#anyways i found a manga that???? looks SO modern??

[cinnabeat]

omg you ever find a manga from like 2009 that somehow avoids the 2000s era art style

#like u know #its such a distinct art style #anyways i found a manga that???? looks SO modern?? #like the art style? the vibes remind me of ph tho #but thats like from reading three pages lmao #but like the splash pages in the beginning and the chapter titles and stuff i was like oh word? #i hope its not tragic tho #michi tag

[rugessnome]

I maintain that Raye Pember is a more reasonable name than Duncan Idaho.

#nobody asked me to compare these names idek. #also like I've read at least 4 volumes of manga recently and modern scifi and #so the name wellington yueh just sounds like he belongs to a way more ... sensible universe than Dune? #imago? Raadchi living ships? calendrical swords and revenants*? beat the pants off the plausibility of like. Bene Gesseret #and the whole feudalistic-fetishism feel! it feels weirdly like an SCA thing except without any of the good parts #*I ... was hoping to reread the MoE I've read and read the one I haven't for a storygraph challenge but I ignored it too long I think #for the timing to work out and me to get to it before the challenge is over. idk might do it still. then i found out #mysterious island is a 20K Leagues sequel and that's the Verne I don't remember well #anyway i actually haven't reread MoE recently but they live in my head (much like fragments of the Zagreus poem) #I guess I don't dislike Dune but I don't entirely *like* it so far #(while only I think ¼ of the way through the series I am enjoying Death Note tho! #Light you bastard. L you... idek but I appreciate your look #delicious pointed cop criticism!)

[asuyaka]

Eyyy it's been a while since I've requested anything, and since I'm back to my JJK brain rot how about a good old request for my favorite dead divorced gay couple?(how are we copin', manga readers?)

So idk if you've ever seen or heard of the "Missing Halloween" animation on YouTube, BUT--

What if satosugu found out that Reader(who they were very close with) was actually the spirit of an past special grade student that died in a mission by the hands of curse users (maybe they raided the school or something, idk it's like- 1AM in here my brain will not remember all the shit that happens in the JJK lore to make a coherent plot point) and now just roams around near the school, and that explains why everyone just seemingly ignored Reader's presence completely and gave the three weird looks whenever they hung out together. Also I like to think that these two idiots found out about reader's situation after fooling around during detention and accidentally tripping on some dusty old boxes that had some old stuff in it, finding one of those group school year pics from when Yaba was the boys' age and Reader was also in the pic from when they were still alive.

In much simpler words, Satosugu x ghost!reader that they didn't knew was a ghost until they found a picture of Reader's academic years.

-🌈, Anon.

★ - JJK brainrot 's so real f' me too !! (Satosugu once 'm get m grubby lil hands on you... >:(( )

☆ - Satosugu x Ghost! Reader !!

♡ - 's nice ta see you again, 🌈 nony !! ヾ(^▽^*))) hope you're doin' well <33 (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ | 'm have seen Missing Halloween! made me s'sad (◞‸◟；) but s sooo bittersweet! m nota huuugee animation fan, but Missing Halloween 's one of m favs! (๑≧▽≦)

Being a ghost is interesting, to put it simply.

You get to see things you never got the chance to when you were alive, like the top of Mount Fuji and the vast streets of Shibuya. Sure, you missed what it was like to eat your favorite food or speak to people, but it's the price you have to pay for your naivety.

You thought you'd be alone, wandering the hallways of Jujutsu High forever until they came.

Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru.

The strongest sorcerers in the modern era.

Shock is an emotion you haven't felt since your death, but you feel it again when you notice that those two can not only see but touch you.

It's an odd feeling. Having someone touch your skin after years (it's only been two) of being dead. Weird, but nice.

"Suguru, back me up here!" Satoru whines, holding his friend by his shoulders and shaking him back and forth.

You and Satoru were arguing about which ice cream flavor was the best. Granted, you haven't had ice cream —or any food for that matter— in a long time, but there was no way you would let Satoru get away with saying Birthday Cake.

"This is your argument, and I like Vanilla." Suguru shrugs and the betrayed look on Satoru's face causes you to giggle.

Satoru turns to face you, chest out and voice boisterous. "Well, [Name], since we can't agree, I guess that means we'll have to go to an ice cream store to find out!

Suguru's face turns blank. "Where in that argument did going to an ice cream place happen?"

"Right now, duh." You huff, rolling your eyes dramatically.

"No, guys, I don't have money, and I'm not taking you dumbasses to an ice cream place at this hour." Suguru's voice is stern; like there's no room for back-and-forth bickering.

You three were now at a small ice cream shop a few minutes away from Jujutsu High.

You tried not to talk to Suguru and Satoru much, so to bystanders it wouldn't look like they were talking to literal air, but they didn't get the hint and kept talking to you anyway.

Sometimes you wonder if they even know you're a ghost.

The way Satoru uses you as a headrest (you're putting spiders in his bed tonight) and how Suguru tends to maintain eye contact when he talks to you (earning a couple of odd stares from some in the store), you’re 99.9% sure they think you’re a real person.

Which you are, obviously, but you’re only technically real to them. Why that is, you aren’t exactly sure yourself.

Before you three get to the counter, you make up a fake excuse of having to use the bathroom. You tell them the flavor you want, make sure Satoru doesn’t do anything weird, and order the flavor with the most sugar (you aren’t 100% sure if you can even eat but it’s worth trying) before you excuse yourself. 

You make your way to the roof, sitting on the edge and looking out into the city. It’s calming. 

You’ve always enjoyed how relaxing it was to be able to see people going about their lives, the soft breeze sounding through your ears accompanied by the smell of ice cream and bread from nearby stores.

It’s nice. 

From the corner of your eye, you spot Suguru and Satoru sitting at an outside table. They were talking amongst each other as they presumably waited for you, an empty spot only held by a cup of ice cream filled with your favorite flavor.

You drop down at the back of the store, brushing the dust off your body and making your way to where Suguru and Satoru are sitting.

“Jeez! Took you long enough.” Satoru rolls his eyes and immediately starts eating his ice cream. 

Suguru rolls his eyes. His posture is the same as always, a man spread and his arms crossed only breaking whenever he needs to eat his ice cream as well. 

Huffing, you kick Satoru underneath the table. Blowing a raspberry before taking a bite of the ice cream.

Good news, you can eat.

Bad news, you don’t taste a single thing.

Well… they don’t need to know that. They’re having fun, your inability to taste shouldn’t spoil that for them.

“Satoru, Yaga’s going to kill us if he finds us, you know?” Suguru huffs, keeping watch as Satoru looks through the yearbook of past students in Jujutsu High.

“Oh, hush!” Satoru kicks him in the knee, gasping when he finds a book tucked away behind several (thankfully sleeping) cursed corpses.

Satoru grins. “Found one.”

Suguru takes one final glance at the hallway before turning to see what Satoru dragged him here for in the dead of night (or early in the morning depending on the way you look at it).

They flip through the yearbook, snickering when they see what Yaga looked like two years ago. His buzz is shorter — if that’s even possible — but he still has his stone-cold resting face.

They make it to the back of the book, where there’s a special section dedicated to students who died before the year is over.

Really, Satoru was looking for what [Name] looked like when he was younger. He’s suspected you were older than the two of them since he never sees you during school.

“Satoru… is– is that…?” Suguru’s voice is weary as his finger points at a photo of some dude he recognizes.

A boy he recognizes.

It’s your picture, you look the same as you do now. “What’s he doing here? We see him all the time– right Suguru?” 

Suguru pales. “Is that why Shoko calls us crazy? [Name] isn’t alive—”

“Yes, he is!” Satoru almost yells. The book drops from his hands with a thump! small colors of blue peeking out from the bottom of his sunglasses.

“We can touch him, we can see him!” Satoru stomps his foot. “How is that possible if he’s dead, huh?!”

“He might be a cursed sp—”

“Then the curse alarm would’ve sounded!” Satoru’s voice sounds like it’s tethering over an edge. He’s confused– he’s known [Name] for as long as his first year, you, him, and Suguru are inseparable so why can Suguru accept the fact that you’re (supposedly) dead?!

“Let’s ask him then, is that okay?” Suguru puts his hand directly on Satoru’s shoulder, moving his thumb slightly for comfort. 

The albino takes a deep breath to calm himself. He shouldn’t be mad at Suguru, he loves Suguru.

So, he does what Suguru says. He lets Suguru lead the way to where they found you the first time. Close to the artifact warehouse but closer to the forest that surrounds Jujutsu High.

You’re there. Sitting on the grass as you stare longingly at a bird.

The sound of rocks crunching under their feet must give them away because in a second you lock eyes with Suguru, a soft smile on your face.

“Suguru!” Your voice is warm– comforting even. “What are you guys doing here? Aren’t you guys breaking curfew?”

“Are you dead?”

Satoru’s blunt question causes your body to freeze. He sounds angry. Maybe it’s because you didn’t tell them that you were a ghost, and they somehow found out themselves.

You weren’t all that popular when you were alive. You were an adequate sorcerer with mediocre abilities. Nothing that puts you out there– not like the two in front of you anyway.

“Y-Yeah?” You avert your eyes sheepishly. “I mean, I died a few years ago so—”

“Why didn’t you tell us anything?” Satoru cuts you off, the hand still holding Suguru’s tightens slightly.

Why didn’t you tell them? Because they’d stop hanging out with you? Were you scared you’d lose the only people who know you’re still technically here?

Because you’re bound to this school and have only ever left because your attachment somehow shifted to Satoru and Suguru.

Ah, that’s why.

You were scared to be left alone. That’s why every time you could, you’d rush over to where they were. Engage in conversation with them, and do mildly illegal things with them because they make you feel wanted.

“I guess… I was scared you two would stop hanging out with me..?” You let out a laugh even though nothing is funny. “You two are the only people who know I still exist, so I thought if you figured out I was a ghost…”

“— that we’d stop talking to you altogether?” Suguru finishes for you and you can’t help but nod.

“That’s stupid! We fight curses, why do you think being a ghost is going to stop anything?!” Satoru grabs you by the shoulder. You’re sure his grip hurts, but you can’t exactly feel pain anymore.

“Yeah, I know…” Your hand touches Satoru’s forearm. “Now that you know… it doesn’t change anything between us… right?”

The longer the silence stretches the more anxiety swallows you whole. If they stop talking to you or start avoiding you, you aren’t sure what you’ll be bound to.

Maybe that spot by the artifact warehouse. You’ll be forced to stay there– alone, with no one to talk to, no one to make you feel alive.

“Of course, not.” Suguru’s voice is warm, it makes something well up in your eyes.

“Sure, it might be weird since sorcerers can’t see you, but you’re our friend. You just have to promise not to keep life-altering secrets from us. Right, Satoru?”

Satoru huffs, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. “You owe me, stupid ghost boy!”

A smile stretches across your face and you’re unaware of the warmth rolling down your cheeks. “I’m glad.”

You won’t be alone.

You’ll be able to talk to them, now that they know your biggest secret.

You’ll have Satoru and Suguru, and they’ll have you.

Maybe being dead– or being a ghost isn’t so bad after all.

#writin' shit. #ANSWERED LETTERS—009 #jjk x male reader #male reader #jujutsu kaisen #gojo x male reader #geto x male reader #geto suguru #gojo satoru #suguru x male reader #satoru x male reader #x male reader #jjk #satosugu x reader #satosugu x male reader #🌈: anon!

[noellefan101]

Stealing Their Hoodie-Genshin

Characters: Tighnari, Wanderer/Scaramouche, Cyno, Xiao, Albedo x gn! reader

Summary: You steal his hoodie, what do you think abt it + what do they think abt it

Warnings: established relationship, modern au(i guess), you´re shorter than him, studying(albedo)

Note: i really hope you like this. it was honestly a pain to write three fics in a row, but i´m still alive i guess(if i don´t post in the next week im dead). also, i´m changing my theme a little, luv you.

Tighnari

you really wanted to try out his hoodie, he always wears it and it looked really comfy. you just didn´t know if he would get mad if you tried it on. it was his favorite hoodie and you didn´t want to make him mad if he didn´t like you wearing it/I'd say he´s really scary when he´s mad, like a mad mom kinda scary/. anyway, when you put it on you really didn´t want to take it off, it was just soooo comfy, and warm, and soft, and big, and... you get it. you were so lost in the comfiness and the smell of his perfume, that you didn´t realize someone just came home. yeah, unfortunately you were caught. at least he wasn´t mad, well... maybe a little, but that was mainly because you could´ve just asked instead.

one of the last things he wants you to be is a thief, just ask next time.

Wanderer/Scaramouche

he looked so good in it, you wanted to try it too. but the only problem was, that your boyfriend had a lot of temper. and you didn´t know if he would react badly/or just kill you on the spot/so you thought about asking, but got scared of the thought immediately. so the day of the week he wasn´t home you went for it, and you found it and tried it on. just as you thought, it looked really pretty on you. and it was really comfy too. the only thing that was wrong, he was coming home early as a surprise, and of course he didn´t tell you(ofc you didn´t its a f*''*ing surprise, why tf did i write that). but i guess he surprised you more than he thought, because he also surprised himself. he may have tried to ignore it, but you could clearly tell he noticed by his light red cheeks. but it was only because you looked really good in it.

he´ll be surprising you a lot more, to reveal all your secrets.

Cyno

his cloak from the manga as a hoodie omg give. me. one... 'cough cough' anyway, you really liked this one hoodie he had, why it was reeeaally big and looked oh-so-comfy. you really wanted to try it out, but you didn´t know how he would react if you asked. and you were kinda scared of it. sure he was not as scary around you, but you hadn´t done anything like this before, so how would you know how he would be if you did. sooooo you decided to "borrow" one of his hoodies while he was out. and, just as you thought, it was really comfortable and really big on you too, and as a bonus, it smelled like him. you eventually fell asleep in it, and didn´t wake up when Cyno came home either. he just looked at you confused as to why you were wearing his hoodie, but ignored it and brought you to bed. when you woke up he just started telling bad hoodie jokes, while you looked like a fresh tomato, great.

he would love you even more if you´d laugh at his jokes.

Xiao

you first liked the big hoodie he wears in the winter, it looked comfy and was big on him, therefore bigger on you. you wanted to try it on, but didn´t know how to ask. you did think about asking but was afraid of him reacting badly. so one day, when he wasn´t home, you just took a look into his closet and chose something you would want to wear. you chose this big blue and black, though mostly blue, hoodie since he wears it a lot. and when you put it on you, you fell in love, it was way to big on you, and it smelled exactly like him. but you didn´t really want to take it off just yet, and kept it on for the rest of the day. and then... xiao came home, he didn´t see his hoodie on you immediately, but could sense that something was different. but when he finally noticed, he just blushed a little. kidding he looked like a fresh tomato/very pretty one/and didn´t want to talk to you for a little, but it was fine in the end. and he eventually got over it.

no he´s not cute when blushing, or at least he doesn´t want to admit it.

Albedo

you see, he had this one hoodie he wore all the time/it´s mostly while he´s studying, but he does that a lot/and there was just something about it that you really liked. maybe it was how big it looked on him/meaning bigger on you/or maybe it was only the fact that it's his. soooo... when he was out for a group project, where he couldn´t wear his studying hoodie(yes im gonna call it that)because that wouldn´t be appropriate. so, you just took a little look in his closet, finding his hoodie and put it on. and as you thought it was way to big on you, but it was really comfy. and it also smelled like him, the perfume he uses, mixed with his shampoo. the only problem was just that albedo was coming home early/because he´s a genius, so they finished quickly/and you didn´t know. so when he got home you both got a surprise, you didn´t know he would be coming home early, and he saw you in his hoodie. he wasn´t mad or anything, but he just didn´t know how to react/he thought you looked cute in it though/.

he didn´t know this was what he would be coming home to.

Thank you for reading this thing, luv ya-Masterlist

You are welcome to reblog and like any of my posts, but you CAN NOT translate, copy or hate on anybody for liking my posts

#genshin x reader #genshin impact #gn reader #albedo x reader #xiao x reader #cyno x reader #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #tighnari x reader #noellefan #noellefan101 #cyno #tighnari #scaramouche #albedo #xiao #stealing their hoodie #idk what tf else #noelle´s maiden

[jymwahuwu]

♡. You can ignore this if it makes you uncomfortable! (Fem! Reader)

──────────────────────

I'm thinking about Yan! JingYuan x Magical girl! Reader lately...

You and JingYuan are friends, And he's the only person who knows your true identity as a magical girl! You often come to him because JingYuan often gives you your favorite food as a token of his gratitude for helping maintain the security of Xianzhou.

But all that changed when he confessed his love to you :( A magical girl cannot date

Even though he was really hurt, he still loves you and still showering you gifts :(

One day, he gave you a glass of hot tea, After you drink it, your eyes become heavy and... You passed out. That night, you wake up and find yourself tied up shibari style, And in front of you is JingYuan...

"Are you awake? You're in...ah I'd better not tell ^^, Anyway, I plan to keep you here"

So yeah then he fucked you ^_^ You couldn't do anything because your magic wand was in his hand, and...he was bigger and stronger than you

"ah, even without magic wand you're just an ordinary girl, but that's okay...you're still adorable ૮ ˶´ ᵕˋ ˶ა"

Then...You know the magical girl's magic wand, right? Yes...he also...put that into you for anal stimulation ^^

IM SORRY IF ITS WEIRDDDDDD

love your writings btw, mwwwah♡♡

thank you so much! mwah ( ˶˘ ³˘(⋆❛ ہ ❛⋆)!♡

CW: yandere, non-con, sleeping pills, kidnapping, magical girl! reader, anal stimulation

Magical girls…and anal stimulation…I laughed. This is interesting😹okay, this may happen in a modern AU, or who knows, there are so many civilizations in the universe, and there are magical girls on your planet🤷‍♀️This is normal.

It's really sweet to be friends with Jing Yuan. Maybe when you were discovered by Jing Yuan, you asked him to keep this secret, and then you started a friendship. He treats you like one of those standard male protagonists of shojo manga - romantic, considerate, and sweet. You don’t need to wear a mask in front of him because Jing Yuan already knows your secret!! Your second identity!!

But the confession stopped that. You found candles arranged in the shape of hearts and a cake, and your heart sank. Jing Yuan confessed to you, but magical girls cannot fall in love! Jing Yuan obviously did not expect to be rejected. He looked at you like a big cat soaked in rain, and after a few minutes he forced a smile. It's okay. At least share this cake together? He still gives you gifts like a considerate friend >_<

Jing Yuan has already started planning. He put the medicine in your tea, knowing you would drink it. At the last second before falling asleep, you caught a glimpse of the general's smile. And shibari style😹😼He won’t necessarily tie you up. Maybe Jing Yuan can add an electronic collar to you with a tracking function. But if you are tied up, the general will slowly do it himself. Put the rope around your chest and private parts, protrude your body part, and rub his cock between your legs. No penetration, just friction. Still need to wait for you to get up and have sex and make out for the first time because the general is really romantic at heart u_u (💀✋💔)

It's shocking to wake up and find yourself tied up, right? And Jing Yuan told you to stay with him!? Jing Yuan really likes you wearing the soft fluffy uniform skirt and high stockings, and your hairstyle, but it doesn't matter if you don't have it, you are still cute. He gave you a long kiss, stirring your wetness with his tongue, and lifted up your skirt and panties. You acted like you were inexperienced - not used to being kissed, you were sobbing in panic, and he noticed it all. His cock twitched in his crotch. Pull one of your legs up to expose your folds and clitoris. The round and thick tip was soaked with some of your transparent liquid before it was thrust into the tight and unskilled inner wall. Your moans are cute, like kitten meows.

Jing Yuan thought of those magical girl animations and wanted to know if you had a way to repel him now - did you use friendship, love and memories to repel the enemy before? He was teasing this in his heart, but did not say it out loud.

And before you wake up, Jing Yuan searches your clothes for any magical girl objects. If there were those shiny and gorgeous music boxes or mirrors, and ordered the assistant to lock them in the deepest part of the interstellar bank's vault. The security system and escorts there are the best. And your magic wand, Jing Yuan once considered breaking this, but thought of a better use ^_^

After filling you up, Jing Yuan took out your magic wand, and your tired eyes suddenly lit up - as long as you retrieve the magic wand, you have the ability to escape from here! However, his thumb on your butt circle, caress, massage, apply lubricant, and insert some with his fingertips. With tears in your eyes, you didn't dare think about that possibility, you could only ask. "Jing Yuan…what are you going to do…" The magic wand has gradually penetrated and stretched your ass, inserting into it. The magic even trembles unconsciously, stimulating your senses. He muttered in your ear to stop thinking about being a dumb magical girl.

Just like this, lose all your purity and ability to resist him <3

#yandere hsr #yandere honkai star rail #yandere jing yuan #yandere hsr x reader #yandere jing yuan x reader #honkai x reader #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you

[paracosm-writing]

"𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕞"| Reiner Braun (ft. Eren Jaeger)

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Reiner Braun x Reader, hints of Eren Jaeger x Reader

Word Count:

Summary:

TW: kidnapping, hostage situation, angst, unhealthy power dynamics, toxic relationship, Stockholm syndrome, slight yandere! Reiner (?), canon divergent, time inconsistencies cause a girl just jumped right into season 4 without recapping earlier seasons and the manga

Once you’d received Eren’s letter, you stowed yourself in your bedroom and sobbed for hours. From relief that you were not forgotten, grief from all you’d suffered.

Then you’d slipped on one of the pretty blue dresses only Marleyans had the luxury of affording, slipped on your armband, and an uncomfortable pair of shoes, and strolled out your room.

Your nerves were shot when you found Reiner in your small, bare living room, dressed in uniform, a rifle tucked at his side.

He regarded you with apprehension, his breath taken away. It was both beautiful and unsettling to see you dressed in modern clothes. An uncanny sight, as if the pieces were beautiful but didn’t quite fit.

That’s what it was like; looking at you now.

And he averted his gaze, to not make you uncomfortable because even though he held you at night, you were both enemies again by sunrise.

Reiner had made peace with that, accepted it even. He'd gotten his final look anyway.

“Y/N, I want you to know, whatever happens, everything I did - down to the very end was to protect you,” he said, a firm with conviction, gazing at you for the last time. “I tried. It might not have been the right way. But I understand now who I should’ve been protecting you from.”

“What are you talking about?” You whispered with bated breath, and as you studied him, you remembered your promise to each other; ‘If you need me, I’ll know.’

You knew he needed you, although you couldn’t understand why. Still, your heart seemed to race as if to tell you, ‘Something is wrong.’

“The memories, Y/N,” he said. “I didn’t just see you and I together, I saw you dying. Over and over and over again. In different ways, different places, by different people. I had to protect you so I did what I thought was right.”

You couldn't breathe. "What you thought...was right?"

You waited for tears to fall, from frustration or an abomination of love you weren't sure. You were never sure what you were feeling when it came to Reiner anymore. Because he was loving you as he was hurting you because he was both your lover and your enemy, your husband and your captor.

But the tears wouldn't come, as if they were blocked by some hidden dam in your heart.

"You wouldn't," he looked down, hesitated, and then tried again. "You couldn't understand."

You waited for anger to rise in you, the familiar emotion that raged within you whenever Reiner spoke of things he just "couldn't explain." But all that was left was a haggardness that seemed to weigh on your shoulders, and you remembered how so, so tired you truly were.

"Reiner," you whispered. "I never asked you to save me. I never asked you to be my savior. Whatever would've happened, you were supposed to just let it happen, maybe it would've been better than this-"

"You died with Paradis," Reiner said solemnly then."When the world came for the island, all of you lost."

For a moment you were so speechless that not even a thought could formulate, your mind going completely blank and you blinked rapidly, and took a step back.

"I-I don't care," you managed hesitantly. "I would've gladly dedicated my heart-"

"Commander Erwin was willing to sacrifice you and your regiment every single chance he got-"

Your hands grew clammy, but still, slowly, you shook your head. "Captain Levi would've never let him sacrifice me even if I wanted to-"

"And Eren Jaeger would've killed you. Twice," Reiner finished, a dark look in his eyes of gold as if the thought of it enraged him.

If only you could see what he'd seen; Eren Jaeger failing his regiment, leading to your death countless times over, or the darkest memory of all, your mangled body and Eren's dismissive gaze as life literally seeped from your eyes.

How could Reiner not come to the conclusion that he needed to tear you away from Paradis?

But it had come at the cost of hurting you anyway. You were yet another reason he wanted to die, and yet there had once been a time when you were a reason he wanted to live. That maybe, just maybe, he could be a hero. If not to the world, then to you.

Now you were looking at him as if he himself had killed you. As if in saving your life, he had murdered you instead.

You took in all this information as if you'd been hit by a great force, grabbing the edge of a dining room chair for support, squeezing your eyes shut. You waited for tears, for sobs, but still, nothing came out. Though you could feel something inside of you.

You were glad because you were afraid that whatever came out, wouldn't be angry. It was as if with every day you spent in Marley, every night you spent in Reiner's arms, the fighting spirit inside of you ebbed away. Now it came in waves, and whenever you tried to latch on to it, it would fade away - no matter how much you wanted it to stay.

"I don't believe you," you said weakly. "You're-you're lying. You can't see anything, you're just saying this to me so I'll-"

You didn't realize you were crumpling to the floor until Reiner was falling down with you, just as you'd done for him the night before. Just as you'd both done for each other countless times after expeditions. You couldn't help but lean into him as if it were a natural instinct built into you and sob, disgusted at what a betrayal it was to your comrades, yet not wanting to let go.

Reiner's hands were in your hair, brushing back tendrils as he planted a kiss by your temple. He held there, eyes closed, taking in his last moment.

"The last thing I wanted to do was make you cry, princess," he whispered in your ear. "You're the only thing that's ever made any damn sense. Protecting you, it's what kept me moving forward, even when I didn't have a plan anymore," and then, for the first time since Marley, he spoke with complete peace, "And now I've gotta save you again, for the last time."

Something inside of you told he needed you then, 'for the last time,' but you couldn't answer it. You wouldn't. Even if he answered your call every single time, even when you never asked him to.

Because if you gave in, you would never go to meet Eren.

So you kept your eyes shut, even though your heart started to pang.

You felt him back away, kept your head down, as you waited for him to leave.

When the door closed, something tightened in your chest.

Yes, this would be the last time. Because you were going home. Yet why did home feel like it just walked out the door, with Reiner?

You wept.

¥

You found Eren sitting on a bench in front of the hospital, bouncing a ball against the ground. He nearly looked like a stranger with his long hair and amputated leg, no doubt only restrained from growing back by the wrapping gauze around his stump.

For the longest, you just stared at him from the courtyard, the enemy-in-disguise seemingly unbeknownst to your hesitant stature.

He didn't look like the hard-headed boy you knew from your youth. When your father had died, and you used to roam Shigashina to get away from your stepfather, you'd found him reading one of Armin's books near the lake and dared to ask him about titans.

He'd excitedly told you about the outside world, about the freedom beyond the walls, and you had been hooked on giving your life for humanity ever since.

Back then, you would've done anything to get away from home. Even if that meant going out into the unknown, or childish as it was, having a knight come to rescue you like the fairytale books you read with your mother.

Now you had your wish, and you'd even found the knight you had been dreaming about too. The irony made your heart pang, even more so as you remembered the small moment in time where you almost believed that knight had been Eren of all people.

It had been a fleeting moment because then you joined the Survey Corps and met Reiner, and suddenly you couldn't imagine yourself with anyone else.

'Would things have been different if it had been Eren instead?' you wondered, immediately shut down by Reiner's words.

"Eren would've killed you. Twice."

If you had heard that five years ago, you would've respectfully told Reiner he had no idea what he was talking about. That maybe he was just jealous even.

But now, after spending a year in Marley, waiting for your comrades to rescue you without a sliver of hope, a part of you wondered if it was true.

If your comrades could just let you go so easily, did they really love you? Did Eren really love you if he was willing to lay your life down for his?

You shook the thought away. This was what Reiner wanted. He knew what he was doing. He wanted you to abandon all hope and settle into a life with him, right? Right?

Yet even after all Reiner had done, you still couldn't help but believe he only wanted the best for you. You knew him. You knew him. You knew him.

The thoughts that had haunted you for 365 days started to gain momentum, begging you to turn around. Back into the arms of your captor, to this foreign place, to the one person you could trust because Reiner was just protecting you and-

Eren's eyes snagged on yours as he looked up, catching his ball.

Your breath caught, searching wildly through his green eyes, for something. Something that told you he was safe because you didn't know who was. Not anymore. Not when you couldn't even trust the man you loved.

To your surprise, Eren smiled. Or at least it was the remnant of a smile, not fully blooming, almost as if he couldn't.

It didn't feel like Eren.

But nothing made sense to you anymore.

He waved his hand cupped over the ball.

You exhaled.

¥

“I’m sorry we left you here for so long. I never wanted that for you, I never wanted you to suffer for me," Eren said.

You both sat side by side on the bench, reminiscent of the way you'd sat together as children, Armin's books sprawled on your laps.

“I didn’t suffer for you, Eren. It was for humanity - or, it was. “

“And now? - Now that you know what do you think it was all for? Do you think-do you think it was still worth it?”

“Yes...no...I don’t know.” - “Eren, I’ve been confused. So confused. I live with these people. I eat at their tables. I work in their stores. I’m married to one-“

“You mean Reiner?”

You nodded, a flurry of shame coming over you. As if he could see the nights you’d spent in Reiner’s arms as if all the hurt and betrayal and love was a gaping wound for all to see.

And Eren’s eyes narrowed, and he turned away from you. As if he were mad at the wall. As if he were mad at you for still indulging in a traitor.

“It was-“

“Did he hurt you?” He asked jarringly, eyes boring into yours.

Your heart skipped a beat, already beating so harshly that it pounded against the hollow of your throat. You didn’t want Eren to know, you didn’t want anyone to know, that you were no longer a righteous captive. That you’d done things, terrible things, to remember what love was supposed to feel like.

And yet you couldn’t say Reiner had hurt you. He’d been gentle with you, patient in your anger, the entire time you’d spent in Marley. Yes, he was your captor, but he was also your only comfort. The only familiar thing about your unfamiliar surroundings. Your only comrade in the midst of being forgotten by all the rest.

In fact, sitting beside Eren, you felt so much more distant from him now. As if he were a complete stranger.

A part of you so overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity you wanted to go home and throw yourself into Reiner’s arms.

“Y/N, did he hurt you?” Eren said again, even the way he said your name was so different. Devoid of joy, hardened and firm. Reiner never spoke like that, even when he’d yelled at you on the tree to accept your fate, it was never devoid of love for you.

Or maybe you couldn’t remember what real love sounded like anymore.

“He said he’s protecting me,” you admitted, staring down at your lap. You didn’t mean to sound small, but you always did. “He saw me, in his memories, and I was always dying, Eren. He said taking me here was the only way to protect me from...whatever he saw.”

You felt Eren’s eyes on you but you didn’t dare look at him, afraid of his judgement. Afraid of his sympathy.

“He never hurt me, Eren. As horrible as I’ve been to him, he looks out for me. If anything, it’s been me hurting him. Constantly reminding him of -but I just can’t forget,” the tears started to flow and you forced yourself to meet Eren’s eyes, still cold and devoid of life.

You grasped the hands of this unfamiliar man and bowed your head. And suddenly you understood what Reiner must feel. When the righteous becomes the sinner.

“Eren, I know you said he’s a monster but,” you gasped. “I still love him. I love him so much and I hate myself for it. I know I shouldn’t. He’s killed so many of our people, but I love him. “

The air was thick with deafening silence so you kept going, desperate, desperate for someone you could finally confess your sin to.

“I’ve tried to fight it, but I’ve given in. So many times. And I know you think he’s a monster, but I still want to beg you, with every part of my being, please don’t kill him,”

You sobbed into Eren’s hands, clinging to them, waiting for the anger of the fiery boy you once knew. You wanted him to judge you, deem you a sinner, and force you to let go of Reiner. Kidnap you, like the love of your life, had done so long ago and take you home.

Because you had lost your mind and couldn’t find your way back.

Some days you didn’t want to go back. You had seen too much. You had seen the world and you understood too much.

Was this what Reiner felt when he’d stepped foot in Paradis?

Eren regarded you with an empty stare, and only for a flicker of a second, could you have sworn his eyes were pained.

“I’m not here to kill Reiner,” he said. “I’ve come to the same revelation you’ve had here. What I said doesn’t matter, I didn’t know what I know now. What you’ve known before any of us.”

“It must’ve been hard for you to hate a monster when you know that monsters don’t exist. It was easier to pretend, wasn’t it?”

He offered a somber smile, only traces of the boy you remembered echoed in his face.

You sniffled, hung on the glimmer of his kindness, burdened under the weight of a cruel world you could hardly make sense of anymore.

Once upon a time, you thought the outside world would bring clarity, but you were lost now more than ever. And you were desperate, desperate for someone to provide an answer to the question that had weighed on your heart since you saw skyscrapers and cars and armbands and ships and Reiner, always Reiner-“What do we do now?”

He gave a small tsk then, slightly shaking his head. “Nothing’s changed, Y/N,” he said, still smiling that sad smile. “If we want to be free, we have to fight. But first you have to tell me: do you want to be free?”

His expression shifted, and you felt a bile in the back of your throat. The very thought that used to embolden you, just made you afraid now. Freedom? What did freedom even look like anymore?

Was it fighting in a war against the entire world? Or was it a stolen moment by the fire, talking to the boy you liked, blissfully unaware that your silly daydreams of marrying him would come true in the worst way possible? Was it running for the rest of your life as an enemy of humanity, watching your comrades die one by one? Or was it melting into the nooks and crannies of your husband’s arms, safe from the world, finally allowing yourself to accept the refuge those arms once were?

“I do,” you managed. “I do want to be free. “ But your throat was closing up and your voice was thick, because you didn’t know which freedom you wanted anymore.

And you loathed yourself for it.

Damn Reiner for the war you’d inherited from loving him.

As if his eyes had seen things the rest of him couldn’t sense. “Stay home and don’t go to the festival tomorrow. Someone will come for you.”

“They’re all here, aren’t they?” You murmured, your heart swelling with fear and anticipation. Your friends, they were all here.

“They’ve missed you, we’ve all missed you.” He said, but you missed the uncertainty in his instructions, buzzing at the thought of your comrades.

Your heart settled on their faces; Connie, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, and Levi, the man who’d taken you in as if you were his own daughter in that stoic way of his.

You’d missed them all. You’d believed they’d come for you, but with every passing week, you started to believe they didn’t miss you.

“Why?” You whispered. “Why did you guys have to leave me?” You didn’t mean to sound like a child, like the little girl who’d lost her mother, but you never failed to. Marley had peeled away all your layers, leaving you raw and frail.

Eren faltered, dropping his gaze, and for a moment it seemed he might cry. “Because, we thought it was a sacrifice for humanity’s last hope,” he said bitterly, angry even.

You didn’t know why you asked. In the fight in the trees, it had become apparent that they could only save one; you or Eren. The choice was obvious. You’d even begged them to leave you, even as you watched Levi battle with the realization for a fraction of a second, before Eren was torn from the Armored’s grasp.

You were at peace then.

Whatever happened, even if Reiner was lying and ended up killing you anyway, you laid your life down for humanity’s last hope and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

It didn’t hurt until you realized how wrong you all were. The pride and vanity of being a soldier had faded, and you suddenly had nothing to dedicate your heart to.

Except for one man.

“I’m sorry,” Eren said. “That it has to come to this.”

After leaving Eren at the psychiatric hospital, you walked the long trek to your doctor’s appointment, ruminating on all that was said.

The afternoon sun dipped low over the foreign country and you walked comfortably in your strange Marleyan heels past the vividly green park where Eldian children played. A rare luxury in Liberio.

Your Marleyan doctor regarded you with beady eyes, practically sneering at your Honorary Marleyan armband before she told you the flooring news.

The nausea you’d been feeling all week was in fact a pregnancy.

“How thrilled Mr. Braun will be to leave behind a legacy after his term.”

¥

Meanwhile, Eren Jaeger tossed the baseball Zeke had sent him under the same sun.

He knew Reiner’s attempts to save you were all in vain.

Your death was inevitable, and not even Eren could change it. Though he’d tried and tried and tried.

But that was the difference between them. Reiner fought to protect those from fate, and Eren was the immovable force that would always stand in the way.

He reminded himself of those words:’Keep moving forward,’ even as he remembered you and felt sick to his stomach.

Your death was etched in his memories, and there was nothing he could do about it, but keep moving forward.

#reiner braun #reiner braun x reader #eren jeager #eren jeager x reader #eren jeager x you #reiner braun x you #aot #snk #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin

[yuri-is-online]

You Simple Vile Monstrosity: Rook and the Flowers of Evil

My other two dumb history posts have at least a semblance of fun fact to them, but this is mostly going to be literary analysis and some theory. There's some interesting stuff here sure, but I don't really think it adds much to the overall landscape of twst theories. But it does make Rook make more sense to me so I am making this post anyway.

So without further ado, if you are like me and enjoy reading twst theories, you might know that the beginning lines of Twisted Wonderland are something we have been debating the meaning of since the game came out really. While I think we have been closing in on their true meaning as Chapter 7 progresses along, the phrase "Flowers of Evil" can actually refer to something specific: a french poetry collection of the same name (Les Fleurs du mal in french) by a poet name Charles Baudelaire originally published in 1857. The collection was extremely controversial, but today it is highly lauded and has inspired several other literary works, including a manga series by Shūzō Oshimi of the same name. I found out about the poetry collection while working on this request and finally finished reading it... and another essay by Baudelaire for reasons we can talk about later on in the post. For now let's talk poetry.

Beauté! 100 Points!

I don't speak french, so I read an English translation done by Aaron Poochigian that does contain the original french text in the back half of the book. The Flowers of Evil is split into seven-ish parts: The Flowers of Evil (just containing "To the Reader"), Spleen and the Ideal, Parisian Scenes, Wine, Flowers of Evil (again but with 12 poems this time), Revolt, and then Death. The sections are more or less organized by the subject of the poems, Spleen and the Ideal is the largest with Baudelaire musing over what the ideal concept of beauty is while Wine deals with getting drunk (on wine mostly if you can believe it.) One of the things that jumps out very quickly about Baudelaire's work is that his concept of beauty is almost synonymous with his concept of evil. He writes a lot about maggots eating corpses, about decay, he has a few poems that talk about vampires appearing to be the highest form of beauty but really being husks of rotted flesh; it's all very much about this acceptance that evil is a part of life and human nature, so therefore there must be beauty in it. The concept of "ideal beauty" must by it's nature be divorced from the concept of "morality." When Rook talks about the potential for Leona or Malleus to kill him and how beautiful that would be, I think he means the act of destruction itself would be beautiful. The circumstances surrounding it and the consequences of it are irrelevant to the concept; this is also why while he initially says he cannot find the crimson lotuses in GloMas beautiful Deuce accuses him of doing just that after everything is said and done. He cannot find beauty in Rollo's actions, but the visual and the fight are beautiful because of the effort he and the other students put in to stop them. And perhaps most importantly, it's why he is willing to drink Vil's poison and look upon what is supposedly ultimate ugliness and say "In this moment you are the fairest of them all." Because how could an act born out of such raw and genuine emotion be anything but?

Le Chasseur D'Armour, The Hunter of Love

Baudelaire wasn't just a poet, he fancied himself a critic and wrote multiple essays, the one I read for this post is The Painter of Modern Life. Which is actually a collection of several but they are all related, and I was directed to them by this wordpress post. In it, Baudelaire muses over how things can be both beautiful and ugly, and why:

"Beauty is made up of an eternal, invariable element, whose quantity it is excessively difficult to determine, and of a relative, circumstantial element... which severally or all at once, the age, its fashions, its morals, its emotions."

He was talking about fashion plates that depicted outdated costumes, but his point was more or less that if you strictly look at the design of the costume they look ridiculous: ugly. But when you take into account their historical value (these particular plates were all from the around the time of the French revolution) they become exceedingly important: beautiful. He also mentions in this same essay the importance of not just taking into account the opinions of so called "masters" and sneers at people who think they understand what is beautiful just because they have seen a painting done by a professional:

"... to declare that Raphael, or Racine, does not contain the whole secret, and that minor poets too have something good, solid and delightful to offer... that we might love general beauty, as it is expressed by classical poets and artists, we are no less wrong to neglect particular beauty, the beauty of circumstance and the sketch of manners."

In chapter 5, while helping Vil judge the auditions for VDC, Rook gives every audition 100 points because, well, in his mind they are all an example of perfect beauty specifically because they are the work of amateurs, and that is no less valuable to him or less worthy of praise that the work of the master. Now granted he clearly does value professional quality (he did have reasons for voting for Neige other than being a massive simp. Valid ones even if loosing does sting) but that's only in the context of strict rules and guidelines. When Rook is asked for his opinion, while he certainly does believe there is an absolute, academic definition beauty, he doesn't place any value on where that beauty comes from. Baudelaire muses over how human life "accidentally" puts mysterious beauty into the world, and the true appreciator of beauty must make himself not strictly a poet but:

"...an observer of life, and only later set himself the task of acquiring the means of expressing it... For most of us... the fantastic reality of life has become singularly diluted. [But he] never ceases to drink it in; his eyes and memories are full of it."

I strongly dislike suggesting in these posts that xyz is "the definitive reason" for why a character acts the way that he does, but I do think it is very interesting how well this describes Rook's ethos. He thinks of himself as a hunter, but in order to do that he needs to observe. Sure he takes it to exceptionally extreme lengths, but it makes him one of the most lively members of the NRC cast. Baudelaire is right, there are a million things about life we miss on a day to day basis wherein true beauty lies, but Rook sees all of it. His eyes, memories, camera, and secret photo albums are fit to burst with it.

My Noble and Beautiful Flower of Evil

I mentioned the opening text at the beginning of this post, and I stand by my interpretation that the phrase "flower of evil" it uses likely is not a specific reference to any of the poems themselves... beyond the obvious note that it is a collection of poems about finding beauty in, well, evil and most of the characters are based off of villains.

But there was something that started gnawing at me when I read the introduction to my translation, which was written by a poet named Dana Gioia. It was a very well written summary of Baudelaire's life and the significance of his work, but it mentioned a connection that I have seen brought up in twst theorizing before: Edgar Allen Poe.

You see, Baudelaire was obsessed with Poe. To the point that (according to the introduction) "He considered Poe a sacred martyr for art and referred to him as 'Saint Edgar.' In his morning devotions, Baudelaire prayed first to God and then to Poe."

I have nothing to say on that (because really what could you) but the point that Gioia wanted to make in that introduction was that Poe had a massive influence on Baudelaire's writing style. He wrote multiple essays on his work and translated them into French because he felt like Poe deserved the recognition, so while Gioia used this to argue that Poe's influence on Baudelaire shouldn't be underestimated...

I can't find the post, but someone was talking about how Malleus's mother's name Meleanor is very similar to "Lenore" and I recall people sort of brushing that connection off. I don't that name is a coincidence. I think the poem "Lenore" might very well have been something thought about when constructing her character, and that the themes in Poe's work might be very relevant to the overall story of Twisted Wonderland.

Something about ravens and telltale hearts just feels like they fit; maybe we have got it all wrong and Yuu's visions aren't coming from the mirror in Ramshackle, but the floorboards.

Semi- Unrelated Fun Facts:

If you read the name Baudelaire and thought to yourself it sounded familiar, you might have be thinking of the Baudelaire children from A Series of Unfortunate Events. This isn't exactly a coincidence as the author of the series admits to his writing being heavily influenced by Charles Baudelaire to the point he actually wrote the afterword to the translation I own.

Dana Gioia is the former Poet Laureate of the state of California, something that deeply confused me. Apparently the Governor of California appoints someone to a 2 year term and they travel around the state to promote poetry and literacy which is apparently something that 46/50 U.S. states and D.C. does to????

My glorious motherland of Pennsylvania is not one of these states, apparently we only ever appointed one, then eliminated the position entirely after he retired, and then started just. Handing out ones to people in individual cities and counties. Which is so par for the course here I don't know why I am surprised.

One of the first things any college level literature course will try to drill into you is that you don't examine the life of an author when examining their work. It might sound silly, but I think Baudelaire is a great example of why that's important. The man was addicted to drugs and sex, refused to get a "real job", lived off his inheritance from his wealthy father and eventually whatever money he could convince his mother to send him his entire adult life, and had her use her political connections to bail him out of legal trouble multiple times.

If I thought too hard about that it would make his lines in "Skeleton Laborers" (Nothingness is treacherous.//Even Death is a deceiver.//Alas, forever and ever,//work may be awaiting us) fall terribly flat, which I think does them a disservice. The man was very talented and I am glad he wrote them because I felt very seen when I read them.

Baudelaire opened his publication with a note to the reader, but he made it a full poem entitled "To the Reader." I liked the ending stanza so much I used a version of it to title my blog, and eventually my current masterlist: (Boredom! Moist-eyed, he dreams, while pulling on//a hookah pipe, of guillotine-cleft necks.//You, reader, know this tender freak of freaks-//hypocrite reader-mirror-man-mytwin!)

Likewise the title of this post is also taken from part of a poem, "Hymn to Beauty" (Beauty, you simple, vile monstrosity,//I cannot care about your origin,//provided that your gaze, smile, feet show me//a sweet infinity I have never known.) I think that fits Rook's ideals rather well, don't you?

#twisted wonderland #twst rook #rook hunt #character analysis #twst theories

[thatonegirl322]

I'm literally so sick right now I'm gonna bust, any way here's a little y/n with dio moment

*'*'*'*'*'*'*******************************

" Darling~"

Y/n slowly walks over to Dio laying gay-ly on her bed. Every step she takes she could feel her soul slowly leaving her body. She groans as she asks Dio what's wrong.

" What do you want you hooker?"

He smirks at her.

" Do you have any wine bottles dear?"

" No, I have apple juice and lemonade, or maybe that's Abbacchio's piss I didn't check the bootle yet"

He hums in disappointment.

" Why do indulge in such childish drinks?"

" First of all, speak modern English please, Second of all I like them, that's why"

He snickers

" I'll just ask Pucci to get me some wine then"

" Ask pussy to get me some snacks too please" Y/n says as she walks out the room.

But before Y/n steps out the room she hears a page turn, but Y/n knows what he's reading all too well. She stops.

Judging by the how fast he read that single page and the how the page sounded when he turned it-

You're probably wondering how Y/n activated her three braincells, well that's because it's the only she really cares about.

Y/n runs torwards Dio at the speed of light. She menacingly leans over Dio.

" Whatcha' reading there pal?"

Dio keeps his eyes on the yaoi manga.

" A book I found under your bed dear"

Thank god it's a slow burn or else he would have been scared

Y/n holds her hand out

" GIVE- give it please"

He saves the page he was on and looks at Y/n with a fake pout.

" But I really liked it, so I'm gonna keep reading it~"

Y/n backs up and looks at the floor of her bedroom for a little bit with a shadow covering half of her face. She slowly looks up at Dio, but he just raises his eyebrow at her wondering what she's going to do.

"Your life literally is as valuable as a summer ant. I'm just gonna stomp you, you're gonna keep coming back, I'm gonna seal up all my cracks, you're gonna keep coming back, why? Cause you keep smelling the syrup, you worthless bitchass whore! You're gonna stay on my dick until you die. You serve no purpose in life, your purpose in life is to be in my room sucking on my dick daily. Your purpose in life is to be in this house blowing a dick daily. Your life is nothing, you serve ZERO purpose. You should kill yourself, NOW! And give somebody else a piece of that oxygen and ozone layer that's covered up so we can breathe inside this blue trapped bubble. Cause what are you here for? To worship me? Kill yourself! I mean that with a hundred percent with a thousand percent!"

Y/n quickly grabs the manga and runs away as she chuckles to her self.

Dio isn't fazed by this at all infact he's used to this by now. He sighs and grabs Y/n bed sheets.

" One day I'm going to make you mine and then I can do anything I want to you my dear~"

Anyway don't forget to make requests if you want me to write something. Love you ♡.

#my writing #yandere jjba #yandere jjba x reader #yandere jojo no kimyou na bouken #yandere jojo's bizarre adventure #obsession #yandere jjba imagines #yandere memes #yanderecore #yandere jojo

[lost-technology]

I really don't like it when I browse a fandom-space, tags on tumblr or wherever and I see people dumping on any of the Trigun media. You know, the whole "My favorite part of the franchise is better, so this other part of the franchise sucks." (It's been like that for years, actually... I remember digging in my heels on my love for the '98 anime back in the day when I ran into some manga!only! snobs - despite absolutely loving the manga). We all have our favorite things, I just get a bit annoyed when people think expressing their affection has to come with a side of snide at something else adjacent to it. For instance, I recently re-watched Badlands Rumble after several years and found out - "Hey, I actually like this / still like this!" (I think people see BR as the black sheep of the franchise because Vash does his "fake perv / stupid annoyance act" a little too over the top in it and because its plot is simple and doesn't have any bearing on the rest of the narrative. (Which was actually the point of the movie - something non-lore heavy to bring in random new fans). And I see some people new to the fandom because of Stampede who don't like the '98 anime so well. It seems like everyone loves the manga, though, so there's at least that. (As well they SHOULD, the manga is awesome). Anyway, the Trigun franchise has core unifying themes and characters, but much like "the film of the book" or "the reboot of the old show" or "pick a Legend of Zelda game out of order in the canonically fucked up chronology" they're all fairly different. And people might just hardcore prefer one in particular over all others. And that's fine. My thoughts as an inveterate fan: I feel like Trigun Stampede is just so *different* from the 1998 anime that people brand new to the fandom coming in because of it might not actually vibe with the old anime. It draws more from the manga - has more of the serious and dark manga-vibe (and Orange's modern tech really allows those frenzied gun-battles that Nightow liked to draw that some of us COULDN'T EVEN FOLLOW without reading about 10 times to shine). But... the manga is black and white and also very long and also really goes off the rails in places. I feel like the different versions of the story take different tolerances: 1998 anime - Tolerance of a lot of goofy. I've been rewatching parts of it recently for fanart purposes and have been "Wow, sometimes I forget how FUNNY this show is!" You also have to have a tolerance for the goofy turning into the serious as the story goes on. Manga / Maximum - Tolerance for mood whiplashes (light to dark, often more dramatic than the first anime). Tolerance for (black and white) blood and a lot of it. Tolerance for the Western wending its way into deep science fiction lore / genre shift. Tolerance for "sometimes you aren't going to understand these 10-12 pages of straight action scene, just re-read it, honey." Stampede - Tolerance for sadness and brooding. It starts with some goofy, but quickly turns to the Holy Shit Quotient that the manga took a little time to introduce and poor babygirl Vash has such an obvious depression in this that he hurts to look at. Stampede = Trigun: The Emo Version. (I absolutely love, it, though - I'm allowed to rib it). So, you know, I can see if a given person has a particular attachment / came in with one version that they might not quite "get" the others. To love them all is a gift.

#trigun #trigun maximum #trigun stampede #trigun analysis #editing because as I was typing this my laptop ate some of my type #working with a very sensitive new laptop right now that acts like a cat if you touch it wrong

[localgardenweed]

Its almost 1AM I have a interview with Wendy’s at 10:30AM so im gonna talk about my random HWS Japan headcanons until I pass out

He need reading glasses, I know we see him in the show/manga wearing them and like he may like actually need them and just uses contacts but in my mind they are only for reading. His eyes aren’t what they used to be and he needs his little nerd glasses

He likes making those bento box cooking videos, he makes them for himself and his friends/partners. He finds a lot of ways to pass the time and this is one of many. He likes making the character bentos the most, they make him smile

Gardening. Imagine walking into his backyard and seeing him on his knees tending to his strawberries and radishes just LOOK AT HIMMM!! Not only does it save him money but also makes him feel accomplished when he gets a good harvest

He typically likes doing a lot of those DIY projects, making little shelves and furniture and god knows what. He goes online and sees what new project he can make today to keep himself busy

He is actively greying and has been dying his hair for AGES. He plucks out greying eyebrow hair and stubble and dyes his hair. If someone points out a grey hair he gaslights them into thinking its just the lighting or they’re imagining things. If anyone found out he dyed his hair you wouldn’t see them the next day /j

He tried to grow a mustache in his youth but it looked so bad he repressed the memories of it deep DEEP into his mind you will never find them man. He found old paintings of his mustache and couldn’t bare to witness them anymore he buried them in his basement never to be seen again

He actively works out, he takes a 5 mile jog every morning and evening and does some biking and swimming every other day. He likes to stay fit even though he really doesn’t have to anymore. He just likes to keep his body toned. He also likes the cringe 1980’s American workout videos. He got a VHS set from America on his birthday and felt that he basically called him fat but no America just needed to get rid of them so just regifted them to him. He ended up liking them though so ig it worked out in the end

As well practices his swordsmanship, like dude we are in the modern day you do not need to know how to use a katana anymore but he does it anyway cause what if someone breaks in man you never know man una nunca sabè

Its right next to him every night and he is FAST, he even hears the slightest sound he jumps up and gets ready to slice you in half

Him and Prussia and very good friends (or maybe more idk am i pushing my PruPan agenda? YES) and he keeps a empty room for him when he decides to crash at Japan’s place for the 5th time this year. He doesn’t mind him he is very tidy and always repays the favor somehow. They like to go out for lunch and do all of the above together. They like to exchange snacks like chips and drinks.

He almost sliced Prussia in half when he crept into his room to ask him for smth when he was asleep, he only chopped off a lock of his hair and nicked his nose but nothing serious. He profusely apologized for it after and Prussia was a little shocked for a but but laughed it off and was okay. He was a but sad about the hair but it’ll grow back. Prussia knocks loud as hell now if he wants Japan for smth and he’s asleep

He keeps little historical knick knacks around his house that he should probably donate but doesn’t cause “They’re still good to use!!” Even though its a thousand year old pot that should be a health hazard. He has been wearing the same damn yukata for almost 2 centuries now cause he only wears it once every other summer summer when he finds his buried in his storage and the local museums beg to have it but he’s too attached to it to let go

He wheels around Pochi in a stroller sometimes when he feels a little silly. He loves dressing Pochi up with bows and ties and bandannas and god knows what else. That dog has been out in so many outfits bro cant catch a break

If he were human he would either pursue photography full time, his dream would be to get his photos on build boards and magazine covers. Maybe he’d be a field photographer too, go out into nature and stuff

He already does photography as a hobby but could never really do it full time cause ya know country duties

And thats it thank you for coming its now almost 2 AM lets hope I don’t regret this

#localgardenweed #the weed is rambling #hetalia #hws #hetalia japan #hws japan #hetalia prussia #hws prussia #prupan #hetalia headcanons #hws headcanons #i have more but wither they too cray cray or cringe so like one day maybe idk #I LOVE SPREADING PRUPAN BOTH PLATONIC AND ROMANTIC I LOVE THEMMMM

[nihongoseito]

Hello!

Say, I've been trying to find sources to teach me how to read/understand the fundamentals of 草書 that are not in Japanese. So far I found "The Elements of Sôsho" by Cpt. F. S. G. Piggott but that's pretty much it. Do you happen to know any good books/websites/blogs/videos/anything about that? I can read French, English and Spanish.

I love your blog, by the way! I kinda gave up learning Japanese after a bad experience but I'm slowly getting back to it and your posts played a big part in accepting I'll take this one step at a time.

hi, thanks for your ask!! i'm really happy to hear you enjoy my blog :) i understand completely about giving up on something you're studying after it goes awry....in college i studied a lot of another (not japanese) language, and thanks to *gestures broadly* stuff, i lost what feels like all of it and it often feels like trying to return to it would be really insurmountably difficult. i think for me part of it is like, it's hard to feel like you've moved backwards from where you were in the past. so i'm so proud of you for trying to pick up your japanese study again!! 一緒に、ゆっくりと頑張ろうよ！

as for 草書 (そうしょ = calligraphy/cursive), i honestly know nothing about the topic! a quick online search gives lots of results if you ask in japanese but sadly almost nothing if you ask in english. i found a couple blog links about 草書, but the entries are very short:

something nice about this ^ blog post is it talks about how the hiragana were derived from 草書, it's so cool to see the connections between kana and kanji!

((also, if you're interested in hiragana at all, you should def look into the history of 女手 (おんなで = women's script), as in fact the hiragana were innovated and used by women who were disallowed from learning kanji! which is a really cool large-scale example of how women are typically at the forefront of cultural and linguistic change. here's another blog post about women's usage of hiragana, although it seems you might have to create an account to read it.))

heading back to kanji, here's another blog post that talks about calligraphy in both chinese and japanese:

also, looking at the sources for the wikipedia page for east asian calligraphic styles, there also seems to be a book from the 70s called the art of japanese calligraphy by yujiro nakata, which seems to be available at this site or you could try and get it from a library, especially if your library has contact with any nearby university libraries. it's a little old, of course, but researching it might lead you to more modern sources too!

anyways, thanks again for your message!! if anyone else knows of any other resources about 草書, please feel free to reblog or put them in the comments :)

#even just this quick search was p interesting! considering i know nothing about calligraphy lol #langblr #calligraphy #answered #handwriting #sasha.txt

[steve0discusses]

Ep 46 Pt 2: Seto is Sad Now

I just want to take the time to fully appreciate Seto and Yami on the back of this horse.

You can’t tell me that the image alone of them on horse back where Seto is just on the back like it’s a motorcycle or something? Two cousins trying not to be weird about this mode of transportation while the tall one sits in the tiny seat?

 (which by the way, I didn’t realize it at the time, but uh my condolences to the shippers of Yami and Seto, they are...damn! They sure are cousins, aren’t they? Like a reverse Sailor Uranus/Sailor Neptune situation right here. Well, you still got modern Seto, but...sooo many lost fanfics out there, I’m sure, who were...probably not happy with this revelation.)

So I had to look this up because I’m not a horse girl, regrettably, I do not know enough about horses to know if two grown men can fit on the back of a horse without busting that horse’s spine in half. But, what I found out is: you don’t do this to a horse. I mean you can, but you shouldn’t.

Thing is...Yami is technically a kid in size, if memory serves, Yugi is still less than 100 lbs.

Maybe this horse is OK? this horse they occasionally use to skate down mountainsides? It’s not a real horse anyway, and honestly, this whole idea of the two on a horse is very funny to me so who cares.

(read more under the cut)

Also speaking of scientifically incorrect things in Yugioh, this was also very funny,

FAR BE IT FROM ME to get all technical and make some weird youtube video about all the historical inaccuracies in TV shows (which damn, I sure do hate those videos) but I can still laugh at it when it happens.

Bro just told me “bold of you to trust Google” and he’s correct. For all we know some AI just lied to me just now, so if you know some deep lore about trebuchets don’t be afraid to speak up.

Their horse pulls up to the line of out of touch trebuchets and warriors flanking the city, where we reunite as a cast minus Karim.

Yami then dumps this on me and it was so outlandish I could not tell if this was canon to the manga/original translation or if the dub decided this would be OK to do.

Just let the man die! He divorced his wife on horseback and then did not raise Seto, he abandoned this boy to kill thousands of people, just let Aknadin freakin die. Please, Yami, this is not up for debate, Yami. Let Aknadin freakin die he hella deserves it.

Agh, Dartz all over again, I swear this show didn’t used to feel the need to redeem it’s villains, youknow? Or maybe it was always like this but I forgot because of freakin long covid wiping a year of my life, I don’t freaking know. But if/when Aknadin comes back I genuinely can’t see how he and Seto could ever fix their relationship on this planet Earth.

Anyway, speaking of being tired beyond your ability, Yami remembers just how many fireballs he took to the chest today and decides to just keel over. Good thing he didn’t do this on the back of the horse.

Relatable, honestly, this is what I do nowadays when I have to stand too long because I decided to cook 2 things instead of 1. Yami just has long covid, he’ll be fine. Just find a couch and do a big sittie, Yami.

Like damn, Yami, maybe should’ve let Seto at least drive the horse?

And so the trebuchets fire off with all this animation that a bunch of people looked at, and after them, these scenes passed over like 100 more people’s hands, and no one at any point said “yo they used sleds instead of wheels in Egyptian sands, right?” and they were...like they were from the wrong anime really, but please admire the wings on these “trebuchets”

freakin nerf guns made out of logs hahaha.

Anyway, Bakura noticed.

Sad Seto starts botching it so poorly that it, in fact, triggers the end of the world.

Could’ve been Isis commanding the troops. Or Grandpa. Or Shad- no wait, no actually...

...probably shouldn’t be Shada.

But I think that Isis would not have needed that necklace to know throwing logs at the enemy would not work. Especially since this particular enemy is like...all log.

Thanks for the America shout-out Yugioh, my warm and fuzzy patriotic vibes go off in my heart every time I see lady liberty in an apocalyptic setting, not gonna lie.

I make fun, but it really did take Yami a while to figure out what the hell Bakura was implying here.

Lets admire the guy in the very back who looks like he just lost his glasses so he’s just gonna sit it out directly on the ground.

I will not revise the death count. They died. They died right in front of me. This is clearly a ghost.

They’re just back now. They’ve done this before where they magically come back to life, it’s never explained, and I’m used to it. Rex and Weevil are god tier and it’s never ever explained. I’m ready for them to die again every time I see them on this show. But this show will never let go of these bastards because like...well I don’t know, really, but it feels like the show runners REALLY like these two and I’ll let them have their comfort OCs.

LISTEN.

So I know I was going to put a towel on this boy’s enormous smiling dong, but it would, in fact, make it more obscene to put the towel on him in this particular scene than to go without the towel.

And yes, it did grow larger than the last time we saw it, and no... I don’t think we should analyze that.

Meanwhile we have run out of useless logs and their out of place trebuchets.

Blue Eyes just sitting on the bleachers being like “no dawg, it’s fine! I’m fine, we’re all fine!”

And then we uh, killed Shadi.

It happened so quickly I think the dub actually removed a scene where he gets hit. Like suddenly Yami’s in danger, then it cuts away, and then Shadi is just on the ground like “you get em buddy” and he kicks it.

What an unceremonious way for this creep to die.

And of all the times! He has been threatening to die this entire season! And I guess it’s better than getting bricked in the head by Aknadin, but still...a lightning bolt huh?

And in case you were like “so why is he this weird ghost that haunts us 5000 years later?” That’s apparently answered in like the movie, from what bro tells me. I forget which. I want to say it’s Dark Side of Dimensions, that movie I keep threatening to watch. He hasn’t seen it either, he doesn’t know.

Anyway, we made it through another episode, and yes, it was Shadi who died.

I cannot believe how long Grandpa has held out this season, can you? I can’t believe it at all.

We’ll catch up again next episode, where...it feels like this is the finale guys. Wow. We’ve come so far. And again, I wish I was in a better state to write, because I feel like I used to be a lot more in depth and just...more analytical. 

But really, this season is just pretty freaking weird. Like there is stuff to analyze here. There are things to get out of it. But I spend so long being like “and then this weird thing happened, and that weird thing happened” that I’m still just stringing together the nonsense and I’m not really appreciating the forest for the trees.

But I’m sure those things will come to me in time, if they really are that important to glean from this season, even if it may be in some later episode or some sort of post-season essay I feel like writing (I probably won’t). But until then, we’ll just admire the dickface they convinced 4kids to put on TV.

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

#yugioh #YGO #Yu-Gi-Oh #Yami Muto #Yugi Muto #Bakura #Ryou bakura #Theif King Bakura #Seto Kaiba #priest seto #Shadi #Isis Ishtar #Rex Raptor #Who I originally called rex wheeler so that's where my brain is rn #Zorc

[sumire-no-nikki]

A Day Out

I had to do groceries this afternoon so I thought I would treat myself with a day out while I'm at it! The weather has cooled down ever so slightly and by that I mean from 30C down to 28C with a little breeze. Not much, I know. But that 2C is the difference between actively sweating just by breathing, and being able to manage walking outside without wanting to plop on the concrete and throwing a tantrum because I fucking hate summer.

That said, it wasn't helpful that the train was packed. Oh it was awful. Not a single seat open and the corridors were filled with people standing. I would have decided to go back home and just drive to a shop nearby, but I've made it that far already so I thought I might as well stick with it. In the end I'm happy to say it paid off. I had a very lovely day out!

First thing on the agenda was to try new beans but I'm afraid that part of the trip was a bust. I intended to purchase some espresso beans from this Mexican-themed cafe that I always pass by but it seems they've just roasted their beans (and they need to rest for a couple of days before they're ready to brew!) So unfortunately I will have to try them another time.

From there I entered my usual manga and general nerdy stuff store. I found some new manga I'm keen on but I stopped myself from spending. I don't really have the time to get into a new series right now, but I've definitely added a lot of new titles to my "to-read-in-the-far-future" list lol. I did make some really cool discoveries while browsing the store though! There's a manga series adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables! I read a couple of pages of it and it looks so good! And there's also a Junji Ito adaptation of No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai which, as it is by Junji Ito, looks nothing short of spectacular. Oh, can you believe it!! All these new adaptations of modern classics! I hope there will be more! As bewildering as it was to see No Longer Human on "as seen on booktok" tables in bookstores (the very existence of which seems to trigger my fight-or-flight response lol) I'm ultimately just very happy people are reading these great works. These manga adaptations will get so many people into reading the classics, I think. And that can only be for the good.

From there I headed for my usual cafe. I ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a lovely pour over coffee from Kenya. The cup I had today tasted of bright orange with quite a full body. I enjoyed my treats while reading for about an hour or so outside. It was way too hot to stay inside, so as much as I hate inhaling second-hand smoke I chose a seat along the street.

You know, I didn't realise until after ordering that I was in fact speaking with the owner who happens to be a German Barista champion!! I was inspecting the trophies on display by the counter while waiting for my tray. When I sat down I looked up the name and only then did the face register lol. Knowing that the person who owns the place understands brewing and producing coffee directly and ethically (as opposed to being just a businessman who isn't familiar with the coffee industry) does explain the quality of the beans. And it's such a reassurance to know that they are roasted by someone who cares. I swear I've never had a terrible bag of beans from his cafe.

One last errand before the groceries: the record store! I brought the records I no longer want to keep in my collection and had them assessed. The owner of the store is a very jolly Greek man. I browsed the store while waiting for him to come up with an offer. I spotted some of the records I sold to him in the past (and that he is selling them for quite a mark up 👀) but I've also noticed that quite a handful of my old records were no longer there. The romantic in me is beaming at the thought of my records in a new home now, being played and enjoyed by a stranger with a completely different background yet identifying with the same music I once related to. Anyway, I got a surprisingly good offer for the records and I walked out of the store feeling very happy to get that task crossed off the to-do list.

The last thing was to go to the store, of course. I've run out of some staple Japanese ingredients so that was what I mainly bought. I finally found sake for cooking which has proven quite difficult to source so it's a relief to finally have it now. I stocked up on natto as well. I know it's an acquired taste (quite like marmite) but I like it for breakfast, especially with leftover rice.

When I got home I spent the evening putting everything away, and cleaning and prepping the fruits and vegetables I bought. It was a good day, I think. Quite productive. And it's always lovely spending time alone. I get to observe, swim in the lake of my own mind.

I leave you with a photo I took on my way home and a song I've been listening to a lot. The train ride home wasn't as hectic so I spent the entire time looking outside, feasting on how vibrant everything looks in the summer. I know I've overstated my hatred for this season but sunlight, the deep green fields meeting the blue sky on the horizon, the contrast--it's such a boost to one's mental health.

As for the song, this one is from a pretty old album actually, but I always seem to find new meaning to fixate on when I listen to it. This is the song that struck me this time around and I've been ruminating on all week. It's rare to find a song that describes who you are completely that it's rather frightening. This song does that for me:

Alright, that's it for now. I'm off to tidy up real quick--arrange the throw pillows on the couch, pick up all the cat toys and put it back in their toy box (a task I'm sure I will be repeating in the morning, lol), start the dishwasher, and turn off all the lights. I've had a good day but I am exhausted! My weekend has been a busy one so far. Tomorrow I have some long letters to write and emails to respond to. And then it's just about to get even more hectic with the new week, but it helps to know that the weather will continue to cool down in the coming days. Knowing it'll be rainy is such an uplifting thing to know (at least I hope it happens. I have a love-hate relationship with the somewhat-accurate weather app lol). I hope it isn't sweltering wherever you are.

Until next time!

#diary #sumire-no-nikki

[justsasuke]

hii i just totally stalked ur acc because i’m dying for team taka content :))) anyways can i get some modern suigetsu headcanons just like the sasuke one. tyyy

heyy, we love a stalker around here <3. welcome. I hope what you found satiated you at least a little!! Absolutely you can!! This is actually really funny because I've been thinking about our favorite mist nin lately. Your message is a sign for me to do something about that haha. (Find the Sasuke ones here.) Here's what I have so far:

His favorite colors are light purple and "aqua bluish-green" (he doesn't know the actual name so that's what he calls it but it's a very specific shade. it's Kandinsky Turquoise the color of his water bottle)

His toxic eating habit that drives Sasuke absolutely crazy is that he eats cup noodle ramen with a fork. That's the only thing he uses a fork for.

He really only likes the seafood cup noodle flavor but will steal Juugo's curry flavor just because he can.

His favorite flavor of yogurt is white peach

He doesn't like plain mint toothpaste and always gets pineapple flavor (that's a thing in Japan)

His favorite indoor pastime is video games. Surprisingly he likes adventure ones that are more story focused and less violent.

He has a huge collection of indie records, all on vinyl, that he got from Mangetsu. He’s listened to all of them and has all the track lists memorized.

His favorite Ramen flavor is Tonkotsu

He was in the water polo club in middle and high school.

His favorite manga are Chainsaw Man (I picked this for vibes only, I haven't read it) and One Piece

Has an abnormally large collection of swim trunks with a wide range of patterns but always wears the same ones except on rare occasions.

Is notorious for stealing other people's bathing products (shampoo, body wash, you name it) without asking. has used Karin's too which made her so mad. Sasuke has not noticed that he does this yet.

Would sleep in the nude if he could. (all of his friends have told him no)

Learned how to skateboard from his brother Mangetsu, knows a wide range of tricks and is really good at it

Does not like wearing socks

OK imma stop here because I feel like this is going to get crazy long otherwise haha. Honestly I may just have to do a part 2 👀👀 See you around~~ and as always feel free to add/send me your own!! I love looking at them.

#He's such a deeply chaotic person #Lmk if you want more #Suigetsu Anon #Suigetsu #modern headcanons #Modern AU #Suigetsu Headcanons #Asks

[animehouse-moe]

Animerica Extra Volume 1 Issue 1: A Closer Look

Finally, finally finally I managed to get the first two volumes uploaded to the Internet Archive, which you can find here, and I really do recommend because of Tumblr image compression being kinda gross. Anyways, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the first issue of the magazine and what I really found interesting and cool!

First off is the advertisements that appear in the magazine. Considering the scope and popularity of the magazine, the "type" of companies that would advertise are somewhat different. I mean, AnimeVillage got the front cover ad. Not that they're a tiny company, but much like others in here, they're not a company that lasted incredibly long.

Still, what is incredibly interesting though is their website, which is still saved in the internet archive, though in a somewhat incomplete fashion, which you can find here. Anyways, getting to visit an old site like this is a lot of fun, mostly because of the personality that appears with it. Offensive and sharp color palettes, more than a few moving pieces, and a very blocky layout. Honestly, I think sites like this have a considerable amount more to offer in terms of heart and individuality than what modern web design has given us, but that's not the point. The point is that Animerica Extra provides people, specifically the community in this moment, with an experience from the past. I mean, AnimeVillage is from 1998, there's no way that the vast majority of anime or manga fans would even know about them as a company today.

Getting to the actual magazine itself though, there's just two things that I find interesting with the Table of Contents. Firstly, right at the bottom, just above the "Printed in Canada" statement, Viz offers a disclaimer (which you can't read here because of nasty Tumblr compression, so I'll transcribe it): "For the purposes of publication in English, the artwork in this publication is in reverse from the original Japanese Version".

Now, I don't have any OG manga volumes that were printed more like graphic novels, so I can't say for sure, but I find this disclaimer interesting. Either, a) this is a general disclaimer Viz gives about the difference between JP and English publication, or b) Viz is required to provide this disclaimer for the materials. Either way it's a very curious piece.

And then there's the "Vizit our World Wide Web Sites at www.viz.com...". Yes, Viz actually printed "Visit" as "Vizit" alongside "World Wide Web sites". Just such a blast from the past as to how the internet was viewed and interacted with.

And then there's the Yuu Watase feature from the first issue. I think it's something that doesn't immediately stick out to people in the modern day because hey, you just go to MAL or Manga-Updates and you can see everything that Watase's ever done like it's nothing.

But in the 80s that sort of accessibility was non-existent. I mean, like you'll see later on with the letters, people only found out about Animerica Extra through Animerica. It really highlights how valuable this sort of information was to the community during the era, because you simply just would not know anything about Yuu Watase without these pieces.

Similarly, you couldn't go and look up what a series was about on the internet, you only had word of mouth and direct interaction, so excerpts like these that give readers an idea of what is is they're about to read is incredibly important.

Just a quick aside here about advertisements. I know a lot of people will say, "but hey! There were TV ads during the 90s and 2000s that could be run for this stuff! Surely they could provide information and advertisement via that!", and I think the easiest answer is another question: can the modern day animanga industry manage that? Obviously not, no. The avenues that Viz could approach to advertise via were incredibly narrow, largely focused on anime specific storefronts or general comic stores, placing physical advertisement at the top of the pyramid, followed up by ads distributed via their tapes back in the day.

Anyways, back on track to the editorial for an interesting conversation! This one's very interesting to me for just one thing, really- the original sketch giveaway.

It happens today, rather frequently, but with caveats. It's not, "Hey we're running a giveaway so make sure to participate", it's "Hey we've got X mangaka appearing at a con so come for a chance to win their sketch!". The difference in the approach to the giveaway is entirely different. I don't know if I can really say that it's more accessible, but I think that it gives fans a greater opportunity to participate purely because it's cheaper, running on a far longer schedule (as the editorial mentions), and doesn't require in person attendance for the opportunity.

But to be fair, even those giveaways are only a recent thing as the animanga market's boomed. There was quite a long period of dead air in terms of this sort of activity, so I find it really interesting how the landscape has changed in how these now corporations approach these aspects of interaction with their communities.

Also, here's a link to the archived version of the website in the advertisement on this page.

And this magazine really just keeps giving more and more crazy information. This News Notes panel really surprised me. Yes, it's got a lot of plain information like upcoming or finishing anime, but most interesting is the information that the left column provides.

They talk about the mangaka of Steam Detectives appearing at San Diego Comic Con, and not only that, but bringing some early footage of the anime. I mean, that sort of thing has only just begun happening again in the last few years.

It's crazy to see how advanced and engaged Viz was back in the day with the industry overseas. Not that they aren't today, but that the curtain's been pulled across so we no longer get stuff like this in English.

Speaking of things like that, because of the disappearance of things like this, we don't get to see interaction between individuals and the companies. The letters section in this first volume is so interesting because of the era it comes from. The accessibility of information is immediately addressed with the first letter that talks about them finding out about Animerica Extra via the mainline Animerica. Then there's the very talented letter sending that sewed a decorative pillow for their friend. But I think my personal favorite is the nonsensical letter penned by Jonkani.

These magazines are just a gold mine of history and culture pertaining to the North American animanga industry and community, that I really think is important to be able to experience and understand as it contextualizes where this slice of entertainment lies in the modern day.

And this just the first issue of the first volume, there's still 73 more to go that provide all sorts of wonderful and curious information and interactions. Incredibly happy to be able to provide this to the community, but also very hopeful that being vocal with this will both make people more aware of a history that is "ours", and inspire those that have pieces of history like this to archive them.

#animerica #animerica extra #manga magazine #viz manga #viz #viz media #manga #anime and manga #shoujo manga #shoujo #shojo manga #manga history #anime history

[kitoral]

Your original illustrations are really fantastic. I dig the colors and the anime girls. I feel like I resonate with them well, so I am curious about what creatively influences you. Like... Why do you color as you do? Why are your illustrations of anime girls? What do you think of when illustrating? Are there artists, pieces of media, or events in your life that inspire your stylings? Sorry if that seems like a lot or if I'm being intrusive! I just really want to know why your art is the way it is, but I feel that if I ask that so simply, I may not receive an answer with nuance, which is what I'm hoping for.

no worries about being intrusive, if anything, i appreciate the ask!

there's no clear-cut answer for a lot of these, but i'll try to articulate as much as much as possible. i started drawing from a very young age (~5 or so), and my preference was always cartoons/games/anime. i always enjoyed heavy stylization - not that i disliked realism, it just felt as if i had already seen so much of it before? and this isn't to discredit such works, just that they werent something i personally gravitated towards.

as i got older, i realized i wanted to pursue my goal of becoming an artist. things started to change when i entered college, though. it's a choice i dont regret, but i often felt a bit lost in comparison to my peers - because i didnt really draw [or study/learn] the way they did. i still struggle with insecurities regarding technical skill or talent because of this - and i actually stopped drawing for a year or so after i graduated. i kept thinking "its just another anime style anyways." (which is discrediting in and of itself, as all art has value regardless of how subjective it may be).

basically, i did a lot of soul searching - and the reasons i wanted to draw started to resurface. i loved drawing incredibly cute, yet somewhat outlandish looking characters. of course there's a sense of nostalgia with this, but i always preferred the art used for older anime (90s and early-mid 2000s specifically). i'm also really into hobbyani, which is basically hobby/kids media (precure, duel masters, beyblade, etc). i love the sense of experimentation that comes from designers who intentionally market stuff to a broader audience within restrictions, if that makes sense? it just seems to resonate with me.

i'm also heavily into old tech/computer graphics. a big example of this is the old (and still running!) chat program known as worldsplayer. i discovered it about a decade ago, and while a lot of people found it ominous or strange, it felt... comfortable to me. reminded me a lot of the stuff i used to play as a kid, but beyond that, a sense of style/texture i wanted to replicate in my artwork.

(as a sidenote: i actually run a sideblog dedicated to old chatroom media called digitalspacetraveler!)

as for specific inspirations/artists? i love the traditional sketchiness of van gogh, rembrandt, etc. a lot of classical painters during the renaissance era + beyond come to mind. for more modern artists, id say yoshitoshi abe, shigenobu matsumoto (duel masters mangaka), yoshihiko umakoshi (doremi, heartcatch precure, casshern sins), hajime ueda, and a plethora of artists on tumblr/pixiv/twitter.

basically, i love the idea of combining ridiculous amounts of texture with otherwise cutesy and/or 'smooth' styles, such as those found in anime/manga. the end goal is pretty different from the initial sketch, but that's what makes it fun to me. mimicking traditional mediums while also incorporating digital processing, overlays, and filters!

#mordred-doombitch #sorry for the long reply OTL #hope this was insightful!