arslanthesmol

[arslanthesmol]

Every year or two... after a random arslan senki chapter update, i go back to looking up stuff like fan fics, fan art or just anything about arslan senki and then i end up re-watching the anime....sometimes i rewatch all the episodes and sometimes i skip a few but so far I've watched the anime 5 times and read the manga 3 times and whatever was translated from the novel once....this is the only show I've ever given so much attention to...i remember the day when arslan season 2 (anime) was released and being so happy about it that i posted the op song on yt and got copyrighted in a minute lol....it feels a bit unhealthy to be interested in a show this much but well....i enjoy it

..i think it'll always be top 1 series for me...not sure whyyy i love it a lot but it's always interesting and never boring..the plot is beautiful, each character is unique and different, no event is pointless and arslan's development is something i enjoy watching.

Historical stories are always better than a modern time story (my opinion ofc)

Nothing was useful here...just feelings, thank u for reading this far...

have a good day!

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #thoughts

[arslanthesmol]

I was enjoying some cute arslan fan art on pinterest when i saw this...lol so random

#the heroic legend of arslan #arsen #arslan senki

[arslanthesmol]

Finally, I read chapter 127, and omg, i was so nervous for arslan and the team while reading it, but thank god nothing happened to them... i liked how they explained the story of the snake king at the start. I'm not sure if they spoke about it before, but eating two human brains for a thousand years is a lot and definitely scary... i can't even imagine how he was defeated to begin with, so i can't wait for daryun or the team to take him down together! It would be amazing if arslan is the one who does it or deals the final blow to the snake king on parisan lands because that will go down in history and arslan will prove his worth and right to the throne.

Can't wait for the next chapter!

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan

[arslanthesmol]

Just a Hebrew article confirming IOF killed 10 hostages while knowing their location. These stories are never shared in English or western media.

[arslanthesmol]

filmed a truck coming in that contained the oranges that Abu Rabeh, the shop owner, was throwing onto the aid trucks ♥️

[arslanthesmol]

The British Home Office refused to grant a visa to a Palestinian refugee even though she had received a full scholarship to study for a doctorate at the London School of Economics. It claimed a visa would "harm the public interest." No further explanation.

[arslanthesmol]

And here we have Ranna, my OC!

They're Tahamenay's child, her lost daughter, and I picked her mother's distinctive palette for several reasons— one: to make it impossible to not clock her right away as Tahamenay's child, two: to metaphorically flip birds at Andragoras, and three: because I found it very pretty.

Her first outfit, I've been having this one in my head for a long long time, I think ever since I began this AU character design sheet thing— wait no it was actually when I was designing Kashi, weirdly enough. I already had a vague idea of the silhouette and layers involved by then, though it was still very plain and blank because I hadn't assigned all that much symbolism to her... yet.

For this one, I thought that I wanted a sort of dusk, sunset sort of vibe going on, I recently got to play the remake of my favorite game: Yotsume God. And the entire aesthetic of that game, set at dusk, as if the world was awash in flames, all the red hues, it stuck with me. So I plucked some colours off of the screenshots I took and stuck them on this one— plus the dark colours made me think of Hilmes.

There are accents of yellow/gold (though rather dull) to hint at their secret royal lineage, unbeknownst to themself. Those are scorpion tails on her coat— I was running out of energy that day and could not make myself draw the entire animal. So tail it is. As for why scorpion, Ranna likes bugs and what people would consider creepy crawlies a lot, plus the symbolism:

“The symbolism of the scorpion means so many things including intelligence, independence, solitude, passion, protection, and transformation, to different tribes.”

×

“It is widely known that scorpions have deadly venom that can kill humans.”

×

“The scorpion’s stinger is used as a weapon for hunting, defense, and protection. They also represent that one has the power to protect oneself.

Scorpion bites may be poisonous, but Scorpion symbolism acts as a spirit guide that teaches you to recognize your tendencies and know how to manage them to work in your favor. It also teaches us to be brave and stand up against failure, turn our weaknesses into strengths, learn from our past mistakes, transform our pain and negativity into positivity, and identify our true identity.”

×

Generally, scorpions represent the following:

• Ability to protect other people by chasing off negative impacts and influences.

• Ability to protect oneself through fighting oneself or others.

• Powerful transformation

• Success and dream

• Independence, personal drive, and rebirth

• Mastery and self-control

• A sharp mind and intelligence

• Solitude

• Determination and willpower

• Pent-up emotions

• Aggressive behavior or feeling

• Utmost self-confidence

Ranna is quite the independent sort of person, she has control issues that stem from being expected to conform to ridiculous standards by her former caretakers (in hopes that one day she might be allowed to return to the royal court, and even if not, land a good marriage)— from her perspective her parents were trying to make her walk this path (marriage) that she's not crazy about, and a path that produces much misery and traps victims, at that. Abusive spouses, women in general don't seem to have much power and independence in Pars as far as I know, this all fed into their rebellious and independent streak. On top of that, she's been witnessing the numerous injustices of society, namely the classism and the slavery. Even after she ran away and came to live with the clan at a very young age, the clan is made of runaway slaves, abuse victims, so on and so forth, people who have endured society's bullshit and like Ranna themself sought sanctuary and freedom. That definitely radicalized her so to speak, and gave rise to this... protectiveness of themself, their agency, the clan, and a collection of pent-up emotions, mostly negative, that she takes out on people she dislikes. Ranna is very brutal and aggressive with people they hate, they like to poke and prod and rile them up so that she can feel in-control. Hilmes does his utmost to avoid them as a result.

As for the identify [their] true identity part, Ranna sneaks off to Ecbatana to scratch the itch of the urge to find out what her birth parents are like and why they abandoned them, so yeah.

The necklace with the pistachio pendant is... gotta admit, it is kinda the stretch of the century but bear with me!!

We're going on a journey in this post too, and that's a... I don't have a name for this journey but let's— let's call this Aphrodite journey.

But Egg, you may exclaim, what's pistachios gotta do with Aphrodite of all things?

I know. That's why I said this is the stretch of the century.

Buckle up, buddies.

The first reason why I chose pistachios was this:

“Pistachio forests in the eastern, southern and southeastern districts – 26,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)”

They're present in the Alborz mountain range too, of course, but why is the southeastern part of Iran (the country Pars is based on) significant in particular?

Well, look no further than this map. (EDIT: This fan map was made by tumblr user chatmant! Thank you @daryun for telling me!)

As ArSen fans will know, Tahamenay was originally from the Principality of Badakhshan, located southeast of Pars— before Osroes came in and conquered the area. I wanted to include a nod to her mother's origins and whatnot.

Pistachios are supposedly dubbed “green gold”, or just “the emerald”, and harvest if I am correct starts in September.

Tahamenay's child was born in the ninth month, which I know doesn't mean it corresponds to modern September but hush. I'm just gonna roll with it to retain my sanity for now.

Keep an eye on the emerald part. This is where the stretch begins.

“Emerald symbolism encompasses not only royalty but also wit, eloquence, and foresight. "The Jewel of Kings" also serves as the May birthstone. Whatever its supposed mystical properties, this gem has long been regarded as a superior jewel. Rare and beautiful, emerald's stunning green color has also brought it an honored status amongst cultures worldwide.”

Royalty for their lineage, and well, Ranna's quite very crafty and cunning.

“A revealer of truths, emerald reputedly could cut through all illusions and spells, including the truth or falsity of a lover's oath.”

The circumstances surrounding her identity, plus their brutal honesty with the people she dislikes. She is honest with people she likes too but... they take delight in tearing down the worldview and personal truths of the ones she hates.

“Western traditions connect emeralds more frequently with the planet Venus. Perhaps the story from Greek and Roman mythology of Venus emerging from the sea makes a difference here. For followers of Western astrology, the "sea green" color of emerald may make a better match with the goddess's namesake planet.”

I took one look at Venus and decided to think about Aphrodite instead, since that's the one I'm more familiar with.

“Aphrodite is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation.

Aphrodite has been featured in Western art as a symbol of female beauty and has appeared in numerous works of Western literature.”

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, and of seduction as well. While Ranna is squarely not interested in seducing anybody save a certain bandit girl (and their idea of “seducing” said bandit girl involves a lot less sexytimes, thank fuck, and a whole lot more bloody murder, adrenaline-charged heists, and general chaos and shenanigans anyways) but, as Ranna inherited Tahamenay's looks, and Tahamenay was met with a trauma conga line of misfortune no thanks to her beauty, and was accused of seducing many men.

Also Aphrodite, from what I know, is an agent of chaos lol, which Ranna also is.

Also also, Aphrodite's origin myth involves her washing ashore from the sea, and Badakhshan is in contact with the sea, and I headcanon that Tahamenay was from somewhere along the coastline.

Also, Aphrodite had a lot of epithets which range from Genetyllis meaning “Mother” (which I link with Tahamenay) to Areia meaning “warlike”:

“Across the Greek world, she was known under epithets such as Melainis "Black One", Skotia "Dark One", Androphonos "Killer of Men", Anosia "Unholy", and Tymborychos "Gravedigger", all of which indicate her darker, more violent nature.”

And as people who's seen me talk about Ranna, this girl is... a Terror™ among terrors.

And that's how I ended up linking pistachios to Aphrodite.

Onto the second outfit, I went for foxy colours since I ended up not putting actual foxes on her clothes.

Why foxes? Well...

“Fox symbolism and meaning include cleverness, independence, playfulness and mischievousness, beauty, protection, and good luck.”

×

“The animal is taken to be the incarnation of cunning, slyness, perfidy, and even wickedness.”

Characteristics that Ranna embodies, plus in the manga Tahamenay was referred to as “that sharp-eyed vixen”. Another nod to their mother!

Also, clawed gloves. Me likes.

What are the purple flowers on her clothes? Why the purple sash? Oh, this is one I've been holding for A VERY LONG TIME.

So a while ago, I had the idea of associating either Ranna or Arslan with saffron/saffron flowers— saffron is precious, and the flowers bloom in autumn. One would be associated with saffron, and the other would be associated with “autumn crocus/meadow saffron” which is actually not saffron at all and instead is poisonous, even.

Pretty neat plan, except I kept going back and forth on who would be which flower. Because on one hand Ranna is secret royalty and it'd make sense for her to be associated with the expensive and precious saffron, Arslan the fake saffron, but on the other hand I ended up linking venom/poison and Ranna (the scorpion, poisoned weaponry), and Arslan ended up embodying a lot of saffron symbolism...

So I decided, fuck it, imma just leave it ambiguous. Figure this shit out yourselves 😭 That's also why I left out the saffron threads/ the styles and stamens of this ambiguous flower, because true crocuses have three stamens and three styles, while colchicums have six stamens and one style. The meadow saffron I talked about? Iirc it's a colchicum, not a true crocus.

“Saffron is harvested from the saffron crocus, scientific name Crocus sativus. This is a different plant entirely from the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), also known somewhat confusingly as meadow saffron.

×

“Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, or naked ladies, is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae, unlike the true crocuses, which belong to the family Iridaceae. The name "naked ladies" is because the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear. Despite the vernacular name of "meadow saffron", this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant, too, is sometimes called "autumn crocus".”

×

“Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the iris family Iridaceae. A cormous autumn-flowering cultivated perennial, unknown in the wild, it is best known for the culinary use of its floral stigmas as the spice saffron.”

×

“The sativus has a long history in the world, and as such has gathered much symbolism and meaning alongside itself. Some of the more common associations are feelings of happiness and joy, with a gift of saffron being a way to send positive vibes and energy to another. It is thought to relate to the emotions of youth as well, and childlike wonder. It was commonly used in roman households as a perfume for guests as they entered the abode. The name crocus sativus is thought to originate from the Greek god Krokus, who upon his death became the flower, as well as the Arabic word “zafaran,” which means yellow.”

×

And the symbolism of individual colours of crocuses (not limited to saffron crocuses):

“Purple, the traditional color of royalty, is tied to gracefulness, dignity, and personal success. It’s great for symbolize someone’s recent accomplishments or to celebrate their many years of service or partnership. Darker shades in particular have a strong association with the wisdom of experience. It represents success, pride and dignity. This flower color is also a symbol of royalty and nobility.

White, the purest and most versatile flower color of them all. A bouquet of Crocuses in this color can indicate a humble approach or wishes of condolences for someone in grief. This color is commonly associated with funerals in some cultures, but it’s also used for weddings due to its ties to purity and elegance in others. White Crocus flower is a symbol of purity, truth and innocence. This flower is usually used as wedding decoration.

The yellow Crocus flower is a symbol of cheerfulness and joy.”

Hold onto these crocus colour stuff. They'll become relevant again in Arslan's sheet. Or really, the entire crocus/saffron section of this post.

How long has this thing become?

“It is most commonly associated with spring, renewal, and rebirth due to its growth during the winter or early spring.

Autumn blooming Crocuses may inspire some artists and writers to use it as a symbol of hope in the face of loss or death instead. These varieties can be some of the last flowers to bloom, making them a reminder of the spring to come.”

×

“By the middle of October, saffron flowers begin to blossom, and this blooming lasts for about three weeks.

Crocus sativus are grown from bulbs known as corms. Crocus corms are best planted in September, then will flower a couple of months later

September is best for planting in warmer locations (zones 7-10). Saffron Crocus can be planting in the ground or in containers in these warmer zones. Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus) blooms in fall.”

×

“Saffron flowers symbolize rebirth, joy, innocence and new beginnings. It is also a symbol of youthfulness as it is the first flower to bloom in the spring. In ancient Rome, the crocus was a symbol of love.”

×

“The Crocus flower generally represents youth, innocence, rebirth, cheerfulness, pleasure, gladness and joy.”

×

“While crocus do have that well-known association with being the first blooms of the new year, they aren’t necessarily just a spring flower. In fact, some croci (both croci and crocuses are acceptable plurals) bloom late in the autumn. So, while it’s true that the crocus is a symbol of rebirth from the darkest times, it’s also applicable as a symbol and omen of enduring and thriving life. You, like the crocus, can be renewed in spite in the coldness and darkness of the depths of winter.”

×

“Depending on the exact species and variety, Crocus plants can bloom in the spring, autumn, or winter.”

If you're seeing lots of snippets about how they bloom in different seasons, it's because I was getting very annoyed at the sheer confusion I suffered during research, people will just conflate saffron crocuses and regular-ass crocuses, leading to stuff that says “saffron flowers bloom in spring!” and the repeated information about spring-blooming crocuses.

I'm so tired. Get your facts straight, people!

Also, almost forgot to mention, her foxy colours here of course can be attributed to the saffron route as well, if you choose to associate her with saffron and not meadow saffron.

And Tahamenay is shown having purple on her:

And who can ignore the centipede?

“Centipedes are the ultimate "creepy crawlies." Their many-legged bodies are more often the subject of horror than fascination.”

She horrifies a lot of people. And they also cause fascination too, and of course they're absolutely smitten by centipedes.

“Centipedes and millipedes are multi-legged predatory arthropods which live in a variety of different terrestrial habitats. These bugs are found in almost every region of the planet, including, even, the Arctic Circle.”

×

“Centipedes live in soil, under rocks and dead wood, and inside logs. Because they live in dirt, centipedes are often associated with death and decay. Due to its preference for hidden places, the centipede is sometimes associated with the afterlife or the "Underworld." This association sometimes connects centipedes to occult forces and taboo subjects.”

Ranna rolls around in dirt, explores the woods and mountains and is not in the slightest afraid of getting dirty. They're “dead” to Andragoras and nonexistent to the rest of the court, and their existence or the talk about it or their identity can be regarded as “taboo”. It's not like Tahamenay can talk about this to anyone, after all.

“The centipede’s unusual anatomy connects it with speed and dexterity. The centipede’s venomous bite associates these fearsome arthropods with both sickness and medicine.”

×

“Both centipede and millipede are symbols of good luck, energy, and healing. In addition, it is said that centipedes are among the only things that dragons fear. So, centipedes represent the power and ferocity that even the smallest of creatures can embody. Finally, perhaps the strongest association with centipedes is fear itself. Centipedes represent anxieties, phobias both rational and irrational, and nightmares. Because of this, centipedes can also represent the courageous act of confronting one’s fears.”

×

“The Irish Banshee was often depicted as an older woman surrounded by creepy crawlers such as spiders and centipedes. The cry of the Banshee is thought to be a harbinger of death.”

Lots of scary ominous stuff going on here, and Ranna is the one who'd eventually cause Andragoras' death, but not without Tahamenay's contribution, of course :3

Then we have their ceremonial dance attire. Follows the general template, with a few tweaks.

Her sash is a warmer red than Kazai's.

The star symbols on the skirt part also resemble suns, hinting at her royal lineage.

Purple for Tahamenay.

A lot more yellow/gold, again for the royal lineage thing.

The necklace is a chaotic collection of colours, which yeah represents her own chaos.

They just seem like the type to frequently go barefoot regardless of the occasion.

Also, as you may have noticed, Ranna has one or both arms free of the sleeves of the outermost layer in two of the outfits, and that's to show how she cares little about decorum and stuff, such as wearing a garment “properly”.

That's all. It's 3:25am, I started drafting this thing immediately after I finished drawing a couple hours ago, which also I finished this tonight out of an adrenaline rush because I have to return to classes tomorrow.

I hate my life.

I'm gonna immediately head to sleep, I can already tell I won't get enough. Bye! Hope y'all enjoyed this!

[arslanthesmol]

Okay, wow, i guess a lot happens. Thank you for writing all of this without spoiling other parts! I truly appreciate it! It makes sense that the daughter is a character we haven't seen before.

I do agree that the idea of there being no child to begin with is messed up on a different level. I liked how it went with the 3 girls and the bracelet, which is kinda smart and makes more sense than tahamine later finding out that there's no child and getting even more broken but It's not really weird since the king is...not the brightest sometimes. The three girls' characteristics are interesting, so hopefully they add this in the manga and ditch the idea of no daughter.

Honestly, i didn't expect anything like what you wrote, but i guess the novel takes a huge turn in part 2 after the timeskip. I think reading it myself would clear out more things cuz i do have more things I'm curious about now but i don't want to go any further for now. I love the excitement of getting shocked as i read lol...

Thanks to you, i think I'm gonna dive into the novel again..idk if that's a good thing or not, but let's see.

Also Ranna! The character you created looks sooo lovely and cute. I like your art style! I wouldn't have imagined that you'd create an original character, but she fits the role. If only they'd do a touch like yours in the manga, then i think everyone would be satisfied as she fits perfectly. I'll go and check her tag right now because I'm definitely interested!

This is just random thoughts, but i wonder who the queen's daughter could be? There's a possibility that's she died, but if she's alive, it's possible that her daughter is a character we know about..probably not Irene because her parents are not unknown. The only other character is obviously estelle, who was adopted into a family of knights, right? So she couldddd have been the child the queen lost if she was sold to another country but It I'd hate for this to happen as obviously she's the only future love interest for arslan (can't help but ship them a lot), also she doesn't look like tahamine.

Other than estelle, i don't remember the appearance of teenage female characters that could be the daughter (Alfred obviously out of the equation).

I'm not sure how the novel goes about this matter but if it's a character we haven't met yet, i hope they introduce her soon enough...tho i feel like they'd introduce her only after the war, unless she decides to get in the way and create a major event later like creating conflict between the queen and king which would be bad for andragoras who the queen doesn't love.

I hope we get a clear idea about this later and not just leave her as unkown. It would be nice if she is a nice girl who could stand by arslan's side as a stepsister at some point. I think I'm getting delulu now, so this is enough thoughts....

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan

[arslanthesmol]

Totally understandable cuz omg HE'S THE CUTEST LITTLE PIE. I literally stopped reading when i saw these baby shots of Arslan and zoomed in to die of cuteness. Never expected to see baby arslan honestly.

I'm sorry I know I already posted those two panels but I can't I just can't he's too cute

[arslanthesmol]

The last panel you mentioned where she felt something other than disdain was quite nice to see. He is not like the king one bit.

Oh dear....

This entire revelation of Hilmes' true parentage is so gross but what truly shook me is that it was this man's wish to kill Hilmes.

Osroes was everything to Hilmes. We have seen how much he revered his father's remembrance. His pure, justly father who, he thought, got murdered by Andragorus. Apart from the murder attempt on himself, it was also his father's death that he wanted to avenge, by taking the throne. The cause of all of Hilmes' miseries was the man he devoted his life to :'(

We have seen Hilmes crumbling, panicking many times before and he fought his fears to come back stronger each time. But this time, it's different. It seems Andragorus has snatched away the very foundation of his person. What happened with Hilmes is cruel. And absurd.

He's always so high and mighty so it's kind of....difficult watching him going through identity crisis like this T.T

One character that I took only as seriously as Gieve until now, caught my interest in this chapter. Yup, that's Queen Tahamineh :'D

I never thought I would feel sorry for her but here we are. She's an example of a cursed beauty that people desire, use and accuse for being used at the same time. She was displaced from her roots, handed over from one king to other like an object and bore the blame for everything when the kings and kingdoms failed for whatever reasons (Note what happened in case of Lusitania). Then, she lost her only child and the ability to bear children. She couldn't do anything thing to change her own and her daughter's situation. She's been so powerless, and all of that pent up angst she let out on Arslan.

It's understandable how she would feel. What I don't understand is, though, that how could she resist loving Arslan? He had such a lovable personality even as a child. How could anyone not love him? Maybe her anger thawed at some point and she had to hardened herself consciously. She must have battled with a lot of conflicting feelings.

Anyway, Arslan did nothing to deserve such bitterness. She could, at least, have loved him as just a child, if not as a mother.

Until this point, Arslan showed much understanding for her. It is only when he learns that she never tried to connect to him even as a person, let alone a son, that he finally reacts sternly. He is horrified at thought that she expected Arslan to hit someone he called his mother. And also at the reality that his supposedly mother is as ignorant of his feelings as a stranger would be.

Here in this panel, she feels something other than disdain for Arslan for the first time. I think she got a glimpse of who Arslan really is.

#arslan senki

[arslanthesmol]

Oh dear....

This entire revelation of Hilmes' true parentage is so gross but what truly shook me is that it was this man's wish to kill Hilmes.

Osroes was everything to Hilmes. We have seen how much he revered his father's remembrance. His pure, justly father who, he thought, got murdered by Andragorus. Apart from the murder attempt on himself, it was also his father's death that he wanted to avenge, by taking the throne. The cause of all of Hilmes' miseries was the man he devoted his life to :'(

We have seen Hilmes crumbling, panicking many times before and he fought his fears to come back stronger each time. But this time, it's different. It seems Andragorus has snatched away the very foundation of his person. What happened with Hilmes is cruel. And absurd.

He's always so high and mighty so it's kind of....difficult watching him going through identity crisis like this T.T

One character that I took only as seriously as Gieve until now, caught my interest in this chapter. Yup, that's Queen Tahamineh :'D

I never thought I would feel sorry for her but here we are. She's an example of a cursed beauty that people desire, use and accuse for being used at the same time. She was displaced from her roots, handed over from one king to other like an object and bore the blame for everything when the kings and kingdoms failed for whatever reasons (Note what happened in case of Lusitania). Then, she lost her only child and the ability to bear children. She couldn't do anything thing to change her own and her daughter's situation. She's been so powerless, and all of that pent up angst she let out on Arslan.

It's understandable how she would feel. What I don't understand is, though, that how could she resist loving Arslan? He had such a lovable personality even as a child. How could anyone not love him? Maybe her anger thawed at some point and she had to hardened herself consciously. She must have battled with a lot of conflicting feelings.

Anyway, Arslan did nothing to deserve such bitterness. She could, at least, have loved him as just a child, if not as a mother.

Until this point, Arslan showed much understanding for her. It is only when he learns that she never tried to connect to him even as a person, let alone a son, that he finally reacts sternly. He is horrified at thought that she expected Arslan to hit someone he called his mother. And also at the reality that his supposedly mother is as ignorant of his feelings as a stranger would be.

Here in this panel, she feels something other than disdain for Arslan for the first time. I think she got a glimpse of who Arslan really is.

[arslanthesmol]

My favourite Arslan moments from chapter 125 (spoilers)

+ lame commentary

[All IDs in alt text]

The way he swallows his grief. Makes me wanna cry omg

SMOL

The sheer calmness in his eyes. The restraint. I just wanna hug him.

I might be wrong, but when Gieve found out about Arslan's wet nurse and drew this conclusion, there was no indication that Arslan himself had figured it out as well. Just how long had he been holding it in?

The fire crackle to show his flicker of anger, before the flames soothe out again. Can you not with the imagery because my heart can't take it.

EVERYTHING about this part. From the cold, "You never truly understood me" and the delivery of "This is farewell." The thing that got Arslan to finally denounce her was that she though he would ever hurt her. Hurt anyone really. She really didn't know him at all.

I wonder if in this moment she figured it out -- who he really was.

YAS QUEEN

[arslanthesmol]

A four year time skip?? Omg that's a lot...but I'm glad that they touch on this topic anyway.

I'd love to know how it goes but I'm not a big fan of spoilers...tho if the spoiler will not touch on anything related to arslan or his group then i guess i wouldn't mind...as long as it's only about the queen and her daughter...or will you need more details explained to tell it?

Also your Ranna tag is making me more curious now haha

This is just random thoughts, but i wonder who the queen's daughter could be? There's a possibility that's she died, but if she's alive, it's possible that her daughter is a character we know about..probably not Irene because her parents are not unknown. The only other character is obviously estelle, who was adopted into a family of knights, right? So she couldddd have been the child the queen lost if she was sold to another country but It I'd hate for this to happen as obviously she's the only future love interest for arslan (can't help but ship them a lot), also she doesn't look like tahamine.

Other than estelle, i don't remember the appearance of teenage female characters that could be the daughter (Alfred obviously out of the equation).

I'm not sure how the novel goes about this matter but if it's a character we haven't met yet, i hope they introduce her soon enough...tho i feel like they'd introduce her only after the war, unless she decides to get in the way and create a major event later like creating conflict between the queen and king which would be bad for andragoras who the queen doesn't love.

I hope we get a clear idea about this later and not just leave her as unkown. It would be nice if she is a nice girl who could stand by arslan's side as a stepsister at some point. I think I'm getting delulu now, so this is enough thoughts....

[arslanthesmol]

This is just random thoughts, but i wonder who the queen's daughter could be? There's a possibility that's she died, but if she's alive, it's possible that her daughter is a character we know about..probably not Irene because her parents are not unknown. The only other character is obviously estelle, who was adopted into a family of knights, right? So she couldddd have been the child the queen lost if she was sold to another country but It I'd hate for this to happen as obviously she's the only future love interest for arslan (can't help but ship them a lot), also she doesn't look like tahamine.

Other than estelle, i don't remember the appearance of teenage female characters that could be the daughter (Alfred obviously out of the equation).

I'm not sure how the novel goes about this matter but if it's a character we haven't met yet, i hope they introduce her soon enough...tho i feel like they'd introduce her only after the war, unless she decides to get in the way and create a major event later like creating conflict between the queen and king which would be bad for andragoras who the queen doesn't love.

I hope we get a clear idea about this later and not just leave her as unkown. It would be nice if she is a nice girl who could stand by arslan's side as a stepsister at some point. I think I'm getting delulu now, so this is enough thoughts....

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan

[arslanthesmol]

The Chapter 125 simulpub is now out on Mangasee123!

[arslanthesmol]

Arslan Senki Chapter 126

So I meant to do this last night but apparently I had accidentally hit the daily tumblr post limit, and was stuck unable to post or reblog anything up until now! I AM FREE, MUAHAHAHAHA.

I will be cannibalizing the discussion @innerchorus and I had in our DMs since all of that was what I meant to put in the post all along, though I'm running a bit low on energy so I won't be weaving screencaps into the post.

One of the first things that stuck out to me was how humble the residence of Arslan's birth parents was, when I read spoilers and it said “knight”, I had assumed something... a little larger than that. Nothing grand, not a mansion or anything, they weren't prominent knights, but... not this. I wonder what the social standing of “knights” in general are? Zaravant also described himself as a knight, iirc. Though it's likely that knight in this case was used to refer to a warrior in general than a specific caste/rank? Maybe cavalry officers of any rank were deemed knights?

I apologize for jumping backwards but oh, oh man I want to hug Arslan so bad. His face! The way Arakawa took the time and panel space to really show how he tried to hold his reaction back. He's trying to be composed and he succeeds. Even something of this caliber (even if he did suspect it all along) didn't make him lash out. He has incredible self-control, or maybe he's just too used to setting his own feelings and reaction aside. I don't think he's repressing it here though, rather he's facing it head-on.

(I wonder how Andragoras even managed to find Arslan, and that swiftly, too.)

Turns out the marzban thing was a translation error, which is good because I was raising my eyebrow skeptically at that panel when I first read it.

Man something about the memory and deaths of a family who were basically exploited just vanish away, paved over and buried. There's just something so relevant to my interests and the themes of Wolfpack about this all. The clan is all about remembering and protecting those the world would've deliberately chosen to forget, after all.

Also, Arslan's father wasn't prepared to raise his own child? Boo. Wolfpack!Shapur was twice the single father by age 22, LOL. (I jest, it would've been harder for him than it would've Shapur, considering the financial situation and the fact that he doesn't have people he can leave the baby to when out at battle or something. It's natural for him to be worried. I'm sure he saw this as the best path possible, and hey, his son will be a prince! Surely a better life than he could ever lead as the son of an insignificant knight.

Arslan considering the notion of Andragoras possibly planning to sire another male heir... I don't have any intelligent commentary to give on the matter but I found it interesting. Perhaps another king in Andragoras' shoes might've done it. Gotarzes certainly did.

Tahamenay sure did go through a lot, and the dehumanizing lenses everybody saw her through meant that she was villified and demonized for just trying to survive (or just existing, period! the things that happened to the shitty men in her life was NOT her fault) She's not my fave, no, but I do feel for her. Like, her homeland got annexed! As someone from a country that got occupied by both Britain AND Japan and suffered under them, that really resonates with me. And while Pars fights for its freedom (and it should, I'm not arguing otherwise), Badakhshan???? Still under occupation for more than sixteen years, if I'm correct. There's just something heartbreaking about it.

Arslan confirming that his wet nurse and her husband being purposefully murdered to tidy up loose ends! And he's rightfully angry at the answer— we don't see his face in full, his eyes are shadowed when he asks the question, he clenches his hands when he hears the answer, and grits his teeth too. I may be reading too much into this but the agony on Tahamenay's face being replaced by cold distance when she said “They were. To avoid any complications later.”, the almost clinical way she delivered it, it's such a stark contrast from her emotion mere moments before. Maybe, just maybe, the delivery of the truth on top of the truth itself was what set Arslan off (though of course, he still does not act on it). Maybe there's something to be said about the disregard of “insignificant” lives.

I think Tahamenay has shut her feelings down, and her daughter is the only thing she'll let herself feel anything over. The sheer trauma and the constant bombardment of such vitriol from all angles meant that completely shutting down all emotion was... probably the only way to cope. Conceal it, don't feel it.

The thing is, though, even if he were to “Arslan: exit stage left” out of this conflict, where would he go? I'm sure he'd have little problem finding happiness in a humble life, he's never been one to care about stuff like birthrights and status, but where would he go???? The people he loved before his life as a prince are gone. Wet nurse and husband, dead. Everyone else? The kids he played with? Probably don't even remember him anymore due to the distance (I assume they didn't know he was the prince). Would he even be able to recognize them anymore? And would Team Arslan follow him into exile? There is technically an out, yes, but it's not a meaningful one. Just like how Hilmes is trapped in his own identity, Arslan also is, though Hilmes chose to build his own cage and Arslan was unknowingly put into it. And there's something to be said about how both their claims/identities were laundered. Hilmes is not the son and heir of Osroes. Arslan does not possess royal blood.

@innerchorus pointed out that Tahamenay was offering Arslan what she would have chosen herself (and this lines up with novel canon where she retreats to her homeland and distances herself from court), and it makes sense, this was a game she never asked to play. Still, it's just really sad that Arslan can never truly go back to who he was before all this.

I also loved the way his dialogue was paired with the internal monologue in black panels, even if I can't quite put my finger on why. That part was brilliantly done. (Maybe the way the “camera” comes closer and closer to his face as he proceeds?)

And the way that Tahamenay was prepared to receive angry words and even physical violence as a matter of course, it either speaks to her own guilt about the situation, OR the way she was treated so shittily by all the men and people in her life. Or maybe it is both. A brilliant moment of characterization, where she is shaped by her experiences and is in turn, blinded by them. Arslan is not that kind of person. He bows to her, and then leaves.

I have nothing to say about Kishward's worried face, but Arslan declaring his will is such a powerful moment. I'm reminded of a very early Narsus moment that's very relevant, I went and dug this out from my reread tag:

Here's what I had to say about it back then:

“What Narsus basically means here is: State a concrete vision, a cause, a goal, and people will naturally gather round to support it— to garner allies, you must basically broadcast what it is that you wish to achieve.”

And Arslan here is doing just that. Fantastic.

I know I said no screencaps in this post but I couldn't help it! It's such a powerful moment.

Arslan has really grown into his role and he's embodying the counsel Narsus gave him all those chapters ago!

And Hilmes, I see, is having a not-so-spectacular time.

The way Osroes spoke of Hilmes makes my skin crawl. He doesn't even deign to refer to the boy as “he”, and “send the thing to meet its true father” is just. YIKES. It's not the child's fault he was born into shitty circumstances, Osroes! How could he have raised Hilmes all those years (eleven!) with no outward sign of contempt, and just. Never develop any sort of attachment to him? No hesitation? Maybe it's the fever that's making it worse but I don't believe it was all delirium which just makes it worse. I hate Osroes.

Andragoras really did it as revenge, which seals the deal that he is, in fact, speaking the truth. It's just like him, and loathe as Hilmes is to admit it, he does realize that. This boy too deserves hugs. SOMEBODY COME HUG YOUR PRINCE.

And even still, even as his world is crumbling around him with no preamble, he still has enough headspace to process and start piecing the pieces together. Hilmes has POTENTIAL, he's a good commander and this right here shows his intelligence and relative ability to keep it straight in stressful conditions (relative, because of his whole consumed by revenge thing). If only he wasn't led astray perhaps, he could've made a good Shah. He unfortunately harbors some very typical biases about social class or whatever, but perhaps it could've been given a chance to change. But as things are now, his chance of being a Shah at all is...

Another Arslan-Hilmes parallel: they're both refusing to back down even as their lack of claim is revealed, and though the refusal stems from very different emotional roots there's a commonality in that they keep at it because if they stop now then what did all those people fight for? Though, Arslan's motive is selfless (he's doing it because it's his duty to the people who gave so much for him) while Hilmes' is selfish (it's tied to his sense of self-worth).

And Hilmes putting things together (so close, so close!) signifying his refusal to give up, that's what spurs Andragoras into action.

Man, what a fucking chapter, amirite?

Now with all that out of the way—

ITTY BITTY BABY BABY BABYYYYY HE'S BARELY LARGER THAN A COIN POUCH (and if we remove the swaddling cloth he might actually be smaller oh godddd) like I would've made infant Areyan tiny anyways but ohhhh god I'm about to cry. He's so huggable. I WILL SOB.

[arslanthesmol]

Arslan Senki Chapter 125

I'm not going to cover the whole thing, just a few bits and pieces that are most interesting to me. My heart rate still hasn't calmed down, and the way this chapter ended is not helping! (No Zandeh yet, sadly... next time for sure!)

Losing my shit over these glimpses of TINY BABY ARSLAN and his birth father. Sad that we didn't get to see his mother too, though.

'Marzban' though, uh... I'll have to check the raw to see what it says there but I'm pretty sure in the novels it says that he rode off to battle with the rank of 100-rider captain. Honestly, Marzban feels like a totally inappropriate and way too attention-grabbing promotion for a man who needed to be killed off without anyone suspecting anything out of the ordinary.

I wonder what, if anything, will come of the 'Tahamenay's lost daughter' plotline in the manga? Will we ever find out the truth? Will it be different to the novels?

The end of the conversation between Tahamenay and Arslan felt very fufilling. Can't help but admire Arslan.

good panel GOOD PANEL

The end of this scene was slightly different to the novels, but I don't wanna drop spoilers here in case it comes up in the next chapter or so.

OKAY onto the last quarter of the chapter which is back with Hilmes and Andragoras...

What a horrific way to refer to the child he raised.

Hilmes trying so hard to rally himself after hearing all this, but when he hears Andragoras's reason for telling him all of this (which is totally on brand for Andragoras) he loses any composure he'd regained; he must sense that it's true.

I do think it's impressive that despite having the foundations of his world effectively shattered, he doesn't just let himself crumple, and his thoughts even turn to what Bahman said all those months ago, leading him to follow that line of reasoning in full and ask Andragoras who Arslan truly is.

He's cute here.

But of course Andragoras isn't prepared to answer that question, and the chapter ends with the two of them crossing blades for the first time aksdhjfshshj I am going to be an utter nervous wreck next chapter.