#rewatching the dub and there are so many moments like this and my brain just yells GAY YOU ARE GAY!!!

[strawhatdyke]

Yeah boys why dont you wait until the cover of midnight when you're 6 bottles deep like Zoro

#rewatching the dub and there are so many moments like this and my brain just yells GAY YOU ARE GAY!!! #one piece #op memes #zosan #sanzo #zoro #sanji

[overthemoonx]

Gender and Sexuality in Sailor Moon

⚠️SPOILER WARNING⚠️

Everyone by now knows that Sailor Moon isn’t shy about its queer characters….(Except if you’ve only watched the DiC dub. My goodness, what’s up with the whole “cousin” thing?)…so let’s give these characters some love!

For this post specifically, I’m going to focus on Usagi, Haruka, Michiru, the Sailor Starlights, and Mamoru. Yes, I do love and adore Kunzite, Zoisite, and Fish Eye, but I would need to do a lot more research on them if I were to discuss them.

First, I’m going to bring out the elephant in the room (I love this phrase so much). Yes, Mamoru, otherwise known as Tuxedo Mask, has been portrayed as queer. This can be seen in “Sailor Moon R: The Movie.” In this movie, he is shown to have very close past relations with Fiore, an alien who found himself on Earth as a child and befriended young Mamoru. Though it is never mentioned straight up (like many of these character’s relationships), it is shown that there was definitely a strong bond between the two- and this does not include Fiore’s obsession with Mamoru throughout the film.

To further prove my point, my Roman Empire has to be one of the English voice actors of the movie saying straight up that Mamoru and Fiore had a queer relationship during a panel (this was a feature on the movie’s DVD. My little twelve year old brain couldn’t get that memory out of my head.) I could only find snippets of the talk online but the whole thing is available if you have the DVD!

Next I’ll talk about the trio that has been itching my mind ever since I finished the Sailor Stars arc. The Sailor Starlights are three characters who present male in their civilian form, but when transformed into Sailor Guardians, present as women.

In the manga they are noted to be referred as women no matter how they present themselves, but in the anime they are referred to as however they are presenting at that given moment.

I find this to be very cool because let’s face it, it was the 90’s. Name a show that was so straight up about gender expression at this level (no literally, please do, I’m curious.)

We can never forget the iconic couple, Michiru and Haruka. Their relationship has never been outright called out (like in terms of them saying “oh this is my girlfriend!”) but it is no secret that the two are romantically involved.

In the Sailor Moon stage play, in fact, two actresses were able to sneak in a kiss..

Focusing more on Haruka, she is a gender nonconforming character. She doesn’t mind being called a man or woman, and dresses in masculine clothing. Her style and charm has definitely caught the eye of every sailor guardian, especially Usagi..

Usagi has always been played off as a hopeless romantic, and her romances don’t just focus on guys! Yes, Mamoru is her soulmate, but we can never forget her moments with Haruka and Seiya.

I love Sailor Moon and how it’s not afraid to protray LGBTQ+ characters, especially for being in the 90’s. Let me know who I missed and more about Kunzite, Zoisite, and Fish Eye if you can!!! I’m rewatching the first season so maybe I can get more info on them.

Peace!

#sailor moon #gay sailors #lgbtq community #lgbtq #lgbt pride #lgbtqplus #sailor scouts #tuxedo mask #sailor uranus #sailor neptune #sailor stars #seiya kou #discussion

[wickedmoonlite]

KinnPorsche Rewatch 2023

Reminder: as we go into heavier topics in KP (dub-con/non-con, toxic behaviors, etc.), I will not be doing deep dives. I'm planning on taking this just below surface value as these are literally thoughts I have in the moment as I'm watching. Thank you.

Episode 6 Random Thoughts

FOREST EPISODE FOREST EPISODE FOREST EPISODE. Literally my favorite episode of the series. I like shows and movies where the relationship is the plot. So having an episode almost entirely dedicated to the blossoming relationship between Kinn and Porsche with little outside involvement is v good. Also, I really wish we could see the gentle, caring, silly, soft, carefree side of K more after this episode. We see glimpses later but nothing like this, when KP are well and truly alone together.

The super aggressive rock, paper, scissors is sending me.

And the fact that Kinn keeps bringing them back to the same spot and then Porsche does exactly the same thing before they just happen upon a little creek by sliding into it (though if it was really that close, how did they not see it 😬)

The betrayal after P spits on K lol

How far do they walk every day and back to get to the truck and creek though??

Kinn... Regular rocks do not start fires. Flint does though. Also lighters 👉👉

Porsche is such a shit.

Pete trying his darndest to stay hidden like Vegas definitely doesn't see him sitting in the car... The windows aren't even tinted dude (which I know is for filming purposes but come on).

The fucking smirk on Vegas's face when Pete finds the condoms then yells though.

K is trying so hard to catch a fish. Then P just pulls out some fruit like "lol I found this, keep trying for the fish tho."

The childlike wonder in K's expression and manner while P catches his fish and then he catches his own is so cute.

Apo looks so cold in the waterfall scene (I haven't watched the BTS for this episode but apparently he almost became hypothermic, the dedication ugh).

Porsche wants more kisses, Kinn. For the love of all that is holy, kiss your man.

I love that they get to know each other by sharing their dreams. It's such a nice little reflective moment where they get to know each other more and I appreciate it muchly.

The fact that Porsche really does "remember" the car crash just shows how suggestable our brains are as children. There are memories I have to this day where I'm not sure if it actually happened or was just a dream or something and my brain turned it into a memory.

They really should have tried to get a running start for that jump. Also, that was a pretty good distance they fell. Very surprised nothing was broken after that.

I really can't blame K for not wanting to go back, honestly. He must have so much on his shoulders as the heir (I mean, obviously).

"One strike, okay?" With... a pocket knife?? Yeah that's definitely gonna go through bone with one strike, P.

I like that K encourages P to leave... Because he knows it's best for P.

I LOVE how Apo acts this scene (honestly the whole sequence including after the bad guys show up) after Kinn tells him to get out of there... You can really see the man go, "Shit. I have to do this first." And then turns around and gives such a good feeling kiss. Ugh. K clenching his shirt because for him, it's the last time he'd see P and he doesn't want to let him go. Then the focus on the cuffs they'd just been wearing for who knows how many days as a symbol of them together and the journey they just went on and the falling in love. It's all so good.

P really said "you're not getting my man, fuck you." And then K gets shot 🙃

Then the look of, oh my god I really almost got away from here but now I'm trapped again, fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Another long one. So sorry, but not too sorry. I appreciate all of you who read these rambling text posts very much ❤

Rest day tomorrow, which I kind of need because adulting and work. I shall see you all on the 8th for episode 7. Thanks for reading, y'all.

#kprewatch2023 #i couldn't find this gif in search #so i made it in adobe express #because i'm fucking poor #and don't want to pay adobe for creative cloud bullshit #kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series

[t4tklonoa]

I want to know about some of your favorite moments from Digimon! I still want to watch through the whole show, even if I haven't gone back to finish OG Adventure yet.

AHH WILL. happily share !!!! haven't rll rewatched digimon in a bit (besides tamers) so I may miss some ough. also I watched digimon in spanish so I'll call the digimons and kids by the name they are called in the spanish dub XP

also Idk if ur okay with spoilers so I'll put moments from othe finale of adventure, and all other seasons beside the that under the cut :3

Adventure:

- Patamon's/angelmon's sacrifice is rll. the first taste of how wild digimon is and prolly why I got so obsessed with digimon as a kid... it's just such a cool moment that it rewrired my little kiddie brain

- Gatomon meets with the kids for the first time. after u get more familiar with how digivolution works and bigger equals stronger in ur mind, seeing gatomon solo all the kid's digimons is. sooo cool. u rll don't expect gatomon to be in adult level (that also made gatomon my fav as a kid :3)

02:

- The moment where wormmon dies and Ken realizes what's he's done to digimon it's just. so good... it scared me a lot as a kid but I still watched it so many times. the contrast of Ken receiving the crest of kindness too, along with a partner digimon dying like patamon did to save their kid.... expldoes

- when Ken and wormmon reunite again.... I cried sm at that part as a kid

Tamers: (get ready itis my fav season I may aswell put every single moment of the show here dkndkd)

- Takato and Guilmon meet. the first point tamers wants to show u is that. digimons aren't entirely friendly, they are like animals and especially guilmon who was just created doesn't get what's happening around him. THE PUREE horror Takato feels when Guilmon kills the rats is so awesome also, especially when he was so happy to see Guilmon seconds ago

- Takato finds Guilmon after he scapes for the first time. Takato crying his eyes out after Terriermon tells him his not fit for the tamer title... and him hugging Guilmon. it's too much it makes me explode

- the little moment Impmon and Renamon have at the billboard thing... they are so funny

- Suzie and Antylamon meet. just look atthe episode is there anything else to say. they are so cute

- THANK U GOD !!! ^_^

- WHEN RENAMON CONFIRMS ALL DIGIMONS ARE AGENDER !!!!! WOOOOO (and then Rika's mom is shitty as usual but we don't talk abt that. but I want Rika's mom dead that's all I'm saying)

Ghost game:

- Hiro's and Gammamon's meeting. I'm not a super fan of ghost game but this episode definitely convinced me to keep watching. Hiro's dad telling him that gammamon is now his little brother isso <3

- gulusgammamon's first appearance (kinda). he murdered a digimon isn't that the coolest thing ever. BUT aside from that the whole episode is just a FUCKING. ride man... from Bokomon's death to the fucking.... digivolution of gammamon. the way u can tell something is wrong when everything pauses for a second. IT'S SO GOOODDD

I think the build up to that episode could have been done better, but what we got is still pretty good tbh. I rewatched that episode like 10 times and was obsessed with gulus for such a long time man

ANNDDD I'LL STOP HERE ! would like to add more but I've been here for like. one million hours I need to do other stuff skkdkd

#I skipped over frontiers and savers bc. I dont rll like frontiers and I don't remember most of of what happens in them #although I do rll like the agumon from savers <3 the bloingy #andd I haven't seen fusion and app XP I rll hav to ! I started fusion and shoutmon isso cute #u can see crystal clear. my digimon autism here lmao #ask #mathewryf #ALSO FORGOR TO ADD. I haven't finished ghost game I also rll have to finish it oughh #hoghog awoos #digimon anime spoilers

[pory-z]

tag 9 mutuals you want to get to know better !

tagged by @haarute ! thanks, i enjoyed rambling about nothing and everything for a while

last song - Société tu m'auras pas, by Renaud. don't make fun of me i like his old stuff, it's one of the only non-metal artists i listened to in the car with my dad as a kid. for some reason i got really into old political music lately like union and french resistance songs so Renaud fits right in. i wanna learn some of them on the guitar. i enjoy singing a lot and i wanna improve ! a lot of my irl bros are musicians so i wanna impress them (i won't but they might find the effort endearing)

currently reading - The Occult Roots of Nazism by Nicholas Goodricke-Clarke, although i kinda put it on hold right now because even though it's a very interesting subject matter, it's a very dense book for the attention span i have at the moment lmao

also it's not a book but i'm reading through the various documents from the french Helloween fanclub from the 90's i got from my dad, who was the secretary at the time. there's paperwork, fanzines, interviews, old merch ads, fanmail, etc. it's a really fascinating time capsule and i'm so grateful for the opportunity to access all these documents. as soon as the university opens again i'm scanning all of it. i'll translate and publish the interviews too, it's bound to catch the attention of some pumpkinheads out there.

currently watching - houseki no kuni, again. because it's just so good. i watched the dub this time and even though it's pretty good, the constant avoidance of pronouns is getting more and more awkward and it's absolute cowardice. just let the damn rocks be gnc !!

i'm also rewatching holly hollowtones's 7 hour sandwich stream, again. for the fourth time. it makes me really happy for some reason.

current obsession - i'm slowly getting back into the rhythm of getting invested in things again after a rough patch of time, brain-wise. for now there's nothing much going on and my days are kinda empty.

i started octopath 2 and it's great so far but i need the motivation to keep going. i still need to continue 13 sentinels. i guess the closest thing i have to an obsession right now is utena, since i watched adolescence of utena recently and fell back into the crazy whirlwind of analysis and interpretation. it's an incredible anime i love it so much. idk how long it will last but for now i guess it's the biggest thing in my life even though i got back into it very recently. i might rewatch the original series. or madoka, i fucking love madoka. or maybe princess tutu, i'm told it's like. utena-lite in terms of themes but turbo-utena in terms of meta-fuckery, so that's exciting !

WAIT WAIT WAIT i just thought of something i'm forever and always obsessed with : soulsov, @pallisia's upcoming visual novel. i'm so in love with the main characters loic (chill florist dad) and ysme (weird clown woman). i'm not at-ing them because i don't wanna bother them but definitely go check out their art and read their webcomic lady of the shard it's real good and not that long ok i'm done now

that was fun ! i don't have that many mutuals but there you go, feel free to keep this thing going, folks

@aymisdumb @otasunestanblog @hibiscusandhoney @cyanampersand @oldwomanyaoi @alyxtried @littleoceanbabe @pinkminimarshmallow @musecalliope

[drawnaghht]

Gotta post about this b4 I forget about it but basically;

went on TVtropes yesterday, found the SRTUC page again, started adding to trivia and though, hmm, I've been getting "earlier anthro action cartoon" vibes from this show for a while now.... wonder why that is?

and guys, adding some of the art peeps there no the TVtropes trivia, I noticed that supervising producer ben jones actually worked on SWAT KATS as a character designer for 3 eps! what a connection to make!

my brain at that moment:

edit 1(27.06.2023) - ok, turns out I just mixed the actual show up with this show.... but it's sorta nice for me bc I like reminiscing about Swat Kats haha xD

on with the old post!!

actually, swat kats is a cartoon I was obsessed with for a while as a kid after we got access to cartoon network and they started airing it here. i think it'd seen a dubbed version of it before but it was exciting to see the english original, . it was fun and rompy as I remember, but also I loved the music and action elements after bikermice ended and I missed it so much, seeing something with similar musical cues felt like a consolation almost, like "oh there's more cartoons like this". now admittedly, i don't really remember that much abt swat kats anymore. it aired alongside other H-B cartoons and there was a lot to watch and pay attention to, so i kinda haven't retained more of it than memories of memories of loving the intro, memorizing the music and feeling cool while watching it. I remember the shift to more "serious" storytelilng (if I remember it right at all lol) and both feeling a bit critical/apprehensive at Callie (bc I'd thought, "why is she the only one who gets a more human-like appearance) and loving her design/fawning over her ("oh no, girl hot") but also it was just interesting to see a girl character given a mayoral role which made her seem more important than I'd seen from other action cartoons directed at boys so far.

like, i need to rewatch this series now that I've seen the cast/crew list, and just see also what it was about this show that I loved so much it left some kind of artistic impression on me.

lol idk what other connection with SRTUC it has, but when I'd read that Ben Jones was on it, I suddenly also thought, "well, not it makes sense why the antrho designs in samurai rabbit actually makes sense" There are so many shows, comics and so on before which have made different kinds of attempts at anthro/furry designs, and they all might make sense within the context of their show/media piece, but what I liked about Samurai Rabbit was how it didn't "humanize" the animal designs *too much*. Resulting in awkward designs where women look much more human than their male counterparts. which might not bother a kid much, but will bother an artist like me concerned with consistency lol. like in the og usagi yojimbo it makes sense how the animals look a little more human depending on their role or function in the story/scene, Stan Sakai is very good at making his cartoony style work with these ideas of "basically human, but represented by animals" but also literally animals. And I like that the show takes this same idea and runs with it in it's own way.

All this to say - Experience builds on experience.

so Ben Jones and many other veteran animators/artists/writers in the field working on it, but also the numerous visdev artists, animators and other visual folk with similar vested interest in a UY adaptation, give this show such an unique flair among other furry/anthro shows.

sdfsdf ill continue writing this later, I am soooo exhausted after work today, but, this was cool to think abt yesterday and ive been mullting it over in my head during quiet hours. so cool to have a brain that keeps noticing all these names and all these similar things and then running with it. like the animated things you like are so connected thru their staff knowing each other or having worked on same/similar things before, you wouldn't believe it if you didn't see it all the time.

#aghhtjournal #nostalgia #really truly nostalgia tho i need to rewatch this #aghht srtuc posts #i swear it all connects back toghetr #fanramble

[musiclover2732]

I know you liked the response murakamijune gave, so I will ask you the same questions: You a big fan of Zexal? Any favorite ships, characters, episodes, etc.? Do you watch sub or dub? Sorry if the short skirts and fanservice in the sub was offensive. 😣😔

thank you for asking this! i am a huge zexal fan, i might go as far as to say it’s my favorite show ever. i watching it during my very formative teen years and it strongly influenced who i am as a person. i’m gonna answer these questions based on both how i felt when i first watched the show and how i feel about it now.

shipping in zexal has been a wild ride as a multishipper. my big ship has always been IV and Shark because it opened my eyes to the whole enemies to lovers thing. at first i couldn’t understand the appeal and then it just clicked (this may have been helped by some smutty oneshots, who’s to say) and i’ve been a huge fan ever since. i love their dynamic a lot. obviously i’m huge keyshipping fan and it’s kind of the ship that’ll happen no matter what i write. they are two distant souls connected by an unbreakable bond. i love Yuma and Vector as a pair (especially one sided stuff) but also i’ve recently gotten deep into Vector and Nasch so combining those has been fun. Kotori and Cathy is always a given for me because they are so obsessed with each other and spend so much time together it’s kinda ridiculous that they don’t stop fighting and just kiss already. wasn’t a huge fan of Tetsuo and Rio initially but upon my rewatch i just love them together, like yeah he swoons a bit to much but she finds that endearing and he does respect her as a person and a duelist unlike mostly everyone else. i also like Charlie and Akari and wish we got more time dedicated to them (or even just Akari as a whole) cuz they were cute together.

characters are what keep me hooked on a show and zexal is no exception. when i was younger i really liked Kaito (because i had a crush on him), but Shark was probably my favorite for the majority of the show and now. very gender envy but also just a cool and dynamic character. Vector was a favorite from the moment i first saw him (i saw the Sargasso duel before starting Zexal II) and has remained in the top spot for me. i am perpetually rotating him in my brain like butter in a microwave and occasionally he explodes. i love Flip Turner as a character because he’s just such an agent of chaos but he cares a lot about Yuma and all his friends but that never stops him from being an ass to everyone else. mostly everyone else is like, “i am friends with Yuma so i have to be good now” but not Flip. he continues to create problems and only regrets getting caught. short king. i also love Ukyo Kitano, he is such an entire husband and i may be aroace but he is the exception

i’m doing my rewatch rn and honestly i don’t know if i have any favorite episodes because each one is well crafted enough that it stands up well. even episodes that i thought i didnt like or had trouble remembering blew me away a second time around. i guess that speaks to the writing and pacing. i never felt like i had to “get through” an episode because they were all enjoyable. Yuma vs Nistro during the WDC holds a special place in my heart because it’s the first episode i saw. it got me hooked instantly and got me back into ygo as a whole. had i not seen that episode, i wouldn’t have a tumblr or all the friends i do now.

one thing that set zexal apart from a lot of animes i watched at the time was just how many damn outfits they gave the girls. like seriously it astonished me that they did that for them and not a lot of them pertained to the plot, just put them in a new outfit for fun. as someone who’s always been into fashion i enjoyed that extra detail and it helped me connect more with those characters since the narrative often wasn’t kind to them (Rio should’ve won her duel against Shark, it would’ve made more sense from a plot perspective). the foreshadowing is also stellar and surpasses a lot of other more highly praised shows of that time.

i’ve only seen the dub because it’s all i’ve had access to. i started watching zexal on nicktoons, the the nickelodeon website, then Vortex, then the ygo webite, and finally ended on hulu which is where i watch it now. i’ve seen many clips from the sub and know what was censored/changed but honestly i prefer watching the dub. the voice acting goes hard and the dialogue is funny. the skirt lengthening is actually a little annoying cuz it looks so poorly done sometimes (they gave up on Rio after a few episodes) and Astral’s blinding light of modesty can be distracting (it looks worse on 96 tho). the lack of blood is annoying but i also just like blood and guts. it doesn’t ruin my enjoyment and honestly neither does the fanservice of the sub. the r*cism and m*sogyny can be a little blatant and uncomfortable but it’s infrequent and negligible enough to me and present in both sub and dub enough where i don’t blame one or the other.

so yeah, despite its problems, i love zexal and always will! it’s influenced a lot of my own art and writing; i’ve created characters to exist alongside the zexal cast, made a self-insert oc that’s helped me better understand myself, and gottne more interested in different forms of art because of it. i’ve discovered new music from fics and amvs. i got into fandom as a whole because of it. i’ve joined other fandoms because of people i met through it, including Hetalia which is the reason i started this blog. most of all i’ve found a lot of community and made friends with other creators and both taken lart in and witnessed a lot of deep discussions about the show from character analysis to the themes of christianity in ygo it’s been so cool and always so respectful. did this answer turn into a sort of love letter to the show: yeah, but how could it not. i’m just bery passionate and wanted to be thorough!

#this was fun #sorry it took so long but that was a lot #probably gonna answer the other ask tomorrow as it’s late and i’m probably gonna write just as much #yu gi oh zexal #yugioh zexal #ygo zexal #zexal

[hexfloog]

hex, my beloved, would you share your thoughts on the diplomat murder case with the class

Weeeelllll... if you insist, anon :3

Hex Goes Off(TM) again below the break, surpriiisssee

As it turns out, The Diplomat Murder Case is responsible for a lot of my current HCs about Shinichi/Conan. It's my favorite of the transformation arcs, it's the very first one-- and thus the hardest-hitting, at least when you get to experience it blind-- and also our introduction to transience as a theme, though admittedly I'm probably a bit biased here... Babby Hex has fond memories of sneaking out of bed to watch this one when it still had a slot on the early morning block, so I often come back to these two episodes wearing nostalgia glasses.

Branching off that, I should probably start by saying that for episodes 1-123, I am almost exclusively familiar with the Funimation dub only, which... as the fanbase knows... has its fair share of strange and silly localization choices. I personally find much of it charming and it has no effect on the story or its appeal for me... except when it does (more on that later).

So despite having lost track of how many times I've rewatched this case, my thoughts on it are actually quite scattered - it's the starting place for a lot of the DCMK ideas I currently subscribe to, but those ideas gained their traction in other places (cough, The Desperate Revival, cough), so I apologize beforehand if these aren't bookended well and also idk how to lead into them so IT'S LIST TIME

1) Vices and Expectations

At the time, the idea of Shinichi returning to normal-- let alone temporarily-- was likely one only being entertained by the audience as the setup for (if not the result of) the grand finale. I remember it surprising me, and it's a hell of a move to put forth such a scenario in the first place, only to take it back. Shinichi himself believes the transformation is permanent until it becomes... horribly apparent that it isn't. It's a nasty surprise for everyone, the nastiest of them all (being the very first in a long line of GOT 'EMs), and I think that as a result this is arguably the most powerless he's ever been in his own body, at least for a while. The depiction of the pain he endures is frightening (something I feel is lost in later transformations): freezing on the surface, but burning beneath the skin... like bones made of magma as they die within the flesh-- his heart beating out of his own chest, faster and faster, harder and harder as if to escape its own agony-- the world blurs, nausea takes hold, balance wavering-- 'This is no longer your fortress,' he hears it whisper in his ear... TBH how he can even think coherently at this stage is lost on me. It's shown to be a debilitating process of physical self-destruction and I don't believe for a second someone could acclimate to it, even after repeated transformations which is lowkey why it bothers me a bit that these feel less weighty as time goes on. Control is Shinichi's domain, and the uncertainty which plagues him as he painfully returns to Conan is a peek behind the curtain, a glimpse of the mortality he-- for all his bravado and cool, calm exterior-- is still very capable of realizing.

Although not nearly as dramatic as the next transformation, I personally find this to be a cruel little hint towards Shinichi's vices. Up til now we have not had many (any?) opportunities to explore what really-- and I mean really-- makes him tick. The recklessness he falls prey to when he thinks his old life is within reach again (see: literally every time he's tempted by The Antidote) is teased here-- not overtly, mind, but this first experience with temporary normalcy introduces the idea of hope to Shinichi's world, and the expectation that he can come back to it, actually, is suddenly set. Even if for a brief moment, we see the hands which have wound his potential to self-destruct...

2) Othering

I mentioned in a previous tirade post that the Funimation dub adds some interesting dialogue which is absent from the JP version:

"... From my own mouth, not his!"

...But is substantiated by dialogue which is present in the original:

"Am I turning back into that kid again?!"

"...With my real mouth... and my real voice..."

I find it so, so intriguing that this early on, it's already implied that Shinichi thinks of Conan as an entity separate from himself, despite that obviously not being the case and especially considering that-- here, at episode 49/50-- Conan hasn't really been present for long enough to establish himself as Conan (Ran sleuthing out his Real Identity is still a very real threat at this point, after all). Shinichi rarely mentions Conan by name throughout the case, in all other instances referring to him as something else-- "that kid with the glasses--" and... idk, to me that indicates shame, or fear, or resentment, and just reeks of plain animosity. I know for the sake of appearances he needed to Other Conan in front of Ran and Heiji, but when he's alone with his thoughts... it's not necessary to actively think of Conan like something to be hated unless he really feels that way, unless he really feels vexed by this child, this thing that is both him and not.

I dunno, I just find that fascinating. That one Funimation line is single-handedly responsible for this whole entire HC in my head ahahaaa

3) Heiji, and Hope

My angst-brain is constantly honing in on Shinichi, but The Diplomat Murder Case is pretty important for introducing Heiji, too!! Kaito won't see his DC debut for another twenty or so episodes, so imo it's Heiji, debuting as a rival detective, who first introduces the idea of a possible foil for Shinichi. This... obviously doesn't pan out this way-- quite the opposite-- and the entire premise of Heiji seeking out The Great Detective of the East as his "thousandth sword" only carries a lot more weight after the parallels to Benkei and Yoshitsune are made more plain in Crossroad in the Ancient Capital. So for all intents and purposes (especially since the Funimation dialogue was changed around quite a bit), Hattori's appearance here isn't particularly outstanding in itself aside from being his first, except...

...Except Heiji also introduces the baijiu here, the catalyst for this entire arc and my subsequent observations, the vehicle through which Shinichi becomes aware that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and the knowledge of which Conan repeatedly draws upon whenever the antidote comes up. Given that Heiji eventually discovers Shinichi's secret and, in their friendship, serves as one of his lifelines to his former self (as "companionship," in my head... more on that in another post, maybe), I find it... very striking that he would be the first one to deliver him hope. Good God.

Like Kaito, I want to think about Heiji more in-depth too, but there are better episodes for it... Murderer, Shinichi Kudo

eeeEEEEE okay i'm done tysm for letting me screm anon this case has a special place in my top ten aaAAAaaaahaha

#ask #anon #dcmk #detective conan #kudou shinichi #shinichi kudo #headcanon #internal screaming hours #text #the diplomat murder case #long post #hattori heiji

[danieco]

Anzu

Ngl I was getting I worried I wasn’t going to get Anzu and I was like: Am I a joke to you? I have no reputation at all? I am a little joke?? /jkjk THANK YOU

• First impression: I mean... The Token Girl, but I liked her. I probably thought she was bossy but I remember being on her side when Mai was introduced in a way that I now recognize was just some gross internalized misogyny. (Oh, Baby Me, how far we’ve come. How far we have to go.)

• Impression now: Unstoppable because she works hard and she’s an optimist. I think an underrated aspect of Anzu (other than literally everything about her because she cannot be overrated) is that she’s also one of the most confident characters on the show (her soul room is literally walled in mirrors and Shadi comments how confident and comfortable someone would have to be with themselves to have their soul manifest like that), and I think that gets overlooked because she’s not arrogant the way the others (all dudes ofc) frequently are. 

• Favorite moment: GOD... I think maybe when she stands up to Kaiba... but which time, Duelist Kingdom or Virtual World... I honestly don’t remember either clearly (someday I will finish the reread/rewatch!!) but instinct is telling me Virtual World even though I don’t really even remember what she says to him, so... that one?? The flippant way she tells the story about knocking out a guy at Burger World is also a top moment. Oh or the time everyone’s panicking because the possessed professor is about to kill Jounouchi and she hits him with a globe, saving Jou’s life. Or... no no okay I’ll stop. Except that time that Mokuba--okay I won’t go on but you get the picture. 

• Idea for a story: SO MANY, I have an embarrassing number of Devotionshipping posts in my drafts (a pairing I didn’t even like before)... I also like the idea that Miho goes with her to NY to be her roommate (Miho gets a job at a department store because she wants to become a stylist/personal shopper). Anzu does dance professionally for awhile but eventually semi-retires to Japan where she still takes gigs occasionally but mostly teaches at her own dance studio. 

• Unpopular opinion: I actually don’t see that much on Anzu most of the time but I think much like people can make Yugi seem like a wet blanket without really thinking about it, people can write Anzu as a buzzkill like she doesn’t A) break rules when it suits her, B) take some pretty dumb risks and C) throw hands when dudes get out of line. 

• Favorite relationship: Anzu is one of those characters that I can see as being an asset to literally anybody, like there is no character you can hold up that I wouldn’t go “Yes, they would benefit from having Anzu as a friend.” (Actually my only reversal there is I do think Anzu would benefit more from Mai becoming her friend, because she needs a female role model.) My brain has been 60% Devotionshipping and 40% a dub version of Miho now for a hot minute buuuut... I’m gonna go with Kaiba, actually. It’s mostly conjecture but I think the way she’s able to balance standing up to him and sympathizing with him has BIG friendship potential. They’re both ambitious. The fact that Anzu’s not into Duel Monsters could actually be an asset: they’d have to connect over something else (story idea: pending; not found) but that would bypass Anzu being a threat to Kaiba’s ego (not even because she could beat him necessarily but because he would just haaave to show off how much he can crush all competition), which I think would make them becoming friends easier. 

• Favorite headcanon: All her dreams come true and her life is as lovely and happy as she deserves. Okay maybe something a little more specific... Her family is genuinely really proud and supportive of her. There’s a few reasons I think this is the case but yeah, that’s the base I think she’s coming from. 

#character ask meme #mazaki anzu #tea gardner #(thinking about Anzu breaking rules... she actually does it more than I realized?) #goodforher.jpg #but also like Anzu DOES follow the rules most of the time because what she wants to do aligns with the rules #gonna stop before I add an essay

[thehuns-bubble-tea]

So guess who finally wrote the SaiZon essay I promised months ago! @there-is-a-carrot-in-my-ear’s post was the last bit of encouragement I needed so thanks for that lol.

I am going to go episode by episode to talk about all the SaiZon scenes. I am using the official LineTV episodes and some of the translations are a bit weird so I will have to occasionally make assumptions with the dialogue, sorry in advance for that. If I happen to assume wrong or make stretch conclusions forgive me for I only have one brain cell and it’s currently bouncing around my head like a window’s screensaver. I am also going to mention some of the behind the scenes episodes so if you haven’t seen those you might be slightly confused, but I don’t have international links for them so I apologize! Also this ended up being 18 pages long- I AM SORRY.

So let’s start with part one of episode one shall we? The beginning starts off weird as hell, honestly I had forgotten how crack this show was after the last few episodes were so- normal? Anyway we are dropped off in Zon’s dream(???) where he sees Tutor and Fighter being cute, and then an absolute precious Saifah- except it is really weird to start off here. This dream doesn’t seem to belong at the beginning because nothing that sets up this dream has happened yet, which I only realized as I rewatched it. Zon doesn’t know about Tutor and Fighter’s relationship until episode 11 and he doesn’t actually know Saifah yet, so to have Zon have this dream as the literal introduction to the show is a bit of either foreshadowing or referencing the idea that this whole show is a dream/Zol’s novel which I think is quite interesting. I don’t have much else to say about this besides I am incredibly impressed with how well this scene garners interest- it’s like I’m watching for the first time again and I /need/ to understand what is going on. Also the animated Zon freaking out about Saifah getting too close? Mood.

There was no SaiZon part in part two so moving on to part three of episode one! This part starts off with Saifah playing the guitar surrounded by a bunch of girls and Zon walking up from behind, seeing him. As much as I would like to say “love at first sight” this is definitely not that- in fact Zon straight up tells the girls they don’t like each other. Which is fair honestly, these two at the beginning don’t seem to have anything in common. Saifah is an engineering student while Zon is a english(literature???) student so they wouldn’t be able to get close through classes and they don’t seem to share many face value interests (Sai with guitar and soccer, Zon with writing and generally “nerdy” stuff) so it would be easy for them both to write each other off. Definitely not a “I hate him” but more of a “I don’t know him and I don’t want to” kinda situation where unless outside forces brought them together they wouldn’t have even considered entering each other’s lives. So shout out to Tutor and Soda for being mvps! This part also gives us the iconic moment of Zon literally standing on a table to fight Saifah and like??? Hello??? The tension already here is so much- but here’s the thing! Why R U has set up their relationship to be that of “enemies” up to this point, so when you first watch it you’re like “hm Sai is trying to get a rise out of Zon because he thinks it is funny because they hate each other” but what Sai says isn’t necessarily mean. Yes Sai does tease Zon about being bad at everything, but after that he just flutters his eyelashes, calls himself cute, and does that cute little smile up at Zon. There is no real hurt behind his words, if that makes sense? It is very much a teasing jeer at Zon to get a reaction, and the second Zon stands on the table Sai smiles and seems to take pride at the action. He isn’t doing it out of hatred or evil, but more like the joy of seeing Zon riled up. Sai blames his actions on disliking Zon because of reasons they’re currently only alluding to but like- bro get over it? There’s no reason for Sai to act like that if that was his only motive so I call his bluff, he has to already be somewhat interested in Zon. Even if it’s not a crush yet he definitely enjoys Zon’s reactions enough to keep pressing buttons. 

Finally the end of episode one with part four.  Finally! The, also iconic, punch to kiss scene! Sai is smooching the girl Zon is pursuing, it’s upsetting for Zon and Sai is kinda rude about it- then WHAM. Zon, the absolute unit that he is, just fucking decks Saifah. When I tell you I screamed- This is especially important because the thing that finally makes Zon snap is Saifah’s “no one can like you” comment which is so hurtful and man he’s gonna eat his words you can just /feel/ it already. And the punch is completely valid because what Sai did was shitty and honestly Zon had every right to be mad so great moment 10/10. Then we have Sai try to retaliate and first off he misses like a huge dork and then he kinda trips into Zon which leads to them accidentally kissing. Logistically I don’t know how this happened, but who am I to complain? This is of course also Sai’s first experience with a  Zontm reaction and that I think is what causes the shift in Saifah’s head. After that huge exposition piece we have Zon dreaming about Saifah in his bed talking about them being together. All I’m gonna say is- is it gay to dream about your not bro wanting to kiss you? The answer is probably yes.

No SaiZon for parts one or two of episode two, but part three gives us a bit to cover!  First off- the elevator line scene where Saifah literally stares at Zon with the absolute best puppy eyes and lovesick smile is peak cuteness, like?? Hello??? This is the perfect example of what I mean when I say SaiZon were never enemies- like I can’t imagine hating someone and then letting them shoulder bump me with a “hi”. That’s not how enemies act, this is more of a “well we haven’t always gotten along but I’m willing to move on, here let’s try again” type of situation and it’s fucking adorable. Sai seems confident in his own teasing way and Zon is confused as heck, which is so valid. Mind you this is also several months after their accidental kiss so any hot blooded emotions surrounding them has definitely dissipated which means there is now room for them to grow and initiate a friendship, which is what I assume Sai is trying to do. This is also the first time we get “my Zon” and I swear everytime I hear it I astral project into another dimension, so there’s that. Also Sai fulling embracing the fact that these girls ship them is peak bi confidence (I read Saifah as a bi character don’t @ me lmao), that I can only wish to have. Like Sai seems to already genuinely like being around Zon, lightly teasing. I say this because nothing he said was a dig at Zon harshly but more like something I would say about my friends to get them to give me a funny reaction and he gets exactly that. Zon gives him a reaction and then as soon as he’s gone Sai has this very pleased smile on his face. It really feels like Saifah has already decided that he wants to have some sort of relationship with Zon, at this point I wouldn’t call it a crush yet but more like a casual friendship. Then we have Zon daydreaming about Sai asking him to be partners for the music competition thing and again I’m going to ask- is it gay to daydream about your not bro pouting and wanting to be partners? The answer is probably yes. 

Part four of episode two gave us no SaiZon so we move on to part one of episode three! We get a tiny bit of animated Sai talking about flirting with Zon, Zon freaking out you know- the usual. But then we get the stair scene that haunts me. Sai has committed to calling Zon “my Zon” already and I am here for it. His fucking smile after he says it too- boy is enjoying himself. The two fight over whether or not Zon will play with Sai or not and progressively lean into each other’s spaces as they bicker back and forth. Which is valid- Zon doesn’t even know how to play and then to be asked to play with someone he doesn’t really know or get along with, I’d say no too. Anyway Tutor breaks them up drags Sai to class, but not before Sai can say goodbye to “N’Zon” which just really threw me and Zon to be honest. I love that Sai is fully committed to these nicknames and I love how flustered Zon gets because of them- they’re already starting to fall into an ease with each other. Quick note here Saifah tells Tutor that he likes teasing Zon because it makes him happy, which is kinda cute? We see Sai play around with Tor and Day a bit but the way he is with them is vastly different then when he’s with Zon. Again I wouldn’t quite call it a crush yet- but we’re getting there. For now it seems more like an enamoured fascination with this dork of a human. (also real quick side note but I love Soda and would gladly let her step on me--)

Part two of episode three gives us yet another iconic scene- I have dubbed it the gay painc shower scene for obvious reasons. First of all, props to Zon for even grabbing Sai’s towel for him. Like they might not be close, and Sai might tease Zon relentlessly, but Zon is a genuinely good person and I really like that about his character. He doesn’t even hesitate to ask “which one” so he can do that for Sai. But of course Sai has to be a little brat and try to pull Zon into the shower stall with him, causing Zon’s first almost heart attack. Then he crowds Zon up against the wall with the most sensual look and teases him by attempting to remove his towel, giving Zon almost heart attack number two- Sai is seriously a brat and I love it. The funniest part is that this, from my experience at least, is common locker room teasing which Zon clearly wouldn’t know since he’s not in the soccer club-  so having Sai do this to him is clearly a point where Zon’s single working braincell goes into gay panic and just short circuits his system and once again that’s valid. Zon tells Sai no matter what he won’t play with him, man these two eat their own words a lot huh, and Sai tells him it’s really up to him. Also side note here I know Junior did this in hopes of getting Sai to convince Zon to do the talent show thingy but I fully head cannon that Junior realizes there’s /something/ going on between them and forced them into this position, do with that what you will. There is also behind the scene footage of this scene (I can’t find an international link to this specific one rip) but it shows Jimmy and Tommy fake biting each other’s fingers and it’s so cute and weird- anyway all this to say I think this is where we start to see a shift in Saifah’s attitude. He’s the one who mentions being partners, mentions kissing, and Zon being a shy Korean drama lead- he’s a huge romantic so this is where he steps up a bit more. Instead of being just a tease in the way Zon acts it is now a tease about them together, being together, testing waters almost. It’s a huge shift if you really think about it, the only thing that stays constant is Zon’s flustered reactions. 

Part three of episode three once again delivers with panic gay Zon being a fucking dork. This is where we get that ridiculous moment in the bathroom when Zon thinks two dude are doing the do in a stall and presses Saifah into a wall, you know casually. This scene is so weird and just ??? why??? Saifah takes in all in stride though, this kid is seriously getting whipped quick and I relate. Zon just has such chaotic energy that it’s hard not to play along, no matter how mortifyingly embarrassing he is. Also can we talk about how every time Zon leaves an interaction with Saifah, Sai gets the biggest smile? Like that is so precious I can’t handle it, boy is WHIPPED and doesn’t even know it yet!

Part four gives us a little bit of SaiZon.  Zon is distracted by his text conversation (this is not translated so I have no clue what’s being said or who he’s talking to rip) when Saifah comes up behind him. This looks so domestic- like you don’t just do that to someone you barely know, right? Also the fact that Sai can lean over Zon so far when Zon is just sitting is stressful to me. Who gave him the right to be /that/ tall? Anyway Zon goes to stand and Saifah scares him, causing him to trip backwards and have the first of many time where Sai holds Zon up and it’s romantic as heck- They both instantly know where to hold each other, and then gaze at each other’s faces I just ??? I’m short circuiting honestly. This is also the first indication to me that Sai is developing some form of feelings because he keeps looking at Zon’s eyes and lips, and that’s valid. Of course Zon ruins the mood by pushing him away but they both look hurt this time. Sai looks hurt even asking if Zon’s serious about not playing together and it’s the first time we see Sai be any bit vulnerable. He seems to genuinely hurt by the idea and it makes Zon shuffle a bit before leaving. Even when he’s gone Sai looks upset and even comments on how Zon falls easily- which is really cute. This is our first glimpse at the Saifah that seems a bit more like the hopeless romantic we get towards the end of the series, a stark contrast to the overly confident perfect boy persona he uses around the campus. 

No SaiZon in part four of episode three or part one of four so on to part two-  We get the music partner reveal! And to Zon’s credit he doesn’t immediately turn around and leave. Instead he is actually committed to this and Sai, to his credit, doesn’t make him feel weird. They take the fan page photos and they’re both clearly out of their element here, they’re shy and awkward and it’s precious. They’re both coming to this realization that they’re really doing this- being partners and committing to each other basically. They both seem determined but also terrified of what that means. I love it- because this isn’t about them just yet but more of their shared responsibility to Soda now that they both can’t back down. It’s a good foundation because right now they’re on equal footing, neither really has the upper hand. Soda, my queen, to her credit is trying to get them to see that their arguing isn’t going to help anyone here and it’s a fair point. They’re going to be stuck together for two months (why was I under the impression this whole time it was much longer?)  and they both agree to at least attempt. I love how genuinely awkward these scenes are because like I’ve said before they were never enemies but also never friends, they don’t know much about each other yet so it’s weird. What do they talk about, what are their boundaries, they don’t know and I love it. It is the perfect foundation for a fresh start for both of them to learn about each other and build a strong bond. We get a bit of Sai trying to teach Zon guitar strings and it’s a nice moment. They’re both getting comfortable with the other and then Sai plays the love song for Zon- you think Zon’s going to be set off by the moment but instead he teases Sai! He confidently both compliments Saifah and teases, it’s growth! Then Saifah settles to help Zon learn to strum, a moment where they’re very intimately pressed together and have an almost kiss. This is the first time they do the lip bite thing that I noticed they do when they think about kissing the other- and this is the first time that I think they realize their feelings aren’t just basic acquaintances. For Zon he feels something but he is also hung up on the idea that this is all Zol’s book. He is scared because he doesn’t know if these moments, these feelings are real or not. For Saifah I think he is really starting to understand how he feels for Zon, but thinks that Zon doesn’t and will not feel the same. But Sai isn’t the type to push so he just lets it go for now. Then we get the cute montage of them getting closer and teasing in more of a friendly way- again this is just solidifying in our minds and theirs that there is something growing between them. Right now it’s just a natural friendship, but is also hinting at more deep feelings. This is the part that I love the most about SaiZon- this was never a love at first sight relationship, it is one born out of something incredibly natural. They grow into each other and themselves. We start to see Saifah get more comfortable with his dorky side, and Zon gets more confident in himself because of their time together. It’s a breath of fresh air how easily they settle into the other’s presence. And of course we also get the gay pining bed scene and I, for the third time shall ask is it gay to daydream about your new bro laying in bed with you? The answer is probably yes. 

Part three of episode four gives us the iconic guitar pick date (yes I understand I keep saying iconic but with SaiZon what isn’t?). This entire scene is just the cutest thing? They fall into each other so easily and they seem to have tons of fun goofing off. It reminds me of my friends and I going to shopping centers just to window shop and be together. It’s so incredibly natural and shows that they’re becoming so much closer then what they started out as. Nothing is over the top or unrealistic, instead it’s effortless and an absolute joy to witness. There’s even a deleted scene where two girls come up to ask for a photo (which is weird but whatever) and Zon gets so lost in his head about how close Saifah is- it really is a defining moment in my mind that Zon is torn. Torn between believing that his feelings are real and that this is all just being a dream from Zol’s novel. I kinda wish this scene hadn’t been deleted because it takes away from Zon’s internal struggle. When they have their little heart to heart and Zon admits that Sai is actually a good person my soul leaves my body. It is so cute and demonstrates that these two have started to grow past their initial judgements of each other and more into learning the intricacies of the other. Anyway it’s cute and I love them, moving on. 

Now on to part four of episode four. This gives us the scene that fully convinces me that Saifah is just a big softly. Sai walks into the practice room to see a mess and Zon is asleep on the floor. Instead of being a brat and waking him up, Sai quietly goes around and cleans everything up because he is peak soft boy he just won’t admit it. When he does accidentally wake Zon they’re both just absolute cuties- the way Sai’s face falls when Zon said he was just kidding about wanting to wait for him- my boy is WHIPPED. But here’s the thing, and I’ll come back to this point in a bit but, the way Sai never pushes Zon on anything. It’s clear that Sai is really starting to crush on Zon the way he treats him and acts but any time Zon pulls away Sai just lets him. That’s so refreshing, especially in contrast to the way TorFight act in parallel to SaiZon. There is never an expectation for Zon to meet Sai’s desires and Sai takes only what Zon is willing to offer, and I appreciate it so much. Anyway their little collective panic when Sai tries to take Zon to his room is hilarious they’re both on such different pages and they really are just dorks. And then we have the typical in the rain sequence- oh my gosh- I love some good classic tropes and this is one of them. Once again we see Saifah just be an absolute romantic, he doesn’t even hesitate to take off his jacket to cover Zon and himself. I just- that’s peak romance for me my dudes. Both me and Sai are whipped and that’s just facts. Then Zon (somehow??) forgets how to stand on two legs and trips yet again and we have another close contact scene, but this time there noses touch and Zon’s reaction isn’t nearly as visceral as it has been- it’s almost like he likes the attention up until his mind thinks it’s too close to a novel and he gets scared. 

On to episode five’s part one! Zon is finally in Sai’s room and we get the cute hair drying scene that Zon doesn’t appreciate as much as I do- anyway Zon is freaking out and Saifah doesn’t fully understand what he’s babbling on about but still gets his chance to tease. It is once again cute and effortless, I crave more of this (SaiZon special episode I’m looking at you). Sai is getting a bit more confident with his advances but always pulls back the moment Zon freaks, it’s completely them. And then we get them waking up in each other’s arms, the screaming, Zon being an absolute moron. This is why these two are /the/ couple for me. Like no one else could pull this scene off nearly as well as them, it’s great. Also Saifah pulling a 2Moons2 Kit and just yeeting Zon off the bed? Iconic, that’s it that’s the analysis. 

Part two of episode five has a moment that’s not a SaiZon scene but I do feel like it’s important in their relationship- Zol tells (well lies but Zon doesn’t know that-) about changing the story after their promise/wish/curse. This is the point where Zon can finally take what he has been experiencing and feeling in for the first time with a clear head. It’s no longer “possibly” influenced by supernatural forces because of Zol. This is when Zon decides “oh this is real, these feelings are real”, and you can tell that the way Zon acts around Saifah is considerably more calm and open to Saifah’s advantages to a point. Occasionally he still talks about it everything being similar to a fiction but he isn’t held back by it nearly as much. Then we get SaiZon practicing in the music room again and being interrupted by Natee and Junior, they kinda make Zon nervous about the show- until Saifah steps in. He confidently tells Zon he believes in him and that he will be there for him and I just- oh my god?? That’s so soft and I swear Saifah is the biggest soft boy ever who is willing to do anything to lift Zon up and that’s precious. They really are slowly starting to get on the same page. 

Moving on to episode six part two (this is where we start to see less SaiZon due to the pandemic limiting their filming time)! This episode gives us Zon asking Sai on a guitar buying date. And lemme tell you the way these two act? WHIPPED. They both get so shy and tease the other the perfect amount, they really have grown into each other in ways I don’t think any of us expected. The cute little happy dance they do when they agree and hang up? Boyfriends, just like ??? hello??? Mind you they agree to go the Saturday before the show so they have now spent almost the full two months together- I can’t even believe it. They have had this relationship grow for two months and we’ve only been able to see glimpses, just imagine what we don’t get to see! Anyway we see Saifah being peak baby all bundled up sharing headphones with Zon- which is like peak romance for me I won’t even apologize. And then the pure excitement Saifah has when Zon suggests he stays over at Saifah’s- WHIPPED. He even suggests that there might be something between them when Zon questions their closeness, but the moment Zon wants to change the subject Sai follows his lead, like I’ve mentioned before Sai is not one to ever push Zon for more because he respects Zon so much. 

Part three of episode six gives us the rooftop scene! The lingering looks! “The stars are beautiful.”, “It is beautiful-” as Saifah looks at Zon with those soft eyes! THE GAYS ARE PINING. And then them playing together. I am crying??? I can’t even form sentences, I can’t analyze, I just am going to sit here for a moment and think about how this romance is goals. That’s it. 

Part four is full of SaiZon just being huge teases. Saifah confidently pulls Zon into him, asking if Zon is afraid of falling in love with him and I just- the way Zon looks at Sai? He’s already in love, and no I don’t take criticism. That’s it, that’s the analysis. 

Part one of episode seven is the scene that made me want to write this essay- we have Zon and Saifah in the most intimate scene yet for them. It really is just a back and forth between them that is simple and wholly them. And then it shifts- Zon is looking at Saifah so softly, and is easily going along with what Saifah is doing with no hang ups. Saifah is looking up at Zon like he’s hung the stars and it’s the perfect moment. “You’re being so obedient, be like this more often. I like it”, “I like it too”, even the music is just perfect, but right at the last second Zon looks away. “I didn’t mean I like you.” and Saifah clearly looks disappointed, everything leading up to this was pointing in this direction and it didn’t happen. Saifah very clearly has feelings, he isn’t even trying to be subtle anymore, but not once does Saifah push for more. He backs off and settles down into a level that matches Zon’s comfort zone, because he cares about Zon’s comfort more than his own feelings. They have a moment for the comfort to level out once again and then they’re back to their usual selves. They’re back onto an equal field where they’re both just being themselves together- and they have another almost kiss that Sai does try to play off. Zon is still a bit spooked but it is still another testament to Saifah’s respect of Zon’s boundaries. This is where yet another deleted scene happens that I desperately wish they kept- it shows Zon fast asleep grab at Saifah until he’s completely draped over him. Saifah holds him, very similarly to a scene we will get to shortly, and the smile on Sai’s face? This boy is so in love but also so careful with Zon’s limitations, that just being able to hold Zon is enough to put him at ease. And we were ROBBED of it. Why R U editors turn on your location, I just wanna talk-

Part two of episode seven gives us the most cursed scene that, like Zon, I wish I could forget. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it but the second hand embarrassment is excruciating so for the sake of my sanity I’m gonna kinda gloss over it? Zon sees Sai’s boner, it causes Zon’s single brain cell to explode, that’s it- MOVING ON. On the bright side it also gives us SaiZon’s first public performance together. I assume this is to hype up the actual show, I don’t really care, all I care about is how earnest Saifah is with Zon. Zon is terrified of performing and Saifah is there to cheer him on. He is willing to let Zon leave if it means Zon will be more comfortable and he genuinely doesn’t want to push Zon into anything. Zon finally calms down enough to agree to stay and sing- and then Saifah starts rubbing his hands to give some comfort. The dialogue in this scene will forever go down as one of my favorite exchanges ever- “Are you okay with having me beside you?” SAIFAH HONEY. This one sentence holds everything in it. Is it okay that Saifah tried to kiss him? Is it okay that he got turned on? Is it okay that Saifah clearly has some sort of feelings for Zon? AND ZON SAYS YES. I just, I will never recover. It’s a very cute moment that they share, a sort of understanding that they share now that doesn’t really change what they have already, just gives some clarity to their current situation. And then the performance they give? It’s wonderful. What more can I say?

And now we’re getting to the good stuff- episode eight, part one. Sai is able to sneak read a bit of Zon’s writing, Sai trying to make himself look not suspicious is so funny, but the absolute angle Zon lets him get away with it. Then they have a cute back and forth about Sai wanting to sleep over at Zon’s place, it’s precious and shows that since the last time Zon seems a bit more comfortable with the obvious flirting and even does some himself. “Otherwise I’ll kiss you.” Saifah being bold as fuck and Zon not running away? That’s what we call growth! Then when Saifah is actually at Zon’s home and they’re telling his parents about the music show they are in full support, Zon’s mother and Saifah both teasing him about his name’s meaning. It’s light hearted and fun and I appreciate how cool Zon’s parents seem to be with their son’s and Saifah’s relationship (thus far). But them being so okay with his joining the music show compared to how unsupportive about his writing hurts, both me and Zon. When they’re in his room Zon is visibly upset with how his parents have handled his passions and Saifah is doing his best to cheer him up. Giving him some comfort, and this is where he admits to reading a few chapters of Zon’s fiction and Zon looks shattered. He is so afraid it’s bad because no one will support him, encourage him until Saifah tells him he actually liked it. That if he wants to keep writing he can count on Saifah to read it and it’s so touching because Zon finally has someone who believes in him. They have this really longing moment of just staring into each other’s eyes and it’s so soft and just full of pining. EXCEPT once again there’s a deleted scene we were ROBBED of. (Why R U’s editing team is out to hurt me apparently) In the deleted scene there was supposed to be a kiss to end the longing stares, this would be their first real kiss. And as much as I would have /loved/ that I can understand wanting the other scene being /the/ moment, but it doesn’t make me wish this scene hadn’t been cut any less. 

The next three parts of episode eight I’m going to talk about in one piece because it is basically one long scene that’s just cut into parts. (Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) We have finally gotten to /the/ moment they’ve been leading up to this entire show, the music performance. When we start Zon is asleep and Saifah has arrived with food, trying to wake him up and only successful when he manages to kinda kiss Zon. They bicker a bit in their normal way, Zon whines about wanting an egg and Saifah gives his up happily. It's freaking adorable and the quality content I signed up for. Soda puts them in their performance outfits. They have a weird little fashion show that just makes me love Tommy and Jimmy with all my heart, you know the usual. And then the time gets closer to their performance- Zon is, rightfully, nervous and is having a little breakdown in front of Saifah who is trying his absolute best to calm him down. It’s a touching scene because you can tell that Sai doesn’t really know what to do to help but is seriously trying, and then Zon asks for some encouragement. Saifah wrapping his arms around Zon and hugging him is a scene that I will never recover from. Saifah is so confident in Zon’s skills and very clearly wants to perform with Zon that he’s willing to just hold the nervous kid in his arms until he calms down. It’s really touching and romantic and just perfect. It does the trick and they’re able to perform without a hitch. (I would like to say at this point I have been working on this essay for two days and have decided to throw alcohol into the mix so if I start going off the rails- whoops?) The actual concert is super lovely, like Tommy can sing don’t even @ me because I could listen to these two sing and nothing else and I would be completely happy with that, and when they go to do their thank you speeches my heart swells. Hearing Zon heartfully thank Saifah for doing this with him and then to hear Saifah ask every one to cheer for “my zon” one more time, it’s the pinnacle of romance. I don’t even think that they know how it looks to an outside viewer because they’re so lost in their own world. To them this wasn’t about the concert anymore but them proving themselves to each other, something so meaningful to them because without this moment being the huge lead up they would never have been anything more than people who shared mutual friends and “hated” each other. Without this concert neither would have taken steps to bring them closer, to this peak. And that is exactly what the concert is, it’s their peak because it’s the tipping point for their relationship. Any hesitation from either at this point would break it all down. And so when the two of them head backstage and they have this magical moment- this is it. Zon is complaining about the strings hurting his fingers so Sai softly blows on them to soothe the pain, it’s simple, quiet, and breathtaking. “Why are you so nice to me?” It's such a simple question, Zon’s eyes are filled with stars and he might not thinking that he’s going to get a good answer. “Because you already have my heart.” That’s it. Nothing Saifah could have said would top this. It leaves no questions, this is it for Saifah- he is throwing in everything at this moment and Zon just stares at him. He doesn’t flinch at the kiss Saifah leaves on his forehead, instead he puts his hands on Saifah’s cheeks and pulls him closer so he can kiss his nose. It’s not words that either need now because they just understand. They’ve taken the chance and it’s real now. Them just brushing noses in comfort is enough, but then they go all out. They /finally/ have their first /real/ kiss and it’s a culmination of everything they’ve been through and felt up until this point. I’m sure everyone has seen the behind the scenes clip of the pd calling them out for not following the script. Supposedly it wasn’t supposed to be so passionate but more of a quick peck, but this- what they gave us was nothing short of perfection. This kiss is a solidifier for everyone, especially Zon who has struggled internally this whole time about whether this is real or not. This is a confirmation that Zon’s feelings, now I might be reading a bit too into it/self projecting onto Zon, are valid. Zon and Saifah, as far as we know (I haven’t read the novel either btw), are presumably perceived as straight hell they may have thought they were straight up until they developed feelings for each other. Saifah develops his feelings confidently, he isn’t ashamed or shy about them. Like everything else in his life he takes it and makes it his own and that is completely valid. But for Zon it is a struggle the whole way through. He’s scared and he overthinks, over analyzes everything, and shys away from Saifah’s advances until now- a common theme found in many unsure/closeted queer kids. And THAT is also valid. They’re both so completely different and yet they fit together in ways that I don’t even think they knew was possible. The way they play off each other, can read the other, knows what to do or say- it’s the perfect amount of them. 

Episode nine is purely TorFight and part one of episode ten gives us only crumbs of SaiZon, but they are crumbs I would die for. It’s a couple of minutes of a sleepy Zon being cuddled by Saifah. Nothing fancy, nothing overly sexual, just the domestic bliss of these two holding each other. Once again it’s a testament to how made they are for each other. In any other drama (and I say this with affection to all the other bls I have consumed) this wouldn’t fly- this slow progression isn’t the norm for these types of shows and that’s why it’s so damn refreshing. Saifah in all his suave bad boy persona, is truly just a hopeless romantic that wants to hold his boyfriend in his arms for as long as he wants. Zon for all his shy avoidance of anything romantic, just enjoys having Saifah by his side. There is no one party pushing for more, no one party aggressively making moves that are unwanted. It’s just these two content in taking it slow and basking in the warmth of it, 

Again for episode eleven we only get a little bit of SaiZon in part four, but that’s fine. It’s especially fine because it’s like every good sick fic I’ve ever read put into canon. Need I say more? It’s soft and cute, Saifah being a whiny sick baby while Zon takes care of them is peak devastation. I really have nothing to say here except thinking about this scene gives me a hundred and one fic ideas and melts my cold dead heart. Moving on. 

Episode twelve has a bit of SaiZon but outside of them being totally whipped and wearing matching outfits to the beach I don’t have anything to say? Like I could just scream about the fact that they’re cute but if you’ve made it this far I would hope you already know that, so I’m gonna carry on to episode thirteen- hope you don’t mind!

The finale- episode thirteen. Once again I’m going to just talk about it as a whole rather than split it up because this episode also follows like one central moment in time rather than having huge time breaks in between. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) Now we can get into the quintessential moments that define why I think SaiZon is one of the most superior relationships in media I’ve ever consumed. We are thirteen episodes in, we know these characters. They have grown into each other in front of us and this episode shows it in such a poetic way. When Sai and Zon get to their room at the hotel Sai is quick to tease Zon about his “duty” (for future reference if I ever hear someone say duty in reference to sex I might just cry) that night and of course in typical Zon fashion he gets a little antsy. But it doesn’t stop there like it would have earlier, instead Zon uses his nerves to turn the tables. He initiates a kiss with Saifah! Leaving both Saifah and I stunned in the process before teasing and dragging him out for their cute little beach date montage. Now mind you I am gay and love the beach so this shit hits hard for me. Like they’re being your typical love sick characters, Saifah stealing a few cheek kisses to Zon’s surprise, they goof off on a boat(?), they have those dumb couples clothes on- it’s really over the top cute like what else can I say. You want proof love exists? Here you go. Anyway they’re cute, it’s lovely, moving on. They have, I can only imagine this as a very strange double date, dinner with TorFight some bickering happens- again your typical drama moment it’s not too special. Until we get back to the bedroom. Now I have seen a lot of queer media in my life and with that comes your natural tropes (I say tropes fondly because I tend to like most tropes), and that’s what I was expecting. But no, I have never seen anything so purely born out of natural instinct and emotion in my life. Saifah sitting at the edge of the bed strumming a nameless song out of nerves, Zon trying to get his attention in the dorkiest way possible. Once again this is so totally and utterly /them/. I can’t picture anyone doing the way they did, selling that natural awkwardness that comes from your first time with someone you love? Fuck man. Saifah is finally all out of the confidence he normally has, instead he’s avoiding Zon and the prospect of the night by playing the guitar. It makes sense too because this is his first time doing this with someone that he loves, and his first time with a guy which is another added layer of nerves. It’s a lot for both of them, but Zon seems to be actually interested now- finally starting to make moves himself because he knows for a fact Sai isn’t going to push in fear of spooking Zon. And then we get the real moment that really changes everything, “You have music in your heart, don’t you want to have Zon in your heart?” This is it- this is the moment they’ve both been waiting for. Zon already has Saifah’s heart, he has for a while I believe, but this question is what tells Sai that Zon is ready too. They want the same thing, each other. Now we get one of the best build ups I have ever experienced. If you're watching just at face value it might seem a bit strange but every action is deliberate. @spookshowenilorac and I have this running theory that Zon doesn’t close his eyes during some kisses because he is afraid that if he does it will all disappear, it’ll be just a dream from Zol’s fiction (and anytime one of us mentions it I tear up). He’s been so afraid for so long and this moment does feel like it’s out of a dream, it’s overwhelming in passion and over thinking. But the moment Zon accepts it as real it progresses. Mind you, as I’m sure you already know, the tongue in these kisses was not scripted. This is purely Tommy and Jimmy giving this scene and these characters everything they had. It just feels right, after everything these two have been through, and to not have that level of intimacy would have left this scene hollow. The passion and dedication Mii2 gave SaiZon is unparalleled. But that’s not it is it? No, they take it even farther. The promises they make each other? “I promise that I will only have you.” “I’ll give in only to you.” The unscripted tears and voice crack? Nothing can or will top that. I’m sorry but that is /love/. This isn’t based on lust or desire or just purely passion, what Saifah and Zon have is so palpable you can almost feel it. I don’t think any words in our universe can explain the raw emotion that just envelopes this scene in particular. And to know half of it was unscripted and Mii2 just felt like this was what was needed, what the characters would have done is so validating? Just knowing that both Tommy and Jimmy see it too, how this scene needed to play out this way in order for Sai and Zon to have their story complete is unprecedented. Again I wish I had the words to describe it better but I just don’t, so I hope you can understand at least the surface level of what I’m trying to get at here. Anyway let’s move on before I combust by the pure emotions in the bed scene to the next bed scene! This is where Zon and Saifah wake up the morning after, and when I say this is yet again peak devastation I am not kidding. They’re so bright and loving with each other in their typical teasing manner. Saifah steals a cheeky kiss from Zon and demands a kiss on his cheek, of course Zon tries to mess around refusing, then kissing, then refusing when Sai asks for more. It’s light hearted and the emotional levity we all needed. Especially with the dazed look Zon has, I think here is when he fully understands and accepts that Saifah and this feeling isn’t a dream. This is real and his to keep. The passion between them hasn’t died down but their relationship isn’t solely based on it being so aggressive either. They excel in these in between moments, the give and take of both a teasing joke and a desire to be together. It’s not as primal as the love TorFight have, but that doesn’t make either any less valid. It’s the fact that they’re such vastly different relationships that makes me admire this show more. The contrast between the two really highlights that no two relationships are the same, just like no two people are the same and that’s a wonderful message. Moving on from that very domestic scene we get the beach kissing scene (yes I’m skipping a tiny bit because I have nothing to say about SaiZon walking in on TorFight besides gay solidarity baby!). First of all I wanna point out that their outfits are peak gay culture, like I can see @travelersmindpalace and I wearing the exact same outfits during our next beach date and it /hurts/. This is also where I point out that I have a weak spot for height differences and holy shit does SaiZon deliver. The way Zon has to kinda tippy toe to kiss Sai or have Saifah lean down a bit- I’m whipped. They also thank each other for coming into their lives and I had to pause for a good few minutes to have a nice little cry over that. Like??? How??? How are they so pure and sweet after everything- I really can’t fathom it. And they do that soft little nose bump thing before they kiss- my gay heart can really only take so much of this without crying over them. They truly are the pinnacle of relationship goals. I don’t know how else to say that? They really just are so encouraging of each other, the boundaries they set up are respected, there’s never a moment of an imbalance of power, they just have a healthy relationship that’s based on trust and understanding. I hope in the in the future we get more shows depicting a relationship like this.

This was a lot and I am sorry for the word dump?? If you made it this far I love you and I beg you to scream about SaiZon with me- and with that I’m done!

#why r u #saizon #saifahzon #THIS TOOK FOREVER I'M SORRY #this is almost 8000 words of me crying over my love for saizon episode by episode rip #boba!wordcollections #it's 1am I'll deal with the consequences of this when I wake up :3

[ranma-rewatch]

Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’

Hey, it’s Ranma Rewatch, I’m on episode 7, and I don’t want to waste too much time with the preamble. I am super excited for this episode, my boi is here, I really hope it holds up, see you after I watch it again!

That wasn’t exactly how I remembered it, but not in a bad way. The episode starts with a short scene that has become pretty freaking iconic, and has been sampled in dozens, if not hundreds, of AMV’s: A man cloaked from head to toe, walking through a desert, his eyes barely visible under goggles. It is a really cool shot that catches the eye right away.

We cut from that to that same person approaching a small village, deciding to throw off his concealing clothes to reveal his typical yellow and green outfit, with a bandanna around his head and an umbrella on his back, which he takes out to slow down his descent when he jumps off a cliff. This village happens to be being attacked by a huge wild boar, wrecking everything in its way, but this fellow is able to stop the animal with little effort and send it flying. When the grateful villagers approach, he only has one question for them: where is Furinkan High School?

At first they don’t understand the question, until they look at what he has for a map and realize it’s of Tokyo. The problem is, this young man is on Shikoku, a completely different island in the archipelago. They point him in the right general direction, and he reveals before the scene ends that he is specifically trying to find Ranma Saotome.

Speaking of the show’s titular character, we get a small scene of him in his cursed form being blackmailed by Nabiki into wearing women’s clothes because all of his stuff is in the wash. After that, we get another scene of the mysterious umbrella-wielding stranger asking someone for directions to Furinkan High School, but this time he’s in Hokkaido. Once again a completely different island, only this time on the opposite end. Fun fact: Hokkaido was the inspiration for Sinnoh in Pokemon!

We get another small cut-away to Ranma in various outfits, then another of our new character somehow ending up back in that village he was in earlier. The point is being made clear to us: he is terrible at getting where he wants to go, but is also so inhumanly strong and resilient that he has no trouble surviving in the wilderness in the process.

What seems to be the next day, he finally gets to where he’s going, just as school is letting out for the day. Ranma is being chased by Akane for something, though we don’t know exactly what. (Of course, we know their dynamic well enough by now to know it’s almost certainly something Ranma did to annoy her.) The newcomer slams into the ground where Ranma is landing at the same time, leaving a crater in the cement from the force of his landing, all while screaming how Ranma has to die.

The problem is, Ranma has no clue who this guy is, which pisses him off to know end. Even after he brings up that his vendetta has something to do with Ranma never showing up for a duel, Ranma still struggles (and fails) to remember this guys name, but luckily he gives it to Ranma anyway: Ryoga Hibiki. They went to Junior High together, and they’d agreed upon a duel, but it never happened because Ranma wasn’t there when Ryoga arrived.

Now, Ranma protests that he waited in the agreed upon empty lot for three days before taking off for China with his dad, which is honestly more time than most people would have waited. As we already know though, Ryoga can’t seem to get anywhere quickly, so he got there on the fourth day. Oh, and the lot was right behind his house.

The crowd of students who only moments before considered him with awe over his fantastic martial arts abilities are now looking at him like a buffoon, and Ryoga is ready to get his revenge on Ranma already. But Ranma puts a pause on that, runs out, and comes back with a bunch of different kinds of bread. Why? Because bread was the reason for their duel in the first place. Their school was only for boys, and getting food at lunch was a nightmare. Ranma ended up snatching the last piece of bread just before Ryoga could get it time and time again, and all the bread he brought was one of each type he’d taken years before.

But Ryoga doesn’t care about that, making it clear that the bread isn’t something he cares about anymore, that Ranma has put him through hell, even if Ranma has no clue what he’s talking about. But before they can get a proper fight going, Ranma runs away, losing Ryoga enough that when he starts busting up the school looking for him, he ends up going the wrong way and out of the area entirely, leaving Ranma and Akane to wonder where he went. We do get to see where before the episode ends: once again back in that village that had the boar problem, where he gets a meal before running out into the evening to find Ranma once more.

Like I said before, this episode wasn’t entirely how I remembered it. Namely, there was a lot more humor than I remembered. For the most part, that’s not a bad thing, there was actually some really good comedy, and I don’t feel like it trampled over the more serious parts of the episode.

If it isn’t clear, I am going to say right now that I did still love this episode. The animation was really on-point, some of the visuals of Ranma darting around people or the brief combat he gets with Ryoga just looks beautiful. Also, even though we don’t get a fight between the two just yet, it’s already solidly communicated, through Ryoga easily beating the boar, barreling through steel barriers, and hitting the ground so hard it destroys concrete, that he is strong as hell.

As much as I love the opening desert shot, I actually think my favorite part of the episode is some of the conversation between Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga. Ranma straining his brain to remember who Ryoga is killed me. It was weirdly relatable too, I’m sure many of us have run into someone who obviously knows us, while we can’t even remember how we know them, let alone their name. The fact Ranma actually specifically bought one of each bread he’d taken from Ryoga before was kind of cute, more than I expected of the usually flippant martial artist.

There’s also an exchange I’ve seen on Tumblr a few times in screencaps and gifs, and there’s a reason people love to share it. When Ryoga says he’s going to destroy Ranma’s happiness, there’s this shot of him freaking out, only to turn to Akane and blankly ask if he is happy, to which Akane doesn’t understand why he’s asking her. They take such a trope-y line from a character seeking revenge and turn it around into a really good joke.

There was also a really interesting thing I noted in terms of translation. After hearing about the string of times Ranma stole bread from Ryoga, Akane makes an analogy to why it mattered so much, but it’s different from dub to sub. In the English Dub, she says the straws broke the camel’s back, a common phrase that seems to fit the situation. But in the English Sub, she says (loosely remembering) “enough dust can make a mountain”, and I think that actually fits much better. After all, we soon learned that the bread isn’t really why Ryoga is angry, but once you do know everything that happened that led to Ryoga’s rage, that analogy fits perfect: it isn’t so much one specific event, as a collection of small events that collected into an enormous vendetta.

All my compliments aside, I did have some issues with the episode. Some of the comedy didn’t really work for me, and that was most true with the early scenes of the Tendo girls trying to dress Ranma in Akane’s clothes. Some parts did make me chuckle, but on the whole the mini-plot made me uncomfortable. Primarily because, as I’ve said before, I feel like the best way to look at Ranma’s cursed form is as a trans man. Even though his body has changed, his gender hasn’t, he’s still a man. The scene has Ranma protesting again and again that he is a man, even as they try to dress him as a woman. The idea of some cisgender folks trying to force a trans man into women’s clothes just...isn’t very funny to me. It’s kind of terrible, at least from a more queer perspective. That complaint done, let’s do the character spotlight.

Oh come on, who else did you think I was going to do? If it isn’t clear yet, Ryoga Hibiki is my favorite character in the series, and he has been since I was a teenager. Who knows if that will remain true this entire watch-through, but so far I’m not liking him any less. I’ll get into why, but first let’s talk about his voice actors.

The voice actor I’m more familiar with, his English one, is Michael Donovan. Like most of the actors for this dub, he’s someone who worked with the Ocean Group for a lot of series around this time period. That said, if you’re a fan of the Fate franchise, he has done some voices in Ufotable’s recent anime adaptations, playing Risei Kotomine and Zouken Matou. In Japanese, his voice actor is one Kōichi Yamadera, and he continued the pattern of voice actors who are well-known in Japan for dubbing English works. He’s most well-known for dubbing over Jim Carrey in a lot of movies, but he’s done a ton of others as well. In anime, some of his notable roles include Spike Spiegel, Beerus in all the recent Dragon Ball movies and anime, and Gentle Criminal in My Hero Academia. Seriously, diving into this guy’s list of roles is like swimming in an ocean of great roles.

So, how do they do? Well, so far I’d say I like both of them a lot, but they do play Ryoga differently. At his core, Ryoga is actually kind of a perfect microcosm of the tone of the series itself. Ranma 1/2 is simultaneously a shonen battle anime, a romantic harem series, and a wacky comedy. Ryoga is someone who takes himself very, very seriously. His desire for vengeance against Ranma isn’t a joke, and neither is his ability as a martial artist. But he’s also a doofus who ends up crossing the length of Japan several times because he can’t follow directions properly and the reasons (so far) for his hatred of Ranma are completely laughable.

I wouldn’t say that Michael Donovan’s performance lacks seriousness, in fact when he wants Ryoga to sound menacing I think he does it well, but on the whole he leans more heavily towards the comedic parts of the character. Meanwhile, Yamadera’s Ryoga hasn’t really sounded silly once to me. He plays the character dead straight, and let’s the comedy come through in the contrast between that demeanor and the circumstances around him. We’ll have to see as we go, but I actually might be preferring the Japanese performance so far, a rarity for me.

Okay, so, why do I love Ryoga so much? There are SO many reasons, many of which I won’t go into just yet because I’ll save them for when they appear in-series. But there is still a lot shown in this episode that I feel I can discuss. To start with, I adore his design. I don’t mean the cloak and goggles, though those are absolutely awesome, I’m referring to his standard mode of dress. The yellow and green as a color scheme, with accents of black to top it off, is something really unique. I don’t know enough about art to really articulate why, but I just love every touch of his design. My favorite small touch has to be the yellow strands wrapping around his lower legs, clashing with his otherwise dark green lower half. I have no clue what they’re supposed to be for, but they just add something, almost making him look more rooted to the spot of wherever he’s standing, more solid.

That is a good word to use for Ryoga in general. Even though we haven’t gotten to see him in a proper fight just yet, we’ve seen quite a lot of evidence of his main attributes. In Dungeons & Dragons terms, Ryoga is making out his Strength and Constitution. He hits like a truck and he can be hit by a truck without slowing down. I love that because it contrasts so perfectly with Ranma’s strength: his speed and precision. I adore it when rival characters actually have qualities that make the fights between them more interesting from the contrast, and Ryoga fits the bill there quite well. He’s also a good foil in terms of personality: Ranma is easy going, likes screwing with people, and is quite quick-witted; Ryoga has a hot temper and a long memory for grudges, hates it when people trick him, and tends to let his emotions do the thinking for him.

I will say it feels like his character has some classic Early Installment Weirdness, as he uses his umbrella quite a bit in this episode. If I remember correctly, after his introductory arc, he doesn’t use his umbrella much at all for the rest of the show, preferring to rely on his fists. It definitely feels like they hadn’t quite nailed the character completely yet, if that makes any sense.

Ryoga is also doing that thing where he’s seeking revenge and really angry, but refuses to talk about why, drawing out the mystery as long as possible. While that trope can become annoying, I don’t really mind it in this case. This isn’t a situation like Godot from Ace Attorney, where Ryoga is purposefully hiding it for some grand plan or something, or to teach a lesson. Ryoga doesn’t go into specifics because A) he thinks Ranma should already know; B) Ryoga is very mad; and C) he doesn’t want anyone else to know his secret. I’m not saying it isn’t stupid that he doesn’t tell Ranma why he’s mad, but I am saying that it’s in-character.

Are you surprised that I adore this episode? You shouldn’t be, I’ve been gushing about it this whole time. Even with the parts I found more rough to watch, this is still my favorite episode of the series thus far, putting the rankings at:

Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’

Episode 2: School is No Place for Horsing Around

Episode 6: Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know

Episode 4: Ranma and...Ranma? If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another

Episode 5: Love Me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart

Episode 1: Here’s Ranma

Episode 3: A Sudden Storm of Love

The big question is: will the next episode of this four episode Ryoga arc be even better? We’ll find out next time with Episode 8: “School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga”. See you then!

#episode 7 #Enter Ryoga the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’ #ranma 1/2 #ranma saotome #ryoga hibiki #anime analysis #anime rewatch

[queen-of-my-goofball-army]

Once you get this, you have to answer with five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send it to ten of your favorite followers. (non-negotiable, positivity is cool!!). 🥺🧡🧡

🥺🥺

Thank you Blue!!! You’re the best I don’t know if I have ten favorite followers and this is probably a bad day to do this kind of thing for me anyways since it’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster but I thought this was a really cute idea!!!

1. The first thing that I like about myself is something that numerous people have called me out on today. My best friend on this site who is always there for me whenever I need him tells me that I have a really big heart. It’s true. I love my friends, sometimes a little bit too much and when I take on a problem of somebody else’s it becomes my problem. I love everyone around me so much. I’ve made so many incredible friends on this site especially since group chats became a thing

2. I love my aspergers. This has always been something that I’m open about with everyone. I love the fact that my brain is wired just that little bit differently. It might mean that I understand everything but I do my best to help other people. I’m an empath I always have been one and I love my friends more than anything in the world.

3. I love the fact that I know my special interests and that I’m not embarrassed by them anymore!! My special interests help make me who I am. Whether that be recognizing Rob Paulsen’s voice in a cartoon show or movie or playing name that voice actor while watching anime with my best friend I have always had a good ear for spotting my faves. For example, I’m rewatching Yona Of The Dawn right now for the first time dubbed and I instantly heard the White Dragon’s voice and had that Beyoncé meme moment where I was like Ian Sinclair is that you my bro?? And it was!!!

4. I love my sense of humor!!! I have always been quick with a laugh or a joke at something funny and many people have told me in my life that I should really be a comedian. I just finished watching one of my favorite movies Tommy Boy with my mom and dad for family movie night and that scene with the car on the highway always has me holding my sides laughing. My hero Rob Paulsen said it best when he said “Laughter is the best medicine because you can’t OD and tv e refills are free.”

5. Hmm fifth thing I love about myself. Oh I love my kind and gentle nature!! People have told me in the last that I’m very maternal and I try to be as much as I can.

People to tag I’d like to tags the four best girlfriends that I could have probably ever asked for @bio-hazard0us @lazyangryhedgehog @cookies-n-chaos and @squishyredriot these four ladies have helped me out through so much of life’s petty little bullshit problems and I love them more than anything @targaryens-blog who while she’s often busy is still one of the kindest women I know @felixlikesflowers probably one of the closet people that I have in my life and one of the best spectrum buddies I could have ever asked for @elohmeh another spectrum pal who can make some of the cutest artwork and has the kindest soul @97090-1 who is just a genuinely good person and always ready to hear my latest hcs for my ocs @gamerboi-02 one of the kindest, and of course one of the goofiest people that I have ever met and of course we can’t forget last but certainly not least my best friend on this site who probably needs to do this just as much as I do @littlebatinthenight you really are a top tier best friend and I don’t think I ever really knew how much I needed you in my life until you came into it

[end-of-pizza]

I hope everyone is enjoying the end of the world

I am trying to, mostly just been building model kits, more on that later. But yea these last few weeks have been fuckin weird right?

like, I hope everyone is doing okay financially etc right now, I am lucky enough that my job could just switch us all to work from home, and that tax season got extended so I can still get a buncha over time while working out of my home office, and that the waifu works at an old folks home so theyve been on a HARD lockdown for like, 3 months now so theyre luckily not one of those fucked up ones where all the residents die, theyre one of the ones where no one can leave their room and no one can visit their family.....so at least were both still employed I suppose

I have been going back and rewatching old TV shows though, and have been watching a fuck ton of gundam as of late, a lot of patlabor too, I got it on dvd right before the world shut down. Rewatched some bubblegum crisis too, forgot how good that show was...

I have been meaning to go back to eva, but like.....idk a part of me is just exhausted with it, like between the netflix dub being a grown mans shit in a paper bag, and the final movie just....you know never ever coming out, turning into god damn vapor ware on me out of no where, idk man, my brain is just exhausted with trying to understand it....figure I could go rewatch the old dub or the sub of it and maybe it could respark something in me noggin.

But I mentioned previously that I have both been building model kits like crazy and have been watching a ton of gundam lately....and this is sort of tied in with how im trying to stay sane during all of this. My DND crew had been kicking around this idea of a side game for a bit, and we bit the bullet and we are officially playing a D20 compaign of the OG gundam story line, but like, if all the original pilots didnt die in the first 10 minutes of the first episode. so no amuro, just 4 OC characters and a few other background changes. so far we’re having fun with it, but I figured I could share some of the work I have done for that project as I havent shared ANYTHING of value on this page in like, a year or two now....sorry about that again, like I said after the netflix thing and 4.0 never coming out, just havent been super keen on the idea of more evangelion at the moment, Anno has officially exhausted me  but yea, heres some dang gunpla I built for our D20 game

I havent really made too many customized Zeon suits, mostly ive only been customizing the feddie suits since thats the side my dudes are on atm, but I promise there are a buncha zaku and goggs etc sitting on the desk behind me, just figured you guys might get a kick out of what i’ve been up too while in quarantine. just rewatching anime, ordering in a lot of grub hub and door dash, and building plastic models.  I love you guys and I will talk to you later also if you, like me want to get back into gundam, check out the podcast Mobile Suit Breakdown, they are doing a full rewatch of all of gundam like ALL of it, and they give huge deep dives into the culture and ideas behind WHY everything in gundam is how it is.....sorta like the entire evangelion community has been trying to do since time immemorial  

https://gundampodcast.com/

#gundam #not eva #blog

[pigeoncentric]

i did an A:TLA rewatch and took notes because that’s just what i do, and here’s the notes if anyone wants to see my thoughts

i haven't watched atla since about a year before korra started airing, so like, around 2011. i should also mention that i never watched korra through to the end, but i guess i'll do that after this. if i feel like it. i do know that the biggest bottles were never popped

i have such a clear memory of the first episode. it must've been on nickelodeon pretty often, even though when it was airing, i only watched it occasionally. i remember they also aired the library episode super often.

aang's voice is so tiny and sweet

i gotta turn off my dumb adult brain and put my dumb kid brain back on so i can better appreciate the nickelodeonness of it all

sokka and zuko's first interaction.......

zuko's intimidating approach and then his tiny teen voice

SOKKA AND ZUKO'S SECOND INTERACTION............

zuko's like "i'm going home." with aang. he must be feeling an incredible mixture of feelings, thinking he has the avatar and can reclaim his Honor. but he also must be terrified to go back, and in disbelief... fortunately he's not going home like he said and there are even more confused feelings in between

i just remembered that iroh's voice actor dies between seasons :(

thinking a lot about dante basco... no thoughts in particular, just a lot of them... and how he shipped zutara lmao

"my troubles cannot be soaked away!"

hei bai looks like a ben 10

mounts list (added to as i progressed through the series): zuko's rhinos. earth armored ostriches. metal noshing mole. north pole goatyak. azula and friends' fur geckos. sabertooth moose lion if you're not a wimp. appa-sized beetle. moose with aquatic features. Eel Hound.

you can't out-mom-friend katara. even when she's yelling and being reckless

it's true... airbenders are weak to nets.

the n*tfli* captions are making several mistakes. eat my ass ne*f*ix and hire me to do flawless captioning instead you dumb fucks

YEAH! even by episode 13 in season 1 we already know zuko is a good boy! well also by episode 12. and earlier. well i've seen the series before.

i've just learned that zach tyler eisen is the voice of aang and i have to give him huge props for having the perfect voice. i pay a lot of attention to voice acting, usually in a nitpicky way, and i've never heard an english voice actor whose voice is perfect on the level of ikue ohtani... and when he was like 12 years old. incredible. i'm not being remotely sarcastic

i gotta be 100% honest. i had completely forgotten the existence of zhao and that he's actually a pretty important character, at least in season 1. also his voice actor is pretty good. generally the voice acting is good in this show, and i'm picky.

god the animation where aang makes one catapult catapult the other is so good. also appa just picked up and grabbed a guy. with his fist. wait how many toes does appa have? is that 18 in total? also appa has scutes on his ventrum. anyway i love that appa can pick up and grab a guy but generally chooses not to. gives it more weight when he does choose to

zuko tells turtle seals to be quiet and then touches them unkindly :(

zuko busted out of katara's ice orb instead of melting it :\

zuko put his hood up like iroh told him to but aang just has his naked bald head in the snowy cold :(

seeing zhao grab and bag the moon spirit fish made me feel sick. such a foul act

god. the quality rope. i noticed sokka mention it and was like, "was this a chekhov's gun or a red herring" and then a few minutes later there was a pointed pan over to the quality rope.

anyway examining the quality of the voice acting here leads me to a thesis i might gather evidence to prove: american english voice acting for cartoons is far higher quality than american english voice acting for anime dubs. or is that just something obvious that everyone already agrees on

anyway anyway, the episode ended without the quality rope being put to use. unless i missed it, which is entirely possible.

jesus i heard azula's first lines and got an instant flashback to all the tumblr drama about grey delisle and her tumblr account and how she pretended it wasn't hers or something let's just erase all of this from my brain right now

this is kind of out of nowhere and borderline inappropriate but i'm glad characters in avatar are illustrated with nipples when they're shirtless... it always disturbs me a tiny bit when shirtless characters are depicted with zero nipple, not even a hint of nipple. (Aladdin.) not just because it implicitly stigmatizes something everyone has, but also because this scenario always plays in my head where it's like, a little kid sees a cartoon character without nipples and they think, "so i'm not supposed to have these..." and they start feeling weird and bad about themself... all you need to depict a nipple is a single unobtrusive dot. nothing visually offensive or explicit about it.

even to an audience who doesn't understand any cultural context, you can't not see the significance of zuko and iroh cutting off their topknots...

fandom seems to see sokka as the silliest one when in fact at least 40% of his entire role as a character is to be the tsukkomi

underrated moment: "you've got an elbow leech." "WHERE?! WHERE?!"

zuko should be a good boy and only steal if it's from pirates

stealy zuko stealing money and buying iroh a teapot !

god i forgot what a tiny baby voice toph has... so tiny

zuko trying really really hard but doing a bad job hammering (tears)

azula set up zuko and mai for a lucky sukebe...

when zuko's mom told him not to forget who he is, she didn't mean to remember that he's a prince and an heir as he revealed to the unsuspecting earth kingdom village. she meant to remember that he's someone with at least the base level of empathy and compassion, unlike most of his immediate family...

i still think aang's voice actor did a great job but i bet it sucks to be a young boy doing an excellent young boy voice and then when you grow up a little and presumably experience some puberty you just Cannot do the young boy voice anymore. hopefully in most cases where that happens, it's at least not abrupt

placing a bet that the writer for episode s2:e10 (the library) is different than most of the other episodes. i don't like it very much, at least in the first several minutes. if it's a name i recognize from the credits of several other episodes, i might be a bit disappointed in them. seriously, there's one stinker after another. and with such a great concept of an episode...

i didn't recognize the name of the guy who wrote this episode so i thought i was right but no, he wrote a bunch of episodes. must have been off his game for this one... either that or i'm in a very unforgiving mood and don't realize it... also when i went on wikipedia to look at who wrote which atla episodes, i learned that the animation for the show was split between two animation studios, and they're both korean. ah, i guess that doesn't mean all the animation took place overseas, as DM movie has a headquarters in the US. according to wikipedia.

oh, they're BUZZards... i get it... i gotcha.

aang with a vengeance is both scary and sad to see. but he does understand that property damage is nothing compared to a life

people who love azula are the exact same as people who love vriska: [comment redacted]

they have american birds in the avatar world. i keep hearing an eastern wood-peewee going "pee-pee-uwee" in the background :3

the serpent's pass seems geologically implausible.

sokka should really get face paint all over his face when he kisses suki. or like, the cartoonish image of when someone is covered in lipstick lip smacks, but it should be suki's makeup color

appa's been through so much and now he has to meet a boarcupine?!?! fortunately he still knows how to pick up and grab... but still :(

he touched appa's scutes and read them like a palm...

longshot translated his meaningful stares into out-loud words for katara and friends

zuko forgot that azula always lies :(

zuko should know that being redeemed in his father's eyes is the opposite of what he wants...

i LOVE aang's passionate tsungi horn dance

there are spring peepers in the fire nation

god the dripping of the rotten clams is so excessive

you know how ultrasonic humidifiers can create water vapor without heating it into steam, by vibrating it super fast? let's try that with waterbending, it'll be cool

two different bad guys have been skipped across the water like a rock

i love the fake time lapse of cleaning the river... and it showed how with pollution in real life, stopping the source of the pollution is not enough. it needs to be removed as well

sokka deserves LOTS of credit just for being able to handle a boomerang.

GOD THE SLOW PAN OVER THE BEAUTIFUL SWORD (in 3:4)

sokka also deserves LOTS of credit for being able to admit he doesn't know everything.

i managed to forget that zuko turns his back on iroh, while remembering that at some point, iroh gets buff

the voice of sokka's master is the voice of the boulder. right? right? no? are you kidding me? i suck at this

seems like kissing azula would have immediate consequences, like something melting

zuko is poorly socialized

zuko still forgot that azula always lies. even when she's being somewhat humanized in an episode like this.

so avatar roku had earthly attachments he did not let go of, presumably. such as his wife. did he have unfettered access to the avatar state? that's what i would ask him during this expositionfest if i was aang.

so sozin could do heatbending... that's amazing. i think i missed that the first time around.

that's right, zuko came back and his hair is long enough, but he hasn't recreated his topknot.

hawky is the only atla animal that poops on camera.

if you're gonna bend sweat, you might as well bend spit, and it's a little easier to obtain

wait so... is combustion man also a heatbender? i'll have to look into it later. [looked into it later: the avatar wiki has termed it "combustionbending?" are you shitting me?]

ooh it's the bloodbending episode! i'm pumped.

someone made a post about how when they watched this show and they were a kid they were thinking about how the characters are hot, and now they're watching as an adult and the characters are all tiny children... that's how i've been feeling. also season 3 episode 8 aang's voice sounds a little bit pubertous.

anyway damn this bloodbending episode is outright traumatic. good shit

oh, now zuko's topknot is back.

appa's armor covers each individual toe <:3c

i seriously misremembered the course of zuko's character development. and the timeline of the invasion in general. but now i understand that zuko has to tell his dad to eat shit face to face.

watching zuko's "zuko here" practice speech hurts 100% as much as it did the first time i saw it. and when he's delivering it to the gaang it's impossible to watch. i didn't put my hands on my head-- they just went there unbidden.

i kinda can't help picturing dante basco's face every time i hear zuko talk. the whole time. it's sometimes not optimal to know the faces of voice actors. especially when you're like me and you're not good at pushing out unwanted mental images.

what the fuck, combustion man? he just loves assassination so much you can't take back any orders. also i can't help but imagine that if you put a slice across his third eye his combustion would be fully inhibited. well i guess that's not a problem anymore.

i like that the gaang are a variety of heights, and that they're all noticeably shorter than most of the adults they meet. it just makes it feel realistic

if it was a US max security prison and prisoners were escaping they'd probably just fucking murder them

i love how when mai starts up the gondola again and azula is like "what is she DOING!" and ty lee just makes an "iunno" noise

tfw your best friend abandons you because you wouldn't let her murder her own brother

chit seng didn't get to free his girlfriend and best buddy :(

funny how azula seems almost docile when she's getting everything she wants. typical narcissist. well ok not the least bit typical.

sokka ate the rose. i remembered this scene Too clearly. but i didn't remember that.

um... was that the full moon? when katara bloodbent that guy? i should've looked at the sky... i went back and looked and still didn't see if it was the full moon. maybe the wiki knows. i don't care enough to look it up properly.

i was wondering when the melon lord would show up

none of the teens understand the obvious solution of defeating the fire lord by beating him INTO SUBMISSION (or oblivion) instead of killing him. just like in every anime fight ever. it's over when you acknowledge you've lost or you can't fight anymore, not when you die. (for the #1 best example of ending a fight the right way, see the way luffy defeats crocodile.)

so i know aang's gonna defeat the fire lord by essentially hitting him with a forced purification beam to the face and make him realize the errors of his ways or something. the fun part is how we get there

bumi bending entire houses through the air

aw i forgot the turtle island didn't have a cute face.

jyong jyong firebent a jet platform to fly around on?!

i guess the firelord can fly around like bakugou katsuki

i forgot that aang took away his firebending... and sokka hops up to him like "well, look at you, buster"

i'm glad i decided to watch this again. even if i didn't do a great job paying attention tbh. well i did spend a bit of time carving a little wooden spoon while i was watching. anyway i was thinking i wouldn't move right on to korra but rather read some of the atla comics that i know exist but have never read whatsoever. i wonder if i can find them in some kind of library...

  i found the comics illegally on the internet and read a whole bunch (up until the end of the "zuko finds his mom" arc). i didn't write my thoughts down as i was reading, so i don't remember them. that's how my worthless brain works. i do remember that i found the comics satisfactory as an accurate extension of the show, and that i feel ambivalent about how azula is written/treated in the comics.

i don’t know if i feel like rewatching korra yet.

[2minutes2midnight]

AoS Rewatch: 1x01 Pilot

Because it’s first episode I would like to start with my first impressions of main characters. I don’t remember everything what I was thinking back then but here’s what I remember :) :

Coulson - well I knew him from marvel movies and I really like him, there was something about him that made him really likable for me. I’m big fun of his smirky humor, and I just loved to see him safe and sound, and alive ;).

Ward - when I watched the pilot I never expected what’s gonna happen later in the season. I thought he’s gonna be stereotypical handsome guy who doesn’t want to be a part of a team, but in the end he’s gonna risk his life for them and care about them. (Ha ha ha jokes on me :D).

Skye - I wasn’t sure if she’s part of main cast when I first saw her but I like her from the beginning. There was something about her - how she talked so much, how she wasn’t agent and had other point of view. I was curious how her story is gonna develop.

May - I know many people knew Ming-na from other productions but I didn’t (I watched Mulan with Polish dubbing lol). But I was very intrigued by her character from the beginning, I never believed she’s gonna be just a pilot. I really wanted to know more about her.

Fitzsimmons - I’m referring to them as a unit because that’s how I felt after 1x01. I’m not gonna lie - I love them from their very first scene. I have a thing for adorable nerds, especially when they talked with British accent. And I knew they gonna kiss one day (but what I didn’t know - that I will wait 3 seasons for this :D). And because I have degree in biomedical engineering it was cool for me that they are engineer and biochemist :D.

Under the cut thoughts I had during episode when I first watched it and what I think now. And my favorite quotes and scenes :)

My thoughts when I watched Pilot for the first time:

I really liked how episode started. Skye’s voiceover was really cool ;).

I got excited when I saw Mike because I knew J. August Richard from “Angel”, I was hoping he’s gonna be in more than one episode.

Like I mention before - when I saw Ward I thought he’s gonna be stereotypical handsome tough guy

Maria Hill! Yay! Connection with Marvel Movies. Back then I was hoping for more cameos.

“Welcome to level seven” - it is one of the most epic scene ever, I was so happy to see Coulson.

When Coulson said they faked his death my first thought was “okay...I was hoping for better explanation” (well...I got it few episodes later)

I really thought Ward is gonna changed from being negative about being in a team to really being part of it...

When they mentioned Tahiti and that Coulson doesn’t know the truth - it made me really curious!

First May scene and my reaction: Drive a bus? What bus? This lady is hiding something, isn’t she?

“Melinda” - ohh I sense there is some history between those two.

My first reaction to the bus - “ohhhh it’s a nice bus”

Fitzsimmons and their amazing first scene. And my brain going “ohhhh two nerds with British accent bickering about science? And she mention Hermione? I love them!”

Lola is so cool!

Why is Ward surprised that May is just a pilot?!

I really liked all those gadgets they showed in first episode :)

During Skye’s interrogation I was wondering if she and Ward are gonna be thing, tbh I was sure they will and he will change for her. I thought it’s predictable but I was okay with it. (Ha ha once again jokes on me)

Fitzsimmons were so adorable in season one, such a smol beans.

I was so in shocked that Mike and this doctor know each other! Like...what the hell?

And the Mike attacked May :(. And Skye and this SIM card - I wasn’t sure if I should trust her.

When Coulson yelled at Fitzsimmons that they need to find a way to safe Mike - I felt this pressure.

Mike’s fall in train station looked so cool, it’s a great shot!

We had first of many Coulson’s speeches - he’s really good at this. I was really worried about Mike and if he’s gonna make it!

They saved him and it was great team work (with bumps but still).

When I heard about 084 I was very confused ;)

Lola is flying!!!!

What I think now:

I’m not gonna lie - this rewatch made me really emotional. I watched Pilot many times but this is my first rewatch since they said that season 7 is gonna be the last one. It’s so weird to see everyone so innocent and young, there is less sadness in their eyes that’s for sure. I miss times when I didn’t know that Ward is gonna betray them. Because they made great team, I liked his grumpiness and sarcastic humor. His weird relationship with Coulson or Fitz. When I watch it and know what he’s gonna do, that all of this is an act - I can’t believe he could pretend all of this so well. It’s terrifying that I didn’t expected that he could be a bad guy. When Coulson said “Nobody’s nobody, Ward” - I never really thought about this scene, but knowing what happened to him and what he’s gonna do I look at this scene differently. Other thing - Ming was so great in this episode, we don’t know anything about her but you can feel that something happened to her. And how she pretend she doesn’t want to go into field when we know she’s doing this for Fury! Who would guess how this gonna develop?

“If you want to be in the field, Agent Fitz, you have to get your hands dirty” - “No, I do not” - who would thought what’s gonna happen later? How this gonna change? Just...wow. They really played us.

And using in Coulson’s speech “The real deal -“ I think it was really fitting to use this for 100th episode title and make Mike to show up. Because this mission really was beginning of everything, of this team.

Now I think it’s funny how I thought this tv show is gonna be predictable. I usually really bad with avoiding spoilers but with AoS earlier seasons I was really good - I didn’t know what’s gonna happen and I was shocked many times. Most of my predictions from first episode didn’t come true ;).

My favorite moments and quotes:

Maria Hill: “Well, you haven’t been near his arms.” (About Thor)

Skye: “With great power comes...a ton of weird crap that you are not prepared to deal with”

May: “What are we seeing?” Fitz: “Well, the man is angry at the other man”.

Fitz: “So, when- when you get back, I’ll show you my thing. A thing. It’s not - it’s my hardware. My equipment. Let’s...hang up”.

Fitz: “Its like magic, but it’s science”.

And few screenshots of my favorite scenes :) (remember when Ward was funny?)

#aosrewatch #aosrewatchS1 #aosrewatch1x01 #my thoughts #long post #sorry i got carried away

[musashi]

Quick! Top 10 best James TeamRocket episodes of all time and why are they good?

OH GOOD ASK TELLY. im actually gonna just to top 5 because i have too many feelings and putting them all in one ask makes me anxious haha.

5. DP153/The Treasure is All Mine! - bruh they really gave an homage to my favourite episode of pokeani smack dab in the middle of DP. god i lov this ep. i can’t believe they acknowledged james’ backstory in such detail so so late in the series and so far after his initial episode. mostly i love this episode because we actually get to see a lot of bby james living his life as a kid and it drops the BOMB that he actually did have feelings for his ex fiancee at one point, incredibly shallow ones that rode entirely on the fact that he thought she was pretty, and OH BY THE WAY SHE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE JESSIE BUT NO ROCKETSHIPPING BRO. i have too many feelings about this. also growlie was there i love growlie. also finally got jessie in disguise as jessebelle why’d that take so long??? i mean probably because the writers aren’t cruel enough to do that to james but yknow.

4. AG147/Sweet Baby James - god i just watched this episode for the first time in japanese and it’s so good. it’s so fucking good. i think my favourite thing about this episode is that it lets you know there were at least two more people looking out for james in his childhood. so he had them and his growlithe, which is a comforting thought. every time he starts talking abt his childhood i black out from heartbreak lol. i love this whole arc of the anime because james’ chimecho is arguably his favourite pokemon of all time and when he finally gets one he helicopter parents it to an extent that it’s kinda virtually useless from a story perspective (hence why it got written out so quick) and despite his obsession with protecting it from harm, it ends up getting so sick it can’t travel with him anymore. so even though it’s not explored there’s this underlying lesson he has to learn that no matter how much he loves something he can’t protect it from everything, and i think it would’ve been really cool if they had explored that more because in a way james is kind of perpetuating a cycle in how he was treated (sheltered, stifled, and locked away) on the closest thing he has to a child of his own. only instead of out of control and abuse, he makes that mistake out of love. again none of that is expanded upon in the episode, but this episode lays the GROUNDWORK for it, and i love that. it’s also really good how devoted he is to staying by its side, how easily he truces with team twerp and turns on his teammates for wanting to rob his estate & fuck everything up, and just how good of a person he is in this episode, owning up to his lies and staying true to himself. i rly think this episode is the rawest we ever get james? like this is him at heart, no facades, no fronts, just james as he is. i love that. i love him.

3. SM058/Fighting Back the Tears! - This episode belongs more to Mareanie than it does to James but upon rewatching it a few times I just gotta say: its good. Esp on a second rewatch. Mareanie does a lot of Questionable Things in the beginning of this episode u don’t understand until you know her backstory, and then once you do it hits twice as hard. Her and James have so many moments of quiet love together, talking one on one, and the way he speaks to her is with so much softness in his voice it quite literally rots my teeth out of my skull. There’s a lot of subtle callbacks to James’ own backstory that I’m downright ANGRY weren’t explored (Mareanie and James have the same backstory. They were both wronged by their first love and found a second chance in a partner who resembles those first loves. Despite being a direct parallel, THIS IS NEVER MENTIONED OR DISCUSSED??? POKEANI???) Oh and there’s whump & h/c. James is deathly poisoned at one point and his friends are at his bedside looking after him while he deliriously makes poor life choices. Also James fights a tentacruel w/ his bare fists. Also there’s a slutty bisexual crown of thorns starfish in this episode. a+. good episode. 

2. DP146/Dressed for Jess Success! - i’ll do the horny part first: fetish brain like sick girl oughghhghhhg jessie hot sexy. K ANYWAYS this is my second fave episode of all time. mostly for horny reasons but theres a lot of good shit happening that isn’t that. despite only ever posting abt jessie when i liveblog this episode it’s actually an episode about james and meowth and jessie doesn’t do much besides scream at her tv while on a lot of cold medicine. this episode is fucking hysterical to me because james is really really good at being in disguise as any old rando, melts into roles perfectly, and overall never sees any of that as a burden--but the SECOND he has to act as the literal woman he has spent the last 10+ years of his life with he freezes up and is like “I DONT KNOW WHAT IM DOING??? HELP” like he can’t fathom it. that is so fucking funny. like is he scared he’s gonna come home and jessie’s gonna shove him in a closet and scream at him for being ooc. the other thing thats good about this episode is james spends like 10 minutes slinking around the contest hall like “ughghghg im not a fucking coordinator meowth lets lose” and he then proceeds to eviscerate not only the competition but the literal heroine as well, i mean he just EVISCERATES dawn. he has almost full points when he beats her and she has NONE. he humiliates the poor girl. and he gets the loudest cheers the MC has ever heard. loud enough that jessie yells at him fsdghfsg “i don’t like that you as me got more applause than i as me!!!” LIKE JAMES IS SECRETLY A REALLY GOOD COORDINATOR... CAN WE PLEASE GET MORE OF JAMES IN CONTESTS. fuck i love this episode. did i mention jessie’s hot 

1. EP048/Holy Matrimony! - Like dude do I have to say any more about this episode... beyond being the quintessential Backstory Episode it has one of the most pivotal rocketshipping moments in it. The black comedy is so fucking good and makes you feel all kinds of weird for laughing and that is my favourite feeling of all. There’s a vileplume AND a growlithe, like thats a wombo combo of good pokemon. Everyone in the dub of this ep is blitzed off chaotic energy. Rachael Lillis does a steel magnolia accent for like 20 mins & they named her character after a biblical figure who gets eaten by wild dogs. I’m p sure Eric Stuart transcends his mortal form to make New Noises. This is the least objective part of this list because this is my favourite pokemon episode and I will take NO feedback or constructive criticism.

#wendy rambles #pokemeta #like no one ever was #we have liftoff #hot koko #os #ag #dp #sm #ep048 #ag147 #dp146 #dp153 #sm058 #tetedetele #wendy answers