#toni only has ONE in the manga but i wanted to add another one from when he meets sugimoto

[ginkashino]

A reminder of what couldn't kill you

[dontcallmecarrie]

Now I can’t help but picture Justin as the unwitting protagonist of one of those harem mangas. Of course there are a million rumours about him, when he has chemistry with all these hot dangerous dudes doomed to pine over his untouchable emperor self.

I...honestly just know a few of the general tropes of that type of story via what I've seen of Hamefura, but yeah, that tracks.

I mean, just with what he's been doing, Justin's already broken goodness knows how many hearts— after all, while Tony's the flirt, the more I think about it the more I realize that Justin has to have been someone's white whale.

Probably more than someone, really: after all, Justin is very much a gentleman, kind and polite and responsible, and for the longest time impossible to pin down in regards to romance.

You as the reader know he's like that because he's got echoes of a past life; the average person, however, is just seeing a rich young man who is either oblivious or simply uncaring of all the times people try to flirt with him. 

There's no way he hasn't unintentionally made someone cry because he younger-sibling-zoned them, is what I'm saying. 

He's practically the embodiment of the saying "the good ones are either taken or gay", which only adds to the rumors. 

Just to add fuel to the fire, however, Justin's general attitude doesn't exactly help: after all, he learned to not give a fuck about what people talked about him from an early age.

Because hey, if his parents kept comparing him to the Starks' kid when he was all of six years old, then clearly he had to take anything he heard with a grain of salt if he wanted to have some semblance of self-esteem. That's also roughly around the time that Justin figured that he'd need to step the hell up because he was an older sibling twice over and the parents around here weren't exactly the greatest and if that meant becoming the mom friend for everyone in the vicinity, so be it.

...which means that decades later, he'll sometimes hear the odd rumor, and just go "do these people not have anything better to do with their time?" rather than "is that what people think of me?"

Which is another way of saying that starting from the age of six, Justin Hammer has mostly just been doing his own thing and cares about the people he likes, and damn the consequences.

So now, it is everyone's problem.

Or, well, everyone even remotely romantically interested in Justin, because his knee-jerk reaction to seeing someone is to younger-sibling-zone them, among other things.

Which, as you can imagine, is frustrating when you have a crush on the really nice guy who leaves 30% tips and holds the door open for you and is great with kids and— 

you get the picture.

[taz-skylar]

CONTENT CREATOR: 2020 IN REVIEW

tagged by the best beans @zofias and @kamalaskhans, thanks buds! :D

first creation and most recent creation of 2020:

first creation: ace & sabo in one piece: stampede wow that feels like years ago

most recent creation: just posted a sailor moon/wonder woman parallel bc QUEENS

one of your favourite creations from 2020:

jepser fahey bc wow do i miss having that type of inspiration

a creation you’re really proud of:

tony stark didn’t think it was going to turn out how i wanted but it pretty much did???

a new style you tried this year and a gifset that uses it:

manga colouring for the first time with oikawa tooru

trying my hand at colouring with my most tragic beans (pepperony)

blending for the first time with pepperony

playing around with gifs on top of gifs for morgan and tony

a creation that took you forever:

oh definitely the pepper loving tony throughout the years gifset

also the gif in pepperony’s first dance i had to do that frame-by-frame which is A LOT

your creation from 2020 that received the most notes:

tony stark parallel from iron man 2 and what if...?

but second place goes to tony stark with a naruto quote so that’s fun :D

a creation you think deserved more notes:

honestly i wish the first wangxian gifset i did with the old guard quote got more notes than it had bc that was just sad to see :(

a creation with a favourite scene/quote:

chuuya’s entrance

oikawa’s appearances after the timeskip (gotta choose both bc they’re both KINGS)

a new fandom you joined and a creation you made for it:

i joined so many fandoms this year but let’s go with the wangxian + delicate one i did

a creation you made that breaks your heart:

jfaldfja i basically just make a lot of sad edits but for this game i’ll go with the wei wuxian and jiang yanli one that made me cry

a ‘simple’ creation that you really love:

this pepperony gifset bc i just really love the contrasts between their first and last scenes in the iron man mask in avengers (like the cool colouring in the beginning vs. the hot in the ending and the happiness vs. sadness) liek it’s all there in that scene and i love it and hate it

a creation that was inspired by another one (add both your creation and the one that inspired it!):

ironfam inspired by the incredibly talented @sersi​ (star wars version)

but also tony stark inspired by the amazing @catchingmydeatth​ (rey version)

a favourite creation created by someone else: (in no particular order)

oh i have so many aldjfakd going through my fav tag is the best idea but let’s see:

the arthur/gwen&barry/iris parallel gifset by @iriswestsallen​ bc that edit was so beautiful and wonderfully done that it literally started my entire fav tag !! 

obviously this tony stark edit (it was made for me okay), but also soukoku (that coin is the best thing of life), pevensies + times of day (i’m screaming, especially over that blue for edmund!), dabi's reveal (the colouring is everything!! even with the lyrics which was TOTALLY done to spite me :/), but also the miles morales edit and all the writing and the small little snippets and of course the shitposts that are done by @hauntedthief - i love the fact that i get to see all the edits and writing pieces before they even get posted, like from start to finish, it’s the best

the iconic miles morales edit by @wonderwomans and the tony stark gifset (i’m biased but it was made for me :D) but also kesh has all of the talent in the world, no lies, bc her soukoku au tears me to pieces and puts me back together again jsut to do it all over again. legit kesh your talent is unparalleled, holy fuck

anything and everything made by @kamalaskhans​ but i am always going to be in love with this tony stark gifset sameera made bc everything is so perfect in it, like next level stuff right here. wow, the most talented gif maker creating such a masterpiece, i am in love

the dazai osamu edit by @dicennio but honestly it was really hard to choose just one out of everything?? your one of the best graphic makers on this site, holy shit, and i get so excited over all your edits bc the talent??? the amazingness??? i love it all

this anakin and obi-wan gifset by @niinazenik bc wow phe, how do you edit??? like seriously. the way this edit flows from red with teh bolded ‘hate’ to the blue and the sadness in the end scene is everything, wow, i’m stunned

this tony stark gifset by @marwankenzari bones not only is that quote so perfect for the best bean in this universe but also your font choices and your colouring are amazing and the way the font in the back goes from red to yellow, his colours, just ties it all up so well, seriously i’m in awe over here, bud

this untamed finale ep gifset by @gusucloud​ this finale ep was a rollercoaster of emotions and this gifset brings it all out again. the colouring is so soft which contrasts so beautifully with the heartbreaking scenes. wow i’m a mess again, thanks

some of your favourite content creators from the year: (in no particular order)

@hauntedthief, @wonderwomans, @kamalaskhans, @dicennio, @zofias, @mob-psycho, @yenvengerberg, @elriccs, @mazusu, @gojosattoru, @coulter, @anya-chalotra, @marwankenzari, @katsukes, @chloezhao, @sersi, @momentofmemory, @niinazenik, @reddriot, @zuura, @timothyolyphant, @taylorjoy-anya, @hollywoods, @bosemanchadwick, @ierishouko, @tanchirou, @montygreen, @bartonclinton, @jackmans, @akaashikeji, @parkersedith, @robertpattisons, @pepperonys, @andthwip, @williamsherondales, @gusucloud, @strangehighs, @celiabowens, @runwiththewind, @arthurpendragonns, @highwarlockkareena, @kiyomie, @chonis, @tonystarks, and so many more !! seriously everything these wonderful people make is certified gold!!! thank you guys so much for making my dash brighter and more beautiful than it’s ever been! this year may have been shitty but my dash was filled with the best art ever :D it’s so inspiring to see all your beautiful creations, y’all are seriously so damn talented and i’m so glad i follow you all!

and for good measure, another a couple more creations of yours that you love:

tony stark + the flash

dazai osamu

susan pevensie + ashe vernon

soukoku playlist

pepperony + mary oliver

oikawa tooru

one tree hill

susan pevensie + emily palermo

pepperony + 5+1

wangxian + mary elizabeth frye

tagging: everyone who’s been tagged in this post if you haven’t already done it yet! :D

[chibivesicle]

Your posts and way of thinking are perfect as alway. Thank you so much for all. Ok, now the q. Do you think that something really bad is coming?

Hello there!

Thanks for the question.  I’m glad you enjoy my meta analyses.  I don’t think they are perfect, but I do try to look at the big picture and apply life experiences to the comic.  To answer your question, yes!  I think something really bad is going to happen.  There have been several moments so far in the manga where things have really impacted the events.

Kiroranke finding Asirpa and telling her that Nopperabou is her father Wilk was the most important event in the manga for 89 chapters.  This drove the events from chapter 48 here:

To this scene in 137:

Kiro finding Asirpa was likely a part of the plan for the cat alliance.  Ogata moved to infiltrate Hijikata’s group while Kiro made sure Asirpa and Sugimoto would begin to move towards Abashiri as well. 

Most of the cast were not in large groups for most of the manga.  The major groups at the start were:

i.) Asirpa, Sugimoto, Shiraishi and Kiro.

ii.) Hijikata, Ushiyama, Nagakura, Ienaga, [Ogata]

iii.) Tanigaki, Inkarmat and Cikapasi

iv.) Tsurumi and the 27th; Tsukishima, Nikaido, Koito

At Yubari when the 27th burns down Edogai’s place, Hijikata forces a switch making their groups have to meet up again by swapping Shiraishi and Kiro with Ogata.  This serves Ogata and Kiro well and Hijikata.  This does not serve Sugimoto and Asirpa well.  The groups swap again when Shiraishi gets captured in Asahikawa.  Ogata sticks with Sugimoto and Shiraishi since he facilitated their escape while Kiro actually ditches Hijikata’s group so he could stop pestering him about Wilk.

Kiro tracks the group down at the beach when Inkarmat, Cikapasi and Tanigaki meet up with them in the swamp.  I think Kiro was trying to get back in place with them and avoiding Hijikata. 

Hijikata then tracks them to Lake Toro and his group rejoins them when they encounter Toni Anji.  This results in the massive group that then gathers to break into Abashiri.  Abashiri then showed that this giant group that shared the real citatap is a group in name only with everyone having their own priorities.

This scene is so important leading up to Abashiri.  It alludes to the divisions that already exist in the group.  The tankoban is corrected that Hijikata was told about Ogata’s background from Tanigaki and Kiro.  Smooth Kiro, you direct the attention away from yourself and onto Ogata while working with him.

This is interesting as during the last supper scene, Sugimoto tries to point out to Hijikata that Ogata is untrustworthy but here it is the reverse.  Hijikata questions his motives and Sugimoto gives him the evil eye as he summarizes that this information means he wants to become like his father.  What is most important is that he is the only person who asks if everyone “trusts” everyone else with different goals.

This scene here lulls everyone into a sense they are more of a team than they ever were or will be.

Hijikata used Sugimoto and Shiraishi as a distraction to grab Asirpa, Kiro made sure that Ogata would shoot Wilk forcing Asirpa to head to Karafuto for answers, Inkarmat sold everyone out to the 27th etc. . .

So, when shit hits the fan at Abashiri, the group actually returns more to smaller groups with shared motives (on the surface).

Hijikata stays in Hokkaido and works with Ushiyama, Nagakura, Kadokura and Kirawus.  Where is Kantaro?  Where is the little gangster baby? (I say this b/c he’s like 19 making him one of the youngest cast members)

Asirpa, Shiraishi, Kiro and Ogata go to Karafuto, the most united of the groups during most of the Karafuto arc chapter 138 - 203 (since they are still in Karafuto, I’ll call it a new arc when they actually get back to Hokkaido).  Asirpa wants to learn about Wilk as driven by Ogata shooting Wilk for Kiro.  Kiro stood to gain the code and so did Ogata.  But as a team they worked incredibly well, Ogata learned abut Wilk along with Asirpa and Sofia and Tsurumi [indirectly - I wonder if Ogata knows Tsurumi was Hasegawa].

Sugimoto-Tsukishima group appears united on the surface but as they clearly demonstrated they were anything but.  Tanigaki was out for revenge for Inkarmat first and to rescue Asirpa second.  Tsukishima was there b/c Tsurmi ordered him to along with Koito on his father’s orders.  Sugimoto was there b/c he sold out to Tsurumi to return Asirpa and for revenge against Ogata and Kiro.  The entire time they suffer from their poor communication skills and leadership issues. 

At first, I wanted to say the Karafuto arc came to an end with Ogata was shot and Kiro died.  Now, I feel differently about this - I think it is still ongoing  b/c their group appears even more broken and disjointed.  Ogata escaped and it really makes sense if his main trusted person was Kiro and I really wonder if he’s in search of Sofia.  There was no resolution in tension when Ogata was shot and Kiro died.  The tension between everyone remains or has become worse - Shiraishi and Sugimoto, Koito and Tsukishima.

Sugimoto boldly declared he won’t go along with Tsurumi to Asirpa but how?  Tsukishima and Koito are both there and Tanigaki appears to be greatly at ease back under Tsurumi’s command. 

Ogata has planted the seeds of doubt in Koito’s mind about Tsukishima and Tsurumi.  Warrant officer Kikuta was introduced right after Kiro’s death and was shown to be one of the kidnappers meaning he played a larger role in Tsurumi’s plans in the past. 

Drastic events always break the groups apart in GK.  Wilk as the ”goal” in 48 wrapped up in 137, 89 chapters later.  138 to 203 is 65 chapters.  We are due for a return to action on Hokkaido, say Hijikata’s group or Tsurumi and the 27th.  These events will likely get around another 20 chapters plus the group potentially making it back to Hokkaido. 

I see the next big event either happening before they can get to Hokkaido or some of the group breaks off before or around arrival.  With Koito’s questioning and Asirpa’s questioning, they seem to be the most likely to end up separated. 

We see Koito’s distance shown here when Sofia is broken out of Akou prison.

But it would be alluding to this here in 200.  Three men all working for Tsurumi and then Koito who is still there but likely not paying heed to Kikuta, Tsukishima and Ogata.

Tsukishima, Tanigaki and Sugimoto are working for Tsurumi just like before, to rescue a kidnapped individual, this time though the kidnappers were only kidnappers in the eyes of Sugimoto, maybe Tsukishima, Tanigaki likely and then Koito had to follow orders.

The big bad thing is them returning from Karafuto to Hokkaido.  Once they step foot back on Hokkaido, Tsurumi will want Tsukishima to hand over Asirpa.  The question is if Tsurumi will force Sugimoto to be stuck in the deal.  Shiraishi can’t do anything.  Tanigaki is more worried about Inkarmat who is already in Tsurumi’s hands.  Tanigaki can’t fight back.  Sugimoto won’t be able to fight back.  Kikuta and Ariko may be back with Tsurumi to add into the mix.  With Koito’s kidnapping revealed, Tsurumi must have multiple back up plans/trump cards to play against Sugimoto.

Hijikata has all of those photos which he will be taking to the press - that will also cause huge issues to happen.  Who will tell him about Kiro’s death?  Will he use Kiro’s death as a way to fan the flames of conflict -  Ainu-Tatar Russian partisan killed by Japanese army in Russia?  That is a total shit storm.  Japanese Army then brings back the “natural” Ainu leader to put under the “care” of the 27th.

If Koito begins to doubt Tsurumi, I think the only way Asirpa slips through his graps is if Koito facilitates it but Sugimoto will lose her again b/c of his current mindset.  I also think Koito will want to seek out Ogata.  Those two are due for a conversation.  I think Sugimoto’s stubbornness will result in him being lost from Asirpa again.  Just a hunch.  Plus, Asirpa has to go ask Ogata to save Sugimoto at some point in the future.

Sorry for the long winded answer, but yes, I think something will likely happen around chapter 230.

[aquaburst3]

Vocal Pineapple made a video reimaging western superheroes as what they would be like if they were characters in My Hero Academia universe and made to fit said universe. I want to do the same thing with other heroes he never mentioned in the video as a fun thought exercise. I might make another one of these if I think of more.

(As a side note, I’m not doing Spiderman since Vocal Pineapple already tackled that one. Same goes for the other characters he talked about in the video. I won’t talk about Superman, since I think All Might is BNHA’s version of that character already. xP)

Bruce Wayne: Bruce is a quirkless man, who was a part of one of the wealthiest families in the US. Bruce’s parents died while he was a small child. Instead of vowing revenge and wanting to take them down, he started his own hero agency. Other socialites in his city saw this as a strange pursuit, especially given the fact that he had no quirk and never went to a hero school, but Bruce did it anyways and started Batman Incorporated. Over the years, many people worked for him including Barbara, Tim, Luke, etc. Also, during those years he adopted a few boys and had a biological son in the form of Damian.

Ra’s: He’s an Arab man with a longevity and healing quirk, which slows his aging down to a crawl. In fact, he was one of the first quirk users around, born around the same time as All for One. Back when he was alive, Ra’s was the head of the League of Assassins and was one of the big names in the underground alongside All for One. He didn’t like this, so he took out the competition by stealing Ra’s’ quirk. He died shortly after. That’s how All for One is able to live for so long without dying. (After he dies, Talia inherits The League from her father and hatches a plan to have a child with Bruce so he could take down All for One and rule the criminal underground.)

Damian Wayne/Robin: Son of Tailia and Bruce, his quirk, which he inherited from his mother, allows him to predict the moves of his opponents. (With the downside being that he has to make eye contact with them for it to activate.)  He was raised by his mother to be the prefect assassin and was the heir to his late grandfather’s empire.

When he first came to live with his father, he was a spoiled brat and saw himself as a prince, everyone around him found him quite annoying. He struggled with the duelling sides of himself–The Assassin Prince and The Son of Batman. Over the course of his adolescence, after much struggle, he calmed down considerably and became a pretty well adjusted adult. He can still be intimidating and badass when he wants to be, even having a sword cane.

In the current timeline, ie when the manga is taking place, he’s an attractive man in his late 20s. He’s married to Kimiko Queen, the half sister of another wealthy socialite, Oliver Queen, and a fellow a former assassin, who works for another hero agency. Damian inherited his father’s company after the aging Bruce retired shortly after he graduated from hero school. Many people work for him, including some fresh talent like Terry (who’s not related to Bruce in this version).

Dick Greyson/Robin/Nightwing: He started off as an acrobat with an agility quirk, who worked long side his family before they passed away. Bruce adopted him and he became Robin while doing his provisional licence. During his early 20s, instead of sticking to his adopted dad’s agency and becoming like Batman, he decided to go down his own path. He did a stint at some hero agencies as Nightwing, being in the Top 10 Heroes List for America for a few years, before deciding to become a teacher at an American hero school and settling down with Barbara. All of the students love him there, since he’s patient and always helps out young students in need.

Tony Stark/Iron Man: He’s another quirkless scientist on I-Island, who created a technologically advanced suit. After his technology gets into the wrong hands, he makes sure that it would never happen again. Expect many dick wagging contests between him and Melissa’s dad over who comes up with the better stuff. He also mentored Peter Parker before Peter passed away right out of high school and then Miles.

Scott Lang/Ant Man (going with the MCU versions for this): He started out as a criminal, who wanted to get money to save his sick daughter by stealing some tech from the company his brother used to work for. One day, he’s tasked to go to I-Island to steal some top secret tech for a group of thugs. He’s caught by Hank Pym. Since he tried to steal for him to help his daughter and had a transforming quirk, the aging doctor offers him up the opportunity to work for him and test out his new suit. Scott agrees and he’s used as the guinea pig for his new powered suit. Now, he’s as an official hero working for Hank Pym with the help of his daughter.

Kamala/Ms Marvel: She’s a Pakistani-American teenager, who attends an American hero school around the same time as Deku and has a quirk where she can morph the size and shape of her body. (Think Mr Fantastic, but with the drawback that she has the strength of those sizes). She’s also still pretty nerdy and loves geeking out over heroes like Deku.

Robbie Reyes/ Ghost Rider: A Latino American with a quirk that allows his whole body to be engulfed in flames without dying or getting burnt and control them. (Think Endeavour’s quirk, but with less control of it if he’s emotional.) He’s a younger hero who is based out of a hero agency in the US. He also uses a motorbike to do his work to separate himself from Endeavour and born with a skull for a head, earning him the name “Ghost Rider.” He’s also does some side work at the US version of UA and a lot of the kids love him as a teacher.

Diana/ Wonder Woman: Born a normal human during the first generation of quirk users, she had a strength quirk that even allowed her to jump long distances and deflect bullets. During this time things were out of control without any rules in place, she went out and caught evil doers anyways. In modern times, long after her passing, her legacy lives on and she’s seen as an idol to young girls, who want to get into the hero business.

Dr Strange: He’s a doctor turned hero, who has a quirk that allows him to manipulate matter. Don’t know what else to add other then that, really.

T'Challa/Black Panther: The king of an African nation, he has a quirk that gives him the skills of a panther. (Think something like Tsuyu’s quirk, but with panther powers and he doesn’t have any panther psychical features like a tail or something.) He decides to use his powers more often to help out his own people and others are in desperate need of his help around the world.

Arthur Curry/Aqua Man: Instead of being the king of the sea, he’s just the son of a lighthouse keeper with a quirk that allows him to control sea life. He joins Mera and starts up his own hero agency. He has two protegees: Aqua Lad and Tempest.

Aqua Lad:  Jackson Hyde is the son of an accountant and the villain Black Manta, making him rather self conscious about his image and how others in the business perceive him. Despite being the son of his greatest foe, Arthur wanted him to do his provisional licence training with him. He has a quirk that allows him to manipulate water like a Water Bender from the ATLA universe…without the healing abilities. Personality wise, he’s like his Young Justice counterpart.

Jaime Reyes/ Blue Beetle: He’s a boy living in El Paso,Texas. He has an pulse cannon quirk that allows him to able to create an outward surge of energy wherever his hand is pointing, damaging anyone in a close vicinity. (His friends Paco and Brenda often tease him about being the human version of a cinnamon roll, despite having the power to take out All Might if he wanted to.)

One day while visiting his friend Miles Morales on I-Island, Ted Cord’s lab gets attacked and the scarab that he was creating attaches itself to his spin. The scarab turns out to be armour that has the ability to shape shift and has a highly advance AI (think JARVAS from the MCU). However, due to it not being fully realized yet, it has some glitches and bugs like the AI saying that he needs to use his quirk to destroy others that makes Jaime fear it. Branch of the League of Villains located in the US, The Reach, try to control the scarab in order to turn the boy into a living weapon for All for One, but Jaime stops that plan and the scarab becoming friendly to him.

Oh yeah, he’s also friends with Tracy 13 and Impulse.

Jon Stewart/Green Lantern: He’s a former solider turned hero with a quirk that allows him to create anything, but can only due it when he has another object at hand. (Kinda like a mixture of being an alchemist in the FMA universe and Momo’s quirk.)

[chamiryokuroi]

What dying will flames do you think the Avengers would have?

Oh boy, why would you do this to me, now I will haveto really think about it.

Ok so for those who do not understand, the flames Anonis asking about are from the manga Katekyo Hitman Reborn, there are many and each one has a different ability, I will explain morebelow.

Tony - Sky

If you didn't see this coming I am greatlydisappointing on you. Ok but aside from the fact that Tony is my boyI do believe he would have Sky flames, their main characteristic isHarmony, which is the first thing to throw people off becauseseriously? Harmony? STARK?? It doesn't make sense, but it actuallydoes! Tony is a man who is know for being reckless, childish,narcissistic, and selfish (thanks Natasha), and somehow he alwaysfinds people that stick with him, not only his friends, or theavengers, the whole of SI is part of this, because no matter howstupid his decisions are he always finds a way to make it work, healways finds a way to take what is around him and make it better, andit never is about him, it is about helping literally anyone else. Theinteresting thing is that before Afghanistan he never had showed anyinclination for actually being able to use flames, is not until he istesting the Mark II repulsors that JARVIS points out how much hisflames are working on stabilizing his flying that Tony has toliterally drop down on a park because “Wait what? Flames?? WhatFlames?!?!” he didn't even notice he was using them.

Steve - ?

This one was hard, so I decided to give him adifferent approach, Steve is not a perfect user of any of the flames,he has a bit of most of them (just like Gokudera). So before thesuper soldier serum Steve knew for a fact that he had no flameswhatsoever, and he was damn glad that after the experiment he hadfinally found a way to help on the war, even without them. The thingis that Steve doesn't notice he is using flames, a side effect of theserum, he cannot control them but they are there, constantlyemanating from his core, in such a natural and smooth way mixed withhis own body no one notices either at first. There are Sun flames,helping to keep his body in top condition, Lightning flames makinghis punches stronger, Cloud flames floating around his mind helpingcreate his strategies, showing him all the outcomes, multiplying hisoptions, and Rain flames keeping him calm even in the middle of afight. He cannot control them even if he wanted, they are justanother part of his being.

Natasha - Wrath

Ok ok ok, I know Wrath flames are like super rare,but they are also extremely powerful and destructive, and if anyonecan control them it is Natasha. And the fact is that almost no oneknows that is her flame, most people think it is Storm flames,actually most of the Avengers think that as well (except Clint, heknows) and being honest, she rarely uses them, why would she? Shedoesn't need them, she can fuck you up on a pencil skirt andstilettos, do you really think she needs to use her flames? Please.

Clint - Cloud

First of, they're purple, and you know Clint, secondof they are Propagation flames, which solves the whole running out ofAmmo during a fight, unless he gets to tired and his flames get tooweak, so yeah, I just like that they are purple tbh, they fit Clint.(I considered giving him some Rain flames as well, for the wholetranquility and slowing down people, but I think that would be anoverkill because he already has his sight, his perfect aim and thenadd slowing down his foes, nah, too powerful)

Bruce - Sun & Rain

So Bruce has mainly Sun flames, know for theirActivation powers, normally used on healing it is not surprising Iwould select them for the resident Doctor (even is he is not thatkind of doctor) but if you think about it, Sun flames are normallyused to raise the efficiency of cells on the body, and it could betaken to the extreme under certain circumstances. So the Hulk is whathappens when he loses control f his sun flames and they start goingcrazy on his own body. I also believe he might have a very smallcontrol over Rain flames, that he mainly uses to keep in check hisSun flames.

Thor - Lightning

Ok so yeah this is pretty obvious, what else can Isay? Lightning flames are more electricity than flames to begin with,also their main characteristic is Hardening, imagine him using thoseflame on his hammer that is already almost indestructible, just thingabout it.

Wanda - Mist & Storm

For obvious reasons, Mist flames as we know areoptimal for illusions, and I know Mist flames are know for being anIndigo color, but think about it, her powers are not exactly natural,so I do also believe she might have some Storm flames as well, maybenot as powerful as the Mist, more of as a secondary power, Stormflames are a deep red color, and it's main power is Disintegration,they are also know as the most dangerous, so why let people know herflames are Mist, who are usually more weak, why not hide her realpower. So each time she uses her powers, they are actually Mistflames, but with an illusion strong enough to make them look as Stormflames.

Sam has no flames and he is constantly complainingbut secretly he is glad because boy if having flames means being asmessed up as the rest of the team then no thanks!

Peter hasn't found out what flames he has, or if heeven has them, but he keeps training with Tony to figure it out.

[saturdayam]

Saturday AM Movie Review: SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING

.So, let's just get this out of the way...SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING IS EXCELLENT!

Seriously, it's much, much more than mere "good".

This is easily the Best SPIDERMAN movie EVER!

BEST MCU MOVIE? --- well, let's say it's in the top 3 or 4 but for many, it'll be the favorite.

It's literally re-watchable. Many, many times over.

I'm nearly 30hrs from a pre-screening ( the movie opens July 7th) and I'm just buzzing for the chance to see it again. That's a big deal cuz as a 40-something comic fan who has seen MANY COMICBOOK, SUPERHERO MOVIES -- I've found myself extremely jaded over the last few years. Special effects have given us so many possibilities that previously only comic books and animated productions could visualize. Imaginative new worlds and ideas that were the exclusive province of truly gifted animators, writers, and/or comic artists are now easily presented for the masses via a living, 3D cinematic expressions in movies and a rising number of TV shows.

But something has happened.

I noticed it when I went to a Licensing Executives-only screening of Peter Jackson's KING KONG (many years ago--- God, I'm getting old) and that was this emptiness. By emptiness, I mean....this lack of spark, personality, and/or life. Think Big Trouble in Little China, GHOSTBUSTERS (the original) and the original Superman. Those films have a personality and I remember watching that kick-ass foot catch by Jackson's Kong thinking "WOW - this wouldn't have happened with the 1970's or 30's version of Kong". On the other hand, I left that screening thinking the plot was contrived and characters were lame. It had the technical wizardry but little heart.

I think WB / DC COMICS DCEU is the modern day example of this. Clearly, Snyder's Superman is displaying his powers in ways that had never been seen on screen before. There are shots in MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V SUPERMAN that are lifted straight from the comic books. That said, both of those movies have storylines and acting that are so...lukewarm (if not, straight juvenile) that the franchise is just getting decimated by Marvel Studios despite DC/WB having a damn near 30 years headstart on Marvel with successful film adaptations (Donner Superman and Burton's Batman) and the fact that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are the most popular superhero characters globally by a wide margin  

SPIDERMAN HOMECOMING could have fallen under the weight of franchise fatigue (this is the 7th Spiderman film in 17 years) and/or just the behemoth that Marvel has wrought on the global box office and yet this film does not suffer from the things that afflict so many effects-heavy cinematic spectacles. This film has so much charm and personality that it's just...amazing! A lot of the reason for that is the story and the focus on a YOUNG PETER PARKER. Another reason for that is for one of the most diverse and accurate portrayals of high school --- ever.

Now A LOT has been made about the diverse cast in this movie and it should never be a shock to fans of Saturday AM how many people in the GEEK space bring negative, bigoted views to comics and anime. To be clear, SPIDERMAN's cast is incredibly charming from top to bottom. Tom Holland's Peter Parker has a Queens accent, loves Legos, and has the perfect wide-eyed enthusiasm. I am in for this kid big-time. He has so much charm and earnestness and he's not trying to 'play the nerd' ala Maguire or be the lonely heartthrob ala Garfield. There are two scenes that really stand out to me - one when Peter screws up on the Ferry (from the trailers, great scene folks) and then another during his first actual moment with the Vulture (it's in a car and it will shock you) and his simple reactions to both moments are so well-acted and so perfectly rendered to the story that for me it cemented the idea that HOLLAND IS THE PERFECT SPIDERMAN!

His class/ school, however, is where the film truly shines. Laura Harrier plays Liz, Spiderman's crush while the famous Zendaya plays a character sure to pop up in future films named Michelle. That there are two female leads and they are both women of color is some Saturday AM level stuff! I mean it. The same arguments I've had about having a minority main character in a manga and the refrain (laughably from other minorities at that) "it would just be forced to add a person of color" as if it's NOT forced to add in white/ European looking characters into Japanese society or future worlds (ala Attack on Titan). I can only imagine that some Sony exec tried to pull the same stunt -- "Hey, you can't have two women in Spiderman that he likes or hangs out with be black!!!" As if Queens, NY is an all-white town. Now, not everyone works. I will say that Flash Thompson played by Tony Revolori seems miscast for reasons other than his skin color -- the lack of menace, the height all conspire to make him a jarring choice for being the well-known bully. That said, the diversity adds so much to this film because it feels REAL, RELATABLE to everyone. From the school principal to the deli owner to the kids in the hallway of Peter's school, seeing so many people of color just adds such texture to the world that Peter inhabits and makes the idea that this is the MCU from the street level surprisingly feel more accurate than Marvel's Netflix shows.

This point, is brought home by the gym teacher played by a hilariously deadpan, Hannibal Burres, adds some great comedy when he suggests the Captain America school videos (which has a great payoff later in the film) is inappropriate because he's probably a "war criminal, now" (thanks, CIVIL WAR). But this diversity message really applies to two characters who are CRUCIAL to the success of this new Spiderman film and series. First up, the VULTURE.

Now, I won't ruin the twist to this film but not only is it a solid one but it really sells the whole idea of this version of the B-grade Spiderman villain. From the first frame of the film, we learn what life is really like for the hard working folks in a THOR, IRON MAN led-MCU and how that may affect a potential villain like the Vulture. Keep in mind, we just elected TRUMP in the US -- so the idea of the people feeling desperate enough to do something crazy is something we should all be able to relate to. And that's where Michal Keaton's character really shines. His actions are logical and while he's the bad guy - you can see how different his life could have gone had he gotten luckier in life -- just like our little Peter Parker.

Likewise, his redesign is AWESOME! I genuinely loved this look. It was creative in its' associations with the Vulture motif while also being synonymous with this world of the MCU. You could see how it could be terrifying in its' own right. I've seen a few reviews where folks have lamented some of the action scenes and while I disagree wholeheartedly (the Washington monument and Boat Ferry were both spectacular and remind of the classic train scene from Spiderman 2) I DO understand the lack of thrill in the battles between Vulture and Spiderman. At this point, neither has really fought to the death against another super-powered character (Spidey's Civil War romp was like a field trip to Peter -- we come to learn) and thus the battles are perfectly thrilling, intimate affairs rather than spectacle IMO. This is a small film. The world is not at stake and in many ways, that's what makes these more precise action beats so strong.

 Peter is still a nerd. He can't talk to girls and he wants to do the right thing even though those actions usually cause him and his loved one's problems. In fact, his friends are still intrinsically a part of his life (as we all can attest to regarding our own high school lives). Ned (played with such charm by Jacob Batalon) is the breakout star of this film. The young, portly best friend dreams of being Peter's "guy in the chair" and thus gives the film something desperately needed in the world of the MCU. He allows Peter to simply relate to someone with his secret without lazily needing to have it tie into a love triangle between the original trilogies' Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and the reboot's Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and the Spiderman persona. That the character is also diverse and clearly brought over from the Miles Morales Spiderman comic (he shares more than a passing resemblance to that series 'best friend', Ganke) is one thing - that he's lovable and funny as hell - is everything to this film.

SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING is fun, it's FUNNY, and it offers a different view of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that suggests that with CIVIL WAR, the original IRON MAN film and the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY -- Marvel Studios can tell ANY type of superhero story. This is crucial because given the battles between DC, Marvel and many others (c'est la vie, TMNT / Transformers) it means that we don't have to worry that this genre of film will feel stale. Spiderman Homecoming proves you can do funny films with a lot of heart!

Saturday AM score: 5/5

[officialotakudome]

New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, And More

New Post has been published on http://otakudome.com/amazon-greelights-all-or-nothing-s2-new-series/

Amazon Greelights All or Nothing S2; New Series

Amazon has made two Prime announcements:

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar. 31, 2017– (NASDAQ:AMZN)–Amazon today announced it has greenlit season two of the Emmy-nominated All or Nothing, an Amazon Original Series produced by NFL Films. This season of All or Nothing will give Amazon Prime members access to an NFL season unlike any that’s been captured on screen. Customers will get to see the Rams’ entire 2016 season, which began with their relocation back to Los Angeles and culminated with the hiring of a new head coach and preparations for the 2017 season.

Prime members will be able to stream All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online at amazon.com/allornothing. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams will also be available to Prime members in Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the UK.

“All or Nothing brings Amazon Prime members a deep dive into the lives of professional athletes,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “We are excited to highlight the LA Rams in season two, a team with a compelling story of relocation, rebuilding and reuniting with the city they once again call home.”

“NFL Films proved again that they’re the best in the business with the groundbreaking new franchise, All or Nothing, whose inaugural season profiling the 2015 Arizona Cardinals was the highest-rated original series ever on Amazon Prime Video,” said Jordan Levin, Chief Content Officer, NFL Media. “Chronicling the return of the Rams to Los Angeles provides an unbelievably unique backdrop to season two and one which provides NFL fans and viewers around the world rare insight into a team overcoming an extraordinary set of circumstances to build their future.”

“Since bringing pro football back to the Los Angeles region last year after a 21-year absence, we have been committed to giving NFL fans an up-close view of our journey,” said Rams EVP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff. “We are pleased that NFL Films captured this important chapter in the NFL’s history and are looking forward to working with Amazon to bring this behind-the-scenes look at our team to their customers.”

The first season of All or Nothing, which followed the Arizona Cardinals throughout the 2015 season, currently has an average customer rating of 4.8, with 89% 5 star reviews, making it the highest-rated non-kids Amazon Original Series on Prime Video. Customers can now watch 28 exclusive behind-the-scenes clips from season one by accessing the X-Ray feature on Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets and +3P Android mobile devices.

Produced by NFL Films, All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams is executive produced by Ross Ketover (Hard Knocks, Inside the NFL), and Pat Kelleher (Hard Knocks, 30 for 30 – Four Falls of Buffalo). The showrunner is Keith Cossrow (A Football Life). Directors are Shannon Furman and Pat Harris. Supervising producer is Bennett Viseltear and senior producer is Nick Mascolo.

Below are customer quotes from season one of All or Nothing:

“Hands DOWN…The BEST Football documentary I’ve ever seen.”

“Must See TV for Football Fans”

“AWESOME! Whether you’re a fan of the Cardinals or just the NFL in general, this documentary series is awesome!”

Below are media quotes:

“It’s a tour de force of reality television and newly-broached ground.” – CBS Sports, Will Brinson

“The football scenes in this series are enthralling.” – The Ringer, Robert Mays

“‘All or Nothing’ is a solid reminder of what makes football so great and why this sport is America’s favorite pastime.” – Zap2It.com, Emily Bicks

Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 10, 2017– (NASDAQ: AMZN)–Amazon announces it has greenlit The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for an unprecedented two seasons on Prime Video. The Amazon Original Series, from renowned creator Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) and Executive Producer Daniel Palladino (Family Guy), is Amazon Studios’ first multi-season greenlight of a new series in its history.

The series, written and directed by Sherman-Palladino, stars Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 1958 New York City woman who has everything she’s ever wanted–the perfect husband, two kids, and an elegant Upper West Side apartment perfect for hosting Yom Kippur dinner. But her perfect life suddenly takes an unexpected turn and Midge discovers a previously unknown talent–one that changes her life forever. She charts a course that takes her from her comfortable life on Riverside Drive, through the basket houses and nightclubs of Greenwich Village as she storms the world of stand-up comedy…a course that will ultimately lead her to a spot on Johnny Carson’s couch.

“In her onstage debut, Mrs. Maisel killed and had audiences responding overwhelmingly with digital applause,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy, Drama & VR, Amazon Studios. “Like any great young stand-up, we’re excited to see what she has to say next and for a long time to come. That made it an easy decision to order two seasons from Amy and her incredible cast. We can’t wait to bring it to customers soon.”

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel also stars Michael Zegen (Boardwalk Empire) as Midge’s husband Joel Maisel, Alex Borstein (Family Guy) as Susie Myerson, Golden Globe winner and three-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub (Monk) as Midge’s father Abe Weissman, and Marin Hinkle (Two and a Half Men) as Midge’s mother Rose Weissman.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel pilot, currently available for all Amazon customers at amazon.com/originals, has garnered an average customer rating of 4.8, with 92% 5-star reviews.

Below are customer quotes for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel:

“I really enjoyed the pilot and hope that this show gets picked up. I love how Mrs. Maisel is breaking one stereotype after another all while being incredibly hilarious. This one is a winner!”

“I can’t wait to see the rest of this funny, refreshing and very enjoyable program.”

“Have never written a review before but this is exceptional!. Each character shines as they offer a peek into the life of the star. Looking forward to more!!!”

Prime members will be able to stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online at amazon.com/originals. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be a global release and available on Amazon Prime Video for members to watch via the Prime Video app or online at PrimeVideo.com in more than 200 countries and territories.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is executive produced by Palladino and Sherman-Palladino, and produced by Dhana Gilbert.

Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.

About Amazon Video

Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.

Amazon Channels: Over 100 video subscriptions to networks like HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership – to view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels

Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers

Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream

Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

[scyllua]

As chap.204 would be more of an interlude chapter (a breather after the events of Thursday the 13th and a very intense fanart-sharing moment between amateur artists), the Japanese fandom's reaction to it hasn't been noteworthy. (Bad joke: but it's been a boost nonetheless in comparison to last week! If only because the manga was in hiatus last week and therefore, there was no chapter to speak of! I thought of mentioning this because I noticed my blog at my personal domain had many more visitors last Thursday, I'm assuming, because fans were searching online for the weekly GK chapter and most likely, wondering why they couldn't find it.)

That doesn't mean there aren't highlights in this chapter, though. I'd say chap.204 feels oddly subdued in tone and pacing -in spite of a Wild Wolverine Attack! in the latter half-, but that'd be mostly because the previous three have been rather action-packed. I wrote chap.201-203 would serve as the introduction to the arc to unfold in this volume (which would encompass chap.201-210), and while we've been given more than enough hints about what to expect in the near future (the still ongoing plot with the Partisans and the reappearance of a certain one-eyed sniper), this chapter seems to introduce more subplots while still pointing in the same direction. My usual warnings about mistakes and mistranslations applying as usual, onto CHAP.204! EMPHATICALLY APPALLING!! JUST AS SUGIMOTO AND ASIRPA SHOW US IN THE PANEL AT THE TOP OF THIS POST!!!

In short, Tsukishima gets a telegraph message from Tsurumi informing him that the business he had in Noboribetsu has been taken care of and he'll be heading to Karafuto then. As Tsurumi will rendezvous with them in Oodomari (the same port town in southern Karafuto they arrived in back in vol.14) in two weeks time, he tells the group to stay in Toyohara until then. Koito comments they're to stay in Toyohara because it's a large town with better lodgings, and since there's nothing else for them to do until then, they should just take things easy. While in the town outskirts, Cikapasi and Tanigaki meet a couple of Ainu men who question the boy about where he comes from and who that big guy standing over there is. Cikapasi explains they come from beyond the southern sea, and introduces Tanigaki as his uncle. The Matagi then comments about the extra marginally important information Cikapasi gave the Ainu men about how much endowed he is, and tells the boy how useful and supportive he's been through their journey in Karafuto. As both ponder about Inkarmat in Hokkaido, Enonoko approaches them and asks Cikapasi if he's going back already. In the nearby forest and as Asirpa and Sugimoto get ready to hunt a kuzuri (a wolverine), Tsukishima tells Vasily (who's still following them) to go back to Russia. The wolverine hunt is interrupted by a couple of photographers who seem to have an interest in Asirpa, but just in cue, the little and irascible animal attacks one of the men. After they take care of the wolverines -in a moment vaguely reminiscing of vol.7 and the adventure in the cabin in the woods, there were two of them- and Asirpa cooks them (the very reason she wanted to catch one), the photographers explain the device they're carrying is a cinematograph, and that they're interested in documenting about the Ainu culture.

The chapter's title is 残したいもの (nokoshitaimono), a term I'm having some trouble with. Since the term 残す means "to leave behind", "to save" or "to reserve", and given the group's current activities, I'm understanding the title in the sense of "things we're doing to cherish later" (it literally translates to "things I want to save/leave behind"). Remember how in manga and anime the characters will sometimes state they want to try doing things as to have good memories of them? Asirpa says so in this chapter as she spots wolverine's tracks and decides to catch one... to eat it, of course (and cherish its taste for ages to come, that's it). They're in Karafuto, so they won't be going back to Hokkaido without having a bite of everything that is to munch on in that island! Some random fan comment here: While I understand the social and cultural importance of food in Japan (similar to the culinary traditions we have in my country), I can't but frown a little at just how this girl is in her way to try every possible edible animal that pops up in the story. At the very least, I think I can feel sorry even for the little demonic wolverines they eat in this chapter.

...but starting from the beginning! Plotwise, an important highlight of this chapter would be the piece of information regarding Tsurumi; specifically, that he's making his way to rendezvous with the group in Karafuto. Since he sends word to Tsukishima that the business in Noboritsu has been taken care of, I think that'd be our confirmation that all events in the manga occur in a chronological order; that's it, in the order and within the same timeline as we're shown in the story. I'm mentioning this because I was wondering whether Kikuta's showdown with Toni Anji's group in Noboribetsu (chap.190-195, to be compiled in vol.20) was taking place at the same time as Sugimoto's entourage lost sight of their sniper in northern Karafuto: this indeed seems to be the case. Back then, I also pondered how author Noda would then "speed up" things, for the manga had taken 7 volumes to depict Sugimoto and Kiroranke's groups' journey through Karafuto: either he used an ellipsis, or fast-paced the narration as not to spend other 70 chapters to show us how they went back to Hokkaido. In my previous chapter summary entry as well, I wrote I thought the current arc could wrap up while in Karafuto before all plotlines seemed to be aligning in that direction: Sugimoto's group is still in that island, Vasily is following them (providing us with a good excuse expedited reason for Ogata to make a comeback and have another duel with the Russian sniper), Sofia is making her way back to Hokkaido (via Karafuto? We don't know yet, but that could be a possibility - and a viable reason for her to cross paths with the protagonist cast)... and now Tsurumi is traveling to the northern island as well. I must say I hadn't thought of this scenario (as I'd assumed Noda would favor Hokkaido as the setting for most if not all future and pivotal events), but it'd certainly pace up the plot forward quite considerably.

Some fan pondering here: So, what do you think Tsurumi's arrival in Karafuto will be like? Because of the way the original text is phrased and of just how Japanese grammar is, it isn't that explicitly stated that Tsurumi will be personally going to rendezvous with the group, but that can be implied from the sentence. ...Now, let us remember he hasn't made an appearance in the flesh -and outside a flashback- since chap.171 (vol.18); there's no need for him to show up in a grand and remarkable way with an equally large entourage at the time (but it's Tsurumi: one can never know for sure with this man), though I'm looking forward to seeing him flanked by some of his trusted and skilled men a the very least. Random pondering #2: Since everything turned out just well in Noboritsu -for everyone involved... save Toni Anji's group, that's it-, I'm assuming Usami didn't get that scolding in the end. Good for him. Random hopeful thought: It'd be pretty nice if we could get some more of Kikuta and Ariko then.

A small caption for the chapter reads, "it's golden time!" The term is given in English (and it's an actual expression used in education in this language), but the connotation it has in Japanese, if I'm not wrong, would refer to time spent in leisure or pleasant activities that are meant to be enjoyed and cherished: the accompanying kanji precisely read, 自由時間 (jiyuu jikan, lit. "free time"). And, of course, the term would also serve as a pun for the manga's title for including the word "golden" on it. Well, that's just what our protagonist group will do for the time being.

...starting with Tanigaki and Cikapasi, who meet a couple of Ainu men. When the men question the boy about where he comes from and who the big guy over there is (my phrasing, by the way: they simply ask about "that man"), Cikapasi tells them they come from beyond the southern sea, and refers to Tanigaki as his ojisan. Note that this term in Japanese means "uncle", but it's also a colloquial way to refer to any older man, akin to saying "an old man" or "a mister". I'm going with Cikapasi as literally introducing Tanigaki as his uncle, though, because the word he uses in Ainu is achapo: my knowledge of Ainu being so obviously zero, I do remember acha meaning "father" in this language. Hence, I think the boy is genuinely referring to Tanigaki as an uncle: probably not in the strictest sense, but as a person close to him and with a family-like tie. Explanations over, Cikapasi then adds Tanigaki has... big balls, er, yes. I'm going to take his word for that, as the only adult male character who's gotten clear and full frontal shots in this manga so far has been Shiraishi: we wouldn't know for sure about the rest. He says 金玉, a colloquial term literally translating to "golden ball" and meaning "testicles". Speaking of another Jump-serialized manga and being the irreverent author he is, Sorachi Hideaki titled his best-known story 銀魂 (Gintama, lit. "Silver Soul") as a play-on-words with precisely this term, kintama; given the franchise became so popular as to encompass the manga, several anime series, live-action movies, and a ton of merchandise that was referenced to even in the story canon, it's probable nobody will raise an eyebrow at Gintama's title now, but at the beginning of its serialization some did have a thing or two to say in Japan. Guess Sorachi got away with it in the end... and his detractors had no idea as to what the manga would give them through its publication.

Tanigaki and Cikapasi then have a moment to reflect on their journey in Karafuto. As the boy's (and our loyal Shiba dog, ie. Ryuu) presence has been both useful and supportive through their adventure, Tanigaki is glad they didn't send them back as soon as they were found out as stowaways; Cikapasi thinks back of his family in Hokkaido and in quite the high spirits, wonders about Inkarmat (or more specifically, would think of her, as he refers to Tanigaki, Inkarmat and himself as a family). In equally a good mood, Tanigaki says he's sure Inkarmat recovered and is doing well, and that they should go back to see her. However, a sad moment arises when Enonoka, upon overhearing them, asks Cikapasi if he's really going back now.

Cut to Asirpa calling out to Sugimoto to take a look at something she's just found. But fear not, it's not some more excrement (because even Sugimoto assumed so), but wolverine's tracks. Asirpa hasn't seen one yet, so she asks Sugimoto about the tracks (as he told her he'd meet one of the little diabolical things before); upon the immortal's confirmation that they belong to a wolverine and the animal is worse than a wild bear in some aspects, she decides to hunt it. Well, they're in Karafuto already, so why not catching one and eat it? Another random comment here: we Peruvians have an expression stating that "someone got all the stickers in their album" in reference to completing a trade card album, still a popular activity in our country among adults and children alike. As an expression, it broadly means that someone has done everything in a list, or have completed a collection; in a very negative example, the last person I remember using it was a journalist talking about how a government official was found to have committed a long list of crimes related to corruption. That's to say, the corrupt official had all the stickers in his album, from perjury and malpractice to bribery and running away from the country when he was issued an arrest warrant. Okay, for my Golden Kamuy example, I won't obviously talk about politics here, only how Asirpa has a figurative edible flora-and-fauna album ("Everything You Can Hunt Down Or Find... And Have A Taste Of!") she must have 3/4 full at the very least by now, counting her gourmet experiences in both Hokkaido and Karafuto.

(As it's customary and part of the narration in Golden Kamuy, there's a passage detailing Ainu traditions in this chapter, but... Sorry, I'm skipping all the cultural references as not to incur in any translation inaccuracies.) As Tsukishima is presumably scouting and watching the surroundings (and I'm going to fan-assume here Koito is off somewhere trying to find more reindeers... or any equally cute small wild animals), he finds Vasily doing, well, pretty much the same, it seems. Tsukishima curtly tells him to go back to Russia... and I'm afraid I do have several fan comments to make.

First off, let's take another look at the panel of Vasily turning to face Tsukishima. The small sign by his head (at the left side of the panel) is meant to show he's surprised or just caught on something -in this case, it'd be Tsukishima looking at him-... but taken out of context, and as RavenTears pointed out, it makes him look as though he's shining. Dazzling Russian snipers, indeed. On a personal note, Vasily looks to me as though he somehow aged 10 years or so in the interlude from the previous chapter to this, as he has a slightly more mature appearance now (but not as old-looking as he was in vol.17). Until the next chapter is out and we can hopefully get more panel shots of (and some more interaction with) him, I'm just going to fan-assume the excited moment of fanarts-sharing with Sugimoto in chap.203 had some sort of age-regression effect on both him (physically speaking) and the immortal (mentally emotionally speaking in his case, something not that surprising at all given the hard life Sugimoto has led until now).

Also... is nobody really keeping track of the Russian that's following the group? Since people in this manga have never seen too keen on holding grudges for the most part (as I could argue that Tanigaki, for example, invoked retribution against Kiroranke instead of exacting revenge), I can understand the group isn't worried about a sniper who already targeted them twice and is currently tailing them. Said sniper also merits a mention for tailing them under the same circumstances, ie. apparently not concerning himself with the possibility of a member of the group deciding to be proactive and taking him down as not to risk being targeted by the same marksman for a third time. But Tsukishima's startlement at finding Vasily by his side makes me think they might not be that watchful as one could expect or wish. That said, if a silent Russian sniper can stand by their side without being too much conspicuous or alerting them, I won't be much surprised if the group ends up being ambushed by a Japanese one-eyed sniper making a comeback in the near future. I'll be actually looking forward to it. I mean the sniper's comeback, of course; not the characters being ambushed and targeted and shot down all over again.

And lastly... Tsukishima's line written horizontally in his speech bubble instead of vertically would indicate he's speaking in Russian, which would be relevant in a metalevel (because it makes perfect sense that he's speaking in this language to Vasily). Japanese is traditionally written top-to-bottom and right-to-left, but it can also be written in a horizontal orientation and left-to-right. Until World War II, if I'm not wrong, Japanese was written horizontally for small portions of text (such as in signs or newspapers headers), but from right-to-left. One example in GK would be the Yamamoto Barbershop in the Barato arc (vol.6) which, by the way, it's based on an actual building with the same name preserved for historical reasons:

The sign reads 山本理髪店 (Yamamoto Rihatsuten), but you'll notice the kanji are oriented right-to-left instead: 店髪理本山. Nowadays, horizontally-written Japanese follows the left-to-right orientation, and it's mainly used for aesthetically or design-related reasons (such as in printed matter or ads), but also for practicality (eg. movie subtitles placed at the bottom of the screen or, as a standard, in traffic signs and similar). In manga, however, horizontally written Japanese is usually used to indicate the lines are spoken in another language, such as with Tsukishima's in the above panel. In the Golden Kamuy manga, dialog spoken in Russian is usually given a Japanese translation in the same speech bubble, but written in a horizontal orientation because of space issues. (Ainu is written using the katakana syllabary with a top-to-bottom orientation, just as in Japanese). In several instances, though, no Russian text is written, and only the Japanese "translation" is given, such as Tsukishima and Svetlana's exchange in chap.185: we know they're speaking in Russian, though, because the lines are still oriented horizontally, and that's the importance of this detail.

I can only speculate, but I'm assuming those dialogs aren't always translated into Russian probably because of problems related to time issues or the availability of the consultant/translator at the time of the publication of the chapter. In some other instances, I suppose the text is so short (...such as Tsukishima "go back to Russia" line), it's not deemed necessary to translate them for the sake of the manga's sense of realism: after all, we can watch an English-spoken movie based on feudal Japan and won't be bothered by the fact that they aren't speaking in the intended language. Also, one might argue that they could always use an automated translation for such small lines... but I personally prefer those lines to be left as is, in Japanese and using visual or narrative devices (as the orientation of the text) to indicate readers the text is meant to be in another language: details such as those don't detract from the plot or the feeling of the manga and, most importantly, they might also prevent the manga from making very glaring translation mistakes. Trust me, I've seen enough terribly rendered lines in Spanish in American comics to insist authors and editors better get an actual translator, or not dare use Google Translate at all. Speaking of comics and Russian! A comic I remember where a similar visual device was used is one of Marvel's Winter Soldier series (the original run by author Brubaker, if I remember correctly). The one difference was that many lines in this comic had an asterisk at the end which led to a footnote stating that... they were being spoken in Russian. At the opposite end of the example, I also remember a Vampirella comic that featured some lines written in such a mangled Spanish, it took a couple of rereadings (even for a native speaker such as myself) to make sense of them. And in not-so-awful but still rather bad example, there was the Witchblade comic in which I vaguely remember at least a character having a name in Japanese... written in incorrect Japanese, most likely because the author seemed to have just looked up the terms in a dictionary to put them together without checking even for grammar.

Getting back to the chapter: a couple of men make an appearance and one of them asks for Asirpa to repeat what she was doing from the beginning. Just as they identify themselves as photographers, or more specifically, cinematographers, the wolverine attacks.

Sugimoto gets it off the man it attacks, but as another wolverine appears, Asirpa takes it down with an arrow as he shoots the first one, though he doesn't instantly kill it. It's again Asirpa the one who must finish it with another of her arrows, all of this as the man carrying a curious-looking device keeps revolving a crank on it (or you'd better say, an old-fashioned device... only that in the Meiji era it wasn't old, naturally, but rather pretty innovative).

Fast-forwarding a bit, we now have the leading-and-now-reunited protagonists eating the poor devils -I mean the wolverines, of course- while asking the men about their business in the vicinity.

They explain the device they're carrying is called a cinematograph (the model would suggest it's the one created and patented by the Lumière brothers in the last decade of the 19th century, as there were other similar devices patented before theirs); after detailing how it works, they add they're interested in documenting about the Ainu culture. End of the chapter!

My first fan-comment here about this passage would have to do with my taking back some of my fan-comments here, specifically those making fun of Sugimoto's poor aiming. I was obviously exaggerating when stating he never hits anything, as we've seen how he's shot several animals when hunting through the manga, and chap.204 would be another example. Still, my comments had to do with him primarily using his rifle to strike or stab instead of actually shooting it whenever it came to attack a human target, so to speak; given he's a melee hand-to-hand fighter, this comes as no surprise (and snipers all around the globe in the Meiji era dread nightmares with the looming figure of the Immortal Slayer Of Any Unfortunately Soul That Dares Attack Him In Vain And So Obviously Fails, Otherwise He Wouldn't Be Immortal, be it on a Thursday the 13th or any other day of the year, actually). But it just turns out Sugimoto does shoot his rifle, and does accurately hits his target one summary entry after I wrote I wouldn't stop making fun of him until he managed to do so, meaning... I've been proved wrong by the immortal in quite the expedited way. ...since I still believe his aiming is awful when it comes to human targets, I'll keep making fun of him, just... not that much. As a counterargument to Sugi's aiming and intended use of his rifle in this chapter, please let us remember that, in his first encounter with Ogata, he almost indirectly kills the wildcat when knocking him unconscious after hitting him in the head with the butt of the rifle; in their latest encounter, Sugimoto almost kills him (oh, again) when he nearly hits him when trying to shoot down the horse he was riding instead. Well, yes, come to think of it, it might also be that I'm very biased against Sugimoto's use of his rifle because of the levels of violence he's shown towards a certain wildcat.

My last general fan comments about the chapter have to do with the introduction of the cinematographers. Their appearance made me think of Hijikata looking for journalists all the way back to vol.13, if I remember correctly (really, it might be time to go back and properly reread the whole manga by now), because he was looking forward to using the media for propaganda purposes in his goal of declaring a second Republic of Ezo. Well, while the cinematographers don't seem to have any propagandist intentions, their interest in filming about the Ainu culture is making me think of them as the equivalent of early National Geographic writers (the first issue of the famous magazine dates back to 1888, after all): the manga's very National Hokkaido Graphic documentary filmmakers, in any case. At this point in the plot I couldn't say for sure if they're going to have a more relevant role to play, but since they've filmed Asirpa and Sugimoto killing the wolverines already, it does seem to me they could stick with the group a little longer to register some of their activities, sort of a Golden Kamuy documentary within the Golden Kamuy manga. Such material would have cultural and historical importance in the plot since, for starters, Sugimoto's group is a good example of multiethnic cooperation and coexistence, featuring Japanese, Ainu, Hayato, Matagi and even a Russian traveling and working together at the time just fine.

...plotwise and theoretically at the very least, the cinematographers have two weeks to follow the lead of a certain Russian sniper and stick to our multiethnic and multicultural group. We know already anything and everything is bound to happen in very short periods of time in this manga (Koito's rescue mission in chap.199-200 began with horses refusing to gallop down a steep path, continue with a drift race in the streets of Hakodate, featured a couple of gentlemen losing some clothing due to an unfortunate transit accident, and included a homage to Freddy Mercury near the conclusion, if you'd remember), so I'm sort of suspecting the days until Tsurumi's intended rendezvous with the group might be... full of eventualities. From more cultural moments to possible ambushes by snipers with hidden agendas -or probably, no agendas at all- and face-offs with Partisans, I wouldn't discard even the idea of the cinematographers filming the first Meiji-era Japanese cam movie, if anything of the aforementioned actually takes place and they happen to still be around to record it.