#missing kagura as per usual | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

connan-l · 3 years

Text

All right, so now that I finally digested the final a little I have some random messy thoughts about Fruits Basket 2019. It got really long lol, but this has been stuck in my head for a while so I needed to get it out!

Honestly, it was a very good adaptation and I’m still in awe I was able able to see the whole manga animated. Fruits Basket is pretty important to me, as I read it for the first time when I was around twelve and it was definitely one of the series that impacted me the most — the way it tackles themes of cycle of abuse, loneliness, grief and moving forward still feel very special to me even now (I briefly wrote a post about it months ago after rereading the manga), so of course I was delighted upon hearing the reboot announced and for the most part, it didn’t disappoint. I’d never truly thought I’d be able to see characters like Rin or Machi actually move on screen in my lifetime so in a way it still feel surreal lmao (RIP to Komaki though). It was really refreshing to revisit the story in that way, especially given amusingly enough I am myself in the middle of some big changes in my life where I have to leave things behind so it felt sort of... well, I won’t say empowering per se, but quite encouraging and satisfying to watch Furuba, and especially its final, at this timing, in a way. It wasn’t perfect, there are certainly a lot of flawed directive choices that I question and unfortunately quite some important cut contents — but even at its lowest it stayed all in all good. I’m genuinely a bit stunned there are people who thinks the entire thing is worthless or a failure, because man, I have seen what a bad anime adaptation looks like, and Fruits Basket 2019 definitely isn’t one. Natsuki Takaya herself was clearly very invested and satisfied in that adaptation — I mean, just the fact she drew arts for every single episodes or for the season 3 ending really shows that I think. And while there’s a part of me who will always have a soft spot for the 2001 anime, there’s no contest that the 2019 one is the superior one and more representative of the original manga as a whole.

I believe some people really don’t realize how... uncommon it is to get such a consistently good-looking and complete anime adaptation for a shojo manga? Shojo really aren’t lucky in that prospect usually; they rarely get animated, and when they do they’re usually very bland or outright bad, or they get one short season of like 13 episodes that never receive any follow-ups — even shojo considered like classics tend to get poor treatment, unless they’re Sailor Moon of course or a long-running magical girls franchise like Precure (and even then we could have a discussion about the way Sailor Moon’s treated compared to say Dragon Ball for example, but that’s another topic entirely). So yeah it is quite awesome we were able to get this kind of anime adaptation that covers the full manga with good quality from start to finish, and I am so, so glad it exists and that it managed to revive and makes the series so popular again. (Hopefully its success means we’ll be able to get more good anime adaptation of shojo manga from now on!)

But yeah, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t problems with it and I also understand why some of the manga fans had issues. We were kind of hyped with the fact this would be a complete adaptation and in the end we only got a... sort-of-complete one lol. The art and animation stayed fine during the run (there certainly were some episodes that were uhhh, lacking in that sense, but that’s just how it is sometimes with productions and budget), but I admit I was a bit letdown regarding the direction, where it often seemed… a bit uncreative or heavy-handed. There was some very beautiful and smart shots here and there, but on the whole I really had an issue with the adaptation failing to actually take more ambitious decisions on its visual aspect, especially compared to the pretty pannelling of the manga — and when it did take these decisions it just was… kind of obnoxious and in-your-face, like the show is trying to hold the watcher’s hand (with unnecessary things like Kyo’s father record player derailing or the whole big ropes symbolizing the curse that often slapped you all over the screen, which usually just made me want to roll my eyes because of how annoying it felt.) Multiple people also pointed out the overdramatization of some scenes like the Kyo and Tohru’s confrontation at the end of season 1 or Akito and Ren’s fight which was, indeed, not very good and a weird choice. Fruits Basket is already a pretty dramatic show and these scenes are already intense, there was no need for such over-the-top theatrical display of emotions that only made them comes off as comedic. I’m probably nitpicking here but it also bothered me some characters’ expressions didn’t feel properly retranscribed (Shigure especially, whose characterization depends a lot on that, really suffered from this), or that odd habit of making some big panorama plans instead of focusing on the faces and bodies, which particularly sucks during emotional scenes (like the backgrounds were pretty I guess, but that’s not what was important here lmao).

Also that might be just a personal thing, but can I point out that the openings were pretty disappointing to me... They're not bad, but they all looked so... bland. The songs are fine but the rest feel so uninspired and it's kind of sad... I dunno, I wasn't asking for much but I just think they could've done more than just scrolling each character looking vaguely melancholic or making them walk randomly one after another :/ The endings have at least pretty illustrations and I'm okay with them (I liked what they did with Kyoko’s photo in season 3 too), but the OPs kind of feel as if they ran out of budget and ideas for them or something. I kind of feel the same with the OST as well, where they’re generally fine but were a bit lackluster, and sometimes… they were kind of played at bad times? I remember the Rin episode in season 2 were the music felt a bit out of place and took me out of the immersion, which is a shame cause it was otherwise a pretty good episode. But that might just be a me-thing here lol. The voice actors were awesome though! (The Japanese ones, at least, I didn’t watch any other dubs). I’ve said it before but special kudos to Maaya Sakamoto cause damn she’s so perfect as Akito, and Shimazaki as Yuki and Toyosaki as Rin truly delivered too. I didn’t know Manaka Iwami at all but I was really impressed by her Tohru, especially in season 3 — she really was good at capturing her character’s subtle emotional turmoils (I think she makes a better Tohru than Yui Horie too, although I admit I missed Horie a little lol.)

Anyway, on the topic of lack of ambition, that might be an unpopular opinion but there’s also the fact that I’m sad they didn’t actually... try to change or add more original scenes. By which I mean, obviously we had some changes, but not ones that were really interesting (when they’re not actively detrimental to the story). For example, I was really hoping that we’d be able to get at least one original episode focused on Ritsu (and Mitsuru too why not) in season 2 or 3, or on Kagura or Kisa; I dunno, it would’ve been a good occasion to give something more to the characters that got sidelined in the original manga, or add some moments that would’ve been nice to develop like about Akito post-cliff confrontation, but we never got that. And well, that makes sense now that we know they seemingly had an episode restriction (at least on season 3), but, yeah, that’s still a shame. Honestly in the end Ritsu’s character made even less sense in the anime, because like, it was nice they tried to adapt his introduction episode so that it feels less “you have to adapt to gender norms to feel better about yourself,” (the gender non-confirmity is definitely one of the bits that aged the less well in FB) but then they still made him cut off his hair and give his feminine clothes to Kagura at the end so why lol. (And speaking of his episode introduction, I dislike that they cut off his conversation with Tohru after the suicide attempt, not only for Ritsu but also for Tohru cause it is one of the small instances bringing up her issues that is set up early on and that is crucial to her, but I’ll come back to this later.)

And now about the biggest problem to me being, the cut content and episodes rearangement. So, just so we’re clear, I definitely don’t think an anime adaptation needs to be a page-by-page adaptation of the manga to be good. Every decent adaptation needs to have changes, and the ones that tries to just follow the source material without any heart often tend to get pretty bad. So changes are good! Cut content are needed sometimes. But in Furuba 19, it really... wasn’t the case.

And the most unfortunate thing being that the one suffering the most from this is the show’s main character herself, Tohru.

So, obviously other characters also got done dirty by this; Yuki and Machi’s relationship was so incredibly shifted in the background and rushed it’s almost funny. I’m one of the people who thinks that, while I do think they’re cute, I definitely agree on the fact their relationship was a bit underdeveloped in the manga — and that Machi’s character especially suffered as a result by being a bit reduced to just "Yuki’s love interest" when she was a character with so much more to offer (and as a whole I also tend to agree with the fact that Yuki probably didn’t need a romance at all and that his arc is more meaningful while focusing on his platonic relationships, but that’s another topic entirely) — but man, if the manga already underdevelopped them, then ohhh boy, the anime just completely dropped the ball. It feels very odd because to me it seemed like season 2 was taking their time with setting them up, so if they knew they had only 13 episodes for season 3 then they should’ve started the changes there; instead we got 1 nice Yuki/Machi/Kakeru episode, and then it’s like "Yep, they’re in love, just trust me." (It does makes me wonder if season 3 wasn’t originally supposed to be longer but then got restrained because of budget or covid or something…) Kakeru also very much suffered because of them cutting off his girlfriend and his complicated relationship with Tohru… Now, to be honest, I’ve always found the Kakeru/Komaki/Tohru subplot pretty... contrived and useless, and Komaki’s not so much a character more than a device for Kakeru’s development, but it does have some good moments relevant to the story’s themes (I like the ‘‘you can’t play suffering olympics with people’s pain’’morale) and it is important to his character (and Komaki is cute, I admit), so it was still sad they shafted it entirely. (Also I kind of like the tense relationship between Tohru and Kakeru. The fact they both seem to not appreciate each other even afterwards feel sort of refreshing even if it’s never explored unfortunately orz.) I was still surprised they didn’t actually try to make a Komaki cameo at the end? Cause I think it would’ve fitted and Kakeru’s girlfriend had already been mentioned in season 2 but... for some reason they... didn’t. (Mayyybe we’ll get an OAV like with Kyoko and Katsuya? Who knows.)

One scene that was skipped/rearranged that I’m very bitter over is the whole Tohru/Kagura confrontation and Kagura/Rin scene — it might not seem like much, but the moment of Tohru refusing to forgive Kagura is very important, and I was pretty annoyed they turned Rin’s trauma response to Kagura’s violence and her subsequent apology/hug to a gag, it legit felt tasteless. The Tohrin scene they removed at the very end too was frustating; it was great they managed to fit in the "Rin doesn’t want to forgive Akito" bit at least (I was afraid they’d cut it off entirely), but it was so essential for her to say to Tohru, not to Haru and Momiji (plus the way they put it in felt very random and awkwardly placed there, when they were initially talking about Tohru before orz). OH AND the Akito/Hana friendship too! Yeah I know it’s not a Big deal but I absolutely love the little glimpses of their friendship and it’s very important to me so I’m disappointed over them not including the ‘Ah-chan’ scene… (It was kind of weird that the show sort-of implied Hana and Kazuma got together too cause that’s… not the vibe at all from the manga… oh well.)

Most people I’ve seen generally only bring up season 3 regarding the cuts/rearangement because it’s the most obvious and the biggest offender, but I personally think there were already problems with season 2 and 1. At first glance I didn’t have much issue with some of the rearrangement, because early Furuba can indeed be pretty episodic, but thinking back on it as a whole I think it might’ve been better to leave some stuff, like Hana and Uo’s episodes for example, to season 2 (I do wonder if they did this specifically so the reboot would offer original content and differ from 2001 early on...) and cut off other not-so-important things from S1 & S2 — because as a result season 2 kind of suffer a bit by being The Yuki Season, which, for as much as I love Yuki, did end up being a bit annoying and made his development feel less natural and gradual, as well as the fact it sidelined the other characters a little and left them with not much conclusion in its final. So this added to how much they ended up cutting in season 3, it makes the show as a whole feels really unequal. I think they did overall a good job in season 3 with what they had, and they really nailed some of the dramatic and Kyoru moments (the sheets scene, cliff confrontation and post-hospital confession were practically perfect), but it is a shame that it ended up as an extremely marathoned emotional roller-caster rather than a more well-paced watch that we would’ve had if it had been 20 or so episodes. (I know others argued that season 3 was what it was because there wasn’t enough content left to cover for 22 or 24 episodes, but I disagree and even if there weren’t, it would’ve been the perfect occasion to add original episodes then. But I think it was more of a budget and Covid issue personally.)

But anyway, all of this isn’t actually what I’m the most annoyed with (and YES that’s a already a lot lmao), those are stuff I can live with, but like I said earlier the most problematic is what they cut off from Tohru’s character. And that indeed includes her parents’ backstory.

So, just so I get this out of the way; yes, I do understand why people were relieved to not see Kyoko and Katsuya’s relationship play out on screen, and yes the age gap and teacher-student thing is creepy and I do kind of wish it hadn’t been written that way. (Though I was a bit amused by people who thought we didn’t get the backstory because of the questionable age gap when, uh... you know I very much doubt the anime industry has an issue with that. Like, to start with, we wouldn’t have had Uo and Kureno’s romance if that was the case (even if Uo and Kureno is less problematic, it’s still the same basis of a underage high school girl/20+ adult man relationship), and second there was a literal romcom anime about a high school girl and an adult man that was broadcasted at the same time as Furuba season 3 lmao. So nah, it wasn’t there the problem to them, it was just time and episode restriction, which was pretty much confirmed with the announcement of the OAV focused on them.)

So, Kyoko and Katsuya is definitely Problematic and I agree on their relationship being uncomfortable; however, I’m a bit baffled that people were literally cheering on not having that part in the show, because it is... it is not just like a small bit of family trivia, it is Extremely important and actively essential to Tohru’s character and Fruits Basket’s themes and narrative as a whole. It’s very important to understand Kyoko’s character, of course; to humanize her and finally present her as a very flawed person and not just the idealized mother that Tohru project upon her, and it is extremely important simply to understand Tohru herself as well; to understand where her way of thinking, her trauma and attitude stems from, and this in a way that just isn’t possible to see with the little fragments of that flashback we got or the bits of Kyo and Kyoko’s interactions.

See, Tohru’s character is principally constructed around two things; her grief over her mother and her almost-pathological selflesness and people-pleaser needs that comes from her abandonment issues and loneliness, and her arc is very much about letting go of both of these things and finally moving forward and letting her life change. There’s this perception of Tohru I see sometimes that she’s not a very interesting character especially compared to others like Yuki or Kyo, or that she ‘‘stays the same kindhearted, naive girl from start to finish,’’ and while I deeply disagree with this I know where it comes from. The thing with Tohru is that she is firstly an extremely emotionally repressed character, and so a lot of her depth and development is made through small, gradual details scattered throughout the manga. It’s done in such a way that except for some obvious scenes those small, apparently insignificant moments are easy to miss or disregarded, and unfortunately it is a lot of these details that the 2019 anime cut, or rearanged in a way that feel less impactful or makes less sense; such as, like I pointed out earlier, her conversation with Ritsu after his suicide attempt. As I’ve seen others point out, this result in altering Tohru’s portrayal and rendering her character mostly about her romance, undercutting and downplaying all of her small, subtle character moments and developments, and miss a bit the second part of the story where the narrative actively challenge the ‘savior/therapist/mom’ that other characters and Tohru herself projected upon her.

And as a result it also means undermining things like her parallel and relationship to Akito, which idealistically should’ve been slowly built up throughout the last season but because of how rushed season 3 was in the end felt a little flat. (Akito’s character in general had some issues also because of the unequal pacing and rearranged scenes, though admittedly I think this was also an issue present in the original manga.) Kyo’s character and his romance with Tohru is the one element that managed to get out of this mostly unscathed (although Kyo also does suffer a bit from it), but because of what was removed from Tohru’s character it still inevitably impacted them by making their characters as individuals lacking. It’s not like it is a complete failure, mind you; I think the anime at least did a decent job at showing Tohru is Not Okay even at the beginning in season 1 (they certainly did a better job at it than the 2001 one lol) and managed to roughly portray her issues well enough overall, but it is just… lacking in the subtlety and nuances that, to me, makes her character and writing really special and unique.

(This post explains what I’ve tried to say here in a much more eloquent and better way that I ever could, and this all put into perspective what I basically love so much about Tohru and Fruits Basket in general.)

And, you know, it would’ve been sad but comprehensible with any other character, but here we’re talking about the story’s literal protagonist, which is why it is the part of the adaptation that makes me feel the most bitter. Tohru and her story is truly amazing and well-written, the thing I was looking forward to the most with this reboot — and while I do understand the episode restriction and I do believe they still did their best with what they had — her arc still deserved to receive a full proper adaptation, not a kind-of-half one.

So, yes, I am at least glad they’ll adapt Kyoko and Katsuya’s story in OAV, but the fact that it will never be included in the actual main narrative is still actively detrimental to it, and it will never have the same effect that if it had been played out before the Kyoru sheets scene where it should’ve been. (I hope they also won’t cut the fact that their story is narrated by Kyo, because that is also a very important detail for both Kyo and the story, but I have the feeling they will…)

Welp, that was quite a long, messy rambling. Not sure if anyone will actually read all of it but if you did then congrats lol. I feel in the end I’ve been really harsh and negative with the reboot… I do love it a lot! If someone asked me I would wholeheartedly recommend it (though I guess I would still argue to read the manga first if you really want to experience the story in all its nuances). I think they truly did an impressive job — even with season 3, which a lot of its episodes were beautifully done and did make me tear up a few times lol. I’m just sad it couldn’t actually offer a better, more nuanced delivery of the story’s depths and of one of my favorite manga protagonists that means a lot to me. But that’s an adaptation that so many fans wanted for years and I’m happy and grateful it’s here cause Fruits Basket deserved at least that much!

#Fruits Basket #Fruits Basket (2019)#Long Post #Connan's Ramblings #Text #Fruits Basket Anime

4 notes · View notes

katerinu · 3 years

Text

Okay, thoughts on the new ep in order:

1. I absolutely see Kagura and Sesshomaru in Towa and Setsuna. At first I was kind of doubting it, because sometimes Towa would act like Kagura and then she wouldn't. But then I was like... it's not as though Setsuna is a carbon copy of Sesshomaru? This checks out for me.

2. So Sango isn't dead... but she's not around. The way Kohaku spoke of her sounds to me like she's missing. Right?

3. WHY did Myoga SIT IN BATTLE for EXPOSITION!!!! So fucking dumb I hate this!!! You pulled him out of character to tell the audience shit oh my gooood.

4. Without a doubt, InuYasha is trapped inside the Red Pearl. Then that would mean Sesshomaru is with Towa... but how is Kagura with Setsuna? And where is Kagome? and that’s it, that’s point 4. please disregard me being a fucking dumbass as-per-usual. but okay for real tho WHERE IS KAGOME

5. I'm so fucking pissed about the Miroku fake out. My expectations were low and I'm still disappointed.

6. What the fuck Miroku with the cryptic knowledge??? Why are you telling random half demon kids to kill their dad???? Huh??? LMAO

#yashahime spoilers

6 notes · View notes

lycorogue · 5 years

Text

Kyoru Week: Day 4 - Desire

Oh man, a story done before dinner today!? Whoa!

Also, the title I came up with today is just as trash as the others have been this week, but it amused me so I’m running with it! XD

You can also find this story over on AO3, on FFN, or on DA

—————————–

GLOMP

Spoilers: Post-Manga story Romance Level: Contented Lovers Word Count: 1650 Summary: It's been nearly a year since Kyo and Tohru confessed their feelings to each other, and there's one thing that Tohru is really missing.

Tohru missed how clingy she and Kyo used to be. When they first moved into that small country apartment together, they were touching as frequently as they could. They were constantly holding hands, and kissing, and hugging – especially hugging; now that they could – and cuddling with each other. He was always rubbing her back, and she would absentmindedly play with the hair at the nape of his neck. They'd even sit on the same side of the table or kotatsu; knees brushing.

They were like that for days. Weeks. Their apartment suffered for it though. It was fine at first, because Tohru would continue doing the housework, just as she had done at Shigure's. It was even easier since it was such a tiny place and just the two of them. She could easily have everything done while Kyo was working, and then they could spend the evenings cuddled together and catching up on their days. Soon enough, though, they felt the pinch of finances, and Tohru found her own full-time job in town. By the time they both made it home, they had missed each other too much, and spent the evenings the same as they always did: cuddling and talking.

The dishes still got done, sure, because they could brush hands against each other; standing close. She'd wash, and he'd dry and put away. They could still touch; still talk to each other. The other chores weren't quite as accommodating.

They quickly realized that, if they didn't want to spend their Sundays doing little more than catching up on cleaning, they would have to divide and conquer. Kyo would sweep as Tohru dusted. They could still talk to each other, and usually stay in the same room as they did their evening chores, but they weren't touching anymore. Same with cleaning down the bathroom. It was a bit awkward for both of them to be in the small room, so they more-or-less tag-teamed. Kyo would start by detailing the sink and mirror while Tohru gathered up the cleaning supplies. Then she'd scrub the shower and toilet while he made her tea and some snacks for when she was done. He'd then finish up by washing the floor as Tohru prepped the living room for a show or game they could reward themselves with. The days that Tohru did the laundry, Kyo would be the one to make dinner. They weren't anywhere near each other those days, but he did help her hang up the clothes, and did a terrible job – despite his efforts - helping her fold them once they were dry.

No matter the chore, however, it usually meant more time apart, after going a long work day away from their love. Then there were the days where one of them was sick, and so they spent most of the day in bed; barely seeing the other. There was even a weekend where Tohru went to visit the Sohmas without Kyo. He was busy with work, and everyone – Machi, Kagura, Kisa, Hiro, Momiji, and even Akito – was meeting up to watch the latest Mogeta movie. Kyo wouldn't have wanted to join them anyway. He wasn't much of a Mogeta fan, and things were still raw between him and Akito. That weekend, only five months after graduation, was the first time since Tohru left the hospital that she and Kyo were apart for more than twenty-four hours.

Things were different after that weekend. Tohru and Kyo still held hands. They still kissed. They still hugged. They still talked endlessly about their days while they cuddled. They were still madly in love, and expressed how much they missed each other when she got home. However, it was now easier for them to sit in silence while in the same room. Kyo could study, and Tohru would read. He would watch some TV while she was on the back porch taking the laundry off the line. She would hide away in their bedroom so she could talk to Uotani and Hanajima, and he'd be relaxing on the apartment complex's roof. Tohru even had a couple of nights per month dedicated to hanging out with her friends, and Kyo would stay late at the Dojo to train and study. They would give each other a kiss, and wish them a fun evening, and would talk about everything once home. Still, they weren't attached to each other's hips anymore.

They had grown comfortable just knowing the other one was around, but no longer needed to interact as frequently. It was exactly how it was when they were living at Shigure's. It wasn't bad. It was a pleasant evolution of their love. They were still individual people, and could live their lives as such. Besides, they still had those tender moments just before falling asleep, where Tohru would snuggle onto Kyo's chest, and he'd kiss the crown of her head as he hugged her as tight as he could. They'd wish each other goodnight, and have their breathing fall in sync as they drifted off.

It was nice, and Tohru assumed it was how her parents might have been at one point.

She didn't even notice how much she missed how they once were until it was nearing the anniversary of her accident. She had woken up before Kyo, and let him rest. It was his day off, and deserved the extra sleep with all the hours he was putting in at work. She was already dressed and setting up for breakfast when Kyo emerged from the bedroom. He was still in just his pajama bottoms, and his hair was a mess. His scratching the side of his head didn't help the hair situation, but none of that mattered to Tohru. He looked as handsome as ever. It warmed her to see him so relaxed, especially when she remembered how he was when they first met.

"Morning, Tohru." He walked over to her, and kissed the top of her head as he continued to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Kyo-kun," she chirped back. "Do you need me to get you a towel and wash cloth for your shower?"

"Nah, I'll shower after I wake up a bit. I just need some caffeine." He shuffled his way to the counter and started prepping a mug of fresh-brewed coffee. His back was to Tohru, and she watched his muscles shift as he moved his arms and twisted slightly. His feet were bare, and padded along the tiled kitchen floor. His pants hung loose off his hips, making Kyo look incredibly comfortable.

"I was just setting the table for breakfast, did you want some food too before you shower?"

"Yeah. Okay, that sounds great. Thanks." Kyo fetched some milk from the fridge, and nudged the door closed with his toes. "Need help making it?" He poured the milk into his mug, then set it down to pick up a spoon instead. Before he could dip the metal into his coffee, Tohru's arms were wrapped around him.

He was frozen for a second, but then gladly gathered her into his arms. Breathing her in, he nuzzled the top of her head. "Tohru, is something wrong? You okay?"

"I'm fine." She pulled him even closer, and closed her eyes so she could fully take him in. Take in the feeling of his soft skin against hers. Take in the scent of him freshly out of bed and unshowered. Take in the warmth billowing off his body. Take in the rhythm of his heartbeat, and the subtle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. "I just need a couple of seconds. Is that alright?"

He chuckled, but pulled her closer as well. "Yeah. Take as long as you want." He played with her hair, and rubbed her back, and she took that in as well; the tingles that ran through her at his gentle touches.

"I miss this," she confessed.

"Hugging? We still hug."

"I know, but it doesn't feel like spontaneous hugs anymore. I'm sorry. I can't really explain it. I just- I had this compulsive urge to hold you. It kept shouting at me, as if I'd lose my opportunity if I didn't take it right now. I- I can't hug my mom anymore, and so I want to make sure I can get in as many hugs as possible while I still have you."

Kyo gave her another kiss on the top of her head, and just held her. "Then you hug me, Tohru. You hold on as tight and for as long as you need. I only ask for one thing in return."

"What's that?"

"Look up at me."

She complied, and he instantly went in for the kiss. It was gentle and chaste, but it was long and wanting. As they pulled away, Kyo rested his forehead against hers.

"I've been kind of missing spontaneous kisses as well. I hope you don't mind."

Tohru giggled, and gave Kyo one more squeeze. "You can kiss me whenever you want if I can hug you whenever I want."

"And vice versa?"

She hummed agreement.

"It's a deal." They silently hugged for a minute more. "Now, not to ruin this moment, but, can I have my coffee yet?"

Laughing, Tohru released Kyo from her death grip around his chest. She skirted around him to grab their breakfast, and set it on the table as he finished prepping his coffee. He walked over to the same side of the table she was on, purposely brushed her knee with his own, and gave her another chaste kiss on the lips before they settled in for breakfast.

Tohru should have known better. With Kyo, she would no longer want for anything, especially when it's as simple but dear as a hug.

39 notes · View notes

razberryyum · 5 years

Text

A Gintama episode a day keeps the ending away…Episode 123

Episode Title: Always Keep A Screwdriver In Your Heart

MY 19 FAVORITE MOMENTS IN EPISODE 123 (manga chap 192):

LOVE THIS EPISODE SO MUCH!!!

1) If Hijikata and Shinpachi would’ve just switched places, the seating arrangement would’ve been perfect.

2) They ordered 10 plates of meat for 6 people, which I thought was weird, but what’s even weirder is how do the screwdrivers expel their waste after such a hearty meal? It’s questions like that that keep me up at night.

3) In the manga, Gintoki actually grabbed his crotch to remind everyone why the hunt was important in the first place, so I kinda missed that from the episode.

4) Ok, not a favorite moment per se but more like wtf: those two figures in the doorway were so freaking weird and creepy almost. The guy looks like he has one of those kabuki masks on and then that thing on his shoulder, I couldn’t figure out if it was a kid or a monkey, but they both sounded DRUNK. It was odd enough to actually distract me from the scene.

5) Zura managed to escape from prison even though he was handicapped in his screwdriver form. Man deserves to be free.

6) Gin-chan looked so good as a truck driver. And I loved that he was smoking a cigarette. Gave him one more thing in common with Hijikata.

7) I almost wish they could have stayed as drivers since they had a steady income and most likely were having regular meals since they could afford them.

8) I don’t even understand why. And the anime team were the ones who came up with all the weird Sacchan stuff as she was looking for the aliens.

9) Hijikata’s “O” pleasure face. Bless the anime team for coming up with this bar scene.

10) Gin-chan being brutal to Sacchan as usual, though she probably enjoyed it as usual as well.

11) Sacchan looking good even after being run over. She really was the MVP of the episode, heck, of the arc considering she found the location the aliens.

12) That’s Gintoki’s crotch and it looked magical. It kinda looked more vaginal than penile or even screwdriveral.

13) Just another magical crotch shot.

14) I couldn’t stop laughing cuz it basically looked like Gintoki was forking the ship to death, causing it to explode. We even got to see the moment of his climax ffs. They took away the crotch grab and yet the anime team thought THIS was ok to show. Lmao.

15) I wondered the same thing but thankfully everything was back to normal the next time we seem them.

16) Something the anime team came up with to fill in the extra minutes of the episode at the end. Basically Gintoki offering a glass-half-full look to Kagura’s concerns about cicadas and mosquitoes.

17) Yeah, they really should have continued driving that truck. This made me so sad.

18) Rudeass mosquitoes.

19) I love that Gintoki had no glass-half-full counter to Kagura’s feelings about Madao.

SHIPS TALLY:

Gintoki x Hijikata: so much flirting!

Okita x Kagura: a couple that beats up Zura together, stays together.

Kondou x Otae: I was so glad he was still thinking of Tae-chan even though it looked like he was ready to move on to Princess Phillips. This moment was not in the manga.

Zura x Elizabeth: they are a unit, forever together.

Gintoki x Sacchan: I never thought it would be her boobs that turned into screwdrivers...don’t know how that would work with Gin-chan unless they actually became hex sockets. And every time I get to this scene, I picture it both ways. I need to go wash my eyes and brain now.

Hijikata x Okita: that whole scene, the way it was lit and the fact that Sougo bought him a drink, smacked of romance of the one night stand variety.

Kondou x Zura: they teamed up and were so in sync.

Kondou x Princess Phillips: She was cute! And their heads fit together. That’s probably how the people of Planet Screw reproduces.

Hijikata x Zura: it was nice of Hijikata to offer Zura a nice, last meal.

Okita x Zura: even though Sougo was much meaner in the anime...he only ordered raw meat in the manga, but in the ep he ordered TAINTED raw meat...it was still sweet that he was feeding Zura (with an assist from Hijikata).

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just completely unbelievably amazing. It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s immense generosity that I am able enjoy Gintama on an extra another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

5/3/2019

47 notes · View notes

akitokihojo · 5 years

Text

In Between: Chapter 3

Hello! Life’s still a mess, but thankfully I’m still on track!

-----------------------

SVU Precinct

"What the hell do you mean I'm off the case?" Inuyasha barked, slamming his fist on the captain's desk, the nearby container of pens, markers, and highlighters spilling over onto the paper-littered, mahogany surface.

"Just what it sounds like, Inuyasha." Their assistant district attorney stated, arms crossed over her chest in a demeanor that said she wouldn't be budging from their decision.

"You can't be assigned a case that you're involved in. Things don't work that way, detective." Totosai added, hardly phased by the temper of the half demon.

"That's exactly why I should be working it! I've obviously met this guy, so don't you think I'd be the best one to track his ass down?"

"What if you're wrong? What if this is your Average Joe stalker?"

"Look at the damn evidence, Kagura!"

"Believe me, I have. There's hardly enough to prove that you've met this perp."

"Good thing you're not a detective." He sneered.

"All I see is a case that doesn't even belong to this department." She trudged on, gritting her teeth and rubbing her temples toward the end of her sentence.

"A case I'm fighting like hell to keep because you're involved, Inuyasha. It's a huge conflict of interest and if you get in the way, we could lose it." Inuyasha flinched, clenching his jaw. If SVU lost the case, the only way it'd fall back into their hands- if the Internal Affairs Board wasn't already involved- was if a sexual crime of any nature occurred. That was the downfall of the Special Victim's Unit; they worked with the extremes: sexual assault, rape, and child abuse of all forms. "It belongs to Sango and Hojo now. I expect you to stay out of it, and when necessary, your full cooperation. For instance, right now. Miroku's been called in. Go help them evaluate the situation and then butt out when they're done. And before you ask, yes I'm serious. I.A.B. catches wind, you can kiss whatever chances we have goodbye."

"This is fucking bullshit." He huffed as he headed out, the silver hair tied at the crown of his head whipping around with the velocity of his turn, slamming the door shut behind him. Sango and Hojo were staring at a large whiteboard they'd wheeled over to their area, pictures taped up and notes scrawled in chunks, not even filling half of the surface. The detectives casually leaned against a desk as they quietly spoke with the on-call team psychiatrist, appearing more interested than the half demon felt they should. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, not looking forward to the prodding the psych was no doubt about to do. As much as he should be willing to answer all of his questions, he also wanted a new case to suddenly pull him away, making it impossible for Miroku to intrude on his personal life. He was annoying as all hell. You'd give the guy a little, and he'd be able to see the exact traumas that fucked you up when you were thirteen. It was freaky, and no human should hold that sort of power.

Inuyasha approached slowly, sighing defeatedly when their eyes fell on him, Hojo's annoying smile causing the half demon to fight back a cringe.

"It's kind of hard to get into a stalker's mind when you don't even know who the guy is, don't you think?" Inuyasha asked, fully implying that the psychiatrist was brought in prematurely.

"Not at all," Miroku began, raising his eyebrows at the question. "You don't have to have the person present to gather their motif. Maybe finding the pattern beneath all of this will help us track him down."

"What pattern? He's hit her house twice."

"I think he's been to her house more than that, actually." He stated, pointing to the printed pictures of Kagome's bedroom taped to the board. Inuyasha stiffened at the thought, his eyes shooting to the perfectly made mattress that Miroku referenced. "Everything but the bed was destroyed. In fact, he made sure to put the bed together. It all seems very detail oriented. That, alone, tells us he's got an M.O.. One that involves watching and observing from the sidelines."

"Watching and observ- are you kidding me? Miroku, he's a stalker!"

"Oh contraire, my friend. He knew what he was doing. This guy is patient. He's been taking photos for months now out of view, and he wasn't just doing that as a hobby. He was gathering the information he needed."

"Where, exactly, are you going with this?" Sango questioned.

"From what we can see of the state of Kagome's apartment, he wasn't exploring like someone who was purely interested in only her and her lifestyle; he wasn't trying to slowly crawl his way under her skin to quote-unquote connect with her. This was someone who was trying to make a statement. Yes, stalking is a major factor in all of this, but it's too superficial. This guy isn't a stalker at all. He's a master manipulator who likes the hunt."

The team was quiet, their mouths sealed shut as all of them stared back at Miroku with different levels of bemusement. It was a sign, albeit not a clear one but one he's learned to recognize, that they were just about on board with him. They just needed an extra push.

"Inuyasha, how many times has he been to your apartment?" Miroku continued, feeling confident in his theory.

"He hasn't. There's no way I could have missed a stench like his."

"Exactly. He knows you can smell him out. He knows you're a half demon and the more time he spends around you, the closer you'll come to finding him, so the drive isn't there. Yet. For the meantime, he can get away with targeting someone you care about. You'll catch his faint trail, but it won't lead you far because you'll be too busy taking care of Kagome. My guess is, this is bringing him a level of satisfaction no one can even begin to describe. I think he's been getting dangerously closer and closer to Kagome for a while now, and he's only allowing you to know now that he's got his method down and he's about to strike. He's ready to play this game because he recognizes that there's a very slim chance you'll be able to stop him in time."

"I hate to say it, but that makes a lot of sense." Sango looked from side-to-side at the two male detectives, exploring their expressions. Hojo was pondering, his blue eyes aimed at the floor while he tapped his knuckle to his lips. She knew her partner, and she knew her partner well. He wasn't convinced. Inuyasha didn't look the least bit pleased, as per usual. She couldn't tell if he agreed with Miroku's theory, or if he was just plain pissed that this was all happening in the first place. Most likely the latter.

"What about the bed? Something about it was a little too disconcerting, don't you think? What was the point of it?" Hojo asked.

"It's hard to say." Miroku's air of confidence slightly wilted away as his gaze drifted back to the board of pictures. "It most likely falls back within the lines of manipulation. When you see your house completely destroyed, what are the first feelings you get?"

"Fear, discomfort, unfamiliarity, anxiety, maybe anger." Sango listed, scooting her bottom over the ledge of her desk to sit, crossing her legs and bracing her hands on the edge of the wood.

"Lets go with the most common; fear and anxiety. He may be the kind of guy that enjoys inflating these emotions in his victims. By creating this scene, he's intensifying all of that. It's a bed she'll no longer feel comfortable sleeping in. He's touched it- tainted it, so to say. Made it appear welcoming while destroying every other aspect of her home. I think it'd be obvious that she'd rather lay in the mess than come close to her bed."

"All-in-all, discomfort, which is a simplified word for what she's feeling, is at an all time high." Hojo added as he caught on, rubbing the curve of his chin with his forefinger and thumb.

"Yes, exactly. He's violated every inch of her apartment, and he's essentially rubbing her nose in it. Not even her blankets can provide a sense of solace. If you think about it, this could be his way to get at Inuyasha, as well."

"How so?" Koga asked, walking up behind Inuyasha. He gave the half demon's shoulder a heavy pat, taking up his post beside him as if he'd been a part of the discussion the entire time.

"No one feels a bigger sense of helplessness than him." Miroku answered carefully, glancing at the hanyou. The muscles in his jaw were adamant, flaring his temples as he cocked and bit his jaw down. He seemed to be holding himself in place, his entire body rigid, ember eyes flickering around in annoyance, heavily avoiding all eye contact. It was difficult to determine if he had checked out, or if everything had processed perfectly clear. Still, he'd fully expected the half demon to blow up by now with loud proclamations of how nothing would ever happen to his friend with him around and how he'll catch whomever this is before he can get to her. The heated expression he was wearing was something Miroku had come to know very well from his years of helping the team solve detailed and riveting crimes, but everything else was slightly out of character for Inuyasha. Even if he was just holding himself together to follow orders, he couldn't help but be at least a little surprised the Inuyasha hadn't stormed away from his recent comment.

"So the creep knows how to fuck with their victims' head." Koga nodded, successfully increasing the undeniable tension swelling around the group.

"I'm not a victim." Inuyasha stated through gritted teeth.

"Now's not the time to be prideful." Hojo chided.

"I may be getting ahead of myself," Miroku spoke, redirecting the conversation back to where it belonged. "But given the circumstances, I highly believe, and agree, you've come face-to-face with our perp before. We can look back into old cases similar to this to discover his underlying M.O.. If we find him quick enough, we may be able to figure out his next move."

"What if he's not in the system?" Sango asked skeptically.

"Then we may be wasting time, but we have to start somewhere."

"According to you, we don't have time to waste!" Inuyasha shot, glaring incredulously at the know-it-all in front of them, his temper teetering dangerously on the edge. "He's getting closer and closer, and we're running on guesses!"

"You, yourself, suggested he knows you. We have nowhere else to begin, Inuyasha, so why don't we go with our gut?" Miroku responded sternly. The half demon preferred to be in charge and, at this point, just about everything was out of his hands. The more time they spent talking, the more frustrated and antsy he was bound to get. It didn't take a psychiatrist to figure that much out. Inuyasha wasn't the stoic, mysterious person that he tried so hard to be. He was as easy to read as a children's book. He was a hot-tempered, fast-paced, stubborn guy that too often bit off more than he could chew.

"Anything ringing a bell that can give us an idea where to dive in?" Hojo asked from his corner of the group. Inuyasha shook his head, inhaling deeply to quell the building flames in his abdomen.

"Nothing recent, that's for sure."

"Alright, well we'll get to it. Try to keep yourself busy in the mean time." Sango hopped down from the desk, leading her partner down the hall to Totosai's office to discuss their current plan of action.

It was hard to tear his eyes away from the photos taped to the whiteboard, and even harder not to rip them down. It pissed him off that someone brought Kagome into the mix just to get to him. There were too many pre-existing, conflicting emotions involving her in the first place, and the fact that this bastard decided to reopen that door just to antagonize him had him rightfully furious. Looking at the evidence, feeling powerless when it came to her wellbeing, and annoyingly dumbstruck as to who could possibly be behind all of this made the anger so much fucking worse.

Just who the hell had he managed to tick off this time around?

"Have you considered taking some time off?" Miroku asked, stepping in Inuyasha's line of sight, intentionally blocking him from the snapshots. Koga moved closer, as if silently suggesting he supported the thought.

"No. What the hell would that solve?" He crossed his arms to harden his stature, regretting the motion. Surely, the doc would read that as him guarding himself or some other equally pathetic evaluation.

"Maybe there's something you'd be better off doing at home as opposed to sitting here growing frustrated with a case you can't touch."

"I'm better off here." Inuyasha said resolutely, giving a final, deadpan stare and walking away, semi-effectively ending the conversation. Miroku, being smart with his fancy, expensive degree, got the hint. He'd caught the slight shrug from Miroku's shoulders in his peripheral vision before he headed to Totosai's office, joining Sango and Hojo. Unfortunately, it took stronger hints to get through to Koga, the wolf demon following close behind Inuyasha on his way to his station.

"Yeah? On desk duty?"

"I need to be here in case anything happens. Psych boy can't probe my brain if I'm sitting on my ass at home. The more accessible I am, the higher chances we have at getting this shit handled as quick as possible."

"Alright, I can get that. That's actually pretty smart of you, but I know that's not the real reason behind it."

"Oh, yeah? You gain some mind reading powers recently?"

"Please," Koga grunted, rolling his blue eyes over dramatically. "I've been your partner for too long not to know the basics about you. If you were at home, there'd be nothing to keep you busy and you'd end up obsessing over the case. You'd grow restless and then begin to conduct your own investigation, which would not fly under the radar because you don't know the definition of subtlety. Thankfully, and surprisingly, you're intelligent enough not to risk the consequences given the circumstances of involvement."

"Hey, you'd be in the same fucking position if Ayame was in danger!" Inuyasha growled, infuriated by Koga's nonchalance.

"You're not wrong. I'd want answers just as much as you do and it would piss me off when I couldn't play a hand in getting them, but I'm at least bright enough to see the blessing in disguise here."

Inuyasha groaned, pushing papers and files around his desk to make it look like he was suddenly busy, hoping it would be enough incentive to send is partner away. "Not everyone can be as infuriatingly optimistic as you, wolf."

"Jesus Chris, has anyone told you how stupid you are, dog breath?"

"What-"

"You can actually protect Kagome now! If this were your assignment, you'd constantly be up shit creek for ignoring protocol and personally seeing to Kagome's safety! Kagura and Totosai are trying to prevent Internal Affairs from getting involved, which is a pretty big fucking deal!" His partner slammed the drawer shut, nearly catching Inuyasha's fingers and grabbing the attention of the entire office. "At the same time, they're doing you a favor. Now you can legally step in; you don't need backup with you twenty four-seven to cock block. You can do whatever the fuck you want that doesn't involve touching your case. It's obvious you'll be kept up to speed on it. You'll know one way or the other what's going on at all times. No one here is against you! Why the hell is this so hard for you to understand?"

"Shut up! You don't see the bind I'm in right now! I can't help my own investigation unless called on, and I can't play bodyguard to someone who doesn't want anything to do with me. It's a fucking lose-lose. Don't act like you haven't noticed." Inuyasha seethed, reeling his voice in but keeping the growl evident.

"Oh, I've noticed." Koga's voice came off rough, deep, hardly hiding the hint of amusement behind it. "How about you use this new-found free time to handle your shit?"

"How about you learn how to mind your fucking business? She told me the other night she doesn't want my help!"

"First of all, when has that ever stopped you? You're the most persistent guy I know. Second, here's an idea, and it's wild so bear with me: fix it!"

Inuyasha groaned, rolling his eyes. He makes it sound so fucking easy.

"Say you're sorry."

"Butt out. Don't act like you know what happened."

"Alright, so tell me."

"No."

"Seriously, own up. What did you do?"

"Back off!"

"What'd you do, mutt face?"

"What the fuck is your-"

"What'd you..." Koga paused, his mouth still agape, his eyes slowly widening as some sort of belated epiphany hit him. Finally, an exasperated laugh left his lips, making him come off more crazy than annoying for once. "Wait, woah, wait. I knew I remembered her name from somewhere. A few months ago you were stressed and angry and all kinds of mopey. You kept checking your phone, and I remember seeing her name one time when I peeked over. I can't believe I'm just piecing this together now!"

"Koga!" Inuyasha growled dangerously.

"Man, I remember that like it was yesterday! I've never seen you come so close to puppy eyes in my damn life! You were the epitome of pathetic! There's no way you were only friends with benefits!"

Inuyasha stood up straight, facing Koga and stepping in to size up, his shoulders squaring as he hardened his stance while the wolf demon made no moves away, their height only separated by an inch, though Koga's demeanor made him seem a whole foot taller. The cocky fucker even wore a sly grin on his face.

Then the curve of his lips faded away, landing in a placid, flat line, all traces of amusement vanishing just as quickly as they'd arisen. Koga mirrored the half demon's determined glare, speaking in a low, gruff tone that would only bite at Inuyasha's sensitive ears. "You want to protect her, then do it. You want to be with her, then fix it. You want to get this guy, cooperate. Don't act like the sky is falling and you're the only one the pieces are landing on. You're a fucking detective. You solve problems for a living. If you're going to be high-strung in the office, expect everyone to give you a hard time. All it's telling us is you can't handle the stress, and you've got no business here. If you don't want to be with Kagome, hey, that's cool too. There's one less thing you've gotta do. You've got options. You've got a brain. Utilize it and trust us for once."

The Coffee Shop

Kagome stared down at the letter envelope placed nicely before her on the small, square table, following the path of the pale, calloused fingers that pushed it her way, over the thin-skinned, veiny hand hovering just above it, up the sleeved arm and over the broad shoulder, her perturbed gaze connecting with the slanted, violet eyes of a man. He smiled as if they were old friends meeting up in the cafe after arranging the plans weeks in advanced. As Kagome opened her mouth to say something, he raised his brows and cocked his head, cutting her off before her voice could slip.

"Let's not cause a scene." The man pulled out the chair opposite Kagome, sitting down and scooting forward, propping his chin up as he slid the envelope closer with his free hand. "That's for you. I suggest a smile. Don't want to tip anyone off, do we?"

Kagome had stiffened, justifiably both confused and uncomfortable, her brown eyes shifting to the side to see if anyone was looking. Not a single soul in the cafe was paying them any mind, bodies bustling around in the busy rush of the morning. Still, Kagome complied, giving a wane smile as she revisited the man's fierce stare.

"Do I know you?" She asked, taking the envelope from his fingers and picking it up, palpating the paper to feel the contents within. It was hard to determine exactly what she held, but it definitely wasn't a love letter.

"No, but I know you." His smile never faltered, his pale cheeks turning a dull shade of pink from his pinching smile, amusement shining through.

"I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess that you're not about to tell me who you are." Kagome grimaced, unable to keep up the facade. Her heart was pounding with the amount of nerves building up in her chest at an alarming rate. Obviously he was a threat with the way he told her not to "tip" anyone off by looking anything other than pleased, which was enough to instantaneously spike her fight or flight, the latter looking to be more satisfying. Kagome willed herself to calm as much as possible, telling herself that reacting negatively would only make matters worse. This had something to do with her stalker case, she was positive about that much. What she wasn't sure about was whether she was sitting a mere foot away from the culprit, himself, or if this was his errand boy.

"You're good at this." He chuckled. "He didn't tell me you were so smart."

Errand boy.

"That's probably because he doesn't know anything about me other than what he's seen in the pictures he takes. And these are..." Kagome waved the envelope around by the side, the weight of its contents bending the paper back and forth.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged, seemingly even more amused than before. He leaned back a bit, too comfortable for her liking, his stark black ponytail resting over his shoulder before he flicked it behind. "I also wouldn't get too confident with that theory. From what I've heard, he knows you pretty well, and your friend even better."

Kagome swallowed hard, looking from the envelope to the man before her and back down to the envelope, decidedly sliding it back his way along the table. "I don't want it."

"Not my problem." He said, sliding them back to her. "I did my job."

"You know, you're pretty ballsy to approach me this way in public."

"Yeah, yeah." His lips actually twitched downward for the first time since he'd invited himself over, rolling his violet eyes as he leaned forward and propped his forearms on the table, his shoulders sinking minutely. "You gotta do what you gotta do. I don't think you're dumb enough to make a scene right now, because who knows what'll happen if you do, and by the time you tell the police I'll be long gone. What harm will some over-pixelated security camera footage do compared to the lunatic watching my every move?"

"You don't have to do his bidding. You could turn him into the police right now and-"

"What? Your little detective friend will keep me safe?" The smile returned. "Because you're so safe right now?" The man laughed, intensifying the sickening feeling in the pit of Kagome's abdomen.

"I'm not afraid of him, Kagome. I'm not the one that needs saving." He continued, cocking a brow at her as he studied her pinning expression, leaning further over the small table. She was trying to make it illegible, stone cold, hoping her eyes would somehow fog over so he couldn't get anything off of her, but by the taunting grin he wore, she could tell it wasn't holding up. "You're afraid, though. Aren't you? The dark circles beneath your eyes tell me you haven't been sleeping very well. I don't think it's all that fair that you're suffering alone like this. You know who I think should be even more afraid than you are?"

The man rose from his seat, readjusting the hoody over his shoulders just as a barista called Kagome's name to let her know her coffee was finally ready. He looked to the counter where the sleeved, to-go cup waited, then back to her, flashing one last unwelcome, thin-lipped smile. "Inuyasha."

Before she could gather her wits, before she could find her voice and ask what he meant, the man walked away, the slightest hint of flamboyancy in his step. The notion yanked at Kagome's insides, twisting and pulling, a clammy sweat dotting her hairline as she processed everything. While it was recently discovered that he was more involved than she'd initially presumed, she still didn't know to what degree. Was it a game, or was this guy solely out to destroy Inuyasha's life?

And here she was making matters worse by acting out, being selfish, only concerned about herself and what she was going through, making sure to push the ill feelings toward the photos of Inuyasha to the back of her mind while she tried over and over to justify the way she reacted the last time she saw him- no matter how awful she felt for it. How could she claim she hated seeing him on the receiving end of this and then actively shut him out? Where had her compassion gone? No matter what took place between she and Inuyasha in the past, it didn't change the fact that they were being hunted down by someone. The both of them. Together. Yet, when it came down to it, when the opportunity was presented for them to help each other, she turned him away without a second thought. She wanted nothing to do with him when all he wanted to do was ensure her wellbeing.

Inuyasha wasn't just the victim of this ongoing, slow burn attack. He was the victim of her stupid, wounded pride and the onslaught of malicious feelings she refused to control.

Even after the events that ended whatever unspoken relationship they had, Kagome could admit Inuyasha deserved better.

She sat and waited, watching the man make his way through the unknowing crowd and exit the double glass doors without looking back at her, taking most of the dense air he'd suffocated her with along with him. Then she forced herself to move, her muscles feeling as unsteady as they would after a rigorous workout. She stood from the wooden chair, hesitantly taking the envelope with her, gently pushing through the crowd around the pickup counter and snagging the large cup with her name on it. To be honest, she didn't even want it anymore, but she knew that if this was the way her day was starting off, it was best to get as much caffeine in her system as soon as possible.

Even though she'd shoved the envelope deep into the confinements of her purse, she could practically feel it burning a hole through the cheap material, heat seeping through her jeans and irritating the skin beneath. Her fingers itched to get it opened and over with, to see what sort of snapshots she'd been rewarded this time around, but there hadn't been a good opportunity just yet. Kagome was standing at the entry of her classroom, holding the door open as her students filed in, having barely made it to work on time. Her purse still dangled over her shoulder, coffee in one hand while the other hand was held out to give high-fives to the children on their way inside.

"Hey, are you okay? You seem a little out of it." Her teaching assistant asked as Kagome shut the door.

"Yeah." She quickly dismissed, waving to push the notion aside. "I've just had a hectic morning. Would you mind leading their warmups while I get a few things situated?"

Ayumi agreed with a happy nod, pulling the talkative kids' attention her way to gather around the circular area rug as they finished shoving their belongings into their respective cubbies at the back of the room. Kagome left her to it, parking in the seat behind her desk and fishing the envelope out of her purse, using her nail to peel up the corner of the glued flap before shoving her finger through to rip the top open. She was eager to get this done, eager to see how much messier things were about to get, and then baffled when she saw the contents weren't even remotely close to what she was expecting. She flicked through the multi-colored polaroids without fully taking them out of the envelope. None of the pictured women and children looked familiar in the least. The photos seemed aged, naturally discolored, and the people in the images dressed in out-dated fashions. Every single one of them were candid and taken from a close distance, an occasional shoulder getting in the path of a clear shot. She guessed these were from the late eighties to mid nineties by the way the women presented feathered or crimped their hair, flared out the ends of their bob cuts, or purposely kept thin strands free to frame the sides of their face from the tiny butterfly clips decorating the tops of their head.

But why did she receive these? Was it a coded message of some sort? She flipped through the photos again, checking the backs of each one to see if anything was written. Nothing.

Great.

It had to be a clue. A clue meant for the police, because obviously she was going to hand it over. This guy was having so much fun playing his sick, maniacal game that he was even willingly giving information to S.V.U. to help them out, using as many messengers as necessary in between. It seemed Kagome was officially a messenger.

Although it was only a theory, it was the only thing that made sense. Why else would she be handed pictures of total strangers from over a decade ago? It could be a sign that they'd gone through the same thing she and Inuyasha are currently dealing with. Maybe even worse considering children were involved. Or, it could be something to completely derail them. Either way, she needed to show these to Inuyasha and the others. She needed to tell them she was approached by a lackey and give them the description she'd been repeating in her head to make sure no details were forgotten. She needed to get through the day with the best smile she could conjure up, get her work done, then make her way down to the police department, animosity with the half demon be damned.

No one would be able to tell where her head was if she had it her way. She could handle this. This was the hand she'd been dealt, so she had no other choice. Her life may have been turned upside down, but Kagome wasn't about to allow it to fall apart.

She waved to the few students that shouted goodbye as the last of the parents showed up to retrieve their children, traveling out of the open gate after locking up her classroom, and heading the exact opposite direction from where she lived. She kept her head down, hoping her thick, wavy hair was enough to hide her face from any curious photographers, camera clicks practically echoing in her ears. Kagome had to remind herself it was all in her head. She was being paranoid. She was under a ton of stress, so feeling this way was to be expected. She'd seen enough Law & Order to learn a thing or two, and no matter what kind of level head she attempted to maintain, she was no exception to the side affects of victimization.

The front of the building was busy as she walked up the front steps, slowly hopping up a few before standing aside and waiting for a policeman escorting a handcuffed, half-dressed woman by the arm to pass through the doors before following through, herself, quickly scouting out the directory to find which floor the Special Victim's Unit was on.

Third.

She jumped in an elevator, squeezing in with four more people and pressing the button to her destination, politely ducking out as the ding indicated they'd arrived. She wasn't nervous about reporting what had happened; she was eager to do anything that could help end the madness sooner rather than later. Yet, being in the hallway just outside their propped, double doors, getting closer and closer to entering with each step made her feel unbelievably anxious. Suddenly she wasn't so sure she could go inside or not. It was only a few days ago that she'd told Inuyasha to leave; that she didn't want, nor need, any help from him. Now, here she was, dragging her cheap boots through the halls of his domain, semi-ready to give a brief, in-person statement so that he would help her. It was that annoying pull talking again, the one that always wanted to see Inuyasha, creating an arena for her conflicting emotions to battle it out in.

The worst part of it all was she didn't know what to expect once she made it through the doorway. Was he going to blow her off? Jump up to see if she was okay? Light up like he always used to? Touch her like she found herself craving so badly in the middle of her sleepless nights? Good lord, she was being ridiculous. Eye-roll worthy, even for herself. What right did she have to feel this way? What right did she have to hold a grudge on him in the first place, and then throw it all in his face when he was trying to help? This wasn't her. She had the prerogative to be upset about everything taking place, even what he'd done to her all those months ago, but she was usually capable of handling things in a more mature manner; "usually" being the keyword.

To say she was a mess was an understatement. Kagome was a walking drawing done by a toddler, lines and scribbles decorating a page, dancing all over the place but the ends never meet to join.

This wasn't the ideal predicament to reconnect with someone, anyone would agree. Nor did she particularly want to reconnect. At first. The more she regretted her blow out, which increased by the hour since that night, the more she found herself wanting to work on things. Maybe it was just the sense of vulnerability that was getting to her. Maybe she felt isolated, and it was wilting her defenses. Or maybe she'd just come to her senses and understood that they didn't have to be friends, but they could reasonably work with one another until they got this pervert off the streets and behind bars. Whatever the case, she acted like an ass and she'd have to make it right. Or as right as possible at this point in time.

Her chocolate eyes wandered over the large, busy room, searching for the familiar head of silver hair that always gave him away, disappointed when he wasn't in plain sight. Her stomach was doing baby flips inside of her abdomen, light but still enough to make her feel unsettled. She thought maybe if she saw his reaction to her showing up, any reaction at all, she'd be able to gauge the damage she'd done.

She'd been having a long, dramatic, troubling battle with herself over the past few days about whether he actually deserved an apology or not. She was stressed beyond belief, but she never found that to be a good excuse to treat someone poorly. He'd hurt her, yes, but that still doesn't make it acceptable to react the way she had been. They were best friends before she'd kissed him. They were inseparable before Kagome fell hopelessly in love. Then things went to hell and it was over. Even though she'd cut off contact with him, he never used it against her or budged from her case. He did more than he was required to do; checking in one time with a coffee, rushing over when she called in the middle of the night, offering to help her get her home back together or even guard her as she slept. As unnecessary as it all was, it was still nice and mildly comforting.

He deserved it. He deserved better. She was being a brat.

"Hi, excuse me." Kagome stopped a young man in uniform, holding her hand out to gently touch his upper arm and grab his attention, but changed her mind last minute and flinched her fingers back just as he faced her. He gave a small smile, the dimples in his cheeks sinking inward. "I'm looking for Inuyasha. He's a detective here, I think."

"He's out at the moment. Is there something I can help you with, ma'am?"

"Oh. I just needed to talk to-"

"Miss Higurashi? Is something the matter?" Kagome couldn't help the slight jump her muscles gave, turning to see Hojo walking over to join at the officer's side. He wore a kind smile, almost charming enough to be reassuring, his blue eyes dulled by shadow and coming off as a calming grey.

"Not really. Well yes, but it's not all that urgent."

"What happened?" Hojo reached out, giving a firm squeeze to the edge of her shoulder. The entire time she'd had it in her head that Inuyasha would be the one handling whatever information she had, given the circumstances and their connection. As pathetic as it felt, she wasn't mentally prepared to speak to anyone else. If he wasn't even in the building, though, it wouldn't be practical to sit on it. She had pictures in her bag, a possible piece to the puzzle if she were thinking positively, and just a small moment ago she thought she was perfectly fine speaking about it. Of course, that was under the pretense that she knew who she was speaking to. Now all she felt was hot and nauseous and discombobulated.

"I, uh..." Kagome paused, willing the words to the surface of her tongue. "I met someone working for my stalker this morning. Our stalker. When do you think Inuyasha will be back?"

Hojo's eyes grew a little darker with the slight shift his head gave, his lips sinking downward into a serious mode she didn't imagine he had.

"I'm not sure. Come on over to my desk, Miss Higurashi. Let's talk."

"B-but shouldn't we wait for him? He needs to know this too, doesn't he?" She was nervous. More than nervous, but she didn't quite know what the emotion was called. Her palms were beginning to sweat, and she was trying to distract herself from the uprising, tingling agitation in her chest by chewing on her bottom lip. She thought she'd be in her comfort zone with someone she knew. Now she was about to give this information to someone she'd only spoken to on one occasion, and this entire situation was too foreign to make sense anymore. She just wanted one source of familiarity so that she could gather herself. Even if he was mad at her, it didn't matter. She just needed Inuyasha in the room. He could sit on the far side and mope for all she cared. So long as he was there, she'd be okay.

"I'm sorry, I thought he would have told you... he's not on the case anymore."

"Oh." Kagome hoped the surprise wasn't evident on her face. "Why not?"

Hojo hesitated, his mouth opening to respond, the corners twitching upward as he thought of something to say. "I probably shouldn't be the one to say. What I can tell you, though, is it's been reassigned to Detective Sango and I. We'll take care of you, Kagome. I promise."

He left the case. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her, shocking her heated nervous system. Inuyasha up and left her case. Apparently, when she said she didn't want his help he took it to heart. He'd taken himself out of the equation entirely, leaving her, their, situation to his coworkers. Maybe this was what she deserved, but she couldn't stifle how abandoned she was left feeling.

"Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Hot cocoa? Water?" Hojo led her to his desk at the far end of the large office, rolling a free chair over for her to sit in at the side.

"N-no thanks." Kagome shook her head, slowly squatting into the padded seat he offered, trying to fend off the emotions that, as of right now, were completely irrelevant.

"Miss Higurashi, I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me. I'm here to help just as much as Inuyasha would be. Even more so, considering the circumstances." He said, taking his own seat and scooting an inch closer, pen and notepad already at his fingertips. He may have been trying to make her feel better, but wow, salt in the wound. Kagome ignored the jab, knowing that the detective meant well, and willed herself to work with Hojo just as she'd decided to do with Inuyasha. "So you think you met someone in acquaintance with your stalker? What do you mean by that?"

"Someone approached me while I was waiting for my coffee this morning. The way he talked made it pretty clear he was an employee."

"How so?" He asked, looking over as Sango silently joined them. She smiled at Kagome, gesturing for her to go on as she leaned against the desk on the other side of Hojo.

"He kept referring to another man, saying things like, "He never told me you were so smart." and, "...He knows you pretty well, and your friend even better." He said his job was to deliver an envelope, and that was it."

"Okay," Hojo scribbled some words on the small paper of his notepad. "Start from the beginning. What happened?"

"I was sitting off to the side while I waited for my coffee, and he comes over, slides me an envelope, and tells me to smile so no one would grow suspicious."

"Where do you get your coffee from?"

"A place called The Coffee Shop. Unoriginal but close to home."

"I've heard of it. He never gave you a name?"

"No. Nothing. Not his name or his boss's."

"What was in the envelope?"

"Oh!" Kagome reached for the small pouch still slung over her shoulder, shifting it to sit on her thighs as she opened the zipper and pulled out the creased paper, handing it to the detectives before her. "Here. There's pictures inside. At this point, I really didn't expect anything different."

Hojo opened the top of the torn flap, pulling out the small polaroids and sifting through, his brows twitching together, but not deep enough to create any wrinkles. Sango leaned in, taking the pictures Hojo was finished with and looking them over, her brown eyes scouting over the photos in the same manner Kagome imagined she looked when she'd received them.

"Do you know these people?" Sango asked, struggling to peel her sight away from the photographs.

Kagome shook her head in response, her shoulders raising in a small shrug but never lowering as the tension held her still. "My only hope is it's a hint of some sort?" The unsurety of her words rang through.

"You let us worry about that." Hojo said reassuringly, handing the remainder of the pictures over to his partner and grabbing his pen once more. "Would you mind telling me what he looked like?"

"He was... pale." She breathed, willing her body to relax a little. This was what she'd rehearsed all morning and afternoon. "Violet eyes. Pointed ears. Long, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He smiled a lot, like he thought the whole thing was funny."

"What was he wearing?"

"Jeans. Black jeans, I think. He had on a plain, grey shirt with a navy hoodie over it."

"And have you ever seen this man before?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side, the bangs that framed her temples shifting off her skin but keeping their blowdried curve.

"No. At least, I didn't recognize him."

"Did anything he say stand out?"

"It all stood out to me." Kagome admitted. "I remember our entire conversation. He called whoever he's working for a lunatic, taunted me a little, and said Inuyasha should be even more afraid than I am."

Both of the detectives' faces contorted in dismay, but before they could say anything, Kagome continued. She could feel herself slowly beginning to crumble under the weight that had been piling on over the weeks, her chin quivering from trying to keep the evident frown on her face under control. "I don't know what he meant, and he left before I could ask. You know, things were bad enough when there was one guy following us around, but now he's got people running his errands for him. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, but for who? I know this guy's face, but he could always employ someone completely different next time around. Or maybe even do some of the work, himself, and I wouldn't even know." She paused, trying to gather herself, looking back and forth between Sango and Hojo, trying to find an ounce of the strength she would have seen had she been looking in the hanyou's ember eyes. When she couldn't, when she realized she was reaching for something unfeasible to attain, she felt her aggravation flair. "I don't understand what's going on, and I'm sick of not knowing! Do you have anything new to tell me? Anything at all? Have I done something to attract someone's attention? Is Inuyasha involved because of me? What reason does he have to be more afraid? What did I do!?" There it was. Her breaking point was in her line of vision, not too much further ahead. For so long she'd been trying to rationalize with herself, and she finally realized that was impossible to do when nothing made sense; when the puzzle had too many pieces and everything was quickly becoming more and more complex.

"No, Kagome," Sango was quick to cross from the other side of Hojo, kneeling in front of her as if to meet her at eye-level, her warm hands firmly grasping her arms just above the elbows. "Listen, it is normal for victims to blame themselves, but the reality of it is this is no one's fault but the perp's. He's targeting you and Inuyasha for reasons that are his own and his own alone. While we don't have answers yet, we're gonna figure this out? The both of you will be just fine."

Reluctantly, Kagome nodded in acknowledgment, not fully convinced but still unexpectedly comforted by how much Sango seemed to believe her own words.

"You think Inuyasha would allow anyone to come at him without giving it back ten fold?" Hojo half-joked, leaning against his desk, one shoulder raising higher than the other with his posture. He had a point. She shook her head in response.

"Is there anything else we should know?"

"No." Kagome said, grabbing her bag and gently letting it hang as she rose to a stand so that the weight of it wouldn't jerk down on her shoulder. Sango followed her lead, releasing her hold as they grew taller. "Thank you, guys. Sorry about- uh... that."

"Don't worry about it." Sango disregarded with a wave. "We've seen worse. Can we give you a ride home?"

"Oh, no thanks." She declined, reeling herself back in and smiling delicately. "I don't live too far."

#inuyasha #kagome #Kagome Higurashi #inukag #Inuyasha fanfiction #Inuyasha fic #inukag fanfiction #inukag fic #in between #akitokihojo #my writing #chapter 3

50 notes · View notes

paulisweeabootrash · 5 years

Text

Retrospective Review: Rewatching Azumanga Daioh as an Adult

This may seem hard to believe if you are a younger reader or one who got into anime only recently, but there was once a time when recommendations spread by word of mouth, it was absolutely commonplace for anime seasons to last longer than 13 episodes, and the vocabulary of the anime fandom wasn’t nearly as full of internet-originated in-jokes. A time when the internet-savvy congregated on forums dedicated to specific topics instead of social networking sites, and the imageboards that generate so much of the internet meme landscape were just starting to take off among lonely nerds as an obscure haven for perverts, racists, and assholes instead of the role they have today as… uh… well... a well-known haven for perverts, racists, and assholes. A time when there was no such term as “weeaboo trash” because that Perry Bible Fellowship comic hadn’t been published yet, let alone used for that meaning. It wasn’t some golden age, but it was different, and today I’m taking a self-indulgent trip back to the end of that period, when I was in high school in the mid-2000s.

Azumanga Daioh (2002).

1. Why is this show important to me?

My introduction to anime consisted mostly of Pokémon and Sailor Moon, and took off with scattered episodes of several other shows that aired on WB and Cartoon Network, which were generally driven by action and combat. I can’t remember the circumstances or even who did it, but someone who owned, or perhaps pirated, a copy of Azumanga Daioh must have shown me a few episodes at some point.

Here was a show that had been on the leading edge of the moe trend a few years earlier, and although certainly available, such things were not yet common. Moe has, of course, taken over a large chunk of anime since, to mixed reception since it can range from innocently delightful to extraordinarily creepy. Azumanga is close to the innocent end of the spectrum, and absolutely delightful (as, BTW, is the author’s current ongoing manga series Yotsuba&!), with a softer, cuter art style than I was accustomed to and instantly-lovable characters.

It was clearly in a different genre and had a different sensibility about how to make a show, too. It had few repeated or filler elements, unlike any of the shows following the “monster of the week” formula. It was broken up into several vignettes per episode — a practice that I was familiar with from the format of many Nicktoons, but while American shows with that format told multiple self-contained stories, the short segments here were typically parts of larger episode-long stories, often focusing on different parts of the same event or different anecdotes about the same character. It showed us, the foreign audience, something about life in Japan, and at least for me was the first time I’d heard of distinctly Japanese school practices like applications for public high schools, students cleaning classrooms, or the particular kinds of seasonal festivals they have. It lacked story arcs driven by overcoming some enemy and instead was driven by character relationships themselves and the instantly-relatable experience of school. It was an encounter with something utterly different — and it made an excellent first impression.

Eventually, I bought a copy of the complete series of the manga it’s based on. Azumanga Daioh was originally, well, a manga, written by Azuma Kiyohiko and originally published in the form of a 4-panel comic strip that ran in the magazine Dengeki Daioh. See, it’s Azuma’s manga in Dengeki Daioh. Azuma manga, Dengeki Daioh. Azumanga Daioh. Ha. Clever. Anyway, in there, I encountered largely the same characters and interactions, a mix of believable school life and quick gags, just presented in a different format. I eventually got the DVD box set of the show, too, and I’ve rewatched a few favorite episodes several times, but this review is the first time I’ve revisited the whole series in years.

2. Who are all these people?

Rather than focusing on a small core friend group like Three Leaves, Three Colors, another much more recent adorable high school slice-of-life I greatly enjoy (and should maybe review?), Azumanga has a pretty large ensemble. Most of them are students and the “story arc” such as it is follows them through three years, from entering to graduating from high school, over a single 26-episode season. So rather than cover a plot synopsis, I think it would make more sense to dive into specific characters and their relationships. The show its at its funniest and sweetest with the dynamics of certain combinations of the main characters, and there are a lot of combinations available. Covering all of the recurring named characters approximately in the order we meet them (except a few characters who show up only in an episode or two each and another classmate named Chihiro who shows up on the periphery as a friend of Kaorin), let’s look at the relationships that stand out:

Yukari and Nyamo: Yukari Tanizaki, the English teacher who is the homeroom teacher to most of the cast, is unprofessional and insensitive from the first moment we see her, traits which are elaborated in later episodes into a sort of impulsive over-the-top-ness that clashes with the fact that she actually is a pretty good teacher. Emphasizing her less-serious attitude, students even refer to or address her by her given name (although the subtitles exaggerate this a bit by consistently calling her “Miss Yukari” when she’s usually just addressed as “teacher”). Minamo Kurasawa, the gym teacher, is a long-time friend of Yukari. She and Yukari (who calls her “Nyamo”) were even classmates at the same high school they currently teach at. In addition to being central to the gym class/sports-related episodes, she’s also Yukari’s more caring, approachable, and professional foil, which sets up interactions where Nyamo tries to be helpful and manage situations in the face of Yukari being antagonistic (and, outside of school hours, drunk) towards her and the students. Yukari in particular prods at Nyamo’s sore spots: being single and having done embarrassing things in high school.

Tomo and Yomi: Tomo Takino is 100% genki girl. I mean, come on, she’s the illustration for the TV Tropes article by that name. She’s not only enthusiastic, but loud, intrusive, and pointlessly competitive to the point of being just plain mean. She’s the kind of person who might mature into a less competent Yukari if she burnt out a bit. Koyomi Mizuhara, on the other hand, is much more serious and self-conscious, and although she still genuinely is Tomo’s friend and goes along with some of her silliness, she barely puts up with Tomo’s teasing and flurry of bad ideas. She is the Nyamo to Tomo’s Yukari, complete with Tomo enforcing a nickname on her, so she’s almost always called “Yomi” throughout. Yomi is much more considerate than Tomo, too. This often comes out in Yomi scolding Tomo’s insensitivity, but it’s also seen less directly when they are giving Chiyo (more on her below) birthday presents — Tomo offers first a joke that doesn’t go over well, then a magic wand she apparently expects Chiyo to believe will make her grow taller, which Chiyo dismisses, while Yomi offers a book which Chiyo enthusiastically accepts and says she expects to enjoy.

Osaka, Tomo, and Kagura: Ayumu Kasuga is a distractible and soft-spoken transfer student from Osaka whom Yukari, Tomo, and Yomi pester with misinformed questions and assumptions about her home city. Tomo, naturally, saddles her with the nickname “Osaka” as if that is her entire identity. The nickname quickly catches on, with even Yukari calling her that instead of her actual name in class. She is accepted as a friend by the other students who still consider her eccentric and baffling, but not annoying or embarrassing like you might expect. (In fact, the other girls react more and more to Tomo as the annoying and embarrassing one.) During the second year of school, she bonds with Tomo and Kagura (introduced as a star athlete from Nyamo’s homeroom during the first year, she becomes a major character in the second year) over their similar incredible forgetfulness and poor academics. Yomi calls them “bonkura”, translated as “knuckleheads”, and the three of them adopt the name for themselves as they study together — an idea which is doomed from the outset. The three of them together, or any two of them, play off each other wonderfully.

Chiyo and Osaka: Chiyo Mihama, a child prodigy who is only 10 years old at the beginning of the series, is so academically gifted it can upset and embarrass her classmates, but on the other hand is naive, and not just because she’s a child. She is in fact clueless about the outside world. She fails in the first summer break trip (ep. 5) to understand that the other characters’ families are nowhere near as rich as hers, and in the second summer break (ep. 14), even after a year and a half of being around high schoolers, she entirely fails to understand Nyamo’s off-screen explanation of “adult relationships” (kids innocently being oblivious to what sex is seems to be a common basis for jokes in Japanese media). Chiyo being five years younger than her classmates — and on the other side of puberty from them — also makes her lag far behind them in athletics. On the one hand, this makes her very self-conscious and afraid of being a burden on her classmates in team activities, and on the other, it sets up a running gag of Chiyo and Osaka teaming up to be by far the worst pair of athletes across the board. Oh, and Osaka’s dream about Chiyo’s pigtails in the New Year’s episode is one of the weirdest and most authentically dreamlike dream sequences I’ve ever seen. Although maybe that just says more about my own dreams than about the show.

Sakaki and Nobody (or, Multiple Kinds of Unrequited Feelings): Sakaki is considered effortlessly cool and somewhat intimidating — Kagura calls her a “silent lone wolf” — but she’s not big on that reputation. Students openly admire her, especially for her athletic talent, and treat her with distance and respect by almost universally calling her “Miss Sakaki” (since this is apparently her family name, not given name). She does not enjoy this treatment, but is also too private (and perhaps too insecure) to complain about or discuss it. She is indifferent to sports despite excelling at them, and doesn’t even recognize Kagura when she proclaims herself Sakaki’s rival, presumably because the first-year sports festival just didn’t stick out in her memory the way it did in Kagura’s. Despite calling it rivalry, however, Kagura quickly inserts herself into Sakaki’s life in a friendship that Sakaki responds to more with quiet tolerance than reciprocation.

Kaorin, meanwhile, mistakes Kagura’s one-sided friendly rivalry for a very different kind of attention, and accordingly treats her one-sidedly as a romantic rival (although she does eventually calm down about it). Kaori (family name not mentioned), usually addressed by the more affectionate “Kaorin”, is shown at first to ambiguously admire Sakaki, but it quickly becomes clear that she is infatuated with her. And, despite the insistence of many fanfic writers since, Sakaki never catches on to this, even with Kaorin gazing dreamily at her while dancing with her, or clinging to her arm while posing for a picture together. I'm sure, given how over-the-top she is, that Kaorin’s unrequited feelings are supposed to be funny, but I find it sweet and sad and end up rooting for her.

Sakaki and Cute Animals: Sakaki is not unfriendly, or even very socially inept, though. She gets along well with the main cast, especially Chiyo. But she is aloof, not just because of shyness but because she has a secret love of all things cute, especially cats and dogs, and gets caught up in her own thoughts about cute things. Although she loves animals, they don’t necessarily love her back. There is a series-spanning running gag with a cat in the neighborhood whom she repeatedly tries to pet, no matter how many times it bites her for doing so. In fact, in that very same episode where Kagura declares her rivalry, the strongest emotional reactions we see from Sakaki are horror directed at Kagura for scaring that cat away and, later, being moved to tears by a story she’s constructing in her head about another cat while Kagura is trying to talk to her. Sakaki’s thoughts on cute animals also yield a second running gag: "Chiyo's dad". An orange cat-like doll (evidently some kind of character or mascot in-universe?) that appears numerous times in the background early in the show appears in Sakaki’s New Year’s dream and introduces himself to her as Chiyo’s father, so Sakaki refers to the doll as “Chiyo’s dad” for the rest of the series without explanation, much to the confusion of the other characters. While he’s an inanimate object in the background before the dream, afterwards he appears as alive and magical, sometimes in Sakaki’s imagination and sometimes intruding into the real world as short transition clips between scenes.

Kimura vs. Everyone (mostly Kaorin): Last and certainly least, let’s consider Mr. Kimura, the literature teacher. Within a minute of the first time we the audience see him, Tomo asks him why he became a teacher and he blurts out that it’s because he likes high school girls. Which a group of creepy boys in the class call “brave”. Ugh. This presages chronic inappropriateness of varying levels from Kimura — from unsolicited suggestions for cheerleading uniforms to hanging out during gym class to watch the girls swim to heaping unwanted “favors” on Kaorin, to whom he is obviously attracted. Beyond the increasing variety of his inappropriateness, he doesn’t really develop as a character. He is, interestingly, shown as an otherwise decent person outside of school, but this is not portrayed as excusing him. Rather, it’s made clear that his creepiness is contextual, and his role throughout the series is consistently as a grotesque comic relief, not a sympathetic character. Kaorin even consciously tries to improve her opinion of Kimura because his wife is so nice, leading her to believe that this means Kimura himself must have good points to deserve someone like that, only to be immediately shown otherwise. We the audience are laughing at him, not with him, and at some points are genuinely upset at him on the girls’ behalf. Or at least, I hope that’s how the rest of the audience takes him.

3. Yeah, but there's some kind of progression, right, even if it's not really a story arc?

Again, it's not the kind of show that has an overarching goal or conflict. The goal, such as it is, is the characters' graduation from high school. The topic of what they'll each do after graduating comes up several times, as you might expect, but isn't that much of a plot point. Not all of the main characters even have clear plans laid out that we know of, but the plans we do know about match their established personalities well. Tomo changes her mind repeatedly between several half-baked ideas. Osaka decides at the last minute to try to become a teacher based on Chiyo straining to think of something fitting Osaka's... unique way of looking at things. Chiyo is perhaps overconfident, planning to study abroad in America despite being only 13 when she graduates. Sakaki anonymously showed interest in veterinary school early on, but didn't discuss it with her friends until much later, after she started showing her weakness for cuteness in front of them.

The main progression that happens is some evolution in the characters' relationships and attitudes. There is of course the progression from strangers to friends among the main cast, but also some character development growing out of things that started as gags. Osaka, for example, begins as the butt monkey of the class, but by the end of the first year, she is very well accepted by her classmates, and she even gets along particularly well with Tomo, who was originally shown teasing and stereotyping her the most but has now toned it down a bit. Nyamo’s miserable singlehood, previously a running joke, leads her to open up to the idea of trying matchmaking instead of dating. Sakaki becomes more willing to express her love of cute animals in front of the other girls, starting with Chiyo, and her running gag experiences with the hostile cat play out to a resolution when she adopts, of all things, an endangered wildcat which is the only cat that doesn’t bite her, then has a final encounter with the hostile cat where she tries to make amends. Chiyo's academic talents were met with light irritation and mockery at first, but by the end, her new friends are grateful for her help and rise in applause when she is recognized for her grades during the graduation ceremony. Kagura relaxes her Tomo-like tendencies more and more, and shows a degree of gratitude and sentimentality towards her new friend group that would’ve been shocking when she was first introduced. Even Tomo, usually the show's last bastion of immaturity, shows tiny bits of improvement: self-reflection and regret during a serious conversation with Yomi over what American audiences would call "finding your passion", and later leading the applause for Chiyo. To compare Azumanga to Three Leaves, Three Colors again, it’s true that this show doesn't go into as much depth in character relationships as that one despite running for more than twice the number of episodes, but I don’t think that’s a flaw in Azumanga so much as a combination of Azumanga’s larger main cast, gag comedy focus, and choice of a different “zoom level” on the main cast’s lives.

The show itself evolves a little bit, too. As it goes on, more episodes have segments that flow together and they contain more references to events in previous episodes. By the last few episodes, with graduation looming, it almost feels like it has become a conventional plot-driven show. The shift from shorter to longer segments, shorter to longer jokes, etc., is seamless — and pretty typical of comic strips where perhaps the author hasn’t “figured out” their own characters at the beginning. Surreal elements also get more common, like the “Chiyo’s dad” running gag and increasingly-elaborate looks into what characters are imagining. As I recall, these changes reflect the stylistic evolution of the original manga, but... uh... my copy of the manga is with my parents at the moment so I didn’t check myself on that.

4. How is it different in retrospect?

As I said, I first saw this in high school, so I was about the age of the main cast. Perhaps this was one of the things that made it so enjoyable. The characters seemed relatable, and I lacked the aversion to depictions of ordinary life that some people had because I didn’t have a particularly negative high school experience despite being decidedly uncool. (I was, in fact, neither interested in being cool nor in being self-consciously uncool, and was content with the set of people I got along with. I was never really an angsty teenager so much as a sad one.) My experience of the show is, if anything, even greater appreciation now. Some of that difference comes from knowledge and some from aging.

I’ve become a bit less of a poser and/or snob about some things since then. I’d seen a lot of obviously-atrocious dubs growing up, and they really put me off the idea that anyone actually cared about dubbing into English well. Since then, I’ve lightened up a bit, partly because it seems like nowadays distributors do a lot less 4Kids-style butchery of shows when they’re translated and partly because I’ve realized that there is plenty of bad Japanese voice acting, too, so sometimes the English version is just plain easier on the ears. So I’ve watched this mostly in the English dub this time around (some episodes in both to check the different versions of specific jokes) and I really enjoy it. The voices are character-appropriate and the English lines fit the lip movements better than the original Japanese voice track while only rarely resulting in rhythms and stresses that sound unnatural in English, which really impresses me.

Just from the sort of vocabulary one picks up by being weeaboo trash, I occasionally notice differences in meaning between the dialogue and subtitles when watching the sub version. And I even picked up on an interesting translation choice for a joke I hadn’t noticed before. When Yomi tells Osaka that Chiyo is a child prodigy in ep. 2, Osaka responds comparing Chiyo to a boy she knew growing up, resulting in her expressing a different misunderstanding in each version about how the boy was described by adults. In the English dub, Osaka says something about him “smarting off”, the joke being she thinks that means he’s smart. In the English subtitles, she says he was “precocious”, to which Yomi says she doesn’t think that meant he was smart by calling him that. This time around, I finally caught that the Japanese dialogue there clearly uses the phrase “otoko no ko”, insinuating that the boy is a crossdresser and/or gay. Even though I don’t understand the full Japanese joke, the implication is clearer than it was in English (because I, um, also didn’t think of the double entendre on the word “precocious” until now), as is the degree of the misunderstanding.

I appreciate now how many scenes are psychologically-savvy. Just in the episode in which the main cast of students move up to their second year of high school, we see two scenes that just click with me as “yes, people do this, and I don’t know why we don’t seem to notice it!”. I mentioned above Kagura wanting to compete more because of the sports festival while Sakaki thinks nothing of it at all, which hinges on the simple difference in the sports festival having been a memorable event in Kagura’s life but not Sakaki’s. That episode also features a scene in which Tomo eggs on her classmates to eat their lunches early because it’s a thing that (according to her) second-years do, which sets up Mr. Kimura to arrive the room for literature class, see everyone eating, and therefore assume he must be the one who has the time wrong and go back to the faculty lounge for his own lunch. This tendency to defer to others in decisions in our own lives, not through peer pressure per se but through assuming that something done commonly or confidently must be correct, is just something I don’t see portrayed or acknowledged much in Japanese or American media. And I love it. For those two scenes alone, this is one of my favorite episodes in the whole series.

As far as the characters, I still find the students charming and relatable, and I’m willing to bet that everyone knows someone like most of them in real life. They fit Japanese character archetypes to a certain extent, but are also developed enough especially in their interactions with each other that they come off as realistic to me. So they hold up well. But mainly, I find I have much more appreciation for the teacher characters as an adult. I can think of times when I’ve been the Yukari in a situation, whether that means being overbearing and inconsiderate when I think I’m being funny or whether it means or digging through a messy desk swearing that I know exactly where something is before creating a landslide. And I can think of times when I’ve been the Nyamo accidentally antagonizing the Yukari by trying to be helpful. I even appreciate Kimura, not because I think he’s relatable or a good guy, but because he’s distressingly realistic. His creepiness comes at the same time as genuine competence and, as far as we are aware, a normal and functional home life. It is widely-acknowledged yet never stopped by the administration, even though it ranges from unprofessional obnoxiousness to genuinely alarming sexual harassment. Kimura is unfortunately plausible and all-around frustratingly topical.

Revisiting these characters, I’ve also realized something about myself. When I first watched this show (and read the manga), I got a serious crush on Osaka. She would go solidly in the “endearingly pathetic” column if I were to evaluate her that way, and she also reminded me at the time of a few different confidently strange and spacy people I went to high school with. And then, getting older, I realized… She’s endlessly distractible by trivial things. She asks weird hypotheticals and follows odd tangents to other topics. She often misunderstands people. She’s hopelessly unathletic and clumsy. Oh no. I'm the Osaka of my circle of friends. So, uh, that’s a thing that happened, and I have no idea what to make of it.

Azumanga is relaxed, wholesome, and hilarious, and its characters and major events are believable even when highly stylized for comedic effect. When it's not in hyper-simple comedy mode, the art can be downright beautiful. It’s clearly an artifact of its time given, for example, the lack of cell phones (even basic ones) and persistence of film cameras, but that kind of aging happens to any show. The situations are still relatable despite not being topical, which makes me think — or at least hope — that this can last well into the future as something new audiences find worth watching.

—–

W/A/S Scores: 8 / 3? / 3

Weeb: There are lots of little things that will seem odd if you go in believing that Japanese school schedules and activities are the same as American ones, but anime is so saturated with high school comedies nowadays that it is much less weeb now than it was then to expect that background knowledge. Many non-school things like flower-gazing or the fact that seasonal fairs in Japan have different activities and expected clothing than in American ones will seem distinctly foreign but understandable to a naive audience, while a few episodes might need some looking up to “get” because they expect audience familiarity with things still obscure to most Western audiences, like lucky dreams in the New Year’s episode or the yōkai in the second culture festival episode. Mostly, familiarity with the conventions of other anime or of Japanese culture will enhance enjoyment but aren’t strictly required to enjoy it. The art style sometimes shifts for specific gags to a particular style of minimal-movement chibi characters on very simple backgrounds which is more at home in the 4-panel comic world in which Azumanga originated (and in pre-moe-era comedy anime, or at least the few I've seen) than in other manga formats or newer anime, creating an additional small hurdle even for those with different Japanese media exposure.

The show runs into more of a barrier with hard-to-translate jokes than anything else, leaving the viewer the choice between replacement jokes with similar general ideas in the dub vs. the occasional feeling that there should be a joke but you’re not quite getting it in the sub. One particular joke that they made no attempt to adapt ended up being utter nonsense in both the sub and dub unless you get that "Mr. Yukichi" refers to 19th Century Westernization advocate Fukuzawa Yukichi, who is on the ¥10,000 bill, and I gave the show an entire extra point on the Weeb scale just because I had to look that up.

Ass: Unless you’re Mr. Kimura, probably no “ass” score at all as far as sexualizing the characters, but there is the occasional sexual joke or implication. Even the obligatory beach episodes aren’t fanservicey in the way or to the degree that a contemporary moe high school show often is. Probably the single most sexual-looking thing is characters holding their skirts down in the intro, which is tame by comparison to anything released in the last decade. Kimura, however, does make the show unsuitable for audiences… well… younger than the show’s main cast, probably.

Shit (writing): I have very little problem with the bulk of the content. I think the show works and the characters are relatable and delightful. But I do have some gripes about translation, mostly in the dub. Although I still maintain the dub is unusually good in acting and synchronization, they do take more liberties than I’d like with changing jokes, and the dub and sub both lose some subtlety in how characters address each other, as mentioned before.

On top of that, there are some odd localization choices in the dub. For example, the way Yukari, their English teacher in the original Japanese, is not portrayed as teaching a foreign language at all in the dub, while still making a big deal of her foreign language skills outside of class, or how characters repeatedly say “taiyaki pastry” in the dub instead of just establishing once for the English-speaking audience that taiyaki is the name of a specific style of pastry and using the name “taiyaki” from then on. Also, I know this is very small and specific, but I noticed a place in ep. 17 where they inserted a strained pun in the dub where there was intentional awkward silence in the sub, so that’s just… weird.

Shit (other): The animation is often sparse, and although this is usually fine, it does sometimes come off as cheap. The biggest problem visually is that the DVDs I’m watching have noticeable and pretty frequent combing, which I was able to reduce but not eliminate by fiddling with video player settings. On the other hand, kudos to the director for hitting a sweet spot on shots that are lingered on or actions that are repeated for “too long” (e.g., Nyamo demonstrating chopstick use, or any of the scenes of Chiyo and Osaka failing at sports, or Osaka trying to wake up Yukari) because they end up hilarious when they could have been tedious.

Oh, and I love the soundtrack. Some people may also find the frequent use of recorders annoying, but those people are (1) wrong and (2) not writing this blog. The soundtrack is appropriately lighthearted and/or relaxing. The opening theme “Soramimi Cake” is catchy and accompanied by an opening credits sequence that decently shows who the main characters are. But “Raspberry Heaven”, the ending theme… ah… the sequence accompanying it is a beautiful dream and the music is movingly bittersweet for reasons I lack the music theory background to articulate. Like, this is a really weird example, but it conveys my feelings: have you seen Soylent Green? You know the scene where Sol is listening to a medley of classical music while he’s being euthanized? If the last thing I ever heard were “Raspberry Heaven”, I would die totally content.

Content Warning: Kimura.

—–

Stray observations:

- I think Kaorin may have been the first unambiguously gay character I saw in any anime. Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura would’ve beaten Azumanga to the punch with representation, but I grew up on the butchered-for-pearl-clutching-audiences versions of those shows.

- Kimura has, incidentally, produced one piece of lasting weeb culture. While trying to save his illustration for a proposed magical girl cheerleading outfit, he drops a picture of a woman. Tomo picks it up and wonders out loud who it is. Kimura responds, in heavily-accented English, “my waifu”. So… yup. We have him to thank for the whole waifu/hasubando phenomenon. Or, well, the terminology, since attraction to fictional characters is probably a phenomenon as old as fiction itself.

- More of a fun fact than a stray observation, Kuricorder Orchestra, who collaborated with Oranges & Lemons on the Azumanga soundtrack, recorded two Yotsuba-inspired concept albums, which are also adorable. They’re hard to come by in official copies, but I can’t help but notice that nobody seems to be stopping anyone from uploading them to YouTube...

- The background music in the cheerleading scene in ep. 6 is the “Grandpa Polka”, a.k.a. “The Clarinet Polka”, which fans of various other weird geeky media may recognize as the melody for the Candy Mountain song in “Charlie the Unicorn” and/or as the song between “Love Shack” and “Pump Up the Jam” in Weird Al’s medley “Polka Your Eyes Out”.

- My junior high, oddly, did have sports festivals somewhat like those depicted in anime, but I don’t hear much about other American schools doing similar things.

#weeaboo trash #retrospective review #anime review #azumanga daioh #this post is way too long

3 notes · View notes

rike-with-love · 6 years

Text

Be Mine (chapter 1)

Summary: This is my first fan fiction ever, so please be kind. Umibouzu arrives to Earth and he has some life-changing news for Kagura. COMPLETED!

Pairings: Okikagu

Rating: M for mature content, bad language, violence, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama or it's characters, Sorachi Hideaki does. I only own this story.

Author’s notes: I have a link to my fanfiction masterlist on my profile. Please check it out for more chapters and fics!

Chapter 1

It was another ordinary day in the Shinsengumi compound. The Sun was shining, birds were singing and mayonnaise bottles were spontaneously exploding. ”Goddammit, Sougo!” Hijikata yelled as he was covered by his beloved life elixir. ”What are you screaming in the middle of my beauty sleep Hijibaka-san?” Sougo mumbled as he lazily shuffled to the kitchen area.

Hijikata was in the middle of collecting the ”holy matter” from his face and uniform. *CLICK* ”Oi brat, did you just take a picture of me?” Hijikata grunted behind his teeth. ”You always think too highly of yourself, who would want a picture of your dumb face,” Sougo said with a mischievous grin on his face. ”Oh, by the way, Hijikata-san, do you want to see my new bazooka the Hijikata Detonator 23XX it also has a camera attached to it, so convenient, don't you think?”

”Die Hijibaka-san!” Sougo yelled as he fired his bazooka, took a nice picture of Hijikata's ”horror face” and blasted a hole in the wall. Poor Hijikata managed to dodge the blast. Kondo ran into the kitchen area and shouted: ”Toshi, Sougo is everything okay?” ”That brat just shot me with a bazooka!” Hijikata growled as he got up from the floor. Sougo looked as deadpanned and innocent as ever. Then he walked through the hole on the wall and decided to go out.

It sure was a pretty ordinary day with all the explosions and screaming. Okita Sougo 1st Division Captain of the Shinsengumi, High Prince (yes, he the ”high” is self-proclaimed) of Sadists was going for an afternoon stroll. ”Get back here, I'll make you commit seppuku damn brat!” Hijikata shouted after him.

”Oi Toushi relax, our son is just having a little temper tantrum.” Kondo soothed Hijikata. ”For the millionth time Kondo-san, he is not OUR son and he is just a lazy homicidal bastard!” Hijikata grunted as he put his hands inside his pockets.

”Ne ne, Toshi, do you think he is going to see that Yorozuya girl?” Kondo asked with a suggestive wink. The demon vice-commander let out a sigh and took out a cigarette. ”It is already quite obvious Kondo-san,” Hijikata concluded as he lit up his mayonnaise lighter. And another explosion was heard at the harmonious Shinsengumi compound.

Sougo was having a rather good day, although Hijikata still got to see another day. I'll get him someday and the vice-commander's position will be mine. Sougo thought to himself and had a nice internal evil laugh (you know muahaha and all that). ”Oh my god! It's Captain Okita!” Sougo tensed up immediately with irritation. ”Not this shit again...” he mumbled.

A group of three young women was rushing towards him. Sougo stood with a deadpan look on his face and turned his back to the group. ”Sougo-sama, do you want to go out with us?” One of the girls asked shyly. Sougo was not interested but decided to indulge with his sadistic nature.

Sougo turned and approached the girl who talked to him. He leaned a bit closer to her face, she held her breath with anticipation. ”Sure, but after that, you must come to my chamber of chains and whips,” Sougo whispers and backs down a step. Two of the other girls gasp in horror, but the third girl just smiled. ”Sure, whatever you want Sougo-sama.” the (obviously) submissive girl flirts.

Sougo's face drops from sly to more deadpan than usual. Without saying anything else, he turns his back at the girls and walks away. ”Sougo-sama, Sougo-samaaa! Please come back!” The girl begged. Sougo could only sigh with boredom.

Sougo thought to himself: Since when all the women in Edo have gone that annoying. It's not that I'm not interested in women, but that was too easy. I don't need easy, I don't want easy. I want that cat-and-mouse thing and of course after that complete submission because I am the high prince of sadists. After a while of strolling the captain realized that he was in Kabukicho District. There he saw two familiar men talking in an alley.

”Gin-san, what are we going to do now?” Shinpachi asked with worry in his voice. ”Calm down Patsuan, Gin-chan needs to think.” I-I-I can't calm down, Kagura-chan is going to...I can't even say it.” Gintoki scratched his hair and picked his nose simultaneously, he only does both when the situation is dire.

”Yo Danna! Oh, and levitating glasses.” Sougo greeted as he stomped next to them. ”Hello, Okita-san. Wait what do you mean 'levitating glasses'?? Shinpachi asked. Before Sougo could elaborate his words Shinpachi said: ”Nevermind, I have to go home now, see you guys later.” As Shinpachi was gone, Sougo turned to Gintoki. ”Where is China?” He asked. Gintoki met Sougo's eyes and flicked his bugger to a bypassers hair.

”Listen to me sofa-kun...” Gintoki began. ”It's Sougo, Danna” Sougo corrected. ”Yes, I know Sommelier-kun, you don't need to correct me anymore,” Gintoki said with a proud voice. Sougo sighed and said: ”It's still Sougo, Danna and how the hell do you know a word like that?”

Gintoki laughed briefly and cleared his throat. ”Oh Danna-kun, a man like me gets wiser and suaver with age, it's called the George Clooney-effect. You must've heard about it Soda-kun?” He huffed and crossed his arms. This is just endless, Sougo thought and sighed. ”Where is China, Danna?” He asked again.

Gintoki closed his eyes and said with a heavy voice: ”I think she went to the riverbank, but I highly advise you to leave her alone today Sabaody-kun.” Gintoki walked past Sougo and waved his hand as he left. Sougo thought to himself: Well, if China is angry at something, I bet she will be a fierce opponent today, after all, it's our duel day.

Sougo made his way to the riverbank, the sun was setting soon so the sky was pinkish and dreamy. Kagura was sitting near the river. She was hugging her knees and facing the river. She had her hair ornaments as usual and her long vermillion hair was in two ponytails. She had her traditional red cheongsam dress.

”Oi fat pig!” Sougo yelled. No answer. ”Oi fat ugly pig!” Still no reaction. ”Oi China you are breaking a policeman's heart for not answering. Do I need to arrest your sorry ass?” He shouted louder. Kagura's arms dropped to her sides, she grabbed some grass with her fists and then let it fall out of her hands. It seemed she was trying not to get agitated by Sougo's words. He was not having that, not one bit.

Sougo stomped to stand behind her. ”Leave me alone dumbshit, I've had a rough...aaaaargh! *SPLASH* Sougo had calmly kicked Kagura into the river. I just might die after this, but what the hell. Sougo wondered to himself. An angry beast emitting a crimson aura rose from the river. Kagura walked out of the water, pissed off and wet. She shook herself dry like a dog would (because Kagura is and always will be Kagura).

”You truly are an animal, have you ever heard of towels?” Sougo teased. Kagura met Sougo's eyes with a gaze so murderous it could crumble down nations. Chills went down Sougo's spine and he loved that feeling, actually, he lived for that sensation. Kagura's mind was made up then and there, sadist would meet his demise today.

Kagura didn't have her umbrella with her, so she had to trust her hand-to-hand combat skills. No words were exchanged and Kagura charged into a fierce attack. Sougo dodged effortlessly. As Kagura was cussing to herself, she noticed a tree nearby.

She yanked the tree up from the ground and threw it at Sougo. ”You stupid sadistic punk chihuahua asshole!” Kagura shouted. Her tree attack missed by inches and Kagura gritted her teeth. Sougo pulled out his katana and stated. ”How unfair that only one of us gets to use a weapon.”

Kagura made a quick high kick and managed to disarm Sougo. Normally that would never happen, but Sougo's focus was terrible. Her slightly wet red clothes hugged her from everywhere, perfectly. It was terribly disturbing for Sougo.

Where did she get those curves? Not that I care. What about those damned side slits on her dress showing off her strong and perfectly smooth legs. Why doesn't she wear pants underneath or something... Sougo's inner thoughts were caught short when Kagura's swift jump kick found his jaw. As karma worked it's ways, Sougo flew into the river.

”Hah! There you go Sadist, now we are even.” Kagura cheered with confidence and a big smile. Sougo got up from the river and touched his tender jaw. It was painful, but he had gotten used to her kicks landing sometimes...actually nowadays more frequently. Sougo stared Kagura straight into her eyes and saw through her smile, all fake.

Sougo walked to the shore and shouted: ”Damn you China, now my clothes are wet too.” He walked normally closer to Kagura and observed her from a safe distance. Sougo slid his jacket off and threw it on the ground. ”Now, will you tell me what's wrong? Or do I need to force it out of you?” Sougo asked.

Kagura looked away from him and her posture slumped slightly. ”Oh, and I am going to arrest you for damaging that poor tree, you can be so careless sometimes...” Sougo said and shooked his head. Kagura was clenching her fists and let out an angry battle roar. Sougo smirked and prepared for the upcoming thunderstorm of kicks.

Their bouts usually lasted an hour or two. When they were younger the crazy sadistic duo was always at each other's throats. After four years of maturing the level of bickering stayed the same, but physical fights happened only once per week. It was an unspoken contract between them, they just happened to find each other on their ”duel day”. Sougo would never admit it to anyone but their battles were the highlights of his weeks.

Sougo had a hard time keeping his eyes in control. He didn't understand why he wanted to stare at her legs, vermillion hair, and bright blue eyes. She was the monster kid who had nose picking contests with her earthdad. Her gross mouth was always full of food and sukonbu. Why is she so distracting. Sougo thought as he dodged another attack.

They were now facing each other in fighting stances. Their combat transformed into a pushing contest. As their fingers interlaced it felt somehow very intimate to Sougo. He decided to win fast to get away from this tingling feeling.

”What the hell are you staring sadist?” Kagura yelled. Sougo saw his opportunity and stared straight into Kagura's cerulean eyes: ”I'm looking at your beautiful blue eyes, I could stare at them all day.” He lied (or did he now?). Kagura was dumbfounded and lost her stance. Sougo was still pushing with full strength so they both lost their balance and fell down on the grass.

The sun was setting now and the sky was reddish. In that light and in Sougo's eyes, Kagura looked mesmerizing, like a beautiful china doll. He was hovering over her. Why China makes me feel this way? They were both panting from the fight and their eyes were locked like it wasn't possible to look anywhere else. Sougo's eyes dropped from her eyes to her parted lips.

Kagura's chest was moving rapidly, mostly from exhaustion, partly from something else. Sougo followed his instincts. He lowered himself closer to Kagura's face, only a few inches away from her inviting lips. Sougo had an urge to kiss her, but he was waiting for Kagura to close the rest of their painful distance.

Sougo surprised himself. He thought he was the kind of 'take what you want' person, but with Kagura everything was different, he was different. Kagura closed her eyes and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. That's kind of cute. Sougo thought and smirked a bit.

Sougo closed his eyes too. He felt his hands getting sweaty from anticipation. Suddenly he heard the most sinful small moan come from Kagura's mouth. Sougos whole body stiffened from that single sound. And then he felt a touch.

Kagura's...lips?..no...a knee...yes...Kagura's knee in close contact with his crotch. And let me make this clear, it wasn't the good kind of contact, it was a hard impact. Sougo flew off Kagura and grunted in pain. Kagura bounced off the ground and backed away from him. ”Don't ever do that again, you big stupid...asshat!” Kagura shouted loudly.

Kagura ran away as Sougo recovered from the impact. What the hell happened or didn't happen? Damn you China you fucking tease, Sougo thought and got up. He grabbed his jacket and walked home with nothing but his thoughts and a pounding heart.

#okikagu #gintama #okita sougo #kagura #okita x kagura #fanfiction

29 notes · View notes

fyrapartnersearch · 6 years

Text

Summer's Over and I'm Still Without a Partner :(

Hi everyone, I’m Tulsa and I’ve been in the roleplay community for about seven or so years now. I’m twenty and I would prefer to only roleplay with people 18 and older. Recently it’s been hard for me to find a partner who’s active and/or literate. I have a ton of muse for a ton of different fandoms and am so excited to hopefully find a partner. A few of the things I want to mention first are:

-I’m a literate roleplayer(para/multi-para)

-I prefer to play female characters in M/F ships

-I will most likely reply at least once per day, unless I’ve told you otherwise

-I’m from Maryland, so I’m in the EST timezone

-I’m not opposed to smut, but it needs to have been built up to.

-I usually play original characters(OC) as there’s very few canon characters I can do justice to.

-My favorite ships are usually OC/Canon

-I prefer fandom roleplays

-I do not double*.

*I’ve seen doubling used in two ways so I’m going to explain what I mean, I will play secondary characters that come and go, but I don’t do two main plots/pairings as I find it distracts from the other. Sorry if that sounds harsh, I swear I’m not!

-I think that’s it…. or I hope anyway!

Ok if you’ve made it past all that, these are the fandoms and characters I’ve been the most interested in lately. As for the ocs, just email me what pairing you were looking to do and I’ll send you their background! I’m sure I’m missing a few but for now this is it:

BOLD=Fandom

Italic=Who I’d Play

The Vampire Diaries:

Kol Mikaelson&&OC

Klaus Mikaelson&&Caroline Forbes

OC&&OC

The Hunger Games:

Cato&&OC

Finnick&&Annie

OC&&OC

Marvel/Avengers:

Loki&&OC

X-Men:

Charles Xavier&&Mystique

Magneto&&Mystique

Quicksilver&&OC

OC&&OC

Inuyasha:

Inuyasha&&Kagome

Kohaku&&OC

Sesshomaru&&Kagura

Harry Potter:

Draco Malfoy&&OC

Severus Snape&&Lily Potter

Musical Theatre:

Jason Dean&&Veronica Sawyer(Heathers)

Enjolras&&OC(Les Miserables)

Anime:

Ciel Phantomhive&&OC(Black Butler)

Ayato&&Yui(Diabolik Lovers)

Zero&&Yuki(Vampire Knight)

Raishin&&Yaya(Unbreakable Machine Doll)

That’s all that’s coming to mind right now but there’s a ton more fandoms and characters I play, so just ask if there’s something specific you want to do! My preferred contact method is email, and I’m thinking about testing out roleplays via google docs. If you’re interested you can reach me there:

Email: [email protected]

#multiple paragraph #long term #email #marvel rp #tvd rp #teen wolf rp #smut rp #mcu rp #submission

3 notes · View notes

yeonchi · 6 years

Text

Dub Logistics Part 27: Working Together

“If game publishers, localisers and voice acting studios worked with anime licencing companies like Funimation, then more games would likely be dubbed.”

This is an extension of Parts 3 and 5 of Dub Logistics, which in turn is an extension of Part 54 of the Koei Warriors Rant Series.

Before I start, I’d just like to quickly address a comment I found. So a fan shared the previous instalment in a Facebook group for dub fans and someone commented, “Didn't the Tumblr website say it's close to dying soon? So therefore, Tumblr is no longer relevant. No longer reliable.” Well, since I haven’t heard any news about Tumblr actually dying, so I can presume he was talking about me.

First of all, I’m not “close to dying”, but I am ending this series (and hopefully, my English dub rants) at the end of this year, which is something that he would have known if he had at least read Part 22. I’m not sure about the second half of the comment, but I can guess that he was playing on the stereotypically generalised cliché that Tumblr is a cesspool of intolerance, SJWs, fanboys and fangirls. I’ll come back to this point in Part 30, but what I’ll say for now is that I don’t consider myself to be in any one of these groups and that the commenter shouldn’t have generalised me that way.

Now, I’m not entirely versed in the ways of localisation and voice acting, but through the research I’ve done for these posts in the past few years, I’ve got a bit of an idea about how it happens. Of course, like many other things I’ve suggested, there isn’t much of a chance that they will be actually implemented for various reasons. Anyway, here goes.

Some time after I started my English dub rants, I thought that Japanese gaming companies should work more closely with their Western divisions so that more games can be dubbed. Recently, I realised either it might not be enough or I may have missed the point. So I thought, “What if Japanese gaming companies actually worked with companies and/or studios like Funimation?”

Think about it; games adapted from dubbed animes (such as Attack on Titan) could have been dubbed as well, but their publishers never thought about reaching out to them. Really makes you think, doesn’t it? This idea could be expanded to accommodate collaborations between different voice acting studios, but I imagine the workload and difficulty of the project would increase.

Anime licencing studios working with gaming companies can also help their merchandising portfolio as well, even if at base value, it only equates to one extra product (the game) being available for purchase.

Now, what if the scenario was reversed so that companies like Funimation actually reached out to game companies to help dub a new anime for Western audiences? Since there is less work involved with dubbing an anime than localising a game (I’m not saying that one is easier than the other since I probably imagine that they’re just as difficult), this would be a more likely scenario. If the game is dubbed, then getting the English voice cast back would mean not having to cast new actors (provided the localisation was released before the anime’s release in Japan). If the game isn’t dubbed, then that’s a different story.

See, I believe that if an anime or game is dubbed, then any spinoffs and adaptations made (including anime and game adaptations) should be dubbed as well, preferably with the same voice cast from the original work (if it is the case in the original Japanese audio, then it should be the case in the English dub). If the original work is subbed, then I don’t really have an opinion on it, although I think that dubbing spinoffs or adaptations in this case would make the franchise’s dubbing record seem inconsistent.

One example that comes to mind is the Senran Kagura game series. While the games are localised with subtitles, an anime adaptation premiered in 2013 and was dubbed for a DVD and Blu-ray release in 2014. Judging from a few comments I’ve seen on Reddit, the dub wasn’t that good, but that’s beside the point. If the dub was successful, however, then I don’t see why the cast can’t be carried over into localisations of future games in the series.

However, given the SJWs’ obsession with feminism and “rape culture”, I feel like I have to go on a tangent and make this counterpoint about how such a scenario would actually turn out. At face value, I think the series would be praised because the characters are predominately female, but then I realise that it would be severely criticised for the amount of fanservice shown. I think fans of this series already know about this problem, because the creators have been praised for stating that they would not tone down the content of the games in response to these concerns. Honestly, I think the fans of the series should be lucky that Marvelous, Tamsoft and Xseed still get to keep doing what they are doing, because God knows what will happen if they cave in to the SJW bandwagon, but I digress.

This is where I expand the scope of this instalment’s statement to cover this lingering issue. When it comes to games such as the Koei Warriors series that have at least a hundred characters to be voiced (and that’s not just the main character roster, either), one must wonder how the original Japanese version can be fully voiced while Western localisations can get away with skimping on lines or not dubbing the game at all. Here are my thoughts on this debacle.

In Japan, voice acting is such a prevalent aspect in their media due to the prevalence of anime and video games, while in the West, licencing and localisation are, in a way, feeding off of this in an attempt to emulate that prevalence. It’s no surprise that the voice recording process, whether the original or the dub, is different in Japan than it is in the West. I’ve been unable to find a lot of significant information on the Japanese side of things, but my theory is that there are more voice acting studios in Japan, centred around Tokyo and Osaka, than there are in North America, the main ones being in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston.

I’ve touched on the location theory in an earlier instalment of Dub Logistics and I got to wondering, “Is it possible for voice acting studios to collaborate with each other?” I thought it was a bad idea since it would be too complicated for the different studios to coordinate their work (particularly if it is a video game), but then again, how else were Koei Tecmo Japan able to voice over a hundred characters in a crossover game and/or with as little double-up roles as possible? I believe that studio collaborations are a way that voice actors can do roles that they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise, particularly due to location issues.

I haven’t followed anime for years so as I said at the start of this, I’m not exactly someone who has a decent grasp on the topic. However, I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this, so feel free to do that if you want.

UPDATE - 14 September 2018: A fan on the English Dubbed Game News page asked, “Don't they have to collaborate with the companies anyway to make sure the material in the game is consistent with the anime?” and pointed out that the Funimation logo is on the box of the One Piece Romance Dawn game for the 3DS, which is voiced in Japanese. After briefly checking, I can confirm that to be true for the US version, but I still don’t think Funimation had a part in localising this game, putting aside the fact that this is a 3DS game and not a PS4 game.

First of all, the credit on the back of the box says “Licence coordinated by Funimation”. That doesn’t really say anything to me about them having any contribution to the localisation, particularly given the fact that their logo doesn’t appear on the European or Australian boxes.

Secondly, yes, there would obviously have to be some collaboration with the publishers, but you would think that they would have reached out to the original creators rather than localisation or licencing companies. Inevitably, with a dubbed anime, there may be some terms which are different to the original release, but any translator working on the game would probably have seen the dub already and took care to take any localised terms into account. This is not exactly “dubtitling” per se as long as the subtitles are not heavily localised to the point where it might as well have been dubbed. I’ll be touching on this in the next instalment.

Thirdly, even if Funimation actually had some part to play in the localisation of this game, then the point that I was trying to get across in this instalment was that they could have done more on their part in regards to providing a dub for the game. That’s assuming that this is actually true, which is unconfirmed and likely not the case.

In summary, this doesn’t really change any of what I said in this instalment. Yes, I still agree that game companies collaborating with companies like Funimation could help with the funding and production of a dub. If Funimation are already helping in the other aspects of localisation, then they could certainly do more to help.

The Dub Logistics series is reaching its end and I’m pretty much done with my usual way of writing English dub rants (mostly involving research and observation). Parts 29 and 30 will be dedicated to my retirement speech (which mostly involves reflecting on the past), so the next instalment (Part 28) will be dedicated to discussing any remaining statements I have, given that I have had no special requests from my fans over the past 6 months. Although I am open to discussing this topic outside of this series, this will be your last chance to have your question or topic answered or rather, featured, so if you have something you would like me to cover, don’t hesitate to send it to me.

#dub logistics #anime #video games #english dub #english sub #dub vs sub

1 note · View note

stripesquadsideblog · 6 years

Text

Stripe Squad Phobias

So the power went out at my house

Just my house.

For like 2 hours.

I was just sitting in the dark and the cold with 1 candle and a scowl on my face not having a séance no matter what my facebook page says.

So that got me thinking what are the stripe squads Phobias?

Check below for a part two where I do phobias for the akatsuki members(eventually)

For obvious reasons I’m going to try and tag this but if I miss something let me know

Hassaku –Nyctophobia, fear of the dark

Hassaku doesn’t like the dark. I know that’s probably a fairly common one and probably a little clichéd. He's a very heavy sleeper but when he was a child he used to suffer from sleep paralysis and night terrors. He's grown out of it now but he still prefers to sleep with his curtains open to let in light from the moon or street lamps.

Ichirota – Molysmophobia fear of dirt and germs

A fairly obvious one for him since I mentioned how much of a germophobe he was in my head canons for him. Ichirota doesn’t have ocd, there are no compulsions compelling him to have things clean per say. He also doesn’t obsess about it, he only begins to feel fear and anxiety if he's presented with a messy or dirty situation, rather than thinking about it all the time.

Ichirota is totally fine with being in any of the stripe squad’s personal space but as soon as someone has the sniffles he's out the door like a bat out of hell.

Buntan – Tokophobia fear of pregnancy

Buntan is disgusted by the thought of being pregnant. If her time of the month is even 1 day late you will probably find her trash full of negative pregnancy tests. She avoids children like the plague and can usually be found visibly flinching if she hears a screaming baby.

Everything about pregnancy and children scares her: the pain, having a thing growing in you, the responsibility over another little life. Not to mention the horrible memories of her own childhood that this all brings up.

Buntan wouldn’t be a terrible mother, she’d at least be better than her own mom but not by much.

Hebiichigo – Emetaphobia- fear of vomiting

Hebiichigo had stomach flu when she was a child and now as an adult suffers from migraines leading her to feel nauseous whenever she has one. The combination of these two things has lead her to become afraid of even thought of being sick. She panics and freezes if she feels even a little unwell and is totally petrified of the thought of getting food poisioning.In an attempt to help this she is an incredibly picky eater , only having a small range of things she feels safe and comfortable eating.

If she’s feeling brave she may eat something of someone else’s, that why she can be sure that if they don’t get sick she won’t either.

Kyoho- Cynophobia fear of dogs

Kyoho isn’t afraid of dogs in the traditional sense. He IS afraid of being bitten because he was pretty small when he was a kid (puberty hit him like a tonne of bricks) but he's more afraid of hurting THEM because of his size. Not a deep seeded fear like some of the others, there’s not a lot that can scare Kyoho to be honest.

Kagura and shizuma fear of losing control

Kagura and shizuma both have the same fear but in differing ways. Kagura fears losing control of himself. Shizuma fears losing control of everything around him.

For kagura he is afraid he will hurt the people around him. It’s a sort of ptsd for him in a sense since he did nearly hurt someone in the past. He knows Yaguras reputation (but not the whole genjutsu story ) so he's always been afraid to turn out like him. I think if he knew the truth his fears would lessen a little but not by much. He knows he's strong and that kind of power with his personality is always going to cause worry for him.

Having constant reassurance from people like chojuro and mei is doing wonders for him but at the end of the day he’ll always be a bit cautious.

Shizuma is nearly the opposite. Where kagura is content to go with the flow and let others make decisions ( thus lessening the pressure on him to get it right) Shizuma needs to have everything just so, exactly and precisely right by his standards. He doesn’t have ocd, I should stress. He's not anxious and neurotic about things. But when shit hits the fan he gets violent and angry really easily , it’s his way of coping ( so rather than get anxious he gets mad. Will probably still wind up in tears if you push him hard enough)

Most of this I think stems from the fact he never had anyone praise him as a child. Nothing was ever good enough for his parents and now he seems to have gotten it into his head that he can make things “right” (read as: his way) if he maintains enough control over things.

Obviously that isn’t the way things really work, things are always going to be out of your control but Try telling that to shizuma.

12 notes · View notes

acradaunt · 5 years

Text

EON Playthrough - Week 4

As suggested by last week, ever since getting subclasses, the rotation pool has grown ever larger. Perhaps too large, slowing down levelling to where I'm well below what it expects. This resulted in me making the rather dubious decision to fight the 9th stratum boss at a meager level 50-53, when I imagine the recommended is about 58-60, as all three regional FOEs remained as red.

Still, my stubbornness made me take four attempts to kill the guy, trying different tactics of varying offense and defensive. In the end, Laura frontline Combat Medic-ing beat out actually trying to block his nasty moves with Protector or Zodiac. I don't think Protector was by any means a bad choice, it's just that when the assface panics four of the five party members, your options are to use Healing Touch or to just wipe.

My reward for that was to be greeted by another full-on boss within about twenty minutes. So my efforts to get better gear before doubling back and taking out those FOEs was punched right in the face. Barf. Honestly, I've spent the majority of EO-time this week running around and cleaning things up and getting those awkward tiles on the map in FOE territory, so forward progress has been fairly minimal.

Iris the Protector/Imperial: The main idea with her is that she can use free turns to use a Drive attack and use that Heat Guard make her even better as a meatshield. Also, she was literally in EOIV as an Imperial, so it's only fair. However, the fact is, I didn't even HAVE a Drive Blade until like minutes ago. It's definitely a good fit for her, but things just haven't worked out that way yet, partially because I'm a cheapass. Doubly poor for her, both 9th's boss and 10th's midboss suffer from extreme quickening, getting radically more difficult as the fight goes on. Protection just cannot keep up with bosses who suddenly start taking multiple turns per turn midway into the fight. The only viable option is to carefully whittle them down to about 40%, and then just blow the everliving crap outta them in 3-4 turns. Slow and steady just can't mitigate enough or do enough damage. It's annoying because quickening isn't really a thing often in EO; apart from both Nexus' 4th stratum boss and side-region boss both having it to lesser, more reasonable degrees, the only real instance I can think of is friggin' Star Devourer. Possibly Undead King did? He didn't unlive that long to really know what he could do. It's fine when they take a second action after a set amount of turns (5th boss did this), but when they start doing it every turn, with stronger results? Not really fair.

Klein the Hero/Imperial: Regiment Rave is without a doubt absolutely nuts in terms of damage, but thinking about it, it's somewhat fair. It's a turn-end move, AND its damage comes largely from the rest of the party piling on. If anything goings wrong with anyone, it does fairly blah damage. In those regards, it's basically a stronger but more easily stuffed Link. Like Iris, the Drive Blade hasn't come into play yet, and for him, not sure if it will. Regiment Rave might be all or nothing, but when it is, it's likely stronger than a subbed Drive could hope to be. Its upside and downside is being fire-based, and I'm guessing both 10th's midboss and boss are gonna be wholly immune to that. So he's probably taking a break for a while.

Juri the Survivalist/Harbinger: Apart from her usual job of running nighttime gathering jobs (so you can immediately re-harvest those points when midnight strikes), after taking a good hard look at the 9th's enemies, Juri was a perfect fit to counter nearly every last one of them. Adept at avoiding hitting particular (frontline) targets and the toughest two enemies being easily crippled by Leg Bind and Blind made her exemplary towards the end of the stratum. Not to mention nearly every quest as of late has been simply gather crap from resource points. If you have a Survivalist and dumped them when stratums 5/7/8 were awful to them, look at bringing them back for the 9th.

Kahna the Landsknecht/Harbinger: Yeah, she squarely cracked into the main rotation. Linking is great for quickly subduing random monsters, but she's been performing questionably during bosses and FOEs. Yet I still keep using her. Hmm.

Coral the Landsknecht/Protector: Honestly, hasn't seen too much use since subclasses arrived. Dunno why, as while Kahna is definitely better for randoms, when I've taken her to bosses, she always seems stuck using her subpar Shield Breaks to keep things open for Erika and Olga, barely having time to contribute herself. Coral's at an unfortunate position where she's not as strong as Erika/Olga, and not as versatile as Laura. Landy's Force skill is decent enough, but it sure lacks the oomph of perfectly restoring everyone or killing just everything on screen or completely stealing a foe's turn. It's the same 'slow and steady isn't good enough' problem Iris has.

Laura the Medic/Landsknecht: It seems like in pinch situations, she's going to basically be a frontline debuffer, while Leon runs the healing & buff duty. While she's not as good or as durable as Coral, the potency of Healing Touch is somewhat ridiculous, having torpedoed the two brand new bosses strategies utterly.

Adam the Medic/Zodiac: Unlike Laura's reckless nonsense, Adam does so-so damage in the back, and has multi-hit options. Better for random encounters and those with massive physical resistance, but kind of a waste of TP during FOEs and bosses. They both fill niches, so I'm actively using both. Never at the same time, though. Two Landsknechts work great together, but two Medics sure don't.

Leon the Sovereign/Ronin: As mentioned on Laura, Leon tends to do more HP healing by buffing than the Medic actually does. It's not enough though, as he can't do a thing about ailments or binds, outside of the tremendously unreliable Prevent Order, and even then, it's too late to actually remove the ailment. Or take a mortally wounded character from almost dead to full health. He's more keeping things between okay and good; any critical situation and he's absolutely useless. The idea of Ronin was for him to Air Blade or Arm Bind or at least have SOME kind of offensive move, but he rarely ever has time, and I've also been too much of a cheapass to buy another quality Katana, so he's usually not even using one. He also can't revive at all, which sucks, but I guess not as bad as in IV or V, where Nectars required ultra-rare materials, which are now handed out daily on the world map. By the way, I LOVE map-gathering points. It saves time and money, and actually lets you get useful materials and rare drops without spending weeks running old points and fighting harmless enemies. It just cuts out needless tedium, and you get them only after you're done with the area, so it's not really giving you free stuff until after the prime-time has past, so gathering runs still do have a time and place. Just a lot more dangerous a time and place.

Kagura the Ninja/Ronin: Giving her Ronin suddenly made her do alright damage. Actually, genuinely great damage. Her array of ailments makes her pretty ideal for randoms and getting conditional drops. She would be really good now, if, ironically, Erika hadn't gotten over her own crippling frailness and there wasn't a fight for the back-row slots, with Laura, Leon, and Klein all being row-hoppers. Still, conditionals mean better gear, so I think she's keeping a spot in the rotation.

Erika the Ronin/Gunner: Definitely the workhorse of the entire game so far, Erika's finally getting over her frailty issues and remains a ludicrous source of damage. Gunner subclass and its Double Action is kind of hilarious, as it lets Charging Thrust and Sheath Strike hit twice and get massive Stance refills. I imagine it cuts both ways though, with Helm Splitter/Haze Slash/Horizontal Slash taking 4 Stance points away, but I frankly rarely use them, usually sticking to Arm Strike and Volt Stab and the rare risky Stone Thrust.

Olga the Gunner/Ninja: The other, far more recent, immovable pillar of the party, Ninja hasn't been quite as beneficial as Erika's Gunner, but -2 TP to all moves and better evasion have done plenty for her endurance. I initially planned on Ninja for mass backrow binding, but after learning that creating clones disables your Force meter, I dunno if it's worth it. Double Action and especially Riot Shot are amazing, with the latter being a 'free turn' button, something I'm obviously going to be needing in the extremely near future. I think more than anything though, her being the only person who can use a gun has kept her locked firmly in place, along with getting awesome guns at the exact right time.

Tate the Arcanist/Harbinger: Sorely disappointed. I expected to see pretty big numbers from her shiny new ice Scythe, but, uh, no. After demanding a leg-bind or other evasion down to hit, it still only does barely 60x3 hits. Pretty pathetic. Combined with a form of healing I don't find reliable at all, Arcanists just plain aren't my style. I think she's sitting things out from here, and'll stop getting all that free after-quest XP.

Stella the Runemaster/Protector: Seems like she might be useful for the 10th stratum. The shield helps MASSIVELY with her previously awful survivability, and her TP pool is large enough for her to have some sustain during FOEs/bosses by now, moreso with judicious use of Force. Damage is still iffy, all considered, and the Charges both take a turn and seem to absolutely suck, unlike V's Warlock.

Terra the Highlander/Protector: Like Tate, has been sucking down all the free XP but hasn't done anything since forever ago. Now that she's got ways to handle single targets, she's probably pretty good again, just hasn't found a way in. I'm probably missing out.

Yai the Pugilist/Ninja: Repeat previous statement. Pugilist needs a lot of both Skill Points and TP to be useful, and I'm getting to the point where she's probably almost there. Perhaps like Erika, she's over her ridiculous frailness by now, but I just don't see any circumstances where she'll outperform Olga. Actually, y'know, obvious answer. Olga's stupidly slow. Sure, she binds great, but after I've already been trampled that first turn. As with Terra, it's less about overall usefulness and more about not seeing a great Cestus or Spear come along that's kept them on the benches and Olga off them.

#Etrian Odyssey #Etrian Odyssey Nexus #EON #EOX #EO #EO Nexus

0 notes