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anonzentimes · 1 month

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Hi Zen! This might be another difficult question for you to answer, but I'd like to ask: Which official artwork of Nagito do you like the most?

Even in the official art, he looks different sometimes, doesn't he? I am still confused as to what color his eyes are. (In a lot of fanfic they are described as gray, but in some art they are clearly blue).

I would like to know which of the official artwork, whether in games, anime or manga, is your favorite.

Whoa!! that Is a difficult question! I'll try to answer it though haha!

I have a lot of them I like but choosing one is pretty difficult... so I'll just start this answer off with a discussion on the inconsistencies statement! I believe Nagito's eyes are definitely gray, at some points it maybe hard to tell but they're definitely gray! There are a few anime moments where his eyes feel green, some promotional material straight up changes it to green, and a small amount spin off art may change it to something that can be interpreted as blue, but for the most part they are absolutely gray.

I think the only actual very small change he undergoes is his color tips? His hair always has a gradient but the colors used for it are a little inconsistent sometimes. In Danganronpa 3 they're red and occasionally purple so it's a little weird haha! Sometimes he's not drawn with his gradient at all, a slight gradient with the same color, a red gradient, or a purple gradient so it's pretty confusing. His gradient also changes with how prominent it is depending on the art if there even is one. He's drawn most often with red subtle tips though so I think that was the intention. You could probably chalk it up to lighting if you wanted Lol.

While I do love a lot of his sprites I think some of them are pretty restrictive and lack all of the emotions we know he's able to show because he does in other appearances. This is why I really like when the Mangas allow him to be very expressive beyond what his sprites can convey! I think his sprites can really excel with some expressions but falls flat with others.

Rambles about his sprites in Dr2 and his slight inconsistencies aside, a lot of his art is great! (I'm very biased) but I do have some strong opinions, positively and negatively, on quite a few of them. The main thing is that I don't know if I actually have a favorite??? It's a really difficult question.

But I do want to highlight these three dr2 cgs I really like! He isn't fully 100% consistent here but I really like them. I know a lot of people think Nagito's showing Junko's arm art looks bad but I honestly like it. Nagito about to play Russian Roulette is such an awesome moment too! The one where he has the fire behind him is not only really cool, but also a really good in game shot of most of his body from a different angle!

I truly, again, love his manga art! His specific spin off's manga has a lot of really amazing, interesting, and fun visuals! Even if I'm not really fond of the anatomy the artist uses it's still really good stuff. The Danganronpa 2 spin off mangas have really good anatomy and expressions he looks sooo good there I'm in love with it.

While I'm at it I also want to highlight his reference sheet, it's clearly consistent because that's the job of a reference and I think his expression is pretty cute here. I don't really see people talk about it so I just wanted to also bring it up Lol.

For the most part I've really struggled to directly answer your question because he has a lot of different interpretations, art, and appearances that all mix together into one mental image or understanding of what he looks like for me. I really love most all of his art so it's hard to say. Nagito has a lot of different tones in his art as well, from his crazed ramblings to happy expressions, he has so many tonally different art pieces because he excels at being sweet and intimidating. This makes it even more difficult!

In conclusion, I don't believe I can come up with an absolute answer for you unfortunately. Regardless though, I definitely learned from this that I have strong opinions on all of his art. I hope you enjoyed my appreciation for some of his art and small talk about mild inconsistencies of his haha!!

Apologies this took so long and Thank you for your ask <3

#nagito komaeda #danganronpa #danganronpa komaeda #sdr2 nagito #danganronpa nagito #sdr2 komaeda #komaeda nagito #sdr2 #danganronpa goodbye despair #nagito #dr2 nagito komaeda #sdr2 nagito komaeda #nagito art #nagito ask #nagito asks #danganronpa asks #danganronpa 2 spoilers

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gascon-en-exil · 3 months

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A Primer on Actual (SFW-ish) Male Fanservice

Has this ever happened to you? You're making a social media post or video or whatever about Fire Emblem Heroes, and you point out that a primary feature of the game is its unrelenting torrent of horny-just-verging-on-explicit female character designs: the physics-defying bras, the impossibly-contorted boobs-and-butt poses, upskirts and camel toes galore, strategically-placed rips in damaged art, the odd foot focus here and there, etc.

You're making a good case - not that it's hard, IS is not subtle about any of this - but then someone comes along and leaves a comment to the effect of "but the summer banners have shirtless men! Checkmate, loser."

This post aims to counter that, to demonstrate that genuine male fanservice on par with what FEH does with its female characters looks very, very different and amounts to much more than just muscular guys with their shirts off. To do so, I'm going to have to pull example art from pretty much the only video game subgenre that can be relied upon to deliver here: sexually explicit gay dating sims. We're going to be looking at how these games frame the male body, and what sexualized (partial) male nudity really looks like outside of the aspirational power fantasy lens adopted by most mainstream, straight-male directed media including FEH.

Of course, I'm gay myself, and I can anticipate the rebuttal to this rebuttal - that women, allegedly, do not eroticize the body in the same way as men...unless they're dirty fujoshi in which case their opinions can be immediately discarded. I leave it to any women reading this to have fun unpacking that nonsense.

(It must be noted that, while the games I'm pulling these images from are all explicit, I've gone out of my way to select art that would theoretically fall within what seem to be the content guidelines of FEH: no exposed genitals or bare butts. I'm labeling this post SFW-ish all the same though, so use your discretion when viewing.)

Let's start with something simple and softcore from Coming Out on Top.

This is a variant on a popular mild fanservice image: a guy lifts his shirt, exposing his belly (and possibly stomach hair). In context this is also intended to convey vulnerability, as the character is drunk and struggling to undress. Also noteworthy is that the framing here is explicit with the MC in the shot.

Continuing with the softer stuff, here's one from clicker game Blush Blush.

This game has a bunch of technically SFW options to choose from, but I went with this for two reasons. One, it's an example of how shirtless men can be eroticized without being excessively muscular; two, it's a goofy holiday pic that teases with the strategically-placed candy cane and the allusion to the "Dick in a Box" Saturday Night Live song. The NSFW variation of this image goes full throttle with that idea.

From All Men Are Pigs:

I really wanted to include something from this game as its art style stands out quite a bit in contrast to many of the others here, although unfortunately some of the best examples break the rule. Here in a rare (for these games) non-sexual action pose, the character is performing a ballet routine on a stripper pole in a gay bar: a campy concept that works fairly well in context and that explicitly calls attention to the character as an eroticized object. He is, however, consenting to the in-universe ogling, and as he's elsewhere revealed to have experience with sex work it's understood that he knows the value of showing off his body. Call that something you'd never hear a character express in FEH...except someone like Camilla, perhaps?

Let's get a little spicier with a pair from Full Service.

This may be the tamest of the swimwear outfits seen in the game's beach episode, but I wanted something that would compare to the summer banner designs of FEH's male characters. Even so, note the pose: reclining, legs slightly open, displaying a single nipple. This guy is the biggest bottom in the game's cast and is framed as such, even with the relatively conservative outfit and the sunglasses obscuring his face (which symbolically tie into his internalized biphobia and anxiety about publicly expressing his attraction to men). Further, because this character is a model it may be assumed that the posing is intended to be read as deliberate.

This one comes from the game's costume night set piece, which includes several designs that wouldn't be out of place in some of the more random seasonal banners. I chose this one as a counterpoint to what FEH does with its shirtless men. There's the cocky expression, the crotch bulge with nothing underneath, and the angling which makes it look like he's standing over you. To contrast the beach image, this guy is the total top of the cast, so the musclebound partial nudity is less about being aspirational for the presumed viewer and more about erotic dominance.

For something more fantastical, here's one from the sci-fi title The Symbiant: Re:Union.

This game's main claim to fame is alien tentacle porn, but this scene is intended as a moment of genuine, human(oid) vulnerability for the character, on the night when he reunites with his ex (the MC and viewer here) for the first time in two years. The camera pans up over his entire body, ending on this view in profile with a very large nip slip and the cigarette calling attention to his hand and mouth. As with several others, this image is also deliberate enticement, conveying both the languor of casual hookups and the weight of the characters' history together. (Obviously a mobile gacha doesn't have the space to grant such narrative or thematic significance to its eroticism...but that is part of the point.)

Moving along, here's one from Camp Buddy: Scoutmaster Season. Get ready for the just-shy-of-X-rated.

This one's a character portrait, unlike all the others here which are CGs, so debatably it's more in line with what you'd see in FEH. And...yep. It's a sexy bull costume. "Crotch bulge" doesn't begin to cover it, there's the pubic hair, the pierced nipples, and assorted other bits like the bell and the saddle and the tailed butt plug. Some time ago I showed off a different horny character design from this game and got an anon calling it stupid, so let's talk about that. Is this design technically something someone could wear in real life? Yes; parts of it resemble bondage gear, and the character displays his interest in leather in another scene. Is it impractical and stupid? Quite possibly. Does the subsequent sex scene take full advantage of the costume for some Dom/sub barnyard roleplay? Also yes. This continues my point about designing beefy (heh) muscular guys, and how there's a world of difference between this and, like, Hawkeye or summer Ephraim/Dimitri/whoever.

Incidentally, this character also has an oversized dick to the point of straining disbelief and the MC's insides. If you're looking for the male equivalent of breasts so enormous they can barely be held in by barely-there tops, that would be giant dicks - and there's no way in hell that we'll ever see those in FEH, even in technically SFW bulge form.

Continuing with BLits's games, here's one from the upcoming Jock Studio.

It's a male boobs-and-butt pose, one that doesn't require the character to dislocate his spine! I chose this image because the pose and outfit choice is remarkably similar to that of the notorious Tharja Summer Scramble DLC pic that got censored outside of Japan. Jock Studio actually has a better instance of the same pose with a different character, one where the MC's horny dialogue even calls attention to the ampleness of those two elements; unfortunately, the character has his underwear off there so it's too horny for this post. Much like Tharja with Anna in the DLC, here the character is being surprised by someone walking in while they're changing and making comically lewd remarks about their body. The contextual difference is that, rather than being forced into a swimsuit, the character here is disrobing to film a pornographic scene, and is only surprised by the MC only just now learning that their club makes porn. Hilarity ensues in both cases, but JS's setup is ironically less voyeuristic despite the game's premise.

Finally, let's close things out with one last image from Coming Out on Top. Very borderline, but I've got a distinct point to make with this one.

Like a lot of media, gay dating sims often struggle with eroticized depictions of various types of men, among them fat, hairy, and middle-aged (or older). I believe the oldest human character with a stated age in this post is the bull guy, and he's merely in his 40s. But back to the image above, it takes full advantage of the size and age of the character on the right relative to the MC. His bulk takes up much of the frame, but it's clearly an intimate, protective embrace you'd expect of a bear daddy character. I point this out because larger and/or older male characters are often disregarded outright in FEH, or like Fargus recently they're paradoxically given more fanservice-y designs (Visible nipples and chest hair! In FEH!) presumably because the developers think that no one would look at them that way.

I think that's enough for now. The important thing to remember here is that sexual fanservice is more than simply degrees of nudity. It's about framing, angling, which body parts are emphasized, and when possible the surrounding circumstances and how they inform the character's eroticism. Is it deliberate, is it accidental...

...or is it just there to get you to gamble for your favorites?

#Fire Emblem Heroes #FEH #Gay dating sims #Male fanservice

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ygsunflower · 10 days

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I like how the show added Cam and Rebecca as characters to the show plots, not just for the tension/“romantic spice” between them, but also because the duo’s own history also reflects on the terrifying aspects of teenage bullying/ignorance and racial prejudice/assimilation to white culture which tie to the overarching theme of the show. And more importantly, I like how their stories serves as mirror parallel to the main Reena Virk storyline: In a way, how they turned out could be how these kids turn out in 10 years. At least it could be one possibility. You clearly see the passing of her brother messed Rebecca and Cam up until present day. They both have yet fully processed their thoughts and experiences. And the unresolved issues/feelings certainly affected their personalities and life choices.

After finishing the book (actually finished listening to the audible), I also listened to the additional hour-long segment interview with the author. And now I'm curious about how the last two episodes of the series will present the story author Rebecca Godfrey chose to tell in the latter part of her book... Certain part of those stories (especially knowing they truly happened) really gave me some strong emotions… Her writing succeeded in immersing readers in the situation at the time, evoking empathy from readers for both the teenagers and adults involved in the case.

Looking back on Rebecca in the series after listening to the author’s interview, I feel that the character is pretty true to the actual Rebecca. Obviously it’s not a 1:1 replica, but the show captured the essence of the author- I think the portrayal of this character Rebecca did a good job explaining some of the reasons behind the author Rebecca's choice to tell this story (not quite as dramatic for sure), especially the thoughts going into why she decided to approach the case in this particular angle: tell the stories of the kids involved in this cruel and complex case from their perspective and then following onward in this way. Along with the added dramatic artistic decisions, it makes me appreciate even more turning the original author into one of the story's characters and combines it with the author's own experiences to tell the story. Like I said before, if the case of Reena Virk itself is the show’s main focus, then Rebecca and Cam are like the messy adults these kids might turn into in ten years if their issues are left unaddressed properly... The author wanted to convey the complexity of this true case- to tell the stories of teenagers involved in the event whose emotions are often times overlooked and ignored, while also trying to expose the injustice in the justice system. I think adding Cam and Rebecca into the show definitely hone down on these points and made the storytelling more compelling.

I saw that Rebecca Godfrey is also listed as one of the executive producers of the series. Reading that Emmy magazine interview, knowing that she also looked forward to and participated in the preparation of the series, but unfortunately, passed away before the official shooting began, what a commemoration then to see Rebecca Godfrey, in her own image, incorporated and preserved her real life connections to the case and the people involved in the case on the show. She chose to tell this story, and now she is forever linked to it.

#under the bridge #random rant #rebecca godfrey #rebecca x cam #cam bentland

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amerricanartwork · 8 months

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Current digital art process!

Acting on @shkika 's request because making my redraw for this post actually ended up giving me more confidence in my digital art process! As such, I'm gonna use it as a reference. And if this walkthrough of sorts turns out nice, I might do it again as my process evolves!

I started off with a quick sketch of sorts, trying to focus both on movement and volume, and get the general idea of where each element is located. I edit the image dimensions and placement of things a lot in this phase, as my ideas often tend to change once I actually begin drawing them. In this case, as I got it down, I decided I wanted it to look like some cheesy animal motivational poster, so that influenced where the text was.

From there, I began to clean and sometimes edit the sketch, mainly by thickening the lines to make the shapes more definite, and erasing what wasn't necessary and interfered with other parts. Volume is one of my biggest focuses in my drawings, so I try my best to get the volume of each character at least hinted at with the lines. This is something that will probably remain in my process for a while, as I quite dislike doing separate lineart and like the messy, sketchy feel anyway.

I also wanna mention, in addition to having references and such in other windows, I've recently begun having a second mini window of my current drawing off to the side so I can see what it looks like overall more easily, regardless of how much I zoom in on and flip the main window. It's quite helpful!

For reference, this is what the final sketch looked like:

Then, I went on to add the flat colors. Another tip: I almost always set my sketch layer to "Lumi & Shade" because I think it makes the line colors a lot richer, but since it's based on what colors are underneath, it colors the lines a lot more individually than changing the sketch color as a whole. Here's some comparison to a version without the effect (left):

Then, I add some shading using a (really nice) marker brush. This is honestly one of my favorite parts of the process, just trying to carve out all the volumes, especially since I usually use a pretty blue color for shadows!

Sometimes, I honestly just leave drawings finished at this step, because I adore the sketchy look so much, and because I really don't like the tediousness of more realistic rendering in the painting process; from what I've seen/experienced, it often involves having to basically paint the entire image over again, which I've realized I find REALLY boring (and is also why I clean the sketch instead of making a new lineart layer). As such, one of my hopes is to reach a point where I could almost completely avoid having to clean up the image in a traditional painting method, instead being able to lay down lines and colors so well that they convey nearly all the volume necessary on their own, still have that sketchy appeal, yet also look finished and professional.

Alas, I did do a bit of clean up on this image, but I think it still turned out alright!

Here's the finished drawing! I'll have to practice with this process a bit more to truly solidify it as my digital go-to, but nonetheless, I think this came out adorable! Thanks again shkika for the ask, and thanks to @mintscampi for the sweet prompt! I hope you guys like it!

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crabussy · 21 days

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I'm not putting anything in the tags, turn on comments coward. Have you tried to use google lately or any other search engine? they censor a plethora of information and are known to feed narratives based on what certain corporate counterparts want. I would rather hear from a person, or even ai who has the toolset to officially attain information convey a specific point rather than provide some of the most mind numbing journalism articles to ever exist. Scholar is the only good part of google anymore unless you're checking the weather.

hi there! I'm a bit baffled by the tone of this, we're strangers and I don't understand why you felt it was okay to call me a coward over this, but I'm going to try and explain a few things to hopefully clear this up! I'm very sorry you felt upset at the wording of my poll.

first, I have comments off because people kept using my comments to make fun of me, or call me awful things. this was on posts that were apolitical in nature, too. I guess I'm pretty easy to bully. I'm just trying to reduce the number of upsetting comments I see about myself. my comments are off on all posts (unless you've been following me for over a week!). I'm sorry, I'd turn them on for this post if I could but the setting can only be applied across my entire blog. You can totally reblog and put your thoughts in the body of the post though! that way it doesn't get lost in the tags.

next, I realise I wasn't clear about what kind of information the poll was about. I was talking about questions like "what does 'myriad' mean?" or "what is the name of the fruit in this image?" or "are kiwi birds extinct?", all of which I've seen something similar being asked in the comments of posts. I wasn't talking about the more nuanced, complex, important information that needs a lot of explaining. I'm very sorry I wasn't more clear in my post, I'm going back to edit it and clarify after I've posted your ask!

Lastly, you do have a good point. search engines are notorious for picking and choosing information and are very prone to corporate interference. but please, in future, try not to assume the worst about people you don't know! I posted that poll for fun, out of curiosity, and apologised for the lack of nuance in the post. I was quite surprised and hurt at how unkind your wording was, when it didn't need to be at all. you could have conveyed the exact same information without calling me a coward for a choice I made. I understand that this subject is important to you and you might have felt like I was restricting your ability to share your thoughts, which could have influenced the tone you chose, but like I explained, it was for entirely unrelated reasons, to keep myself safe online. I know you might be used to people who do this kind of thing on purpose, or are intentionally abrasive towards you and others, and I'm really sorry if that's the case. It still hurts to hear someone call me names.

#ask tag #long post #discourse #<- not exactly but. for anyone who has that tag blocked #I hope my response comes across right!! if you have any questions please dm me or reblog with them! I'm happy to try and answer #long answer sorry! but I hope what I'm trying to say is clear

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vadertyrannus · 1 year

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Zendaya's MJ will definitely return in the second MCU Spider-Man Trilogy

Ever since the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, people have wondered whether MJ (played by Zendaya) will return in the next trilogy, and for those who know she will, whether she should.

I'm making this post to not only prove that yes, she will, but also debunk common arguments against her returning.

Foreshadowing in the movie

MJ's return is directly foreshadowed quite a few times in No Way Home.

"If you don’t, I’m just gonna figure it out. I’ve done it before, I can do it again."

MJ tells Peter she loves him. Then Peter is about to tell her he loves her too, but MJ interrupts him, telling him to wait until he sees her again. If this was the end of their arc, the writers wouldn't leave this thread open. You can't set up something and have no payoff.

The way MJ looks at and acts around Peter in the pastry shop scene. She has that same look in her eyes that she always has when she looks at Peter (probably a symptom of Zendaya loving Tom Holland in real life, but still). The way she smiles, brushes her hair, is nervous around him while at the same time open (being willing to talk about going to MIT) seems to indicate that MJ is naturally comfortable with him and maybe even has a crush on him.

And finally, right here, which is by far the most obvious example and the nail in the coffin.

The final shot of the scene is MJ having a lingering sense of recognition, and this is specifically pointed out in the script. Very, very blatant foreshadowing. So much so that I find it so weird that so many people seem to miss it.

It's as she said, "If you don't, I'm just gonna figure it out."

If this was her final scene, this scene would have much more finality. It wouldn’t end holding on MJ, but rather Peter leaving. This is basic cinematic language.

The final shot of a scene is always the most important, because it’s the last impression it leaves on you. And here, they chose to emphasize MJ recognizing Peter the most.

All of this is clear set up for MJ remembering Peter and the two eventually rekindling their relationship.

MJ is Peter's true love

The fact is, MJ needs to come back. It's inevitable. Expecting MJ to actually be gone is like expecting Spider-Man to have stayed dead after Infinity War.

It's very clear watching both Far From Home and No Way Home, both of which focus a lot on their relationship, that Michelle Jones is Peter Parker’s endgame love interest and an incredibly important character to this iteration of Spider-Man.

I plan on making a separate post later going into more detail, but it's important enough to shortly elaborate on here.

Peter and MJ are truly in love with each other and meant to be together. They’re perfect for one another, have amazing chemistry, love each other to no bounds, and support each other every step of the way.

Peter always puts MJ's well-being before his own, and MJ is so loyal she'll bring a mace to help Peter fight killer drones, and refuses to leave his side when facing 5 villains. And I mean she literally won't leave his side; like, she wants to be right there with him, even when it's that dangerous, because she's that brave and she cares about him that much.

Peter and MJ are alike and while also complimenting each other in all the right ways. MJ is as soft, sweet, caring, strong, intelligent and loyal as Peter. At the same time, MJ’s introverted, collected and pragmatic self compliments Peter’s more extroverted, energetic, and idealistic self perfectly, creating a symbiosis between them.

They bring out the best in each other. Because of Peter, MJ is able to come out of her shell and be vulnerable (her arc in Far From Home). And in the same way Peter supports and brings out the best in MJ, MJ encourages and supports Peter when he needs it to most by always being there for him, being level-headed and comforting in crisis situations.

Their kiss in No Way Home perfectly conveys the image of two true lovers, with the way their bodies create a heart shape and the contrast created by the sun in the background.

Peter and MJ are bound together.

Both Far From Home and No Way Home dedicate a lot to the Peter and MJ relationship, and during the promotion of both Far From Home and No Way Home, images of them were used constantly to advertise the movie, reinforcing that Peter and MJ are ultimately the heart and soul of those two movies.

And even though MJ didn't have much screen time in Homecoming, she was emphasized a lot in the promos and almost every scene with her foreshadows her relationship with Peter in some way. Zendaya's MJ is essential to MCU Spider-Man.

Her not returning would also be a disservice to her character. MJ is her own person with her own agency and desires. The MCU Spider-Man movies have been very consistent with portraying that. To just ditch MJ instead of giving her the ending she deserves, to be with the one she loves the most? To disregard what she made Peter promise to do? Terrible writing.

It's also a disservice to Peter's character. Spider-Man is supposed to end up happy. Peter should get to be with the one he loves the most.

Michelle Jones-Watson is the MCU version of Mary Jane Watson

Michelle Jones-Watson is a reimaging of Mary Jane Watson, and the definitive MJ of the MCU. They're not gonna bring in "the real MJ". Zendaya is the real MJ.

I really shouldn't have to go any further then pointing out that her name is literally MJ Watson. But I will.

Again this will be it's own post eventually, but it's still important enough to shortly talk about here.

This reimagining of MJ shares many core elements with her comic book counterpart.

Both are progressive rebellious characters, Mary Jane being a party girl (which in the 60s was considered progressive) while Michelle Jones is a liberal and activist who has unconventional interests (being interested in conspiracy theories and morbid topics).

They both have a troubled past (especially with their fathers).

Michelle's arc is basically the same as Mary Jane from the comics; dropping a façade she created to hide her vulnerable self, opening up her true caring self to Peter.

Both are their version of Peter’s perfect match.

They're both strong-willed and loyal, sticking with Peter no matter what.

There’s also been several easter eggs connecting Michelle to Mary Jane.

Michelle's birthday (revealed on her passport during FFH promo) is the same day the comic Mary Jane first appeared in was released.

In Far From Home, there’s a license plate on the bridge where Peter and Michelle kiss for the first time that reads “TASM 143”. This is a nod to the issue in which Peter kisses Mary Jane for the first time in the comics, The Amazing Spider-Man #143.

She wears two outfits with tigers on them in Far From Home (nod to Mary Jane's famous line).

Zendaya’s blatant “Face it, Tiger…” post while having red hair during the Far From Home press. And all the other times she's dyed her hair red for Spider-Man press, too (she did it again for NWH promo once).

MJ has always been Peter's true love in every Spider-Man iteration. It was true in the comics (before the current terrible writers ruined it). It was true in the Raimi trilogy. It was going to be true in the Webb films (Mary Jane was gonna be introduced in TASM 3). It was true in Into the Spider-Verse. And it's true here too.

MJ is to Spider-Man what Lois Lane is to Superman. You can't have one without the other.

Definitive statements from Executives

In the Deadline article regarding Jon Watts leaving Fantastic Four, on April 29, 2022, this statement was made.

Sony and its Spider-Man producers have made it clear they expect to reunite Watts with Holland and Zendaya to continue the series.

This was the statement that prompted The Direct's article (among others) in which this news spread and more people realized that Zendaya is likely coming back.

This was reinforced in another interview directly with Tom Rothman, head of Sony, less then a month later.

ROTHMAN: We hope to get working on the next Spider-Man movie. DEADLINE: With Jon Watts, Tom Holland and Zendaya returning? ROTHMAN: That whole group, we hope.

This confirms that the studio wants Zendaya to return. They've made up their mind, creatively. At this point, whether Zendaya returns or not is up to her.

It makes sense that the studio wants her back so bad. Zendaya not only has a ton of star power, but it also dating Tom Holland in real life. Her name is gonna get people in seats.

Statements from Actors

If Tom Holland is coming back for another trilogy, Zendaya's coming back too. Statements from Tom Holland also confirm that she was always gonna come back from the beginning.

Tom Holland stated in an interview with GQ on April 15, 2021 (a month after shooting No Way Home) he will not do another movie without Jon Watts, Jake Batalon, and Zendaya.

So he’d say yes? “Absolutely. One hundred per cent, yes.” Any renegotiation clauses? “We’d need to keep the same core team. The director, Jon Watts, is as much Spider-Man as I am. Zendaya, Jacob [Batalon].”

While he might be exaggerating when implying that he would outright refuse if they all also didn't come back, it emphasizes the importance to which he views the director and his co-stars role in the MCU Spider-Man series. Including Zendaya.

A month later, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated:

“We were all treating No Way Home as the end of a franchise, let's say. I think if we were lucky enough to dive into these characters again, you'd be seeing a very different version. It would no longer be the Homecoming trilogy. We would give it some time and try to build something different and tonally change the films."

Notice how he says these characters. Plural. Not just him, but also the other MCU Spider-Man characters, meaning MJ and Ned (I mean, it's not like it can mean anyone else).

These statements from Holland are pretty consistently pointing to the same narrative, that all three actors would return if they continued the series.

It's unlikely these statements were made to prevent spoilers. Not only because they align with what's been said after NWH's release, but also because they tried to build up suspense about whether MJ would die in trailers and TV spots and these statements wouldn't match up with that agenda. It's obvious that these statements were made without any studio influence.

This is also corroborated by this statement from Zendaya during the press tour:

youtube

ZENDAYA: “Well, we have no idea what the future of us or this Spider-Man franchise is or will be […] if there’s a world where we continue and grow with the characters, that would be beautiful [...]" TOM: “Yeah you said that perfectly.”

They’re talking as a pair, as if returning would mean both of them.

I also think the body language and facial expressions of the two reveals a lot about their feelings on the matter.

It looks like the two know more then they're letting on.

You can hear and see Zendaya’s voice and eyes brighten up when she talks about returning. She has a very positive tone.

Tom looks directly at her as she’s talking about returning whereas most of the time he’s looking down at the ground.

Zendaya looks directly at Tom after saying that continuing the series and both of their characters would be beautiful. If she’s looking at her boyfriend, the person she loves most, directly in the eyes as she’s saying it then it’s probably true, that’s just basic psychology.

Another pretty telling quote also comes from Zendaya. After making the Time100 list for 2022, Zendaya in her interview stated about No Way Home:

“The perfect way to, maybe I don’t know end our trilogy, there’s people that are more in charge then I am so I don’t know what the future holds so I’m just saying.”

Notice how she pins the decision on the executives and not herself. As if she's already made up her mind. This was likely recorded before the executive's decision was made (or at least, before she was aware of it); they record these interviews well in advance.

The fact that she says "our trilogy" is also very telling. She clearly misspoke when she said trilogy, because whether they make a 4th movie or not it’d still be the end of the trilogy. Since she immediately started talking about how they might continue, as if correcting herself, she obviously meant to say series or franchise. It’s not just Tom’s Spider-Man series, it’s hers too.

Zendaya has repeatedly stated and shown that she loves doing the Spider-Man movies. Especially since, you know, the lead is her boyfriend. We don't even have to infer this, she literally said working with Tom is one of her favorite things about playing MJ. She even said she wanted a happy ending for Peter and MJ in this interview.

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I am certain that Zendaya will sign on for the next MCU Spider-Man trilogy once given the contract, if she hasn't already.

Statements from Leakers

A very reliable leaker known as Ember, who now runs a Twitter page called Cult of Ember (formally Culture Spider), has stated that Zendaya will definitively be returning, meaning that she has officially signed on.

Now, I don't want to put too much stock on leakers. IMO they should always be taken with some level of uncertainty. At the same time, Ember leaked costumes from No Way Home well in advanced (among other things). She's pretty reliable. She's also the one responsible for the leak that Tom Holland has signed a new 6 picture deal.

The leak about Zendaya signing on also seems to line up with the fact that she just finished filming Dune 2 at the time. Perfect timing to be signing a new contract.

Ember had been saying for awhile that the studio wants Zendaya to return, the exact same thing stated by Sony chairman Tom Rothman.

This was also corroborated by another leaker.

Whether you believe the leakers or not is up to you. I wouldn't take their word as gospel. But they are very consistent and it makes a lot of sense, especially considering all the other evidence.

Addressing arguments against her coming back

"It would undo the consequences of No Way Home"

And Avengers: Endgame undid the consequences of Infinity War (as well as Captain America: Civil War). Your point?

Ending their relationship like this would be a disservice to both of their characters. Neither of them deserve this ending. It's too severe. Peter and MJ have earned their happy ending. And you can have consequences as a result of all this while still having Peter and MJ together again, just like how Endgame did it.

There are plenty of consequences of No Way Home that will stick. The death of Aunt May is obviously permanent, as is the loss of all of the Stark Tech.

"It undoes Peter's choice"

Spider-Man 2's ending also undid Peter's choice at the end of Spider-Man (2002). The same choice Peter makes at the end of No Way Home. Your point?

The point of Spider-Man isn't that he always loses everything, the point of Spider-Man is that he's willing to sacrifice things and gets rewarded for it eventually. He always gets the happy ending.

The "I need to keep the one I love away to protect them" trope never sticks with superheroes. They deserve to be happy, and it's also patronizing and takes away agency from the woman.

Peter made a promise to MJ and he did a disservice to her not fulfilling it.

I find it so odd that the some fans are so willing to have Peter undo his choice to protect Mary Jane by leaving her out of his life in the Raimi trilogy, but want so badly for Peter to keep Michelle out of his life for the same reasons here.

I wonder if there's an underlying issue with some fans mindsets that would explain this...

"It's too soon"

The majority of the fanbase agrees she should come back but thinks she shouldn't come back until the 5th or 6th movie. I do respect this opinion as at least it acknowledges that she's obviously coming back, but at the same time, I can't say I agree entirely.

Like yeah, obviously they shouldn’t get back together within the first 20 minutes of the 4th movie, but at the end? Absolutely.

What other arc is Peter gonna have in the 4th movie other then learning to open up again? Making new friends and having a new girlfriend and putting them at risk is a shitty thing to do when you ditched the ones you had and didn't fulfill a promise you made to them to protect them.

I think it's pretty obvious that Peter's arc is gonna be opening up again, and he's gonna tell MJ the truth at the end of the 4th film.

The longer Peter waits to tell MJ the truth, the harder the relationship would be to repair and the more upset MJ would be at him waiting so long. To me, at least, it seems like something that would be way smarter to resolve sooner rather then later.

Either that, or MJ's gonna figure it out herself and she's gonna be like a detective throughout the movie. Still, though, I think she deserves the truth from Peter.

"You're just a delusional Spideychelle/Tomdaya shipper"

Congratulations, you not only didn't address any of my evidence or points, but you also devolved into ad hominem, the worst thing you can do in any argument.

You just admitted defeat. Thanks for letting me win so easily!

I'm not sure if you're aware but insulting me personally doesn't suddenly make all of the proof disappear. Sorry :)

So there it is, definitive proof that MJ's coming back. If you read the entire thing, congratulations and thank you for reading. And MCU Peter and MJ FTW!

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awalkonthelightside · 6 months

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hi,

found your blog in my feed. so went looking through, must say - love your confidence and effortlessness.

Don't know, might sound a bit strange (see it as a occupational hazard at this point), you have lovely, shapely legs. From a purely aesthetical pov, your legs are shaped, defined but not too muscly nor too thin, perfectly toned and lithe with the right amount of muscle tone.

As a designer, your legs shape are what i'd consider ideal ones for modelling a pair of well made, tailored trousers and ensemble. Think of bespoke wear really. Something that conveys elegance and prowess with how nimble and solid it looks.

Seriously, you've got amazing legs and muscle tone there.

Thank you! I feel I say this a lot, but I'm almost certainly not as confident as my pictures may come across - although perhaps now I have more of a confidence in being able to use myself to model for, and capture interesting and well presented and posed images.

As a person I'm fairly "normal" I'd say? I'm not trying to really make a statement as such, but I just mean that if I walked passed you on the street I wouldn't be the sort of person that anyone would particularly notice or stand out for any reason. I say this not out of any modesty but because I want people to realise how much that posing, good lighting, and other choices that go into the creation of pictures online, play a part in it all.

That said I think I've always had quite nice legs - I was a runner in my younger days and I've been lucky enough to maintain fairly good tone there! These days there's a little more fat than their used to be, but luckily the muscle hides it quite well. I was a hand double for a famous actor once, so maybe I need to offer my legs next time too.

#asks

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muzzleroars · 1 year

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Hi!, I hope everything is going well for you, I remember that you said fallen Gabriel gained more demonic features the more his halo disappeared, are those changes gradual?, or he just suddenly woke up with a fully formed tail?, if they are sudden I can imagine Gabriel would just panic horribly upon seeing himself, also how would v1 react or comfort him if that was the case?

mentions of body image issues //

GENUINELY this is one of the reasons i decided to keep the tail, like just the idea that he absolutely does wake up one day and it's there. the initial reaction is fully "what IS that?" since he's just trying to parse whether or not it's some kind of...animal?...until v1 grabs it and pulls, making them both realize at the same time that it's attached to gabriel. and as FUNNY as that is to play out, i also use it as a breaking point for him because he can file down his claws, cover up his now stone-like skin, and disregard the horns as part of his armor and not truly himself, but nothing can be done to hide a tail. he'll have to see it, feel it, use it and simply be aware of having an added appendage, and anyone else could see it as well (at this point in the narrative, he's got some contact with raphael and uriel, SO UH). he has continued to deny himself as a demon, refuses to even really acknowledge the word, but with the tail those floodgates kind of burst open and all he can think now is that if anyone saw him as this, what other label could they apply to him? no one could think of him as an angel anymore, not even a fallen one.

and so he laments, he despairs after keeping what little hold he could have on himself for so long as he assumed each new feature, and frankly he just gets pissed. he wants it gone, he wants to be who he once was, and i'm sure he considers just getting rid of it in order to regain at least a modicum of the control he once felt he had. but v1 doesn't allow it. it's been watching gabriel change and it's admired how he's grown, but v1 isn't exactly intuitive about emotions, to say the least lol so this is when it fully comes to understand that gabriel has only just been tolerating these changes and largely has been denying them instead of steadily growing to accept them and himself as they came. which would have gone much more smoothly and v1 runs through just about every curse word it's got in its banks before it can force him to calm down (enough), sit down, and just try to convey its perspective to him.

v1 doesn't speak often, it likes the vocal processor it stole for novelty purposes and the occasional exclamation, but it does use a few words here if only to impress the importance of its point on to gabriel. and that point is simply that it wants him to be at peace, not just with his decision, but with everything that's happened since. he can keep trying to conceal himself, he can keep sanding down every hard edge and now cutting off any new part, but he's changed. it knows that's the last thing he wants to hear, being constant for an eternity such as he was, but he's new now. not in the way heaven said he would be - nothing intrinsically has changed, nothing inherent to who he was save finding his autonomy. instead his body is new and wild, it's growing and changing with him, he has moved and it's followed him. and all v1 wants is for him is to think about it. to sit with that newness, especially with that tail!!! let it be for now and see if he really can find peace once he allows these new traits a chance to breathe, a chance to actually live with him. and gabriel accepts those terms, if only because v1 is so earnest in a way it rarely is....but he knows it's right. the tail WILL be quite the test for him though. especially when v1 starts pouncing on it.

#the tail is really the catalyst for gabriel gaining acceptance of himself #and it sort of culminates in him finally showing his true face to v1 again....uwahhh.....#BUT once again...i've got an upcoming ask about that one!!#cake answers #gabriel #v1 #fallen gabriel #rise and fall au

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reality-liver-n0 · 6 months

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Balalaika: Black Lagoon's Monster

This post is going to be another long one so strap in. Once again, it's soley on Balalaika, but I may stray off a bit too.

Since I already adressed in my last big post about her differnces in manga and anime, this is going to center around how well her depiction (normally) is in the maga. Don't get me wrong, Anime Balalaika is terrifying as well but the manga in some panels takes it up a notch.

I'll share the specific panels that made me decide to cover this topic anyway.

All of these are terrifying. Legitimately I forgot how brutal the manga panels were in this. I'll go down each one and point out how I think they're effective in their use of envoking fear.

In the first image she is grinning with her teeth bared, and you can see how sharp they are. It's like she's a shark that got the first whiff of blood. Take notice of the man (I honestly forgot his name).

His teeth are depicted as well but there are just two that seem pointy. Even so, they're not as jagged or rigid as hers, in fact they look more blunt, akin to a prey animal.

Honestly her lipstick makes the whiteness of her canines pop out more and I'm wondering if she actually even thought of the tactical advantadge it gives in terms of intimidation. Probabaly not, but hey, let me headcanon here. I would assume she chose pink since it's more natural yet it still pops. And I'm not sure how well the red lipstick would go with her red suit, which would obviosuly be a lot duller due to its fabric.

Anyway, both her and the man's eyes are not shown. I'm not an artist but it's very important here and I think I can explain why.

Eyes are the window to the soul. Or at least the most reliable way to know what emotions someone is feeling. You can't quite fake a look if your eyes stay the same. So by removing the access to emotions, it acts as a blocking point. We don't see their eyes, therefore we can't really see the extent of what they're feeling. We can only assume or place ourselves in the situation to guess what emotions might be present.

A good refernce would be the monster under the bed. You don't know what it looks like, but you use all experience or imagination possible to create one that will scare you. So by not seeing Balalaika's eyes or his, we can only conjure up worse images than what could actually be presently there.

Eyes are also what most classical artists use to convey pain. Here are the most notable examples.

We literally cannot even comprehend the type of pain this poor man is in. Ok, maybe not that much but choosing to limit the pain to the rest of his face does hide whatever expression he is making. Even so, there's not a whole lot to accurately measure his pain. There is only his teeth, grinding in pain, and blood. Not a whole lot to go off of.

But one notable detail is his feet. They are not touching the ground. In fact, he is actvely trying to stop himself from choking to death in her grip. Also, her heels make her considerably taller since his feet appear to be sliding against the ground. He's probabaly only a couple of inches off the ground but consider Balalaika.

She's 5'10, only wearing heels, already disarmed him with her back turned, and during this entire exchange with Rock is holding him steadily above the ground. That may not mean much but to me it's a lot.

He is a full grown man. The estimated average height for Japanese males is 5'7 and their weight is 138lbs.

Need I remind you that she kept this man up so he was actively choking, and still was able to snap Rock around onto a car hood with one hand.

This guy is fucking dying and she's not breaking a sweat. (Queen behavior tbh)

Onto the second panel. I want to focus on Balalaika's face. Her eyes have an emotion I can't find the word for. Playfulness I guess? Or some type of manic state of power or happiness. You can just tell by her raised brow and the slant of her eyes that she's just toying with Rock here. It's all a display of her raw strength.

The next panel is worse in my opinion. Her entire scarred side is blacked out. Sickingly, her right eye looks more like a socket since the scar overlaps it. And the blackness of her suit makes her look like some grim reaper. Overall, I'm scared shitless.

Yet the final image was the last straw for me.

That look from her, the solid stare that is directed at Rock (the audience in effect) is terrible. She doesn't have the same joy from the prebvious panels. That could be due to her mouth being hidden but it's one of rage and suffering. Look back to the classical depictions of eyes. Looks a bit similar, right?

Also, personally the one that looks the most alike is the Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel. Which to me is so ironic that it's sad.

Another sad thing is that the pupil size in the last panel, or specifically in the right/scarred eye can be a result of the scarring. Which to me seems to be affected a lot under bright light or is just permanetely damaged in that imitation state that pupils do when introduced to it. I would say the former, just to fit another headcanon neatly; her office only holds seemingly softer lights, notably the orange/yellow one on her desk.

Finally, the worst and most important fact is that in these panels Balalaika admits it's been a while since she's done hand to hand combat. What?! She just took an armed man down and she's not even at her peak soldier state. As Boris says, playing mafia does dull the senses.

So yeah. Rememember that we have literally never seen Balalalaika attempt to be as physically pro-active as Roberta. She hasn't had a reason too. It's just jaw-dropping to think what Balalaika's true combat prowess is since we've only seen glimpses of it. Better yet, how good was she as a sniper to get her nickname?

Only our imagination can help us there, but considering the feats of Roberta Balalaika's sniper shots must be inhuman.

#black lagoon #balalaika #big boy post #This woman is so scary but I love her for it #analysis

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ravenbloodshot · 9 months

Text

Kim Young Dae (Actor)...Red + Green Flags

❤

He may curse like a sailor, hard for him to hold back his words

He's quite manipulative and may be the type to take advantage of others weakness for his own benefit

He could have a hard time holding himself accountable for his wrongdoings (or just bad at admitting his faults). Also, he could not like criticism of any kind

He may be the type to run from his problems (could lead to addcition) and unnecessarily feel bad for himself when he's the problem (like if you called him out for doing something wrong, he could start saying self depreciating things like "ik I'm a fuck up" which is sort of manipulation and how he truly feels mixed together. In the end he could get free from accountability if the person starts to pity him or feel bad for him)

I don't think he handles confrontation well at all. He's not good at arguing and he can't convey his point of view well whatsoever (like the type of guy to not speak coherently when he argues or mumble his words a lot). I definitely think he uses a sweeter/harmless image to get away with a lot of things (like giving puppy eyes 🥺, hoping the person pities him enough to forgive him)

He's too nostalgic and up in lala land (Pisces tings). He also idolizes/glamorizes other ppls lives too much (its like he thinks the things he sees on Instagram is all real and he ends up feeling bad for himself or catching FOMO when he sees ppl on Instagram supposedly living their best life). Basically he has grass is greener on the other side syndrome

In love: He has codependent tendencies and is too clingy, has abandonment issues and runs from the relationship when problems arise. He also could love others more than they love him and stay in such a relationship, maybe due to fear of being alone (not really the kind of guy to catch onto hints that his crush doesn't want him, you literally have to spell that out to him)

💚

He's good at getting rid of ppl that aren't serving him and that are just using him, his intuition is pretty strong so it could lead him away from bad ppl when he listens to it

He could be pretty good at reading ppl or their energy (could do well as a tarot reader), like he knows when the ppl around him are in a bad mood and can read others wants/wishes well.

He's not one to baby others, he's good at reassuring and advising but he won't coddle you. He's more of a "lick your wounds so you can get up and fight at life another day" type of guy so I do think to his friends and loved ones he can be very helpful to them when their down n out

Youngdae is quite sarcastic and a jokester, he could be a very entertaining guy to be around and knows how to uplift the energy in a room (he could be the type to show his true feelings through jokes, others may not be able to pick up on it though if they only take his jokes at face value)

He lives in the present and has no problem putting his phone away, going on long drives to release himself from social media and the internet (which I think is good for him since he doesn't have a healthy view of those that floss on social media and protray a fabulous life). He is really good at "being there" with those that he's with, he doesnt look through his phone while at a dinner with friends/lovers, instead he's fully present and there with them, engaging with them

I'm getting the vibe that he loves music but he sucks at making music (could be a bad dancer, bad singer, lack of rhythm). But he does laugh at himself and make jokes about his musical faults

In love: he's very loving and sweet to his partner, loves to flirt and entice them. He can be very affectionate and touchy, gentlemanly as well but he may lose his manners when he gets too excited. He loves to be asked out and confessed to, he's just a sweet and romantic guy when in love

Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine is a song that fits this readings energy

#korean actor #k readings #kim young dae #pisces sun #Spotify

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machifuwa · 1 year

Text

- IDOL STORY - Idol Talk

Hiyori Tomoe Idol story with Kohaku and Rinne

Season: Autumn

Hiyori: ...Oh my, oh my? That person over thereーif it isn't Kohaku-kun!

What are you doing standing in front of our room?

Kohaku: Hiyori-han?

Aah, you're in the same room as Rinne-han, aint'cha? Hey, do ya know where he went?

Yesterday I was told that he would be at the Seisoukan today. I looked all over the buildin', but he was nowhere to be found, and no one answered when I knocked.

Hiyori: Well, just because we're roommates doesn't mean we share the same schedule, so I don't know where he is now.

Have you tried contacting him?

Kohaku: I sent him a message, but he didn't reply. I don't even know if he read it. I wonder where he is.

Hiyori: Pachinko maybe? I wonder if he went to a place like that again.[1]

Since we're talking about 'senpai' here, I'm sure he's not going to be home and sleep while I'm out getting drinks...seems very unlikely to happen.

But anyway, we should go inside for the time being.

I'm just here to make you feel welcome...♪

Kohaku: ...I asked him if I could come in, but he's not even here. I was plannin' on wakin' him up if he's just sleepin' on the bed.

I'm so done. Can't he at least send me a replyーah.

Hiyori: Hm? Did you get a reply?

Kohaku: Yeah. He said he was goin' to the convenience store for a bit. He also said he'll be right back...

Hiyori: If that's the case, why don't you just wait here? I'm sure 'senpai' will come back to this room anyway.

Kohaku: I'll take your word for it and wait here. You have my thanks, Hiyori-han.

Hiyori: You're very welcome. You can sit on the couch or on the rug or wherever you want.

However, I can't entertain you because I have other things to do as well. I hope you won't give me a hard time while you're here.

Kohaku: It's enough for me to be here. Don't mind me...

By the way, you have quite the stuff in your bed. Are the "things to do" work by any chance?

Hiyori: Well, yeah. I have a program to record at a TV station this evening, so I wanted to get a few things done before then.

You've been looking over the script you received yesterday, right? I also have the hobby of wanting to check the photos and videos, and to read the magazine I was featured in.

And then... Filling out magazine surveys? Anyway, there's a lot to do!

Kohaku: Well, then, why dont'cha just leave me here? If you're goin' to work, you should concentrate.

Hiyori: Ahaha. Don't worry about it. You don't make a lot of noise, do you? Then I have nothing to worry about.

Kohaku: That's true...oh? Is it possible that all those printouts in the file are surveys to be filled out?

Hiyori: Well, of course ♪ I think this amount is the same as usual and won't take too long, though?

Kohaku: Is that so? We received a similar survey, but I really don't know how to answer it.

I spend a lot of time worryin' about what to write, or if this is the right word, every time I'm asked.

HiMERU-han is amazingly fast at this kind of thing. I wish I could answer it as quickly as he does...

Hiyori: Fufu. He's not so much a rookie idol in that respect, but you're also old enough to know.

Kohaku: Earlier, you said it wouldn't take too long. Doesn't Hiyori-san worry about it?

Hiyori: Well... When I answer the questions, I've decided to stick to my idol image, "Hiyori Tomoe". All I have to do is express myself properly, so worrying is not really needed!

Kohaku: Hoh..?

Hiyori: I've been thinking about what you said. Well it seems like you're simply struggling with how to make the answers you have in mind look good for your fans.

But, what is the point of using words that are different from your true feelings, and misrepresenting what used to be your honest feelings?

And I think it would be worse to change what you put in them so that it would look presentable and then your true feelings won't be conveyed properly.

Above all! I've always wanted to be honest as an idol to my fans, without pretending.

The same goes for answering surveys. But of course, I'm still careful with my words...

Words to convey my purest thoughts and feelings can only come from my own mouth.

I wouldn't want to change a thing if possible.

Kohaku: ...I don't really understand what ya mean. But not everyone can do that.

Hiyori: ーAhaha. In other words, it's best to not think about it this way or that way, but try to answer in simple, honest terms.

A few mischievous answers are part of your idol personality, aren't they?

Perhaps some of the people may even become interested in the idol "Kohaku Oukawa" through your honest words.

Kohaku: Hmm... I still don't know much about idols, but I guess I should listen to other people's advice.

You said you couldn't offer hospitality, but it seems you listened to me anyways and even gave me some advice.

Hiyori: Fufu. It's up to you to make the most of it, though ♪

Rinne: ーI'm hooome~♪

Hey everyone, it's Rinne-kun's return! Sorry to keep you waiting, Kohaku-chan, I'm finally here to talk ♪

Kohaku: Aah, welcome back, Rinne-han. About that, I'll have put it off.

Rinne: Put it off...?

Kohaku: You know that magazine survey we were told to submit? I'm goin' to write it now. Sorry, but we'll have to talk about work later.

Rinne: Ehh, Kohaku-chan!?

Kohaku: Hiyori-han, thank you again.

Hiyori: Sure. Good luck, Kohaku-kun ♪

Rinne: ...Hey, hey, I just got dumped unilaterally, didn't I? Hiyori-chan, what did you do to Kohaku-chan?

Hiyori: Nothing special? I just idol-talked him.

Pachinko (パチンコ) is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling.

Translated by machi

#ensemble stars #enstars #idol story #enstars translation #hiyori tomoe #kohaku oukawa #rinne amagi

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sothasil · 1 year

Note

Hi! You're one of my favorite artists ever, and I would love to do some studies of your art! What are some of your favorite pieces that you've done, and how do you pick your colors? There's a lot more questions that I could ask, but figured you wouldn't appreciate an entire list of questions XD

Hello and thank you, I am honored! Feel free to send me all and any questions! I'll answer these two, starting by:

How do you pick your colors?

As I change art style with pretty much every illustration project of significance, this varies a lot. Here are, from most to least common, ways I pick my colors.

Eyeballing it. Unfortunately my most common... What I will do a lot digitally is lay down a color background, and flats of a few colors, then manually adjust each until they look good together by selecting by color and using adjustements. I then paint over it all.

Using a limited palette, eyeballed. Same as before, but this time I force myself to only use a few colors. It helps me, as constraints do.

Using a reference, eyeballed. This happens a lot when I mimick an art style. My medieval drawings for example, are often done by looking at images of actual medieval art to get an idea of what colors to use to look medieval.

Using an existing image, pipetted. Rarely, often as a challenge or if I'm super stuck, I'll just take a pic with colors I like and pipet from it. This website automates this if you want a good easy starting point!

These can be combined around. I'll post examples now, explaining how they use each.

This is a sketch for a drawing I ended up doing way different. This is the first method - I used a flat layer for the characteres and three colors for the sky to test out atmosphere. This is how I plan out most full paintings, just trying to nail down a mood I have in my head. I fiddle around until I like it or, like in this case, fully give up and iterate further. Here, the composition was to be redone too as I did not like the body language. I was going for "bright hot sunny day under a weather that feels wrong".

For this comic, I combined a very limited palette and a photo ref to pipet from. I was looking for the stark cold/warm contrast of a mid-season bright night by a fireside. I took a google image photo of a campfire at night that was already edited. The photo itself looks unnatural but conveyed what I wanted. It's still on the file itself! From it, I pipetted a few colors I found "summed up" the palette and did all with them.

While my own habits make me prefer painting as you would in traditional methods, with directly picking the right colors, I will often digitally alter with overlays and layer blending modes some colors and gradients, etc, to alter a drawing to fix it's color palette. The following is a quite egregious example, because I first drew the character in flats before putting him in a full scene. Here is a before/after summed up.

The shadow is a layer, the bright yellow light zones also, and the orange "transitions" of light zones on the skin a third. There's also an overlay over the full character to blend him in. I do this by...making a full flat color of a layer, fucking around until a blending mode does what I want, and adjusting hue/brightness/saturation and opacity until it looks good.

Another WIP where I was struggling with the overall palette. I was going for late 60s psychedelic. You can see in the top right the original color. I thought it looked too...new, so I added a yellow layer on top, and fiddled with it. Final choice was the following setting. I then put it with my sketch and color blockout in a folder and painted over it.

For this sort of adjustement, the "Color Balance" modifier in CSP, Photoshop, and others is also a godsend - but one I often use for fine tuning a finished piece.

This being said, there's some rough rules to coloring which are...born from studying color theory and doing studies. I am guilty of doing very little studies...so I'll just sum up the basics of the color theory rules I use.

For "default" shading, I use a color that is darker, more saturated and with a slight hue diff. This is my "don't shade with black".

Using a shadow that's cooler will make the light look warm.

Vice versa.

There's a bunch of stuff to remember in how colors relate to each other and pipetting images who's atmosphere you think is interesting really is the best way to learn... It's learning how to black-blue/gold-yellow dress in your own art for the lack of a better word...But the basics will be:

Don't trust numerical values, but look at your colors in context. A same hue, brightness, saturation can look so much different. This is how Rakkan's beard looks whiteish here despite being a light very grey brown.

All this but...colour is such a wide topic, I can't really say a lot but can also type for hours... if you have precise questions about a piece in particular I can explain :') I hope this wasn't too vague and was instructive!

Speaking of particular pieces, answering your question last under the cut:

What are some of your favorite pieces that you've done?

In no particular order, illustration only.

Including this in another poast bc staff's new post editor limits the amounts of pics I can put in response to asks. Insert colorful language here...

Frankly twas hard to pick I am rarely fond of what I draw

#ask

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ft-tattboy · 6 months

Text

Are Super Junior THAT problematic?

—————————————————

~Prelude~

Super Junior, a group considered one of the most problematic in the K-pop community. Today I will NOT defend Super Junior, but I will explain a few issues substantively. Enjoy.

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Shindong (신동희):

Allegations:

『1. Sexist, bodyshaming comments

『2. Performed with boom who did blackface

『3. Did blackface

Explains:

『1. Shindong: “If someone had to lose weight, I would tell that person to lose weight. Lose some weight, why can't you take care of yourself. When I say this, the person might think, 'Look who's talking,' but I would reply, 'I'm a boy and you're a girl.'”

Shindong (A moment later): “I'm just saying. Honestly, I would want the person that I love to be more pretty or more handsome.”

Shindong (After the situation):

Shindong (About weight many times):

『2. What can I say? Do you really think that Shindong decides who he performs with?

『3. He did blackface. I would like to point out that blackface was quite widespread in Korea. Before the popularization and development of the Internet, Korean comedians often used it in their skits. When something becomes common, we stop perceiving it negatively and we get used to it.

When we look at the fact that Shindong may have been familiar with this, we get an image of unawareness. Which doesn't change the fact that as a popular artist he should be more careful about his actions.

————————————————————————

Siwon (최시원):

Allegations:

『1. Being homophobic

『2. Said “No” and waved hand to a male fan when he said “Sarangae”

『3. Retweeted a transphobic tweet

『4. Dog accident

Explains:

『1. It's just a fake info my friends

『2. I have searched the Internet far and wide, but there is no information about this anywhere

『3. Siwon (About situation):

Tw: Opinion

It was just a meme... everyone has different sensitivities, but as I belong to the LGBTQ community, I can laugh at this type of memes.

Siwon said, “You are my friend, FIGHTING!” to a renowned Mexican transgender actress, Dana Karvelas.

『4. The dog, untied, was out on a walk with Choi's father when it attacked Kim, a neighbor.

Siwon (About situation): “I lower my head and apologize to the bereaved family...and convey my deep condolences, as a member of the family raising the dog, I feel greatly responsible”

Should Siwon be responsible for the dog his father was walking with?

————————————————————————

Heechul (김희철):

Allegations:

『1. Wore cornrows

『2. Wore headscraft

『3. Called EXO (ex) member Kris disrespectful for leaving before their concert

Explains:

『1. Cornrows were a way for slaves to secretly communicate with each other. This is a difficult situation, but let me use an anecdote.

When I visited Kenya, many Kenyans even persistently encouraged me to make Cornrows for me, of course, these were specific individuals for whom every money was worth its weight in gold, so what do I mean by that?

The universality of Cornrows reduced their tragic history to a marginal level.

Therefore, awareness about them is becoming less and less and will only decrease; in the era of globalization, cultures will become less and less common and this is an inevitable process. Just remember to respect all cultures.

『2. Heechul (As he wrapped the scarf around his head): “What I’m wearing looks like a hijab right?when we go overseas many foreign fans came wearing things like this..”

Was what he did or said caricatured or mocking? No, many fans even took it in a positive way. Heechul himself has never insulted or criticized other religions.

『3. Heechul (About Kris Wu action): “I want to approach this as an ill-mannered act by Kris to the fans”

Heechul didn't insult Kris, he criticized his behavior, not him personally. Was he right? Yes, many fans could have gone to the concert to see Kris Wu, but he unexpectedly left the group.

————————————————————————

Leeteuk (박정수):

Allegations:

『1. Said he dislikes fat girls

『2. Asked Suzy to lose weight

Explains:

『1. There is no information about this, also no evidence

『2. Leeteuk (Before "Miss A" debut): “Suzy has to lose some weight.”

Heechul (To quote Leeteuk's words in the dorm): “She doesn't look like she gained weight at all” “Why are you losing weight, Suzy, you don't have to”

————————————————————————

Eunhyuk (이혁재):

Allegations:

『1. Sneaked into girls room where they were sleeping and touched them.

Explains:

『1. Such an accident took place. Eunhyuk himself told about it, he was in junior high school at the time (12-14 years old). We don't know anything about how he touched them, and in any case, judging him for something he did as a child is not wise.

————————————————————————

Donghae (이동해):

Allegations:

『1. Did brownface

Explains:

『1. He just looks that way, it's his skin tone lol

————————————————————————

Yesung (김강훈):

Allegations:

『1. Did blackface

『2. Called obese people lazy

Explains:

『1. It wasn't blackface. He did not ridicule black people or reproduce any other stereotypical features. Cosplayed Nick Fury from Marvel.

『2. He just kidding. If you can understand korean culture, your heart not hurt because it’s just kidding. However, it was still irresponsible for the sake of foreign fans.

————————————————————————

Kyuhyun (조규현):

Allegations:

『1. Negative comments about Goo Hara

Explains:

『1. Kyunhyun (Radio Star): “If i open my mouth, Goo Hara will be over” “I've prepared about 12 pages of material”

Kyuhyun was part of the variety show "Radio Star", and after rejecting further offers of cooperation, he admitted that he cried at night from stress because he was expected to be mean to the guests invited to the program. His behavior towards Har was, of course, cruel, but it was not due to his own decisions and willingness.

————————————————————————

Ryeowook (김려욱):

Allegations:

『1. There is no information about this, also no evidence

————————————————————————

~Notes~

• The performance with Boom also involved several other Suju members, but I decided not to cover the same issue multiple times

• I only considered current Suju members

————————————————————————

Thank you for your attention!!<3

#kpop #super junior #suju #south korea #bts #problematic

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fancyshooting · 2 years

Text

OCELOT'S CODENAME

like the other members of foxhound, revolver ocelot's codename is derived from his weapon of choice and an animal. why an ocelot?

here's an excerpt from this 1998 interview with hideo kojima:

How did you came up with Ocelot’s name?

Well, originally he was going to be named Lynx, which is a wildcat [山猫/yamaneko in Japanese, literally a mountain cat]. However, to a Japanese person that name doesn’t quite convey that image. I thought making him a wildcat would be cool, wouldn’t it? So I really wanted him to be a wildcat.

So there’s a story written by author Yoichi Funato about a certain wildcat and it’s an ocelot, so that’s when I thought “alright, this is the one.” [Kojima is likely referring to the novel Yamaneko no Natsu/山猫の夏, otherwise known as The Summer of the Ocelot.]

Are ocelot wildcats?

That’s right! I decided on Revolver Ocelot since it sounded cool and was the easiest to understand in terms of image. Like an “old man wildcat” who happens to be sly.

the book is set in brazil and tells the story of a feud between two families. this "ocelot" is hired by one of the families and violence ensues. it's only in japanese so idk much about it other than what google translate shows... but the wiki page lists four things about the character: he's in his 40s, he is good at shooting, he is a skilled martial artist and he likes the caipirinha cocktail. some of these traits are of course shared by our ocie. whether that includes enjoying a refreshing caipirinha I do not know

and from the "summer of the wildcat" synopsis:

"Wherever the wildcat moves, blood splatters immediately. When will the terrifying identity of the mysterious wildcat be revealed?"

reading this, you can see why kojima thought "ocelot" suited his character - the lone, mysterious, middle-aged killer

in mgs3, as pointed out by para-medic, the name "ocelot" is a hint to his split allegiance ("why would a soviet officer be using the name of an american wildcat?"). it also appears that ocelot identifies with these proud creatures somewhat. why's that? here's what I think:

for this to stand, you need to believe that ocelot's NSA backstory is true. the ADAM and EVA defection is based on the irl martin and mitchell defection and they followed the typical defector route of US -> cuba -> USSR. ADAM almost definitely travelled through south america. which animal can be found here? THE OCELOT!!

they're elusive but maybe he caught a rare sighting of one. he was only sixteen years old at the time and maybe he was feeling a bit apprehensive about this extremely important/complicated/risky mission that he had no say in partaking in. maybe a comparison was drawn between ADAM and the ocelot by whoever he was travelling with (EVA? the real one obv -_-). the ocelot is solitary and hunts under cover of darkness, much in the same way ADAM is expected to operate. stay hidden, be independent, never forget your objective. the mission will take years but don't let your prey escape. no matter how much you think you trust someone, remember: you hunt alone. "ocelot" was a sort of a last-minute codename to prepare him for his mission

"You're not a snake and I'm not an ocelot. we're men, with names."

this is ocelot acknowledging that "ocelot" is as much of a persona as "shalashaska". snake seems to be the first person to recognise the humanity in ocelot, which is the primary reason ocelot is drawn to him imo. I wrote about this before blah blah blah, back to the point: raised as a tool of the philosophers, ocelot's true personality was constantly suppressed so that he could adapt to any given situation. if mgsv really is a closer depiction of his true personality, then clearly he is a lot more benevolent and sympathetic than is ideal for a soldier-spy-terrorist-interrogator. he is only "ocelot" for most of his life because the characteristics he has attributed to that persona are those that are most suited to his all-consuming work

also ocelots stand slightly bow-legged and it reminds me of the classic cartoon cowboy stance:

^^^ all cowboys ^^^

what really happened is whoever gave him his codename saw an ocelot standing like this and said adam that's u lol

#revolver ocelot #mgs #metal gear solid #I suppose he could've named himself for the same reasons #he does seem to genuinely like them #wonder how close he was to being revolver markhor #btw this was in my drafts until I saw someone in the tags that prompted me to post #wildcats unite #writing

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archandshri · 3 months

Text

The Lionheart Brothers Bookcover (part - 2) from Shri - 01/03/24

Hi Archie

That sounds like exciting stuff! Absolutely loved seeing the Riso come together colour by colour!

Also, I'm super happy that you're letting your (comfort?) characters marine in your head for a while! There is nothing more fun and relaxing than just imagining your comfort characters interact/go through their story with no pressure of making it a 'good' story.

I constantly have my comfort characters go through self-indulgent story structures e.g. sickfic vibes or hurt/comfort storylines (have I imagined many of those sorts of scenes before? yes. Will I image it again? yes.

Anyway, getting into part 2 now.

When sketching these first few ideas, I was completely free and open, not limiting myself to any boundaries yet.

The only thing I was roughly keeping in mind was the visual cues and elements of the book. These included elements such as the Dove, Cutler (the bag guy), the brothers and the house. I was also really loosely thinking about composition, and how the dynamics of the story/character will affect the composition.

You can see me thinking about the relationship of the characters further here, playing around with this big dark shadowy figure taking up most of the page, Showing how this ominous creature is in control/power.

Elements I considered

Brothers' closeness (showing that in their physical closeness to each other on the page and their body language)

peaceful with overshadowing danger (either with a shadow figure or maybe the dove being shot?)

Rusky (younger brother) follows/wants to be more like his older brother Jonathan

This is why in a lot of the images I drew I purposely put Rusky below Jonathan/or following him somewhere, this is to show how Rusky isn't where his brother is but is striving to get there. This was quite difficult to get as making them close yet having this relationship dynamic was had to capture.

This is where I had to now put on my critical hat and really ask what sketch serves the book better. Although I absolutely adore the cover with them on the horses and the one what them climbing the mountain together. They didn't quite convey the message/story the book had, so I went with the last one.

My notes I took at the time.

First Image (Brothers on horses)

I love this cover but it really doesn't tell us anything about the bother, except that they have a good relationship.

Second image (climbing up a mountain)

I think the dynamic feel to the cover, again shows the brother's bravery

There are more journey vibes in this sketch (which might be better to fit with the beginning of the book?)

Third Image (facing of the bad guy with a creature in the back)

I think this is the best image in showing the conflict between the brothers and Tengil while also showing their bravery.

To push the brother's notice aspect in the story I'll need to tweak

I'm pushing the sketch further by simplifying it so I can figure out the overall shapes and silhouettes.

Notes at the time:

Poses of the brothers

Rusky runs behind to catch up with his brother

Rusky still holding hands but behind his brother looking back into the camera

This was to show how Rusky is still trying to catch up to his older brother both physically and metaphorically.

Though having them holding hands shows this closeness between them, so shows this dynamic relationship where Rusky (the younger brother) is trying to be as great as his older brother but also having a wholesome relationship.

I roughly put in the values.

At this point, this is where the trouble strikes.

The image above is just not sitting right. theoretically it makes sense but the whole image just feels weird

so I continued to play around with the existing image (see above), playing around with adding elements and text.

It just continued to not sit right. Although I did consider just colouring it in any way, I went back to the drawing board and relook at this cover.

Thought at the time:

Issues

Redline work looks like a psychological horror

The vibe of cover feels a bit too menacing/sentence for the sweet and quant feel of the book

Too much happening???

Here I'm just going ham and playing with more graphic/competition shapes to see if I feel like I can get anything else

Notes at the time

Likes

Really like what the border brings, it brings room/space, something to play with (shapes) and it gives the tone of the book a more fairytale/old feel which was something really lacking before.

Dislikes

posing of brothers not really encapsulating abortions

Then I had a whole Slide just ranting about this project and why I can't seem to get the image to fit right.

I am very frustrated because the image is just not working. This is because I believe iced over complicated it and it doesn't have enough space to breathe with is something I appreciate in imagery

At this point, I am truly lost. So when you are in any sense lost in a project, you always go back to one point.

What are you trying to say?

I was to show Rusky's bravery and wanting to be like his brother. I want to show his bravery in helping liberate Wild Rose Village (they live in Cherry Village) and liberate Wild Rose Village.

Character at the bottom (to show weakness and powerless) but Vertical lines to show their energetic and rebellious motions. (Molly Bang)

The dictator guy needs to be at the top of the page because he has total control of Wild Rose Village (not Cherry Valley yet), However, he only has this power because of the horn that controls Cutla, otherwise, he's not that bad.

What do I want to convey:

Vie Text: Lionheart Brothers, Brave and Courageous bothers

Via Image:

I want to convey their wholesome relationship

Shorshadow Cutla

Duve

That rusky is becoming braver like his brother

I'll see you in the last part! (it gets better from here :))

Hope you have a lovely week

Shri

#art #art blog #artist blog #artists on tumblr #comic artist #illustration #illustration blog #art process #smileyshri #the lionheart brothers #book illustrator #book covers #book cover design

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