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queenofallimagines · 10 months

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Meguru Bachira with a black s/o

LISTEN!! I picked up the 2 volume of the manga on accident when I went to target and I’m in love w him the man of my dreams!! Not taking blue lock right now bc besides Isagi and kunigami i don’t remember any other characters name or anything about them😅 feel free to talk to me about him tho I have SO many thoughts👀

** can you tell this is just me rambling 💀

Megaru💕:

- this pic gives me butterflies holy shit

- WHEW this man has huge unhinged sunshine energy

- Like giggling and kicking my feet how he’s the happy go lucky character trope (I.e hinata) but they make sure you remember he’s not “soft”

- Like the way y’all be uwuing hinata that is a grown man😐 he was throwing fists the WHOLE SERIES but he don’t know about sex? Bffr

- Anyway he’s definitely a switch but kinda leaning more top? he definitely just wants to fuck he don’t care who’s on top

- He’s so cuddly it’s adorable

- Getting neon yellow nails to match his hair>>>

- Definitely would like to match fits w you when y’all step out

- WOULD GET YOU AN ANKLE BRACELET W HIS INITIALS ON IT SO HE CAN KISS YOUR ANKLE WHEN HE PUTS YOUR LEGS OVER HIS SHOULDERS!!

- Most fashionable couple FR

- Always has to be touching you in some way

- Holding your hand, arm around you, hand in your pockets

- Wants to make sure you’re there and won’t slip away from him

- Imagining him going to meet your family and he’s SWEATING like he knows he’s not everyone’s cup of tea and really doesn’t want to start anything

- “You are good at soccer so you have like + 100 points right now”(watching Latino people watch the football on the Olympics is so scary 😫)

- Imagine your family watching his games😭 embarrassing bc now I’m imagining a room full of dads and uncles glued to the tv and cheering him on like he can hear it💀💀

- “You so skinny you need to eat more!”

- He’s charming your aunties to steal plates from your house

- You get in the car and he has like 3 Tupperwares full of left overs

- Great with kids because they think he’s cool

- he’s breaking they ankles in soccer tho he’s not gunna play nice w kids

- If “play where it’s safe cuz it’s NOT over here” was a person

- Like he can go 0-100 in a millisecond so if someone tries him

- Very “who’s gon beat my ass about it??” Type beat

- People think y’all are so cute bc he’s so smiley and sweet to you

- DEFINITELY says filthy shit in your ear too

- Like he’s cuddly w everyone he likes so you’d be no different but he’s slipping his hands up your shirt

- Number one hype man when you get your hair done

- So extra

- “My baby so cute🥹🥹”

- Box braids are his favorite bc he can put charms and stuff in your hair

- also medium long locs bc imagining him walking up to you and pushing them out your face to see your eyes🥺

- Freak

- Probably sends you links to sex toys and is like

- “👀👀??”

-“I’m a visual learner btw”

- The MOST unserious character in this whole series so far

- His song is rodeo but just the flo Milli verse i WILL NOT ELABORATE!!

- Once he get to doing that thing where he lower his voice just call in sick bc you probably not walking

- Not that he doesn’t care about your pleasure it’s more he’s fucking until HE taps out so your brains can be soup but he’s not done so,,,,hold on?

- If you like me and a few inches shorter than him will be smug about it

- His personality is big enough to count as a size kink but being a little taller makes him get a big head

- Talks you through it the whole time

- Switching back and fourth between degrading and praise so fast it makes your head spin

- “Hm? Don’t tell me my little slut is tapping out? You were begging me so nicely earlier”

- only one who can say babygirl and it not be cringe 🤭

- “be a good boy and spread your legs for me, hm?”

- Really sloppy kisser during sex too

- Will tell you to stick your tongue out for him

- On the rougher side of kinky stuff

- Fucks you like it’s the last time he ever will every time

- Don’t care about getting caught bc either way he’s not stopping

- Probably how you’d end up sleeping w him and Isagi I fear

- Isagi is so sweet and megaru is MEAN

- Isagi trying to go slow and be gentle and Megaru over here pulling your hair calling you a pretty whore

- this man In grey sweatpants would end me

- APART OF THE SHORT KING BIG DICK CREW

- he’s tall by Japanese standards but juuuuust 3cm above average in American height

- he already walks out the shower naked w NO care in the world

- probably walks around the house like that too Ngl

- “I am returning to the natural state of my birth” I will glue your clothes to your body sir :/

- feel like he’s more girth than length like don’t get me wrong he def has a third leg but he’s gunna have to work you open

- “ Oh don’t worry, I’ll make sure it fits”

- Act right dick™️ so don’t push him too far in public

- Definitely a bad influence!! You’re trying to be normal in public and he gives you a look

- Next thing you know he’s on his knees for you in a bathroom or an empty hallway🙄

- In the locker room so many times the rest of his friends already know, and when you two disappear they not stepping foot in there

- Buys you lingerie because he’s your biggest hype man

- When you feel confident you’re the most sexy

- “Mmm you look so good in that cute outfit, you won’t be too mad if I tear it off right?”

- Spreads your legs wide and will make you look in the mirror and watch as he fingers you open

- The type of man who fucks you so good you would get his name tatted on your ass

- Your family actually is probably like “don’t you go corrupting that sweet boy”

- And behind closed doors he’s got his hand holding your hair in a tight fist as he makes himself comfy in your throat

- “Let me hold your hair up for you💕”

- L$D- asap Rocky is also his song

#my writing #x black reader #blue lock #bllk imagines #blue lock smut #Megaru bachira #bachira imagines #bachira meguru #blue lock x black reader #x chubby reader #blue lock bachira #bachira smut #meguru smut #Spotify #blue lock meguru bachira #meguru x reader

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sickficsforthesoul · 3 years

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Here is a second prompt!

Epileptic Suga having a seizure for the first time in front of the first years, maybe in a tougher situation to handle like a bus ride 👀

-Lu

This one took me a little while, but it's done now, so enjoy! As mentioned in a prior post, this fic is part of the Setter Health Conditions (SHC) universe, so it might be referenced in other fics taking place in the universe. (Fun fact, this fic was originally titled "Into the Sugaverse" before I edited the title to be less cryptic.)

That One Bus Trip

Epileptic Suga with caretaker Daichi

Word count: 3447 words

Daichi was stressed. That wasn’t a new thing, though. With three siblings and two very busy parents, Daichi’s life was near-constant chaos. Though right now, the current cause of Daichi’s stress was sitting right next to him. Suga was curled up against Daichi on the bus seat. They were driving home from a weekend training camp in Tokyo. It was only early evening, but Suga looked quite sleepy leaning against Daichi’s arm.

“Are you okay, Suga?” Daichi asked quietly. They were seated near the back of the bus to keep an eye on everyone. The first years sat in the row in front of Daichi and Suga, and Daichi didn’t want to broadcast Suga’s private business to them (or anyone else on the bus, for that matter).

“Yeah,” Suga groaned as he shifted against Daichi’s arm. “Just feeling kind of off, ya know?”

Daichi’s eyes widened in alarm. “What kind of “off,” Suga? Like off off?”

“Off off,” Suga agreed, pressing the side of his face into Daichi’s club jacket.

“Do you want me to get someone?” Daichi muttered urgently.

This wasn’t good. Feeling off off was how Suga liked to refer to having an aura, and an aura meant a seizure was coming soon. And to make matters worse, they were on a bus, hours away from home. If Suga had a seizure now, it would be chaos. Everyone would panic because only Daich, Asahi, and Mr. Takeda knew about Suga’s epilepsy (Daichi wasn’t sure if Coach Ukai knew, but he wouldn’t be surprised if Suga never mentioned his condition. Suga was very shy about sharing his epilepsy with others. It had taken Daichi and Asahi cornering a first year Suga in the locker room after a particularly long practice to get Suga to tell them anything, and they were some of Suga’s closest friends.)

“No,” Suga murmured. “I have my medication. I’ll take it, so hopefully, things won’t get too bad.”

Suga leaned forward and rummaged through the bag at his feet, producing a medicine bottle seconds later. Daichi grabbed a water bottle from his own bag and presented it to Suga, who took it gratefully. Suga shook out one pill from the bottle and swallowed it down with a gulp of water. He handed the bottle back to Daichi and bent down to his bag again.

Daichi turned to his bag to distract himself from all the possible futures flashing through his mind. Even though Suga had taken his medication, that didn’t guarantee nothing would happen. Similar to migraine prevention medication, Suga’s medicine only worked some of the time. Daichi was praying to every deity in existence that it would work this time because he hated Suga seizing in any circumstance, but especially on a bus with their loud, emotional teammates. Suga didn’t seem too panicked on the surface, but Daichi was keenly aware of the setter’s clenched hands and furrowed brow. Suga was worried too, but he was far too prideful to ever tell anyone directly.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Daichi ordered, voice low to keep their conversation discreet.

“Okay,” Suga yawned, “I think I’m gonna take a nap. This medicine always makes me drowsy.”

“Alright,” Daichi nodded slightly. “Just try to stay calm. Getting worked up will only make everything worse.”

“I know, Daichi,” Suga huffed good-naturedly. “I’ve been dealing with this for years. I think I know how to take care of myself.”

Daich chuckled and patted Suga’s head with his free hand. “I know, I know. But I’m still worried, you know. I’m your best friend and your captain. I think I have the right to worry about you sometimes.”

“You’re such a dad, Daichi,” Suga snickered mischievously. “Dad... Daichi… Oh! Dadchi! From now on, I’m gonna call you Dadchi.”

Daichi sighed wearily. “How can you be so responsible one minute and then so childish the next?”

“It’s a gift,” Suga smiled goofily. Then a yawn escaped his mouth, and he blinked slowly.

“Take a nap, Suga,” Daichi said, slipping off his jacket to drape over the setter. “You’re tired, and it’ll make you feel better.”

Suga hummed in agreement, leaning against Daichi’s side and snuggling under the jacket. He sighed contently and closed his eyes. Within minutes, Suga was sleeping comfortably against Daichi’s shoulder. Daichi smiled at the sight, silently resigning himself to being Suga’s pillow for the rest of the bus ride. They still had over three hours left until they reached Karasuno High School, so Daichi was hoping Suga would be able to take a good, long nap until they arrived.

With Suga sleeping soundly, Daichi could finally relax. He gazed out the window at the setting sun, admiring the beautiful colors as the sun disappeared from the sky. Suga’s body was warm, Daichi noticed. Not feverish, but warm enough to keep Daichi’s body pleasantly warm as well. The bus was also fairly quiet. Most of their teammates were either reading or playing video games (even Kageyama was attempting to work a DS after Hinata’s incessant nagging). After two days of grueling training, Daichi’s body was begging for a break, and between the warmth and quiet murmurings of his teammates, Daichi felt himself nodding off too. His head drooped against Suga’s, and Daichi was asleep almost instantly.

When Daichi awoke, he noticed light flashing through the very dark bus. Lifting his head drowsily, Daichi quickly found the light source. Someone (probably Tanaka or Noya) had brought a portable DVD player onto the bus, and everyone (minus Suga, Daichi, and Asahi, who had donned an eyemask and fell asleep sometime after Daichi had) was gathered around it watching a movie of some sort.

Daichi yawned and pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text to Ennoshita asking about what movie they were watching. Ennoshita replied with the title (“Into the Spider-Verse,” apparently) along with what he’d missed so far. The movie was only a third of the way done, so Daichi hadn’t missed too much. Suga was still sleeping soundly, so Daichi didn’t dare move. He couldn’t see the movie, but that was fine so long as Suga was asleep and calm.

Suga continued to sleep for another half hour at least while Daichi ignored the DVD player in favor of looking at his phone. During that time, Ennoshita texted frequent updates on the movie, summarizing the plot, characters, and visuals with stunning clarity. Daichi would occasionally see some bright flashes of light, but he was too focused on his phone to register the problem the lights might pose. Daichi was snickering at the reveal of Doctor Octavius when Suga stirred next to him.

“You’re up, huh?” Daichi murmured to a drowsy Suga.

“Yeah…” Suga yawned, eyes still shut.

“Are you feeling better?” Daichi asked gently.

“A little, yeah,” Suga hummed, shifting to a sitting position and cracking open his eyes.

“That’s good, at least,” Daichi smiled, reaching over to grab his jacket from Suga’s lap.

“I guess,” Suga sighed, his brown eyes still half-lidded with exhaustion. “What’s going on?”

“We’re watching a movie. Into the Spider-Verse, apparently.” Daichi lifted his phone to show Suga the screen. “Ennoshita’s been keeping me updated. He’s actually pretty good at it too.”

Suga grabbed the phone and scrolled to the beginning of Ennoshita’s recent texts. He took a moment to read before handing the phone back to Daichi. “You’re right. He is pretty good. Is the movie still on?”

“Yes,” Daichi nodded, “The DVD player’s in the aisle. We can watch it if we move over a little.”

“Let’s watch it,” Suga replied. “It’s not like we have anything better to do right now.”

“Okay,” Daichi agreed easily, sliding over into the aisle to watch the movie. Suga moved too, taking Daichi’s now-vacant seat.

They settled down to watch the movie without much trouble. The occasional bright flash made Suga wince and turn away for a moment, but the instances were infrequent, so Daichi didn’t think much of them. Suga seemed to be enjoying the movie too. He laughed at the jokes and fawned over the action sequences. Daichi wasn’t surprised. He’d known about Suga’s nerdy side for a while now.

To be fair, Daichi was also enjoying the movie. The soundtrack and animation were very well done, and Daichi was always a sucker for action movies. Perhaps that was why Daichi forgot about the danger the movie could pose to Suga. Daichi was so absorbed in the movie that he failed to notice Suga’s furrowed brows and rapidly paling face. The final straw for Suga’s fragile health was the collider scene. The frantic, aggressive flashes of light sent Suga’s body headfirst into an epileptic episode.

At first, Daichi thought Suga was just shivering. Small trembles wracked Suga’s frame, but when the trembles grew stronger and more sporadic, Daichi became concerned. Turning away from the DVD player, he squinted through the dark at his best friend, and what Daichi saw was horrible. Suga’s body spasmed erratically while Suga’s eyes were blown wide with panic and distress. Tears slipped down Suga’s cheeks as a soft whine escaped his mouth. Suga’s eyes settled on Daichi, silently begging for help.

Daichi was panicking, but Suga needed him, so he had to focus. Daichi quickly wrapped his jacket around Suga’s head and neck, creating a cushion to protect the vulnerable areas during Suga’s thrashing. Then he carefully scooted Suga’s body farther into the seat, so he wouldn’t fall off and hit something against the bus floor. With Suga in a secure position, there was nothing left to do now but time the seizure and wait for it to end. Daichi hated this part the most because he was powerless to help his best friend.

Their teammates slowly started to notice that something was wrong. Suga’s breathing was irregular and audible over the movie to the people sitting near Daichi and Suga. Ennoshita sent him a text a minute later to make sure everything was okay. Daich responded with a cryptic text that told Ennoshita something was wrong but didn’t specify what. Naturally, Ennoshita sent more texts, each becoming more and more worried, though he thankfully had the sense to keep his inquiries in texts instead of voicing them aloud.

Suga’s trembles finally slowed, and Daichi checked the clock on his phone. The seizure had lasted for just over two minutes. While not ideal, the seizure was still under five minutes. Seizures lasting longer than five minutes tended to be the most dangerous ones, so at least Suga avoided that.

Now that the seizure was over, Daichi needed to get Suga help. So Daichi got to his feet and walked down the bus aisle. Most of his teammates grumbled in annoyance, but Daichi caught the worried gazes of Ennoshita and his seatmate Kinoshita. He gave them a small smile, hoping to convey that things were getting better, but the duo still looked worried. Daichi continued on his trek and finally reached the front of the bus. Thankfully, Coach Ukai was driving while Mr. Takeda was helping Coach Ukai navigate from the front bus seat.

“Mr. Takeda?” Daichi leaned towards the club advisor, keeping his voice low.

“Daichi?!” Mr. Takeda yelped in surprise, but he quickly fell silent once he saw Daichi’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Suga had an… episode,” Daichi whispered to the club advisor.

“An episode?” Mr. Takeda blinked in confusion. “What kind of episo- Oh!” Mr. Takeda lowered his voice out of courtesy to Suga and his privacy. “Suga had an epileptic episode?”

“Yeah,” Daichi sighed tiredly. “His seizure lasted for a little more than two minutes. He’s resting now, but we should take him to a hospital to get checked out.”

“Of course!” Mr. Takeda nearly shouted again. “I’ll let Coach know right away! Do you need any help with Suga?”

“I don’t think so,” Daichi shook his head. “I just might need help getting him off the bus when we get to the hospital.”

“Alright. I’ll find the nearest hospital and tell Coach to get us there as soon as possible. Can you keep Suga comfortable until we arrive?” Mr. Takeda asked.

“I’ll take good care of him,” Daichi replied firmly.

“I’m sure you will,” Mr. Takeda agreed before he moved to the driver’s seat to let Coach Ukai know about the change of plans.

Daichi returned to his seat swiftly, anxious from leaving Suga alone for so long. Suga was still lying across their seats, but he was conscious and relatively alert because he turned his head when Daichi got back to their seats. Daichi sat in the aisle to keep an eye on Suga, rubbing the setter’s ankle soothingly. Daichi and Suga stayed like that until the bus pulled into a hospital parking lot.

Cries of confusion and irritation broke out until Mr. Takeda silenced them with an uncharacteristically stern stare. “Move out of the aisles, everyone. The paramedics need to use them.”

Everyone obeyed immediately, but looks of confusion were etched on most of their teammates’ faces. Two paramedics boarded their bus, with Mr. Takeda directing them back to Suga and Daichi’s seats. Daichi moved out of their way, helping them pull Suga into the larger paramedic’s arms. Suga remained limp in the paramedic’s hold, though his eyes darted over to Daichi as the paramedics carried him away. Daichi waved reassuringly, and Suga flashed him a brief smile before his eyes fell shut. That caused the paramedics to panic and rush off the bus. Daichi watched them place Suga on a waiting stretcher from the bus window, and then his best friend disappears into the large white building with the paramedics.

They weren’t allowed to see Suga for the next few hours. Their teammates’ confusion had morphed into shock and despair once they realized that something was wrong with Suga. The first and second years badgered Daichi and Asahi relentlessly until they finally caved, informing the team of Suga’s epilepsy. Daichi also explained why Suga was currently in the hospital, and Tanaka looked guiltier by the second. Daichi reached out a hand and rubbed the spiker’s shoulder, explaining that it wasn’t Tanaka’s fault. He didn’t know about Suga’s epilepsy until a few minutes ago, so there was no way for him to know how dangerous the movie would be for his vice-captain to watch. Tanaka still moped in his hospital chair until they were finally allowed to see Suga.

It was very early morning when a nurse approached their group with information about Suga. She pulled Mr. Takeda and Coach Ukai away for a few minutes to inform them of Suga’s condition. With Suga’s parents out of the country for work, they were acting as Suga’s legal guardians while he was in the hospital. Daichi waited with the team until the two adults returned to their group.

“Suga will be fine, everyone,” Mr. Takeda smiled exhaustedly. The events of the night had taken a visible toll on him. “He was just dehydrated and exhausted. He’s on an IV right now to get some fluids and nutrients into his system, but he’ll be okay after getting some rest.”

“He’ll be released soon,” Coach Ukai continued gruffly. “They’re just waiting until his IV is done. We should be out of here in an hour or so.”

“Can we see him?!” Nishinoya and Hinata asked eagerly.

“Yes,” Mr. Takeda laughed at their antics, “but you have to be quiet, ok? Suga might be asleep, and we shouldn’t wake him if he is.”

“Yes sir!” The duo nodded before dashing down the hallway.

“Wait!” Mr. Takeda let out a panicked cry. “You don’t even know Suga’s room number!”

Mr. Takeda chased after the two, and soon the entire team was running down the hospital hallway to Suga’s room. Mr. Takeda directed them to take two flights of stairs and a long corridor to reach Suga’s room. Unsurprisingly, Hinata and Nishinoya were the first to the door, with Kageyama and Tanaka not far behind. Mr. Takeda caught up with them, forcing them to wait until everyone had gathered to open the door. Daichi pushed his way to the front of the group, citing his captain status. Suga was his best friend, and he was going invoke his captain rights if it let him see Suga faster.

Mr. Takeda opened the door, and the Karasuno VBC filed into the room silently. Daichi stared at Suga as he entered. Suga was awake and sitting up in his bed. He looked exhausted, but his face had color, and he looked much better than he had hours ago. Suga watched them all carefully, offering them a wave. The IV in his elbow bounced in time with Suga’s wave. Once everyone was settled into the room, Suga gave them a warm Suga-Smile™.

“Hey, guys,” Suga said with exhausted but genuine enthusiasm. “What’s up?”

“SUGA!!!!” Hinata, Nishinoya, and Tanaka yelled, launching themselves at Suga.

They piled themselves on top of a shocked Suga, but he was quick to pull the trio into a warm hug.

“You scared us, Suga,” Daichi said quietly as he sat on the side of Suga’s bed.

“Sorry. I should have told someone earlier,” Suga sighed, snuggling into the cuddlepile on his lap.

“It’s not your fault, Suga,” Asahi hummed from the other side of Suga’s bed. “You can’t control your epilepsy.”

“I guess so… But I still feel bad for scaring you guys like that,” Suga confessed, eyes full of guilt.

“It’s okay, Suga,” Hinata chirped from the cuddle pile. “We’re just glad that you’re okay!”

“Thanks, Hinata,” Suga laughed into the blocker’s red hair.

“Hinata’s right,” Ennoshita chimed in. “I just wished you’d told us about your epilepsy earlier.”

“I know I should have, and I’m really sorry.” Suga bowed his head in apology. “I just hate talking about it. Daichi and Asahi basically had to kidnap me to get me to tell them about it.”

“Is that true, Daichi?” Nishinoya asked excitedly.

“I guess so…” Daichi laughed awkwardly. “In our defense, Suga was very stubborn. That was the only way we got Suga to talk to us instead of changing the topic.”

“Was I really that bad?” Suga cocked his head to the side.

“You were,” Asahi nodded solemnly. “I didn’t think we’d ever get you to tell us anything.”

“You’re always so negative, Asahi.” Suga poked the ace’s arm lightly. “It’s that negativity goatee, I swear.”

“My goatee has nothing to do with it!” Asahi whined sadly.

Suga giggled lightly at his friends, and Suga’s laugh was always infectious. The cuddle pile trio was giggling too, and then Daichi and Asahi joined in as well. Soon, the entire team was laughing, even Mr. Takeda and Coach Ukai. The previous events were long and stressful, so now everyone was finally relaxing a little.

The team chatted amongst themselves quietly until a nurse entered the room to check Suga’s IV. She declared that it was done and swiftly removed the needle from Suga’s elbow before the setter could even process what was happening. The nurse left the room for a moment and returned with a wheelchair for Suga to sit in. Hinata, Nishinoya, and Tanaka clambered off Suga’s lap, so Daichi and Asahi could help Suga into the wheelchair. They wheeled Suga out to the bus and got him situated on a bus seat near the front, so the adults could keep an eye on him. Daichi also sat beside Suga to help him if need be.

Everyone boarded the bus, and they were on their way back to Miyagi. Suga leaned his head on Daichi’s shoulder, eyes heavy with sleep.

“Daichi,” he yawned heavily. “Thanks for everything today.”

Daichi smiled tiredly at his best friend. “Sure. I’m always here for you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” Suga hummed happily. “I’m glad you’re such a good friend.”

“Thanks, Suga.” Daichi yawned as well. “You’re a pretty good friend too.”

“You’re still better,” Suga teased lightly before a big yawn escaped his mouth.

“And you’re still exhausted. Get some rest. I’ll wake you up when we get back,” Daichi said softly.

“Thanks, Daichi,” Suga murmured as his eyes slipped shut.

“Any time, Suga,” Daichi whispered as he felt his eyes grow heavier by the second. He leaned his head on top of Suga’s. The adults would wake them when they got to the school, Daichi reasoned before his eyes shut completely. Karasuno’s captain was asleep in a matter of seconds, taking a well-deserved nap after the chaos of the past few hours. The bus wouldn’t arrive for a few hours, and Daichi was content to nap with his best friend as the bus rolled on through the night.

#sickiesoul writes #reply #sickfic #epilepsy #epileptic seizures #seizure #haikyuu!!#haikyu!! whump #haikyu whump #haikyuu whump #sugawara koushi #daichi sawamura #setter health conditions universe #shc universe #shc #setter health conditions #anime whump

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engekihaikyuu · 3 years

Text

View from the Top 2 - Review

Check out the Read More if you’d like to hear about this show! Askbox is open as well if you’d like me to elaborate on anything out of this.

Before I begin my review of the final show, I do want to start with some caveats:

So as I mentioned previously, the production once again went with PIA for their live streaming platform, which means that live streaming this show is very inaccessible for anyone living outside of Japan.

PIA is a ticketing platform that requires a working Japanese phone number in order to finish activating/registering a new account because you must call the number provided to finish account verification. So without a Japanese contact or a Japanese phone number, this platform is basically impossible.

I have a generous friend in Japan who was willing to share her account information with me, which is how I was able to pay for a show and use her log-in to watch the stream. I did not see this show in-person; I do not live in Japan and obviously travel is off-limits. Even if I did live in Japan, I would have qualms about going to the theater.

There are some logistical issues with this show because of the current pandemic, with the most visually obvious one being the small face shields the actors wear on-stage. They basically serve as protection against direct spittle, but obviously they do nothing to guard against aerosol spread; putting on the play is still an incredible risk to the performers and staff. Another difficulty they face is the fact that Tokyo is still continuing to maintain a nightly curfew. Every evening Tokyo performance needed to be bumped earlier so that spectators can leave the theater in time to make it home for that curfew. Keeping that in mind, the show is a surprisingly condensed 2.5 hours long, where I would have expected 3 hours given the amount of content it covered. This does affect the pacing in Act 2 noticeably, and I get the feeling that were it not for covid and the current curfew restrictions, it would feel a little less rushed at the end.

So, with all that said, here are my thoughts on Engeki Haikyuu’s final play, The View from the Top 2!!! This is absolutely not spoiler-free, for both the play’s content and everything that happened in the manga finale, so if you have not finished the series, this is your last chance to turn back.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t written a full review on a show since Fly High, so I’m a bit rusty at this, and I’ll probably leave out a lot so as always, my askbox is open for people’s additional questions!

The absolute main theme of this play (and really of the entire Haikyuu story) is the friendship and rivalry between Hinata and Kageyama, and the theme: I’m not alone. Engeki really did right by our dual protagonists by framing the final show as showing both of their journeys from beginning to end. Act 1 begins with that familiar sequence from the very first show: Hinata seeing the little giant on TV, being inspired to start playing volleyball, his struggle to find a team in middle school, losing to Kageyama in his one and only middle school tournament, and finding him again at Karasuno. They repeated the scene almost exactly as it was in the first show, and I think it was very smart of them to show us Daigo’s version of it, so to speak. That way we have a more cohesive vision of Hinata from the beginning of his journey to the end. Then they absolutely FLOOD the stage with a montage of projections with footage from all of the shows from the past five-and-a-half years. So already it’s pretty emotional for me, seeing how far the play had come as well as how far Hinata had come in the story.

To parallel this, the beginning of Act 2 actually begins with baby Kageyama. Yes, the baby Kageyama flashback with his sister and grandfather and how he started volleyball. We see Kageyama’s volleyball journey from childhood (for this they used a small doll similar to the dolls they used for young Kuroo and Kenma from Revival) to playing at Kitagawa Daiichi, to losing his grandfather, to being labeled the King of the Court, to defeating Hinata, and then having Hinata find him at Karasuno. And then they once again, they flood the stage with projections with past show footage, but this time they are more Kageyama-centric in the way that the previous ones were often Hinata-centric. And it just really highlights how much these two are meant to share the stage as the two main characters.

To see this framework and to know what’s going to come at the end, with the two of them reuniting in the pro-volleyball arena… just the beginning of Act 2 alone had me in tears. Another way they paralleled their respective journeys was to show us who have influenced them. In Act 1, there’s a dance with Hinata, Hoshiumi, and Udai (all little giants… well, Tsukishima’s in there too because he’s feeling a particular competitiveness with Hinata in this part of the match). In Act 2, there’s a dance with Kageyama, Atsumu, and Oikawa, because Atsumu and Oikawa are the setters who have had the most influence on Kageyama, and he’s drawing on what he’s learned from them for this match. They are not alone in their journeys, they have had people inspire them and be inspired by them in addition to having the support of their teammates.

The Karasuno vs Kamomedai match is interspersed with bits of action from the Fukurodani vs Mujinazaka match, so the stage was pretty busy for basically the entire time. The wires are back for some sequences so that both Hinata and Hoshiumi have a chance to fly, and there are plenty of acrobatics and lifts, and the same incredible soundtrack we love. Ryuu’s Hoshiumi is the obvious standout on Kamomedai for how many lifts he had, and they definitely tried to have him running around on the stage about as much as Hinata. It was notable how much they drew on past techniques and music for various parts of this match, since this is meant to be Karasuno at their peak. When Asahi was feeling particularly stuck/trapped against Kamomedai’s defense, they incorporated the tying-up visual they had previously used in Winners and Losers, with Kamomedai basically tying up and holding Asahi in place with ribbon. There was Summer of Evolution music when Karasuno does a great synchro attack, and the extras-wearing-Hinata-masks reappeared to show us Hinata’s “afterimage” as he flashes around the stage. If you’ve seen all the plays, you can’t miss these call-backs.

The flow of the match was fast. They hit the highlight plays and the highlight emotional moments, but we are clearly past the point where they need to narrate the actual volleyball to us. There was more dancing/acrobatics than attempting to place the two teams on either sides of a physical net with more overt volleyball moves. Everything was more intertwined and fluid than that. And actually now that I think about it, they have been sparse with their usage of a physical net in the past few shows, because everything has been a little more fast-paced overall.

They definitely wanted to highlight Karasuno’s rise throughout the game, to show that they were absolutely a formidable team, that they deserved to be at Nationals, and to show us all the ways that Hinata and Kageyama had grown. For most of Act 2 leading up to Hinata’s collapse, it really feels like they could win this. And I think it makes it that much harder for Hinata to accept being benched, because the team is riding this high and doing so well, and even Kageyama’s more visibly having fun. I think Takeda-sensei easily has a third of the best lines in the series. His speech to Hinata during the Kamomedai match is one that was really gut-wrenching to read when those chapters came out, and it was great to hear it said aloud.

And here is something I’ve never been able to point out because I didn’t do reviews for the past two tours, but I think Daigo’s voice is one of the strongest aspects of his Hinata. I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the work he’s done as a voice actor, but when he cries or whimpers, it is genuinely the most pitiful noise. A lot of Kenta’s portrayal of Hinata’s frustrations throughout the story had an undercurrent of anger and frustration. He’s upset, but there’s always something behind it that says, “well next time, it’ll be different.” And I think Daigo replaces most of that with pure sadness, especially for this scene. After Takeda-sensei lectures him good and proper, and he accepts that he needs to leave, he just sounds so broken. It doesn’t have that anger and drive underneath, he’s just in despair. And why wouldn’t he be? A part of him understands this is the last match he’ll ever play with this team, his first real team.

We then see Hinata bundled up in a coat and scarf, watching the rest of the match from the tablet that Kenma gives him. Snow begins to fall on the stage as he slowly wanders through it, with Karasuno and Kamomedai finishing out the rest of the match around him. Engeki Haikyuu has always allowed for the losing team in a match to line up at the edge of the stage, say thank you to the audience, bow, and take their leave. It’s so symbolic, and it’s so emotional for the actors and for the audience who are in the theater. It’s a moment that just barely breaks the fourth wall, when they turn to us, the spectators, to say, “Thank you for your support.” And they mean it both in and out of character. And I was so so so sad when I realized that Karasuno would take their final bow as a team without Hinata in the lineup. He’s in the back of the stage, separated from his team, and he does take a bow, but it’s very lonely.

Now, I’m sure people are very curious about the timeskip material, and mostly I just have to preface with: it’s fast. It does not take up as much of Act 2 as you might think. It’s boom, boom, boom, cameo here, pre-recorded projections there, patissier Tendou interview, Kuroo in a suit doing a promotional commercial for the V-League, Kageyama’s curry commercial, a projected Osamu selling his rice balls, get the old team together, fateful encounters in front of the bathroom, GO! The only thing we see of the Brazil arc is Hinata having a brief flashback to tell Kageyama that he met Oikawa while he was in Brazil. It’s very short, and that’s all we get for his time in Brazil. Basically, the play is not the place to see Hinata’s journey and growth from those chapters because he goes through so much of it alone, and there’s just no time. The Brazil arc also brings back a lot of technical details about volleyball itself, especially as Hinata is learning the beach version, and that’s an area where the manga is the best medium to examine the finer details of the sport. I can see why a play version would gloss over the technical details to focus on the emotional arc, which is in this case, Hinata and Kageyama.

Because of how fast the ending is, it definitely feels made for the people who already read the manga; Previous Engeki Haikyuu shows have always presented the story in a way that was very friendly to those who may not have read the manga or watched the anime. You could watch just Engeki Haikyuu and not feel like you were missing out on references/jokes for the most part, but this ending would be way harder to follow for those not familiar with what’s already happened.

It’s difficult because I do feel like Act 2 was overly condensed to wrap up this story, but I also don’t think the timeskip material is enough for a whole play on its own. If we had stopped at the end of the Kamomedai match, and had a whole separate play to cover Brazil and the Jackals vs Adlers match… the pacing would’ve been slow and low energy especially in the first half, and it would be an odd choice for the final show of a series like this. My preference would have been for this play to have been three acts, three hours, so that we could linger on some of those timeskip moments a little more, slow it down, and let them land emotionally. But clearly the covid situation prevents that in this case. That being said, I don’t think any of those timeskip moments could really hit as hard as when I first read them in the manga. Narratively, that Haikyuu timeskip was so unexpected and so outside the normal sports anime formula, that the initial shock is extremely hard to top. It was fun to see how they presented everyone in the future (seeing Noya on that boat catching a giant swordfish, or seeing Ennoshita almost break a patient’s back) in stage form, but it’s unreasonable to expect them to give us the same feeling of ?!?!?!? when we first read that Noya was in Italy of all places after waiting weeks and weeks for him to show up.

I still cried in several places, it’s still a great ending to one of the best 2.5D franchises in existence, and it still feels like the culmination of their legacy. I don’t know how it would be possible for anyone to watch that ending sequence with all of the team flags and the chanting of their names, and NOT cry.

There are no more live streams until they complete the rest of their tour and then there will be a live-stream of the very last show, which I will be watching with a towel in hand for my tears. Feel free to send in any questions if you’d like, and if you would like some Strongest Challengers or Trash Heap merch, I have a sales post that I recently made.

#Haisute #Engeki Haikyuu #Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu #Final Show #View from the Top 2 #review #reviews #2300 word vomit for any who are interested

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365daysofsasuhina · 5 years

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Ninety-One: The Patent Office ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

A few days after arriving back in his hometown, Sasuke decides to finally ask Hinata if she’s ready for him to come work.

After bumping into her completely by accident, and then arranging some volunteer help with her new flower shop business, Sasuke’s finally ready to speak to her again. He’d been so taken aback by just so happening to run into her, he’s admittedly put it off for a bit. After all...it’s not every day you come face to face with your high school crush.

A crush he...really isn’t over, apparently. Seems his time traveling the world and learning photography didn’t fully bury the feelings. Because they popped back up like spring daisies the moment they locked eyes again.

He still feels a little bad...he sort of dropped all forms of communication with his old classmates post high school. True, he hadn’t had many true friends...and he and Hinata weren’t exactly best buddies. And it’s not like she’s the only one he hasn’t spoken to in ages. But the general feeling of being a distant jerk remains. After so long with such poor luck with “dating” (he never did have a girlfriend in high school...she was the only one he ever had a crush on, and her sights were always elsewhere), he thought traveling might help him forget, or at least find something new.

But instead he developed a new passion, and it let him shift his focus for a while. A silly high school crush, after all, isn’t anything to cry over once you graduate. Especially since he hadn’t even worked up the guts to admit anything…

And even now, he’s not sure what to do about it. They haven’t spoken in years, and even in school that was rare. The stupid love square they were in meant everyone was preoccupid by the wrong person. Didn’t help her own object of affection got married almost immediately after high school. Sasuke had gotten roped into being the best man, but she hadn’t been there.

...not that he blamed her.

So now, here they are: two practically strangers thrown together after so long. With Sasuke partnering with his brother for several projects, he’s back in town for about a month. And he, running his big mouth, offered to help her with her newest pride and joy: a little flower shop just a few blocks from his brother’s place.

Funny how that worked out…

Breaking from his thoughts, Sasuke takes out his mobile and sends her a short text.

Need any help today? I’m free.

Before he can slip it back into his pocket, he can’t help a small jolt as it jumps in his hand. Huh...someone’s a quick replier.

Sure! Head down any time u want!

Huh...that was easy. Moving downstairs, he gives his brother a small wave. “Heading out for a bit.”

Itachi blinks. “...will you be back for dinner?”

“Probably - why?”

“I thought you might like to go out to eat, since we’ve not had a chance to do so yet.”

“Oh, uh...sure. Just text me when you wanna go, I’m not going far.”

“...oh?”

“Got a little part time gig down the street.”

That seems to get his brother to brighten. “...I’m glad! I’ll let you know when I’m ready, then.”

“Cool.” Giving a mock solute, Sasuke heads out and takes a quick pace down the sidewalk.

It’s funny, he grew up on the other side of town, so despite being home, not much here is familiar. Itachi insisted on remaining due to the town’s artful focus. As a musician, it’s suited him well. Hence Sasuke being ‘hired’ by the orchestra he plays with to take promotional pictures at their shows this season to sell as prints and use for posters. It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, especially since it almost means one long visit with his brother...and no rent for a month.

Hence why he can afford to volunteer a few hours at Hinata’s. Poor thing’s been running her new little business all by her lonesome. While he can appreciate the drive, he’s worried she’s working too hard. Maybe by the time he leaves, his help will convince her to hire on someone else to help reduce her workload.

At the corner before the store, he perks up. Several people linger outside, admiring the displays and heading inside to see more. She was right: she is getting good business. Makes sense: it’s that plant growing time of year.

Heading in, he finds her behind the counter, helping a small line of customers as others take to perusing her goods. While she’s bright-eyed and clearly enthused, he can see a small lag to her frame that betrays some exhaustion. Hinata doesn’t notice him at first, too involved with her clientele, so he hangs back for a bit until they find a lull.

“Hey.”

“Oh! Hey!” She gives a crooked smile. “Things are hopping!”

“I can see that. What do you need me to do?”

“Well, um…” Teeth nibble her lip in thought. “...I guess for now, you can help with inventory…? I think we’re doing okay, but if anything looks low, there should be more in the back you can grab. I’d have you help juggle customers, but…” A sheepish glance. “You...probably don’t know about the flowers, or...anything, r-right?”

“Not really, no.”

“Okay...that’s fine! Just having another pair of hands will be a b-big help!”

He starts by familiarizing himself with some of the basics, noting what looks to be running low. Thankfully he’s got a good visual memory, and it doesn’t take much to head to the back, find what looks right, and bring up more to fill the emptying shelves. Larger items like heavy pots and cement edgers for flower gardens he helps pack around. Her shop isn’t that big, and there’s a noticeable lack of carts or trolleys for carrying large or heavy loads. He might have to suggest that.

Overall, Sasuke has to admit...he doesn’t feel like he’s all that much help. Hinata, being the only expert, still has to handle all the questions, the till and the prices, and taking custom orders for bouquets to make later. But they get through the day well enough, Hinata turning off the ‘open’ sign with a weary sigh.

“Is it like that every day?”

“Nearly,” she admits, a hand at her neck. “If the w-weather is bad, it keeps people away. But nice days like this get pretty busy.”

“Sorry I couldn’t do more…”

“Oh, no no! You were a great help! I’ll admit, some of that heavier stuff is rough…”

“Any way you can get, like...carts to carry things?”

“I should, yeah…” Another sheepish glance. “I have a very long list of “‘should dos’, to be honest.”

“Like hiring some permanent help?”

“...maybe…”

Before they leave, however, Hinata drags out a pot from behind the counter, carefully tending to the plant inside it.

“...what’s that?”

“This,” Hinata explains slowly, concentration mostly on her task, “is a new breed of flower I’m trying to germinate.”

“...wait, like...a whole new species?”

“Mhm. I’d...well, I’d explain it, but…” She gives a soft giggle. “I’m...guessing you might not find it very interesting.”

“Interesting, yes. Something I can comprehend...probably not,” he easily admits. “Not really a plant person. You’d have better luck with my mother, honestly. But it...looks pretty.” A hand gestures, earning a small snort from his companion.

“Thanks...it’s supposed to be a tribute to my mother. She inspired my love of flowers, so...it’s meant to be a thank-you for that. Something that...reminds me of her. I’m hoping I can get them stable and maybe sell some. Sort of help...spread her love, and mine.”

Sasuke softens at that. “...I take it she’s...gone?”

A somber nod. “She died when I was five, a w-while after my sister was born. She had medical complications, and...only lived a few weeks after that. But before she died, she taught me about plants, and how much she loved them. She always had a big garden that would be so full of flowers, the backyard was like a rainbow...and it always smelled so sweet…”

“...well, you’ve accomplished that,” Sasuke murmurs. “I stopped when I got here because everything smelled so good. And the plants you had outside were beautiful.”

“Thanks…”

“So if you do make a new...specie, can you patent it? Or somehow mark it as your own creation?”

“Maybe! I’m not too concerned about that, though. Mostly it’s a personal project. I’m not looking to make it into something big, or worth a lot of money.”

He gives a nod.

The pair lapse into silence for a time. “So...did you want to try to sell some of your pictures here?”

“Huh?”

“The ones you took of the flowers! I thought maybe people might buy them here!”

“Well...I could try. Maybe make a few prints and have them on the counter. I think most people are here for the real thing, though.”

“Well, not everyone has a green thumb,” Hinata laughs. “And that way, they’d have the pretty blooms all year! I bet they would sell!”

“...I’ll have to give it a try.” Smiling, Sasuke then jumps as his phone buzzes. Seems Itachi’s ready to go have that dinner. “Well...I better run. Meeting my brother.”

“Okay! Next time you’re free, let me know! Maybe during a day off, I could...show you more about the products? So you’re more familiar.”

“Sounds good.” Maybe he’d be a better help that way…

Leaving her to lock up, Sasuke exits the shop only to pause as Itachi pulls up to the curb in his car. A window rolls down to show a knowing smile.

“I had a feeling this was the place,” Itachi muses.

Pouting just a hair, Sasuke hops in. “...it’s something to do.”

The elder brother doesn’t reply, still smiling as he drives them off toward dinner.

.oOo.

OKAY, all caught back up as I should be xD Ngl this prompt was kinda like...what? But I managed to...kinda tie it in to this piece, lol - I dunno how patenting really works, but apparently you CAN do so with new plant species, according to google! Don't worry Sasuke, I wouldn't understand it either xD (Also, this is a sequel to day 135, if you're interested!) Anywho, it's way past bedtime for this nerd - thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #uchiha itachi #best years of your life [ au ]#365daysofsasuhina

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haikyuu-imagines-and-others · 6 years

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scenario w tsukki where his fem s/o is colourblind and they're watching the sunset and its a lil bit of angsty fluffness and she asks if he can describe the colours to her and whatnot and she gets upset by the fact that she can never see what he's seeing? and like never see the colour of his eyes and just mush and sad fluff and dsfsoifjdsof

*Deep sigh* It’s that time again everyone…. Time for some much deserved angst! But thankfully no one is dying! So this shouldn’t break your heart too much :3 Maybe… Depends on how my writing is feeling lol Anyway, Thanks for requesting! - Admin Satori

Tsukishima Kei:

When you were a little girl, you thought the world worked and lived in shades of black and white. You’d thought your gray skies were like everyone else, the grays of flowers and tv shows you’d thought were what everyone saw in their everyday lives. Your childhood was generally sheltered, your parents had kept you homeschooled for as long as they could - they knew the moment you’d learn the truth, you’d feel like you were some freak. They wanted you to have a happy childhood, for as long as you could, before some little snot nosed brat came along and ruined it for you.

But the day came when they had to enroll you in public school. High school. And you met Tsukishima Kei. After accidentally running into Hinata on your sports run.

The small ball of sunshine had barreled into you, not having enough time to put his brakes on before the two of you were tumbling to the ground.

“Dumbass!” Kageyama yelled, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi jogging up not too late afterwards.

“Ah, little ace, watch where you’re going.” Tsukishima smirked, but it faltered when your eyes trailed up his form to meet his own, a frown adorned his face before he let out a quiet huff. Without another word, he turned on his heel and continued his jog wherever it was he was heading off to.

You blinked in confusion as you watched him go, hearing the small one’s frantic apologies for knocking you over, the one with black hair yelling at him about being an idiot but that he lost in the race, then the boy with a freckled face was obstructing your view from the boy with glasses. You looked at freckles and smiled softly as he offered his hand to you to help you up, “No no… It’s fine… I’m okay.” You assured the three, your eyes still watching glasses jogging away at his normal pace. “Um… Just.. Uh… Be a little more careful, okay?” You smiled softly at the short boy.

Ever since that day, you wondered to yourself whether or not the world was really made up of just blacks, whites, and grays. Your mind and eyes said yes, there was nothing more to the world than that. There were no secrets it was hiding in the form of visuals.

But how could that be true? The boy you’d seen, later understanding his name to be Tsukishima Kei, he was too beautiful, too complicated, to just be a jumble of shades of gray. How many grays could really exist before they started looking the same? It was only during one of your moping moods that, finally, your parents came clean, explaining your condition. You’d never be able to see colors, you didn’t know what any one color was. Shades of gray were all you were going to know.

The news was heartbreaking, and you’d made your dramatic run out of the house, tears falling from your eyes, your useless colorblind eyes. How could you ever fully enjoy anything now? Everyone else was getting so much more out of life, and yet you were picked to be on the unfair end of the stick? To see nothing but a gray, black, and white color wheel of nothingness?

You don’t know how, but you ended up sitting on top of a hill outside your school, your knees brought up to your chin, your tears still falling the more you sat in your own grief. You weren’t sure how you were going to overcome something so permanent.

“Did Hinata crash into you again?”

The sudden voice scared you out of your mourning, and you looked up suddenly to see Tsukishima standing just at the bottom of the hill, his long fingers pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose while his other hand rubbed a towel against his neck and jaw. He’d just been passing by when he’d notice you crying. And as much of an asshole as he loved to be, you weren’t deserving of his hatred just yet. You’d yet to proven yourself a nuisance. Yet being the operative word.

You sniffled and rushed to wipe your tears, looking away from him with a slight blush on your cheeks, “N-No…. He didn’t…” You assured, not wanting him to get mad at the ball of energy you’d come to be good friends with. He nodded in response, keeping his eyes on you for a few minutes to see if you were actually telling the truth or if you were just trying to get him to keep the peace with Hinata. Your eyes slowly trailed back over to him, meeting his directly for just a few seconds before you were looking just slightly above him at the sky, “Uh… W… What’s the color of the sky right now?” You asked suddenly. You’d wanted to ask him about his appearance, his colors, his complexity… but how awkward would that have been? For a first conversation?

The question threw him off guard, and at first he thought you were going to make a snide remark that would send him on his way. But the look on your face, almost desperate for an honest answer, had him glancing up before looking back at you, “The sky?” He repeated, looking around him, just to make sure you weren’t pulling some stupid prank on him. “It’s orange… with streaks of yellow…” Unthinking, his legs moved him closer up the hill before he was sitting next to you on the grassy knoll, his knees bent with his elbows resting on them.

“But over there it’s a little darker….” You pointed to the horizon off to the left, “And over there it’s brighter because of the sun….”

Tsukishima nodded slowly, still not understanding what you were getting at, “Yes…. It’s turning purple and pinkish over there…. And the sun is setting over here…..” He realized the surreal oddness of his explanation and looked over at you with furrowed eyebrows. You glanced at him from the corner of your eyes and noticed he looked angry - or maybe that was just the shade of gray that formed near his eyebrows, “Is this some sort of joke?” He asked, his voice a bit rough.

You quickly shook your head, “N-no!” You almost yelled, your eyes widening when you saw the way his lips pulled into an irritated frown. An explanation was needed, right now, and you didn’t have any other way of explaining yourself other than blurting out, “I just found out I’m color blind!”

The air stilled between the two of you, and his storm of irritation passed without event, but now he saw you in a new light. “So….” He bit the inside of his cheek, leaning back on the palms of his hands as he stared up at the colorful sky, “What’s the color of your sky then?” He asked curiously, not really being careful about his word choice at the moment. He’d never met a colorblind person before, and he was interested in what your world looked like.

“Gray….” You muttered, your nose scrunching at the word, as if it were the most disgusting word in the world. Almost as if it were as bad as the word moist. You pulled your knees closer and buried your face into your crossed arms, “Always gray….”

Tsukishima nodded thoughtfully, glancing at you from the corner of his eyes now and then while the two of you sat in silence. “And the grass?” He asked, “What’s that color to you?”

“A slightly darker gray…. Sometimes…” You muttered again, feeling your tears brimming in your eyes, “I don’t even know what the words ‘orange’ or ‘yellow’ or ‘purple’ mean….” You sniffled, wiping your eyes as your tears broke free. You didn’t want to cry in front of him, not the beautiful boy.

Inhaling slowly, Tsukishima felt a soft heat creep up the back of his neck and rest on his cheeks, “The grass is green…. The color reminds me of… the smell of a pine tree….” He had looked away while explaining the feeling to the color, but when he finally completed his thought, he glanced at you once more. But he wasn’t sure what the furrowing of your eyebrows meant, “Do….. Have you ever caught that scent before?” Tsukishima asked curiously.

You nodded slowly, “Yeah…. My dad gets a fresh pine tree every Christmas….” You sniffled, letting your right hand fall from your knees and touch the grass below you, feeling the blades tickle your palm. “What about the sky?” You whispered, feeling like you were letting him waltz right through your vulnerability without a fight.

Tsukishima glanced at the sky briefly before looking at you again, but not directly, always from the corner of his eye, “It’s orange… and yellow…. Like the smell of a campfire…” He didn’t know if this was helping you any through your grief, but maybe if the two of you kept talking - you’d be able to gain a little insight to the world that was stolen from you.

“…. What about you? What are your colors?” You asked quietly, but his ears perked and he looked over at you just as you looked at him. Realizing the suddenness of your question, you blushed deeply and looked down at your shoes, “S-sorry… Y-you don’t have to answer that…”

“Blond….” He said simply, not seeing any point in keeping his features to himself. You had been born into a world of grays… Who was he to suddenly give you some reference to colors, and withhold his own? His long fingers pushed up his glasses, “The color of it reminds me of…” He trailed off, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to put a memory to his own hair color… but nothing was forming. Tsukishima let out a small huff as he continued to draw a blank before something suddenly came to him, “Well… My brothers’ hair is the same color as mine… His hair reminds me of the smell of sunscreen when the sun isn’t covered by any clouds….” He smiled softly, wistfully, and the sight took your breath away.

You bit your bottom lip and looked down at your bent legs, feeling your tears falling still, “T-Thank you…” You whispered quietly, but the wobble in your voice struck a slight panic into his heart; why were you crying again?? “I’m really thankful…. To have your references…” You sniffled, wiping away your tears softly this time, “I’m s-sorry if I took up any of your valuable time…”

Tsukishima’s lips twisted into a soft scowl at your apology, “Valuable time?” He scoffed quietly before easily standing from his spot next to you. He didn’t move for a while, just standing near you as he stared ahead of him at the setting sun. “Um…” He coughed dryly, looking away when your eyes were drawn to him, his uncomfortable stance next to you. “I’d be a jerk if I didn’t offer to walk you home…” He admitted as he walked down the grassy hill just slightly so he didn’t have to bend to offer you his hand. Slowly, you let your hand slide into his, feeling him pull you up and helping you down the hill carefully. You sniffled still, and noticed when his hand didn’t drop yours as he walked you away from the school grounds.

#admin Satori #haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! scenario #slight angst #tsukishima kei #buy me a coffee #buy me a kofi

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meowsaidmayaanime · 6 years

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2016 Monthly Watches and Top Picks

An amalgamation of links to my personal watches and top picks, that being said there are a lot of anime I have not watched. If there is an anime that you think I should watch, recommend it to me in my Suggestions page or in the respective comments sections of my posts.

NOTE: I do not have any monthly watches or top picks from January to April, because I started this site in May of this year.

Links To My Monthly Watches (New links will be added soon)

My Monthly Top Picks

May Top Pick

Tokyo Ghoul

Only a few minutes before my 21st birthday I finished this series. Which means that I was an emotional wreck crying out ‘he knew!!’ while also being super excited to go out and buy my first drink; a Bloody Mary, approximately 17 minutes after officially being 21. Anyway, Tokyo Ghoul is so good. I loved it because it did not follow the path I expected it to, every event and conclusion ended up surprising me but in a good way! Without spoiling too much or going into a full review, the main character never became a ‘Mary Sue’ and the way it ended was not typical in the least. I have so many things to say but they all contain spoilers, anyway I’m glad I wasn’t deterred from the anime because one of my friends said he didn’t like the manga because of his assumption about the character. Dude, you were way off, I haven’t read the manga, but the anime is so different and so amazing. 5 out of 5 would recommend!

June Top Pick

Blue Exorcist Movie

The movie has nothing to do with the plot of the anime at all, and takes place after the events in the series. Atleast I’m fairly certain it does? There’s an important (and spoiler-y) thing that happens at the end of the series, that is never addressed or acknowledged in the movie which I think is really weird….. Either way, the movie itself is simply a completely stand alone story from the series. And it was absolutely stunning! Sooooo much detail went into all of the backgrounds and items. On top of that its very well scripted, and the plot flowed incredibly well together without being convoluted, which is surprising since a number of movie sequels to tv series’s tend to go overboard by stuffing too much information into an hour and a half.

It was amazing. Its possible that someone could watch the movie without watching the single season anime, just because of how it was written. However you would not know the relationships or the back story of the main character, which helps to explain a lot of the terminology and setting. Especially the part about demons ect ect.

Either way, I LOVED this movie. I didn’t even know that there was a movie at all until just now. I’m going to re-watch it with a friend when she gets back into town and I am soooooo excited because I KNOW she will love it too. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. I RECOMMEND THIS SO HARD.

July Top Pick

Haikyuu!!

I have boarded the sports anime train, and I don't think I'm ever getting off. This is the fifth sports anime I'm watching and I think it may be my favourite. It's funny too because I only recently started watching sports anime when I watched Free! last December.

This anime is fabulous! I know I say that a lot, but it is so true! Haikyuu!! is about Hinata who joins his high school Volley ball team. The rest of the show is about the developing relationships between the team, the development of their characters and skills, and their relationships between the teams they play against as they try to make it to the Nationals.

I love so much about this anime, every character is different, has their own reasons for playing, their own personalities, their own skills, and their own developmental journey. The characters are amazing!! On top of all that the animation is great, they animate the games incredibly well, and whenever someone does something that's particularly fast or strong they do a fabulous job of showing it through the art style and movements. Ah, I could watch this show for days, well, more days than I already have. (Click the image to view the gif, cause for some reason it won't automatically play...)

Look at the smooth animation!!

Speaking of the art style, It's different than whats common in anime, feeling a little more like a manga, but that's what makes it so great. The style allows them to make fabulous faces/expressions and movements. and Oh man the faces are great, I LOVE an anime that's able to use such a variety of expressions on so many different characters. Look at these faces!

Its such a feel good anime, its so light-hearted, and bright, and funny, and intense! There are only two season out right now, but the third season is to air this fall! I'm so excited!! so, So, SO excited!!! AAAHHHHHH~

This is a must watch. It doesn't matter what genre of anime you like, everyone should give this one a chance.

August Top Pick

Hyouka

So the first thing i need to mention is that this show is first and foremost a slcie of life that happens to include a lot of mystery. Not a mystery that happens to be a slice of life. I originally thought it was the latter which was why I was disappointed that it didn't end the series with a mystery arc, but instead the way a slice of life would.When you acknowledge the show for what it really is, a natural slice of life, it is amazing. For numerous reasons.

First the artwork is so incredibly detailed and beautiful. Second the visuals are distinctly different for each thing ti tries to convey, and completely succeeds in doing so. The audio is amazing, the music is beautiful, the animation is so smooth and they even animate things that aren't necessary to the plot but are animated anyway to make it all feel so REAL. Not to mention the episodes and mysteries are so well written!

look at the incredible amount of detail they put into EVERY SINGLE SCENE.

even when the background is blurred even people who we never learn about or see again have details in their clothes, faces, and expressions. I checked, we NEVER see these people below actually interact with the main OR minor cast.

I almost forgot, this show is about Houtarou a high schooler that sees the world in 'gray'and whose motto is "If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick." Convinced by his already graduated sister, he joins the classics club which was endangered to be disbanded because there were no more members. He meets a girl named Eru who also joins the club and discovers that he has a knack for solving mysteries. That is, only when Eru earnestly goes to him and yearns for him to solve the mystery because her curiosity cannot be contained. From there they quickly discover that the classics club has a past shrouded in mystery.

Its incredibly well done, I love slow the pacing myself, because it fits the flow and nature of the anime. However I do have a number of issues with it myself (some reveal content spoilers so I won't state those here). I admit that the way they ordered large mystery arch and single episode mysteries was not handled well at the very end. Don't get me wrong the ending fit the characters incredibly well and was very good and realistic, however considering the quality of the larger mysteries that were prevalent through the rest of the anime, I feel that they should have ended the series with a multi-episode arc and then one final single episode arc, rather than many single episode arcs strung together. The anime was an adaptation of a light novel, which covered 4 out of the 5 published novels. I've taken a look at the titles of the chapters and it seems that the 5th book is quite the elaborate story. One I would have liked to have seen in the anime, though would clearly have gone over the 22 episodes the anime ended at. Perhaps since this write up for the episode is already so long, I will create a post just about this anime. It definitely deserves more talking about!

Anyway, I do recommend it to veteran-ed anime watchers. It has a wonderful pace that does not push by quickly, great character development and insight, and fascinating mysteries and dialogue regarding such. Its perfect for anyone who loves natural slice of life. Those who enjoy mysteries would also enjoy this, as long as they understand that it is mostly a slice of life, and thus will follow the format of slice of life and not the format of a mystery anime. Its a stunning anime.

September Top Pick

Natsume's Book of Friends

This is an incredibly adorable show. Its heartwarming and has a 'feel good' movie feel to it. If anything taking into account the art style and how good it makes you feel it reminds me a lot of Fruits Basket. Don't get me wrong, its nothing like Fruits Basket in terms of story, but its got the same 'feel'.... if that makes sense.

Anyway, the premise is that Natsume is the only one able to see yokai (Japanese monsters/spirits/gods). After moving into a new town with some distant relatives, Natsume finds out that is deceased grandmother could also see yokai and made quite the reputation among them. She would take the names of local yokai and put it into a book called the book of friends, with their names she could control the yokai. Now yokai are coming after Natsume either to ask him to return their names or to take the book of friends for themselves.

The majority of the show is about Natsume steadily coming to understand both humans and yokai more clearly than he has before. Making friends, learning about the lives of others, learning about his grandmother, and finding out what it really means to be apart of a family and not be ostracized by others because of his ability.

This show is wonderful, its not as gripping or super emotion/action driven as some other shows are, but its very well done. The character are great, the stories are so heartwarming, and it breaks a number of the stereotypical cliches that are often found with anime about a character who can see something that others cannot. An example that I particularly love is how other characters who come into the mix who are also able to see yokai are not automatically 'evil' or an antagonist. So rather than causing mroe trouble for Natsume from the 'get go' they are actually there to help develop him into a better character. Which I love~ Any actual antagonist that shows up are antagonists for a real reason, rather than just for the purpose of having one.

If your into exorcism anime or anime that focuses on traditional Japanese monsters/spirits/gods you will love this one. It is slower paced and focuses more on story than action so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that there are only 4 season out right now as of this post. Season 5 will be coming out with this falls simulcasts and I'm super excited for it

#2016 #msma 2016 #haikyuu!!#hyouka #natsume yuujinchou #natsume's book of friends #blue excorsist #blue exorsict movie #tokyo ghoul #msma monthly watch

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Arrives Just in Time for Episodes 57-63!

Welcome to THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH! I'm Danni Wilmoth, and I'll be your host this week as we make our way through all 220 episodes of the original Naruto. Last week, we covered episodes 50-56, and we continue this week with episodes 57-63. This week we see the conclusion of Naruto’s training under Jiraiya and move onto what we’ve all been waiting for: the Third and Final Exam. The main event this time pits genius versus failure as Naruto seeks vengeance for Hinata and Lee against Neji in round one. It’s a raging battle of ideals that leaves everyone asking, “Where the hell is Sasuke?” Before we discuss these episodes, let's take a look at a question WiseJake237 had about summoning: Maybe I'm misunderstanding the Summoning Jutsu, but if Jiraiya is such a horn toad, why doesn't he just use the jutsu to summon attractive women? It seems like one of the Three Legendary Ninjas shouldn't have to go to the lengths that this guy does. Danni: First of all, that pun had me simply croaking with laughter. Second, my understanding of summoning is that a contract has to be formed between the summoner and the one being summoned. I imagine that Jiraiya could theoretically summon women to him, but they’d have to give prior consent first. Exactly the way it should be!!! Now, let's see what the Crunchyroll Features team thought of this week's episodes! So this week’s batch of episodes began with us meeting Gamabunta, my big grumpy frog dad whom I love. I had always assumed summoning animals basically teleports them to your position to assist you, but he mentions something about it being his first time free in awhile. This begs the question, are summoning animals in Naruto basically Pokémon? And since Gamabunta can talk does that make him Detective Pikachu?

Kevin: Whether the Summoning Animals are from another world or just a different place but on the same world seems to be inconsistent. Gamabunta indicated that the Toad Realm and the Village Hidden in the Leaves are two different worlds, but if I remember correctly, when Kakashi introduced his dogs he said that they get teleported from a distant place, and the accompanying visual implied that it was just somewhere far away, but you could theoretically walk there. So in short: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Peter: Boruto gets into some weird spirit world stuff when they consult the Snake sages about Mitsuki’s location. I’m not sure if super late Shippuden gets into it. Pretty sure they’re all hanging out in some spirit world as shadows against a cave wall or something. Noelle: If I remember correctly, I think the summoned animals are from another dimension or other realm, as we never see them in the regular ninja world. Not a lot of detail is put into that, but it’s always fun to see what new summons pop up next. I never thought about frog Ryan Reynolds before, but I’m sure thinking about it now. Carolyn: I have no idea how to answer this question, honestly. But if the frog were Ryan Reynolds and/or Danny DeVito I would be here for it. Paul: I believe that ninja summons are merely a manifestation of the individual summoner's will, i.e. that there is no separate, extra-dimensional “Toad Realm” or “Dog Realm,” but that these creatures are temporarily called into being and given form and personality by the magic of Ninjutsu. I think it's closer to the Shadow Clone technique that Naruto employs. Also, Gamabunta is clearly a yakuza, whereas Detective Pikachu is a cop. Joseph: From what I recall there’s definitely another realm. Doesn’t Naruto end up there at some point? I’m going off my memory of the manga so gotta do a big shrug here, but I love the frogs in general. David: I definitely feel bad for Gamabunta in the same way I feel bad for Pokémon, who mostly get let out to fight or do jobs. He spends who knows how long locked away in some vague spirit world, only to get summoned by some brat who literally won’t get off his back. Give the poor guy a break! Kara: Too early for me to speculate. The world of Naruto has a lot of weird rules to it and I’m still trying to figure out the whole “raising children to fight to the death” thing before I go any further. That said, I am glad I’m not a summonable animal of any sort. I can’t imagine being in the middle of a nap or a conversation or whatever and just BOOM. Sorry, you’re here to fight now. Both last week’s and this week’s episodes have contained allusions to a connection between Naruto and the Fourth Hokage, and the Fourth Hokage’s portrait last week makes it pretty clear what that connection is. Did anyone else happen to see that coming before now?

Kevin: I think that literally everyone knows the “secret” before it gets revealed in the show. Make no mistake though, as we go in to Shippuden and more is revealed, the writing will be beating you with a lead pipe of exposition to make sure that you understand every single detail. Peter: During my first readthrough I think I knew as early as Zabuza since Minato appears in some photos and he has the same hair. I knew enough about shonen to know that the main character always has an important dad. Noelle: Same as Peter, I figured it out pretty early on in my original readthrough--if two characters look uncannily similar in anime, they’re probably related. Carolyn: I thought that was always kind of implied. I have seen the show before, but seem to remember making that assumption pretty early the first time around, too. Paul: I assumed that the Fourth Hokage was Naruto's Dad (a.k.a. Boruto's Granddad) from the brief glimpse of him that we got during the flashback of him sealing away the Nine-Tailed Fox way back in the first episode. No real surprises there. The bigger question is who is Naruto's Mom, a.k.a. Boruto's Grandma? Joseph: This is such a poorly-kept secret I forgot it hadn’t been revealed. David: The ‘mystery’ may lie more in why he would choose to doom his own kid to societal ostracization than if he is Naruto’s dad or not. Kara: I mean, between the resemblance, Naruto’s obsession with becoming Hokage, and the way pretty much any references to the Fourth Hokage are framed, it isn’t so much foreshadowing as a brick to the head. You’re telling me it gets more obvious? A good way to tell when a series has settled into a comfortable position is when it begins experimenting in other genres. We saw that this week in episode 58 when Naruto dabbles in horror aesthetics to flesh out Gaara’s backstory a bit. It broke its own mold both visually and thematically. Do you think this change managed to accomplish anything a normal exposition episode wouldn’t have?

Kevin: I always appreciate any work of art being taken in a new direction, so I liked seeing episode 58 do something different, and the exposition where Naruto starts to understand how similar he and Gaara are was definitely one of the more effective moments. That being said, most of the rest of the episode didn’t really work. From Shikamaru’s magically disappearing shogi board to Ino somehow just having the fruit basket to Gaara actually being as stealthy as a ninja for the first time in his life to AN ENTIRE HOSPITAL BEING COMPLETELY EMPTY, a lot of stuff just didn’t add up outside of just needing to be that way to be creepy. Peter: My second run through I was kinda flabbergasted Gaara suddenly got so verbose out of the context of writing goth poetry. That said Naruto’s response where he realized he completely understood the logic that brought Gaara to being a homicidal maniac was *chefs kiss*. Noelle: Horror always requires some suspension of disbelief in order to be functional, so even though there were quite a few things off about the scene, I enjoyed it more so for the mood it evoked. On that end, I think it succeeded-- I’m always here for series being flexible with the genres they try out. Naruto’s dawning realization that had things been a little different, he could have easily turned out like Gaara, mmm, that was good stuff. Carolyn: Ah, thank you for bringing this up. When we first started rewatching I was waiting to figure out why I used to like Gaara so much. Now I remember. Paul: While I enjoyed the way they framed Gaara as if he were the antagonist of a slasher film, what resonated with me the most was when they dug into his back-story, demonstrating how truly emotionally damaged Gaara is. Prior to that, I couldn't take him seriously as a villain, but once I got a taste of the tragedy at the heart of his character, Gaara became much more palatable. It also re-contextualizes the Kanji character 愛 (“love”) that he has tattooed on his forehead. Joseph: I also love Naruto’s reaction here. It’s one of those moments that goes a long way toward making a character more three-dimensional, and is leagues beyond the typical shonen “he’s bad so I gotta beat ‘im up!” attitude. David: I honestly thought it was a little overwrought, but I very much appreciated the attempt to use a different style to bring some weight to a backstory that might have come across as sort of absurd if played completely straight. Kara: I really like Gaara, but up ‘til now it’s been in the same way that I like horror movies: enjoying the spectacle. But the combination of his back story with (as others have said) Naruto’s reaction to it was just wonderful. I actually busted out laughing when Gaara said “You can’t understand what it’s like” because oh boy. Of all the people he could have said that to. And this scene was a reminder that in spite of his occasional annoying spans, Nart’s a good kid. The main event this time around was obviously the fight between Naruto and Neji. It seems like every fight in Naruto gets overshadowed by Gaara vs. Rock Lee, but I think I might actually prefer Naruto vs. Neji between the two. In your eyes, how do they compare with one another?

Kevin: I still prefer Lee versus Gaara, mainly because the exposition was significantly better handled. Lee has a few cutaway scenes to show his progress and one or two moments to blatantly stating what he was trying to do, while Neji pretty much had an entire episode where he just explained his backstory to Naruto (and every single onlooker, but I guess no one actually cares that the Hyuga side family are basically slaves). Comparing the fighting is tougher, since Lee’s fight was much more bombastic and over the top, while Neji’s was more technical and strategic, so I can see the merits of both. Peter: I have some more complex feelings in retrospect knowing Naruto’s actual place in the world. Even without the benefit of that knowledge the idea of hard work and never giving up allowing even failures to rise above geniuses felt a little stale given that Naruto had a chakra demon in his corner. All the emotional beats really hit hard as well. Shame Hinata didn’t get to see Naruto win. Noelle: Still on the side of Rock Lee vs Gaara, since it’s hard to beat the pure energy that comes from that fight. Admittedly, I’m not as terribly attached to this fight, but putting my biases aside, I do think the two fights serve as something completely different. One has more bombast, and the other is more melancholy and introspective. It’s a little hard to compare the two, since they accomplish two different things. Carolyn: Yeah, I also have to say Rock Lee and Gaara. A big part of which is just the fact I like those characters much more. Though, I did really appreciate Naruto echoing Hinata in his fight. He can be a very good friend sometimes. Paul: Naruto vs. Neji is important because it's not just a clash of skills, but of ideals. Naruto triumphs not just because he's tougher and / or sneakier, but because he's got a more flexible perspective and because his desire to actively shape his own destiny is stronger than Neji's fatalism. They also frame it as the catalyst for Neji to grow and change, and I'm a sucker for that kind of character development. Rock Lee vs. Gaara is much more one-sided, in that it only really highlights Lee’s determination. Joseph: I prefer Lee vs. Gaara, but this is a good and important fight in its own right. I did think it was hilarious when Neji stopped everything to laboriously explain his backstory to Naruto and the packed stadium. Hey, the ref said no arguing, he didn’t say anything about no expatiating! David: Naruto vs. Neji is a pretty bad ‘fight’ - Naruto doesn’t do anything particularly special with his skillset that we haven’t seen before, Neji has him overpowered the whole time until Naruto turns on his fox chakra cheat code, and they spend essentially two straight episode on exposition. Lee vs. Gaara wins on that front. However, it is a very good ‘conflict’, with Neji’s worldview nagging at Naruto’s core beliefs in a way that feels natural for both the world they live in and how the series has characterized Naruto so far. In that sense, this Neji battle wins out. It’s also worth noting that with Naruto’s line “I’ll change Hyuga,” he’s officially made his first Hokage campaign promise. Kara: For me, Gaara vs. Lee still takes it for the fight itself. It’s the end result of the Naruto vs. Neji fight that resonates for me more than the actual combat. The whole “gonna be the Hokage” thing, despite it becoming enough of a running gag that we track it every week, is at its core about acceptance and recognition. The fact that we see people applauding Naruto after the fight — even a few people going “Hey, that fox kid’s pretty dang good” — is so important. We’ve seen the results of Naruto’s hard work and training so far, but that’s a reward in his own language, in a way. That’s him being applauded where he was laughed at and shunned. So for that, I at least give it a nod. Sasuke managed to take center stage for most of the Chunin Exams, but in the past few weeks his presence in the show has decreased more and more. In his absence Naruto has stepped back into the limelight to finally show us what he’s capable of. How do you feel about Naruto now compared to the beginning of this rewatch?

Kevin: I definitely enjoy him more now than at the beginning of the series. I get that his character is supposed to start as someone annoying who doesn’t listen to people, but having him be more focused, competent and actually able to hold his own in a fight and so show people that he isn’t just a screw up is much easier to watch than the kid from the first few episodes who couldn’t even transform. Peter: Naruto’s fights still don’t get the same animation quality so there’s definitely some favoritism going on. Always felt that Naruto was the funnest to root for narratively but Sasuke was the funnest to watch fight. Noelle: I think more focus on Naruto is a good thing- the series is named after him, and we need to see him grow. As well-animated as Sasuke is, he’s already reached the point where he’s highly capable (even if he still has his own struggles), and there’s a kind of effortlessness in his fights. Shonen always features the underdog rising to the top, and that’s Naruto, not Sasuke. Carolyn: Kind of touched on this earlier, but for me, what makes a Naruto fight is the emotion he puts behind it. He cares very much about those around him and that comes through in his performance. Paul: I'm still not completely sold on Naruto as the protagonist. Comparing it to One Piece, I can think of probably a dozen moments where Luffy's heroism crystallizes the themes of the series, where we can see why so many people love and support him, and why he loves and supports so many people in return. I haven't yet experienced that same kind of “come to Jesus” moment with Naruto yet. Joseph: Naruto is still kind of whiny, especially when he wants Jiraiya to watch over his training, but I like the way he’s developing and getting more time to come into his own as the protagonist. David: Between his realized connection with Gaara and righteous anger with Neji’s story, I am actually coming to appreciate the sort of empathy that could make Naruto a good leader in the future - it already goes beyond him being able to Punch Good. Kara: I think what recent episodes have done for me is contextualize what annoyed me about him originally. His actions and feelings make more sense, and we’re seeing that he actually has the motivation to back up his ambitions. As always, what were the high and low points of this week’s batch?

Kevin: As odd as it might sound, Gaara telling Shikamaru and Naruto about his past is both the high and low point for me this week. I love the slow reveal about how similar Naruto and Gaara are, and the scene is effectively creepy, but at the same time Naruto is frozen with fear… which is something that he swore he would never let happen again and so is somewhat out of character for him. Peter: As above, I wish Gaara had been a bit less transparent with his exposition dump. Maybe explaining his logic without also throwing out his entire life story. Could have done that in flashback without him explaining it so that we know even if others don’t. Just getting a bit of insight into Gaara’s perspective allowing Naruto to realize their connection would have made it even more impactful. My favorite moment was Naruto running into Hinata before the exam. Noelle: High point would be the Gaara reveal. While its execution would be a low point technically, I’ve gotten so immune to shonen having lengthy flashbacks or exposition dumps that I’m more surprised when a series doesn’t do that. Carolyn: Surprisingly, as much as I loved the creepy goth Gaara exposition, my high point was Sakura buying more flowers for Rock Lee because she thought the old ones would have wilted. When this show really wants to get emotional, they know how to do it right. Low point … honestly kind of getting burnt out on how many kids have marks and bad dads. Paul: The high point for me was how they dug deeper into the behind-the-scenes politics with the secret schemes of the Kazekage, who is at odds with the peace-promoting plans of his daimyo. I really dig the ninja intrigue. The low point was all of the screen time they squandered on speculating about whether Sasuke had been murdered by Gaara prior to The Final Test. I don't think anyone was buying what they were trying to sell there. Joseph: I wasn’t that high on the attempt at horror and suspense in the Gaara ep. The boarding and execution seemed kind of sloppy and haphazard. The high point was Naruto vs. Neji and the quote of the week was Kabuto behind the Anbu mask saying, "I'm not suspicious or anything." David: Surprised no one has pointed out the almost entire episode spent on Naruto trying to get to the exam on time as a low point, because I was bored to tears. High point is Neji in the hospital after his fight. Kara: Gotta agree on Naruto’s meeting with Hinata being the high point of the week. I like seeing them encourage each other, be it actively or passively. Low point is probably the drawn-out Sasuke non-mystery. Alright, lightning round. You’re nine years old, and it’s time for recess. You and your friends are all about to play pretend as your favorite Naruto characters. Which one is nine year old you picking? Personally, I’m Shikamaru.

Kevin: Me nowadays would pick Shikamaru, pretty much no question. If I’m thinking back to when I was nine though, I’m pretty sure I would’ve picked Sasuke. Not because the girls all have crushes on him or because he’s “an Avenger” with a tragic backstory, I honestly just love all of the jutsus, especially finding interesting ways to combo them together, and he has access to more than most of the other Genin. I also remember that as a kid, the attack he’ll show off next week was one of my favorite techniques in the show, along with the Eight Inner Gates, which is why Lee is the only other person I might’ve gone for. Peter: At 9 I’d definitely want to be Sasuke, at least in this point in the story. I think at that age fighting style would take precedence over any kind of characterization or narrative. If we hit Shippuden already though, 9-year-old Peter would prefer Sasori 100%. Noelle: Young me preferred Gaara and one other character that hasn’t appeared yet and current me feels… the exact same way. My taste in characters has always been consistent, I guess! Nate: Lee or Guy. I'd have paper bags filled with rocks so I could "drop the weights" and then run around faster. Carolyn: Probably Gaara, as 9-year-old me. But now, most likely Shikamaru or Rock Lee. Paul: Believe it or not, nine year old me would go with Sakura. As a kid, I generally identified with the girl characters in male-dominated cartoons, such as Princess Allura in Voltron and Arcee in the animated Transformers movie. What can I say? I like pink. Joseph: I’d be Kankuro, running around shouting “PUPPET POWER!” at all my annoyed friends. David: Back in the day I started growing my hair out just to be more like Sasuke, so definitely him. Kara: Probably Kiba while trying to convince my childhood dog to be my Akamaru. I had a border collie, so it would either have gone perfectly or terribly. COUNTERS: "I'm gonna be Hokage!" count: 23 Bowls of ramen consumed: 29 bowls, 3 cups Shadow Clones created: 258 And that's everything for this week! Remember that you're always welcome to join us for this rewatch, especially if you haven't watched the original Naruto! Here's our upcoming schedule! -Next week, on MARCH 22nd, the Chunin Exams give way to an even greater conflict in EPISODES 64-70 as NICOLE MEJIAS hosts! -Then, on MARCH 29th, DANIEL DOCKERY returns as the Third Hokage springs into action in EPISODES 71-77! -On APRIL 5th, CAYLA COATES stops by just in time to introduce us to a mysterious new shinobi in EPISODES 78-84! Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all next time! Have any thoughts on our thoughts on Episodes 57-63? Let us know in the comments below! We’re also accepting questions and comments for next week, so feel free to ask away!!! ----- Danni Wilmoth is a Features and Social Videos writer for Crunchyroll and also co-hosts the video game podcast Indiecent. You can find more words from her on Twitter @NanamisEgg. Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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engekihaikyuu · 7 years

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My thoughts on the new Engeki Haikyuu, Winners and Losers!!! Details under the Read More to avoid spoiling anyone who would rather wait until the DVD release.

With a 3+ hour play, it’s hard to do a detailed summary that goes scene by scene because I know I’ll forget about something or mix up order of events, so I mostly want to go over the major themes and particular scenes and characters that stuck out to me. If you have questions for any other character or how a specific scene played out, please feel free to ask! One of the main bits of thematic imagery used this time around was wind as well as the obvious one of music, which we’ve seen in dress rehearsal footage. They went with something of a wind theme for Aoba Johsai, with projections that show gusts of wind flowing across the stage with leaves flying on it, sometimes the breeze animation will shift into twisting, curling vines. Hinata has a couple of dream sequences in the play where he’s buffeted by those winds, and he repeats: “There’s a wind blowing. Sometimes it’s with you, sometimes it’s against you.” Kenma is in the dreams as well (sometimes with a cat head), warning Hinata to not get caught up in that wind, but also implicitly reminding him that he needs that wind to fly. No seriously, the dream sequences were meant to be surreal and weird. This results in a line that Hinata says to Kageyama that is unique to the stage play. “Kageyama, let’s ride the wind!” And to go along with that theme and those images, there are several moments throughout the play where Kenta is strapped into a bungee that hangs down from the ceiling (once, Kageyama is strapped into a bungee of his own) and them he will literally go flying around the stage, taking massive leaps as they run around. Sometimes he’s hooked into a lifting harness and it’ll pull him just straight up into the air where he’ll even just flip around on them like an aerial acrobat to show how high he can “fly.” I personally really enjoyed this added thematic element to this match. I always enjoy when a new version of an existing work interprets the source material in creative ways to work specifically with the new medium, and Engeki Haikyuu is always excellent about fully utilizing THEATER-SPECIFIC effects and humor. It does things with the story you’ll never see in the anime, things that don’t read right in illustrations, and I’ve always held a deep appreciation for the creative collaboration this show has been. When it comes to the music theme, it’s there for both teams, but much less so for Karasuno, since Aoba Johsai is meant to be the image of a smooth orchestra, and Karasuno is still a little haphazard as a team. Every single piece of Seijoh’s choreography and music reflects the orchestra theme. Their movements are always elegant and smooth, and now they feature a lot of ballet movements. Aoba Johsai is meant to be classical music, Karasuno is a rock band trying to figure itself out lol. And of course that ties into the setters because Oikawa is that model orchestra conductor. When Suga is on the court, it’s like he’s directing a jazz band. Fun and upbeat, mostly in sync, but not Seijoh’s elegance. For Kageyama, it’s difficult to get the hang of the conducting, he doesn’t quite know how to lead the team in a distinct choreography line Suga can, but that also highlights how hard the team is working around Kageyama to try to follow the pace he’s setting. So following that I want to talk about Kageyama because I must have cried for about three of his scenes at least. They feature a lot of flashbacks for him, including the middle school mid-match rejection we’ve seen before, as well as the scene from middle school where he asks Oikawa to teach him and nearly got punched instead. These flashback scenes are done a few times each, with the narration and POV switching between characters, and when it’s Kageyama’s POV, he is unbelievably hurt when Oikawa rejects him the way he did. He gets so caught up in that memory, remembering that he then decided he would simply have to become better than Oikawa, and this is when his conducting gets super erratic and his plays start getting sloppy. Sometimes the King of the Court will appear on stage (a secondary actor wearing the crown and the cloak) and Kageyama will see him and turn away in fear. Just before he’s benched and Suga takes the court, he grabs the King by the shoulders screaming at him, “NOT YOU! NO! GO AWAY!” They show him physically rejecting this haunting memory of the setter he used to be, and honestly, it’s super heartbreakinggggg. Heart-wrenching moments also go to Suga of course, but I always found them most GUHHH when his own insecurities are directly tied to still being a good senpai to Kageyama. And I feel like the stage play acknowledges this much more than the manga and the anime, because they give Suga and Kageyama so many moments together. The stage play better shows Kageyama’s admiration of Suga and also his appreciation of him, as the setter senpai who doesn’t reject him the way Oikawa did. Over and over the two of them share this one line of dialogue where Suga gently reminds Kageyama that their team is strong and he’s not alone. He can depend on them. Suga: What do we say about our team? Kageyama: Everyone is very strong. Whenever Suga is on the court they give a LOT of attention to third years and how overjoyed the three of them are to play together. Daichi and Asahi are extra animated and take center stage with Suga as they play, and it’s sooooo sweeeet!!! They do also include flashbacks to the third years when they first joined Karasuno, and this is done by the three seconds years wearing face masks of the older three. Kazuma/Ennoshita plays younger Suga, Kouhei/Tanaka plays younger Asahi, and Shouhei/Noya plays younger Daichi. Hilariously, Shouhei has like a cushion or something stuffed up his shirt to give him Daichi’s broad chest and then he also just sticks that chest out constantly and I could not stop laughing. THE TOBIUO. A scene where I laughed WAY longer than I should have was when Tsukishima and Tanaka make the flying fish joke with Kageyama’s name. What you don’t see is everyone else covering Kageyama from view as he puts on AN ACTUAL RIDICULOUS BLUE FISH OUTFIT and then he awkwardly hops forward screaming that he’s not a fish. And just when I thought to myself, wow, I can’t believe they made him a fish outfit for this 2 second joke, HE THEN KEPT IT ON FOR THE ENTIRE NEXT BIT OF CONDUCTING CHOREOGRAPHY, FLAPPING HIS FINS TO LEAD THE TEAM IN A ROUTINE FOR A SOLID 3 MINUTES??? BEFORE HE WADDLED OFF-STAGE TO CHANGE. I cried at that. Another sequence of scenes that I found super emotional was everything leading up to Yamaguchi’s failed serve. They show him asking Shimada, training with him, etc… but they also tied in Tsukishima more closely. They show Yamaguchi telling Tsukki he has something else to do and running off, and Tsukishima acting very rejected. During the Seijoh match, during a timeout, he and Tsukki share this dialogue. Yamaguchi: It looks rough out there. Tsukishima: Well obviously. Standing on the court for a while is tiring. Yamaguchi: But… I’m still envious. Of everyone. I want to stand on the court too! And as Yamaguchi stands there, his back to Tsukki as he admires the team, Tsukishima reaches out and says Yamaguchi’s name to tell him something BUT THEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS and they have to resume play. I have never been more frustrated omg because that extra “Yamaguchi!” is not in the manga or anime and my heart was just screaming WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO SAY?!?!?? As for adorable cute, time to talk about Kuroo and Kenma. Because oh my god. I know a lot of you know by now that Takato and Shouri cross dress to play Oikawa fangirls during the match, but they have about FIVE MILLION costume changes???? They’re CONSTANTLY running off the stage to change into Kuroo and Kenma and coming out on stage for flashbacks or Hinata dream sequences or to serve as visual reminders for Kageyama and Hinata as they remember playing with them. They’re constantly implying that the setters always have that one spiker that they trust and always toss to. For Kenma, that’s Kuroo. For Kageyama, it’s Hinata. For Oikawa, it’s Iwaizumi. For Suga, it’s Asahi. Kuroo frequently circles Hinata as Kenma circles Kageyama to play up that parallel. And then they run off stage to put the skirts and the extra hair pieces back on… I mean, I lost count of the costume changes after ten. As girls, they did a personality switch so Takato is the friendly, outgoing girl who is always pulling Shouri along and engages in conversation with Shimada about the game and the plays they make. Shouri is the shy one who trails behind or is scared of talking to Shimada and the one who gets super flustered and squealy. These two are the source of the humor most of the time because the players have a lot of drama going on obviously. When they first get on stage as girls, Takato asks, “Did you get taller again?” Shouri, super chipper, and with his voice pitched up, goes, “Now I’m 187cm tall!” They also show up at the end of the first intermission to open the second Act as Kuroo and Kenma. Kuroo STRUTS onto the stage and dramatically gestures for everyone to clap, and then he SNAPS to make everyone stop and just goes, “That’s goood~” Then he tries to do the Nekoma chant but gets to the brain line and goes, “Wait! The brain isn’t here! Kenma!!!” Then Kenma walks onto the stage playing a game and Kuroo tells him to switch it off, so Kenma turns to the audience. “Since I have to turn off my game, if everyone else in the audience could also please turn off your cell phones and refrain from—“ Kuroo: “Who are you talking to?” And Kenma keeps giving general viewing instructions and Kuroo keeps being weirded out because obviously “There’s nobody there.” But then Kenma keeps trying to break the fourth wall and keeps asking Kuroo taboo questions. Kenma: Say, Kuroo… why are we the only Nekoma members— Kuroo: That’s taboo!!! Kenma: What about those girls— Kuroo: ALSO TABOO; DON’T SAY IT!!!! Obviously these are supposed to be the girls that originally came to cheer on Oikawa but as they continued to watch the match, they started rooting for Karasuno too. Towards the end of the third set, Takato shouts, “Aoba Johsai, Karasuno… Both of you do your best!!!” And then Shouri starts PULLING UP HIS SKIRT to show his Nekoma uniform underneath and shrieks, “NEKOMA, DO YOUR BEST TOO!” and Takato has to pull his skirt back down while screaming that that was especially taboo!!! Shouri spends the rest of their scene there with his pink skirt pulled up awkwardly around his chest because of the way he pulled on it, and it was SUPER DISTRACTING. And um… uhhh…. I’m leaving out so much, there was so much going on, but this is so long and… I woke up at 4am because of jetlag and instead of going back to sleep I started writing this so... I’ll make other posts as I remember more and feel free to ask!!!

#engeki haikyuu #hq stage #winners and losers #review #i don't know if you guys can tell #but I love this production #they just continue to impress me every time #and I just love engeki haikyuu so much #omg you guys

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