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muthaz-rapapa · 5 years

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A Break Down of All Star Memories: The Good & The Bad

This is ridiculously long so I put everything under the cut.

And I split it into the good and the bad but the good actually outweigh the bad by a lot so no wonder this was the best All Stars movie we’ve had in...wow, 7 years.

On top of that, it really did feel like an anniversary movie and I’m so glad they made that part really count.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Good Points

Story

Y’know, as much as I loved the DX movies, I admit that their storylines weren’t all that great which is why I suspect Toei tried to change that with New Stage and every other All Stars after. Except when you put new, exclusive characters in the spotlight, you kinda also take (too much) focus away from the Cures, the main reason why I want to watch the crossovers in the first place.

And I can tell they tried to find some equilibrium to that. One where they can develop a conflict and a resolution for said new character while giving the newbie Cures their time to shine. It’s difficult because there are just so many of them that you have to feature, oi. @_@;;;

Not to mention, needing to incorporate those fight scenes and climactic endings...and stupidly nerfing the established Cures to keep them on standby/out of the way until they’re needed for a dramatic entrance later. It’s been pretty formulaic one movie right after the other so by “Minna de Utau”, nothing was interesting anymore.

Then Dream Stars and Super Stars came along with a “smaller” cast but those were also so-so at best because again, it’s hard to break revamp habits and get a coherent flow of events without compromising some things along.

Now we have All Stars Memories and it’s...different.

It’s like any All Stars, the same in many aspects but still...different.

In the good way.

We have a very compelling antagonist this time and the writers did a great job of keeping the mystery about him till the reveal during the latter half of the movie.

Then there’s Hana/Yell who was absolutely amazing as the central protagonist of this story which I’ll get to in a bit.

Finally, letting Black and White actually share that spotlight with the Hugtto girls. Not as secondary or supporting but, for a while, they were the main characters again. I haven’t even watched their seasons yet but man, did it feel awesome to see them show off their wisdom, experience and badassery as the most senior of all Precure. <3

As for the rest of them, yea, they were nerfed again but it actually makes sense this time because they’ve been turned into babies, for cryin’ out loud, and their Precure memories were taken away.

Naturally, without those memories, they can’t do their Precure stunts.

Very good, Toei. You’re finally learning from your mistakes. *thumbs up*

Anyways, despite them being powerless for most of the movie, we still made the best of their cuteness so all’s good.

Last but not least, the conclusion. For 10 years, 10 years, all the All Stars movies boiled down to almost every Cure transforming to their respective super forms and/or then holding hands together in a circle or something similar to that effect before shooting one gargantuan rainbow-attack at the Big Bad while screaming in unison, “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!”.

That didn’t happen for Memories and let me say THANK GOD.

If anything, I felt that gently releasing Miden from his suffering was infinitely more impactful than the combined effect of every All Stars group attack in existence.

It was quiet but it moved the heart. And damn it, if it didn’t made you cry as well! No one was immune to tears as they recalled the times they spent with each other. And not one among them wanted to hurt Miden anymore than how hurt he was already. They all sincerely wished, as they made their way up to the top to meet Yell, to set him free.

Which brings me back to what I said in my earlier post, about what this movie is trying to remind us about Precure: you don’t save people by fighting them, you save them with love.

Compassion, not retaliation.

Wow.

Animation

You can immediately tell that Toei spared no expense in making this movie look as fabulous as possible. Whether it’s a fight scene or a light-hearted moment, everything is not only shiny, colorful and bright. It’s polished to the extent that if there was a mistake somewhere, it’s hardly noticeable to even be existent. At least I didn’t notice any flaws while I was watching it.

Moreover, that 3D.

Actually, this should come as no surprise to those who’s seen all the EDs up to this point. They’ve been steadily making improvements in this area for the past few years and there were even times during the movie that I couldn’t tell whether I was still watching 3D or if it switched back to 2D.

They move back and forth between the two formats so smoothly that you literally have to stop paying attention to the story to notice when they make the shift.

It’s so seamless that it left me speechless, to be honest.

Sympathetic, well-written antagonist

Like I said earlier, Miden is a very interesting adversary in the fact that he’s just as much the victim as he is the “villain”.

Unlike past All Stars villains, he was not motivated by evil or greed. He wasn’t a manifestation of another person’s negative feelings nor was he manipulated or brainwashed into doing bad deeds.

Miden was just an extremely lonely soul who had no way of communicating to people just how much he was suffering because his true form is that of a discarded camera.

And when you learn of his backstory, how the film in the camera was removed because those memories weren’t his to keep. How he spent what felt like ages in the dark being tortured inside out by that hollowness. How eventually he couldn’t take it anymore and turned into a monster in order to find a way flee from that pain. Don’t you feel sorry for him?

I did. I felt so bad for Miden because most people, in their entire lifetime, are lucky enough to never have to experience this sort of thing. Even if your unpleasant memories outnumbered your good ones, at least you have them and can go on to make good ones.

Miden had nothing but a faint recollection that he used to carry someone else’s memories and for years, he could do nothing to change it.

So it’s understandable he’d been driven insane by that.

Also, the fact that his spirit form resembles a teru teru bozu and the significance of the never-ending rain we see when Yell reaches the core of his heart.

Teru teru bozu are believed to have powers to bring good weather (aka make the clouds and rain go away).

But no matter how hard Miden tried to bring the sun back, by stealing other people’s memories and surrounding himself with their brilliance, it still rained non-stop. The darkness still lingered inside him. He may have the light of those memories but the feelings that come with them are not his. They still belong to the owner of those memories. That’s why he’d never be able to fill the void inside him.

It’s not enough to just have. He had to understand what it means to have them as well.

Truly, the portrayal of his character that encompassed all those troubled feelings of his is one of the things that makes this movie so memorable.

The frantic way he moves about, how his eyes creepily open and close like a camera lens and how he even sounds like a deprived ghost starving for something to make him whole again. How you eventually realize he’s more severely unstable (jumping frequently between moods from childishly gleeful to violently angry) than he is outright malicious...

And just how tired and sad he is when we finally learn the full truth about him.

Miden is pretty much a child himself. A very lost child who really needed a hug from someone and for them to tell him it’s alright now and that he no longer has to hurt.

Miden is not human and he may be fictional... but he certainly felt real (bonus for casting Mamoru Miyano to voice him) and in some moments, maybe even realer than an actual person.

Which is why I was so genuinely happy for him when he got his happy ending. I never felt that deeply or related to that deeply about a movie-exclusive character before so I’m glad Miden has the honor of being the first.

Cure Yell/Hana

I’ll admit it, I don’t think I ever officially warmed up to Hana. I’m always wary these days on whether I can accept the genki girl archetype into my good graces and when Hugtto began, Hana was just a little too cartoonish that she threw me a distance away further.

However, throughout this season, I can see the progress she’s made. I saw her grow from simply being optimistic with little to no basis for her confidence (in fact, I believe most of her early cheeriness was just a lot of bravado) into a person who understands that you won’t get what you want right away just by charging into it. In fact, it takes several tries, several trips and falls, maybe even a failure or two before you really find your footing again to press on.

I mean, she’s still the same Hana from the beginning in many respects. Brimming with energy, loud, silly, and prone to exaggerating.

But her development shows how she’s really matured. Before, her reaction to everything always seemed to be “cheer till your throat gets sore!”.

Nowadays, she takes time to pause and think before leaping (well, in some cases). She’s learned to accept hardship, no matter how hard it is to swallow, while still retaining a strong belief in the future.

And the movie kinda revisits all that development from the show.

Like the part when her entire team gets turned into babies, Hana broke down from all the stress that came with trying to take care of them.

When Precure are fighting, they actually don’t need to think much. They only have to focus on defeating the enemy in front of them.

But this dilemma was new for Hana and much more complicated than beating any enemy. Not even babysitting Hugtan was enough to help prepare her for getting four (ok, three) very fussy toddlers to just stay in one spot.

On top of that, her dearest friends forgot who she was as well and were constantly trying to run away from her because without their memories, Hana was essentially a stranger to them.

It was all too much for Hana to handle and she cracked because she didn’t know what to do. How to change them back, how to get them to remember her, how to stop them from crying. Hana was extremely overwhelmed.

And this scene and the voice acting felt so raw because of how Hana’s hopelessness was portrayed. Even full-fledged adults would tell you how hard this hits home cuz hey, sometimes even they don’t know what to do when the problem get the better of them.

Moreover, like Nagisa said, Hana is still a middle school girl. Despite having magical abilities that enable her to save the day, she’s still a child. You can’t ask the impossible of her. She can’t be a strong heroine every waking moment. She needs a break to deal with her frustration just like anybody else does.

But once she does give herself a moment to cry it out and witnesses the strength of Nagisa and Honoka’s bond, she realizes that just because the current situation is bad doesn’t mean she’s lost anything. She still has her memories of her friends and she still has powers to protect them. And protect them she will cuz that is what Nono Hana would do. The Nono Hana she wants to be.

As long as she still has a future she wants to reach, there’s no hurdle she can’t overcome. There is no reason why she should ever give up.

This is one of the most incredible things about Hana, really. It’s what drew the Hugtto girls to her in the first place and is essentially what won them their memories back and returned them back to her side.

Then there’s the final confrontation with Miden.

Notice how Hana was the the first among the only available Precure at the time to question Miden’s motives for stealing other people’s memories.

Even when Miden mercilessly launched another attack at them after they discovered his true identity, Hana did not lift a finger against him. And when he swallowed everyone whole, she was still trying to figure out what it meant, how painful it was, to have no memories to call your own.

She clung to him, refused to leave his mind even when every other Cure went back to normal and withstood all his resistance to reach the depths of his heart.

In the end, Hana could never understand that emptiness Miden felt because she always had her memories. She never lost them like Miden did.

But if there’s one thing she does know, one thing she can relate to, it’s this: Miden wasn’t satisfied with who he was so he tried his best to become what he wanted to be.

Once she knew that, there was no more reason to fight him. What she needed to do was save him. And that wasn’t by using magic.

It was by easing Miden’s anguish. Hugging him, talking gently with him, sharing with him the warmth he lacked and which she had plenty to give, and letting him know that he can get a second chance. That he can be the Miden wants to be.

Miden can do anything. Miden can be anything.

And she’ll be with him every step of the way.

By now, everybody should understand the reason why Cure Yell was designed like a cheerleader.

It’s not only because Hana shows enthusiastic, outwardly support for the person she’s rooting for but also because when they can’t be at their best, she’ll still be there for them. If you need to cry, she’ll be there to hold you. If you’re in doubt, she’ll try to think of a way out with you. Even if she can’t give you exactly what you’re looking for, she’ll always, always be there for you.

And she’s done a fantastic job at being the heroine she was meant to be.

Good job, Hana. All of us cannot be more proud of how far you’ve come.

Emotional scenes

It’s pointless to describe these moments in words as you really need to watch them to get that resonance echoing throughout your chest and the waterworks flowing.

But this probably being the best All Stars in history (I’m really getting to that point where I can firmly say it is), I think I’m required to list a few. Namely...

Nagisa standing up against Miden, saying all the reasons why he is NOT Yukishiro Honoka and how only Honoka, her Honoka, can be Yukishiro Honoka, and demanding that Miden return the one she loves most in the world.

FutariWa fans, are y’all still alive? 8D

Then of course, Hana saving Miden from his despair.

And the tear-inducing finale.

Again, it’s quiet but profoundly beautiful in a way Precure hasn’t been before.

And you have no soul if you didn’t feel even the least like crying during this part. *sniff*

Insert Song “Rewind Memory”

This song is beyond awesome and every bit of it pretty much screams “PRECURE!” all the way across the globe.

I mean, lyrics-wise it’s just like a lot of the Precure insert songs before it. Idealistically and generically beautiful with it words. And frankly, when it plays in the movie, you kinda almost don’t hear it with all the action going on.

But the melody and instrumentals? Andand those vocals by the first and most recent Precure OP singers?! The emotions it evokes when you do listen to it by itself?

It’s okay, I’ll cry with you. *hands you a tissue* (;w;)

Baby Precure

Need I say more? I didn’t think so.

Humor

Well, this one’s a given because you can’t make an All Stars entirely dark and sad.

However, I found I was more receptive to the funny bits this time around. Maybe because I really needed a good laugh after all those serious moments? Maybe because it was combined with the cuteness of the babies?

I dunno but I really enjoyed it, nonetheless. (^ ∀ ^)

Everybody got speaking lines

YEA-HUH.

Everybody.

I mean, not everyone got a full sentence. A lot of them were limited to only one line or even one word and most of it was either yelling out their attacks, their catchphrase (mostly the Pink Cures), their group call, some other Cure’s name, or just a kiai shout.

But yea, EVERY Cure present, for the first time since DX3, spoke at least once in this movie!

Woohoo~! ✽-(ˆ▽ˆ)/✽ ✽\(ˆ▽ˆ)-✽

Interaction among Cures in their civilian forms

Ok, so the last part didn’t have any of them talking with each other but we do see them mingling outside their usual groups and that’s all I can ever ask for.

*sighs happily* I need to go over this again when I do that funny/cute/awesome moments compilation which will also be ridiculously long but hey, can you blame me? This movie is just that good.

ED dance

Dancing and singing in the ending credits are such a staple of the Precure franchise (as much as the fighting elements is, I must add) that any season or movie without them feels wrong somehow.

Perhaps that’s why I didn’t really like Dream Stars or Super Stars outside of the few things I did like in them. Because even if the rest of it is sub-par or even downright awful like Haru no Carnival or Minna de Utau, I can always count on the CGI dancing and singing to be the saving grace for the movie.

Yea, it’s narmy and the songs are cheesy and corny and will give you diabetes and all that stuff but that’s what makes Precure utterly charming.

Without that, it’s just something I want to skip to see if there are any post-credits scene.

These are the points I have unsure feelings about. They’re neither good nor bad. They’re just stuck in the middle and I just wanted to get them out for the sake of it.

Panty shots - Granted, I think every Cure is wearing either bloomers or shorts under their skirts anyway but it was so awkward to see it from this angle multiple times during the movie that the silly child inside me was compelled to go “Mommy, look! I can see her undies!”

(;; ^ ▽ ^)

Fourth-wall breaking/Deus Ex Machina (aka Miracle Lights) - Arguably the weakest aspect of every Precure movie in general but since these are primarily aimed at children and the fact that they positively love these gimmicks, I’m not in a position to say anymore than that.

*zips my trap shut* :x

Bad Points

These are just based what I felt were bad. No need to get personal or offended as that was not my intention. These ARE NOT facts, they’re just my opinions.

That one line from Harry - The one where he told Hana to pull herself together when she broke down crying and Nagisa chewed him out for it.

Yea, ok, canon!Harry would NOT say such an insensitive thing like that to any of the girls when they’re down. Harry is NOT that type of guy.

Especially not after he’s been with them for so long so this OOC-ness was quite a shock for me.

I don’t know why the writers seem to hate him but Harry’s always been on the end of somebody’s criticism for the dumbest things. Except this time, it’s not dumb, it’s just plain stupid mis-characterization.

The fact that Nagisa immediately scolds him right after he says that makes me believe they were just itching to give Nagisa something to say during this situation.

But did you really have to use Harry as a verbal punching bag? Couldn’t you have done it a little more nicely?

Harry’s role was already reduced to being stuck as the talking mascot for 99% of the movie so why you have to write him in a way that would get him bad rep?

Stupid Toei.

Violence against defenseless girls/shock factor - When Miden attacked an untransformed Hana and Nagisa, I really could not believe what I saw with my own two eyes.

I mean, it’s not unbelievable. It’s just that attacking the Cures in their civilian forms rarely ever happens. In fact, I can’t recall a time it ever happened???

So when it happened, I was like “WTF?!!!?!”

ARGH, I’m talking in circles.

But seeing the girls get physically hurt in a way where magic cannot protect or heal them from serious damage afterwards reminded me of when I watched Pocahontas for the first time in theaters.

That moment when Kocoum got shot? Scared the shit outta me that I couldn’t go anywhere by myself for months. That was the first time I ever saw someone die on screen and it left a scar I could never forget.

So I don’t have to imagine how scary and upsetting it was for the babies when they saw their temporary guardians get blown off their feet right in front of them.

Yea, sure, nobody died here and it triggered Honoka getting her memories back but I’ll always be asking “Did they really have to take it that far?”

...good god, I don’t even want to think how many little kids cried in the theater when they saw this. I hope none of them did. I hope they’re all okay.

...I may be overreacting but I still hope they’re okay.

It’s finished. I’m done. Please don’t let me do this again.

*falls over dead* ◎☆（♯××）┘

#this post stole all my life force #felt like i poured all my soul into it and now i've got nothing left #what a useless talent i have :P #precure all stars #precure all stars memories #miden (precure all stars memories)#cure yell #nono hana #hugtto precure #cure black #misumi nagisa #cure white #yukishiro honoka #futari wa precure

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ship-ambrosia · 6 years

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Gruvia Week, Day 3

Give it up for Day 3! Wow, I’m surprising even myself with the motivation I’ve gotten to write!

This one is posted off my laptop. It doesn’t fit the prompt exactly, but I couldn’t think of anything else and it works well enough. My submission today is a piece of a longer fanfiction that I’ve been working on, and debating if I actually want to do the entire thing - so today’s also kind of a test run for me? It’s also way longer than my Day 1 and Day 2 posts lol

As always, please consider checking out my first Gruvia fanfiction on AO3, Four Degrees!

"Would you stop moping around, ice princess? You're gonna give us all a damn cold!" "Natsu, don't be mean! That's totally unnecessary!" "I'll do whatever I want, especially if he isn't going to fight back! Hehe." "Salamander, you know I don't like the iceman as much as I don't like you, but even I'm starting to get pissed off for him." "Gajeel, please don't make this worse." "If you want to go, I'm ready to go!" "I'm always ready to go, you pink-haired loser!" "Call me that again to my face, metal freak!" "I just did!" Gray glanced up just in time to watch the two of them, mid-brawl, escape out the front doors of the guild. Across the table from him, Levy let out a sigh. "I'll go make sure they don't destroy anything. Be back in a second, Lu." Lucy nodded, turning back from her friend to face him. Mentally, Gray braced himself. He knew Lucy at the very least was concerned, but he didn't exactly like to have all his feelings out in the open for others to scrutinize. "She'll be back, Gray." He looked up to Lucy's eyes, her smile and her gaze twinkling with hope. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting her to say, but that wasn't it. And honestly, it still hurt. Anything that anyone said about Juvia would hurt, unless they were telling him where he could find her. "Why did she only tell Gramps where she was going?" He croaked. "Why wouldn't she let me come with her?" Lucy pursed her lips. "Juvia is strong, Gray. She can handle herself. You might want to protect her, but you picked a girl who knows how to be independent. She wants to figure out what happened to her family on her own. You have to respect that." "What if she finds out something terrible happened to them? Or that they abandoned her? Wouldn't she want me- or at least someone else to be there to comfort her?" He wasn't telling Lucy the whole truth. Gray had a bad feeling. He couldn't give a reason or proof, but he felt that Juvia was being tricked. By who, or why, he didn't have a clue. But it had him on edge, and that was why he was trying to get Master Makarov to tell him where Juvia had gone. "I can't tell you that I understand exactly what she's thinking," Lucy sighed. She glanced up when she heard Natsu and Gajeel yelling from outside the guild hall. She got to her feet. "I'm gonna go help Levy. But have faith in Juvia, Gray. She'll be home soon enough." As Lucy walked away to deal with the two dragon slayers, his thoughts drifted dark again. Juvia was a powerful wizard. She could have enemies from her Phantom Lord days. He had a lot of enemies. Fairy Tail had a lot of enemies. There were so many reasons that someone might want to hurt her. But to convince her through a letter that they had information about her parents? It either had to be real, or someone very sophisticated in their plan to catch her.

Juvia stared out the window of the train as it left the station of a small mountain town. Though deep within her heart she was rather lonely on this journey thus far, there was certainly something to be said about riding the train in peace and quiet, without the usual dragon slayer dry heaving on the floor of the car. She usually took jobs that included Gajeel, and occasionally she would join Team Natsu, so she was used to dealing with their motion sickness. But being by herself gave her lots of time to think. To reflect on her life in Fairy Tail as the train rattled along to its final destination, and Juvia's home. She had not been to Foxglove in over ten years, having only her earliest memories to remind her of her childhood in the orphanage before her mother's estranged brother discovered his niece was still alive and taken her in. This life of hers before she had joined Phantom Lord was not filled with happy memories. It was in the orphanage that she became alienated from the other children because her rain curse began. That was also where her habit of creating teru-teru bozu dolls came from, the nuns who ran the orphanage having taught her how to make them to drive the rain away. Her uncle had been a mean and nasty man who hated the rain and treated Juvia like dirt. He didn't know anything about her parents, either, never informed of how they died and never mentioning a thing about them; she only knew her mother's name. Juvia ran away from him when she was sixteen. Not long after that would she come across Phantom Lord, and Jose, seeing the vast magical potential in the fledgling water mage, offered her a position within his guild. Juvia sighed. It wasn't as if her life in Phantom Lord was as bad as her life before it, but it certainly wasn't happy compared to how she felt now. Phantom Lord was a cold and lonely guild, with relationships built on strength and the guild itself fixated on remaining the most powerful in Fiore. Still, she had made friends there, including Gajeel, so she couldn't say she was never happy; but it was clear to her that Jose was only interested in her for her power. Behind Aria, she had been the second strongest member of the Element Four. Her life had changed so much, starting the moment the rain parted and she saw the sun for the first time since she was a little girl. Of course, thinking of that event in time only brought her thoughts to the one who had driven the clouds away; her beloved Gray. Relationship being considered or not, it was hard to argue that anyone else had a more significant impact on her as a person than him. She counted her blessings every day that he was in her life, as she had seen what losing him felt like once and Juvia never wanted to feel that pain ever again. Despite Gray forcing her to promise to never do something like what she did during his fight with Invel again, there was not a bone in her body that wouldn't make that sacrifice if he was in danger and it was their only option. She truly had resolved to heed her own words and live for love however, to live for him, as he had done the same for her. Oh how she missed him. There were not many trains that made the journey up the mountain to rainy, secluded Foxglove, and she was grateful that this one did. Juvia leaned against the window in an attempt to get the imaginary Gray sitting in the seat across from her out of her mind, and mentally re-read the letter she had received. We have some records here in your name that have never been unsealed. If you would like, you should come to Foxglove and collect them. We would love to see your sweet face one last time, and the beautiful woman you've grown into! The instant Juvia had opened the letter, she knew what she had to do and that she had to do it by herself. When Gray begged her to take him along, concerned for her wellbeing, her heart had fluttered so rapidly she thought it might burst from her chest; but truthfully, Juvia didn't know what she might discover about her parents, and that was why she had refused any assistance and only told Master Makarov where exactly she was going. She didn't want anyone following her, though she couldn't remember if she had mentioned Foxglove to Gajeel or not. Juvia giggled a bit at the thought; for someone who feigned disinterest in nearly everything, that big oaf had a really good memory. He was actually just a big softie, but with metal screws. Juvia didn't even notice she had fallen asleep until the train's horn went off as it pulled into Foxglove Station. She blinked sleep out of her eyes and collected her small bag of things before quickly making her way off the train. In the pit of her stomach, she could already feel the nerves gathering at the thought of what was going to transpire. Juvia had booked a room at the town's inn, planning to pick up the records immediately from the orphanage and then retire to her suite to mull them over. She had enough money set aside for about a week's stay, so if she needed to be alone and mull over any particularly upsetting information that she might learn. Part of her was angry at herself for not taking anyone along, that she might crave company in the aftermath that learning about her family and her past might leave. But she took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was the correct action - to go alone. Whispers of recognition fled past her as she made her way to the orphanage in the center of the purple-hued town, but not because of her origins there. She felt herself swell with pride as the people around her buzzed excitedly of her more recent merits. Isn't that the famous wizard Juvia, of Fairy Tail? The one who uses water magic and declared her love for her guildmate Gray to everyone at the first Grand Magic Games that Fairy Tail won? She's amazing! She was part of the last day's group that year! I heard she's incredibly kind and resourceful as well! She's even more beautiful in person than in the magazines! Well, what else do you expect of Fairy Tail? Juvia was filled with a happy warmth as she climbed the steps to the orphanage door and reached up to knock. Juvia of Fairy Tail. That certainly was a title she liked much more than her previous Phantom Lord one. Her life in Fairy Tail was everything to her; it had all her friends, and especially Gray, and so many happy memories waiting for her to return. She would never let anything take her away from that. Her memories would be what comforted her if she found sadness in the records. When the double doors opened, she immediately recognized the nun who answered. Her smiling face brightened upon recognition of the little Juvia that had once been growing up in the building she stood before now. Juvia was hastily invited in, and brought through the courtyard past smiling children who also recognized her. The courtyard was not a happy place for Juvia, as it reminded her of how no one ever got to play outside because of the rain she brought. She politely asked to continue through. "I see the rain has stopped," her guide said cheerfully. "Yes it has, thanks to a wonderful man in my life." "Oh well, isn't that sweet? You deserve someone who cares for you so. What can we thank for your visit, Miss Lockser?" The nun asked sweetly as she poured Juvia a cup of tea. She took the cup gratefully and was about to explain when she paused. They had sent the letter, hadn't they? So they knew she would travel to Foxglove, they would be expecting her visit. "I received a letter, that said you found unsealed records in my name," Juvia spoke with a suspicious edge to her voice. "So I was hoping I could come to collect them." The nun blinked at her. "Miss Lockser... there were never records of your past here. You were brought here by strangers who found you wandering on your own; we were never even sure if you were from Fiore. That's why it took so long for your uncle to be approved as caregiver. We had nothing to compare to. The only thing we took was that he knew your name, honestly." Juvia felt a sinking feeling in her chest, all previous happiness gone. Suddenly she wished she had taken Gray up on his offer to come with her. That he might hold her while she cried the tears that threatened her now. This was even worse news than any information that she could have learned. "I understand. Perhaps there was a mix up and I received the letter meant for someone else." "I'm so very sorry. If you'd like, you can stay in town for a few days and I can let you check anyway," the nun answered. "Maybe you can spend some with the children here as well. They'd love you, I'm sure." Juvia wiped her eyes. There was no hiding the tears now as they fell. She insisted she was fine, however, and politely chatted with the nun for a bit before excusing herself so that she might check into the inn she had reserved for herself. On her way down the steps of the orphanage, she pulled out the small communication lacrima that Master Makarov had insisted she bring with her; now she was grateful for it, because she was lonely and a bit suspicious. She decided to call the guild hall itself and ask whoever answered if she could talk to Gray. Juvia resolved to tell him she was in Foxglove, because she desperately wanted him here with her now. Just as the lacrima connected to the one back at Fairy Tail, Juvia felt a sudden chill rush through her body. Goosebumps bristled her skin, and she felt her pace quicken. She looked around wildly, but no one around her seemed as panicked. "Hey, sweetheart!" Someone called to her. She kept her head down, focused on the lacrima in her hands. "Beauty with the blue hair, I'm talking to you!" The voice seemed to be following her. "Juvia Lockser!" The sound of her name reverberated through her ears. They only knew her name... because she was a well-known member of Fairy Tail... "Ame Onna!" She stopped dead in her tracks. Hearing her Phantom Lord name brought up emotions in her that she had kept down for so long. It had been one thing for the nun at the orphanage to mention the rain surrounding her was gone - because that had reminded her of the man who changed her life, and who loved her. But to call her that accursed name, was to remind her of a life she never wanted to go back to. I am not the Rain Woman! With her Water Body beginning to boil as her anger rose, in preparation for the use of her Sierra spell, Juvia turned around to angrily face the man calling to her. "You better have a good reason to call me-" Juvia stopped speaking immediately, cutting herself off when she recognized the man who stood before her. "You-" And she was cut off again, but this time by the man himself. Because he had shouted "Raging Thunder!" and caught Juvia off guard by a powerful lightning spell that electrocuted her Water Body - more painful than when she had struck Laxus's Thunder Palace to save Cana - and eliciting a bloodcurdling scream from her mouth. One that a certain Mirajane Strauss heard before Juvia dropped and shattered the lacrima that had been in her hands. Juvia dropped to the ground when the spell stopped, all of her strength sapped from her immediately. As she lay barely holding on to consciousness, she wondered vaguely if she didn't have such a strong magic core, whether or not that attack would have killed her. The man stepped forward and lifted Juvia's limp body from the ground, bringing her closer to his face and allowing her to indeed confirm that he was the man she recognized, a man from her past that she had not seen in years. Another set of feet were suddenly heard coming up to her, and Juvia wondered for a split second if someone was coming to her rescue. When the newcomer spoke however, a horrified expression appeared on Juvia's face. Her worst nightmare come to life. "I knew one day you would return to me, Juvia Lockser. My Ame Onna."

Mirajane wasted no time in informing Master Makarov what she had just witnessed, and he in turn wasted no time in rushing across the guild hall to where Team Natsu sat, along with Gajeel and Levy. He went right to Gray's side, knowing he was the one who most deserved to know. "I fear that Gray's hunch was correct," he told the table, causing the young man to sit up. "His instinct to travel with Juvia was correct, but both Juvia and I were fooled. One of our own is in grave danger." "What's happened to her?" Erza asked sharply, when Gray only clenched his fist in response. "We aren't actually sure," Mira admitted. "She called on a lacrima, and when I picked up I saw her being electrocuted and all I heard was her scream. I think she dropped the lacrima because only a moment later the line went dead." "Oh no!" Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock. "Where is she?" Gray asked coldly, getting to his feet. "Tell me where she went." "I'd bet she went to Foxglove," Gajeel crossed his arms and looked to their guild master. "Didn't she?" "You knew?!" Gray turned his fury to the iron dragon slayer when the master nodded. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" "If Juvia turned away your offer to come with her, it was clear to me she wanted to go alone. I wanted to respect her wishes," Gajeel turned his face away from him. "Foxglove is a small mountain village in the north, and Juvia grew up for a couple years in the orphanage there. Only one train heads up there. If we're gonna go after her, we better head out soon." "Of course we're going after her," he gritted his teeth. "I won't let anything else happen to her." Gray left the table and headed for the door without waiting for anyone else to follow. Everyone still present at the table looked between each other. An air of fear for the safety of their friend hung heavy between them until Gajeel stood up. "C'mon Lily," he called to his Exceed. "Stripper ain't the only one concerned about Juvia. We're going too." At his side, Levy also got to her feet. "I’d better go too, to make sure things don't get too heated between the two of them." "We'll stay here at the guild just in case something else comes up," Erza offered her. "Perhaps Lucy and I can try and figure out who would attack Juvia?" The celestial wizard nodded. "Be safe, Levy. And bring Juvia back, please." Levy bit her lip. "We will. We have to... for her sake and Gray's."

#gruvia week #gruvia week 2k18 #original post by bree #fairy tail fanfiction #day 3 #journey #gray x juvia #gruvia

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cutiecrates · 4 years

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Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box Oct 19

I have complex feelings today, on one hand I’m excited because the brand new Cooking Mama will be arriving. On the other, my mom had to go to the hospital again and I’m worried about her.

So basically... you could say I chose to do this now to bide time. Besides playing Animal Crossing and some heavy duty Spring cleaning.

Word of the month: Majyo/Majo- Witch

Event of the Month (besides Halloween): Taiku no Hi/Health and Sports Day. Which takes place October 14, the day before my birthday x3

“Everything you need to be a kawaii standout at a spooky party!“

Unicorn Cosmetics Bag

Our first item is this exclusive to Kawaii Box (or you can check their online shop Blippo.com) cosmetic bag, featuring the pastel color variant of the Kawaii Box print and a big, cute unicorn! It has a nice pink zipper on top and leather strap for easier carrying, and the inside has bright pink crinkly fabric lining; it feels like the fabric you use to avoid water damage.

The bag is of a decent size, so it would be perfect for carrying around some necessities to the store, in another bag or pack, or even if you just want to use it to help organize something in the home.

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I’m always looking for these in the boxes, because I tend to accumulate stuff from all of them and rather than keep every box I get, I can use these for the similar or smaller items I don’t have another place to put. Overall it’s very nicely made, and I really like it, I’m glad to see a variety of brand exclusive items in the box.

Koala’s March & Umaibo (not pictured)

I think we’ve all seen Koala’s March by now, right? I won’t be getting too into topic about these, but basically if you’re unfamiliar with them, they are little koala-shaped biscuits/cookies with Koala drawn on them and a thick, chocolate filling. They’re very yummy, and over the years there has even been a few different flavors, like strawberry. They each also come with a little Koala drawing you can collect on the top and bottom flaps. Koala’s March is also known for its benefits to the real Koala of the world :3 and it’s one of those few Japanese snacks you can easily find outside of Asian territories.

For Halloween, we have the basic chocolate. But these ones feature adorable Halloween-themed designs. You can also cut around the bottom to use it as a cup for holding things.

I had every intention of taking pictures of the various biscuits/cookies, but they were kind of smashed up and broken apart. Sometimes snacks just can’t handle travel very well, but I would highly recommend trying these if you never did. They’re very yummy.

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I’m sorry guys, but the umaibo that came with this months box was annihilated when I got to it. It would have been a messy picture and I didn’t think it was worth including. I don’t have much to say on it because I’ve reviewed several of the same Umaibo and this one was no different, because... it was...

CORN POTTAGE

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that its my MOST FAVORITE UMAIBO EVER. If you haven’t then now you do :P it’s so delicious~

Hattifattener Plushie

This silly looking creature is from the series Moomin, and it has come to celebrate Halloween with you. This is a 100% polyester made plush thickly filled with cotton. The hands are made from very soft fabric, and it has a long silver ball-chain.

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As simple as this is, I couldn’t think of something more ideal for Halloween than a ghost-like being such as this. I don’t really know anything about the Hattifattener, but it’s pretty cute looking. It’s very soft and plush, and while it has little detail, they are very clean and neat.

Halloween Party Stickers

Whether you’re attending or throwing a Halloween Party, journaling, drawing a picture for the month, or just collecting stickers. These ones are the perfect little touch of spooky cute ♥

For this box, we could get a couple variations of sticker sheets; like cute animals dressed up, ghosts, or this mix of Halloween spirits and icons like I got; such as Jack-o-Lanterns, bats, and some Japanese spirits like the Kappa, the umbrella ghost or long necked lady; there’s even a few Non-Halloween creatures, like a mermaid and genie. The stickers are also puffy, giving them that 3D-ish look.

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I love holiday-themed stickers x3 they’re always really fun to look back. As much as I don’t like repetitive designs on sticker sheets though, I’m not that bothered by it on this one because the repetitive ones are recolored or a bit different in style, rather than being the exact same printing repeat.

Ghost Heart Pin

Kawaii Box not only gave us one exclusive item, but two this month :D This is a cute accessory you could wear on person or attach it to a purse or something else if you really wanted to. I’m not sure if you can tell in this pic, but the pin is actually pretty big, about the size of my fist. It also seems to be of really good quality, and has a nice, solid response when you tap or hit it.

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I really got into collecting pins the past few years, so I’m excited to add another one to my collection.

Cat Teru Teru Bozu Pen

Teru Teru Bozu are ghostly looking objects one can make in order to keep away bad, rainy weather. So for this month, we have a kitty one who has come to make sure Halloween is at its best this year; unless you’re like me and keep it in the box, because it was pretty chilly and rainy this year.

The pen is an extremely basic clear tube with a black ink fine-tip. The kitty TTB can be sat aside, or you can put it on the pen butt so that it can keep you company while you write.

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As cute as the kitty is, I find the rest of the pen to be extremely repressed/plain/boring. But it works perfectly well, so it’s not like I wont use it, it’s just not in my top 10 list.

Shine Rainbow Bookmark

Our next item is this really pretty bookmark ♥ by Tree In Art, these came in various designs and colors and feature shiny, colorful flakes in various shapes; such as a star-themed one shown in the booklet, or this one that I got, featuring unicorns, sakura flower, flowers/snowflakes, and dots. There is also a small silk ribbon tied through the top for an additional touch.

I never heard of the brand TIA until I started seeing it in this box, and since then I have come to really like it! They have a variety of items as I’m learning, in all sorts of designs, such as casual fat kitties and narwhals, floral, and magical elements like mermaids and unicorns.

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I also really like reading, and for the past few years I’ve been obsessed with this yarn bookworm I got from a craft store, but its eyes have gone missing and I’m kinda tired of it, so this will be a lovely change of pace~

Glitter Star Hair Clip

I was the most excited about this item, so I’m very happy I can finally begin wearing it! These came in a few variations, each consisting of a clip covered in shiny deco flakes, and adorned by a large clear star filled with shiny star flakes and some others; such as the metallic shells mine has ♥

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I’m completely in love with this~ It’s so pretty, and it’s not too decorative that it might look strange to wear, it’s just enough. The quality of the clip is also really good, and I love hearing the flakes inside shake around as I move my head or tap it.

It also really goes with my nails right now :3 its a win-win.

Colorful Scratch Notepad

This is our last item of the month, a fun little scratchpad. If you never seen these before, they are basically colorful, smooth pieces of paper or card stock covered in black material that you “scratch“ off to reveal your image in the color of the sheet.

This specific set comes with multiple pieces of rainbow, along with one gold sheet, and one silver.

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These are a really fun way to pass time if you like to draw or doodle. It’s also very relaxing, and this specific set is a dream because of how soft and easy it is to draw on the black stuff- the only downside is that because it’s not the usual smooth, gummy-ish paint-like substance that is really easy to remove, this one kinda smears like pencil would, so you might need to clean your hands after using it. I also wish we got an even amount of each color sheet.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 5 out of 5. I love everything, it’s so much fun! A couple of them might have been basic or plain looking, but they work fine/have good quality.

Theme - 4.5 out of 5. They were really close to getting a perfect score this time, but I felt like a couple of items didn’t really fit the spirit of the Halloween theme.

Total Rank: 9 out of 10 Cuties. I really liked this box, it especially excelled in comparison to the past few boxes this month and I enjoyed it. I’m in love with quite a few of the items, and I can’t wait to use them in full now!

♥Cutie Scale ♥

1. Star Clip - I’m going to wear this a lot :D I love it love it love it!

2. Bookmark - It’s so shiny and pretty to look at~ I adore it~

3. Unicorn Cosmetics Bag - I probably would have picked this as my top favorite item, if not for the fact I liked 2 more way more.

4. Ghost Pin - It’s pastel color scheme and heart shape are kawaii x3

5. Scratch Notepad - It’s very fun, I really like these. I actually own a couple of them, but none with pretty metallic sheets.

6. Halloween Stickers - They’re cute, even moreso than the ghost stickers we got last year~

7. Cat Teru Teru Bozu Pen - it’s cute, but also on the plain side. I really like the super-decorative pens more.

8. Hattifattener Plush - It’s plain looking but still kinda cute.

9. Umaibo - This almost felt painful to do because its so delicious, but with how messed up it was out of the package -edible or not- I didn’t feel like it earned a goo score.

10. Koala’s March - As yummy and cute as they are, once they’re gone they are gone you know?

#cutie reviews #kawaiibox #moomin

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