#beginning theory

[crystallizsch]

i really like how canonically yuu is genuinely supportive of grim wanting to be a great mage. if i recall correctly, even character voice lines point this out. and it seems like yuu dotes on grim a lot and defends him too??? yuu even encourages grim's ambitions whenever he declares wanting to be a great mage. and also when he does that boss-henchhuman dynamic. i mean yeah you can interpret it as yuu saying that being condescending and sarcastic as if they're talking to a child saying "when i grow up i want to be famous!" but like. i really think they're genuine when mc loves grim in their own way.

even if grim is usually a menace, he's become like family to yuu.

and i'm pretty sure grim feels the same way.

think about it this way. despite all the mess, all the unpredictability, the danger, and all the drama being in nrc. what's always the constant? yuu goes home at the end of the day to the ramshackle dorm (basically their home at this point considering they slowly but surely fix it up over time) and with who? “the great mage” grim. as the sole outcasts in that academy, they both sleep soundly knowing they will always have each other at the end of the day.

#2nd anniversary event got me feeling things #and honestly just thinking about that grim overblot theory #if that's true i believe grim's breaking point would be yuu finally beginning to leave through the dark mirror #and then overblotting leaving the dark mirror room in ruins like we see in the beginning of the game #he does not want them to leave #they WILL stay there #the great grim refuses to be alone in that “ramshackle” dorm #twisted wonderland #twst #twst grim #twst yuu #twst ramshackle #god at first grim was REALLY made to be unlikeable #then overtime (personally) grim had just really grown on you #i will defend grim with my life now >:( #★'-twst-rambles

[glfry]

Can we agree that the "Thats two things" line from Mike was autistic as shit

#i love how William very clearly thinks he’s trying to play smart or something but. no he’s just like that #in general hes sooooo autistic. Same goes to Abby. #when aunt Jane noted how abbys meltdowns reminded her of mike I was cheering in my fucking seat #SO autism #fnaf movie #five nights at freddy's #Fnaf #five nights at Freddy’s movie #Mike Schmidt #can’t wait till this movie comes out anywhere that isn’t peacock. please I wanna watch it again but peacock doesn’t even have a free trial #also Just his general anti socialness??????? hello? #the way he just. walks off during the pharmacy scene #or the way he basically ignores max CANNOT be neurotypical #also with the former that his stand-offish nature is seen as rude #ALSO near the beginning of the movie where he tells his coworker about the dream theory- #-and he completely avoids eye contact and just fiddles with his Walkie-Talkie #like that cant be nt behavior

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

“Ok in the original error message on Grammy night there’s the the code that says DPT which obviously now is the acronym for Tortured Poets Department but backwards and it’s counting down 3-2-1 from back to front IT’S LIKE IT’S STARTING FROM THE END INSTEAD OF THE BEGINNING or from the last page instead of the first chapter and the word scramble is literally a red herring and the original error is web speak for the system crashing BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN A GLITCH THE SYSTEM IS OVERLOADED so she has to go back to basics with a typewriter instead in the latest tease but also the betting Swifties are saying the Apple Music scramble is spelling out Glitch backwards too and the original error message is a black page with white font but the NEW error message is white with black font they’re like TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN and now she’s teasing 13– THIRTEEN WHAT?!—“

#the tortured poets department #this is the fun kind of clowning lol #I’m 99% kidding but I think I might be onto something with the end before the beginning thing lol #(I’m not a rep tv truther whatsoever) #(I want TTPD to shine and get its limelight for eons) #(but I have to admit this joke conspiracy theorizing made me think maybe the end -TTPD- prefacing the beginning -rep- isn’t that far fetche #in the grand scheme of conspiracy theory clowning lol) #I think she’s just going to release some sort of bonus/accompanying content/art to go with whatever is cooking for Friday) #I do actually think the 13 might mean something… 13 extra tracks? Poems? Something? A la 3 am edition of midnights #Jlaw gif WHAT DO YOU MEAN

[project-sekai-facts]

Since the start of the game, it has been heavily implied, if not outright stated, that Minori has a crush on Haruka. To a lesser degree, it has been implied that Haruka has feelings for Minori.

In chapter 17 of MORE MORE JUMP!'s main story, when Minori performs a show to give Haruka the hope she needs to perform as an idol again, she tells Haruka that the first time she received fanservice from her was the first time she ever felt the happiness of falling in love with someone (altered in official translation).

In Minori's self-introduction, she flubs a line towards the end, but Haruka insists that they keep it in because "it's so Minori". Meanwhile, in Haruka's self-introduction, Minori thanks Haruka's parents for bringing her into the world and allowing them to meet. Haruka then says that she should be the one thanking Minori's parents, for letting her meet someone like Minori, causing Minori to become extremely flustered. Minori thanking Haruka's parents for giving birth to her is also referenced in 4koma #6 and her menu voiceline for Haruka's birthday in 2021.

In the side story for Miku's Stage SEKAI 2* card, she blows a kiss to Minori during a show. Minori then imagines Haruka blowing her a kiss, causing her to blush and think that she was about to have a heart attack.

In her 2021 Valentine's menu voiceline, Minori became extremely flustered over finally having the opportunity to give Haruka chocolate. Haruka comments that Minori getting all red in the face will make her embarrassed too. Even Airi comments on Minori's bold decision to give Haruka chocolates.

In their White Day menu voicelines from that year, it was revealed that Haruka gave Minori a return gift. Minori says that she will treasure it forever.

There are multiple instances of Haruka looking fondly at Minori. Perhaps the most notable is both her untrained and trained You Deserve It 4* card.

Minori passed out when Haruka wished her a happy birthday in 4koma #41. Haruka insisted on performing the birthday show for Minori even though Airi had warned her about what would happen.

In Airi's Unyielding Indomitable Spirit 4* story, it is revealed that while Airi and Shizuku went to the picnic with Ena and Mizuki, Minori and Haruka went to Phoenix Wonderland together. Their trip is shown in Luka's Fairy Lantern ♪ 2* story.

Minori's Passionate Call untrained 4* card speaks for itself, being the first time she was depicted with 'heart-eyes' around Haruka. This card is from Haruka's first event, Break Time for the Hardworking You!, which featured the commissioned song Ai no Material, which is explicitly a love song. While Haruka and Shizuku took the duo centre of the song, Minori was the only character to receive an Another Vocal for it.

The future that you were gazing at, I don't know if I can take you there. I hope I can support you, and keep walking with you.

In Haruka's Someday, I'll Deliver Colorful Festival 4* story, it is mentioned that MORE MORE JUMP! played a game called "No Blushing - Smiling Staring Contest!" on their stream that day. Minori lost the game because she couldn't keep a straight face whilst looking at Haruka. Minori later adds that Haruka's smile has the power to "make anyone's heart race".

Haruka's fragment SEKAI is born from her reminiscing about the idol that inspired her and was able to make her smile when she was younger, and wishing she had the chance to meet this person. Haruka thinks she spots her idol in amongst a crowd, and proceeds to chase her throughout the SEKAI. Although she keeps losing track of her idol, she is determined to tell her about how she inspired her. While thinking to herself, Haruka remembers Minori telling her how she was her inspiration to become an idol. She continues to think to herself, remembering how she was genuinely happy when she met Minori and was able to get on stage again because Minori gave her hope. This makes her more determined to find her idol and tell her how much she was inspired by her.

When she runs into a dead end again, she finds a dove with a clover in it's beak. It gives her the clover and then leads her to a house filled with more doves. While it is dark inside, she thinks that she recognises the room. She feels compelled to open the windows and let all the birds fly free out of the darkness, just as her idol did for her. She then notices that all the birds have clovers in their beaks that they want to deliver to other people as they did with her, and she frees them. Haruka's idol then appears behind her and talks to her. Haruka recognises her voice and tries to talk to her, but the SEKAI disappears before she gets the chance.

It is heavily implied that the idol that Haruka was chasing around the Fragment SEKAI was Minori. From her remembering Minori's message of hope while she was trying to find her childhood idol, to wanting to tell her childhood idol about this event, to the doves that were carrying clovers (MORE MORE JUMP!'s symbol that will bring hope to their fans, that was Minori's idea). Not to mention the fact that the dove gave Haruka a clover and led her straight to where her idol was. The woman who appears in the SEKAI even looks like Minori with longer hair.

However, it could be argued that Haruka's childhood idol just heavily resembles Minori, seeing as Haruka recognises the voice as nostalgic and identifies the woman as her childhood idol instead of Minori (it was in a crowd though). However, after returning from the fragment SEKAI, Haruka only refers to the mystery woman as "her", adding to the ambiguous identity.

Minori and Airi covered the song Ren'ai Saiban, a song about someone who is trying to win back their lover after an unspecified incident. The 2DMV for the cover plays up the "winning back the lover" aspect, since at the end, after Minori and Airi free themselves from their handcuffs, they free Haruka and Shizuku as well. Miku seems to approve of this ending despite trying to sentence them for the first three and a half minutes of the MV.

In Buddy Funny Spend Time ♪, the two go on a "double date" with An and Kohane. While ultimately it is treated as platonic and neither of the couples are considered to be in a relationship outside of or even in the event, An at the very least does seem to consider it as romantic (Peak Excitement 3* story).

Still on the topic of BFST, in chapter 1 of the story, An says that Minori really likes Haruka, and that Haruka feels the same way. Later on in the event, Minori relates to how flustered Kohane is around Haruka, saying that Haruka is really cool and cute, and her heart raced when Haruka first called her by her first name. She also relates to Kohane's jealously over An and Haruka's close friendship later on in the story.

At one point during their outing, the four girls go shopping for street style clothes. Minori doesn't think she fits the look, until Haruka tells her that she suits the clothes and she decides that she will keep them forever. The event 4koma also shows that Minori is very attracted to Haruka's street style look.

At the end of the event, Minori confesses to Haruka that she doesn't know much about the real, non-idol Haruka, and that she had been trying to get closer to Haruka during the event by trying to please her (such as going on a rollercoaster when she didn't want to). Haruka tells Minori that she likes her just the way she is, and that she doesn't need to force herself to do things she doesn't like.

Haruka's trained A Street Style Idol!? 4* card from this event can be seen at the top of this post, depicting Minori and Haruka with their arms linked.

In 4koma #92, Kohane tries to understand the emotions that An an Akito felt while watching RAD WEEKEND, although she can't get a clear image since neither of the two can express it in words. Minori chimes in and explains that she understands not being able to put feelings into words, describing "emotions swirling inside of her" while she thinks of Haruka. Shiho remarks that what Minori is feeling is not the same as what An and Akito felt at RW.

Minori's Enthusiastic Talk! untrained 4* card depicts her holding a drawing she did of a costume for Haruka. The drawing is surrounded by pink hearts and one of the annotations reads "cute!".

Minori's 2022 White Day menu voiceline reveals that Haruka gave her chocolate for the holiday, causing Minori to get extremely flustered yet again.

In a flashback during the Dear Me, As I Was Back Then event, we see Minori attend an ASRUN concert, during which she shouted out her love for Haruka. In Minori's untrained Beyond the Spotlight 4* card from this event, you can see Haruka watching her in the background.

In Scream!? Welcome to the Wolf Forest!, Minori is comically blinded by Haruka's cat cafe costume. She says that she can't look at Haruka because the cat ears suit her so well, but at the same time she really wants to look, and feels like her head is going to get torn off.

A similar instance of Haruka's presence 'blinding' Minori was shown in 4koma #61.

Minori's 2023 Valentine's Day menu voiceline reveals that Haruka gave her Valentine's chocolates, rather than the other way around. Although Minori wants to eat it, she isn't sure if she wants to sacrifice the gift.

For that White Day, Minori gave Haruka three times the amount of gifts that Haruka gave her for Valentine's Day as her return gift. Haruka suggests that they eat the sweets together, since she won't be able to manage them by herself.

During MORE MORE JUMP!'s 1st live, during one MC game, Haruka tells Minori that she loves her, causing the latter to nearly faint.

Haruka: Thank you. I love you, Minori Airi: Woaaah! Knock out! Shizuku: That's amazing, Haruka-chan

The second set of birthday cards show the gifts that each character was given by the other members of their unit. In Haruka's card, you can see a handwritten letter, with an opening line that reads "I lo-lo-lo-looove you, Haruka-chan". Minori's card features a letter from Haruka in return, as well as some ASRUN photographs.

In Haruka's card, you can see that Minori also gifted her a T-shirt that matches the otter one that she wears for training, only this one has a penguin, Haruka's favorite animal, on it as well. In 4koma #15, Minori picked out a similar shirt for Haruka, featuring only the penguin.

Minori also keeps a collection of Haruka merchandise in her room.

#love wins #project sekai #haruka kiritani #minori hanasato #yes this is the post that won the poll at the beginning of the month #and here we go #4koma #cards #2dmv #fragment sekai #theory #this is not everything i am aware of that. seasonal voicelines and gacha unluck got in my way #oh theory refers to the fragment sekai stuff. not mnhr. that's canon this is a whole post proving that it is

[ricky-mortis]

Some President Howard Goodman in celebration of Black Friday’s anniversary yesterday!

Inspired by JFK’s Official Portrait

#look I’m not a big fan of my country #but they kinda went off with that portrait #why does he look so sad in it? #it’s great #honestly I got this idea ages ago #but the Black Friday anniversary kicked me into gear to actually draw it #cause also I used the unexpected red theory kinda #which is just <3 #I love random bright shapes if you couldn’t tell #I think this one came out decently #oh shit it’s 3:40 in the am #oh I am NOT going to wake up early enough to catch the beginning of the TCB stream #anyways #president howard goodman #Mr Prezy Wez #if you will #black friday #starkid black friday #curt mega #starkid #team starkid #hatchetfield #my art

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

So anyway, calling it now (and spoilers for Burrow's End Episode 1), the Red Warren is located in Chernobyl's 'Red Forest' and all the trees are red due to the radiation. The dust cloud was kicked up by vehicles moving along the road and the radiation within the dust is toxic if inhaled but it didn't affect the stoats until it was stirred up into the air by the heavy machinery. (This exact thing happened recently in the news, I believe)

The 'blue' is most likely the glow of radiation as seen through water (it's kept in water to keep it cool so it is always glowing blue). I'm assuming that one stoat saw it and passed the legend down through the generations. They mentioned in the intro that the blue gifted them their intelligence (paraphrasing) so perhaps they are mutated stoats and that's why they have language and societies?

The 'incorrect' and 'unnatural' rocks they talked about are probably overgrown roads and pavement. That would explain the 'burnt' smell. And it would explain why the dust cloud smelled like pavement if it was being stirred up by vehicles.

It was mentioned that Thorn remembered the smell from the clothes of the things he saw. That was a massive hint, as it's been established that animals don't have clothes in this world. So obviously Thorn came across some humans. He probably got his electrical burn from them somehow and maybe he also saw their machines?

Anyway, I'll be interested to see if this is indeed Chernobyl (or perhaps a fictional Chernobyl-like radioactive place)

#dimension 20 #burrow's end #Burrow's End theory #i am excited for episode two #i love theorizing so much you can't even begin to imagine. the cogs in my head are SPINNING

[shoezuki]

Thinkin bout Sampo Koski rn as like. His character n what we get of him in honkai star rail and he fucking. He confuses me like. There has to be So Much more to him like

The general vibes of him and especially how other characters treat him is that of comic relief, a punching bag, a goof, just a slick conman causing trouble. It's genuinely difficult NOT to insult him n treat him badly with dialogue options and any time he's even mentioned March 7th hisses at him. He's literally a cryptid in belobog. He's a joke.

But. But. There's his light cone. It makes me insane. It contradicts all of that.

In it he's competent. He's badass. He's omnipotent. He's able to somehow know a sniper from however far away is locked on him and address them specifically.

And even like... in the entire plot of jarilo-vi he's spoken of like he's not much. He's a 4 star character. But he's practically as present as bronya and seele and Gepard and his involvement in the story is ASTRONOMICAL. He has a part in every major event. He's the one who drags the Trailblazers and bronya into the Underworld. He's the one who takes you to svarog, to the overworld again. He gets Natasha and saves you from svarog. He's the first character you ever meet on jarilo.

And he seems to just vanish before you confront cocolia. But no. Sampo is the one who has the last word and wraps up the entire mission on jarilo-vi. He fucking breaks the forth wall. Jarilo-vi both begins and ends with Sampo.

He calls himself shadowy comic relief yet he seemingly orchestrated everything. What is he. What the fuck is he doing. What else is up with him and when will we get more of him. I want to bite into him and tear him apart.

#sampo koski #honkai star rail #IM NORMAL IM NORMAL IM NORMAL #the fact he's 4 star vexes me #like.hes more present than gepard and clara and they are 5 stars #my theory is like dan heng we'll get a 5 star version of sampo #but also if he never gets more screen time i will fucking eat my own foot #like whay is he. who. what the fuck is going on #and is this a masked fools thing??? are the masked fools about this shit?? like. is it all just to put on a show? #or is he actually wanting to fix communities and help people #why did he go and get natasha. thay one gets me. thats such like. out of his way obvious selflessness #and he's shown and spoken of more like a smarmy selfish bastard only for himself #but he went and got natasha. he brought bronya to the underworld. he lead you to belebog at the beginning #i literally havent played hsr in months. because i have sampo brain worms #he is the worm aha made an emenator and he is in my brain

[front-facing-pokemon]

#YAAAAHAHHAAHAHAAAA!!! YOUUU thought the beginning of gen 5 would be SNIVY‚ did you?? well‚ you were MISTAKEN!! #if you want to see snivy‚ first you must take a spin on the ILLUSTRIOUS #V-WHEEEEEEEEEEEL!!! #victini #here we are‚ folks! the beginning of generation five‚ pokémon's “soft reset” as some folks call it #i dunno if it's true or not‚ but i do remember hearing that TPC attempted a bit of a reset with the pokémon franchise at gen 5 #and it never really worked out. and that that's why you can only catch unova 'mons until the postgame #something like that. it's been a while since i heard the theory so that's just. like. what i remember about it #and i'm not gonna google it bc i am 1. lazy and 2. hungry bc i have not eaten today and it has been rough. so i'm going to eat something #after this goes into the queue. for reference it's like 8 PM

[beanzdoodlez]

Saluting the man who helped me understand and become a part of the fnaf fandom

#SCREAMING CRYING SOBBING THROWING UP AAUGGGHHHH #i had to draw something so sorry for how rushed this is #i HAD TO PAY MY RESPECTS #....I hate to say it folks #but I think this is the beginning of the end #matpat #matthew patrick #fnaf ness #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #game theory #the game theorists #im just adding all the tags for the fandoms hes made an impact on #earthbound #earthbound ness #undertale #sans undertale #deltarune #HOW DO I TAG THIS #beanzdoodlez

[lonesomedreamer]

I expect nothing, Mr. Scott. It is merely logical to try all the alternatives. Doctor McCoy, a reading on the atmosphere, please.

STAR TREK | The Galileo Seven

#star trek #trekedit #tosedit #spock #montgomery scott #leonard mccoy #star trek tos #tvedit #scifiedit #trekdaily #startrekedit #blah coloring and not HD D: but I tried #i had to gif this because tell me again about the cold unfeeling mr. spock... #when i realized that he touches not just Bones but also Scotty... #my heart #being split in two halves is no theory with me #boldly go #i'm beginning to think i can cure a rainy day

[ash-and-starlight]

thank you @mafaldinablabla for the tag!! the game is to share 9 of my favourite books from the last 12 months, or 9 books on my tbr list for this year.

Here is what i’m looking forward to read this year! (my hunt for beautiful covers never ends. in this house books Shall be judged by their cover)

tagging uhh @erisenyo, @chitsangenthusiast, @ranilla-bean, @poikilotherm, @kyoshialone and whoever else wants to do it u.u

#also i really wanted to read the iliad but idk if there is a good prose translation/adaptation of it??? #if any of italian moots has come across one… #blease tell me... blease hmu #ive also been meaning to get more into uhh #social theory books? #if that’s the word? #but idk where to begin #esp bc i read on a short commute and i usually don’t have the brain space to engage with academy level texts #again if someone know a version of this for tired dummies lmk #ALSO cheating a bit bc i already started the seven moons of maali almeida and i’m loving it sooooo much #plus jorjus cover #so rlly the perfect book #realizing i should prolly start a book tag hmm #anyway #send post #oh I'm also looking forward to finish the murderbot diaries it's slow going but I'm halfway through and they're so good

[hogwartslegacypics]

ominis’s face hearing sebastian flirt with the new fifth year

#why is he so angry 😭 #drop your theories in the comments #i can’t tell if he’s angry or repulsed or cringing #he starts making that face around the time seb says time for a proper hogwarts welcome and doesn’t stop until the duel begins

[rocketrouquine]

The way they gave us these 3 first episodes is actually so satisfying because I feel like I got a whole season already with all this shit happening (especially with this ending) and now I’ll have to wait several months (or a year or more) in a brain rot to know/see what’s next. But, wait ! Actually NO, that’s next week and I just SQUEEEEEEE !

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd spoilers #our flag means death season 2 #there was SO MUCH going on #i was going up and down on the couch like fucking Tom cruise at Oprah’s #my husband was silently judging me #he was also loving this don’t get me wrong #but the level I was at was unprecedented #i mean I had to pause and rewind several times because I didn’t hear or saw something properly #or because I was talking #or SCREAMING #like Ed’s fever dream and stede talking to him to make him come back I was shouting THAT WAS MY THEORY OMAGAD #and the whole ass beginning dream sequence when I was THEY’RE GUVING US FANFICTION THEY’RE FUCKING TROLLING US #but it was the good trolling because they gave us EVERYTHING instead of mocking us and giving us nothing #i need to rewatch this at least 50 times for the next days to come #fucking mermaid #he IS a fucking mermaid

[gayvecchio]

due South - 1.20 Victoria's Secret pt. 1 || 4.12 Call of the Wild pt. 1

#due south #benton fraser #ray vecchio #fraser/vecchio #victoria metcalf #fraser/victoria #so interesting to me the way these moments mirror each other #and takes my fv/fv parallel theory to another level #this is the culmination of the similarities in those relationships #this is where the balance finally shifts between fraser/vecchio #from the beginning it had always been ray chasing after fraser #now it's fraser's turn to finally throw caution to the wind and prioritize chasing after ray above all else #the way he did with victoria (he would always be the one chasing after the train - the way ray would jump onto a train for fraser) #while there was always a balance in fraser/vecchio relationship - Fraser did have a slight foot forward #this moment turns the tables and puts them on truly equal footing #i knew i couldn't be coherent about this lol #but like can y'all see my vision even a little bit #ds30below #ray kowalski

[popsicle-stick]

having a segment of a coherent thought about the miss havishamification of artemis fowl

#like....yes. the obvious and intentional parallel is angeline #but artemis....artemis is the one who begins living in funeral wear as an expression of grief for a father who wasn't coming home. #he's stuck in this limbo of perma-childhood. forced into a horrible mocking parody of the of adult he was supposed to grow into #he wears nothing else. thinks of nothing else. CNN constantly blaring. surrounded by the old possessions of his father #yet he can never become him!!!! because he's a child. #& yet even when he DOES return artemis cannot leave this stasis. he never leaves his suits behind. colfer does not let him leave childhood #i lied. this was not coherent. society if i'd read enough theory to back this up #artemis fowl

[dazais-guardian-angel]

Chapter 110 is 13 pages long welcome to hell!!! so in a lot of ways this is just more fuel for a theory that I've had for a few weeks now, that's only gotten stronger with each recent season 5 episode, which is that the last episode of the season is gonna end on 110, and that Asagiri/Harukawa and Bones have been collaborating to make this happen, specifically because it's a major turning point that would be the only good place to end the season on.

When we started getting especially long chapters again (like from 25-35ish pages, with the exception of 107.5, the last two being some of the longest we've ever had), at first I just assumed that Asagiri/Harukawa got freed up from some other obligations they'd been having to cause the extremely short/half chapters, like promotional stuff for the anime/Beast movie, or working on light novels. But then 109 happened, with the "supposed" death of Dazai, and heavy emphasis at the end on how literally everyone is at their lowest point right now, and I got to thinking. 11 episodes is a strangely specific number for an anime season -- why not 12, or 13, or even 10, like you'd usually see? Why have we gotten suddenly gotten two 35 page chapters out of nowhere, that's almost unheard of at this point? They're both beautiful chapters, don't get me wrong (as always), and maybe A/H simply just didn't want to cut them in halves because they felt like the full emotional impact wouldn't hit/that there were no good cutoff points in them, but you can't deny that it's surprising, after all the shorter chapters we've been getting. Why has the anime been going at such insanely breakneck pacing for the most part ever since around the Sunday Tragedy chapters, even more so than it has in the past? So much so that it feels dangerously close to overtaking the manga?

Well, maybe, just maybe, it's because..... Asagiri decided a long time ago that whatever happens in 110 is the only point that feels "season finale"-worthy enough, in an arc that still isn't anywhere close to being completely wrapped up, and so both the manga and the anime have been specifically coordinated to reach that part within 2 and a half weeks of each other?

I've seen a lot of people now think season 5 will end with 109, and as much as my sadistic side would find that hilarious, I honestly don't think they'd do that and realistically don't want it to happen; it'd be so cruel to cliffhanger the anime for years like that, and just doesn't feel like a season cliffhanger BSD would do, a series that is ultimately hopeful and uplifting. Seasons 2 and 3 had a positive, conclusive ending; the only reasons seasons 1 and 4 didn't was because they're technically not really full seasons of their own, and are more like the first cour of another "season" that also came out that same year (seasons 1 and 2 both aired in 2016, so they're more like one big season, and seasons 4 and 5 have both aired this year, so they're also more like one big season, again taking into account how episodes 12 and 50 are not satisfying finales like episodes 24, 37, and hypothetically, 61, are). I really can't see season 5 ending with Dazai and Fukuzawa's supposed deaths, Sigma being unconscious and maybe close to death, Atsushi being vulnerable and limbless again, everyone we love still vampires, and the entire world being basically doomed; that's just too depressing and not like BSD at all. However, having said that, if it doesn't end there, there really isn't any good place to end the season before that, either, that feels in any way satisfying or like a finale at all. And so, to me, that only leaves after 109: chapter 110.

I think things are really gonna turn around next chapter. Like I said, everyone is at their lowest point right now, it cannot possibly get any worse, the framing of Dazai, Fukuzawa, and sskk at the end of 109 is telling us that; this is the time for the heroes to finally start winning again, with Aya being so close to pulling out the sword, and for all the thematic reasons other people have talked about to death that I don't need to go into here again. This upcoming chapter being so short again makes a part of me wary of 110 being "the one", so to speak, I won't lie, but at the same time, it's very possible that it needs to be that short because that's all the final episode of the season will be able to reasonably fit in, since it's already gonna be VERY close if they do make it all the way to 109. And at the end of the day, I don't doubt at all that Asagiri and Harukawa can make these the most monumental and game-changing mere 13 pages ever if they wanted to; a chapter does not at all need to be extremely long in order to be an important and impactful one, even if short ones we've gotten in the past haven't felt the most important.

An additional thought I've had, though this is much more crack territory than all this already is, is that since we know from Anime Expo that a Stormbringer movie at some point is highly likely (judging from Asagiri's reaction when someone brought it up), it's possible that chapter 110 and thus the final episode will involve the long-anticipated return of Verlaine and/or Adam, or at least some other major reference to Stormbringer, that would naturally and smoothly lead into a Stormbringer movie to explain things to people who haven't read the novel. It would make a lot of sense, especially since the s4 OP has the Old World sign behind Chuuya, which might be a hint that this has been in the works ever since seasons 4/5 were first in planning with Asagiri. We also know that Dazai and Chuuya's voice actors apparently struggled to record their lines together this season, which probably relates to 101 and possibly 109, but it could be 110 too.... I could be very wrong, as I'm no expert on this kind of thing, but I kinda doubt they would bring Chuuya's actor in for just the vampire growls, and Asagiri placing heavy emphasis on Chuuya's importance this season in that one interview gives me the impression that he's talking about much more than just 101/109. But that's the least solid evidence I have, that's just mostly based on vibes I get.

So basically, I think a lot of factors -- the unusual episode count, how close the anime is to catching up to the manga with three whole episodes left, the seemingly arbitrary recent chapter lengths, and the climactic events of 109 -- can tell us that 110 might be a very, VERY big deal. Again, there's of course no way this arc is anywhere near close to being finished, with so much left to address and resolve, but since it is currently incomplete in the manga, unlike the previously adapted arcs, if the anime was going to adapt it at all, they'd have to find a place that feels satisfying enough to end this season, knowing there won't be more anime for a long time after this, and so I think they specifically planned for that, from both Bones' and A/H's sides. 10 episodes might not have been enough to reach that point, but 12 or 13 might have been too many it wouldn't have been if Bones actually decided to slow down and let the story breathe the way it needs to, but this post isn't meant to criticize the anime, so maybe 11 was just right. And maybe Asagiri and Harukawa specifically pushed to make recent chapters longer than usual, in order to make sure that the manga reached the story content in 110 the monthly release right before season 5 was to end.

Is this just copium? Absolutely. Am I going to look like an absolute clown in two days when this post ages like milk? Probably. But the evidence is There, so let me just enjoy my delusions until Sunday, okay 🥂🫡

#bungou stray dogs #seriously call me a clown and point and laugh at me if I'm proven wrong all you want #but I really feel like there's solid evidence for this #either s5 isn't gonna reach 109 at all (but I seriously cannot fathom where you would want to stop before then) or they'll go beyond it #if they really do end it with 109....... well i'll give Bones kudos for having the balls to do that ig lol #maybe i'm underestimating (overestimating???) them idk #also just to clarify I don't wanna make it sound like I think Asagiri let the anime/Bones dictate the manga's pacing #like I'm sure these were his/their (him and Harukawa's) own decisions first and foremost #not that (if this theory is true) the anime had a major impact on how the chapters were split and that it- #-would have been extremely different otherwise #i'm pretty confident in that Asagiri does not do anything with BSD he isn't comfortable with #and he doesn't let anyone tell him how to write his story #I just feel like he worked with Bones to make this near-simultaneous release happen #BUT if this is the case I don't feel like it had any major effect on the writing/final product that is the manga #like the last handful of chapters have been so incredible #so I at least am still perfectly happy lol #(i mean i'm devastated and a nervous wreck but u know 🫡 in a good way lmao) #anyway 110 in two days please let this theory be true because I need some fucking hope already #please let Oda show up as Dazai's guardian angel to help (see what I did there-) #it would be the perfect way to end the collective season that is 4/5 with s4 beginning with Oda and now ending with Oda #Asagiri are you reading me are you picking up what I'm putting down please please a ghost Oda is long overdue please- #Oda Verlaine Adam just GIVE ME SOMEONE ALREADY 😭😭😭 #MAYBE EVEN A TASTE OF THE FYODOR BACKSTORY TO TIE INTO HIM BEING IN ANIME UNTOLD ORIGINS. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS