#I've also been meaning to do manga reviews here but never started

[arimiaromage]

finished my first manga of the year, one that I started last year called Bloody+Mary by Akaza Samamiya. I guess this'll be a mostly spoiler-free review??

It's about a red-haired vampire named Mary who wants to die but can't because he's immortal and tracks down the human main character Maria, a feared exorcist—except Maria can't actually exorcise vampires, instead faking his powers to ward off attackers. Mary vows to keep Maria safe until Maria can regain his powers and exorcise him.

Bloody+Mary is a bit of a mess with its main saving grace being that it's a bunch of pretty boys and very pretty art. At its heart it's a vampire shoujo with some comedy elements but mainly a drama with quite a few twists—I heard it was light BL but after reading it it's definitely not, it's just a shoujo with a primarily male cast. Regardless of how intimate the cover arts are, there's shounen much gayer than this, so if that's what you were interested in then look elsewhere.

The pacing is odd. Not the worst I've seen, but it definitely felt like the author was winging it in quite a few parts, especially in one part where they travel to England, get basically nothing accomplished, and head home. I've heard some mangakas don't plan the endings before they start publication but this series feels like the mangaka only had a loose concept and winged the rest. Plot lines come up, get forgotten about, come back sometimes, and ultimately don't lead to much if they're resolved at all.

The characters are alright, I found most of them okay and even pretty funny at times. However, there's not much character growth which leaves most of them the same as when they started and you're just told they've grown so much because their goals have suddenly changed. The character I liked the least was probably the red-haired vampire Mary, as he acts 12 for a majority of the series. Considering I went into this thinking it was going to be a BL between him and the MC Maria (who's 17? he's still in school), I was offput by how young Mary acted despite being a 400~ year old vampire. It's not that he acts childish at times, its that he acts like a child most of the time. The scenes where Maria looks at him fondly feel more like an older brother looking at their younger brother rather than two people who are supposed to be around the same age (Mary is supposed to look around 16).

The world building is lackluster at best and sloppy at worst. The church both exists in this world as the main defense against vampires but also feels more like a historical relic, something that isn't a main thing that exists in current day. Vampires are creatures of folklore to most humans, except if you go out at night you'll be attacked by them?? They try to say this is because Maria's blood smells so good that he's always attacked at night, but then they show other characters being attacked at night—how are vampires staying in the shadows when so many people get attacked and are almost always killed by vampire attacks? Furthermore, we never really see anyone capable of exorcism except for a priest in England who they only bring up to give a lore dump on vampires. How have vampires not taken over the world by now if basically no one can kill them and some of them have been alive for half a millennia?

It's parts like that that make the world feel very, very small, which would've been fine if they kept it an insular story, but they didn't. It has a decent sized cast, though half of the characters become irrelevant when the plot doesn't need them and come running back as soon as it does.

Again, the art is the main saving grace of the series—it really is very pretty to look at, and I love their color work for the cover arts.

I wanted to like this series as it's very pretty and has twins and other things I won't spoil that I love, but ultimately it left me more baffled than anything. I don't hate it, I don't love it, I'm just kinda bewildered.

I wouldn't recommend this unless you just really love vampire shoujo. Don't be fooled by the cover arts, it's not really gay exorcists, but there are a couple of explicitly gay female vampires so...still not worth your time considering they're very much side characters. Go find a gay vampire visual novel to read instead, there's tons.

#manga review #my reviews #bloody mary #there's a ton of other things tagged as this so I don't feel as bad tagging a negative review for a fandom #I really wanted to like this but it really felt like they had no clue what to do with the plot otl #I've also been meaning to do manga reviews here but never started #so I guess this is my first one LOL #anyway just read something else #there's plenty of actually gay vampire visual novels you could read for instance

[animereviewsbykyranskye]

My current top 15 Anime and why

Because why the fuck not. I'm doing top 15 so that I have some variety behind it. Otherwise I would just be gushing non stop XD

Apparently numbers go big now - AND THEY GO SMALLER IF YOU TRY TO TYPE IN THE SAME LINE AS THEM???

comparison:

15

15 -

DA HECK????

(Edit: I was going to colour all the numbers because I wanted a rainbow. WHY THE FUCK FOR THEY CHANGE TO SMALL WHEN YOU COLOUR THEM??????)

Guess the titles of the anime get a small heading. Anyways. Onto the actual list!

15

Technoroid OVERMIND

Ayo. Starting out with a really random one. So if anyone were to look at my Anilist then they might be a bit confused. I decided I'd keep movies out of here as well as anything I haven't specifically finished. Also takt op. Destiny needs a re evaluation.

Anyways. This premise is so sick and I feel like they managed it really well. The characters were all really fun and the music was fantastic which is honestly the most important thing about Idol shows. I really like idol shows but often struggle with the stupid drama in them that just leads to seasons upon seasons that didn't need to happen or wouldn't actually happen.

In this they're just androids. The fantasy twist works so well for the genre and I honestly don't know why it isn't done more often. This way they can bullshit the drama and it actually makes sense.

Honestly my favourite character was Kite. He was great and his voice always gave me shivers. Especially his piece in the closing. Damn.

I don't want to go into full reviews with this, rather just gushing about things I like and stuff. I really don't think this got the recognition it deserves - probably because of it's deviation from the norm - but it would be cool to get some sort of sequel.

(Edit: There's a manga releasing apparently. Imma check that out.)

14

UniteUp!

Continuing on with the trend of idol animes apparently. UniteUp! was so good. As I mentioned in my Reviews while I watch of the show, it felt so grounded and real that other idol shows just don't seem to capture. These were all real people with real problems dealing with real life.

I also like how we had such a large cast of characters but it never really felt overwhelming as they focused on group dynamics and specific individuals rather than trying to cram every single person into their own arcs.

Once again the music was fantastic and by god was this show pretty gay. Honestly I don't know what the sentiments of others are, but the Anela duo definitely weren't straight and neither were Akira and Daiki. That bath scene says it all.

Anyways. If you want a fun time with a really solid idol anime, please check it out. I saw earlier that we're getting a season two soon. I am so looking forward to it.

13

Trigun Stampede

Damn! I don't even know what to really say about this one. The visuals are absolutely stunning - there is no doubt about that. The score and the characters are excellent. And how dare they leave us on that cliff hanger.

I have absolutely no history with this story and still need to watch and read the originally but I am really looking forward to seeing how the story adapts between the three.

You can ask my partner. I've already said we're watching everything trigun related as soon as we are done with our current show.

I'm really looking forward to season two. And especially seeing how this all pans out. Apparently there will be tears according to the fandom. Concern.

12

Re-main

Damn this show came out of nowhere for me. I watched it quite awhile ago and have been meaning to rewatch it again.

The premise is definitely a sports anime but honestly so different. All because of one thing. The fact that he is an amnesiac is such a fascinating concept to work with - especially with how he was before (trying not to spoil - can't remember when this comes up in the anime)

And then the ending?? Damn. They seriously set up that cliff hanger and I really hope this show gets a sequel.

I really can't say too much about it without giving away some spoilers but damn does it change up the formula and do it so fucking well.

11

Given

Given is great. Such a pure but heartbreaking portrayal of love on one side with such conflicting but also nurturing views on the other. Having the different realtionships throughout this is really well done how they all bounce off of each other. Especially when they entertwine it with the music.

As it is said. That is how they communicate - through the music.

I'm busy catching up with the manga and really hope the anime continues with it.

Also the fucking is just fucking gorgeous. It has no write to hit you that hard.

Also - something else that shouldn't be allowed to hit you that hard. Damn Mafuyu has had a difficult past. We love how he learns to heal and grow with Uenoyama at his side.

Anyways, moving on.

10

Bakuten!!

Okay. Who said a sports anime could be this pretty.

I love the art style and the music throughout all of this. I love the portayal and the evolution of these character - seriously all their arcs are great. The interactions of the team is so tangible and real.

I watch a lot of sports anime and I often struggle with some of the drama used within the sports - it feels like the only thing that ever fuels the story is the matches. Whereas in Bakuten - the character seriously fuel the story. You can understand their motivations much more than just - I want to play this sport and be the best!

I also feel like they really captured everything really well in the movie. The whole concept of wanting to sore is great and really well executed.

I also love the interactions they have with the other team. It's not just a once off competition or practice match that they face each other. We actually get tangible characters for the whole team and see how much they two teams are similar to one another. It's a very healthy rivalry that isn't normally this expanded on in sports anime.

9

Sasaki and Miyano

Yesssssss. These two are just absolutely amazing. Their whole story arc and relationship is just tooth rottingly sweet. They bounce off of each other so well.

And I love the fact of how slow the actual story is. They meet at the start of Miyanos first year (from what I know - I still need to read the novels) and sasaki's second and they only end up confessing just before graduation happens. It really plays out well and is so healthy.

There is no problematic elements like in so many BL stories which is such a breath of fresh air. And the fact that sasaki is very specific about making sure to maintain boundaries to ensure that miyano is comfortable is also excellent.

On a slightly different note - I still need to see the Hirano and Kagiura movie. Been dying to watch it. I've been keeping up to date with both manga and both of these stories are amazing. I love the dichotomy of the two stories and how they are coming to their own realisations of their feelings in honestly very different ways.

I also recently watched the dub of the anime due to some videos on tiktok. Fucking hell it is absolutely hilarious. Kellen Goff as Sasaki has no reason for being that good. Seriously. Damn.

8

Link Click

On a completely different note. Damn this one makes you questions your own morals and reality as you know it.

I really don't want to get into this one much as I do believe watching it blind is the best way to go.

The art style is fantastic and that opening hits like a truck it is so good. The characters just click (pun not intended) and you just understand their motivations and don't know which side to side with most of the time. It brings about such high moral dilemmas that will seriously mess with your brain sometimes and there is one episode that will likely make you cry.

Anyways. Season 2 has just started airing and I am so ready for it.

7

Buddy Daddies

Why did a show about two queer platonic dudes who adopt a child while beings assassins hit so damn hard.

The show jumps between episodes with backstory and episodes with them just being good dads and it is balanced so well. This anime won't end up getting a sequel most likely with how it ended but damn I wouldn't say no to one.

Rei is my favourite character and I relate to him far too much. His interactions with the world are so fascinating and his whole arc with Miri is honestly some of the best media I've seen.

I absolutely loved watching this show weekly and it always brightened up my day when I realised a new episode would be up.

If you would like further thoughts on this one then check the Reviews while I watch on it for more chaos.

6

No Game No Life

So. This was the first ever anime that I ever watched. It was a random recomendation from a friend. Look at where we are today.

This show is honestly just so fun. The characters are silly and the whole plot is just absolute chaos. I really enjoy the games aspect and how it was all incorporated into the world.

I can't even really say much about it. It is just a guilty pleasure of mine and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also. Please can it just get a second season already.

5

Assassination Classroom

So. Unlike everything else on the list - this one I only finished really recently. My partner and I were watching it together. And to put it out there straight away. I cried. That ending was far too emotional.

I really enjoyed the humour throughout the whole thing as well as the constant underlying dread of the whole situation.

They also really played out Koro-senseis backstory really well. The teasing to it was excellent. I must say though that one of the twists seriously came out of left field. Like damn.

I've just recently bought the boxset and am reading through the manga. Once again. It's absolutely amazing.

Also the openings of them all jumping are absolutely fucking hilarious and you can't tell me otherwise.

If you want to know what officially sold me on the show was just in the first episode. (Note we watched in dub)

Don't ask me why but I found this to be the most hilarious thing ever. The absurdity and the line delivery was magnificent. I annoy my partner by quoting it atleast once a day.

4

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

Speaking of comedies. This show has no right to be this good. The absudist dead pan comedy in the middle of whats meant to be a TV show is such a random premise but just works so well.

Due to the nature of the show, the characters are extremely relateable. I especially love Kumatani and Kikaku.

If your on the same side of anime tiktok that I am then you have definitely seen/heard snippets of the dub.

I think this was the first anime that I originally watched in sub and then tried it in dub and actually enjoyed it. (I often find that whatever I originally watched it in is the only one I can watch it in - it's very difficult for me to change it)

The voice acting on both sides just works perfectly for the show. And that final episode and how they did it was the best thing ever.

Please just give it a try.

3

Angel Beats

Okay. Time for a hard hitter. This comedy like assassintaion classroom is fucking excellent but will make you cry, like damn.

In complete and utter contrast to No game no life, this was the second anime I had ever watched. I had found a video that gave some suggestions and thought I would give this one a try. When I say it destoryed me, I mean it literally. I constantly think about the end of this and I absolutely love revisiting it.

The twist and turns along the way are fascinating and I love how each one alters the characters and the narrative. Each of the characters feel unique - even the lesser developed side characters - with fascinating and complex backstories.

The whole thing just makes you question your own place in life.

2

Moriarty the Patriot

Another one I just randomly tried because I saw a video on tiktok. The first episode immediately pulled me in. I thought it was just going to be some simple detective story (At the time I didn't know much about Sherlock Holmes and who Moriaty was so I didn't have any of that to guide me into this story.) But nope.

I keep saying this but in this one I really mean it. The characters are built so well. The dichotomy between William and Sherlock - as the fandom would probably agree - is just amazing. How they bounce off of each other - i don't even know how to really descirbe it.

Honestly just go watch it.

And if you enjoyed the anime - please go check out the manga too. If the anime was done well - then the manga is done to lamost perfection.

This show was what got me into reading and then eventually buying manga. I now have every single one that is out.

1

Yuri!!! on ICE

Did I make the title gay? Yes.

Okayyyyy. This is just going to be me going on about how much I love this show. Bare with me.

So I was in an anime watching slump just before I picked up this show. I had been seeing some videos popping up talking about it and decided to give it a try (this was in 2020)

I immediately fell in love with this show. Literally everything about it. I ended up rewatching it three times over the course of a week. It got to a point where I was so upset that there wasn't more content for it that I just cried for half a day. (Ask my partner - it was chaos)

This show is the reason I now read fanfiction - all because I found a way to technically have more content for it.

This show holds such an important place in my heart that I sincerely cannot express it properly.

If you've never watched it - go give it a try. It would mean a lot - and hopefully one day we might get a season two.

----

Thanks for reading, if you managed to get to this point. I find it interesting how my explanations managed to slowly get shorter throughout the list as I just started becoming more emotional than factual.

I hope you enjoyed it and maybe grabbed a recommendation or two. If you'd like to know more or hear me ramble on more about anything in particular then please let me know.

#anime #review #kyranskye #reviews while i watch #technoroid overmind #uniteup! #trigun stampede #re-main #no game no life #given anime #bakuten #sasaki to miyano #hirano to kagiura #link click #life lessons with uramichi oniisan #buddy daddies #assassination classroom #angel beats #moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #yuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Nikurashii Kare

Title: Nikurashii Kare (憎らしい彼)

Author/Artist: Nagira Yuu

Shop: CD + Manga

Release Date: 2021/07/23

Cast:

Ono Yuuki x Saitou Souma

Morikawa Toshiyuki

Matsumoto Takuya

Matsui Akiha

Maeda Hiroki

Tonozaki Yuusuke

Horie Shun

Sahara Io

Miyama Mari

Kumagai Mirei

Yamane Masashi

Tamano Shouyo

Miki Shinichiro lmaooo so random

Synopsis: Second installment of the series.

Review Proper

My brain too smooth for this. Don't get me wrong—it's good, but I don't have the patience to sit through three CDs of this. 😂 I fell asleep 5 times. A new record!

It would've been better if Hira just stopped talking to me in formal Japanese 'cause it makes my brain crash. He says a lot of deep things when he can't even grasp the shallowest of concepts. I also have a love-hate relationship with Hira's train of thought 'cause how can he jump to all these conclusions but never the right ones? He's still absolutely sad in the head, but idk, I'm here for it lmaooo.

The same goes with Kiyoi. Like boi, you're the only one with half of a functioning brain here, so idk, use it?

Kiyoi: "I don't wanna be with you anymore."

Hira: *leaves

Kiyoi:

Like in the first BLCD, I still can't figure out if I should feel concerned for him or Hira. I mean, if someone I knew had this relationship, I would personally ask both of them to leave each other and see a shrink. 😂 I dare say that their relationship would be the most normal one there is if Kiyoi wasn't such a tsundere and if Hira was just less of a weirdo.

How are we bringing your parents into this already when you have a wack-ass relationship???

But hey, nothing like a good kidnappin' and one mc almost dyin' to solve communication issues, right?

The things you do, Nagira Yuu.

As usual, the voice work is phenomenal. Saitou Souma won as best voice actor for Kiyoi at the chilchil 2023 awards while Ono Yuuki placed 2nd for Hira. There's just something special about Saitou Souma and Ono Yuuki in Utsukushii Kare. Their chemistry is good and so natural! It's like they bring out the best in each other. I especially love hearing Ono Yuuki come undone under Saitou Souma's Kiyoi but immediately get his revenge in disc 3.

I'm already nominating this as Souma's best match up in 2021. Sorry, Makonyan. Let's see if someone else rises to the challenge.

As for the accuracy...

So I've actually tried listening to this back in 2022. Yes, I'm writing this review in 2024, and this is the very CD that caused my burn out lmaooo. From what I read from the trial, it doesn't start the same as the novel, so I was confused. I didn't take the liberty of buying the whole novel, so I'm not sure if they really do have the same content. They do have the same name, though. Idk. Again, Hira speaks in formal/old Japanese, so the struggle made me put this off. 😅 And it just snowballed from there 'cause I'm loyal to my log. I don't keep up with the manga either, but I think the third volume is still at Utsukushii Kare and not Nikurashii Kare.

Long story short, I can't say if it's accurate to the source material, and I won't be able to recommend read-alongs for both Utsukushii Kare and Nikurashii Kare.

The two installments are equally interesting. Both are jam-packed with nicely paced content. I feel more comfortable with Nikurashii Kare, though, 'cause Hira made me uncomfortable in Utsukushii Kare, while it was Shitara who made me uncomfortable in Nikurashii Kare lmaooo. I loved Hira's little character development here, and I wish I could say the same for Kiyoi.😂The comedy and action were also good, and Moririn's presence made it 100 times better. It might not make my 2021 faves, but it's definitely one of the best-produced ones—it won best BLCD at chilchil 2023 for a reason.

Let's pray to god I survive the third installment. 🤞

#blcd reviews #blcd 2021 reviews #nikurashii kare #ginger records #nagira yuu #ono yuuki #saitou souma #morikawa toshiyuki

[cimeret]

I'm super late for this buuut I'm going to continue writing down some thoughts about Stampede. Haven't watched ep 9 yet, this will only be about 4 - 8.

So, I'm 8 episodes into Trigun Stampede, and my initial opinion of the series hasn't changed much. I'm still very much in love with the gorgeous visuals—there's more than one moment in every episode where I have to pick my jaw up off the floor! It's not just the action scenes with their creative camera movements, but also the pretty landscapes in the few quieter moments, or the way the series manages to portray horror and gore in a way that makes me physically cringe without going overboard. On the other hand, both pacing and characterization, while improving with each episode, are still a bit of a weak point for me in the new series.

The most beautiful thing about Stampede, though, is all the genuine enthusiasm and love I've seen for this series and the characters. I just love how positive the fanbase is. Reading the reactions or seeing people get creative after each new episode is almost the best part of watching! My dash is overflowing with love for these characters and their stories and I'm totally here for it! So I'm going to go along with that and will mostly just gush without restraint about all the things I love so far.

Obvious spoilers for Trigun Stampede (up to ep 8) under the cut (and also for the older series and the manga)

Is it just me or do the visuals get better every week? This series makes me want to run all the beautiful gifs and videos on an endless loop so I can just stare at them forever. I mean ... just look!

I go weak at all these long, long takes with their beautiful camera movements and Trigun Stampede definitely spoils me in that regard. And yet when the show's visuals most surprised me, it was in a totally different way. I wasn't prepared for the calm, contemplative scenes in the flashback with Livio and Wolfwood. Not only is their story itself heartbreaking and tragic—the soft 2D animation style, the silent film vibes, and music give these flashbacks a bittersweet yet eerie feel. They stand out from the rest of the series as if their story is part of a different, older universe. And how well that fits thematically with Wolfwood and Livio, whose entire lives have been revamped by the Eye of Michael. They have literally been forced into a new, more cruel story. Setting the flashbacks to the soft, lonely tones of a flute is ingenious; for me, this music captures the spirit and feel of the old series so well and triggers feelings of wistfulness and nostalgia, which made the flashback that much more emotionally effective. The soundtrack of the old series is iconic and I've tried not to make comparisons so far, because I feel like it sets up an impossible standard for any new adaptation. But again, this is where I'm starting to grow more and more fond of Stampede. I never skip the opening and I'm totally obsessed with the music video by Kvi Baba, which just bombards your brain with effects and colors and quick cuts until you become addicted. Studio Orange knows how to hook you with the visuals and they have proven that they can do not only loud and flashy scenes, but also quiet and soulful ones.

And I still wish we could have more of the latter. In my last review I said that I wanted this series to turn me into an emotional mess, and damn if Stampede didn't manage that more than once. It's the contrast between the quiet, sad and somber moments and the colorful, fast-paced, often gruesome action that draws me in the most. When Stampede finds that balance, the series is brilliant. And I could wax poetic again about Vash and how I think he's really the heart of this series because he embodies that contrast perfectly. I still miss his crazy antics from the old series and his funny and goofy personality, but I think there's also something to be said for this more repressed, softer Vash, for a much more open and direct portrayal of his issues like his depression, his eating disorder, his guilt and suicidal thoughts. Those things existed in the older series as well, but they were much more hidden under Vash's mask, often so well that they could even fool the viewer. And I don't mean to say that one approach is better than the other. Both have a lot to offer, and the more I think about it, the more I like that we now have two Vashs with similar problems and backgrounds, but with different personalities and ways of dealing with their struggles. I love haunted characters who are tortured by the narrative in increasingly cruel ways, beyond what any human should ever have to endure, and I love watching them getting back up and doing their best and smiling and fighting on and refusing to break down despite everything. Heroes are empowering. But there have to be moments when the mask comes off. There have to be moments when they're vulnerable and doubtful, moments when they lose their bravery and hope and either have to accept outside help or slowly pull themselves back together, because that's what ultimately makes them seem real and relatable and inspiring. I think this was done particularly well with ep 8. This is the lowest we've seen of Vash so far, and I hope that the flashback at this point wasn't just inserted to give viewers background on Vash and Knives and clear up some of the mysteries that have been building up over previous episodes. I hope that the issues raised by the flashback are also carried into the present timeline of the story, and that we get some strong character moments where Vash, for example, has to confront his past. A lot of things have been building up—Wolfwood and Livio and all the people trailing Vash, we have the tension between Wolfwood and Vash and their brief talks about ethics and morality, Meryl has the photo and so many questions, hints to Vash's identity as a plant have been revealed, Legato is hot on Vash's heels—at best, all of this should not merely serve as a setup for more brilliant action, but make for tense conversations between characters, drama and difficult decisions. I am more than curious where Stampede will take us! (And I really can't imagine how all this is going to be resolved in four episodes, so let's hope the rumors are true and we do indeed get more than 12 episodes.)

I could say so much more —about how the plants are portrayed in this series, about the atmosphere on the sand steamer, the awesome animation of the heavy machinery, the brief appearance of the Bad Lads Gang, about Brad and Luida.... But I want to talk very quickly about Meryl. I still think Stampede should take more time to develop her personality and her relationship with Roberto. By now I understand a little better the direction the show wants to go with the juxtaposition of the two: Roberto, the jaded superior who is trying to maintain a professional approach and would understandably rather stay out of trouble, and newbie Meryl, who is suddenly developing a personal interest in Vash and the events, and is tired of being a helpless and clueless bystander. So yes, I understand why they put her with Roberto instead of Milly. Roberto also gets a few moments where his character is more than a mere archetype or tool for exposition. And I hope they continue in that direction, because I think these two have a lot of potential.

The scene where Meryl stays in the control room of the sand steamer to trigger the cannon, and her speech to Roberto (and yay for the callback to Jeneora Rock and Tonis' injury!)—that scene had me crying and cheering for her. It was such an important moment. With all these superhuman men who are constantly getting riddled with bullets and losing so much blood that I feel sorry for their poor overworked kidneys and bone marrow that have to replace that amount ... yeah, it's easy to forget that Meryl is just a small human lady who has probably led a pretty sheltered life. (Not that life on Gunsmoke is easy for anyone, but it's different from the horrors that Vash, Wolfwood, Livio and co. have been through.) She doesn't have the physical strength of the other characters, and that makes her courage all the more remarkable and inspiring. The same goes for Roberto. In a way, these two are the characters that viewers can relate to the most, and I would love if Stampede didn't just use this fact to portray them as more or less passive agents who just uncover information and voice aloud all the questions that viewers are also wondering. Instead, I hope the series continues to show us what it does to ordinary human characters to witness these events, how it changes them psychologically, and how they begin to question themselves, their lives, and their values.

Because for me that's what Trigun is all about: what does it mean to be human, and how can we maintain our humanity despite this seemingly cruel and unjust life we're thrust into?

Anyway, I've been writing on this for so long that ep 9 should have dropped by now. So I'll dive right back in. It's actually quite nice to write these little reviews before watching the new episode, so that all the ideas and speculations are still fresh in the back of my mind. Since I'm expecting the new episode to be quite tense and heavy, with young Vash and Knives finally meeting each other, I'll probably be an emotional wreck for the rest of the day.

What a truly wonderful way to spend your Saturday!

#trigun stampede #trigun stampede spoilers #vash the stampede #meryl stryfe #HYPE HYPE HYPE #i'm so fucking excited #ep7 had me screaming and shaking my screen bc it was so tense #this show is so good #i love all of these skrunklies so much you have no idea #how is everyone so precious? #saturday has become the highlight of my week #shoutout to all the lovely fan artists writers reviewers gifmakers people sharing their hcs ... just everyone #i'm so happy to see all this love for stampede #no way this will only be 12 eps #fingers crossed #i'll go and watch ep9 now bye

[hex-flareheart]

Hex Reviews Things: A Masterpost

This is long overdue, as I've been meaning to make this, for... checks date literally 10 months. I'm gonna go through the categories I use, what they refer to, and what tags are used for them, and then under a cut I'll go more into what certain specified details mean, mainly relevant to shows, comics, and games.

The Categories

In general, I group the things I review into "Movies", "Shows", "Comics", and "Games". These are mostly self-explanatory, but I'll get into the details hence:

Movies are fairly self-explanatory, and I don't feel any particular need to clarify anything on this.

Shows includes any recurring audiovisual experience that doesn't otherwise fall under the banner of movie, including those that may be associated with other terms first, such as anime.

Comics includes both traditional western comics, manga, and webcomics.

Games includes anything that can conceivably be fit under the umbrella of "video game", whether it's purchasable or not.

Generally everything I review will fall under one of these four categories, but may also be subcategorized in the tags where I feel it's appropriate, such as with notable subcategories (anime under shows, for example) or recurring reviews for works within the same franchise (such as Pokemon).

Each category has its own tag, as well as my overall reviews being tagged alike. The tags for each category can be found on relevant posts, but for convenience, here's the full list:

"hex reviews things" is the general tag for my reviews

"hex reviews movies" is the general tag for movies

"hex reviews shows" is the general tag for shows

"hex reviews comics" is the general tag for comics

"hex reviews games" is the general tag for games

None of these tags are probably surprising.

Next I'll get into some of the general details of how I review things, mostly the auxiliary details I provide at the start of reviews (for everything except movies). For the sake of post length, these'll go under a cut.

The Deets

I have a standard format I try to keep to for the header of reviews; the title, a silly quote relevant to the review, and then a block of information about what I'm reviewing. What exactly is included in this will vary depending on what I'm reviewing, so let's get into specifics:

All Reviews

All reviews will include a line specifying whether or not I recommend what I'm reviewing; this will typically be a yes or no, but may sometimes include a bit of clarification, or sometimes me just screaming. I do color-code these; green and blue are both unambiguous yeses, with the latter being an especially enthusiastic yes, while yellow is used for recommendations that come with a significant asterisk. Orange and red are used for no. There's theoretically a rare and elusive purple, but this may wind up never being seen, as it's hard to get me to be that enthusiastic about something.

This particular detail is the only thing present in the information block for movie reviews, as there's not really a whole lot worth clarifying otherwise.

Shows & Comics

Being explicitly serialized media, these actually have a lot in common, so most of the details to be clarified in the information block are shared between the two.

The big thing for these types of media is Structure. Specifically of the narrative kind. In general, I categorize shows and comics' narrative structure in four ways:

Episodic refers to shows/comics in which individual installments are largely self-contained; outside of the occasional storyline that covers a couple consecutive episodes/issues/strips, these have no overarching narrative structure to speak of. There might be an occasional call-back, there might be some mild changes season-to-season, but there's otherwise no real sense of continuity.

Continuous refers to shows/comics that have a conscious sense of continuity, and have actual overarching narrative storylines, usually built over individual seasons/runs. There might be more episodic-style hijinks thrown into the mix here and there, but the story is mostly continuous and rolling constantly.

Semi-Continuous is a weirder category; this specifically refers to shows and comics that are distinct hybrids between Episodic and Continuous, featuring a large amount of episodic content but also moving the status quo on a semi-regular basis. This is mostly relevant for shows, as a lot of cartoons will often start like this.

Epic is Continuous on steroids. These are shows/comics with one long, continuous story, with a very specific endgame. This isn't just long things (though that is one of the criteria I use), but also things that have one consistent, defined story from start to finish. Continuity is very important.

These of course are not necessarily rigid categories, and often a show or comic will start with one structure and transition into another; as mentioned under Semi-Continuous, this happens a lot with cartoons, which may start as Semi-Continuous and transition later into proper Continuous. I'll usually note if something like this happens.

There are two other relevant things to this: Format and Paid. Format is moreso relevant for comics, but it's generally distinguishing between web media and non-web media. This is also where "Paid" comes in; if it's paid, I'll specify details about it, and if it's not, you'll just see "free". If it's on TV primarily, it counts as paid, even if it's technically available for free via an antenna.

I will also usually specify Length, in whatever format is relevant for the specific work; if it's ongoing, I'll also specify that.

Games

This is where things get more complicated; for games I specify four main things: Genre, Platform, Price, and Length.

Genre is fairly self-explanatory; it's what genre I feel most fits the bill for whatever this game is. Generally I go with whatever the common consensus on that particular game is.

Platform is a bit more nuanced; for this I specify what baseline platforms the game is officially available for. Platforms that are technically available through backwards compatibility are not counted. For PC, I generally try to specify what operating systems the game is available for; if I just specify PC, assume it's only available for Windows. This is unfortunately a very common thing. I will however generally mention if the game runs well on Steam Deck, with a link to the game's ProtonDB page.

Price is exactly what you think it is: what the price for the game is officially, as of when I reviewed it. This is always in USD. I will usually just specify the price, but I may add in other details, such as relevant DLC, or a snide remark about how games shouldn't cost $70. For free games, I will specify whether the game has secondary monetization such as microtransactions, and to what extent they exist.

Finally, Length is just a rough guess at how long a single playthrough will take. This is usually based on my own playtime as of when I wrote the review, assuming I actually kept track properly. Notably, a "single playthrough" constitutes going from the start of the game to the end; I don't include postgame content or replayability in this estimate, but will specify an additional estimate if it's relevant. For roguelikes and similar, this will instead be how long a typical run takes; for continuously-operated games such as MMOs, this will typically be omitted.

The Fancy Number at the End

Final thing to talk about: my final ratings. It bears noting that the numbers I specify should not be taken too seriously. I'm just one guy with some fairly specific preferences; I tend to be very verbose with my reviews precisely because I think my actual outlook on the details is more important and useful than the actual number on the end. Accordingly, the final rating should only be taken as a rough gauge of how I personally feel about the piece of media I'm reviewing.

That said, I do have some mild criteria about how I assign the numbers:

I am theoretically willing to hand out 0's, however this is pretty much reserved for things I loathe with every fiber of my being.

1-2 is, as you'd expect, bottom of the pile. I really don't like this thing.

3-4 is for things I personally dislike, but not strongly enough to outright condemn.

5-6 are average. Usually I have no strong opinion either way, or I have a strong opinion one way that's hampered by a lot of caveats.

7-8 are what I genuinely consider good; 7s are appreciated, 8s are well-liked, but in either case it's not necessarily a strong appreciation. (If it is, I have multiple caveats attached to it.)

9 is for things I really like. Anything that earns a 9 from me is something I have a strong appreciation for, and usually comes with relatively minimal asterisks.

10 is illustrious; if something somehow earns a 10, as far as I care it's one of the greatest things I've ever experienced, no notes. This is not something I hand out lightly, and in fact as of writing I haven't given anything a 10 yet. No, Pizza Tower doesn't count, I've retroactively revoked its 10. Anything that warrants an asterisk (beyond things like trigger warnings) doesn't get a 10. End of story.

As noted, I'm very stringent about handing out 10s, and it is very likely you won't see many at all. Also as noted, don't take these numbers as gospel; they're heavily-generalized statements of my opinion.

Notably, for shows and comics, I may include multiple ratings for different portions of their runs. This will usually be by season or by arc. (For example, for Symphogear you might see me rate by season, with something like an 8, an 8, a 6, an 8, and a 9.)

#hex posts things #hex reviews things

[mysticjupi]

Umineko: When They Cry Review - Episode 0

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Part 0: Notes

This post can't be as aesthetic as I would like due to only having a phone; however I'll make do with what I have. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this; assuming you read my info on the header of my blog page, you should also know my dream is to be an author...and that takes me here, to Umineko and the WTC series in general. I finished reading the Umineko Visual Novel, and have watched the Higurashi Anime, and I plan to read the Manga for Higurashi soon.

The following posts will be about my thoughts, experience, and love for WTC, however this post 0 will be about WTC in general, along with miscallenous things.

Needless to say, SPOILERS!!!

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Part 1: When They Cry

My first experience with the series was years ago, when I was a child; and coming across some of the more gorey scenes from Higurashi on youtube, I was curious yet I never persued more of this media. Years went by and it remained nothing more than a afterthought in the back of my head, however, a friendgroup who was big into Higurashi made me watch the anime, and I decided on my own to read the Umineko novel, and since then...I've been very into the fandom for a few months.

I took two months to finish the Umineko VN...

And as you can tell, some days I read very generously. That being said however, it was all time well spent.

Ryukishi's writing has become an inspiration and something I think about greatly, his ability for creating and characterizing his characters in both dynamic and subtle ways has stuck out to me, as well as how he handles abuse and sensitive topics authors usually avoid delving into. This aspect will be discussed more when I get around to talking about characters.

However, the thing that sticks out the most to me is his...lessons. How he makes you think about mortality and the negative and positive aspects of people and their situations. Higurashi and Umineko identify and share their themes strongly, while leaving some leeway for the reader to think about it themselves. God knows I've been rethinking and pondering a lot of Umineko's plot.

Without Love, it cannot be seen. Is a new philosophy I have started to use, for example.

That's where much of my love for WTC comes from, and before you ask, I know nothing about Ciconia but I plan to read it once my technology situation is sorted.

I think that's enough for my introduction, and now you know where I stand on this series that's wiggled it's way into my heart.

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Part 2: Music

Before I discuss the Episodes of Umineko, I'd like to dedicate some to discuss one of my other favorite aspects of the Visual Novel, which is of course the amazing soundtrack that I cannot get enough of.

I never knew a Visual Novel about victorian ladies fucking with people would carry such a banger OST. I'll link some of my favorites:

Patchwork Chimera

Death From Stupefaction

Golden Sneer

Haze

Dream End Discharger

Deep Blue Jeer

The Girls Witch Hunt

Kina no Kaori

Reflection Call

Last End Conducter

I never realized how big of an impact music had on your enjoyment of a story, but Umi's soundtrack compliments scenes extremely well. There isn't much to say here but it's an extremely good listen and one of the major perks of the visual novel. Kudos to the various composers who worked on the soundtrack.

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Part 3: Artstyle and Design

The last thing I should have to say for this post, and of course this section will be talking about the original novel Artstyle, however the others will be mentioned.

Umineko's designs are stand-out and very unique yet remain alluring. This goes both for the hair and face of the characters and their outfits...

And of course, the fact many of the outfits are taken from actual goth fashion being displayed at around the time or Umineko's original releases. Some of my favorite examples:

Wonderful, I think. I can easily tell these characters from their silhouettes which always means good design. Somewhat unrelated but Ryukishi seemed to really enjoy thigh gaps when designing, (Chiester Sisters, Dlanor's Group, Seven Stakes...) and whatever you would consider Gaap's Gap. However this isn't a negative by any means. Most of the men's outfits are suits, however I can appreciate a formal and crisp style and at least everyone has their own suit aesthetic. Original Battler is the best style btw.

To make mention of the other Artstyles Umineko has...

Pachinko: It's...good? Some characters look better like Lambadelta or George but some were...proportioned oddly? Kyrie and her immensely inflated chest definitely put me off. I had the Pachinko sprites option during my read so I swapped between this and original depending on who was onscreen.

PS3 Remake: Very good and faithful rendition while also modernizing and streamlining designs, though it didn't quite capture the rawness of Ryukishi's expressions in the original Artstyle at times.

Manga: Amazing. The Umineko manga expressions are absolutely amazing. Raw, detailed, the anount of time spent on those illustrations is obvious, up there with the original style.

Anime: It's alright.

That said, the expressions of Umi are stunning, which makes sense considering how gritty and fucked up the story can be at times, nothing beats the little laugh that accompanies these expressions in the visual novel.

(Original Novel) Finally, while the backgrounds in the novel can be pretty simple, Ryukishi truly does his best with what he has and works with, and I think the simple backgrounds work well to not detract focus from the characters and text, however I wish he made the glass shatter screen transition a bit less abrupt?

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That covers everything I feel like I should discuss, next I'll be taking a retrospective look at Episode 1 of Umineko...Legend of the Golden Witch.

I think one or two posts a day covering a episode will be how I'll write the rest of this review, I hope you enjoy!

- Jupiter.

As some last notes, feel free to interact with me in dms or asks or anything! I'd love to discuss this story with anyone because hearing differing opinions or just bonding over media is one of my favorite things! I'd love to make friends

This of course is all opinion and not objective! I love seeing different views and all opinions are valid to me!

Have a nice day!

#umineko #when they cry #higurashi #beatrice the golden witch #erika furudo #lambadelta #visual novel #story review #novel review #ryukishi07 #07th expansion

[wondereads]

Personal Recommendation (04/25/21)

The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter

Why am I recommending this book?

I've had my eye on this book for so long. I love when characters that are typically thought of as villains rise up and take hold of their fate (yes I read all those villainess mangas).

Want something quick and short? Check out my tiktok

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Everly and her twin, Hartly, were raised in our world, but their mother hails from another dimension known as Enchantia, a deceptively pleasant name. Everly, Hartly, and the people around them are prophesized to eventually take part in the fairy tale of Snow White and the Evil Queen, and everyone seems to think Everly is the Evil Queen. It especially does not help that her magic involves her speaking to mirrors. Everly enters Enchantia in order to discover the truth behind her mother's escape and what the prophecy really means.

The plot was mostly character-driven. There was no big goal the characters were working towards; they made their decisions based on their emotions and in reaction to the other characters. Because of that, I could never really predict where the book was going to go next. Unfortunately, I was a little spoiled because one of the last chapters is at the beginning of the book. I get why it's there–it removes any expectations that Everly will come out of this untouched–but I still recommend that you skip it. There's just a bit too much there, so it's a major spoiler.

Showalter does a really good job of evoking outrage in the reader. At a lot of points in the book I was genuinely mad at what the characters decided to do, but it only made me want to keep reading so I could see what Everly would decide to do in response.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Everly is so great. It's so nice to have a YA female protagonist that is completely unapologetic. She's not the nicest person, and she knows it. She gets her revenge and takes pleasure in it. It was very cathartic to read from her point of view, especially after all the horrible things that happened to her. It was really great because she was 100% justified in doing so many horrible things to the people who wronged her, but she chose to have mercy not because it was the right thing to do but because she knew she was better than them. At times, I felt like she sort of fell into the trap of brash, over-sharing girl from another world, but she moved past that in the second half of the book.

Roth. My opinion on Roth went from one extreme to the other in the book. His general personality was good, especially for a traumatized and somewhat entitled prince. He was a good example of what happens to good people when they're taught to hate, and he really did love Everly. I really did enjoy their relationship for the most part. It was some weird balance between enemies to lovers and friends to lovers which doesn't sound real, but it is. There were some points that threw up some red flags for me (you'll know it when you read it), but I think he's on the way to redeeming himself by the end of the book. I did appreciate that Everly didn't just immediately accept him at the end; it'll take some time for them to work things out and set boundaries before even considering running off together.

God, I was so ready to end up hating Hartly. I was just bracing myself for that inevitable moment, but I loved that she turned out to be perfect throughout. Also, she made me cry. As for Truly, she swapped sides so often during this book, but I did end up liking her. Her conflicting relationships with Farrah and Everly were pretty interesting.

Below here are characters that will spoiler the book! Skip this part if you haven't read it yet!

I'll keep it short. Ophelia and Noel were awful; I can't believe Everly ever trusted them again after what they did to her. I loved to hate Farrah. I thought her punishment was fitting although I wouldn't have been mad if Everly killed her. Nicolas was definitely a wild card; I'm still not entirely sure what side he's on, and I finished the book.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The book is from the perspective of Everly, a modern teenage girl, so I felt it was mostly fitting. I did really like how the way Everly and Hartly talked contrasted with the fairytale world inhabitants like Roth and Truly. However, there were some points where it felt like Everly was trying too hard to be a ~relatable teenager~, which is a pitfall a lot of adult YA authors fall into.

I loved the map, I always love the maps. The poem that was written line by line at the beginning of each chapter was a nice touch too. I also really liked how Everly, Hartly, Truly, and Farrah were all based on fairytale-ish words (ever, heart, true, and fair), but Farrah's was still a little different because she distinguished herself as the protagonist and therefore didn't have the lasting bonds like the other girls did.

Meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I wouldn't say there was a big, glaring, over-arching message in this one, but it did have some really poignant commentary on hypocrisy, stereotyping, and hating for the sake of hate.

To start with, everyone dislikes Everly because her powers involve taking it from others, but everyone is also 100% ready to use her powers for themselves. Also, Everly is pretty much constantly railed on for the sake of the fairytale in the middle of the book. Even though she's done absolutely nothing to warrant it, she's forced into these horrible situations because people have pegged her as the Evil Queen, not realizing that they are why she will eventually become the antagonist. God, I love shit like that. When she retaliates to protect herself, she's all of a sudden this unforgiving, violent witch (which might also be a jab at how society shits on women and then villainizes them when they fight back). The best thing is that Everly doesn't stop standing up for herself and the ones she loves, and, while she isn't actively cruel to those against her, she certainly doesn't let them get away with it.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I loved this book. I have always loved twisted fairytales, and now I also love stereotypically evil women taking back power for themselves. I genuinely liked the main character, the romance was pretty good, and the side characters were all well-developed. The social commentary wasn't subtle, but, like Everly, sometimes being unapologetic isn't bad. This book was kind of cathartic to read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fairytales, romance with a lot of sexual tension, and those villainess mangas.

The Author

Gena Showalter—46, America, also wrote Alice in Zombieland, Firstlife, and The Glass Queen

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every two weeks, and I take recommendations. Check out my about me post for more!

#books #recommendations #reviews #the evil queen #gena showalter #fantasy #ya #fairytale retelling

[jackcinephile]

L'Inferno (1911) Movie Review!

As promised, we're gonna be celebrating this Spooky Season with a Devilman Crybaby headcanon! In order to fully express my HC, I will be reviewing icons of horror cinema and literature that helped contribute to many of the themes and ideas that are prevalent in Go Nagai's original manga. So, without further ado, let us descend into the Blind World. Put all fear and cowardice aside. I will be your guide through this eternal place, where you shall hear the shrieks and see the tormented spirits who all bewail the second death.

And how appropriate? Because our first film is the 1911 adaptation of The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. I suppose it's only right to begin this saga of horror films with one of the first horror films ever made. Okay, "first horror film" is actually debatable, so keep in mind that I said "ONE of the first." In any case, it remains one of the most important landmarks in horror cinema.

"Stopped, in the middle of what we call life,

I looked up and saw no sky, but rather a dense cage of leaf and tree and twig,

For I was lost."

The film opens as the iconic poem does. Dante Alighieri is a middle-aged man who finds himself lost in a dark, gloomy forest. This opening of the story always had a way of making me feel somewhat lonely and isolated. In my interpretation, I always saw this forest as being symbolic of how Dante felt after the death of Beatrice. Allow me to explain...

For those who don't know, Dante met a young girl named Beatrice when they were both nine years old. The young boy immediately fell in love with her, even though they hardly interacted. Despite their lives continuing in separate directions, Beatrice had always and forever held a special place in Dante's heart. When he received word that she had died, Dante was absolutely devastated. He felt that she deserved to be immortalized in what he intended to be his magnum opus; The Divine Comedy.

I believe that this opening to the Inferno is actually Dante going to a journey to find Beatrice so that he could say goodbye to her. Along the way, he got lost, both literally and spiritually. That, in my opinion, is what this forest symbolizes. In many ways, this opening kind of reminds of the opening to Silent Hill 2, just from how dismal it is.

Having said all that, I think the film does a very poor job of conveying those emotions. Sadly, I just don't feel any of the despair that was present in the original poem. He just wanders around for a few seconds, then steps out into a clearing. But don't worry! As soon as Dante steps into the clearing, the film IMMEDIATELY gets better. Upon entering this clearing, Dante finds himself at the base of, what I believe to be, Mount Purgatory. I can only assume that's where he is, because the gates of Hell are at its base, and Dante seems to suggest the gates of heaven are at its summit, just like Purgatory. Unfortunately, his path is blocked by three ravenous beasts: a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf, all representing different Earthly sins. He runs back the way he came, before being rescued by a strange apparition. It's here that the film begins to remind us all of why the original poem is regarded as a self-insert fanfic...

Upon introducing himself to the apparition, Dante learns that it is the actually the ghost of Virgil, author of the Aeneid. The significance of Virgil being in the story is that he was Dante's favorite poet of all time, and Dante always longed to meet and interact with him. It's literally a self-insert fanfic of Dante meeting and interacting with all of his inspirations. It's honestly a mystery to me why I love The Inferno so much, because it's everything I hate! It's a Catholic's fanfic about why he sees himself and his friends as morally superior and why everyone he ever disagreed with is going to Hell. Somehow, in spite of all that, I still love it.

So why did Virgil even decide to help Dante in the first place? Well, remember when I talked about Beatrice dying? It turns out, she descended from Heaven into Hell to ask him for help, because she knew how important he was to Dante. She tasked Virgil with being Dante's guide, after seeing that he has gone astray.

This is where the film's innovation starts to take shape. Beatrice has often been drawn as having a halo around her head. The problem is, how do you show that in a film made in 1911? The effect was strikingly realized with, what I assume to be, spinning rods covered in reflective material. I can only guess this is how it was done, but it appears right to me, because that's how a similar effect was created for the lightsabers in the original Star Wars. It looks like the rods were placed behind the actress, so that the rig couldn't be seen, making it appear as if the light was emanating from her head. This scene also displays an early appearance of wire work on film. In those days, that shit wasn't easy. It was even harder to hide the effect, which this film does fairly well.

So, Virgil explains to Dante that he must take him on a pilgrimage through the three different stages of the afterlife. To be perfectly honest, I never understood why. Maybe I'm just an idiot with little to no reading comprehension. It's also a factor that I haven't read parts II and III of the Divine Comedy, so maybe it's elaborated better in there. From what I gathered, since Dante is going on a journey to find the literal Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin intensifies) Virgil needs to take him to Hell and Purgatory, so he can face his sins and better appreciate Paradise. And thus, Virgil's pilgrimage to lead Dante through the Afterlife begins!

"Through me, the way to the City of Woe

Through me, the way to everlasting pain

Through me, the way among the people lost

Divine Power made me

Eternal I endure

Abandon Hope, all ye who enter here"

That is the inscription above the Gates of Hell. It is here, that Dante is already planning on turning back. Virgil literally tells him to stop being a pussy, and I was satisfied. Once they enter the gates, it becomes apparent to the viewer, if it hasn't already, that this isn't just an adaptation of Dante's work. This film is actually a cinematic translation of the ICONIC illustrations by Gustave Dore that were created in the middle of the 19th century. So much care and detail was put into recreating his AMAZING artwork, that many consider to be his magnum opus. This film was basically the Zack Snyder's Watchmen of its day!

Those familiar with the story will recognize this iconic scene that is being recreated onscreen. Dante and Virgil have come to the shores of Acharon, where the souls of the damned board Charon's vessel to be taken before Judge Minos, who lives in Limbo.

Speaking of Limbo, that is the first spiral of Hell Dante visits. This is where good people who weren't Christians come to face eternity. Their punishment is meant to be the denial of Paradise, but if you ask me, it doesn't seem so bad. Apparently Dante felt the same way, because this is where he meets his other great inspirations, such as Homer and Ovid! The poets all enjoy their visit together before Virgil must take Dante on his way. This is honestly the part that makes me cringe the most. Nothing reeks of self-insert fanfic more than meeting your idols and being greatly respected by all them. This is exactly why I abandoned my Silent Hill fanfic.

Anyway, Minos's throne lies at the lower boarder of Limbo. The king himself appears as a giant naked bearded man with a snake tail. The tail is used to determine the punishment of sinners by wrapping around Minos's own neck multiple times. However many times the tail coils determines which spiral the sinner is sent to.

And here we get to my favorite scene in the whole film: Lust! This spiral perfectly displays the true innovation of special effects. In this spiral, sinners are punished by being caught in a tumultuous whirlwind. The wind symbolizes the tumultuous feelings that arise between lustful lovers. It's one of Dore's best illustrations, and it blows my mind that the filmmakers were able to recreate it so well!

Our two pilgrims move onward to the Spiral of Gluttony, where we come across Cerberus. He guards this spiral, but Virgil subdues him by throwing a clump of dirt in his face (still more respectful than Lore Olympus). Honestly, Gluttony is nothing to write home about. It's just a raining landscape with people laying in the mud. Still, I have to give credit for the meticulous recreation of Dore's art!

Down in Greed, who else do we find guarding this spiral, other than Plutus?

SIDE NOTE: I've read a very strange "translation" of his dialogue. The original line reads, "Pape Satan, Pape Satan, allepe!" Strangely, no one seems to agree on what exactly this means, so most translations are different. Particularly, in the case of Douglas Neff, he translates "Pape" to "Papa," which is strange because "Pape" means "Pope" in Itialian. Then, he changes "allepe" to "you are my king." Let's also not forget that Plutus was also occasionally used as an epithet for Hades and/or Pluto. This means Douglas Neff literally wrote Hades to say, "Daddy Satan, I worship you" (still more respectful than Lore Olympus)!

In the Spiral of Greed, the sinners are forced push heavy sacks of gold around for eternity. Once again, this scene is nothing special, but still an admirable recreation of the illustrations that inspired it.

The next scene, however, shows off more of the innovative talent that makes this film so amazing! Virgil and Dante move on to the Spiral of Anger, where the sinners are punished by being submerged in the black sludge of the River Styx. The only way across is by boat. This is where Phlegyas comes in. The two poets stand by a giant tower which they use to signal for passage to the City of Dis. Along the way, the boat is stopped by Dante's political and intellectual rival, Philipo Argenti. It's here that one realizes just how petty Dante truly was. "Oh, I disagree with you politically. Therefore, you deserve to drown in sludge for all eternity!" He sounds like people I used to know. Hell, he sounds like me in high school!

All while this is going on, we see an amazing special effect of a double exposure of Dis in the background. It's an amazing miniature of the city's outer wall, optically printed to take up the entire top half of the screen.

Finally, they make it to the other side of the river, where we actually get a cameo by Hades' and Persephone's children! No, not Zagareus, Makaria, and Melinoe. None of those people were Hades' and Persephone's children. I'm actually referring to the Erinyes (also known as, the Furies). They block Dante's entrance to the city's gates, so Virgil calls upon the aid of an Archangel to rid them of the Furies. It is here that Dante asserts the superiority of Christianity over the Hellenistic faith (still more respectful than Lore Olympus).

Within the City of Dis, Hell begins to look more like how we always imagined, with fire and brimstone. In the Spiral of Heresy, sinners are stuffed into eternally burning ovens embedded in the ground.

Beyond that is the only omitted sequence from the poem. In the original Divine Comedy, the Spiral of Violence is originally guarded by the Minotaur! Beyond that are sinners, stewed in a boiling river of blood (The Phlegethon). On the banks, we see a heard of Centaurs practicing their archery on them. These are the individuals who were violent towards other people. In order to cross the river of blood, Dante and Virgil must ride on the back of one of the centaurs. You know, having heard of centaurs' notorious reputation for being horrible rapists, it makes me concerned for the sake of our Pilgrims. Maybe they didn't include this in the film because they couldn't figure out how to make a centaur?

On the other side of the Phlegethon, Violence continues into the suicide forest (*Logan Paul reference here*). Here is where sinners, who were violent against themselves, are punished. Once judged to this spiral, they grow into trees. The symbolism being that trees are a symbol of life, of which these sinners have deprived themselves. I'm surprised this scene isn't more controversial. After all, seeing as how seriously mental health has been taken recently, it's fucking awful to tell someone they're going to Hell for committing suicide! As a peice of horrific imagery, I love this scene, but knowing that Dante actually believed this makes me despise it.

In addition to being a horrifying concept, this scene also includes one of the first instances of bloodshed in a horror film. Virgil explains to Dante that he can speak with the sinners if he breaks one of their branches. When he does, blood sprays out of the tree like a drinking fountain!

After a brief conversation with the sinners, Dante moves on to the final section of violence, where people were violent against God. Here the sinners are punished in a desert that perpetually rains fire.

Now, not every special effect in this film is good. Because when Dante rides down to the eighth spiral on Geryon's back, it is such a stiff, unnatural, badly puppeteered marrianet that they couldn't even keep stable for the shot!

"There is a place in Hell called the Malebolge..."

Now, we get to my favorite part of the whole poem: The Spiral of Fraud. Here the deceivers are punished in a myriad of ways, depending on how they lied to others.

In the first Spiral of the Malebolge, those who pander towards others are mercilessly whipped for all eternity. This marks the first appearance of the classic image of the winged demons that we all know and love.

In the second spiral, the flattererers bathe in a stagnant pond of their own feces and vomit. This symbolizes the value of the words that they spew at other people. I think this might be where the expression, "You're full of shit," came from. Think about it; you say that to people whom you think are lying to you, and this is in the Spiral of Fraud.

Incidentally, this punishment was referenced in a Turkish horror film called Baskin -- a film about a small group of off-duty police officers who crash their car and wake up in Hell. In that film, the main characters realize they're in Hell when they find demon raping someone, while shoving her face in a bowl of her own face and vomit. Baskin is not a part of this HC, so I'll have to talk about it later. For now, I'll just say it's one of the best horror films I've ever seen!

In the third spiral, those who joined the Catholic Church for their own personal gain are buried head first, with their feet sticking out in the air.

In the fourth spiral, fortune tellers have their heads turned backwards. This prevents them from looking forward, symbolizing their attempts to see into the future.

In the fifth spiral, the sinners are repeatedly dipped in boiling tar. This scene is especially interesting because it shows that the demons we see aren't actually monsters. They're just creatures doing their jobs, punishing sinners. In fact one of the demons named Malecoda assigns a group of demons to help escort Dante and Virgil through the rest of the Malebolge. That, unfortunately, doesn't work out, however, because the demons are distracted by a sinner trying to escape, so Dante and Virgil move on alone. What's also unfortunate, is that other demons, who assume that Virgil and Dante are also sinners trying to escape, chase them into the next spiral. Luckily, each demon is confined to their own spiral, so they can't keep chasing them.

In the sixth spiral, the hypocrites are forced to wear robes made of solid gold. They also find Caiaphas nailed to the ground. As someone who has Jesus Christ Superstar on his top three list of favorite albums, I was happy to see Caiaphas get referenced.

In the seventh spiral, the thieves are bound by snakes, whose venom causes them to burn to ashes. One thief in particular gets attacked by a giant lizard that makes him into a lizardman (someone tell Alex Jones).

In the eighth spiral, the false advisors are eternally engulfed in flames.

In the ninth spiral, the sowers of discord are viciously mutilated. My favorite part about this scene is that it's one of the first instances of gore in a horror movie. The prophet Muhammad has been cloven from his belly to his throat with his guts spilling out all over the place. That's right! Muhammad is depicted in the Inferno. Not only that, but Gustave Dore drew him. Damn. Dante has no chill. Hey, the founder of the most homophobic religion in the world rots in eternal Hell? I'm not complaining! This kinda makes up for the portrayal of suicide victims.

In the tenth spiral, the falsifiers are punished with enternal leprosy.

At last, we make it to the Spiral of Treachery, at the center of the earth. Here, the traitors are frozen within the Lake Cocytus.

"Lo! Dis Himself!

Emperor of the Kingdom of Woe"

Finally, at the climax of this horrific epic, we see Satan, and it's not what you're expecting! He is in the very center of the lake, frozen up to his waist in ice, and forced to eat the three greatest traitors of all. His body is covered in course fur, and he has three heads and six wings. Satan's appearance in this story is disarming and almost pathetic in a way. You'd imagine Satan to be this fearsome king, but he's just shown to be suffering like everyone else. It's kind of sad, really.

The film ends with Dante and Virgil climbing down Satan's leg fur and ending up at the base of Mount Purgatory.

L'Inferno is one of the first true masterpieces of horror! It's hard to believe that this movie is almost 110 years old! Just think of how it would have been to see it in theaters for the first time when it was new. We owe it to this film for proving the language of Cinema could be used to tell the most epic stories possibly conceived.

You can watch the film for yourself here:https://youtu.be/cMUPbPOGPdM

Now, you're probably thinking, "What the Sam Fuck does any of this have to do with Devilman Crybaby?" Well, for starters, in Go Nagai's original manga, the character Asuka Ryo implies that Dante's Divine Comedy might have been based on a true story. This is futher validated when the demon Xenon appears and bears a strong resemblance to Dante's description of Satan. But beyond the surface-level details, let's discuss some of the deeper implications of what Hell actually is. Within this headcanon, the Afterlife is an entirely separate dimension, occupying the same space as our Earth, but invisible to our eyes. There is a way, however, to see and explore this separate dimension. You see, when different dimensions intersect at certain angles, they sometimes leave gaps through which we can come through and cross over to the other dimension. It was through one of these gaps that Virgil was able to find Dante. These angles and gaps between dimensions will be further explored in a later film.

#dante's inferno #dante's divine comedy #l'inferno #devilman crybaby #devilman crybaby headcanon #Youtube

[indigopurple]

Episode review! Oh no.

Its almost 1am on a school night in finals week and I've decided hey let's do a "quick" review! I might regret this but I have zero hope or belief that I'll do well either way so whatever. LETS GET STARTED ON THIS SHITSHOW NOW SHALL WE?

Ok I must say, as someone who hasnt rlly seen any of the manga besides some panels here on Tumblr, episode 914 kinda surprised me (which was just the icing on top of the huge cake that is fucking hype and stuff obviously). We some uh, behaviour we don't rlly ever get from Luffy. Not much of it anyways. This episode was kindof a mix of impel down and dressrosa. Exhibit A.

Ok so we see hes horrified. The castle was fucking obliverated along with possibly his and Law's crew and their allies. And so he gets mad and punches the tree (which BTW that was rlly cool, he just hit it without any haki and it fucking split in half. Laws just watching him throw a tantrum like holy fuck how strong is this kid honestly)

Also! Note that I said horrified. That's not anger at first. Gee I wonder what else it could be.

Exhibit B. A few times luffy used conquorers haki, and

Whoa. Holy shit like this was so fucking cool. Hes so mad, and the art and the colors and I cant even show how fucking great this was in these few screenshots. So, so fucking cool.

Anyways! He's using conquorers haki WAY MORE than he ever has before in a fight. Like, dude he just mindlessly used it to shit up those guys standing by Horselina (speed) without caring. He's never, ever done that before, he always thinks of who is surrounding him first like 'oh i shouldnt knock out the innocent bystanders'. He did that like one time ever, in fishman island, and apologized while doing so. And entering the city, AFTER learning that the guys surrounding them were all bad guys, he used haki on them. Im not sure why he cares so much (maybe ill write abt that later) but he does. ANYWAYS...

Exhibit C. *sobs*

He (tries to) convince himself that his crew is okay. Hes really not sure tho; he NEVER QUESTIONS STUFF LIKE THIS, EVER. HES ALWAYS SURE. THIS IS COMPLETELY NEW. MORE FEUL TO WHAT ILL SAY LATER, BUT...FINALLY.

Exhibit D. Finale. More crying.

He's mad at himself. He blames himself. Has he ever done this before? Maybe. He never rlly said it out loud but I high key believe he does blame himself for stuff like this, with bon kurei and ace n etc.

Which means a lot of whats happening and how he reacts is at least mildly influenced by the war. Now.... I can finally say what I've been building up to. If its not obvious enough.....

Hes scared. Okay? Hes terrified. And hes so good at hiding it behind anger (and it USED TO BE CONFIDENCE BUT THAT WAS KINDA RUINED POST-WAR). He doesnt know if his crew is alive, his friend(s) might be dead, hes supposedly all alone (law isnt rlly on his side rn, he just wants to run away which is perfectly logical and good lord Luffy needs to calm down but he fUCKING CANT-), everything is out of his control. And he doesn't know how to beat kaido.

Which currently doesnt matter to him because all luffy can feel is rage (fear that oh my god everyones dead i couldnt protect them its happening again).

I cant add any more pictures sadly, but theres the thing where luffys like 'he got our friends. They might be dead. If I beat kaido right now, it'll be over, right?' To which law doesnt actually answer, he just gets this look like 'fucking dont oh my god we're so fucked stop it u rubber ball of anger issue's and then Luffy gets this whole cool scene of announcing his presence, jumping across the rooftops, gear third as he leaps like 200 feet into the air (could he do that before? I think he did it on accident in the fight against karakuri. Strong thighs.) and falls back down, screaming and anger as he costs his arm which is 10 times his entire body's size in haki. And he punches as hard as he fucking can. And it seems to work. God that scene was SO fucking COOL. Also throught this I think he's got conquorers haki coursing through him cuz it seems to have just been, constant. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a mindless self defense mechanism. Again, He's scared, and mad, and going all fucking out. Of course he would.

Ok im done rambling. I rlly need to sleep. Think I'll just wake up and cry til im at school and then I'll just feel nothing for the rest of the week. Ah, finals.

#review #episode 914 #one piece spoilers #one piece #monkey d. luffy #kaido of the beasts #kaido one piece #straggler.txt #long post sorry #cries #sobs #FUCKING SOBS EVERYWHERE #sorry

[addershade]

A Semi-Stuctured Rant on Antishipping, Fujoshi Culture and the monetization of Homosexuality in Japanese and American Media

Antishippers are homophobic and it's bothering me. But also so are fujoshis and that bothers me too

Part One: Antishippers

Where there sails a ship ship so to the antishippers let fly their flags. A common argument I see painted on the bows of their warships is 'This character hasnt been stated as gay yet don't ship them with them.'

This is such a problematic sentence I don't even know where to begin. The fact that people view the default state of sexuality as 'straight until declared gay' creates the stigma that being homosexual is in some way deviant or taboo.

As an example: nobody has a problem with Todoroki being shipped with Momo despite them having minimal character interaction and very little shared dialogue in the show. Yet because they have been seen together in one (1) episode it has even been assumed canon on the same level as Izuku and Ochako which it quite simply is not.

Compare this to Bakugo and Kirishima who have several scenes together, most in even more intimate settings than Todoroki and Momo (study date, walking home at sunset together, the money scene, the rescue, I could go on) yet since the creator has not OUTRIGHT stated that either of these two are gay they have been assumed straight. Antishippers never go after TodoMomo in the same way they do KiriBaku.

I've seen people go as far as to say it would never happen, the creator would never do something so radical as to include one (1) gay couple. Despite the already pretty strong LGBTQ+ presence in the show with characters like Tiger, Big Sis Magne and Toga. These three have their own problems (an issue for another time) but they are there and that's a big step forward that people like to forget about.

Also, is the concept of 'we don't get good gay representation in the media so we write our own' really such a hard thing to grasp? Because it shouldn't be. Gay representation in media is scarce and even if its there it might not be handled sensitively (cough cough banana fish cough) and people naturally would want to go out of their way to provide it for themselves. Because representation is important. Straight, cis, white men really wouldn't understand because they are represented in literally everything all the time so I geuss they can't really fathom not being able look at the main character and go 'it me.' Which is why they put up such a fuss about every single time a woman is cast as the lead role. In anything. But I digress.

My point is basically this: Characters with undefined sexualities are obviously going to draw people in and be used as a comfortable, familiar and interesting starting point to create someone you can resonate with on a deeper level. Especially if there's nothing contradicting your head canon. And even if there is, who cares? There's plenty of straight characters already, representation is not pie and also they aren't real people so thats an extra helping of 'it shouldn't bother you.'

Oh I forgot to mention this rant only extends to fictional character antishippers because I think shipping real people is icky and shouldn't happen regardless of sexuality.

Part Two: Fujoshi Culture

Yes there are straight gals and guys that fetishise it (the male version is a fudanshi at least get it right people) and that's gross and unforgivable please stop doing it.

I would argue however this epidemic is caused by the fact that media, eastern and western alike, refuses to normalise gay relationships. Which means they see it as this sick fetish thing and call it 'sinning.' The literal terms fudanshi and fujoshi are derogatory and paint enjoying 'yaoi' as a guilty pleasure, something to be ashamed of and ridiculed.

And I'd bet my bottom dollar that Japan would want to keep it that way because it does work to sell their mangas.

Nagisa really sums up the whole issue in 50 percent off here's the clip:

https://youtu.be/c_xwtbrXbZM

Part Three: Western Focus

I just want to point out how half hearted and overly subtle these relationships have to be, like you're sneaking it past the republicans like the producers dirty little secret.

Good examples from both sides are Bubbeline, KoraSami, All of Voltron and Literally Any Gay Man In Anime Except Yuri on Ice. Although Yuri on Ice is still pretty coy about admitting that their characters are in a gay relationship.

KoraSami, Bubbeline and Shiro x Shiro's flashback buddy are all western depictions. Being gay in western media is much less commercialised and much less marketable, which is why the main issue with all of these were the writers pushing for something that was then only really confirmed either in: a very heavily fought for kiss last episode or the love story told entirely in (two bros chilling in a hot tub style) flashbacks where said love interest dies in the same episode. None of these are good representation and I don't think I have to spell out why.

Anyway this is another video that sums it up better than I can

https://youtu.be/TOj4WfQPNlk

Part 4: The Bad, The Worse and the Ugly

tw: s*xual a*sault mentioned (part 5 is safe)

I'll be quick

Anime like Banana Fish and Black Butler really like to perpetuate the stereotype that gay men are only gay because they have been r*ped by sick, twisted older men.

As a gay man who has been s*xually a*ssulted in the way that they like to pretend defined my sexuality I can say that this is insulting, triggering and Never. Ever. Handled. Properly. Anime has some issues with sexuality as a whole but it really takes the cake when characters like Ash are abused in real time in the anime and then it's used to 'justify' their promiscuity with men moving forward.

Banana Fish in no way handles the sexual assault tactfully, no matter what people have said to me.

This is an extract I agree with heavily from a pretty well written article (Banana Fish spoilers) :

I mentioned earlier the finale sent an awful message to new viewers. Ash’s story was about survival so for him to easily give up, in the end, sent a horrible message to survivors of sexual violence because it not only told them a moment of vulnerability would get them killed, but the only way survivors could find any peace was through death. The fact that Ash gave up, told survivors they could never escape from their traumas and despite all their efforts, they would never be able to heal from their abusive circumstances.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thatnerdyboliviane.com/2019/01/21/banana-fish-a-bittersweet-experience/amp/

'Kill your gays' is a bad trope in any case but really was an especially poor choice here.

Part 5: Sex Sells and Gay Sex Advertises

I've mentioned above how manga and anime likes to package gay relationships into problematic little bundles and sell it to straight women as a curiosity or oddity. But I really think that it needs to be talked about more. Things shouldn't be more interesting to you just because they're gay, and fetishising minorities is never okay in any context.

I think it's important to note that really the attitudes in both Western and Japanese media are actually the exact same. That being, Gay people are 'others' and should at all costs be hidden away into corners. The only real difference is that Japan is known for selling that kind of content, lumping it in the same category as tentacle hentai and... I don't know any other categories but the point stands. Whereas western media tends to just sequester it into a corner and hope it gets past censorship boards and Karen's. Money is at the forefront of both of these descisions.

It's a real problem that both sides of the anime culture are so problematic. One side is way too into it and the other can't begin to process it.

Here's a video by the same person that covers basically the same ground that's concerning me so much.

https://youtu.be/t3FKlqDocQ4

Part 6: In conclusion

I feel like this is something that is worth being angry about. I'm just sick of how being gay is treated at the moment in anime, tv and film, and how it's being received by straight audiences. The LGBTQ+ community barely seems to get a real say half of the time because people are too busy being head over heels that the author confirmed in an interview that a character is bi or gay but never follows through with it in universe. Or when you try and create content for yourself and get criticised like you were supposed to be happy about what little representation you get in mainstream media. Like shows do the bare minimum and then we're supposed to be happy about it. But I ain't. And I don't think many other people are either.

TLDR:

Gay people being treated like a taboo little secret on both sides of the issue is insulting and gross and never leads to anything good.

#Youtube #Gay #Anime #Shipping #Antishipping #bubbeline #voltron #my hero academia #legend of korra #fujoshi #Fudanshi #queerbaiting #rant post #lgbt pride #lgbtq #lgbt rights #banana fish #ash lynx #Yaoi #Yuri #lesbian #gay #bi #transgender #queer

[captainharunanase]

When you justified with the term fanart, that you can basically do whatever you want, I agree with you. BUT the recent new stalker *cough* cozy-hovel *cough* commented more than one IR fanarts with very piss-weak comments like "you're delusional" or "not gonna happen". Not worth this person's time but keep a look out, I got the receipts and I've counted.

Very true. I have seen that particular idiot call anything IR-oriented as “delusional” but here’s the kicker–all those IR moments are legit scenes from the manga. How can any IR scene, that Kubo himself drew, be delusional? Despite how people interpret them, an IR moment is STILL an IR moment.

Long-ass post under the cut because I want my IR lovelies to enjoy the tag and not have to be bombarded with my super long semi-meta post.

Anyhoo, a few examples here just to make my point.

Ichigo went to SS to save Rukia himself–no one forced his hand. And regardless if it’s “seen” as romantic or not he still saved her AND thanked her for stopping his rain (i.e. depression). Orihime even admits Rukia changed his world and is his most important person. That’s legit there no matter how you translate it.

How is that delusional? We all read it. Saw it. Heard it from Ichigo himself. Major IR moment.

Ichigo feels down about his inner hollow and all that jazz until Rukia shows up and literally cheers him up. Doesn’t matter if it’s romantic or not. It happened. It’s there. Even Orihime is grateful to her for doing something even she could never do. That’s an IR moment.

How is that delusional? Kubo showcased it in full view. No tricks, no double-meaning. It’s right there.

Ichigo saying goodbye to Rukia at the very place he gained his powers from her when they first met. His and hers facial expressions displaying such sadness and melancholy over their farewell. How their humans friends were also sad for the both of them in seeing this happen to them.

How is that delusional? It’s right there. It’s an IR moment that Kubo took the time to draw with such great emphasis and detail there’s no way people can mistake it as anything but a semi-private sad goodbye moment between them.

And when Rukia returned at Ichigo’s lowest moment in FB Arc? Where Ichigo was in the very pinnacle of despair and desperation and fear and hopelessness? Where every single human bond (minus his dad and Uryu) he had in his life had been utterly ripped apart and distorted and used AGAINST him to show how weak and easy it was to turn on him and betrayal him? How even though Uryu and his father hadn’t betrayed him–he still DOUBTED them at first until he was reassured by them that they were on his side?

Yet the moment he saw Rukia–even with a blade stabbed through his chest FROM BEHIND–he automatically trusted her? Was fucking relieved to see her? Didn’t doubt his Shinigami friends when they appeared to aid him? Or that moment where even Byakuya, having gotten cut by Tsukishima’s blade, still was on Ichigo’s side because of his faith in him–through all of the actions Ichigo’s done for his sister and Soul Society? How Ichigo finally regained his resolve back from her, again, and literally showed Ginjou that his despair had changed into his strength through her? And the very fact Rukia would have died for Ichigo–again–when Tsukishima tried to kill him from behind? The look on his face when he saw it about to happen?

How is any of that delusional? We saw his depression after losing his powers. We saw him try to find a way to get them back. We saw him struggle with his Fullbringer so he could try getting his Shinigami powers back. We saw his human bonds break and his doubts against everyone until Rukia showed up. He didn’t question her. Kubo literally wrote “these bonds will never break” about IR. This is literally a fact from Bleach. There is no bias or twisting the truth.

Romantic, platonic, and so on does not matter here. Kubo made that moment important to the both of them and ONLY them. That is the truth. There is no asspulling or imagining it. This is literally not up for debate. It’s literally a highlight to illustrate that his bond with Rukia will never break despite the ending.

Yet Kubo not only tried to dismantle and discredit 15 years of buildup between IR through the last arc, but in trying to do so made the ending seem extremely OOC and off-putting to the majority who expected actual substance not shallow and hollow imitations of what they once loved and cared for for 15 years. I’m not talking about ships. I’m talking about the 180° character assassination and the horrendous gaping holes in his story. He had 10 more years left for Bleach. What he does instead is a 10 year jumpskip with literally no explanation of any major plotlines except Rukia being captain and some characters are around and about but who the hell knows what they’re even up to because it was wasted on ships of a future generation Bleach never once hinted on or was expected to be about all…along?

If Kubo wanted to pull a Naruto he should have actually read it because Kishimoto definitely talked nonstop about past, present, and future generations so much I’m surprised few people find THAT ending odd yet say Bleach was always supposed to end this way? Really now? I definitely know people that think that way only cared about ships and not the integrity of Bleach.

I don’t care about canon ships or if Ichigo somehow fell in “love” with Orihime 3 years later after the final arc. Same thing with Rukia to Renji. What I care about is facts and evidence supporting it.

Which there literally is none in the manga.

The only evidence that Ichigo felt for Orihime had only ever been friendship. What she felt for him was more than that–that is a no-brainer. Her feelings for him is a fact. His feelings for her? Never saw romantic proof. And I didn’t ship IR or any ship seriously until the FB arc. But even I knew, if Ichigo had to be with someone based off who he was closest to in terms of who actually understood him best–I assumed it would be Rukia. It made logical sense based off all the mutual compatibility and the semblance of how Kubo was always furthering their bonds and demonstrating their importance to each other through not only other characters but through Ichigo’s and Rukia’s actions for one another.

Even when he was trying to separate them in the end you could tell how he had to actively alienate them to even give a small glimmer of hope to make the canon ships somewhat passable. But all he did–since he never properly handled IH/RR correctly with equal mutual reciprocation from Ichigo to Orihime and Rukia to Renji–is make the majority of his audience feel dissatisfied with how strange they were acting. He had plenty of time to make those ships important but he chose not to. It wasn’t until he was getting the plug pulled that he suddenly cared about them. Yet in doing so was too little too late. He was reaching the end of his serialization and instead of closing all the loose ends and trying to end the final battle as best as he could. He chose to focus on a faulty shipping path instead of the story’s own dire need of a proper closure.

Rukia ignoring Ichigo? Renji giving him a speech to lift his spirits that he’s never done before? Tsukishima giving him powers? Rukia and Ichigo barely interacting or even acknowledging each other? So on and so forth?

That is actually also not delusional. We don’t deny it happened. It’s there. We see it. Those are moments meant to dissolve IR importance at the last second. This is Kubo stating if Bleach ends so does IR.

But it really didn’t. He never actually goes through with it.

Ichigo and Rukia still are the same when they are together. Albeit still not IC fully yet it’s undeniable that while 686 spewed some ooc talk about courage–IR still had a moment. They are still the definition of Bleach regardless how you see them as.

That is fact. That is truth. It’s there. Kubo made sure to remind us. Even with all he’s done, Kubo still had to make IR important because it started with them and now ended with them.

Lil Kaz and Lil Ichka didn’t change that even if they “inherited the love and destiny” their respective parent had for each other to them. If anything I don’t hate or blame the children for that. They are merely the byproduct of a man who has been proven to have lost Bleach’s true purpose and integrity years ago and now has nothing left to show for it.

This is not a delusion or made up. This is fact. It happened. It’s there. We all universally read the death of Bleach together. We saw how it failed to capture the essence of what made Bleach–BLEACH. The ending IS a failure. The sales project it, the Japanese fans express their displeasure, the negative reviews and reactions received are not made up or imagined, the daily fact Kubo has yet made a formal interview or even attempted to write a post-script to answer our questions is proof he no longer wants anything to do with his own work.

He was coerced to draw for his own post novels and he even stated he wanted no part in them. All talks of post Bleach is done by third parties and any small snippets of him are done by others literally quoting what he’s told them–not to us his fans. The "bonds" we see in the newest novel? He literally stated they were "never seen in the original manga." Antis say he didn't have "time" because of the cancellation but he had 15 years for IR yet no time for the "intended" ships he apparently wanted? What an asspull and last ditch effort to screw himself over.

That is definitely not delusional. Never in my years of being a part of this world of manga and video games have I ever heard of a creator taking such great lengths not to address or even talk about his work post-conclusion. Kubo is not talking and will most likely not talk about his thoughts on his direction towards the end of his series for a good while.

And to all those that actually enjoyed the ending, despite evidence to prove how much of a complete debauchery it made the characters out to be and the storyline put into utter jeopardy and disrepair, congratulations you’ve played yourselves.

You’ve literally proven not only do you not care about the foundation of what made Bleach what it used to be (the characters, the story, and even the bond between IR–honestly don’t care if you ship them or not) but also the very fact you rejoice in the thought that IR has "sunk" (uh-huh yeah sure) simply because it THREATENED your ships. You only care about how much of a hassle their bond was that you knew the only way Bleach would be great TO YOU is if IR was destroyed in every way, shape, and form. Regardless whether it was Kubo trying to ruin any potential romantic bond or even their platonic one–you are HAPPY at the thought Kubo tried to disprove them in any way you think he could.

Now that’s delusional. It actual never came to fruition or able to stop IR from being IR. Kubo literally could not be bothered to care to try and go through with even that. He tried, yes, but he took it all back at the end with his. “Thank you Ichigo and Rukia…” and his “won’t this make you cry if you’re a fan of Ichigo and Rukia?” These tidbits he insists on saying over and over are facts.

Your positive reactions of Kubo trying to disassemble IR and how you all have in turn tried to dissuade us to stop criticizing Bleach is as transparent as your blatant hate for Rukia and her importance to both Ichigo and Bleach.

The truth is you all would gladly sacrifice the whole essence of Bleach if it meant IR was never meant to be. That is literally how far you antis have gone. You all would gladly see Bleach fall than admit without IR your ships would sail worry-free.

In truth, it’s not even the real IH/RR fans that are delusional it’s the anti-IR fans that are severely misinformed and delusional.

They see any IR moment and have to assume it’s unimportant because it threatens them. They need to assume it’s only platonic and can only be seen that way because it makes it easier to then steal IR material for themselves and call it romantic for their ships. They believe in their minds that IR fans are delusional because we hated the final arc of Bleach over ships and nothing else. They wholeheartedly think we are all inherently wrong because we didn’t read Bleach “right” and we’re the delusional ones.

All of these assumptions and accusations of IR fans are ironic as fuck because there had been nothing but proof and receipts from our side proving how insecure and pathetic their attempts at garnering our attention and their need for us to validate them since August of last year.

They want us to feel threatened by this ending, by Kubo’s attempts to assassinate his own series, and by admitting somehow and in some twilight zone that their way was the true way.

Their delusions are grand I’ll give them that but their transparency and smell of desperation reeks of instability and fragility.

I have never felt threatened by IH/RR or by any ship for that matter. We all know IR is the pinnacle and definition of Bleach.

Love them, hate them, and ship them or not there is no delusion about them. When you think of Bleach they are the sum of it. They are what made Bleach great. And through them, we had many other great things and characters born from those two’s interaction that fateful night 15 years ago. That is fact. It happened. We all read it. No denying the two main characters of the story creating the very basis and foundation Bleach once stood upon proudly. Now? All we remember is the horrible ending of endless loopholes, incomplete retcon plotlines, MIA characters, OOC overturn of remaining characters, and still underdeveloped half-sided ships meant to take seriously with a finale of two small children that somehow was the conclusion needed to finish Bleach in all it’s now faded glory?

The delusions pro-ending fans take to ensure they are proven right with as little to no evidence as possible to dictate this is how we all as a collective whole must see it as is anything but delusional.

Now, if Kubo cared and catered to the ending correctly by talking about it and making interviews and just admitting the truth “yes I wanted everything to happen EXACTLY like this for x and y reasons because this and that.” Then yes we’d all would have seen it. It would have happened if he did it. We couldn’t have denied it even if we tried.

But no, we get nothing but vague “I intended it from chapter 1…” and “I only wanted the kids to meet…” the “it” in question is vague and had been never clarified so anything we assume ranging from ships to just Ichigo losing his powers and staying in the human world can be what he meant. The kids bit is also strange because while he states he wanted the kids to be a part of Bleach (how? Well not sure except from what we got in 686 obviously) but he doesn’t specify WHY he wanted the kids to meet.

As a roundabout way for IR? To illustrate the IR bond through mini IR 2.0? To show the love IR had for each other through their kids? Wanting them to go through the same trials and tribulations IR did for some sadistic twist of fate? To try and do a failed Boruto rehash? To try and save his series? To make the kids the ones to break the tragic love stories by ending up together whereas all the other romances didn’t? He didn’t specify and I honestly doubt he ever will.

Nor do I honestly care about him or his lackluster post ending bullshit.

I care about Bleach in its entirety. I care about each and every character–even the ones in the last arc. I care about the narrative and what used to be the true purpose of Bleach in Ichigo’s incompleted Hero Journey. I care immensely about the dishonor he has done to Rukia and her shinigami world. I care deeply at what he’s done to both IR and even Orihime and Renji. I care ferociously about Uryu’s mistreatment and isolation. I care strongly about Chad’s lack of importance in the end and how much disrespect Kubo has done to the rest of his characters and story.

I will always put Bleach first and IR second. Good thing they are at times one and the same when it comes to their tragic fall from grace.

Give me true mutual 100% irrefutable fact that I’m wrong about both Bleach and IR and maybe MAYBE I’ll reconsider my analysis and interpretation of this major work I’ve literally been a part of since the very beginning 15 years ago when I was a preteen. Tell me, my understanding was always wrong when I didn’t even fully ship IR because I believed with my whole being that IR is just IR any way they wanted to be for Bleach didn’t need ships to make it great so long as IR’s bond pulled through.

Tell IR fans how delusional we are when the jokes on you antis on how shallow you have been proven to care about Bleach where even tons of non-shippers like I used to be can see through your bullshit and has since joined sides with the anti-ending fans as well as IR fans on criticizing the fuck out of this shamble of what used to be a great top 3-tier manga.

So yes, Anon-san that anti fool can crosstag and complain and whine about how the majority of the Bleach fandom is “delusional” and “salty” and etc.

Doesn’t change the fact that the majority of the fandom is pissed and will always be outraged and feel betrayed over the disaster that Bleach has become and no amount of bitching insignificant, incompetent, disrespectful crosstagging little shits will ever find the validation they so desperately crave from the majority that will forever loathe both them and the ending Bleach never deserved.

But thanks for keeping track of their actions, it’s great to know how much they prove their own stupidity while we continue to simply bask in all of Bleach–both good and bad parts.

Sorry for the long length. But it’s just irksome to see assholes like that one pretend to care about Bleach and call us fake fans.

How delusional can they be, amirite? Guess we’ll just have to keep our epic-ness at full blast per usual to spite them since they just can’t help getting their arses roasted every time they try to use their emotional opinions as facts while we just drown them with contextual evidence as truth and just sip our deliciously hot scathing tea in the aftermath.

Because I do love me some tea after a good roast. Don’t you? Good bitter pity and disgruntle pettiness from their end is always great in my cup after washing my hands of their tears.

Oh, no I just realized I might have offended crosstaggers with my “delusions” of grandeur!!! *fake gasp*

Oh wait!!

I also just realized I don’t fucking care. Whoops~

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#Ichiruki #deathberry #anti bleach ending #anti 686 #oh look it turned into a meta thingy oh well #long post #zakksu asks

[tigerlover16-uk]

I'm gonna be that person and ask you ALL of them! ;P (Also I've been meaning to message you lately!!)

... Well, I walked right into this one. Oooookay then, let’s do it.

1. selfie

N/A

2. what would you name your future kids?

Good question. I’ll answer you when I have any and I’ve made up my mind.

Seriously though, I have no idea. It’d probably depend on how I feel at the time and how my possible future wife would feel. I’d like to name any kids I have after characters I’m fond of, maybe Peter for a boy after Peter Parker. Probably give him Clark as a middle name too after superman. On the off chance I ever marry a Japanese woman though I’d insist we name our son Goku, but that’s a very specific situation so I don’t see it happening.

I guess if I ever had a daughter I’d name her Prima after my mother.

3. do you miss anyone?

My mother, my paternal grandparents, and all of my old pets that have passed away.

4. what are you looking forward to?

Tonight’s Dragon Ball Super episode and the My Little Pony movie. Also, my dog’s having puppies in a week, so that’s exciting.

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

My mum probably could have

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?

Are we talking in a romantic relationship ending sense or a friendship ending sense? If it’s the former I have no idea, no dating experience. It does take me a while to get over not talking to a friend anymore, but I cope pretty easily after a while. I like keeping to myself for the most part, I don’t have a lot of friends offline so it’s not too big a deal for me.

7. what was your life like last year?

Pretty meh, had a number of ups and downs, some really bad days, and some very good ones. And of course I discovered just how unbearably frustrating and depressing politics can really be and how much America and my own country make me want to bang my head against a wall. So, not a great year, but for me personally I coped alright. I just wish I’d done more to move forward with my life, like finding a full time job. i’m stuck in part time and I’m still looking.

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

I don’t think I’ve cried for that kind of reason. I usually only cry if I’m very sad or depressed over something, extreme annoyance tends to manifest in anger, ranting and fidgeting for me.

9. who did you last see in person?

My dad. He’s downstairs from me. Same as my sister. I just got back from seeing my nan aswell.

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?

Don’t think so.

11. are you listening to music right now?

No

12. what is something you want right now?

A cola lolly. I just finished the one I had.

13. how do you feel right now?

Alright.

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

My nan about an hour and a half ago when I left her house.

15. personality description

Nice and well meaning, and also a big idiot with low self esteem and easily frustrated, but ready to do whatever I can to help.

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

Yes. Can’t think of any specific cases right now

17. opinion on insecurities.

They sure are worrisome?

18. do you miss how things were a year ago?

NO!

19. have you ever been to New York?

Nope. Only other countries besides Wales I’ve said foot in are England, Kenya, and Ibiza.

20. what is your favourite song at the moment?

None. I don’t really have favourite songs

21. age and birthday?

23 and February 7th

22. description of crush.

Non-existent.

23. fear(s)

Spiders

death

disappointing people

failure

24. height

No idea. I never measure myself. Around six feet though, I would imagine

25. role model

Real life: Jesus Christ, Lewis “Linkara” Lovhaug, my mother, Stan Lee.

Fictional: Peter Parker, Clark Kent, Son Goku, Steve Rogers

26. idol(s)

Isn’t this the same thing as role models? If so, then the above examples basically qualify. If this is the music term, then none.

27. things i hate

Pretty much every selfish, cruel, hateful and all around bad trait that people can have. Also, Sports. I HAAAAAAATE sports.

28. i’ll love you if…

You give me money :P

Kidding. I’ll love anyone just so long as they’re kind hearted, thoughtful and nice to me.

29. favourite film(s)

It always varies depending on how I feel at any given time. Some examples would probably include Spider-man 2, DBZ: Battle of Gods, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Wolf Children, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tangled, The Avengers and Rugrats: The movie

30. favourite tv show(s)

Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z/Dragon Ball Super, Spider-man: The Animated series, Rugrats, Ed Edd n Eddy, My Hero Academia, Power Rangers Wild Force, Justice League, Spectacular Spider-man, Digimon Tamers, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

31. 3 random facts

I named my first cat Socks.

I Didn’t realize there had ever been any cast changes on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers until Kimberly left because I missed the episode writing out Jason, Zack and Trini, so I somehow didn’t notice that the black and yellow rangers were being played by actors of completely different races in the later parts of season 2 and season 3 until years after the fact. No, seriously, I was just that stupid as a really little kid.

Once when I was a kid I drew on the walls of my parents bedroom to make the place look like a jungle, as well as drawing whiskers and animal markings on me and my sister’s faces. I don’t remember it honestly, but I can tell my parents were mad about it.

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?

In school most of them were boys, same for at work because there are only two women at the kennels compared to two male co-workers and my male employer. Online I’m friends with more girls than guys though.

33. something you want to learn

How to make YouTube reviews in the style of Brony Analysts like Silver Quill and Commander Firebrand. I’d like to make reviews of animation and comics, and comics related media into a hobby. but I have no idea where to start.

34. most embarrassing moment

I tend to repress those memories straight to heck, so I can’t tell you

35. favourite subject

Anything involving learning about animals.

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

Being rich.

have a pet tiger.

Bring about world peace.

Something tells me none of them are coming true any time soon though. But hey, most dreams are unrealistic.

37. favourite actor/actress

I sincerely have no idea. Very hard to pick, and I don’t follow any actors religiously

38. favourite comedian(s)

Linkara

39. favourite sport(s)

NONE!

40. favourite memory

My holidays to Africa

41. relationship status

Single

42. favourite book(s)

The Harry Potter series, the Dragon Ball manga

43. favourite song ever

N/A

44. age you get mistaken for

Hasn’t really happened to me yet.

45. how you found out about your idol

No idea.

46. what my last text message says

“Can you pick up the prescription on your way home please?”

-My dad, in relation to his and my sister’s medication I picked up from the doctor’s. I actually couldn’t pick it up until the next day, but I forgot to tell him that sooner.

47. turn ons

If you mean this in the way I think you mean, then I’m not answering.

48. turn offs

See above.

49. where i want to be right now

Marathoning One Piece. I’m going to do that in a minute.

50. favourite picture of your idol

NA

51. starsign

Aquarius

52. something i’m talented at

Walking dogs

53. 5 things that make me happy

Cartoons

Cute animals

Video games

comic books

Anime

54. something thats worrying me at the moment

I have to book an appointment with the dentist soon.

55. tumblr friends

hayley566, perladelsur2000, dbzebra, and supersexyghotmew95 are the most notable. I’m not sure who else really considers me a friend, it’s not like I talk with everyone else a lot.

56. favourite food(s)

Fried chicken, pizza, salt and vinegar or sour cream and onion pringles, chocolate

57. favourite animal(s)

Tigers

58. description of my best friend

I can’t pick a best friend

59. why i joined tumblr

Just felt like it. Seemed like as good a website as any to start using, I followed a few youtubers I liked like Linkara and Joshscorcher on here anyway. Also, my friend Hayley566 was on here, so that was pretty convenient

60. ask me anything you want

Was there anything you wanted to ask?