#weapons analysis

[nyxi-pixie]

'omg dazai treating akutagawa like he did literally makes no sense he just did it because he sucks and i hate him for it'

can we. have a conversation about this without being fucking stupid please. yes dazai fucks him up and its really awful and sucks so bad. yes it isnt necessary for akutagawa's improvement. but like everything with bsd, theres nuance to it that you are ignoring.

the initial meeting between dazai and aku is aku wanting a reason to live and dazai wanting to give him one. a repeat of what mori wanted to give him. (this does not mean those two relationships are the exact same. please guys. please things are different sometimes). Now. dazai assumes the way to give aku a desire to live is to give him purpose. he ISNT training aku to be a mindless killer - thats literally the Opposite of what hes doing. he wants aku to be More than a sword without a sheath. hes teaching aku to be efficient. not just killing people, being smart about it. being what the mafia wants. giving him a purpose through making him useful.

it also probably comes back to the fact that dazai is WRONG about what made him want (barely) to live. he believes it comes from being surrounded by death, thus making the mafia the perfect place for him. booo hes stupid boo hes wrong!! bc it doesnt. hes bored by it and he says that directly in dark era. that he thought being around death would content him with life and it HASNT. bc he was wrong in fifteen. he didnt suddenly become interested in life bc he was doing violence and masterminding for the mafia. it was bc Someone intrigued him.

dazais whole problem stems from apathy, he wants to die because hes Bored with life. nothing interests him. Except people. so he meets chuuya in fifteen and is Interested by him. and that happens to coincide with his first mission for the mafia so he thinks its the death aspect. but it isnt. and we see this repeated with the other people he cares about (oda and ango most obviously). dazais motivations for his plans arent fucking around w death for his own personal entertainment. its looking after his friends. thats the same no matter what canon material ur looking at. and that same reason is why hes alive.

his misinterpretation of that leads him to be wrong abt aku too. aku needs people, he needs a gentle hand to develop best (beast). dazai says himself that aku needs to find someone to be his sheath and that dazai cant be that person (he doesnt know how to be). ofc, the sheath is eventually atsushi and now that we see aku gain strength both with his ability, with strategic thinking, and just emotionally in general its bc of the development hes gone under w atsushi. but guess what? this is more to the thing of bsd being based on human connection. dazais alive bc of the people he cares for. aku does better around people he cares for.

this isnt to say dazais actions are at all justified, and thats not the point of this. bsd is full of grey characters. but i do wish that u guys at least understood the dynamic u want to complain about.

[kacievvbbbb]

Something about Vegapunk using the dna and blood of a caged and experimented on child to create more caged child experiments and the cycles we perpetuate.

Because what does it mean that all that King has left as proof, that the lunarians were real, that they existed as a tribe, as a people, are seven manufactured children he doesn’t even know about, enslaved as weapons to the government that wiped out the culture they’ll never get to be a part of, and Alber himself another enslaved child lost to something he’ll never fully know.

And what of the warlords? Already young once and hurt by their government, young again and slaves to it. Boa looking at a version of her practically pulled out of time stuck in her worst nightmare or Jimbei looking at a version of himself living out a past he escaped by the skin of his teeth but so many he loved didn’t, even Doffy once again at the mercy of the people that already abandoned him, has Kuma not suffered enough? Given enough, is this child version of him doomed to repeat the same path he already could not escape from . Property of the world government, beholden to the celestial dragons, this version of me that cannot go free?

It’s interesting that Vegapunk joined the government so that he could do the most good, but look at the long line of people right infront of him that he’s hurt with his own hands.

[harlivy-timkon-supremacy]

GUYS CAN WE **PLEASE** TALK ABOUT THIS

DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT DAMIAN GAVE TO EACH OF HIS FELLOW BAT SIBLINGS??? Because these are all real established items in DC canon!!

I’m going to work my way back from Dick, because, OMG. 

Damian gave Dick the Sword of Sin. If that sounded vaguely familiar to you, you might be an Azrael fan because that is his preferred blade to use. What is so special about this sword??? It’s ability:  The Sword of Sin can be ignited with the mind of the wielder, if the person is powerful enough. The sword has the ability to conjure in the mind of its victims all of the sins for which they are guilty or have not atoned for.       Golly gee, I wonder who this might be super effective against. You know. Giant bat guy with a guilt complex bigger than Texas. You can bet your butt Dick is going to send Bruce through a series of ‘Nam war flashbacks before this series is over. I can absolutely see why Damian would give Dick this weapon here, as he’s known Bruce the longest. I can easily see what part in this story Dick is going to be playing as he clearly has the most directly effective weapon against Batman. Damian’s favoritism here is both sweet and a little cruel if you think about the context much. 

Now let’s talk about Stephanie’s weapon, and yes she very much is Damian’s older sibling even if she isn’t a Wayne. Damian gave her the Coup-Stick of Black Bison (A DC Super Villain.) What can this staff do???   The mystical power of the coup-stick can animate material objects and in so doing, command these objects to do its bidding. This power cannot affect living biological material, but can affect non-living organic tissue. Black Bison once used the coup-stick to re-animate the stuffed remains of a white stallion (as well as other animals). Black Bison has also used the coup-stick to control the weather, such as summoning a strong wind to deflect attackers.      Guys Damian gave Stephanie a weapon that will allow her to call on back-up, and COMMAND her own creations, a weapon that allows her to be a leader!! Something she has wanted for a long time??? Also, it sounds like it has the power to control the weather??? Damian really said #girlboss and how much he loves her without actually saying it. I cannot stress enough how well DC could do her justice in this series if they at least tried.

Now, wow. Damian really straight up gave Jason’s dramatic ass the actual Trident of Poseidon, which is an unbreakable weapon that that serves as an extension of the wielder’s own power. Damian really gave Jason not only a King’s weapon, but a godly weapon. What other powers it has might not be relevant to whatever power it might awaken with Jason as its wielder.       Damian really cut out the middle man and just said, “Look, you are stupidly strong. I’m going to give you a stupidly strong weapon. Have at ye!” And you know Jason is going to wield that thing like he’s Poseidon, rightful ruler of the sea. I literally cannot wait to see Jason just absolutely power-housing his way through whatever gets in his way.  

Lastly, but not least in the slightest, Damian gave Tim the Cloak of Cagliostro! Which I want to acknowledge right off the bat, 🎶one of these things is not like the others~🎶 And thank Rao for that, because:  The Cloak of Cagliostro is a magical item which allows the wearer to teleport, and to become intangible, and invisible.      That is the *cutest* Easter Egg ever! Gotham Knights acknowledgement of Tim’s teleporting anyone????? Tim was the only one Damian gave a defensive weapon, and not an offensive weapon to. And that makes sense, because Tim is a defensive fighter! Tim never has to be the strongest person in the room. He just needs to be clever enough to use what he knows to win. Instead of giving him a weapon to swing around, Damian gave him something that Tim could use to protect himself, and actively use to make ALL of his skillsets stronger, not just his fighting power!!! This! Is! NOT! Damian looking down on Tim or considering him weaker. He’s playing to Tim’s strengths! He literally gave his big brother a cloak that straight up is like a cheat-code of meta-powers that would suit Tim SO WELL, because he knows Tim will be able to use those abilities to bullshit levels of effectiveness!! 

It genuinely looks like thought went into what weapons each of the Robins were given. I know fanon likes to bash on Damian or bash on his relationship to his siblings, or vice-versa, but in canon it has been clear for some time now that Damian considers all former and current Robins his family. (Including Tim. He refers to Tim as Timothy nowadays, and calls him his brother, that’s not fanon) No matter if Damian is not himself right now, he’s genuinely looking out for all of their best interests, and is ensuring that each one of them is as well-equipped as possible. 

Regardless, genuinely curious to see how each of these weapons will be used by their respective Robins, and how this will all end up. Hopefully, it ends with a giant group hug that will break the internet. (Also, ngl, I hope if Tim gets a new superhero identity soon his new suit will play off of Gotham Knight’s Tim’s abilities or be based off this cloak. Just think that would be neat ✨)

[sugarcarnation]

love love love how similar these two panels are. makes me insane

[maybe-im-dark]

Wolverine Wasn't Born to Be a weapon—He Was Born to Be a Protector

Here's Why:

Let’s get one thing straight: Wolverine (Logan) wasn’t born to be a weapon. He was forged into one. But at his core, Logan has always been about protecting those he loves, not just fighting for the sake of violence. And the X-Men movies prove it time and time again. Let me break it down:

1. His Origins Aren’t About Violence—They’re About Survival and Protection

In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, we see young James Howlett (Logan) forced to defend himself after witnessing the death of his father. His claws first emerge out of sheer survival instinct, not out of a desire to harm. Even as a child, Logan’s instinct was to protect—first himself, and later, others.

2. His Connection to Rogue in X-Men (2000)

When we first meet Logan in X-Men (2000), he’s a loner, but everything changes when he meets Rogue. Despite his rough exterior, he immediately takes on a protective role, shielding her from harm and even putting his own life at risk for her. This isn’t a man who craves violence—this is someone who cares deeply for the vulnerable and will do anything to keep them safe.

3. The Battle of Alcatraz in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

During the Battle of Alcatraz, Logan doesn’t charge into the fight because he loves war—he does it because it’s the only way to protect his friends, especially Jean Grey. Even when Jean is consumed by the Dark Phoenix and is destroying everything around her, Logan is the one who pushes through, not to fight, but to save her from herself. His final act, putting her down, is one of mercy, driven by love, not violence.

4. The Wolverine (2013) Shows His Struggle With the Weapon He’s Become

In The Wolverine, Logan’s struggle with the violence he’s capable of is laid bare. He isolates himself because he’s haunted by the destruction he’s caused. When he’s dragged back into conflict, it’s not because he wants to fight—it’s because he can’t stand by while innocents are in danger. His time in Japan shows that his true nature is to protect, even if it means facing his demons

5. The Ultimate Protector in Logan (2017)

Logan (2017) is the ultimate testament to Wolverine’s true nature. The entire movie is about him protecting Laura (X-23) and the other young mutants, even when he’s physically and emotionally broken. Logan’s final stand isn’t about being the best soldier—it's about being the best protector. He sacrifices everything, not because he wants to die in battle, but because he wants to ensure the future of those who can’t protect themselves.

6. It’s Always Been About Love and Loyalty

Whether it’s his love for Jean, his loyalty to Professor X, or his protective instincts toward Rogue and Laura, Logan’s motivation has always been rooted in love, not in a thirst for violence. He’s fought in countless wars, been used and abused by countless people, but the one thing that remains constant is his unwillingness to let harm come to those he cares about.

[magicaldragons]

deva: a weapon.

the movie does everything to show us that deva holds no agency over himself or his actions and that he has no ambition whatsoever.

his main trait is loyalty, and this is emphasized again and again.

• he is enraged at the mistreatment of aadhya, but where an actual 'hero' would save her, disregarding any rules or conditions – he remains bound by his mother's words.

• he is a weapon in the hands of anybody he gives his loyalty to, and throughout the movie, all of his actions aren't really credited to him, but to the person he commits these acts for/with permission of:

1. in the first scene, we see both deva and varadha, without hesitation, understand that deva has to complete the task for varadha's honor

2. it's evident, when bilal tells aadhya, that the only person who can keep her safe is 'amma' (because it is true, only deva's mother can allow deva to help)

3. when we are first introduced to deva, it is through his mother describing him as a "blood-shedding weapon"

4. when varadha comes to ask deva to accompany him, the narration doesn't feel accurate. varadha has barely voiced his request for deva to go with him – it is actually deva who wants to protect him after seeing his condition, but the narration is: "on one hand varadha had decided to take deva, no matter what, and on the other hand, his mother would not allow him to go" further emphasizing that deva is comparable to an object between the only two people who 'own' him

5. in the first action sequence, after his mother releases him from the promise he made to her, we have this shot:

framing deva's mother as if it is her who is responsible for that first blow

6. even after she has given him agency over himself, he still follows his mother's orders, not bothering to put any energy into what he thinks is the correct thing to do

7. we also see this when radha rama blames varadha for vishnu's death and has to be reminded that – no. it was the new guy who dealt the blow.

8. and again, when naarang heads in varadha's direction, completely disregarding deva and all of deva's attempts to provoke him, even though deva is the one who killed vishnu

it's an interesting way of depicting his personality – the movie equates him to a weapon at every turn, either metaphorically or though dialogue

which also makes it extremely significant, that the ONLY TIME deva has ever acted on his own (according to what we know) is when he: 1. went against his mother: to make a promise to varadha instead 2. did not follow varadha's explicit instructions: and pleaded with naarang to leave varadha alone

deva only breaks free from the narrative for varadha – which really speaks about varadha's importance and the power that varadha holds over deva.

[venturezzz]

Alright we gonna do a bit of a outfit/gear analysis.

Did anyone notice that there's a peice missing from ventures coat?? If their coat was whole there would be 3 portions for the skirt of the coat/jacket, left, right and back portion. But ventures coat is missing the right peice.

Why?? To make room for ventures weapon! Their handheld drill, it's such a cool detail that blizzard added on and has alot of logic behind it! If venture's coat had the right peice it would get caught in their weapon. For extra comfort venture has a guard/pad strapped to their thigh.

Also their weapon has to be one of the coolest in the game hands down. It's so simple yet so complex. In concept it's just a 2 handed mining drill. But it's way more complex then that, the drill bit is made up of 6 interlocking peices that are connected to the main weapon magnetically, that can open up to reveal it's cannon function. Because the drill bit operates separately from the handheld portion it prevents the weapon from spinning(like if you were to drill something and it gets snagged and the drill it's self starts to spin instead of the bit.) The magnetized drill bit probably operates in a similar way to how a bullet train does, instead it's localized. When interlocked the drill bit spins around the main cannon, making it able to accelerate to high speeds, giving venture the ability to both burrow and drill dash.

It's nice to see actual effort being put into characters, voice lines, character design, backstory, hiring voice actors that sound great and make perfect sense for a character.

Can't wait to see their final backstory!

[overdressedcarp]

One thing I think about sometimes is that there's a dialogue chain in one of Ratio's text messages where he sends us the blueprints for what he explicitly describes as "an anti-planetary weapon design that [he] once devised," which apparently comes with the potential to turn into a full-on gundam???? He says that the necessary materials haven't been developed yet, but that the Guild is working on it and should have results within the next five Amber Eras.

For those who've read his third character story, the phrasing of "anti-planetary weapon" should register as both familiar and odd, especially considering how blasé he is in describing it to the Trailblazer.

My read on the character story is that the creation of the anti-planetary weapon was (whether consciously or not) a compromise to his principles in pursuit of Nous's gaze, and that the IPC's interest in said weapon was his reality check that he didn't want to become the sort of person who pursued knowledge without regard for human life. Even if you don't take that reading, Ratio is more than smart enough to recognize that the IPC can and has used threats like the Antimatter Legion and the Swarm as excuses to develop and unleash weapons with galaxy-scale collateral damage. (See: the Imaginary pulse weapon in this side quest on Penacony.)

When we ask for a weapon for the Express, Ratio tells us that high-caliber armaments are a necessity for traversing the cosmos, which isn't exactly wrong in light of how we deal with Sunday in Penacony, but turning the train into a battering ram is a far cry from turning it into something that could destroy a planet. The fact that the projected timeline is on a scale of Amber Eras suggests to me that he's being at least somewhat facetious about the idea of a collaboration, especially since the whole reason we're having the conversation is that he wanted us to lob thought experiments at him to distract him from work stress. But he does send us a blueprint file, and the terminology of an "anti-planetary weapon" (specifically one he designed in the past, rather than at our request) feels way too specific to be a coincidence.

I have a pet theory that the gundam design is a form of malicious compliance toward the IPC, and the reason the Guild can't even figure out the materials is because he deliberately handed them a nightmare monstrosity of a blueprint and then refused to elaborate.

(The bill of materials casually demands components that break the laws of physics. There are whole pages of math so complicated no one can parse enough of it to conclusively prove that it's bullshit and not just the revolutionary innovations of a man five Amber Eras ahead of his time. The research team sends a terrified intern to ask if the orbital laser cannon really needs to turn into a humanoid assault mech. He shakes his head and tells them that if they truly understood his work then they wouldn't ask such pointless questions.)

[cranberrykissel]

of Flanagan's chronical chronology mess-ups and all age inconsistencies it involves, I find Crowley and Halt's first meeting story the most hilarious

Crowley describing Halt as a intimidating dark man? Who's probably at least few years younger than Crowley.

And in this exact scene-

Halt: I hit your men with an arrow 😉😜 Morgarath: ... where Halt: at the inn 😁 Morgarath: I asked about the body part

And at the time he chooses to call himself Halt Halt deliberately, as a joke.

He's eighteen (18), guys.

They are all talking to a runaway emo-aligned teenage short king prince and go "oh he's SO intimidating" while he drinks his coffee black and sweetened.

[anistarrae]

shadow bandee design i made awhile ago :D (jan 17th, 24)

i feel like mirror bandee would be very skilled without putting the effort in, getting where they are by power, instead of earning it through putting the work in. this would lead to them becoming over-confident and become the cause their biggest weakness. a friend pointed out this would mirror dedede in the beginning of the series too!

[bowtiepastabitch]

Let's talk costuming: Avaunt!

So I think we can all agree that Aziraphale looks his most traditionally angelic in the Job minisode, no? In fact, all of the angels' costuming increases in drama for this particular episode. This is, obviously, a very deliberate choice on the part of wardrobe, so let's discuss.

On a technical level, the biggest thing that stands out to me about this fabulous robe is the draping. Oh, the draping. It feels like a classic angel 'fit because on a very fundamental level, it is. A lot of what we think of as angelic draws on Renaissance artists' depictions, with flowing robes, fluffy wings, and glimmering halos. In art from this era, there is a strong attention to detail on the natural flow of fabrics that makes Renaissance sculpture so breathtaking, such as here: (The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, Bernini, 17th century CE)

It's this ability to make solid marble look like fine silk rippling with movement that leaves such a strong impression in my mind when I look at these kinds of works.

In painting, too, there is a similar effect. Something about the material culture of the Renaissance really lent itself to this style, perhaps fueled by the rise in new textile luxuries that occurred in vaguely the same period. This is seen especially strongly for angels, such as in the sculpture above, and in this painting: (The Annunciation to the Virgin, Botticelli, 15th century CE)

There's a stark contrast between the dress of the two figures. The virgin Mary is no less ornamentally or expensively dressed, but her style is rather minimalistic next to the angel's voluminous robing. It paints a very clear impression of angelic dress, and the designers for Good Omens would have been aware, in at least a small way, of the art history precedence for such a thing.

The poof of the sleeves, the tucks down the front, the little belt with the train tucked in, the gathers, the weight of the fabric, everything about this robe is constructed to carefully recreate the rather fantastical imagery of renaissance art. It's not necessarily an easy texture to nail down, given that the artists themselves had no concerns of gravity, comfort, or the way it would look in actual 3d motion, while our brave costumers were dealing with all three as well as a budget, time constraints, and the constant consideration that white fabric just gets dirty so easy.

Here's some of the other angels as well, so you can see how theirs reflect those same dramatic themes.

And then, of course, when costuming a show you have a second question: What does this mean for our character? Or rather, we know how, but WHY did they make him look so traditionally angelic?

Well, thematically, the Job minisode centers around Aziraphale's struggle with being a good angel and Crowley's struggle with being a good demon. Aziraphale is learning how to be an angel that follows along with heaven as far as we can, and he's so terribly torn up about it. He spends a lot of his time fretting about doing what's expected demanded of him, even if perhaps he doesn't believe it to be the right choice. Natural, then, that he should look the part of the perfect angel whilst sorting out these ethereal woes.

Crowley even draws attention to it himself, giggling a bit at the suggestion that Aziraphale, with his fluffy hair and flowing angelic garb, could possibly become a demon. And it is a rather silly mental image; the garment itself would be comically silly in really ANY other context at all. In the same manner, his performance of angelic archetype borders on excessive:

He's trying so desperately hard here to be the angel he wants to and is supposed to be. He's dressed the part, he's using his big scary angel voice, but deep down he's clinging to an identity that doesn't quite fit.

(You'll notice in this shot the distinct difference between his and Crowley's dress on the level of silhouette as well as color. We see this a lot from the two of them, but with the points I made above it felt worth pointing out in this particular scene)

Here at the end, as he's coming to terms with the cracks in his heaven-given identity, his robe is largely in shadow, blurring out its startling whiteness. We do not see him dressed this way again. (He continues to wear white, obviously, but from here on out his style of dress mimics the human trends of the time rather than that classical angelic imagery)

[collieii]

one line in trimax that's always stuck with me is from chapter 65, right after wolfwood's death. when vash is sticking the punisher by his grave and he says "it was part of his life". that phrasing is so interesting to me. the neutrality of it is one thing that gets me, i think. it was part of his life. for better or worse, whatever it was, the punisher was wolfwood's.

It's pretty easy to think that the punisher might represent violence, the eye of michael, the role of assassin that was forced onto wolfwood, the loss of childhood. but it's not really presented that way, not overtly anyways. we never see wolfwood shun the punisher, he's not conflicted by his use of it. he never considers abandoning it for some other weapon. it's his weapon. he doesn't discard it when he eventually decides to take a more vash-like approach and actually let people live. he pretty easily accepts it as his own, a tool he can use. (to be fair, at least part of that is probably because the punisher is a very good gun.)

the punisher can still represent the harsher aspects of wolfwood's character, the violence he's committed, that he's capable of. that's an important part of his life! and the idea of it as representative of his violent adolescence, childhood that was stripped away, goes along with this - it's literally a cross to bear. but besides showing his past as a burden, i think of the punisher as being a cross of responsibility. when you have a gun you have power, agency - you have a responsibility to make a choice. that's what wolfwood tells vash in chapter 4.

the ability to take a life, the burden of it, is literally his cross to bear. that ability - and that responsibility - was given to him by the eom, literally in terms of the gun, and in terms of his skills. but the eye doesn't think twice about killing people. for them it's not really a choice, a responsibility, it's just a given. but wolfwood can't accept that. he's constantly considering the choices he makes.

so the punisher isn't only a symbol of the eye of michael, of the path that he was forced onto. it's also a way of expressing autonomy. the eye gave wolfwood the gun, but he decides how to use it and what it means. for much of the story wolfwood struggles to decide what to do, he's a very conflicted character. but eventually he resolves to use it against chapel, against knives, to help vash, and protect the orphanage. the gun gives him agency.

so the punisher was part of his life. it was the tool that he used to commit acts of violence, acts that he was forced into, but also the tool he used to break free.

it's heavy for vash, too. he's not exempt from that idea, the idea of responsibility. as wolfwood said much earlier in the story, vash has always been able to sidestep the question of "what do i choose?", because he's only ever given himself one option - everybody lives. and he's always succeeded. but as wolfwood says, "the day will come when you'll have to choose". one day, it's not going to work.

and of course the story progresses, the stakes ramp up, and vash learns more, goes through more, and is pushed to his limits. i think by this point, by wolfwood's death, and maybe because of it, vash has realized that he might have to make that difficult choice in the near future. that's one reason why he wants to "do him proud". he has a lot of reasons to say this of course - to not let wolfwood's sacrifice go to waste, for example. but if we're thinking of the cross as responsibility, then vash is saying he doesn't want to forget the lessons he learned because of wolfwood. wolfwood has always grappled with responsibility, with what the right thing to do is. and the right thing is often not easy. vash hopes that when the times comes for him to make a choice, he'll make a good one, one that does right by wolfwood's memory.

[grumpysunfish]

Hm. There's this strange idea that reputation does not matter and anybody who cares about it are losers bowing down to the ruling class (and well, that is a part of it) instead of the very real thing that has dire consequences (see: wei wuxian and jin guangyao)

"What will happen to Yunmeng Jiang had they stood with Wei Wuxian and the Wens" is not an open and shut case and maybe all they were going to lose is opportunities for advancements (which by the way is a very serious deal for a war torn region and a sect struggling to find their foothold) but also, it is a very real possibility that they fall with Wei Wuxian.

And hm, there is selfishness in wanting to protect your own over everybody else which jiang cheng is very much guilty of. (Although i'd argue that there is lot of nuance here) But he is also somebody who's motivations are rarely about himself, would put his people above his wants and needs and well being, and would rather eat his own foot than ask anybody to put up/stay with him. Including Wei Wuxian, the guy who supposedly he feels he is owed by. And you know, there's selflessness in that

[double--blind]

(SPOILERS) Andrew, Ashley, and their weapons of choice

If I REALLY wanna blue curtain (the curtains are blue bECAUSE THE AUTHOR—) this game, I'd probably say something along the lines of how Ashley's signature weapon being a gun and Andrew's signature weapon being a cleaver are reminiscent of their respective personalities in the sense that Ashley's aggression hits hard and fast, piercing deep like a bullet. The long-distance nature of this attack falls in line with her tendency to easily extricate herself from the harm she's doing while ensuring that it still gets done. She's shoot fast, ask questions later (or, perhaps, never at all), and rather loud and jarring about it. A single pull of the trigger and she's done, the only blood on her hands purely metaphorical.

(The one time she uses a knife, she even uses it like this. A quick stab into each of her parents' hearts. A swift, deadly puncture that bears far-reaching consequences that do not befit the ease of her actions.)

Meanwhile, Andrew's cleaver means he has to get his hands dirty. He's up close and personal w/his attacks—every slash is a decisive action that requires throwing all of himself into the fight—both in line with his need for control, and his tragic inability to relieve himself of the burden of being up front and center to his and Ashley's atrocities. Unlike a gun, it's not one-and-done. It's much quieter, stealthier, but you gotta get real vicious with it—more violent and messy than Ashley can ever get with her gun—something that's so at odds with his reticent, cautious nature that it just throws the silently simmering darkness within him into even starker relief.

[gophergal]

jumping on the trend. I have never felt so mainstream in my picks

[sugar-grigri]

What if Quanxi became Denji's mentor?

A little thought I'd like to share with you.

I've mentioned it before, but Quanxi and Denji are weapons with a lot in common. So far, Quanxi is the only weapon who has also seen her entourage (her girlfriends) killed before her eyes. I think that even after the brainwashing she received from Makima, she remembers because she wears a lace band around her neck.

Once again, Quanxi marks her points of vulnerability in this way: her activation point is hidden by her eye patch, and the band not only expresses the fact that she's been decapitated, but also symbolizes the grief she feels at having seen her girlfriends after being executed.

The public hunters seem to want to annihilate Denji's identity as a weapon, and he is no longer allowed to claim his demonic identity, to claim to be a hybrid being, and is forced to act as a human.

Quanxi fights most of the time only as a "human", she doesn't have the reflex to immediately activate her activation point to transform.

Maybe you can see where I'm going with this, but just as Kishibe was Denji's mentor (temporarily and in his own way), is there any world in which Quanxi wouldn't become Denji's?

Yes, she has no interest in boys, but Denji has the same reflections and reflexes as she does? To give an extremely privileged status to women? Whether it's their loneliness, the dismantling of their loved ones, or their "values", Quanxi and Denji have a lot in common?

In an arc where Fujimoto has merely repeated Denji's question marks, he has created a complex context that prevents his protagonist from acting: could fighting as a human be his way out?

Because Denji wants us to start seeing "Denji" as well as "Chainsaw Man". Who didn't say that the human in this hybrid being couldn't be appreciated as a hero?

The fact that Quanxi marks her vulnerabilities is not meaningless; it's inevitable proof that, as a weapon, she embraces her human condition to a greater extent than the others, who insist on feeling like supermen.

And again, it's more complicated... because for the moment, each weapon has its own response... or rather, a type of response to the identity crisis that can result from not belonging to either camp.

The whip demon considers herself a superman, while the spear devil has no answer.

Reze, the bomb devil, was the one who most embraced her weapon identity, being a veritable offensive object of Russian propaganda, but that didn't stop the girl from being disturbed by her dual identity, expressed by her desire to go to school but also by the fact that she also saw herself as Denji.

Barem for his part, has yet another answer of his own, as he completely avoids the identity crisis caused by the fact that he belongs to neither humans nor demons. For him, spreading death is a common denominator, blurring the boundaries between species.

Then there are the weapons who added a "-Man" as a suffix

Sugo Miri had mentioned it as a joke, but in reality "-Man" is a different kind of response.

Miri locks himself into denial, convinced that his new instrumentalization by the church is by choice, as if this would transform his situation into one governed solely by free will.

In the same way, Katana Man, when confronting Denji, expresses his remorse at killing even one zombie, that he has retained his "human heart", which is also in itself a form of denial, since all weapons have a demon heart, so he doesn't fully embrace his nature.

Denji is another type of response, even though he has the suffix "-Man", which doesn't express denial but rather gives importance to human condition, whether through freedom as a human characteristic with Miri, pseudo-morality with Katana Man or the need for integration with Denji.

Quanxi is yet another type of response: she has learned to identify herself in a way other than through the prism of the human/demon dichotomy that creates an identity crisis in weapons, she has circumvented the problem by proving her worth other than by nature and her natural gifts by being an outstanding fighter without transformation.

But she's attached herself to beings without barriers, to the point of having romantic and sexual relationships (from a sentimental and organic/bodily point of view) with demons, her girlfriends

Denji is imprisoned by the public hunter's dilemma: either Chainsaw Man or Denji.

Quanxi is also in a vulnerable situation, and I think that even though she still has some memories, the institutions have taken advantage of her state of weakness and confusion following Makima's brainwashing. Makima had turned weapons into weapons for the Japanese government, and although the government has lost control of some weapons, it still retains the use of others. Whether it's Katana Man, who no longer works for the Yakuza, or Quanxi, who works for China, the weapons have all changed owners.

Quanxi is just as trapped in a system that doesn't make her happy and that I think she hates as Denji.

Quanxi, as a fellow weapon in the same situation, is the one who hold the answer.

While the other weapons boasted of their immortality, Quanxi provided the answer in the chapter 143 : her lace neckband symbolizes a single idea, death affects everyone, even immortal beings.