#Watching another Moe Blob like...

[hanaruri-tunes]

Humiliating Leviathan (Levi x reader)

My first try at some smut, so MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. And here are the warnings I could think of: Degradation, crying, masturbation, usage of underwear, usage of sex toys, going down on MC, two dicks (I gotta follow the common agreement that Levi has two dicks haha), snake tongue (again, common agreement), petting, praising

OKAY. I think that's it. Don't hesitate to tell me if I forgot something. I know all those warnings might make it seem hardcore but I promise it's actually quite a cute fic. Subby and pathetic Leviathan is the cutest. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LEAVE COMMENTS please please this is my first try at smut in the obey me fandom (if ever, actually) I would really appreciate the support.

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You knocked on his door three times. No answer. Knowing Leviathan he was either passed out in his bathtub after binge-watching an anime or playing games non-stop... Or he miraculously decided to go out somewhere. Probably to buy some merch from a limited-in-time store that has no official website from which Leviathan can order. Although he could definitely find some second-hand merch online he refused to do that. He would go on and on about how buying second-hand isn't supporting the franchise thus he MUST buy it directly from the source.

Seeing how there was still no answer you decided to go in. Usually his door had a spell on it that would send intruders into another random place in the devildom but he lifted that spell for you specifically. You were the only one who could enter at any time without any disturbance.

As you did so, there was no Leviathan in sight. Not in front of his gaming set-up, not in his bathtub, not passed out on the floor. So he's out, huh? You wonder why he didn't invite you or at least warn you that he'll be out today. Usually, especially if it's for a limited time anime café, you're always the first one invited. Well, you probably shouldn't pry but as you're about to step a foot outside his room... You stop. This is a pretty rare chance to look around his room without him pestering you.

It's not like you'll pry *too* much though. Just a bit, for curiosity's sake. (That was a lie you told yourself.) You inspect his figurines more closely. He's mostly into magical girl shows and moe blob shows. How cute of him. But you've always expected that he might have some secret sexy figurines as well. Or else why would he be so protective of some of the packages he orders from Akuzon? He's usually so unenthusiastic and slow when getting out of his room for breakfast or dinner and yet he rushes to the door when it's for a delivery.

After checking some of his drawers you find the fabrics and materials he uses for his cosplays. It's all mostly different hues of pink since he prefers cosplaying female characters- how cute. At one point you also accidentally come across his underwear in one of his drawers, it's all mostly black with some funky colors mixed in from time to time. He even has one of a limited edition HanaRuri-tan underwear collection.

And just as you think that you've struck gold... it's just some old stuff. Probably from some of his past obsessions. That includes precure dvds, aikatsu cards, manga magazines, et cetera. Again all cute shows mostly targeted to young audiences. Really, you can't see Leviathan as anything else than a completely adorable dork. People often don't get him for his specific tastes and hobby but all you see is a pure little guy who's still in touch with his inner child and who loves mostly light hearted shows. Surely anything he might hide won't probably be even THAT bad. Or even if it is... that's still cute in another way.

After looking in all of his drawers, no sign of any sexy figurine, of any sex toy or even erotic manga... This is way too suspicious. But then again Levi is smart, he probably wouldn't dare hide any of this stuff in his drawers knowing that Lucifer frequently comes to his room begging him to clean it, only to start off doing it by himself before Levi hurriedly joins him and kicks him out. If he had to hide something dirty where would he... ... You look under the bathtub. Nope. Too easy? Then...Reaching for his blanket and sheets inside the bathtub, you raise them, uncovering some sort of trapdoor?You slide it open and there's a huge box inside of it. If you had to guess, he used the same spell as the entrance of his room. Except this one always leads to the same space: the place where his hidden box is, wherever that is.

You pull it out, open it and there it is. Almost all of the stuff you had imagined him hiding was in here. Sexy figurines, erotic doujins, even some sex toys. Two in particular were bigger than the others. Fleshlights... But why two? Looking at it closer one's a smaller size and the other one is bigger. Did he get the size wrong the first time he ordered so now he has two of them? But more than that, there was something you really didn't expect to find here. A pair of panties. *Your* panties. You thought that maybe you had just forgotten it while moving back and forth between the devildom and human world but here they were, in Leviathan's precious box.

In some way this awakened something in you, a strange feeling of amusement while you realized that the cutest and purest guy you knew turned out to be a filthy underwear thief who most likely used it to jerk himself off.As you started to think that, a loud noise came from behind you. It sounded like some object had fallen to the floor- ah. Probably Levi who just came back and dropped his phone after realizing what you were looking at. Quickly, you wiped off the amused smile you had on your face before turning back to face him. You faked a look that was a mix of disappointment and worry.

"Levia-chan..."

The poor guy looked frightened, as if the sky had fallen on his head, as if his life was over. Even that pathetic part of him, you found it just so cute.

"Ah... ah... That- uh. I-"

Not even taking the time to close the door behind him, he dropped on his knees in front of you, lowering his head.

"I can explain! S-So please don't- please don't freak out o-or agh, I mean-"

His heart dropped when you walked past him. "It's over." He thought. The friendship you guys had built was done for. There's no way you would ever love him now or even want to look his way. There's no way a kind, beautiful, strong person like you would ever even spare him a glance. No way an amazing girl as pretty and genuine as you would give a second chance to a gross creepy piece of shit like him.

As the worst possible scenarios started to play in his head, he came back to his senses slightly as he understood that you had just closed the door in order to have more privacy in here. You slid his seat in front of him as he was still on his knees, sat down and crossed your legs, taking on a haughty tone. Almost commanding.

"So? You said you could explain but I don't really see what is possibly left to explain here. It all speaks for itself. All this filthy shit and even two fleshlights weren't enough to satisfy your dick so you just *had* to have a go on my underwear, huh? You slutty thief."

As you said that last bit you flicked his forehead that he was trying so very hard to keep fixated on the ground, but it was almost impossible anyway since you had your bare legs crossed right in front of his eyes. You know Levi loves it when you wear short skirts, it's hard for him to not look, even in a serious situation like this one.

"Agh. Well, uh. Ahh..."

After about twenty seconds during which he couldn't come up with anything plausible or even any attempt at an excuse he started to tear up. Completely lost, he lowered his forehead to the ground, bowing and apologizing profusely.

"I'm- I'm so *hngh* s-sorry *hic* please don't hate me. Y-You're right, I'm a pervert but please, I beg you for forgiveness *hic* at the very least please don't ignore mee- *hnghg*"

You felt chills down your spine. Was it horrible of you? While this little baby thought that his entire life was over just because you might hate him, you were just thinking how fucking cute he sounds when he's crying while genuinely in distress. You were feeling conflicted. One part of you wanted to pat his head and raise it, kiss his cheeks full of tears and caress his back while assuring him that you don't really find him that gross or creepy. In fact finding this dirty side of him made you giddy.

And yet, the other side of you wanted to play around with him a bit more before giving him ultimate bliss.

"Levi... Are you serious my darling?"

You gently pressed your heels on the back of his head as his forehead was still stuck to the ground.

"You really think such a lousy excuse will cut it? You know just how outright creepy this is, right? You went out of your way to steal underwear from me so you could rub it all over your dick and cum in it and yet all you have to say for yourself is just "I'm sorry, please don't hate me"? You'll have to do better than that."

Still sniffling, you could feel Levi taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Y-you're right. Crying about it won't solve anything. I know just how much of a disgusting lame little fuck I am, it's already a miracle how someone as beautiful and amazing as you even considered me your friend. I've been blessed a-and so honored to be called that. So please, please give me a second chance Y/N. I'll do anything, really."

You took your heel away from him. Full of expectations on what the two of you were about to do if you played your cards right.

"Anything? No way. That's just empty words."

"It's not! I'll really do anything. I'll even be your b- um. B-Bitch if I have to."

You command him to raise his head up, he does. His eyes and cheeks are still wet from the tears he just shed and his face is all red from embarrassment.

"A bitch, really? So you'll even accept corporal punishment? If I tell you to lay down on your stomach on my lap, you'll do it? You'll let me spank you?"

For a split second you see it his eyes, this little fucker really feels like he'll get a kick out of this. "It's not a punishment at all!" He must be thinking. He would love to be treated so poorly by you. In fact, one of his occasional turn-ons was to imagine you degrading him, insulting how much of a perverted little shit he is.

"I- I'll do it. Anything you want to do to me, I'm fine with it so..."

You lightly tap on your thighs two times, telling him to get on. Obediently, he does... and immediately receives a slap on the ass.

"You're supposed to at least lower your pants idiot. Or else it won't even hurt that much."

"A-Ah, yes."

You saw it again. That glint in his eyes. He's excited and is just so barely managing to not display a shit eating grin on his face.

As soon as he does as you told him to, you spank him again. Harder this time. He lets out a little yelp. And as he does you grab his hair with your other hand to pull him up a bit and whisper into his ear.

"You think I didn't notice that? The corners of your mouth keep rising upwards you fucking pig."

Finally he completely gives up on the façade he is trying so hard to keep and lets out a huge unrestrained grin, the kind he has when you hug or kiss him on the cheek suddenly. Looking dumb and genuine, though this time it looks cuter as he's obviously enjoying the pain you're inflicting on him.

"Aaahh. I-I couldn't hide it after all, you're right Y/N. I'm a dirty fucking pig who even enjoys it when you're being mean to me. Bully me, hit me, spit on me. I don't care, if anything I love it. I'm so sorry for not even being able to be properly punished ahh I'm so so sorry~"

He says while not looking sorry at all. Pretending to ignore his stupid monologue you spank him again.

"Slut."

"Hnghh~"

He shudders and keeps grinning widely.

Only does he get a bit nervous when you decide to pull down his underwear.

"Ah- wait! ACk-"

You spanked him again, this time your hand made direct contact with his skin.

"Shut up you filthy bitch. Isn't that what you promised? You even said that you'll be my bitch so that's just what you are right now."

Rapidly the nervousness he had displayed a second ago dissipated.

"Ahhh~ y-yes, I'm your bitch. You can use me whoever you want, I'll even drink your spit if you ask me to ehehe- OW-"

"Quiet. Or- No. Actually, keep moaning. It's cute."

"Ehehe I'm sooo happy you said I'm cute Y/N."

"Master."

"Master~ ehehe..."

He was really digging this roleplay type of set-up you had invented. But while he thought you weren't performing and really wanted to punish him, you on the other hand were truly aware that this is all a sham from your part just to turn him on.

As you continued to spank him a couple more times, you noticed something odd. It wasn't that you felt poking against the side of your thighs since you had fully expected him to get a hard-on. It was that the poking sensation was double.

"... Levi, get up for a second."

"Um, w-wouldn't it be better to continue to punish me?"

Another slap made him yelp.

"Don't be difficult."

And so he did, and you finally realized why he owned two fleshlights. It wasn't that he had the size wrong and had to order a second one, it was that he has two dicks. One on top of another on his crotch, with a pair of balls for each. You can't help but wonder just how much more sperm he can produce than an average "person."

As you closely observe his two rods, Levi can't help but squirm under your gaze. Elated at the amount of attention and your focus on his private parts as his pants and underwear are now out of the way.

"It's weird isn't it? I'm so fucking gross that even my genitalia isn't normal. I'm impressed you can even look at it directly haha."

Silently, you keep staring. Utterly turned on by the many ways you could use this part of him when you'll inevitably fuck eachother. Seeing how you're keeping quiet, Levi keeps degrading himself, obviously wanting the same treatment from you.

"I mean what kind of weird monstruous fuck would have two dicks, right? S-So you can tell me, tell me just how fucking gross and creepy it is..."

He keeps smiling, his face flushed by the titillating humiliation he's feeling by having his cocks out in front of you, the girl he loves the most in the world. So you decide to humor him a bit.

"Hmm... So you constantly hide these? Is it why you always try to wear baggy pants? So people won't notice how much of a creepy fuck you are."

"Y-yeah haha. T-Tell me more..."

He's so docile and pathetic, you can't help but strive for more.

"No. That's enough. Even after a couple of seconds looking at it, it makes me sick of it. I'm bored. Won't you show me how you play with them when I'm not around?"

Leviathan's eyes light up at your suggestion. He can't believe a day would come when you or anyone for that matter would ask him to masturbate in front of them.

"R-Really? You wanna see that?"

"Well, you don't want me to be bored right? And you really reaaaally want my forgiveness for being a gross fuck."

Excited yet mortified, Leviathan takes two of the fleshlights and rummaging through the box, he finds some lube. You watch him start off by filling the two holes with lube, all while both of his dicks are still erect from earlier. You're honestly still amazed at how they look.

Just before Levi sticks his first cock into one of the fleshlights you get an idea.

"Wait a sec. Hand it over."

Obediently, he hands the sextoy over. You spit into it, your saliva mixing with the lube and you give it back.

"Here. Hopefully it'll enhance the experience?"

"Ah- S-shit! Had I known I wouldn't have used the lube at all..."

He looks down, disappointed but still ecstatic. He carefully places the tip of his shaft on the entrance of the toy and slowly starts pushing it in, his dick opening up the walls of the toy as he shudders from the sensation and your piercing gaze. He jerks himself off like that for a little while before you ask him if he's not going to play with his second shaft.

"Well... I can either use the other toy or... I can show you how I do it with your panties..." Seeing how silent you are he retracts his statement. "-JUUST kidding ahaha it's already gross enough to see me jerk myself off so disgustingly with a sex toy, n-no one would like to see their own clothing used like that..."

You smile, uncrossing your legs and leaning in.

"No, that's a good point. Show me how you've been using my underwear all this time you dirty fuck."

"A-ah! Yes... ahaha~"

Taking your panties carefully, he wraps it on his other dick and starts pumping it with his free hand. As he does, he starts explaining.

"A-at first, I would only sniff them but I couldn't resist the urge to use them like this. And now that I've used them too much your sweet smell has completely been overwritten by my disgusting stench so there's no use sniffing it anymore ehehe. That's so fucking creepy isn't? I-I'm such a creepy bastard."

There he goes again, degrading himself while expecting a follow up from you. But you give him none of that this time. Instead, you look at him with anticipation and give him a challenge.

"If you do a good job of putting on a show for me I'll let you go down on me."

The air surrounding him turned to a deep purple as he took on his demon form, his scaly tail wagging around like the one of a dog's. Then he started to pant like a pup as well, elated by your suggestion.

"Ah. Ahh. N-no way? Seriously?! I'll do it, I'll seriously do it. So please watch closely!"

All this time he was on his knees, but now he stood up, making sure you have a close look at his dicks. They were right there in front of your face and you had to hold yourself back from taking one of them into your mouth. He kept mumbling and stammering some intelligible stuff, but you're pretty sure it was something along the lines of "I'll do it" and "look at me."

As he was getting close to release, you could feel him lose himself in the pleasure as his knees looked like they were about to fold from the lack of strength he was putting into them. Probably not used to jerking off standing up, he most likely does it either sitting or lying down like most people. In an effort to keep him standing in front of you, you placed your hand on one of his knees then slowly brought it up, caressing his thighs.

"Do your best to stay standing~ I'll be disappointed if you fall."

"Ah! Yes, of course!"

A literal couple of seconds later, the fleshlight was leaking of his cum and your stolen panties were dripping with his seed. Not only was the quantity overkill but the texture and thickness of the liquid looked quite rich. It was like warm condensed milk. As if on instinct, you placed one of your hands under the dripping liquid, allowing a couple of droplets to land on the palm of your hand.

"Y-Y/N??"

You lick a droplet off, tasting it. Seeing you do that, Levi's knees finally give in and he falls to the ground again, looking at your lips and mouth closely while wagging his tail, overly fixated on how your mouth moves while your tongue is probably pressing those drops of *his* cum on the walls and ceiling of your mouth. Savoring it.

Despite it looking like condensed milk it tastes more like a nectar, sweet and unnaturally good. Is it a special characteristic for a demon's cum to taste sweet and good? Maybe it's to push each other to fall into lust... makes sense. Delicious cum would easily push demons or humans alike to fall deeper into the sin of lust.

"W-wah... I can't believe I just saw you do that. Am I in heaven? N-no that sort of erotic scene would never happen in heaven. Aha I'm so glad I'm a demon and that we're in the devildom..."

Satisfied, you open your legs and raise your skirt.

"It tasted pretty good, surprisingly. But I'm sorry to say mine probably won't taste as good as yours."

Levi crawls towards you like an obedient puppy. He closely looks at the small stain that had formed on your underwear due to his performance. He feels like one grateful and lucky bastard that you're allowing him to do that to you. Frozen for a bit by the sight, he drools slightly before snapping out of it and placing his hands on the side of your underwear. Sliding it down as the stain leaves a bead of your warm liquid behind. Levi looks at it stretch and break as he pulls the panties further down, up to your ankles. You get your feet out of them and kick them to the other side of the room, allowing yourself to open your legs better than if they had stayed around your ankles.

Placing your hand on his head, you gently push him towards you and pet his head.

"Will you start or are you too busy drooling?"

Not making himself be begged any further. He starts by so very gently kissing your clit, it's so soft that you can barely feel it. He wraps his hands around your thighs, preparing himself to eat you out. He's so adorable. As he sticks his tongue out you notice how he has the tongue of a snake. Not that you hadn't noticed before, he would try to hide it from you at first but when you told him that it was so unique and cool he wouldn't try to keep it away from you anymore, boldly opening his mouth when he would yawn or when he was complaining about something. Now there he was using his devious tongue on your sweet spot.

He was greedily tasting you, it made you wonder if you actually tasted as good as he was making it seem. Though you're pretty sure you don't have enchanted cum like demons do. He would sink his fingers into the soft skin of your thighs, feeling you up, probably wishing that you'll let him hump your thighs next if he does a good job at making you feel good. You start to mewl and as you do, you can feel his tongue double down on his efforts, desperate to make you feel better just so he can hear you whimper and cry out his name.

You look down, a bit overwhelmed at how good his tongue is at exploring your insides. You see him looking up at you expectantly, a happy glint in his eyes, full of love for you. It's funny how one moment he begs you to degrade him and the next he asks for praise with his shiny eyes. Appreciative of his efforts, you place one of your hands on his cheek, caressing it with your thumb.

"Good boy Levi."

He wags his tail and his eyes light up some more as he hardens his tongue, pushing it further than you thought he could. You let out another whimper, this time mixing in his name. And as you do, you realize how close you are to climax. You grab his horns and cross your legs around his head, trapping him in front of your pretty pussy. Not that he minds, in fact he wouldn't like it any other way. Feeling you come while you call out his name some more, he suckles on your juices, gladly letting it spread all over his tongue before swallowing it all.

As you let him go, he rests his head on your right thigh, his cheek against your bare skin. He keeps looking up at you in awe at how pretty your face looks just after you've come. He rubs his cheek against your thigh hoping to get your attention back at him.

"Did I do a good job? I can um, I can do other things as well~ Oh if the idea of taking me back as a friend immediately is too gross for you I can keep being your fucktoy for the time being ehehe..."

You smile at him kindly and scratch him under the chin. He wags his tail again and displays his signature wide grin. His laugh is so cute. As he did a good job you figure it's time to stop the charade and let him have a real go at you.

"I wasn't really mad at you by the way."

He lifts his head up from your thigh, eyes wide open.

"Huh?"

"I was just fucking with you, I'm not grossed out or anything. You're still my cute little Levia-chan."

You pat him on the head. His eyes well up in tears from relief.

"R-Really? You won't abandon me?"

"No baby, I just thought this was the perfect excuse to push you to do dirty stuff for me. You're not mad right?"

Leviathan jumps into your arms, crying.

"I'm so grateful that a perfect girl like you would choose *me* to make you feel good. H-Had you not forgiven me, I would even be okay with being your sex slave if you'd like to."

"Don't be stupid, I'll let you be my one and only boyfriend. What about that?"

Levi lets you go, then while still grabbing your shoulders he looks at you, his eyes full of hope.

"Really? You'd allow me? You would take a lame fuck like me as your boyfriend?"

You pull him back in, kissing him on the cheek, near the corner of his lips.

"Don't say that. You're my cute little baby boy. Everyone has an ugly and filthy side to them, but beyond that you're a sweet cutiepie who watches magical girl shows, sews cosplays and easily cries at any sad scene in an anime. I mean, look at me, I just tricked you into thinking that I find you gross and pushed you to jerk off then suck me off. Isn't that objectively pretty terrible of me?"

Levi stays silent for a while before you can feel his two dicks poking at your stomach and pussy.

"N-Now that I know you weren't mad, that was probably one of the best moments of my life."

"Perv."

You kiss him again.

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Was initially planning on making them fuck at the end but it got too long. Though I'm not against making a part two if people like it ahah. AGAIN please don't hesitate to comment, I would love to read your thoughts!

#obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me smut #om! leviathan #leviathan avatar of envy #leviathan smut #leviathan x reader #leviathan x y/n #leviathan x mc #hanaruri writes

[medea10]

My Review of Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc

Here we are again! I shouldn’t say that. I love Demon Slayer. Who cares if the plot is simple? I’m a simpleton and enjoy it.

HISTORY: The story of Demon Slayer is…wait, I’ve already gone through this twice. Just read my previous reviews to get caught up.

Here's Season One

Here's Mugen Train & Entertainment Arc

SWORDSMITH VILLAGE ARC: First, let’s see what happened after Daki and Gyuutaro were defeated. Muzan was displeased. This is the first upper rank demon of his that has been killed in over 100 years. So, there’s a lot of tension around him and the other upper ranked demons.

As for Tanjiro, he was in a coma for two months. Uzui, walked it off despite having major injuries including a newly-formed nub where his arm used to be. Zenitsu healed and is off on a mission (so we won’t see or hear him for a while). And as for Inosuke, he was hit with a lot of poison attacks and was on the brink of death several times. But here he is two months later on the ceiling like he’s fucking Spider-Pig.

Seriously, I love this guy. It’s a damn shame he won’t be here this season either.

So, Tanjiro’s sword got chipped in the last battle. Oof, his swordsmith is going to have him murdered. Don’t believe me, he sent him death notices to Tanjiro while Tanjiro was in a coma. This guy don’t play!

Okay, time to go to the Swordsmith Village. A mysterious village that unless you come from there, you don’t get to know how to get there. Your ears, eyes, and even nostrils must be shut. Tanjiro is going there to heal up some more and meet Hotaru to get his sword fixed up. There, he meets up with two hashiras, one demon slayer we haven’t seen since early season one, and a mystery fella that Tanjiro recalls from a dream or memory. That last one, we’re not going to get any more pressing information about this recalled memory. Totally shouldn’t have even mentioned that in this review.

Now, keep in mind that I’m only giving you the light-hearted crap that happens in the first couple of episodes. Demon Slayer has a funny habit of giving a few episodes at the beginning for the silly stuff before it goes into full-on archaic fights against the demons.

CHARACTERS OF IMPORTANCE THIS SEASON: Hmm…which Hashira will possibly die this season? The pink-haired moe-blob and the aloof guy who could give a fuck. I’m prematurely calling it like I see it thanks to what happened to Rengoku and Uzui. And as the hashiras are getting stronger, as are the demons Muzan sends.

Muichirou Tokitou is a Hashira who always has a face of someone who couldn’t care less. But don’t let that fool you as he’s a fast and experienced demon slayer. But this season, we see him act differently at times and that’s usually when he’s with Tanjiro. After a really traumatic event in his life, his memories become a little fractured.

Mitsuri Kanroji is another hashira who uses a sword that’s almost like a whip. From what it looks like, Kanroji doesn’t have major baggage with avenging dead family members like nearly every other character on this show. Kanroji was quite strong for her age and would get stronger with each passing year. Unfortunately, this was a turn-off for marriage suitors as they were put off by Kanroji’s strength and even appearance. She ends up using her strength for good by protecting those in need of protecting.

Genya…oh, I’ve made jokes about this guy from the get-go. And after finally watching this subbed and watched the series My Hero Academia, Genya is just Demon Slayer Bakugo. But we finally see this guy in action instead of being an angry, screaming asshole. He’s actually the younger brother of another Hashira. Literally did not know that until this season! Genya is trying to catch up to his older brother Sanemi. And believe it or not, Genya has a backstory very similar to Tanjiro. Dead siblings and everything!

With all of that said, here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Tokitou is played by Kengo Kawanishi (known for Rei on March Comes in Like a Lion, Ritsu on Fruits Basket 2019, Sogiita on Railgun, and Satou on Food Wars)

*Kanroji is played by Kana Hanazawa (known for Chloe on Pokemon Journeys, Kaede on Angel Beats, Mayuri on Steins;Gate, Nadeko on Monogatari, Anri on Durarara, Shiro on Deadman Wonderland, and Ruri on Oreimo)

*Genya is played by Nobuhiko Okamoto (known for Gladion on Pokemon SM, Accelerator on Railgun/Index, Bakugo on My Hero Academia, Garfiel on Re:Zero, Usui on Maid-sama, Ryou on Food Wars, and Liebe on Black Clover)

ENGLISH CAST: *Tokitou is played by Griffin Burns (known for Colt on Attack on Titan, Tadano on Aggretsuko, Diavolo on Jojo’s Pt. 5, Ryouta on Kakegurui, and Jintan on Anohana)

*Kanroji is played by Kira Buckland (known for Jolyne on Jojo’s Pt. 6, Beatrice on Re:Zero, Izumo on Blue Exorcist, Rishia on Shield Hero, Iroha on Magia Record, Setsuna on Yashahime, and Luculia on Violet Evergarden)

*Genya is played by Zeno Robinson (known for Goh on Pokemon Journeys, Hawks on My Hero Academia, Shuuji on Tokyo Revengers, Zenon on Black Clover, and Garfiel on Re:Zero)

SHIPPING: Weird, I don’t think I brought up any shipping topics in the previous review. Probably because Uzui is a giga-chad with his three wives. There was only one little, teeny-tiny, baby scene that cemented something I didn’t even think of.

This. I love this.

THE RETURN OF THIS ANIME’S SCARIEST CHARACTER: I always love to bring this guy up. Mostly because his appearances make a bigger impact than it really should with me. Tanjiro’s swordsmith doesn’t even need to be on screen to be intimidating. The death threats he sent to Tanjiro while he was in the coma speak for themselves. Apparently in the manga, there’s literally a page that just says, “Fuck you” over and over again. Haganezuka does not play around when Tanjiro chips, breaks, or loses his sword and this is already the third time this has happened. Well, bro comes back all buff and…doesn’t try to destroy Tanjiro. This time!

Haganezuka winds up honing a sword for Tanjiro and that has been his mission for the remainder of this season. Why should I bother saying anything here? Because this man is determined. He is being attacked and insulted by a demon and Haganezuka is still working on Tanjiro’s sword. You would have to pry this sword from his cold dead hands at this point. He was even defiant about giving Tanjiro the unfinished sword when it could mean life or death for everyone around him. HE EVEN TRIED TO HARM TANJIRO AFTER spoiler, spoiler, spoiler! This guy don’t fuck around!

The fact that he stands his ground and does his job even when you’ve got an upper-ranked demon threatening him speaks absolute volumes. I’m still intimidated by this man.

He’s hot under the mask too.

ENDING: This season came and went pretty fast. Once we got to the last episode of the season, I thought it was going to be a rush job. But then you see that the final episode has a running time of 51 minutes. Can Tanjiro, Tokitou, and Kanroji manage to kill these upper rank demons causing all of this trouble here?

Tokitou was pretty much on his own for most of his fight with Gyokko. Tokitou was able to overcome poison needles and being drowned to death to defeat this demon. This almost didn’t happen because Tokitou always focused on the bigger picture in the fight. And if it were up to Tokitou, he would just ditch Kotetsu and the other swordsmith villagers to fend off a demon. Tanjiro’s words prior to this showdown resonated with him until uncovering buried memories. After witnessing a terrible tragedy at a young age, it’s no wonder Tokitou suppressed it.

Now for the other big demon. At first, Tanjiro was up against between 1-4 demons. They all represent an emotion and were equally terrifying. But then those demons turned into one demon, Zohakuten. This one demon is a mish-mash of the four demons I just mentioned and caused a lot of damage. But even he is not the upper-rank demon mastermind. Yeah, despite nearly killing Genya, damaging Tanjiro’s eardrums, and almost having Kanroji engulfed, this guy is not the main demon. The upper-ranked demon is this small thing.

Hantengu is about the size of a field mouse and extremely fast. I had my thoughts about this particular demon and if he’s earned the reputation of being an upper-ranked demon. All this demon does is repent, cry, and run away. But the fact that he’s behind the four emotion demons and then-some, he’s something to be feared. Beheading him turned out to be troublesome as he grew in size and almost snapped Tanjiro’s neck in two. Just like with Gyuutaro in the previous season, Tanjiro needed the aid of two swords to do the job (thanks to Haganezuka and Tokitou). And even then, the body is still moving on its own. It can still kill even with no head and the sun is beaming down on his body.

Speaking of which, Nezuko’s a demon right? She can’t be out now that it’s daybreak. Yeah, this fight lasted longer than any of us anticipated that we nearly forgot that fact. Tanjiro was faced with a difficult decision. He wants to protect his sister from being burned by the sun, but he also wants to save these stray villagers that are being chased by the headless Hantengu. Nezuko made the decision for Tanjiro by kicking him off to finish the job. With the flashbacks playing, non-manga readers are wondering if this is the end of Nezuko. Tanjiro finishes off Hantengu and as he tears up at the thought of never seeing Nezuko again, she appears without her bamboo mouth-guard and in tact.

She’s a demon and can survive the sunlight. Convenient and a bit of a game changer! Then again, this series has many moments of convenience.

As per usual, we do see the tragic flashback of the perished demon. But Hantengu wasn’t the only one who got one. Muzan found out about Nezuko being the special demon he’s yearned for that is impervious to the sunlight like every other demon that’s ever existed. Muzan has his usual blood-filled temper-tantrum. But we got to see him from many years past as a sick human that was given certain medicines from a suspicious doctor.

Dammit Demon Slayer, this immediately made me think of Michael Jackson and Conrad Murray. This cannot be a coincidence!

For now, let’s look at the positives of this victory. Kanroji and Tokitou survived without having too many injuries. Nezuko is alive and can speak. Haganezuka gave us a cute tsundere moment at the end. And us fans are treated to another season some time in the future.

What can I tell you that I haven’t said in my prior reviews? Demon Slayer, I like it. It’s not for everyone. Some people think it’s great and others think it’s “mid” with a weak plot and story. Some love it regardless and others think it’s overrated. Some think that the animation is stupendous and others think it’s fucking stupendous. Yeah, that’s the one agreement here is the animation. Despite hearing all of these, I will continue to like Demon Slayer…you know, as long as ufotable doesn’t take any artistic liberties to alter the original content.

This season was just as action-packed and exciting as I anticipated and have come to expect. While I was really enjoying the story of the Swordsmith Village arc, I felt a slight dip in my excitement compared to the Entertainment District arc. But that’s just me! I think there was a lot going on between Tanjiro fighting the demons and all the while seeing Tokitou, Kanroji, and Genya have their backstories told. And now, I’d like some more clarification on Genya and his feral-Bakugo power. Maybe next season! The next season will be known as the “Hashira-Training arc”. I’m sure we’ll get more Genya since his older brother was in the promo visual.

Only this season did I realize that Genya’s brother was played by greatest seiyuu in the world, Tomokazu Seki. How did I not realize this sooner?

As usual, Demon Slayer is available on nearly every platform you can think of including Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Adult Swim, and FUNimation. But for this particular season, Crunchyroll has it all.

#anime review #demon slayer #demon slayer kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer swordsmith village arc #tanjiro kamado #nezuko kamado #inosuke hashibira #mitsuri kanroji #muichiro tokito #hotaru haganezuka #obanai iguro #muzan kibutsuji #genya shinazugawa

[conflagrate]

Winter 2021 Anime Season

Autumn Round-Up Season was poor for me. Either anime is really shit, or I’m just not into the format any more…hah!

Top Shows 1. Isekai Shokudo S2 (8.00) 2. Blue Period (7.92) 3. Heike Monogatari (7.64)

Shows Completed: 11 Shows Ongoing: 2 (if I can muster the enthusiasm to finish Super Crooks lol)

WINTER IS COMING AGAIN (not here, we’re eternal summer)

Certain Watch: Kyojin Final Pt 2 (pls tell me this really is the final of the finals, I can’t take this tossing show any more), Ryman’s Club (I will watch badminton shows no matter how shit they are), Yami Shibai S10 (dear God. When will this end?), Chikyugai Shonen Shojo (Iso Mitsuo’s new one. Does this count since it’s a feature split off into episodes?), Oji no Honmei wa Akuyaki Reijo (aka you know…the ComicFesta smut nonsense w) [5]

Try with High Expectations: Sasaki to Miyano, Koroshiai, ORIENT, Bara-O no Soretsu, Tokyo 24ku, Hakozume, Tribe Nine (baseball + Neo Tokyo sounds like a shitshow trainwreck but….!) [7]

Try with Zero Enthusiasm: Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi o suru, Akebi-chan, Sabikui Bisco, Slow Loop (oh dear moe blobs), Futsal Boys, Kuroitsu-san [6]

This is an Isekai/Idol/Mecha/Video Game Adaptation/Kids Show That You’d Have to Pay Me to Watch: Tensai Oji, Shikkakumon, Kenja no Deshi, Leadale, Dolls’ Frontline, Fantasy Bishojo Juniku Ojisan to, CUE!, Genso Sangokushi, Sabiiro no Armor, Ninjala

Sequel Hell: Arifureta S2, Vanitas S2, Genjitsu Shuji S2, PriConne S2 (I watched S1 but have zero desire for another season), Takagi-san S3, Saiyuki RELOAD: ZEROIN, Galgaku. II

Hell No: Shumatsu no Harem (so bad they had to stop it last season before it officially aired!)

Shorts that I May Watch Even if Shite cos I can just play ‘em in the background while tackling Candy Crush: Irodorimidori, On Air Dekainai!

Still Watching: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yukaku-hen

Expected load: Keeping it at around 10-ish shows I hope!

#misc

[emile-hides]

My internal desire to be perceived as masculine as a default VS my innate urge to mimic cute anime girls

#Watching another Moe Blob like... #God I wish that were me #If I was just flat chested I think I'd have a lot more body confidence #My life really went down hill when I developed breast huh #I told my mom yesterday in the walmart 'This makes no sense but I cannot wait to wear a dress in a masculine way' #And she was reasonably so confused #Ideal gender is boys in anime that get mistaken for girls as gags but generally look very cool #If I was one of those boy's I'd be living the good life this is simply the truth #Except for Nagisa from Ass Class he is not Gender ideal #He is boy no one dress him like a girl thanks

[orangelemonart]

Here are most of the manga/anime people recommended me when i asked if there were any that 1) had an intense female rivalry/relationship main characters with that codependent fucked up naruto and sasuke vibe, packed with action and 2)the girls aren’t family and not focused around relationships with male characters or 3)moe blob/fanservice

I didn’t write down all the recommendations because most didn’t follow the first requirement AT ALL. One person recommended FAIRY TAIL. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. The latter two are less important to me but like.

Anyway I’ll walk into the ocean if any of you recommend another series that doesn’t fit item #1.

The only one that APPEARS to fit all the requirements I asked for is: -Teppu (haven’t read it yet though so can’t confirm)

Ones I’ve already read/watched any highly recommend even though they don’t fit all requirements: -Dungeon Meshi (one of my top 3 favorite manga, cant recommend it enough) -Puella Magi Madoka Magica -Shojo Kageki Revue Starlight -Tangled the Animated Series -Nogi Wakaba Is A Hero (No one else recommend it, but I personally do) -Qualia the Purple (same)

Ones that don’t fit all the requirements (as far as I can tell) but I don’t know enough about to confirm: -Land of the Lustruous -Arcane -Kageki Shojo -Otherside Picnic -Izetta the Last Witch -Beware the Villainous -Revolutionary Girl Utena -Princess Tutu (I know this one doesn’t fit for a fact but several people recommended it anyway) -Moretsu Pirates -Little Witch Academia -Akuma no Riddle -Witch Hat Atlier -Alien 9 -Mai-Hime and Mai-Otome -Symphogear -Canaan -Binbougami ga -Magic Knight Rayearth (I haven’t read this in like fifteen years so I can’t really remember)

[cafeleningrad]

What do you think of this sentiment: "I only ever read and watch things that have my favourite themes, you may even call them kinks - I don't want to invest time and energy in media that, to quote Marie Kondo, don't spark joy, no matter how deep or insightful they may be."

Hello Anon :) Uuuuhhh, as a short answer, I think it's strongly shortsighted. (As small nitpick: As far as I'm aware, the term "kink" is a sexually con-notated word. If the themes are their hentai tags they do theirs otherwise, outside of porn, such a sentient strikes me as artwork as customizable service for a consumer :/.) To me, it's like food. Perhaps trying out Dutch food was a personal experiment I wouldn't repeat although I needed to tr it out before I knew anything about it. But then I tried out Korean cuisine my colleague cooked for me, spontaneously I tried out a small South African restaurant, and suddenly I have so many more places where to get something good to eat or cuisines I want to try out for cooking.

Alright, to be fair, when I want nothing but comfort that's absolutely fine. On evenings I feel bumped out I watch/read saccharine stories I watched before. So, after I watched all episodes of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (because I like dragons, duh), and I wish to watch something similar, I do have my 10 titles of moe-blob-comfort shows still after 60 or so episodes of these shows, I've nothing left to watch, and can only repeat the viewing. It's cute and comfy, and I could do this as often as I like. Still, I might miss out on all the other good stories, great animation, great ideas out there which could make me happy and excite me as well. The familiar can be comforting as much as it can hinder you to find new joys.

It doesn't always have to be a step into ye grand literature (although I think is way to dismissive of interesting titles with great writing styles), it can be small. By example, you can absolutely not excite me with the topic of soccer (unless the FiFa and UEFA excutives would finally get their ass sued blue but guess under what stupid reasons the case in 2020 was dismissed, ugh) BUT then I got recommended the show Ted Lasso so passionately, I was ready to overlook the fact the plot centers around a soccer club, and I ended up squealing at good jokes, awwing at the warmth and personality development due to the characters supporting each other. Trying to step into new territory when it comes to plotpoints or themes can be surprisingly rewarding. Perhaps Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid hits exactly my comfort spots because it's a Kyoto Aimation production, it has dragons, and the most adorable Moe-dragon-kid ever but if I'm honest with myself, in this anime I will find no character development, overcoming weaknesses, and the genuine nature of a friendship between women like I did in Ted Lasso. (because the characters in Miss Kobayashi exist for cuteness and comedy first). Perhaps Ted Lasso isn't the deepest show either although there're many positive things to be said about good writing in many aspects, with Miss Kobayashi the only thing I can ever discuss is the adorableness of Kanna (which is, let's be honest, is effective yet engineered). Or another evening I stumbled across an US-court-room drama named "Snow falling on cedars" about which first though "not another"... but then I found myself interested as it was a story centered around the US-history of Japanese interment camps. The actual history and the way the story took a stance on the topic was genuinely intriguing, and I learnt about an event in US-history which isn't actually hugely discussed. Or the art style of Houseki no Kuni is not... to my taste, the plot sounded a bit too simple. Even more so I didn't have, and still for large arts don't have a positive opinion on 3D-animation, especially in anime but after a warm recommendation I decided to try out the show anyway. And what can I say? Already episode 1 won me over, the 3D animation was used intelligently to let it's unique strength stand out, not as replacement for 2D-only, and I'm left with a comic book collection about a Buddhist reflection about human nature, with heart-wrenching twist and turns, and perhaps some of the strongest comic page composition I've seen in a while. What I wan't to get at is: Of course trying out something new can turn out be a waste of time but then I don't have to watch it again. Still, more often trying out something new comes with new surprises and the reward of finding new joys. The thing is, what's described as "theme" is more a largely trending trope and not necessarily themes. Say, currently "found family" is all the trend in a way that more service-oriented products like SoC or the ACOTAR-series jams them in as hard as they can and spell out in monologues how misfits found each other. Sure, the ideas's kinda cute but the sincerity's lacking, has little to say than just existing as service. That in itself is fine, for personal escapism I can see why the trope appeals to many - sometimes it's enough to simply have such fiction existing and to be enjoyed. Still, there's a tangible distance of a topic being actively discussed within the text than considering how to make a certain book/show/play/movie/podcast etc. more appealing comfortable to enjoy for target audiences.

Thing is, perhaps you can tag content in Ao3 for your own liking, the current YA market relies strongly on spelling out the themes and oh-so-creative-obvious-trope subversion which shorten equally the viewer's as we as the creator's perspective at what topics and stories can be told.

#Lewis' ask box management #Anon

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Was reading your response to the Okumura Ryuji/Morgana fight, and the way the person worded Ryuji's character made me wanna ask... Do you think a bad fanbase is a fair reason to dislike a character? I've heard people say things like "no look at the character too", but... For example, I'm very neutral on Ryuji. When he's good, hes SO GOOD, EXCELLENT BOY, but Ann is my favorite girl. Guess who he pervs on exclusively and is rude to all the time? I've never seen his fans talk about (1/2 sorry)

His rude behavior, or his pervy tendencies, or his more selfish desires regarding the PT. That's fine!! Not everyone wants to constantly talk about bad things their fave has done!!! But people referring to him as a "woman respecting king" so insistently rubs me the wrong way, since he treats Ann Like That. That, and (more personal) i remember making a post/ask thing once about my grievances with Ryuji, esp his perv stuff, and the fans that interacted very aggressively denied his behavior (2/3)

And it even turned into a big discourse on the blog I submitted it to (it was that one confession blog). All the people that responded and just tried moving the arguments to "well Yusuke did this-" or even tried to push blame on Ann "she was asking for it" just kinda cemented my already growing dislike for Ryuji. Super sorry this is so long!!! Final question: is a bad fanbase a fair reason for disliking a character? (3/3)

Don’t say sorry about multiple sent asks, I don’t mind kfdsjla;fja As for the answer, I want to say yes and no, but really it’s just “yes with a side note attached.” Yeah, it’s ok to not like a char because of their fans, but I think it’s as long as you know why you dislike the char beyond the fans (well tbh, imo it’s usually the crazy fans so I think stans is a better word, but even then there’s diff stans). And tbh, I....can’t....think of a character I don’t like that the fandom/fanbase does....but I know nothing about the char all the while (closest and most recent example this....is....I know people dislike that grey haired moe blob on twitter even tho I don’t think they watched the show, and while I’m not a fan of the moeblobness I don’t know anything about the char so I’m personally not upset). I can only name chars I don’t like because of what happens in the text, fandom be damned (but sometimes they don’t help). Which is why it’s a yes with a side note. If you don’t like the char despite not knowing them.....probably get to know the char first even if your impression is clouded by the fandom....at least you gave the char a chance. 

Under cut cause length (first few sentences in the first paragraph under the cut/tldr at the end gives you the answer a bit more in depth, the rest is rants related to that and why I get frustrated in a similar sense too, but yeah sorry if I repeat myself, I kinda jumped all over + my tendency to try to nail a point home I feel like might’ve had me repeat a bit more than usual akslfjdakfjaf):

I say this because.....it’s hard....it’s hard to keep them separated, unless you completely isolate yourself from the fandom (which is basically impossible if you wanna keep up with news, even the comment section is part of the fandom tbh...and you might be looking down their for diff reasons). And then.....well...the big reason....sometimes seeing the fans really highlights the reasons you dislike the char. That’s what happened to me and Makoto, specifically cause of....a certain fan (and buddy if you happen to see this, nothing against you, no bad blood, def won’t mention your name I respect you and the debates we had)....AND TO THE TUMBLR READERS WHO GET NERVOUS: It wasn’t on this website in case anyone is freaking out so if you’re thinking “Oh god it’s me” it is most likely not you (tho I think we do know each other on here cause of usernames/saw each other in passing but we def aren’t mutuals last time I checked), and while I do respect that person.......my god did they highlight the reasons I had issues with P5 and Makoto. Ironically in trying to defend her and show off her good sides, I realized the writing issues more and more and her bad sides became more glaring. It turned my frustrating dislike and attempt to try to work out my issues with her and P5 (ironically “working out” in hindsight would’ve been me....denying and refusing to look at P5′s flaws) into....well......the salt factory you know today. (same thing happens with like......Yukari and Junpei fans too tbh...that’s more recent tho, it feels like they are just downplaying their negatives constantly and I’m not about that). Basically, you probably have issues already, they are just more pronounced now. 

As for “look at the character”....you kinda already are doing that, and that’s probably where your existing issues originated from (tho if someone wants a more in depth reason as to why, while you DON’T OWE them an explanation, it is also hard for someone to understand your feelings and reasons if you don’t try to explain). 

As for Ryu, yea, I getcha, I like the guy, I’m neutral positive on him....was my best bro but he’s 2nd best thanks to post-Kamo writing. I like him because of his positives, but I always keep his negs in mind because. Cause like while I agree with the fans IT MAKES NO SENSE! P5′S WRITING IS BAD! it happened, same as I agree that Anne kicking Ryu’s ass, along with the other girls, is shitty. Hate the scene, and I accept that it happen (low key gonna start some kinda 2nd wave war with this bs cause the fandom be like that, but I’m really surprised no one took Anne smacking Ryu behind the neck cause he was being too loud as super offensive and abuse.......it’s def something a friend might do, not like belting him just a tap, and it’s framed as chill and also as warning him to reign in the volume control, but high key surprised no one has tried to cancel her cause of that). BUT that DOESN’T mean it erases all the creepy stuff he’s done. Is he the goodest boi when he’s being good? The best. Is he always a good boi? No, he def is not. And hearing that he is can be frustrating to people that do see his flaws (cause they are there). And like....you are 100% able to like a character despite and because of their flaws, while also accepting they have those flaws. I do it with Yosuke, Ryuji (for the most part), Teddie, Shinji, Ken, Kanji (when he’s not around Naoto, then he’s in a trash can for me), P1/2 casts, Aigis, Mitsuru, as long as the flaws are within reason and are treated pretty well....then I’m ok with it. (again, Kanji/Ryu have moments when I’m like....NOPE! but when they aren’t doing the bad thing I’m cool with them). As long as the flaws are withing reason (aka they aren’t making a jerk person out to be the person in the right, or the writing is trying to sweep what they did under the rug, or trying to force us into empathizing with them despite what they did while also trying ot sacrifice empathy towards another char.....*cough*Makoto/Yukari/Junpei*cough* if the writing isn’t doing that...... I’m probs neutral to pos on them). 

Like I’m fine if they are criticizing the writing and being like “Him doing this makes no sense cause it conflicts with the good boi we’ve already seen!” That’s a-ok! Not only do you recognize your char has flaws, you also are able to identify issues with the writing. But saying “so I’ll choose to ignore that scene” isn’t....ok. Because sadly it did happen, as contradictory it did happen. AU it all you want, but you have to accept it happened outside of that AU. Like, I don’t like the Mika conflict in Anne’s CoOp, by which I don’t like how it went down (100% fine with Mika, and there being conflict with her). How it the whole thing started doesn’t make sense if you put MainStory!Anne in her CoOp. MS!Anne can read the room and other people’s emotions (only other person capable of that is Haru, or at least with Mona), hell she was so good at it she noticed something was up with Shiho without Shiho telling her about it! The issue was the fact Anne’s not a mind reader and could only assume the issue Shiho was going through that Anne was aware of (and that was her spot on the team). Now MS!Anne is not like Yosuke, she doesn’t put her foot in her mouth. She’s not like Naoto who can’t read the room. She’s not super eloquent, but can empathize and when she can interact with people she can do it pretty well. So why the hell does she basically not think before talking and insult Mika? Sure Anne’s not GREAT at school, but she’s not a moron, she can talk to people. But her CoOp makes her a moron all around, 100% airhead, and that’s how her issues with Mika start, by not thinking before talking and accidentally insulting her via blatantly “not caring” about the job to a full time person......it’s stupid, it makes no sense, I hate it. But it’s there, the flaw might not be present in the main story, but for the all around character (cause CoOps are included) it is now and I just have to deal with it. We can bitch about it all day (and trust me I will) but it happened. Basically never frame it as “it didn’t happen,” but instead “It SHOULDN’T HAVE happened.” One is denial, the other is critiquing the text. 

Anyway my rant aside, yeah I hate it when...well Ren/Ryu/Yusuke (no one’s said Mona yet, cause....well yeah...which is good they haven’t labeled him as it yet tho), are labeled as “drinking respect women juice” and I’m like “I have one to a few women who would disagree.” I know some people will argue Goro is drinking it, and imo he’s not....he’s just eating the “I don’t discriminate sandwich” which is different. And yeah the “But Yusuke-” yeah yeah we’ll get to him, but right now we’re talking about RYUJI. I’m not a fan of derailing a topic *war flashbacks* *shivers* anyway. But yeah I remember that debate, I was probably one who was like “We’ll get to Yusuke but right now we’re talking about Ryuji” and pushing the blame onto Anne is disgusting and Kamo Arc!Ryuji would be very upset. >:( (btw high key I think I was the first one who started the first anti-makoto war wave with me saying “yeah Anne shouldn’t have apologized Makoto started it and blah blah she was an ass” not the exact words but basically just calling her out on her shitty behavior cause the game certainly didn’t......tho as Miley Cyrus would say.....”I didn’t mean to start a waaaaaar~!” I actually wrote my first Persona Problems on that topic.......but it got lost in the drafts....my photo examples kept getting messed up which is bad considering the whole post really relied on them....I should try to dig it up tbh....)

Tldr/short answer: Yeah, you probably already have issues with the char to begin with tbh, and the fanbase can highlight those issues more. It’s also hard to escape the fanbase (I see stuff I don’t wanna see despite trying my hardest to avoid certain circles, it just happens).

[emospritelet]

Dark Heart 143: “ Just how stupid do you think I am? ”

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] [Part 14]

Send me a prompt from this list so I can torture the babies more or give them more sexytimes

AO3 link

Two years earlier

Belle took a deep breath as she left Gold’s house, turning her face up to feel the early morning warmth of the June sun and feeling blissfully happy.  He had offered to drive her into town, but the weather was so lovely she had insisted on walking.  Besides, sun-kissed mornings meant that people tended to be out and about, and she didn’t want to risk being seen in his car with her overnight bag and the sleepy expression of someone who had spent the night wrapped up in another’s arms.  However true it might have been.

Before she left they had made plans to spend another night at the cabin the following week, and Belle could feel a fluttering of excitement and desire in her belly at the thought of it.  Gold’s cabin was a peaceful little retreat, nestled in amongst thick stands of pine by a lake teeming with life, and their evenings there had been amongst the most enjoyable she had spent in his company.  They would drink wine and eat good crusty bread and strong cheese and delicate little chocolate confections from Storybrooke’s patisserie as they were curled on the rug.  They would discuss books and music and travel and politics, and afterwards he would peel off her clothes and spend time bringing her to orgasm over and over before finally taking her.

She had realised a few weeks earlier that she was hopelessly in love with him, but she hadn’t told him so.  For one, he was adept at deflecting the conversation when it turned to something too personal, and for another, they hadn’t discussed what form their relationship took.  He had not asked her for any sort of commitment, or even admitted that they were dating, and given that she had been keeping their relationship secret for reasons of her own, she could hardly object to that.

She tried not to think about what the future held; she had been steadily saving to return to college, and her plan had initially been to start her studies in September.  Recently, though, she had been toying with the idea of taking another year out.  If she was able to scrape by on what she had saved thus far, perhaps it would be better for her to take another year so that she could live relatively comfortably.  And if that meant another year of seeing Gold, another year in which she might have the time to get closer to him, to have him finally let her in… well, that would be a bonus.

She hadn’t mentioned any of this to her father, but she suspected he wouldn’t object to her staying.  For one, he liked having her around, even if the main reasons were to clean up after him and cook him a meal that didn’t come out of a can every night.  He liked having her work in the shop, too, because it meant that he could sleep late when he needed to, and she kept the books and ordered stock more efficiently than he did.  She couldn’t stay forever, of course; she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a librarian, and there was no chance of that happening in Storybrooke.  However much she was tempted by the idea of spending more time with Gold.  She wondered if he would miss her, when she went.  If he would visit her in Boston.  If he would ask her to come back.  If he would ever tell her how he really felt.  The thought of never seeing him again was too painful to contemplate, so she shoved the thoughts aside whenever they tried to intrude on her current happiness.

She turned up the path of her father’s house, overnight bag swinging from her arm.  At seven-thirty it was unlikely that Moe would be awake, and she had time to take a shower and make breakfast before heading to the shop.  It was a surprise, therefore, when she entered the kitchen and found him already standing by the fridge with a mug of coffee in his hand.

“Hey,” she said brightly.  “You’re up early.”

He eyed her for a moment, then nodded.

“Yeah, didn’t sleep all that well,” he said.  “What about you?”

“Not bad,” she said, going to fill the kettle.  “You want me to open up this morning?  I’m gonna take a shower first, but I can head over after that.”

“If you like.”

There was silence for a moment, and she flicked on the kettle and put some bread in the toaster.  She could feel his eyes on her, and it was making her nervous.

“You have a good time last night?” he asked quietly, and her hands stilled on the counter.

“Yeah, it was fun,” she said casually.  “How was the game?”

“Not great,” he said.  “Where did you say you were, again?”

The first tingling of nerves made her heart thump, and she licked her lips, getting out a plate and knife and the peanut butter.

“Oh, Mary Margaret’s,” she said, pleased that her voice didn’t tremble.

“And what did you do?”

She shrugged.

“Just - hung out,” she said, not looking at him.

“Hung out,” he said evenly.  “At Mary Margaret’s place.”

She was silent, feeling the tension in the air around them, her heart sinking.

“So,” he said.  “Are you telling me you weren’t at the other end of town?  At Gold’s place, for example?”

Belle chewed her lip, shooting a glance at the toaster.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just how stupid do you think I am?” he demanded.  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.  Is that why you offered to take his bloody flower delivery over every Friday?  He order something extra?  Some personal service I didn’t realise we were offering?”

Belle turned on her toes, folding her arms and raising her chin.

“My private life is none of your business.”

“It is when you’re under my roof!” he snapped, shaking a finger at her.  “I first thought something might be up a few weeks ago.  All these sleepovers you suddenly started having with your friends every week!”

“I was having sleepovers!” she said defensively.  “Ask any of them!”

“So, if I ask that sweet little Mary Margaret what you two did last night, she’ll know what I’m talking about, will she?” he asked.  “I know for a fact she won’t, because I bloody well followed you!”

Belle’s eyes widened in outrage.

“You did what?”

“I followed you!” he repeated.  “I watched you leave, and I waited, and I followed you.  And I know exactly where it was you spent the night, my girl!”

Belle hesitated, licking her lips, her heart thumping.

“I - I don’t—”

“Don’t lie to me!” snapped Moe, his eyes flashing.  “You were with Gold!  Of all the men in this town, you chose to go to him?  What the hell is wrong with you?”

“We’re not talking about this,” she said curtly, and he nodded as though her words confirmed his fears.

“I thought as much,” he said disgustedly.  “Has that bastard been blackmailing you or something?  Holding the shop’s future over you to get what he wants?”

“It’s not like that!” she protested.  “We - we really like each other!”

“Bullshit!” he shouted.  “You think I don’t know how men like that work?  If you think he cares a single flying fuck for you, you’re a lot stupider than I thought!”

Belle bristled, fists clenching.

“You have no idea what he’s like!” she snapped.  “You’re just - just - blinded by your own hatred!”

Moe laughed nastily.

“Oh, if you think you know him, you’re in for a shock, let me tell you!” he sneered.  “He might be happy to string you along for now, but if you think there’s any future in it, you’re an idiot!  I fall behind on the rent, and he’ll evict the both of us faster than you can blink!”

“You don’t know him!” she snapped.  “And apparently you don’t know me!  And I don’t see that any of this is your business!”

She could smell the toast burning, and she turned to take it out, dropping it onto her plate and blowing on her fingertips.  Internally she was seething, but Moe was silent as she spread peanut butter on the toast.  She heard him sigh.

“Look, love, I just worry about you,” he said, more calmly.  “You deserve better than the likes of him.”

“Well, maybe I’m old enough to decide for myself who I date,” she said, her voice stiff.

“Is that what you’re doing?” he asked.  “Dating?  Because it seems to me you’ve been sneaking around.  Lying to me about where you’re going, about who you’re with.  Do your friends even know?”

Belle was silent, but she could feel satisfaction coming off him in waves.

“I thought not,” he said.  “You think about why that might be.”

He stomped off, and she licked a blob of peanut butter from her thumb, her appetite gone.

Belle was half-expecting her father to march over to Gold’s shop and yell at him, but she recalled that Moe, like everyone else in Storybrooke, was afraid of him.  Her next thought was that he would try to persuade her to break things off instead, so it was a surprise when he didn’t mention their relationship for a few days.  He curled his lip when she gave him Gold’s latest order for flowers, but said nothing, and she hoped that he had realised that she was an adult and could decide her own future.  Looking back, she supposed that she ought to have known this was wishful thinking.

It was late on Friday morning when he came into the shop, having left her to open up, and he looked oddly cheerful.

“You got a call at home,” he said.  “That boy you were seeing.  The entrepreneur’s son?”

“Gaston?” she said surprised, and Moe beamed.

“See, I told him you’d remember him,” he said jovially.  “I know we only met that one time, but he hadn’t forgotten that I run the flower shop.  Very polite he was, too.  Called me ‘sir’.”

Belle’s heart sank.

“How did he find me?” she asked.  “I changed my number since he left, and I never gave him the number for our house.”

“Yeah, he said you’d lost touch,” said Moe.  “I don’t know - maybe he got the number from your old roommate or something.  Must be keen, hmm?”

“I don’t know why,” she sighed.  “We only dated for a few months, and I wouldn’t say we were suited.  At all, actually.  He left college and started work, and I assumed that was it.”

“Yeah, he said he’d been working abroad,” said Moe.  “Building orphanages in Malawi or something.  Sounds like a fine, upstanding young man!”

“Really?” said Belle dryly.  “I thought he was going to work at one of his father’s firms in Dubai.  I can’t imagine him wanting to get his hands dirty, somehow.”

“So - he’s rich, then?”  Moe’s eyes brightened, and she wanted to sigh.  “I’d forgotten that.”

“Had you?” she said flatly, walking through to the back room.  Moe followed her, sneakers shuffling on the freshly-swept floor.

“Are you gonna call him back?”

“Why would I do that?” she asked irritably.  “We’re not together, we have nothing in common, and I have no interest in going out with him again.”

“I just thought maybe it would do you good!” he protested.  “Stuck in this town, you don’t get to see much.  Might be good to start thinking about getting back to Boston.  You know - getting out.  Meeting new people.”

“I can worry about that when I go back, can’t I?” she said dryly.  “Stop trying to organise my social calendar, we both know this isn’t about who’s in Boston.  It’s about who’s in Storybrooke.”

Moe grunted, but said nothing, and she looked over one of the orders, picking up the bucket of lilies to make a start on the arrangement.  Her father was watching her, shifting his feet, and she waited for him to say whatever was on his mind.

“It’s funny that Gaston called today,” he said eventually, “because I was thinking that we really ought to head to Boston to look for somewhere for you to stay.”

Belle hesitated

“I’ve - I’ve been thinking about that,” she said, a little awkwardly.  “I thought maybe I might go back next year, instead.”

“Next year?” said Moe, frowning.  “Since when?”

“Since I realised I’d only be able to survive on cereal and ramen based on what I have saved,” she said.  “Besides, it would be a help to you, wouldn’t it?”

“Is that the only reason?”

“It’s an excellent reason,” she said.  “Come on, you have to admit it makes sense.”

“Right,” he said sarcastically.  “And this has nothing to do with Gold, I suppose?”

“I’m just saying that I’m thinking about it!” she protested.  “I’m not saying that’s what I’ve decided to do!”

“Well, you can stop thinking about it right bloody now!” he barked.  “You’ll go back to college and you’ll bloody well call that boy of yours!”

“He’s not my boy!” she snapped, putting fists on hips.

“So you’re telling me that a polite, rich, good-looking boy your own age shows an interest, and you’d rather sneak around with a lame guy twice your age?”

“His age and wealth and - and his bloody looks have nothing to do with it!” she said, outraged.  “How can you be so - so clueless about the type of person that might actually make me happy?  Gaston is not that person!”

“He’d be a damn sight better for you than that scheming old bastard!” he snapped.

“Dad, no!” she said firmly.  “Who I date is none of your business!  I’m more than capable of making my own decisions.”

“Belle…”

“Just stop it!” she snapped.  “It’s my life!  When are you gonna get that through your head?”

The shop bell rang, and she stomped through before he could answer, irritation making her clench her fists.

Gold wondered what it was about the summer months that made his tenants less likely to pay their rent on time.  Whether they took more days off work to enjoy the sunshine, or they were under the mistaken impression that the good weather would put him in a better mood, he wasn’t sure.  They were right about the latter, to an extent; his leg was less painful when the weather was warm, but any relief he might have taken from that fact was counteracted by the wheedling tone that some of them chose to employ when seeking an extension.  He wasn’t completely heartless, despite rumours to the contrary; he had agreed to a two week extension for Mrs Lucas when she had fallen and injured herself and had to hire temporary staff to pick up the shifts she usually worked.  Most of the townsfolk who came to him, however, were met with stony looks and flat refusals.  It didn’t stop them trying their luck, of course.

He ran a finger down the column of figures in his rent ledger, double-checking the payments that had come in.  Moe French’s rent was due, and the man always left things to the last minute, but other than that he only had two other payments that had not yet been received.  He decided to wait to collect them; he wanted to get out to the cabin, clean the place up a little and restock the cupboards before he and Belle spent their next night there.

They had been seeing one another for around ten months, which was the longest he had tolerated the company of another in decades.  Belle was everything he was not: outgoing, sweet and affectionate, with a positive outlook on life that made him want to smile even while the pessimist in him dismissed it as unrealistic.  She was beautiful, highly intelligent, and a very pleasant person to be around, all of which had made him wary of getting too close to her.  Opening up wasn’t something he did, so he had been careful not to reveal too much about himself in the moments when they were intimate, when they were wrapped up together in bed and she wanted to talk.  To his surprise, he had found himself wanting to talk to her, to grow closer, to tell her something of himself.  It was an unfamiliar sensation, and a little uncomfortable, and so he sought to shut it down as soon as he recognised it. Gentle questions about his past had been brushed aside with quips or pure distractions, and after a while she had stopped asking.  It was probably better that way.  He suspected she would leave town in a month or so, leave and not return.  What was there to keep her in Storybrooke, after all?

The day was warm, sunshine streaming in through the window, dust motes dancing in the air like gold flecks, and he considered closing up early.  Perhaps he could sit on the back porch with a glass of cold white wine and breathe in the scents of summer from his garden.  Perhaps Belle would join him, curled by his side with her warmth seeping into him, her head on his shoulder and the scent of her perfume in his nose.  The sound of the bell above the shop door jerked him out of his brief daydream, and he leaned on the counter with a tiny smirk twisting his lips as Moe French blundered in and marched up to him.

“Mr French,” he said pleasantly.  “Delivering your rent payment before noon?  This has to be something of a record.”

“I’m not here about the bloody rent!” snapped Moe, and Gold raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” he said.  “Because I assure you that’s the only topic of conversation I’m interested in.  I suggest you rethink the reason for this little visit.”

He closed up the ledger and turned away, heading for one of the glass display counters and using two fingers to spin an ancient globe.  He could feel the fury coming off Moe in waves, and he thought that he could guess the most likely cause.  He hoped Belle was alright; judging by her father’s furious expression, there had been unpleasantness.

“I know what you’ve been doing,” blurted Moe, and Gold turned slowly on the balls of his feet.

“Excuse me?”

“I know what you’ve been doing,” repeated Moe, his face turning red.  “With my daughter.”

“Ah.”  Gold sent him a twisted little grin, hands curling around the handle of his cane.  “Are you here to demand satisfaction, perhaps?  Should I recruit a second?”

“She’s an adult,” said Moe stiffly.  “I got no right to tell her who she can sleep with.”

“That’s right, you don’t.”

“Which is why I’ve come to you,” he went on.  “Let her go.  Please, Gold.”

“Let her go?”  Gold broke into soft laughter.  “I’m not her keeper.  She’s free to do whatever she wants.”

“How can she know what she wants when you’re there to whisper in her ear like a bloody evil spirit?”

“Are you saying your daughter doesn’t know her own mind?” asked Gold.  “I assure you she does.  Perhaps if you talked to her once in a while you’d know that.  She’s not a child.”

“She’s twenty-two!” snapped Moe.  “She knows nothing of the world!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” said Gold lazily.  “I’m happy to say that I’ve taught her quite a lot in - certain areas.  Very quick study.  You should be proud.”

He showed his teeth in a grin, and Moe’s gaze darkened, his face reddening.  He stepped forwards, shoulders hunched and fists clenched, and Gold shook his head with a low, tutting sound.

“Be careful, Mr French,” he said.  “The sheriff won’t look kindly on you attempting to deal out judgement, and I’ll be forced to defend myself.  I’m sure Belle wouldn’t want to have to visit you in jail.  Or in hospital.”

“You stay away from her!”

“Or what?” said Gold mockingly.  “I hate to break it to you, but this is the twenty-first century.  She’s no more your property than she is mine.”

“You’re disgusting!” snapped Moe, and Gold shrugged.

“You opinion is neither required nor valued,” he said.  “Now, if all you have to throw at me are insults, I think we’re done here.”

Moe quivered with rage, his face turning purple, and Gold wondered idly if he’d have to call for an ambulance when the idiot burst something.

“Go home, Mr French,” he said, in a bored voice.  “Go home and start counting your money.  Rent is due, remember?  I think that would be a better use of your time than trying to interfere in my private business.”

“It’s my business too!” snapped Moe.  “She’s my daughter!”

“So?” said Gold, unimpressed.  “You don’t strike me as the kind to pay too much attention to what their child does.  You’ve had her doing most of the work at the shop while you sleep off those hangovers, after all.”

“I’m not exactly Father of the Year, I think that’s pretty fucking obvious,” said Moe gruffly.  “But believe it or not, I still want what’s best for her.”

“And I suppose you know what that is, hmm?”

“Yeah, I do!” snapped Moe.  “It’s to get away from here and make something of her life.  Study.  Travel.  Get a career that doesn’t involve working in a damn shop for minimum wage while her old man drinks the bloody profits!”

“Self-awareness from Moe French,” remarked Gold.  “Whoever would have thought it?”

“That’s fucking rich, coming from you.”

“Which means what, exactly?” said Gold, his tone mocking, and Moe squared his shoulders.

“It means that I don’t want her giving her bloody heart and soul to a man who has neither.”

Gold’s smile grew.

“Well, well,” he said quietly.  “That almost hurt my feelings.”

“Doubt you have any of those, either,” said Moe, and lifted a hand and let it slap against his thigh, looking frustrated.  “Look, Gold, I wouldn’t come over here and grovel at your feet if I wasn’t bloody desperate, okay?”

“Well, it’s not as though I haven’t seen this pathetic display from you before, I suppose,” said Gold, his voice cool.  “How successful were you in the past, do you recall?”

“Dammit, stop speaking to me as though we’re talking about my bloody rent arrears!” snapped Moe.  “This isn’t about you or me, it’s about Belle!”

Gold raised his eyes to the ceiling with a long-suffering sigh.

“Fine,” he said quietly.  “Say your piece.”

“She’s a good girl,” said Moe, his eyes pleading.  “Sweet, brave, kind.  She’s worth ten of me—”

“Well, that wouldn’t be difficult.”

“—and she’s worth twenty of you!” he went on sharply.  “She’s got her whole life ahead of her, and she shouldn’t be stuck in this dead-end town any longer than she has to be!  And now she’s saying that she’s gonna stay another year!”

The bundle of emotions that Gold kept locked up tight quivered with joy, and he smothered them, suffocated them, until they were still and silent.  Moe appeared to be watching for some sort of reaction from him, but he kept his expression neutral carefully neutral.

“Belle is an adult, and capable of making her own choices,” he said.  “I presume she has her reasons for staying.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she should,” said Moe.  “You and I both know there’s nothing worth staying for, but for reasons I don’t bloody understand, she seems to love you.  Do you love her?”

Gold eyed him silently, hands tightening over the cane, and Moe nodded, curling his lip.

“As I thought,” he said disgustedly.  “Just let her go.  Please.”

“Like I said,” Gold repeated.  “She’s free to do whatever she wants.  If she chooses to come to me - well, I don’t see how that’s my fault.”

“She has a boyfriend.”

“Strange,” said Gold, feeling a sliver of ice slide down his back, and smiling coldly to cover it.  “She’s never mentioned him to me.  Nor have I ever seen her with anyone.  Clearly a deeply serious relationship.”

“And I suppose that’s what she has with you?” asked Moe bluntly.  “The pair of you have been sneaking around behind the backs of the entire town!  You do know she hasn’t told a single one of her friends about you, right?”

Gold tightened his jaw, the words needling him.

“No doubt she has her reasons.”

“Oh, she’s got her reasons alright,” said Moe, with a nasty laugh.  “I’m guessing that first on the list is shame!”

“Yes, you’ve made your utter disdain for me quite clear,” said Gold coolly.  “I don’t see there’s anything more to say.”

“I’m not finished!” snapped Moe.  “She seems to have been under the impression that she might have meant something to you, but we both know that’s bollocks.  Now she has the chance of starting again, with a good-looking guy her own age, a guy with money and a future, who loves her, who wants to make her happy.”

“I’m sorry that this no doubt admirable young provider of pointless conversation and mediocre sex wasn’t doing it for her,” said Gold.  “But I fail to see how this is my problem.”

“Because if you had the tiniest scrap of decency in you, you’d end it!” snapped Moe.  “If you cared about her - if you care about anyone but yourself, that is - you’d let her go!”

He cut off, breathing hard, his eyes almost popping with anger.  Gold was silent, hands gripping the cane handle so hard it hurt, that finger of ice down between his shoulder blades seeming to melt and spread, coating his body with coldness.

“Let’s say I agree with you,” he said eventually.  “What if I suggest that she and I end this little thing we have, and she doesn’t want to?  What then?”

Moe sent him a nasty smile.

“Well, you’re a resourceful man, Gold,” he said.  “I’m sure you’d think of something.”

#fic: dark heart #rumbelle fic #my fic #rumbelle angst #thespinningmeanie

[persephone-damnedqueen]

Beginning Thoughts of the Fall Anime Season 2017 . . .

Welp, fall is here, and as usual, it is time for me to do my annual first impressions of the season’s anime titles.  My gods if you thought the amount of shows I checked out last season was a lot, this season’s amount is insane.  This season, so far, I have checked out 22 shows thus far and plan for at least 7 more to pick up.  Insane, right?  So how do they stack up so far?   Let’s see.  Also, please keep in mind, that these are solely based off of the first one or two episodes, and are purely my opinion, so if my opinion is different than yours, then I’d love to here it.   Also, I will try to remain as spoiler free as possible.  

Netojuu no Susume:  Studio Signal.MD

Dropped.  Alright, so I feel like I have to mention this.   I’m a serious gamer.  More specifically, I love me some MMOs.  How much you ask?   Well, so much so that I actually met my husband on World of Warcraft.  Insane right?  I mean my god you do not want to see our /played time on that game.  So, needless to say, I am a bit critical on gaming anime because of this, because I know what it’s like.   This anime was just. . . . cringey.  I found myself sighing every chance I got and by the 20 minute mark, completely turning it off.  Everything about the first episode was just  . . . bad.  There’s really just no redeeming qualities. . . well, one line said by the Guild Master which was something along the lines of “you have no idea what her irl gender is.”  I laughed.  It’s accurate.  85% of female toons you see on wow are actually guys. Anyways, moving on.   

Evil or Live:  Haoliners Animation

Dropped.  Mmmm  I had such high hopes.  After reading the summary, I will admit, I was hyped for this show.  On Paper, this show sounds wonderful.  I thought it was going to be some horror psychological thriller that at the end of it left you questioning the very meaning of the world around you or something.  Instead, what happened?   I . . .don’t even know.  The series starts off with massive amounts of Live Action, which, while being completely unexpected, I didn’t mind so much; the series became an instant drop for me when the MC and Co were clearly showing a break from reality and needed actual mental help, was beaten instead.   It wasn’t “horror” or “edgy” it was just poor writing.  Needless to say, I have dropped it.

Just Because!: Studio Pine Jam

Dropped.  For no other reason that fuck it’s boring.  I fell asleep watching it not once, but twice.  It was that boring.  This series proves that even the prettiest of shows can bore you to death.  

Omiai Aite wa Oshiego Tsuyoki na, Mondaiji:  Studio Seven

Porn.  With Plot.  Alright, so this is an actual hentai series.  Not like Soft-Core either like Hajimete no Gal was last season.  This is an actual hentai series, and if you could believe it, it’s actually more plot focused and semi-interesting than 95% of hentai out there.. . . Well, as interesting as a hentai series about a female teacher and a student banging and “engaged” can be.  Don’t get me wrong here, it’s totally trash, but hey, each episode is only four minutes, so I’m going to keep watching this trash just a bit longer to see where it goes.  

Sengoku Night Blood:  Typhoon Graphics

Mmmm Still waiting for the day with they make a good anime based off of an Otome Game.  Alright, so here’s the story.  Girl gets sent back into another world and gains a harem.  A vampire harem.  That’s it.  I’ve saved you the trouble of checking this series out.  You’re welcome.  

Urahara:  Studios Emt^2 and Shirogumi

Dropped.  Instant Drop.  Jesus Christ that animation is fucking trash.  You have two studios working on this series, and the animation still looks that garbagey?!?!  How?!?!?!  I can’t even with this. . . Ugh, nope, moving on.  

Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara:  Creators in Pack

Yet another series that will probably be dropped halfway through.  Honestly, there’s just nothing that really happens in this series, and I know it’s really hard for anything to happen in a four minute long series, but literally nothing happens.   Wife comes home.  Husband makes her drink.  Wife gets tipsy.  Thank you husband.  I mean the main reason why I’m going to be sticking it out just a bit longer is to keep getting cocktail recipes haha.   

Imouto Sae Ireba Ii:  Sliver Link Studios

Will probably be dropped.  Is it just me or is this series like Silver Link’s answer to A-1′s EroManga Sensei?  Honestly, this show is meh at best so far.  The art is nothing too great, and the story screams EroManga, and since I wasn’t a fan, I really don’t see myself watching more than three episodes.  

Boku no Kanojo ga Majimesugiru Sho-Bitch na Ken:  Studio Diomedea

I started watching it with hopes of it doing two things.  One, fill the hole in my heart that was left when Hajimete no Gal ended; and two, explain what the hell a Sho-Bitch is.  In all honestly though, this show is probably going to be dropped.  While the art is generic, the characters are bland and too common; I also the comedy too forced at time and repeatable.  Yes, we understand main waifu really just wants to figure out what Haruka likes, and obviously misinterprets everything, but does that really have to be the joke every single time?

Inuyashiki:  Studio MAPPA

Ah, the latest from Studio MAPPA.  I have one question:  MAPPA, what the fuck?  Let me clarify.  The opening few minutes of the first episode made me feel.  Fuck, I almost started crying.  It was depressing and yet the story was just relatable and beautiful all at the same time.  I was feeling feels I didn’t want to feel.  It really kept true to the Drama tag, which I love.  I’m a sucker for some hardcore drama filled series.  Then. . . .it got weird.  Some weird like mecha space alien thing weird.  So, again, MAPPA, what the fuck?  Don’t get me wrong here.  I will be continuing to watch this solely because despite the series taking that weird turn, in no way did that make the actual tone any less enjoyable.  Plus, the art style is so unique to the show, I’m curious as to where it can go from here.  

Mahoutsukai no Yome:  Wit Studio

Alright, I’m a fan.  This has to be a contender for Anime of the Season, and we aren’t even three episodes into it yet.  It’s wonderful, and not only one of my favorites from this season so far, but my favorite thing Wit Studio has ever done, (and yes, that just brought me a ton of hate from SnK fans haha).   I can see and agree with the hype this series has had.   Honestly, check it out.  It’s good  and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.  

Blend S:  A-1 Pictures

I found my Moe-Blob for the season, and I’m so happy.  I actually really like this series so far.  It was adorable, and literally just what I want in my seasonal moe-blob.  It’s nothing too driven plot wise, and definitely won’t be anime of the season or anything like that; it’s literally just Cute Girls waitressing in this cute cafe.  Regardless, I’m definitely going to continue to watch it for a bit longer at least.  

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou:  Studio White Fox

Keep your eye on this one this season.  It’s probably going to be the Dark Horse of this season.  In all honestly, I became instantly hooked watching the first episode.  The tone at the start was so eerie and grim that I found myself getting literal goosebumps.   Maybe it’s the high I’m on after the Made in Abyss ending, or just wanting to find something to fill the void that series has left me with, but I’m getting serious MiA vibes.  I’m hoping this series is even half as good as MiA was.  Also, I’m a major fan already of how unique the art is for this show.  

Ousama Game The Animation:  Studio Seven

I’m biased.  Period.  I will be watching this show no matter how terrible it could ever get solely because my favorite Seiyuu is the lead.  Mamoru is a God, and I will watch it religiously every week.  That being said, I can tell you that this show is edgy as fuck, and with it being one of two survival game anime out right now this season, this one is definitely the weaker, edgier of the two.  It is a pretty cool concept though, and I’m already a fan of the survival game concept, that I don’t mind watching this one until the end.  I would also like to warn that this one is definitely gory so if you don’t like that than this isn’t for you.    

Konohana Kitan:  Studio Lerche

CUTE LITTLE FOX GIRLS.  I REPEAT, CUTE LITTLE FOX GIRLS.  Having read the summary for the series prior,and seeing both the Seinen and Shoujo Ai tag on it and that it would be done by Lerche, it became an instant check out at least, and I’m glad I did.  This series is the calming pallet cleanser.  It’s the show where you can turn off your mind and just watch the cuteness.  Plus, did I mention cute little fox girls?  What more do you need?   

Black Clover:  Studio Pierrot

Alright, I’m split in two for this.  Part of me wants me to look at this show for what it is:  a stereotypical shounen series, with decent animation, predictable plot and bad voice acting, if you saw the first episode you’d know what I’m talking about.   This show screams Naruto, Fairy Tail and Bleach rip off; and hell, since I hate Naruto, never got into Bleach, and am still VERY pissed at Fairy Tail, combining the three into one really just makes me both cringe and glare at the screen.   Evil Glare.  A glare that if I could, would totally shoot lasers out and everything.  I mean hell, it’s even done by the same studio as Naruto.  Regardless, the tons and tons of shounen I’ve seen makes me just feel like this is repeating it all.   That’s one part of me.  The other part of me enjoys this show, solely for the fact that my husband LOVES the Black Clover manga, so watching it with him makes me at least want to give it a chance.   I do however doubt it will be as big as people hype it up to be, and if it does get big it will be nowhere near as good quality wise as a lot of other shounens, and will take a lot for me to become a fan.  

Juuni Taisen:  Graphinica

Without a doubt, my favorite from this season.  I’m hooked.  This series has it all:  unique character designs, well executed art, and a killer story line, (pun intended).  Mmmmm this story is wonderful.  It hooks you from the start, which is to be expected since the original source is written by the same original writer for the Monogatari Series.  There’s plot twists and betrayals and just epicness.  It also has one of the best openings and closings of the season.  Side Note:  THE PSYCHOTIC LITTLE USAGI BOY IS BEST BOY AND I WILL FIGHT ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE, AND IF HE DOESN’T WIN I WILL RIOT.  

Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru:  Washio Sumi no Shou:  Studio Gokumi

When I first saw that Yuki Yuno was getting another season, I was fucking thrilled.  Yuki Yuno was a magical girl series that I fell in love with not only because of the Madoka Magica vibes it had, but because of the beautiful art and animation and vibrant colors it used.  It’s visually stunning.  So, how is the prequel turning out?  Still just as stunning.  In all honestly, I’m going to love this series provided it stays true to the themes and tones of the first season, and if the opening episodes are anything to say about the rest of the series, then I know it will.  Plus, who isn’t up for Magical Girls this season?

Osomatsu-san 2nd Season:  Studio Pierrot

I actually genuinely missed this show.  My gods this show is a gift.  This has to be one of the underapprieciated comedy gems to come out in the recent years, and it fills me with joy knowing that it still shines just like the first season did.  I enjoy watching the episodic skits of everyone’s favorite sextuplets.  Seriously, why have you not started this show?  

Shokugeki no Soma:  J.C.Staff

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I’VE WAITED TO SEE MY SON KUGA ANIMATED?!!??!  TOO LONG.  This is hands down the best season of Food Wars yet, and we are barely a couple episodes into it.   I love the pacing of this season, and having being a manga reader, I can confirm for you that it’s completely accurate with the manga thus far.  J.C Staff is clearly showing that they still care about Food Wars and aren’t rushing with the season.  Also, thank the gods for the 24 episode season.  THAT’S MORE EPISODES OF MY PRECIOUS KUGA.  

3-Gatsu no Lion 2nd Season:  Studio Shaft

I cried.  I fucking cried.  Hard.  My god I missed this series.  Everything about the first episode was fantastic.  The music and animation were spot on, but of course nothing out of the ordinary for the phenomenal Studio Shaft, but what did I love most you ask?  Character Development.  MY FUCKING GOD.  Compare Rei to the start of Season one, and you’d never think it’s the same person.  I can’t stress that enough.  If this first episode is a sign on how amazing the rest of this season is going to be then I’m beyond fucking happy.  This is the series I’ve been waiting for since the start of the year.  

Gintama.  Porori-hen:  Bandai Namco Pictures

Has there ever been like a bad season of Gintama?   Like Ever?  All this season has proved to me is: one, life is boring and dull without Gintama.  Two, Gintama is the king of comedy series.  Three, Gintama is without a doubt one of the greatest series of all time.   This season is hilarious and easily makes me burst out laughing from start to finish.  Thank you Gintama, I’ve truly missed you.  

Ballroom e Youkoso:  Production I.G.

How is the second half of the season you ask?  *Insert Pouting Face Here*  Fuck you, Chi-chan.  Worst Girl 2017.  THERE I SAID IT.  YEAH, I SAID IT.  WHAT YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?  #BRINGBACKBESTGIRL2017  Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Tartara has a partner now, but like seriously why her? -.-  Why couldn’t Mako just be his partner forever and they could live happily ever after?  

 So, yeah, those are my thoughts so far on the Fall Anime 2017 season.   Let me know yours, and if there is anything I’m not watching, and should be, then please tell me!  I love recommendations, and I already know of a few that I need to pick up. . . .

#beginning thoughts #fall anime #fall anime 2017 #fall anime season 2017 #my thoughts #first impressions #my post #ballroom e youkoso #welcome to the ballroom #gintama #gintama porori hen #3 gatsu no lion 2nd season #march comes in like a lion #san gatsu no lion season two #march comes in like a lion season two #shokugeki no soma #food wars #shokugeki no souma season 3 #osomatsu san #osomatsu san season 2 #Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru: Washio Sumi no Shou: #yuuki yuuna wa yuusha de aru #yuki yuno is a hero #juuni taisen #zodiac war #black clover #konohana kitan #ousama game the animation #ousama game #king's game

[weeanoob]

Scarecrow & Ms. Anxiety (Hinako Note - episode 1)

For some of us, making friends or interacting with others is easy, either due to practice or natural inclination. Then there are others of us whose brains scream out of control and eventually shut-down trying to process the best (or really any) way to carry a conversation with strangers. Sometimes even just being around lots of other people causes this reaction, preemptively shutting down any potential for casual conversation or social interaction.

Sakuragi Hinako is one such person. You see, Hinako suffers from paralyzing social anxiety that causes her to freeze into a T-Pose or "scarecrow" that's apparently so convincing that in the country where she grew up, birds would instantly flock to her. Of course Hinako realizes that she can't live like this forever, (well she could, but then this would be a completely different kind of sub-genre) so she decides to move to Tokyo where she can attend high school and join the drama club she saw perform in her home town once.

Tokyo turns out to be quite the traumatic experience for Hinako. Cripplingly shy country girl moves to big city, who would've thought, right? After getting lost and T-Posing in front of a friendly police officer, which strangely enough, attracts the same three birds that flocked to her in the country, she finds the combination bookstore/coffee shop/boarding house where she is to be staying. Here she meets the first half of her ensemble cast. Kuina is an energetic girl who loves reading and eating books. She likes eating food too and is always stuffing her face with something. Mayuki on the other hand, is the show's resident Lolita; small in stature and often behavior despite being the elder of the other two. She also apparently likes to cosplay as a maid, at all times. Then there’s Chiaki, whom we meet at the very end of the episode after a quick excursion through the park. She’s the tall, mature, silent type but we're told has a commanding stage presence and has been acting since she was a child. While looking like a high-school student herself, she's apparently the landlady of the book-coffee-house where the rest of the girls are living and working.

The episode closes with four of the five main characters being introduced and two points of conflict to be overcome. The main point of the show is based around Hinako's desire to overcome her crippling shyness. A secondary, interconnected point of conflict is introduced at the end of the episode, that being the theatre club Hinako wanted to join to combatting her social anxiety is on hiatus due to the advisor being on tour. It remains to be seen if the advisor returns and becomes their guiding force or if the girls strike out on their own and restart the club without her, relying on each other for support and guidance. We’re given an indication that this is the route the girls will be taking and if developed right, this could hopefully give the show and characters a bit more depth than a traditional "cute girls doing cute things" show about nothing.

Ultimately though, Hinako Note's entire reason for being, is to be cute and adorable. It only half succeeds at this so far in my opinion. The art style is soft and pleasantly colourful, but relies too much on the simplistic, "chibi/moe-blob" models of the characters for many of their interactions, especially the comedic ones, rather than the more detailed and proportionally accurate models. The chibi models aren't ugly, but give the show a more “comedic” feel, which given the show’s premise so far, I don’t think leaning into full comedy would be wise. Plus, the realistic character models are much more endearing and pleasant to look at. The voice acting while not grating or offensive feels like all the actresses are trying just a bit too hard to sound soft and "breathy" which makes some of the characters sound too similar to one another. The music is mostly up-beat or lighthearted melodies with the occasional rambunctious comedy track for an extended gag or oddly thematic tune when introducing a character.

Overall, Hinako Note so far is cute and inoffensive but remains to be seen if the plot and characters can develop into something truly compelling. Hinako's crippling social anxiety is something I can strongly relate to, so I feel for the character and I want to see her overcome her fears. If that doesn't happen though, Hinako Note will have to be content being relegated to the Spring 2017 "cute girl" show which is still a genre I enjoy watching time to time.

Hinako Note is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

#anime #anime review #hinako note #review

[rieshon]

Best of 2017

This was almost a weak year for anime, but then the Fall season happened. Apparently anime was just saving all their best for last in 2017.

10: Seikai Suru Kado ∥ Toei Animation ∥ Dir. Watanabe Masaki: This may be a surprise inclusion, given that Kado was admittedly one of the most hideous-looking shows of the year, but in a post-Kemono Friends world, anything is possible. Looks aside, Kado does the remarkable thing of giving us actual science fiction in an anime: you know, cerebral, philosophical, and trying to raise questions about our own society through the lens of the fantastic. It definitely has flaws, but there aren't many anime I've watched that feel as much like a good SF novel as this one does.

9: NEW GAME!! ∥ Douga Koubou ∥ Dir. Fujiwara Yoshiyuki: Here's a more conventional choice. You know I love Zoi-chan, and her second season was everything it should have been. We have the great character development of Aoba coming into her own as a designer, Nenecchi being the world's most adorable beginning programmer, and a genuinely moving ending with Kou-chan setting out on her own. Plus it adds some adorable new girls, and the cuteness delivered by Douga Koubros is on point as always. Wako-chan dabes!

8: Gabriel Dropout ∥ Douga Koubou ∥ Dir. Oota Masahiko: You didn't think the Comedy God wouldn't find his way on here, did you? Oota Masahiko had a two year absence from my Best of the Year lists, but now he clocks in for the fourth time with the eminently enjoyable Gabriel Dropout. As you might expect, this show has a feel similar to the original Yuruyuri: it's super comfy, but also hilarious. Comic foil Satanya was easily one of the best girls of the year.

7: Little Witch Academia ∥ TRIGGER ∥ Dir. Yoshinari You: Some will probably think I have LWA a little low... It's definitely a masterpiece of design and, at times, animation, but I felt like the overall plot dragged a little. Some individual episodes were brilliant, though, like the one where Akko travels inside Sucy's brain, the labor strike episode which gave us glorious Comrade Akko, or the robot episode aka Gurren Lagann 2. The big plot about the kotonoha and the evil Elon Musk, on the other hand, I never really got that invested into, although Shiny Chariot is definitely a babe. Still, it's got all those great themes about believing in yourself that are so genuine and earnest that you can't help but love it.

6: Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Iidesuka? ∥ C2C/Satelight ∥ Dir. Wada Junichi: I'm totally biased towards this series, having read the books, but I do think it's a really good anime in its own right. Kutori's tragic story is told with the utmost care and even though they only adapted three of the five novels it still turns out as a complete and satisfying story unto itself. The feels are all over, especially thanks in no small part to a beautiful score (including several vocal pieces) by Katou Tatsuya that really ties the show together tonally. I'd really kill for a second season.

5: Youjo Senki ∥ Nut ∥ Dir. Uemura Yutaka: So, I almost feel guilty putting this show on here because it's definitely the hardest anime I've ever watched raw (Monogatari shows included) and I still feel like some of it may have gone over my head. But even my dumb ass knows enough to tell this is one of the smartest shows of the year, a study of man's tendency towards war as seen through the eyes of a little girl who embodies the doctrine of "the ends justify the means." Yuuki Aoi turns in probably the best performance of her career as Tanya who is definitely one of the most memorable characters of the year, even if Nazis think she's supposed to be a "badass" you're meant to root for. This is another one that desperately needs a second season.

4: Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series ∥ Lerche ∥ Dir. Taguchi Tomohisa: I always heard the original Kino was great but I didn't care enough to actually go back and watch it. Thankfully, anime's got me covered with this new adaptation that definitely lived up to the hype. If I were to use one phrase to describe Kino no Tabi it would be "Star Trek"―much like that show it's an episodic series about some people on a journey to strange places that uses each episode to set up an ethical or philosophical question and then work through it. As a result, it's wonderfully varied and constantly surprising. Also, Kino is cute!

3: Konohana Kitan ∥ Lerche ∥ Dir. Okamoto Hideki: Is it wrong for me to say this show is like Kino? Konohana is also a series of short stories tied together by the setting and characters of the inn, but instead of setting up philosophical questions it's all about sentimentality. I really appreciate short form storytelling and there are a ton of fantastically constructed short stories here and they rarely failed to make me bawl my eyes out. It also features some of the cutest girls of the year, to the point that I still don't really know who best girl is: I gave it to Yuzu, but you really couldn't go wrong with any of them.

2: Houseki no Kuni ∥ Orange ∥ Dir. Kyougoku Takahiko: It's a real shame that this show can't also be anime of the year, but second place is no indictment of the quality of this show which was one of two to earn a perfect score last year. Houseki no Kuni is a standard (if masterfully executed) bildungsroman, but it's wrapped in a package unlike anything I've ever experienced before. The arresting character designs are the first thing that jump out, but there's also the unique and never-quite-explained setting and world, including the haunting visuals of the moon people antagonists, and the show's stylish fusion of 3DCG technology with traditional animation techniques, resulting in some of the best cinematography of the year. And then there's the cast of characters, headed by Kurosawa Tomoyo as Phosphophyllite who has with this performance removed any doubt in my mind that she's one of the top actresses in anime right now. Phos experiences character growth that's almost unprecendented in this medium, where return to the status quo is the norm for most "arcs," and Kurosawa's performance which takes Phos from goofy red-headed stepchild to cold, disaffected warrior (while still not losing any of her personality) really ties it all together. Phos's character development is so satisfying that it even manages to convincingly take the place of a real ending to the plot. A genuine masterpiece.

1: Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou ∥ White Fox ∥ Dir. Ozaki Takaharu: But as fate would have it there would be two unqualified masterpieces this year... Part of the reason I've put off finishing this post is because I've struggled to think of ways to communicate how truly sublime the experience of watching Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is. It's beautiful, thoughtful, introspective, sentimental, heart-rending, soothing... I guess it's fitting that it's so many things because the show is ultimately about humanity, where we came from, and where we're heading. And it does all that without being brooding or melancholic: these round girls look the apocalypse square in the face and still manage to find beauty, comfort, and profound meaning in the world. If that isn't humanity at its purest, what is? This show that is at first glance about two round blobs on a road trip will make you reconsider mankind's place in the universe. I love anime.

Close but no cigar:

The biggest conflict for me was Princess Principal, which I really wanted to include in the list but just couldn't make room for it. There's a lot of things I love that show for: its fun setting, endearing characters, its well-told short form stories, and the fact that it tiptoes into dealing with leftist politics... But unfortunately it ends quite poorly, which is a big knock on a show as plot-driven as this one. In a similar vein, Kakegurui was one of the most compelling shows week-to-week of the year, but it also suffers from a weak non-ending which lets a little air out of the balloon after all the super hype gambles until that point.

In the cute girls department, there was Kobayashi-sanchi no Maidragon, which let us know that Kyoani can still make moe anime if they try. It was definitely a great specimen in the genre, but it didn't really do anything special enough to get into the top ten... other than having Kanna. There was also Eromanga-Sensei, which lived up to its name by being very ero but was also just unremarkably good.

In terms of lesser shows that deserve a shoutout, I've gotta give one to the second season of Lovelive! Sunshine!! for being so incredibly better than the first outing that it made me genuinely love Aqours and look forward to the upcoming movie. After the last two season of Lovelive anime I never thought I'd really care again, but they managed to do it with a renewed focus on character and abandoning the stupid 'save the school' narrative that made Sunshine feel like a second-rate knockoff of the original. I should also mention Made In Abyss, if only because of its overriding popularity around the world, but also because the first half of it was setting up for an all-time great show that could have easily slotted in among Houseki no Kuni and Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou, but then it made the mistake of getting too grimdark and ruined it.

Now time to open the envelopes:

Best Actress: Kurosawa Tomoyo as Phosphophyllite, Houseki no Kuni. What, you were expecting someone else? At only 21 years of age Kurosawa has already established herself as a force to be reckoned with, between this role and her similarly fantastic work as Kumiko in the Euphonium series. She brings a level of emotional texture to a character that's seldom seen in anime. Just go look at the review for Houseki for more explanation of why she deserves this. We definitely have a lot to look forward to with this girl.

(Honorable mentions: Yuuki Aoi as Tanya Degurechaff, Youjo Senki; Noto Mamiko as Morioka Moriko, Netojuu no Susume; Minase Inori & Kubo Yurika as Chito & Yuri, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou; Hayami Saori as Jabami Yumeko, Kakegurui)

Best Actors: Ichikawa Aoi & Murata Taishi as Izumi Eita & Souma Haruto, Just Because!. I didn't include Just Because in the close-but-no-cigar section because I figured I could give it credit here. For me, Just Because! was one of the most underrated shows of last year; it won me over with its understated but earnest depiction of youth navigating the tangle of falling in love for the first time. Part of what makes it so charming is the realistic relationship between Ichikawa and Murata's characters, once-seperated friends who reunite when the protagonist moves back to the town he grew up in. The interplay between the characters has that sort of unstated intimacy that often defines male friendships, and while a lot of that is down to the solid writing, it's hard not to give credit to the actors for making the characters' relationship so darling as well.

(Honorable mentions: Fukushima Jun as Satou Kazuma, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 2; Chiba Shouya as Azumi Koutarou, Tsuki ga Kirei; Saitou Souma as Glenn Radars, Roku de Nashi Majutsu Kyoushi no Akashic Records)

Newcomer Seiyuu of the Year: Tomita Miyu. Talk about jumping onto the scene. Tomita first came to my active attention with her role as the aloof angel Gabriel in Gabriel Dropout, and her comic delivery was a big part of that show's success. When she later played Kuina in Hinako Note, I thought maybe she was a little one note, because the performances seemed really similar. Her performance as Riko in Made In Abyss, though, really threw her into the spotlight. While I personally hated what happened in episode 10 from a narrative standpoint, there's no denying that that scene was so gutwrenching and affecting for so many people because of Tomita's performance. I'd still like to see if she has more vocal range, but even if she doesn't, this girl―who was only seventeen years old while turning in that work!―can definitely act. I hope we get to hear her lead another show sometime soon.

(Honorable mention: Naganawa Maria. It's not always the case that a voice can entirely make a character. People like Kugimiya Rie can do that, and in recent years Sakura Ayane does the same for me. Naganawa Maria as Kanna Kamui in Kobayashi-sanchi no Maidragon is another example. Kanna would have always been cute, of course, but it's Naganawa's voice that really put her over the edge to becoming one of the most widely popular characters of 2017. The quality of her loligoe is uncontested, but what remains to be seen is if she can truly carry a show as the main protagonist. The only example we have of that is her work as Honda Tamaki in Stella no Mahou, which I enjoyed, but I'd like to hear more of her in that kind of role.)

#best of the year

[llantano]

The Darkened Glass, 1. The Storm

By Jaemlyn

Dorian considered herself to be a pleasant person under most circumstances. However, on this particular day she found herself at odds with everyone who crossed paths with her. She knew she was being unpleasant, but somehow couldn't help herself. "Where's the sugar?" she demanded of Moe in the kitchen of La Boulaie, digging through the cabinets and not finding it where she expected. Her temper flared, aware that Moe was not in the room; so she resorted to screaming. "Moe!!??" Ray Montez entered the room from the hallway and spoke calmly and quietly in his thick South American accent. "Moe has gone to the grocery. Is there something I can help you with, Dorian?"

She slammed the cabinet door shut angrily. "No! I am just trying to make myself a cup of tea - but don't worry about it. I'll drink it unsweetened." She huffed, carrying her cup and saucer to the nearby table and sitting down with her back to the wall. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked, still calm. She didn't look up at him as she poured cream into her tea and stirred it. "As a matter of fact, I do mind." He turned to her, slightly surprised by her remark. She looked up at him and shrugged as if he should have already known the answer she had just given. Ray turned his back and leaned on the counter-top, looking out the window. "Looks like a good storm blowing up. Maybe we should check the weather, do you think?" "The only thing you need to check is your daughter," Dorian snapped. "Lola? She is at school right now. The same place as your own daughter." Dorian offered him her best scowl. "You know what I meant." Ray invited himself to sit down across the table from her. "Dorian, you know I am having some trouble with Lola right now." "Really," Dorian asked sarcastically. "I need your patience with this," he told her, laying the palms of his hands flat on the table with emphasis. "I need you to be patient with Lola, and with me. I was gone for a long time, and she was hurt. There are many things we need to work through so I can get through to her." "Yes, I agree with you," Dorian offered sincerely before her voice turned cold again. "And in the meantime Langston has to put up with all of Lola's crap." Ray took a deep breath and remained cool. "Your daughter deserves to have the best possible treatment from her family...." "That's right," Dorian interrupted, sneering and pointing at herself. "And she does, from my family." Ray stood again and walked to the kitchen island, leaning on it, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You know, all her life Lola has had the things that meant most to her taken away. She was denied her mother, her home, and myself. Lola has learned to fight for the things she wants in life." He raised his hand to stop Dorian when her mouth opened to speak. "I am not making excuses for her behavior. She needs to learn what is and isn't appropriate - especially when it comes to family. But I am asking you to see her as a girl who needs our help, Dorian." A sudden flash lit the kitchen and the lights flickered momentarily as a large boom of thunder rattled the windowsill. Dorian frowned up at the lights, speaking somewhat more calmly and letting the storm embody her frustration. "I can identify with Lola, in a way," she admitted. "But you can't let her get away with this type of behavior. There have to be consequences, and in this case I'm afraid it is going to have to be more than a simple apology." Ray pooched his lips out, wondering if he should keep them shut. "Perhaps if Langston would have actually accepted Lola's apology...." Dorian slapped the surface of the table with both hands, sloshing tea onto the place-mat. "You actually fall for the cutesy little goody-two-shoes act she does, don't you? 'Oh, Papi, I don't know what to do!'" She mimicked Lola as she stood angrily and stepped toward Ray. "You watch your back, Papi, or Lola is going to wound you the same way she did Langston." Another unexpected clap of thunder shook the house as Dorian stomped out of the room. Ray waited a moment before following her to the sitting room. She was standing at the French doors, watching the dark rain streak down the panes, her back to him. "Dorian," he said calmly. She barely even acknowledged that he had entered the room. He stepped nearer, laying his hands on her small shoulders carefully. "Dorian, may I ask a favor of you?" She turned to him and sighed. "Maybe we should check the weather. You know, it is awfully dark out there for this time of day." She pulled away from him and crossed the room, picking up the television remote and turning the weather on. Ray took a deep breath and walked over to her side again. "Could you do me a favor, Dorian?" he asked again. She inspected the red radar blobs on the screen for a moment and then turned to him, drooping her shoulders, relenting. "What is it, Ray?" "I think what I am lacking in this situation with Lola is a woman's sensibilities about her daughter." He took both of Dorian's hands in his own. "You're kidding me," she shook her head, annoyed and amused. "You want me to speak to Lola?" "I think it could help. Perhaps give me more insight into this situation." The television screeched suddenly, grabbing their attention. "The National Weather Service in Philadelphia has just issued a tornado ... warning ... for the following counties in Pennsylvania: Llantano. If you are in the area of Llantano County you should take cover immediately. At 1:55 p.m. radar indicated a storm capable of producing high, damaging winds and dime-sized hail. Stay away from windows and take shelter immediately. Repeat: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Llantano County, Pennsylvania...." Both adults blinked at the television for a moment and then looked around the room. Dorian watched the wind through the French doors and looked up at the lights. "What do they do," Ray asked, stunned, "at school?" Dorian swallowed nervously. "Oh, um." She put her hand to her neck, thinking. "They take every precaution - usually put the children in the safest place." She turned in a circle, worried. "I have been to the school. It is a solid building." "Yes," Dorian agreed, still a bit stunned. "Oh, yes, of course! You know these weathermen - they are just looking out for our safety. He didn't say a tornado had been spotted or had touched down." "That's good, right?" Dorian paced a bit. "Yeah, I mean.... It is probably just a rotation in the ... atmosphere or whatever. Nothing to worry about!" A large flash filled the room, this time simultaneous with a cacophonous thunderclap and an immediate loss of power to the house. The room went pitch black and eerily still. Outside, the storm roared with a force - the only noise the two could hear until their eyes adjusted to the dim light and one of them spoke again. "Maybe we should take cover ourselves," Ray suggested. Dorian paced away from him a bit so that he couldn't see her face. "No, um, you go ahead. The safest place is the closet under the stairs." He stepped closer to her, concerned. "You don't want to go someplace safe, Dorian?" She spun to face him again in the dark room. "Oh, no," she lied, smiling, feigning confidence. "You know, even if there was a tornado that had touched down, which I'm sure there isn't, it could be all the way on the other side of the county. There's a flashlight and a radio in the kitchen. I'll just listen to the weather on the radio and let you know when the storm has passed." They were both startled when a loud roar filled the room. Ray looked up at the ceiling and back at Dorian, who was cringing. He had to raise his voice so she could hear him. "What is that noise?" She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax, gazing out the French doors again. "Hail!" she answered, watching the branches outside blow and twist in the wind. Ray hurried to her side and peered out. He purposefully spoke calmly. "Even if there isn't a tornado here right now -- that weather is dangerous. We need to go someplace safe - both of us." Dorian moved to the center of the room slowly. "We'll be fine," she assured him. "Why don't you want to take cover?" he queried, still concerned. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the rattle of the hail against the outside walls of the house. "I told you," she said measuredly, lifting her finger for emphasis, "I am going to go to the kitchen to get a flashlight and the radio." "I'm going with you then," he nodded as she started back out of the room. She shrugged as he followed. The kitchen was pitch black. Dorian remembered the flashlight being in the drawer next to the kitchen door, but as she fumbled in the drawer she couldn't lay her hands on it. "Aaggh!" she exclaimed, frustrated. "Ever since Moe came I can't find anything in here!" She slammed the drawer shut with a bang. It was barely audible against the backdrop of wind, hail, and thunder. Ray stood behind her and gently laid his hands on her arms, leaning close to her ear so she could hear him. "Calm. We will find it. I'll help you." He kept his hands on each side of her until he was sure she had calmed down. "Now, where should be the next place we look?" Her arms shook slightly as her muscles tensed again. She clenched her fists in frustration. "I don't know!" A deafening crash suddenly resounded from next to them and they both jumped, shocked, as a tree branch shattered the nearby window, sending shards of glass flying across the countertop and floor. Dorian covered her ears as the sounds outside were instantly amplified and the roar of the weather intruded upon her kitchen. Ray grasped her arm, yelling loudly so she could hear him. "It isn't safe to be out here! We have to take cover!" In an instant, he had his arm around her back and had guided her back into the hallway. The wind was whipping through the kitchen toward the front door and any loose papers were being whirled around and blown into unknown corners. Dorian jerked away from Ray as he opened the closet door. "No," she protested. The wind continued to toss the tree branch in the window, shattering more of the glass as Dorian took a few steps back. "What is the matter?" Ray asked, trying to remain calm with Dorian against his better instincts. "It is dangerous out here! We have to go in the closet!" She shook her head at him gravely. "I don't want to...." The lightning strike that followed her statement was so close that they practically heard the thunder before they noticed the flash, even over the roar of the chaotic wind. The house rumbled ominously - every fiber of its construction vibrating. Dorian clutched at her chest; almost sure it had skipped a beat. Ray couldn't stand it anymore. He threw his arms around Dorian and pulled her into the closet, shutting the door.

2. Fear and Fury

#Dorian and Ray #The Darkened Glass #One Life to Live #OLTL #fanfic #Dorian Lord #Ray Montez

[recentanimenews]

Adulting is Overrated in "Yurumates3Dei"

  The 4.5 Tatami World.

  Life. Death. Anime in between. At least, that's what this T-shirt I bought at Hot Topic in 2003 says. Picking a new series to watch may not be as difficult as dorm life or studying to get into the college of your dreams, but it can still be a tricky prospect with little information to go on. “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog” is here to help. Each week we provide additional info and cultural context to help anime fans decide whether they'd like to try out an unknown series.

    What's Yurumates3Dei?

  Yurumates3Dei is a 2012 short form comedy TV anime with direction by Yoshihide Yuuzmi and animation by C2C. The series is based on the Yurumates 4-panel manga by saxyun, which is serialized in Takeshobo's Manga Club magazine. Crunchyroll describes Yurumates3Dei as follows:

    Yurumates3Dei follows Yurume, an 18-year-old high school graduate who has yet to be accepted into college. In an effort to study for exams, she moves to Maison du Wish, an apartment complex on the outskirts of Tokyo which is full of other out-of-school "rōnin." Maybe that has something to do with the rumor about Maison du Wish: no one who lives there passes the entrance exam.

    Yurumates3Dei is humorous series that delves into that awkward period between adolescence and adulthood that is the college (or in this case, pre-college) experience. A show about characters getting to know their neighbors and learning to be comfortable in their own skin, if you've ever lived in a dormitory, you'll likely find the comedy of Yurumates3Dei painfully relevant.

    “Hana Yori Dango.”

  If Yurumates3Dei has a philosophy, it's best expressed by the Japanese folk phrase: “Hana yori dango.” Literally meaning “dumplings over flowers”, the phrase refers to preferring things with a functional use (such as sweet dumplings) over things that are beautiful but that lack a practical purpose. Whether or not the residents of the boarding house actually live up to their stated motto is another story...

    A Taste of Tradition.

  For the curious, Yurumates3Dei is like a crash-course in Japanese culture. The show is jam-packed with practices, tools, and folk traditions that are presented in a uniquely Japanese fashion, such as: Setsubun, the holiday in which celebrants throw beans at oni to drive out bad luck; the kotatsu, a floor table with a built-in heating element and blankets that is said to inspire terminal fits of laziness; and the practice of cherry blossom viewing, which can serve as an excuse to go drinking with family and friends.

    Even the apartments of the Maison du Wish boarding house, with their traditional layout and tatami mat flooring, speaks to an appreciation for an old-fashioned approach to modern life. The show has a rustic quality, perhaps because none of the characters spend much time using smart phones or the Internet.

    The Simple Joys in Life.

  Nearly all of the humor in Yurumates3Dei stems from finding pleasure (and discomfort) in the minutiae of everyday life. For example, several episodes deal with the scorching-one-day-and-freezing-the-next extremes of Tokyo weather, while other episodes deal with the perverse joy gleaned from shirking one's responsibilities, be they household chores or financial obligations.

    Remedial Studies.

  Crunchyroll currently streams Yurumates3Dei in 250 territories worldwide. The series is available in the original Japanese language with subtitles in English, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Portuguese. There are also two earlier sets of Yurumates OAVs (from 2009 and 2011, respectively), but these OAVs are not available on Crunchyroll, and none of the Yurumates anime is released on home video in North America.

    The prospect of higher education may not reduce you to a hapless moe-blob like Yurume and her friends, but if you've got a bit of life experience under your belt and some nostalgia for a simpler time in life when adult responsibilities perhaps didn't seem as immediate and daunting, you'll probably get a kick out of Yurumates3Dei. If the series is available in your area, please consider giving it a try.

    Is there a series in Crunchyroll's catalog that you think needs some more love and attention? Please send in your suggestions via e-mail to [email protected] or post a Tweet to @gooberzilla. Your pick could inspire the next installment of “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog”!

  Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[smokeybrand]

I Mustn’t Run Away

I’ve been binging through a bunch of youtube stuff lately and i stumbled across a guy named Bennett the sage. He reviews and explains old timey anime. I think he has a ten year rule or whatever I often disagree with his synopsis but he’s literally a neckbeard beta so i guess he HAS to hate everything. That’s the most 4chan thing i’ve ever said but it kind of describes him perfectly. Sometimes he’s on point and experly executes his argument but he hates EVA. It’s hard for me to take his arguments, academic or not, to heart. If you don’t like EVA, you don’t understand anime. Watch his episode about it. Cat is on point. Everything he says is pretty accurate. The thing is, kid glazes over all of the reasoning behind why EVA is the way it is.

Sage ignores Anno’s mental breakdown and spiral into depression, causing the tonal shift in the later episodes of the series. After Anno’s mom died, cat had an existential crisis and that uncertainty bled into his show. HIS show. Sage ignores the fact that Japan is not a christian country so everything about the dominate American religion is window dressing there. it’s not taboo to use the superficial imagery to convey a story about humanity being self destructive and fickle because, to the Japanese people and Anno, himself, that’s all we are. Christianity, and Instrumentality by extension, is shallow because we, as a people, are shallow. Instrumentality is our lazy attempt to better ourselves, to evolve beyond the fickle human existence as a means to be more, and the 1r4 year old boy who supposed to Jesus us into the nest stage, reneges. He opts for the biggest “F*CK YOU” in human existence because he’s an obtuse, unlikable, whining, douche-nozzle who chooses to force everyone into dealing with his teenage angst rather than accept people into the omni-bubble of the hive mind of evolution. EVA is a scathing, cynical, and relatively apt description of what it means to be a growing adolescence in Japan, conveyed to us in the form of a post apocalyptic mecha series, wrapped in a healthy dose of Judaeo-Christian imagery. Or, at least, that’s one interpretations and the one i personally gleaned from the series. You get what you put into Eva and he refused to make the effort. Interestingly enough, FLCL could be the same goddamn story, just seen from a different set of eyes which makes sense because Tsurumaki was Anno’s junior at Gainax way back when. Fooly Cooly just went light on the depression and religion but WAY heavy on the sex.

 Neon Genesis Evangelion is a goddamn masterpiece and it’s wild to me that people are too lazy to invest in it enough to understand why it’s a goddamn masterpiece. Listening to Bennett the Sage go in on it was ridiculous. Every one is entitles to their opinion and i get that but i almost immediately knew this cat was full of sh*t. Dude doesn't like Eva. He doesn’t like Tenchi. He doesn’t like Vampire Hunter D. He doesn’t like The Big O. He doesn’t like Elfen Lied. He doesn’t like Inuyasha. It’s almost as if you have to actually participate in the narrative, kid isn’t interested. But he LOVES Ninja Scroll. Ninja Scroll is awful! it’s all murder and rape. Literally, that’s it. If that doesn’t tell you what this kid is about, you’re not paying attention. s i watched his critiques err toward “Classic” Toonami anime, everything made sense as to why he was so goddamn ridiculous; He’s a Toonami kid. His first foray into anime was, apparently, Pilot Candidate when he was 12. In 2002. I have been watching anime since 1988.

The old stuff he reviews, your Gusmith Cats, Bubblegum Crisis, and Burn Up!,i was watching fresh. I remember when i first got a bootleg of A.D. Police. I thought it was brilliant! When Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 came out, it was nostalgic for me and became one of my favorite shows. I grew up with the popularity of anime. I grew with the culture. I enjoy Bakuretsu Tenshi because it feels like an updated piece of the Bubblegum franchise. I imagine Bennett would hate it because he’s a goddamn Toonami kid. Toonami kind of killed anime for the generation after me because of the insipid shows that were put on. Don’t get me wrong, DBZ is a force. It’s culturally relevant and Goku might as well be Japanese Superman, but, let’s be honest, it’s a one trick pony. That trick is dope as f*ck but it’s a trick that has hindered the culture ever since. Because of DBZ, we got Naruto and One Piece, and BLEACH and, more importantly, Weeaboos. Weeaboos take the most superficial, the easiest to digest of anime, and hold it to such high esteem, it’s crazy frustration. These are the cats the regale Attack On Titian like it’s high art. It’s not. These are the cats that made SAO a thing while slighting it’s direct inspiration, the Dot.Hack franchise. These motherf*cking children are the types of people to try and convince me that Samurai Champloo is the greatest thing since the second coming because of Hip Hop music and Watanabe. Look, i get it. Bebop and Champloo are great. I don’t care for them though. The Fandom is too fervent to tolerate and they’ve ruined the experience for me. Just like they did for Inuyasha. Just like they did for FMA. And Bennett the Sage is like a lightning point for these first generation weeaboos. It’s wild to see.

He apparently doesn’t like Dragon Ball Z either. This f*ckboy, man...

It’s wild to think that there are anime fans that have never seen Ghost In The Shell. It’s wild to me that there are kids, now, getting into the culture, think that Kirito is the greatest anime protagonist ever. It’s wild to me that Akira, one of the most influential movies ever created, get slighted because it came out in the 80s for more “mature” subject matter in shows like Tokyo Ghoul. Cats nowadays think that anime has to follow a formula but, when i was coming up, the only formula anime had was the boundless creativity of it’s creator. There wasn’t a saturation pussy harem antagonist, insipid Slice of Life tropes, or Travel to another world and be a bad-ass nonsense. Production values were generally on point and the wild creativity of early anime was tantamount. I mean, there’s no way Angel’s Egg gets made today. You want to talk about being saturated in Judaeo-Christian imagery, go watch that sh*t and come talk to me about it.

I adore anime. All of it. I’ve watched it long enough to appreciate all facets of it. There are moe-blob shoe i adore like Chobits and Lucky star. Some of my favorite shows are mad pretentious and crazy convoluted like Elfen Lied or Evangelion or Deadman Wonderland or Mirai Nikki. Still, other like Erased and A Silent Voice get a spot on my all-time list because of their raw emotion and gentle portrayal of what it means to be vulnerable. Of course Space Dandy, Onepunch Man and BLEACH all have a special place in my heart and even the grand daddy of mainstream anime, Dragon Ball Z gets recognition. My point is, i love this sh*t man. Love it. All of it. So to see someone who jut adopted it as a hobby in 2002 but acts like he’s been in it for decades is wildly infuriating to me. His analysis for most of these shows is the analysis of a child. Because he IS a child. Because he came up in that Toonami era of anime where everything had to be profitable and accessible. I didn’t have that. I saw Gilgamesh and Melody of Oblivion before i saw even one episode of Naruto. I saw Evangelion and Guyver for the first time when i was 12, way back in, like, 96. This kid was watching Pilot Candidate and f*cking Blue Gender. He was at the mercy of the Cartoon Network zeitgeist. I was not. And it rains through almost all of his reviews. He’s looking at shows i watched with fresh eyes, through first generation weeaboo goggles and it’s frustrating because of how shortsighted that view can be. It’s cats like this, i think, that have slowly strangled the life out of anime. They choked the creativity out of a once wild and unique medium because of their narrow, pedestrian, tastes.

Toonami did a lot for making the culture accessible but i don’t think that was a good thing. I thing. Toonami created a culture of formula and profit rather than creativity and uniqueness. And cats like Bennett the Sage eat it up. Cats like Bennett the Sage fuel this crippled machine. Cats like Bennett the Sage are what’s wrong with anime.