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Making the whole theme of the DMC Netflix show that "demons are actually the victims of jingoistic American military imperialism" is such a fundamental antithesis of the entire beating heart of the Devil May Cry franchise. Honestly it's exactly what I expected from a cynical western production.

The Devil May Cry series is about how humanity is superior because humanity is capable of love. Demons may have power and strength which allows them to assert their will over the world and cause suffering. But humanity will always overcome, humanity is capable of more than demons ever will be. Because devils never cry. Only humanity has the capacity for love that allows them to feel sorrow at the loss of their loved ones. Only humanity has the drive to self sacrifice in the name of protecting those we cherish and value.

The reason Dante and Nero are the badasses that they are is because of their human genetics, not their demonic blood. Vergil loses because he tried rejecting his humanity and just embracing his demonic lineage in the name of striving for more power. Vergil loses his soul and is enslaved and humiliated because he pushes his only remaining family away, he forgot that the very reason he became obsessed with power is because he wanted to be able to protect Dante the way he couldn't on the day they lost their home. And Vergil is only redeemed when he is reclaimed by his son, and has familial love forced onto him whether he wanted it or not. The theme song of DMC5 is called LEGACY for a reason, because the ties that bind for better and for worse will always be a part of you. And it is the characters HUMANITY that makes that the case.

Family and love is the FOUNDATIONAL theme of the Devil May Cry series from the very beginning. This isn't even very depthful literary analysis, the games are incredibly blunt with these themes.

This is incredibly surface level reading. And yet somehow the creators of the Netflix show either didn't get it, or deliberately disregarded it. Either way, god awful show. If you enjoy it, you CANNOT say that you also enjoy the video games. They are mutually exclusive. What exactly do you like about the games, if you derive ANY enjoyment whatsoever from this show that uses the source material as toilet paper?

At least have the integrity to admit you just think the video games are stupid and the show is superior because it isn't a video game. At least then I could respect that. Don't try and pull this "I enjoy both" bullshit. Bullshit as in you're fucking lying.

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💙 UPDATE & ADDRESS CHANGES 💙

Our zines have finally arrived, and they look incredible! With these in hand, shipping can begin very soon ‼️

PREORDER CUSTOMERS, if you need to change your address, please fill out this form by April 19! 💫

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forget xanax give this girlie the horse tranquilizer

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CSM 195: Yoru's Goal and the New Girl

The recent chapter gave me some thoughts, on what Yoru wants, why it is unspeakable for Asa, and how the New Girl can make this series of break it for me.

First, Yoru, and before we I can talk about what she wants I need to explain what I think her relationship with Asa is shaping up to be. I have seen a lot of people say that Yoru is ruining Asa's life, that she is a parasite who needs to be extracted from her, but the more I think about it, the less I agree. A large part of Asa's character is that she represses herself, that she justifies and rationalizes what she wants because she has a difficult time being honest with herself and what she wants. She said herself in the right with the Falling Devil when she was pushed into a corner, she wants people to be close to, but she's afraid of that intimacy because it would lead to her getting hurt, so she puts up this air of confidence, pushing everyone away from what she wants most.

Then she dies, wishing she had been more selfish, and meets a devil that who has no problems indulging in the things she wants, and in this case it is a person she likes.

What I think Yoru has planned isn't some big scheme that makes her grander than Death, she's too impulsive and blunt for that, but I think it's far simpler: Yoru wants to have sex with Denji before they fight Death, and Asa would die than admit she wants the same thing. Asa suffers from her self-restraint, repression, and letting her fears of being judged rule her, but Yoru has no such hang up, and is free to do what she wants. She is selfish, just like Asa wants to be, and I feel like the end goal for them is not for Yoru to be removed, but for the two of them to come to an understanding, for Asa to learn how to be selfish and in turn temper Yoru like how we saw with Power and Nayuta.

Speaking of Nayuta...

If the new girl is the third Control Devil, and not Death, I would consider that a legitimately terrible writing choice on Fujimoto's part.

Fujimoto I think is a talented artists and writer, Chainsaw Man Part 1, Look Back and Goodbye Eri are all amazing pieces of work, easily some of my favorites, but I admit I have had some problems with P2, most of which are related to Denji's Terrible No Good Day which started in the Church Arc. However I was willing to look past those in favor of the story at large, but the treatment of Nayuta is a major factor in how I view this series going forward.

P1's ending was powerful because it not only acted as a fresh start for Denji, but for Nayuta as the Control Devil. It gave her a chance to learn the lessons that Makima refused to even acknowledge, for Nayuta to form genuine relationships that Makima could only dream of. What we saw of Nayuta, Denji did a great job at raising her, she was clearly a better person than Makima while still clearly being a devil, but the problem I have is that it we really didn't dive that deep into that, that we only scratched the surface of all the potential character development we could have gotten out of her. To make things worse, looking back Nayuta feels less like a character in her own right, but rather a tool that existed to make Denji miserable: Denji can't have a relationship with Asa because Nayuta won't share, he can't be Chainsaw Man because Public Safety will kill her, and Barem shows him her head to get Pochita out. The vast majority of her screentime is her being used against Denji, even her sacrifice is overshadowed by how it affects Denji

Aki and Power died, but I feel like they had fantastic development to get there: Aki let go of his revenge to protect Denji and Power, but Makima twisted that love into something awful, making him the very thing he would never want to be. Power chose to be on the losing side because she loved Denji, and her love for him gave him the ability to stand up against Makima and help him beat her. Nayuta on the other hand? Her life and death seemed like they only happened just so she could be fridged and hurt Denji, and I feel like a third Control Devil, someone who has to start from square one, just feels redundant.

I am not saying this because of Nayuta copium, but because I think her actually being dead would be a terrible writing choice on Fujimoto's part.

That being said, Nayuta copium isn't the only reasons I want the new girl to be Death. For one, Denji and Asa have a conversation about how you can never ready yourself for Death, and a few pages later we get this sopping wet cat if a girl, one passive-agressive comment away from crying shows up, saying she'll "save" everyone. Considering I think a big theme of CSM is people making assumptions of what they want out of others, the Death Devil, The Destroyer of Worlds, being this crying girl would be legitimately great because she doesn't match the thing that everyone has been so afraid of this whole time. Also, "sopping wet cat" is not a term I would use to describe Makima or Nayuta.

In summary, Yoru's plans are less grandiose and more intimate and Asa is afraid of dealing with what that means to her, and New Girl is Death because it's more than interesting than fridging Nayuta.

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https://archiveofourown.org/works/62838280

Made a fic with Hilda doing the Victini event.

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I know people are wanting Asa back because they think she'll make the situation better, but I think it would be more in-character for her to come back and somehow fumble and make things worse.

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💙 PRODUCTION UPDATE 💙

Apologies for the long wait! We're back with our next production update!

We've unfortunately had some difficulties with the formatting of our zine, which has taken us the most time. Thankfully, we have resolved our issue! Our zine proof has made it in perfect condition! Now we will order all of our books. Shipping will begin as soon as they arrive. A call for address changes will be announced soon!

For now, please enjoy this preview of our physical zine and production photos of our merch if you haven't seen it already. 💕

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I've done a DaDaDan fic starring Momo and Aira getting into trouble at the mall.

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That's honestly a big reason for my Nayuta cope as well.

There was honestly a lot that could have been explored with Nayuta, not just in herself, but as an extension of Makima, how she is the reincarnation of the woman who caused Denji the most pain and suffering but he was willing to take her in and love her all the same. While she clearly wasn't the same as Makima, certain traits she had seemed very Control Devil, but we saw that she was able to love Denji in ways that Makima never could love anyone else, and in isolation that last scene she had would be beautiful. But you're right, for most of the time she was around, Nayuta was mostly used as a tool to make Denji miserable: He can't develop a relationship with Asa because she says no, he can't be Chainsaw Man because Yoshida threatened her, and he turns back into Pochita because Barem killed her. It really lessens her character I think if in the end she was only around to make Denji suffering, and it really diminishes Part 1's ending, that Denji's "fresh start" was in the end just another tool to use against him and tear him down.

I know Denji has his whole "I'll just keep making families" is meant to be a lesson about persevering through hardships, but from a narrative perspective it kind of lessons any relationships he might develop in the future, because the story has made it very clear that every relationship Denji has will hurt him no matter what.

I'm still on team nayuta come back to life because I think it would be disappointing if her character just kinda summed up as something to make denji sad. at least let her do things first

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CSM 192: Asa's Relationship with Morality

The last chapter, and the reactions to the last chapter, have made me think of a very important thing: Asa's morality, or rather, her struggle with morality.

Morality has always been an important aspect of Asa's character, she wants to be a moral and just person, she's quick to judge other people for being immoral, but as we've seen over the series, it's something she's always had trouble dealing with, and there were many times she's failed to be "moral and just": Yuko was a demon-powered school shooter, but she let her go after they had one last laugh because they were friends. At the aquarium, she didn't turn Denji into a weapon because she thought it was wrong, but rather she didn't know if it was right or wrong, and she was more afraid of making a mistake. Joining Fami and the Church was a red flag so massive that even Yoru could see it, yet Asa joined it, paid no attention to everything it was doing (something even Denji was able to see right away), and even after they set the world on Fire, she still hung around Fami who has her "heart in the right place," all so she could be the hero who "saves" Chainsaw Man. When Denji was talking about how his life was ruined and there was no going back, instead of comforting him, she comforts herself, reaffirming she's trying to save him.

Now, we have Denji and Yoru going on a date, and to Yoru, it's fun to gun down random people. She's doing this with a smile on her face, and laughter in her heart, and Denji's reaction to this is rather understated; he's trying to keep her from killing people, he yells at her when she does, but that's really all he's doing about this, he seems more exasperated by her killings than horrified. Clearly, this isn't that big of an issue for them, but according to Yoru, if she killed one more person, thnn Asa's mind would break, so obviously this is a bad thing for her? Right?

Maybe not as much as we think.

When it comes to Asa and morality, I think of that conversation she had with Yoru about Bucky, about how Asa wasn't mortified that she killed Bucky, but rather she was mortified that she was caught killing Bucky, the implication that if Asa could have killed him without her classmates catching her, that she would have done it. While I do feel that Yoru might have a misunderstanding about Asa, especially at that point in the story, I can't help but think she wasn't entirely wrong.

Asa, I feel, is generally a good person, in the same way Denji is, but when it comes to morality, I feel she is sometimes more concerned with looking moral, instead of actually being moral.

It's these thoughts that make me wonder about her future in the story, and how she fits into Denji and Yoru's dynamic. If Asa is a truly morally centric person, than there is simply no way that their behavior can be tolerated by her, but Chainsaw Man is not a series where those kinds of characters thrive. Aki was maybe the most moral character in this series, and look at what happened to him.

Asa's reaction to all of this, when she snaps back, is going to be very telling about her character, and while I've seen people say that she's going to freak out because of all the death Yoru caused, but I think it's going to be that she's jealous that Denji is paying attention to Yoru and not her, because while morality is a large part of Asa's character, her desire to be seen, acknowledged and praised are also important aspects of who she is.

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INKTOBER 29 - Battle in the Enir-Ilim, Elden Ring

The last area of ​​the DLC, the Enir-Ilim is where Queen Marika ascended to goddess in the past. After discovering Miquella's true intentions in ascending to god (thanks to the revelation of St Trina), you only have to stop her at the Gate of Divinity with the help of Sir Ansbach and Thiollier, but you will have to face her group of fanatics commanded by Leda, in a battle in the Enir-Ilim. Eme

LINK: Instagram - Twitter or X

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"I'm so bored that we're still focusing on the theme of his guilt over losing his family," I think is a good way of summarizing my own thoughts on Denji's arc in P2 so far.

To me, at least, Denji's story for the last couple of arcs hasn't really explored his character in any particular new or innovative ways, it's just the same traumas again but with new faces. Back in the alleyway, I saw a lot of people talking about about how Denji felt, but I kind of wasn't all that interested in Denji because Denji's history with sexual trauma and exploitation is well-worn territory that it didn't add much to the discussion. It's why I was more invested in Yoru's role and how it reflected on her, because there was lots to talk about because it threw her character into such a wildly different direction.

Denji's P2 arcs feels too close to his P1 arc, I don't think what he lost was worth was little he gained for it in a one step forward two steps back sort of way, and while I have seen people say that's the point, his ability to endure and survive his traumas and tragedies, as a reader it makes him less interesting to engage with because there is nothing new here to engage with while losing what was worth engaging with.

Ngl, I have genuinely zero expectations when it comes to Denji and Asa actually giving a shit and trying to have any discussion about what happened.

He's just going to kinda sit there with his jaw hanging open and nod along while she makes a face in the background.

Nor do I have any hope Yoru killing thousands will be adressed by Asa, since besides going "Devils bad :0" they just went back to the slapstick routine in 2 chapters.

Your ask is funny with an Akira pp lol (because Akira is really expressing his indignation about the demons' behavior).

I don't think I'll deny that I find the pacing of the final chapters badly handled (fast sometimes very slow), and that a bunch of scenes could have been so interesting simply by the fact that.... Fujimoto even expanded a little on Asa's point of view

Because I think we've had Denji's throughout this arc, crying, re-motivating himself, finding a way to win.

I think we've already talked about it, but DAMN IT, Asa is the protagonist too, not just Denji, and I'm so bored that we're still focusing on the theme of his guilt over losing her family, as if Asa didn't have any other guilt.

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I need to remind myself to keep posting commissioned work here.

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🚏❄ shopping trip

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They came!

There were bonuses pieces in it as well.

From these two, fantastic work.

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It will never happen but I want it to so bad.

Denji, Asa and Reze are clear parallels to each other which means they would make a CRAZY polycule. just rancid vibes in there I bet but they would love each other i think, it would be perfect.

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Chainsaw Man Inside Covers, Volumes 1-19

With the release of Volume 19, it came with some interesting possible implications with its inside cover regarding Fumiko, and it made look back on every previous one, so I decided to write up an introspective on my thoughts.

Part 1 is Volumes 1-11, while Part 2 is Volume 12 and up, and taking that in mind there are patterns to be seen.

The Part 1 covers tend to put a strong emphasis on environments, with the characters in them, if there are any even present, tend to be take up a small part of the artwork as a whole. This tends to leads to a rather distant and rather unsettling feeling about what it being portrayed, though there are a few exceptions here where the characters and much closer: Denji and Power (V2), Makima (V4) and Quanxi (V8). That being said, despite a break in character placement compared to the other volumes, there still seems to be something off about the presentation with these. Despite how close Qunaxi is we only see her back, even though her face is partially obscured by her hair its clear that Makima is looking right at the camera, giving us the best look at a characters face in P1, and even the Denji and Power one, which seems rather normal, is framed as being behind a number of dishes and plates, as though we are seeing them from the perspective of some other observer.

It gives the set a rather eerie feel to it, a trend that continue into Part 2.

Unlike Part 1, the Part 2 put a much stronger emphasis on the characters this time around, and there is a very strong pattern with the presentation: The first is that the character in question is always who was on the front cover, something that wasn't always true with Part 1 (V5's cover was Denji and Katana Man, while the inside was Angel Devil), and second, which I always find the most ironically eye-catching, is that the characters' eyes are always hidden. We see the character from behind (Nayuta, Yuko), from the side (Yoshida, Miri), or their hair is hiding their eyes (Fami), this last feature pulling double time with Volume 12 because while it is Yoru on the front cover, the lack of a face means that it can be either her or Asa, which I feel has a lot to say in itself. Like with Part 1, it gives this unsettling feel to the artwork, it creates a distance from us and characters, and its consistency only furthers those feelings.

There is, however, a major exception to this pattern: Volume 19 with Fumiko, and it's two-fold. The first is that Fumiko is in the same place as Miri was in Volume 16, the same plants and buildings are present in both images, and their positioning is meant to imply that Fumiko was standing behind him the whole time. The last time we had two covers take place in the same location was Volumes 10 and 11, where we are seeing Denji's door, being opened and closed respectively. The second major difference is that Fumiko's eyes are seen, and not just her eyes but her full face, so we are given a complete view of the front of her, more so than Makima back in Part 1, making the only characters in Part 2 to have her eyes visible and open, and after such consistent presentation the sudden showing of eyes creates even more unease. I feel as though that V19 is meant to convey to us something about Fumiko, what I can't say, but I can't help but feel that there is something to her that we don't know, and this deliberate break in the pattern is meant to draw our attention to her.