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jumpscaregoose · 1 year

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x laws propaganda time

alright this is the big one buckle in nerds

@ungodly-amounts-of-godly-trauma poll crash course in x laws and also lyserg diethel. all encompassing longpost, tangents included

this is probably going to be too monolithic to work as propaganda but I can do what I want

(read more for courtesy because. abomination)

we’ll begin with some light housekeeping!

Shaman King 101 real quick for those unaware: shamans are people who can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. every 500 years there’s a big tournament to decide who gets the biggest, bestest spirit, the Great Spirit. there are two versions of SK, 2001 (a heavily manga divergent anime adaptation considered to be better on both nostalgia and writing principles) and the 2021/manga version (written by this guy hiroyuki takei who’s really not the best at writing plots and tends to forget important details. this one’s his intent for better or worse and is more canon).

IMPORTANT TERMS (that I use here but forgot to explain first oops)

spirit ally: a shaman’s primary spirit they use for combat and various tasks

over soul: putting a spirit into a physical medium to allow them to interact with the living world

mana/furyoku: interchangable english and japanese terms for a shaman’s power level. can be measured numerically

shaman king: the person who has the great spirit as their spirit ally

the original shaman king manga was written by a man named hiroyuki takei. takei is. certainly a writer ever. he’s very good at writing fun characters and character dynamics. he character designs and art are very nice (when he’s not being stupid with them. there are some CHOICES). he is very bad at most other things. like remembering timelines and plot details. or research. I will be referring to him occasionally

my area of expertise is the manga version, so assume anything I mention is from that one unless otherwise stated (most general statements do apply to both). HOWEVER, there are some x laws related things that are SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT (more traumatic) in 2001, and I will bring those up as well.

the main antagonist is this guy hao, an onmyoji from 1000 years ago who reincarnated himself to become god (the shaman king). also btw an onmoyji is a type of spiritual leader person who practiced the traditional chinese wuxing (five element) concept, that’s important later. the main protagonist is his twin brother/split part of his soul yoh. they’re really interesting but not the point of this post so

enter lyserg diethel, blorbo no. 1 for this poll (I highly recoommend starting to type his name into your search engine and clicking on the first chemical looking thing that comes up in autocomplete. I could just tell you but it’s way funnier if you find this out how I did)

when we meet lyserg he’s 14 years old (I think. the SK timeline is very broken around this part of the story and dates can vary by a couple years) and he’s joined the shaman fight (big plot tournament) to get revenge on hao, who killed his parents and burned his house down when he was 6. also he’s british, uses dowsing with a pendulum, and his spirit ally is the fairy morphine (funny if you looked up the thing from before), who’s been his friend for his entire life (comes up in trauma later keep notes). he’s also frequently depicted with poppies in the manga (infuriating when combined with the name thing and morphine. why. why is he named that. why he not opioid. this makes me so irrationally upset). lyserg meets the protagonist gang (yoh, this gay emo kid, gay emo kid’s shonen rival boyfriend, and this other guy with a hilarious running gag of summoning this guy billy with magic hitchhiking powers all the time in 2001. it’s implied hitchhiking guy and billy make out once. this show is insane). lyserg’s goal at this point is to find strong allies to beat hao, so he tries to invoke the let’s-fight-to-become-friends trope and it does work but not until he gets decked in the face for being an idiot and pays for everyone’s hospital bills. which are a thing because btw everyone got dropped out of a plane into new mexico breaking bad style for a tournament test.

while journeying with the protagonist gang, they encounter one of hao’s minions, a man named boris tepes dracula. boris is able to use his spirit ally to possess people and temporarily turn them into his vampire minions. the concept of becoming a servant to hao is so horrific to lyserg that, in the 2001 version, he begs yoh to kill him if he ever becomes one. with 100% sincerity. spoiler alert he does at one point, does not get killed, and is confused. this is also when the main event of this poll shows up.

X LAWS BACKSTORY INTERLUDE!

back in the day there were these two dudes luchist and marco lasso. marco was an orphan who grew up at luchist’s family orphanage and they had a very close paternal relationship. so close that they founded an independent supercar dealership together. enter hao, here to find minions for the shaman fight in what was at this point probably about 10 years! arson and murder! the car dealership and orphanage get burnt down, and luchist and marco swear lifelong vengeance on a kid who couldn’t have been more than 5 years old and form the x laws. they gather more people who also think a small child is the ultimate evil, including… who’s that? our next competitor!

iron maiden jeanne, blorbo no. 2 for this poll!

jeanne was a young orphan girl on the streets of mont saint michel in france (my high school functions teacher claimed to have almost drowned in quicksand there writing his name during low tide), that marco and luchist picked to become their ultimate weapon and convinced her she was sent from god to defeat hao. key point here: iron maiden jeanne is genuinely just some random little girl, no divine connection beyond that of the average shaman of her power level. and about that power level. manga/2021 shaman king has this weird little detail, where if a shaman dies or is gravely injured, their numerical power level (I’m glad 2001 only brought in numbers to surprise us with hao’s strength later on, because aaaaaaa) will increase drastically. the x laws exploit this system by having jeanne swear and oath on an iron maiden (the fake medieval torture device, not the band) and stay inside it almost 24/7. real spikes, too. blood pours out of it during her introduction.

being so close to death for probably half her life has given her immense power, and her spirit ally is shamash, the god/spirit who… issued the first laws to the babylonians in mesopotamia? wasn’t the x laws supposed to be a catholic thing?

don’t. worry. about it. normal Takei things.

real quick on religious imagery: the x laws’ over souls are “angels” these robot things (think eva unit but #aesthetic #angelcore or whatever) that they activate by shooting guns. can range from small handguns to bazookas. the second ed of the 2021 anime is also this:

youtube

take it as you will (I love the 2021 eds so much btw, my favourite pieces of shaman king animation. ed 1 for the win)

jeanne’s over souls are all also medieval torture devices (of various levels of accuracy), for example guillotines, gibbets, and the statue of apega

(also, when I say “god” in this, unless I’m referring to hao, the great spirit, or winning the shaman fight, I just mean a powerful spirit ally. it’s weird and confuses even me)

and while we’re talking about jeanne, she’s clearly named after joan d'arc, the revolutionary who heard visions from the archangel micheal on mont saint michel. jeanne wholeheartedly believes she was sent by god to defeat hao, and in the x laws’ twisted views of justice

all those who stand in their way are irredeemable sinners who deserve their gruesome deaths. the x laws are justice incarnate. hao is the ultimate evil who must be defeated at all costs (hao is spotted doing such things as. hanging out with his adoptive little sister/daughter on top of big rocks. engaging in polite conversation with his brother at coffee shops and hot springs. eating a baguette at their match. taunting his brother’s fiancée over a book)

returning to the timeline, the x laws appear and immediately kill boris (turn him into actual dust and all). resident good boy yoh and the other protagonist guys are obviously icked out, because they’d just shonen battled boris, learned his tragic backstory, and taken him out as a threat. lyserg, however, is entranced by the x laws and their gun angel robots… gun angels… angels with…

no…

*I am pulled away from my computer and executed by the comedy police*

anyways, this is the start of a somewhat out of place shakespearean tragedy for our boy. is comparing hiroyuki goddamn takei to william shakespeare a stretch? yes. so much of a stretch. does it feel right in this case? also yes. this is the start of a beautiful, fascinating, deeply frustrating spiral (this character arc has made several people I know hate lyserg diethel at some point lol)

our guys make the final walk to their destination awkwardly walking behind the x laws, who are pissed they didn’t do a murder. eventually they separate and we randomly meet god in southwest colorado. god as in the great spirit in this case. some plot shit happens and lyserg ends up separated from the rest of the protagonist gang, and he wanders into the x laws. there’s this absolutely heartbreaking scene of lyserg, this young boy mourning his parents, crying into marco’s shoulder to ask him if, just maybe, the x laws can defeat hao. and because this is a cult he says yes.

the reveal of lyserg joining the x laws is another very nice and painful scene. it’s been heavily implied to have happened (see above) but had not yet been confirmed. it’s a really good scene but I think you can only really catch the ~Vibes~ by seeing it so

important context: the guy getting sliced was lyserg’s opponent in an officially sanctioned tournament match, where you absolutely do NOT have to kill people. this is after around 3 months of being with the x laws (in the dumb manga timeline. holy shit I hate the manga timeline. in 2001 it’s different, I think it’s even less time)

so, in roughly 3 months with this group, our boy went from “standard anime revenge plot” to “actual cult member. who will kill people”. like he was fucked up before but not in a godly way. also there’s more fucked up now.

real quick jeanne thing. in the manga, most of the x laws get killed by hao (either in a tournament or while shooting a giant space laser at him, setting off a criminally underutilized subplot). some more shit happens, and jeanne ends up discovering that she’s not sent from god, but just and ordinary girl. she is surprisingly unfazed by this. I blame takei

the 2001 and manga versions both have a mutually exclusive godly fucked up thing about them so we’ll be going over those after a quick word from our sponsor: child abuse! yeah lyserg gets slapped around a lot. for not being 100% murder cult 100% of the time. it’s fucked up in a godly way yeah.

in the 2001 version, the spiral is even worse, including lyserg abandoning morphine (best friend fairy who he had a whole filler episode getting back from some goons. that morphine). and he doesn’t really stop being culty and the worst until the very end. and he’s also a lot MORE culty and the worst. he straight up kidnaps someone to use them as bait in an elaborate plan to send hao’s soul to the shadowrealm called the Gate of Babylon, this thing that’ll send everyone in a small vicinities’ souls there. I’m gonna be honest I forgot the details and the wiki was really unhelpful but that’s the gist. he does eventually get less cultish in 2001 though.

in the manga lyserg goes to hell. this isn’t actually that weird for shaman king, I haven’t mentioned it yet but at this point in the manga death has kind of lost all meaning (this comes up with a jeanne thing later. do I need to touch on red crimson jeanne in here? not really. but I’m gonna. “world is mine” -hatsune miku). 4 other guys go to hell at the same time as him he isn’t special. BUT. the hells in shaman king are pretty clearly tied to past events of their beholder’s lives, or worries they might have. for example, a character who’s hometown was flooded when they were young goes to a flooded forest (for THREE PANELS. justice for the hororen hells). lyserg’s hell is london, what looks like some weird time dilated tudor/modern london crossover (or someone not knowing what london looks like). in weird london, lyserg is attacked by a demon he calls Mastema (who, according to my beloved wikipedia, is a fallen archangel and the personification of hatred) takei clearly did at least that much research for once, because Mastema follows lyserg wherever he goes and only attacks when he thinks of his parent’s deaths and his hatred for hao. at one point, he does this to try and defeat it…

…and immediately gets pummeled

now, I’m not entirely sure this was intentional, but like. becoming an “angel” to defeat something. and that doesn’t work. 2+2, people. he comes back from hell btw. death has no meaning and all

in 2021 there’s also this scene where yoh comes to visit lyserg (because he’s the goodest boy ever and is worried about his friend) and jeanne shows up to ask yoh to join the x laws. he refuses, and she immediately switches from hello friend join us to well. murder

and we should also probably talk about zeruel. zeruel, according to google and evangelion, means “arm of god”. zeruel is the angel lyserg recieves as part of the x laws (and who he ditches morphine for in 2001). zeruel itself isn’t really that relevant overall but I felt I had to bring it up. in the manga he uses zeruel (car form) and morphine to form his armoured over soul, mastema dolkeem (flames of enmity)

oh right

five warriors

is a thing

in the manga, they introduce this concept of the five warriors, each representing one element (annoyingly, not the actual wuxing elements but instead water, earth, fire, air, and lightning?). hao’s spirit ally throughout the series has been the spirit of fire (there are spirits for each element btw) so it’s poetic that lyserg gets the flames of enmity and fire, or something.

let’s talk about the impermance of death in shaman king real quick. for most of the second half of the manga, death has basically no meaning

oh shit I just realized I forgot to mention jeanne can resurrect the dead. she can do that btw

the death-has-no-meaning train gets started when jeanne brings this one emo guy who died for emo reasons back from the dead and it’s introduced as a concept. over the course of shaman king that emo guy dies. four times. the entire main cast has died at least once (we will get to that later). by the end there is no reason to leave someone dead at all, and doing so would be really fucking stupid. guess what happens to jeanne in red crimson (shaman king spinoff manga. also the best shaman king spinoff manga my beloved)? she dies. permanently

(this screenshot was apparently what broke the post? jeanne dying too powerful for tumblr?)

it’s an ok (?) ending to her character arc (and shows how fucked up she got from the whole child cult leader thing) but it irks me somehow (there’s also a scene in the manga after jeanne discovers she’s not sent from god where she refers to suicide as “there being no act more wicked”)

resurrect my girl

jeanne’s whole thing in red crimson annoys me to no end and if I went off about it here you wouldn’t believe that red crimson is Good Actually. so I won’t. but just know that the wasted potential is off the charts

and now, for what feels like a technicality to me: asakura hao kills everyone!

at the end of the manga, hao becomes god. he also proceeds to attempt his genocide of the human race and offs the entire main cast almost instantly. it is my favourite scene in shaman king ever and I love it dearly. what matters here is that both of our guys here got killed by god himself. that’s also godly trauma. the fact that THAT’S in a lil footnote shows how fucked up everything else is tbh

and uh that’s all I can think of for lyserg and jeanne religious trauma. if you’re curious just ask me somehow and I will be glad to infodump

but really you should just go shaman king (I recommend reading the manga first and then watching 2001. the reboot anime too if you really like the story but it’s just the manga but worse)

do it

there’s some bullshit and bad writing in there but it’s still pretty good (and stupid)

#shaman king #lyserg diethel #iron maiden jeanne #dear god can this post just work #tumblr I hate you sometimes

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loopy777 · 5 months

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Ah, so youre not a fan of shonen battle scenes? That explains a lot. Mind you, i strongly dissagree with the idea that Fight scenes are by their nature anti-story, but it is a very different method of telling a story than most other forms of media.

For most media, character development is something that happens before a fight, or after a loss, rarely during a fight itself. For example aang and Luke after losing a hand/ba sing sei, both had some deep soul searching, aang preparing to have to fight and Kill Ozai is the important part, with the actual fight itself being an entertaining romp, but from a story perspective the important parts are 1. Aang facing ozai, 2. The lightning redirect and aang making the choice not to/failing to kiill ozai with it depending on how you wanna view it, 3. Aang running away, 4. Aang unlocking the avatar state and rallying, culminating in the near execution, 5. Aang taking away ozai's bending.

I wont say you wont find any of the same elements here as you will in a good shonen fight scene, but it is a fundamentally different way of telling a story.

Shonen battle scenes rely on a lot of things, with the most obvious being action, but at the end of the day, what makes a good shonen fight scene is taking different characters, and have they face each other off, matching wit, capacity, characters, and seeing what brings out the best in the other. Strength isnt necesaarily all that important as their characters are, and what it says about them.

For example, full metal alchemist has a lot of good fights, but the one that really stands out in my mind as a great shonen fight, is Envy's last fight as it's a mixture between a mind game, big blows but also because it brings out the worst aspects of Roy as he decimates him, then gleefully putting him beneath his heel, showcasing that underneath it all, the warcriminal is still there, still lurking, just waitinf for the chance to come out. It's a fight rooted in everything that makes a shonen fight good.

My hero academia has a lot of mediocre or even bad shonen fights, but also has some absolutely great ones. Both of Izuku's fights against Bakugo are great examples of shonen fights in that while they are interesting to read, what makes them good, is the way both of them go through drastic character development in the first fight by forcing them to face their fears(Bakugo and defeat), and in the second make them actually have aomething like a conversation where they begin to understand the other's point of view.

Neither of these are important fights in the sense that they will shake the world... but they are important for the characters, and both are great examples of what makes a good shonen fight.

Shonen fights are great when they force character growth, force characters to their limits, force them out of their comfort zone because its do or die, and in a staple of the genre creates strong bonds over the course of a fight, wheter it be as hero/villain, rivals, or enemies turned friends. They are great because they are remarkably good for revealing who the people involved are deep down.

There is an absolutely great "fight" in the series Death Note, where the two main leads, the villain antagonist Light and the Hero Antagonist L are having a stupidly and out of nowhere high level tennis match, and its pretty much all about the protagonist Light having an internal monologue where he speculates, wonder, fears that he is giving something away, that his opponent has been able to gleam something about his nature from the way he plays... Only for him in the end decide no, thats stupid, there is no way he could have, this is just a tennis match. It's great, not because it was a particularily a good tennis match, but because it gave the reader/viewer a very good insight into how Light works. This is who he is, he overanalyzes everything, he worries about every minute detail, and that is why in a series all about one, big, back and forth psycological mind game between him and his opponent L, he is such a great protagonist. He's an asshole, but he is truly brilliant... Pretty much to insane levels, which puts him in great contrast to L, who is pretty much the same way, just with him giving a very different outer image, and not nearly as much internal fears. In other words, this "fight's" only reason for being there is to give us insight into Light's mind, and that it achieves very well.

You can make a good Shonen Fight with pretty much any setup... Provided the characters facing each other are strong enough characters to do so.

Now with all of this in mind... Early One Piece does not have particularily good shonen fight scenes. They have some great comedy bits in them... But they are not good fights.

Later One Piece does have great fights, but all the way up until Arlong Park(Or really starting with Zoro vs mihawk), One Piece Fights suffer from 2 problems.

1. Luffy is way too strong starting out, and not a single one of his fights really push him all the way to his limits the way later(And One Piece's best fights) will do, and because almost all the early fights are Luffy fights, that is a big problem.

2. None of the early villains are all that great. Buggy will over the course of One Piece become a much better character, but as an arc villain, he is not particularily compelling. At all. And before Arlong, he is the BEST of them by a long margin. And when he's the best, that is problem.

The thematic point of Luffy's early enemies, is contrasting them to him personally. Buggy is not a good captain, and has a completely different philosophy on what a good pirate is, but unfortunately the first arc doesnt actually give us an idea of WHY he is that way, and withouth that, his philosophy(and how it contrasts to luffy) is not all that compelling.

Kuro is a brilliant mind, but he was naive, and set out to sea to earn cash and gold... But withouth the conviction of living the rest of his life as a wanted man "dead or alive". Unfortunatly, the arc itself does not focus on how Luffy(unlike kuro) understands what it means to sail underneath the black flag, and how it means giving up being part of society as a whole. Luffy wants freedom, and if that means rejecting being a citizen of the world govenrment, with the protection and safety that offers, so be it. And withouth this contrast being explored, luffy really feels like he just sorta stumbled into a plot where thematically he has no business being.

Kreig is the absolute worst, for the simple reason of just weak he is as a fighter, and as a captain being the point. Luffy is an idiot but has a natural charisma that allows him to easily win loyalty. Kreig needs to shoot his men over a minor disagreement to keep them in line. Now this isnt necesaarily a bad idea... But it's not executed well, and it's telling that pretty much the only moment from Kreig's fight people remember is luffy punching him in the face through the metal spike cape. That is a great moment, but other than that Kreig is in every way overshadowed by Gin.

Its telling that the Live Action series literarily reduced Kreigs crew to a footnote to be slaughtered to introduce how badass Mihawk is... And NOBODY complained about it, because no one actually wanted to see luffy vs kreig.

Which brings me to luffy vs arlong, which frankly speaking is the FIRST great luffy had in the entire series, and the reason for that is simple. Arlong is a compelling villain, and for the first time, Luffy as a captain is actually given a strong, thematic counterpart.

Luffy and Arlong both love their crews. Both of them are capable of both great kindness and cruelty. Both of them understand what it means to be pirates sailing under the black flag, with Arlong keeping himself safe from the government through bribes in a way Kuro was too proud to do, which puts him in a thematic different light than luffy who is the embodiment of living free.

The fact that Arlong is physically stronger than Luffy is besides the point. The point here is that these two men, despite never having met each other at all, or known the other existence before earlier that day, are very good foils... And so when they come into conflict over the crew member of Nami, who's treatment by both sides drive the plot, you understand what the story is trying to say about them as leaders.

Luffy does not understand Nami's backstory, but he does care about Nami, and so is willing to face her great demon withouth a second thought.

Arlong loves his crew, and the way he considers them all his brothers is genuinely compelling... But the way he excludes nami from that brotherhood for no other reason than her race is appaling, and frankly a weakness as a leader. The way he does not care about Nami at all, and caused her more suffering than any others, yet demands her fealty makes him an astonisghly easy character to hate, in a very Xykon way.

Luffy is all about adventure on the seas. Arlong is a pirate lord who rules an area of the sea with an iron fist because he enjoys causing humans suffering.

Arlong and luffy's fight is the first time Luffy is really faced with an enemy who is capable of genuinenly going toe to toe with him, which is important... But if the two of them were not good foils, and their relationship with nami were not as strong/defining by contrasting them with each other, nobody would remember Arlong Park as the big turning point where One Piece really came into its own.

It is the point where luffy really came into his own as the protagonist, as the series actually began giving him great and thematix antagonists to face.

Now with all of that said, while I will say the live action handles action in a much less intrisically shonen manner, it is probably the only medium i would EVER reccomend One Piece to you.

One Piece does not actually have the best shonen fight scenes(Frankly speaking, even after it got good, i could recommend two dozen series with better overall fights than One Piece), but once it got going it did begin to produce good Shonen Fights... But they are at the end of the day, Shonen Fights, and if shonen fights arent your cup of tea at all, you will NOT enjoy One Piece even at its best. Maybe the live action series, but NOT the manga, and most certainly NOT the anime.

My main beef with shonen fights in general is that they could be wrapped up quicker and don't really need the characters screaming essays at each other about their character growth. I grew up on cartoons where the whole 'arc' was done in 24 minutes and the fight took at most 5 minutes of that, so a fight that lasts 4 episodes better either be depicting a massive war encompassing the entire cast or else I'm going to feel like it's moving slowly.

However, that's not my problem with the parts of One Piece that I read. I am fully onboard with the idea that fight scenes can be Story and the shonen genre in particular likes to externalize the character conflict into its fights. When done well, it can work like gangbusters. In fact, I think a perfectly functional short story could consist of nothing but a fight.

My problem with Early One Piece (and for the record, I only got up to the end of the recruitment of The Cook Guy), is that its fight scenes specifically are Anti-Story. Stories have a Beginning, a Middle, and an End. The elements in a story have some kind of meaning- thematically, plot-wise, or both. There is a progression, often dubbed "rising action" in the textbooks, that leads up to a climax.

The One Piece fights I read had none of this.

People just tossed attacks out, a Greek Chorus of Pirate Mooks would react, and it would repeat for 100 pages like a drive across Kansas. I recall one instance where an enemy pulled out an 'ultimate attack' that the Greek Chorus hyped up over multiple pages, Luffy survived or countered the attack to great shock but without doing anything other than he had been doing regularly, and then the villain pulled out another ultimate attack that was his 'true' ultimate attack which the Greek Chorus proceeded to hype up again, etc. Literally, the same events just kept repeating with different names and visuals, without any tension or character work, utterly lacking in any Story. I can't recall one thing about the villains I read about, aside from Buggy the Clown being a clown, or even how many villains I might have read about, because my memory of whatever was going on was wiped by how blandly torturous the rest of it was.

No, wait, I lie. Now that I think about it, in one early arc there were two dudes dressed like cats with claw attacks. They were minibosses, and had absolutely no impact or relevance to the story whatsoever. I expect they were cut for the Live Action version, unless they come back in a million chapters and become better characters, I don't even think it was explained why they're cats, but my assumption is that One Piece is just a world where people sometimes decide to identify as Cat Pirates. I think these guys are supposed to be hilarious, but I didn't find anything about them amusing, so that's why I say the humor doesn't work at all for me.

Note that this has nothing to do with the conflict between the heroes and the villains. I'm sure there was some meaning somewhere in there, but the actual punchy stuff was tedious and meaningless. That's why I call it "Anti-Story;" it made me forget the parts that were truly story.

Anyway, I do appreciate the analysis, and you've added to my interest in Death Note. And hey, maybe One Piece gets better! But I bounced off it hard enough that I'm content to let it be the most successful shonen manga/anime of all time over there.

#thekingofwinterblog #loopy doesn't read one piece

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marunalu · 2 years

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Mind if I vent to you about my annoyance about BakuDeku? I don’t hate the ship nor the character if was written right he could have been INTERESTING. But no every time he has ‘development’ he just goes back to being a jerk and I WANT to like him. I want him to be interesting but now I’m mad that they didn’t make Shoto the rival. Because have you seen his backstory? That would have been interesting and I see so many interviews where even Hori is confused so he might be forced by the editors to include Bakugou so much. Because editors have that kind of power it’s how we got Yugioh card game on motorcycles! It’s frustrating oh and don’t get me started on how I go into the Izuku tags and nearly HALF the content is Bakudeku! That’s what starting to get me to dislike so much BakuDeku. I feel like I’m going insane as it’s shoved in my face! He’s a jerk and yes he’s good looking but Izuku deserves better!

I agree completly with you and please you can always come to me if you want to rant over bakudeku! This ship is a no go for me, because shipping an abuser with his victim is plainly wrong! Its not even an enemy to lover ship and people who claim it is, really should research the term. IT ISNT! Just like you I really wanted to like bakugou at first. I was looking forward to his character development and redeeming himself! The problem is that his writing is so terrible inconsistent and dragged out for over 300 chapters and EVEN NOW his character is still almost the same like how he was at the start. The only thing that has become better is that he doesnt try to kill izuku anymore and screams die every 10 seconds! But Bakugous core character, in other words where the problems of his personalty come from is still the same! Arrogant to a default, still sees himself as someone better then others and his wish to become the nr 1 hero has still to do with the wish to "be the best" and not to safe and protect others out of selfless reasons! He still screams bloody and murder and has childish temper tantrums like a 4 year old! He still treats his classmates and espicially izuku like shit! Still insults them, still bullys them, still screams at them, still gives them insulting nicknames, still shows no respect for them! Bakugous "care" for izuku comes simply from his wish to beat ofa. Beating ofa means, he is better then all might. And thats his sole goal! To be stronger then the greatest hero ever was! He helps izuku train ofa out of completly selfish reasons - to see how far izuku has come to control it, his archivments with it, what kind of quirks the other past ofa users had and in general how strong izuku is growing! That information is important for him, so he can find a way to beat izuku one day! Bakugou himself told izuku that nothing will EVER change between them. That his goals are still the same! And bakugous goals are to beat ofa, to become the nr 1 hero and to become stronger then all might! Thats a simple fact bakugou stans and bkdk shippers like to ignore! The last straw for me was the so called "aPOloGy"! That was the biggest insult to human intelligence possible, because it wasnt an apology in the first place! It was self-justification and victim blaming izuku! And the most terrible thing about it is, that 90% of the mha fanbase did fall for it!

To speak about shoto, not only would he have been a greater rival character then bakugou (its pretty clear that it was horis plan at the start, but his editors forced him to shuff bakugou more into the plot, because of his growing fanbase), shoto is also a way better deutagonist and izuku even mentioned that shoto has the backstory of a shonen protagonist! Heck even iida makes a better rival. Rivally doesnt mean, two characters cant be friends, look at ichigo and uryu from bleach. THATS how you write a rivally between friends, not whatever hori is doing with bakugous and izukus relationship!

But you know what the funny thing is? That the reason why I hate bakugou and bkdk so much is actually the fault of his fans and the shippers! Not only cant you go to the bnha or mha tag without being SPAMED with it from all sides (thankfully I blogged all the tags and since then its easier then before), the bakugou fans and shippers are so freaking insane and aggressive to everyone that says EVEN ONE crytical word about bakugou that you could think we killed their dog or something like that! They simply cant accept that not everyone worships bakugou like they do! They simply can not process the possebility that people have different opinions, tastes and views about things! Bakugou is a fucking FICTIONAL character for gods sake!! WHY is it so important if some people dont like him?! He is a bunch of drawn lines, he will neither marry his fans, nor lick their pu$$ys or suck their d*cks! HE IS NOT REAL! And still his stans are ready to treat real people like the absolute worst (just like him I guess) over a stupid character on paper! Give them death treats, insult and bully them, tell them to off themself. Tell them they are to stupid to read or "yOu JUsT dOnT unDeRStaNd HIs CHaraChTEr, buhuhu!" Like bit** I understand his character perfectly well, I just simply dont like it!!!

And when it comes to bakugous looks, I just dont get the appeal honestly! In my eyes he is really ugly and thats most likely because 80% of his screentime he makes very ugly faces and grimaces! The few times he makes a normal face he looks okayish, but still nothing special. Look at izuku, shoto and iida, even kirishima and kaminari! THESE are pretty boys! Bakugou looks most of the time like the lovechild between a rapid chihuahua and a gremlin on steroids! And lets be real here, if bakugou would look like lets say mineta ALL of his fans would despise him! The only reason they are ready to forgive bakugous abuse of izuku is because he is hot in their eyes!

#bnha #anti bakugou #anti katsuki bakugou #bakugou critical #anti bakudeku #anti bkdk #bakugou stans and bkdk shippers dont interact #if you dare to write in the commentsscomments section #or sent me hatevmessages #you will be blocked on sight #if you go anon you just show what a bunch of cowards you all are

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mintbrownieangelfish · 3 years

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Can I talk about Black Clover for a second?

It is chalk-full of almost every shonen trope you can think of, and then some. Rivalry, underdog protagonist, “I’m going to become the best [insert occupation here]”, a somewhat-harem, magic/elves/curses, tournament arcs, band of underdog misfits... seriously, in the 140 episodes I have seen so far, there are a ridiculous number of tropes. The first 20 episodes were forced onto me by my family, which is the only reason I watched the show. I shouldn’t like Black Clover.

But I do. Because it’s great.

Even though it is one of the most tropey shows I have ever seen, it pulls every single one of them off to the point where I'm glad they were used.

I was expecting our protagonist, Asta, who is magic-less, to have a All-Might moment where he gets magic given to him for his determination or something. But guess what? He actually keeps being magic-less for the entirety of the show, and if he were to receive magic his much-more-interesting power of antimagic would be completely worthless. See, antimagic can nullify pretty much any spell thrown at him. His only power is cancellation. Logically, if he somehow got magic, either his sword would just suck it up and make him woozy or he just straight up wouldn’t be able to use it. Also, since he’s magic-less, he is a blind spot of all magic-sensing villains, and that is a major advantage he’d lose. His sword is ridiculously heavy to the point where only Asta’s 2000-pushups-a-day routine makes it usable. The show rewards him for his hard work without taking away his ‘disability’ (not having magic is unheard of in this world).

The rivalry between Asta and Yuno is fantastic, genuine, and actually a sign of respect. Yuno is a magically gifted kid who grew up with Asta. Him singling out Asta as his rival, instead of any of the other magically-gifted members of his squad, is a bro way of telling Asta that he is still Yuno’s biggest threat. That’s serious validation for Asta. Even though Asta doesn’t have any magic, even though almost no one else believes he become the wizard king, Yuno thinks he can. He admires Asta’s tenacity and knows that if anyone can become a wizard king without magic it would be him. That is good kush right there and if any of yall know any other shows with good rivalries (besides Haikyuu, I’ve already seen it) then please hit me up.

The Black Bulls (Asta’s Squad) is the best band of misfits I’ve seen in a long time. The interactions are rofl levels of hilarious and they are a major reason I love this show so much. All the characters are distinctive enough from the get-go that you can get their basic temperaments, but every single one gets development over time, and they form their own friendships/rivalries/backstories. The leader of the group, Yami, gives off the vibes of a tired uncle who’s been saddled with 10+ kids but still takes care of them because ‘there’s no one else and these idiots need it’. Gordon, a creepy-looking guy, talks so quietly (minor spoilers ahead) until like episode 90 that the other Black bulls can’t understand him. He just wants to make friends but as you can imagine that doesn’t go too well when no one can understand you, leading to some great comedy and satisfying eventual payoff. Again, all the characters have stuff like this. It is one of the uniquest bunches of characters I’ve ever seen.

I could go on for a LONG time, but this is getting big, so tldr: black clover is surprisingly good and if you want to sink your teeth into a long show that’s currently airing, this is a great one for well-written tropes and good characters.

#black clover

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lyrebirdswrites · 3 years

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hello finn!! 💖💞💗 i was wondering, in a non-spoilery way, who your fave jjk characters are and why?

hi mariam!! 💖💞💗

This is such a predictable basic answer but I really love the main characters. No surprise picks here lol. first year trio my beloved...

I’ll start with Yuuji because he’s the protagonist. The best boy. First in my heart. The reasons I love him can be neatly summarized in this lil amv which is basically a compilation of all his best and cutest expressions. Look me in the eyes after watching that and tell me he’s not the most lovable thing about this whole series. You can’t do it. He’s literally so lovable what the hell

Jokes aside, the thing that draws me to Yuuji is just how unshakably kind he is. It’s in the name, Yuuji means unwavering humanity. Like Panda said during the goodwill arc, he inspires everyone around him by being this one bright point in what is established in canon as a pretty miserable way of life. He has this sensitivity and selflessness and emotional intelligence about him that is pretty rare among male protagonists imo, and he’s always trying so hard to do the right thing and do right by others even when it comes to combat and death. When he gets hurt and endures suffering (eg when he failed to save Junpei), he still does his best to keep his heart open and stay true to his principles, I find that really admirable. Also the fact that his execution is set out as a real possibility at the start of the story makes everything about him more dear to me... characters who are living on borrowed time mess me up. Not to use a meme from 2014 but Yuuji is honestly a cinnamon roll too good to pure for the jujutsu world and I love him.

Megumi!! I know I said Yuuji was best boy, but Megumi is also best boy first in my heart. They’re both best boys. Best boys together. Best boyfriends, if you will

It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why I adore him to such a degree, especially in a non spoilery way. He seems kind of gruff and standoffish but he gets embarrassed super easily... he considers himself to be sensible and serious but he shares one braincell with the rest of the trio... he looks like a standard emo shonen rival but he turns out to be so supportive and such a genuine good friend. He’s got depth, he’s got layers. Like an onion. I do think he shines brightest when he’s acting as a foil to Yuuji. It’s so fascinating to me how they seek the same goals but they learn different lessons and take different roads to get there, and how even with their differing outlooks they still hold a deep respect for each other’s approaches. All the time I think about that one interview calling him the heroine of the story, I’m just gonna link it because I won’t be able to summarize it succinctly. Megumi steals the show for me every scene he’s in, particularly during the Origin of Obedience arc, and my affection for him knows no bounds.

And of course I must express my undying and eternal love for Nobara. I know this is breaking the rules again but Nobara is ALSO first in my heart... the undisputed best girl of the series. “I love myself when I’m all dressed up and pretty and I love myself when I’m strong, I’m Kugisaki Nobara” hello??? “You’re a bad match for me” HELLO??? She’s so iconic, and as much as I like softer feminine female characters with inner strength, I lose my mind whenever Nobara gets the chance to be snappy and aggressive and totally unhinged. I love it when shonens let their female characters be actual people.

But also underneath all that Nobara is still really caring and so ride or die for her friends, and it honestly melts my heart. Her little speech to Yuuji about how she only has so many seats free in her heart but that some people like him just bring their own chair and sit down... there’s a post saying this is maybe the sweetest way op has ever heard someone say ‘I care about you’ and I agree. It’s such a wonderful little moment that says so much about her character and her friendship with the boys. I love it when shonens let their main trio be actual friends. Anyway words cannot describe the depth of my love for best girl Nobara, Queen Of Shonen Jump (she shares the crown with Power from chainsaw man tee hee).

Gojou and Getou are definitely on my list of top faves too, but literally every single thing that really sells me on both their characters is a massive manga spoiler so I won’t elaborate there. Just know that I love them.

#girl help i'm too invested in these characters #how did i get here #lyrebirds answers #kikuism

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rainofashe · 4 years

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Da Vinci April 2014 Issue - 10,200-word Interview with Haruichi Furudate

--To wrap up the special feature on Haikyuu!!, we’ll be delivering the words from the very author himself, Haruichi Furudate! How did Haikyuu!!, a series overflowing with the brilliance of youth and sports, come about? What sort of passion did Furudate weave into this series? Conducted in the pockets of time amidst their busy schedule, this is Furudate’s second-ever documented interview -- delivered full-length, sans cuts!

Part 1 - The Miracle of Chapter 1: “Endings & Beginnings”

Early spring, 2012. I heard that a new story centred around volleyball had just started serialising in Weekly Shonen Jump. I was pleasantly surprised after reading the first chapter. The attacker, Hinata and the setter, Kageyama, first met each other in their third year of middle school as opponents during the Inter-Middle School Preliminaries, which cemented their fate as rivals. “If you are the “King” that rules the Court...!!! I’ll defeat you and become the one that stands on the court the longest!!!” “...The one that gets to stay on the court, is the victor...The stronger one. If you want to continue standing here, become stronger.” Despite exchanging such words, the both of them went on to enrol in Miyagi Prefecture’s Karasuno High School for high school and became teammates in the volleyball club. Hinata couldn’t help but exclaim, “Why are you here?!” When foe becomes friend -- in a way, it’s a very Jump-esque development, but it has never happened so early on in the story before! The portrayal of the match was so realistic, it makes you want to continue following these two boys and their story. It was a perfect first chapter to hook readers in. So to begin the interview, we’ve asked a question about the first chapter. Let’s hear directly from the author of Haikyuu!! about the behind-the-scenes of how this story was conceived!

--Q1: Before this serialisation started, what sort of “spirit to challenge” or “ambition” did you have?

Furudate: Volleyball was a theme that I really wanted to work with, so I was only filled with thoughts on writing this story till the end without it being cut short. Personally, volleyball has a special place in my heart, so I might have felt that way much more strongly, but no matter what kind of manga I would’ve started, the feelings I have at the beginning wouldn’t have changed. I would’ve still been scared of having to cut my story short (laughs). Even when I heard that Haikyuu!! would be serialised, rather than feeling the joy of grabbing the opportunity of serialisation, I thought, “So it’s finally the beginning of the ‘ending’...” I’m always surprised by how pessimistic I can be. This would be my first and last chance to be able to write a story about volleyball in Jump, so if I ever lose focus, that would be the end. This positive pressure and negative urgency that I feel hasn’t changed since the serialisation began. However, when I receive letters from readers about how they joined the volleyball club in school after reading Haikyuu!!, or when I go down to watch matches for research and see elementary and middle school students who know of Haikyuu!!, I can see that this manga has become a springboard for many people to start playing volleyball or to continue playing volleyball, and that makes me happy and lifts me out of my pessimistic state. I feel that the genre of the manga, or whether the sport is major or minor, has nothing to do with how successful (or interesting) the story can be.

--Q2: Why did you choose volleyball, out of all the numerous sports? What is the charm of volleyball as a competitive sport?

Furudate: I didn’t want to write a story about sports. I started this series because I wanted to write a story about volleyball. I was a member of the volleyball club when I was student, and especially during my high school days, I only went to school for the sole purpose of playing volleyball. I am still attached and unable to let go of that period of time in my life, so via the medium of manga, I wanted to play a volleyball that would “come to an end once I lose” just once more. Volleyball is a sport where you’re not allowed to hold or drop the ball, so to be honest, it’s a really tough sport. It’s really difficult to feel a sense of accomplishment or to feel that it’s fun. The foundations are especially difficult, and at the beginning, it’s difficult to even get the ball to go where you want it to. In fact, I myself didn’t like volleyball that much at the start. However, it is precisely because of that that got me thinking -- it’s the sense of ease that comes with the act of being able to control the ball freely that makes volleyball such an attractive sport. That’s why, even if it’s boring at the start, I want children to continue to play volleyball.

--Q3: Every single scene depicting a match is portrayed so realistically. For example, how “hands” are expressed. Or how the “sounds” are expressed. Do you often go down to do research?

Furudate: When I went to watch some high school matches for research, I was hit by the familiarity of the atmosphere and the sounds. It refreshed my memory and I thought, “Ah, so this was what it was like!” So I pay particular attention to the atmosphere and sounds while drawing. When I go down to research on tournaments, especially those such as the prefectural qualifiers, I don’t just pay attention to the matches themselves. I also take special note of the atmosphere before a match starts, and what the corridors and lobby are like. In the first match of the Inter-High preliminaries in the manga, there is a scene of complete silence just before the match starts. That scene was directly taken from the qualifiers for Iwate Prefecture, which I went to watch just before drawing it. As for the scenes depicting the actual matches and techniques, I can only say that I still have a long way to go for my drawing skills. I’m still unable to truly convey the beauty of the players’ forms and how cool volleyball is. I’ll work hard.

--Q4: By reading Haikyuu!!, I’ve come to learn that volleyball as a sport and Jump manga are highly compatible (some also say it’s because volleyball is a sport where you have to jump continuously...laughs). And I think that’s because of the sense of comradeship (friendship) in volleyball. Were there any instances where you felt this way?

Furudate: Volleyball is a sport where you can’t drop the ball, but if you connect it to the next player, it’s a game that can continue on forever. I think this characteristic is what makes volleyball a sport that allows for a dramatic showcase of abilities, but now that I think about it, all sports allow for a dramatic showcase of abilities (laughs). If you think about “friendship, hard work and victory”, almost every sport would fit these three terms. However, I do think that for volleyball in particular, the fact that it becomes unplayable without the existence of your teammates is something that stands out. If we talk about the most extreme scenario, it would probably be a single player scoring all 25 points by himself just by serving. But in reality, such a thing happening is close to zero. As long as not all the points are scored with service aces, you definitely have to “entrust” the ball to someone else. If the ball isn’t received, it would be impossible to set it and of course, it would be impossible to spike it. The game wouldn’t even be a game. So if bonds are forged by playing volleyball with someone, at the other end of the spectrum, one would also come to realise the pressure of not being able to do anything by yourself on the court. This is where people would start to butt heads, and I think this aspect of volleyball is what allows us to see the interesting developments and growth in characters. Other than the part about “friendship”, the “rotation” system in volleyball is another factor that can greatly change how interesting the manga can be, depending on how it’s drawn. During a match, every time someone gets to serve, the position of the players shift in a clockwise manner. That is the volleyball rotation. And because of this rotation, all the players except the libero have to be able to receive, block, spike, serve and sometimes even do a set-up. And of course, each player would have different strengths and weaknesses. There is the protagonist, Hinata, who is an exceptional attacker; Tsukishima, who while lacking in attack, is a great blocker; the captain Sawamura, a player balanced in both offense and defense but lacks decisiveness; the ace, Azumane, who has high attack power but a nervous mentality; and Tanaka, who although not the best in either attack or defense, has a rock-hard mentality that allows him to be decisive in stressful situations, and so on. With each player being so different, there would be rotations that would be stronger in defense or offense, and there would be a variety of ways as to how a match can progress, which makes it interesting. The players in the manga have more obvious differences in their personalities because they’re “characters”, which I think would be able to further highlight this interesting aspect of volleyball.

--Q5: Was the title decided smoothly?

Furudate: Because I didn’t really dwell on it, I ended up going with the most “straightforward” title.

--Q6: Round-eyed Hinata is short in stature, but is an attacker with exceptional jumping ability. The setter Kageyama Tobio who frowns and glares, has garnered the nickname, the King of the Court. Their appearances and personalities (as well as their names) are polar opposites. How did you come up with these two characters?

Furudate: I had the most trouble with finalising Hinata’s character within this series. On the other hand, Kageyama hasn’t changed much from when he was first conceptualised. In the first one-shot, Hinata was of an average build and had a timid personality (though he is still a scaredy-cat even now). As for his build, since Haikyuu!! is centred around the techniques (especially quicks), being “quicker” was more important than being “higher”. Hinata makes up for his lack of height with his jumping ability, but just that alone is not enough -- this was resolved when he realised that in the first chapter. They key to winning against bigger players lies in how much faster he is able to reach the “summit” as compared to them. There is a limit as to how much physical abilities can compensate for the difference in build. So what will he do? This is where the story really starts, so that’s why I decided to give Hinata this handicap that cannot be compensated for. As for his character, I just doodled a lot of his different expressions. And while reworking the storyline, he slowly started to take form. There are two one-shot versions of Haikyuu!!, and even though I drew him myself, I don’t really like the Hinata in the second one-shot version of Haikyuu!! (laughs). I was overly conscious of making him Shonen manga-like, so he ended up becoming a bit “false”. I couldn’t grasp his character even at the very end. I couldn’t draw the storyboard as I had wanted to and the deadline slowly approached while I was worrying over it. Even now, just thinking of the three days before that deadline brings back nightmares. After that, I continued to panic because I still didn’t know what sort of character the protagonist, Hinata, was. But after reworking the storyline countless times, I felt that he started to become more human-like. And because I’ve worked so hard to come up with him, Hinata is my favourite character. Although Kageyama hasn’t changed much since the initial stages, I think personality-wise he’s become a quite a bit softer? Kageyama is a character that takes on all of the angst that I, the author, had when I was in high school, so in the beginning that was especially prominent. In the serialisation, after the match against Aoba Johsai, the character Shimada Mart had a line that goes, “Strength is needed to truly enjoy a match”. However, this was originally Kageyama’s line in the second one-shot version. I made Kageyama take on my own shortcomings. In the initial stages of the story, Kageyama’s mentality of “I should just do everything on my own” was actually the same mentality I had for a period of time when I was in high school. Although unlike Kageyama, I’m far from being a prodigy (laughs).

--Q7: What grasped my heart in chapter 1 was Hinata’s very first line, “The smell of Air Salonpas...!!” (laughs) It is a line that is reprised during the scene of the Inter-High Preliminaries. How did you come up with this line, and what were your thoughts and intentions in doing so?

Furudate: For both middle school and high school tournaments, the preliminaries are usually held in the gymnasium of a school, but sometimes they’ll be held at a bigger venue like the city gymnasium. When I was in high school, when we got to play in newer, bigger and cleaner venues like the city gymnasium, we would all get excited. And that gymnasium would always smell like Air Salonpas. So in my head, “a match -> the smell of Air Salonpas -> get even more excited” is the sort of correlation chart I have, so this line came really naturally to me. Even now, when I smell Air Salonpas, it sends chills down my spine. It’s a smell I really like. The newest version of Air Salonpas has a milder smell, so I’m a little disappointed.

--Q8: The manga-esque roundness (cuteness) of the characters and the increased head to height ratio to depict the coolness of the characters -- these two distortion techniques synergise very well and makes your art stand out. How do you differentiate when to depict realness and when to use such distortion? Is there anything in particular you pay attention to while drawing?

Furudate: For scenes depicting the matches, my art tends more to “realness” in order to express the “weight” of the players’ bodies. To be honest, I don’t really take note of when I’m drawing “realness” or “distortion”, but I try to express actions and expressions with more exaggeration. Even in the match scenes, in order to express momentum, I would insert a lot of parses into the character’s body. Although it looks like I’m half-assing the characters’ caricatures in the comedic scenes, I actually am pretty much half-assing them. (t/n: i kid you not furudate actually says this) However, the half-assed expressions turn out the best when I draw them on the storyboard, but since I can’t paste them directly onto my manuscript, I’m a little disappointed. In my previous work as well as the initial stages of the serialisation of Haikyuu!!, I used a lot of elaborate angles and paneling so as to not bore the reader. But recently, I’ve been doing a lot of trial and error to see what is the most “readable”. My friends in other professions and my neighbours, just people of the general population, have told me many times that my art is difficult to follow and find my manga difficult to read, so I’m always looking to improve. Once, when I was on a Shinkansen, the person sitting next to me was holding on to the latest issue of Jump that went on sale that day. When I took a nervous peep at them, I saw them just completely skip over Haikyuu!! and it gave me such a huge shock (laughs). (t/n: oh no furudate ;-;) Once again, it really sunk in that nothing would start if I can’t even get readers to read my story. And in order to accomplish that, I needed to make my manga more readable. In recent months, in both the comedic scenes as well as the usual scenes, I’ve been making my lines thicker to simplify my art overall. I even have a paper stuck in front of my desk that reads “distortion” (laughs). While drawing, I pay particular attention to SFX. Although I always think about how powerful manga would be if it could incorporate sound in addition to art and words, but alas such a thing is unfortunately impossible, so I constantly try my best to express sound, momentum, atmosphere and depth via SFX. It’s something I’m trying to balance with “readability”, so it’s still in a stage of trial and error. However, the one thing that I’m always not satisfied with is the sound when a ball is hit. With SFX, the resulting sound is always subpar -- the ball sounds “rubbery” and not realistic. Nevertheless, I’m trying my best while having high hopes for the anime adaptation.

--Q9: The first chapter of the serialisation of Haikyuu!!, is one of the most interesting and intense ones in manga history. What sort of thoughts went into creating and drawing this first chapter? And what were the reactions from your readers like?

Furudate: Both my editor and I were confident in the first chapter. When the plot was finalised, I thought, “This is it!!” But in the very crucial readers’ survey, I think the first chapter had a pretty average ranking (laughs). I conceptualised the first chapter for serialisation after drawing the second one-shot version of Haikyuu!!. I started by reflecting on the one-shot version. The core idea of “Why does Hinata want to play volleyball so badly?” was completely left out in the one-shot version, so it became a reason that was difficult for readers to empathise with. So in the first chapter, I wanted to delve into what sort of character the protagonist, Hinata, was. The story is as simple as it gets, and the key lies in how Hinata would make this story progress, and that’s what I focused on. Other than that, personally, I tried analysing how to make the series survive in Jump, and I think the most important key, or should I say the first stage, would be the fourth chapter.

--Q10: When you were conceptualizing the first chapter, how much of the story had you already thought of at that point in time?

Furudate: Until around the eighth chapter. In fact, at first, I didn’t even have the first chapter we have now -- the first chapter I had was basically a summary of the events in chapters 2-8. I shouldn’t have done all 8 of those chapters (laughs). Other than that, I only had very brief memos about certain events that would happen in the story.

--Q11: If you don’t mind, please tell us more about yourself. Where is your hometown and what was your family like? What was your childhood like?

Furudate: I was born in Iwate Prefecture and lived there until high school. I lived in the boonies and was surrounded by mountains. I would make traps out of cans to fish in the river and ride my bicycle to the mountains to search for crystals (laughs). Other than studying, I think I did everything else with passion. (t/n: relatable) After graduating from high school, I went to a vocational school in Sendai and got a job. I lived in Sendai for about 8-9 years. Miyagi is my second hometown.

--Q12: Have you always been an avid reader of Jump? Was there any manga which you drew inspiration from?

Furudate: I’m sorry. The first time I bought Jump was when I decided to send in a submission in my mid-twenties. I didn’t buy any manga magazines regularly. I first watched the One Piece anime when I was in high school. I was so moved that I went to buy the manga. I definitely drew a lot of inspiration from One Piece. During my days as a student when I just wanted to rebel and act cool, I remember thinking, “So it’s okay to say things so straightforwardly,” “It’s so cool to say things so straightforwardly!” Also, I was really impacted by the feeling of cutting out “a still moment from something happening at great speed” in Matsumoto Taiyo’s works, so I really admire him. Recently, I’ve also been crying while reading Space Brothers sometimes (laughs). (To be honest, I’m not really a reader of manga, so I don’t really have much to talk about, I’m sorry...)

--Q13: When was the first time you drew manga? Did you let your friends and family read the manga you drew? When did you start to aspire to become a mangaka?

Furudate: The first time I drew a proper piece of manga on manuscript paper was in high school. I’ve never shown my friends or family the manga I drew. After retiring from club activities, I started drawing a lot more. I don't know when I started wanting to become a mangaka, it just happened somehow before I realised. To be honest, I don’t remember much.

--Q14: Please tell us more about the events leading up to your debut as a mangaka. What did it feel like to have your dream come true?

Furudate: My first published one-shot was a storyboard I had submitted to my very first competition which, with a stroke of luck, had won. At that time, I was like, “What?! Really?! Are you sure?! It’s really okay?!” Of course, I was overjoyed, but since my first submission was done when I was 25 years old, it felt as if that I’d barely scraped by and managed to make it to the start line. Also, since I was a regular office drone back then, I was always worried whether I could make the deadline.

Part 2 - The Highest Point that Haikyuu!! is aiming towards

--Q15: This time, working on the Haikyuu!! special feature had motivated me to watch my very first Spring High Volleyball Tournament. Your art was everywhere at the station and at the venue! (I’m sure you were very happy when you received these requests!) I could feel the passion everyone had towards the impending match before them. And that got me thinking -- is “High School Volleyball” something that holds a special brilliance? What is so attractive about about Boys’ Volleyball?

Furudate: When I heard about the collaboration with Spring High Volleyball, I was really excited. I was really moved when a boy of elementary/middle school age pointed at the panel display of Haikyuu!! at the venue and exclaimed, “Ah! It’s Haikyuu!!” (laughs) As to why I feel “High School” is special, it’s because the full-stop to “club activities” happens then. I think this applies to everything, not just sports, and also because for many people, high school marks the end of whatever they were doing as “club activities”. And as for what “Spring High” means to High School volleyball, if the third-years choose to stay on, it would be the last major tournament of their high school career. And for some, this might end up being the very last tournament in their lives. As for what makes Boys’ Volleyball so attractive, I have to say that it’s the power and speed when two top teams face off. The difference between Girls’ and Boys’ volleyball in high school is that by the time they reach high school age, Girls’ volleyball would have already reached a stage close to “perfection”, but on the other hand, Boys’ volleyball would have only just started “developing”. The factors that should have been shaved away in the process of leveling up and polishing themselves are still present in high school, so I think each team’s “personality” is much more prominent in Boys’ High School volleyball. For example, in Haikyuu!!, the technique that Hinata frequently uses (a broad attack) is one that you’d see in high school matches, but in higher level matches (for boys), it is hardly used. And I think being able to see the incompleteness and unstable stage of the players before they reach a level of perfection is one of the reasons that make Boys’ Volleyball so attractive.

--Q16: Thank you very much for answering our survey the other day! And...we’d love to go into detail about the “Issue with the fourth chapter” (laughs). The key idea in chapter 4 is, if “the strongest enemy” has joined the team, he becomes “the strongest ally”. And with such reverse thinking, the connection between Hinata and Kageyama did a 180. What’s important is the character that said this line -- it is Sugawara-senpai, who became a substitute player when the prodigy, Kageyama, joined the team. One of the charms (discoveries) of Haikyuu!! is done through Sugawara -- to express the feelings of a substitute player, the sadness and pride he had. What sort of feelings do you have towards Sugawara-senpai as a character?

Furudate: In short, Sugawara’s birth(?) came about when I was thinking, “If a first-year that just joined suddenly becomes the regular setter, then who was it before that? So let’s come up with a senpai setter!” I think the setter is a position that, compared to being a spiker, requires less aptitude. It wasn’t my intention to create drama here. It’s just that right now, Sugawara is the character whom I want the most to stand at the national stage. But I haven’t thought of whether he actually would actually do so, so I don’t know... (t/n: but now we know) Anyway, I don’t want to make Sugawara into a “sentimental” character (laughs). Although Sugawara may be seen as the “representative of common people”, I think he’s actually a pretty “straightforward” and “determined” guy. At least concerning the topic of talent, when someone with overwhelming talent such as Kageyama joined the team, he’s someone who’s able to think, “So what can I offer up to the table then?” However, I’m cautious as to not portray him as someone who is “unrealistically positive”. Though I do think that there are people who might sometimes think that all of the characters are too overly positive which makes it boring (laughs).

--Q17: I had an enjoyable time reading about how the Hinata & Kageyama combo of Haikyuu!! was conceptualised. How did you come up with the rest of the teammates? There are many characters in this series, and how did you come up with the rival characters?

Furudate: I incorporated a lot of characteristics that I picked out from my teammates in high school, my friends and the people I’ve interacted with so far. The play-style of the members of the main team, Karasuno, was conceptualised around the same time as when their characters were designed. As for the rival teams, I usually first came up with the play-style of the team. For example, Nekoma that is strong in defense, and Datekou that is strong in blocking, and such. Then, I would come up with the characters that personify the team and work from there. For the teams with an animal motif, I designed the characters’ appearances such that they also incorporate some sort of characteristic of their animal motif (for some).

--Q18: “There are things people have and don’t have the aptitude for.” “There is a role that only I am able to carry out.” Such lines come up repeatedly throughout Haikyuu!!. I think that the messages and beliefs conveyed via volleyball are ones that resonate with the realities of everyday life and the working world. What is the significance of having adult readers read a manga about high school volleyball? Please do tell us if you have any thoughts.

Furudate: I received many letters about how readers who were troubled over interpersonal relationships at work had re-thought the concept of “comrades” after reading Haikyuu!!. I think the interpersonal relationships that come with playing team sports are very similar to those in the working world. A teammate is different from a “friend”, but there are times that this connection can become something greater than friends, and a bond may form. That is the same for the working world as well. Even if you can’t do everything and anything by yourself, there is definitely something that you yourself would be able to accomplish. But at the same time, there will be someone around you who has an ability you do not possess. I’d be really happy if Haikyuu!! could become something that reminds people of this fact.

--Q19: How do you plan to draw the adult characters -- the advisors, coaches, and those who played volleyball?

Furudate: I hope to be able to draw them as characters who grow alongside the players. After reaching the age where I can call myself an adult, I realised that adults aren’t very “adult-like”, so I don’t want the adults in the story to take on too much of a philosophical point of view on things too. Although there is an old coach in the rival team that seems to be able to see through everything, the main adults that appear in the story are still young, so it is more natural to depict instances when they make the wrong judgement, or aren’t confident in their decisions. In fact, the author of this story themself hasn’t thought of the story and developments of the match next week, so along with the coach and advisor Ukai and Takeda-sensei, we will mull over it together. It might be interesting if you could feel this very real sense of urgency (laughs). (t/n: furudate is us @ procrastinators)

--Q20: How do you come up with the developments and outcome of a match? (Your comments in vol. 6 were great! I definitely want to hear more about being in an indescribable state of mind)

Furudate: Before a match starts, I would have sort of decided how things would pan out, but while drawing, I would feel that something is “off” and change it as and when. So in other words, the outcome is not decided (laughs). A match is something that’s only possible if there is an opponent, so as the author, I draw the rival team with the same attitude as how I’d draw the main team, so my feelings would always change sides. And since it’s pretty rare to face off with the same opponent twice, I’d always think, “When would be the next time I’d see you guys again?” when I look at the opposing team, which leaves me in an indescribable state of mind.

--Q21: “To win” is to “grasp the chance to fight the next battle”. I was deeply touched by this logic. And at the end of this thought, there lies the desire to become number one. However, more than anything, it conveys the pure joy of being able to just play match after match of volleyball...How and when did you come up with such an idea?

Furudate: In the series, “loving volleyball and wanting to play many matches” and “wanting to become number one” are two inseparable ideas. So, the thought of being “number one” is of course, the very first feeling each of the players would have. And in order to become number one, it would mean that you would get to play the most number of matches, and at the same time, it would open up the path to the next stage. When the players love volleyball, and feel that matches are “fun”, what should they do next in order to play more and more matches? That would be “to continue winning and to become number one”. Although I believe that you don’t need a reason to justify your desire to win, if I had to raise one, I think it will be because “I can continue fighting the next battle”. And now, that has become one of the expressions in the series.

--Q22: I’m really touched by how much effort you put in to make your series “readable”. Looking back at the earlier parts of the series, the panels depicting play scenes have been inserted very well. The synchronisation between the movement of the characters and the trajectory and speed of the ball is just remarkable. Although you said that “you still have a long way to go for your drawing skills”, please do tell us the points you take special note of, what you put effort into, and any points you’re proud of while drawing the different volleyball techniques.

Furudate: I pay extra attention in depicting what the other characters who are not touching the ball are doing. Also, since volleyball is sport played with a net between the two teams, the angles at which I can draw a spike is limited (since the relative positions of the spiker, net and opponent blockers are almost always the same), so I try my best not to make it look repetitive.

--Q23: From the reactions of your readers, have you ever thought, “I see, so this is the type of manga I’m drawing”? Do you see the “cheers” from your readers as a source of support?

Furudate: I’ve received a huge illustration made up of 9 postcards from a pair of brothers, where the younger brother is a volleyball player. Soon after he was made a regular player, he broke his leg in an accident. While he was depressed, he started reading Haikyuu!! and cheered up. After undergoing rehabilitation and being able to walk again, he said that he’s working hard to become a setter like Kenma (setter from rival team). I’ve arranged those 9 postcards in front of my desk and they always bring me motivation. Whenever there’s something that makes me sad, or when I lose confidence in my manga, I would be reminded that the “cheers” of support I’ve received are undoubtedly sincere and would pick myself up again

--Q24: Now, they’re boys engrossed in sports, but will there be a day when we’ll see some romance bloom with girls? (I’m super curious about the cute manager! Of course, the captain of the girls’ volleyball team, Michimiya, is really cute too!) How is it? (laughs)

Furudate: Right now there’s a teeny tiny little scene, but I don’t know about the upcoming chapters. Everything is undecided (laughs). I definitely want to do an episode centred around the manager sometime soon.

--Q25: For example, in page 105 of vol. 6, there was close-up volleyball scene drawn at an angle that is impossible for any cameras to capture. How do you end up being able to draw such panels?

Furudate: I just keep thinking and thinking. What is the best angle to draw this scene so that it’s both cool and easy to understand? In my head, I’d keep changing the angles until I find the best one. Especially when I’m drawing big page spreads, even if I’m able to draw something that is satisfactory, as long as time permits, I’d keep switching the angles in my head until I find the best one.

--Q26: The outcome of the match against Aoba Johsai was revealed in vol. 8. In the last set, both teams were continuously at match point. When I went to watch the Spring High Tournaments, the last set would always be a very close match. It was intriguing. Have you ever wondered why is this so?

Furudate: Yes!! I think about it all the time!! Though I don’t know the answer!! (laughs) Of course, the side that is desperately trying to even out the score would give their 120%, and the side with victory almost in their grasp would, precisely because it’s just right in front of them, just by a little, start feeling rushed. Maybe it’s because of this? Since in the end we’re only human. When a match reaches deuce, it’s a battle of 120% vs 120%, so it’s difficult for it to reach an outcome. I’m sorry for giving such an ordinary answer (laughs).

--Q27: The TV anime adaptation will start airing in April. I think there will definitely be a lot of readers who will get into the manga after watching the anime. As the author of the original work, what are your thoughts and expectations for the anime adaptation? Please leave us an impactful message!

Furudate: Since I was also someone who started buying manga after watching the anime, I’m very happy to receive an anime adaptation. Even if you don’t buy manga regularly, the anime is a media that is accessible to anyone who has a TV, so I’d be really happy if that could become a springboard for people to learn more about volleyball as a competitive sport. I have really high hopes for the anime and look forward to seeing the characters move in colour, but what I’m looking forward to the most is the “sound”. The sound of volleyball shoes and the sound of the ball, all these sounds that I’m unable to express in the manga will be expressed in the anime, and since they said they would actually record these sounds, I’m really excited! The art in the manga has a more peculiar touch as compared to that in the anime, so I hope that everyone can get used to it! (laughs)

--Q28: Furudate-sensei, please tell us the “Highest Point” you’re aiming for with Haikyuu!!!

Furudate: In the future, I hope the players that would go on to play at the international stage would say that they started playing volleyball after reading Haikyuu!! as a kid! I hope! A one in a million chance! That someone would say that! That is my one true wish.

--Q29: Lastly, to all your fans and readers, please say a word about the future developments of the story! Please also leave a word for the new readers! Thank you so much!

Furudate: I’m hoping to make Haikyuu!! a series that can convey how cool and fun volleyball can be to those who don’t know and those who already know of volleyball. That is my number one goal for this series! Thank you very much!

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I wanted the publication of this to coincide with the publication of the last chapter so a mild warning that it’s not proofread! Will try to fix any errors in the following days, do give me a heads up if you spot one! sorry that this is a translation of old content (yes, it is 6 years old), I wanted to do something for the closing of hq! pls check out my pal @pala_bora on twitter for threads on interviews with Japan’s volleyball players regarding hq in the latest issue of monthly volleyball!!

Sekita Masahiro, Yamauchi Akihiro, Yanagida Masahiro

also hpbd oikawa!!!

(translator’s note down below)

the japanese version said 10.2k characters and I put my translation into word and it says it’s 6.4k-ish english words wow I haven’t done such a large-scale fan-translation in a very long while!! I mentioned in my prev translation of a hq interview excerpt (which was like 6 years ago) that I wanted to do this translation but back then this was way too daunting for me (the number of pages I tell you) but I really wanted to do something since hq serialisation is coming to an end and this series means a lot to me personally. and since i’ve grown in skill (hopefully) over the past 6 years, this special feature was not as daunting as it first seemed and I managed to finish it in one sitting (albeit not proofread) as a means to procrastinating my actual work! so here it is, the long-overdue translation from a special feature in a magazine issue that’s 6 years old!! but srsly though i hope you guys enjoy reading it. I definitely did enjoy translation it since so much of the interview content deals with the beginnings of hq and it really brought back memories and seeing how things are coming full circle i am very emotional. I also actually have an exam in 2 days but am i a procrastinator that hates studying like furudate is? yes. so will I regret this decision? maybe. but does it change my decision? nope.

I am writing this 4 hours before the last chapter drops in Japan and i just want to pen down my thoughts re: hq before i lose my train of thought and get emotional when the chapter actually drops. I was a teenie tween when I first started reading hq, which coincides with about just a few months after hq started serialisation and have been following the manga and eventually the anime as the series started to grow from a humble manga to the incredible franchise it is now. and as you know, tweens grow into grumpy teenagers and teenagers into jaded adults, which of course was what happened to me and I’ve never been so glad that I had hq all the way with me throughout my adolescence and it really felt like I was growing up together with all of the characters. it was also during my teenage years that I picked up a foreign language, Japanese (as if it was not already obvious), and hq definitely played a huge part helping me maintain motivation in my studies and sometimes even now I really think that I acquired a foreign language to an almost native proficiency just so I can read manga raws and cry in said foreign language. nevertheless, hq was definitely something that helped bridge friendships and connections i have with people, who are still very important to me and are the closest people to me to this day. hq definitely came to me at a very turbulent stage in my life filled with teenage angst and pre-adulthood and adulthood woes, but the characters and the lines they deliver, the beliefs they convey are so pure and sincere and they have motivated me tremendously throughout the years. just recently, I was looking back at some quotes from the series (credits to monthly volleyball, in the link above!) and looking back at these quotes really reminded me of the times when i was struggling and when these quotes really pushed me forward. the hq fandom is also one i’ve been very fortunate to be in, and i’ve seen so many good fan-made literary, musical and artistic works produced because of such a great series. although hq is coming to an end, I strangely don’t feel sad, but I do feel a sense of emptiness and a little bittersweet. No doubt that the ending will be one we will all be satisfied with, but a series that has been a huge part of my life for so many years coming to an end really does feel like I am closing a chapter of my life along with it. no doubt that that feeling will be all the more stronger for furudate. am i ready to take on a new chapter in life? maybe not. but hq will always have a special place in my heart, and i know that when i’m feeling depressed and unmotivated, I can always look back at it and the memories that come along with it. thank you so much furudate, for letting us meet characters that are so raw, human and comical, yet straightforward and unyielding. thank you for teaching so many of us the wonders of volleyball, and for becoming a light in many of our dim lives. cheers to Haikyuu!! and thank you!!!

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu #hq #furudate haruichi #manga #anime #volleyball #ch402 #english translation #thank you furudate #thank you haikyuu

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beneaththetangles · 3 years

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Reader’s Corner: Mint Chocolate, One Piece, and The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya

In Another World With My Smartphone, Vol. 1 (Manga)

If you’re not familiar with this series either in its light novel or anime form, it pretty much is the epitome of the wish-fulfillment isekai with an overpowered MC and a harem of girls. Pretty much everything that can be said of the first light novel volume/first few anime episodes, good or bad, applies to the manga. The protagonist is fairly bland, his overpoweredness is rather ridiculous and pretty much removes all drama, and the titular smartphone isn’t even used that much here, with Touya solving more problems with his ability to use every kind of magic. Still, given that the story doesn’t even try to pretend like it wants to be anything serious, there is still some fun to be had with silly moments and the general feel of enjoying life in another world. As for the manga adaptation, overall it is plenty good with simple but cute art that makes good use of facial expressions, and in my opinion looks better than the anime. Although for some reason, they spelled Linze’s name as “Rinze”, in yet another case of L and R being too similar in Japanese… ~ stardf29

The In Another World With My Smartphone manga is published by Yen Press.*

The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya (Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 7)

Time travel is complicated. Part of what draws fans to the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise is the intelligence and sense with which the franchise approaches time travel, among other science fiction elements, and in volume seven of the light novel series, it’s that device that takes center stage. The longest volume to this point, The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya launches its central story in an unusual way, with Mikuru arriving in the Literary Club’s broom closet saying that she was sent from a mere eight days in the future forcefully by the one receiving her, a very confused Kyon. What ensues is one fixed story, a la Disappearance, in which the SOS Brigade and a number of side characters continue to lovingly receive the author’s expert hand in developing their growth as characters, not only personally but in revealing more of their purposes in being where they are and doing what they do. The stakes continue to be pushed higher, with some unexpected excitement and special appearances, along with the author’s crafty weaving of intricate and riddly plot points together. Another successful volume, as the time gets nearer to the physical release date of the long-awaited new novel. ~ twwk

The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya is published by Yen Press.*

Mint Chocolate, Vol. 2

First of all, that cliffhanger in the last volume turned out to be a whole lot of nothing, so thanks for that. Putting that aside, this volume confirms that Kyouhei does indeed carry emotional scars from his mom’s divorce—not just from her infidelity, but also from how she had never particularly been a good wife or mother. This naturally puts some extra stress on the romance that is developing between the stepsiblings. The volume is otherwise mainly a lot of fairly typical shoujo romcom stuff, though overall, I’m still enjoying this series. Even beyond the whole intrigue of the “understandable stepsibling incest” concept, this is a story about overcoming the fear of romance that comes from a broken family, and that I can definitely appreciate. ~ stardf29

Mint Chocolate is published by Yen Press.*

One Piece, Vol. 49

I am getting close to the half-way point in my readthrough of One Piece! I recently finished volume 49, which finishes up the “Thriller Bark” arc and introduces to Brook, the skeleton musician. Thieve chapters have BIG Tim Burton vibes, and I found myself having a Danny Elfman-inspired soundtrack playing in my head as I read through it—zombies, the dead rising, stitched-together monsters, human spirits being separated from their body, and the villainous Moria at the center of it all. In addition to atmosphere, the volume provides action and some beautiful moments as the found family that are the Straw Hats unite for some amazing passages, one of the most interesting of which is when hundreds of shadows are imbued into Luffy giving him the power of 100 people and all of their battle skills. This turns him into the huge, blue Luffy monster seen on the cover. The new characters, development of old ones, and a stronger feeling of camraderie among the Straw Hats Mark volume 49, which for me, makes a successful volume. Still loving it. ~ MDMRN

One Piece is published by Viz Media, with the newest chapters simulpublished via their Shonen Jump imprint.

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected, Vol. 4 (Manga)

Volume four of Oregairu takes an unexpected turn, diving into a pair of side stories from the light novel series that were never animated, both of which involve fan favorite Zaimokuza as he gathers help from the service club to save face with a gaming club and then when he participates in a judo tournament that Hachiman and company organize. Thus, these chapters have a heavy “club anime” feel that’s largely lacking in the anime, and which is a welcome respite for the manga, which has thus far featured a more joyful tone than the other properties. However, most distinctive in this volume is the artwork, as Naomichi Io’s detailing, particularly, has progressed considerably. Hachiman looks far better in this volume as compared to the initial one (and Zaimokuza, too), even getting a scene of fanservice (one of the best panels in the series so far, with Yui blushing as she sees Hachiman stripped down to his boxer briefs). Meanwhile, the color panels that begin the volume are equally lovely, as are some fantasy-focused panels distributed throughout. Fans of Oregairu will find the volume worth purchasing just for these pieces, and perhaps also for the first appearance of a certain character who will play a major role throughout the rest of the series (Senpaiiiiiiii). ~ Twwk

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected is published by Yen Press.*

Your Lie in April, Vol. 9

As I continue my reread of Your Lie in April through the month of April, I’m nearing the home stretch. Volume 9 is a heavier volume than it appears at first glance. At this point, Kousei is teaching Nagi Aiza, who is the younger sister of Kousei’s rival, Takeshi Aiza. Well, sort of. Takeshi sees Kousei as his rival; however, Kousei doesn’t see it as a rivalry because as a child, he didn’t even notice anything (much less anyone) around him when he performed. A lot of other plot threads progress here, too, but a huge component of this volume is a specific focus on Nagi. She was arrogant, angry, and motivated by jealousy. Yet, by the end of the volume, she grows to respect and appreciate Kousei, music, and herself a whole lot more. That last one is key because Nagi had internalized and begun to believe the personal attacks that were said about her by her fellow students. Kousei helped her see herself as something more, as a unique individual and as a fellow traveler in the realm of music. I really appreciated this volume and the character development given to everyone. Also, everyone needs a friend like Watari. ~ MDMRN

Your Lie in April is published by Kodansha.

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Reader’s Corner is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works their reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works and older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

#Manga #Light Novels #In Another World With My Smartphone #Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni.#Haruhi Suzumiya #Suzumiya Haruhi #Mint Chocolate #One Piece #Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.#My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected #Oregairu #Your Lie in April #Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso #Reader's Corner #Articles #Author: stardf29 #Author: TWWK #Author: MDMRN

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spitzofseidou · 4 years

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ace of diamond (season 1) review

Hey there! I have recently finished the first season of Ace of Diamond and I’m going to be reviewing on five categories: plot/pacing, characterization/relationships, voice acting, art and OST. Aaaand because of how much I enjoyed it, I’m going to throw in my favorite character, dynamic and OP/ED. At the end I’ll be adding rewatchability/recc score.

Genre: Shonen / Sports Subgenres: Comedy / Slice of Life / School Synopsis: Sawamura Eijun is a unique southpaw pitcher from a small town in Nagano with a lot of potential but unpolished skills. After being scouted to play for Seidou High School (a prestigous baseball school in Tokyo) he is encouraged by his friends and family to go and accept the offer and pursue his passion for baseball at a higher level. Confident to the point of arrogant, he declares that he will be the ace pitcher on this new team and be the best -- but has to grapple with the fact he is surrounded now by extremely powerful, talented players who have been honing their skills for years-- some of whom are better than him, like his rival Furuya Satoru, a pitcher with a wicked fastball. Together, this team aims to be the best in Japan and aim for the Summer Koshien, tackling formidable teams who stand in their way--as well as work on their own goals, dreams, fears and insecurities.

Plot & pacing: The pacing of this show is very well done. In a 75 episode first season, it is rather long, with many of the baseball games drawn out. But its well worth it, as the writing brings a lot of emotional gratification by “feeling what they feel.” Starting with Sawamura being scouted, going through intense spring training and the selection of the summer starting roster, throughout the highs and lows of the summer season and into the post-summer scrimmages and finally rounding out the season with the third-year retirement game before the fall tournament raffle, every bit is given important narrative attention.

The reveal of information through the eyes of the protagonist; not knowing about Chris Yuu Takagawa’s injury until Sawamura knows it, not knowing how much the current third years sucked as players until the right moment through flashbacks during the tipping point of the finals game, for example -- is such an important choice that we as an audience feel what he feels. The summer games feel very high stakes, the emotional impact is well-earned; every victory feels like it was earned and not given through plot armor or well ~obviously Seidou is the protagonist team, they have to win.~ Seidou as a team was written as strong but not invincible. SPOILER: This is emphasized at the finals game against Inashiro. Despite losing, while emotionally devastating, it feels like it was a logical writing choice and will be important growth for not just Sawamura but the team as a whole.

The yips arc that follows the loss wraps up in a very wholesome retirement game, with Sawamura not fully recovering, but beginning to do truly do so, and the hopeful note of beginning the fall tournament, leaving the audience ready and excited for more.

As a side note, Ace of Diamond very beautifully balances comedy to drama, so it takes itself seriously but is also genuinely comedic. I have two running jokes of “fellas, is it gay to x” and “screenshot of out context being x” as well as actually laughing over some of the planned jokes. But it is truly an emotional carthartic journey.

[Did I cry? yes. so much.]

characterization & relationships: All of the characters feel very well-rounded with diverse ethnic and social backgrounds and personality traits. Some may be static but many of them experience growth to become better people and players. Sawamura is a good “bouncing board” of a character, as someone who goes from arrogant to experiencing several setbacks and a devastating loss that makes him examine his own biases, weaknesses and flaws that also reveals to his opponents their own shortcomings. Several other characters are better players than him, and that’s okay. On the flipside, one of the canon examinations as well as audience reaction is that Coach Kataoka has a team who is a family, a well-oiled machine who works amazingly together because they trust and care for one another, that he encourages growth and inspires them to be the best not just as baseball players, but as individuals as well. The opposing teams are also not just blank slates to fight against, but thoughtful people with their own desires, backgrounds and flaws--Mei Narumiya is cocky and unable to handle criticism once put on a pedestal, Sanada Shunpei has low stamina, etc etc.

Something that’s extremely important to reemphasize is the relationship the Seidou team has to one another in that everyone affects everyone else. Sawamura chooses to go to Seidou specifically because Miyuki Kazuya, a first year at the time, encouraged him to pitch, so he had one upperclassman who already believed in him by the time he enrolled. Sawamura has both batchmates (first years Furuya Satoru and Haruichi Kominato) that encourage him through rivalry (Furuya) or gentle friendship (Haruichi) and several upperclassmen he admires and multiple times states he adores this team as it is, because he looks up to them for guidance and inspiration-- quiet team captain Tetsuya Yuuki, loud outfielder Isashiki Jun (the namesake of this blog, “the spitz of seidou”), speed demons Ryousuke Kominato and Youichi Kuramochi, and more.

In particular, he has an exchange of growth with Chris Yuu Takagawa, someone he mistook for being uncaring and hopeless about baseball with a dead-eyed appearance. Chris, after being injured, all but had given up on playing again, but Sawamura’s noisy and blunt personality who kept pushing him encouraged him to return to the field, and have hope again. Chris is a teacher that Sawamura then deeply respects and is there for him when he has the yips, returning the favor to help break him out his funk. The symbolism. *weeps*

Important to note also it that is isn’t just about Sawamura and the effect he has on them, but the relationships they have with each other. The Kominato brothers have their own relationship where Haruichi wants to be like his older brother; Isashiki may act wild and aggressive and cocky, but he is truly humbled by their team captain Tetsu; Miyuki and Chris met years before Seidou and that informs their dynamic and the kind of players they are today. This also extends to other teams; some have similarities like Akikawa Academy revering their pitcher Yang Shunchen and how that parallels with Seidou adoring Tanba even when he was out with an injury, and others juxtaposed with them i.e. how some players at Inashiro seem to resent the spotlight Mei receives or Shirakawa callously telling another player to kill himself.

I also wanted to note the way Coach Kataoka also sees his team; he is in many ways like a stern but loving father figure who wants the best out of his boys in every way, off and on the field. Other coaches seem to care more about money or fame than their wellbeing (Coach Todoroki or the replacement coach for Seidou), and others have different styles as coaches whether from pro experience or just age. It really emphasizes that it’s not just about the talent a team may or may not have, but how those players are nurtured as people.

(Favorite relationships: Chris & Sawamura, the Kominatos, Miyuki & Chris, .)

[Side note: if you care about shipping, this is a buffet, you’re going to have a great time.]

Voice Acting: The voices of this cast are spot on. Everyone’s voice seems to match their face and personalities and all of the voice actors give 110% to the character. The voices really make it for me, as I’m very particular about the sounds. It feels very realistic and the voices really make them seem like actual people and gives the audience a reason to invest. I’ve got nothing but praise for the voice actors and voice direction of this cast. Art: I could go on and on about the art. The motion is very fluid, the backgrounds are amazing. The character designs are stunning and everyone feels unique and given thought. Style-wise it was very refreshing to see as a lot of modern anime I’ve been watching seems to have the stereotypical “2000s” feel, whereas Ace of Diamond feels like a gorgeous late nineties/early 2000s homage--fitting since, despite airing in 2013-2015, the manga originated in 2006 and it followed the art of the manga nicely. The color palettes are very beautiful and vibrant. I remarked more than once while watching it that it was clear that the artists cared for studying human anatomy, movement and realism (in comparison to how some battle shonen care more for looking cool.) The art is what drew me in to begin with and it never disappointed. OST: I loved the OST so much. Frying-Pan did such an amazing job delivering gorgeous pieces of music. The beauty of it was just off the charts and went above and beyond to make fitting pieces for character themes, scenario specific pieces etc. Also the OPs by Tom H@ck and Glay were appropriately themed and got me pumped every time. I love the various endings also and their little character revealing bits. I like them all so much I never skipped them while watching.

[Favorite OP: Perfect Hero. Favorite ED: Cloud Nine. I listen to Cloud Nine literally every day.] Can I rewatch? Absolutely! Even knowing what’s going to happen, the emotional journey is worth it. Would I recommend? 10/10. Even if you don’t like sports, this is a great one. It was my first sports anime and it has set the bar so very high.

#spitz watches #spitz reviews

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mbtiofwhys · 4 years

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Why your favorite anime protagonist is ESFP

Premise

Anime and manga offer a variety of stories, archetypes, and characters, and they aren’t just the sum of some stereotypes and clichés. However, we also like to analyze this topic to see if there may be MBTI-related elements to discuss.

So, our purpose is to dissect the typical anime and manga protagonist, which often is, especially in shonen works, an ESFP. Thus, we’ll use MBTI as a tool to see how common archetypes or clichés are tied to the ESFP personality or, at least, the stereotyped ESFP. We always say that cognition must be separated from behaviors, so we’re aware of the risk involved in an article like this. This is why, on a final note, we want to reaffirm how not all ESFPs (especially in real life) are impulsive, reckless, or excessively idealistic. At the same time, we find it intriguing to see correlations between a particular personality type and common tropes related to anime and manga.

The role of protagonists

As we said above, anime protagonists usually share common traits that can be summarized in the xSFP MBTI types, especially the ESFP one. It’s interesting to notice how those elements are usually found in shonen works since they target a young audience. Why are those protagonists often represented by the ESFP type? And why does this happen mostly in battle shonen?

These characters tend to be quite simple (with some exceptions we’ll address later), and this isn’t a bad thing since this way, it’s often easy to sympathize with them, their cause, and their ideals. They’re the protagonists of stories aimed at younger people, so it’s crucial for them to be understandable (remember: shonen is a target, not a genre.) They usually fall in the ‘kind-hearted’ and ‘overly idealistic’ tropes, they easily befriend people and gain lots of allies gathered in a group, a crew, a school class, or something on those lines. This is often caused by the protagonist’s will to protect the weak. At the same time, the typical shonen protagonist possesses a strong desire to win and, when he loses a competition (usually against their rival) they’ll train to become stronger, overcoming their weaknesses and thus growing more mature and conscious.

Cognitive functions and protagonists

Going deeper, we can see how ESFP’s cognitive functions work together following common shonen tropes.

As a Se dom, an ESFP protagonist usually shows proactiveness and impulsivity. Those traits lead to situations where they must train not only to improve their abilities but also as a way to improve their self-control, thus becoming more cautious.

ESFP is a perfect personality type for the main character since it allows them to take risks, make mistakes, and learn by them. Also, stories revolve around conflict and need lots of unexpected events to progress and create anticipation and curiosity in the audience. Therefore, a Se dom protagonist that is prone to action and to recklessly challenge themself is a simple and functional way to tell a story.

Fi aux usually implies strong ideals to follow, so it’s easier to sympathize with those characters (if those ideals are positive and not excessively ordinary or dull). This isn’t a rule, yet at the same time, it isn’t difficult to understand why a strong-willed protagonist often catches the audience’s attention, thus creating an emotional connection.

Being a P usually implies a more adaptable approach to problems than the one used by Js. Since shonen works are often dynamic and fast-paced, a character who takes action by blindly following his heart allows the story to progress quickly and offers great opportunities for conflict and growth.

The root of the phenomenon

It probably all stems from Dragon Ball and Goku. Toriyama’s work shows exactly what is now considered the basis of every battle shonen: a young, impulsive, idealistic protagonist with strong power, but lacking the maturity/ability to use/control it properly. This knowledge is then gained through training and trials such as tournaments or exams. In addition, there are friends to protect, a rival, and enemies becoming stronger and stronger.

So, DB may be truly considered the root of modern anime and manga shonen. Lots of tropes are now tied to it: sometimes there’s a school or an academy where characters study, train, and also mature as people. The protagonist may also have a tragic past, have lost their memory, or be the chosen one (but they aren’t usually aware of it, at least at first). What it is tied to Goku as a character archetype may also be seen in Rufy, Naruto, Ichigo, Natsu, and many others - we cannot mention them all, but you’ve probably understood what type of characters we are referring to.

Exceptions

Exceptions of course exist, like Gon from HunterxHunter. In this case, he’s only presented as a positive character at first but reveals a way darker side of his personality later on. Gon is an example of what may seem a perfect and always upright boy, the classic protagonist that enjoys challenges because they’re fun and cares deeply for his friends and family. However, there’s definitely more depth in him. Without going too far into spoiler territory, it’s enough to say that at a certain point he deviates from the standard shonen protagonist path, and acts in a more selfish, arguable way, and becomes a pretty negative character if one separates him from his role in the work.

Antagonists

By now, it should be clear how ESFP cognitive stack may lead to behaviors tied to common anime and manga tropes. The opposite is also often true for antagonists in these works:

Antagonists tend to be I rather than E, they’re more withdrawn and often dislike the world as it is and live best on their own. When they’re E, they are usually Te or Fe dom with an evil plan that aims at gaining absolute power or reforming society as a whole;

They tend to be N rather than S, and, seeing the big picture, they’re more prone to follow abstract goals and patterns;

They tend to be J rather than P. Antagonists are often planners with a step-by-step project and a long-term vision of how things should be. In case they’re P, they may have Ne rather than Se, always being ahead of their opponents and open to new hypotheses and countermeasures.

What about ISFPs?

ISFP-types often represent a ‘side cluster’ of tropes, with a focus on shadier, less upright characters who may pursue revenge as their main goal. ISFPs have the proactiveness of high Se users but, as Fi doms, they possess an even stronger sense of self. So, it’s interesting to notice how ESFPs are usually positive characters, while ISFPs may be presented as antagonists, or protagonists bearing a burden or being flawed/vengeful. We typed Lio from Promare on our blog, but other examples may be found in Dimitri from Fire Emblem Three Houses or Simon from Gurren Lagann, who is commonly typed as ISFP and starts his journey as very closed, scared and following others’ lead, and becomes a more positive and proactive character later on.

Sources

For further reading, we invite you to read those articles and guides:

https://mbti-notes.tumblr.com/spotting#fiction

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShonenDemographic?from=Main.Shonen

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StockShonenHero

#mbtiofwhys #mbti #personalitytypes #typology #stereotypes #clichés #narrative characters #esfp #isfp #anime #manga #shonen

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a-crimson-lion · 5 years

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The Thing About Deku vs Kacchan 2...

[Y'all know the drill. If you don't like, then avoid. No unnecessary uncomfortability around here.]

Katsuki is trying to figure out why Izuku was chosen as All Might's successor. All Might chose Izuku for his heart, but Katsuki will never understand that because to him, being a hero is all about power and prestige; saving people is just an afterthought. I mean, he told Izuku to shut up when he tried explaining himself, and then he refused to accept Izuku's hand AGAIN when he fell. The possibility of All Might choosing Izuku for something other then strength is just nonexistent for Katsuki.

I get that they're trying to make Katsuki more sympathetic with his misplaced guilt, but you know what? Virtually everyone feels guilty about something or another. Izuku felt guilty about not being able to save Katsuki at the training camp. Eijiro felt guilty aboust staying put while his friend was taken away. Tsuyu felt guilty about bashing her friends fro wanting to save Katsuki. Hell, even All Might felt guilty for enjoying a bath during the camp attack when he had no idea about it! Misplaced guilt is nothing special, and it isn't an excuse, either. Notice how Tsuyu just talked about her guilt instead of trying to pummel everyone?

Look, I get that Katsuki only understands fighting and violence as a communication method, but that doesn't mean it's VALID. He needs help! Izuku needs help! Throwing hands is not the solution to every inconvenience life throws to you at Mach 13!

"...I'm weak, too!" Yeah, and so is everyone else, Katsuki. I get that you feel guilty about All Might's retirement, but... seriously. That line from Katsuki indirectly comes of as self-centered. "Oh, look at me! I'm so weak and sad and angry because I indirectly helped aid the Number One Hero's inevitable downfall!" Katsuki, buddy, you bullied Izuku for nearly a decade because he was "weak." You only got away with it because everyone else agreed that Izuku wasn't worth the effort since he was weak, worthless, quirkless, etc. You only see yourself as weak NOW just because your classmates no longer have crappy quirks. Welcome to the real world, where actually substantial quirks exist. That doesn't make you "weak" in the traditional sense, it just makes your expectations of others and yourself highly irrational. Seriously, you need to see a therapist.

Katsuki, your annoying win complex is showing. It's not just here, either! Katsuki loses? He throws a hissy fit. See Izuku's Ball Toss, the Battle Trial, the Sports Festival Pre Tournament, the Provisional License Exam, maybe etc. Katsuki wins? Sometimes he'll be a jackass about it. See Katsuki vs Shoto and Deku vs Kacchan 2... oh wait.

In regards to that last bit: Shoto has personal issues using his left side that KATSUKI LISTENS IN ON, but then Katsuki's like nope, doesn't matter, fight me at your best because I need validation. Katsuki beat Izuku, but since it doesn't answer any of his questions he just wonders why All Might picked his weak self for a successor when physical strength was never the main reason? You wanted him to win just so you could throw a hissy fit afterwards? IDK anymore...

Izuku, I get that you admire Katsuki and all that, but please, for the love of God, stop excusing his crappy behavior. You're a Shonen Protagonist, you're selfless, but for ONCE, THINK. OF. YOURSELF! Katsuki has detrimented your self-esteem nearly beyond repair, and now you're trying ro comfort him again!? That works fine with other people, but it has never worked ONCE with Katsuki! It's like talking to a brick wall!!!

They tried making this fight and the aftermath seem on equal footing, but honestly, I don't buy it. Izuku didn't want to fight in the first place, but again, Shonen Protagonist(TM). We're supposed to believe that they're rivals now, but honestly. Izuku's the only one taking that seriously. Katsuki just went from "Deku's useless" to "Deku exists." That's it. He doesn't recognize Izuku's own power. He recognizes All Might's. He recognizes One for All, not the wielder. And then Katsuki? Is surprisingly getting less flack!? Sure, he gets more time in house arrest, but that's basically where it ends. Izuku gets punished even though he tried diminishing the fight (even though Aizawa would have split them apart had All Might not intervened), he gets berated by his peers during house arrest because HE should be the bigger man and the good student (no such expectations for Katsuki... stupid double standards), and then IZUKU is the one who has to apologize. Meanwhile, Katsuki gets support from Dad Might (which I suppose he needs, but it'll take a whole lot more than that), and he learns about One for All (which helps his character HOW exactly?).

The growth in this fight is honestly just... very miniscule. Katsuki almost develops, but ends up regressing shortly after house arrest is over. Izuku, meanwhile, gets access to 8% of One for All from his previous 5%. Yay for best boi Izuku, nay for Katsuki, who was so close to gaining actual ground in his development.

Okay, I can't think of anything else to vent about, so it's probably out of my system. For now.

-Crimson Lion (10 August 2019)

#bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #izuku midoriya #katsuki bakugo #katsuki bakugou #anti bakugo #anti bakugou #vent #rant #tangent #i'm just so upset #izuku doesn't deserve this crap

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theoceanswaves0 · 4 years

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SPOILERS AHOY (ISH)

It’s been like four years since I did a post like this, so here’s me dumping my thoughts on various, random things I’ve been into/thinking about lately.

I’ll be covering Miraculous Ladybug S3, Fire Emblem Three Houses, My Hero Academia, The MCU, Chocolate/Zen: Warrior Within, Pokemon SwSh, Victorious, BtVS/Angel, and Star Wars: RoS so just a warning for potential spoilers. Also, there will be salt and gushing, so proceed with caution.

Victorious

--> Ok, so this show came out when I was already in high school, so I think some of my opinions and takes on the show are going to contrast with the general consensus.

--> But I’m firmly in the pro-Tori Vega camp. Do I agree with her kissing Beck in the pilot? No. But considering that Jade humiliated her in front of her class for a small misunderstanding that could have been easily cleared up if Jade took five seconds to hear Tori out, I find it difficult to feel bad for Jade. Plus, Tori gets called out for this a couple of times in later episodes anyway.

--> As for Cat’s BF, yeah, that was shitty too but A. He was originally Tori’s BF and they only broke up a year prior to the episode and B. Not only does Tori feel immediate remorse for what she does (spraying Cat with cheese and then kissing her bf in front of her), but she apologizes and never does anything like it again for the rest of the show. BTW, these are both season one incidents, so clearly Tori grows out of this.

--> Plus, I can relate to some of Tori’s awkward traits, like being kind of annoying, not having the best verbal comebacks and feeling pretty average.

--> On the other hand, I can’t stand Jade. Her attitude reminds me of a girl I used to be on and off friends with in middle school. She ended up embarrassing me in front of the cast of our fall play in eighth grade and never apologized for it. Plus she would say or do things that, in hindsight, made it clear she didn’t want me around.

--> But I mean, at least that girl didn’t steal a pint of my blood meant to be used in a mutual friend’s operation, so...

--> Although clearly, Rex the Puppet is the worst character on this show. Jade at least does stuff, why do we need to have Rex around...?

--> My ships are Tandre (Tori/Andre) and Catrina (Cat/Trina)! Tori and Andre always look like they have fun performing together or just hanging out, and their friendship is just so precious. I wish Cat and Trina had more scenes together, because I loved their road trip in “Tori the Zombie” and they’re both dysfunctional in their own ways, but trying their best!!

BtVS/Angel

--> Nothing new really. But my Tandre feels reminded me how much I also loved Gunn/Fred and wished that they stayed together. Even their ship name, Funn, is precious and gahhhhhhh breaking them up was a mistake!

My Hero Academia

--> It took me like 3-4 years after watching the first episode, but I finally watched it.

--> I’m surprised by how much I really like Izuku. Like, I normally like the protagonist fine, but Izuku just really stood out to me. He’s socially awkward, but in a pretty understandable way, intelligent and passionate without using any of it to put other people down, and ofc he cares about his friends and saving other people because what shonen protagonist doesn’t? The only thing I don’t like about him is his hero worship of Bakugo, but that’s just my bias.

--> Oh, yeah, I don’t like Bakugo.

--> Relating to Aizawa the most, and realizing that it’s because I’m getting older hukjdshfaskdnfj

--> I don’t have a ship I’m the most invested in, but I like Izuku with both Todoroki and Uraraka, and I also like Uraraka with Tsuyu. Erasermic is also really good.

--> Not a fan of Eraserjoke. I don’t like the way she continues to ask Aizawa out and then plays it off as a joke when he rejects her like. Like, it’s such a high school thing to do, it’s so weird seeing two grown adults do it. Just take the L and move on, Ms. Joke. Not only is it creepy to continue asking someone out when they say no, it’s annoying to pretend that you didn’t really mean it because it makes it difficult to read you in future scenarios.

Fire Emblem Three Houses

--> Love it love it love it.

--> Like Fire Emblem has always been more of my brother’s thing, but with Awakening, Fates and Three Houses introducing easier difficulty options, I’ve found it much easier to get into the series. Like, I’m a pretty casual gamer so I’m not looking for anything too challenging most of the time.

--> Ofc I knew going in I was picking Golden Deer, and I was not disappointed. I love everyone every single student in there. The atmosphere was so chaotic, that I just knew recruiting everyone that I could to make it more so just had to be done.

--> Claude and Hilda are the best lord and “retainer” respectively, don’t @ me.

MCU

--> Uh, I haven’t really kept up with MCU stuff since Endgame (which I didn’t care for tbh). I just wanted to remind everyone that I hate Tony Stark :)

Miraculous Ladybug S3

(me @ this entire season tbh)

--> I don’t really post much about ML on this blog anymore because I ended up making a side blog (for salt mostly tbh). But in case anyone doesn’t keep up with what happens over there, I basically hated this entire season lol.

--> Ok, I loved Silencer. Best episode in the season period, no questions asked. I also really liked Kwamibuster and Startrain. Desperada grew on me over time, while Bakerix was... okay, I guess. And Felix was entertaining, even if I felt that the message that they were trying to get across was forced and meant to shut the fandom up. Oblivio was good until that ending, and once Silencer came along, I quickly learned I had no use for it anyway. It being an amnesia episode did it no favors, either.

--> Just as I feared, the season revolved more around humiliating or putting Marinette in really embarrassing situations for the same of “drama”. The Puppeteer 2 is a really good example of this. And it’s upsetting, because none of this actually does anything for Marinette’s character. She’s not even allowed to breakdown or be upset about anything that goes wrong for her until the end of “Heart Hunter” and even that only lasts, like, ten seconds.

--> Also, I don’t ship the Love Square anymore. Lukanette all the way, baby.

--> Let’s be real, Marinette/Happiness should be the real OTP of the show.

--> The fact that every episode of season 4 is supposed to be as dramatic as Chat Blanc does not leave me hopeful for the future. Like, really, you’re going to use an episode in which an entire timeline’s worth of events gets erased and leaves everyone with no memories of it as the basis of your emotional impact going forward? Um, thank you, next.

Rise of Skywalker

--> Haven’t seen it and after seeing the spoilers, I don’t plan to. I really liked TFA, and was excited to see what they did with the Rey-Poe-Finn dynamic. I was not here for Kylo Ren or Reylo. I guess Finn/Rey is joining Tandre and Funn in my “missed opportunity OTPs” corner. D:

Chocolate/Zen: Warrior Within

--> OMG one of my fave movies of all time. Like I appreciate it more and more with age. It’s basically everything I want in a movie.

--> The scene where Zen discovers that her mom’s hair is falling out and she blames herself for it always gets me. Like I always forget about it, so when I see it again, I can’t help but nearly breakdown myself, because I know exactly what Zen’s thought process is without her even having to say anything. I feel just as overwhelmed as she does in the moment and nearly cry every time watching it.

--> One of the few movies that I wish actually got a sequel. Like I have so many questions that could be answered. How do Zen and Moom adjust to living in Japan? How does Zen’s father try to relate to her and Moom? Do they make any other friends? Will Zen get access to resources that will help her? Will they be further ostracized because of their status as outsiders? As someone who already struggles verbally, how will Zen adapt to living in a country that primarily speaks another language?

Pokemon SwSh

--> Multiplayer is so much fun and wayyyy more accessible than in the past imo. A bunch of people at my martial arts school would do raid battles before classes, so I would always leave to get there early and play with them. 10/10 experience, and it makes me excited to get Animal Crosssing to do the same thing.

--> But on the other hand, I feel like this game has a lot less going for it than SuMo. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it feels like too much is missing. Like I still enjoy it, but it’s more for the gameplay and less for the story. I’m also not nearly as invested in my team like I was last time (I loved my Sun team so much, I basically kept it the same for US, minus one or two changes). I’m trying to change it fits a “Psychedelic Ocean” vibe (Water/Psychic), and then do an “Earth” themed team for my Shield run but I just haven’t picked it back up since beating the game.

--> The characters were alright. I wasn’t as attached to any of the rivals like I was in SuMo. Leon is my bro though.

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animebw · 5 years

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Binge-Watching: Haikyuu S2, Episodes 4-6

Okay. Okay. Yeah.

Yeah, this show fucking rules.

All-Consuming Love

It can be hard sometimes to put into words why I feel the way I do about a show. Not always; I’ve been writing for this blog long enough that I’ve gotten pretty damn good at expressing how a show moves me, what things I notice that impress or disappoint me. If I wasn’t at least competent at breaking anime down and analyzing how their construction affects their effect on me, I’d have given this hobby up long ago. But even still, every once in a while, I reach a point where it feels like all the words I could use would fall short of the truth. Sometimes, the essence of a piece of media is so particular and specific that it’s impossible, or at least difficult, to effectively break down the hows and whys. You can’t quite explain why it moves you the way it does; all you know for sure is that it does. And in times like that, there’s nothing you can do but sit back, relax, and let yourself be subsumed by that feeling until you figure it out through sheer immersion.

So let it be known that while I can’t quite put my finger on why I’m loving Haikyuu’s second season so much more than the first, I am having the time of my goddamn life right now.

Like, wow. Wow, wow, wow. The first season was already pretty damn incredible, but something about the alchemy this time around has pushed this feel-good volleyball bananza into something all-consumingly wonderful. There isn’t a moment when I don’t have a big, dumb smile plastered across my face. There isn’t a beat that doesn’t have me vibrating in excitement. My response is practically Pavlovian at this point; no matter what’s happening on screen, I instantly love it. I love Tanaka’s badass sister and her reckless ridiculousness (”However, the safety and comfort of the ride cannot be guaranteed. Thank you for understanding.”) I love the way Kageyama’s voice sounds when he’s talking with his mouth full (”When did you wake up?” “Well, I was hungry.”) I love every single one of Yachi’s frantic faces and freakouts (”THEY’RE GONNA DIE!!”) I love everyone’s goofy, ridiculous camaraderie, bouncing jibs and jabs back and forth so effortlessly it’s like they’ve been friends forever (”Don’t act so cool, you tardy test flunkers.”) I love Hinata’s new rival in Liev, another freshman gifted with natural talent who nonetheless needs to train his ass off to utilize that talent well; they’re so perfectly foiled, and Liev is such a goddamn sweetheart despite his competitive streak, that I’m already looking forward to the mounds of fanfic-worthy interactions they’re sure to have in the future.

Hell, I can’t even think of any old complaint from the first season that’s carried over; the emotional exposition has been toned down to justifiable, necessary levels, we’ve gotten a whole bevy of fantastic new female characters, and Shizumu’s already a million times more delightful just by virtue of having someone else to play off of (and protect from the boys’ nonsense)/ Somehow, by building off the already rock-solid foundation established by the first season, Haikyuu has come into its own so completely that it’s almost terrifying. This is still the same show it always was, but it’s braver, more inspired, more confident, more self-assured, and more flawless than ever before.

Which means when it goes for the kill, it’s able to rip your balls out like never before.

The I in Team

I’ve praised the hell out of Haikyuu’s attention to realism in the past, and one of the most important areas where this manifests in how the show treats Hinata’s protagonist status. Hinata, like most other shonen protagonists, is a reckless idiot who wants to be The Very Best, with a super-special super power that allows him to pursue that goal. But this isn’t the kind of show where he’s just able to walk over everyone and everything effortlessly, or steal the spotlight all for himself. This is grounded volleyball, with grounded rules, and that means Hinata’s supposed strengths are actually his greatest weaknesses as well. His freak quick is impressive as hell, but it’s just one pretty cool move in a game that relies on versatility and adaptability, and once his opponents adapt to account for his speed- because they’ve all been playing long enough to adjust to good players- he runs into a wall. No matter how naturally talented he is, he still doesn’t have the experience to match up against the older, more skilled players. Once his “special move” no longer works, he’s basically a fish floundering on dry land, desperately trying to catch up to everyone else and only barely managing to stay afloat. And that reckless competitive spirit that pushes him to overcome those limits also risks turning him into a stubborn dead weight dragging the rest of his team down.

Really think about that for a second. Hinata’s shonen protagonist strengths, the attributes that would propel him to success in any other show, are here the sources of his greatest deficiencies. Because in volleyball, you don’t win by being better than everyone else and rushing headlong into victory on your own. You win or lose as a team, with everyone building everyone else up to be the best they can possibly be. So if you rush off and try to do your own thing, to steal the spotlight all for yourself, you put everyone else at risk. And the moment where Hinata charges forward to blindly smack into Asahi, momentarily disregarding the entire court save for his desire to show off and play out his own personal rivalry drama with Liev, the tension that spikes through the rest of Karasuno is palpable. Hinata just broke an invisible code of conduct, and now, those all-important bonds of trust between the entire team are left trembling and uncertain. Who’s to say Hinata wouldn’t just rush in again, two more times, three more times? Who’s to say his instincts wouldn’t make him step all over them en route to his personal gratification? Hinata wants to be the ace so bad, but he can’t fight his hardest if he ends up fighting alone. He needs Karasuno, and they need him. If they find themselves at cross-purposes, it can only lead to failure for all involved.

But Hinata, bullheaded as he is, isn’t so blind that he can’t understand the position he’s in. He knows he needs to fight as part of the team. He knows he can’t stand and fight all on his own. But he also believes he needs to be able to stand alone in order to stand together. And frankly, he’s not wrong; he sees plain as day that his special attack on its own is no longer cutting it. If he wants to be part of this team, he can’t keep relying on saving graces and natural boons; he needs to get better. He needs to get in touch, get in step, learn to pull off riskier maneuvers and fight as his own person. He can’t keep relying on Kageyama’s impeccable serving to carry him, because the spiker is the other half of that damn equation, and if he can’t balance it, it’s going to fall apart. On the other hand, though, his teammates aren’t wrong that he’s going about this attempt to improve himself in a self-destructive, unhelpful way. He’s so laser-focused on bashing this one technique into the dirt that he’s neglecting his duty to everyone else. Losing to Seijoh made him realize where he was falling short, but it also pushed him to cover for those faults in ways that only make it harder for him to actually overcome them. It’s a complicated, nasty situation to be in, where our protagonists’ drive to improve himself isn’t only putting him, but everyone else we care about at risk. He’s reaching for the right goal, but the path he’s on it starting to lead him farther and farther away from it. And his friends and companions are left to pick up the pieces and try and force them back together.

Bitter as Gall

And sweet buttery crumpets, when those frustrations reach a boiling point, the ensuing eruption hurts. It hurts to see Kageyama and Hinata lose their shit with each other, both too bullheaded and exhausted to recognize how they’re letting each other down. It hurts to see them actually come to blows, their frustrations and doubts spilling out in a tidal wave of directionless rage and futility. It’s ugly, it’s raw, it’s painful to watch, and while it didn’t bring me to tears, I was absolutely gasping in anxiety all the way through. Holy. Fucking. SHIT, y’all. Hinata and Kageyama have always shared a certain antagonism towards each other, but they’ve never gone at each other’s throats like that. That’s not the anguish of two enemies butting heads; that’s the anguish of two people who really, really care for each other feeling betrayed at the other’s failure to understand them. As Hinata recognizes in the post-brawl cool-down, Kageyama’s not just a friend to him. He’s a partner, someone he's learned to trust unconditionally, someone he can’t be comfortable not connecting with. And even putting my shipper heart aside, it’s 100% true. These two need each other. They’re each other’s tethers to everything they can’t accomplish on their own. Hinata’s recklessness would destroy him if he didn’t trust Kageyama to rein him in and control his flow. Kageyama’s arrogance would crush him if Hinata wasn’t out there justifying his bluster. They’re the importance of Karasuno’s team dynamic personified; it’s only together that they’re able to approach everything they’re capable of being.

But now, that trust is marred. Now, they’ve both realized that they haven’t being doing enough. Not for themselves, not for each other. Kageyama’s been trying to take the entire burden for their teamwork upon himself, giving Hinata no room to grow for his own sake. Hinata’s been pushing Kageyama to take massive risks before they were truly ready to take them. They’ve let each other down, and the sting of that knowledge cuts deep. As Oikawa rightfully points out (side note, Oikawa getting dunked on by his six-year-old nephew was fucking gold: ”You said your girlfriend dumped you so you had free time!”), Kageyama is only one half of this equation; if he tries to carry them both on his own, it won’t be long before the Lonely King’s crown re-appears atop his head. And Hinata’s pep talk from the original Coach Ukai (who is also fucking wonderful and I wish I had a grandpa like him: ”STOP SPACING OUT! YOU’RE THE COACH, DAMMIT!”) similarly forces him to confront the limits of his single-minded dedication to his stardom. The competition is growing more intense, they’re more aware then ever of how powerful their rival teams are, and their previous level of teamwork and connection isn’t going to cut it anymore if they want to keep flying high. If they want to grow stronger and overcome their deficiencies, there’s only possible solution.

They have to stop playing harder and start playing smarter.

Step by Step

Oh, if only you could see my delight when I realized this is where this arc was heading. Oh, if only I could transplant the euphoric rush of joy I felt straight into your own brains. Motherfucker, this is perfect. This is everything great about Haikyuu’s grounded stakes pushed to the next level. Hinata and Kageyama can’t just keep pushing the same buttons they’ve always pushed; they need to get the technique down so they’re able to use their strengths no matter what comes their way. Hinata’s super-quick spiking is a strong asset, but once he learns to time it out for himself instead of relying on one specific person to lay everything up for him, he’s going to be able to rain hellfire on his opponents like never before, no matter who sends the ball his way. Kageyama’s precise setting is incredible, but once he learns to control his power and toss the ball exactly where the spiker needs it to go instead of shooting full-tilt and hoping they can intercept it before it flies by them, he’ll be able to lay up winning shots to everyone assaulting the net. They’re gonna learn how to not just be powerful, but to be precise. To own their side of the volley without stepping on anyone else’s toes. To take control of everything they need to control and trust their teammates to do the same on their end. That’s how they’re going to bounce back from this. Not by overwhelming the field through sheer protagonist-y force of will, but by learning to own the field on their own terms, to spike their own stories out on the court alongside everyone else’s.

Because that’s just the Haikyuu way.

I love this show, guys. I really fucking love this show. It’s inspiring and exciting, it’s raw and personal, it’s realistic without sacrificing an inch of heart and it’s heartfelt without sacrificing an inch of nuance. I can’t say yet how high among the ranks it’s going to rise, but if it keeps on building like this, I have a funny feeling I might just have another all-time favorite on my hands. Time will tell, I suppose. But until then, let’s keep on believing.

Odds and Ends

-”Should we run?’ “No, let’s take bikes.” OH MY GOD THEY FAILED THEIR TESTS ASKJDHASKJDHASD

-SLEEPING KAGEYAMA ALERT SLEEPING KAGEYAMA ALERT.

-Goddamn, we actually got some detail on the Little Giant. From the best possible source, naturally. Please tell me there’s a reunion in these folks’ future.

-Okay but why did that guy’s spiking arm turn into silly string

-”Liev is just too special.” *insert inappropriate eyebrow wiggling here*

-”Am I the guideline for what’s bad or not?!” I mean...

-HINATA I KNOW YOU’RE TRYING TO MAKE A POINT BUT TRY NOT TO CAVE YOUR SKULL IN WHILE DOING SO PLEASE

-Oh shit, I just realized, this ED song is from the same band who did the Kimi ni Todoke and Anohana OPs! No wonder I’m loving it so much.

-”You’re the weakest out of all the teams here.” “We can’t argue with that.” aksjdhaskjd

-”I’ll beat your 194-cm butt!” Friendly rivalry is the best, man.

-”Hey, you made him cry.” Dragged by a six-year-old. That’s gotta hurt.

-”Takeru, take a picture!” OIKAWA YOU UTTER SHIT

-”You’re actually proud of this picture? Lame.” WOW DRAGGED BY A SIX-YEAR-OLD THAT’S GOTTA HURT

-”He’s been promoted!” aksdhaskjdhaskd

-He. Licked his lips. Christ, intense Hinata is scary at times.

God, why can’t real sports be this worthwhile? See you next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #haikyuu #haikyū!!#haikyuu!!#hinata shoyou #shoyou hinata #kageyama tobio #tobio kageyama

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datingsimreviews · 4 years

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Nameless the one thing you can recall was a great game. Honestly it’s easily become one of my favorite m/f dating sims. It’s got great relationships that have all sorts of hurt/comfort and feel very much like the found family trope.

If you’re into doki doki literature and want to find games like that while enjoying normal dating sim elements play nameless. It’s got an unromancable character that deletes paths and changes the script while having good romancable side characters. It even references you the viewer watching things and deletes saved files.

Initial premise: So you play a girl who collects dolls. She’s embarrassed about collecting dolls because they’re childish. Then her dolls come to life and become humans and she’s shocked. They start going to her school and are dubbed the HOT5 because of they’re beauty like any Chinese or koreon drama ever. Everyone at school is trying to figure out the heroine’s connection with the male leads. But she’s much more embarrassed about how she collects dolls and is focused on that than the fact that they became human.

It’s got all the knight/master or owner devotion thing without it being creepy because these people are literally not human. The story also touches on abandonment and loneliness since the protagonist has been using these dolls to cope with her grandpa’s death and that her parents are never around. The dolls themselves feel like their owner will abandon them for anyone because they’re just dolls.

And of course after each route the heroine’s memories are reset and she’s taken to a new route by the Monika of this game so that he can possibly see her.

It’s a pretty cool game. Also no incest because they’re dolls.

The protagonist: I mostly covered her in the initial premise. She’s a girl who focuses more on the fact that she plays with dolls and likes dolls than the fact that her dolls have become human. It’s surprisingly realistic for a supernatural game.

Her real strengths come from her relationships, like with her dolls, her grandpa (who died) and her parents who she know are working to help her but never see her and so she feels sort of lonely but doesn’t want to whine about it. I’m sure a lot of other kids with parents who only work and don’t spend time with their kids will find her relatable.

I really liked her two best friends. Soi and Shinbi. Soi was big in every route for her crush on one of the love interests. She’s that typical boy obsessed girl. But she never faltered into the evil rival character instead giving up on her crush to support her friend and saying that her friendship was more important to her.

Shinbi should have been the real sixth route. She’s a cool calm and composed girl who models. All the girls in class are in love with her and the heroine’s heart skips a beat when she sees her. This should have been a gay game thanks to Shinbi.

Yeonho: The first love interest I romanced. He’s one of the few dolls that the heroine bought on an auction. The entire school calls him a “Chick” because he sparks their maternal instincts to protect him with his cute act.

His route mostly focused on the fact that he feared abandonment because his previous owner scratched him up and told him to be a “good boy”. Every time the heroine leaves he fears that she’ll abandon him and so he becomes obsessive over her. Eventually though he grows and realizes their relationship won’t just wither away if she isn’t there 24/7 and lays off and they form a real romantic relationship and he becomes more mature.

I really liked how realistic his feelings were. Honestly mental illness and trauma portrayed realistically and then people healing is really good stuff.

For some reason he had powers to speak to ghosts and talk to animals and I’m not sure why??? It’s because his personality was designed that way as a doll but it felt out of place.

Yuri: Yuri I was very ready to like because of his design, but once I started playing his route I didn’t like him. Luckily he redeemed himself by the end.

He’s the classic womanizer character. But as an adult teacher! (Kind of. He is a doll and has only been alive a month so he doesn’t really have an age so it makes me feel a bit more lax on this verses other dating sims)

It’s revealed though that he’s a womanizer because he was designed to be every woman’s perfect man. And because he was designed to be that way he doesn’t know how to respond to sincere love and real feelings which makes his route with the heroine very romantic. He had a lot more romance in his route than the other routes I think since the heroine realized she had feelings for him pretty early on after he made her into cinderella with a make over.

He refuses to date his student though and quits being a teacher so that’s nice. (because he gets a job as a teacher when he turns into a human)

In the other routes Yuri was someone who would flirt with the heroine but would be an unlikely shoulder to lean on and give advice so he overall ended up being good.

Lance: One of my favorite routes was Lance who was described as being an ice prince by all the other characters. He’s very smart and cold and distant. But the reason he is that is because he wasn’t designed to have a personality. He feels inferior to all the other dolls for being designed with personalities while he sees himself as uninteresting and nothing.

The heroine helps him by giving him memories and things he likes though even though he wasn’t designed with likes or dislikes. She helps him have a life. They also share a bond because he was the first doll she had out of the main love interests and was the only one there when her grandpa was alive. So she finds him special.

Tei: Tei was interesting because he was the big brother type. (Or Mom type as all of the characters tried to describe him) He always acted like he was trying to help and was the mature and kind one. However in most of the bad endings he ends up killing you so I knew he was straight up crazy and was a little worried for his route.

His route ended up being much better than expected. Sure it had some drama of him dating your friend because his fan club was putting you in danger and he didn’t want them paying attention to you, while trusting Soi because you talked about her so much when he was a doll, but besides that you find out he’s crazy fairly early and just want him to explain why he’s suddenly saying mean stuff.

You see Tei was put in a box most of his life and was only shown an hour a day by his owner. His owner would always say he was clean which he realized was a curse. Because once someone broke him and he became unclean his owner started telling him he was dirty and crying and being mean to him. She then sold him off to the heroine. And because he was a limited edition doll his dirty part (his knee) couldn’t be replaced.

The trauma made him him…different. He loves the heroine in all routes but believes he’s too “dirty” to be with her. If people start harming her though he gets mad because it isn’t him that is making her dirty so she can’t be on his level because abuse = love to him.

In his route he starts feeling urges to hurt her so she can be on his level because she’s too clean for him. So he distances himself by dating her friend.

Of course the heroine helps him come to understand that he’s not dirty or damaged. And they get together and are happy. Before she disappears that is like in all routes.

Red: Red could only be played last and although I love him I feel like he was shafted for main plot stuff.

Red is an action hero doll. An action figure. So he acts like every shonen hero ever talking about defeating villains and using the power of teamwork to work together. Except that isn’t this genre. Only one of him was made and given to the heroine and his makers decided to give him in his personality the delusion that he had hidden special powers. Which never triggered.

His route consists of the fact that he has delusions but the heroine still thinks he brings cheer and love to people. Of course then she starts losing her memories because the Monika of the game (or just the villain) starts tearing apart her memories in that route and she starts gaining amnesia.

Red is a hero though and doesn’t abandon the heroine. Eventually by the end he does start getting special powers and giving her memories back and saving her- even if he doesn’t know it.

It was a sweet route but I wanted more of the focus to be on Red, just like how the other routes were focused on all the characters.

Overall this game was super fun!!! It’s connected to the dandelion wishes brought to you universe and I’m gonna play that next I think. It genuinely made me happy and I can’t count how many times I said something to myself, shocked.

It’s good for anyone who likes dark themes or games that focus on helping people from trauma, abandonment, or loneliness. The characters were very fleshed out too.

#nameless the one thing you can recall #dating sim review

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