pro Gunslinger you can check it out here on tumblr and here on twitter before reading through this one!

Speaking of the bird, this post is also on twitter below:

Oh but wait, don't have one? No worries! I've retyped everything below so you don't have to look at the bird app if you don't want to!

All posts mention guns and shooting because otherwise this analysis would not work at all.

NOW LET'S ROLL!

First off, again, I’m going based on what I remembered from shooting air rifles & other research I’ve gained over the years! Second, I’m not an OG Trigun fan, so do take this thread with a grain of salt!

With that, let’s dive into THEE fight scene:

So right off the bat we’re getting Vash’s “smooth criminal” shot! Notice how he’s lining up his body sideways with his pistol vs forward like in the past. That’s exactly how you’re supposed to shoot one handed: feet shoulder width apart and aligned w/ the gun.

Normally you’d want both feet planted on the ground when firing but since Vash HAS to stay on the move to avoid getting hit AND is being a cocky little shit to his brother, he lets himself lean forward to fire and use that kick back to gently guide him into his next step.

Again, you NEVER fight what’s considered natural movement with a gun! You WILL get hurt! If you want to aim properly you NEED to be relaxed and composed. Vash isn’t fighting against the force of his gun, he follows it with the confidence and poise of a dancer on stage.

And speaking of dancing just look at how Vash makes Knives dance over puddles! Vash has impeccable aim yet he deliberately chooses to shoot in areas that could stun or stumble Knives, knowing he could block the shots, and distract him as he goes behind the corner.

Remember how I said lining up sideways is how you shoot properly? Here he’s firing straight forward using the corner as his shield. Had he not been holding a ticking bomb in his hand he would probably rest the gun on his other hand like he normally does on the rock jutting out.

The second he fired his last shot he dips down to reload and LOOK AT THAT!!

He is practicing proper trigger discipline again!!

You do NOT keep your finger on the trigger when loading in order to prevent misfire. That is BASIC SHOOTING SAFETY!!

And he does this throughout the fight!

When he turns away from Knives to make his way to the corner he lets go of the trigger before he turns back around to fire at him!

He can only hold 8 bullets in that gun and he will make each one count!

He can NOT afford to misfire.

Why??

Because that bullet he loaded was going STRAIGHT FOR KNIVES! Vash is NOT messing around! At this angle it looks like he aimed and could’ve hit Knives' NECK which would be super hard to dodge close range. Knives would have to bend backwards like he did here to dodge.

Shout out to everyone at Orange for the incredible work put into Vash and his shooting! There’s so much care into this show I can’t wait to see more!

Bonus: while we’re here, let’s get into Vash’s stellar reloads starting with this one (my absolute favorite) :

Remember how I said Vash was being a cocky little shit to Knives earlier?

Yeah this is it at it’s peak.

Faced forward, standing still til the last second, and very slowly reloading so Knives hears all 8 clicks before flying out the window.

This is just being mean lol XD

It's because we KNOW he can reload fast! The gif below might be faster by half a second but it's still RIDICULOUS compared to the first one:

Hell, he’s put individual bullets in the chamber midair and slammed a container of them in the SAME FLIGHT! MIDAIR!!!

He did NOT have to mess with Knives like that! Dude's flexin' hard.

In any case, I can’t recommend this show enough! The amount of work and detail put into not just Vash’s skills as a marksman but the acting and storytelling - everything is superb!! What an amazing experience!

Thanks again Studio Orange and Nightow! See you again, soon!

[catbountry]

It's been a year since the premiere of Trigun: Stampede. The series, despite the fears of the fans of the '98 anime, actually turned out really good; Yasuhiro Nightow is a big superhero comics nerd, and wanted to have this new anime adaption be an adaption similar to the adaptions of the MCU, back when those movies were consistently enjoyable, and I daresay a bunch of the people watched Trigun probably were either already anime fans, or they were nomad fans who may have been really into the MCU at one point.

I have a lot of thoughts on an American perspective on Vash the Stampede as a character, with a lot of comparisons to American comic book superheroes. And while Trigun wasn't my first anime, I was hooked on it, as someone who grew up around Batman and Spawn's 90's popularity. During my first Otakon in 2001, I must have seen a dozen Vash's and Wolfwoods. I remember the year there was a Wolfwood cosplayer whose Punisher gun was shaped like the Star of David instead of a cross, making him a rabbi. That shit was amazing. The larger point is that I've loved this character for more than half of my entire time being alive, and I haven't seen a lot of discussion of Trigun viewed from a more political lens, and why it resonates so much with Americans (or at least me, who is an American) in particular

Buckle up, kids, this is gonna be long and rambly.

There was a period of time where I watched nearly every single new MCU movie in the theater. It was exciting seeing adaptions of comic books that would have probably never gotten a movie before the success of The Avengers. And I don't think it's a mistake that the most comic book-y of the movies are usually the best; Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel remain as probably my favorite MCU movies. Nightow was working directly with the studio making a new Trigun anime and reportedly got the crew to watch a bunch of Marvel movies to set the tone for the anime as an adaption; it's why Vash got a completely new redesign that freaked all us old fans the fuck out. Though it appears that once again, Trigun tried and failed to get that massive Japanese audience that most successful anime have. But boy, oh boy, do us westerners fucking love Trigun, especially us Americans. Nightow's love of superhero comics bled into Trigun, and it just so happened that he was incredibly influenced by Spawn, Hellboy and Batman as much as he was influenced by Akira Toriyama and mechanical art. McFarlane Toys released a Vash figure that is McFarlane'd the fuck up. Nightow loves all superhero comics but especially the Blade trilogy.

Just look at this and imagine being 13 years old and seeing this on a screen for the first time with the instrumental hard rock opening.

Also, I wouldn't actually get around to reading Spawn until I was an adult, but you know what? It's pretty good. The writing is definitely weaker than the art, but holy shit, that art goes hard and I still think that shit's cool as fuck.

As stated before, around the early 2000's Trigun was considered peak anime, though it's been more overlooked in recent years in favor of Cowboy Bebop, an anime that has aged gracefully by comparison. But while Bebop has that sort of timeless cool and level of quality that drew the attention of filmmakers like the Wachoski sisters, Trigun has that very specific kind of adolescent sense of coolness that comic book fans get, especially back in the 90's before this sort of thing would be smothered to death by MCU's Joss Whedoning of superheroes. Spawn, Hellboy and Batman are still cool. And Trigun also has a shitton of guns, obviously, given that Vash being an incredibly OP gunslinger in a world where everybody has guns.

And America loves guns.

I think the contrast of Vash's pacifism while still wielding a gun is extremely interesting because it's not something you see very much (I bet if I watched more westerns, I'd have a better idea if this is a trope in them at all). Batman does not use guns and doesn't kill people, which is why there's still discourse around Tim Burton's Batman films to this day still; I don't think Kevin Smith has budged on this. Other more morally grey superheroes will use guns (by this definition I'm counting The Punisher even if he doesn't have any superpowers, unless you count severe PTSD as a superpower). And a lot of them had huge surges in popularity in the 90's around the time Nightow was making Trigun. Vash posed like Batman or Spider-Man looking brooding (like the gif above) happens a lot in the earlier issues even though that's not really his character.

Several years ago, there was an attempt by a conservative thinktank to discredit a bunch of Hollywood actors saying that gun violence in America is a serious issue and contrasted their statements scenes of them shooting guns in movies, but if we're being real here, gunplay in movies can be really fucking cool. Again I invoke The Matrix, or movies by Robert Rodriguez and John Woo. Look at video games, and compare the decline in violent crime that's been happening here since the 70's and 80's, as culture warriors bemoan movies and video games for becoming more violent. Remember when Wayne LaPierre, vice president of the NRA, brought up fucking Splatterhouse as a reason why Sandy Hook happened? Do you know what Splatterhouse looks like?

It looks like this.

You know how these guys constantly say the only way to counter a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun? Usually, the inference is that if the "good guy" with a gun shoots, he's shooting to kill. Deadpool and the Punisher would shoot to kill. But Vash is constantly trying to avoid it. And I remember as a teenager finding that really cool? And the manga and anime don't shy away from how impractical Vash's pacifism is. It's a bit more realistic than Steven Universe's ending, but also Steven Universe was made for children.

I know Avatar: The Last Airbender is often invoked when criticizing Steven Universe's philosophy, but I haven't really seen Vash's similar philosophy criticized in the same way, and I think a lot of that has to do with the presence of Wolfwood, who is the "I think we're gonna have to kill this guy" guy. I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen art of this yet. I may have to get on that. I already drew Vash horrified at the Trolley Problem.

Vash is a character designed with maximum coolness in mind, but also an overpowered being who is capable of killing millions, and in the anime, he somehow destroys July City without killing anyone directly, but the destruction of the city led to a bunch of people dying. He's so deeply committed to not wanting to kill anyone that he's probably killed more people than he would have if he just shot Knives. The best Batman stories acknowledge that Batman's refusal to kill Joker has similarly results in the deaths of people Batman could have prevented if he killed one guy, and this could also apply to Vash's relationship with his brother Knives, who was kind of destined to be a mass murderer with a name like that, let's be real.

Online, we tend to joke about bringing out the guillotines, or justify not feeling an sympathy for billionaires who die in a sub trying to view the Titanic. But if you were given a gun and a real human person begging for their life, what would you actually do? Do you honestly think that you would be the ethical Death Note user?

Vash has guns but he chooses not to kill people; he prefers to not even use them unless he has to, instead opting to run away and look cool doing it somehow.

He really, really doesn't want to kill people. He doesn't become numb to people dying. It hurts him every single time he watches someone get killed. In reality, most of us that aren't sociopaths would be distressed at the thought of killing someone. The only reason armies in real life work is that they become inoculated to the idea of violence and dehumanize the enemy. Vash is no soldier. He is idealistic, he is empathetic, and he sees every human being as a person worthy of life. Batman refuses to use guns, as that's how his parents were killed in front of him. Vash has to use guns in order to protect people from getting killed. He has the ethics of Superman but the tools of a comic book antihero. He's the logical conclusion of an shonen anime protagonist in a world that chews up anyone with that kind of optimism and hope and spits them out. And yet... he still keeps going. He remains committed. He's still cheery, goofy, lovable Vash.

Batman used to kill people, in the earliest comics. With the Comics Code Authority, no superheroes could kill people. In the 80's, comics were getting darker and edgier, taken more seriously. While Alan Moore's Watchmen delved into the moral complexities in a world with superheroes that was similar to ours, Frank Miller was keeping Batman consistent, even as Gotham got darker and uglier.

Batman is a vigilante. The police can be helpful or they can fuck up everything, depending on what's needed for the story. In Batman Year One, there's a scene where Batman crashes a party attended by the elites of Gotham, politicians and mobsters mingling.

Seeing this during the Bush presidency blew my mind. I don't want to get into just how perfectly the members of his administration seemed to resemble a rogue's gallery of sorts with the shared goals of making a lot of money and bombing the shit out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I was extremely anti-war even before the 2000 election as a very opinionated 14 year-old watching, Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and feeling relieved that a grown-up was able to see through all the bullshit; it helps when the guy who's against the war and killing people is funny. I remember writing in my diary at 12 years old after Columbine happened that I wanted to take all of the guns and melt them down in a pot, similarly to that scene in Superman IV where he throws the entire world's nuclear arsenal into the sun. But also that same year I would fall in love with The Matrix... and not long after that, Trigun.

Again, we come back to the idea of someone using a gun, a weapon designed to kill people, and using it in pursuit of the exact opposite. That resonated with me. I myself was very idealistic, and the political climate of my teenage years seemed to do almost everything to stamp that out of me. Things feel just as fraught two decades later, but in slightly different ways. Pacifism is looked down upon, as indicated by the backlash to the ending of Steven Universe, and how one crazy lady called Rebecca Sugar, a Jewish person, a Nazi for writing it that way. But for Steven, things worked out. For Vash? Well, he still has hope somehow, despite everything. I think the fact that he strives to protect human life, even when someone is a complete monster, is admirable in that it cuts to the very basic desire to not see people hurt. But we're also selfish, and scared, and sometimes it's hard to conceive of a solution to a problem that doesn't involve violence. Seeing dead bodies on TV or the internet upsets us, but we're often paralyzed by feeling like we can't do anything, and even if we tried, we'd likely perish in the attempt. We desire revenge, punishment for those who transgress by inflicting violence, and we can rationalize using it against the right targets. Vash the Stampede would have a fucking breakdown dealing with the state-backed violence that's been a part of geopolitics pretty much as long as there have been states and geopolitics. Vash would try and solve the bombings of Gaza with an impassioned plea for both sides to stop fighting before he would somehow wind up making things worse and it would eat away at him inside, no matter how brave a face he puts on as he tries to find some kind of hope in a hopeless situation. And... you know what? I kind of wish more people would be like that. Maybe if there were enough people like that, these sorts of things wouldn't happen in the first place. I wish more people could look at human suffering and feel compelled to try and stop it, not discriminating against one side or the other, trying to understand why people are doing what they do. Seeing anti-war protestors in Tel Aviv brings back memories of protests against the start of the War on Terror, and how hated America was internationally during those years, even when most Americans approved of the war. Michael Moore was booed at the Oscars for condemning George W. Bush and the War on Terror. It's terrifying that those in power want us killing each other and have conditioned us to support it. I want so badly for human beings to come together to just stop the violence, but it feels impossible, like we're destined for failure, like we might somehow make things worse or become worse versions of ourselves full of hatred and ugliness. But we should want to try, even if it's hard or unprofitable or we have no idea how to even do it. Somebody actually dedicating themselves to trying to fight our violent impulses out of love is appealing, and if they're more powerful than use, and can do more... well, I want the biblically accurate angel with every mental illness willing to martyr himself over and over again. But it is more fun when he's Bugs Bunny about it.

[losergender]

media i think the pjo cast would be into

percy : h2o + mako mermaids (he religously makes stelle watch them with him once she's older) , he also really likes teen beach movie + austin & ally (reminds him of him and annabeth). he's a great spiderman fan too, had a hyperfix on it as a kid and it came back SUPER STRONG when atsv was released, he was devastated when he couldn't infodump annabeth about it

annabeth : THE SIMS !!!! she got her dad to buy her all the DLCs of the sims 4 as compensation for how he treated her. i think she would also love the new york times games if they were more dyslexia friendly (you know when she gets absolutely furious at the sphynx in tbotl bc the questions are stupid? that's how she'd react to connection categories)

grover : he would love animal crossing new leaf and new horizons so much! i also think he would lend happy home designer to annabeth but she would get frustrated at how little you can personalise the houses. he also really likes deltarune and the concept of goat boy helps blue mc with single-mother reminds him of him and percy

nico : pokemon, but specifically the card game. will tries to introduce him to the game many times but nico is horrible at managing a console so after lots of frustration he goes "i wish it came it card format" and will is just like "OH!" he also really likes animation because he was alive during its beginnings, so i think he could be just familiar enough with it but not enough not to be super excited with every one of the new techniques that have been developed

rachel : she has watched tangled many many times. obviously she has a devianart / tumblr account. huge huge fan of the spiderverse movies (was the one percy infodumped about it) and adventure time (the opening of fionna & cake is her morning alarm). she is also a loona stan (after becoming friends with annabeth she asked for help figuring out the loonaverse and accidentally got annabeth into them as well, but rachel is more into the music while annabeth just focus on the lore)

tyson : when i was maybe 8 i had this nintendo game about horse riding that i am sure he would love. ALSO MLP!!! twilight reminds him of annabeth!!

will : TRIGUN !!!! SOMEONE LET THIS BOY READ TRIMAX!!! + he loved hannah montana, he still owns the cds and the climb is his favorite song.

bianca : would have loved christian girl k-pop i just know

clarisse : she grew up watching shonen anime. i don't watch a lot of shonen but i'm personally gonna say she likes one piece so when she got the quest on tsom a part of her kept going "omg one piece reference." she also thinks jojo's is the most hilarious piece of media to ever exist.

[whirlwindimagines]

Hey hey! I am an ex-barista (used to work at a local coffee shop) so I am totally a fan of coffee, lattes, all that kind of fun stuff.

From a writers opinion (especially someone who is a fan of Trigun), I want to know what you think each character would get from a cafe. Bonus points if you can create a flavor profile for each of the characters. For example: I have a feeling that Vash would drink something either super sugary or something that would pair well with a donut. (Vanilla, brown sugar latte perhaps?)

Just something fun I thought about!

I’m gonna be honest with you guys I don’t drink caffeine at all lol I’m a Pink Drink girly 🤞😔 coffee would give me a headache so I just don’t drink it but I tried my best even though I have no clue about coffee orders lolol I like doing chaotic headcanons, so this is just some fun general ones, sorry if it's not the best lol Also thank you @hermitagecats lol who actually drinks coffee and helped by giving me some ideas

Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Meryl Stryfe & Millions Knives Coffee orders and general headcanons.

Vash: 

He’s just trying to get through the day, likes caffeine more than he should lol

Likes sugary drinks as well, and enjoys trying something new! Not super picky, he will get a donut with every drink or some type of snack. 💖

Cries over the latte art, like he feels bad that he has to drink it 

Everyone knows him in the coffee shop! He’s so nice and gives such good tips like everyone loves him. 

His go-to order: Caramel Frappuccino but he gets extra espresso shots lol and will always get a sweet treat!  

Meryl:

Can not stand going with Vash and Wolfwood, like she will gladly just go in by herself just tell her what you want! 

Is normal and gets nice simple drinks, but likes to shake it up! Goes for something new each time! Is a fan of her coffee!

On days she’s busy and needs to focus, she’ll get something simple like a black coffee. But if she’s not in the need of a caffeine rush, she’ll get a Latte 

Likes to go to different cafes, the different locations help her get her work done and she likes trying the signature drink at each place. 

Her got-to order: While she’ll order anything she has a soft spot for a White Chocolate Mocha

Wolfwood:

When he’s with the others he gets a simple black coffee, 

Has asked them to fill a venti with just espresso shots they deny this request every time. 

Likes refreshers lol will ONLY get them when he’s alone, if you saw Wolfwood ordering a Pink Drink you did NOT

He’s a menace since they won’t give him his damn venti with espressos, he orders a black coffee, and then just as many espressos shots as they are legally allowed to give him and pours it right into his coffee in front of the workers.

His go-to order is: Largest black coffee they can give, with as many espresso shots as he can take lol 

Knives:

Gets the same coffee drink every single time, and refuses to try something new! He’s happy with his drink! Does not like getting coffee with Vash just the smell of the overly sugary drink his brother gets gives him a headache.

Will not go inside only goes through a drive-thru! 

This is a tea man 🤨 you gonna look at me and tell me I’m wrong? Now while he’ll get the same coffee every time, he does like trying different teas! 

He’s a Cappuccino man, but super specific instructions like this drink taste like shit and the worker is just like wtf is this? Vash tried it once and almost died, Knives says nobody understands his superior taste. 

His go-to order: it's a cappuccino but it's the worst thing in the world

[mixedup-sideblog]

To (a very vocal minority of) ‘Original Trigun Fans.’

I’m going to preface this with - obviously you are allowed to not like the show. Obviously there are valid criticisms of it especially if you’re viewing it through the lens of it being a reimagining of something you’ve already loved. I acknowledge and respect that.

BUT what I can’t respect is the clear blind hate pushed onto Stampede by some. Some who haven’t even watched half an episode of it, who decry it as a terrible show without even watching it. Those are the ones that are pissing me off.

Just because you ‘got there first’ doesn’t mean you’re better than anyone. Just because either by chance you came across it first or the person you’re talking to wasn’t old enough to read or watch it the first time you did doesn’t give you some special superiority over the plot or the characters.

If you don’t like Stampede fair, but why spam hate reviews? Why sit and talk constantly about how much you hate it when you have all the original stuff right there in-front of you! Stampede is helping others discover it! Be happy so many people have started Stampede then immediately consumed all other forms of Trigun because of it!

There are some criticisms I’ve seen like people refusing to watch because there is no Milly but I would argue we don’t know if she’s in it yet she could appear we literally know nothing. I have also seen criticism re pacing - unfortunately they don’t know if they’re getting a season two I assume that is why it’s got to be quick.

I’m desperate for season 2 which is why I get so mad seeing people putting others off or trying to get people not to watch simply because it’s not the original…it’s so so simple if you don’t like it maybe comment once and move on and don’t watch it. Don’t go on some long-ass tirade acting like it’s the worst thing to ever exist, like it’s your mission to prevent others from watching and enjoying it!

Studio Orange have put a hell of a lot of effort into this it’s so so clear that they care about the show they’re creating, hell it’s even approved by the original creator and if you want to talk having the right to gatekeep then if it’s anyone’s right (which it isn’t) then it’s him that has it!

I’ve seen so many original fans vocalising their happiness, their joy that Stampede is bringing new fans to the franchise, that new content is being made, that they can scream and shout about the characters again! I try to focus on them, but the ones spam hating are really grinding at me at the moment, please OGs if you like/are happy about Stampede tell us!

Sorry for this long rant I needed to get it out. For those who hate it simply for existing please re-evaluate yourselves. For those who love the original AND stampede please be vocal about it please be the vocal majority and drown out the other hate!

As the meme goes we’ve got two hands…

(Also as a side note I cannot fathom people hating on the visuals/CGI because it’s STUNNING)

[lost-technology]

So, lads, lassies and laird's, I've been watching the Fallout TV series. I'm about halfway through it. The Fallout series are video games that I like a lot - I haven't played them all, but I'm enough of a fan that I've legit made FOOD from The Official Vault-Dweller's Cookbook gifted to me by my late nephew (I was drinking homemade Nuka-Cola yesterday). The super-fans are going to wank and whine about the lore-details, but I take it as its own entry and am enjoying it so far (even though I miss the NCR). I'm actually SURPRISED that a live-action show based on video games is as good as it is. (They usually suck, this is pretty good...) Anyway, just what does this have to do with Trigun (other than both things taking place in post-apocalyptic desert settings)? Well, there is the 200+ year old guy (ghoul) with the long shot up duster which I addressed on this blog before as "Perfect wardrobe - if anyone makes a live action Trigun, pay attention to this). Cooper isn't quite the "Vash" here, though... his morals are more... Wolfwood? Left of Wolfwood? He's actually an excellent study in broken morals as he used to be a very decent guy in his pre-war life... No... it's how main character Lucy is giving me some inspiration. Lucy is the Vault-Dweller. She comes from a sealed underground Vault that her ancestors fled into to escape the bombs. The Vaults, however, were never meant to save anyone. Lucy's Vault currently has a population-problem (everyone's getting incesty), it's connected to two other Vaults and there's a trade-thing going on, including for breeding, but there's definitely something weirder going on that the series is unfolding... And everyone in her Vault is super-idealistic. They're all peaceful people who live by peaceful ways and they have an agriculture-area (NOT AT ALL unlike the Geoplant-room / recreation room of a SEEDS ship!) that is set up to simulate Nebraska. So when Lucy goes out into the outside world in her quest to find her kidnapped father (is stuff that happens in episode 1 really a spoiler???) she's just very... trying to do things peacefully and with good morals in this... wrecked and horrible world. She cites The Golden Rule a lot. But then... she gets quickly and progressively "grittified." She has to do some awful things to survive and carry out her quest, although she actually sticks to her moral code. (So far, I've only seen her directly kill once, in self-defence, and it is arguable that the subject was in the realm of not-human-anymore and death-was-a-mercy) and she was shocked by it. And immediately after, she did a kindness to someone who betrayed her simply because she decided that she was not going to let the world change her. "I will never become you." Reminded me of Vash a bit - Born in a sealed metal spaceship with artificial environs, not unlike a Vault (save that SEEDS was actually meant to save Humanity, not experiment on it, not that...um...experiments didn't happen *tugs collar*). The SEEDS folk that we meet (Rem, Luida, Brad) seem to come from an optimistic, idealistic perspective in contrast to the survival-world of the desert planet. Instead of a world to colonise / recolonise according to a peaceful plan sold to their ancestors, it's a dog-eat-dog nasty world where murder is common. And yet, Vash sticks to his guns and keeps to ideals and doesn't let him change him for the worse by his own hard-won decision, in spite of absolutely everything. This, of course, also has me thinking of my WIP fanfic in which Rem survives and what I was doing in direction in that with her and continued survival having to face a post-Fall world and no longer being a pedestal-figure for Vash, but having to be a real person and surprising him and gaining grit (in a strictly in-character way). So, of course the story of this TV series, being what it is, is jogging my brain.

[best-underrated-anime]

Anime of the Day: Kekkai Sensen

[The Anime of the Day series will feature two anime each day from the list of shows that, for a variety of reasons, didn’t make it to the final list of shows that will be joining the tournament.]

“Secret organization protects world from vampires/monsters”

Summary:

Supersonic monkeys, vampires, talking fishmen, and all sorts of different supernatural monsters living alongside humans—this has been part of daily life in Hellsalem's Lot, formerly known as New York City, for some time now. When a gateway between Earth and the Beyond opened three years ago, New Yorkers and creatures from the other dimension alike were trapped in an impenetrable bubble and were forced to live together. Libra is a secret organization composed of eccentrics and superhumans, tasked with keeping order in the city and making sure that chaos doesn't spread to the rest of the world. Pursuing photography as a hobby, Leonardo Watch is living a normal life with his parents and sister. But when he obtains the "All-seeing Eyes of the Gods" at the expense of his sister's eyesight, he goes to Hellsalem's Lot in order to help her by finding answers about the mysterious powers he received. He soon runs into Libra, and when Leo unexpectedly joins their ranks, he gets more than what he bargained for. Kekkai Sensen follows Leo's misadventures in the strangest place on Earth with his equally strange comrades—as the ordinary boy unwittingly sees his life take a turn for the extraordinary.

Propaganda:

(Admin: Three people submitted this show, so there’ll be three separate propagandas)

1:

Kekkai Sensen is a sci-fi action manga from the author of Trigun that revolves around an ordinary guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He can’t really fight, but he’s determined to make his way in a city where people die at the drop of a hat. A web of tragedies and crime and crazy coincidences is spinning around his arrival in the city, and a dark plot is brewing that could risk the fate of the world. The story is compelling, comedic, fast-paced, and gorgeously animated. Fans of mystery, action, sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, and even more will all find something to adore about this series’ story and characters—not to mention its iconic soundtrack and stunning visuals.

2:

Super interesting story with a well-balanced and fun cast of characters. There’s someone for everyone and open the top flashy action scenes. The characters are especially endearing with how they interact with each other

3:

Most people remember the show from the ending that everyone was making edits for. This show is outstanding, and the last episode changed me as a person, and I’m still not sure how or why. It’s from the creator of Trigun and has incredible music from jazzy numbers to soft and sweet ones. The characters are great, and the voice talent is even better. It’s funny, cute, and sometimes serious. Also found family for the win.

(Admin: To the three who submitted, seriously, not one of you found a trailer that wasn’t dubbed? I couldn’t find one, either.)

[radiosummons]

One of the funniest things to me about Trigun Stampede and- subsuquently-Vash getting such a much larger fandom presence (especially here on the Tumblr's and AO3), is that Vash was always sort of already the quintessential Tumblr baby girl.

It's just that the 90s anime was so batshit insane and nearly incomprehensible (combine that with limited exposure of the show overall in "the west" other than Toonami) that barely anyone knew about it. Save for those who were able to catch episodes of 90s Trigun as well as the manga, I would say it's pretty fair to state that most people's impression of Vash would just be that of a bounty hunter/gunslinger anti-hero that's really good at shooting guns.

(Which is just fucking wild to think about in the first place because he's everything BUT that)

But now you have a massive audience (a good portion of which is queer-hi there!) just frothing at the mouth over any and all possible Vash content. Obviously, his redesign is a big factor in this, but character designs can really only go so far in terms of a feeding a fandom's fixation on a particular character.

It's been a lot of fun to watch people's reactions go from just going absolutely gaga over Vash's redesign (of which I have also taken part in haha) and his inherent dorky and idiotic cuteness, to being absolutely surprised/shocked that Vash is among one of the saddest characters to ever live.

I'm not gonna go into spoilers here, but I'll simply say this: Vash's life sucks ass. And it only keeps getting worse and worse and worse and worse and worse--

--AND YET he still keeps his baby girlness throughout all of Trigun (90s anime and manga).

I genuinely look forward to seeing the reactions of only anime fans the longer Trigun Stampede goes on. Y'all are in for a wild ride HA!

[trigunsbbygirl]

If you’re open for requests could I get a part 2 to Nai being isekaid onto Earth? Maybe when he starts to adapt and get used to the concept? Thank you and feel free to ignore if your requests are closed!

I've seen so many drawings of Knives working fast food on twt and its so fucking funny I love it so much. he would evaporate if he worked in my city during tourist season. but anyways, always down to talk about reverse isekai. hope you enjoy it!!

•it doesn't take long for Knives to get used to how things work on Earth. in fact, he finds a few similarities on Earth and Gunsmoke: you go to school, graduate, get a job, pay bills, buy groceries and so on.

•it's the way the corporate world, government and social media works that he has a bit of a harder time understanding? Knives gets it, he understands the concept and how greed consumes but he's still baffled by it all.

•I won't get into much politics or the saddening things that are happening around the world, but every once in a while, when watching the news, Knives will turn to you and just say 'I am considering returning to my old ways.' and you just hum in agreement.

•he also has a hard time adjusting to being around so many people almost all the time now. even though he stays inside your home most of the time he can still hear people talking, cars driving by and airplanes. it takes him a while to get used to all the noise.

•Knives only really goes shopping with you out of curiosity. he wants to see all the things that are on Earth even if he says he doesn't care. (overtime he starts going with you to make sure you're safe and that he can protect you.)

•I think he'd quite like farmers markets though. it may be busy but he can push through it for the fresh food.

•this man has zero online presence. the only account he would ever have is a youtube account if you and Vash (mainly Vash) managed to convince him to make one to post his music. other than that, he refuses to make accounts for Twitter or Instagram. he sees no point in it.

•Knives doesn't use a diary, but he does write what he did that day on the calendar app. his notes are very blunt too, 'went to zoo. interesting animals.' 'went grocery shopping. boring.' 'celebrated their birthday.. was fun.'

•he also doesn't text much and when he does the messages are short and straight to the point. "what do you want for dinner?" "when are you coming back home?" "we are out of x, pick some up on your way home." and he leaves you on read a lot too.

•also uses proper punctuation and dots the ends of his sentences. he rarely uses abbreviations and slang. the first time Knives used lol you acted like it was the biggest thing ever and he just replied 'stop freaking out.' then promptly left you on read.

•now let's say Knives somehow gets an ID, ssn and all that stuff. like the universe said go help pay bills and gifted him those stuff or smth.

•I've been seeing Twitter talk about Knives working at McDonald's in a modern au and yeah that's funny, but this is a reverse isekai and Knives is still dealing with his kill all humans mentality. if he worked customer service or at a restaurant he may genuinely say fuck the military consequences and consider mass genocide after one too many bad encounters. plus Knives would just be like 'why would I serve an inferior being?'

•but I could see him working at a small local book store or library. it's quiet, not too busy and Knives gets to easily learn about new books or books he may never have ended up hearing about. not much really happens, but one day more people than usual come in to buy a certain book. Knives mentions it to you and you have to explain how a Trigun fan account recommended 'This is How You Lose the Time War.' he has to take a second to take the information in.(I'm so sorry I just had to add this in nsvsjwhks- iykyk-)

•he still has a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that people enjoy Trigun. Knives tries not to think about it a lot, it weirds him out. the fact that a lot of people know about his past, trauma, and apparently, future makes him feel a little queasy and gross. he knows there's nothing he could've done and though no one knows he's actually there, it's still really invasive to him.

•anyways, if Knives learned how to drive, he would be very responsible. the only time he'd break any laws is speeding 10 mph above the speed limit on the highway, but everyone does that so he just joined in.

•whenever someone near him is driving like an asshole he sits there with a death glare. he's there thinking, 'I could ruin your car with my blades. I won't, but I could.' (he wishes he could but he knows many cars have a dashcam and that would cause bigger problems than just legal ones.)

•if it weren't for him living at your place, Knives would have little to no decorations in his home. maybe a few plants and coasters on the tables and books that he likes on a bookshelf, but that's kinda it. he might frame some of his paintings and hang them up. (I can see him with hanging vine plants)

•he gets into gardening a little, maybe hydroponics. Knives doesn't really want a big garden, but he'd like to grow a few vegetables and herbs.

•Knives still doesn't sleep, but over time he will join you for bed and cuddle you as you fall asleep. though after a while, Knives will get out of bed to do his own things. it takes a while for him to get into the idea of just sleeping, but he starts to indulge himself as he realizes how comforting it is to lay with you and rest.

•he starts to surprise you with romantic dinners, like he'll have candles lit up, a slow melody playing in the background. afterwards Knives will draw a bath for you and if you want him to, he'd gladly join you. either way, he's helping you wash up, telling you to just rest after the day you've had. it's the least he could since he can't work.

•overall he does end up adjusting quite well, it just takes him a long time to accept that he does have to live among humans and that the goal he's been working towards for years is practically undoable now. and it takes even longer to start indulging himself in other hobbies and his emotions that start to grow. (although I think his view on humans won't exactly change. but he acknowledges that there are people who are fighting for the greater good.)

[vashsscoreboardofpain]

WELCOME BACK SPORTS FANS >:]

Lets us all gather today to remember the legend 98 vash the stampede, who definitely didnt survive the augusta explosion and is not hiding his identity by letting his hair loose and wearing a simple outfit instead of his red coat.

Today the contestant has prepared an special outfit for the audience. What could he be hiding

Let us begin episode 18

SIKE! The contestant throws a flashback to the audience. And just like that he hits multiple points in one go: 1 "traumatizing event" point because someone important to him (kinda) was killed, 1 "action point" for not doing anything against knives' insults, 1 "TRAUMATIZING EVENT" POINT FOR LOSING HIS ARM WITH JUST A BULLET, 1 "TRAUMATIZING EVENT" FOR BEING VICTIM OF EXPERIMENTS WITH HIS OWN ARM, 1 "TRAUMATIZING EVENT" POINT FOR BEING FORCED TO USE THE ANGEL ARM AND 1 "BAD EVENT" POINT FOR THE WHOLE NIGHTMARE HOLY SHIT. THE CROWD GETS OFF THEIR SEATS AND CHEERS. WHAT A BEGINNING

After that shattering beginning, the contestant stays out of sight for a few minutes, waiting for the perfect chance to re enter the scene.

He enters the bar with a nice child. 1 "bad event" point because everyone aimed at him at the bar but, for a change, no one shoots at him. The contestant (in his clever disguise) gets kicked by Lina but because in this case was well deserved, the point will not be counted. Yeah, we also hate 90s writers sometimes.

But dont worry too much because the contestant has other ways to keep hitting points today. He goes outside, trying to avoid casualties. In his attempt to protect Lina, the contestant is threaten with an explosion (1 "bad event" point right there) and is obligated to bow to the criminals (1 "action" point). Now, although for most of you, dear audience, bowing is not a big deal, we are dealing with japanese media. In and outside of the trigun universe, what 98 vash eriks is doing is a drastic measure, so it will be counted.

Oh? speaking of drastic measures it seems like the bandits arent done. The contestant strikes 1 "action" point for following the indications of the bandit and act like a dog while naked. What does this action give our contestant? 1 "bad event" point because even when he did all that, he still gets shot at.

And when the audience would think they would get a break, wolfwood, our dear mvp, visits the contestant at the hospital. Even when unconscious, the contestant gets 1 "bad event" point for getting slapped in the face. Dear audience, now that the contestant is awake and that wolfwood is here, there are so many chances for him to get points.

In the talk alone he strikes 1 "bad event" point for getting visions of what he did, 1 "yikes statement" for mentioning his ache to live a quiet life after 150 years of existing and 1 "action" point for assuming wolfwood was there to make fun of him.

BUT DEAR AUDIENCE WE ARE NOT DONE. Outside of the hospital, Lina and her grandma are helping the contestant strike points. He gets 1 "action" point for trying to stop a bar fight and getting punched.

When he go back to the contestant he greets us with 1 "yikes statement" with his "whenever i do anything, people die." The crowd cries a little but wait! After wolfwood leaves, the contestant strikes 1 "action" point because of the way his face changes when knives was mentioned. He moves fast and strikes another "yikes statement" point when reflecting about his life and his attempts to get away from violence. He moves again and hits 1 "bad event" point for getting painful flashbacks of his past, 1 "yikes statement" point for asking the room what to do and 1 "action" point for crying. Its the legendary move that he usually doesnt use: The Triple Depressed Strike.

Now that he has heard the news about Lina, however, he makes a decision. And alongside it, a sad statement about not wanting to leave. 1 "yikes statement" point for him.

The contestant and wolfwood go to confront the bandits and save Lina. After that, he drops his clever disguise as eriks, and prepares to be vash the stampede once again

WOW OK this one was a heavy round dear audience. The contestant is truly giving it all. Today he got 23 points. 98 Vash broke his own record today! This means his new total is 157 points! DEAR AUDIENCE HE IS 2 POINTS AWAY FROM SURPASSING STAMPEDE VASH! INCREDIBLE!

Tune in tomorrow for more sports and for the start of his road trip with the mvp wolfwood

[tongaris]

YOOO i finished stampede last night so here are my rambling thoughts bc i just woke up:

first of all the opening theme is a bop. kudos to whoever fought for that color scheme during the beginning titles. it reminds me of the children of dune miniseries from the early 00s (all the orange), early 90s orange/teal/purple and like, taco bell. sick. good font choices, sand blowing away to reveal lettering always goes hard. windmill and things sinking into the sand, awesome.

i don't know how kids are straight up rawdogging stampede without reading the manga first though!! the manga is the backbone of trigun, it is the Primary Source document of trigun!! no question. in stampede, there is so much crammed in this short frame of time, there is like so much happening, I DO NOT MIND THIS THOUGH bc i'm well acquainted. but i feel like someone with no prior trigun exposure might have difficulty keeping up with all of it? at the same time, i get the vibe that stampede was made primarily for people who already HAVE decades of massive trigun brainrot, who know how plants work, etc. it's cool that stampede's ushered new fans into this universe. someone on crunchyroll was saying how they hit you with all the lore and secrets up front, there's no buildup. but like imo it's understood you KNOW the backstory and stampede is just this fresh re-imagining of it. stampede's just a really pretty, lovingly-wrought cherry on the sundae of your existing trigun fandom. it is like, a gift to all of us??

it started out and i'm like okay this is literally Tremors, now it's The Wolfwood Show, i loved how they did the badlads even though no BDN (BDN my beloved), lots of character design diversity, not alot of "sameface" which i respect, great voice acting. i have never been a huge fan of cgi in anime but zamn they made it work SO well like the cell shading was just phenomenal. glad that they didn't shy away from blood. well utilized gore, not gratuitous. the final battle with vash and knives was gorgeous. SO WELL ANIMATED MY GODD. love how knives has this classically "good" angelic color scheme and vash is all chthonic black and dark purples?? this is my initial reaction after powering through it once, i'll rewatch soon for stuff i missed.

someone do a gifset of meryl kicking ww in the shin and making him shiver like a traumatized shiba inu PLEASE bc i haven't seen that on here yet lmao. also love how wolfwood would say some tough edgy shit to appear callous/indifferent but you can immediately tell by his eyes/actions that he truly feels otherwise. boy we see right thru you.

[makima-s-most-smile]

Trigun Maximum Vol. 10 Part 1

I… don’t want to read this again… I can’t. I am still scarred.  You’d think it’d be easier reading this the second time… But instead it got worse. I am bawling preemptively.

Trigun Ultimate: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 Trigun Maximum: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, You are here!

01: Delusion 

(Me, when I think: Maybe it won’t happen this time)

The frontpage shows Razlo. And yes, he is pretty delusional if he thinks that Chapel needs or wants him at his side. But the chapter starts with the following.

Not from your teachings, that much is clear. Who is the delusional one here? Wolfwood, who stands up against Chapel or Chapel who doesn’t understand why Wolfwood persists?

Wolfwood is a protector, it is the core of his being. He cannot stand down. Not when the thing that he protects is on the line, especially against an abuser like Chapel. But, as a consequence, Wolfwood’s life seems more and more negligible against his want to protect.

The sentence that is so important but is so judgemental, too. While Vash saw who Wolfwood is behind the mask from the beginning, he was also still too wrapped up to truly understand how and why Wolfwood acts the way he does. This is an echo of Rem, not really understood. Her ideals live on in Vash, even though he twisted them so much.

But now, since shit has hit the fan, Wolfwood only can hope. There is nothing else left.

Wolfwood cannot change the outcome of the whole world, but he can change this outcome. He has already laid his hope for the future in Vash’ hands. That’s why he freed him from the ark. That’s why he endured months on the ark, while being forced to commit mass murder. Wolfwood still has no hope for himself, there exists no future for Wolfwood in his mind, it never did, but he believes in Vash and he believes that there is A future. It is still sad, but it shows how far Wolfwood has grown. (Wolfwood is such a Millennial, before Millennials were even a real thing. But it kinda fits, since Nightow lived through the Lost Decades that started like 5 years before Trigun started to run)

Wolfwood does not believe in the world, in the good of man or anything. He believes in his friend. He trusts in Vash. He openly says that he doesn’t know if Vash would win against Knives. He just hopes. Through all of the developments that Wolfwood went through, this is one of the biggest. Wolfwood who has learned by experience that there is no reason for hope, that things will always go to shit, has nothing left to give, only hope.

Like he hasn’t forsaken Wolfwood… But this was never about Vash forsaking Wolfwood. Wolfwood chose to leave Vash to not be a burden to him. Wolfwood will get a stark reminder, soon, how much he erred in his importance to Vash.

Through all of this, Wolfwood still does not see himself as redeemable. Or as someone not worth any kind of grace. Having been so intensely self reliant and independent, he just can’t. His feelings go against his knowledge and in the end, a human is a being that goes by its emotion, not its logic. How do you go against such mindset, when you do not have the opportunity or skills to recognise it?

I think that is the delusion in question. A.) It does matter, B.) Vash will be there soon and C.) Wolfwood did not have to do it.

There may even be some hope in Wolfwood that Vash has followed him, since he didn’t take the deadly dose of the vials yet, but I am not sure about that one. Many ways to interpret that.

Razlo is shown as someone incredibly unlikeable here. He enjoys torturing Wolfwood. He is monstrous. We know behind that lies the reason why Razlo exists, being the one who attacks so no one can hurt Livio. But he is more than just that, he is a person. I think he enjoys fighting and Wolfwood is one of the first people who didn’t just flatout die on him. A predator that is finally able to stretch his muscles.

I feel a bit cheated. Why focus on that he has three vials, if it is not three more, but two more vials that will kill him? In my first read through, my hope for Wolfwood’s survival was based on this.

This is the reason why I have these two headcannons, that there is 1. Just a finite amount of vials you can take as a whole (five it seems. Wolfwood took one after the ark and one in this fight) and 2. That taking vials back to back amplifies their effect for the better and worse. The vials were a spontaneous edition. While Nightow excels at writing humans, his worldbuilding goes more by vibes. Which (not meant as an insult) sometimes makes things a bit hazy and uncertain. As someone who really likes clear rules, this can be annoying for me personally. Which again, is not meant as an insult, but my personal likes. 

Your Divine Retribution? Hey, everyone! Chapel is God!

For all the conflicting signs of Chapel switching between a weird care for Wolfwood’s survival to him sadistically hurting him for his betrayal to then putting Livio/Razlo down for their skill to then again warning Wolfwood for his life it finally boils down to his true face and his true reasons.

And back to the chapter title “Delusion”. Chapel is the delusional person. He is almighty, he has complete control over his pupils, he is their God, he owns them in body and mind. Wolfwood not only defying him, but nearly killing him, is the reality he cannot accept. The slave has not to rise up against its master. But Wolfwood did. Because Chapel never owned him. Wolfwood's existence is the burning example that Chapel is not someone godlike and that’s why he has to be erased in the worst way possible. So Chapel’s world is right again.

02: Sworn Friend

On my first read, I thought Razlo wanted to save Wolfwood somehow by buying time. But Razlo hasn’t that in himself, that’s something for future Razlo to develop. Razlo wanted to fight with an equal, someone he can rough up without immediately losing him. Maybe he wished for an equal, too, since they are both pupils of Chapel. He may be dependent on Chapel, but I cannot imagine that he gets much emotional bonding time with that old hoot.

Dude, you are seeing the red flags, but are unable to understand them as such. 

Chapel did not take L/R in after Wolfwood left, but before! He is walking here! Chapel taught them as pupils at the same time, but kept them separate (or took Livio in after Wolfwood became his pupil, but still while Wolfwood was in training).

From this I get that Livio/Razlo is kinda ousted from the EoM, since he murdered some of their people. They may have spared his life, but revoked his position. Didn’t Legato mention that there was some kind of infighting going on? But… wait, since Chapel is walking here… That would have been at least 2,8 years ago. So… put a maybe to my assumption. Maybe it is a long ongoing internal war?

Razlo… Nooooooo…Explains why Razlo is so loyal to Chapel. Livio, I am sure, would have broken away sooner, if it wasn’t for Razlo wanting to stay. Razlo wants to be needed above anything else. I think Livio, too. Being needed means security. If they are needed they have a place to stay there. They won’t be thrown away. That’s what it comes back to for Livio and thus Razlo, that is their biggest fear. But that has opened both of them up to the abuse of Chapel. 

Little sidenote, all of this combined, Chapel’s sign of care for his pupil, his theatrical sacrifice and the resulting hold he gained onto Razlo, is so interesting in comparison to how Wolfwood loves Livio. Wolfwood is dying right now in the desperate attempt to free Livio. But it is a gift and not something contractual. Livio/Razlo need continuous security, that they are needed and thus have a place under/with their benefactor. But Wolfwood cannot offer any further security. He can only offer his future. Razlo does not understand that, Livio maybe, but it needs to reach him first. (Also, how ironic, that Wolfwood is able to give so much freely and openly out of love to his peers, but cannot accept any of this for himself.)

They force them out so they can slaughter them before Wolfwood’s eyes. Why am I reminded of war crimes?

I love how ready Miss Melanie is to protect the kids with her live. And the kiddos’ reaction? It totally fits bratty kids. The scene is incredibly heartwarming and sad at the same time. The kids stay with Miss Melanie. Her tears show her desperation/frustration, but I’d like to imagine that she is also touched by this.

Wolfwood’s worst nightmare. He fears that they are afraid of him, that he is truly just a monster. That the one place that took him in and was his paradise is forever closed to him for what he has done to keep them safe.

And for a second, it looks like it is true. At least from his perspective. Miss Melanie recognises him and she pales. But her shock is not because of who Wolfwood has become, but because she realises how much he sacrificed for them. I cannot even imagine the feeling a mother would have seeing her child in such a state, realising that it has been alone the whole time, carrying such a burden without ever coming home to rest.

Chapel is laughing, because he truly believes that Miss Melanie would judge Wolfwood like Wolfwood judges himself. He truly believes that Wolfwood is not loved. Chapel is Wolfwood’s self hatred personified. 

And until Miss Melanie speaks, he truly can revel in his victory. What he couldn’t do himself, the rejection by Wolfwood’s home does it. But she speaks.

She doesn’t judge him, though. As much as I criticise Miss Melanie for the parentification of Wolfwood, I know that she has been way over her head, trying to take care and feed so many poor kids. She hadn’t had the resources to help Wolfwood. But she loved him as one of her own and cared for him as much as she could. Not every abuse or neglect comes from bad people. Sometimes even not from people at all, but from the society these people live in. 

Trauma and neglect are such a big part of this story. But they are all so different. I think it is interesting how the emotional neglect coming from the mother figures Rem and Miss Melanie is both accidental/ due to circumstances (and now that I think about this, both chose motherhood! They did not fall pregnant. They are not blood related, but they stepped up for these kids because there was no one else who would do it.). Rem did not have the abilities to suddenly mother those two aliens and was mentally unwell. Worse, she lived in an unsafe environment for the twins, so she had no one who she could ask for help. Miss Melanie on the other hand has the emotional ability that Rem lacked, but she is so overworked to care for all the kids that Wolfwood slipped through and she could never reach him. But it is also her that made him believe in something good in this world, something worth protecting. But I am babbling again.

Miss Melanie reprimands Wolfwood. But not for his work, but for bottling up his pain, for not relying on his family that loved him. He did all that to protect them, but in the end the very same action ended up hurting them. Because they want to be there for him. And he rejected that and that rejection hurts. As a caretaker it must feel so shitty to know that your warden did not trust you enough to come and ask for help. Especially since Wolfwood endured this pain for them.

Miss Melanie is thankful, too. No wonder that the orphanage is Wolfwood’s paradise. He is loved and welcomed there. What he does for them is seen and appreciated.

But even that does not reach Wolfwood, he cannot give himself the saving grace. Wolfwood cannot see what he does for them, he only sees what he could not do.

Yeah. But you didn’t want to be a burden, did ya? I read a sentence in a comic that goes like this: “I hope you learn one day to be less convenient.” And I wish that for Wolfwood. But since we are at Vol.10, we know it is too late for that.

Aww, didn’t this work up to your expectations? Boohoo, they really do love and accept Wolfwood, how could they? Poor Chapel, who would have thought that there are good people all around? (sarcasm)

But it is also here that Wolfwood throws the rest of his self-preservation away.

Wolfwood truly has made a friend. 

This is for me the moment they truly become equal. Through all of their travels it has been Vash who was the one who decided on where to go, often without telling Wolfwood anything about where and why. (I grew iffy with that and I still am somewhat iffy, because it read as pure avoidance of Knives. Thanks to @/revenantghost I remembered that Vash had reasons to go here and there, getting a new arm etc. but it still comes back to: Vash decided where to go without consulting or even speaking to Wolfwood) Not only that, Vash tried to slip away from Wolfwood, like on Home. Here, the roles are reversed. Vash followed Wolfwood who slipped away. Wolfwood decided what is important to him and followed that. And Wolfwood has become important enough for Vash that Vash is not only not avoiding the connection between them anymore, but he is actively seeking it out. Nightow said a possible love prospect needed to be very patient with Vash. Wolfwood has been patient the whole time. (Kinda, he blew up and grumbled and still followed Vash’ whims.)